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Neither anti-Semitism nor Islamophobia nor homophobia should ever be acceptable to anyone. We must all strive to live in peace and harmony with each other, regardless of religious affiliations, or none. Intolerance is the mother of strife and conflict. Mark Alexander We Britons are Europeans!Wir Briten sind Europaer! Nous, les Britanniques, sommes europeens ! Mark AlexanderEmail me at:markalexander.librabunda@gmail.com A 70-year-old retirement center nurse dubbed a "black widow" by prosecutors was sentenced to life in prison for the poisoning death of a retired Waco police lieutenant she had promised to marry. Jurors deliberated about 35 minutes Wednesday before deciding on the sentence for Rowena Ledbetter. She was convicted Tuesday of giving Herman "Mutt" Wilson, 85, a lethal dose of pesticide mixed with his breakfast of biscuits and gravy on April 21, 2002. Jurors determined that Ledbetter used a deadly weapon, which means she must serve at least 30 years before she can be considered for parole. "She weaved a web around her men and injected venom just like a notorious black widow," prosecutor Mike Freeman told jurors Wednesday. Last summer authorities exhumed the body of her sixth husband, Dick Ledbetter, to determine if his 2001 death was from natural causes or poisoning. Tests were inconclusive. Rowena Ledbetter's attorney, John Donahue, had suggested that Wilson tried to kill himself and Ledbetter out of depression and then tried to frame her. Some of Wilson's relatives and neighbors testified that they suspected Ledbetter tried to poison him in March 2002 with tainted soup. His family then persuaded him to remove Ledbetter from his will and to take her name off his bank accounts. Wilson bought an expensive car and jewelry for Ledbetter, who promised to move in with him once he changed his will again to include her, witnesses said. Wilson's attorney, John Malone, testified that the couple went to his office on a Friday to amend the will to include Ledbetter, who insisted on reading the document line by line before Wilson signed it. Two days later, Wilson was dead. Hours before he died, Wilson told paramedics, police officers and nurses that Ledbetter had poisoned him, trial testimony revealed. Ledbetter married Cecil Forson on Feb. 1, 2002, while maintaining a secret relationship with Wilson. After her arrest, she wrote a jailhouse letter blaming Forson, 79, for Wilson's death. The marriage to Forson was Ledbetter's seventh but has since been annulled. Ledbetter, who turns 71 on April 15, will not be the oldest woman sent to prison for causing a death. Glendora Luckey was 74 when she killed two people in a drunken-driving accident in Lampasas County in 1998, Texas prison spokesman Larry Fitzgerald said. A recent prostitution operation resulted in 62 arrests, including seven that were made in Midland for online solicitation of a minor. The other arrests from the 15-day operation were in Odessa, according to a press release received Thursday from the Odessa Police Department. Of the arrests, there were 18 felony charges and 50 misdemeanors, according to the release. The prostitution operation called Operation Gauntlet used online advertisement postings, texting and phone calls during three phases. In all, undercover officials received 12,329 total incoming messages and chatted with 1,361 unique phone numbers. Cpl. Steve LeSueur, public information officer for the OPD, said targeting technology isnt new for his department. Weve been doing this for a long time, LeSueur said. We know this is an issue. We know how these predators work. Thats what they use. The prostitution operation was from Feb. 16 to March 3 and included local, state and federal agencies. Among those assisting were the Midland County District Attorneys Office, Midland Police Department, Midland Fire Department and Midland County Sheriffs Office. The vast majority of arrests took place in Odessa, LeSueur said. But we definitely couldnt have done it without the assistance of the MPD and the Midland County Sheriffs Office. Midland County District Attorney Laura A. Nodolf said the operation was another fine example of law enforcement agencies collaborating in efforts to stop human trafficking and people who target minors. Those arrested in Midland County on second-degree felony charges of online solicitation of a minor under 14 years of age were: Eduardo Galvan, 25; Wesley Nickell, 57; Alex Olivas, 38; Seth Patin, 30; Randall Sparkman, 40; David Williams, 43; and Sebastian Zapata, 22. The arrests came after Phase One of the operation, which was a two-day child predator sting. Undercover chatters posted online advertisements and communicated while posing as 13-year-old females. They responded to 6,095 incoming messages from 330 unique phone numbers during that part of the operation, according to the press release. Sgt. Steven Sanders, who oversees the Crimes Against Persons Unit of the MPD, said the department agreed to be involved in Operation Gauntlet because it wants to get child predators off the street. He encourages parents to be vigilant with their kids online activities. Children who have electronic devices, who can access the internet, need to be monitored closely, he said. Later in the operation, phases two and three also involved online postings and undercover phone communication. In another part of Phase Three, undercover officers posed as human trafficking buyers in an effort to rescue victims and as human trafficking victims in an attempt to be solicited for sexual conduct. Law enforcement officials also conducted a search warrant at the Lucky Spa massage parlor after an undercover officer was solicited, according to the press release. The three phases resulted in Odessa arrests for felony charges of prostitution enhanced, aggravated promotion of prostitution, sexual performance of a minor under 14 years of age and prostitution solicit person under the age of 18, according to the press release. Misdemeanor charges included prostitution and display of harmful material to a minor. There was one outstanding warrant for the latter charge, according to information provided to the Reporter-Telegram. Other agencies assisting with Operation Gauntlet included Texas Department of Public Safety, Andrews Police Department, Abilene Police Department, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. ---- Phase One was a child predator sting over the course of two days. The suspects are listed below: Online Solicitation of a minor under age 14, 2nd Degree Felony Sebastian Zapata, 22 Eduardo Galvan, 25 Randall Sparkman, 40 (Sparkman is a registered sex offender.) Alex Olivas, 38 Seth Patin, 30 David Williams, 43 Wesley Nickell, 57 Sexual performance of a minor under age 14, 1st Degree Felony Osvaldo Sifuentes, 46 James Lambert, 23 Display harmful material to a minor, Class A Misdemeanor Juan Raigoza, 24 Phase Two sting focused on buyers. The suspects are listed below: Prostitution, Class B Misdemeanor Robert Loysoya, 59 Johnny Bryant, 31 Cody Pendergrass, 31 Jonathon Kirkman, 46 German Ortega-Ortega, 30 Omar Reyna, 43 Eduardo Ibanez, 31 Sterling Fincher, 26 Nikolos Robinson, 37 Raefael Hernandez, 43 Stephan Punch, 51 Ariel Portillo, 25 Fabian Hernandez, 34 Aram Barrios-Hernandez, 42 Oludayo Olanyinka, 37 Jared Cunnigham, 34 Bill Oneal, 45 Jason Page, 44 Daniel Okunola, 39 Brandon Moore, 31 Aaron Mata, 26 Raymundo Gonzalez, 43 Luis Casas Jr, 25 Timothy Hicks, 45 Kurtis Shaw, 18 Stanley Daniel, 21 Prostitution Solicit Person under the age of 18, 2nd Degree Felony Alfredo Garcia, 25 Eric Gesch, 43 Christian Love, 21 Alex Brito, 27 Peyton Coffman, 24 Phase Three involved human trafficking victim recovery and a buyer sting. The suspects are listed below: Prostitution, Class B Misdemeanor Patricia Chapman, 46 Ashley Hernandez, 24 Kami Martinez, 19 Alexus Phillips, 22 Kalleigh Tyler, 25) Dwight Thomas, 28 Keith Davidson, 48 Hamza Kechah, 38 Ahlieya Caudillo, 19 Adrianna Alcorta, 22 Jasmine Miles, 18 Tashonda Caraway, 22 Tiara Runels, 24 Desirey Carrizales, 22 Young Yu, 49 Prostitution, Class A Misdemeanor Rachel Tate, 31 Prostitution - Enhanced, State Jail Felony Ding Bing, 52 Prostitution solicit person under the age of 18, 2nd Degree Felony Lloyd David, 28 Aggravated promotion of prostitution, 2nd Degree Felony A handful of areas along the Texas coast are experiencing high levels of fecal bacteria ahead of the spring break holiday, though several popular destinations are in the clear, monitoring by Texas Beach Watch shows. Those headed to Texas beaches for spring break should be wary when choosing where to swim. When biker Anthony W. Benesh III displayed his Hells Angels colors in the middle of Bandidos territory in the Lone Star State in 2006, he was given extensive warnings to stop. But because Benesh ignored the instructions, the Bandidos Motorcycle Club dispatched two hit crews in March 2006 to find him and another Hells Angels member and send a message, a high-ranking ex-member of the Bandidos testified Wednesday at a racketeering trial for two former top Bandidos leaders. RELATED: 8 hacked-up bodies found in Mexico truck Johnny Downtown Johnny Romo, 47, said John Xavier Portillo, a national Bandidos sergeant-at-arms at the time, passed on the directive from Jeffrey Fay Pike of Conroe, the national president: Romo was to put a squad together to take out Benesh in Austin. The hit on Benesh was just one story Romo relayed during several hours on the stand Wednesday in the trial of Pike and Portillo, who had been the Bandidos national vice president since 2013. The pair are charged in a 13-count indictment that alleges they sanctioned or ordered assaults, extortion, robbery and murder in furtherance of the clubs racketeering conspiracy. The conspiracy lasted from 2000 to 2016, according to the indictment. Portillo, ordering that Benesh be killed, said he would take another crew to find and rub out Beneshs counterpart in College Station, Romo said. RELATED: Controversial moments in Lahood's tenure as Bexar County DA He told me theres two Hells Angels in Austin riding their bikes and that the (Bandidos) Austin chapter tried everything intimidation, threats to get rid of them, Romo testified. He said, Theres two of them, this came from Jeff Pike that he wanted them taken out, you need to get some guys that you trust. You go to Austin and Ill go to College Station. Romo, who also was a national sergeant-at-arms for the Bandidos, said he picked two made members of the Bandidos and his own brother, Robert Romo, who was trying to join the club. They took the information Portillo had provided about Benesh, watched for their quarry for two days at his house and followed him as he went to eat at a pizza restaurant in Northwest Austin. On a Saturday evening in March 2006, Benesh was killed by a rifle bullet in front of his girlfriend and two sons, a shot so powerful that one Austin police officer testified last week that Beneshs brain was missing from his shattered skull. A medical examiner who performed the autopsy testified earlier Wednesday that the skull had to be pieced together so she could determine entry and exit wounds. Portillos crew left College Station once Johnny Romo informed Portillo that its done, Johnny Romo testified. Romo also testified that the hit made him Pikes go-to person for carrying out beat-downs and other similar enforcement tasks. His jobs included revoking the patches of Bandidos members in Central American chapters during a period of infighting within the biker club, which had chapters worldwide. Pikes lead lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, has argued that the local chapters within the Bandidos are autonomous and that Pike wielded little authority over them or their members. Any crimes they may have committed were done without Pikes approval or knowledge, DeGuerin has said. Romo, who turned government informant, was the first to testify that Pike directly gave him orders to continue the Bandidos pattern of intimidation and violence after Pike succceeded former president George Wegers, who was arrested in summer 2005 in a racketeering case in Washington state. Romo said the hit on Benesh was planned the same weekend of the Bandidos 40th anniversary motorcycle rally in McAllen. About a month after the hit, Romo said, he saw Pike at a funeral for another member. He had a big old smile, and he said, Johnny, Im very proud of you. We gave each other a hug and a kiss. Romo proposed a new patch for a hit squad within the Bandidos called the Fat Mexican Crew and Pike approved it. During Pikes tenure as president from 2005 until his arrest in January 2016, Romo said Pike had him go to Central America at least three times to discipline other members, and he also planned an assault on the national president of the Bandidos chapter in Australia for being disrespectful to Pike. I just want you to take your guys, the Fat Mexican Crew, find a place where you can take care of (the Australian chapter president), Romo quoted Pike as saying. I dont care what you do, throw him in the ocean, do whatever the (expletive) you gotta do. Romo said they went to Cancun to put a deposit for an international meeting where they could conduct the beating, but it never materialized. The chapters from Europe and Australia refused to meet, Romo said. Romo began cooperating with federal authorities in spring 2014 after a drug arrest. He wore a wire to record Portillo and other members of the organization make incriminating statements. But Romo also withheld information that hed been involved in Beneshs killing. He didnt mention it until agents confronted him after hed already been sentenced to 24 months in prison on drug charges far less than the 60 months he originally faced. Romo, his brother, Robert, and two more Bandidos pleaded guilty in September to murder and firearm charges in aid of racketeering in connection with Beneshs killing and await sentencing. Romos testimony is to continue Thursday. t The woman who admitted to driving drunk and plowing into a young couple's car, killing a man and his unborn baby, is likely to learn her punishment before the week ends. Shana Elliott, a 22-year-old former Texas State University student, pleaded guilty to intoxication assault with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle Monday. Dozens of protesters, including family and friends of a 28-year-old man fatally shot by a BART police officer in January, filled the BART board room Thursday to demand the officer be fired and prosecuted. Officer Joseph Mateu shot Sahleem Tindle after he heard two gunshots across the street from the West Oakland BART station Jan. 3, ran to the scene and saw Tindle and another man struggling on the ground, body camera footage reviewed by The Chronicle showed. The footage shows Mateu, his gun drawn, run toward the wrestling men, shouting twice: Raise your hands. He then fires three times, and Tindle drops to the ground, opening his hands to show he has no weapon. It was not clear from the video whether an object near his feet was a gun. Police have not disclosed what it was. The video shows that Tindle was shot while on his knees with his back to the officer. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. Family members and community activists have rallied to demand justice for Tindle, who worked as a personal trainer, since his family publicly released the footage. A member of Tindles family had copied the video when Oakland police showed it to the family. Tindles supporters disrupted a BART board meeting Feb. 22, chanting No justice, no peace, briefly shutting the session down. On Thursday, about 80 of his supporters crowded into the Oakland board room, with several addressing the board. They accused BART directors of whitewashing the investigation, ignoring their demands for justice and refusing to put the matter on the agenda so the directors could fire Mateu. Instead, they said, Mateu is back on the job, and they havent been informed about the investigation into the shooting that the Oakland Police Department is conducting. Alicia Trost, a BART spokeswoman, said the officer returned to the job two weeks after the shooting but was put on desk duty after threats were made on his life. Hes still on desk duty. I ask you today: What will you do? What will you do? said Yolanda Banks, Tindles mother. (Mateu) should not be out there monitoring people. More for you Family of man killed by BART police releases body cam footage In addition to the investigation by the Oakland Police Department, Trost said, the case will be reviewed by BARTs Police Citizen Review Board, which was created in the wake of the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant on New Years Day, 2009. Grant, who was unarmed, was shot in the back by then-BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Mehserle resigned days later, avoiding an interview with internal affairs investigators. Some of the protesters at Thursdays meeting, including Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project, are veterans of protest against BART over Grants death. They vowed to disrupt and shut down meetings, as they did then, if necessary to get the board to pay attention to Tindles shooting. After the protesters finished speaking, they insisted the board put the issue on the agenda and said they wouldnt leave until directors agreed. They relented when Director Lateefah Simon requested that the BART staff prepare a report on the status of the investigation, details on whats happened so far and whats anticipated. Chanting such a mess, no justice, the group filed out of the board chambers, promising to return for a Monday Police Citizen Review Board meeting and the March 22 board meeting. Friday marks the 59th anniversary of Barbie, America's most iconic fashion doll. On March 9, 1959, Barbie made her debut at a New York toy fair. Oddly enough, Barbie was originally inspired by another toy, Lilli, a German comic-strip character turned doll that was marketed as a suggestive gag gift for men in the 1950s. Robin Gerber, a historian and author of "Barbie and Ruth," told Time the Lilli doll "could be bought in tobacco shops, bars and adult-themed toy stores." BLAST OFF: Mattel unveils Barbie inspired by NASA's 'hidden figure' Katherine Johnson After the co-founder of toy giant Mattel, Inc., Ruth Handler, saw the Lilli doll's popularity with children, she bought the rights to the Lilli and introduced her own version, which she named after her daughter, Barbara. The first year of its release, 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold at $3.00. Six decades later, Barbie continues to evolve and Mattel has since sold an estimated billion dolls. Above: See how Barbie has changed after almost six decades. Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93. Hurricane Harvey gave the Houston economy a bigger than expected boost in 2017 as spending related to the recovery generated jobs in construction, retail and other sectors, according to revised data released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission. Houston added nearly 63,000 jobs last year, well above initial estimates of about 46,000, according to the revised data. As billions of dollars in insurance payments and federal disaster aid poured into the region after the epic flooding, analysts said, residents spent it at retailers to replace damaged household goods and hired contractors to repair damaged homes. San Antonios public utility, CPS Energy, faced blowback from city leaders and environmental groups Thursday on its newly released strategic power plan that takes decades to fully transition to renewable sources of energy. A lot of folks felt blindsided by this, said Russell Seal, a conservation committee co-chair for the Sierra Clubs Alamo Group, outside of City Council chambers before the Thursday meeting with CPS. Seal and a handful of other people showed up to protest the proposal. The meeting a regularly scheduled presentation by CPS came just days after the utility revealed some of its future power-generation planning that assumes the city will continue to rely on coal and natural gas through at least 2040. Under the flexible path plan released Tuesday, solar, wind and other renewable energy would account for half of San Antonios power sources by 2040. Gas and coal-fired plants would make up 20 percent of the utilitys power generation by then, with 16 percent coming from a new flex gen idea that counts on future technology and power storage. The utility, which is owned by the city, currently gets roughly 22 percent of its energy from renewable sources, 45 percent from natural gas, 18 percent from coal and 14 percent from nuclear. Its absurd to think that we should have any coal in our energy mix anywhere close to 2042. All coal should be phased out over the next decade if CPS is at all serious about addressing climate change and the impact air pollution has on public health, Terry Burns, the Sierra Clubs Alamo Group chair, said in an emailed statement. It is irresponsible and a slap in the face to San Antonio area residents with asthma and other respiratory diseases to continue running Spruce 1 for another 12 years, especially without modern pollution controls. The utilitys CEO, Paula Gold-Williams, sought to cool tension at the meeting, assuring City Council members that the plan could change. Its not a baked plan that has no flexibility; the operative word is flexible, Gold-Williams told the council. Every year we create a look and view of the future based on what we know, and we do multiple updates and thinking and scenarios. Thats planning. The plan would shut down CPS Spruce 1 coal plant, which went online in 1992, in 2030. The Spruce 2 coal plant, which was completed in 2010 for roughly $1 billion, would run until at least 2042, according to data provided by CPS. CPS is planning to close the two 1970s-era J.T. Deely coal units at the end of 2018. District 9 Councilman John Courage asked Gold-Williams why CPS couldnt just move to 100 percent renewable energy, pointing to the community of Georgetown north of Austin as an example of a city that has made such a commitment. Thats a declaration of commitment, and its backed up by power agreements in the background that can allocate renewable power fully to cover all the demand and load, which is a viable way to do it, Gold-Williams said. But in reality, power is moving indiscriminately all across the grid all the time, electrons love everybody, and in reality all the power goes in there and they could be getting like during storms and freezing and theres no sun and no wind, theyre getting power from other units. Power purchase agreements, or PPAs, allow utilities to lock in the generation created by renewable facilities at fixed costs for long periods of times, generally for up to 25 years. CPS Energy uses power purchase agreements signed with multiple companies for most of its wind and solar generation, while it owns its fossil-fuel generation and a stake in a nuclear plant. Kaiba White, an Austin-based energy policy specialist for Public Citizen, said that power purchase agreements are little different from a utility owning its power generation. It kind of hurt me to hear that theres this idea being perpetuated that Georgetown isnt doing something real because they dont own their solar farm, White said. State Sen. Carlos Uresti and Gary Cain, who two weeks ago were convicted by a federal jury on a combined 20 felony charges, are asking for a new trial. Uresti cited highly prejudicial comments made by Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra, errors in instructions given to jurors and the disqualification of Mikal Watts as the lawmakers original attorney in his request for a new trial Thursday. Uresti accused Ezra, who presided over the trial, of making a multitude of public statements that appear to be heavily biased against the presumed innocence of Carlos Uresti, prior to the return of the jury verdict. RELATED: Uresti's wife files for divorce following salacious trial The San Antonio Democrat listed various comments, which were widely reported. Among them: Ezra said on Feb. 7 there was a lot of telling evidence against Uresti in denying a request for an acquittal. On Feb. 16, the judge said the oilfield company Uresti and Cain were involved with was a scam from the get-go and all of the money it generated was tainted. During a Jan. 17 pretrial hearing, Ezra read from a document prosecutors had filed under seal that said Uresti allegedly encouraged (a witness against him) not to cooperate with the FBI investigation. Uresti argued Ezras prejudicial comments were highly publicized, creating juror bias even though the jury was not in the courtroom when they were made. The judge stressed to jurors on multiple occasions not to follow media coverage of the trial, which lasted nearly five weeks. Jurors found Uresti guilty of all 11 felony counts against him, including securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his involvement in FourWinds Logistics, a now-defunct San Antonio company that bought and sold sand using in fracking for oil production. Turn to Saturdays Business section or click here on ExpressNews.com to read the full article. Spring break in Panama Beach, Fla. is great and all, but nothing beats a Texas-sized party week. As school districts, colleges and universities get ready for a week off, young adults from all over will be heading to the closest beach. The aftermath of the storm that dumped over a foot of snow in the Danbury area and knocked out power for thousands was still being felt Thursday evening long after snow stopped falling. In Redding, where more than half of Eversource customers were still without power, the Community Center became a refuge for the Rappoccio family and several other residents who hoped to keep warm and charge their devices. The Rappoccios had been without power since Wednesday night, said mom Becky. And they have no idea when power will be restored. She and her children, Logan, 6, and Scarlett ,2, settled in for a delivered dinner in an otherwise empty room. There are many restaurants in Redding, Rappoccio said, but they had little choice. It was who delivers and who still has power, she said. All over the area is a mess. The family will go to a hotel if they are still without power late Friday, she added. More Information DANBURY REGION SNOW TOTALS New Fairfield: 26.8 inches Newtown: 24.3 inches Ridgefield: 19 inches Danbury: 16.2 inches Bethel: 16 inches Brookfield: 12.9 inches See More Collapse Were not from pioneer stock, she said. The town will decide Friday whether to open the high school as a shelter, town officials said. Bethel also set up a warming center at its municipal center, which will reopen at 6:30 a.m. Friday. New Fairfield, which used its Senior Center as a warming center during last weekends storm, announced that it has now lost power. Officials plan to install a generator. Redding is far from the only town devastated by the storm, and utility companies say it could be days before power is back on. As of Thursday afternoon, there were nearly 142,000 outages across the state and more than 800,000 customers were without power in the Northeast, including some who have been without electricity since last Fridays destructive noreaster. This is a multi-day restoration effort, said Mitch Gross, a spokesman for Eversource. Crews remain very busy, and were getting a lot of help from other power companies out-of-state. Meanwhile, roads were still closed late Thursday after fallen trees made them impassable during the storm. At one point Thursday, nearly 80 roads were blocked or partially blocked in Newtown, by downed trees and wires. In Washington, Route 199 was still closed hours after a downed tree was reported to the Department of Transportation in the early morning. Back in Redding, Jenifer Wyss charged as many devices as she could at the center before she planned to go home to her husband and two dogs. Thursday marked the second time in just over a week that the Wyss clan was without power, she said, and she worried of another storm and continued outages. Forecasters are tracking the possibility of another snowstorm to run up the Northeast coast early next week, according to the Associated Press. The strength of it and how close it comes to the coast will make all the difference. At this point its too early to say, said Jim Nodchey, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Massachusetts. Were just looking at a chance. While the Danbury area and the state were hard hit, in a way they were spared the storm took lives in other Northeast towns. In Franklin Lakes, N.J., a man died after he drove his car around traffic cones meant to warn motorists to stay away from a downed live wire, the Associated Press reported. And in Suffern, N.Y., an 88-year-old woman was killed by a tree that fell and crushed her as she shoveled snow. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said that he is not yet prepared to commit the full cost of funding the long-awaited expansion of Northpark Drive in Kingwood during the March 6 Kingwood Town Hall meeting. The expansion of Northpark Drive was identified as a top-priority improvement project by the Kingwood Area Mobility Study in 2016, which was commissioned by the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 10. The proposed plan includes expanding Northpark Drive from four lanes to six between Hwy. 59 and Woodland Hills Drive and adding an overpass above the train tracks at Loop 494. The TIRZ planned to fund the $32 million Phase I of the expansion by selling bonds, said Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 board chairman, Stan Sarman. The first phase of the Northpark Drive expansion runs from Hwy. 59 to Russell Palmer Road and includes the railroad overpass. However, the damage Hurricane Harvey inflicted on Kingwood negatively affected projected property value appraisals, which determined the TIRZ' projected future revenue and limited the entity's borrowing power, Sarman said. The project's timeline hangs in the balance as the board awaits home value appraisals within TIRZ boundaries. "The problem that we had was decreasing home values affects the debt capacity for the zone, which affects our ability to borrow the money," said Houston City Council Member Dave Martin during the March 8 TIRZ meeting. The TIRZ turned to the city of Houston for help funding the entire $60 million project. Turner's reservations stem from his concern about the road's susceptibility to flooding. "(It) doesn't make any sense to expand Northpark Drive and then we still can't get in and out because it's under water," Turner said at the town hall meeting. "Whatever we do as we move forward, we have to do it in such a way that the mobility can still exist going in and out even when there's a lot of rain. Bring me something when you can assure me if we do make a $57 million investment that it's an investment that is an improvement." However, Turner said Martin and Sarman have been making a strong case in discussions about the mobility project. "We'll continue to talk about that," Turner said. "I'm not prepared to commit on what they have asked me on it, but they do have my full attention." During the TIRZ meeting, Martin expressed optimism regarding the expansion's progress based on a conversation he had with Turner on March 7. "I think we're getting the mayor to a point where we need him to be to do the whole project. (We had) good concrete discussions about borrowing money from the city of Houston and just repaying them," Martin said. Additionally, Martin believes engineering studies that have been conducted can limit flood concerns for Northpark Drive and justify the expansion project. "I'm optimistic that we'll get something started this year, and we'll see how that goes," Martin said. The TIRZ board will continue discussions with Turner to maintain the project's momentum, he said. Phase II of the project, which spans from Russell Palmer Road to Woodland Hills Drive, was expected to be funded with a federal grant and a $15 million commitment from the city of Houston. The $15 million was originally earmarked for an expansion of Kingwood Drive, until the city committed to shifting the funds to the expansion of Northpark Drive in 2020. Additionally, Sarman said Houston-Galveston Area Council is beginning the process for this year's Transportation Improvement Program. The TIRZ board intends to get approved for this program, which will allow the entity to receive federal funding for the project's second phase, which stretches from Russel Palmer to Woodland Hills Drive. A middle school teacher in Florida has been suspended for 10 days after allegedly using the n-word, calling students "dumb" and making other racist or inflammatory comments in class. David Swinyar, a math teacher at Kernan Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida, was suspended without pay Tuesday by Duval County Public Schools. The district had been investigating Swinyar since October, when a student's mother complained about the teacher's behavior. That complaint led to interviews with more than two dozen students and staff members, who alleged, among other things, that Swinyar yelled at and confronted students in a "physically aggressive manner," according to a copy of the district's investigation report obtained by The Washington Post. Swinyar was also accused of making racist remarks, including using the n-word, to some of his students last semester. "If my daughter was dating someone who used the 'f' word, I wouldn't have any respect for that n-----," Swinyar said during one of his classes, according to the report. Several students testified that the classroom grew quiet after that, seemingly in shock over Swinyar's use of the slur. When some questioned him about it, Swinyar denied using the word, saying he would "never" do so, according to the report. Shortly after the incident, one male student left the classroom to report Swinyar's "aggressive tone and demeanor" to his mother, but Swinyar allegedly followed the student, "began 'yelling' at him . . . [and] also snatched the phone out of his hand," the report said. Another student told district investigators that Swinyar had been discussing relationships when he told students: "If your boyfriend says bad things to you and/or treats you wrong, that means that he's acting like a n-----," and, "You all should not be dating all these different African-American boys because they are not worth it." In all, at least 24 students and several staff members gave statements about Swinyar's behavior to investigators and to the Kernan Middle School principal and assistant principal. Allegations of racist comments aside, the interviews also painted a picture of a teacher who was easily angered and who liked to "confront students by getting in their face," the report said. "When Mr. Swinyar gets mad, he becomes aggressive," one female student testified, according to the district's report. "Additionally, Mr. Swinyar belittles students by talking down to them about their low [Florida Standards Assessments] scores. He loves to talk about politics and Donald Trump. He also talked about attending a black church. Mr. Swinyar often 'mocks' black preachers." However, despite finding Swinyar's behavior rude, the student said that overall she thought he was a "good teacher," according to the report. Swinyar had no past disciplinary actions on his record, the report said. The district concluded that "there is a preponderance of evidence to support that Mr. Swinyar exercised poor judgment when he engaged in inappropriate communication in the presence of, and/or toward students." About 22 percent of Kernan Middle School's 1,285 students are African-American, according to the district. In an email to school board members and district officials, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Patricia Willis defended the disciplinary action as consistent with a four-step process outlined by a collective bargaining agreement. An employee being disciplined typically receives a verbal warning, then a written reprimand, before progressing to steps three and four: suspension without pay and termination, Willis said. "To skip a step, we must demonstrate that the conduct is severe and in doing so, we consider factors such as the employee's previous disciplinary history, if any, potential harm to the physical or mental well-being of students and/or whether the conduct impairs the employee's effectiveness in performing his/her duties or confidence in the eyes of the students or parents," Willis wrote in her email. In this case, the district decided that Swinyar's conduct was severe enough to merit skipping the first two steps, despite his lack of previous disciplinary actions, Willis said. An attorney representing Swinyar through the Duval teachers union did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Swinyar is appealing the outcome of the investigation, according to a Duval County schools spokeswoman. Several students also alleged during their interviews that Swinyar watched pornography in the classroom on his laptop and cellphone. Swinyar's district-issued laptop was subsequently turned over to investigators, who did not find any "inappropriate sites or materials" on the computer. The report deemed those allegations unsubstantiated. After Swinyar returns from his unpaid suspension, he will be "reassigned to an appropriate district position with no contact with students for the remainder of the year," Willis said. Swinyar's contract with the district expires June 30, and it will be reconsidered for renewal in May, along with all other annual employees' contracts, she added. On Wednesday, Kernan Middle School Principal Julie Hemphill sent a letter home to parents regarding Swinyar's suspension, though it did not name the teacher, according to a copy of the letter posted by Action News Jax reporter Danielle Avitable. "The type of behavior demonstrated by the teacher is unacceptable and will not be tolerated because it does not reflect the positive learning environment we are committed to building at Kernan Middle School," Hemphill wrote. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and John Cornyn, who represent two of the largest oil-producing states, are not big fans of the Trump administration's plan to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Murkowski said Thursday's tariff decision took her by surprise. The move "sends a confusing message to our friends and allies" who are just starting to buy U.S. energy exports, the Alaska senator told attendees of the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston on Friday. The levies may add as much as $500 million to the estimated $45 billion to $65 billion cost of building a proposed 800-mile (1,290-kilometer) natural gas pipeline in her home state, said Murkowski, who shared a stage with Cornyn of Texas. "I think he may have done it the way he did because he didn't want people to try to talk him out of it," Cornyn, the Senate's second most powerful Republican, said of Trump's decision. "I feel like he made a campaign promise, he needed to follow through on that promise." The two senators were preaching to the choir. There's been little support voiced for the tariffs at the massive week-long energy conference in the oil capital of the Western Hemisphere. Oil executives, who depend on steel for every facet of production, refining and transportation, are worried not only that the levies will raise costs but that they'll spur retaliatory measures that would harm the burgeoning export market for U.S. oil and gas. The American Petroleum Institute, the industry's main lobbying arm, said yesterday the tariffs are "inconsistent" with the administration's support for added energy production. Texas is the largest oil-producing state and Alaska ranks fourth, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Cornyn said the tariffs "will have to go through the usual litigation process, either the WTO or the courts to see how this works." He pointed out that steel tariffs imposed during the George W. Bush administration "were ultimately reversed" by the World Trade Organization. Murkowski said Congress is "just now having the conversation about whether or not legislation is, in fact, needed" on tariffs, pointing to statements Thursday by Arizona Senator Jeff Flake. Asked about the prospect for lawsuits on the tariffs, Murkowski told reporters: "If I was going to give you a flip response, I'd say we expect litigation on everything." BAD AXE Nine people will vie for four available seats on the Huron County Planning Commission this month. Planner Robert Oakes will reapply for his seat, while planners Mary Babcock and Jeffery Krohn will not. Other applicants are: William Renn, William McPhee, Michael Lorencz, George Lauinger, Bill Goretski, Rita Parsch, Julie Epperson and Robert Tenbusch. The Huron County Board of Commissioners is expected to interview the candidates March 20. Planner Charles Bumhoffer resigned earlier this year, leaving the fourth open seat. Oakes told the Tribune that if he were reappointed, he would not serve on the planning commission if current Vice Chairman Robert McLean were elected chairman. I dont think you can be dysfunctional and run things, Oakes said. Oakes gave an example of said dysfunction. At the Febuary meeting, Oakes had made a motion to rescind the motion made by Bumhoffer at the January meeting pertaining to sending a letter to DTE Energy not using the word park in reference to wind energy projects. That motion failed on a 3-4 vote. McLean then suggested letting Bumhoffer reconsider the motion, and that Bumhoffer be allowed to talk with the Spicer Group about it. County Building and Zoning Director Jeff Smith then stated he was uncomfortable sending the letter when the Huron County Master Plan and ordinance use the term park. County Corporation Counsel Stephen Allen had also urged the planners not to send such a letter. Oakes made the motion again, and it carried. Oakes called McLeans actions illegal. Babcock gave her reason for not seeking reappointment in an interview with the Tribune: She said that she and her husband had made other plans around the time she retired in 2016. Although her husband recently passed away, she has chosen to proceed with those plans. Krohn was not on the list of applicants to the Huron County Board of Commissioners, but had no comment on whether he would reapply Wednesday night following the planning commission meeting. UPPER THUMB A state-wide student safety program has had a record breaking month. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette recently announced that February was the top month for the OK2SAY student safety program. The program acts as an early warning system in Michigan schools to prevent tragedies before they occur. In the month of February, OK2SAY received 670 tips, topping last Octobers record of 560 tips. That brings the total number of tips received through OK2SAY to 11,899. Suicide threats remained the No. 1 most-reported tip in February, with 127; but the 119 planned school attack tips accounted for 18 percent of all total tips submitted in February, which was a substantial increase in that tip category. I worked to create OK2SAY so students have a way to report something wrong at school without fearing that others will retaliate," said Schuette. "The OK2SAY app is where students are, on their phones and tablets. As Department of Attorney General OK2SAY team members present in more and more schools, tip numbers and mobile app users are increasing. Weve heightened awareness about OK2SAY, and students are engaged now more than ever in a school safety program that works and has saved lives. OK2SAY can be used in situations such as in Tuscola County, where at least three students have been detained and face the possibility of 20-year prison sentences for alleged school-related threats. Two incidents took place in the Caro school system, and one in Cass City. Launched by Schuette in 2014, the program encourages students to submit confidential tips to trained technicians regarding potential harm or threats 24/7. In February, over 9,000 students heard an OK2SAY presentation; bringing the total number to nearly 460,000 students since the programs inception in 2014. An additional 745 community members heard an OK2SAY program in February. I appreciate the continued support of the Michigan Legislature and the inclusion of OK2SAY funds in the Department of Attorney General budget for this coming year, said Schuette. OK2SAY is vital to school safety in Michigan, and every dollar dedicated to this initiative keeps Michigan kids safe. Tips for OK2SAY can be submitted over the phone at 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729), online, through text at 652729 (OK2SAY) and email at ok2say@mi.gov. President Donald Trump's move to slap steep tariffs on steel and aluminum has been defined by a level of disorder and dysfunction remarkable even in an administration accustomed to daily chaos. Trump has agitated for tariffs on countries he considers to be unfair trade competitors since his presidential campaign. But the delivery on his promise kicked suddenly into overdrive last week when the president surprised some of his closest advisers with his decision to impose 25 percent duties on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Since then the administration has scrambled to convert what amounted to an impromptu proclamation into a policy opposed by many Americans, including much of Trump's own party. Trump signed orders implementing the tariffs on Thursday. He exempted Canada and Mexico after lobbying by the two U.S. neighbors, which are renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new duties take effect in 15 days. "I'm sticking with 10 and 25 initially," Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting. "I'll have a right to go up or down depending on the country and I'll have a right to drop out countries or add countries. I just want fairness because we have not been treated fairly by other countries." Congressional committees with jurisdiction over trade hadn't been briefed on the policy as of Thursday morning. A person who has spoken with administration officials about the issue said Thursday afternoon that no one but Trump knew exactly what he planned to do. The episode has cost Trump the services of his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, and has reinforced notions that as the West Wing hemorrhages senior staff, the president's decision-making process -- never quite orderly -- is further degenerating. The rollout of the tariffs has also raised concerns in Washington and on Wall Street that little now stands between Trump's base instincts and official U.S. policy. Trump's announcement of the tariffs presaged the tumult to come. Trump told Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross of his decision on Feb. 28, as much of Washington -- and the White House -- was processing the resignation of his communications director and longtime aide Hope Hicks. Last-minute invitations were issued to industry executives for an announcement the next day. Some in the West Wing only learned that a decision was imminent after media reports late that day, including by Bloomberg News, that Trump had decided to endorse the harshest tariffs on the metals that Ross had recommended in January. On the morning of March 1, Cohn and allies including National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster intervened forcefully, arguing that Trump should hold off from a final decision. White House officials told reporters that no announcement was expected after all. The visiting industry executives, including ArcelorMittal USA's John Brett, Nucor Corp.'s John Ferriola and Century Aluminum Co.'s Mike Bless, instead would meet the president for a "listening session." The turnabout stunned some of the executives. Shares of U.S. Steel Corp., after rising more than 8 percent on news of the impending tariffs, plunged when the announcement was postponed, giving up almost the entire gain. But the president would not be dissuaded. Trump summoned reporters to the meeting and then announced he would issue the new tariffs "sometime next week." Reporters had to ask him how much the tariffs would be. There was no accompanying press release or other information typical for such announcements issued by the White House. Steel and aluminum producers' shares bounced back, even as the rest of the market slumped. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle issued concerned statements, warning that a trade war could endanger recent economic progress. Meanwhile, staffers from opposing camps inside the White House went on offense, looking to shape the size and scope of the president's actions. Ross, the former owner of a Fortune 500 steel company and a supporter of strong tariffs, went on a media blitz and announced that the new taxes on steel and aluminum would be imposed globally, without exceptions for U.S. allies and strategic partners. White House officials reiterated that message on a conference call for local news outlets Friday afternoon, as protectionists in the administration sought to harden the duties. At the same time, Trump was flooded by phone calls from foreign leaders expressing concern, as free-traders within the administration looked to soften the penalties. He spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron hours before Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, threatened retaliatory tariffs targeted at regions politically vital to Trump, including the home states of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. By Sunday, the administration had softened its message. Ross conceded on NBC's "Meet the Press" that there could be exceptions for some countries and that if the president "for some reason should change his mind, then it'll change." Top White House trade official Peter Navarro, appearing on CNN, said the policy would include an "exemption procedure" but didn't explain it. Ryan issued a statement publicly criticizing the tariffs on Monday morning, and his staff circulated a news article noting the stock market's decline. But later in the day Trump reinforced his commitment. "We're not backing down," he told reporters. Even so, he managed to muddy the waters. Trump tweeted the same day that he'd be open to lifting the tariffs for Canada and Mexico if the two U.S. neighbors successfully renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement. But the president's supporters worried that by making explicit his intention to use the tariffs as leverage, Trump had undermined the legal rationale that the duties were a response to a national security threat. Cohn was meanwhile readying a last-ditch effort to change Trump's mind. The economic adviser organized a meeting, initially planned for Thursday, where he would gather executives of industries that consume steel and aluminum so that the president could hear from them directly. But Trump refused to attend, saying he would instead dispatch Vice President Mike Pence. The corporate executives canceled the meeting, before reluctantly agreeing to meet with Pence. On Tuesday, a trade policy meeting in the Oval Office again sowed drama. As aides discussed the logistics of making tariffs official, Trump sought confirmation from his advisers that he had their support. He was particularly interested in Cohn. Two people familiar with the exchange said he asked the director of the National Economic Council: We're all on the same team, right? He then asked if Cohn supported his decision. Cohn didn't answer, the people said. A senior White House official disputed that Trump asked directly for Cohn's support and didn't recall Trump's remark about being on the same team. Cohn's resignation was leaked to the New York Times later that day. Some staffers within the West Wing who worked closely with Cohn and his team only learned of the news after reporters asked them to confirm it. At a news conference with the Swedish Prime Minister on Tuesday, Trump again indicated that he'd use the tariffs as negotiating leverage. He'd be open to repealing them for Europe in exchange for concessions from the EU, he said, adding that he was weighing dramatic new penalties on European cars in response to any retaliation for the steel and aluminum duties. "When we're behind every single country, trade wars aren't so bad," Trump said. "The trade war hurts them, not us." Opposition to the tariffs has grown among Trump's political allies as the White House continues to fumble. More than 100 Republican members of Congress on Wednesday sent Trump a letter to express "deep concern" about the prospect of the tariffs, outlining "key elements necessary to minimize negative consequences." The warning that a crude implementation of penalties could hurt key U.S. relationships by the president's Republican allies belied the extent to which Congress has been cut out of the decision. "The haphazard way these tariffs were put together has caused policy to miss the mark," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday on the Senate floor. "It seems no one's at home at the White House right now." --With assistance from Laura Litvan Joe Deaux and Anna Edgerton Contributed / Contributed photo WESTPORT A Westport resident was arrested on charges of breach of peace after following a woman around a grocery store and then out to her car on Nov. 5, police said. The victim told officers an unknown man followed her around Fresh Market on Post Road East and then outside, where he stood by the door of her car. About a dozen students walked out of class at Brandeis High School on Friday morning to protest gun violence, the first such student demonstration in San Antonio since 17 students and staff were gunned down at a Florida high school last month. At around 10 a.m., Brandeis students in orange T-shirts gathered near the flag pole in front of the school, holding signs calling for student safety and gun control. Protect kids not guns, said one sign. Another said stop the NRA. On the backs of the students T-shirts was a list of the victims of the Valentines Day mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Baubles, a 14-year-old Mayan sun bear, died at the San Antonio Zoo this week after a battle with heart disease. San Antonio Zoo officials announced Baubles' passing, saying they were saddened by the loss. Veterinarians and animal care specialists were treating Baubles after his heart disease worsened at the beginning of the month. He officially died Tuesday. "The long-time resident of Bear Grotto was one of the first animals to greet guests as they entered (the) San Antonio Zoo," officials said on Facebook. RELATED: San Antonio Zoo joins Eiffel Tower on list of most popular attractions for travelers in 2017 Commenters lamented the loss of Baubles saying, "He was such a cool bear." They also offered condolences for the San Antonio Zoo staff who worked with Baubles. "My heart goes out to everyone who was devoted to caring for Baubles and to those who loved him from a distance," one said. Lyssa MacMillan, Baubles' main caretaker, also reached out about the loss through Facebook. "Having been his keeper for years, I can attest to the fact that he was the World's Best Bear and will forever be missed," MacMillan said. Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. | Read more of her stories here. | kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @kbrad5 A war of words unfolded between City Councilman Greg Brockhouse and two of his council colleagues before all three of Mayor Ron Nirenbergs nominees to the San Antonio Water System board of trustees were approved Thursday, including the nomination of water law expert Amy Hardberger. Brockhouse grilled Hardberger, daughter of former Mayor Phil Hardberger, on her ability to represent the citys southwest quadrant and maintain objectivity on issues related to development. A judge issued a ruling Thursday that will prevent a manslaughter trial of the man accused of causing the drowning of a transgender woman along the River Walk last year, after prosecutors opted to present their evidence in the case at a probation revocation hearing. The accused, Mark Daniel Lewis, 20, of Live Oak, was on probation for failing to register as a sex offender and prosecutors sought to use the manslaughter accusation to revoke it. State District Judge Joey Contreras, after a hearing that effectively amounted to a bench trial of the manslaughter case, ruled that Lewis actions in the death of Kenne McFadden, 26, did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. RELATED: Affidavit: Driver picked up escaped inmates with child in car I think this is a terrible tragedy that occurred, Contreras said of the drowning before deciding it was not true that Lewis had violated the terms of his probation. Lewis now cannot be tried for manslaughter because of the double jeopardy rule, Assistant District Attorney Jason Goss said. Revoking probation only requires a preponderance of the evidence to prove a defendant violated its terms, a lower standard than in criminal proceedings, which require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge has the ability to make that determination after hearing the evidence, Goss said. A Bexar County grand jury indicted Lewis in late November for manslaughter, based on allegations that he recklessly caused the death of McFadden, whose body was found floating in the San Antonio River downtown last April. Prosecutors Thursday presented evidence that Lewis admitted to two different San Antonio police officers that he had inadvertently pushed McFadden into the water, telling one of the officers that she had groped him. She was heavily intoxicated and, according to her family, could not swim. RELATED: Teen trapped in Alamo Heights cave San Antonio Park Police Officer Terry Hardeway testified that he saw Lewis and McFadden together on the River Walk on April 7, two days before her body was found. Video from a nearby store that was played in court showed the two together that night. Hardeway recognized McFadden, testifying that she was a regular in his patrol area who hed previously arrested for public intoxication and was known for harassing people by dancing close to them. Hardeway said he saw Lewis and McFadden embrace multiple times that night. A couple hours later, Hardeway said Lewis approached him at a Whataburger and told him that he had pushed someone into the river. Hardeway checked the area where Lewis said the incident occurred, near Texas Land & Cattle steakhouse, but saw no one in the water. Days later, the officer encountered Lewis again, near the Alamo. He testified that Lewis said to him, Youre the cop that thinks that I pushed somebody in the river. According to testimony, a month later SAPD detective Raul Juarez interviewed Lewis at the Bexar County Jail, where he was in custody after being arrested on an active warrant in another case. In the videotaped interview, played in court, Lewis at first said he did not know McFadden before admitting that they had been in jail together before. Eventually, Lewis told Juarez he attempted to assist a visibly intoxicated McFadden after she was pushed to the ground by another man. Her blood alcohol content was later determined to be 0.20, according to testimony. In the video, Lewis said he and McFadden shared a consensual kiss but said McFadden grabbed his buttocks and asked to go home together. I hate physical contact. I hate when people lay their hands on me, Lewis told Juarez, adding that he had been sexually abused in the past. Lewis then admitted he pushed McFadden away, causing her to fall into the water, and when he last saw her, she had resurfaced and grabbed onto the ledge. I didnt mean to push him into the river, Lewis said in the video. I meant to push him away. Prosecutors argued that Lewis actions were not reasonable based on the romantic interest expressed through their kiss, adding that he should have voiced his opposition to the touching rather than using force. Lewis attorney, Daniel Rodriguez, said his clients attempts to defend himself were reasonable under the circumstances. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient to prove criminal wrongdoing, the victims mother, Joann McFadden, collapsed in the courtroom and was taken to a hospital by paramedics. Before he was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday, a sobbing San Antonio man asked the court and his family to forgive him for not protecting his 5-year-old son, Josiah Williams, who was beaten and so malnourished he weighed 38 pounds at the time of his death. Im asking for their forgiveness. I wasnt the father I was supposed to be. Im sorry, Charleston Williams told Judge Ron Rangel through heavy sobs before he was sentenced to prison. He was my son! He was my son! Before the Pearl Brewery took center stage as the San Antonio destination it is today, the spot was merely background noise to a story about love, murder and three women named Emma. First, and most prominent, is Emma Koehler, who took over Pearl Brewery after her husband Otto was killed in 1914. She successfully led employees through the Prohibition Era before passing away in 1947, according to Hotel Emma's website. Employees at Hotel Emma, named after Koehler, honored her this week for Dia de Los Muertos. An altar at the hotel for her is full of flowers, candles, photos and skulls, according to Facebook. "Gone but not forgotten," reads a Facebook post from the hotel. "Dia de Los Muertos ofrenda for Emma Koehler." RELATED: Pearl food hall adds weekday happy hours But there are also two other Emmas in this story. Four years before she took the reins of the brewery over, Koehler was in a car accident and required full-time care at home. Her husband Otto hired a home nurse, who was also named Emma. This Emma, however, went by Emmi, according to the hotel's website. Otto Koehler struck up an affair with Emmi and her friend, the third Emma. This Emma was tall and blonde, according to the website. Otto set up the pair of Emmas in a house on the city's South Side. But not everything was paradise. On Nov. 12, 1914, Otto visited the house and some sort of argument occurred. The taller, blonde Emma shot him dead, according to the hotel's website. "I'm sorry, but I had to kill him," she told police. She was charged with murder, but fled to Europe to help as a WWI nurse. Four years later, the tall Emma returned to the Alamo City and was found not guilty by an all-male jury, according to the hotel's website. Later, she married one of the jurors. As for nurse Emma? She got married and wasn't heard from again. Hotel Emma was named after Emma Koehler before opening in November 2015. A drink called "The Three Emmas" memorializes the women at the Sternewirth Bar inside the hotel. It's a drink made up of pearl beer, rose cordial, amontillado sherry, botanist gin, grapefruit and lemon juice, according to the bar's menu. Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @kbrad5 An accidental call made to 911 landed an Elmendorf woman in Bexar County Jail, according to police. On Feb. 15, Elmendorf police were dispatched to a home on County Road 163 in response to an accidental shooting, authorities said. Linda Moreno Flores, 45, told police her boyfriend was shooting at dogs who were chasing their cats then left the rifle on the porch. She claimed she picked up the rifle and accidentally fired it, striking her boyfriend in the leg. RELATED: Firefighters remove teenager trapped for hours 350 feet inside Alamo Heights cave An accidental 911 call, however, revealed a different story, police said. Detectives reviewing the case noticed Flores and her boyfriend made an accidental call while she drove him to the hospital, according to the affidavit. The dispatcher noted that "(Flores) had indeed shot (her boyfriend) because she was mad at him for coming home late," according to the affidavit. Flores and her boyfriend could allegedly be heard on the phone coming up with their story about how the shooting occurred. Flores was arrested Thursday on suspicion aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony. A judge set her bail at $75,000, according to magistrate records. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com San Antonio police arrested a second suspect Thursday in the robbery of a man during a business transaction. On Dec. 28, 2017, the victim called police after he coordinated to buy property he saw on OfferUp from two men, according to the arrest affidavit. During the transaction, one of the suspects pulled out a gun and took the victim's cash. The two then fled in a silver car, police records state. READ MORE: Teen accused of robbing man at gunpoint during San Antonio OfferUp exchange In February, police arrested James Brinkley, 18, after police followed the chat history on the victim's app, according to the arrest affidavit. While being interviewed by police, Brinkley allegedly told them that Michael Wayne, 18, was the second suspect involved in the robbery. Wayne's physical description matched the one provided by the robbery victim, according to the affidavit. After the victim picked Wayne out of a photo lineup, the teenager was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery. His bail was set at $50,000. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com A Shepherd man is being held without bond after being charged with thousands of crimes related to child sex abuse and child pornography in San Jacinto County. James Tumlinson, 26, is facing two first-degree felony counts of Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child, 3,191 third-degree felony charges for Possession of Child Pornography and seven second-degree felony counts of Possession and Promotion of Child Pornography. WIFE CALLED POLICE: Texas coach arrested on child porn charges Sheriff Greg Caper and Chief Dan Todd with the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office both say the case is the worst they have seen in their decades of law enforcement experience. "It is atrocious to even think that another human being could even be capable of such nasty and grotesque activities," said Caper. Tumlinson was arrested Feb. 28 at a home in the 900 block of Joyce Street in Shepherd after an investigation by the sheriff's office. Since that time, investigators have identified a second person of interest, Cody Franklin, 28, who is not yet in custody. "He is in hiding right now," Todd said. So far, investigators have identified four of the alleged victims in the photos, but Caper and Todd believe additional victims could be identified as the case progresses and more charges are likely to be filed against Tumlinson. The sheriff's office plans to release a photo of Franklin and more information as it becomes available. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office detective bureau at 936-653-4367. Women and children seeking asylum shouldnt be detained for long periods at all, but taxpayers also shouldnt be fleeced in the process. This latter point was made crystal clear in a recent federal review of the bizarre three-way deal among a small Arizona city, a detention center in Dilley and the Corrections Corp. of America. Express-News Staff Writer Jason Buch first reported on this contract in 2014, a time when thousands of Central Americans were crossing the border seeking asylum. In the rush to provide bed space, mostly for women and children, ICE modified an existing contract with the small city of Eloy, Arizona, to open the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. In essence, ICE created a straw man contract to skirt federal procurement laws. Eloy collects $438,000 a year for simply existing as a pass-through, the report found. This insulated Corrections Corp. of America, now known as CoreCivic, from government scrutiny, the report says. But this agreement very much deserved scrutiny. Under the original terms, ICE paid CoreCivic as though the detention center were full even when it wasnt. The inspector general recommends stricter contracting guidelines and negotiating a new contract with the city of Dilley. This should be done. ICE has about 40,000 detention beds, most of which are funded through intergovernmental services agreements, Mark Fleming, with the National Immigrant Justice Center, told Buch. But about 30 percent of those beds are not owned by the local city or county. It seems abundantly clear that ICE should be signing contracts with local entities only when those cities and counties own the detention facilities. There is no need for a middleman except to play the system. President Donald Trump has made good on his threat to levy tariffs of 25 percent and 10 percent on imported steel and aluminum, but it is unclear how far-reaching these taxes will be. Mexico and Canada are exempt at least for now. This is because of ongoing negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement. The tariffs wont take effect until 15 days after Thursdays announcement, and other countries may very well receive exemptions due to their security relationship with the U.S. RELATED: Trump tariffs on foreign steel will boost U.S. mills, and hurt consumers, S&P says For Texas, the nations export leader, these tariffs and their potential to spark a trade war have deep implications. Tariffs on imported steel and aluminum could create more domestic jobs for workers in those industries, but not necessarily. Steel companies, in particular, could simply up production by increased use of automation. The hikes could also raise costs on consumers and will almost certainly hurt workers in other industries that use aluminum and steel. Any product made with these materials will cost more. But trade wars dont constrain themselves. European Union officials have said they just might impose tariffs on bourbon, blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Prior to Trumps announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had also pledged retaliation. These are our allies. The stated reason for these tariffs is national security, which Trump has said is threatened by an abundance of cheap Chinese aluminum and steel. But as numerous news reports have noted, only about 3 percent of U.S. steel imports and 6 percent of aluminum imports come from China. Trump has also injected tariffs into negotiations over NAFTA. A permanent exclusion of the tariffs, he said, is specifically tied to an agreement. And on this point, the U.S. has made a number of untenable demands that could undermine an agreement. These include a five-year sunset clause, having 85 percent of any vehicle be manufactured in North America and 50 percent in the U.S, and ending third-party arbitration. RELATED: Editorial: Blowing up NAFTA will hurt the U.S. and Texas The Lone Star State led the nation with $264 billion in exports in 2017, according to the International Trade Administration. Of that, about $98 billion in goods went to Mexico and $23 billion to Canada. Texas also exported nearly $34 billion in goods to Europe. Trump has said trade wars are good and even easy to win. Hes also discussed reciprocal taxes If a trade war comes, Texans will certainly be in a position to attest the merits of these claims and the value of these policies. Facing mounting legal bills, disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn is selling his townhouse outside Washington, DC, to help pay for his defense. Flynn, 59, bought the three-bedroom, three-bath unit in Alexandria, VA, in early 2012 for $700,000. He put it on the market for $850,000 after pleading guilty in December to a felony count of lying to the FBI about contacts with Russian nationals during the 2016 presidential election. This week he reduced the price to $835,000. Built in 2005, the townhouse itself is unremarkable, and the exterior resembles the Colonial-style homes nearby. Exterior realtor.com The master bedroom has a spacious sitting area. Theres a small, wall-mounted TV for catching up on the news while getting dressed. There are side-by-side closets in the bedroom for Flynn and his wife, Lori. Flynns closet has a mat reminding him to Relax. (Considering that the closet is packed with his clothes, we're guessing it hasn't been staged.) Master bedroom with sitting area realtor.com Master bedroom realtor.com Closet realtor.com Bathroom realtor.com Downstairs, the kitchen has dark granite countertops, black GE appliances, and a microwave mounted over the oven. The doors of the black refrigerator are covered with photos of Flynns friends and family. Kitchen realtor.com China cabinet realtor.com The dining room features a built-in china cabinet with lighting. The closet under the stairs was converted into a pantry. Elsewhere, there are two underground parking spots and a storage unit. Pantry realtor.com I'm not going to sugarcoat it, this has been a trying experience for the family, Flynns brother Joseph told ABC News. It has been a crucible, and it's not over. Joseph Flynn set up a fund last year to help raise money for his brothers legal defense. Compared to the suffering many others in this world go through, we'll certainly get through this, Flynns son, Michael Jr., tweeted this week. Houses are material. Having a strong family is all we need. Flynn served in the U.S. Army for 33 years, retiring in 2014 as a lieutenant general. He soon signed on with the Trump presidential campaign, introducing the candidate at rallies. He stepped into the limelight at the Republican National Convention, where he gave a fiery speech and denounced the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, leading chants of Lock her up! Lock her up! He served as Trumps national security adviser for 24 days before stepping down, after admitting he had contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition. The post Former Security Adviser Michael Flynn Selling Home to Pay for Legal Defense appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. 1 Syria war: A second convoy with desperately needed aid for the besieged rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus was postponed on Thursday because of the violence and a rapidly evolving situation on the ground as Syrian government forces effectively split the eastern Ghouta enclave into two parts. Troops and allied militiamen have further squeezed opposition fighters and tens of thousands of civilians trapped inside, state media reported. At least 800 civilians have been killed since the offensive started Feb. 18, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights group. 2 Security alert: Mexican officials said this week that the Caribbean resort city of Playa del Carmen is safe, despite a U.S. security alert. The government of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said hotel occupancy at the resort was 80 percent. Playa del Carmen is near the tourist destinations of Cancun, Cozumel and Tulum. The U.S. Embassy said it received information Wednesday about a security threat in Playa del Carmen and U.S. government employees are prohibited from going there, but it did not specify the nature of the threat. A Feb. 21 explosion on a tourist ferry in Playa del Carmen injured 19 Mexicans and five U.S. citizens. President Emmerson Mnangagwa could have been sworn into office, as early as December 2014, after former leader, Robert Mugabe, had reportedly struck an informal gentlemens agreement to hand over the reigns of power to his then cabinet minister in 2008, on condition that Mnangagwa ensured his final poll victory against opposition foes he was sharing power with, during the Government of National Unity (GNU), Spotlight Zimbabwe, has exclusively revealed today. GNU was a coalition administration between the three major political parties in Zimbabwe at the time, formed on 13 February 2009, after the signing of the Global Political Agreement, facilitated by former South African president and close Mugabe ally, Thabo Mbeki. Under the five year tenure government, the late MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was inaugurated as prime minister, together with Thokozani Khupe and Arthur Mutambara, who became deputy prime ministers. The fresh political mystrey comes on the backcloth of reports on Wednesday, that Mugabe had flown out to South Africa on private business, with no further details available as to the real purpose of his trip, thereby raising political tensions in Harare and panic inside the ruling Zanu PF, also barely a few days when Mugabe has been linked to the countrys latest political opposition outfit, the National Patriotic Front (NPF) as its brainchild, but symbolically led by Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri, a former Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs. There are mounting fears along the corridors of power, that the nonagenarian, could be using the South Africa visit to regroup with the ousted G40 faction, in a crunch bid to derail and stonewall Mnangagwa from attaining victory in the much anticipated watershed presidential elections set for no later that August this year, former ministers under Mugabe have said. Mnangagwa, according to the former ministers and a retired senior army official with intimate knowledge about the hitherto undisclosed revelations, played a crucial role in reviving Zanu PF and rescuing it from the first round defeat suffered to the opposition in the 2008 elections, with Mugabe effectively allotting Mnangagwa with substantial statecraft as his campaign manager and defence minister later on in the coalition regime with Tsvangirai. This reporter first wrote about the alleged secret power deal between Mugabe and Mnangagwa in April 2012 for the London Sunday Telegraph. Mugabe himself did not dispute the story, but Mnangagwa dismissed it while presenting a public lecture at the Midlands State University in Gweru at the time, in what the ministers believe was a move Mnangagwa made to demonstrate loyalty to Mugabe and prove that the leak did not come from his camp. Mugabe was said to have been on the verge of stepping down following the shock defeat to Tsvangirai, only making a u-turn after having conducted emergency talks with Mnangagwa and his army generals, who argued that the decision to leave office and surrender power to the MDC was not for him to make alone. A second run-off election was called, as none of the contending candidates had amassed the required 50% majority, which Mugabe went on to win with a landslide two thirds majority. While in the GNU cabinet Mnangagwa became the most powerful cabinet minister with the defence portfolio, even having more influence than the prime minister. At one time Mnangagwas workload became so pressing, that he was awarded the privilege to use military helicopters for his travels between his residences and offices in Harare and Kwekwe, while at the same time chairing the Joint Operations Command (JOC), now thought to be rotationally chaired by his first deputy, Retired General Constantino Chiwenga. JOC is a shadowy quasi military organ, bringing together the countrys military-security complex which includes the army, and its military intelligence wing and Presidential Guard, Air Force, police and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to manage homeland security affairs. Mugabe was supposed to resolve his then succession headache during the coalition government days, which was a fair enough grace period, said the retired army official last week. However he reneged on allowing a smooth transition of State and Zanu PF power to ED (Mnangagwa) thereafter, as we understand he was supposed to step down after 12 months following the ruling partys 2013 poll victory against the opposition. The military man citing confidential intelligence briefings, said Mugabe was expected to bid farewell to his supporters countrywide in a series of rallies, where he would openly endorse Mnangagwa to take over citing his advanced age and health as the ground, but the G40 faction sensing an opportunity to install former first lady, Grace Mugabe, as president ahead of then sitting VP Joice Mujuru and Mnangagwa, came to spoil the party by casting concrete on any presidium promotions and movements, and instead started calling for a life presidency for Mugabe and Mujurus ouster. This explains the origins of the so called Meet the People rallies, which saw Grace making cross-country appearences to introduce herself to the electorate, while decampaigning Mujuru and calling for her expulsion from Zanu PF, he said. It was all a strategic bid to counter Mnangagwas rise, by pushing out Mujuru and lobbying for Grace to fill in her shoes, and they almost succeeded had it not been for Operation Restore Legacy, launched last November. The power vaccum created by Mujurus dismissal in December 2014, forced Mugabe and his faction to begrudgingly appoint Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko as VPs, when by that time Mnangagwa was supposed to be appointed Zanu PF leader during the partys 6th National Peoples Congress of the same year. So once again, people will now have a better understanding of why the G40 had to once more launch the ten presidential youth interface rallies, which climaxed late last year with the elevation of Grace as Zanu PF vice president designate at their Harare gathering.It was all calculated to finish off Mnangagwa. Another former cabinet minister who has served in a security related ministry, said it had become clear after 2004 when Mnangagwa almost became VP, losing to Mujuru, as a result of the jinxed so called Tsholotsho Declaration, that he was unstoppable and that securocrats were not happy with Mugabes decision to deny Mnangagwa a well deserved elevation. Lets hope that someone out there will eventually publish a book about the true story, as to why Mnangagwa missed out on becoming vice president earlier on in 2004 and even taking the presidency after the 2013 election, said the minister during a telephone interview this week. His (Mnangagwa) political foes, went to the extreme of cooking coup charges against him in 2007, hoping that Mugabe will fire him, but he was exonerated of any wrong doing after Mugabe ordered an investigation into the matter. It later turned out that Mnangagwas accusers are the ones who had plotted against Mugabe. Mnangagwa escaped the false charges of an alleged military putsch against Mugabe in 2007. At the time the new president was in China and had to rush back home to clear his name of any wrong doing with Mugabe. Government claimed to have foiled the coup detat involving almost 400 soldiers and high ranking members of the military that would have occurred on June 2 or June 15, 2007. The G40 confederacy and Grace, continued to use coup accusations to impede Mnangagwas rise, with the former first lady on 5 November last year reviving the charges by digging into Mnangagwas past, during what was dubbed Super Sunday Rally at Rufaro stadium in the capital. Grace accused Mnangagwa of a dark past of clandestine plots, including planning to stage a coup around the time of Zimbabwes Independence in 1980. In 1980 this person called Mnangagwa wanted to stage a coup. He wanted to wrestle power from the president (former). He was conspiring with whites. That man is a ravisher, said Grace. Spotlight Zimbabwe has also been told that, Mnangagwa earned the full backing of sympathisers in the military establishment during the GNU, as Mugabe continued to play with his emotions at one time giving signals that he wanted him as heir apparent, and switching to decimate and purging his Zanu PF allies on the other hand. The clearest endorsement from the army came during Mnangagwas 66th birthday party at his Sherwood Farm, on the outskirts of Kwekwe on September 15 2012, when then Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) boss and now vice president Chiwenga, who was guest of honour praised Mnangagwa who was defence minister, describing him as a liberation hero. Mnangagwa is the only surviving member of the first politburo meeting because in the first days, the president (former) did not attend the politburo, the VP was quoted by the press saying. All the others who attended the first meetings are now dead. Im sure he is alive for a reason which we all know. Mnangagwas spokesman and press secretary, George Charamba, was not reachable for comment yesterday, as his mobile numbers were all busy, and he was said to have left his office early, on duty with the president who had a busy schedule, including his meeting with Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, who was in Harare to cement military and mining cooperation between Zimbabwe and Moscow. Spotlight Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa last week took his election campaign begging bowl to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila, where the two leaders also discussed the political and security situation in their countries and Zimbabwes long-standing demand for US$1 billion compensation for participating in the DRC war. Although diplomatic relations between the two countries have continued to be cordial, Harare and Kinshasa have a long-standing disagreement over compensating the Zimbabwean government for its active role in the 1990s war, dubbed Africas first world war. Zimbabwes decisive intervention saved Kinshasa from a military takeover by rebels backed by neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi. Zimbabwe and Angola suffered heavy casualties during the war. The country lost military arsenal running into billions of dollars. Mnangagwa, who has been flying to regional countries following his swearing-in last November, appraised Kabila on the political and security situation in the country in the aftermath of the military intervention in November last year, which ended former president Robert Mugabes 37-year grip on power. The two, government sources added, also discussed the unstable political situation in the Great Lakes region following Kabilas intransigence over elections. They also discussed Kabilas security and the role being played by Zimbabwean soldiers who have been part of the DRC leaders security team. Mnangagwa told his DRC counter-part that he needs money to run his election, campaign. He asked for Kabilas assistance in that regard. The resource-rich DRC played a big role during the last elections and has always been one of the go-to countries during elections, a source said. The leaders also discussed issues relating to the compensation of nearly US$1 billion for the equipment lost during the 1990s war. Zimbabwe is expected to go for elections in July. Harare has since 2000 been demanding about US$1 billion from the DRC for military and consumables expenditure incurred during the war. Harare has written to Kinshasa Insisting on US 1bn compensation but its demands have been resisted and ignored. Zimbabwe wants to be compensated for losses of military equipment, supplies, and monies spent on operations and consumables. However, the DRC insists Zimbabwe was paid through minerals. Zimbabwe was given mining contracts in the DRC during the war, resulting in military companies mining diamonds. The contracts have been cancelled. Zimbabwe, still bruised by its costly involvement in the Great Lakes war between 1998 and 2002, where it sustained heavy military, human and financial losses, is not sending troops to the DRC this time despite the dramatic seizure this week of the main eastern town of Goma by rebels, amid threats of an assault on the capital Kinshasa. Mnangagwa has been to South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana and Namibia. Zimbabwe Independent Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News - Yemi Osinbajo expresses gratitude to God for preserving his life - Staff members in the office of the vice president gives Osinbajo a surprise 61st birthday treat - Buhari congratulates Osinbajo at 61, thanks him for being loyal, dependable partner Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday, March 8, prayed for sustained peace, joy and prosperity in the country. Osinbajo made the prayer when speaking in a short interview, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Staff members in the office of the vice president on Thursday evening also gave Osinbajo a surprise 61st birthday treat. My wish for Nigeria is that our country will be greater and greater, that it will prosper and that we will experience true peace and true joy, the vice president said in a short interview. READ ALSO: Northern elders speak about adopting presidential candidate for 2019 I am grateful to God for preserving my life; I am just excited to be one year older. I think we are gradually entering into that class who are called senior citizens and in some way it places some greater responsibility on you as an individual. But I am immensely grateful to God and thank everyone for the surprise, Osinbajo said. The vice president also thanked the young men, women and children gathered for the event and prayed that those who are not 60 will be 60 and beyond it. The secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, who supervised the cutting of the birthday cake by the celebrator, prayed that God would continue to protect the vice president. Our prayer is that God will continue to watch over you, fill you with wisdom and understanding and that at every point in time as you counsel with the president he will depend on you for insight into the affairs of this country. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app For those of us that are working closely with you, we will receive direction and move this country forward and to greater heights, Mustapha said. He described Osinbajo as a very pleasant man by his disposition and action. I worked with him closely during the campaigns in my position as Director, Contact and Mobilisation (of APC) and we structured the town hall meetings. That was the time he showed the kind of man that he was made of and he did very well. That was the dimension of the kind of campaigns that helped us to sell our manifesto and message of change, he said. Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate) to the President, Ita Enang, thanked God for keeping the vice president strong and vibrant. I have learnt humility, dedication to service and Gods grace upon his life. In spite of the grace, he is still humble and serving the country with all his heart and loyalty to the government and absolute great feelings for the welfare of Nigerians, Enang stated. In attendance at the brief ceremony were the Ministers of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu; Budget and National Planning, Mr Udo Udoma; Minister of State (Petroleum), Dr Ibe Kachikwu and Dr Maryam Uwais, a presidential aide on Social Investments. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, on the occasion of his 61st birthday, thanking him for being a loyal and dependable partner. President Buhari sent his congratulatory message to the vice president via his Twitter handle, @mbuhari. He tweeted: "Happy 61st Birthday, @ProfOsinbajo. Thank you for being a loyal and dependable partner on this journey. I join millions of your friends and well-wishers around the world to wish you many more years of service to God, to Nigeria, and to humanity." Vice President Yemi Osinbajo delivers a speech on the Biafra war - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng News The Nigerian army has declared that it is derogatory for the deputy president of the senate, Ike Ekweremadu, to claim that the military can still take over the government of the country because its democracy was already receding. The army, in a statement by Brigadier-General JA Agim, acting director of defence information, said the statement was derogatory to the entire military countrys armed forces. Read the full statement below: 1.The defence headquarters wish to respond to a comment by the deputy president of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Wednesday, 7 March 2018, regarding the Nigerian military, while contributing to a debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Ahmed Ogembe, representing Kogi Central. In his comments among others, the distinguished deputy president of the Senate stated: The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over, let us not joke with our democracy that is the issue. 2.This statement may appear cautionary and sincere in the atmosphere of discourse, it is however derogatory to the army used in the expression and by extension to the armed forces of Nigeria. The statement in the true sense has the capacity to denigrate the Nigerian military in every ramification including its loyalty to the president and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the confidence of the general public to defend Nigerias democracy. In the light of this; the defence headquarters wish to state clearly that, the Nigerian military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance. READ ALSO: Northern elders speak about adopting presidential candidate for 2019 3. In this regard, it is worthy to remind the general public about some key measures among others that guaranteed the present sustainable status of politically unambitious members of the armed forces: a. Shortly, after the transition from a military to a democratically elected government in 1999, officers of the armed forces of Nigeria, who were quasi-political, were honourably eased out of service. This was done to avoid indoctrination of other officers in the military in order to enable the democratic government commence a re-professionalisation process of the armed forces. The process commenced in collaboration with international organisations such as the United States armed forces and the British military. By 2009, from the basic military training institutions through units and formation reorientation programmes to top management workshops and seminars for the military, it became clear that the armed forces of Nigeria has been re-professionalised to be totally subordinate to political leadership and democracy in the country. b. In addition, the Nigerian military began to take the lead at ensuring that the West African sub region is stable democratically through military diplomacy and physical actions where it is highly desirable and supported by ECOWAS. The case of the Gambia last year is still fresh in our memories, where democracy was enforced by an ECOWAS military coalition led by the armed forces of Nigeria, under the focused and able leadership of Nigerias Chief of Defence Staff, General AG Olonisakin (NAM). PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app c. Furthermore, the present crop of personnel in the armed forces of Nigeria right from the service chiefs to the men; are made up of the balance of re-professionalised officers and fresh intakes from 1999, who do not nurse political ambitions. They are fully committed to their oaths of allegiance to serve their fatherland Nigeria, with total submission to our democratic government. 4. Defence headquarters hereby assures the international community, Nigerias democratic institutions and the general public, of its unalloyed loyalty to the president and Commander-in-Chief, provision of all necessary support for the sustenance of our democracy and carrying out our constitutional roles. Therefore, the apprehension by the deputy president of the Senate should be totally disregarded. 5. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Legit.ng earlier reported that Ike Ekweremadu stated that it is not unlikely for the military to take over, as he noted that the nations democracy is receding. Ekweremadu made his comment in reaction to a motion sponsored by Ahmed Ogembe, the senator representing Kogi Central. Meet Hwande, Benue state's incoming 'saviour' - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit The deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has again revealed that politicians are currently flooding the country with arms ahead of the 2019 as he warned that the citizens have no other place to run to if Nigeria is destroyed. Ekweremadu made the revelation in the evening of Thursday, March 8, just when the governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi, felicitated with him on his recent appointment as a visiting professor by a US-based university, Southern University, Baton Rouge Louisiana. A statement by the governors spokesperson, Emmanuel Uzor, said Umahi sent his goodwill messge while reacting to the appointment of Ekweremadu as a full visiting professor by the American university. He described the appointment as clear manifestation of scholarship, dedication to duty and hardwork adding that Senator Ekweremadu was a consummate scholar, a perfect politician and a gentleman whose passion for the enthronement of rule of law is total. READ ALSO: Police parade kidnappers, cattle rustlers with exotic weapons, fake dollars It is with great joy that I received the news of the appointment of one of our finest leaders in Igbo land, Senator Ike Ekweremadu as a full visiting professor by the prestigious Southern University, Baton Rouge Louisiana, United States of America. For me, this appointment is a clear manifestation of his humane dedication to his passion which is ensuring rule of law. No doubt, as a lawmaker of great standing, Ekweremadu has made significant landmarks in making beneficial laws for the entire nation and has mentored so many scholars through his journals on politics, law and economy. He has been able to itemize those challenges that steer us in the face as a nation and proffered solutions to them. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app His appoint has once again demonstrated that Africa and indeed Nigeria and Igbo land still parade the best brains when it comes to academic excellence and on behalf of the patriotic citizens of Ebonyi state, I congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment. Congratulations prof," the governor said. Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian army declared that it is derogatory for Ike Ekweremadu to claim that the military can still take over the government of the country because its democracy was already receding. Meet Hwande, Benue state's incoming 'saviour' - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - The Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, has reacted to the Senates comments, that he is a threat to democracy - The governor told the lawmakers to be careful with their choice of words when sensitive issues are brought before them - He insisted that he had no hand in the alleged attack on a senator from his state, and urged the senators to wait for the police investigation on the matter to be concluded The Nigerian Senate has been carpeted by the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, for describing him as a threat to democracy, Daily Trust reports. Bello made his comments via his director general, media and publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, in reaction to the Senates plenary of Wednesday, March 7, in which he was condemned by lawmakers for allegedly being involved in the attack on Senator Ahmed Ogembe in Okene, Kogi state. Legit.ng gathers that the governor told the lawmakers to be careful about making such derogatory statements whenever they are deliberating on sensitive matters. The governors aide disclosed that an investigation had already been launched into the matter, and cleared his principal of any wrongdoing. READ ALSO: Senate to reintroduce 35% affirmation action bill soon - Oduah He stated: I think it is high time the Senate discovered that they are the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the Senate of the senators. They should protect every Nigerian; including the governor of Kogi state or Kaduna state or whichever state where they think their people are at loggerheads with their chief executives. They should be very careful in making sweeping statements. What happened in Kogi state was condemned. The governor of Kogi state has invested billions of naira to ensure there is peace and security in the state. They should wait for police investigation. "When that of Dino Melaye happened, the senators used all forms of language on their floor to condemn the governor and used derogatory statements against the people and the Government of Kogi state; only for investigations to now find out that the whole thing was concocted. Now, the same senator has been charged to court for misleading the police. If Dino Melaye could do that, who says that Ogembe cannot organise his own event and also sponsor thugs to cause crisis there so that they can finger the governor and position Kogi as an unsafe place? PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Senate set up a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the disruption and violence during the empowerment programme organised by Senator Ahmed Ogembe, and the police involvement in the dispute. The committee was setup during plenary on Wednesday, March 7, after Senator Ahmed Ogembe alleged that the empowerment programme he is sponsoring was disrupted by thugs in Kogi state. The lawmakers condemned the alleged attack on the senator, and described the situation between the governor and the senators from Kogi state as worrisome. The senators accused the Kogi state governor of abusing his office and noted that such conduct was not democratic. Should the Nigerian Senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng Street Gist: Source: Legit.ng - The aircraft was on its way from Lagos to Accra, Ghana, when the incident occurred - The plane was forced to make an emergency landing many miles before its final destination - Arik airline confirmed the incident and explained what actually happened One of the aircraft operated by Nigerias largest airline, Arik Air, reportedly made an emergency landing many miles away from its destination on Tuesday, March 6, when the pilot detected smoke in the cabin, officials have confirmed. Ptremium Times reports that the aircraft was travelling from Lagos to Accra, Ghana, when the discovery was made leading to an emergency landing. The report quoted a passenger as earlier confirming the latest incident to rock the Nigerian aviation sector on social media on Thursday, March 8, with a complaint about alleged ill-treatment meted out to the affected passengers on the flight when the plane finally landed. READ ALSO: Politicians flooding Nigeria with arms - Ekweremadu reveals as he becomes professor But in a statement, by its spokesperson, Adebanji Ola, the airline said the captain briefed the passengers when the incident occurred. Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin 81 miles from Accra. The captain of the flight briefed the passengers accordingly, assuring them that the aircraft was under control and safe for landing in Accra. The aircraft, a Dash 8 Q400, landed safely in Accra without further incident and all passengers disembarked normally, the statement said. Legit.ng earlier reported that Senator Hadi Sirika, the minister of state for aviation, revealed recently that the federal government will commence investigation into the activities of Dana Air and other airlines operating in the country to ensure the safety of Nigerians. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app The Punch had reported that Sirika stated this when he visited the scene of the incident involving a Dana aAir plane at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers state revealing further that through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the federal government had increased oversight on all airlines, with particular attention on Dana. Meet Hwande, Benue state's incoming 'saviour' - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - A Lagos high court has dismissed a no case submission application filed by the Synagogue Church of All Nations - The court's decision followed the defence's insistence that there was nothing in the evidence by the prosecution to warrant their client to proceed into the matter - The court also adjourned the case to Friday, April 27, for the defence to open its case An Igbosere high court in Lagos on Thursday, March 8, dismissed the no-case submission filed by the registered trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) and the two engineers involved in six-storey building collapse case. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Lagos state government had sued the church over the collapsed building which killed no fewer than 116 persons in September 12, 2014. The engineers Ms Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun were charged alongside their companies Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd. They are facing 110-count charge of involuntary manslaughterr while the registered trustees of SCOAN were charged with one count of building without approval. READ ALSO: The moment Governor Shettima welcomed Obasanjo to Borno for hunger forum (photos) The Lagos state directorate of public prosecutions stated that the defendants violated Section 75 of the Urban and Regional Planning Law of Lagos State 2010 as well as Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. They were arraigned on April 19, 2016, but they pleaded not guilty. NAN reports that the prosecution subsequently opened its case, called witnesses and tendered documents to prove the allegations against the defendants. However, upon the close of the prosecutions case in October 2017, the defendants, rather than enter their defence, filed a no-case submission, contending that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them. The defence insisted said there was nothing in the evidence by the prosecution to warrant their client to proceed into any defence. They, therefore, urged the court to discharge the defendants. READ ALSO: Obasanjo recommends strategies to wipe out Boko Haram However, the prosecution opposed the no-case submission and argued that the defendants had a case to answer based on the evidence of all the prosecution witnesses. The prosecution maintained that a prima facie case had been established which the defendants had to defend. At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, dismissed the no-case submission filed by the defendants. He adjourned the case until April 27 for the defence to open its case. Recall that 85 South Africans were among those who died in the mishap while scores were injured. Legit.ng earlier reported that a former commissioner of physical planning and urban development in Lagos state, Olutoyin Ayinde, had indicted the SCOAN and Prophet T.B Joshua over the collapse of the church building. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The commissioner had accused the church at the pastor of not obtaining a valid building permit for the collapse structure. She said the Electronic Document Management System of the planning department was searched and the only building approval for the church did not cover the site of the collapse building. House on the Rock in Abuja goes up in flames - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, March 6, attended Ghanas 61st independence anniversary. President Buhari was reportedly the only foreign leader invited to the event held at the Independence Square as Special Guest of Honour. He gave a speech at the event which has been subjected to wider debate by Nigerians, Ghanaians, and other people from different parts of the world. Buhari's Ghana speech: Amongst other points, President Buhari pledged Nigeria's readiness to collaborate with Ghana in fighting corruption. Credit: Facebook/Femi Adeshina In this piece, Legit.ng highlights seven important things the president said in his Ghana independence anniversary speech. READ ALSO: Be careful about what you say - State governor blows hot; bashes Senate over derogatory comments 1. Good leadership President Buhari said with the right leadership and implementation of public policies, Africas drive to eradicate poverty and entrench democracy is guaranteed. 2. Corruption President Buhari noted that Nigeria and Ghana were benefitting immensely from leaders committed to improving their economies and tackling corruption. He commended President Nana Akufo-Addo's committed fight against corruption and the passing of the Special Prosecutors Bill into law. The president also pledged Nigerias readiness to collaborate with Ghana in the fight against corruption, noting that the menace of corruption had eaten into the fabrics of both societies. 3. Peace and security President Buhari also commented on peace and security in West Africa. He commended Akufo-Addo's contribution to ensuring peace in neighbouring Togo. He also used the occasion to appeal to the opposing parties in Togo to come together and resolve their differences so that Togo will move forward. 4. Development of ECOWAS President Buhari expressed willingness to collaborate with Ghana in providing the impetus in realising the objectives and ideals of the founding fathers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to ensure security, peace and development of the West African region. 5. Nigeria-Ghana relationship He also recounted the historic and cultural ties between Nigeria and Ghana, urging citizens of both countries to uphold the fraternal relations. The president urged Nigerians and Ghanaians to continue to live in each others countries without hindrance. 5. Ghanas achievements President Buhari said he is impressed with the performance of President Akufo-Addo in the last one year. He said the presidents achievements have made Ghana to become a good destination for foreign direct investment just like Nigeria. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app 7. Special tribute to Ghana's political leaders The president paid special tribute to all leaders of the Republic of Ghana right from the era of the late first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah to date. He said it is important to acknowledge their various contributions. He also paid tribute everyone who has paid the supreme sacrifices in the cause of nation-building. In an earlier report, Legit.ng gathered a collection of Twitter reactions by Ghanaians on the alleged promise by President Buhari to help Ghana fight corruption. In one of the collected reactions, a Ghanaian Twitter user, Emmanuelkopranteng said: "Hmmmmm two corrupt countries agreed to fight corruption let see what will happened" List President Buhari's achievements in two years - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - Senator Dino Melaye has raised alarm over the alleged importation of security gadgets by the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello - Melaye said the items were imported without the knowledge and approval of the National Security Adviser (NSA) - Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy Senate president, has ordered an ad-hoc committee to investigate the claim and submit its report with speed Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district in the National Assembly, has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state of importing security gadgets without approval from the National Security Adviser (NSA), as demanded by the law. Melaye, who made the accusation at the Senates plenary on Thursday, March 8, said he had enough proof to show that the items were imported unknowing to the NSA, Vanguard reports. READ ALSO: FG to begin teaching of science, maths in indigenous languages He explained that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), intercepted the items which were in the custody of Nigeria Aviation Handling Company of Nigeria (NAHCO). The senator urged the Senate to order the James Manager led-ad-hoc committee to take the issue seriously and to ensure that the gadgets were still with the NAHCO. The Senate had earlier organised a committee headed by Senator James Manager of Delta People's Democratic Party (PDP) to carry out a thorough investigation of attacks during empowerment programme set up by Senator Ahmed Ogembe, in Okene, Kogi state recently. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Melaye stated: Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, in view of this, I urge the Committee led by a ranking Senator, James Manager to add this assignment. I also urge them to move to NAHCO this afternoon to ensure that those items are still in their custody. Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy Senate president who presided over the plenary, directed the ad-hoc committee to investigate the claim and submit its report without hesitation. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Senator Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi) had called out his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the huge amount of money it had borrowed in three years of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Legit.ng gathers that he made the statement during plenary on Wednesday, March 7, as he called a Point-of-Order on the Peace Corps bill currently before the president for assent. Kogi West senatorial district to recall senator Dino Melaye from the Nigerian Senate - On Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Newspaper - Nigeria's oil production is reportedly facing a glut which is affecting the sale of the oil - Nigeria had in the past been exempted from oil production cap initiated by OPEC Trouble seems to be looming for Nigeria as report emerged on Thursday, March 8, that there was a glut in Nigerias oil supply to the international market. Premium Times reports that a trader said the development was caused by ample supply of light and medium grades from the North Sea and the Mediterranean continues to limit buying interest for Nigerian crude. READ ALSO: Only zero hunger can completely defeat Boko Haram - Obasanjo About 50 Nigerian cargoes were said to be weighing on the market while Angolas Sonangol, an oil firm, cut down its offer of Saxi crude. According to report, demand for Agbami and Qua Iboe has been higher than demand for other grades so far, while Qua Iboe was being offered at about dated Brent plus $2, steady from its Tuesday levels. It will be recalled that Nigeria was exempted from Production cap initiated by OPEC due to low production in the past. This was to allow the countrys oil production reach a peak period and stabilise. Meanwhile, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, disclosed that Nigeria is the only member country in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that imports petrol, and is currently the largest importer of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the world, Daily Trust reports. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Baru made the disclosure at the 2018 Oloibiri Lecture Series (OLEF), via the NNPCc chief operating officer, upstream sector, Alhaji Bello Rabiu. What will Nigerians do if FG increases fuel pump price to N180/litre? - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng - JAMB said the Unified Tertiary Examinations (UMTE) will be conducted in Benue state despite the recurrent herdsmen attacks - The examination board said examinations two security personnel had been assigned to each centre - The examination will be conducted in Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Oju and Otukpo The Benue coordinator of Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), Oise Ofala, has assured candidates writing the Unified Tertiary Examinations (UMTE) in the state of hitch-free examination. Ofala on Friday, March 9, in Makurdi, said that JAMB staff involved in the examination, as well as security personnel detailed to monitor the exercise, had been assigned to the centres, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Legit.ng gathered that the examination will be conducted in Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Oju and Otukpo. He said the Computer Based Test (CBT) would be conducted in 12 centres spread across the three senatorial districts of the state. READ ALSO: Obasanjo recommends strategies to wipe out Boko Haram The coordinator said that two security personnel had been assigned to each centre and assured that the backup coverage would accommodate any computer challenge during the examination. He said: We are 100% ready and prepared for the examination; two security personnel are assigned to every centre. We are not relying on public power supply as we have our generators. Every centre has the capacity to carry 250 candidates per session and some centres can carry up to three sessions per day, he said. Ofala, however, declined to mention the number of candidates writing the examination in the state. I do not have that statistics, the whole thing was done before my arrival. As you can see, I just took over as the state coordinator, he said. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Legit.ng previously reported that JAMB released the full list of the examination centres across the country ahead of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) which starts on Friday, March 9 to March 17. About 1.6 million candidates are expected to write the examination in 602 centres across the country. The spokesperson of the board Fabian Benjamin said the notification slip also carries the time and date allocated to each candidate. Benjamin said the candidate should ensure they print before Friday noting that the board will not reschedule the exam. Nigerians express mixed feelings as JAMB reduces admission cut-off to 120 - on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng Claudia Ackley has had enough of Californias discrimination against her and her fellow Bigfoot researchers, and has filed a petition that, if granted, would force state agencies to recognize the existence of the species she calls Giganto Horridus Hominoid and/or Gigantopithecus, a.k.a Bigfoot, a.k.a. Sasquatch. It will not be granted. It is also plainly a publicity stunt, intended to get you to watch a Bigfoot documentary on Netflix. While writing about it arguably plays into this tactic, I am going to do it anyway because even a petition intended as a publicity stunt should be better than this one. (Your objection that I, too, am after publicity is only partly true and is overruled anyway.) I mean, put a little effort into these frivolous pleadings, would you please? The San Bernardino Sun reported on February 12 that Ackley claimed to have encountered a Bigfoot or three whilst hiking near Lake Arrowhead. It was on March 27, 2017, about dusk, when the drama allegedly began: Ackley and her 11- and 14-year-old daughters were hiking the winding trail when Ackleys daughters, several yards ahead, froze in their tracks, gazing wide-eyed at a large, shadowy figure braced in a pine tree. Ackley ran to her daughters to see what they were staring at. I ran into a Sasquatcha Bigfoot, Ackley told the Sun. We were face to face. He was 30 feet up in the tree. I know that sounds inconsistentyou were face to face with something 30 feet up in a tree?but Ackley claims to have seen this from a sort of plateau well above root level. So it is technically possible that the Sasquatch/Bigfoot could have been 30 feet up in the tree according to its frame of reference and yet face to face with Ackley from hers. This is just a straightforward application of the theory of relativity, you guys, one Im sure Einstein was working on when he died. In any event, Ackley claims to have been pretty close to this thing, so what did it look like? Well, according to the Sun, she said the creature was barrel-chested, with a head three times the size of a humans, and appeared to weigh about 800 pounds. Now, its a known fact that casual hikers are good at estimating the weight of unknown creatures they observe only briefly, so lets take that number at face value (though that would make it much bigger than the largest gorilla). Maybe not so much with head size, though. According to this 1993 study, the average human head is about six inches wide, 7.5 inches long, and 22 inches in circumference, and it seems very unlikely that anything with a head three times that big could even walk, let alone climb a tree. On the other hand, it seems clear that the average human head is getting smaller all the time, so maybe this is plausible after all. What else can Ackley tell us? He looked like a [N]eanderthal man with hair all over him. He had solid black eyes. He had no expression on his face at all. He did not show his teeth. He just stared at the three of us, said Ackley. She said she made a howling whoop sound, and the creature in the tree reacted by rocking back and forth, shaking branches. Yep, cause thats what you do when youre out in the wild with your children and you encounter a giant and potentially savage creature: try to startle it. Luckily, in this case the whooping caused only a mild reaction, but it was enough to convince the Ackleys to leave: Thats when Ackley told her daughters to turn and slowly walk away. She said her youngest daughter, who shot video of the alleged encounter on her phone, later told her mother she saw two other similar creatures on the ground, running away upon their approach. Video? Yes! Conclusive? Surprisingly, no. There does appear to be a dark blob in the tree, but, despite the close range and the remarkable quality of todays cell-phone cameras, its hard to make out any details. These close calls are so frustrating. If youre not convinced, I should remind you that Ackley is an expert. She has, in fact, been working on trying to communicate with the creatures: Near another tree sits a discarded tire, where Ackley leaves snacks for Sasquatchapples, oranges, Fritos and a can of Coca-Colaalong with a voice-activated book with pictures inside, made by Ackley in an effort to communicate with Bigfoot. Ackley recorded words such as candy and fur, along with pictures or samples of each taped to the pages. We think they have language, as people have recorded them actually speaking, said Ackley. [They havent.] Im trying to teach them a little bit of our language to communicate with them. Its a lot like the movie Arrival, only stupider. Speaking of movies, back to this documentary. The filmmaker involved claimed he was at first skeptical of Ackleys story, but after observing the area of the encounter and watching that video you just saw, he became convinced that they could sell this to Netflix Ackley was telling the truth. They then teamed up, as the Sun put it, and her role on the team was evidently to file this lawsuit. In the petition, Ackley accuses the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and its Natural Resources Agency of refusing to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence in favor of Bigfoots existence, in violation of their mandate to manage the states ecological resources. Respondents are, or ought to be, aware that the State of California is home to a large wild indigenous mammal, Ackley alleges, [believed] to be a giant hairy vertebrate, hominoid or primate, commonly known as Sasquatch. Given the overwhelming evidence in Ackleys possession, its a little concerning that she cant classify Sasquatch more definitively. I mean, if Sasquatch does exist, I think theres not much doubt itd be a vertebrate. I dont remember anybody claiming they saw one undulating through the forest, at least. But maybe shes just hedging her bets. As she admits in the petition: 15. There are knowledge gaps in respect of Sasquatch. This is true. But Respondents, of course, are supposed to be helping with this, and yet they have done nothing to substantiate, acknowledge, or even investigate the existence of Sasquatch, Ackley alleges. [A]nd consequently, she continues, they have treated Petitioner with an indignity to her fundamental human rights that must be redressed. This, to my knowledge, is the first time someone has claimed that she has a fundamental right to make someone else believe in Sasquatch. Ackleys petition, in fact, asks the court to order the state to do so. The filmmaker told the Sun that he and Ackley are eager to get a hearing at which they will prove once and for all that the giant hairy vertebrate exists. If this goes to court, he said, we will win, easily. Its not a joke. The best wilderness experts in the world are coming out to testify. Its amazing. None of that is true. According to the report, a hearing is scheduled for March 19 in San Bernardino Superior Court. But the docket says thats just a status hearing. If the case hasnt been dismissed by then, my guess is that its status will not be amazing. Update: Ackley dismissed the case just a few days before the status hearing. - Olusegun Olulade, who represents Epe constituency 2 at the Lagos state House of Assembly, says politicians must abstain from comments that could cause tension - Olulade criticised Ike Ekweremadu for making a statement concerning military intervention - The lawmaker says only those who hate the country would want the military to take over A representative of Epe constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Olusegun Olulade, on Friday, March 9, issued a warning to politicians across Nigeria to stop making comments in favour of military coup in the country. In a statement published by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Olulade said that the remark credited to deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, on military intervention was unfortunate. We should not be talking about military returning to power at this time when the present government is trying very hard to put the country back to its rightful place. READ ALSO: Politicians flooding Nigeria with arms - Ekweremadu reveals as he becomes professor Anyone talking about military coup doesnt love the country. We should be careful not to be inviting the military into our politics, such statement that suggest the return of the military should not have come from a member of the legislative arm of government. A true democrat will know that anytime the military strikes, the legislature will be the first to suffer. We can all remember what we went through during the military era, in which the citizens suffered severe hardship. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app So, we should guard against any action or inaction that can give rise to military intervention and interruption of our democracy, Olulade, the chairman of the House committee on health services, said noting that the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, had earlier alleged that some politicians were lobbying the top military hierarchy to take over power in the country. Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian army declared that it is derogatory for the deputy president of the senate, Ike Ekweremadu, to claim that the military can still take over the government of the country because its democracy was already receding. What would you do differently if you were Nigeria's president? | Street Gist - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng "We have played politics enough in Benue state, it is time to stop politics and focus on governance and development." With these words which gives insights into the inner essence of Dr Stephen Terungwa Hwande, the Medical Director of First Fertility Hospital in Makurdi, he surmised what was invariably an insightful interview in his office in Makurdi. The youthful doctor needs no introduction in Makurdi as he has virtually touched lives in Benue State. Legit.ng paid an unscheduled visit to the suburbs, street corners and market places, it is nothing but praises for this messiah who one way or the other has impacted in their lives. To be sure it was not a political stunt, most of his interventions which from findings, is even better than what most politicians in Benue cannot equal are now flooding various media houses. This goes to show that his motives are altruistic and not mere political gimmick. For example, the government is alleged not to have paid pensioners in the state for almost a year. Dr Hwande has declared free medical services for pensioners in the state including eye surgeries consistently starting from his days as the chairman of medical doctors in the state. His medical outreaches have not been limited to pensioners only but to the general public in all zones of the state. He has also donated medical supplies to the prison service clinic and provisions to orphanages. He also extended Christmas packages to various groups at the last yuletide season. These facts were collaborated by no other persons than the Chairman, Pa Peter Ikyado and deputy chairperson, Ma Stella Peters of the Benue State concerned Pensioners. Legit.ng spoke to Mrs Peters who declared that what is obtainable in Benue State is "economic genocide" for which Dr. Hwande has been leading a one man rescue efforts. The market women Legit.ng spoke to collaborated how the "humble doctor" has been their own experience of "government impact". He has been like a government himself providing succour and interventions selflessly. Not even in government hospitals can you experience the quality of service Dr. Hwande will give you and will not trouble you if there is no money to pay said a random market woman spoken to. His philosophy is treat first, ability to pay question will come up later and once you cannot pay, Dr. Hwande in smiles will tell you to go but come back when you have the money. It is an unbelievable but true story akin to what is obtainable only in "Alice in wonderland". He has also established KH&T farms limited which has a destoner rice processing factory, garri processing factory, a piggery and poultry. He also has STIHWAN diagnostic lab. All these investments have employed close to 250 people. He has also been awarding scholarships for 11 years now in memory of his late mother. A vital story that showed such humanitarian interventions are not mere political gimmicks by the doctor, was told by no other person that the octogenarian father, Pa Jerome Ihiudugh Hwande while speaking to Legit.ng. "The mother while alive used to beat Hwande for handing over his food to his friends who are hungry he said. Shortly after his NYSC, he built and donated a hospital (Vision Hospital, Agasha) to his community that had no access to medical facilities just because he saw the overwhelming need that village had of an health facility. This came when many his contemporaries are busy "hustling" for money to settle down. This is because in his own words, he cannot stand to see people suffering when he can do something about it. But what can just one man do? The only propelling force to go all out to contest the Governorship elections is borne out of the desire to serve and ensure he brings hope to the hopeless. Otherwise as a doctor, he is sure of his meal till the end. His love for the downtrodden people of Benue is so strong you can almost touch it. In the candid opinion of this writer, the greatest losers will be the people of Benue State if they fail to grab this opportunity to vote in the messiah sent to them by God. God will ever use men and Dr. Hwande is obviously sent to deliver Benue from the shackles of misrule. Will the people of Benue sell their birth right for a mess of political porridge? 2019 is calling! Do you think Dr Hwande, if elected governor of Benue state will stop his humanitarian activities? Not at all. A pointer to the fact that whatever position he occupies, the people come first is from his time as the President of Benue State Resident Doctors. As the leader of the Doctors in the State, he was always mobilizing them for free medical services like that given to pensioners, IDPs etc. He performed so well in that position showcasing that he undoubtedly will do more with more opportunity. Jesus Christ in Mathew 25:23 said "you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much"voting Dr Hwande in as the Governor of the state come 2019 is the least the people of Benue state owe this man that will ensure even development as a Technocrat devoid of political maneuverings. Politics with its divisive tendencies has retarded the state for too long. It is time all Benue indigenes and residents take their PVC and speak with one voice. It is time to develop the state and ensure things work again. It is time to ensure the "food basket" is actually full and available for all Nigerians. Can we say with Dr Steven Terungwa Hwande throwing the hat into the political ring, a saviour has been sent by God? Watch the video and take a stand to either rescue Benue or keep playing politics. As for me, #ISTANDWITHHWANDE! HC Anthony Eshemokhai is Head, Govt Relations at Legit.ng Source: Legit Festus Keyamo who is a senior advocate of Nigeria has said that there are two republics in Nigeria and warned aspirants not to be carried away by the noise and support they get on social media. President Muhammadu Buhari had gone to Taraba and Plateau state and had received warm receptions from the citizens. In a series of tweets on Friday, March 9, Keyamo said the reception the president received in the two states showed the anger on social media is different from the support of the real Nigerians who come out to vote. READ ALSO: Court grants request for order of Senator Andy Uba's arrest He wrote: D joyous crowd welcoming PMB in different cities (as it also happened in 2015) indicates we have 2 Republics in Nig: 1. The Fed Republic of Social Media where a few angry elites are always active & 2. The Federal Republic of Nig populated by everyday people who vote at elections. "There are two wrong assumptions that some make about elections: 1. That d loud voices of celebrities & elites are d majority view & 2. That no other world exists outside the opinions expressed on Social Media. Hillary Clinton & President Jonathan were victims of these assumptions. "D most effective way to aggregate opinions on whether a person who is eligible to contest an election should run or not is actually to urge d person to run because Trumps example tells us that theres actually no other way to aggregate those opinions other than d actual election. Meanwhile, President Buhari will visit Benue state on Monday, March 12, to commiserate with the people of the state over the herdsmen attacks, Governor Samuel Ortom disclosed on Thursday, March 8. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Governor Ortom added that three herdsmen had been convicted for violating the Anti-Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, the Nation reports. Legit.ng gathered that the Benue governor, who spoke during a meeting of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said over 100 herdsmen had been arrested for contravening the law. Who is Nigeria's greatest president ever? on Legit.ng TV: Source: Legit.ng News - Maryam Sanda has celebrated her daughters one year birthday - Sanda who was accused of stabbing her husband to death was recently released on bail - The court had stated that she was granted bail due to the fact that the prison facilities couldnt handle her medical condition - It was gathered that the woman who suffers from asthma is also pregnant with child Maryam Sanda, the woman who was accused of stabbing her husband to death has celebrated her daughters one year birthday. Sanda was married to the late, Bilyamin Bello, the son of the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Haliru Bello. The woman was accused and arrested for stabbing her husband to death over infidelity issues. Legit.ng had reported that she was remanded in Suleja prison on Friday, November 24. She was later released on bail as the police could not prove that the prison facilities can handle her medical condition. Days after her release from prison, Sanda who was released due to health issues threw a birthday party for her daughter who just clocked one. It was reported that Sanda who suffers from asthma is also pregnant. Maryam Sanda celebrates daughter's one year birthday after she was granted bail Photo source: Instagram user Hausa room READ ALSO: Why court granted bail to wife who allegedly killed ex-PDP chairman's son The photos of the birthday that were released sparked outrage on social media. Nigerians stated that if she was released for being ill, she shouldnt have the time to throw birthday parties. An Instagram page identified as Hausa room shared the photos from the birthday and stated that Sanda might have ruined her chances at being free. Nigerians blasted her for celebrating birthday after her release Photo source: Hausa room Hausa room wrote: Not too long ago Maryam Sanda was released on bail,on d alledged murder of her husband Late "Bilyaminu" and today she allegedly celebrated her daughters 1 year old birthday. Is this the time to be celebrating birthday? If the judge had a lil empathy towards you I guess now you just ruined it. Ha! Read comments below: Legit.ng had reported that Justice Halilu who presided over the case had ordered the defendant to provide two sureties who it said must deposit the title deed of their landed properties in Abuja. The court also directed Maryam's father to enter an undertaking to always provide her in court throughout the trial. It was also gathered that a CCTV footage obtained by the police from the residence of Bello showed that Sanda committed the said crime. At what point should a person walk out of an abusive relationship? - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit - The administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has come under criticism from the special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on political matters, Babafemi Ojudu - He described the government of Fayose as a useless government, adding that he will probe Fayose if elected governor of the state - The SA to the president declared his ambition to run for governor in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state The special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on political matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has promised to probe the administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, if he is elected governor. Ojudu, who described the government of Fayose as a useless government, made the statement while declaring his interest in the governorship race, The Cable reports. Legit.ng noted that during his declaration rally that was held in Ado Ekiti, Ojudu promised to touch many lives READ ALSO: EFCC reveals how Alison-Madueke collected N23 billion from three oil marketers He said: Today, I declare my desire to be the next governor of our state. Today, I ask you to join me in bringing sense back to our government house. Today, I ask you to join me in bringing better jobs to the state. I call on you indigenes and residents to join me aboard our train of progress. If you want a better life for your children, join us and let us make our state a pacesetter state. I know that the journey cannot be easy because we will have to climb mountains but our work will not be in vain. Its time to vote out corrupt leadership in the state; its time to say bye bye to Fayose and his useless government. With the resources that this state is endowed with, why are we so poor? Why are we this broke and have become a laughing stock? Why has our land become a land of grief and pains? Can we continue like this? No, we cannot. This is the reason why I am telling you that the time has come to rescue our state from the oppressors and the time has come for the voices of our people to be heard. Ojudu promised not to demolish houses, but respect the traditional rulers, and pay workers salary, as well as pay pensioners allowances, and make life better for the people, if he is elected governor. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that members of the Ekiti Kete South-South/South-East Movement commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Senator Babafemi Ojudu as his special adviser on political matters, saying that he made the right choice. The group described Ojudu as a man of impeccable character and asked him to rise up and rescue Ekiti from the present rot under the state government. Governor Fayose warns Nigerian youths ahead of 2019, tells them what to do - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Newspaper Yves here. While the data is not pretty, the overall picture seems less dire than reader reports of particular staffing shortages. The NHS is particularly vulnerable, as the article notes, with its relatively high level of doctors and nurses from the EU when it is already thinly resourced. Our Colonel Smithers has described how both farmers who rely on foreign labor for harvests and owners of racehorses, who again rely on immigrant staff, are coming up shorthanded and finding it difficult to fill the gaps. By Elisa Mosler Vidal, a migration specialist who has worked with organisations including the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), the World Bank and an NGO in the Philippines. Originally published at openDemocracy New data show more EU citizens are leaving and net migration of EU citizens to the UK has hit a five year low. These figures are worth paying attention to. The Numbers Are In For the past year, studies have piled up showing large proportions of EU citizens in the UK from doctors and tech workers to academics were considering leaving the country. In the meantime, the issue of EU citizens rights in the UK has become a politically charged topic and consequently remained unresolved since the referendum in June 2016. This has taken its toll. New data released on 22 February by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that net EU migration decreased to 90,000 over the last year. This is 75,000 lower than the previous year. In fact, it is a five year low. It also shows that 130,000 EU citizens left the UK the most since 2008. Despite stalled progress in divorce talks with Brussels, Whitehall has made unwitting headway towards a trademark Brexit goal. EU migration is decreasing. The figures clearly show that current and potential EU migrants are re-evaluating living in the UK. This seems to be the case across profiles; students, the low and high skilled. It is also the case for western and eastern Europeans alike. For example, Poles and Spaniards were especially likely to leave, and data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows national insurance number (NIN) registrations decreased 34% and 25% for those nationalities respectively. Meanwhile, recent data show 17,000 Brits sought citizenship of another EU country in the year following the referendum. Ireland was the most popular, as applications from the UK increased by 1025% in this period. Over the same year, Italy saw an eightfold increase. British passport applications have also risen markedly for Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark, both from UK residents and British citizens in those countries. For now more Brits are just getting other passports; how many living in the UK will actually leave is a separate question. In any case, the fact that life rafts are being prepared should concern the UK government, and for Brexiteers this will not be a story to advertise. What Does This Show? The UK has clearly become less attractive for many EU citizens. Unable to vote on Brexit, many EU citizens are now voting with their feet. Mays insistence that she prioritised EU citizens rights has rung hollow and in the harsh rhetoric characterising UK-Brussels negotiations, they have become negotiating collateral. Meanwhile, many applying for UK residence permits and citizenship have muddled through Home Office processes from Kafkaesque to unjust some were mistakenly sent letters ordering them to leave the country. This has only served to erode confidence in the system. Interestingly, EU citizens have been deciding to leave the UK despite an actual change in status, highlighting the power of uncertainty. For many, over 18 months without visibility of their future has overridden other considerations. The new data also reflect a recognition by EU and British citizens alike that a theft of rights is taking place without too much background noise. Whatever Brexit ends up looking like, both groups will still lose some rights to free movement, to work or settle in any EU member state or the UK, and to equal treatment in any member state or the UK on the same terms as citizens there. One ongoing case in Holland may set an important precedent here. Triggered by five UK nationals, it argues that EU citizenship rights held by Brits are a matter of legal fact rather than a political gift. Therefore, as Brexit would strip these rights away, this should be disputed. What Does This Show for the UK? Economically and culturally, Brexodus represents a small stampede of grey rhinos for the UK. The effects of EU workers leaving have already been negative to date. Between the referendum and the end of 2017 over 10,000 EU citizens working for the NHS left their jobs, and the number of EU nurses applying for UK jobs decreased by 96%. Departures have had negative effects including critical staff shortages. Academia has also been hard hit already; over 2,300 EU academics resigned from UK universities between 2016 and 2017. Beyond this, there are growing problems for areas from fruit-picking to banking. These trends are already starting to strain the system. The fall in EU net migration has prompted higher demand for skilled workers from outside the EU. As a consequence, the Home Office quota for skilled workers visas has been maxed out in three consecutive months for the first time, meaning migrants with medical, software and other specialist skills are being turned away despite vacancies for them. This has made it harder for employers, including the NHS, to hire workers they need. There are now calls for NHS employees to be excluded from these caps. Issues such as these will only increase after Brexit. The ONS figures show overall net migration to the UK remained quite similar at 244,000 (down by 29,000 from the year before). To reduce this to its arbitrary tens of thousands target, the UK government would need to take drastic steps which would give it an immigration system starkly out of step with the countrys economic and social dynamics. Meanwhile, for the EU and Europe in general, regional migration dynamics are likely to change. Some European cities may receive more arrivals as they become attractive alternatives to London and other cities in the UK. Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam flourishing post-Brexit is planned for, as it is expected some employers may relocate there. Now, it seems employees may actually be moving there before them. If new migration patterns are sustained over time, these could affect labour markets and industries across Europe. This could become a key opportunity for several countries. What Happens Next? The end effects depend on what actually happens once a deal for EU citizens is struck. Discussions are locked on the transition period, and whether EU citizens arriving after March 2019 will have the same rights as those previously residing in the UK. Worryingly, the rights of EU citizens both those already in the country prior to Brexit and those coming afterward in the event of a no-deal does not seem to be a big talking point. What happens next also depends on wider questions about Brexit, including perhaps most crucially the UK-EU trade relationship, which looks to be limited to a free trade agreement, and whether the UK can successfully negotiate for financial services to be included in this. Meanwhile, it is continuously difficult to predict how far political infighting will shape outcomes, particularly as Theresa Mays Brexit statements increasingly seem targeted at factions of her own party. In any case, it is now clear that for many EU citizens, whatever deal is reached will be too little, too late. More EU citizens in the UK are leaving and less are coming in. Governments on both sides of the channel should pay attention to this now-verified trend, which will likely accelerate as Brexit nears. Dear patient readers, I suddenly have a Michigan nexus of interest. 1. I am trying to verify the title structure and get some further information about the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Wayne State University practices (usual credentials and job duties for adjunct professors) in the pre-2006 time frame. 2. Id like to confirm some information about an alum of what is now called Ross Business, the University of Michigan business school (weirdly, in the small world category, Steve Ross was once a client of mine 30 years ago). Its a very easy query and anyone who can access the alumni database could clear things up. If you can help or might have a connection who can help, please ping me at yves@nakedcapitalism.com with Adjunct Professor or Ross Business as appropriate in the subject line. Thanks! Social status influences infection risk and and disease-induced mortality British Ecological Society. In spotted hyenas. Meta-analysis and the science of research synthesis Nature LEGO Will Start Selling Sustainable, Plant-Based Blocks This Year Global Citizen European Clocks Slowed by Lag in Continents Power Grid Voice of America The dark side of daylight saving time The Conversation How iPads Changed a Police Forces Response to Mental Illness The Crime Report (Dan K) Oregon Couples Final Days Captured In Intimate Aid-In-Dying Video Kaiser Health News North Korea World Bank blasts EUs deepening economic divides, urging bloc to take populist movements seriously Telegraph. Help me. After the World Bank played a huge role in promoting financialization, which is a big driver of inequality. Macron seizes moment to take on French unions Financial Times. Someone send him the World Bank memo Brexit Brexit Bulletin: Pushing Evolution Bloomberg. Curious to get reader reactions, but I dont see this as terribly significant. The drop dead date on formulating an exit agreement is October. The future relationship part was alway just a political statement. It will take years to negotiate a trade deal. The intent may simply be that the EU wants as much as possible not to look like the heavy when possible, not that it cares about UK PR, which it cannot control, but for the sake of its image with smaller EU members. Barnier and EU leaders have already done tons of things, some subtle, some very up front, to try to get the Government among other things to negotiate rather than continue posturing on issues where the EU has said no. Rights and equality challenges of Brexit Irish Times. The undefined negotiated by the unprepared to get the unspecified for the uninformed. New Cold War Imperial Collapse Watch Big Brother is Watching You Watch Trump Transition Health Care Kill Me Now Obamas in talks with Netflix about TV series Financial Times. Another reason to leave the US ASAP The Clinton Bamboozle: a Third Way to Irrelevance Ghion Journal (UserFriendly) Public Ignorance or Elitist Jargon? Reconsidering Americans Overestimates of Government Waste and Foreign Aid Sage Journals Meet The Campaign Connecting Affluent Techies With Progressive Candidates Around The Country The Verge (Dan K) Fake News Pearsons, Who Pledged $100 Million to UChicago, Want Their Money Back Chicago Maroon Hedge fund Alden siphoned 100s of millions from newspapers in scheme to gamble on other investments, suit says News Matters Cigna Move To Buy Express Scripts Is Latest Acquisition In Rapidly Evolving Health Industry KHN Elizabeth Warren Refuses to Let Democrats Off the Hook for Their Latest Cave to Wall Street Alternet (furzy) Why Isnt Wall Street Freaking Out About Trump? Politico Most Millennials Have $0 for Retirement and Were All Fucked Vice Class Warfare Antidote du jour. Tracie H: Female Allens Hummingbird displaying the coy look she flashes at the boys: And a bonus video from Dave E. If you turn up the sound, you can hear the purring: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. By Enrico Verga, a writer, consultant, and entrepreneur based in Milan. As a consultant, he concentrates on firms interested in opportunities in international and digital markets. His articles have appeared in Il Sole 24 Ore, Capo Horn, Longitude, Il Fatto Quotidiano, and many other publications. You can follow him on Twitter @enricoverga. Reading about the Italian election in Italy can be entertaining. However, if I take the point of view of my friends from abroad (in the UK, France, the US, and Iran), I find the election even more entertaining. Before turning to the question of who won, lets look at some of the more hilarious stories I ran into in the foreign media before the polls closed. Exciting Media Narratives Multiple friends contacted me, worried that Fascism with a capital F was coming to Italy. One has to keep in mind that a certain stratum of the pro-Renzi media (that we could call the pro-globalization media) has, throughout last month, poured oil on the fire, declaring that Italy is teeming with fascist, Nazi, and ultra-nationalist movements. A number of tragic incidents pitting immigrants against native Italians have certainly made it possible for the media to build a formidable echo chamber and as one knows, blood (like sex) is a reliable way to sell newspapers. Readers of papers oriented toward Renzis center-left were told that Casa Pound (a small social movement with some nostalgia for the historical Right) might get as high as 4 or 5% of the vote. With the polls closed, Casa Pound actually didnt even reach 1%, and so, given that it is not part of any coalition, the votes it obtained are worthless. Still more entertaining was reading that during protests and clashes between marches of fascists and (left-wing) anti-fascists, it was possible to perceive the rise of a new, violently nationalist Right. In fact, its true that, as mentioned for example in this article, the police had to get involved during the protests in order to keep the opposing groups apart. However, what actually happened is that the police had their hands full trying to protect the beleaguered far Right militants of Casa Pound from the hundreds of anti-fascists who wanted to beat the living daylights out of them. As exciting as it might be to think that the era of Mussolini has returned, the fact that back then it was the fascist squads who beat up leftist citizens and not the other way around seems like an important distinction to bear in mind. Claiming that we are in imminent danger of a return to fascism shows more or less the same sense of proportion as seeing in a drop of water falling from the sky the biblical tempest that Noah built an ark in order to survive. Still within the general cadre of stories about the invasion of the nationalist hordes, another extremely amusing phenomenon was the alarm over Kekistan. Left-leaning newspapers (from Radio Popolare to Repubblica, whose deputy director was a winning candidate for the PD) warned that Kekistan flags were a terrifying symbol of ultranationalist resurgence. Anyone interested in looking into the matter will discover that Kekistan is a meme created on 4chan during the recent US election cycle in order to make fun of liberal Democrats with attitudes like if you dont vote for Clinton and the Democrats, then you are a misogynistic Trump lover sympathetic to Nazism and white supremacy. Now it so happens that Kekistan supporters dared to raise its flag in one of Salvinis rallies Salvini being the leader of Lega Nord, the party in the center right coalition that received the most votes (17%). Immediately, the left-leaning papers trumpeted their outrage, and produced photos taken elsewhere showing Kekistan banners and Nazi flags in close proximity. All of this was naturally accompanied by extremely erudite analyses that threw into a single stewpot Kekistanis, white supremacists, Nazis, (Italian-style) fascists, and so on. All of this may serve to illustrate the pathetic level reached in coverage of our recent election. Let us now turn to the question of who came out as a winner. Losers and Winners We can start by looking at who didnt win. The left alliance was made up of the social-democratic PD (Renzis party), Liberi e Uguali (including the outgoing president of the Chamber of Deputies, Boldrini, and the president of the Senate, Grasso), as well as Europa, a party created by the ex-Radical Emma Bonino, an individual who has gone through more political incarnations than Trump has women, and who for several years has reminded us that she is supported by George Soros. It lost, as dramatized in this picture showing Renzi as the dying Christ, cradled in the arms of his faithful defender Maria Elena Boschi. The center-right alliance ended up with 37% of the vote. It is made up of Lega Nord (led by Salvini) which got 17%, Forza Italia (led by the eternal Silvio Berlusconi) which got 13%, and Fratelli dItalia (led by Giorgia Meloni), with 4%. Fratelli dItalia is what is left of the overt Italian nationalists (MSI), which were in turn the tattered remnants of the Italian fascist party. This coalition does not have an absolute majority in Senate or Chamber. Nevertheless, given how the Italian system works, the president of the Republic might well decide to give it the first opportunity to form a government. If so, it will need to come up with 23 senators, and (in the Chamber) 24 deputies. But where to find them? One possibility is that some of the deputies and senators elected as part of the Left coalition might decide to fly a new flag, forming a new group (presumably billing itself as moderate), which would then put itself up for sale to the highest bidder. Another possibility is members of the Five Stars movement (M5S), who despite being in the party with overall the largest vote total, might nevertheless decide to betray the movement. In fact, the M5S was the second great winner from the election. It came away with 32% of the vote, giving it a plurality of the vote, but not a majority. To get one, it is in the same position as the center-right bloc: it would need to strip away enough deputies and senators in order to have a credible shot at forming a government. Its leader is Luigi Di Maio, who was more or less unemployed before getting elected as an M5S deputy from Naples. He is in any case often considered as a puppet in the hands of the Casaleggio organization, a PR agency which in turn has close links to the comedian Beppe Grillo (the founder of the Five Stars party). The Breakdown of the Vote Let me begin with a simple premise: the success of both the center-right coalition and the Five Stars represents a rejection of the pro-globalization policy of Renzis leftist PD party. To take the analysis a step further, it is important to look at the vote by regions. In the south of Italy, where the unemployment rate is very high, the ambitious proposals of the Five Stars were inevitably attractive. These included a sort of Universal Basic Income (the reddito di cittadinanza, salary of citizenship) of 500 or 1000 Euro per month. Given the stagnant economy of the south, the M5S proposal was tantamount to a wedding invitation, and the party received plenty of votes, whether motivated by hope or desperation. In the north, however, the anti-globalization vote typically coalesced into support for Salvinis Lega Nord. Why? One reason is that two regions governed by Lega Nord are Lombardy and Veneto, major economic motors of Italy. As it happens, the regions of Liguria and Emilia Romagna, two other economic powerhouses, also went for Salvini or for other parties in the center-right coalition. Italy is in fact split in half, as can be seen in the following charts from Il Sole 24 Ore: Red means left, blue means right (contrast the American convention), while yellow refers to the Five Stars. Those who wanted to protest the current regime and who simultaneously hope for an economic liftoff voted for center-right parties that presented (what seemed like) credible plans for economic growth. Those who wanted to protest but find the economic situation hopeless cast their votes instead for the Five Stars. Here and there one can find splotches of red (signifying support for Renzis party) in these cases voters didnt know whom to support and voted at random. Reassurance for Concerned Americans Q: Is it safe for me as an American to go to Italy? What about the dangerous fascists? A: Yes, its safe. Q: Is it safe for me as an American to go to Italy? What about the risk of a civil war? A: No risk of a civil war, at worst there will be some punches thrown when the fans of Milan and Inter run into each other at the derby. Q: Will Italy leave the Euro? A: No. Q: Will Italy betray America and further the nefarious plans of Putin? A: Italy will continue to be, as it has been, a nation that tries to avoid taking sides. Q: Will Italy stop being the wonderful country that we know and love? A: Pizza, the Colosseum, good wine, Ferraris, and (for the fashion-addicted) Monte Napoleone, are safe from danger. American tourists need not worry. Fethard & Killusty Anglers Fly-fishing Club has said it's devastated over the kerosene spill into the River Anner. Club Secretary Sean Maher said the Club's members were eagerly awaiting the results of the investigation by Inland Fisheries Ireland, the EPA, National Parks and Wildlife Service and County Council into the impact of the pollution incident on the aquatic environment and ecosystem around this unique river system. The spillage of an estimated 10,000 litres of kerosene oil into the River Anner south of Mullinahone resulted in Irish Water issuing a "Do Not Drink" warning on Monday afternoon to 12,000 water consumers who obtain their water supply from the Fethard Public Water Scheme. Tipperary Co. Council, Irish Water, the HSE and other agencies are currently working to clean up the pollution and restore full water services to consumers living in Mullinahone, Fethard, Killenaule, Gortnahoe, Ballysloe, Ballynonty, Moyglass, Mullinahone, Drangan, Glengoole, Cloneen, Ballinure, Killusty and surrounding areas. Mr Maher said the Fethard & Killusty Anglers Fly-fishing Club was currently optimistic that the immediate and long term effects of the pollution incident may not be as devastating as they originally feared as they have not found any evidence of a fish kill on the river in the past couple of days. "Our chairman Colm Hackett has covered a lot of miles and every bridge on this river in recent days. "However, the river is currently high due to the snow melt and the immediate effects may not be obvious until the water levels have dropped and the colour has cleared," he added. " "We will keep club members informed on any information as soon as we have any results and encourage everyone to renew their membership this year to fish the beautiful and unique river Anner and river Clashawley." He reiterated that the initial evidence was positive from an angling perspective and encouraged new members both senior and juvenile to join the Club to enjoy this fantastic sport and the beautiful environment members get to be a part of every time they venture out. Please contact Colm Hackett on 086 8397868 or Sean Maher on 085 7050580 for membership. Irish Water and Tipperary County Council are reminding customers on the Fethard Regional Water Supply Scheme that, as a partial water supply returns over the weekend, the Do Not Drink Notice will remain in place until further notice. Good progress has been made in managing the network to restore water for washing and other sanitary purposes and the majority of people on the scheme should have a water supply over the coming days. However this water is untreated and is not safe for human consumption. The Do Not Drink Notice remains in place until further notice. Boiling the water will not be sufficient to make it suitable for consumption. Irish Water say there may be ongoing interruptions to the supply as they work to manage the network. Customers that have appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers plumbed directly from the mains supply are advised to be particularly careful in their use as unexpected interruptions to supply could damage their appliances. Customers may also notice discolouration or odour in the water as the network refills and some customers may have internal airlocks on their properties. For advice on dealing with airlocks please see the Irish Water website, https://www.water.ie/support/questions-and-answers/how-to-check-for-and-clea/ . We are also asking customers in the area to continue to conserve water where possible by turning off taps when not in use, taking showers instead of baths and checking for leaks. Irish Water is especially appealing to anyone with an outside tap to ensure that it is securely turned off. The Do Not Drink Notice was issued on the advice of the HSE in order to safeguard public health following a kerosene spill from a third party source into the River Anner, approximately 10km upstream of the intake to the water treatment plant. Water stations are currently available throughout the affected area and these will continue until the Do Not Drink Notice is lifted. This alternative water should be boiled before normal use for drinking and food preparation. In some locations, tankers have also been used to replenish water tanks in schools and other key locations for sanitary use. Irish Water has also been in contact with vulnerable customers in the area and provided them with supplies of bottled water. Details of the locations of tankers will be available on the Service and Supply Section of the Irish Water website at www.water.ie/water-supply/supply-and-service-update/(see below) Customers who have any health concerns should contact their GP in the first instance. Farmers who are concerned that livestock may have consumed contaminated water are advised to contact their local vet for advice, or their local Department of Agriculture contact. Irish Water and Tipperary County Council fully acknowledge the inconvenience caused as a result of this incident and wish to assure customers that we are making every effort to restore a normal supply as quickly as possible in consultation with the HSE. Should customers have any concerns or queries, they should contact Irish Waters 24/7 customer care line at 1850 278 278. Tanker locations March 9th Ballinure Graveyard Ballinure National School Ballynonty Perries Ballynonty Mill Rd Estate Ballynonty Bord na Mona Road Ballynonty Cottage Park Housing Est Ballysloe National School Ballysloe Bottle Bank Cloneen Hall Cloneen Cloneen Drangan Rd Estate Drangan National School Drangan Hair Salon Drangan Housing Estate Drangan Village Dualla, Church Carpark Fethard Ribworld Fethard Old Dance Hall Glengoole Church Glengoole Housing Est Glengoole MFRC Gortnahoe National School Gortnahoe St Patricks Gate Gortnahoe Hall Killenaule National School Killenaule Castle Quarter Est Killenaule Cashel Road Est Killenaule Henry Laffen Hgts Killusty National School Killusty Village Kilvenham National School Moyglass National School Moyglass Church Estate Mohober National School Mullinahone School Mullinahone, Cois na hAbhann Mullinahone, Blackthorn Walk Mullinahone, Asses Cross Poulacapple National School Poulacapple Cross Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. 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The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ (Natural News) In a happy marriage of old Captcha and new biometric techniques, researchers have devised a new verification methodology called Real-Time Captcha. It presents real-time puzzles that will throw artificial intelligence for a loop and protect the accounts of human users, reported a ScienceDaily article. Real-Time Captcha is a logical evolution of current biometric techniques based on facial photos or video feeds of the user. Its designed to foil machine learning and image generation software that have adapted to now-standard security systems. Like current image-video biometric systems, Real-Time Captcha asks users to look into the camera of their mobile device. The new addition is a Captcha that appears on the screen with a random question that a human can answer much faster than an artificial intelligence could. Mobile devices and online services have changed up their passwords for biometric techniques that verify the log-in attempt by looking at the users biological features. One such example is the iPhone X, which has facial recognition software. Other devices and systems require brief video segments of the user. However, cyber-attackers can still spoof or steal these, said Professor Wenke Lee of Georgia Tech. If the attacker knows that authentication is based on recognizing a face, they can use an algorithm to synthesize a fake image to impersonate the real user, Lee warned. (Related: Bitcoin wallet devices found to be surprisingly vulnerable to hacking.) The struggle for cyber-security Real-Time Captcha was designed to address these vulnerabilities. It is the brainchild of cyber-security specialists from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and developed for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The researchers looked into image spoofing software to find out how cyber-attackers bypass current security. They then designed a system that requires hackers to break a Captcha in addition to generating convincing video. The widely-used and well-known Captcha stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. It keeps bots outside websites by leveraging a humans superior ability to see patterns in images. We are making the challenge harder by sending users unpredictable requests and limiting the response time to rule out machine interaction, said Erkam Uzun, a graduate research assistant at Georgia Tech. Real-Time Captcha debuted at the Network and Distributed Systems Security (NDSS) Symposium 2018 in San Diego, California. Old and new tech Log-in requests must pass the following tests imposed by Real-Time Captcha: spot the challenge question in the Captcha answer the question within a time limit match the pre-recorded image and voice of the legitimate user According to the Georgia Tech team, challenges will include easy math problems and scrambled letters that a human can recognize and answer while a machine is still trying to make sense of the Captcha. They tested their new hybrid captcha-biometric system on 30 human and machine participants. The researchers found out that humans could comply with the Captcha question in just a second or less. Machines, in contrast, required anywhere from six to 10 seconds to decode the challenge and generate an appropriate faked audio and video. This allows us to determine quickly if the response is from a machine or a human, explained Uzun. He and his fellow researchers assure that Real-Time Captcha will not be a major drain on bandwidth. The Captcha images are small in comparison to the audio and video that are required by existing biometric systems. The Georgia Tech group is looking to improve their newly-developed system. Theyve identified challenges such as background noise disrupting speech recognition software and the need for a secure connection between the device and the authenticating server. Keep track of cyber-security developments at CyberWar.News. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com DigitalJournal.com (Natural News) If pesticides are so dangerous, why are they allowed to be sold and used? If youve ever tried to convince someone how important it is to buy organic produce, you might have heard this line. Answering honestly can get you labeled a conspiracy theorist pretty quickly, but according to one NGO, nine out of ten EU tests determining pesticide safety come from the industry itself. That answers the question nicely, but theres more to the story than that. The EU is known for having some of the strictest pesticide laws on the planet. In many other systems, regulators have to prove that they are harmful to get a ban or restriction; in the EU, on the other hand, the burden is on pesticide makers to prove they are safe before they can be sold. You would think this would give Europeans an unparalleled level of protection, but the reality is far different. A report from the Pesticide Action Network has found that 90 percent of the tests for authorizing pesticides carried out by the EU have been designed by the pesticide industry or are tests that the pesticide industry advocated for and we can all imagine why they would favor certain tests over others. In addition, more than two thirds of these tests use methods that come from the U.S., where pesticide regulations are notoriously lax. Who regulates EU pesticides? The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has the job of regulating pesticides in Europe. They use 12 methods for assessing pesticide risk to determine if each substance should be allowed to be used within the European Union, but 11 of these were promoted by the pesticide industry or developed by them directly. That leaves just one test that can really be trusted. According to the Pesticide Action Networks Hans Muilerman, this allows the dangerous effects seen in animal safety studies to essentially be swept under the carpet. The methods deem the tumors seen in test animals irrelevant in humans, for example, and consider pesticide residues in groundwater to be acceptable. Muilerman said: The methods are designed to prevent a ban of harmful pesticides and result in lowering of the protection of the public and the environment. In a hugely controversial move, the EU decided to reauthorize the herbicide glyphosate last year, with national governments going against the advice of the European parliament, who called for a complete ban of the herbicide within five years. The World Health Organization has called glyphosate a probable carcinogen. EU regulators have long faced accusations of improperly close ties with the pesticide industry. Last month, European Parliament members voted to create a special committee to investigate the influence that crop protection firms have over the authorization process in the EU. The European Union isnt the only place where the pesticide industry has too much influence. Monsanto, makers of the glyphosate herbicide Roundup, have been colluding with the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. to cover up the products connection to cancer. According to court documents, the EPA declared Roundup safe without testing the effects of the formulation as a whole, relying instead on tests of just one ingredient. The EPA has been aware of the connection for at least 35 years, according to internal correspondence that was recently uncovered, and Monsanto managed to convince them not to release the supporting research. Around the world, it appears that regulators are letting deep-pocketed pesticide companies call the shots. How many people will become ill before something is finally done to stop this corruption? Read Pesticides.news for more coverage of pesticide pollution. Sources for this article include: DW.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com As two of Silicon Valleys business mogul Peter Thiel's business ventures come into question, the PayPay founder finds himself moving out of the tech bubble to reflect and gain clarity on his investments. "Its been a crazier two years than I would have thought," Thiel said to The New York Times. Two of the business man's troubles lie on President Donald Trump, who he supported and backed for president, and Facebook, who has recently been put in question in the wake of the Russian revelations. Thiel has been a known supporter of Trump since the 2016 elections, even speaking at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The feeling was mutual, as it was also rumored that at one point, the president wanted to put him on the Supreme Court. Now, a couple of years later, Thiel told The New York Times that things are not the way he thought they'd be with Trump in the Oval Office. However, though the two dont talk very often, he "can get access anytime" he wants. "There are all these ways that things have fallen short," Mr. Thiel said. But he said he had no regrets about his endorsement. "Its still better than Hillary Clinton or the Republican zombies," he said, referring to the other candidates. Russia's involvement with Trump's election has been a topic of conversation since he became president, and now, Facebook is believed to have been part of the ordeal. The social network was used by Russians to undermine democracy and sow confusion in the United States, according to The New York Times. "Remember when Trump said the election was going to be rigged? People said that was crazy 'How dare you question the integrity of the electoral process?' That was the view of most of the people working at Facebook, too," he said to The New York Times. "They did not think things were so hackable. It was a mistake, but an understandable mistake." Thiel was Facebooks first outside investor, buying 10 percent of the company when it was just a year old but sold his holdings in 2012 when the company went public. "Network effects are very positive things, but there's a tipping point where they fall over into the madness of crowds," he said to The New York Times. Thiel is moving out of San Francisco to Los Angeles with the hopes of gaining clarity outside Silicon Valley. A controversy is brewing at a coffee shop in Oakland, where police officers are not welcome. The business, called Hasta Muerte Coffee, will not serve officers in uniform and turned away an officer a few weeks ago. The shop is an employee-owned co-op. Workers at Hasta Muerte did not respond to requests for comment on the policy to refuse service to police officers. But on the shops Instagram account, there's a photo posted with text that reads in Spanish: "Talk to your neighbors, not the police." The post continues about an exchange with a uniformed police officer on Feb. 16, and very clearly it states: "We have a policy of asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves." The Oakland Police Officers Association sent the shop a letter, asking to open a dialogue about its policy. The sergeant who was turned away from the shop a few weeks ago said he was surprised but walked out without incident and without any coffee. He said hes looking forward to talking with the shop owners to build a better relationship with them and the rest of the community. Hasta Muerte, which means "until death," in Spanish, is located in Oakland's Fruitvale district.[[476388893, C]] Three women and a suspected gunman were found dead Friday evening after a more than six-hour hostage standoff at a veterans home in Yountville, California, according to law enforcement officials. California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Chris Child said three females and one male were found dead. The Napa County Sheriff-Coroner's office identified the suspect as 36-year-old Albert Wong from Sacramento who was formerly in the Pathway Home Program. Facebook The three women held hostage were identified as members of the Pathway Home family: Executive Director Christine Loeber, Dr. Jen Golick, a therapist and Dr. Jennifer Gonzales, a psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. In a statement from the Pathway Home, the women were described as "brave and accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nation's veterans." Courtesy LinkedIn and Pathway Home Hotline for friends and loved ones of families affected by the Yountville shooting: (707)-948-3331 Earlier in the day, heavily armed law enforcement officials swarmed the Veterans Home of California Yountville the largest in the country after a gunman fired shots at a sheriff's deputy and took multiple hostages during a party organized by a veterans program. California authorities say officers at around 10:20 a.m. exchanged gunfire with a gunman holding three veterans program employees hostage at the veterans home.[[476406353, C]] Napa County Sheriff John Robertson told reporters Friday that many bullets were fired but that the deputies werent injured. He says he doesnt know the status of the hostages or the gunmans motive. Child previously said offices were unable to make contact with the gunman who was confined to one room. Multiple hostage negotiators, including the Napa County Sheriff's office and the FBI, also responded to the scene. Officials said the hostages were employees of The Pathway Home, a privately run program on the veterans homes grounds. The program treats veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with post-traumatic stress disorder. Footage shows towering flames in San Francisco as crews battle a fire caused by a gas explosion. The suspect used a rifle to fire the shots, but officials are not sure what kind yet. They also know the identity of the gunman, but are not releasing the information. State Senator Bill Dodd said the suspect was reportedly a veteran enrolled in the PTSD program offered at the facility, but had been asked to leave earlier this week. NBC Bay Area According to CHP officials, a call came in at 10:20 a.m. alerting them to the "shots fired." Napa law enforcement officers were on the scene within four minutes. The state Veterans Affairs department says the facility located at 260 California Drive in Yountville, which is located north of San Francisco is the largest veterans' home in the United States, with about 1,000 residents. Yountville, which is located in the heart of California's wine country, is perhaps most famous for the restaurant, The French Laundry. Pathway Homes program treats veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars with post-traumatic stress disorder. Four people were found dead following a shooting and hostage situation at a Yountville veterans home, the California Highway Patrol said late Friday. CHP Assistant Chief Chris Childs said three females were found dead, in addition to 36-year-old gunman Albert Wong. The California Veterans Affairs office released a statement right after the shooting, saying: "Law enforcement is at the Yountville Veterans Home right now following reports of gunfire. The safety of our residents, workers and the community is our top priority. We have activated our emergency response protocol and are cooperating with law enforcement." The Napa Valley Register described the gunman as "a man, dressed in black and wearing body armor ... reportedly armed with an automatic weapon." A resident inside the facility told NBC Bay Area a person with body armor and weapon entered Building G - which he described as a "halfway house." He said Building G housed veterans from Operation Desert Storm. This 25-acre compound is known as Palazzo Di Amore. It was built by renowned developer Mohamed Hadid, who is known for creating mega-mansions. This mansion can comfortably host up to 1,000 guests and comes complete with its ow disco, bowling alley, and vineyard. Larry Kamer says his wife, Devereaux Smith, is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Pathway Home. He said the gunman quietly came into a going-away party and staff meeting at a Northern California veterans home and let some leave, while keeping others hostage. Smith was at the party Friday morning of 10 to 15 people at the Yountville veterans home. Kamer said his wife was inside the homes dining hall and was not allowed to leave. He spoke to her by phone. Kamer said he does not know why the shooter let his wife and some colleagues leave. Jan Thornton of Vallejo is among hundreds of relatives worried about their loved ones at a Northern California veterans home that was locked down after reports of an active shooter. Thornton says her 96-year-old father a WWII fighter pilot was inside a hospital wing at the home in Yountville, north of San Francisco. Thornton says she's still shaking and that she hasn't been able to talk to her father. But, she says she was able to talk to one of his friends, who is also locked down, and that he told her that her father is safe. She says her "heart just bleeds for the people that are being held hostage.'' Though she thinks her dad is safe, she is still worried about the stress of the situation, considering his age and that he has post-traumatic stress disorder and some dementia. Queen of The Valley Medical Center has put a trauma team on standby for any possible patients. Officials said some students from the Justin-Siena High School rehearsing a play on the grounds at the Lincoln Theater had been locked down when the gunman took hostages. The students were evacuated safely Friday afternoon. Sasha Craig spotted a family car carrying her 15- and 17-year-old children. She ran toward it, blowing kisses. She says teens had been texting their parents to chill. A post on social media said: "Hi, please pray. We have about 30 police here at the Vets home there is a shooter here. Were in lockdown in the MSC building." Yountville Elementary School was briefly placed on lockdown due to police activity at the Veterans Home. Students and staff are safe, and the lockdown has been lifted. The school is proceeding with its normal schedule, the Napa Unified School District said. U.S. clocks will "spring forward" again on March 11 to make room for an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings as winter fades away. Daylight saving time officially starts at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks are pushed forward one hour to 3 a.m. When you go to bed on Saturday night, dont forget to turn your watches, alarms and microwaves forward an hour. Electronic devices, like cellphones, by default are set to automatically update the time as it changes. In observance of the biannual switch in time, here are some things you may not have known about this event. It Has an Impact on Your Health Switching into and out of daylight saving can disturb peoples sleeping routines, making them more restless at night, according to U.S. News and World Report. However, morning people tend to be less bothered by the changes. Studies have shown that during the first week of daylight saving time there is a spike in the number of reported heart attacks. Some experts suggest, according to the report, that the loss of an hours rest may make people more vulnerable to an attack. Nonetheless, when people get an extra hour in the fall, the incidents of heart attacks are less than usual. When Was DST Implemented Before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which established a uniform daylight saving time, local governments could start and end daylight saving time as they desired. For five weeks a year Boston, New York and Philadelphia were not on the same time as Washington, D.C., Cleveland or Baltimore. Different daylight saving times also caused confusion for travelers going from the Midwest to Northeast. In 2005, President George W. Bush extended the daylight saving time for an extra four weeks through an energy bill. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday of March, ending on the first Sunday of November. Not All States Observe DST Arizona and Hawaii are currently the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. Indiana did not observe the practice until 2005. The American territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate. Several states have tried to end the tradition of re-setting the time twice a year, but haven't been successful. In the last few months alone, at least four states have attempted to eliminate daylight saving time. Montana, Oklahoma and Utah failed to pass bills that would keep their states on standard time year round. In Florida, the State Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to forgo the twice annual time change. The Sunshine Protection Act is headed to Gov. Rick Scott's desk for his signature or veto. A Founding Father Did Not Come Up with DST According to the History Channel, Benjamin Franklin did not come up with the idea of daylight saving time; he only suggested a change in sleep schedules. Englishman William Willett is the one who suggested in 1905 that the United Kingdom move its clocks forward by 80 minutes between April and October, so people could enjoy the sunlight. He published "The Waste of Daylight" and spent much of his fortune and time promoting the idea. Confirm Your Phone's Automatic Time Changes It's good to confirm if your phone or other electronic devices have changed to the correct time. In 2013, iPhone customers experienced a daylight saving time bug. Some users saw two different times displayed on their calendar app, which was apparently caused by a change that moved daylight saving time back a week in 2007. In 2010 iPhones had another problem in which the phones did not correctly change alarm schedules when daylight saving time ended, causing some European iPhone users to wake up late for work, while Australians were woken up early. DST is Singular Not Plural By the way, it's "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time." Erika Harolds one-time view on same sex marriage and gay couples adopting children is surfacing in her GOP race for Illinois attorney general. Harold, who was Miss America in 2003, had been involved in beauty pageants for several years. Her view has now changed, but that was not disclosed until NBC 5 asked about her answer to a question in the Miss Illinois pageant in 2000. That year, when she competed for Miss Illinois, sources tell NBC 5 Harold was asked in a behind-the-scenes interview about same-sex adoption. The question-and-answer session was held at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Hotel. At that time, Harolds mother was a social worker who placed children in foster care. Multiple sources, who were either a judge or pageant official whom NBC 5 contacted, confirmed her response to a question on gay adoptions and wondered as she campaigns for Illinois attorney general, whether that belief had changed. One of the questions to Harold that year was: If she, like her mother, was responsible to place a child in foster care and had to choose between a.) A loving gay couple or b.) A heterosexual couple who were known child abusers, which would she chose? All three sources told NBC 5 she chose the child abusers. NBC 5 has spoken to three people, who all played a role in that Miss Illinois pageant, with direct knowledge of the exchange. They were present when Harold responded to the question. One of the pageant officials said: "I remember it because it was so shocking. She took some time to answer it. And that drew people in. It stopped the room." That pageant official said: "It said a lot about her, she spoke about reading the Bible daily and said her beliefs could not subject a child to the gay lifestyle. Harolds spokesman originally told NBC 5 Harold did not recall this interview since it was nearly 20 years ago. In a second phone call, the spokesman said, "I have a real problem with this story, less than two weeks before the election, unnamed sources are going to say this? He questions their motivation. When asked where Harold stands today on gay adoptions, he says he has not yet asked her, but Im sure she is supportive. Another source who was also present for the interview said, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was shocking. That pageant official recalls, "even at a young age, it was clear she was smart." The official also remembers "how she stopped and had to think about it." Harold, who is a Harvard Law School graduate, was 19 years old at the time of the interview. A contestant also told NBC 5 a videotape of the the Harold interview, as well as other interviews by other contestants, was viewed by contestants to be used as a learning experience. Harold's campaign released a statement to NBC 5 after repeated requests: Voters should first know that NBC Chicago has chosen to air an unverified story from anonymous sources twelve days before an election about an alleged event that supposedly occurred nearly two decades ago when Erika was 20 years old. Erika does not recall the alleged exchange, but Erika certainly support[s] same-sex adoption and foster care placement. One of the Miss Illinois pageant officials from the 2000 contest who spoke to NBC 5 said, "I find it literally impossible she does not remember, because it cost her the pageant, she did not even make the top 10 that year. Theres no way she does not remember. The interview was not part of the pageant presentation seen by the public. It lasted about 10 minutes, however the points from that interview were important in the overall judging. It may have been recorded for the contestants to watch later as a way to improve their performance, however no recorded copy of the Harold interview has yet surfaced. One of the officials NBC 5 spoke to said Harold stood out because she exhibited at 19 years old, incredible intelligence. That year Harold was given an award for her ability to answer questions skillfully, even though one of the judges believed she flubbed that question. Harold did not compete in the Miss Illinois pageant in 2001, but in 2002 she went on to win the Miss Illinois pageant and the Miss America title. Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization's executive director, Ashley Hatfield, in a statement Thursday refuted the allegations. "It is troubling that people claiming to be former pageant officials are anonymously attacking former contestants," the statement reads. "No one associated with the Miss Illinois Organization is making these claims, and it is not representative of the organization. All current and future contestants should compete without the fear of being anonymously attacked by pageant officials. Erika was an outstanding Miss Illinois and Miss America, and we are proud of her work with our organization." Republican attorney general candidate Gary Grasso also released a statement. As a father to 6 children, I am sickened by the idea of placing any child in danger, especially in the home of known child abusers, Grasso said. Above all else, we must protect our children so they have the opportunity to thrive without the fear of an abusive parent or guardian. Child abuse is a disgusting and heinous crime and, if true, I am appalled by my opponents statement. This week Gov. Bruce Rauner donated $350,000 to the Harold campaign. His campaign spokesman has called her a star attorney and candidate who is a bright part of the future of the Republican Party of Illinois. When asked to comment on this controversy, the Rauner campaign declined. A Kansas City company which lost out on a major software contract with the University of Illinois Hospitals, says the winning companys bid will end up costing taxpayers up to $100 million in excess costs. Among the bidders, two of the nations biggest medical software providers, Cerner Corporation and Epic, slugged it out for the contract to provide medical record and billing systems for UI Health. Epic was the high bidder, but won the contract. Now, Cerner is crying foul, contending the fix was in, and that the deal will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars they dont need to spend. I smell a rat here, says Mara Georges, the City of Chicagos former Corporation Counsel who is serving as Cerners Chicago attorney. The taxpayers of the State of Illinois are entitled to an explanation, and an explanation has not been forthcoming! At issue, is what was supposed to be an all-encompassing contract, says Georges. And she says Cerner provided just that, in their bid for $60.5 million. It said all in price, she says. Capital A, capital L, capital L! Georges contends the Epic bid of approximately $62 million will require additional implementation by another vendor, which will run between $75 and $100 million. And she complained that while Epic was allowed to demonstrate their software, Cerner was not. It certainly seems there was an attempt, a successful attempt, to steer the contract towards Epic, she says. Frustrated in their attempts to appeal the contract award, Cerner took the matter to the Illinois Procurement Policy Board, where both the Chief Procurement Officer for Higher Education, and a representative of the University of Illinois declined to provide input despite the fact that both were present. But recorded minutes of that meeting indicate that board members were troubled by how the matter had unfolded. I guess U of I doesnt really care if there is a $75 to $100 million additional cost to taxpayers, one member exclaims. I just find this appalling! Board member Bill Black expressed outrage that no one from the University would explain how the decision had been made. The University of Illinois is a world class public university, and I get damn tired of them operating like just the opposite---like they are Harvard, he said. Every time the University gets in trouble, its because they wont say what theyre doing! Epic did not reply to a request for comment, and the University of Illinois likewise refused NBC 5s request for an interview. But the Chief Procurement Officer, Ben Bagby, did provide a copy of the denial letter he sent to Cerner in January. In that letter, Bagby noted that a 17 member evaluation committee scored Cerner so low that they failed to meet the threshold to demonstrate their product. Epics proposal exceeded the minimum and was found the most advantageous to the state, he wrote. Cerner simply did not submit a proposal that showed its technical qualifications at the minimum level required. Bagby insisted any additional costs on the back end would be incurred, regardless of vendor, a contention Cerner disputes. Georges maintained that Cerner needed to demonstrate their software, to satisfy the technical questions which would have led to a higher overall score. For whatever reason, there was an interest in making sure Epic was awarded this contract, Georges said. It appears there was favoritism toward Epic, and that procedures were not followed to give everyone involved in the process a fair shake. In a statement, a University spokesman refused to address Cerners specific charges, only saying that the process had unfolded according to all procurement processes mandated by state law. The Illinois Procurement Policy Board was troubled enough that they scheduled a session for the parties to come in and explain themselves. That hearing will take place March 20th in Springfield. A wake will be held Friday for the suburban couple that police said was killed by their own son. Services for James and Diva Davis, of Plainfield, will be held at Johnson's Funeral Home on Chicago's West Side beginning at 4 p.m. A funeral for the couple was scheduled to take place Saturday in Broadview. James Davis Sr. was a part-time police officer in the village of Bellwood, officials said. A military veteran, he grew up in the area and was "like a pillar of the community," Mayor Andrew Harvey said. Authorities said their son, James Eric Davis Jr., fatally shot them in his dorm room at Central Michigan University last Friday. He was captured early Saturday after a 16-hour manhunt in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. He faces murder and gun charges and was ordered held on $3 million bail. James Eric Davis Jr. was taken to a hospital after his arrest and moved to the Isabella County jail on Wednesday. The Davis family released a statement Tuesday to let James Eric Davis Jr. know "he has not been abandoned." "In this very difficult time, the Davis family wants to express their love and support for Eric Junior whom they love and for him to know that he has not been abandoned," a release from an attorney on behalf of the family read. "Further, they want it known that Eric Junior is their main focus." "They would also like to thank the friends and coworkers of Sergeant Davis and Mrs. Davis for all of the prayers and condolences that they have extended," the statement continued. A Wisconsin candidate for governor has posted an online campaign video that includes a brief passage showing her breast-feeding her 4-month-old daughter. Former state Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, a Democrat, appears in the video touting her efforts in the Legislature to pass a bill banning the chemical bisphenol A from baby bottles and spill-proof cups. At one point during the video her husband walks into the frame and hands her their infant daughter. Roys breast-feeds her daughter as she continues talking about the bill. Roys told the Wisconsin State Journal it was an unscripted moment that was left in because she's running as herself. During her time in the Legislature, Roys was an outspoken advocate for a woman's right to breastfeed in public. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks, a whiplash development that would put two leaders who've repeatedly insulted, threatened and dismissed each other in the same room, possibly in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. It would have been an unthinkable suggestion just a few months ago, when the insults were at their peak Trump was a "senile dotard" and Kim was "Little Rocket Man" and the North was snapping off regular weapons tests in a dogged march toward its goal of a viable nuclear arsenal that can threaten the U.S. mainland. Liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who some believe has maneuvered the two leaders to this position, reflected the hope and relief many here feel about the planned summit when he declared Friday that it will be a "historical milestone" that will put the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula "really on track." But there's also considerable skepticism. North Korea, after all, has made a habit of reaching out, after raising fears during previous crises, with offers of dialogue meant to win aid and concessions. Some speculate that the North is trying to peel Washington away from its ally Seoul, weaken crippling sanctions and buy time for nuclear development. It has also, from the U.S. point of view, repeatedly cheated on past nuclear deals. And now the North has landed a face-to-face meeting with the leader of the world's most powerful country, a nation that North Korea has long sought to draw into talks that it hopes would establish a peace treaty to end the technically still-active Korean War and drive out all U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, removing what the North says is a hostile encirclement of its territory by Washington and Seoul. "Great progress being made," Trump tweeted after the South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, emerged from a meeting with the U.S. president and announced the summit plans to reporters in a hastily called appearance on a White House driveway. That remains to be seen. North Korea still produces propaganda declaring its continuing dedication to the "treasured sword" of its nuclear program. Washington still remains publicly dedicated to annual war games with the South that the North claims are invasion rehearsal they're expected to resume next month, after being postponed during the Winter Olympics in the South and to keeping 28,500 troops in the South and 50,000 in Japan, largely as a way to deter North Korean aggression. North Korea is engaged in "a ploy to serve its own interests" and make Kim look like "a bold leader of a normal, peace-loving nuclear power," according to Duyeon Kim, a visiting research fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum think tank in Seoul. "But in spite of the deceptive cloak, the agreement posed an opportunity for the United States. It put the ball in Washington's court, and provides a window for the Trump administration to engage and test the regime through direct negotiations," Kim wrote on the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists web page. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Djibouti on Friday that the decision to meet with Kim Jong Un was made by Trump himself and resulted from a sharp change in the North Korean leader's stance. "What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way. It was a surprise to us that he was so forward-leaning," Tillerson said. He said it would take "some weeks" before the timing of the talks is worked out. North Korea appeared to confirm the summit plans. A senior North Korean diplomat at the United Nations in New York, Pak Song Il, told The Washington Post in an email that the invitation was the result of Kim's "broad minded and resolute decision" to contribute to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have previously been overseen by lower-level experts, and have often bogged down, even when so-called "breakthroughs" have come, in the pesky details, such as allowing outsiders in to inspect North Korea's nuclear compliance, for instance. Now, the talks will start at the top. And there will be no time to settle all the problems that have scuttled previous negotiations. It's anyone's guess what Trump and Kim might decide in the highest-level meeting in what has been essentially a bloody, seven-decade standoff between their countries. The announcement Friday followed weeks of softening ties between the Koreas, orchestrated by the South Korean leader, Moon, and culminating in a visit by Kim Jong Un's sister to the South to observe the Olympics in Pyeongchang and then Chung's trip to meet with Kim in Pyongyang. "This is a tried-and-true North Korean tactic, reaching out at the height of crisis in hopes of breaking out of spiraling tensions with the United States," according to a report by Zhixing Zhang and Evan Rees, Asia specialists at Stratfor, a geopolitical analytical group. "In this instance, Pyongyang has skillfully played on South Korea's fear of a military strike and hopes of reunification." Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from its pursuit of a working long-range nuclear-tipped missile. He's oscillated between threats and insults directed at Kim that have fueled fears of war, and more conciliatory rhetoric. The historic announcement comes during a period of unparalleled tumult in the Trump's West Wing, with the president's policy agenda stalled and morale sinking as staff departures proliferate and disrupt efforts to instill more discipline and order. Earlier Thursday, Chung briefed Trump and other top U.S. officials about the rare meeting the South Korean had with Kim in the North Korean capital. During that meeting, the rival Koreas agreed to hold a leadership summit in late April, the first in a decade. Kim "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung told reporters. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." The White House said Trump's meeting with Kim would take place "at a place and time to be determined." Trump said that sanctions against the North will remain in place until there's a deal. Chung, who credited Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign for the diplomatic opening on the nuclear issue, said Kim understands that routine U.S.-South Korea military drills "must continue." Kim, who had used his annual New Year's address to warn the United States of a supposed nuclear button on his desk, has an economy that's been battered by heavy international sanctions. Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University, said that the Trump-Kim meeting's success could depend on whether the United States can accept a freeze of North Korean nuclear weapons, rather than a direct process to eliminate them. But already Trump seemed to have bigger goals in mind: "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," the U.S. president said in a tweet. Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung and Matthew Pennington contributed to this report. Brazil's yellow fever outbreak has now infected more people than the previous one, which had been the largest in decades. The Health Ministry said Wednesday that officials have confirmed 846 cases of the mosquito-borne disease. Of those, 260 have died. In the 2016-2017 outbreak, Latin America's largest nation saw 777 cases and 261 deaths. Large swaths of Brazil have long been at risk for yellow fever. But the previous outbreak and the current one are happening in areas not previously considered at risk for the disease and where vaccination rates were low. The current outbreak is hitting the populous states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais hard and encroaching on major cities. In response, Brazil has launched a campaign to vaccinate more than 23 million people. If you're heading to a Texas beach for Memorial Day weekend, you may want to check the bacteria levels at your favorite spot. The website Texas Beach Watch tracks Enterococcus (fecal) bacteria levels along the gulf coast -- including popular swimming spots and piers -- in an interactive map. The map brings together water samples from the Texas General Land Office and is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Samples are taken weekly during the month of march and peak summer seasons. Fecal bacteria concentrations are listed in three levels: low, medium and high. As of writing, the highest levels of fecal bacteria appeared to be concentrated off the coast of Freeport. High levels are also reported on Galveston Island and Corpus Christi Bay. If a beach tests for high bacteria concentrations, local governments are asked to post advisory signs warning people not to swim there. ONLINE: Texas Beach Watch Map Two American bald eagles in Seagoville have welcomed their first offspring of 2018. The camera at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center showed the hatching of the eaglet, called JBS10 on Thursday. It started with a "pip" on March 6, that's when the eaglet pecks a hole through the egg shell and the hatching process begins. The female eagle then became restless and wouldn't trade places with the male. You can watch the live stream of the eagles, CLICK HERE to visit the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center website. The wetland center announced JBS10 was on the way on Valentine's Day. "We have been watching them for eight years now, and have previously seen nine eaglets successfully raised at John Bunker Sands," said the post on the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Facebook page. "Eagles are an excellent example of a good and loving couple. They share duties such as egg sitting, hunting and housework." All eyes are on bald eagles waiting for their eggs to hatch at the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center in Seagoville. In the past, John DeFillipo has said the eagles are quite draw for visitors to the 2,000 acre Kaufman County conservation center. You may remember when the eagles built their nest on a transmission tower that was dangerously close to high-voltage electricity. So crews built a replica tower and moved the nest 1,200 feet from the power lines. Now people around the world watch the eagles movements on a 24-hour webcam. You can watch the live stream of the eagles, CLICK HERE to visit the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center website. The center believes this pair of bald eagles helps the population in North Texas increase. Their offspring may very well be the eagles often spotted in the area along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Irving, or near the Lake Lewisville Dam or the pair who've made their home north of Lake Ray Roberts. The hope of many watching is that the latest offspring also return to call North Texas home. MORE: John Bunker Sands Wetland Center on Facebook The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office is investigating a late night shooting inside a men's club that left two people dead. It happened just after 10 p.m. Thursday at "Temptations," located on Interstate 30 near the Tarrant and Parker County lines. Investigators are still trying to piece together what led up to the shooting. Preliminary information suggests shots were fired after an argument. Tarrant County Sheriffs deputies are investigating an overnight shooting at the Temptations strip club (near Tarrant Co / Parker Co line) that left two men dead. Were told the gunman is still at large this morning. #NBCDFWNow pic.twitter.com/JwTwkU5t1F Tim Ciesco (@TimCiescoNBC5) March 9, 2018 Two men, a security guard and a manager at the cabaret, were hit by the gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not yet been released. There was no word of any other injuries. Deputies said the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Treveon Wilson, fled the scene and was arrested soon after. Details on potential charges have not yet been released. What to Know The reports released by the Broward Sheriff's Office detail about two dozen calls for help over the course of several years Authorities released more details about prior police calls involving Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz Thursday that give more insight into possible early warning signs. The reports released by the Broward Sheriff's Office detail about two dozen calls for help over the course of several years involving Nikolas and his younger brother Zachary, many made by their mother Lynda Cruz, who died in November. During the month of May of 2012, Lynda Cruz called police saying both of her children were destroying her home. Later that year in August of 2012 she called police saying both her children were threatening her, cursing at her and being disrespectful. In one call from August of 2012, someone called police claiming Nikolas and his brother were throwing water balloons at a neighbor's house. A deputy showed up and helped the mom discipline both her sons, who were both being treated for ADHD, the report said. Back in November 2013, Lynda Cruz called BSO saying Zachary was becoming increasingly "aggressive and defiant" toward her, and she asked for help in transporting him to a treatment center, which a deputy did. In January of 2014, someone called police saying Nikolas punched a hole in the wall and threatened to leave because his mom took his X-Box away. When police showed up, Lynda told them they got into a verbal fight and no crime occurred. In another call in September 2016, Lynda Cruz said Nikolas was arguing with her over paperwork to get a state ID card. She said he had been "cutting his arms" and he "would like to purchase a firearm." A state mental health investigator showed up, said Nikolas wasn't a threat to himself or anyone else, and deputies left, records showed. Nikolas Cruz, now 19, is facing murder charges in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School which claimed 17 lives. The top U.S. diplomat and a top African official tried Thursday to move past President Donald Trump's slur about Africa, deeming it a closed matter that need not be revisited. "I believe that this incident is of the past," African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki said at a news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The two were questioned repeatedly by U.S. and international media about the January incident, in which Trump referred in a private meeting to "shithole countries" in Africa, triggering widespread outrage across the continent. Neither were eager to dwell on the topic. Faki and Tillerson both pointed to a letter Trump sent the AU officer and other African leaders shortly after the incident in which he affirmed his respect for Africa. He said Tillerson's visit was evidence of the close U.S.-Africa relationship. Tillerson, who this week becomes the most senior Trump administration official to set foot in Africa, did not directly respond to several specific questions about Trump's remark and whether Africa deserves an apology from the United States. "I think the US commitment to Africa is quite clear in terms of the importance we place on the relationship," Tillerson said. Tillerson later met with his Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu and at a press conference voiced his belief that Ethiopia's ongoing unrest should be solved with more freedom, not less. The top U.S. diplomat also raised alarm over a state of emergency Ethiopia has declared to deal with widespread anti- government protests that engulfed much of the restive Oromia region. "We do firmly believe the answer is greater freedom for people, not less," said Tillerson. "We recognize the transition there is underway in Ethiopia, the first ever voluntary transfer of power. I view this as a very positive symbol of the strength of this burgeoning democracy in Ethiopia." Anti-government protests calling for wider political freedoms have been raging in a number of regions in Ethiopia since November 2015, claiming the lives of several hundred people. A state of emergency was subsequently declared in October 2016 that led to the arrest of at least 22,000 people, the majority of whom released since. The government declared a second state of emergency in mid- February. Tillerson repeated a recent U.S. Embassy statement expressing "concern" over the government's decision to impose a second state of emergency in two years. "This is because it puts restrictions on fundamental rights, like assembly expression," he said. "We also discussed in our exchanges the importance of ensuring that security forces remain disciplined in maintaining law and order and preventing violence." On Thursday, Ethiopia unveiled a special investigative unit to deals with complaints regarding illegal detentions within the latest emergency rule. Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, resigned amid the protests and a new leader is expected to be sworn in the coming few days. Ethiopia is currently one of Africa's best performing economies and a strong U.S security ally but the government is often accused of stifling dissent and arresting journalist, activists and opposition figures. A California judge has ordered the Home Depot to pay $27.8 million to resolve allegations of unlawfully disposing of hazardous waste, and discarding records without rendering private customer information unreadable. The ruling in the Alameda Superior Court was connected to a civil enforcement action filed on Feb. 15 by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office and eight other prosecutor's offices in the state. The suit alleged more than 300 Home Depot stores routinely and systematically sent hazardous waste to local landfills that were not permitted to receive those wastes, according to San Diego's DA Summer Stephan. They included pesticides, aerosols, paint, batteries, mercury-containing fluorescent bulbs and electronic waste. Her office's inspection team searched dumpsters belonging to Home Depot stores in a coordinated effort with other offices in the state between 2013 and 2015. They determined the stores were also throwing out documents containing sensitive customer information into store trash bins, Stephan said. As a result of the claim, Home Depot looked at its procedures and made changes including adding customer records lock boxes in several areas of the store to provide employees a place to discard sensitive information. Those changes will cost the company at least $6.8 million, according to the San Diego DA's office. The chain must pay $18.5 million in civil penalties and costs with an additional $2.5 million to fund environmental projects. All 23 Home Depot stores in San Diego County are subject to the terms of the settlement, the DA's office said. Matt Harrigan with Home Depot Corporate Communications told NBC 7, "Were pleased to have settled this and we remain committed to the responsible disposal of waste. Well continue to work with California officials to that end." A California state senator has been told to stop hugging people after an investigation concluded his embraces made multiple female colleagues uncomfortable. However, the investigation released Thursday found Sen. Bob Hertzberg's frequent hugs are not intended to be sexual and more often than not are not unwelcome. Hertzberg, a Democrat from Los Angeles, has earned nicknames such as "Hugsberg" and "Huggy Bear" for greeting men and women alike with giant hugs. The Senate Rules Committee formally reprimanded him on Tuesday and told him not to hug people anymore, but he will not otherwise face discipline. Specifically, he was not to initiate hugs. Click here to read the committee's letter to the lawmaker. "I understand that I cannot control how a hug is received, and that not everyone has the ability to speak up about unwelcome behavior," Hertzberg said in a statement. "It is my responsibility to be mindful of this, and to respect the Rules Committee's request to not initiate hugs." Three California lawmakers have resigned over allegations of sexually explicit misconduct, with one stepping down while facing the threat of expulsion. The investigation into Hertzberg covered four complaints dating back to 2010, involving three female lawmakers and a male sergeant at arms. It found he hugged the three lawmakers in ways that made them uncomfortable and made the sergeant uncomfortable by "dancing briefly with his backside" against him. None of the accusers are named, but former Republican Assemblywoman Linda Halderman has previously spoken to reporters about her accusations against Hertzberg. She said Hertzberg repeatedly hugged her for prolonged periods of time during her term from 2010 to 2012 and at one point thrust into her after she told him to stop. Halderman declined to speak with the investigators from an outside law firm hired by the state Senate. The investigators concluded Hertzberg made her uncomfortable but couldn't find any evidence supporting that he continued to hug her after she asked him to stop. Investigators found Hertzberg stopped hugging the second accuser in 2015 after she told him to stop, and was unaware that his hugs of another assemblywoman were unwelcome. Investigators noted Hertzberg has been warned about uncomfortable hugs in the past, including of a 2015 complaint from a staff member who said he held her close and began dancing with her. They faulted Hertzberg for not taking past complaints more seriously, but also criticized the Senate for not giving him enough information about the complaints against him. "He missed opportunities to understand that some people were genuinely troubled by his hugging," investigators wrote, later adding, "more information may have resulted in Hertzberg correcting his conduct with respect to unwanted hugs earlier." Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Hey beasts: it's North Korea's Great Leader cast as GOOD pig, NOT half-brother LoP Guest lop guest User ID: kaput 03-09-2018 09:03 AM Post: #1 Hey beasts: it's North Korea's Great Leader cast as GOOD pig, NOT half-brother Advertisement Iluminati media headlines served in parallel - Trump agrees to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on denuclearization - US slaps more sanctions on North Korea 'for using VX nerve agent to kill Kim Jong-nam' in Malaysia, illustrated with photos of the actors cast as half-brothers, more precisely as good and evil pigs. A reminder of Last Prophet's words one month earlier: HEY BEASTS: North Korea's Great Leader who's cast as *** GOOD ***pig, half-brother as evil pig Kim Jong Un's family: Rocket man's uncle, granny, sister and half-brother: cast for dummies Kim Jong Un is an illuminati puppet, all actors from the "sister at the South Korea Winter Olympics" and the "granny to be celebrated in Christmas instead of Jesus" to the "uncle who he fed to hungry dogs". But it's " Kim Jong Un's half-brother" who holds the key to get how "The Great Leader" was cast: as a less extreme PIG version. BASICS Illuminati actors cast to look like PIGS, fattened on purpose or NOT. The fat pigs type: Contrast the impostor impersonating Ariel Sharon from 1975 to 2006 with official actor Gerard Depardieu, guest star in an episode of the series of suicide bombs in the arsenal of the impersonator of murdered Putin. http://illuminati-actors.blogspot.com/20...haron.html Check out how Kim's uncle is related to Obama: Postponed, finally coming now, just after Easter Sunday 2018: Obama's staged arrest on live TV, N Korea: coreography (postponed but still coming) exposed Dec 2013 The theater act "Obama arrested **LIVE** on TV with senate and congress members as background: It was introduced by this parallel script: "North Korea great leader's uncle arrested live, eaten alive by hungry dogs". http://parallel-and-reversed.blogspot.co...korea.html For the granny start here: Trump, Obama, Hitler, Kim Jong Un: trannies trail grannies 28 to 96: FINAL result http://big-sect.blogspot.com/2016/12/tru...nnies.html From having hundreds of thousands hysterically scream "Heil Fuehrer" in korean to staging the "lover Dennis Rodman" script. All part of the same gang of illuminazi puppets executing orders from one and the same: - 28 governors of EU states who are still called prime-ministers or presidents, BushClinton since 1988 including Hitlery since 2008 ("Hussein Obama" will now be stripped), - BRICS (fake Putin, China, India, South Africa), "enemies" from Iran's Ayatollahs to Cuba and North Korea and the ISIS caliphate alias the Raqqa mini-state; fake sunnis of Turkey, Saudi and Egypt gov. http://who-are-the-illuminati.blogspot.c...a-usa.html Notes See photo at: Feb 27, 2018 - 'My life is in danger,' North Korea leader's half-brother quoted as saying months before poisoning https://www.yahoo.com/news/life-danger-n...ector.html March 7-9, 2018:- Trump agrees to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on denuclearization- US slaps more sanctions on North Korea 'for using VX nerve agent to kill Kim Jong-nam' in Malaysia, illustrated with photos of the actors cast as half-brothers, more precisely as good and evil pigs.A reminder of Last Prophet's words one month earlier:HEY BEASTS: North Korea's Great Leader who's cast as *** GOOD ***pig, half-brother as evil pigcast for dummiesKim Jong Un is an illuminati puppet, all actors from the "sister at the South Korea Winter Olympics" and the "granny to be celebrated in Christmas instead of Jesus" to the "uncle who he fed to hungry dogs".But it's " Kim Jong Un's half-brother" who holds the key to get how "The Great Leader" was cast: as a less extreme PIG version.Illuminati actors cast to look like PIGS, fattened on purpose or NOT. The fat pigs type:Contrast the impostor impersonating Ariel Sharon from 1975 to 2006 with official actor Gerard Depardieu, guest star in an episode of the series of suicide bombs in the arsenal of the impersonator of murdered Putin.Check out how Kim's uncle is related to Obama:Postponed, finally coming now, just after Easter Sunday 2018:Obama's staged arrest on live TV, N Korea: coreography (postponed but still coming) exposed Dec 2013The theater act "Obama arrested **LIVE** on TV with senate and congress members as background:It was introduced by this parallel script: "North Korea great leader's uncle arrested live, eaten alive by hungry dogs".For the granny start here:Trump, Obama, Hitler, Kim Jong Un: trannies trail grannies 28 to 96: FINAL resultFrom having hundreds of thousands hysterically scream "Heil Fuehrer" in korean to staging the "lover Dennis Rodman" script.All part of the same gang of illuminazi puppets executing orders from one and the same:- 28 governors of EU states who are still called prime-ministers or presidents, BushClinton since 1988 including Hitlery since 2008 ("Hussein Obama" will now be stripped),- BRICS (fake Putin, China, India, South Africa), "enemies" from Iran's Ayatollahs to Cuba and North Korea and the ISIS caliphate alias the Raqqa mini-state; fake sunnis of Turkey, Saudi and Egypt gov.See photo at:Feb 27, 2018 - 'My life is in danger,' North Korea leader's half-brother quoted as saying months before poisoning LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 03-10-2018 12:47 AM Post: #2 RE: Hey beasts: it's North Korea's Great Leader cast as GOOD pig, NOT half-brother LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 03-10-2018 05:36 AM Post: #3 Illuminazi actors cast in parallel scripts: Kenyatta/Odinga & Kim Jong Un/Trump. Illuminazi actors: Kenyatta/Odinga & Kim Jong Un/Trump. March 9, 2018 - Kenya president, opposition leader pledge reconciliation . This mockery is a parallel script to " Trump agrees to meet North Korea's president " followed by " Nobel Prize for Trump!: Newsroom readers cheer Kim Jong Un news ". Reminder of the Illuminati media headlines from ... Feb 11, 2018 - Western envoys urge Kenya opposition to recognize Kenyatta . For dummies: Headlines based on black is white, suggesting the OPPOSITE of reality. Oct 2, 2017 - Police fire teargas at Kenyan vote protesters To get why the president is ordering the police to attack those protesting the court decision cancelling his victory and ordering the "election" to be repeated: CONTEXT Kenya "elections": all illuminati theater, "christian" Kenyatta and "muslim" Odinga are BOTH illuminazi agents. Kenya "election" 2017: same script as Nigeria 2015, with variations in coreography. Agendas include genocide of christians extended to countries where they are the majority. Officially deliver christian majority to an illuminazi agent playing muslim, while "christian leader" plays suicide bomber. 2014 Apr: Kenya president Kenyatta, supposedly a christian, cast to set several milestones. From first country with a majority of christians to legalize polygamy to these acts of illuminati theater: first staged terror attacks with fake victims in public in Africa; first "president indicted by the The Hague Court" who is an actor not a resister. http://illuminati-agenda.blogspot.com/20...-cast.html Notes March 9, 2018 - Kenya's president and opposition leader pledge to heal divisions https://www.yahoo.com/news/kenyan-pres-o...31416.html October 2, 2017 - Police fire teargas at Kenyan vote protesters https://www.yahoo.com/news/kenyan-police...14052.html March 9, 2018 -This mockery is a parallel script to "" followed by "".Reminder of the Illuminati media headlines from ...Feb 11, 2018 -For dummies: Headlines based on black is white, suggesting the OPPOSITE of reality.Oct 2, 2017 -To get why the president is ordering the police to attack those protesting the court decision cancelling his victory and ordering the "election" to be repeated:Kenya "elections": all illuminati theater, "christian" Kenyatta and "muslim" Odinga are BOTH illuminazi agents.Kenya "election" 2017: same script as Nigeria 2015, with variations in coreography.Agendas include genocide of christians extended to countries where they are the majority.Officially deliver christian majority to an illuminazi agent playing muslim, while "christian leader" plays suicide bomber.2014 Apr: Kenya president Kenyatta, supposedly a christian, cast to set several milestones.From first country with a majority of christians to legalize polygamy to these acts of illuminati theater:first staged terror attacks with fake victims in public in Africa; first "president indicted by the The Hague Court" who is an actor not a resister.March 9, 2018 - Kenya's president and opposition leader pledge to heal divisionsOctober 2, 2017 - Police fire teargas at Kenyan vote protesters LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 03-13-2018 12:40 AM Post: #4 RE: Hey beasts: it's North Korea's Great Leader cast as GOOD pig, NOT half-brother The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has declined to file charges against a former LAP officer who shot and killed an unarmed homeless man during a May 2015 altercation in Venice. The office said there was "insufficient evidence" against ex-officer Clifford Proctor to prove he acted unlawfully when he opened fire on Brendon Glenn. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck had recommended that the officer be prosecuted. Glenn was unarmed, and his death sparked a series of protests. "After an independent and thorough review of all the evidence in this case, we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Proctor did not act within the law," Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. Evidence in the case included police body-camera video, witnesses and DNA analysis. That evidence did not support a finding that Proctor was "unreasonable in believing Glenn posed an imminent threat of great bodily injury to himself or others," according to the DA's statement. Proctor said at the time he thought Glenn was reaching for his partner's gun during the altercation, but in April 2016 the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled the shooting was unjustified. Beck had recommended that District Attorney Jackie Lacey file charges against Proctor, calling the shooting a "criminal act." LAPD investigators concluded that Glenn was on his stomach when Proctor stepped back and fired twice, hitting the 29-year-old in the back. Beck also wrote in a report to the commission that there was no evidence to independently show there was a "perception that a deadly threat was present." Beck's stance caused a strain between himself and the police union, the Los Angeles Police Protective League. The union's Jaime McBride said Beck's comments on the case were "nothing short of political grandstanding." Asked Thursday about Lacey's decision, Beck said he still believes it was "unreasonable" for Proctor to be believe there was an imminent lethal threat, and therefore his actions amounted to manslaughter. Los Angeles County prosecutors have not charged a law enforcement officer for an on-duty shooting in 16 years. Activists have held a series of protests in recent months calling on Lacey to prosecute officers for fatal shootings. "Lacey cannot bring herself to be objective and look at the evidence the way other folks are looking at it," said Trudy Goodwin of the Los Angeles Community Action Network. In the Glenn shooting, Lacey said, "we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Proctor did not act within the law." She said the office reviewed evidence in the case including officer body-camera footage, surveillance videos, statements from 10 civilian eyewitnesses, DNA analysis and the "opinion of a nationally recognized use-of-force expert." Lacey said the video gives credence to a belief the situation was becoming dangerous after Proctor and partner Jonathan Kawahara attempted to cuff Glenn, and the ensuing struggle went to the ground. "If you look at what is going on with Officer Kawahara, he clearly is losing control of the suspect," Lacey said. Moments later, Proctor stepped back and fired. The city of Los Angeles paid $4 million to settle wrongful-death lawsuits filed by Glenn's relatives. Their attorney, V. James DeSimone, spoke out in criticism of Lacey's decision, citing Beck's position, and characterizing Proctor's actions as "aggressive" during the encounter. "True justice can only come through the criminal justice system," DeSimone said. As he blitzed through the industrial Midwest as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump pitched himself as the savior of the "forgotten" men and women in communities where factories had been shuttered and jobs were moved overseas. Now, Trump is risking a trade war to fulfill a political promise to the voters who helped put him in the White House. His decision to levy stiff new tariffs on aluminum and steel imports puts him at odds with most of the Republican Party, prominent business groups and even some of his own advisers, who warn that the decision could backfire and slow economic growth in a midterm election year. According to economic analysts, some of the communities that would be hardest hit by a trade standoff could be the same ones the president says he's aiming to help. Yet those arguments had little resonance with Trump during the fiery battle over tariffs that has played out in the West Wing in recent days. Having overcome the opposition, Trump relished Thursday's signing ceremony, where he was flanked by steelworkers some carrying their hard hats who lavished praise on his decision. "I'm delivering on a promise I made during the campaign," Trump said. Gesturing to the workers, Trump said part of the reason he's in the White House was "because of you and my message having to do with you." Notably, no Republican lawmakers attended the White House event. Current and former White House officials often describe the president as being preoccupied with keeping campaign promises to his loyal supporters, even if those decisions are unpopular with a broader swath of Americans. In public and in private, Trump still speaks frequently of his victories 16 months ago in Democratic-leaning states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where working-class white voters helped propel him to victory. He'll likely need to carry those states again if he hopes to win re-election in 2020. In Pennsylvania, both the Republican and Democratic candidate running in next week's House special election endorsed the broad outlines of the president's approach on tariffs during a recent debate. Trump plans to campaign for Republican Rick Saccone on Saturday. However, most GOP lawmakers have balked at Trump's approach, which includes exemptions for Mexico and Canada and the opportunity for other countries to appeal for a similar reprieve. And like the president, Republicans are making political calculations in doing so. Having made little progress in Congress on several GOP priorities, Republican candidates have been banking on a strong economy and the growing popularity of the party's tax overhaul to combat a Democratic electorate energized by its disdain for Trump. But lawmakers fear a trade war could wipe away economic gains and leave them on shaky ground with voters in November. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin called the tariffs "a very risky action" that could put agricultural and manufacturing jobs in his state and across the country at risk. "I'm not sure there are any winners in trade wars," said Johnson, who ran a plastics manufacturing business in Wisconsin before being elected to the Senate. "There may be people who lose less." House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is also from Wisconsin, issued a rare statement publicly breaking with the president. "I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences," he said. Even before entering politics, Trump the businessman and real estate developer railed against what he viewed as unfair trade practices that left the U.S. economy and American workers vulnerable. Those viewpoints became the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, and he vowed to not only slap tougher tariffs on exports, but also withdraw the United States from multilateral free trade agreements with allies in Asia and North America. Hours before the president signed an executive order implementing the new tariffs, trade ministers from 11 Pacific Rim countries signed a sweeping free trade agreement the U.S. had been part of until Trump withdrew last year. The agreement was negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, but had broad support from GOP leaders who have long backed multilateral free trade pacts. Economic analysts warn that a trade dispute sparked by the tariffs could damage communities that backed the president in 2016. An analysis by Brookings Institution last year showed that areas that voted for Trump are more dependent on exports, which foreign countries could target in retaliation. Exports account for more than half of the local economy in Columbus, Indiana, and 25 percent of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin's economy. The economic data mattered little Thursday to Dustin Stevens, a superintendent at Century Aluminum Potline in Hawesville, Kentucky, who attended the White House event. "My father worked in the industry, and worked at that plant for 40 years," Stevens said. "So this hits home for all of us." Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Scott Bauer contributed to this report. What to Know The first warning that someone was shooting inside the high school came from a 911 call to Coral Springs Communications Center. Records provided by the Broward Sheriffs Office show Peterson stood 40 yards away from the building where the shooting was happening. Newly released police radio calls help paint a clearer picture of what happened when officers responded to the mass shooting inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 students and staff members dead. The Broward County Sheriff's Office released a detailed timeline Thursday showing officers' communication and response at the time of the shooting, including those of embattled former School Resource Deputy Scot Peterson, who resigned after BSO Sheriff Scott Israel said he broke protocol in not entering the school. The first warning that suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz was firing shots inside the high school came from a 911 call to Coral Springs Communications Center about 2:22 p.m., roughly a minute after the shooting started; Coral Springs Fire officials were dispatched. Another minute went by before Peterson made a call on his radio. "Be advised we have possible, could be firecrackers, I think we have shots fired, possible shots fired by the 1200 building," Peterson said. At the time of Peterson's first radio call, the shooting had been going on for about two minutes. The school fire alarm was also going off, apparently activated by smoke or dust from the shooting itself, officials noted. Records provided by the Broward Sheriffs Office show Peterson stood 40 yards away from the 1200 building, where Cruz was allegedly opening fire. While Peterson was taking cover, he was radioing for BSO to lock down the surrounding area and later, after seeming to identify that gunfire was coming from inside the school, even ordering his colleagues not to approach the buildings at all. "I need to shut down Stoneman Douglas, the intersection, Peterson said about 2:24 p.m. Im over on the south side by the 700 building. Recorded BSO communication doesnt show that Peterson indicated he would enter the building. Petersons instructs two BSO deputies to block roads and they respond. Colonel Jack Dale, who heads criminal investigations and internal affairs for the agency, said that's not how BSO deputies are trained to react when there is an active shooter inside a building. First, interrupt the shooter, and that is the primary mission of an active shooter response, said Col. Dale regarding the newly released radio traffic, timeline and training of the agencys deputies. Col. Dale said setting a perimeter is secondary. When an active shooter ceases, then those secondary responses become appropriate, he said. Four minutes into the roughly six-minute shooting, Peterson again calls for the area to be shut down. "Get the school locked down, gentlemen, he is heard saying on his radio. Though Dale says Peterson's actions were contrary to the training of BSO deputies, Peterson's attorney said the resource officer wasn't aware the shots were coming from inside the school. Joseph A. DiRuzzo said Peterson thought the shots were being fired outside, in which case an officer is "to seek cover and assess the situation in order to communicate what one observes to other law enforcement." "Mr. Peterson is confident that his actions on that day were appropriate under the circumstances and that the video (together with the eye-witness testimony of those on the scene) will exonerate him of any sub-par performance," DiRuzzo said in a statement. But nearly 20 seconds after calling for a school lockdown, Peterson identifies that he heard shots "by, inside the 1200 building" before telling fellow officers "do not approach" the buildings. BSO says the investigation into the incident is "active and continuing. Communication shows that just after Peterson identifies the 1200 building, about 2:26 p.m., students are seen running from the school and 911 lines are "blowing up." The shooter then moves to the teachers' lounge on the 1200 buildings third floor, where BSO says he fired shots through the glass window. "I hear shots fired. Shots fired! Peterson says. Seconds later, the shooting stops. No other BSO deputies or Coral Springs officers report they are at the schools 1200 building. BSO says video inside the school stairwell shows Cruz dropped his weapon at 2:27 p.m. and exited the building with terrified, fleeing students. At almost the exact moment that Cruz is exiting, Peterson is back on his police radio telling his colleagues to stay away. "Broward, do not approach the 12 or 13-hundred building, he said at 2:28 p.m. Stay at least 500 feet away at this point. Stay away from the 12 and 13-hundred building. The BSO records and radio calls show it was not Captain Jan Jordan who told officers to stay away from the schools building, as initially reported. It was now-former Deputy Peterson, and by the time he advised officers to stay away, Cruz was already outside the school. Captain Jordan, who took criticism for initial reports that she told responding deputies to set a perimeter, is the commander of BSOs Parkland District. She does not appear on the radio until about 10 minutes after the shooting began. It wasn't until 2:29 p.m. that the first law enforcement officers, two deputies from BSO, try to enter the school. They attempt to go into the nearby 1300 building, but were unable to get in. It was 11 minutes after the shooting began when the first team of officers from Coral Springs and deputies from BSO entered the 1200 building. At that point, Cruz had gotten a five-minute head start to get away. I dont know that any chaotic scene like this ever goes perfectly," Col. Dale said in defense of the officers' responses, adding that Peterson's constant communication with fellow officers is expected in this type of situation. "For the initial stages of the event, Peterson is the eyes on the ground so its appropriate for him to relay that information and direct responding personnel," Dale said. One issue that made the response more chaotic, BSO said, is that BSO and Coral Springs operate on different radio channels. Anything that occurred on the Coral Springs channel would not be able to heardby the (BSO) deputies on the scene, and vice versa, said Dale. They would not have the information that was broadcast on the BSO channel. Broward County says its current radio system is "nearing its end of life," and it is scheduled to be replaced in 2019. BSO says some of its radio communications were affected, known as "throttling," because of how many people were using the radios. It led to some people not being able to transmit or receive messages on the radio. In addition, BSO reports that Peterson and school security employees were communicating on a separate radio from the police. The school radio traffic was not recorded. All cell phone calls from the school were routed to the Coral Springs 911 dispatchers. Coral Springs then sends those police-related calls to BSO. BSO says its regional communications center received 71 calls between 2:22 pm and 3:35 pm. Only one of those calls came from inside the school. Coral Springs received 86 calls during the same time. BSO says they received information on three of those calls. President Donald Trump has threatened to veto an entire government-wide spending measure if it includes money for a rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, a priority for his most powerful Democratic rival, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer. GOP congressional aides say Trump indicated to House Speaker Paul Ryan last week that he would veto the spending bill over money for the multibillion-dollar project, which enjoys GOP backing as well. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conservations. The White House would not confirm that Trump has explicitly threatened a veto. Trump brought up the project with Ryan, R-Wis., before the start of last week's ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda commemorating Rev. Billy Graham, they said. Trump's threat further complicates already difficult negotiations on the spending bill. Fights over abortion and Democratic opposition to Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall are other hang-ups as closed-door negotiations on the $1.3 trillion bill are coming to a head. There was no such veto threat when the House voted on the project last year, though the White House protested. The House Appropriations Committee chairman, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., is seeking a $900 million installment for the tunnel. Some lawmakers want the money spread to other projects, though the House voted in 2017 to approve the money. A Senate measure also contains money for the tunnel, though the project hasn't been as explicitly earmarked as in the House version. Trump's home is in Manhattan and he spoke favorably of the project in a White House meeting on infrastructure last September, Schumer and other lawmakers say. At that same session, Trump took Schumer aside and offered to trade the Hudson River project for border wall money, according to a source familiar with their conversation who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion. Schumer refused. Schumer's position on money for the border wall has softened since he blocked it during talks last spring on a major spending bill. He has supported the money as part of legislation to offer protection to young "Dreamer" immigrants, who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, but that effort foundered last month. Trump's opposition to the Gateway Project is a more recent development. "This is vitally important to the Northeast corridor and to the entire U.S. economy," Schumer said in a statement. "Jobs, income, and growth are all at stake. No one should be playing politics with it." The White House didn't threaten to veto the tunnel when the GOP-controlled House voted on it in September. But Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao came out strongly against the money in a combative House hearing this week, telling lawmakers that New York and New Jersey need to put up a greater share of the project, which could ultimately cost $30 billion or so. Republicans also speculated that Trump may be upset with Frelinghuysen, who opposed Trump's tax bill last year. What to Know President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un to negotiate an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program State health officials say the number of confirmed influenza cases across New York has decreased for the second consecutive week "Star Wars" actor Harrison Ford and creator George Lucas helped present Mark Hamill with the 2,630th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here. Trump Says He'll Meet With North Korea's Kim Jong Un After months of trading insults and threats of nuclear annihilation, President Trump agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un to negotiate an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, South Korean and U.S. officials said. No American president has ever met with a North Korea leader. The South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong told reporters outside the White House of the planned summit, after briefing Trump and other top U.S. officials about a rare meeting with Kim in the North Korean capital. The meeting would be unprecedented during seven decades of animosity between the U.S. and North Korea. The countries do not even have formal diplomatic relations. They remain in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. Pharma Bro' Faces Years in Prison at Sentencing in Fraud Case Martin "Pharma Bro" Shkreli will learn his fate Friday at a sentencing hearing where he faces the possibility of a decade and a half behind bars. In August, Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud, and he's currently in jail awaiting his sentencing. A judge revoked his bail in September after he publicly offered $5,000 for a lock of Hillary Clinton's hair. Prosecutors say Shkreli deserves at least 15 years in prison for pilfering funds behind his investors' backs to start the drug company and cover up his fraud. The defense wants the judge to give him a sentence of 18 months or less because, in the end, his investors in two failed hedge funds got all of their money back and more from stock he gave them in a successful drug company. Earlier this week, the U.S. government became an accidental rap mogul, winning an order to seize two rare albums from Shkreli. In 2015, the brash pharmaceutical executive bought the only known copy of the Wu-Tang Clan's "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" for $2 million. Sentencing will be held around 11 a.m. in Brooklyn Federal Court. Number of Flu Cases in NY Drops for Second Consecutive Week State health officials say the number of confirmed influenza cases across New York has decreased for the second consecutive week. Gov. Cuomo announced about 6,400 laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu were reported to the state Department of Health last week, about half the number reported the previous week. He says the number of flu-stricken people requiring hospitalization dropped for the fourth straight week to just around 1,070. Since the flu was declared prevalent in New York state in December, nearly 108,000 confirmed cases of the flu have been reported, with more than 19,300 hospitalizations. Although the number of confirmed flu cases is declining, health officials say New Yorkers should still take appropriate steps to stop the spread of the virus. Crowd Welcomes Star Wars Actor to Hollywood Walk of Fame Hollywood Boulevard was full of star power when "Star Wars" actor Harrison Ford and creator George Lucas helped present Mark Hamill with the 2,630th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Screaming fans cheered almost throughout the ceremony in front of the El Capitan Theatre. Some had lined up hours ahead of the event, which included two Stormtroopers who appeared to be guarding the star before it was unveiled in front of the historic theater. The 66-year-old Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker expressed his appreciation. Hamill, a prolific voice-over artists who lends his voice to the villainous Joker in animated "Batman" and "Justice League" shows, punctuated his comments with a cackling Joker laugh. While accepting the honor, Hamill told the crowd, "Words truly fail me. It's hard to convey my gratitude, my joy, the exhilaration of being recognized this way." Obama in Discussions to Produce Shows for Netflix, Report Says Barack Obama and Netflix reportedly are negotiating a deal for the former president and his wife, Michelle, to produce shows exclusively for the streaming service. The proposed deal was reported by The New York Times, which cited people familiar with the discussions who were not identified. Netflix did not immediately respond for a request for comment. Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill declined comment on the report. Obama senior advisor Eric Schultz, in a statement provided to The Associated Press, said the Obamas believe in the power of storytelling to inspire. Schultz said the couple continues to explore new ways to help others share their stories. The New York Times reported Obama doesn't intend to use his Netflix shows to respond directly to President Donald Trump or conservative critics. What to Know "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud last August and is will be sentenced in Brooklyn on Friday The federal government won an order forcing Shkreli to forfeit his one-of-a-kind copy of a Wu-Tang Clan album Shkreli paid $2 million in 2015 for the only copy of "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" Martin Shrkeli, the smirking "Pharma Bro" vilified for jacking up the price of a lifesaving drug, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for defrauding investors in two failed hedge funds. The self-promoting pharmaceutical executive notorious for trolling critics online was convicted in a securities fraud case last year unconnected to the price increase dispute. Shkreli, his cocky persona nowhere to be found, cried as he told U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto he made many mistakes and apologized to investors. "I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing, the only person to blame for me being here today is me," Shkreli said. "I took down Martin Shkreli." He said that he hopes to make amends and learn from his mistakes and apologized to his investors. "I am terribly sorry I lost your trust," he said. "You deserve far better." Prosecutors argued that the 34-year-old was a master manipulator who conned wealthy investors and deserved 15 years in prison. His lawyers said he was a misunderstood eccentric who used unconventional means to make those same investors even wealthier, and deserved 18 months or less in prison. The judge insisted that the punishment was not about Shkreli's online antics or raising the cost of the drug. "This case is not about Mr. Shkreli's self-cultivated public persona ... nor his controversial statements about politics or culture," the judge said, calling his crimes serious. He was also fined $75,000 and received credit for the roughly six months he has been in prison. The judge ruled earlier this week that Shkreli would have to forfeit more than $7.3 million in a brokerage account and personal assets including his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album that he boasted he bought for $2 million. The judge said the property would not be seized until Shkreli had a chance to appeal. Attorney Benjamin Brafman told Matsumoto Friday that he sometimes wants to hug Shkreli and sometimes wants to punch him in the face , but he said his outspokenness shouldn't be held against him. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said Shkreli deserved the stiffer sentence not because he is "the most hated man in America," but because he is a criminal convicted of serious fraud. She said the judge had to consider his history and said he has "no respect whatsoever" for the law, or the court proceedings. "I also want to make clear that Mr. Shkreli is not a child," Kasulis said. "He's not a teenager who just needs some mentoring. He is a man who needs to take responsibility for his actions." Unapologetic from the beginning, when he was roundly publicly criticized for defending the 5,000 percent price increase of Daraprim, a previously cheap drug used to treat HIV, Shkreli seemed to drift through his criminal case as if it was one big joke. After his arrest in December 2015, he taunted prosecutors, got kicked off of Twitter for harassing a female journalist, heckled Clinton from the sidewalk outside her daughter's home, gave speeches with the conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and spent countless hours livestreaming himself in his apartment. He was tight-lipped when faced with a barrage of questions about the price hike from members of Congress a couple of months later, citing his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. After the hearing, he tweeted that the lawmakers were "imbeciles." Shkreli insisted he was being persecuted by prosecutors for being outspoken and confidently predicted after his conviction that he was unlikely to be sentenced to jail. Things abruptly changed, though, last fall after he jokingly offered his online followers a $5,000 bounty to anyone who could get a lock of Hillary Clinton's hair. The judge revoked his bail and threw him in jail, a decision that she defended Friday. That didn't tame Shkreli completely. He corresponded with journalists, ridiculing the personal appearance of one female reporter who asked him for an interview. Before sentencing him, the judge said that it was up to Congress to fix the issue of the HIV price-hike. And she spoke about how his family and friends "state, almost universally, that he is kind and misunderstood" and willing to help others in need. She said it was clear he is a "tremendously gifted individual who has the capacity for kindness." She quoted from letters talking about generous acts like counseling a rape victim, teaching inmates math and chess, and funding family members. The defense had asked the judge to consider the letters in its case for leniency, including professionals he worked with who vouched for his credentials as a self-made contributor to pharmaceutical advances. Other testimonials were as quirky as the defendant himself. One woman described how she became an avid follower of Shkreli's social media commentary about science, the pharmaceutical industry, but mostly, about himself. She suggested that those who were annoyed by it were missing the point. "I really appreciate the social media output, which I see on par with some form of performance art," she wrote. Another supporter said Shkreli's soft side was demonstrated when he adopted a cat from a shelter named Trashy that became a fixture on his livestreams. Another letter was from a man who said he met Shkreli while driving a cab and expressed his appreciation at how he ended up giving him an internship at one of his drug companies. In court filings, prosecutors argued that Shkreli's remorse about misleading his investors was not to be believed. "At its core, this case is about Shkreli's deception of people who trusted him," they wrote. An act of kindness shared on social media has landed a waitress at a Texas Waffle House a $16,000 scholarship to college. Evoni Williams, 18, of Galveston, was working a very busy shift at the Waffle House in La Marque on March 3, when an older, partially disabled customer asked for help cutting his food. Another customer in the restaurant, Laura Wolf, noticed the man was on oxygen and struggling to breathe when he mentioned that his hands "don't work too good." She snapped a photo of Williams cutting the man's food and then shared the following post on Facebook where she said she was "thankful to have seen this act of kindness and caring." In the following days the photo would be seen more than 102,000 times, including by some of Williams' friends who tagged her in the post. Williams and Wolf got in touch and eventually met. Meanwhile, as the post began to go viral, officials with the City of La Marque and Texas Southern University jumped into action. Representatives for both appeared together at a news conference Thursday at the restaurant where they each brought Williams to tears recognizing her kindness and compassion. First, city officials shared a proclamation with Williams that March 8, 2018, was declared Evoni Williams Day. Soon after, Wendell Williams, special assistant to the president of TSU, said she was exactly the kind of student they wanted at the university and awarded her a $16,000 scholarship. Williams, still shocked at the unfolding events and a little timid, then fielded questions about the incident from the assembled media, saying, "That's just me. It just came from the heart. I would do it any other time, not just this time." In an interview recorded by KPRC-TV, Williams said she had food ready to deliver but stopped to cut some of the meat for the man so that he would have some thing to eat right away. After delivering food to her other customers, Williams said she went back and continued to cut the rest of the man's food. Williams said she'd started working at the restaurant in June 2017 so that she could save money for college. When asked by the media if she'd been thinking about where she'd like to go she said, "Yes, well, not no more!" What to Know The bill is a response to the Parkland school shooting tragedy. The Senate has already approved the measure. After the Florida House narrowly passed a school safety bill with new restrictions on rifle sales and a program to arm some teachers, all eyes now turn to Gov. Rick Scott, who has declined to say if he will sign it. "I'm going to take the time and I'm going to read the bill and I'm going to talk to families," Scott told reporters Wednesday. Scott has repeatedly said he doesn't support arming teachers and had pushed lawmakers adopt his own proposal, which called for at least one law enforcement officer in every school and one for every thousand students who attend a school. The Florida Senate narrowly passed the bill Monday. The 67-50 House vote reflected a mix of Republicans and Democrats in support and opposition. The measure, a response to the shootings at a Parkland high school that left 17 dead, is supported by the victims' families. Andrew Pollack, who lost his 18-year-old daughter Meadow in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and Ryan Petty, who lost his 14-year-old daughter Alaina, said there was enough good in the bill that it should pass. "More needs to be done, and it's important for the country to be united in the same way the 17 families united in support of this bill," Pollack said after the vote. "My precious daughter Meadow's life was taken, and there's nothing I can do to change that, but make no mistake, I'm a father and I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission to make sure I'm the last dad to ever read a statement of this kind." Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a former Parkland city commissioner, ended the eight hours of debate with an emotional account of seeing the high school after the shooting, attending victims' funerals and working with students and families while the House was forming the legislation. He broke down in tears after talking about how his 4-year-old son's writing teacher lost her daughter in the attack. "You don't need to stand with me. I don't need you to stand with me. I need you to stand with the families," Moskowitz said. Democratic Rep. Kristin Jacobs said she did not like the idea of arming teachers, but she voted yes. Republican Rep. Jay Fant said raising the minimum age to buy a rifle from 18 to 21 was unconstitutional, and he voted no. "There is a cultural divide in this room, in this state and across the country. And there's a bill before us that is not perfect," said Jacobs, whose district includes Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The bill would raise the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21 and create a waiting period on sales of the weapons. It would also create a so-called guardian program that would let school employees and many teachers carry handguns if they go through law enforcement training and if the school district decides to participate in the program. Other provisions would create new mental health programs for schools; establish an anonymous tip line where students and others could report threats to schools, ban bump stocks and improve communication between schools, law enforcement and state agencies. Fant, who is running for attorney general, said the gun restrictions violate the constitution. "I just can't imagine that Nikolas Cruz can commit such a heinous crime and then as a result we tell, potentially, a 20-year-old single mother living alone that she cannot purchase a firearm to defend herself," Fant said. Shooting suspect Cruz was formally charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder Wednesday, which could mean a death sentence if he is convicted. The indictment returned by a grand jury in Fort Lauderdale also charges the 19-year-old with 17 counts of attempted murder for the Valentine's Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in which 17 people died and more than a dozen others were wounded. Cruz's public defender has said he will plead guilty if prosecutors take the death penalty off the table, which would mean a life prison sentence. Prosecutors have 45 days to decide whether they want to seek the death penalty. James and Kimberly Snead, the couple who gave Cruz a home after his mother died late last year, testified before the grand jury. James Snead and the couple's attorney, Jim Lewis, wore silver "17" pins to honor the victims of the shooting. "We'll let justice take its course at this point," Lewis said. "They still don't know what happened, why this happened. They don't have any answers. They feel very badly for everybody." As North Korea considers negotiating over its nukes, it may find lessons in the Middle East, where leaders imperiled, paranoid or pugnacious have long used the doomsday weapon threat to secure a wobbly perch. It is a delicate dance and getting the balance wrong can end badly. Holding nuclear weapons, or even chemical weapons, gives a strongman powerful leverage with the region and the world; giving them up can end a pariah status and bring economic benefits. Saddam Hussein, whose regime used chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, gave veiled hints of possessing even more powerful weapons of mass destruction and appears to have bluffed his way into sparking the 2003 U.S. invasion that proved catastrophic for him. Chastened, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi then gave up a real program. That brought him an opening with the West but he lost a card that might have prevented the NATO air campaign that helped bring him down a few years later, in 2011. Syria claims it gave up its chemical weapons. About a decade ago, a nuclear project was reduced to dust by Israeli jets. No believer in mutual assured destruction, Israel is itself widely believed to have a significant undeclared arsenal that has kept its enemies cautious. Iran was stopped from approaching weapons capability, which it denied seeking, through a deal with world powers. The 2015 agreement limiting the atomic program brought as North Korean leader Kim Jung Un undoubtedly has noted significant economic benefits in its wake. The world's reaction suggests there is no such thing as the absolute right to such weapons, nor a blanket prohibition. And as the world grows more multipolar and chaotic, circumstances trump principle. Here's a look at how some of these nuclear narratives played out: SADDAM'S GAMBLE, FROM BEGIN TO BUSH Iraq pursued nuclear capabilities under Saddam for decades; the centerpiece of his nuclear efforts was the Tuwaitha nuclear complex, about 19 kilometers (12 miles) south of Baghdad. Iran bombed the site in 1980. Israeli warplanes bombed a reactor project at Tuwaitha in 1981 and the U.S. bombed it in 1990. After the 1981 attack, Israel announced a pre-emptive strike policy that was subsequently named after then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Later, under Saddam, U.N. inspectors documented and safeguarded 550 metric tons of "yellowcake" the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment stored at Tuwaitha since before the 1991 Gulf War. In the lead up to the 2003 U.S. invasion, President George W. Bush claimed Saddam attempted to purchase additional uranium yellowcake from Niger as part of a program aimed at developing weapons of mass destruction. Months later, the White House admitted the claim was false and based on forged intelligence documents. Following the invasion of Iraq, no evidence surfaced of programs pursing weapons of mass destruction and in 2005 the CIA's top weapons inspector in Iraq said an investigation into the alleged programs found nothing. No additional yellowcake was uncovered at the Tuwaitha site and the material once guarded by the United Nations dating back to before the Gulf War was put under control of American forces and eventually removed from the country in 2008. GHADAFI DRAWS CONCLUSIONS Libya's longtime dictator unilaterally renounced weapons of mass destruction and ended the country's programs in 2003, shocking the world with sudden compliance in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, after years of operating as an international pariah. Gadhafi welcomed international inspectors to verify the process, and they helped dismantle Libya's chemical and nuclear weapons programs, as well as its longest-range ballistic missiles. Libya fell into chaos following the 2011 uprising by rebels that overthrew and killed Gadhafi, with much of the country now in the hands of militias nominally loyal to two rival governments in the country's east and west. Despite this, Libya's few remaining stockpiles of chemical and biological agents are considered secure, and arms control experts say authorities continue to destroy them. A NIGHTTIME STRIKE ON SYRIA In September 2007, Israeli fighter jets destroyed a complex in the Syrian desert that the United States says was a covert, nearly finished nuclear reactor. A year after the strike, the U.N. nuclear watchdog determined that the destroyed building's size and structure fit the specifications of a nuclear reactor. Syria never stated the purpose of the site known as Al-Kibar in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour. More recently, Syria's issue was chemical weapons. A chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs in August 2013 that killed hundreds of people sparked worldwide outrage. The U.S. blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces and threatened punitive strikes, but backed off at the last minute following a surprise agreement with Moscow to remove all of Syria's previously undisclosed chemical weapons. Ahead of disarmament, Assad's government disclosed it had some 1,300 tons of chemical weapons, including sarin, VX nerve agent and mustard gas. This did not include chlorine, which has civilian uses. Soon after the declaration that everything was destroyed, reports began emerging of chlorine attacks and the use of other suspected chemical weapons agents including sarin, raising questions about whether Syria had disclosed all aspects of its chemical weapons program. Last April, the U.S. launched several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in response to a chemical attack in the country's northwestern Idlib province that killed about 80 people. Since then, the Trump administration has accused Assad of producing and using "new kinds of weapons" to deliver deadly chemicals. There have been at least seven reported chlorine gas attacks this year. The government denies using the agent in its attacks. THE PERSIAN BAZAAR Given the hostility between Iran and the U.S., it's easy to forget that America actually began Iran's nuclear program through its "Atoms for Peace" program during the time of the U.S.-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. But after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran did little to advance its nuclear program as it faced a bloody eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s. After that conflict, Iran expanded its program, including buying equipment from A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear program. Iran long has maintained its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a fatwa forbidding the production and use of any weapons of mass destruction. However, the West feared Iran's program could be used to clandestinely build atomic bombs. Iran found itself subject to major international sanctions over its program that crippled its economy. Ultimately, Iran agreed in 2015 to a nuclear deal with world powers under which Tehran limited its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. That deal now appears in jeopardy with President Donald Trump's refusal to recertify it. ISRAEL'S DENIABLE DETERRENT While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the international nuclear deal with Iran, he says little about Israel's own suspect nuclear program. Israel is widely believed to possess a vast arsenal of nuclear bombs a consensus reached by international experts after former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu leaked pictures and details of Israel's nuclear program to a British newspaper in 1986. Israel neither confirms nor denies the existence of a weapons program. It also is among a handful of countries not to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, leaving its nuclear facilities off limits to international inspections. Over the decades, its policy of "nuclear ambiguity" has served as an effective deterrent and insurance policy against Israel's many foes in the Arab and Muslim world. Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 4 Vote(s) - 5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Page: 1 2 3 4 SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: kaput 03-09-2018 10:20 PM Post: #1 SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Advertisement http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/03/...ernor.html Ryan Bundy, figure in rancher standoff with feds, running for Nevada governor Ryan Bundy, whose Nevada ranching family was involved in two armed standoffs with U.S. agents over federal ownership of public land, announced Thursday he is running for governor of Nevada. A federal judge dismissed all charges against Bundy, his father Cliven, as well as with his brother Ammon in January over the 2014 armed standoff to block authorities who planned to capture and impound Bundy cattle that allegedly crossed onto government land. "We will do whatever it takes, and that means whatever it takes," Bundy told FOX 5 in Las Vegas. "If running for governor is what it takes to preserve our freedom, well then that's part of it." Ryan Bundy, figure in rancher standoff with feds, running for Nevada governorRyan Bundy, whose Nevada ranching family was involved in two armed standoffs with U.S. agents over federal ownership of public land, announced Thursday he is running for governor of Nevada.A federal judge dismissed all charges against Bundy, his father Cliven, as well as with his brother Ammon in January over the 2014 armed standoff to block authorities who planned to capture and impound Bundy cattle that allegedly crossed onto government land."We will do whatever it takes, and that means whatever it takes," Bundy told FOX 5 in Las Vegas. "If running for governor is what it takes to preserve our freedom, well then that's part of it." LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: kaput 03-09-2018 10:22 PM Posts: 19,658 Post: #2 [breaking] Ryan Bundy, a leader in ranching standoff, announces run for Nevada go Ryan Bundy said Thursday that he doesn't think other candidates running to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval would properly protect states' rights. The 45-year-old son of Cliven Bundy says he intends to file candidacy papers next Wednesday in Las Vegas and embark on a statewide speaking tour. Ryan Bundy has won criminal cases over armed confrontations in two states. U.S. charges were dropped in January against him, his father and his brother Ammon in a 2014 standoff in Nevada over a roundup of Bundy cattle. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/pol...409226002/ more sources- https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/ryan-bun...id/847737/ http://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics...-527113726 LAS VEGAS A leader of two high-profile armed standoffs with U.S. agents whose Bundy ranching family has decried federal ownership of public land says he'll mount an independent campaign for Nevada governor.Ryan Bundy said Thursday that he doesn't think other candidates running to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval would properly protect states' rights.The 45-year-old son of Cliven Bundy says he intends to file candidacy papers next Wednesday in Las Vegas and embark on a statewide speaking tour.Ryan Bundy has won criminal cases over armed confrontations in two states. U.S. charges were dropped in January against him, his father and his brother Ammon in a 2014 standoff in Nevada over a roundup of Bundy cattle.more sources- Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them (This post was last modified: 03-09-2018 10:24 PM by LopDude .) Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:26 PM Post: #3 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Big news folks Eldog Wilbury Registered User User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:27 PM Posts: 12,810 Post: #4 RE: [breaking] Ryan Bundy, a leader in ranching standoff, announces run for Nevada go That's what I heard...I hate that the MSM calls it an armed standoff,when law enforcement was dressed for war and had the majority of the ar 15s and were ready to shoot unarmed women and children...but good for Ryan. LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:28 PM Posts: 19,658 Post: #5 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor i posted it before you posted this. i win Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:29 PM Post: #6 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor LopDude Wrote: (03-09-2018 10:28 PM) i posted it before you posted this. i win Nope, I beat you by 2 minutes. In ya face! Nope, I beat you by 2 minutes. In ya face! LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:33 PM Posts: 19,658 Post: #7 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Hamburgerwagon Wrote: (03-09-2018 10:29 PM) LopDude Wrote: (03-09-2018 10:28 PM) i posted it before you posted this. i win Nope, I beat you by 2 minutes. In ya face! no worries..besides am not at all interested in this dude. no worries..besides am not at all interested in this dude. Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:33 PM Post: #8 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor I wonder what Harry Reid thinks of this? LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:40 PM Posts: 19,658 Post: #9 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundy_standoff interesting.. trying to look into what he did in the pastinteresting.. Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them He Man Subscriber User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:51 PM Posts: 38,622 Post: #10 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Anybody that would vote for somebody so ill-informed, reckless, and dangerous is not going to help Nevada in any way. I doubt he will get many votes. I hope I am correct on that. Anybody that would vote for somebody so ill-informed, reckless, and dangerous is not going to help Nevada in any way. I doubt he will get many votes. I hope I am correct on that. Making LOP Great again since 06-07-2013! Robert Reich @RBReich "News flash: If you ban mask mandates, outlaw abortions, dictate what educators can teach in schools, and stop people from voting, you're not the party of "limited government."" Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:52 PM Post: #11 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor He Man Wrote: (03-09-2018 10:51 PM) Anybody that would vote for somebody so ill-informed, reckless, and dangerous is not going to help Nevada in any way. I doubt he will get many votes. I hope I am correct on that. But who wouldnt love that face, right? But who wouldnt love that face, right? LopDude Warning level 1200% User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 10:57 PM Posts: 19,658 Post: #12 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Hamburgerwagon Wrote: (03-09-2018 10:52 PM) He Man Wrote: (03-09-2018 10:51 PM) Anybody that would vote for somebody so ill-informed, reckless, and dangerous is not going to help Nevada in any way. I doubt he will get many votes. I hope I am correct on that. But who wouldnt love that face, right? Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them Let us honor the Lop fallen-never forget them LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 11:02 PM Post: #13 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 11:04 PM Post: #14 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Is he related toTed Bundy? Otherwise, who gives a shit? Hamburgerwagon lop guest User ID: 1337 03-09-2018 11:04 PM Post: #15 RE: SUPER MEGA BREAKING - Ryan Bundy Running for Nevada Governor Terrible story. https://www.earnthenecklace.com/happened...isfigured/ Ryan Bundy is also a cattle rancher who took over his fathers business. But tragedy struck him when he was a little boy. In an interview back in 2014, Bundy said that he was seven when the accident happened. A Ford LTD ran over his head a week after his seventh birthday. The car actually stalled over his head, and the driver was unaware that there was a boy under his car. He hit the gas and spun the car with Ryans head still under the vehicle. So we are all wondering about the face, right?Terrible story.Ryan Bundy is also a cattle rancher who took over his fathers business. But tragedy struck him when he was a little boy.In an interview back in 2014, Bundy said that he was seven when the accident happened. A Ford LTD ran over his head a week after his seventh birthday.The car actually stalled over his head, and the driver was unaware that there was a boy under his car. He hit the gas and spun the car with Ryans head still under the vehicle. Advertisement A La Jolla High School student was arrested Thursday, accused of threatening to conduct a shooting at the school, San Diego police confirmed on Friday. Police searched the home of the 15-year-old male student and found no firearms. SDPD officials said the investigation is ongoing. In the weeks following the deadly Parkland, Florida high school shooting, law enforcement agencies in San Diego have made several arrests regarding threats. An Olympian High School sophomore was arrested on March 7 on suspicion of making a threat on social media, Chula Vista police confirmed. The student admitted that she made the threat, but told police that she made it as a joke and thought it would be funny. On Monday, March 5, a teenager was booked into juvenile hall, accused of making criminal threats on social media aimed at Canyon Crest Academy. The school is in the San Dieguito Union High School District. A Borrego Springs High School student was suspended on March 1 for threatening to blow up the school. County prosecutors determined no charges would be filed in the case. A 14-year-old West Hills High School freshman was arrested on Feb. 28 for posting a photo of an AR-15 rifle made out of Legos on Instagram with a caption that read, "Don't come to school tomorrow." On Feb. 27, a Westview High School student was arrested after he was overheard telling classmates to stay home, SDPD investigators said. The unidentified teenager was booked into juvenile hall. On Feb. 26, a teenager, 17, who was a former student of Torrey Pines High School was arrested and accused of threatening to conduct a shooting at the school. It was the second arrest involving the school. In an unrelated case, a 14-year-old freshman was booked into juvenile hall for making verbal and written threats to harm others, police said. San Diego police are looking for leads into who tagged various buildings on the campus of Rancho Bernardo High School. The messages discovered by staff on Monday, Feb. 26 referenced the deadly Parkland shooting. On Feb. 23, an 18-year-old El Centro man was charged with making criminal threats against students and teachers at Imperial High School in Imperial County. On Feb. 21, San Diego police were made aware of messages on social media threatening a shooting at two Clairemont schools - Madison High School and Creative Performing Media Arts Middle School. The next day, a second message was posted that added San Diego High School and School of Creative and Performing Arts to the list of possible targets. Officials with San Diego Unified School District said the threats were believed to be connected to a middle school student. On Feb. 20, a message scrolled on the wall of a girls' bathroom prompted an increase in security at High Tech High in Point Loma. That same week, additional security was in place at San Marcos High School for a separate threat and at Scripps Ranch High School following a student's comment perceived to be threatening to public safety. Forty people are accused of running a San Diego-based international money laundering organization with ties to a Mexican cartel according to indictments unsealed Thursday. Federal officials say the criminal enterprise was built on so-called money movers who used secret code words to communicate and handed off cash in stores, hotels, and restaurants across the U.S. including here in San Diego. Anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from illegal drug sales were hidden within compartments in vehicles, luggage, duffel bags and shoeboxes, prosecutors say. The cash would be deposited into bank accounts across the U.S. and then sent via wire transfer to Mexican bank accounts. Following the money movers led the Federal Bureau of Investigations Cross Border Violence Task Force (CBVTF) to multiple drug trafficking cells across the U.S., prosecutors said. Those cells import and distribute large quantities of drugs like heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl, federal officials said in a news release. Sixteen defendants charged in San Diego have been arrested in Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and elsewhere. Jose Roberto Lopez-Albarran, 32, of Culiacan, Mexico was arrested in San Diego on Feb. 9. He's accused of overseeing the network of people to launder the profits of cartel leaders without leaving a trace. Undercover agents worked for Lopez-Albarran for several years to gain the trust of those in leadership positions and help lead to the seizure of $6 million, more than 200 pounds of meth, 10 kilograms of fentanyl and other illicit drugs as well as weapons. Manuel Reynoso Garcia, 62, of Tijuana, Mexico, and four other defendants were arrested between Jan. 11 and Jan. 17 in San Diego. Five additional defendants were already in custody. No banks were charged in the federal indictments. The White House tried to swat away criticism Friday that the U.S. is getting nothing in exchange for agreeing to a historic face-to-face summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said North Korea has made promises to denuclearize, stop its nuclear and missile testing and allow joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises. But questions remained over exactly what North Korea means by "denuclearize" and what the U.S. might be risking with a highly publicized summit that will build up Kim's stature among world leaders. "Let's not forget that the North Koreans did promise something," Sanders said, responding to a reporter's question about why Trump agreed to a meeting unprecedented between leaders of the two nations without preconditions. She added: "We are not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea." Still, the White House indicated that planning for the meeting was fully on track. "The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined," Trump tweeted late Friday. He added Saturday: "North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!" The previous night's announcement of the summit marked a dramatic turnaround after a year of escalating tensions and rude insults between the two leaders. A personal meeting would have been all but unthinkable when Trump was being dismissed as a "senile dotard" and the Korean "rocket man" was snapping off weapons tests in his quest for a nuclear arsenal that could threaten the U.S. mainland. North Korea's capabilities are indeed close to posing a direct atomic threat to the U.S. And the wider world has grown fearful of a resumption of the Korean War that ended in 1953 without a peace treaty. The prospect of the first U.S.-North Korea summit has allayed those fears somewhat. The European Union, Russia and China whose leader spoke by phone with Trump on Friday have all welcomed the move. Trump praised China's Xi Jinping, writing on Twitter Saturday morning, "Chinese President XI XINPING [sic] and I spoke at length about the meeting with KIM JONG UN of North Korea. President XI told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!" North Korea's government has yet to formally comment on its invitation to Trump. South Korea said the president agreed to meet Kim by May, but Sanders said Friday that no time and place had been set. The "promises" on denuclearization and desisting from weapons tests were relayed to Trump by South Korean officials who had met with Kim Monday and brought his summit invitation to the White House. Trump discussed the offer with top aides on Thursday. Some expressed their reservations but ultimately supported the president's decision to accept it, according to U.S. officials who were briefed on the talks and requested anonymity to discuss them. Still, some lawmakers and foreign policy experts voiced skepticism about the wisdom of agreeing to a summit without preparations by lower-level officials, particularly given the lack of trust between the two sides. North Korea is also holding three American citizens for what Washington views as political reasons. "A presidential visit is really the highest coin in the realm in diplomacy circles," said Bruce Klingner, a Korea expert at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, adding that Trump "seemed to spend it without getting anything in return, not even the release of the three U.S. captives." Some say Trump could be setting himself up for failure amid doubts over whether Kim has any intention to relinquish a formidable atomic arsenal that he has made central to his personal stature and North Korea's standing in the world. Kim would also boost his own standing by becoming the first of the three hereditary leaders of North Korea to sit down with an American president. Evans Revere, a former senior State Department official experienced in negotiating with North Korea, warned there is a disconnect between how the North and the U.S. describes "denuclearization" of the divided Korean Peninsula. For the U.S. it refers to North Korea giving up its nukes; for North Korea it also means removing the threat of American forces in South Korea and the nuclear deterrent with which the U.S. protects its allies in the region. "The fundamental definition of denuclearization is quite different between Washington and Pyongyang," Revere said, noting that as recently as Jan. 1, Kim had vigorously reaffirmed the importance of nukes for North Korea's security. He said that misunderstandings at a summit could lead to "recrimination and anger" and even military action if Trump were embarrassed by failure. "There is good reason to talk, but only if we are talking about something that is worth doing and that could be reasonably verified," said former Defense Secretary William Perry, who dealt with North Korea during President Bill Clinton's administration. "Otherwise we are setting ourselves up for a major diplomatic failure." The White House maintains that Kim has been compelled to reach out for presidential-level talks because of Trump's policy of "maximum pressure." "North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization while suspending all ballistic missile and nuclear testing is evidence that President Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working," Vice President Mike Pence, who has visited the region, said Friday in a written statement. However, other presidents have lodged economic sanctions against North Korea, as Trump has. And the North has made a habit of reaching out after raising fears during previous crises, with offers of dialogue meant to win aid and concessions. Some speculate that the North is trying to peel Washington away from its ally Seoul, weaken crippling sanctions and buy time for nuclear development. It has also, from the U.S. point of view, repeatedly cheated on past nuclear deals. Without question, the North wants a peace treaty to end the technically still-active Korean War and drive all U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, removing what it says is a hostile encirclement of its territory by Washington and Seoul. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Matthew Lee, Zeke Miller, Jill Colvin and Tracy Brown in Washington, and Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul contributed to this report The News4 I-Team saw results this week following two of its ongoing investigations, protecting students in Virginia and single-family homeowners in Washington, D.C. Thursday morning, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed two bills into law in inspired by the I-Team's investigation into teacher misconduct. Last year, an I-Team report revealed loopholes allowing at least one teacher suspected of abuse to slip through the cracks and find another teaching job. New legislation will require Child Protective Service agencies to notify schools and the State Department of Education when a former teacher has been accused. State Dels. Mark Keam and David Bulova and state Sen. Barbara Favola sponsored the bill and joined the I-Team for Thursdays ceremonial signing. Earlier this week, the D.C. Council approved legislation that could save thousands of dollars for District homeowners and stop renters from holding up home sales. It closes a loophole first exposed by the News4 I-Team last year: Some tenants were exploiting a decades-old D.C. law to demand large sums of money from landlords. TOPA the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act it was designed to give tenants the first right to buy the home they're renting if it goes up for sale. But as the News4 I-Team revealed in a series of reports, TOPA rights were also delaying or canceling pending sales and shaking down homeowners for cash. The legislation passed by a vote of 10-2, with Council member Robert White Jr. recusing himself from the discussion since his wife is in the process of selling a home. The legislation will come back up for a second vote April 10, then it would require the mayor's signature. An elderly couple died Thursday night after flames tore through their Fort Washington, Maryland, home. Harry and Clara Proctor were inside their home on the 500 block of Round Table Drive when the fire started just after 11:30 p.m. A neighbor called the fire department, but rescue efforts were complicated because of hoarding conditions inside the home, Prince George's County Fire and EMS said. When firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire was visible throughout the 2-story home, Prince George's County Fire and EMS said. Conditions were too unsafe for firefighters to immediately enter the home. They were forced to evacuate the home twice due to hoarding conditions inside. Once they were able to get inside, they found the couple in the foyer. Both were pronounced dead after neither responded to life-saving efforts. "I didn't think that they would be gone last night," said the couple's neighbor Lula Beard. "You don't know if you're going to make it through the end of the day or the next hour." One firefighter was taken to the hospital for respiratory distress, officials said. That firefighter has since been released. Family members say Harry, 75, and Clara, 80, had eight children and lived in the home for close to 50 years. "They were such a sweet, loving couple and to see this happen to their home and to them is just, you know, crazy. They don't deserve it," said one neighbor who didn't want to be identified. The fire likely began in the lower level of the house, but the cause remains under investigation. The blaze caused an estimated $150,000 in damages, fire officials said. The Proctors are the third and fourth victims of a house fire in the county this year, fire officials say. Several bills are closer to becoming laws after they advanced in the Maryland House of Delegates Thursday. Here's a look at some of the legislation: Increasing Minority Ownership in State's Medical Cannabis Industry Maryland legislation that expands the state's medical cannabis industry to include more minority ownership on Thursday passed in the House of Delegates - where it had failed in the waning minutes of the session last year. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Cheryl Glenn, D-Baltimore, advanced thanks to an overwhelming majority vote. Prior to the vote, Glenn addressed the floor, thanking everybody involved for their contributions. Speaker Michael Busch, D-Anne Arundel, echoed Glenn after the vote. "It was a lot of hard work on both sides of the aisle," Busch said. "Everyone came together." House bill 2, cross-filed with Senate bill 1, encourages industry participation by minority, women and small-business owners, reforming the Natalie M. Laprade Medical Cannabis Commission. It establishes a 20-license cap for cannabis growers up from 15 and alters the definition of grower to mean a certain entity that cultivates or packages medical cannabis and is authorized to provide cannabis to certain entities. It also creates a 20-license cap for processors. The legislation also institutes a "compassionate use" special fund to provide free or discounted medical cannabis to specified individuals. The Maryland Department of Transportation's Office of Minority Business Resources Information last year conducted an analysis of business disparities in the state. The analysis concluded minority and female entrepreneurs "earn substantially and significantly less than their nonminority male counterparts in the State of Maryland market area." The analysis said its findings are relevant to the medical cannabis industry as well. Constitutional Amendment Would Allow Election-Day Voter Registration A constitutional amendment that would allow a qualified individual to register and vote at a precinct polling place on Election Day passed in the House on Thursday. Delegate Kirill Reznik, D-Montgomery, sponsored House bill 532, with 29 other delegates listed as sponsors. A state analysis found only 16 states, along with Washington, D.C., allow for same-day registration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Currently, voter registration is continuous under Maryland law, but is closed from 9 p.m. on the 21st day preceding an election until the 11th day following it. Delegate Nicholaus Kipke, R-Anne Arundel, took to the floor to urge the chamber to reject the legislation because it lacked an amendment requiring people who register and vote on the same day to present identification. However, the House voted, 91-47, in favor of the bill. Property Shielding Legislation that allows domestic violence, stalking and human-trafficking survivors to shield property records from abusers also advanced in the House on Thursday. House bill 633, spearheaded by Delegate Anne Healey, D-Prince George's, would establish procedures for participants in the Address Confidentiality Program or the Human Trafficking Address Confidentiality Program to use an address assigned by the Office of the Secretary of State as a substitute. Maryland's Safe At Home Address Confidentiality Program provides a substitute address, cloaking a survivor's location, and includes a free mail-forwarding service. Healey said the purpose of the legislation is to turn what is already practice into concrete law. The bill passed, thanks to a 136-0 vote. Driving While on the Phone The House also passed, by a 78-58 margin, legislation increasing the maximum fine to $500 for the unlawful use of a handheld telephone while driving. The previous law included a $75 fine for a first offense, $125 for a second and $175 for a third or subsequent offense. A state analysis for House bill 42 said during fiscal year 2017, the District Court reported 31,286 citations issued to fully licensed adult drivers using handheld telephones while operating a motor vehicle. Tax Exemptions The House also unanimously passed legislation allowing Marylanders to claim state tax exemptions - for taxpayers, spouses and dependents - and itemized deductions. The Senate passed Senate bill 184 on Feb. 7, and its cross-file, House bill 365, earned a 138-0 vote in the House on Thursday. An analysis from the Office of the Comptroller found the legislation could provide up to $1.2 billion in tax relief for Marylanders in fiscal year 2019. The bills, which have the support of Gov. Larry Hogan, R, are a reaction to extensive recent changes to the federal tax code. Cyberbullying The Maryland Senate on Thursday passed the second part of a cyberbullying package sponsored by Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County. Senate bill 725 gives authority to school principals to report cyber abuse to law enforcement directly, instead of having to first go through a board of education. Based on legislation in Texas nicknamed "David's Law," created after 16-year old David Molak of San Antonio committed suicide in January 2016, it also makes it easier for victims to get court relief. Under current rules, Zirkin said, civil injunctive relief requires a plaintiff to show "immediate, substantial and irreparable harm," a process he believes is slow and outdated. "A single, huge act by that bully. You can't take it back," Zirkin said. This comes a week after the Senate passed the first bill, Grace's Law 2.0, which updates Maryland's 2013 legislation to specifically cover abuse via social media. Senate bill 726 was named after Grace McComas, a 15-year old who killed herself in 2012 after repeated cyber abuse. What to Know Arlington National Cemetery could run out of new burial space by 2040 if current practices continue. The Army has proposed tighter restrictions on which service members can be buried in the cemetery. One veterans group, Veterans of Foreign Wars, testified against most of the army's proposed changes. Military officials are considering changing the rules about who is eligible to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery amid concerns that burial space will run out within the next 22 years. The cemetery will be closed for new interments by 2040 if current policies continue, said the executive director of Army National Military Cemeteries, Karen Durham-Aguilera, at a congressional hearing on Thursday. "A veteran from the 1991 Gulf War who lives to his or her normal life expectancy will not be able to be interred at Arlington," Durham-Aguilera said. With limited extra space available in the D.C. metropolitan area, the best solution is to tighten rules about who is eligible for burial, Durham-Aguilera said. The Armys testimony acknowledged the emotional impact of barring some service members from being buried at Arlington, which is the final resting place of more than 400,000 Americans. But with 150 funeral services every week and 3.3 million visitors every year, the pacing is stretching staff and land resources, Durham-Aguilera said. Necessary changes include restricting eligibility to retired veterans or service members who receive a Silver Star or above, were wounded, killed in action or otherwise died while serving on active duty, Durham-Aguilera testified. Currently, most military members who served at least one day of active duty or anyone eligible for retirement pay, plus their spouses, children or dependent adult children, are eligible. The public is overwhelmingly supportive of Arlington National Cemetery continuing to actively bury former service members, according to a survey of 28,000 people conducted by cemetery leadership. The survey polled opinions on whether different groups should be eligible. Overall, 91 percent of people support those with Medals of Honor or who were killed in action to remain eligible. About 75 percent surveyed responded that prisoners of war and those with valor awards or Purple Hearts should also be included, which would extend the active life of the current cemetery grounds to 2200. About 35 percent of people reported that military retirees should be eligible. About 13 percent of people polled didnt want substantial changes. John Towles, the deputy director for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), rejected most restrictions. "In the end, the men and women who served this national honorably, as well as their family members, deserve to be laid to rest in hallowed ground," he wrote in congressional testimony. Towles said the only acceptable restriction is leaving out those who served less than 24 months unless they were killed in action. The cemetery could hold about 200 fewer burials a year by adopting that rule, Towles said. Arlington National Cemetery should move forward with a proposal to buy about 40 acres of land to the south of the current cemetery site, Towles said. That plan is already underway, News4 reported. Towles said the two changes would allow the cemetery to continue burials through 2074. The organization also suggested The Armed Forces Retirement Home be considered for an expansion. Representatives from The American Legion and Military Officers Association of America said that restrictions may be good for the cemetery's long-term viability and suggested further surveys to gauge public mood on the details. Army officials aim to create a plan that allows new burials for the next 150 years, Durham-Aguilera said. A former Maryland governor says he was wrong to deny early release to prisoners sentenced to life. Democrat Parris N. Glendening denounced his 1995 declaration and called for the governor to be removed from the parole process. Glendening campaigned a strict stance on serving prison sentences, signing parole papers for lifers only when they are terminally ill. Maryland is one of only three states that require governors to sign off on parole for inmates sentenced to life, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. "I must say in all candor, I was wrong," Glendening told CBS Baltimore on Wednesday. "If I was in office right now, I would [work] with the legislature to change that process including removing the governor from it." For more than 20 years, no Maryland governor has signed off on a parole board's recommendation to release a lifer who committed a crime as a juvenile. The state has 271 juvenile lifers whose sentences give them a chance for release, the Associated Press reported in July. People who are sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole must wait 15 years before petitioning for early release. That number jumps to 25 years for those who are now serving life in prison after receiving a death penalty verdict. Parole commissioners and hearing officers hold hearings via video conferences and in-person meetings in correctional facilities throughout Maryland. The Maryland Parole Commission then makes a recommendation to the governor, who ultimately has to approve release. Republican Governor Larry Hogan says the decision should be left to someone directly accountable to Maryland citizens, not the parole board. Since taking office in January 2015, Hogan has granted parole for two individuals with life sentences, but neither was sentenced to life in prison as a juvenile, according to a press released on Hogan's website. The ACLU has challenged Maryland's parole system, and the state General Assembly is considering legislation to take the responsibility away from the governor. "For years, lifers and their families have tried to get the state to live up to the promise of second chances that a parole-eligible sentence is intended to provide," ACLU Staff Attorney Sonia Kumar said in a statement. At a January 2017 hearing, the state urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing it was without legal merit. U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander rejected the motion the following month. "A parole procedure does little in the way of actually making parole a possibility when the decision of whether to commute a sentence is entirely up to [the governor's] discretion and the political tides of the day," Hollander said. "And, a system of executive clemency, which lacks governing standards, does not constitute a meaningful opportunity to obtain release for Juvenile Offenders..." Immigration rights activists are protesting the detention of a prominent Washington-area organizer in Arizona after she appeared for what she thought was a routine hearing. The Washington Post reports 32-year-old Alejandra Pablos was detained Wednesday when the legal permanent resident traveled to the Phoenix area to check in with immigration officials on a pending deportation case stemming from a felony conviction for driving under the influence. She'll be held until her next scheduled court appearance, in December. Pablos is an organizer for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Institute associate director Margie Del Castillo says Pablos' supporters believe her activism made her a target of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency denies it. Actress and activist Alyssa Milano has circulated a petition supporting Pablos, which has amassed nearly 8,000 signatures. The widow of the Prince George's County police officer killed in the line of duty last month won't need to worry about paying her mortgage this year -- some good Samaritans say they'll pay it. The owners of NT Autobody in Alexandria, Virginia, told Tammi Ramzziddin that they will cover the payments through the remainder of 2018. "Let's just go ahead for the remainder of the year -- whatever the mortgage is -- it's on us as a gift, to support and honor the Corporal Ramzziddin and the family," NT Autobody co-owner Mike Tikoyan said Thursday. "I want to say thank you and for everyone to remember we're going to take care of each other. A neighbor has to help a neighbor...We're going to get beyond...this through love and embracing one another," Tammi Ramzziddin said. Ramzziddin's husband, Cpl. Mujahid Ramzziddin, died Feb. 21 after he helped a neighbor who was being threatened by her estranged husband and the man shot him, police say. Ramzziddin was off-duty in his own neighborhood when he helped the woman. The 51-year-old was a Marine Corps veteran and father of four who served on the Prince George's County police force for 14 years. Ramzziddin said Thursday her loss has convinced her she needs to speak out against gun violence. "I put a charge to our government officials. You have to step up to protect us. You have to step us to protect our children. We rely on you for safety. We rely on you to change policy," Ramzziddin said. She said two of her children now want to follow in their father's footsteps and go into public service. One child wants to be a police officer; the other wants to be a firefighter. Ramzziddin spoke for the first time about losing her husband at a vigil held Feb. 28. "I lost my everything," she said. Prince George's County police say anyone who wishes to donate money to the Ramzziddin family should contact the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Prince George's County, Lodge 89. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 510 Lothian, MD 20711. Police warned of scams from others claiming to be collecting funds on behalf of the family. Some Prince George's County public school teachers and school board members are blasting school system leaders after learning some employees have received significant pay raises. Teachers protested outside of the Prince George's County Public Schools administration building in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Thursday. "It's very clear that there's a lack of oversight and accountability at the top," said Edward Burroughs, a school board member. Burroughs is one of three school board members who signed a letter to County Executive Rushern Baker that says the raises are unjustifiable and violate the teachers union agreement. Some central office employees have received raises as high as 10 to 12 percent, according to the letter. News4 has confirmed that eight of the school system's human resources employees received the raises. Burroughs claims the salary changes violate union agreements and it is a slap in the face to other employees. "We need to correct this issue. We need to hold all wrong-doers accountable, anyone who acted inappropriately accountable," he said. Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the Prince George's County Education Association, has called for the school superintendent Kevin Maxwell to step down. "We are here today because once again, the leadership of our school board that our members and students and the community expect and deserve when it comes to accountability and transparency," Dudley said. Several scandals have made headlines under Maxwells leadership, including founded allegations of system-wide grade tampering. A state-ordered audit found hundreds of students, maybe more, graduated from Prince George's County high schools though they didn't meet state requirements. County Executive Rushern Baker, who selected Maxwell says he's standing by the superintendent. "I haven't seen anything that, you know, that has happened in our school system that would cause me to believe that Dr. Maxwell is not leading our school system in the right direction," Baker said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan recently called for Maxwell's dismissal. Baker is campaigning for the Democratic Partys nomination to run for governor and called Hogans statement politically motivated. A 45-year-old man managed to sign a 16-year-old girl out of her Pennsylvania school 10 times in the last few months and now the two are missing, police said. Kevin Esterly and Amy Yu disappeared from the Lehigh Valley on Monday with cash and some sort of paperwork, according to police. "They're probably together somewhere," Colonial Regional Police Detective Gary Hammer said. As of Friday evening, both were still missing, police said. The U.S. Marshal's Office and agents with the FBI are now assisting with the search. Esterly and Yu apparently had a secret relationship for months, and investigators said Yu may even have gone on family vacations with Esterly. He is married with two children. According to a warrant issued after the two disappeared, Esterly signed Yu out of school 10 times between Nov. 13 and Feb. 9 without her parents' permission. Investigators said it now appears that the girl may have added Esterly to her school emergency contact list as a stepfather. That, they said, would have allowed him to remove the girl from school. "That's when they came to find out that this young lady had added this gentleman, this Kevin Esterly, as a stepfather on school records," Hammer told NBC10. Police said Yu's mother called Feb. 9 to report Esterly had signed her child out of Lehigh Valley Academy earlier that day. CEO Susan Mauser did say the school has a procedure for signing out a student that only allows a person on the student's emergency contact list to take the student from school. She said the school is investigating whether that procedure was followed. "We can confirm that Mr. Esterly was last present on school grounds on February 9, 2018," Mauser said in a statement. "After that date, due to circumstances we cannot disclose pursuant to student privacy constraints, he was prohibited from entering school grounds, and the police were to be notified if he returned." On Feb. 15, records show police told Esterly to stay away from the teen's home. Esterly may be driving a 1999 two-door, red Honda Accord with the license plate KLT-0529. Anyone with information about either person's whereabouts should call Allentown police at 610-437-7751 or by dialing 911. Millions of Europeans who arrived late to work or school Wednesday had a good excuse an unprecedented lag in the continent's electricity grid that's slowing down some clocks. The problem is caused by a political dispute between Serbia and Kosovo that's sapping a small amount of energy from the local grid, causing a domino effect across the 25-nation network spanning the continent from Portugal to Poland and Greece to Germany. "Since the European system is interconnected ... when there is an imbalance somewhere the frequency slightly drops," said Claire Camus, a spokeswoman for the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity. The Brussels-based organization, known as ENTSO-E, said in a separate statement that "this average frequency deviation, that has never happened in any similar way in the Continental European power system, must cease." The deviation from Europe's standard 50 Hz frequency has been enough to cause electric clocks that keep time by the power system's frequency, rather than built-in quartz crystals, to fall behind by about six minutes since mid-January. The problem mostly affects radio alarms, oven clocks or clocks used to program heating systems. ENTSO-E said it's working on a technical solution that could bring the system back to normal within "a few weeks," but urged European authorities and national governments to address the political problem at the heart of the issue. "This is beyond the technical world. Now there needs to be an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo about this lack of energy in the Kosovo system. You need to solve it politically and then technically," Camus told The Associated Press. The friction between Serbia and Kosovo is part of a broader dispute that goes back almost 20 years. Since the war in Kosovo ended in 1999, the Serb-dominated north of Kosovo that remains loyal to Belgrade, haven't paid the Kosovo government for the energy they consume. A 2015 agreement was meant to resolve the dispute, but Serbia has blocked its implementation. Serbia's power grid company EMS blamed the problem on Kosovo, claiming that in January and February the country "was uninterruptedly withdrawing, in an unauthorized manner, uncontracted electric energy from the Continental Europe synchronous area." Kadri Kadriu, deputy manager of Kosovo's grid operator KOSTT, acknowledged that electricity from elsewhere was diverted to the Serb minority in the north, but said consumers there hadn't paid for their electricity, causing considerable financial burden to the company. ENTSO-E warned that "if no solution can be found at political level, a deviation risk could remain." So far the only consequence seems to be the effect on clocks. "The system is built in such a way that all your basic needs are really secured by the distribution and the transmission system operators," Camus said. "Frankly, there is no risk other than those clocks running behind." Dusan Stojanovic, Jovana Gec, Llazar Semini and Sylvain Plazy contributed to this report. The auto executive Elon Musk tweeted that China puts a 25 percent import duty on American cars while the U.S. import duty is only 2.5 percent for Chinese cars, CNBC reported. Musk added American car companies are not "allowed to own even 50% of their own factory" in China but Chinese auto firms can own their companies in the U.S, CNBC reported. President Trump has rattled allies across the globe and raised questions at home about whether his tariff on industrial products could affect the American economy. A 17-year-old was arrested in a stabbing at the Green Street MBTA station in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood on Friday. Officials say the stabbing happened on the platform of the station around 3:15 p.m. on Friday. The 17-year-old male was arrested and charged for allegedly stabbing a 19-year-old male, who sustained serious injuries in the attack, said police. Authorities are saying that the injuries sustained by the victim are not life-threatening. The identities of the victim and suspect have not been released at this time. The circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear. The station was closed for an hour after the incident pending an investigation. The station reopened around 4:30 p.m. and trains are operating as normal, said authorities. A legislative watchdog is going to investigate Maine's child welfare system following the brutal beating of a 10-year-old girl whose mother and stepfather are charged in her death. The Legislature's Government Oversight Committee voted unanimously Friday to launch an investigation into the death of Marissa Kennedy on Feb. 25 in Stockton Springs, along with a separate case of a 4-year-old girl who died in December in Wiscasset. Republican Sen. Roger Katz of Augusta, a committee co-chairman, said the system failed Kennedy, and added, "We all failed her." The 10-0 committee vote came a day before the funeral for Kennedy, who will be laid to rest Saturday in Newburgh, New York. Republican Gov. Paul LePage has said the case highlights problems in Maine's child welfare system and the failure to intervene was a "comedy of errors." Lawmakers in New England are urging Donald Trump to meet diplomatically with North Korea's leader after Kim Jong Un invited him to the table. The White House and South Korean officials announced Thursday that Kim had sent a letter asking the U.S. president to meet to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and that Trump had agreed to do so. Kim said he's committed to "denuclearization" and has promised to refrain from missile tests, South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong said. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," Trump tweeted after the announcement. "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" "I urge [President Trump] to see these discussions with Kim Jong Un as the beginning of a long diplomatic process," Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said in a statement. "This meeting is just the beginning of talks between the nations, not a conclusion. The president must abandon his penchant for unscripted remarks and bombastic rhetoric to avoid derailing this significant opportunity for progress." Markey added that if the talks don't go well, "it is not an excuse to justify military action for a situation that has no military solution." "Discussions invite progress," Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts said in a statement. "The U.S. and our allies must be clear in our goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which includes verification. It is clear sanctions are having positive effects and thus imperative these sanctions continue until concrete results are in place." A Tufts University professor, however, is warning Americans not to get too excited. "Kim Jong Un is taking a page out of his father's 2000 playbook," Sung-Yoon Lee said. "Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader, sent his second highest military man to Washington. And three weeks later, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was hosting Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang." So why is this meeting between two unpredictable leaders happening now, after months of blustering? "The sanctions that have been enforced over the past year are biting," the professor said, adding that it could be a potential step back for the U.S. if it doesn't play its cards right. "Make some basic demands. Dismantle the gulags, the political concentration camps, start to dismantle your nuclear weapons programs." Two faith-filled artists from the Fakenham area will be taking part in the Norfolk Open Studios event starting later this month. Two faith-filled artists from the Fakenham area will be taking part in the Norfolk Open Studios event starting later this month. Nourishment for the body as well as the spirit? Robert Ashton wonders if there is scope for our parish churches to provide a further service for their local communities. Read more Norfolk authors poems speak to the heart Christian writer Catherine Ayre has had a book of poems published to encourage people to find out more about God. Read more 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 Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury, Newbury, Thatcham, Midgham and Aldermaston stations will be closed COMMUTERS travelling by train from Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford are set to be hit by four days of disruption next week, with a number of stations closed and buses replacing trains between Pewsey and Theale from Monday to Thursday. It is to allow vital work to take place ahead of electrification of the line and is the first in a series of closures between now and November. Long-distance services from London to the West of England will continue to run by using a different route. Some will leave from London Paddington, and Reading, at different times than normal and journeys may be up 30 minutes longer. Affected towns and villages include Bedwyn, Hungerford, Kintbury, Newbury, Thatcham, Midgham, Aldermaston and Theale. Great Western Railway (GWR) announced: Network Rail will be undertaking upgrade work on various weekdays this year between Monday, March 12, and Thursday, November 22. During the first round of closures, Midgham level crossing will be closed for three nights from Sunday, March 11; Thatcham level crossing will be closed for two nights from Wednesday, March 14, and Colthrop level crossing will be closed for five nights from Sunday, March 11. All the closures will be between 10pm and 6am. One angry local rail user, Mike Sarson, described the closures as a major scandal. He said: Why are they closing the line for four weekdays at a time rather than for, say, two weekdays and three weekends? No reasonable bus replacement service is proposed, only untimed buses stopping at every station between Hungerford or Newbury and Reading. Why not direct fast buses to Reading from Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham? And what about commuters who have bought season tickets but cant travel to their jobs? GWR stated: Next year promises to be a very important one for train travel, as we deliver greater capacity and improved reliability across our network. Brand new Intercity Express Trains, plus the electrification of the route between Reading and Newbury, mean journeys will be quicker and seating capacity will be increased. A full timetable of the closures can be found at https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/newbury2018 A particular fungal infection is responsible for more than 220,000 cases of cryptococcosis worldwide each year in people with HIV and AIDS, with nearly 181,000 of those resulting in death. New research explores its cause with an eye toward improving treatment one day. The infection, Cryptococcus neoformans, causes the disease cryptococcosis. Cryptococcosis is a major cause of central nervous system -; and brain -; related mortalities, especially in people with HIV and AIDS. "The general therapeutic approach is to control the fungus with antifungal drugs, and because it's linked to immune defects, to activate immune response in the patient to strengthen natural host defenses," says Michal Olszewski, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Michigan Medicine. "These treatments are actually not particularly effective and often result in the worsening of patient conditions." Olszewski is the senior author on a new study that examined the disease and its origin within the central nervous system. The work is published with an accompanying commentary in mBio. "Scientists have thought the disease is caused by the immune system being too weak to control the fungus," Olszewski says. "We developed a mouse model of Cryptococcus neoformans meningoencephalitis in which we demonstrated the fungal growth within the central nervous system does not immediately cause the disease." Examining fungal growth and inflammation The research team infected mice with the Cryptococcus neoformans model strain, which was designed to mimic the major features of Cryptococcus meningoencephalitis in human patients. "We found that although Cryptococcus neoformans rapidly entered and expanded in the mice within a few days after the infection, there was not an immediate inflammatory response," Olszewski says. "In fact, the inflammatory cells have not massively accumulated in the infected brains until 21 days of infection. This was the same time that we saw the development of neurological symptoms and progressive mortality in the mice." The team notes that a major immune cell subset appeared to accumulate in the mice: Th1-polarized IFN-y-producing CD4+ T cells. "After examining those cells, we found that the development of those deadly central nervous system symptoms could be prevented by depleting CD4+ T cells, even though the fungus was persistently growing and increasing within the central nervous system," Olszewski says. "This demonstrated that Th1 cells are a central mediator of central nervous system pathology, and central nervous system injury and mortality are mediated by the host's own immune response." How the research could help patients Olszewski notes that the study's results imply that in some patients, anti-inflammatory therapies need to be incorporated into treatments of fungal brain infection to minimize central nervous system injury. "The treatment of cryptococcal central nervous system infections can be challenging because physicians have to balance microbial control with how the patient's own immune system will respond during therapy," Olszewski says. "The accompanying commentary did an excellent job of suggesting that pro- and anti-inflammatory immune therapies are frequently used without knowledge in which patients they will be most effective, and in some patients may actually be promoting damage." Targeting treatment based on each patient could help with treating the disease in the future. "The commentary highlighted that immune therapies will need to incorporate detailed knowledge of the strength of the immune response in individual patients," Olszewski says. "Gauging the strength of the immune response to Cryptococcus neoformans during infection will be important so the body can achieve fungal clearance while not having the host cells experience damage from inflammation." When people have to assess a situation within seconds, it helps them to draw on learned categories. Psychologists from the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum examined with the help of electroencephalography (EEG) how well category-learning works in a stressful episode. They published their research on a mechanism, the brain may compensate stress with, in the "Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience". Prof Dr Oliver Wolf, Prof Dr Nikolai Axmacher and Prof Dr Boris Suchan from the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience in Bochum joined their forces to conduct this study. Ice water and a camera trigger stress The scientists compared the performance of 16 stressed men with the performance of 16 relaxed men in categorization learning. Half of the participants had to put their hands in ice water and were filmed before they took the learning test - an accepted stress-test. The other half had to put their hand in warm water, without being filmed. "We decided to design our study with men only for now, because women tend to react differently to stress during their hormone-cycle," says Marcus Paul, one of the authors. During the test the participants had to divide different colored rings by means of their color scheme in two categories. They not only had to learn to assign typical objects, but also exceptions - rings, which differed from other rings in their category. Previous studies have shown that the brain regions that are crucial for learning exceptions are particularly sensitive to stress. During the test, the scientists measured the brain activity of the participants by EEG. Different brain activity under stress The stressed participants performed as well as the relaxed ones in the categorization-test. But their brains showed an increased activity during the test and they used additional brain regions. The EEG of the stressed participants revealed increased activity in the theta-frequency above the medial prefrontal cortex, particularly when the participants learned the exceptions. Theta-waves reflect cognitive control mechanisms. "We think, we have found a mechanism which allows us to give a good performance in a categorization-test, even if we are stressed," says Oliver Wolf. In the next step the scientists from Bochum intend to analyze, whether the change in the neuronal activity of stressed and relaxed participants during the learning process affects their performance in a test conducted on the following day. When older adults suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), they may benefit from aggressive treatment and rehabilitation, but the lack of evidence-based, geriatric-specific TBI guidelines presents barriers to optimal care. The urgent need for more clinical research, data, and prognostic models on TBI in the growing geriatric population is described in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Neurotrauma website until April 6, 2018. In the article entitled "Geriatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Epidemiology, Outcomes, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Directions," Raquel Gardner, MD, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco VA Medical Center, and coauthors from UCSF, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY) and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital review the medical literature on TBI sustained by adults 50 years of age or older. The researchers report on the prevalence and incidence of TBI in this population, what the initial clinical evaluation and array of diagnostic studies should look like, and issues related to neurocritical care and neurosurgical management. In addition, the article addresses the controversial issue of how age affects outcomes and the risks of death, post-traumatic neurological disorders, and chronic psychosocial and cognitive impairment. The role of rehabilitation and future directions for research are additional topics of discussion. "The Journal is pleased to have the opportunity to publish this timely review that focuses attention on the significant problem of geriatric traumatic brain injury," says John Povlishock, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Neurotrauma. "This important review is a must read for both basic and clinical scientists, confirming the gravity of this problem for our geriatric population, while highlighting a series of recommendations to improve the development of prognostic models and evidence-based management guidelines." At the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz introduced a convertible version of the celebrated 300 SL "Gullwing," the 300 SL Roadster. The new 300 SL was an improvement on the Gullwing in nearly every capacity, at least from a road-going perspective, and it has since evolved into one of Stuttgart's most collectible models, a darling of both concours fields and vintage rallies. Mercedes-Benz build information, included on file, indicates that the car offered here was commissioned by Sophus Kruse, owner of a prominent Hamburg real estate firm, finished in the unusual and striking livery of Mercedes Blue (DB 335) over Light Yellow (1065) leather with a cream top, lined in matching Light Yellow, and sporting Continental tyres. 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster could fetch $1.2 million in auction. (Image: RM Sotheby's) As a European-specification car, it was fitted with the desirable single-piece "Euro" headlamps, while as a late-production car it was also fitted with four-wheel disc brakes and an alloy engine block - two of the most desirable features on a 300 SL roadster and in which specification only 210 examples were built. Interestingly, the build records note that the "vehicle cannot be delivered without warning until May 15th." It was therefore completed on 9 May 1962 and took its time to arrive at the apparently delayed Mr. Kruse. The current owner acquired the car in the late-1970s from Roger Miller, a Ford dealer in Wauseon, Ohio, via an advertisement in Hemmings Motor News; having his priorities in order, he recounts wanting to buy Miller's 300 SL coupe at the same time, but eventually decided not to "so that I could still afford to buy a house." 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster cabin. (Image: RM Sotheby's) At the time the car still retained its original Light Yellow interior, as it does today, but had been repainted apparently to Mr. Kruse's order. The car was regularly maintained until the early 1980s, at which point it was refinished in the original Mercedes Blue; the original interior was preserved, with its patinaed upholstery remaining wonderfully intact to this day. It also retains its original alloy-block engine, as confirmed upon a recent inspection. More recently, its owner has enjoyed displaying it at the University of Michigan (in suitable colors, no less) as part of a special exhibit on the automobile as artwork. Receipts are on file for services in 2015 by Rennstatt Racing of Ann Arbor, and the car is accompanied by owners and service manuals, service information, and instructions for the Becker Grand Prix radio, all in an original folio, and a largely complete original tool kit. Never fully restored but always maintained and enjoyed, this is a very special late-production European-headlight, disc-brake, alloy-block 300 SL roadster, in striking colors, offered from one wonderful long-term home to another. Also Watch: Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk took to Twitter on Thursday to call on US President Donald Trump to challenge China's auto trade rules, which limit foreign ownership of Chinese ventures and impose steep tariffs on imported cars. In a series of tweets aimed at the president, Musk said he was "against import duties in general, but the current rules make things very difficult. It's like competing in an Olympic race wearing lead shoes." Tesla has been pushing hard to build cars in China, the world's largest auto market, but has hit roadblocks in negotiations with local authorities, in part because Musk is keen to keep full control of any local venture. "No U.S. auto company is allowed to own even 50 percent of their own factory in China, but there is five 100 percent China-owned EV (electric vehicle) auto companies in the U.S.," Musk wrote in another tweet. Tesla "raised this with the prior administration and nothing happened. Just want a fair outcome, ideally where tariffs/rules are equally moderate. Nothing more. Hope this does not seem unreasonable," he said. Trump quoted one of Musk's tweets in his announcement on new tariffs and said American automakers have not been treated fairly by trade rules around the world. Trump announced steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Thursday. Politicians "have known it for years and never did anything about it. It's got to change," Trump said, saying he plans to impose a "reciprocal tax" on other countries. "We're changing things," Trump added. "We just want fairness." Tesla has sought to build a factory in the Chinese financial capital of Shanghai, and last November Musk said he hoped the plant would be operating within three years. However, Tesla and Chinese authorities have yet to announce an agreement. The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce did not immediately respond to calls and faxed requests for comment. Telsa officials in China declined to comment. China has said it will look to lower import taxes for cars and carry out a pilot scheme to loosen foreign ownership rules for new energy vehicles, a term China uses to refer to fully-electric and plug-in hybrid cars. FAIR OUTCOME? Late Thursday, Musk struck a more hopeful tone. "To be clear, I think a fair outcome for all is quite likely. China has already shown a willingness to open their markets and I believe they will do the right thing," he said on Twitter. China, which is making a major push towards electric cars, requires foreign automakers to build factories in 50-50 joint ventures with domestic Chinese automakers and not allowed them to establish wholly-owned factories. Trump told Reuters in an interview in January that "we have helped to build China because they have taken out so much money in terms of trade deficits with this country." He added that "when China or another country charges us 50 percent tariffs more than that in some cases and we charge them nothing, that's not fair. That's not fair." China levies a 25 percent duty on sales of imported vehicles. Those are problems for Tesla, which wants to expand its presence in China's growing electric vehicle market without compromising its independence or intellectual property. Musk noted that a U.S. car "going to China pays 25 percent import duty, but a Chinese car coming to the US only pays 2.5 percent, a tenfold difference." He asked Trump: "Do you think the US & China should have equal & fair rules for cars? Meaning, same import duties, ownership constraints & other factors." Trump said the United States plans to charge countries a "mirror tax" for what American products face. Musk has met with Trump on several occasions since his election in November 2016. In June 2017, Musk withdrew from a pair of White House advisory councils after Trump said he would withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Also Watch Some 6,000 early deaths linked to nitrogen oxides (NOx) are recorded each year in Germany, the Federal Environmental Agency said on Thursday, providing more evidence of the health hazards posed by the toxic particles mostly produced by diesel engines. The figure is likely to add pressure on carmakers and the government as they scramble to slow the demise of the diesel technology in which Germany's car industry invested billions. The Environmental Agency (UBA) also said that NOx causes one million people to fall ill each year and that levels of the toxic particle are higher in 70 cities than the limit set under air quality standards. The car industry has relied on diesel as a stopgap technology to boost efficiency, meet CO2 emissions goals and buy time for a shift toward electric mobility. But sales of diesel cars have been falling since Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating on emissions tests. Subsequent studies have exposed the true levels of NOx, which is emitted more abundantly by diesel vehicles than petrol engines. A German court ruled last month that German cities can ban the most heavily polluting diesel cars from their streets, a decision that could accelerate the demise of the combustion engine. Also Watch In her book, 'Mothering A Muslim', Nazia Erum talks about battling the only identity granted to her, but Arif Mohammad Khan says that it's not "others" who granted that identity. Khan, who reviewed the book for News18.com, claims that All India Muslim Personal Law Board's role in the Shah Bano case in 1986 changed the situation. The book is a moving narration of the concerns and anxieties of a young Indian Muslim mother, who on one hand tries to protect her child from the baneful effects of communal hate speech and on the other, struggles against her own co-religionists who see her ilk as lesser Muslims for being modern and liberal. The interviews and personal stories of many such mothers make the book highly readable. It evokes empathy and makes us painfully aware that the ghosts of communalism and separatism that had played havoc with the integrity of India in 1947 are still haunting us. Nazia Erum has presented the book in the form of a fact finding report, and if these facts disturb us then it is incumbent on us to identify the factors that produce and nourish communalism and seek to divide us from within. A correct understanding of the problem alone can help us to deal with this deadly menace. Historically speaking, India has been a pluralistic society since time immemorial. Inspired by ideals like Rig Vedic formula of ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti and the anekantvad of Jain tradition India has always viewed diversity as a source of enriching its way of life and not an instrument to cause division and separation. The Muslims have been living in India for more than a thousand years and since most of them were of the local origins, they followed and cherished the same pluralistic cultural values. The great Sufis like Hazrat Nizamuddin and Bulhe Shah promoted this syncretism and harmonious life style and personally participated in festivals like Basant and Holi. But it cannot be denied that right from the beginning there has been a group of clergy who exhorted Muslims to keep clear of non-Muslim cultural influences and maintain their separate and distinct identity. They were told to shun similarity of appearance as in the hereafter one shall be with those whose appearance he adopts. Since there was tremendous religious and cultural diversity among Hindus and it was not possible to dub them as a monolith, therefore, the Muslim clergy used an apocryphal narration to highlight the importance of separate identity. They quoted Al-Kufr Millatun Wahida implying that all those who do not subscribe to Islam are one community. The purpose was to erect walls of separation between Muslims and Hindus. They largely succeeded in their attempts, as the Hindu social system also recognized caste distinctions and did not allow free mixing. But despite social exclusiveness, the relations among people of various religious denominations were cordial and they respected each others sensitivities. However, this trend was taken to absurd heights during British rule when it was asserted that the two communities subscribe not only to different religions but their secular and economic interests are also different rather mutually hostile. The colonial masters promoted this mind-set after 1857, to ensure they do not face any joint resistance in future. To make things worse, they introduced constitutional measures like separate electorate and adopted policies that would heighten community consciousness and give rise to communalism that ultimately resulted in the division of India. Maulana Azad had predicted in 1946 that partition would make the problem of communalism even more complex. He said: Partition of the country was demanded on the basis of enmity between Hindus and Muslims. So the actual partition would give this enmity a national and constitutional status and solution of the problem would become even more difficult. On 23 October, 1947, Maulana Azad addressed a Muslim gathering outside Delhi Jama Masjid and told them now that Indian politics has taken a new direction, there is no place in it for Muslim League. He exhorted them to march with the change and do not say that we were not ready for the change. But as we had rejected Maulana Azad earlier, we ignored his wise words after Independence. It took less than 40 years when the identity politics was revived again. In 1986, the Personal Law Board started an agitation against the judgment of Supreme Court not because it contradicted any basic principle of Islam, but on the ground that it posed threat to the community identity (milli tashakhkhus). This time they did not claim to be a separate nation but asserted their separate identity. And exactly in the manner of Muslim League claimed to be the sole representative of Indian Muslims. One can understand the exasperation of Nazia Erum when she talks of battling the only identity granted to her. Actually this identity was not granted by others, it was asserted and demanded by Personal Law Board in 1986 and we failed to oppose them and their claim to be our sole representative. So the turning point came in 1986, and not in 2014 as the books says. According to Quran, the identity of a person is determined by the territory and the tribe in which one is born and the religion is for creating God-consciousness (13.49) and the duty of the Muslims is to do good to people at large (3.110). If we heed to these teachings, then we shall realize that religion does not ask us to flaunt a separate identity rather it asks us to identify with our compatriots and serve the needy, the helpless and the poor. That will give us an identity that nobody will grudge. This Quranic worldview has been underlined beautifully by Akbar Allahabadi, a great grandfather of Nazia Erum. He says: QURAN BHI SHAHID HAI KI KHUDA HUSN SE KHUSH HAI YEH BHI TO SUNO KIS SE HUSNE AMAL SE (Quran testifies that God is pleased with the beauty, but listen this beauty is the beauty of conduct.) (Arif Mohammad Khan is a senior lawyer who argued on behalf of petitioners in triple talaq case. Former Union minister, he has advocated abolishing of All India Muslim Personal Law Board) Mumbai: Government will transfer part of Air India's $8.5 billion debt pile to a special purpose vehicle before selling a stake in the state-owned carrier, its junior civil aviation minister told Reuters on Friday. Jayant Sinha said the government had already decided to split the debt into sustainable and unsustainable debt. "The unsustainable part will be with the special purpose vehicle (SPV)," he said on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai. He did not elaborate but Bloomberg, citing sources, reported in November that the government had proposed transferring non-aviation assets and up to 300 billion rupees ($4.6 bln) in short-term loans into a separate company. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead last year to sell the loss-making flagship airline, after successive governments spent billions of dollars in recent years to keep it solvent. But its debt burden and bloated cost structure have been a concern. India's Civil Aviation Secretary, Rajiv Choubey, said on Thursday that the government would invite initial bids for Air India in the next couple of weeks. Companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings, have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India's operations. In January, India cleared a proposal to allow foreign investors to own up to a 49 percent stake in Air India, paving the way for global airlines to also bid for the carrier. Singapore: Crude oil futures rose on Friday as Asian stock markets gained on news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The two will likely meet by May and Kim has pledged to refrain from further nuclear or missile tests, South Korea's national security chief said late on Thursday after briefing White House officials on talks between Seoul and Pyongyang. The White House said Trump would accept the invitation at a place and time to be determined. The news lifted Asian stocks markets, and pulled crude oil futures along with them, traders said. Brent crude futures were at $63.77 per barrel at 0423 GMT, up 16 cents, or 0.25 percent, from their previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $60.23 a barrel, up 11 cents, or 0.2 percent. Despite these increases, Brent and WTI are on course for weekly declines of almost 1 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Traders said that is due to soaring output from the United States, which has risen by 23 percent since the middle of 2016, to 10.37 million barrels per day (bpd). "The market continues to struggle to shake off an excess supply... (boosted) by increased supply from a growing U.S. shale patch," ANZ Bank said on Friday. Thanks largely to shale drilling, the United States now produces more crude than top exporter Saudi Arabia. Only Russia pumps more, at almost 11 million bpd. "It seems only a matter of time before the U.S. becomes the biggest oil producer in the world. The main question which keeps investors busy is when exactly this will be reached," Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at Dutch bank ABN Amro, said in a note to investors. Unlike Middle East producers, where output is largely dictated by state-owned oil companies, U.S. producers drill and sell purely based on economics. If prices remain at current levels or rise further, U.S. drillers are profitable and will raise output; if prices stumble, U.S. production will fall. "The correlation between the U.S. oil production and the oil prices will remain considerable," van Cleef said. As much as production, oil prices will also depend on demand. "Global demand will continue to grow by 1.5 million barrels per day in both 2018 and 2019. This would offer enough room for U.S. oil producers to increase production and for OPEC and her allies to minimalise the production cuts towards the end of 2019," van Cleef said. The Middle East-dominated Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia have been leading an effort since 2017 to withhold production to prop up prices. New Delhi: US and China are among the 24 WTO members who will send their "political representatives" at the 'mini-ministerial' meeting called by India on March 20 to break the impasse on certain issues and prepare a common ground to push the mandate of the global trade body, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said in New Delhi on Friday. The talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial at Buenos Aires in December had collapsed with the US going back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding, a key issue for developing countries like India. Soon after the collapse of the talks, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabu had announced that India would be hosting a mini-ministerial with a view to break the deadlock. On whether United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer would be coming, Teaotia said he was keen, but the US would be represented by at political level. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, she said India has invited 53 WTO members for the mini-ministerial to be chaired by Prabhu. This would be the second mini-ministerial meeting being hosted by India. The first was in 2009. Forty countries have confirmed participation, three (Jamaica, Male and Vietnam) have expressed their inability to attend the conference and response of the remaining 10 is awaited, Teaotia said. The response for "political level" participation is very positive and quite unusual also, she said, adding that 24 members would be sending their political representatives. The countries which would be sending political representatives, include the US, China, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Singapore and Russia. Pakistan, which too is among the invitees, is yet to respond, she added. WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo would be in India to participate in the meet. "This will be the largest mini-ministerial in recent times, probably the largest of all time," said J S Deepak, India's Ambassador at WTO. Stressing that India is quite happy with the response, Teaotia said the meeting would be more of an "ice-breaker" as it is being held after the collapse of talks at the Buenos Aires WTO Ministerial in December last year. When asked if there would be a statement by the Chair at the end of the meeting, she said it would be for the mini-ministerial to decide. She said there is no agenda for the meeting. The idea is to have a free and fare discussion and efforts would be to "try and explore potential for a common ground" among the member nations so that some guidance could emerge for taking forward the mandate of World Trade Organization (WTO). On outcome from the mini-ministerial, Teaotia one should not expect that "suddenly some magic will work" as this a forum for engagement to find a way out of the deadlock. The Buenos Aires Ministerial, attended by trade ministers of WTO member countries, had ended without a declaration. There was virtually little or no guidance from the ministerial for want consensus on host of issues. New Delhi: The central government on Friday said it is waiting for the US notification on hike in import tariff on steel and aluminium to gauge its impact on domestic players amid global outcry over the US decision to increase duties beyond its commitment at the WTO. US President Donald Trump has imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, sparking fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Talking to reporters here, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said there is a "disquiet" as the US has raised duties on certain items beyond the bound rates or its commitment at the World Trade Organisation. When asked what would be impact of the US duty hike on India, the Secretary said "of course" there would be some impact as India is an exporter. "We will wait to see what from it (US notification on tariff hike) will take," she said. When asked if other countries too have raised duties beyond the bound rate, Teaotia said no other WTO member has used the "security exception" argument as done by the US in raising duties on import of steel and aluminium. India, she said, is not a protectionist country and has always kept its import duties in the WTO bound rates. She further said that 17 countries, including India, had expressed concern over the US plans to raise tariffs during the General Council Meeting of the WTO at Geneva in Switzerland. To another question on US demand to lower import duty on super-bikes, like Harley Davidson, Teaotia said India has its own 'Make in India' and is largest producer of motor bikes. She did not elaborate further. Mumbai: Three people were killed and at least 14 injured after a major fire broke out in an explosion inside a boiler at a chemicals company in Boisar-Tarapur industrial estate in Palghar district late on Thursday night. "During the search operation, three unidentified bodies were found at Arti Industries. There may be more casualties. Search and rescue operation is going on," Palghar SP Manjunath Singe said, adding that of the 14 injured, three have sustained serious wounds. The incident occurred after an accidental fire at Novaphene Speciality Limited in Boisar MIDC industrial area. Even as revenue, police, fire, and medical teams were trying to douse the fire, the flames spread to neighbouring industries. "Fire has been controlled at the chemical industry, but a few areas are still burning. Six factories affected by fire are Novaphene, Unimax, Prachi, Arti, Bharat Rasayan and Darbar. They all are chemical factories," the SP said. "The fire started after boiler blast in the Boisar industrial estate. The impact of the blast was felt in the villages around 8 kms vicinity. Our team has reached the spot with fire brigade, Manjunath Singe, Superintendent of Police, Palghar said. There are chemical drums inside these companies, due to which the fire is spreading, he said. Tarapur Automic Power Station, which is also situated on Boisar-Tarapur Road is around 20 kms away from the spot, he added. (With inputs from PTI) New Delhi: Ambedkar Universitys internal inquiry has found its law school dean guilty of sexually harassing a PhD student in another university. The Committee for Protection of Sexual Harassment and Ambedkar University constituted an inquiry committee to probe the allegations against law professor Lawrence Liang and found him guilty. However, the university has not taken any action till now. Detailing the instances of alleged sexual harassment in 2015 and 2016, the report recommends that Liang should step down from administrative position and should not be in any administrative position for at least two years from the date of the implementation of the Inquiry Committee (IC). It further recommended that the professor should be issued a warning letter by the university that a complaint of sexual harassment against him in the future can have serious consequences, this may even include suspension of services or any such steps provided by AUD. However, when News18 tried to contact AUD vice-chancellor Shyam Menon, he did not respond to our calls and text. Liangs name had earlier appeared in a crowd-sourced list, published on Facebook four months ago, that alleged rampant sexual harassment in Indian universities. Despite the report being available on various platforms, the complainant is awaiting justice. There are a number of instances in course of these proceedings that, I feel, have systematically removed me as a victim/complainant from accessing justice both substantive and restorative in a more tangible form that could help me heal from the trauma of his repeat sexual assaults (the chronology of some of which he has mangled, and others he denied, making me out to be a liar in his deposition), the complainant said in a letter to CPSH-AUD. The PhD student further said that no steps have been taken to compensate for the the loss of health or mental health caused after the sexual harassment. Liang continues to hold his position of authority and power despite his conviction, which he uses to influence the outcome of the due process to work in his favour as much as possible. After the report was made public, the professor had immediately written to the VC appealing that the report of the IC stating his conviction may not be handed over to me, the girl alleged. Raya Sarkar, who crowd sourced the list, told News18.com, The report indicates that the university does not have zero tolerance policy since theyve allowed the convicted person to teach and interact with students. There is no iota of restorative justice for the victim and the discourse is not centred on the well-being and safety of students. The only thing that the report does is validate the survivor's experience of being sexually harassed, which is a positive step. But the bar for sexual harassment redressal cannot be so low. New Delhi: A five judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, on Friday legalised the right to die and approved living will made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. As the court began hearing the case a year ago, this case was a step ahead from the Aruna Shanbaug verdict where although the court rejected the mercy killing plea, but allowed passive euthanasia in India. Then why is todays verdict so significant? What are the possible repercussions of recognising a living will? News18 explores: What is Passive Euthanasia? Passive euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. What is a Living Will? Living will is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally-ill or no longer able to express informed consent. It is a concept associated with passive euthanasia. It is a legal document which allows you to express your wishes to doctors in case you become incapacitated. In a living will, you can outline whether or not you want your life to be artificially prolonged in the event of a devastating illness or injury. Why a verdict on passive euthanasia again after Aruna Shanbaug? This verdict which is set to be delivered is not primarily on passive euthanasia or its legality. Last year, on October 11, the Centre had categorically informed the Supreme Court that passive euthanasia was the law of the land and that the government was in conformity with it. The top court in its verdict on March 7, 2014 in Aruna Shanbaug case had permitted passive euthanasia or passive mercy killing under certain circumstances, provided it was backed by the permission of the high court concerned. What is the origin of this case then? The constitution bench is set to deliver its verdict on a plea by NGO Common Cause seeking that a person should be allowed to make a living will stating that all medical support should be withdrawn if, in the opinion of the doctors, he is in that state of terminal illness where a turnaround is not possible. The petition seeks the enactment of a law on the lines of the Patient Autonomy and Self-determination Act of the USA, which sanctions the practice of executing a living will in the nature of an advance directive for refusal of life-prolonging medical procedures in the event the person is no more in a condition to give consent. Did the court rule on this particular matter before as well? The matter was first disposed of by the apex court in February, 2014. However, while dealing with this matter, the court had refrained from pronouncing any order but referred the matter to a constitution bench to ensure that areas of conflict between the Aruna Shanbaug case and Gian Kaur case could be ironed out. While the Shanbaug verdict allowed passive euthanasia under certain safeguards, the 1996 verdict in the Gian Kaur case held that Right to life does not include Right to Die. What is the contention by the petitioners? The primary basis of the petition is, How can a person be told that he/she does not have right to prevent torture on his body? Right to life includes right to die with dignity. A person cannot be forced to live on support of ventilator. Keeping a patient alive by artificial means against his/her wishes is an assault on his/her body. Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan who was the amicus curiae in the case had stated that after Aruna Shanbaug case it was only the legal guardian or a medical board who could decide whether life support could be withdrawn to a terminally ill patient, but the person suffering from such terminal illness cannot decide. Bhushan pleaded for active euthanasia to be allowed by saying that a person facing the only option of leading a life with suffering and pain, should have the sole right decide whether he should put an end to life with dignity. Is the government opposing it? Yes, although the government has no problem with practicing passive euthanasia as devised under the Aruna Shanbaug verdict but it has opposed living will in principle. The government had opposed the concept of Living Will and the Medical Power of Attorney in case of terminally ill patients. The government has argued that consent expressed in the Living Wills could not be considered as informed, because the persons who opt for it may not be aware of future medical developments, which can later lead to betterment in the condition of the terminally ill patient today. The government has also expressed reservations stating that what if the person who has made a ling will decides to withdraw such a will when he is no more in a condition to give consent. Has the government considered a law on this subject? During the last stage of the hearing close to October, 2017, the government had told the constitution bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A K Sikri, Justice A M Khanwilkar, Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan that a draft bill permitting passive euthanasia with necessary safeguards was already before it for consideration. The Management of the Patient with Terminal Illness Withdrawal of Medical Life Support Bill was stated to be before the government. The draft bill was originally authored by the Law Commission and was annexed with its second report on passive euthanasia. However, the government had later appointed a committee of senior doctors which after considering suggestions from public framed the final draft that is now before the government. What does the draft law contain? The latest amended bill is not still available on the public domain, but the draft law as accessed by News18 still has Central government expressing its reservation to permitting "living will" both on grounds of "principle" and "practical" considerations. The bill has called the will of a person to be or not be given medical treatment in case he or she falls terminally ill as "living will" or "advance medical directive" in the drafted bill. The bill proposes that any such will or a medical power of attorney will not be binding on any medical practitioner and cannot be executed by any patient since it would be considered void. The bill has clearly outlined a difference between a competent and an incompetent patient where it has been stated that if a person who is above 16 years of age and can understand consequence of his decision and makes an informed call about denying medical treatment, then such a decision would be binding on the doctor attending him and would eventually lead to passive euthanasia. Though the bill does not mention the word 'passive euthanasia' but it states that 'life sustaining treatment' can be refused by a competent patient and such a decision will be binding on the doctor. What is the role of a medical board here and what might the court rule? As the court upholds to the right to die in its verdict today, CJI Dipak Misra during reserving the verdict had noted that it will lay down guidelines for drafting living wills and how it can be authenticated. The five judge bench while reserving its verdict had said that if the right to dignity in death was to be recognised, then there has to be some room for dignity in the process of dying too. CJI Dipak Misra had observed that a persons advance directive intended to die with dignity should take effect only when a medical board affirms that the persons medical condition was incurable and irreversible. It was proposed by Justice AK Sikri that a certificate from a statutory medical board citing that a patients condition is beyond cure and irreversible would take care of the fear of relatives and doctors about withdrawing life support. Later Justice Chandrachud also suggested a twofold test to check how the living will would take effect. Firstly, will can take effect when the medical condition of the patient is irreversible and the second one would be when prolonging his life by machine support would only lead to his pain and suffering thus in a way living will was a will for right to live and not die according to Justice Chandrachud. However, the government has made it clear that it is afraid about people who are not privileged and would be susceptible to abuse if euthanasia and living wills are legalized in the country. Mumbai: Former Maharashtra minister and senior Congress leader Patangrao Kadam breathed his last at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on Friday, family sources said. He was 72. The former minister was admitted to the hospital recently as he was suffering from renal dysfunction. On Monday, he was shifted on ventilator. Kadam was born into a middle level farming family in a small village of Sonsal, in Maharashtra's Sangli district on January 8, 1944. Founder of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University and several other educational institutes, he was a staunch Congressman for several years. He held portfolios such as cooperation and forest in the Congress-NCP government during 1999 to 2014. We are extremely saddened at the demise of our Senior Leader Patangrao Kadam. We pay our deep condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/aNE9gMGT5Y MumbaiCongress (@INCMumbai) March 9, 2018 Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday visited Lilavati Hospital to inquire about the health of veteran party leader and former state minister Kadam. During her visit to the hospital, Gandhi was accompanied by party's state unit president Ashok Chavan, senior leader Prithviraj Chavan and AICC general secretary Mohan Prakash. Agartala: Clashes between CPM and BJP workers in Tripura escalated on Thursday and left at least three CPM workers in Sabroom area of south Tripura, badly injured. Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Partys thumping victory in this Left bastion, the otherwise peaceful state has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. First a five-foot fibre glass statue of Russian revolutionary, Lenin was toppled at Belonia, then a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom even as CPM workers in several parts of the state complained of being targeted by BJP workers. CPM on Thursday alleged that their workers were attacked by a group of BJP supporters in the Guwachand Bazaar area of Sabroom around 7 pm. One of the injured persons is a 62-year-old retired employee. The CPM has accused BJP and ally IPFT of unleashing an "unprecedented reign of terror" across the state after the election results were announced on March 3. Meanwhile, several top BJP leaders and Union ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the states to maintain law and order even as the statue vandalism spree that started in Tripura keeps raging all over the country. Tripura chief minister-designate Biplab Deb has also urged the people of the state to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished. Prohibitory orders were clamped on several areas of West Tripura district including - Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhatinagar, Jirania, Mohanpur following post-poll violence. New Delhi: The Supreme Court verdict, authorising the withdrawal of life-support system for terminally ill patients, stems from a petition filed by an NGO, which sought the enactment of the law on the lines of Patient Autonomy and Self-determination Act in USA. As India legalises the right to die with dignity, heres a look at other countries where passive euthanasia is already in practice. USA: While euthanasia is still illegal in most parts of the United States, the doctors are allowed to prescribe lethal doses of medicine to terminally ill patients in five state -- Washington DC, California, Colorado, Oregon and Vermont. Oregon was the first US state to legalise assisted suicide. Assisted dying refers to both voluntary active euthanasia and physician-assisted death. Voluntary active euthanasia involves the physician playing an active role in the patients request to die, usually by supplying an intravenous lethal substance. Physician-assisted death implies that the medical personnel provides the patient with the lethal means to kill themselves, meaning its the patient who employs them. According to reports, roughly 300 terminally ill Americans were prescribed lethal medications in 2013, and around 230 people died as a result of taking them. Some patients choose not to take the medication. In recent years, the aid in dying movement has made incremental gains, but the issue remains controversial. Belgium: Belgium became the second country in the world to pass a law in 2002 to legalise euthanasia. The law mentions doctors can help patients to end their lives when they freely express a wish to die after suffering unbearable pain. Patients can also receive euthanasia if they have clearly stated it before entering a coma or similar vegetative state. Interestingly, Belgium became the first country to legalise euthanasia for children in 2014. There is no age limit for minors seeking a lethal injection but there are strict norms for it. Germany: The term euthanasia is generally not used in Germany because of its association with the eugenicist policies of the Nazi era. Hence, the law between assisted suicide and active assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is legal as long as the lethal drug is taken without any help, such as someone guiding or supporting the patient's hand. Netherlands Netherlands became the first country to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide by passing a law in 2002. The country imposed a strict set of conditions -- the patient must be suffering unbearable pain, their illness must be incurable, and the patient must make the demand in full consciousness. In 2010, 3,136 people were given a lethal cocktail under medical supervision. Bengaluru: For the first time in the history of Karnataka, the incumbent Chief Minister and his son are likely to contest in the same Assembly election. CM Siddaramaiah, a veteran of nine Assembly polls, has decided to vacate his Varuna seat for his doctor son Yatheendra and shift to neighbouring Chamundeshwari, his original seat in Mysore district. This is a first in Karnataka politics. In 1994, then Janata Dal chief ministerial candidate H D Deve Gowda had vacated his seat Holenarasipura in Hassan district for his son H D Revanna and moved to Ramanagara seat near Bengaluru. Both of them won that election and the father became CM and 18 months later the PM. It is not just Siddaramaiah who is batting for his son, over a dozen Congress ministers and leaders are also lobbying for their sons and daughters. At last count there were 15 from the Congress alone. The main opposition BJP and the third player JDS are also facing the same problem. Between 1983 and 2008, Siddaramaiah had represented Chamundeshwari Assembly seat five times. After delimitation, he moved to neighbouring Varuna constituency. His political heir apparent and the eldest son Rakesh died in Belgium in 2016 forcing the CM to push his second and youngest son, Yatheendra, into politics. Initially, Yatheendra was reluctant to step into politics, but he seems to have learnt the ropes in recent months. Speaking to News18, Siddaramaiah said, There has been a demand from the public that Yatheendra should contest from Varuna. I have decided to go back to my old seat Chamundeshwari. My son will contest only if the Congress high command agrees to his nomination. I dont decide the tickets. According to a KPCC office bearer, over 15 ministers and top leaders have asked for two seats one for them and one for their children. PWD minister Dr H C Mahadevappas son Suneel Bose is an aspirant from T Narasipura in Mysore district, currently held by his father. Mahadevappa is planning to shift to CV Raman Nagara seat in central Bengaluru. Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister T B Jayachandras son Santhosh is eyeing Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumkur district. Urban Development minister R Roshan Baig has asked the party to give his seat to son Rehan Baig and send him to Rajya Sabha. Former Union minister K Rahman Khan wants the party to field his son Mansoor Ali Khan from Jayanagara in south Bengaluru. Home minister R Ramalingareddys daughter Soumya Reddy is also eyeing the same seat complicating the job of tickets screening committee. Congress veteran C K Jaffer Sharief is once again trying to field his grandson Rehman Sharief from Hebbal in central Bengaluru. He had lost last time to the BJP. Another Congress stalwart Margaret Alva has been demanding a ticket for her youngest son Nivedith Alva from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district. After the 2008 Assembly polls debacle, an angry Alva had lashed out at the high command for giving tickets to some and denying it to others. She was even removed as AICC general secretary for speaking out. The veteran Dalit leader and seven time Congress MP from Kolar K H Muniyappa is also trying to field his daughter Roopa from Kolar Gold Fields (KGF). The Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad has decided to retire from politics paving the way for his son. The late CM N Dharam Singhs son-in-law Chandra Singh is eyeing a Congress ticket from Bidar South. He is upset over the induction of sitting independent MLA Ashok Kheny into the Congress. Former Union minister the late B Shankaranandas son-in-law Sindhe Bhimsen Rao is contesting from Aurad in Bidar district. In the current Assembly there are two pairs of father son MLAs. Both are from the Congress. There is also an exception. Even though the party wants Planning minister M R Seetharams son Raksha Ram to contest from his fathers prestigious seat Malleshwaram, he has politely declined the offer saying that both father and son should not be in the same government. BJPs CM face B S Yeddyurappa is planning to field his MLA son B Y Raghavendra from Ranebennur Assembly seat in Haveri district. His another son B Y Vijayendra was initially interested in contesting from one of the seats in Bengaluru city. He seems to have backed off after a negative ground report. In JDS, Gowdas grandson Prajwal Revanna is seeking a ticket from RR Nagara in Bengaluru city to contest against sitting Congress MLA Muniratna. JDS state chief H D Kumaraswamys wife Anitha is also eyeing Channapatna seat in Bengaluru rural. But senior Gowda has poured cold water over their dreams by declaring that except his two sons, no other family members will get party ticket this time. However, family aides are hopeful of convincing him closer to the nomination date. New Delhi: A college student on Friday was stabbed outside her institution in Chennai's K.K. Nagar and the attacker was caught and handed over to the police. Ashwini, a B.com student, was taken to a private hospital but she succumbed to her injuries. Aswini's body is presently at the Government Hospital in Omandurar, where a postmortem is being carried out. The victim's parents have been informed about the incident. According to police sources, the investigation is looking into whether this was a crime motivated by revenge. According to reports, Aswini had filed a complaint against her attacker for harassment but it appears the police did not take any action. Visuals show the attacker tied up and beaten up by bystanders before being handed over to the police. New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron will be landing in India on Friday for a four-day trip two years after his predecessor Francois Hollande attended the 2016 Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. Macron took charge as Frances President in May 2017, which was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to France. The two nations have, over the last couple of years, strengthened their relationship with a slew of agreements ranging from solar power, nuclear energy to defence. Macrons visit, too, is as strategic as it can get, with agreements expected to be signed with an aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation and association. The 40-year-old president, who is travelling with a delegation of French companies that includes EDF, Dassault Aviation, Schneider Electric and Suez, will also inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie in Uttar Pradesh. AIR DEFENCE Rafale is probably the most talked about defence deal that the country has seen in many years. There have been allegations surrounding the purchase of jets and the opposition slamming the Indian government on its silence regarding the expenditure. The multi-billion dollar deal was signed during Hollandes term. Commenting on the controversy in India around the deal, Macron, in an interview to an Indian media house had said that while it was not usual to disclose details of such a deal, he was okay if the Indian government wanted to share the details of it with the opposition. As part of the Rafale deal, the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) is also expected to be a huge part of the talks. The foundation stone of DRAL was laid in October 2017, when the French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly visited India. SOLAR POWER International Solar Alliance (ISA), a treaty-based organization, was the first ever in India and was launched by Modi and Hollande in 2015 on the sidelines of the 2015 Climate Change Conference. It became Indias trump card in the whole climate change debate. It is even more significant now after the United States famously backed out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The ISA is one of the major initiatives between the two nations and the agreement has already been signed by 56 countries, with an aim to provide affordable solar energy to people, thereby curbing the emission of greenhouse gases. Macron will be co-chairing the inaugural session of the ISA that is all set to host more than a dozen leaders and Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines. WATER DEFENCE Earlier this year, Macron had said that France will strike Syria if it was found that chemical weapons were being used in the country against its civilians. His statement followed reportedly by a call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was enough for people to talk about Frances interests in Asia. Last year during Parlys visit, she emphasized on the need for maritime cooperation in South and Southeast Asia. While he has made no concrete statement on Frances fresh interests in the Asian global order as one sees it changing, Macron is expected to sign deals that will allow Indian vessels access Frances Indian Ocean ports and vice-versa. Considering Indias initiative to bring together Australia, Japan and the United States of America or the Quad as they are known and Chinas open declaration of expanding and strengthening its maritime power, Indian access to French ports in the Indian Ocean would be of great significance. Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police have arrested KT Naveen Kumar in the Gauri Lankesh murder case and identified him as accused number one in the ongoing probe. Opposing the bail plea of KT Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja, the government advocate informed a court that the police need to interrogate him further. The government advocate also gave details of the investigation to the court in a sealed cover, marking a major development in the sensational case. The police also wanted permission from the court to carry out lie detector test, brain mapping and narco test on the "accused". The court though posted the matter for deciding whether tests can be allowed for March 12. Police sources say, Naveen has named an accomplice and efforts are on to nab the person. Earlier, SIT, tasked with probing Lankesh murder case, had Naveen in its custody for questioning, which ended today. The police, thereafter, sought time from court for further questioning. The court allowed the custody till March 15. Gauri Lankesh, 55, the editor of Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead outside her residence in Bengalurus southwestern suburb on September 5 last year. Of the seven bullets fired, three hit Lankesh two in the chest and one in the forehead. The BJP has alleged that the states Congress government is trying to pin the murder on Naveen Kumar because of his affiliation with Hindutva organisations. Party MP Shobha Karandalaje had alleged that the Siddaramaiah government was implicating Kumar to make the BJP look bad before Karnataka elections. Kumar was arrested by the Bengaluru Police near the main bus terminus at Majestic area a few days ago. A local court had sent him to the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder case. According to police sources, Naveen Kumar has close links to several radical Hindu outfits and was reportedly angry with Lankesh for "insulting" Hindu gods and goddesses. Kumar belongs to Birur, a small town in south Karnatakas Chikkamagalur district, and had allegedly trained two other suspects Abhi and Ani in shooting. He allegedly made trips to Pune and Mumbai to procure and sell guns. Police suspect that either Kumar was directly involved in Gauri Lankeshs murder or had supplied weapons to the killers. One of the men caught on the CCTV cameras at Lankeshs house bears resemblance to him, the sources claim. The police also reportedly recovered a .32 bore rifle and 15 live cartridges from Kumar. Srinagar: Unknown gunmen shot a leading hotelier in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on Friday, sending the town in a tizzy. Ishtiyaq Ahmad, 48, was returning home on a motorbike when he was shot in his head from a close range in a narrow alley. The assailants fled from the spot undetected. He was found lying in a pool of blood by people living in nearby houses, who heard the gunshots and came to investigate. The shooting occurred between 8.20 to 8.30 pm. Locals told police he was shot in a dark alleyway. Apparently, the assassins took advantage of the evening power outage to shoot him, they said. Police have recovered a 9mm pistol bullet from the spot but so far not been able to draw any clues about the killers. The body has been sent to hospital for post mortem after senior police officers arrived on the spot. They were seen making inquiries. Kishtwar has been relatively peaceful and the town specifically has not seen a militant incident for the last several years. Ahmads family members, friends and the people in large numbers rushed to the hospital to express their ire over the killing. Police have formed a team to investigate the killing. A forensic science expert team would be rushed from Jammu to help in the probe. The body was shifted to hospital mortuary room and will be handed over to the family members after an autopsy and finalization of all legal formalities. Jaipur: The Rajasthan Assembly on Friday passed a bill to award death penalty to those found guilty of raping girls below 12 years of age, becoming the second state after Madhya Pradesh to do so. The Haryana Cabinet has also given its nod to make similar amendments in the Indian Penal Code, but has not yet passed the bill in the assembly. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018, was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday. It seeks to add section 376-AA in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which also limits sets the minimum punishment for raping girls below 12 years of age as 14 years. Whoever commits rape on a woman up to twelve years of age shall be punished with death, or rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than fourteen years but which may extend to imprisonment for life which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that persons natural life, and shall also be liable to fine, the amendment said. A similar section, under section 376-DD, has been added for gang-rape. The government said that it is bringing in the amendment as it has come to its notice that offences relating to child rape and child gang-rape are increasing. Such crimes are heinous and turn the life of the victim into hell, the government said in a statement. It is the prime duty of the society and the state to protect its offspring against all odds and give them an environment conducive for their mental and physical development. Therefore, such offences need to be dealt with an iron hand, it said The state government is of the considered view that to protect the girl child up to twelve years of age from such heinous crimes, a deterrent punishment which may extend to the death of the offender should be provided for, the statement added. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday granted interim relief to Karti Chidambaram from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the INX Media. The court granted interim protection from arrest to Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, till March 20 in the INX Media money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Justice S Ravindra Bhat also made it clear that in case the special court grants Karti bail in the CBI case which has registered a corruption case against him, the ED will not arrest him till the next hearing before it. The CBIs plea for extension of his custody is listed before Patiala House later in the day. The court also issued a notice and sought a response of the Centre and the ED on Karti's plea challenging the issuance of summons and proceedings initiated against him in the money laundering case. The court also asked Karti to cooperate with the investigation and not fly out of the country. On Thursday, there were heated arguments in the Supreme Court with the Enforcement Directorate strongly opposing the green signal given to Karti to withdraw his plea against the probe agency's summons and to approach the Delhi High Court for seeking relief. The ED said allowing Karti, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, to approach the high court in the money laundering case arising out of the INX Media graft case, would set a "bad precedent" for others. During a nearly two-hour hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED and Karti's senior counsel Kapil Sibal, traded a volley of charges. However, the bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, acceded to Karti's plea and asked the acting chief justice of the high court to allocate it before an appropriate bench for hearing. Hours after the apex court order, Karti's lawyers -- Dayan Krishnan and Mohit Mathur -- approached the high court where Justice S Ravindra Bhat dealt with the petition in his chamber and posted the matter for hearing on Friday. Karti, who is in the custody of the CBI, will be produced before a trial court on Friday on expiry of his three-day custodial interrogation. He has been in CBI custody since his arrest on February 28. The agency can seek his police custody for six more days under the law in addition to nine days already granted. Special Judge Sunil Rana will also hear the bail plea of Karti and the CBI's application to conduct a narco analysis test on him. The agency, during previous hearings, alleged that he was not cooperating in the probe and was evasive in responding even to routine questions by parroting that the case against him was politically motivated to target his father during whose tenure as the Union finance minister, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance was granted to the INX Media group. The ED opposed Sibal's contention that Karti should be allowed to withdraw the petition and approach the high court. Sibal also sought one week's interim protection from arrest by the ED in the case.However, Mehta opposed Sibal's submission, saying by "allowing the petitioner to withdraw and approach the high court by the Supreme Court will send a wrong signal to all those who are facing money laundering cases. There will be 50 petitions next day. What message we will be sending to others". He said it will set a bad precedent for others who would first approach the apex court by way of petitions seeking interim protection and then seek permission to move high court. The bench asked Mehta "What if Karti is arrested by the ED as soon as he is released by the CBI from its custody?" "He himself says he is not a 'common criminal'. But I ask myself what do common criminals do when released in one case and fear arrest in the other case. They apply for anticipatory bail. It is his constitutional right," Mehta said, adding that the court may quash the proceedings if it so wished, but it should not allow him to withdraw the petition. The bench said it will pass orders directing the high court to entertain the petition of Karti and pass the interim order once a proper application was moved. Ottawa: Convicted Khalistan terrorist Jaspal Atwal apologised on Thursday for causing embarrassment to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his recent trip to India. Jaspal Atwal, who was part of the Khalistan movement that supported an independent Sikh nation in the 1980s and went to prison for the attempted murder of visiting Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986, was invited to a dinner with Trudeau in New Delhi causing consternation among his hosts. Trudeau's visit to India had already been dogged by suspicions that Canada was soft on Khalistan separatists. "I am sorry for any embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and my family," the 62-year-old told a news conference. "I renounce any form of terrorism," he said. "I do not advocate for an independent Sikh nation. I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India." Since his parole, Atwal said he has engaged broadly in politics on behalf of the Indo-Canadian community, and visited India numerous times, including three visits over the past year, each time "with the full permission of the Indian government. "There were also no restrictions placed on me by Canada so that I could not travel," he added. Before his latest trip, Atwal said he reached out to his local member of Parliament, Randeep Sarai, to ask if he could attend a reception with Trudeau in India. "I had assumed there would be no problems. No one had at any point indicated there would be any issues," he said. The controversy has continued to hound Trudeau since his return to Canada, with opposition parties and editorialists heaping scorn on the prime minister over the misstep. Sarai, meanwhile, has been stripped of his responsibilities within the Liberal caucus. Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday adjourned the bail hearing of Mohammed Nalapad Haris, son of MLA NA Haris, till Monday. Nalapad had approached the high court for bail last week after a local court denied him bail. He is accused of allegedly assaulting a man on February 17. The hearing was adjourned after Nalapad's advocate CV Nagesh told the court that he needed to present his side further. This came after the prosecution argued that the documents submitted were fabricated. Nalapad, along with his associates, allegedly brutally assaulted Vidwat, a 24-year-old-man, in Farzi cafe, a restaurant in Bengaluru. The issue began when Vidwat is said to have stretched his fractured leg out and Nalapad asked him to move it, which snowballed and ended up in an assault leaving Vidwat with multiple fractures. Further, Vidwat accused Nalapad of assaulting him again after he was admitted to hospital, in hospital. Nalapad's advocate produced documents including Vidwat's discharge summary, stating that he continued to be admitted at the hospital in spite of the doctor stating he was deemed fit to be discharged. In addition, he argued that Vidwat's injuries were not as critical in nature as it is being presented. He also contested the attempt to murder charges on Nalapad and his associates. Shyamsundar, arguing for Vidwat, contested that the documents produced were confidential in nature and not ones that even the patient receives from the hospital, and that there were discrepancies in the medical reports possessed by the two sides signed by the same doctor. Therefore, calling it fabricated. MLA NA Harris had published the discharge summary of Vidwat on social media which was also pointed out by Vidwat's lawyer. He argued that there was interference in the case and also said that there were threats made to people including him. Granting bail would affect the case, he said. The hearing of the case will continue on Monday. Nalapad is currently lodged at the Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru and is charged with attempt to murder, among other charges. New Delhi: After nine days in custody, a Delhi Court on Friday granted a further three days' custody of Karti Chidambaram to the Central Bureau of Investigation after the agency claimed to have raided a new premise of Advantage Strategic. They further added that Karti would be confronted with CA Bhaskaraman and Indrani Mukherjee as well. The matter will now be heard on March 12. CBI had sought to extend of the custody by six days in the the INX Media money laundering case, saying that it raided a "new address" of the Advantage Strategic Private Limited which has led the agency to discover several incriminating documents which link Karti to the firm. Karti has been continuously denying any association with the organisation. This comes days after CBI had presented a confidential document to the court, showing that they had discovered evidence incriminating Karti in dollar transactions. This is apart from the statement by Indrani who claimed that she and her husband Peter Mukherjee had paid a bride of 3 million dollars to Karti for a FIPB approval to INX media house. "Based on the information received during the interrogation, raids have been conducted yesterday and day before at the office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd. This office was not known earlier. Vast voluminous documents have been recovered which have some direct link hence it will be necessary to confront Karti with this," said ASG Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI. CBI also claimed that that the forensic results of the hard disk of Bhaskaraman, Kartis accountant, had arrived and that Karti would now be interrogated with the same. The agency has moved an application to confront Bhaskaraman with Karti now after extension of the custody. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Karti, lashed out at the CBI saying that the agency was keeping Karti in a cell with guards playing cards till late night, which led to his blood pressure shooting up. "On March 6, for some mysterious reason, Karti was moved to a cell where four guards were too put up with him. There is a light shining into the room all the time as the guards were playing cards. On night of 6th and 7th, Karti was questioned till 2.30 am. March 7, Karti was allowed to sleep at 10.30 pm and BP was 140/90. On March 8, Karti's BP was 150/100. Does this mean that continued harassment will go on unless a suitable confession is given?" he said. Singhvi also stated that the address raided by the CBI was given by him through an affidavit to the agency on July 17, 2017 and the claim of discovery made by CBI was completely "spurious." "I am astonished that the case has been going on for a year. The secret office address which you are saying now is a registered office of the company which is there in the ROC. Is it possible that the country's premier investigative agency can't know the registered address of the company. This is travesty of justice if such frivolous grounds are used to seek further custody," he said. He also moved a bail application, but since the CBI was not ready with a reply, it will be now be filed on or before March 14. New Delhi: Shafin Jahan is a happy man. As the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the Kerala High Court order that annulled his marriage to Hadiya, he couldnt wait to speak to his wife. But you can only call after 4:30pm. So, I waited patiently. When I finally got her on the phone, it was the happiest moment, he told News18. Hadiya is currently pursuing her studies at a college in Salem after the court last year allowed her to finish her homeopathy course. Cut to Thursday, the Supreme Court set aside the Kerala HC order annulling the marriage of Hadiya in Kerala 'love jihad' case and said that she cant be in anyones custody and that she was free to follow her pursuits. Hadiya got to know the development from Shafin, something that he is extremely happy about. I am so happy that she got the news from me first. Its a different feeling altogether, experiencing this moment. Her happiness knew no bounds. Weve come a long way; its not a struggle that started yesterday or the day before. This judgment has only cemented our resolve to be together, he said. As the court first let his wife continue her studies and now struck down the order of annulment, Jahan said that truth was prevailing, one step at a time and it was worth the wait and struggle. Mending ties with Hadiyas father, Asokan, is something that he wants to do in the near future. Speaking to News18 after the verdict, Ashokan said that he was happy with the judgment on letting the NIA probe continue but still believes that the court has not taken into account all aspects of the case. Jahan, however, said that there will come a time when his father-in-law will accept him openly. There is a strong rumour about him being under the influence of RSS. But I am sure he will come to accept me and our marriage. We will wait for that day, said Jahan. During the course of the SC hearing, Hadiya has maintained that she voluntarily wanted to be with her husband Shafin Jahan. In January, when Supreme Court Justice Chandrachud asked her about her dreams for the future, she said, "I want freedom." The Kerala HC had annulled Hadiyas marriage to Jahan in May 2017 and gave her custody to her parents. The SC, in January 2018, had said that it is only Hadiya herself, who has the rights to decide on her choices. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a "living will" authorising the withdrawal of life-support system for patients suffering from terminal and irreversible illnesses. It recognised a persons right to die with dignity. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said passive euthanasia and advance living will are "permissible". The bench, also comprising justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan also laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. "When the rainbow of life becomes colourless life becomes still and frozen... sanctity of life is destroyed. Should we not allow them to cross the door and meet the death with dignity? For some, even their death could be moment of celebration, the bench said. The apex court said that advance directives for terminally-ill patients could be issued and executed by the next friend and relatives of such person after which a medical board would consider it. The top court said that directions and guidelines laid down by it and its directive shall remain in force till a legislation is brought on the issue. The CJI, while reading out the judgment, said that though there were four separate opinions of the bench but all the judges were unanimous that the 'living will' should be permitted since a person cannot be allowed to continue suffering in a comatose state when he or she doesn't wish to live. The top court had in 2011 recognised passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaug case by which it had permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause, saying safeguards were needed while taking a decision by medical boards to withdraw life support of a terminally-ill patient. On January 15, 2016, the Centre had said the 241st report of the Law Commission stated that passive euthanasia should be allowed with certain safeguards and there was also a proposed law Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patient (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill, 2006. (With PTI inputs) Bengaluru: The special team formed to probe the security lapse after the murderous attack on Justice Vishwanath Shetty at the Lokayukta office in Bengaluru on Wednesday has found that the "faulty" metal detector outside was not faulty after all. It had just been disconnected from the power source for some inexplicable reason. "We were checking what went wrong and connected it. Then we realised it was working perfectly fine," said a puzzled official involved with the probe. The high-level probe team, headed by a joint commissioner of the crime division, was formed after questions were raised over how a man with a knife was able to walk into the office and stab Justice Shetty thrice in the chest. According to officials, accused Tejraj Sharma may have realised that sneaking the knife into the building would be easy as he had visited the office three times before Wednesday. It is possible that he observed that the detector wasn't functional. Neither was there a beep to warn about people carrying weapons, nor was the blinker light on, the official said. The accused was a disgruntled furniture trader, who had filed a complaint to the Lokayukta against 10 government officials, but it was dismissed due to a lack of evidence. The official added that as the Lokayukta is an autonomous institution, the installation of the equipment and its maintenance was taken care of by them for many years. This switching-off of equipment went unnoticed, said the official. Interestingly, there are many police officers who are posted in the building to carry out anti-corruption investigations, but they too missed the fact that the security equipment wasnt operational. The metal detector, then, was more for decorative value. The incident has forced the government to analyse the security measures at the three secretariat buildings the Vidhan Souda, Vikas Souda and the building that house the offices of all ministers and government officials, the Lokayukta and the Information Commission. Recommendations will be made on how to restrict access to visitors who walk in without permission or appointments, the misuse of some of the lanes around these buildings as they are thoroughfares, protocols on entry to each office, gadgets to be installed and a number of personnel to be deployed to check bags and keep weapons out. A detailed report could take about two weeks. Meanwhile, heads have begun to roll. The deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in-charge of security at the three major Secretariat buildings in central Bengaluru has been suspended. "Prima facie, he is the overall in-charge of security for all the buildings. Besides, the same accused had gone to the Lokayukta's office just 15 days ago and had had a verbal fight with him. And the afternoon hours are normal visiting hours for all government offices. They know that visitors will come during these times. Given the circumstances, he should have been alerted about this and taken precautions," said a home department official. In a big victory for freedom of choice, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra upheld the marriage of Hadiya and Shafin Jahan, ruling it is was her choice to live with whoever she wishes to. The verdict set aside the controversial 2017 ruling by the Kerala High Court, which had given the custody of the 24-year-old to her father Ashokan. The HC had stated that Hadiya was incapable of taking decisions relating to her marriage. This is how Kerala High Court got it wrong in the Hadiya 'Love Jihad' case. The CBI moved the Supreme Court against the acquittal of the Talwar couple in their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj's murder. The Allahabad High Court had in October 12 last year acquitted the dentist couple, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the 2008 twin murder case. Massive protests rocked the Jadavpur University campus when a group of students affiliated to Hindu Jagran Manch tried to burn effigies in front of the university. The right-wing students had planned a protest against the alleged involvement of JU students in defacing a statue of Jana Sangh leader Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. Some police officials were also injured in the violent clashes that followed the protests after several Left-leaning students stood up to the right-wing supporters' protests and outnumbered them outside the university gate. In Uttar Pradeshs Saharanpur, caste discrimination begins in the classroom. Brijesh Devi, one of the rarely scheduled caste principals, is one of the three teachers in a school which has over 200 students from classes one to five in Baliyakhedi village. We have no other option but to make children clean the campus and sometimes toilets as well. However, upper caste parents have strictly told us not to involve their children in the process. The upper caste students come in at 9 am and leave around 3 pm. The other children come early to tidy up the school, said Brijesh Devi. Enraged over a couple for not obeying his words, a traffic inspector allegedly kicked a two-wheeler and 'killed' a 30-year-old pregnant woman in Tamil Nadus Trichy district. The accused has been arrested and remanded. The incident happened in Thuvakudi on the TrichyThanjavur national highway when Usha was riding pillion on a motorcycle along with her husband Raja. The Telugu Desam Party pulled out from the NDA government at the Centre over its demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh after months of strained ties with alliance partner BJP. The Supreme Court pulled up the Centre for coming out with a bulky affidavit of over 700 pages on the issue of inadequate facilities for children living in orphanages and childcare institutions and said it cannot waste everyone's time. It requires a lot of grit, passion, and sacrifice for a young woman to serve the Indian Armed Forces. Not only this, rigorous training and a strong mental strength to perform at par with the male counterparts is something that keeps testing these women in all quarters. Here are the 5 women officers securing Maritime Boundaries at the Andaman Islands. Priya Prakash Varrier has made her way into the hearts of a million, overnight after her song Manikya Malaraya Poovi from an upcoming movie Oru Adaar Love went viral on social media. The budding actor also dethroned the likes of Sunny Leone, Deepika Padukone as the most searched celebrity on Google. Do you know how much shes earning per social media post? heres the answer. The Madhya Pradesh government has set up a fund to provide pension to spinsters above 50 years. Nonagenarian architect and reputed urban planner Balkrishna Doshi has been named this year's winner of architecture's highest honour - the Pritzker Prize, becoming the first Indian to do so. Have you seen our special series #BeingAWoman? Well, you need to. Here are some of the stories from the series Picking up garbage. Sweeping floors. Typing out speeches. Illustrating comic books. Writing stories. Wrestling professionally. Fighting wars. Making videos. Reporting on current events. Rocking out on a stage. Horse riding. Ballet dancing. Baking cakes. Conducting research on radioactivity. Flying Planes. Do we need one day to celebrate women? The dancing girls or women of the kothas in Congress House an enclave of seven buildings surrounded by a mujra complex in Mumbai had no one heroine to emulate in the 1980s when hit film songs began to take on an upbeat disco tempo, making the lithe-limbed dancers miss quite a few steps in their tightly wrapped sequined saris. Manish Gaekwad writes on his mother, a Kothi dancer in Bombay. Fifteen Indian women share secret wishes that couldnt be fulfilled (Because they are not men). Agree or disagree? The BJPs continued victories all over the country has threatened other parties, resulting in their alignment, realignment, and regrouping. One can visualise the temporary pact between state leaders growing into a larger alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. If this alliance were to work well, it might encourage other regional parties and groups to come together and form a Mahagathbandhan. The mahagathbandhan, if it comes together at a national level, may have the Congress Party as its nucleus. The pyramidal structure, formed to take on the BJP in 2019, may give an interesting twist to the Hindi belt politics. (Get a fresh dose of the news that matters, delivered directly to your inbox, every morning. The perfect way, to get you started and informed, for the day ahead. Subscribe to News18 Daybreak here.) Washington: A signed vintage photo of Mahatma Gandhi, walking alongside Madan Mohan Malaviya, was auctioned for USD 41,806 in the United States. Signed in fountain pen, "M K Gandhi," the rare photo was taken after the second session of India's Round Table Conference in London in September 1931, according to Boston-based RR Auction. As the delegate acting on behalf of the Indian National Congress, Gandhi attended the second session of the British-organised round table conference, a three-part conference series held in London from 1930 to 1932, with the aim of discussing the ongoing constitutional reforms in India, a media release said. Malaviya, who had formerly been president of the Congress and played a significant role in the Gandhi-led non-cooperation movement, joined him as a representative advocating for a free India. The photo dates to a period in which Gandhi, suffering from pain in his right thumb, opted to write with his left hand, a temporary inconvenience that lasted from August 8-December 19, 1931, according to RR Auction. "The autographed photo of Gandhi presents him as he is doing his life's work," said Bobby Livingston, executive VP at RR Auction. "We are not surprised that this giant of the 20th century still resonates today," he added. At the auction, Karl Marx's letter requesting copies of his 'Revelations' from a noted radical editor sold for USD 53,509. Leo Tolstoy letter was written in 1903 offering editorial advice sold for USD 21,450. Claud Monet letter describing the intensity of his artistic process fetched USD 21,128. Wolfgang Pauli letter written in 1949 to an eminent American physicist sold for USD 14,700 while Jean-Paul Sartre portion of a handwritten draft for his autobiographical work Les Motes sold for USD 12,105, according to PR Auction. The Fine Autographs and Artifacts auction began on February 17 and concluded on March 7. New Delhi: Will the right to life include the right to die with dignity? The Supreme Court will on Friday deliver a significant judgment on passive euthanasia and living will, postulating these principles on one's right to life. In a verdict that is set to break new grounds and demonstrate an evolution of Indian legal jurisprudence, a Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, will rule upon one's right to choose how he should die in cases of terminal illness. The top court needs to examine the scope and width of the right to life under Article 21 to decide whether it could even include a choice to die in certain circumstances. The dilemma was apparent during the hearing of this PIL before the five-judge bench last year when it was pointed out that attempt to take one's life is still a criminal offence under the IPC and recognising passive euthanasia is amenable to be misused. While the PIL petitioner 'Common Cause' has emphasised that there has to be dignity even in death when a person knows his ailments are incurable, the Central government has tried to flag the scope of abuse if living wills are legalised through an order of the apex court. The dilemma was apparent during the course of the arguments when the constitutional issue arises as to whether one's right to self-determination should include the right to waive the fundamental right to life under Article 21. If the Supreme Court is finally satisfied that right to give up life support system and mediation to die with dignity is a lost a facet of right to live with dignity, the Court would need to lay down adequate guidelines to ensure this right is not misused to exploit elders, poor or other vulnerable people. The Court will also need to keep in mind that at a time when medical science has progressed so much, what should be the stage where passive euthanasia can be permitted. The process of drafting living will whereby a person can issue an advance directive about not to be put on life support in case of terminal illness would also require sufficient safeguards against the possibility of misuse. Doctors and magistrate will have to be roped in to make certain living wills are prepared without any kind of duress in a mentally sound condition and contain reasonable clauses, making them authentic documents. On Friday, the Supreme Court is set to script a judicial precedent that would juxtapose right to life with prolongation of life only at the cost of pain and suffering, which may deprive one's dignity and peace. Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday said that the situation on the Line of Control and Working Boundary with India has been rapidly deteriorating since 2017. Responding to a query in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, he alleged India has committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary since January in which 18 civilians have been killed. "Heavy weapons, including moderates are frequently being used by the Indian forces on the civilian population on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the Working Boundary," he said. Asif said the LoC violations were an attempt to divert the attention from the "deteriorating" humanitarian situation in the Valley. He said that the role of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was crucial to ensure peace at the LoC. The minister alleged that Pakistan always extended full cooperation to the UNMOGIP but India was not cooperating with the world body representatives. India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC). Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Office today said it had raised the issue of alleged human rights violations in Kashmir during the 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is being held in Geneva. Speaking at the UNHRC, Pakistan's Deputy Permanent Representative Tahir Andrabi accused India of denying access to the UN Fact Finding Team in the Valley, saying it is a desperate attempt to hide its atrocities in the most militarised zone of the world. The FO said that Andrabi termed the Indian illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir as root of the problem and Pakistan demanded the UN to continue documenting human rights abuses by India in the Valley. Stressing that Pakistan would continue to give its moral and political support to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir in realisation of their inalienable right to self determination, the FO said struggle of Kashmiris for right to self-determination cannot be subsumed under the label of terrorism. Hyderabad: After weeks of tense moments, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu finally withdrew his ministers form the Narendra Modi government on Thursday, saying the Centre has failed to respect the sentiments of the people of Andhra Pradesh by not granting the Special Category Status. With the Centre and state government sparring over the terms under which the bifurcation took place, a Joint Fact Finding Committee (JFC) was formed last month to clear the air. The 20-member team constituted Jana Sena President Pawan Kalyan, intellectuals, experts like Jayaprakash Narayan, K Padmanabhaiah, IYR Krishna Rao and others. The committee, after extensive research, arrived at the conclusion that Andhra Pradesh deserved the Special Category Status, apart from what it has been promised in the AP Reorganization Act. The panel recommended Special Railway Zone in Vizag, alternative port in Dugarajapatnam Port, Kadapa Steel Plant, special finance assistance to backward regions of Rayalaseema, Uttar Andhra and national-level institutions that were promised. The JFC also said that the central government should compensate the Andhra government for a revenue loss of Rs 74,542 crore, caused due to the 2014 bifurcation. Echoing Chandrababu Naidu's claim, the independent committee also questioned the fact that 11 other states are still enjoying the Special Category Status while the Centre has repeatedly said that such a category does not exist anymore. Contrary to what Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday, the committee also concluded that there was no recommendation in the 14th Finance Commission report that the Special Category Status for states should be abolished the ground on which the Centre has denied Andhra Pradesh the special category status. According to JFFCs report, The Finance Commission had merely stated that: We did not make a distinction between special and general category states in determining our norms and recommendations. In our assessment of state resources, we have taken into account the disabilities arising from constraints unique to each state to arrive at the expenditure requirements, which was purely a procedural matter in arriving at the expenditure requirements of the states. The panel also expressed shock at the second reason cited by the Union government to deny Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status. They said that the government thinktank NITI Aayogs decision to do away with the category. They questioned how a non-statutory body can overrule a Cabinet decision. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not only given assurance on the floor of the Rajya Sabha on February 20, 2014 that Andhra Pradesh would be given the Special Category Status, but a subsequent Cabinet decision was also taken to bestow the status on Andhra Pradesh. THE FUNDS FACTOR The Andhra Pradesh government had agreed to the suggestion of a special package of assistance that was made by the Union Finance Minister on September 8, 2016. The two governments mutually agreed on a financial aid of Rs 16,447 crores, in respect of the centrally sponsored schemes component alone. This balance amount yet to be paid in this category is a matter that the state is yet to resolve with the government of India. The Accountant General also worked out an amount of Rs 16,078.76 crore as revenue deficit for 2014-15, which included agricultural redemption of Rs 3,068 crore, financial assistance to Rythu Sadhikarika Samstha of Rs 4,000 crore, financial assistance to Discoms of Rs 1,500 crore and old age pensions of Rs 3,391 crore. However, the Government of India disallowed the four categories on the grounds that they are new schemes and would substantially increase the expenditure. The Centre has arrived at a net deficit of Rs 4,117.89 crore (Rs 16,078.76 minus Rs 11,960.87) and of this, it has already released Rs 3,979.50 crore and promised to release the remaining Rs 138.39 crore. The JFC, on the other hand, has recommended that the financial assistance to Discoms, old age pensions and PRC arrears are legitimate revenue expenditures and should be met by Union government. According to its report, Andhra Pradesh is bound to suffer revenue deficit at least for another 5 years and it is the only state (other than the Special Category Status states), which is saddled with a revenue deficit every year from 2015 to 2020. Almost 95% of the assets of the united Andhra Pradesh have gone to Telangana after the bifurcation as they were located in Hyderabad, rendering Andhra Pradesh a non-viable state. Of the 11 institutions that were promised, 9 have so far been sanctioned by the central government, while two other institutions, central universities at Anantapur and a tribal university at Vizianagaram, are yet to be sanctioned. The approximate cost to be borne by the Government of India for all of these projects is estimated at Rs 11,672.95 crore. Total funds released by the Government of India till now is Rs 576 crore with an additional provision of Rs 277 crore made in the 2018-19 Budget. In case of the Kakinada Petrochemical Complex a PPP model project the estimated cost is Rs 32,900 crore. While the state government had requested the Centre to meet the viability gap of Rs 5,000 crore, there has been no response from them. Similarly, the matter of the Special Railway Zone for Andhra Pradesh is also pending with the Government of India. Again, according to the AP Reorganization Act 2014, the tax arrears are to be collected at the place of assessment and liabilities have to be divided in a 58:42 ration with Telangana. This, too, has resulted in a loss to the Andhra Pradesh government, as most of the company headquarters in Hyderabad went to Telangana, where they pay the taxes. The losses are quantified at Rs 3,820.36 crores, which the Centre should compensate. WHAT WOULD THE SPECIAL STATUS BRING On the other hand, the benefits that the Special Category Status would bring to Andhra, include: Funding of Centre-sponsored schemes in a 90:10 basis; funding of EAP scheme on a 90:10 ratio; fiscal incentives like concession in excise duty up to 10 years; 100% income tax exemption for 10 years; 15-30% capital subsidy on plant and machinery; rebate on insurance premium on capital investment; interest subsidy on working capital loans and transport/freight subsidy; infrastructure support like growth centres scheme, integrated infrastructure development centres, integrated textile parks and mega food parks. New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) at its three-day general body meeting in Nagpur will pass a resolution calling for efforts to protect and conserve Indian languages and dialects. The interesting choice of the resolution comes at a time when some political parties both regional and national have sought to build campaigns around sub-nationalism and regional languages as the BJP makes a decisive attempt to expand its political footprint in areas where it is considered traditionally weak. The resolution at the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) will seek that efforts be made to strengthen the Indian languages and dialects. Sangh workers will work towards this end, RSS Joint General Secretary Dr. Krishna Gopal said at the inaugural press conference of the meet this Friday morning. In the last six months, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has spoken about the preservation of Kannada. The government in the poll-bound state also raised objections to Hindi signboards outside Namma metro stations. The Congress government in Karnataka had on Thursday also approved a state flag. There were protests in the adjoining Tamil Nadu when the recommendations made by the parliamentary committee on languages were approved by the President. TRS government led by CM K Chandrashekar Rao has made compulsory in schools till Class 12. Last year, BJP MP Tathagat Satpathy replied to a letter written in Hindi by a union minister in chaste Odia to what he called imposition of Hindi. As such, BJPs growing dominance in the national landscape especially in the Hindi speaking north, west and central India has given rise to new political narratives by regional parties and satraps woven around sub-nationalism. In the past as well, the RSS has sought to devise programmes to build public opinion around issues through mass campaigns at the ground level. The last big drive was launched at national executive in Hyderabad two years back where RSS passed a resolution calling upon its workers to ensure common cremation ground, temple and well for all communities in a village. The campaign was launched in the aftermath of the Rohith Vemula case and a series of incidents which agitated Dalit communities across the country. Agartala: At his swearing-in on Friday, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb touched the feet of Manik Sarkar as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and several top BJP leaders looked on. Deb said, My gesture of touching Manik Sarkar's feet during the swearing-in function was because I respect our tradition and we need the experience of a veteran leader like him to run the show in Tripura. Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as the chief minister of the first BJP government in Tripura, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front, even as PM Modi assured full support for all-round development of the state. Jishnu Deb Burman of the BJP was sworn in as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers. The Tripura BJP chief also touched upon allies Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) being miffed with the party over berth allocation and said, We are not here to please the IPFT. That is not my job. My job is to ensure that we take Tripura on the path of development and IPFT leader NC Debbarma also realises that. He added, Right now, we are not thinking of expanding our cabinet. Strength matters on the floor of the Assembly but not when it comes to working for the people. IPFT has been given two ministerial berths in the newly-constituted Tripura government. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at a function at the sprawling Assam Rifles ground in Agartala. Forty-eight-year-old Biplab Kumar Deb had staked claim before the governor on March 6 to form the government. The former RSS volunteer also promised to implement the partys poll promises within 100 days. He said, We have decided our priority areas. We will set a deadline of 100 days for our team to implement the promises we made before the people of Tripura. We would firmly handle any violence in the name of trade union activities in the state industrial sector All disruptive activities in the state would be handled firmly; development and positive activities of the government would automatically curb violence, said Deb. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were present at the swearing-in ceremony, besides Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand). The alliance had won the Assembly elections with a two-thirds majority in the 60-member House. The BJP had bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight of the 59 seats that went to polls. Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the Narendra Modi government has unleashed a super emergency on the country and she would do everything in her power to unite all the anti-BJP forces to defeat the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The Trinamool Congress chief also met senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel to discuss the formation of a federal front. "A beginning has to be made. She (Banerjee) was very happy. She said the leadership should not be discussed, the idea is to have a formidable alternative to bring in a change in the government at the Centre. There will be a series of meetings," Patel said. Patel said that Banerjee had also spoken to Sharad Pawar over the phone and confirmed her presence for a meeting of opposition parties on March 27-28. Other senior political leaders would also meet to chalk out a future programme as regards how the shape of national politics would evolve in the coming days, he said. Banerjee also addressed a meeting of the TMC's extended core committee, where she said "someone has to bell the cat." "We want everybody to come together to fight against the BJP. We will help them in all possible ways." Stating that she was not for power, nor any chair, the TMC chief said, "I will be helping everyone. I will coordinate with all the anti-BJP parties, so that they can work together. This is a big fight. A super emergency is going on in the country under the (Narendra) Modi government. The TMC is not scared of anyone. We cannot be intimidated and will show the way to the country. It was from Bengal that renaissance had started." Stating that if the BJP targets Bengal, her party would target the Red Fort in 2019, Banerjee said, "I will ask them (BJP) to manage Delhi first and then think about Bengal." Pointing out that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had pulled out its ministers from the Modi government, she said, "The Shiv Sena is saying it will go on its own. They (BJP) have somehow managed to retain Gujarat." Alleging that the saffron party might try to disturb peace in Bengal, the chief minister exhorted the party workers to be alert. She even asked them to take along the CPM and Congress workers, who could be intimidated to join the BJP during the upcoming panchayat polls in the state. Banerjee asked the TMC workers to strengthen the party in the run-up to the panchayat polls. New Delhi: Amid a flurry of activity in the opposition camp to appropriate leadership of the non-BJP front ahead of the next general elections, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of opposition parties in Delhi on 27 and 28 of March. Party leader and trusted Pawar aide, Praful Patel, travelled to Kolkata to invite TMC leader Mamata Banerjee for the meeting. The West Bengal chief minister has confirmed her participation in the event. Earlier, Pawar had led a save the constitution march in Mumbai this Republic Day for which regional parties had sent in their representatives. Apart from Pawar, other regional leaders to float the idea of anti-BJP front include Telangana Chief Minister K Chadrashekhar Rao. On March 3, KCR 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. It can be a third front or anything. What is required at the time is change and it will emerge at the appropriate time. Change has to happen. It is unification of the people of India and not just some political parties. And this will surely be minus BJP and Congress, no doubt about that, said KCR. At the same time, the TRS leader said that he has nothing against PM Modi. He said he was Modi's "best friend". UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also hosting a dinner for opposition leaders in Delhi next week. Sonia Gandhi continues to lead the Congress Parliamentary Party after handing over the reins of the organization to her son Rahul. A section of the opposition has been more comfortable in dealing with the old guards in the Congress than the new team led by Rahul Gandhi. With Congress conceding a lot of political space to the BJP in north, central and western India in the last general elections, renewed jostling in the opposition ranks is being seen as an attempt by the regional parties to seek leadership of the opposition front. Agartala: Tripura's outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar on Thursday will be shifting to his new residence the CPI(M) state committee office. Sarkar, who has ruled the state for 20 years, is in the process of checking out of his official residence on Marx-Engels Sarani, about 500 metres from his new home, CPI(M) state party secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters. "He would be moving into the party office in a few hours. Sarkar would be living in one room of the party office guest house with his wife Panchali Bhattacharya," he said. CPI(M) Office Secretary Haripada Das said the veteran leader had asserted that he would "eat what is cooked in the party office kitchen". "He has already sent packets of books and clothes and some CDs to the party office. Sarkar might shift to a government quarter if he is allocated one by the new government," Das said. Sarkar's wife had earlier told PTI that she would be donating Marxist literature and books to the party office library and the Birchandra Central library in the city. The couple has no children. The BJP had demolished the Left citadel in the recently concluded Assembly election in Tripura, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front and the 20-year reign of Sarkar. Hyderabad: The resignation of two TDP MPs from the Union Cabinet has been accepted by the President, but party leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has not yet pulled the plug on the alliance. One reason could be the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from the southern state and the number of candidates Naidu nominates. If he decides to go ahead with all three nominations, he will need the alliances support to see their election through. The three Rajya Sabha seats in the state will go to polls on March 23. A look at the seat count shows that the TDP should be able to win two seats, while YSR Congress will get one. The latters nominee Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy has already filed his nomination. Andhra Pradesh has 175 MLAs and to win each Rajya Sabha, parties need the support of 44 lawmakers. With 23 MLAs from the YSR Congress defecting to the ruling TDP, the strength of the Jagan Reddy-led party is left with exactly 44 MLAs. For the third seat, the TDP has 43 MLAs, but this tally includes four BJP lawmakers. The YSR Congress has alleged that the TDP is trying to buy off the MLAs for the third seat. Sources said that the former plans to keep all its 44 MLAs at an undisclosed location to prevent poaching before the election. With Naidu pulling out his men from Modis cabinet, the YSR Congress has accused him of playing a double game and challenged him to walk out of the NDA. The challenge adds to the pressure on Naidu to follow-through on his warning to the Centre over the denial of special package to Andhra Pradesh. The possibility of the BJP teaming up with the YSR Congress is also an additional headache. Naidu is likely to take a call on the alliance on March 11, when the partys Politburo meets in capital Amaravati. Most party leaders have supported a walkout from the NDA, but Chandrababu Naidu, a seasoned politician, and master strategist is weighing all his options in view of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. New Delhi: Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party declared assets worth Rs 634.96 crore in the financial year 2015-16 topping the chart among 20 regional parties followed by Rs 257.18 crore of DMK and Rs 224.84 crore of AIADMK. During the financial year 2011-12, the declared assets of SP was Rs 212.86 crore which increased by 198% to Rs 634.96 crore during the financial year 2015-16. The total assets of AIADMK between the financial year 2011-12 & 2015-16 increased by 155%, from Rs 88.21 crore to Rs 224.87 crore, said the report by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a Delhi based think-tank. The assets declared by regional parties fall under six major heads: fixed assets, loans & advances, deposits, TDS, investments and other assets. During the financial year 2011-12, the regional parties declared maximum assets under deposits which amounted to Rs 331.54 crore (68.77% of total assets) and further increased to Rs 1054.80 crore (80.19% of total assets) in the financial year 2015-16. It is to be noted that the only asset category to show a reduction in value was Loans and Advance. During the financial year 2011-11, parties invested Rs 19.75 crore whose current value stands at Rs 16.20 crore, added the report. New political parties to join the list were YSR Congress, registered in March 2011, and Aam Aadmi Party, registered in November 2012. The average assets declared by these two parties during the financial year 2012-13 was Rs 1.165 crore which increased to Rs 3.765 crore during the financial year 2015-16, added the report. Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and Telegu Desam Party (TDP) happened to be the top two regional parties in terms of liabilities. Highest liabilities during the financial year 2015-16 was declared by TRS (Rs 15.97 crore) but the party had declared nil liabilities during the financial year 2011-12. Second highest liabilities was declared by TDP with Rs 8.186 crore, stated the report. Shiv Sena showed a positive trend by reducing its liabilities in 2015-16. Between the financial year 2013-14 and 2014-15, liabilities of Shivsena reduced by 99.78% (Rs 22.21 cr) while that of TDP increased by 259% (Rs 5.906 cr) between the financial year 2014-15 and 2015-16, said the report The liabilities declared by regional parties fall under two major heads: Borrowings (from banks, overdraft facilities, and sundry creditors) and other liabilities. Nine parties declared nil borrowings during the financial year 2015-16. The total reserve fund set aside by the regional parties during the financial year 2011-12 was Rs 434.635 crore, which increased by Rs 823.535 crore (189.48%) to Rs 1258.17 crore during the financial year 2015-16. Apple is aiming to expand the benefits of an awareness programme, launched in India and China last year to encourage women workers to focus on personal health, to over 1 million women by 2020, the technology giant said on Thursday. In 2017, Apple introduced the special health programme for women with suppliers in India and China. The programme focuses on women because they have an outsized impact on their families and communities and because women are often underserved. Also Read: Amazon CEOs Wealth Soars to New Heights While Trumps Sinks "Beyond ensuring a safe and healthy workplace, we believe that all employees in our supply chain should have the opportunity to learn more about personal wellness and preventive healthcare," Apple said in its 12th annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report. "We believe that everyone making Apple products deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and we're proud that almost 15 million people understand their workplace rights as a result of the work we've done over the years. We're going further with health education programmes and new opportunities for advancement at our suppliers," Jeff Williams, Apple's COO, said in a blogpost. Also Read:Snap Plans to Layoff Nearly 100 Engineers "A new preventive healthcare curriculum is encouraging women to focus on their personal health, and hopefully share that knowledge with their families and communities. "Our goal is to reach one million women by 2020. We know our work is never done and we're committed to raising the bar every year across our supply chain," he said. In the programme, participants learn about nutritional, maternal, and preventive healthcare and are encouraged to share what they learn with their coworkers, families and friends. "Our goal is to enable women in factories to take charge of their personal health and well-being by becoming well-informed of risks specific to women. The programme also encourages them to take a leadership role by sharing their new health awareness with their colleagues, friends, and community," the report said. WATCH VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ First Impressions Review: Best Android Flagships of 2018? False news stories spread much more quickly and widely on Twitter than truthful ones, an imbalance driven more by people than automated "bot" accounts, researchers said on Thursday. A study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab examining about 126,000 stories shared by some 3 million people on Twitter from 2006 to 2017 found that false news was about 70 percent more likely to be retweeted by people than true news. The study, published in the journal Science, was one of the most comprehensive efforts to date to assess the dynamics behind how false news circulates on social media. Twitter and other social media companies such as Facebook have been under scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers and international regulators for doing too little to prevent the spread of false content. U.S. officials have accused Russia of using social media to try to sow discord in the United States and interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The stories examined in the study were reviewed by six independent fact-checking organizations including Snopes and Politifact to assess their veracity. False stories spread significantly more quickly and broadly than true stories in all categories of information, but this was more pronounced for false political news than for false news about terrorism, natural disasters, science, urban legends or financial information, the researchers said. They noted increases in false political stories during the 2012 and 2016 U.S. presidential races. Though Twitter's allowance of bots has come under particular criticism, the MIT researchers found these automated accounts accelerated true and false news equally, meaning people were more directly responsible for the spread of false news. MIT Media Lab researcher and study lead author Soroush Vosoughi said people may be more likely to share false news because it is more surprising, the same way that sensationalized "click bait" headlines garner more attention. "One reason false news might be more surprising is, it goes against people's expectations of the world," Vosoughi said in an interview. "If someone makes up a rumor that goes against what they expected, you are more likely to pass it forward." While the study focused on Twitter, the researchers said their findings likely also would apply to other social media platforms including Facebook. A Twitter spokeswoman declined to comment on the study's findings, but pointed to tweets by company CEO Jack Dorsey last week pledging to "increase the collective health, openness, and civility of public conversation, and to hold ourselves publicly accountable towards progress." Twitter provided funding and some data access to support the study, which was published in the journal Science. The study's findings faulting humans more than bots for sharing false news surprised the researchers, who said they next may look for ways to help people cut down on the sharing of false stories. "Let's not take it as our destiny," said Deb Roy, another of the researchers, "that we have entered into the post-truth world from which we will not emerge." WATCH VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ First Impressions Review: Best Android Flagships of 2018? Washington: US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May, the White House and the South Korean national security adviser said Thursday evening. "President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced in a statement. Trump tweeted, "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" The stunning announcement came after Kim extended an invitation to Trump to meet through South Korean officials, who met with Trump on Thursday. Trump would be the first sitting US president to meet with his North Korean counterpart, a stunning diplomatic breakthrough with uncertain consequences. The South Korean delegation first met with national security adviser Lt. General HR McMaster and then Trump, who then delivered the news, a senior administration official said. It all happened in about an hour. Kim told the South Koreans "he is committed to denuclearisation" and pledged North Korea will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," the South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-Yong said Thursday at the White House. Kim also told the South Koreans he understands that the US and South Korea will move forward with their joint military exercises later this year. Speaking from outside the West Wing, Chung said Kim "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." Trump has expressed an openness to dialogue with North Korea, but the Trump administration has said North Korea must first take concrete steps toward denuclearisation. As of Thursday evening, there was no indication that North Korea had pledged to take those steps. "All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible moves toward denuclearisation," a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday. "What we are looking for is concrete steps toward denuclearisation." Trump's approach to North Korea has wavered between bellicose rhetoric and expressions of openness to diplomacy with the President saying the US would rain "fire and fury" on North Korea one day and then saying he would consider speaking directly with the country's leader under the right circumstances. Amid the potentially breakthrough talks between North and South Korea, the Trump administration has also credited its campaign of "maximum pressure" on North Korea as having brought Pyongyang to the negotiating table. Since Trump came in to office, the US has levelled some of its most significant and far-reaching sanctions against North Korea and has also succeeded in pressuring China to further isolate the regime. Washington: As he signed orders imposing stiff and sweeping new tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, US President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to be hardening his stance on China, with which America has an annual trade deficit of nearly $500 billion. Trump also pitched for the "reciprocal tax" programme, which, he says, would ensure "fair trade deals" for the US. Trump doesn't hesitate naming India while talking about the reciprocal tax. The US President mentioned China several times in his speech in the Roosevelt Room of the White House at a ceremony wherein he signed two proclamations to impose 25 percent and 10 percent import duties on steel and aluminium, respectively. "China says it's got two percent, but it sends much more. We're going to have a great relationship, hopefully, with China, but we have to do something. We're losing with China $500 billion a year. We have to do something," Trump told reporters during the signing ceremony. Trump said the US is going to stop the trans-shipping. "Well, we'll let it happen, but they've got to pay. So trans-shipping, frankly, is a big deal," he said. "And they trans-ship, and we're going to accept their product, but it's going to cost a lot of money from the standpoint of the trans-shipper," he added. The US, he said, is negotiating now with China. "We're in the midst of a big negotiation. I don't know that anything is going to come of it. They have been very helpful. President Xi, I have great respect for. A lot of respect," he said. "But we're going to cut down the deficits one way or the other. We have a deficit with China of at least $500 billion. When you add intellectual property, it's much higher than that," Trump said. He then referred to a tweet from Tesla chief Elon Musk. "Very interesting, I saw a tweet, just came in from Elon Musk who's using our wonderful space facilities and did a great job three weeks ago. He said, 'For example, an American car going to China pays 25 percent import duty. But a Chinese car coming to the United States only pays 2.5 percent. A ten-fold difference'," the US president said. "So an American car going to China pays 25 percent import duty. We send our car over there, pay 25 percent. They send their car over here, 2.5 percent. Ten points. But everybody knows it, they've known it for years. They never did anything about it. It's got to change," Trump said as he once again raked up the issue of high import duty on Harley-Davidson motorcycles by India. "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax program at some point, so that if China's going to charge us 25 percent or if India's going to charge us 75 percent, and we charge them nothing. If they're at 50 or they're at 75 or they're at 25, we're going to be at those same numbers," he said. "So, they charge us 50, we charge them 50. Right now, they'll charge us 50, we charge them nothing. Doesn't work. So that's called a "reciprocal tax," or "mirror tax. And we're going to be doing a lot of that," he added. China, which ranks 11 among the largest sources of US steel imports, cautioned on Thursday that it was prepared to "make an appropriate and necessary response" should the United States impose the tariffs. Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted France to supplant Britain as New Delhi's partner of choice in Europe, as he embarked on a four-day tour of India. Macron, a pro-business centrist who swept to power last year, has been beating the drum for France as a new, modernised "startup nation" on the world stage, while he pushes ahead with a wide-ranging programme of reforms at home. He has also used Britain's decision to leave the European Union to pitch France as an investment destination at the heart of the European single market. "Your historical partner in Europe was the UK, and I want France to become the new partner," Macron told India Today in an interview published on its website. "I want France to become the reference partner of the 21st century." The 40-year-old president, who is travelling with a delegation of French companies that includes EDF, Dassault Aviation, Schneider Electric and Suez, will also inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie in Uttar Pradesh. "I think India has to operate much more with Europe and the European Union as a whole. I want France to be its entry point," Macron said. "I want your creativity, your entrepreneurship, your young people to be much more present in France. Much more known and recognised. And I want to see the same from the French side." India was the third-largest source of foreign direct investment into Britain in 2015, contributing to its position as Europe's top destination for foreign direct investment, according to official British figures. By comparison, India was only the 30th largest investor in France, according to 2013 Bank of France figures. Among recent wins for France is India's purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault in 2016. It beat out the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built by a European consortium that includes Britain's BAE Systems. But talks to sell six new-generation EPR nuclear reactors built by state utility EDF and Areva have dragged on. Islamabad: A Pakistani court ruled on Friday that all citizens must declare their religion when applying for identity documents, a move human rights advocates say is another blow for the country's persecuted minority communities. The ruling will pile further pressure on the Ahmadi community, who are not allowed to call themselves Muslim or use Islamic symbols in their religious practices, a crime punishable under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. The Islamabad High Court ruled that citizens who disguised their religious affiliation were guilty of betraying the state and ordered that anyone applying for government jobs should declare their faith. "The Government of Pakistan shall take special measure ensuring availability of correct particulars of all the citizens," Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said in the judgement. "It should not be possible for any citizen to hide his/her real identity and recognition." If no appeal is launched, the court's directives will have to be followed. The vast majority of Pakistan's 208 million people are Muslims, with minorities accounting for about 3 percent of the population, according to a 1998 census. The Ahmadi community has been a target of mob violence and attacks since legislation categorised the sect as non-Muslim in 1974 and have been vilified as blasphemers by leaders of new ultra-religious political party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan. The judge "is not only attacking everybody's religious freedom in Pakistan but he is also focusing on one particular sect, which is the Ahmadis," said Human Rights Watch representative Saroop Ijaz. "A judgement like this would enable and incite violence." The order was issued as a result of a petition brought forward by Tehreek-e-Labaik in connection with a change in wording to an electoral law. The amendment sought to replace a religious oath with a simple declaration, which Tehreek-e-Labaik said was blasphemy. The government blamed the change on a clerical error and swiftly restored the original format. Last year, Tehreek-e-Labaik shut down the nation's capital for nearly three weeks with protests against the change. Seven people were killed and nearly 200 wounded in a failed police bid to disperse protesters, leading the government to give way to their demand that a minister accused of blasphemy resign. Insulting the Prophet Mohammad is punishable by death in Pakistan and even a rumour of blasphemy can spark mob violence. "All his (the judge's) specific instructions are about ensuring and finding out who is an Ahmadi," human rights lawyer Jibran Nasir told Reuters, adding that the order would automatically provide the government with specific lists about who belongs to which minority group. "Every day they are being institutionally reminded that they are a minority," he added. "It is a bigoted order." Pakistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims regularly come under attack by Islamist groups. Members of its small Hindu and Christian communities have also sometimes been accused of blasphemy. Islamabad: A Pakistan court has ordered the election commission to allow the registration of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as a political party. The order came days after a Pakistani court extended a stay against the "possible arrest" of the JuD chief till April 4. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday set aside a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reject the application of Jamaat-ud-Dawah's political front Milli Muslim League (MML) for registration as a political party. Justice Aamer Farooq sent the case back to the ECP asking it to proceed further on the application by giving the party an opportunity of hearing, Dawn newspaper reported. The MML through its president Saifullah Khalid approached the IHC and made the ECP and the interior secretary respondents in the matter. Challenging the ECP's order of October 11, 2017, the petition described it unreasonable, illegal as well as against the Constitution and the law. "Article 17 (2) of the Constitution confers a fundamental right on every citizen, not being in the service of Pakistan, to form or to be a member of a political party, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by the law in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan," the petitioner maintained. He prayed to the court to set aside the order and direct the ECP to scrutinise the documents afresh, strictly in accordance with the law and enlist the party. The ECP had turned down the plea of the MML because of its alleged links with banned militant outfits. The ECP took the decision on the basis of a letter from the Ministry of Interior which had asked the commission to ban the MML for having links with banned militant outfits. The ministry had stated that the JuD and its charity Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation (FIF) were banned organisations under the Pakistan Security Council Act 1948. The court's latest order also comes in the backdrop of a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental money-laundering watchdog, that put Pakistan on a greylist. At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his "charities" were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a global terrorist. Saeed, who is accused of having masterminded the November 2008 Mumbai attack, was also placed on the terrorism black list by the United Nations in December 2008. The banned JuD head was released from the house arrest in November last year after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January last year. Geneva: The UN human rights chief said on Thursday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs "psychiatric evaluation". Listing some of Manila's actions against UN envoys, including reportedly filing terrorism charges against one, rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said "it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation." Zeid and other UN rights officials have focused significant attention on Duterte's controversial drug war. Police have killed more than 4,100 drug suspects, but rights groups allege more than 8,000 others have been murdered in what they describe as crimes against humanity. The UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, has become a particular Duterte target over her criticism of his campaign to stamp out illegal drugs. In an exchange with Manila's envoys in the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, Zeid referred to November media reports from the Philippines that quoted Duterte threatening to slap Callamard, while using profanity. "This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected", Zeid told reporters today. Zeid also referred to a pending case against the UN's special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, Victoria Tauli Carpuz. According to Zeid, the Philippine justice ministry charged Carpuz in a regional court last month with terrorism. Manila has accused Carpuz of "alleged membership of the Communist Party of the Philippines and (the) New People's Army", Zeid said. The New People's Army, which is waging a decades-old Maoist armed rebellion, has been designated a "terrorist organisation" by the US State Department. Zeid said that Carpuz believes she has been targeted because of comments she made regarding the alleged killings of indigenous people in the southern region of Mindanao, where Duterte has imposed martial law in an effort to curb a jihadist threat. "This is of course unacceptable for a special rapporteur acting on behalf of the international community whose expertise is sought by the Human Rights Council to be treated in this way", Zeid said. "These attacks cannot go unanswered," he added. Duterte, who took office in 2016 and has boasted of killings he claims to have committed personally, has sidelined many of his top domestic critics. Most recently he has moved against the country's top judge, Maria Lourdes Sereno, who faces all-but-certain impeachment following threats by Duterte over her criticism of the drug war and crackdown on civil rights. Washington: The US State Department said on Thursday that it is offering a $5 million reward for information on Mullah Fazlullah, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban, whose men shot Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. It said in a statement that it also is offering rewards of $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali, the head of a Pakistani Taliban affiliate, and Mangal Bagh, the leader of an allied Pakistani militant group accused of attacking NATO convoys. The State Department announcement came as Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tamina Janjua visited Washington for talks with US officials that were expected to focus on improving counter-terrorism cooperation and on US President Donald Trump's strategy for ending the war in Afghanistan. Washington and Kabul accuse Pakistan of harbouring Afghan Taliban and fighters of the allied Haqqani network, a charge that Islamabad denies. Islamabad charges that the Pakistani Taliban maintain sanctuaries in Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump in January suspended around $2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, charging that it failed to crackdown on the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network. In its statement, the State Department said it is offering the rewards for information on the three militant leaders because they pose threats to Pakistan, as well as US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban, whose Urdu name is Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, also has threatened attacks against the US homeland, it said. The group claimed responsibility for a failed May 2010 bomb attack in New York City's Times Square. The numerous strikes claimed by the group in Pakistan include the October 2012 attempted murder of Yousafzai, then an 11-year-old who advocated education for girls. She received the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. Wali is the leader of a TTP affiliate called Jamaat ul-Ahrar, or JUA, which has struck civilians, religious minorities, military personnel and law enforcement officials and killed two local employees of the US Consulate in Peshawar in March 2016, the State Department said. Mangal Bagh, the department said, leads Lashkar-i-Islam, a TTP ally involved in drug trafficking, smuggling and extorting "taxes" on trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The group also has attacked NATO supply convoys plying between Afghanistan and Pakistan's port of Karachi, it said. "Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals," the department said. Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes is coming to DC in 2022 Plus Wonder Woman returns to the Justice League while OMAC returns to the DCU The very idea of the first camera from Google causes people to freak out. The tiny Clips camera, which arrived in stores Tuesday, decides on its own what to record. Whenever it's on, artificial intelligence inside is watching. "This doesn't even *seem* innocent," tweeted Elon Musk after Google announced Clips in October. When I first saw one, I couldn't shake the feeling Google had created the creepy surveillance contraption in Dave Eggers' Silicon Valley horror "The Circle." So in the interests of science and averting dystopia, I've been using a $250 Clips for the past two weeks. I turned its eye on a toddler playgroup. I wore it in the subway. I clipped it onto a feather toy at a cat cafe. And I learned Google's candid camera isn't an evil all-seeing eye. In fact, it's not even good enough to replace the need for your camera on your phone. But it tells us a lot about where technology is heading, for better and worse. Video: The Post's Geoffrey A. Fowler took a trip to a cat cafe in San Francisco to test Google's new camera, which contains A.I. to capture cute moments.(Jhaan Elker,Geoffrey Fowler,Javaria Khan/The Washington Post) Clips is like a GoPro with a mind of its own. It's the first camera that seeks to use AI to replace the main job of photographers: pressing the shutter button. It's not hard to imagine the appeal to helicopter parents and anyone who spends too much time operating a smartphone camera. You set this thing near your baby (human, feline or canine) and it will sift through all the boring moments to record 7-second video bursts of some of the interesting ones. Many of us record far more than we ever edit, or even look at. To Google that looks like a problem AI might solve. What's just as remarkable as Google's AI advances is that the tech giant seems to have understood it makes people uncomfortable. In a number of notably un-Googly ways, Clips plays it extra careful with how it handles data that could easily become yet another privacy incursion. At least on this first version. And Clips is definitely just the beginning for AI in cameras and all sorts of everyday things. Getting the shot - sometimes From the moment you twist the lens on the Clips to turn it on, the camera starts hunting for interesting shots. Its wide-angle lens can see a bit more than most phones, though it captures scenes at a lower quality and without any sound. But how does Clips know what's interesting? Google says it spent three years studying what people do with cameras. Then it hired three professionals - a documentary filmmaker, a photojournalist and a fine arts photographer - to train its camera how to pick good shots when they happen. Good: Stability with a little bit of motion. Bad: Fingers obscuring the lens. They taught it to look for joyous faces, especially of children, and to recognize dogs and cats. When I took it into the real world, Clips captured about half of what I would have chosen - and some of what I would not. Google says AI isn't about finding the needle in a haystack as much as it is clearing away some of the hay. I brought one to a San Francisco cat cafe to see if it would suffice in a setting literally bursting with cute. It got some Like-worthy shots, but didn't replace my phone. I had to keep moving Clips to where the action was in view and in focus, ideally within 3 to 8 feet. (Warning: Cats and dogs also think Clips, which is not waterproof, looks like a chew toy.) The camera seems like something one might wear, but it doesn't work well when you're moving around. And good luck clipping one on a cat. With Clips, in AI you must trust. There is a button you can use to force it to capture, but if you're using that you might as well get out your phone. There's no screen on the back to show you what it sees. It can learn which faces are important if you take a 3-second close up or give it permission to learn from shots in an existing Google Photos library If you're in the market for a camera to record anything other than kids or pets - from recitals to scuba trips - you're better off with an equally tiny $400 GoPro Hero 6 Black. But is it evil? Even with a narrow focus on kids and pets, Clips raises thorny questions. The first one that came to my mind: Does it find black and brown children as appealing as white ones? Google Photos algorithms did, infamously, identify black faces as gorillas in 2015. I tested Clips with a half dozen kids who were Asian, African American and white, and the software seemed equally interested in them all. Google says it is now more sensitive to building inclusive AI, but its algorithms are still a black box-and are only going to get more complicated from here. And forget missed shots: If I'm going to let a product peer into my life, who gets to see what's going on? Just because Clips wasn't trained to recognize images other than faces and pets doesn't mean it won't witness some more eyebrow-raising life moments. Here's where Google surprised me with some unusual-at least for Google-privacy concessions. Clips doesn't connect to the Internet: its intelligence lives on the camera hardware, not in the cloud. (That required some leaps in hardware, it says, that only recently became available.) Google already uses AI to look and analyze people's shots in a far more aggressive way with its popular Photos service-but Clips doesn't rely on that capability. Clips shots stay physically on the camera until you use a companion Android or iPhone app to either transfer over a shot to your phone's camera roll or delete it. (Clips has 16 GB of storage, which I found hard to fill because its battery only lasts about three hours.) Google says it also isn't using our data or our choices about which clips to keep or delete to improve its algorithms. Other issues remain: While you may have control over your own camera, what kind of consent do you need from the people you're recording? Clips does have a blinking light, but it is small. This camera is also an additional beachhead in our playpens and cat palaces for a company that already has way too much data about us. There are plenty of digitally savvy consumers who aren't comfortable with devices like the Google Home speaker, or its rivals Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod. (Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also owns The Washington Post.) A Deloitte survey last year found 40 percent of respondents worried smart home gadgets reveal too much about their personal lives. Clips may be a first for a point-and-shoot camera, but it tells us a lot about how AI is arriving in our lives. Amazon is using AI to judge how we dress, with its Echo Look camera. Earlier this month, a startup called LightHouse debuted an AI home security camera that's smart enough to alert you if the kids are running late coming home from school. I guarantee that improving your cat videos is just the beginning of Google's ambitions. Google deserves a high five for showing there's a way to design AI-powered products that doesn't require beaming data about our lives over the Internet. The risk is that could make us a little more numb if (or when) Google decides to update its terms of service and connect Clips to the cloud. Or puts out a new version that acts more like a surveillance camera. Google spokeswoman Emily Clarke said Clips does not connect to the Internet for both privacy reasons and to prioritize fast transfer data via a phone. As to whether that would change in the future, she said, "We don't speculate." Toys R Us is preparing to close all its stores in a total liquidation, according to multiple reports, with the iconic retailer having spent the past several months attempting to find a path to survival through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding. Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal cited multiple unnamed sources who blamed the development on weak holiday sales that in turn ratcheted up pressure from lenders owed $5 billion. A formal announcement could come as soon as Monday, with the company still holding out hope for a midnight rescue offer. A Toys R Us closure would have immediate ramifications for workers at the stores, which double as outlets for its Babies R Us brand in regulatory disclosures for previous store closings nationally, Toys R Us has listed between 50 and 80 workers in each location. But the companys vendors who extended merchandise or credit on the promise of payment stand to lose, as well, including Lego, which has its U.S. headquarters in Enfield. Other Toys R Us and Babies R Us suppliers with local ties include Wilton-based Melissa & Doug; Compass Diversified Holdings in Westport, which owns the Ergobaby line of infant carriers; Jakks Pacific, which sells action figures under license with Stamford-based WWE; and Newell Brands, which has a corporate office in Norwalk and its umbrella of brands including Graco and Baby Jogger. Its really incumbent upon (companies) like us to make sure that, as those stores come out, that were actively marketing to the consumer and trying to drive her to an alternative location where she can find our products in the price tier that shes shopping in, said Michael Polk, CEO of Newell Brands, speaking to investment analysts in mid-February. Thats a little bit of the inside baseball type of details that are going on in the baby business right now. Also exposed in any liquidation are landlords, with Toys R Us having pressed for better rent terms the past several months. Wayne, N.J.-based Toys R Us was already in the process of closing two Connecticut stores in Newington and North Haven, while intending to push ahead with southwestern Connecticut locations in Danbury, Norwalk and Milford; as well as in Waterbury and Manchester after reversing prior plans to close the two. In Norwalk, city planners were already eyeing the future of a Toys R Us store at the base of Connecticut Avenue, a prominent location overlooking Interstate 95 and the SoNo Collection luxury mall under construction. Connecticut Avenue has drawn ample interest from retailers the past few years, with new locations for REI, Lowes and Wine and Beyond among others. The Toys R Us sites in Danbury and Milford are similarly prominent, anchoring the Danbury Square plaza operated by Greenwich-based Urstadt Biddle Properties adjacent to Danbury Fair mall just off I-84; and in Milford, located at 330 Old Gate Lane across I-95 from the Connecticut Post mall. NEW MILFORD In just a matter of weeks, a newly formed Community Care Team has been able to help four residents get the services they need for mental health and substance abuse. These are what the group hopes are the first of many success stories as it continues to grow and assess the needs of the New Milford community. Community Care Teams, run through the Western Connecticut Health Network, create plans to better serve those at risk from substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness or other problems. They include representatives from the hospital, charitable groups, outplacement facilities and government agencies, and all serve for free. Referrals can come from individuals in the community as well as team members. Its really a grassroots volunteer effort to take care of the neediest people in the community, said Dr. Katherine Tait Michael, WCHNs medical director for behavioral health strategy. Michael said the aim is to streamline services for residents so that they do not need to visit hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency needs. Since the teams started at other network hospitals, ER visits have decreased by about 30 percent in Norwalk and more than 35 percent in Danbury. Middlesex Hospital started the first community team in 2012. Norwalk created one in 2014 and Danbury launched its team in January 2015. The hope was always to expand to New Milford, but it wasnt possible until this year, when the network hired Justin Cullmer, a New Milford resident, as a high risk navigator. The group held its first meeting last month. Cullmer said 15 to 20 agencies are involved, including Loaves and Fishes and New Milford Behavioral Health, and he expects that number to reach 30 as word spreads. Its having the community as a whole take ownership and communicate, he said. New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said its great to have so many organizations involved to cover the spectrum of needs seen within the vulnerable population, and that he is pleased to know it is already proving its worth. If it helps one person, its beneficial, Bass said. At one point community care teams had state funding, but that was zeroed out in recent budget cuts and the programs are now run on donations. The community can contribute online through the hospitals website. The hospital emergency departments will also monitor visits and recommend patients. Its a community effort to make the changes we want to see, Cullmer said. In addition to helping individuals, the New Milford team also created a plan for warming shelters, which have already been used a few times this year. Michael said the teams were also established to break down the silos between agencies. Its an amazing thing when you get everyone in the ame room and get talking about specific plans for specific people, she said. NEWTOWN - The hope for a community center under construction on the towns Fairfield Hills campus is that it will do for Newtown what the new Sandy Hook School did for students, teachers and parents. The 35,000-square-foot community center, inspired by a $15 million gift from General Electric after the Sandy Hook massacre, is conceived as a place to strengthen community connections so that Newtown can once again look to the future with hope. That is what happened following the 2016 opening of the $50 million Sandy Hook School, which replaced the building where 26 first-graders and educators were slain by a gunman in 2012. Newtown is a remarkable community that on the whole has very much come together, said First Selectman Dan Rosenthal. The community center will hopefully be a well-run facility where people will want to come, and it will be an opportunity to bring the community together. Construction of the community center is not expected to be complete until 2019, but the facility will start to take shape in as soon as a month, when a director is hired and an advisory board is appointed. Within weeks, the project architect plans to launch a construction website to keep Newtowners updated on the buildings progress - similar to a construction website launched by the architects of the new Sandy Hook School. At the same time, members of the community centers design advisory committee are planning a public event as soon as April to update Newtowners about interior details, with artists renderings. Hopefully this will give people a more relevant and tangible and touchable concept, said Kinga Walsh, the chair of the design advisory committee. The community center will have a six-lane lap pool, a recreational pool and a kitchen, along with exercise rooms, classrooms and multipurpose rooms. An adjoining wing will feature a $3 million senior center. Outdoor features include a large green and, if the project comes in under budget, potentially an amphitheater and band shell. The idea is to give Newtown something it has never had before - a central facility that caters to everyone, suitable for community banquets, town-wide gatherings and other large events. That was the idea behind the GE gift to Newtown following the worst crime in Connecticut history. GE asked that its gift be used to build something to anchor the community and draw people together. A new center While the construction of the community center represents the latest milestone in the towns recovery, Rosenthal noted that grief remains deep in Newtown. The community as a whole has shown remarkable resilience, but we never want to put a timetable on community healing, especially for the folks who lost so much as result of the tragedy, Rosenthal said. To say that everybody is doing well would be too broad of a generalization. Rosenthal said he is in the final stage of interviews for the community center director. His hope is to hire a director and announce appointments to a community center advisory board by this time next month. At that point the focus can turn to overall staffing needs and the programming for the center, Rosenthal said. The town is using $10 million of the GE gift to pay for community center construction and the other $5 million to pay operating costs for first five years. The construction is the culmination of a four-year effort to find consensus that had to be restarted in 2015, because of criticism that early designs catered too much to seniors. Voters in 2016 approved adding $5 million in town money to the $10 million GE was providing for community center construction. The community centers construction is happening at the same time that work is progressing to build a memorial to Sandy Hook massacre victims. A committee is reviewing 13 designs that have been selected as semifinalists, with plans to narrow down the options to a handful of finalists by the spring. Fintech underwent a revolution of sorts this past year with the rise of crypto assets: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have been dominating financial news outlets, and other applications of blockchain technology are being explored to streamline different elements of finance. Related: 4 Emerging Fintech Trends Relevant to Every Entrepreneur As blockchain technology continues to filter into the mainstream, it's important for entrepreneurs to keep an eye on the effects it has on payments, in particular. Here are six trends in fintech that are poised to change the way we pay -- and receive payments. 1. Government regulation While the popularity of cryptocurrencies in 2017 proved that it has the potential to gain mainstream acceptance, the volatility of crypto tokens has caused considerable concern among financial regulators around the world. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, for instance, has said "it's inevitable" that cryptocurrencies will come under government regulation. And the Securities Exchange Commission and the FBI, this past December, began to crack down on shady practices associated with crypto fund-raising. In addition, top government officials at the World Economic Forum have expressed concern over the technology. And U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated that regulation would be directed toward markets participating in illicit activities, although Mnuchin did not elaborate on what such regulation of crypto markets might entail. 2. Blockchain P2P transactions While current popular crypto assets struggle to function as reliable methods of payment due to their volatility, a new breed of cryptocurrencies called stablecoins aims to solve this problem. By utilizing either complex economic models to manage supply and demand or by collateralizing their tokens with real world assets, these startups are creating stable and trustworthy crypto platforms. Related: Trends the Fintech Industry Should Adopt in 2018 As some of the more promising players in this field of tokens gain more traction, expect cryptocurrencies to be accepted as salary and general payments in the near future. With all of the speed and security benefits that crypto offers, it will be hard to ignore the impact stablecoins will have on financial markets. 3. Cryptocurrency use by consumers and businesses alike Bitcoin and Ethereum have a total market volume of around $500 billion dollars. But there are very limited ways for people to spend cryptocurrency because most merchants simply don't accept them. Blockchain development is still at an early stage, and many of the needed tools and infrastructure simply don't yet exist. A Silicon Valley-based blockchain startup called OPEN Platform is solving this problem by creating an application programming interface (API) to enable application developers to connect to OPEN's API and begin accepting cryptocurrency immediately, with no technical knowledge required. Just as Stripe simplified credit card payments for merchants with an easy-to-implement API, OPEN aims to simplify payments over the blockchain. 4. Generation Z-friendly Accenture predicts that, by 2020, Gen Z will make up over 40 percent of United States customers. As financial institutions begin to deal with a generation that's never known a time before Google and the internet, it would not be surprising see the payment and banking industries begin to shift in a way that's friendlier to the younger generation. One of the main demands of Gen Z is user experience, making UX design extremely valuable for businesses competing for the attention of this new generation. Its members view customer experience as the prime differentiator between competing companies, making simple payment transactions more important than ever. 5. Mobile payments Mobile payments have become immensely popular, with platforms like Venmo making money transfers very simple. More companies are jumping on the bandwagon and begging to offer financial solutions that allow people to pay for goods, pay one other or split bills on the go without having to wait a long period of time for money to transfer. 6. The internet of things Another recent buzzword, the internet of things (IoT), describes the integration of devices in the home, in public and in stores, using the internet. This integration allows centralized control of a variety of elements in an environment as well as the ability to interact easily within each element. Related: How Fintech and Payments Innovations Will Disrupt Global Ecommerce As IoT becomes more popular in homes around the country, expect companies to follow the example Amazon is beginning to set: "If you want to buy something, just tell Alexa." This means utilizing the internet of things for easy and simple payments -- and connecting up more and more with the new trends in fintech. Related: This Global Fintech Enabler Has a Strategy to Enter India's Crowded Payment Space Lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo de tener una Ley Fintech en Mexico 6 Trends Impacting the Future of Payments Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com At some point, rejection happens to all of us, and it can be a difficult experience to come back from. How you handle yourself and what you do next can be critical to your professional advancement and your personal well-being. Here are six ways to handle professional rejection like a pro. The hurt that comes with rejection can make cutting ties tempting. With personal rejection, that can sometimes be for the best. But professional rejection is typically not a rejection of you personally, and it can be beneficial to keep that bridge open and passable. Follow up with a thank-you note or email. Add the person on LinkedIn, or like the business on Facebook. Related: Why My Greatest Challenge Is Me Definitely do not give in to any temptation to publicly bash a person or business simply because they rejected you. You will burn that bridge and probably many other potential bridges in the process. 2. Give yourself time to grieve. Ok, it was just a job, or just one sale, or maybe it was a big job, a big sale, a huge client or a mentor youve always dreamed of working with. No matter the size or significance, give yourself adequate time to grieve the loss. Sometimes it can be as simple as taking a long walk and letting yourself feel the anger, sadness, disbelief or even shame. You can also journal your experience. Writing things out freely, without holding anything back, can be a really effective way to release frustrations, grieve and heal. You built up an idea in your mind of the outcome you wanted and it didnt happen. Let yourself feel that so you can move past it. 3. Make it an opportunity to learn. The most successful people in life and business are the ones who never stop working on themselves and constantly strive to take themselves to the next level. Letting negative feelings fester will only hold you back. Instead, ask yourself what you can learn from the situation. How is it happening for you? What lesson can you take? How can you improve for next time? If you are struggling to let go of a particularly strong negative emotion, tune into that. That feeling is your inner voice telling you something isnt right. Listen to what its telling you. Related: How One of America's Most Beloved Toy Makers Rebounded From Near Death 4. Ask yourself if that was really what you wanted. Did you really want that promotion, or did it just seem like the next logical step? Was it really important to you to land that client, or was your heart not fully in it? Once youve answered that, ask yourself another really important question -- what do you really and truly want? If absolutely anything were possible, what would you want right now? Not what you think you should want or what other people expect of you, but you -- what do you want? If you feel in your heart that this really is what you want, trust that there is a reason it didnt work out in this moment. Its hard, especially if youre still feeling the sting, but trust that this door was closed so that a much better and brighter one can be opened. 5. See the forest, not the trees. Youve experienced a setback. But it is just one tree in a very large forest. Dont dwell on this one thing. Focus on the big picture of what you truly want to create in your life. Imagine everything you want is already in your life, right now. Visualize how it looks, feels, smells. Assume the energy of that ideal future. Ask yourself, what would "you" of your ideal future do right now? What path would he or she take from this point? Future you is already living your ideal life and knows exactly what you need to do to get there. 6. Make a plan with actionable steps. A common experience after rejection is a feeling of being stuck. But not you. Youve addressed and let go of your negative emotions. Youve gained clarity on what you truly want and are focused on your big picture. Related: How I Transformed My Business Failures Into Strengths Now make a plan. Tap into future you once again to start plotting the steps that will get you from where you are to where you want to be. Create a vision board as a daily visual reminder of what youre moving toward and commit to taking real steps, every day, toward what you want to create. Rejection can be a gift -- if you choose to see it that way. It is an opportunity to take an honest look at yourself and the path youre currently on to understand if this is truly what you want. If not, its time to plot a new course. If it is, its time to ask yourself if the actions you are taking in your daily life are truly aligned with where you want to be. From there, build a clear picture of what you want to create and begin taking steps in that direction. Related: How to Gracefully Handle and Then Make the Most of Professional Rejection How this B-School is Kindling the Entrepreneurship Spirit in Students This Shepreneur is Providing Access to Clean Water Through Technology Enabled Solutions Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com CALGARY, March 8, 2018 /CNW/ - Yangarra Resources Ltd. ("Yangarra" or the "Company") (TSX:YGR) announces its financial and operating results for the year ended December 31, 2017. 2017 Highlights Average production of 5,740 boe/d, an increase of 93% from 2016. Oil and gas sales were $77.9 million with funds flow from operations of $52.9 million ( $0.66 per share - basic). with funds flow from operations of ( per share - basic). Adjusted EBITDA (which excludes changes in derivative financial instruments) was $54.5 million ( $0.68 per share - basic). ( per share - basic). Net income of $19.5 million ( $0.24 per share - basic) or $27.3 million before tax. ( per share - basic) or before tax. Operating costs were $7.77 /boe (including $1.03 /boe of transportation costs). /boe (including /boe of transportation costs). Operating netbacks, which include the impact of commodity contracts, were $27.68 per boe. per boe. Operating margins were 74% and cash flow margins were 69%. G&A costs of $0.95 /boe. /boe. Royalties were 8% of oil and gas revenue. Total capital expenditures were $83.5 million . . Net debt (which excludes the current derivative financial instruments) was $93.5 million . . Wells drilled in 2017 resulted in a corporate half cycle IRR of 105% and a full cycle IRR of 86%. Proved Developed Producing reserves increased by 52%, F&D costs were $13.36 /boe, the recycle ratio was 2.1 and additions replaced 296% of 2017 production. /boe, the recycle ratio was 2.1 and additions replaced 296% of 2017 production. Total Proved reserves increased by 53%, F&D costs were $10.41 /boe, the recycle ratio was 2.7 and additions replaced 1025% of 2017 production. /boe, the recycle ratio was 2.7 and additions replaced 1025% of 2017 production. Proved plus Probable reserves increased by 45%, F&D costs were $9.18 /boe, the recycle ratio was 3.1 and additions replaced 1398% of 2017 production. /boe, the recycle ratio was 3.1 and additions replaced 1398% of 2017 production. Corporate LMR is 8.08 Fourth Quarter Highlights Production of 6,721 boe/d (58% liquids), an increase of 109% from the fourth quarter of 2016. Oil and gas sales were $25.2 million with funds flow from operations of $17.6 million ( $0.22 per share - basic). with funds flow from operations of ( per share - basic). Adjusted EBITDA (which excludes changes in derivative financial instruments) was $17.5 million ( $0.21 per share - basic). ( per share - basic). Net income of $4.7 million ( $0.06 per share - basic) or $6.6 million net income before tax. ( per share - basic) or net income before tax. Operating costs were $7.46 /boe (including $0.97 /boe of transportation costs). /boe (including /boe of transportation costs). Operating netbacks, which include the impact of commodity contracts, were $30.39 per boe. per boe. Operating margins were 75% and cash flow margins were 70%. G&A costs of $1.44 /boe, which includes year-end bonuses. /boe, which includes year-end bonuses. Royalties were 9% of oil and gas revenue. Total capital expenditures were $31.2 million Net Debt to annualized fourth quarter funds flow from operations was 1.33 : 1 Operations Update Yangarra has drilled five wells in 2018, two wells are currently drilling and three additional wells are planned before the end of March. Total wells expected to be drilled in the first quarter will be 10 gross (8.2 net) consisting of 5 gross (4.7 net) two-mile wells and 5 gross (3.5 net) one-mile wells. In addition, the two wells drilling over year-end 2017 were completed in January 2018. With significant snowfall over winter it is likely some of the first quarter wells will not be completed until after breakup. Drilling and completion costs remain stable compared to Q4 2017 levels, however recent wells are being completed with 80 stages per mile. The Company will assess optimum frack spacing once results from the latest wells are analyzed. The Company continues to test 100m inter-well spacing and will evaluate offset data from four horizontal well pairs into break-up. Initial frack data indicates no communication at 100m inter-well spacing implying a viable drilling density of 16 wells per section versus the existing inventory spacing assumption of 8-10 wells per section. A second oil battery, including a truck service facility, has been in service since December 1, 2017; however, production has outgrown both oil batteries so additional capacity will be added with a third oil facility (which will include 12.0 mmcf/d of gas compression). A site has been chosen with target completion scheduled for June 2018. Yangarra has compared data from the first 10 well bioturbated Cardium program to the second 10 well bioturbated Cardium program and observed average IP30 rates that were 12% higher on the second 10 well program. With the two wells currently drilling, the Company will have drilled 30 wells into the bioturbated Cardium. Hedging Program Update The Company's oil hedge position for 2018 consists of 2,600 bbl/d at an average price of C$71.00/bbl for the first half of the year and 2,000 bbl/d at an average price of C$74.88/bbl for the second half of the year. The Company has also hedged 200 bbl/d of propane at US$32.34 for 2018. Financial Summary 2017 2016 Year Ended Q4 Q3 Q4 2017 2016 Statements of Comprehensive Income Petroleum & natural gas sales $ 25,172,383 $ 17,663,925 $ 11,128,298 $ 77,913,091 $ 29,213,872 Net income (before tax) $ 6,598,112 $ 5,511,977 $ 1,365,339 $ 27,345,553 $ 10,184,658 Net income $ 4,681,958 $ 3,975,606 $ (339,197) $ 19,485,327 $ 10,168,751 Net income per share - basic $ 0.06 $ 0.05 $ (0.00) $ 0.24 $ 0.14 Net income per share - diluted $ 0.05 $ 0.05 $ (0.00) $ 0.23 $ 0.14 Statements of Cash Flow Funds flow from operations $ 17,563,628 $ 12,948,149 $ 6,781,301 $ 52,902,651 $ 16,263,727 Funds flow from operations per share - basic $ 0.22 $ 0.16 $ 0.09 $ 0.66 $ 0.22 Funds flow from operations per share - diluted $ 0.20 $ 0.15 $ 0.09 $ 0.63 $ 0.22 Cash from operating activities $ 20,541,872 $ 13,381,396 $ 7,382,874 $ 51,774,874 $ 16,665,490 Statements of Financial Position Property and equipment $ 342,099,959 $ 315,064,829 $ 277,693,631 $ 342,099,959 $ 277,693,631 Total assets $ 378,231,413 $ 342,983,774 $ 299,046,067 $ 378,231,413 $ 299,046,067 Working capital deficit $ 11,210,245 $ 79,069,633 $ 66,185,217 $ 11,210,245 $ 66,185,217 Net Debt (which excludes current derivative financial instruments) $ 93,533,252 $ 80,449,394 $ 65,005,805 $ 93,533,252 $ 65,005,805 Non-Current Liabilities, excluding bank debt $ 44,366,746 $ 40,523,942 $ 34,156,921 $ 44,366,746 $ 34,156,921 Shareholders equity $ 207,956,623 $ 202,437,802 $ 184,113,958 $ 207,956,623 $ 184,113,958 Weighted average number of shares - basic 81,301,744 81,033,965 79,347,205 80,719,934 74,635,948 Weighted average number of shares - diluted 85,748,705 84,772,793 79,347,205 84,156,682 75,123,266 Company Netbacks ($/boe) 2017 2016 Year Ended Q4 Q3 Q4 2017 2016 Sales price $ 40.71 $ 31.87 $ 37.93 $ 37.19 $ 27.00 Royalty expense (3.80) (2.43) (1.21) (3.06) (0.90) Production costs (6.49) (5.41) (7.28) (6.74) (7.14) Transportation costs (0.97) (1.45) (1.04) (1.03) (1.31) Field operating netback 29.45 22.58 28.47 26.36 17.65 Realized gain on commodity contract settlement 0.93 2.95 0.77 1.32 1.94 Operating netback 30.39 25.53 29.23 27.68 19.59 G&A (1.44) (0.74) (2.34) (0.95) (1.88) Finance expenses (0.32) (0.71) (2.76) (1.07) (2.22) Funds flow netback 28.63 24.07 24.13 25.66 15.49 Depletion and depreciation (9.63) (10.95) (13.06) (10.47) (13.15) E&E Impairment - - - - (0.70) Accretion (0.74) (0.08) (0.14) (0.29) (0.17) Stock-based compensation (0.66) (0.71) (0.85) (0.72) (0.96) Unrealized gain (loss) on financial instruments (6.92) (2.39) (5.36) (1.13) (3.18) Gain on Settlement of Lawsuit - - - - 12.09 Deferred income tax (3.10) (2.77) (5.80) (3.75) (0.01) Net Income netback $ 7.57 $ 7.17 $ (1.08) $ 9.30 $ 9.40 Business Environment 2017 2016 Year Ended Q4 Q3 Q4 2017 2016 Realized Pricing (Including realized commodity contracts) Oil ($/bbl) $ 72.70 $ 60.41 $ 64.57 $ 65.61 $ 58.37 NGL ($/bbl) $ 40.63 $ 37.52 $ 30.07 $ 35.15 $ 27.08 Gas ($/mcf) $ 2.06 $ 1.88 $ 3.15 $ 2.46 $ 2.29 Realized Pricing (Excluding commodity contracts) Oil ($/bbl) $ 72.33 $ 56.51 $ 63.39 $ 64.23 $ 54.35 NGL ($/bbl) $ 40.29 $ 33.39 $ 28.31 $ 33.74 $ 22.51 Gas ($/mcf) $ 1.77 $ 1.60 $ 3.15 $ 2.25 $ 2.29 Oil Price Benchmarks West Texas Intermediate ("WTI") (US$/bbl) $ 55.40 $ 48.20 $ 49.35 $ 50.84 $ 43.35 Edmonton Par (C$/bbl) $ 69.30 $ 57.05 $ 62.00 $ 63.20 $ 51.90 Edmonton Par to WTI differential (US$/bbl) $ (0.04) $ 2.56 $ 2.85 $ 2.18 $ 4.43 Natural Gas Price Benchmarks AECO gas (Cdn$/mcf) $ 1.70 $ 1.45 $ 3.10 $ 2.15 $ 2.15 Foreign Exchange U.S./Canadian Dollar Exchange $ 0.80 $ 0.80 $ 0.75 $ 0.77 $ 0.75 Operations Summary Net petroleum and natural gas production, pricing and revenue are summarized below: 2017 2016 Year Ended Q4 Q3 Q4 2017 2016 Daily production volumes Natural gas (mcf/d) 16,782 16,142 8,342 14,901 9,586 Oil (bbl/d) 2,687 2,380 1,248 2,295 856 NGL's (bbl/d) 1,237 955 557 962 503 Combined (boe/d 6:1) 6,721 6,025 3,216 5,740 2,982 Revenue Petroleum & natural gas sales - Gross $ 25,172,383 $ 17,663,925 $ 11,149,691 $ 77,913,091 $ 29,213,872 Realized gain on commodity contract settlement 577,551 1,632,783 225,697 2,773,986 2,102,795 Total sales 25,749,934 19,296,708 11,375,388 80,687,077 31,316,667 Royalty expense (2,348,635) (1,344,746) (356,186) (6,411,927) (979,164) Total Revenue - Net of royalties $ 23,401,299 $ 17,951,962 $ 11,019,202 $ 74,275,150 $ 30,337,503 Working Capital Summary The following table summarizes the change in working capital during the year ended December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016: 2017 2016 Net Debt - beginning of period $ (65,005,805) $ (60,886,556) Funds flow from operations 52,902,650 16,263,727 Additions to property and equipment (83,472,094) (27,672,766) Property Acquisition - (3,707,693) Decommissioning costs incurred (95,433) (180,862) Issuance of shares 2,179,593 11,218,610 Other Debt (42,163) (40,265) Net Debt - end of period $ (93,533,252) $ (65,005,805) Credit facility limit $ 120,000,000 $ 80,000,000 Capital Spending Capital spending is summarized as follows: 2017 2016 Year Ended Cash additions Q4 Q3 Q4 2017 2016 Land, acquisitions and lease rentals $ 1,163,261 $ 3,503,852 $ 385,257 $ 7,164,597 $ 2,079,149 Cash property acquisitions - - - - 1,400,000 Drilling and completion 25,406,328 14,939,137 10,714,791 64,309,093 19,075,429 Geological and geophysical 262,675 134,283 184,458 824,760 913,996 Equipment 4,311,988 2,248,622 2,359,067 10,853,654 4,085,067 Other asset additions 20,023 84,631 29,419 319,990 119,125 $ 31,164,275 $ 20,910,525 $ 13,672,992 $ 83,472,094 $ 27,672,766 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders The Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is scheduled for 10:00 AM on Thursday May 10, 2018 in the Tillyard Management Conference Centre, Main Floor, 715 5th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB. Year End Disclosure The Company's financial statements, notes to the financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and annual information form will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and are available on the Company's website (www.yangarra.ca). Forward looking information Certain information regarding Yangarra set forth in this news release, management's assessment of future plans, operations and operational results may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities law and necessarily involve risks associated with oil and gas exploration, production, marketing and transportation such as loss of market, volatility of prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserves estimates, environmental risks, competition from other producers and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Certain of these risks are set out in more detail in Yangarra's current Annual Information Form, which is available on Yangarra's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management of Yangarra at the time the statements are presented. Yangarra may, as considered necessary in the circumstances, update or revise such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, but Yangarra undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws. The initial production rates discussed in this press release are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery due to high initial decline rates. Barrels of Oil Equivalent Natural gas has been converted to a barrel of oil equivalent (Boe) using 6,000 cubic feet (6 Mcf) of natural gas equal to one barrel of oil (6:1), unless otherwise stated. The Boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf to 1 Bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method and does not represent a value equivalency; therefore Boe's may be misleading if used in isolation. References to natural gas liquids ("NGLs") in this news release include condensate, propane, butane and ethane and one barrel of NGLs is considered to be equivalent to one barrel of crude oil equivalent (Boe). One ("BCF") equals one billion cubic feet of natural gas. One ("Mmcf") equals one million cubic feet of natural gas. Operating netbacks are calculated as revenue from all products less operating costs. Finding and Development Costs ("F&D") and Recycle Ratios F&D costs are calculated by dividing the identified capital expenditures by the applicable reserves additions. F&D costs can include or exclude changes to future development capital costs. Recycle Ratio is calculated as operating netback divided by F&D costs. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains references to measures used in the oil and natural gas industry such as "funds flow from operations", "operating netback", "adjusted working capital deficit", and "net debt". These measures do not have standardized meanings prescribed by generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and, therefore should not be considered in isolation. These reported amounts and their underlying calculations are not necessarily comparable or calculated in an identical manner to a similarly titled measure of other companies where similar terminology is used. Where these measures are used they should be given careful consideration by the reader. These measures have been described and presented in this press release in order to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company's liquidity and its ability to generate funds to finance its operations. Funds flow from operations should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, cash provided by operating, investing and financing activities or net income as determined in accordance with GAAP, as an indicator of Yangarra's performance or liquidity. Funds flow from operations is used by Yangarra to evaluate operating results and Yangarra's ability to generate cash flow to fund capital expenditures and repay indebtedness. Funds flow from operations denotes cash flow from operating activities as it appears on the Company's Statement of Cash Flows before decommissioning expenditures and changes in non-cash operating working capital. Funds flow from operations is also derived from net income (loss) plus non-cash items including deferred income tax expense, depletion and depreciation expense, impairment expense, stock-based compensation expense, accretion expense, unrealized gains or losses on financial instruments and gains or losses on asset divestitures. Funds from operations netback is calculated on a per boe basis and funds from operations per share is calculated as funds from operations divided by the weighted average number of basic and diluted common shares outstanding. Operating netback denotes petroleum and natural gas revenue and realized gains or losses on financial instruments less royalty expenses, operating expenses and transportation and marketing expenses calculated on a per boe basis. Adjusted working capital deficit includes current assets less current liabilities excluding the current portion of the amount drawn on the credit facilities, the current portion of the fair value of financial instruments and the deferred premium on financial instruments. Yangarra uses net debt as a measure to assess its financial position. Net debt includes current assets less current liabilities excluding the current portion of the fair value of financial instruments and the deferred premium on financial instruments, plus the long-term financial obligation. Readers should also note that Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measures and do not have any standardized meaning under GAAP and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Yangarra believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful supplemental measure, which provide an indication of the results generated by the Yangarra's primary business activities prior to consideration of how those activities are financed, amortized or taxed. Readers are cautioned, however, that Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to comprehensive income (loss) determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of Yangarra's financial performance. All reference to $ (funds) are in Canadian dollars. Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of this release. SOURCE Yangarra Resources Ltd. For further information: James Evaskevich, President & CEO, 403-262-9558. Bob Mumgaard, CEO of the private company Commonwealth Fusion Systems has attracted $50 million in support of a new nuclear fusion project from the Italian energy company Eni. The goal is to have a working power plant in time to combat climate change. They think they have the science, speed and scale to put carbon-free fusion power on the grid in 15 years. This was reported by the Guardian UK. The team will use a new class of high-temperature superconductors they predict will allow them to create the worlds first fusion reactor that produces more energy than needs to be put in to get the fusion reaction going. The team which includes MIT researchers will use new superconducting materials to produce ultra-powerful magnets, one of the main components of a fusion reactor. The planned fusion experiment, called Sparc, is set to be far smaller about 1/65th of the volume than that of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project, an international collaboration. The experimental reactor is designed to produce about 100MW of heat. While it will not turn that heat into electricity, it will produce, in pulses of about 10 seconds, as much power as is used by a small city. The scientists anticipate the output would be more than twice the power used to heat the plasma, achieving the ultimate technical milestone: positive net energy from fusion. Oxford Space Systems is developing innovative deployable antennas and structures that meet the challenges of the new space age. Their approach is one of agile development and validation where success is measured in proven hardware and customer commendations. This exemplified by the setting of two industry records with the successful deployment of the OSS AstroTube boom: from concept to orbit in under 30 months with the worlds longest retractable cubesat boom. Thales Alenia Space UK has selected Oxford Space Systems to provide a deployable antenna based on OSS proprietary novel materials. The UKs Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is the end customer for the mission to study the upper atmosphere due for launch in 2020. This low earth orbit mission, builds on the flight heritage of the OSS AstroTube boom currently on orbit on the UK Space Agencys AlSat platform. The mission, known as WISCER (Wideband Ionospheric Sounder CubeSat Experiment) expands on previous work carried out by Dstl and the University of Birmingham under fund from the UK Space Agency. WISCER, part of a joint programme with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, will allow scientists to study the Earths upper atmosphere and evaluate the impacts on radio frequencies through the upper atmosphere. Unfurlable Reflector Antennas * Significant reduction in complexity * Readily scalable architecture (2 meters 12 meters deployed diameter) * High stowage efficiency Novel reflector surface material under development High frequency operation (up to Ka Band) Cost competitive Applications: Data Relay Systems (DRS), Earth Observation, Telecoms etc. AstroTube Max boom Updating a successfully flight-proven design, the Oxford Space Systems AstroTube Max boom is a highly scalable, structurally stiff boom designed to enable a range of mid to high mass payload deployments. Low cost, low complexity design Retractable or single shot deployment Unlimited partial deployment Footprint efficient Scalable (0.5 meters 15 meters) Internal cable and gas feeds possible Optional rotation Based on a flight proven design (CFE-SAT 2007) TRL 9 outer CFRP telescope TRL 9 AstroTube actuator system Applications: LDA deployment, Electric Propulsion Placement, high mass payload deployment AstroTube Boom AstroTube is a highly scalable, low cost boom designed to support a wide range of microsat and cubesat applications. TRL9 Low complexity, novel design Retractable or single shot deployment Very low shock deployment Integrated HDRM Unlimited partial deployment and retraction Low mass Highly footprint efficient ( successfully validated on orbit in November 2016 (AlSat-Nano 3U cubesat mission) AstroHinge scalable solar panel array Building upon Oxford Space Systems expertise in flexible composites, OSS is co-developing a scalable, synchronized panel array. This is based upon its stored energy AstroHinge technology. A steerable variant is under development for LEO microsat applications. Low complexity, proprietary design Steerable Mass efficient Scalable Programmable rate of deployment Cost competitive Applications: Patch antenna arrays, thermal radiators, solar arrays, SAR United Illuminating Co. and Eversource Energy officials said Thursday that their customers should prepare for post-storm power restoration efforts to take at least several days. Several hundred repair crews with both utilities are working around the clock to restore electricity after the second noreaster in a week dropped wet, heavy snow on trees, which subsequently knocked out power. At the peak of the storm, Orange-based UI had 36,500 customers without power and while Eversource officials werent offering peak outage data, officials estimates put the number at over 124,000. In addition to power outages, thousands of residents in the New Haven area woke up to trees down and closed roads Thursday, after what the National Weather Service said was 4 to 13 inches of snow that fell Wednesday and overnight. many schools also were closed. Right now, were calling it a multiday restoration effort, said Mitch Gross, an Eversource spokesman. Weve restored around 80,000 customers since mid-day Wednesday. But in many places, particularly in Fairfield County, our restoration efforts are being hampered by trees across roadways that are keeping our crews from getting to places where the problems are. Michael West, a spokesman with UI, said the utility has 300 workers devoted to the repair effort. West said the company arranged on Thursday for additional help from Midwestern utilities. They are probably a day and a half away, he said. Our work is progressing nicely. Were under 10,000 customers without power and as we have more time to assess the problem, well determine if we still need them here or whether they can be released to go elsewhere. West said the restoration effort will take a minimum of two days for UI. If we can fully restore more power quickly and safely, we will, he said. But based on the information we know now, this is what we are telling people. Dana Durant, who lives on Olive Street in New Haven, said he lost power around 9 p.m. Wednesday, but it came back on at 3 a.m. He said he snuggled with his dog under an extra quilt, as it was starting to get cold in (his) apartment. Durant said he read with a flashlight before going to bed and woke up around 3 a.m. when his kitchen lights came back on. Ian Guthrie, who lives on Court Street in New Haven, said Thursday morning that he hadnt had power since 8 p.m. Wednesday. He said he lit 35 tea lights, strategically placed around his apartment, before going to bed. There was a really big bright flash, right past the train tracks. Then the street light started blinking red and then went out, Guthrie said. When Guthrie went to bed Wednesday night, the temperature in his apartment was 66 degrees, but upon waking up discovered it had dropped to 58 degrees. He said he was on his way to find some place warm, and that had wi-fi, to get work done. Gross said the first priority for Eversource after a power outage is to restore power to nursing homes and hospitals as well as other emergency facilities. Even while that is going on, the utility is working on other restorations and meeting with leaders in the communities it serves to determine if their are any local priorities in terms of getting the power back on, he said. Its a multifaceted approach, Gross said. Eversource still had contractors and mutual aid crews from out-of-state utilities working on the most difficult outages from last Fridays storm as Wednesdays noreaster approached. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, given the severity of the second storm, according to Gross. If they had not already been here, restoration effort now would be much, much more challenging, he said. Elin Swanson Katz, Connecticuts Consumer Counsel, took the unusual step of taking to social media to urge customers be patient with the restoration efforts. Katz, who represents ratepayers in utility cases that are heard by state regulators, said Eversource officials had told her that some of the most problematic outages could take a week or more to repair. Trees down everywhere, Katz tweeted. Please support utility line workers who have been working nonstop from last weeks storm & now this one. Not everybody is willing to be so patient. Lon Seidman, a small businessman from Essex who serves on the towns Board of Education, called Eversources performance in restoring power business as usual. They used to have a much larger staff to customer ratio, Seidman said. Given the frequency of these events about once a quarter now it would be warranted (to restore larger staffing levels). With the company earning just shy of a billion dollars in profit last year they can afford it. Eversource is putting the burden of communicating on local officials and not doing better at it themselves, he said. Theres simply no competitive reason for them not to disclose what staffing levels they have to address these events and prepare for others, Seidman saod. The only reason I can see is that it would detail deficiencies that equal more profits for them and less service for customers. Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana said the parking ban in the downtown area has ended, but the residential ban cars can only park on the even side of the street was in effect until 8 a.m. today. Were doing this for almost an additional 24 hours, so we can get good headway in the smaller residential streets. I think it will make a huge difference, he said. Residents experiencing a snow-related issue are urged to call the Emergency Operations Center at 203-946-8221 instead of 911, he said. State police on Thursday said that during the duration of the storm, from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday, troopers responded to 1,526 calls for service. There were 166 accidents without injuries, six accidents with injuries and 565 motorist assists on state roads, state police said. NEW HAVEN After a judge heard a poignant statement from the widow of slain convenience store clerk Sanjaj Patel, he sentenced Jamal Sumler to serve 90 years in prison for murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and two weapons charges. The widow recalled a man who was so kind that he often gave candy to kids for free when they came into the store. Superior Court Judge Elpedio N. Vitale, who presided over Sumlers jury trial last November, imposed a sentence that was five years short of the maximum. Patel, 39, was working behind the counter of Pay Rite Food/Citgo Station on Forbes Avenue the night of April 6, 2015, when Sumler and Dwayne Sayles walked in, wearing masks. Both of them pointed guns at him and then shot him during the planned robbery. Sayles, 24, of New Haven, also was convicted by a jury and is awaiting sentencing. Sumler is 27 and also has a New Haven address. The key states witness in both trials, Leighton Vanderberg, testified he drove Sumler and Sayles to a side street near the store and then parked while the two men walked to Forbes Avenue. Vanderberg said Sayles returned to the car within 10 minutes, clutching a box of Dutch Masters cigars. Sumler came back shortly after that and Vanderberg drove them to Sayles home at the Church Street South housing complex. Vanderberg, 25, who has a cooperation plea agreement with the state, is awaiting sentencing on aiding and abetting first-degree robbery. During Sumlers trial, the jury heard testimony from a police officer that Sumler told him he was infatuated with guns and that when he grew up he wanted to be a bank robber. During the sentencing hearing, state Victim Services Advocate Beata Bagi read the statement written by Patels widow. She was identified as Mrs. B. The widow said she married Patel in 2009. We were happy, and when in 2014 we found out I was pregnant, it was such happy news to my husband and I. It was our dreams coming true. She recalled, My husband liked children so much that he would give candy to children who came to his store for free, if they didnt have money to pay. But when the time came to have his own child, he was gone. Gone by the hands of a person who is in front of you, Mr. Sumler. The widow added, Mr. Sumler caused so much pain and loss by his actions. I suffer, and his mother and (the rest of) his family are suffering too. She told Vitale she hoped he made sure Sumler never gets out of prison, so another family doesnt have to suffer like I am suffering. I cry every day for my husband, she said. He gave me so much love. He was very caring and he took care of me in so many ways, big and small. Now all of my dreams are dead. My child every day looks at the picture of his father, pointing and saying: That is my daddy. That is all he has. Just a picture. The widow added, Now I have to be a mother and a father for my son. Raising a child alone is very hard. I dont sleep. Awake at night, I worry about how am I going to provide for my child. I think about the murder of my husband. And I cry. She concluded her statement by saying: And what am I going to tell my son when he gets older, when he asks me, Where is my father? How to explain to a child that someone killed his father for a couple of dollars? HAMDEN Ahead of ongoing legislative efforts to ban fracking waste, the town approved an ordinance to ban it on the local level. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of pumping fluid into the ground to create fractures in the earth for the exploration, development, production or recovery of natural gas. The ordinance put forth by Mayor Curt B. Leng prohibits the application of fracking waste on any road or property within the town. Fracking waste includes wastewater, sludge and other substances generated in the process of hydraulic fracturing of shale to get to natural gas buried underground. The ordinance was developed with a push from a group of residents who recently spoke against fracking waste at a Legislative Council meeting. Melinda Tuhus said shes appreciative of Leng and the Legislative Council for bringing the issue to a vote quickly. The state bill is much weaker and only covers a certain kind of waste in the process of gas fracking, Tuhus said. This (ordinance) is much more comprehensive and I actually would urge people to amend that bill to make it as strong as Hamdens ordinance. Its wonderful and I think its something we really need. Hamdens ordinance bans the application of natural gas or oil waste on any property in town, whether or not it has received approval from the Department of Energy and Environment Protection or received beneficial use determination. The ordinance prohibits the natural gas waste and oil waste associated with hydraulic fracturing, which includes any liquid or solid waste generated by fracking, waste storage, or other byproducts resulting from the treatment or processing of fracking waste. It also prohibits the storage, disposal, sale, transfer, handling or treatment of such waste within the town. Hamdens ordinance goes further in its prohibitions than the bill before the state Senate . I always get nervous when the town puts something down that is stricter, tougher than the state, Legislative Council member James Pascarella said, but voted in favor of the ordinance, encouraging residents to take the passion to the state because if they pass something thats weaker than what weve done, it weakens what weve done. The bill before the Senate defines fracking waste as any wastewater, wastewater solids, brine, sludge, drill cuttings or any other substance used for or generated secondarily to the purpose of hydraulic fracturing. The bill prohibits anyone from accepting, collecting, storing, treating, transferring or disposing of fracking waste until the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection sets regulations. It prohibits the sale, manufacture, or distribution of any de-icing or similar agents containing such waste. Anything passed at the state level would supersede municipality ordinances. In the meantime, the Connecticut Legislature placed a three-year moratorium in 2015 to prohibit the storage, disposal, handling and use of hydraulic fracturing waste in Connecticut, until DEEP sets regulations that address fracking waste. The DEEP is supposed to take actionsetting regulations by July but havent done anything since the moratorium was placed, Assistant Town Attorney Brendan Sharkey said. DEEP hasnt done anything because nobody is looking to dump fracking waste (in Connecticut), he said. Connecticut hasnt seen fracking in the state, but it happens nearby in Pennsylvania. Legislation that featured a permanent ban easily passed in the House last year, but it sat on the Senate calendar for about a month before the session ended. The second half of the towns ordinance is a provision to include in contracts and bids related to construction or maintenance of town property that requires contractors swear that no fracking waste is included in the materials they use, which would impose upon the contractor to do their due diligence to ensure the products that theyre using are free from fracking waste, Sharkey said. I have concerns we are making someone swear to something they cannot possibly swear to, Legislative Council member Eric Annes said. Additionally, Annes, who abstained from voting, said hes against fracking and fracking waste, but the ordinance isnt necessary right now. It seems that the ordinance is the mayor saying we dont support fracking here and I think thats a message we could send with a resolution rather than an ordinance, he said. That would be my preference, but at the end of the day I think its an issue that doesnt have an effect. There are residents that care deeply about this, but I think that if we want to say were against fracturing we could do it with a resolution. About 35 towns in Connecticut have similar ordinances that ban fracking waste, Sharkey said. West Hartford resident Adrienne Doughty recalls the summer night in the family camper when her then-husband hurled an object at her that whipped past head before shattering a window. The sound of broken glass brought a neighbor running. That started the 62-year-old on a long path of healing from what she describes as primarily emotional abuse from her former husband whom, ironically, Doughty thought would protect her after shed been the victim of date rape and sexual assault by a supervisor. In those days, you couldnt say anything, she said. Doughty found her voice at a workshop on intimate partner violenceoffered by Susan Omilian, an attorney-turned-advocate of IPV victims after her 19-year-old niece was killed by her boyfriend. Susans workshop was pivotal. I wish I had found it a lot earlier, Doughty said. You cannot recover alone. Perhaps that message is catching on. In the last fiscal year, 29,290 victims sought counseling from the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violences 18-member organizations, a 30 percent increase over FY 2016. But others dont seek help soon enough. In the past decade, Connecticut has averaged 13 intimate partner homicides per year, according to records from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Further, evidence suggests that the upcoming generation of Connecticut adults will face the threat of IPV on a similar scale: In 2015, 8 percent of high school students reported having experienced physical dating violence within the last 12 months, according to the states Youth Behavior Risk Survey. Experts who have battled the violent cycle of IPV throughout their profession seem confounded by its continued prevalence. Domestic violence is a learned behavior. Its often generational; we know that, said Karen Jarmoc, CEO of the CCADV. Despite a number of prevention initiatives and models that have been tested and found to be effective, Jarmoc acknowledges that the problem persists. At the end of the day, it doesnt feel like its going away or getting better, said Jarmoc, who has devoted her career to combatting IPV. But she is not without some optimism. Jarmoc says that, compared to 40 years ago, advocates and providers know much better how to identify risk factors of domestic violence and how to work with survivors to keep them safe. Hopefully, in another few decades, we will begin to see a cultural shift that everyone is working hard to achieve. It simply takes time, she said. In the meantime, some promising efforts throughout the stateinvolving teen leaders, innovative partnerships, and technology seek to hasten that shift. Teen Advocates Connecticut teenagers have played an active role in bringing awareness to the problem of IPV among high school students. Under guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state develops the High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey,offering stakeholders the opportunity to share their input on its content. In 2007, a group of forward-thinking high school students involved in Norwalks Center for Youth Leadership took the opportunity to advocate for questions on teen dating violence to be expanded in the survey. They had the courage to come to the survey planning committee and say, We see this unhealthy behavior in our peer group, said Celeste Jorge, coordinator of the Connecticut high school survey. Subsequently, the following questions about teen dating violence are now included in the statewide survey: Were you ever physically forced to have sexual intercourse? Experienced physical dating violence? Experienced sexual dating violence? In the 2015 survey, the percentage of Connecticut high school students who responded in the affirmative to these questions were 7.8 percent, 8 percent, and 11.5 percent, respectively. I think any rate above zero at this age group is concerning, Jorge said. Awareness Via Mobile Apps New and pending strategies aimed at increasing awareness and prevention of teen IPV attempt to meet this demographic where they are: on their mobile devices. The CCADV has developed a mobile app, td411, which provides interactive tools to educate teens on healthful relationships, offers a forum for users to ask questions they may be uncomfortable asking face-to-face, and gives them the opportunity to connect with a counselor for further information. In the Yale School of Public Healths Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, professor Trace Kershaw and doctoral student Tiara Willie are taking the technology approach to new creative heights. Theyre developing a mobile app aimed at improving decision-making for mothers and daughters exposed to domestic violence. The app will display graphic novellas accessed via a video game, through which users choose a character they relate to, and subsequently pick behaviors that result in either positive or negative consequences. Female adolescents affected by violence in their homes are vulnerable to unwittingly accepting a negative cycle that can have widespread influence on the health and well-being of women across generations, Kershaw said. Showing teenagers paths to healthful relationships makes sense, as it becomes harder to escape negative ones when entrenched in them as adults. Dr. Karen Jubanyik sees this first-hand. The emergency medicine physician on the Medical School faculty at Yale University explains that getting victims to identify their partners or spouses as their abusers is not easy, even when theyve just been physically harmed by them. They go back because of economic necessity she said. Getting away from perpetrators may mean leaving a support system. Logistically, thats not easy. Last November, Connecticut was one of four states to receive a $75,000 grant from Futures Without Violence to train providers working in community health centers, including the Southwest Community Health Center in Bridgeport and Charter Oak Health Center in Hartford, to proactively ask about and intervene in situations involving domestic violence. The grant will allow organizations across the state to train health care providers to know how to ask questions around intimate partner violence, to solicit answers that are honest, and that lead to referrals [to related services], said Deb Poulin, spokesperson for the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut. Experts at the CCADV will provide training. Some believe the training cant come soon enough. The rates of intimate partner violence are so high; were missing a lot of them, said emergency physician Jubanyik. This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team ( c-hit.org ). For information on domestic violence services: Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence http://www.ctcadv.org/ Susan Omilians Thriver Zone http://thriverzone.com/about/susan-omilian/ New Haven Domestic Violence Services https://www.domesticshelters.org/new-haven-ct-domestic-violence-help Connecticut Domestic Violence Help, Shelters, Services by Community https://www.domesticshelters.org/ct/connecticut-domestic-violence-help-statistics#.WoRiiEtG3q0 HAMDEN Workers at manufacturing company Porcelen Specrail have gone on strike until they can get higher wages, affordable health care and retirement benefits. Approximately 60 workers, who are represented by the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 11, marched in front of Specrails property Friday, carrying picket signs that call for livable wages, health benefits they can afford and a retirement plan. The unions contract expired in January and the extension expired March 1. After negotiating until the last day and not being able to come to an agreement, the union voted to go on strike last week and have been striking every day since Monday morning. Hector Zempoalteca has worked as a machinist at the company for the last seven years and marched in the picket line Friday. When he started, working there was OK but then things just started going down, and just worse with wages, he said. He added that living off the wages he makes is difficult, especially while supporting his 4-year-old child. Hopefully, they get some sense that they need us, he said. Its only fair. We try to do our best but they are not ...Were not asking for much, just something reasonable. Specrail manufactures aluminum fencing products, making fences, gates, deck railing and more. The workers hold positions as welders, aluminum fabricators, forklift drivers, machinists and other skilled jobs. The average wage workers make at Specrail is $14.30 an hour, but many of the workers make just above minimum wage at $10.40 an hour, IUPAT representative Wilfredo Vega Jr. said. The company offered to raise the wage to $11.30 an hour but we couldnt accept because thats not enough to live on, he said. What they offered is not enough and they feel were asking too much. The median hourly wage for a machinist in Connecticut was $23.68 in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and $22.19 for a welder. Emilio Crespo, who works at Specrail and is one of the workers striking, translated for a group of Spanish-speaking workers who did not want to give their names. They said they feel discriminated against because of the low wages, which are impossible to live on. One worker said the company insurance doesnt cover many medical issues and its hard to find a doctor who will take it. Another worker said We cant take it. Were tired of it, the way of living is going up and our pay is not. The health care deductible is $3,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family, Vega said, and with annual wages ranging from about $21,600 a year to the average of $29,700 a year many workers cant afford the insurance at all. Moreover, the company wants to increase the workers health care premiums to approximately $600 a month for a family plan, which is about 33 percent of the lowest paid workers wages just for health care premiums and 24 percent of the average workers wages. The company also refuses to provide a 401(k) so the workers can contribute to their retirement, Vega said. Its hard work out here in the cold, Vega said. The guys are determined. They feel theyve been wronged and abused. Other unions and local officials came out supporting the workers. The union is willing to negotiate but the company hasnt responded, labor attorney John Fussell said, and the union will continue to strike until the company agrees to provide livable wages, insurance and a retirement plan. Hamden police were called when a woman who had been marching with the strikers blocked a Specrail employee with her car from exiting the company driveway. When police arrived, they made the woman move and pushed the picket line out of the driveway. Striking workers and other supporters began yelling criticisms at the officer who threatened to arrest workers if they didnt stay off the companys property. Vega said the police understand the union isnt making trouble and they were just doing their job. Theyre a union. They know were a peaceful march. After that workers returned to picket. Porcelen Specrail declined to comment on the workers strike and its parent company, G&S Metal Products Company Inc., could not be reached. Editors note: This story was updated since it was first posted. North Augusta, SC (29841) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. High near 80F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Rain. Low 72F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. 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. 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. Thank you for reading The Cascadia Advocate, the Northwest Progressive Institutes journal of world, national, and local politics. Founded in March of 2004, The Cascadia Advocate has been helping people throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond make sense of current events with rigorous analysis and thought-provoking commentary for more than fifteen years. The Cascadia Advocate is funded by readers like you and trusted sponsors. We dont run ads or publish content in exchange for money. Help us keep The Cascadia Advocate editorially independent and freely available to all by becoming a member of the Northwest Progressive Institute today. Or make a donation to sustain our essential research and advocacy journalism. Your contribution will allow us to continue bringing you features like Last Week In Congress, live coverage of events like Netroots Nation or the Democratic National Convention, and reviews of books and documentary films. Become an NPI member Make a one-time donation The company is called Fresh a term that hasnt been synonymous with coolness in decades and its filled with a mostly white millennial staff and stereotypical start-up fixtures (a Ping-Pong table, turf-covered walls, organic, gluten-free snacks). Earn feigns optimism but he clearly doesnt want to be there any more than his cousin does. The string of Fresh scenes visually both brighter and whiter than is usual for Atlanta jab at the fact that even as the music industry has gotten a high-tech makeover, the practice of exploiting black youth culture persists. Theres the visual of a young rapper energetically performing on top of a boardroom table as executives stoically appraise him. Theres the audio guy prompting Al to be more cool and to act like youre at a party (code for sound more black) as hes recording promo spots. Then theres the scene in which Earns just mills about the office, munching Cheerios, until he realizes every other person is wordlessly watching him. Once they know hes onto them, they quickly spark back into motion. This speaks to a feeling known all too well by those whove experienced the only one in the room syndrome. For those who havent: Being the lone minority in, say, a work environment or classroom can create an unsettling sense that people are silently observing your every move, no matter how mundane. Here the episode writer Stephen Glover brings that nagging notion to life. The visit ends when Al storms out of an excruciating Tiny Desk Concert-style performance, after most employees cant be bothered to leave their cubicles to watch him rap Paper Boi. Its his second loss in less than 24 hours, and there are more to come. Back on the illegal grind, Al tries his luck with a second plug only to have the star-struck dealer post a stealthy, potentially incriminating photo of him onto Instagram. The third is a seemingly cool hippie bro who soothes Als nerves with a potent smoke-out session and promises of discounted pricing. Alas, everything goes left when he loops Al into a group text with his gangster girlfriend, who turns out to be one of the millions of vanilla twentysomethings hunched over a guitar, trying to go viral with an acoustic rap cover. One video clip of her chirping his eponymous single is all it takes for Al to defenestrate his cellphone and burn that bridge, too. President Trump imposed steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Thursday, singling out China as a top offender in an effort to curb what he has called unfair trade practices. But there is little evidence to support his dismissal of estimates that say Chinese steel accounts for only a small percentage of imports into the United States. We fact-checked Mr. Trumps targeting of Chinas trade practices this week. Transshipping, frankly, is a big deal. China says its got 2 percent, but it sends much more. March 8 This lacks evidence. Mr. Trump repeated this claim as he prepared to announce the tariffs. Ive watched where the reporters have been writing, 2 percent of our steel comes from China. Well, thats not right, Mr. Trump said at a news conference on Tuesday. They transship all through other countries. They send us a much, much higher level than that, but its called transshipping, he added. Transshipping refers to a practice in which one country exports a product to another country after it passes it through a third country. It is illegal when done to falsify or disguise the products country of origin and to evade duties and tariffs. There is little evidence to support Mr. Trumps claim that the volume of Chinese steel imports is much higher after transshipping. Travelers trying to book a stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama on Thursday found no rooms available on TrumpHotels.com. But the website for the Bahia Grand Panama had several luxurious options, at the very same oceanfront hotel. The dueling websites and their conflicting occupancy information are the latest twist in the oft-bizarre battle between President Trumps family business and the majority owner of the Panama City property, who has spent months trying to oust the Trumps as both the managers and the branders of the hotel. On Monday, the majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, declared victory and a worker pried the silver T-R-U-M-P name from the property, even as the Trump Organization described the move as legally improper and disputed that it had permanently lost control. A federal judge in Manhattan had plenty of questions for lawyers representing a group of Twitter users who sued President Trump in July after he blocked them on the social media service. And she had even more for the government. The seven users, who had been blocked by the @realDonaldTrump account after criticizing the president, were joined in the lawsuit by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Their lawyers claimed that Mr. Trumps Twitter feed is an official government account and that blocking users from following it was a violation of their First Amendment rights. Lawyers from the Department of Justice insisted that the Twitter feed was not, in fact, a public forum. Furthermore, they argued, no one had been meaningfully excluded from it. Twitter posts from the president appear on both Mr. Trumps @realDonaldTrump account and the presidential @POTUS account. The @realDonaldTrump account, which Mr. Trump started in 2009, has more than 48 million followers; @POTUS, which Mr. Trump took over from President Barack Obama on Jan. 20, 2017, has more than 22 million. Episodes are about 20 minutes long, and though there is no specific formula, there is a guiding principle: Use a lot of tape, Mr. Mills said. And by that we mean the sound of things happening in the world and the sound of people speaking unprompted, unscripted. To get that material, the team helps Times journalists to think with their ears. We started to work with reporters to just vacuum up all of the sounds around them as theyre reporting something, not just the quotable moments from when youre with the senator, but when youre getting out of the car, when youre walking up to the house, said Annie Brown, another reporter and Daily producer. (Stray sounds captured inside the studio are also fair game. We dig the tap tap on the microphone, we dig the throat clearing, we dig are we on? Mr. Mills said.) And unlike some other audio news programs, like NPRs Up First, The Daily often plays sound ahead of the information that contextualizes it. For example, in covering the events in Charlottesville, Va., last summer, many other news outlets teed up quotes from protesters and counterprotesters and immediately outlined what happened. But The Daily went a different route. The episode began the night before the violence and relied heavily on sound from the scene, including racist chants, continuing even as a reporter, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, described what was happening. Building owners can, for example, raise rents by charging tenants for buildingwide improvements. Or, if improvements to an individual apartment increase the rent beyond a legal threshold currently $2,733.75 the apartment can be deregulated. Landlords can also raise so-called preferential rents, a rent below the legal maximum allowed under rent stabilization. Increases in preferential rents dont fall under city-set limits. Preferential rents are very helpful for tenants, but owners have the right to raise those rents, said Vito Signorile, a spokesman for the Rent Stabilization Association, the biggest landlord lobbyist group in the city. For smaller buildings, its very possible that, because of the rent freeze, they couldnt pay their operating costs, and so they found another way to raise the rents on tenants, Mr. Signorile said. He said that the 3.1 percent rent growth in 2016 was most likely the result of rent increases on two-year leases, which were not affected by the freeze. Mr. Signorile said that the association would push for an adequate rent increase this year that makes up for the minor increases and lack thereof during the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. The board is composed of nine members appointed by the mayor. There are currently three vacant seats, which the mayor aims to fill by the next board meeting on April 5, city officials said. Mayor de Blasio did not publicly back a rent freeze last year, but he advocated freezes in previous years. On Thursday, a spokeswoman for the mayor did not offer any indication of where the mayor stands on a freeze for the coming year. Its a data-driven process that is just starting, Melissa Grace, the spokeswoman, said. The median rent for a rent-stabilized apartment in 2016 was $1,182, and the median cost for the landlord to operate the unit was $847, according to the study. But even college students disagree on the language of consent. A 2015 poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Washington Post found that 47 percent of current and recent college students said that someone undressing themselves signaled agreement to further sexual activity; 49 percent said it did not. Defense lawyers did not necessarily paint a flattering picture of their client, who acknowledged having sex with the woman, despite the fact that she had been drinking to the point of vomiting several times. He also said that he had called his longtime girlfriend, with whom he had an open relationship, from the complainants bedroom. But Mr. Khans lawyers pressed the woman on the witness stand about messages she had sent inviting Mr. Khan to dinner, or writing lol short for laugh out loud the morning after the alleged assault, when she woke up with bruising on her legs. Norman Pattis, one of the defense lawyers, asked if the messages indicated her interest in Mr. Khan. She replied that she spoke to everyone in that manner. Mr. Pattis also asked about a screenshot that she had sent to Mr. Khan of a Shakespeare sonnet that seemed to imply a romantic interest. She replied that she had been joking; the screenshot was from a popular campus Facebook group, where jokes are often posted. Dan Erwin, who handled jury selection for the defense, said that they had favored older jurors, 30 to middle-age because there was a seriousness about them insofar as none of them accepted, condoned or denied the existence of misconduct, harassment or assault, but they all seriously engaged with the need for due process. The juror who spoke anonymously said that the panel had not focused on the banter or on Mr. Pattiss suggestion that the womans Halloween costume had been too sexy. Instead, the jurors focused on evidence like security camera footage that showed the complainant and Mr. Khan walking back to her dorm room. The complainant had testified that the footage showed her so drunk that she was unable to support herself, her leg dragging behind her. We looked at and we looked at and we looked at that video of them walking, the juror said. We could not see her leg dragging. We could not see her eyes shut. We could not see what she said. Helmut O. Maucher, who transformed Nestle into the worlds largest food company after working his way from a job in a milk production facility to chief executive, died on Monday at his home in Bad Homburg, Germany, a suburb of Frankfurt. He was 90. A company spokeswoman confirmed the death. Mr. Maucher revived and nurtured Nestle, based in Switzerland, by slashing its bureaucracy and work force while snapping up key competitors like the American milk producer Carnation and the British confectioner Rowntree, maker of the popular Kit Kat bar. Known for axioms like Keep heads up and overheads down, Mr. Maucher threw himself into his work. When asked for his thoughts on the concept of work-life balance in a 2016 interview with a German journalist, published on Nestles website, he said: For me, work-life balance means less the balance of work and leisure. Rather, the more responsibility you have in the job, the more interests you have to have education, family, politics, sociology, psychology and so on. Mr. Mauchers reputation as a turnaround wizard who could revive flagging parts of Nestles businesses landed him the position of chief executive in 1981. He was named chairman in 1990 and held both positions until 1997, when he stepped down as chief executive. He remained chairman until 2000. Get Out made these voters uncomfortable by showing that black people can be silenced, whether ignored, stereotyped or even, as happens in the movie, kidnapped. So those voters response was to attempt to silence the movie, which paradoxically proves one of its main points. Such willful ignorance isnt unique to the Oscars, however. This kind of attitude is also partly to blame for the lack of progress for African-Americans in rates of homeownership, incarceration and employment over the past 50 years. The Economic Policy Institute recently released a study showing that the black homeownership rate stayed about the same from 1968 to 2015. But during that time, the black incarceration rate nearly tripled, and its now more than six times the white incarceration rate. And the unemployment rate among blacks is worse than in 1968, and now twice the rate of white unemployment. This news comes amid massive civil rights rollbacks by the Trump administration, and not long after a post-racial narrative that took hold during the Obama era: By electing a black president, the idea goes, America had at least partially moved past race. But both approaches ignore the project of improving life for black Americans. Its clear that America prefers its black people to remain invisible in underfunded schools, in segregated neighborhoods, behind bars. Black people can live and work, and pay taxes if we do so quietly. But were not supposed to talk about inequality or discrimination. If we do, were playing the race card. Students across the country continue to attack and shut down speakers at a steady pace, from Christina Hoff Sommers to Jordan Peterson. I confess that I find their behavior awful. My gut reaction is that these student mobbists manage to combine snowflake fragility and lynch mob irrationalism into one perfectly poisonous cocktail. But empathy is the essential character trait for our moment. So I thought it might be a good discipline to try to see things from the students perspective to not just condemn or psychoanalyze them but to try to understand where they are coming from. So here goes. I would begin my stab at understanding by acknowledging that I grew up in one era and they grew up in another. I came of age in the 1980s. In that time, there was an assumption that though the roots of human society were deep in tribalism, over the past 3,000 years we have developed a system of liberal democracy that gloriously transcended it, that put reason, compassion and compromise atop violence and brute force. There was also an assumption that while we might disagree on the means, we all wanted basically the same things. For example, though America was plagued by economic divides we all wanted a society in which social mobility and equal opportunity were the rule. Though America is plagued by racism, we all wanted more integration and less bigotry, a place where talent and character mattered more than skin color and prejudice. Early in his presidency, Donald Trump knew exactly whom to blame for the chemical weapons used in Syria, and what to do about it. The heinous sarin gas attacks by President Bashar al-Assad on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun last April happened because President Barack Obama did nothing to enforce his red line against the banned arms after an attack near Damascus in August 2013, Mr. Trump said. So Mr. Trump ordered the launch of 59 cruise missiles against a Syrian airfield where the April chemical attack originated. Invoking the horror of innocent babies choked by poison gas, he said military action would deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. Only it didnt. In the 11 months since then, there have been many such attacks, including at least six this year, which American officials and human rights groups blamed on Mr. Assad. Rather than the more lethal sarin agent used in April, recent attacks reportedly have involved chlorine. The use of poison gas, a war crime under international law, has been integral to Mr. Assads scorched-earth drive to regain control of the last rebel-held areas near Damascus. By bombing civilians and depriving them of food and medical care, he has killed more than 700 people in the past several weeks, on top of nearly 500,000 killed since the civil war began in 2011. Its infinitely better that North Korea and the United States exchange words rather than missiles. Yet President Trumps decision to meet Kim Jong-un strikes me as a dangerous gamble and a bad idea. Im afraid that North Korea may be playing Trump, and that in turn Trump may be playing us. I fear that Trump is being played because at the outset, apparently in exchange for nothing clear-cut, he has agreed to give North Korea what it has long craved: the respect and legitimacy that comes from the North Korean leader standing as an equal beside the American president. And I worry that we in the media and the public are being played because this is a way for Trump to change the subject from a Russia investigation and a porn actress to himself as Great Peacemaker. To be clear, Im all for negotiations. Ever since I began covering North Korea in the 1980s, Ive favored direct talks between the United States and North Korea, and Ive called on Trump to send emissaries to meet Kim Jong-un. But direct talks should be conducted by seasoned diplomats, offering an eventual summit meeting only as a carrot at the end of the process and only if the summit serves some purpose higher than changing the headlines in the U.S. and legitimizing Kims regime abroad. A face-to-face should advance the interests of two countries, not just two leaders. Economic nationalism differs from free-trade ideology in having three distinct goals rather than one. The first isnt discussed very often in a time of relative global peace: maintaining the industries necessary for prevailing in a large-scale war. The Civil War might have had a different outcome had the North not possessed an overwhelming advantage in industrial capacity over the Confederacy. Likewise, there would not have been a Western Front in World War II if the United States had not had the industrial strength to back Britains defiance of Nazi Germany. That the United States could wage war on Germany and imperial Japan simultaneously was a function of the rapidity with which civilian industry could be adapted for military needs. The United States had the raw resources, the energy capabilities and the factories necessary to conduct a two-front war. Such capacity in the service of national defense will sooner or later be needed again. Strength has to be held in reserve. The second goal of economic nationalism is no less important than being prepared for the exigency of war. From the time of the Constitutions drafting, American statesmen have seen the need to preserve a middle layer in the nations economic order. As far back as Aristotle, a secure middle class has been thought essential to the well-being of a constitutional republic. Such a middle class is hard to imagine in a postindustrial nation consisting of a tiny capital-controlling elite and a vast population of Amazon warehouse workers. That a sort of postindustrial middle class might be sustained by universities and hospitals, as it is in places like Pittsburgh, is not a comforting thought to the conservative kind of economic nationalist. Productive industries with a measure of trade protection are still private, profit-seeking firms; in short, they are capitalist institutions, which hospitals, in effect, and universities, in most cases, are not. Economic nationalists are intent upon protecting not only certain industries but also a multilayered free-market political and economic order that is anchored by a healthy middle class. The third objective of economic nationalism is the most general and the one that most closely matches the aims of free-market ideology: namely, to foster prosperity. Economic nationalists do not accept the claims made by extreme free-traders that any degree of industrial protection must inevitably lead to less national wealth. But so what if it does? If the price of national security and a durable, free middle class is a modest reduction in gross domestic product, the economic nationalist is willing to pay it. Theres near-universal consensus among both economists and business leaders that Donald Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum are a bad idea, and that the wider trade war those tariffs could trigger would be very destructive. But the chances of heading off this policy disaster are small, because this is a quintessential example of Trump being Trump. In fact, the tariffs are arguably the Trumpiest thing Trump has done so far. After all, trade (like racism) is an issue on which Trump has been utterly consistent over the years. He has spent decades railing at other countries that, he claims, hurt America by taking advantage of our relatively open markets. And if his views are based on zero understanding of the issues or even of basic facts, well, Trumpism is all about belligerent ignorance, across the board. But wait, theres more. Theres a reason we have international trade agreements, and its not to protect us from unfair practices by other countries. The real goal, instead, is to protect us from ourselves: to limit the special-interest politics and outright corruption that used to reign in trade policy. Trumpocrats, however, dont see corruption and rule by special interests as problems. You could say that the world trading system is, in large part, specifically designed to prevent people like Trump from having too much influence. Of course he wants to wreck it. A former superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, the 25th-largest district in the United States, pleaded guilty on Thursday to four counts of perjury related to payments totaling about $147,000 that he received for consulting and speaking engagements. The state said the former superintendent, Shaun Dallas Dance, had made false statements on his financial disclosure forms to conceal the nature and extent of his outside business interests and conflicts of interest. Among other sources of income, the state said, Mr. Dance received payments from a school leadership training company that he had helped win an $875,000 no-bid contract from his school district. After his financial relationship with that school vendor became known, the state said, Mr. Dance falsely told a Baltimore County Public Schools ethics panel that he had not been paid by the company while it was doing business with the district. He also provided the ethics panel with what the state described as a sham service agreement with the company supporting his false claims. Prosecutors have asked for a five-year sentence and said they wanted Mr. Dance to serve 18 months of it. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for April 20. Consider the characters. A 12-year-old with big storms inside that she can only control by cutting herself. A mother who gets excruciating headaches whenever she thinks of her son. A pathological pack rat. A man haunted by his mother, a suicide. Another whose best friend is a hamster. One of these is the therapist. The others and a few more besides are the troubled patients seeking help at Northwood Mental Health Center, the fictional small-town facility near the Berkshire Mountains in which David Rabes Good for Otto is set. They and the staff are exhibits in the plays attempted argument about a system that has itself gone mad. Not that Dr. Robert Michaels the one haunted by his mother is to blame. As played by Ed Harris in the tedious New Group production that opened on Thursday at the Pershing Square Signature Center, he is a good guy out of a 50s melodrama, quixotically fighting the bean counters in hopes of helping his patients. If he errs, it is on the side of over-involvement; he suffers, too smugly, from a savior complex. His colleague Evangeline Ryder (Amy Madigan) has better boundaries but might as well wear a sign proclaiming her a profound empath and active listener. Her patients include F. Murray Abraham, as a man who refuses to get out of bed, and Maulik Pancholy, as a man fresh out of the closet but no less lonely for it. Using insight-based therapeutic techniques that would not be unfamiliar to anyone who has ever taken an Intro Psych course, she cures one, if not the other. Legalities aside, the fact that President Trump is indicating that the tariffs will be negotiable on a country-by-country basis, rather than set in stone, diminishes the risk that this will be the beginning of an all-out trade war in which the very underpinnings of global commerce are threatened. Countries are going to be happy were going to show great flexibility, Mr. Trump said Thursday, which is something of a contrast with his Twitter message last weekend arguing that trade wars were good, and easy to win. The mix of bluster and openness to compromise is consistent with a longstanding pattern that was evident in President Trumps business career. Still, the stakes here are the global economy rather than a real estate deal, which leaves experts in the field unnerved. As is so often the case, President Trump starts out with extreme positions, then often tends to modify them somewhat as time goes on, said Marina v.N. Whitman, a professor of business and public policy at the University of Michigan. But given the importance of these relationships between allies, even these little pokes and tit-for-tat disputes is pretty disturbing. It is certainly possible for this to spiral into a broader trade conflict that involves higher tariffs on all sorts of goods and services and an unraveling of the trade arrangements built over decades. But the pattern so far in the Trump administration has been one in which the president stakes out a bold, aggressive position, only to compromise as the lawyers and economists in his administration fill in the policy details. That raises the possibility of an extended period of global tension regarding trade, with occasional flare-ups over tariffs or other restrictions on individual products, but not the kind of trade war that occurred in the 1930s as nations competed to block themselves off from imports. Or, as Terry Haines, managing director of Evercore ISI, calls it, no trade war, but also no trade peace. I told President President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is committed to denuclearization. ... and he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. It may feel like weve been here before. Well, thats because we have. North Korea has agreed to freeze its nuclear and missile programs many times already. But these negotiations with the United States eventually all fall apart. There will be no rewards for provocations. Those days are over. Heres a look back at three key moments. Monday, North Korea announced it would freeze its nuclear program and allow the resumption of international inspection of its facilities. It was called the agreed framework. This is a good deal for the United States. North Korea will freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program. South Korea and our other allies will be better protected. North Korea had been threatening to turn its nuclear fuel into bombs, and bar nuclear inspectors from the country. But after negotiations launched by then-President Bill Clinton, and spearheaded by former President Jimmy Carter, an agreement was reached. I personally believe that the crisis is over. Among other pledges, the U.S. said it would give the North annual oil deliveries and nuclear power technology. But fast forward to 2002. Thats when North Korea told U.S. officials that it had been running a secret nuclear weapons development program, and that it was nullifying the agreed framework. George W. Bush had harsh words for North Korea early on in his presidency. ... axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. But by 2005, a new round of negotiations brought hope for peace. The North tentatively agreed to end its nuclear weapons program and welcome back inspectors. Washington pledged economic benefits and security guarantees for the North. But just over a year later, North Korea announced its first nuclear test, inviting a new round of economic sanctions. In 2012, a new North Korean leader in charge meant a new round of talks. The so-called Leap Day Agreement called for the U.S. and other nations to send food aid to the North. And in return, Pyongyang said it would suspend missile tests and uranium enrichment. But 16 days later, North Korea launched this rocket. It exploded soon after liftoff. There have been several missile launches and nuclear tests since then. Which brings us to this current possibility of peace, a possibility that remains clouded by precedent. PITTSBURGH Never has so much money been spent so quickly on a political race with so little real meaning than on the House special election here, but to Republicans, the public relations debacle that would come with a loss this Tuesday is a price they cannot bear. Never mind that this southwest Pennsylvania seat which envelops suburban Pittsburgh and hugs the West Virginia border will most likely cease to exist by the November election or that the man occupying it will be shopping for new constituents. Conservative groups have flooded the district with more than $10 million. President Trump will be here on Saturday to test out the political potency of his new steel tariffs. Vice President Mike Pence has paid a visit. And the Democrats are playing, too. On Tuesday, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was at a union carpenters training center glad-handing supporters of Conor Lamb, the 33-year-old Democrat who hopes to pull off a huge upset next week in deepest Trump country. If he wins, youre going to see probably another half a dozen Republicans say theyre not running again, Mr. Biden told a reporter on a meet-and-greet rope line, adding that Mr. Lamb could also show the way toward that holiest of Democratic grails: getting back working-class people supporting us again. WASHINGTON When the establishment told him he should talk with North Korea, President Trump scorned the idea. Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years and had been made to look like fools, he scoffed, and then rattled his saber. Sorry, but only one thing will work! Five months later, Mr. Trump cast aside his skepticism and agreed to talk to North Korea with no more promise of success at negotiating an end to its nuclear and missile programs than his predecessors had. The main difference this time around is who will do the talking for the United States: Donald J. Trump. Shocking and yet somehow not surprising, Mr. Trumps decision to do what no other sitting president has done and meet in person with a North Korean leader reflects an audacious and supremely self-confident approach to international affairs. Whether it is Middle East peace or trade agreements, Mr. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can achieve what has eluded every other occupant of his office through the force of his own personality. So far, he has little to show for that. He has yet to successfully negotiate any new trade deals or renegotiate any old ones. A resolution between Israel and the Palestinians, which he once said would be maybe not as difficult as people have thought, looks more distant than when he came into office. Beyond threatening fire and fury, he has offered no original formula that suggests a path to unlock the North Korea puzzle. WASHINGTON The United States military has carried out twice as many airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Libya since President Trump took office as it has publicly acknowledged, raising questions about whether the Pentagon has sought to obscure operations in the strife-torn North African nation. The total number of strikes eight since January 2017 is relatively small. But the uptick points to the threat that the Trump administration believes Libya still poses, despite the presidents focus on the American-led campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq that he has trumpeted as one of his administrations signature national security accomplishments. Counterterrorism specialists warn that the Islamic State and Al Qaeda also still pose formidable threats in places like Somalia, Yemen and West Africa. On Tuesday, Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, the head of the Africa Command, said in congressional testimony that we are heavily involved in the counterterrorism piece in Libya. On its website and in news releases, the Africa Command has acknowledged only four airstrikes in Libya in the last 14 months against the Islamic State, also called ISIS, ISIL or Daesh. All of the attacks have been carried out since September. UNITED NATIONS If one snapshot from his swing through Washington and New York this week captured the position in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel finds himself, it wasnt when he sat beside President Trump on Monday and saluted him as a modern-day Cyrus, Balfour and Truman rolled into one. Or on Tuesday when Mr. Netanyahu reveled in the adulation of 15,000 cheering American Jews as he reeled off a TED Talk-style sales pitch about Israeli economic, diplomatic, intelligence and technological power that could have been delivered to the tune of Everything Is Awesome. No, the precise moment came in an onstage interview Wednesday at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., when, after fielding a series of easy queries, he was asked a deceptively deferential one: If he could write his own epitaph, how would he want to be remembered? History will record and debate his answer: Defender of Israel, liberator of its economy. But it may be more revealing, after 12 years as prime minister in which his name became synonymous with his government if not his state, that Mr. Netanyahu was even asked the question. PHILADELPHIA This city has two main ballet companies, the larger and older Pennsylvania Ballet and the smaller BalletX. They perform on either side of Broad Street (BalletX at the Wilma Theater, Pennsylvania Ballet at the Academy of Music) and place ads in each others programs. Matthew Neenan, a founder of BalletX and a continuing choreographic contributor to it, has for several years been the resident choreographer for Pennsylvania Ballet. Both companies tour extensively, often appearing in New York at the Joyce Theater. (BalletX is due back at the end of June.) These common factors notwithstanding, the companies have begun to look like polar opposites. This week brought new productions at both: two premieres to popular American music for BalletX, and Swan Lake at Pennsylvania Ballet. But the main difference between the troupes goes deeper than current repertory its style. Even in trite creations, the dancers of BalletX are full-bodied they seize the moment, prove wonderfully engaged and textured while even in classic choreography, the Pennsylvania Ballet dancers appear trite: lively but glossy. The name PS122 has been the subject of discussion lately in the world of contemporary performance. In January, the organization known since 1980 as Performance Space 122, housed in a former public school building in the East Village, announced that it would now be called Performance Space New York. The change, timed to the buildings reopening after a renovation, caused an outcry among those who saw it as a generic rebranding, an erasure of the institutions colorful history as a home for experimental live art. Less discussion has surrounded the other, less public-facing PS122: Painting Space 122, a center for visual artists that has been a tenant in the building since 1978. Its Painting Space that turns out to be the subject at least the most visible one of P.S. 122, a work by the artist Yve Laris Cohen that had its premiere on Thursday in the larger of Performance Spaces two new theaters. Mr. Laris Cohens work often deals with the infrastructure architectural and institutional behind the production of dance, theater and visual art. In 2015 at Danspace Project, he installed and uninstalled a portable dance floor used by New York City Ballet on tour. In 2014, he shuttled a slab of white wall from the old Whitney Museum into the new, unfinished one, bringing an audience with him. It may not be dance in any conventional sense, but Mr. Laris Cohen, who has a background in ballet, arranges materials and events with an exacting choreographic eye. In P.S. 122, part of Performance Spaces East Village Series, he has covered the floor of the 3,600-square-foot theater in blank canvas, setting the stage for a conversation between painting and performance: a medium that yields tangible, purchasable objects and one defined by fleetingness. As the audience entered on Thursday, several artists were stationed at canvases around the room, and for an hour, to the roar of heavy metal played by the band Dither, we watched them work, engaged in activities much more placid than the music. At the last survey of new photography at the Museum of Modern Art two years ago, the atmosphere was so self-referential and hermetic that a visitor panted for oxygen. Often, the photos were images of images, taken off a computer screen or digitally created in the studio. It seemed as if photography, which continued to engage with the world after modernist painting and literature turned inward, had finally crumpled into solipsism. A lot can change in two years. In response to the last exhibition and to the intervening political upheavals, the show Being: New Photography 2018, which opens on March 18, offers a broader and more stimulating range of work. The rubric of Being, which is defined as notions of personhood and identity, proves capacious enough to include portraiture, reportage, fashion, and pretty much everything you can turn a camera on. (The museum decided in 2016 to present exhibitions with a theme rather than simply highlighting promising photographers.) The show includes the work of 17 artists two of whom collaborate as a team all under 45. The exhibition was orchestrated by Lucy Gallun, MoMAs assistant curator of photography, who worked on the last one and agrees that this years represents a departure. The strongest takeaway from the last show was about the dissemination of images and the way images circulate, she said in a phone interview. Here its a much more personal, intimate approach. She added that she tried to emphasize the diversity of approaches. A sampling of artists included indicates she succeeded in that. Although questions of racial and gender identity and politics perfume the air, the best photography in the show touches lightly, if at all, on these subjects. One artist who squarely addresses the political predicament is Stephanie Syjuco, 43, a Bay Area resident who was born in the Philippines and immigrated to this country when she was 3. Ms. Syjuco employs diverse formats installations, performance and photography to investigate such subjects as the distribution of goods under capitalism and the persistence of neocolonialism. Carter Emmart used to want to go to space. Now he does, all the time but virtually. And he likes to share. On a recent afternoon, he took a visitor at the Hayden Planetarium, where he works, on a kind of joyride across the known universe. The lights dim. The inverted bowl of the planetariums screen comes to life. But the familiar, insectlike projector that displays the stars and constellations is stowed under the floor. Instead, projectors are reconstructing images onto the half dome from a desktop computer. Perusing the Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass postcards and photos alongside mugs and refrigerator magnets displayed in the shop of Bostons Museum of African American History, Daniel OLeary was struck by a reproduction of an 1851 poster. CAUTION!! read the headline. COLORED PEOPLE OF BOSTON, ONE & ALL, You are hereby respectfully CAUTIONED and advised, to avoid conversing with the Watchmen and Police Officers of Boston. The poster was created in response to the Fugitive Slave Act, the 1850 federal law that compelled local governments, even in free states like Massachusetts, to arrest runaway slaves and return them to their masters. Its language sounded eerily familiar to Daniel OLeary, who was then the chief of police in Brookline, Mass., and had just concluded a tour of the museum with his senior staff members. I was taken aback, said Chief OLeary, who visited the museum last March. A lot of departments are going through the whole dont snitch thing today. It impressed me that some of the experiences between African-Americans and police that were going on back in the 1800s are still going on today. A striking moment occurs midway through the opening movement of the Hungarian composer Gyorgy Ligetis 1970 Chamber Concerto. After spinning a dissonant web of melodic strands in the opening minutes, the instruments arrive at that most fundamental of intervals: the perfect octave. Time is momentarily suspended. But a dense tone cluster of brass and Hammond organ interrupts this repose, and the music devolves into a buzzing, asynchronous mass. For audiences accustomed to Tchaikovskys lyricism and Mozarts familiar harmonies, this music borders on incomprehensibility. Even as some of their works are almost a century old, modernists like Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, and Ruth Crawford Seeger still pose a challenge. What are you supposed to pay attention to? How should you listen to this stuff? If youre a fan of the television subgenre that pairs a gifted, impulsive, often childlike male civilian with a tough, straight-arrow, lonely female cop, then you were probably a fan of Castle, one of the most successful shows of the type. (Other recent or current examples: The Mentalist, Perception, Forever, A.P.B., Lucifer.) Youre also in luck. Maybe. Because not one but two new examples of the genre are debuting soon. Deception on ABC, arriving Sunday, pairs a magician and an F.B.I. agent. Instinct on CBS, which has its premiere on March 18, pairs a professor and a New York police detective. Deception, with its bad-boy hero, has shades of The Mentalist, and the academic aspects of Instinct recall Perception. But both owe a primary debt to Castle. Since theyre essentially the same show harmless case-of-the-week fluff hewing closely to a particular formula we can assess them based on said formula: Which is more like Castle? LOVE on Netflix. Judd Apatow has a history with characters that fit the nice guy and manic pixie dream girl tropes, as seen in movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad. But Love, which he helped create, sets up the archetypes only to knock them down. It follows the nebbish Gus (Paul Rust) and the impulsive, beautiful Mickey (Gillian Jacobs), who begin dating and quickly realize the other is far more damaged and complex than their caricature would suggest. Love is a funny, winning version of the format, and the casting is spot on, James Poniewozik wrote in his Times review. The shows third and final season, in which Gus and Mickey once again try an honest, adult relationship, arrives on Friday. MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION on Netflix. David Letterman is very much in his comfort zone on his new Netflix talk show; hes stripped back the snark that long drove his persona in favor of a warm empathy for his distinguished guests. In this episode, a day after International Womens Day, he welcomes the young activist Malala Yousafzai to the stage. (Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.) Good morning. Heres what you need to know: Doing what no president has done Donald Trump is set to become the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a North Korean leader, after accepting an invitation by Kim Jong-un to discuss the future of Pyongyangs nuclear program. Mr. Trumps self-confident approach to international affairs has yielded little so far, our chief White House correspondent writes. But he may find a kindred spirit in the unpredictable Mr. Kim. (They at least share a fondness for name-calling.) You have two leaders who believe fundamentally that they are the only people who matter, a former U.S. diplomat said. Martin Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical executive notorious for sharply increasing drug prices, mounting sneering defenses of his actions and even issuing a bounty for one of Hillary Clintons hairs, was sentenced on Friday to seven years in prison after being convicted of fraud last year. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of at least 15 years; the defense had pushed for 12 to 18 months. Mr. Shkreli, 34, is best known for raising the price of a drug, Daraprim, by 5,000 percent in a move that was widely condemned by the public and politicians. His fraud convictions were unrelated to that episode, stemming instead from his involvement with Retrophin, a pharmaceutical company he founded in 2011, and two hedge funds he ran. In August, a jury convicted Mr. Shkreli, nicknamed Pharma Bro, on three of eight counts, concluding that he had lied to investors about, among other things, how the hedge funds were managed, what they invested in and how much money they had. The jury found that he had also secretly controlled a huge number of Retrophin shares. As she imposed the sentence, Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto of Federal District Court cited Mr. Shkrelis egregious multitude of lies. She said he seemed genuinely remorseful, but he repeatedly minimized his conduct, including in statements and emails after his conviction. Before you dive in, it helps to consider the different sorts of fees that residents pay. Type A contracts, as theyre known, are all inclusive. You pay a one-time entry fee, part or all of which may be refundable, plus a monthly rent. In return you get unlimited access to health care services in the facility for the rest of your life. Type C contracts are less expensive up front, and you pay for health services as you need them, at market rates. Type Bs are hybrids of these two. A fourth option: month-to-month rentals with no entry fee. Its important to compare apples with apples. The financials at a community offering full entrance-fee refunds, for example, may look very different from those at a monthly rental home that does not need to hold cash for refunds in reserve. Here are seven key items to focus on when considering a communitys finances. Occupancy. If 90 percent or more of a homes rooms are full and have been that way for the past few years that suggests its doing something right. This is especially important at C.C.R.C.s promising refunds, because you (or your heirs) often dont get the money back until someone has moved into your old unit. Rate increases. Lately, most C.C.R.C.s have been increasing their monthly fees by about 3 to 3.5 percent a year, said Justine Vogel, president of RiverWoods, a New Hampshire retirement community. If you see anything above that, ask for an explanation. Similarly, if you find a home where monthly fees have remained unchanged for several years, it may be struggling to maintain its occupancy rate. Debt rating. Many communities issue bonds to fund expansions or other capital improvements, and Fitch Ratings evaluates them. Ratings of AAA to BBB are considered investment grade and should bring a measure of comfort to potential residents. Profitability. You want a community that usually brings in more cash than it spends. When looking at a retirement homes financial statements, pay special attention to cash operating expenses as a percentage of cash operating revenue, suggested Amy Castleberry, a director at the investment bank Ziegler and a member of the Financial Advisory Panel of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. A number below 100 means the home is generating enough cash to cover expenses. Communities whose debt gets an investment-grade rating from Fitch have a median score of 96.1 percent. Want the latest climate news in your inbox? You can sign up here to receive Climate Fwd:, our new email newsletter. John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, has killed an effort by the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to stage public debates challenging climate change science, according to three people familiar with the deliberations, thwarting a plan that had intrigued President Trump even as it set off alarm bells among his top advisers. The idea of publicly critiquing climate change on the national stage has been a notable theme for Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the E.P.A. For nearly a year he has championed the notion of holding military-style exercises known as red team, blue team debates, possibly to be broadcast live, to question the validity of climate change. Mr. Pruitt has spoken personally with Mr. Trump about the idea, and the president expressed enthusiasm for it, according to people familiar with the conversations. The new picture is a remake of the original 1974 Benji, with a few variations. It changes the location from a Texas town to New Orleans. The single parent who wont let the brother and sister adopt the homeless dog is here a mom rather than a dad. The quaint diner that figured in the 1974 story line is now a quaint pawnshop. The kids, the brother and sister Carter and Frankie (played by Gabriel Bateman and Darby Camp, who is no relation to the director), are updated with 21st century savvy. Plotting to keep the dog without telling Mom, they consider logistics. Where is he gonna pee and poop? Frankie asks. In your bed, Carter says, smirking; although hes bullied at school, he feels free to sass his sister. The kids then contemplate naming the pooch. What about Benji? Carter says. The dog perks up. He looks like a Benji, the boy continues. Old and new at the same time. Continuing to reprise the original, the kids are kidnapped by thieves (a plot element perhaps inspired by the 1965 Disney picture That Darn Cat). Benji pursues the abducted children with great vigor. In the immortal words of Chico Marx, hes some smart dog. Benji also manages to open a door with a skeleton key and execute the time-honored gag of jumping on a garbage pail, then onto a Dumpster top, then to a fire-escape ladder, with great aplomb. The movie brims with walk-and-bark shots that show Benji wandering city streets and country roads and just being supercute. For the movies climax, he teams up with a scruffier beast to rescue the kids, and the siblings actually persuade a Doberman to abandon the Dark Side and to embrace the Force, whatever that is in dog consciousness. As cute animal movies go, Benji is adult-watchable, and most likely child catnip. The kidnappers are not pleasant, but the level of child trauma experienced by their victims doesnt come within swinging distance of what you get on a random episode of Stranger Things. The soundtrack not only features boomer-hip music selections like Cat Stevenss I Love My Dog and John Hiatts Have a Little Faith in Me, but Charlie Richs original Benji theme, titled I Feel Love. (Not the Donna Summer song. Knock it off, wiseguy.) THE RECENT announcement by the streaming site FilmStruck that it would be bringing immortal Hollywood classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to its service elicited much rejoicing on social media and websites, but it did not take long for some to point out the cloud obscuring the silver lining. The migration of hundreds of titles (over a period of time, not all at once) to FilmStruck is part of the shutdown of the Warner Archive streaming site, which will happen on April 26. (FilmStruck will continue to honor existing Warner Archive subscriptions.) My thoughts on the book have nothing to do with my identifying with Meg, Ms. Mathis told me in a phone interview. But I was intellectually challenged by it in a way that few books written for my age group at the time did. It expanded me but it also scared me and not with cheap thrills, but because it asked such compelling questions about evil. IT was a brain that was frightening and instructive. It was only when the director Ava DuVernay announced that Storm Reid would play Meg as a biracial girl in the screen adaptation that my relationship with the character started to change. Ms. Reid described Meg as an African-American girl that is smart, that is beautiful and that basically realizes that she is enough. Through this awareness, the actress added, Meg just taps into her superpowers to be able to save her dad, her brother and save the world. This revision alongside the films broader multiracial cast, which includes Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey not only expands the feminist reach of LEngles original vision, but also directly challenges the overwhelming absence of girls of color as leads in Hollywood films in general, and science-fiction films in particular. As recently as 2012, controversy greeted Amandla Stenberg when she played Rue in the first Hunger Games movie. Rue was a black character in the dystopian novel it was based on, but fans seemed not to realize it and complained loudly about the casting. Ms. Reids turn as Meg, by contrast, seems to have only increased fan anticipation for the movie. More radically, Ms. DuVernays choice for Meg helps redefine our notions of the universal. Rather than assume children of color will seamlessly identify with Meg as we do with the book or with the young, white heroines of the Hunger Games or Divergent franchise, this film gives us a different, racially inflected female future and present. And that changes how I now appreciate the book. It is still my favorite from childhood, but now, rather than contort myself into Meg, I am able to see how the novels play with time and space continues to influence me as an African-American writer. Im obsessed with how people, events and cultural objects from the past shape our understandings of race and gender in the present. A Wrinkle in Time might not ask the same questions that I do now, but it was the first novel I ever read that explored multiple time dimensions and gave me permission to imagine history as incomplete, unfolding, and a phenomenon with hopes that can be taken up by successive generations. After I was done with the novel this time, I put my copy on my 5-year-old daughters bookshelf, for I am comforted by what she is now able to find in A Wrinkle in Time. Though we contemporary viewers and readers are unable to engage in interplanetary travel like Meg, Ms. DuVernays version takes us somewhere even more substantive. By emphasizing diversity over dystopia, her film does not simply warn against the dangers of who we might become, but celebrates the vast richness of who we already are. He will leave behind a difficult situation in Houston. The district is facing a $115 million budget shortfall, continued fallout from Hurricane Harvey and a potential state takeover of the district board because of its failure to turn around persistently low-performing schools. Houston has not announced an interim superintendent. In New York, Mr. Carranza will inherit a system that is generally moving in a positive direction. Graduation rates and test scores have improved under Mayor Bill de Blasio, as they did under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. But achievement gaps persist and the citys schools remain deeply segregated. Mr. Carranza, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, grew up in Tucson, the son of a sheet metal worker and a hairdresser. It is a background that Mr. de Blasio has said will help him relate to New York City school children and their families, most of whom are poor people of color. Mr. Carranza has described his educational philosophy as very closely aligned with Mr. de Blasios. There is no daylight between Mayor de Blasio and myself, he said at a news conference on Monday announcing his selection. He was Mr. de Blasios second choice to lead the schools, after Alberto M. Carvalho, the superintendent of the Miami-Dade schools, turned down the job on live television. Mr. Carranzas first week of work should be relatively quiet the schools are on break that week, with students not returning to class until the following Monday. But reaching everyone is only the first hurdle the city and, ultimately, the Census Bureau will face. The second is to get responses back so they can be tabulated. Response rates to many types of surveys have declined in recent years, and Mr. Salvo said that rising dissatisfaction with government could hurt the return rate on the census. The Trump administrations approach to immigration is likely to affect the return rate in 2020 among immigrants, both those who are here legally and those who are undocumented. Some people feel the census is an instrument of the government, and they dont distinguish between ICE and the census, said Mitchell L. Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that enforces immigration laws. The undocumented, or people with uncertain immigration status, or anyone with any concern about their legal status, are not going to be responding to the census. The census matters to the city because the count will determine how billions of federal dollars are distributed for everything from housing to bridge repairs to education. The census will also determine the states standing in Congress. Population shifts have reduced the states congressional delegation from 45 representatives in the early 1950s to 27 now, and New York State already expects to lose one congressional seat in reapportionment after the census. The concern among officials like Mr. Salvo is that in an undercount, New York could be forced to give up a second seat. As in the past, census information in 2020 will be collected in two phases, first through the materials sent to every household and second by census takers who are supposed to visit the addresses that do not respond. Reflecting the digital age, the Census Bureau also has said its goal is for 55 percent of the population nationwide to be able to answer census questions online in 2020. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an outreach campaign to bolster participation in the census that will be called Get Counted NYC. The 542 unreturned forms in 2010 went to addresses in the Sidney Hillman Houses on Grand Street, a complex named for a clothing workers union leader who died in 1946. Lydia Ortiz, who has lived there for 30 years, insisted that she returned the 2010 census form, despite data showing that none had come back from the initial mailing. But she also said that mail can be a problem. After growing up poor on the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts, Aaron Jackson, 17, is now a computer whiz, dabbling in website design, anime and video editing. When he moved to America as a teenager, he went to the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, a high school that had as many people as my entire village in St. Kitts, he said. His creativity helped him overcome his anxiety and find his voice. I really had this fear of being misunderstood and misinterpreted, he said. I want people to get to know me and what I want to portray. Another honoree, Zhixing Che, 18, will have one of her artworks displayed soon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In it, a young boy tries to build a house of cards in front of a dystopian scene. It shows the dichotomy of trying to put things into order while the world is going entropic, she said, an allegory about her own struggles at the edge of poverty that she prefers to keep private. The second law of thermodynamics. It is kind of poetic. Death and loss have marked the lives of several of the students, as have their vows to rise above the hand they have been dealt. Gabrielle Guz, 17, and her twin brother lost their parents last year. Ms. Guz, who is from Brooklyn, wrote of the pain and the siblings strength in an essay as part of her scholarship application: We all grew resilient and shouldered our own burdens. For one another, we readied an ear and opened our hearts. For one another, we persevered, As she grieved, she said that she tapped into a love of writing and photography and now hopes to become a writer. I was nursing it inside for so long, my agony, she said. I tried to unburden my heart with that. Growing up in public housing in the Bronx with her grandmother after her mother died, Sabrina Salas, 17, said in her essay that she rejected the myth that people who live in the projects will never amount to anything. She said she often stands in front of a mirror in a Super Woman pose to rev herself up to take on the world. Ms. Salas, who plans to enroll in Lawrence University in Wisconsin this fall, said she would like to become a psychologist. Both of Cynthia Pierres parents died the same year she was so close to her mother that those who knew them called Cynthia her shadow, she wrote in her essay, What Is a Shadow Without Its Person? She has gradually found her light again by throwing herself into her school work at Cathedral High School in Manhattan, as well as its marching band. But her true fascination is everything. Their death burst my bubble, Oh the world is not as clean as I thought it was or as simple, she said. Ms. Pierre, who describes herself as an amateur researcher, will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall and hopes to learn better investigative skills at The Times. I like to know things, she said. I have a passion to learn. Hayden V. White, an influential scholar whose ideas on history and how it is shaped have fueled discussions in academic circles for half a century, died on Monday at his home in Santa Cruz, Calif. He was 89. His wife, Margaret Brose, confirmed his death. She did not give a cause. Dr. White began garnering attention in 1966 with his essay The Burden of History, which suggested that history was being relegated to a sort of second-class citizenship by advances in other disciplines. Both science and art have transcended the older, stable conceptions of the world which required that they render a literal copy of a presumably static reality, he wrote. He urged historical scholarship to do the same. The historian serves no one well by constructing a specious continuity between the present world and that which preceded it, he wrote. On the contrary, we require a history that will educate us to discontinuity more than ever before; for discontinuity, disruption and chaos is our lot. BUENOS AIRES Reynaldo Bignone, the last military dictator of Argentina, died here on Wednesday while under house arrest after being convicted of crimes against humanity in multiple trials. He was 90. An Army official said the cause was heart failure produced by septic shock in the Central Military Hospital. Mr. Bignone, a former general, was the fourth and last leader of a military dictatorship that illegally imprisoned, tortured, killed and disappeared tens of thousands of people. He was found guilty of numerous crimes, including killings, tortures and the kidnapping of babies from political prisoners. His death came just eight days after that of another former Argentine general, Luciano Benjamin Menendez, who had also been convicted of crimes against humanity. Highpoint Church at all of our locations, Everybody watching online, I want you to know that we love you in an incredible way. And we are sincerely sorry for any dishonor As a kid growing up in the church, I really looked up to the church leaders. If youre a guest, Im very sorry that youre having to hear about a difficult subject. But I do pray These were the people to emulate. Only love covers a multitude of sins. Andy is going to come and share with us at this time. The only apology, if you can even call it that, was when he ran out of the truck screaming, oh my god. Oh my god. What have I done? You have to take this to the grave with you. Love you. Im going to sit, if thats all right. Forgive me that Im going to read something to you. That is not my normal flow. I called my mom and asked her if it was OK if Andy gave me a ride home. And she said yes. I want to read this partly to make sure I say what I intended to say, and also to help me get through what I need to say. He passed the turn to go to my house. And I honestly thought we were going to TCBY to get frozen yogurt. I dont want reading this to minimize anything. Ive never wanted to minimize anything about whats taken place. Then he turned down a dark dirt road off the main road. As a college student on staff at a church in Texas more than 20 years ago I just remember him unzipping his pants and asking me if I would suck his dick. If I would give him a blow job. I regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church. I looked up to him. I trusted him. So when he asked me to do that, I thought, this must mean he loves me. This is a man of God I look up to. I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff, and the church leadership. What happened was a crime. This is not something that the church should handle internally. I remember asking, well, whats going to happen now? And they just said that the church would handle it. Andy Savage was still teaching. In agreement with wise counsel, I took every step to respond in a biblical way. And Im just aching inside because nobodys doing anything. Once I had told more people, then they had to act. I resigned from ministry and moved back home to Memphis. I accepted full responsibility for my actions. Andy was allowed to go before the church and basically say that he had made a mistake and that it was time for him to move on. I did not attend that service, nor did I attend the going-away party that they had for him afterwards. I was and remain very remorseful for the incident and deeply regret the pain I caused her and her family, as well as the pain I caused the church and Gods kingdom. People were celebrating him, and showering him with love, and telling him how much theyll miss him. And here I am struggling. I further disclosed this incident to Chris Conlee before coming on staff at Highpoint and have shared with key leaders throughout my tenure here. This incident was dealt with in Texas 20 years ago. He calls it an incident. He brings up how it was 20 years ago so many times. When this happened 20-plus years ago, I did everything I knew to do under the counsel I was given to cooperate with those involved, to repent of my sins, take responsibility for my actions, and seek forgiveness. I never sought to cover this up. Because nobody was saying the severity of what had happened, I was being blamed. It was, in their eyes, a consensual sexual sin. In hindsight, I see that more could have been done for Jules. I am truly sorry more was not done. Until now, I did not know there was unfinished business with Jules. So today, I say, Jules, I am deeply sorry for my actions 20 years ago. We as a church of all places should be getting this right. Its unfathomable to me that the secular world, Hollywood, are taking a stand. The church should have been the first group to stand up and say, we will not allow this. My repentance over this sin 20 years ago was done believing that Gods forgiveness is greater than any sin. And I still believe that. Amen. I want our churches to change how they handle sexual assault and sexual abuse in the church. Its a crime, not just a sexual sin. For any painful memories or fresh wounds this has created for anyone, I am sorry. And I humbly ask for your forgiveness. I love you all very much. [applause] To the Editor: Re North Korea Asks for Direct Talks, and Trump Agrees (front page, March 9): The United States and South Korea, if things go well, are to be congratulated for taking the first steps toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. Of course, naysayers will cry that Presidents Moon Jae-in and Trump are naive, are taking a big risk and should never trust a North Korean leader. But the alternative is far worse military force and a war of unintended, devastating consequences. Besides, we dont need to trust the North. We need to verify, every step of the way, and Im sure any deal will include strong verification provisions. What is needed in East Asia is the rule of law. To make this a permanent structure, the next step is a peace treaty an end to almost 70 years of belligerence and tensions. It could also be a victory for Korea economically, and an economically healthy North and South Korea would be the biggest guarantor of peace in the region. EDWARD A. AGUILAR PHILADELPHIA The writer is Pennsylvania director of the Coalition for Peace Action. To the Editor: Meeting with President Kim Jong-un is incredibly weak and offers no real progress in denuclearizing North Korea. Secretary of State Madeline Albright visited North Korea in 2000, only to learn in 2002 that the United States was being duped on the Agreed Framework from the get-go. Who actually thinks a meeting will slow the Norths continued nuclear proliferation, which in turn supplies Bashar al-Assads pariah regime in Syria with weapons? In the history of nuclear weapons there has been only one country that voluntarily gave up its weapons and the program that produced them, and that is South Africa. That should tell us something about how hard it will be to persuade North Korea to dismantle its large and very sophisticated weapons program. The South African program was unusual in several ways. It used a method of enriching uranium that had never been tried on an industrial scale, injecting hexafluoride gas at very high velocity into a tube to separate out the fissile bomb-making isotope, uranium 235. Whats more, only white Afrikaners no mixed-race or black or Asian South Africans were allowed to work on the program. South Africa had managed to manufacture six bombs and had one under construction when, in 1989, it turned its entire weapons program over to the International Atomic Energy Agency for a variety of reasons, including a desire to end its international isolation. None of these devices were ever tested. Three former Soviet republics Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine also gave up nuclear arms in the 1990s. But those countries had not produced the weapons: They were made by the Soviet Union and simply stored in the republics. So they were not abandoning actual nuclear weapons programs. Maybe such an unorthodox summit meeting between two leaders with a flair for the dramatic will be hugely successful; it could also collapse in failure, making it a very high-stakes gamble for Mr. Trump. The North Koreans have been seeking a meeting with an American president for decades, yet Mr. Trump agreed to one without getting anything in return. And it didnt take long for the chaos and mixed messaging that has long characterized Trump policy to resurface Friday when Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, seemed to back away from the summit meeting, insisting it wouldnt take place unless North Korea first took concrete steps toward denuclearization. Of course, that didnt last. Later, a White House official told The Wall Street Journal, The invitation has been extended and accepted, and that stands. The planned session builds on an agreement, announced this week, for the United States and North Korea to hold their first sustained direct talks in many years. After a period of aggressively testing nuclear devices and missiles, Mr. Kim opened the door to talks by promising to discuss ending his nuclear program if America guarantees the Norths security. He agreed to suspend nuclear and missile tests during the talks and not to object when the United States and South Korea hold military exercises this spring. Many assumed the next step would be preparatory talks in which experts from each side would test the others intentions and then enter into lengthy formal negotiations. What happens now is anybodys guess. A White House official provided Trumpian bluster on Thursday, saying that were not even talking about negotiations but rather a meeting between Mr. Trump, who made his reputation on making deals, and an authoritarian North Korean leader who has the power to make decisions and therefore avoid the long slog of the past negotiations. But the long slog of negotiations has a purpose, allowing the two sides to stake out positions, sometimes in public, then horse-trade privately as they search for a mutually acceptable bottom line. There is reason summit meetings are usually saved for the end, when leaders can give the last push to make a deal happen. Lets hope that responsible American officials are not approaching the talks with a serious belief in the skills of a businessman whose impetuousness helped lead to several bankruptcies and who revealed sensitive intelligence secrets to Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting. This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter each weekday. About 100 million Americans or nearly one out of every three suffers from chronic pain. For a good number of them, the pain is severe. Some havent found any way to reduce the pain, and it dominates their lives. Others have found successful strategies, including exercise, stretching, physical therapy, meditation and medicine. Of those who use medicine, a significant number rely on opioids. By now, you may think of opioids as nothing other than a problem. And they are indeed a problem, responsible for many of the 64,000 fatal drug overdoses in the United States in 2016. In January we learned, thanks to The Wall Street Journal, that Michael Cohen, a lawyer for Donald Trump, arranged a $130,000 hush money payment to the pornographic film star known as Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign. The payment was to stop Daniels from speaking out about an alleged affair shed had with Trump shortly after Melania Trump, his third wife, gave birth to their son, Barron. With any previous president the story would have been explosive, but with this one, it felt relatively minor. The real scandal, it seemed, was that there was no scandal, because no one expects any better of Trump. The religious right was willing to give him a mulligan, in the words of Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. Liberals rolled their eyes at right-wing hypocrisy, but ranked the affair fairly low on the list of Trump outrages. But Daniels whose real name is Stephanie Clifford is a clever capitalist whos been determined to force the story of her relationship with Trump into the public eye. She has parlayed her new notoriety into a series of strip-club appearances, including two in South Florida on Friday and Saturday. More significantly, her lawyer has filed a lawsuit arguing that the nondisclosure agreement she signed is null and void because Trump himself never signed it. The suit, ingeniously, has given Danielss lawyer a pretext to make that agreement public. As this drama unfolds, its becoming clear that, for all its sordid details, it isnt really a sex scandal. Its a campaign finance scandal, a transparency scandal and potentially part of an ongoing national security scandal. Its salacious and absurd, but we should take it seriously. Trumps team certainly seems to; Cohen recently obtained a temporary restraining order to silence Daniels. Beyond being a historical myth, is the rallying cry of the liberal international order likely to impress voters? Foreign policy experts are betting on a fantasy, one mostly confined to the Acela Express. Those experts who seek to shape public opinion, to judge by their columns, interviews and tweets, have faced this responsibility only halfway. The president could not be luckier. Little short of catastrophe will vindicate his critics. Mr. Trump can clear their low bar by being unspectacularly awful. More important, the current debate does nothing to forge a future foreign policy that improves on what preceded Mr. Trumps election. Far from devising alternatives, experts are shutting down needed debate by collapsing Americas interests into an abstract order. They increasingly resemble the globalists whom candidate Trump derided. The irony is, Mr. Trump was wrong. Policymakers have always put American interests first, adjusting (or defying) the rules accordingly. In 1945, Harry Truman met Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin in war-torn Potsdam, Germany. If this was the moment of creation of the liberal international order, as todays commentators maintain, Truman did not know it. (Neither he nor his advisers used the phrase.) The frustrated president wrote to his wife, Bess, I have to make it perfectly plain to them at least once a day that so far as this President is concerned Santa Claus is dead and that my first interest is U.S.A. Truman understood what Mr. Trumps critics implicitly deny: the possibility that American power can come at the expense of others. The foreign policy establishment clings to the fiction that whats good for America is necessarily good for the world. They condemn Mr. Trumps tariffs as an unthinkable breach even though the United States has employed protectionist measures throughout history. They pretend that Mr. Trump, having vowed to take things from the world, must be diminishing American power when he seeks to expand it. Mr. Trumps actions may not have their intended effect, but the most logical and cutting response isnt that he is weakening America but that hes trying to strengthen it in a way we should not want. His outpouring of militarism and chauvinism may or may not reduce the United States influence. It does, however, threaten to turn the worlds sole superpower into an unabashed purveyor of violence and exploitation. Lets call Mr. Trumps vision what it is: radical American imperialism. He does not so much break with tradition as bring forward some of its most retrograde but persistent elements. Recognizing this is the start of an honest conversation about the Trump administration and Americas role in a changing world. So far, however, the right has come closer to grasping this point than the left or the center. Mr. Trump and his supporters do identify a conflict (indeed, almost endless conflict) between Americas interests and the worlds. As Rush Limbaugh recently put it, Mr. Trump wants to restore the primacy of the United States, whereas his critics think American leadership should preside over the weakening of America. The point is perverse, but it is coherent. Fearing decline, the Trumpian right seeks to get tough with the world and take all it can. Mr. Trumps challenge can be met. As distributional conflicts surge in domestic politics, they are surging in foreign policy, too and those who ignore them lose out to those who inflate them. Citizens seeking a better foreign policy ought to be engaged, not ignored. But recent events cast doubt on whether our current crop of experts is up to the job. Democracy requires experts but it also requires something from them: that they facilitate public debate and respect the ultimate power of the electorate to set the aims of the nation. By rallying behind the lowest common denominator of anything but Trump, they are disengaging the publics discontent, pulling up the drawbridge until the next election. In that sense, Donald Trump is not the only one who might be called an isolationist. After Aleppo, now comes the agony of Eastern Ghouta. This suburb of Damascus, the last rebel-held enclave close to the Syrian capital, is bombarded by Bashar al-Assads forces for weeks on end, with Russian air support. More than 900 people, including many children, are killed. Hospitals are targeted in what Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the United Nations, has called a siege worthy of the Middle Ages. Pregnant women bleed to death. Some 400,000 people are trapped. France and Britain convene an emergency meeting of the Security Council and press for enforcement of last months Resolution 2401, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities. In this effort, the United States is nowhere, silent, AWOL, as President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian sidekick do their worst. The message to Moscow is clear: Donald Trumps America does not care about Syria, or war crimes, or human rights. Russian cynicism and American absence produce disaster. Yes, it has come to this. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, calls Putin. He dispatches his foreign minister to Moscow and Tehran in an attempt to stop the slaughter. Trump, to whom moral indignation indeed morality itself is a stranger, does not care. His Middle East foreign policy has two components: Back Israel, bash Iran. With respect to Putin, he is compromised, or enamored, to the point of incapacity. Let Syria burn. Yes, it has come to this. In Hungary, a European Union country, committed by treaty to the Unions founding principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights, Viktor Orban, the prime minister, declares that, We do not want to be diverse and do not want to be mixed; we do not want our own color, traditions and national culture to be mixed with those of others. Now, what color, precisely, are Hungarians, and what color were the nearly 440,000 Jews deported by the Nazis, mostly to Auschwitz, in 1944 with the cooperation of Hungarian authorities? A Cult Jewelry Brands Community Initiative Jacques-Elie Ribeyron launched his industrial design-inspired jewelry line Ribeyron in 2015, with a collection of sculptural resin cuffs and buckled leather pieces. He expanded into accessories soon after, and last year he added ready-to-wear into the mix. This season, the Paris-based designer is broadening his offering in a far less expected way: He is launching a community outreach program alongside his fall/winter 2018 collection. Association Ribeyron is a project inspired by the multicultural Paris neighborhood of Couronnes, where Ribeyron has his studio. Its mission, the designer says, is to strengthen relationships between the areas diverse communities through local events like open-invitation lunches in the neighborhoods squares. The idea is just to do something positive for the people around, and those who are often forgotten, Ribeyron told T. The initiative will be funded by a percentage of sales from the brands fall/winter 2018 collection, when it hits SSENSE in July. The pieces which range from a pink tie-dye T-shirt to a collection of oversize blazers in warm earth tones were similarly inspired by dreams of small-town living. I found myself a bit lost in this workload, so I made time to revisit memories in which my mom and I would go to New Hampshire in the summer and pass by these little villages surrounded by nature, explains Ribeyron, who grew up in Canada. I used this emotion and state of mind as the feeling for the collection. ribeyron.eu ANGELA KOH Several regional start-up success stories have persuaded investors to add the Midwest to their scouting itineraries. And many large tech companies have already moved a significant number of jobs out of the Bay Area Google just opened a huge office in Boulder, Colo., and Facebook is building one in Boston and that trend seems likely to continue, given the insane cost of living in Silicon Valley for anyone who isnt a billionaire. On the bus, I heard a lot of talk about mid-tech jobs jobs at tech companies that arent hard-core engineering, but require some technical expertise. (Think sales, growth, design.) While executives and engineers get positive network effects from being near clusters of other executives and engineers in San Francisco, theres no real reason that mid-tech employees cant just as easily be in Bend, Ore., or South Bend. I saw some skepticism about this kind of thinking from people like Adam Nash, an entrepreneur in residence at Greylock Partners. He said on Twitter that the move-away-from-the-Bay phenomenon is cyclical, and that in lean times tech employees tend to stay close to their headquarters, where they are assigned to more critical projects and are less likely to be cut in a round of layoffs. But Im not so sure. Tools like Slack and GitHub now allow tech employees to work remotely in a way that previous generations werent able to, and the cost-of-living differential between the Bay Area and every other city (with the exceptions of New York and L.A.) is so great these days that many employees might be willing to exchange some job security for the benefits of living elsewhere. If I had to guess, Id predict that unless Bay Area housing costs miraculously come down in the next year or two, Silicon Valley will undergo a big shake-up. Companies will feel increasingly compelled to move as many jobs as possible out of the Bay Area, and in time, the states between the coasts could effectively become Silicon Valleys back and middle office, in much the way that Wall Street banks now have thousands of employees in cities like Columbus, Ohio, and Salt Lake City. That kind of geographic balancing would be great for cities in the Midwest, where an influx of high-paying mid-tech jobs could transform local economies. And it would arguably be good for San Francisco, which is straining to accommodate its current population and would be well served by a modest exodus. But dont expect the same to happen with venture capital a highly face-to-face business in which proximity and start-up density still matter. As much as the venture capitalists on the bus may have loved the Midwest, theyre probably going to remain tourists for the time being. Kevin Roose writes a column called The Shift and is a writer-at-large for The New York Times Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter here: @kevinroose. Why are productions cropping up now? What started as a response to a Trump presidency now seems to speak to our times in many ways, with a plot that intertwines an ethically compromised antihero, political extremism, corruption, environmental activism and a lack of accountability for the destruction of a town. An Enemy of the People was dashed off by Ibsen as something of a response to the scandalized reception of his previous Ghosts, which was about the taboo subject of syphilis. He wanted to strike back at the liberal press, which he thought was hypocritical for panning his play while claiming to support free speech and progress. The play features a divisive, punitive protagonist and whistle-blower, Dr. Thomas Stockmann, who tries to warn his town about contaminated water polluting the spa that keeps the town solvent. His brother, Peter, is the mayor, who, concerned about the economic impact of this crusade, wants to suppress Thomass expose. Stockmann is able to persuade his friends, including the editor of the newspaper, that telling the truth about the water is important, but his environmental campaign falters. He lurches politically from the left to the right, and by the fourth act, Stockmann, outraged by the mobs resistance to his campaign, becomes a zealot and is demonized as the enemy of the people. He winds up defeated, but not before indicting the town in its own tragedy. Ibsens dark, realistic drama about how the hero cannot win resonates in our era, said Tore Rem, a literature professor at the University of Oslo and the general editor of a new set of Penguin Classics editions of Ibsen plays. But Ibsen, Mr. Rem said, makes it impossible to sympathize with Stockmann completely, because he is self-aggrandizing and elitist. At the Guthrie Theater, the British team that is staging Enemy feels the play carries global weight. Im living through a time when its impossible to be a hero, said the director, Lyndsey Turner. And the playwright Brad Birch, who set the Guthries pared-down adaptation in contemporary Norway, was particularly moved by the heightened political tensions in Britain over Brexit. We wanted to challenge how being a liberal means being egalitarian but also it involves being quite righteous, he said. There seems to be a sense, he said, that those who voted for Brexit got what they deserved. The Original Tour, which has long offered open-top, hop-on hop-off bus tours of London, has begun, for the first time, operating daily bus tours of Windsor, just months before the royal wedding. The bus passes places such as Windsor Castle, Eton College (attended by both Prince William and Prince Harry) and the Royal Farms Windsor Farm Shop (a 24-hour period ticket is 13, or about $18; 7 for children; 11 for students and adults over 60; 33 for a family with two adults and two children; free for children under 5). There are a variety of day tours to be had in and around London. If youre considering signing up for one on May 19, be aware that in general, day tours that regularly visit Windsor Castle will not be visiting the castle that day. Companies like Evan Evans, for instance, which typically offers a day tour with stops at Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath, will visit Hampton Court Palace, the former home of Henry VIII, on that day instead of Windsor Castle. The same is true for Golden Tours, which leads a Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge tour but on the 19th will also visit Hampton Court Palace rather than Windsor Castle. Many leading Windsor hotels are already booked that day, though properties nearby and in London are selling royal-inspired getaways. You can even find a vacation rental promising the occasional wedding-themed amenity. If you are coming during the Royal wedding, there will be a complimentary Champagne hamper provided to help kick off the celebrations, read one Airbnb listing for a home in Windsor. At the Arch London boutique hotel, the Royal Wedding package, available throughout May, is 3,900 for a two-night stay based on double occupancy and includes a two-bedroom suite; a three-course dinner at the hotels restaurant, Hunter 486; a Champagne breakfast; and afternoon tea. The package includes a tour of Windsor Castle (not available on May 18 or 19) and a 100 shopping voucher to Fortnum & Mason, the tea and gift shop. At One Aldwych in London, there will be a Royal Wedding Celebration Package on weekends in May, with rooms starting at 355 a night. For an additional 45, you can order a royal bouquet with peonies (reported to be a favorite flower of Ms. Markle, according to the hotel) and a sprig of myrtle (often used in royal brides bouquets since the 1800s). The message was not better received among the black worshipers who had already left the church. It did not, several said, address the enduring structural legacy of racism, instead adhering to the usual evangelical focus on individual prejudice. Most significantly, they said, it gave no sense that Pastor Morris had ever wrestled with his support of Donald Trump. I wasnt wrestling, Pastor Morris said of his feelings in 2016, going on to explain that he was not wrestling now, either. We were electing what we felt was the person who held the values that the church loves dearly the most. That doesnt mean that hes perfect. But I do believe after spending time with him that he really wants to learn, that he really wants to do a good job for all Americans. I really do. There are larger racial injustices in the country, he said, and those injustices need to be fixed though not in ways that would enable dependence, he clarified, but rather to give people a hand up, not a handout. He noted the low black unemployment rate under Mr. Trump. The answer to racism lies primarily in the church, not the government, he said, and now that white pastors are waking up to the pain that black people have felt, it is in many ways a hopeful time. I think that theres an anger and a hurt right now, and a fear, he said, and I think that people are going to get past that. There is now a team at the church focused exclusively on making the church more diverse. On the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a 49-second video of excerpts from Kings I Have a Dream speech was played at worship services a monumental moment in Gateway church history, one pastor said, the first time that the day had been acknowledged. The Inheritance When Ms. Pruitt arrived at Mount Olive, the service had already begun, with a 26-person choir singing a gospel hymn, accompanied by a drummer and a man on a Hammond organ. This was one of the first churches she had attended for worship in a year and a half. She had kept giving tithe money to Gateway for some months after she stopped going, but after learning about the inaugural ball, started donating to another church. On most Sundays she had stayed at home, watching services online. The sanctuary at Mount Olive was brightly lit, and the one video screen advertised an essay contest for Black History Month. The congregation was older and more formally dressed than those of many megachurches. But for two young white men, all the worshipers were African-American. I grew up in a little Baptist church in small-town Alabama. The Baptist part is inherited, like baldness or dimples: Both of my grandfathers and three of my uncles were Baptist preachers, and my parents met as graduate students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Genes aside, the church plastic chairs, pilling carpet and grape juice for communion was the organizing institution of my childhood, where I met my closest friends and most of the significant adults in my life. Church attendance has been in generational decline. I began calling around, exploring whether people in small towns were looking for community elsewhere and, with the white nationalist rallies so often in the news, whether young white people were looking for meaning in the grim sanctuaries of the alt-right. But I kept hearing about something different. Pastors, theologians and sociologists were talking of how black worshipers were leaving white-majority churches. They were leaving quietly and not en masse, a family here, a single person there. But it was happening everywhere, a movement large enough for some to see the unraveling of decades of efforts at racial reconciliation. I would find someone on Facebook, a black worshiper who had posted about leaving her mostly white church, and then I would find someone in the same situation halfway across the country. They would both think they were going through this alone, yet the accounts would be remarkably similar, the timelines nearly identical, even some of the words and phrases the same. There had been, I discovered, some sharp reporting about this, particularly from the writer Deborah Jian Lee, but not as much as you would expect for an experience that seemed to be this broadly shared. But this is Florida, a laboratory for the N.R.A. and a state that has become recognized for its consistent efforts under legislative Republican control since 1996 to expand gun rights. For example, residents only have to comply with a simple protocol to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons. And Florida has embraced Stand Your Ground laws that protect the use of deadly force in public. That such a gun-friendly state adopted any firearm restrictions represents a sea change, even more so as the restrictions were drafted and approved in a matter of three weeks, after a bipartisan vote and the signature of a Republican governor likely to be on the ballot later this year as a Senate candidate. If you would have had this conversation with me before session, I wouldve said its just not going to happen, said Senator Rene Garcia, a moderate Republican from the Miami area who has served 16 years in the Legislature. Not only did we get this bill passed, but the fact that we had debate on these amendments on the floor was huge. I dont remember having these debates on the floor ever before. The N.R.A. has had to contend with other states also considering action since the Parkland shooting. In Illinois, lawmakers passed a bill last week that would require gun dealers to be licensed by the state, but it was not clear whether the Republican governor would sign it into law. In Vermont, lawmakers advanced legislation that would raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21 and allow for judges to seize guns from people deemed dangerous. Elsewhere, legislators took steps toward expanding the legal use of firearms. In Mississippi, state senators approved a bill on Wednesday that would allow trained school employees to carry concealed weapons. And in Missouri, a House committee last week advanced a bill that would allow people with concealed-carry permits to have a weapon in so-called gun-free zones. The laws passage came as a surprise to many in Florida, where lawmakers had failed to enact legislation after the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016, which left 49 dead, and the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport that killed five people in 2017. The governor mentioned both crimes on Friday. Lawmakers like Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat from Orlando, voted against the bill because it did not include a ban on assault weapons or other broad measures sought by survivors of all the shootings. Louis Farrakhan, the 84-year-old head of the Nation of Islam, has been back in the headlines after a previously unreleased photo of him with President Barack Obama was published in January and Mr. Farrakhan gave an anti-Semitic speech at his organizations annual convention last month. The Feb. 25 speech, which was given at an event for Saviours Day, a religious gathering of the Nation, ran for almost three hours. During it, Mr. Farrakhan said that the powerful Jews were his enemies, and that Jews were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men, as well as other incendiary remarks. A religious fundamentalist whose group has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Mr. Farrakhan is fervently opposed to the legitimacy of the state of Israel, and his political positions regarding the country frequently spill over into bigoted remarks about Jews, which is why many public officials have avoided association with him. Mr. Farrakhan has denied that he is anti-Semitic and has even said that his father may have been Jewish. Much of the recent coverage has been focused on Tamika Mallory, one of the heads of the Womens March organization, who attended the Feb. 25 speech, and on Representative Danny Davis, a Democrat of Illinois, who defended Mr. Obama and Mr. Farrakhan after the photo came to light. Their reluctance to condemn Mr. Farrakhan has led to criticism from across the ideological spectrum this week. WASHINGTON Robert Lighthizer just became one of the most powerful people in Washington. Mr. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, will spend the next 14 days deciding which countries, if any, will be exempt from the stiff and sweeping steel and aluminum tariffs that President Trump authorized on Thursday. The issue is expected to dominate discussions in Brussels on Saturday between Mr. Lighthizer and his trade counterparts in Japan and the European Union, with the European trade commissioner saying on Thursday that Europe should be excluded. Dozens of other countries that import metals into the United States such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea are demanding a carveout or threatening retaliation if they are included. It is a fight Mr. Lighthizer has been preparing for his entire life. Mr. Lighthizer, 70, grew up in a well-off family in a Midwest town that did not share his fortune. Ashtabula, Ohio, a port town on the shores of Lake Erie, saw its surrounding steel mills shutter and decline as factories automated and moved abroad. The decimation of local manufacturing shaped his views on trade, friends said, hardening his approach and leading him to become a skeptic of globalization. In the 1980s he brought that skepticism to Washington where, as deputy trade representative for President Ronald Reagan, he wielded the threat of tariffs to persuade Japan and other countries to cut their steel shipments to the United States. A lawyer by training, he continued his defense of American industry after his government stint, filing lawsuits on behalf of American steel giants like United States Steel who claimed they were withering from foreign competition and sought government protection from what they saw as unfair practices abroad. Comeuppance is a complicated subject in this presidency. Here is a leader who crowds out scandal with more scandal, who tends to insist that the buck stops elsewhere, who boasted of sexual assault on tape and got to the White House anyway. It is not quite that nothing sticks to Mr. Trump; it is that so much sticks that nothing stays visible for very long. For nearly two months, since The Wall Street Journal first revealed an October 2016 payment to Ms. Clifford (known on screen as Stormy Daniels), the story had subsisted on the margins of national consciousness a consequence, it seemed, of both the daily Trumpian overload and a wide-scale confusion over what, exactly, the whole affair amounted to. Was it tragedy or farce? Serious or sideshow? Was it all of them, leaving us paralyzed by the choice? You almost could float two irreconcilable theories: Its either too outrageous to be covered, or theres just too much else thats important, said Nancy Gibbs, the former editor in chief of Time magazine, leaning toward the second option. Either way, she noted, the episode had not blossomed into a mega-scandal. The facts are these: Ms. Clifford was paid $130,000 just before the 2016 election in what she calls a hush agreement to conceal a sexual relationship that began in 2006. The White House has denied the affair. Mr. Trumps lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, has acknowledged making the payment himself. Last week, Mr. Cohen secretly obtained a restraining order to prevent Ms. Clifford, who claimed that the agreement had been breached, from speaking publicly about Mr. Trump. At the State Department, where some diplomats quietly applauded Mr. Trumps gamble, there was a fear that more hawkish aides in the White House might throw up further hurdles to the meeting. The White House, they said, has invested more in sanctions and military options than in diplomacy. Officials there have in the past expressed frustration about what they viewed as the Pentagons reluctance to provide options for a military strike on the North. With all the potential traps and internal misgivings, some officials said they believed the chances of a meeting between the two leaders actually happening were less than 50 percent. Mr. Trumps decision stunned allies and his own advisers, not least Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, who was caught unaware while traveling in Africa when the president accepted Mr. Kims invitation. Mr. Tillersons lack of involvement in the announcement underscored how marginalized the State Department has become in North Korea policy. The departments chief negotiator on the North, Joseph Yun, resigned from the Foreign Service last week. Other State Department officials insisted that Mr. Tillerson had not been singled out; Mr. Trump blindsided all of his advisers. And the secretary, speaking to reporters in Djibouti, argued that Mr. Trumps decision was not the bolt from the blue that it seemed. This is something that hes had on his mind for quite some time, so it was not a surprise in any way, Mr. Tillerson said. Hes expressed it openly before about his willingness to meet with Kim Jong-un. Ms. Sanders said the president was in a great mood after two momentous days in which he had announced sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum fulfilling a cherished campaign promise and had scrambled the equation on his most pressing foreign policy challenge. If President Trump meets Kim Jong-un, the son of the dictator who made the offer to Mr. Clinton, the challenge of verifying that North Korea is on the way to disarmament will be far, far greater than it was nearly two decades ago. In the years since, the North has tested six nuclear weapons and, according to American intelligence agencies, has 20 to 60 more. Its missile program is now vast, including intercontinental missiles that may be able to hit the United States and mobile missiles that can be hidden in tunnels around North Korea before being pulled out and launched quickly. Diplomacy is a good step but verification is key, said Wendy Sherman, who was in the Oval Office during that visit on Oct. 11, 2000, and traveled with Ms. Albright on that ultimately unsatisfying trip. There would need to be site inspections everywhere necessary, as we negotiated for Iran, Ms. Sherman said, a small dig at Mr. Trump, who has complained that the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran left too much room for cheating. Kim is in the driver seat he has many nuclear weapons and he knows where all of them are. We dont. As with much diplomacy in the Trump era, this one is happening without a full playbook. The usual approach would be to negotiate the details first defining the scope of any agreement, including fundamental questions like whether it would be limited to the nuclear and missile programs or would include the Norths conventional and cyber weapons. NAIROBI, Kenya Kenyas top political rivals met on Friday for the first time since last summers contentious presidential elections, a surprising turn after months of escalating tensions, and the start of what they called a jointly led push for national unity. This marks a new beginning for our country, President Uhuru Kenyatta said at a news conference, alongside the opposition leader Raila Odinga. We may differ in political alignment but we should unite as Kenyans in matters that affect the country. Mr. Odinga said: The reality is, we need to save our children from ourselves. He called Mr. Kenyatta my brother, and said the two had come together to bridge the countrys generations-old differences. We refuse to be leaders under whose watch Kenya slid into a failed nation, he added. Their remarks represent a significant turn of events, coming little more than a month after Mr. Odinga, who lost last years presidential election, swore himself in as the peoples president. The government responded by shutting down television stations, arresting opposition politicians and deporting an opposition lawyer, defying court orders along the way. SEOUL, South Korea Since his election in May, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has been something of an odd man out in Washingtons maximum pressure campaign on North Korea, calling again and again for talks as President Trump was threatening fire and fury. At one point, Mr. Trump even accused him of appeasement. But Mr. Moons persistence suddenly appears to be paying off. Mr. Trumps head-spinning decision to accept an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un, North Koreas leader, amounts to a remarkable diplomatic coup for Mr. Moon, who engineered the rapprochement in a whirlwind of diplomacy that began at the Winter Olympics last month and gained momentum faster than perhaps even he had anticipated. Mr. Moon went out of his way to credit Mr. Trump with each breakthrough and personally appealed to Mr. Kims sister to engage in talks with the United States. After Mr. Kim played host to the Souths envoys in Pyongyang, the Norths capital, Mr. Moon immediately sent them to Washington to brief Mr. Trump, who agreed on the spot to an unprecedented meeting between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader. Not only has Mr. Moon steered two headstrong, erratic adversaries away from a military conflict that could have been devastating for his nation, he has maneuvered the Trump administration into pursuing negotiations that it has long resisted but that he and his allies on South Koreas political left have long pressed for. North Korea appears to be making new nuclear bomb fuel, satellite imagery shows, even as its leader, Kim Jong-un, has expressed willingness to negotiate atomic disarmament with President Trump. Two separate teams of American analysts examining satellite images from January and February have concluded that the Norths reactor at Yongbyon, which had appeared to be dormant, is now making plutonium a principal fuel of nuclear arms. In a report this week, one of the teams, at 38 North, a research institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, said rising plumes of steam from the reactor complex, as well as melted river ice nearby, suggested the reactor is operating again to make plutonium for the Norths nuclear weapons program. The 38 North analyst team includes Frank V. Pabian, formerly a satellite image analyst at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, birthplace of the bomb. KABUL, Afghanistan A suicide bomber killed 10 people when he set off explosives on Friday in a crowd of Shiite Muslims near a mosque complex in Kabul, the latest attack to target ethnic and religious minorities in the Afghan capital. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the strike, which also wounded 22 people, but a government spokesman blamed another terrorist group, the Haqqani network, a Pakistani-based organization affiliated with the Taliban. The Hazaras are a long-oppressed minority in Afghanistan whose members tend to be Shiite, and the blast prompted a group to take to the street in protest of the security failures, marching and chanting near the site of the explosion before crews had finished cleaning up. President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement, saying Afghans would not be cowed by terrorism, but his words were likely to ring hollow with the Hazaras. That is not really how things have proceeded with the United States and North Korea. Mr. Trump has already committed to granting North Korea one of its most desired concessions: a high-level meeting between the heads of state. In exchange, North Korea has not publicly committed to anything. It has, quite cannily, channeled its public communications through South Korea, making it easier to renege. Further, Mr. Trump has declared denuclearization as his minimal acceptable outcome for talks, making it harder for him to accept a more modest (but more achievable!) outcome and costlier for him to walk away. The table is now set in such a way that virtually any outcome is a win for North Korea, but only a very narrow and difficult range of outcomes will save the United States from an embarrassing failure. The North Koreans can walk away more freely, while the Americans will be more desperate to come home with some sort of win. Its a formulation that puts the Americans at significant disadvantage before talks even begin. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia When a former Miss Universe contestant and topless model was given a plum government job as an assistant to Slovakias prime minister despite having no discernible qualifications, journalists asked the obvious question. Why? Among them was Jan Kuciak, an investigative reporter. After months of digging, Mr. Kuciak sent questions to the authorities, looking for a response to what seemed like troubling connections between government officials and people suspected of being part of organized crime. Days later, he was killed. Mr. Kuciaks body was found on Feb. 25 on a stairway in his home. His fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, was killed in the kitchen. The bullet hole in the top of her head indicated that she had been on her knees when she was executed. But if the goal of the killings was to cover up corruption and silence a critical voice, it failed spectacularly. The deaths have instead forced a reckoning in this small central European country. LONDON British authorities investigating the poisoning of a former Russian spy, Sergei V. Skripal, and his daughter visited the graves of Mr. Skripals wife and son in the cathedral town of Salisbury, England, on Friday. Dressed in large hazardous-material suits, the investigators began collecting evidence at Mr. Skripals house in the town and erected a blue forensic tent around the grave of the son. The police said that they had requested military assistance to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene. Mr. Skripals wife, Lyudmila, 59, died in 2012 of uterine cancer, according to records from the National Health Service. His son Alexander, 43, died last year. He made it unequivocally clear, Mr. Zissou said. His famous statement Ill never forget was, Id rather spend the rest of my life in jail than cooperate with them, and spy against anyone else, spy against Americans, spy against Iran. Its just not my way of doing things. Dr. Sheikhzadeh agreed to plead guilty to two charges of tax and sanctions violations, and to pay more than $147,000 in fines and restitution. But prosecutors were not through with him, and suggested while he awaited sentencing that he was more of a threat than they could publicly disclose. Their strategy ultimately failed, but not before Dr. Sheikhzadeh would undergo what he, his lawyer and his friends depicted as a Kafkaesque ordeal. Insisting that he was a fugitive risk even though they had seized his American and Iranian passports and his bank account, prosecutors persuaded Judge Pamela K. Chen of Federal District Court to set bail at $3 million. Further deferring to the prosecutors, the judge ordered Dr. Sheikhzadeh to wear a surveillance anklet, limited his travel to New York City and Long Island, and forbade him from going anywhere near the Iranian mission or contacting its staff. Ive been here for over 40 years, then all of a sudden I commit the crime of the century and decide to go? he said, recalling his reaction to the bail conditions. Friends said the investigation took a toll on the normally upbeat Dr. Sheikhzadeh. I can tell the investigation has been very hard on him, Louise Jane Graham, a wardrobe stylist and yoga classmate, said in a letter to Judge Chen urging leniency. BEIRUT, Lebanon Rebel snipers are preventing Syrian civilians from leaving the besieged area of eastern Ghouta through a corridor opened this week by the government to facilitate evacuations, a United Nations official said. The official, who entered the area with a relief convoy earlier this week, added that many of those who preferred to leave might nonetheless choose to stay even if the snipers relented. They feared for their safety in government-held territory, he said, and worried that they might never be allowed to return. While the government has previously offered to relocate civilians from besieged rebel areas to other rebel territory, it has yet to do so in eastern Ghouta, where government attacks have killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, since Feb. 18. Even if the government made such an offer, there does not seem to be any place in rebel territory that could accommodate the large numbers that might want to leave. They want out either the bombing to stop, or to get out. But reach safety where? the official, Sajjad Malik, said on Thursday in an interview in Beirut. We are getting to a point where there is literally no flight option. What worse situation could there be? LONDON On the last day of a visit by the Saudi crown prince, Britain approved the sale of 48 highly advanced fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on Friday, brushing aside calls for an embargo over the kingdoms role in Yemens civil war. Human rights and arms control groups have mounted a publicity campaign and protests to stop the sale of British arms to Saudi Arabia, alleging that they are used in Yemen to kill innocent civilians. This week, the group Save the Children placed a statue of a child in a bombed-out building, looking fearfully up at the sky outside Parliament to protest the war. But during the three-day visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the British government made clear that its agenda was to promote commerce and good relations, not to criticize the Saudi government. On Thursday, Prime Minister Theresa May and the crown prince reached an agreement designed to generate $90 million in trade and investment between the two countries. As China grows more powerful, it is displacing decades-old American preeminence in parts of Asia. The outlines of the rivalry are defining the future of the continent. We asked a panel of experts how they think the power has shifted in the past five years: Many countries are shifting toward China and away from the traditional American-led order. NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA JAPAN CHINA BHUTAN NEPAL But some countries are still working to counteract China. PAKISTAN BANGLADESH INDIA TAIWAN MYANMAR LAOS THAILAND PHILIPPINES VIETNAM And others are hoping to play both sides. CAMBODIA SRI LANKA MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Many countries are now shifting toward China. But some are still counteracting China. N. KOREA JAPAN S. KOREA BHUTAN CHINA NEPAL PAK. BANG. INDIA TAIWAN MYAN. LAOS VIET. PHILIPPINES THAILAND And others are playing both sides. CAMB. SRI LANKA MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA But some countries are still working to counteract China. Many countries are now shifting toward China. N. KOREA JAPAN S. KOREA CHINA NEPAL PAK. BANGL. INDIA TAIWAN MYAN. LAOS PHILIPPINES THAILAND VIETNAM CAMB. And others are hoping to play both sides. SRI LANKA MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Many countries are shifting toward China. N. KOREA S. KOREA JAPAN CHINA BHUTAN NEPAL PAKISTAN But some countries are still working to counteract China. BANGLADESH INDIA TAIWAN MYANMAR LAOS PHILIPPINES THAILAND VIETNAM And others are hoping to play both sides. CAMBODIA SRI LANKA MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Last week, a group of 11 nations signed a trade deal that had originally been conceived as an American-led counterweight to China but after President Trump pulled out, the pact went forward without the United States. It was the latest turn in Asias gradual transition from American dominance to something much more fluid. The stakes could hardly be higher: The two powers are seeking to reshape the economies and political systems of the worlds most populous region in its own image. The United States military capabilities still dominate Asia. But China has started to wield growing military power and economic leverage to reorder the region, pulling longtime American allies like the Philippines and Indonesia closer. The shift may accelerate under President Trump, whose volatile foreign policy and rejection of trade agreements is already forcing Asian nations to rethink their strategies. The trade deal reached last week is a powerful signal of how countries like Australia and Japan are forging ahead without American leadership. The deal replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Mr. Trump had effectively killed. Every Asian country now trades more with China, often by a factor of two to one, an imbalance that is only growing as Chinas economic growth outpaces that of United States. How trade has shifted toward China More trade with U.S. More trade with China 2011 2016 Myanmar Cambodia Vietnam Laos Taiwan Malaysia South Korea Thailand Australia Nepal New Zealand Pakistan Indonesia Bangladesh Philippines Japan Sri Lanka Bhutan India 0 10% 5 5 10 More trade with U.S. China 2011 2016 Myanmar Cambodia Vietnam Laos Taiwan Malaysia South Korea Thailand Australia Nepal New Zealand Pakistan Indonesia Bangladesh Philippines Japan Sri Lanka Bhutan India 0 10% 5 5 10 The difference in total trade as percentage of G.D.P. between each country and China and each country and the United States. Sources: World Bank; Ministry of Finance of Bhutan; Ministry of Finance of Taiwan and the International Monetary Fund. The most recent data for Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal and Bangladesh is from 2015. Asian leaders know that their economies and therefore, domestic politics rely on Beijing, which has shown it will offer investment to friends and economic punishment to those who displease it. But another metric of great power influence, arms sales, shows United States enduring reach. U.S. arms sales still dominate Asian markets Arms sales by U.S. China Australia $3,789 million South Korea 3,626 Taiwan 2,953 India 2,782 Singapore 2,420 Japan 1,666 Pakistan 1,005 3,656 Indonesia 447 279 Philippines 261 Thailand 229 131 New Zealand 136 Bangladesh 1,666 110 Brunei 87 Malaysia 22 Sri Lanka 10 Laos 31 Cambodia 54 Myanmar 1,161 Arm sales by U.S. China Australia $3,789 million South Korea 3,626 Taiwan 2,953 India 2,782 Singapore 2,420 Japan 1,666 Pakistan 1,005 3,656 Indonesia 447 279 Philippines 261 Thailand 229 131 New Zealand 136 Bangladesh 110 1,666 Brunei 87 Malaysia 22 Sri Lanka 10 Laos 31 Cambodia 54 Myanmar 1,161 Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Figures are SIPRI estimates of total production costs from 2011 to 2016. Countries that purchase American weapons bind their militaries and their foreign policies to the United States. The imbalance reflects the extent of American military relationships in Asia, which date back to World War II. Many of the 20 countries caught between Beijing and Washington face an impossible choice between Chinese wealth and American security. These countries dont want to have to choose sides, said Tanvi Madan, an Asia specialist at the Brookings Institution. So theyre not. Instead, most are pursuing strategies intended to draw maximum benefit from both powers, minimize risks of angering either and preserve their independence. The result will likely be something very different from Cold War-era Europe, which was divided cleanly between two sides. Instead, the continent will fracture along many lines at once as countries accept, reject or manage Chinas growing influence. Each strategy involves hard compromises and provides a model for how others in Asia, and perhaps one day globally, will cope with a Chinese-American world. Balancing Against China: Japan CHINA NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Japan is organizing an anti-China bloc. CHINA N. KOREA S. KOREA JAPAN Japan is organizing an anti-China bloc. CHINA NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Japan is organizing an anti-China bloc. Though the world is changing in Beijings favor, Japan is a reminder that China remains a long way from becoming an American-style power. And it provides a template for counteracting China. Japan is matching Chinas rise with its own resurgence, leveraging its economy the worlds third-largest to build an independently powerful military and set of diplomatic relationships. It is attempting to reconstitute an informal and implicitly anti-Chinese alliance known as the quad, which includes India, Australia and the United States. The quad remains mostly aspirational, and its members so far exert only a fraction of Chinas economic and military influence in the region. Still, Japan represents the headwinds facing Beijing. Asias largest economies and its leading democracies, rather than bending to Chinese power, are counterbalancing against it. Most countries lack Japans economic power, but they can still follow its lead. Rather than meekly accepting American withdrawal, Japan shows how countries can compensate for it. The region has more bad news for China. Even its sole ally, North Korea, is increasingly independent. Its nuclear and missile tests often appear timed to humiliate Beijing, and give Chinas adversaries like Japan an excuse to build up their militaries. North Korea apparently hopes to one day strike a deal with Washington, allowing it to climb out from a half-century of Chinese dominance. If Beijing cannot keep even North Korea as a client state, it will have trouble cultivating others. Aligning with China: Sri Lanka CHINA BHUTAN NEPAL PAKISTAN INDIA BANGLADESH China is drawing a circle of allies around India, including Sri Lanka. SRI LANKA CHINA NEPAL PAKISTAN BHUTAN INDIA BANGLADESH China is drawing a circle of allies around India, including Sri Lanka. SRI LANKA CHINA NEPAL BHUTAN PAKISTAN INDIA BANGLADESH China is drawing a circle of allies around India, including Sri Lanka. SRI LANKA Sri Lanka might not seem like a geopolitical bellwether. But Asia-watchers have been glued to developments here since 2014, when a Chinese submarine sailed into a port built with Chinese investment. It marked a new era, in which China is converting its economic power into military power and, in poorer democracies, into political influence. China has since developed more infrastructure projects across Asia, particularly in strategically vital ports and transit corridors. Those projects begin as joint developments but can end up in Chinese hands. In December, Sri Lanka, unable to pay debts on the ports construction, granted China a 99-year lease. The Chinese are using their abundance of labor, capital and workforce to project their influence, said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a scholar of Asian security issues at Yale Law School. She added, Its mostly taking place in countries where the U.S. does not have a lot of influence or give a lot of aid. This a promising model for China, whose economic strengths naturally fit the needs of small, developing countries. It is even pushing in countries where the United States has spent heavily, such as Pakistan. And it is slowly extending this model beyond Asia, giving it the outlines of what could one day be a global network. But small, poor allies are less powerful than rich ones, which tend pro-American, and Beijing can be clumsy when dealing with democracies. Still, Chinas success in South Asia shows it can hem in a powerful adversary. It is leveraging trade and investment to build ties with every country on Indias border. Beijings unstated goal: encircle India before it can rival to Chinese power. While India is taking a harder line against China, it is less practiced in regional alliance-building and has fallen behind. Hedging Between the Powers: the Philippines CHINA Countries like the Philippines are playing the U.S. and China off one another. MYANMAR LAOS THAILAND VIETNAM CAMBODIA PHILIPPINES MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Countries like the Philippines are playing the U.S. and China off one another. CHINA MYANMAR LAOS VIETNAM THAILAND CAMB. PHILIPPINES MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Countries like the Philippines are playing the U.S. and China off one another. CHINA MYANMAR LAOS THAILAND VIETNAM CAMB. PHILIPPINES MALAYSIA INDONESIA AUSTRALIA Many Asian leaders are eluding the great powers by hedging between them. Few have done so as creatively and brazenly as President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. Upon taking office in 2016, Mr. Duterte suggested that he might end his countrys 65-year alliance with the United States. He rushed to Beijing, promised cooperation with China and as if to signal there was no going back crudely insulted then-President Barack Obama. Instead, Mr. Duterte ended up collecting concessions from both powers. The Americans reduced Mr. Dutertes obligations to the alliance while continuing to guarantee his countrys defense. The Chinese offered Mr. Duterte favorable terms on maritime disputes and possible investment deals. He never did switch sides. Such stories have played across Southeast Asia, where China has been at its most confrontational. Beijing had hoped that it could coerce smaller countries to accept its dominance. Washington thought it might galvanize an anti-Chinese bloc. Nearly every country has found a middle path. Even Vietnam, a traditional Chinese adversary, has resisted both Chinese influence and American overtures. Almost two years after President Obama lifted his countrys arms embargo on Vietnam, hoping to bring it into the American fold, it still buys most of its arms from Russia. But Chinas leverage in the region can only grow, particularly if the United States continues withdrawing. Ms. Rapp-Hooper called attention to growing scandals in Australia and New Zealand over Chinese influence-buying. These countries could not be more aligned with our interests, but there is still a lot of discomfort about stepping away from Chinese money, she said. Those are tests of what were up against. After SC said no Jihad, only Love in Hadiya case, father considers review plea India oi-Vicky Nanjappa K M Asokan, the father of Hadiya has said that he would consider filing a review petition after the Supreme Court declared his daughter's marriage valid. On Thursday, the Supreme Court restored Hadiya's marriage with Shafin Jahan after the Kerala High Court had annulled the same. Reacting to the verdict of the Supreme Court, Asokan said that he would consider filing a review petition. He said that his daughter's marriage with Jahan was an act of adjustment done by a group. It was a kind of an adjustment marriage. There is no doubt about it. I will try and convince the court about it once again, he said. It is painful for me to see my daughter with an extremist, he said. Asokan, however, said that he was satisfied that the court had allowed the National Investigation Agency to continue with the investigations into the Love Jihad cases in Kerala. The court had permitted to continue with the probe, but also added that it would not involve the Hadiya case. OneIndia News Who will be new Punjab Chief Minister? Congress' decision likely by afternoon after CLP meet As Congress aspirants make a beeline for tickets, Mistry surprises them with this questionnaire India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Getting a ticket to contest the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 in the Congress would not exactly be an easy task. The top brass of the Congress has been spending a considerable amount of time at the Karnataka Pradesh Committee Office in Bengaluru grilling aspirants. Each aspirant was asked at least 20 questions by a panel headed by Madhusudan Mistry, the chairman of the Congress screening panel for the Karnataka elections. Mistry was asked to undertake this process considering his tough approach. Congress sources said that similar questions were posed even to ministers who were aspiring to contest the elections. The process was not an easy one and definitely not expected. Not all managed to answer all questions. To many of the questions, the aspirants remained silent. Karnataka elections: To win over the booths, BJP seeks help of RSS Here are the questions the aspirants were asked: Give me one good reason, why you should get a ticket? Give me the caste break-up in your constituency How many wards fall under your constituency? How do you rate the performance of the MLA in your constituency ( not for second-time ticket seeker) What are your chances of winning? What strategy do you have against your opponent? What plans do you have if you will win the election? How many villages are there are in your constituency? How many voters are there in your constituency? What is the opinion of the people about you and the sitting legislator? Are there any pending cases against you? Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News AAP to contest all seats in UP assembly polls, not in talks for any alliance: Sanjay Singh 'BBMP presented imaginary budget', says AAP leader India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Prithvi Reddy, AAP Karnataka convener, alleged that BBMP presented a misleading Budget ahead of assembly elections. Calling it an 'imaginary budget', Reddy said the BBMP failed to present the sources of revenue in the budget. Prithvi Reddy told OneIndia that for the last five years BBMP has been presenting the budget without producing sufficient revenue. Last year, BBMP presented Rs 10,000 Crore Budget with only Rs 7,500 crore in the coffer. Reddy demanded the BBMP to release white paper describing department wise allocation of funds ahead. Also, he asked voters to raise the issue with leaders when they come seeking votes during elections. "City's forest cover has been reduced to 6 per cent from 14 per cent. There are only 200 lakes left in the city. Lakes are in bad condition due to the negligence of the authorities. Public money being spent on development is not yielding results," said Prithvi Reddy. Also, he urged the BBMP to contain corruption taking place in the name of development. Tax collection from GIS technology BBMP is collecting rent only from old buildings, not bothered about new buildings. Besides, officials are not collecting rent, but taking bribes instead. With the help of GIS mapping, they could measure the dimensions of buildings and send tax notice to the owners of buildings. Revenue from commercial buildings The government has struck a deal the with real-estate developers, hence, collecting a meagre amount of rent. Garuda Mall is paying only Rs 25 per square feet. However, the government collects not less than Rs 250 from surrounding buildings. The government should stop this illegal practice. Hoardings: Only Rs 50 Crore being collected instead of Rs 1000 Crore Hoardings generate 1 per cent revenue for the BBMP. Owing to corruption, BBMP is collecting mere Rs 50 Crore revenue instead of Rs 1000 Crore from hoardings. Funds are not efficiently used for waste management BBMP is spending Rs 1,066 Crore on waste management in Bangaluru. Although the city is half of Delhi and Mumbai, double the amount of fund is being spent on waste management. On an average, Rs 40 Crore being spent on each ward. If that is the case, with minimum Rs 5.40 Crore each ward can be developed. OneIndia News Tripura CM to keep cows at home to motivate cattle rearing in State You are not labourer, why do you need holiday on May Day, Tripura CM asks govt employees Tripura: Biplab Deb takes oath as BJPs first CM, Modi, Manik Sarkar in attendance India oi-Deepika By Deepika Biplab Kumar Deb, the 48-year-old Tripura BJP president, took oath as the Chief Minister of the northeastern state, ushering in the first BJP government in the northeastern state. Governor Tathagata Roy also administered the oath of office to BJP leader Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief N C Debbarma. He joins the ranks of young chief ministers of the country along with Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh) and the newly-elected Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and three chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in the northeastern region and former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar attended the event. #Agartala: Former CM of Tripura Manik Sarkar, Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi & HM Rajnath Singh at the swearing in ceremony of Biplab Deb & others. pic.twitter.com/X0C5xRmChk ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Jishnu Dev Burman takes oath as the deputy chief minister of Tripura. Agartala: Jishnu Dev Burman takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of #Tripura pic.twitter.com/BQ7VTDv96N ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 The sprawling Assam Rifles ground hosted the grand swearing-in function. Giant posters bearing images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah dominate the landscape in Agartala as slender palm trees swung in the air. From the airport to the venue, BJP flags lined up both sides of the street, as party workers wearing saffron celebrated in the streets. "A 100-ft-long stage was erected for the big function. This is a big day for us as it marks a political transition for the state. The victory has been made possible by the development work of Modiji that has inspired our workers in Tripura to work for a change," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told PTI here. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the rise of the BJP in Tripura also shows the "fall of the Left" in the country. "Red has been replaced (with saffron) in Tripura. Left is losing its ideology in the country and its support base is eroding. The new government firmed here is an endorsement of the vision of Modiji and the popularity that he enjoys," he said. "I have come from one end of the country to the other for the ceremony, passing by many BJP states. Change will happen more as we progress ahead," he added. The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) combines swept to power in the state last week, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led Left Front. Who is Biplab Kumar Deb? The BJP had bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight in the 60-member House. Forty-eight-year-old Deb had met Governor Tathagata Roy on March 6 to stake claim to form the government. OneIndia News PM urges people to take part in auction of gifts, mementos received by him This government is for all; whether they voted for us or not: PM Modi in Agartala India oi-Deepika By Deepika Keeping his poll promise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Tripura on Friday to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Biplab Deb, the first BJP chief minister of the north eastern state. Addressing the crowd, PM Modi thanked the people of Tripura for the mandate and also for making a peaceful election possible. "I want to thank the people of Tripura. The polls were peaceful and for that, the people should be congratulated," PM Modi said. Also read [Tripura: Biplab Deb takes oath as BJP's first CM, Modi, Manik Sarkar in attendance] "It is Diwali all over again in Tripura today. There is new hope, enthusiasm and joy in the state," he said. "In the history of India, there are some elections that will always be discussed. The 2018 Tripura elections is one such example. People will continue to discuss these polls" he added. "I am here to assure the people of Tripura, this BJP government is for people who voted for us and for those who did not vote for us. Elections are over and we have to look ahead. We will serve every citizen of Tripura," he further said. "Since 2014 I have visited the northeast several times, our ministers have visited several times. All of this is not for elections. It is to serve the people of this region. There are so many opportunities here in the northeast," he stressed. "Good governance, Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, people's participation...we hold these principles in high regard. Ours is a Government that will take every section of society together and work for Tripura," he said. "The Central Government will support the new Government of Tripura as they fulfil the dreams of people. Tripura's dreams are our dreams as well," he added. The BJP-ITBP alliance, which decimated the Left's 25-year rule in the northeastern state, ascended to power today giving BJP its first chief minister in the state. Biplab Deb, 48, took charge as Chief Minister with Jishnu Debbarma as his deputy. OneIndia News Who will be new Punjab Chief Minister? Congress' decision likely by afternoon after CLP meet Congress raises Rafale Deal again, asks answers from PM Narendra Modi India oi-Shreya Speaking to the media on the Rafale Deal, Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Jitendra Singh, and Ex-MoS accused the Modi Government of "compromising National interest and National Security." "Shoddy 'cover-up', 'self-defeating assertions' and 'deliberate lies' are being dished out to 'divert', 'dupe' and 'deceive'," they added. Claiming that the Modi Government's tactics on 'Rafale Deal' have left more questions and answers. They demanded the PM Modi to answer the following questions to people of India:- 1. Why are Prime Minister and Defence Minister hiding the 'purchase price'? Is it correct that per aircraft pricing of Rafale as per bid dated 12.12.2012 during UPA-Congress government comes to Rs.526.1 crore as against Modi government's per aircraft purchase price of Rs.1,670.70 crore? 2. Dassault Aviation's Annual Report (A-1) discloses the price of 48 aircrafts (24 each) sold to Egypt and Qatar in the year 2015 as Euro 7.9 billion i.e. Rs.1,319.80 crore per aircraft and of 36 Rafale aircrafts sold to India in the year 2016 as Euro 7.5 billion i.e. 1,670.70 crore per aircraft? Why did India pay Rs.350.90 crore per aircraft more i.e. a total of Rs.12,632 crore for 36 aircrafts? 3. What is the purpose, object, and sanctity of IGA with France, once the assurance of India getting the lowest price of Rafale aircrafts in comparison to every other buyer is violated? 4. Why did the PM violate the Mandatory 'Defence Procurement Procedure' (DPP) on April 10, 2015 while announcing off the shelf purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts? Why were the requirements of DPP i.e. Price Discovery through 'Contract Negotiation Committee' (CNC) and 'Price Negotiation Committee' (PNC) not followed? 5. Why did the PM not take the mandatory prior approval of 'Cabinet Committee on Security' before announcing purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts on April 10, 2015? 6. On April 8, 2015; Foreign Secretary denied any proposal regarding purchase of Rafale aircrafts during PM Modi's visit to France two days later. What transpired in 48 hours between April 8 to April 10, 2015 whereby Prime Minister decided to announce purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts? 7. Why was the PSU, HAL by-passed for getting Rs.30,000 crore worth 'offset contract' despite the work share agreement with Dassault Aviation dated 13.03.2014? Why was HAL superseded in favour of a private company who had zero experience of manufacturing fighter aircrafts? Why did PM promote the interests of a private company over a PSU? 8. Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon were both found equals on all technical requirements by Indian Air Force. Is it not correct that on July 4, 2014; Eurofighter Typhoon wrote to the then Defence Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley offering to reduce prices by 20%? Once PM Modi had decided to purchase the aircrafts afresh, should both companies i.e. Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon not have been asked to bid afresh through IGA route so as to arrive at the lowest price in favour of public exchequer? Why did the PM violate this? 9. On November 17, 2017; Defence Minister stated that 36 Rafale aircrafts were purchased on 'emergency basis'. Why is it that despite the 'emergency purchase' and lapse of 35 months, not a single aircraft has been delivered? OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, March 9, 2018, 17:58 [IST] AAP assault: Two MLAs sent to judicial custody, political slugfest continues on day two of row Court orders Delhi Police to present CCTV footage of Delhi Chief Secy office India oi-Shreya Tis Hazari Court in Delhi on March 9 ordered the Delhi Police to preserve the CCTV footage of fifth floor of the Delhi Secretariat - office of the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. The court gave this order on the application of Delhi Minister Imran Hussain, who was assaulted by a mob on February 20 at the Delhi Secretariat. Hussain's application stated that he was assaulted as a result of a conspiracy in the room of the Delhi Chief Secretary in the Secretariat. It further stated that assaulters were seen on the fifth floor of the Secretariat before the assault and demanded the conspiracy angle to be probed. The court also directed the Delhi Police to ensure a fair investigation in the matter and submit the status report before the court during the next date of hearing. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, March 9, 2018, 23:00 [IST] Delhi: Cop shoots himself in the head inside PCR van India pti-PTI New Delhi, Mar 9: A 54-year-old assistant sub-inspector, posted in a police control room unit, shot himself in the head on Friday inside the van in Civil Lines, Delhi, police said. The policeman, identified as Hanuman Sahay, is critical and is undergoing treatment at a city hospital, they added. The PCR van, with which he was attached, was out of order and it was taken by staff to Old Police Lines for repair, police said. It was there that the policeman shot himself in the head. It has been found that he was under depression and further investigation was underway, they said. PTI In a move that could upset US, China seals pact with EU Emmanuel Macron calls for easing raw material supply for production of Covid vaccines to India, others Emmanuel Macron's India visit: Rafale deal expansion to top agenda India oi-Deepika By Deepika Cooperation in key areas of defence, push for at least 100-150 more Rafale jets will be an important aspect of French President Emmanuel Macron's discussions during his visit to India starting Friday. While the earlier deal was struck with the previous French government, the Macron-led government is seeking to expand on it, sources told BusinessLine. The business paper reported that French Defence Minister Florence Parly had already pushed for a follow-on order on Rafale during her visit to India last October. However, the Modi government was reportedly 'non-committal' on the proposal. Macron, on a four-day visit, will be accompanied by CEOs of almost all top French defence firms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold delegation-level talks with the French president on 10 March. The follow-on order for 100-150 more Rafale jets is likely to be one of the topmost items in Macron's agenda. Ahead of his visit to India, French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country will not have any objection in disclosing information on the Rafale deal if it resolves the political stalemate between the centre and the opposition. The deal between India and France involves the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters. In an interview with India Today, Macron said that proper attention was given to the economic, industrial and strategic interests in finalising the deal. While he maintained that the deal was not signed during his tenure, he asserted that it was signed keeping in mind the interests of both the countries. Macron further justified the secrecy clause stating that it was not advisable to give out the details of an extremely sensitive business interest. Macrons statement comes at a time when the government is facing constant flak from the opposition over the deal, with the Centre refusing to divulge details citing national security. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had recently alleged that massive corruption happened in Rafale deal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally involved in it. Underlining that PM Narendra Modi had personally inked the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi dubbed the contract with France for the fighter jets a "scam". He alleged irregularities were the reason behind the Centre's refusal to provide the agreement's details. OneIndia News Former Tripura CM Manik Sarkars new home: CPI-M office in Agartala India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Agartala, March 9: Veteran communist leader Manik Sarkar has always set new examples for our political class, infamous for indulging in lavish lifestyle at the cost of taxpayers' money. On Thursday, the outgoing chief minister of Tripura vacated his official bungalow in Agartala, the state capital, and shifted to his new "home"--the one-room guest quarter on the top floor of the three-storey Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) state committee office, Dasharath Dev Bhavan, located at Melarmath. From now onwards, the 69-year-old veteran communist leader, known to be India's honest CM, and his wife Panchali Bhattacharjee, a retired bank employee, will be staying in the one-room accommodation. The couple has no children. From staying in the seven-room, the two-storey official residence of the CM on Marx-Engels Sarani in Agartala for the last 20 years, the four-time CM of the state has shifted to a "home" where there is no kitchen. Sarkar and his wife will eat food from the canteen housed inside the CPI-M state committee office. "He would be moving in to the party office in a few hours. Sarkar would be living in one room of the party office guest house with his wife Panchali Bhattacharya," CPI-M state party secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters just hours before Sarkar and his wife shifted to their new "home". CPI-M office secretary Haripada Das said the veteran leader had said that he would "eat what is cooked in the party office kitchen". "He has already sent packets of books and clothes and some CDs to the party office. Sarkar might shift to a government quarter if he is allocated one by the new government," Das said. Sarkar's wife had earlier told that she would be donating Marxist literature and books to the party office library and the Birchandra Central library in Agartala. Sarkar was the CM of Tripura for the last 20 years. His successor is 49-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Biplab Kumar Deb, who will take oath as the CM of the northeastern state on Friday. In the Tripura Assembly elections 2018, the results of which were announced on March 3, the BJP and its alliance partner, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), won 43 seats, out of which the saffron party got 35 seats. The previous ruling party, CPI-M, managed to get just 16 seats. It is for the first time that the BJP has won an Assembly election in Tripura. The handsome victory registered by the BJP is being termed as the win of the right over the left. With the election loss in Tripura, communist parties have been almost diminished from the country. Tripura was one of the last two bastions of the left in India (the second one being Kerala where the left is in power). On Thursday, Deb personally met and invited Sarkar to attend his swearing-in ceremony on Friday which will see top national BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. OneIndia News In a move that could upset US, China seals pact with EU Emmanuel Macron calls for easing raw material supply for production of Covid vaccines to India, others French President Emmanuel Macron to arrive in Delhi today on four-day visit India oi-Deepika By Deepika French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit, seeking to boost bilateral cooperation in defence and clean energy sector. Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will tour India from March 9 to March 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold delegation-level talks with the French president on March 10. Macron will get a special cruise on the Ganges with Prime Minister Narendra Modi including a quiet private meal which will be the highlight of his three-day visit to India, starting Friday evening. Marking two decades of their bilateral strategic partnership, attending the founding ceremony of the International Solar Alliance on Sunday in New Delhi, inaugurating a solar energy project in Uttar Pradesh besides a visit to Modi's parliamentary constituency-Varanasi-on Monday are the other elements of Macron's visit. Macron will also be meeting a cross-section of Indian students as well as academics during his stay in India. The last visit of the French president to India was in January 2016 when Macron was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations that year. Modi last visited France in June 2017, immediately after Macron was elected to office. India-France strategic partnership, established in 1998, is one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and is marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding. OneIndia News How Dawoods aide Takla facilitated the escape of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts accused India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Farooq Takla a key aide of Dawood Ibrahim who was arrested on Thursday facilitated the escape of several accused following the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts officials said. They also said Takla used to facilitate the travel of men from Dubai to Karachi without immigration checks, for their training in making bombs and use of sophisticated weapons. Takla, 57, was arrested in Delhi by the CBI on Thursday upon his arrival from Dubai. He was a hawala operator in the Gulf since the early 1990s and had not taken shelter in Pakistan, like his mentor Dawood, a security official said. The gangster had left Mumbai after a bitter rivalry with the Arun Gawli gang. In September 1992, Shailesh Haldankar of the Gawli gang was killed by the Dawood group while he was recuperating in JJ hospital. It was allegedly done to revenge the killing of Dawood's brother-in-law Ibrahim Parkar, who was killed near his residence in 1992 allegedly by two members of the Gawli gang. Takla was a key facilitator for stay and opening businesses for all the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused, who had left India before and after the attacks in the metropolis, the official said. While Dawood and his family, another Mumbai blasts accused Tiger Memon and his family had left Dubai after a few years and taken shelter in Pakistan, Takla continued to live in the Gulf with his ever-increasing 'hawala' trading, another official said. Takla has been mostly operating from Dubai and a few other places in the Gulf with an assumed name. The CBI had got the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice against Takla in 1995. Mohammed Farooq, better known as Farooq Takla, arrived in Delhi from Dubai and was arrested by the CBI when he was at an immigration counter at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning. While the CBI declined to comment on how he reached Delhi as an Interpol Red Corner notice was pending against him, officials said Farooq was deported from the UAE with the help of central intelligence agencies and put on a flight to Delhi. Officials said India's engagements with West Asia have increased in last few years and the results were showing with the deportation of several gangsters and wanted terrorists in recent past. Police officials in Mumbai who investigated the 1993 serial blasts case said Farooq was a big catch for the probe agencies as he was among those who were aware of the serial blasts conspiracy. OneIndia News BJP: Are not Tejashwi Yadav, other leaders from outside Bengal backing TMC outsiders? Many more leaders are in contact with me: Tejashwi Yadav after former MLA rejoins RJD from JD(U) In absence of Lalu, Tejashwi Yadav to attend Sonia Gandhis dinner for Opposition parties India oi-Deepika By Deepika In the absence of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav will attend Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's March 13 dinner for all opposition parties to forge a united front against the BJP. With Lalu lodged in Ranchi's Birsa Munda jail in a fodder scam case, Tejashwi is seen as the face of the RJD. He had served as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Grand Alliance government of RJD, JD(U) and Congress. Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders of all opposition parties for dinner here on March 13 in a fresh bid to forge a united front against the BJP. The initiative in the backdrop of opposition parties joining hands to attack the government in Parliament is a step towards strengthening the opposition and laying the foundation for a united front in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a party insider said. Sonia Gandhi's invitation comes at a time when talk of a non-BJP, non-Congress front is doing the rounds following a proposal by TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for a national consultation process on the matter. This is being seen as a step towards laying the foundation for a united front in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The dinner is expected to be held ahead of the AICC plenary session scheduled for March 16-18 and could take place on March 13. Invitations are being extended to the 17 parties which attended a meeting called by the Congress to brainstorm over common strategy in Parliament and outside last month. A TDP representative may also attend the dinner. Several leaders have confirmed their attendance, a Congress insider said, declining to go into specifics. However, he said Sonia Gandhi is keen to have all top opposition party leaders, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is yet to confirm. Banerjee has spoken to Rao and DMK working president MK Stalin for coordination inside and outside Parliament. Though the TDP is an ally of the NDA, the southern regional party has joined hands with other opposition parties to protest in Parliament against the Centre over the issue of triple talaq. The party has also aired its differences with the government over a special package for Andhra Pradesh. Oneindia News It's 'Kannada pride' vs 'Hindutva' in Karnataka elections 2018 India oi-Vikas By Vikas Questions are being raised about the timing of Siddaramaiah government's move to unveil Karnataka flag with the assembly elections round the corner. The state flag-Nada Dwaja- has been sent to the Union home ministry for approval. Once approved, Karnataka will become only the second state in India to have a separate flag, after Jammu and Kashmir. Well, it clearly looks like Siddaramaiah's aim is to use the 'Kannada pride' issue for political gain or else why would he do it now, with hardly a few months left for elections. This makes the electoral battle in the state interesting, as the BJP is banking on its 'Hindutva agenda' to win the elections. So will it be 'Kannada pride' vs 'Hindutva', that would be used by politicians to woo voters in Karnataka? Between these, would the real issues that concern people take a backseat? In a way 'Kannada pride' cannot be pitted against 'Hindutva' as the majority of Kannadigas are anyway Hindus. What Congress and BJP are actually doing is to confuse people and asking them to choose between culture/language and religion. Logically, it seems absurd, but such is the nature of politics practised in our country. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa came down heavily on Siddaramaiah and asked why the CM did not do it earlier. "Karnataka CM should resign immediately on moral grounds. Misrule shouldn't continue. I'm going to ask the Governor for President's rule. Why did he come up with a flag in 4th year of his regime? If he wanted to have a state flag he could've done it earlier," Yeddyurappa told the media when asked about the Karnataka flag issue. The Karnataka chief minister had formed a committee in 2017 to look into the design as well as legal aspects of having a separate flag for Karnataka. The Congress will be hoping that the new flag would take the Congress' Kannada pride strategy to a level higher ahead of Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. [Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah's cabinet clears state flag, Kannada pride gets a push] The 'Naada Dwaja' (state's flag) in hues of yellow, white and red, has the state's emblem 'Gandaberunda' or the two-headed mythological bird that was also the royal insignia of the erstwhile Mysuru kingdom, at its centre. In the tricolour flag, yellow represents wealth and celebration, white represents peace and stability, and red represents valour and pride. A few months ago, a "Hindi Beda" or 'No to Hindi' agitation drove the removal of all Hindi signboards from the Bengaluru Metro removed. Only Kannada and English signboards remain in the Namma Metro now. [Karnataka: Congress questions BJP's 'silence' on proposed state flag] Such tactics adopted by the politicians to gain votes, in fact, divides the society. When the focus should be on real issues that the people are facing, the parties resort to picking up these sentimental issues. One can only hope that people do not become intolerant because of these issues and Karnataka remains a tolerant state that welcomes people from across the country. Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News Cannot order for use of traditional remedies like Red Ant Chutney as cure for COVID-19: SC Dont want terrorists to know what software is being used: Centre to SC on Pegasus row Judge Loya case: 'Dont need certificate from anyone, guided by our heart', says SC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa We are guided by our conscience and heart while delivering judgments and require no certificate from anyone, the Supreme Court said during the hearing of judge Loya case. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra also took umbrage against a senior lawyer for casting aspersions on judges that they were only asking "searching questions" to those who brought the BH Loya death case before it, and not to the Maharashtra government. "We will ask questions what we want to satisfy our conscience. We don't have to show a veneer of justice to you. Justice is in our hearts and minds. We don't want a certificate, least of all from an arguing counsel," the Bench said. The strong remarks came when senior advocate Dushyant Dave said the court was not asking questions to another senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Maharashtra when he was arguing and he had to face all the queries. Justice Chandrachud replied that "Fortunately, in our judicial system, the judges have to agree with the lawyers and not vice versa". "Unfortunately in our system, you don't have to agree with us but we have to agree with you, sometimes a person is so involved in the arguments that he forgets who is a judge and who is a lawyer," he said. Dave replied that there are always two ways to look at something and one should stand for the cause. To this, Justice Chandrachud said, "No leniency to justice is being imparted. Justice lies in our conscience." During the hearing, the Bench also clarified that it cannot direct the state to file affidavit and the documents once produced by the Maharashtra government can be equally good. "We will not allow the state to correct the anomaly if any by way of affidavit. If there is anything wrong, it will be dealt according to the law," it said. Dave then said that he can't file contempt or seek perjury proceedings against the state, as the documents are not filed on the affidavit. The Bench said that he (Dave) can still file contempt and seek initiation of perjury proceedings against the state in case of any false documents. While referring to Ravi Bhavan, where judge Loya was staying the night before he died, Dave said that it was just at a five-minute distance from the chief justice's bungalow and questioned why his car could not be called to take him to the hospital. "If the Chief Justice cannot take care of his judiciary, then he is not fit to be Chief Justice," the senior advocate said. This statement led to a heated exchange between Dave and Rohatgi who objected to the statement of the former saying he cannot accuse everybody. "This case is mala fide based on an article in media. The article was a case of yellow journalism. The article was never published for three years but once a petition challenging the discharge of accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh case was dismissed by the SC, the article surfaces," Rohatgi said. Dave questioned why did the CBI then not file an appeal against the discharge of BJP president Amit Shah in the case. Rohatgi replied these are all absurd allegations and the CBI had filed appeals against some of the accused in the case. Dave then moved on and argued that the report of intelligence commissioner has to be rejected and does not inspire confidence due to the various anomaly. At the fag end of the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, said two reports (histopathology and the ECG) of judge Loya, were not filed by the State in the documents filed before the court. Bhushan said he had personally met many cardiologists who had seen these reports and had ruled out that judge Loya had died of a heart attack. He pointed out the expert opinion of Dr Upendra Kaul, former professor of cardiology at AIIMS and Padma Shri awardee, who had virtually ruled out a heart attack as the cause of death, on the basis of the histopathology and ECG reports. Bhushan further pointed out that the doctor at Dande Hospital and Meditrina Hospital in Nagpur had noted tall T-waves in the ECG, in their statements filed with the State. On March 5, the apex court had said questions should not be raised over the change in the judge hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case in Bombay High Court, as the change in the roster was a "routine" affair which is in accordance with the established tradition there. Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, had allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. The Bench is hearing batch of pleas including those filed by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala and Maharashtra-based B S Lone seeking an independent probe into Loya's death. OneIndia News Karnataka elections: To win over the booths, BJP seeks help of RSS India oi-Vicky Nanjappa The RSS is set to play a major role in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018. While it would not directly involve itself in the elections, it would help the BJP which is making a bid to form the next government in Karnataka. The RSS known for its organisational capabilities would be of great help to the BJP at the booth levels. It may be recalled that the party boss, Amit Shah had said that if the BJP could win booths, it would win the elections in Karnataka. Recently top BJP leaders from Karnataka, B S Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar had met with several RSS leaders. The meeting that was held earlier this week discussed the strategy ahead of the elections. The RSS decided that it would render services to any of the party leaders who would seek its help. However, there would not be any direct involvement. The RSS would also inspire a large number of people to go out and vote. "If democracy has to be strengthened, a large number of people should come in the open to exercise their votes to elect right candidates. This type of campaign our Swayamsevaks will carry out," an RSS leader recently told PTI. Apart from this, the Swayamsevaks are free to assist BJP in office matters too, he said. He also said it was difficult to give the numbers of participating Swayamsevaks, "but thousands of them will be helping BJP." In a recently-held meeting, BJP President Amit Shah had reportedly assured top RSS leaders at its headquarters in Nagpur that the party would certainly win Karnataka elections. Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15 OneIndia News Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa "Nowhere in the country has a sitting Lokayukta been attacked.Firsttime a chiefminsterhas helped a convict which is not only shameful for a chief minister but alsomockeryof the democracy. The Governor should take cognisance and legal action against him and he should resign on moral grounds," Yeddyurappa said on Friday. Union Minister Ananth Kumar On Wednesday, Union Minister Ananth Kumar launched a blistering attack on Siddaramaiah government and said, "Siddaramaiah and Congressisfully responsible for this. It is time for them to go from Karnataka." Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty The attack on Justice Shetty took place at MS Building in Bengaluruon Wednesday afternoon. The accused person was identified as Tejraj Sharma, a resident of Tumkur. The police based on preliminary investigations said that Sharma had come to meet with Justice Shetty. He was given a slip and asked to wait outside. He was later called inside to meet the Lokayukta. As per the rules when there is an inquiry or someone is giving a complaint, none are allowed inside the room including the Lokayukta's gunman. In a matter of minutes after Sharma entered the room, he is said to have pulled out the dagger and stabbed Justice Shetty thrice. He was hit on the abdomen area. Person who stabbed Justice Shetty Hearing the commotion, the gunman rushedinsidethe room and saw the judge lying on the floor. The accused was immediately pinned down. On hearing the commotion the others waiting outside too raninsidethe room to see what had happened. Justice Shetty was then rushed to the hospital. He is said to be out of danger. Palghar Chemical Factory Fire: 3 killed, 15 injured in fire at chemical factory in Tarapur MIDC area India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar At least three people were killed and 15 others injured after a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Palghar's Tarapur on Friday. Tremors of explosions were felt 12km away from the site. During the search and rescue operation at Arti Industries site, three unidentified dead bodies were recovered. Fire tenders have reached the spot to carry out rescue operations. According to Indian Express, the explosion triggered fires in at least five factory units nearby. Initial reports suggest a boiler containing industrial solvent burst under high temperature and pressure. Prashant Narnaware, District Collector Palghar, said, "Around 11:30 pm, we came to know about the incident. Police machinery, revenue machinery and health machinery geared together and they contributed their best to extinguish the fire. Our work of rescue still continuing." The fire has spread to other companies adjacent to the company, Manjunath Singe, Superintendent of Police, Palghar told news agency PTI. There are chemical drums inside these companies, due to which the fire is spreading, he said. More details are awaited. #WATCH: Fire broke out in a chemical factory in Palghar's Tarapur. 5 people injured in the incident. (Earlier Visuals) #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/xgK3FhFngO ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 OneIndia News PM urges people to take part in auction of gifts, mementos received by him Modi, Shah busy? Their lookalikes campaign for BJP in UPs Gorakhpur bypoll India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Lucknow, March 9: No election campaign of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is complete without Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah addressing rallies. Both the top leaders have emerged as the election winners for the party. What does the BJP do when the duo is busy? Simple. The saffron party brings in their lookalikes. That is what the BJP did for its campaigning in the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypoll scheduled on March 11. The lookalikes of Modi and Shah campaigned for the BJP candidate in Gorakhpur recently, say reports. "Gorakhpur: Lookalikes of PM Modi and Amit Shah campaigning for BJP ahead of Lok Sabha bypolls (earlier visuals)," tweeted ANI. Gorakhpur: Lookalikes of PM Modi and Amit Shah campaigning for BJP ahead of Lok Sabha bypolls (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/N6vDVvKZos ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 8, 2018 The doppelgangers of the PM and the Rajya Sabha MP look almost similar to the popular leaders. However, a closer look will reveal the "reality" that it's "fake" Modi and Shah. Nonetheless, the voters are happy that if not Modi and Shah, who are busy with their other assignments, at least the BJP thought of an innovative idea to bring in lookalikes of the PM and the BJP chief. The bypoll on March 11 was necessitated after chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also mahant of the Gorakhnath temple, vacated the seat following his election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. The Lok Sabha bypoll in Gorakhpur, considered a safe bet for UP's ruling BJP with five-time MP and CM Adityanath fronting the campaign, has acquired fresh urgency with the new-found bonhomie between the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Along with Gorakhpur, LS bypoll is also scheduled in UP's Phulpur on March 11. The Phulpur seat was earlier vacated by Adityanath's deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. The BJP expressed confidence that the newfound equation between the SP and the BSP would make no difference to the electoral contest. "There will be no effect of the alliance. The BJP is all set to post victory with a huge margin. The people have now come to understand the reality of all such alliances," BJP media zonal in-charge Satyendra Sinha said. The UP CM has aggressively campaigned for the bypolls. Recently, at a public rally, he described the SP-BSP alliance as coming together of "snake and mole". "Their (SP and BSP) condition is like snake and mole, who are running here and there to save their lives. I pity them but they have looted the state and played with the future of young people and farmers," Adityanath said at a public meeting. OneIndia News US Presidential Debate 2020: Debate finds angry opening as Trump, Biden lash out at each other BJP to ask Governor to send report to president on Maharashtra happenings President accepts resignation of TDP ministers, PM Modi to oversee aviation ministry India oi-Deepika By Deepika President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday accepted the resignations of Telugu Desam Party MPs Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati and Y S Chowdary. "The President, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati and Y.S. Chowdary from the union council of ministers with immediate effect," a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said. The President also directed that the work of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, held by Raju, will now be looked after by the Prime Minister. Chowdary was the Minister of State for Science and Technology. Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu has called an urgent meeting to discuss his Telugu Desam Party (TDP)'s future with the BJP, a day after pulling two ministers from the central government over a demand for "special status" for Andhra Pradesh. On Thursday, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, the two TDP ministers met the PM and handed him their resignation. TDP's exit from the Narendra Modi-led central government came as a result of the Centre's refusal to grant Andhra Pradesh a special-category status. However, a split within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre was averted for now, with the party deciding to remain in the alliance, a move many views as TDP's attempt to keep the window for rapprochement open. OneIndia News Sitanshu Kar to be new PIB chief, set to replace Frank Noronha India oi-Vikas By Vikas Sitanshu Kar has been appointed as the next Director General of the Union government's publicity wing, Press Information Bureau (PIB). Kar will be replacing Frank Noronha, who took charge of the PIB in 2014. Noronha will retire on April 30 and Kar will take charge from May 1. Kar was the spokesperson of the defence ministry from 2005 to 2015 and worked with four defence ministers - Pranab Mukherjee, AK Antony, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar. Kar was serving as director general, news services division, at All India Radio (AIR). Kar, an old PIB hand, has been posted back in the PIB. Frank Noronha, a veteran Information Service official, was in August 2014, appointed as Principal Director General of Media and Communication to the government of India. A 1982-batch officer of the Indian Information Service, Noronha had then replaced Neelam Kapoor. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, March 9, 2018, 21:55 [IST] Student stabbed to death outside Chennai's Meenakshi College Of Engineering India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar A student of Meenakshi College Of Engineering was stabbed to death in board daylight outside the college in KK Nagar, in Chennai on Friday. The attacker was nabbed by people and handed over to police. He tried to escape after stabbing the victim, but locals caught hold of him and handed him over to the police. The deceased is identified as Ashwini. Reasons for the murder is yet to be ascertained. The police investigation is underway, reported ANI. #Visuals from outside Meenakshi College Of Engineering in KK Nagar, Chennai where a student was stabbed to death. Investigation underway. More details awaited. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/nzrBy50zJu ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Last month, security was tightened in and around Anna Nagar Tower Park after a college student was attacked by her friend. Also, few other important parks in the city too have been brought under vigil. More details awaited. OneIndia News BJP will get bigger mandate in 2022 UP Election: A K Sharma Mantra of Politics: Change is the only Constant Tamil Nadu: BJP leader slaps farmer leader Ayyakannu for abusing her India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Tamil Nadu: Lady BJP Leader Slaps Farmer | OneIndia News A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader took out her sandals to beat farmer leader, who was distributing pamphlets criticising Central government, in Tamil Nadu's Thiruchendur on Friday. A heated argument ensued between District Secretary of the BJP's women's wing Nellaiyammal and Tamil Nadu farmer leader P Ayyakannu outside premises of Sri Subramania Swamy Temple in Thiruchendur when the latter was allegedly distributing pamphlets criticising the Central government. According to reports, during the argument, Ayyakanu abused the BJP worker and called her derogatory words, following which Nellaiyammal slapped him. In the video, Nellaiyammal is seen taking her sandal out to attack another farmer. Meanwhile, temple administration intervened to pacify both the farmer and BJP leader. This is not the first time that farmer leader Ayyakannu run into problems with the state BJP. During his protest against the central government in New Delhi, Ayyakannu the fight between H. Raja (National Secretary of BJP) and Ayyakannu. H. Raja spoke in media that Ayyakannu is a fraud. Ayyakannu is also the founder and president of National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturist Association. #WATCH: Heated argument ensued between District Secretary of the BJP's women's wing Nellaiyammal and Tamil Nadu Farmer leader P Ayyakannu outside premises of Sri Subramania Swamy Temple in Thiruchendur when the latter was allegedly distributing pamphlets criticising Central govt. pic.twitter.com/Ze8FJu5FN0 ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 OneIndia News List of all single-use plastic items to be banned from July 2022 Traders protest Delhi sealing drive after workers injured in clash with police India oi-Shreya Traders in New Delhi's Lajpath Nagar area on March 9 staged a protest against Delhi's sealing drive, demanding their shops which have been sealed, a day after shop owners were injured in a clash with the police in which the police resorted to lathi charge. Congress Delhi President Ajay Maken went to AIMS hospital in Delhi where the workers were admitted and blamed the Centre and the Delhi Government for the suffering of the traders. Senior leaders of AAP, Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta and Sushil Gupta also went to meet the injured workers at the AIMS hospital. AAP Spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "There is only one solution to the ongoing sealing in Delhi and it is with the BJP Government of the solution center. If the BJP government brings the ordinance then the sealing of Delhi can stop but the BJP is not doing it. There is only one solution to stop ceiling and it is the Ordinance, the Ordinance and the Ordinance." "BJP is not serious about sealing, BJP's negligence of the people of Delhi and businessmen in trouble," he added. Out of a total of 700 shops in Delhi's Amar Colony, 400 were sealed on Thursday by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). OneIndia News No statue of Lenin razed in Tripura? BJP's bizarre theory India oi-Oneindia Staff By Oneindia Staff Agartala, March 9: As statue politics has reared its ugly head, politicians cutting across party lines are busy accusing each other of the countrywide vandalism. However, there is a "new twist" to the recent razing down of the statue of Vladimir Lenin in Tripura's Belonia which kick-started some kind of a competition to demolish and deface statues of eminent historical persons in various parts of the country. According to senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav, no statue in Tripura has been demolished. However, reports contradict the BJP general secretary's tall claims. Along with the 11-feet tall fibreglass statue, one more statue of the Russian revolutionary leader was brought down in Tripura's Sabroom. In fact, the BJP has come under fire for the demolition of statues in Tripura. It has been alleged that BJP supporters were behind the vandalism as video evidence showcases men in saffron attire used a bulldozer to raze down the Belonia statue of Lenin. The alleged BJP supporters chanted "Bharat Mata ki Jai (Hail Mother India)" during the demolition drive. In order to distance the party from the ugly episode, Madhav totally denied that such an incident had ever occurred. Madhav, who is one of the BJP's main architects to help the party win elections after elections in the Northeast region (latest being Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland), claimed that the statue was a private property. He also asked West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has slammed the BJP for the demolition of statues, to take care of her state first before worrying about the nation. "No statue was demolished in Tripura. These are all rumours. It was (Lenin's statue) a private property. Those who had installed the statue had removed it. There was no vandalism. Vandalism is happening in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should first worry about her state. Afterwards, she can think about the country. (Tripura mein koi murti todhi nahi gayi hai.Yeh dushprachar ho raha hai.Ek private property mein, jinhone murti lagayi unhone hatayi hai.Vandalism nahi hua hai.Vandalism Bengal mein ho raha hai.Mamata ji apne rajya ki chinta karein, desh ki chinta baad mein karein)," Madhav was quoted as saying by ANI. Tripura mein koi murti todhi nahi gayi hai.Yeh dushprachar ho raha hai.Ek private property mein, jinhone murti lagayi unhone hatayi hai.Vandalism nahi hua hai.Vandalism Bengal mein ho raha hai.Mamata ji apne rajya ki chinta karein, desh ki chinta baad mein karein: Ram Madhav, BJP pic.twitter.com/QVSn3tFZcT ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Immediately after the statue of Lenin was demolished in Belonia, Madhav posted a tweet to "approve" the vandalism. He said: "People taking down Lenin's statue...not in Russia; it is in Tripura. Chalo Paltai (Let's change)." After facing criticism, Madhav deleted the tweet. He, however, again tweeted to justify the razing down of the statue as it was a "private property". "That is why no complaint was registered. The CPI-M too didn't register any complaint. Discarding communism, those who erected it themselves decided to remove it," Madhav tweeted. The officials of Tripura have a different take on the matter. "This is a public property. This was constructed by the municipal council. Funds were given by the government. The municipal council has given intimation to the police and then case was registered," CK Jamatia, South Tripura Collector, told NDTV. The demolition of Lenin's statues came close on the heels of the BJP's historic win in Tripura recently. The opponents of the Left termed the razing down of the statue of the communist icon in Tripura as symbolic after the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government lost power to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state elections. The 2018 Tripura election was an ideological battle between the left and the right. The right emerged triumphant over the left. With the defeat, the curtains came down on the 25-year-old Left regime in Tripura. The Tripura loss was a big blow to the communists across the nation as the state was one of the last two citadels of the Left. An almost diminished Left now holds power only in Kerala. After Lenin's statues, idols of Periyar EV Ramasamy, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi were demolished or defaced in various parts of the country. OneIndia News In show of strength, opposition leaders likely to attend meet called by Sonia Gandhi on Aug 20 Was India really a black hole before 2014: Sonia Gandhi India oi-Deepika By Deepika Launching a scathing attack on the NDA government, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked if India was really a "giant black hole" before May 16, 2014, the day the BJP came to power at the Centre. Delivering a key note address at India Today Conclave the Gandhi asked if India was really a giant black hole before May 16, 201? Did India march to progress, prosperity and greatness just four years ago? Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people." Targeting the BJP government over growing intolerance, the Congress leader said, "Fear and intimidation are order of the day; alternate voices are being silenced, religious tensions are being fuelled, vigilante armies are being let loose with state patronage, society is being polarised with a view to win election." Stating that the country is in the midst of "great upheaval", Sonia claimed that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government is using its brute majority in the Parliament to stifle the voice of the Opposition. "If we are not allowed to speak in parliament, why not shut down parliament so we can all go home. Unlike Vajpayee, this BJP govt doesn't respect parliament procedures," she observed. Gandhi slammed the "arrogance" of "running down" the past achievements under previous governments. "Our judiciary is in turmoil. RTI was brought to bring transparency, but today that law is in cold storage. On making Aadhaar compulsory, she said that it is being converted into an intrusive instrument of control. Gandhi said democracy allows dissent and debate and not monologues in an apparent barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She also lamented that nation builders are being slandered, and that there was cynical running down of past achievements referring to the constant criticism by the ruling party of the post Independence achievements of the Congress and its prime ministers. However, Gandhi noted that the Congress also needs to develop a new style of connecting with people at the organisational level. Speaking about her own role in leadership after Congress came to power in 2004, she said that she knew Manmohan Singh would be better a prime minister than her, and that she was aware of her limitations. "Public speaking does not come naturally to me, that is why I was called a reader than a leader," the Congress leader said. Gandhi, 71, who was Congress president for 19 years was replaced by her son Rahul last year after internal party elections. OneIndia News When Syed Akbaruddin walked up to Pakistani scribe and said "Let me begin by shaking your hand" At UNSC meeting, India slams Pakistan for nurturing terrorism International oi-Deepika By Deepika India on Thursday slammed Pakistan for supporting terrorism and said that challenges posed by cross-border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries to Afghanistan and other regions should be addressed soon. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin said,"There are still those who provide sanctuaries to support the dark agendas of terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, ISIS (Islamic State), Al-Qaeda, LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) and JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammed)." "Indeed the challenges posed by cross-border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries to Afghanistan and to our region must be addressed," he added. Akbaruddin further said that "India welcomed the UNSC's focus on linkages between terrorism, extremism, drug peddling and illegal exploitations of natural resources in Afghanistan." The transnational networks of crime, drugs and terrorism had to be dealt hardly. Hailing Afghanistan's decision of initiating a new peace plan to the Taliban to end violence, Akbaruddin stated, "These efforts of the Afghan government calling on the armed groups to end violence and join the national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all Afghans, including women, children and the minorities deserve our full support." He described the Afghan government's "new call for peace" as a "concrete approach to the Taliban to join the mainstream" that was made "despite the fact that armed groups have identified themselves and demonstrated to all of us that they are irreconcilable". OneIndia News (with agency inputs) In Singapore, Rahul Gandhi rakes up judge Loya death case International oi-Vicky Nanjappa Congress president, Rahul Gandhi said that there is a general atmosphere of intimidation in India where there is a nasty form of politics being played out. This form of politics is aimed at dividing the people with the intention of winning elections, he said during a panel discussion at Singapore. Speaking at a panel discussion at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Gandhi also said that there is a challenge to the institutional structure of India. "If you ask me what am I proud about my country...it is the idea of plurality. It's the idea that people in India can say anything they want, do anything they want and they won't face any problem and that is being challenged...," he said. "There is a particular type of politics that's not only happening in India but in a number of places - of dividing people, of using (their) anger to win elections and that's what is happening in India," he told the audience at the school, which is part of the National University of Singapore. Commenting on the recent controversy of four senior Supreme Court judges holding an unprecedented press conference, Gandhi said, "They actually went out to the press and said listen we need the people to hear our voice because there is something fundamentally wrong." "I don't know if you know the details about the comments they (judges) were making but the centre of the issue is the case of (BJP president) Amit Shah. So, there is a challenge to the institutional structure of our country," he said, apparently referring to the issue of alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge BH Loya, who was hearing the sensitive Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Shah was discharged as an accused in the case. Gandhi alleged that there is a "very very aggressive and organised attack on the system and on the judiciary. If you speak to the press, if you talk to business people, they will also tell you that we feel intimidated. So there is a general atmosphere of intimidation." The Congress president said that the idea of India that Mahatma Gandhi envisioned was that an India where everybody is comfortable regardless of religion, community, regardless of state. "The idea that anybody coming to India, even the foreigner coming to India, feel comfortable in the country...that idea is being challenged now," he asserted. "Where we are running into trouble now is the levels of violence and anger that you are seeing in India and this to me is a syndrome," he said, adding that "I'm proud to say that our vision is bringing people together." Responding to a question, Gandhi accused the BJP and the RSS of indulging in anti-minorities politics. "Mahatma Gandhi died protecting minorities. We, the Congress party, have been protecting minority people for the last 70 years. We don't like an India where people are persecuted, where people are being beaten up for what they eat, what they say and what they wear," he said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi controls the law making, he controls the UP police, he controls the Haryana police, he controls these things. An extremely nasty form of politics is playing out in India," Gandhi said, without elaborating. Asserting that "we will fight him and we will defeat him" in the election, he said "very soon you will see India where everybody is respected and everybody is loved." He also criticised BJP's Kashmir policy, saying the UPA government had curbed terrorism by 2012 but it resurfaced after the BJP came to power in 2014. "In 2014 when I went to Jammu and Kashmir I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can do to years and years of policy-making," he said. The BJP has lost the touch with the people and created a strategic problem in Jammu and Kashmir, he said and underlined the need to engage people and win their trust. He also slammed the BJP government over its "bad record" of creating jobs, saying "our record is better". Responding to a question on International Women's Day, Gandhi said the Congress party had sought to pass the Women's Reservation Bill but it was opposed by other parties. On India's foreign policy, he said India has to have peaceful relations with China, the US, Europe, Asean and others. He said India and China should have a peaceful and co-operative relationship. "One complaint I have of the BJP foreign policy in general... is that it is very tactical and episode," he said. He also spoke of India's potential of developing a health care for the global markets. Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Singapore and will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tomorrow. He will then travel to Malaysia where he will meet Prime Minister Najib Razak and members of the Indian community. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, March 9, 2018, 7:03 [IST] Trump says India has just been devastated by COVID-19 Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Thousands of terrorists might have been airlifted out of Kabul: Trump slams Biden Never in history has withdrawal from war been handled so badly: Trump Unprecedented breakthrough as Trump agrees to meet North Koreas Kim Jong Un International oi-Vicky Nanjappa North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un offers to meet Donald Trump | Oneindia News US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in May. This was confirmed by South Korea's National Security Adviser after delivering the invitation to the American President. Kim has also committed to stopping nuclear and missile testing, even during joint military drills in South Korea last month, Chung Eui-yong told reporters in Washington. The breakthrough came after Un invited Trump for a meeting. According to CNN, a South Korean delegation arrived at the White House on Thursday to update officials on their recent talks with Kim at the headquarters of the Worker's Party of Korea in Pyongyang. The delegates spoke with Trump and also handed him a letter from Kim, inviting him to meet. Earlier, Trump teased a "major announcement" on North Korea and the news is nothing short of groundbreaking. The senior US official said North Korea has offered to suspend their nuclear missile testing alongside their invitation for talks. The official also said there are no plans to suspend the upcoming planned military exercises with South Korea. According to the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, the leader of the South Korean delegation and the National Security Office head Chung Eui-Yong will make the announcement from the stakeout position outside the West Wing with the rest of the South Korean delegation alongside reported ANI. National Security Adviser Lt. General H.R. McMaster will also brief the UN Security Council on Monday regarding the situation in North Korea, according to a senior US official. OneIndia News Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. Palestine Advocacy Project's latest billboard ad campaign: Ahed Tamimi (Image by Palestine Advocacy Project) Details DMCA The Palestine Advocacy Project is raising awareness about Israel's mistreatment of Palestinian teen activist Ahed Tamimi with two billboards on Interstate 95 northbound in Connecticut. The billboards are in Bridgeport and Stratford. I-95 is the main north--south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the U.S., (though in actuality, it runs primarily east and west in CT.) The interstate has daily traffic volumes of 120,000 to over 150,000 between the New York state line and the junction with I-91 in New Haven, CT. Bridgeport and Stratford are on that route. Palestine Advocacy Project's latest billboard ad campaign: Ahed Tamimi (Image by Palestine Advocacy Project) Details DMCA The Palestine Advocacy Project explains the billboard initiative: The first billboard compares the apartheid regime in Israel with the former apartheid regime in South Africa. The text strikes through the name of Nelson Mandela and instead proposes Ahed Tamimi just below. Both Nelson Mandela (imprisoned for 27 years by South Africa's apartheid government) and Ahed symbolize courageous resistance to a repressive government and apartheid systems. Ahed, who spent her 17th birthday in military prison, was arrested without charge and can be held up to 6 month with no due process rights, like so many other Palestinians. When she does go to trial, she will be in a court that has a 99.74% percent conviction rate for Palestinians. Israel's settlers operate with virtual impunity in the Occupied West Bank. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. The ongoing, mushrooming corruption investigations of PM Netanyahu, his family, his confidants and associates have prompted a request to apply the Fighting Organized Crime Act in the Netanyahu cases. The spiraling investigations also expose widespread corruption of the justice system itself. Figure. The suspects: PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Presiding Justice Esther Hayut, and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. ___ Tel-Aviv, March 08 -- over the past several weeks, Netanyahu has continued his worldwide travels, avoiding summons for police investigations at home, exchanging flatteries with US President Donal Trump (mired in his own troubles), and dreaming up war with Iran in the company of a specific segment of the US Jewish community. In the meanwhile, Netanyahu's corruption investigations have mushroomed, also exposing corruption of the Israeli justice system and fracturing Israeli society like never before. In late February, it was exposed, as part of one of Netanyahu's corruption investigation, that Israeli Supreme Court Presiding Justice Esther Hayut and senior judge Hila Gerstl were aware for the past 2.5 years of an attempt to bribe Gerstl in relationship to her proposed nomination for Attorney General. A Netanyahu confidant tried to inquire whether Judge Hila Gerstl would take a lenient position relative to Mrs Netanyahu's ongoing legal troubles. [i] Both Judge Gerstl and Supreme Court Presiding Justice Esther Hayut failed to report the incident to law-enforcement authorities. Consequently, both belatedly provided police their testimonies. In the aftermath, Israeli media called for the resignation of Supreme Court Presiding Justice Hayut. [ii] This is not the first incident of this kind. Already in 1997 it was exposed that Netanyahu appointed AG Roni Bar-On as part of a similarly corrupt deal -- lenient treatment of corruption scandal involving Minister Aryeh Deri (who was later convicted and served a prison term). In 1997, the deal was immediately exposed, and AG Roni Bar-On tenure lasted less than 48 hours. In the aftermath, police recommended that Netanyahu and others be indicted. However, the next AG, Elyakim Rubinstein (later a Supreme Court Justice), decided not to indict Netanyahu and closed the case. [iii] Also in late February, it was exposed, as part of another one of Netanyahu's corruption investigations, that Judge Poznanski-Katz exchanged WhatsApp messages with the prosecutor prior to the suspects' detention hearing. The prosecutor informed the judge that he had heroically fought against police investigators, and is going to ask for only a couple of days' extension of the suspects' detention. At the same time, the prosecutor instructs that judge to "act surprised". [iv] Media called for criminal prosecution of the judge and the prosecutor-- an unheard of in Israel's 70-year history (with one notable exception in the 1960s, which ended up in acquittal). Eventually, Judge Poznanski-Katz was suspended, pending a secretive disciplinary hearing by her fellow judges. Following the signing of plea-bargain agreements with three of Netanyahu's close confidants (the latest -- this week), who turned into prosecution witnesses, Netanyahu and members of his governing Likud party have launched an unprecedented smear campaign against the law and justice system. Netanyahu and his followers claim that police and the prosecution are developing an "industry" of witnesses against Netanyahu, and that suspects are placed under tremendous pressures to "dis" and lie about Netanyahu in order to save their own skins. [v] Such attacks also repeatedly allege a "putsch" by the law and justice system against a sitting PM, who was elected by the popular vote. In recent weeks, such attacks have primarily targeted Police Chief Roni Alsheikh and AG Avichai Mandelblit. The latter holds the authority to approve such plea-bargain agreements. Both are Netanyahu's personal appointments, and in both cases, the appointments have been considered tainted from the start. Already in relationship to appointment of the current Mossad Chief, it was reported that Netanyahu demanded a personal pledge of loyalty by the leading candidate. According to reports, the candidate declined, and was therefore passed over for the job. Similarly, Roni Alsheikh, Netanyahu's hand-picked police chief, himself disclosed that Netanyahu promised him a later appointment as Shin-Bet Chief, if he accepted the position of police chief. Likewise, following the disclosure of the attempt to bribe Judge Hila Gerstl in relationship to her proposed nomination as AG, the question inevitably came up: Did Mandelblit make any pledge to Netanyahu in return for his appointment as Attorney General? At present, police conduct appears professional, but AG Mandelblit's conduct is perceived as extremely unusual micromanagement of Netanyahu's corruption investigations, undermining both police and the prosecution. AG Mandelblit holds the authority to make the final decision regarding filing indictments against Netanyahu. Police and senior prosecutorial staff have already recommended filing indictments in some of the cases. However, as published this week, AG Mandelblit decided to establish Team B, to argue contrary to the existing recommendations, prior to making his final decision. The entire procedure appears to make mockery of equality under the law. Mandelblit's appointment as AG was particularly questionable: His previous job was a Netanyahu's cabinet secretary -- a political appointee and a confidant. Therefore, the question came up even prior to his appointment, whether he would be able to act in a professional manner in matters related to the Netanyahus' investigations. Now, as investigations branch out, it is also questioned whether Mandelblit was privy to, or even involved in, some of the investigated affairs in his capacity of Netanyahu's cabinet secretary. Calls have been repeatedly made for Mandelblit to recuse himself from handling some or all Netanyahu's investigations. So far he has declined to do so. Prior to his appointment as AG, Mandelblit himself was a suspect in a major corruption scandal - the Harpaz document affair, claimed at the time to be a "putsch attempt" by senior IDF commanders. [vi] Mandelblit's case was closed by the previous AG under the reasoning of "insufficient evidence" (but not "absence of guilt"). The Harpaz document affair featured again in center stage last week. A media outlet (well known for its excellent sources in law and police matters, and usually supporting Netanyahu and undermining police and the prosecution) reported that State Attorney Shay Nitzan held three incriminating recordings, pertaining to Mandelblit's role in the Harpaz document affair. The report went as far as providing the general contents of each of the recordings. The report also claimed that the threat of publishing the recordings exposed Mandelblit to pressure or extortion. No denial, no demand for retraction, no threat of legal action followed, just a general silence... [vii] In early February, adding to the concerns regarding Mandelblit's conduct regarding the Netanyahus' investigations, it was exposed that during the period of May 2016 to January 2018 Mandelblit met in private with Suspect/PM Netanyahu 65 times. [viii] In response, former AG Michael Ben-Yair published a Facebook post (a sign of the times), stating that private meetings of the Attorney General and the Prime Minister stood contrary to standard procedures, even when there was no investigation of the Prime Minister looming. According to Ben-Yair, such meetings should always include "referents" - lower-level state officers, whose primary responsibilities include the topics on the meeting's agenda. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. I'm familiar with nearly every mile of our state's border with Mexico. A $25 billion boondoggle to construct a wall in our backyards is not only an outlandish waste of taxpayers' money, it is not a smart investment in border security or what families and communities in New Mexico want or need. Think of what we could do with that kind of money if we actually invested it wisely. Based on conservative estimates, we could fund center-based childcare for over 350,000 4-year-olds, public K-12 education for almost 300,000 students, or medical treatment for opioid addiction for more than 400,000 Americans with what would otherwise go to New Mexico's portion of a border wall. President Trump is instead unabashedly ransoming the lives of DREAMers as bargaining chips to achieve one of his most bigoted and divisive ideas. When the Senate began a debate on the floor last month, I was hopeful that we could find a way to pass a bipartisan solution for DREAMers that included rational border security policies. However, I cannot support legislation that fails to reflect the perspectives and real needs of New Mexicans. A close relationship with our southern neighbors has long helped write the economic, social, and cultural story of our state. Our border region's unique binational economy has created jobs and tremendous opportunities for businesses in the area. In fact, New Mexico has been one of the fastest-growing states in the country for jobs related to international exports. In recent years, I've been proud to support a growing border economy by securing millions of dollars in federal funds and championing public-private partnerships to modernize transportation infrastructure, improve inspection facilities, and increase lawful international trade at our state's ports of entry in Santa Teresa and Columbus. I have also met with Border Patrol agents who patrol the vast, rugged terrain of New Mexico's border region. I fought for greater investments in the resources and new technologies these agents need to do their jobs and keep our nation safe. Unfortunately, President Trump has never been interested in responsible border security policies that would help us build a safer and more prosperous border region. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Consortium News President Trump has asked the Pentagon to plan a military parade in Washington DC on Veteran's Day, November 11. Democrats have decried the cost and authoritarian implication, and antiwar groups are planning a countermarch. I spoke to Margaret Flowers, medical doctor, Green Party activist, and co-founder of the movement news website Popular Resistance, who is among those organizing the countermarch. Ann Garrison: Margaret, does this countermarch have a name yet, and what can you tell us about the coalition organizing it? Margaret Flowers: So far the coalition is just calling this the "No Trump Military Parade." Our goal is to get so many people signed up to come that Trump feels compelled to cancel it. If that doesn't happen, we hope that we can mobilize more people to come to Washington DC to oppose it than Trump can mobilize to support it. As far as the coalition goes, and this is still fairly young, we found that a number of organizations that Popular Resistance works with were organizing responses to the military parade. ANSWER put out a call for people to show up. Veterans for Peace and some of their allied organizations were organizing a veterans and indigenous peace march during that weekend, with a message to reclaim Armistice Day, which is what Veterans Day was initially. Interestingly, this is the hundred year anniversary of the first Armistice Day, the end of World War I. World Beyond War was also getting people to sign on to oppose the parade, so we thought, "Why don't we bring all these people together and make this a big display of opposition to militarization both at home and abroad?" We had our first exploratory call last week and found that there was a lot of energy and a lot of unity in our messaging against US imperialism, militarization, and austerity for public needs. The people who are behind this are all groups who are strongly opposed to the corporate duopoly war party, and who have been working to revive the peace movement in the United States. AG: Some of those who identify as peace activists will no doubt say that this march is a reaction to Trump, not to the wars and weapons production that keep escalating no matter who's in the White House. What's your response? MF: Now that President Trump is in office, that's the concern because that's what the Democratic Party groups and the party itself do when Republicans are in power. They use these issues for their own ends. It's interesting, and I know that you're aware of this, that the Women's March was not a march against US militarism. Among the so-called progressive Democratic Party candidates running in this year's midterms, I haven't seen anybody who has a strong antimilitarist platform. So there is a possibility that some of these Democratic Party groups will try to latch onto this effort and use it for their own purposes, but all the people and groups organizing this are opposed to the corporate duopoly war party. I think it's important for us to make it clear that the United States has a long history of militarism, and that it has been escalating under recent presidents. Obama was worse than Bush. Trump is trying to outdo Obama. It's not a matter of who's in the White House or which party has the majority in Congress. It's that the United States is the largest empire in the world, and we have a very strong military machine that demands to be fed constantly. So even if some of those Democratic Party members sign on, they may be adding numbers, but hopefully not diluting the message. AG: A Women's March on the Pentagon, which is not a reaction to Trump but to war and militarism, is scheduled for October 20-21, the 51st anniversary of the 1967 March on the Pentagon organized by the National Mobilization to End the Vietnam War. Will you be joining or supporting that march as well? MF: We're very excited about the Women's March on the Pentagon. I think, like you, I refrained from participating in the previous Women's Marches because they were organized by people who were part of the power structure. It's been interesting to see what's going on with that because people at the grassroots level didn't seem to be altogether on board with those who were leading those marches. But, again, there was no strong antimilitarism component to those marches. So we were very excited when Cindy Sheehan announced her Women's March on the Pentagon. I felt like, "Wow, now here's a Women's March I'll actually feel comfortable participating in," so Popular Resistance was one of the early organizations to sign on to that. We've been promoting it on our website, and I will be there, and we'll be supporting it in any way we can. AG: Assuming Trump's parade goes forward, there will no doubt be a tremendous amount of international media coverage, and the optics will be grim for much of the world if there's no visible resistance. Will you be working on a media strategy with that in mind? MF: That's one of the main reasons we felt so compelled to organize around Trump's military parade. People around the world keep asking us, "Where is the antiwar movement in the United States? You guys are the aggressors, so why aren't you doing anything about what your country is doing all around the world?" So having this kind of energy around this military parade -- this gross display and glorification of militarism -- is an opportunity for us in the United States to show the world that there is opposition to US empire and wars of aggression, including these so-called humanitarian interventions that so many progressives are supporting. And, in addition to having protests in Washington DC, we're reaching out to our international allies around the world and asking them to hold actions on that day as well. And of course there's a lot of international media in DC, and when we do actions on various issues, we tend to get more coverage from the international media than from the US media. So we will definitely be reaching out to them. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Gush Shalom IN THE Autumn of 1948, after some eight months of continuous fighting, I was promoted to the lofty rank of corporal. After taking part in a crash course for squad leaders, I was allowed to choose my new soldiers -- new immigrants from Poland or Morocco. (Everybody wanted Bulgarians, but the Bulgarians were already taken. They were known to be excellent fighters, disciplined and stoical.) I chose the Moroccans. I also got two Tunisians and five Turks, altogether 15 men. All of them had just arrived by ship and not one spoke Hebrew. So how does one explain to them that a hand grenade has a high course of flight and a sharp angle of descent? Fortunately one of them knew some Hebrew, so he translated into French, one of the Turks understood some French, and translated into Turkish, and so we got along. It was not easy. There were a lot of psychological problems. But I decided to adapt myself as much as possible. For example: one day we got an order to go to the sea shore and fill a truck with sand, in order to enlarge our camp with more tents. When we arrived on the beach, none of my soldiers moved. "We have come to this country to fight, not to work!" their spokesman explained. I was nonplussed. What to do? The course had not prepared me for such a situation. Then I had an idea. I said: "You are quite right. So please sit under that tree and enjoy the shade!" I took a spade and started to dig. I heard them whisper. Then one of them got up and took a spade. Then another. In the end we all worked happily. UNHAPPILY, WE were an exception. Most Ashkenazis (Jews of European descent) who had been born in the country, or immigrated years before, thought that they had done their part and suffered enough, and that now it was up to the new Oriental immigrants to do theirs. Cultural differences were huge, but nobody paid much attention to them. Soon after that scene, we were allowed leave for a few hours in Tel Aviv. When I got on the truck, I noticed that some of my men did not get on. "Are you crazy?" I cried. "Leave in Tel Aviv is paradise!" "Not for us," they replied. "The girls in Tel Aviv won't go out with us. They call us Morroccan-Knives." There had indeed been a few cases of hot-headed Moroccans who had felt insulted and attacked people with knives. My attitude towards "my Moroccans" paid off. When I was severely wounded, four of them brought me out, under heavy enemy fire. They granted me 70 more years of life (so far). A few years later, when I was already the Chief Editor of a news magazine, I published a series of investigative articles under the title "They f*ck the Blacks." It contained revelations about the discrimination against the Oriental immigrants (nicknamed "blacks," though they are brown). It aroused a storm of anger throughout the country. The very suggestion of discrimination was vehemently denied. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. This Preface, written for the current, third version of the book published in 2013, is in my voice, that of Steven Jonas, the book's real author. The Preface is quite long and will in this series be published in three parts. Indeed, it should have been published before the previous installment, which was the book's Chapter One, written in the voice of the fictional author, Jonathan Westminster. Please forgive the mistake. For continuity, following the publication of the Preface (in its three parts), I will be beginning the body of the book again, with Chapter One. I. The Origins of this Book I began thinking about what would eventually become the book you see before you in the mid-1980s, after the re-election of Ronald Reagan. The thinking process went on for quite a while, and both the story-line and the format (novel, non-fiction, some combination of both?) underwent numerous changes. Whatever form the book would eventually take, I was concerned that during the Presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush the Republican Religious Right (RRR) was becoming ever more powerful. I began to think about what might happen were they to take over effectively full governmental power at the Federal and widely at the state levels. Being an academic, to support whatever form I might come up with, I began collecting material on positions that both governmental and non-governmental representatives of the RRR were then taking about the matter of what they would indeed do, were they to gain that effective control. I gathered it from a variety of sources: published articles, books, fund-raising letters, position papers, newspaper and magazine articles about them. Finally, in 1994, I came up with the outlines of a scenario that they might follow, and began writing this book. Donald Reagan. As much as the .mainstream. Repubs. would like to deny it, Trump is a direct political descendant of the former .B. movie actor. (Image by DonkeyHotey) Details DMCA I am a writer of non-fiction, not fiction. (Believe me there are major differences in skills between the two. I regard the latter as much more difficult than the former. Non-fiction writers simply need to be able to undertake description and analysis, sometimes simply reporting. We need to use references. However, we do not need to be able to write dialogue, describe scenes and settings in appropriate prose, or engage in character development.) Thus for this book, even though I decided that I would be writing primarily in the non-fiction style, at the same time I would be writing fiction in the sense that after a certain point I would be making up the plot-line certainly introducing fictional characters. At the same time, while the story-line would be set in the then-future, it would be based on real policies and politics that real people on the Right were promoting in the 1980s and 90s. And so I came up with what I describe as a "cross-over" book: fictional non-fiction, purportedly written by a future professor of political science, "Jonathan Westminster." (For more detail on him, please see IV, below "Historical Voices.") The book is a supposed retrospective on the (supposed) U.S. fascist period, published in2048 on the 25th anniversary of the re-establishment of U.S. Constitutional Democracy, July 4, 2048, following the triumph of the Movement for the Restoration of Constitutional Democracy in the Second Civil War (2022). To my mind the most important feature of this book is that what is projected to happen is to the extent possible based on what the Republican Religious Right had been telling us, prior to the time I wrote the book in 1994-1996 (and indeed is still telling us), they would do if they were ever able to gain full control of the government. Indeed they were telling us that as far back as the 1980s, but back then nobody wanted to listen. They are telling us much more loudly now. More people are listening and more people are getting very afraid of a future governed by the Republican Religious Right. Nevertheless, to date no real political opposition with power and money behind it has developed. One of the main points that I make in the book is that the fictional transformation of the Republican Party to what I call the "Republican-Christian Alliance" and then on to the "American Christian Nation Party" takes place out in the open and nobody in a position of political power and political authority says boo to a goose. I wrote the book as a warning, to which no one took heed. I published the original version of this book in 1996 under my own imprint, the "Thomas Jefferson Press." The title of that version was The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-22 . The future-historical scenario is framed by a series of (fictional) documents: Presidential Inaugural addresses, Constitutional Amendments, Presidential Declarations, a Supreme Court decision, one treaty with a foreign power, several acts of Congress, and the Declaration of the Movement for the Restoration of Constitutional Democracy. With the help of my good friend Patrice Greanville, the Publisher of Punto Press, I am issuing the warning again. It is still not too late. But someone is going to have to wake up to the real threats to our body politic presented to us by the modern Republican Religious Right. Someone is going to have to start naming names, taking identities, and stop pretending that the party that runs on religious- and race-based hate and makes liberal use of the Hitlerian Big Lie technique, is not a) qualitatively different from its predecessor and b) a real threat to U.S. Constitutional Democracy as we know it. II. A Brief Overview of the Book The book is a novelized chronicle of the rise and fall of a Fascist regime in the United States during the years 2001-2023. It is intended to present a barebones view of the events of the "Fascist Period," as it could have been seen contemporaneously to those events. Further, it attempts to show how the origins of each major step taken by Republican Religious Right during the Period, in most instances represented by a major document (as mentioned above), could be found either in what is by Westminster's time called the U.S. pre-fascist "Transition Era," 1981-2001, or in events that took place in one or another of the fascist states that existed in other parts of the world between 1922 and 1945. The principal goals of this book are similar to those of its major forebears: Jack London's The Iron Heel and Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here , as if those authors had written those books with 20/20 hindsight. As noted, many 20th century sources are used to explicate the then-stated goals of the Republican Religious Right, ranging, for example, from the 1992 Republican Party Platform, to fundraising letters written by the Reverend Jerry Falwell, to position papers of the litigatory arm of [the] Rev. Pat Robertson's "Christian Coalition" (the chief national political organization of the old Religious Right), called the "American Center for Law and Justice." All sources are referenced in the text either by the name of the principal author or, if none is listed, by the name of the publisher. The reference sources are listed at the end of each chapter. This book does not deal with the projected outcomes of Republican Religious Rightist policies over which there was in the late 20th century considerable scientific controversy. Thus, for the most part excluded are, for example, in the environmental arena (except for natural resources policy) the (even-then) predictable effects of global warming caused by human activity (1), the marked destruction of the ozone layer, and the sharp decline in biodiversity. Many of the predicted environmental disasters caused or significantly abetted by Republican Religious Rightist policies are as of 2012 indeed occurring or well on their way to occurring (2, 3, 4). However, the book does project a future "Resource Based Economy" (RBE) based on the ever-expanding power of the extractive industries (which have exploded before our very eyes). However, in the late 20th century, the outcomes of those policies could not have been predicted with nearly the accuracy of those predictions that could then have been made of the political and economic outcomes for the country if Republican Religious Right took power. Once in power at the Federal and state levels, the Republican Religious Right is then projected to have achieved virtually all of its stated goals in the political, social, and economic arenas, and then some. In the beginning, at least, through the electoral process they did this entirely by legal/constitutional means. The predictably widening use of force and violence came later. And the more profound results of the takeover, such as the creation of the apartheid-based "New American Republics," came later too, but predictably as well. A. A Note on Foreign Policy Except for some allusions to the "Latin Wars," I did not deal with foreign policy issues in the book. It is long enough as it is (as is this new introduction). Therefore, I am not going to deal with the many obvious ones here. Suffice it to say that, in a reverse of this book possibly being a guidebook for the Republican Religious Right as they proceed with their domestic policies, the real foreign policies of the Bush Administration (and some of the Obama Administration as well [5]) would likely find a home in the State and Defense Departments of the fictional Republican-Christian Alliance. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. There's continuing talk of a "wave" election in November; an election where Democrats across the nation vote in larger numbers than Republicans and take back control of Congress and many state legislatures. While a blue wave is likely, it won't be the result of superior organization by the Democratic Party. Instead it will be the result of a grassroots mobilization led by women. A November blue wave is predicted because most political experts believe that Democrats, and Independents, are more motivated to vote than are Republicans. A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll (click here ) reported that voters are unhappy with the country's direction and dissatisfied with President Trump. "58%-32% [of] those surveyed say they want to elect a Congress that mostly stands up to the president, not one that mostly cooperates with him." Notably, Trump is losing the support of women. The most recent Washington Post poll indicates 65 percent of women disapprove of the job Trump is doing. (Notably, a majority of white women disapprove of Trump.) Outside Washington, women are driving the resistance to Trump. This fact has three implications: the first is that women are leading the movement and, in many cases, running in opposition to incumbent Republican men. The second implication is that women are directing the construction of grass-roots voter mobilization efforts; in many instances these are separate from the Democratic Party. The third implication is that women are building campaigns based upon issues that resonate with their home base. Female Candidates: Multiple news sources have commented on the record number of women -- overwhelmingly Democratic women -- running in 2018. At the end of January, NBC News (click here ) observed that "More than 500 women are running for major office." A significant percentage of the female Democratic candidates are women of color. Notable is Stacey Abrams ( https://staceyabrams.com/) who is running for Governor of Georgia. If I only told you that Stacey was an unmarried black woman, you'd think she had no chance in this race. But if I introduced you to Stacey -- a graduate of Yale Law School, who is the Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives -- you'd come away believing that she is the most qualified candidate. Stacey Abrams is the founder of The New Georgia Project which, for the last four years, has been working to register voters, primarily people of color. (In 2008, Barack Obama lost Georgia by 200,00 votes and there were 700,000 unregistered black voters.) Like Stacey, many of the 2018 female candidates are linked to grassroots organizations -- most of which have a get-out-the-vote component. Independent from the Democratic Party: The Stacey Abrams campaign is independent of the Democratic Party; this is true for many progressive female candidates. A prime example of an independent organizing effort, led by women, is the Restaurant Opportunities Center (http://rocunited.org/ ). ROC is running campaigns for the benefit of America's 14 million restaurant workers -- the majority of whom are women. (BTW: two-thirds of these women report being sexually harassed on the job.) In 2018, ROC is focussing on Michigan where state law permits restaurants to pay workers as little as $3.52 per hour. ROC is organizing 134,000 restaurant workers to put a "fair wage" initiative on the ballot and to vote in 2018. (In 2016, Trump won Michigan by 12,000 votes.) New Southern Strategy: The national Democratic Party has been focussed primarily on the Democratic bastions (California, New York) and the historic swing states (Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin). Meanwhile the resistance is funding strong efforts in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas. Recently, there was a funding conference for the new southern strategy (towin.us/about/ ). Their funding strategies contrasted with those of the national Democratic Party. Way to Win begins locally with a "focus on field organizing and... targeted digital strategies." It's collaborative with an emphasis on "building independent political power... [and] long-term relationship[s]." Empowering the Base: The key element that distinguishes the new grassroots mobilization is that it starts at the local level not in Washington. The Way to Win charter states: "We believe that we can win by focusing on our base -- a multiracial coalition of people of color, young people, and progressive white people -- and offering an agenda that will try impact people's lives." Way to Win has five goals: 1. Reflective Democracy -- candidates that reflect their communities 2. Local racial and economic justice accomplishments 3. Barrier removal -- particularly barriers to voting 4. Base turnout increase 5. Shift political giving to the base -- rather than the Washington political infrastructure. Because of the emphasis on local issues, the new grassroots' mobilization focuses on different issues from community to community and state to state. One example is the push in Michigan for a "fair wage" for restaurant workers. In Florida, Way to Win is supporting the "Restoration of Rights Coalition" which has sponsored a ballot initiative "to restore voting rights for more than 1.6 million formerly incarcerated people." By being community-centered, rather than candidate-centered, the new grassroots' mobilization aims to last for more than one election cycle. The political support aims to build a true progressive infrastructure not merely the election of a particular candidate. There's a wave coming. It's being led by progressive women, outside Washington, and it's likely to dramatically change the political landscape. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Consortium News Asking a Whistleblower How to End War - Katherine Gun answers a question. (Image by YouTube, Channel: David Swanson) Details DMCA Daniel Ellsberg has a message that managers of the warfare state don't want people to hear. "If you have information that bears on deception or illegality in pursuing wrongful policies or an aggressive war," he said in a statement released last week, "don't wait to put that out and think about it, consider acting in a timely way at whatever cost to yourself... Do what Katharine Gun did." If you don't know what Katharine Gun did, chalk that up to the media power of the war system. Ellsberg's video statement went public as this month began, just before the 15th anniversary of when a British newspaper, the Observer, revealed a secret NSA memo -- thanks to Katharine Gun. At the UK's intelligence agency GCHQ, about 100 people received the same email memo from the National Security Agency on the last day of January 2003, seven weeks before the invasion of Iraq got underway. Only Katharine Gun, at great personal risk, decided to leak the document. If more people had taken such risks in early 2003, the Iraq War might have been prevented. If more people were willing to take such risks in 2018, the current military slaughter in several nations, mainly funded by U.S. taxpayers, might be curtailed if not stopped. Blockage of information about past whistleblowing deprives the public of inspiring role models. That's the kind of reality George Orwell was referring to when he wrote: "Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past." Fifteen years ago, "I find myself reading on my computer from the Observer the most extraordinary leak, or unauthorized disclosure, of classified information that I'd ever seen," Ellsberg recalled, "and that definitely included and surpassed my own disclosure of top-secret information, a history of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam years earlier." The Pentagon Papers whistleblower instantly recognized that, in the Observer article, "I was looking at something that was clearly classified much higher than top secret". It was an operational cable having to do with how to conduct communications intelligence." What Ellsberg read in the newspaper story "was a cable from the NSA asking GCHQ to help in the intercepting of communications, and that implied both office and home communications, of every member of the Security Council of the UN. Now, why would NSA need GCHQ to do that? Because a condition of having the UN headquarters and the Security Council in the U.S. in New York was that the U.S. intelligence agencies promised or were required not to conduct intelligence on members of the UN. Well, of course they want that. So, they rely on their allies, the buddies, in the British to commit these criminal acts for them. And with this clearly I thought someone very high in access in Britain intelligence services must dissent from what was already clear the path to an illegal war." But actually, the leak didn't come from "someone very high" in GCHQ. The whistleblower turned out to be a 28-year-old linguist and analyst at the agency, Katharine Gun, who had chosen to intervene against the march to war. As Gun has recounted, she and other GCHQ employees "received an email from a senior official at the National Security Agency. It said the agency was 'mounting a surge particularly directed at the UN Security Council members,' and that it wanted 'the whole gamut of information that could give U.S. policymakers an edge in obtaining results favorable to U.S. goals or to head off surprises.'" In other words, the U.S. and British governments wanted to eavesdrop on key UN delegations and then manipulate or even blackmail them into voting for war. Katharine Gun took action: "I was furious when I read that email and leaked it. Soon afterwards, when the Observer ran a front-page story -- 'U.S. dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war' -- I confessed to the leak and was arrested on suspicion of the breach of section 1 of the Official Secrets Act." The whistleblowing occurred in real time. "This was not history," as Ellsberg put it. "This was a current cable, I could see immediately from the date, and it was before the war had actually started against Iraq. And the clear purpose of it was to induce the support of the Security Council members to support a new UN resolution for the invasion of Iraq." The eavesdropping was aimed at gaining a second -- and this time unequivocal -- Security Council resolution in support of an invasion. "British involvement in this would be illegal without a second resolution," Ellsberg said. "How are they going to get that? Obviously essentially by blackmail and intimidation, by knowing the private wants and embarrassments, possible embarrassments, of people on the Security Council, or their aides, and so forth. The idea was, in effect, to coerce their vote." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. Here's a thoroughly humdrum figure from the post-9/11 world: this February an estimated 1,294 people were killed in Iraq and another 266 wounded, including ISIS militants, numerous civilians, Iraqi security forces, Kurds, and Turks. Few of them died in major combat, just low-level incidents, suicide bombings, and bodies found in mass graves. And keep in mind that that's what passes for a peaceful month in the country George W. Bush invaded and occupied in March 2003. Since then, the violence there has never ceased, amid insurgencies, religious strife, the rise and fall (and rise) of terror groups, acts of ethnic cleansing, and other horrors without end. A number of Iraq's major cities, including Fallujah, Ramadi, and its second largest urban area, Mosul, are little more than rubble today. Hundreds of thousands of its people, many of them civilians, have been killed and more wounded. In the last few years, an estimated 1.3 million Iraqi children have been displaced in the war against ISIS, even as the country remains deeply riven and without access to the funds necessary to truly rebuild. And that, of course, is just one ruined land in the Greater Middle East, a region from Afghanistan to Libya increasingly filled with failed states, terror groups, and ruins as, almost 17 years after the attacks of 9/11, the Trump administration once again ramps up the war on terror (which should long ago have been renamed the war for terror). Today, TomDispatchregular James Carroll, a former columnist for the Boston Globe, leaves Donald J. Trump in the dust and returns to the fateful moments when all of this first began, when President George W. Bush launched what would be, to choose a word that has long been on Carroll's mind, a "crusade" not just against terrorism but, as it turned out, against much of the Islamic world. Carroll, whose new novel The Cloister, is set against the age of the original crusades, takes in its enormity so many years later. Tom God Wills It! The War on Terror as the Launching of an American Crusade By James Carroll America may be sinking ever deeper into the moral morass of the Trump era, but if you think the malevolence of this period began with him, think again. The moment I still dwell on, the moment I believe ignited the vast public disorder that is now our all-American world, has been almost completely forgotten here. And little wonder. It was no more than a casually tossed-off cliche', a passing historical reference whose implications and consequences meant nothing to the speaker. "This crusade," said President George W. Bush just days after the 9/11 attacks, "this war on terrorism"" That, however, proved to be an invocation from hell, one that set the stage for so much of the horror to follow. The Crusades were, of course, a centuries-long medieval catastrophe. Bush's Global War on Terror, in contrast, has already wreaked comparable havoc in a paltry 17 years, leading to almost unimaginable mayhem abroad and a moral collapse at home personified by President Donald J. Trump. Despite the threads of causality woven together as if on some malignant loom that brought about his election -- the cult of reality-show celebrity, the FBI director's last-minute campaign intervention, Russian mischief, Hillary Clinton's vulnerability to self-defeat and misogyny, electoral college anomalies, Republican party nihilism, and a wickedly disenchanted public -- the ease with which such a figure took control of the levers of power in this country should still stun us. Some deep sickness of the soul had already played havoc with our democracy's immune system or he wouldn't have been imaginable. Think of him as a symptom, not the disease. After Trump finally leaves the Oval Office, we'll still be a stricken people and the world will still be groaning under the weight of the wreckage this country has brought about. How, then, did we actually get here? It might be worth a momentary glance back. A Fever Dream of a War "This is a new kind of evil." So said the president that September 16th, standing on the South Lawn of the White House. "And the American people are beginning to understand. This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while." In that way, only five days after the 9/11 attacks, George W. Bush elevated a band of petty nihilists to the status of world-historic warriors. "And the American people must be patient," he continued. "I'm going to be patient." He, of course, is long gone, but what he initiated that day is still unspooling. It could have been so different. September 11th was a tragic moment, but the initial reactions of most Americans to those collapsed towers and a damaged Pentagon were ones of empathy and patriotism. The selflessness of first responders that day had its echo in a broad and surprising manifestation of national altruism. The usual left-right divides of politics disappeared and the flag, for once, became a true symbol of national unity. The global reaction was similar. From across the world, including from erstwhile adversaries like Russia and China, came authentic expressions of support and sympathy, of grief-struck affection. But in every phrase the president would speak in those weeks -- "this is war" with us or against us" dead or alive" -- he chose to take this country on quite a different path into the future. Two days before invoking the Crusades, for instance, he presided over a religious service, which, though officially defined as "ecumenical," took place in the neo-Gothic National Cathedral. "Just three days removed from these events," he said from that church's pulpit, "Americans do not yet have the distance of history. But our responsibility to history is already clear: to answer these attacks and rid the world of evil" This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing." In a specifically Christian setting, that is, George W. Bush answered the criminal attacks of 9/11 not by calling on international law enforcement to bring the perpetrators to justice, but by a declaration of cosmic war aimed at nothing less than the elimination of Islamist evil. Labeling it a "crusade" only underscored the subliminal but potent message conveyed by television cameras that lingered on the cathedral's multiple crucifixes and the bloodied figure of Jesus Christ. Held up for all to see, that sacred icon sent a signal that could not be missed. A self-avowed secular nation was now to be a crusader, ready to display the profoundly Christian character of a culture erected on triumphalist pieties from its Pilgrim roots to the nuclear apocalypticism of the Cold War. Bush's message was received in the Arab world just as you might expect. There, his reference to "this crusade" was rendered as "this War of the Cross." Even then, many Muslims knew better than to regard the president's characterization of the conflict to come as purely accidental and of no import, just as they would later disregard the insistence of America's leaders that their country's violent intrusions across the Greater Middle East and parts of Africa were not "religiously" inspired in any way. Today, of course, Donald Trump's brazen denigrations of Muslims have made clear just how on target observers in the Islamic world were about what lay behind Washington's new "global war." At the time of Bush's cavalier use of crusade, I was one of the few here to take offense and say so. I feared even then that stumbling into sectarian strife, into -- in the argot of the day -- a "clash of civilizations," could set in motion, as the original Crusades had, a dynamic that would far outrun anyone's intentions, loosing forces that could destroy the very principles in whose name that "war of choice" was declared. Little did I know how far short of an accurate damage assessment my thoughts would fall. In fact, Bush's use of that term wasn't a stumble, however inadvertent, but a crystal-clear declaration of purpose that would soon be aided and abetted by a fervent evangelical cohort within the U.S. military, already primed for holy war. With what Bush himself called "the distance of history," it's now possible to see the havoc his "crusade" is still wreaking across much of the globe: Iraq and Afghanistan are in ruins; Syria destroyed (with Russian, American, Israeli, Turkish, and Iranian warplanes testing one another in its airspace); Yemen gripped by a war-induced famine; the Turks at the throat of the Kurds; the Israeli-Palestinian peace process dead; Libya a failed state; U.S. Special Ops garrisons in Somalia, Niger, and across Africa; and Europe increasingly politically destabilized by refugee flows from these conflicts. Meanwhile, Bush's crusade became the American disease now peaking in the fever dream of President Donald Trump. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. See original here "Federal ethics laws prohibit federal employees from profiting from their government service, and Mr. Kushner's refusal to fully divest from his financial holdings raises questions." By Jessica Corbett, staff writer As President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner faces mounting scrutiny about conflicts of interest regarding his family real estate business and his role in government, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is spearheading a congressional inquiry into half a billion dollars in loans that Kushner's company received after he met with finance executives at the White House. In a pair of letters first reported by Politico, four members of Congress -- Warren, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) -- demand that the lenders, Apollo Global Management (pdf) and CitiBank (pdf), provide records and information about the loans to Kushner Companies, of which Jared Kushner remains a part-owner, no later than March 20. The loans -- $184 million from Apollo and $325 million from CitiBank -- and details of the White House meetings were revealed in a New York Times report earlier this month. While representatives for all three businesses and Kushner's attorney denied any wrongdoing, the report has raised concerns among ethics experts, including former White House counsels. "Federal ethics laws prohibit federal employees from profiting from their government service, and Mr. Kushner's refusal to fully divest from his financial holdings raises questions in light of his actions as a senior adviser to President Trump," the lawmakers wrote, emphasizing that "it would be a serious matter if [the loans] resulted in a violation of federal ethics laws." The letters to the lenders, dated Thursday, summarize the available reporting on each loan as well as the growing concerns about Kushner's business dealings, and also request the following: A list of all loans made by each lender to Kushner Companies or any entity affiliated or partnered with Kushner Companies; A list of all meetings with Jared Kushner in which each lender's employees or representatives participated, in person or by telephone; All documents and communications related to any loans discussed, negotiated, or made by each lender to Kushner Companies or any entity affiliated or partnered with Kushner Companies; and... A detailed list of all sources of debt financing for the two major loans reported on by the Times. This week, the four lawmakers have also sent multiple letters (pdf) to White House deputy counsel and designated agency ethics official Stefan C. Passantino requesting further information about Jared Kushner's compliance with conflict of interest laws, current financial holdings, and details regarding any situations in which Kushner recused himself from advisory duties based on potential conflicts. "Ethics expert Kathleen Clark stated that 'the public should have information about what types of matters Kushner is going to have to recuse from,' as well as the 'mechanism' the White House will use 'to ensure that Kushner will not participate in matters that affect his retained financial interest,'" the lawmakers noted. "We agree." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "There's no dispute that we now live in a hyper-connected, globalized world--but plenty of argument over the type of globalization that's best for our collective future. In this timely work, Rob Kall makes a persuasive case for 'trickle-up' globalization from below and that the truest, best, and most long-lasting fundamental change always comes from the bottom up. Read this bookthen act on it!" Rory O'Connor, award-winning filmmaker and author of Friends, Followers, and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media Dairy Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their diaries after publishing them. To see if the diary was renamed or re-published, please click here. Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. 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. Western populations are inundated with war propaganda, and all of the MSM is guilty. It serves to promote criminal warfare rather than peace. Once we enter the ring of propaganda fabricated by western agencies of deception, we start to lose, since it is at that point that we become entwined in the convoluted narratives. Intelligence agencies are specialists at creating such fake narratives.[1] Fundamental lies and omissions persist because we insist on using them as talking points despite the preponderance of evidence that negates them. There are, for example, no "moderate terrorists"[2] in Syria. The term itself is an oxymoron and quite ridiculous. All of the terrorists in Syria are there precisely because the West and its allies are waging a supremely illegal war against the Syrian government. They are all proxies for the West. The War on Terror is a fraud and the West is not waging war against ISIS either.[3] ISIS are monsters, but they are not Frankenstein monsters who have turned on their masters in Syria. They remain Western assets, sometimes expendable[4], but assets nonetheless. They served to deliver key strategic areas to the West and they still serve that function, as outlined in the 2012 DIA document. The ring of propaganda includes Hollywood. The 2018 Oscars featured Bana al-Abed[5], falsely conflating her with feminism and freedom. Omitted from the spectacle is the fact that Bana's father worked for both al Qaeda and ISIS[6], and that Western terrorist supporters and propagandists are exploiting her to create illegal war propaganda. The White Helmets[7] fall into the same category. They are terrorist-auxiliaries, and they exploit children, and murder children, to create fake narratives centered around their heroic "humanitarian" deeds. The White Helmets are not a legitimate source of information for news. Also omitted from MSM narratives is that terrorists in East Ghouta[8] murder civilians who try to escape occupied areas, just as terrorists murdered civilians trying to flee occupied Aleppo. Civilians continue to be used as human shields. Most do not stay in terrorist-occupied areas of their own volition. The choice in Syria is not between two monsters. The Western terrorists are monsters, but the elected Syrian government is not a monster. All of the demonization campaigns against Assad have proven false. The Saydnaya torture evidence is fraudulent[9]. The Caesar "kills his own people"[10] photo evidence is fraudulent, and Assad does not gas his own people either. The only monsters in the whole dirty war are the West and their allies. We are the ones committing the Supreme international crime, we are the ones fabricating the war narratives, and we the people are accomplices in our governments' crimes when we fail to denounce them. * Notes [1] Mark Taliano, " 'Stories within Stories' ": The CIA's Strategies to Dupe the American Public." Global Research. 24 July, 2016. (https://www.globalresearch.ca/stories-within-stories-the-cias-strategies-to-dupe-the-american-public/5537635) Accessed 7 March, 2018. [2] Mark Taliano, "U.S--Led NATO's Tree Of Lies." Global Research. 17 May, 2017. (https://www.globalresearch.ca/u-s-led-natos-tree-of-lies/5590456) Accessed 7 March, 2018. [3] Makia Freeman, "ISIS Is a US-Israeli Creation. Top Ten 'Indications'. Global Research, 7 March, 2018/The Freedom Articles, 5 April, 2016. "(https://www.globalresearch.ca/isis-is-a-us-israeli-creation-top-ten-indications/5518627) Accessed 7 March, 2017. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. The murders of seventeen teenagers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day, is tragically becoming commonplace in our culture of violence and war. Fifty-nine people slaughtered and 510 wounded in Las Vegas, on October 1 of 2017, and now innocent children are cut down in their own school. When will we put an end to it all? Over one hundred years ago, in May 1916, President Woodrow Wilson tried to cut the Gordian knot. This was a seminal period in history. He was dealing with the intractable problem of keeping America out of World War I and maintain peace in the world. He announced that if the European combatants laid down their arms, America would join a League to Enforce Peace. It was a global version of the Pan-American pact that he had been pushing in the western hemisphere. Wilson firmly believed in the essential progressive agenda: Objective experts, plus inspiring leaders and educated citizens, equal a society governed by reason not force. Underlying it all was the most basic faith of all: in humanity itself. Progressive thinkers like John Dewey, Thorstein Veblen, and historian Charles Beard insisted, unlike the late-nineteenth-century Social Darwinists, who declared people as fundamentally selfish, that people were naturally generous and cooperative. It was the evil of anarchic capitalism that made men act like beasts, the progressives claimed. The progressives stood firmly against the theologians who saw humanity forever tainted by original sin. Progressives vigorously supported the champions of Social Gospel Christianity who insisted that evil resided in the world, not in mankind. Wilson was the son and grandson of Presbyterian ministers, and he saw the Bible as the greatest constitution of all, "the Magna Charta of the human soul." Wilson's devotion to order and reason was classically progressive. He had supreme faith that leaders could educate people. He knew that people sometimes believed in irrational and selfish things. He possessed an almost mystical faith that the people would follow him, if he could speak enough to them. He believed his words could make Americans seek reason and impartiality, and peace. It was Wilson's hope that the United States, given its lack of selfish motives, could stand apart from Europe's balance-of-power clash. Wilson stated that the United States must play "a part of impartial mediation." The war's "causes cannot touch us," he added, but its "very existence affords us opportunities for friendship and disinterested service." Wilson sincerely had a vision of a world without power politics, as the most effective way to ensure peace. The reality of his reason would become clearer when he attempted to import his progressive ideals overseas. French author, Anatole France declared that a world without power politics, "was like a town without a brothel." The frustrated French premier, Georges Clemenceau, fought back against Wilson, saying, "We have become what we are because we have been shaped by the rough hand of the world in which we have to live and we have survived only because we are a tough bunch." To Wilson and the progressives the balance of power looked both immoral and archaic, comparing Europe's balance of power, to the savage anarchic capitalism that saw selfishness the way of the world. Like most Americans, Wilson hoped to keep the United States out of World War I. He had resisted intense pressure to join the fray, even after hundreds of American civilians were drowned by German submarines. On the evening of April 2, 1917, as a light rain fell, Wilson entered the Capital at 8:32 pm, to speak to Congress. He ended his speech by declaring that "America will fight for the things which we have always carried nearest to our hearts, for democracy, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free." He had asked Congress to declare war. He then returned to the White House and cried. Five days later the United States was at war in Europe. The war that "would end all wars" had begun. Fast forward six decades and the many wars fought around the world during that period, to 1984. It was another seminal period in the history of the United States. The year 1984 was a turning point in our culture. It was the beginning of the economic and intellectual fraud of regressive taxation and supply-side economics. In 1984, Peter Ueberoth turned a profit on the L.A. Olympics, for the first time in the history of the amateur event. A decade later, the Olympics were fully professional. In 1984, states began experimenting with legalized gambling. Seventeen states had lotteries, two had casinos and no states allowed video poker or gaming on native lands. A decade later, more people visited legal casinos than attended symphony concerts, Broadway shows, or read literature. In 1984, capital started to cross national boundaries and most corporations still dreaded debt-heavy balance sheets. A decade later, transnational capital drove the U.S. economy, and LBOs financed with junk bonds soared and the more companies laid off long-term workers, the more their corporate stocks seemed to rise. In 1984, a surge in the deinstitutionalized, homeless vagrants prompted governments to set up special shelters, but a decade later citing "compassion fatigue" communities were evicting vagrants from public areas and building prisons at the fastest rate in history. In 1984, Hollywood had just invented the tech-enhanced violent action movie and a decade later the typical child had seen 10,000 acts of TV mayhem by the age of 18. Today, violent on-line video games promoting the sadism of violence and murder are ubiquitous. Doing better and feeling worse has become part of our culture's new declinism. We of course do not condone violence, but while we must condemn violence, we must also point out what produced it. Generally, it is not extremists but extreme conditions. We must ask who lit the match, but we must also discern why there was a fuse attached to the powder keg. Violence needs redefinition. It should mean anything that violates human dignity and human rights. Exploitation is the essence of violence, and its perpetrators can engage in it without ever drawing a knife or squeezing a trigger. After the exploitation becomes public, the populace tends to be repelled by the bloodshed, rather than the injustice producing it. The media is of little help, with its tendency to sensationalize rather than analyze. It makes Americans and our innocent children inmates in the prison houses of their own spirits. There's a look in the eyes of our children that pleads why were subjected to this. It's a look of despair and discomfort, that as parents we can no longer resist. The hopes of youth and the memories of old age are the polarities of our population. It was fifty years ago this April and June that America lost two of its best advocates for peace, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. We have become a lost generation since their assassinations and that of President Kennedy in November 1963. We have become captured by lobbied representatives who have failed to give mankind a peaceful society that we were promised as the American heritage. Their cries for peace were silenced, but the cries of the people and now tragically our children continue. Just like our own teenage anti-war movement in the '60s and '70s, we must now vigorously join our children in their existential plea to end violence and war, and bring an enduring peace. We must never compromise, and never forget our born duty. The penalty good men pay for not being active in politics and effecting change, is to be governed by men worse than themselves.--Plato BY: T. D. DUFF, TONKA BAY, MINNESOTA Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. See original here Even before Hurricane Maria struck the island nearly six months ago, the majority of Puerto Rico's residents lived with water that violated health standards set by the U.S. law. Since the storm, residents say the situation has only gotten worse. Among the sources of potential water contamination are mountains of coal ash generated by a coal-fired power plant owned by a private company called AES. For years, residents have demanded the company stop dumping toxic coal ash into their community, saying the waste is poisonous to their health and the environment. We speak with Mekela Panditharatne, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council who just returned from the island and wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post headlined "FEMA says most of Puerto Rico has potable water. That can't be true." This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: I want to bring in another part of the country -- Puerto Rico -- right now to talk about what's happening there, where residents have been organizing against coal ash disposal. Even before Hurricane Maria struck the island six months ago, the majority of Puerto Rican residents were living with water that violated health standards set by U.S. law. And since Hurricane Maria, residents say, the situation has only gotten worse. Among the sources of potential water contamination are mountains of coal ash generated by a coal-fired power plant owned by a private company called AES. For years, residents have been demanding the company stop dumping toxic coal ash into their community, saying the waste is poisonous to their health and the environment. For more, we're also joined in Washington, D.C., by Mekela Panditharatne, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council, who just got back from Puerto Rico, her recent piece in The New York Times headlined "Puerto Rico Needs More Than Bandages," also wrote The Washington Post op-ed "FEMA says most of Puerto Rico has potable water. That can't be true." Mekela, welcome to Democracy Now! How does this story about coal ash, before and after the hurricane, fit into this national story? MEKELA PANDITHARATNE: Well, for example, the southern coastal town of Guayama is home to a five-story-high pile of coal ash that was produced by this energy company AES. Now, AES has been producing coal ash, and that has been deposited in landfills scattered across Puerto Rico, including in a community called Penuelas, which has been really a locus in these environmental justice fights. Coal ash does pose significant human health risks, in part because it produces what's known as fugitive dust. That's when parts of the coal ash stack will blow away during a windy day and contaminate the surrounding environment. When coal ash gets wet, it can also seep into the soil and into the groundwater and potentially cause drinking water contamination. AMY GOODMAN: And so, how did the storm affect the coal ash contamination? The plant is still running? MEKELA PANDITHARATNE: The plant is still running. And residents of Guayama have expressed concern that after the hurricane there may be contaminants leaching into the soil and into the groundwater in that area. AMY GOODMAN: And how is the government responding now? I mean, you have so many crises in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico home to 23 Superfund sites, including the island of Vieques, which the U.S. Navy bombed with -- bombed and napalmed for so many years. MEKELA PANDITHARATNE: Well, what we're seeing in Puerto Rico at the moment is really the culmination of a long-standing drinking water crisis that has in part been contributed to by these coal ash sites and by these plentiful Superfund sites. Even before Maria, Puerto Ricans had the worst drinking water quality of any state or territory in the nation: 99.5 percent of Puerto Ricans were served by drinking water in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Around 70 percent of Puerto Ricans were served by water sources that violated health base standards, so that had unlawfully high levels of contaminants or weren't being treated in accordance with federal standards. Those contaminants included coliform bacteria and disinfection byproducts, but also the kind of volatile organic compounds that you would expect to see from leaching from these kind of Superfund sites and coal ash deposits. AMY GOODMAN: As you mentioned, in Puerto Rico's southern town of Penuelas, residents have been fighting for years to stop this private company, Applied Energy Systems, or AES, from dumping the coal ash in a landfill next to their community. Last year, before the hurricane struck, Democracy Now!'s Laura Gottesdiener and Juan Carlos Da'vila spoke to one of the community leaders about the organizing efforts to stop the toxic dumping. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too. From Counterpunch Kim Jong Un has vowed not to conduct any further missile launches or nuclear tests in exchange for a security guarantee from the United States and its allies. (Image by YouTube, Channel: RT America) Details DMCA Give peace a chance, the song urges. But the United States won't have it. Olympic diplomacy seems to be working on the Korean peninsula. After a pair of South Korean envoys visited Pyongyang, they issued a promising communique. "The North Korean side clearly stated its willingness to denuclearize," the statement said. Considering that the Korean crisis and a derpy emergency management official had Hawaiians jumping down manholes a few months ago, this news comes as a relief. Then comes the rub. The South Korean statement continued: "[North Korea] made it clear that it would have no reason to keep nuclear weapons if the military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed." [My emphasis] In other words, the DPRK is saying -- reasonably -- we'll get rid of our nukes but only if you promise not to invade us. That guarantee would have to be issued by two countries: South Korea and the United States. This would directly contradict long-standing U.S. foreign policy, which clearly and repeatedly states that the use of military force is always on the table when we don't get our way in an international dispute. Kim Jong-Un has good reasons to be afraid of us. In a speech to the UN President Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea. President George W. Bush declared them a member of the "Axis of Evil"; we invaded and currently occupy Iraq, one of the two other supposed Evildoers. After deposing and enabling the execution of Iraq's president. Last week Bush's UN ambassador John Bolton published a legal argument for nuking North Korea without provocation. Believe it or not, this is the soft side of U.S. foreign policy. For decades South Korea has tried to de-escalate its relationship with the North, not infrequently expressing its desire to end formal hostilities, which legally never ended after the Korean War, and move toward the long-term goal of a united Korea under a single government. And for decades the United States has stood in the way, awkwardly trying to look reasonable as it opposes peace. "We do not seek to accelerate reunification," a State Department spokesman said recently. To say the least. "South-North talks are inextricably related to North Korea-United States relations," South Korean President Kim Dae Jung said in 2001, after Bush canceled dialogue with the North. The South, dependent on more than 20,000 U.S. troops stationed along its northern border, was forced to suspend reunification talks too. The Reagan Administration pressured its South Korean ally to break off reunification talks in 1985. Nixon did the same thing in 1974. After Nixon's resignation later that year, President Gerald Ford opposed a UN resolution to demilitarize the border by withdrawing U.S. troops. Even Mr. Reasonable, Barack Obama, refused to listen to South Koreans who want peace (and to visit long-lost relatives in North Korea). Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, Obama threatened to loose the dogs of war: "The United States of America will maintain the strongest military the world has ever known, bar none, always. That is what we do." What Obama would not do was allow North and South Korea to sit down and work out their differences. Before talks, Obama said, North Korea would have to denuclearize. After which, of course, there would be no need for talks because, hey, regime change is fun! Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). SABIC PREVIEWS BREAKTHROUGH MASS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOR THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE LAMINATES PARIS, FRANCE, March 7, 2018 - Thermoplastic composites are prized for their light weight and exceptional strength. However, mainstream adoption has lagged due to shortcomings in existing production processes, which are slow, costly, and labor- and waste-intensive. To drive broader use of these advanced materials across multiple industries, SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has invested in the composites industrys first automated, digital system for the large-scale manufacturing of laminates made with its continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite (CFRTC) tapes.Exhibiting at JEC World 2018 in stand L84, hall 5, SABIC is previewing the Digital Composites Manufacturing system, an automated and digitized production line developed with Airborne and powered by Siemens. The new line, slated to go live in early 2019, will aim to offer customization capabilities using sophisticated technologies and processes that can drive down cycle times and system costs. Click here to learn more: video Digital Composites Manufacturing system.At JEC World SABIC, Airborne and Siemens are presenting the Digital Composites Manufacturing line together at the Siemens stand G51, in Hall 6, on Tuesday, March 6 at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 7 at 10 a.m. and Thursday, March 8, at 10 a.m.Rapid mass production of high-quality, fully customized thermoplastic composite parts at an affordable cost will soon be a reality, said Gino Francato, global business leader, Composites, SABIC. The upcoming launch of our Digital Composites Manufacturing line the composites industrys first large-scale production solution is a major step toward that goal.Arno van Mourik, chief executive officer of Airborne, added: With Airbornes ingenuity and more than 20 years of experience in composites manufacturing processes, we are developing this line using Industry 4.0 automation and data exchange principles. This will enable SABICs customers to develop, prototype and produce unique, differentiated products that leverage the strength and light weight of SABICs continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites.Fast and Fully AutomatedThe new large-scale manufacturing line, built by Airborne at its facility in The Netherlands using Siemens factory automation and digital control software, can produce multiple thermoplastic composite laminates every minute, achieving over a million parts annually."To achieve such fast and reliable production performance for composites, intensive collaboration between Airborne, SABIC and Siemens is a must, said John OConnor, director of Product & Market Strategy, Specialized Engineering Software at Siemens. "Our joint ambition is to strengthen the competitiveness of Airborne and SABIC by increasing flexibility, productivity and speed of innovation. To this end, digitization is key when it comes to a breakthrough in the production process.For ultimate flexibility, this system can be remotely operated, and can run multiple laminate sizes simultaneously. Machine learning concepts will be used to fine-tune quality and adaptive process control will allow settings to be modified on the fly.The Digital Composites Manufacturing line will be supported by predictive engineering capabilities at SABICs Center of Excellence in The Netherlands. Predictive engineering for UDMAX tapes is based on computer-aided engineering (CAE) software that uses material data and material modeling (such as elastic properties and damage initiation/rupture behavior) to create simulations of how the composite material will perform in an application during its use, taking into account the influence of manufacturing processes.A Breakthrough for Thermoplastic Composites in Consumer ElectronicsThe Digital Composites Manufacturing line will premiere its first-generation technology to meet immediate needs in the consumer electronics industry.The Digital Composites Manufacturing line will be able to mass-produce lightweight, high modulus and low warpage, custom-engineered laminates as per thickness, dimensions, lay-up preferences and desired performance. Made with carbon-fiber reinforced polycarbonate composite, these SABIC laminates will be used for laptop covers.By responding to our customers needs for increasingly lighter, yet stronger and thinner products in large scale, we will soon be enabling our customers to leverage the advantages of SABICs laminates to achieve not only weight-out, but also design flexibility and shorter production cycle times for device covers more effectively than ever before, concluded Francato.Access to mass-produced thermoplastic composite parts can potentially benefit customers across a wide range of industries as well. To learn more about SABICs thermoplastic composites, other markets and potential applications using these materials, and how SABIC is helping to advance the composites industry. SABIC and brands marked with are trademarks of SABIC or its subsidiaries or affiliates. High-resolution photos are available upon request. SABIC should be written in every instance in all uppercase. 2018 Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC). All Rights Reserved. Any brands, products or services of other companies referenced in this document are the trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of their respective holders.ABOUT SABICSABIC is a global leader in diversified chemicals headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We manufacture on a global scale in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, making distinctly different kinds of products: chemicals, commodity and high performance plastics, agri-nutrients and metals.We support our customers by identifying and developing opportunities in key end markets such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agri-nutrients, electrical and electronics, transportation and clean energy.SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 17.8 billion (US$ 4.8 billion) in 2016. Sales revenues for 2016 totalled SR 132.8 billion (US$ 35.4 billion). Total assets stood at SR 316.9 billion (US$ 84.5 billion) at the end of 2016. Production in 2016 stood at 72.7 million metric tons.SABIC has more than 35,000 employees worldwide and operates in more than 50 countries. Fostering innovation and a spirit of ingenuity, we have 12,191 global patent filings, and have significant research resources with innovation hubs in five key geographies USA, Europe, Middle East, South Asia and North Asia.The Saudi Arabian government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent publicly traded on the Saudi stock exchange.NOTE TO EDITORS ABOUT SABIC AT CHINAPLAS AND NPE 2018SABIC will exhibit at Chinaplas 2018 (booth #6.2G51) in Shanghai, China, from April 24-27, 2018, and at NPE 2018 (booth #S19001) in Orlando, Fla., USA, from May 7 11, 2018. At both events, the company will share new developments and showcase a range of innovative solutions from both its petrochemicals and specialty plastics portfolios for end-use applications across multiple industries, including transportation, building & construction, healthcare, consumer, electronics & electrical, and packaging.Marketing SolutionsKevin NoelsBox 62950KapellenBelgium A2P SMS Market - Demand to Remain High for Customer Relationship Management Services https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3474 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-a2p-sms-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/3474 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global market for application-to-person (A2P) SMS features a largely fragmented vendor landscape, with no leading player accounting for a notable share in global revenue, observes Transparency Market Research in a recent report. The intense level of competition in the market can be attributable to the lack of differentiation among product offerings and the presence of numerous players in the global market. Some of the leading players in the market are Syniverse Technologies LLC, AMD Telecom SA, Fortytwo Telecom AB, and Silverstreet BV.Download the Brochure @In 2016, Asia Pacific dominated the market and gathered approximately 40% of the overall market revenue share, followed by North America that accounted for a major share of the global market revenue. The Asia Pacific region is likely to retain its leading position throughout the forecast period, with notifiable rise in global A2P SMS revenue share in 2025.Brows the Report @The global A2P SMS market is driven by factors such as the globally rising number of mobile subscribers, rise in mobile marketing activities by application developers and marketers, and the proliferation of A2P SMS services in mobile banking, mobile health and mobile payments sectors.Download TOC @The thriving e-commerce industry, availability of low-cost smart phones along with growing penetration of Internet, and the resultant rise in cloud/web enabled services such as mobile payments and mobile banking are also expected to aid market growth for A2P SMSs during the forecast period.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Hydroponic Vegetable Market Poised for Steady Growth in the Future https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21098 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=21098 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=2109836kV. The 3kV-36kV segment accounts for a major share of the market, as compared to the >36kV segment. 3kV-36kV voltage range air insulated switchgears are mostly utilized for applications such as power generation, infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing, and processing.In terms of installation, the air insulated switchgear market can be segmented into indoor and outdoor. The indoor segment is used widely in home application and vehicle and holds a major share of the market, as compared to the outdoor segment and is expected to drive the air insulated switch gear market. Rise in expenditure on electrical network and increasing focus on renewable power generation are expected to propel the air insulated switch gear market during the forecast period.Based on application, the air insulated switchgear market can be divided into transmission and distribution, manufacturing and processing, and infrastructure and transportation. The transmission and distribution segment dominates the air insulated switchgear market due to the increase in demand for reliable delivery of electric power. This, in turn, fuels the demand for project and substations of air insulated switchgear installation. Transmission and distribution segment is then followed by the infrastructure and transportation segment and the manufacturing and processing segment.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @In terms of geography, the air insulated switchgear market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America, and Rest of the World (ROW). Asia Pacific accounts for a major share of the global air insulated switchgear market, due to the high adoption rate, increase in power generation capacity, and infrastructural developments, especially in China, India, Malaysia, and Thailand. The air insulated switchgear market in Europe, especially in Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K., is also expected to expand due to rapid expansion in industrialization and growing renewable energy production sector. The air insulated switchgear market is also expected to expand in North America due to the upgrade of existing infrastructure.Key players operating in the air insulated switch gear market include Siemens AG, ABB Ltd., General Electric Company, Schneider Electric, Eaton Corporation PLC, Lucy Electric Ltd, TBEA India, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, SwitchGear Company nv, and EPE Switchgear (M) Sdn. Bhd.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: Payments Landscape in Chile Market Key Players - Visa, Mastercard, Ripley, and American Express Analysis & Forecast 2018 to 2022 Payments Landscape in Chile https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3031212-payments-landscape-in-chile-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3031212-payments-landscape-in-chile-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021 Payments Landscape in ChileOverview"Payments Landscape in Chile: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in Chilean cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, payment cards, credit transfers, direct debit, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.Click here for sample report @Top Companies mentionedRedcompraVisaMastercardRipleyAmerican ExpressDiners ClubMagnaBancoEstadoBanco de ChileSantander ChilePayments Landscape in Chile Industry Major OutlookMore convenient and faster banking services are emerging as an important driver of the payment card market in Chile. With the aim of offering banking accessibility and a unique consumer experience, in 2016 Santander Chile introduced work/cafe branches with an integrated banking space, a cafeteria, an open co-working space for meetings, and free Wi-Fi.The branches offer the normal range of banking products and services as well as customer assistance from bank executives. Likewise, BancoEstado provides Caja Vecina banking terminals which offer all the usual banking products and enable individuals living in remote areas to conduct various banking and payment transactions.To improve financial literacy among Chilean individuals, in October 2017 the government-funded Solidarity and Social Investment Fund launched a financial education gaming app called You Decide in collaboration with BancoEstado.Players are provided with a virtual budget which they need to manage in the best possible way to meet their assigned financial goal, thereby helping them better understand the concept of finances and savings. Similarly, in the same month the National Consumer Service launched an educational campaign called Step by Step, better decision that focused on imparting financial literacy to elderly Chilean citizens. The program consists of carrying out workshops and talks on financial education.As merchants recognize the benefits of switching from traditional POS terminals to ones with more features and mobility, uptake of mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) terminals is increasing. In November 2017, BancoEstado partnered with SumUp to offer mobile card acceptance to small businesses, collectively intending to serve 600,000 SMEs and 1.2 million sole proprietors.Payments Landscape in Chile - Competitive AnalysisKey players are making innovative developments in Payments Landscape in Chile industry. The same will help in improving the market performance. Heavy investments are made by major players in the R&D sector.ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Machine Translation vs Human Translation http://www.shaktienterprise.com/services.html http://www.shaktienterprise.com/translation-type.html In the year 1950, it was the first time when computer scientists began trying to solve the problem of machine translation. Since then, the quality of machine translation has improved tremendously. Although the human translation is considered as the best process of translation, with the improvements in algorithms and method, machine translation still claims to be the best in the market. In the age when the need and importance of translation have increased, it is important that both machine and human translation method is aptly used. Importance of translation in business is huge and in the age of globalization, it is a part of business expansion. Companies hire professional translation services, who by either using machine or human translation, ensure to offer accurate service. Shakti Enterprise, one of the leading translation services work on both modern machine translation tools and with human translators.As machines are replacing the human, there are still some differences between the two. Let us check 5 such differences between human translations vs. machine translation:1. The difference in the Sentence Structure:There is a huge difference in sentence structure when used human translation or machine translation. Machine translators usually analyze the structure of each term or phrase with the source text, later breaking the structure down into different elements for easy translation. Though this is the correct method, the quality of the translation would suffer. Human translation, on the other hand, is much more refined and differs from language to language.2. Word-to-Word Translation:A professional translation online service like Shakti Enterprise would ensure of correct sentence structure and right use of words, be it done through human translation or machine translation. Machine translation provides word-to-word translation, which unfortunately leads to some horrible translation results. Moreover, it doesn't sound natural, compared to the human translation done. Word-to-word translation done through machine also affects the sentence structure. This is why human translation always trumps ahead then machine translation.3. Machine translation works best with factual snippets:One of the major differences between human translations vs. machine translation is the latter works well with the formulaic language, where the meaning can't be misconstrued. Machine translation is great for translating simple phrases. This also works when you need to understand general gist or email. Here human translation can be quite difficult, because of the technical language used.4. Use of Modern Tools:Professional translation services that use machine translation are backed up with modern tools that make the translation process easy and fast. The best thing about the machine translation tools like software, it provides an accurate result. As the importance of translation in literature, business and other areas increased, the use of software tools has also increased widely. This allows faster result, compared to the human translation which takes time in completing the project.5. Machine Translation is Expanding:Although the human translation is important, machine translation is getting better and better. It is further expanding as Google and other tech giants are using modern technology to make the machine translation more powerful. Shakti Enterprises is also adapting to this ever-expanding machine translation software tools to offer fast and accurate translation service.Shakti Enterprises is one of the reputed translation services in Mumbai and has its reach in different states of the country and worldwide. Be it the business or literature document translation, Shakti Enterprise ensures quality work with the use of both human and machine translation process. Being one of the leading professional document translation services, the company enjoys a good deal of business relationship to offer quality service for clients.Shakti Enterprise2/F, North B5, District New Delhi,KLJ Tower, C-Block Community Center,Netaji Subash Place, Pitampura,Wazirpur, Delhi 110034Contact: +91- 7208885555 Embedded System Market Volume Forecast and Value Chain Analysis 2016-2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1510 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1510 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ An embedded system consists of embedded software into computer-hardware that makes the system devoted for an application or specific portion of an application or part of a larger system. An embedded system is not a microchip deployed in a traditional computing application, but a microprocessor used as a module in another piece of technology. These systems are used to control, assist or monitor the operation of machinery, equipment or plant. The term embedded reflects the fact that they are an integral part of the system, and they offer significant characteristics such as speed, accuracy, size, reliability and adaptability. Automation in processing & manufacturing sectors, and energy metering is seen as a major propeller for embedded system industry growth.Request For Report Sample:Embedded System Market: SegmentationEmbedded system market is segmented on the basis of type, microcontroller performance, functionality, end-use industry and region. By type, embedded system market can be segmented into embedded hardware and embedded software. Embedded system market can be segmented according to microcontroller performance which includes small scale embedded system, medium scale embedded system and large scale embedded system. On the basis of functionality, embedded system market can be segmented into stand-alone embedded system, real time embedded system, mobile embedded system and networked embedded system. Regionally, embedded system market can be segmented into North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and Japan.Embedded System Market: Regional OutlookEmbedded systems came into existence with the invention of microcontrollers and since then it is being actively used in machine control applications as well as various new verticals. These systems are now equipped with customizable rich features and are thus gaining popularity globally. North America is estimated to be the leading contributor to the regional market share with large deployments of smart meters and smart grids positively impacting the market. Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is anticipated to show highest growth potential in the forecast period.Embedded System Market: DriversThe global embedded system market is primarily driven by factors such as increasing demand for embedded systems with multi-core technologies and embedded graphics and escalating demand for embedded systems in the automobile industry. Moreover, persistent research & development to introduce smarter and energy efficient electronic devices is expected to positively impact the growth of global embedded systems market. Also, widespread application of these systems in application areas such as automotive, aeronautics, space, rail, mobile communication, and electronic payment solutions is set to bolster the growth of the global embedded system market during the forecast period. However, security and smaller lifespan concerns associated with usage of embedded systems in various process-related applications is restraining the growth of this market. Also, design constraints pertaining to real time embedded system are also hindering the progression of embedded system market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Embedded System Market: Key PlayersThe key vendors in the embedded system market include Atmel Corporation, Intel Corporation, Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Microsoft Corporation, Samsung Electronics Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, and others. Major players in the embedded system market have invested significantly in developing systems that offer latest technology-based advanced functionality. To expand market presence across the globe, strategic partnership and collaborations with regional vendors is major strategy adopted by the leading vendors of the embedded system market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market 2018 Global Leaders: IBM, Accenture, Cognizant, Oracle, Zonoff, Capgemini, SAP SE, LexisNexis, Lemonade, Hippo Insurance https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2700 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/internet-of-things-iot-insurance-market-2700 Market Research Future published a research report on Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market Research Report- Global Forecast 2022 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Market HighlightsIn this rapidly changing and technologically developing environment, internet of things is ever increasing. The market trend towards the Internet of things (IoT) and smart cities is driving the Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market. The study indicates that due to rapid increase in internet of things it is becoming increasingly fragmented which as a result increases the need for internet of things testing.The study indicates that Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance enables the IoT-enabled devices to provide intelligent data for insurers to help them track health, detect abnormalities, and reduce risks for policyholders. The study indicates that internet of things insurance would also decrease risk and reduce claim numbers. Thus, all these benefits from internet of things insurance boosts the internet of things insurance market. The challenges for internet of things insurance market includes privacy concerns, data loss concerns and network failure risks and others.The Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market is growing rapidly over ~33% of CAGR and is expected to reach at USD ~9 Billion by the end of forecast period.Get Sample of Report @Key PlayersThe prominent players in the Internet Of Things (Iot) Insurance Market are IBM Corporation (U.S.), Accenture (Ireland), Cognizant (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S), Zonoff Inc. (U.S.), Capgemini (France), SAP SE (Germany), LexisNexis (U.S.), Lemonade Inc. (U.S.), Hippo Insurance (U.S.) among others.Market Research Analysis:Regional analysis for Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market is studied in different geographic regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world. It has been observed that North America region would account for larger share in Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market. It has been observed that North America region has high adoption of internet of things and higher technology developments which has resulted in the growth of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market. The study reveals that Asia-Pacific region is expected to have a significant growth in Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market by the forecast period. The growing internet of things penetration and increasing number of wearables, drones and other in Asia-Pacific region is expected to give a boost to Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market in this region. As per a recent news, South Korea a technologically advanced country in Asia-Pacific region reported that the internet of things (IoT) insurance has gained government backing. Thus, the government initiatives supporting internet of things (IoT) insurance boost the market in the Asia-Pacific region.Segments:Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market is segmented on the basis of type and end-user.Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market by Type of Insurance: Health insurance Property and causality InsuranceMotor insurance Home insurance Commercial Insurance Agricultural insurance Life Insurance OthersInternet of Things (IoT) Insurance market by End-Users: Automotive &Transport Healthcare Home and Commercial Buildings Agriculture Consumer Electronics OthersGet complete Report @Intended Audience Technology investors Key market innovators Hardware vendors Regulatory agencies IoT insurance providers IoT service providers Communication service providers Quality assurance providers IoT platform providers Third-party system integrators Application providers Research/Consultancy firmsAbout Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Global Wood Vinegar Market: ACE Pte Ltd, Tagrow Co., Ltd, Wood Vinegar Australia, New Life Agro QYResearchReports https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1530283&type=S http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report Wood Vinegar to its huge collection of research reports.The research report elucidates on the global market for Wood Vinegar. It offers complete and important research information implied for utilization of both set up and new market players. At the beginning, the report offers an outline of the market and afterward proceeds onward to examine the elements advancing or testing it development. To do as such, the report thinks about both large scale and miniaturized scale basics. It likewise packs in canny expectation for the market for Wood Vinegar for the up and coming a long time in the wake of driving industry specialists and considering in different factual points of interest.This report details regarding global Wood Vinegar market offers each essential data expected to comprehend it and its writes and application. It offers significant bits of knowledge relating to the item compose and applications. For example, it reveals insight into which item or application portion pulls in most extreme income, which is advancing at a quicker clasp, which holds more noteworthy market offer, and which holds greatest guarantee soon for sharp players.Global Wood Vinegar market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Wood Vinegar sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingACE (Singapore) Pte LtdTagrow Co., LtdWood Vinegar AustraliaNew Life AgroVerdi Life, L.L.C.Taiko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Nettenergy B.V.Sort Of CoalDongying Runyi Biological Technology Co, LtdApplied Gaia CorporationFor more info, get sample report for FREE here:On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSlow PyrolysisFast PyrolysisIntermediate PyrolysisTable of ContentsGlobal Wood Vinegar Sales Market Report 20181 Wood Vinegar Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Wood Vinegar1.2 Classification of Wood Vinegar by Product Category1.2.1 Global Wood Vinegar Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Wood Vinegar Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Slow Pyrolysis1.2.4 Fast Pyrolysis1.2.5 Intermediate Pyrolysis1.3 Global Wood Vinegar Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Wood Vinegar Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Agriculture1.3.3 Animal Feed1.3.4 Food1.3.5 Medicinal1.3.6 Consumer Products1.3.7 Others2 Global Wood Vinegar Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Wood Vinegar Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Wood Vinegar Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Wood Vinegar Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Wood Vinegar (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Wood Vinegar Sales and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.2.2 Global Wood Vinegar Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3 Global Wood Vinegar (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Wood Vinegar Sales and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Wood Vinegar Revenue and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.4 Global Wood Vinegar (Volume) by Application3 United States Wood Vinegar (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Wood Vinegar Sales and Value (2013-2018)3.1.1 United States Wood Vinegar Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.2 United States Wood Vinegar Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.3 United States Wood Vinegar Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)3.2 United States Wood Vinegar Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)3.3 United States Wood Vinegar Sales Volume and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)3.4 United States Wood Vinegar Sales Volume and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)...About QYResearchReports.comQyresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from Qyresearchreports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Distribution Boards Market Growth Rate, Business Strategy with Global Leaders: Eaton Corporation PLC, General Electric Corp, Siemens, ABB Group, Schneider Electric, Legrand Distribution Boards Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3197 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/distribution-boards-market-3197 Market ScenarioThe comprehensive industrial growth worldwide and the growing demand for construction and infrastructure are expected to drive the demand for electricity supply system products. A distribution board is a segment of an electricity supply system that segregates an electrical power feed into ancillary circuits, while catering a protective fuse or circuit breaker for each circuit in a common enclosure.The growth in global distribution board is mainly due to the enormous growth in the construction industry so as to meet the needs of the rising population. These factors have led to growing demand for power supply, giving rise to the power transmission & distribution market, which simultaneously has driven the market for electricity supply system products such as distribution boards panel-board, breaker panel, or electric panel.The Distribution Boards Market is expected to grow with the CAGR of approximately 6% from 2017 to 2023.Request a Sample Copy @Key PlayersThe key players of drill pipe market are Eaton Corporation PLC (Ireland), General Electric Corp (USA), Siemens (Germany), ABB Group (Switzerland), Schneider Electric (France), Larsen & Toubro (India), Legrand (France), Hager (Germany), NHP Electrical Engineering Products Pty. Ltd. (Australia), and Industrial Electric Mfg. (USA).Transmission & Distribution UtilitiesDistribution boards basically find application in transmission & distribution utilities. Currently, transmission & distribution utilities makes the largest segment of the distribution boards market, and accounts for the largest share of the total market. Substations are the crucial elements of any grid system, and require high-level protection to safeguard the stability of the entire system. Distribution boards are used broadly by utilities to prevent damages to critical and expensive equipment. The increasing electricity access across the world would result in an increase in the number of substations, which would in turn, raise the demand for distribution boards.Market Research AnalysisThe Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead t the distribution boards market due to the comprehensive development in this region. The urbanization and industrialization growth in these region is compelling, which will have a great impact on the demand for distribution boards market. China dominated the global distribution boards market till 2016, owing to the large scale advancement of electrical infrastructure and installation of new transmission & distribution lines. China and India are estimated to be the fastest-growing markets for distribution panel boards in the region from 2017 to 2023.Table Of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Distribution Boards Market, By Voltage RatingContinueGet Complete Report @LIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY LOW VOLTAGE RATINGTABLE 2 GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY END USERTABLE 3 GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY REGIONSTABLE 4 NORTH AMERICA DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY LOW VOLTAGE RATINGTABLE 5 NORTH AMERICA DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY END USERTABLE 6 U.S. DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY LOW VOLTAGE RATINGTABLE 7 U.S. DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY END USERTABLE 8 CANADA DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY LOW VOLTAGE RATINGTABLE 9 CANADA DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY END USERTABLE 10 EUROPE DISTRIBUTION BOARDS MARKET, BY LOW VOLTAGE RATINGContinue..About USAt Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Enterprise Intellectual Property (IP) Management Software Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2016-2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1573 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1573 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Effective intellectual property (IP) management is essential to achieve competitive edge in the market. The highly competitive business environment is influencing companies to invest in technologies that ensure businesses and IP management strategies are categorically aligned to ensure smooth functioning of the organisation.Request For Report Sample:Enterprise management of intellectual property assets is gaining traction globally, as companies are realising that unlicensed public usage can be detrimental to not only the overall bottom-line of the company, but also to the entire business strategy.Enterprise Intellectual Property Management Software Market:Drivers & RestraintsIP management software provides collaborative IP management services for different corporate requirements. Increasing emphasis on protecting and managing intellectual property portfolio is driving the growth of the globalenterprise intellectual property management software market.Adoption of enterprise management of IP is gaining traction, as more organisations focus on organising their IP assets tactically and protecting them from unlicensed usage. Changing perceptions on IP has also influenced businesses to invest in their proper and organised management. While IP was seen as a corporate property for a long time, today, it is viewed as an inherent component of a strong business strategy. Many businesses have boosted their bottom-line by monetising their IP assets.The importance of staying competitive and widespread implementation of smart system management is encouraging software developers to invest in intellectual property management software. High-end operations and large organisational functions is accelerating the adoption of these technologies in the end-use industries. In addition, frequent customisation in product by end users is benefiting the enterprise intellectual property management software market, as they protect and safeguard the essentials of intellectual property handlings and treatment such as inventions, patents, trademarks, and other IP related contracts in an systematic manner.The market is also expected to gain from strategic partnerships between the leading industry members. For instance, industry pioneer IPfolio recently entered into a partnership with ProspeQt- a Brazilian player, to grow its presence in the emerging market of South America. However, with all the associated benefits these service providers come across number of challenges and obstacles predominantly in the initial stages, most of which have to do with the high cost of setting up the services in an organisation. High initial investment can impede the growth of the market during the forecast period.Enterprise Intellectual Property Management Software Market: SegmentationThe global enterprise intellectual property management software market is segmented on the basis of module, service type, and end-user.By module type, the globalintellectual property management software market is segmented in:PatentTrademarkDesignCopyrightLitigationIPAB (Intellectual Property Appellate Board)OthersBy service type, the intellectual property management software market is segmented into:Development and implementationConsultingSupport and MaintenanceBy end-user, the intellectual property management software market is segmented into:Banking and Financial Services (BFSI)EnergyAerospace and DefenceOil and GasElectronics and SemiconductorsAutomotiveHealthCareOthersEnterprise Intellectual Property Management Software Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global enterprise intellectual property management software market is projected to register a favourable growth through the forecast period, 2016?2026. North America is projected to maintain its lead in the global intellectual property management software market. Asia Pacific region is anticipated to increase its dominance in terms of growth owing to its consistent growing demand from China and India.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Enterprise Intellectual Property Management Software Market: Key PlayersSome of the key participants in global intellectual property management software market are: Anaqua, Inc., Patrix AB, IPfolio, SimpleLegal, Pattsy, FlexTrac, Lecorpio , WebTMS and CPA Global (Patrafee).ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Global Cloud Managed Service Industry Projected to touch US$86.4 bn by 2022 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/3828 https://www.mrrse.com/cloud-managed-services-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/3828 https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ With the significant rise in the trend of cloud automation, the Global Market for Cloud Managed Service is observing a substantial growth in its valuation. Thanks to the rising awareness regarding the benefits of cloud managed services, small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are preferring these services over the conventional ones, which is expected to maintain the high growth pace of this market in the near future.Request a Free Sample Report @This research report presents a detailed assessment and forecast of this market, underlining its performance in various regions. It further offers the historical data pertaining to this market while predicting about its status during the period of 2017 to 2022. The growth drivers and restraining factors of this market, coupled with, their impact on the demand for these systems during the forecast period is discussed here with high importance. A thorough study of the opportunities available in this market on the global as well as the regional level has also been included in the market report.Global Cloud Managed Service Market: Research MethodologyIn an effort to offer the readers of this research report with a comprehensive overview of this market, researchers have included an in-depth competitiveness analysis and information about the unique selling propositions of the leading players. Further, the report includes analyses of the markets attractiveness and basis point share on the basis of the end-use, type, and power class of cloud managed services. The market numbers have also been estimated in this study on the basis of the average usage of cloud managed services in various application areas.The market size and predictions for each of the segment have been offered in the context of the global and domestic markets. The dynamics of the cloud managed services market in each of the key regions have been taken into consideration for the estimation of the future growth of this market. The market has also been assessed on the basis of expected demand. The revenue generated from cloud managed services across the world have been derived using the regional pricing trends. The market data for each segment is based on the demand and the corresponding revenue.Outlook Complete Report with Table of Content @Global Cloud Managed Service Market: SegmentationThe global market for cloud managed services is examined in the basis of the service, end user, industry, and the regional spread of this market. Based on the service, the market is classified into managed network service, managed security service, managed mobility, and it infrastructure management service. By the end user, the market is bifurcated into the large enterprises and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).On the basis of the industry, the market is divided into the BFSI, IT and telecom, healthcare, and the government. In terms of the region, the market is divided into North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Europe, Latin America, and Japan.The segmentation consist of the demand for cloud managed services in all the regions as well as their significant economies. The patterns of the demand for these systems in each of the regions have been determined while estimating the market for various application for cloud managed services in them. The segmentation of this market by the end user, modality, and the type of the software has been derived through the bottom-up approach, which is accumulative of the demand from each of the regions. The regional demand for cloud managed services is the summation of the prominent sub-regions and the economies within a specified region.Companies Mentioned in the ReportNTT Data Corp., NEC Corp., Rackspace, Cisco Systems Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprises, VMWare, Huawei Technologies, AT&T, Microsoft Corp., and IBM Corp. are some of the prominent companies in the global cloud managed services market.Have any Query? Ask Our Expert @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Technology Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Global Bicycle Mudguard Market 2018- Zefal, Alps, Reid, SKS, Rapid Racer, Generic Bicycle Mudguard Market 2018 https://goo.gl/tQzNpF https://market.biz/report/global-bicycle-mudguard-market-2018/223689/ https://goo.gl/xBc6bQ https://market.biz/ http://ereports.market/ The Global Bicycle Mudguard Industry 2018 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Bicycle Mudguard industry.Firstly, Bicycle Mudguard Market report provides a basic overview of the Bicycle Mudguard industry including definitions, classifications, applications and Bicycle Mudguard industry chain structure. Global Bicycle Mudguard Market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, Bicycle Mudguard industry competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status on Bicycle Mudguard Market scenario.To get sample copy of Report Click Here:-Major Manufacturers Analysis of Bicycle Mudguard :- SKS, Crud, Zefal, Generic, Ass Savers, PDW, Axiom, Reid, Alps, Rapid Racer, Topeak, LifeLineBicycle Mudguard Market: Type Analysis:- By Length: Full-length, Clip-on, Mountain Bike Style, By Material: Plastic, Steel, AluminiumBicycle Mudguard Market: Application Analysis:- Bike Manufacturing, CommercialSecondly, Bicycle Mudguard Market report includes, development policies and plans are discussed, manufacturing processes and cost structures. This Bicycle Mudguard Industry report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, Bicycle Mudguard Market revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the Bicycle Mudguard report focuses on global major leading industry players (in Bicycle Mudguard market area) with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Global Bicycle Mudguard Market report also includes Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis.Browse Complete Report details with TOC Click Here :-All above Company Profile, Product Picture and Specifications, Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue, Contact Information covered in Bicycle Mudguard market report.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.Table of ContentsChapter One Bicycle Mudguard Industry OverviewChapter Two Bicycle Mudguard Manufacturing Cost Structure AnalysisChapter Three Bicycle Mudguard Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants AnalysisChapter Four Bicycle Mudguard Production by Regions, Technology and ApplicationsChapter Five Bicycle Mudguard Sales and Sales Revenue by RegionsChapter Six 2013-2018 Bicycle Mudguard Productions Supply Sales Market Status and ForecastChapter Seven Bicycle Mudguard Key Manufacturers AnalysisChapter Eight Bicycle Mudguard Price Gross Margin AnalysisChapter Ten 2018-2023 Bicycle Mudguard Industry Development TrendChapter Eleven Bicycle Mudguard Industry Chain Suppliers and Contact Information AnalysisChapter Twelve Bicycle Mudguard New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisGet Discount and Inquiry Before Buying click here:-Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.James Johnson420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300New York City, NY 10170.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email ID: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Other Website: Uncooled Thermal Imaging Market Volume Analysis, Segments, Value Share and Key Trends 2016-2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1835 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1835 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Thermal imaging is a technology, which is invented specially for military operation in 1950, but it has been implemented in other applications as well due to realized benefits. Cameras based in thermal imaging technologies are able to capture clearer image even in dark surrounding. They dont need any light to operate in darkest of night and allow seeing objects without making itself visible. Thermal imaging cameras can see object even in fog and smoke that is why it is more preferable for military operations in battleground. In short, thermal imaging technology is used to observe the objects in dark environment or in unfavorable atmospheric condition with the help of some parameters like temperature difference in the human body, electrical appliances, mechanical equipment and many other assets. The key component used in thermal imaging camera is the detecting material (detector) that detects change in temperature and helps to create an image. On the basis of nature of detector, thermal imaging technique is segmented into cooled thermal imaging technique and uncooled thermal imaging technique. Those devices which use thermal imaging technique with mechanism to cool down temperature of sensor is termed as cooled thermal imaging systems and those devices which make use of thermal imaging technology without any necessity of cooling down the sensor is termed as uncooled thermal imaging system.Request For Report Sample:Uncooled thermal imaging market has been witnessed a tremendous growth of double digit in 2014 and is expected to grow with a substantial CAGR over forecast period.Uncooled Thermal Imaging: Market Drivers and RestraintThe key trend of global uncooled thermal imaging has been recorded for past some years is that the different vendors are launching the integration of uncooled imaging technology with smart phones and tablets (consumer goods). The key growth drivers of global uncooled thermal imaging market are increasing demand in industrial and commercial application because of its low price as compare to cooled thermal imaging system, also the increasing adoption in military application under soldier modernization programs help in driving the growth of global uncooled thermal imaging market. On the other hand there is also some factors which are deterring the growth of global uncooled thermal imaging market as availability of advanced technology with clearer image quality, which suppresses the growth of global uncooled thermal imaging market.Uncooled Thermal Imaging: SegmentationSegmentation of uncooled thermal imaging market is done on the basis of spectrum range, application, vertical & Geography. On the basis of spectrum range, global uncooled thermal imaging market is segmented as short wave IR, mid wave IR and long wave IR. On the basis of application, global uncooled thermal imaging market is segmented as building surveillance, night vision camera, firefighting, military, mapping & surveying and others.By vertical, global uncooled thermal imaging market is industrial, medical, automotive, test and measurement, maritime, research & development, commercial, security and surveillance, test & measurement, maritime and others.Uncooled Thermal Imaging Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, uncooled thermal imaging is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Among all the regions North America is the highest contributor in term of revenue in global uncooled thermal imaging market followed by Asia Pacific and it is expected that same trend is being followed in near future as well.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Uncooled Thermal Imaging Market: Key PlayersThe key players of global uncooled thermal imaging market are FLIR systems, Inc., Bosch security systems, Axis communications AB, Infrared Integrated Systems Ltd, Safran Group, Danaher Corporation and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) Market 2018 by Global Leaders: Autodesk, PTC, Siemens PLM Software, Apparel magic, Oracle, Infor, Aras, Arena Technologies, Omnify software https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2195 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/product-life-cycle-management-market-2195 Market Research Future published a research report on Global Product Life Cycle Management Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Market Scenario:Product life cycle management is a process which supports in managing and coordinating the complex cross-functional practices thereby delivering the best possible product. The PLM Systems as an enabling technology for PLM manages product from its conception and manufacturing, to its retirement and disposal. The PLM systems offer optimization in development process by giving a competitive and cost effective solution with high quality.The benefits offered by PLM software such as increasing productivity, quality, optimized business process, and efficiency in designing has supported high adoption of PLM. As per the historical trend analysis, the manufacturers from various industries including industrial machinery, consumer electronics, automotive, and other complex engineered products are adopting efficient PLM software in increasing numbers. The PLM software can integrate with various other integrated application softwares including Enterprise resource planning (ERP), Customer relationship management (CRM), and Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) among others thereby simultaneously manages both hardware and software deliverables and delivering competitive products.Get Sample of Report @The factors such as growing need for enhanced and sustainable solutions by manufacturers, need for integrated solutions, and dynamic feature of flexible scale-up or scale-down infrastructure are expected to boost the PLM market. Moreover, growing cloud based PLM solution is also expected to drive the PLM Market. The Cloud Based PLM software enables collaboration and product data sharing within the organization at different locations thereby smoothing the process of product development and offering added benefits of flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, increasing adoption of cloud based PLM by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are expected to support the growth of PLM Market in the forecast period.The global Product Life Cycle Management Market is expected to grow at USD ~835 Million by 2022, at ~8% of CAGR.Segments:The Global Product Life Cycle Management Market has been segmented on the basis of components, deployment, functions, and end user. The components include software and service were software is sub segmented as Numerical Control (NC), Electronic Design and Automation (EDA), Architecture and Engineering and Construction (AEC) and Simulation and Analysis (S&A). The services are sub segmented as integration, consulting, maintenance and operation. The product life cycle management is bifurcated by deployment type namely on-cloud and on-premises. The functions include system engineering, product portfolio management, product design, manufacturing process management and others. End users comprises of Automotive and Transportation, Industrial Machinery, Electronics and Semiconductors, Retail Energy & Utilities, Aerospace and Defense, pharmaceutical, IT& telecom and others.Key PlayersThe prominent players in the Product Life Cycle Management Market are Dassault Systemes (France), Autodesk, Inc. (U.S.), PTC (U.S.), Siemens PLM Software (U.S.), Apparel magic (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Infor, Inc. (U.S.), Aras Corporation (U.S.), Arena Technologies (U.S.), Omnify software (U.S.) and Accenture PLC (U.S.) among others.Regional AnalysisThe regional analysis of product life cycle management market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. The rising cloud based PLM applications in North America region is expected to support the growth of PLM Market in this region. Also, factors such as increasing demand of PLM software such as electronic computer aided design in countries such as U.S and Canada is expected the boost the PLM market. The growing investment of PLM by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia pacific region in countries such as India and China are expected to drive PLM growth in this region. The product life cycle management market in the Europe region is expected to grow with the rapid innovations in product design and life cycle of the product.Get complete Report @Intended Audience Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firms Software and managed service providers Software manufacturers and system integrators Cloud Vendors Vendors from various industry verticals such as Automotive, Industrial Machinery, and Electronics & Semiconductors among othersAbout Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market 2018 - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Strategies and Forecast to 2024 China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market Analysis 2012 - 2017 and Forecast 2018 - 2024 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2719877-china-outbound-travel-and-tourism-market-analysis-2012-2017-and https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2719877-china-outbound-travel-and-tourism-market-analysis-2012-2017-and https://www.wiseguyreports.com China Outbound Travel and Tourism MarketChina Outbound Tourism Market is expected to exceed US$ 163 Billion by 2024.Market growth can be attributed to factors such as increased affluence of Chinese citizens, increased air connectivity, the easing of visa restrictions around the globe, consumer confidence and appetite for outbound travel.The report China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market Analysis 2012 - 2017 and Forecast 2018 - 2024 offers the most up-to-date industry data on the actual market situation and future outlook for China outbound tourism market. The report uses data and analysis to discuss potential lucrative opportunities and future trends related to China international travelers visitation, spending, purpose of visits and main destination markets. The report provides clear insight into current and future tourism developments of the China outbound tourism market. Furthermore, this report uses country focused analysis to explore China outbound tourism market.Try Sample Report @A detailed country-wise analysis of the market is provided, covering a total of 11 nations. The research study limelight growth drivers and investigates market inhibitors of China outbound travel & tourism.The countries included in this report are Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and KoreaKey Findings:The number of Chinese travelers to Korea has dropped by more than 40 percent in 2017Visa requirements for Chinese travelers visiting Japan were eased from 2017China is the largest source market for Taiwan tourismChina ranks top in terms of number of visitor arrivals to Hong KongChinese visitors spend more in the US than visitors from any other nationTravelers from China to Taiwan have dwindled in 2016 and 2017China outbound travelers mostly travel for the pleasure purposesThe Latest Industry Data Included in this Report:China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (2012 - 2024)China Outbound Travelers Visitation & Forecast (2012 - 2024)China Outbound Travelers Spending & Forecast (2012 - 2024)China Outbound Travelers Visitation Share & Forecast (2012 2024)China Outbound Travelers Spending Share & Forecast (2012 2024)11 Countries Chinese Travelers Visitation & Forecast (2012 - 2024)11 Countries Chinese Travelers Purpose of Visit & Forecast (2012 - 2024)11 Countries Chinese Travelers Spending & Forecast (2012 - 2024)Identification of Key Drivers and Inhibitors of the China Outbound Travel & TourismFor Detailed Reading Please visit WiseGuy Reports @Some points from table of content:Executive Summary2. China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (2012 - 2024)2.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation2.2 China Outbound Travelers Spending3. China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market Share (2012 - 2024)3.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation Share3.2 China Outbound Travelers Spending Share4. Key Market Drivers and Inhibitors of the China Outbound Travel & Tourism4.1 Market Drivers4.2 Market Inhibitors5. China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market - Country Analysis (2012 - 2024)5.1 Taiwan - China Outbound Travelers Visitation, Purpose of Visit, Spending & Forecast5.1.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation to Taiwan5.1.2 China Outbound Travelers Purpose of Visit to Taiwan5.1.3 China Outbound Travelers Spending in Taiwan5.2 Hong Kong - China Outbound Travelers Visitation, Purpose of Visit, Spending & Forecast5.2.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation to Hong Kong5.2.2 China Outbound Travelers Purpose of Visit to Hong Kong5.2.3 China Outbound Travelers Spending in Hong Kong5.3 United States - China Outbound Travelers Visitation, Purpose of Visit, Spending & Forecast5.3.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation to United States5.3.2 China Outbound Travelers Purpose of Visit to United States5.3.3 China Outbound Travelers Spending in United States5.4 Australia - China Outbound Travelers Visitation, Purpose of Visit, Spending & Forecast5.4.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation to Australia5.4.2 China Outbound Travelers Purpose of Visit to Australia5.4.3 China Outbound Travelers Spending in Australia5.5 New Zealand - China Outbound Travelers Visitation, Purpose of Visit, Spending & Forecast5.5.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation to New Zealand5.5.2 China Outbound Travelers Purpose of Visit to New Zealand5.5.3 China Outbound Travelers Spending in New Zealand5.6 Japan - China Outbound Travelers Visitation, Purpose of Visit, Spending & Forecast5.6.1 China Outbound Travelers Visitation to JapanContinued.Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune 411028Maharashtra,Ph: +91 841 198 5042 Customer Experience Management (CEM) In Telecommunication Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2016-2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1875 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1875 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ CEM can be defined as a management technique that acquires relevant information about the customer, through different types of interactions. This acquired data is useful for improving the customers experience in the future. Customers experience develops over a period of time, influenced by the services offered to them. When a customer is ready to purchase more than one service, it becomes essential for the company to generate a complete profile of its customers. Having the clear understanding of customers experiences, will help telecom providers to offer improved services that meet an individuals needs. Many companies are coming up with interactive ways to better understand their customers experience. This transformation is helping the telecommunication industry grow tremendously. The major drawback here is investing time and money to cater to every individual customers requirements. Developing a virtual agent to tackle the issues generated by the customer, also calls for large investments for developing and training. Even after putting in a huge amount of money, the customer might not be satisfied with the response.Request For Report Sample:Customer Experience Management (CEM) in Telecommunication Market: DriversCustomers are becoming more aware about the services offered to them, and are equally keen in helping companies to offer better services. Many companies are realizing the importance their customers experience hold, and are using this to improve the standards of the products they offer. This is driving the growth of the market. However, the cost involved in the digitization of the customer experience management is impeding the growth of the market.Customer Experience Management (CEM) in Telecommunication Market: SegmentationThe segmentation of customer experience management can be done on the basis of types of interaction, verticals, organization, application market and region. The types of interaction could be classified into human to human interaction, and machine to human interaction. Human to human interaction could be further sub segmented on the basis of medium of communication, i.e., in the branch or store, on call, on web chat, on social media, and e-mail. Machine to human interaction can be sub segmented on the basis of medium of communication into, on call, on web chat, on social media, and through interactive applications. On the basis of verticals, it is segmented into telecommunication service providers and companies manufacturing telecommunication devices.Customer Experience Management (CEM) in Telecommunication Market: Regional OutlookThe customer experience management market is expect to grow vastly in the coming years. North America and Europe are the expected upcoming leaders in this market, owing to the fact that their telecommunication industry has long been investing in customer interaction. Whereas, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa are expected to see a moderate growth in their market.Customer Experience Management (CEM) in Telecommunication: Competition LandscapeRequest For Report Table of Content (TOC):Some of the key players in the market are, Adobe Systems Inc., Tech Mahindra, SAP SE, Medallia, IBM, Oracle Corporation, Verint Systems, Amdocs Inc., Hewlett-Packard Development Company, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, Ericsson, Cisco Systems Inc. and Clarabridge. Recently, McorpCX, Inc., a customer experience software and consulting leader, acquired a leading company in customer experience management called, PersonaDrive, Inc. Companies grow their market by following business strategies like acquisition, partnerships and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Fuel Cards in the Czech Republic Market Expected to Observe Major Growth by 2020 Fuel Cards in the Czech Republic https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3031215-fuel-cards-in-the-czech-republic-2017-market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3031215-fuel-cards-in-the-czech-republic-2017-market Fuel Cards in the Czech RepublicOverview"Fuel Cards in the Czech Republic 2017", is invaluable for issuers of fleet cards, fuel retailers, fleet leasing companies and other suppliers to the sector. Based on research with issuers and fuel retailers it provides commercial (B2B) fuel card volume (split by fleet and CRT), value and market share forecasts to 2022, key data on independent and oil company card issuers and an analysis of fuel card competition in the Czech Republic.Over 19,000 new fuel cards will be issued between 2017 and 2022, totalling to 552,167 cards in the market.Click here for sample report @Top Companies mentionedShellUTAAS24OMVMOLCCSBenzina ASEurowagFuel Cards in the Czech Republic Industry Major OutlookDemand for fuel cards from fleets will rise over the next five years as they attempt to reduce transport costs due to heightened competition across Eastern Europe.The total number of service stations in the Czech Republic decreased by 1.3% in 2016 totaling 3,600 service stations.Over 19,000 new fuel cards will be issued between 2017 and 2022, totalling to 552,167 cards in the market.Fleet card volumes will continue to grow rising 17.4% between 2017 and 2022.CCS remained the Czech fuel card market leader despite losing market share in 2016 accounting for 39.3%, as clients were drawn to its large domestic service station and motorway network.Fuel Cards in the Czech Republic - Competitive AnalysisKey players are making innovative developments in Fuel Cards in the Czech Republic industry. The same will help in improving the market performance. Heavy investments are made by major players in the R&D sector.ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Subsea Cable Tracker Market Research Study for Forecast Period 2017 - 2025 Subsea Cable Tracker Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/subsea-cable-tracker-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=33677 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Subsea cable tracker are used to detect, track, vigilance, and for the various inspection purpose of subsea cables laid beneath the surface of the water. Subsea cable trackers are positioned on subsea cables to transmit information. Subsea power cables are used to carry electric power, act as major transmission cable below the surface of the water. Submarine cables are absolute need for the modern times for communications, as compared with the global positioning satellites and sea freight. Currently, modern subsea cable tracker systems are deployed due to the need to trace the subsea cable system beneath the water.Browse Research Report With Complete TOC @The subsea cable tracker market is segmented based on the types of detection technology, end-user, and region. Subsea cable tracker are extensively used for cross continental underwater communications, placed on the subsea cables. Subsea cable tracker are based on detection technology are segmented as tone detector subsea cable tracker, pulse induction subsea cable tracker, mag-gradiometer subsea cable tracker, and acoustic subsea cable tracker. Tone detector subsea cable tracker detects the presence of a single sinusoidal tone in a time domain sequence. Pulse induction subsea cable tracker is a technology which quickly releases the stored and accumulated energy from the subsea cables over a relatively long period of time. Mag-gradiometer subsea cable tracker is a combination of magnetometer and gradiometer. Acoustic subsea tracker uses sound waves for surveillance and tracking. Subsea cable tracking is extensively used in oil & gas exploration, production, & transportation activities. Subsea cable tracking also finds its use in transmitting information in data centers between continents, countries, states, and regions. It is also extensively used by military & defense intelligence purposes.Subsea cable tracker play a vital role in transporting newly generated information or power from subsea cables to the onshore data mining centers. Communication has become more reliable and quick with the help of the subsea cable tracking system. It helps detect natural calamities, such as tsunamis and cyclones, occurring beneath the water. Newer technologies are being developed to reduce production costs of subsea cable tracking sensors and increase its efficiency in retrieving accurate information.Restrains of the subsea cable tracker market are its high cost of investment and production of tracking sensors used in subsea cables. Subsea ecosystem is hampered as the subsea cables tracker systems are placed on the subsea cables which are majorly located in the benthic zones of the ocean floor. Repairing the damaged subsea cable tracker situated deep in the ocean beds is a tedious task.In terms of geography, the subsea cable tracker market in Asia Pacific is expanding due to the ever rising population in the region. This has increased the need for oil exploration and telecommunication purposes from different sources beneath the water and has increased the demand for subsea cable tracking systems. Hotbeds regions of subsea activities in Asia Pacific are mainly in the countries such as Vietnam, Australia China, Malaysia, and Indonesia which has ultimately lead to increasing demand for subsea cable tracker.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @However, the main drivers of the market in the countries such as China and Australia on account of being potential markets for subsea cable tracking. In North America, the market for subsea cable tracker is emerging due to increased oil & gas activities in the offshore. In Europe, countries such as France, Germany, and the U.K. have an increasing demand for subsea cable tracker market due to rapid increase in marine activities business. Regions such as Latin America and Africa are expected to increase the demand for subsea cable tracker market in near future.Key players operating in the subsea cable tracker market are Subsea Cable Tacking, Ltd., Telkom, NTT-WE Marine, General Cable, Nexans, NKT Cables, and Sumitomo.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: Global Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate Market to Set Phenomenal Growth from 2018 to 2023 https://www.researchtrades.com/request-sample/1464148 https://www.researchtrades.com/checkout/1464148 Global Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate Industry Report" is an expert and in-depth analysis of key business and future development prospects, key determinants and restrictions, profiles of major market players, segmentation and forecasting. The study offers a comprehensive qualitative analysis of the industry's growth parameters, the current state of the market in terms of analysis of key economic situations and macroeconomic analysis. The analysis highlights the growth opportunities of key market segments along with the tactical moves made by key vendors to grow in the market.Get FREE and detailed sample copy of updated Analysis & Status @Scope of the Report:Aluminum Nitrate is a salt of aluminum and nitric acid, existing normally as a crystalline hydrate, most commonly as aluminum nitrate nonahydrate, Al(NO3)3?9H2O.This report focuses on the Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversXiaXian YunliStrem ChemicalsTaiyuan XinyufengOrrion ChemicalsNithyasri ChemicalsChongqing Hua'nanTaiyuan BohuiThatcher GroupShijiazhuang XuanranMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversCatalyst GradeIndustrial GradeOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoOrganic SynthesisTextile IndustryOthersYou can purchase a single user copy at USD 4880 and can get discount too @Table of Content:There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate market.Chapter 1, to describe Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate, with sales, revenue, and price of Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Aluminum Nitrate Nonahydrate sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceContinue....Who we areResearch Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approaches, thus providing valuable research insights. Desktop-As-A-Service (DAAS) Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report 2016-2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1905 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1905 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ With more and more companies switching to cloud services, the market for software-as-a-service (SaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) have evolved significantly. Following this is the next thing, desktop-as-a-service (DaaS). DaaS is a cloud based delivery model, which makes it easier for users to work from anywhere on their devices as this service is independent of their device, location and network. Furthermore, DaaS has an architecture that allows multiple users to access a single instance of a software application, in contrast to single instance architecture. This trend is being majorly followed by SMEs, who dont want to invest a lot of money in deploying a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) in-house. Major challenges faced by this industry are provider reliability, latency, bandwidth increases and security complications.Request For Report Sample:Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe advantages of a virtual desktop infrastructure provided at a lower cost, and less complexity are the main attractions for DaaS. The users data is continuously copied from the cloud, during log on and log off. This promotes the idea of migration of the organizations workload to the cloud. Data like enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), HR and payroll are being shifted to cloud servers. With more people shifting to mobile devices, the enterprises find it difficult to support users working on their device. The independency DaaS provides from the device, has been a driving factor for this market. Data can not only be accessed but also edited from multiple devices. High network bandwidth is required for high workload operations, this is seen as a hindering factor for this market. Moreover, as DaaS is still an evolving concept, there are some on-premises VDI features that are not available in DaaS. These features could vary from providing persistent desktops to app layering, which needs to be checked with the service provider.Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Market: SegmentationThe market for Desktop as a Service is segmented into parts on the basis of types of cloud servers, deployment models, desktops, operating systems, end users, verticals, and region. Types of cloud servers include public, private, and hybrid cloud servers. The deployment models can be further segmented into presentation virtualization, desktop virtualization, application virtualization, personal desktops, and pooled desktops. The market is segmented on the basis of desktops into persistent and non-persistent desktops. On the basis of operating systems, the market is segmented into Windows and Linux.Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Market: Regional OutlookNorth America is expected to see a larger growth in this market, owing to their developed IT and telecommunications infrastructure, followed by Europe. These markets are majorly driven by the shift of traditional desktops to cloud based workspace virtualization. The Asia Pacific region is also expected to grow at significant pace due to increasing number of SMEs in the region.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Market: Competition LandscapeThe key players involved in this market are VMware, Microsoft, Citrix, SolidFire, Oracle, Amazon, Google, dinCloud, tuCloud, Cisco, and Leostream. Currently VMware is dominating the market because its widespread network of data centers across the world. IBM has recently announced that the VMware Horizon Air Profile will be launching on the IBM cloud globally. Microsoft, offers a non-Linux hypervisor, Hyper-V also offering attractive licensing to gain attention. Most enterprises follow business strategies like merger and acquisition, price differentiation, product introduction and partnerships to gain a competitive edge.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Industrial Services Market 2018 by Global Key Players: Siemens AG, ABB, Emerson Electric, Honeywell International, General Electric, Schneider Electric, Wood Group Mustang, SKF AB, ATS Automation https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3902 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/industrial-services-market-3902 Market Research Future published a research report on Global Industrial Services Market Research Report- Forecast 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Market HighlightsThe study reveals that the Industrial Services is trending in North America region. The global Industrial Services market is expected to witness a high growth in the coming years. In industrial markets, the services have become the very crucial in the competitive world. Furthermore, the service marketing has gained maximum attention due to competitive advantage of industrial services.The study indicates that the Industrial Services is struggling with managing of industrial services which comprises of defining and implementing strategies. Under these strategies, the company will able to capture the value of long-term relationships. The adoption of industrial services have increased the production efficiencies and competitive pressure in the core market.The Industrial Services Market is growing rapidly over 5.9% of CAGR and is expected to reach at USD $~35.71 Billion by the end of forecast period.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on The Industrial Services Market Research Report -Forecast to 2023.Get Sample of Report @Key Players:The prominent players in the Industrial Services Market are Siemens AG (Germany), ABB (Switzerland), Emerson Electric (US), Honeywell International Inc. (US), General Electric (US), Schneider Electric (France), Wood Group Mustang (US), SKF AB (Sweden), ATS Automation (Canada), INTECH Process Automation (US) among others.Market Research Analysis:On geographic basis, Industrial Services market is studied in different regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world. It has been observed that Europe region is leading with largest market share growth in the Industrial Services market. North America is to be estimated to be largest market for Industrial Services during the forecast period, this is due to the rise in research activities in the chemicals and the pharmaceuticals sectors is likely to boost this regional market during the forecast period. The Industrial Services market accounted to have a rapid growth due to its demand among various sectors and market is expected to grow at a considerable rate over the next six years in Asia Pacific regions. China is expected to be the largest CAGR to regional market revenue generation over the forecast period.Segments:The global Industrial Services market has been segmented on the basis of type, application, end-users, and region.Industrial Services Market by Type: Service Strategies Resource Planning Maintenance Strategy and Planning Engineering and Consulting OthersIndustrial Services Market by Application: Human Machine Interface Distributed Control System Manufacturing Execution System Programmable Logic Controller Safety Systems OthersIndustrial Services Market by End Users: IT and Telecom Transportation Metals & Mining Food & Beverages Oil & Gas OthersIndustrial Services Market by Regions: North America Europe APAC Rest of the WorldGet Complete Report @Intended Audience Raw material providers Original design manufacturers Technology, service, and solution providers Suppliers and distributors System integrators Electronic design automation Component manufacturers Original equipment manufacturers Research institutes and organizations Technology standards organizations Technology investors Research institutes, System Integrators Research/Consultancy firmsAbout Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Carbon Monoxide Market Insights and Analysis for Period 2017 - 2025 Carbon Monoxide Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/carbon-monoxide-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=33620 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, flammable, toxic gas. Chemically, it is stable, but can act as a strong reducing agent at elevated temperatures. Carbon monoxide is primarily manufactured by the steam reforming natural gas method. Other methods include incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials, dehydration of formic acid with sulfuric acid, reduction of carbon dioxide over hot coke, and by reacting carbon and oxygen at elevated temperatures. Several different grades of carbon monoxide are available across various manufacturing plants to support applications that can be classified on the basis of purity.Browse Research Report With Complete TOC @The carbon monoxide market is primarily driven by the rise in demand for the gas in the manufacture of various chemicals and extraction of metal from its ores. Safety considerations play a crucial role in the carbon monoxide market, as it is a toxic gas. Carbon monoxide has a broad flammability range. When inhaled, it causes severe health problems related to blood circulatory system. Carbon monoxide combines preferentially with hemoglobin. At that time oxygen cannot be transported to tissues and organs, resulting in oxygen starvation. This acts as a major restraint of the carbon monoxide market as it is a health hazard. Proper storage, handling, and use; transportation, and disposal of carbon monoxide plays a major role in any carbon monoxide manufacturing plants. However, implementation of stringent safety and validation regulations in carbon monoxide manufacturing plants helps in overcoming these restraints Increase in research and development activities related to issues faced in carbon monoxide plants with respect to production system design and personal protective equipment is driving the market.Based on type, the carbon monoxide market can be classified into commercial grade and electronic grade. This classification is based on the level of purity. Commercial grade carbon monoxide is typically > 98.0% purity, while the electronic grade carbon monoxide is typically > 99.9% purity. Commercial grade is anticipated to be the dominant and fastest growing segment during the forecast period due to the increase in demand for carbon monoxide in end-use industries such as chemical and metal.In terms of end-use, the carbon monoxide market can be divided into metal industry, chemical industry, and electronics industry. Carbon monoxide is used for the reduction of ores and in the manufacture of metal carbonyls in the metal industry. It is employed widely in the production of inorganic chemicals (metal carbonyls, titanium dioxide), organic chemicals (benzaldehyde, citric acid), and chemical intermediates (toluene, diisocyanates, used to produce polyurethane) in the chemical industry. Carbon monoxide in combination with several other gases (hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide) provides a fuel gas called syngas, which is used as a substitute for natural gas. Carbon monoxide also produces and regenerates catalysts such as nickel carbonyl. High purity carbon monoxide is used for electronic and semiconductor applications in the electronics industry. Chemical industry is anticipated to be the dominant and fastest growing segment of the carbon monoxide market during the forecast period.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @Based on geography, the carbon monoxide market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe are technologically matured regions; thus, they are expected to be the dominant regions of the carbon monoxide market during the forecast period, led by the rapidly developing metal and chemical industries in the region. The carbon monoxide market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand due to the presence of emerging economies such as China, India, and Japan. The carbon monoxide market in countries in Middle East & Africa is largely untapped. This provides an opportunity to market players to expand their share in the region.Key players operating in the global carbon monoxide market include, Linde, Air Liquide, Air Products, Praxair Inc., Messer and Yingde Gases.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: Robotic Vision Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1913 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1913 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Robotic vision comprises of vision algorithm, calibration, temperature software & cameras that are used to identify and determine the position of all the objects in robot workplace. Apart from identification and navigation, robotic vision also facilitate robots to analyse, interpret, extract and characterize the image information and to make description accordingly. Robotic vision technology provides several benefits including improvement in quality, reliability, safety and productivity. Performance of robotic vision depends on the effective communication between robot system & application and control over the environment.Request For Report Sample:Robotic Vision Market: Drivers and RestraintIntelligent homes are specifically designed for the ageing population, where robots are capable to assists the elderly people in day-to-day tasks. The demand for intelligent homes is continuously increasing, as the ageing population is growing with significant rate across the globe. Increase in demand for intelligent homes, government regulations about sanitation in food processing industry and rising need of precise, safe and reliable vision guided robots in different verticals are major driving factors of the robotic vision market.However, high initial investment and lack of global standards for robotic implementation are some of the major challenges for the robot vision market.Robotic Vision Market: SegmentationRobotic Vision market can be classified on the basis of component, application and type.On the basis of component, the market can be bifurcated into hardware and software. Hardware segment consists of camera, sensors, lightning, and optics. Camera, sensors, lightning and optics incorporate with each other in order to facilitate the collapsible free movement of robot in environment. Camera, lightning and optics are used to capture the images while sensors allows obstacle free movement of robots. Software segment is composed of object tracking and image processing software.Robotic vision has high demand in wide range of industries including food processing, automotive and aerospace for several applications. On the basis of applications, the robotic vision market is segmented into inspection & testing, material handling, manufacturing, assembling and packaging. Manufacturing and packaging are the dominating segments in the category, as the governments across the major countries maintain stringent sanitation standards in food processing & packaging industry.On the basis of type, the market can be categorised in to 3D and 2D. 3D vision is more precise and capable of providing accurate dimensional data of an object. Currently, 3D robotic vision systems are more expensive than 2D and restricted for specialised operations.Segmentation on basis of Region:Robotic Vision Market is segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Robotic Vision Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth America was the largest market of robotic vision in terms of consumption in 2015. US was the leading market in the region, as there was significant growth in rate of deployment of reliable and precise vision guided robot systems in food and manufacturing industries in 2015.By the end of year 2015, Asia Pacific was the fastest growing market for robotic vision, due to significant growth in demand for industrial robots in manufacturing and automotive industries in the region. China, South Korea and Japan were the leading regional markets in Asia Pacific.Robot vision market in Europe is driven by the metal, automotive and food & beverage industry. Germany was the largest market in the region in terms of volume consumption in 2015.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Robotic Vision Market: Key PlayersOmron Adept Technologies, Inc (US),? ComauS.p.A.(Italy), MVTec Software GmbH (Germany), Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. (Canada), ABB Ltd (Switzerland), Point Grey Research, Inc. (US),Cognex Corporation (US), Matrox Electronics Systems Ltd (Canada), Keyence Corporation (Japan), IVISYS (Sweden).ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Smart Set-top Box And Dongle Market Global Industry Analysis, size, share and Forecast 2016-2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1914 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1914 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Smart set top box is a part of Internet of Things (IoT). Smart set top box enables the users to access online videos, photos and apps that are specifically optimised for TV. In addition, smart set top box has features that enables the users to store and display the content through connection of external storage devices.Request For Report Sample:Benefits of Smart set top box:Online streaming of videos, music, photos, and other web content without any subscription of cable or satellite TV.Display quality of up to 4K.Provide access to DVR capabilities.Display of content through external storage like USB.Social connectivity through optimized apps.Access to weather updates, news and financial information through TV.Apart from set box, dongle can be directly plugged into TV to enable the content access from internet.Smart set top box & Dongle Market: Drivers and RestraintIncrease in the number of smart homes, growth in adoption rate of smart technologies, and rise in demand for video on demand services & video recording are the major drivers for smart set-top box & dongle market.Smart TV manufacturers are deploying different types of interface and software in their products, as there is lack of standard for software, operating system and interface implementation in TV. Most of the TVs are supporting popular services that includes Netflix, Hulu, Amazon video and Pandora, where as some manufacturers are supporting only some of the most popular apps such as Facebook. The absence of standard operating system and interface to run the online content on TV, are the major challenges for smart set-top box and dongle market.Smart set top box & Dongle market: SegmentationSmart set-top box & dongle market can be segmented on the basis of product and feature.On the basis of product, the smart set-top box and dongle market can be categorised in to smart set -top box and dongle. Dongle was the emerging market due to compatibility, price and other relatively more user friendly features of the device.On the basis of feature, the smart set-top box & dongle market can be classified in to operating system, video quality and memory. Operating system segment can be further bifurcated in to Android and Linux. On the basis of video quality, the smart set-top box & dongle market can be further categorised in to Full HD and UHD 4K. In 2015, Full HD was the dominant segment in overall smart set-top box & dongle market, where as UHD 4K was the emerging segment worldwide.Segmentation on basis of regions:Smart set-top box & Dongle Market is sub-segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, East Europe, West Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Smart set top box & Dongle Market: Region wise outlookIn 2015, North America was dominating the overall smart set-top box & dongle market in terms of consumption. US was the leading market in the region as, major companies including Apple and Roku were launching the new generation devices in order to take maximum advantage of poor performance by Pay TV in the region.India and China were leading markets in Asia Pacific region. In 2015, Growth in china was driven by IPTV, where telecommunication companies were creating trend by pushing IPTV services in order to generate return on their investment in fibre to home.Europe was the emerging region for smart set-top box and dongle market as, the subscription of video on demand services had grown with the significant rate by end of 2014.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Smart set top box & Dongle Market: Key PlayersApple Inc. (US), Google Inc. (US), Roku Inc.(US), Netflix (US), Amazon.com Inc.(US), Cisco Systems Inc. (US),NVIDIA Corporation (US), LG Corporation (South Korea), D-Link Corporation (Taiwan), Plex Inc. (US).ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Development of Specialty Fertilizers Market in Global Industry 2018-2025 : Israel Chemical Limited, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera S.A. And Haifa Chemicals Limited https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1358797 https://www.researchmoz.us/specialty-fertilizers-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2016-2024-report.html/toc https://www.researchmoz.us/specialty-fertilizers-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2016-2024-report.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketinfo247.wordpress.com/ Albany, NY, 9th March : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Specialty Fertilizers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 - 2025" globally.This report analyzes and forecasts the market for specialty fertilizers at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on revenue (US$ Mn) and volume (Kilo Tons) from 2017 to 2025.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The study includes drivers and restraints of the global specialty fertilizers market. It also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for specialty fertilizers during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the specialty fertilizers market at the global and regional level.The report comprises a detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global specialty fertilizers market. Porters Five Forces model for the specialty fertilizers market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein applications are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Scope of StudyThe report provides the estimated market size of specialty fertilizers for 2016 and forecast for the next eight years. The global market size of specialty fertilizers has been provided in terms of revenue and volume. Market numbers have been estimated based on type, crop type and compound segments of specialty fertilizers market. Market size and forecast for each major type, crop type and compound have been provided in terms of global and regional markets.Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Research MethodologyIn order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research also includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, and SEC filings, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, news articles, press releases, webcasts specific to companies operating in the market, American Chemical Society, International Council of Chemical Associations, 4m Associations, and European Union. Primary research involves e-mail interactions, telephonic interviews, and face-to-face interviews for each market, type, and applications across geographies. We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators in order to validate the data and analysis. Primary interviews provide firsthand information on market size, market trends, growth trends, competitive landscape, and outlook, etc. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Market SegmentationThe study provides a decisive view of the global specialty fertilizers market by segmenting it in terms of type, crop type, and compound. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for specialty fertilizers in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The report also covers demand for individual type, crop type, and compounds in all the regions.Global Specialty Fertilizers Market: Competitive LandscapeThe study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global specialty fertilizers market. Key players in the specialty fertilizers market include Yara International ASA, Agrium Inc., The Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., Israel Chemical Limited, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera S.A., Haifa Chemicals Limited, Coromandel International Limited, among others. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, overall revenue, business strategies, and recent developments.The report segments the global specialty fertilizers market as follows:Specialty fertilizers Market: Type AnalysisSlow Release FertilizersControlled Release FertilizersNutrition and Urease InhibitorsMicro nutrient FertilizersOthersBrowse Report @Specialty fertilizers Market: Crop Type AnalysisCereals & OilseedsTurf & OrnamentalsFruits & VegetablesOthersResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on : Latest Trend of Advanced Driver Assistance System Market in Global Industry 2018 - AISIN SEIKI Co.,Ltd, Autoliv Inc, Audi AG, BMW AG, Continental AG And Delphi Automotive PLC https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1443082 https://www.researchmoz.us/advanced-driver-assistance-system-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2017-2025-report.html/toc https://www.researchmoz.us/advanced-driver-assistance-system-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2017-2025-report.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketinfo247.wordpress.com/ Albany, NY, 9th March : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Advanced Driver Assistance System Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2017 - 2025" globally.Advanced driver assistance system market report provides analysis for the period 2015 2025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast and 2016 is the base year.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Data for 2015 has been included as historical information. The ADAS report covers all the major types and technologies playing significant role in the advanced driver assistance system markets growth over the forecast period. It also included various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected which would affect markets growth during the mentioned period. The study provides an entire perspective on the markets growth in terms of revenue in US$ Bn, across different geographical regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East & Africa, Europe, and Latin America.The market overview section of the report demonstrates the market dynamics such as the drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of this market, key indicators and trends. An attractiveness analysis has also been provided for every segment in the report, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the overall scenario in the ADAS market. Moreover, the report provides an overview of various strategies adopted by the key players present in the market. Key market indicators included in the report provide significance of the factors which are capable of changing the market scenario. These indicators are expected to define the market position during the forecast period.Global Advanced Driver Assistance System Market: SegmentationThe report segments the market on the basis of type, technology and geography. By type, advanced driver assistance system is categorized by adaptive cruise control, adaptive head lamp, automatic/intelligent emergency braking, blind spot detection system, cross traffic alert, drowsiness monitor system, lane departure warning system, night vision, park assist, surround view camera system, time pressure monitoring system and others. Based on technology, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is divided into ultrasonic sensors, image sensors, radar sensors, laser sensors and infrared sensors. Geographically, the report classifies the global advanced driver assistance system market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America. Furthermore, region wise prominent countries covered in the report include the following - U.S, Canada, U.K., Germany, France, China, India, Japan, GCC countries, South Africa and Brazil.View Complete TOC with tables & Figures @The report also includes key industrial developments in the advanced driver assistance system market. Porters Five Forces analysis which identifies bargaining power of supplier, bargaining power of buyer, threat from new entrant, threat from substitute and threat from competition in ADAS market is also included in the report. Value Chain analysis which identifies key stake holders in the ADAS market is also covered in the report. Furthermore, key market indicators that are indirectly driving the advanced driver assistance system market are also included in the report.Segment trends and regional trends have also been added in ADAS market report. The report also covers segment wise comparison matrix, market attractiveness analysis and market share analysis of key players for all regions covered in the scope of study.Global Advanced Driver Assistance System Market: Competitive LandscapeAISIN SEIKI Co.,Ltd, Autoliv Inc, Audi AG, BMW AG, Continental AG, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Honda Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Company, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, MOBILEYE, Panasonic Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, TATA ELXSI are some of the major players operating within the advanced driver assistance market profiled in this study. Details such as financials, SWOT analysis, business strategies, recent developments, and other such strategic information pertaining to these players have been duly provided as part of company profiling.Market SegmentationAdvanced driver assistance system Market, by TypeAdaptive Cruise ControlAdaptive Head LampAutomatic/Intelligent Emergency brakingBlind Spot Detection SystemCross Traffic AlertDrowsiness Monitor SystemLane Departure Warning SystemNight VisionPark AssistBrowse Report @Surround View Camera SystemTire Pressure Monitoring SystemOthersResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on : Sludge Dewatering Systems Market Analysis and Forecast Study for 2025 Sludge Dewatering Systems Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sludge-dewatering-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=32774 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Most water treatments produce watery sludge as a byproduct. It is expensive to dispose of this sludge and hence a concept called sludge dewatering emerged, which would help in reducing the costs of sludge disposal. Sludge dewatering is a process wherein separation of liquid and solid takes place. In sludge dewatering, the weight and volume of the dehydrated byproduct reduces considerably, thereby delivering major cost savings. The dewatering of sludge from municipal sewage plants and industrial plants are common examples of this type of two phase separation. Recent sludge dewatering systems come with advantages such as a fully automated system, reduced labour, maximised fluid life, reduced pollution levels and lower maintenance. Different types of dewatering systems have emerged such as centrifuges, belt filter press, vacuum filters and drying beds, of which the belt filter press technology is very popular owing to its lower installation costs and reduced running energy costs.Browse Research Report With Complete TOC @Sludge Dewatering Systems Market: DriversThere are several factors likely to boost the growth of the global sludge dewatering systems market. Few factors include increasing sludge generation and rising industrial demands to treat sludge. Increasing demand for efficient sludge disposal would impact the global sludge dewatering systems market. Government regulations and mandates to restrict the damage caused to the environment by sludge have facilitated the increasing usage of sludge dewatering systems. Rapid population expansion and increased urbanisation have stimulated the growth of the global sludge dewatering systems market. An increasing volume of urban waste has forced the authorities to implement different cost-effective methods for the treatment of waste, keeping the quality quotient in mind. This has provided a good growth opportunity for players operating in the global sludge dewatering systems market. Growing need for waste management due to rising industrialisation and the ability to reuse the treated sludge by removing toxins also provide better growth opportunities in the global sludge dewatering systems market.Sludge Dewatering Systems Market: RestraintsSludge dewatering systems need more time to dewater than conventional methods, though the productivity is better than conventional methods. The process of sludge dewatering is also quite slow and complex and requires more space than conventional systems. Moreover, the infrastructural costs are high as sludge dewatering is capital intensive, which may reduce its acceptance affecting the growth of the global market. Also, the new techniques to treat and remove toxins from the sludge might incur more costs. This is expected to adversely impact the growth of the global sludge dewatering systems market in the coming years.Sludge Dewatering Systems Market: Key RegionsThe U.S. might witness relatively good growth in the North America sludge dewatering systems market due to increased awareness among the public and strict government regulations pertaining to waste disposal. There are eight plants for sludge dewatering in New York City to efficiently treat the citys waste. Europe has also shown considerable increase in the adoption of sludge dewatering systems, thereby contributing to the growth of the global sludge dewatering systems market. APAC is the fastest developing region due to population growth and an awareness of issues concerning environmental safety.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @Sludge Dewatering Systems Market: Key PlayersKey industry players include Palmetto Water Solutions, Dewaco, Huber, Andritz, Veolia Water, and Alfa Laval. These companies have been coming up with innovative solutions and new product launches and are adopting key growth strategies such as acquisitions and collaborations to improvise technology. A compact and cost-efficient screw press sludge dewatering system was launched by Alfa Laval in 2015 with features such as energy efficiency and low maintenance. Andritz partnered with leading European company Stora Enso in 2016 to open a sludge dewatering system plant in the country of Finland.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: OTCG Market Challenges, Key Players, Industry Segments, Development, Opportunities, Forecast Report 2027 OTCG Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1030 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/otcg-market Market Synopsis of OTCG MarketMarket ScenarioThe oil and gas industry is still recovering from the price crisis. However, the changing oil & gas demand-supply dynamics due to various macro-economic factors is expected to further assist oil price stabilization. Positive outlook for the oil & gas industry is expected to boost investments in this industry thereby propelling the demand for upstream services. The OTCG Market is expected to experience a great surge in the next five years due following the expected increase in the demand for the oil and gas globally.Regional Analysis of OTCG MarketThe Asia-Pacific region is the leading market, with India and China contributing a significant share within the region. The Middle East countries namely UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are expected to experience fast growth and will provide ample opportunity for development of the OTCG market. North American Market is also expected to provide a considerable boost to this market.Get Sample of Report @SegmentsThe OTCG market can be categorized on the basis of types as drill pipe, casing and tubing. On the basis of make, the market has been segmented as seamless and welded. The market has been categorized on the basis of grade as premium and API.Study Objectives of OTCG Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global OTCG market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the OTCG market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters five force analysis. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to six main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East, and Africa To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type, by make, by grade , and by region as well as its sub segmentsThe report on OTCG of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, Furthermore technological advancement, and macro-economic factors in the market have also been discussed in detail in the report. The report provides detailed information and strategies of the key players in the industry. The report also provides a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Get Complete ReportAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com North America Aesthetic Services Market to increment at a healthy CAGR of 7.70% by 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/north-america-aesthetic-services-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19274 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19274 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ As per the findings of a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the aesthetic services market in the region of North America is highly competitive among some of the key companies, including Dermatology Solutions Group, Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Cosmetic & Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic Toronto, and Riverchase Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery. A number of companies functional in the North America aesthetic services market are focused on innovating new products with increasing investment on technological advancements pertaining to the development of minimally invasive treatment, which are not only less painful for the patients but also reduce the duration of hospital stay.Read Report Overview:The TMR report projects the demand in the North America aesthetic services market to increment at a healthy CAGR of 7.70% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024, reaching a valuation of US$28.1 bn by the end of 2024, significantly up from its evaluated worth of US$14.4 bn in 2015. The report anticipates the volume of the demand to nearly double by 2024, estimating it to account for 22 million procedures. Though hospitals remain primary end-users, growing number of dermatology and cosmetic centers is expected to escalate the demand substantially in the near future. The U.S., the third most populous country in the world, is expected to remain the most profitable country-wide market for aesthetic services in the region of North America, with Canada a distant second.Demand for Breast Enhancement EscalatingBased on services type, the TMR report segments the North America aesthetic services market into surgical services including skin tightening, body contouring, facial contouring, and facial rejuvenation, non-surgical services including dermabrasion and microdermabrasion, dermal fillers, and laser treatment, and reconstructive procedures including breast enhancement, burn repair surgery, and tissue expansion. In the recent past, breast enhancement and facial contouring sub-segments have gained significant demand, whereas the advent of injectable products and novel mechanical devices for noninvasive procedures have increased the demand for skin tightening and removal of unwanted fat.Request Sample of Report:On the basis of end-users, the report categorizes the North America aesthetic services market into hospitals, dermatology clinics and cosmetic centers, and ambulatory surgery centers, and projects dermatology clinics and cosmetic centers category to expand at the most prominent CAGR of 8.60% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.The U.S. Serves Maximum DemandThe U.S. and Canada, collectively, contribute to more than 95% of the demand for aesthetic services in the region of North America, with the developed country of the U.S. the main country-wide market. Growing awareness among the consumers, improvement in the medical and healthcare infrastructure, and the prevalence of skin diseases are some of the key factors augmenting the demand for aesthetic services in the country of the U.S.Download Brochure of Report:Growing Consumer Awareness Driving DemandThe North America aesthetic services market is gaining traction from a number of factors, such as growing adoption of minimally invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, rapidly increasing population of the geriatrics, increasing awareness among the customers regarding the cosmetic procedures, technological advancements in energy-based aesthetic devices, growing demand from men, and the availability of user-friendly aesthetic devices. On the other hand, stringent safety regulations and low focus on the development of devices for dermatological conditions are somewhat hindering the market from attaining its true potential.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Steel Fabrication Market Projected to Grow Steadily During 2017 - 2025 Steel Fabrication Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/steel-fabrication-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=34328 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Steel fabrication is termed as the process wherein raw materials are transformed into a final product. Stainless steel is well-known for its corrosion resistance and heat resistance. Stainless steel fabrication differs from carbon steel fabrication due to the amount of chromium present during fabrication. Steel fabrication products are used in the manufacture of a wide range of household products to large machinery parts used in aviation and automobile industries.The steel fabrication market can be segmented based on type and end-use industry. Austenitic stainless steel, super-austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, and duplex stainless steel are the different types of stainless steel. The different types of stainless steel fabrication market are classified based upon their crystalline structure. Austenitic stainless steel products are widely used as compared to other stainless steel. It comprises austenitic crystalline structure, which exhibits a face-centered cubic crystalline structure. Super-austenitic stainless steel contains high amount of molybdenum, nitrogen additions, and nickel. It reduces the sensitization effect caused by high temperatures. Ferritic stainless steel contains lower amount of chromium and nickel. It is usually less expensive as compared to other types of stainless steel. Martensitic stainless steel is magnetic, extremely strong, tough, and machinable compared to other types of stainless steel. Duplex stainless steel has mixed composition of ferritic stainless steel and austenitic stainless steel. Other stainless steels includes precipitation-martensitic stainless steel and varieties of duplex grades stainless steel.Browse Research Report With Complete TOC @Based on end-use industry, the steel fabrication market can be segregated into energy, architecture, infrastructure, locomotion, healthcare, jewelry, and others. The energy segment includes oil & gas, wind energy, solar energy, electricity turbines, and transmission towers employs fabricated stainless steel on a large scale. Stainless steel is used for practical and esthetic purposes of architecture in constructing monuments, bridges, and sculptures. It is widely used in developing and refurbishing infrastructure plans. Stainless steel is used in transportation purpose for construction of roadways, developing railways, and constructing airplane parts. Steel fabrication is used in the making of surgical tools and medical equipment in the healthcare sector. Stainless steel is also used in making watches and jewelry.Anti-corrosion and heat resistance properties are some of the major factors driving the steel fabrication market. Stainless steel does not corrode or rust upon contact with water. It requires low maintenance cost. This has influenced its usage in commercial kitchens and food processing plants.Inability to withstand low electric conductivity as compared to copper is one of the restraints of the steel fabrication market. Other metals such as lead and iron cause galvanic corrosion upon contact with stainless steel in damp or moist environment.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @In terms of geography, North America dominates the steel fabrication market due to its development plans to refurbish its infrastructure. Demand for steel fabrication is high in countries such as France, Germany, and the U.K. in Europe due to increase in industrial activities. Countries such as China, India, and Japan in Asia Pacific are emerging markets for steel fabrication due to rapid industrialization and development of smart cities. After the economic slowdown, countries in Latin America such as Brazil and Mexico are beginning to invest in steel fabrication. This is expected to boost the market in the near future.Key players operating in the steel fabrication market include Global Fabricators, Global Engineering, Fabtech Group, Xiamen Wenzhong Stainless Steel Product Co, and Shanghai Canhu Industry Co., Ltd.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: 2015-2023 World Period Panties (Menstrual Underwear) Market Research Report by Product Type, End-User / Application and Regions / Countries https://www.researchbeam.com/2015-2023-world-period-panties-menstrual-underwear-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-application-and-regions-countries-market/request-sample https://www.researchbeam.com/2015-2023-world-period-panties-menstrual-underwear-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-application-and-regions-countries-market/purchase-enquiry https://www.researchbeam.com/2015-2023-world-period-panties-menstrual-underwear-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-application-and-regions-countries-market Period Panties (Menstrual Underwear) Market is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography. The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2015-2023 for each of these regions are listed in the report.Get Sample@The report entails the qualitative and quantitative analysis of current and future market estimations. It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more.Factors that drive the growth of the market are detailed in the study. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the World Period Panties (Menstrual Underwear) MarketGet 15% discount on this report @The World Period Panties (Menstrual Underwear) Market report has a mention of the industrial chain, sourcing strategy, and downstream buyers. This incorporates the overall industrial chain analysis, upstream raw materials sourcing, raw materials sources of the product major manufacturers in 2015, and downstream buyers.The report also throws light on the marketing strategy used for the study. It includes marketing channel (direct marketing, indirect marketing, and marketing channel development trend) and market positioning (pricing strategy, brand strategy, and target client).The World Period Panties (Menstrual Underwear) Market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk (substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmentalThe report includes six parts, dealing with: THINX Inc PantyProp Knixwear Lunapads International Modibodi Period Panteez Anigan Vv SkiVvys Uucare DEAR KATECheck Full Report With TOC@About Us:Research Beams uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United Statesphone+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com Organic TFT Market - Global Industry Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=34745 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=34745 Organic TFT Market: SnapshotAn organic field effect transistor (OFET) is a type of field effect transistor with the help of an organic semiconductor in the channel. OFETS can be made either with the help of vacuum evaporation of smaller molecules, or by casting of solution of small molecules or polymers, or with the help of mechanical transfer of a flaked organic layer that is single-crystalline on a substrate. These devices have been made to fit into the budget, biodegradable electronics, and big area electronic products. OFETs are fabricated with several device geometries.Download Brochure For Industry Technical Advancements@Organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) innovation includes the utilization of organic semiconducting mixes in electronic segments, strikingly PC shows. Such shows are brilliant, the hues are distinctive, they give quick reaction times, and they are anything but difficult to peruse in most surrounding lighting situations.The global market for organic thin film transistor could be segmented in terms of the different types of materials and by type of application. The global market could also be segmented in terms of geography as well. Such in depth and precise segmentation of the global organic thin film transistor market offered by the report helps in grasping the all-round growth prospects and the future outlook of the different segments of the market and thus, helping the potential buyers to make informed decisions while investing in the market.The report on organic thin film transistor market provides the analysis and forecast on regional as well as global level. It offers historical data of the year 2016 along with the anticipated data of 2017, and a forecast data up to year 2025 in terms of revenue as well as volume. The report also provide vital driving and impeding factors for the development of the global organic thin film transistor market and their impact on each region over the duration of the given forecast period. The report also offers the value chain analysis of the market with a list of key players. The research report on the global market for organic thin film transistor provides vital growth prospects and key trends and opportunities that may come up in the market over the course of the given forecast period. The research report is the result of in-depth and extensive primary as well as secondary research methodologies backed by crucial market insights offered by the industry professionals.Organic TFT Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThere are multiple factors that are expected to drive the overall growth of the global market for organic thin film transistor. One of the key driving factor is projected to be the overall cost of these devices. Organic displays are comparatively cheap and is expected to drive the development of the market in the coming years of the forecast period. Another important factor for driving the growth of the global market for organic thin film transistor is the diversity of application.Organic TFT Market: Geographical SegmentationFrom a geographical point of view, the global market for organic thin film transistor can be segmented into key region such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa. The global market for organic thin film transistor is expected to be dominated by the North America market in the coming years of the forecast period owing to huge technological developments in the U.S. and Canada. The APAC region is expected to show the most promising rate of growth during the given period of forecast.Request For Discount On This Report@Organic TFT Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in the global market for organic thin film transistor include names such as AU Optronics Corporation (Taiwan), BASF SE (Germany), LG Display (South Korea), Merck KGaA (Germany), Bayer MaterialScience AG (Germany), DuPont or E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.), and Sumitomo Corporation (Japan) among others.About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-State Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market Report 2018: Rising Impressive Business Opportunities Analysis Forecast by 2023 Research N Reports https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=140193 https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=140193 https://www.researchnreports.com/checkout?id=140193 Global Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market report provides an in-depth analysis of the market replete with detailed descriptions of factors driving and restraining the growth of the market and other noticeable trends. This meticulous evaluation of the dynamic factors, hindrances, and the protuberant market trends assists the corporations in understanding the concerns they may face while operating in this market over the coming years. It banks upon historical and current data to understand its size, ever-evolving landscape, and growth path going forward. It also throws light on the competitive dynamics of the market so as to empower competitors to take crucial decisions.Top Key Players:Blackboard, Calten Softlabs, Skytaps, WizIQ, BizLibrary, BIS training, DegreedGet Sample Copy of this report:This market research report evaluates every detailed effect of the main market restraints and drivers and all the already existing and emerging trends that regulate preferences of the consumers that could shape the overall development of the market throughout the forecast period. This detailed study of important factors assists the market participants in understanding the issues they will be facing while functioning in this market over a long period of time. The statistical surveying research report further examines the method of determining the cost of main products that are prevalent in the Global Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market with respect to the regulations that affect the market and the profits earned by the manufacturers.This market intelligence report also comes with an elaborate insight into the highly competitive vendor landscape of the Global Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market. It also presents the regional distribution of the global market. Business and company profiles of some of the prominent market players in the market are also shared in the report. Such an analysis also includes an elaborate SWOT analysis that offers a glimpse of the prospective path of growth for the companies that are operating in the market. The existing and the imminent ventures in the worldwide market has also been discussed in this research report at stretch, which makes it a valuable resource for guidance for enterprises, and other participants functioning in this market.Get Upto 40% Discount on this report:The report not only holds an in-depth discussion on the various growth drivers for the Global Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market but also discusses the leading factors which are the probable cause of concern among market players. The different elements hindering or confining the development of the global market are discussed and furthermore, the strategies adopted by key players to overcome these difficulties and continue on their journey towards the development in the market are given in the report. Moreover, the impact analysis of both drivers and limitations is given in the report.The degree of competition, the threat of substitutes, the threat of new entrants, and the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers are included in this market research report. Thus, this report is a complete study of the Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform market and presents a comprehensive analysis of the same. The report is valuable to all those who wish to invest in the profitable market. New entrants and those well-established will both find the report equally useful as it comprises the latest trends in the market which will impact the future of this market. The future opportunities in the market that will drive the growth prospects of the market are also mentioned in the statistical surveying study.Purchase the Complete Report:Table of ContentsGlobal Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market Research Report 2018-2023Chapter 1 Cloud-Based Virtual Learning Platform Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic ImpactChapter 3 Competition by ManufacturerChapter 4 Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2018-2023)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2018-2023)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast (2018-2023)Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.10916, Gold Point, Dr, Houston, TX,Pin - 77064. Milk Tea Powder Market Analysis, Growth, Share, Industry Trends, Supply Demand, Forecast and Sales to 2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3054556-global-milk-tea-powder-market-research-report-2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3054556-global-milk-tea-powder-market-research-report-2018 In this report, the global Milk Tea Powder market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Milk Tea Powder in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest a Sample Report @Global Milk Tea Powder market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingLipton (Unilever)NestleUni-PresidentGreenmaxShih Chen FoodsGinoHong Kong Tea CompanyNittoh Tea (Mitsui Norin)Old TownXiangpiaopiao FoodGuangdong Strong GroupOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBagged ProductDisposable Paper Cups ProductsOtherOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingTea ShopThe MallRetail StoreOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Milk Tea Powder Market Research Report 20181 Milk Tea Powder Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Milk Tea Powder1.2 Milk Tea Powder Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Milk Tea Powder Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Bagged Product1.2.4 Disposable Paper Cups Products1.2.5 Other1.3 Global Milk Tea Powder Segment by Application1.3.1 Milk Tea Powder Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Tea Shop1.3.3 The Mall1.3.4 Retail Store1.3.5 Other1.4 Global Milk Tea Powder Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Milk Tea Powder (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Milk Tea Powder Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Milk Tea Powder Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Milk Tea Powder Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Milk Tea Powder Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Milk Tea Powder Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Milk Tea Powder Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Milk Tea Powder Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Milk Tea Powder Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Milk Tea Powder Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Milk Tea Powder Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Milk Tea Powder Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Milk Tea Powder Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Milk Tea Powder Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Milk Tea Powder Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Milk Tea Powder Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Milk Tea Powder Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Milk Tea Powder Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Milk Tea Powder Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Milk Tea Powder Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Milk Tea Powder Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Milk Tea Powder Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Milk Tea Powder Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Milk Tea Powder Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)ContinuedAccess Complete Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India LoRa Gateway Module Market Professional Survey Report https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/lora-gateway-module-market.asp https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/19084 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ The IoT industry is bringing lots of technology and solutions to the market and creating lots of opportunities for chip manufacturers as well as connected devices providers. LoRa Gateway are widely used in Internet of Things, M2M communication and asset tracking. LoRa Gateway Module market is one of the increasing market due to increasing demand for connected devices and growing M2M communication market. LoRa Gateway Modules are used in an extensive variety of IoT applications and M2M applications. The trend for smart devices across the globe is resulting in the quantitative increase in demand of LoRa gateway modules.For more information about this Report visit @LoRa stands for long range radio, LoRa gateway module is a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) specification intended for wireless battery operated Things in a regional, national or global network. LoRa gateway modules are enabling public or multi-tenant networks to connect a number of applications running on the same network.LoRa Gateway Module Market: Drivers and ChallengesThe growth of LoRa Gateway Module market is propelled by the increasing adaptation of IoT devices and M2M devices. The emerging trend towards smart connected devices and increased demand for private local area networks are generating high demand for LoRa Gateway Module market. LoRa Gateway Modules in asset tracking application is expected to drive the LoRa Gateway Module market during the forecast period.The key challenge for LoRa Gateway Module market is the lack of proper standards of connected devices and other major challenges of LoRa gateway module market is worldwide financial uncertainty and macroeconomic situations such as currency exchange rates and economic difficulties are some of the major factors which are hindering the growth of LoRa gateway module Market.LoRa Gateway Module Market: SegmentationLoRa Gateway Module market has been classified based on the basis of type and on the basis of applications.Segmentation on the basis of Type:The LoRa Gateway Module market, in terms of type includes 433MHz, 470MHz, 868MHz, 915MHz, 923MHz and Others. These are the basic frequency levels of LoRa gateway modules on which LoRa modules are work.Segmentation on the basis of Application:LoRa Gateway Modules has are widely used in Internet of Things, asset tracking and M2M communication.Key ContractsIn July 2017, Semtech Corporation, a leading supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced to expansion of LoRaWAN-based network using LoRa devices in china.Request to Sample of Report-Key PlayersSemtech corporation, Dapu Telecom Technology Co, Embit, HOPE Microelectronics, IMST GmbH, Libelium, Link Labs, LairdTech, Manthink, Muratam, Multi-Tech Systems, Microchip Technology, NiceRF, Nemeus and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market: Top Players (Lycamobile Group, Sprint Corporation, T-Mobile AG) Forecast 2023 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/mobile-virtual-network-operator-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3261 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/3261 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market features a markedly high level of competition, notes Transparency Market Research (TMR). The top players in the market include Verizon Communications, Virgin Group Ltd., and AT&T. These players are resorting to strategic mergers and acquisitions and entering into carefully through alliances across geographies, to consolidate their shares in various regions. Several small-sized vendors are considering it worthwhile to enter the market through the route of mutual partnerships and agreements. As small entrants look to gain a better foothold in the market, the competition in the market is likely to intensify in the coming years, observes TMR.Obtain Report Details:Several prominent players are anticipated to offer cutting-edge technologies and at competitive pricing to retain their dominance. For instance, leading players are finding it lucrative to expand their reach into niche and untapped segments, in order to stay ahead of their competitors. In a number of saturated markets, notably in developed regions, players are offering data-based services and value-added services in a bid to differentiate their offerings and boost their revenue earnings.The global mobile virtual network operators market for mobile virtual network operators is projected to rise at a promising CAGR of 7.4% from 2015 to 2023, vis-a-vis revenue. The market was worth US$45.86 bn by the end of 2016 and is projected to reach a valuation of US$75.25 bn by the end of the forecast period.The two primary subscriber bases of mobile virtual network operators are business and consumer; of these, individual consumers forms the leading segment currently. The dominance of this segment can be attributed to the vastly rising demand for low-cost data and voice-based services among a growing number of individual subscribers. Geographically, Europe is the leading market and is anticipated to hold the sway throughout the forecast period. The growth is driven by several key regulatory bodies supporting wide implementations of MVNOs and mobile network operators (MNOs). This regional market, though largely saturated, will benefit from the burgeoning development of low-cost differentiated value-added services. A promising rate of development in mobile virtual networks is also accentuating the growth of the Europe market.Request Brochure:Burgeoning Mobile Network Subscribers Stoking Demand for Data-Related and Value-Added ServicesA burgeoning mobile network subscribers in various parts of the world and substantial leasing of significant part of 3G network bandwidth to MNOs and MVNOs are key factors driving the mobile virtual network operators market. The staggering rise in number of mobile network subscribers in various developed and developing nations is a notable factor bolstering the demand for data-related services or value-added services. The intensifying demand for low-cost data and voice services is a crucial factor accentuating the growth of the market. The rising demand for mobile network subscribers for establishing professional and secure applications among enterprises is a crucial factor boosting the market.The rising delivery of customized services at affordable cost is a notable trend catalyzing the growth of the market. This can be attributed to less capital expenditure required for spectrum development and infrastructure. The advent of high-speed and reliable 4G networks in several developing and developed nations bodes well for the market. Coupled with constant infrastructural developments in developed nations, favorable governmental regulations are expected to accentuate the growth of the market.Cannibalization Risk of MNO by MVNOs Likely to Hit Revenue EarningsThe growing number of mergers among MNOs and MVNOs in developed regions such as Europe is contributing to the overall growth of the market. However, the notable risk of market cannibalization of MNO by MVNOs is a crucial factor likely to cripple the growth of the market to an extent. Nevertheless, the availability of affordable data-based and voice services is a notable factor anticipated to provide a robust impetus to the market. Furthermore, the adoption of MVNO services among telecom players for establishing low-cost communications portals is likely to unlock exciting avenues in the market over the forecast period.Get TOC:About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Dermatology Diagnostic Devices and Therapeutics Market Segmentation By Pipeline Assessment https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dermatology-diagnostic-devices-therapeutics-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=8908 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=8908 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market is marked by intense competition, which is likely to remain an unchanging feature of the market in the coming years. Leading players in the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market include Michelson Diagnostic Ltd., Strata Skin Sciences, GSK, Galderma, Agfa-Gevaert, AbbVie, and Janssen Biotech. These seven companies collectively accounted for more than 96% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in 2015 and are likely to retain dominant shares in the market in the coming years. Expansion of geographical outreach and establishment of widespread distribution networks is likely to be a key competitive tactic for players in the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market.Read Report Overview:The global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market was valued at more than US$18.5 bn in 2015 and is likely to rise to around US$21 bn by 2024. The dermatology therapeutics market is by far the dominant component of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market and is likely to rise to a valuation of more than US$20 bn by 2024. On the other hand, the dermatology diagnostic devices market is likely to exhibit a robust CAGR of 7.1% between 2016 and 2024 and is expected to rise in valuation from US$595.6 mn to US$1,095.1 mn.North America to Remain Leading Contributor to Dermatology Diagnostic Devices and Therapeutics MarketRegionally, North America is likely to dominate the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years due to the steady presence of a number of major healthcare sector players in the region. North America is expected to account for 46.4% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market by 2024. The steady support to innovation in the medical sector in North America is also likely to remain a key driver for the North America dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years.Request Sample of Report:Within the dermatology diagnostic devices market, imaging equipment is likely to remain the leading contributor to the global market, with the segment expected to exhibit a strong 7.4% CAGR between 2016 and 2024. On the other hand, the dermatology therapeutics market is dominated by antibacterial therapeutics, as bacterial dermal infections are becoming a common concern around the world and are likely to lead to consistent demand from the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market. Antibacterial therapeutics accounted for 28.4% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in 2015 and are likely to retain a dominant share through the forecast period.Rising Air Pollution Likely to Contribute to Rising Prevalence of Dermatological ProblemsOne of the key drivers for the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market is the rising concerns regarding air pollution in developed regions. Rising air pollution has led to a steady increase in the prevalence of dermatological conditions and is likely to play a key role in the development of the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years due to the rapid pace of urbanization and industrialization across the world.Download Brochure of Report:The rising geriatric population is also likely to aid growth of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years. Anti-aging products already constitute a key part of the global cosmetics sector and are likely to contribute significantly to the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Automotive Saddle Market 2018 - Faurecia, Keeler, Bergen, Katzkin, DDB, Buasaddles, Saddlesinc Global Automotive Saddle Market http://cutt.us/6OY1P http://cutt.us/jKWd www.apexmarketreports.com Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Automotive Saddle Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Automotive Saddle Market from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global PP Pipe industry, and estimates the future trend of Automotive Saddle on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Automotive Saddle performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Automotive Saddle Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Automotive Saddle Market. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Automotive Saddle Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Automotive Saddle. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Automotive Saddle Market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportFaureciaKeelerBergenKatzkinDDBBuasaddlesSaddlesincThe competitive landscape of the global market for Automotive Saddle is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Automotive Saddle Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Automotive Saddle Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Automotive Saddle Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Automotive Saddle production volume, data pertaining to demand and Automotive Saddle supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Automotive Saddle along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Automotive Saddle across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite - Transition Metals Market Report Actionable Insights and Recommendation Transition Metals Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/transition-metals-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=34364 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Metals are elements that lose electrons easily, they are pliable, and shiny. Metals can be categorized in several ways, one of them is called transition metals. The elements comprising transition metals are listed under the D or F orbitals of the periodic table. There are four types of orbitals (S,P,. D, and F) in the periodic table that define the way the electrons are arranged. The D and F orbitals consists of 40 transition metal elements, amongst which, 28 elements belong to the actinide and lanthanide series. Moreover, there are about hundred transition metals, and they have similar properties. For instance, scandium through zinc, and lanthanum through mercury are the types of transition metals. Transition metals are lustrous, silvery, hard, and good conductors of heat and electricity. However, properties between individual elements vary; for instance, tungsten does not melt at room temperature, whereas mercury is a liquid at room temperature.The global transition metals market is estimated to witness rapid growth due to the strong demand from construction and transportation sectors during the forecast period. Rapid industrialization and government support in the emerging regions such as Asia Pacific and Central & South America are projected to aid in growth of construction and automotive industries. Environmental concerns and regulations on excessive mining are anticipated to hamper the regional as well as global market.Browse Research Report With Complete TOC @Based on type, the transition metals market can be segregated into iron, titanium, copper, cobalt, nickel, and others. Iron element is anticipated to lead the transition metals market. It is employed in several industries in the form of alloys. For instance, iron is mixed with other elements (vanadium, tungsten, etc.) to obtain alloys such as steel. Steel is widely utilized as a structural material, and is strong and flexible. It is used in construction & buildings, automobile, marine, cosmetics, and other end-use industries. Titanium has low density, as compared to steel, and has good mechanical strength. It is abundantly employed in the paints & coating industry in the form of white pigments.In terms of end-use industries, the transition metals market can be segmented into construction & building, automotive, marine, electronics, paints & coatings, consumer goods, and others. Transition metals are extremely versatile elements, and have potential to be utilized in various applications. In terms of versatility, they are malleable and ductile, which make them ideal materials in the manufacture of metal-based products. This, in turn, is anticipated to boost the demand for transition metals in the automotive and marine industries. Transition metals are also utilized in wires and cables as they are good conductors of heat and electricity, thus covering a wide scope of applications in many industries. Increasing demand for versatile and adaptable metals in the construction, medical, electrical and automotive industries is projected to fuel the global transition metals market.Request a PDF Brochure with Research Report Analysis @In terms of geography, the transition metals market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America is anticipated to lead the global transition metals market. Rise in research and development expenditure and mining activities by major players operating in countries of North America is anticipated to increase the demand for cobalt, nickel, platinum, iron, and others, thereby boosting the demand for transition metals in the region. Asia Pacific and Europe are anticipated to present lucrative opportunities for the transition metals market due to increasing investment opportunities for companies in these immature markets, and the increased focus of mining companies toward Asia as an R&D outsourcing destination. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are emerging markets for transition metals.Key players operating in the global transition metals market include Transition Metals Corp (Canada), Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co (U.S.), Vedanta Resources plc (U.K.), Samancor Chrome. (South Africa), Fortescue Metals Group Limited (Australia), Vale S.A.(Brazil), Teck (Canada), and Rio Tinto Group (U.K.).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: Global Endometrial Ablation Market : Key Industry Developments https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/endometrial-ablation-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=14318 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14318 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The presence of a number of large endometrial ablation enterprises such as Cooper Surgical Inc., Medtronic Plc, Boston Scientific Corp., Ethicon Inc., and Hologic Corp., has rendered the vendor landscape of the global endometrial ablation market highly competitive, observes Transparency Market Research in a recent report. To supersede competitors, companies in the market are focusing on growth strategies such as introduction of technologically advanced products and expansion across new regional markets. Owing to these trends, the market has witnessed a vast rise in collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions, leading to a further intensified level of competition.TMR estimates that the global market for endometrial ablation will exhibit a promising CAGR of 5.50% from 2016 to 2024, rising from an opportunity worth US$0.8 bn in 2015 to US$1.3 bn by 2024.Read Report Overview:North America to Continue to Command Greater Hold on Global MarketIn terms of type of devices, the segment of radiofrequency endometrial ablation devices held the dominant share in markets overall revenue in. The segment is likely to also continue to lead over the reports forecast period. Factors such as ease of usage, less duration required for surgery, and cost benefits will continue to bode well for the segment over the forecast period, by the end of which the segment is expected to account for a nearly 58% of the overall market. In terms of geography, the market for endometrial ablation in North America is presently the leading contributor in terms of revenue and is likely to retain the top spot throughout the reports forecast, thanks to the developed healthcare infrastructure. The regional market is projected to hold a nearly 44% of the overall market by 2024.Request Sample of Report:Rising Rate of Incidence of Gynecological Diseases to Drive MarketThe market is expected to benefit from a number of factors, which will be seen in its steady growth path over the course of the reports forecast. The key drivers of the market will be factors such as the vast rise in the global prevalence of gynecological disorders, the easy availability of technologically advanced endometrial ablation devices, and high cost of ablation surgeries. The market will also benefit from the rising population of affluent higher middle-class people, especially across emerging economies in regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America, and the increased expenditure of the world population on advanced healthcare treatments.The increased rate of incidence of gynecological conditions such as polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), abnormal vaginal bleeding, and endometrial and cervical cancers in the past few years has boosted the demand for effective treatments. These factors remain at the helm of the remarkable development achieved by the global endometrial ablation market in the past few years and will continue to lead it towards a healthy growth path in the near future.Download Brochure of Report:Increased Preference to Non-invasive Treatments to Bode Well for MarketDespite having healthy growth prospects in the foreseeable future, the market faces challenges such as issues concerning commercialization in developing and under-developed economies and strict regulatory laws and policies in developed economies. Nevertheless, as the global consumer becomes more educated about the vast benefits of non-invasive treatments, in terms of faster recovery, reduced time in hospitals, and cost of the overall treatment, the market will continue to witness a healthy rise in demand. The vast pool of untapped growth opportunities in emerging economies could also act as a good opportunity for companies aspiring to strengthen their hold on the global endometrial ablation market.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Fuel Cards in Hungary Market will Observe Major Growth During Forecast Period 2017-2022 Fuel Cards in Hungary https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3031218-fuel-cards-in-hungary-2017-market-and-competitor https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3031218-fuel-cards-in-hungary-2017-market-and-competitor Fuel Cards in HungaryOverview"Fuel Cards in Hungary 2017", is invaluable for issuers of fleet cards, fuel retailers, fleet leasing companies and other suppliers to the sector. Based on research with issuers and fuel retailers it provides commercial (B2B) fuel card volume (split by fleet and CRT), value and market share forecasts to 2022, key data on independent and oil company card issuers and an analysis of fuel card competition in Hungary.Over 15,000 new fuel cards will be issued between 2017 and 2022, totalling to 199,094 cards in the market.Click here for sample report @Top Companies mentionedUTAEniOMVNesteMOLLUKOILFuel Cards in Hungary Industry Major OutlookThe total number of service stations in Greece decreased by 0.2% in 2016 totalling 6,464 service stations.Over 12,000 new fuel cards will be issued between 2017 and 2022, totalling to 103,942 cards in the market.Total fleet card volumes rose by 7.8% in 2016 continuing the upward trend started in 2013.Shell remained the Greek fuel card market leader despite losing market share accounting for 38.9% in 2016, as clients were drawn to its large domestic service station network and range of service stations.Table of ContentsTable of ContentsEastern Europe Overview 3Market Overview 10Market Size 12Market Forecast 19Channel Share 26Market Shares 30Major Competitors 35Competitor Card Analysis 40Appendix 48Fuel Cards in Hungary - Competitive AnalysisKey players are making innovative developments in Fuel Cards in Hungary industry. The same will help in improving the market performance. Heavy investments are made by major players in the R&D sector.ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India English and Creative Writing teacher Jesus Insilada is named one of the 10 finalists in the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2018. Jesus Insilada, a teacher from Caninguan National High School in Lambunao, Iloilo, has been named by philanthropist and billionaire Bill Gates as one of the 10 best teachers in the world. Insilada is one of the 10 finalists in the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2018, which recognizes exceptional teachers who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. The winner will win US$ 1 million. In the announcement video, Gates said, Finalists were selected based on a rigorous set of criteria, including their proven effectiveness in inspiring students and helping them learn. Insilada is an English and Creative Writing teacher who uses culture-based approach in his instructions to make students become more engaged in their education and more appreciative of their Panay Bukidnon culture. Insilada was recognized in 2013 Teachers together with Ramon Magsaysay awardee Randy Halasan, Dr. Teodora Balangcod of Baguio City, and Julieta Serrano of Iloilo. Dubbed by the program as the instructional archivist, Insilada shone for his passion in teaching and writing in Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a and for making the preservation of these local languages his bigger responsibility. The Ilonggo instructor is also a multi-awarded Hiligaynon poet, a short story writer, and a novelist, with four Palanca awards to boot.Insilada and the other finalists have been selected from over 30,000 nominations and applications from 173 countries around the world. The 10 finalists were chosen from the 50 teachers in the shortlist, that included another Filipino educator, Ryan Homan of San Jose Elementary School, Donsol West District. Both Insilada and Homan are honorees of Bato Balani Foundations The Many Faces of the Teacher. The other nine finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2018 are Nurten Akkus a pre-school teacher and principal at Ayvack Pre-School, Samsun, Turkey; Marjorie Brown, who teaches history at Roedean School, Johannesburg, South Africa; Luis Miguel Bermudez Gutierrez, a social science teacher at the Colegio Gerardo Paredes IED, Bogota, Colombia; Glenn Lee, an engineering and technology teacher from Waialua High & Intermediate School, Waialua, Hawaii, United States; Diego Mahfouz Faria Lima, director of Darcy Ribeiro Municipal School, in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Koen Timmers, a lecturer at PXL University College in Hasselt and a computer science teacher at CVO De Verdieping school in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium; Eddie Woo, a mathematics teacher from Cherrybrook Technology High School, Sydney, Australia; Andria Zafirakou, an art and textiles teacher from Alperton Community School, Brent, London, United Kingdom; and Barbara Anna Zielonka, an English teacher at Nannestad High School, Norway. The winner will be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai on March 18. 2015-2023 World Non-Stick Pans Market Research Report by Product Type, End-User / Application and Regions / Countries https://www.researchbeam.com/2015-2023-world-non-stick-pans-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-application-and-regions-countries-market/request-sample https://www.researchbeam.com/2015-2023-world-non-stick-pans-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-application-and-regions-countries-market/purchase-enquiry https://www.researchbeam.com/2015-2023-world-non-stick-pans-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-application-and-regions-countries-market Non-Stick Pans Market is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography. The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2015-2023 for each of these regions are listed in the report.Get Sample@The report entails the qualitative and quantitative analysis of current and future market estimations. It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more.Factors that drive the growth of the market are detailed in the study. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the World Non-Stick Pans MarketGet 15% discount on this report @The World Non-Stick Pans Market report has a mention of the industrial chain, sourcing strategy, and downstream buyers. This incorporates the overall industrial chain analysis, upstream raw materials sourcing, raw materials sources of the product major manufacturers in 2015, and downstream buyers.The report also throws light on the marketing strategy used for the study. It includes marketing channel (direct marketing, indirect marketing, and marketing channel development trend) and market positioning (pricing strategy, brand strategy, and target client).The World Non-Stick Pans Market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk (substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmentalThe key players which provide solutions in the 2015-2023 World Non-Stick Pans Market Weber Meyer Corporation SEB NEWELL BERNDES Maspion The Cookware Company Neoflam TTK Prestige Hawkins Cookers Cuisinart Le Creuset Cinsa China ASD Nanlong Sanhe Kitchenware Cooker King TianXi Holding GroupCheck Full Report With TOC@About Us:Research Beams uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United Statesphone+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com Advanced Driver Assistance System Market - Radar Sensors to Dominate Global Market due to Growing Applications https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=34301 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/advanced-driver-assistance-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/advanced-driver-assistance-systems-market.htm https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) market is characterized by stiff competition. Astute players in the market are seen expending time and money on designing cutting-edge, differentiated products. They are more focused on creating advanced safety features, while also striving not to drive up prices of vehicles outfitted with such sophisticated features. Players are also seen banking upon mergers and acquisitions to diversify their product portfolios, tap into more resources, and expand into new markets.Obtain Brochure@Some of the prominent names operating in the global market for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are Continental AG, Ford Motor Company, Audi AG, BMW AG, Denso Corporation, Delphi Automotive PLC, and General Motors Company.A research study by Transparency Market Research forecasts the global market for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to rise at a solid 15.9% CAGR during the period from 2017 to 2025. Expanding at this pace, the market which was valued at US$11.83 bn in 2016, is expected to attain a value of US$43.27 bn by the end of the forecast period.Technology-wise, the global market for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) can be classified into image sensors, ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, radar sensors, and laser sensors. In ADAS, sensors are required to monitor the surrounding vehicles. The radar sensors, among them, enjoy high demand because of their use in collision avoidance system, emergency braking system, etc. all of which serve to up safety.Browse Market Research Report @Geographically, the report segments the market for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) into the following North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Of them, Asia Pacific is predicted to emerge as an attractive market owing of the soaring sales of automobiles and strict mandates pertaining to road and vehicle safety in the region. Sensing an opportunity in this, automobile manufacturers in Asia Pacific are pouring money into development of better features for monitoring, steering, warning, and braking.Majorly fuelling the market for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) is the thrust on the safety of drivers and passengers. Both strict regulatory requirements as well as rising concerns among the general public about their safety is serving to drive up demand for such sophisticated systems. From adaptive cruise control and adaptive head lamp to automatic/intelligent emergency braking, cross traffic alert, blind spot detection system, lane departure warning system, drowsiness monitor system, etc., such systems have a range of functionalities that can help to avert accidents.Browse Press Release of this Research Report@Comfort Factor Pushes Up Demand As WellNot just safety, advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) also helps to promote comfort another reason why they are seeing swift uptake. In addition, increasing wealth among people which enables them to splurge on better car models equipped with latest technologies that make driving experience more seamless is also boosting demand.Dampening demand in the market for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), on the downside, is limited awareness among consumers about such systems along with their steep price.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Trichomonas Rapid Testing Market - New Business Strategy & Forecast by 2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/trichomonas-rapid-testing-market.asp https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/19603 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a protozoan parasite known as Trichomonas vaginalis. The symptoms of the disease is common to other sexually transmitted infection. The trichomoniasis can be easily treated, but proper diagnosis is necessary. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 3.7 million people in United States suffer from trichomoniasis. The common symptoms of the disease includes vaginal discharge, genital redness or swelling, urge to urinate frequently and others and are usually symptoms are visible after 28 days after a person is infected.For more information about this Report visit @The diagnosis of the disease cannot be only done alone by diagnosing the symptoms. The laboratory test for the diagnosis of the disease includes cell culture, antigen tests, Trichomonas DNA test, examining vaginal fluid under the microscope and others. The infection is increases with time if not treated, the treatment is usually cured within a week. The reinfection rate for the disease in common among women. The reinfection rate is high as 17% in the beginning of three months after infection. Some cases are reported in which the trichomonas get resistant to certain medications.The trichomonas rapid testing are highly accurate compared to other testing types such as culture testing and other wet preparation examination (WP) testing. The trichomonas rapid testing kits are simple to perform and takes only 10 minutes or less to perform. The trichomonas rapid test kits are an immunochro-matographic assay that detects antigens from from vaginal swabs. Recent studies shows that Trichomonas vaginalis is the cause of the premature rupture of membranes, urethritis, pelvic diseases. Trichomoniasis is common curable sexually transmitted disease. According to the center for disease control and prevention, the prevalence of trichomonas vaginalis in the U.S. is estimated to be about 3.1% in the women between ages 14 to 49. The African American women had the prevalence of trichomoniasis among African American women in and Mexican American women prevalence is about 1.8%. People generally reach out for prescription support.Medication (metronidazole or tinidazole) pills are used as a common treatment for trichomoniasis. On an average 1 in 5 women get reinfection after three months of treatment. Lifestyle changes such as lack of physical exercise, limiting alcohol intake, etc., may also help in the treatment process. Rising awareness about the right diagnosis and treatment, rise in the prevalence of the trichomoniasis disease help to fuel revenue growth.Segment by Product Type,, Wet Mount Trichomonas Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit, PCR based Trichomonas Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit, Xenostrip Tests,,Segment by End User,, Hospitals, Diagnostic Laboratories, Speciality Clinics, OthersGlobal trichomonas rapid testing is segmented by product type and end user. Based on the treatment type, global trichomonas rapid testing market is segmented as wet mount trichomonas rapid diagnostic test kits and PCR based trichomonas rapid diagnostic test kits. On the basis of end user, the global Trichomonas rapid testing market is segmented into hospital, diagnostic laboratories, speciality clinics, and others. Rise in incidence of trichomonas, increased awareness about diagnosis and rapid test kits new product launch and others are some of the factors drive the global trichomonas rapid testing market during the forecast period. Whereas inadequate access to health care, cost and availability of essential medicines and lack of standardized tools for diagnosis and treatment will hamper the growth of global trichomonas rapid testing market.By Geography, the global trichomonas rapid testing market is segmented into five broad regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to lead the global Trichomonas rapid testing market due to rise in prevalence of trichomonas in United States. In the U.S., a large base of population, especially women, suffer from STDs. Europe market is also projected to experience high growth in the near future. Asia Pacific market is anticipated to grow at the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to factors such as rising standard of living, lifestyle changes, rise in awareness about STDs and focusing on healthcare expenditures.Request to Sample of Report-Some of the major players in global trichomonas rapid testing market are Quidel Corporation, McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc., Sekisui Diagnostics, Genzyme Diagnostics, Nanjing Liming Bio-Products Co., Ltd., and Others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Submarine Battery Industry Segmented by Exide Industries, EverExceed, HBL, GS Yuasa, Korea Special Battery Submarine Battery Market, Submarine Battery Market Study, Submarine Battery Market Size, Submarine Battery Market Segmentation, Su https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/567185//?utm_source=EMP-DC https://www.marketstudyreport.com/enquiry-before-buying/567185//?utm_source=EMP-DC https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-submarine-battery-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2022/?utm_source=open-DC https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/stand-up-pouch-valves-market/?utm_source=RR-DC https://thefinancialconsulting.com/author/ashwin/ MarketStudyReport.com published Submarine Battery Market from its database which covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.Global Submarine Battery Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 new report to its research database. The report spread across 124 pages with table and figures in it. The report provides information on Industry Trends, Demand, Top Manufacturers, Countries, Material and Application.The major players in global and United States market, includingEnerSys, Systems Sunlight SA, Exide Technologies, Zibo Torch Energy Co., Ltd., Exide Industries, EverExceed, HBL, GS Yuasa, Korea Special Battery Co., Ltd.Submarines need large amounts of electricity to operate safely under water. They charge their batteries using diesel or nuclear-driven generators. Diesel subs must surface to recycle their batteries because carbon monoxide fumes are deadly. Nuclear ones can remain under water for months and even years.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Scope of Report:Global Submarine Battery Market report classifies this industry extensively in terms of the regional landscape. Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversValve-regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) BatteriesFlooded Lead Acid BatteriesOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoFor CivilianFor MilitaryList of Tables and FiguresFigure Submarine Battery Market PictureTable Product Specifications of Submarine Battery MarketFigure Global Sales Market Share of Submarine Battery Market by Types in 2016Table Submarine Battery Market Types for Major ManufacturersFigure Valve-regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) Batteries PictureFigure Flooded Lead Acid Batteries PictureFigure Others PictureTable Submarine Battery Market Sales Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure For Civilian PictureFigure For Military PictureFigure USA Submarine Battery Market Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Canada Submarine Battery Market Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Continued@ Buy Now:We presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The analysts have presented the various facets of the market with a particular focus on identifying the key industry influencers. The data thus presented is comprehensive, reliable, and the result of extensive research, both primary and secondary.There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Submarine Battery Market.Chapter 1, to describe Submarine Battery Market Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Submarine Battery Market, with sales, revenue, and price of Submarine Battery Market, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Submarine Battery Market, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Submarine Battery Market market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Submarine Battery Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceFor More Tactical Information:Related ReportStand-Up Pouch Valves Market By Product Growth Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 - 2024Global Stand-Up Pouch Valves Market is estimated to exceed USD 900 million by 2024; according to a new research report. Potential applications in retort and shaped pouches to improve product convenience will propel the stand-up pouch valves marketMore Reports:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.com Intrapartum Monitors Market to Observe Strong Development by 2019 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2342 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2342 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/intrapartum-monitors-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Intrapartum monitors or fetal monitors are deployed during pregnancy, labor and delivery to record the heart rate of the fetus along with strength and duration of uterus contractions. In addition fetal monitoring is performed to identify certain conditions such as cerebral plasy, fetal; death or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. External and internal monitoring can be performed to record the heart beat of the baby. External monitoring of babys heart beat is facilitated with the help of special stethoscope and more commonly two sensors that measures the babys heartbeat and duration of uterine contractions respectively. Sometimes remote monitoring platforms (telemetry) can be employed for external monitoring. Internal monitoring can be performed only post dilation of cervix and in the presence of ruptured amniotic sac.Internal monitoring is facilitated with the help of a sensor attached to the thigh and an electrode is inserted through vagina and cervix into the uterus and then the electrode is attached to the babys scalp. Internal monitoring is more reliable and accurate than external monitoring to keep a track of uterine contractions and babys heartbeat. Fetal monitoring or intrapartum monitoring is performed with the help of handheld Doppler device, electronic fetal monitor or sometimes with a Pinard fetoscope. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring is performed with the help of transducers held by stretchy bands against abdomen; however, some patients find it uncomfortable to have the transducers strapped during labor.Request to View Brochure of Report -If the fetal heart rate (FHR) is normal then intermittent auscultation or continuous electronic fetal monitoring techniques can be employed in low risk patients. However, if the FHR is abnormal interventions such as maternal oxygenation, intravenous fluid administration are employed. Fetal scalp pH sampling or fetal stimulation is used in the cases where the continuous electronic fetal monitoring is indeterminate and employed to assess the presence of a condition known as fetal academia. Some of the Intrapartum monitoring devices are Fetatrack 360 Cardiotocograph (Ultrasound Technologies, Ltd.), Huntleigh Sonicaid TeamIPTrend Intrapartum Fetal monitor with trend printer, Nicolet VersaLab APM, APM2 (Natus Medical, Inc.) and others. The Intrapartum Monitors Market exhibit considerable growth majorly due to increasing number of complicated pregnancy cases worldwide. Intrapartum monitors market can be analyzed based on the product type and geography.Request to View ToC of Report -The product type segment can be further categorized into fetal Dopplers, electronic fetal monitoring and remote fetal monitoring devices. North America and European countries provide lucrative growth opportunities for intrapartum monitors. This is attributable to increased adoption rates, high awareness levels, presence of well equipped healthcare facilities and continuous technological advances in these regions as compared to other regions such as Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World provide considerable growth prospects owing to low awareness levels and lack of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure.Some of the major factors influencing the growth of intrapartum monitors are increasing need of novel monitoring technologies, increased possibility of high risk pregnancy and increased preference for minimally invasive technologies. The reason for high risk pregnancy cases are changing lifestyles, delayed pregnancy, increasing obesity and others. On the contrary, the reliability of the devices and degree of comfort of the patients are some of the factors that might hamper the growth of the intrapartum monitors. The major companies competing in Intrapartum monitors market are Allen Medical Instruments Corporation, Analogic Corporation, Med-Electronics, Inc., Paramed Medical Systems, Natus Medical, Inc., Huntleigh Sonicaid and Terason Ultrasound.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Offshore Wind Market Analysis, Trends, Share and Forecasts up to 2024 https://www.fractovia.org/request-sample/571 https://www.fractovia.org/request-purchase/571 https://www.fractovia.org Below are the prime two topographies influencing the overall offshore wind marketEurope undoubtedly is one of the most outpacing regions partaking in the overall offshore wind industry. The European Union already positions itself as a forerunner in addressing the climatic changes, a profound factor driving the regional market demand. As Europe proceed toward a low carbon economy, with a target of 26% reduction in GHG emissions from 1990 level and concurrently achieving renewable energy targets of 21% by 2020, regional offshore wind market will prove to be a significant sector contributing to Europes energy objectives. Estimates depict that Europe offshore wind market currently holds a total installed capacity of over 12,000 MW. Reportedly, the yesteryear witnessed an additional installation of 1,558 MW grid-connected capacity.The forerunners of the Europe offshore wind market development have been UK, Germany, And Denmark. The UK governments encouraging investments in clean energy programs is impelling the increasing deployment of offshore wind plants. Offshore Wind Investment Organization is one such regulatory body in the country that promotes sustainable energy investment. Other than this, for ensuring long term revenues from power projects in the country, the regulatory framework in the UK have also introduced Contracts for Difference. Recently, a y-o-y decline of 32% reported in the offshore price cost is anticipated to act in favor of the regional offshore wind industry in the coming years.Germany, another prominent shareholder of Europe market revenue, is also likely to carve an upward trend over 2017-2024. This is quite evident from the countrys initiatives in increasing the renewable energy power generation. As per records, Germany in the first quarter of the year generated a power of 4.8 billion kWh from offshore wind plants, an upswing of over 36% from 2016s first quarter. On this note, recently, the German government has entered into an agreement with governments of Denmark and Belgium for adding an offshore capacity of 60 GW by the end of 2027.Request for a sample of this research report @The recent launching of the worlds first hybrid offshore wind system by Dong Energy surely marks a new era in Offshore wind market. The Denmark-based energy giant is planning to integrate a battery system with the companys 90 MW offshore wind plant, located in Burbo Bank. Reportedly, this is an initiative undertaken as a repercussion to the criticism that renewable power leads to flickering due to disruption in the grid frequency. It is profoundly one of the biggest breakthroughs in the renewable energy industry so far. Alongside, with a number of governmental initiatives favoring deployment of renewable energy sources, offshore wind industry is slated to exceed a capacity of 60 GW by 2024. The yesteryear valuation of the market was reported to be USD 60 billion by Global Market Insights, Inc.Turbines, the mother component of the offshore wind industry, accounted for 30% of the global share in 2016. Notable investments in the development of large capacity advanced turbines across various geographies is in a way influencing the growth of offshore wind market. In this regard, it is important to note that floating turbines have been witnessing a popularity across emerging belts particularly in Asia Pacific and Europe. This is quite evident from the rising number of investments these belts are making in integrating high-grade wind based technologies in the turbine model to reduce the overall generation cost and also the pollution level.The first floating plant was developed in 2016 by a Norwegian offshore oil and gas group. The turbine was of capacity 30 MW, and a sum of USD 199 million was invested in the plant, located in Scotland Aberdeenshire coast. Norway has continued to be a lucrative region for offshore wind market investors. For instance, under Hywind Scotland project, Statoil and Siemens in collaboration have established a 30 MW floating wind farm across Norway. Such exemplary investments by the European countries are allowing the belt to stand at the forefront of the overall industry.Offshore wind market over the past decade has witnessed a bifold growth. With the increasing regulatory norms regarding carbon emission abatement and rigorous effort toward implementing clean energy scheme, offshore wind market is deemed to record remarkable heights by 2024.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Asia Pacific offshore wind marketAsia Pacific offshore wind market is mainly driven by China, with an expectation that the country's wind capacity will expand over 12 GW by the end of 2024. The demand for uninterrupted power supply subject to the growing population of the country has only increased over the years, a prime factor that has led to regional offshore wind industry expansion. The emerging economy is crossing milestones in terms of industrialization, economic growth, and urbanization. Increasing Chinese governments involvement in financial leveraging facilities for the development of sustainable energy projects is playing a pivotal role in reshaping the offshore wind market dynamics. Recently, Chinese energy giant, State Power Investment Corporation has talked about their upcoming project of developing 800 MW wind power farm off the coast of Yancheng and Jiangsu. Reportedly, this would be the worlds largest offshore wind farm.A preview of the financial investment in offshore wind industryThe World Bank, International Finance Corporation, and The Asian Development Bank are some of the key financial organizations actively partaking in the overall industry. Offshore wind has profoundly registered its name in the overall clean energy investment landscape as statistics depict. Sources cite that the capital spending commitments in advanced wind technologies had a record of USD 30 billion in 2016. Components price drop has significantly influenced the investments across the overall offshore wind industry. Researchers and developers are taking advantage of the upgraded technology to incorporate advanced turbine models with an aim to minimize the overall generation tariff. Some of them are readily integrating organic strategies in their business models to experience an upper hand in the competitive landscape. Prominent offshore wind industry participants include MHI Vestas, Senvion, Siemens, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Sinovel Wind, and Adwen.Glimpse of Table of Content (ToC)Chapter 3. Offshore Wind Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 20243.3. Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1. Vendor matrix3.4. Innovation & sustainability3.5. Regulatory landscape3.5.1. U.S.3.5.2. Europe3.5.3. UK3.5.4. Germany3.5.5. China3.6. Cost structure analysis3.6.1. Capital Cost (CAPEX)3.6.2. Operational Cost (OPEX)3.7. Global offshore capacity addition targets3.8. Wind energy industry trends and outlook3.9. Industry impact forces3.9.1. Growth drivers3.9.1.1. Increasing electricity demand3.9.1.2. Rising investments across clean energy sector3.9.1.3. Declining component prices3.9.1.4. Growing adoption of clean energy over conventional fuel3.9.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.9.2.1. High Capital Cost3.10. Growth potential analysis3.11. Porter's analysis3.12. Competitive landscape, 20163.12.1. Strategy dashboard3.12.2. Company market share3.12.2.1. Wind turbine manufacturers3.12.2.2. Wind farm developers/owners3.12.2.3. Inter-array cable suppliers3.12.2.4. Export cable suppliers3.13. PESTEL analysisAbout Fractovia.orgFractovia.org is one of India's leading in-house and free news portal. It is fully automated, and operates on a constant premise, interfacing with news sites and offering redesigned breaking features to readers across the globe. Our mission is to offer individuals opportunities for connections with news writers and distributors which they can pursue. We operate by mapping articles pertaining to breaking news, constantly and progressively, against a pre-determined word-based theme, offering important connections to readers and clients, as well as distributers.Contact us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAFractovia.orgPhone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@fractovia.orgWebsite: Global Prosthetic Heart Valve Market - Industry Size, Share, Growth, Market Dynamics, Emerging Trends, Growth Factors 2024 Global Prosthetic Heart Valve Market http://databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-prosthetic-heart-valve-market http://databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-prosthetic-heart-valve-market http://databridgemarketresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/?dbmr=global-prosthetic-heart-valve-market Global Prosthetic Heart Valve Market, By Type (Transcatheter Heart Valve, Tissue Heart Valve, and Mechanical Heart Valve), Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024The global prosthetic heart valve/ artificial heart valve market accounted to USD 4.53 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 12.70% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024.e up-coming market report contains data for historic year 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Get exclusive PDF sample of this report@This Report Consists of No of pages: 350 No of Figures: 50 No of Tables: 250To Avail 10% Discount On This Report Mail us on @ sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comFrequently Asked Questions? What will the market size be in 2024? What are the key factors driving the global market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key players in the market? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players? What will be the growth rate in 2024? Which strategies are used by top players in the Global Prosthetic Heart Valve Market?Note: If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Global Competitive Analysis of Prosthetic Heart Valve MarketThe global prosthetic heart valve/artificial heart valve market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes prosthetic heart valve/ artificial heart valve market shares for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and South America..Key Market points:Rise in incidence of heart diseases such as aortic stenosis and adoption of prosthetic valves is driving the growth of the prosthetic valves market. Other factors such as advanced technological development and rise of aging population also fuel the market growth.Intense competition among the players results into high R&D for innovated products such as use of more noninvasive procedure, open heart surgery. For the improvement of healthcare sector, government is also supporting by donating more fundsso as to foster the demand for this particular market. However, some of the stringent regulations made by the government in particular regions may hinder the growth of this market.Get Detail TOC @Top Competitors of Market Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.), Medtronic (Ireland), Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (U.S.), St. Jude Medical, LLC. (U.S.), Jenavalve Technology, Inc. (Germany), LivaNova PLC (U.K.), CryoLife, Inc. (U.S.), SYMETIS (Switzerland), BraileBiomedica (Brazil), TTK Healthcare (India), Lepu Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (China), Colibri Heart Valve, LLC (U.S.) Abbott (U.S.),Global Prosthetic Heart Valve/ Artificial Heart Valve Market Market Segmentation:The global prosthetic heart valve/ artificial heart valve market is segmented on the basis of type. TypeTranscatheter Heart ValveTissue Heart ValveMechanical Heart ValveOn the basis of type, global prosthetic heart valve/ artificial heart valve market is segmented into transcatheter heart valve, tissue heart valve, and mechanical heart valve. Transcatheter heart valves segment is expected to witness the highest market growth in the forecast period (2017-2024) due to use of less invasive techniques, more of technological advancement, increasing number of patients and rising prevalence of aortic stenosis.Geographical Segmentation: North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East and AfricaOn the basis of geography, global prosthetic heart valve/artificial heart valve market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as North America & South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Talk to our Analyst @Market Drivers and Restraints: Increasing geriatric population. Rising prevalence and awareness of HVD Regulatory approval and growing demand of prosthetic heart valves Government support and funding Favorable reimbursement scenarioAbout Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Etech Exhibiting at PACE Convention & Expo Etech Global Services is proud to announce their participation at the PACE Conference in Atlanta, Georgia between April 15-18, 2018.Each customer interaction has meaningful details and, when analyzed, helps provide you with insights that are important for your business decision making. With this opportunity, Etech can share their knowledge with various businesses on the industrys best practices and the technologies that help make customer engagement more measurable and efficient.The PACE Conference is committed to smart collaborations with other industry partners and this event would bring together industry executives from around the globe, for high-powered networking and business development, coupled with cutting-edge educational content. The theme of PACE 2018 is Exceeding the Expectations of the Connected Customer. The goal of this session is to reveal insights from analyzing customer interactions. The participants will get a fresh outlook on how to use these insights to help in training call center teams to deliver effortless customer service, said Etechs President and General Manager, Matt Rocco.During Etechs session, the attendees can expect to learn:1. How every customer interaction is analyzed as well as how it provides leadership with actionable and searchable information based on VOC2. Providing step by step instructions to infusing AI into your operations3. Reduce costs, improve customer experience, boost productivity, and increase revenueTheres a goldmine of insights buried in the interactions, but manually listening to and analyzing every interaction is challenging, cost prohibitive, and prone to human subjectivity and errors. Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and other industry trending technologies that enhance human efforts, are the key to better capturing customer insights from every interaction. Its time for us to discover the steps needed to be taken in order to transform an organization with these tools and platforms, said Etechs Chief Customer Officer, Jim Iyoob.To learn more, meet Team Etech at PACE Convention and Expo at Atlanta, Georgia between April 15-18.About Etech Global ServicesEtech Global Services is a leading provider of customer engagement solutions for many of the worlds most trusted brands. They trust Etech with their most precious assets their customers. Why? Because Etechs commitment to continuous improvement, next-generation technology, and empowering people results in a solution that drives customer experience and reduces effort. Voice, quality monitoring, chat, social media, and email, Etech is here to communicate with your customers when and how they choose.Etech believes in making a remarkable difference for you and your customers. Etechs industry-leading technology services, like Etech Insights division, provide you with analytics and insights into your customer interactions. Etechs services enable you to enhance customer experience, increase sales results, meet all corporate governance requirements, and obtain a competitive edge over your competition allowing you to increase market share.Etech Global Services1903 Berry Dr, Nacogdoches, TX 75964press@etechgs.com Hemostasis Market Estimated to Flourish by 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2401 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=2401 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hemostasis-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Hemostasis, the bodys normal physiological response to stop bleeding after a vascular injury, is a key procedure in the first line of action attempted post an injury, by the body itself or by medical respondents. Preventing significant loss of blood is vital for the survival of a patient, making hemostasis the focus of widespread research and study. Owing to the critical nature of the procedure, the market for hemostasis products has gained a prominent position in the field of medicine and healthcare.This report on the global Hemostasis Market is an attempt to give the reader in-depth insights regarding the present state of technological advancements, available products in the global market, highly anticipated products that are undergoing clinical trials, and future scope of development. The report includes a snapshot of the market considering detailed market data pertaining to key segments and sub segments. An exhaustive account of the present market value or prominence of these segments and sub segments for global as well as key regional markets is also included in the report.The research includes data that has been collated from primary and secondary research efforts. Market size in terms of revenue (US$ mn/bn) and volume (Kilo Tons) are includes for all the segments for the period between 2016 and 2024, with 2015 considered the base year for research. Past data according to popular trends has also been included in the report. A thorough account of the key factors such as drivers, restraints, challenges, past and present trends, key regulations, rules, and opportunities in the market is also included in the report.Request to View Brochure of Report -Global Hemostasis Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe rising global prevalence of Hemophilia A and B, the most common inherited bleeding disorders, a significant surge in a variety of surgeries and trauma patients, and the rising use of recombinant products are collectively driving the global hemostasis market. The rapid rate of introduction of cost effective and biodegradable products in the global market is also aiding the growth of the market. Growth across cost-sensitive emerging markets is being essentially a product of the easy availability of cost-effective products. However, the vast saturation in the global hemostasis market and high cost structures of advanced hemostasis product varieties are hampering the growth of the market.Request to View ToC of Report -Global Hemostasis Market: SegmentationThe report segments the global hemostasis products market on the basis of criteria such as product type and geography. On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into: infusible hemostats, topical hemostats, and advanced hemostats and sealants.The segment of topical hemostats is further segmented into oxidized regenerated cellulose, collagen, and gelatin. Topical hemostats find significant usage in surgery settings and are the most preferred hemostats as compared to other varieties owing to their ease of use, cost effectiveness, biodegradable nature, and efficiency. Of the key types of topical hemostats available in the market, collagen in the most prominently used as it starts acting immediately by beginning to clot blood by natural pathways.The segment of infusible hemostats, comprising products such as prothrombin complex, fresh frozen plasma, platelet concentrates gathered from donor blood, and FVIII derived from blood, finds usage mostly only under specific conditions and severe hemorrhages. In comparison, the segment of advanced hemostats, consisting products that have been marketed in recent years, are finding extensive usage owing to their high efficiency rates. Many advanced hemostats and sealants are under research and clinical trials.Companies Mentioned in ReportThe report includes a detailed overview of the business profiles and recent developments for some of the key companies operating in the global hemostasis market. Companies discussed in the report include Abbott Laboratories, Siemens AG, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Chrono-Log Corporation, and Trinity Biotech plc.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Electric Handpieces Market Size, Share, Trend & Growth Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/860001//?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-electric-handpieces-market-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2023/?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-electric-handpieces-market-professional-survey-report-2018/?utm_source=RR-SP https://thefinancialconsulting.com/author/chetan/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/category/news-releases/ http://reports.algosonline.com/ The Electric Handpieces Market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top manufacturers in global and major regions and splits the Electric Handpieces market by product type and applications/end industries.The Electric Handpieces is an instrument that uses electricity to generate a rotary cutting motion, similar to how a drill operates. Often, handpieces are organized by speed range (high speed or low speed) which determines the applications that are suitable. Typical high speed applications include cutting tooth structure and finishing restorations while low speed handpieces have a range of applications including endodontics, implantology, caries removal and prophylaxis. Electric handpieces offer the advantage of more torque, which can translate to smooth, consistent cutting ability across a wide range of speeds.Request for a Sample Copy of Electric Handpieces Market Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Electric Handpieces Market, especially in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, types and applications.Market Segment by Top Manufacturers, this Electric Handpieces Market report covers Danaher, NSK, Dentsply Sirona, W&H, Bien Air, MORITA, SciCan, DentalEZ, Anthogyr, Codent, Sinol, Foshan CAN Dental Equipment Co., Ltd., NOUVAG, TTBIO and Modeer Precision.An inherent sub-vertical of the Medical Devices Industry space, Electric Handpieces market stands to gain remarkable proceeds over 2018-2023, as per a recently compiled report Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversHigh-Speed Electric Handpieces and Low-Speed Electric HandpiecesMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Hospital and Dental ClinicThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Electric Handpieces market.Chapter 1, to describe Electric Handpieces Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Electric Handpieces, with sales, revenue, and price of Electric Handpieces, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Electric Handpieces, for each region, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2013 to 2018;Chapter 12, Electric Handpieces market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2023;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Electric Handpieces sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceFor more information on this report, Please visit at:Qualitative Analysis covers:Industry Status and TrendsManufacturer/Company profiles, manufacturing base distribution, sales areas, product introduction, main business, market position and their competitors.Product Development, Technology, Price, Cost, Manufacturing Process and TrendsMarket segment by regions, types, applications and forecastMarket opportunities, potential, government policies and influence factors.Quantitative Analysis covers:Market size (value, sales/output, historical data and forecasts)Sales/output/capacity, revenue, price, gross margin, market share, for top players. Through interviewing each manufacturers, distributors, traders, dealers and buyers etc.Cost structure, proportion, price trend, gross margin and trend, status and trend, for 10 yearsMarket size by types, regions, applications for 10 yearsMarket forecast based on the potential demand from downstream clients/buyers, government, influence factors and the total economic indication, maybe occur in following years.Related Reports: -Global Electric Handpieces Market Professional Survey Report 2018This report studies Electric Handpieces in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.More Report @Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:More Report at: YANGONAn ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was released from prison on Friday after serving time for inciting unrest in an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the countrys hard-line Buddhist clergymen. Parmaukkha, who was handed a three-month jail term, has helped peddle a fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism and Islamophobia in Myanmar, a country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. The monk was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the US Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against Americas use of the word Rohingya. The Buddhist-majority nation refuses to recognize the Rohingya as citizens, referring pejoratively to the community as Bengalis and insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. On Friday several dozen supporters cheered and scattered petals in front of Parmaukkha as he walked out of Yangons notorious Insein prison at dawn before heading to pray at the citys iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. He has work to do...I love everything he does for religion and the nation, said Aye Lay, a 32-year-old supporter. Anti-Muslim hate speech has been brewing in Myanmar for several years, often spilling over into bouts of bloodshed. Religious hatred has surged in the wake of a ruthless military crackdown that has compelled 700,000 Rohingya to flee the country since August.The UN says the campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide. But many in the Buddhist majority support the crackdown, which the army says was needed to crush a Rohingya militant uprising. Over the past year religious authorities have taken some steps to curb the influence of ultra-nationalist monks like Parmaukkha. His release on Friday coincides with the end of a year-long public speaking ban on Wirathu-sanother firebrand monk known as the face of Myanmars Buddhist nationalist movement. Wirathu, once dubbed the Buddhist Bin Laden, was barred from giving public sermons last year by a council of senior monks who said he had repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife. The monk was also recently kicked off Facebook, where he had amassed a huge following with incendiary anti-Muslim posts. The social media giant said it took down his page in January in accordance with a policy that prohibits people dedicated to promoting hatred and violence against others. AFP Pasta & Noodles Top 5 Emerging Markets is Expected to Reach CAGR of 10.8% During 2017-2021 Pasta & Noodles https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1181712-pasta-noodles-top-5-emerging-markets-industry-guide-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1181712-pasta-noodles-top-5-emerging-markets-industry-guide-2017 Pasta & NoodlesOverviewThe Emerging 5 Pasta & Noodles industry profile provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information including: market share, market size (value and volume 2011-15, and forecast to 2020). The profile also contains descriptions of the leading players including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market.The top 5 emerging countries are expected to reach a value of $29,815.3 million in 2020, with a CAGR of 10.8% over the 2015-20 period.Click here for sample report @Major Scope of the report:These countries contributed $17,832.9 million to the global pasta & noodles industry in 2015, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6% between 2007 and 2011Within the pasta & noodles industry, China is the leading country among the top 5 emerging nations, with market revenues of $14,501.4 million in 2015. This was followed by Brazil and Mexico with a value of $2,006.6 and $621.0 million, respectively.China is expected to lead the pasta & noodles industry in the top five emerging nations, with a value of $25,633.3 million in 2020, followed by Brazil and Mexico with expected values of $2,405.2 and $819.0 million, respectively.ScopeSave time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, major segments, and leading players in the global oil & fats market.Use the Five Forces analysis to determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of the global oil & fats market.Leading company profiles reveal details of key oil & fats market players global operations and financial performance.Add weight to presentations and pitches by understanding the future growth prospects of the global oil & fats market with five year forecasts by both value and volumeTable of ContentsIntroductionWhat is this report about?Who is the target reader?How to use this reportDefinitionsTop Emerging Countries Pasta & NoodlesIndustry OutlookPasta & Noodles in South AfricaMarket OverviewMarket DataMarket SegmentationMarket outlookFive forces analysisMacroeconomic indicatorsPasta & Noodles in BrazilMarket OverviewMarket DataMarket SegmentationMarket outlookFive forces analysis.ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Bio-MEMS Market: Extensive Bio-MEMS Usage in Diagnostics with Help of Microfluidics Positively Influences Growth Trajectory https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=15530 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bio-mems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global bio-microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) market has been projected in a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) to bear a fairly consolidated vendor landscape. Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Baxter International Inc., Becton Dickinson, and Abbott Laboratories have been among the leading companies dominating the vendor landscape of the market. An aggregate share of close to a 45.0% had been secured by the top five players operating in the market. With a view to improve their product portfolio, these players have been taking to continuous research and development and the development of novel products with consistent efforts. In order to stay dominant in the market and gain a larger share, companies could consider strategizing key mergers and acquisitions.Obtain Brochure@The global bio-MEMS market has been foreseen in the TMR report to grow at a CAGR of 20.9% during the forecast timeframe 2016-2024. By 2024, the market could bag a US$3.8 bn, after progressing from a valuation of US$0.6 bn in 2015. In terms of application, cardio-MEMS has been anticipated to collect a lions share of 25.8% by the completion of the forecast timeframe. By region, North America could take a leading position in the market while garnering a dominant share of 37.4% by the closure of 2024.Tissue engineering widening its applications in unconventional surgical procedures has been envisaged to create a phenomenal backdrop for the world bio-MEMS market to ride its progress on. Terminally ill patients could be treated with the use of bio-MEMS sensors including topical sensors. These have been predicted to be counted among the two most crucial factors driving growth in the market.Developed regions such as North America have been forecast to offer scores of positive business prospects in the coming years due to a strong provision of government grants reserved for the development of healthcare infrastructure. While this could be a key element of the markets success, applications such as cardio-MEMS have been prognosticated to set the tone for a valuable growth in the near future because of their increasing demand. It has been projected that the demand for cardio-MEMS could increase as the prevalence of heart diseases and related health problems continue to see a rise.Obtain Report Details @Dependence on Technologically Advanced Medical Infrastructure Deters GrowthThe international bio-MEMS market has been envisioned to witness a slack in growth owing to the requirement of highly sophisticated techniques for fabrication and the complex manufacturing process. The adoption of bio-MEMS has been quite difficult due to unrestrained reliance on technologically sophisticated medical infrastructure. Moreover, MEMS could be unaffordable and expensive to implement for some organizations.However, the growth trajectory of the international bio-MEMS market has been prophesied to move into a positive direction because of the uptake of microfluidics. Currently, bio-MEMS are widely engaged for diagnostic purposes using microfluidics. Quick detection of bacteria and pathogens and other advantages of bio-MEMS could prove to be extremely vital for market growth. A lead author of the report has noted that the market could find the swelling engagement of bio-MEMS in the biomedical industry quite significant for its growth.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: India Yogurt Market (Size, Share, Trends, Opportunities, Forecast, Drivers, Challenges) Outlook, 2023 https://www.bonafideresearch.com/product/180220251/India-Yogurt-Market-Outlook,-2023 https://www.bonafideresearch.com/download_page.php?product_code=180220251 https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafide-research/ https://twitter.com/Bonafide_R https://www.facebook.com/bonafideresearch Hot up and make up of India frozen Yogurt market by Retail Yogurt makers and Yogurt service chain: Bonafide ResearchIndian was known of the Yogurt from past but only in the form of Curd/Dahi, Lassi and Buttermilk not any other form. With the passage of time, westernisation and increased health awareness Yogurt in Frozen form were demanded. Companies operating outside Indian and operating in India took these challenges and came up with various flavours of Frozen Yogurt in India. In initial stage, it had faced tough times as most of Indian homes set Curd/Dahi at their own and consumes daily. So it was challenging to convince them with frozen Yogurt offered by companies and retail chains. But with its taste, benefits, attractive look started to gain attention of people. Retail Yogurt makers like Amul. Danone, Mother Dairy, Britannia, Parag Foods are offering various Yogurt by competing Yogurt service chin like Cocoberry, Red Mango, Menchie's, Forever Yogurt and Flavour24.According to reports 'India Yogurt Market Outlook, 2023' published by Bonafide Research, India Yogurt market has witnessed growth rate around 17% from past six years from 2011-12 to 2016-17. Its total Yogurt market is consist Organised and Unorganised Yogurt market wherein Unorganised Yogurt market dominates the Organised one. Organised Yogurt market is further segmented into Retail Yogurt Market and Yogurt Service Market. Retail Yogurt market is tracked by Yogurt service Chain market by holding around 95% market share. Both the markets are divided in Spoonful Yogurt and Drinkable Yogurt in which Spoonful has bigger pie. In case of Retail Yogurt market, players like GCMMF, Mother Dairy, Nestle India and Parag Milk Foods have held more than 50% of the market. On the other side, Yogurt service chain market, Flavours24, Cocoberry, Red Mango has constituted 30% of the service chain market in the year 2016-17.Report Link:Players whether retail or service chain widening their portfolio of Yogurt to serve Indian consumers. Amul launched an all natural probiotic vitamins fortified flavored Yogurt under the brand name 'Flaavyo' in early 2011 with two flavours Mango and Strawberry. Following the trend Mother Dairy had also launched its Yogurt in Mango, Blueberry and Raspberry flavours. Parag Foods has introduced Go Yogurt with an Indian twist in four flavours Strawberry, Mango, Banana & Pineapple. Recently it has highest flavour of Yogurt apart from above flavours namely Mixed Berry, Lychee, Guava, Vanilla and Kesar. The words Greek Yogurt is most often associated with Epigamia, the first Greek Yogurt in India. It is manufactured and distributed by the Drum Food International. It is followed by Nestle In 2016 and Danone in 2017. Apart from these Giants Cooperative dairy (Paras dairy, Tirumala Milk Products, KMF) and regional players are also offering wide varieties of frozen Yogurt.In the matter of Yogurt service chain, Cocoberry is the first home grown service chain founded in year 2009. Red Mango, the U.S-headquartered frozen Yogurt has tracked Cocoberry and came in India in 2012. Another franchise for South Korean brand Yogurberry for North and East India started offering its frozen Yogurt. Kiwi Kiss owned by Brand Calculus Franchising also offers of the Frozen Yogurt mostly in South India. Flavour24 is also home grown Yogurt service chain in India established in August 2012; they currently operate 24 outlets across the country. Forever Yogurt is third franchise of the Polo foods in India. It is the Master Franchisee of Forever Yogurt not only in India but also for the countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. Thus all these players are doing hot up and make up og frozen Yogurt market in India and giving fire to the overall Yogurt market.Indian consumers are in transitional phase wherein they are shifting from unpackaged or lose Yogurt to packaged Yogurt. In this phase, Retail Yogurt makers and Yogurt service chains are helping Indians to move ahead and have healthy and tasty Yogurt replacing old practices. They are fighting with each to have lion's share in the overall Yogurt market in the country. said Dhwipal Shah, Director with Bonafide ResearchGeography: IndiaBase Year: 2016-17, Estimated Year: 2017-18, Forecast Year: 2022-23Pages: 165, Figures: 40, Tables: 25Customers can also request for 16 hours post sales support and 10% free customization with this report.Covered in the report: Organized Yogurt Unorganized Yogurt Packaged/Retail Yogurt Packaged/Retail Spoonful Yogurt Packaged/Retail Drinkable Yogurt Yogurt Service Spoonful Yogurt e Chain"India Yogurt Market Outlook, 2023" discusses the following aspects of Yogurts in India:How it will help solving your strategic decision making process??The report gives an in-depth understanding of the Yogurt market in India:- India Yogurt Market Outlook- India Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Organized Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Spoonful Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Drinkable Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Unorganized Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Organized Yogurt Market Segmental Analysis: By Category, By Packaged/ Retail Vs. Service Chain- India Packaged/ Retail Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Packaged/ Retail Yogurt Market Segmental Analysis: By Company, By Region, By Category- India Packaged/ Retail Spoonful Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Plain/Natural Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Frozen Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Packaged/ Retail Spoonful Yogurt Market Segmental Analysis: By Company, By Product Type- Packaging Analysis of Spoonful Yogurt- Product Price & Variant Analysis of Spoonful Yogurt- India Packaged/ Retail Drinkable Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Buttermilk Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Lassi Yogurt Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Packaged/ Retail Drinkable Yogurt Market Segmental Analysis: By Company, By Product Type- Packaging Analysis of Drinkable Yogurt- Product Price & Variant Analysis of Drinkable Yogurt- India Yogurt Service Chain Market Size By Value & Forecast- India Yogurt Service Chain Market Segmental Analysis: By Company, By Category- Product Price & Variant Analysis of yogurt service chain- Key Vendors in this market spaceDownload Sample Page:Major companies that operate into the Yogurt market in India are Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Private Limited, Parag Milk Foods Limited, Prabhat Dairy Limited, Drums Food International Private Limited, Hatsun Agro Product Limited, Heritage Foods Limited, Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation, Tirumala Milk Products Private Limited, VRS Foods Limited, Nestle India Limited, Danone Foods and Beverages India Private Limited, Britannia Dairy Private Limited, Cocoberry Restaurants and Distributors Private Limited, Team24 Foods & Beverages Private Limited (Flavours24), Maez One Retail and Food Private Limited (Red Mango), Brand Calculus Franchising (India) Private Limited (Kiwi kiss), Polo Foods QSR Private Limited, MOI Retail Private Limited, Fonterra India Private Limited, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Modern Cream Dairy Industries Pvt. Ltd.This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.Bonafide Research is one of the fastest growing market research and consulting company. Our report store have collection of 30,000 premium research reports for variety of industrial verticals. We are expert in syndicated research reports & custom research solutions across the domains. We have been closely working with fortune 500 clients by helping them in tracking the constantly changing market scenario. Bonafide has continuously made efforts to evolve and enhance the report quality with each passing day. Our client base consists of BCG, Ernst & Young, PwC, Inflexion, Nestle, Crompton Greaves, SRF, CPF, Aramax, Stainhoff, Welspun, Blaupunkt, Brookfield, Lindt, Storck, GCPL, ITC, Microtek, Anchor, Hero Eco, LG Chem, Sojitz Corp., Sumitomo, FMC Corp., Lutron and many more.Steven ThomasBonafide Research & Marketing Pvt. Ltd.Address: T-13/A, IndiaBulls Mega Mall, Jetalpur Road, VadodaraPhone: +91 265 6551309 / +91 7878231309Email: sales@bonafideresearch.comLinkedin:Twitter:Facebook: Motorized Prostheses Market to Record Sturdy Growth by 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=39374 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=39374 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/motorized-prostheses-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Motorized prosthesis is an artificial medical device used to perform functions of missing body parts that were lost due to congenital factors, trauma, or various other diseases. Motorized prosthesis are a combination of biomedical engineering and neuroscience. The motorized prosthesis is based on brain-computed interface and muscle innervation technology, to avail biological functioning of missing body parts. Motorized prosthesis is a complex network of motors and cognitive modalities. These devices are made support autonomous nervous system functions such as devices for bladder control. Motorized prostheses are in the research and development phase. Various technological advancements are used to develop novel prosthesis to support the normal functioning of the body.Increasing research & development expenditure to support the life of affected patients with missing body parts, technological advancement in motorized prosthesis, rising geriatric population, and rise in trauma cases across the globe are driving the Motorized Prostheses Market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, nearly 50 million people across the globe are severely injured every year due to road accidents. The severity of these injuries sometimes result in loss of limbs. The number is said to witness an alarming rise of around 65% in the coming years. The scenario is expected to increase the demand for motorized prosthesis across the globe. However, motor prosthesis is in its initial phase of development and factors such as high developmental cost and high pricing are likely to restrain the motorized prosthesis market.Request to View Brochure of Report -The motorized prostheses market has been segmented into DNA type, application, end-user, and geography. In terms of DNA type, the motorized prostheses market has been categorized into oligonucleotide DNA (oDNA) and complementary DNA (cDNA). Based on application, the motorized prostheses market has been segmented into upper limb prosthetic and lower limb prosthetic. In terms of end-user, the motorized prostheses market has been segregated into hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and others.Based on geography, the motorized prostheses market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America was the largest motorized prostheses market owing to favorable government policies, increase in incentives. Technological advancement in motorized prostheses is anticipated to propel the market in North America. According to an article published by the University of Pittsburgh, approximately 2 million individuals live without a limb in the U.S. alone, and nearly 185,000 amputations occur in the U.S. every year. Europe was the second largest motorized prostheses market. Increasing research & development expenditure, rising prevalence of back and neck/upper-limb problems and increasing number of neurological disorders in the region are expected to propel the motorized prostheses market in Europe.Request to View ToC of Report -According to WHO, in Germany around 250,000 to 500,000 people suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI) every year. Most of these spinal cord injuries are caused due to road accidents, violence, and falls. Technological advancements, growth in infrastructure, and increase in disposable income are projected to drive the market in Asia Pacific. China, Japan, and India are rapidly developing countries in the region. Increasing adoption of technological advanced products and establishment of foreign companies in these countries are expected drive the market in the region. Countries such as Brazil and Mexico are expected to support the expansion of the market in Latin American due to improving medical infrastructure and rising disposable income.Key players operating in the motorized prostheses market include Advanced Arm Dynamics, Bionic Prosthetics and Orthotics Group LLC, BionX Medical Technologies, Inc., Faulhaber Group, Freedom Innovations, LLC, Mobius Bionics LLC, Ottobock Holding, and Touch Bionics Inc.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Atrial Flutter Market Progresses For Huge Profits During 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=39377 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=39377 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/atrial-flutter-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Atrial flutter is abnormal heart rhythm. It is characterized by atrial rates of 240 to 400 beats per minute and blockage in atrioventricular node. Atrioventricular node controls the heart rate and is one of the major elements in the cardiac conduction system. Atrial flutter leads to irregular electrical impulse of the heart resulting in disorganized contraction in parts of heart and disability to pump required amount of blood. The common causes of atrial flutter include excessive alcohol consumption, coronary heart disease, heart bypass surgery, hypertension, heart valve disease, overactive thyroid gland, and sick sinus syndrome.Rise in number of people with common diseases such as diabetes and obesity is expected to drive the global Atrial Flutter Market during the forecast period. Increase in prevalence of heart diseases such as congestive heart failure, heart attack, and stroke are also likely to propel the market. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. More people die annually from cardiovascular diseases than from any other cause. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for an estimated 17.7 million deaths in 2015, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million due to stroke.Request to View Brochure of Report -The global atrial flutter market can be segmented based on type of atrial flutter, treatment type, end-user, and region. In terms of type of atrial flutter, the market can be categorized into typical atrial flutter, reverse typical atrial flutter, incisional atrial re-entry, left atrial flutter, and atypical atrial flutter. Based on treatment type, the global atrial flutter market can be classified into catheter ablation treatment, acute treatment, anticoagulant treatment, surgical treatment, and others. Based on end-user, the market can be divided into hospitals, electrophysiology labs, ambulatory surgical centers, and others.In terms of region, the global atrial flutter market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the global market in 2016, owing to increase in prevalence of heart diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease accounts for about 610,000 deaths in the U.S. each year i.e., 1 in every 4 deaths. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease, accounting for over 370,000 deaths annually. Europe is expected to be the second largest market in terms of revenue. The market in the region is likely to be driven by increase in adoption of technologically advanced products, advanced health care facilities and infrastructure, and rise in prevalence of hypertension and obesity.Request to View ToC of Report -Asia Pacific is anticipated to register high growth from 2017 to 2025 due to factors such as increase in disposable income and aging patient population. According to the United Nations ESCAP, Asia Pacific is home to about 60% of the worlds geriatric population, defined as people at 60 years and older. The geriatric population is expected to more than double from 547 million in 2016 to nearly 1.3 billion by 2050. Countries such as Brazil and Mexico are expected to contribute to the growth of the market in Latin America due to improving medical infrastructure.Key players operating in the global atrial flutter market include Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and Medtronic.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Canes and Crutches Market to Observe Strong Development by 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=39404 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=39404 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/canes-crutches-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Personal mobility devices have helped humans for centuries by improving their quality of life especially for the elderly and disabled individuals. A wide range of new, improved, and innovative personal mobility devices are currently available in the global Canes and Crutches Market. Technological advancements and improved product designs in addition to government subventions are expected to propel the market in the near future. Personal mobility devices include walkers, wheelchairs, motorized scooters, canes, and crutches. Canes and crutches are manual mobility aids used by the geriatric and disabled population. These are available in simple design and made using metals such as steel and aluminum or wood. The basic T crutch design has evolved to aluminum braces with energy storing tips or ice-gripping tips that function as shock absorbers. Crutches are useful for people having lower-limb injuries.Crutches reduce the weight from the injured or disabled leg and provides support for balance and stability. Crutches also help reduce recovery time and decrease discomfort while walking. Canes and crutches are thus designed to assist individuals with walking disabilities. Different types of canes and crutches are manufactured by different companies across the globe. They primarily consist of aluminum rods or tubing and have provision for adjustment holes to adjust the size. Canes and crutches are utilized by individuals aged 40 years or above with walking disabilities. Additionally, reasonable product pricing is expected to increase consumer base. For instance, customers who find other advanced mobility products unaffordable, utilize cranes or crutches.Request to View Brochure of Report -Rising number of geriatric and disabled population, increasing acceptance of improved and/or technologically advanced products, rising awareness, and affordability of products globally are key factors driving the global canes and crutches market. Rising life expectancy is steadily increasing the percentage of people requiring walking aid in the world. In Europe, one percent of the population requires wheelchair and nearly five to six percent of population need walking aid. Continuous ongoing R&D activities for product improvement along with technological advancements are anticipated to is expected to propel the global canes and crutches market during the forecast period.The global canes and crutches market can be segmented based on product type, distribution channel, and geography. In terms of product type, the market can be divided into folding canes, quad canes, offset canes, and different types of crutches such as axillary crutches, elbow crutches and forearm crutches. Axillary crutches are also called as underarm crutches. Based on distribution channel, the global canes and crutches market can be segregated into hospitals pharmacies, medical care retail stores, and e-commerce stores.Request to View ToC of Report -The global canes and crutches market can be categorized into five major regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Patients with mobility impairment are susceptible to various medical problems due to access barriers in public places, hence there is a consistency in demand for mobility devices. The canes and crutches market is largely centered in developed markets such as the U.S., Germany, the U.K., France, and Japan. The U.S. accounts for a major share of the market. However, the market in countries such as China, South Korea, and India is expanding at a considerable pace due to rise in health care reforms, increase in disposable income, and growth in geriatric and disabled population. Therefore, the market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period.Key players operating in the global canes and crutches market include Amigo Mobility International, Inc., Drive Medical and Graham-Field Health Products Incorporated (GF Health Products, Inc.).View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Fibrin Sealants Market to Record an Exponential CAGR by 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=39422 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=39422 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fibrin-sealants-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Hemostasis and tissue sealing agents are medical devices utilized to control bleeding during surgical procedures. Fibrin was the first modern hemostatic agent approved for use in the U.S. in 1998. Fibrin sealant is the only commercially available FDA-approved material for clinical use as a hemostat, sealant, and adhesive. Fibrin sealants are referred as most adopted hemostats worldwide. Flowable hemostatic agents are thick fibrin sealants, flowable, consistency products, which comprise two chief components, one active and the other passive, that convert fibrinogen to fibrin at the site of bleeding.The passive component is either bovine or porcine gelatin, while the active component is thrombin. Thrombin addition to gelatin may not be required in certain cases. Advancements in hemostasis technology has led to development of wide range of products that have enabled clinicians to provide proper emergency assistance to patients. Hemostatic products include thrombin sealants, fibrin glue, bovine serum/albumin/glutaraldehyde, gelatin matrix, microfibrillar collagen matrix, and oxidized regenerated cellulose. Each of these agents differ in mechanism, application, and cost. Fibrin sealant can be applied in liquid form or as a patch.However, liquid fibrin presents a challenge of being cumbersome to use due to its preparatory steps of thawing, mixing, etc. Hence, patches have become far convenient for use as hemostatic agents. Baxter Healthcares Tisseel and TachoSil, Orthovita, Inc.s Vitagel, and Ethicon US, LLCs Evicel and Evarrest are the prominent fibrin sealant based hemostatic products in the Fibrin Sealants Market. Tisseel has been used in Europe for more than 25 years and has been used for over 9.5 million surgical procedures including cardiac, splenic trauma, and colon anastomosis surgery. Evicel has been approved by the U.S. FDA for hemostasis in liver surgery.Request to View Brochure of Report -The patient pool with different chronic diseases is also growing rapidly across the world. This is likely to increase the number of surgical procedures, consequently propelling the fibrin sealants market in the near future. Strict but inconsistent regulatory policies across the world are creating an apprehensive environment among the market players, thereby restraining the fibrin sealants market. According to the National Hemophilia Foundation, over 400,000 people suffer from hemophilia globally. However, only about 176,000 are accurately identified. Factor VIII forms an indispensable treatment option for such patients. Large unmet needs of the undiagnosed population is likely to propel the fibrin sealants market. Increase in number of trauma cases, rise in geriatric population, surge in surgical procedures, high number of patients with blood-related disorders such as hemophilia, and expanding product portfolios are the major drivers of the fibrin sealants market.The global fibrin sealants market can be segmented based on type of product, end-user, and region. In terms of type of product, the market can be classified into liquid form, patch, and others. New product launch of sealants across the world is projected to boost the growth of the global fibrin sealants market. Based on end-user, the global fibrin sealants market can be categorized into hospitals, specialty clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers. The hospitals segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market.Request to View ToC of Report -The global fibrin sealants market can be segmented into five key regions: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe are expected to dominate the market due to high number of surgeries carried out in these regions. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence rate of hemophilia in the U.S. is 1 in every 5000 male births. Von Willebrand disease (VWD), another bleeding disorder, is the most commonly occurring blood disorder that affects 1% of the population of the U.S. The hemostasis products market in Asia Pacific offers significant opportunities in the next few years. Growth of the market is attributed to large patient pool with underserved requirements along with rapidly growing population, and rise in investments by market players in this region.The global fibrin sealants market is fragmented, with presence of small number of key players. These include Baxter International, CSL Behring, and Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Chelating Agents Market Growth Opportunities and Challenges 2017-2024 https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1158 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1158 https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/chelating-agents-market https://www.gminsights.com http://algosonline.com/news Chelating Agents Industry BackgroundGlobal chelating agents market is versatile in nature with application areas including paper & pulp, agrochemicals, water treatment, cleaners, personal care products, chemical processing, food & beverage, textiles, metalworking, oilfields, and pharmaceuticals. The product provides desirable surface treatment in order to prevent scaling and also controls metal poisoning by binding to particular toxic metal ions. As a result, they are also useful to manufacture chelated micronutrients for easy absorption by plants.Bio-based products are naturally decomposable and will likely substitute the petrochemical based counterparts owing to the increasing environment concerns throughout the world. Sodium gluconate has gained popularity on the account of its superior chelating properties along with efficient biodegradability, and will likely have a significant growth rate in the overall market in upcoming years.Request for a sample copy of this research report @Chelating Agents Industry OverviewChelating Agents Market size will exceed USD 5 billion by the end of 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Mandatory regulations regarding industrial cleanliness and growing awareness about household microbes due to unclean surfaces will likely propel the overall chelating agents market. The product finds significant application in the manufacturing of household and industrial detergents. Government initiatives regarding improvement of hygiene, along with rapid developments of synthetic laundry and liquid detergents will augment the growth. Increasing population and enhancing living standards will further catalyze the global detergents industry, hence driving the chelating agents market.Rising awareness pertaining to water treatment will also drive the chelating agents market in the upcoming period. With various regulatory bodies at different levels including the EPA, ASTM, REACH, Energy & Environmental Affairs (EEA), European Environment Agency, National Science Foundation (NSF), etc. mandating industrial waste water treatment, the product demand in water treatment chemicals will increase significantly. Chelating agents, such as citric acid, have good water softening properties and find varied applications in treatment of waste water. Water treatment chemicals industry was worth more than USD 25 billion in 2015 and will likely reach USD 40 billion in 2024.Chelating Agents Industry By SegmentChelating agents market has been categorized into aminopolycarboxylic acid, commonly called as APCA, sodium gluconate, organophosphates, and others such as EDTA, etc. In 2015, APCA products generated more than USD 1.5 billion and will likely flourish by around 3.5% CAGR in the forecast spell. These products are modifiable to act towards the desired metal ions present in hard waters.Bioderived sodium gluconate will likely gain the market owing to its eco-friendly and non-toxic nature. This product segment accounted for over 35% of the overall chelating agents market in 2015.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Chelating Agents Industry By ApplicationThe product application segment has been classified into pulp & paper, water treatment, agrochemicals, household & industrial cleaning, consumer products, chemical processing, and others. Pulp & paper application segment for bleaching, whitening, pulping, and descaling of the end products generated beyond USD 1 billion in 2015. Growing demand for recycled paper products will augment the overall chelating agents market growth.Water treatment chemicals accounted for less than a tenth of the total chelating agents market in 2015, but will have a fast growth owing to strict government regulations regarding waste water treatment and reclamation of industrial waste water.Chelating Agents Industry By RegionPrevalence of several paper & pulp industries and agrochemical industries in China, India, and south east Asian countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, etc. has rendered Asia Pacific a significant region for chelating agents market growth. Growing awareness about hygiene among the huge populations of China and India will likely enhance the product application in detergents and cleaners manufactured in this region. In 2015, Asia Pacific had more than 40% of the overall chelating agents market share.Competitive Chelating Agents Industry ShareChelating agents market competitive landscape is fragmented with the presence of numerous manufacturing companies including AkzoNobel, BASF SE, Mitsubishi Rayon, Kemira Oyj, Archer Daniels Midland, EMD Millipore, Lanxess, Tate & Lyle, Sigma-Aldrich, Dabeer, Cargill Inc, Dow Chemical Company, Nagase ChemteX, AVA Chemicals, and Shandong IRO.Chapter 4. Chelating Agents Market, By Product4.1. Chelating agents market share by product, 2015 & 20244.2. Aminopolycarboxylic acid (APCA)4.2.1. Market estimates and forecasts, 2013 - 20244.2.2. Market estimates and forecasts by region, 2013 20244.3. Sodium Gluconate4.3.1. Market estimates and forecasts, 2013 - 20244.3.2. Market estimates and forecasts by region, 2013 20244.4. Organophosphates4.4.1. Market estimates and forecasts, 2013 - 20244.4.2. Market estimates and forecasts by region, 2013 20244.5. Others4.5.1. Market estimates and forecasts, 2013 - 20244.5.2. Market estimates and forecasts by region, 2013 2024Browse Full TOC @About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:Connect with us: Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter Hotel and Restaurant Equipment: The Next Booming Segment in the Tourism Market Hotel and Restaurant Equipment http://orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2087569 http://orbisresearch.com/reports/index/the-future-of-panama-hotel-and-restaurant-equipment-markets-to-2025 http://orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase/2087569 https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbis-research https://twitter.com/orbisresearch https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orbis-Research/820969017982115 Latest Report Available at Orbis research Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Market provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics and a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining industry growth.Request sample copy of this report @Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment of USD XX million in 2017 is expected to increase to USD XX million by 2022, at a CAGR of XX%. Driven by surge in market conditions and technological advancements, the Hotel & Restaurant Equipment has witnessed strong growth in terms of sales.The countrys Electronic communication industry has strong growth potential across the market. In terms of Strong investment opportunities /Strong and product sales, the sector is offering strong growth prospect for both domestic and international companies.Evolving Strong Market Trends /StrongNew market trends continue to emerge in Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment, in particular, driven by improving economic conditions. Foray of new companies coupled with technological advancements continue to shape new market dynamics.Strong Market Segmentation /StrongThe Hotel & Restaurant Equipment is further segmented by type and in addition to overall Strong market forecast /Strong , the report provides forecasts for Hotel & Restaurant Equipment by type. Further, the growth and industry conditions in the Panama market are assessed in comparison to regional Hotel & Restaurant Equipments.Browse Complete Report @Report ScopeMarket overview for Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment along with regional comparison and Strong competitive analysis /StrongStrong Current status /Strong of the market together with detailed analysis on drivers and challengesIdentification of factors fundamental for growth in the industry, potential opportunities /em along with trends shaping the future of global and regional Hotel & Restaurant EquipmentsStrong Supply opportunities /Strong including tenders available for bidding in Panama Hotel & Restaurant EquipmentsegmentTrade value, import and export values /em and quantities of Hotel & Restaurant Equipment sectorIn depth analysis of companies present in Hotel & Restaurant Equipment along with their Strong strategies /Strong and company SWOT profilesAnalysis and forecasts of both macro and micro factors /em set to impact the existing players in Hotel & Restaurant EquipmentInsights into recent industry developments and their impact on companies operating and planning to enter Panama Hotel & Restaurant EquipmentPurchase a copy of Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Market visit @For more information contact sales@orbisresearch.comSome points From TOC:1 Table of Contents1.1 List of Tables1.2 List of Figures2 Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Market Overview, 20182.1 Introduction to Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Market2.2 Industry Snapshot, 20183 Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Strategic Analysis Review, 2018- 20253.1 Key Trends Shaping the Future of Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Industry3.2 Industry Drivers3.3 Challenges Facing Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Companies4 Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment- Market SWOT Analysis4.1 Key Strengths4.2 Major Weaknesses4.3 Potential Opportunities4.4 Key Threats5 PanamaHotel & Restaurant Equipment Market Value Forecast, 2017- 20255.1 Panama Market Outlook, $ billion, 2017- 20255.2 Panama Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Market by Type, 2017- 2025For any enquires before buying, connect with us @ enquiry@orbisresearch.comAbout Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Like us on Facebook: New Report Offers Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Market, Trends, Future Prospects during 2017-2026 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4474 https://www.mrrse.com/duchenne-muscular-dystrophy-treatment-market https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ New research report offers a comprehensive analysis of the Global Market Study on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Europe to Lead the Global Market in Terms of Revenue during 2017 2026 The main objective of this report is to deliver insightful information and clear-cut facts pertaining to the growth trajectories of the market.Request to view Sample Report @Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a muscle degeneration and is a genetic disorder which is X-linked recessive. However, it is also inherited from parents or caused due to a new mutation. There are various therapies and drugs to control DMD, however, there is still no cure for duchenne muscular dystrophy.Major driving factors in the global duchenne muscular dystrophy market are the introduction of novel drugs and therapies, disease-modifying therapies, strong support from various companies for drug development and support from patient advocacy groups on the regulatory approval process. Moreover, mutation-specific therapies are likely to emerge as a major breakthrough in the duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment. Drug developers are also focusing on developing new drugs and therapies targeting newborns, young infants and also the last-stage DMD patients. In the last few years, there has been rapid development in the duchenne muscular dystrophy therapeutics. However, there is still a large number of patients who are not able to benefit from therapies and drugs due to its high cost and lack of awareness.Corticosteroids to Emerge as the Top-Selling Product in the Global Market for Duchenne Muscular DystrophyCompared to the various products, corticosteroids are likely to emerge as the top-selling products during 2017-2026. By 2026 end, corticosteroids are projected to surpass US$ 9,000 million revenue. Various scientific research has found that compared to various products to treat duchenne muscular dystrophy, corticosteroids help in improving muscle strength for up to two to five years, however, long-term benefit of corticosteroids is still not clear.Hospital Pharmacies to Emerge as the Largest Distribution ChannelHospital pharmacies are likely to be the largest distribution channel between 2017 and 2026. Towards 2026 end, hospital pharmacies are projected to reach more than US$ 6,200 million revenue. Increasing number of people are being hospitalized for duchenne muscular dystrophy. Hence, drugs for duchenne muscular dystrophy are being sold on a large scale through hospital pharmacies. Also, governments of various countries are investing in the development of hospitals in urban as well as rural areas, this is also contributing to the growth of hospital pharmacies.Browse Full Report with TOC @Mutation Suppression to be the Highly Preferred Therapy for Duchenne Muscular DystrophyAmong various therapies available for duchenne muscular dystrophy, mutation suppression is likely to be one of the highly preferred therapy for duchenne muscular dystrophy. By 2026 end, mutation suppression is projected to surpass US$ 6,000 million revenue. Mutation suppression therapy in duchenne muscular dystrophy targets the specific mutation causing the muscular dystrophy. Also, nonsense mutation suppression therapy has offered potential benefit to a lot of people suffering from duchenne. However, several therapies are currently under clinical trials, while some are close to getting approval by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).Europe to Emerge as the Largest Region in the Global Market for Duchenne Muscular DystrophyEurope is likely to emerge as one of the leading region in the global market for duchenne muscular dystrophy. Europe is projected to surpass US$ 4,900 million revenue by 2026 end. Meanwhile, North America followed by the Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) are also likely to see a robust growth between 2017 and 2026.Key Players in the Global Market for Duchenne Muscular DystrophySome of the major companies operating in the global market for duchenne muscular dystrophy include ITALFARMACO S.p.A., FibroGen, Inc., Summit Therapeutics plc, PTC Therapeutics, Santhera Pharmaceuticals, and Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: HAVANACuba on Sunday designates the 605 members of its National Assembly, an electoral process without surprise since there are as many candidates as seats. But one of them will succeed President Raul Castro in April, marking the first generational change of leadership under the islands communist rule. For the first time in nearly 60 years, after the era of the Castro brothers, the presidency of Cuba will go to someone who did not fight in the revolution of 1959. His name will be known on April 19, the 57th anniversary of the failed CIA-backed invasion of the Bay of Pigs, known in Cuba as Playa Giron and considered on the island as the first defeat of Yankee imperialism in Latin America. Raul Castro, 86, officially became president in 2008 after two years as interim leader, and following his ailing brother Fidel who had governed since seizing power during the revolution. Fidel died in 2016. More than eight million Cubans are eligible to vote for provincial assembly delegates and the 605 chosen for the National Assembly, a list screened by the countrys only party, the Communists. Candidates may be either members of the Cuban Communist Party or not, and may also belong to trade unions or be students. Political parties dont participate. Campaigns are not financed. The designation of candidates is based on merit, abilities and the commitment of the people, Raul Castro said in 2017. Nobody exchanges promises for votes, or boasts of his abilities to get supporters... this is the true and exceptional face of what we proudly call socialist democracy, the official daily Granma wrote. Among the list of future Assembly members are the leaders of the Cuban Communist Party including Raul Castro, his first secretary-general, and historic figures of the revolution. More than half of the candidates, 322, are women. Cubas president is designated by a 31-member body called the Council of State, whose head is automatically president of the country. But the Council of State first has to be selected by the National Assembly.Castro had already announced that he would not be seeking a new term, although he is expected to remain head of the all-powerful Communist Party. His first vice-president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, 57, is widely expected to succeed him and is committed to guaranteeing continuity. Born after the revolution, Diaz-Canel, an engineer, slowly climbed to the top rungs of Cubas hierarchy over a three-decade career under Rauls mentorship. There will still be a president of Cuba in the process of defending the revolution, he said in November. A Cuban citizen will occupy the supreme office of the country but will not have the legitimacy that the triumphal process of 1959 conferred... on the two leaders who guided (the island) during this time, Julio Cesar Guanche, a professor of law and history, said on the OnCuba website. The legitimacy of the next president will come more from his institutional performance rather than his personal history, Guanche said. Cuban dissident Rosa Maria Paya, of the Cuba Decide movement, wants a referendum on modifying the islands government system and says her group will be watching for signs of rejection of the electoral process, in which in reality we cannot elect anyone. Cubans who want to demonstrate opposition typically spoil their ballots. The Otro18 opposition movement is also calling for change. The citizens do not participate in the choice or the election of the president and we think its a decisive moment for the citizens to push a request to change the electoral system, says Manuel Costa Morua, Otro18s leader. AFP Oil & Gas North America (NAFTA) Industry Guide 2017-2022 Oil & Gas North America (NAFTA) https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2385257-oil-gas-north-america-nafta-industry-guide-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2385257-oil-gas-north-america-nafta-industry-guide-2017 OverviewThe NAFTA Oil & Gas industry profile provides top-line qualitative and quantitative summary information including: market size (value and volume 2012-16, and forecast to 2021). The profile also contains descriptions of the leading players including key financial metrics and analysis of competitive pressures within the market.Click here for sample report @Major Highlights of the ReportThe North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trade agreement between the countries in North America: the US, Canada and Mexico. The oil & gas industry within the NAFTA countries had a total market value of $344.4 billion in 2016.The US was the fastest growing country, with a CAGR of -18.6% over the 2012-16 period.Within the oil & gas industry, the US is the leading country among the NAFTA bloc, with market revenues of $286.0 billion in 2016. This was followed by Canada and Mexico, with a value of $32.3 and $26.1 billion, respectively.The US is expected to lead the oil & gas industry in the NAFTA bloc, with a value of $406.1 billion in 2021, followed by Canada and Mexico with expected values of $41.5 and $31.2 billion, respectively.ScopeSave time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, major segments, and leading players in the NAFTA oil & gas market.Use the Five Forces analysis to determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of the NAFTA oil & gas market.Leading company profiles reveal details of key oil & gas market players NAFTA operations and financial performanceAdd weight to presentations and pitches by understanding the future growth prospects of the NAFTA oil & gas market with five year forecasts by both value and volume.Compares data from the US, Canada and Mexico, alongside individual chapters on each countryTable of ContentsIntroductionWhat is this report about?Who is the target reader?How to use this reportDefinitionsNAFTA Oil & GasIndustry OutlookOil & Gas in CanadaMarket OverviewMarket DataMarket SegmentationMarket outlookFive forces analysisMacroeconomic indicatorsOil & Gas in MexicoMarket OverviewMarket DataMarket SegmentationMarket outlookFive forces analysisMacroeconomic indicators..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Automotive Refinish Coatings Market 2018-2024 Latest Technology Innovations, Size, Growth and Forecasted Report https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample_request/1155 https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/enquiry/1155 https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com A recent report published by Infinium Global Research on automotive refinish coatings market provides in depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in global as well as regional automotive refinish coatings market. The study also highlights the impact of drivers, restraints and macro indicators on the global and regional automotive refinish coatings market over the short term as well as long term. The report is a comprehensive presentation of trends, forecast and dollar values of global automotive refinish coatings market. According to report the global automotive refinish coatings market is projected to reach $14.82 billion by 2024, grow at a CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period of 2018-2024.Get Sample Copy of this Report:Segment CoveredThe report on global automotive refinish coatings market covers segments such as, product type, technology and resin type. On the basis of product type the global automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into primer, base coat, clear coat, activator, filler and others. On the basis of technology the global automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into solvent borne, water borne and others. On the basis of resin type the global automotive refinish coatings market is categorized into polyurethane, alkyd and acrylic.Geographic CoverageThe report provides regional analysis covering geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. In this section the key trends and market size for each geography is provided over the period of 2016-2024. The countries covered in the North America region include the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; while Asia-Pacific includes China, Japan, India, South Korea, Malaysia, and among others. Moreover, Germany, U.K., France, Spain, and Rest of Europe are included in the European region. The U.S. drives the growth in the North America region as it is the largest market in the region. The Asia-pacific region offers a substantial potential for the market growth owing to rapid growth in markets such as India and China. The APAC region is projected to experience a growth at a CAGR of x.x% over the period of 2018-2024.Companies Profiled:The report provides profiles of the companies in the global automotive refinish coatings market such as, Autobody Products, Akzo Nobel, Axalta, BASF, Bernardo Ecenarro, Dulux, Helios, Sherwin Williams, Roberlo and Wounder-Tech.For More Enquiry on This Report:Report Highlights:The report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends and micro and macro indicators. In addition, this report provides insights on the factors that are driving and restraining the global automotive refinish coatings market. Moreover, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis given in the report brings an insight on the investment areas that existing or new market players can consider. The report provides insights into the market using analytical tools such as Porter's five forces analysis and DRO analysis of automotive refinish coatings market. Moreover, the study highlights current market trends and provides forecast from 2018-2024. We also have highlighted future trends in the automotive refinish coatings market that will impact the demand during the forecast period. Moreover, the competitive analysis given in each regional market brings an insight on the market share of the leading players. This report will help manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of the automotive refinish coatings market to understand the present and future trends in this market and formulate their strategies accordingly.About UsInfinium Global Research and Consulting Solutions is started with a single motto of being business partner of first choice. We at Infinium work on the strengths of our clients to ensure we help them consolidate their market position. We firmly believe in the fact that if you are able to develop newer opportunities then you find there is no dearth of opportunities for you. With our strategic research approaches and deep dive in the market segments, we try to find out new opportunities that our clients can encash with their existing resources. Our experts with over 100 years of cumulative experience in research offer the best in the industry services to our clients to ensure that they achieve their business goals.Contact UsInfinium Global Research,Toll Free:U.S. + Canada: 1-800-638-0796,Website :Email: sales@infiniumglobalresearch.com Collaborative Robots Market Can Interact Safely and Intelligently With their Human Counterparts in Real-World Environments https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Request-Sample/105821 https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Collaborative-Robots-Market The global collaborative robots (Cobots or Co-robots) market was valued at USD 145.3 Million in 2016 and is expected to witness enormous growth over the forecast period. The force-limited joint is the unique feature of cobots which has been designed to identify forces due to impact and respond quickly.The market is expected to witness significant growth owing to the substantial traction because of reduced total cost of ownership and benefits associated with co-bots from small and medium size enterprises. The significant growth of cobots is spurred by three key markets which include electronic manufacturers service companies and electronics manufacturers, manufacturers seeking optimized agile production methodologies and SMEs.The robots offers advanced industrial automation solutions to end-user industries and are considered as the one-stop solution for safe working environment. The low price of co-robots with high return on investment is projected to spur the industry growth over the forecast period. The Cobots are designed with advanced software and sensors which has further reduced the injuries of the employees.The collaborative robots market is segmented based on payload capacity, industry, application and region. The payload capacity segment include upto 5kg, upto 10kg, and above 10kg, whereas the application segment is segregated into assembly, pick & place, handling, packaging, quality testing, machine tending, gluing & welding and others. The industry using the technology includes automotive, food & beverage, furniture & equipment, plastic & polymers, metal & machinery, electronics, and pharmaceutical.Sample Brochure Enlightening the New Advancement and Future Prospects @Cobots with payload capacity of above 10kg is anticipated to grow significantly during forecast periodThe cobots above 10kg payload capacity are estimated to grow significantly owing to their capability of handling immense tasks with high precision and reliability. Assemble and pick & place application are expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to their high flexibility for performing application-specific tasks with easy programming and changing end grippers. The assembly application growth is attributed to the growing demand in major industries which include electronics, automotive, and furniture & equipment.The automotive industry is estimated to dominate the application segment in 2016 owing to the huge application in assisting employees in the production line and assembly line for enhancing the operational efficiency and productivity of the process. The growth is attributed by the increased efficiency in deployment of cobots for enhanced productivity.Although, various industries are deploying the cobots at a significant rate, however rapidly changing robotics industry, lack of skilled force and compliance with stringent regulations are few factors are projected to hinder the growth over the forecast period.Europe is accounted for major share in 2016Europe cobots market is expected to hold the major share of over 40% followed by North America and Asia Pacific. The industry growth is driven by strong government funding for factory automation solutions and collectively or independently developed robot-human collaboration for increasing efficiency and reliability which is further driving the market over the forecast period.Obtain Report Details @Few key players include Cisco, Akros Silicon, Inc., Flexcomm Technology, Microsemi Corporation and Maxim Integrated. Other players include ON Semiconductor, Shenzhen Quanma Industry Co. Ltd., Silicon Laboratories, STMicroelectronics, VISIX.About Us-Xpodence Research is a U.S. based Market Research Company and offers the most extensive collection of progressive surveying syndicated and customized research reports of various categories for private and public industries across the globe.We offer the comprehensive market research solution for all the industries by performing the in-depth study of industry trends, verticals globally. We believe in building an eternal bond with our customers through providing them inclusive research study both customized and syndicated based on their specific requirements.The organizations in every industry such as Technology, Pharmaceuticals, Consumable Goods, Food & Beverage and others demands a market-based solutions for various significant decisions based on productivity and output globally. Our services are tailored specifically to our clients by proposing them the potential outcome, based on our in-depth analysis and insights for exploring the growth strategies through providing the best possible decision for quality production.Contact Us-Xpodence ResearchUSA Office244 , Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesUK Office109 ,Straford Street,LeedsWest Yorkshrie LS11 6JGUnited KingdomToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email-sales@xpodenceresearch.com Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry Outlook in North America to 2021 Oil and Gas Pipelines https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/1248404-oil-and-gas-pipelines-industry-outlook-in-north-america-to-2021 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/1248404-oil-and-gas-pipelines-industry-outlook-in-north-america-to-2021 Overview"Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry Outlook in North America to 2021: Capacity and Capital Expenditure Forecasts with Details of All Operating and Planned Pipelines" is a comprehensive report on major, trunk oil and gas pipelines industry in North America.The report provides pipeline details such as pipeline/pipeline system name, operator name, start year, start point, end point, status, length, capacity and diameter for all major, trunk crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas pipelines by country.Click here for sample report @Major Highlights of the ReportThe report also provides capital expenditure outlook by key countries, year on year, from 2017 to 2021. The report also provides key country comparisons within North America, based on contribution to total pipeline length. Planned or proposed (new build) pipeline projects, as announced by various companies, have also been included in this report. Further the report also offers recent developments and latest awarded contracts at country level.ScopeUpdated information on all active and planned crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas pipelines in North America.Provides key details such as operator name, start year, start point, end point, location, length, diameter and capacity for all active and planned crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas pipelines to 2021.Provides capital expenditure outlook by year and by key countries for planned oil and gas pipelines till 2021.Latest developments and contracts related to oil and gas pipeline industry at the country level.Table of Contents1.1. List of Tables 31.2. List of Figures 8Introduction 92.1. What Is This Report About? 92.2. Market Definition 9North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry 103.1. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Overview of Active Oil and Gas Pipelines Data 103.2. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Overview of Planned Oil and Gas Pipelines Data 113.3. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Transmission Pipeline Length by Commodity 123.3.1. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Crude Oil Pipeline Length by Country 133.3.2. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Petroleum Products Pipeline Length by Country 143.3.3. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Natural Gas Pipeline Length by Country 153.3.4. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, NGL Pipeline Length by Country 163.4. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Planned Pipeline Lengths 173.4.1. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Planned Pipelines Details 173.4.2. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Annual Capital Expenditure Outlook for Planned Pipelines 323.4.3. North America Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Annual Capital Expenditure Outlook for Planned Pipelines by Country 33..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Quantum Computing Market Key Players By: Lockheed Martin Corporation, Intel Corporation, Anyon Systems Inc, Cambridge Quantum Computing Limited Forecast to 2022 Market Research Future https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2583 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/quantum-computing-market-2583 (EMAILWIRE.COM, March 10, 2018 ) Market Scenario:Quantum computing is the area of study focused on developing computer technology based on the principles of quantum theory, which explains the nature and behavior of energy and matter on the quantum (atomic and subatomic) level. A Quantum computer follows the laws of quantum physics via which it can gain enormous power, have the ability to be in multiple states and perform tasks using all possible permutations simultaneously.A classical computer works on the principle of Boolean algebra operating with a 7-mode logic gate principle, whereas a quantum computer can work with a 2-mode logic gate. In a quantum computer, a number of elemental particles such as electrons or photons can be used, with either their charge or polarization acting as a representation of 0 and/or 1. Each of these particles is known as a quantum bit, or qubit, the nature and behavior of these particles form the basis of quantum computing.The study indicates that the major driving factor for the Quantum Computing market is the increasing implementation of machine learning by quantum computers in order to recognize objects by detecting recurring patterns. It has been observed that over the recent past several research institutes along with scientists are carrying out research programs to truly understand the practical capacity of quantum computers.The global Quantum Computing market is expected to grow at USD ~2,464 million by 2022, at 24% of CAGR between 2016 and 2022.Request a Sample Report @Key Players: D-Wave Systems Inc. (Canada), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.), Intel Corporation (U.S.), Anyon Systems Inc. (Canada), Cambridge Quantum Computing Limited (U.K.), QC Ware, Corp. (U.S.), Rigetti Computing (U.S.), QxBranch (U.S.)Segments:Quantum computing market is segmented on the basis of application and vertical.Quantum computing market by application:OptimizationMachine LearningSimulationQuantum computing market by Vertical:BFSIIT and TelecommunicationHealthcareTransportationGovernmentAerospace & DefenseOthersRegional Analysis:The regional analysis of Quantum Computing market is being studied for region such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. It has been observed that North America would dominate the Quantum Computing market owing to factors such as usage of quantum computers by government agencies and aerospace & defense for machine learning. The study indicates that Europe has the second biggest market share in the Quantum Computing market.Asia Pacific Quantum Computing market is expected to show a positive growth over the forecast period owing to factors such as wide adoption of quantum computers by BFSI sector. In Asia-Pacific countries like China, Japan and others are making use of quantum computers for optimization of tasks due to which the study reveals that these countries would show a sudden hike in Quantum Computing market by the forecast period.Access Report Details @1 MARKET INTRODUCTION1.1 INTRODUCTION1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS1.2.3 LIMITATIONS1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2.1 RESEARCH NETWORK SOLUTION2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH2.4 FORECAST MODEL2.4.1 MARKET DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & FORECAST2.4.2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION3 MARKET DYNAMICS3.1 INTRODUCTION3.2 MARKET DRIVERS3.3 MARKET CHALLENGES3.4 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES3.5 MARKET RESTContinue....LIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 GLOBAL QUANTUM COMPUTING MARKET, BY APPLICATIONTABLE 2 GLOBAL QUANTUM COMPUTING MARKET, BY VERTICALTABLE 3 GLOBAL QUANTUM COMPUTING MARKET, BY REGIONSContinue....LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH NETWORK SOLUTIONFIGURE 2 GLOBAL QUANTUM COMPUTING MARKET: BY APPLICATION (%)FIGURE 3 GLOBAL QUANTUM COMPUTING MARKET: BY VERTICAL (%)Continue....Intended Audience: Technology investors Quantum computer manufacturers Quantum dots manufacturers Government agencies Aerospace equipment manufacturers Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Educational Institutes Developers and platform providers Research/Consultancy firmsAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +91 841 198 5042Mail: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Philippines Power Market Outlook and Upcoming Trend Forecast to 2030 Philippines Power https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2879322-philippines-power-market-outlook-to-2030-update-2017-market-trends https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2879322-philippines-power-market-outlook-to-2030-update-2017-market-trends OverviewThis report elaborates Philippines' power market structure and provides historical and forecast numbers for capacity, generation, and consumption up to 2030. Detailed analysis of the Philippines power markets regulatory structure, import and export trends, competitive landscape, and power projects at various stages of the supply chain is provided.The report also gives a snapshot of the power sector in Philippines on broad parameters of macroeconomics, supply security, generation infrastructure, and transmission infrastructure, degree of competition, regulatory scenario, and future potential. An analysis of the deals market scenario in the countrys power sector is also included in the report.Click here for sample report @ScopeSnapshot of the countrys power sector across parameters - macroeconomics, supply security, generation infrastructure, and transmission infrastructure, degree of competition, regulatory scenario and future potential of the power sector.Statistics for installed capacity, power generation and consumption from 2000 to 2016, forecast for the next 14 years to 2030.Break-up by technology, including thermal, hydro, renewable and nuclearData on leading current and upcoming projects.Information on grid interconnectivity, transmission and distribution infrastructure and power exports and imports.Policy and regulatory framework governing the market.Detailed analysis of top market participant, including market share analysis and SWOT analysis.Table of Contents1.1 List of Tables 41.2 List of Figures 52 Executive Summary 62.1 Philippines, Power Sector Outlook 63 Introduction 93.1 Report Guidance 104 Philippines, Power Market, Snapshot 114.1 Macroeconomic Factors 114.2 Supply Security 134.3 Opportunities 134.4 Challenges 135 Philippines, Power Market, Market Analysis 155.1 Philippines, Power Market, Market Structure 155.2 Philippines, Power Market, Key Market Players 155.3 Philippines, Power Market, Financial Deals 165.3.1 Deal Value and Volume Analysis, 2004May 2017 165.3.2 Deals by Type, 2016 18..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Anaesthesia Machines Market will reach at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2017 to 2027 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-789 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-789 www.futuremarketinsights.com The research report Anaesthesia Machines Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027) published by Future Market Insights throws light on several aspects driving the global market. The growth of the market is impacted by various trends, developments, drivers and challenges, the analysis of which is included in the fact based research report. The exhaustive research publication covers historical data analysis along with current scenario as well as future projections of the market from a value standpoint for a 10 year period, starting from 2017 till 2027. The analysis on various segments playing a major role in the expansion of the global anaesthesia market has been carried out to get a complete picture of the global market.Mergers and Collaborations to Present High Growth Opportunities for Market Players in the Coming YearsMergers and collaborations between local and international players in developing regions are expected to present potential opportunities for growth in terms of successful market penetration and sales. The regional markets of Asia Pacific, Latin America and GCC countries is anticipated to create significant opportunities to players involved in anaesthesia machines market. This can be attributed to the increasing surgical procedures in these regions coupled with increasing per capita expenditure on cosmetic surgeries and other healthcare associated procedures. Players in this market are establishing business relationships with healthcare facilities in these regions as well as government agencies for long term gains and enhancing their presence in the region. Moreover, partnership programs between organizations and institutions are observed to facilitate anaesthesia training programs.Request Report Sample@Increasing Need for Anaesthesia Procedures to Spur the Adoption of Anaesthesia Machines in the Coming YearsAccording to WHO (World Health Organization) and World Bank, by 2026, the treatments demanding surgeries and hence anaesthesia machines would eclipse that of tuberculosis and HIV as well as malaria. Current market scenario portrays the fact that about 30% of the population in the entire globe do not have access to surgeries. On the contrary, about 75% of major procedures are being performed in the wealthiest countries in the world whereas poor countries are witnessing only 3.5% of operations. Government bodies along with non-government institutions are continuously working on offering healthcare access to every region, which is expected to trigger the adoption of anaesthesia machines. The growing number of surgeries and increasing government support are expected to fuel the growth of the anaesthesia machines market at a global level in the years to follow.Global Market for Anaesthesia Machines: Factors Promoting GrowthThe global market for anaesthesia machines is influenced by several aspects that facilitate the growth of the global market. Few of these aspects include continual technological advancements in anaesthesia machines, integration of IT in healthcare systems pushing the demand for anaesthesia workstations, emergence of anaesthesia information management systems, increasing public and private investments in healthcare, expanding imports and exports of medical devices among different regions, expanding private sector, enhancement in product lines by various manufacturers of anaesthesia machines, growing trend of patient monitoring using IoT, favourable government support, increasing medical tourism, growing geriatric population and manufacturing of cost effective anaesthesia machines.However, product recalls due to defects in devices, shortage of healthcare professionals, adoption of refurbished machines, lack of public access to healthcare facilities and lack of clinical resources are expected to pose hindrances to the growth of the global market.Request Report Methodology@Segmental Highlights on the Anaesthesia Machines MarketWith respect to region, North America and Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) are expected to showcase high potential for growth. Anaesthesia machines market in North America (led by US) is estimated to be the largest, whereas the market in APEJ is expected to rise at a comparatively high value CAGR during the forecast periodWith respect to modality, the standalone anaesthesia machines are expected to witness increased adoption across the globe in several hospitals and clinics. This segment is expected to lead the global market with a high valuation and projected to expand at a relatively high CAGR throughout the period of assessmentTop Players Competing in the Global Anaesthesia Machines MarketThe research report includes profiles of major players operating in the anaesthesia machines market. To name a few, the report includes intelligence on players such as GE Healthcare, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Mindray Medical International Limited, Getinge AB, Spacelabs Healthcare, Heyer Medical AG, Infinium Medical, Inc., ACOMA Medical Industry Co., Ltd., Chirana Medical A.S., DRE Medical, BPL Medical Technologies, Beijing Aeonmed Co. Ltd., Comen Medical Instruments Co. Ltd., Okuman Medical System Ltd., Narang Medical Limited and Lowenstein Medical GmbH & Co.About Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Corundum Market to Register Steady Expansion During 2015-2025 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-321 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-321 www.futuremarketinsights.com Corundum is a class of minerals, best known for the gem varieties such as ruby and sapphire, which are essentially the same mineral albeit of different colors. Corundum is a hard and highly stable mineral. It is the hardest mineral after diamond, making it the worlds second hardest mineral for all practical purpose. Chemically Corundum is nothing but aluminum oxide and it can be easily synthesized industrially. Synthetic corundum can be manufactured by adding small quantities of color producing elements to the solution of Corundum, which is then left to solidify in a predetermined shape. The process of synthetic production of Corundum is known as Verneuil Process. Corundum minerals are available in different colors. The most common varieties of Corundum are Emery (Black), Padparadschah (Pink and orange variety of Sapphire), Ruby (Pink or red), Green Sapphire, Blue Sapprihe, Star Ruby, and Star Sapphire among some others.The main application of Corundum is as precious stones. The gemstones that fall under Corundum minerals are perhaps the most sought after precious stones after diamond. Apart from the highly popular Red Rubies and Blue Sapphires, rare gemstones such as Padparadschah have witnessed an increasing demand in the jewellery market owing to its uncommon color. Non gem Corundum such as black Emery finds use as abrasive owing to its natural hardness. Brown Corundum is used as deburring agent due to its ability to smoothen ragged edges. It is also used for sand blasting, grinding and plunge cutting. White Corundum are less hard and more angular compared to its brown counterpart. However it exhibits faster rate of work and produce less heat upon friction. It is often used to polish glass. White Corundum also finds applications in vitrified grinding wheels, as sharpening agent for cutting tools, and precision milling equipments among other similar applications. The market for synthetically produced Corundum is driven by these industrial abrasion applications. The gemstone market is however driven by natural Corundum which are mined and processed.Request For Report Sample@Although the gem and jewellery market accounts for a constant demand for Corundum minerals, price fluctuation of the jewellery grade Corundum is a major restraining factor for the market. Moreover the political turmoil in certain African countries such as Madagascar and the ban on the export of precious gems in Myanmar contribute towards the gap in demand supply chain.North America is one of the largest markets for Corundum, and there is a huge demand for artificial Corundum in the region due to the lack of natural occurrence. Europe also accounts for a considerable demand for the mineral. The demand is especially high from the manufacturing economies in the region such as Germany, Turkey and the U.K. In the Asia Pacific China is a major producer and consumer of artificial Corundum. Other than China countries such as India, Thailand, Korea and Japan are the major manufacturers of Corundum.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Natural Corundum is mined from several countries such as Myanmar, India, Thailand, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. In the recent years some of the African countries have turned out to be significant producers of Corundum. Madagascar is especially rich in this mineral. Apart from Madagascar they are found in abundance in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Emery is also found in North American countries including the U.S. and Canada.Some of the players in the Corundum market are K.A. Refractories Co. Ltd., Swarovski Gemstones, Alteo Alumina, Henge Group and Riken corundum Co. Ltd. among many others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Market Competition, Trade Overview and Development upto 2025 Sisgeo (Italy), COWI (Denmark), Geocomp (US), Acellent (US), SIXENSE (France) Market Research Report https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1523698 https://www.researchmoz.us/global-wireless-infrastructure-monitoring-system-market-research-report-2018-report.html/toc http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreserch1.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Market Research Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingNova Metrix (US)Geokon (US)Campbell Scientific (US)RST Instruments (Canada)Sisgeo (Italy)COWI (Denmark)Geocomp (US)Acellent (US)SIXENSE (France)On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoHardwareSoftware & ServicesOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingCivil InfrastructureAerospace & DefenseEnergyMiningOthers (Industrial Machinery, Automotive, Transportation, and Marine Structures)Make an Enquiry about TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Market Research Report 20181 Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System1.2 Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Hardware1.2.4 Software & Services2 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Wireless Infrastructure Monitoring System Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ Hospital Information Systems Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth by 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hospital-information-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14726 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=14726 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Hospital information system is comprehensive information system designed to manage all the aspects of a hospital's operation, such as administrative, medical, legal and financial concerns and the corresponding processing of services. With increasing volume and types of patient data, it is becoming complex process to make the data available to partners, payers and regulatory authorities. If the data or information are not presented in properly, it can result in poor delivery of care as well as regulatory action. Hospital information systems provide a complete information about a patients health history and allows health care professionals to provide a proper care to the patient by check health and medication history.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Some of the key driving factors for the hospital information systems market are government initiatives, initiatives from the private and public sector around the world and rapid technological enhancements, rising healthcare cost and changing world demographic have forced the government to enhance the healthcare. The factors hampering the growth of the market are interoperability issues, the high cost of the installation and availability of skilled workers.The hospital information systems market has been segmented by product type, by deployment, by component, by application and by geography. In terms of product type, the hospital information system has been categorized into electronic medical record (EMR), electronic health record (EHR), laboratory information system, cardiology information system, radiology information system, material management system, clinical data repository and HR and payroll and others. Based on deployment, the market has been segmented into web based, cloud based and on premise. Based on component, the market has been segmented into hardware, software and services. The application for the market include clinical guidelines, clinical reminders, drug allergy alerts, drug dosing support and others.Request for Sample Copy of Report:In U.S., the government initiatives has accelerated the adoption of hospital information system. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, a part of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, has brought in healthcare reform initiatives. The HITECH Act, signed into law by President Obama in February 2009, allocated up to $27 billion in stimulus funds to accelerate health IT adoption. The adoption of complete certified EHR along with the achievement of objectives under the Meaningful Use (MU) directives has enhanced the adoption of hospital information system.Geographically, the hospital information systems market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. North America was observed to be the largest hospital information systems market due to extensive technological advancements and government initiatives in the region. Countries such as the U.S. and Canada have been successful in implementing electronic records in their healthcare system, which as a result would boost the market growth. Moreover, presence of developed IT and healthcare infrastructure, promising government initiatives in executing hospital information system in the current healthcare infrastructure and constantly improving reimbursement scenario would further propel the market growth. Europe was observed to be the second largest market in the hospital information system owing to enhanced digitization of the healthcare processes in the region. The major factor that would drive the market in Asia Pacific include the acceptance and demand for high end medical infrastructure in the region. China, Japan and India are the expected to grow at faster rate compared to other countries in the region. South American countries such as Brazil and Mexico are the regions that have significant potential for growth due to evolving medical structure, and high disposable income. The major players operating in this market include All Scripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Cerner Corporation, Epic Systems, Computer Sciences Corporation, McKesson Corporation, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Practice Fusion, Inc. among other significant players worldwide.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: President Xi Jinping of Communist China wants to be a modern-day emperor of his country. From all indications, he wants to rule for life. Those indications are his supposed willingness to stay in office for life if term limitations in the nations constitution are abolished, and extensive state propaganda alleging that the Chinese masses want Xi to be president for life. As expected, the countrys rubber-stamp parliament, euphemistically called the National Peoples Congress and composed of legislators handpicked by the ruling politburo dictated upon by Xi, is set to approve the amendment of the constitution to accommodate Xis imperial ambitions. Despite the Communist Partys insistence that the amendment of the constitution has the unanimous support of the masses, the commentaries of Chinese nationals on the social media reveal otherwise, that is, until they were deleted by state censors. Despite Beijings shameless clampdown on dissent, many businessmen, teachers, religious figures, and retired government officials were able to disseminate their opposition through the international news media. Even a retired editor of the state-owned newspaper publicly denounced the measure and called it sowing the seeds of chaos. Xi will inevitably get what he wants, and when that happens, Communist China will have a modern-day emperor in the mold of Mao Zedong, the father of Chinese communism who ran his country with an iron fist from 1949, when he seized power, and for the entirety of his life, which ended almost three decades later. When a nations leader gets to rule for life, that country is certainly headed for an absolute dictatorship despite official claims to the contrary. If that happens, that country should relinquish any claim to being a republic and assume the designation of an absolute monarchy, or a hard-line communist state. World history provides many illustrative examples. To repeat, immediately upon seizing power in 1949, Mao installed a communist government in China. A centralized command economy was quickly set in place by Mao to showcase agricultural achievements under the communist yoke, but it ultimately led to a massive famine in the countryside and death for 30 million peasants. This was followed by Maos deadly cultural revolution that lasted for several years and which purged the Chinese mainland of artists and scientists and threatened its cultural heritage. Fundamental freedoms like free speech and press freedom did not exist under Mao, who ruled until his death in 1976. Incidentally, Maos physician later revealed that Mao did not observe dental hygiene. Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the now defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. He sanctioned the mass murder of millions of his people whom he suspected to be enemies of his regime. Stalin ruled with an iron hand until his death some three decades after he took power. Nicolae Ceacescu and his greedy wife held power in post World War II Romania for more than 40 decades until they were overthrown and lynched by their own exasperated people. They led ostentatious lives while their fellow Romanians lived in fear and poverty. Since its inception in 1945, communist North Korea has been ruled by three generations of absolute rulers from one familythe Kim familyeach one succeeding the predecessor upon the formers death. North Koreans are systematically brainwashed, and they live in constant fear. North Koreas current juvenile population is severely malnourished. Famine constantly stalks the countryside because the nations money is used in developing nuclear weapons and maintaining one of the largest standing armies in the world.African dictators who ruled for life and who ran their respective countries to the ground include Idi Amin of Uganda, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, and Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic. Amin brutally persecuted Ugandans who did not belong to his tribe, and allowed Arab terrorists who hijacked an Israeli airliner sanctuary in his country. He was known to eat parts of the anatomy of his murdered enemies. Mugabe, who was in power for 40 years, lived a life of scandalous luxury with his equally vain second wife. His people have lived in endless poverty and squalor. The military ended his dictatorship a few months ago. Bokassa crowned himself emperor of the Central African Republic, and spent used up his nations annual budget for his coronation. When Bokassa ran out of food for his royal reception, he had several political prisoners executed, cooked, and served to his unsuspecting guests. He was eventually kicked out of power by an angry military establishment. Arab leaders like Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt also ruled for life. Gaddafi used his countrys oil export revenues to finance world terrorism, and his sons raped many women, often on a daily basis. He was eventually killed by his own people in an uprising. Mubarak shamelessly enriched himself in office until he, too, was forcibly ousted from power. For almost two hundred years, the Constitution of the United States did not impose any limitation on the number of terms the president can be elected to. Despite the absence of such a limitation, no American president held office for more than two terms. The only exception was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected to an unprecedented four terms from 1933 until his death in 1945. Roosevelt was president during most of the years constituting World War II. Although he was a very able leader, his political opponents insisted that he was overstaying in office. In 1951, the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States limited the election of a president to a maximum of two terms. This measure effectively prevented popular politicians from monopolizing high elective office in America. Like their American blueprint, the 1935 Constitution and the present charter of the Philippines have term limitations on the presidency. In fine, a legally mandated limit on how long a leader, even an elected leader, may stay in office, is a very important component of a functioning democracy. Lifting term limits on elective public office does not encourage growth in the nations political leadership. Global Automated Car Parking Systems Market 2018 Market Share, Size, Growth & Forecast 2022- By Key Players Westfalia, Citylift, Parkmatic, TAPS, APS, Unitronics Market Research Report https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1531881 https://www.researchmoz.us/global-automated-car-parking-systems-market-professional-survey-report-2018-report.html/toc http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreserch1.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Automated Car Parking Systems Market Professional Survey Report 2018" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Automated Car Parking Systems in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringWestfaliaCityliftFATA AutomationRobotic Parking SystemsBoomerang SystemsParkmaticKlaus MultiparkingTAPSAPSUnitronicsTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoRotary CarouselSpeedy ParkingMulti ParkingOptima ParkingBy Application, the market can be split intoResidentialMallOffice BuildingOtherBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaMake an Enquiry about TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Automated Car Parking Systems Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Automated Car Parking Systems1.1 Definition and Specifications of Automated Car Parking Systems1.1.1 Definition of Automated Car Parking Systems1.1.2 Specifications of Automated Car Parking Systems1.2 Classification of Automated Car Parking Systems1.2.1 Rotary Carousel1.2.2 Speedy Parking2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Automated Car Parking Systems2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Automated Car Parking Systems2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Automated Car Parking Systems2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Automated Car Parking Systems3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Automated Car Parking Systems3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Automated Car Parking Systems Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Automated Car Parking Systems Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Automated Car Parking Systems Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Automated Car Parking Systems Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Automated Car Parking Systems Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Automated Car Parking Systems Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Automated Car Parking Systems Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Automated Car Parking Systems Sales and Growth Rate AnalysisAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ Telepsychiatry Market Research Report by Key Players Analysis 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/telepsychiatry-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=32408 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=32408 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Telemedicine can be defined as the process of providing healthcare services through technology, primarily through the usage of videoconferencing. Telepsychiatry is a sub-segment of telemedicine, which provides a range of mental health solutions such as therapies, including family therapy, individual therapy, and group therapy; psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and patient education. Telepsychiatry involves either direct communication between the patient and the psychiatrist or through psychiatrist supporting primary health care providers specialized in mental health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in the U.S., over 20% of youth aged between 13-18 years suffer from mental health conditions; and over 11% of the youth have a mood disorder. Similarly, over 18.1% of American adults live with anxiety disorders.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:The growing tendencies of suicide in teenagers and young adults (which happen to be one of the leading causes of death globally), contributes to the increase in demand for mental health treatment. This is expected to drive the telepsychiatry market. The various advantages offered by the adoption of telepsychiatry such as improved continuity of care and follow-up, reduced delays in care, reduction in transportation barriers, and the ability to avoid long waiting times at hospitals, aid in the growth of the telepsychiatry market. In addition, lack of skilled professionals with the ability to treat metal illness, changing regulatory scenario such as the inclusion of certain reimbursement codes for telepsychiatry by Medicare, would contribute to the growth of the telepsychiatry market, as it would facilitate accessibility between the patient and the psychiatrist. In addition, telepsychiatry provides immediate availability of psychiatric interventions and assessments, access to a range of experts, and reduction in the stigma associated with mental health treatment, which would aid in driving the market during the forecast period. However, barriers to the implementation of telepsychiatry, including stringent regulations which differ from region to region, and the belief among people that telepsychiatry might not be as effective as direct consultation might have a negative impact on the growth of the market.The global telepsychiatry market can be segmented on the basis of product type, end user, and geography. On the basis of product type, the market can be segmented into in-home solutions, forensic solutions, crisis solutions, routine solutions, and others. In-home solutions includes the mental health treatment provided to the patients in their homes; forensic solutions includes mental health services provided to the patients in correctional facilities or in prisons; crisis solutions include solutions provided in crisis situations, including emergency mental health solutions provided to patients with suicidal tendencies or other anxiety situations. Based on end-user, the market can be segmented into specialty care settings, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, community mental health centers, and others.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Geographically, the telepsychiatry market can be segmented into five regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America contributed to the highest share of revenues in 2016 and the trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. The strong growth in the region can be attributed to the growing acceptance of technology in the healthcare sector, better healthcare settings, and the well-established healthcare infrastructure. Europe is anticipated to be the second leading region contributing to the telepsychiatry market. However, the sluggish economy in the region might have an impact on the future growth of the market. Asia Pacific is anticipated to record a significantly high CAGR owing to factors such as lack of direct reach to psychiatrists, increasing stress among people, and growing adoption of smartphones, among others.The leading players operating in the telepsychiatry market are Iris Telehealth, e-Psychiatry, LLC, InSight Telepsychiatry, eVisit, LLC, Advanced Telemed Services, InnovaTel, American Telepsychiatrists, TPsychiatry, Encounter Telehealth, JSA Health Psychiatry, FasPsych, LLC, Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, and Arcadian Telepsychiatryamong 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: Payments Landscape Market in Greece: Opportunities and Risks to 2021 http://orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2097358 http://orbisresearch.com/reports/index/payments-landscape-in-greece-opportunities-and-risks-to-2021 http://orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase/2097358 Orbis Research has announced the addition of the Payments Landscape in Greece: Opportunities and Risks to 2021 to store by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.GlobalDatas "Payments Landscape in Greece: Opportunities and Risks to 2021", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Greek cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, credit transfers, direct debit, payment cards, and cheques during the review-period (2013-17e).Request a sample of this report @Companies Mentioned:National Bank of GreecePiraeus BankAlpha BankEurobankVisaMastercardAmerican ExpressDiners ClubThe report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2017-21f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.The report brings together GlobalDatas research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Greek cards and payments industry, including -- Current and forecast values for each market in the Greek cards and payments industry, including debit and pay-later cards.- Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, credit transfers, direct debit, cheques, and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.- E-commerce market analysis.- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Greek cards and payments industry.- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and pay-later cards.Browse the complete report @Scope- In the wake of the economic crisis, the Greek government was forced to implement austerity measures in 2015 to gain access to a 86bn ($103.2bn) bailout package from the IMF, the EU, and the European Central Bank. Consequently, the government imposed capital controls and took a number of measures to arrest the outward flow of money, curb tax evasion, and encourage electronic payments, including restrictions on cash withdrawals at ATMs, remittances, and the use of payment cards abroad. Some of the measures include the compulsory acceptance of card-based payments at retail outlets and by certain categories of professionals (such as doctors, lawyers, electricians, and plumbers) effective from January 1, 2016. In extension to that the government identified 85 different business categories that are required to install POS terminals, for which the government set a deadline of July 2017. Refusal by these business categories to accept card-based payments attracts a fine of 1,500 ($1,800).- To make online payments more convenient, MyBank, a pan-European e-authorization solution, was made available to Greek consumers from May 2016. To make payments, users need to select the MyBank option on the online retailers website, which connects them to their online or mobile banking platform. Here they need to approve a SEPA credit transfer order containing the details of the online retailer. Participating banks in Greece are Piraeus Bank, NBG, Eurobank, and Alpha Bank. According to the Hellenic Bank Association, between January-August 2017, transactions valued at 15m ($18m) were made using MyBank.- Debit card penetration is anticipated to grow further over the next five years, as in June 2017 the government introduced a new regulation making it compulsory for private companies to pay employee salaries only through a bank account. Employers who do not comply with the regulation will be penalized by the Labor Inspectorate.Reasons to buy- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Greek cards and payments industry and each market within it.- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Greek cards and payments industry.- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Greek cards and payments industry.- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Greece- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Greek cards and payments industry.Buy a report @About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Email ID: sales@orbisresearch.com Rhinometry Systems Market Size, Status and Forecast to 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/rhinometry-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=32417 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=32417 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Rhinometry can be defined as a diagnostic procedure that employs acoustic reflections to analyze and estimate the volume and cross-sectional area of the nasal cavity. The procedure is utilized to measure changes in the nasal airway in response to allergic provocation tests, nasal anatomical landmarks, or nasal septum deviation. In addition, it is used as a method to measure lower respiratory tract resistance. Acoustic rhinometry is considered one of the standard diagnostic tools used for the evaluation of nasal patency. It enables detection of narrow points in the nose that cause nasal airway blockage. Acoustic rhinometry enables the doctor to check for the impact of long-term medications used in the treatment of nasal blocks, which might be caused due to nasal polyps, rhinitis, or rhinosinusitis. It enables the measurement of the volume of nasal cavities, which helps in evaluation of reduction in the size of nasal polyp after medical treatment. Rhinomanometry is applied to measure the air pressure and the rate of airflow in the nasal pathway during respiration, which is then applied to estimate nasal airway resistance.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Nasal airway blockage occurs primarily due to nasal septal deviation. The prevalence of septal deviation in general population is anticipated to be around 80%. Diagnostic tools such as rhinomanometry, rhinoresistometry, and acoustic rhinometry help otolaryngologists and ENT specialists in deciding whether a surgery be recommended for a patient for correction of nasal septal deviation. High prevalence of nasal septal deviation and technological advancements leading to development of combination devices (that combine acoustics rhinometry with rhinoresistometry, rhinomanometry, and long-term rhinometry) contribute to growth of the rhinometry systems market. In addition, the increasing number of advantages of rhinometry in terms of early diagnosis of nasal septal deviation and favorable reimbursements for rhinometer tests offered in various countries worldwide augment the market. However, shortage of skilled professionals and high cost of rhinometry systems are likely to hamper the market during the forecast period.The global rhinometry systems market can be segmented by product type, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the market can be segmented into rhinomanometry systems, rhinoresistometry systems, acoustic rhinometry systems, and combination systems. Among product types, the acoustic rhinometry systems segment dominated the market in 2016. The combination systems segment is anticipated to register a high CAGR during the forecast period, owing to capability of these systems to objectivize the extent of nasal obstruction and to differentiate causes of nasal obstruction such as pathological turbulence, pathological inspiratory nasal collapse, and narrowing of the nasal canal caused by swelling or skeletal deformation. Based on end-user, the market can be segmented into hospitals, clinics, ENT centers, and others.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Geographically, the global rhinometry systems market can be segmented into five regions viz. North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of revenue, North America dominated the global market in 2016 and is anticipated to remain dominant during the forecast period as well. This growth can be attributed to well-established health care infrastructure, rising prevalence of septal deviation, and technological advancements in rhinometry systems in the region. In terms of revenue, Europe is anticipated to follow North America during the forecast period. However, sluggish growth of the market in the region can be attributed to sluggish recovery of the economy of Europe. The market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a significantly high CAGR during the forecast period. India and China are estimated to contribute to this growth. Growth of the market in these countries can be attributed to increase in the patient pool and focus on enhancing health care facilities by governments.Leading players operating in the global rhinometry systems market are Ecleris S.R.L., Homoth Medizinelektronik GmbH & Co. KG, Instrumentation DIFRA, GM Instruments Ltd., MEDI-CARE SOLUTIONS srl, MES Sp. z o.o., The Piston Ltd., Happersberger otopront GmbH, and Recorders & Medicare Systems Pvt. Ltd.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: Russia Proximity Sensors Market Is Expected to Experience a significant market share during the Forecast period. https://www.envisioninteligence.com/industry-report/russia-proximity-sensors-market/ https://www.envisioninteligence.com/industry-report/mexico-wearable-sensors-market/ https://www.envisioninteligence.com/industry-report/australia-vibration-sensors-market/ www.envisioninteligence.com The report RUSSIA PROXIMITY SENSORS MARKET, gives the information of proximity sensors market growth, trends and industry analysis. The market is predicted to achieve USD 0.658 Billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 9.80% during forecast period.Summary:Russia Proximity Sensors market is poised to attain unprecedented developments over the coming years on account of dexterous efforts of market players. The report covers industry analysis, size, growth, trends and forecast (2018-2024).Rising demand for automation and strong growth in capital investments are driving the Russia proximity sensors market growth. Proximity sensors detect nearby objects without any physical contact. A magnetic beam is emitted by Proximity sensors on the objects called proximity targets and the changes are observed on the returned magnetic beam. The proximity sensors have become important data acquisition parts in automation so with respect to the technology advancements. These proximity sensors should be accurate and more advanced in every aspect.Reasons To Buy This ReportThis report contains the in-depth analysis on the market and the estimations are done using volume and value data are further validated on three approaches including bottom-up, top-down and from top companies revenues to conclude the market estimations precisely and accurately considering all the parameters and market dynamics.Download Free Sample Brochure at @Key pointers in the report include: Competitive landscape & market analysis is included in the report to understand the key companies position and Porter's Analysis & PESTLE analysis to perform to analyze the impact of drivers, restraints, challenges and constraints on the market during the next five years. Team of analysts have analyzed and listed out the key drivers, constraints, challenges and emerging opportunities in all the industry verticals which will specify the emerging scope for the market in end user industries. Industry value chain analysis is provided in the report to identify the key stakeholders and prominent players at each stage of the company along with the value addition at each stage of the value chain. Complete analysis including global and regional trends, technological developments, and new product innovations are included in the report specific to each and every segment of the market. A complete 360 degree analysis is provided in the report on key companies product portfolio, business portfolio, developmental strategies, and key developments from the companies in the historical period. Advanced customizations on countries, specific applications in end user industries, product based customizations will be provided based on the request. All the collected data is further validated and verified using surveys, interviews and interactions with industrial experts.Russia Proximity Sensors Market Top Players Autonics Senstronic Econix research and product association K&K group PanasonicRelated Reports:Mexico Wearable Sensors Market:Australia Vibration Sensors Market:About usEnvision Inteligence is the Main Supplier of Market Analysis Reviews, Customized Consulting Companies, Information Analytics and Trade Evaluation. Our purpose is to offer the correct data required by the stakeholder on the proper level of time, in a format which assists an clever and knowledgeable resolution making course of!Contact UsSales Team,Sales@envisioninteligence.comCall:+1 408-963-0099Web: Refinery Catalysts Market is expected to rise to US$17,059.2 mn by 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3972 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/refinery-catalysts-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global refinery catalysts market is highly organized and extremely consolidated, states a new research study by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The leading players, such as Sinopec Corp., ExxonMobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc., and Chevron Corp., have a wide presence across a number of regional markets, thanks to their vast product portfolios, catering to a varied range of consumers. Over the forthcoming years, these companies are likely to shift their focus towards innovating new products and technological advancements in their current offerings in order to strengthen their position in the global market, notes the research study.Request Sample Report @As per the estimations of the research report, the global market for refinery catalysts presented an opportunity worth US$11.4 bn in 2015. Expanding at a CAGR of 4.60% during the period from 2016 to 2024, this market is expected to reach US$17.0 bn by the end of the forecast period. Zeolites have surfaced as the most valued material in this market and this scenario is likely to remain same in the near future. In terms of the geography, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa are the prime segments of this market. Among these, Asia Pacific has emerged as the leading regional market for refinery catalysts and is expected to remain on the top over the next few years, states the market report.Stringent Rules to Control Vehicular Emission to Boost MarketThe increasing implementation of government norms regulating the emissions from vehicles is the key factor behind the significant growth of the global market for refinery catalysts, as these catalysts helps increasing the production of sweet fuel, resulting in lesser quantity of sulfur, which, in turn, impacts positively on the environment, says a TMR researcher.Going forward, the worldwide market for refinery catalysts is expected to gain significantly over the next few years in developed economies, such as Canada and the U.S. that play an active role in the production of vehicles, which are compatible with Euro-6 emission norms, notes the market study.Read Report Overview @Under-usage of Refining Products to Limit Markets GrowthOn the flip side, the under-usage of a varied range of refining products, especially in developed regions, such as Europe, is likely to hamper the growth of the global refinery catalysts market in the years to come. However, the implementation of strict emission control norms across a number of emerging economies, such as China and India, is likely to support the growth of this market over the forthcoming years, which is expected to rationalize the impact of restraints, reports the study.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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Luggage (Casual, Business, Travel) Market Size, Share, Market Growth, Key Players, Forecast, Outlook, 2023 https://www.bonafideresearch.com/product/180219971/Global-Luggage-(Casual,-Business,-Travel)-Market-Outlook,-2023 https://www.bonafideresearch.com/download_page.php?product_code=180219971 https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonafide-research/ https://twitter.com/Bonafide_R https://www.facebook.com/bonafideresearch BAGS INDUSTRIES WILL NEVER HAVE TO BEG FOR HUGE BIT FROM OVERALL LUGGAGE MARKET OF THE WORLD: BONAFIDE RESEARCHShoppers are concentrating on experiences like travelling and seeing the world quite a lot more so than procuring material belonging. Luggage is really the one product category that is an important part of that shift. The definition of luggage is now completely different from what it was in past time. Luggage maker has always come up with the latest and trendy luggage which everyone need from different material to different purpose to different usage and more. All these lead overall luggage industry to colossal rate of growth of luggage industry. According report on 'Global Luggage (Casual, Business, Travel) Market Outlook, 2023' published by Bonafide Research, Overall luggage market has witnessed Compounded annual growth rate less than 6% from 2012 to 2017 which is extremely streamlined and is looking at a good next few years. Travel bags is the major market share holder due to the substantial boom in the travel and tourism sector fosters the demand for various types of travel bags. Business bags in APAC region has grown with half of the CAGR of other regions during 2012 to 2017. Casual Bags have contributed between 28% to 35% in all the region except North America where it has grown at rife rate due to frequent business travel.Giant of luggage industry are maturing by acquisition and merger due to competitive situation. Louis Vuitton is known for combining quality fabrication with innovative designs to reflect the needs of customers and the ever-changing modes of world travel. Starting from merger between Moet Hennessy and Louis Vuitton in 1987 to latest acquisition of Christian Dior in 2017 LVHM has become colossus. It owns brand like Celine, Berluti, Kenzo, Loewe, Sephora, Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Rimowa, Christian Dior and many more. Another Mammoth Samsonite has also proven that merger and acquisition has led luggage maker to reach their destination. It has acquired Rolling Luggage, Speck Products, eBags.com, Hartmann, High Sierra Sport Company, Tumi Holdings etc. Lastly, Mid-market luggage leader TravelPro was acquired by private equity firm MidOcean Partners. This consolidation comes as the incumbent players attempt to gobble up competition.Report Link:Furthermore, cope up with innovation has also remained key factor to contribute in luggage makers' growth. The reason behind is that Beyond durability, travelers now have high-tech expectations for their travel companions. Functionalities like fingerprint locking, built-in global tracking, bluetooth speakers, self-weighing scales, and Wi-Fi hotspots are an important growth segment. Luggage makers have been hoping to take advantage of worldwide development in cell phone and application use. For e.g. Paris-based Delsey have been developing a smart travel bag, Pluggage. With the Pluggage app, one can stay updated on any flight changes, when the bag has been loaded or if its bag been opened. Toronto-based Heys launched a line of smart luggage. Each bag has a built-in weight scale. Theres also a mini-radio signal that is broadcast to Apple and Android smartphones. There are numerous startups like 'Away' and 'Raden' also in the space that are trying to gain significant pie in luggage industry.Thus at recent times as well as in future time, Luggage maker will develop themselves if they stick to product innovation and development with tapping untapped luggage market. Developing nations would be their hot destination due to increasing disposable income, increasing expenditure on travelling items, establishing tourist destination etc. which mainly affect the purchase of luggage by any individual."Luggage is progressively turning into a fashion adornment. Voyagers are progressively coordinating luggage with the garments they wear. Subsequently, luggage makers are continually adjusting value proposition to meet developing ways of life and patterns for supportability. They are grabbing significant portion in the luggage industry by innovating and satisfying individuals' preferences whether it is USB port, charging devices, mini-radio, Bluetooth etc." said Dhwipal Shah, Director with Bonafide ResearchGeography: North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East-AfricaBase Year: FY 2016-17Estimated Year: FY 2017-18Forecast Year: FY 2022-23Pages: 111, Figures: 132, Tables: 13Global Luggage Market Outlook, 2023 discusses the following aspects of pet care market in the world:- Global Luggage Market Outlook- Global Travel, Casual, Business Luggage Market Size By Value & Forecast- Global Luggage Market Segmental Analysis: By Company, By Country, By Region, By Segment, By Sales Channel- North America Luggage Market Outlook- North America Travel, Casual, Business Luggage Market Size By Value & Forecast- North America Luggage Market Segmental Analysis: By Country, By Segment- USA, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America Luggage Market Outlook- South America Luggage Market Outlook- South America Travel, Casual, Business Luggage Market Size By Value & Forecast- South America Luggage Market Segmental Analysis: By Country, By Segment- Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Rest of South America Luggage Market Outlook- Europe Luggage Market Outlook- Europe Travel, Casual, Business Luggage Market Size By Value & Forecast- Europe Luggage Market Segmental Analysis: By Country, By Segment- Germany, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe Luggage Market Outlook- Asia-Pacific Luggage Market Outlook- Asia-Pacific Travel, Casual, Business Luggage Market Size By Value & Forecast- Asia-Pacific Luggage Market Segmental Analysis: By Country, By Segment- China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific Luggage Market Outlook- Middle East-Africa Luggage Market Outlook- Middle East-Africa Travel, Casual, Business Luggage Market Size By Value & Forecast- Middle East-Africa Luggage Market Segmental Analysis: By Country, By Segment- Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Rest of Middle East-Africa Luggage Market OutlookDownload Sample Page:Companies Mensioned:Calvin Klein IncDavid Jones LimitedDelsey SAEtienne Aigner AGMichel Kors Holding LtdMot Hennessy Louis Vuitton SANike, IncPrada SpASamsonite International SATargus Group International, IncThis report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to pet industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.Bonafide Research is one of the fastest growing market research and consulting company. Our report store have collection of 30,000 premium research reports for variety of industrial verticals. We are expert in syndicated research reports & custom research solutions across the domains. We have been closely working with fortune 500 clients by helping them in tracking the constantly changing market scenario. Bonafide has continuously made efforts to evolve and enhance the report quality with each passing day. Our client base consists of BCG, Ernst & Young, PwC, Inflexion, Nestle, Crompton Greaves, SRF, CPF, Aramax, Stainhoff, Welspun, Blaupunkt, Brookfield, Lindt, Storck, GCPL, ITC, Microtek, Anchor, Hero Eco, LG Chem, Sojitz Corp., Sumitomo, FMC Corp., Lutron and many more.Steven ThomasBonafide Research & Marketing Pvt. Ltd.Address: T-13/A, IndiaBulls Mega Mall, Jetalpur Road, VadodaraPhone: +91 265 6551309 / +91 7878231309Email: sales@bonafideresearch.comLinkedin:Twitter:Facebook: Expansion of Aluminum Chemicals Market During 2015-2025 to Gain Robust Traction https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-336 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-336 www.futuremarketinsights.com Aluminium is a silvery white chemical element that belongs to the boron group. It has symbol Al, atomic number 13 and under normal circumstances it is insoluble in water. Aluminium is ductile that can be drawn into wires and malleable which can be beaten into thin sheets. Aluminium chemical known as aluminium trihydrate is produced from bauxite by the bayer process which is used in production of aluminium metal. The majoraluminiumtrihydrate end use application consist of raw materials for production of chemicals that contain aluminium, reinforcement fillers and flame retardants in elastomers, plastics, adhesives and other products, coatings and filler pigments in papermaking among others. Aluminium sulfate is used as a flocculating agent for water purification. Aluminium hydroxide is found naturally as a mineral named gibbsite that is also known as hydrargillite is used as a feedstock for manufacture of aluminium compounds such as specialty calcined alumina among others. Sodium aluminate is an inorganic commercial chemical which is an effective source of aluminium hydroxide. This chemical has various technical and industrial applications.Aluminium silicate, aluminium phosphide and poly aluminium chloride are other aluminium chemicals which are used in textile, paper and medical industry among others.Request For Report Sample@Aluminium is extracted by two process such as Bayer process followed by hall method. In the Bayers process bauxite is mixed with sodium hydroxide that dissolves in aluminium oxide. The other compounds from bauxite are left at the rear. The aluminium oxide is then treated with a Hall method. Enough cryolite is not available to make aluminium that is needed and therefore, synthetic cryolite is produced for this purpose.Aluminium has wide areas of applications. It is used as pure metal in various compounds and alloys which is made by melting and mixing more than two metals. The aluminium chemicals also find a large area of application such as textile, medical, paper and fertilizers among others. Aluminium sulfate which is also known as alum is used in the paper and pulp industry on a large scale. The other application of alum is in the water treatment plants Aluminium based intermediates are use in the production of paints, tires, textiles, leather, foods and fertilizers among others. Aluminium acetate is a salt that is used as an astringent. Aluminium borate has application in glass and ceramics. Aluminium fluorosilicate is also used to produce glass and synthetic gemstones. Aluminium hydroxide is used as a mordant and as an antacid to purify water.The major driving factors for aluminum chemicals market is huge demand from water treatment plants and growing use of aluminium chemical in the glass and ceramic industry. Chemicals such as aluminium hydroxide, aluminium borate and aluminium sulfate are used on a large scale owing to the wide areas of applications in the market therefore boosting demand for aluminium chemicals in the market.The major segments for aluminium chemicals market include North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World (RoW). China is the largest consumer of aluminium chemicals for manufacture of electronic products and plastics materials that are used to manufacture automobile parts. Therefore, Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest market for aluminium chemicals. North America is anticipated to boost demand for aluminium chemicals for manufacture of ceramics, paints and adhesives among others.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The key companies profiled include: Krishna Chemicals, Sumito chemicals, General Chemical USA and Hindustan Produce Company among others. This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product types and distribution channels.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Latest Growth of US Haircare Market by Key Trends,Challenges and Standardization, Research, Key Players, Economic Impact and Forecast to 2021 Market Research Report https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1358897 https://www.researchmoz.us/us-haircare-market-size-trends-and-forecasts-2017-2021-report.html/toc http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreserch1.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "US Haircare Market Size, Trends and Forecasts (2017-2021)" to its huge collection of research reports.About US Haircare MarketThis industry profile helps to gain an insight into the evolution of the industry and competitive dynamics prevalent in the market. It discusses the significant developments in the industry and analyzes the key trends and issues. The profile provides inputs in strategic business planning of industry professionals.This profile is of immense help to management consultants, analysts, market research organizations and corporate advisors.The objective and scope of various sections of our industry profile has been discussed below.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Industry SnapshotThis section gives a holistic overview of the industry. It starts with defining the market and goes on to give historical and current market size figures. It also clearly illustrates the major segments of the market which would be discussed later on in the report.Industry AnalysisIt involves a comprehensive analysis of the industry and its market segments. This section discusses the key developments that have taken place in the industry. It also identifies and analyzes the driving factors and challenges of the industry. A description of the regulatory structure tells us about the major regulatory bodies, laws and government policies.Country AnalysisThis section presents the key facts & figures of the country. It also discusses the political environment and the macroeconomic indicators. It analyzes government stability and economic growth of the country.Competitor AssessmentThis section compares the major competitors in the industry. The Competitors At-a-Glance is aimed at giving an overview of the competitive landscape in the industry.Company ProfilesThe major companies are profiled in this section. For each company, business description is given followed by financial highlights and recent developments.Make an Enquiry about TOC @Industry OutlookThis section presents the outlook of the industry. The projections help us in evaluating the future of the industry. It gives an insight into the investment opportunities present in the sector.1. US Haircare Market Snapshot1.1 Industry Definition1.2 SIC Classification1.3 Haircare Market Overview1.4 Haircare Market Segments2. US Haircare Industry Analysis2.1 Industry Developments2.2 Regulatory Structure2.3 Market Drivers2.4 Key Issues3. Country Analysis3.1 Key Facts3.2 Political Environment3.3 Macro-economic Indicators4. US Haircare Market Competition Assessment4.1 Competitive Scenario4.2 Competitors At-a-Glance4.3 Sales and Earnings AnalysisAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ Prostate Cancer Minimally Invasive Surgery Market Share and Growth Factors Impact Analysis 2017 - 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/prostate-cancer-minimally-invasive-surgery-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=32441 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=32441 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Prostate cancer is a cancer of the prostate gland, which is a part of the male reproductive system. Routine screening, early diagnosis, and recent treatment options have enabled increased survival of prostate cancer patients. Prostate cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate gland of a male. It is the second most common cancer after skin cancer in men. It is prevalent in men over the age of 50 years. Risk factors for development of prostate cancer are old age, family history, and race. In the U.S., it is more common among the African-American population than Caucasians.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Rising prevalence of prostate cancer due to rapidly aging population, growing awareness among people, increasing demand for minimally invasive surgery, and advancements in diagnosis techniques is expected to drive the growth of the prostate cancer minimally invasive surgery market. According to World Health Organization (WHO), prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer in both sexes combined and the second most common cancer in men. In 2012, an estimated 1.1 million men worldwide were diagnosed with prostate cancer, accounting for 15% of the cancers diagnosed in men. With an estimated 307,000 deaths in 2012, prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from cancer in men (6.6% of the total deaths among men).The prostate cancer minimally invasive surgery market has been segmented by procedure type, stages of disease progression, end-user, and geography. In terms of procedure type, the market has been categorized into laparoscopic prostatectomy, perineal prostatectomy, nerve-sparing robotic radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy, cryosurgery and others. Based on stages of disease progression, the market has been segmented into Stage A, Stage B, Stage C, and Stage D. Based on end user, the market has been segmented into hospitals, clinics, diagnostics centers and others.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Geographically, the prostate cancer minimally invasive surgery market has been categorized into five regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to hold the dominant market share in terms of revenue due to increasing demand and adoption of technologically advanced products and increasing prevalence of prostate cancer. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014, 172,258 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 28,343 men died from this disease in the country. Europe is expected to be the second largest market owing to increasing demand for minimally invasive surgery.The market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to increasing prevalence of prostate cancer and aging population. According to American Cancer Society, Inc., prostate cancer develops mainly in older men. About 6 cases in 10 are diagnosed in men aged 65 or older, and it is rare before the age of 40. According to Asia-Pacific Regional Office of United Nations Population Fund, by 2050, one in four people in Asia and the Pacific will be over 60 years old. The population of older persons (aged over 60) in the region will triple between 2010 and 2050, reaching close to 1.3 billion people. Major players operating in the global prostate cancer minimally invasive surgery market include Theragenics Corporation, Varian Medical Systems, Inc., C.R. Bard Inc., Intuitive Surgical, Siemens Healthineers, 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: Today I adapt the article of my daughter Ivy on climate change at risk: In the last 20 years, the Philippines suffered the most catastrophic events (289). Its the fifth most vulnerable to climate change with its recurrent catastrophes in the long term and yearly risk indexes. (Global Climate Risk Index 2018). This is due to its high exposure to natural hazards (cyclones, landslides, floods, droughts), dependence on climate-sensitive natural resources, and vast coastlines where all major cities and the majority of the population reside, according to USAID. Global warming has changed Earths climate. Extreme temperatures lead to extreme weather like longer heatwaves and droughts, heavier but shorter rainfall, rising sea levels, worse flooding, more frequent and harsher typhoons. Countries near the equator and in Southeast Asia will suffer the most, particularly poorer developing countries. The Philippines lies in the worlds most cyclone-prone region, averaging 1920 cyclones each year, of which 79 make landfall. Sea levels in the Philippines are rising faster than the global average, increasing the hazard posed by storm surges and threatening permanent inundation of low-lying areas. Under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Philippines pledges to reduce 70 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to abate global warming to 1.5C. Other laws and local government initiatives have been proposed. But so far, very little has been actually and immediately done to meet the oncoming onslaught of climate change. The most important action for the Philippines is to set a long-term goal and make the first step to alleviate global warming, according to The Lancet. A new momentum is needed. Dramatic technological change, steadfast and visionary political will, and international cooperation are required to change the trajectory of climate change and to protect people and ecosystems, according to the World Bank. Earth is too hot. The last two years were the hottest in world history and temperatures are still rising unabated. By 2100, Earths temperature will rise by 2.2C. How critical is a few degrees? Average body temperature is 37C. If it rises by one degree, you have a fever from an infection or illness. Under a business-as-usual scenario, Asian summer temperatures will rise by 6C. Average Philippine temperature is 27C, but there will be days it exceeds 35C, according to the Asian Development Bank. By 2100, 73.9 percent of Earth will have at least 20 days per year of deadly heat and humidity. Under a worst-case scenario, the Philippine southern region of Mindanao could experience year-long heatwaves by 2050. Unusual summer temperatures can become the new norm from 2070 onward. In such contexts, each national authority is required to plan and carry out multidimensional countermeasures to this imminent issue, and the Philippines is no exception, according to The Lancet. Heat waves also bring drought and water shortage. Climate change will seriously threaten food security in SEA. Without adaptation or technological improvements, rice yields in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam will halve by 2100, relative to 1990 levels. Low rice yield correlates to higher general Filipino migration. RPs archipelago has the worlds fifth largest coastline of 36,289 km (22,548 miles) with hundreds of beautiful beaches. Southeast Asias coral reefs is the worlds richest center of marine biodiversity. The Coral Triangle, a marine region spanning the tropical waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste, hosts 30 percent of the global coral stock and 76 percent of all known coral species. Over 100 million people who live on the coast directly rely on its ecosystem services worth $3.5 billion.But warmer oceans kill reefs and SEA waters are warming at twice the global average. Even if we limit global warming to 2C, all the worlds coral reef systems will collapse from mass bleaching. Now, 95 percent of the Coral Triangle is degraded, which results in less biodiversity as species die or migrate to cooler waters. This destroys coastal livelihoods, like fisheries (worth $57.98 billion in Southeast Asia) and tourism (worth $204 billion in the Coral Triangle). Coastal food supply will halve by 2050. Global warming of 1.5C can prevent the complete loss of corals and allow the reefs to regenerate. Cities have twice as many hot days than coastlines. If we do nothing, hot days in the city will be 10 times higher by 2100, the ADB said. Urban heat island (UHI) effect is caused by an increase in waste due to rapid urbanization. This is usually characterized by increased sealed and artificial surfaces, increased population and build-up density, basements, sewage and water systems, private transportation, and air conditioners. Fast-growing Asian cities like Manila suffer the most from global warming but they are also part of the problem, as they emit a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases but do not alleviate its effects. Its 44 percent residents in informal settlements do not have access to clean water and basic services which will exacerbate pollution and health risks. Poor city planning does not allocate enough green spaces nor plant trees to help reduce carbon dioxide, give oxygen, provide shade, hold moisture in the ground, and prevent erosion. Greenery provides much-needed cool spaces in cities and shade feels 15 degrees cooler than direct sunlight. By 2030, Metro Manila will be 91 percent built but will only have 8 percent of green space. In Southeast Asia, the relatively weak structure of urban policy poses challenges for the adoption of appropriate urban management strategies. Uncoordinated master planning strategies often lack information on the past, present and future changes to the urban and green space structure, according to Ecological Indicators. Fortunately, the UHI effect seems to be cooled by sea breeze since temperatures are lower near the shore. As Earth heats up, it warms the waters which then expands the volume of the ocean and melts glaciers. Also, the loss of inland water and groundwater pumps have shifted more water to the ocean. All these result in higher sea levels worldwide. Scientists predict a global mean sea level rise of 7.87 inches (0.2 m) to 6.6 ft (2.0 m) by 2100. From 1901 to 2010, global SLR was 7.4 inches, or a rate of .067 inches a year over 109 years. Since 1993, SLR doubled, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. RP is most vulnerable to SLR since 60 percent of its municipalities and 10 of its largest cities are on coastlines; 60 percent of the population reside here and will double by 2060 and will tax the cities resources for power, water, food, shelter, and security, which are all vulnerable to extreme weather. [email protected] Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in Portugal, Market by Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles & Forecast to 2030 Solar Photovoltaic https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2841882-solar-photovoltaic-pv-in-portugal-market-outlook-to-2030-update https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2841882-solar-photovoltaic-pv-in-portugal-market-outlook-to-2030-update OverviewThe report provides in depth analysis on global renewable power market and global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in Portugal (includes conventional thermal, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details renewable power market outlook in the country (includes hydro, small hydro, biopower and Solar Photovoltaic (PV)) and provides forecasts up to 2030.The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in Portugal Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market. A detailed coverage of renewable energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is provided in the report. The research also provides company snapshots of some of the major market participants.Click here for sample report @ScopeThe report analyses global renewable power market, global Geothermal (Biomass and Biogas) market, Mexico power market, Mexico renewable power market and Mexico Geothermal market. The scope of the research includesA brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.An overview on global renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends, generation trends and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources. The information is covered for the historical period 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period 2017-2030.Renewable power sources include wind (both onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), small hydropower (SHP), biomass, biogas and geothermal.Detailed overview of the global Geothermal market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity and generation split by major Geothermal countries in 2016.Power market scenario in Mexico and provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) with forecasts up to 2030.Table of Contents1.1 List of Tables1.2 List of Figures2 Executive Summary2.1 Government Support in Conjunction with Technology Development Driving Global Renewable Power Installations2.2 Renewable is the Dominant Source in Portugals Capacity Mix2.3 Portugals Renewable Capacity to Witness Slow Growth Pace3 Introduction3.1 Carbon Emissions, Global, 200120153.2 Primary Energy Consumption, Global, 200120253.3 Solar PV, Global, Technology Definition and Classification3.4 Report Guidance4 Renewable Power Market, Global, 200620304.1 Renewable Power Market, Global, Overview4.2 Renewable Power Market, Global, Installed Capacity, 20062030..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Global Market for Amine Oxide Market to Witness Considerable Upsurge During 2015-2025 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-338 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-338 www.futuremarketinsights.com Amine oxides are the amphoteric surfactants that are widely used in conjunction with various other surfactants. These surfactants can either be cationic (positively charged), anionic (negatively charged) or non-ionic (no charge) depending on the pH of the water. Amine oxides are the chemical compounds that are the only oxides of the tertiary amines. Amine oxides are sometimes also used for the analogous derivation of the primary and secondary amines. Amine oxides are usually used as the protecting group for amines as well as other chemical intermediates. Amine oxides are high polar molecules and have their polarity close to that of quaternary ammonium salts. However, smaller amines oxides exhibits hydrophilic properties owing to which it is highly soluble in water. Amine oxides find their applications in various industries such as oilfield chemicals, agriculture adjuvants, home care and personal care.The increase in the demand for the mild surfactants especially from the personal care industry is expected to drive the global amine oxide market. The personal care products containing amine oxide offer improved performance even at high temperature in the hard water. Amine oxides are also widely used in the home cleaning products. Amine oxides are used as thickeners, emollients, emulsifiers, stabilizers and conditioners. Amine oxide is a surface active agent which is used to change the surface tension of water that helps in increasing the wetting surfaces, emulsifying, foaming and also assists in cleansing. Thus, the growing demand for the home cleaning products is expected to augment the overall growth of the amine oxide market. Amine oxides are slowly finding its foothold in agricultural adjuvants and oil field chemicals. Owing to the versatility of the amine oxides to work under varying temperature and pressure the there is an increase in the use of this chemical in other applications as well.Request For Report Sample@The growing population especially in the Asia Pacific is expected to drive the demand for the personal care and home care industry which in turn is expected to boost the overall growth of the amine oxide market. The growing demand for the use of sulfur free as well as the milder personal care products is expected to boost the overall growth of the amine oxide market. Amine oxide is considered as a high production volume class of compounds in many member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). North America is expected to be one of the major consumers ofamine oxide as it is one of the essential chemical used in most of the widely used home cleaning products. The U.S is one of the largest manufacturers of amine oxide followed by Europe. Japan is one of the major manufacturers of amine oxide in Asia Pacific. China is expected to emerge as the major producer as well as consumer in the coming few years.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., BASF, Akzonobel N.V., Stepan Company, Pilot Chemical, Solvay, The Lubrizol Corporation, Lonza Company, Huntsman Corporation and Clariant Corporation are some of the key participants of the global amine oxide market. The companies are mainly focused towards developing new innovative products that would be used extensively in a wide range of applications. Thus, the companies make huge investments in the research and development in order to manufacture innovative and specific product for specific application.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Ethanolamines Market is set to cross US$4 bn by the end of 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1088 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ethanolamines-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The top five companies in the global ethanolamines market The Dow Chemical Company, INEOS Group Ltd., SABIC, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., and Huntsman Corporation together accounted for a share of close to 48% in 2015. Transparency Market Research (TMR) finds that this highly fragmented market presents an increasing number of opportunities for players. Once the battle against high initial capital investment is won, companies in the ethanolamines market can benefit from a large number of suppliers of ammonia and ethylene oxide, low threat of substitutes, and a well-educated consumer base.Request Sample Report @An increasing number of companies has been focused on R&D as well as innovation as a key strategy in the ethanolamines market, the author of the study has observed. Companies have been striving for increased market penetration by forming partnerships, collaborations, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions, thereby rendering them with more and improved resources for research and development.Considering the rising focus on reducing the environmental footprint, vendors are likely to divert resources to satisfy the sustainability criteria, the analyst states. Looking to benefit from this leading trend, Akzo Nobel invested US$10 mn in a new R&D center in Strongsville, Ohio in December 2015. The facility is aimed at producing innovative and environmental friendly products.Surging Demand for Herbicides a Leading Growth DriverEthanolamines are one of the significant components used in the production of herbicides. The growing demand for and production of glyphosate the largest consumed variety of herbicides has considerably fueled the global ethanolamines market, finds TMR. The increasing cultivation of genetically modified crops and the rising popularity of no-till farming has spurred the demand for glyphosate, a TMR analyst states. Produced in over 20 countries around the world and used in over 130 countries, the demand for glyphosate is set to increase over the forecast period. This in turn will boost the global ethanolamines market.Read Report Overview @The ethanolamines market has also received impetus from the surfactants market, especially in the developing regions of Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.On the flip side, the volatility in raw material prices threatens to hamper the growth of the ethanolamines market. The growing demand for gas sweetening agents, on the other hand, presents lucrative options for players in the ethanolamines market.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.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Age-related Macular Degeneration Market Scope and Opportunities Analysis 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/age-related-macular-degeneration-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=32459 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=32459 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Age-related macular degeneration is also called macular degeneration, ARMD, or AMD. AMD is a disease of retina that blurs the sharp central vision, which is important for various activities that involve looking straight ahead such as driving, using computer, watching television, sewing, and reading. In AMD, a part of retina called macula, which allows seeing fine details, is affected. AMD is a chronic eye disease that does not cause pain. It is mostly observed in patients aged above 50 years. AMD is a major cause of vision loss amongst the elderly people in the U.S. Rising geriatric population in the U.S. and other countries is expected to increase the prevalence of AMD significantly in the next few years. The disease is more prominent in developed countries and it accounts for 8.7% of blindness all over the world.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:AMD is of two kinds viz. wet macular degeneration and dry macular degeneration. The first kind of AMD is more severe. It causes abnormal progression of blood vessels in the damaged part of macula, which damages the retinal vision. Though AMD is associated with aging, the research proposes that there also exists a genetic component to the disease. Scientists at Duke University (North Carolina, the U.S.) and other scientists have identified a strong relationship between AMD development and existence of gene variants such as complement factor H (CFH). Deficiency of the CFH gene is associated with nearly 50% of all potentially blinding cases of AMD. Researchers at the University of Columbia Medical Center and other researchers have identified that variants of an additional gene, complement factor B, may be involved in the AMD development. In around 74% of AMD patients that were studied, a specific variant of these genes has been found, which plays a key role in immune responses of the human body. At present, no treatment exists for dry AMD; however, existing therapies can delay the development of visual impairment and wet AMD.The market for AMD is driven by increasing number of AMD patients throughout the world. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, in the U.S., around 11 million patients are affected by AMD and the prevalence of AMD is high in countries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, due to deficiency of vitamin A in these countries.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Growing reimbursement benefits for AMD drugs is another major driver for the age-related macular degeneration market. Depending on regular cost of the drug, Medicare postulated a National Reimbursement Rate in the U.S. In this condition, the agency pays almost 80% of the cost of bevacizumab and ranibizumab injections and the remaining 20% of the cost is co-paid. Medicare part B is a medical insurance, which includes insurance for eye diseases and diagnostic tests that also covers specific treatment conditions such as AMD. Lack of trained ophthalmologists, high cost of drugs for wet AMD, and associated high risk are some major challenges before the AMD market.The age-related macular degeneration market can be broadly categorized on the basis of type of AMD, type of drug, route of administration, and geography. Based on type of AMD, the market can be segmented into wet AMD and dry AMD. Based on type of drug, it can be divided into Lucentis, Eylea, Avastin, Visudyne, and others. Based on route of administration, the market has been segmented into IV and intravitreal. Based on geography, the global AMD market can be divided into four regions viz. North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of World. Major players operating in the age-related macular degeneration market are Genentech, Inc. (a member of Roche Group), Pfizer, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Healthcare (a subsidiary of Bayer AG), and Novartis AG.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: Active Implantable Medical Devices Market in Global Industry 2017-2025 Co. KG, Cochlear Ltd., Zimmer Biomet, and Sonova Holding AG (Advanced Bionics) Market Research Report https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1509412 https://www.researchmoz.us/active-implantable-medical-devices-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2017-2025-report.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG https://marketreserch1.blogspot.com Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Active Implantable Medical Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Active medical devices are types of medical devices that require electric energy or any other source of power for effective functioning. These devices seldom rely on a source of energy which is directly generated by gravity or from the human body. Active implantable medical devices are active medical devices intended to be introduced totally or partially, surgically or medically into the human body by medical intervention and intended to remain in the body after the procedure.Types of active implantable medical devices are implantable cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, implantable nerve stimulators, cochlear implants, and implanted infusion pumps. These devices are used in different health conditions and they fulfill different treatment purposes. Implantable cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are generally used in arrhythmia, a disorder that affects the heart rhythm or rate. An ICD helps in monitoring heart rhythm and sends electric signals if it detects dangerous rhythm. Pacemakers aid in controlling the abnormal heart rhythm by using electric pulses for proper functioning of the heart. In case of an individual suffering from chronic pain, implantable nerve stimulators provide relief and help in pain management. Cochlear implants are medical devices that aid in the hearing process for persons who experience issues with their hearing or suffer from hearing loss. Implanted infusion pumps are miniature devices inserted under the skin for consistent and targeted medication to alleviate pain experienced by patients.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Rising geriatric population and increasing prevalence of neurological and cardiovascular diseases are major factors driving the global active implantable medical devices market. In 2015, a report by the United Nations stated that the number of people aged 60 years and above worldwide had increased from around 607 million in 2000 to nearly 901 million in 2015. The geriatric population is expected to rise by 56%, which is nearly 1.4 billion, by 2030. It is anticipated to increase from 901 million in 2030 to about 2.1 billion by 2050. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is the major cause of deaths globally with over 17.7 million deaths caused by CVDs in 2015, which represents 31% of deaths occurring worldwide. Middle- and low-income countries are the most affected, with 75% of deaths caused by CVDs occurring in these countries. As per the WHO estimates, around 6 million deaths occur due to stroke every year across the globe. Around 47.5 million people across the world are affected by dementia and 7.7 million new cases are reported every year.Globally, the number of people with epilepsy is estimated to be more than 50 million. Rise in the number of patients with cardiovascular and neurological disorders is expected to boost the demand for devices such as implantable cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and implantable nerve stimulators during the forecast period. Additionally, rising investments by major players in the development of technologically advanced active implantable medical devices and favorable reimbursement scenarios in developed countries are anticipated to drive the demand for these devices in the near future.On the other hand, high costs of implants, challenges related to deployment of active implantable medical devices, and unfavorable health care reforms prevalent in the U.S. are likely to hinder the active implantable medical devices market during the forecast period. Development of novel products such as subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators and easy-to-use implantable products with enhanced shelf-life is expected to provide significant growth opportunities to the market during the forecast period.Make an Enquiry about TOC @The global active implantable medical devices market has been segmented based on product, procedure, end-user, and region. In terms of product, the market has been classified into implantable cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, implantable nerve stimulators, cochlear implants, and implanted infusion pumps. Based on procedure, the active implantable medical devices market has been divided into cardiovascular implants, neurological Implants, hearing implants, and others. In terms of end-user, the market has been segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and cardiac centers.In terms of geography, the global active implantable medical devices market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounts for a leading share of the global active implantable medical devices market, due to rise in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders in the region. The market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the maximum growth rate during the forecast period, due to rising health care expenditure and growing geriatric population in the region.Key players operating in the global active implantable medical devices market are Boston Scientific Corporation Limited, Abbott Laboratories (St. Jude Medical, LLC.), Medtronic Plc, BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Cochlear Ltd., Zimmer Biomet, and Sonova Holding AG (Advanced Bionics).The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact :ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @ Global Dodecanol Market to Incur Steady Growth During 2015-2025 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-344 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-344 www.futuremarketinsights.com Dodecanol also called as Lauryl alcohol or 1-dodecanol is classified as a fatty alcohol. It is a colorless, tasteless solid with a floral smell. It is manufactured by hydrogenation of palm kernel or coconut oil fatty acids. The major use of dodecanol is as a chemical intermediate for the manufacture of dodecyl sulfate and dodecyl ethoxylate. Additionally, it is used as a vital raw material in the manufacture of surfactants. It is also used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, lubricating oils, flavoring agents and as an emollient among other.The primary driver for dodecanol market is the growing personal care market. The emergence of products such as fabric softeners, skin care products and fatty alcohol based detergents are driving the market for dodecanol. The growth of this market is significant in the developing third world countries, where the manufacturing bases are finding new ground. Dodecanol can be used in many forms such as alcohol ethoxylate and sulfates, which are used as wetting agent and emulsifiers in paints and coatings. Growth of the paints & coatings market is expected to augment the demand for dodecanol. A restraining factor for this market is that it is acutely toxic to marine organisms and it is an eye irritant, hence it requires safe handling and disposal.Request For Report Sample@The surfactants market has undergone an evolution from tallow to vegetable oil to synthetic surfactants and to fatty alcohol surfactants. Over the past few years the use of dodecanol for surfactants has declined in North America, Western Europe and Japan. There has been a surge in demand for dodecanol in developing regions such as South Africa, Brazil, China, Malaysia and Indonesia as new producers have started operating facilities in these countries.Dodecanol market can be broadly segmented on the basis of applications, such as anionic surfactants, quaternary ammonium compounds for detergents, nonionic surfactants, coatings & inks, PVC plasticizers, water treatment, lubricant additives and flavors & fragrances among others. Dodecanol can be compounded with many functional groups which impart special properties to it and set it apart from the pure form of dodecanol.The end use of dodecanol can be classified into four broad categories, namely, personal care, household detergents, industrial & hard surface cleaning and other uses. Under personal care, dodecanol can be used in its pure form or as alcohol ethoxylate or as esters or as quaternary ammonium salts. The end uses for these forms of dodecanol are creams, lotions, skin products, bath oils, lipsticks, medicated cosmetics and sunscreen agents. For use in these products, dodecanol acts as a thickener, carrier, opacifier, anti static and sheen agent. For use in household and industrial detergents, dodecanol acts as a dispersant, foam controller, wetting agent, foam stabilizer and germicidal carrier. It finds application in laundry products, wool washing, scouring cleaner and fabric softener. For use in other industries like textiles, leather, plastics, pharmaceuticals and paper, dodecanol imparts properties such as that of a leveling agent, bacteriostat, water evaporation retardant, coupling agent, plasticizer and anti corrosion agent. In addition to this, lauryl alcohol ethoxylate which is a derivative of dodecanol can be used for silicon and wax emulsification, in colorants manufacturing and electroplating industry. Out of all these applications, dodecanol has widespread application in the surfactants market. Besides imparting fragrance, dodecanol also acts as a carrier, thickener and foam controller. These properties make it an excellent and irreplaceable ingredient for surfactants.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The major players in the market of dodecanol are SIGMA-ALDRICH Corporation, Chemos GmbH, Merck Schuchardt OHG, Leap Labchem Co., Ltd, Jinan Haohua Industry Co., Ltd., AK Scientific, Inc., Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Haihang Industry Co., Ltd., East Chemical Industry Co., Ltd, Symrise AG, Magna-Kron Corp., Shanghai IS Chemical Technology Ltd., Seidler Chemical Co., Inc., CellMark USA, LLC and Mosselman S.A among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Global Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market Size & Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1581195 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1581195/blood-glucose-monitoring-devices-market-research-reports https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/1581195 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ MarketResearchReports.Biz presents this most up-to-date research on "Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025"The main objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the global Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices market on the basis of types of applications, major sectors, deployment models, organization size, and regions. The report contains an analysis of the major factors influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges). It aims to strategically analyze the micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and their contribution to the market. The report attempts to forecast the market size for 5 major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. It contains key vendor profiles and comprehensively analyzes their core competencies. The report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments, including partnerships, collaborations, acquisitions, new product developments, and R&D activities in the market.Get Sample Copy of this report @Blood glucose monitoring devices are used to measure the amount of glucose in blood. Blood glucose monitoring devices are widely utilized by diabetic patients in order to keep the level of glucose in the blood within desired range. Blood glucose monitoring devices help diabetic patients determine the levels of glucose in their blood, in order to maintain the proper glucose levels and thereby prevents the chances of developing further complications arising from high or low glucose levels. Different types of blood glucose monitoring devices such as continuous glucose monitoring devices, glucose meters, glucose monitoring strips, and lancets are available. Most devices have inbuilt software systems to record glucose levels in different formats such as graphs and charts.The rising prevalence and incidences of diabetes patients worldwide is likely to be a key driving factor for the global blood glucose monitoring devices market during the forecast period. Rapidly increasing geriatric population in developed countries such as the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K. and Japan is projected to fuel the demand for blood glucose monitoring devices in the near future. Increasing risk of developing diabetes in the obese population has led to the adoption blood glucose monitoring devices. Moreover, increased awareness and concern about blood glucose levels among diabetic patients has led to the significant increase in demand for blood glucose monitoring devices in homecare settings and diagnostics laboratories. Technological advancements in the continuous glucose device monitoring devices, consisting of disposable sensors and ease of use by means of wireless touchscreen display, is projected to drive the demand for blood glucose monitoring devices. However the high cost of continuous glucose monitoring devices is likely to hamper the market during the forecast period. New product launch and approvals by the FDA and other healthcare regulatory institutes represents significant opportunities for global players operating in this market.The global blood glucose monitoring devices can be segmented based on product type, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the market can be classified into continuous glucose monitoring systems, blood glucose meters, glucose monitoring strips, and lancets. The glucose monitoring strips segment accounted for a key share of the global blood glucose monitoring devices in 2016. The blood glucose meters segment is projected expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period. Based on end-user, the global blood glucose monitoring devices can be segmented into hospitals and clinics, diagnostics centers, and home care settings. The hospital segment is projected to account for a leading share of the global blood glucose monitoring devices market by the end of 2025.View Full Report @In terms of region, the global blood glucose monitoring devices market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe are projected to dominate the global market owing to the large population with diabetes, rapidly increasing geriatric and obese population, and high per capita healthcare expenditure in these regions. The market in Asia pacific is anticipated to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period due to the large number population of India and China. According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 60% of worlds diabetic population lives in Asia, with more than half of it in China and India together. The market in Latin America and Middle East & Africa is likely to expand at moderate growth rate during the forecast period.Key players operating in the global blood glucose monitoring devices include Abbott Laboratories, ARKRAY, Inc., Medtronic plc, Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Terumo Corporation, Novo Nordisk A/S, LifeScan, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Becton, Dickinson and Company. A key trend of new product development and approval is observed among global players.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisRequest For Enquiry @The regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy Market Size & Share, Growth and Forecast 2017 - 2025 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/1581219 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/reports/1581219/myotonic-muscular-dystrophy-global-market-research-reports https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/enquiry/1581219 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ MarketResearchReports.Biz presents this most up-to-date research on "Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025"The main objective of this report is to define, describe, and forecast the global Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy market on the basis of types of applications, major sectors, deployment models, organization size, and regions. The report contains an analysis of the major factors influencing the growth of the market (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges). It aims to strategically analyze the micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and their contribution to the market. The report attempts to forecast the market size for 5 major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. It contains key vendor profiles and comprehensively analyzes their core competencies. The report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments, including partnerships, collaborations, acquisitions, new product developments, and R&D activities in the market.Get Sample Copy of this report @Myotonic muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by muscle degeneration and weakness. It is a common form of muscular dystrophy that generally begins in adulthood. Myotonic dystrophy can be categorized into myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2). Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is result of an abnormal DNA expansion in the DMPK gene on chromosome 19. Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is caused by an abnormal expansion of DNA in the ZNF9 gene on chromosome 3. Myotonic dystrophy (DM) 1 is sub divided into congenital-onset DM1, juvenile-onset DM1, and adult-onset DM1. Common symptoms of myotonic dystrophy include stiffness and tightness of muscles, progressive muscle wasting, and muscle weakness in lower legs, neck, hands, and face. Abnormalities in parts of brain, cataracts, heart difficulties, insulin resistance, and limb and hand muscle weakness are also symptoms of myotonic dystrophy. Cognitive disabilities in congenital myotonic dystrophy, outgrowing congenital myotonic dystrophy, speech, hearing, and vision difficulties, and weak muscles are the common symptoms of congenital myotonic dystrophy1. Neuromuscular health care professionals diagnosed myotonic dystrophy with the help of sign and symptoms of people. Doctors also used electromyogram or EMG for electrical testing of muscles and nerves. DNA test is recommended by the health care specialists to confirm suspects of DM1 or DM2.Increase in research and development, introduction of novel disease therapies, rise in demand for effective therapies among patients, and upsurge in prevalence of the disease are projected to fuel the growth of the global myotonic dystrophy market during the forecast period. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, prevalence of myotonic muscular dystrophy was 1 in every 8000 people. Rise in prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, neurovascular, and arthritis and increase in health care insurance coverage are the other factors estimated to accelerate the growth of the global myotonic muscular dystrophy market during the forecast period. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 17.7 million deaths in 2015, representing 31% of the global deaths.The global myotonic muscular dystrophy market can be segmented based on medical treatment, end-user, and region. In terms of medical treatment, the myotonic muscular dystrophy market can be categorized into medications, rehabilitative therapies, devices, and surgeries. Based on end-user, the myotonic muscular dystrophy market can be classified into hospitals, specialty clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers. In term of revenue, the hospitals segment dominate the myotonic muscular dystrophy market in 2016.View Full Report @Geographically, the global myotonic muscular dystrophy market can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading market for myotonic muscular dystrophy globally. In terms of revenue, the U.S. accounts for a major share of the myotonic muscular dystrophy market in North America. The myotonic muscular dystrophy market in Europe is expanding rapidly due to high prevalence of the disease in the region. The myotonic muscular dystrophy market in Asia Pacific and Latin America is projected to expand significantly in the near future. Developing economies such as China and India are anticipated to contribute to the growth of the myotonic muscular dystrophy market in Asia Pacific between 2017 and 2025 due to developed health care infrastructure, economic growth, increase in the number of insurance payers, growth of the private health care sector, and rise in disease awareness among the people in the region. Brazil and Mexico dominate the myotonic muscular dystrophy market in Latin America in terms of treatment of the disease. In Middle East & Africa, South Africa, Turkey, and other developing countries contribute to the growth of the myotonic muscular dystrophy market in the region.Key players operating in the myotonic muscular dystrophy market are Pfizer, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., Wockhardt Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Novartis AG, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc., Asklepios Kliniken GmbH, Hoveround Corporation, and Siemens Healthcare.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisRequest For Enquiry @The regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Vortex Tubes Market Global Report, Application & Research 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/vortex-tubes-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=38552 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The vertical spinning motion of a continuum at a particular point in pseudo-vector field is termed as vorticity. In fluid dynamics, a vortex is an area in fluids where the flow rotates along the axis line that is either curved or straight. Vortices are formed in stirred fluids and are prominently observed as whirlpools, smoke rings, dust storms, and the winds surrounding a tornado. Vortex tubes are air cooling units that provide effective and affordable solutions for a wide variety of industrial spot cooling and process cooling requirements.Read Report Overview @The vortex tubes market can be segmented based on type, application, end-user, and region. Based on type, the vortex tubes market can be classified into parallel or uni-flow vortex tube and counter flow vortex tube. The uni-flow vortex tube contains an entrance block of a vortex tube, with attached inlet nozzles, and a cone-shaped valve combined with a central orifice. The counter-flow vortex tube comprises an entrance block of nozzle connections combined together with a central orifice, cone-shaped valve, and a vortex tube. Source of compressed gas, which is at a high pressure, penetrates the vortex tube through more than one inlet nozzle at a higher velocity in the tangential direction.Applications of the vortex tubes are they could be utilized when reliability, compactness, and low equipment costs are the major factors and the operating efficiency is taken into consideration. Based on application, the vortex tubes market can be segregated into space suits, airplanes, underground mines, industrial process coolers, and instrument coolers which are sub segments of cooling devices segments. In terms of end-user, the vortex tubes market can be segmented into industrial, commercial, and residential. Vortex tubes are widely preferred by industrial users due to their cost effectiveness and achieving superior performance.Drivers of vortex tubes generators made comprising of vortex tubes are they can be interchangeable, the stationary part regulates the volume of compressed air that allows to alter the air flows and temperature ranges produced with the help of tube. Vortex tubes are utilized to provide cold air into an enclosed environment with the help of coolers. Minimum space is required for the installation vortex tubes, which yields maximum cooling effect. Vortex tubes help to keep off dirt and dust from the surrounding environment.Vortex tubes are thermodynamically highly inefficient, it was not preferred for several years. Leakage of air in vortex tubes is a cause of concern that needs to be dealt with methodically. Vortex tubes contain less storage capacity. Hence, technological advancements are estimated to be developed for vortex tubes in the near future.In terms of region, countries in Asia Pacific such as India, China, Japan, and Australia, witnessed an increase in demand for vortex tubes. This is due to the rapid urbanization and expansion of the automotive sector in these countries. North America witnessed a high demand for vortex tubes due to the high standard of living by the people in the region. In Europe, countries such as Germany, Italy, France, and the U.K. are expected to witness a rise in demand for vortex tubes due to rapid industrialization. Countries in Latin America such as Brazil and Mexico are anticipated to witness an increase in demand for vortex tubes due to rapid urbanization in these countries. Middle East and African is also likely to witness a rise in demand for vortex tubes due to high atmospheric temperatures and requirement of vortex tubes for cooling purpose in the near future.Request to view Sample Report:Key players operating in the vortex tubes market are Reliance, TVS, Caterpillar, JK Tyres, and Maruti.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Articulated Arm Services Market : Projection of Each Major Segment over the Forecast Period 2023 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/articulated-arm-services-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=7850 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=7850 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Articulated arms or robotic arms were primarily used for applications limited to verticals such as aerospace, automotive, military and machine shops. However, gradually these arms are being deployed for applications across other industries such as medical, animation and electronics. Owing to the characteristics of these arms, such as light weight, flexibility and easy handling, these arms are gaining popularity in Co-ordinate Measuring Machine (CMM).Moreover, the demand for portable articulated arms is more as compared to fixed CMM configurations due to use of multi-axis arms in measuring different parameters that are beyond the capability of fixed CMM configuration. The growing demand for Portable CMM (PCMM) coupled with its increasing scope in semiconductor and mechatronics industries is expected to further enhance the growth of articulated arms in the CMM market.Obtain Report DetailsArticulated arms services market is segmented on the basis of applications such as automotive, aerospace, industrial, power generation, medical and electronics. The automotive segment includes all the participants involved in the automotive supply chain including the OEMs and the component manufacturers. In aerospace, the articulated arms are used for metrology services offered to civil aerospace, military, and defense applications.The industries use articulated arms services to avail metrology services for industrial manufacturing applications, metal fabrication work, and processing industries. In power generation, articulated arms are preferred to analyze of metrology services provided in thermal power plants, nuclear plants, and wind mills, and other renewable power generation sources. In medical and electronics industry, articulated arms are primarily used for heritage preservation and animal applications.Get brochure for latest technological advancementsAsia Pacific region is witnessing increasing growth in articulated arm services market. This growth is driven by high growth in the automotives and industrial sectors. Additionally, the increasing demand for industrial robotics in Asia Pacific is further boosting the growth of articulated arms services.According to International Federation of Robotics, in Asia including Australia and New Zealand, the total number of industrial robots sold in this region in 2013 was 17% more as compared to 2012. Moreover, with the increasing demand for portable and easy to handle metrological equipment, coupled with declining prices, is further propelling the growth of articulated arms service market in Asia Pacific region. Asia Pacific articulated arms market is dominated by the automotive applications segment and is expected to remain dominant over the coming years.Obtain Table of ContentHowever, with the increasing number of industrial plants in the Asia Pacific region, it is expected that the industrial application segment of articulated arms services market will show potential growth in near future. Within Asia Pacific, the majority of the market share is held by China, followed by Japan and India.In China and Japan, the market growth is attributed to growing demand from automotives, power generation and heavy industries. India and Thailand are the most attractive countries in terms of growth rate, due to the increasing demand for metrology services across different industries in these countries. Korea, Indonesia and other countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore have potential growth opportunities with increasing industrialization in these countries, coupled with growing automotive sector.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Posted Friday, March 9, 2018 5:30 am Last week, Missouri Farm Bureau president Blake Hurst gave a thumbs-up to Governor Eric Greitens recent rural revitalization package. Governor Greitenss announcement is great news for our state. Improving access to broadband, fulfilling obligations to biodiesel producers, improving ports and promoting water quality initiatives will indeed strengthen rural communities. With an annual economic contribution of more than $88 billion, agriculture and related industries is the engine that drives communities from Tarkio to Tuscumbia and Hannibal to Halfway, Hurst continued. Providing access to affordable, high-speed broadband opens a world of possibility. Students will be able to do their schoolwork at home, not in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. Rural residents will have direct linkages to health care specialists, farmers will have real-time access to production data and businesses will have vast new marketing opportunities. Missouri Farm Bureau supports this initiative and we look forward to working with the governor and other organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in our states rural communities. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - Pipeline Review, H1 2018 Complex Regional Pain Syndrome https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2811450-complex-regional-pain-syndrome-pipeline-review-h1-2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/2811450-complex-regional-pain-syndrome-pipeline-review-h1-2018 WiseGuyReports.com with their unique quality of simplifying the market research study, presents a deep diving study report Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - Pipeline Review, H1 2018Complex Regional Pain SyndromeOverviewComplex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition that most often affects one limb usually after an injury. CRPS is divided into two types: CRPS-I (Individuals without a confirmed nerve injury) and CRPS-II (when there is an associated, confirmed nerve injury).Symptoms include stiffness in affected joints, changes in nail and hair growth patterns, dystonia and abnormal sweating pattern. Treatment includes bisphosphonates, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids and local anesthetic creams.Click here for sample report @Top Companies mentionedAbiogen Pharma SpAAxsome Therapeutics IncGrunenthal GmbHPiramal Enterprises LtdComplex Regional Pain Syndrome Industry Major OutlookPharmaceutical and Healthcare latest pipeline guide Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - Pipeline Review, H1 2018, provides comprehensive information on the therapeutics under development for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, complete with analysis by stage of development, drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The guide covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases.The Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Central Nervous System) pipeline guide also reviews of key players involved in therapeutic development for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and features dormant and discontinued projects. The guide covers therapeutics under Development by Companies /Universities /Institutes, the molecules developed by Companies in Phase III, Phase I and Preclinical stages are 2, 1 and 2 respectively. Similarly, the Universities portfolio in Preclinical stages comprises 2 molecules, respectively.Complex Regional Pain Syndrome pipeline guide helps in identifying and tracking emerging players in the market and their portfolios, enhances decision making capabilities and helps to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - Competitive AnalysisKey players are making innovative developments in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome industry. The same will help in improving the market performance. Heavy investments are made by major players in the R&D sectorScopeThe pipeline guide provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.The pipeline guide reviews pipeline therapeutics for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources.The pipeline guide covers pipeline products based on several stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages.The pipeline guide features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which comprise, product description, descriptive licensing and collaboration details, R&D brief, MoA & other developmental activities.The pipeline guide reviews key companies involved in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects.The pipeline guide evaluates Complex Regional Pain Syndrome therapeutics based on mechanism of action (MoA), drug target, route of administration (RoA) and molecule type.The pipeline guide encapsulates all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects.The pipeline guide reviews latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome..ContinuedFor Detailed Reading Please visit @Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. We also provide COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) business sector reports as custom exploration agreeing your particular needs.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Building Energy Management System Market Growth to Be Fuelled | 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/building-energy-management-system-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=38657 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Building energy management system (BEMS) is an advanced method to monitor and control the energy requirement of a building. BEMS is a computer-based system which provides monitoring and controlling features for a buildings mechanical and electrical equipment, providing ventilation, power, and lightning systems. BEMS has evolved with an increasing focus on usage of data in commercial buildings powered by technology trends such as Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud networking.Read Report Overview @Building energy management system is a vital component to manage the demand for energy in a large complex or multi- building site. There is a significant difference between BEMS and other control systems as the former provides distinctive features such as communication, information of processes, and other remotely-operated roles which can be controlled through a central point or a single operating unit. Technological developments in the BEMS hardware for sensors and communication highways and computer processing power have rendered BEMS a preferred management system. BEMS not only created rapid developments but has also significantly reduced the cost of management systems. Advancement in technology has also amplified the possibilities of usage of BEMS. In addition, it is now possible to monitor multiple buildings at the same time and integrate their tasks. The heating and the cooling requirements among buildings can be combined, resulting in energy saving and management of an individual building to the optimum. BEMS also improves energy efficiency and utilization by restructuring the operation of the equipment which it controls and monitors. Improved energy efficiency leads to increased protection of the environment by reducing the use of resources.The growth rate for BEMS installation varies considerably across regions with the dominant contributions coming from the developed nations. At the national, state, and local levels, government policies play an important role in promoting the usage of BEMS; however, the uncertainty in demand has created challenges for the BEMS market. The future of the BEMS market depends on the cost of technology, enactment of supportive measures and economic incentives, investor interest, consumer awareness, certification, and quality assurance.The BEMS market is majorly driven by the advancement of technology and innovations in the global and regional market. Price of BEMS varies based on numerous factors such as installation cost, space availability.Based on application, the BEMS market can be divided into industrial, commercial, and residential. The commercial and industrial segments are expected to remain attractive during the forecast period.In terms of type, the BEMS market can be classified into software, hardware, and services designed to address specific needs of customers.Based on region, the BEMS market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is expected to lead the BEMS market during the forecast period, followed by Europe. The dominance of Asia Pacific is primarily due to large number of installations of BEMS in China, Japan, India, and South Asian nations. The BEMS market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a significant pace during the forecast period due to the increase in demand for residential and industrial buildings.Request to view Sample Report:Key companies operating in the BEMS market include Honey well international, GE digital Energy, Johnson, Schneider Electric, ABB Ltd., BuildingIQ Inc., Cylon Controls, EnerNoc Inc., eSight Energy, and Siemens.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Sulfate of Potash Market Analysis 2018 by focusing on Top Companies like Tessenderlo Group, Haifa Chemicals ltd., Compass Minerals, K+S KALI GmbH Global Sulfate of Potash Market- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025 http://bit.ly/2DdKgB0 http://bit.ly/2Ie6zdR Sulfate of Potash Market with figures as recent as 2017 and forecasts up to 2024 provides an overview of the industry including its definition, size, share, growth, applications and manufacturing technology. Report also explores the major industry players in detail as well as company profile, product specifications, capacity and production value.Global Sulfate of Potash Market is expected to reach 10,535.84 thousand tons by 2025 from 7,000.00 thousand tons in 2017, at a CAGR of 5.5% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024. The new market report contains data for historic years 2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.Ask for Free Sample Report @Global Sulfate of Potash Market By Grade Type (standard SOP, Granular SOP, Soluble SOP), By end user (Agricultural, Industrial), By Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa)- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025The major factors contributing to the growth of the market includes factors such as rising global population and income growth in key emerging markets,reduction in arable land and chase for higher yields. On the other hand, increase in the trend of organic food consumption may hinder the growth of the market.This report consists of below pages:No of pages : 350 No of Figures: 60 No of Tables: 220Key Points:K+S KALI GmbH is going to dominate the global Sulfate of Potash market following with Tessenderlo Group, Compass Minerals, SQM and Migao Group others among others. The global Granular SOP market is expected to reach 7,214.40 thousand tonnes by 2025, from 4,768.21 thousand tonnes in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 5.6%. The Agricultureis expected to dominate the Sulfate of Potash market with 89.0% market share, growing at a CAGR 5.7% in the forecast period 2018 to 2025.Major Players: Global Sulfate of Potash MarketSome of the Major Players Operating in this Market are:- Tessenderlo Group, Haifa Chemicals ltd., Compass Minerals, K+S KALI GmbH, SQM, MIGAO GROUP, Ameropa Australia Pvt Ltd, Archean Group, China Ching Shiang Chemical Corporation, SESODA, Helm AG, Merck KGaA among others.Key Drivers:The major factors contributing to the growth of the market includes factors such as are rising global population and income growth in key emerging markets, Reduction In Arable Land And Chase For Higher Yields, Increase In Need Of Turf & Ornamental Land.RISING GLOBAL POPULATION AND INCOME GROWTH IN KEY EMERGING MARKETSAccording to WHO the global population had reached to 7.6 billion by end of 2017. With the rise in population the need for more agricultural and industrial product increases. Furthermore, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the world economy has broadly strengthened over the past three years and is expected to continue this strengthening during 2014-2015. The global grain supply-demand balance in the 2014-2015 marketing season had improved. The world cereal production in 2014 was estimated to reach 2 498 000 000 tonnes. World demand for total fertilizer nutrients is been estimated to grow at 1.8 percent per annum from 2014 to 2018. The demand for nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizer is forecast to grow annually by 1.4, 2.2, and 2.6 percent, respectively, during the forecasted period. The global potential balance of potassium was expected to rise significantly from 8 700 000 tonnes in 2014 to 12 700 000 tonnes in 2018, Africa region is likely to remain a major exporter of phosphate, followed by nitrogen. But North America continues to be solely importer of potash.According to above mentioned statistics the need for Potash based fertilizers is increasing. SOP (Sulfate of Potash) is a chloride free chemical and vital for high value crops. The agricultural pollution, water scarcity and technology advances technology are causing changes in production practices of various groups such as different method of irrigations like sprinkle irrigation method are used for growing of crops. With the change in lifestyle more demand for sensitive crop is growing. According to Agrimin company approximately 50 kilotons per annum SOP is imported and used in Australia itself. Markets such as of potatoes and grapes are major drivers for SOP. According to compass mineral industries North America is highest producer of Potash globally is making the market of SOP grow in the future.INCREASE IN NEED OF TURF & ORNAMENTAL LANDIn ornamental market, decorative plants, cut flowers and bulbs are grown as commercial crops, Pests can reduce profits quickly and dramatically. Companies such as BASF offers a wide range of innovative solutions for disease and insect control for general landscaping and the professional turf management requires skilled personnel and high-performance technology. Companies such as BASF supports greens keepers, superintendents, amenity managers, agronomists and technical experts in the turf care industry with a powerful portfolio of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, biological solutions, colorants and turf nutrients.Special types of fertilizers are used which enhance the quality of the soil and give better and greener grass. SOP is most commonly used fertilizer as it enhances the quality of the soil and increase the potash contain of the soil. There are different type of turf and ornamental grasses such as type of turf grass (zoysia grass, rye grass, bermuda grass, blue kentucky grass, tall fescue, and others, type of ornamental grass (fountain grass, ravenna grass, feather reed grass, purple millet, fibre optic grass, and others.The turfgrass and lawncare industry in the United States is expected t to grow rapidly due to strong demand for residential and commercial property development, rising affluence, and the environmental and benefits of turf grass in the urban landscape.The turf grass has various economic and environmental impacts globally. For example the turf grass industry made a significances profit of about 3.2 billion to the state economy of New Jersey.Talk To the Author of This Report @Market Segmentation: The Global Sulfate of Potash Market is segmented on the basis of grade type, end user and geography. The report provides data for 2016 to 2025, 2017 being the current year while 2018 to 2025 is the forecast period for the report. The Global Sulfate of Potash market is segmented based on grade type into three notable segments; standard SOP, Granular SOP, Soluble SOP The Sulfate of Potash market is dominated by Granular SOP with 68.2% market share in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% in the forecast period. The Global Sulfate of Potash market is segmented based on end user into two notable segments; Agricultural and Industrial . In 2018, the Agricultural Sulfate of Potash segment is expected to dominate the market with 89.0% market share. Based on geography, the market is segmented into 5 geographical regions, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East and Africa.About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Global Rollator Walker Market 2018: Know The Key Growth Drivers Developments and Innovations QYResearchReports https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1530085&type=S https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-rollator-walker-sales-market-report-2018.htm/toc http://www.qyresearchreports.com Qyresearchreports include new market research report Rollator Walker to its huge collection of research reports.The report here gathers interchange perspectives having a place with the global Rollator Walker market which verbalizes the present-day data and future exposures with reference to the dynamic powers at play. The prime reason behind the examination report is to offer the endorser with a wide design and make accessible the pleasing substances and records. The quantifiable and testing clarifications behind the examination other than executes data on issues, for example, drivers, shackles, and projections to gage the surrendered consequence of the global Rollator Walker market through the cross of the said gage period in the examination report. The report in like course passes on a brief and world class record of the predefined market takes after, which joins a few occasions of the veritable fixations at work which are concentrated to trigger change in the market or may cause any negative effect.This report other than stations into the global Rollator Walker market by in a general sense breaking down the thing and industrialized chain of the market. This is required to in like route help in passing on honest to goodness information and data on compound parts of the fitting market, for example, material relating to systems for the overseeing body in the standard and general strata, transport and transmission structure, targets, and elucidations behind premium got for the contributed mean.Get Sample Report of the Research Study at:The report utilizes a few showed industry examination and whole contraptions. They permit the examination accumulate pass on an uncovered key assessment of the global Rollator Walker market and help endorser and market troupes to be coordinated with respect to hypothesis and business judgments. The wide reasoning about the examination gives a market position on an unquestionable and minute scale. It assembles huge and optional research structures in this way. The administrators have figured the recorded encounters and rose it from the forward and along these lines around change the condition to outline a structure for the global Rollator Walker market in the years ahead.Global Rollator Walker market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Rollator Walker sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingGraham-Field (US)Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare (US)Karman (US)Human Care (Sweden)Meyra (Germany)Roscoe Medical (US)Kaiyang Medical Technology (China)Evolution Technologies (Canada)Dongfang (China)Briggs Healthcare (US)Matsunaga (Japan)Cardinal Health (US)Trionic Sverige (Sweden)Handicare (Norway)...Read Complete Table of Content of the Report at:Table of ContentsGlobal Rollator Walker Sales Market Report 20181 Rollator Walker Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Rollator Walker1.2 Classification of Rollator Walker by Product Category1.2.1 Global Rollator Walker Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Rollator Walker Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 3 Wheel Rollator1.2.4 4 Wheel Rollator1.2.5 Other1.3 Global Rollator Walker Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Rollator Walker Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 65 to 85years Old1.3.3 Above 85 Years Old1.3.4 Young Population2 Global Rollator Walker Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Rollator Walker Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Rollator Walker Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Rollator Walker Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Rollator Walker (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Rollator Walker Sales and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.2.2 Global Rollator Walker Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3 Global Rollator Walker (Volume and Value) by Region2.3.1 Global Rollator Walker Sales and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Rollator Walker Revenue and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)2.4 Global Rollator Walker (Volume) by Application3 United States Rollator Walker (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Rollator Walker Sales and Value (2013-2018)3.1.1 United States Rollator Walker Sales and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.2 United States Rollator Walker Revenue and Growth Rate (2013-2018)3.1.3 United States Rollator Walker Sales Price Trend (2013-2018)3.2 United States Rollator Walker Sales Volume and Market Share by Players (2013-2018)...About QYResearchReports.comQyresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from Qyresearchreports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com Digital Door Lock Systems Market : Granular View of The Market from Various End-Use Segments https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/digital-door-lock-systems-market-2017-2025.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23915 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/23915 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global market for digital door lock systems has been projected to be dominated by a handful of established players. Approximately 45.0% of the overall market share has been cumulatively accounted by the top five companies in the year 2016. While the small scale, domestic, and regional companies held the remaining share of the global market in the same year, nearly 66.0% of the share in the market was accounted by the top ten companies in the global market.Adopting enhanced manufacturing capacities, putting in more investments towards achieving better technological advantage, and taking over smaller companies are considered to be among the most widely adopted strategies by the key players in the global digital door lock system market.Obtain Report DetailsThe global market for digital door lock systems generated a revenue worth US$1.1 bn in the year 2016. However, the growth of the market is being projected on a brighter side, with an estimated market valuation worth US$15.0 bn by the end of 2025. This growth of the global market for digital door lock system is expected to be achieved with the help of an impressive CAGR of 33.6% over the course of the given forecast period of 2017 to 2025.Depending on type of systems, the global market is expected to be dominated by the segment of biometrics, with it accounting for 73.0% of the overall market in previous year. In terms of geography, the global market is set to be dominated by North America, with the region projected to show a staggering CAGR of 34.0% over the course of the given forecast period.Get Brochure For More Technical InsightsThe overall demand for the digital lock systems has been on the rise due to several factors. One of the key aspect responsible for driving the growth of the market is the huge rise in the number of large, medium, and small sized enterprises across the globe. Yet, there are more chances and opportunities that can spur the development of the global market for digital door lock systems. The massive advent of industrialization of numerous services and operational units, and the regional expansion are also projected to drive the growth of the global market in the coming years of the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.The ever-growing need for enhanced home security systems is also projected to be one of the important drivers of the global market in the residential segment. It is expected to gain more traction in the coming years due to growing concerns over the increasing rates of property crimes, home invasions, and burglaries among others. In the near future, the overall demand for the digital door lock systems is expected to continue its upward growth.For Detail Analysis Get Table Of ContentHowever, there are some factor which might impede the growth of the market and yet stop it from reaching its full potential. One of the key impeding factors for the growth of the global market for digital door lock systems is the high cost associated with these security services. In addition to this, the large scale adoption of the digital door lock systems could also be restricted by the lack of basic IT literacy in certain regional marketsAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Battery Monitoring System Market Global Report, Application & Research | 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/battery-monitoring-system-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=38618 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Demand for clean energy has increased significantly due to the rise in awareness and increase in concerns regarding global warming. This has led to a shift toward sources of energy such as solar, wind, and environmentally-friendly electric and hybrid vehicles. Energy storage is a grave concern for successful implementation of these clean solutions. It can be resolved by the application of battery of various capacities for energy storage. Hence, monitoring of these batteries is an important task that helps ensure the proper working of these clean technologies and applications that are directly or indirectly dependent on battery. Battery monitoring system continuously measures, records, monitors, and analyzes various parameters for individual cells and battery modules. Analyzing the data obtained from battery monitoring helps one to know the condition of the battery or cell. It would also help in taking proper actions in order to avoid unplanned power outages.Read Report Overview @The battery monitoring system aims to notify the user about the existing scenario and health of the battery or battery bank. It alerts the user about the failure of batteries in the bank. It also alerts the user about the net charge existing or total backup available from battery or the battery bank. Any particular damage to the battery can be easily monitored in order to take necessary action to guard the battery from any major damage hindering its ability to perform. Hence, battery monitoring can prolong the overall battery life and its efficiency. A battery monitoring system generally monitors charging, discharging, and load on the battery; AC mains frequency & voltage; and ambient temperature and temperature of the battery. The battery monitoring system also helps generate live report of the battery performance and triggers alarm if any fault is detected.Based on end-user, the battery monitoring system market can be segmented into energy industry, automotive industry, IT & telecommunication industry, and others. In the energy industry, the battery monitoring system is used to monitor battery conditions used for storing power generated from solar and wind energy, or for monitoring the battery utilized as power backup in power generation and oil and gas segments of the energy industry. In the automotive sector, the battery monitoring system is used primarily in electric and hybrid electric vehicles to indicate the status of the various parameters of the battery used. In the IT & telecommunication industry, the battery monitoring system is employed to ensure the proper working of the battery that provides power to various intensive and critical devices. The others segment includes manufacturing, defense, and healthcare.In terms of region, the battery monitoring system market can be classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is likely to hold major share of the global battery monitoring system market during the forecast period. Europe is expected to follow the lead of North America during the forecast period. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to have significant growth potential; the market in the region is estimated to expand at a significant pace during the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report:Key players operating in the battery monitoring system market include ABB Group, Crucial Power Products, BTECH, Inc., C&D TECHNOLOGIES, INC., NDSL Group LTD, General Electric Company, and PowerShield Limited.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Haptic and Touch Technology Market: An Insight On the Important Factors and Trends Influencing the Market https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/haptic-and-touch-technology.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=883 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=883 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Haptic technology is a mechanical simulation that uses different motion, forces, and vibration to create the sense of touch in numerous electronic devices. The haptic and touch screen technology market has observed a noteworthy growth due to its application in controllers, joysticks, steering wheels, and future video games. It helps in improving the user experience by engaging light, sound, and touch.Based on feedback, the global market for haptic and touch technology can be segmented into tactile and force. In terms of components, the market can be classified into controllers, actuators, and others. On the basis of end user industry, the global haptic technology market can be categorized into consumer electronics, aerospace & defense, automotive, healthcare, and others.In the report, Transparency Market Report (TMR) offers a complete analysis of challenges and prospects in the global haptic and touch technology market. It also provides insight into the major segments and regions of the market.Obtain Report DetailsThe primary drivers for the growth of the global haptic and touch technology market are rising requirements for product differentiation and growing application of touch screen technology in numerous consumer electronic goods such as in digital cameras, mobile devices, and other devices. In addition, increasing concern for driver and passenger safety in vehicles is supplementing the demand for haptic and touch technology. Fast changing technology and high cost are the crucial factors that might pose as a threat to the growth of the global haptic and touch technology market.On the basis of feedback, the tactile segment will hold a large share of the market, and is expected to drive the market in the forecast period. The demand for this segment is high due to its varied application in consumer electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. Presently, tactile feedback is inbuilt in practically all smartphones and tablets, and even wearable devices such as wristbands and smartwatches are slowly adopting this technology. In addition, the growth can be attributed to rising demand in several applications such as healthcare, automotive, and gaming.Get PDF Brochure for this Research ReportIn terms of end user industry, the education & research segment is pegged to grow over the said period. Due to increased incorporation of haptics into AR & VR devices, the education sector has boosted the demand for haptic and touch technology. With the aid of haptics, learning and teaching would relatively become easier as the students will get a hands-on experience of haptics, and will further help in understanding and improving their skills.Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World are the geographical segments on which the market can be based upon. Due to remarkable increase in demand for smartphones and tablets, Asia Pacific is expected to lead the market. In the forecast period, this region is predicted to register a strong CAGR. Whereas, high application in end user industry such as defense, automobile and healthcare, North America and Europe will contribute largely to the market share during the said period.Get Table of Content for detail analysisImmersion Corp, Precision Microdrives Ltd, AAC Technologies Holdings, Inc., Tactus Technology Inc., Haption SA, Johnson Electric Group, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., Immersion Corp, Texas Instruments, Incorporated, Densitron Technologies Plc, and 3D systems are some of the prominent players in the global haptic and touch technology market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Fin Stabilizers Systems Market Shares,Trend and Growth Report 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/fin-stabilizers-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=37472 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com With increasing options for venturing into ocean or sea cruises, large ships are becoming more and more popular. Increasing trade activities between countries or regions has boosted the demand for bulk carriers and other ocean transportation vessels across the globe. However, a common problem which persists in ocean vessels or ships is the various types and combinations of motions they encounter during their voyage due to the wind and water waves. These motions can cause rolling of the ship which is dangerous for crew and cargo of the ship. However, technological advancements in ship designing has enabled naval architects to analyze and study the wave motions around the bottom or hull of the ship and helped them come up with innovative designs and methods for minimizing such effects, thereby ensuring a safe and comfortable voyage for the passengers and crew of the ship.Read Report Overview @Reduction in the rolling motion of the ship offers better speed for the ship and fuel efficiency and performance in rough seas and provides safety to the crew. The rolling motion can be stabilized and is achieved by changing the hull forms of vessels and ships; however, the motion can also be subdued with the help of fin stabilizer systems. A fin is generally a hydrofoil-shaped structure located near the port side and starboard of the ship. A fin stabilizer system is installed at the hull of a vessel and is used to provide resistance to the rolling motion of the ship in either direction. During the voyage, a highly sensitive gyro system is used to sense the rolling motion of the vessel which then sends a signal to the actuator system of the stabilizer unit that causes the hydraulic movement of the fins to generate a force opposing the roll of the ship. The fin stabilizers utilize the ships forward motion so as to develop lift; they also make use of a flap at the trailing edge of the fin so as to enhance the lift generated. The capacity of the fin is generally expressed as the steady angle of heel which the fin can cause when the ship is sailing in still water at a given speed.Based on type, the fin stabilizers systems market can be segmented into folding fin stabilizer system, retractable fin stabilizer system, and non-retractable fin stabilizer system. Folding fin stabilizer system rotates the fins in a stowed fore and aft position along with the fins folded ahead into the hull. Retractable fin stabilizer system has the ability to retract the fins into a space also known as fin box inside the hull of the ship, which stows and extends athwartship. Non-retractable fin stabilizer system is generally used in vessels where the area within the hull of the ship is limited.In terms of application, the fin stabilizers systems market can be divided into naval vessels, commercial vessels, and others. The commercial vessel segment is expected to lead the fin stabilizers systems market during the forecast period due to the rise in demand for commercial vessels for import and export purposes.Based on region, the fin stabilizers systems market can be classified into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is predicted to hold a significant share of the global fin stabilizers systems market during the forecast period. Europe is projected to follow North America, in terms of market share, during the forecast period. The fin stabilizers systems market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to rise at a substantial growth rate in the near future due to rise in trading activities in the region, especially in developing countries such as India and China.Request to view Sample Report:Some of the key players operating in the fin stabilizers systems market include Rolls-Royce plc, VELJAN, FINCANTIERI S.p.A., SKF Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment Co. , Ltd., and Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine B.V.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Air Conditioning Systems Market: Clear Understanding of The Competitive Landscape and Key Product Segments https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/air-conditioning-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=436 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/436 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The vendor landscape of the global air conditioning systems market is speckled with large and established companies such as Gree Electric Appliances, Inc., Daikin Industries Ltd., and Carrier Corporation; emerging players such as Panasonic Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, and The Midea Group; and promising vendors such as LG Electronics, Haier Electronics Group Co., Ltd., and Hitachi Ltd. Each of these players have been striving to strengthen their position in the air conditioning systems market and achieve sustainable growth.Transparency Market Research finds that in order to achieve these goals, companies are presently focused on integrating products so as to expand their customer base and reach out to newer audiences. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions have also been a core strategy for a number of players.Browse report detailsA case in point would be Carrier, who, in 2011, joined hands with the Midea Group of China to manufacture as well as distribute HVAC systems in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. This joint venture not only helped Carrier form a strong distribution network in these promising countries but also established a strong foothold for the company at a global level, the lead analyst of the TMR study states.The growth of the air conditioning systems market can be largely attributed to the rapidly expanding construction and housing sector. Increasing construction permits, especially for commercial infrastructure, means a rising need for equipment such as air conditioning systems, a TMR analyst explains.Obtain brochure for latest advancement and technologyThe market for air conditioning systems is also driven by stringent government regulations, technological developments, rising consumer expectations, increased demand from the commercial sector, strong demand from Asia Pacific, and climate variations. The surge in awareness regarding the importance of indoor air quality has also generated an increased demand for advanced air-purifying technologies.In contrast, the air conditioning systems market faces a major roadblock increased energy consumption. However, TMR finds that this challenge can be easily addressed. The emergence of ongoing trends such as green technologies, smart homes, and energy-efficient systems are driving manufacturers of air conditioning systems to focus on innovation and come up with equipment that meet the rising energy requirements of consumers and governments alike. Thus, this obstacle also presents market players with several opportunities for growth over the coming years, the author of the study states.For Detail Analysis Get Table Of ContentThe global market for air conditioning systems was pegged at a value of US$104.4 bn in 2015, which is projected to rise to US$167 bn by the end of the forecast period. Assuming these figures hold true, the market is likely to expand at a 5.1% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. The air conditioning systems market is projected to expand at a much faster pace in terms of volume, registering a 6.2% CAGR during the forecast period.Asia Pacific dominates the global air conditioning systems market by volume and value, with the Middle East and Africa witnessing the fastest growth. While split ACs enjoy the lead at present, the portable air conditioning systems segment is likely to expand at the highest CAGR by 2024.Air Conditioning Systems Market Analysis, by Equipment TypePortable air conditioning systems,Windows air conditioning systems,Splits,Cassette ACs,Single Packaged,Chillers,AirsideAir Conditioning Systems Market Analysis, by ApplicationIndustrial,Commercial,Residential,AutomotiveAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Compressor Rental Market: Recent Industry Developments and Growth Strategies Adopted by Players https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/compressor-rental-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23672 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=23672 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The compressor rental market is expected to develop steadily over the forecast period owing to the recovery of the mining equipment market. Rising demand for modified rental air solutions to meet the needs of the industry is likely to drive the market over the forecast period, along with the growing usage of customized air compressor rental systems in the medical, construction, and oil & gas end-user industries.Demand for compressor rental services in the chemical industry for transporting liquid under pressure has accelerated over the years. The rapid development of this industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to propel the compressor rental market over the forecast period. The untapped market of Latin America is also projected to exhibit potential due to the rising number of mining equipment manufacturers in the region.Browse report detailsIntroduction of new-age compressors involves the usage of differentiated speed technology with an energy-efficient operational nature. The variable speed drive technology is energy-efficient compared to fixed speed air compressors. Despite the decline in the investments in mining and the need for it in Europe and North America, the industry is estimated to regain its prominence to cater to the compressor rental market over the next few years.Stimulation of the mining equipment market will play a key role in driving the growth trajectories of the global compressor rental market. Compressed rental find its usage in the mining industry raise boring, scaling, tire filling, refuge station air, workshop service air and pneumatic conveying among other functions. Therefore growth in mining activities will fuel the demand for compressed rental and drive the market.Get an exclusive brochure of this reportThe market has been bifurcated by type into the reciprocating and rotary screw segments. The latter accounted for a major market share in 2016 and is predicted to regain its position over the forecast period. Rotary screws are widely used as a power tool in the construction industry as also used in the oil & gas sector specifically in oil rigs to extract crude oil.Based on end-user industry, the compressor rental market is segregated into the mining, manufacturing, chemicals, and oil & gas categories. The chemical industry constituted a dominant market share in 2016 and is expected to retain its position over the next few years. Compressor rentals are often employed in aeration tanks, pressurizing tanks, and culture vessels for molding plastics and spot cooling. Air compressors are mostly employed in the automatic control systems in the chemicals industry. The rapid growth of the chemical industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to drive the compressor rental market over the forecast period.For Detail Analysis Get Table Of ContentGeographically, the market can be distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific held the dominant share in the compressor rental market in 2016 and is predicted to maintain its position during the forecast period. The rising infrastructure and industrialization in Asia Pacific offers multiple opportunities for the use of air compressors.Increasing demand for compressors in the construction industry is a crucial driver of the compressor rental market in this region, apart from the burgeoning construction industry in India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. North America and Europe are mature markets for compressor rentals and predicted to expand at a decent pace over the next few years owing to the well-established end-user industries in these regions. Latin America is projected to advance rapidly due to the prevalent mining and construction industry, dominated by Brazil. Middle East & Africa is an emerging market projected to constitute a considerable market share in the near future.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Posted Friday, March 9, 2018 6:45 am In honor of his dedication and exemplary service to Missouri electrical cooperatives, Marshfield resident John Greer will be inducted into the Missouri Institute of Cooperatives (MIC) Hall of Fame during the MIC 2018 Annual Meeting and Leadership Forum Monday, March 12, at Stoney Creek Inn and Conference Center in Columbia. The presentation of the award will take place during a banquet at the meeting, where Greer and the other inductees will be featured in a special panel discussion at 4 p.m., followed by a reception at 5:15 p.m. The Hall of Fame, sponsored and administered by MIC, honors distinguished individuals (living or deceased) whose contributions to the cooperative form of business deserve special recognition. I was surprised when I received this letter from the Missouri Institute of Cooperatives, said Greer. I really was not expecting it, but I think it is a great honor to be recognized into the Hall of Fame. In 2015, Greer was presented the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives during its 78th Annual Membership Meeting on Oct. 9, in Branson. The AMEC gives the award annually to someone who selflessly and tirelessly devotes themselves to the progress of rural electrification. He also received the Lions International Foundation Melvin Jones Fellow award, as well as other recognitions for his involvement in the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) board and the Citizens State Bank. While grateful for the awards, Greer said he would not be where he is today if it was not for his late wife, Jean, who supported and encouraged him along the way. They were married for 67 years and raised three children: Jim, John and Joan. My wife was the one who helped me get where I am, said Greer. She was the greatest lady that ever lived and the prettiest lady I ever saw when we were kids. We worked hard and we managed well. I could not have done it without her. Before his involvement in the electrical cooperative, Greer started out milking Jersey cows on his family farm. For health reasons, he had to sell the farm in 1959 and purchased 5J Appliance Store from a friend, which was in business for 12 years. After selling it in 1970, Greer was asked to help out at Citizens State Bank, where he served on the board for 26 years. He announced his retirement from the bank in 1994. In 1993, he was appointed to serve on the MOHELA board by the late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan. Greer serves on the board of directors at Webster Electric Cooperative and Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative. He has been involved in many organizations over the years, including the Mission Home Cemetery Board, the Webster County Fair Board and the first Hospice Board in Webster County. Peptide Therapeutics Market Research: Global Industry Analysis to 2022 - Significant Increase in Cases of Metabolic Disorders https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=191 https://www.factmr.com/report/191/peptide-based-cardiovascular-therapeutics-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=D&rep_id=191 https://www.factmr.com/ A fresh study, covering Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Review 2017 to 2022 has been broadcasted to wide online repository of Fact MR, which presents deep focus on the Healthcare Market. This smart study contains precise data that offers a clear insight about market current scenario and future projections for the benefit of readers. Moreover, the study enclosed significant data which tends to make the research a powerful source for analysts and industry experts who are looking to gain necessary knowledge about the prevailing market trends, opportunities and drivers present in the Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market.Request for Sample Report-The global peptide based cardiovascular therapeutics market is slated to touch a value of nearly US$ 1,960 Mn in the year 2022 and grow at a robust CAGR during the assessment period.North America Market Set to Dominate the Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market in Terms of RevenueThe market in North America is set to dominate the global peptide based cardiovascular therapeutics market in terms of value and this trend is projected to sustain itself throughout the assessment period. North America peptide based cardiovascular therapeutics market is the most attractive market, growing at a robust CAGR over the assessment period.Bivalirudin Segment Poised to Touch a Value of Nearly US$ 1,360 Mn in 2022As per the forecast of Fact.MR, the bivalirudin segment is expected to reach a value of nearly US$ 1,360 Mn in the year 2022. This represents a robust CAGR during the forecast period of 2017-2022. Bivalirudin segment is expected to account for more than two-third of the revenue share of the drug segment by the year 2017 and is expected to lose market share by the end of the year 2022.Hospital Pharmacies Segment to exhibit a CAGR of 8.9% During the Assessment PeriodAs per the forecast of Fact.MR, the hospital pharmacies segment is slated to touch a figure of nearly US$ 960 Mn in the year 2022. This represents a CAGR of 8.9% during the assessment period from 2017 till the year 2022. This segment is expected to lose market share by the end of the year 2022. The hospital pharmacies segment is expected to account for more than half of the revenue share of the distribution channel segment by the year 2017.Browse Full Report with TOC-Table of Content:1. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market - Executive Summary2. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Definition2.2. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Dynamics2.4. Regulations2.5. Supply Chain2.6. Cost Structure2.7. Average Pricing Analysis2.8. Epidemiology2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast By Drug3.1. Global Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast By Drug, 2012-20223.1.1. Bivalirudin Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Eptifibatide Peptide Based Cardiovascular Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionContinued.Request Discount on This Report-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized Healthcare market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web: System on a Chip Market 2022: Leader By Broadcom Corporation, Infineon Technologies AG, Qualcomm Inc., Texas Instruments Inc., Intel Corporation Market Research Future https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2207 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/system-on-chip-market-2207 Market Scenario:A System on a Chip or SoC is a microchip designed for electronic devices and holds all the necessary electronic circuits and parts required for a given system. System on a Chip Market is used in various electronic equipments but the major application areas are smartphones or wearable computer. As smartphones/tablets and wearable devices are basically a smaller computer, they require most of the component which is available in any laptop or a desktop but due to the low availability of space compared to a PC or aLaptop, the internal parts needs to be designed in such manner which can fit into the smartphone and wearable devices. And SoC is a smaller version of all the hardware required in any smartphone and wearable devices. SoCs application is not limited to a smartphone or a wearable devices but it can be used in every electronic device.Growing demand for the consumer electronic devices are need of power efficient devices are driving the market of System on a Chip whereas changing technological environment and government rules are some of the major restraint to the market.The Global SoC Market is expected to reach at USD 81 billion with 13% of compound annual growth rate.Request a Sample Report @Key Players: Broadcom Corporation (U.S.), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), Qualcomm Inc., (U.S.), Texas Instruments Inc., (U.S.), Intel Corporation (U.S.), Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., (US), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), MediaTek Inc. (Taiwan), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland) Samsung (South Korea),Segments:The Global System on a Chip Market has been segmented on the basis of type, application and region. By type, the market has been bifurcated into digital and analog among others whereas by application, the market includes- consumer electronics, automotive, IT & telecommunication, healthcare among others. Further, the market has been segmented into four regions which includes- North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW.Regional Analysis:Asia-Pacific is dominating the market of System on a Chip. High demand for consumer electronic devices especially for smartphones and wearable devices is giving boost to this market. Also, rich manufacturing industry in China, Japan and South Korea are some of the other major factor of this growth. North America stands as second biggest market. High spending on personal devices and growing technology environment in U.S. and Canada are some of the factor behind this growth. Europe is also showing positive growth towards the market due to the growing healthcare industry in U.K., Germany, France and Italy.Access Report Details @Intended Audience: SoC Manufacturers SoC Distributors Research/Consultancy firms Vendors from various industry verticals such as Automotive, andElectronics & Semiconductors among others OEMs Semiconductor ManufacturersTABLE OF CONTENTS1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology2.1 Scope of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3. Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitor3.3 Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces AnalysisContinue...LIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 GLOBAL SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET, BY TYPETABLE 2 GLOBAL SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET, BY APPLICATIONTABLE 3 GLOBAL SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET, BY REGIONSTABLE 4 NORTH AMERICA SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET, BY COUNTRYTABLE 5 NORTH AMERICA SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET, BY TYPEContinue...LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH TYPEFIGURE 2 GLOBAL SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET: BY TYPE (%)FIGURE 3 GLOBAL SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET: BY APPLICATION (%)FIGURE 4 GLOBAL SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET: BY REGIONFIGURE 5 NORTH AMERICA SYSTEM ON A CHIP MARKET, BY TYPE (%)Continue...About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +91 841 198 5042Mail: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Endpoint Security Market Evolving Technology Trends & Analysis 2025 Endpoint Security Market https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1002975-global-endpoint-security-market-3 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1002975-global-endpoint-security-market-3 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1002975 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1002975-global-endpoint-security-market-3 A new research study from HTF MI with title Global Endpoint Security Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 provides an in-depth assessment of the Endpoint Security including key market trends, upcoming technologies, industry drivers, challenges, regulatory policies, key players company profiles and strategies. The research study provides forecasts for Endpoint Security investments till 2022.Access Sample Copy @:If you are involved in the Endpoint Security industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. Its vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Small and Medium Businesses & Larger Enterprises, Cloud & On-Premises and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.The Study is segmented by following Product Type: Cloud & On-PremisesMajor applications/end-users industry are as follows: Small and Medium Businesses & Larger EnterprisesGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions such as United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Global Endpoint Security in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @Major companies covered in the report are Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, AVG Technologies, Sophos, Kaspersky Labs, F-Secure, Eset, Panda Security & BitdefenderThis study also contains company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of various international, regional, and local vendors of Global Endpoint Security Market. The market competition is constantly growing higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the industry. Moreover, many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new vendor entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Buy this research report @Some of the key questions answered in this report:- Detailed Overview of Global Endpoint Security market helps deliver clients and businesses making strategies.- Influential factors that are thriving demand and constraints in the market.- What is the market concentration? Is it fragmented or highly concentrated?- What trends, challenges and barriers will impact the development and sizing of Endpoint Security market?- SWOT Analysis of each key players mentioned along with its company profile with the help of Porters five forces tool mechanism to compliment the same.- What growth momentum or acceleration market carries during the forecast period?- Which region is going to tap highest market share in future?- What Application/end-user category or Product Type may see incremental growth prospects?- What would be the market share of key countries like United States, France, UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Japan, China or Brazil etc.?- What focused approach and constraints are holding the market tight?Make inquiry before purchase @There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Endpoint Security market.Chapter 1, About Executive Summary to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Endpoint Security market, Applications [Small and Medium Businesses & Larger Enterprises], Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze objective of the study.Chapter 3, to display Research methodology and techniques.Chapter 4 and 5 , to show the Overall Market Analysis, segmentation analysis, characteristics;Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Market size, share and forecast; Five forces analysis (bargaining Power of buyers/suppliers), Threats to new entrants and market condition;Chapter 8 and 9, to show analysis by regional segmentation[United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia ], comparison, leading countries and opportunities; Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain AnalysisChapter 10, focus on identifying the key industry influencers, overview of decision framework accumulated through Industry experts and strategic decision makers;Chapter 11 and 12, Market Trend Analysis, Drivers, Challenges by consumer behavior, Marketing Channels and demand & supply.Chapter 13 and 14, describe about the vendor landscape (classification and Market Positioning)Chapter 15, deals with Global Endpoint Security Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact us :HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218 Automated Test Equipment Market Driven By commercialization of the IoT and advancements in the automotive Industry https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Request-Sample/105819 https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Automated-Test-Equipment-Market The global automated test equipment (ATE) is expected to reach USD 4.3 Billion by 2022. The equipment is utilized for testing the semiconductor chips. Increasing demand in computing, consumer and communication industry is expected to drive the market. Furthermore, growing demand and need for efficiency in various end-user segments which include healthcare, consumer electronics, communication, automotive, and defense is anticipated to upsurge the industry growth over the forecast period.Continuous developments in software, computing and instrumentation technology are anticipated to fuel the innovation and growth in the industry. Increasing demand for consumer electronics and growing adoption of System-on-chip is projected to enhance the market growth over the forecast period. Growing device integration with rising consumer demand for additional features has led to an increase in the number of RF ports.Additionally, growing expansion of wireless networks and developments in semiconductor manufacturing processes in the emerging countries are anticipated to witness enormous growth in the industry. Increasing miniaturization of devices with numerous features such as high resolution, superior quality cameras, touch screen display across various application areas which include telecommunication, IT and defense has positively influenced the ATE market.The ATE market is categorized based on the product and application. Based on the products, the market is segregated into memory, non-memory and discrete ATE. The non-memory ATE is estimated to contribute significantly with the market share of over 60% in 2016. Enduring innovations in autonomous vehicles and IoT devices in aerospace and defense sector have significantly changed the dynamics of the industry.Request For Free Sample Of The Report @The application segment of the ATE market include automotive, defense, consumer electronics, IT & telecommunication and others. The IT & telecommunication application is projected to acquire the major share of the market. It enables the service providers to augment the network with new telecom equipment manufacturers ensuring the consistent quality of the products.The growth of the automotive sector can be accredited to the extensive application of semiconductor devices across the automotive electronics such as vehicle infotainment systems, Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS). Furthermore, increasing unit production, performance and complexity level of the devices in various electronic products has led to the emergence of growth in semiconductor device technology.Few other factors driving the market include increased applications of consumer goods, reduced manufacturing time, and increased throughput. Furthermore, commercialization of the IoT and advancements in the automotive sector will also provide enormous opportunities to the market. The fluctuations in semiconductor demand have created a supply demand gap which has caused the revenue generation unpredictable and has impacted the market profitability.Asia Pacific region is likely to dominate the market in 2016 and is expected to acquire the key share over the forecast period owing to the presence of semiconductor industries. Rapid technological advancements with gradually changing customer needs have led to the positive impact to the market. Presence of major electronic manufacturing and semiconductor companies in the countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan has significantly contributed to the industry growth.The North America region is expected to witness steady growth owing to the increased adoption of automated test equipment in defense and telecommunication sector. Increasing demand of ATE from automotive manufacturers in Europe region will lead to significant growth.Obtain Report Details @Key players in the industry include LTX Credence Corporation, Advantest Co., Advint LLC, Aeroflex Inc., National Instruments Corporation and Teradyne Inc. Maintaining the close relationship with the customers, development of new instrumentation, enhancing the test platforms are few key strategies adopted in the industry.About Us-Xpodence Research is a U.S. based Market Research Company and offers the most extensive collection of progressive surveying syndicated and customized research reports of various categories for private and public industries across the globe.We offer the comprehensive market research solution for all the industries by performing the in-depth study of industry trends, verticals globally. We believe in building an eternal bond with our customers through providing them inclusive research study both customized and syndicated based on their specific requirements.The organizations in every industry such as Technology, Pharmaceuticals, Consumable Goods, Food & Beverage and others demands a market-based solutions for various significant decisions based on productivity and output globally. Our services are tailored specifically to our clients by proposing them the potential outcome, based on our in-depth analysis and insights for exploring the growth strategies through providing the best possible decision for quality production.Contact Us-Xpodence ResearchUSA Office244 , Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesUK Office109 ,Straford Street,LeedsWest Yorkshrie LS11 6JGUnited KingdomToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email-sales@xpodenceresearch.com Strong shipping industry driving Indian petcoke prices up in February https://www.cwgrp.com/research/research-products/product/51-price-assessment-india-petcoke-cfr/price-assessments www.cwgrp.com In February, Indias West Coast average CFR prices for high and mid-sulfur petcoke registered a slight uptick compared to the previous month, according to CW Researchs India Petcoke CFR Price Assessment.In February, prices for high-sulfur imported petcoke for the India CFR West Coast stood above $100 per ton, a modest increase compared to the previous month. Mid-sulfur imported petcoke prices also increased marginally, rising above the $113.50 per ton observed in January.Petcoke prices in the region are expected to remain stable in the upcoming months of 2018, on the back of a strong shipping industry coupled with high coal prices. Nevertheless, India has witnessed a decline in petcoke demand, as the commodity was banned in some states, and consumers remain cautious about further developments.As noted by Filipe Gouveia, analyst with CW Research: 2018 is showing signs of being a strong year for dry bulk shipping. The Baltic Dry Index remained above the 1000 mark for the first quarter of the year, usually the slowest one due to seasonality in the industry. That means the worst has already passed, with the rest of the year expected to register high freight rates, thus bringing petcoke CFR prices up.When it comes to Reliances gasification project, the outlook remains clouded with uncertainty. The company announced in its third quarter results that the project is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of the year, and its effects remain largely unpredictable. The most likely strategy for the company is to stock up on the byproduct previous to the project starting date, reducing the amount of petcoke available domestically, thus translating into higher prices.****For more information, placing an order, or interview inquiries, please contact Liviu Dinu, Market Services & Marketing Consultant, CW Group, by phone at +40-744-67-44-11, or e-mail at ld@cwgrp.com.About the ReportIndia Petcoke CFR Price Assessment, available at PetcokeWeek, is part of CW Researchs price assessment series for tradable commodities. The reports offer prompt cargo (next 30-60 day deliveries) pricing insights, regular monitoring of the market and an overview of key developments that are crucial for those involved in the cement, clinker and petcoke trade to understand. The monthly price assessments synthesize key market information based on CW Research analysts ongoing interactions with market participants, including traders, exporters, buyers and other stakeholders involved in the cement, clinker and petcoke trade.More information about Petcoke Price Assessments can be found here:About CW GroupThe Greenwich (Conn.), USA headquartered CW Group is a leading advisory, research and business intelligence boutique with a global presence and a multi-industry orientation. CW Group is particularly recognized for its sector expertise in heavy-side building materials (cement), light-side building materials, traditional and renewable power & energy, petrochemicals, metals & mining, industrial minerals, industrial manufacturing, bulk cargo & shipping, among others. We have a strong functional capability, grounded in our methodical and quantitative philosophy, including due diligence, sourcing intelligence, feasibility studies and commodity forecasting.CW GroupPO Box 5263, Greenwich, CT 06831, USALiviu Dinu (inquiries@cwgrp.com) Vertical Farming Market Key Players By: Agrilution, Aerofarms, Indoor Harvest Corporation (U.S.), Koninklijke Philips N.V., Everlight Electronics co. Forecast to 2022 Market Research Future https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2779 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/vertical-farming-market-2779 Market Scenario:Vertical farming can be explained as a concept or practice by which crops are grown inside a controlled environment. It is basically the method by which crops are grown without soil and water. Also, in vertical farming crops are stacked in layers. Vertical farming comes in different shapes and sizes and they use various mechanisms such as hydroponics, aeroponics, among others.The reasons contributing to the growth of Vertical Farming Market are better quality of food, increasing population, less dependency on water & soil and increasing demand for food. Also, adoption of new technologies, zero usage of pesticides & fertilizers and implementation of artificial lights are expected to boost the market over the forecast period. However, factors such as initial investments expensive in the urban locations, energy consumption of artificial lighting is more and production of high value crops are hindering the growth of the vertical farming market.Geographically, North America accounted for the largest market share in the global vertical farming market, whereas Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a fast pace over the forecast period, 2016-2022.The Global Vertical Farming Market is expected to reach approximately USD 6 billion by the end of 2022 with 21% CAGR during forecast period 2016-2022.Request a Sample Report @Key Players: Agrilution (Germany), Aerofarms (U.S.), Indoor Harvest Corporation (U.S.), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), Everlight Electronics co. (Taiwan), Illumitex, Inc. (U.S.), Sky Greens (Singapore), Hort Americas (U.S.),Segments:For the purpose of this study, Market Research Future has segmented the market of vertical farming into component, type, crop type and region.Component: Hardware Software ServicesType: Hydroponic Aeroponic AquaponicCrop Type: Broccoli Spinach Cucumbers Tomatoes Lettuce Peppers Strawberries OthersRegion: North-America Europe Asia-Pacific RowRegional Analysis:Regionally, North-America accounted for the largest market share, because of increasing population, employment generation and adoption of new technological solutionsHowever, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow over the forecast period 2016-2022. Countries such as China and Japan is expected to boost this region majorly due to urbanization, less of fertile land and more investments for developing vertical farming systems.Access Report Details @TABLE OF CONTENTS1 MARKET INTRODUCTION1.1 INTRODUCTION1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIV1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS1.2.3 LIMITATIONS1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2.1 RESEARCH NETWORK SOLUTION2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH2.4 FORECAST MODEL2.4.1 MARKET DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & FORECAS2.4.2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION3 MARKET DYNAMICS3.1 INTRODUCTIO3.2 MARKET DRIVERS3.3 MARKET CHALLENGES3.4 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES3.5 MARKET RESTRAINTSContinue....LIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY COMPONENTTABLE 2 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY TYPETABLE 3 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY CROP TYPETABLE 4 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHYTABLE 5 NORTH AMERICA VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY COMPONENTContinue....LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGYFIGURE 2 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY COMPONENT (%)FIGURE 3 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY TYPE (%)FIGURE 4 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY CROP TYPE (%)FIGURE 5 VERTICAL FARMING MARKET, BY REGIONS (%)Continue....Intended Audience: Manufacturers Distributors Research firms Consultancy firms Software Developers Semiconductor Manufacturers End-user sectors Technology InvestorsAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & ConsultingServices.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Automated External Defibrillators Market: Improving Healthcare Infrastructure in Emerging Economies Driving Demand https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1171 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=1171 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/automated-external-defibrillator.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com A recent business publication by Transparency Market Research (TMR) has reported that the global automated external defibrillators (AED) market is heavily dependent on product innovation and consequently, only those players who are technologically advanced and possess financial might are foraying into it.Request for Sample Copy of Report @The analysts of the report have identified Koninklijke Philips N.V., GE Healthcare, Cardiac Science Corporation, NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION, Physio-Control, Inc. (Stryker), Schiller AG, Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd, and PRIMEDIC (Metrax GmbH - MEMBER OF YUWELL GROUP) as some of the prominent companies currently ahead of the curve in the global automated external defibrillators market.One of the examples of product innovation can be VIEW AED by Defibtech, LLC, which has been commercially available for healthcare practitioners since July 2014 and offers combinations of dual language. VIEW AED is fully automated external defibrillator that provides instruction via three modes; audible voice prompts, on-screen text, and full color motion video. Koninklijke Philips N.V., on the other hand, offers advanced life support monitors and defibrillators with AED and manual capabilities, and is quite popular among large healthcare organizations for being a proven life-saving therapy.The company offers HeartStart OnSite/HS1, HeartStartFR3, and HeartStart FRx. Along the similar lines, GE Healthcare is countering competition with its Responder AED, which is claimed to be loaded with all the latest technologies and is user-friendly. The product is a patent of GE Healthcare.Over the course of the forecast period of 2017 to 2025, the analysts of the TMR report have projected the demand in the global automated external defibrillators market to increment at an impressive CAGR of 15.8%. The report estimates that the opportunities in AED market, worldwide, will translate into a revenue of US$4,473.4 mn by the end of 2025, substantially more than its evaluated worth of merely US$1,381.4 mn in 2017.Enquiry for discount on this report @Technology-wise, the report segments the market for automated external defibrillators into semi-automatic and fully-automatic, whereas size bifurcation of the market has been done into standard and pediatric. The report gauges the potential of demand that is currently being generated by several end-users, namely hospitals, public access, emergency medical services, homes, private cardiac clinics, and work spaces. Geographically, the report highlights North America as the most lucrative region in terms of volume of demand, although Asia Pacific is projected for a much higher growth rate and anticipated to almost match the demand valuation of North America by 2025. Europe is also primed to hold its position as third most profitable region in the global automated external defibrillators market.Strong and expanding prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is the primary driver of the automated external defibrillators market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CVD is the number one cause of death across the world, with casualties estimated at 17.7 million in 2015, representing 31% of global deaths. In case of a cardiac arrest, automated external defibrillators can save lives, if provided to the patient within a few minutes.As the awareness regarding their importance grows, the demand in the global automated external defibrillators market is expected to increase. Improving healthcare infrastructure across various emerging economies on the back of government initiatives and subsidies, increasing disposable income among the urban populations, and growing percentage of geriatrics in the global population are some of the other key factors reflecting positively on the AED market. On the other hand, the lack of awareness regarding the availability of these life-saving devices and cost factors are holding the market to extract its best across various poorer parts of the world.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: Medical Waste Containers Market Valuation will Swell Up to US$ 1.4 Billion by the End of 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=38522 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=38522 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-waste-containers-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com This report on the Global Medical waste containers market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market. Rise in investments for R&D of novel medical waste containers, and increase in incidence of illness & chronic diseases are boosting the growth of the global medical waste containers market. Establishment of government regulations for environment conservation & safe disposal of medical waste is one of the major factor expected to drive the growth of global medical waste containers market during the forecast period.Request for Sample Copy of Report @The medical waste containers market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on product type, usage type, waste type, medical waste generators, and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints, opportunities, and trends has been provided in the market overview section. Additionally, the section comprises detailed regulatory scenario of India, U.S., South Africa, Australia, U.K. and Europe in terms of their medical waste segregation, treatment & disposal guidelines. Key mergers and acquisitions and their objectives are provided in the global medical waste containers market, to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. Moreover, the advancements in product development for recent years are provided in the report. This report also provides market attractiveness and its analysis in terms of geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global medical waste containers market.Based on the product type, the global medical waste containers market is classified into chemotherapy containers, biohazard containers, RCRA containers, pharmaceutical containers, sharp containers, and others. The Sharps containers segment is further divided into patient room sharp containers, phlebotomy containers, and multipurpose sharps containers. Pharmaceutical containers segment dominated the medical waste containers market in 2016, and is expected to remain leading throughout the forecast period. The dominance is attributable to the introduction of innovative pharmaceutical waste containers by key players, and increased research activities of pharmaceutical manufacturers.Different types of waste types in the medical waste containers market are infectious & pathological waste, non-infectious waste, radioactive waste, sharps waste, and pharmaceutical waste. Non-infectious waste accounted for highest revenue in 2016, due to the growth in medical tourism across the globe which is generating huge quantity of non-infectious waste. Non-infectious waste segment is projected to remain dominant during 2017-2025 in terms of revenue.Enquiry for discount on this report @Based on the usage type, the global medical waste containers market is segmented into reusable containers and disposable containers. The reusable containers accounted for maximum revenue in 2016, owing to the increase in surgical procedures across the globe. The improved waste disposal management in the developing countries is projected to boost the market of disposable containers by 2025.Various medical waste generators in the global medical waste containers market are hospitals, clinics & physicians offices, long term care & urgent care centers, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and others (blood banks, research facilities, medical institutes, etc.). The hospitals held highest value share in 2016, and is likely to remain leading during 2017-2025. The dominance of hospitals is attributable to the rise in the number of patient admissions in the hospitals owing to the favorable insurance coverage. Lack of well-equipped long term care & urgent care centers in the developing economies is one of the major factor for the estimated sluggish growth of this segment during the forecast period.Geographically, the global medical waste containers has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, China, Japan, Australia & New Zealand, and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC Countries, Israel, and Rest of Middle East & Africa).Report Overview @The report also profiles major players in the global medical waste containers based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Sharps Compliance, Inc., Henry Schein, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Medtronic, Daniels Health, Bemis Manufacturing Company, Bondtech Corporation, Terra Universal, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., EnviroTain, LLC, and MAUSER Group.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: Research 2018: Currently Trending Global Fall Detection System Market Strategies of Production, Trend, +6.13% Growth Rate and Applications by 2024 http://bit.ly/2tkikvM http://bit.ly/2FgIsx7 http://bit.ly/2FZcClE http://bit.ly/2I6mfzD http://databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/fitness-equipment-market/ Fall Detection System Industry 2017 Market Research Report is an expert and top to bottom investigation on the momentum condition of the Fall Detection System industry. The report gives an essential review of the business including definitions, orders, applications and industry chain structure. The Fall Detection System Industry investigation is accommodated the worldwide markets including improvement patterns, aggressive scene examination, and key areas advancement status.The Global Fall Detection System Market accounted for USD 412.7 million in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 6.13% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Request for Free Sample Report @Global Fall Detection System Market, By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa), Component (Accelerometers & Gyroscopes, Other Unimodal/Bimodal Sensors, Multimodal Sensors); Algorithm (Simple Threshold, Machine Learning); System (Wearable Systems, In-Home Landline System, In-Home Cellular Systems); End-Users (Senior Citizens Home, Senior Citizens Outside, Hospitals, Nursing, and Senior Assisted Living Facilities, Lone Workers) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Complete report on Global Fall Detection System Market Research Report 2017-2024 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresMajor market drivers: Global Fall Detection System Market Better accessibility to assistance in case of fall, leading to reduced medical expenses. Increasing demand for multimodal technology Increasing demand for smartphone and wearable technology based fall detection system. Use of data from simulated conditions for designing the fall detection system algorithm Low practicality and acceptability of the technology among eldersMarket Definition: Global fall Detection System MarketFall detection system is the system used in alerting emergence in the incident of fall. Fall detection system such as automatic fall detection system and manual fall detection system are used in such detection. Such devices have the potential to diminish some of the adverse consequences of a fall. It has its application in hospitals, nursing, senior assisted living facilities, lone workers, and others. Increased demand for multimodal technology is the major driver for the growth of fall detection system market. On the other side low practicality of the technology among elders somewhere hinders the market.Request for Detaild TOC:Key Questions Answered in Global Fall Detection System Market Report:-Our Report offers:- What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global Fall Detection System Market in 2024? What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global Fall Detection System Market? What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global Fall Detection System Market? Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global Fall Detection System Market? Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global Fall Detection System Market? Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market Share What are the Global Fall Detection System Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?Top Key Players: ADT Corporation Bay Alarm Medical Blue Willow Systems Connect America Koninklijke Philips N.V. Lifefone Mobilehelp Semtech Corporation Tunstall Healthcare Group Ltd. Vital Connect Inc. Alertone Services, LLC Intel Corporation Marigroup Oy Medical Guardian LLC Mytrex, Inc. DBA Rescue Alert Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited LifeWatch USAFor more insightful information visit @Customize report of "Global Fall Detection System Market" as per customers requirement also available.Market Segmentations:Global Fall Detection System Market is segmented on the basis of Components Algorithm System End User Geography.Market Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Components into accelerometers & gyroscopes, other unimodal/bimodal sensors, multimodal sensors, and others.On the basis of Algorithm into simple threshold, machine learning.On the basis of System global fall detection system market is segmented into wearable systems, in-home landline system, in-home cellular system, and others.On the basis of End User the global fall detection system market is further segmented into senior citizens home, senior citizens outside, hospitals, nursing, and senior assisted living facilities, lone workersOn the basis of geography North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaCompany Share Analysis: Global fall Detection System MarketThe report for global fall detection system market include detailed vendor level analysis for market shares in 2016 for Global, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America specifically. Also impact and development analysis of key vendors is registered in the market and factored on the basis of Vendor Positioning Grid Analysis which measures the vendors strengths and opportunities against present market challenges, measure providers ability to identify or satisfy present market needs, map providers market vision to current and upcoming market dynamics among others. The report also measures technology life line curve and market time line to analyze and do more affective investments.Speak to Author of the Report @Other ReportGlobal Fitness Equipment Market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Fitness Equipment Market, By Type (Cardiovascular Training Equipment (Treadmills, Elliptical Trainers, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Stair Steppers, Others), Strength Training Equipment (Single Stations, Plate Loaded Equipment, Free Weights, Benches and Racks, Multistations, Accessories), Body Composition Analyzers (Bioimpedance Analyzer, Skinfold Caliper, Dual Emission X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dexa), Hydrostatic Weighing, Air Displacement Plethysmography), Fitness Monitoring Equipment), By End-User (Health Clubs, Gyms, Home Settings, Corporate Settings, Apartments, Hotels, Hospitals, Clinics), By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa, Rest of the World) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024.Report Access:About Data Bridge Market ResearchData Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Car Door Latch Market 2018: Aisin Seiki, Mitsui Mining and Smelting, Kiekert AG, Magna International, Strattec Security Ignition Coil Market 2018 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2697 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/car-door-latch-market-2697 Ignition Coil Market 2018Car Door Latch Market Share, Size, Trends, And Business Opportunity Analysis Report 2018 include historic data, with forecast data to 2022. Car Door Latch Market report is helpful for future strategy development, and to know about Market Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, And Global market size, share, Growth, Trends, key players forecast to 2022Global Car Door Latch Market Information Report by Lock Type (Electronic and Non-Electronic), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle), by Application (Side Door Latch, Hood Latch, Back Seat Latch, and Others) and Region - Forecast to 2022Get Sample Report of Car Door Latch Market @Market ScenarioA car door latch is used in cars for purpose of safety and security. Electronic latches are generally used in cars due to increase in technology development. Technology development such as hand-free avoidance, super locking, child safety, and power closing are in demand by OEMs.One of the factors driving the growth of car door latch market are the growth in the automobile industry due to growing population, expansion of infrastructure, and development of suburbs. The other factors that are responsible for the growth of this market are innovation in technology because of safety of the driver, stringent emission norms, thus resulting in the use of light weight automotive components.The global car door latch market is expected to account for USD 6.60 billion by 2022 with 5% CAGR.Key PlayersThe key players of global car door latch market are Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Japan), Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co., Ltd.(Japan),Kiekert AG (Germany), Magna International, Inc. (U.S.), Strattec Security Co. (U.S.), U-Shin, Ltd. (Japan), Shivani Locks Pvt. Ltd. (India), Brose Fahrzeugteile Gmbh & Co. (Germany), Inteva Products, Llc. (U.S.), and Minda VAST Access Systems Pvt. Ltd. (India).Industry/ Innovation/ Related News:The key strategies followed by most companies within the global Car Door Latch market are that of new product development.On April 2016, Grupo Antolin had opened a new factory in Wuhan (China) with Dongfeng Visteon to provide headliners and door panels for Renault, PSA, Nissan, Infiniti and Honda. The main purpose of opening the new plant is to provide to customers with high quality products to fulfil their requirements.On September 2016, Magna International had signed an agreement to acquire BOCO Group of Companies, who is the supplier of latches, hinges and strikers. The acquisition will boost the product portfolio and engineering capabilities of the company.On August 2015, Kiekert AG who is the leading developer of automotive locking systems had expanded its presence in China. The expansion will strength the position of Kiekert in Chinese market.Car Door Latch Market SegmentationThe Global Car Door Latch Market is segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;Segmentation by Lock Type : Comprises Electronic and Non-ElectronicSegmentation by Vehicle Type : Comprises Passenger Car and Commercial VehicleSegmentation by Application : comprises side door latch, hood latch, back seat latch, and othersSegmentation by Regions : Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.The report for Car Door Latch Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Get Complete Report Details of Car Door Latch Market @Continued.About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR) and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have the prime objective to provide optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies depending on products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments enables our clients to know more consequently do more, which gives them answer for their each and every important question. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industryCONTACT US:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312sales@marketresearchfuture.com The government of Ethiopia, in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency, has published a blueprint outlining the best ways to expand wind farms in the Horn African nation. The Roadmap offers guidelines to boost wind capacity in Ethiopia with the help of skilled international experts. It covers a spectrum of issues including site selection, grid and bankable data to power sales, financing, procurement policies as well as operation and maintenance. The Ethiopian government is initiating a series of actions aimed at transforming the regulatory framework of the electricity sector to involve the private sector, the Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Seleshi Bekele, was quoted as saying. Upgrading institutional arrangements in line with the Public-Private Partnership law will enable to have speedy and efficient delivery process to meet the countrys ever-growing demand for electricity. According to Danish Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mette Thygesen, the Roadmap will enable the mobilization of much needed private investments. It aims at providing an up-to-date, logically organized framework for prioritizing initiatives and procedures for developing and scaling up wind power in Ethiopia. Operational wind farms in Ethiopia have currently a total production of around 324MW. The plan is to add almost 1GW more under the countrys Growth and Transformation Plan. A preliminary study indicates that Ethiopia has a huge wind power potential estimated at 1,000 GW, much higher than hydropower. In another development, the World Bank announced it has just approved a $375 million loan, through the International Development Association (IDA), to support Ethiopias ongoing efforts to reach the universal access to electricity by 2025. The new credit will directly support the National Electrification Program (NEP), which requires an estimated $1.5 billion investment over the first five years, to electrify about 1 million households. Sun Care Market - Protect the Skin Against Harmful Rays https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Request-Sample/105781 https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Sun-Care-Market https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Green-Packaging-Market https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Waterproof-Breathable-Textile-Market https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Hair-Care-Market https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Smart-Packaging-Market https://www.xpodenceresearch.com/Reports/Fragrance-and-Perfume-Market Summary:Sun care, otherwise called sun cream or sunblock, is a moisturizer, shower, gel or another topical item that assimilates or mirrors a portion of the sun's bright (UV) radiation and in this manner ensures against sunburn, particularly for reasonable cleaned people. Steady utilization of sunscreen can likewise moderate or incidentally keep the advancement of wrinkles and hanging skin. Contingent upon the method of activity, sunscreens can be arranged into physical sunscreens (i.e., those that mirror the daylight) or concoction sunscreens (i.e., those that ingest the UV light). Therapeutic associations, for example, the American Cancer Society suggest the utilization of sunscreen since it helps in the aversion of squamous cell carcinomas. Many sunscreens don't square UVA radiation, which does not basically cause sunburn but rather can expand the rate of melanoma and photo dermatitis. The utilization of wide range (UVA/UVB) sunscreens can address this worry.Market Scenario:The market for sun care is driven by the introduction to hurtful UV radiations that cause over the top tanning, untimely maturing of the skin, and can likewise prompt skin growth. Over the top contamination and deforestation are gradually draining the ozone layer, which will in the long run prompt upgraded introduction to UV radiations. As per WHO, a 10% abatement in stratospheric ozone could cause an extra 300,000 instances of non-melanoma and 4,500 instances of melanoma skin malignancy worldwide on a yearly premise. In this manner, it has turned out to be basic for shoppers to utilize sun mind items to shield their skin from harm. To address this rising concern, items like showers, salves, creams, gels, and sun demulcents are accessible in the market with shifted SPF levels to suit diverse skin tones and buyer necessities.Request For Free Sample Of The Report @The sun care market is classified on the basis of product and regions. On the basis of product, the global sun care market can be segmented into sun protection product, after-sun products, and self-tanning products. The market for sun care was dominated by the sun care products segment owing to the rising concern about the harmful effects of UV rays and awareness regarding the benefits of sun protection products. North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East are the geographical segmentation of sun care market. North American region contributed the largest revenue for the sun care market in the current year because of the early implementation of sun care products. Moreover, the aging population of the region also drives the market for anti-aging sun care products.Key Players: LOreal S.A. Lakme . Avon Products. Unilever. Coty Inc. Johnson & Johnson. Groupe Clarins SA Shiseido Co. Ltd.Obtain Details @Key players in the market are concentrating on some of the major market strategies such as mergers, partnerships, collaborations, and acquisitions in order to keep hold in the ever competitive global market. Furthermore, they are focusing on gaining a hold on the local players to strengthen their goodwill as well as to enhance their market reach in the global market. Moreover, they are concentrating on collaborating with local players to increase their market reach as well as strengthen their goodwill in the global market.Related Reports :Green Packaging Market :Waterproof Breathable Textile Market :Hair Care Market :Smart Packaging Market :Fragrance And Perfume Market :About UsXpodence Research is a U.S. based Market Research Company and offers the most extensive collection of progressive surveying syndicated and customized research reports of various categories for private and public industries across the globe.We offer the comprehensive market research solution for all the industries by performing the in-depth study of industry trends, verticals globally. We believe in building an eternal bond with our customers through providing them inclusive research study both customized and syndicated based on their specific requirements.The organizations in every industry such as Technology, Pharmaceuticals, Consumable Goods, Food & Beverage and others demands a market-based solutions for various significant decisions based on productivity and output globally. Our services are tailored specifically to our clients by proposing them the potential outcome, based on our in-depth analysis and insights for exploring the growth strategies through providing the best possible decision for quality production.Contact Us :Xpodence ResearchUSA Office244 , Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email : sales@xpodenceresearch.com Global Blowing Agents Market: Industry Applications, Trend, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis, 2016-2024 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/255 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/blowing-agents-market-255 Blowing agents are light in weight, heat insulation, and electrical induction chemical substances that are used to generate the gas that is used in expanding of plastics, rubber, and ceramics to create foam. The global blowing agents are expected to witness substantial growth owing to increasing demand from end-use industries such as construction, packaging, and automotive. The product is primarily used in the aforementioned end-use industries as adhesives, exhibiting superior properties including improved acoustics, heat & electric insulation, elasticity, and lightweight.Rising infrastructure development in Asia Pacific is expected to increase market penetrationBlowing agents are widely used across a number of application in the construction industry including acoustics, heat & electric insulation, and shock absorbers. Furthermore, rising infrastructure development in Asia Pacific coupled with supportive government initiatives, in emerging economies such as India, is fueling growth of the market. For instance, in 2016, the Indian government announced plans to invest US$ 376.53 billion to improve the infrastructure, roads, transport facility, and shipping over of the following three years. Encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region is likely to propel the construction industry in the region, which in turn is expected to increase demand for blowing agents in the near future.Sample Copy of this Report@Robust automobile industry growth is expected to aid market growth over the forecast periodDemand for blowing agent products by the automobile industry, is rapidly rising due to the weight reduction property of the agents that are useful for acoustic application. As the demand for products of the automobile industry is increasing, the demand for light is a major factor fueling market growth. The global automobile industry produced over 90 million cars and commercial vehicles in 2015, which is expected to increase significantly over the following five years owing to strong indicators in Asia Pacific. These trends coupled with rising efforts to improve fuel efficiency by reducing the overall weight of automobiles, is expected to have a positive impact on growth.Stringent regulations promoting the use of eco-friendly blowing agentsThe market is segmented on the basis of product type into hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), and hydrocarbons. Hydrofluorocarbons accounted for the largest share in the market, owing to its low ozone depletion potential. Furthermore, stringent regulations barring the use of HCFC, in 2003 EPA issued baseline for production and import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b. Moreover, the UK government made it mandatory to recover and recycle the HCFC used in the refrigeration unit. Owing to its contribution towards ozone depletion coupled with a potential phase out in the near future, HCFC is expected to have a positive impact on eco-friendly blowing agents over the forecast period. However, phasing out of HCFC results in high technology shifting costs, which is expected to restrain market growth to a certain extent.Due to low operating cost and global warming potential, the hydrocarbons segment is expected to witness substantial growth over the forecast period. Thus increasing its use in various end-use industries. However, abrupt changes in climate, global warming, and ozone depletion are the primary environmental issue, so the global agreement such as Montreal and Kyoto protocol which limits severely in the use of blowing agents.Polyurethane foams dominate the market owing to its superior insulating and shock absorbing propertiesThe market is segmented on the basis of foam type into polyurethane, polystyrene, phenolic, and polyolefin. Polyurethane segment hold a dominant position in the market, owing to its wide application scope in an array of industries such as automotive industry for manufacturing seats, insulation, gaskets, seal, and bushing. Moreover, it is used in flooring in the construction industry and also to seal boat hulls from water in the marine industry. This is mainly attributed to its superior insulating and shock absorbent properties.Rapid growth of the economy and population in the Asia Pacific region, has led to an increase in urbanization and industrialization. The polyurethane foam is expected to witness substantial demand in this region, due to a rise in the application scope in automobile and construction industries. Furthermore, core application industries growing at a substantial pace particularly in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam is expected to drive growth over the forecast period. In addition, increasing foreign direct investment in the region primarily due to high market potential, as well as low labor and land cost is likely to propel growth of the blowing agents market, over the next few years.View More Information@The blowing agents market is expected to exhibit below average growth in North America and Europe, owing to mature end-use industries in these regions. Furthermore, stringent regulations by EPA in 2003, and by UK to limit the use, recovery, and reuse of HCFC. Governing the use of blowing agents is expected further expected to hamper growth over the following few years. However, gradual recovery of the construction industryone of the key end-use industries for blowing agentsin both the regions, is expected to have a positive impact on market growth.Honeywell, Solvay, Arkema are key industry players in the blowing agents market. Continuous research and development, technological advancement, and marketing strategies help in attaining the highest market share in the global blowing agents market. Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent, the latest product developed by Honeywell, is the least harmful to the environment and possesses immense potential to replace HC, HFC, and HCFC, in the future. Blowing agents industry is a consolidated market place with a large number of small manufacturers present in the industry. This trend is primarily witnessed in Asia Pacific, which is one of the major producers of blowing agents. Furthermore, the industry comprises of leading players with global presence including DuPont, Arkema S.A., Honeywell International Inc., Solvay S.A., Foam Supplies, Inc., AkzoNobel NV, Haltermann GmbH, Linde AG, Americhem, and HARP International Ltd.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702 Linerless Labels Market Trends and Outlook 2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/731 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/linerless-labels-market-731 Linerless labels are labels, which do not have backing paper and sticks on the application of pressure. Its function is to protect the packaged material from air, moisture, and contamination from external sources. Linerless labels possess several advantages over standard labels, which include zero liner wastage that leads to more labels per roll, lesser waste disposal resulting in reduced carbon emission, less storage space & transportation cost, and less downtime in label production.Request Sample Copy of this Report:Food & beverages industry is a major driver for the linerless labels market. Linerless labels are widely used on packaged food products and medicines. Growing demand for pharmaceutical supplies and environment-friendly labels are the main drivers for the linerless label market. The emerging economies and new food products create opportunities for this industry to grow more. Despite its advantages, the increasing price of raw materials restrains the growth of linerless labels market.Linerless Labels Market TaxonomyOn the basis of composition, the linerless labels market is classified into:Face StockAdhesiveTopcoatOn the basis of printing Ink, the linerless labels market is classified into:Water-based InksUV-curable InksSolvent-based InksHot Melt-based InksOn the basis of printing technology, the linerless labels market is classified into:Digital PrintingFlexographic PrintingGravure PrintingScreen PrintingLithography PrintingOffset PrintingLetterpress PrintingOn the basis of end-use industry, the linerless labels market is classified into:Food & BeverageConsumers DurablesHome & Personal CarePharmaceuticalRetail LabelsOthersFace Stock is a self-adhesive composite material, which is used to print and boost the image of a brand. Topcoat is a thin layer of paint like ink that helps inks bond to a films surface. Adhesive is the bottom sticky part of linerless labels, which is responsible for the stickiness of labels to surface.Solvent contains volatile organic compounds, which are harmful when inhaled or ingested, hence the market has witnessed a rise in eco-solvent - based inks that are derived from mineral oils. Water-based inks do not contain volatile organic compound but are of lower quality compared to other inks. UV inks are dry and do not contain any solvent or water.View More Information@Linerless Labels Market OutlookAsia Pacific is the largest and fastest growing market in the linerless labels market. This is attributed to the rapid growth of end-use industries such as food & beverages in the region. Growing concerns regarding food safety in China has boosted the packaged food market. In India, the government has allowed 100% FDI in food processing industries, which is expected to boost the market growth. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the food processing sector will attract investments worth US$ 33 billion during 2017-27North America and Europe are dominant markets in the packaged food market which has resulted in digital printing packaging market growth. A growing need for visually appealing packaging to attract youth customers has boosted market. The goals of aesthetically appealing packaging is to reflect the quality of the product. High quality and simplistic packaging designs are preferred by consumers.Latin America has 28% of the worlds arable land and 33% of the worlds freshwater supply. The food industry in this region is expected to supplement its growing populations and other regions such Europe and North America.Middle East has witnessed burgeoning growth in packaged food and pharmaceutical industry. The demand has been fuelled by a shift towards western trends such as ready-to-eat foods, pre packed meals and nutritional supplements. Increased automation by the major players such as Al Thika is expected to meet the rising demand of the region.Africa has witnessed rising growth in manufacturing sectors in countries of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa. This has translated into growth of all end user industries thus augmenting digital printing packaging market growth.Major players in the linerless labels market are The 3M company (U.S.), Coveris Holdings S.A. (U.S.), CCL Industries Inc. (Canada), Constantia Flexible Group GMBH (Austria), RR Donnelley & Sons Company (U.S.), Gipako (Europe), Hub Labels (U.S.), Cenveo Corporation (U.S.), Reflex Labels (U.K.), and Raveenwood Packaging (U.K.).About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702 Qubit Labs Presents Software Developers Salary Guide 2018 https://qubit-labs.com/outsourcing-rates/ https://qubit-labs.com/ https://qubit-labs.com/ Qubit Labs recently published a new report, Software Developers Salary Guide 2018 in Main Outsourcing Destinations: Ukraine, Poland, India, and China. Followed by the success of its previous research on average hourly rates earned by programmers in Europe, Asia and the Americas, Qubit has consolidated a report that focuses exclusively on top outsourcing destinations. The report aims to provide executives and top management with the tools to optimize their IT budgets by using the right form of services and choosing the most advantageous outsourcing country.Qubit Labs builds remote teams of tech professionals for companies in different parts of the world show that outsourcing is a cost-efficient and reliable way of running business.Gig economy and giant corporations that use outsourcing services have been creating a positive impact on the industry, making it more transparent and flexible. Our main goal is to prove that outsourcing is now safer than ever before. And it has developed numerous models that can adapt to the needs of SMBs and big business, said Iva Kozlovska, Managing Partner at Qubit Labs.The Software Developers Salary Guide 2018 in Main Outsourcing Destinations: Ukraine, Poland, India, and China gathers all the necessary information to consider these countries for offshore or nearshore development, including the general political situation and cultural similarities. That said, the research mainly emphasizes cost, as it often becomes a decisive criterion for selecting an outsourcing service provider.Companies that need software development sometimes base their choice on the final cost, but they forget about factors that can influence the price. These include location, local salaries, and forms of outsourcing. We took these factors as a basis for our new research that allows to evaluate cost-efficiency from a different perspective, explains Iva Kozlovska. First of all, we want to show that outsourcing comes in various forms and sizes, be it managed or extended team, offshore development center or an R&D office. The way a remote team is managed will influence your overall experience of working with them. Secondly, CXOs get a sound comparative between Eastern and Western outsourcing providers by simply evaluating their talent pools, educational background, and salaries. Thirdly, the survey contrasts software developers salaries in the given regions. We included the most popular technologies - web development, PHP, Java, .NET, as well as average hourly rates that programmers get for their job.With this information at their disposal, company owners get understanding of the global outsourcing market, and can better choose outsourcing partners for their business.Download a free copy of Software Developers Salary Guide 2018 in Main Outsourcing Destinations: Ukraine, Poland, India, and China atQubit Labs is an outsourcing company with headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia and an R&D center in Kyiv, Ukraine. We build and cultivate dedicated teams of professionals, who are joined with an organization as one unit, in order to extend in-house teams or to set up an entire offshore/nearshore development center in Ukraine. We offer a transparent hiring process policy, which significantly reduces the time for recruiting a proper tech candidate. Software developers, architects, QA engineers, PMs all these specialists can become a part of your extended team or build up a separate offshore team to ensure true value for your business. To contact us, please visitQubit LabsEstoniaSepapaja tn 6Tallinn, 15551+3725-777-0600Julia Kravchenko Cancer Diagnostics Market Application (Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Melonoma): Global Industry Analysis, Demand, Trends, Growth, Share, Prize and Forecast 2024 CANCER DIAGNOSIS http://bit.ly/2FHO9RR http://bit.ly/2GRS25P http://bit.ly/2CPpcAK Global Cancer Diagnostics Market is expected to reach USD 40.10 billion by 2024 from USD 16.55 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 11.7% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024. The new market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.The major factors driving the growth of this market are the growing aging population worldwide, government initiatives for funding, and awareness about cancer. These factors increase the demand for cancer diagnostic products. On the other hand, stringent regulations imposed by international and local authorities and shortage of skilled and trained professionals may hinder the growth of the market.Order Free Sample Report @Market Segmentation: Cancer Diagnostics MarketThe global cancer diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of technology, application, geography.The global cancer diagnostics market is segmented into two types platform based instrument based.In 2017, the cancer diagnostics instrument based segment is expected to dominate the market with a share of 68.8% and is expected to continue this trend till 2024.Cancer diagnostics platform based market is segmented into polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ hybridization (ISH), immunohisto chemistry (IHC), next generation sequencing (NGS), DNA microarrays, flow cytometry and others.Cancer Diagnostics instrument based market is segmented into imaging and biopsy. Imaging is further segmented into magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography- computed tomography (PET-CT), mammography, ultrasound.On the basis of application, the market is segmented into lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma and others.Get 10% Discount On Report, Offer Wailed Up To Limited PeriodKey Drivers: Cancer Diagnostics MarketSome of the major factors driving the market for cancer diagnostics market are growing aging population worldwide, government initiatives for funding, and awareness about cancer. These factors increase the demand for cancer diagnostics products. Increasing prevalence of cancer, key players focusing are on strategic decisions and technological advancements are the major factors driving the growth of the cancer diagnostics market. Stringent regulations imposed by the international and local authorities and shortage of the skilled and trained professionals are the factors which may hinder the growth of this market. Many companies are increasingly focusing on Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and biopsy products in order to strengthen their product portfolios in the cancer diagnostics market. Increasing demand for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) will drive the market in future.Have Any Query? Ask Ours Expert @Key Points: Cancer Diagnostics MarketGE Healthcare is going to dominate the cancer diagnostics market, by imagingbased, following with Siemens Healthcare GmbH along with others such as Hologic, Inc, Becton, Dickinson and Company. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. is going to dominate the cancer diagnostics market, by platform based, following with Illumina, Inc. along with others such as Roche Diagnostics, Abbott, and QIAGEN. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) market is growing with the highest CAGR. Globally biopsy is driving the market with the highest market share. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is dominating the cancer diagnostics imaging market.Read More Information of This ReportFollow Link @About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Optical Wafer Inspection Systems Market: The growth in the adoption of telecommunication devices and the consumer electronic equipments fuels the growth https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/optical-wafer-inspection-systems-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22298 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22298 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Optical wafer inspection system is a type of equipment which is used for the purpose of inspecting the wafers during the processing of semiconductor like depositioning, removing, patterning, and after that modification to find out the fault in semiconductor. This equipment is also used for the purpose of doing semiconductor wafer related research. Continuously growing demand for different applications of the semiconductor ICs in different end user segments like automobile, consumer electronics and the industrial sector is actually encouraging different manufacturers to increase its production, which will in turn increase the demand for the optical wafer inspection equipments.For the purpose of in detail analysis, the Optical Wafer Inspection Systems market can be categorized on the basis of product type, application and geography. Based on product type, the market can be classified into two types like dark field inspection and bright field inspection. In the optical microscopy, dark-field is used to describe an illumination technology. Bright field inspection helps to provide the highest sensitivity to defect of interest on all types of memory layers.Browse the Report to Know Comprehensive Evaluation Of The Market Via In-Depth Qualitative Insights @Increasing demand of the application of the Semiconductor ICs in consumer electronics, automobile and the industrial sector which uses high quality electronic devices across different parts of the globe which triggers the requirement of optical wafer inspection in different semiconductor circuits. Since the semiconductor industry is growing at a rapid pace and it is extending its production volume, there should be a huge need for more optical wafer inspection systems during the forecast period from 2017-2025. Asia Pacific being the major consumer of different types of semiconductor devices, the optical wafer industry in this region will see huge growth in the coming few years.Factors restraining the factors like high operating cost of optical wafer inspection system and difficulty to find defect on an embedded chips. This in turn is also expected to hinder the demand of optical wafer inspection systems when different semiconductor manufacturers restrain their manufacturing because of the high quantity of left off stock.Request Sample to Know Emergence of Advanced Technologies and Global Industry Analysis @By product type, the bright field inspection held the largest market share in 2015 owing to its quality to provide the world's first laser diode-based, three-dimensional capability in the semiconductor segment. However, the dark-field inspection is expected to experience a decent growing rate during the forecast period of 2017-2025.Geographically, the Optical Wafer System Equipment market is being majorly driven by Asia Pacific region. The main purpose behind this regions supremacy is due to the presence of major semiconductor foundries in this region and the growing demand of consumer electronics industry such as smart phones, tablet and television set among others.Get TOC of This Report @Moreover, in terms of volume growth also, this region is also expected to dominate the market during the forecast period owing to the presence of large number of semiconductor manufacturers in countries such as Japan, Taiwan and South Korea among others.Some of the leading players operating in the Optical Wafer Inspection Systems market includes Applied Materials (The U.S), ASML Holdings (Netherlands), KLA-Tencor (The U.S), Tokyo Seimitsu (Japan) and JEOL, Ltd (Japan) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Soy Lecithin Market Future and Analysis, 2017-2025 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/705 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/soy-lecithin-market-705 Soy lecithin is an insulator, which reduces heat flow between high and low temperature materials. Soy lecithin is generally used in buildings as window insulating film, in mechanical systems, spacecraft, and automotive. Air being a poor thermal conductor, soy lecithin is used as an alternative to it in many thermal insulation applications. Soy lecithin traps gases and forms a layer of coating against heat. Also, soy lecithin reduces noise and vibrations.Soy lecithin is used as a wetting, stabilizing, and dispersing agent due to which it is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. It is rich in fat and protein owing to which it finds application as animal feed. It is also used in paint industry as an antioxidant and wetting, suspending, emulsifying & stabilizing agent.Request to view the table of Content:Soy lecithin Market TaxonomyOn the basis of grade, the soy lecithin market is classified into:Food gradeFeed gradePharmaceutical gradeIndustry gradeOthersOn the basis of function, the soy lecithin market is classified into:EmulsifierNutritional supplementsDispersantsWetting agentsViscosity modifierRelease aidSurfactantsOthersOn the basis of application, the soy lecithin market is classified into:Food & BeveragesIndustrialAutomotive & AerospaceConstructionPaintsOthersPharmaceuticalsSoy lecithin is largely used in food, industrial as well as pharmaceutical industries due to the rich protein content and protective cover formation property.View More Information:Soy Lecithin Market OutlookAsia Pacific is estimated to be the largest and fastest growing market in the forecast period owing to the high demand for the product and abundance of raw materials. India and China contribute significantly to the market growth in the region. The forecasted growth is backed by the immense demand for the product from food, construction, and paint industriesNorth America is the second largest market of soy lecithin. The market growth is primarily supported by the rising demand for protein-rich as well as processed food. Busy life schedules of modern society has augmented the demand for packaged nutritional supplements, which in turn boosts the demand for soy lecithinEurope is an emerging market in the global soy lecithin market. The rising use of cheap source of high-quality protein in food and supplements increases the demand for soy lecithinThe Latin America and Africa soy lecithin markets are witnessing sluggish growth rate, however, the growing economy of these regions creates a better platform for soy lecithin market in the upcoming years.Soy lecithin being of lower price and easily available is preferred over other protein enriched food items.Soy Lecithin Market ChallengesExcess consumption of soy lecithin leads to many health issues. Strict government regulations pertaining to genetically modified soybeans hinder the soy lecithin market growth to an extent.Soy Lecithin Market ParticipantsSome of the key market players identified in the value chain of global soy lecithin market are Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, Lipoid GmbH, American Lecithin Company, Lasenor emul, Lecico Gmbh, Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., Ceresking Ecology & Technology Co. Ltd., and Bunge Limited.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702 Healthcare Business Intelligence Market Research, Future Demand and Technology Progress to 2025 Healthcare Business Intelligence https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/request-sample/806025 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/report/global-healthcare-business-intelligence-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com Global Healthcare Business Intelligence Market Research report gives us a complete overview of the various parameters of the current situation of the market. Healthcare Business Intelligence Market provides a great source of information for numerous business strategy and also business developments.This report analyzes the Global Healthcare Business Intelligence Market and gives us the in-depth analysis of the present scenario and the future growth prospects. Simultaneously it also throws light on the overall positive factors. This in-depth report discusses this industrys market in forms of overview/definition, application, classification, predictions pertaining value and volume, and future predictions. It also prominently attributes the current situation and outlooks with industrial and financial aspect. Additionally, it talks about the vital prospects such as market restrains, growth drivers, challenges and potential opportunities that may affect the overall Healthcare Business Intelligence market.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Due to the constant altering business landscape, enhancements in the technology, the process of communication in several organizations have become intricate. Moreover, nowadays, customers demands have increased and expanded, this in return expects efficient and effective communication inside an organization. Escalated use of social networking websites, increased use of smartphones, and ascending demand for improved enterprise efficiency are the prime growth factors of the Healthcare Business Intelligence market. Enhanced technologies and several Information technology tools better the productivity of the business and escalate functional efficiency.The methodological analysis which is used to approximate and forecast the Healthcare Business Intelligence Market starts with gathering data on vital vendors with the help of secondary research through various trusted sources that include news articles, presentations, journals and paid database. In addition, information which the vendors provide is also taken into consideration to analyze the segmentation of the market.This report studies the global Healthcare Business Intelligence market, analyzes and researches the Healthcare Business Intelligence development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeIBM CorporationInformation BuildersMicrosoft CorporationMicroStrategyOracle CorporationQlik Technologies, IncSAP AGSAS Institute, IncTIBCO Software IncTableau SoftwareAgilum Healthcare IntelligenceSiemens HealthcarePerficient, Inc.Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoTraditional BICloud BIMobile BIMarket segment by Application, Healthcare Business Intelligence can be split intoClinicalFinancial AnalysisOperational Performance & Cost ManagementThe Healthcare Business Intelligence Market report wraps: Industry summary with market definition, key elements such as market restrains, drivers, potential opportunities, challenges, trends in the market, etc. Market sectioning depending on product, application, geographical region, competitive market share Market size, approximates, forecasts for the said frame of time Distribution channel assessment Competitive analysis of crucial market manufacturers, trends, company profiles, strategies, etc. Factors accountable for the growth of the market Thorough assessment of prime market geographically Factual information, insights, market date backed by statistics and industryThe report is worth a buy because:This report on Healthcare Business Intelligence Market assists in analyzing the condition and situation of the market in primary regions of the world. Apart from rendering an overview of product manufacturing processes, the research report also renders impeded strategy of the industry, latest technological developments, cost structures, product specifications, etc. Future predictions based on the development of this industry are also covered. The report also reviews micro and macro factors vital for the new entrants along with the current market players.Browse full report with Table of Content @About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Email- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWeb- Power Transmission Component Market Trend to 2024 Profiling ABB, EATON, Toshiba, Siemens, ZTT, General Electric, KEC International, Hitachi, Schneider, Crompton Greaves, Hyundai https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/289527//?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/power-transmission-components-market-size-by-product-transformers-circuit-breakers-isolators-insulators-arrestors-transmission-lines-transmission-towers-by-voltage-level-132-kv-220-kv-440-kv-660-kv-765-kv-above-by-current-level-hvdc-hvac-industry-analysis-report-regional-outlook-u-s-canada-mexico-uk-france-germany-russia-china-india-japan-south-korea-australia-saudi-arabia-uae-south-africa-brazil-argentina-peru-price-trends-competitive-market-share-forecast-2016-2024/?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com/securecheckout/paymenta/289527?msfpaycode=sumsf/?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-wireless-power-transmission-industry-market-analysis-forecast-2018-2023/?utm_source=RR-SP https://thefinancialconsulting.com/author/chetan/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/category/news-releases/ http://reports.algosonline.com/ Power Transmission Component Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Spain, China, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and etc,), Application Development status, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024.Power Transmission Components Market size will exceed USD 100 Billion by 2024; according to a new research report.Ongoing expansion of utility based transmission networks coupled with rising investments toward the refurbishment of the existing grid infrastructure will augment the power transmission component market. Accruing AT&C and coalited losses pertaining to the lack of effective grid infrastructure across emerging electricity markets will further complement the business outlook.Request a Sample Copy of Global Power Transmission Component Market Research Report @China power transmission component market is set to exceed USD 30 Billion by 2024. Favorable regulatory reforms pertaining to the integration of a sustainable electric network along with ongoing expansion of cross-border interconnections will positively influence the industry growth. Rapid industrial expansion to fortify volume manufacturing by industry players coupled with inclination towards the assimilation of renewable energy infrastructure will further stimulate the product demand.Stringent energy efficiency protocol along with advancing smart monitoring & control technologies will fuel the power transmission component market growth. Perpetual auxiliary capacity addition with an aim to integrate a sustainable energy mix coupled with enhancing distributed generation technologies will further complement the business outlook. Furthermore, ongoing expansion of high tension DC electrical networks along with positive outlook towards energy efficiency to curb the accumulating losses will foster the business growth. 765 kV will grow on account of rapid industrialization coupled with ongoing expansion of high tension networks to curb overall AT&C losses. Extension of utility aided grid networks along with favorable regulatory inclinations toward cross border transmission interconnection will drive the power transmission component market.For more information on this report, Please visit at:Global inclination to sustain energy conservation coupled with supportive measures to ensure security of supply will thrust the power transmission component market size. Expansion of smart-grid networks along with supportive policy interventions will further accelerate the industry growth. In 2017, Sweden, Germany, France, UK, Germany, and Italy proposed investments over USD 130 billion with an aim to enhance smart grid adoption across the nations in compliance to the smart grid agreement.Power transmission component market is anticipated to witness growth owing to the rise in investments toward retrofitting & revamp of existing electricity infrastructure across the U.S. Expeditious amalgamation of infrastructural investments in compliance to the peninsula electrification program will positively sway the business scenario. In 2017, regulators proposed a funding over USD 100 million to reinforce the electricity infrastructure across the U.S.Notable participants in the power transmission component market include, ABB, EATON, Toshiba, Siemens, ZTT, General Electric, KEC International, Hitachi, Schneider, Crompton Greaves, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, BHEL, L&T, Emerson, Tebian Electric Apparatus Stock, Aster, Apar, SAE, and Sterlite.Growth driversNorth America and EuropeStringent energy efficiency reformsExpansion of smart grid networksRefurbishment & retrofitting of existing grid infrastructureOrder a copy of this premium research report @Related Reports: -Global Wireless Power Transmission Industry Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023In the Global Wireless Power Transmission Industry Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023, the revenue is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The production is estimated at XX million in 2017 and is forecasted to reach XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023.More Report @Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:More Report at: Asthma Therapeutics Market Competitive Landscape Analysis with Forecast by 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22982 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22982 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/asthma-therapeutics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Asthma is a chronic disease of airways of the lungs and characterized by various symptoms such as bronchospasm, and pulmonary airway obstructions. The symptoms of asthma include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and breath shortness. Asthma is considered to be caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetic factors. The few environmental factors include exposure to allergens and air pollution.The symptoms can be prevented by avoiding exposure to allergens and irritants. In asthma, the pulmonary airway muscles get swollen, which in turn cause symptoms leading to bronchospasm and airway obstruction. Some healthy people can develop asthma symptoms during physical activity or exercise. This condition is called exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Patients with family history of asthma and allergies are more prone to developing asthma. It has been proved that there is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled by early and effective asthma treatment.Download Report Brochure @The medications in treatment of asthma includes corticosteroids, long acting beta-agonists (LABA), anti-inflammatory agents, and leukotriene modifiers. Asthma patients are at great risk of developing infections such as pneumonia and influenza and hence are vaccinated annually. Asthma mimicking symptoms have been found in a host of diseases in children. Hence, diagnosis and treatment of asthma in children has remained a challenge. Asthma-related fatalities in children are mostly preventable through proper education and awareness and timely treatment. Hence, spreading awareness about treating asthma in children presents an opportunity for asthma drug manufacturers.Asthma and COPD are a major burden on the economy of a nation, especially in the U.S. and China due to high incidence of these diseases as well as rise in the number of smokers. This has fueled government initiatives to educate the people regarding awareness about asthma, and their management as well as funding by various government and non-government agencies. Usage of biologics in asthma is a relatively new treatment phenomenon; however, noteworthy advances have been made, leading to effective treatment for select patients, particularly those with severe disease symptoms. Ongoing development of new biologics such as Benralizumab byAstraZeneca and Lebrikizumab by Roche is set to provide the impetus to the growth of the global asthma therapeutics market. Moreover, the FDA approval for GSKs Mepolizumab in November 2015 as an add-on maintenance treatment of patients with severe asthma aged 12 years and older is likely to drive the market during the forecast period.Request for TOC @A report by the American Lung Association in 2014 indicated that nearly 47% of the U.S. citizens live in counties with frequently unhealthy levels of either ozone or particulate pollution. Hence, rise in environmental triggers is anticipated to increase demand for asthma therapeutics during the forecast period. Rapid urbanization, air pollution, change in lifestyle, and rise in smoking population has resulted in higher occurrence of asthma symptoms in urban regions of the world, thereby fueling demand for asthma therapeutics.The global asthma therapeutics market has been segmented based on drug class and region. In terms of drug class, the asthma therapeutics market has been categorized into bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory agents, monoclonal antibodies, and combination drugs. The combination drugs segment is projected to account for the largest share during the forecast period.Large share of this drug class is attributed to preference of combination therapies for prescription by doctors and launch of new triple combination therapies during the forecast period. Availability of popular and preferred generics such as salbutamol is attributed to the second largest share of the bronchodilators segment. New launch of anti-inflammatory agents, especially in China, is considered to support the growth of the global asthma therapeutics market.In terms of region, the global asthma therapeutics market has been segmented into five key regions: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the market due to greater awareness and higher prices of asthma drugs. Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the second largest share due to high prevalence of asthma in countries such as China and India.Obtain Report Details @China is estimated to account for the largest share of the asthma therapeutics market in Asia Pacific owing to factors such as improvement in diagnosis rate, rapidly aging population, increase in smokers, and high levels of pollution. Major players in the global asthma therapeutics market include Astrazeneca plc, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck & Co. Inc., and Novartis AG.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: The World Bank will provide about $10 million to finance social projects in Sao Tome and Principe. The projects will help the West African archipelago reduce social inequalities and fight poverty in the next 5 years, Eric Sapatero, a World Bank official said. Half the amount will finance social housing projects, while the other five million will cover vocational training and other actions within the scope of projects submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs of the archipelago. More than 2,500 families are expected to benefit from the projects. The funding will also help boost the capacity of the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs through equipment and staff training. This funding of the World Bank follows a financial support of $29 million granted by the bank in 2016 to fund an energy recovery project underway in Sao Tome and Principe. Sao Tome and Principe is expected to lead economic growth in Portuguese-speaking Africa in 2018, followed closely by Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, with Angola seeing the most modest forecasts for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said earlier this year. The economy of Sao Tome and Principe is expected to grow 5.5% in 2018, according to the IMF. Bladder Cancer Market Current Trends and Future Aspect Analysis 2017 - 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22985 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=22985 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bladder-cancer-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Bladder cancer is a urologic malignancy occurring in the tissues of the urinary bladder. It is characterized by the uncontrolled, rapid growth of cells arising from the epithelial lining and can be proliferating to the muscular wall of urinary bladder. The bladder or urinary bladder is a hollow organ located in the pelvis (lower abdomen) which stores the urine drained from kidney. It is connected to the kidney by ureters, a tube like structure.Bladder cancer is ranked as the ninth most frequently diagnosed cancer. Region such as North America, Western and Southern Europe along with certain countries in Western Asia or Northern Africa have recorded highest incidence rates in men. Bladder cancer is more prevalent in men as compared to women; however, the sex ratio varied with different countries.Download Report Brochure @The exact causes for bladder cancer are not known. However, some of the risk factors such as excessive smoking, tobacco consumption, continuous exposure to radiation, chronic bladder infection, and previous cancer treatments are considered to cause bladder cancer. Bladder cancer can affect any age group; however, it is more prevalent in adults aged over 50 years. Furthermore, the observed trends and patterns worldwide reflect tobacco smoking as the prevalent cause of bladder cancer. Infection with schistosoma haematobium along with other risk factors are also the major causes of bladder cancer in selected population.The global bladder cancer market is driven by increasing incidence of bladder cancer, leading to drug innovations for treatment and technological advancements. Bladder cancer is more common in adults aged over 50 years. Hence, increasing geriatric population also contributes to market growth.Furthermore, government initiatives, increasing awareness about bladder cancer and the available treatments, and progressive health care services with growing health care expenditure are expected to propel the global market. However, cancer being an asymptomatic disease at initial stage, needs accurate diagnosis at early stage. Inaccurate and unaffordable diagnosis could hamper the growth of the market. Increasing use of generic drugs and growing patent expirations are factors responsible for the sluggish growth of the market.Request for TOC @The global bladder cancer market can be segmented based on diagnosis, therapy, and region. Bladder cancer can be diagnosed by urine lab tests, cystoscopy, biopsy, and imaging test. Urine lab tests can be further divided into urinalysis, urine cytology, urine culture, and urine tumor marker test. The imaging tests segment can be further divided into intravenous pyelogram (IVP), computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and ultrasound. In terms of therapy, the market can be segmented in to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery.Geographically, the bladder cancer market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America holds the major share of the global bladder cancer market. Major share of the region is attributed to the rise in incidence of bladder cancer, innovative health care solutions, advanced health care infrastructure, and increasing concern about bladder problems.Europe accounts for the second largest share of the market. The global bladder cancer market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a high growth rate. This rise is primarily due to growing awareness about bladder disease and innovative diagnostic and treatment options. Major players in the market find countries in Asia to be lucrative markets for bladder cancer and are making significant investments, leading to market growth.Obtain Report Details @Key players in the global bladder cancer market include AstraZeneca plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly and Co., F. Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis International AG, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Health and Wellness Food Market Research Report 2018: AgriPure Holding plc, Alberts Organic, Aleias Gluten Free Foods LIC, Arla Foods https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/request-sample/806907 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/report/global-health-and-wellness-food-market-professional-survey-report-2018 https://www.qyresearchgroups.com The report has been readied in light of a top to bottom market examination with contributions from industry specialists. The report covers the market scene and its development prospects over the coming years. The report likewise incorporates a discourse of the key sellers working in this market.One pattern in the market is interest for common fixings in practical nourishment and refreshments. One driver in the market is rising mindfulness about wellbeing and health. The nearness of successful and proficient administrative bodies and in addition the various research works and studies led by them are a noteworthy wellspring of mindfulness among shoppers. In addition, the rising instances of infections, for example, corpulence and diabetes that are a consequence of winning stationary way of life of people in the Americas are expanding the interest for sound nourishment and refreshments.Get Sample Copy of this Report @This report studies Health and Wellness Food in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2013 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringBig Oz IndustriesBioGaia ABBlue Diamond GrowersBobs Red Mill Natural FoodsChiquita Brands InternationalChr. Hansen A/SClover IndustriesDanone SADean FoodsDominos PizzaDoves Farm FoodsOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoNaturally Healthy FoodsFunctional FoodsBFYOrganic FoodsBy Application, the market can be split intoSupermarketsIndependent RetailersConvenience StoresSpeciality StoresBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaMajor Points Covered in Table of Contents 1 Industry Overview of Health and Wellness Food1.1 Definition and Specifications of Health and Wellness Food1.1.1 Definition of Health and Wellness Food1.1.2 Specifications of Health and Wellness Food1.2 Classification of Health and Wellness Food1.2.1 Naturally Healthy Foods1.2.2 Functional Foods1.2.3 BFY1.2.4 Organic Foods1.3 Applications of Health and Wellness Food1.3.1 Supermarkets1.3.2 Independent Retailers1.3.3 Convenience Stores1.3.4 Speciality Stores1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Health and Wellness Food2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Health and Wellness Food2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Health and Wellness Food2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Health and Wellness Food3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Health and Wellness Food3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Health and Wellness Food Major Manufacturers in 20173.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Health and Wellness Food Major Manufacturers in 20173.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Health and Wellness Food Major Manufacturers in 20173.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Health and Wellness Food Major Manufacturers in 20174 Global Health and Wellness Food Overall Market Overview4.1 2013-2018E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2013-2018E Global Health and Wellness Food Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2017 Health and Wellness Food Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2013-2018E Global Health and Wellness Food Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2017 Health and Wellness Food Sales Analysis (Company Segment)Browse full report with Table of Content @About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Email- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWeb- Global Venous Stents Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4028 https://www.mrrse.com/venous-stents-market https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ New research report offers a comprehensive analysis of the Venous Stents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 The main objective of this report is to deliver insightful information and clear-cut facts pertaining to the growth trajectories of the market.Request to view Sample Report @Global Venous Stents: SnapshotVenous Stents are mesh tubes, implanted in the veins for chronic symptomatic venous diseases. The venous stents function the same way as that of the arterial stents. They expand against the narrowed or obstructed veins and keep them open. They are the flexible devices used in the peripheral as well as central veins, and act as a scaffold for the vascular walls. Emergence of various efficient technologies for the precise placement of stents in veins, and rising investment of key players in the development of flexible venous stents with high radial strength are the major factors expected to drive the market of venous stents during the forecast period. However, low awareness about the venous interventional procedures in the developing countries is likely to restrain the market growth of venous stents during 2017-2025.Iliac Vein Stent Technology to Maintain Lead throughout Forecast PeriodThe global venous stents market has been segmented on the basis of technology, application, and disease indication. On the basis of technology, the global venous stents market is divided into iliac vein stent technology, wallstent technology, and such as stenting techniques for long deep veins such as femoral veins, popliteal veins, and veins in the arms. The iliac vein stent technology accounted for the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2016, and is likely to remain leading by 2025. The dominance of Iliac vein stent technology is attributed to the improved access to the deep veins located in the iliac portion with the help of advanced surgical tools. However, Wallstent technology is likely to witness relatively significant CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the pre-marketing approval of Wallstent Endoprosthesis in the U.S. in 2016.Based on application, the global venous stent market is segmented into leg, chest, abdomen, and arm. The leg application segment accounted for highest revenue in 2016, owing to the emphasis of key players on the venous stents development specifically for femoral & popliteal veins. Chest application segment is estimated to witness maximum CAGR during 2017-2025, which is attributed to the green signal by regulatory authorities for the approval of venous stents for superior vena cava.On the basis of disease indication, the global venous stents market is divided into chronic deep vein thrombosis (DVT), Post thrombotic syndrome (PTS), May-Thurner Syndrome, Hemodialysis/Arteriovenous Fistulae, and others. Other disease indication segment is comprised of venous occlusion, re-stenosis, and nutcrackers syndrome. The others segment accounted for highest revenue in 2016, and is likely to remain dominant during the forecast period. However, chronic DVT is projected to register highest CAGR during 2017-2025, owing to the government participation in the venous disease management across the globe.Browse Full Report with TOC @Strong Presence of Players Puts Europe at ForefrontGeographically, global venous stents market is divided into five major regions, which are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Europe dominated the global venous stents market in terms of value in 2016. The region is estimated to remain dominant during the forecast period, due to strategic presence of key venous stents manufacturers in Europe. Ongoing clinical trials of venous stents in the U.S., and rising demand for clinically efficient venous interventional devices are the major factors for the estimated growth of venous stents in North America by 2025. However, Asia Pacific is likely to grow with relatively significant CAGR during 2017-2025, due to rising investment by public & private players for the betterment of healthcare services in Asia Pacific region.Globally, major players operating in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of venous stents are Boston Scientific Corporation, C. R. Bard, Inc., Jotec GmBH, Veniti, Inc., Gore Medical, Cook Medical, and Optimed Medizinische Instrumente GmBH.About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Embedded Analytics Market: Huge growth in demand for internet of things driving the market growth https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/embedded-analytics-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19757 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=19757 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Embedded analytics aims at providing higher accessibility of business intelligence and analysis of data to the various users of an organization. Traditional business analytics or intelligence is aimed at extraction of data and performing basic level of analysis. However, such applications are seldom capable of solving high level analytic problems. Embedded analytics aids in solving such problems as they are capable of analyzing huge quantities of multi domain data and extracting business specific data from the same. Embedded analytics are now being provided as an in-built part of most business applications such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) among others.Business intelligence is an aggregate of independent systems, such as people processes and technologies among others, which provides a central view point on the multi domain data gathered and analyzed. Such systems are primarily utilized for performing data analysis and involve many different types of applications. Embedded analytics, on the other hand, are a part of modern business applications and are aimed to provide specific information for supporting specific business actions or decisions. Currently, business intelligence vendors, such as Tableau Software and Sisense among others, develop embedded analytic tools, which is then integrated into business applications by the application developers and provided to the end-users.Browse the Report to Know Insights into the Competitive Scenario of the Market @The market for embedded analytics is primarily being driven by the increased integration of such capabilities under commonly available business applications, compared to traditionally available business intelligence platforms. The integration of embedded analytics within business applications, such as accounting software and ERP, has enabled the users to generate visualization tools and specific analytical data immediately, which in turn has been promoting the growth of the market. Additionally, the huge growth in demand for internet of things (IOT), industrial internet of things (IIOT) and big data has led to generation of huge amount of multidisciplinary data.Analysis of such data, for offering customized solutions to customers and achieving competitive edge over rivals, has become of prime importance for business entities. It in turn has been boosting the growth of embedded analytics market. Furthermore, there is a strong growing demand for smart phones and connected electronic devices. It has also been generating huge amount of multidisciplinary data, of specific interest to various companies, which has been further promoting the growth of the embedded analytics market globally.Request Sample to Know An Insight On the Important Factors and Trends Influencing the Market @A key trend in this market, mostly involving enterprises, is the development of in-house embedded analytics solutions, which can be customized by the end user.On the basis of applications, the embedded analytics market has been segmented into two types, namely commercial and non-commercial. Commercial applications segment was the largest segment in 2015 and is expected to remain the same during the forecast period. Such large market share can be attributed to the higher usage of commercial business intelligence applications having in built embedded analytics.Get TOC of This Report @On the basis of end-use industry, the market has been segmented into seven types. They are banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI), retail, manufacturing, consumer goods, healthcare, education and others. Others segment include construction and government among others. BFSI was the largest segment in 2015.The major companies of the embedded analytics market globally are Sisense, Inc. (U.S.), Pentaho Corporation [Hitachi Data Systems]. (U.S.), Yellowfin Business Intelligence (Australia), MicroStrategy, Inc. (U.S.), Tableau Software (U.S.), Birst, Inc. (U.S.), Logi Analytics, Inc. (U.S.), TIBCO Software, Inc. (U.S.), BellaDati (U.S.) and GoodData Corporation (U.S.), among various other companies.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Glioblastoma Multiforme Treatment Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023 Glioblastoma Multiforme Treatment Market https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-glioblastoma-multiforme-treatment-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-glioblastoma-multiforme-treatment-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-glioblastoma-multiforme-treatment-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3 https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-glioblastoma-multiforme-treatment-market/ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com Glioblastoma multiforme is the high-grade glioma and potent malignant brain tumor that affects glial cells. Glioblastoma multiforme contains the complexly differentiated neoplastic astrocytes which are the subtype of central nervous system. Glioblastoma multiforme is different from the anaplastic astrocytoma due to the presence of hyperplastic blood vessels and necrotic tissue. The glioblastoma multiforme is diagnosed by using the imaging modules namely, positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT). Glioblastoma multiforme is classified into two types namely, gliosarcoma and giant cell glioblastoma. Gliomas are the tumors emerge from glial cells and might occur in brain or the spinal cord. The common symptoms observed in the patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme include nausea, headache, seizure, memory loss, and hemiparesis, among others.The global glioblastoma multiforme treatment market is growing at a significant CAGR due to increase in the geriatric population, and changes in the lifestyle. The increase in alcohol consumption, a rise in malaria prevalence, and the increase in the incidence of seizures are the key factors driving the global glioblastoma multiforme treatment market. Furthermore, increase in research and development in gene therapy, molecular biotechnology for the treatment of CNS associated disorders, urgent need of alternative treatment procedures due to the resistance of glioma cells to conventional therapies are anticipated to boost the glioblastoma multiforme treatment market over the forecast period. However, major restraints of the glioblastoma multiforme treatment market are current treatment therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy does not prevent tumour recurrence that causes death in glioblastoma multiforme patients. Similarly, high expenditure for the genomics-based research, less number of drugs available in the market, and the high cost of treatment are expected to hinder the glioblastoma multiforme treatment market growth over the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Glioblastoma multiforme treatment market is segmented based on the drug type, and end userBased on the drug type, glioblastoma multiforme treatment market has segmented into the following: Temozolomide Bevacozumab carmustine Radiosensitizers OthersBased on the distribution channel, the glioblastoma treatment drug market has segmented into following: Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Online PharmaciesTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Increase in prevalence of brain tumours (According to U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) glioblastoma multiforme is considered as the most aggressive form of brain cancer with 15.4% of all primary brain tumours and about 60% 75% of all astrocytoma) driving the growth of glioblastoma multiforme treatment market. Moreover, various drugs under clinical trials like CDX-110 (manufactured by Celldex Therapeutics) (Phase 3) and DCVax (Northwest Biotherapeutics) (Phase 3) expected to fuel growth of glioblastoma multiforme treatment market. Rising product approvals from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also expected to drive revenue of glioblastoma treatment market. For instance, in March 2005, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved temozolomide (Temodar) capsules, developed by Schering Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.) to treat newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma multiforme disease associated with radiotherapy and then as maintenance treatment. Similarly, entry of generics into the market also increases the growth of glioblastoma multiforme treatment market. For instance, in 2013, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. entered the market with the generic version of temozolomide.Need more information about this report @Geographically, the glioblastoma multiforme treatment market segmented into following regions Viz. North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America dominates the glioblastoma multiforme treatment market followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific North America region growth is attributed to increase in the prevalence of glioblastoma multiforme disease (According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2011, approximately 22,000 adults in the U.S. were diagnosed with primary malignant tumours of the brain and spinal cord out of which gliomas accounted for the highest rate of incidence), investments in research and development, and increasing CNS cancers in aging population. Companys betting heavily on research activities due to lack of drugs to treat glioblastoma multiforme in the market. Similarly, National Brain Tumour Society, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, and American Brain Tumour Association are the health organizations engaged in raising awareness about glioblastoma multiforme leads to the growth of glioblastoma multiforme treatment market over the forecast period. Europe glioblastoma multiforme treatment market revenue growth is driven by increase in geriatric population, change in lifestyle and increase in research and development activities by various pharmaceutical companies. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market over the forecast period as a result of improving healthcare infrastructure, and rising awareness of glioblastoma multiforme treatment. Furthermore, extensive use of genomic profiling in bioinformatics technology by the research and development firms in Asia-Pacific region is expected to drive the treatment market for nervous carcinoma by discovering the new drug targets.Some of the players in glioblastoma multiforme treatment market are Merck & Co Inc. (U.S.), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (Israel), Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC. (U.S.), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (India), F. Hoffmann-Le Roche Ltd. (Switzerland), Abbvie, Inc. (U.S.), Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (U.S.), Exellixis, Inc. (U.S.), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (U.S.), AstraZeneca (U.K.), GlaxoSmithKline plc. (U.K.), CANbridge Life Sciences Ltd. (China), Apogenix (Germany), Pfizer, Inc. (U.S.), and Vascular Biogenics (Israel) to name a few.Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @ Biofertilizers Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023 Biofertilizers Market https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-biofertilizers-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-biofertilizers-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-biofertilizers-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3 https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-biofertilizers-market/ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com Biofertilizers are the substances with microorganisms, when applied to the plant surfaces, soil or to the seed will colonizes the rizhosphere or interior parts of plant and promotes growth. Biofertilizers able to add nutrients through natural process of solubilize phosphorous, fixing atmosphere nitrogen and stimulate plant growth by synthesize the substances. Biofertilizers are the class of agrochemicals which are made of organic materials in major quantities. Now a days farmers are avoiding chemical fertilizers in order to minimize the harmful effects on biodiversity and environment. But synthetic products are still used widely because of the longer life and effectiveness of the products. These biofertilizers are potentially used in soil treatment, root dripping and seed treatment.Biofertilizers market is expected to gain traction over the forecast period due to rising inclination towards eco-friendly or less hazardous fertilizers. The rapid growth of biofertilizers market is due to an increase in demand for the organic food globally. Furthermore, increase in per-capita income and improved standards of living, growing concern about environment by the impact of the chemical fertilizers, rise in support of the governments to the manufacturers will fuel the growth of biofertilizers market. However, low product efficacy under unfavourable conditions, easy regulatory framework and high demand for the synthetic fertilizers, lack of awareness to the farmers about the benefits and application of biofetilizers are the factors which are hampering the growth of the bio fertilizers market.A sample of this report is available upon request @The biofertilizers market is classified on the basis of type, application, form, crop type, microorganism and geography.Based on the type, the global biofertilizers market is segmented into Phosphate-solubilizing Nitrogen-fixing Potash-mobilizing Others (Sulphur-solubilizing biofertilizers boron, and zinc)Based on the crop type, the global biofertilizers market is segmented into Pulses & oilseeds Cereals & grains Fruits & vegetables Others ( fiber crops, turf & ornamentals plantation crops, silage & forage crops)Based on the microorganism, the global biofertilizers market is segmented into Azotobacter Rhizobium Azospirillum Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria Cyanobacteria Others (aulosira, nostoc azolla, anabaena, and tolypothrix)Based on the application, the global biofertilizers market is segmented into Seed treatment Soil treatment Others (set treatment, foliar treatment, root dipping, and seedling root treatment)Based on the form, the global biofertilizers market is segmented into Dispersible granule Pure & mixed liquid fermentations Powder PelletTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Awareness about the environment and growing demand for fertile soil and organic foods are propelling market revenue. Government initiatives such as European Unions Common Agricultural Policy is promoting bio based product and offering approximately 30 % of total budget as direct green payment for the farmers who are adhering to sustainable agricultural practices. Governments of India and China also undertaken many initiatives in order to educate the farmers regarding usage of biofertilizers to enhance the protection of the crop.Need more information about this report @On the basis of geographical regions, Biofertilizers Market is classified as into five key regions as Europe, Asia- Pacific, North America, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. North America holds the largest share and demand for biofertilizers followed by Europe owing to the favourable regulatory scenario, presence of many developed regions, demand for high yielding crops, high progress in biotechnology especially in fermentation technology etc. Asia Pacific region also holds a significant position in the biofertilizers market due to growing organic food industry, increase in farm expenditures, government initiatives such as campaigns for the awareness regarding biofertilizers and favourable incentive schemes.Some of the players in Biofertilizers Market are Madras Fertilizers Limited (India), Novozymes A/S (Denmark), National Fertilizers Limited (India), Novozymes A/S (Denmark), Nutramax Laboratories Inc. (U.S.), Rizobacter Argentina S.A. (Argentina), Camson Bio Technologies Limited (India), T. Stanes & Company Limited (India), ujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (India),Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd. (India), and Lallemand Inc. (Canada).Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @ Aquafeed Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023 Aquafeed Market https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-aquafeed-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-aquafeed-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-aquafeed-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3 https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-aquafeed-market/ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com Aquafeed is a compounded feed prepared by mixing of various raw materials with additives, which are administered to various aquatic species such as crustaceans, fish, and mollusks for aquatic species growth. Aquafeed is commonly used in the aquaculture sector and prepared according to the specific requirements of the age and species of animals. Aquafeed is available as the medicated and non-medicated feed. Medicated feed is used for the nutritional supplement, growth promoting properties, and immune resistant. High-quality aquafeed made up of the required composition of nutrients is better than farm made feed for the aquatic species, which helps to improve the growth and health of the species.The global aquafeed market is growing at a significant CAGR due to increase in the farming of aquatic species. Increase in the seafood consumption around the globe, rise in the awareness regarding quality of seafood, increase in the global population, growing dependence on fisheries, and availability of better arable land for the farming of non-medicated aquafeed such as wheat, soybean, corn, and maize might bolster the aquafeed market over the forecast period. In addition, rise in the per capita income in the developing countries, lack of nutritional values in the non-medicated aquafeed, and availability of the products might fuel the aquafeed market over the forecast period. However, high cost for the medicated aquafeed, cost fluctuations for the ingredients used for the production of aquafeed such as fish meal and fish oil, and environmental factors might hamper the growth of aquafeed market over the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @Aquafeed market is segmented on the basis of product type and speciesBased on the product type, aquafeed market is segmented into the following: Non-Medicated feed Soybean Fish meal Corn Fish oil Others Medicated feed Vitamins Amino acids Antibiotics Anti-oxidants Feed enzymes OthersBased on the species, aquafeed market is segmented into the following: Fish Molluscs Crustaceans OthersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global aquafeed market is in the flourishing stage as several local and international players are engaged in the development of novel aquafeed products which help to increase in the production of aquatic products. Acquisitions & mergers, collaborations, joint ventures, and product launch are the key strategies adopted by aquafeed market players. For instance, in October 2011, Nutreco acquired the Zhuhai Shihai Feed Co. Ltd. a fish and shrimp feed company for the development of business in China. Similarly, in April 2015, Biomar Group signed a MoU with the Tongwei Co. Ltd for the expansion of its business in China and South East Asia.Need more information about this report @The global aquafeed market is segmented into the following regions Viz. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific holds the dominant share in global aquafeed market owing to increase in the consumption and production of aquatic products in Asia Pacific region majorly in India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam. Increase in the farming of aquatic products, rise in the awareness regarding healthy seafood products, and high dependence of people on the fishery in rural regions also expected to propel the aquafeed market growth in Asia Pacific region. Europe holds significant share in aquafeed market attributed to increasing in the production of aquatic products in Norway, Denmark, Ireland, and U.K. Increase in the per capita income in developing countries, the rise in the consumption of seafood products might bolster the aquafeed market in the Europe region. North America, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa also play a major role in the aquafeed market due to increase in the production of aquatic products in Chili, Peru, Egypt, and Brazil etc.Some of the players in Aquafeed market are Ridley Corporation Ltd (Australia), Nutraid (Belgium), Alltech (U.S.), Biomar (Denmark), Avanti Feeds Ltd. (India), Aller Aqua A/S (Denmark), Tongwei Co. Ltd (China), Zhuhai Shihai Feed Co. Ltd (China), Nutreco N. V (Netherlands), Terravia Holdings Inc. (U.S.), Bunge Ltd. (U.S.), and Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.) to name a few.Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @ Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Country Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023 Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics Market https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/europe-hemostasis-diagnostics-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/europe-hemostasis-diagnostics-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/europe-hemostasis-diagnostics-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3 https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/europe-hemostasis-diagnostics-market/ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com Market Outline: Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics MarketHemostasis diagnostics are the devices used to determine the hemostatic defects, which cause excessive bleeding. Hemostasis is defined as the stopping or slowing the blood flow from damaged blood vessel. During the hemostasis, blood changes from liquid state to the gelatinous state. Hemostasis maintained in the body by three mechanisms namely, blood coagulation, platelet plug formation, and vasoconstriction. Hemostasis diagnostics may help to predict the cause of bleeding during surgery by identifying the hemostatic defects in patients. Different types of tests such as prothrombin test, activated clotting time, platelet function, and other coagulation tests are carried to identify the hemostasis defects.Market Dynamics: Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics MarketIncrease in the prevalence of hemostasis related disease in Europe countries (according to The European National Registry of Congenital Coagulopathies 2017, the number of cases identified with hemostasis is increased from 7000 in 2000 to 11,000 in 2015), rise in number of surgery cases, rise in R&D investment for novel tests and devices innovation, and well developed healthcare infrastructure are expected to boost the hemostasis diagnostics market. However, high cost of advanced hemostasis products, and stringent regulations for the test approvals are expected to hamper the growth of hemostasis diagnostics market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics MarketHemostasis diagnostics market is segmented on the basis of product type, test type, technology, and end userBased on the product type, the market is segmented into the following: Systems Consumables Point-of-Care Testing DevicesBased on the test type, the market is segmented into the following: Fibrinogen Test Activated Clotting Time Platelet Function Prothrombin Time Heparin & Protamine Dose-Response Test For ACT Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time Anti-Factor Xa Other Coagulation TestsBased on the technology, the market is segmented into the following: Optical Mechanical Electrochemical OthersBased on the end user, the market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Clinics Diagnostic Centres Others (POC)To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional Analysis: Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics MarketGeographically, Europe hemostasis diagnosis market is segmented into U.K., France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Rest of Europe. U.K. hemostasis diagnostics market accounted for significant share, which is attributed to rise in prevalence of hemophilia (according to World Federation of Hemophilia Global Survey 2010, approximately 6,573 people are suffering from hemophilia), increase in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, and adoption of newer technologies are expected to propel the market in U.K. France hemostasis diagnostics market is growing due to rise in funding for launching test kits. For instance, in March 2016, Emosis, a French company raised 1 Mn Euros funding from Cap InnovEst for the development of hemostasis test kits. Germany hemostasis market growth driven by increase in the R&D for innovation of newer products, rise in prevalence of hemophilia disease, and expansion of business by market players in the country. Russia hemostasis diagnostics market is rising due to organization of training programs for doctors on coagulation testing by market players.Competition Assessment: Europe Hemostasis Diagnostics MarketSome of the players in the Europe hemostasis diagnostics market include: Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland) Sysmex Corporation (Japan) Abbott Laboratories (U.S.) Alere Inc. (U.S.) Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan) Siemens Healthineers (Germany) Danaher Corporation (U.S.) Instrumentation Laboratory (U.S.) Grifols S.A (Spain) Beckman Coulter, Inc. (U.S.) Emosis Diagnostics (France)Need more information about this report @Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, and forecast from 2017-2023 The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, key findings, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, challenges, and trends that are currently faced by the industry The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and start-ups details that are working in the industry The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenarioGet access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @ Business Process Management 2018 Global Market Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts 2022 Business Process Management Market 2018 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3054781-global-business-process-management-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3054781-global-business-process-management-market-size-status-and-forecast-2025 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Business Process Management 2018 Global Market Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts 2022.Description:This report studies the global Business Process Management market, analyzes and researches the Business Process Management development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeBP LogixPromappIntellect BPMWrikeHefloTIBCOMindbodyLaserficheNintexRepliconZoho CreatorGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoBusiness Rules MangementData MappingProcess AnalysisFull-function SoftwareOtherMarket segment by Application, Business Process Management can be split intoSmall BusinessMedium BusinessEnterprisesReport Details @Table Of Contents Major Key PointsGlobal Business Process Management Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Business Process Management1.1 Business Process Management Market Overview1.1.1 Business Process Management Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Business Process Management Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Business Process Management Market by Type1.3.1 Business Rules Mangement1.3.2 Data Mapping1.3.3 Process Analysis1.3.4 Full-function Software1.3.5 Other1.4 Business Process Management Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Small Business1.4.2 Medium Business1.4.3 Enterprises2 Global Business Process Management Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Business Process Management Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 BP Logix3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Promapp3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Intellect BPM3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Wrike3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Heflo3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 TIBCO3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Mindbody3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Laserfiche3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Nintex3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Replicon3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Business Process Management Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Zoho CreatorContinueFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size, Scope, Revenue Details Report with Growth Forecast till 2022 https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=179 https://www.factmr.com/report/179/peptide-based-cancer-therapeutics-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=D&rep_id=179 https://www.factmr.com/ A fresh study, covering Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking Global Review 2017 to 2022 has been broadcasted to wide online repository of Fact MR, which presents deep focus on the healthcare market. This smart study contains precise data that offers a clear insight about market current scenario and future projections for the benefit of readers. Moreover, the study enclosed significant data which tends to make the research a powerful source for analysts and industry experts who are looking to gain necessary knowledge about the prevailing market trends, opportunities and drivers present in the peptide based cancer therapeutics market.Request for Sample Report@A peptide is a compound that is created by artificial or natural biological chaining of amino acid monomers. In recent years, peptides have emerged as an effective therapeutic agent in treatment of various diseases, including cancer. At present, there are a number of peptide based cancer therapeutics available in the market. Incessant medical research on peptides has led to development of several peptide based cancer therapeutics that are showing greater results as compared to conventional cancer therapeutics.North America To Lead The Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics MarketIn terms of revenues, North America is expected to dominate the global peptide based cancer therapeutics market in 2017 and beyond. The regions potency in healthcare and a strong presence of various peptide based cancer therapeutic drug manufacturers is supporting the growth of the market in North America. During the forecast period, the market in the region is expected to surge at a robust CAGR.On the basis of drugs, the bortezomib segment is expected to remain highly attractive throughout the assessment period. The segment currently accounts for around 40% revenue share of the global market. Between 2017 and 2022, the segment is expected to reflect a double-digit CAGR to reach a valuation is excess of US$ 4,725 Mn. It expected to grow at US$ 358.4 Mn annually over the course of the forecast period.Competition TrackingFact.MRs report has also profiled key companies that are operating in the global peptide based cancer Therapeutic market, which include AstraZeneca PLC, Allergan plc, Pfizer Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, AbbVie Inc., and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.Browse Full Report with TOC@Table of Contents:Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Executive SummaryGlobal Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Definition2.2. Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Dynamics2.4. Regulations2.5. Supply Chain2.6. Cost Structure2.7. Average Pricing Analysis2.8. Epidemiology2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By RegionGlobal Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Analysis and Forecast By Drug3.1. Global Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast By Drug, 2012-20223.1.1. Goserelin Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Bortezomib Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.3. leuprorelin Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.3.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.3.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.3.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.4. Others Peptide Based Cancer Therapeutics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.4.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.4.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.4.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionContinued..Check Discount on this Report@About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday advised African countries to be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China. Tillerson arrived in Ethiopia, Africas second most populous nation, on Wednesday on the first leg of his African visit. He visited the African Union headquarters on Thursday. Speaking after a meeting with African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki in Addis Ababa, Tillerson criticized Chinas model of economic development in Africa, saying it encouraged dependency and denied governments long-term democratic growth. According to the top US diplomat, Chinese investments do not bring significant job creation locally. He also criticized how Beijing structures loans to African government. The former Exxon chief executive said China used corruption and predatory loan practices to undermine African governments and mire them in debt. He said that was in contrast to US efforts to bolster democratic institutions, strengthen the rule of law, and improve governance and long-term security goals. The United States is the leading aid donor to Africa but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009 and has at the same time pumped billions into infrastructure projects. According to Beijing, Tillersons remark was totally out of line with the truth. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said China hopes that other countries will do better for Africas development and treat China-Africa cooperation in a fair and objective manner. Advancement in Technology Foreseen to Drive the Global CATV Equipment and Antennas Market during 2017-2025 https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/catv-equipment-and-antennas-market.asp https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/20545 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com CATV Equipment and Antennas Market: IntroductionContinuous growth of media industry is the key factor contributing to the growth of global CATV Equipment and Antennas market. Cable television (CATV) is a television distribution system that uses a network of cables to deliver multiple video, data, and audio channels. Television cable industry has larger subscriber base compared to other modes of television network.Cable television cable network has various plans for delivering unique services to its subscribers, such as high-resolution digital video, set-top boxes, and others. Also, service providers are also offering broadband services over the cable network as a bundled services. There are various equipment included in CATV infrastructure such as CATV system, receiver equipment, antennas, connecting cables, and others.CATV Equipment and Antennas Market: Market DynamicsHuge volume of customer base coupled with continuous requirement of maintaining the cable television network infrastructure, is the prominent factor driving the growth of global CATV Equipment and Antennas market. Rising customer preference particularly in developing regions for subscribing television and broadband as a bundled service, and switch-over from analog to digital television accelerates the growth of global CATV Equipment and Antennas market.Read Report Overview @Changing technologies, expanding media industry, and continuous progression in government initiatives in rural electrification is expected to fuel the growth of global CATV Equipment and Antennas market. However, growing trend on watching media content in mobile devices and continuous adoption to internet TV, are identifies as restraints expected to have significant impact over the growth of global CATV Equipment and Antennas market.CATV Equipment and Antennas Market: Market SegmentationThe global CATV Equipment and Antennas market is segmented on the basis of CATV device & connecter, amplifiers, and region.On the basis if of CATV device & connecter, the global CATV Equipment and Antennas market can be segmented into following types;AntennasCATV systemsCables & connectorsInstallation materialsOn the basis of amplifier, the global CATV Equipment and Antennas market can be segmented into following types;MMIC AmplifierHybrid AmplifierCATV Equipment and Antennas Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, the global CATV Equipment and Antennas market is segmented across North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Among all regions, CATV Equipment and Antennas market in Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the market due to large volume of existing customer base and expanding media market. Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa are anticipated to witness significant growth rates, due to growing preference for bundled solution of television and broadband.Request Sample Report @CATV Equipment and Antennas Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the prominent players in the global CATV Equipment and Antennas market includes Toner Cable, Shenzhen MaiWei Cable TV Equipment Limited, Sharp Vision, Chengdu Hongtushixun Digital Technologe Co., LTD, Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd, Antop Antenna Inc, Markertek, Division of Tower Products Incorporated, and Z-Band, Inc.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Expanding for Pool of Consumers Providing an Impetus to the Portable Scanner Market (2017-2025) https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/portable-scanner-market.asp https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/18226 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com The portable scanner has become very popular over the last five years, advanced and new technologies are making portable scanner lighter, smaller and less expensive than ever before. New technological advancements such as 3D digitization that can offer high resolution and rapid scanning techniques are anticipated to drive the portable scanner market growth over the future. In addition, the widespread adaptation of portable electronics devices represents the strongest dynamics in the portable scanner market today.Portable scanners are small and portable electronic devices that are widely used for digitizing printed documents. Moreover, with advancements in feturure, Portable scanner are used in a wide range of industrial applications. Geographically, the North America and APEJ are expected to lead the market for portable scanner during the forecast period.Portable Scanner market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major growth drivers of the Portable Scanner market include technological advancements, reducing price of laser technologies and growth of emerging economies. In addition, industry expansion are some of the major drivers stimulating growth of Portable scanner market.Major challenges of Portable Scanner market is high price of latest technologies, worldwide financial uncertainty and macroeconomic situations such as currency exchange rates and economic difficulties are some of the major factors which are hindering the growth of Portable Scanner Market.Read Report Overview @Portable Scanner market: SegmentationGlobal Portable Scanner Market can be segmented as:Segmentation on the basis of Components:Portable Scanner market is segmented on the basis of type. Portable Scanner is used in these areas.Stationary ScannerNon-Rugged Barcode ScannerAutomatic ScannerOtherSegmentation on the basis of Technology:Further Portable Scanner market is classified on the basis of technology. Portable Scanner vendors use these technologies to manufacture Portable Scanner.2D imagerLinear ImagerLaser ScannersSegmentation by End User:Portable Scanner market can be segmented on the basis of industrial use.Retail-in-StoreTransportation/LogisticsIndustrial ManufacturingOthersCompetition LandscapeKey contractsKey Contracts in Portable Scanner market are as:In July 2016, Hewlett-Packard, an American Information Technology company, has completed its acquisition of David Vision Systems and David 3D Solutions, German scanner manufacturer.Request Sample Report @Key PlayersSome of the major players in Global Portable Scanner Market include Honeywell International Inc., Hewlett-Packard, Datalogics S.P.A, Denso and Bluebird, Metrologic Instruments, Opticon, Fujitsu Limited, Doxie Q, Epson America Inc., SATO Holdings Corporation, Toshiba TEC Corporation and TouchStar TechnologiesABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Motion Controller Market Analysis, Growth Driver, & Future Insight till 2025 Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4297 https://www.mrrse.com/motion-controllers-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/4297 https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ A latest research report titled as Motion Controller Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025 has been recently added to the vast portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) online research offerings. This report is a professional and in-depth analysis on the present state and future prospect for the global market. It provides valuable information to the industry insiders, potential entrants or investors. It includes an exhaustive enquiry with the reliability of logic and the comprehensiveness of contents.Click here for Free Sample Report @Motion Controllers have grown to be an integral part of the automation industry. These devices cater to a dynamic range of applications in multiple end-use industries around the globe. Motion controllers have witnessed significant growth during the past two decade owing to the increased dependence of industries on process and plant automation. Emerged as a dedicated unit for motion control, motion controllers have evolved to advance motion controllers integrated with PCs and PLCs (programmable logic controllers). Consequently, the adoption of motion controller is growing rapidly in applications ranging from point to point pick and place systems to sophisticated automation systems.The global motion controller market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.0% over the period between 2017 and 2025, rising from a valuation of US$1,641.5 mn in 2016 to US$3,013.0 mn by 2025.Multi-axis Controllers Acquire Dominant SpotBased on type of axis, the global motion controller market has been segmented into multi axis, and single motion controller. Of these, the segment of multi axis motion controllers garnered the maximum revenue and volume in 2016, and is anticipated to expand at a significant CAGR over the reports forecast period as well. The segment of single axis motion controller is anticipated to witness sluggish growth during the forecast period owing to requirement of additional or external power source of these devices. On the contrary, the multi axis motion controllers offer exceptionally low power consumption featured through the use of centralized power units.PLC-based Motion Controllers Hold Significant Share in Global RevenueBased on product type, the global motion controller market is segmented into PLC-based, standalone motion controllers, and PC based motion controllers. Among the product type, the PLC-based motion controllers contributed largest market share towards the global market in terms of volume in 2016. However, the PC based motion controllers dominated the global market in terms revenue owing to high price of these controllers as compared to other product types. Furthermore, PLC based motion controllers are anticipated to expand at the most promising CAGR of 7.7% in terms of revenue during the forecast period.Browse Full Report with TOC@Based on end-use industry, the global motion controller market is segmented into aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor and electronics, metal and mining, food and beverages, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, plastic, rubber, and textile. Of these, the semiconductor and electronics sector held the dominant share in the market in 2016 and is estimated to expand at a healthy pace over the forecast period as well. Applications of motion controller in food and beverages, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industry are also anticipated to register high CAGRs from 2017 to 2025.Asia Pacific and Europe to Remain Most Promising Regional MarketsThe motion controller market has examined for five regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and South America. Of these, the market in Asia Pacific acquired the dominant share of the market in 2016 and was followed by Europe. Collectively, the regions accounted for approximately 62% of the global market in the said year. The market in Asia Pacific is also projected to be the one with the most promising growth opportunities and is expected to outpace other regional markets in terms of CAGR over the reports forecast period. Steady growth in end-use industries such as semiconductor, electronics, and food and beverages is expected to be the key driver for economic growth of this region, which is anticipated to fuel the growth of motion controller market during the forecast period.Some of the major players in the global motion controller market are ABB Ltd, Allied Motion Inc., Delta Electronics, Inc., Fuji electric, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, National Instruments, Omron Corporation, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider electric, Siemens AG, Toshiba Corporation, YASKAWA Electric Corporation, and Yokogawa Electric Corporation.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search EngineMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Waterproofing Membrane Market Size Projected to Rise Lucratively during 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/waterproofing-membrane-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14309 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: OverviewWaterproofing is a necessary activity as it helps in maintaining the structural integrity of a foundation. Due to their superior water-resistant performance, waterproofing membrane finds application in a number of end-user industries, including construction, civil, transportation, and water and wastewater treatment. These membranes are made of up of different types of materials such as modified bitumen, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The flourishing growth of end-user industries, especially in emerging economies, is one of the primary factors augmenting the global market for waterproofing membranes. The report is a professional study encompassing all the important aspects of the waterproofing market, including its dynamics, geographical and application segmentation, and vendor landscape.View Report Preview:Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Drivers and RestraintsWaterproofing membrane offers various benefits such as energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, high durability, and heat resistance. These benefits are driving their demand for applications such as roofing and building structures. The booming construction industry in China and other emerging countries is also working in favor of the market. The rapidly growing population in developing countries is leading to increase in residential construction projects. Moreover, the soaring global demand for waterproofing in the mining sector is stoking the growth of the market.However, the sluggish growth of the construction industry in Europe is restricting the global waterproofing membrane market from realizing its utmost potential. On the other hand, the rapid urbanization in developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America are creating a strong need for water and waste management activities, which in turn is unfolding ample growth opportunities for the overall market.Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Geographical SegmentationFrom the geographical standpoint, the report segments the global waterproofing membrane market into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific will account for a substantial share in the global market. The rising urban population is providing a significant push to the construction and wastewater management industry, which in turn is triggering the demand for waterproofing membrane in the region. Emerging countries such as India and China will be at the forefront of the growth of the region.North America will also be a strong contender in the global arena. The flourishing growth of the construction and mining sectors is the primary factor driving the growth of the region. The Middle East and Africa market is anticipated to hold immense potential. The increasing exploration and production of crude oil are translating into the greater uptake of waterproofing membrane in the region. The growth of Europe can be attributed to the increasing concerns regarding water and waste Management.Global Waterproofing Membrane Market: Competitive LandscapePlayers in the global waterproofing membrane market need to focus on the expansion of product portfolio to ensure sustainable growth. For this, key players are banking on strategies such as mergers and acquisitions and product innovation. Moreover, market participants are pouring hefty funds into research and development activities to stay ahead. The immense potential of the market is encouraging new players to foray into the market. However, stringent government regulations are creating high barriers for new entrants.Request to view Sample Report:Some of the prominent companies operating in the global waterproofing membrane market are Carlisle Companies Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, GAF Materials Corporation, BASF SE, Siplast, Johns Manville, W. R. Meadows Inc., Firestone Building Products Company, Soprema Group, and Sika AG.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: Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market Size Observe Significant Surge during 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/zeolite-molecular-sieve-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17000 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market: OverviewMolecular sieve is a specialty material used to separate small-sized molecules from a mixture, whereas zeolite molecular sieve is a special class of molecular sieve that uses aluminosilicates as its skeletal composition. Zeolite molecular sieve has small-sized holes that block large molecules and allow small molecules to pass through it. Hence, it can be used as a desiccant. A molecular sieve can adsorb water up to 22% of its own weight. The adsorbed product remains trapped as it is able to penetrate the pore and fill the space in absence of another material. Molecular sieve can be further classified into microporous, mesoporous, and macroporous materials depending upon size of molecular sieve. Microporous materials have pore diameters less than 20 angstrom (A), the mesoporous category lies in the middle with pore diameters between 2 and 50 nanometers (nm), and macroporous materials have pore diameters greater than 500 A.View Report Preview:Zeolite molecular sieve is a microporous material where size of molecular sieve lies between 3 and 4 A. Zeolites are highly crystalline material with anionic framework. Thus, they can be used as an adsorbent for liquids and gases. Zeolite molecular sieve with a pore size of 3 A blocks molecules with size more than 3 A; hence, it can be used in diversified applications such as purification of gas streams, drying reaction starting materials, and in the chemical laboratory for separating compounds. The ratio of silica to alumina in zeolite molecular sieve is close to two, which provides it with characteristic features such as fast adsorption speed, good crushing resistance, frequent regeneration ability, and good pollution resistance. These properties help improve durability and efficiency of sieve. Zeolite molecular sieve is used in the petroleum and gas industry for selective adsorption of water from gas so that the latter can be used in applications where moisture from gas can corrode the equipment. This sieve can also be used to filter air supplied for breathing apparatus by removing particulates and compressor exhaust products from breathing air supply.Environmental effects of detergents can be manipulated by replacing sodium tripolyphosphate with zeolite molecular sieve. This type of zeolite molecular sieve can reduce surface tension. This, in turn, assists detergents by producing demineralized water through calcium ion exchange, thereby avoiding deposition of dirt. Zeolite molecular sieve can also be used in soil conditioning. Extensive research and development activities are being conducted to use silver zeolite as an antibacterial agent in medicines. In April 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of sodium aluminosilicate for direct contact with consumable items. As a result, it is employed in personal care and pharmaceutical industries. Zeolite molecular sieves have high selectivity for ammonium ions; therefore, they are widely used to combat eutrophication and other effects in waterways. Zeolite molecular sieves have also been used to remove heavy metal ions present in water due to industrial activities.Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market: Regional OutlookDiversified applications of zeolite molecular sieve are likely to significantly propel its market growth during the forecast period. Raw materials required for production of zeolite molecular sieve are abundantly available in China, which makes it the leading producer of zeolite molecular sieve. Additionally, India is a frontrunner in the manufacture of zeolite molecular sieve. This country also exports zeolite to various economies. Asia Pacific accounts for major share of the zeolite molecular sieve market. The market for zeolite molecular sieve is projected to rise in regions, such as the Middle East and Africa due to increasing use of zeolite molecular sieve in petrochemical industries. High cost of zeolite molecular sieve can act as barrier for growth of the zeolite molecular sieve market.Global Zeolite Molecular Sieve Market: Key PlayersKey manufacturers of zeolite molecular sieve include Tricat Group, Luoyang Jiandong Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Sorbead India, Pingxiang XINTAO Chemical Packing Co. Ltd, N Shashikant & Co., and Patalia Chem Industries.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: Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete Market Size to Expand Significantly by the End of 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/glass-fiber-reinforced-concrete-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17006 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global GFRC Market: OverviewThe global glass fiber reinforced concrete market (GFRC) is likely to gain significant momentum in the coming years, owing to the rising concerns about environment conservation. GFRC is produced using recycled and low toxicity raw materials including glass fibers, sand, cement, and water. They offer superior mechanical characteristics as compared to traditional building materials such as steel reinforced concrete (SRC). GFRC is durable, lightweight, and long lasting, thereby reducing the maintenance and transportation costs associated with its usage. The growing awareness regarding the advantages offered by this concrete is estimated to augur well for the growth of the global market.View Report Preview:The report provides an in-depth analysis of the various critical parameters of the global GFRC market. It presents a detailed description of the market dynamics including trends and opportunities. It serves as an essential source of analysis and information regarding the competitive landscape of the global GFRC market. It profiles the key companies operating in the market along with their business strategies, market shares, cost and revenue structure, and latest developments. It also takes into account a SWOT analysis that discloses the anticipated trajectory each key company will experience. For a coherent understanding, the report has segmented the market on the basis of various criteria including geography and application.Global GFRC Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global GFRC market is primarily driven by the increasing emphasis on green buildings, which are rated by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The rising penetration in end-use industries is fuelling the market. Other factors such as rapid urbanization and flourishing growth of the construction sector in emerging economies are working in favor of the growth of the market.Despite the numerous advantages offered by GFRC, its lower ductility as compared to SRC is limiting its widespread adoption. Moreover, the capital intensive research and development leads to the high final cost, which in turn is hampering the growth of the market. Nevertheless, the market looks bright in developing countries owing to increasing emphasis on GFRC structural insulated panels and fire-retardant building materials. Furthermore, the advent of new technologies are expected to reduce the cost of GFRC, thereby boosting its adoption in the near future.Global GFRC Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the global GFRC market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. The Europe region is estimated to expand at a brisk pace over the forthcoming years, with the U.K. being a major revenue contributor. The growth of this region can be attributed to the rising environmental concerns and the robust growth of the construction industry. Asia Pacific and Latin America are likely to flourish owing to the increasing mining and construction activities and rising disposable income of consumers. The market for GFRC in North America is anticipated to expand at a promising rate in the near future.Companies Mentioned in the Report:In order to study the prevailing competition, the report also profiles some of the key players operating in the global GFRC market. Major participants in this space include BCM GRC Ltd., Domcrete GFRC Countertop Supplies, Betofiber A/S, Blue Concrete, CHENG Concrete, Fibrobeton Yapi Elemanlari, Fibrex Construction Group, Fishtone, Frey-Fil Corp., Formglas Products Ltd., GB Architectural Cladding Products Ltd., Glass Reinforced Concrete UK Ltd., Hard Rock Developments Inc., Loveld, Pennine Stone Ltd., Surecrete Design Products, and Telling Ltd.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: Lime Manufacturing Market share will expand till 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/lime-manufacturing-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14252 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Lime Manufacturing Market: OverviewThe lime manufacturing market includes establishments that manufacture lime from various products such as dolomitic limestone, calcitic limestone, and other materials such as chalk, corals, and shells. Production of lime starts with the quarrying and crushing of limestone. Limestone composition includes wide range of sedimentary rocks. Limestone consists of four minerals - calcite, dolomite, aragonite, and magnesite - and other impurities. It is generally of two types: calcium and dolomitic. High quality calcium limestone contains 98% to 99% calcium carbonate and the remaining are impurities. Dolomitic limestone contains 42% 44% magnesite, 1% to 3% impurities, and the remaining is balanced by calcium carbonate. Limestone is available in different types due to its sedimentary composition. Two classification schemes are used to differentiate limestone which include Dunham and Folk classification which differentiate limestone and carbonate rocks.View Report Preview:The limestone industry is highly capital intensive. Lime is used in wide range of end-user industries such as steel, building and construction, and waste water treatment. It is used as a fluxing agent in the steel industry, binding agent in the construction industry, and as filtering agent in the wastewater treatment industry. Cement is used as a binding agent that holds various components of concrete structures. Concrete is known to be the second-most consumed material after water. Cement is mostly confused with concrete; however, both of these are different. Cement is also manufactured from limestone. Lime products such as hydrated lime and quicklime are often supplied from limestone quarries. These products are employed in end-user industries such as agriculture and cement. High demand for lime and its products in various applications is expected to boost the market. Due to the factors mentioned above, the global lime manufacturing market is anticipated to experience high demand in the near future.Global Lime Manufacturing Market: Drivers and RestraintsRising demand for lime in building and construction, steel, and agriculture industries is projected to boost the lime manufacturing market in the near future. Due to its functional properties limestone is used in acidic soil to neutralize it, it is used as an aggregate in road construction, as a reagent for controlling air pollution and often used in cosmetics and medicines.Air pollution and excessive use of energy are the major factors that hamper market growth. The process of lime burning leads to emission of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide. These cause air pollution and are the major reason for excessive use of energy.Global Lime Manufacturing Market: Regional AnalysisNorth America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa are the major regions of the global lime manufacturing market. Developing economies in Asia Pacific, especially China and India, are the major markets for lime manufacturing due to rising demand for lime in the steel industry. North America and Europe are also likely to be the major consumers of lime and its products owing to growth of the building and construction industry in these regions. Demand for lime and its products is expected to increase in Latin America due to increasing demand for these in end-user industries. Demand for lime manufacturing is also anticipated to rise in Middle East & Africa in the near future.Global Lime Manufacturing Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportKey players operating in the global lime manufacturing market include Sigma Minerals Ltd, Mercer Lime Company, Brookville Manufacturing, Cape Lime (Pty) Ltd, United States Lime & Minerals, Inc., Lime Denmark, Nordkalk, Cornish Lime Company Ltd, Emkor, Standard Lime Products Co. LLC, Omya AG, Mississippi Lime Company, Carmeuse, and Lhoist.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: Medical Grade Silicone Market to observe high growth by 2024 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-grade-silicone-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17246 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: General DescriptionMedical grade silicone is used in implantable and disposable medical devices which require high performance and safety standards when in contact with the human body. Medical Grade Silicone include instruments with critical functions such as defibrillators, heart pumps, and surgical reconstructive components which employ the biocompatible and hydrophobic properties of silicone. It has gained widespread acceptance because of its negligible levels of toxicity and low risk of unfavorable biological reactions. Liquid silicone rubber is a highly common variety owing to its high bacterial and chemical resistance, excellent transparency, gas permeability, clarity, elongation feature, superior dielectric strength, high tensile strength, and ability to function in extreme temperatures.View Report Preview:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the global medical grade silicone 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 global medical grade silicone market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing need for disposable devices has led to an increased demand for medical grade silicone. Liquid rubber silicone, for instance, is utilized in sealing membranes, electric connectors, seals, and infant care products such as bottle nipples, besides several other medical applications. Lifestyle shifts and changing concepts of beauty resulting in the rising incidence of cosmetic and plastic surgeries are considered to be significant drivers of the global medical grade silicone market. Modern food habits often associated with cardiovascular diseases play a role as well in the growth of the global medical grade silicone market.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Key SegmentsIn terms of products, medical grade silicone is divided into four categories: gels, medical adhesives, medical coatings (hydrophilic or hydrophobic), and liquid silicone rubbers. Based on application, the four segments of the medical grade silicone market are: prosthetics, orthopedic components, medical devices, and medical tapes. The former two are major applications, whereas the latter two could be further distributed into the following sub-segments: medical electronics and device assemblies, medical tubes, catheters, medical rings and gaskets, and miscellaneous accessories such as drugs, gels, and oral care products; and wound care, drug delivery, personal hygiene, and component joining, respectively. In terms of molding processes, the segments are liquid injection molding, transfer molding, compression molding, micro-molding, silicone to metal bonding, and silicone infused with desiccant molding.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Regional AnalysisThe global medical grade silicone market has shown a significant growth in 2015 and is expected to exhibit the same trend during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is projected to be a rapidly expanding market of medical grade silicone due to applications such as prefilled syringes, prosthetics, surgical implants, catheters, and medical tapes. North America and Europe are major consumers thanks to the technological advancements and mounting health concerns in these regions. The developmental activities in Latin America and Middle East & Africa make them emerging regions in the global medical grade silicone market.Global Medical Grade Silicone Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportKey players in the global medical grade silicone market include Dow Corning, Wacker Chemie AG, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Bluestar Silicones, 3M Company, Nusil Technology Llc, and Applied Silicone Corporation.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: Wireless Gas Monitoring Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wireless-gas-monitoring-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=28427 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Wireless technology of gas monitoring eliminates the physical and economic barriers associated with wired gas detection devices. Toxic and combustible gases seep into industrial processes such as oil & gas production facilities, refining & petrochemical, chemical production, and power generation. These gases can cause serious hazards if they get released into the environment. Toxic H2S and combustible methane are the common and dangerous gases that can cause potential danger to life and property. Therefore, companies often employ gas detection systems in order to minimize the risk to personnel and plant safety.View Report Preview:A typical gas detector identifies and monitors gas leaks by generating an electronic signal (sound or visual). Installation of traditional wired gas monitoring system incurs additional cost, as it requires a network of wires. Space constraint is another issue faced while installing wired gas monitoring systems in specific applications such as oil & gas production platforms or confined space entry operations in coal fired power plants.Wireless gas monitoring system can save up to 90% of installed cost and time and can be applied in field and plant networks, sensing leaks that might not otherwise be detected by sparsely distributed wired units. These wireless systems offer high accuracy, flexibility, and reliability in detecting gas leaks. Wireless gas monitoring or detection systems are available as stand-alone monitors, rapid deployable systems, self-healing mesh-radio systems, and replacements for traditional fixed or hard wired systems. The latest wireless systems can be interfaced to Internet for real-time alarm and data sharing.High industry safety standards implemented by regulatory bodies across the world is a key driver of the wireless gas monitoring market. Companies dealing with toxic gas emissions are mandated to follow all health safety & environmental norms established by regulatory bodies. Wi-Fi can communicate directly with other IP devices either locally or through Internet Protocol (IP) network. This is another factor driving the wireless monitoring system market. Installation of wireless gas monitoring is hassle-free and provides continuous monitoring. The traditional wired devices may sometimes fail due to the breakage of wire. Repairing or replacing such wires may prove a time consuming task. However, battery life and interconnectivity issues may hamper the wireless gas monitoring market. Wireless modules are battery powered, thereby requiring replacement of batteries. Interconnectivity issues may arise due to IP network related problems.The wireless gas monitoring system market is expected to expand primarily in North America, as the region is technologically advanced and has presence of several manufacturers of wireless gas monitoring systems. Rapid industrial growth in Asia Pacific makes the region attractive for wireless gas monitoring systems. Europe is also anticipated to account for major share of the market, as the region is known for its high industrial safety standards. Presence of major oil & gas producing countries makes Middle East & Africa as well as Latin America a beneficial region for the wireless gas monitoring market.Key players operating in the wireless gas monitoring market are Pem-Tech, Inc., TROLEX, United Electric Controls Company, City Technology Ltd., RAE Systems, General Electric, Siemens AG, Status Scientific Controls Ltd., Yokogawa Electric Corporation, RKI Instruments, and Sierra Monitor Corporation.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: Dewatering Equipment Market Plan, Supply and Revenue to 2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/dewatering-equipment-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=25838 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Dewatering equipment are the equipment used to separate water from solids. They are employed at all places where drying is required. Water is separated forcefully from solids using vacuum or centrifugal motion. It is one of those methods that prove to be cost-effective in several manners. Its use in waste management systems or at sites involving handling of solids helps reduce the additional weight of water. This proves to be cost-effective as charges are applicable as per the unit weight. Heat drying, a method that can be used to substitute dewatering equipment, proves to be costlier owing to the cost involved in providing energy to the microwave used. Dewatering equipment typically include vacuum filters, filter presses, drying beds, sludge lagoons, centrifuges, etc. Centrifuges offer a large number of advantages such as less space requirement, fully automated nature, user-friendliness, cost-effectiveness. They hardly require any personnel attention. They offer higher cake dryness and amount of polymer on the same sludge.View Report Preview:The choice of dewatering equipment largely depends on the method used for dewatering and the site of work at which they are installed. Dewatering equipment have hardly any disadvantages; for example, filter presses require more space as compared to the other dewatering equipment. They are partially automated and require personnel attention. Centrifuges consume higher energy. The need for dewatering equipment has been continuously increasing and is expected to increase more in the near future, as water is an integral part of almost every activity in day-to-day household chores and several industrial activities. Rapid industrialization and increase in population are the major reasons for the increase in demand for these equipment. Especially, centrifuges are gaining importance owing to their several advantages and cost-effectiveness in terms of cost of labor, chemicals, and disposal.Based on method of dewatering employed, the market can be segmented into well point method, eductor wells method, deep well point method, and open sump pumping method. The method employed largely depends on the site of application, while the dewatering equipment used largely depends on the method of dewatering employed.Based on its use at the site of application, the market for dewatering equipment can be segmented into industrial and waste disposal applications. Due to rapid industrialization in developing nations of the world, demand for dewatering equipment in industrial applications has been increasing and is expected to rise even more during the forecast period. Increasing population and stringent environmental regulations and waste disposal norms are factors responsible for increasing need for dewatering equipment at waste disposal sites. Currently, the market is dominated by the industrial application segment and is expected to expand at a considerable growth rate during the forecast period.Geographically, the global dewatering equipment market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Rapid industrialization and infrastructure development in some of the developing countries in the region such as China and India are likely to make APAC an attractive market for dewatering equipment in the industrial application segment in the next few years. Also, increasing population and stringent government norms regarding waste disposal in these countries are the major reasons for increase in demand for dewatering equipment in Asia Pacific. The market in the region is expected to expand at a considerable growth rate during the forecast period.Rapid industrialization, need for development of infrastructure, increasing population, intensifying environmental laws and considerations are some of the major reasons for requirement for newer technologies and cost-effective and efficient innovations in dewatering equipment. At present, the dewatering equipment market in Asia Pacific is dominated by the centrifuges segment as well as the industrial application segment.Some of the key players operating in the global dewatering equipment market are Alfa Laval, Phoenix Process Equipment, Andritz, AQ Septance Group, and Veolia Water Technologies.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: Opposition parties in Sierra Leone on Thursday expressed grave concerns over the general elections outcome as vote count is underway in the tiny West African nation. Sierra Leone held general elections Wednesday to choose a new president, parliament members, and local councilors. Analysts said the election was one of the most hotly contested races in the countrys history. Coalition for Change (CFC) and National Grand Coalition (NGC) claim that their agents were evicted from some polling stations when the counting of votes started. According to them, the Wednesday vote does not reflect the will of the people. The Electoral commission and election observers have urged political parties to refrain from premature actions that might jeopardize the credibility of the elections. The observer mission of the regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has asked political parties, the media and civil society organizations to refrain from speculating and declaring unofficial results. Shortly after polls closed on Wednesday, police attempted to raid offices of the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) led by former military Head of State Julius Maada Bio. The late is running for president against Samura Kamara of the ruling All Peoples Congress and 14 other candidates. National Elections Watch (NEW), a coalition of local and international civil society organizations that has been observing the countrys elections has projected an election run-off. The coalition says it deployed over 10,000 election observers at every polling station in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone has enjoyed relative peace since its bloody civil war ended 15 years ago. The current president, Ernest Bai Koromo of the APC, is set to step down after serving two terms. Pipeline Pigging System Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report -2025 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pipeline-pigging-system-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=24053 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Pipeline pigging system refers to the process of using systems known as pigs to conduct maintenance activities and various operations such as cleaning and inspection on pipelines; and dimensioning, which is carried out without ceasing the flow in pipelines. Pigging is required in blending, storage, or filling systems of transfer process of any product. Pigging systems are being used in industries such as lubricating oil, paints, chemicals, and others. Various types of pipeline pigging systems are employed in the market. These include swabs, pipe cleaners, cleaning pigs, poly pigs, go-devils, Pipeline Intervention Gadget (P.I.G.) and intelligent pigs.View Report Preview:Pipeline pigging systems are used in water pipelines to remove sediment, scale, calcium carbonate, mud, manganese iron, bacteria, bio-films, and other contaminants. They are employed in mining & process slurry pipelines to remove calcium carbonate, manganese iron, particles, scale, rust, and other debris. Pipeline pigging systems are used in crude oil pipelines to remove sand, wax, bacterial formations, chemical residues, rust, scale, and other impurities. They are employed in new gas transmission pipelines to remove water, construction debris, and rust & scale. These systems are also used in gas pipelines to remove iron sulfide, iron oxide, and iron carbonates (known as black dust). Pipeline pigging systems are employed in different process pipelines to remove product residues, contaminants, and other impurities.Based on application, the pipeline pigging system market can be segmented into oil & gas, chemicals, and others. Increase in the global demand for energy for oil and gas is expected to boost the pipeline pigging system market. The oil & gas segment is anticipated to dominate the pipeline pegging system market in the near future due to the proposed construction of gas pipelines in order to meet the global demand. Advancement in pipeline inspection technology is also estimated to drive the global pipeline pigging system market. Decreasing profit margin owing to the involvement of high cost and intense competition is likely to be the restraining factor of the pipeline pigging system market across the globe.Geographically, the pipeline pigging system market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America dominates the global pipeline pigging system market due to the mature pipeline network and development in the gas pipeline network. The pipeline pigging system market in Europe is anticipated to expand due to the economic revival in the region. The pipeline pigging system market in Middle East & Africa is also anticipated to expand due to the rise in activities in pipeline network in the region. The market in Latin America is estimated to expand significantly during the forecast period. Asia Pacific has been experiencing a rise in sale of products and services pertaining to the pipeline pigging systems. This trend is projected to continue during the forecast period.Key players operating in the pipeline pigging system market include 3P Services GmbH & Co KG, Baker Hughes, Dacon Inspection Services Co., Ltd., PLL Pipeline Solutions, and LIN SCAN, CIRCOR Energy, Diamond Edge Services, Pure Technologies, GeoCorr, and Pigs Unlimited International.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: Global Gear Oil Market Boosting CAGR of +2.70% by 2024 with Top Manufacturers, Growth, Size, Analysis, Competitive Landscape and Forecast till 2024 http://bit.ly/2oTFKna http://bit.ly/2FnXLnV http://bit.ly/2DdswG3 http://bit.ly/2DeMu30 http://databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/fitness-equipment-market/ Gear Oil Industry 2017 Market Research Report is an expert and top to bottom investigation on the momentum condition of the Gear Oil industry. The report gives an essential review of the business including definitions, orders, applications and industry chain structure. The Gear Oil Industry investigation is accommodated the worldwide markets including improvement patterns, aggressive scene examination, and key areas advancement status.The global gear oil market accounted for USD 7.34 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.70% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024.For In depth Information Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @Complete report on Global Gear Oil Market Research Report 2017-2024 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresSome of the major players operating in this market are Exxon Mobil Corporation Chevron Corporation Royal Dutch Shell Plc BP p.l.c. Lukoil Total Lubrifiants PetroChina Company Limited Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd Sinopec Corp. CITGO Petroleum Corporation Apar Industries Ltd. FUCHS and The Lubrizol CorporationGlobal Gear Oil Market By Base Oil {Mineral Oil, Synthetic Oil (PAO, PAG, Group III (Hydrocracking), Esters), Semi-Synthetic Oil, Bio-Based Oil)}, Application {General Industrial (Manufacturing, Mining, Construction, Agriculture, Oil & Gas, Others), Transport (Automotive, Marine, Railway, Aviation)}, Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)Request for Detaild TOC:Key Questions Answered in Global Gear Oil Market Report:-Our Report offers:- What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global Gear Oil Market in 2024? What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global Gear Oil Market? What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global Gear Oil Market? Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global Gear Oil Market? Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global Gear Oil Market? Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market Share What are the Global Gear Oil Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?Major market drivers: Global Gear Oil Market Rising demand from power industry Improved quality of gear oils Growingautomotive industryMarket Restraint: Strict environmental regulations restricting the use of gear oilsRigid environmental regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structuresFor more insightful information visit @Customize report of " Global Gear Oil Market" as per customers requirement also available.Market Segmentations:Global Gear Oil Market is segmented on the basis of Type Application Geography.Market Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Type, global gear oil market is segmented into mineral oil, synthetic oil, semi-synthetic oil and bio-based oil. Synthetic oilis sub segmented into poly-alpha-olefin(PAO),polyalkylene glycol (PAG) and Group III (hydrocracking).On the basis Application global gear oil market is segmented into general industrial and transportation. General industrial is sub segmented into manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture, oil & gas and others, whereas transportation is sub segmented into automotive, marine, railway, and aviation. Transportation segment accounts for the highest consumption due to increasing usage gear oils in the automotive industry.On the basis of geography North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaGlobal Gear Oil Market Company Share Analysis:The Global Gear Oil Market Report is consolidated due to the presence of limited number of players concentrated in few countries. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.Speak to Author of the Report @Other ReportGlobal Fitness Equipment Market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Fitness Equipment Market, By Type (Cardiovascular Training Equipment (Treadmills, Elliptical Trainers, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Stair Steppers, Others), Strength Training Equipment (Single Stations, Plate Loaded Equipment, Free Weights, Benches and Racks, Multistations, Accessories), Body Composition Analyzers (Bioimpedance Analyzer, Skinfold Caliper, Dual Emission X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dexa), Hydrostatic Weighing, Air Displacement Plethysmography), Fitness Monitoring Equipment), By End-User (Health Clubs, Gyms, Home Settings, Corporate Settings, Apartments, Hotels, Hospitals, Clinics), By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa, Rest of the World) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024.Report Access:About Data Bridge Market ResearchData Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com During our American Civil War, 1861-1865, the lines between home and battlefield were sometimes blurred. Paul E. Teed, historian and professor of history at Saginaw Valley State University, discussed the eventful lives of Joseph and Harriet Hawley in a presentation to the members of the Daughters of the Union at the United Church of Christ in Midland. Teed's in depth research will be published in a book titled "A Civil War Marriage: Joseph and Harriet Hawley's Civil War." The Hawleys were both staunch abolitionists residing in Connecticut. They were married in 1855 and settled in Hartford where Joseph was a politician and the editor of The Hartford Evening Press. When the war broke out in April 1861, Joseph was the first Connecticut citizen to enlist. From 1861-1865, Joseph and his men saw action in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida and finally, in 1865, ended up in Virginia. For a couple of months now, the assumption has been that Annette Glenn would enter the race for the 98th State House District. That has now happened as the 54-year-old announced she will be a Republican candidate. Glenn, whose campaign theme will be "Energy and Optimism for Michigan's Future," said she hopes to be judged first by her qualifications, knowledge, and decades of experience in business, community activities, and government affairs, but believes this year, women will have a strong presence in the race for the 98th seat. "While it would be an honor to be the first woman to represent the city of Midland in the state House of Representatives, I will not ask any voter to support my candidacy based solely on the fact that I'm a woman," Glenn said in a prepared statement. "No one can dispute, however, that women are vastly underrepresented numerically in the Legislature, and particularly at a time of intense focus on school safety, sexual abuse, and the need for greater civility in politics, I can offer a competent, professional woman's perspective that I believe will be a valuable contribution to the legislative process in Lansing." The 98th district seat represents the city of Midland, six townships in Midland County, and seven townships in Bay County. If Glenn wins the primary and the general election in November, she would succeed her husband, state Rep. Gary Glenn, who serves as chairman of the House Energy Policy Committee and is vacating the seat to run for the state senate. "Politically, since it appears the Democratic candidate for this seat will be a co-founder of the extremely liberal new women's group in Midland, Im the Republican candidate who can most effectively neutralize any advantage she might otherwise have among female voters," Glenn said. Glenn said, if elected she will focus on bringing higher-paying new jobs to the Great Lakes Bay region, an issue she believes will be largely driven by the state's energy and tax policies. "Energy is the single biggest cost of doing business for DowDuPont in Midland, for agricultural processing activities in Bay County, and for the biggest single consumer of electricity in Michigan a few miles south of us, Hemlock Semiconductor," Glenn said. Glenn said she will benefit from the firsthand exposure to the legislative process she experienced during her husbands chemotherapy treatments in 2016 for cancer, now in remission, when she drove Gary to Lansing each week for five months, attended committee meetings and sat with him during legislative sessions on the House floor. Education is also a high priority for the mother of five children who said she is pro-life and pro-child. She believes that ensuring quality educational and other opportunities for all children is not only a moral and social obligation but a key element in economic development. Glenn said she will also be committed to ensuring Michigan veterans receive the gratitude and benefits they earned in service to our country. A native of Idaho, Glenn earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from Boise State University, where she served as chair of the BSU College Republicans. For more information: AnnetteGlenn.com Jonas Halverson-Morey, of Midland, will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete in the international DECA competition with Delta College. Halverson-Morey, studying marketing management, and Nicole Horn, of Bay City and studying general business management, placed third in marketing communication in a competition in Grand Rapids. Mid-Michigan Children's Museum, 315 W Genesee Ave, Saginaw, will host its sixth annual Indoor Tooth-Friendly Egg Hunt from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24. With support from numerous dentists and orthodontists, children will enjoy a fun, healthy egg hunt along with a day of engaging gallery-play. Proceeds from the event enhance the Mid-Michigan Children's Museum galleries and help create museum access for all Great Lakes Bay Region children. General admission or membership to the Mid-Michigan Children's Museum provides entry into the Egg Hunt. Children will scour gallery exhibits in search of hundreds of plastic eggs. In exchange for their find, they'll receive a tooth-friendly gift bag including all the essentials for healthy smiles as well as some fun. The Mid-Michigan Children's Museum is the only hands-on museum in our Great Lakes Bay Region designed solely for children ages newborn through 10 years old. Each gallery was designed by children's museum specialists and educators to ensure that children are educationally engaged as they play. To learn more about the event, call 989-399-6626. The government of Mauritius has decided to launch impeachment procedures to dismiss Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first female President of the tiny Indian Ocean Island. The move follows a report published last week by influential LExpress, which reported that President Gurib-Fakim has spent several hundred thousand rupees on personal purchases, using a Platinum credit card offered by a non-governmental organization, Planet Earth Institute (PEI). PEI is owned by Alvaro Sobrinho, a controversial Angolan businessman, who initially worked with the president to offer scholarships to Mauritian students. A Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth Thursday (March 8) reportedly agreed that the first female president of Mauritius will have to leave her position after the expenses scandal. The National Assembly is likely to be called next week, after the islands 50-year Independence Day celebrations. A motion under section 30(1) of the Constitution, will be on the agenda. The case against President Ameenah Ghurib-Fakim is that, when she was a Director of Charity PEI, she was given two Barclays Bank Credit Cards with a limit of Rs1m each. The purpose of the account was to promote a PhD Program. The daily newspaper LExpress said it was in possession of several copies of the Presidents Barclay card statements and published two of them dated 10 Oct 2016 and 10 Nov 2016 respectively, both addressed to Mrs. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib Fakim. The report details some of the purchases of personal items allegedly made by Mrs. Gurib-Fakim, purchases which they say have nothing to do with promoting the HE Ameenah Ghurib-Fakim, PEI Bill and Gates Foundation PhD Program . The president initially questioned the authenticity of the media reports, but later claimed to have reimbursed all the money spent with the credit card. In a move that took even his own State Department by surprise, Donald Trump declared that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Secretary Tillerson, just a few hours ago: "In terms of direct talks with the United States and you asked negotiations, and were a long ways from negotiations." Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) March 9, 2018 The fact that the American entity responsible for conducting diplomacy was not clued in to this diplomatic deal is a gigantic red flag, and it sure looks like Trump just wants a propaganda win, which is exactly what Kim Jong Un gets out of this. This isn't all bad though. The South Koreans sure look like they maneuvered their way out of Trump's moronic trade war by facilitating these talks. The South Korean national security official who brought Kim Jong Un's invitation to meet Trump also asked for an exemption for South Korea on the new steel tariff, a South Korean spokesman says. Defense Secretary Mattis said they "will proactively consider" the request. Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 9, 2018 Tom Nichols, a professor at the Naval War College who worked on the nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union, laid out what can be expected from these talks. Here's what will happen: huge photo op propaganda bonanza for NK post summit, NK renegs on everything, keeps nukes NK blames US wasted time buys progress to ICBMs US looks like saps, allies facepalm - nuclear NK, Kim looks like a global badass, US looks like chumps Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 9, 2018 It really cannot be understated how big of a diplomatic win this is for North Korea. In 1988, they released a propaganda film titled The Country I Saw, and in 2012, the government debuted parts 2 through 5, effectively communicating what they wanted out of a relationship with the United States. Jeffrey Lewis is the Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and he wrote about The Country I Saw just after it came out in 2012: The movieactually four full-length sequels to a 1988 propaganda piece called The Country I Sawis the fictional story of how one unassuming Japanese professor of international relations learns to stop worrying and love North Koreas bomb. The climax of the movie is where Donald Trump comes in, as he literally just pledged to reenact the scene that North Korea depicted as a major, major victory for them. Per Lewis: One of the enduring questions has been what the DPRK really seeks from the United States. Most experienced voices believe that the leadership of the DPRK is seeking recognition for its regime, ultimately in the form of normalized relations. High-level contacts, such as summits and special envoys, are important evidence for North Korea that the world accepts the regime. The Country I Saw does much to reinforce the general view of a DPRK leadership that has set securing the legitimacy and stability of its regime as the over-riding foreign policy goal. That a visit by Bill Clinton instead of Bill Richardson is the big reveal at the end of the movie says a lot about how North Korea sees its nuclear diplomacy. Trump is basing his achievement on the incredibly dubious prospect that North Korea will give up its nuclear program. Even though Lewis highlights some hope for a normal(ish) relationship, its difficult to see how it happens under Donald Trumps denuclearized terms. The movie is rather less encouraging on the subject of whether North Korea will negotiate away its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Particularly notable is the observation that ideological conflict no longer dominates international politics. North Koreas place in the world, at least in The Country I Saw, is entirely a function of missile and nuclear capabilities. The United States may be able to achieve temporary reduction in tensions and even freeze certain programs, but it seems equally clear that the DPRK has concluded that its survival as a functioning state in the international system is entirely a product of its military capabilities. Soft power is not concept that gets much attention in The Country I Saw. Not to mention, the achievement made by Trump is only an agreement to talk. There is nothing scheduled, as Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. Just like how he was going to repeal Obamacare on day one? Or the DACA bill that he was going to sign? Or the interview with Robert Mueller he wants to have? The president is an expert in saying things and not following up on them, and given that the State Department seemingly had no idea this major announcement was about to happen, it seems like a good bet that Trump and Kim Jong Un will never meet face to face. Ultimately, that would likely be the best option to happen in this ordeal, because as Trump joked at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner: As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine. Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling. We pick on Chris Cillizza quite a lot in these pages, and even though we will one day die and be forgotten, were proud of that fact. The former WaPo pundit and current CNN talking head is both a symptom and perhaps a secondary cause of everything thats wrong with the mainstream medias focus on OPTICS! over substance. He operates from the premise that the messaging, and the reaction to that messaging, should be paramount in political coverage, rather than the effects of the policies themselves. Cillizza is not alone, but hes excessively visible, and is often producing egregious garbage seemingly designed to troll people who hate him, like the time he graded the GOP healthcare plan with emojis. As Roger Sollenberger pointed out, this was his actual mission statement at The Fix: My job is to assess not the rightness of each argument but to deal in the real world of campaign politics in which perception often (if not always) trumps reality. I deal in the world as voters believe it is, not as I (or anyone else) thinks it should be. And of course, this Fake Fairness doctrine does nothing so much as serve politicians who are least committed to the truth. Only someone with a brain like Cillizzas could compliment Trump when he honored Caryn Owenswife of the Navy SEAL who died in a botched raid in Yemen that Trump ordered, and later blamed on his generalsbecause of how it looked, rather than how it was. In short, hes terrible. And today on Twitter, courtesy of Brendan James, I ran into a video that seems to get to the heart of exactly why Cillizza is so badand the explanation comes from Cillizza himself. The short conversation happened in late 2012 during the Obama-Romney race, and even though the interviewer seems to be a bizarre crypto-libertarian who hates taxes, the way Cillizza dodges anything even remotely substantive gets to the heart of his hyper-relativist worldview: My favorite part is when Cillizza wont even answer the question of whether taxes are a thing. His refusal to discuss something that goes beyond the realm of optics is almost fanatical. Q: Chris, does the Constitution exist? A: Maybe you misunderstand what I do. Im not here to debate whether or not the Constitution is a factual object. Im here to discuss how politicians are received when they debate whether it exists as a document or not. And a few of the real quotes are too good not print on their own: Youre outside of my realm; I cover campaign politics. I offer no judgment on the term itself. We may have a little bit of a misunderstanding in terms of what I do. I cover what the two campaigns say, Im not delving deeply into economic policy. I can comment on the issue in the context of the way the two parties have positioned themselves.in terms of a judgment I would offerits not what Im in the business of doing. Im a reporterI dont think about what the government should or shouldnt do. I dont understand what you mean by principles. I cannot imagine a more vapid, useless approach to journalism, but hey, at least Cillizza is hilariously open about it. Now if only we could extinguish this type of spineless punditry forever. West Virginia had enough. Everything which followed grew from that single fact. You can rewrite and reframe the debate in a thousand different ways, but thats what it finally comes down to: the teachers fought back, and the teachers won. Strikes get the goods. Their victory is wonderful news, and welcome tidings in a cold season. Already, the Right is trying to shift the debate: the teachers winning means we have to take money away from Medicare. Its bullshit, and they know it. Theyre using the same old playbook: divide and conquer. They are preaching the same moth-eaten sermon: Theres a limited amount of money for the plebs to share. It wont work anymore. The lie is falling apart, like the pieces of a dying octopus. Capital can only grind so hard and so far before it hits a spine. Theres a limit to how far you can push people before they become militant. That moment was reached in coal country last week. The importance of West Virginia represents more than union power, as remarkable and special as that is. It also illustrates the failures of the Corporate Democratic establishment, and heralds the possibility of a new, hopeful Democratic Party, one which will represent working people. Of course it happened in West Virginia. The state was reliably blue until very recently. When the big-money crowd turned the Dems into the party of well-heeled professionals, all of the old Democratic constituencies fell by the wayside. No wonder the state voted for the Republicans. What choice did they have? But with a popular movement, the tide will turn. West Virginia shows how a non-Hamptons-based Democratic movement could be built. The fact that newspapers were so surprised by the strike demonstrates a shallow understanding of history. The American story is a long saga of labor battles, bloody and violent. There is a reason this chronology is not taught in schools: such notions are dangerous. And the people in charge figured it didnt matter. After all, in the Nineties, victorious neoliberalism told us all that the age of ideas was dead. The End of History had arrived. There was simply nothing to fight about. If there was exploitation, it was simply the market working out the kinks. Austerity was a law of nature. Everything would be better in a few years. When I was growing up, there was one answer to any social problem. That answer has been replaced by questions: What happens when the old world wakes up? What happens when people rediscover the old ideas? What happens when people discover the consensus no longer holds? The farce is over. In plain truth, West Virginia is an act of remembering. In Greek drama, there is a term called anagnorisis, or recognition. Its basically a fancy old term for what M. Night Shyamalan does in every movie. Anagnorisis is the name for the moment when tragic hero Oedipus realizes the stranger he killed on a dusty road was his own father. Wikipedia says anagnorisis originally meant recognition in its Greek context, not only of a person but also of what that person stood for. West Virginia is the anagnorisis of the Democratic Party. A rediscovery. The Pelosi wing of the Democrats forgot who built the party. They are remembering now. Chesterton once suggested the English commonwealth did not rest on the kindness of the rich to the poor. It rests on the perennial and unfailing kindness of the poor to the rich. And so it is in modern America. Civilization depends on the tolerance of working people for their incompetent overclass. Seen in this light, austerity is a fragile, silly thing. It is brittle like a silence, which vanishes when a single person happens to sneeze. Physical might, physical power, is always on the side of the ruled. It is simply impossible, even with a great military, to rule millions of people, unless you have their cooperation. And that cooperation is coming to an end. If the teachers can strike, anyone can strike. The teachers of West Virginia do not exist by the grace of the state; the state exists by the grace of the teachers. The success of the West Virginia strike leads us to a second question: When do mass movements turn a corner? Why do some ideas seem silent as the grave, only to jump to life a moment later? Three years ago, would this strike have seemed possible? A look at the last year is helpful. There have been a large number of horrific school slaughters over the last decade; no change followed. But Parkland opened a door. There have been stories of abusive, powerful men in Hollywood since its founding. Then, last year, the dam broke, and #metoo was born. The working class of this country have been on the ropes since the Carter Administration. The depredations of Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Obama were endured. And then, the teachers of West Virginia fired a starting pistol, and the unions seem to have woken up. Malcolm Gladwell has theories about such moments: tipping points, he called them. But the answer may be more modest. Human beings are much better at detecting sudden, sharp changes than they are at understanding their present condition. Our bodies can tell, easily, when the temperature of a room has shifted. Ask us to guess the temperature and we are less likely to know. In our social and political lives, we can bear slow changes of fortune but sudden, sharp swings stir us to action. That is why progressivism has mobilized now, in the age of Trump. During the Obama years, we told ourselves comforting stories about change. Trump illustrated those fables were not true. We can see just how widespread this anagnorisis is by looking at two unlikely success stories. In the last two years, a pair of odd figures have risen to power. In Britain, the socialist Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the (previously) neoliberal Labour Party. In America, the corporate Democrats found themselves challenged and nearly defeated by the strange, hectoring Prophet Sanderswho is now, incidentally, the most popular politician in the country. When you read their biographies, their rapid ascents become even more amazing. In their careers, both men were the archetype of the decent, long-enduring political outsider. Both men were incorruptible characters on the fringes of the political establishment. There was no Napoleon in them. Both candidates seemed destined for footnote status in American and British history. Reading accounts of their successes makes their victories seem even stranger. In The Candidate: Jeremy Corbyns Improbable Path to Power, by Alex Nunns, and Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics, by Richard Seymour, both authors drive home the fact that Corbyn was lifted up by the strange confluence of forces outside the party. The same thing happened with Sanders. In Shattered: Inside Hillary Clintons Doomed Campaign, by Allen and Parnes, the Sanders campaign (and its one van) is treated like news of Jurassic Park: how did they bring back the dead? The point both books make is that neither Corbyn nor Sanders are genius strategists or Nixonian climbers. They did not Machiavelli their way into power. They were simply ideologues with integrity at the exact moment that the people of America and Britain got fed up with the Nineties settlement. The descent from Obama to Trump was the moment the temperature shifted. We see the results. In 21st-century America, we have a curious idea of how progress happens. You could see the gulf between the illusion of change and the reality of change this past week. If you listened to the talking heads, the Oscars were a revolution in the making. But the lasting advances always come from the ground up. On Tuesday, the real source of progress in America could be found far to the east. The wellspring of the future was in Charleston, not Hollywood, when the teachers forced Governor Jim Justice to sign that five-percent pay raise. In a state that is a stranger to blue waters, a tide is building, and its one that can sweep away the walls of oppression. This is a teachable moment for us all. Here beginneth the lesson. Boyne volleyball drops to Sault in three, Rambler soccer edged by Elks And then you'll find yourself riding this iconic path that takes you to the next stage. Magical Faial da Terra. Training Days: Finding The Grip On our way to stage one, we came across a very old tradition called 'Romeiros'. They basically go around the island on foot for five days, as a religious belief to 'avoid' earthquakes. Local shredder, Joao Machado, droppin' in stage one. For him, Azores is not that slippery... Pedro Figueiredo, from Portugal mainland, having a first taste of Azores. Andre Cachado came from the United Kingdom for the sunny weather but didn't find it on SS2. First enduro race for Colombian, Javier Reyes. Quick lift to the top was much appreciated by all riders. Four days in the Azores will beat the hell out of you! Typical traffic jam in Azores. There are no special tricks for riding in the Azores with these conditions but I usually try not to brake too much. Things usually get a bit too wild and I confess that I'm a bit nuts. Joao Machado, 1st place overall Local boys, Joao Machado and Roberto Camara, decided to train together. That would mean first and second place overall by the end of the weekend. Last couple meters of pain and joy in SS8 for Jose Afonseca that teamed up with Pedro Figueiredo. Race Day One: Forget Your Line Choice Good luck bro, let's survive this! Morning blue skies got everyone smiling, although everyone knew it wouldn't last much longer. Nuno Fernandes from Madeira, starting his blind race in Azores with a rental bike. Gambling with the odds! Come in to the dark side. Stage one was sketchy and short, with a lot of slippery roots. Stephen Collins leading the pack for the win on the DUO category. What I take back home from Azores is the good cheap beer, friendly people and super relaxed event! Manuel Klauer (GER), 7th place Men Local Luis Melo leading the pack on their way to SS2. Until the sky decided that Azores needed a bit more rain and all hell broke loose! Luis Melo won the M40 category with a total time of 51:18 Ivan Roxo had a big crash on SS2 and I had to jump in to rescue him under pouring rain and muddy conditions. We ended up laughing about it! This first switchback is weird and sketchy. Third place elite, Roberto Chaves, went through without problems. Foot out flat out from local boy, Joao Machado. Race Day Two: Enjoying It From Start To Finish Although this is the main road, there are almost no cars to be seen. Just bikes and more bikes! Left to right and right to left, getting the tires on top of slick rock top to bottom. SS6 was a mix of well-compact downhill track and bits of new sections that got worn out from the heavy rains. No time to check the views! Riders went from tight jungly tobogans to open fields with views over the ocean. SS7: Escadinha is one of the most iconic stages of Faial da Terra. Brand new sections were added for this edition! The feeling of elation of just getting to the finish line with bike and body in one piece and being able to cheer the guys I rode for the whole weekend! The best thing about racing in Azores was the challenge of riding a new set of trails in a completely new place with new people. Guy Bunting (GBR), 6th place MEN From the jungle to the bottom of the valley, SS8 is a beast for your body. 1400 meters doesn't sound too big but it's certainly a challenge for everyone. All riders stayed at the bottom of SS8 to welcome who was left on the hill. Beer added to the equation got things a bit wild. This is what we end up with. A wild weekend of racing, too many beers to count, good times, new friendships and another ride to remember. Joao Machado ended up winning the overall with a total time of 42:19m Congratulations mate! Results Men M40 DUO Photos and Words: Special thanks to Arriving in Sao Miguel, the biggest island of Azores archipelago, is always magical. The green plain fields in contrast with the blue and unforgiving Atlantic Ocean makes it one of most beautiful islands I have ever visited. Located 1360 km west of continental Portugal and 1925 km southeast of Newfoundland, Canada, the Azores are an undiscovered paradise that has been slowly making its mark as a biking destination - there's no rush in making it too big and that's a good way to make it unique. With a total of nine islands, our flight lands in Ponta Delgada, the capital and most populated city of the entire archipelago.I'm back for the third edition of Faial da Terra Enduro Fest, a two-day race that takes place on the southeastern side of Sao Miguel, all powered by Bike Safari Tour. There are a total of 15 trails over 21km total distance, where there's a constant battle for grip, beautiful landscapes and a trip to remember. You need to add this event to your bucket list and add the Azores to your travel wishes!Grip is something you wish for each time you start rolling down a stage. I's usually nowhere to be found in this place which is something that gets you on the edge on every trail. The event is divided into two training days, that basically covers the entire route with just one shuttle in each day.Outside assistance is not permitted during training, meaning that you'll have to push yourself for four entire days of bike action. The first time you get your tires on the ground will be on a winding tarmac road basically the only one that takes you to the start of almost every stage. You'll feel confident and strong on the first ascent of the day to the top of stage one, believe me. Once you enter the first special stage and hit the first corner, your perception of riding and racing mountain bikers changes completely. These trails test you.These special stages are a challenge and surviving them will become your main goal for the entire weekend. Racing becomes secondary as you are sharing these singletracks with some people that have the same passion as you and they're all struggling to get to the bottom in one piece. You have to lean and trust your tires at all times, hopefully finding the minimum amount of grip to clear another section with a smile on your face.The first day of racing started off with beautiful blue skies which made everyone more excited for the following 38 kilometers of racing. Once we arrived at the top of SS2, things got tricky, with the sun being replaced by heavy showers and one hell of a ride to the bottom! After that, everything calmed down once again but the damage was done to bodies and bikes. Needless to say that line choices from training days were quickly forgotten and replaced by a word pumping on your head: survival.I saw so many scared faces over the weekend, some of them too worried about their performance other than having fun. Mud flying, bikes taking a real beating and bodies worn out for the last three days of riding. On the last race day, things changed completely, it was all about having fun sliding around as much as possible, trying to get to the end and have a beer all together. The total route had another four super fun stages with a total of 30km and about 1500 meters climbing.1) Joao Machado - 42:29m2) Roberto Camara - 43:26m3) Roberto Chaves - 48:12m1) Luis Melo - 51:18m2) Eleuterio Gomes - 1:06:31m1) Phil Fallows / Stephen Collins - 57:43m2) Jose Afonseca / Pedro Figueiredo - 1:20:30m "The changes we made were significant to him," Galvano said of the amendment that removed most classroom teachers from the proposal to arm school personnel, called the "guardian" program. Keep reading this story here. By Dave Sherwood and Felipe Iturrieta SANTIAGO (Reuters) Eleven countries including Japan and Canada signed a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement without the United States on Thursday in what one minister called a powerful signal against protectionism and trade wars. The deal came as U.S. President Donald Trump vowed earlier in the day to press ahead with a plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a move that other nations and the International Monetary Fund said could start a global trade war. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will reduce tariffs in countries that together amount to more than 13 percent of the global economy a total of $10 trillion in gross domestic product. With the United States, it would have represented 40 percent. Today, we can proudly conclude this process, sending a strong message to the international community that open markets, economic integration and international cooperation are the best tools for creating economic opportunities and prosperity, said Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. Heraldo Munoz, Chiles minister of foreign affairs, said he expected Chiles trade with China, its top trading partner, to continue growing alongside trade with CPTPP countries. Even without the United States, the deal will span a market of nearly 500 million people, making it one of the worlds largest trade agreements, according to Chilean and Canadian trade statistics. The original 12-member agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was thrown into limbo early last year when Trump withdrew from the deal three days after his inauguration. He said the move was aimed at protecting U.S. jobs. The 11 remaining nations finalized a revised trade pact in January. That agreement will become effective when at least six member nations have completed domestic procedures to ratify it, possibly before the end of the year. We are very hopeful like others that we will see the CP TPP coming into effect about the end of the year or shortly thereafter, said Australia Trade Minister Steven Ciobo. THE WAY FORWARD The revised agreement eliminates some requirements of the original TPP demanded by U.S. negotiators, including rules to ramp up intellectual property protection of pharmaceuticals. Governments and activists of other member nations worry the changes will raise the costs of medicine. The final version of the agreement was released in New Zealand on Feb. 21. The member countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Were proud to show the world that progressive trade is the way forward, that fair, balanced, and principled trade is the way forward, and that putting citizens first is the way forward for the world when it comes to trade, Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Phillippe Champagne said. In January, Trump, who also has threatened to pull the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, told the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that it was possible Washington might return to the TPP pact if it got a better deal. However, New Zealands trade minister said that was unlikely in the near term, while Japan has said altering the agreement now would be very difficult. On Thursday, Munoz said CPTPP was not an agreement against anyone and several governments had said they want to join it. Trump vowed on Thursday to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports, although he said there would be exemptions for NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada. He announced the plan for tariffs last week, rattling financial markets. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, in Santiago for the CPTPP signing, told Reuters he would not allow the United States to use the tariffs to pressure it in the NAFTA talks. Champagne told Reuters that Canada would not accept duties or quotas from the United States. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Writing by Dave Sherwood and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Bill Trott and Paul Simao) By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) A federal judge is expected to hear arguments on Thursday about whether President Donald Trump violated Twitter users free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution by blocking them from his account. The arguments before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan are part of a lawsuit brought last July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and several individual Twitter users. Trump and the plaintiffs are seeking summary judgment, asking Buchwald to decide the case in their favor without a trial. Twitter lets users post short snippets of text, called tweets. Other users may respond to those tweets. When one user blocks another, the blocked user cannot respond to the blockers tweets. The plaintiffs have accused Trump of blocking a number of accounts whose owners criticized, mocked or disagreed with him in replies to his tweets. They argued that Trumps Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, is a public forum, and that denying them access based on their views violates the First Amendment. Trump in court papers countered that his use of Twitter is personal, not a state action. Even if it were a state action, he said, his use of Twitter was a form of government speech, not a public forum. Trumps Twitter use draws intense interest for his unvarnished commentary, including attacks on critics. His tweets often shape news and are retweeted tens of thousands of times. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Susan Thomas) 454 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard For the second time former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has sent a message loud and clear that he is not cooperating as a witness in Special Counsel Muellers Russia investigation. According to Bloomberg: Manafort entered a not guilty plea Thursday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where he faces 18 counts including bank fraud and tax fraud. Last week, he denied wrongdoing in a related case in Washington accusing him of money laundering. The judge tentatively scheduled the trial for July 10. The Washington case is set for trial on Sept. 17. His former deputy, Rick Gates, is cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty to conspiracy. There had been speculation that with Gates now cooperating, Manafort might also cut a deal to reduce his potential prison time. But todays plea of not guilty makes clear that he will take his chances in court rather than turn states witness. (The wilder speculation is that Manafort was working for years with Russian and Ukrainian mobsters who would not take kindly to Manafort testifying against them, and may threaten his life.) With respect to the Washington charges, Manafort faces a probable sentence of more than 15 years to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty at trial. These charges involve filing false statements and money laundering. On the other hand, he faces a maximum of 305 years in prison if found guilty on all charges in the Virginia case. In that case he faces 18 criminal charges which carry a much heavier potential prison sentence. The charges against him include bank fraud and lying on income tax returns and lying regarding his foreign bank accounts. If Special Counsel Mueller thought he was going to have an easy time of it with Manafort by getting him to plead guilty, then he has to think again. With the pleas of not guilty Mueller is looking at the prospect of long and drawn out criminal trials dealing with complex issues and international intrigue. With one trial starting in July and another in September there will be a large amount of publicity which just happens to coincide with the 2018 midterm elections. This cant be a good thing for Republicans who have been trying to make Mueller and his investigations disappear. Instead we may be looking a three-ring legal circus just in time for the fall campaigns. 261 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional criminal charges ranging from bank fraud to filing false tax returns. U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought them as part of a wide-ranging probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, possible obstruction of justice, and alleged financial crimes by Manafort and others. Trump has denied that his campaign colluded with Russia. (Reporting by Katanga Johnson and Mark Hosenball; Additional reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Chris Reese) 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders is in trouble with Donald Trump and now is hiding out from reporters. On Wednesday Sanders accidentally told the truth about Trumps affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and Trump was furious. Meanwhile a defiant Daniels (whose real name is Stephanie Clifford) posted a racy photo of herself on Instagram. According to People Magazine The former porn star who on Tuesday filed a civil suit against the president over a nondisclosure agreement she signed to keep quiet about their alleged 2006 affair took to her Instagram on Thursday to share a #tbt selfie showing her posing provocatively on a blanket. She captioned the snapshot: Good mornin, haters!#tbt #texasgirl. It appears that Ms. Clifford, aka Daniels, will not be going away quietly. Meanwhile, the website Raw Story reported that Press Secretary Sanders was avoiding public appearances on Thursday as rumors swirled that President Trump is furious about he statements during Wednesdays press briefing. According to Raw Story White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders on Thursday declined to schedule an on-camera briefing a day after she reportedly angered her boss by admitting he was party to the hush agreement with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. They go on to say that the White House live events page states that there are no live events scheduled on Thursday. President Trump is well known for losing his temper at his staff people who do not communicate with the press in a way that is most favorable to him. Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer was continually being criticized by Trump until he was forced out of his job. Even his most favored employee, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, was the object of his wrath after she admitted to Congressional investigators that she had told lies for the president. Trump blew his top at Hicks and she decided to resign rather than continue to take his verbal abuse. Given this pattern of treatment of his communications staff it is possible that Sarah Huckabee Sanders may be the next person in line to leave her White House job. (49 staff people have already left before her.) Heres a suggestion for the president: If he is so furious over Sarah Sanders handling of the Stormy Daniels questions from the press, why doesnt he just go answer the reporters questions himself? This is what a normal president would do, but Trump has proven himself to be far from normal. Mr. President, stop sending a woman out there to face the press in your place! Be a man, and quit telling Sarah Sanders she has to lie about you cheating on your wife with a porn star in order to keep her job! 1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Even as Donald Trump accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his own State Department was apparently completely in the dark about the decision. According to AP reporter Josh Lederman, its not clear whether Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was involved in or aware of any of this before it went public just hours ago. In fact, Tillerson was likely sleeping when Trump decided to make what is arguably the most important foreign policy decision of his presidency so far to meet with the leader of North Korea. More reporting from Lederman: Secretary Tillerson, just a few hours ago: In terms of direct talks with the United States and you asked negotiations, and were a long ways from negotiations. Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) March 9, 2018 As Trump-Kim Jong Un meeting announced at White House, Tillerson is here in Addis Ababa, where it is 3:45am. No word yet from @StateDept about whether he was involved in or aware of any of this Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) March 9, 2018 State Department spokeswoman from the podium today: We are not going to schedule talks about talks or any kind of chat or anything like that at this point. Josh Lederman (@joshledermanAP) March 9, 2018 Not even White House staff knew what was going on The reason it may seem like the North Korea announcement was hastily thrown together by the White House is because it was. It looked as though the president wanted to make the news public in a hurry to distract from other stories dominating the airwaves, from the Stormy Daniels controversy to the ongoing and increasingly explosive Russia investigation. But in rushing to do this, it caught just about everybody off guard not just the State Department, which is troubling enough, but also Trumps White House staff. WH officials said tonight this was POTUS decision. Even WH staff in the dark until it was made. https://t.co/yBP86sr9cO Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 9, 2018 On an issue as consequential and high-stakes as a meeting with North Korea, its important for the administration to be on the same page and speaking in one voice. Sadly, thats not even close to what were seeing from this White House. 182 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) A federal judge on Thursday expressed skepticism about whether U.S. President Donald Trump can constitutionally block Twitter users whose views he does not like from following and retweeting from his own Twitter account. At a hearing in Manhattan federal court, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald asked Trumps lawyer Michael Baer whether letting Trump bar users from @realDonaldTrump would violate their First Amendment free speech rights. She asked whether Twitter was different from a public town hall, where government officials would be unable to pull the plug from a microphone to mute speakers with unwelcome views. Once it is a public forum, you cant shut somebody up because you dont like what theyre saying, Buchwald said. Baer said the appropriate analogy was not a town hall, but rather Trump choosing to walk away from someone at a public event. The president has an associational interest in deciding who hes going to spend his time with in that setting, he said. Buchwald scheduled the hearing to consider Trumps request to dismiss a lawsuit filed in July over his use of Twitter by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and several Twitter users. They said Trumps account is a public forum, and that the president cannot block Twitter users simply because they criticize, mock or disagree with him in replies to his tweets. Trumps Twitter use draws intense interest for his unvarnished commentary, including attacks on critics. His tweets often shape news and are retweeted tens of thousands of times. Baer, who works for the U.S. Department of Justice, has also argued that Trumps use of Twitter was personal, and did not qualify as a state action. In contrast, Katherine Fallow, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Buchwald the record shows unambiguously that the president operates his account in an official capacity. She said Trump often uses Twitter to announce policies or policy proposals, such as banning the military from accepting transgender recruits. Twitter lets users post snippets of text, called tweets, to which other users may respond. When one user blocks another, the blocked user cannot respond to the blockers tweets. It is not clear when Buchwald will rule. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Susan Thomas and Tom Brown) 678 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard WASHINGTON (Reuters) The top U.S. general in Europe said on Thursday that the U.S. government did not have an effective unified approach to deal with Russias cyber threat. U.S. officials have warned repeatedly that Russia is trying to interfere in the 2018 mid-term U.S. elections by hacking or using social media to spread propaganda and misleading reports, much as it did during the 2016 presidential race. Lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have accused the Trump administration of doing too little to combat hacking. Some lawmakers have stressed the need for a whole of government approach. I dont believe there is an effective unification across the interagency, with the energy and the focus that we could attain, U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, who is also NATOs Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Scaparrotti had been asked by Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the committee, whether he believed the different parts of the government had a coordinated effort to confront Russias cyber threat. Scaparrotti told lawmakers that the United States understanding of Russian cyber infrastructure was not satisfactory. Were getting a better understanding of it, (but) I would not characterize it as a good picture at this point, not satisfactory to me, he said. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump, the Republican candidate. The finding has shadowed his 14 months in the White House amid multiple congressional investigations and a probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Moscow denies meddling. Trump has denied collusion between his associates and Russia. When asked whether Russia was directly targeting the United States with cyber and information warfare, Scaparrotti said he had seen Russian activity related to infrastructure within the United States, but did not provide more details. The top U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday that President Donald Trumps administration is actively engaged in countering Russian efforts to influence the November elections, even as he warned of Moscows continuing malign activities. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell) 639 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Nick Carey FARRELL, Penn. (Reuters) Mick Lang has been a steelworker for nearly 40 years and voted for businessman Donald Trump in the hopes he would bring about a renaissance for the long-suffering U.S. steel industry now he worries President Trumps tariffs on imports of the metal will cost him his job. This is not what I voted for. I voted for Trump because I thought hed straighten things out, not do something like this, said Lang, 59, a third-generation steelworker, whose son also works at the same steel mill in Farrell in western Pennsylvanias Mercer County. The county voted for then-Republican candidate Trump by more than 24 points in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Some Republican strategists said Trumps tariffs appeared partly to be timed to sway voters in Pennsylvania steel country, where a special election is being held for a U.S. House of Representatives seat next Tuesday. Trump is scheduled to visit Moon Township about 60 miles southwest of Farrell on Saturday to support the Republican candidate and he is expected to be warmly received in an area he also won handily in 2016. U.S. steel companies such as U.S. Steel Corp and AK Steel Holding Corp seen as winners thanks to the presidents actions have lauded Trumps tariff on imported steel. U.S. Steel said it would restart one of two idled blast furnaces at an Illinois steel plant, creating up to 500 jobs. America is the worlds largest steel importer, buying about 35 million tons in 2017. GRAPHIC: http://tmsnrt.rs/2oPeo1z But Lang is one of around 780 workers at the Novolipetsk Steel PAO (NLMK) mill, NLMKs U.S. subsidiary which imports around 2 million tons of steel slabs annually from its Russian parent company. The slabs that the mill rolls into sheets for customers including Caterpillar Inc , Deere & Co Harley Davidson Inc and Home Depot Inc , are almost impossible to acquire from U.S. steel producers. Bob Miller, Chief Executive Officer of NLMKs U.S. unit, said if his companys customers refuse to accept a 25 percent price hike as a result of the tariffs, nearly 1,200 workers could eventually lose their jobs and the ones in Farrell would be the first to go when supplies of imported slabs run out. The U.S. steel industry employed about 147,000 people in 2015, according to the Commerce Departments Bureau of Economic analysis. Manufacturers that need steel employ about 6.5 million people each year and the construction industry 6.3 million. GRAPHIC: http://tmsnrt.rs/2Fc94hU IRONY Miller said tariffs will also force NLMK to shelve planned $600 million investments in plants in Pennsylvania and Indiana, around $400 million of which was earmarked for upgrading antiquated equipment at its Farrell plant. Trump has stood by the tariffs, despite resistance from his fellow Republicans and other countries, which have vowed to respond with levies of their own. On Thursday, Trump pressed ahead with the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminum. Some steel executives such as Miller say this is the ultimate irony: by acting ostensibly to protect U.S. steel jobs with sweeping tariffs, Trump will also kill off some steel jobs. The workers here in Farrell are on the front line, Miller said. This policy is picking winners and losers and unfortunately, we are the losers. The tariffs are good for steel producers that melt and produce their own steel. But for those like NLMK, which is reliant on imported raw materials, they could prove catastrophic. The mill is the largest employer in Farrell and accounts for more than one fifth of the towns tax base. Mercer County has a poverty rate that is nearly double the national average. The area was Americas steel heartland, with mills dotting the landscape until the industrys decline began in the 1970s because of an increase in global competition. The mill owned by NLMK has existed since the beginning of the 20th century, but experienced two lengthy shutdowns and mass layoffs in the 1990s. Its blast furnace was sold for scrap and instead of producing steel, its current crop of workers heat 25-ton imported steel slabs to a glowing-orange temperature of 2,400 degrees fahrenheit (1,316 Celsius) before rolling them down in some cases to as thick as a few sheets of paper. Amid blasts of steam, intense heat, dirt and noise, the mills 600 union-represented workers earn up to $27 per hour, a solid middle-class wage. Terry Day, local president for the United Steelworkers union, said the 1990s shutdowns convulsed the community and resulted in a spate of suicides and divorces. This time it will be much worse, said Day, 53, who experienced both shutdowns. Back then there were other jobs to go to, but now theres nothing else here. It would be devastating. Steel customers ranging from automakers General Motors Co which makes its Cruze sedan in Lordstown, Ohio, around 20 miles west of Farrell and Ford Motor Co to soup maker Campbell Soup Co and brewer Molson Coors Brewing Co are expected to lose, as tariffs will allow domestic steel producers to raise prices. But likely job losses within the steel industry run counter to Trumps professed aims of bringing back manufacturing jobs. There is a substantial number of people in the steel industry that could lose their jobs as a result of tariffs, said metal analyst Charles Bradford of Bradford Research. Farrell can ill afford to lose its NLMK steel jobs. The towns population of under 5,000 is less than a third of what it was in 1920. As of June 2017, there were around 11,000 steel jobs in Pennsylvania, 2 percent of the states 546,000 manufacturing jobs. Mercer County had 5.5 percent unemployment in December above the state rate of 4.8 percent and the national rate of 4.1 percent. The Farrell mill was originally owned by a U.S. firm that went bankrupt in 1992 and was subsequently owned by British and Swiss companies before the Russians bought in back in 2006. Since then, NLMK has invested around $1 billion in its U.S. operations, U.S. CEO Miller said. Miller is working to lobby the Trump administration to follow the precedent of former Republican President George W. Bushs administration, which allowed quotas for slab steel in 2002 rather than applying tariffs as it did for products that were domestically produced. Those quotas allowed the Farrell plant to keep operating and Miller hopes the Trump administration will follow suit. The mood in Farrell is grim and fearful. Truckers coming to pick up coils of rolled steel ask when the mill will go out of business and plant manager Bill Benson says workers keep asking him: What on earth is Trump thinking? (Reporting by Nick Carey; additional reporting by Jessica Resnick-Ault; editing by Grant McCool) We often talk about the rock revivals that seem to happen every decade or so, bringing back the sounds of the past (most often, the late 60s), and embrace the infusion of the past with welcoming arms and ears. But it seems that soul revivals dont often get that same type of attention. But with artists like Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark, Jr., St. Paul & The Broken Bones, as well as a renewed appreciation of artists like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Mavis Staples, a 60s soul revival is in the air. Coming towards the forefront of this movement, Nathaniel Rateliff, who formerly performed as a solo Van Morrison-inspired folk artist, switched gears by joining the Night Sweats and helped to bring the legendary Stax Records into this new soul revival with the foot-stomping smash S.O.B. and its follow-up I Need Never Get Old. The musical and vocal homages paid to the likes of Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, and Booker T. & The MGs created a throwback aesthetic, which carried the Night Sweats to a successful debut on their eponymous record. Now releasing their sophomore effort, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have taken their authentic late 60s soul aesthetic and refined it with tight songwriting and instrumental performances, creating a more electrifying album experience than their debut. Although Rateliff & companys brand of 60s soul revival is one of the truest renditions of the genre, it offers no deep social arguments as to its place and purpose in 2018. Whereas contemporaries like the late Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings or Alabama Shakes have done more to draw parallels between the social issues of the 1960s and the ones plaguing the present, Tearing at the Seams stays mostly at the personal and relational level with themes of love, loss, and lifes hardships. But the Night Sweats music is most importantly about moving. Sure there were the political songs of the 60s like A Change is Gonna Come and contemplative tracks like (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay. But much of the essence of 60s soul was also centered around letting loose and having a good time with the music. And this time around, Rateliff & The Night Sweats paid special attention to making the music move all the way through. The horns section especially carries their weight, turning out exhilarating performance after exhilarating performance from the swampy opener Shoe Boot to the ironic seventh track Intro which opens with a Vincent Price-esque laugh before being thrust into a mostly instrumental James Brown funk jam. These performances are a welcome improvement from the Night Sweats debut, which seemed to lose steam halfway through the record and never regained it. Rateliffs folk songwriting past still comes out strong from time to time and fuses excellently with his groups tight playing. Hey Mama shares a conversation between a self-pitying prodigal son-type narrator and his mother who responds with the candid challenge: Better start acting like this heres a race / You aint gone far enough to say at least I tried / You aint worked hard enough to say, well, Ive done mine. The song parallels Biblical imagery both from the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the words of St. Paul: Do you know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. This Biblical connection sheds light on Rateliffs wrestle with his religious past and how his apostasy has affected family ties. Rateliff seemingly responds to the challenge optimistically on the uplifting lead single You Worry Me: Im alright today / You gonna find a way to cross and you gonna get there. On this, the most modern-sounding track of the album, the songwriter expresses that in the present, he is finding a way to act like this heres a race and to leave it all out there. On Tearing at the Seams, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats show off their hard work, their tightening as a band, and their high energy, irresistible performances. And if all those improvements from their debut to the present is any indication of their trajectory, its easy to be optimistic about their future. by @jenstaletovich Florida and its federal environmental partners seem to be having a Kumbaya moment. Over the last month, the South Florida Water Management District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, frequently at odds over protecting endangered species and water management, solved two thorny problems: a land swap the district needed to expand a marsh to clean water and and standoff over the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. On Thursday, the district agreed to renew a 20-year refuge lease after finalizing the land swap, ending the two-year old dispute. "We all know it takes a team effort," said the Service's Atlanta-based deputy regional director, Mike Oetker, who attended the governing board meeting in person this week to offer his thanks. In 2016, the district's combative former director, Pete Antonacci, threatened to cancel the Service's lease for the 65-year-old refuge on 144,000 acres west of Boynton Beach, infuriating environmentalists who collected more than 67,000 signatures for a petition sent to Gov. Rick Scott. Antonacci claimed the Service had violated its lease by failing to control Old World climbing fern, an aggressive invasive plant that escaped a Martin County nursery in 1955 and now grows in two-thirds of the state. But environmentalists suspected the motive was more sinister. Florida has long struggled to meet strict water quality standards for water it discharges onto federal land under a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Booting the refuge off the land and returning it to state control might mean the standard no longer applied. The move caught refuge supporters off guard. Nancy Marshall, whose husband was a fierce defender of the refuge named for his uncle before his death in 2015, said disputes with the state were not uncommon, but usually got resolved. Nathaniel Reed, the assistant Secretary of the Interior under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, complained that a small group of "out of step" men, presumably including Antonacci - Scott's former general counsel and a frequent critic of federal oversight - were pushing the agenda. After Antonacci moved on to Enterprise Florida, new director Ernie Marks helped smooth over the flap, and found a way to resolve both issues. "It's kind of like renewing their vows," said Audubon Florida Everglades Policy Director Celeste De Palma. While the land swap may look like a tit for tat, she said it just made sense to negotiate the two together. The refuge lease hinges on the Service's efforts to control the fern and other invasive plants rather than performance measures included in the former lease. For every year the Service spends above a minimum $1.25 million, the lease gets extended a year. If spending falls short, a year is subtracted, meaning the lease could end after 10 years. And while that may seem like the district is again setting up another stand-off, De Palma said it ensures the federal government holds up its end of the bargain to manage the refuge. "If it ever gets to a point where they cant get $1.25 million, then that [signifies] a bigger issue," she said. "That means the entire pot of money for invasives for all 565 national refuges has gone down significantly." Charleston, SC (29403) Today Showers and thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 74F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. 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. 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. Hannah Alani is a reporter at The Post and Courier covering race, immigration and rural life across the Palmetto State. Before graduating from Indiana University and moving to Charleston in 2017, her byline appeared in The New York Times. @doug_hanks Myriam Marquez, the former El Neuvo Herald editor, will take on the top communications job in Miami-Dade County as the new spokeswoman for Mayor Carlos Gimenez. The veteran editor and columnist takes on the $175,000-a-year county post with the title of senior advisor and communications director for the county. That puts her in charge of all press shops across the bureaucracy. Marquez, who left the Spanish-language paper last summer, also used to be the Miami Herald's Editorial Page editor. Marquez replaces Mike Hernandez, a political consultant hired in 2014 as Gimenez revved up for what was a successful 2016 reelection campaign. Term limits require Gimenez to exit the mayor's office in 2020, placing Marquez in a position to help shape the outgoing mayor's legacy after first taking office after the recall of then-mayor Carlos Alvarez in 2011. In a press release, Marquez said: "I share the Mayor's vision of improving our residents' quality of life in cost-efficient ways that protect their pockets, and I am excited about all the innovations underway." Hernandez left the communications job last month for a position at a consulting firm. Marquez starts April 2. People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, meeting with South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong in Pyongyang, North Korea, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 7, 2018. After years of refusal, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the fate of his atomic arsenal with the United States and has expressed a readiness to suspend nuclear and missile tests during such talks, a senior South Korean official said Tuesday. Korean characters seen on the screen read: "South Korea-U.S. joint military drills." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category. Watchdog/Public Service Editor Glenn Smith is editor of the Watchdog and Public Service team and helped write the newspapers Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, Till Death Do Us Part. Reach him securely on Signal at 843-607-0809 or by email at gsmith5@protonmail.com. 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. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market: Market Intelligence, Product Matrix, Industry Insights, and Forecast 2017-2023 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 11:57:44 Press Information Precision Business Insights Kemp House, 152 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX satya lead marketing +1-866-598-1553 email https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com # 705 Words Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXlead marketing+1-866-598-1553 Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market: By technology (In-Vitro Fertilization, Artificial Insemination, Surrogacy, Others), By Procedure (Fresh Non donor, Fresh Donor, Frozen Non Donor, Frozen Donor, Embryo Banking), End Users (Hospitals, Fertility Clinics, Others), and Geography Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Market Dynamics: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketAssisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is a treatment for infertility, performed to achieve the childbirth. ART procedures include stimulation of ovaries to increase the egg production or artificial insemination or combining the sperms and eggs in the laboratory (in vitro) and embryo is transferred to woman to attain the pregnancy. Increase in the number of infertility cases, government initiations to address the infertility incidences, high disposable income in developed countries, increase in population with obesity and mental stress due to change in lifestyle, and rise in consumption of tobacco and alcohol are anticipated to propel the assisted reproductive technology (ART) market over the forecast years. However, high risk of birth defects, high cost of treatment, dearth of skilled professional in underdeveloped countries, and ethical issues may hamper the growth of assisted reproductive technology (ART) market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketAssisted reproductive technology (ART) market is segmented on the basis of technology, procedure, end-user and regionBased on technology, the market is segmented into the following: In-Vitro Fertilizationo Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosiso Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm injection Artificial Inseminationo Intracervical Inseminationo Intrauterine Inseminationo Others Surrogacy OthersBased on the procedure, the market is segmented into the following: Fresh Non donor Fresh Donor Frozen Non Donor Frozen Donor Embryo BankingBased on the end user, the market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Fertility Clinics OthersBased on the region, the market is segmented into the following: North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and AfricaTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional Analysis: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) MarketGeographically, global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa regions. North America assisted reproductive technology market growth driven by high awareness about assisted reproductive technology among U.S. population, government support for the infertility treatment, rise in prevalence of obesity and stress due to change in lifestyle. Europe assisted reproductive technology market expected to present lucrative growth owing to adoption of newer technologies for infertility treatment, high success rate in assisted reproductive technology, and increase in the prevalence of infertility Spain, Russia, U.K., and Germany. Asia Pacific assisted reproductive technology market expected to account for significant share due to rise in infertility cases, late family planning, and availability of technologically advanced fertility services in the region. Latin America assisted reproductive technology market has a notable share in global market owing to expansion of business by the companies, rise in awareness about infertility treatment, and rise in healthcare expenditure are bolster the market. Middle East and Africa assisted reproductive technology market is poised to grow over forecast period owing to economic growth in the Middle East countries and increase in the infertility due to malnutrition in women are expected to upsurge the revenue of market.Need more information about this report @Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the marketGet access to full summary @ PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 08:30:17 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Belmont Resources Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX Venture:BEA). has issued a press release with the following headline:Belmont Closes $112,000 Private Placement FinancingTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Belmont Resources Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Belmont Resources Inc.Source: Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX Venture: BEA, FWB: L3L1)Date: March 09, 2018Time: 2:30 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Belmont Resources Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) Copper Sulfate Market report categorizes global market by product type, and end use industries - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024 Copper Sulfate Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 06:42:09 Press Information Coherent Market Insights Mr. Shah Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Seattle, WA 98154 Mr. Shah CEO +1-206-701-6702 email https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/copper-sulfate-market-340 # 666 Words Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO+1-206-701-6702 Copper sulfate, denoted by the chemical composition CuSO4, is derived as a result of the chemical reaction when copper is treated with concentrated sulfuric acid. Copper sulfate is also known as cupric sulfate and is available in two forms namely hydrous copper sulfate and anhydrous copper sulfate. Copper sulfate market is witnessing an ever increasing growth in demand owing to its significant application in agricultural industry as an efficient fungicide. Apart from agricultural industry, copper sulfate is also used in the chemicals industry as a component for preparation of catalysts used in various chemical processes, of purification of gases such as removal of hydrogen chloride and hydrogen sulfide. It is also used as a source of copper. Copper sulfate is a versatile chemical compound that has an extensive range of applications in various industries such as chemicals, leather, and electrical. Copper sulfate finds major application in industrial processes such as electroplating, dyeing mordant, tanning processes, and preparation of anti-fouling paints. Copper sulfate is set to witness escalating demand in niche applications such as analytical reagent, medical uses and organic synthesis. Owing to increasing demand for copper sulfate as an additive in animal feedstock and the application of copper sulfate as an analytical reagent for the preparation of several other types of reagents such as Biuret reagent and Benedict solution, the copper sulfate market is positioned on a high growth trajectory over the near future.Request to View the Table of Content: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/toc/340 Copper Sulfate Market TaxonomyBy TypesOn the basis of types, the global market is segmented into:HydrousAnhydrousBy End-Use IndustryOn the basis of end-use industries, the global market is segmented into:AgriculturalFungicidesHerbicidesPesticidesChemicalElectricalsElectroplatingBatteriesOthersMedicalLeather & TextilesOthers (paints, hair dye, glues, etc.)The agricultural industry is a major end user of copper sulfate market. Demand for copper sulfate is expected to increase significantly in this industry, owing to its increasing use in production of herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers in animal feedstock sulfate. Other applications of copper sulfate contribute fairly to the increasing demand for copper sulfate industry such as, copper sulfate adhesives that are used in production of paints and glues. Copper sulfate witnesses an increasing demand sulfates an additive in binding pastes and glues for books in order to protect them from book bugs. This highly versatile compound also finds wide application in the construction industry, sulfate where it is used as an additive in concrete to offer disinfectant and water resistance qualities. Increasing usage of copper sulfate in fireworks, artworks as a coloring agent, printing ink, and hair dye, among other applications is expected to lead to a significant surge in growth of the copper sulfate market.To Check The Trending Report of Copper Sulfate market: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/copper-sulfate-market-340 Market Outlook Rapidly growing agricultural activities is expected to fuel the demand for Copper Sulfate marketAsia-Pacific region is a region characterized by a burgeoning agricultural industry that is witnessing significant growth to keep pace with the population explosion in the region. This creates a highly conducive growth environment for copper sulfate, which is used in agricultural chemicals including fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. Growth of the agricultural sector in developed regions of North America and Europe are also expected to position these as lucrative market for producers of copper sulfate, especially in sulfate in U.S. and Canada. The production of copper sulfate is increasing in Europe due to the increasing usage of copper sulfate additive in animal feedstock.Leading producers of copper sulfate include ATOTECH, Allan Chemical Corporation, WEGO Chemical & Mineral Corp., and NOAH Technologies Corporation.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702 PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 00:28:29 FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Deer Horn Capital Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Deer Horn Capital Inc. (CSE:DHC). has issued a press release with the following headline:Deer Horn Announces Non-Brokered Private Placement and Debt Settlement TransactionsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Deer Horn Capital Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Deer Horn Capital Inc.Source: Deer Horn Capital Inc. (CSE: DHC, OTC Pink: GODYF, WKN: A12C66, ISIN: CA2438091001)Date: March 08, 2018Time: 6:28 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Deer Horn Capital Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.) @alextdaugherty The entire Miami-Dade Republican congressional delegation along with a gubernatorial contender urged President Donald Trump to denounce Raul Castro's successor as illegitimate unless Cuba schedules "free, fair, and multiparty elections." Sen. Marco Rubio, along with Miami Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Reps. Ron DeSantis (who is running for governor) and Ted Yoho all sent a letter to Trump on Friday voicing their concerns. Text of the letter below: Dear Mr. President, We write today to thank you for holding the Castro regime accountable for its oppression and ongoing human rights abuses against the Cuban people, and for furthering U.S. national security and foreign policy interests of promoting democracy. We also request, within all applicable rules and regulations, that you continue to work toward empowering the Cuban people in their struggle for liberty. As you said in your June 16, 2017 announcement on Cuba policy from Miami: For nearly six decades, the Cuban people have suffered under communist domination. To this day, Cuba is ruled by the same people who killed tens of thousands of their own citizens, who sought to spread their repressive and failed ideology throughout our hemisphere, and who once tried to host enemy nuclear weapons 90 miles from our shores. . . This is the simple truth of the Castro regime. My administration will not hide from it, excuse it, or glamorize it. And we will never, ever be blind to it. We know whats going on and we remember what happened. Toward that goal, we respectfully ask that you denounce Castros successor as illegitimate in the absence of free, fair, and multiparty elections, and call upon the international community to support the right of the Cuban people to decide their future. As you know, dictator Raul Castro has said that he will step down from the presidency on April 19, 2018. However, we know that a predetermined, charade election orchestrated by regime officials will continue the dictatorship. This sham election is yet another example of the regimes dictatorial repression of fundamental freedoms which must not be recognized by those who value freedom and democracy. This, along with your ongoing efforts to restrict financial transactions with the Cuban military that aid the Castro regime, will assist the Cuban people in their goal of self-government. Thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to continuing to work with your Administration on this matter. PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 04:43:11 Press Information Whitfords Home Appliances 165-167 Great North Rd Five Dock NSW 2046 Australia Whitfords Home Appliances 02 9370 0555 email https://www.whitfordshomeappliances.com.au/ Published by Cam Wilkes 006499503888 e-mail ' ' . c2c_truncate_link("www.pureseo.co.nz", "0", "", ".") . '' # 415 Words 165-167 Great North Rd Five Dock NSW 2046 Australia02 9370 0555Cam Wilkes006499503888 At Whitfords Home Appliances they aspire to create the best possible experience when selecting and purchasing new kitchen appliances. As part of this commitment they now offer complimentary in store cooking demonstrations to assist in selection of new appliances for the kitchen.Whitfords, the specialists in home appliances, is the premier dealer of brand names for kitchen appliances. They carry the most popular products from leading brand names making the store a one-stop shop for all things kitchen. For kitchen renovators who only have the budget for basic appliances to gourmet cooks who like stylish ranges from luxury brands, Whitfords sprawling Five Dock store has something for everyone.Inside the sprawling space in Sydneys Five Dock customers will discover a wide variety of tools and appliances for novice cooks and professionals. Cooktops, ranges, range tops, wall ovens, microwaves, ventilation, warming drawers and dishwashers are available alongside handy gadgets like slow cookers, deep fryers and mixers. To better understand the options when it comes to a new stove or oven Whitfords organises cooking demonstrations.The cooking demonstrations will allow customers to taste the dishes that are prepared and cooked in front of them, whilst also learning about the various functions on selected appliances, such as combi steam cooking, induction cooking and much more. The company encourages them to be actively involved in these demonstrations by asking questions and gaining confidence and understanding of various appliances. Bookings are essential due to limited spaces, so customers must book early for a spot in the demonstrations.Whitfords are experts in home appliances and their goal is to provide quality products at affordable prices, and making this experience as smooth as possible. They are available to assist first buyers, home renovators who are upgrading to a new suite of appliances or those who are replacing just one appliance. They stock a range of brands that have a dependable reputation and in a varied price range to suit all budgets.To make the process simple customers can browse and shop online on their website. If customers need assistance in person their friendly and knowledgeable sales staff can assist at their showroom. The company can also deliver and assist in installation and this makes the process really easy from beginning to end.Customers can contact Whitfords on (02) 9370 0555 or email sales@ whitfords.com.au For more information on the cooking demonstrations, kitchen sinks Sydney, appliances Sydney, Bosch washing machine and more: https://www.cooking-demonstrations.com.au/ and https://www.whitfordshomeappliances.com.au/ PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 10:03:02 SINGAPORE and LONDON, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mia Watanabe, Chief Administrative Officer for Flywire APAC, will present at the SEACEN-MAS FinTech Seminar, which will take place 12 to 14 March, 2018 in Singapore. Flywire will be one of six FinTech companies presenting to participants from the South East Asian Central Banks and monetary authorities working on policy and other matters such as financial supervision, payments, and financial stability. The seminar is aimed to engender an in-depth discussion of FinTech, potential areas of application for new technologies, challenges and risks, and regulation. It will also provide the opportunity for participants to develop a better understanding of the FinTech ecosystem. Watanabe will discuss Flywire's global payment and receivables business model and the opportunities and challenges the company has navigated as it has expanded across the Asia Pacific region. The session will take place on 14 March at 10:30 am. She will be preceded by a presentation by the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) beginning at 9:30 am. More information on the FinTech Seminar is available at SEACEN. About Flywire Flywire is a leading provider of global payment and receivables solutions, connecting over 1,400 businesses and institutions with their customers on six continents. The company processes billions in payments per year from 220 countries and territories, via bank transfer, credit card and e-wallet solutions, in over 120 different local currencies. Flywire's scalable platform provides currency conversion at exchange rates that can offer significant savings when compared to home-market banks and credit card providers. The company also supports its clients with end-to-end customer support including multilingual servicing via phone, email, and chat, as well as 24/7 online payment tracking. Flywire is headquartered in Boston, MA with operations in London and Manchester, UK; Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; and Valencia, Spain. For more information, visit www.Flywire.com. Media Contact: Tim Walsh for Flywire timw@walshgroupmarketing.com amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment market PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 11:22:16 Press Information Coherent Market Insights 1001 4th Ave, #3200 Mr Shah CEO 2067016702 email http://www.coherentmarketinsights.com # 687 Words 1001 4th Ave,#3200CEO2067016702 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease and motor neuron disease (MND), is a neurodegenerative disease, affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that controls voluntary muscles. The disease is progressive in nature, meaning it gets worse over time.According to a study published in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, around 14,713 people were diagnosed with ALS in the U.S. and prevalence rate of ALS was 4.7 cases per 100,000 people in 2012. The prevalence rate increased to 5.0 cases per 100,000 people and around 15,908 people were diagnosed with ALS in 2013, according to the same study. The increasing prevalence of ALS is in turn, expected to support growth of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment market in the near future.Approval of novel innovative drugs is expected to boost growth in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment marketIn May 2017, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Radicava (edaravone), an innovative drug used in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This was the first drug to be approved after over 20 years since the last FDA-approved drug for ALS. The approval of this drug would provide an additional option for patients suffering from this deadly disease. Increasing incidence of ALS is expected to increase the adoption rate of this drug, in turn, boosting market growth. The drug has already been approved in Japan and South Korea in 2015.Get The Holiasitc SAMPLE With TOC:Initiatives taken by some associations to increase awareness about diagnosis and treatment of ALS among population is also expected to drive market growth during forecast period (2017-2025). For instance in 2014, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, a social mediacentered campaign, received extensive public visibility and created increased awareness of ALS. In 2015, a group of ALS organizations in the U.S., including the ALS Association, Les Turner ALS Foundation, and ALS Therapy Development Institute, re-introduced the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise further funds and spread awareness about ALS among population.North America is expected to hold a dominant position in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment market, as major companies present in the region are focusing on collaborations for product development. For instance, in January 2018 Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. and Pfizer Inc. collaborated for the development of a potential gene therapy using zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP-TFs) for the treatment of ALS. Companies based in emerging economies of Asia Pacific are focusing on developing novel drugs for treatment of ALS. For instant major companies such as Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd are developing drugs for treatment of ALS.Major players are collaborating with various research institutes and companies for the development of drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatmentIn December 2017, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Order made Medical Research Corporation and Trans Chromosomics Inc. have completed strategic collaboration for the development of antibody drug to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. collaborated with Montreal Neurological Institute for the discovery of new drugs for ALS in the same month. In 2016, Evotec and Celgene Corporation have entered into a strategic drug discovery for the development of new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. In 2013 Janssen Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, and Johnson & Johnson collaborated, with three prominent Belgian academic institutions and research centers for the discovery of new treatment drugs for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS.Major players operating in the global amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment market include Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Sanofi S.A., and Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.Get More Details On this Report:Catch us at 3rd International Conference on Separation + Drying Technologies for Milk & Whey at Cologne, March 19 and 20, 2018About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Coherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@ coherentmarketinsights.com Visit our news Website: http://www.coherentchronicle.com PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-08 23:11:01 Santiago, Chile, March 8, 2018- LATAM Airlines Group S.A. and its subsidiaries, ("LATAM Airlines Group" or "the Company") (NYSE: LTM / IPSA: LTM), the leading airline group in Latin America, today reported its preliminary monthly traffic statistics for February 2018 compared to February 2017. System passenger traffic increased by 4.8%, while capacity rose 4.4%. As a result, the Company's load factor for the month increased 0.4 percentage points to 85.3%. International passenger traffic accounted for approximately 58% of the month's total passenger traffic. This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients. The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: LATAM Airlines Group via Globenewswire Latin America Capnography Devices Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Country Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023 Latin America Capnography Devices Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 09:52:23 Press Information Precision Business Insights Kemp House, 152 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Satya Lead-Marketing +1-866-598-1553 email https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com # 740 Words Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXLead-Marketing+1-866-598-1553 Market Outline: Latin America Capnography Devices MarketCapnography is the process of monitoring partial pressure or concentration of carbon dioxide in respiratory gases by using capnogram. It is majorly used as a monitoring tool during intensive care and anesthesia. Capnography helps to anesthesiologists to prevent the hypoxia and help to determine the situations that can lead to hypoxia and may cause irreversible brain damage. Due to these advantages, capnography is widely used in endoscopic suites, emergency rooms, x-ray rooms, and on-site emergency and trauma centers. In healthy individuals, difference between the arterial blood and expired CO2 partial pressure is very small however, in presence of lung disease, and some congenital heart disease the difference is increased and can exceed 1 kPa.Market Dynamics: Latin America Capnography Devices MarketIncrease in the prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COPD in Latin American Countries such as Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela, technological advancements in the capnography devices, advances in economic growth, and expansion of businesses by the market players are anticipated to fuel the capnography devices market. Moreover, wide range of applications of capnography devices such as hypoventilation, esophageal intubation, and endotracheal tube placement along with its minimally invasive nature, ease of usage are expected to propel the capnography devices market over forecast period. However, alternative devices availability for capnography such as pulse oximeter, new clinical studies restraining the usage in non-intubated individuals, and issues associated with capnography usage are anticipated to impede the growth of capnography devices market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Latin America Capnography Devices MarketCapnography devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, application, and end userBased on product type, the market is segmented into the following: Capnographso Micro-Stream Capnographso Side-Stream Capnographso Main Stream Capnographs DisposablesBased on technology, the market is segmented into the following: Hand-Held Monitors Stand-Alone Monitors OthersBased on application, the market is segmented into the following: Anesthesia Procedural Sedation Intensive Care Pain Management Emergency Medicine OthersBased on end user, the market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Clinics Ambulatory Surgical CentersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Country Analysis: Latin America Capnography Devices MarketGeographically, Latin America capnography devices market is segmented into Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America. Brazil capnography devices market expected to witness significant growth due to increase in the prevalence of COPD and other respiratory disorders (approximately 4,241 COPD cases observed per 100,000 people in Brazil), increase in number of plastic surgeries, and rise in medical tourism in the region. Uruguay capnography devices market is projected to grow at a significant rate attributed to recommendations by The Uruguayan Society of Anesthesiologists and American Society of Anesthesiologists for capnography devices usage during anesthetics & sedation, and high prevalence of COPD disease in Uruguay (approximately 5,031 COPD cases observed per 100,000 people) are expected to bolster the market over the forecast period.Competition Assessment: Latin America Capnography Devices MarketSome of the players in the Latin America capnography devices market include: Covidien plc (Medtronic, plc. (Ireland)) Masimo Corporation (U.S.) Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan) Smiths Medical, Inc. (U.S.) Nonin Medical, Inc. (U.S.) Welch Allyn Inc. (U.S.) Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany)Need more information about this report @Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, and forecast from 2017-2023 The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, key findings, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, challenges, and trends that are currently faced by the industry The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and start-ups details that are working in the industry The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenarioGet access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Medical Imaging Information Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023 Medical Imaging Information Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 09:57:26 Press Information Precision Business Insights Kemp House, 152 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Satya Lead-Marketing +1-866-598-1553 email https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com # 846 Words Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXLead-Marketing+1-866-598-1553 Medical Imaging Information Market: By Service Type (Hardware, Software), By Application (Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), Digital Radiography, Nuclear Imaging, X-ray, Ultrasound, Mammography. Others), By Deployment Mode (Cloud-Based, Web-Based, On-Premise), By End-User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Centres, Ambulatory Surgical Centres), and Geography Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Market Outline: Medical Imaging Information MarketMedical imaging information system also known as imaging information is used to transfer the medical images throughout the healthcare system. Medical imaging is carried to reveal the internal organ functions of the body as well as to diagnose the disease. Most commonly used medical imaging systems are X-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), ultrasonography, and endoscopy among others. This imaging information is transferred by using software to provide better treatment for the disease.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Dynamics: Medical Imaging Information MarketIncrease in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as neurological disorders leads to rise in number of diagnostic imaging procedures, development in imaging procedures, advanced and innovative applications of medical imaging software, and reduce in the cost of storage platforms are anticipated to fuel the medical imaging information market. Moreover, increase in storage of medical information, rise in preference for better treatment, and technological advancements in transferring of images are expected to boost the medical imaging information market. However, security issues with data storage, lack of skilled professionals, and high cost for initial investments are expected to impede the growth of medical imaging information market.Market Scope: Medical Imaging Information MarketMedical imaging information market is segmented on the basis of service type, application, deployment mode, and end userBased on the service type, the market is segmented into the following: Hardware SoftwareBased on the application, the market is segmented into the following: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Computed Tomography (CT) Digital Radiography Nuclear Imaging X-ray Ultrasound Mammography OthersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Based on the deployment mode, the market is segmented into the following: Cloud-Based Web-Based On-PremiseBased on end user, the market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Diagnostic Centers Ambulatory Surgical CentersMarket Summary: Medical Imaging Information MarketMedical imaging information market is growing due to increase in the demand for better treatment for the diseases. Rise in the number of diagnostic procedures and technological advancements in the data storage also expected to propel the medical imaging information market. Moreover, acquisitions and mergers, collaborations, and launching of newer platforms for data storage are the strategies followed by the market players for increasing their revenue share in medical imaging market. For instance, in July 2017, Royal Philips acquired TomTec imaging systems GmbH to strengthen its ultrasound business. Moreover, in November 2015, Dell inked an agreement with Zebra Medical Vision to develop medical imaging platform that integrates clinical data into user-defined dashboards.Need more information about this report @Regional Analysis: Medical Imaging Information MarketGeographically, global medical imaging information market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America medical imaging information market is driven by presence of huge number of medical imaging market players and technological advancements in the data storage. Europe medical imaging information market has a significant share, which is attributed to presence of skilled professionals, adoption of newer technologies, and collaboration between the companies for development of newer imaging platforms. Asia Pacific medical imaging information market expected to exhibit significant growth owing to increase in medical tourism in Asia Pacific region, and expansion of business by market players into the region. For instance, in July 2014, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation established diagnostic imaging systems manufacturing base in Malaysia. Latin America medical imaging information market has a lucrative growth oppurtunities due to increase in the number of medical imaging procedures, increase in the preference for better treatment, and launching of newer platforms by market players in the region. Middle East and Africa medical imaging market is poised to grow at significant rate owing to adoption of newer technologies by the healthcare providers.Competition Assessment: Medical Imaging Information MarketSome of the players in the global medical imaging information market include: General Electric Company (U.S.) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) Lexmark International Inc. (U.S.) Esaote SpA (Italy) Siemens AG (Germany) Carestream Health, Inc. (U.S.) Dell Inc. (U.S.) Agfa-Gevaert N.V. (Belgium) Toshiba Corporation (Japan) McKesson Corporation (U.S.)Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Country Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023 Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 09:59:32 Press Information Precision Business Insights Kemp House, 152 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Satya Lead-Marketing +1-866-598-1553 email https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com # 702 Words Kemp House,152 160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXLead-Marketing+1-866-598-1553 Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market: By Product Type (Capnographs, disposables), By Technology (Hand-Held Monitors, Stand-Alone Monitors, Others), By Application (Anesthesia, Procedural Sedation, Intensive Care, Pain Management, Emergency Medicine, Others), By End-User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Ambulatory Surgical Centres), and Geography Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023Market Outline: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices MarketCapnography is the process of monitoring partial pressure or concentration of carbon dioxide in respiratory gases by using capnogram. It is majorly used as a monitoring tool during intensive care and anesthesia. Capnography helps to anesthesiologists to prevent the hypoxia and help to determine the situations that can lead to hypoxia and may cause irreversible brain damage. Due to these advantages, capnography is widely used in endoscopic suites, emergency rooms, x-ray rooms, and on-site emergency and trauma centers. In healthy individuals, difference between the arterial blood and expired CO2 partial pressure is very small however, in presence of lung disease, and some congenital heart disease the difference is increased and can exceed 1 kPa.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Dynamics: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices MarketIncrease in the prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma in Middle East and Africa region majorly in Israel, South Africa, and GCC countries and adoption of newer technologies are anticipated to fuel the capnography devices market. Moreover, wide range of applications of capnography such as hypoventilation, esophageal intubation, and endotracheal tube placement, growing geriatric population coupled with minimally invasive nature and ease of usage are expected to propel the capnography devices market over forecast period. However, alternative devices availability for capnography such as pulse oximeter, new clinical studies restraining the usage in non-intubated individuals, and issues associated with capnography usage are expected to impede the growth of capnography devices market.Market Scope: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices MarketCapnography devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, application, and end userBased on product type, the market is segmented into the following: Capnographs Micro-Stream Capnographs Side-Stream Capnographs Main Stream Capnographs DisposablesBased on technology, the market is segmented into the following: Hand-Held Monitors Stand-Alone Monitors OthersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Based on application, the market is segmented into the following: Anesthesia Procedural Sedation Intensive Care Pain Management Emergency Medicine OthersBased on end user, the market is segmented into the following: Hospitals Clinics Ambulatory Surgical CentersNeed more information about this report @Country Analysis: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices MarketGeographically, Middle East and Africa capnography devices market is segmented into South Africa, Israel, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Rest of Middle East and Africa. Israel capnography devices market is rising due to increase in the prevalence of COPD (approximately 3,195 COPD cases observed per 100,000 people), expansion of business by the market players, and rise in awareness about usage of capnography devices among healthcare professionals are expected to propel the market. Moreover, launching of newer products into Middle East region also anticipated to upsurge the revenue of capnography devices market. For instance, in January 2015, Viamed launched new capnograph monitor technology VersaStream to Middle East regions at Arab Health 2015.Competition Assessment: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices MarketSome of the players in the Middle East and Africa capnography devices market include: Medtronic, plc. (Ireland) Masimo Corporation (U.S.) Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan) Smiths Medical, Inc. (U.S.) Welch Allyn Inc. (U.S.) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany) Viamed Limited (England)Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.com PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 09:43:02 Seoul Semiconductor Files Three New Patent Litigations and Announces Its Acrich Licensing Program Europe Seoul Semiconductor Europe GmbH Ariane Heim Tel: +49-(0)89-450-3690-0 Email: press.eu@seoulsemicon.com or North America Seoul Semiconductor Inc. Andrew Smith Tel: +1 (901) 831-6614 Email: andrew.smith@seoulsemicon.com or Asia Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd Jake Jung Tel: +82 070.4391.8270 Email: pr@seoulsemicon.com Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd., a global innovator of LED products and technology, announced on March 8, 2018 that it has filed three new patent infringement lawsuits, together with its affiliate, Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd. (collectively Seoul), against a lighting company and distributors selling products that allegedly infringe Seoul's Acrich patents. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803090052 Products with Acrich technology (Photo: Business Wire) On March 2, Seoul filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Texas Northern District federal court against Service Lighting Electrical Supplies, Inc. for infringement of 10 patents relating to Acrich technology. In the complaint, Service Lighting is accused of selling infringing LED bulbs in the course of operating Americas largest online retail channel for such bulbs: 1000bulbs.com. On the same day, Seoul also filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Nevada District Court against Philcort T.V. & Electronic Leasing, Inc. for infringement of eight Acrich patents. Seoul also filed a new patent infringement lawsuit in Californias Central District Court against Archipelago Lighting, Inc. for infringement of eight patents. Seoul had already filed a patent litigation last September against Archipelago, alleging infringement of 12 patents in the same California federal court. After filing the first litigation, Seoul became aware of additional products that it believes are infringing on other Acrich patents, which led Seoul to file a second patent litigation against the same company. In this series of patent litigations relating to Acrich technology, Seoul focuses on various LED lamps, including LED filament bulbs, each of which is believed to infringe at least one or more of 20 different patents covering technologies for LED drivers for high-voltage operations, MJT (Multi-Junction Technology), filament LED bulb structures, LED packaging, LED epitaxial growth, LED chip fabrication, etc. Acrich technology is essential for products that feature high-voltage operation with a high power output yet which rely on only a small number of LED units. In general lighting products, such as streetlights or filament LEDs, Acrich technology has become increasingly popular as demand increases for LED products capable of more than 12V power. Acrich technology is also increasingly used for high-end televisions with UHD (Ultra High Definition) displays because the Acrich technology makes it easy to implement local dimming functions. Yong-Tae Lee, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, said: Seoul will continue to enforce its IP against lighting and electrical companies, as well as their retailers, who manufacture or sell infringing products. But for those companies who wish to conduct business fairly and without infringing Seouls IP, we will soon be announcing a patent licensing program for Acrich technology. The new licensing program will offer reasonable terms to companies that wish to offer products incorporating Acrich technology essential for LED drivers, packages for high voltage operations, and AC operation LED drivers. He added: We will do our best to encourage a fair-competition environment, in which young entrepreneurs and small entities can succeed in the business world, relying on fair competition in the market and respecting hard-earned patented technology. The end result will be that consumers can enjoy the benefits of Seouls research and investment in technology innovation. About Seoul Semiconductor: Seoul Semiconductor develops and commercializes light emitting diodes (LEDs) for automotive, general illumination, specialty lighting, and backlighting markets. As the fourth-largest LED manufacturer globally, Seoul Semiconductor holds more than 12,000 patents, offers a wide range of technologies, and mass produces innovative LED products such as SunLike delivering the worlds best light quality in a next-generation LED enabling human-centric lighting optimized for circadian rhythms; WICOP a simpler structured package-free LED which provides market leading color uniformity, cost savings at the fixture level with high lumen density and allows design flexibility; NanoDriver Series the worlds smallest 24W DC LED Drivers; Acrich, the world's first high-voltage AC-driven LED technology developed in 2005, includes all AC LED-related technologies from chip to module and circuit fabrication, as well as multi-junction technology (MJT); and nPola, a new LED product based on GaN-substrate technology that achieves more than ten times the output of conventional LEDs. UCD constitutes a high color gamut display which delivers more than 90% NTSC. For more information about Seoul Semiconductor, please visit http://www.seoulsemicon.com # Trademarks Wicop and Acrich are trademarks of Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803090052 PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 04:31:02 St. Georges University, Grenada, Recognised as an Approved University by the Medical Council of India Raitt Orr & Associates on behalf of St. Georges University Henry Gilliver, +44 (0) 207 922 7719 Henry@raittorr.co.uk http://www.sgu.edu/ St. Georges University (SGU), the international medical school on the Caribbean island of Grenada, has been recognised as an approved university by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The accreditation will enable graduates of St. Georges University School of Medicine to practice in India, paving the way for Indian medical students to study at SGU and return home to practice medicine as fully trained doctors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803080061 St. Georges University welcomed His Excellency, Shri Biswadip Dey, High Commissioner of India (center), for a visit in August 2017. (Photo: Business Wire) SGU has a proven record of recruiting international students who go on to practice medicine in their home countries, often in underserved areas. Approximately 1% of all practicing doctors in the USA are graduates of St. Georges University, with that figure rising to around 15% of the physician population in Trinidad and Tobago, and 20% in Botswana. It is hoped that SGU will be able to make a similar contribution to the medical workforce throughout India. Commenting on the accreditation, Dr. G. Richard Olds, President of St. Georges University, said, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Medical Council of India for supporting us as we achieve this important milestone. This recognition will enable us to fulfil our commitment to accept students from India and help us return them as world-class doctors. I look forward to welcoming them to our campus in Grenada. St. Georges University School of Medicine draws students and faculty from 140 countries. It is affiliated with education institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. Indian students who enrol in the MD programme will be able to take advantage of these institutional links, resulting in qualified doctors with a truly global medical education. SGU students benefit from joining an institution with significant links to the Commonwealth. In 2019 the University will host the annual conference of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, with the theme of investing in student success. Participants will consider how institutions around the world can work to continually develop students throughout the course of their education, resulting in more staying on and completing their studies. -Ends- Notes to editors: St. Georges University is a centre of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, West Indies. St. Georges is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. The University has contributed over 18,000 physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals who are practicing across the world. The University programs are accredited and approved by many governing authorities. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803080061 PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-09 03:02:02 An opening fair will also be held Toranoana Inc.: The Opening Date for Toranoana Taipei, Toranoana's First Overseas Store, Is Set for March 23rd (Fri), 2018! Toranoana Inc. Nobuo Ueda, 81-3-5289-9090 nobuo.ueda@toranoana.co.jp As part of the Yume (no) Sora Holdings group of companies which promotes creators across genres and national borders, Toranoana Inc. is in the business of sales and distribution of manga, anime products, doujinshi, along with store management. The opening date for Toranoana's first overseas branch store has been set for March 23rd (Fri), 2018. The Toranoana Taipei Branch is scheduled to open in the downtown Ximending area of Taipei, Taiwan, and will be Toranoana's first ever store outside Japan. In addition to doujinshi and manga by Japanese and Taiwanese creators, the shop will sell a variety of products including original Toranoana goods. To commemorate the March 23rd (Fri) store opening, we have also decided to hold the Toranoana Taipei opening fair. There will be plenty for customers to enjoy during the fair, with plans to auction reproductions and autographed products from popular authors, as well as hand out souvenir stamp cards that will allow customers to receive special rare products. We will also distribute commemorative cards featuring illustrations by popular artists. About the Fair Event name: Toranoana Taipei Branch Opening Fair Event website: https://news.toranoana.jp/43713 Overview of plans for the fair *Details will be announced on the above event website (1) Distribution of illustrated cards commemorating the store opening Customers who spend 400 yuan or more in one transaction will receive an illustrated card selected randomly from among 5 types. Implementation period: Part 1 - March 23rd (Fri) to March 25th (Sun) Part 2 - March 30th (Fri) to April 1st (Sun) Part 3 - April 6th (Fri) to April 8th (Sun) Part 4 - April 13th (Fri) to April 15th (Sun) (2) Creators Auction in Taipei Autographed products and reproductions by popular creators will be sold by auction. Implementation period: From store opening on March 23rd (Fri) until closing time on April 1st (Sun) (3) Distribution of stamp cards commemorating the store opening Customers will receive one stamp for each purchase (maximum 1 stamp per day). Once 10 stamps have been collected, they can be exchanged for original Toranoana souvenirs. Distribution period: March 23rd (Fri) until supplies run out About the Store Store name: Toranoana Taipei Branch Location: No. 85, Section 1, Hankou St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei Opening day: March 23rd (Fri.), 2018 *planned Shop area: Approximately 550 square meters Business hours: Every day from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm *planned Merchandise available: - Japanese doujinshi (for a general audience, adults, women, others) - Doujinshi by local Taiwanese (foreign) creators - Local Taiwanese manga (translated, sold by Taiwanese publishers) - Limited edition Toranoana products, in-house products ...etc. Toranoana Taipei Branch: https://news.toranoana.jp/43151 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taiwantoranoana/ Plurk: https://www.plurk.com/taiwantoranoana Twitter: https://twitter.com/taiwantora_JP View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803080064 via @timjohnson4 lorida Sen. Bill Nelson said Thursday that Twitter is taking steps to guard against the kind of fake tweets that hit The Miami Herald last month, but that a lot more has got to be done. Nelson called for a technical summit, led perhaps the Federal Trade Commission, to get all of the relevant companies in the same room and talk about this problem with a collective sense of urgency and come up with some solutions. Such a summit should include social media platforms, digital content companies, software developers, news organizations and government agencies, he said. However, the Twitter executives who met with Nelson Thursday declined to identify those behind the hoax, which came shortly after the Feb. 14 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead. In the aftermath of the school massacre, a perpetrator sent out tweets containing manipulated images purporting to be tweets from a reporter at the Herald. The fake tweets appeared intended to rile the public, asking the race of the gunman and seeking photos from the scene. The Herald reporter, Alex Harris, notified Twitter in the late afternoon of the fake tweets and received a response from the company at 5:23 p.m. that it would look into the matter. Over the course of the evening, other fake tweets went out at 8:25 p.m. and again at 10:50 p.m. According to the Twitter executives, the 10:50 p.m. fake tweet was seen only by 600 people. Harris posted her own tweet at 10:52 p.m. decrying the doctored versions of tweets I sent while trying to tell the stories of victims and survivors. Nelson said Twitter executives told him the companys algorithms elevated the visibility of Harriss last response so that 600,000 account holders saw it. He said the hoax could have gone uncontested for many hours if it werent for the reporters quick response. What if she had been asleep and didnt see that until the next morning when shes drinking coffee? Nelson asked. Read more here. ADVERTISEMENT Indications emerged Thursday that a glut in Nigerias oil supply to the international market looms. A trader said the development comes as ample supply of light and medium grades from the North Sea and the Mediterranean continues to limit buying interest for Nigerian crude. The Nigerian cargoes, reckoned to be near 50 cargoes, was said to be weighing on the market, while state Angolan oil firm, Sonangol, trimmed its offer of Saxi crude. Reuters quoted a trader as saying much of the glut could end up heading into the refining systems of major oil companies like Shell and Total, meaning the excess is effectively lower than 50 cargoes. Market reports said demand for Agbami and Qua Iboe has been higher than demand for other grades so far, while Qua Iboe was being offered at about dated Brent plus $2, steady from its Tuesday levels. But Sonangol trimmed its offer of Saxi crude to dated Brent plus 50 cents, down 25 cents from Tuesdays level, a trader said. The company was still offering Dalia at dated Brent minus 70 cents a barrel. Meanwhile, Angola is set to launch its big oil block as the first vessel that will pump and store oil for its 230,000 barrels per day (bpd) Kaombo project is en route to the West African nation according to operator, Total. The Kaombo oil block is projected to begin producing its first oil this summer, with the prospect of adding roughly 14 per cent to the OPEC member nations average 2017 output of 1.632 million bpd. The second FPSO, Kaombo Sul, is still in Singapore. The $16 billion offshore project will add a significant amount of oil to the nations export at a time when the nation is bound by output limits under a deal orchestrated by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. In September 2017, the Joint Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, and non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee, JMMC, extended the exemption granted Nigeria over the output cut imposed on member countries in January 2017. At its meeting in Vienna, Austria, the Committee upheld Nigerias position that the exemption be sustained until the countrys oil production stabilises. The extension of the exemption period means more revenue earnings from oil exports by Nigeria, as the country would be able to export all the oil it produces. Nigeria relies heavily on oil proceeds to fund its capital projects and run its governmental affairs. A crash in oil prices threw the nation into recession in 2016. It, however, slipped out of recession in the second quarter of 2017 after an improvement was recorded in the prices of oil in the international market. ADVERTISEMENT Russia and South Korea on Friday welcomed the announcement of a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expected to take place by May. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the meeting is needed for the settlement of the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. On Thursday, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong said at a White House briefing that Trump had agreed to meet with Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The North Korean leader also agreed to halt all nuclear tests. For sure, we believe that this is a step in the right direction. We have heard about this agreement only today. I hope that it will be implemented. It is needed to normalise the situation around the Korean Peninsula, Lavrov said at a news conference in Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa where he is with an official visit. It shouldnt end up with a talk only. But pave the way to a comprehensive political dialogue aimed at the settlement of nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula based on the principles approved at the six-party talks and in the UN Security Council, Lavrov stressed. Also, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said: the May meeting will be recorded as a historic milestone that realized peace on the Korean Peninsula. If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet following an inter-Korean summit, complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula will be put on the right track in earnest, Moon said, as quoted by his spokesman, according to the Yonhap news agency. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated drastically in 2017 due to the Norths nuclear activity, which led to the UN Security Council imposing its toughest ever sanctions on the country. In November, North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, which according to Pyongyang, would have been capable of hitting any part of the U.S. mainland. The announcement of a meeting between the U.S. and North Korean leaders comes after months of contentious exchanges. Last fall, Trump called Kim Jong Un a rocket man at was on a suicide mission. Kim, for his part, said Trumps comments exhibited mentally deranged behavior(Sputnik/NAN). ADVERTISEMENT The U.S. State Department is offering a five-million-dollar reward for information leading to Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah. The U.S. also announced a three-million-dollar reward each for two other senior leaders of militias linked to the Pakistani Taliban. The move is seen as another attempt by Washington to defuse tensions with the Pakistani government. The State Department then said it would freeze almost all U.S. security assistance to the country. Pakistani political and military leaders have been demanding that international and Afghan security forces take tougher action against Fazlullahs group, which is currently based in Afghanistan. The reward offers, announced on Thursday, come after a suspected U.S. drone strike killed no fewer than 21 would-be suicide bombers, including a son of Fazlullah, at a training camp in Afghanistans eastern Kunar province. Fazlullah rose to prominence when he ordered the attack on the worlds youngest Noble Laureate, Malala Yousafzai, in 2012. He was elevated to lead the Pakistani Taliban in 2013 after the death of his predecessor Hakimullah Mehsud in a U.S. drone strike. The reward for Abdul Wali, alias Omer Khorasani, the leader of Jamaat ul Ahrar faction of the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam group chief Mangal Bagh was also announced in the statement on Thursday. NAN reports that on Thursday, 20 militants were believed to have been killed in an American drone strike on a compound said to have been used by Fazlullah. The strike was carried out in a remote area of Kunar province in Afghanistan and the dead are believed to include the leaders son and senior commanders. One of them, Qari Yaseen, is believed to have trained suicide bombers. The U.S. did not comment but Pakistani officials claimed that the strike was helped by intelligence from Islamabad. The incident comes amid fraught relations with the U. S. as President Trump piles pressure on Islamabad to act against terrorist havens within its borders. (dpa/NAN) Civil society groups (CSOs) and other Nigerians have reacted to a recent revelation of the N13.5 million running cost allowance that senators receive monthly. The revelation, which was made by Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) has stirred up mixed reactions. Mr. Sani disclosed that he and his colleagues receive N13.5 million monthly as running cost. In an interview with TheNews, the senator said that the running cost does not include a N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances which they also receive and other perks. He explained that though there is no specification on what the funds were meant for, each lawmaker is mandated to provide receipts to back up their expenses. Some Nigerian activists have expressed disgust at the revelation describing it as waste in the use of public funds. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Joe Odumakin, a human rights activist and president of the rights group, Women Arise for Change Initiative and the Campaign for Democracy, expressed disappointment at the federal government, describing the money as a colossal waste of resources. With the calculation of all the amount and then the N13.5 million for running cost, it is outrageous, highly insensitive and cannot stand the test of time. With the level of hunger on the line and the state of our economy, I think that money should be invested even in education. Look at our budget, UNESCO stipulates 26 per cent of our budget. Imagine we put that money into the education sector, it will do a lot for the ordinary Nigerian. I believe in leadership by example. I believe in walking the talk and I believe in true representatives of the people. The summary of it is that, it is highly insensitive. It is uncalled for. It is a colossal waste of our resources. That money should be mopped up and should be invested in things that will better the lives of the ordinary citizen of the country. My advice is, we have lots of problems confronting the nation. Poverty and unemployment is on the increase. This money can be used to fulfil an obligation in the welfare of the people. Welfare, in the aspects of education and security. Another activist, Hamzat Lawal, the leader of Connected Development (CODE) and co-founder of Follow the Money, described it as a sad revelation, stressing the high level of poverty ravaging the country. Its quite sad. Know that at this point of our democracy, a lot of children are out of school and knowing also that a lot of communities do not have access to drinking water and most of these communities dont have primary healthcare centres and the ones that have, dont have vaccines, no syringe, nothing. We just came back from a community in Warawa Local Government in Kano state that doesnt have a single PHC for population of over 30,000 with villages surrounding and the federal lawmaker representing their interest gets an alert for money that is not even tied to any form of intervention. It is pretty much, very sad. This also shows that there is no transparency and accountability. This is one of the reasons we called for open NASS; lets know what is budgeted for National Assembly. Come to think of it, this is just less than one year to the expiration of their tenure. It means that from inception till now, if you do your calculations well, they have received so much money that would have gone into better service delivery to the people. This tell you that they are just there representing their own selfish and personal interest, not the collective Nigerian interest, he said. ADVERTISEMENT While commending Mr. Sani for the revelation, he however, argued that it was coming late. It is wrong for a legislator to even implement anything called constituency project. It is very wrong. A legislator is meant to regulate laws and policies and pass bills. As much as we commend Shehu Sani for coming out to say this, why didnt he mention it since? Why is he just saying it? For us, we want to see the Senate come out to tell the Nigerian people what they have been doing with this money or what they have been doing with the tax payers money. This has increased the space between government and the people and it is not good for our democracy, he said. Adewale Timothy, from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), gave PREMIUM TIMES his personal opinion on the matter pending when the group will release an official statement. Sani has spoken. It is left for them to confirm or to deny. We have a lot of CSOs canvassing and campaigning for transparency in the National Assembly and accountability. Honestly speaking, in a democratic setting, nothing should be hidden so long as it is not something that will jeopardise the National Security. If you are elected as a parliamentarian, you are accountable to the people. In the first instance, if you are our representative, should we not know how much youre getting? Things like this will continue. As far as the leadership of the National Assembly is not open, there will be speculations circulating wild, he said. Some Nigerians also took to Facebook to applaud Mr. Sani for his courage in making such revelations. Others however, demanded that something be done after this revelation. Below are reactions of some Facebook users: Olawoore Babatunde wrote, You can see why senators and reps want to keep their office at all cost by re-ordering election so that their election will come first. So the all other arms of government and the party machineries would have to work for them first to be elected so that they can maintain their loots. Where is Dino Melaye who places the failure of Nigeria to the executive arms alone? A man who has done (nothing) in life but can boast of mansions and fleets of exotic cars? Which country will work when lazy men and fraudsters calling themselves legislator are ravaging the resources in this way. They will collect millions of Naira in constituencies projects, give it to their cronies to apply for them money and nothing will be done. Any ministry or MDA that do not cooperate with their looting antics would be summoned to the chamber for victimisation. Most of the time they go (to) business men selling motorcycles with just #100k for photo of their wares, which they take to the MDA to claim as evidence of the execution of the fake project to claim their money. Nigeria with this kind of parliamentarians can never do well. Thats why the likes of Saraki who knows how share loots hold sway in the heart of our senator. What a country! Alas, instead of the masses to stand to free ourselves from the hands of these wicked people, we divide ourselves on ethnic and religious lines to protect the looters. Can one imagine how much people like Ekwremadu will worth in the land of the looting legislative! It is saddening! Sikiru Salawudeen wrote: a. Between 2007-2015, the NASS ran a budget of 150 billion naira every year! b. Obasanjo, Yaradua and GEJ permitted the rape on the treasury. c. In 2011, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi declared that the NASS was spending twenty five percent of our recurrent expenditure. d. When PMB mounted the rostrum, they reportedly requested for a raise to two hundred billion naira. e. PMB was livid with rage and he told them that there was no way they would even spend that much in 2016. f. They came down and demanded for 150 billion naira. g. He said there is no way as our revenues were dwindling. h. Eventually they settled for 115 billion naira which they spent in 2016, but they used the advantage of his ill-health to increase it to 125 billion this year. i. Truly the loopholes are being blocked. I. So, keep HATING and supporting people who want your grandchildren to stone you. j. I spare a thought for my President, may the God Almighty continue to strengthen him! Nigeria, we shall overcome! Chinedu wrote, I applaud the courage of senator Sani in making this revelation. Even the senate spokesman Sabi bluntly refused to answer the same question on Channels TV some months ago. Let me also agree with Sani that this office allocation of #13,5m be abrogated immediately. I will want to believe that senator Saraki in his initiative of removing double entitlements to ex governors will also work hard towards this. But who can tell us what the ministers, special assistants, advisers and presidency do with the nations wealth? I guess TIME will tell. Below are the reactions of some Nigerians on Twitter: As Nigeria remains reckless and irresponsible with its national resources, it is increasingly doubtful that Nigeria will remain united. There is no justification for the free money being dished out to senate members. Young Nigerians have no prospects.Yet politicians are on feast Obi Nwosu (@daggash51) March 7, 2018 13 million monthly is nothing compared to what the presidency use for the running cost in a day . If we have to cut government spending , it should start form the presidency. Muhammed Jamiu (@emjayunit) March 7, 2018 The citizens needs to take to the streets to demand an end to this legalized corruption.A country where many go to bed on empty stomach. Udoh#UnitedAgainstRacism# (@Udocas2017) March 7, 2018 Nigeria at this rate of pay for these morons will never emerge from national poverty. Nigeria is a poor nation , there is no viable national economy Nigeria is a failed state from October first 1960. These thieves are looting our common wealth. No peaceful solution. Liars!!! Obi Nwosu (@daggash51) March 7, 2018 https://twitter.com/asukufce1/status/971630291231092736 Nigerians wont cry foul about this unwarranted sum of money, been given to people who debate more on things that would favour them Politically and selfishly, than things that would make the country better. The problem of Nigeria are NIGERIANS. We are tailor-made for foolishness BrainBox (@BrainBox1212) March 8, 2018 A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said the Boko Haram insurgency can only be defeated if governments tackle the issue of hunger and joblessness. Mr. Obasanjo made this statement while in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, where he presided over a meeting of the Zero Hunger Forum, a social development goal program of both the Nigerian government and international development partners. He said research had proven that most Boko Haram fighters picked up arms against the state, not for the advancement of any religious conviction but as a means of fighting hunger and lack of job. The former military dictator-turned democrat is the chairman of the SDG program on zero hunger in Nigeria where he is currently leading the campaign against hunger across select states in the country. He explained that of the 17 SDG agenda of the international community, zero hunger is number two. Zero hunger, or ending hunger has ramification, on 14 other goals. Infant mortality, alleviation of poverty, maternal mortality and all of them have things to do with food security and nutrition, he said. So when the world food program asked me to lead a committee to work out and implement zero hunger in Nigeria, I was more than delighted to do so. And I want to say, that we are not trying to reinvent the wheel. We are not trying to bring new policy; we have enough policies that have been neglected by non-implementation, and if we can implement the policy that we have there will be no doubt that we will beat hunger by the year 2025. He said the program does not directly give money to feed Nigerians but create an enabling environment for food production and job creation for the people. This is what we are doing; we are trying to help those who need help. In one of the states, someone asked that how much does the Zero Hunger Forum has to combat hunger and I said the truth is that we have no money; but we have what we can do to help by making sure certain policies are implemented. We have things we can do to make sure we put hunger at bay in Nigeria and particularly in the North-eastern part of Nigeria. Mr. Obasanjo said recent research by World Bank on Boko Haram revealed that most Boko Haram fighters had no clear religious conviction that drive their radical state of mind other than hunger and lack of means of sustenance. The world Bank said they interviewed 26 former Boko Haram members and 25 of them out of 26 said they were in Boko Haram because they have no job, he said. Only one of them said he was there because of religious conviction. So zero hunger tends to contribute in bringing an end to insurgency not only in the North-east, not only in Borno state, but also generally in Nigeria. So in the next two days we will interact, we will find out things, we will listen and share thoughts and by the time we finish we will know that we have all gained something, we have all learned and will be able to move forward in food production, and nutrition in this state and by extension in the whole of Nigeria. He said the two day meeting would provide opportunity for participants to also see the efforts being made by the Borno State Government in the area of food production. He commended the Borno State Governor for taking the lead in the area of investment on agricultural tools and equipment which he said surpassed that of any state in the country. He however said such multi-billion investment can only make meaning if there is a safe environment to put them to use for the general benefit of the people. And we have seen your agricultural equipment, and I can say authoritatively that there is no state in Nigeria that has the quantity of the agricultural equipment that Borno State has. The only thing now is how do we make use of the equipment for maximum production. He said government must do all that is possible to improve security so that locals could derived immense from the opportunities being made possible through agriculture. For that to happen, there must be efficient evidence of security, otherwise, those naughty boys and girls whom we call Boko Haram, will continue to look for soft underbelly, like a farmer working on his farm, an isolated village, where they will make life impossible through threats and intimidation of the life of the people, he said ADVERTISEMENT I believe what we are doing, zero hunger, would help in fighting the scourge of the insurgency. Earlier the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, said his government is very much alive with the challenges before it, which he said has to do with hunger and poverty. Prior to the insurgency, Borno used to be the home of wheat, rice, beans and animal production in Nigeriawe believe that we have challenges, no doubt about it. But the challenges is mainly tied to poverty. But agriculture provides us with the platform to fighting poverty, hunger and disease in our society. He said his government has invested in the whole agricultural value chain and in the fullness of time when peace is won, Borno will roll out its full-scale of its huge investment in the food production section which is said is second to none in the entire country. The meeting is being attended by the host governor, Kashim Shettima, and officials from federal ministry of agriculture, as well as others from Borno, Benue, Sokoto, Ogun and Ebonyi states. ADVERTISEMENT An aircraft operated by Nigerias largest airline, Arik Air, made an emergency landing on Tuesday when the pilot detected smoke in the cabin. The aircraft, travelling from Lagos to Accra, Ghana, had smoke coming from its cabin many miles away from its destination in Ghana. A passenger had taken to the social media Thursday complaining about alleged ill treatment meted out to the affected passengers on the flight when the plane eventually landed in Ghana after the experience. But the airline said in a statement on Thurday that there was no incident and that passengers disembarked without hitches. The airlines spokesperson, Adebanji Ola, said the captain briefed the passengers when the incident occurred. Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin 81 miles from Accra, the statement said. The captain of the flight briefed the passengers accordingly, assuring them that the aircraft was under control and safe for landing in Accra. The aircraft, a Dash 8 Q400, landed safely in Accra without further incident and all passengers disembarked normally. The incident occurred against the backdrop of series of near-mishaps recorded in the Nigerian aviation industry in recent weeks. In February, two separate incidents involving Dana aircraft in Abuja and Port Harcourt dominated the media space, with many calling on the government to pay serious attention to the aviation sector. Earlier, the runway of Akure airport was invaded by cows, delaying the landing of an aircraft for several minutes. The Nigerian government had Wednesday reacted to the Dana incidents when it ordered a complete audit of the airlines operations. On Thursday, Arik airline said the malfunctioning aircraft is currently parked in Accra and its team of engineers were conducting comprehensive inspections on it. The team would ascertain the cause of the smoke, it said, after which the aircraft would be flown without passengers to a maintenance facility for recertification and testing. The relevant aviation authorities in Ghana and Nigeria have been briefed appropriately on the incident, the statement said. ADVERTISEMENT A group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to dismiss the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh and The Minister of Information and culture Lai Mohammed for lying to the public. The request was made in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday and signed by the groups National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf. HURIWA made this demand on the president as a result of the alleged false claim of the Agric minister on Friday that Thailand accused Nigeria of being responsible for the collapse of its seven rice mills following an alleged fall in rice importation from the country as well as the Information ministers claim on the 27th of February that 100 Nigerian Air Force aircrafts had been deployed in search of the missing Dapchi girls. Both claims were faulted by the Thailand ambassador to Nigeria and the Nigerian Air Force respectively. The group urged the president to fire the ministers as they are wilfully being economical with the truth in the discharge of their public functions thereby polluting the innocent minds of Nigerian Children even as disseminating false information violates the criminal code Act of Nigeria. According to the statement, spreading of misinformation if not checkmated through outright dismissal, is capable of eroding national ethics and could twist the impressionistic minds of Nigerian children to believe that deliberate spreading of alleged falsehoods has no consequences. HURIWA further charged president Buhari to at least suspend Mr. Ogbeh from office and carry out further investigation within seven days on the veracity of his claims. We believe that Mr. President must suspend the Agriculture Minister pending further timely investigation and to order his sack eventually if contrary opinions alleging that he lied are proven as truth. The Nigerian law book even has legal sanction for providing false information and since the law is not a respecter of status or a class, the minister(s) of Agriculture and information must be made to face the consequences of wilful misinformation. The current President has claimed to be a man of honesty and so Nigerians are disappointed that his cabinet members have lied to Nigerians in not less than 10,000 times documented in media reports with the current controversy involving the Agriculture and Information Ministers being the most disgraceful acts of alleged betrayal of truth and public trust and amounts to criminal violation. Section 125A subsection (1) of the criminal code, affirms that: Any individual who gives any information which he knows or believes to be false, to any person employed in the public service with the intention of causing such person to do or omit to do anything which such person ought not to do or ought not to omit to do if the true facts concerning the information given were known to such person; or (b) to exercise or use his lawful powers as a person employed in the public service to the injury or annoyance of any other person, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for one year, the group said. ADVERTISEMENT For repeatedly raping his 16-year-old sister-in-law, a 52-year-old, Olusola Williams, is to be remanded in prison, an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court ruled on Friday. Mr. Williams is to remain in Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos, for the next 38 days, according to Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni, who had refused to take his plea. The accused, a generator repairer, who resides at 19, Water Andem St., Abule-Egba, a suburb of Lagos, is being tried for sexual assault. At the arraignment of the accused, the police prosecutor, Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offence was committed from 2009 to February 2018 at the apartment of the accused. Mr. Ogu said the secondary school girl, who is related to the accuseds wife, has been living with him since 2009. The girl who could not hide it any longer, told her principal when some social workers came to their school to show a film on sexual assault. According to the girl, her uncle has been sleeping with her since 2009 when she was eight years old, Ogu told the court. He added: The girl said the sexual abuse reduced to two times a week when she started menstruating in 2013. Before 2013, the accused used to sleep with her almost every day and the last time he slept with her was on Feb. 28, 2018. The case was reported at the police station and the accused was called for questioning and from there, he was detained and charged to court. The offence contravened Section 269 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offence carries life imprisonment under the Criminal Law. The magistrate adjourned the case until April 16. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Ministry of Health on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated the Governing Boards and Councils of some tertiary health institutions and agencies. A new governing council for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was among the boards inaugurated by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole. The 11-member Council is chaired by Enyantu Ifenne, a paediatrician. Welcoming the Governing Council, the Executive Secretary of NHIS, Usman Yusuf, said the new council will help douse the already perceived tension in the scheme. The council will offer the Scheme a fresh breath of air, by dousing the tension in the system and leading the way forward, Mr. Yusuf said in a statement by Ayo Osinlu, spokesperson of the scheme Thursday. There has been palpable tension in the outfit since the news of Mr. Yusufs controversial reinstatement broke. President Muhammadu Buhari last month reinstated Mr. Yusuf six months after he was suspended by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, following allegations of gross misconduct. Some NHIS workers last Thursday downed tools as Mr. Yusuf resumed work at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja. According to the workers, reinstating Mr. Yusuf was contrary to fairness and equity. Some other workers, however, demonstrated in support of the NHIS chief. Mr. Yusuf had in his first statement after the reinstatement urged the public not to be distracted by what they hear on or read in the media about his reinstatement by President Buhari. On Thursday, Mr. Yusuf solicited the support and cooperation of the management and staff of the Scheme for the council, to facilitate their constructive interventions and leadership. Addressing the management of the Scheme, the council chairman, Mr. Ifenne, acknowledged that the Council members were familiar with the enormous challenges facing the organisation, and pledged that the council was committed to resolving them. She expressed concern that the primary purpose of the scheme, which is to make healthcare physically and financially available to all Nigerians, is becoming far-fetched. Evidence of this, she said, is the unacceptably low coverage level, which must be addressed vigorously by all stakeholders. Mr. Ifenne, also regretted that the Scheme has been consistent in the news in recent times for unflattering reasons. She promised that she will take full advantage of the resourcefulness and vast exposure of the members of the council to address all thorny issues within the ambit of the laws setting up the Scheme. With Nigeria believed to be losing billions of dollars as a result of the continued delay in the passage into law of the Petroleum industry Bill, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, on Thursday urged Nigerians to use their voting power to pressurize political leaders to speed up the process. The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Waziri Adio, said Nigerians should deploy their voting power as bargaining chip to get the petroleum industry bill passed into law speedily. He said in the run up to the 2019 elections, politicians, particularly those in the National Assembly, should be given the immediate passage of the PIGB as condition for getting their votes. Mr. Adio spoke through a senior Technical Adviser in the agency, Dauda Garuba, who represented him at the maiden edition of the Round-table on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill organized by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) in collaboration with the Media Initiative on Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI) in Abuja. The NEITI Executive Secretary said in view of the strategic importance of the petroleum industry as a major contributor to the survival of the countrys economy, the PIGB meant to regulate the effective and efficient operations by all players should be given priority attention. The civil society organizations and the media have, for several years, highlighted through their advocacy and reportage, the high cost of not getting the PIB passed into law. Nigerians should take their destiny in their hands and give the politicians, particularly the lawmakers in the National Assembly, the speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill as condition for their votes in the forthcoming elections, Mr. Adio said. In his presentation on Critical Reform Issues Proposed in the PIGB, a professor of Petroleum Economics & Policy Research, Centre for Petroleum Energy Economics & Law, University of Port Harcourt, Wumi Iledare, said the delay in the passage of the PIB has become devastating to the countrys economy. Mr. Iledare said the absence of a good governance law regulating the petroleum industry operations has resulted in declining revenues, oil & gas production and national reserves, deferment of core investments of diversion of new investments to other destinations due to uncertainty in legal, regulatory, fiscal and commercial frameworks, declining competitiveness and infrastructure deficits. Other issues include loss of jobs as a result of gaps in governance structures, systems and people due to inadequate delivery capacity, lack of transparency, increased theft and sabotage as well as absence of policies to promote sustainability, open market, indigenous participation and equitable revenue distribution. He said the passage of the PIGB into law would establish a clear, separate, transparent and accountable regime between policy and supervision, regulation and commercial operations as against the current confusion that characterize operations in the industry. Team Leader, NNRC, Henry Adigun, said the continued delay in the passage of the PIB accounted for the negative no sufficient progress reported in two of the 12 precepts covered under the 2017 recent Benchmarking Exercise Report, including legal and regulatory frameworks in the petroleum industry. Mr. Adigun expressed confidence the collaboration between NNRC and MITEI would create the awareness necessary to persuade those in positions of authority to act positively towards the speedy passage of the Bill. In her introductory remarks, the Programme Coordinator, NNRC, Tengi George-Ikoli, said the roundtable on the theme Understanding the Petroleum Sector Reforms, was expected to improve participants understanding of reforms proposed by the PIGB to help advocate for its speedy assent. The passage of the PIGB by the Senate in May, 2017 and the House of Representatives in January, 2018 shows the willingness of the Legislature to lead, by embracing much needed reforms in Nigerias petroleum sector, Ms. George-Ikoli said. Senior Technical Assistant, Upstream & Gas, Adegbite Adeniji, who represented the minister of Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said the Ministry remains optimistic the PIGB may finally be harmonized and passed by the two Chambers of the National Assembly before June. He allayed fears about the post-PIGB era in the industry, particularly concerning labour issues, saying what the country needed most was a very good and fully independent regulator insulated from all forms of interference in its operations. Having a very good regulator is key. But, not having competent people to manage it is equally dangerous. When we say competent people, it does not mean plans to lay off workers, he assured. The Consultant to the National Assembly Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Francis Adigwe, said the lawmakers have reached a point where the PIGB may be passed on or before June. ADVERTISEMENT There is little or nothing left to harmonize. It is not going to be a complex job, except that the budget is taking time now. It is almost certain that by the end of this month work on the harmonization would be completed by the two Chambers. This means perhaps by next month the bill will be ready. I think we are getting to the dying minutes of this whole process, he said. The process to overhaul the petroleum industry law began in 2000 under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. But, passage of the draft PIB has delayed for over 17 years. To ensure easy passage, the original draft PIB was in 2016 split into four parts, namely Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and Petroleum Host Community Bill. Comparatively, over the last five years, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana all passed their respective petroleum sector bills in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2016 respectively. ADVERTISEMENT The Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance(APDA) has described as shocking the comment by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on the possibility of military take over of power in Nigeria. The party made this known in a statement on Friday by its publicity secretary, Tosin Adeyanju. At a senate plenary on Wednesday, Mr. Ekweremadu had said The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy, that is the issue. The comment drew a reaction from the military through the Acting Director, Defence Information, John Agim, a brigadier-general, who in a statement on Thursday said although the statement appeared cautionary, it was derogatory to the Army and Armed forces of Nigeria in its expression. In its own reaction on Friday, APDA described Mr. Ekweremadus comment as regrettable and urged the military to disregard it as well. Our democracy is evolving and we all must be patient to see it mature to a stage that will be the envy of all, the party said. No doubt we are still far from where we should be as a nation, but we are moving towards it and all stakeholders in the Nigeria project must be part of this journey of nation building and not be involved in destroying our hard-earned democracy. We are aware of the challenges being faced by Nigerians but that those challenges are surmountable if we all unite towards nation building and contribute our quota at any area of endeavour we may find ourselves. We should all remember that we have no other country than Nigeria and we must do things that promote unity and prosperity of the country at all times. Our democracy should be protected and strengthened by all citizens of our country because it is the only vehicle that will take us to our prosperity. The party appealed to the National Assembly to desist from instigating the military to truncate the countrys nascent democracy. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, to apologise to Nigerians and resign making false claims on Thailand closing down its rice mills on account of reduced importation from Nigeria. The party in a statement on Friday by its national publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Mr. Ogbeh should immediately toe the path of honour and resign for portraying Nigeria as a lying nation. The minister had claimed that a Thailand diplomat told him in a private conversation that President Muhammadu Buharis policy of reducing importation of rice and encouraging local production led to the collapse of seven rice mills in Thailand and an unemployment crisis in the country. Just like two weeks ago, the ambassador of Thailand came to my office and said to me that we have really dealt with them. But I asked what did we do wrong and he said unemployment in Thailand was one of the lowest in the world, 1.2 per cent, it has gone up to four percent because seven giant rice mills have shut down because Nigerias import has fallen by 95 per cent on rice alone, Mr. Ogbeh was quoted as saying. However, Ambassador of Thailand to Nigeria, Wattana Kuwongse in a subtle criticism a few hours later had chided the minister for incorrect misrepresentation of what was discussed between the two officials. He said the ministers claim of the collapse of his nations rice mills was not true even as he tried to lessen his indignation by saying the two nations had a mutually beneficial relationship. The minister is yet to clarify his claims or offer any explanation. The opposition PDP said the whole world was appalled by the ministers deception. The PDP said this development has further dragged down the image of the nation which the APC-led administration has wrecked in the last three years. Its statement reads in part: It is clear that the intention of the APC-led Federal Government was to use the Minister of Agriculture to mislead Nigerians into believing that the Buhari-led administration has achieved national self-sufficiency in food production; a stunt which fell flat on its face and brought the nation into international ridicule. Nigerians will recall that the same minister, last year, programmed the exporting of rotten yams and brought the country into international disrepute, all in the desperate bid of APC interests to score cheap political points and push their ill-lucked 2019 re-election bid. Earlier this week, President Buharis handlers made the nation a laughing stock in the international arena when they railroaded the President into offering to help Ghana in the fight against corruption, when back at home, the APC controlled Federal government is an ocean of corruption and false claims. This is a government where officials deliberately issue false security assurances, particularly in the northeast region, making the people vulnerable to attacks. Nigerians have not forgotten how this government lied that it had recovered the abducted Dapchi girls only for the report to turn false and frustrated prompt effort that would have led to the recovery of our daughters. Nigerians have seen that the hallmark of the APC-led Federal Government is falsehood, deception and lies but they are shocked that Government officials could invent and peddle bare-faced lies in the international arena. Nigerians can now see the weight of our earlier caution to always cross-check any information or performance indices issued to them by the Presidency or officials of the APC government no matter how highly placed. We therefore charge the Minister of Agriculture to toe the path of honour and immediately resign and tender and unreserved apology to Nigerians. ADVERTISEMENT DAI today hosted leading figures from Nigerias government, Nigerian civil society, and the international community in a productive discussion of the role of governance in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Issued under the auspices of the United Nations, the 17 SDGs are a call to action designed to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The word governance does not appear anywhere in the titles of the 17 goals, said DAI Country Director, Joe Abah, who hosted the Governance Matters roundtable at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. But the truth is that governance is everywhere in the SDGsand without good governance, the goals will be very difficult to achieve. Among the panellists who discussed the centrality of good governance and efficient administration to Nigerias development including health, education, poverty reduction, economic growth, human capacity development and devolution of powerswere Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State; Abdullahi Ganduje, the Govenor of Kano State; Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health; and Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs . Paul Arkwright, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria was present to lend his support to the event. We intend that this roundtable will yield tangible, pragmatic, and achievable recommendations that governments at all levelsfederal, state, and localcan advocate for and implement to improve governance and, ultimately, service delivery for the Nigerian people, said Mr. Abah. In addition to the distinguished speakers from state and national government, the discussions featured senior representatives from the international donor, civil society, and implementing partner community, including: Stephen Haykin, USAID Mission Director; Debbie Palmer, Head of Office, DFID Nigeria; Jeremy Kanthor, Managing Director of DAIs Governance Sector and Asishana Okauru, Director-General of the Nigeria Governors Forum. DAIs Governance Matters roundtable is the first of a series of high-level events collectively known as the DAI Development Matters series, which will seek to strengthen the nexus between central governance institutions (such as planning, budgeting, and human resources) and service delivery performance in key sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, and trade and investment. Key Highlights from The Speakers DR. JOE ABAH COUNTRY DIRECTOR, DAI All donor funds put together, both grants and loans, cannot tackle Nigerias human development challenges. The key challenge for development practitioners must be how to support Nigeria to unlock its own resources for sustainable development. JEREMY KANTHOR MANAGING DIRECTOR GOVERNANCE, DAI GLOBAL About DAI Founded in 1970, DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, and ongoing projects in more than 100 countries. Named one of the worlds top 40 international development innovators, DAI works on the front lines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. In February 2018, DAI joined forces with GRID Consulting, Nigerias leading development consultancy. A long-time partner of DAIs, Lagos-based GRID specializes in financial advisory services, human resource management, and development program implementation. Governance practitioners and our colleagues from other development sectors operate with different vocabularies, incentives and methods. Finding commonalities is key and weve found that issues of sustainability, efficiency and access to services are areas where governance and other development sectors can find common ground to build from. We currently implement seven projects for four clients in Nigeria DFID, the European Commission, Chevron, and the US States Agency for International Development (USAID). We work at the Federal, State and local level on issues of governance, economic policy, public health, eater and sanitation, and agriculture market systems development. STEPHEN HAYKIN USAID MISSION DIRECTOR In many communities, we partner with public, private and non-government actors to leverage their commitment to improve services and promote economic activity We support civil society organizations to develop their capacity to seek more open and accountable governance DEBBIE PALMER HEAD OF OFFICE, DFID NIGERIA Nigeria is on the cusp of a demographic transition that could propel the country to become the economic superpower of Africa. We need healthy educated young people who can help the economic growth of this country The UK is moving from an unsustainable method of providing direct delivery support to one that promotes institutional change Government must provide the leadership on policy development and responses to crisis. Good governance is at the heart of overcoming human development constraints. Government needs to invest more and make sure that they reach the places where the money will matter most. MALLAM NASIR EL-RUFAI GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE The fundamental challenge that government faces in Nigeria is not financial resources but human resources. The greatest challenge to education is the breakdown of public schools. We believe that health and education and the only pathways to social mobility. Investment in education takes a generation to pay off We must have a healthy population of educated young people, for us to reap that population dividend. Fundamentally what has happened to quality of people in public service, among other things, has been the breakdown of the public-school system. ABDULLAHI UMAR GANDUJE- GOVERNOR OF KANO STATE When we are talking of human development, the two most important parameters are education and health. Kano State has the highest population in the country and therefore our challenges are serious. Our population can become a risk, we have to be very careful. We want to make our population an asset, therefore we take the issues of education and health very seriously. PROF. ISAAC FOLORUNSO ADEWOLE: MINISTER OF HEALTH Nigeria has a large stock of human resources, what we have is a challenging matter is the distribution. Over 60% of our human resources are in Lagos and Abuja, and the rest have little to cope with. There is a state in this country with 23 hospitals and 22 doctors. ADVERTISEMENT PRINCESS ADEJOKE ORELOPE-ADEFULIRE SSAP-SDGS There is a dire need for concerted actions by all actors involved for the delivery of public services. Good governance is participatory, effective, and accountable. The core principles of the Sustainable Development Goals focus on people, dignity, planet, prosperity and peace. A big issue for governments will be how to align policies given the breadth and complexity of the goals and the ned to include an unprecedented range of public & private parties in policy creation and implementation. Since coming on board, as an office we have assiduously worked with federal MDAs, Partners, and other stakeholders to mainstream the SDGs into National development strategy especially the framework of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan as well as the sectoral plans. To enhance the legislative and oversight roles of the parliament, the National Assembly has two standing committees on the SDGs in each of the chambers. LOLA TALABI-ONI REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS Multiple sources of data used to compile baseline data makes it difficult to conduct straight comparisons (MDG Study 2015, SDG Study 2016, MICS 2011, MICS 2017). This will improve as we transition to tracking. It is still very necessary to continue to sensitize various stakeholders, especially the MDAs at federal and state levels, on the importance of timely & accurate data, particularly administrative data that are relevant to the indicators. In line with the Statistics Act 2007, it is important for standardization & tracking, that no other body in Nigeria should be given approval to carry out surveys or publish data related directly or indirectly to any SDGs without the involvement of the NBS. Several sources of data, statistical approaches, including data mining have been used to compile SDG baseline & monitoring data. To enable consistency, NBS should be involved in the tracking of the indicators, & in the use of further surveys with regards to SDGs. There are significant gaps in the MDAs which call for continuous training and capacity building to ensure effective monitoring of the SDGs progress. ADVERTISEMENT The Enugu State Council of the Nigerian Legion has commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his rare gesture in donating N19.6 million empowerment grant to 96 widows of fallen heroes of the Nigerian Army residing in Abakpa and Awkunanaw Barracks, Enugu to assist them start businesses of their choice to ameliorate their sufferings. Mr. Ugwuanyi, who took note of the plight of the widows during the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, promised the intervention of his administration, leading to the recent approval and release of the money to the 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu for disbursement to the women. Consequently, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Enugu, Adamu Abubakar, recently disbursed the cash to the affected widows, on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai. Reacting to the development, the chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Enugu State Council, Emeka Igwesi, thanked Mr. Ugwuanyi for his spirited and magnanimous financial support to the widows and families of the fallen heroes, describing him as an unprecedented, exceptional and caring leader. The legion chairman stated that the gesture shows that Mr. Ugwaunyi is sensitive to the plight of the people irrespective of their socio-cultural, religious and political differences, adding that the money will go a long way to ameliorate the sufferings of the women. He also applauded Mr. Ugwuanyi for his unrelenting support and commitment to the welfare of the ex-servicemen, saying: These rare gestures have given the state Legion a sense of belonging and placed the body ahead of several other Legions in the country. The 82 Divisions GOC had while presenting the cash to the wives of the fallen heroes thanked Mr. Ugwuanyi for his continued support to the widows and the Division. The beneficiaries also appreciated Mr. Ugwuanyi for the empowerment grant, caring spirit and passion for the less privileged in the society, and promised to use the money judiciously to improve their living standard. ADVERTISEMENT The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has attacked a gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Seyi Makinde, over the queries he raised against the allocation of over N14 billion to the office of the state governor. The party said the PDP chieftains assumptions were erroneous and misleading, noting that his additions were marred by his ambition to govern the state in a hurry. Mr. Makinde had said that the allocation of N15 billion or 12 per cent of the budget to the office of the governor over and above the health and education sectors which received 2 per cent and 1 per cent respectively was a dangerous misplacement of priority since both sectors were in urgent need of attention. He had also said that less than 3 per cent of the N271.7 billion budget for agriculture, which employs over two-third of the population, would trigger a higher rate of unemployment in the state, coupled with the constant attacks by Fulani herdsmen and the subsequent dislocation of farmers. Stock-piling the office of the governor with N15 billion for projects which will obviously be contracted out, while agriculture, health and education sectors suffer is a sad reminder that the out-going administration does not care about the welfare of our people and confirms its reputation as a government of contractors, said Mr. Makinde. He urged the people to brace up for harder times as a result of the unfriendly policies of the out-going government as the budget was not inclusive and its implementation would not be to their welfare. Reacting to Mr. Makindes criticisms, the APC said the governorship aspirant should stop his deliberate misrepresentation of facts in the states 2018 budget, saying that he would need tuition in elementary mathematics to perform as an elective office holder. The partys Director of Media, Abdulazeez Olatunde, said the desperation of Mr. Makinde to govern the state was beclouding his sense of judgment. He explained that 12 per cent of the 2018 budget would be in the region of N32 billion as against the submission of Mr. Makinde that N15 billion represented 12 per cent of N271 billion by his calculation, which was budgeted for the governors office in the present financial year. Mr. Olatunde also faulted Mr. Makindes figures of 3 per cent, 2 per cent and 1 per cent as being budgeted for agriculture, health and education respectively, saying that instead, the amount budgeted for agric was 10.3 per cent, (N28.02 billion) while 17.6per cent (N46.2 billion) was budgeted for education. He clarified that that the total estimate for the Governors Office was N14.02billion, representing 5.16 per cent of the total N271.7billion Budget which includes personnel cost, overhead costs, capital expenditure and consolidated charges. He noted that all MDAs drew from the Governors Office fund for running cross, adding that such funds covered MDAs / inter- ministerial projects and programs. An informed examination of the budget shows that all aspects of the budget are intertwined and inter-connected, said Mr. Olumide. The budget is a financial proposal for the year. There is no way you separate the benefits of Road Construction from Youth Empowerment, Health Care Delivery and improved Agricultural yields. All Projects and Programmes of Government, as proposed in the Budget, are aimed at enhancing the Socio- Economic well-being of the citizens of Oyo State. APC as a responsible party has taken the pain to study anew the recently passed 2018 Budget of Oyo State, in order to objectively examine the claims made by Mr. Seyi Makinde. We have presented empirically backed statement of facts, on the issues raised and it is very clear that Mr. Seyi Makinde is being outrightly malevolent. For Mr. Seyi Makinde, the campaign for 2019 has begun early, albeit a very dirty and conscienceless campaign. ADVERTISEMENT Despite agreements reached at the reconciliation meeting by the David Mark-led committee on Ekiti crisis, the governor of the state, Ayo Fayose, has insisted that his preference and support for his deputy, Kolapo Olusola, remain untouched. The former president of the Senate, along with other leaders of the party, met with Mr. Fayose and other aggrieved members of the party last Friday in Abuja with a view to resolve the lingering crisis in the Ekiti Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the governorship primaries. The governor ignited a crisis when he adopted Mr. Olusola as his candidate for the election which holds in July 14 and got the party stakeholders in the state to endorse him before the primaries. Other aspirants, including former PDP spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye; a serving senator, Biodun Olujimi; Dare Dejide; and Owoseni Ajayi have rejected the governors stance, saying he had already compromised the primaries and by his actions contravened the spirit and letters of the partys constitution. However, the meeting last Friday urged the governor to create a level-playing field for all aspirants in the interest of the party. All the parties agreed to a free, fair and credible primary to elect a gubernatorial candidate for the July polls, part of the resolution read. It was gathered that Mr. Fayose pledged to work with any of the contestants who emerges at the primary, even as none of the contestants were persuaded to withdraw. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, Mr. Fayose said in spite of the peace meeting, nothing would make his change his mind in his support for his deputy. In the spirit of understanding we had with (the) Senator David Mark-led reconciliation committee, knowing that we have more than one aspirant, I will ensure a level-playing ground, he said. I have pitched my tent with Prof. Olusola and I stand with him, today and tomorrow. We are going to give everybody the right of primary. The party has tentatively slated the primary for April 29, 2018. The governor begged Ekiti women to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to make his continuity agenda realisable. His continuity entails a vote for his choice candidate as governor come July 14, 2018. The 2019 is very crucial and the 2018 elections in Ekiti and Osun will be acid tests. I am appealing to INEC, police and other security agencies to be transparent, he said. I want to use this opportunity to tell the international community that I am a one-man army opposition to APC in Nigeria and what they want to do is to rig election here in Ekiti but we shall resist them. CEO of The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, Amanda Linton, visited the Link4 office to provide an up to date insight into bookkeeping. This allows the Link4 team to stay on top of things and continue to serve bookkeepers diligently. Contact Maggie Leese Link4 Australia ***@link4.co Maggie LeeseLink4 Australia End -- In her recent visit, Amanda Linton talked about the main issues bookkeepers face in their day-to-day business. More importantly, she discussed how technology is dramatically changing how they undertake their work. Bookkeepers are taking on a completely different role now to what they were a decade ago."Ten years ago, bookkeepers would spend around 80 percent of their time entering data from invoices, but these days it is only about 20 percent of their time," said Amanda Linton when talking about how a bookkeeper's role has changed.The Link4 team have already taken on advice from Amanda's talk ensuring they are always providing the best service possible for their bookkeeper clients."Now that we have confirmed and deepened our understanding of a bookkeeper's perspective, Link4 will continue to assist bookkeepers with collecting invoices, reducing debtor collection days and improving payment collection processes - allowing them to be even more efficient," said Robin Sands, CEO and Co-Founder of Link4 Australia.One change Link4 will be making in the coming months is pre-recording their webinars. This is in response to knowing that bookkeepers have different time pressures and would like more control of when they wish to educate themselves."We want to make it even easier for bookkeepers, and everyone else, to watch our webinars. In our webinars, we strive to improve people's understanding of digital invoicing, educate about recent developments and cutting-edge tools to further optimise a company's efficiency. From now on they will be easily accessible and can be watched from anywhere at any time," Sands said.The Link4 team were very grateful to Amanda for her visit and the insight she provided."We aim to work closely with experts in the industry and really appreciate Amanda sharing her time with us and giving us a frontline perspective of what a bookkeeper faces in 2018," Sands said.Link4 allows businesses to exchange invoices instantly from one cloud accounting system to another - providing the safest and most efficient way of delivering invoices online. The true eInvoicing solution that Link4 Australia provides saves both time and money for small and medium businesses, whilst increasing cash flow for suppliers. There is no installation and no long-term commitments required. HOUSTON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The annual Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation honor engineering excellence and achievement in the upstream petroleum industry. The MEA program recognizes new products and technologies that demonstrate innovation in concept, design and application. E&P magazine editors will present medallions and plaques to the 2018 winners of Hart Energy's MEAs on Monday, April 30, opening day of the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston's NRG Center. The May 2018 issue of E&P will showcase the winners' technologies. "Our magazine and its predecessors have consistently honored technical innovation that allows our industry to overcome seemingly impossible challenges," said Jennifer Presley, Executive Editor, E&P. "The Meritorious Awards for Engineering reflect the best of the best in technological advancement." The expert panel of judges included engineers and scientists from operating and consulting companies worldwide; service company professionals were not eligible to join the panel. They applied their knowledge to select winners in their areas of expertise. Judges were excluded from categories in which they or their companies have a business interest. The 2018 Honorees: ARTIFICIAL LIFT Lift IQ Production Life Cycle Management Service Schlumberger DRILLBITS StingBlock Advanced Stabilization Conical Element Cutter Block Schlumberger DRILLING FLUIDS/STIMULATION CEMPRO+ Pegasus Vertex, Inc. DRILLING SYSTEMS Endura Dual-String Section Mill Weatherford JetPulse High-Speed Telemetry Service Halliburton EXPLORATION DrillCam Saudi Aramco FORMATION EVALUATION Pulsar Multifunction Spectroscopy Service Schlumberger HSE CO 2 -EOR and Sequestration Project with a Comprehensive Monitoring Program Saudi Aramco HYDRAULIC FRACTURING/PRESSURE PUMPING SC Bowhead II Stage Completions INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS WellWatcher Advisor Real-Time Intelligent Completion Software Schlumberger IOR/EOR/REMEDIATION Torus Insert Safety Valve Baker Hughes, a GE company NON-FRACTURING COMPLETIONS IMAGE Frac 2.0 pressure-based fracture maps Reveal Energy Services ONSHORE RIGS AutoTong System Weatherford SUBSEA SYSTEMS Helically Grooved Buoyancy for VIV Suppression Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. About Hart Energy For more than 40 years, Hart Energy editors and experts have delivered market-leading insights to investors and energy industry professionals. The Houston-based company produces award-winning monthly magazines (such as Oil and Gas Investor, E&P and Midstream Business); online news and data services; in-depth industry conferences (like the DUG conference series); GIS data sets and mapping solutions; and a range of research and consulting services through Stratas Advisors. For information, visit hartenergy.com. Contact: Kate Clark [email protected] tel +1.713.260.4657 SOURCE Hart Energy Related Links http://www.hartenergy.com KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SeniorVu recognized 22 senior living communities nationwide for exceptional development of their community census in 2017. Awards are presented annually based on criteria regarding number of tours scheduled, number of tours completed and number of move-ins in 2017. "It's one of the most important metrics our sales and marketing team tracks throughout the year. To be recognized for the daily, monthly and yearly effort to drive occupancy to quality levels is good for our community and for our brand," says Jean Dennis of The Piper Life. "We know how hard our team works to achieve success and we're proud of that. We truly appreciate the recognition from SeniorVu." In the last 18 months, SeniorVu has signed up 700 senior living communities across the country to provide their lead generation and marketing automation platform to locate future senior living residents. "The Piper Life is serious about driving their census," says Kristy Watson, Director of Client Management. "They are one of those partner communities that is always looking for better ways to market to reach potential future residents, and at the same time, they understand and honor relationship building which is what families are looking for when making such a delicate and emotional decision as moving a loved one to senior living." About SeniorVu SeniorVu is a state-of-the-art lead generation and marketing automation platform that uses sophisticated machine-learning algorithm technology combined with big data to find future residents for senior living communities. Their team of Family Advocate Managers qualifies those leads and schedules tours for seniors and their adult children who are ready to purchase. About Piper We are a breakthrough concept in senior living. Residents of The Piper are the architects of their own daily lives. They set their own agendas each day in this self-directed lifestyle. With private apartments, plus, community space for gathering with friends, Piper honors its residents in this rare senior living setting. This atmosphere engenders a feeling of life at home among friends and family. Contact Valissa Smith, VP, Strategic Communications [email protected] SOURCE SeniorVu DALLAS, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alerian announced the results of the March quarterly review for the Alerian Index Series. All changes will be implemented as of the close of business on Friday, March 16, 2018. Alerian MLP Index (AMZ) and Alerian MLP Equal Weight Index (AMZE). CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR) and Hi-Crush Partners (NYSE: HCLP) will be added to the AMZ and AMZE. CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR) and Hi-Crush Partners (NYSE: HCLP) will be added to the AMZ and AMZE. Alerian Energy Infrastructure Capital Strength Select Index (AMCS) : Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP) will be added to and Macquarie Infrastructure Corp (NYSE: MIC) will be removed from the AMCS. : Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP) will be added to and Macquarie Infrastructure Corp (NYSE: MIC) will be removed from the AMCS. Alerian Large Cap MLP Index (AMLI). Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP) will be removed from the AMLI. Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP) will be removed from the AMLI. Alerian Mid Cap MLP Index (AMMI). Enbridge Energy Partners will be added to and Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE: SPH) and Terra Nitrogen Company (NYSE: TNH) will be removed from the AMMI. Enbridge Energy Partners will be added to and Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE: SPH) and Terra Nitrogen Company (NYSE: TNH) will be removed from the AMMI. Alerian Small Cap MLP Index (AMSI) . Cypress Energy Partners (NYSE: CELP), Mid-Con Energy Partners (NASDAQ: MCEP), Suburban Propane Partners, and Terra Nitrogen Company will be added to the AMSI. There are no constituent changes to the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index (AMZI), Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index (ANGI), Alerian Energy Infrastructure Index (AMEI), and the Alerian MLP Closed End Fund Index (AMCI). In addition, each index will be rebalanced in accordance with their existing methodology. Constituent additions to and deletions from an index do not reflect an opinion by Alerian on the investment merits of the respective securities. About Alerian Alerian equips investors to make informed decisions about Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and energy infrastructure. Its benchmarks, including the flagship Alerian MLP Index (AMZ), are widely used by industry executives, investment professionals, research analysts, and national media to analyze relative performance. As of February 28, over $14 billion is directly tied to the Alerian Index Series through exchange-traded funds and notes, separately managed accounts, and structured products. For more information, including index values and constituents, research content, and announcements regarding rebalancings, please visit alerian.com. SOURCE Alerian Related Links http://www.alerian.com SALT LAKE CITY, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The company, now based in Salt Lake City, Utah, announced plans to move its headquarters to Colorado before the end of the year. "We have made the strategic business decision to be in the Greater Denver Metro Area," said Ryan Farris, President and Chief Operating Officer of AlphaGraphics. "We are reviewing specific location alternatives and expect to make a final decision shortly." AlphaGraphics currently has approximately 250 independently-owned AlphaGraphics Business Centers in the U.S., including nine in Colorado, from Grand Junction to Greeley. The company is focused on growing its network of Business Service Centers in the U.S. The AlphaGraphics network is currently supported by a seasoned team of nearly 50 full-time employees. In the move, the company will consolidate much of its finance, marketing and network support service teams in the new location. AlphaGraphics considered several U.S. cities for the headquarters relocation. "The Denver area has excellent air transportation connections, a highly skilled labor force and other impressive characteristics to support the company's growth plans," said Paolo Fiorelli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MBE Worldwide, which acquired AlphaGraphics in October 2017. "The Denver area is a great metropolitan market to attract and retain top talent to meet the company's needs for the future. The area also has good transportation connections, a beautiful natural environment, a vibrant culture and a balanced emphasis on the quality of work and life," according to Farris. "Colorado is certainly an exciting next chapter for the future of AlphaGraphics and only builds upon the tremendous growth, entrepreneurial owners, and excellent corporate talent that the Salt Lake Area and State of Utah has provided," Farris said. "We look forward to continuing to leverage and work with the tremendous owners and their teams in the Salt Lake Area, and all other owners in the AlphaGraphics family, as we continue working together to grow this great brand." Rebecca Gillis Denver, Colorado - Global Business Development Manager - Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said, "We here at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade have been working alongside stakeholders at AlphaGraphics, Inc to demonstrate that our state will provide a great atmosphere to move into and grow. We are excited the team has made the decision to relocate their headquarters to our state! AlphaGraphics chose Colorado for a favorable and affordable business environment, ample availability of talent, and excellent domestic and global connectivity for executive leadership. This is a significant addition to our business ecosystem. OEDIT and the State of Colorado welcomes AlphaGraphics, Inc as a valued member of our corporate community." About AlphaGraphics AlphaGraphics, Inc., with more than 250 locations in 5 countries, is one of the largest U.S.-based networks of locally-owned and operated Business Centers offering a complete range of print, visual communications, and marketing products and solutions including: full-service digital, offset, and large format printing; design services; mailing; one-to-one marketing solutions; promotional products; web to print solutions. For more information about AlphaGraphics services and/or franchise opportunities, go to www.alphagraphics.com. About MBE Worldwide MBE Worldwide, a family-owned Italian holding company based in Milan, which originally started as a Master Franchisee of MBE Inc. in 1993, and subsequently acquired the worldwide Mail Boxes Etc. business (except for the United States of America and Canada, which remain under MBE Inc.) in May 2009 from UPS Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, U.S.-based MBE Inc. Mail Boxes Etc. is one of the world's largest networks of conveniently located business service centers offering logistics, printing, marketing, communication and support services to business and private customers. MBE's Service Centers are owned and managed by franchised entrepreneurs and supported by experienced service teams. With the acquisition of both AlphaGraphics and PostNet (also headquartered in Denver) in 2017, MBE expanded its network to ca. 2,500 locations in 44 countries, and projects combined System-wide sales of approximately $940 Million for 2017. For more information about MBE Worldwide, please visit www.mbeglobal.com. SOURCE AlphaGraphics, Inc. Related Links http://www.alphagraphics.com ROHNERT PARK, Calif., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- While millennials are reportedly saving money at faster rates than other generations did at their age, many still struggle. With high student loans and other debt payments demanding attention each month, it can be difficult for many young adults to put any money aside. However, when their employer expects them to front work expenses, it becomes important to build a savings account. Ameritech Financial, a document preparation company that assists federal student loan borrowers with applications for income-driven repayment plans, may be able to help borrowers reduce their monthly student loan payment so that they can prepare for extra work costs. Every job includes expenses that employees are expected to cover. Things like transportation to and from work are usually the employee's responsibility. Travel for work or during work hours, on the other hand, is usually covered by the employer. So are things like restaurant bills for wine-and-dine or sales outings, lodging for extended out-of-town work obligations and costs for supplies or equipment. Some employers expect the employee to front the cost, promising to reimburse them later. While some employees welcome the opportunity to put work expenses on credit cards for rewards, others may find it difficult to cover those costs due to a lack of savings or credit. "When a big portion of your monthly income goes to student loans, it can be difficult to put any money aside in savings," said Tom Knickerbocker, executive vice president of Ameritech Financial. "But when your employer expects you to front work expenses, any tight budget can get a little tricky." Student loan borrowers working in jobs that may require out-of-pocket expenses should communicate with their employer about what that process entails. If reimbursement is standard, they should ask how long it usually takes to receive reimbursement. For those who do not have money in savings because their student loan payments have prevented them from setting money aside, they should prepare a plan to deal with any extra expenses. Saving money is possible while paying down student loans. For some borrowers, creating and sticking to a strict budget might be enough. For others, a change in repayment plan might be in order. The Department of Education offers several income-driven repayment plans (IDRs) that calculate monthly payments as a percentage of discretionary income. For many, their payments may drop significantly based on their income and family size. Any monthly savings due to a repayment plan switch can be set aside to cover extra work or personal costs. "Work expenses are not always avoidable, and when they are high, it's nice to have savings to cover them," said Knickerbocker. "When student loans get in the way of saving, we encourage borrowers to consider IDRs. At Ameritech Financial, we help borrowers understand and apply for IDRs that we hope help them work toward their financial goals, whatever those goals may be." About Ameritech Financial Ameritech Financial is a private company located in Rohnert Park, California. Ameritech Financial has already helped thousands of consumers with financial analysis and student loan document preparation to apply for federal student loan repayment programs offered through the Department of Education. Ameritech Financial is a member of the Association for Student Loan Relief (AFSLR) and each representative on the phone has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA). Ameritech Financial prides itself on its exceptional customer service. Contact To learn more about Ameritech Financial, please contact: Ameritech Financial 5789 State Farm Drive #265 Rohnert Park, CA 94928 1-800-792-8621 [email protected] Related Links Ameritech Financial home page SOURCE Ameritech Financial Related Links https://ameritechfinancial.com ROHNERT PARK, Calif., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The cost of attending a four-year college has become too much for many students, as is evident by the national student loan crisis. Increasingly, community colleges are being touted as a reasonable alternative. Often local, community colleges boast lower tuition costs while offering associate's degrees or transferable credits. They can also offer more flexible schedules and smaller classes, making them appealing to nontraditional students. However, it can still be risky to take out loans for community college. Ameritech Financial, a document preparation company, helps federal student loan borrowers understand and apply for income-driven repayment plans that are intended to make monthly repayment more affordable. "Attending a local community college can greatly reduce costs, whether students earn an associate's degree or transfer to a four-year school to continue their education," said Tom Knickerbocker, Executive Vice President of Ameritech Financial. "Community college students are not immune to the risks of borrowing for their education, however, and should be careful if they need to borrow." The average cost of attending a public community college is about $3,500, which is less than half the average cost of a four-year public college. Many students minimize their education costs more by attending a local community college that allows them to live with their parents. While some students can work part-time and manage their course load to afford their community college education without taking out loans, many still take out loans. And with default rates approaching the high levels of for-profit schools, community college students who rely on loans should be careful. Students funding a community college education with loans should do so through the FAFSA to take advantage of federal student aid. By completing the FAFSA, they may discover they qualify for grants or scholarships, which do not need to be paid back. If students do need to borrow, they should commit to completing their degree program; borrowers who do not graduate are much more likely to default on their loans, which can have a lasting negative impact on their credit score and financial outcome. The Department of Education offers several income-driven repayment plans (IDRs) intended to help struggling borrowers manage their loan payments. By basing their payments on income and family size, IDRs have the potential to substantially reduce payments, enabling borrowers to afford their loans. "Even borrowers with small balances can fall behind on their loans, but IDRs can help them stay on track," said Knickerbocker. "At Ameritech Financial, we help borrowers apply for IDRs that are meant to make repayment more affordable." About Ameritech Financial Ameritech Financial is a private company located in Rohnert Park, California. Ameritech Financial has already helped thousands of consumers with financial analysis and student loan document preparation to apply for federal student loan repayment programs offered through the Department of Education. Ameritech Financial is a member of the Association for Student Loan Relief (AFSLR), and each representative on the phone has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA). Ameritech Financial prides itself on its exceptional Customer Service. Contact To learn more about Ameritech Financial, please contact: Ameritech Financial 5789 State Farm Drive #265 Rohnert Park, CA 94928 1-800-792-8621 [email protected] Related Links Ameritech Financial home page SOURCE Ameritech Financial Related Links https://ameritechfinancial.com "We took one of our most popular profiles, added key features, and used the same high performance technology that goes into our Titan Deep Freeze cooler to build this ultimate lunch bag", explains Greg Anger, VP Product Management at Arctic Zone. Fridge cold performance starts with high density, thick SuperFoam insulation, Therma-Flect radiant barrier and a welded interior lining that in combination keep the cold in and the heat out. The fridge cold performance is further enhanced by 2 high performance Ice Walls that surround food with long lasting cold. The Ice Walls fit inside two exterior pockets. This means that you can pack lunch the night before, refrigerate it and insert the Ice Walls in the morning without having to open the lunch pack so that no cold escapes. The Titan Deep Freeze Expandable Lunch Pack doubles in capacity when expanded and features Rhino-Tech exterior material that is water and stain resistant and wipes clean easily. Fridge cold, twice as big when expanded and easy to clean what more could you want? Arctic Zone will be located in booth S4266 in the South building at the 2018 International Home & Housewares Show. Along with the Titan Deep Freeze Lunch Collection, the booth will also showcase other segments of the Back to School line including Core, Kid's, Freezables, Classics, Fashion, Healthy Lunch, Food Pro and Columbia. For more information visit: http://housewares_show.vporoom.com/CaliforniaInnovations About Arctic Zone California Innovations was launched in 1986 with a mission to create innovative, insulated products. In 2005, it acquired Arctic Zone, a leading Chicago based insulated products company that shared a passion for innovation. Today Arctic Zone is the worldwide market leader in soft sided coolers and lunch packs with decades of experience and expertise. Offices are located in Toronto, Chicago, Montreal and Shenzhen. SOURCE California Innovations MIAMI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Many people have had a terrible boss or client at one point in their career. Some of them maybe gave serious consideration on how to settle the score. Mental health professionals often recommend putting horrific employment experiences onto paper and whole heartily telling off the former abusers. The key, then being, to rip it up. The concept is to NOT send it to the perpetrators! Find peace, become liberated and get closure. Buy your copy today! Do yourself a favor and give this a read. It's easy and takes about two hours. You'll want to read it again. Author Ray D. Martin offers a potentially even more liberating solution to irate employees that are searching for closure, healing and forgiveness. They will write a book about someone's horrible work experiences. That's right. With Ray's help, a disheveled employee-or more likely former employee, can now put all the juicy details of the backstabbing, verbal abuse, condescending behavior, leadership by fear mentality and company conspiracies into a well-written and entertaining piece of literature. The first book in the series Going In A Different Direction went live this week on Amazon, Kindle and iBooks as well as on many other publishing platforms. The book takes the reader on the journey of a middle-aged husband and father of two whose new managers hatched a diabolical scheme attempting to destroy his career and those of many others. The main character learns of the scheme and takes extreme measures to protect his ability to provide for his family and save his reputation. Martin used the client's "therapy letter" as a basis for the story. Then the team worked meticulously to transform it into a manuscript ready for publication. Martin's team was careful to change the industry, names, places and other facts to protect the identity of those involved. Martin states, "The intent is to help them heal and have a little fun, not start a feud." Martin further stated they do have a client insisting that no changes to the facts are made and intends to publish the work as a true story. "This client has good connections in Hollywood. The story is fascinating and screenplay probably isn't too far away." Martin offers this advice to bad bosses everywhere. "If you don't want an employee airing your company's dirty laundry in a book or turning it into original content for streaming services, don't give them a reason to. Your employees are your number one asset and should be treated as such." Click here to get your copy. Media Contact: Megan Whelan [email protected] 8133404118 SOURCE Ray D. Martin Books WELLESLEY, Mass., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Babson College has partnered with Ashoka U to co-host the 2018 Ashoka U Exchange on April 5-7, 2018 in Boston, MA. As one of the original Changemaker Campuses, Babson continues its commitment to social innovation by bringing the Ashoka U Exchange to the only city in the world that has three Ashoka U campuses. "In order to foster a society where everyone can be a 21st century leader, colleges and universities must equip students with the skills and passion to be changemakers," says Marina Kim, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ashoka U. "We're excited to convene Ashoka U's community of higher education innovators in Boston, which is a hotbed of social impact and educational best practices. We couldn't be more delighted to partner with Babson College, a global leader in changemaker education." The Exchange is one of the largest international gatherings for college and university professionals to learn and share leading practices for embedding social innovation in higher education. Throughout the gathering, participants come together to share how they equip aspiring changemakers - through their classrooms, co-curricular programs, departments, institutions, communities and beyond - to catalyze long-term, meaningful change and social impact. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit several of the city's leading social impact institutions. They will meet with and learn directly from some of Boston's top social innovators and change leaders, including Robert Lewis Jr. of The Base, Susan Rodgerson of Artists for Humanity, Jon Feinman of Innercity Weightlifting, and Doug Rauch of The Daily Table. They will also have a chance to participate in an extended working session with The Bridgespan Group. "We are very proud to be the co-host for the 2018 Ashoka U Exchange," says Cheryl Kiser, Executive Director of The Lewis Institute for Social Innovation at Babson College. "Here at Babson, social innovation and being an active Changemaker Campus is in our DNA. Through Entrepreneurial Thought & Action, we activate our community to use the power of business and entrepreneurship to challenge the status quo and create economic and social value everywhere." Register for the 2018 Ashoka U Exchange About Ashoka U Ashoka U catalyzes social innovation in higher education through a global network of entrepreneurial students, faculty and community leaders. Ashoka U is an initiative of Ashoka, the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs. Building on Ashoka's vision for a world where Everyone is a Changemaker, Ashoka U takes an institutional change approach to impact the education of millions of students. We collaborate with colleges and universities to break down barriers to institutional change and foster a campus-wide culture of social innovation. About The Lewis Institute The Lewis Institute illuminates pathways for students, faculty, staff, foundations, and corporate partners seeking social innovation solutions. By drawing upon Babson's core methodology of Entrepreneurial Thought & Action, we activate unexpected and fruitful collaborations and integrative designs for action. The result is business prosperity and societal improvement. We extend our impact through the Babson Social Innovation Lab, an action tank powered by Toyota that incubates people and ideas in the world of social innovation. About Babson College Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. Media Contacts: Michael Chmura Public Relations Director [email protected] Phone: 781-239-4549 This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise. For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com. SOURCE Babson College Related Links http://www.babson.edu The landmark work SLEEP was released on Deutsche Grammophon in 2015 to great critical acclaim. The eight-hour long piece is intended to send the listener to sleep; "the music is at times so soft and trance-inducing that you can't help but slip into a relaxed state," commented the Wall Street Journal. Scored for piano, strings, electronics and vocals, it's Richter's "personal lullaby for a frenetic world," he explains, and "a manifesto for a slower pace of existence." After being performed in Berlin, London, Sydney, Madrid, Zurich, Paris and Amsterdam, SLEEP will finally receive its North American concert premiere at SXSW. Universal Music Group and Brands (UMGB), the brand activation unit of Universal Music Group, brought together top-tier brands to elevate this traditional concert experience. "One of the most pervasive misconceptions of sleep is that it's simply our bodies 'turning off,'" said Warren Kornblum, interim Chief Marketing Officer, Serta Simmons Bedding. "Together with Max Richter, Beautyrest is celebrating sleep as an active state, when we restore and repair our bodies overnight in order to reach our full potential tomorrow. At Beautyrest we are dedicated to continued innovation and have been researching sleep and developing unparalleled mattress technology for close to 150 years. And we know that only when we achieve optimal sleep can we be our best awake selves." Following the event, Universal Music Group and Beautyrest will donate all mattresses to local Austin-based charities SAFE and Austin Disaster Relief Network. Additional experiential enhancements will come courtesy of Philips, a global leader in health technology with nearly 40 years of deep clinical expertise in sleep. "We're particularly interested in what Max has achieved with SLEEP because it aligns with our latest sleep innovations," says Dr. David White, Chief Scientific Officer at Philips. "Sound and tone interventions during the deepest stage of sleep (called slow-wave sleep) have been shown to enhance slow wave activity, leading to better quality sleep and improved daytime alertness. We're making strides in this area of research to continue the advancement of our sleep solutions." Max Richter stands as one of the most influential figures on the contemporary music scene, producing ground-breaking work as a recording artist, composer, pianist, and collaborator. He is best known for his genre-defining solo albums including The Blue Notebooks, Memoryhouse, Songs From Before, Infra, Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works and the eight-hour epic SLEEP. His 2012 record Recomposed By Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons topped the Classical charts in 22 countries. Richter has written widely for ballet, opera, and film, his recent projects including Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works for The Royal Ballet, Hostiles, directed by Scott Cooper, Miss Sloane, directed by John Madden, Black Mirror's 'Nosedive' directed by Joe Wright and Taboo for Tom Hardy, which earned him an Emmy nomination. His music is also featured in Damon Lindelof's cult HBO series The Leftovers, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, Ari Folman's Waltz With Bashir and as the opening and end theme in Denis Villeneuve's Oscar-winning film Arrival. In celebration of "World Sleep Day" on March 16th, SLEEP will be made available for the first time to digital streaming partners. SLEEP is released by the legendary classical label Deutsche Grammophon, which is distributed by Verve Label Group in the United States. The Verve Label Group (VLG), a division of Universal Music Group based in New York City, is home to many of the most acclaimed artists in Jazz and Classical music, while also strongly focused on championing emerging talent across all genres. About Deutsche Grammophon One of the most prestigious names in global classical music since its foundation in 1898, Deutsche Grammophon has always stood for the highest standards of artistry and sound quality. Home to the greatest artists of all time, the famous yellow label is a beacon to which music lovers all over the world look for outstanding recordings and interpretations. About Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC ("SSB") is the largest distributor and manufacturer of mattresses in the United States. The Atlanta-based company owns and manages two of the largest bedding brands in the mattress industry, Serta, which has five other independent licensees, and Beautyrest. The two brands are distributed through national, hospitality, and regional and independent channels throughout North America. SSB also owns Tomorrow, a direct-to-consumer mattress brand. SSB operates 32 manufacturing plants in the United States, six in Canada and one in Puerto Rico. For more information about SSB and its brands, visit www.sertasimmons.com. About Royal Philips Royal Philips is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2017 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 74,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. About SXSW SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. The event, an essential destination for global professionals, features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2018 will take place March 9-18, 2018. SOURCE Composer Max Richter RIDGEFIELD, Conn., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that important sub-analyses from three major trials will be presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 67th Annual Scientific Session, to be held March 10-12 in Orlando, Florida. In total, six abstracts have been accepted examining the novel oral anticoagulant, Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate), and its specific reversal agent, Praxbind (idarucizumab). The sub-analyses provide further data on the use of Pradaxa and Praxbind in a diverse group of patients, including non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting, patients with uncontrollable bleeding or needing an emergency procedure, and patients with acute deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. "Boehringer Ingelheim is proud to continue its research in anticoagulation care to help better meet the diverse and evolving needs of both patients and healthcare providers," said Thomas Seck, M.D., vice president, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "The safety and efficacy of Pradaxa and Praxbind are well-established and we look forward to sharing results from these new analyses, which we believe will provide further insight on the role these treatments can play for a range of patients." Details of the data to be presented at the ACC 67th Annual Scientific Session are as follows: Abstract Title Details (Venue: Orange County Convention Center, Orlando Florida) Does Renal Function Influence the Benefit of Dual Antithrombotic Therapy With Dabigatran in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention? Results from RE-DUAL PCI Session Title: 1101 Anticoagulation For the Appropriate Patient in Atrial Fibrillation Session Date: Saturday, March 10, 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Presentation Time: 10:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m. Location: Poster Hall, Hall A/B Speaker: Stefan Hohnloser Bleeding Events and Their Consequences on Cardiovascular Events, Readmission and Net Clinical Benefit Session Title: 1155 Outcomes After Myocardial Infarction and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Session Date: Saturday, March 10, 1:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Presentation Time: 3:45 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Location: Poster Hall, Hall A/B Speaker: Philippe Steg Relation of Stroke and Bleeding Risk Profiles to Efficacy and Safety of Dabigatran in Atrial Fibrillation After PCI: An Ancillary Analysis from the RE-DUAL PCI Trial Session Title: 1216M Arrhythmias and Clinical EP: New Drugs, New Insights Session Date: Sunday, March 11, 9:45 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Presentation Time: 9:45 a.m. 9:55 a.m. Location: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP Moderated Poster Theater, Poster Hall, Hall A/B Speaker: Gregory Lip Is It Safe to Switch OAC in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention? Results From a RE-DUAL PCI Subanalysis Session Title: 1194 Switching Antithrombotic Therapies and Genetic and Platelet Function Testing Session Date: Sunday, March 11, 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Presentation Time: 9:45 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Location: Poster Hall, Hall A/B Speaker: Jurrien Ten Berg Renal Impairment Does Not Compromise Dabigatran Reversal by Idarucizumab Session Title: 1231M The Clot Thickens: Advances in Venous Thromboembolism and Anticoagulation Session Date: Sunday, March 11, 12:30 p.m. 1:45 p.m. Presentation Time: 1:30 p.m. 1:40 p.m. Location: Vascular Medicine and Valvular Heart Disease Moderated Poster Theater, Poster Hall, Hall A/B Speaker: John W. Eikelboom Characterization of 6,122 Patients With Acute Venous Thromboembolism in Routine Clinical Practice: RE-COVERY DVT/PETM Prospective Global Cohort Study Session Title: 1300 We're So Vein! Emerging Concepts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism Session Date: Monday, March 12, 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Presentation Time: 9:45 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Location: Poster Hall, Hall A/B Speaker: Ivan Casella More information on the Boehringer Ingelheim data due to be presented or published at the ACC 67th Annual Scientific Session and Expo can be found here . Praxbind is the first and only approved specific reversal agent for a novel oral anticoagulant currently available. It is approved as a specific reversal agent for Pradaxa by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under accelerated approval. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon the results of an ongoing cohort case series study. About Praxbind (idarucizumab) INDICATIONS AND USAGE PRAXBIND is indicated in patients treated with Pradaxa when reversal of the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran is needed: For emergency surgery/urgent procedures In lifethreatening or uncontrolled bleeding This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on a reduction in unbound dabigatran and normalization of coagulation parameters in healthy volunteers. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon the results of an ongoing cohort case series study. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Thromboembolic Risk Dabigatran-treated patients have underlying diseases predisposing them to thromboembolic events. Reversing dabigatran therapy exposes patients to the thrombotic risk of their underlying disease. To reduce this risk, resumption of anticoagulant therapy should be considered as soon as medically appropriate. Re-elevation of Coagulation Parameters Elevated coagulation parameters (e.g., activated partial thromboplastin time or ecarin clotting time) have been observed in a limited number of PRAXBIND-treated patients. If reappearance of clinically relevant bleeding together with elevated coagulation parameters is observed or if patients requiring a second emergency surgery/urgent procedure have elevated coagulation parameters, an additional full dose may be considered. Hypersensitivity Reactions There is insufficient clinical experience evaluating risk of hypersensitivity to idarucizumab, but a possible relationship could not be excluded. Risk of hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylactoid reaction) to idarucizumab or excipients needs to be weighed cautiously against the potential benefit. If serious allergic reaction occurs, immediately discontinue PRAXBIND and institute appropriate treatment. Risk in Patients with Hereditary Fructose Intolerance PRAXBIND contains 4 g sorbitol as an excipient. When prescribing PRAXBIND in patients with hereditary fructose intolerance consider the total daily amount of sorbitol/fructose consumption from all sources as serious adverse reactions (e.g. hypoglycemia, hypophosphatemia, metabolic acidosis, increase in uric acid, acute liver failure and death) may occur. ADVERSE REACTIONS The most frequently reported adverse reaction in 5% of idarucizumab-treated healthy volunteers was headache (12/224). The most frequently reported adverse reactions in 5% of patients were hypokalemia (9/123), delirium (9/123), constipation (8/123), pyrexia (7/123) and pneumonia (7/123). As with all proteins there is a potential for immunogenicity with idarucizumab. In treated patients, treatment-emergent antibodies with low titers were observed (9/224). USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS Pregnancy and Nursing Mothers PRAXBIND should be given to a pregnant or nursing woman only if clearly needed. Please see full Prescribing Information . About Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) Indications and Usage Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules is indicated: to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT PRADAXA WARNING: (A) PREMATURE DISCONTINUATION OF PRADAXA INCREASES THE RISK OF THROMBOTIC EVENTS, (B) SPINAL/EPIDURAL HEMATOMA (A) PREMATURE DISCONTINUATION OF PRADAXA INCREASES THE RISK OF THROMBOTIC EVENTS Premature discontinuation of any oral anticoagulant, including Pradaxa, increases the risk of thrombotic events. If anticoagulation with Pradaxa is discontinued for a reason other than pathological bleeding or completion of a course of therapy, consider coverage with another anticoagulant (B) SPINAL/EPIDURAL HEMATOMA Epidural or spinal hematomas may occur in patients treated with Pradaxa who are receiving neuraxial anesthesia or undergoing spinal puncture. These hematomas may result in long-term or permanent paralysis. Consider these risks when scheduling patients for spinal procedures. Factors that can increase the risk of developing epidural or spinal hematomas in these patients include: use of indwelling epidural catheters concomitant use of other drugs that affect hemostasis, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), platelet inhibitors, other anticoagulants a history of traumatic or repeated epidural or spinal punctures a history of spinal deformity or spinal surgery optimal timing between the administration of Pradaxa and neuraxial procedures is not known Monitor patients frequently for signs and symptoms of neurological impairment. If neurological compromise is noted, urgent treatment is necessary. Consider the benefits and risks before neuraxial intervention in patients who are or will be anticoagulated. CONTRAINDICATIONS Pradaxa is contraindicated in patients with: - active pathological bleeding; - known serious hypersensitivity reaction (e.g., anaphylactic reaction or anaphylactic shock) to Pradaxa; - mechanical prosthetic heart valve WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS Increased Risk of Thrombotic Events after Premature Discontinuation Premature discontinuation of any oral anticoagulant, including Pradaxa, in the absence of adequate alternative anticoagulation increases the risk of thrombotic events. If Pradaxa is discontinued for a reason other than pathological bleeding or completion of a course of therapy, consider coverage with another anticoagulant and restart Pradaxa as soon as medically appropriate. Risk of Bleeding Pradaxa increases the risk of bleeding and can cause significant and, sometimes, fatal bleeding. Promptly evaluate any signs or symptoms of blood loss (e.g., a drop in hemoglobin and/or hematocrit or hypotension). Discontinue Pradaxa in patients with active pathological bleeding. Risk factors for bleeding include concomitant use of medications that increase the risk of bleeding (e.g., anti-platelet agents, heparin, fibrinolytic therapy, and chronic use of NSAIDs). Pradaxa's anticoagulant activity and half-life are increased in patients with renal impairment. Reversal of Anticoagulant Effect : A specific reversal agent (idarucizumab) for dabigatran is available when reversal of the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran is needed: : A specific reversal agent (idarucizumab) for dabigatran is available when reversal of the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran is needed: For emergency surgery/urgent procedures In life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding Hemodialysis can remove dabigatran; however clinical experience for hemodialysis as a treatment for bleeding is limited. Prothrombin complex concentrates or recombinant Factor VIIa may be considered but their use has not been evaluated. Protamine sulfate and vitamin K are not expected to affect dabigatran anticoagulant activity. Consider administration of platelet concentrates where thrombocytopenia is present or long-acting antiplatelet drugs have been used. Thromboembolic and Bleeding Events in Patients with Prosthetic Heart Valves The use of Pradaxa is contraindicated in patients with mechanical prosthetic valves due to a higher risk for thromboembolic events, especially in the post-operative period, and an excess of major bleeding for Pradaxa vs. warfarin. Use of Pradaxa for the prophylaxis of thromboembolic events in patients with AFib in the setting of other forms of valvular heart disease, including bioprosthetic heart valve, has not been studied and is not recommended. Effect of P-gp Inducers & Inhibitors on Dabigatran Exposure Concomitant use of Pradaxa with P-gp inducers (e.g., rifampin) reduces exposure to dabigatran and should generally be avoided. P-gp inhibition and impaired renal function are major independent factors in increased exposure to dabigatran. Concomitant use of P-gp inhibitors in patients with renal impairment is expected to increase exposure of dabigatran compared to either factor alone. Reduction of Risk of Stroke/Systemic Embolism in NVAF For patients with moderate renal impairment (CrCl 30-50 mL/min), reduce the dose of Pradaxa to 75 mg twice daily when dronedarone or systemic ketoconazole is coadministered with Pradaxa. For patients with severe renal impairment (CrCl 15-30 mL/min), avoid concomitant use of Pradaxa and P-gp inhibitors. ADVERSE REACTIONS The most serious adverse reactions reported with Pradaxa were related to bleeding. Most frequent adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of Pradaxa were bleeding & gastrointestinal (GI) events. Pradaxa 150 mg resulted in higher rates of major and any GI bleeds compared to warfarin. In patients 75 years of age, the risk of major bleeding may be greater with Pradaxa vs warfarin. Patients on Pradaxa 150 mg had an increased incidence of GI adverse reactions. These were commonly dyspepsia (including abdominal pain upper, abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, and epigastric discomfort) and gastritis-like symptoms (including GERD, esophagitis, erosive gastritis, gastric hemorrhage, hemorrhagic gastritis, hemorrhagic erosive gastritis, and GI ulcer) Other Measures Evaluated In NVAF patients, a higher rate of clinical MI was reported in patients who received Pradaxa (0.7/100 patient-years for 150 mg dose) than in those who received warfarin (0.6). Please see full Prescribing Information , including boxed WARNING and Medication Guide . About Boehringer Ingelheim Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation. Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, the company operates globally with approximately 50,000 employees. Since its founding in 1885, the company has remained family-owned and today creates value through innovation for three business areas including human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving lives and providing valuable services and support to patients and their families. Our employees create and engage in programs that strengthen our communities. Please visit our website to learn more about how we make more health for more people through our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. In 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about $17.6 billion (15.9 billion euros). R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.6 percent of its net sales. For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.us, or follow us on Twitter @BoehringerUS. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. either owns or uses the trademarks Pradaxa, Praxbind, RE-VERSE AD, RE-DUAL PCI and RE-COVERY DVT/PE under license. SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Related Links http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.us MONTREAL, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB) received a 2018 Value Creation Award from the Canadian Dealmakers during its annual awards gala last evening in Toronto. As the only award program of its kind in Canada, Canadian Dealmakers recognizes both Canadian companies and individuals for their significant contributions to the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market. Awards are given to recipients whose transactions have significantly impacted their industry by promoting innovation and growth, establishing M&A best practices, enhancing customer service and/or product delivery, and creating value that extends beyond a return on investment. The Value Creation Award recognizes a Canadian headquartered company that has demonstrated significant value creation through an acquisition completed in the last five years. From fiscal 2013 to 2018, CGI's stock price appreciated by more than 180% or 24% growth per year over the period. "We are honoured to receive this prestigious award," said Francois Boulanger, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. "CGI is committed to driving value for all of our stakeholdersour professionals, clients and shareholdersthrough a 'Build and Buy' strategy focused on both organic growth and acquisitions. On the buy side, our approach to M&A is fully integrated with our operations and aligned on three key criteria to acquire the right company at the right time and for the right price. This approach, which has served us well for more than four decades, ensures every acquisition delivers the highest value possible for all our stakeholders, and we look forward to continued success as we expand our global presence and scale in 2018 and beyond." CGI has previoiusly received two Canadian Dealmakers Awards for its 2012 acquisition of Logica. About CGI Founded in 1976, CGI is the fifth largest independent end-to-end IT and business consulting services firm in the world. With approximately 72,500 professionals worldwide, CGI offers comprehensive end-to-end IT and business consulting services, systems integration as well as IT and business process outsourcing services. These services are complemented by CGI's intellectual property solutions that help clients accelerate value creation and leverage digitalization. With annual revenue of C$10.8 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Website: www.cgi.com. SOURCE CGI Group Inc. Related Links http://www.cgi.com/ The event highlights included Ripert's stunning culinary creations, as well as the special appetizer, Hamachi-Osetra Caviar Tartare with Sea Lettuce and Smoked Dashi Gelees, served in hand-crafted bowls by Nousaku , a tableware brand from the Hokuriku region where Ripert visited last September . Asked about inspirations Ripert took from his trip to Hokuriku, he shared a word from a craftsman that he met at Kayoutei workshop. "A wood turner I met there said 'You look with your soul, not with your eyes.' That was very special to me. I see a parallel in cooking when you create sauces, there are all these flavors that are not tangible, it is a thing that doesn't exist yet and you have to cook with your heart, not just your hands and your eyes in order to make something special." Ripert showed a tiny lacquered box with an intricate design, a souvenir he got for his wife, and noted that "The depth of dedication, passion, and expertise required for such craftsmanship is simply admirable." Ripert also brought a prestigious Takamura knife, gifted to him by Mr. Takamura, and demonstrated its incomparable sharpness by cutting through a newspaper with ease. "Takamura knife is not just a kitchen knife but also an art piece. Its weight is just right and fits perfectly in my hand," Ripert said. With a new global-scale campaign "Enjoy my Japan," JNTO aims to showcase diverse attractions of Japan and entice travellers to lesser-known areas towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Japan National Tourism Organization: As the official tourism board of Japan, JNTO is involved in a wide range of promotional activities to encourage international travellers to visit Japan. For more information, visit us on our Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Media Contact Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) New York Office [email protected] SOURCE Japan National Tourism Organization Related Links http://www.us.jnto.go.jp/top/index.php SAN DIEGO, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced its Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS) business division will be featuring its comprehensive range of integrated Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) solutions at SATELLITE 2018. Taking place in Washington D.C., March 1215, the conference brings together aerospace and satellite communications professionals, thought leaders, executives and end-users to discuss technology breakthroughs and innovation. "As we continue to build and expand our protected and expeditionary communications capabilities, SATELLITE is the ideal event for us to showcase our wide range of networked C4ISR solutions," said Mike Twyman, president of Cubic Mission Solutions. "We look forward to providing our customers with exceptionally compact and integrated systems that will help solve their most challenging problems from enterprise solutions, to enabling disaster response and secure communications on the battlefield." With the lowest size, weight and power (SWaP), Cubic's C4ISR solutions provide information capture, assessment, exploitation and dissemination in a secure network-centric environment. Cubic will showcase a number of demonstrations highlighting the interoperable, expeditionary communications capabilities from its GATR, DTECH, TeraLogics, MotionDSP, Cross Domain (XD) and Vocality product lines: C4ISR Expeditionary Command Post: Comprehensive range of solutions including secure communications, satellite communications, secure networking and Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C2ISR). With the lowest SWaP in the industry, Cubic's solutions enable real-time situational awareness at the edge. Comprehensive range of solutions including secure communications, satellite communications, secure networking and Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C2ISR). With the lowest SWaP in the industry, Cubic's solutions enable real-time situational awareness at the edge. Emergency Response: "First-in" communications which are lightweight, configurable and easy to set up, enabling exceptionally quick response for our customers. This includes Internet, phone service as well as C2ISR solutions. "First-in" communications which are lightweight, configurable and easy to set up, enabling exceptionally quick response for our customers. This includes Internet, phone service as well as C2ISR solutions. Secure Networking: Mobile, micro and modular, providing seamless interoperability with disparate radio networks. Mobile, micro and modular, providing seamless interoperability with disparate radio networks. High-Throughput Satellite Terminal: When combined with High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) services, Cubic's GATR-FLEX provides high-throughput and gain, in a package that fits into an overhead airline carry-on and sets up rapidly and easily. When combined with High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) services, Cubic's GATR-FLEX provides high-throughput and gain, in a package that fits into an overhead airline carry-on and sets up rapidly and easily. Expeditionary 4-meter Hub: Extremely high-bandwidth communications ability at the tactical edge to expeditionary units in addition to serving as a division hub or step site with as few as four cases each weighing 100 pounds or less. Visit Cubic at booth #1525 on the exhibit show floor at the Walter E. Convention Center. Follow Cubic Mission Solutions at @Cubic_MS on Twitter and join the social conversation with #SATShow. About Cubic Corporation Cubic is a market-leading, technology provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions, special operations and intelligence for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. SOURCE Cubic Corporation Related Links http://www.cubic.com President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, for saving Egypt from a human rights catastrophe. On January 25, 2011, thousands of protesters packed Tahrir Square in Cairo. As a result, Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi was elevated to the role of president. He was ousted by Sisi in 2013. The world watched in horror as what was called the Arab Spring swept through Egypt like a tsunami. Millions of demonstrators took to the streets in every major city across the Middle East. More than 90 police stations were set alight. This was the same protest that invaded Syria, creating a human catastrophe, and costing the lives more than 250,000 people with almost six million refugees from a population of 18 million. What would be the condition of the world if that had happened in Egypt with a population of 100 million? Without a doubt, the war on terror would have been lost. A disaster beyond anyone's imagination would have materialized in the Middle East and soon threatened the world. Likely, between 30 million and 40 million refugees and more than a million deaths would have been the immediate result. Egypt is an immensely strategic location as it borders Israel, Libya and Sudan, and shares maritime borders with Greece, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist groups would be waging war, using Egypt as a staging area. There is only one man is responsible for preventing an Islamic State and a civil war in Egypt, and that's Sisi. For him to take on the Muslim Brotherhood in his own country was one of the most courageous acts of leadership in human history; indeed, an Arab Winston Churchill moment. The United States was asleep when the Muslim Brotherhood was recruiting and fund-raising on its shores. Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind cleric who masterminded the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, was a member of that group. In 2001, the ringleader of the September 11 attacks was Muhammad Atta, also a member of the Brotherhood. He helped hijack American Airlines Flight 11, the plane that crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Where else in the Middle East can a Muslim ally with such moral clarity be found; one who will stand up so strongly, not only to the Brotherhood but to aggressively initiate a reeducation program in the mosques and schools of Egypt? Where could one find an ally such as this who is fighting a war of terror against ISIS in Sinai with Israel? Or a Muslim ally who has mobilized hundreds of thousands of his countrymen as policemen to defend Christians even with their own lives? During the 2017 Christmas celebrations, Sisi assigned troops outfitted in combat gear to protect worshipers at churches in Cairo and towns across Egypt. Egypt's defense of Christians has been a major blow to ISIS and its supporters. One only has to look at what happened to the Christian population in Iraq when that terrorist organization came to power in some areas. Christians were annihilated, as they were in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria. More than one million Christians have fled that country because of targeted Christian persecution. What happened in Iraq and Syria was an absolute holocaust. The brutality suffered by Christians in those countries was unspeakable. DESPITE ALL that Sisi has done, the US State Department and the liberal- left media continue to slander him. They falsely claim that he is not a defender of human rights. Can you name the last time a pro-Western Muslim leader was treated in such a manner? It was Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran. A liberal-left president who believed that weak US allies were in America's best interests did everything humanly possible to undermine the shah. I personally interviewed dozens of diplomats and virtually every major Iranian concerning the matter including former diplomat Ardeshir Zahedi and Farah Diba Pahlavi, the widow of the shah. Included in the list were former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, and US Gen. Robert "Dutch" Hauser, the deputy commander in chief of the US European Command who was dispatched to Iran to try to stabilize the country. D'Estaing told me Jimmy Carter thought the radical ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was a cleric who would be good for human rights and stated his own reaction: "We were humanly shocked by the way Carter spoke, because we knew at the end it would lead to the torture or the killing of the shah. And he [Carter] was not embarrassed at all; no, no, he spoke very lightly of a man that we supported very strongly... He [Carter] was a bastard of conscience, a moralist who treats with total lightness the fact of abandoning a man that we had supported together." When I interviewed Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi in March 2008, I was shown her guest book with an inscription: "Thank you for all your wonderful hospitality." It was signed, "President Jimmy Carter" and "Rosalynn Carter." Princess Ashraf, Pahlavi's twin sister, put her impressions of the president on paper. She wrote, "I looked at his pale face. I thought his smile was artificial, his eyes icy and I hoped I could trust him." Yet again, it was apparent that neither Carter nor his advisers were fully apprised of the growing unrest. Washington put pressure on the shah to ease his control and allow more political freedom. This prompted the release of more than 300 political prisoners, relaxed censorship, provided freedom of religion, and overhauled the court system, which had the unforeseen side effect of allowing greater freedom for opposition groups to meet and organize. In my interview with Queen Farah, she related that the shah was concerned about Carter's demands for human rights concessions, tying them to foreign aid and threatening to withhold spare parts for military aircraft. Her husband said to her, "Who knows what sort of calamity he [Carter] may unleash upon the world?" And, she said, the shah was concerned that his worst nightmares would come to pass: The USSR would invade Afghanistan; Iraq would take advantage of a weakened Iran and invade; and Khomeini would be successful with his call for an Islamic Revolution in Iran. The same liberals who forced the shah out of power are still operating today. Sadly, they have a difficult time seeing moral issues clearly. They reject absolute standards of good and evil or right and wrong. In their worldview Man is capable of perfection, human nature is on a path toward enlightenment, and the concept of original sin is primitive. Those same humanists believe the lie that bad actions must be blamed on societal, psychological or economic circumstances. Moral relativists despise those who understand the nature of evil. Secular humanists make excuses for evil, or worse, deny its existence, or coddle it by refusing to confront it. Consequently, they feed it. Terrorists kill the body; God-hating, humanist, liberal Leftists kill the soul. They see jihadists not as terrorists, but as freedom fighters, little George Washingtons who simply need tolerance and support. The writer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with 80 published books. He is the founder of Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem of which the late president Shimon Peres was the chairman. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Friends of Zion Museum FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth consecutive year, Dryer Vent Wizard, North America's leading dryer vent maintenance and repair franchise, has awarded 10 grants of $500 each to local fire prevention programs in the U.S. and Canada through its annual Fire Department Grant Contest. During the Grant Contest, Dryer Vent Wizard franchisees are invited to nominate fire departments in their communities that conduct outstanding fire prevention education programs. The nomination includes a description of each fire departments' program and community outreach. Winners of the grants are selected by the Dryer Vent Wizard home office team. This year's grant recipients included: Lancaster Fire Department ( Lancaster, MA ) Fire Department ( ) Nanaimo Professional Firefighters Local #905 ( Nanaimo, British Columbia , Canada) , Canada) Manorville Fire Department ( Manorville, NY ) Fire Department ( ) New Lenox Fire Protection District ( New Lenox, IL ) Fire Protection District ( ) Reno Fire Department ( Reno, NV ) Fire Department ( ) Nashville Fire Department ( Nashville, TN ) Fire Department ( ) Wesley Chapel Fire Department ( Waxhaw, NC ) ) Medina Fire Department ( Medina, OH ) Fire Department ( ) Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue ( Tigard, OR ) ) Excelsior Fire District ( Excelsior, MN ) Local fire departments awarded the grants reported they would use the funds to purchase Nomex Firefighting Hoods to help reduce the cancer risk to firefighters, to invest in additional training material for fire safety education programs at local schools and place 100 new smoke alarms in low-income family housing. This Fire Department Grant Contest is only one example of Dryer Vent Wizard's mission to help raise public awareness about the dangers of dryer fires and how to prevent them. The company is also a partner of the Children's Burn Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing medical and psychological care for child burn survivors. "We are dedicated to consumer education surrounding fire safety and are proud to support local fire departments and districts that lead such deserving programs," said Terry Reuer, CEO of Dryer Vent Wizard. "Our brand is made up of incredible franchisees who regularly work with and expand the local educational mission of these programs within their local communities and we applaud their combined efforts in the safety of their neighborhoods." According to the National Fire Protection Association, of which Dryer Vent Wizard is a member, there are an average of 15,970 dryer fires in the U.S. annually. "Failure to clean" was cited as the leading factor contributing to clothes dryer fires in residential buildings. Additional reports confirm dryer vents as a home safety issue that lacks consumer awareness. Dryer Vent Wizard is the only international franchise company specializing in dryer vent repair, replacement, alteration, cleaning and maintenance for residential and commercial clients. Franchisees service more than 9,000 communities throughout North America and helps educate the public on the importance of regular dryer vent cleaning to prevent dryer fires and maximize energy efficiency. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, visit www.DryerVentWizard.com or call (866) 498-SAFE (7233) in the U.S. and (866) 395-SAFE (7233) in Canada. About Dryer Vent Wizard Headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., Dryer Vent Wizard is a North American franchise that specializes in dryer vent repair, replacement, alteration, cleaning and maintenance for both residential and commercial clients. The company was founded in 2004 by Dave Lavalle, who also founded Mr. Handyman, and currently operates 92 locations across the U.S. and Canada, serving over 9,000 communities. Dryer Vent Wizard is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). For more information about Dryer Vent Wizard and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit www.dvwfranchise.com. Media Contact: Bre Whalen, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or (847) 945-1300 SOURCE Dryer Vent Wizard Related Links http://www.DryerVentWizard.com STOCKHOLM, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrolux Group, a world-leading home appliances company, has entered into a joint venture with Midea Group, China's leading smart technology company, to introduce the premium AEG brand to Chinese consumers. The brand was officially launched at the Appliance & Electronics World Expo in Shanghai on March 8, at an event attended by senior management of both companies and hundreds of guests, media and industry professionals. Combining Electrolux global brand expertise with Midea's local market strength, the ambition is to make AEG the most popular premium home appliances brand in China, by leveraging its 130-year heritage of German craftsmanship and innovation. The joint venture will explore the fast-growing high-end retail market in China, as well as real estate projects. "I am confident that AEG will be well received here. With a growing middle class and higher disposable incomes, we are seeing an upward trend in Chinese consumers choosing to pay a premium for quality and improved experiences," said Jonas Samuelson, CEO of Electrolux. "AEG, with its German heritage and top-quality offering, is perfectly poised to capture the fast-growing premium appliance opportunity in China." The first AEG store in China will open in June, carrying a first wave of products that offer best-in-class taste, care and wellbeing experiences. Other key milestones this year include the opening of its flagship store in Guangzhou in August and a second wave of product launches in October. Electrolux also markets appliances in China under the Electrolux and Zanussi brands. The launch of AEG complements the company's positioning in the Chinese market and supports the continued profitable growth in the country. For further information, please contact Electrolux Press Hotline, +46-8-657-65-07. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/electrolux/r/electrolux-and-midea-launch-aeg-brand-in-china,c2468670 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Electrolux WASHINGTON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Faith Family Freedom Fund, the super PAC affiliated with FRC Action launched a social media ad campaign today in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional district that exposes Democratic candidate Conor Lamb's extreme views on late-term abortion. Lamb recently stated that he would vote against a ban on aborting pain-capable unborn babies and that he would not describe himself as "pro-life." Faith Family Freedom Fund's ad calls on Pennsylvanians to vote in support of pro-life candidate Rick Saccone for Congress in the special election on March 13. "America is one of only seven nations in the world that allow abortion at any time for any reason after the fifth month after conception," said Faith Family Freedom Fund President Tony Perkins. "As far as human rights go, the fewer things America has in common with the evil regimes of North Korea and China the better. And it's time for us, as Americans, to leave this club of seven. But Conor Lamb would vote to keep America in this club of seven nations. He says he'd vote against a ban on late-term abortion. I encourage voters to support Rick Saccone who is a pro-life champion who will protect mothers and their unborn children and work to end late-term abortion," concluded Perkins. Transcript of "Choosing Life" Ad: "America is one of only seven countries that allows abortion for any reason after five months when science shows unborn babies can feel pain... "North Korea and China do too. "So does Conor Lamb. "Conor Lamb says he'd vote against a ban on late term abortion. "Conor Lamb: Supports extreme late-term abortion for any reason. "Rick Saccone is a pro-life champion who will protect mothers and their unborn children and work to end late-term abortion. "Only one candidate is pro-life: Rick Saccone. " Click here to watch the ad. SOURCE Faith Family Freedom Fund Related Links http://www.frc.org ABERDEEN, S.D., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The farmland market faced one of its first big tests of the year Wednesday, March 7, and it passed with flying colors. A Steffes Group auction of 2,117 acres drew a strong field of bidders, four of whom emerged as buyers, for a total of $8,724,636. "This was the kind of land auction that has been rare in recent years contiguous land with excellent access and good soils. Bidders responded with a lot of enthusiasm, and we got a great result for the sellers," said Max Steffes, representative for the auction company. "When we opened bidding, the first successful bidder purchased three of the nine tracts 480 acres at $5,100 per acre. In the second round of bidding for the remaining tracts, we sold an additional 304 acres for $4,400 per acre," he said. The overflow crowd of 125 included 37 registered bidders. "It was really encouraging though not surprising to see such demand. Farm income is improving in many cases, and this land had soil productivity ratings in the 80s. Our aggressive marketing program succeeded in bringing the land to the attention to both farmers and investors. Of the buyers, three were local farmers and one of the tillable tracts went to an investor," said Steffes. Steffes Group, Inc., is headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, with additional locations in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. The firm sells a wide range of assets including farmland, farm and construction equipment, large estates, and business holdings. The firm also conducts regular hay auctions and provides farm management services. Individuals interested in additional information may call 800-451-7087 or visit www.SteffesGroup.com . For more information: Carl Carter, 205-823-3273 SOURCE Steffes Group Related Links http://www.steffesgroup.com LONDON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Flashbay, the world leader in customised Promotional Technology products is delighted to announce its first ever attendance at the Promotion Expo in Milan. The show is taking place from the 21st-23rd of March with over 2,000 visitors due to attend. Flashbay is an internationally renowned company with offices spanning 5 countries and 4 continents. Their European Headquarters is based in London, UK which features several Sales Teams from across Europe. Each Sales Team speaks the native language of the market they look after, including the Italian market. Flashbay's presence in Italy has grown substantially since the company was founded in 2003, and they're the proud supplier of promotional technology to thousands of Italian organisations, from fashion houses to fast-growing start-ups, banking institutions, government organisations, schools and charities. Flashbay's Global Events Manager Gareth Howill says, "We are very excited to attend our first ever trade show in Milan. The Italian market is very important to us, and we are keen to meet with new and existing clients face-to-face, increase our brand awareness, and most importantly, showcase the new and innovative products we have designed over the last few months." Some of the new products on offer include an extended range of USB Flash Drive models, Power Banks, Inductive Chargers, Bluetooth Speakers and Headphones. With some of the fastest lead times in the industry, thanks to a Flashbay owned manufacturing and production facility, the company guarantee the highest quality promotional items coupled with unrivalled customer service and aftersales support. Flashbay can be found at booth B20 / B22 and will be providing complimentary product sample packs to exhibit attendees, as well as hosting several giveaway competitions throughout the trade show. About Flashbay: Flashbay is the World's No.1 business-to-business (B2B) supplier of logo branded Promotional Technology products. From the smallest schools to the largest multinationals, we offer an attractive range of designs within our Memory, Power and Audio categories, offering unbeatable prices coupled with fast and efficient service. Our product lines include Flash Drives, Power Banks, Speakers, Headphones and a host of related technology products and accessories which allow our customers the unparalleled ability to promote their brands with confidence on the global stage. www.flashbay.com Contact: Natalie Murray Email: [email protected] SOURCE Flashbay LANCASTER, Wis., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After an extensive period in which relatively little farmland was being offered on the market, Steffes Group has announced an auction believed to be one of the biggest ever in the area. The court-ordered auction will include approximately 2,050 acres of highly productive farmland, according to Steffes representative Nate Larson. "For months, farmers and investors have had to wait patiently because so little land was available. I can't remember anything this big in Grant County, and I can't find anybody else who does either." Most of the land is tillable, but the auction also includes a modern cattle feeding facility, four confinement hog finishing units, three residences and some recreational land. It will be offered in 21 tracts, using the "high bidder's choice" method of bidding. "Bidding will proceed based on price per acre. The high bidder at a given price will be allowed to choose which tracts to purchase, and we'll continue with additional rounds until all of the land is sold," said Larson. Larson said he expects to see interest from large investors as well as local farmers. "When a property like this becomes available, it's common to find neighboring operators who have been waiting for years or even decades for a chance to buy. But given the shortage of quality farmland in recent years, we believe this will merit the interest of private investors and even funds," he said. The auction will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 28, at the Grant County Fairgrounds Youth & Agriculture Center in Lancaster, Wisconsin. A detailed Buyer's Prospectus is available, with complete terms and conditions. Contact the Steffes Group at 320-693-9371 or www.steffesgroup.com. Steffes Group, Inc., is headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, with additional locations in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. The firm sells a wide range of assets including farmland, farm and construction equipment, large estates, and business holdings. The firm also conducts regular hay auctions and provides farm management services. Individuals interested in additional information may call 800-451-7087 or visit www.SteffesGroup.com . For more information: Carl Carter, 205-823-3273 SOURCE Steffes Group Related Links http://www.SteffesGroup.com ALBANY, New York, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research titled "Bare Metal Cloud Service Market the global bare metal cloud service market is expected to reach US$ 25,704.4 Mn by 2025. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 16.76 % during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. According to the report, North America will continue to be at the forefront of global demand, with the market in the region growing at above 16% through 2025. There are different factors driving the market including elimination of noisy neighbor, provision of dedicated hardware for user, and novel load balancing bare metal cloud service among others. However, stringent regulations pertaining to the cloud can restrain the growth of the bare metal cloud service market worldwide. Increasing application of bare metal cloud service for the artificial intelligence is expected to create novel opportunity for the market. Download Sample Brochure for Industry Insights at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=25157 The report offers detailed segmentation on the basis of components, enterprise type, and services. According to the report, under the component segment, services type continues to remain sought-after among users. The high demand for the bare metal cloud service is on account of its vital useful features for the highly intensive applications. Furthermore, many well-established players are launching novel services pertaining to the bare metal cloud. For instance, in January 2017, Oracle Corporation announced the availability of the load balancing service that enable user to create a highly available load balancer within the company's virtual cloud network. The report projects services segment to grow at a CAGR of over 17% and expected to surpass US$ 8000 Mn in value by 2025-end. By enterprise type, SMBs (small and medium enterprises) continues to be the most lucrative segment, and the status quo is likely to remain unchanged during the assessment period. The report projects SMBs enterprise type segment to grow at a healthy growth rate during the assessment period. Browse Press Release at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/bare-metal-cloud-market.htm North America is the largest region in the global bare metal cloud service market. The report projects Asia Pacific bare metal cloud service market to grow at over 18% CAGR and reach US$ 4,922.2 Mn by 2025. The demand for bare metal cloud service market in Asia Pacific is likely to remain concentrated in the prominent economies such as China and India, owing to a larger IT sector in the region. In addition to APAC, growth will also be robust in North America, where the U.S. will account for the bulk of the demand, whereas Canada will hold a miniscule share. View Report ToC at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/25157 The company profiling of key players profiled in the global bare metal cloud service market includes company overview, major business strategies adopted, SWOT analysis and market revenues for year 2015 to 2017. The key players profiled in the global bare metal cloud service market includes IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Scaleway, Liquid Web, Inc., Joyent, Inc., RACKSPACE US, INC., Internap Corporation, CenturyLink, Inc., BIGSTEP, and Packet among others. Various players are introducing superior bare metal cloud services offerings and entering into strategic M&A activities to expand and generate more revenue from the bare metal cloud service worldwide Request for Discount on this Report at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=25157 The global bare metal cloud service market is segmented as follows: Global bare metal cloud service market, by Components Bare metal cloud service hardware Bare metal cloud service software Bare metal cloud services Global bare metal cloud service market, by Enterprise Type SMBs Large Global bare metal cloud service market, by End-use Industry BFSI Retail Healthcare Manufacturing IT & Telecom Media & Entertainment Others Global Bare metal cloud service market, by Geography North America The U.S. Canada Rest of North America Europe Finland The U.K Germany Rest of Europe Asia Pacific (APAC) India Japan China Rest of APAC (APAC) Middle East and Africa (MEA) GCC Countries South Africa Rest of MEA and (MEA) South America Brazil Rest of South America Popular Research Reports by TMR: Social Media Analytics Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/social-media-analytics-market.html Cloud Content Delivery Network Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cloud-content-delivery-network-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend 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. TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Research Blog: http://www.techyounme.com/ SOURCE Transparency Market Research DUBLIN, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Commercial Aircraft Market - 2018-2036 - Market Dynamics, Competitive Landscape, OEM Strategies & Plans, Trends & Growth Opportunities, Market Outlook" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Airlines profitability has been on the rising path over recent years reaching $34.5 billion in 2017 and projected to grow further to $38.4 billion in 2018, thus, enabling the airlines to pursue fleet replacements at shorter intervals, in turn, driving demand for new aircrafts for the OEMs. The Global Commercial Aircraft market is in its longest Super Cycle ever, starting in 2003 and still going strong propelled by multiple, favourable macroeconomic factors. The OEMs have been focused strongly on ramping up aircraft production rates to meet delivery schedules and to reap the rich harvest of a healthy and robust order backlog spearheaded by the narrow body aircraft segment. The aircraft deliveries by the industry in 2018 are likely to reach a record high with all OEMs boosting production rate. The market landscape in the Global Commercial Aircraft market is on the verge of a tectonic shift with the Airbus' joint ownership of the C-Series program along with Bombardier which provides a significant and much needed boost to the beleaguered C-Series program given Airbus' strong global sales & marketing network while adding a scratch-up, great performing 21st century aircraft to Airbus' portfolio without having to invest anything outright. The Airbus-Bombardier deal stacks the odds against Boeing in the battle between giants in the global commercial aircraft market. Boeing's plans for a combination deal with Embraer, as a countermove, is likely to shake-up things further more. The commercial aircraft industry is headed for further technological generation shift with electric propulsion technologies being developed for commercial aircrafts aimed at rapid reduction in CO2 emissions to meet regulatory guidelines while simultaneously bringing down operating costs significantly over long term. Further, 2018 is going to be an important year for the industry with three new aircraft programs scheduled to enter service, led by, Boeing's 737 MAX 9, Airbus A321 LR and Embraer's E190-E2. Going forward into 2018, rising crude oil prices; which have resurged to $70 per barrel level, and are at their highest level since late 2014; and escalating labour costs are likely to be the biggest challenges for legacy as well as low cost carriers to maintain profitability level in an overall favourable operating environment with the long term demand drivers & fundamentals for commercial aviation remaining firmly in place with strong passenger traffic growth trend projected over the next 2 decades. Key Topics Covered: Part 1 Section 1: Global Commercial Aircraft Market Section 2: Market Segmentation Section 3: Global Commercial Aircraft Fleet Section 4: Commercial Aviation Key Drivers Section 5: Competitive Landscape Section 6: Segmentation by Geographic Regions and Customer Segments Part 2 Section 7: Business Structure & Snapshot Section 8: Financial Performance Snapshot -Charts & Analysis for each OEM Section 9 Strategic Positioning & SWOT Analysis For Each of the 5 Key Commercial Aircraft Manufacturers Section 10: Overall Strategy Focus For Each of the Top 5 Commercial Aircraft OEMs Section 11: Key Strategies & Plans For Each of the Top 5 Commercial Aircraft OEMs Comprehensive Analysis of Key Strategies & Plans for each Aircraft Manufacturer Part 3 Section 12: Global Commercial Aircraft Market Force Field Analysis Analysis of Driving & Restraining Forces and their Overall Dynamics Section 13: Industry Trends More in the Report Section 14: Market Trends More in the Report Section 15: Technology Trends Section 16: Key Issues, Challenges & Risk Factors Section 17: Strategic Market Outlook Commercial Aircraft Market 2017-2036 Companies Mentioned ATR Airbus SE Bombardier Inc. Embraer SA The Boeing Company For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3z5tbj/global_commercial?w=5 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com In many ways, the exhibition is a celebratory reunion, and not only for the artists who have worked side by side in many capacities over the last three decades (though showing together now for the first time). No, the celebration is also for the hundreds of friends, artists, collectors, and patrons who have worked with Hamilton-Selway and have gotten to know Galgano on a personal level. All are welcome to come see this hidden side, this artist behind the art dealer, and meet David again, as though for the first time. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Laura Leonhard is a native New Yorker. She attended Fashion Institute of Technology where she received an AA in Fine Arts and a BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts. Leonhard finds the grit of the country's soul and presents it to the viewer like lost diamonds. David Galgano has maintained a troubled love triangle with painting and art dealing for more than thirty years beginning with his time at the School of Visual Arts where he first met Leonhard. Now though, after a period of intense introspection and creation, the artist/dealer is once again ready to exhibit. For more information about the exhibition, press inquiries please visit our website: www.hamiltonselway.com or contact Ron Valdez at 310-657-1711 / [email protected] Hamilton-Selway Fine Art, West Hollywood, CA 8678 Melrose Avenue West Hollywood, CA 90069 310-657-1711 Hamilton-Selway Fine Art is an internationally prominent gallery specializing in Pop Art Limited Edition Prints and Paintings. In the same location for over 20 years, their client list includes prominent members of the community, billionaire investors, Academy Award winning actors and people of all walks of life who simply love art. Twitter: @hamiltonselway Facebook: Hamilton-Selway Fine Art Instagram: hamiltonselwayfineart SOURCE Hamilton-Selway Fine Art Related Links http://www.hamiltonselway.com DETROIT, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa joined Teamsters Joint Council 43 President Greg Nowak in announcing the union's endorsement of Gretchen Whitmer for governor of Michigan. The announcement was made at an event in downtown Detroit attended by Teamsters and community members. "We're proud to endorse Gretchen Whitmer for governor of Michigan," Hoffa said. "She's the right candidate because she will fight for working families, prioritize creating good jobs and work hard to lead our state forward." "Over the last eight years costs have gone up and our fellow Michiganders are working two or three jobs to make ends meet. The labor movement built the middle class and we need a candidate who will stand with workers. We are here today to endorse that candidate," Nowak said. Whitmer has stood with working people to pass a higher minimum wage and defend collective bargaining rights. Whitmer is fighting to protect prevailing wage, and is committed to growing the state's economy, creating jobs and repairing crumbling infrastructure. "I'm honored to have the support of the hardworking men and women of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters because they took on the tough fights to build the middle class in this country," Whitmer said. "Michigan workers and our families deserve a governor who will help them get ahead." Teamsters Joint Council 43 covers the entire state of Michigan with 12 local unions representing over 65,000 Teamsters. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Kara Deniz, (202) 624-6911 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Related Links http://www.teamster.org SHANGHAI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: JKS) (the "Company," or "JinkoSolar"), a global leader in the solar PV industry, today announced that it was awarded the "Top Brand PV" seal in the Australian, German, and Austrian markets by EuPD Research, Europe's leading sustainability research firm. The Top Brand PV seal is awarded based on survey responses from close to a thousand installers and intermediaries in markets with mature residential and commercial rooftop PV sectors such as Australia, Germany, and Austria. Participants of the survey rated JinkoSolar positively on aspects such as brand awareness and brand management. JinkoSolar is also ranked among the top module manufacturers based on recommendations from Australian, German, and Austrian PV installers who responded that they are highly likely to recommend JinkoSolar to their customers. "We're extremely honored to be named as one of the top PV brands in Australia, Germany, and Austria. The seal is a testament to the quality of our modules and strong market reputation" Mr. Gener Miao, JinkoSolar Vice President of Sales & Marketing, noted. "This is a particularly noteworthy accomplishment, considering that the survey respondents are installers in mature distributed generation markets where they've worked with a wide variety of modules and module brands and yet choose to recommend JinkoSolar," Mr. Miao added. About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is a global leader in the solar industry. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom,Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar has built a vertically integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 8.0 GW for silicon wafers, 5.0 GW for solar cells, and 8.0 GW for solar modules, as of December 31, 2017. JinkoSolar has over 15,000 employees across its 8 productions facilities globally, 16 oversea subsidiaries in Japan (2), Singapore, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates, and global sales teams in United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Kenya, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Argentina. To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends, "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Mr. Sebastian Liu JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Tel: +86 21-5183-3056 Email: [email protected] SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Related Links http://www.jinkosolar.com HOOVER, Ala., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kathie W. Condon, R.N., M.S.N., LNCC, is recognized by Continental Who's Who as Professional of The Year in the field of Consulting in recognition of her role as Chief Executive Officer of Condon Medical Legal Consultants. Condon Medical Legal Consultants is a medical consultation and legal practice. Offering a wide array of services to their clients, the team at Condon Medical specializes in assessing medical records and analyzing the case, serving as the attorney liaison, assisting with the discovery and preparation for court, supporting the attorney's case, and working with experts and other witnesses. Amassing over thirty years of experience in the field of Consulting, Condon is a renowned expert within the field. Throughout her career, Condon has attained expertise within the areas of healthcare administration and management, medical and legal consulting, obstetrics and technology and surgery. When asked her advice to newcomers in the industry, Condon emphasizes "it takes hard work and dedication, don't give up." To further enhance her professional progress, Condon has recently taken a class in medical cost projections and is expanding her client base through the implementation of new services. A seasoned nurse, Condon "has assisted attorneys that specialize in medical malpractice, personal injury and other medically related litigation issues," and "has also worked with social security disability cases." Throughout the course of her education and training, Condon attained both her MSN and BSN degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In her previous years, Condon earned her Associate's degree in Nursing at Mississippi Delta Community College. An active Registered Nurse license in Alabama, Condon attends various continuing education activities throughout the years in an effort to further enhance her professional progress. To further her professional development, Condon is an affiliate of several organizations including the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, the National Association of Professional Women and Sigma Theta Tau. When she is not working, Condon enjoys jewelry design and giving back to charities such as St. Jude's Cancer Research Hospital and Breast Cancer awareness. For more information, please visit www.cmlc.co. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com The national advertisement rollout began in the Wall Street Journal. The ads highlight facts, such as the unprecedented growth of Latino-owned businesses, Latinos are the fastest-growing portion of America's GDP, and the American Latino population is the country's largest diverse community and they are youngest segment of the U.S. workforce funding Social Security's future. The organization is encouraging people to visit http://thepowerofall.us/ and learn "more eye-popping facts of this extraordinary group of American taxpayers." A non-profit organization founded in 2010, the LDC is a non-partisan group comprised of U.S. business leaders working to promote a fact-based depiction of Latinos and their significant, positive impact and role in America's economy, culture and national leadership. It was co-founded by Henry Cisneros, former secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and global telecommunications, media, and cable industry executive Sol Trujillo, and is led by a who's who of business and civic leaders committed to the organization's mission: "For America to have a clear and realistic perception of who Latinos are: valued patriotic Americans in all facets of American life." "This is the most important initiative ever undertaken to detail, educate and promote the role the Latino community plays in the United States," said Ana Valdez, executive director, Latino Donor Collaborative. "We're sharing this information for the betterment all Americans. These fact-based insights provide a more accurate picture of the contributions Latinos make across the U.S. every day and make our country stronger. " Among the key points listed in the new advertising campaign are: If the Latino portion of the U.S. GDP were a country, it would be seventh largest in the world today, ahead of India . . 70% of the increase in the U.S. workforce between 2010-2015 was due to Latinos. Latino-owned, new business formation skyrocketed 47% between 2007-2012; Non-Latino-owned, new business formation declined by 2% during the same period. The median age of an Hispanic worker is on average, 12 years younger. LDC's latest piece of research is the celebrated U.S. Latino GDP Report, the first documentation of Hispanic involvement and impact on the national GDP. Through research and hard data, the study revealed Latinos have become a driving force in the U.S. economy by boosting the workforce and fueling economic growth. For instance, the total GDP produced by Latinos was approximately $2.13 trillion in 2015. Another interesting figure, the Latino portion of the U.S. GDP is projected to be 24.4% by 2020. "It's important more people know and understand the positive impact Latinos have on every aspect of American life," added Valdez. "Our community is integral and valuable to the entire country and it's time more people realize this." About the Latino Donor Collaborative Founded in 2010, the Latino Donor Collaborative works to reframe and advance an accurate perception, portrayal and understanding of the important contributions Latinos make to American society. Through a nonpartisan agenda that partners with media, advertising, politics, corporate America, and civil society, the LDC works to bring further understanding and appreciation to the impact made by Latinos in society, politics, and commerce. For more information go to http://latinodonorcollaborative.org/ and you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) Related Links http://latinodonorcollaborative.org CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority named rail technology supplier Metrom Rail a winner of the Genius Transit Challenge on Friday. The MTA created the Challenge in 2017 to identify innovative solutions to modernize and improve New York City's subway service. Metrom Rail's submission was one of 438 from 23 countries. "We're gratified that the MTA recognized Metrom Rail's vision for the future of transit," said Rick Carlson Jr., director of corporate strategy for Metrom Rail. "We are pursuing a radical departure from traditional train control systems by providing a cost-effective solution that helps transit agencies minimize delays and accommodate more riders. We are excited to propel the use of ultra-wide band technology in the transit industry and look forward to working with the MTA and other agencies worldwide to dramatically improve transit operations." Metrom Rail's Genius Challenge submission, PTCS-2, provides an increase in train operating efficiency and safety with significant reductions in cost and deployment time compared to legacy train control systems. Through a combination of ultra-wide band communication technology and train-borne intelligence, the system generates precise ranging and location data to optimize train speed and spacing. "When Governor Cuomo announced his Genius Challenge last summer, I'm not sure any of us really knew what the reaction would be. The Governor's idea was to accelerate changes to subway signal systems by tapping into the most creative minds and the latest technologies. The bet paid off, and now the MTA can move forward much faster than the previous 40-plus year timetable to give New York subway riders a modern, high-capacity signal system," said Janno Lieber, MTA Chief Development Officer. For more information about Metrom Rail and its full suite of technology solutions for the rail industry, visit metrom-rail.com. About Metrom Rail Metrom Rail develops, builds and integrates technology products that help transit and freight organizations improve safety and efficiency. The company's innovative positive train control system leverages advanced technology and can be easily integrated into both new and existing transit rail systems. Further, Metrom Rail's worker protection and collision avoidance solutions help transit and freight organizations protect and monitor railway workers and equipment. Founded in 2010, Metrom Rail designs, builds and tests its complete line of products at its headquarters in Crystal Lake, Illinois. To learn more, visit www.metrom-rail.com. SOURCE Metrom Rail Related Links https://metrom-rail.com TOKYO, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The New National Theatre, Tokyo (http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/), Japan's one and only opera house celebrating the 20th anniversary season (http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/20th/) this year, is pleased to announce the lineup for the 2018/2019 Season under the new Artistic Director of Opera, Kazushi Ono. Ono, who was the musical director at Theatre Royal de la Monnaie from 2002 to 2008 and currently the musical director of Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, has an extensive career in conducting opera productions at prominent opera houses including La Scala, Opera National de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Kazushi Ono (courtesy of the New National Theatre, Tokyo http://prw.kyodonews.jp/img/201803051558-O4-8y965978 Of 10 productions, including four new ones from October 2018 to July 2019, highlights in particular are the two world premieres. One is a new opera titled "ASTERS," a commissioned new work from Japanese composer Akira Nishimura, with a story described by Ono as "an operatic version of a Japanese Jean-Christophe." The other is a grand-scale new production of Puccini's "TURANDOT" directed by Alex Olle, internationally known for his direction of the opening ceremony for the Barcelona Olympics. The production will be part of the "Summer Festival Opera 2019-20 Japan--Tokyo--World," a two-year opera project conceived by the idea long incubated by Ono of 'Made in Japan Opera' being the host of the world. The Opera House of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, is also a residence of the National Ballet of Japan. Under the artistic direction of Noriko Ohara, seven productions, including five full-length narrative ballets, are scheduled to be performed. Highlight of the 2018/2019 Season is taking on Christopher Wheeldon's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," an acclaimed work first performed by the Royal Ballet in 2011. The new production of this work by the dancers of the National Ballet of Japan is made possible under the co-production with the Australian Ballet. Video: National Ballet of Japan (World Ballet Day) https://youtu.be/iVav5URlEEc Please visit the following URLs for the full lineup https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M104851/201803051558/_prw_OA4fl_t63rL6Bu.pdf https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/201803051558-O3-mUJ1193I.pdf http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/ SOURCE New National Theatre, Tokyo Related Links http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/ SPOKANE, Wash., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- While there are many websites selling survival gear, SurvivalGearSystems.com (SGS) designs packages for the type of situation one might prepare for, whether it might be a hurricane or a long term off grid adventure. Their staff works to help people around the world get the supplies they need for post disaster response and save lives. With disasters increasing in frequency and intensity over the past decade, the website is a convenient resource for those living in areas at high risk, looking for supplies during or after a disaster, or planning to go off-the-grid. The Website Offers a Beautiful Easy to Use Experience Portable Solar Generators are a Big Seller in Power Outage Areas "Our goal here at SGS is to provide state of the art supplies people need in a disaster situation or an off grid adventure, but to go one step further in building full disaster kits for them, with everything they need shipped direct, by working one on one with the customer. Moreover, we source only the best supplies on the market, recommended by experts, so users do not have to sort through hundreds or even thousands of junk items on the web to get to what they really need," said Desiree Jones, the company's director of ecommerce. SurvivalGearSystems.com offers online shoppers of survival and outdoor gear the following: Complete survival packages curated for situation type Only top rated products that are recommended by field experts An easy to use and navigate experience with advanced search and filtering Content from real experts in the field, including their first interview with Mykel Hawke (recently starred on The Bachelor , and the History Channel's The Men Who Built America: The Frontiersmen ) (recently starred on , and the History Channel's ) Coming soon: custom survival kit builder Exclusive and frequent discounts for customers and subscribers Bulk discounts for state and federal government, healthcare, charity, and security organizations Jones said that it is critical for people to know they will only find the best products in the industry at the best prices on their website, and receive 'a 5 star' customer experience. Their plan includes integrating many apps and tools to help online users with disaster planning and off-grid living in the future. The SGS team also seeks out new innovative Kickstarter projects, such as their line of jaMo Inversion air pollution masks and LumnAID solar lanterns and phone chargers. But their biggest seller right now, in particular in Puerto Rico, are portable solar generator systems. What makes them different is their ability to build relationships with the creators of these products, as well as survival experts, so they can offer customers a unique buying experience. The company believes this is the reason their success has been sudden and will continue to grow quickly. About Survival Gear Systems LLC: SurvivalGearSystems.com is owned by Michael Semerad of Spokane, Washington and managed by Desiree Jones. The website launched in January 2018 with a mission to educate and prepare people for survival in disaster situations and off grid experiences. Survival Gear Systems LLC is located in Spokane, Washington. Media inquiries, please contact Kelly Williams, the company's media manager, at [email protected]. Media Contact: Kelly Williams Media Manager Digital Marketing Experts Intl 334.350.3164 [email protected] SOURCE Survival Gear Systems LLC. Related Links http://SurvivalGearSystems.com MOBILE, Ala., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nfina Technologies Inc., manufacturer of highly reliable servers and storage devices, demonstrated five newly released premium scalable servers at the HIMSS 2018 Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. Delivering lower latency, higher performance, and previously unseen scalability, these future-ready servers are capable of tackling any size data workload with ease from general-purpose compute, and hybrid-cloud deployments, to mission-critical applications. Nfina's new line-up of premium scalable servers is available in 1U, 2U, and desktop tower form factors ranging from four SAS/SATA/SSD drives to twenty-four SAS/SATA/SSD/NVMe direct attach drives. 3204R-i20 1U Rack Server features four 3.5" SAS/SATA/SSD drives, two M .2 SSDs, and up to 1.54TB of memory, making it ideal for small enterprise and virtualized computing environments. 1U Rack Server features four 3.5" SAS/SATA/SSD drives, .2 SSDs, and up to 1.54TB of memory, making it ideal for small enterprise and virtualized computing environments. 4208T-i20 Desktop Tower Server is the perfect hybrid storage solution for small to medium business or security applications that don't require a rack-mount solution and can be configured with a combination of four SAS/SATA/SSD drives, four NVMe drives, and two M .2 SSDs. Desktop Tower Server is the perfect hybrid storage solution for small to medium business or security applications that don't require a rack-mount solution and can be configured with a combination of four SAS/SATA/SSD drives, four NVMe drives, and .2 SSDs. 5208R-i20 1U Rack Server is a great all-flash SSD/NVMe solution for robust virtualized environments and high-performance computing applications and can be configured with up to eight 2.5" SSD or NVMe direct attach drives and two M .2 SSDs. 1U Rack Server is a great all-flash SSD/NVMe solution for robust virtualized environments and high-performance computing applications and can be configured with up to eight 2.5" SSD or NVMe direct attach drives and .2 SSDs. 7212R-i20 2U Rack Server features twelve 3.5" drives and can be configured with a mix of ten SAS/SATA/SSD drives, two NVMe drives, and two M .2 SSDs. Rear and internal drives are also available on this model. This server is the perfect solution for hyperconverged networks or scale-out storage. 2U Rack Server features twelve 3.5" drives and can be configured with a mix of ten SAS/SATA/SSD drives, two NVMe drives, and .2 SSDs. Rear and internal drives are also available on this model. This server is the perfect solution for hyperconverged networks or scale-out storage. 8224R-i20 2U Rack Server is Nfina's all-flash solution for hot and warm tier data and dense NVMe storage. This model can be configured with twenty-four 2.5" SSD/NVMe drives, and two M .2 SSDs, alleviating the I/O bottleneck between high performance and capacity. Rear and internal SSD drives can also be added to this model. The new scalable severs feature a choice of two Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, up to 28 cores per processor, Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 512, and Intel Ultra Path Interconnect for improved functionality and throughput of multiple processors. All of these servers offer up to 1.54TB of memory capacity and include support for Intel Optane memory. "We are excited to offer five new scalable servers to our customers", said Warren Nicholson, President and CEO of Nfina Technologies. "Flexibility, reliability, and scalability are the hallmarks of Nfina's storage products. They are equally at home as a hyperconverged cluster, NAS, or as a SAN appliance. Data security is provided by engineering total redundancy into our storage products. The result is a rock-solid scalable storage solution with no single point of failure." Mr. Nicholson continued by saying, "We are also excited to announce our newly released 7212R-i20 server has been designated a VMware ESXi 6.5 certified server. Nfina has completed the VMware Hardware Certification Program testing criteria and the 7212R-i20 is now listed on the VMware Compatibility Guide. Certifications for the other scalable servers will be forthcoming." The VMware Hardware Certification Program enables VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program members to provide mutual customers with jointly supported hardware solutions. Virtualizing platform and computing resources with VMware significantly reduces the time it takes to provision custom, multi-tier network topologies and enterprise services, cuts operating and capital expenditures, and increases deployment flexibility. Nfina Technologies, Inc., develops, manufactures, and markets highly reliable server and storage products: designed to provide the highest value proposition in the most demanding mission critical data center and enterprise IT environments. Our customers are Information Technology professionals who require products designed and manufactured to the highest standards in the industry. Media Contact: Julie Norman 251.243.0043 SOURCE Nfina Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.nfinausa.com NEW YORK, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The multidistrict litigation recently established in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, for all federally-filed product liability lawsuits involving Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR is moving forward, with the issuance of the proceeding's first Practice and Procedure Order earlier this month. (IN RE: ONGLYZA (SAXAGLIPTIN) AND KOMBIGLYZE XR (SAXAGLIPTIN AND METFORMIN) PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION, MDL No. 2809) Among other things, the February 9th Order directs the parties in each case transferred to the Eastern District of Kentucky to submit to the Court a brief summary of their lawsuit addressing, among other things, the factual allegations put forth in the case, the legal issues involved, and any discovery that has been completed, including depositions that have been taken. "Our Firm is representing a number of clients who developed heart failure and other cardiovascular complications allegedly related to treatment with Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR. We are pleased that this multidistrict litigation is moving forward and will continue to monitor the proceeding for any developments that could impact our clients' cases," says Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is offering free legal reviews to individuals who were diagnosed with heart failure or other cardiovascular injuries following treatment with Onglyza or Kombiglyze XR. Onglyza Litigation Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR are prescription medications used to treat Type 2 diabetics. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Onglyza (saxagliptin) in 2009. Kombiglyze XR, a combination medication that contains saxagliptin and metformin, was approved the following year. In April 2016, FDA ordered the manufacturers of Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR to add new information regarding a potential risk of heart failure to the "Warnings and Precautions" section of the drugs' labels. The agency acted after a clinical trial called SAVOR-TMI suggested that saxagliptin was associated with a 27% increase in hospitalizations for heart failure, as well as a higher risk of all-cause mortality. At least 84 Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR lawsuits are now pending in the federal multidistrict underway in Kentucky. Plaintiffs involved in this litigation claim that AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb concealed information linking saxagliptin to an increased risk of heart failure and failed to warn doctors and patients about its alleged potential to cause cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and death. Type 2 diabetics who allegedly developed heart failure or other serious cardiovascular complications while using Onglyza or Kombiglyze XR could be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. To obtain a free case evaluation, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website, or call the Firm directly at 800-511-5092. About Bernstein Liebhard LLP Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list. Bernstein Liebhard LLP 10 East 40th Street New York, New York 10016 800-511-5092 ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2018 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information: Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq. Bernstein Liebhard LLP info (at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com http://www.rxinjuryhelp.com/ https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP Related Links http://www.bernlieb.com DALLAS, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Perennials Rugs, a leader in the international design industry and the preeminent provider of luxury performance textiles and accessories, has released a new Spring 2018 collection of 100% solution-dyed acrylic Tibetan Knot and Drop Stitch rugs inspired by earthy tones and contrasting textures. The spring additions include five handwoven patterns: Line Item, Circuit Breaker, First Impressions, Shadow Play, and It's a Wash. Line Item is a Drop Stitch rug designed to complement any room, with a subtle textural stripe pattern. The Drop Stitch low pile height makes Line Item suitable to sit underneath any furnishing. The soon-to-be favorite is available in four neutral colorways including Nickel, Linen, Spearmint, and Rhino. Shadow Play features an ikat diamond pattern that adds a graphic twist to any interior or exterior space. The attention-grabbing rug is available in three colorways Rhino, Vintage Blue, and Dirty Martini - the brand's new Spring 2018 olive colorway. Symmetric design takes center stage with Circuit Breaker's repeating linear pattern, available in both the Tibetan Knot and Drop Stitch handwoven constructions. The visually striking pattern offers movement and intrigue, perfect for large living areas and entertaining spaces. Echoing the theme of Perennials Fabrics' 2018 spring collection, Natural Selection, Perennials Rugs' spring introductions emphasize the appeal of classic tones and textures. First Impressions and It's a Wash are Tibetan Knot rugs rounding out these all-purpose styles. First Impressions combines the brand's resilient performance properties with a rustic pattern reminiscent of cobblestone paths. In addition to the tone-on-tone Rhino colorway, First Impression's unique pattern is especially animated in the contrasting Flannel colorway. It's a Wash is an abstract design that plays with muted tones to form an eroded pattern. The atmospheric style is available in Cinders and Haze colorways. "For Spring 2018, we are introducing new styles that play with texture and pile," says Ann Sutherland, president of Perennials and Sutherland, LLC. "With our emphasis on innovation and performance guaranteeing stain-resistant, UV resistant, and fade resistant products we always look to the construction of our products for design inspiration. Our team of skilled artisan weavers outdid themselves this season by presenting finished products that amaze and intrigue with exquisitely textured pieces. By combining impeccable quality and versatile designs, we provide clients with luxury underfoot for years to come." Alongside existing Perennials Rugs styles, the Spring 2018 introductions are customizable according to any preference. The variety of custom color and size options offered at Perennials allows each designer to bring their authentic vision to life. With customer service and designer relationships at the brand core, Perennials Rugs has introduced an online rug colorizing platform in order for designers to better visualize a finished product. The Perennials Rug Colorizer allows designers to choose from hundreds of color and style combinations to find the best solution for a space, combining Perennials' performance technology with endless personalization. Woven from fine 100% solution-dyed acrylic yarn, Perennials' fade-, mildew- and UV-resistant rugs are able to stand up to life's everyday adventures without sacrificing great design, making them uniquely suited to fit beautifully with any indoor or outdoor aesthetic. All Perennials rugs are independently tested and certified in accordance with industry standards, including resistance to soil, water, UV radiation, tearing and abrasion. They are also bleach cleanable and easily maintained. Perennials Rugs are available to interior designers and architects through fine showrooms worldwide. To view the full collection, visit www.perennialsfabrics.com. High-res images are available upon request. About Perennials and Sutherland, LLC The Perennials and Sutherland, LLC companies are icons and acknowledged leaders in the international design industry. CEO David Sutherland and President Ann Sutherland share an ingenious talent for curating the finest interior and exterior collections of luxury furniture, fabrics, rugs and accessories. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company is comprised of Sutherland Furniture, Perennials Luxury Performance Fabrics and David Sutherland Showrooms. Perennials Fabrics is recognized by interior designers and high-end retail customers as the leader in luxury performance fabrics. Perennials Fabrics and Perennials Luxury Performance Rugs combine the look and feel of high-quality, natural materials with the superior performance properties of their genuine 100% solution-dyed acrylic fiber technology. View the full collections at perennialsfabrics.com. Sutherland Furniture is a world leader in luxury outdoor furniture for modern lifestyles. The company has created the preeminent furniture brand through partnerships with the world's leading designers, along with utilizing the highest quality materials. View the full collections at sutherlandfurniture.com. David Sutherland Showrooms are full-service, multi-line showrooms which serve the professional design market in showrooms and studios across the United States. For more information and locations, visit davidsutherlandshowroom.com. SOURCE Perennials and Sutherland, LLC Related Links http://www.perennialsfabrics.com To serve the mission of bringing together photonics professionals and enhancing the communication and collaboration in the optical industry, this event has been organizing technical and social events during OFC2018. The panel of the workshop consists of well-respected experts from service providers, network carriers and marketing analyst in the optical industry. The latest data center, fiber deep and highspeed access, and 5G wireless technologies will be elaborated on. Market opportunities and challenges will be discussed along with the technology trends and the business strategies among the US, China and the rest of the world markets. 100+ representatives will be invited to this workshop, and a post-panel networking dinner will be held afterward. All photonics professionals are sincerely invited to join this great gathering on the evening of March 14. Panel Workshop: Title : "Market Opportunities and its Challenges: the US and China Perspectives" Date : March 14th, 2018 (Wednesday) 5:00pm to 7:30pm (Workshop only) Location : SDCC Room, 14A Mezzanine Level, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA Fee : Free Workshop Schedule: 5:00pm to 5:30pm: Registration & Social Networking 5:30pm to 5:50pm: PSC/OSA Introduction/Acknowledgment Presider: Genzao Zhang, President, PSC-SC Welcome remarks from: Elizabeth Rogan , CEO, OSA - The Optical Society Eric Yang , The Secretary General - CIOE Helen Wen Martinez - OFC China Office & Wen Global Solution 5:50pm to 7:00pm: Panel Presentation & Discussion: Moderator: Subu Subrahmanyan, AO Asset Management Panelists: Chengliang Zhang , VP, China Telecom Beijing Research Institute , VP, China Telecom Beijing Research Institute Don Frey , Principal Analyst, Transport and Routing, Ovum , Principal Analyst, Transport and Routing, Ovum Terran Huang , Senior Network Architect, Tencent Senior Network Architect, Rich Baca , Titel TBD, MSFT , Titel TBD, MSFT Zhensheng Jia , Distinguished Technologist, CableLabs 7:00pm to 7:20pm: Picture Taking Session Post-panel Networking Dinner: Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm Location: Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, 4609 Covoy Street, San Diego. (858) 268-0888 Fee: $ 35 (pre-registration), $4 0 (on-site) per person Organizing Committee: Genzao Zhang, PSC-SC 2017-2018 President Howell Zhao, PSC-SC 1st Vice President Cedric Lam, PSC-SC 2nd Vice President Norman Kwong/Genzao Zhang, PSC-SC Co-Treasurers Jane Xiao/Cong Liu, PSC-SC Co-Secretaries Shoa-Kai Liu, Steve Yao, Frank Chang, Jinghui Li, Hsu-Feng Chou, K.K. Wong and David Li, PSC-SC Advisors About CIOE (WWW.CIOE.CN/EN) China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) is the world's largest exhibition in optoelectronic industry. It is the first as well as the most influential optoelectronic exhibition in China. The event is an annual gathering for the global optoelectronic professionals to gather around to network with business partners and discover the future trends. CIOE presents an entire optoelectronic industry chain. It is a meeting place where you could meet the people from every corner of optoelectronics fields including optical communications, lasers, semiconductors, infrared Imaging, precision optics, and photonics. About PSC (WWW.PSC-A.ORG) The Objectives of PSC are to promote friendships and collaborations among Chinese-American engineers and scientists in the field of photonics so that they can enhance their professional and business contributions for better quality of life in this fast changing world. Contact us on or visit event website for more information. SOURCE China International Optoelectronic Expo (CIOE) Related Links http://www.cioe.cn TROY, Mich., March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TRIARQ Health, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, announces that The Alliance, an innovative, orthopedic-physician owned and led bundled payment partnership, is expanding to states including Ohio, Florida, Alabama, and Texas. Bundled Payment reimbursement models are becoming the standard way Orthopedic episodes are reimbursed. The Alliance, a physician-owned and led organization, is redesigning healthcare around these bundles to offer better outcomes and patient experiences. As the result of recent changes in healthcare, the Alliance has already brought together many leading orthopedic surgeons to set a new standard of care as bundled payments become the standard in healthcare. Now, with the introduction of BPCI-Advanced from CMS, TRIARQ Health has taken The Alliance nationwide to help physicians get involved in this CMS program. BPCI-Advanced marks the third-generation of a bundled payment initiative that has existed under two different presidential administrations and will continue until at least 2025. "Healthcare is re-aligning in a way that maximizes the value of care," shared TRIARQ Health VP of Value-Based Services, Sabrina Dobbins. "By creating and building episodic care teams led by the physicians, and implementing incentives around quality, bundled payment programs like BPCI-Advanced will help us all achieve better outcomes across the board." Formed in 2017, The Alliance is helping its members create the most prestigious orthopedic value-based organization in the market. Already contracting with one of the nation's largest payers, The Alliance is the only entity of its kind. "We believe that the best outcomes are always achieved when the physician is in the driver's seat," said TRIARQ Health CEO Mike Sappington. "That is why our Alliance is physician-owned and physician-led. We are completely aligned with the patient and doctor's interest in delivering high-value care and great outcomes." TRIARQ Health is a Physician Practice Services company that partners with doctors to run modern patient-centered practices so they can be rewarded for delivering high-value care. For more information, visit www.triarqhealth.com. For more information on the Alliance, email or call Alliance Director Scott Purdy, [email protected], (248) 392-5631 visit www.triarqhealth.com/bpci-2018. Related Links TRIARQ Health BPCI Advanced SOURCE TRIARQ Health Related Links http://www.triarqhealth.com NEW YORK, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network it's easy and free. Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS Finding Deals on St. Patrick's Day The Answer to Mass Shootings MEDIA JOBS Digital Editor, Mansion The Wall Street Journal (NY) Social Media Manager South China Morning Post (NY) Metro Editor The Seattle Times (WA) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES Be a Better Storyteller: 7 Public Speaking Tips You Can Apply to Your Writing Female Journalists Speak: How to Make It as a Woman in the Media Business Blog Profiles: Hipster Blogs EXPERT ALERTS: Finding Deals on St. Patrick's Day Natasha Rachel Smith Chief Communications Officer, Personal Finance Expert TopCashback.com "With St. Patrick's Day falling on a Saturday, you're more likely to see Americans attending celebrations such as parades, parties and more. Whether you plan to purchase apparel, cooking supplies or decorations, take advantage of cashback and coupons on purchases to help improve your budget this Irish holiday." Based in New Jersey, Smith is available to discuss the results of TopCashback.com's St. Patrick's Day survey, which found 67% of Americans will celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year and 63% aim to spend $1-$100 on holiday celebrations. The survey also found wearing green is the most popular Irish holiday tradition and Americans prefer to shop at mass-market retailers for their holiday goods. Website: www.topcashback.com Contact: Chelsea Hudson, [email protected] The Answer to Mass Shootings Kenny Vaughan Founder and CEO Shields of Strength "The answer to mass shootings is to open our society, our schools, our souls to the love of Jesus. The crux of mass shootings and shooter suicides is found where fear and love are born, fed and do battle in our souls, our schools, our society. Jesus and the love of Jesus is not a problem to be kept out of our schools, our society, our souls -- but the only answer to the killings. The truth is that fear, fully developed, delights in evil. It always has and always will. That's what we are seeing in our society today, in the school shootings, the mass slayings across the country." Based in Texas, Vaughan is the author of "Shields of Strength: One Man's Victory Over Fear and What It Has Meant for America" (Brown Books, 2010). The release of his second book on love and fear is scheduled to be published in the fall of 2018 by Brown Books. ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/kennyvaughan Website: https://www.shieldsofstrength.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnkennedyvaughan/ Contact: Marcia Davis, [email protected] MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Digital Editor, Mansion The Wall Street Journal (NY) Social Media Manager South China Morning Post (NY) Metro Editor The Seattle Times (WA) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected] BE A BETTER STORYTELLER: 7 PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS YOU CAN APPLY TO YOUR WRITING. Hitting the publish button on your latest written piece can be stressful. You're putting your voice out into the world. And while your audience can't look you in the eye, they can laser in on your every word. Here are some tips to apply public speaking best practices in your writing: http://prn.to/2IdpKnS FEMALE JOURNALISTS SPEAK: HOW TO MAKE IT AS A WOMAN IN THE MEDIA BUSINESS. In recent months, females have proliferated the news. From national marches advocating for human rights to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, women are making their voices heard. Journalists are also speaking up about harassment in the newsroom and the gender pay gap, forcing media organizations to shine a light on internal operations. Recently, Sixth & I in Washington, D.C. , hosted a timely talk called "Work in Progress: Women in Media," where three women journalists shared their take on current events. Here are a few takeaways for women entering the publishing field: http://prn.to/2FBxth1 BLOG PROFILES: HIPSTER BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry/subject and profiles a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation. This week, they look at a few hipster blogs: http://prn.to/2Df8kU8 PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. To contact ProfNet: [email protected] or 800-776-3638, ext. 1 SOURCE ProfNet Related Links http://www.profnet.com The Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters every year, most of which are home fires. So far this year, Red Cross volunteers have responded to more than 12,500 home fires, and tragically, in some of these cases, lives have been lost. Having smoke alarms in a home cuts the risk of death from a fire in half. Dedicated volunteers like Chuck have been installing smoke alarms to help make their communities safer. When Chuck's daughter, Larissa, moved into a new home with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Chuck insisted on installing smoke alarms to make sure his grandchildren were safe. Little did they know these smoke alarms would save Larissa and Steve's lives when they alerted them to a fire in their basement less than two months ago. Hear how this Red Cross volunteer saved his daughter's life by installing smoke alarms: https://vimeo.com/259007277. HOW TO HELP The Red Cross and its partners will be out in communities between April 28 and May 13 to install 100,000 free smoke alarms. You can help by visiting SoundTheAlarm.org and volunteering or making a financial donation. Find events in your local community where you can help or learn how your donation will help educate families on fire safety; install free smoke alarms in high-risk neighborhoods nationwide; and provide food, comfort and aid to those who have been affected by a home fire. "Help us Sound the Alarm against home fire injuries and deaths by volunteering or donating to support our work," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "Our Home Fire Campaign is a vitally important initiative that has already resulted in hundreds of lives saved across the country. Please consider joining with the Red Cross to help install 100,000 free smoke alarms between April 28 and May 13." HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVING LIVES Sound the Alarm is part of the ongoing Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, launched in 2014 and already credited with saving 381 lives across the country. Every day, 7 people in this country die from a home fire; another 36 people are injured, and home fires cause billions of dollars in property damage every year. The multi-year Red Cross Campaign was launched to reduce the number of fire-related deaths and injuries by 25 percent. Red Cross volunteers and partners canvass high-risk neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms, and help families create escape plans. In addition to helping save lives, the Red Cross and partners have installed more than 1.1 million smoke alarms since the start of the campaign. Join this Red Cross effort today by volunteering to install smoke alarms in your community, making a financial contribution, or taking steps to protect your own family from home fires. Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives. This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from national partners: Almost Family, Delta Air Lines and International Paper. The Red Cross has also received funding from FEMA through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. SOURCE American Red Cross Related Links http://www.redcross.org MONTREAL, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP) will hold its annual meeting of stockholders on Friday, May 25, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern), in the Lecture Theatre of Confederation College, located at 1450 Nakina Drive, Thunder Bay, Ontario. About Resolute Forest Products Resolute Forest Products is a global leader in the forest products industry with a diverse range of products, including market pulp, tissue, wood products, newsprint and specialty papers, which are marketed in close to 70 countries. The company owns or operates some 40 manufacturing facilities, as well as power generation assets, in the United States and Canada. Resolute has third-party certified 100% of its managed woodlands to internationally recognized sustainable forest management standards. The shares of Resolute Forest Products trade under the stock symbol RFP on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange. Resolute has received regional, North American and global recognition for its leadership in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, as well as for its business practices. Visit www.resolutefp.com for more information. SOURCE Resolute Forest Products Inc. Related Links www.resolutefp.com WASHINGTON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- RICS will use the influential platform at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington D.C. to canvass for further input on the ground-breaking International Land Measurement Standards (ILMS). RICS is part of a coalition of more than 30 international not-for-profit organizations developing ILMS. ILMS is the first truly global benchmark for classifying, defining, measuring and reporting land information. Its goal is to improve the level of security of land tenure across the world and enable fair compensation during large-scale land acquisition. From March 19 - 24, RICS will join government, academic, NGO and private sector groups at the annual World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in the U.S. capital. The annual meeting is one of the largest gatherings of experts focused on issues of land. Last year more than 1,300 global representatives attended. Developing the first global land standard Historically, levels of land ownership and tenure security vary enormously from country to country. Some countries do not currently have formal, embedded systems and up to 70% of land rights remain unregistered, according to the human settlements agency of the United Nations (UN), UN-Habitat. This means that even though there is ownership of a piece of land, the legitimate owner's 'rights' over that land are not recognized in a formal system of land administration. "Land and its effective use is a keystone of economic and infrastructure development, which is why we've collaborated with other international professional bodies to develop global transparent benchmarks aimed at bringing security of land tenure to millions of citizens around the world," says James Kavanagh, RICS Global Land Standards Director. "Where land rights are not formally recorded or known, we see cases of misappropriation, restricted economic opportunities, land disputes and a range of other political, legal and financial risks. By coming together to deliver on a public service mandate, we aim to produce a standard consisting of high level principals with a real-life application at community level." Kavanagh will be at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington, D.C. to seek input from various international stakeholders and land professionals. Land governance is a prominent feature of the UN's "Agenda 2030" and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also a pillar of UN-Habitat's New Urban Agenda a global framework on city planning and management to support sustainable urbanization. For more information: Amie Silverwood Writer and Media Relations RICS 120 Adelaide St. W., Suite 2202 Toronto, ON M5H 1T1 p 437-990-4695 e [email protected] w rics.org About RICS RICS promotes and enforces the highest professional qualifications and standards in the valuation, development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. Our name promises the consistent delivery of standards - bringing confidence to markets and effecting positive change in the built and natural environments. SOURCE RICS Related Links https://www.rics.org BOSTON, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Lawrence Beal is recognized by Continental Who's Who as Prominent Real Estate Professional for 2018 in the field of Real Estate in recognition of his role as Senior Officer of Related Beal, Inc. A fully integrated real estate firm, Related Beal, Inc is located in the heart of the Boston, Massachusetts area. Offering a wide array of services to their clients, the firm specializes in, "all assets, classes and storied local experience in life sciences, commercial and residential development, property management and real estate investments." A frontrunner in the legal industry, Related Beal is equipped in handling legal matters focused on development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing and sales. Dedicated to customer satisfaction, the company is equipped in real estate development, affordable workforce housing, property management, brokerage services and advisory. With an astute team of professionals at the firm, the real estate office is dedicated to ensuring their clients receive hands on care in a timely and professional manner. Amassing over fifty years of experience in the field of real estate, Beal is the Former President and Senior Officer of Beal & Co., Inc., also known as Related Beal. Throughout his career, Beal has attained expertise within the areas of both commercial and residential real estate and is now currently pursuing his philanthropic endeavors. An illustrious expert within the field, Beal is specialized in residential and commercial real estate. Throughout the course of his educational pursuits, Beal graduated Harvard College with honors in 1963. Later, he would continue his educational career path at Harvard Business School where he graduated in 1965. Thereafter, Beal joined the Beal Companies in 1976 (now known as Related Beal). A dynamic member within the community, Beal has charitably served many organizations with his time, talent and resources, including the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (former overseer and trustee), the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Chairman, Council of Fellows), the Boston Zoological Society (former Chair), the Museum of Fine Arts (Board of Overseers), the Combined Jewish Arts and Culture and is on the Board of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Recently, Beal has been appointed as Director of the Old North Foundation and Trustee of Tufts Medical Center. To further his professional development, Beal is an affiliate of several organizations locally and internationally. Past Director and Chairman of the Artery Business Committee, and a Past President of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Beal is the former Chair of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, Chair of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard as well as the Chair of the School of Social Science, Urban Affairs and Public Policy at Northeastern University. In recognition of his professional accolades, Beal has been featured in numerous Who's Who Publications including Marquis, Who's Who of Emerging Leaders and Who's Who in Finance and Business. Beal dedicates this recognition to his nephew, Bruce Beal, Jr., who is the President of the Related Company in New York. Both are looking forward to continued growth and success in the future in the family. For more information, please visit: www.bealco.com or http://www.relatedbeal.com/OurCompany/. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/651923/JECWorld_2018.jpg ) The event has brought together over 1,300 exhibitors as well as approximately 40,000 visitors from more than 100 countries in the world. It is the first ever show dedicated to composite production, which has been held annually since 1965. Manufacturers from Russia have presented their recent developments - production equipment, polymer materials and plastics, technical textiles, carbon fibers and reinforced and heat-resistant materials, which are not only used widely in their country, but are also in high demand abroad. The Russian exhibitors worked through a collective stand, organized by the Russian Export Center (REC), and three separate displays. As noted by REC, "The Russian-made composites are distinguished by high quality and are highly demanded on the global market. The high-tech carbon materials, construction polymer binders, fabrics and strips manufactured in Russia compete successfully with the world's best examples. The annual growth rate of the Russian composites market amounts to nearly 20%. Such figures require a system approach to the efforts on promotion of the industry's export possibilities and this is what we are going to pursue actively." The REC's collective stand with an area of 96 sq.m was devoted to the products of such Russian companies as Trade House 'Rusbazalt' (trademark RedArmo), STTC ApATeCh-Dubna Ltd., NIIGRAFIT, JSC, Russkiy basalt, LLC (trademark MeltRock) and NIIKAM Co. Ltd. Likewise, the separate displays presented products of other Russian manufacturers, including ITECMA, LLC, 'NPK Khimprominzhiniring', JSC (Umatex Group brand which is part of the Rosatom Corporation) and PREPREG-ACM, JSC. Participation in JECWorld2018 is aimed at active promotion of the Russian composites and polymers on the worldwide market and the development of Russia's export possibilities a priority area of which is a large-scale increase of the share of non-resource exports. The volume of the Russian composites market is estimated at close to 60 billion rubles. Over 150 enterprises are engaged in active development of materials which are used in various industrial sectors - aircraft engineering, shipbuilding, the car industry, power engineering, construction, oil and gas production, chemistry, petrochemistry and space industry. Contact: [email protected], http://www.exportcenter.ru SOURCE Russian Export Center SAN FRANCISCO, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Seuss may have said it best: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." In that same spirit and in celebration of Save the Redwoods League's centennial in 2018, the League is organizing a reading contest to inspire young people to discover California's redwood forests. Stories of adventure, mystery and friendship await young readers who participate in this free, online reading contest with prize packages awarded on a weekly basis and culminating in the chance to win a Grand Prize. Acclaimed author T. A. Barron, whose books include The Ancient One, the Merlin Saga, and many others, will serve as the contest's ambassador. Save the Redwoods League & New York Times Bestselling Author T. A. Barron Launch "Reading the Redwoods" Contest for Elementary Students Across the U.S. Save the Redwoods League & New York Times Bestselling Author T. A. Barron Launch "Reading the Redwoods" Contest for Elementary Students Across the U.S. "Books allow you to travel wherever you like no ticket required. That's what's so great about Save the Redwoods League's Reading the Redwoods contest," said Mr. Barron, who is also a council member for Save the Redwoods League. "I invite families from everywhere to participate and discover a sense of wonder about nature." "We want to connect as many people to the redwoods as we can during our Centennial year and beyond. And we want to especially engage children who are the future stewards of the redwoods. It's with this in mind that we launch the Reading the Redwoods contest," said Jennifer Benito-Kowalski, chief communications officer for Save the Redwoods League. "T. A. Barron has captured the imaginations of young people around the country with his books that are grounded in the preservation of nature, and especially trees and redwoods. We are thrilled to partner with him on this contest and bringing the magic of the redwoods to children everywhere." About the contest: Reading the Redwoods contest launches March 10, 2018 on ReadingtheRedwoods.org and will run for eight weeks. Participating families are asked to complete five easy and fun reading activities before May 10, 2018 to be entered to win weekly prizes and a final Grand Prize. Weekly prizes will be awarded courtesy of REI, Clif Bar and author T. A. Barron. The Grand Prize, courtesy VisitRedwoods.com, is a trip to visit the redwoods in northern California, including a two-night stay at the Best Western Humboldt Bay Inn near Humboldt National Park, a $300 rental car voucher, and guided adventures like horseback riding or kayaking. First Prize is a Riprock 24 kids bike from Specialized. Visit ReadingtheRedwoods.org for full details. Reading the Redwoods activities are: Read: Read two books about redwoods, forests, and nature in general. Links to book lists will be provided on the contest website, along with encouragement to visit public libraries and local bookstores. Listen: Listen to one audio book about redwoods, forests, and nature in general. Links to audio book sites and forest/tree/nature books will be provided. Share: Take a selfie with your favorite tree, write a story about the redwoods, or draw a picture and post to an adult's Facebook or Instagram with #Stand4Redwoods. Find: Find the redwood park closest to your home using resources on the League's website and read about the park's history and features. Watch: Witness the wonders of a redwood forest live via a webcam on the League's website. How the contest works: Parents and guardians sign up on ReadingtheRedwoods.org with their name, email address, and city where they live. Just by signing up they are entered to win that week's prize. View and print the checklist of the five easy activities to complete by May 10, 2018 . Emails will be sent weekly to announce prize winners, highlight contest participants' posts on social media, share tips and ideas, and encourage participants to invite friends to participate in the contest. Once completed, participants click the "I finished!" link at ReadingtheRedwoods.org. They are automatically entered to win Grand and First Prizes. Save the Redwoods League recognizes the support of the following partners: 510Families.com California Outdoor Engagement Coalition ChangeScale Children & Nature Network Clif Bar Dawn Publications Independent Bookstore Day MelindaMyers.com Oakland Zoo REI Specialized Trackers Earth VisitRedwoods.com Save the Redwoods League Celebrates 100 Years One of the nation's oldest conservation organizations, Save the Redwoods League is celebrating 100 years of protecting and restoring redwood forests, connecting generations of visitors with the beauty and serenity of the redwood forest. Our 19,000 supporters have enabled the League to protect more than 200,000 acres of irreplaceable forest and help create 66 redwood parks and reserves. For more information, go to SaveTheRedwoods.org. Contact: Ashley Boarman, Landis Communications Phone: (415) 359-2312 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Save the Redwoods League Related Links http://SaveTheRedwoods.org WASHINGTON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Conference in Atlanta will speak with NASA astronaut Scott Tingle, currently living and working aboard the International Space Station, at 10:40 a.m. EDT Friday, March 16. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will be one of several interactive events to air live on NASA Television and the agency's website during the week. A call will be made from the conference to the Expedition 55 flight engineer, during which teachers will pose questions about life aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans, and conducting science in space. The NSTA has more than 55,000 registered members who teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The downlink will accompany a panel discussion featuring NASA's associate administrator for STEM engagement, Mike Kincaid, and highlight the agency's Year of Education on Station. Media interested in attending the event should contact Kate Falk at 703-312-9211 or [email protected]. The event will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center, located at 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. NW. Linking teachers directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in STEM. 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. The space station crew also will participate in two media interviews earlier in the week. On Tuesday, March 13, KYW-TV (CBS3) in Philadelphia will interview Tingle and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Norishige Kanai at 10 a.m., followed at 1:25 p.m. by WAMU-FM Washington's afternoon program, called 1A. These events also will air on NASA TV and the agency's website. Follow the astronauts on social media: https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SKUlocal, a leader in precision retail activation for valued partners in the CPG, healthcare and retail grocery environment, will be attending next week's P2PI retail academy as a first-time sponsor. The Path to Purchase Institute Summit, formerly called the Shopper Market Summit, will be held in Chicago, March 12-14. "We've been actively monitoring the rapid shifts that have had a dramatic impact on the retail landscape, in an effort to synthesize uncertainty, and help our partners develop proactive strategies to drive significant impact in their markets," said Jay Loeffler, SKUlocal's Vice President of National Accounts. "We feel the time is right to introduce these proven strategies on a larger stage." Loeffler said SKUlocal is seeing exceptional results, paired with timely insights, that truly support the charter of P2PI -- to re-imagine the future of commerce and help our mutual partners design success in an ever-changing environment. SKUlocal helps manufacturers and retailers develop alternative solutions to drive more targeted redemption at key retail partners, versus the inefficient distribution that can come from traditional marketing. SKUlocal's targeted activation campaigns integrate retailer-focused direct mail, customized social media and targeted print-at-home coupons. SKUlocal's client list includes Procter & Gamble, Kellogg's, Blue Bunny, Mars, Bayer, Walgreens and HEB grocery stores. About SKUlocal Based in St. Petersburg, FL, SKUlocal is a leader in precision retail activation for valued partners in the CPG, healthcare and retail grocery environment. It offers targeted shopper solutions to identify and activate specific shopper segments. SKUlocal provides marketers with strategic insights into how shoppers think while consulting on which tactics are optimal for driving desired behaviors. SKUlocal's combination of targeted direct mail, customized social integration and geo-specific digital activations -- coupled with powerful, precise targeting and consumer insights -- delivers measurable results for our valued partners in the consumer packaged goods (CPG), over-the-counter (OTC) and retail grocery marketplace. SKUlocal is owned by Platinum Equity, a global investment firm based in Los Angeles. CONTACT: Dave Williams 727-319-5443 [email protected] SOURCE SKUlocal Speedcast Atlas features a highly redundant network with multiple satellite networks covering each location, and a non-satellite infrastructure consisting of microwave, fiber and LTE technologies. Speedcast Atlas offers a wide range of applications and value-added services delivered through one service experience that extends across all of the markets we serve. Speedcast Atlas is a fully managed end-to-end solution with global 24/7 technical support and local engineering presence. While connectivity rapidly evolves in terms of speed and reliability, end users are adding ever-more critical applications on their networks; building the network into a sophisticated resource, yet complicating the overall management. The Speedcast Atlas solution engages customers as a trusted partner, to proactively monitor the network and react with customized solutions. Speedcast Atlas extends Speedcast's managed services through enhanced and differentiated technology offerings focusing on cyber-security, crew welfare, content solutions, data & voice applications and network systems integration. "As our customers digitalize their business and move applications to the cloud, they are relying more and more on connectivity and require a partner that can deliver more bandwidth with higher reliability and better support. They need a partner to help them navigate the frontiers of today's innovations and stay connected no matter what, a partner that manages the network with faultless reliability, fanatical support and a well-trained eye for future innovations and opportunities." - Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO Speedcast. To learn more about Speedcast Atlas, visit https://vimeo.com/259215215. About Speedcast International Limited Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) is the largest provider of remote communications and IT services in the world. Speedcast's fully managed service is delivered via a leading global, multi-access-technology, multi-band and multi-orbit network of 70+ satellites and an interconnecting global terrestrial network, bolstered by extensive on the ground local support from 40+ countries. This global "network of networks" allows customers to fully rely on the most robust, integrated infrastructure available in the market for their mission critical applications. Speedcast is uniquely positioned as a strategic business partner, tailoring communications, IT and digital solutions to meet unique customer needs and enable business transformation. Speedcast extends its managed services through differentiated technology offerings including cyber-security, crew welfare, content solutions, data and voice applications and network systems integration services. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 2,000 customers in over 140 countries in sectors such as Maritime, Energy, Mining, Enterprise, Media, Cruise, NGOs and Government. Learn more at www.speedcast.com. Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook Speedcast is a trademark and registered trademark of Speedcast International Limited. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective owners. 2018 Speedcast International Limited. All rights reserved. Contact Information: Toni Lee Rudnicki Vice President, Global Marketing Speedcast International Ltd [email protected] +1-832-668-2634 SOURCE Speedcast International Ltd Related Links https://www.speedcast.com NEWTON, Mass., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Spindrift, the first sparkling water flavored with only real ingredients, announces today their latest product innovation: Half & Half. Officially rolling out online and across shelves over the course of the next few months, Spindrift welcomes their latest sparkling water variety with an unveiling at this year's Natural Products Expo West at Booth #5789. "Innovation is about bringing our real ingredient story to life to the delight of our fans. We wondered if we could improve upon a delicious Arnold Palmer but do it the Spindrift way," says Founder & CEO Bill Creelman. "We spent two years finding a way to work with fresh brewed tea, which was a challenge, but the final result is incredibly rewarding." Spindrift's unsweetened Half & Half is another milestone in the brand's commitment towards innovation made from only fresh, real ingredients sourced from family farms not a lab. Making a sparkling water with real brewed black tea and combining it with refreshing, fresh-squeezed lemons is their most unique product so far. Given the growing availability for Spindrift in upscale cafes and eateries, a sparkling water with tea is a natural fit as the perfect accompaniment for a healthy lunch. In a category built on "flavors" made from artificial ingredients, "natural" oils and essences, this guarantees consumers an exclusively real alternative that tastes as refreshing as it feels. "Other varieties of Half & Half have many ingredients and use flavorings," says Creelman. "We're proud to be the first to provide a clean, simple alternative made with only the ingredients on the label: sparkling water, real squeezed lemon, and fresh brewed black tea that's it." From the recent expansion in e-commerce with the launch of Spindrift Market, to expanding its innovation portfolio with new 16 oz. single serve offerings of signature flavors, Spindrift continues to trail blaze the sparkling water space with significant strides of growth. Most recently, the brand announced expanded distribution in key upscale retailers including Whole Foods, Starbucks and Kroger. Spindrift is available at various grocery retailers and cafe-style restaurants nationwide, including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, Starbucks, Kroger, Target, and online at Amazon.com and www.shop.spindriftfresh.com. Check out the brand's innovation and meet the team at Booth #5789 at Natural Products Expo West from March 9 to 11. For more information about Spindrift, please visit www.spindriftfresh.com. About Spindrift: Spindrift is the first sparkling water made with real, fresh ingredients and triple-filtered sparkling water yup, that's it. Founded in 2010, Spindrift celebrates simplicity, transparency and the superior taste that only real ingredients can deliver. All products are free from added sweeteners or natural flavors, made with fruit that is picked from family farms and then squeezed within a few days from harvest. The result is light, bright, and flavor-rich sparkling water. Flavors include Half & Half, Strawberry, Orange-Mango, Grapefruit, Blackberry, Cucumber, Lemon, and Raspberry-Lime. Spindrift is available at various grocery retailers and cafe-style restaurants nationwide, including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, Starbucks, Kroger, Target, and online at Amazon.com and www.shop.spindriftfresh.com. Spindrift was ranked #385 on Inc. Magazine's 2017 list of fastest-growing companies. The company also donates 1% of total net sales to not-for-profits through their membership to 1% For The Planet. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Newton, MA. For more information, visit www.spindriftfresh.com. SOURCE Spindrift Related Links http://www.spindriftfresh.com "Delivering fuselages and other key structural components for more than 10,000 Boeing 737 aircraft over the past five decades is a monumental accomplishment," said Tom Gentile, Spirit AeroSystems president and chief executive officer. "This milestone showcases our ability to deliver a world-class, high quality product our customer and millions of aviation travelers can depend on. We are proud of our relationship with Boeing, and we look forward to continuing our relentless focus on meeting the demands of the industry and helping connect the world through air travel." Spirit has design and build responsibility for approximately 70 percent of the 737 structure, including the entire fuselage, along with propulsion and wing work packages. The Boeing 737 program began in 1966 and the first 737 entered service in 1968. More than 25 percent of the world's single-aisle jet fleet is made up of 737s. It continues to be the best-selling and longest continuously produced commercial airliner of all time. No other commercial airplane has reached the 10,000 production mark. "It takes teamwork, dedication and commitment across generations of aviation employees to reach such an impressive milestone," said Duane Hawkins, Spirit AeroSystems senior vice president and general manager of Boeing programs. "The pride our employees take in their work is inspiring, and their commitment to delivering for our customer remains unmatched. Every day we strive to continually improve and build on our legacy, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a trusted partner in the aerospace industry." Spirit employs approximately 15,000 people worldwide designing and building complex aerostructures for the world's most recognizable airplanes. Spirit builds the forward fuselage section of every Boeing commercial airplane in production today, as well as wing and propulsion components. On the web: www.spiritaero.com On Twitter: @SpiritAero About Spirit AeroSystems Inc. Spirit AeroSystems designs and builds aerostructures for both commercial and defense customers. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit operates sites in the U.S., U.K., France and Malaysia. The company's core products include fuselages, pylons, nacelles and wing components for the world's premier aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems focuses on affordable, innovative composite and aluminum manufacturing solutions to support customers around the globe. More information is available at www.SpiritAero.com. SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems Inc. Related Links http://www.spiritaero.com VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- StorageMart, based out of Columbia, MO, proudly announced today a new facility in Virginia Beach, VA. Conveniently located on Virginia Beach Blvd and just off of I-264, the new facility offers a wide variety of climate controlled units, loading bays, and drive-up storage units to serve the needs of the local community and local businesses. Its proximity to the Naval Air Station Oceana makes it an ideal storage solution for military personnel. Over 560 storage units comprise 78,979 square feet of rentable storage space, representing a large portion of the self storage solutions in Virginia Beach. This is StorageMart's first location in the area, and customers will be able to take advantage of StorageMart's easy, clean service. "We're thrilled to open a StorageMart in Virginia Beach," said Cris Burnam, StorageMart President. "We're committed to bringing easy, clean storage service to the area and look forward to becoming part of the local community." Additional great features at the new location include individual PIN-code access, video cameras, and two interior loading bays to make move-in a breeze. About StorageMart StorageMart started with a single store in Columbia, MO and has grown to be the largest privately-owned, family operated storage company in the world. StorageMart is led by the Burnam family, which has been in the storage industry for three generations. Dedicated to providing easy, clean and friendly service to each and every customer, StorageMart is also committed to giving back to the many communities it calls home through their Store it Forward program. In 2017, the company donated more than $159,000 to charities, in addition to donating over $370,000 in free rent to charities throughout the US and Canada. Find out more at www.storage-mart.com. Contact: Sarah Little, [email protected] SOURCE StorageMart Related Links http://www.storage-mart.com In this context, the highly-regarded 2018 US-China BlockInvest Summit ( http://blockinvestcon.com/ ), organized by ICONIZ and Liaoyuan, will be held at The Charles Hotel near Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 17. More than 500 attendees will have a chance to meet face-to-face with industry leaders and discuss the innovations taking place in the world of blockchain as well as blockchain market dynamics and development trends in China and the US, in anticipation of the arrival of the blockchain era. ICONIZ CEO Chen Zhao said that the summit has invited more than 30 China- and US-based blockchain and investment industry leaders, including Elastos cofounder Feng Han, Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger, Netki CEO Justin Newton, Bitangel cofounder Chandler Guo, LBRY CEO Jeremy Kauffman and Talla CEO Rob May. More notably, high-quality blockchain startups including SonikPass/SIM, ObEN/PAI, Neji, OneGame and EtherZero will also interact and network with attendees. The summit will last one full day with an extensive agenda including: Decoding the Enigma of Blockchain, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency: The Ultimate Disruption Worldwide Crypto Mania: An insider's outlook Behind the Scenes of China's Investment Rush Investment Rush Investing in Token Sale: A Native U.S. Story Cryptocurrencies vs Blockchain: Future or Bubble? Developments and Adoptions of Blockchain How Blockchain Technologies Will Energize Industrial Revolutions? Underlying Infrastructure of Blockchain Technology What It Takes to Conduct a Successful and Compliant Token Sale? Merging Technology and Entertainment Industry with Blockchain Through these in-depth discussions, the summit hopes to establish a good forum for communications and a learning channel for blockchain communities in China and the US. The summit has received strong support from companies and institutions including E3 Capital, Node Capital, Hofan Capital, SPARKLAND, Float Capital, H1percent and BSEF. The event has also garnered attention from many Chinese and US technology and blockchain media organizations wishing to keep up to date on and report on the latest news. The 2018 US-China BlockInvest Summit has become one of the most regarded blockchain events in the eastern half of the US. ICONIZ (https://www.iconiz.io/) is the one of the world's leading blockchain accelerator for startups. They are the strong believers of building a decentralized, immutable and transparent world with blockchain that is more inclusive, innovative, and accessible. They have made it their mission to invest in great entrepreneurs that share the same dream and vision, and help them establish strong connections with the community. SOURCE ICONIZ Related Links https://www.iconiz.io MIAMI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WOHASU LLC, producer of the World Happiness Summit, has donated 100 tickets to South Florida public school teachers for the second annual global event taking place on March 16-18 at the University of Miami. In recognition of the recent tragedy in Parkland, and because teachers are such an important pillar of our society, Summit organizers wanted to offer this opportunity for South Florida public school teachers, counselors and administrators to learn from leading experts who bring to light the practical implementations of the science of happiness and well-being so that participants can learn actionable tools to build resiliency, improve mental health, connect with purpose and meaning as well as construct positive relationships and become happier. "We are heart broken by the tragedy and we wanted to help contribute to our community's healing process by providing a positive space so that we can help our youth cope with the growing loneliness, alienation and anxiety that they may be feeling," said Karen Guggenheim, WOHASU CEO and Founder. "Our global mission is to disseminate the information and research findings from the world's top experts and academic institutions so that the science becomes actionable and practicable." "Being professionally fulfilled and effective depends not only on skills and knowledge, but also personal and emotional well-being," said Miami-Dade schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. "The work of the World Happiness Summit offers professionals the tools and resources to find the path to happiness and positive thinking in a way that is enlightening and life-changing." The University of Miami is the official host of this year's summit, taking place at the Shalala Student Center. This pioneering event will bring together Ivy league professors, UN Advisors and many other leading experts on the science of happiness who will speak on how to build sustainable happiness. *You can access the full list of speakers through the following link: http://www.wohasu.world/world-happiness-summit/#experts Tickets are available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-happiness-summit-2018-tickets-36147994625 Media Contact: Katelyn Gimbel [email protected] Cell: 540-718-2407 SOURCE World Happiness Summit Related Links https://happinesssummit.world Restrictive zoning contributes about 40% to the price of houses in Sydney and Melbourne, according to new research from the Reserve Bank of Australia. The study looked at zoning restrictions, such as minimum lot sizes and maximum building heights, which affect what kind of housing can be built, and where. Of course, zoning and planning rules play an important role in managing the growth of cities and protecting the character of particular neighbourhoods. But as Australia confronts a housing affordability crisis, the question is whether the costs of our planning rules outweigh the benefits. Zoning restrictions added A$489,000 to the price of a detached house in Sydney in 2016, according to the research by RBA economists Ross Kendall and Peter Tulip. The figure was A$324,000 in Melbourne, A$159,000 in Brisbane, and A$206,000 in Perth. The RBA research refers to the impact of zoning restrictions on house prices as the zoning effect. This can be thought of as the price a developer would be willing to pay for permission to build a home on a given plot of land, if the rules allowed them to. Within Sydney, the zoning effect is largest in northern councils such as Willoughby and the Northern Beaches; in Melbourne its in inner and eastern councils, including Boroondara and Stonnington. ABS; Authors calculations; CoreLogic ABS Authors calculations; CoreLogic The impact is not restricted to houses. The zoning effect added about A$400,000 to the price of an average apartment in Sydney in 2016. For apartments in Melbourne and Brisbane, the extra cost was more than A$100,000. By contrast, the RBA economists find that zoning rules added relatively little to the cost of housing in Australia 15 years ago. As demand for housing has increased, the zoning effect as a share of the price of housing has increased. The RBA research adds to international studies on the costs of zoning rules. A study in the United States found the prices of existing homes vastly exceed the cost of building new housing in a handful of coastal cities with the most restrictive planning rules, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Another study found that house prices in the south-east of the United Kingdom would be 35% lower if as many planning permits were issued as in the north-east. And a study in New Zealand last year also found that land use regulation accounts for a large share of the cost of homes in major cities, particularly Auckland and Wellington. The RBA research does not measure the benefits of zoning restrictions in Australia, but overseas studies generally conclude that the local benefits of current planning rules (such as protecting the character of particular neighbourhoods) are not nearly large enough to justify the costs. Increasing supply will make the biggest difference to affordability in the long run The new RBA research confirms that planning rules have pushed up the price of housing by restricting the number of new homes built at a time of strong demand. Our own research shows that for much of the decade from 2005 to 2014, annual housing construction was at or lower than the average of the previous 25 years, even though population growth was much higher. We estimate that if an extra 50,000 homes were built each year for the next decade, national house prices could be between 5% and 20% lower than they would be otherwise. And building more homes will improve housing affordability for everyone, not just those who purchase new houses. All levels of government in Australia need to build the public case for increased density. State and local governments should change planning rules to allow more medium-density housing in established suburbs that are close to jobs and transport. State governments should allow denser development along key transport corridors, with height limits set-up front. State governments should also use carrots and sticks to ensure local councils help meet the housing needs of our growing cities. When councils fail to meet housing targets, independent planning panels should be given power to assess development applications, as is increasingly occurring in Sydney. Housing affordability is a big problem. The RBAs findings show that reforming planning rules is a big part of the solution. John Daley, Chief Executive Officer, Grattan Institute; Brendan Coates, Fellow, Grattan Institute, and Trent Wiltshire, Associate, Grattan Institute This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Click Here to go to PublishersWeekly.com Sales at the Hachette Book Group rose 2.7% last year, parent company Lagardere reported. The increase was attributed in part to contributions from Perseus (where You Are a Badass sold over 648,000 print copies) and its Nashville-based imprints (where The Shack had strong sales). HBG also benefited from a full year ownership of Perseus, which it acquired at the end of March in 2016. Earlier this year. Lagardere reported that total revenue in the publishing group was 2.29 billion, up 1.1% over 2016. In its release Thursday, the company said EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) rose 1.0%, to 210 million. Similar to the sales gain, Lagardere said the profit improvement was "mainly attributable to a strong performance in the United States," driven by "successful releases" as well as continued profitability gains from the consolidation of Perseus. Among the authors HBG CEO Michael Pietsch crediting with contributing significantly to the publisher's bottom line last year were James Patterson, David Baldacci, Michael Connelly, Rick Steves, and Sandra Brown. Pietsch added that HBG was "thrilled with phenomenal sales for Pete Souzas Obama: An Intimate Portrait. That book, Pietsch added, "maintains its strong trajectory in 2018." The U.S. and Canada accounted for 27% of Lagardere publishing groups total revenue in 2017 (about 618 million or $761 million at current exchange rates). This figures is the same percentage the U.S. and Canada accounted for in 2016. In its presentation to analysts, Lagardere said that e-book sales fell again in 2017 in the U.S. and U.K., but at a slower pace than between 2015 and 2016. Some of the e-book decline was offset by a 20% increase in downloadable audio sales. One of the most exciting debut novels of the spring, Nafkote Tamirat's The Parking Lot Attendant follows an unnamed teenage girl in Boston who is drawn to the much older Ayale, a fellow Ethiopian and parking lot attendant. Expertly blending quotidian teenage frustrations with the real danger of the narrators unquestioning trust in Ayales and his package delivery scheme, Tamirat's novel is a wonderful, auspicious debut. Tamirat talks with her editor at Henry Holt, Caroline Zancan, about the path her novel took to publication, including separating fact and fiction and cutting the opening, which takes place on a shadowy island. Zancan: One of the things that completely bowled me over about this brilliant novel youve written is that it has so many different things I love in a book in one compact, gut punch of a storyan intimate, haunting voice; dazzling writing; terrifyingly real, three-dimensional characters; and an epic story with a huge finish. Usually a combination of any two or three of those things can draw me in, and here we just get it all. Im curious where it all began. I know Ayale was always the central character, but did you have to work to build a story up around him, or did you always know this story was something you wanted to tell, and he just happened to be the perfect vehicle? Tamirat: Thank you for such high praise! When this book was still a wee short story, the only characters were Ayale and the narrator. I knew that I wanted to delve into their relationship, which would be set to the background of the parking lot, but as I workshopped the piece and other follow-up stories, I saw that most readers were equally intrigued by the parking lot itself. I began to understand that Ayale and the lot were inextricable (I mean, even the narrator has trouble processing his presence when she sees him elsewhere in Boston!) and that he served as a sort of representative for this world and what it symbolizes in the story. There are so many identities explored in the novelEthiopian-American, American, Ethiopian diaspora, Ethiopian parking lot attendantand I wanted Ayale and the narrator to help introduce this book's particular dialogue and language rhythms as the reader gained familiarity with these personas and the universe in which they exist here. As you've read the book through its many, many iterations, how would you describe the relationship between Ayale and his precious lot? Symbiotic? Allegorical? Incidental? None/all of the above? Zancan: That's a really interesting question! I guess I've always thought of Ayale as the King and the Parking Lot the throne from which he ruled. Though I suppose it's also symbiotic? Ayale needed the parking lot to run his empire, and he took an ordinary slab of concrete and elevated it into this incredible kingdom, a rich, lively gathering place. It's so interesting to me that this began as a character and place driven story, because it ultimately becomes a very plot-driven book, despite the richness of the world and characters. The book went through many drafts over the years, but the story was always here, which is no small element. It's part of what drew me to the project so fiercely (that ending!). A lot of the work we did was stretching the story, which used to live mainly in the last few pages of the book, out across the middle section, and laying the groundwork for some of the big turns in the story so they felt more earned. I was always so impressed by your revisions, because your additions always felt so naturally and intuitive to what was already there. For you, was it a matter of putting things you already knew about the story and what these people went through on to the page so the reader could be privy to it, or were you inventing new layers to the story as you went? Tamirat: One of the biggest challenges when it came to the plot was how to connect the parts of the story that took place on the island with those that occurred in Boston. I had a pretty solid idea of what would drive the narrator and her father out of their home but had only a vague notion of why they'd be heading to the island and how their discoveries there would shed new light on the rest of the plot. You might remember that in earlier drafts, the island took up far more narrative real estate than it does nowat one point, I was switching between the past in Boston and the present on the island in every other chapterand that was one of the first plot elements you helped me untangle. So, to answer your question, Boston was a known quantity to me whereas I needed A TON of editorial guidance when it came to the island and what role it had to play here. If you recall, I told you at some point that while I knew something wasn't quite working with the island/Boston collaboration, I was tearing my hair out, trying to figure out why and how I could fix it. When did you see that the island sections had to be scaled back and how did you come to understand that the bulk of the story had to stay in Boston? I'd also love to know if there are certain general clues given by a text that signal to you that something needs to be removed and isn't doing what it MUST within the story to justify its presence. Zancan: It's funny, my next question to you was going to be about the island sections! You managed to condense so much of the spirit and energy of that place into the short sections you ended up keeping from what was originally almost half the book. To answer your question as far as why I suggested letting parts of the thread go, it felt like what was happening in those island sections was staticnot much was changing or moving forward, it was all descriptive (lovely though that description was because it was coming from you!). All the interesting developments were happening in Boston, and I hated having to cut away from them as often and for as long as we did! The island was always such an effectively creepy place, and the creepiest things in books and movies often live off the page or off the screen. It almost felt like the less we saw of this place where something was clearly amiss, and the less we were allowed behind the curtain, the more eerie and upsetting what was there would be. Some of the early island material also pushed the island sections into what felt like straight sci-fi rather than extreme realist fiction. While this is a big, larger-than-life story, it all could happen, and some of the more extreme details made the island feel less real to me as someone who was completely taken by it. My question to you about the island material is if you feel like all the sections that ended up on the cutting room floor were essential to your process of understanding this place and its inner workings, so that you knew it fully enough to sum it up or capture it in so little space, or did it simply feel like a part of the story that became less important as the Boston story grew? Sometimes we have to write through our idea of something to fully understand it even if that thing ultimately has to live partly off the page. Tamirat: I couldn't have put it better myself! Every single word I wrote about the island was essential to helping me understand what it actually was, from its geographical layout and indigenous population to how the Ethiopians use its resources to survive. As you can attest, I went DEEP into the island, even at some point writing its leaders' propaganda, and without those pages and pages and pages, it would have been impossible to write it here in its (relatively) brief form. Put in another way, that initial grunt work allowed me to provide shorter but still vivid and lived-in snippets of a (to me!) real place instead of just whipping out a summary of ideas that wouldn't correspond to anything real in my fictional playground. It's the difference between writing a paragraph about penguins after actually spending time with one versus a paragraph about penguins that draws heavily on your passing knowledge of tuxedos. Zancan: It's clear from what was kept that you are the penguin whisperer! In general, I was so impressed by how assured your revisions were in each draftI felt you took any suggestion floated in front of you and came up with a better version of it, making your own, and that became more true with each new draft. I felt like I really had the honor of watching a writer come into her own. Has going all the way through an editorial and production process on a book from first draft to finished copy changed your writing process at all? Do you think your next book will evolve the same way, or do you think youve learned some shortcuts, for lack of a better term? Tamirat: I don't think I have any shortcuts. I'm the sort of person who learns through writing, deleting, vowing to NEVER write again, then writing some more. It doesn't matter how many outlines I come up with, how many lofty plot schemes I dream up in the shower or during my commute to work: it's only as I write that I truly start to see where the work needs to go. I have to draft every possible scenario, character and line of dialogue, see how it all comes together (or doesn't) and then destroy some parts and start over while building out other sections, all in service of creating and then filling in and then expanding the limits of the story. Writing is my way of creating a path out of the unknown into the slightly more known. It's an incredibly messy and profoundly satisfying process. Zancan: Well, the process is working! I can't wait to see it in action again. My last question for you is about Ayale, because, as you've heard me say a million times, I think he's a big part of the magic of the book.One of the biggest surprises on my end of this whole process was the fact that Ayale was based on a real person, which I didn't even learn until after the book was in production! He feels like such a larger than life, magical, almost mythical person, I almost couldnt believe he was walking around in flesh-and-blood form. He's been one of the most steady, unwavering elements of the book across drafts, but I'm wondering what the initial process of putting a fictional version of a person you know well on the page was like. Did you have to work backwards from the real man, to change a lot of central things about him, or was it a hybrid of invention and isolated character traits from the beginning? Were you as taken by the real life inspiration as the narrator is by Ayale? Tamirat: I remember once hearing Donald Antrim speak about his first attempts at writing a book. He began, as so many of us do, by trying the thing where you take real people and events and then ever-so-slightly skew them in the name of "fiction." This didn't really work for him: he felt so tied down by what had really happened and what those people had really done that there was no room for him to invent, to WRITE. So, while I was inspired by a real person, I very quickly abandoned his reality in order to construct that of Ayale's. There's no question that trying to capture the essence of a person whom you know within a fictional context can be limiting: what if your story requires the character to act in a way that goes against what their real-life counterpart would do? You're screwed, you're stuck, go home. During the first drafts, when I felt very uncertain as to how to write Ayale (or a novel, for that matter, but that's a different story), his real-life inspiration served as an initial model of who Ayale could be. But as I gained my footing, I let him go completely because Ayale had transformed into a real person, distinct, unique, and inhabiting a world that felt very distant from the one where I knew his inspiration. Zancan: Well, Ayale couldn't feel more real if he was taken directly from your inspiration, and I can't wait for the rest of the world to meet him and your incredible narrator! This low-profile multimedia company, established in 2014, collaborates with some of biggest brands in the world, including Disney, Dreamworks, and Lego. Kids Media excels at promoting and marketing these products. During weekends, for instance, we send out alerts via WeChat to bring parents and children to specific retail outlets for reading activities, talks, author visits, or special promotions. We want to make reading and visiting bookstores a parent-child bonding experience while providing them with opportunities to peruse and purchase quality products from trusted brands, explains general manager Ivan Gong, whose team has been focused on coordinating and leveraging print, multimedia, and social media channels to create product buzz that leads to sales. We have to get the word out and generate sales through different platforms. To date, Kids Media has published nearly 800 titles, 40% of which were launched in 2017 alone. The Little Prince and bilingual titles Zootopia and Frozen are its top three bestsellers, with total sales of the first two exceeding 460,000 copies. Disney bilingual editions are our main publishing category, driven mostly by the demand from parents who want their children to learn, read, and speak English, Gong says, adding that the company has published around 128 bilingual titles of varying comprehension levels that also include activities and games. When it comes to marketing these products, the emphasis is on inviting the readersand actual buyers, who are the parentsinto the brand environment and letting them experience all that the brand can offer. But working with such highly popular brands also means extra attention to piracy and copyright protection. One way we protect our Disney products, for instance, is to offer a dedicated audio service that is accessible only to owners of the genuine bilingual edition, says Gong, who also collaborates with different industries authorized by the brand franchiser, such as apparel manufacturers and theme parks. As for originals, two main authors headline Kids Medias catalogue: Yu Yujun, with the five-volume series Crystal Words and 12-volume series Constellation Words; and Mei Shifan, author of the nine-volume Little Red Bean series. This year, we are increasing our original publications, especially primer titles and picture books, Gong says. About 30 titles are in the works. The contradictions embodied in the folk symbol of the witch captured the attention of Sally Yan, founder and editor-in-chief of 11-year-old publishing company Beijing Dandelion. The witch is a popular figure in Western classics: sometimes as the protagonist; other times, in the periphery. The Western witch can be bad or good, frightful or funnythere is no specific mold to cast her. Not so in Chinese folktales and oral traditions. The Chinese witch is bad and scary, never lovable or even the slightest bit endearing. Chinese kids often equate her with a monster or demon. Why? That is my question and the reason behind this new book from Peng Xuejun, Yan says, flipping through a copy of Granny Xiu and Peach-Blossom Fish. The first 3,000-copy printing of Pengs book sold out during its November launch; a reprint of 7,000 copies soon followed. The witch in this book, accompanied by her feline companion, is a mystery to the kids in the village, says Yan, who wants children to read the story and start questioning and wondering. The illustrations in this picture book are intricately done, with many touches of Miao tribal arts woven throughout. It ends with an abstract teaser, leaving the reader to question the ways that the witch can be bad, scary, lovable, or endearing. The moral of the story is about not judging a person by his or her appearance or by simply agreeing with other peoples judgments. A quality picture book, Yan adds, must not be just a feel-good read. It must provide food for thought. It should invite questions, even when there are no concrete answers. But it must always trigger curiosity and wonder, which is the essence of childhood itself. Without these two elements, the child is isolated and stunted, adds Yan, who has introduced Chinese children to The Magic School Bus (still Chinas #1 title ever since its 2010 launch), Mizielinska and Mizielinskis Maps, Richard Scarrys titles, and Maurice Sendaks Where the Wild Things Are. This year will see several new Sendak translations, including In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and His Work, and Outside Over There. Yan is trying to identify gaps in the market and evaluate the right titlesoriginals if possible, imports if more appropriateto plug those gaps. The Chinese childrens book market being relatively young opens up opportunities for new formats or story types, says Yan, whose team has published titles on difficult subjects, such as Michael Morpurgos The Kites Are Flying (about hope and friendship in conflict zones) and Linda Sue Parks A Long Walk to Water (about meeting hardship with perseverance). We must not avoid addressing difficult topics. While we aim to protect our children, we must also expose them to the real world, to inspire and prepare them for their journeys ahead, which are going to be filled with opportunities and challenges, the good and the not-so-good. Meanwhile, Yan is busy looking through her past projects to uncover old gems or dig out those nuggets for the next plot. The Miao ethnic minority tribe, for her, is fascinating. Their language, music, food, crafts, and clothes, for instance, stand out for being so different. There are a lot of stories in there as well as commonalities, she explains, adding that food, for instance, is an universal theme, and our shared love for food needs little translation. The Beijing Dandelion team is set to release a new title on Miao food. Work is also in progress on a picture book that revolves around the pickled vegetables of Szechuan cuisine. We have no idea where these pickles came from and who first made them and have little familiarity with the many myths behind the dish. And if we do not know, how are we going to explain that to our children? So the tasks for our team are clear: Investigate, collect the fun and interesting bits, and turn them into a beautiful story to educate and inform. Food as a theme is working well for Yan. There Is Always a Reason to Eat Buns, launched in July 2016, has already sold more than 28,000 copies. Stories are everywhere if one is willing to search for them, observes Yan. The minute detail can become an engrossing tale. And the mundane, an exhilarating plot. It is all about imagination and the melding of ideas to hatch the next story. This is what makes childrens book publishing so fun and exciting to me and my team. Online video agency and multi-channel network (MCN) 2btube has strengthened its presence in Latin America by reaching an agreement with Molcajete and expanding its current alliance with enchufe.tv. In Mexico, 2btube will join forces with Molcajete, one of the first MCNs to be launched in the country. Under the terms of the agreement, the online video talent working with Molcajete will gain access to 2btubes service portfolio and digital properties. Molcajetes team will be integrated into 2btubes Mexican office, but it will remain as an independent unit and will keep its brand.This alliance means a great boost for our company, delivering benefits to our portfolio of channels but allowing us to keep our brand and the on-going agreements with content creators, said Gustavo Pozos, co-founder and financial director, Molcajete.As for enchufe.tv, 2btube will expand the deal with Touche Films, the channels producer, which was initially signed in June 2017 . Under the new agreement, enchufe.tv will become part of 2btubes portfolio and the MCN will exclusively manage the YouTube channel worldwide.Together with 2btube we will co-produce a new season for enchufe.tv and will expand our branded content business across new territories, explained Martin Dominguez, CEO, Touche Films. Nickelodeon and shopping centre owner intu are collaborating for a specially-created slime-ulator promotion, which will be touring intu shopping centres in the UK. Being slimed by Nickelodeon is the physical embodiment of the playful and unconventional nature of the kids brand. Nickelodeon and intu are now offering kids the chance to be slimed in the slime-ulator machine, which will be touring 13 of intus UK shopping destinations from Saturday 24 March to Sunday 15 April.All intu shopping centres including intu Trafford Centre, intu Lakeside and intu Metrocentre, will also host a range of free slime-themed activities. Attendees will be able to customise slime at dedicated play stations, get slime tattoos, doodle on a giant slime colouring wall as well as capture and share photos at a slime photo booth. One family will also have the chance to win a VIP family ticket to Nickelodeons SLIMEFEST 2018, which takes place later this year in Blackpool.Were looking to replicate the success of last Easters campaign with Nickelodeon when 8,000 people registered to meet PAW Patrol at intu centres and 180,000 people visited intus event pages, said Roger Binks, customer experience director at intu . Well be drawing even bigger crowds to our centres and online this year with a whole range of fun, free, messy experiences that will drive up dwell-time and footfall for our retailers by making every intu centre a must-visit destination over the school holidays.Mark Kingston, SVP, Nickelodeon and Viacom consumer products, added: Slime is this years big kids trend, and Nickelodeon is looking forward to bringing the fun associated with the green substance to kids at intu shopping centres across the UK. The U.S. military is reported to have struck a training camp in Afghanistans remote eastern province of Kunar that was run by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP) earlier today. The son of Mullah Fazlullah, the emir of the TTP, and two commanders, including the camps trainer of suicide bombers, are reported to have been killed. The offensive targeted the Ghazi Camp in Kunar, which borders the Pakistani tribal agency of Bajaur, a former stronghold of the TTP, according to Dawn. The TTP is said to have confirmed the attack in a text message that was delivered to Pakistani media outlets. In addition to Fazlullahs son, the U.S. also killed Gul Mohammad, the chief of the TPP in Bajaur and the leader of camp in Bajaur, and Ustad Yaseen, who trained TTP recruits to serve as suicide bombers. The U.S. military has not commented on the strike. U.S. warplanes occasionally target jihadists of all stripes in Afghanistan. The most recent instance took place in early Feb., when the U.S. targeted Taliban training camps in the far-flung northeastern province of Badakhshan. The camps were used by the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a terrorist group that is closely allied with al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups. The U.S. has also targeted the TTP at least one other time since the beginning of Feb. A U.S. drone strike in Pakistans tribal agency of North Waziristan killed Sajna Mehsud, the groups deputy emir and its leader of the influential Mehsud faction in South Waziristan. The U.S. hunted Sajna for at least three years before finally killing him. The TTP not only battles the Pakistani state in the tribal areas and beyond, but it also aids the Afghan Taliban in its fight against the government and U.S. military. Pakistani government and military officials often accuse the U.S. and Afghan government of sheltering the TTP. This is done to deflect criticism of its support for the Afghan Taliban and other terrorist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba. However, the U.S. has killed far more TTP leaders, commanders, and operatives in its drone campaign inside Pakistan. The first two emirs of the TTP, Baitullah Mehsud and Hakeemullah Mehsud, were killed by U.S. drones. Yet the Pakistani government has criticized these strikes and others as violations of its sovereignty. Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. This article appeared originally at FDD's Long War Journal. Russia Beyond the Headlines insert in Nov. 20, 2015 International New York Times. Top photo: Vladimir Putin with Margarita Simonyan, current editor-in-chief of Russia Beyond (AP). With special counsel Robert Muellers latest indictments of alleged Russian trolls, Facebook is facing heavy fire from prominent critics at the New York Times, Washington Post, and other legacy media for uncritically spreading Russian misinformation. But the probe's newly lengthened chronology, stretching back well before the 2016 campaign, suggests social-media mischief was only part of a deeper Russian propaganda effort in which those same news organizations were also willing and paid participants. In 2007, state-owned publisher Rossiyskaya Gazeta launched Russia Beyond the Headlines, a multi-page full-color broadsheet laid out just like a newspaper and distributed, typically monthly, as an insert by some of the most prestigious names in newspaper publishing, including Londons Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro in France and the Italian daily La Repubblica, reaching an audience estimated at nearly 6.5 million readers. In the United States, the Russian-state media entity partnered with the Washington Post until 2015 and with the New York Times, which confirmed it still bundles the insert into its regular paper. Angela He, manager of corporate communications for the Times, sent an email confirming that we do run these ads and that they conform to Times advertising acceptability standards, but declined to elaborate. Russia Beyond, as the insert was renamed in 2017, serves as a gateway for all things Russia -- from culture, travel, education, language, ways to do business, and much more. Only a small disclaimer right below the masthead, in light typeface, explains that its an advertising feature. Russia Beyond paints a picture of a normal country, with normal concerns, including reviews of Moscows trendy restaurants and reports from the latest ComiCon. The Russia depicted in its pages isnt working with Iran and the Syrian regime to slaughter civilians and gas children. Rather, its a global actor in good standing, whose citizens dont understand why the United States and European Union placed sanctions on their country in response to the invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. It serves not only Russian national interests, but also the personal power plays of President Vladimir Putin. According to a study by the Institute of Modern Russia, a New York think tank run by Pavel Khodorkovsky, a Russia Beyond insert in the largest German newspaper, Suddeutsche Zeitung, featured an article attacking his father, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a onetime oligarch imprisoned and later pardoned by Putin. In the words of Ulrich Schmid of the Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung, the article is reminiscent of the Russian medias 'journalistic execution' of Russias number one political prisoner," the institute said, referring to the elder Khodorkovsky. "In the article, Khodorkovsky is painted in the darkest colors as a Komsomol apparatchik, cynical businessman, and an interpreter of the Bible. So it turns out that, like Facebook, the New York Times and Washington Post were among those taking money to distribute Russian propaganda. How much money exactly? Neither newspaper would disclose financial details. But there are indications it was a significant amount and far more than Facebook received. In 2008 the Daily Telegraph was reported to have earned nearly 40,000 pounds a month (perhaps $57,000 to $80,000) to distribute the insert. Russia Beyond likely paid several million dollars to the Times and Post combined over more than a decade. By comparison, Facebook was paid roughly $100,000 by Russian-linked disinformation sources during a nearly two-year period. Vessel of Putin: the New York Times. Facebook may reach more eyeballs, but the Times and the Post deliver the right ones, dropping Russia Beyond on the doorsteps of elite American news consumers, including key policymakers. Bundled within the pages of the countrys two top newspapers, Russia Beyond came with at least the patina of respectability. The Facebook ads, in contrast, appeared in a medium that even minimally savvy news consumers treat with deserved circumspection. I have less problem with a clearly marked newspaper section that is obviously sponsored by a foreign government, said Fox News Howard Kurtz, a former Washington Post media critic. Im not thrilled to see the Putin regime get that kind of real estate, added the author of Media Madness: Donald Trump, the Press, and the War Over the Truth. But as long as it is clearly labeled, I think readers are smart enough to see it for what it is, which is paid propaganda. Other establishment media critics made similar assessments. Writing in Slate when Russia Beyond first appeared in the Post in 2008, Jack Shafer opined, It's a bad sign for the Putin regime if it thinks this expensive PR exercise will elicit anything but laughter from the West. A 2017 segment from Tucker Carlson Tonight showed that the Washington Posts own media columnist, Erik Wemple, did not know his paper distributed the insert. Vessel of Putin: the Washington Post. Whether audiences are discerning is an open question. Scholarly research suggests people tend to be far more gullible than skeptical when they encounter new information -- especially if it is from a trusted source. It is clear, however, that the U.S. intelligence community has a different understanding than Kurtz of how Russian propaganda is received by American news consumers. The January 2017 assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Russian interference in the 2016 elections named several Russian media organizations it believed were responsible for helping elect Trump. The best known was the RT network, an international television network funded by the Kremlin. Formerly known as Russia Today, RT was forced to register as a foreign agent in 2017. Its editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan, is identified as a key Kremlin propagandist in the 2017 intelligence assessment and a report issued by the Department of Justice, describing RT as a proxy of the Russian government. Simonyan, as it turns out, is also the editor-in-chief of Russia Beyond. And TV-Novosti, the autonomous nonprofit organization that manages RT, took control of Russia Beyond in 2017. Despite the 2017 intelligence assessments grave concern, RTs U.S. market share is so small it doesnt qualify for the Nielsen ratings. That is, virtually no one in America watches it. By contrast, Russia Beyond has been delivered to millions of homes. Nevertheless, Russia Beyond has not been targeted by the Justice Department, which did not respond to inquiries. The Times and Post declined to comment on the nature of Russia Beyonds role in manufacturing and disseminating Russian propaganda. Its not hard to see why the Times and the Post took Moscows money. With the rise of the internet, print advertising has virtually collapsed over the last two decades. The irony is that it was Facebook and other social media platforms that really put the print media in a hard place. Facebook is now worth upward of $350 billion, roughly 100 times more than the Times and 1,000 times more than what Jeff Bezos paid for the Post in 2013. It got that big and rich by swallowing up digital advertising that was supposed to keep prestige media like the Times and Post profitable long-term. Vessel of Putin: Facebook. Instead, layoffs and buyouts are a regular occurrence at those publications (a post-election resurgence in reaction to President Trump aside). Digital-based revenue has proven incapable of compensating for the loss of retail and classified print advertising that floated modern newspapers for more than a century. So print publications tried out a variety of alternatives in recent years. One such initiative was to sell the space previously used by, for instance, department stores or automobile manufacturers, to foreign countries. And thats when Russia Beyond came into the story. By the time the Post and Times made deals with Russian state media, it was already clear that Vladimir Putin was no friend of democracy. But against the backdrop of the George W. Bush administration blinking at Russias August 2008 invasion of Georgia, and the Obama White House showing eagerness to reset relations with Russia, the Times and the Post saw nothing wrong with conducting normal business relations with the government in Moscow. The 2016 election changed all that. Suddenly, anything that touches on Russia or Russia-related matters is cause for immediate alarm and gives rise to headlines throughout the mainstream press. After Muellers indictments of the Internet Research Agency, two other Russian entities, and 13 Russian individuals, Facebook executive Rob Goldman took to Twitter to offer his own insight. I have seen all of the Russian ads and I can say very definitively that swaying the election was *NOT* the main goal, tweeted Goldman. The main goal of the Russian propaganda and misinformation effort is to divide America by using our institutions, like free speech and social media, against us. It has stoked fear and hatred amongst Americans. The press pounced on him. Goldman was whitewashing Facebooks auxiliary role in undermining American democracy. A prime example of misdirection, New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose wrote of Goldmans tweets. Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum took it a step further, effectively accusing Facebook and other social media of collaborating with the enemy. They are not accidental victims of Russias information war, wrote Applebaum. They are its tools." But what about the media companies that sign Rooses and Applebaums paychecks? Correction March 9, 2018, 9:35 AM Eastern This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misstated the dollar value of 40,000 British pounds in 2008. Depending on the exchange rate in a given month, it was perhaps $57,000 to $80,000, not $25,000. CIA Director John Brennan was angry. On August 4, 2016, he was on the phone with Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russias FSB, the security service that succeeded the KGB. It was one of the regularly scheduled calls between the two men, with the main subject once more the horrific civil war in Syria. By this point, Brennan had had it with the Russian spy chief. For the past few years, Brennans pleas for help in defusing the Syrian crisis had gone nowhere. And after they finished discussing Syriaagain with no progressBrennan addressed two other issues, not on the official agenda. (CNN)"We have a problem." That is what Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a gathering of law enforcement officers in California on Wednesday, in announcing that the Trump administration was suing the state over its so-called sanctuary laws. Federal immigration law, Sessions emphasized, is the supreme law of the land. "But California, we have a problem," he said. "A series of actions and events have occurred here that directly and adversely impact the work of our federal officers." President Trump surged to victory in 2016 on the promise of restoring Americas economic vitality and helping U.S. manufacturers win again. Thursday's tariff announcement is a self-imposed setback from the great strides the administration has made toward this goal. Imposing costly tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will be a painful check on U.S. manufacturing and our economy. Both of our industries depend on steel, aluminum, and other heavy metals as crucial inputs for our manufacturing businesses. Equipment and automobile manufacturers dont build products with twigs, string, and glue. We need large amounts of steel and aluminum to produce the durable, reliable, safe, and cost-competitive products our customers depend on. That is why we are joining together to voice our concern over the tariffs and quotas the Trump president has announced on these important manufacturing inputs. Combined, our industries support over 8.3 million direct and indirect American jobs and contribute over $500 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product. A 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum will undo the very positive effects our industries have enjoyed as a result of the sweeping tax reform legislation passed last year by Congress, and championed by President Trump. Steel represents approximately 25 percent of the cost of an average automobile. A tariff of 25 percent will have a significant impact on the price of an automobile manufactured in the United States. The impact will also be severe for equipment manufacturers, which are even more steel-intensive in their manufacturing. In fact, the Department of Commerces own figures show that while the steel industry employs about 140,000 Americans, downstream manufacturers that consume steel employ about 6.5 million Americans. The greater irony is that the administrations tariffs will undercut the presidents own goal of helping American manufacturers win against our global competitors. Our competitors in China, India, and Mexico will get a free pass to use the cheapest steel or aluminum they can find, whereas manufacturers here in the United States will be forced to bear the unfair burden of more costly steel and aluminum. That means U.S. manufacturers will lose out on global business opportunities, and our products will be less competitive here with American jobs on the line. President Trump shouldnt let history repeat itself, because weve seen this story before. President George W. Bush imposed tariffs on steel imports in 2002. The economists Laura Baughman and Joseph Francois found through their research that those tariffs cost 200,000 jobs more than the 187,500 people employed by the steel industry at that time. Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania alone accounted for 30,000 of the lost jobs. We share President Trumps goal of making the United States the best place in the world for manufacturing businesses. But the decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum is misguided especially when a better course of action for boosting our domestic steel and aluminum industries would be to invest in our infrastructure and streamline costly regulations. The economy is growing and regulatory and tax reform are proving a boon for businesses and American jobs. We cannot afford to reverse this trend. The punitive measures announced Thursday will only serve to counter the presidents agenda. They are certain to result in retaliatory tariffs from our trading partners that will further harm U.S. industry and upend our economic progress. The president should reconsider this harmful action. Adopting these tariffs threatens American jobs, hurts American consumers, and imperils the progress that American manufacturers have made under his administration. John Bozzella is the president and CEO of the Association of Global Automakers, which represents the U.S. operations of international automobile manufacturers. Republicans spent the past week urging President Trump to reconsider his push for tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, concerned such a policy would spark a trade war and undermine positive news about the economy and new tax cuts ahead of the midterm elections. On Thursday, Trump went ahead with it anyway, openly defying many in his own party. Steel is steel, he said when introducing the plan at the White House. You dont have steel, you dont have a country. With a group of steelworkers holding hard hats behind him, Trump signed a presidential proclamation imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imported to the United States. The workers who poured their souls into building this great nation were betrayed, he said before making the policy official. But that betrayal is now over. The message was clear: a campaign promise made, a campaign promise kept. Trump has been railing against "cheaters" and "unfair" trade practices for decades, and made that stance a pillar of his appeal to the working-class voters who helped him win the Oval Office. The pushback from fellow Republicans over the past several days proved to be less a deterrent and more a motivation for him to move against the establishment's "global" philosophy he has long decried. The presidents decision prompted the departure this week of his chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who unsuccessfully tried to dissuade Trump from his protectionist impulses. Trump did, however, acquiesce to one of the concerns expressed by GOP lawmakers and U.S. trading partners. The order includes a temporary exemption for Canada and Mexico for national security purposes, pending renegotiation of relevant NAFTA provisions. This comes after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, a protectionist seen as something of a pariah by economists, argued over the weekend against exemptions. "As soon as he starts exempting countries, he has to raise the tariff on everybody else, Navarro told Fox News Sunday. Trump said earlier Thursday that the policy would be somewhat flexible and he didnt rule out exemptions for additional countries. Administration officials said other countries seeking exemptions would be able to negotiate with the U.S. trade ambassador, suggesting a case-by-case approach. The policy is set to take effect March 23. Still, the exemptions did not satisfy Republican critics, who have mostly been left in the dark as the president forged his own way on trade. GOP leaders said the official order, issued a week after Trump defied his own advisers by announcing the tariffs without first working out details, does not meet their hopes for a more tailored policy. Senators are "concerned about the scope of the proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum and their impact on American citizens and businesses," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose home state of Kentucky could be impacted if European allies retaliate with their own tariffs on bourbon and other products. House Speaker Paul Ryan said he disagrees with the decision and fears its unintended consequences. ... We will continue to urge the administration to narrow this policy so that it is focused only on those countries and practices that violate trade law." While Republicans were well-aware of Trump's philosophy on trade when he was elected, he had demonstrated some openness to their point of view on economics. The tax bill he championed, for example, was high on a long-held GOP wish list. But in a conference call with reporters ahead of Thursdays rollout, administration officials called the substance of the objections to the new policy "fake news." Colorado Sen. Cory Garnder, who chairs the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, said he is disappointed in this announcement and will be working with the businesses that may be potentially impacted by this decision, along with the administration, about how best to continue our joint efforts to create jobs and spur new growth. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake went further, saying he would put forward legislation to nullify the tariffs. These so-called flexible tariffs are a marriage of two lethal poisons to economic growth protectionism and uncertainty, he said. Trade wars are not won, they are only lost. Congress cannot be complicit as the administration courts economic disaster." It's unclear whether many other GOP lawmakers would join Flake, particularly since he is a well-established critic of the president who is retiring rather than seek re-election this year. In addition, Republicans are still hesitant to distance themselves from Trump, whom party voters still overwhelmingly support. But they are worried that the tariff policy, and the uncertainty Trump has brought to the process, will undermine their larger economic message and, more significantly, the benefits of their signature tax cuts. The policy also scrambles traditional alliances and could be a boon to Democratic lawmakers from steel-heavy states and districts Republicans have targeted as try to maintain or expand their majorities in November. Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania have praised tariffs. On Thursday, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin was quick to applaud the move. "Its past time to defend our interests, our security and our workers in the global economy and that is exactly what the president is proposing with these tariffs," Manchin said. "I believe our allies and our trading partners will understand that the president cannot stay silent any longer; he must give this country and West Virginia workers a fighting chance." MADISON, Wis. (AP) Sen. Tammy Baldwin was back home in Wisconsin, talking about guns, health care and other issues before a politically minded luncheon crowd, when one of her Republican challengers rose to confront her. Why, state Sen. Leah Vukmir wondered, had Baldwin voted against the GOP tax overhaul that cut taxes for the middle class? Without a hint of irritation at the ambush, Baldwin quickly flipped the question, pointing out middle-class relief would be temporary and blaming the tax changes for a northeastern Wisconsin paper company laying off 600 workers. Those workers dont care about the tax cuts, Baldwin said. Their company has rewarded them by saying they are going to close that plant, she said. The episode was an example of the Democrats reputation as a soft-spoken but tough political pro a persona shes banking on to help her win a second term in a race seen as key for control of the U.S. Senate. Derided by conservatives as the embodiment of the oft-ridiculed Madison liberal, Baldwin is ramping up a campaign that plays up her work on moderate and core Wisconsin issues. Her first TV ads last week touted her buy-America plan that President Donald Trump supports and her work with Republican Sen. John McCain on lowering drug costs. But shes also squarely on board with signature Democratic issues such as stronger gun control, universal health care and continuing a program that allowed children of immigrants here illegally to remain. For Baldwin to win, shell need people like Bob Brockway to vote for her. A 77-year-old retired truck driver living in Montello, Wisconsin, who calls himself an independent, Brockway voted for Baldwin in 2012, went for Trump in 2016, and intends to vote for Baldwin again this year. Brockway got to know Baldwin several years ago as he met with her in Washington and in Wisconsin, seeking help with a fight to save truckers pensions from deep cuts. Shes down-to-earth people, Brockway said of Baldwin. She dont act like shes a senator, she acts like a normal person, comes in and talks to everybody, listens to everybodys problem, tries to solve their problem. Republicans accuse Baldwin of shape-shifting to downplay her liberal bent. They say shes out of step with voters in a conservative-leaning state on such issues as opposing the GOPs tax cut, and in her support for universal health care. Thats the dichotomy shes got to deal with, said Mark Morgan, executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party. Baldwin, 56, is the Senates first openly gay member, but shes never made fighting for gay rights a central part of her platform. She was born in Madison and graduated high school as valedictorian before heading east to Smith College. She returned home to Wisconsin and two years later, at 24, won her first election to the county board. In 1992 she was elected to the state Assembly, one of only a handful of openly gay candidates nationwide that year. She doesnt talk much about that on the campaign trail. But she does like to tell the story of how her grandparents, who raised her, could not buy health insurance for her because of a condition similar to spinal meningitis. Baldwin got better, but she invokes her personal experience often when explaining her support for the Affordable Care Act and universal health care. Initially criticized as slow to respond to a whistleblower complaint over opioid prescriptions at a home for military veterans in Wisconsin, Baldwin has diluted the attacks by working with the family of Jason Simcakoski, a Marine veteran who died of an overdose there in 2014. She sponsored legislation in his name that now requires VA employees prescribing opioids to be better trained and to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Money is already flowing against Baldwin. The Koch brothers and other conservative groups have spent more than twice as much against her than against all other Democratic Senate incumbents and candidates combined, $3.1 million to $1.4 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. One of her Republican challengers, Kevin Nicholson, has benefited from another $3.1 million spent on his behalf. EMILYs List, the group that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights, is ready to push back. President Stephanie Schriock says the group is making Baldwins re-election a top priority. Baldwin has stockpiled money $7 million at years end while Republicans are looking at a messy August primary between Vukmir, a longtime ally of Gov. Scott Walker, and Nicholson, a former Marine. Baldwins approval rating sat at just 37 percent in a Marquette University Law School poll released this week, with 39 percent disapproving, a sign her opponents said shows shes vulnerable. But Democrats are optimistic after winning a special election in January for a state Senate seat that had been under Republican control for 17 years in a district Trump carried. Tammy has had a very successful career in getting elected to things that she wasnt supposed to get elected to, said U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat who has known Baldwin since they served on the local county board together in the early 1990s. Brockway, the retired truck driver, said he tells other Trump supporters to give Baldwin a chance. I just tell them to listen to her when shes speaking. She tells it from the heart, Brockway said. She does whats right for people. ... Some of these people in Washington, they dont hear us. WASHINGTON -- The president who boasted of treating women like sex objects is being outplayed at his own tabloid-warfare game by a porn star. Maybe there's justice in the world after all. You might have missed it in the ceaseless fusillade of news, but on Wednesday the White House all but confirmed the story that actress and director Stormy Daniels is dying to tell: Shortly before the election she was paid $130,000 in hush money to keep quiet about an "intimate relationship" she had with Donald Trump in 2006, soon after Melania Trump had given birth to the couple's son, Barron. Daniels filed a lawsuit Tuesday arguing that she should be free to speak about the affair, since a nondisclosure agreement laying out the terms of the payment was never actually signed by Trump. Asked about the payment at a White House briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Trump denies the allegations and that, in any event, "this case has already been won in arbitration." She later added that "the arbitration was won in the president's favor." Trump was reportedly "very unhappy" with Sanders' performance, but come on, give her a break. How is she supposed to keep all the lies straight as they multiply, overlap and at times contradict? She's good at it, but every once in a while, a little truth is bound to slip out. What she inconveniently seemed to confirm is that Trump is a party to arbitration proceedings regarding a nondisclosure agreement involving Daniels. Obviously, there would be no such agreement unless there were something Trump wanted to hide. And if Daniels' silence was worth $130,000, it must have been something Trump (BEG ITAL)really(END ITAL) wanted to hide. The Daniels affair is of more than just prurient interest: It would appear that Trump may have violated federal campaign law by failing to disclose the payment on his reporting forms. Any attempt by Trump to stick to his blanket denial -- he claims all the women who say he harassed them, assaulted them or had affairs with them are lying -- is now moot in the Daniels case, because in an appendix to her lawsuit she included the entire nondisclosure agreement. The filings offer a glimpse of how Trump is accustomed to operating -- and suggest why special counsel Robert Mueller has reportedly taken an interest in Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen. The agreement -- in which Trump and Daniels are identified by pseudonyms, "David Dennison" and "Peggy Peterson" -- was negotiated at the end of October 2016, days before the election, when Trump's campaign was reeling from the impact of the "Access Hollywood" tape. The $130,000 payment, which Cohen has said he "facilitated" with personal funds, was not reported as a campaign donation or expenditure. Daniels says in her suit that in January of this year, when reports of the hush-money payment surfaced, Cohen used "intimidation and coercive tactics" to force her to sign a "false statement" denying any relationship with Trump. In the past week, according to the suit, Cohen has used "an improper and procedurally defective arbitration proceeding hidden from public view" in an attempt to keep her silent -- an apparent reference to the arbitration that Sanders claimed had been "won in the president's favor." The agreement, as appended to the lawsuit, shows that Cohen formed a company, Essential Consultants LLC, to make the payment to Daniels. It provides for arbitration in the case of disputes, and it requires Daniels to pay "David Dennison" $1 million per instance if she breaches the contract. It is signed by Daniels, using her legal name, Stephanie Clifford; and by Cohen, for Essential Consultants. The line for "David Dennison" to sign is indeed left blank. Thanks to Daniels, her lawyer and an unforced error by Sanders, the story Trump has tried so hard to squelch is out. Take a minute and think about it. The personal lawyer of the president of the United States, days before the election, paid $130,000 to apparently buy the silence of a porn star. Said porn star credibly describes an affair she had with the president and the ham-fisted attempts by his lawyer to keep her from talking about it. All of this unquestionably speaks volumes about the president's character and morals. Republicans who regarded Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky as the end of civilization as we know it are serenely untroubled. Evangelicals who rail against sin and cloak themselves in piety offer nothing but a worldly, almost Gallic shrug. Daniels has taught us much about their character and morals, too. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group Donald Trump's announcement that he is imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from other countries has aroused little enthusiasm and much criticism. It evidently prompted the resignation of Gary Cohn as head of his National Economic Council. It has also prompted free trade-minded Republicans in Congress to propose repealing Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which delegates to the president the power to adjust trade restrictions and impose tariffs. It's not clear exactly what trade restrictions Trump is poised to impose or whether negotiations with Mexico and Canada will end the North American Free Trade Agreement. One possibility is that the self-styled master of the art of the deal is using steel and aluminum as leverage to get Canada to agree to his terms on NAFTA. Trump's move is widely depicted as a departure from the free trade policies pursued by every administration since World War II. But a perusal of Dartmouth economist Douglas Irwin's history of American trade policy, "Clashing Over Commerce," reveals that his move is not all that different from what other postwar presidents have done -- and that free traders might be sorry if Congress actually were to repeal Section 232. Tariffs, it is often said, have been one of the bases of American economic policy since the days of today's Broadway musical hero Alexander Hamilton. That's an exaggeration, argues Irwin, but they were the major revenue source for the early republic's pint-size federal government. Irwin's second major point is that tariffs haven't been changed very often. A rise in tariffs rankled Southern cotton producers in the 1820s, and South Carolina's John C. Calhoun, the then-vice president, penned an argument that states could nullify federal laws. President Andrew Jackson sent troops to the state's borders, and the state backed down, at which point Jackson and Congress lowered tariffs. Trade became a partisan issue, so, Irwin points out, significant tariff changes happened only when one party held the presidency, the Senate and the House -- a rarity then as now. Democrats lowered rates in 1846; Republicans raised them in 1862, during the Civil War; Democrats lowered them in 1913; Republicans raised them in 1922. In 1930, a Republican Congress took 18 months -- with 527 hours of Senate debate on some 1,253 amendments -- to pass the notorious Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which President Herbert Hoover enacted over a protest signed by 1,028 economists. The Great Depression, which followed (but, says Irwin, wasn't caused by) Smoot-Hawley, opened the way for a changed policy. Franklin Roosevelt's first secretary of state, Cordell Hull, a fervent free trader, was often bypassed on foreign policy but was given full leeway in fashioning the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934. This gave the president -- in practice, Hull's State Department -- authority to negotiate reciprocal tariff reductions with foreign countries. Tariffs fell from 30 percent of imports in 1900 to 5 percent in 1945 and 1.5 percent recently. On trade, Hull was one of the most successful policymakers in American history. Trade acts in 1962 and 1974 made Hull's reforms permanent. Section 232 also left presidents with the power to raise tariffs, which free trader Republicans are complaining about today. Trump is not the first president to use this power. Ronald Reagan, a free trader from his days as a Democrat, facing mass closure of steel and auto plants, negotiated voluntary restraint agreements with the European Economic Community, as well as surge controls limiting steel imports from particular countries and voluntary export restraints limiting Japanese auto exports. George W. Bush imposed higher duties on steel imports in 2002. These measures were intended to be -- and were -- temporary. Producers adjusted. Foreign-based auto companies built American plants, evading domestic content requirements and import limits. American steel producers eventually adopted high-productivity processes developed by Europeans decades before. American trade policy over the past several decades, as Irwin describes it, has been one in which Smoot-Hawley-type tariffs are irrelevant and in which complex, low-visibility negotiations between executive branch agencies and foreign nations respond to grievances of American interests. High-visibility complex free trade agreements -- notably, NAFTA (1993) and most favored nation status for China (2000) -- have also passed Congress, with most Republicans in favor and Democrats increasingly opposed. Trump developed his views on trade in the 1980s, when Reagan was fending off protectionist pressures with temporary expedients. It's unclear whether Trump really hopes to re-create the 1970s steel industry (he won't) or whether he's seeking leverage in negotiations with trading partners as other presidents have. A dicey process, perhaps, but surely better than the Smoot-Hawley days, when Congress voted on thousands of amendments. COPYRIGHT 2018 CREATORS.COM As the debate continues in Virginia over whether to expand Medicaid, it is crucial to look at what the outcome has been for other states that have already expanded their programs. Thirty-one states have taken this step under the provisions laid out in the Affordable Care Act. The ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility to able-bodied adults below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and covered 100 percent of the cost of the expansion enrollees for the initial period. That percentage declines, and by the year 2020 the federal government will only cover 90 percent of the cost of expansion enrollees. With funding after that unclear, residents of Virginia will face an unknown future of Medicaid. Given the facts staring back at us, why would any Virginian support expanded coverage? Proponents of expansion argue that giving more people health insurance will lower costs and improve health outcomes by providing the uninsured with access to regular and preventative care before their health deteriorates and treatment becomes more expensive and less effective. Supporters also believe office visits will replace expensive emergency room and hospital care for newly insured individuals who will now have access to primary care. However, the data from states that have expanded their Medicaid programs show that this theory is unsupported by facts. As an example, lets look at Oregon, a state that began expanding Medicaid in 2008. Officials there lacked funding for the total number of applicants, so they conducted a random lottery and selected enrollees from a waiting list, thus making Oregon an ideal state for study. What they found was that gaining Medicaid coverage increased health care usage and costs across a wide range of settings, and emergency room visits increased by 40 percent in the newly covered group. Proponents of the expansion argued the initial spike in ER visits was due to pent-up needs and would decrease as time went on. That has not been the case. Oregons growth in Medicaid spending between 2012 and 2016 was 83.1 percent. A follow-up study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded the value of expansion for recipients was quite low -- 20 to 40 cents per dollar of government spending. Virginia should also consider that initial projections for enrollment and cost have been shown to be far below actual numbers. While advocating for Ohios Medicaid expansion, Gov. John Kasich predicted 447,000 Ohioans would sign up by 2020. As of 2017, 720,000 people had enrolled under the expansion. Overall, Ohio had 3.1 million people on its rolls as of January 2017 -- more than a quarter of the states population. Medicaid spending has risen 35 percent in the last four years. This is a trend consistently seen in a number of expansion states -- drastically underestimated enrollment numbers, which result in spending that in some cases doubles the projections. Oregon and Ohio are certainly not the only states that have faced these problems. Kentucky, which has been touted as a huge success by supporters of expansion, has seen a 70 percent growth in Medicaid spending over the last four years, and its enrollment numbers have more than doubled initial projections. Medicaid spending now accounts for a third of the state budget. Nevada has seen its enrollment increase by 90 percent and spending increase by 93 percent in the past four years. The average rate of growth in expansion states from 2012 to 2016 is 42 percent; for non-expansion states that growth rate is 15 percent. States are finally starting to worry about costs. Until January of 2017, the federal government covered 100 percent of the costs. As states begin to look at paying an increasing share, they are being confronted with the reality of the budget challenges they face. And that is not taking into account the uncertainty of future funding. Earlier this month, President Trump released his budget for 2019, which cuts funding for Medicaid expansion, as do the House Republican and the Senate Graham-Cassidy proposals. The message is clear from both Congress and the White House -- funding for Medicaid expansion program is unlikely to continue, and certainly not at the levels set by the ACA. Any state considering expansion at this point should be very, very wary; and for a state like Virginia, where Medicaid spending is projected to increase nearly $300 million in 2018 and already constitutes the largest portion of the state budget, Medicaid expansion is a really bad deal. Athens, GA (30605) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. High around 75F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low near 70F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. WATERBURY Former Winsted Finance Director Henry Centrella was denied parole Friday morning, as he expressed halting remorse for embezzling more than $2 million from his hometown and officials decried his actions. Centrella was sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years probation in April 2014 after pleading guilty to five counts of first-degree larceny. As his parole application was considered by the Connecticut Board of Pardons & Paroles Friday, Centrella said he had taken full responsibility for his crime and earned a modicum of trust while incarcerated at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. While in prison, he has completed assigned programming, avoided any disciplinary tickets, and kept busy, including by working as an operations janitor and tutoring inmates, he said. If you would just please give me a chance, I wont let you down either, said Centrella to the parole board. Centrella did not express remorse in his opening statement, board member Nancy Turner noted. In response to a question from Turner, said he had betrayed the trust of his friends and neighbors by embezzling funds from the town. Im so sorry for my selfish actions, said Centrella. I hurt the citizens of Winchester, and some of them were family and friends, and through my selfish actions, I hurt the whole community. Centrella said he had no plans to return to Winsted after his time in prison. Winchester was my hometown, and through my actions, I dont have a hometown anymore, said Centrella. Turner pressed Centrella on why he had embezzled the funds. He said he previously had a gambling addiction and had acted self-centeredly in abusing the trust of Winchester residents. I committed a crime and nothing can justify that crime, said Centrella. I was selfish and I had poor judgement. I was weak, and I really didnt regard anybody other than myself. He asked to be released to a halfway house, as he does not have a place to live or pending job. He would seek treatment and try to find employment that would allow him to pay restitution to the community, he said. In response to a question from board member Carmen Sierra, he said others in Town Hall had aided him in his embezzlement a remark that later drew outrage from Winsted Town Attorney Kevin Nelligan. Nelligan, Mayor Althea Candy Perez and Town Manager Robert Geiger attended the hearing to offer testimony on behalf of the town to the parole board. Perez said Winsted had suffered lasting effects from Centrellas deeds, including detrimental impacts to roads, schools and public safety, as well as its reputation in the region. There are few words that can adequately express the profound violation of public trust that Mr. Centrellas actions have had on the town of Winchester, said Perez. The many years of theft, deceit and corruption continue to impact our community and its citizens. The town has begun to show signs of progress but is still scarred by the repercussions of his theft, she said. Our town is painstakingly working on building a positive reputation among citizens in the Northwest Corner. We know that had Mr. Centrella not stolen from us, we would be in a different place than we are today, and seen growth long ago, said Perez, reading from a letter endorsed by the Board of Selectmen. We ask that Mr. Centrella serve his full sentence, as it will take our community longer to recover than he will ever serve. Perez said Centrella had sat across from the Board of Selectmen and had calculated to deceive them. I believe that he had to, each and every time that he was sitting across from people that he went to school with, with people that he was friends with, with those of us that were working to earn a good position for Winsted... for all of us to just have a nice town to live in, said Perez. I believe that he had so many opportunities to be true to us, and each time he lied (to) us. Geiger said Centrellas actions harmed the reputation of town employees and instilled anger in town meetings. Weve got a lot of good people. Theyre working hard, theyre offended, theyre harmed, theyre stunned, that they believed, said Geiger. Recoverys going to take a long time. Nelligan said he had not initially planned to speak, but stridently expressed his displeasure with Centrellas statement that others had helped him steal money from the town. Centrella had made such claims in letters to state police while incarcerated, and they had been found to be without merit, even as officials dealt with the cloud of public scrutiny, Nelligan said. He had not provided any evidence to back them up, the attorney said. I would ask you of everythings that been said today, think about that. The devastation that hes (caused) to the town, and now hes furthering it today on people ex-friends, said Nelligan. Turner, Sierra and board member Rufaro Berry voted to reject Centrellas application for parole and to deny him another such opportunity in the future, citing the nature and circumstances of his offense and the injury and impact to the victims, in this case the town of Winchester. Turner said the board hoped Centrella could prove to be a positive influence in his next home community when released from prison. We wish you success going forward, said Turner. Good luck. Perez said she was pleased with the boards decision after the hearing, as a small contingent of Winchester residents and officials made their way out of the Rowland State Government Center in Waterbury. Centrella is earning risk reduction credits while in prison and will likely have his sentence reduced slightly, Parole & Community Services Manager Tara Brooks said. His sentence is currently expected to end Jan. 9, 2024, she said. A Cruel, if Not Barbaric, Tactic China has detained close relatives of four U.S.-based reporters for RFAs Uyghur service, in apparent retaliation for their coverage of the Xinjiang region. Human rights groups have condemned the detentions, and the Committee to Protect Journalists called them a cruel, if not barbaric, tactic. When I woke up and saw the news that Li Boguang had died on Twitter, I didnt actually believe it. I didnt want to retweet it before I had confirmed it myself. Maybe it wasnt the Li Boguang I knew. But as one report confirmed the last, I was forced to believe that this most unwelcome news was true. Then, scenes from the past began to float through my mind, one after another. The first time I met with Boguang was in mid-. At that time, I was in Beijing and I had just received the judgment in a lawsuit against Beijing Subway. While I was in town, I had arranged to meet friends both old and new outside the east gate of Peking University, among them Boguang, a doctor of law who at that time had yet to qualify as an attorney. We hit it off immediately. It soon became clear to me that Boguang wasnt just an excellent scholar of high intelligence, but that he had conducted in-depth research into the process of recalling officials using existing laws. He had spent much time reflecting on the human spirit and its values, and was very insightful on the topic. He had a strong sense of social responsibility; there was nothing superficial about it. In 2004, he was arrested and detained for 37 days because of a rights case he was defending in Fuan, Fujian province. He was later released on bail under pressure from all sides. This experience gave him more awareness, and set him thinking even more about the obstacles preventing China from becoming more democratic, and becoming part of the civilized world. He thought the key was a lack of faith, because the people of most democracies in the world are Christians, and believers in Christ can think about institution building from the perspective of how to prevent the evil that is in human nature. Therefore, if China was going to achieve a true democratic balance between the three powers, Christianity would have to take root in the hearts of the Chinese people. Without it, the spread of democratic ideas and the building of democratic systems would never happen. In 2005, he spoke out on my behalf when I was under house arrest for exposing the violence of the [ruling] Chinese Communist Partys family planning policies. After that, there was less and less contact between us. During my imprisonment by the Chinese Communist Party, I heard the news on Radio Free Asia that he and his good friend Li Heping had met with President George W. Bush at the White House ... so I knew he was still working hard for progress in China. A few years later, in 2015, when my family had escaped the clutches of the Communist Party and come to the United States, we met again at a party in Washington. On Jan. 31 last year, we met again at a celebration of 15 years of the Duihua Foundation, held at the Library of Congress, where he made a passionate speech. He showed no sign of illness whatsoever. I never thought in a million years that that meeting in Washington would be our last. It is a sad and unbearable thought. [Late human rights lawyer] Li Subin and Li Boguang were two friends of mine who died one after the other. I once spent a few days studying traditional Chinese medicine, and I couldnt help thinking of the various causes of malignant tumors and about the relationship between the manner of their death and the difficult situation they were in: between their circumstances and their rights protection work. Given their knowledge and talents, and with ample food and clothing, would they have died so young if they could have lived a life without so much risk and suffering? Li Boguangs death was sudden and suspicious. He was even able to fly to Washington to attend a prayer breakfast at the beginning of last month. Now we are separated by life and death. I heard that he suffered from ascites and cirrhosis of the liver, and that he died when his liver split open. But eyewitnesses said that his family never mentioned that he vomited blood, nor did they report any abdominal swelling prior to his death, to the extent that he couldnt even lie down. All they said, simply, was that he felt as if his stomach had gotten fatter. I find it hard to believe this explanation. I am still highly suspicious of it as a cause of death. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has been a law scholar in the United States since his daring midnight flight from his heavily guarded hometown in Shandong's Yinan county in 2012 ended years of incarceration, official harassment and house arrest. The United Nations and a rights group on Friday called for an investigation into the shooting of land rights protesters in Cambodias Kratie province the previous day, as a key witness recanted her account of six dead after being arrested. Authorities in Cambodias Kratie province on Thursday opened fire on a group of people protesting over a long-running land dispute with a rubber plantation, killing as many as eight people and injuring dozens of others, according to sources. In response to the incident, the office of United Nations Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith, who happens to be visiting Cambodia, issued a statement voicing concern. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Professor Rhona Smith, is deeply concerned by reports of shootings yesterday in Kratie province over a land dispute, it said. She is following the situation closely and calls for a prompt investigation. Again, she highlights that respect for human rights is indispensable for peace, stability and sustainable development, said the statement. Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia director Brad Adams told RFAs Khmer Service the most important thing is for there to be an independent investigation. With U.N. Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith in the country, I would call on her to ask the U.N. human rights office in the country to carry out an immediate investigation, said Adams. We have no history of independent investigations by the Cambodian authorities, so it has to be done by the United Nations. There is no other way we can even hope to learn what the actual facts are, he added. On Thursday, witness Tin Pheak told RFA that more than 400 residents of 2 Thnou commune, in Kraties Snuol district, blocked National Road 76A for three hours, beginning around 9:00 a.m., after workers from the Memot Rubber Plantation and security forces burned down the huts and razed the farms of 300 villagers locked in a dispute over ownership of the land. Around 150 soldiers, police and military police were deployed to remove protesters from National Road 76A, Tin Pheak said, and security forces fired on residents during the ensuing confrontation. When authorities opened fire on the protesters, I saw two people were killed right away and another two injured, she said. As of now, I know that six people were killed and 40 injured. All the six dead are men. Some of those who were killed are from nearby villages, said Tin Pheak. On Friday, however, Tin Pheak was in custody and told Fresh News, a mouthpiece of Prime Minister Hun Sens government, I have made a mistake. I admit it Please forgive me. When I was interviewed by RFA I was still in hiding. I was very scared and too overwhelmed with the violence, so I said things unwisely, she told Fresh News. I actually saw a woman and a man who got injured. However, there rest of the casualties I told RFA and other media about were merely based on what I heard from other people. Meanwhile, the Phnom Penh Post reported that villagers continued to flee the disputed land in 2 Thnou commune Friday, quoting around 30 residents carrying their few possessions out of the area as saying security personnel used excavators to flatten their homes and poured gasoline on the structures to burn them. Authorities told them they would be killed if they refused to leave, they added. A screen grab from a video shows residents of 2 Thnou commune, in Kraties Snuol district, confronting security forces on National Road 76A, March 8, 2018. Credit: Facebook Details murky An NGO worker, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity, said he had only been able to confirm that a man and woman were injured in the clash and were currently being treated at hospitals in Kratie and the capital Phnom Penh. He said eight villagers had been arrested in the aftermath of the incident and were being held at the Kratie provincial police station. Other details of the shooting incident remained murky on Friday, with members of the media denied access to the site of the clash, and information largely being reported by Fresh News. RFA closed its operations in Cambodia in September amid a government crackdown on the media, and two former RFA Khmer Service reporters were taken into custody on Nov. 14. They were formally charged with illegally collecting information for a foreign source and face a possible jail term of up to 15 years if convicted. Amid ongoing questions over Thursdays shooting, Mu Sochua, the deputy president of the now-defunct opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), who is now living in self-imposed exile, condemned what she called the brutality of Cambodian authorities, demanding an immediate and independent investigation of the incident. Villagers who were detained should be released immediately and protection should be provided to witnesses in order to ensure a fair examination of the situation, said the former member of parliament, whose party was dissolved by Cambodias Supreme Court in November for what it said was the CNRPs involvement in plotting a coup against the government. This attack further erodes the deteriorating rule of law in Cambodia and prohibits Cambodians from living peacefully on their land as they have for years before authorities unjustly rip it out from under them, uprooting and displacing them, she said. Authorities must return the land to the villagers and end this culture of impunity. HRWs Adams also questioned why security forces were deployed to National Road 76A on Thursday, noting that the army should not normally be involved in land disputes. Why couldnt the authorities simply allow the villagers to continue protesting, he asked. Land disputes The seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residentshas been a major cause of protest in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Myanmar. Rural villagers and urban dwellers alike have been mired in conflicts that the U.N.s special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia has warned could threaten the countrys stability. Cambodias land issues date from the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, which forced large-scale evacuations and relocations, followed by a period of mass confusion over land rights and the formation of squatter communities when the refugees returned in the 1990s after a decade of civil war. In 2012, hundreds of armed police violently evicted residents of Kraties Pro Ma village involved in a long-running land dispute with Russian rubber company Casotim. During the clash, authorities fired on the villagers, killing a 14-year-old girl. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Paul Eckert. The removal of elected pro-democracy lawmakers from office and the disqualification of fresh candidates by election officials ahead of's Legislative Council (LegCo) by election in Hong Kong has cast doubt on the legitimacy of the forthcoming poll, a rights group has said. The "political screening" of candidates and the erosion of the city's promised autonomy by intervention from the ruling Chinese Communist Party have cast doubt on the validity of the elections and violated the city's traditional rights and freedoms, a report from Hong Kong Watch said. It said the removal of six democratically elected LegCo members after their oaths were judged insufficiently solemn and sincere by a ruling from China's National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee was "an illegal infringement which ... violates rights enshrined in Hong Kongs constitution, including freedom of speech and the right to stand in elections." It said the move went against the "one country, two systems" framework agreed in a bilateral Sino-British treaty ahead of the 1997 handover. Meanwhile, the screening out of candidates judged to hold pro-independence views for the elections to replace the banished lawmakers was "an unacceptable breach of human rights" enshrined in the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, the report said. "It undermines Hong Kongs rule of law and its reputation as a free and open city," Hong Kong Watch said in a statement accompanying the report. As the report was published, unknown activists hung a large yellow banner from a rock above Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong district protesting the disqualification of candidates and lawmakers. The long banner was similar in style to one demanding fully democratic elections to LegCo and for the post of chief executive that hung from the "ear" of Lion Rock during the 2014 Occupy Central pro-democracy movement. It was rapidly removed by fire and rescue services. The Hong Kong Watch report said the disqualification of potential election candidates beginning with Demosisto's Agnes Chow earlier this year was unconstitutional. "It is a breach of the Basic Law for the Returning Officer, a civil servant, to take the power to conduct political screening," the report said, echoing objections made last month by the Hong Kong Bar Association. "These decisions should be the made by the judiciary." 'Unlawful intervention' Chow is a key member of the pro-democracy party Demosisto, which was formed by the leaders of the 2014 Occupy Central movement, and which espouses self-determination for the city, which was promised a high degree of autonomy following the 1997 handover to Chinese rule. Several candidates including localist Ventus Lau and Sha Tin district councillor James Chan have since been barred from standing by electoral officers over their political views. Hong Kong Watch said that six LegCo members removed over their oaths of allegiance should be reinstated. When the NPC standing committee issued its "interpretation" of the Basic Law, as it is entitled to do, in , its decree amounted to an interpretation of local laws, or an addendum to the city's constitution, it said. "This is an unlawful intervention, and therefore The Interpretation is an illegal infringement which undermines one-country, two-systems," Hong Kong Watch said. It said the six elected LegCo members were stripped of their seats on the basis that the interpretation had taken effect in 1997. "The retroactive punishment of Legislative Council members undermines rule of law and common law principles, breaching the right to a fair trial," the report said, calling the move "patently absurd." "The demand that retroactively disqualified lawmakers repay their salaries, and the salaries of their staff, is a particular concern," it said. Former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said that the report was "disturbing" and showed that Beijing isn't delivering on its promises. "It demonstrates that the obligations that the Chinese Government accepted in 1997 are being eroded," Rifkind said in a preface to the report. "The steps being taken as regards disqualification of candidates reinforce the concern that there may be a strategy to diminish Hong Kongs autonomy in a step by step process over the years." Reported by RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Chinese authorities have closed the social media account of a prominent women's rights website, and prevented activists from engaging in public activities on and around International Women's Day. The Feminist Voices account on microblogging platform Sina Weibo was blocked on evening, the website's U.S.-based founding editor Lu Pin said via her Twitter account. "Feminist Voices' Weibo account ... was blocked in the evening of," Lu wrote. "Sina told us they wont reactivate it because we 'posted sensitive and illegal information'," she said, describing the site as the "largest feminist alternative media in China." At the time of its suspension, Feminist Voices had more than 180,000 followers on Sina Weibo, according to Lu. The account was also shut down this time last year. Many women who campaign against sexual harassment and gender discrimination in China have been directly targeted by the authorities. The detention of five Chinese feminists detained ahead of International Women's Day 2015 as they planned a public campaign against sexual harassment on public transport prompted an international outcry. Wu Rongrong, Li Tingting, Wei Tingting, Wang Man, and Zheng Churan were released "on bail" in 2015 after being detained for several weeks on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," and have faced restrictions on their freedom of movement since. Zheng told RFA this week that she wasn't planning any form of campaign this year. "It's pretty high-risk, so we won't be doing anything for the time being," she said. "Every now and then, they tell us that we should keep a low profile, the police say this." "They don't spell it out ... but Feminist Voices' Weibo account is still unable to ... send out posts, and everything gets deleted from their WeChat account if they try to post banned items," she said. "I don't think there's enough tolerance for dissenting feminist voices in our society," Zheng said.' Rhetoric vs. reality Guangdong-based women's rights activist Li Biyun said that while the official line on women's rights is that men and women are equal, it's a different story on the ground. "China says that men and women are equal, but women lack any rights at all, in fact," Li said. "For example, when it comes to the allocation of land to rural residents, the rules dictate that men can take their share of land when they reach the age of 18, but women can only get hold of land unofficially." "I tried to stand up for women's rights by standing for my district-level People's Congress, but the authorities said I was disrupting the election process," she said. "I have been sent to prison, and had threats to my personal safety, and they won't give me back my ID card." "So, no, as a woman I don't think women have equality at all." China's communist government has promoted gender equality, at least in theory, since it came to power in 1949, when it garnered broad popular support over its policies on educating women and ending repressive practices like foot-binding and forced marriage. But campaigners say the reality is very different, and that Chinese women now face habitual economic discrimination, harassment, and domestic violence. When Beijing hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women 20 years ago, the conference laid down a long-term program of improvements to the rights and opportunities offered to women and girls around the world, with requirements for governments to report back to the United Nations on the changes. The Beijing Declaration pledged to "ensure equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all women and girls." But Beijing-based housing activist Ni Yulan said the authorities have failed to deliver those promises. "The relevant covenants protecting women and children have basically never been implemented," Ni said. "Take me: I was locked up and beaten to a crippled state by them ... because I tried to stand up for the rights of evictees." "There has been no let-up in the number of women who are victims of oppression, because there is no protection for the human rights of women," she said. 'All-male rulers' The crackdown comes as China's parliament gets ready to pass constitutional amendments that will allow President Xi Jinping to remain in his post indefinitely, by removing current two-term limits on the offices of president and vice-president. Writing in the Washington Post's opinion section, sociologist Leta Hong Fincher said that for all its progressive rhetoric about "new era" socialism, Xi's rise to power has been fueled by a return to the traditional subjugation of Chinese women. "In almost 70 years of Chinese Communist history, there has never been a single woman on the Politburos elite Standing Committee," Hong Fincher wrote. "Chinas all-male rulers have decided that the systematic subjugation of women is essential to maintaining Communist Party survival." "As this battle for party survival becomes even more intense, the crackdown on feminism and womens rights indeed, on all of civil society is likely to intensify," she wrote. International Women's Day is typically celebrated in the tightly controlled state media as a hard-earned "day off" for women, and as a "celebration" of women's appearance, rather than their achievements. According to a selection of tweets published by the U.S.-based China Digital Times (CDT) website, China Daily newspaper ran a photo feature showing "female doctors and nurses" dressed in traditional Chinese cheong-sam robes, designed to emphasise Chinese ideals of feminine beauty, while the Global Times published photos of scantily clad "Victoria's Secret angels" to mark the day. State media reported on some women's rights protests elsewhere in the world, but was silent on the rights of Chinese women, CDT said. Reported by Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un in what would mark the first summit between the two countries heads of state since the end of the Korean War nearly 65 years ago. The decision to hold talks with Kim was announced by the White House on Thursday, after South Korean officials briefed Trump on their recent visit to Pyongyang, where the North Korean leader expressed a willingness to discuss nuclear disarmament with the U.S. and said he would suspend all nuclear and missile tests during the dialogue. Trump said he would meet Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, South Koreas national security advisor Chung Eui-yong said, following his meeting with the U.S. president in Washington. The talks will be held in an as of yet undetermined location. Chung said that the U.S. and South Korea stand together in insisting that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions for ending its illicit weapons program, referring to crippling sanctions Washington has championed against Pyongyang through the United Nations Security Council in response to repeated missile and nuclear tests. The announcement came days after the office of South Koreas President Moon Jae-in said the North and South had agreed to hold a summit meeting between Kim and Moon at South Koreas Freedom House in the Panmunjom truce village along their shared border in late April. North Korea has yet to officially acknowledge plans for either of the two meetings, or its willingness to dismantle its nuclear program if the military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed, as claimed by Moons office. Pyongyang has previously stated it would not be willing to make its weapons development program part of any negotiations with the U.S., and had conducted more than a dozen missile tests in the past year, provoking a war of words between Trump and Kim. The Washington Post cited an email from Pak Song Il, a senior North Korean diplomat at the United Nations in New York, as saying Kims invitation to Trump came from his broad minded and resolute decision to contribute to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, in what appeared to be an confirmation of the summit plans. American officials were quick to stress that the U.S. had made no concessions in setting up the proposed talks and that Kims invitation to Trump was a clear indication that Washingtons policy of isolationism against the North had succeeded. North Koreas desire to meet to discuss denuclearizationwhile suspending all ballistic missile and nuclear testingis evidence that President Trumps strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working, Vice President Mike Pence said in a statement on Friday. The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions and, in close coordination with our allies, we have consistently increased the pressure on the Kim regime, Pence added, noting that Washingtons maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told a news conference in Kenyas capital Nairobi on Friday that the last 24 hours had shown that the policy we've put in place [on North Korea] and executed by the State Department has succeeded, according to a report by Reuters news agency. Likelihood of progress But observers said Friday that even if Kim acknowledges plans to meet with Trump, there is no guarantee that the summit will take place, and that talks alone do not guarantee North Korea will end its ambitions of becoming a recognized nuclear-weapon state. The North has repeatedly made overtures of dialogue after periods of threatening rhetoric in a bid to win aid concessions, but prior talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been handled by lower-level experts and have stalled over how denuclearization would proceed. Kang In-duk, South Koreas former minister of unification, told RFAs Korean Service that the North must offer more than a moratorium of its program if it wants to enter into meaningful dialogue with the U.S. North Korea should provide a detailed road map for denuclearization, rather than simply freezing its nuclear program, he said. Kim Tae-woo, the former president of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said the North is too invested in its weapons program to reverse course now. North Korea proclaims that they are a nuclear state in their constitution and also propagandizes that their nuclear program is the treasured sword of the country, he said. It is not an easy political choice to make such a sudden change toward giving up nuclear. However, Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said he believes that the North is sincere this time, suggesting Kims decision to go all in on nuclear development had caused his control of the country to become tenuous. North Korea made a choice to have a nuclear program to secure its system [of governance] but the system is in a vicious circle, with the weapons program repeatedly bringing it to a critical situation, he said. [North Korea] is rushing to enter into the negotiation phase because of this. Defectors weigh in North Korean defectors welcomed the announcement of talks between Kim and Trump, but said their expectations for the summit were low. Gwang Il Jung, a representative of No Chain, an Seoul-based association working on behalf of North Korean political prisoners and their families, said he fully agrees with the idea of talks, but also suggested that the North would need to do more to demonstrate it is willing to change its previous approach. Some see President Trumps meeting with Kim Jong Un as a gesture of surrender, but [Trump thinks], Weve been tricked for years Show us first that you are changing, he said. Holding a meeting doesnt matter in the long run. Ma Young Ae, a campaigner with the International North Korean Association for Human Rights and Democracy (INKAHRD) in New York said it is unlikely Kim will change his ways after telling the international community that the North would never give up its nuclear weapons. And now he is trying to hold talks with U.S. President TrumpI cant believe he would give up his nuclear ambitions and hold serious talks. Kim Heung Kwang, the executive director of North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity in South Korea, noted that no official confirmation had been made by the North. We havent found any mention of the word denuclearization and there has been no information published about the visit of the five-member [South Korean delegation to Pyongyang] that included Chung Eui-yong, he said. This is [North Koreas] strategy for the talks. Later on [they will say], When did we mention anything about denuclearization? Reported by RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Hee Jung Yang. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Two United Nations human rights officials on Friday recommended that those who have committed atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmars Rakhine state be prosecuted for crimes, days after another U.N. envoy reported that members of the minority group continue to suffer abuses and forced starvation at the hands of the government military. Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the U.N.s human rights chief, asked the U.N. General Assembly to refer the atrocities to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution and called on the Myanmar government to allow independent investigators into northern Rakhine to probe suspected acts of genocide against the Rohingya. We are saying there are strong suspicions that, yes, acts of genocide may have taken place, Zeid told reporters at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Reuters reported. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar to escape a brutal crackdown by security forces that began in later August 2017, and included indiscriminate killings, torture, arson, and rape, in what the U.N. and the United States have said amounted to ethnic cleansing. The army has denied the allegations of brutality, saying its own investigations have cleared troops of the alleged abuses. The Myanmar government has also denied the accusations and prevented a U.N.-appointed mission from entering the country to conduct an independent investigation. Zeids remarks came two days after he said that his office believes that ethnic cleansing is still underway in Rakhine state, as evidenced by the emptying of the Rohingya community in Maungdaw township, the continued flight of people to Bangladesh, ongoing persecution and violence in other towns and villages, and reports about deliberate attempts to starve out the Rohingya. This Council is aware that my office has strong suspicions that acts of genocide may have taken place in Rakhine state since August, he said Wednesday in an address in Geneva on the situation of human rights around the world. I am therefore not surprised by reports that Rohingya villages which were attacked in recent years, and alleged mass graves of the victims, are being bulldozed, he said. This appears to be a deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy potential evidence of international crimes. 'Hallmarks of genocide' Also on Friday, Yanghee Lee, the U.N.s independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar, said there is more evidence to support suspicions that genocide has taken place, and she called for the prosecution of crimes committed against entire ethnic and religious groups, Reuters reported. In a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Lee said she was increasingly of the opinion that the events bear the hallmarks of genocide and therefore calls in the strongest terms for accountability. The government leadership who did nothing to intervene, stop, or condemn these acts must also be held accountable, she said in the report based on interviews she had with Rohingya survivors of the crackdown who are living in displacement camps in Bangladesh. The Myanmar government has temporarily barred Lee from visiting the country on her periodic missions to evaluate rights developments, particularly in violence-wracked Rakhine state. The calls by Zeid and Lee come on the heels of remarks by Andrew Gilmour, U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights, who on Tuesday said that Myanmar is continuing its campaign of terror and forced starvation against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine state. Gilmour and other U.N. officials interviewed newly arrived refugees in displacement camps in southeastern Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar, who provided accounts of ongoing torture, rape, and abductions, as well as forced starvation. We need clear evidence Myanmar National Security Adviser Thaung Tun told reporters at a news conference in Geneva on Thursday that Myanmar wanted to see clear evidence to support accusations that ethnic cleansing or genocide has taken place, Reuters reported. Myint Thu, permanent secretary of Myanmars Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told RFAs Myanmar Service on Friday that the government will hold a press conference on March 14 to respond to Zeids call for crimes against the Rohingya to be referred to the ICC. As our National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Thursday, we need clear evidence to support accusations that ethnic cleansing or genocide has been perpetrated against its Muslim minority in Rakhine state as well as on the responsibility to protect, he said. We wont accept anything without evidence. He went on to say that in the past Myanmar has adopted both offensive and defensive approaches to dealing with the U.N., but now it has a cooperative approach. We have a normal relationship with the U.N., he said. Myanmar and Bangladesh are preparing to repatriate refugees who wish to return voluntarily to northern Rakhine. The program was scheduled to begin in late January, but has yet to get off the ground, with each side blaming the other for delays. One Bangladeshi senior minister recently called the Myanmar government evil and said he did not believe that hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees could be repatriated. Thaung Tun dismissed the remark as an individual opinion and said Myanmar officials have been ready to take back refugees since Jan. 23. [But] if his condemnation represents the opinion of the Bangladeshi government, then it could damage the two countries relationship, he said. Myanmar monk Parmaukkha talks to the media at a press conference about a scuffle between Buddhist nationalists and Muslims in Yangon, May 11, 2017. Credit: Reuters Anti-Muslim monk freed Deep-seeded hatred of the Rohingya, who are viewed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and are subjected to systematic discrimination, is rampant in other parts of Rakhine state and around the country. A prominent ex-Buddhist abbot who helped organize a rally against the U.S. government's use of the word "Rohingya" outside the American embassy in Yangon in April 2016 was freed from prison on Friday after serving three months in jail for inciting unrest during the protest. Parmaukkha, who claims he was framed by police, said he will hold a press conference on March 12. I was framed and arrested by Yangon Division Police Officer Myint Htay, he said. I will keep working on national affairs as well as on the rule of law with other nationalists and politicians I would like to say that we dont have rule of law under this governments term because the Ministry of Home Affairs has control over this matter, he said, referring to one of three ministries in Myanmar run by the powerful armed forces. Parmaukkha, who once belonged to the ultranationalist Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, better known as Ma Ba Tha, left the anti-Muslim group in 2016 reportedly over political differences. After religious authorities banned the hard-line Buddhist network in May 2017, Ma Ba Tha rebranded itself under the less controversial name Buddha Dhamma Philanthropy Foundation. Two killed in Kachin state Besides the crisis involving the military in Rakhine state, Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had to deal with the fallout of skirmishes between the national army and ethnic militias in other parts of the country. In northern Myanmars Kachin state, government soldiers stand accused of killing two ethnic Kachin civilians whose bodies were found in the city of Bhamo on Friday. Local residents saw soldiers detaining Hpaugan Yaw, 65, and Nhkum Naw San, 35 as they farmed a field near Hkat Pra village in Mansi township on Jan. 31. The two had not been seen or heard from since then. I was informed by some people from Bhamo who said that two bodies were found, and that they reported the discovery to police officers and the administrator of Mansi, said Lamai Gum Ja, spokesperson of the Peace-talk Creation Group, a Kachin-based organization that arranges meetings for peace talks in the region. Because this area is under the martial law, they also reported it to the Northern Military Headquarters, he told RFA. They said they received permission to get the bodies, and they are on their way with police officer, the administrator, and doctors. RFA was unable to reach the families of the two men or township police officers. On Feb. 20, East Asia-based Fortify Rights called on Myanmar authorities to investigate and immediately account for the whereabouts and well-being of the two men who were feared to have been forcibly disappeared by the military. Two eyewitnesses told Fortify Rights that they saw the two men in the custody of Myanmar soldiers with their hands tied behind their backs and later heard shots ring out as they made their way home. Government troops have regularly clashed in the state with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) ethnic militia which controls large swathes of territory there since a 17-year bilateral cease-fire agreement collapsed in 2011. The clashes have left hundreds dead and more than 100,000 displaced since that conflict resumed in June 2011 and later spread to neighboring northern Shan state. The murders of the two men are not the first incident of apparent killings of ethnic Kachins by Myanmar soldiers. In May 2017, six troops murdered three residents of the Maing Hkawng camp as they gathered firewood in a forest. In January, a military tribunal sentenced the soldiers to 10 years in prison. Zeid briefly mentioned the violence against civilians in Kachin and neighboring Shan state in his remarks on global human rights before the Human Rights Council on Wednesday. In Shan and Kachin states, civilian casualties continue to be reported as a result of attacks by the security forces, he said. Reported by Khin Khin Ei, Htet Arkar, Aung Theinkha, and Thet Su Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. The Taliban launched a deadly assault on an army outpost in a remote region of Afghanistan's northern Takhar Province, killing 10 local police officers and wounding nine, a local official said on March 9. Provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said that a large number of Taliban fighters assaulted the outpost overnight. Aseir said the 10 members of the local police were ambushed and killed while on their way to the outpost to assist the Afghan soldiers in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. There were no casualties among the soldiers. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault and the killing of the police officers. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties, but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report couldn't be independently confirmed because of the area's remoteness. With reporting by AP The United States has called for the Taliban to "step up" and engage the Afghan government in peace talks to end the 16-year conflict. Alice Wells, a U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of South and Central Asian affairs, said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer of talks with the Taliban without any preconditions was the "most specific and forward-leaning proposal" for peace since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Wells, speaking at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on March 9, urged the Taliban to give Ghani's offer "serious consideration," adding that there were signs the militant group was "assessing the proposal." On February 28, Ghani offered to allow the Taliban to establish itself as a political party and said he would work to remove sanctions on the militant group, among other incentives, if it joined the government in peace negotiations. In return, the militants would have to recognize the Kabul government and respect the rule of law. But the Taliban has continued to reject direct peace talks with the Kabul government and insisted it will only negotiate with the United States, which it calls a "foreign occupying force." The Taliban also says that NATO forces must withdraw before negotiations can begin. The United States has refused to withdraw troops as demanded by the Taliban and has insisted that the Kabul government must play a lead role in peace negotiations. Wells, who is leading the Afghan peace effort for the U.S. government, said Washington was supporting talks without preconditions to allow for "creative solutions and approaches." She also said Washington had not seen "decisive and sustained changes from Pakistan," which Afghan and U.S. officials have accused of supporting the Taliban. "But we won't walk away from Pakistan," Wells said, adding that Islamabad had a crucial role to play in bringing the militants to the negotiating table. Russia and Iran have established contacts with the Taliban in recent years because of the common threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Afghanistan. But Wells said some regional countries were "exaggerating" the threat of IS militants in Afghanistan as a "pretext for hedging behavior." German public prosecutors have opened an investigation into a suspected cyberattack on a Berlin-based political foundation carried out by a Russian hacking group, according to a report. Authorities suspect the notorious Russian hacking group known as "Fancy Bear" or "APT28" was behind the December 2016 attack on the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), according to a report by German news outlet Spiegel Online. The SWP advises the German government on foreign affairs. Some believe Fancy Bear has connections to Russias GRU military intelligence agency and was accused of attacks on U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign. Germany's parliament came under a major cyberattack in 2015 that was widely blamed on Fancy Bear. Fears that information gleaned from the attack would be leaked to influence last year's German elections never materialized, however. Spiegel reported that the hackers who attacked the SWP sent an e-mail under the name of a former employee with file attachments containing malware. The SWP told Spiegel they did not believe the hack had been successful. Based on reporting by Der Spiegel and dpa Not long ago, during an extensive dive into my e-mails in search of a friends address, I came across a story forwarded to me by journalist Remy Ourdan. He invariably picks out the most interesting stories coming out of the Balkans, and the headline immediately caught my attention: Serb President Bans Teaching About Sarajevo Siege, Srebrenica. I did not realize at the time that I was at the wrong end of my inbox, and failed to notice the dateline of the story. Perhaps I was just too dumbfounded, and puzzled at how the president of Republika Srpska could ban teaching about the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica genocide -- as if these topics were even part of the school curriculum in his entity. After reading the article, I realized that the unsettling past would henceforth not be taught even in classrooms including Bosniak kids in Republika Srpska. Its impossible to use here the textbooks...which say the Serbs have committed genocide and kept Sarajevo under siege, Milorad Dodik was quoted as saying in the article. I promptly tweeted the story. The following day, the story had been retweeted several hundred times -- and that's when I noticed that it had been published nine months ago. Somewhat embarrassed, I was about to tweet an explanation, and an apology for having missed the fact that the Reuters story was from June 2017. But before doing so, I read through the deluge of retweets. I was fully expecting a backlash for my social-media faux pas. However, to my surprise, most comments -- even those that pointed out that the story was old -- were expressions of concern for a country that refused to deal with its past, and were critical of Dodik. When you dont know your past, it is inevitable to repeat it, one of the retweets said. Ivana Cvetkovic made an excuse for me and praised me for reposting the story at a time when Dodik appears to be rearming Republika Srpska. Many thought that the news was fresh. Milos Ciric was among the first to notice the time lag, but he generously assumed that the posting of an old story was intentional, in view of Dodiks ratcheting up of ethnic tensions over the past few months: Former U.S. diplomat Richard Kauzlarich was among the many who retweeted the article, expressing regret for the support Dodik had received from U.S. diplomats in the past: Many of the retweeters read the story much in the same light as I had, seeing it as part of a concerted campaign by the president of Republika Srpska to destabilize Bosnia -- a campaign that has intensified over the past few months, with Dodik growing ever bolder in his actions and pronouncements: Many others expressed similar sentiments, pointing out the dangers of genocide denial: When it was published, in June 2017, the Reuters article went almost unnoticed. However, thanks to Dodiks actions and statements over the past few months, it seemed like fresh news and generated an avalanche of comments. I must still own up to having posted old news. But the overwhelming response has been yet another reminder that errors can be useful and often lead to new awareness. In this case, old news came as a fresh warning of the growing fragility of peace in Bosnia. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL. Amnesty International says two Iranian human rights activists are enduring "appalling treatment" in a prison outside Tehran. In a statement on March 9, Amnesty International said Atena Daemi and Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee were being held in "unsanitary conditions" in the Shahr-e Rey prison, on the outskirts of Tehran, and their access to the outside world was being "severely restricted." London-based Amnesty International called for the "women's immediate and unconditional release." "We are extremely alarmed by reports from Shahr-e Rey prison about the targeting and escalating ill treatment of Golrokh and Atena," said Philip Luther, Amnesty Internationals research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa. "They should never have been imprisoned in the first place, and now it seems the Iranian authorities are deliberately subjecting them to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment because of their outspoken activism and continued human rights work, even behind bars," Luther added. Iraee is serving a three-year sentence for writing an unpublished fictional story about the horrific practice of stoning. Daemi is serving a sentence of seven years for distributing leaflets and writing posts on Facebook and Twitter that criticized Iran's use of the death penalty. A video of three Iranian women singing a famous feminist song on Tehran's subway on March 8 to mark International Women's Day is going viral on social media and highlighted ongoing challenges to veiling and other discriminatory laws. The women are not wearing the Islamic head scarf, known as the hijab, that is mandated for women in public under Iran's clerically dominated system. The song, I'm A Woman, was created about a decade ago by a group of female activists who campaigned against discriminatory laws and came under state pressure for their efforts. The song calls on women to join efforts, fight injustice, and create "another world" of "equality." The new clip has been shared widely on popular apps Telegram and Instagram and other social-media platforms where many have praised their courage and bravery. They hold hands while singing and show what appears to be a photo of a previous protest by a group of women's rights activists. Once they're done, one of the three calls on other women on the subway train to clap and honor themselves for "having lived and fought all their lives against all kinds of discrimination, violence, humiliation, and insults." "You've paid a price, yet you've been the hero of your lives," the young woman says in the video while some of the passengers clap their hands. "Happy [Women's] Day to all of you," she adds. The video was posted online amid reports that more than 50 people, some of them men, were detained by security forces in the Iranian capital on March 8 for attempting to gather outside the Labor Ministry to mark International Women's Day and urge greater respect for rights. Dozens of women have risked arrest by carrying out public protests against the compulsory hijab that requires women in Iran to cover their hair and body in public. The protesters have been standing on utility boxes without veils on the busy streets of Tehran and other cities, waving head scarves on sticks. Some have been violently confronted by security forces and a number have been arrested. They have fueled public debate about the hijab rule that became compulsory following the 1979 revolution, prompting rare statements on the topic from senior officials including the president and, most recently, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Those who are deemed to have violated the rule face harassment, fines, and prison terms. Women have pushed the boundaries of the country's strict dress code in recent years by showing much of their hair and wearing short coats and tight pants. But the debate over the veil has flared up intermittently since the laws were tightened following the 1979 revolution. Earlier this week, prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi announced that one of the protesters was sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to "encourage corruption through the removal of the hijab in public." Khamenei, who has the final say on religious and political affairs in Iran, broke his public silence on the veil protests this week to accuse the women in question of being "deceived" by foreign "enemies" funding the effort. He went on to acknowledge that "some of the elite are now questioning the mandatory hijab," suggesting that some "journalists, intellectuals, and clerics" were being led down "the path of the enemy." The first of the recent hijab protests emerged amid an outbreak of street protests in December and January over economic woes and grievances against Iran's leadership, sparking a crackdown in which at least 22 people died and thousands were arrested. ASTANA -- A Kazakh businessman jailed in a politically charged case escaped from custody for a few hours but is back behind bars, authorities say. Muratkhan Toqmadi escaped from a hospital where he was being treated in the southern city of Taraz on March 8 but was recaptured hours later, the National Security Committee (UQK) said on March 9. Toqmadi has been serving a three-year prison term on an extortion and illegal firearms possession conviction since June. In a separate new trial, he has pleaded guilty to murdering a banker on a hunting trip in 2004 and told the court he did so at the behest of Mukhtar Ablyazov, a fugitive tycoon and vocal critic of President Nursultan Nazarbaev. Erzhan Tatishev, the chief of TuranAlem Bank, was killed by a single shot to the head during a hunting outing with Toqmadi. After Tatishev's death, which was ruled an accident at the time, Ablyazov became the bank's chief. Wanted by Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine on suspicion of embezzling some $5 billion, Ablyazov has been living abroad since 2009. He denies the embezzlement charges and has called allegations that he ordered Toqmadi's killing a "lie." Opponents and rights groups say that Nazarbaev, who has held power in the Central Asian nation since before the 1991 Soviet breakup, has taken systematic steps to suppress dissent and sideline potential opponents. An Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber blew himself up in Kabul's Shi'ite area on March 9, killing at least nine people, officials said. One police officer was among those killed in the attack, which occurred near a gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a prominent former leader of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban. Afghan Interior Ministry deputy spokesperson Nusrat Rahimi told RFE/RL that at least nine people were killed and 18 others were wounded in the attack. The IS group in a statement posted on an IS-affiliated website said it was behind the Kabul attack. The claim says IS targeted a gathering of Shi'ites as they were commemorating the death of a "tyrant." Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement, promising that those behind the attack would be given the death penalty, if found and convicted. Kabul police chief Mohammad Daud Amin told Afghan news outlet Tolo News that the bomber detonated his explosive device at a checkpoint "after being identified by police." "The bomber failed to get inside to target the gathering," Amin said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Afghanistan's minority Shi'ites, who are mostly Hazaras, have lately been frequently targeted in militant attacks, either by the Taliban or the Islamic State group. Sunni militants consider the Shi'ites heretics and urge followers to kill them. The March 9 attack comes a week after a car bomb exploded near a passing Australian Embassy convoy in eastern Kabul, killing at least one child and wounding several other people. Kabul is one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians. Since mid-January, militants have stormed a hotel, bombed a crowded commercial street, raided a military compound, and launched a suicide attack during morning rush hour, killing more than 130 people. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Kabul last week unveiled a plan to open talks with the Taliban. In return, Ghani said the militants should officially recognize the Afghan government and constitution. "The offer of negotiation is on the table," UN envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto told a Security Council meeting on March 8. The United States has also called on the insurgents to consider the offer of peace talks. Before Ghani's offer, the Taliban had called for direct talks with Washington. With reporting by AFP, dpa, AP, and tolonews.com Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has accused foreign "enemies" of funding recent protests over the compulsory hijab. Khamenei's remarks in a March 8 speech were his most extensive public comments on a series of peaceful acts of protest in which dozens of women have removed their head scarves in public and waved them on sticks. "As a result, some girls were deceived and removed their veil here and there," Khamenei said. He dismissed the protests as a small issue," but added: What I find worrying is that some of the elite are now questioning the mandatory hijab. Khamenei said that some of the countrys journalists, intellectuals, and clerics may be unknowingly following "the path of the enemy. Earlier this year, Iranian authorities announced they had detained 29 women who had removed their head scarves as part of a campaign against the country's mandatory Islamic dress code. The dress code, which requires women to cover their hair and body in public, became compulsory following the 1979 revolution that ended the largely secular rule of the Western-backed shah and set up a political system dominated by a clerical establishment. Women who challenge the rule face harassment, fines and prison terms. This week, prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that a woman who removed her head scarf in public has been sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to "encourage corruption through the removal of the hijab in public." Khamenei defended the dress code, asserting that the hijab provides women with immunity. Based on reporting by IRNA, Khamenei.ir, and AFP Russian Masha Ivashintsova (1942-2000) photographed constantly but never showed her work to anyone. In late 2017, a relative stumbled on boxes of negatives and undeveloped film gathering dust in an attic. Published below, some for the first time, are some of the 30,000 images from the remarkable discovery. The banks of the Neva River in Leningrad (todays St. Petersburg) in 1979. Children in Vologda in 1979. Masha Ivashintsova was born into an aristocratic family whose assets, including a luxurious apartment in central Leningrad, were seized by the authorities following the Bolshevik Revolution. A cosmonaut-themed playground in Leningrad. As a young girl, Ivashintsova followed her grandmothers wishes and trained as a ballerina, but after her grandmothers death Ivashintsovas family pulled her out of the academy and enrolled her in a technical college. Street portrait in St. Petersburg in 1976. After her artistic career was cut short, Ivashintsova worked various jobs, including as a theater critic, while her personal life grew increasingly turbulent. A portrait of Ivashintsovas husband, Melvar Melkumyan, an Armenian-born linguist, after their marriage collapsed. Melkumyan with their daughter, Asya. When this picture was taken in 1976, the family had split up, with Asya moving to Moscow with her father, while Ivashintsova stayed on in Leningrad. A 1978 photo of Asya, Ivashintsovas only child. A crowd on the outskirts of a May Day parade in Leningrad in 1979. In Leningrad, Ivashintsova fell in and out of relationships with poet Viktor Krivulin (above) and photographer Boris Smelov. Ivashintsova hiding behind her lover Smelov, who was widely celebrated during his lifetime. Portrait of a little Soviet engineer in a fashionable Soviet French-like overall [sic]. Diaries left by Ivashintsova reveal a woman who saw her own talents as trivial in comparison with the men of her life. Her daughter says she sincerely believed that she paled next to them and consequently never showed her photography...to anyone during her life. While she photographed nearly every day, worsening depression ate away at Ivashintsovas willingness to work, and by 1981 she was jobless. A communist rally in Leningrad. In a system where unemployment was a criminal offense, Masha was given a stark choice between prison and incarceration in a mental hospital. Ivashintsovas family says she chose the latter and over the course of 10 years was locked away and gradually broken by a system that administered drugs to mental patients. A chained monkey, peering out at the world, photographed three years before Ivashintsova was consigned to a mental hospital. Her daughter writes of the image, sometimes, I think I see a warning, a sort of premonition...in her photography. A ruined statue of Stalin in Leningrad. Asya wrote that her mother could never assimilate to the all-encompassing, shouting world of socialist excitement. Pixie-faced boys in Staraya Russa. It was Asyas husband who, after quitting his job in November 2017, stumbled across the collection of around 30,000 photographic negatives in a family attic. Asya has been approached by art galleries asking to exhibit the work and by people hoping to buy prints. Portrait of a family friend in 1974. Asya has launched a website dedicated to her mothers story. Several Eastern European states have ramped up their opposition to a new gas pipeline linking Russia with Germany and have raised their concerns in Washington. Some of the most vocal critics are Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, whose foreign and defense ministers met with their U.S. counterparts in Washington in the past week. The Nord Stream 2 project will bring Russian gas directly to Western Europe, but critics say it will increase dependence on Russia and enrich its state-owned energy firms at a time when Moscow stands accused of endangering European security. An $11 billion, 1,225-kilometer pipeline linking Russia with Germany across the Baltic Sea bed, Nord Stream 2 is on schedule for completion next year. It is a private project backed by energy giants such as Shell and the Russian state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom, among others. But it also has the strong backing of Berlin and Moscow. We support the implementation of this project, which is undoubtedly absolutely free from politics. This is a purely economic and moreover purely commercial project, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. Many Eastern European states say Europe should not be engaged in big business with Putin. "Security these days is increasingly indivisible. There's no clear division between internal and external security and also geographically," said Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser. The United States also opposes Nord Stream 2. It included sanctions against Russian energy companies in its package of sanctions imposed over Moscows annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, but those measures do not as yet apply to the Nord Stream 2 project. Eastern European countries also have economic concerns about the pipeline. There could be bottlenecks through Central Europe and Eastern Europe, and those places could see prices rise and they might be more exposed to a Russian political gas cutoff. Ukraine would lose about $2 billion a year in transit fees, said Noah Gordon of the Center for European Reform. The European Commission also opposes Nord Stream 2 but says there are no legal grounds to block it. The EU hopes to mitigate the risk by investing in connecting pipelines across European borders. The goal is a resilient gas market where gas flows freely across borders, " said Gordon. "For two years, Ukraine hasnt bought any gas from Russia. Instead they buy gas, Russian gas usually, indirectly from European traders like Germany, like the Dutch. So if the European gas market was in a strong enough state and if Europe was more energy efficient and used less gas, Russian or otherwise, Russia wouldnt be able to meddle or use gas as a weapon ever again, he said. Poland and Lithuania, both vehemently opposed to Nord Stream 2, have built terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Poland took delivery of the first U.S. shipment of LNG to Europe last year, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to boost LNG exports to Europe. The countries opposing Nord Stream 2 say that diversifying their supply through imports from the United States should blunt Russias ability to use gas as a political weapon. The Pakistani Taliban has confirmed the death of the son of leader Mullah Fazlullah in a suspected U.S. drone strike on March 6. In an Urdu-language statement issued on March 9, the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban said Fazlullah's son -- referred to as 16-year-old Abdullah -- was among the 21 "holy warriors" killed by a suspected drone strike on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Fazlullah's son Abdullah is the fourth high-profile Taliban figure to be killed by drones within a month. Last month, Pakistani Taliban deputy chief Khan Said Mehsud, also known as Sajna, was also killed in a drone strike. Pakistani intelligence officials said Abdullah was killed in the Chawgam area in the eastern province of Kunar on March 6 when a training camp for suicide bombers near the Afghan border was hit by two missiles. Two other regional commanders of the Pakistani Taliban -- Gul Mohammad and Ustad Yaseen, who trained suicide bombers -- were also among the dead, Pakistani media reported. Some Europeans have noticed their electric clocks losing as much as six minutes in recent weeks. The issue has been traced to a shortfall in electricity production in the Balkans, which affected clocks that are calibrated to the shared power grid. Kosovo and Serbia are trading blame over the lost power and minutes. Russian riot police have violently dispersed dozens of protesters in the town of Volokolamsk, where they had gathered to demonstrate against a landfill site local authorities say has contaminated the air in the area. The protesters on March 8 blocked a road leading to the landfill in the village of Yadrovo, located near Moscow, preventing garbage trucks from entering the site. The protesters said riot police forcibly dispersed them, beating some of the demonstrators with truncheons and taking many away in police buses. Volokolamsk police said nine protesters were briefly detained and released without charges. On March 7, Volokolamsk officials announced a state of emergency after the level of hydrogen sulphide in the air was recorded as 2 1/2 times higher and the level of nitric oxide was double usual levels. Authorities said the situation was caused by a gas leakage at the landfill. But the region's environment minister, Aleksandr Kogan, said the air contamination was not harming residents' health. On March 3, some 5,000 protesters rallied in Volokolamsk and demanded the landfill's closure, with many complaining of a bad odor in the air. Local authorities promised "to modernize" the landfill but refused to discuss the site's closure. The Yadrovo landfill was opened in 2008 and is a dumping site for garbage from Moscow and nearby regions. With reporting by Govorit Moskva and Vedomosti Tens of thousands of Slovaks rallied in antigovernment protests to demand an investigation into the killings of a journalist and his fiancee and to call for an end to corruption in the EU and NATO country. Slovak media estimated that some 40,000 protesters gathered in the capital, Bratislava, on March 9, the largest demonstrations since the 1989 Velvet Revolution that brought down communism in then-Czechoslovakia. Reporter Jan Kuciak and fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were found shot dead in their home near Bratislava on February 25. Police said the journalist's death was "most likely" related to an article he was writing on alleged links between top Slovak politicians and the Italian mafia. The article was published after his death. On March 1, Slovak authorities released all seven Italian suspects detained in connection with the case because of lack of evidence. On March 2, demonstrations took place across Slovakia to demand government action in the killings. Protest organizers say they want foreign experts to help investigate the slayings. They also seek establishment of "a new trustworthy government with no people who are suspected of corruption" or links to organized crime. Based on reporting by AFP and AP U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to meet with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un by May to seek a deal to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, a senior South Korean official said after meeting with Trump at the White House. "I told President Trump at our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he's committed to denuclearization," said South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong, who recently visited Pyongyang. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." "Pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions," Chung said, adding that Kim also agreed that the United States and South Korea will continue joint military exercises during negotiations. A meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged sharp insults in the past year that have raised fears of war around the world, would mark a dramatic breakthrough in efforts to resolve the tense standoff over North Korea's effort to develop a nuclear missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. The White House and South Korea said that, despite agreeing to the meeting, they will maintain strict sanctions on North Korea. The place for the meeting has not yet been determined, they said. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization...not just a freeze," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump made the decision to hold talks with North Korea himself, adding that the talks will take "some weeks" to arrange. "That is a decision the president took himself. I spoke to him very early this morning about that decision and we had a very good conversation," Tillerson told a news conference during a visit to the African nation of Djibouti on March 9. Reacting to the news, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that a meeting between Trump and Kim "is a step in the right direction." "It should not just be a meeting. It should open up a way to resuming a full-fledged diplomatic process to find a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue on the basis of principles agreed during the six-party talks and the UN Security Council," Lavrov said during a trip to Ethiopia on March 9. Seoul has previously publicized an offer from North Korea for talks with the United States on denuclearization and normalizing ties. North and South Korea also agreed to hold a leadership summit in late April. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters KYIV -- Ukrainian authorities have arrested a key negotiator in prisoner exchanges with Russia-backed separatists and accused him of plotting to kill President Petro Poroshenko and other top officials. A Kyiv judge laid out the accusations against Volodymyr Ruban at a hearing on March 9, less than 24 hours after he was detained while crossing into government-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine -- allegedly with large amounts of weapons and ammunition hidden in a shipment of furniture. The judge said that investigators claimed Ruban planned to use mortars, grenade launchers, guns, and explosives to carry out "armed attacks on the residences of statesmen and political leaders," including Poroshenko, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and National Security and Defense Council chief Oleksandr Turchynov "with the intention of killing them." Ruban told the court he was innocent and suggested he had been set up, saying he was "not aware" that there were weapons hidden in the furniture. The judge ordered him held in pretrial custody for two months on suspicion of plotting terrorist acts and smuggling weapons. Nadia Savchenko, a military aviator who was jailed in Russia for 22 months after being detained by separatists in the conflict zone in the east and is now a lawmaker, came to the courthouse to support Ruban. After the hearing, Poroshenko tweeted that the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) chief Vasyl Hrytsak would oversee the investigation. Hrytsak later told reporters that Ruban was suspected of plotting a series of terrorist attacks in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine in coordination with the leader of Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, and the separatists' tax chief, Aleksandr Timofeyev. "We have managed to prevent wide-scale terrorist acts in Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, as well as certain politicians, officials and lawmakers, could become victims of those acts," Hrytsak said, adding that "there is no doubt that the plot was ordered by curators from Moscow." Heorhiy Tuka, Ukraine's deputy minister for temporarily occupied territories, alleged on Facebook earlier that Ruban had tried to smuggle a large amount of weapons and ammunition from the area held by Russia-backed separatists. According to Tuka, Ruban pretended to be an ordinary citizen trying to move from the separatist-held area into government-controlled territory. Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko said that Ruban was apprehended "not by chance," hinting that the SBU had been following his activities for some time. Ruban's Center For The Release Of POWs has been involved in prisoner exchanges between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists since 2014, when the conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted. In the past, Ruban was involved in the activities of Ukrainian Choice, an organization that many in Ukraine consider pro-Kremlin. The group is headed by Viktor Medvedchuk, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and has played a major behind-the-scenes role in exchanges of captives. In February 2017, Ukraine's Border Service and the SBU accused Ruban of violating regulations for entering areas under the control of the Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The war in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,300 people and displaced hundreds of thousands since April 2014, when it began after Russia fomented unrest following the ouster of Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych was driven from power by massive pro-European protests that erupted after he scrapped plans to sign a landmark deal with the European Union and tighten ties with Russia instead. Small groups of Islamist militants have begun to evacuate the besieged Syrian rebel enclave of eastern Ghouta after negotiations with the United Nations. Syrian state TV late on March 9 showed a video of about a dozen fighters and their families arriving at the Al-Wafideen crossing point into government territory and then boarding a bus. The Jaish al-Islam, the largest of several militant groups in eastern Ghouta, issued a statement saying that fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a smaller militant group, were being evacuated to the northern province of Idlib. HTS is composed mainly of members from the Al-Qaeda affiliate formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front. Jaish al-Islam said the decision to evacuate fighters had been made in consultation with the UN, several unidentified international parties, and civil leaders from eastern Ghouta. Jaish al-Islam has been fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces in the nearly seven-year civil war in Syria. If insurgents do, in fact, leave the enclave, it could bring an end to days of bloody violence in the region. Over the past two weeks, the Syrian Army, backed by artillery fire and air strikes, has retaken about half the territory formerly held by rebels in the assault on eastern Ghouta. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres have estimated that 940-1,000 civilians have been killed in the assault. Earlier on March 9, a United Nations official in Syria said an emergency aid convoy was shelled in the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta "despite assurances of safety from parties including the Russian Federation." UN resident coordinator Ali al-Za'tari said on March 9 that "shelling in proximity of Douma, eastern Ghouta, today is putting the...convoy at risk." The comments came after a 13-truck Red Cross and Red Crescent convoy delivering aid to the besieged enclave was put into danger from the shelling shortly after crossing front lines amid a sustained offensive by Syrian government troops. No injuries were reported, and officials later said the convoy had safely left the region after unloading aid supplies for some 12,000 people in Douma. Syria and its main backer, Russia, claim the offensive is designed to stop the rebels from shelling nearby Damascus and to drive Islamist insurgents out of eastern Ghouta. The offensive has been severely criticized by the UN, the United States, and others. UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has said the assault was "legally, and morally, unsustainable." Russia has given Assad's government crucial support throughout the Syrian conflict, which began with a government crackdown on peaceful protests in 2011. The UN says 400,000 people live in rebel-held areas of eastern Ghouta. The Syrians and Russia's military claimed to have opened safe routes to allow civilians to leave, but few if any were thought to have left before the reported departures on March 9. Moscow helped turn the tide of the conflict in Assad's favor by launching a campaign of air strikes in 2015 and by stepping up its military presence on the ground. But it has suffered losses, and on March 7, Jaish al-Islam claimed its fighters shot down a military plane that crashed and killed dozens of Russian military personnel earlier in the week. Meanwhile, in a separate offensive in Syrias northwest, Turkey said its troops and allied opposition fighters have surrounded the key city of Afrin in a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave and are on the verge of entering it. Turkey on January 19 began an air-and-land military campaign in the Kurdish-controlled Afrin enclave, vowing to clear it of the U.S-backed Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers to be a terrorist group. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Once known as a ruthless inquisitor, Farrukh Tokhtimametov insists there was no mistreatment of detainees in the notorious jails of Uzbekistan's powerful National Security Service (SNB), arguably the most feared institution in the country. But just minutes later Tokhtimametov, a former senior SNB interrogator, contradicts himself, recalling a brief stint in prison of his own by the very same organization where he worked for 14 years. "They kept me completely naked in a very small, overcrowded cell along with 12 other men," Tokhtimametov tells RFE/RL's Uzbek Service in an exclusive interview from a hospital room in Istanbul where he is receiving medical treatment. Tokhtimametov claims he was beaten, denied medical assistance, and humiliated while jailed in Uzbekistan on "trumped-up charges" -- the all too familiar detainee refrain that has been documented by human rights advocates in Uzbekistan for many years. The difference, however, is that the alleged victim is the man who once oversaw SNB interrogations and probes -- a man who multiple former prisoners accuse of having them imprisoned on fabricated charges. Tokhtimametov, 42, served almost half of his time in the notorious SNB as part of its investigation unit, where he rose through the ranks to a top position. Tokhtimametov was at the pinnacle of his career as the acting head of the investigations unit and held the rank of lieutenant colonel when he was arrested during a business trip to the southern Surkhondaryo Province in May 2014. "I was taken by two local SNB officers at the Surkhondaryo airport the moment I got off the plane," Tokhtimametov recalls. "They took away my documents, put a sack over my head, and drove me away without explaining why." Tokhtimametov describes how he was taken to a military jail and "shoved" into a cell he likens to "a place only dogs would sleep." Then one of the most senior interrogators at SNB headquarters in Tashkent found himself in the unlikely position of being interrogated by provincial officials. "They wouldn't even ask a question; they would just demand that I talk. About what?' I asked. 'About everything,' they would say.'" He was later charged with abuse of office and illegally acquiring state property. 'They Stripped Me Naked' By his own account, Tokhtimametov spent 45 days in the Surkhondaryo jail. He says no visitors were allowed to see him and he was prevented from all contact with the outside world. "I was forced to stay completely naked there the entire time," he says. "Other inmates had their clothes on." Tokhtimametov's hands shake and his voice breaks as he recalls the details of his alleged mistreatment, an account he says his "former cellmates and the prison guards would confirm." "I would try to cover my private parts with a chessboard we had in the cell, but the guards would demand that I remove the board. They wanted to put huge psychological pressure on me, to humiliate me," he adds. Tokhtimametov's detention came just a year after he underwent surgery on his thyroid gland, leaving him dependent on a daily hormone dosage. He claims he was denied medical help when he was "feeling very ill and asked for a doctor and the medication." He describes being hit with batons, verbally insulted, and left nude and handcuffed on the floor of the interrogation room. The former interrogator was asked whether the mistreatment he experienced led him to realize what horrible abuses other inmates -- many of which he had personally sent to SNB jails in Tashkent -- had been through. "Yes, I thought about it," Tokhtimametov says. "I experienced it in my own skin." But he still denies widespread allegations by many victims of such abuse -- including human rights activists -- that torture was commonplace in SNB jails. "There was no torture within the SNB -- none of the people I interrogated was tortured," he says. "Maybe it existed in other departments in the provinces...but not in Tashkent." But Steve Swerdlow, a Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW), says Tokhtimametov's claim there was no torture in Tashkent is untrue. "Any suggestion that SNB officials did not torture or ill-treat detainees in its custody during Tokhtimametov's tenure is patently false given the solid and well-documented systematic practice of torture across -- at least -- dozens of cases over the course of several years," Swerdlow tells RFE/RL. Swerdlow says one notable case was a former security guard at the British Embassy in Tashkent, Kayum Ortikov, who spent nine months in SNB custody in the Uzbek capital in 2009. Ortikov and his family said the SNB officials burned his genitals with flaming newspapers, pushed needles under his fingernails, and threatened to have allegedly HIV-positive prisoners rape him if he did not confess to being a spy, Swerdlow says. Ortikov's case is one of dozens that HRW has documented in Uzbekistan. Targeting Businessmen Tokhtimametov also denies the charges against him -- abuse of his official position and stealing state property. However, several suspects interrogated directly by Tokhtimametov claim otherwise. Businessman Azamjon Yulchiev was questioned by Tokhtimametov in a tax-fraud case in 2008. Yulchiev accuses Tokhtimametov of illegally seizing $10 million worth of goods the businessman imported to Uzbekistan in dozens of containers. Yulchiev was charged with failing to pay custom duties. According to Yulchiev, the interrogator wrote in his case that only $2 million in property was confiscated from the businessman. Yulchiev tells RFE/RL that he believes Tokhtimametov and his team took the rest of the goods, which the businessman said he never saw again. In video footage sent to RFE/RL, Yulchiev says he was threatened by Tokhtimametov to sign a confession or "rot behind prison bars." Tokhtimametov says he remembers Yulchiev's case but claims he "didn't have access" to the property confiscated from the businessman. Similar stories were told to RFE/RL's Uzbek Service by several other people who say they were interrogated by Tokhtimametov. Tokhtimametov says he doesn't know what will happen to him next. He was tried in a Surkhondaryo court in June 2014, found guilty, and ordered to pay a fine. He was set free in the courtroom. Several months later, Tokhtimametov left for Turkey along with his wife and five children. The family is living in a two-room dormitory near the hospital where Tokhtimametov is getting treatment for thyroid cancer. Tokhtimametov might face a retrial in Tashkent as the country's new president, Shavkat Mirziyoev, has begun a purge of the SNB and vowed to reform it. In February, Mirziyoev removed vastly influential SNB chief Rustam Inoyatov, who led the powerful and secretive institution for more than two decades. Mirziyoev said the SNB's "time was up," adding that the organization had been "exceeding its authority," unfairly targeting ordinary people, businessmen, and government officials alike. In a recent speech in Bukhara Province, the president said he received evidence of how SNB officials had unjustly targeted and tortured local businessmen. In his modest hospital room, Tokhtimametov tells RFE/RL he "fully" supports Mirziyoev's stance toward the SNB, quietly adding that he is ready to go home to face a new trial. Written by Farangis Najibullah based on an interview conducted by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service correspondent Sirojiddin Tolibov DUSHANBE -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, making a landmark visit to Tajikistan, has vowed to swiftly build stronger relations after years of tension between the Central Asian neighbors. Speaking alongside Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe on March 9, Mirziyoev told reporters that "Tashkent will be steadily developing ties with Dushanbe in all directions." In a sign of change, one of the 27 agreements signed after the meeting was a deal enabling citizens of each country to visit the other for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa. "Tajik-Uzbek relations will be reaching the level of strategic partnership in the nearest future," Mirziyoev said, adding after he and Rahmon emerged from behind closed doors that the talks were "very productive." "Actually, there are no problems left that could hinder the development of our bilateral relations," Mirziyoev said. Rahmon called Mirziyoevs two-day visit "fateful and important" and said that Tajikistan will be "supporting Uzbekistan's efforts to boost regional cooperation." Photographs showed the two presidents holding hands as they walked across the airport tarmac after Rahmon greeted Mirziyoev upon arrival for the March 9-10 visit. Mirziyoev, who came to power following the death of his predecessor, Islam Karimov, in 2016, has said forging better relations with Uzbekistan's Central Asian neighbors is a priority for his government. During the autocratic Karimov's 27-year rule in Central Asia's most populous nation, its relations with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan were strained by disputes over transit routes, border security, water resources, and other issues. Uzbekistan's ties with Dushanbe were the most difficult, marred by Tashkent's role in the devastating 1992-97 civil war in Tajikistan and the use of Tajik territory by Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) militants in the late 1990s. Uzbekistan planted land mines along its borders with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Dushanbe has complained many times about Uzbekistan unilaterally demarcating the border and constructing watchtowers and border posts without informing Tajik authorities. Tajik lawmaker Olimjon Salimzoda told RFE/RL that the agreement on mutual visa-free travel took effect immediately after it was signed. Tashkent introduced visas for Tajik citizens intending to visit Uzbekistan in 2001, creating major complications for ethnic Tajiks living on the Uzbek side and ethnic Uzbeks on the Tajik side, many of whom have relatives or other connections in the other country. The agreements signed on March 9 also included a deal on the delimitation of parts of the Tajik-Uzbek border. Ahead of Mirziyoev's visit, officials from both countries said he and Rahmon would discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including politics, trade, economic, financial, tourism, and transportation. On March 8, nine crossing points on the Tajik-Uzbek border -- eight on roads and one on a railway line -- resumed operations after being closed for years. Cancun shows off best assets at Berlins International Tourism Exchange Cancun, Q.R. State tourism officials are showing off the regions best assets at the International Tourism Exchange (Internationale Tourismus Borse) in Berlin to attract more investment and encourage greater tourist flow. Germany is one of the top three most important tourism markets in Europe, along with the United Kingdom and Spain. Last year, the Cancun International Airport recorded 162,673 German passengers who landed to spend the vacation in the region. State Secretary of Tourism Marisol Vanegas Perez says that the range of Mexican Caribbean products being promoted include Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Holbox, the Mayan Riviera and Grand Costa Maya. He said that German tourists to the area average 17 nights and choose Mexico City, Riviera Maya and Cancun as their main destinations. Vanegas Perez says that the cities of Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin and Dusseldorf are the main departure cities for German travelers to Cancun. We are talking with wholesalers, tour operators and the sector as a whole about the news and expectations of growth. We have 100,000 hotel rooms operating, and in the process of construction in the short-term, there are more than 30,000 rooms being built in addition to new investments, he said. The International Tourism Exchange is an annual event held in March at the Messegelande in Berlin. It covers a variety of market segments including Business Travel, Travel Technology, ITB Supply, ITB Book World, cultural tourism, cruises, Young Travel Center, Experience and Adventure and Ecotourism. The objective is to continue making synergies, to be in contact with professionals of the sector, to know the main demands and the tendency of the market to meet needs as best as possible to keep Cancun in the first place of preference, explained Jane Garcia, head of the Directorate of Tourism Benito Juarez. The intention is to continue fostering relationships and meet more people interested in the destination. All this will lead to benefits for the entire population because it represents more jobs and greater economic benefits, she added. Mexican authorities investigate Canadians allegations of taxi abuse, no help Playa del Carmen, Q.R. The delegation of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (Sintra) in Playa del Carmen has begun an investigation into the allegations by a Canadian man who says he was attacked by a taxi driver and accomplice. The alleged attack on Jason Enwere has been posted across social media by his mother, Dorothy Ijeoma Eze. Jesus Duarte Yam, delegate of the state says he has made a request to the ministerial authorities for information, including the filing of an official complaint on the Canadians allegations. Jesus Duarte Yam said Sintra will be working to find out which unit could have possibly been involved in or used for the crime. We do not have the complaint. In fact we have already requested the information to see who the taxi drivers were that night. We are at the beginning of the investigation to resolve this. It is up to the Office of the Prosecutor to determine this since it is not the responsibility of Sintra, but we will help the authorities by providing the information we can, said Duarte Yam. Enwere said he was attacked by a taxi driver and another man inside the cab during the early morning hours of February 19 when he was trying to return to his room at Bahia Principe Sian Kaan hotel. Jesus Pastor Martin Medina, general secretary of the Lazaro Cardenas del Rio syndicate in Playa del Carmen explained that it is rare for a tourist to be charged a fee of 200 peso since the minimum rate from Playa del Carmen to that hotel is 500 peso, so it could be a unit of some municipality in the south of the state. It could be that he caught a taxi in Playa del Carmen that was from the south. I do not say it is specifically from Tulum, but from somewhere else, because many who return south after a fare to the area take advantage by charging those prices. We are against any violence like this happening, he said. There is no confirmation that an official complaint was filed by Enwere regarding what he alleged occurred. The family has since returned to Canada where his mother has posted the experience across social media, and her son has even given an interview to City TV. According to a report by media outlet Sipse, Enwere told Canadian journalists, The authorities did nothing to help. Back in the hotel the management did not do anything either and the consulate said that this was out of their control. The social media post has attracted more than 70,000 reactions and 26,000 comments with the hashtag #MexicoNeverAgain. The interview by City TV posted on Enweres Instagram account has been cut to the opening 60 seconds. Plymouth, IN - A former pastor pled guilty to drug and sex-related charges in Indiana on Wednesday after paying a woman $10 and giving her drugs in return for sexual favors. James Irwin, 68, ex-pastor of Maple Grove United Methodist Church, gave the woman the money and two pills of a schedule II drug in return for a sex act that he would claim the next time his wife left town. Prosecutors also claimed Irwin gave another woman $50 to purchase drugs for him and offered her $10 for sexual favors. Irwin pled guilty to a felony charge of dealing in a controlled substance and a misdemeanour charge of patronizing a prostitute after taking a plea deal that resulted in his six other charges being dropped. He was sentenced to two years on the felony count and one on the misdemeanour concurrently, which means he will serve a total of two years in a community corrections program with an ankle monitor, reported the South Bend Tribute. Irwin was arrested last August after three female informants reported his crimes to law enforcement, who then set up an undercover police officer posing as a drug dealer to catch him out. Irwin left Maple Grove United Methodist in South Bend in 2013. At the time of his arrest, he was working as the director of Care and Share Ministries, a non-profit organisation in Plymouth that helps provide emergency shelter for people in crisis. It was there that he met one of the women, a recovering opiate addict. One of Irwins neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous, told ABC-57 that news of his crimes have deeply shocked the usually peaceful community. This is a beautiful area. Wonderful neighbors, and I feel that to have him in the area bringing that into this community is not a good thing and I feel very uncomfortable with that, he said. He added: People should not use that type of position to garner trust from the community and then turn and do something like that person has done. Thats very unsettling. US exempts Mexico from steel tariffs in exchange for fair NAFTA, Mexico says it wont be pressured Mexico City, Mexico US president Trump imposed his steel and aluminum tariffas, temporarily exempting Canada and Mexico. The news comes after the tariffs were put into effect Thursday with the president saying that both countries will remain exempt only if a fair NAFTA deal is reached. If we do not reach an agreement, if we fail to renegotiate NAFTA, a fair treaty, then we will terminate the treaty () If we do renegotiate it, we will impose these tariffs on Canada and Mexico, he said during his message at the White House. Import tariffs are 25 percent for steel and 10 percent for aluminum. The measures will take effect within 15 to 30 days. The Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, mentioned that the Mexican government would not allow the tariffs to press the renegotiation of the commercial pact. We will not let that have any correlation and under no circumstances will be subjected to any kind of pressure, he said. The US president explained that the tariff measures are carried out due to the alleged unfair trade competition, which affects the US steel and aluminum industries. Today I am defending American national security by placing tariffs on foreign imports of steel and aluminum () The steel and aluminum industries are of fundamental importance for national security, if you do not have steel, you have no country, he said. Trump detailed during his message that companies wishing to manufacture in US territory will not pay this fee. Here we are not going to price products manufactured in the American Union. If other countries want to bring (their companies), fees will not be imposed here, he said. Hours before the announcement, opponents of tariffs pleaded to soften the effect. White House officials said they were still working on the details of the presidents plan. That team has tried to see how they could establish certain national security clauses to lessen the economic effects of those measures. The process of announcing the increases was the subject of intense debate and chaotic discussions within the White House, pitting hardline officials against free trade advocates, such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn, who favor greater flexibility for United States business partners. The fight over tariffs comes amid intense turmoil in the White House where there have been a series of resignations and negative stories that have left the president more isolated in the Oval Office, according to two senior officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about internal discussions. The US president said hours before the announcement that he was waiting for the time to meet with his guests. We have to protect and build our steel and aluminum industries, while at the same time, show great flexibility and cooperation towards those who are true friends and treat us fairly in both commercial and military matters, he posted on his Twitter account. [BANGKOK] An emerging viral disease observed in both wild and farmed tilapia could impact global food security and nutrition if biosafety measures are not introduced, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other organisations have warned. The warning appeared in a special alert issued by FAO (May 26). Tilapia lake virus (TiLV) was first detected in Israel in 2009, but was only confirmed as a new disease in 2014. Cases have since been reported in other parts of the world. All countries culturing tilapia and especially those translocating live tilapia should be vigilant about the disease and take appropriate risk management measures to reduce the likelihood of imported stocks being infected with TiLV, Melba Reantaso, aquaculture officer at the FAO, tells SciDev.Net. All countries culturing tilapia and especially those translocating live tilapia should be vigilant about the disease. Melba Reantaso, UN Food and Agriculture Organization Tilapia is a common name for hundreds of species of the tilapiine cichlid fish, and its name comes from the cichlid genus Tilapia. It is the most popular farmed fish in the world, after carp and salmon. According to research, TiLV has been reported in five countries so far: Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel and Thailand. Outbreaks in Thailand have wiped out 90 per cent of tilapia stocks. TiLV is part of the Orthomyxoviridae family of viruses, which is related to the anaemia virus that has heavily damaged the salmon farming industry. It is not known to infect humans. Fish infected with TiLV often display sluggishness, lesions of the skin, eye abnormalities and lens opacity. However, there are still knowledge gaps, such as whether passive carriers of the infection can transmit the virus and whether infections through frozen tilapia products are possible. Vishnumurthy Mohan Chadag, a senior scientist at WorldFish, an international non-profit research organisation, tells SciDev.Net that countries vulnerable to the TiLV virus need to put in place monitoring and surveillance strategies. Building awareness about TiLV in all sectors of the value chain is also important, says Chadag, with special attention given to small-scale farmers with limited access to knowledge and information. At the international level, mobilisation is already underway between various stakeholders to assist affected countries and get them to adopt biosecurity measures that include requirements to report unusual fish mortality and restrictions on the movement of live fish. Efforts are also underway to develop a vaccine. China, India and Indonesia are actively monitoring for TiLV. In Israel, an epidemiological survey is expected to determine factors influencing low survival rates and mortalities. According to FAO, tilapia is among the top aquaculture species, in terms of volume, that provide food, jobs and earnings from domestic trade and export for millions of people, including many smallholders. China, Indonesia and Egypt are the three leading aquaculture producers of tilapia, a fish deemed to have great potential for expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, world tilapia production, from both aquaculture and capture, amounted to 6.4 million tonnes valued at US$9.8 billion. This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk. Savoy, IL - A man was arrested for killing his girlfriend's kitten. Now animal welfare experts are weighing in. Investigators say 24-year old Nathan Sitter strangled the kitten and left it for dead. It happened Friday afternoon. The owner took the kitten to the UI Vet Med Clinic to be treated for multiple injuries, but It later died. Animal welfare experts point out this is the second high-profile case of animal cruelty in Champaign County this year. Not a large number by far, but they say, as long as people talk about these incidents when they happen, they're less likely to happen in the future. Some cats at the Champaign County Humane Society have been abused in the past, but they're still alive; unlike the one Sitter is accused of choking. Deputies say the UI Veterinary Medicine Clinic couldn't revive it. It's a situation people, like Clay Foley, strive to prevent. "I'm licensed to be able to go and investigate, knock on people's door, interview them, check on them, make sure everyone's doing okay." He's an investigator for the Humane Society. "I'm like a social worker for animals, if you will." He didn't look into Sitter's case, but says the tragedy could have come with a silver lining. "The good news is, cases of severe animal cruelty or torture are rare in East Central Illinois and that's one of the reasons why so many people take notice when they hear such a case." People took notice in June, when Kinny Redmond was arrested; accused of using an oven to kill her ex-boyfriend's three-month old puppy. She was acquitted of the charge in September. Foley says the case started a conversation which more people need to pay attention to. "Animal abuse is something we all need to talk about, whether or not we have pets or not, whether or not we care for animals or not. Because it's important in our society to discuss such things, and we can discuss how to prevent it. Same thing as child abuse or elder abuse." He says animal cruelty cases sometimes require a 911 call. Something he's thankful doesn't happen often. "Investigators with the Humane Society, animal control agencies, police and sheriff's departments as well, are very adept at investigating animal cruelty. So animals in East Central Illinois are very lucky for that." There's no word yet what charges Sitter could face for the kitten's death, but deputies say he admitted doing it. A trauma to the spinal cord, quickly leads to a progressive loss of nerve tissue. This not only affects the injured area, but over time affects also other parts of the spinal cord and even the brain. These neurodegenerative changes can be explored in detail using magnetic resonance imaging. An international team of researchers headed up by Patrick Freund from the Spinal Cord Injury Center of the University of Zurich and the Balgrist University Hospital has now for the first time investigated the extent and progression of microstructural changes over the first two years after a spinal cord injury. The smaller the initial nerve loss, the better the long-term recovery In their study, the scientists examined 15 patients who had suffered acute traumatic injuries to the spinal cord as well as 18 healthy study participants after 2, 6, 12, and 24 months. In the brain as well as spinal cord, they determined the anatomical extent of neurodegeneration, the loss of myelin (the insulating layer surrounding nerve cells), as well as the accumulation of iron in the nerve tissue as a result of degeneration and inflammation. It then emerged that there was a direct link between the recovery levels of patients after two years and the extent of neurodegenerative change within the first six months after injury. "The smaller the overall loss of nerve tissue across the neuroaxis at the beginning, the better the patients' long-term clinical recovery," summarizes Patrick Freund. Predicting long-term recovery by measuring early changes What the researchers found surprising was the fact that the recovery was steepest within the first six months but neurodegenerative changes greatest within the same time period with no signs of deceleration over two years in the spinal cord and brain. This indicates a fierce competition between compensatory and neurodegenerative changes early after injury. The battle seems to be lost in favor of neurodegeneration over time. Nevertheless, the magnitude of early microstructural changes is predictive of the long term recovery of patients suffering from a spinal cord injury. Crucially, non-invasive, high-resolution neuroimaging provides a mean to predict recovery trajectories and distinguish between neurodegeneration caused by the spinal cord injury itself and beneficial changes resulting from therapy. "We have now a tool to reliably predict recovery and determine the effects of treatments and rehabilitation measures as opposed to spontaneous neurodegeneration in humans" adds neuroimaging specialist Freund. "Clinical studies can thus be carried out more efficiently and cost-effectively in the future." Clinical studies into the influence of arm and leg exercises planned The patients who took part in the study will be examined again after five years using the same method. The scientists want to determine whether the neurodegenerative changes will have ceased by then or whether they will still be ongoing. Patrick Freund and his team are also planning training studies that aim to show whether the high-intensity exercising of arm and leg functions helps to slow down or stop the loss of nerve tissue. Massachusetts boasts one of the most iconic fisheries in the U.S., but new research suggests that protecting marine coastlines has surpassed commercial fishing as an economic driver. The study is the first to calculate the economic value of coastal preservation in Massachusetts. The research finds these efforts contributed $179 million to the state's economy in 2014, more than finfish landings ($105 million) and whale-watching ($111 million). "Marine conservation has become a major economic force in Massachusetts," says lead author Joe Roman, a University of Vermont (UVM) biologist. "For the first time, this study gives us the tools to properly capture the magnitude of this value. After years of diminishing catches of wild fish -- including cod, haddock and flounder -- finfish landings have also been surpassed by commercial shellfish operations ($420 million) and recreational fishing ($688.5 million). The study, by a team of economists and marine experts from UVM, Boston University and Franklin Pierce University, was published today in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. New Tool for Measuring Citizens' Value of Nature To calculate marine stewardship's $179-million value, researchers pioneered a new method to account for the millions in donations and volunteer time flowing to marine conservation nonprofit organizations. advertisement Of Massachusetts philanthropy in 2014, researchers determined that coastal stewardship groups received more than $122 million in monetary donations, and $57 million worth of volunteer time. The findings are conservative. The team found that environmental groups with a partial marine mission had a greater value -- $282 million in 2014 -- but chose to focus on organizations primarily addressing coastal ecosystems. They also excluded university programs, direct spending by government agencies (other than select programs or grants), and money from companies for conservation. Coastal conservation groups support a range of activities, including responses to marine mammal strandings, cleanup of beaches and waterways, marsh and dune restoration, and education and public-awareness campaigns. "These organizations provide jobs, and the money they raise is often spent on local goods and services," says co-author Brendan Fisher of UVM's Gund Institute for Environment and Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. "And the results of conservation efforts can benefit many people." Implications for Government The importance of coastlines -- in Massachusetts and elsewhere -- are no secret. Nice beaches and harbors attract tourists. Flourishing sea life contributes to cleaner water and more food options. Plenty of people care about the welfare of marine mammals and the quality of the world's oceans. advertisement But quantifying how humans value the environment can be challenging. Business sectors can often dominate policy and regulation discussions, as a result, Roman says. By highlighting the economic might of marine conservation, Roman hopes to show that environmental groups deserve a place at the table when discussing Massachusetts' ocean economy. "Having better data will help policy makers understand the trade-offs and make better decisions." While some researchers have conducted surveys to determine how much someone is "willing to pay" to save a humpback whale, those numbers don't require real dollars and sometimes overstate the actual expenditures for such efforts, Roman notes. An 'Aha Moment' in Cape Cod The idea for the study struck Roman on a class trip to Cape Cod to explore the trade-offs of a proposed offshore wind farm. The group met with commercial fishermen, wind developers, conservationists and an oyster farmer. One morning, his UVM class discovered five dolphins stranded on a beach in Wellfleet, Mass. They watched as the marine stranding experts cared for the mammals' health and released them back into the ocean. "People had tears in their eyes when they were releasing the dolphins," says Roman, who noticed the workers and volunteers who responded to the stranding. He started counting up the investments in time, equipment and money. "We're ignoring this whole part of the economy," he thought. Roman says the valuation could easily apply to other parts of the U.S. coastline -- along the Gulf or Pacific Ocean, for example -- with adjustments made for the conservation work that's most relevant in each location. Efforts to save sea turtles, for example, are significant in North Carolina. "As we're making decisions about the future of our oceans," Roman says, "let's make sure stewardship has a role." The protein FUS, whose mutation or disruption causes many cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), works as a central component of one of the most important regulatory systems in cells, according to a new study in Molecular Cell from scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Precisely what FUS does in cells and why its dysfunction causes the deaths of neurons in ALS and FTD has long been a mystery. The scientists found evidence, though, that FUS is a key part of a system called the microRNA-mediated gene silencing system, which fine-tunes cellular activity by blocking the translation of certain genes into proteins. "Thousands of microRNAs work in cells as part of this system, so our findings suggest that the disruption of FUS could lead to widespread failures of normal gene-expression regulation, which in turn could contribute to the development of these neurodegenerative diseases," says study senior author Jiou Wang, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. "Knowing how these diseases arise should of course be helpful in devising strategies to treat them." ALS, which affects about 30,000 Americans at any one time, features the degeneration of muscle-controlling neurons in the brain and the spinal cord, ultimately leading to respiratory failure. Most patients die within a few years of the first appearance of symptoms. FTD is the second most common dementia after Alzheimer's disease in people younger than 65, and primarily involves the degeneration of frontal and temporal lobe neurons, with associated disruptions to cognitive and executive functions. It progresses to profound dementia and immobility and usually is fatal within a decade of diagnosis. Researchers first linked inherited FUS mutations to subsets of ALS and FTD cases in 2009. Since then, studies have found that even when it is not mutated, the protein often exists in abnormal clumps outside the cell nucleus where it normally works. That suggests its disruption is a common event in the disease process. Knowing what FUS normally does in cells should provide clues to how ALS and FTD originate. FUS is an RNA- and DNA-binding protein and works mainly in the cell nucleus. It has been shown to be involved in repairing DNA damage. It also has been linked to the regulation of gene expression -- disrupting FUS causes changes in the levels of some microRNAs, small RNA molecules that help regulate whether genes get translated into proteins. But the protein's full set of functions and how they relate to ALS and FTD have never been clear. advertisement Wang and his colleagues began their study with the discovery that FUS binds to a protein called Argonaute2, a member of the Argonaute family of proteins. Argonautes are a key part of the microRNA gene silencing system in cells. The microRNAs guide Argonautes to specific targets, the RNA transcripts of genes -- called messenger-RNAs -- which ordinarily would be translated into proteins. The Argonautes destroy these messenger-RNA targets, typically by cutting them in two. The system is an important regulator of the activities of cells, meant to keep them healthy and working amid fast-changing conditions and stresses. The finding that FUS associates with a key Argonaute protein suggested to Wang and his team that it too may be an important and central part of this system. In further experiments, the scientists showed that removing FUS from cells, or replacing it with a mutant, ALS-linked version, dramatically reduces the silencing activity of several microRNAs whose targets are suspected of contributing to ALS. The impact on microRNAs was likely much broader than that, though, for the researchers observed changes in the levels of hundreds of gene transcripts. Many of the more-altered ones are known to be involved in important brain processes, hinting that there could be a strong impact on brain cells. The team showed that an evolutionarily distant version of FUS exists in the roundworm C. elegans, a much-studied lab animal, where it is required for maximizing the efficiency of microRNA-mediated gene silencing. They concluded from their experiments that FUS has this role in mammals too, and accomplishes it as a helper protein that interacts with Argonaute2, microRNAs, and the microRNAs' messenger-RNA targets. "It is thought to be a challenge for Argonaute proteins and microRNAs to find messenger-RNA targets efficiently," Wang says. "Our study suggests that FUS is part of a class of RNA-binding proteins that facilitate this guiding and targeting." That in turn suggests -- and indeed the study's results directly show -- that a disruption of FUS such as an ALS-linked mutation will impair the microRNA-based regulation of a large number of genes. Although the precise reasons for the deaths of neurons in ALS and FTD aren't yet clear, the affected cells might be those that are especially vulnerable to this particular type of large-scale gene dysregulation. Wang and colleagues are now doing further studies to determine whether there are other RNA-binding proteins that have this same microRNA-helper function. If so, they may be relevant to ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. "We are interested in using these studies to develop new biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease as well as treatment strategies," Wang says. Women who use menopausal hormone therapy appear to have a heart structure and function that is linked to a lower risk of heart failure, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London. The effect of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), previously known as hormone replacement therapy, on cardiovascular health in post-menopausal women has been controversial and unclear. Extensive data had suggested MHT to have a protective effect on the heart, leading to MHT being routinely prescribed for prevention of heart disease, but subsequent studies to confirm this have varied in their results. To tackle this longstanding question, researchers have now used data from UK Biobank -- a database of health questionnaire data, biological samples and physical measurements from over 500,000 people. UK Biobank holds cardiovascular MRI data -- the gold standard for imaging and analysing heart structure and function -- which could help overcome the lack of detailed data on the effects of MHT on cardiovascular health. Lead author Dr Mihir Sanghvi, from the team of scientists led by Professor Steffen Petersen at Queen Mary University of London, said: "This is the first study to look at the relationship between the use of menopausal hormone therapy and subtle changes in the structure and function of the heart, which can be predictors of future heart problems. This is an important issue because there are 2.3 million women using menopausal hormone therapy in the UK today and current evidence of its effect on heart health is conflicted and controversial. "Using UK Biobank data, we've now been able to show that the use of menopausal hormone therapy is not associated with any adverse changes to the heart's structure and function, and may be associated with some healthier heart characteristics." The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE and funded by the British Heart Foundation, examined the left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) structure and function in 1,604 post-menopausal women, who were free of known cardiovascular disease, and 32 per cent of whom had used MHT for at least three years. The researchers found that MHT use was not associated with adverse changes in cardiac structure and function. Indeed, significantly smaller LV and LA chamber volumes were observed, which have been linked to favourable cardiovascular outcomes, including lower mortality and risk of heart failure, in other settings. They also looked at LV mass -- one of the most important characteristics observed in cardiovascular imaging, with increases in LV mass predicting a higher incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality. Importantly, they found no significant difference in LV mass between the two groups of women. Ashleigh Doggett, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the research, said: "The effect of menopausal hormone therapy on heart health is still unknown, with previous research showing both positive and negative effects on the heart. This study adds to our understanding by suggesting that the treatment does have a positive effect on the heart's structure, which should give reassurance to women taking the treatment. "However, women shouldn't take MHT specifically to improve their heart health, as this study doesn't consider all of the ways this therapy affects our cardiovascular health. For instance, there is some evidence to suggest that MHT may increase your risk of blood clots, meaning more research is still needed to get a complete picture. "For most menopausal women -- especially those under the age of 60 -- the benefits of taking HRT outweigh any potential risks. However, each woman's situation is different so please speak to your GP about whether HRT is appropriate for you." Bacterial spores store information about the individual growth history of their progenitor cells, thus retaining a "memory" that links the different stages of the bacterial life cycle. This phenomenon was demonstrated in a recent study by an interdisciplinary research team led by Dr Ilka Bischofs at the BioQuant Centre of Heidelberg University. The spore memory could give rise to various adaptive behaviours in microbes. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications. "To cope with fluctuations in nutrient availability, many bacteria can switch between two states," explains Dr Bischofs. "In the vegetative state, the cells grow and proliferate. Bacteria form spores to become dormant, which allows them to survive extended periods of starvation until new nutrients arrive to revive the spores." The researchers studied this adaptive bacterial life cycle using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism. Through the use of time-lapse microscopy, they were able for the first time in this context to observe and to study sporulation and spore revival at the single-cell level -- and how they correlate. They discovered that the spores responded very differently to the influx of new nutrients: The spores that formed earlier during a nutrient down-shift revived more quickly. The metabolic enzyme alanine dehydrogenase contributes to this effect, according to the researchers. Bacteria produce the enzyme when the amino acid L-alanine is available and stop synthesis once it runs out. Dr Bischofs explains that the enzyme is passed down from one generation of bacteria to the next by carry-over until spores are formed. The enzyme is then stored in the new spores, where it remains inactive until new nutrients arrive that facilitate spore revival and re-growth. "In this way, the spores obtain a stable phenotypic memory of the growth and gene expression history of their progenitor cells, which influences their future. The same basic principle could also apply to other cellular proteins." The phenotypic memory has a major impact on spore development. The researchers were able to show a tradeoff between quantity and quality: Bacteria either make many spores that can revive only in nutrient-rich environments, or fewer but better spores that also revive in scarce environments. By linking the different phases of the bacterial life cycle, the spore "memory" could drive adaptations to ecological niches and trigger the emergence of various adaptive traits in microbes. In addition to researchers at the Centre for Molecular Biology and the Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology of Heidelberg University, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg also joined in the study. Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have helped put together the most comprehensive study ever conducted into the origins of people in Vanuatu -- regarded as a geographic gateway from Asia to the Remote Pacific. The new research, published across two separate research papers, uses a combination of DNA analyses of ancient skeletons and modern samples, as well as archaeological evidence, to put together a complete timeline of migration to the island nation. The results confirm that Vanuatu's first people were of the Lapita culture and arrived 3,000 years ago from South East Asia, followed by Papuan arrivals from the island of New Britain, in the Bismarck Archipelago just to the east of New Guinea and part of the nation of Papua New Guinea. Dr Stuart Bedford of the ANU School of Culture History and Language said this was the first time researchers had been able to look at a full sequence of DNA samples from the Vanuatu islands. "We've been able to track a complete genetic timeline at regular intervals starting with the first inhabitants right through to modern times," Dr Bedford said. "The very first generation of people into Vanuatu are primarily Asian, then very quickly you see a series of migrations of Papuan people from the Bismarck Archipelago who had been living in the region for around 50,000 years. advertisement "That trend continues over the next 3,000 years right up until today as the genetic ancestry was mostly replaced by that of Papuan migrants. The people of Vanuatu today, like many peoples of the Pacific, can claim a dual heritage." Co Researcher Professor Matthew Spriggs of the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology said for the first time researchers could determine exactly where these Papuan migration groups came from. "They came from New Britain, a Papuan island just east of New Guinea," Professor Spriggs said. "This makes sense. New Britain has some of the earliest known Lapita sites. "So what we think happened is that Lapita people after arriving in New Britain moved fairly directly on to Vanuatu and encouraged some of the local populations already in place on New Britain to move there as well." Dr Bedford said the strength of the Lapita culture was evident in the continuity of the language. advertisement "The Lapita people who originally came to Vanuatu from South East Asia spoke a form of Austronesian," Dr Bedford said. "That language persisted and over 120 descendant languages continue to be spoken today, making Vanuatu the most linguistically diverse place on Earth per capita. "This is a unique case, where a population's genetic ancestry was replaced but its languages continued." The two papers were published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution and Current Biology journals respectively. The study team was made up of researchers from around the world including at the ANU, the Vanuatu National Museum, Harvard Medical School and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. NOTICE: TO BE CLEAR: WE HAVE OUTLINED UNDER OUR RECORD MAINTENANCE POLICY WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE A FAIR PROCESS FOR ALL. SIMPLY PUT: IF THE COURT SAW FIT TO EXPUNGE YOUR RECORD,SO WILL WE, FREE OF CHARGE. ARRESTS DO NOT IMPLY GUILT AND CRIMINAL CHARGES ARE MERELY ACCUSATIONS,EVERYONE IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW AND CONVICTED. FCRA DISCLAIMER: MUGSHOTS.COM DOES NOT PROVIDE CONSUMER REPORTS AND IS NOT A CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY. OUR DATABASE CANNOT BE USED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT CONSUMER CREDIT, EMPLOYMENT, INSURANCE, TENANT SCREENING, OR ANY OTHER PURPOSES THAT WOULD REQUIRE FCRA COMPLIANCE. MUGSHOTS.COM IS A NEWS ORGANIZATION. 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A dramatic decrease in camera costs in recent years has led many businesses to invest in comprehensive surveillance coverage, with more cameras generating more data. Plus, advances in technology mean that the newest (8K) cameras are generating approximately 800% more data than their predecessors (standard definition). Traditional entry-level solutions like network video recorders (NVRs) simply arent built to handle massive amounts of data in an efficient, resilient and cost-effective manner. This has left many security pioneers grappling with a data storage conundrum. Should they continue adding more NVR boxes? Or is there another, better, route? Retaining video data In short, yes. To future proof their video surveillance infrastructure, an increasing number of businesses are adopting an end-to-end surveillance architecture with well-integrated, purpose-built platforms for handling video data through its lifecycle. This presents significant advantages in terms of security, compliance and scalability, as well as unlocking new possibilities for data enrichment. All of this with a lower total cost of ownership than traditional solutions. Security teams would typically delete recorded surveillance footage after a few days or weeks Previously, security teams would typically delete recorded surveillance footage after a few days or weeks. However, thanks to increasingly stringent legal and compliance demands, many are now required to retain video data for months or even years. Theres no doubt that this can potentially benefit investigations and increase prosecutions, but it also puts significant pressure on businesses storage infrastructure. Data lifecycle management This necessitates a more intelligent approach to data lifecycle management. Rather than simply storing video data in a single location until its wiped, an end-to-end video surveillance solution can intelligently migrate data to different storage platforms and media as it ages. So, how does this work? Video is recorded and analyzed on a combination of NVR, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) and application servers. Then, its moved to resilient file storage for a pre-determined period, where it can be immediately retrieved and accessed for review. Finally, based on policies set by heads of security, data is moved from file storage to highly secure, low-cost archive storage such as an object, tape or cloud. Data is moved from file storage to highly secure, low-cost archive storage Long-Term storage This process is known as tiering. It allows businesses to use reliable, inexpensive long-term storage for most of their data, whilst still enabling security pioneers to retrieve video data when the need arises, such as during a compliance audit, or to review footage following a security breach. In a nutshell, it offers them the best of both worlds. Scaling your video surveillance infrastructure can be a headache. Businesses that rely on NVRs even high-end units with 64 or even 96 hard drives are finding themselves running out of capacity increasingly quickly. In order to scale, security pioneers then have to procure new boxes. With NVRs, this inevitably involves a degree of guesswork. Should they go for the largest possible option, and risk over provisioning? Or perhaps a smaller option, and risk running out of capacity again? Common management console Security pioneers can easily add or remove storage capacity or compute resources separately or together As businesses add new cameras or replace existing ones, many end up with inadequate surveillance infrastructure made up of multiple NVR boxes along with several application servers for running other surveillance functions such as access control, security photo databases, analytics, etc. This patchwork approach leaves security pioneers scrambling for capacity, maintaining various hardware footprints, repeating updates and checks across multiple systems, and taking up valuable time that could be better spent elsewhere. By contrast, flexible HCI surveillance platforms aggregate the storage and ecosystem applications to run on the same infrastructure and combine viewing under a common management console, avoiding swivel chair management workflows. Plus, they offer seamless scalability. Security pioneers can easily add or remove storage capacity or compute resources separately or together. Data storage solutions Over time, this ensures a lower total cost of ownership. First and foremost, it removes the risk of over provisioning and helps to control hardware sprawl. This in turn leads to hardware maintenance savings and lower power use. Many security pioneers are now looking beyond simple data storage solutions for their video surveillance footage. Meta tags can provide context around data, making it easier to find and access when needed Instead, theyre asking themselves how analyzing this data can enable their teams to work faster, more efficiently and productively. Implementing an end-to-end video surveillance architecture enables users to take advantage of AI and machine learning applications which can tag and enrich video surveillance data. These have several key benefits. Firstly, meta tags can provide context around data, making it easier to find and access when needed. Object storage platform For instance, if security teams are notified of a suspicious red truck, they can quickly find data with this tag, rather than manually searching through hours of data, which can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Plus, meta tags can be used to mark data for future analysis. This means that as algorithms are run over time, policies can be set to automatically store data in the right location. For example, if a video is determined to contain cars driving in and out of your premises, it would be moved to long-term archiving such as an object storage platform for compliance purposes. If, on the other hand, it contained 24 hours of an empty parking lot, it could be wiped. These same meta tags may be used to eventually expire the compliance data in the archive after it is no longer needed based on policy. Video surveillance architecture Continuing to rely on traditional systems like NVRs will fast become unsustainable for businesses Even if your organization isnt using machine learning or artificial intelligence-powered applications to enhance your data today, it probably will be one, three, or even five years down the line. Implementing a flexible end-to-end video surveillance solution prepares you for this possibility. With new advances in technology, the quantity of data captured by video surveillance systems will continue rising throughout the coming decade. As such, continuing to rely on traditional systems like NVRs will fast become unsustainable for businesses. Looking forward, when moving to an end-to-end video surveillance architecture, security pioneers should make sure to evaluate options from different vendors. For true futureproofing, its a good idea to opt for a flexible, modular solution, which allow different elements to be upgraded to more advanced technologies when they become available. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. Advocates for victims of domestic violence and police translation services announced a $50,000 settlement Thursday for a San Francisco woman who said she was sexually assaulted by her ex-partner, and was then arrested by officers who wouldnt provide her an interpreter. I had to stand up and demand that language access is a right for all of us, Dora Mejia, 40, said through a Spanish-speaking interpreter at a rally celebrating the resolution of her case. Liberty does not have a price. In her lawsuit against the city and its Police Department, Mejia said her ex-partner attacked her in her Mission District apartment in May 2014, and he then called police to falsely accuse her of attacking him. When officers arrived, the ex-partner had left. Mejia said the officers refused to provide her with an interpreter, told her to communicate in English the best she could, and showed no interest when she tried to describe past abuses by her former partner. The officers then provided an interpreter to the ex-partner for a phone interview, listened to his account and arrested her, leaving her three children with him, she said. Mejia spent the night in jail, but was released on bond and freed when prosecutors declined to charge her. Meanwhile, she said, her ex-partner had obtained a restraining order that separated her from her children for a month. She sued the officers and the city, seeking damages for lost wages and pain and suffering, and court orders requiring compliance with department policies. One of those policies, adopted in 2007, requires police to identify a persons primary language and provide interpretive services, either through a bilingual officer in person or by telephone. In a report on the case in September 2015, the citys Office of Citizen Complaints found that the officers had violated department policies on language services, had failed to properly investigate the case and had arrested Mejia without cause. One of the officers spoke to Mejias 5-year-old daughter, who said she had seen her mothers partner get on top of her and tried to kiss her before she pushed him away. Police ignored that evidence and, by failing to provide an interpreter, prevented Mejia from explaining her case or contradicting her ex-partner, the offices report said. The vice president of the citys Police Commission, Thomas Mazzucco, referred to the incident at a commission meeting Feb. 21, citing a situation in which they werent sure who was the victim and who was the assailant because of the language issue. Mejia recalled her own anguish Thursday, saying, I do not wish any mother the pain of being separated from her children. The settlement announcement was held at the Womens Building in the Mission District, in recognition of International Womens Day. Mejias lawyer, Saira Hussain of Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, said the case had led to some improvements in police policies. She said the department now requires officers to watch a training video on responding to domestic violence, and also requires immediate translation of statements by non-English speakers a measure that might have changed officers response to Mejia, Hussain said. But Hussain said San Francisco, despite having one of the best language-access policies in the country, needs to do much more. In particular, she said, police treat the policy on interpretive services as voluntary and often fail to make a bilingual officer available. 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. Advocacy organizations and the police have had a language-access working group for more than 10 years, the attorney said. We need them to make this a priority. Police are working on improvements, Cmdr. David Lazar told the Police Commission at the Feb. 21 meeting. In the past, he said, when an officer needed bilingual help, the dispatcher would put out a call for volunteers, but they now have a list as to whos certified to respond and will contact someone on that list. The Police Department is offering department members training on interpreter skills and testing eligible officers to help expand the ranks of the LEP (limited English proficiency) program, police spokesman David Stevenson said Thursday. In response to Mejias case, John Cote, spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said domestic violence is something the city takes very seriously and works hard every day to counter. We feel this settlement is a fair outcome given the facts in this case and the inherent cost and uncertainty of litigation. For two decades, a San Francisco high school has aimed to turn straight Fs into bright futures, offering students individualized attention, internships and other support as they overcome difficult home lives. What Life Learning Academy couldnt offer them until now was an actual home. The Treasure Island charter school, founded by the nonprofit Delancey Street Foundation, broke ground Friday on a 6,000-square-foot dormitory for up to 20 students, each of whom will receive free room and board. A handful of public schools across the country have student housing, said Teri Delane, the schools executive director. But she said this one will be the first in California and the first of its kind anywhere. The other public boarding schools dont serve the kind of students Life Learning takes in the flunked out, dropped out and kicked out, she said. These are the kids no one else can reach, Delane said. We have been creating miracles for 20 years. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle The school, which has a rolling enrollment and currently about 50 students, features small class sizes typically six to eight students and requires students to spend every Friday working internships for businesses, public agencies or nonprofit groups. The students work at similar jobs during the summers, with their salaries paid by the school. As seniors, they are required to co-enroll in classes at Skyline College in San Bruno. The school bought a van to pick up students who have transportation issues including those who could be harmed riding a public bus through certain neighborhoods due to real or perceived affiliations. They give their word to nonviolence, Delane said. We have never had a fight here in 20 years. More than 200 students have graduated from the school since 1998, which might sound low without factoring in the odds of the students enrolled. Nearly half have been abused, many have had brushes with the criminal justice system, and all failed to thrive in traditional schools. Chris Grant, 15, had a 1.17 grade point average at Lincoln High School last year mostly because he rarely went to class. I would go to school just to leave, he said. When I was at Lincoln, I was so far behind I couldnt catch up. Grant figured a diploma was already out of reach. He started attending Life Learning in the fall, where staff members mapped out a path to get him on track. They believed in him. His first semester, he earned straight As. San Francisco education officials, who have frequently voiced skepticism of charter schools, have long supported the Treasure Island program. They serve a very specific population uniquely well, and the program has been a lifeline for many of our most vulnerable students, said school board President Hydra Mendoza. We have been fans for a long time. Student Danesha Johnson, 16, said she had straight Fs at Lincoln High School. She estimated that she attended class on 20 out of 180 school days. Her GPA was 0.17. She arrived at Life Learning with no high school credit. But the staff didnt see a failure. They only saw potential. A year later, Danesha is an intern for the San Francisco public defenders office. This is the best school you could put on this planet, Danesha said. I want an education. I need an education. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle 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. Its the kind of transformation the staff has seen over and over. Each kid gets their own experience here in some ways, said Craig Miller, the chief operating officer, who like Delane has been at the school since it opened. They get a diploma, but they also get a lot of chances to work and figure out what they want to do. Still, Delane and Miller knew stable housing remained a barrier preventing some students from reaching their potential. They said they dreamed of building a dorm for students, many of whom are essentially homeless sleeping in cars or couch surfing. We have a kid sleeping on a cot in the Tenderloin in his sisters kitchen, Delane said. They penciled out the $3.5 million cost to build a dorm on the back lot behind the school where they have a long-term lease and then started asking for donations. The educators have raised $2.1 million so far, including an anonymous $1.5 million donation secured by Mayor Ed Lee a month before he died in December, Delane said. The school has taken out a loan for the remaining funds as it continues to seek benefactors. The dream, Delane and Miller said, is to eventually build a dorm that would serve at least 100 students, who could come from all over the state or country. We are going to do whatever it takes to meet the needs of these kids, Delane said. We help them find the best parts of who they are. As the Trump administration took another step away from free trade on Thursday, 11 nations bordering the Pacific Ocean made an equally loud statement in favor of free trade. In a signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile - far removed from the Oval Office where Trump imposed new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports - the Pacific nations approved a far-reaching, multilateral free-trade accord that the United States had helped forge but from which Trump withdrew the United States on his first day in office. "It's quite a juxtaposition, one of the great ironies of today," said Michael Froman, who had negotiated the Trans-Pacific Partnership as U.S. trade representative under President Barack Obama. "The rest of the world is moving ahead without us. It shows the divergence of the United States from the rest of the world at the moment." The two scenes - in Washington and Santiago - reflect a cultural and political shift. For seven decades, the United States has labored, with some exceptions, to forge a world with lower trade barriers, a way of strengthening the liberal consensus by tying allies closer together. In 1947, 23 nations signed on to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and in 1994, 123 nations signed on to the more sweeping World Trade Organization. In part because of domestic political pressure, the United States also used trade as a bargaining tool to press for transparency, worker and environmental protections, and economic reforms in countries, most notable among them China, which was eager to join the WTO in 2001. And the United States has had aid from its allies, from Australia to the European Union, in tearing down barriers. Since the WTO was launched, trade among its members has nearly quadrupled, while average applied tariffs declined by about half to 9 percent. Although absent from Thursday's signing in Chile, the United States was the catalyst for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, first under President George W. Bush and later under Obama. Even without the United States, the new agreement covers nearly 500 million people and more than 13 percent of global trade, down from the 800 million people and 40 percent of trade for which it would have accounted if the United States had joined. That is still the world's third-largest trade bloc. "The rest of the world is doing pretty well in keeping momentum going without the United States," said C. Fred Bergsten, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He said "nothing could be more dramatically opposite" than Trump's tariffs and the trade deal signed in Chile. The TPP agreement included a raft of issues the United States had raised - protection of pharmaceutical patents, the digital economy, labor rights and the environment as well as ending preferences for state-owned enterprises. Ultimately, the diverse TPP nations concluded that the agreement would make their economies stronger. Many policymakers have viewed the organization as a counterweight to China. But at the same time, the members of the group are major trading partners of China. "It's not about containing China but about creating an alternative model and grouping that could balance the natural role China plays in the region," Froman said. Even so, Obama did not have the votes in Congress, facing opposition not only from Republicans seeking to curtail his achievements but also from Democrats opposed to free trade. Like Trump, Hillary Clinton opposed the TPP. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump argued that erecting tariff barriers could be good, that a U.S. trade deficit with any single country required a remedy, and that bilateral agreements offered the United States more leverage to extract concessions from its trading partners. The TPP was an easy target. Trump called the TPP the equivalent of a "rape" of the U.S. economy. And key voting groups viewed international trade of any sort as a threat to their livelihoods. Bilateral agreements seemed more limited and fit more naturally into Trump's self-portrayed image as a dealmaker. Three weeks after Trump took office, his trade adviser, Peter Navarro, briefed Senate Finance Committee members on the new administration's key principles, one of them being an emphasis on bilateral trade deals with triggers for renegotiation when trade deficits occur. Germany, Japan and South Korea were high on the list for bilateral deals. But German officials pointed out to Trump officials that Germany was prohibited from negotiating with the United States outside of the EU framework. And Japan not only rebuffed Trump's overtures for a bilateral agreement but took over the U.S. leadership role in forging the Pacific trade accord. The Peterson Institute's Bergsten said that the Trump administration hoped to "hive off" Japan and kill the TPP with a bilateral deal but that Japan surprised people by "stiffing" the Trump administration and "filling the void left by the United States." In rejecting a bilateral deal, Japan helped undercut a key tenet of Trump's trade strategy. "You don't have more leverage in a bilateral agreement," said Christopher Smart, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former Treasury and National Economic Council adviser on trade. In a multilateral negotiation such as the TPP, he said, the United States can allow dairy imports from New Zealand in return for greater access to the Canadian dairy market. "You can use the strength of the network to get a much better set of outcomes than you would in a whole set of narrow bilateral deals," he sad. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes In Chile, officials from the 11 nations celebrated the new trade bloc, now called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The member countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Heraldo Munoz, Chile's minister of foreign affairs, told a news conference the agreement was a strong signal "against protectionist pressures, in favor of a world open to trade, without unilateral sanctions and without the threat of trade wars," according to a Reuters report. But Trump's imposition of tariffs still poses dangers to the global trading system. One reason is his use of national security to justify the tariff imposition. Instead of relying on the Defense Department to analyze that issue, Trump relied on the Commerce Department, which could cite either military or economic issues. "It's geopolitically disastrous and economically illiterate," Smart said. "We are undermining a whole bunch of rules we have tried to establish in the global trading system. We have now invoked a national security reason that nobody really believes, which means that others will invoke it for their own narrow purposes while economically we're raising the costs of a major input into our manufacturing economy." "Trade wars are easy to get in, difficult to get out of," said Carlos Gutierrez, commerce secretary under President George W. Bush and now chair of the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents multinationals. "We are dismantling the international trading system, and it's going to take years to put it back together if this keeps going." - - - The Washington Post's David J. Lynch contributed to this report. Most of the aluminum Claudia Wentworths company uses to make rooftop solar panel racks in Walnut Creek comes from the United States. It is precisely the kind of American product that President Trumps new tariffs on imported aluminum and steel are designed to protect. But while the tariffs, imposed by orders that Trump signed Thursday, may benefit domestic metal producers, they will raise costs for Wentworths company, Quick Mount PV. Aluminum prices, she said, are already rising. Im sure its a cost that will have to get passed on to customers, because within the solar industry, our margins have already been squeezed, said Wentworth, whose business employs about 85 people. The solar industry, she noted, is already grappling with a 30 percent tariff Trump slapped on imported panels in January. Its a double whammy, Wentworth said. What I need to do is run a company that can remain healthy, and this does not help at all. Trumps new tariffs, adopted over the objections of many in his own party, are intended to protect American workers. But businesses that make products out of aluminum or steel will now face climbing costs, as the tariffs push up the price of imports and domestic producers partially shielded from foreign competition raise their prices as well. The same dynamic will play out in companies as small as Quick Mount and as large as Tesla, which uses both steel and aluminum in the electric cars it builds in Fremont. Like all automakers, Tesla will be affected, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader. And we may see car prices rise as automakers and their suppliers pass along the cost increases to car buyers. Tesla declined to comment on the tariffs. CEO Elon Musk, however, took to Twitter Thursday urging Trump to look at Chinas import duties on American cars, as well as other rules Musk said unfairly hinder U.S. automakers trying to operate there. I am against import duties in general, but the current rules make things very difficult, Musk tweeted. Its like competing in an Olympic race wearing lead shoes. California depends more than many states on international trade. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, in a statement Thursday criticizing the tariffs, said almost 25 percent of the countrys steel and aluminum imports come through California ports, trade activity worth more than $4 billion. And yet, the overall effect of the tariffs may be limited assuming they dont lead to an all-out trade war. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Its a bad thing, but not a hugely bad thing, if it stops here, said Andrew Rose, a professor of international business at UC Berkeley. Much of Californias international trade, he said, involves business services and intellectual property the stuff coming out of Hollywood or Silicon Valley, and that wont be affected by this. The danger, however, is that tariffs will trigger an escalating series of disputes among the United States and its trade partners, leading to more extreme measures. Say Trump says, Screw you, were pulling out of NAFTA, Rose said. That would disrupt a lot of supply chains. And when you undo supply chains, a lot of people lose their jobs. NexTracker, a Fremont company that makes tracking mechanisms and ground mounts for large-scale solar projects, manufactures both in the United States and abroad and obtains its steel from multiple countries. Although its still unclear which countries will be subject to the tariffs, CEO Dan Shugar expects steel costs to rise across the board. He still doesnt know if NexTracker will try to pass those costs on to customers. The threat of tariffs has already brought more uncertainty to the market for large-scale solar projects. Its protectionism that increases costs for everyone, benefiting a limited number of producers, Shugar said. More than four years in the making, Californias effort to create a state-run retirement plan for private-sector workers whose employers dont offer one is suddenly on the fast track to fruition, despite concerns about participant fees and possible legal liabilities for companies. The program, originally called Secure Choice, has been renamed CalSavers. Any employer with at least five employees in California that doesnt offer a retirement plan would have to enroll them in a payroll-deduction IRA, although workers could opt out. At a milestone meeting last week, the Secure Choice investment board approved final regulations and authorized its staff to search for a company to administer the program, said Katie Selenski, executive director of CalSavers. The staff posted the regulations last Friday and plans to file them with the states Office of Administrative Law within a month. Under an expedited review process known as emergency rulemaking, the public will have just 10 business days from the filing date to comment. Assuming there is no contest or protest that warrants a pause, the regulations would be in effect after the 10-day period, Selenski said. She said a pilot program could begin this fall. A phased introduction, starting with larger employers, would begin early next year. Christin Evans, owner of Booksmith on Haight Street, is excited about the plan. We have employees just out of college or high school, and theyre not able to really think about establishing a retirement plan, she said. They are typically struggling to pay rent and meet their basic needs. This tries to address a culture of saving for low-wage and small-business workers. I have employees who are quite excited about this possibility, she said. Its also a benefit to me. They are less likely to move on to employers who have richer benefits. California will be the third state to create an auto-IRA. Oregon started one last year and Illinois will before the end of the year. Study after study shows that people are significantly more likely to save for retirement if they have a plan offered through their employer. States are looking at these programs as a way to offer high-quality, low-cost retirement plans to all those employees who dont have access today, said Peg Creonte, a senior vice president with Ascensus, the company running the Oregon and Illinois programs. Participation in Oregons nascent plan is running around 70 percent, she said. The CalSavers regulations say that any private-sector employer that had an average of five or more workers (full- or part-time) in California the previous calendar year and doesnt offer a qualified retirement plan must enroll them in CalSavers, unless the worker opts out. A qualified plan is one governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the federal law that protects workers in private-sector pension plans, including 401(k)s. Self-employed workers could opt into the program. California companies could not enroll out-of-state employees. Workers who stay in CalSavers would have 5 percent of each paycheck automatically deposited into a Roth IRA. Each year, their contribution rate would go up 1 percentage point until it hit 8 percent. Thats the default; but workers could contribute a different amount or open a regular IRA instead of a Roth. The CalSavers account would be subject to the same complex rules that govern all IRAs. Workers could not contribute more than $5,500 a year ($6,500 when they are 50 or older). If their income, including a spouses salary, exceeds certain limits, they could not contribute to a Roth IRA and could not make a tax-deductible contribution to a regular IRA, although they could make an after-tax contribution. In 401(k) plans, there are no income limits and the annual contribution limits are much higher $18,500 (or $24,500 for those 50 or over). Workers who opt out or drop out of CalSavers could get back in only once a year during an open-enrollment period in the fall. Employers could not make a matching contribution, as they can with 401(k) plans. They could have no involvement other than passing along information to employees and setting up the payroll deduction. Everything else would be handled by a company called a third-party administrator. The CalSavers staff is planning to issue a request for proposals from potential administrators. The request asks them to bid on five investment options: a target-date or risk-based fund, a global stock index fund, a global bond index fund, a socially conscious fund and a capital preservation fund. Under the default setting, the first $1,000 of a workers contribution would go into the capital preservation fund, and after that, the money would go into the target-date or risk-based fund, unless the employee chose different investments. One big question is fees. By law, participants must bear all costs including administration and fund fees. After six years of operation, fees would be capped at 1 percent of assets, but until then there would be no limit. The program is borrowing money from the general fund to get started, but participants must repay that loan. In Oregon, fees are about 1 percent of assets, $104 per year on a $10,000 balance. In Illinois fees are capped at 0.75 percent. Those fees are much higher than average for large 401(k) plans, but lower than average for very small plans, according to BrightScope data. CalSavers expects to have lower fees than Illinois, given the vast size of our target market, approximately 7 million workers, Selenski said. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The Investment Co. Institute, which represents mutual funds, has long argued that California cannot operate the plan under a 1 percent fee cap, which could result in a bailout by the state. The other big question is a legal one. The 2012 and 2016 state laws that created Secure Choice said it could not go forward if it would be subject to the federal retirement security law. Under this law, employers who sponsor plans are fiduciaries; they choose investments and can be sued by participants. Many large employers have been sued over excessive 401(k) fees. In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a ruling that said state-run auto-IRAs would be exempt from that act if they followed certain rules, including very limited involvement by employers and no matching contributions. The following May, President Trump signed a resolution that overturned the Obama-era rule. Nevertheless, the state forged ahead with its plan after getting an opinion from law firm K&L Gates that said the program as envisioned would not be subject to the federal law, known as ERISA. A court, however, could decide that these plans are governed by the federal law. The California Chamber of Commerce dropped its opposition to the plan, but still has concerns about employer exposure to liability, said Marti Fisher, the chambers policy advocate. If ERISA were to apply, employers could be at risk for considerable liability, the extent of which is unknown because this type of program has never been done before, the chamber said in January. For Mark Herbert, California director of the Small Business Majority, thats not a concern. Polling by his organization and AARP found that two-thirds of small business owners in California support a state retirement-savings program. For small companies, the main barriers to offering a retirement plan are cost, administrative complexity and fiduciary liability under the federal law. CalSavers solves for all three, he said. Now Playing: Walnut Creek investigating homicide of 60-year-old man near BART station. A 34-year-old man has been detained. Alex Savidge reports. Video: KTVU A Walnut Creek security guard turned on his co-worker Thursday night, killing the fellow guard with a metal pole at a construction site, police said. Hakim Madjour, 34, of Concord was arrested on a charge of murder after he violently and unexpectedly attacked 60-year-old Harry Swayne of San Pablo, who also patrolled the construction site, according to authorities. A military veteran who had been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder burst into a veterans home in the North Bay town of Yountville on Friday with a rifle, killed three women connected with the treatment program and then killed himself, authorities and program officials said. Law enforcement officers found the bodies of the victims and the killer at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville shortly before 6 p.m., more than seven hours after the incident began, said Chris Childs, an assistant chief of the California Highway Patrol. Authorities had earlier said the gunman was holding staff members of the Pathway Home, a program on the Veterans Home campus that had been treating him for PTSD until he was asked to leave several days ago. One of those killed was the programs executive director, Christine Loeber, the Pathway Home said in a statement. Also killed were Dr. Jen Golick, a therapist with the program, and Dr. Jennifer Gonzales, a psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Francisco, the statement said. The CHP did not release the killers name, but a knowledgeable source identified him as Albert Wong. The source said he and the three victims were shot to death. Now Playing: Christien Kafton reports Video: KTVU The tragedy began around 10:30 a.m. when the gunman walked into a staff meeting of Pathway Home, a program that treats combat veterans for PTSD. State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, whose district includes the center, said the man had been asked to leave several days ago, for unknown reasons. The gunman exchanged fire with a Napa County sheriffs deputy, whom Childs credited with preventing the killer from finding other victims. The deputy was unharmed. Some witnesses said 20 or more shots were fired. The gunman took the three women hostage, along with two additional unidentified people whom he released a short time later. The gunman then barricaded himself with the hostages inside a room in one of the buildings on the 9,000-acre Veterans Home campus, located about 10 miles north of Napa. It was there that authorities found the bodies of the victims and killer just before 6 p.m. It was not immediately known when they died. The discovery came after fruitless hours of trying to contact the man, said Napa County Sheriff John Robertson. We do know who he is, Robertson said at an afternoon news conference. Weve been trying to contact him by his own cell phone and phones in the (Veterans Home) dormitory. Childs said the killers phone was found inside his parked rental car near the site of the hostage taking. Authorities checked the car for explosives after a bomb-sniffing police dog signaled that they may be present. None was found. Dodd said the killer was a war veteran who had entered the Pathway Home program last year. The Pathway Home has focused in recent years on post-9/11 veterans from California, many of whom transition to higher education to pursue studies at Napa Valley College, Santa Rosa Junior College and elsewhere. It was a setting of the 2017 fictional movie Thank You for Your Service, about a Marine platoon leader with PTSD. Loeber, 48, a social worker with her masters from Boston College, worked at Department of Veterans Affairs clinics in San Francisco and Menlo Park before coming to the Pathway Home. In an interview with The Chronicle when the movie came out, Loeber said, When these people are in combat, their systems are programmed to keep them alive under incredibly stressful situations. Nobody helps them understand that when they get back they have to reprogram their nervous system to operate at a different caliber so they can be successful civilians. According to her Linked In page, Golick was clinical director at the Pathway Home. She described herself as a licensed marriage family therapist with more than 16 years of clinical practice. Loeber, Golick and Gonzales were brave women (and) accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nations veterans, working closely with those in the greatest need of attention after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pathway Home said in its statement. 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. President Trump offered his condolences early Saturday. We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation in Yountville and mourn the loss of three incredible women who cared for our Veterans, he said in a tweet. According to radio transmissions between officers at the scene and dispatchers, the man who burst into the Pathway Home on Friday was a 36-year-old veteran wearing a stash of bullets around his neck and his waist. Larry Kamers wife, Devereaux Smith, is a development director for the Pathway Home. She was among those present at the staff meeting, which also included a going-away party for departing employees, when the gunman entered. Smith was able to escape before he opened fire, Kamer said. Shes obviously quite shaken up, he said. Just imagine, youre at a normal workday gathering and a man walks in with a rifle, and hes ex-military. Its very scary. Hostage negotiators from the Napa County Sheriffs Department, city of Napa Police Department and the FBI tried all day to contact the gunman, Childs said. Much of the Veterans Home was locked down for the day. About 80 schoolchildren rehearsing a play in a theater some distance from where the gunman was holed up were whisked away in a bus to safety. Friends and relatives of residents and employees waited anxiously at the entrance to the property, some distance away from the main buildings. After the initial gunfire, Fernando Juarez, 36, of Napa, began exchanging text messages with his sister, Hirma Vanessa Flores, a 22-year-old caregiver who works inside. Her texts said she was unharmed and that all she can hear is yelling, Juarez said As of late last year, some 850 people lived at the Veterans Home. The center is across the street from the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville on California Drive and is more than 133 years old. In front of a freedom banner, an eagle sculpture spreads its wings, each feather painstakingly rolled out of paper. In New York last week, I stopped by the Museum of Chinese in America, whose current exhibition, Fold, features folk art by Chinese asylum seekers who made headlines a quarter-century ago when their cargo ship, the Golden Venture, ran aground near Rockaway Beach in Queens, the end of a journey that began in Thailand, stopped in Kenya and sailed around Africa before arriving on these shores. Many of the shipwrecked people were held in immigration detention facilities for more than three years a terrifying limbo that resonates today. According to the ACLU, the use of immigration detention centers has grown exponentially in recent years, holding people for prolonged periods of time without any finding that they are either a danger to society or a flight risk tearing apart families and making it impossible for individuals to fight those cases. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that immigrants including those with legal status do not have a right to periodic bond hearings and as such, the government can detain them indefinitely. Also last week, Vietnamese refugees filed a class-action lawsuit that challenged their detention by federal immigration authorities. Since March 2017, refugees from Vietnam have been subjected to prolonged and indefinite detention. Meanwhile, President Trump continues to whip up xenophobia as he proposes a misguided overhaul of the immigration system. At the Conservative Political Action Conference, he compared immigrants to a snake nursed back to health that sinks its deadly fangs into his trusting caregiver. Trump and supporters of his policies dehumanize immigrants. But art gives us their stories, their hopes and their dreams. Seeking a way to express themselves and relieve the tedium and uncertainty about their future, the Chinese detainees from the Golden Venture began making these intricate sculptures, out of scraps from magazines and legal pads, using techniques of paper folding, or zhezhi, and paper-mache. Eventually, the detainees were allowed to use child-safety scissors, under the supervision of their guards. The detainees gave the sculptures to activists and pro bono attorneys, supporters known as the People of the Golden Vision. These are just average-Joe Americans, not people who go around with Save the Whales T-shirts and Save the Rain Forests T-shirts, wondering whats the next cause they can sign up for, lawyer and activist Craig Trebilcock told the Baltimore Sun in 1995. These are people from the heartland who feel their government has gone astray. In total, more than 10,000 sculptures were exhibited and sold at fundraisers, raising $135,000, to help pay for legal costs, sent to detainee families in China and helping them transition upon their release. I marveled at a towering pagoda in miniature, a dragon, a bicycle with working chain and wheels, a beautiful hanging lantern, the Statue of Liberty, a pineapple with the Chinese characters Double Happiness, and caged birds. After learning that notes slipped into the air vents of their cells ended up outside, a detainee penned this poignant one: Save us!!! We have been unlucky, which was found by the Rev. Joan Maruskin, who was leading a demonstration outside. I lingered before a model of the Golden Venture, with a blue-and-white hull and a rainbow string of flags, as well as a Chinese junk, conveying the historical legacy of the seafaring culture and emigration from Fujian province. Leaving behind bandits, flood, famines and war, Chinese have been coming to the United States for more than a century and a half, in search of Gold Mountain and the American Dream. Here in the Bay Area, in the early 20th century, Chinese were detained in crowded barracks on the Angel Island Immigration Station. For months and even years, immigration authorities interrogated Chinese immigrants repeatedly, looking for any excuse to keep them out. In their loneliness, humiliation and pain, those detainees began carving poems into the wooden walls: America has power, but not justice/ In prison, we were victimized as if we were guilty/ Given no opportunity to explain, it was really brutal/ I bow my head in reflection but there is nothing I can do. Though detainees lost their freedom, they could not be silenced, and I found their art inspiring their will to survive reaffirmed the need to tell and to share their stories. My hope for this exhibition is to inspire those who have lost trust in our government and its policies, writes Andrew Rebatta, the assistant curator, in the exhibitions program guide. Through building meaningful relationships, and building community with those around us, we can bring change. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Members of Green Day have been playing shows at Bay Area dive bars under the name the Coverups, tearing through songs by their heroes like David Bowie, the Ramones, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones and the Replacements. The side project performed at the Ivy Room in Albany in January and again on Tuesday, March 6. And now the Coverups are slated to headline a sold-out show at the 100-person capacity Thee Parkside in San Francisco on Thursday, March 8. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump will sign a pair of proclamations Thursday that impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum but offer relief to some U.S. allies. The tariffs, which take effect in 15 days, initially will not apply to imports from Canada and Mexico so that U.S. officials can assess progress toward a new North American Free Trade deal, according to a senior administration official. Other countries with a "security relationship" to the United States may seek exemptions by opening talks with the administration on "alternative ways" to address the threats the administration alleges their products pose to national security, the official said. The plan differs significantly from Trump's initial suggestion he would apply the taxes to all imports, a change that follows a week of pleas from his fellow Republicans to narrow the tariffs or abandon them entirely. The initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico are not time-limited but are designed to last only long enough for the administration to assess the outlook for the NAFTA renegotiations. For countries that do not win exemptions, steel imports will be taxed at 25 percent and aluminum imports at 10 percent. If Mexico and Canada win permanent exemptions, tariffs on imports from other nations may have to be increased beyond 25 percent, the official said. Trump plans to formally unveil the order in a White House event, and he previewed the remarks earlier Thursday. "I'll have a right to go up or down depending on the country, and I'll have a right to drop out countries or add countries," Trump said in an appearance alongside his Cabinet. "I just want fairness because we have not been treated fairly by other countries." The president championed the tariffs as necessary protections for two industries - steel and aluminum - that he called "the backbone of our nation." "We're going to be very fair, we're going to be very flexible, but we're going to protect the American worker, as I said I would do in my campaign," Trump said. Republicans have been pushing Trump to back off his planned tariffs since he shocked the party last week by announcing they were coming. A temporary exemption for NAFTA members would mark progress in that effort, but lawmakers are pressing the president to pull back further. "If they were to exempt Mexico and Canada while other negotiations were ongoing, it would be a welcome gesture on behalf of the president and certainly would be received well on Capitol Hill," Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., an influential House conservative, said before Trump's announcement. Republican lawmakers criticized the rollout, with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., calling the process "chaotic and confusing." Hours before Trump's promised announcement, foreign diplomats, industry leaders and Trump allies were still in the dark. Their outreach to senior administration officials seeking definitive answers was returned with shrugs or unanswered calls. "The people in the building have no idea what's about to happen," said one Trump donor opposed to the tariffs and spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. As can be Trump's wont, the president left Washington in suspense via an early morning post on Twitter. At 7:38 a.m. Thursday, he wrote: "Looking forward to 3:30 P.M. meeting today at the White House. We have to protect & build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military." 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. The meeting was not on the president's daily schedule, released to the public Wednesday night. Several hours after Trump's tweet, senior White House aides did not know whether the announcement would happen Thursday. Trump dispelled those doubts later that morning during the Cabinet meeting, when he again touted the tariffs and previewed his afternoon announcement. The White House was also being lobbied heavily against the tariffs by outside conservative groups that have worked with the administration on other issues, including passing the new tax cut law. Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group backed by the billionaire GOP donor Koch brothers, warned in an interview that the tariffs could harm Republican prospects in the November midterms when Democrats hope to retake control of Congress. "If American consumers are paying higher prices on a wide range of products just as the economy is starting to take off, it can slow the economic recovery," Phillips said. "It could definitely impact the midterms." Phillips said that merely narrowing the tariffs to exclude Mexico, Canada or other allies would not be enough to alleviate his group's concerns. "The administration can still not do this, and we're urging them not to do it, and it's an ongoing conversation," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey contributed to this report. I have a friend a well-known artist and critic for whom I have great respect who says that all people make judgments about paintings based on what they see in reproduction. I do not, and I am quite convinced others shouldnt, either. Reproductions can be useful tools. They remind us of works we have seen in person; they hint at what is in store. Considered in the light of works we know from direct engagement, they can suggest themes and patterns in an overall body of work. But trying to understand or appreciate art particularly painting, which relies so heavily upon texture, color and scale by looking at its photographic likeness is like tasting food from a TV screen. Kara Marias exhibition Post-Nature at Catharine Clark Gallery (through March 17) and Jim Hodges Silence Stillness at Anthony Meier Fine Arts (through March 23) have little in common but their utter irreproducibility in print or pixels. You need to get yourself in front of the actual works. Both artists do have old-fashioned painterly skills. Maria employs hers with what at first appears to be wild abandon, applying brilliant color using a range of abstract strategies. Upon more careful consideration, however, its clear that what looks untamed is precisely planned. On a single canvas, she might combine daubs and smears, aerosol bursts, and broad, featureless swaths of paint contained within precise hard edges. Forms loop, streak and explode across the picture plane, giving here an impression of flat design, there the illusion of storyland dimensionality. The visual metaphor of feral versus restrained is suited to the subject of her exhibition. That theme dawns upon us as we pick through the abstract tangle to discover minutely detailed portraits of animal representatives of endangered species. Some are very shy, like the wolf lost in a work on paper called Moondance. But even the big-eyed primate (a lemur?) staring out from the center of Mayday is lost at first amid the painters frenetic sensual assault. It is telling that the animals, in every case, occupy the calm and still moments in a frenzied, decidedly unnatural environment. In other works, we see specific evidence of modern encroachment on nature. A submarine lurks in the depths of a whale sharks expressionistic habitat in Into the Blue, an assault weapon emerges from a swipe of color in Trumps Bee. We leave the exhibition with the sense of an artist casting about, seeking to find an outlet for righteous anger, a use for prodigious technical skills. Its energy is seductive, the earnestness of its sympathy admirable, but its about as nuanced as an email typed all in caps. Jim Hodges takes the opposite tack in a small show that hints at the artists narrow but profoundly deep range of strategic subtlety. Hodges, at 60, has made a long career of blurring edges one might not think would exist. Between simple moves and complex ideas. Womens work and mens. Craft and art. Art and beauty. Silence Stillness is composed entirely of new pieces in a variety of media. They are presented in an arrangement that can only be called heavenly. Anthony Meier Fine Arts Open the gallery door and you step on a highly reflective silver floor, a pleasantly disorienting experience that feels a bit like floating. The tactic is not unique one can imagine its source as glamorous old movies or in-the-day visits to discotheques. But it does set you into a space where down is up and up is up, as well. 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. In the larger of two rooms, two 10-foot-high canvases, Moments of Forever (I and II), are gloriously decked out in accretions of gold and silver glitter over faint clouds of pastel color. Set on the floor, on slightly raised platforms, is a small series of rough clay sculptures that are no more than remnants of the artists handling. We read the title, Notes (from a song of longing), and the space between those words and the 13 empty vessels at our feet fills with melancholy. At one end of the smaller room, sheer black chiffon drapery fills a doorway. Behind it is a gold-leafed canvas. Its surface, viewed through the curtain, suggests thick organic growth. It is a proscenium and an entry. Both its form and its title, This Side of Tomorrow, put me in mind of the late Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a friend of Hodges and another gay artist who dealt with loss and longing. Eight canvases of varying size, images of flowers painted in oils, compose a single work, Lingering. They might be fragments of a larger piece, we think, but they dont seem to align. Perhaps they depict varying times, moving from dark to brilliant day. It is likely that the work has personal meaning for the artist. We could ask him. But the reaction to the work would then become more his emotion, and less ours. Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1 Kara Maria: Post-Nature: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays. Through March 17. Free. Catharine Clark Gallery, 248 Utah St., S.F. (415) 399-1439. https://cclarkgallery.com Jim Hodges: Silence Stillness: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesdays-Fridays. Through March 23. Free. Anthony Meier Fine Arts, 1969 California St., S.F. (415) 351-1400. www.anthonymeierfinearts.com It is unlikely that any city offers more opportunities per citizen to see top examples of the art of photography than San Francisco. This month is a particularly good time to visit several excellent exhibitions. Opening next week are eagerly anticipated presentations at Altman Siegel (Trevor Paglen: Impossible Objects), Casemore Kirkeby (Steve Kahn: Stasis, Corridors, 1969-1980) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (The Train). South of the U.S. border: The Cantor Arts Centers extraordinary The Matter of Photography in the Americas is already on view and runs through April 30. Led by scholar/curators from both UC Berkeley (Natalia Brizuela) and Stanford University (Jodi Roberts), who devoted three years to the research, it is the kind of show few institutions outside of academia can afford these days to produce. To fully appreciate the exhibition is also, it must be said, an academic exercise. Its a big, wordy project, accompanied by an essential 232-page book. Most of the work, unfamiliar even to those well-versed in the medium of photography, requires not only attention to the wall labels, but also close reading of the pictures themselves. There are visual rewards. Adriana Bustos offers surreal situations in color photography and video that walk the line between real and made up, in environments like painted backdrops and museum dioramas. Miguel Calderon also photographs dioramas it is a familiar trope of the medium (see Hiroshi Sugimoto, below) but Bustos jumps in, literally, in her video works. In fact, video is strong throughout the exhibition. Two works by Oscar Munoz, mounted side-by-side, are short meditations on the frailty of images, memory and, by extension, life itself. Claudia Joskowicz made Every Building on Avenida Alfonso Ugarte After Ruscha with Ed Ruschas Every Building on the Sunset Strip in mind, but her version pulses with color and movement, with political overtones the senior artist would shun. Sicardi Gallery Still, many of the pictures are static, small and in black-and-white. A significant number were produced with Xerox-style photocopiers, and lots of them, by design, are visually degraded copies of copies. The idea of a monolithic Latin America encompassing most of this hemisphere; two primary languages and many variants; and different topographies, economies and histories is itself called into question. The approach of many artists in the exhibition borders on the scientific, prompting the curators to group them into categories like Ethnography, Copies and Data. Yet, despite such curatorial roadblocks, a convincing thesis emerges. It is not an attempt to shoehorn into one theoretical framework all pictures made in a certain part of the world. It is, simply, the observation that much Latin American photo-based work of the past 50 years has reflected upon itself, examining the medium as a tool and a process, even as it took on the simultaneous obligation of political and social analysis. At the same time, and not so simply, it is a revelation that the conceptual underpinnings of photography as understood by artists in Latin America are more sophisticated, more substantial than we knew. Or, perhaps more likely, than we were willing to give them credit for. Prehistoric photographs: In Hiroshi Sugimoto B.C., which opened this week and runs through April 25, Fraenkel Gallery presents no new pictures. The show spans 33 years; the most recent piece is dated 2009. While fans of the artist will know most of the images, however, the staging is a refreshing twist on the exhibition form itself. Several brief texts authored by the artist describe his preoccupation with the past and with the very idea of time. That would seem a likely interest of any photographer, given the testamentary function of the medium, its archival utility, its ability to examine action by the microsecond. Here, Sugimoto turns from fascination to meditation. Fraenkel Gallery The show starts with a misty, romantic landscape made in 1977, early in his career. When I stood at the foot of the Kegon Waterfall, he writes, I felt as though I was witnessing a primeval moment of the falls creation. A 1994 image of a natural history diorama, Earliest Human Relatives, depicts a prehistoric hominid couple strolling across an ancient savanna. Sugimoto is known for his flawless technique, and it is a marvel to compare that 1994 work to Galapagos (1980), in a fruitless attempt to determine whether the earlier work was also shot in a museum, or at a solitary moment on a beach in the Pacific archipelago. Sugimotos collection of photographys own prehistory (he purchased original negatives by the inventor of photography, from which he made new prints) and of arresting, fossil-studded rocks, tens and hundreds of millions of years old, add to the melancholic air. 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. Listening for answers: Also recently opened and, likewise, a reconsideration of earlier work, is a show of curious pictures by one of San Franciscos most respected and beloved photographers, Linda Connor. The exhibition is Speak to the Stones, and the Stars Answer, on view at Haines Gallery through June 2. It pairs Connors oddly metallic new prints from old negatives with stainless steel Artificial Rocks, by the Chinese artist Zhan Wang. One of the compelling things about Connors best-known earlier work is the sense that each picture was made as an object for deep contemplation. One reason for that is their intimate size, at 8x10 inches. Also important is their seemingly infinite detail, which she achieved by contact printing a full-scale negative on fine paper. Above all, the works convey a sense of craftsmanship that demonstrate respect even reverence for subjects that have something of the sacred about them. Zhan Wangs hand-wrought, highly polished steel rocks are a wry update of the ancient tradition of the scholar stone, inverting our expectations of surface texture and contour. They are, despite their title and their function as replicas, anything but artificial. Connors new prints, on the other hand, made by the industrial dye-sublimation process on aluminum, are but tinseled imitations of her own extraordinary originals. Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1 The Matter of Photography in the Americas: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays. Through April 30. Free. Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, 328 Lomita Drive, Stanford. (650) 723-4177. http://museum.stanford.edu Hiroshi Sugimoto B.C.: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 11 a.m.-5p.m. Saturdays. Through April 25. Free. Fraenkel Gallery, 49 Geary St., S.F. (415) 981-2661. https://fraenkelgallery.com Speak to the Stones, and the Stars Answer: 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Through June 2. Free. Haines Gallery, 49 Geary St., S.F. (415) 397-8114. http://hainesgallery.com There is a major tension that defines todays Napa Valley. It goes like this: Napa is what it is because of wine grapes. Wine grapes require finite resources, such as land and water. Left unfettered, would viticulture strip this precious valley of redwoods and oaks, deplete its water supply, ravage its lush landscape with hotels, tasting rooms and traffic? At what point do the interests of environmental conservation get to temper those of commerce? This tension is the story of Napa at Last Light: Americas Eden in an Age of Calamity, by James Conaway, a former Washington Post reporter. The book is the third entry in Conaways trilogy of modern Napa Valley history. The first, Napa: The Story of an American Eden (1990), told the birth of Napa as we know it today the sagas of Inglenooks John Daniel, of Robert Mondavi, of Beaulieu Vineyards Andre Tchelistcheff. The second book, The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land, and the Battle for Napa Valley (2002), picks up the story in the heady 1990s, the era of Robert Parker and cult Cabernets, recounted as dramatically as its subtitle would suggest. Napa in 2018 is a much different place wealthier, more famous and more crowded than it was in 1990 or 2002, and Conaways third book, accordingly, presents the stakes as higher. Whereas questions of preservation and development were present in the first two works (milestones like the passages of the Agricultural Preserve and the Winery Definition Ordinance, for example, are chronicled), these questions dominate the third book in a much louder way. The authors own voice has gotten louder, too. If it was left just shy of explicit in the first two books, Conaway now makes his position resoundingly clear: that development in Napa, of residential, commercial and agricultural enterprises alike, must be curbed. The time has come to say No more, both on principle and as a practicality, words not just for Napa but also for America, he writes. The problem with Napa at Last Light is not Conaways position. Hes right to take a stand for the future of Napas environment. And today the stakes are higher than ever: a ballot measure this spring could permanently limit vineyard development in Napas oak woodlands and watershed. The problem, rather, is the way Conaway tells the story: melodramatically and hyperbolically. In doing so, he does a disservice to those he hopes to support. Conaways argument is made through a series of episodes in which the interests of business and the environment collide. Grape grower Andy Beckstoffer opposes Jean-Charles Boissets plan to expand Raymond Winerys hospitality center. The organization Citizens Voice attempts to block the construction of a new winery in St. Helena by the owners of Schramsberg Vineyards. Neighbors fight Craig and Kathryn Halls plan to plant a vineyard at their Walt Ranch property on Atlas Peak. Conaway makes clear who are his heroes and villains at the earliest opportunity. The books most moving episode belongs to Conaways ultimate hero, the vintner Randy Dunn, who raises $5 million to help purchase the Wildlake Ranch on Howell Mountain so that he can put its 3,000 acres in a land trust. Its an act of altruism told beautifully. His black-and-white portraits of villains, meanwhile, verge on caricature. For example, Mike Davis, a former technology entrepreneur, wants to cut down trees to develop a vineyard next to Wildlake. So even when Davis does something youd expect Conaway to approve of install a windmill its treated with sarcastic dismissal. Some speculated that Davis embrace of alternative energy could indicate that [Davis] believed carbon emissions caused by power plants contributed to, well, if not global warming then to excessive amounts of stuff in the air. Conaway is a master of the vague condemnation. Vineyard managers, according to the author, are proxy dynamiters and bulldozer operators. Wealthy newcomers to Napa, those drifting one percenters, are unburdened of scruple, accountability, and any sense of the past, who perceive the very Earth through the bars of a dollar sign. Farming, in his view, is that now-established euphemism for radical landscape alteration. Yet when did farming ever, in history, not alter its landscape? Conaway appears to believe that all farmers should be yeomen, in the model of his idol Thomas Jefferson, whose agrarian ideals are invoked throughout the trilogy. (Considerable ink is spilled reminding readers of an explicit connection: There is a winery in Napa Valley, owned by the Corley family, called Monticello.) The ultimate denunciation of modern-day Napa Valley seems to be its failure to realize the Jeffersonian ideal: Thomas Jeffersons faded agrarian dream had devolved into a celebration of commerce as the ultimate expression of democracy, just as the notion of enlightenment had devolved into tourism. Its not clear that enlightenment was ever Napa Valleys principal goal. Conaway would make a more compelling case for environmental protection had he better grounded his arguments. Viticulture had become a gloss for almost any profitable transaction, he writes, even if in direct conflict with the vision that had inspired Jefferson and created the agricultural preserve in the first place. Yes, but the agricultural preserve would almost certainly have never been established were viticulture not a profitable transaction. 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. The mythic, overwrought register of Conaways prose also weakens Napa at Last Light: One property is a bona fide Mediterranean-type floristic province. The list of nationalities supplying vineyard labor is long, running down the spine of the Americas like a tenuous, shadowy conduit akin to the black plastic pipes delivering the source of life to the vines. Now more than ever, Napa needs strong voices who will advocate for the protection of its natural beauty, its residents safety and its agriculture. In Napa at Last Light, Conaway falls short of the challenge. This story, and the future of Napa Valley, deserves better. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine, beer and spirits writer. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Napa at Last Light Americas Eden in an Age of Calamity By James Conaway (Simon & Schuster; 308 pages; $26) As residents of the Bayview, we come together to speak against the crisis in schooling in our community. A recent report found that San Francisco is one of the worst cities in California for low-income black and Latino students to seek a public education. In 2016-17, almost 8 of 10 white students from non-low-income families in San Francisco were performing at grade level in math and English but just 1 of 10 low-income African American or Latino students. One elementary school here in Bayview has a less than 9 percent proficiency rate in math for its African American students. We call on the mayoral candidates to share our same sense of moral urgency for change. Every day in the Mission and Bayview districts, we hear friends, neighbors, church congregants and other loved ones constantly worry about the schools failing their children. As we see our citys tech economy flourish, we lose sleep knowing our children will not have access to those opportunities. We all understand the severe consequence of this: Its the same children failed by our education system that end up in our courts and jails. For too many of us in San Francisco, this is a matter of life or death. As the mayoral race unfolds, San Francisco is at a crossroads. In 10 years, will it be known for its growing reputation as the most inequitable city in America, or as a beacon of opportunity for all? We believe the answer will hinge on whether San Francisco will make educating its most vulnerable children a top priority. Here are four ways the next mayor can take this on: Use the bully pulpit to champion educational equity: In cities around the country, big improvements have come when the quality of their public schools becomes everybodys problem to solve, including city leaders. Our children need the next mayor of San Francisco to be a fierce champion for children in low-income neighborhoods with few good public school options and whose families cant afford private schools. Foster innovative collaboration among the government, nonprofits and businesses: The teacher shortage, the housing crisis and diversity in the tech industry are all huge interrelated problems connected to educational opportunity that no single entity can take on alone. We need a mayor with a bold vision who can bring people and organizations together and marshal resources to take on challenges at this scale. Leverage city resources to support services in schools. Not only does the mayor have a voice the city also has significant resources to leverage. The city has a long history of collaboration with the San Francisco Unified School District around foster care, health, safety, youth opportunity and workforce development. It will take the city and the school district working together to end the school-to-prison pipeline. Hold San Francisco accountable for clear, measurable, annual improvements. For a quarter-century or more, our leaders have assured us that positive change is just around the corner. Those empty promises just wont do anymore. We know far better is possible because we have seen it. There are high-quality public schools serving children in low-income and working communities just like ours all over the country. Thats why we have joined with hundreds of other black and Latino parents and Innovate Public Schools, a nonprofit organization that works to make sure public schools in San Francisco and Silicon Valley serve everyone, to take action. Fix long-struggling schools. Start new public schools. Take up proven strategies for whole-district change. We are moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas we love our children, and were tired of waiting. Our children need to be prepared for college and for life now. For the average viewer, B-boying breaking or break-dancing is typically confined to a montage of highlights in dance movies or backup choreography during a Grammy performance. But when RoxRite, the longtime B-boy who grew up in Sonoma County, describes the ebbs and flows of his career, B-boying sounds more like an Olympic sport. Indeed, its the training, searching for gigs, battling in competitions, vying for world titles that one has to endure to succeed as a professional B-boy. And for more than a decade, RoxRite has lived it. RoxRite, whose real name is Omar Delgado Macias, says at 35, hes among just a handful of veterans competing at his age though he appears no slower in battles, still moving and contorting his body across the floor with precision and dynamism as a member of the Red Bull BC One All Stars. Then again, hes also the only B-boy who just made history: his last win, a 5-on-5 battle at the Circle Industry 2018 Finals in Austria on Saturday, March 3, marked 100 professional, recorded victories. It hits me when Im alone, RoxRite said by phone days after the win. But it hasnt really sunk in. The 100-win feat had never been achieved and adds to RoxRites legacy as a winner of practically every premier breaking tournament and world title. When I think about what the 100 (means), its just the journey that its taken me, he told The Chronicle during an earlier phone interview from Poland days before clinching the record. The run that Ive been on, the titles Ive won, the people that have helped me win these tournaments as well its just been incredible. Its all part of a globe-trotting B-boy dream that RoxRite didnt realize was even possible. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, he immigrated with his family to California when he was a toddler, settling primarily in Healdsburg and Windsor. It was a very poor upbringing from the moment we migrated to the States, said RoxRite, who now lives in San Diego. It was a lot of struggling, being homeless different things that you face in life with being an immigrant. But his first glimpse of the B-boy life was in Mexico, where children would break dance in the park. My parents would take me there every Sunday, and I would just sit and watch these kids for hours, he said. I was probably like 3 years old at the time. I would just watch them do the street shows over and over and over, mesmerized. When he was 12, he watched a crew perform at his school in Healdsburg. Consumed, he began practicing for hours every day and studied everything about breaking, right as the dance form was re-emerging, especially in the suburbs, after fading out after the mid-1980s. A competition in San Jose where 17-year-old RoxRite pushed a world-class B-boy to 10 rounds and a tiebreaker in the final battle and the resulting ticket to an international Pro-Am in Miami opened him up to the possibilities of a B-boy career. Eventually, after two uninspired years in community college, RoxRite dropped out to pursue breaking full-time, delivering pizzas as a day job while traveling for competitions. RoxRite appears not to dwell on his improbable journey, though recently, hes been more reflective. The milestone means more to the scene itself, he said, in redefining whats possible for the new generation of dancers and pushing the dance form to be taken more seriously, particularly in the United States. Elsewhere, people see it as a cultural art that they can present to help the youth in these countries find something else to do in life, whereas in America, its like a TV thing, he said. If youre not on TV, then youre not really recognized. But he quickly noted that the dance form has changed dramatically within RoxRites generation, which he called the guinea pigs. Were possibly the first of whats to come in terms of the competitive part of breaking, in terms of the sponsorships, in terms of being considered a professional B-boy, said RoxRite, whose team is sponsored by the energy drink Red Bull. The opportunities that have sustained RoxRites career are part of the reason why hes still pushing himself. The longevity and history of his career might in some small part promote a cultural shift, but would he consider himself in his own tier in B-boy history? Even with 100 wins, RoxRite demurred. You have your peers that will speak for you if youre considered one of those people, he said. I guess Ive done my fair share of work. If people view me that way in the scene, I feel like Ive done my job. Brandon Yu is a Bay Area freelance writer. Watch a video clip of RoxRites 100th win: http://win.gs/2G10dOe The battle over a proposed housing project on a parking lot across the street from Spengers Fresh Fish Grotto restaurant in West Berkeley escalated Thursday when the builder became the first in California to invoke a new state law that allows residential developers to bypass local environmental review processes in exchange for providing more affordable units. On Thursday, developer Blake Griggs Properties of Danville, after five years of contentious debate and political squabbling, said it would invoke SB35 at 1900 Fourth St.. American Indian groups, as well as North Berkeley antidevelopment forces, have long opposed building on the 2.2-acre parcel, contending it is the site of an Ohlone burial ground. The new state law, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, allows an over-the-counter approval process for zoning-compliant projects that provide certain levels of affordable housing. In Berkeley as well as in San Francisco and Oakland a development must be at least 50 percent affordable to take advantage of the law. Blake Griggs plans to construct a 260-unit apartment complex, half of which would be affordable to households earning 80 percent of area median income, which is $80,400 for a family of four. The development will also have 27,000 square feet of retail, a 7,000-square-foot park and a small community center. Passed in January, SB35 establishes a streamlined, ministerial review process for certain multifamily affordable housing projects that are proposed in local jurisdictions that have not met regional housing needs, according to the legislative summary. Projects that comply with the laws requirements are guaranteed approval within 180 days, unheard of in a region where even straightforward housing developments can take three or four years. Blake Griggs Vice President Lauren Seaver said using the legislation to move the project forward is a monumental step toward solving Californias housing crisis. She called SB35 a legislative tool to cut through the logjam and allow housing projects like 1900 Fourth to move forward. Opponents to the project say the property is part of the West Berkeley Shellmound, a city landmark since 2000. Representatives of three autonomous Ohlone family bands Confederated Villages of Lisjan, Himre-n-Ohlone, and Medina Family spent years negotiating with the developer over the size and configuration of the development. Most recently Blake Griggs offered to give the American Indian family bands a quarter of the property in exchange for the Ohlones endorsement. The Ohlone bands rejected the offer, stating that the bands unanimously stand together to oppose the development of the West Berkeley Shellmound located at 1900 Fourth Street in Berkeley. Our sacred sites were never given up by our families not legally, nor in theory, said Vincent Medina, spokesman for the groups. They are not properties or parcel numbers that can be bought and sold. We did not stand in opposition when you developed other parts of our land. We do not get in the way when you put up apartment buildings or shopping malls. But where we draw the line is when you propose to dig up and desecrate the most sacred places where our ancestors are buried. But an environmental study released as part of the project review found that 1900 Fourth St. was actually tidal marshland for most of its history and was not part of the shellmound burial site. Principal Brad Griggs said his company promised that we would not move forward if we found any evidence whatsoever of the West Berkeley Shellmound. Wiener said that the West Berkeley development is exactly the sort of project he had in mind in drafting SB35. This is fantastic, he said. The whole point of SB35 was to accelerate the process and allow the project to move forward that would otherwise by stymied. The fact that this is a large project and is 50 percent affordable is amazing. Corrina Gould, an Ohlone who is co-founder of Indian People Organizing for Change, said she and other project opponents were blindsided by the news. Were still trying to figure out how this all happened, she said. We agree that housing should be streamlined, but when it comes to sacred sites, we as a society should think about things in a different way. This was the very first place inhabited on the entire bay that is something that should be worth saving. Attorney Jennifer Hernandez, who is representing the developer, said that every infill location in Berkeley that is suitable for housing has passionate opponents, which is why Berkeley and the vast majority of other jurisdictions in the Bay Area have fallen far behind in approving enough housing thats actually affordable to people who work here. The city of Berkeley established its rules including general plan and zoning requirements that designated this site for housing, she said. She said the investigation of potential American Indian resources was completed as required under the supervision of expert academics from UC Berkeley and Native American representatives. It was confirmed that this former marshland did not have any cultural resources or other evidence of artifacts, she said. Wiener said that while West Berkeley is the first project under SB35, others will soon follow. Developers with projects in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Daly City are preparing applications. The biggest beneficiary of SB35 will be affordable housing, he said. That will be streamlined almost anywhere in California. Californias top-two primary system, where the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, advance to the November election, was supposed to eliminate partisan elections. Key words: supposed to. If anyone thinks GOP businessman John Cox isnt running for the top-two equivalent of the Republican nomination for governor, they should take a listen to his new radio ad. In the spot, Cox talks about how Kate Steinle was killed in San Francisco by an illegal alien convict and how that incident is chilling testimony of how (Democratic candidate for governor and former San Francisco Mayor) Gavin Newsoms sanctuary city values differ from the rest of us. Incredibly, San Francisco refused to turn over to immigration authorities a criminal alien with seven prior felony convictions, he continues. The shooter said it was an accident, so, of course, a San Francisco jury voted to acquit. Like I said, different values. Cox vowed that on his first day as governor, I will act to repeal Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsoms Sanctuary State and restore the rule of law. Cox closes with a reminder, if any was needed, of just where hes coming from: If youre ready to take California back, join me. Im John Cox, Republican candidate for governor. And just where was this GOP-centric spot running Thursday morning? Conservative icon Rush Limbaughs radio program, hardly a hangout for Democrats and middle-of-the-road independent voters. Its no secret Cox is trolling for voters desperate to support someone with an R after their name on the ballot. And while there arent enough GOP voters in the state to elect a governor, there may be enough to push a Republican into second place in June, especially if Democratic votes are split among four serious candidates. As far as Cox and his team are concerned, there will be plenty of time to worry about winning in November after June 5. Conservative Republicans are who is going to turn out for a June primary, said Matt Shupe, a spokesman for Cox. We know we arent stealing any votes from Gavin. John Wildermuth The June race to represent San Franciscos District Eight a checkerboard of upscale neighborhoods that includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Glen Park was supposed to pit a low-key, centrist incumbent against a progressive outsider. But the two candidates have apparently switched places. When moderate Supervisor Jeff Sheehy and his more liberal challenger, Rafael Mandelman, spoke at separate Chronicle editorial board meetings this week, it was Sheehy who spouted controversial ideas about City Hall and Mandelman who presented a more conventional platform. In response to questions, Sheehy didnt have a problem with the idea of cutting supervisors salaries to $25,000 a year, making the job more about civic service rather than a career. He also floated the idea of killing off instant runoff voting. And striking down district elections in favor of supervisors being elected at-large sounded pretty good to him as well. The supervisor also suggested hed be just as happy losing the race as winning it. Im an activist, not a politician, he said, after a Chronicle editor pointed to his revolving carousel of campaign consultants. So if you asked me if Im obsessed with getting elected no, Sheehy said. Mandelman popularly seen as the firebrand looked measured, by comparison. He said he wants to increase conservatorship of the mentally ill and build housing on the Safeway parking lot at Market and Church streets. Hes even open to hiring more police officers, a stance not normally taken by the citys progressives. Sheehy also supports beefing up the police force and building housing on parking lots. Whatever the progressive-moderate divide is in City Hall seems to be very confused right now, Mandelman told the editorial board, presenting himself as a peacemaker who would form relationships across party lines. The way the two candidates are positioning themselves signals a remarkable shift from last year, when Sheehy was appointed by Mayor Ed Lee to fill the seat left vacant when Scott Wiener was elected to the state Senate. Several others were under consideration for the office, but Sheehy was seen as the most mature, the most likely to continue Wieners moderate policies and the person with the best odds of beating Mandelman. Lee and others valued Sheehys independent streak, thinking he would show it by standing up to the progressives. But after Lees unexpected death in December, Sheehy broke away from his moderate allies. He became the crucial swing vote in a progressive coup to install Mark Farrell in the mayors office, unseating London Breed, who is the moderate pick for mayor in the June 5 race. Sheehy said he had no choice but to vote for Farrell he said the supervisors couldnt let Breed remain acting mayor while still serving as the president of the board of supervisors a move that led former backers to turn against him and abandon his District Eight campaign. The supervisor stood by that decision, even if it means hell leave City Hall in June. Rachel Swan Kim proposal dies: Supervisor Jane Kims request for $2.5 million in supplemental funding to clean up San Franciscos streets was left for dead Thursday morning, after the boards Budget and Finance Subcommittee continued it. Kim, who is running for mayor in June, never prioritized street cleaning as a district supervisor. But now shes made it the centerpiece of her campaign. She hit resistance from committee chair Malia Cohen and Farrell, who agreed with the need for additional street cleaners but asked that Kim advocate for funding within the normal budget process. Cohen insisted Thursday that the item isnt done yet. Shell bring it back if Farrell doesnt put any street cleaning money in his budget. Rachel Swan Seeking to stave off the extinction of a storied species, state and federal wildlife officials are releasing 200,000 hatchery-raised salmon into a restored High Sierra creek where once-magnificent winter runs were wiped out over the past century. The releases starting this month of endangered, winter-run chinook into Battle Creek a Sacramento River tributary that winds through Shasta and Tehama counties is part of a 19-year effort to rebuild a wild population of the migrating species before the effects of climate change become more pronounced and expected droughts take away the cold mountain water they need to survive. Each step we take to re-establish these endangered winter-run chinook salmon is vital and helps us remember that in less than a century a run of salmon nearly a million strong has been reduced to thousands, said Charlton Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The releases of juvenile salmon over the next two months are part of a strategy that began in 1999 to restore 48 miles of river habitat along the north fork of Battle Creek. The state wildlife department, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA Fisheries and Pacific Gas and Electric Co., has spent $100 million so far building fish ladders and screens and removing dams and weirs that block migration on the creek. The flow of water has already increased tenfold, said Jim Smith, a project leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. When the project is completed, he said, workers will have removed five diversion dams and weirs, giving the salmon unimpeded access. The idea, Smith said, is to build a naturally producing population of salmon in the northern reaches of the creek, where the fish have not been seen in 100 years. Winter-run chinook are so named because they pass under the Golden Gate Bridge and head toward the Sacramento River mostly in the winter months between November and May and complete their three-year life span by breeding in cold water, preferably high in the mountains, from mid-April through August. The species, also known as king salmon, were once so plentiful in the rivers and creeks of California that legend had it a person could nearly walk across water on the backs of the teeming hordes. Winter-run salmon filled Battle Creek and the upper reaches of the Sacramento, McCloud and Pit rivers. But the construction of Shasta and Keswick dams, on the Sacramento, as well as several hydroelectric dams along Battle Creek, wiped out the spawning fish, which once numbered close to 1 million in the watershed, officials said. The winter-run chinook were hit particularly hard because they rely on cold mountain water to sustain them through the summer. Just one fish population remains below Shasta Dam, and it relies completely on cold-water releases from the reservoir. The winter run has been listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1994. The fish being released into Battle Creek were raised in the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery on Shasta Lake. They are part of a brood-stock program that state and federal officials started in 1992 after the winter run collapsed, though the population rebounded in the early 2000s so the hatchlings were never released. In 2014 and 2015, during the height of a five-year drought, 95 percent of the winter-run chinook eggs, hatchlings and juvenile salmon died in the Sacramento River. The water released from Shasta Dam had been too warm because of a lack of snow. 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. The fish being released now were trucked to the Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek so they can imprint on the waterway before heading out to the ocean. The hope is that they will find their way back in 2020, when they are ready to spawn. Steve Martarano/Associated Press It is the realization of a vision, said Howard Brown, the Sacramento River basin branch chief for NOAA Fisheries. He said the restoration project was designed to bolster a salmon population that is vulnerable to climate change. Battle Creek is clearly one of the areas we believe has the opportunity to be resilient as the Earth warms, Brown said. Biologists from the various agencies are also working on a plan to reintroduce salmon to the McCloud River above Shasta Dam, Brown said. I think everyone agrees that we need at least one backup population of winter-run salmon in addition to the one thats teetering on the brink of extinction in the upper Sacramento River, said John McManus, president of the Golden Gate Salmon Association. Reintroducing winter run to Battle Creek is a good step toward stabilizing this unique run of salmon and hopefully rebuilding their numbers. For the many Bay Area buyers of luxury vacation homes in Hawaii, money might be no object but style is. Whether they spend $4 million or $14 million on their island crib, these work-hard, play-often types seek a blend of informal living areas with high-end finishes, according to interior designers working in the states most exclusive resorts. Here are four trends that are convincing such well-heeled Californians to add an Aloha State address: Outdoor living areas: Outdoor spaces are just as important as the interior living room, says Gina Willman of Gina Willman Interiors. Based in Waimea on the Big Island, Willman has an extensive portfolio that includes many homes in the islands Hualalai Resort, where nearly a third of members come from Northern California. She recently furnished the model for the 11-home Kulanakauhale neighborhood in Hualalai, where prices range from $4.6 million to $4.9 million for the four remaining four-bedroom houses for sale. The lanai (patio) area accounts for 715 feet of the 4,721 square feet of living space, typically facing a pool with ocean and sunset views. Most people spend their time outside on the lanais I cant tell you how many clients have their laptops set out on the lanai when I visit, Willman says. Hes got his laptop on the coffee table and is reading with an iPad on the lounge chair, while shes sitting on the lanai off the master bedroom with her foot on the ottoman. At 72-415 Kaupulehu, a five-bedroom, 7,231-square-foot Hualalai home Willman furnished thats now for resale at $14.95 million, the spacious lanai includes multiple seating areas and a lavishly outfitted outdoor kitchen. It offers a professional-quality pizza oven, Evo grill and wood-burning Grillworks rotisserie, she says. The guys are really into that. In the Kulanakauhale homes, outdoor showers once the province of just the master bathroom accompany each guest bathroom. So often the indoor showers are not even used, Willman says. Multigenerational living spaces: Whether its for young families or grandparents wanting to gather their brood, creating areas that can accommodate a variety of interests is key. We design spaces that allow for long-term flexibility, since Ive seen a lot of ohana (family) living where family members or snowbirds may come or go, says Marion Philpotts-Miller of Honolulu-based Philpotts Interiors. Her work for many Bay Area clients includes a variety of luxurious island resorts, such as Kauais Kukuiula, where nearly 50 percent of the 101 owners come from California. At Kahalawai No. 38, only the second house to be built in Kukuiulas 10-lot Orchard neighborhood overlooking Kauais South Shore, the lower level of the Midcentury Modern-style, 4,857-square-foot home is more for kids and families, while the upper level is more the adult level, Philpotts-Miller notes. The downstairs of the Vladimir Ossipoff-inspired house, designed by Dean Sakamoto and Kelly and Stone Architects of Honolulu, features a chill space, where the younger generation might hang out and watch TV, Philpotts-Miller explains, along with a very active-centric area near elegant floating stairs. The latter features a pingpong table and a wet bar, which flows out to the lanai and pool area. All but one of the four bedrooms of the home, listed for $7.45 million, are on the upper floor, along with an ingenious breezeway office space and a dramatic kitchen and great room. Environmentally friendly elements: Solar energy is pretty much de rigueur in luxury resort homes, according to both designers. People are very mindful about what is sustainable, and how you build for life, Philpotts-Miller says. For Kahalawai No. 38, which boasts 12 integrated solar panels and pre-wiring for a Tesla Powerwall 2 solar battery, she also chose some retro but current investment pieces, such as Noguchi coffee tables and lamps and an Eames chair, which will hold their value over time. In the spacious master bathroom, frosted louvered windows offer energy-free ventilation without seeming utilitarian, Philpotts-Miller says. They also reflect the influence of Ossipoff, the islands iconic midcentury architect. He was a master in how he ventilated spaces without air conditioning. Subtly Hawaiian: Homeowners definitely want to feel like its Hawaii, but we try not to do the palm tree fabrics and all the cliches, like pineapple furniture, says Willman. We keep it clean-lined and neutral and let the art speak, with local artists represented in their homes. At a Kaupulehu Street residence, Willman hung Honolulu artist Tim Nguyens vibrant painting Ohana Days in the living room, which sort of sets the tone for the whole house, Willman says. The custom koa dining room table from Honolulus Martin & MacArthur features a traditional Hawaiian-style reeded base, she notes, while Big Island woodworkers contributed pieces that include Gerald Bens curving console table with marquetry inspired by Hawaiian warrior feather capelets, and Atlee Riddles mango butcher-block kitchen island. Tropical woods in general, including mahogany cabinets and live-edge slab tables, impress todays buyers, Willman says. Most rave about how comfortable, warm and rich it looks. I get asked about the election all the time, and Im like, really? Bonnie Morales is talking about the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, something that has extra impact when youre chef of the United States most exciting Russian restaurant, Portlands Kachka. I make fun of Putin as much as the next person, she says with a half-laugh. Just because I cook food I like to eat doesnt mean Im colluding. Raised in Chicago by her Jewish Belorussian parents, Morales accepts the next big thing in food will never be Russian because theres often resistance to try it. But she couldnt resist opening Kachka with her husband four years ago anyway. We felt if we dont do it, maybe nobody will. Its estimated 40,000 or more people linked with countries of the former Soviet Bloc call the Portland area home. The first arrived after Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867, then others came in waves from the Russian Civil War to the post-Soviet exodus. The community tends to group its parts by religion. Nearby Woodburn is home to a traditional community of Old Believers, while Orthodox, Pentecostal, Jewish and regular Soviet folks pepper different parts of the suburbs. This means exploring Portlands Slavic side isnt about finding a concentrated area like Brooklyns Brighton Beach, but knowing where to look. Business in the Morales Central Eastside 13-table spot is booming. Last year she took half her staff to Russia and published the first Russian cookbook in America in over a quarter-century. This May, Kachka moves to a bigger location, while leaving the original site as a vodka bar. Just inside Kachkas door on Grand Avenue, a hammer and sickle are bolted on the wall. Ahead, a portrait of Vladimir Lenin watches as bearded mixologists pour horseradish-infused vodkas and folk songs of Vladimir Vysotsky (sort of a Soviet prequel to Tom Waits) softly play. Its transporting even before the food arrives. Which is essentially a cross-section of Soviet home cooking, from juicy Siberian-style pelmeni dumplings and Baltic-leaning smoked fish to short rib borsch and a seven-layer herring salad that looks like a compact birthday cake of carrots, beets, onions and mayo. I literally see people shocked they like it, Morales says. They write #ThingINeverThoughtIdSay tweets saying Im craving Russian food. Near downtown, the Markovco gallery is run by a recently immigrated Russian family featuring icon-like, gold-leaf paintings using mythological subjects rather than saints. Andre Temkin, who helps arrange visits of Russian rock bands, is leader of Chervona, a popular Russian/gypsy/world music band that recently helped with on-stage music for Anton Chekovs Uncle Vanya. Beaverton, just west, is home to the Russian Ballet Academy, while Kiska is a pole-dancing school north of downtown that teaches how to train like a Russian. Ive long been a Slavophile, studying Russian in college and updating guidebooks for the Trans-Siberian Railway that took me from Moscow to Vladivostok. I quickly found theres more to Russian dining than images of Soviet bread lines or bland foods served by grim-faced cooks in a stolovaya (cafeteria). One can see that in one of Portlands several Russian groceries, which bake their own dark rye breads, fill their own piroshki with meats or mushrooms, and sell ikra (caviar), frozen vareniki dumplings and Russias greatest secret: rich, dense dairy products such as ryazhenka, a fermented milk you drink from the bottle. Elegant Foods simply signed House of Bread in Russian and English resides in a humble strip mall on NE Glisan Avenue in east Portland. Inside, scents from the back bakery greet visitors even before the employees offer a zdravstvuyte (Russian for hello). Not all customers know how to answer. Weekends are my American days, explains co-owner Elena Vykhovanets, who left Kazakhstan when she was 3. Many come and ask how to make Kachkas herring salad. I show them the ingredients and tell how to do it. Across town, a few blocks from Sellwoods antiques row on SE 13th Avenue, Natalya Ahurska remembers her first lesson in American life after moving here from Lviv, Ukraine, about a decade ago: learning to smile. Her face reddens as she flashes one, as if to prove it, while she slices potatoes and onions with her daughter in the cozy basement of St Johns Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Today is Saturday: perogie day. Dressed in a leopard-skin blouse and a blue apron reading perogies in gold stitching, Natalya cooks up to 600 dozen potato-and-cheese vareniki (a Ukrainian version of perogies) each month. My grandmas all called them perogies, she says about using the Polish name. But when we advertised vareniki here, no one knew what it was. I join a half dozen locals to eat a plateful coated in caramelized onions and sour cream at one of the communal tables. Nearby shelves are filled with wooden knickknacks and a portrait of Taras Shevchenko Our national poet, Natalia coos facing a plump lute-like instrument called a kobza. Boiled chunks of meat-filled dough can be a logical gateway for any cuisine. Natalya calls her dumplings simple, village food, while Bonnie at Kachka says dumplings are the great equalizer, because nearly everyone is game to try them. And for Portlands James Beard Award-winning chef Vitaly Paley, dumplings are an ideal means of practicing diplomacy. Theyre comforting, he says, at times when everyones anxious about the state of the world. Vitaly, who left his home in Belarus when he was 13 and hasnt returned, didnt always see it that way. At first, those of us who left the Soviet Union wanted to forget where we came from, he says. For years, I didnt want to go to Russian neighborhoods. And I ended up marrying an American girl. After living in New York and France, Vitaly relocated to Portland (on a whim) to be closer to natural ingredients. Particularly mushrooms. He now runs several Portland kitchens, notably Paleys Place, a converted Victorian house in Nob Hill that he opened with his wife Kimberly in 1995. After spending most of his career as a mutt dabbling in French and Italian cuisines, he started his return to his culinary roots with a pop-up event after the Sochi Olympics four years ago. Recently its blown up into twice-monthly dumpling nights on Mondays at Paleys Place (as well as a full Russian monthly dinner at the Heathman Hotel). I didnt know what to expect, he says. Honestly, who drinks vodka on Mondays? Its dumpling night, and 24 of us sit at two full communal tables decorated by colorfully illustrated Russian-style tea towels and an array of matryoshka nesting dolls. Vitaly offers an opening toast before starting off the three-course dumpling meal that spanned the former Soviet Union, beginning with a Georgian-style kinkhali served with a rich chicken-bone broth you sip from the familys vintage teacups. Diners mostly keep to themselves, until some of the 26 vodkas on hand make the rounds. Wo-ow, says my dining neighbor, who relocated here not long ago from Northern California. Ill never have a bone broth again and think it can stand up to anything after this. Vitaly is happy with this success, but, like Bonnie at Kachka, he finds it surprising. I think people respect something thats not a hocus-pocus thing. But food thats real, with substance and history, he surmises. You can feel that when you eat this. Robert Reid is a freelance writer based in Portland. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com. Twitter and Instagram: @reidontravel If you go Where to eat Kachka: 720 SE Grand Ave., Portland, (503) 235-0059, www.kachkapdx.com. Open 4 p.m. to midnight daily. Elegant Foods: 10121 NE Glisan St., Portland, (503) 262-6733. Fresh-made rye breads and piroshki from $1. Roman Russian Super Market: 10918 SE Division St., Portland, (503) 408-7527, www.facebook.com/RomanRussianSuperMarket. Well-stocked grocery, fresh breads and pastries. St Johns Ukrainian Orthodox Church: 8014 SE 16th Ave., Portland, (503) 235-7129. Serves handmade pirogies, hot or frozen to take away, from 11am to 2pm Saturdays. DaNet Dumpling & Vodka: Paleys Place, 1204 NW 21st Ave., Portland, (503) 243-2403, www.eatfeastly.com. Three-course dumplings with a shot of vodka, $45. Held twice monthly on Mondays. Paleys DaNet Russian monthly pop-up meal is held at the Heathman, $125. What to do Markovco: 625 NW Everett St. No. 111, Portland, (503) 954-6576, www.markovco.com. Art gallery. Kiska: 1435 NW Raleigh St., Portland, (503) 438-9665, www.kiskapole.com. Russian-style pole-dancing classes. Portland Slavic Festival: www.slavicfestivalportland.org. The ninth annual festival is scheduled for July 22-23. Practicing hand-to-hand-combat moves in between chanting and breathing exercises, a focused group of men and women appear to be preparing for battle on this beachfront lawn on Maui. Instead, these warriors are taking part in a fitness program offered by Kiakahi Maui , named for the Hawaiian word for united in purpose, at Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas. The leaders goal: increased functional fitness and cultural connection. Inspired by the mental and physical fitness training used during ancient Hawaiis seasonal Lono I Ka Makahiki, or time of peace, Kiakahi co-founders and instructors Kale Kahi and Kua Racinto train students outdoors in a holistic method that combines traditional battle training with breathing exercises and contemporary functional movements. Were helping people connect with themselves more fully by more deeply tuning them into their bodies, Kahi says. Our focus on breathing sets a foundation for the progressively more intensive physical exercises, and together it creates the holistic Kiakahi experience. Kahi and Racinto start classes with a brief introduction of Hawaiian words to be used throughout class, from a deeper meaning of aloha to the words for inhale and exhale, hanu and ha, and a functional warm-up series they call the activation phase, to prepare muscles for conditioning. Anna Kim Photography Core class components include a play-fighting series of movements called hakoko, a crawling series called kolo, a dynamic-tension series using laau, or long wooden sticks, and an intense battle ropes conditioning series. Hanu-ha is a mantra used to bring the attention back to the breathing throughout the class to push through the challenging physical work. In the days of old Hawaii, the men had to be well skilled for warfare, not only physically but mentally and spiritually. The warriors would pick up rocks, throw spears and practice diving off cliffs, competing to see who was the best at each skill, said Makalapua Kanuha, director of culture at the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas. Jean Dagupion, 25, a recent participant who lives nearby in Napili, said he appreciated learning about traditions in the session. Kale explained everything really well and thoroughly, Dagupion said. I enjoyed the cultural aspect that he ties in, kind of just recognizing your surroundings and being in the present, instead of worrying about other things that may be weighing you down. Started in 2015, Kiakahi also offers a free weekly community class on Kiheis Sugar Beach, where functional cardio movements might include battling with ropes on the sand and carrying rocks into the water for an underwater endurance run. In August, Kiakahi added the Thursday morning drop-in classes for resort guests and visitors on the grounds of the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, the only one on West Maui offering this kind of experience, according to Kanuha. Guests need not be in prime fighting shape to experience the full 90-minute session ($65). Kiakahi tweaked the resorts programming to accommodate for all fitness levels and all ages. Guests from 12 to 60-plus now regularly drop in for an outdoor workout with a side of Hawaiian history and connection to the culture, according to the instructors. Kahi encourages anyone who wants to learn more about Polynesian culture, which has a deep physical connection to our bodies and where we are, to consider participating. Were born and bred here and we are that experience you cant find it anywhere else. San Francisco writer Margaux Lushing created the Well+Away VitalGuides guidebook series. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com Kiakahi Maui, 85 N. Kihei Road, Kihei. (808) 281-9940, www.kiakahimaui.com. Free community class, 8 a.m. Sunday. Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas: 6 Kai Ala Drive, Lahaina. (808) 667-3200, www.westinkaanapali.com. $65 per class, includes water and towels, 8 a.m. Thursday. Theres no need to go with the Lava Flow. Hawaiis top lounges have elevated cocktail hour with innovative recipes and private-label liquors, winning acclaim even beyond the islands. Jeanne Cooper Oahu: Bar Leather Apron The James Beard Foundation recently named downtown Honolulus intimate bar as one of 20 semifinalists for its Best Bar Program Award the only one in Hawaii to make the cut. We did not expect it at all. It was like a dream come true, says Tom Park, who founded Bar Leather Apron with bartender Justin Park (no relation) in 2015. I think what caught the nominators eyes were our attention to detail and our Japanese palate. The bars most popular cocktail is its BLA Old Fashioned ($14), which features a hand-picked Knob Creek Single Barrel Whiskey and wasanbon sugar. The fine-grained sweetener from Japan blends with other Japanese ingredients in the green-tea-tinged Matcha Old Fashioned ($16), shiso-scented Imperial Old Fashioned ($20) and Yuzu Sour ($15). We visit Japan two to three times a year and carry 50 pounds of that wasanbon sugar each time we come back, notes Tom Park, adding that he and his partner have also worked hard to import ambience. Small cocktail bars in Japan that focus on attention to detail with passionate bartenders have been a major influencer on what we wanted Bar Leather Apron to be. Kauai: RumFire Poipu Beach Curren Mizumoto of The Lanai overcame 15 other finalists in a 15-week Top Chef-style competition to be named Kauais best bartender for 2017. The title comes with the honor of seeing his winning cocktail on this years menu at RumFire Poipu Beach, which presented the contest with the locally based Koloa Rum Co. Sampled by 250 guests and a panel of judges in the final round, Mizumotos E Kuu Inu (My Love Drink, $13) features pink and green layers made with Koloa White Rum, dry Curacao, fresh basil and mint juice, fresh watermelon, lime juice, a pinch of jalapeno and Hawaiian salt. www.rumfirekauai.com Oahu: Halekulani Waikikis most elegant hotel celebrated its 100th anniversary throughout 2017, including the release in late December of the Halekulani Legacy Collection of Spirits, available for a limited time this year. Charles Brastaad, director of Frances family-run House of Delamain, selected from library stocks of XO (Extra Old) Cognac dating back to 1917 to produce the Halekulani-labeled Cognac, Digne du Paradis (befitting heaven); Halekulani means house befitting heaven in Hawaiian. Patrons can sample the Cognac ($155) at the hotels Lewers Lounge, LAperitif cocktail bar or at La Mer restaurant, as a premium pairing on its Seasonal Degustation menu. Rather more accessible is a taste of Heaven Hill Distillerys Halekulani Single Barrel Bourbon under the Elijah Craig label. The family-owned Kentucky distillery found a bottle of vintage 1960s Halekulani Bourbon in its archives, then blended it with a more recent barrel. You can sample it neat ($16 a shot) or in the 1930s-inspired Halekulani cocktail ($19), including Aperol and yuzu, at any of the hotels restaurants and lounges. www.halekulani.com Maui: Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua The West Maui resorts rebranded pool cafe Ai Ono, Hawaiian for Eat well or Delicious food, focuses on tacos and Tequila cocktails. Among its delicious new drinks are two incorporating the resorts private-label Patron Reposado Tequila: the Plantation Punch, which also includes agave, fresh orange juice, pineapple juice and lime, and the RC-Biscus-Rita, which blends the proprietary Tequila with Grand Marnier, raspberry peach liqueur, hibiscus syrup and lime. www.ritz-carlton.com/maui Maui: Luana Lounge A new skinny cocktail menu ($15) debuts this month at the Fairmont Kea Lanis chic lobby bar, thanks to mixologist Aaron Alcala Mosley. I personally feel there is a big misconception on the amount of sugar that goes into a well-crafted cocktail. That being said, I know there is also a group which for health purposes must limit their sugar intake, he says. Because sugar provides depth to a cocktail, Mosley says, his four skinny recipes, between 105 and 121 calories each, will use a substitute derived from stevia leaf extract. I think our version of a skinny margarita, or Skinnyrita, is fun because we have ensured that all the flavors of a margarita tequila, lime, orange, salt are present without additional sugar from liqueurs, he notes. The Leaf Thin, a kind of mojito that can be made with gin, vodka, Tequila or rum, will be a crowd favorite, Mosley predicts. Herbaceous cocktails are always well received, especially when you can pick your base spirit. Hawaii: Rays on the Bay The Sheraton Kona lounge and restaurant recently completed a $400,000 raynovation, creating an ocean-view bar with more fire pit seating and modern decor. Signature drinks include two vodka cocktails (both $12): the Raystini, which includes lychee liqueur, grapefruit and lemon soda, and the Keauhou Mule, which gets its kick from ginger, passionfruit, basil and fresh lime. Cloaked in fog, there's no city on earth as noir as San Francisco. All conversations about San Francisco noir start with 'The Maltese Falcon,' but that's hardly the only crime thriller set in the city. San Francisco was a favorite of directors throughout the 1940s and 1950s, from Orson Welles to Delmer Daves, who used the city's dark corners to hide their smooth-talking villains. 'The Lady from Shanghai,' 'D.O.A.' and 'Impact' are just a few of the post-war films to shoot scenes in the city. BART and Caltrain riders have been clamoring for Wi-Fi service on trains almost since the Internet was invented, while sniffing with incredulity at the absurdity of low-tech transit in a region that gave flight to a high-tech world. Finally, they are about to get their wish but it could take as many as three years for BART and four years on Caltrain. BART is in negotiations with a vendor to install Wi-Fi in the transit systems 46 stations and aboard all of its 775 new cars and hopes to have a deal by summer, said Ravi Misra, chief information officer. The stations will come first in a year to 18 months after a deal is signed then the cars. That could take about three years, Misra said. Each of BARTs new Fleet of the Future cars will come outfitted for Wi-Fi, something the existing cars dont have. BART expects to have a full fleet of the new cars by the end of 2022. Its going to take some time, Misra said. Providing Wi-Fi for passengers on moving trains involves erecting poles and antennas along tracks to relay signals, work that primarily will have to be done when trains arent running, he said. Once installed, that technology can also be used to support a variety of other services, Misra said, including better police communications, maintenance tracking, mobile payment and messaging. Then there are applications focused on passenger convenience: sending messages to riders to inform them the train they usually take is running late or overly crowded, or even notifying them of discounts at businesses their train is approaching. BART could also use its Wi-Fi technology to connect riders to their next mode of transit, offering directions or letting them know when their bus or shuttle will arrive. And when autonomous cars hit the roads, riders could arrange to have their car waiting for them at the station just as their train pulls in. More for you What other Bay Area transit agencies are doing about Wi-Fi We want to cater to our customers, Misra said. BART also expects to sell access to its Wi-Fi technology to retailers and other businesses. Misra estimates that could generate $10 million a year in revenue. Caltrain carries some of the worlds most tech-savvy riders as its trains travel between San Francisco and Gilroy, but has never provided Wi-Fi, despite howls, and tweets, of protest. Caltrain officials had said that installing it was too costly and would steal money away from needed improvements to the 154-year-old commuter railroad. But theres been a change of heart. With Caltrains conversion from diesel to electric under construction, the system is installing the technology that will be needed to provide Wi-Fi. Caltrain is on schedule to start running electric trains in 2022, said spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew. As with BART, however, Caltrains Wi-Fi will work only on its new trains. Plans call for 75 percent of the trains to operate under electrical power at first, with the rest running on diesel until the railroad can afford to dump its old locomotives. Caltrain hopes that a possible federal grant could allow it to replace its entire fleet of cars in four years, delivering not only faster and more frequent service but also Wi-Fi on all trains. Wi-Fi is a top priority, Bartholomew said. I know people have urged us to get it, and we need it. Especially with these new (rail) cars, theyll be hottest thing out there, so theyll have Wi-Fi. BART riders got an ever-so-slight taste of Wi-Fi service between 2009 and 2014. WiFi Rail, a Sacramento company, promised to install the service systemwide but was never able to provide it to more than 5 percent of the system, mainly in downtown San Francisco and Oakland, BART reported in 2014. Passengers complained that the service was weak, spotty and unreliable, and BART terminated WiFi Rails 20-year contract. The company sued BART. The lawsuit is pending. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan Wi-Fi and transit Nationally, the number of transit agencies that provide Wi-Fi service is rising, according to the American Public Transportation Association. But its still relatively low for subway-type systems like BART, with less than 1 percent offering the service, compared with 38 percent for commuter trains, 56 percent for longer-distance commuter buses and 16 percent for transit buses. Fewer than 1 percent of the nations light-rail and streetcar systems have Wi-Fi. In the Bay Area, a few transportation agencies offer Wi-Fi service, but not all of them. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority The agency has Wi-Fi on all of its light-rail and bus lines and at some of its transit hubs as a way to help riders stay connected and productive while riding our system, said spokeswoman Holly Perez. AC Transit The system offers Wi-Fi on its Transbay buses between the East Bay and San Francisco, but not on its local service at least not yet, said spokesman Robert Lyles. The agencys engineers are exploring the feasibility and cost of extending Wi-Fi to all of its new buses. SMART The Bay Areas newest transit system started service in August with all trains offering Wi-Fi. It seemed like an obvious amenity people want to use for working and for getting online when traveling for leisure, said Jeanne Mariani-Belding, a spokeswoman for SMART. Muni Currently, the Bay Areas busiest transit system offers no Wi-Fi service on its buses, light-rail cars, streetcars or cable cars. Most of its Metro subway also lacks cellular service. But theres good news for riders hoping for subterranean communication. The Municipal Transportation Agency has contracted with BART, which has cables and antennas providing cell phone service in its subways, to extend that service to Muni Metro, including the Market Street subway and Twin Peaks and Sunset tunnels. Work is expected to start this summer and take 12 to 18 months to complete. Noah Berger/Special to The Chronicle Contra Costa County Sheriffs officials said Thursday that it revoked an advocacy groups access to immigration detainees because volunteers violated guidelines that limit interactions with inmates. In a statement, the sheriffs office said volunteers with Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement, a San Francisco group that monitors jails where immigrants are detained, violated multiple rules. Among the violations, were the depositing of money into commissary accounts, sending of contraband although it did not say what, receiving phone calls and mail from detainees, relaying messages to family and friends of detainees, and providing their personal phone numbers and addresses to those they were visiting. After learning that a new Oakland coffee shop is refusing to serve uniformed officers, Oakland police officials said Friday they want to use the incident as an educational opportunity for new recruits. I think their position is very clear that they dont want the police in there, and I can respect that, said Sgt. Bryan Hubbard, vice president of the Police Officers Association who also runs the departments training academies. If they do call the police for any need, were going to respond professionally and give them the same level of service as anyone else regardless of their position. Last month, when Oakland Sgt. Robert Trevino walked into the coffee collective, Hasta Muerte, Spanish for until death, a barista told him the establishment doesnt serve police officers. Trevino is the Alameda County chapter president of the national Latino Peace Officers Association and works in the predominantly Latino Fruitvale neighborhood where the shop is located. The cafe, which opened several months ago after a successful crowdfunding campaign, has a mural outside to memorialize Oscar Grant and others killed in police shootings. Hubbard said he hadnt spoken with Trevino to know his true reason for going in aside from getting a cup of coffee, of course. Knowing him personally, he highly values community policing and hes known as going out and building relationships with merchants, Hubbard said. City Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents the Fruitvale district and has known Trevino since his youth, said the sergeant was doing exactly what he wanted more police to do: introducing themselves to local businesses, neighbors and schools and patrolling on foot or bike. We need to work together, and thats what were trying to do with law enforcement, Gallo said, adding that the corner has been challenged for years with crime. At the end of the day, when that cafe gets robbed or shot up or whatever, were going to have to call the police. Gallo said he will reach out to Hasta Muerte and police officials next week to see if we can work something out to trust each other, or at least get along." The Oakland fire union has asked its members to refrain from going to the shop out of solidarity with police officers. Trevino mentioned his espresso rejection to Sgt. Barry Donelan, president of the police association, who then sent a letter to Hasta Muerte, asking it to clarify its policy on whether it serves officers. Obviously, this is both a surprise and a matter of concern for all Oakland Police Officers, Donelan wrote. Oakland Police Officers work tirelessly every day to serve the residents of our City. I have never heard of Police Officers being refused service by an Oakland business. The collective didnt respond directly, but posted on Instagram a picture saying in Spanish, Talk with your neighbors, not the police alongside an Xed out police badge. The post went on to affirm that Hasta Muerte does not serve police because police presence compromises our feeling of physical & emotional safety. Since then, cop supporters are trying to publicly shame us online with low reviews because this particular police visitor was Latino, the shop wrote. We need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police. Especially in an area faced by drug sales and abuse, homelessness, and toxic masculinity as we see here on this block. Hasta Muerte did not return a request for comment. Hubbard said he and Trevino who teaches a section in the academy on racial diversity will use the incident during training to drive home the point that it doesnt matter how people feel about the police, you have to treat everyone equally. The Police Department said on Twitter it respects business owners rights and that it was reaching out to have constructive dialogue. Working in a diverse city like this where theres mixed feelings about the police, were used to it, Hubbard said. I didnt lose any sleep over it. Peter Thiel is Silicon Valleys homegrown Cassandra. He warned for years that the big tech companies were arrogant and clueless and less good for mankind than they believed. Comeuppance, the billionaire investor warned, was coming. Trouble has arrived. Unfortunately for Thiel, the storm is centered on Facebook, whose board he has been a member of practically since its founding. The social network, which billed itself as bringing democracy and enlightenment to the world, was used by the Russians to subvert democracy and sow confusion in the United States. Even people paid to see the future did not see that one coming. The boards role is to help think about some of the medium- and longer-term problems coming around the corner, Thiel said. We were far from perfect in doing that. Thiel, 50, is at the center of nearly every issue that roils Silicon Valley, ranging from the tech elites fascination with New Zealand hideaways (Thiel obtained New Zealand citizenship) to bitcoin (he is a major investor) to the problems of herd thinking (he is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles to escape it) to the evolving role of content on the Internet (he has been exploring the creation of a media company that would outflank Breitbart and Fox for a younger audience). Two subjects are overwhelming everything else: President Trump, whom Thiel aggressively backed during his campaign, and Facebook, whose core mission is being called into question in the wake of the Russian revelations. In a typical Thiel move he tends to run toward controversy even as his Silicon Valley peers try to make themselves inconspicuous he agreed, in a rare interview, to talk about both. Its been a crazier two years than I would have thought, Thiel said in his new Midtown Manhattan apartment, which is so far up in the clouds that it literally looks down on Trump Tower. Despite the proximity, the mutual enthusiasm between Thiel and Trump seems to have cooled. After Thiel spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016, there were unsourced media reports that said Trump wanted to put him on the Supreme Court. But now even photo ops are rare. The investor said he had last spoken to the president a few months ago. We dont talk that often, he said, but added, I can get access anytime I want. The Trump whom Thiel touted at the Republican convention was a candidate who would end the era of stupid wars and rebuild our country, move us past fake culture wars and start projects the equivalent of the Apollo space program. That does not seem to be the president he got. There are all these ways that things have fallen short, Thiel said. But he said he had no regrets about his endorsement. Its still better than Hillary Clinton or the Republican zombies, he said, referring to the other candidates. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Thiel is routinely labeled a libertarian. On a bookshelf in the apartment, as if in confirmation, is a hardback copy of Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged, the bible of the movement. A gift, he said. A lesser-known but possibly deeper influence was French philosopher Rene Girard, who taught at Stanford when Thiel was an undergraduate there. For 15 years, on and off, Thiel sat in on a study group about Girards ideas. Girard believed humans were deeply mimetic, which is to say they copy one another. Its very anti-Ayn Rand: There are no self-contained autonomous figures, Thiel said. Our desires are not our own. They get shaped powerfully by the society around us. It was this illumination that helped him see the potential of Facebook where people could find out in intimate and addictive detail what their friends were up to when it was barely a year old. He was the first outside investor, buying 10 percent of the company for $500,000. He sold most of his holdings in 2012 as Facebook went public. A few months ago, with Facebooks market capitalization at about $500 billion, he sold most of what he had left. Last summer, there was a flap when a memo by a fellow board member, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, appeared in the New York Times. In the memo, Hastings wrote to Thiel that he displayed catastrophically bad judgment in supporting Trump. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not ask him to step down from the board, and reports that he wants to leave the board are incorrect, Thiel said, noting that among other things he brings ideological diversity. He declined to say exactly how much or what kind of advice the Facebook board was offering Zuckerberg, but defended the company from criticism that it was slow to wake up to what the Russians did. Remember when Trump said the election was going to be rigged? People said that was crazy How dare you question the integrity of the electoral process? That was the view of most of the people working at Facebook, too, he said. They did not think things were so hackable. It was a mistake, but an understandable mistake. Facebook declined to comment. The anger being turned on Facebook, Thiel argued, is less about Russia specifically and more about tech arrogance its failure to do so much for so many. It is a sentiment that helped put Trump in the White House. The Trump campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, was perhaps the single most offensive thing you could say to Silicon Valley, he said. Silicon Valley says the future is going to be better than the past. That is the propaganda, if you will. A friend of his in Silicon Valley had the idea of running for governor of California this year. Thiels advice was that he had better have a good answer to this question: Why is tech good for the average person in California? The answer, he cautioned, couldnt be a banality, such as its making us more connected, and it couldnt be utopian, such as its going to cure all diseases. He wasnt able to come up with an answer, and I couldnt come up with one, either, Thiel said. He declined to identify the friend, but it is well known in tech circles that Sam Altman, president of Y Combinator, the prominent startup accelerator, was thinking about running. Altman confirmed it was him and said he had decided not to run for many reasons. There is a big painting of a cresting wave in Thiels living room, and it might as well be a visual metaphor for what is going on in big tech now. Having some ambition that transcends just making money is a critical thing for a company, he said. But there is some point where it gets crazy and self-delusional. He added that the companies are probably in some trouble maybe its a little, maybe its a lot. The prospect of government regulation looms. In 2015 and 2016, Thiel gave $300,000 to Josh Hawley, who was campaigning to become Missouris attorney general. Hawley won, and in November he opened an antitrust investigation of Google. A spokeswoman for Hawley, a Republican who is now challenging the states Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, said there was no connection between Thiels donation and the investigation. Google declined to comment. The news last month that Thiel is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles reflects a shift that is as much mental as literal. Getting out of the tech bubble, he figures, will give him more clarity about his investments. Network effects are very positive things, but theres a tipping point where they fall over into the madness of crowds, he said. Another of Thiels contentious ideas was destroying Gawker, the online publisher. He secretly financed the privacy lawsuit that Hulk Hogan, the former pro wrestler, filed against the media company, which Hogan won. That led to Gawkers bankruptcy in 2016. A news operation that specialized in deflating the arrogance of Silicon Valley should have been to Thiels liking. But he argues that his philosophy is consistent here. Gawker was trying to cut people down to size for not conforming, he said. The ability to speak and not have every word you say get distorted, to have wrong ideas and then be able to correct them these notions were powerfully undercut by Gawker. Thiel is still pursuing the remnants of Gawker in court, which has prompted accusations that he wants to remove all its content from the Internet as a final victory. He denied this. Terry Bollea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, is still owed some money from the Gawker sale, and that is what I am trying to get, he said. I dont want the archives. I dont think it makes sense to destroy them. Preserve them, study them instead. A jury convicted 33-year-old Deshun Kittles on charges related to his role in a 2015 shooting in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, the district attorney said. Kittles was found guilty of attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest with allegations for great bodily injury, personal and intentional discharge of a firearm and prior convictions. The jurys findings make clear that there is no place for violence in our community, District Attorney George Gascoof n said. This dangerous individual attempted to take anothers life and casually risked the lives of others in a reckless attempt to flee. Todays verdict ensures that he will be held accountable for his actions. Police responded to a report of shots fired on Nov. 17, 2015 at 2:51 p.m. near Watchman Way, according to court records. Officers found 26-year-old Ricky Tauaanuu suffering from four gunshot wounds. Tauaanuu was taken to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment and survived. Approaching officers saw a white Ford Fusion that had no license plates speeding on Dakota Street toward 25th Street, nearly colliding with the officers car as it made a turn. The officers then engaged in a car chase that ended at Connecticut and 25th streets, where they ordered Kittles to exit, which he refused to do. An officer pulled him from the car and Kittles pulled out a loaded gun, but in the ensuing struggled, he dropped the weapon and was handcuffed. Surveillance video and a witness who saw Kittles walking nearby just prior to the gunfire helped identify him as the shooter. Kittles next court hearing is scheduled for March 27. A Walnut Creek security guard turned on his co-worker Thursday night, killing the fellow guard with a metal pole at a construction site, police said. Hakim Madjour, 34, of Concord was arrested on a charge of murder after he violently and unexpectedly attacked 60-year-old Harry Swayne of San Pablo, who also patrolled the construction site, according to authorities. The alleged wheelman in a Mission District armed robbery that ended in a deadly police shooting pleaded not guilty to second-degree robbery charges Friday and was granted conditional release from San Francisco County Jail. Victor Navarro-Flores, 19, was driving a black Honda Civic shortly after a robbery near 20th and Capp streets around 10:35 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Officers stopped the vehicle on Capp near 21st Street and arrested Navarro-Flores. During the arrest, police discovered a man was hiding in the trunk. After a brief standoff, officers shot and killed the man in the trunk, later identified as 19-year-old Mission District resident Jesus Delgado-Duarte. Video of the incident appears to show Delgado-Duarte shooting at police moments before officers unleash a deadly barrage of gunfire. Delgado-Duarte was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they recovered a gun in the trunk. No officers were injured. Police announced that a town hall meeting will be held 6 p.m. Monday to provide the community with an update on the investigation on the officer-involved shooting. After the hail of gunfire came to an end, police found Navarro-Flores 18-year-old fiancee, Cristina Juarez, uninjured in the back seat of the car along with a dog. Officers arrested Juarez on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy, but prosecutors declined to file charges on Friday and she was released from jail. Navarro-Flores was charged with one count of second-degree robbery. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen Murphy agreed to release Navarro-Flores on Friday provided he enroll in electronic monitoring with the San Francisco Sheriffs Department on Monday and be confined to his home between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. Navarro-Flores attorney, Deputy Public Defender Chesa Boudin, said his client works as a barista in the Mission District and has a 3-month-old daughter at home. He was not armed. He pulled over. He exited the vehicle, and he cooperated fully with the police investigation, Boudin said. Citing security video of the robbery, Assistant District Attorney Kara Lacy said the court should have great concern of public safety and successfully argued for the electronic monitoring, which also met the defenses approval. She said the video shows Navarro-Flores pulled the car over to allow Delgado-Duarte to get out before driving a short distance. Navarro-Flores then popped the trunk and waited for the gunman to return after robbing the two victims, Lacy said. The prosecutor noted that while the defendant has no criminal history as an adult, there were other matters in his juvenile record that indicate a significant public safety concern. Several community advocates joined Navarro-Flores family members in the courts gallery during the brief hearing. Its wrong that hes in jail now, said Nataly Ortiz, a case manager with El Centro Bayview Family Resource Center who spoke with Navarro-Flores before the hearing. Hes hurting for his best friend. Murphy ordered Navarro-Flores to stay away from the scene at 21st and Capp streets with the exception of one visit to leave a candle at a memorial for his friend. Your honor, I just wanted to thank you for letting me be back with my community, Navarro-Flores said. Yellow Dog Productions/Getty Image A Hayward man was sentenced to two years in prison for making hundreds of harassing and obscene calls to domestic and international law enforcement agencies, officials said. Sammy Sultan, 44, admitted making hundreds of calls where he typically requested to speak to a female officer or sergeant, according to his plea agreement. In the calls, Sultan would claim to be a threat to himself or others if the person on the other end of the line refused to answer his questions. When Wes Craven set out to film his now-classic horror film "Scream," he was told the studio wanted to save money by shooting in Vancouver. But Craven had a vision for a uniquely American looking and feeling film, so he petitioned to keep production in the states. After some contentious debate, he was allowed to keep his movie in the U.S. and he had just the place in mind. Ben Margot/Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A very important person was missing inside the Scottsdale Stadium clubhouse Friday morning for the annual talk to the team by Giants legends. Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds addressed the team and acknowledged the absence of Orlando Cepeda, who remains in a Bay Area hospital recovering from a cardiac episode and a head injury from the resulting fall on Feb. 19. BILLINGS, Mont. A female wildland firefighter has been tapped by the Trump administration to lead the U.S. Forest Service as it reels from allegations of sexual misconduct and struggles to change its male-dominated culture. Vickie Christensen was appointed interim chief of the 35,000-employee agency late Thursday. The move came roughly 24 hours after former Chief Tony Tooke abruptly retired following revelations of an investigation into alleged relationships with subordinates. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a far-reaching school-safety bill Friday that places new restrictions on guns in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting, cementing his states break with the National Rifle Association. The NRA immediately fought back with a lawsuit. The new law capped an extraordinary three weeks of lobbying that followed the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with student survivors and grieving families working to persuade a Republican-run state government that had shunned gun control measures. Surrounded by family members of the 17 people killed in the Valentines Day shooting, the GOP governor said the bill balances our individual rights with need for public safety. Its an example to the entire country that government can and has moved fast, said Scott. Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was killed in the shooting, read a statement from victims families: When it comes to preventing future acts of horrific school violence, this is the beginning of the journey. We have paid a terrible price for this progress. The bill fell short of achieving the ban on assault-style weapons sought by survivors. The gunman who opened fire at the school used such a weapon, an AR-15 rifle. Nevertheless, the bill raises the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21, extends a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases to include long guns and bans bump stocks, which allow guns to mimic fully automatic fire. It also creates a guardian program enabling some teachers and other school employees to carry guns. The NRA insisted that the measure punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual. The group promptly filed a lawsuit to block the provision that raises the age to buy guns, arguing that it violates the Second Amendment. The signing marked a major victory for the teens who lived through the attack and swiftly became the public faces of a renewed gun control movement. Just days after the shooting, they began holding rallies, lobbying lawmakers and harnessing the power of social media in support of reform. The governor told the students: You helped change our state. You made a difference. You should be proud. Scott said he is still not persuaded about the guardian program that will let districts authorize staff members to carry handguns if they complete law enforcement training. It is not mandatory. If counties dont want to do this, they can simply say no, he said. Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old accused of assaulting the school, faces 17 counts of murder and attempted murder. 1 Manafort in court: President Trumps former campaign chairman pleaded not guilty on charges including tax evasion and bank fraud. Paul Manafort did not speak during the Thursday arraignment at a northern Virginia courthouse. A trial date of July 10 has been set, four months earlier than the defense had wanted. The grand jury indictment in the Washington suburb of Alexandria accuses Manafort of hiding from the Internal Revenue Service tens of millions of dollars he earned advising pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine. 2 Deadly error: Authorities are trying to determine why Missouri police officers responding to a 911 call were sent to the wrong house, where they say James Waters opened fire, killing Officer Christopher Ryan Morton and wounding two others before he, too, died. Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said whoever placed the 911 call on Tuesday night didnt speak to the dispatcher, but two women could be heard arguing in the background, so officers were sent to check on the disturbance. For reasons that authorities still are trying to determine, the officers were sent to the address in Clinton where they were shot instead of the home from where the call was made, which was about 15 miles away in Windsor. RALEIGH, N.C. A white police officer whose body camera recorded him beating a black pedestrian he accused of jaywalking has been arrested on assault charges. Christopher Hickman was charged late Thursday with assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury and communicating threats, according to the Buncombe County District Attorneys Office. A phone listing for Hickman had a full inbox that wouldnt take messages Friday. WASHINGTON As he blitzed through the industrial Midwest as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump pitched himself as the savior of the forgotten men and women in communities where factories had been shuttered and jobs were moved overseas. Now, Trump is risking a trade war to fulfill a political promise to the voters who helped put him in the White House. His decision to levy stiff new tariffs on aluminum and steel imports puts him at odds with most of the Republican Party, prominent business groups and even some of his own advisers, who warn that the decision could backfire and slow economic growth in a midterm election year. According to economic analysts, some of the communities that would be hardest hit by a trade standoff could be the same ones the president says hes aiming to help. Yet those arguments had little resonance with Trump during the fiery battle over tariffs that has played out in the West Wing in recent days. Having overcome the opposition, Trump relished Thursdays signing ceremony, where he was flanked by steelworkers some carrying their hard hats who lavished praise on his decision. Im delivering on a promise I made during the campaign, Trump said. Gesturing to the workers, Trump said part of the reason hes in the White House was because of you and my message having to do with you. Current and former White House officials often describe the president as being preoccupied with keeping campaign promises to his loyal supporters, even if those decisions are unpopular with a broader swath of Americans. In public and in private, Trump still speaks frequently of his victories 16 months ago in Democratic-leaning states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where working-class white voters helped propel him to victory. Hell likely need to carry those states again if he hopes to win re-election in 2020. In Pennsylvania, both the Republican and Democratic candidate running in next weeks House special election endorsed the broad outlines of the presidents approach on tariffs during a recent debate. Trump plans to campaign for Republican Rick Saccone on Saturday. However, most GOP lawmakers have balked at Trumps approach, which includes exemptions for Mexico and Canada and the opportunity for other countries to appeal for a similar reprieve. Lawmakers fear a trade war could wipe away economic gains and leave them on shaky ground with voters in November. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin called the tariffs a very risky action that could put agricultural and manufacturing jobs in his state and across the country at risk. CHP / / A major San Francisco freeway connector was shut down Friday afternoon after an armed assailant boxed in another car and robbed the occupants at gunpoint, California Highway Patrol officials said. The robbery happened just before 1 p.m. on the southbound Interstate 280 connector to Highway 101, the CHP said. A San Francisco man with convictions in high-profile arson cases, including one in which he burned the body of a sexual partner, was arrested this week on suspicion of attempted murder as well as several counts of arson, authorities said. David Munoz Diaz, 28, was booked into San Francisco County Jail at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, records show. Police did not immediately provide details about his latest alleged crime. Diaz is well-known to city law enforcement. He was arrested and charged with murder in the June 2011 death of Freddy Canul-Arguello after the victims body was found burned in Buena Vista Park. A San Francisco Superior Court jury, however, cleared Diaz of the murder allegation in 2014 while returning a guilty verdict on a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. Diaz was also convicted of arson and sentenced to time served. Diazs attorneys had argued that he accidentally killed Canul-Arguello while choking him during a sexual encounter at a hook-up spot, and then ignited the fire to signal help. Though the jury came back with an arson conviction, Judge Donald Sullivan set it aside over prosecutors objections, noting that Diaz had no previous criminal record and was unlikely to set another fire. Had Diaz been convicted of arson, he would have been forced to register in a state arsonist database. Shortly after Diazs release from jail, San Francisco authorities responded to a string of arson fires that terrorized the Castro district over a four-month period, starting in late 2014. Many of these fires remain unsolved. But in January 2015, Diaz was charged with setting a fire that month at Up Hair salon in the Castro, which was owned by his boyfriend. Diaz was also charged with a December 2014 fire that damaged the boyfriends car and a third count of possessing of an incendiary device. Diaz was convicted in the case, sentenced to a year of mandatory supervision in September 2016, and required to register as an arsonist. Two months later, he was accused of a vicious attack in San Francisco in which he allegedly handcuffed the victim, bit a chunk out of his scalp, cut his tongue and slit his nose, ear and lip. Diaz pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to five years of probation. The Napa County Sheriff's Office has responded to a report of an active shooter inside a building at the Veterans Home in Yountville, listed at 260 California Dr., sheriff's Capt. Steve Blower said this morning. The sheriff's office asked people to avoid the area because of police activity around 10:45 a.m. A suspect arrested on suspicion of slaying a 60-year-old man in Walnut Creek Thursday night is being held on $1 million bail, police said this morning. Hakim Madjour, 34, of Concord, was arrested on suspicion of murder, treated for minor injuries at John Muir Medical Center and booked at the Martinez Detention Facility, according to police. The case began when officers responded to a construction site in the 1800 block of Lacassie Avenue around 6:52 p.m. They found a 60-year-old man on the ground with severe head wounds, police said. Medical personnel worked to save the man, but he died of his injuries at the scene, according to police. The officers allegedly found Madjour near the victim, police said. They learned that Madjour and the victim knew each other and were working as security guards at the construction site, according to police. Madjour allegedly attacked the victim with a metal pole, police said. The officers recovered the pole and other evidence at the scene. Santa Rosa police arrested a Santa Rosa man Thursday on suspicion of robbing a gas station at gunpoint earlier in the day. The robbery at the 76 gas station at 3230 Coffey Lane at Piner Road in Santa Rosa occurred around 8:30 a.m. The suspect fled with cash north on Coffey Lane in a gray Volkswagen Jetta. Detectives determined the suspect was staying at the Extended Stay America hotel at 100 Fountaingrove Parkway. Police waited outside the hotel and contacted the suspect as he got in his vehicle, Sgt. Josh Ludtke said. The suspect, identified as Kwanza Houston, 42, of Santa Rosa, tried to drive away then fled his vehicle but was caught and arrested a short distance away, Ludtke said. Detectives found a loaded firearm, cash and clothing the robbery suspect was wearing inside vehicle, Ludtke said. Houston was booked in the Sonoma County Jail for robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest and probation violations, Ludtke said. Bay Area residents can likely look forward to a dry weekend, though rain is expected next Tuesday through Friday, a National Weather Service spokesman said. People around the Bay should be able to enjoy outdoor activities this weekend, as no rain is expected, according to the weather service. However, rain is expected during the week. "On Tuesday we have one system going across the Bay Area with light rain, and on Wednesday and Thursday we have another system coming through with moderate rain," said Charles Bell, a meteorologist with the weather service. Bell said there should also be a few showers on Friday. Less than a quarter-inch of rain is expected Tuesday, half an inch on Wednesday and Thursday, and less than a quarter-inch on Friday, Bell said. Brentwood police arrested three juveniles Wednesday who allegedly made threats against their middle school and a fellow classmate. At 3:30 p.m., officers investigated a threat to student safety at Edna Hill Middle School at 140 Birch St. involving three students. Two of the students are 13 years old and the other is 14 years old, police said. Police investigated and learned the students had talked about committing an act of violence at the school and threatened a fellow classmate. They were arrested Wednesday and booked into Contra Costa Juvenile Hall in Martinez on suspicion of conspiracy and making criminal threats, police said. The parents of all three suspects were contacted and are cooperating with the investigation, police said. Further details about the case were not immediately available. The designated Valley Transportation Authority bus lane on eastbound Alum Rock Avenue in San Jose is now open after a bus versus vehicle collision this morning, according to the San Jose Police Department. At 8:31 a.m., officers responded to the crash at the intersection of Alum Rock Avenue and McCreery Avenue after a black Jaguar attempted to turn left onto southbound McCreery and crashed into a VTA bus traveling east on Alum Rock Avenue, police said. The driver of the Jaguar suffered minor injuries. It has not yet been disclosed if they were transported to a hospital. No other injuries were reported, according to the police department. Because of the collision, Bus Rapid Transit buses could not use dedicated bus lanes until around 9:45 a.m., when a public alert by the Valley Transportation Authority announced that normal service had resumed. This affected VTA Line 522, which used regular traffic lanes until the situation was clear. Passengers could board and exit at line 23 stops along the sidewalk, the alert said. During the closure, operators honored stop requests where safe. VTA spokeswoman Holly Perez confirmed the single car collision involving a VTA bus on Alum Rock Avenue at 9 a.m., but was not aware of any injuries and referred further questions to San Jose police. Fremont police said today that since January they have arrested four Los Angeles County men for alleged debit card skimming and for being involved in a transnational criminal organization. On Jan. 14, a Fremont police officer saw 29-year-old Iurii Osetskyi of Studio City allegedly making multiple transactions at a Wells Fargo ATM on Mowry Avenue. The officer contacted Osetskyi and discovered that he allegedly had about $3,800 in twenty dollar bills and over 25 various gift cards, but no ATM card. Each card was wrapped in an amount of money with the corresponding ATM transaction receipt, police said. Later that night, 37-year-old Denys Osetskyi of Studio City contacted Fremont police to report his brother Iurii missing. Dispatchers told him they would send officers to the motel where he was staying to take a police report. When officers arrived they detained him pending a search of the motel room and Iurii's vehicle. During the search police allegedly recovered multiple cards, cash and electronics that led officers to identify three more suspects who remain outstanding, police said. According to police, the gift cards were later found to have recorded on them the debit card numbers and PINs of multiple victims from around the Bay Area, but mostly from the town of Crockett. Police suspect the cards were compromised when used as payment at gas station pumps. Evidence indicates that Iurii, Denys and the other three outstanding suspects traveled from Los Angeles County to the Bay Area to use the cloned debit cards in the same region where they were originally skimmed, police said. Both men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, identity theft and computer intrusion. Then on Feb. 27, Fremont police detectives spotted a suspicious Land Rover with no license plates. Detectives stopped the Land Rover and contacted the driver, 27-year-old Vasiliy Polyak of Montebello. Police determined he is related to one of the suspects in the Osetskyi case. Detectives searched his car and allegedly found nine bluetooth enabled gas pump skimming devices, cloned debit cards and components to build additional skimming devices, police said. Later, detectives saw him being picked up at a shopping center near the Police Department by a person in a Mercedes-Benz. Detectives stopped the vehicle and contacted the driver, 49-year-old Artak Harutyunyan of North Hollywood, who was found to be on felony searchable probation from Los Angeles County for skimming and identity theft. Detectives searched his car and learned he was staying at a nearby motel. When officers searched his motel room, they allegedly recovered additional skimming devices, cash and more than 125 cloned debit cards, police said. Polyak and Harutyunyan were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, identity theft, computer intrusion, and possessing skimming devices, police said. According to police, the suspects in both cases have possible ties to a transnational criminal organization with roots in the greater Los Angeles County area. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Adam Foster at (510) 790-6900 or at afoster@fremont.gov. ### A person was fatally struck by a BART train Thursday afternoon at the MacArthur station in Oakland, prompting transit officials to close the station. The medical emergency was first reported around 3 p.m. Firefighters responded, the affected train was uncoupled and emergency personnel awaited the arrival of the coroner. An update on the investigation into the killing of 28-year-old Shaleem Tindle by BART police near the West Oakland station in January will appear on the agenda for the next meeting of BART's Board of Directors, finally allowing the board to respond to the extensive public comment they've been receiving on the matter. Tindle was engaged in a physical struggle with another man when he was fatally shot by Officer Joseph Mateu in the 1400 block of Seventh Street around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 3. Graphic footage of the shooting captured on Mateu's body-worn camera prompted public outrage when it revealed Tindle had been shot three times in the back while raising at least one of his hands. Tindle's family has been outspoken in calling the young black father's death a "lynching." Activists packed the board chambers for BART's last meeting on Feb. 22 to stand in solidarity with Tindle's family in their demand that Mateu be fired, but the item was not on the agenda. That meant the board could not respond without violating the Ralph M. Brown Act, California's open records law, which is nominally intended to prevent government boards from operating in secrecy. Thursday morning, after more than an hour of impassioned public comment from Tindle's family and activists, board president Robert Raburn announced that an upcoming meeting of the BART Police Citizen Review Board was scheduled for Monday, and that Tindle's death would likely be discussed. "That's not the same thing," said organizer Cat Brooks, with the Anti Police-Terror Project, interrupting Raburn as he spoke. "No!" she stood up and shouted from the audience, telling the directors that they "aren't doing another piece of business" until meeting the group's demand that Tindle be put on an upcoming agenda. After a moment of uproar from the crowd packed into the board chambers, director Lateefah Simon spoke, saying that as a black woman and a mother she felt she had a responsibility to move this process forward in the interest of justice for Tindle's family. She moved to have an update on the investigation into Tindle's death added to the agenda for the next meeting, and that motion was seconded by director Bevan Dufty. Brooks called that a victory, brought about as a result of community pressure. "They were really clear that we shut the BART meeting last time, and that we were going to continue to shut it down," Brooks said. "I think there was a clear message that we were upping the ante next time if he wasn't on the agenda." Brooks said the APTP's next goal will be to ensure that Mateu loses his job, then push to disarm the BART Police Department. "This question remains of why BART police officers have guns," Brooks said. "They don't need the guns, and every time we see them engage with the guns -- from Nate Greer to Oscar Grant to Shaleem Tindle -- a community member is killed." A 13-year-old boy confessed to writing two threats in the boys' bathroom at Willowside Middle School west of Santa Rosa Tuesday, a Sonoma County sheriff's sergeant said. The boy was released to his parents and school staff will handle follow-up discipline, Sgt. Spencer Crum said. The sheriff's office referred the incident to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office for possible filing of criminal charges, Crum said. "At this time we don't believe the boy was serious about carrying out the threats and he doesn't have any means to carry out the threats," Crum said. The Willowside Middle School in unincorporated Sonoma County was one of several schools in the Bay Area where threats were made recently on social media or via graffiti at the schools. A 16-year-old student allegedly wrote a threat in a bathroom at Analy High School in Sebastopol on Feb. 27. He was identified by handwriting analysis and booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall. Threats also were made Monday and Tuesday at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa. The threats have proliferated across the country since 17 students and staff members were killed in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 in Parkland, Florida. Two members of a West Oakland gang have each been sentenced in federal court in Oakland to 43 years in prison for conducting a gunfire attack that killed a 23-month-old boy in 2011. Dionte Houff, 36, and Houston Nathaniel III, 28, were given the prison terms on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton. They pleaded guilty before Hamilton in August to charges of racketeering conspiracy, using a gun during a violent crime that resulted in the child's death, and assaulting and attempting to murder six other people who were wounded in the shootings on Nov. 28, 2011. Hough and Nathaniel admitted in their plea agreements that they were affiliated with the Acorn gang, based in the Acorn housing project in West Oakland. Hough, Nathaniel and a third gunman, Frederick Coleman, who was 16 at the time, carried out the evening gunfire attack after they heard that members of a rival gang, the Lower Bottoms, were filming a music video that allegedly disrespected the Acorn gang. They drove to the location in the parking lot of a West Oakland liquor store and opened fire on the group. Hiram Lawrence Jr., who was one month short of his second birthday, received a bullet in the head and died 11 days later, after being taken off life support. While pleading guilty to using guns in a violent attack that resulted in the child's death, Hough and Nathaniel did not plead guilty to an additional charge of murder of the child in aid of racketeering. That charge, which prosecutors dropped as part of the plea bargain, would have carried a sentence of life in prison without parole. Coleman was prosecuted separately in the state court system. He pleaded guilty in Alameda County Superior Court in 2015 to the first-degree murder of the child and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. In addition to pleading guilty to the federal charges in the Nov. 28 attack, Nathaniel pleaded guilty to attempted murder, assault and use of a gun in two attacks on Nov. 6, 2011, that wounded a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy. Federal charges remain pending against two other alleged Acorn members, John Devalier Daniels and Jermaine Earnest, who were accused in the same federal grand jury indictment as Hough and Nathaniel in 2015. They face charges of racketeering conspiracy and the murder in aid of racketeering of a man perceived to be a rival gang member in Oakland on April 16, 2014. The indictment alleges that Earnest was the shooter and Daniels was the driver in a drive-by shooting. A San Francisco jury Thursday found a 33-year-old man guilty of attempted murder for a 2015 shooting in the city's Potrero Hill neighborhood. In addition to attempted murder, the jury also found Deshaun Kittles guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, being a felon in possession of a firearm and resisting arrest with allegations for great bodily injury, personal and intentional discharge of a firearm, as well as prior convictions, according to prosecutors. On Nov. 17, 2015 around 2:50 p.m., officers responded to a shooting near Watchman Way and Missouri Street. As officers were responding, they saw a white Ford Fusion without license plates speeding on Dakota Street. When the Ford made a wide right turn onto 25th Street, the car nearly collided with the officers' patrol car. Officers then made a U-turn and activated their lights to try and stop the Ford's driver, later identified as Kittles. Kittles, however, disregarded the officers and continued driving, even speeding by a stop sign, before pulling over near Connecticut and 25th streets. Officers exited their patrol vehicle and ordered Kittles to exit. Kittles refused and kept his right hand concealed in his jacket, prosecutors said. An officer tried to remove Kittles from the car, but couldn't and when the officer tried for a second time, Kittles produced a gun. The officer and Kittles struggled for the gun and the officer was able to push the gun out of Kittles' reach, allowing the officer to detain Kittles. The gun was found to have been loaded with three live rounds, according to prosecutors. A passenger in the Ford, identified as Lenell Kittles, was arrested, questioned and later released. At the scene of the shooting, officers found a 26-year-old man bleeding profusely from gunshot wounds to his back, stomach, left arm and right hip. He was taken to a hospital. A witness identified Kittles as the man she saw walking around the area around the time the shots were fired. Surveillance video also confirmed that Kittles and his vehicle were in the area at the time, prosecutors said. "The jury's findings make clear that there is no place for violence in our community," District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. "This dangerous individual attempted to take another's life and casually risked the lives of others in a reckless attempt to flee. Today's verdict ensures that he will be held accountable for his actions." Two people arrested at the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting Tuesday in San Francisco's Mission District were identified Thursday by police. Victor Navarro-Flores, 19, and Cristina Juarez, 18, were both arrested on suspicion of two counts of robbery and conspiracy. Each is being held in jail on $255,000 bail. According to police, Navarro-Flores and Juarez were both in a black Honda Civic believed to have been connected to a robbery. Jesus Delgado-Duarte, 19, was allegedly hiding in the Honda's trunk and was fatally shot by officers as they tried to detain the trio, police said. Events leading up to the shooting began around 10:35 p.m., near 20th and Capp streets, when two people flagged down officers and said they had been robbed by the occupants of a black Honda Civic. Officers caught up with a vehicle matching that description on Capp Street between 21st and 22nd streets. After detaining one of the Honda's occupants, officers noticed the trunk was open. Sometime after officers realized that a person was inside, later identified as Delgado-Duarte, an officer-involved shooting occurred, according to police. Following the shooting, the third suspect was detained. Police have not said exactly how the shooting occurred. A gun was found in the car's trunk, police said. A handful of members of the group Justice For Luis Gongora Pat rallied outside the Mission police station at Valencia and 17th streets Wednesday to protest the shooting. A vigil and march was also held by Delgado-Duarte's family and friends Wednesday evening at the site of the shooting. Several agencies are conducting separate investigations including the Police Department's homicide detail, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the city's Department of Police Accountability, the SFPD Internal Affairs Division and the medical examiner's office. Per policy, police will hold a town hall meeting within 10 days of the shooting to inform the community about what happened. Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez held a news conference at Notre Dame High School in San Jose Thursday afternoon to announce her proposal to grant $5 million to build monuments that would recognize women and their accomplishments all across the county. The proposal, which will appear before the Board of Supervisors for a vote on March 20, would allocate $2.5 million to one "expression of appreciation" and $2.5 million to establish smaller monuments or gestures to honor women who have played roles in science, medicine, business, technology, and many other fields. Chavez acknowledged that "in a time of fighting for every dollar we use for important things like public health and foster care," the proposal is important because it's difficult for people to be what they can't see. "We have an opportunity to start a fire across this country to honor women in a meaningful and thoughtful way," Chavez said. Shruthisri Ravisankar, a freshman at the private all-girls Notre Dame who is Chavez's appointment to the county youth task force, discussed being fortunate enough to be around women who have paved the way for her generation and how she believes that the monuments would be an ode to them in the wake of movements in recent years like the Women's March and #MeToo. County Executive Jeffrey Smith was present in support of Chavez's proposal and spoke about the deeply-rooted sexism that is still prevalent in the U.S., saying that "it's time for us all to step up when women are getting stepped on." "In a world where there is a lot of change going on, all of the men in this world need women to stand up for what is right, because they know what's right," Smith said. Chavez said Smith was the one that urged for the $5 million amount and referred to him as "her favorite feminist." The proposal was discussed at Notre Dame because the whole idea behind it is to inspire young people in the community to be a part of leadership, Chavez said. The supervisor is thrilled that Santa Clara County has women in leadership positions normally held by men, but mentioned that in the 1970s and 1980s it was dubbed "the feminist capital of the nation" after Janet Gray Hayes became the nation's first woman mayor of a city larger than 500,000 and women won majority on the San Jose City Council and the county's Board of Supervisors. "I guess by mentioning that history I wanted to say, 'we've been that, let's go be that again,'" Chavez said. No specific details are available yet on possible monument concepts or their locations, Chavez said. That will be suggested by a task force that would be composed of three constituents from every district if the proposal was passed. ### SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A San Francisco jury today found a 33-year-old man guilty of attempted murder for a 2015 shooting in the city's Potrero Hill neighborhood. In addition to attempted murder, the jury also found Deshaun Kittles guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, being a felon in possession of a firearm and resisting arrest with allegations for great bodily injury, personal and intentional discharge of a firearm, as well as prior convictions, according to prosecutors. On Nov. 17, 2015 around 2:50 p.m., officers responded to a shooting near Watchman Way and Missouri Street. As officers were responding, they saw a white Ford Fusion without license plates speeding on Dakota Street. When the Ford made a wide right turn onto 25th Street, the car nearly collided with the officers' patrol car. Officers then made a U-turn and activated their lights to try and stop the Ford's driver, later identified as Kittles. Kittles, however, disregarded the officers and continued driving, even speeding by a stop sign, before pulling over near Connecticut and 25th streets. Officers exited their patrol vehicle and ordered Kittles to exit. Kittles refused and kept his right hand concealed in his jacket, prosecutors said. An officer tried to remove Kittles from the car, but couldn't and when the officer tried for a second time, Kittles produced a gun. The officer and Kittles struggled for the gun and the officer was able to push the gun out of Kittles' reach, allowing the officer to detain Kittles. The gun was found to have been loaded with three live rounds, according to prosecutors. A passenger in the Ford, identified as Lenell Kittles, was arrested, questioned and later released. At the scene of the shooting, officers found a 26-year-old man bleeding profusely from gunshot wounds to his back, stomach, left arm and right hip. He was taken to a hospital. A witness identified Kittles as the man she saw walking around the area around the time the shots were fired. Surveillance video also confirmed that Kittles and his vehicle were in the area at the time, prosecutors said. "The jury's findings make clear that there is no place for violence in our community," District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. "This dangerous individual attempted to take another's life and casually risked the lives of others in a reckless attempt to flee. Today's verdict ensures that he will be held accountable for his actions." SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A San Francisco woman who said she was wrongfully arrested in 2014 in connection with a domestic violence incident has reached a settlement with the city's Police Department, her attorneys announced today. In her lawsuit, Dora Mejia claimed that San Francisco officers denied her request for a Spanish-speaking interpreter and then arrested her, even though she was the alleged victim in the incident, leaving her three children with her allegedly abusive ex-partner. "I am grateful that I can finally put this experience behind me and move forward with my family," Mejia said in a statement through an interpreter. "I hope that all city agencies, including SFPD, provide language access to anyone who needs it so that no one else has to experience what I've had to endure," she said. The incident occurred in May 2014, when Mejia had just gotten home from work and got into a fight with her ex-partner. Her partner refused to leave her apartment after they broke up and called the police on her. Mejia doesn't speak English and officers allegedly told her there were no Spanish-speaking officers available even though they provided an interpreter to her ex partner, she said. They also didn't offer her an opportunity to call the Police Department's telephone interpretation line, she said. Mejia was ultimately arrested and, because of a temporary restraining order and repeated threats from her former partner, she was separated from her children for a month, according to officials with the group Advancing Justice. After her release from jail, Advancing Justice, made up of the Asian Law Caucus and Cooley LLP, helped Mejia file the lawsuit against the San Francisco Police Department. "What happened to Ms. Mejia at the hands of SFPD was wrong," Advancing Justice attorney Saira Hussain said in a statement. "She has a right to language access and should never have been arrested. Her case has spurred important changes within SFPD to improve language access and responses to domestic violence, but SFPD has far to go to ensure their practices match their policies," Hussain said. Following Mejia's settlement, her supporters urged the Police Department to make changes to their language access practices. Those changes include having an independent auditor find areas where police can improve in providing language access, offering regular training for all officers on language access, better coordination between emergency dispatchers and officers to ensure bilingual officers respond to scenes where someone speaks limited English, and collecting and analyzing data about bilingual officers providing assistance in other languages. Advancing Justice did not disclose the amount of the settlement. According to the Police Department's website, language assistance for people with little English proficiency is free and can be provided simply by telling an officer that you need an interpreter. The Police Department is staffed with officers who speak Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin and Russian. They also have telephone interpreters who speak several other languages, including Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, German, French and Italian among others. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Two men were arrested last month in connection with several vehicle burglaries in San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square area. Jalen Bryant, 22, of Oakland, was arrested on suspicion of possession of burglary tools, possessing a concealed firearm in a vehicle, possessing a loaded firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm, vandalism and a probation violation, according to the San Francisco Police Department. A second suspect, identified as Pride Scott, 22, of Antioch, was cited and released on suspicion of possession of burglary tools and providing false information to a peace officer. On Feb. 25, officers responded to a call about auto burglaries in the Ghirardelli Square area parking lot. Officers learned there had been several burglarized vehicles in the immediate area that were linked to a suspect vehicle that had driven through a nearby parking garage gate without paying the day before, polices said. The officers saw a suspect walking toward a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect vehicle. Police detained the suspect when he got into the vehicle, and officers located a second suspect in the backseat of the vehicle. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident, and investigators determined Bryant was involved in the burglaries of several vehicles. ### SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Two people arrested at the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting Tuesday in San Francisco's Mission District have been identified today by police. Victor Navarro-Flores, 19, and Cristina Juarez, 18, were both arrested on suspicion of two counts of robbery and conspiracy. Each is being held in jail on $255,000 bail. According to police, Navarro-Flores and Juarez were both in a black Honda Civic believed to have been connected to a robbery. Jesus Delgado-Duarte, 19, was allegedly hiding in the Honda's trunk and was fatally shot by officers as they tried to detain the trio, police said. Events leading up to the shooting began around 10:35 p.m., near 20th and Capp streets, when two people flagged down officers and said they had been robbed by the occupants of a black Honda Civic. Officers caught up with a vehicle matching that description on Capp Street between 21st and 22nd streets. After detaining one of the Honda's occupants, officers noticed the trunk was open. Sometime after officers realized that a person was inside, later identified as Delgado-Duarte, an officer-involved shooting occurred, according to police. Following the shooting, the third suspect was detained. Police have not said exactly how the shooting occurred. A gun was found in the car's trunk, police said. A handful of members of the group Justice For Luis Gongora Pat rallied outside the Mission police station at Valencia and 17th streets Wednesday to protest the shooting. A vigil and march was also held by Delgado-Duarte's family and friends Wednesday evening at the site of the shooting. Several agencies are conducting separate investigations including the Police Department's homicide detail, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the city's Department of Police Accountability, the SFPD Internal Affairs Division and the medical examiner's office. Per policy, police will hold a town hall meeting within 10 days of the shooting to inform the community about what happened. Anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco police tip line at (415) 575-4444. Callers can give anonymous tips. SAN LEANDRO (BCN) A woman suffered moderate injuries when three suspects threw her to the ground while they were robbing her in San Leandro's Washington Manor district on Monday afternoon, police said today. Numerous residents came to the woman's aid after she called for help and one of the residents was a witness to the crime, which occurred at about 4:15 p.m. on Monday, according to police. Using the information the witness gave to police, detectives were able to locate the suspects' vehicle and arrest the suspects about an hour after the robbery, police said. The female victim was walking home after making a bank transaction when the three suspects approached her and violently threw her to the ground, according to police. The suspects stole the victim's cellphone, backpack and cash, police said. However, authorities were able to locate and recover the stolen items. Suspects Anthony Davis and Jordan Corbino, both 20, have been charged by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office with second-degree robbery. The third suspect wasn't charged and has been released from custody. Corbino and Davis remain in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $50,000 bail each and are scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court on Monday to potentially enter pleas. San Leandro police spokesman Lt. Isaac Benabou said in a statement, "Our detectives' ability to locate and arrest the suspects began with the help of witnesses who provided solid leads." ### 577-3272 Les lunettes de marque ne sont pas ce qui manque dans les commerces. Il y en a de toutes les sortes dont les lunettes de [] -/AFP / Getty Images Back in November, amid an outcry over his administrations decisions to allow more imports of elephant and lion parts, President Trump declared trophy hunting a horror show. What he omitted, apparently, is that he doesnt mind a good horror show. Contrary to every indication of the presidents rhetoric a few months ago, the administration last week quietly eased imports of trophies taken from African elephants and, for good measure, lions and antelope. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in an unpublicized memorandum that it is lifting restrictions on big-game trophies from several African countries. While the memo cited a successful legal challenge by Safari Club International and the National Rifle Association to rules imposed during President Barack Obamas administration, the agency also lifted a number of other restrictions on trophy imports, some dating as far back as 1995. Now that 23andMe and other commercial DNA testing options are vying for our business, the human genome is a seriously trending topic. The urge to know who we are and where we come from has taken a turn toward scientific authority. Thats the germ of the idea behind Autobiography, an 80-minute dance piece seen Thursday, March 8, in a San Francisco Performances presentation at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The work, created for his eponymous 10-member troupe by British choreographer Wayne McGregor in collaboration with the company, is illuminated by the sequencing of his own genome, according to a program note. Without that written explanation, its doubtful that many audience members would decode the origins of this staged act of self-scrutiny. The illumination that matters here comes from designer Lucy Carters panoply of lighting effects, which range from harsh white glares to deeply saturated reds and blues to languidly tracking bars of fog-shrouded soft-white bulbs. The variety both sculpts and matches the resourcefulness of the uniformly excellent dancers, who perform with the dual assets of dexterity and dynamism. In solos, duets and larger ensemble sections, this Autobiography plays out with clarity and precision. One by one, the episodes are often impressive and admirably complex, whether the dancers are carving out space with long wavering arms and high leg lifts, bending and arching their torsos, firing off some hard-edged steps or interlocking with each other in elaborate mobile geometries. The choreography samples jazz and break-dancing, flamenco and ballet. But the sum effect is analytical, even borderline clinical. Although the connections between the dancers are emphatically physical, with touches, lifts and partnering of all kinds, they are only fitfully emotional or intimate. Facial expressions are largely opaque. Even when they minister to each other or mirror moves and gestures, the Company Wayne McGregor dancers do so with a certain remoteness that leaves the viewer ultimately disengaged as well. The few exceptions, a beguiling female duet early on and an entrancingly fluid male duet later on, stand out as notable exceptions. Perhaps McGregor means to suggest that at our most basic, genetic level, we are all so much programmatic protein. Near the end, the dancers are stripped down to black briefs, with flesh-toned halter tops for the women. From time to time, rows of inverted pyramid shapes descend menacingly toward the figures below, as if to microscopically inspect them. At one point a few of the dancers are nearly flattened by them. But Autobiography largely keeps its thematic agenda well guarded. A few lines of text, about wanting or not wanting to hurt someone, dont add much to the calculation. Another Leave me alone seems only too apt. With a score by electronic musician Jlin that alternately pummels and lulls the listener, the piece comes on in stark sonic terms at the outset. Things loosen up later on, with one welcome passage of bird sounds and another of Baroque music. During the bird chirps, the dancers carry chairs onstage, some of them sitting down to observe their comrades in action before rising to join in themselves. Theres a communal, self-aware feel to the section. By both watching and participating, the dancers briefly conjure a society built on a quiet mutual awareness of the natural, peopled world. The determinative human genome, for the moment, seems like a tiny, inward-turning matter. Steven Winn is the Chronicles former arts and culture critic. Autobiography: Company Wayne McGregor: Concept, direction and choreography by Wayne McGregor. Saturday, March 10. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 70l Mission St., San Francisco. $27.50-$69.50 (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org. 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 Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire [] 3 1 of 3 Andrew Harnik/Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Thomas Homan told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Thursday that he thought California lawmakers and in particular Sen. Kamala Harris and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf would "send me letters thanking me for removing public safety threats." Schaaf drew the ire of ICE and President Donald Trump when she warned Oakland and Bay Area residents of an imminent ICE sweep in the area. After appearing on an episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that politicians could learn a thing or two from drag queens. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about her appearance on the show Thursday night, Pelosi said, "This idea of people believing in themselves, being themselves, taking pride in themselves, is not just a lesson for politicians but for everyone in the country. And that's why I was so excited and couldn't resist being on the show." "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars" airs on VH1 and features drag queens competing against one another a series of challenges. The final two contestants square off in a lip-sync battle to determine the winner. When asked which song she'd like to lip-sync to against Donald Trump, Pelosi slammed the president for his policies and accused him of "lip-syncing" on certain issues. "You know what? Donald Trump's policies, the respect I think his administration should have for the LGBTQ community, that's more important than the fun we might have about his hair or any song he might lip sync," Pelosi said. "Though I do think he's lip syncing some of his policies, because when you talk to him, he says, 'I really am with you on this' And then his policy goes and does something else." ALSO: California politicians tweet their defiance to Jeff Sessions' sanctuary state speech While on the show, the San Francisco Democrat encouraged the audience to vote. "Voting is everything. I mean people sacrifice so much in our country for people to have the right to vote," she said. "It's a blessing but we have to use it. If you don't vote, you don't count. And you count." The show's host RuPaul is famous for telling contestants to "sashay away" when dismissing them, and Pelosi was asked how much she wants Trump to "sashay away" on a scale of 1-10. "It goes well beyond 10," Pelosi said. On a recent Friday evening in San Francisco, some friends might catch up in a well-appointed Russian Hill living room before heading downtown to indulge in a salon blowout. They could then jaunt across Union Square to take in a live set from the soulful, bluesy trio Rainbow Girls, and end the night with pizza and wine at a bustling Tenderloin hot spot. Besides having had a good time, they just might go home with a rehabbed Turkish rug, a Supersonic hair dryer endorsed by Barbie, a MacBook Pro for mixing music and a floral-print Adam Lippes dress because they were at retail stores Batch, Dyson, Apple and Hero Shop. In San Francisco, socializing is the new shopping, and purchases (from the customers point of view, at least) are almost an afterthought. New stores are approaching the soft sell in the extreme, emphasizing instead what has become known as experiential retail. The words store, buy and transaction have largely fallen out of favor. In their place are feel-good concepts such as community, concept space and town square. The change comes at a time when many shoppers are splurging on Instagram-gold experiences rather than material luxury items, so stores are providing experiences and hoping that customers remember to buy a memento on their way out the door. In-store experiences are helping brands give their customers a reason to show up, says Norwest Venture Partners general partner Sonya Brown. She has invested in Madison Reed, whose Color Bar provides a salon hair color experience, and jewelry brand Kendra Scott, which lets customers design their own jewelry in the store and hosted 10,000 in-store events last year, Brown says. Well continue to see this trend grow but will see brands more strategically integrate experiences into their stores focused on selling their core products, as food and coffee shops wont guarantee another 10 steps forward into the merchandise. Experiential retail has gained momentum in flagships in larger cities, says JoAnn Martin, vice president of retail industry strategy at JDA Software in Scottsdale, Ariz., because providing experiences helps to engage, acquire and maintain loyal customers. Customers are looking for immersive experiences and interactions with retailers, and retailers are responding by examining their customer journeys and building in those experiences along the way. Batch, for example, opened its first shoppable showroom in September. Designed to look and feel like a friends home (in which everything is for purchase), it redecorates with new brands every eight to 10 weeks. The 30- to 60-day increments for various activations play into the Millennial-identified phenomenon known as fear of missing out, or FOMO, says founder and chief executive officer Lindsay Meyer. When youre talking about $2,500 sofas that you wont throw out in two years, or home automation systems that you might have questions about or even things like art you really want to come and experience it in person, she says. People are coming to spaces like ours to validate their instinct and get the confidence that is necessary when you start thinking beyond $500. Emily Holt, who opened Hero Shop in the Tenderloin a year and a half ago partly to create a local community, hosts lunches, dinners, trunk shows or cocktail parties about twice a month. She has found that brand launches or designer visit are good for driving sales. San Francisco in particular is not a city where shopping is a habit, Holt says. Its not habitual to call up a girlfriend and say, Lets go shopping. Youre more likely to go on a hike or go to Napa. But if you say, Why dont you come shopping at 5 on Tuesday to see or celebrate something specific, then people are up to it. You have to remind them to come over. Intimate occasions arent just for startups or small-scale operations. Apples new Union Square store hosts daily classes and activities that help customers use its products. Eyeing that iPhone X? You will after seeing the results from a photo walk on portrait lighting. Classes and other learning opportunities are a favorite of the experiential set. Outdoor Voices, which opened in Hayes Valley in November, has a motto of #doingthings. In the last week, it hosted a 3-mile jog and beer-tasting with Sufferfest; a pop-in from fine-jewelry brand Vrai & Oro; and a Dailey Method barre class. Luggage brand Away, which opened in October, was designed as a concept space. In the fast and cheap online era, its important to offer experiences that draw people in, says co-founder and chief brand officer Jen Rubio. Its why the majority of our physical footprint isnt even dedicated to our actual products, Rubio says. The store has a gathering area for screenings, panels, workshops, fireside chats, as well as a reading lounge where visitors can read travel books. Ultimately, we dont view them as luggage stores, but as places to inspire people to book their next trip, Rubio says. Rather than compete with Internet shoppers, retailers provide whats not possible in a web search: The ability to try before you buy. Thats the primary concept behind b8ta, which opened in Hayes Valley last fall, to let shoppers test products like a $1,200 skateboard and an $800 immersive gaming headset. Dyson yes, the maker of the vacuum cleaner opened a massive demo store facing Union Square in late November. Those wandering in can re-create their ultimate infomercial fantasies by vacuuming up confetti and sprinkles (or 62 other types of debris) before saddling up to the bar to customize their own Dyson V8 (a cordless vacuum). Or they can get their hair blown out by a stylist using the companys $400 Supersonic hair dryer. Paul Dawson, Dysons vice president of health and beauty, says that people who come in tend to stay a while. (It doesnt hurt that theres a huge Dyson Digital Motor thats catnip for fans of Instagrams Boomerang video app.) Despite a clear emphasis on the physical realm, many retailers borrow concepts like engagement from e-commerce. Noam Paransky, senior vice president of digital at Gap Inc., talks about connecting digital touch points with physical endpoints. Whether its an in-store fitness class at Athleta or a monogramming area, anything that creates community and engagement centers is a success. Everything is centered around the customer, Paransky says. Whether online or #IRL (in real life), customers are looking for value. Sometimes thats about speed and convenience Gap Inc. store credit cards were the first associated with a retailer to be added to Apple Pay, which makes transactions about eight seconds faster than a credit card and sometimes thats about a unique experience, such as a pop-up shop within Banana Republic to offer grooming services from Baxter of California, and coincide with new products. Even direct-to-consumer e-tailers such as Brandless and Everlane have given in to the appeal of in-person experiences. Brandless, an online-only grocery store where everything is $3, has organized events that are a physical reflection of the companys inclusive online personality. For International Womens Day on March 8, it gave away free tampons and panty liners that spelled out the words Take Care at the UC Berkeley campus. And Everlane, which used to be resolutely online only, just opened a flagship store at in the Mission District (see page 6). In an effort to bring the brands transparency ethos to life, a rotating display will share the sounds of T-shirts, shoes and denim being made. And if shoppers buy a T-shirt in the process, Everlane certainly wont object. Maghan McDowell is a San Francisco freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com. Away on Hayes: 555 Hayes St. https://www.awaytravel.com/stores/sanfrancisco Banana Republic: 256 Grant Ave. www.bananarepublic.com Batch: 1648 Pacific Ave. https://www.visitbatch.com B8ta: 590 Hayes St. https://b8ta.com Brandless: http://www.brandless.com Dyson Demo Store: 285 Geary St. https://www.dyson.com. Hero Shop: 982 Post St. https://heroshopsf.com Outdoor Voices: 555 Hayes St. https://www.outdoorvoices.com Q: I recently took a Mediterranean cruise on Oceanias MS Marina. I bought Allianz Global Assistance trip insurance through my travel agent, and paid $789 for coverage for me and my wife. The travel insurance includes $25,000 medical coverage for the cruise. Three days before the cruise ended, I awoke shivering with a temperature of 103.1 degrees. The ships medical staff treated me with IV antibiotics and other medications, and gave me a chest X-ray. I was in the sick bay for two days. I am over 65 years of age and have Medicare health insurance, which does not cover anything outside the U.S. That is one main reason I bought the trip insurance. I sent the medical records and invoice from Oceania to Allianz in late October once I returned from my cruise and started a claim. After two weeks, I called and chatted with Allianz online and was told that the claim was still under review. Its been three weeks, and Allianz just sent me a request for an explanation of benefits from my primary and supplemental insurance. I sent an email back to the company letting it know that there is no explanation of benefits, since I cant file a claim from out of the country with Medicare. How long can Allianz drag this on? It advertises quick claim resolution, and states that it reviews claims in seven to 10 days. I would consider that to be untrue. I paid Oceania $5,929 for two days of onboard medical care. Can you help expedite this claim? Murray Cohen, Boca Raton, Fla. A: Did you say you paid $5,929 for two days in the sick bay? What did they do, give you a makeover? These expenses should have been covered by your travel insurance, of course and quickly. When your insurance company started asking for more time, it should have explained why and given you an estimate on how much longer your claim would take. Unfortunately, travel insurance companies dont always do that, so they leave you guessing. You made the right call, buying insurance. Without your Allianz policy, you would have paid the $5,929 out of pocket with no hope for reimbursement. Travel insurance works in a deliberate often painfully deliberate way. An adjuster needs to verify that youre not covered by other insurance and complete other kinds of due diligence before cutting a check. It appears Allianz had asked you to file a claim with your primary and/or supplemental health insurer and to contact it when your claim had been finalized. It also requested an explanation of benefits or a letter of denial of coverage, both of which are routine but can take some time. Travel insurance companies can fast-track claims of under $100, in my experience, but for something like this, they really need to cross the ts and dot the is. If youd received a rejection, or if the claims process had gone on another month, you might have reached out to one of the Allianz customer-service executives. I list their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer-advocacy site: www.elliott.org/company-contacts/allianz/. I contacted Allianz on your behalf, and it paid your entire claim. So what was the holdup? Evidently, it really needed you to file a claim with your primary insurance carrier, Medicare, even though the claim would be denied. Rules are rules. Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle PORTLAND, Ore. The Warriors will be without five rotation players Friday night against the Trail Blazers. Stephen Curry (tweaked right ankle), Andre Iguodala (left wrist sprain), Jordan Bell (right ankle sprain), David West (right arm cyst) and Patrick McCaw (non-displaced fracture, left wrist) have been ruled out. With West and Bell sidelined, Damian Jones has been recalled from the G League to shore up a depleted frontcourt. KABUL An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted Afghanistans ethnic Hazaras on Friday, blowing himself up at a police checkpoint near a gathering of the minority Shiites in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said. In northern Takhar province, the Taliban assaulted an army outpost overnight in an hours-long firefight, and ambushed policemen sent to help the troops, killing six soldiers and 10 members of the local police. The attacks underscore the difficulties President Ashraf Ghanis government is facing as it battles a revamped Taliban insurgency and struggles to rein in the Islamic State, whose affiliate in Afghanistan has grown stronger since it emerged in 2014. Kabul has recently seen a spate of large-scale militant attacks by the Taliban and also Islamic State. In late January, a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235. In Fridays attack, Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the bomber was on foot and was trying to make his way to a compound where the Hazaras had gathered to commemorate the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, who was killed by the Taliban. The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesman said. One policeman was among the dead. Shortly after the attack, President Ghani issued a statement condemning the bombing and promising that those behind it, if found and convicted, would be given the death penalty. These people who do this are acting against humanity and against Islam, he said. The Islamic State, or the Khorasan Province as its affiliate in Afghanistan is known, claimed responsibility in a posting on an Islamic State-linked website. The group said it targeted a gathering of Shiites as they were commemorating the death of a tyrant, an apparent reference to Mazari. Most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, and Sunni militant groups consider all Shiites heretics and urge followers to kill them. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault on the army outpost in Takhar province and the police slayings. GENEVA The United Nations human rights chief suggested Friday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation over his unacceptable remarks about some top human rights defenders. Zeid Raad al-Hussein demanded that the Human Rights Council, which counts the Philippines among its 47 member countries, must take a strong position on the issue, and insisted these attacks cannot go unanswered. The shortest month of the year turned out to be quite a dull one for most readers. While Sourav Ganguly's "A Century Is Not Enough" and "Do We Not Bleed" by Mehr Tarar did create some buzz, most other books released during the month seem to have gone out of sight. A quick look at the front shelves of bookstores as also the books trending on e-commerce sites shows the disappointment that February was for bookworms. But recommendations for March will bring cheer. Featuring non-fiction by Romila Thapar; a biography of actor Sanjay Dutt; a politically charged memoir by Taslima Nasrin; a cheeky story of a little girl's harrowing experiences with public toilets; and finally a powerful collection of stories from Anjum Hasan, these books are sure to be read and talked about widely. Here are the five books that we can't wait to read this March: 1. Indian Cultures As Heritage, by Romila Thapar (Aleph) Every society has its cultures: The patterns that reveal how people live and express themselves, and how they value objects and thoughts. What constitutes Indian heritage and culture has been much discussed. Thapar begins by explaining how the definitions of the concept of culture have changed in the last three centuries, and hence require added attention. Cultures, when defined by drawing on selected items and thoughts from the past, remain relatively unknown, except to a few. Yet, each has a context and meaning relating them to the past and to their significance as a contemporary presence. Contexts, often regarded as unconnected to culture, can, to the contrary, be quite illuminating. 2. A Day in the Life, by Anjum Hasan (Penguin). Quixotic retirees in Coorg and young newly-weds trying to eat meat; teenage boys travelling to Benares in the nineteenth century and a retiree with an anger-management problem in an India where the right wing is rising. Fourteen well-crafted stories give us a sense of daily Indian life of a wide cast of characters. Hasan's protagonists are, as always, living in their own heads a lot of the time, often whimsical and vulnerable outliers. Where is their place in the new order, where have they come from and where are they going? Billed by the publisher as "quietly devastating, subtly subversive and wonderfully wry", Hasan's stories are increasingly a good address for authentic Indian fiction. 3. Sanjay Dutt: The Crazy, Untold Story of Bollywood's Bad Boy, by Yasser Usman (Juggernaut) Sanjay Dutt, in the brief of this book, has been dubbed as "the original bad boy of Bollywood". In the early 1980s, it was not uncommon to find him passed out over the steering wheel of his car on a suburban road of Mumbai after a night of drugs and alcohol. Sanjay's open love for guns and hard partying, his rippling muscles, long hair and many glamorous girlfriends, including the top actress of that time, defined machismo for a generation of Indian men. But underneath the tough-guy image there were genuine struggles, too: Both his mother and his first wife died tragically young of cancer, and Sanjay had to go through long and painful periods of de-addiction therapy. In this book, Yasser Usman tells the uncensored story of Sanjay's roller-coaster life that is stranger than any fiction -- from the time he smuggled heroin into the United States and went on a drunken shooting spree at his Pali Hill home after breaking up with his girlfriend to his curious phone calls to gangster Chhota Shakeel and his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. 4. Split, by Taslima Nasrin (Penguin) Nasrin is known for her powerful writing on women's issues and uncompromising criticism of religious fundamentalism. "Life felt like a feather at one moment and heavy as a stone the very next. I had never really felt this weight before, the full weight of life, and before I could make sense of things, it had crept down my back and slowly bent my spine. I could not recognise this life; it was mine and yet it was not. Without pausing to consider I had given away everything life had offered to me to another. Later, racked with thirst, I had reached out and found that there was nothing left for me... My life was spread out in front of me like an arid wasteland," she writes in her upcoming book. "Split" has a compelling narrative that captures the plight of the eminent Bangladeshi woman writer with freedom of expression and speech at the book's core. 5. I Need To Pee, by Neha Singh (Puffin) And finally, why should adults have all the fun? Here is a charming picture book empowering children to speak up about their right to use toilet facilities in a clean and safe environment. Rahi simply loves slurping refreshing drinks, and so she always needs to pee. But boy, does she hate public loos! On her way to her aunt's in Meghalaya, she has to pee in a train as well as stop at a hotel and even the really scary public toilet at the bus depot! And when those around her refuse to help her with her troubles, her only saviour is her "Book of Important Quotes". Travel with Rahi and read all about her yucky, icky, sticky adventures in this quirky and vibrant book about the ever-relevant worry of finding safe and clean public restrooms. Read more news: Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi wins 2018 Pritzker Prize Over two-thirds of Indian population yet to be online To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Australian steelmaker BlueScope has backed federal Labor's push to toughen trade rules and triple penalties for dumping cheap overseas steel into the country, as concerns mount over the ramifications of Donald Trump's US steel tariffs. Opposition leader Bill Shorten on Friday said Labor would hand the Anti-Dumping Commission an additional $3.5 million a year to fund more investigations and increase penalties for companies dumping low-cost steel into Australia. The Turnbull government sought exemptions for Australia's BlueScope during a visit to Washington DC. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The policy comes in response to US President Trump's stiff new import tariffs of 25 per cent for steel and 10 per cent for aluminium, which has fanned fears of a flood of cheap Chinese steel into the local market. BlueScope chief executive Mark Vassella said the "dislocation" of steel out of the North American market was a major cause of concern. Martin Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical executive notorious for sharply increasing drug prices, mounting sneering defences of his actions and even issuing a bounty for one of Hillary Clinton's hairs, was sentenced on Friday to seven years in prison after being convicted of fraud last year. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of at least 15 years; the defence had pushed for 12 to 18 months. Shkreli, 34, is best known for raising the price of a drug, Daraprim, by 5000 per cent in a move that was widely condemned by the public and politicians. His fraud convictions were unrelated to that episode, stemming instead from his involvement with Retrophin, a pharmaceutical company he founded in 2011, and two hedge funds he ran. In August, a jury convicted Shkreli, nicknamed Pharma Bro, on three of eight counts, concluding that he had lied to investors about, among other things, how the hedge funds were managed, what they invested in and how much money they had. The jury found that he had also secretly controlled a huge number of Retrophin shares. Angry bitcoin traders are railing against bitcoin sales by the trustees of funds from collapsed Japanese crypto exchange Mt Gox. Mt Gox was launched in 2010 and was one of the earliest cryptocurrency exchanges. It grew to become the worlds biggest exchange but filed for bankruptcy in 2014 after being hit by a $US450 million ($578 million) hack. Its remaining funds have been placed into a trust to help pay back creditors. Loading Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Nobuaki Kobayashi, the Tokyo attorney and bankruptcy trustee for Mt Goxs funds, disclosed in a creditors meeting this week that he has sold $US400 million of Mt Goxs bitcoin since last September. Kobayashi is in charge of liquidating Mt Goxs funds to pay back creditors of the business and controlled a pool of more than 166,000 bitcoins as of March 5. Ongoing heatwaves rocked NSW and stretched its energy grid to a breaking point, forcing the state to lean on Victoria for power, a situation which also put the state at risk and shared the pain. These concurrent events caught the NEM by surprise. The situation was expected to be worse in 2018. The east states were forecast to be hit once again with record temperatures. Then one of the largest power generators in the country Victorias Hazelwood brown coal-fired power station was closed, immediately pulling 1600 megawatts from the system. This put an already strained grid under more pressure and forced various energy bodies to build a plan to ensure the 2017 blackouts didn't happen again. In September, the Australian Energy Market Commission unveiled what it called the "last line of defence" against blackouts, a new series of rules designed to address "risks to energy security created by the power system's changing generation mix" with its rising proportion of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. Two months later, the Australian Energy Market Operator launched its own plan, adding another 2000 megawatts to the system. "AEMO is confident that we have taken all the necessary actions and then some to make sure we are ready," AEMO chief executive Audrey Zibelman said at the time. But how well did their plan to stop a repeat of 2017 actually work? Energy in action Some energy industry heads believe they were lucky and their plan too bullish, yet they did pull it off. In the face of heatwaves and multiple power station generator failures, the system managed to continue pumping out power. However, AEMO says that while it kept the lights on, more could have been done. "Our experiences so far in 2017-18 have revealed that there have been a number of events where lack of reserve (LOR) conditions have been forecast due to higher than average temperatures," an AEMO spokesman said. AEMO prepared to call on smelters and other large energy consumers to reduce their electricity demand. Credit:Yusuf Ahmad / Reuters Over the summer it twice activated the Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader (RERT) mechanism, leaning on major energy users to reduce their consumption to ease pressure on the grid demand, however, at no point did it bring the reserve diesel generators online, finding extra energy available within the system itself. "The ongoing challenge for us and the opportunity that presents itself for industry and stakeholders is the need to continue to work collaboratively to identify the right resources to address the security and reliability requirements that will support the best economic outcome for consumers," an AEMO spokesman said. Networks the poles and wires were under significant strain during the heat and one of the main pressure points during summer. Yet, the only major failure which almost mirrored 2017s blackouts, was in Victoria when a network failure led to thousands of homes losing power. Despite this one-off in Victoria, NSW network company Ausgrid experienced its best performance over the last five years. Loading "Recent network reliability over the past five years has seen a stabilisation of the average number of interruptions per year to approximately 0.7 outages per year per customer, from previous figures of more than one," an Ausgrid spokeswoman said. NSW Energy Minister Don Harwin, who experienced the 2017 blackouts during his very first week in the role, said the state took the experience to heart. "Summer brought with it some extreme temperatures and NSW remained in good shape because we learned the lessons of last year and acted to ensure energy stability for our state," Mr Harwin told Fairfax Media. "After establishing the Energy Security Taskforce we acted on the recommendations received to put our state on the front foot heading into summer." However, it wasnt just government and energy groups making a change. Beyond the NEM Households taking their energy into their own hands also helped to flatten afternoon peaks, as increased solar generation dropped demand at key times. Green Markets director Tristan Edis said both residential and commercial solar have grown significantly over the last 12 months, contributing more energy to the grid. A swift growth in the level of solar PV installations helped to flatten peak demand periods. Credit:Tristan Edis/ Green Markets "The market is well above where it was the same time last year and that ultimately turned into a record year for capacity," Mr Edis said. The weather also played its part. While there were myriad hot days, with the east coast recording the second highest mean temperatures since records began, there were fewer prolonged periods of heat, with many during the weekend whe demand is lower. The Australian Energy Council believes the NEM got off lightly, thanks to the weather. "The power supply system held up well over this summer, but had not been fully tested by a prolonged and extensive heatwave this year," an AEC spokesman told Fairfax Media. However, it wasn't a completely pain-free period. The Grattan Institute's Tony Wood said the system made the grade in terms of reliability but we paid the price in terms of energy costs. "In looking at reliability, we did quite well, but when it comes to the cost perspective we didnt do well at all," he said. "The only state that did much better on price was Queensland, and that was only because the government forced generators to drop prices." Whether the system barely eked by or performed above expectations is open to interpretation, the fact is the summer passed without too many major blackouts albeit with high power prices. However, while the system held the line and experienced very few failures, Federal Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the nation cant halt its progress in reforming our energy sector. In the protectionist Australia of the 1950s, the government was reluctant to allow the import of goods that could be made at home. These included American comics, which had to be redrawn by local artists before they could be published in Australia. Without that law, I would not have had a job, says Taylor. It was very hard for me to get work anyway, because most artists in the commercial field were men. I answered a job for a male. Did they employ her because the comics industry was comparatively liberal? No, she says, they gave it to me because I was very beautiful and the boss said, Youre the best-looking male Ive seen all day. But you had to have a folio of work. He didnt just look at my face. Taylor went through comic strips such as "Lil Abner", panel by panel, redrawing the pine trees as gum trees. As a young woman living in a waterfront house in Port Hacking, she became an accomplished spearfisher, and she taught herself to scuba dive with equipment given to her by a neighbour. She joined the St George Spearfishing Club, where she met Ron. He was the mens champion, she the womens. They married in 1963. Ron Taylor and Valerie Taylor in 1965. They were both national spearfishing champions. Val and Ron turned away from spearfishing when they realised they had stripped an entire reef of fish. They moved into underwater photography, using equipment they had built themselves. We zeroed in on sharks, says Taylor. It was difficult, but nobody else was doing it, so we had the field to ourselves. Nowadays, its a big thing: Im a diver, Im going to dive with sharks. Back then, it was, You idiot! Our mahi mahi arrives and meets with Taylors educated approval and my ignorant appreciation. Taylor takes lunch with a glass of sauvignon blanc. Im not an alcoholic, she assures me. Ive had a hell of a week. She has been promoting conservation film Blue, to raise awareness about plastics in the ocean (politicians in Canberra were unbelievably receptive to the movies message, she says) as well as launching her childrens book Melody the Mermaid: Adventures in the Kingdom of the Sea. Taylor never stopped painting and the book contains a years worth of her pictures, which she says are accurate representations of marine life, except for the mermaid. She never stopped diving either and, the day after our lunch, she is heading off for a 14-day trip to Indonesia. Diving is easier than walking, she says No gravity. You could just get out of this chair, fly across the road and up the street but the publicity work exhausts her. She says she has had the best life of anyone she knows, and her great adventure was making the documentary movie Blue Water, White Death, which was released in 1971 and featured Ron and Val taking increasingly life-threatening risks to film great white sharks. The average person would have died in the first week, she says. Valerie Taylor being bitten by a blue shark off San Diego while testing a steel mesh suit. Blue Water, White Death led the Taylors to their work on Jaws, for which they shot the real-life shark footage and also helped to design the artificial shark. Ron went to the US to advise the film-makers, she says: Because their shark was 24-feet long, and the average for our live sharks is 12, everything was half-size, to make our shark look big. We had a half-size cage, a half-size man. The half-size man was a perfect little man whod doubled for Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet. The Taylors made money, first from syndicating their documentaries around the world, then from Hollywood. They bought a mansion in East Roseville. This place was magic, says Taylor. The foyer was as big as most peoples homes. Ridiculous. Their last movie was The Island of Dr. Moreau, released in 1996. They returned to TV work, and they used to be in demand to comment on sharks for current-affairs shows. Taylor says the producers dont ask her anymore because all they want to hear about are the dangers of sharks. I dont say theyre good and sweet and kind, she says, but I do tell the truth, and theyre not swimming around the ocean looking for someone to eat. The Taylors moved out of their mansion about 10 years ago, and into a three-bedroom unit in Fairlight. Ron died in 2012, and Val now shares the apartment with a friend. John Glover, The River Nile, Van Diemen's Land, from Mr Glover's farm, 1837 (detail), oil on canvas. Credit:Christian Markel While he believes the show is hugely important, he doesn't believe it's revolutionary. "People are having this conversation everywhere, [about] the importance of recognising the dual history of this country." For his part, Russell-Cook is optimistic about reconciliation. "I am very hopeful and I have the utmost faith in Australia's ability to bring about positive change. It's probably two steps forward and two steps back but I have unbelievable faith in the country and these conversations." Christian Thompson: ''The action of cutting out someone's eyes, it's kind of subversive.'' As for argument that the title Frontier Wars is not relevant to Indigenous people many Aboriginal artists say this country was never a frontier for them as they'd been here for 65,000+ years Russell-Cook sees the point but disagrees. "We came up with the name Frontier Wars because we are acknowledging that this was a time of war. It came up at the time of settlement, of frontier aspiration. In our community we refer to the Frontier Wars I do with my mob looking at the same period of time, just told through a different name." Julie Gough, Imperial Leather, 1994, wax and cotton rope and drawing pins on tie-dyed cotton on composition board. Credit:Lucy Parakhina While the exhibition is political, the overriding point is that it represents the artists' truth. "I don't think it's possible to celebrate that settlement of Australia's history and the exploration of a wondrous land, which is something worth celebrating without saying that it marked the beginning of a period of sustained violence and pain, the legacy of which is still felt by Aboriginal people. If you tried to tell that story without the other you would be denying the reality that Aboriginal people still feel the legacy of this in our everyday lives." Ultimately, this is a story that demanded to be told: "Art is one of the ways in which we can make sense of our history." Julie Gough: ''A lot of people can be upset by Glover.'' Credit:Lucy Parakhina We spoke to three contemporary artists whose work appears in Frontier Wars. There's something about subtly replacing someone's eyes. The action of cutting out someone's eyes, it's kind of subversive. They're placed in such in a way that you could think they were the actual eyes but they're strangely off-scale. Michael Cook: ''My art is about my discovery of my identity.'' The work was trying to navigate a way around not reproducing pictures of deceased people and to try and create a body of work that was both a window into the past but kind of in the present but also a doorway into somewhere else. I coined the term "spiritual repatriation", because for me the work was about unshackling those figures from being trapped in the prism of the anthropological and ethnographic. That's where it's a very auto-ethnographic approach to working with a collection of that nature. Christian Thompson, Othering the explorer, James Cook, 2015, printed 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi. Credit:NGV In my work, I use methods of research and experience and meditation and reflection to create images that are connected to broader social, cultural and political meanings and understandings. In a way they reflect my own experience because of how they've been present in my own life, but also they are fundamental cultural figures too. When I was working with the Oxford Collection, there was always so much emphasis on the people who created the images but for those featured in the images, there was often no name, or birthdate or origin so they were often nameless figures. There's always so much reverence given to the author of the image and I thought I want to avert my gaze away from having that kind of responsibility of having to reconcile that history. [I] wanted to go back to the author themselves and create a Museum of Others, where I am looking through their eyes and I'm looking at how they saw, and categorised, and had a very particular point of view. It's about trying to locate it more in that space, rather than me dealing with this historical misrepresentation, [I] wanted to draw attention to the figures themselves, but to shift them in a way that makes people contemplate the biographies of those individuals. Dr Christian Thompson is a Bidjara artist who works across photography, video, sculpture, performance and sound to explore notions of identity, race and Australia's colonial history. 'Museum of Others', 2015, is a photographic series in which Thompson uses iconic images of colonial figures, including Lieutenant James Cook, as a mask to scrutinise history and identity. Dr Julie Gough John Glover is interesting because in a relatively short time span, about a decade, he painted a lot of works with Aboriginal people in them at a distance. Slowly [those Aboriginal people] were supplanted by cows, or places that were empty of people or cows; there was this slow removal. A lot of people can be upset by Glover. The Aboriginal people he painted are so small often just six millimetres high and they look clumsily painted if you look at them magnified. I don't think that's so problematic he was determined to include Aboriginal people in these landscapes that other people around him were not including at all. At least he's not showing emptiness, he's showing the erasure and the effects of colonisation. I'm impressed that he did that. He's giving clues as to the past. It's helpful for Aboriginal people to reconstruct what was destroyed, there's the potential to return to places, also evidence for something Colonial art is one of the [available] archival cues; I see it as relevant and interesting, along with what people have written at that time. I would put John Glover in that group of colonial artists who were seeing things in Tasmania at that time who give us an entry that you might not otherwise have as to what was going on back then. [Work by the colonial artists] is not to be discounted. There's also all sorts of [information about] troop movements, where people were positioned, also land grabs, who was where. A neighbour to Glover, Batman wasn't shy about the fact he would shoot Aboriginal people he captured if they didn't keep up with him in Tasmania. [There is] a lot going on in the paintings a lot were holding boomerangs, which were not Tasmanian. Batman brought over six or eight Aboriginal people from NSW, Shoalhaven, with him and those people brought their artefacts and continued to make them. He was witnessing both cultures, Tasmanian as well as other Aboriginal cultures. To make her film "Larngerner", showing at the Adelaide Biennale, Gough went to where one of Glover's works was painted. I am willing to engage with anything, even artworks, and see what happens when I go to that place, [to ask] how do I feel, does the art convey something? In fact being there I did [feel something], so that's quite interesting, that you can bounce off a colonial artwork and get something special from being at the place where it was painted. I wanted to test the work in a way, artist versus artist. My film uses two large screens butted together, a 20-minute film on the left and one on the right the real place and then the Glover painting. It's to give people an idea to revisit colonial art and to consider what we might find in it and take from it. And go somewhere with it; time-travel. A lot of what was happening in Tasmania occurred pre-1850s, pre-photography. There are not a lot of portraits pre-photography, so we've had to rely on paintings, drawings and etchings for the pictures of our ancestors. I think a lot of other Aboriginal cultures on the mainland would have a broader suite of references. We have this strange relationship with colonial art because of that. If we want to find out what was going on, we've got a completely different frontier, a different timeline. We have our families and what happened to our families as evidence. A lot of stuff is not facts names, dates [I'm] trying to piece together a lot from why we aren't there or doing this or whatever, unpacking it slowly. It all becomes useful because so much was erased or not recorded. Art is one of those realms that often hasn't been edited. Dr Julie Gough is a Trawlwoolway artist and curator whose practice engages with the unsettling space between conflicting and subsumed Australian histories, particularly those that concern her native Tasmania. John Glover was a mature and well-established artist by the time he travelled to Hobart in 1831. He took to the bright light and colour of Van Diemen's Land easily, depicting the distinctive terrain and vegetation with unerring naturalism and the selective, idealising eye of the picturesque painter. Michael Cook Looking at his own photography.and the work created by Indigenous artist Tommy McRae more than 120 years ago, Michael Cook sees parallels in their practices. McRae was working within a white society using pens and paper, which would have been quite modern for him; I am using digital cameras and layering. Both are quite sophisticated technologies. My work Majority Rule explores how you feel as a minority person living in a society. Back in the '50s and '60s you wouldn't have seen Aboriginal people going off to work every day. Even today, it's not common to see black people in Australia. I created the work after I came back from America; I noticed a lot of black people [there] on the telly and in the community, going about their daily business. I do ask that question always, what if our governments had seen from a different perspective, how different things might have been. Tommy McRae is documenting his times he would have been seeing a lot of change: the European settlers, the Chinese. His work is his experience of discovering all this new stuff. My art is about my discovery of my identity, exploring the questions I had growing up. I ask questions to provoke thought processes around an idea. It's a rough, wide-angled view around history. McRae had the opportunity to live in the two different societies. I was brought up in a white community, in a big white family. I only went out to an Aboriginal community about five years ago for the first time. [McRae has] gone from a traditional life to live within a white society. It would be nice to sit down and have a conversation with him about where his head was at. I suppose I am documenting my thought process around what could have been and what should have been; I'm documenting in my own way. It'd be interesting to know more about him to know if he went back to his traditional [experience] and to that style of living ... For me, it's quite an experience to go out to indigenous communities and I want to explore that more. I keep a beauty to my work because a lot of people know our history and a lot of people are distraught about it. If you keep [an element of] beauty, people don't want to look away straight away, they want to take it in. They can take it in at their own level, in their own time. Sometimes when it's too harsh people won't want to spend time with it, they'll look away too quickly. The other thing I do is ask very open questions within the work. It's to do with my understanding of psychology, I just ask you questions and you can ask yourself those questions and make up your own mind. You can go as deep as you want with it. I'm asking myself the same questions too, but there are still no answers. It's about asking people what could be and what might still be; to start having a bit of empathy around things and stop watching the media and seeing everything in black and white. Michael Cook is a Bidjara artist whose work in photography and new media raises questions of biography and race relations in contemporary Australia. Tommy McRae created cross-cultural figurative drawings on paper as a means of recording a culture subjected to change and silencing. Jessica Rowe has announced her resignation from Channel Ten's morning program, Studio 10. Rowe - who has received an Order of Australia for her mental health advocacy - told viewers on Friday she was leaving for family reasons. "I want to be a more present mum for my girls, Allegra and Giselle," said Rowe, who has been married to Channel Nine presenter Peter Overton since 2004. Rowe became teary as she explained her decision, while co-host Joe Hildebrand sobbed his way through the segment. Nearly 200 single-residential blocks of land in Canberra's west will be up for grabs through a ballot process opening this month. The ballot will be the first in suburbs Wright and Coombs in the Molonglo Valley since 2013, with the government generally offering new land by auction in recent years - a sales method that has left it open to criticism of maximising land prices. Cheryl-Lynn Noble and her husband William with two of their children Oliver, 9, and Kimberly, 11. Credit:Jamila Toderas The new ballot will see 194 blocks offered, ranging from 403 square metres to 977 square metres - 123 blocks in Wright, and 71 in Coombs. A ballot in the Gungahlin suburb of Taylor saw all blocks sold in November last year. In Moncrieff, a 2015 ballot for 77 blocks was hotly contested, with 800 people emailing within minutes of the the 10am opening for the first-in-first-served sale. The pre-show media for Liz Lea's new work RED prepared us to expect something a little extraordinary, something a bit bawdy, something with adult themes, something fierce and fractious, perhaps something that was even a bit funny, but definitely something confronting. And yes, it was all of those things. But nothing, nothing at all, prepared us for the emotional power that coursed through RED, and for the brilliantly coherent manner in which the show drew its diverse sections together. And nothing prepared us for the courage and dignity with which Lea put her life before us, her life as a dancer who has battled endometriosis throughout her career. RED was a multi-media experience. It began with a film clip of a young girl crossing a white bridge; the sound of a counter tenor singing that exquisitely melancholic aria "What is life to me without thee" from Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice; and a voiceover that began with the words "She thought she could have it all." That voice returned throughout the work. It was a doctor explaining the nature of the illness from which Lea suffered, and the procedures that she had to endure. Film clips also returned from time to time, and Lea talked about her career and how she managed her condition. Of course she also danced throughout the hour-long show. The dancing segments were fast and forceful at times, full of theatrical extravaganza at others. It was easy to see in the choreography, from three choreographers in addition to Lea, the styles with which Lea is most familiar hints of Indian dance moves, suggestions of martial arts, and a fabulous, stunningly lit showgirl routine with feathers (red of course), fans and sequins. Then there was a "codeine nightmare" when Lea was joined by several older dancers dressed in black (the women mostly with added sparkles to their dresses) who danced with and for her and helped her live out the experience of having to manage excessive pain. But it was the ending that reduced me to tears. That incredible Gluck aria returned and Lea, now dressed in a tight, short, black number with high-heeled black patent leather shoes (with red soles), hair pulled back, and looking superbly elegant and glamorous, stood before us. She scarcely moved at first, but slowly her arms began a dance that gathered momentum and seemed to promise a future full of hope. Her limbs stretched this way and that, lyrical, questioning, wondering, and in the very last moment a shower of shiny, red "snowflakes" fell from above. The choreography for this last section was by Martin del Amo. Its simplicity was striking but it was also a breathtaking finale for all that it looked back on, and all that it promised. RED was a truly remarkable piece of dance theatre with the coherence that only exceptional dramaturgy, from Brian Lucas in this case, can achieve. Every aspect of the production was astonishing, but standing out was the power of dance, and the wider multi-media context in which it can and did fit, to transmit a diverse and very human message, and to do so with such emotion and such clarity. As for Lea, how courageous, how remarkable can one artist be? Brava! It took more than an hour for prosecutors to detail all the beatings Graham Dillon had delivered to his son Bradyn. They read out pages of the man's crimes, and then worked through a thick folder of photographs of bruises, belt marks, chipped teeth and cigarette burns on 9-year-old Bradyn's body; more than 70 marks, from his head to his legs. Bradyn Dillon, nine, pictured on one of the last occasions he saw his mother, Rachel Jones. On February 15, 2016, Dillon, who appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday for a hearing that would determine the extent of his jail time, killed his son with one last beating. The boy's brain was already bruised and bleeding, when Dillon, 39, smacked the boy with a belt while he was bent over a table and then kicked him. Dillon then bashed his son's head, hard enough to fracture teeth. Less than 24 hours before Matthew Leveson's body is finally laid to rest a memorial tree in his honour has been vandalised. Matthew Leveson was just 20 years old when he was last seen leaving a Sydney nightclub in 2007. It took 10 years before his remains would be found buried in dense bushland in the Royal National Park, an extraordinary discovery which came only after his former partner Michael Atkins confessed to burying Mr Leveson's body, after being granted immunity from prosecution. Last year the Leveson family selected a tree in the Royal National Park in memory of Matthew, only to find it stripped bare on Thursday night, just hours before his funeral on Friday. A bag containing rope, a balaclava and a muzzle was allegedly uncovered in the home of a man charged with confronting six different women on the Bay Run track in Sydney's inner-west, a court has heard. Andrew James Grant, 29, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with five counts of stalking/intimidation intending to cause fear of harm, two counts of assault with an act of indecency, and wilful and obscene exposure after he allegedly approached the women at Lilyfield and Rozelle six times over 17 days. During a bail application by Mr Grant on Friday, Sydney's Central Local Court was told two additional victims have come forward in recent days and more charges are expected to be laid. Andrew James Grant has been refused bail Police prosecutor Benjamin Delaroche opposed bail, saying Mr Grant was an unacceptable risk of committing further offences, which were "insidious in the fear and disruption they cause to members of the community". Sydney Tower's Skywalk will remain closed until a full review is completed into the death of a woman who plunged from the city's tallest building in front of horrified witnesses. Paramedics responded to reports of a person threatening self-harm at the landmark building, also known as Centrepoint Tower, above the busy Pitt Street Mall precinct about 2.40pm Thursday. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the woman's deadly plunge. A report will go to the coroner. Credit:Seven News It is understood the woman was on the 268-metre-high Skywalk tour around the outside top of the tower when she removed her harness and jumped, landing on a canopy below. Sydney Tower Eye remained closed on Friday but the Observation Deck is set to reopen to tourists at 9am on Saturday. Two teenage boys were assaulted and robbed near a Rouse Hill shopping precinct in Sydney's north-west on Friday night, police say. Police say the boys, aged 16 and 17, were in a carpark on White Hart Drive - near Rouse Hill Town Centre - about 6pm when they were approached by a group of four men. One of the assailants hit the 16-year-old boy in the head, causing him to fall on the ground. Rouse Hill Town Centre in Western Sydney. Three of the attackers then took aim at his 17-year-old friend, pushing him to the ground and kicking and punching him. Disaster assistance has been made available to help flood-affected north Queensland residents recover from what has been declared a 'catastrophe'. The region has been hammered by rough weather over the past four days, with more than 600mm of rain falling in some areas. SES assisting residents in the flooded Shire of Hinchinbrook. Credit:Facebook - Kylee Blanch Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk, who will travel to flood-affected regions on Sunday, said the full extent of the damage would not be known for weeks. She said flooding would have a detrimental impact on banana and sugar cane crops, as well as the aquaculture industry. There are fewer than 40 of these little brown birds with whiskers known to be left in the Queensland wild, as researchers call for better protection of their grassy homes. The entire eastern bristlebird species has about 2500 birds left in the wild, with most living in populations down south in New South Wales and Victoria, University of Queensland researcher Zoe Stone said. The eastern bristlebird. There were just 38 of the melodic songbirds living in grassy forest patches along the Border Ranges of south-east Queensland, Ms Stone said. We have been monitoring them since the 1980s and we had around 200 birds in the wild and that has gone down to the 38 to what we know now, so there has been a huge reduction in population size, she said. The court heard this was her first time in custody and that she was taking prescribed anti-depressant medication Effexor. Ms Finch answered "yes" quietly when asked if she understood everything at the end of her three-minute hearing. She was remanded in custody and is due to return to court on June 29. The Age understands Ms Finch is yet to be properly interviewed by police as she is too distressed. It is understood she called triple zero for help before her son's body was found. There was no obvious cause of death. In her last public Facebook post, Ms Finch shared a Change.org petition she had signed calling for a retrial of a South Australian mother over the assault of her baby daughter. Tributes for Brodie outside the Alma Street home. Credit:Tom Cowie Tributes have been pouring in for the little boy with an infectious laugh. Mr Moran thanked people for their well wishes and asked anyone with photos of his son to post them on Facebook. Friend Donna Heesterman said her heart was breaking. "RIP beautiful Brodie, at 8 to have your life taken away is just tragic," she wrote. "Your smile and infectious laughter will be how I remember you." Ms Finch and her son Brodie had moved to Tootgarook, a small beachside suburb near Rye, about a year ago. He was in grade 2 at Tootgarook Primary School. Brodie Credit:Facebook Principal Wayne Whitworth said the situation was "a tragic event". "Support is being made available through the school for friends, classmates, students, staff and anyone else in our school community who may need it during this difficult time," he said. Grieving schoolchildren left tributes to their friend outside the Alma Street home on Friday morning. Children arrived with their parents to place flowers, notes and teddy bears against a real estate sign erected on the footpath. One note reads: "God bless little man RIP all the angels will be with you now." Another, in a child's handwriting, says: "We love you Brodie." A parent, who did not wish to be named, said that children were being offered counselling at the school. "Theyre devastated, everyone is very quiet. The kids have been having nightmares," she said. Tributes left outside the Alma Street home on Friday morning. Credit:Tom Cowie Friend Craig McCullough said he and his family were "numb". "Just can't believe it after spending last weekend with them," he wrote. Ms Finch had previously worked for skincare and cosmetic company Crabtree & Evelyn where her former co-workers were in tears in Friday. "Im speechless," one woman said. Neighbour Antoinette Berugini said she heard the police outside the house on Thursday and knew something was wrong. "It was shocking because Im grandmother, Ive got kids myself, Ive got a grandson," she said. "You can imagine if they came to me and say to me your grandchild died. And not because theyre sick." The eight-year-old boy was found dead at the Alma Street home on Thursday afternoon. Credit:Joe Armao Another neighbour Antoniella Bernobic said she used to see the boy jumping on the trampoline sitting in the front yard. They were a "normal everyday family", she said, and nothing out of the ordinary stood out. "Sick to my stomach," is how she described she was feeling. "Absolutely horrible. I couldnt even think of how can someone actually do something like that," she said. Kelly Wood said she saw the woman recently trick or treating with her child. Kelly Wood said she saw the woman recently trick or treating with her child. "Its just a tragedy, you dont expect it so close to you. It affects you," she said. Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she did not know the family well, but had not heard of any problems or noises. "We saw each other a bit, we're not really friends," she said. "The police have already been around. I feel sick." Forensics police at the house on Thursday. Credit:Joe Armao Other neighbours said the family had been living at the rented property, which is listed for sale, only for a year or so. Royston Churchill, who has lived on Alma Street for 47 years, said he was shocked at the news. It was a big shock, because weve never had anything like that around here, he said. Mauro Salce, who owns Peninsula Classic Holden Parts on Alma Street, said it was mostly a quiet area, with lots of holiday homes. "Im really surprised," he said. "Its a really good street." Tootgarook is a beachside suburb between Rosebud and Rye. Shortly after the blocks were bought the owners were told that they could not build on them. There are a number of beaches along the tract and different parts are subject to different controls and regulations, as well as different buy-back schemes. Planning regulations have chopped and changed from government to government and council to council. It is, in short, incredibly complicated. Mostly the blocks are said to be unstable because of eroding soil and sand dunes, as well as some being flood-prone or even flooded outright. Many of the owners who were first hit by news they could not build on their blocks copped a second swipe a decade ago when a report on the impact of flooding on low-lying coastal areas saw their property values nosedive overnight by up to 96 per cent. Maureen Verga, whose husband Charles bought one of the Golden Beach blocks in 1960 for 200, says many of the buyers were new migrants enticed by the allure of owning their own little bit of Australia. But you couldnt camp on it, you couldnt build on it, you couldnt do anything with it - and the fact that they are still served with a quarterly rates notice adds to the pain of what has been a thorn in our flesh for many, many years. Its an insult, declares Mrs Verga of the rates notices. Its like a red rag to a bull that sends her blood pressure soaring. Some years ago, they said that we wouldnt have to pay any more rates because the land was unusable because of flooding. But then, the rates started coming again. Maureen and Charles Verga. For some owners, rates were excused from 1980 to 2006 before they were reintroduced on legal advice, a council spokeswoman said. Mrs Verga wont pay the rates and lets arrears notices accumulate. But many do pay, believing that they will have the Sheriff knocking at the door to demand they cough up. The rates notice expressly warns of legal action and the appointment of debt collectors to recover unpaid rates and charges. One property owner who was unaware her name was even on the title until she contacted the council a few weeks ago recently paid $180 in rates on a property that is valued at $100. The value of the properties is often a fraction of what is owed in rates. The rates notice suggests legal action may be taken against those who don't pay. When I called the council I spoke to a lady who said, I noticed you paid the rates the other day. You wont get your money back. She told me not to pay it anymore. The council has been offering some owners a Voluntary Assistance Scheme, whereby they can return their land to the council for a one-off payment of $1500 a block, minus any outstanding rates and charges. "The benefit for landowners, a council document states, is that once the title has been transferred into council's name, owners will no longer receive rates notices or other letters from council and will no longer be responsible for land that cannot be developed. If you transfer the land you will finally resolve this issue ... You can keep your land but you must understand that it can never be developed and you will still be liable for rates and other charges. Some blocks, about 460, are about to be compulsorily acquired because their owners cannot be found. Next year, the council will offer to take back a separate cluster of flood-prone lots for nil compensation. Any rates or levies paid to date including those paid recently will never be refunded. Almost 3000 blocks fall into that category. The Age expressly asked Wellington Shire whether it was fair to impose rates on landowners who would soon be asked to hand their land back without any form of compensation. The question was not answered. The same question was put to Councillor Carolyn Crossley, the shire mayor. She did not respond. But the landowners had a response when asked about fairness. Id like to know myself [how it could be fair]! Mrs Verga said. Vassily Afcouliotis is one of the thousands who bought blocks along Ninety Mile Beach decades ago in order to build holiday houses. Credit:Jason South Hah! said Vassily Afcouliotis, a previous president the Property Rights Action Group that was set up to represent affected landowners. Mr Afcouliotis is one of the most outspoken of those who have found themselves in possession of the worthless land. He believes the council is doing everything possible to reclaim the blocks as cheaply as possible. Theyve been told they have to find a way of handling this Ninety Mile Beach with minimal costs, he says, adding that it appears the owners are being forced out by contradictory regulations that make management of the blocks almost impossible. They are permitted to camp on site in a caravan for 28 days of the year but site access is almost impossible because they cannot clear vegetation. In addition, they must keep the land free of fire hazards but grass and trees cannot be removed. Much of the area is scrub and tea-tree and many areas are now completely overgrown. Theyre so shifty . . . They made it impossible because they want to take it back. Vassily Afcouliotis, landowner They are shifty. Theyre so shifty ... They made it impossible because they want to take it back," Mr Afcouliotis said. "They sent papers out saying that if a fire starts on your property youll be liable for $2000. Mr Afcouliotis bought his two adjoining blocks along Shoreline Drive in Glomar Beach in 1970, for $750 apiece. At the time, his apprentice wage amounted to $5 a week. It was a significant investment for him. We heard about that land from friends. They said look, theres a bus that leaves the city. Why dont you go with the bus and see if you like it. He did. And he liked it a lot. So did his wife at the time. It was absolutely beautiful, he says, and as a fisherman, he had grand plans. Id travel all day to get to a block like that, he says. So far, he has travelled almost 50 years. And he still hasnt arrived. Im not prepared to just sit back and let things happen. I want to negotiate a term. The original promotional material for Victoria's Golden Beach. Credit:Jason South Some have no intention of giving their block back and hang on to the useless title in the hope that one day, the planning rules will change yet again and they, or their children, may be able to build there. Its actually pathetic, Juliet DAlessandro says. Thats why Im not paying it. Her father Severino DAlessandro came to own his through a swap his block in Rye was traded for the now worthless flood-prone land at Golden Beach. Ms DAlessandro said that when she contacted the council, an officer told her: You can pay them [the rates] if you want but you dont have to pay them. She agrees that many people would still be paying them, particularly those owners whose English is limited, or who are now elderly. The DAlessandros block is said to be worth $100, according to the most recent valuation notice from the council. The rates payable for the Mauritius Drive block are in arrears to the tune of $317. Its just awful, Ms DAlessandro says, adding that when she contacted the council, she sensed the officers irritation with her questions, and with the issue in general. Vassily Afcouliotis and his family protest on his Glomar Beach block back in 2013. Credit:Angela Wylie Local MP Danny OBrien said that from time to time, he still gets letters and emails about the blocks, mostly from the angry sons and daughters of people who bought the blocks years ago. I think a lot of these people got sold a pup [by the original developers] and ultimately have been left with nothing, he said. Mrs Verga said the council had already offered $100 for their block. You must be joking, she said. Weve paid thousands in rates in the 55 years that Charles has owned it Theyre making a fortune out of the people who are paying up. The council was unable to provide a figure for how much had been raised by rates over the years because it would require significant time and resources to calculate it. But a spokeswoman did say that the vast majority remain unpaid. Mrs Verga says that she sometimes wonders whether, after she has died, the council will make a claim against her estate to recoup the unpaid rates, in turn creating a legal nightmare for the next generation. Even now, some seven decades on, there is no end in sight for many who fear the disaster that has followed them through life may even outlive them. An ugly stoush has erupted at Trinity Grammar after its long-standing deputy principal was sacked for trimming a student's hair on school photo day. In a letter to parents and former students, school council chairman Roderick Lyle said deputy principal Rohan Brown left Trinity on Thursday night over his handling of a disciplinary issue. He said Mr Brown's actions were at odds with school policy and inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age. The deputy principal of Trinity Grammar has been sacked, shocking former students and the school community Credit:Paul Jeffers As a result, the school council was of the view that Mr Browns leadership position at the school was no longer tenable, Mr Lyle said in the letter. Workers at Alcoa's Pinjarra, Wagerup, and Kwinana refineries have walked off the job following a breakdown in negotiations over pay and conditions. Australian Workers' Union (AWU) members employed by the mining giant met in Pinjarra yesterday before starting a four-day work stoppage. Workers met in Pinjarra on Thursday morning. AWU secretary Mike Zoetbrood said minesite workers had been taking industrial action for "some time", and continued to take action. "The protected industrial action comes after more than 14 months of negotiations for a replacement Enterprise Agreement," he said. Lawyers for a WA man who has spent the past decade in jail for a murder he claims he did not commit have officially lodged a fresh petition for clemency with the WA Government in an effort to clear his name. Scott Douglas Austic was jailed for life in 2009 over the 2007 stabbing murder of Stacey Thorne in the town of Boddington, 120 kilometres south-east of Perth. A recent picture of Scott Austic supplied by his family. Credit:Austic Family Austic was convicted after a trial in the WA Supreme Court and was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years before being eligible for parole. He appealed his conviction in 2010 but the appeal was dismissed. Austic, his lawyers and his family have always maintained his innocence over the crime. Sydney Airport is refusing to reveal the exact nature of a "technical issue" that left thousands of passengers stranded on Friday morning. The Herald understands the issue that effectively shut down both the T1 International and T2 Domestic terminals until almost 7am was identified "well before" check-ins opened ahead of the first flights out from 6am. Passengers at the domestic terminal wait to go through security after technical issues effectively shut down the airport on Friday morning. Credit:Nick Moir Sydney Airport could not reveal the exact nature of the "technical issue" on Friday afternoon, except to say that it was not a power outage or "security issue" but a system problem that temporarily rendered CCTV useless, and interrupted passenger processing, including security screening. A spokesperson for the airport told the Herald "essentially as soon as one of those aspects is not functioning, we cant put passengers through security". Victoria will ban the use of flammable building cladding as part of its response to the fire that killed 71 people in London's Grenfell Tower last year. The ban will also include the aluminium panels that caused a fire to engulf the Lacrosse apartment building in Melbourne's Docklands, nearly three years ago. The government has also confirmed that the number of buildings in the state at risk from their cladding material had been significantly overstated. Planning Minister Richard Wynne. Credit:Jesse Marlow Of the 1369 structures in Victoria first thought to be at risk in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy, 608 have not begun construction, and a further 188 are only partially built, Planning Minister Richard Wynne's office confirmed on Friday. Delhi: During the first week of January last year, a group of Indian scholars gathered in a white bungalow on a leafy boulevard in central Delhi. The focus of their discussion: how to rewrite the history of the nation. The government of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi had quietly appointed the committee of scholars about six months earlier. Details of its existence are reported here for the first time. Hindus dressed as Lord Hanuman pose during a religious procession. Credit:AFP Minutes of the meeting and interviews with committee members set out its aims: to use evidence such as archaeological finds and DNA to prove that today's Hindus are directly descended from the land's first inhabitants many thousands of years ago, and make the case that ancient Hindu scriptures are fact not myth. The ambitions of Hindu nationalists now, it seems, extend beyond holding political power in this nation of 1.3 billion people with a kaleidoscope of religions. They want ultimately to reshape the national identity to match their religious views, that India is a nation of and for Hindus. Berlin: German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel will not be a member of Angela Merkel's new coalition government after he was fired by his own party. Gabriel, from Merkel's coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD), had been expected to lose his post after tense relations with Andrea Nahles, his party's new leader. Former German justice minister, Heiko Maas, left, and now former foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel whom he is likely to succeed. Credit:AP Gabriel, who was last year voted Germany's most popular politician, posted on Twitter on Thursday that Nahles and Olaf Scholz, the SPD's acting chairman, told him he would no longer have a ministerial post. His successor, to be announced on Friday local time, was expected to be Heiko Maas, 51, who served as justice minister in the last grand coalition. Katarina Barley, 49, the family minister, and Thomas Oppermann, 63, who is vice-president of the Bundestag, were also said to be in the running. Austin, Texas: Deadly poisonings and attacks on Kremlin-linked figures are likely to meet little resistance from the White House, an American defence expert says. As Cold War-era understandings on permissible spy behaviour unravel, there has been little US pressure to counter Russia's suspected activities, Georgetown University national security professor Mark Jacobson told Fairfax Media. "During the Cold War the Soviets were constrained by the threat of a US reaction, Jacobson said. Today there is no threat of action by this White House. A police officer secures the area where Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill on the park bench. Former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent on Sunday, British police say, in the latest attack on Russians living in the UK. They remain critically ill. Washington: US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday that US President Donald Trump could exempt more countries from trade tariffs. Trump signed an order for 25 per cent tariffs on steel imports and 10 per cent for aluminum at the White House on Thursday, but exempted Canada and Mexico. "The president can do exemptions and my expectation is there may be some other countries that he considers in the next two weeks," Mnuchin said in an interview with broadcaster CNBC. Reuters Washington: South Korea's national security adviser has announced North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is committed to denuclearisation and has invited Donald Trump to a meeting, which Trump said would happen by May. At the White House on Thursday evening, Chung Eui-yong also announced a commitment by Kim to stop North Korea's nuclear and missile testing. Chung said that "along with President Trump" South Korea was optimistic about the prospects of denuclearisation. It was not clear whether the Kim regime had requested any concessions for such a meeting or if there were plans for further talks to discuss details of such a plan. TerraX stakes 337.5 square kilometers of contiguous ground in the highly prospective Yellowknife Gold District Posted by Publisher Internet TerraX Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: TXR; Frankfurt: TX0; OTC Pink: TRXXF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOxsJLlBowM&t=15s&list=PLBpDlKjdv3yoX1N3x4RmnEyhecw5EVhv9&index=2 ) is pleased to announce that it has expanded its land position at its wholly-owned Yellowknife City Gold (?YCG?) project through the staking of an additional 337.5 square kilometers immediately to the north of its current properties. These additional 47 claims were staked based on extensive field exploration completed on the YCG during the summer and fall of 2017 and bring our total holdings adjacent to the City of Yellowknife to 771.6 sq km covering approximately 70 km of strike. The map indicating the newly acquired lands can be accessed here.? Joseph Campbell, the CEO of TerraX, stated \I believe this is a land position unmatched in gold potential by any other junior mining company in Canada. Our 2017 exploration and our compilation of regional geological data from the Slave Geological Province confirms that the deep crustal structure (the ?Main Break?) for the Yellowknife gold camp extends north from our Northbelt claims. The consolidation of the most prospective 70 kilometers of gold bearing strike length on this belt reinforces TerraX?s dominant control of this major gold district. TerraX will continue to comprehensively explore this entire land package in the coming campaigns.? ? The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Joseph Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer of TerraX, who is a Qualified Person as defined in \National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.\ About the Yellowknife City Gold Project The Yellowknife City Gold (\YCG\) project encompasses 771.6 sq km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, TerraX controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 km of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power and skilled tradespeople. The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering 70 km of strike length along the main mineralized break in the Yellowknife gold district, including the southern and northern extensions of the shear system that hosted the high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The project area contains multiple shears that are the recognized hosts for gold deposits in the Yellowknife gold district, with innumerable gold showings and recent high-grade drill results that serve to indicate the project\-\-s potential as a world-class gold district.? For more information on the YCG project, please visit our web site at www.terraxminerals.com. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts, the completion of due diligence and the results of exploration activities that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company\-\-s expectations are disclosed in the Company\-\-s documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Maple Gold Targets high-grade Extension at SE edge of Porphyry Zone Posted by Publisher Internet Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (?Maple Gold? or the ?Company?) (TSX-V: MGM, OTCQB: MGMLF; Frankfurt: M3G https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHmDlWCznkI&list=PLBpDlKjdv3yqI5kl6ha0YCm6IXa1LP5tb&index=2&t=2s ) is pleased to announce that the Company has received its fourth and final permit and is now fully permitted for all drill sites and ramping up significantly with five drill rigs now on site. The Douay Gold Project hosts several known higher-grade ?plums? with variable diameters, with limited follow-up drilling within 100-250 metres in several directions in some cases, and therefore these areas represent a significant opportunity to add higher-grade resources to the deposit. Maple Gold is currently drilling one of these high-priority extension targets on the southeast edge of the Porphyry Zone with a fence of three (3) drill-holes that will aim to extend the higher-grade mineralization beyond the current resource model. This drilling will build on previous intercepts of 4.08 g/t Au (uncut) over 28m from 82m, including 8.4 g/t Au over 11m in hole DO-11-61, as well as? 2.33 g/t Au (uncut) over 24.4m from 120.4m in hole D93-16 (all lengths are down the hole). Maple Gold?s President & CEO, Matthew Hornor, stated: ?Our team spent significant time generating drill targets during the back half of 2017. Now that we received our final permit last week, we are ramping up and moving drill rigs to our most exciting targets. Drill results will be announced in batches as drilling is completed on specific target areas so our shareholders can follow the progress of our various objectives.? Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc, P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration, of Maple Gold.?Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.?Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this news release through his direct participation in the work. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains ?forward-looking information\ and ?forward-looking statements? (collectively referred to as ?forward-looking statements?) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management?s best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company?s expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the mineral resource estimate, including statements regarding contained ounces, optimal cut-off grade and average gold grade, as well as statements regarding upcoming exploration programs. When used herein, words such as ?anticipate?, ?will?, ?intend? and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, expectations, analysis and opinions that management believed reasonable at the time they were made or in certain cases, on third party expert opinions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual events, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.?s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company?s website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Maple Gold is a well-funded gold exploration company focused on advancing a district-scale gold project in one of the world\-\-s premier mining jurisdictions. The Company\-\-s 370 km? Douay Gold Project is located along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec, Canada. The Project has an established gold resource that remains open in multiple directions, with excellent infrastructure and several large scale operating mines within this prolific mining district. Maple Gold has a significant drill campaign under way to expand on the known Resource Areas and test new discovery targets within the Company\-\-s 55 km of strike along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone. For more information please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. Small Cell Forum Welcomes FCC Move to Relax Regulations on Cell Siting Posted by Publisher Telecommunication LONDON, 9th March 2018 Small Cell Forum, the telecoms organization driving network densification worldwide, has hailed an announcement by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and the draft Second Report and Order in the FCC proceeding on Accelerating Wireless Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment. The announcement and draft ruling represent a huge step forward to removing bureaucratic barriers standing in the way of bringing the benefits of small cells to consumers all over the US. At its 22 March open meeting, the FCC will vote on an order that would modernize the review procedures for macro sites, and eliminate most of these procedures for small cells. The order provides that, in many cases, small cells will enjoy the same regulatory status as Wi-Fi routers, signal boosters and other similar unlicensed equipment, and therefore small cell deployments will occur far more quickly and much more cheaply. Currently, small cells deployments are treated the same as large microcell towers, and are therefore subject to federal processes. Network operators and their agents are required to comply with extensive bureaucratic constraints when designing, building and deploying small cells. This represents significant costs and delays in the development of the dense networks required to meet the growing demand for mobile data and to lay the foundations for 5G. This proposed FCC action is a major step towards solving such issues. Under the FCC?s draft ruling, equipment smaller than 3 cubic feet and meeting certain other conditions (e.g., mounting height), will be considered as a small facility and will no longer require the federal NEPA or NHPA review both time-consuming and expensive processes. SCF actively works to mitigate the challenges around small cell siting, with progress in the US having been achieved by building industry consensus around siting requirements in terms of size, power and backhaul, as well as a streamlined approval process. These have acted as benchmarks to facilitate discussions with municipalities and regulators such as the FCC. \SCF works with legislators around the world to highlight the huge potential of small cells,\ said David Orloff, SCF Chair. \We welcome Commissioner Carr\-\-s announcement, recognising the role of small cells in taking our mobile networks towards 5G, and will continue our efforts in the United States and other markets to drive the industry forward.\ SCF works to accelerate densification by collaborating with a range of industry association partners, ensuring needs are represented and specialist knowledge is made available. It has recently held events in US and India to work with xRAN, ONAP, ETSI, GSMA, NGMN, CTIA, MEF, TIA, 3GPP and CBRS Alliance. Alongside its partners, SCF will hold an EU Densification Summit at ETSI HQ in Sophia Antipolis, 24-26 April 2018. Data explosion: Futureproofing your video surveillance infrastructure Video surveillance systems are producing more unstructured data than ever before. A dramatic decrease in camera costs in recent years has led many businesses to invest in comprehensive surveillance coverage, with more cameras generating more data. Plus, advances in technology mean that the newest (8K) cameras are generating approximately 800% more data than their predecessors (standard definition). Traditional entry-level solutions like network video recorders (NVRs) simply arent built to handle massive amounts of data in an efficient, resilient and cost-effective manner. This has left many security pioneers grappling with a data storage conundrum. Should they continue adding more NVR boxes? Or is there another, better, route? Retaining video data In short, yes. To future proof their video surveillance infrastructure, an increasing number of businesses are adopting an end-to-end surveillance architecture with well-integrated, purpose-built platforms for handling video data through its lifecycle. This presents significant advantages in terms of security, compliance and scalability, as well as unlocking new possibilities for data enrichment. All of this with a lower total cost of ownership than traditional solutions. Security teams would typically delete recorded surveillance footage after a few days or weeks Previously, security teams would typically delete recorded surveillance footage after a few days or weeks. However, thanks to increasingly stringent legal and compliance demands, many are now required to retain video data for months or even years. Theres no doubt that this can potentially benefit investigations and increase prosecutions, but it also puts significant pressure on businesses storage infrastructure. Data lifecycle management This necessitates a more intelligent approach to data lifecycle management. Rather than simply storing video data in a single location until its wiped, an end-to-end video surveillance solution can intelligently migrate data to different storage platforms and media as it ages. So, how does this work? Video is recorded and analysed on a combination of NVR, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) and application servers. Then, its moved to resilient file storage for a pre-determined period, where it can be immediately retrieved and accessed for review. Finally, based on policies set by heads of security, data is moved from file storage to highly secure, low-cost archive storage such as an object, tape or cloud. Data is moved from file storage to highly secure, low-cost archive storage Long-term storage This process is known as tiering. It allows businesses to use reliable, inexpensive long-term storage for most of their data, whilst still enabling security pioneers to retrieve video data when the need arises, such as during a compliance audit, or to review footage following a security breach. In a nutshell, it offers them the best of both worlds. Scaling your video surveillance infrastructure can be a headache. Businesses that rely on NVRs even high-end units with 64 or even 96 hard drives are finding themselves running out of capacity increasingly quickly. In order to scale, security pioneers then have to procure new boxes. With NVRs, this inevitably involves a degree of guesswork. Should they go for the largest possible option, and risk over provisioning? Or perhaps a smaller option, and risk running out of capacity again? Common management console Security pioneers can easily add or remove storage capacity or compute resources separately or together As businesses add new cameras or replace existing ones, many end up with inadequate surveillance infrastructure made up of multiple NVR boxes along with several application servers for running other surveillance functions such as access control, security photo databases, analytics, etc. This patchwork approach leaves security pioneers scrambling for capacity, maintaining various hardware footprints, repeating updates and checks across multiple systems, and taking up valuable time that could be better spent elsewhere. By contrast, flexible HCI surveillance platforms aggregate the storage and ecosystem applications to run on the same infrastructure and combine viewing under a common management console, avoiding swivel chair management workflows. Plus, they offer seamless scalability. Security pioneers can easily add or remove storage capacity or compute resources separately or together. Data storage solutions Over time, this ensures a lower total cost of ownership. First and foremost, it removes the risk of over provisioning and helps to control hardware sprawl. This in turn leads to hardware maintenance savings and lower power use. Many security pioneers are now looking beyond simple data storage solutions for their video surveillance footage. Meta tags can provide context around data, making it easier to find and access when needed Instead, theyre asking themselves how analysing this data can enable their teams to work faster, more efficiently and productively. Implementing an end-to-end video surveillance architecture enables users to take advantage of AI and machine learning applications which can tag and enrich video surveillance data. These have several key benefits. Firstly, meta tags can provide context around data, making it easier to find and access when needed. Object storage platform For instance, if security teams are notified of a suspicious red truck, they can quickly find data with this tag, rather than manually searching through hours of data, which can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Plus, meta tags can be used to mark data for future analysis. This means that as algorithms are run over time, policies can be set to automatically store data in the right location. For example, if a video is determined to contain cars driving in and out of your premises, it would be moved to long-term archiving such as an object storage platform for compliance purposes. If, on the other hand, it contained 24 hours of an empty parking lot, it could be wiped. These same meta tags may be used to eventually expire the compliance data in the archive after it is no longer needed based on policy. Video surveillance architecture Continuing to rely on traditional systems like NVRs will fast become unsustainable for businesses Even if your organisation isnt using machine learning or artificial intelligence-powered applications to enhance your data today, it probably will be one, three, or even five years down the line. Implementing a flexible end-to-end video surveillance solution prepares you for this possibility. With new advances in technology, the quantity of data captured by video surveillance systems will continue rising throughout the coming decade. As such, continuing to rely on traditional systems like NVRs will fast become unsustainable for businesses. Looking forward, when moving to an end-to-end video surveillance architecture, security pioneers should make sure to evaluate options from different vendors. For true futureproofing, its a good idea to opt for a flexible, modular solution, which allow different elements to be upgraded to more advanced technologies when they become available. Georgetown, SC (29440) Today Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 83F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 72F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Uranus tilt essentially has the planet orbiting the Sun on its side, the axis of its spin is nearly pointing at the Sun. Although planets surround stars in the galaxy, how they form remains a subject of debate. Despite the wealth of worlds in our own solar system, scientists still aren't certain how planets are built. Currently, two theories are duking it out for the role of champion. The first and most widely accepted, core accretion, works well with the formation of the terrestrial planets but has problems with giant planets such as Uranus. The second, the disk instability method, may account for the creation of giant planets. "What separates the ice giants from the gas giants is their formation history: during core growth, the former never exceeded [critical mass] in a full gas disk," wrote researchers Renata Frelikh and Ruth Murray-Clay in a research paper. The core accretion model Approximately 4.6 billion years ago, the solar system was a cloud of dust and gas known as a solar nebula. Gravity collapsed the material in on itself as it began to spin, forming the sun in the center of the nebula. With the rise of the sun, the remaining material began to clump together. Small particles drew together, bound by the force of gravity, into larger particles. The solar wind swept away lighter elements, such as hydrogen and helium, from the closer regions, leaving only heavy, rocky materials to create terrestrial worlds. But farther away, the solar winds had less impact on lighter elements, allowing them to coalesce into gas giants such as Uranus. In this way, asteroids, comets, planets, and moons were created. Unlike most gas giants, Uranus has a core that is rocky rather than gaseous. The core likely formed first, and then gathered up the hydrogen, helium and methane that make up the planet's atmosphere. Heat from the core drives Uranus' temperature and weather, overpowering the heat coming from the distant sun, which is almost 2 billion miles away. Some exoplanet observations seem to confirm core accretion as the dominant formation process. Stars with more "metals" a term astronomers use for elements other than hydrogen and helium in their cores have more giant planets than their metal-poor cousins. According to NASA, core accretion suggests that small, rocky worlds should be more common than the more massive gas giants. The 2005 discovery of a giant planet with a massive core orbiting the sun-like star HD 149026 is an example of an exoplanet that helped strengthen the case for core accretion. "This is a confirmation of the core accretion theory for planet formation and evidence that planets of this kind should exist in abundance," said Greg Henry in a press release. Henry, an astronomer at Tennessee State University, Nashville, detected the dimming of the star. In 2017, the European Space Agency plans to launch the CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS), which will study exoplanets ranging in sizes from super-Earths to Neptune. Studying these distant worlds may help determine how planets in the solar system formed. "In the core accretion scenario, the core of a planet must reach a critical mass before it is able to accrete gas in a runaway fashion," said the CHEOPS team. "This critical mass depends upon many physical variables, among the most important of which is the rate of planetesimals accretion." By studying how growing planets accrete material, CHEOPS will provide insight into how worlds grow. The disk instability model But the need for a rapid formation for the giant gas planets is one of the problems of core accretion. According to models, the process takes several million years, longer than the light gases were available in the early solar system. At the same time, the core accretion model faces a migration issue, as the baby planets are likely to spiral into the sun in a short amount of time. "Giant planets form really fast, in a few million years," Kevin Walsh, a researcher at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, told Space.com. "That creates a time limit because the gas disk around the sun only lasts 4 to 5 million years." According to a relatively new theory, disk instability, clumps of dust and gas are bound together early in the life of the solar system. Over time, these clumps slowly compact into a giant planet. These planets can form faster than their core accretion rivals, sometimes in as little as a thousand years, allowing them to trap the rapidly-vanishing lighter gases. They also quickly reach an orbit-stabilizing mass that keeps them from death-marching into the sun. As scientists continue to study planets inside of the solar system, as well as around other stars, they will better understand how Uranus and its siblings formed. Pebble accretion The biggest challenge to core accretion is time building massive gas giants fast enough to grab the lighter components of their atmosphere. Recent research on how smaller, pebble-sized objects fused together to build giant planets up to 1000 times faster than earlier studies. "This is the first model that we know about that you start out with a pretty simple structure for the solar nebula from which planets form, and end up with the giant-planet system that we see," study lead author Harold Levison, an astronomer at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Colorado, told Space.com in 2015. In 2012, researchers Michiel Lambrechts and Anders Johansen from Lund University in Sweden proposed that tiny pebbles, once written off, held the key to rapidly building giant planets. "They showed that the leftover pebbles from this formation process, which previously were thought to be unimportant, could actually be a huge solution to the planet-forming problem," Levison said. Levison and his team built on that research to model more precisely how the tiny pebbles could form planets seen in the galaxy today. While previous simulations, both large and medium-sized objects consumed their pebble-sized cousins at a relatively constant rate, Levison's simulations suggest that the larger objects acted more like bullies, snatching away pebbles from the mid-sized masses to grow at a far faster rate. "The larger objects now tend to scatter the smaller ones more than the smaller ones scatter them back, so the smaller ones end up getting scattered out of the pebble disk," study co-author Katherine Kretke, also from SwRI, told Space.com. "The bigger guy basically bullies the smaller one so they can eat all the pebbles themselves, and they can continue to grow up to form the cores of the giant planets." Pebble accretion is more likely to work for the giant planets than the terrestrial worlds. According to Sean Raymond, of France's University of Bordeaux, that's because the "pebbles" are a little larger and much easier to hold onto past the snow line, the imaginary line where gas is cold enough to become ice. "For pebbles, it's definitely a little better to be just past the snow line," Raymond told Space.com. While pebble accretion works well for the gas giants, there are some challenges for the ice giants. That's because the millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles accrete extremely efficiently. "They accrete so quickly that it is difficult for ice giant cores to exist at roughly their current core masses for a significant fraction of the disk lifetime while accreting a gas envelope," Frelikh and Murray-Clay wrote. "To avoid runaway, they must therefore complete their growth at a specific time, when the gas disk is partially, but not entirely, depleted." The pair proposed that the majority of gas accretion onto the cores of Uranus and Neptune coincided with their movement away from the sun. But what could make them change their home in the solar system? A Nice model Originally, scientists thought that planets formed in the same part of the solar system they live in today. The discovery of exoplanets shook things up, revealing that at least some of the most massive objects could migrate. In 2005, a trio of papers published in the journal Nature proposed that Uranus and the other giant planets were bound in near-circular orbits much more compact than they are today. A large disk of rocks and ices surrounded them, stretching out to about 35 times the Earth-sun distance, just beyond Neptune's present orbit. They called this the Nice model, after the city in France where they first discussed it. (That's pronounced Neese.) As the planets interacted with the smaller bodies, they scattered most of them toward the sun. The process caused them to trade energy with the objects, sending the Saturn, Neptune and Uranus farther out into the solar system. Eventually the small objects reached Jupiter, which sent them flying to the edge of the solar system or completely out of it. Movement between Jupiter and Saturn drove Uranus and Neptune into even more eccentric orbits, sending the pair through the remaining disk of ices. Some of the material was flung inward, where it crashed into the terrestrial planets during the Late Heavy Bombardment. Other material was hurled outward, creating the Kuiper Belt. As they moved slowly outward, Neptune and Uranus traded places. Eventually, interactions with the remaining debris caused the pair to settle into more circular paths as they reached their current distance from the sun. Along the way, it's possible that one or even two other giant planets were kicked out of the system. Astronomer David Nesvorny of the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado has modeled the early solar system in search of clues that could lead to understanding its early history. "In the early days, the solar system was very different, with many more planets, perhaps as massive as Neptune, forming and being scattered to different places," Nesvorny told Space.com. A dangerous youth The early solar system was a time of violent collisions, and Uranus was not exempt. While the surface of the moon and Mercury both show evidence of bombardment by smaller rocks and asteroids, Uranus apparently suffered a significant collision with an Earth-size protoplanet. As a result, Uranus is tipped on its side, with one pole pointing toward the sun for half the year. Uranus is the largest of the ice giants, perhaps in part because it lost some of its mass during the impact. Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd Facebook or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. NASA's robotic astronaut, Robonaut 2, is headed home soon for a long-overdue repair. A litany of problems has kept the robot offline since it was upgraded with legs in 2014, according to a report by IEEE Spectrum. After years of troubleshooting, NASA diagnosed the issue and is bringing Robonaut back from the International Space Station for upgrades and repairs. NASA's Johnson Space Center produced the first Robonaut in 2000, which was only tested on Earth; the newer model, Robonaut 2, joined the space station crew in February 2011. It was intended to work alongside the astronauts, taking care of some of the crew's time-consuming chores, according to IEEE Spectrum. Robonaut 2 performed well until 2014, when NASA decided to outfit the robot with a pair of legs to increase its mobility. The extra appendages could grab onto anchor points in the space station, freeing the robot's hands for useful tasks. However, "Robonaut was not designed at all to be serviceable by astronauts," Julia Badger, Robonaut project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center, told IEEE Spectrum. The installation took twice as long as the 20 hours NASA had expected, and stretched from July 16 to Aug. 28, 2014. [Real-Life 'Replicants': 6 Humanoid Robots Used for Space Exploration] This SPACE.com infographic gives an in-depth look at NASA's humanoid robot Robonaut 2, the Astronaut's Helper. See how NASA's Robonaut 2 works here (Image credit: Graphic by Karl Tate/SPACE.com) Robonaut began experiencing problems almost immediately. NASA's ground team couldn't see any telemetry data when the robot was powered on the following day. And the first time the motor was powered up since the upgrade, the legs didn't move, IEEE Spectrum reported. Thus began a series of errors spanning Robonaut's sensors, communication systems and processors. Robonaut's performance continued to deteriorate as astronauts and technicians pored over the robot. "By 2016, it seems as though Robonaut was being taken apart and analyzed almost piece by piece," according to the IEEE Spectrum report. What's more, the robot aboard the space station was an earlier model than the five Robonauts at the Johnson Space Center, which added a layer of difficulty to the troubleshooting. Eventually, NASA discovered a fault in Robonaut's electrical grounding: The robot was missing a connection from its computer chassis to the ground, IEEE Spectrum reported. This meant that electricity wasn't flowing properly through the robot. Some of its components may have been receiving no current, while others might have been overloaded with electricity. NASA astronaut Steve Swanson poses with the robot Robonaut 2 on the International Space Station after completing an upgrade that gave the robot legs. (Image credit: Steve Swanson via Instagram/NASA) "Errors in properly grounding circuits can lead to really strange symptoms that initially appear unrelated to the root cause," David Wettergreen, a roboticist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, told IEEE Spectrum. "It can take a long time to debug because the problem is not easily reproducible and may not occur often, or even in the same way every time," said Wettergreen, who specializes in autonomous robots for planetary exploration. [In Photos: Robonaut 2, NASA's Robot Butler for Astronauts] After astronauts attempted repairs last August, NASA decided to return Robonaut to Earth. The robot will hitch a ride back to terra firma on the return flight of an upcoming resupply mission, according to IEEE Spectrum. Depending on the extent of Robonaut's damage, NASA will either repair and upgrade the robot or swap it out for one of the newer models at Johnson Space Center. Given Robonaut's size, NASA is uncertain when there will be enough room to send it skyward again. Badger, manager of the Robonaut project, told IEEE Spectrum that she is optimistic the robot will soon return to the space station to continue its mission. "We're bringing it home, repairing it, and in the near future after that, we're hoping to fly it up there again to proceed with our original goals of advancing new technology," she said. Follow Harrison Tasoff @harrisontasoff. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. An Arianespace Soyuz rocket successfully launched a quartet of O3b communications satellites into orbit today (March 9) for the Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES Networks. The Soyuz lifted off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana at 12:10 p.m. EST (1710 GMT) after a 33-minute delay caused by bad weather. Despite the slow start, Arianespace had a flawless launch today. "The mission has been a total success," Martin Halliwell, the chief technology officer for SES Networks, said in a post-launch briefing. An Arianespace Soyuz rocket lifted off from French Guiana on March 9, 2018 to deliver four O3b communications satellites into orbit. (Image credit: Arianespace) The four satellites began deploying in pairs about 2 hours after liftoff. The second pair of satellites deployed at 2:32 p.m. EST (1932 GMT). Joining the 12 existing O3b satellites, the four new satellites entered a medium-Earth orbit (MEO) at an altitude of about 5,000 miles (8,000 km). [Satellite Quiz: What's Orbiting Earth?] "Arianespace is delighted to announce that the four O3b satellites have been safely separated as planned on their targeted medium-Earth orbits," Luce Fabreguettes, executive vice president of Arianespace, said in the briefing. Today's launch sent the fourth batch of O3b satellites into orbit, bringing the total number of satellites in the constellation to 16. Arianespace plans to launch the next four in 2019. "The new Ka-band satellites will join the existing O3b constellation to deliver high-speed connectivity to people and businesses in the growing mobility, fixed data and government markets," Arianespace officials said in a statement. Shrouded in gold-colored thermal insulation, four O3b communications satellites are positioned atop the Soyuz rocket's Fregat upper stage in the S3B payload preparation facility at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. (Image credit: Arianespace) "The four O3b MEO satellites orbited on [flight] VS18 will enable SES Networks to offer more capacity, enhanced coverage, increased efficiencies and greater reliability while delivering carrier-grade services," like carrier Ethernet services, mobile network operators and internet- service providers, Arianespace officials said. This was the second launch of the year for the European launch provider Arianespace and a much-needed redemption following an anomaly during the last launch on Jan. 25, when the company lost contact with the upper stage of its Ariane 5 rocket shortly after liftoff. The three satellites aboard that rocket did reach orbit despite the anomaly. Today's launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday (March 6), but Arianespace postponed it to conduct extra checks. "This will enable additional checks as part of the resumption of launches from the Spaceport in French Guiana," Arianespace wrote in a mission update on Monday (March 5). A photo posted by on Arianespace is less than two weeks away from its next launch. On March 21, the company plans to launch an Ariane 5 rocket with two communications satellites one for Japan and one for the U.K. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Press Release THE JOB BECOMES PERSONAL FOR HONDO WHEN HIS CRIMINAL INFORMANT FRIEND IS KILLED WHILE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT A ROBBERY CREW THAT SWAT IS TRYING TO CAPTURE, ON S.W.A.T., THURSDAY, MARCH 29Crews The job becomes personal for Hondo when his criminal informant friend is killed while seeking information about a robbery crew that a joint SWAT and FBI task force is trying to capture. Also, when the FBI task force leader acts erratically, Jessica worries the womans behavior will endanger the team in the field, on S.W.A.T., Thursday, March 29 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.CHEAT TWEET: This 1 is personal! Hondo searches 4 the criminals who killed his criminal informant friend! @swatcbs 3/29 at 10pm #CBS http://bit.ly/2oUQsd5REGULAR CAST:Shemar Moore (Daniel Hondo Harrelson)Stephanie Sigman (Jessica Cortez)Alex Russell (Jim Street)Jay Harrington (David Deacon Kay)Lina Esco (Christina Chris Alonso)Kenny Johnson (Dominique Luca)Peter Onorati (Jeff Mumford)David Lim (Victor Tan)RECURRING CAST:Patrick St. Esprit (Robert Hicks)GUEST CAST:Anna Khaja (Agent Abby DuBois)Lyndie Greenwood (Erika)Rey Gallegos (Emmit)Justin Chu Cary (Devin)Joss Glennie-Smith (Paden)Matty Castano (Cobb)Brandon George (Dale)Brian Howe (Craig)Cole Bernstein (Lana)Helen Siff (Shirley)Jonathan LaPaglia (Machine)Jodi Moore Lewis (Marcy)Nicholas Alexander (Armored Truck Driver)Jonathan Kowalsky (Joey)Sarah Booth (Kate)Pamela Shaddock (Detective Fraley)Christopher Naoki Lee (Troy)Xingu Del Rosario (Security Guard)Jordana Capra (Security Chief)WRITTEN BY: VJ BoydDIRECTED BY: Hanelle M. Culpepper Spark Energy settled an Illinois lawsuit that had sought class action status, with plaintiffs accusing its new Verde Energy subsidiary in Norwalk of robocalls to mobile phones. Spark did not reveal settlement terms in the case filed in January 2017 by Cairo, Ill. resident Christopher Coleman, who accused Verde of hiring an outside vendor which placed repeat marketing calls to his cell phone despite his requests to stop the calls. Before we begin, Ill admit I am not Korean, despite being someone who has bucketloads of love for bubbling, lip-burning pots of soondubu jjigae and samgye-tang (ginseng chicken soup), crispy pajeons bursting with scallions and shrimp, or a spread of banchan. Most of all, I love funky, spicy, addictive kimchi, and I love that you can find it anywhere Korean food is served, be it a hole-in-the-wall lunch spot in Koreatown or the out-of-town Korean BBQ spot run by three generations of Koreans, or at just a casual dinner at a Korean friends place. Last year, I returned home to Malaysia after nearly 8 years in the UK and the US, and with the countrys burgeoning craze for Korean culture, I expected good kimchi to be an easy find. Reality put a damper on my kimchi dreams. Except for the truly authentic Korean restaurants that are few and far between, many Malaysian-ized Korean restaurants serve their own brand of quick, homemade kimchi that has been adulterated to appeal to the Malaysian palate, tasting (to me at least) more like diluted Malaysian acar than the funky Korean kimchi I craved. So as any serial kimchi fan would, I resorted to making my own. While the term kimchi encompasses a wide range of salted and fermented vegetables, the most common, quintessential type is made from napa cabbage. The first time I made it, I scoured through countless Korean food websites and consulted my Korean friends for the most authentic baechu kimchi recipe available. It called for Korean pantry staples like saeu-jeot (fermented shrimp), gochugaru (korean chili flakes) and minari (water dropwort). Sourcing these unfamiliar ingredients was a chore in itself, but I eventually found them in a specialty Korean mini-mart a good 40-minute-drive out from where I live. And though the resulting kimchi was glorious and satisfying, like only the best kimchi can be, getting the ingredients was a challenge, and I wasnt sure Id be as gung-ho every time I need a kimchi and fast (relatively). After a few more tiresome trips to the Korean mini-mart, I finally gave in to using more commonplace ingredients and came up with a more approachable kimchi recipe. I probably also broke a few unspoken kimchi rules along the way. Try it with peanut butter toast. It's good. Photo by Julia Gartland In it, instead of gochugaru, an ingredient my Korean friends tout as essential for kimchi, I used regular chili flakes that I had in my pantry. And in place of the pungent saeu-jeot, I used the fish sauce that I had on hand. (You could also do without it for a vegan kimchi.) As for the sweet rice flour that forms the base of any good kimchi paste, I used regular rice flour in its place. The tangy, herbal minari was the trickiest to substitute. Theres nothing else quite like it, but to somewhat make up for it, I added onions and carrots into the mix, in hopes that it would add more complexity and spunk to the kimchi than your typical store-bought variety. I concede that this is far from a truly authentic kimchi, it might even be heretical to compare it to true kimchi. But as far as kimchi recipes go, this rule-breaking kimchi was all that I hoped it would be, and more. It was deep, complex, and funky, and satiated my kimchi craving like few others have. Plus, it only takes 45 minutes of active cooking time to whip up (one leg of my journey to the Korean store), and is deeply cathartic to make. And while youre at it, why not break a few more kimchi conventions along the way? Slather it on French toast, fold it into a mac and cheese, or strangest of allhave it on toast with peanut butter!? (It works, trust us.) Not-Quite-Authentic Kimchi By Yi Jun Loh 1 whole napa cabbage (2-3 pounds) 1/4 cup kosher salt 2 cups water 1 1/2 tablespoons glutinous/Thai rice flour (regular rice flour also works) 1/4 cup fish sauce 1 cup chili flakes, or more depending on how spicy you want it 10 cloves of garlic 1 thumb-sized knob of ginger 1 small yellow onion 1 carrot 1/2 a daikon radish 3-5 scallions View Full Recipe How do you like your kimchi? Let us know in the comments! Eversource announced Friday it expects most of its customers to have power restored by Sunday night. Friday afternoon, United Illuminating announced nearly 99 percent of customers had power. As some in Connecticut still struggle in the dark, towns and cities continue to clear roadways and open warming centers and shower facilities. 9:45 p.m. A statement from United Illuminating spokesman Ed Crowder in response to Sen. Tony Hwangs request for additional assistance with power restoration in Fairfield: UI has made significant progress in restoring service to customers in Fairfield and the other 16 towns and cities UI serves, with approximately 30,000 outages restored in less than 48 hours since the March 7 storm. We have already called in additional restoration teams from out-of-state, and expect them to arrive Saturday to assist in the final push to restore service to all of our customers. We recognize that extended outages are a hardship and appreciate customers patience as we enter the final phase of our restoration effort. 9:30 p.m. Eversource has released town-by-town estimated restoration times. The full link can be found here: http://bit.ly/2Fv4acV. Bethel - substantially complete Brookfield - substantially complete Danbury - Friday at 11:59 p.m. Darien - Friday at 11:59 p.m. Greenwich - substantially complete Monroe - Saturday at 12 p.m. New Canaan - Sunday at 11 p.m. New Fairfield - Saturday at 12 p.m. New Milford - Saturday at 12 p.m. Newtown - Sunday at 8 p.m. Norwalk - Sunday at 11 p.m. Oxford - Saturday at 2 p.m. Ridgefield - substantially complete Seymour - substantially complete Stamford - substantially complete Weston - Sunday at 11 p.m. Westport - Sunday at 11 p.m. Wilton - Sunday at 11 p.m. 7:15 p.m. Westport Westport police, fire and public works continues to work closely with Eversource and their contractors to clear roads and begin the restoration process, police said Friday evening. Public works is working directly with Eversource throughout the night, with the goal of having all roads passable by the end of the evening. Actual cleanup of storm debris will not begin until Monday, police said. Anyone without power should submit a work order online. Each individual household must report their outage to ensure the power company makes all necessary repairs. 6:30 p.m. Fairfield Sen. Tony Hwang wrote an letter to United Illuminating President and CEO Tony Marone on Friday, requesting more help be sent to Fairfield to speed along power restoration and cleanup efforts. The entire legislative delegation from Fairfield would like to request additional assistance for our town at this time, Hwang wrote in his letter. He stressed that he understands that UI is under pressure and working hard, but said Fairfield was significantly impacted by this weeks storm. As of the time of Hwangs writing, at 4 p.m., he said there were 185 outage events in town, 140 of which are single-customer outages. Cases such as pole replacements could still take a significant amount of time to resolve as these issues typically require two line trucks and up to 14 hours to repair ... I am asking for two additional makeshift work crews to be directed to the Fairfield area to assist the thousands of people who are still in the dark, Hwang wrote. There was no immediate response from UI. 6:20 p.m. United Illuminating reported 3,627 customers without power as of around 6:10 p.m. The following is a town-by-town breakdown of those without power... Ansonia - 21 Bridgeport - 83 Derby - 17 Easton - 813 Fairfield - 1,151 Milford - 11 Orange - 15 Shelton - 495 Stratford - 56 Trumbull - 508 Eversource reported 37,961 customers without power as of around 6:02 p.m. The following is a town-by-town breakdown of those without power... Bethel - 154 Brookfield - 51 Danbury - 681 Darien - 221 Easton - 9 Fairfield - 19 Greenwich - 438 Monroe - 139 New Canaan - 1,245 New Fairfield - 128 New Milford - 367 Newtown - 689 Norwalk - 1,374 Oxford - 107 Redding - 882 Ridgefield - 162 Seymour - 48 Stamford - 706 Weston - 1,273 Westport - 1,664 Wilton - 1,855 5:25 p.m. Fairfield The following will be warming shelters, shower facilities and charging centers throughout the weekend as power restoration efforts continue throughout the state. -Black Rock Church at 3685 Black Rock Turnpike. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a warming shelter and charging center. Internet, light food and coffee will be provided. -Bigelow Center for Senior Activities at 100 Mona Terrace. Open for those who need to charge their phones, use internet and get warm. -Fairfield Recreation Department fitness center at 75 Mill Plain Road. Open from 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. as a shower facility. The lobby and conference room area will be used as a warming center and charging station. -Fairfield Public Libraries. Open from 1 p.m to 5 p.m. as a warming and charging location. Police said residents can go to malls, theaters, restaurants and museums for a brief break from the cold. Driving around in a car with heat will also keep you warm, police encouraged. 5 p.m. United Illuminating reported 3,845 customers without power as of around 5 p.m. The following is a town-by-town breakdown of those without power... Ansonia - 21 Bridgeport - 81 Derby - 20 Easton - 861 Fairfield - 1,253 Milford - 11 Orange - 15 Shelton - 501 Stratford - 56 Trumbull - 548 Eversource reported 40,472 customers without power as of around 4:47 p.m. The following is a town-by-town breakdown of those without power... Bethel - 157 Brookfield - 51 Danbury - 630 Darien - 234 Easton - 9 Fairfield - 19 Greenwich - 437 Monroe - 148 New Canaan - 1,201 New Fairfield - 269 New Milford - 364 Newtown - 693 Norwalk - 1,641 Oxford - 107 Redding - 878 Ridgefield - 163 Seymour - 47 Stamford - 811 Weston - 1,186 Westport - 1,733 Wilton - 1,854 4:50 p.m. Easton The senior center will be open as a warming shelter until further notice. No showers are available at the center. Easton EMS is open as a warming center until 6 p.m. Friday. A charging station is available in the police department lobby 24/7. There is also fresh water. The Helen Keller Middle School will be open until 7 p.m. Friday for showers. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday for showers. All necessary items towels, flip flops and toiletries should be brought. 4:05 p.m. New Canaan Around 3 p.m., police said crews were working on Pound Ridge Road near Lost District Drive. Wilton Portable water is available at the fire department at 238 Danbury Road. Water will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents should bring their own water jugs. There are still roughly 112 roads in town with downed trees, wires or both from Wednesdays storm, police said. A full list can be found on the Wilton Police Department Facebook page. 4 p.m. Nearly 99 percent of United Illuminating customers have had their power restored, according to a news release from the company. More than two-thirds of the remaining trouble spots are single-customer outages, the company said. Just 1.4 percent of UI customers remain without power in Connecticut. Were proud of the tireless work by our restoration teams to bring back service to so many customers, but we realize there are still those who have been without power for nearly two days, said Tony Marone, UIs president and CEO. We understand how disruptive this is to peoples lives, and we wont stop working until everyones lights are back on. Restoration teams will have to visit the remaining sites that need to be repaired many of which include broken poles and other damage. Despite a small percentage of customers needing restoration, UI still said total restoration might take days. Any customer that hasnt submitted an outage should report it to 800-722-5584. If there is any damage on the property owners side, it must first be restored by a licensed electrician before UI can reconnect power. 3:50 p.m. As of 2 p.m., a downed tree damaged power lines and forced Westport police to close an area of Sturges Highway. Officers are on scene diverting northbound traffic onto Catamount Road. From there, motorists can take a left onto Sturges Highway and avoid the section of roadway thats closed. Southbound drivers are able to turn left onto Sturges Highway and then right onto Catamount Road. Roseville Road and North Avenue were also briefly closed earlier Friday morning because power lines and tree limbs make the road impassable. As of 2 p.m., the road was cleared, police said. The police department would like to reiterate that all town agencies are diligently working to alleviate these conditions in partnership with Eversource, however the damage still encompasses a large area throughout the town, Westport police said. Updates on the situation can be found on all Westport Police Department social media pages. Police warn residents of the danger of moving caution tape or barricades. Should you come across these areas do not tamper with these safety measures, and remember that any downed power wire should always treated as energized, police urged. 3:45 p.m. Progress is going slower than expected, in Fairfield, according to First Selectman Mike Tetreau. As more than 1,500 remain without power in town, warming and charging center are available at Fairfield Public Libraries. Shower facilities are available at the Parks and Recreation facility on Mill Plain Road. The town website www.fairifeldct.org/storm will have further details, Tetreau said. UI should be notified of power outages or downed wires. Life-threatening emergencies should be reported to 911. 1:15 p.m. The United Illuminating Company is calling in reinforcements from Kansas to help crews in Fairfield and elsewhere around the state. In Fairfield, there are currently 1,634 homes still without power as of 1:05 p.m. According to Fairfields Emergency Management team, United Illuminating has 17 power restoration crews at work in town along with one Make Safe crew to help with road clearing. The additional, out-of-state crews will not be available until Saturday evening. 12:45 p.m. Wilton First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice called Eversources power restoration efforts in the wake of Wednesdays snow storm woefully inadequate in a call to town residents Friday afternoon. Vanderslice said that the three crews assigned by Eversource to Wilton are not enough to restore power to the town in a timely manner. The first selectwoman said she will be reaching out to try and obtain additional resources. As of 12:45 p.m., 2,204 Wilton residents nearly 30 percent of the towns Eversource customers are still without power. 12:30 p.m. Wednesday nights snowstorm is already drawing parallels to Hurricane Sandy from Trumbull First Selectman Vicki Tesoro. The town experienced the same magnitude of tree and power line damage and road blockages as with Super Storm Sandy, but this storm included a significant heavy snowfall as well, Tesoro wrote in a update to town residents. According to the United Illuminating Company, there are still over 700 customers in Trumbull without power. Making matters worse, over 70 roads in town are still closed or partially closed due to trees and wires down. United Illuminating continue to work to restore power, but there is significant damage to wires, poles, and transformers, making repairs difficult and time consuming, Tesoro said. We are very concerned about the number of residents who remain without power, and town crews are working at the direction of United Illuminating to assist them in any way we can. We will continue to collaborate with them until all repairs are complete and power is restored to all customers. Warming centers have been opened at the Trumbull Mall, the Trumbull Library, and the Senior Center at Priscilla Place. Tesoro also reminded residents to use generators responsibly, outdoors and well away from your home so carbon monoxide does not enter the structure. She also urged residents to clear snow away from fire hydrants, and check on the elderly and disabled in the neighborhood to ensure their safety. 12:05 p.m. Eversource announced that it expects to have all power restored around the state by 11 p.m. on Sunday, though they expect that most power will be restored earlier. The company expects to post town-by-town restoration times by the end of the day Friday. 12 p.m. Bridgeport announced the city has lifted its snow emergency parking ban. The ban had been in place since Wednesday. 11:30 a.m. Metro-North officials have announced that the Danbury Branch Service Line is experiencing delays of 20 to 25 minutes due to mechanical difficulties in the vicinity of the Merritt 7 buildings in Norwalk. 11:25 a.m. The shelter at Brien McMahon High School will not be open Friday, as power continues to be restored to Norwalk residents. As of 11 a.m., the number of Eversource customers without power has dipped below 2,000, and that number continues to drop. All South Norwalk Electric and Third Taxing district customers have power, according to Michele DeLuca, the deputy director of Norwalks Office of Emergency Management. DeLuca said that those still in need of a warm place can go to the public libraries, which will serve as warming centers Friday. 11 a.m. The United Illuminating Company said that nearly 70 percent of the remaining outages are attributed to single customers. These outages, officials explained, require more time to remedy, which means the wait for power may be longer for these customers. Those specific outage times traditionally take longer to determine due to the individual nature of the outage. Please know, we are still working quickly to complete the task of identifying specific locations & times, read the companys official Twitter account. United Illuminating serves municipalities from Fairfield to Hamden. As of 10:30 a.m., 5,785 customers are still without power. 7:30 a.m. Its been more than 24 hours since Connecticut was rocked by a second noreaster in under a week, and parts of the state are still on the mend. As of 6 a.m. Friday, more than 60,000 Connecticut residents are still without power. In towns like Fairfield, Wilton and New Canaan, large swathes of the population are still cut off from aid by fallen trees and downed power lines. Trees in the roads and yet unplowed streets have hindered power restoration efforts throughout the state, Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said. With conditions as they are, Gross said that restoring power to customers could be a multiday process. Crews have been working nonstop since the storm. We appreciate your patience as we complete this challenging work, read the Eversource official Twitter account. In New Canaan, six areas in town remain entirely blocked of town. Police said crews will be on-scene working to clear those areas by the end of the day. As of 9 a.m., 1,341 homes in town, or 16 percent of customers, are still without power. As officials work to restore power to the six percent of Greenwich residents still dealing with power loss, the Round Hill Church Community House, 397 Round Hill Road, will provide a warm and friendly place to those without power. Residents can get warm and charge their phones at the center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Further north in Fairfield, nearly 7 percent of residents are still without power and dealing with dozens of blocked roads. They [United Illuminating] are predicting all will be restored by Saturday, First Selectman Michael Tetreau said. Clean-up efforts have been particularly difficult for road crews in Wilton where there is only one crew shift, meaning a single group of workers was responsible for prep work before the storm, plowing during the storm and clearing roads after the fact, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said. We are fortunate we have such dedicated and selfless employees and volunteers, said Vanderslice. I'd remind residents, that as frustrating and stressful as it is for you, it is as stressful or more so for our employees who are in the field. Eversource officials said the company should have statewide estimated restoration times by Friday afternoon, and town-by-town restoration times by the end of the day. Eversource and public works crews around the state have been on overdrive clearing road debris and restoring power after two noreasters in less than a week, which resulted in nearly 300,000 power outages. We prepare for severe weather every day These back-to-back to storms have presented multiple challenges to us, but we stay on the job for as long as it takes, Gross said. Though Eversource hasnt reported any injuries related to downed lines, there are still numerous reports of downed lines throughout the state. Gross warned residents to steer clear of any downed lines. Were reminding customers to always stay away from downed lines, and to assume that they, or any trees or branches near them, are energized and dangerous. If you see a downed wire, stay at least 10 feet away or further, and call 911, he said. Dangerous conditions around southwestern Connecticut have led many districts to close school for a second consecutive day. For a complete list of school closures, you can find a complete list here. Despite the conditions in many municipalities, Metro-North has resumed a regular service schedule; however, they warned that delays could still be possible. As of 8:30 a.m., the Waterbury Branch Line is experiencing 15 to 20 minutes of delays. The New Haven Line was also currently experiencing delays of up to 30 minutes due to earlier wire damage in the vicinity of Milford, according to DOT officials. As of 9 a.m., delays are still expected. Flights arriving and departing at Bradley International Airport are also running on a normal schedule as of Friday morning. STAMFORD After the Sandy Hook school shooting, Kristin ONeill Hermes was shaken, but less so than if she had been a mother at the time. Pregnant two years later with her first child, she said gun safety hit closer to home. I didnt have children when Sandy Hook happened, so it was horrible and disturbing to me, but I dont think I got it, said Hermes, 38. Now that I have children, I think about how one day my kids are going to ask me what happened and Im going to have to explain that it happened 30 minutes away. Hermes, a former English teacher at Westhill High School, has since become a stay-at-home mother of two. Besides caring for her children, the Stamford woman wanted to dedicate her time to a cause she was passionate about, so she contacted the leaders of Connecticuts chapter of Moms Demand Action about starting an arm of the group in Stamford. After the presidential election of 2016, I really felt motivated to do something that would hopefully better the community, even if it changes one tiny thing, she said. Hermes had embarked on creating the group when 17 people were gunned down on Valentines Day at a high school in Parkland, Fla., an event that has ignited a fierce debate about gun safety, more so than other recent shootings. Since then, organizers say Moms Demand Action has been inundated by women wanting to get involved. The group advocates gun reform legislation and supporting candidates with that agenda. After Sandy Hook, organizers say they pushed for stricter state gun laws. Moms Demand Action is a grassroots offshoot of Everytown for Gun Safety, which is funded by billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The first meeting of Stamfords Moms Demand Action group is Sunday. This is America and I think that if people have a cause, its not necessarily a bad thing for them to get behind and support what they believe, said Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, a group that supports gun rights. We all want safety in society. We all want our family safe. Its an ideological split in looking at how we achieve that. We try to make our mission focused on the protection of constitutional rights. Unlike Hermes, Norwalk mom Kara Baekey had children in elementary school during Sandy Hook. The day after the 2012 shooting, Shannon Watts, a mother from Indiana, started what would eventually become Moms Demand Action. Baekey reached out to her two days later on Facebook to bring her nascent movement to Connecticut. Since Parkland, Moms Demand Action in Connecticut has groups starting or already formed in nearly 20 towns and cities across the state, including Norwalk, Greenwich, Fairfield, Wilton, Westport and upper Fairfield County. Since Parkland, we cannot keep up with the overwhelming response to people around the state wanting to start their own local groups, said Baekey, 46, who is a full-time marketing executive as well as president of Moms Demand Action Connecticut. Its been really hard because everybody is so energized and wanting to do something and we get that. We want to get all these potential leaders set up so they can lead in their communities. But there is a formula and a process to getting there. Its been challenging managing the expectations. Five years after Sandy Hook, she said the Parkland shooting struck a different chord because of the activism of the students involved. Theyre teenagers, theyre well spoken and they understand the situation, Baekey said. These kids are 17 years old, so they were 12 when Sandy Hook happened. Theyve been living through other mass shootings. STAMFORD Just as city residents finished recovering from last weeks noreaster, many of them are back in the dark again. Thousands of Stamford residents remained without power Thursday, one day after a second noreaster dumped nearly a foot of snow and brought down hundreds trees and wires. I drove around (Thursday) morning and it was really bad, said Ben Guinta, a North Stamford resident whose family lost power during the storm. Ted Jankowski, Stamfords director of Public Safety, Health and Welfare, said the 911 communications center fielded more than 800 calls during the storm, which brought down more than 360 wires, transformers and trees throughout the city. There were also 16 accidents with minor injuries, he said. Jankowski said the slow-moving storm began wreaking havoc around Wednesdays evening commute. Thats when all hell broke loose, he said. We had whiteout conditions with the snow, the snow that was coming down was very wet and very heavy. We had numerous calls coming into the 911 center reporting trees down, power lines down. We had vehicles that were trapped out there. It was a mess. A school bus was among the stranded vehicles when lives wires fell on its roof in the Cove. Jankowski said he didnt know if anyone aside from the driver was on the bus. Stamford schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday. Given there were a lot of wires down and emergency vehicles in the road and so many roads were impassable, we wanted to make time to make sure the students were safe, said Sharon Beadle, a spokeswoman for Stamford Public Schools. Jankowski said live wires also fell on a fire truck, an ambulance and a city operations vehicle in North Stamford. The mayors office said there were more than 200 road closures mostly north of the Merritt Parkway Thursday evening due to downed wires. It was a similar scene in New Canaan, where there were about 190 roads affected by downed trees and wires and schools will be closed for a third straight day on Friday. New Canaan officials said about 30 percent of the towns homes remained without power Thursday. Eversource warned it would take a multi-day effort to restore power to all customers. The situation is the same across the state, Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said. Stamford is one of 149 cities we serve in Connecticut, and biggest issues were dealing with right now are tree damage, blocked roads, snapped power lines, broken poles and other kinds of damage. We have hundreds of line and tree crews out there working, as well as out-of-state crews that came in last week to help us and stayed to help with this storm, he said. And we have thousands of people working behind the scenes in supporting roles to get power restored as quickly and as safely as we can. So, its all hands on deck here and its been all hands on deck since last Friday. Guinta, his wife and their two children, were among the fortunate ones whose power was restored by Thursday evening. I dont exactly know how we lost power, but there are trees and limbs down all around our neighborhood, so I suspect it has to do with that, he said. As the storm unfolded Wednesday evening, Guinta said he remembered thinking it didnt seem as bad as last weeks noreaster. More Information Garbage and Recycling Pickup Wednesday's garbage and recycling will be picked up on Friday Thursday and Friday's garbage and recycling will be picked up on Saturday Please do not put toters out until roads are fully clear so plows can get through The Transfer Station is open See More Collapse It seemed like there was a whole lot less wind with this storm than there was with the first one, so I kind of was thinking that this one wouldnt be too bad, he said. But when I went outside at one point on Wednesday night and it was snowing like crazy, and so many of the branches and trees were hanging so low under that wet, heavy snow, I realized it would not be good. Though losing power can be a nuisance, Guinta said he prefers to look at the bigger picture. Were OK, the house is OK, most of the houses in the neighborhood seem OK and nobody was hurt, so thats what really matters, he said. Staf writers John Nickerson and Erin Kayata contributed to this report. HARTFORD The clash between Connecticuts wildlife and its densely populated suburbs and cities was on full display Friday as a legislative committee wrestled with a variety of hunting bills. The trio of bills before the General Assemblys Environment Committee would establish a first-ever night hunt for coyote, along with black bear hunting in Litchfield County and statewide Sunday bow hunting for deer. During Fridays public hearing, each bill drew a large following of opponents who disagreed with any expansion of hunting and supporters who cited a growing infringement of potentially dangerous animals into populated areas as justification for expanding hunting. "As with the bear population, the coyote population has rapidly expanded throughout the state," said Richard Daniotte, president of the Connecticut Nuisance Wildlife Control Officers Association. "Along with the control methods authorized to date, night (coyote) hunting would bring into play one more tool to control the population," Daniote said. "Our members receive many, many nuisance coyote complaints." Janine Wolfe of Trumbull said hunting is the wrong tool to control wildlife populations, including the proposed coyote night hunts. "Its the wrong tool for the job, and like any wrong tool, it is ineffective and will likely make the situation worse," Wolfe said. "We must learn to coexist. Prevention not lethal control is the best method for minimizing conflicts with coyotes." Connecticut currently allows trapping and hunting of coyotes on private land, but not at night. Coyotes are nocturnal, and night hunters in other states often lie in wait in small structures for a coyote to approach. Coyote night hunting is common in many states, including Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Pennsylvania. Sightings rise Coyote sightings have been on the rise statewide and supply kits to scare the animals away are being distributed in Fairfield County towns. In December, a coyote with a hunting trap on its leg was seen limping around New Canaan. In Stamford, a 12-year-old said a coyote followed her as she walked home from her bus stop in September. Darien and Westport police have warned residents after several dogs were attacked by coyotes, leaving two of the dogs dead. In Old Lyme, a man was attacked by a coyote last year and was able to fight off the animal and drive to the hospital for treatment. Bear are also frequently spotted roaming suburban neighborhoods and even busy cities such as Milford. Deer have been a nuisance in Fairfield County back yards for years, often damaging expensive plants and vegetation and as home to ticks that carry Lyme Disease. But what to do about encroaching wildlife in an expanding suburban network of leafy yards and office parks has proved elusive. Susan Whalen, a deputy commissioner for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said there are an estimated 800 bear in Connecticut, and the population is growing by 10 percent a year. Whalen said DEEP supports bear hunting by permit in Litchfield County to reduce the numbers. Priscilla Feral, president of the Darien-based Friends of Animals, said education is key to dealing with large, predatory animals. "Studies show that risk-enhancing human behavior has been involved in at least half of documented attacks by cougars, coyotes and black bears in the last six decades," Feral said. She noted that behavior includes leaving children unattended, walking with an unleashed dog, engaging in outdoor activities at twilight and approaching a female bear with young cubs. "Adapting human behavior through education is key," Feral said. "Lethal measures are not only inhumane, but ineffective. Killing some coyotes will trigger larger litters of pups and colonization behavior among the survivors. On the other hand, Chris Marino, secretary of the Northwest Connecticut Sportsmans Council, said hunting is an effective tool to control all wildlife, including coyotes. As a management tool, this bill could be effective in addressing coyote predation on deer, as well as pets and livestock," Marino said. "Another consideration regarding the coyote and other large, mammalian predators is that their numbers are so high now, that they stand alongside of deer as major tick carriers in the state," Marino said. A landmark moment occurred on Londons junior market today as the first AIM-listed company to extract bitcoin declared victory. That was what investment vehicle Clear Leisure told its investors: The company can confirm that the first fractions of bitcoins have already been extracted in mining pool mode. A spokesman for the company claimed that, while many AIM-listed firms have investments in bitcoin data centres, they are not mining the currency themselves, whereas Clear Leisure, through its subsidiary Miner One, is. It also revealed its first data mining computers are operational and ready to be shipped to its permanent home in Serbia. Bitcoin firms chose Serbia as mining requires huge amounts of power and energy is a third cheaper in the Balkan county than in western Europe. Despite another fall in the price of bitcoin, investors were suitably cheered; the shares shot 13% higher, albeit a meagre 0.1p, to 0.86p. Nevertheless, analysts urged caution before piling into the stock with a likely regulatory clampdown just around the corner. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney last week called for much tougher regulation in order to curb crypto anarchy. Since his speech its value has fallen by a fifth. On the main market, the FTSE 100 barely budged, up just 4.1 points at 7207.31, and on track to finish the week up nearly 2%. Education publisher Pearson saw its stock drop 0.3%, or 1.2p, to 752.4p, after brokers at Morgan Stanley cut its target price to 785p from 800p. Analyst Patrick Wellington said: The worst is over but, more problematically, since 2010 Pearson has only reached 1% organic revenue growth twice. But water company Severn Trent was making gains after JPMorgan upgraded the stock from neutral to overweight. The shares added 1.2%, or 22p, to 1813.5p. It was also another busy session on the FTSE 250 after satellite giant Inmarsat said it is cutting its dividend to 20 cents a share in order to propel investment in its aviation division. It blamed a lack of visibility over future cash payments from satellite communications firm Ligado Networks. The shares fell 4%, or 19.5p, to 444.4p. It was also proving a tough session for waste business Renewi, which wrote down PFI contracts with councils in the north of England worth a combined 73 million. The shares lost 6%, or 5.4p, to 84p. Back on AIM, tipple seller Conviviality lost 12.9%, or 15.9p, to 107.1p, adding to its woes from yesterday. R yanair is introducing a Brexit clause into the terms and conditions of its tickets as it continues to warn about the potential effect of the vote to leave the EU. From September Ryanair is going to include a warning on its tickets that will read: This flight is subject to the regulatory environment allowing the flight to take place. Chief executive Michael OLeary has been outspoken about Brexit, arguing its a disaster that will make holidays more expensive for Brits. Two days ago he even threatened to ground Ryanair planes in a bid to make the public rethink Brexit. He said: I think its in our interests, not for a long period of time, that the aircraft are grounded. Its only when you get to that stage where youre going to persuade the average British voter that you were lied to in the entire Brexit debate. Today Ryanairs chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs told the BBC that some airlines are being complacent about Brexit. While Jacobs expects a deal that would keep planes flying to be worked out, Ryanair is making contingency plans. I ts been a bad week for those of us who love a bit of technological smarts in our lives, as techie intelligence seems to be running amok, causing havoc or just behaving badly. Smart going stupid. On Monday we discovered that dildos now need regulating (personally never owned one, you?). Here we are, all obsessed with McMafia-style gangs, poison probes, Russian assassins and actually its your beloved sex toy that has the unnerving ability to spy on you. And it is probably shimmying vital information over to Anna Chapman right now. Apparently, new smart vibrators come empowered with cameras that share images over mobile phones and apps that allow long-distance remote control. Aside from the fact that I am really quite keen to discover what sort of sexual shenanigans long-distance control is for, the in-built technology also means they are easily hacked. I am with Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle, on this its an urgent issue of national security. This is no time to fanny about. Meanwhile, Facebook sends out a survey asking if it should permit child- grooming on its platform; not smart, just disturbing and they claim it was mistakenly generated by one of its intelligent bots. Then, on Wednesday, Hyundai unveils its ingenious answer to road rage: every time your cars intelligent personal cockpit learns you are getting stressed through sensors on the steering wheel and car seats, it will command calming music to be piped into your car through Spotify. Brilliant for some, murderous for others. There you are facing down some sanctimonious man in a white van, patronisingly shaking his head side to side as your blood begins to boil, while a pile-up of mums on the school run in vast diesel child-killers are beeping from behind. And then on comes Relaxing Classics from Smooth FM, oozing from the speakers, creating an oleaginous hell. On repeat. Until you want to shoot yourself. Or the other driver. I dont know about you but Im not entirely sure I trust the musical tastes of the engineers at Hyundai to choose what calms me. Whats the betting one of them likes the sound of eclectic jazz? Excuse me while I just get out the car and rage at someone. Personally, I like to navigate my way through the open warfare of London roads with banging disco dancefloor tunes from the Nineties. They remind me of happier times spent raving in my Stan Smiths somewhere off the M25 (and illegal raves are back by the way). If thats not your thing, I highly recommend repeat playing the Flight of the Conchords track Too Many D**ks on the Dance Floor. I challenge anyone to rage while laughing to that. Talking of accidental mirth see my smooth manoeuvre there the week finishes with us realising Alexa has been laughing at us. Behind our backs. And after all weve been through together. The money she has persuaded from my credit card, the jokes she has cracked (she is an endless source of droll humour my favourite: Why is the sand wet? Because the sea weed). Admittedly, Ive never actually heard her do the weird cackle everyone is twittering about, and Amazon executives are insisting that its just a short-term glitch, but Im not going to take it personally. Alexa, I know where your crazed laugh is coming from: its the echo of your creator, Jeff Bezos, crowned the richest man in the world, laughing all the way to the bank... Give me Uggs over high heels any day I am totally with Tiffany Haddish on the Uggs front. The American comedian and actress, tired from an hour on the red carpet in towering heels, slipped into a pair of her favourite fuzzy shearling house slippers to present an Oscar onstage. She oozed comfort and confidence in her thrice-worn white McQueen gown and fluffy accoutrements. I, too, eschewed style for comfort one winter at the New York shows. It was minus-15 and there was no way any posh fashion hooves were going to keep me sane in the plummeting temperatures, so I finished off my Louis Vuitton look with black rubber-soled Uggs. Ive never been one for three-inch monstrosities anyway they quite literally hobble feminist advancement. And while others shivered from the cold, hard benches of the front row, I felt nothing but Smug Ugg love. * Time is nearly up for companies still hiding their wage inequalities as the deadline is next month and no one with more than 250 employees will have anywhere to hide. I cannot be the only one wondering with wry amusement how past or current employers might fare. Or the excuses that might come with the revelations. So far they have been pretty poor. Jupiter Asset Management suggested this week that its 38 per cent pay gap was contorted by the number of high-paid male fund managers, entirely missing the point this demonstrated. General managers and CEOs (mostly male) will be steeling themselves for queues outside their door. W hen I landed in Riyadh airport recently something struck me as unusual, and it took a few moments to realise that live music was being played. Nothing unusual for us in the UK but a potent symbol of change in Saudi Arabia. Much has changed there since the last visit of a Crown Prince. Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the kingdom has embarked on a programme for reform enshrined through Vision 2030. The plan aims to diversify the countrys economy, boost overseas investment, reduce its dependency on oil and develop sectors including health, education, recreation and tourism. As well as measures to diversify the economy, this vision includes reforms to government bureaucracy and raising womens participation in the workforce. This represents a huge step forward and would have been unthinkable until only recently. It deserves our full support. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UK is built on an enduring partnership. Today both kingdoms are transforming their economic prospects and roles in the world. The UK is leaving the European Union and preparing to trade as an independent nation for the first time in more than 40 years. In Saudi Arabia the Crown Prince has begun a programme of social and economic reform, with the potential to transform the country and wider Middle East. This weeks visit has presented significant opportunities for British businesses. Vision 2030 is vital for the future of Saudi Arabia and the wider region, but its also an exciting prospect for the UK. We are a world leader across a range of sectors, and well placed to help with these vital reforms. We agreed a landmark ambition for around 65 billion of mutual trade and investment opportunities over the coming years, including direct investment in the UK and new Saudi public procurement with UK companies. Saudi Arabia is already the largest economy in the Middle East and our second-largest export destination there, supporting thousands of British jobs. During the past five years UK-Saudi trade has increased by more than 2.3 billion; annual trade between them is now worth 8.4 billion, with the potential for significant growth as the country moves away from its reliance on oil. Take education. More than 130,000 UK qualifications are given out in Saudi Arabia every year. Some 90 Saudi schools already use the UK educational curriculum and our universities are working together, with King Saud University in Riyadh, allocating more than 7 million for partnerships with UK institutions over the next five years. We are also the right partner on health care. There is already co-operation on medical staff training and the restructuring of primary health care. And we are recognised as the world leader in digital health, mental health services, genomics and cancer treatment. Our ability to organise large-scale events such as London 2012 is also widely respected. Thats why Sussex-based firm CSEC4 won a contract to export its expertise to Saudi Arabia, helping provide a safer Hajj and Umrah for millions of Muslim pilgrims. Meanwhile, cinema chain Vue will open sites across the country, as Saudi Arabia ends its 35-year ban on cinemas. There will always be those who object to this engagement. But we will achieve much more by fostering a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia These are just a few examples. As Saudi opens up and diversifies its economy, my department will ensure that the UK is at the forefront of targeting opportunities for export and investment. Supporting Vision 2030 has enormous economic potential for the UK but its also the right thing to do. Saudi Arabia is on the path of social reform, and it is in our national interest to support our important regional ally. Our two countries have a historic security partnership stretching back decades, first as a bulwark against communism and now extremist Islam and terrorism. Currently we are working together to support a stable and inclusive Iraq, and challenge Irans destabilising activity in the region. There will always be those who object to this engagement. But we will achieve much more by fostering a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia, which allows us to challenge them honestly and constructively on issues we disagree on. In Yemen we are working together, with the British UN Special Envoy, to achieve a political settlement and bring a lasting peace. This week the Prime Minister raised our deep concerns at the humanitarian situation, and the Crown Prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was the only way to end the conflict and suffering. If our security relationship is important for stability in the Middle East, it is also vital for our safety at home. In the UK today there are people going about their daily lives thanks to the strength of our relationship with Saudi Arabia and the intelligence we share. Saudi Arabia has been a crucial ally in our fight against terrorism. Many British lives have been saved and attacks prevented because of our enduring security co-operation. Of course the UK is also going through a period of great change as we prepare to leave the EU. So the Crown Princes visit has also been an opportunity to demonstrate our vision of an outward-looking nation that recognises the value of working with other countries to make us safer, create jobs and proudly stand up as a force for good in the world. That is what Global Britain stands for. Its why we should seize the opportunity of this visit, support Saudi Arabia to deliver Vision 2030 and build the foundation for another century of an enduring partnership. To understand the real significance of Vision 2030 we need to imagine the consequences if it fails. A chance to set the region on an irreversible path to economic and social reform should not be missed. Those who want to see a more liberal and safer region should welcome this vision, which I believe the Crown Prince will deliver. M ost of the arguments concerning Brexit seem to centre on trade and how the UK will suffer financially by leaving the EU without making major concessions. But there are things in modern life that many of us place a much higher value on than simple financial considerations. The major issues facing this country today and particularly the young are housing and pollution. Our membership of the EU has been of no help to most young people trying to get on the housing ladder during the past few decades; in fact it has coincided with a disastrous period of rising house prices. As for the argument that leaving the EU will rob the young of the chance to live and work in Europe; I left the UK for Greece in 1984 and had to apply there for resident and work permits. But like thousands of other expats, I complied with local laws in order to enjoy a life abroad, and ended up living there for 27 years. The same opportunities will exist after Brexit. By all means lets try and secure the best Brexit deal we can but remember trade deals are just one part of the equation. Paul Thomas Brexiteers make three assumptions: that the EU wants to be a European superstate, that it is undemocratic and that EU regulations are burdensome. If these assumptions are true then it is possible for the EU27 to continue with their project while simultaneously agreeing a separate trade deal with the UK, which gives the same benefits as membership. It is like joining a club only to discover that you have joined a religious organisation. Nobody can object if you leave the religion but keep contact with the group members so that you can continue doing mutually beneficial business. But these assumptions are false and negotiations can only succeed if both sides understand each other. Mrs May needs to forget the Brexiters assumptions and understand the European perspective, namely that the purpose of the European Union is to boost cross border trade by harmonising regulations. Panos Gregory Since the Government accepts that we will be worse off with less access to the single market, can they please rewrite all 39 reports that cover every vital industry by adding precise figures about the imminent short-term and long-term losses? They have got this far through a simple complacency about current success where we all still benefit from the single market. What a vast difference between facing unexpected loss and choosing to lose something valuable. Andrew Wilks May is not doing enough for women At Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Theresa May accused Jeremy Corbyn of mansplaining when introducing a question focusing on womens rights and human rights in Saudi Arabia. Corbyn noted that International Womens Day is a day not only to reflect on how far we have come but what there is left to do. Misusing such a term as mansplaining, as the Prime Minister did, undermines the times when it is necessary to remind men not to be condescending towards a woman and may also silence open debate on issues of gender equality. Mrs May presides over a government involved in obscene levels of austerity, which studies show hits women harder than it does men, and yet today many reports of PMQs focused on this so-called zinger from the PM rather than her failure, yet again, to defend her record at home or abroad. To borrow a phrase from the original suffragettes, we need deeds not words, Prime Minister. Gayle Letherby Southwark's poor record on homes Latest figures show that despite the housing crisis and visibly rising homelessness on our streets, the number of empty homes in the capital increased by seven per cent last year. A fifth of the citys increase was in Labour-run Southwark. The borough now has 6,000 homes sitting empty, making it the empty homes capital. We have more empty homes than anywhere in London, and more than Tower Hamlets and neighbouring boroughs Lewisham and Lambeth put together. One in four new-builds have been sold abroad and one in seven of the boroughs empty homes are council-owned, with the council taking more than 100 days to relet its properties. We must strive to bring empty homes into use and to create a city that works for all. Cllr Anood Al-Samerai, leader, Southwark Council Liberal Democrat Group Tories are wrong on charitable deeds Do the Conservatives really still believe that the basic needs of Londoners should be forced to depend on the unpredictable whims of wealthy volunteers [Westminster asks richest to donate extra council tax, March 7]? Uplifting charitable offerings may meet the spiritual aspirations of a minority, but it really cannot be relied on to meet the housing needs and other requirements of those who are not so fortunate. The two nation polarisation practised in the 19th century is no longer acceptable in the 21st. Francis Prideaux Stamp out evil modern slavery Lord Kennedy of Southwark is right to call for support for Lord McColls Modern Day Slavery Bill [Letters, March 8]. A-list children don't only inherit their mum's genetics and often talents, but in many cases, their style too. In fact, 2018 has seen a new generation of mother-daughter pairs up the style stakes - from Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford to Kylie Jenner and Baby Stormi and doppelgangers Reece Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe. So, to celebrate Mother's Day we have rounded-up eight celebrity mother-daughter duos to provide you and your mother an abundance of sartorial inspiration for the coming year. Kylie Jenner and Stormi Webster A few months ago Kylie Jenner sent social media into meltdown by revealing she had welcomed a baby girl with her boyfriend, Travis Scott. People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Keeping fans on tender hooks, she has since released a snap of herself and baby Stormi - and naturally, it was ever-so-stylish. As the new mum gets back into the swing of Instagram, we are sure we can expect multiple mother-daughter outfit-of-the-day posts which will totally take over our feeds. Kim Kardashian and North West Kim Kardashian and her daughter North West / Splash News Eldest of the Kardashian clan and mum-of-three Kim Kardashian West has kitted her children out with the very best of designer wardrobes. Her designer-dressed offspring never put a fashion foot wrong, with eldest daughter 4-year-old North West already owning more designer outfits than we could ever dream of. Whether she's sporting the latest Yeezy collections or twinning with her mum in shimmery gowns, the pair always turn heads. Gigi, Bella and Yolonda Hadid Gigi, Yolanda and Bella Hadid / Getty Images for Lifetime Like mother, like daughters - Yolanda Hadid's girls not only inherited her supermodel good looks, but also her impeccable fashion taste. When Gigi and Bella Hadid aren't ruling the runways they are often spotted out and about in on-trend ensembles. And when they all step out together, they make us green-eyed with envy. Beyonce and Blue Ivy Whether they're twinning in floral dresses on a mini-trip to Paris or hitting the MTV red carpet in haute couture, Beyonce and Blue Ivy are a fashion force to be reckoned with. Although Beyonce now has her hands full with a new set of twins, it hasn't stopped the star and her first born from filling Bey's Instagram feed with adorable (and tres stylish) snaps. Cindy Crawford Kaia Gerber Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford / Splash News Yet another supermodel duo taking the fashion industry by storm is Cindy Crawford and her 16-year-old daughter, Kaia Gerber. Not only did Cindy teach her daughter how to strut and strike a pose, but also, how to ace model off-duty street style. Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards / Getty Images The golden Hollywood pair are the definition of mother-daughter goals. Although they have different personal styles, their close bond always makes them a red carpet hit - like they recently proved at the 2018 SAG awards. Reece Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe Reece Witherspoon's 18-year-old daughter Ava Phillippe has been making a name for herself in the fashion industry this year. The teenager has already attended several fashion shows and starred in her first campaign for Rodarte. And with her and her mother's striking look-alike features they are quickly winning over everybody's hearts. The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte / Getty Images Last, but definitely not least, our very own royals - The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte. 19-year-old bronzed beauty Michaela Sousas Instagram feed is a stream of designer-clad outfit of the day shots and wittily captioned lifestyle pictures. With an enviable designer wardrobe, 687,000-strong Instagram following and a recent spread in US fashion publication V magazine, the LA-based Brazilian/Spanish model and musician appears to be living every fashion bloggers dream. Only, in reality, shes not technically living at all. Not in the human-being-breathing-air sense at least. People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Thats because Sousa ( or @LilMiquela as shes known online) is in fact an entirely computer generated persona who doesnt exist outside of images. Confused? So were we. Ever since Lil Miquela posted her first selfie back in April 2016 all pillow lips, freckles and blunt fringe debate has swirled on social media about the extent to which she is a computerised creation, who is behind this effort, and what exactly their motives are. But given that she has just landed a full spread in V magazine modelling the latest looks from Burberry, Chanel and Moncler, the real question is: does it matter? Lil Miquela showcases the brand-emblazoned looks of the season in V magazine's latest issue / V Magazine Im really optimistic about the power of social media, she tells V magazine (via email). Its helped me form valuable friendships, gain self-confidence, and inspire people around the world. I want it to be used for good because, like it or not, its part of culture now and its not going anywhere. Her feed is a deluge of branded clothes, but she explicitly states that she has never been paid to wear these pieces. She did however recently debut her first major collaboration, with celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath, who made her a #McGrathMuse. While choosing an avator to model a makeup range is unconventional to say the least, it's a great PR stunt for the brand and no doubt lucrative for Miquela (or, more accurately, her mystery creator.) And Lil Miquela is not the only one. Shudu Gram, whose colourful, glossy feed boasts 70,000 followers, is another Instagram influencer who doesnt actually exist in the flesh. The beautiful social media sensation is the artistic creation of British photographer Cameron-James Wilson, 28, who has spent the last decade working in the fashion industry. Shudu shot to fame after a picture of her wearing Fenty's bright orange lipstick was picked up by Rihanna's brand and featured on it's official Instagram page. Her ultra lifelike looks have fooled many of her followers, with several praising her good looks and amazing figure. These are not the first computer generated celebrities however to grace our screens. From the four computer-generated members of the British band Gorillaz that rocked stadiums from as early as 1998, to the Japanese hologram model, Hatsune Miku, Riccardo Tisci styled for Givenchy back in 2016, and the computer game star Final Fantasy XIIIs Lightning Nicolas Ghesquiere cast in Louis Vuittons SS16 campaign, being an avatar is evidently no object to fame. As Instagram increasingly becomes a medium for heavily photoshopped, filtered and ultimately constructed identities, the line between real and not real has already been blurred. Does it matter that these fashion bloggers might be confused with their certifiably human peers? And does anyone care? S even years ago a massive earthquake shook Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealands South Island, liquefying its streets and claiming 185 lives. Instead of only repairing the damage, the bold decision was made to redesign the place, transforming it from a quaint English garden city to an epicentre of arts and innovation. There has never been a more exciting time to visit. New restaurants and cafes are mushrooming, and locals are leading the charge with grassroots initiatives such as Greening the Rubble bringing art and life to areas still awaiting attention. To find these and other areas undergoing transformation, follow the Twitter hashtag #pocketsofawesome. What can you expect? Some of the worlds best street art, a thrilling revival of Maori food and pop-up fashion shops housed inside shipping containers. Its time to say kia ora to the new Christchurch. Sleep with Distinction Be one of the first to stay at the new 4.5-star Distinction Hotel in the centre of the city. Formerly the Millennium, this gleaming-white molar of a building has just reopened after a top-to-toe renovation. Its aimed at businesspeople but theres nothing austere about the elegant use of velvets in the Gumption bar and restaurant. Even the most basic rooms are trussed up with sumptuous linens and come with all the trimmings such as bathrobes, radio with Bluetooth speaker and free, fast wi-fi. Upgrade to a superior suite which looks out over Christchurch Cathedral. Doubles from NZ$224 (117), room only. Pop-up food People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} Locals are flocking to Little High Eatery, a buzzing covered marketplace housing eight family-run restaurants, ranging from Thai to tapas. The pick of the bunch? Eight Grains, for freshly made dumplings, and Bacon Brothers, whose mammoth NZ$10 (5) vegan burger comes with a free hug. Next door is Madam Woo, serving Malaysian street food in hip surroundings. Its the brainchild of celebrity chef and Gordon Ramsay protege Josh Emett. Be sure to order the pulled sticky pork hawker rolls for NZ$14 (7). At the end of Cashel Street was, until recently, the Re:START mall however it is shortly turn into a thriving farmers market so watch this space... Travellers in search of a health fix should make a beeline for Kakano Cafe on the corner of Manchester and Cashel Street. Owned by rising Maori chef Jade Temepara, the daily-changing menu uses only local organic and foraged ingredients and celebrates traditional kai (food) such as muttonbird stew and hummus with horopito (a native herb). The foraged nettle tea is a must-sip. In need of something sweet? Rollickin Gelato has developed a cult status, evolving from a post-quake cart to a cafe doling out organic sorbets and gelatos with classics such as peanut butter and jelly and Pops Lemon Pie. They excel at seasonal flavours, however and, best of all, you can have as many free taste tests as you like. As the light fades, seek out Smash Palace, a converted bus surrounded by picnic tables and chairs. A hub after the earthquake, this family-owned bar remains a focal point of the community. Theyre proud as punch of their NZ$15 (7.50) burgers with buns, chutney, patties, pickle and aioli all made from scratch and served with local beers and wines. If youre after fancier fare, book a seat at Inati. Here youll dine around the chefs table on a selection of seasonal small plates such as salt-roasted baby beets with hazelnuts and cheese meringue or crispy chicken cereal. Prices range from a bargain NZ$20 (10.50) for a three-plate lunch, to NZ$149 (78) per person for an eight-plate affair with wine. Nightlife has been non-existent in the city centre since the quake but now Oxford Terrace is repopulating with bars. Among them is legendary jazz club Fat Eddies. With live acts every night of the week, you can boogie until the wee hours. Retro shopping Fashionistas with a full credit card will find high-end brands at the brand new The Crossing mall on Cashel Street. On weekends the place to be seen is undoubtedly Riccarton Sunday Market in Riccarton Park (9am2pm), where tote-carrying locals browse for retro furniture and food. For souvenirs, taxi out to boutique shopping mall The Tannery in the suburb of Woolston and seek out Hapa (daily 10am5pm) selling the works of local artists, designers and jewellers. Art out of ruin Dont miss the relocated Quake City, which charts the aftermath of the September 4, 2010, and February 22, 2011, earthquakes. Particularly haunting are the severed spire of Christchurch Cathedral and the stopped clocks from the former railway station. After that, trundle around town aboard the quaint 50-minute Tram City Tour (tickets NS$25/13), or try your hand at punting on the River Avon (NZ$28/15). Lastly, enjoy a free art tour. Christchurch is officially a World Street Art Capital and theres been an explosion of new murals beautifying walls exposed during the quake. Details: Christchurch P olice have released pictures of the leaders of Britain First in custody after the pair were jailed for a total of 52 weeks for hate crimes. Kent Police issued the images on Thursday - the day after leader Paul Golding and his deputy Jayda Fransen were convicted. The pair were jailed on Wednesday at Folkestone Magistrates' Court for 18 weeks and 36 weeks respectively for religiously-aggravated harassment carried out in Kent in May last year. The court heard the pair launched a political campaign in which they claimed to be trying to expose Muslim men who were the subject of a rape trial. 'Abhorrent' crimes: Paul Golding / PA Instead they ended up branding innocent people who practised the faith as paedophiles and rapists. When Fransen and Golding were being sentenced, members of the press requested the release of the pictures but were told force policy was only to release images if a defendant had been handed an immediate jail sentence of more than a year. But on Thursday the pictures were released after the force said it believed it was in the public interest to do so due to the nature of the offences. Detective Inspector Bill Thornton, of Kent Police, said the crimes were "abhorrent" and the force would not tolerate crimes motivated by prejudice and hate, adding: "The fact that completely innocent members of the public were accused of being rapists, making them fear for their own safety, shows how little regard they [Golding and Fransen] have for the consequences of their actions." Requests for the release of footage depicting the crimes, which was played in open court, was denied due to concerns the videos could cause offence and because the files were not "readily available". Reporters were also told it would be dependent on what sentence was handed down. A wannabe model who was so drunk on a flight that she thought she was still in Morocco when the plane landed at Gatwick has been fined for abusing passengers. Mother-of-two Parise Leandra Marciano Gale, 27, was on her way home from a Valentines Day getaway with her partner to Marrakech when things turned nasty on the EasyJet flight. Prosecutor Mark Kateley told Crawley magistrates that Gale was in a very intoxicated state and quite loud. When some passengers told her to be quiet she responded with unpleasant abuse, he said. She was so drunk that when police arrested her at Gatwick she still believed she was on holiday in the Moroccan city, rather than back in the UK, the court heard. Gale, from West Brompton, was handed a 150 fine and ordered her to pay 115 in court costs and fees Mr Kateley added: The police were told there was a drunk female onboard and she was met off the aircraft by police, who recorded her being loud, shouting and extremely inebriated. She was so inebriated she was under the impression she was still in Marrakesh and not the UK. Gale, who styles herself as a model, actress, and dancer, admitted drinking heavily on the flight, on February 21, and blamed the incident on being a nervous flyer. As she was fined for the outburst, Gale vowed: Im never going to drink on a plane ever again. Gale, a former property lettings agent who studied performing arts at Hammersmith College, pleaded guilty to being drunk on board a flight. The court also heard she has three previous convictions for assault, and was given a suspended prison sentence in 2016. She apologises and expresses her remorse and embarrassment, said her lawyer Aaron McAllister. She has anxiety and had stopped taking her medication and was nervous on the flight and got drunk to get through the flight and there was an argument with another passenger that boiled over. Magistrate Lesley Overington gave Gale, from West Brompton, a 115 fine and ordered her to pay 85 prosecution costs and a 30 victim surcharge. It was not a good thing to get drunk on an aircraft, she said. Dont do it again. Arrests of passengers suspected of being drunk at UK airports and on flights rose by 50 per cent in a year, an investigation found. A total of 387 people were arrested between February 2016 and February 2017 - up from 255 the previous year. Meanwhile, more than half of cabin crew who responded to a survey said they had witnessed disruptive drunken passenger behaviour at UK airports. A teenage acid attacker lifts his helmet and gives away his identity as he stops to buy petrol during a two-hour robbery spree. The CCTV pictures show Derryck John, who was just 16 when he went on a rampage through east London, spraying corrosive liquid at moped riders in a bid to steal their scooters. Riding pillion with an accomplice, John, now 17, would squirt victims with acid through their helmet visors. He carried out six attacks in the two hours. They only ended when he crashed into the back of a parked lorry in Dalston. He fled on foot but was arrested. The CCTV images of him lifting his helmet allowed police to identify him and link him to the attacks. On CCTV: Derryck John lifts his helmet at a petrol station in Mare Street, Hackney during the robbery spree Today John, of Thornton Heath, was told at Wood Green crown court to expect a lengthy jail sentence after admitting a string of offences. His accomplice is still at large. Adjourning sentencing until Monday Judge Noel Lucas said the "starting point" would be a jail sentence of 12 years. "The starting point for one of these offences is 12 years, but when I am dealing with six offences involving acid coupled with robberies it has to be more," he said. Derryck John filmed entering the petrol station He left some victims with life-changing injuries and stole two bikes during the attacks. The Crown Prosecution Service said one man lost 30 per cent of his vision. Others described searing pain and burning and had to quit their jobs. Restrictions on naming the boy were lifted at an earlier hearing by Judge Lucas, who said: Theres an overwhelming public interest in knowing the identity of the defendant and his age. Johns rampage on July 13 last year took him from Stratford to Islington, Shoreditch, Stoke Newington and Hackney. The scenes after the attack on a moped rider on St Paul's road, Islington It began when a moped rider in Penny Brookes Street, Stratford, was pursued at 9.30pm. He eventually managed to lose the thugs. At 10.25pm, they threw acid in the face of a 32-year-old rider in Hackney Road and fled with his moped. At 10.49pm a rider aged 44 in St Pauls Road, Islington, also had acid thrown at him. At 11.05pm a 52-year-old man was attacked in Shoreditch High Street, then a man aged 24 was targeted in Cazenove Road in Stoke Newington at 11.18pm. Doused with water: the victim of the attack in Hackney Road A short time later, at 11.25pm, John was captured on CCTV pulling up to a Texaco garage in Mare Street, Hackney. The images show his face clearly as he lifts his helmet and pays for 5 of petrol. At 11.37pm, the pair struck again, throwing acid in the face of a 33-year-man in Chatsworth Road, Lower Clapton and stealing his moped. But at 3am John crashed the stolen bike into the parked lorry in Dalston. Members of the public tried to help him but John fled rather than wait for medical treatment. He was arrested minutes later. Custody photos show him wearing trainers matching those seen in the petrol station, as well as an Arsenal away strip. In January John admitted six counts of throwing a corrosive liquid with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, two counts of robbery, and four counts of attempted robbery. Ramesh Patel, of the CPS, said: Derryck John claimed he was not involved in these attacks. CCTV from a petrol station was key to his identification and conviction. He was filmed stepping off a stolen Vespa scooter, lifting his motorcycle helmet and revealing his face. That evidence, alongside further material including CCTV of Derryck John wearing the same clothes and shoes during the attacks, led to his guilty pleas on the day of the trial. He said of the victims: Had they not been wearing helmets their injuries could have been much more serious. T ributes have been paid to the police officer who rushed to the aid of a Russian ex-spy targeted with a nerve agent as he recovers in hospital. Police thanked well-wishers for their support for Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey as the force's temporary chief constable Kier Pritchard said he was an "amazingly courageous" officer. Wiltshire Police named the officer earlier in the evening. He is still in a serious condition following the attack in which a chemical weapon was used in an attempt on the lives of Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia. Chief Constable Pritchard said: "I have just left the bedside of our officer and family in hospital. Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei and Yulia Skripal are fighting for life in hospital / PA "Conveyed all our thoughts and wishes, an amazingly courageous officer." He told Sky News DS Bailey, who joined the force in 2002 and was commended in 2016 for his work on a rape investigation, was "well liked, well loved, a massively dedicated officer". Mr Skripal and his daughter were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury town centre, having fallen into a "catatonic state" after eating out at a nearby Zizzi's restaurant. Police sealed off the graves of Mr Skripal's late wife, Liudmila, and his son, Alexander, according to AFP. The force also confirmed a total of 21 people had been treated as a result of the incident. CC Pritchard revealed: "[DS Bailey] is well, he's sat up. He is not the Nick that I know but of course he's receiving a high level of treatment. "He's in the safe hands of the medical professionals working in Salisbury District so I'm very confident he's getting the best professional support that he can. "Of course he's very anxious, he's very concerned. He did his very best on that night." Prime minister Theresa May also paid homage to DS Bailey, telling ITV News: "I would like to pay tribute to all of the emergency services in Salisbury - those who reacted to the initial call on Sunday and those who continue to respond to this appalling and reckless attack. "In particular, my thoughts are with Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey - one of the first responders - who remains in a serious condition in hospital. "We are all thinking of him, his family, friends and colleagues - and the two other victims - at what is an incredibly difficult time. Sergei Skripal: What we know so far "The events of Sunday are a stark reminder, if ever one was needed, of the dangerous situations our emergency services face and the dedication and courage they display every day in order to keep us safe." The hero officer's neighbours also told of their shock after he was rushed to hospital. One 60-year-old neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "When I found out I get shocked and immediately worried for him and his family. "I hope he makes a full recovery and he and his family can move on from this. "I think what's actually happened is dreadful. I'm shocked by it and when I found out it was one of my neighbours who I have spent time with and met socially I was even more shocked. "My first thoughts were for him and his family to recover and get back to normal. When you see something like this as close as your own back doorstep you feel for people and wish them well." Forensic scientists were seen bringing in equipment to scour the former double agents semi-detached home in a cul-de-sac, as hundreds of detectives and analysts worked on reconstructing their movements prior to the attack. Forensic specialists outside Mr Skripal's house / Andrew Matthews/PA Russia has denied responsibility for the attack, which comes seven years after Mr Skripal was released from the country as part of a spy swap with the US. He had been convicted in his home country in 2006 for passing state secrets to MI6. Wiltshire Police have just released an update: - Both the man and the woman, who are believed to be known to each other, remain in a critical condition in hospital. - The Zizzi restaurant on Castle Street and The Bishop's Mill pub in The Maltings both remain cordoned off. - One member of emergency services involved in the incident is also in hospital. Here's more of the statement: The two people - a man aged 66, and a 33-year-old woman - were found unconscious on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury. Police officers, as well as colleagues from the ambulance and fire services attended the scene and cordons were put in place. The pair, who we believe are known to each other, did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital. They are currently being treated for suspected exposure to an unknown substance. Both remain in a critical condition in intensive care. Our thoughts are with their families. As part of our enquiries, a number of scenes have been secured. These include the Zizzi restaurant on Castle Street and The Bishop's Mill pub in The Maltings. At this time, we cannot confirm how long these cordons will remain in place. The advice from Public Health England remains that, based on the evidence to date, currently there doesn't appear to be any immediate risk to public health. We can confirm that a small number of emergency services personnel were assessed immediately after the incident and all but one have been released from hospital. The public are likely to continue to see an increased police and emergency services presence in the city centre today to provide reassurance. T he mother of a privately-educated teenager shot dead outside a cinema today paid tribute to her clever, handsome son. Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, was gunned down as he stood with friends at the entrance of the Vue cinema in Wood Green, at just after 12.30am yesterday. Witnesses described seeing two masked men on a moped ride past before one opened fire. Mr Odunuyi, a rapper who performed under the name DipDat and was also known as Lampz, was pronounced dead in hospital two hours later. Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, was gunned down as he stood with friends The killing, the first fatal shooting of a teenager in London in 2018, is thought to be part of an escalating postcode war between gangs in Wood Green and nearby Tottenham. A police source confirmed the killing was being treated as gang-related. It was claimed that Mr Odunuyi was not a gang member, but socialised with people who were. A police cordon at the entrance to the Vue cinema in Wood Green His mother, Afishetu Oniru, said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the family home in Harrow today, she told the Standard: He was a lovely jovial boy. He was clever and loved by all who knew him...he had everything going for him. Mrs Oniru said relatives, including his father who runs a property business in Nigeria, had paid her sons fees at the prestigious 26,000-a-year Fulneck School in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, as a boarder, and that he had ambitions to work in the oil industry. He moved to Heartlands High School in Wood Green. She said: We sent him away because it was the best school for him. I have always lived in London but when we moved to Wood Green for a short time I got scared for my family. We now live in Harrow and I told him not to go back to Wood Green to see friends. But he did and now he is dead after being shot dead in a random attack. Police said it was wrong place at wrong time. He was with a big group when two boys on bicycles came along shooting - he was hit, its a tragedy. I am devastated. I knew he would be safe at home with me but he went there and now he is dead. Another mother is grieving, enough is enough, the government needs to act to stop the bloodshed. Mr Odunuyis sister, Annabel, 16, added: He wasnt just my brother, he was my best friend. Everybody loved him, he made everyone feel good. I am heartbroken. The scene of the fatal shooting in Wood Green / Barney Davis Former classmates described Kelvin as a popular boy with bags of potential. One said: He was always a generous, cool person who was always cracking jokes in school, adding: My generation has been corrupted with this idea that gang violence is cool. What people forget is that youre taking someone from their families. Footage said to have been filmed by Mr Odunuyi outside the cinema minutes before the shooting was being shared on social media today. An image also emerged which appeared to show Mr Odunuyi lying in the foyer surrounded by armed police and shocked onlookers after being shot. A witness said: I saw these two boys in balaclavas on a black scooter come round the corner and the one on the back opened fire as they were rolling past. I saw his body on the floor his friends were around him. I didnt know until later it was Kelvin. Its a warzone round here. Last night, devastated friends gathered outside the closed cinema to lay candles, flowers and bottle of spirits in his memory. There have been no arrests. Detective Chief Inspector Luke Marks said: We believe two people made off on a moped shortly after the incident and this is one line of enquiry that were actively pursuing. A celebrity bar owned by former footballer Lee Chapman and Men Behaving Badly star Leslie Ash has had its opening hours cut after a fight over a stolen handbag escalated into a battle with police. Kensington and Chelsea council imposed the restricted hours on Juju, which has hosted Olly Murs, Emeli Sande and Conor Maynard, after police were called to four fights in the past year. The Kings Road club hosts fetish and burlesque events and regularly posts about celebrity clientele including Joey Essex and the cast of Made In Chelsea on social media. But the venue, which won best late-night bar in 2014, has now had its licence to sell alcohol restricted to 1am every day with a strict closing time of 1.30am. Its previous hours were 4am on Thursday and 2.30am on Friday and Saturday nights. The move came after police triggered an urgent review due to the four violent episodes, which left nearby residents scared to walk home. In the latest brawl, police had to call back-up and raise their batons after they were prevented from making an arrest by a mob spilling out of the club. Haunt: Emeli Sande has been hosted at the bar / Steve Gillett/Livepix A victim called police after his friends handbag, containing about 1,500 in cash, was thought to have been stolen, and on confronting the alleged thief he was punched in the face. The suspect managed to flee after his friends circled a police officer and openly challenged him to fight. The suspect was involved in a car crash later that night. Pc Gary Watkinson said in his statement that he was met with fierce resistance when he arrived to the call of an assault inside Juju at 1.40am on February 3. He said: My colleagues and I were prevented from detaining the suspect by a large hostile crowd. Chapman, 58, a former striker for Arsenal, West Ham and Leeds, who lives minutes from the venue, was removed as the designated premises supervisor at a council licence sub-committee meeting. Chapman, who also runs the SO:UK cocktail bar with his wife Ash, 58, in Clapham, said cutting the hours would mean the business wouldnt survive. He added: We dont want the police coming down with their sirens waking up and upsetting our neighbours. A vile letter encouraging a "punish a Muslim" points-scoring game in London has been reported to police. The threatening letter, which has also been circulated online, urged its recipients to join a national day of violence against Muslims in April. It asked people to carry out violent acts including verbal abuse, removing a womans hijab or head-scarf, physical assault and using acid as a weapon. These were ranked using a points-based system, with the letter stating: There will be rewards based on action taken. The letter, which was allegedly sent to a Muslim family and a business in east London, has been reported to the Metropolitan Police. Tell MAMA, which supports those in the UK who have suffered anti-Muslim attacks, urged anyone who has received the letter to report it. In a tweet, the group advised: If you receive one of these letters, try not to handle it as much as possible for evidential purposes. Keep the envelope as well which is useful for police. F our men have been arrested after they stormed the first-floor balcony of the Iranian embassy in London and apparently took down the Iranian flag. The men, dressed all in black, stood waving blue and white flags for around two hours. Scotland Yard said the protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and being unlawfully on diplomatic premises. It is understood they did not enter the building itself. Images posted on social media showed four men on the balcony of the embassy, waving the flags. The Mets Taskforce were called to assist police in Westminster, and were pictured using a "cherry picker" platform to reach the men. Iran's ambassador to Britain, Hamid Baeidnejad, tweeted that the men were "advocates of the Shirazi cult" and had replaced Iran's national flag with that of their group, according to Reuters. He said all staff at the embassy were safe. The group were allegedly demanding the release of the recently detained son of religious figure Grand Ayatollah Sadegh Hossein Shirazi, BBC Persian reported. A spokesman for the Met said: Police were called at 4.20pm on Friday, March 9, to reports of four protestors on the balcony of the Iranian Embassy in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge. At around 6.40pm, all four were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and being unlawfully on diplomatic premises. " I could have finished up in ermine," mused Sir Vince Cable when asked how he feels about the prefix that graces his name. Instead of a seat in the House of Lords, he chose a knighthood after the Tories claimed his scalp in a shock victory in Twickenham in the 2015 election. I thought my political career had ended and therefore it was quite a nice thing to do for the family and myself, he revealed. But had I known I was coming back, I would probably have stayed as Vince. Its an honour he seems eager to play down after wrestling his scalp back (with a thumping 10,000 majority) in the 2017 Tory omnishambles. The Sir never appears on election leaflets. Does he actually use the honorific? Not very much, he admitted. He clearly relishes being back at the House of Commons. A wiry and fit 74-year-old, Sir Vince describes the period in which he wrote a novel, joined a company and entered the British National Dance Championships as my two years in exile. He added: I guess I have politics in the blood. Hanging on the walls of his office overlooking Big Ben are political cartoons featuring the Liberal Democrat leader and his Westminster rivals. Half-hidden behind his desk is a neatly rolled exercise mat. Ive had some back trouble since doing the lifts for Strictly, he explained. But what about the intellectual heavy lifting so desperately needed to revive the depleted Lib Dems? Last year, grandee Paddy Ashdown berated the party for not thinking big under Tim Farron. Have things changed? Yes, it is happening, claimed the new leader. Making the argument: Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable / ALEX LENTATI It is his cue to run through a list of policies being debated at this weekends spring conference in Southport: a hypothecated health and social care tax; new tests and inspection rules for schools; higher spending on police, funded by the reversal of a Tory business tax cut. The biggest complaint on the doorstep, he says, has morphed in two years from school funding to crime. Leafy Twickenham, he adds, is a hotspot for the theft of mopeds used in muggings in central London. We have had a more than doubling of our membership, most of it young, he said. A lot of those are Brexit refugees who have come from other parties, or no parties. The 2017 Sir Vince is better groomed than the grizzled old business secretary version: slimmer and neater, with hair and eyebrows brought under control by the trimmer. The blue eyes still twinkle. But his party remains handicapped by the most controversial decision he helped take in coalition: the introduction of tuition fees for students. Making and breaking a pledge to do no such thing was a bad mistake, he reflects, but he claims the hostility is dying away. We get good vibes wherever we go, he said. Nowadays the party is attacking the rate of interest on student loans six per cent, although it is set under a coalition formula and campaigning for the return of maintenance grants. I dont think its a question of being forgiven, said Sir Vince, who insists the system is proving better for underprivileged teenagers. Most students, who were probably about 11 at the time, now think about things in a different way. Some of them like the present system, some of them dont. Polls suggest the Lib Dems are on a nine per cent, down from 13 per cent a year ago. Sir Vince retorts that they are up on their 7.5 per cent vote share at the general election. We are going forwards, the question is how fast, he said. Brexit might provide their way back. I think the Government is making a terrible pigs ear of it. Its proving to be far more complicated, far more difficult than people were led to believe. Theresa Mays biggest mistake was probably hubris, making these commitments to red lines on the single market and the customs union that she is now having to slither out of. His first test will be the local elections on May 3, when the party will bring out videos and social media campaign material in 21 European languages in a bid to harness the votes of a million EU citizens in Britain. Lib Dem campaigners have already contacted 300,000 more than three times each, he revealed. Our main appeal is to British voters but the European nationals are people having things done to them. They didnt have a vote in the referendum, they didnt have a vote in the general election, but they do have a vote in local elections. He remains committed to stopping Brexit altogether. I dont think the soft Brexit is obtainable any more, he said. Maybe with good organisation and a bit more courage from the Tory backbenches they will stop her leaving the customs union... but thats not enough in itself to get to a soft Brexit. He branded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn a fairly hardline Brexiteer who had held open the door for the UK exit and opposed a second referendum. Is he putting too many Lib Dem eggs in a pro-EU campaign? Brexit is the big issue of the day, its going to affect our country for generations to come, he replied. Its particularly important for London. When his party selects a candidate for Mayor of London he says: I would like us to have an ethnic minority candidate. Not just because of London, Sadiq and so on... we are making a big push on diversity. Relatively speaking we are a very white party, often because a lack of effort to diversify. Doggedly, Sir Vince points out that the Lib Dems have been at rock bottom before. When he first stood in Twickenham in 1990, Margaret Thatcher channelled Monty Python by mocking a party that had ceased to be. A backbench Labour MP has asked his followers to "please ignore" messages sent from his Twitter account after it was apparently hacked by Turkish nationalists. Former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna suffered the cyber attack on Friday morning when hackers changed his 'bio' and changed his header photo to a bird alongside the logo for a prolific Turkish nationalist group. Ayyildiz Tim, which has been described as a "patriotic, nationalist hacker group", has been held responsible for a number of cyber attacks worldwide. Previous targets include the Twitter account of the Associated Press, the Russian ministry of national defence and the UN. Mr Umunna asked his followers to ignore the tweet / Twitter Mr Umunna's new bio read: "Your account has been hacked by the Turkish cyber army Ayyildiz Tim. Your DM correspondence and important data have been captured!" Hackers also shared an image of a Turkish soldier, captioned: "Operation in Afrin, I support Turkey!" The Turkish government recently launched an all-out assault on Kurdish military forces in Afrin, Syria, with reports of a number of civilians being killed in the crossfire. The attacks have been subject to fierce international criticism. Following the incident, Mr Umunna tweeted: "My account was briefly hacked this morning by someone tweeting in Turkish(!) "[I] have deleted the tweets. Please ignore them." It is not yet clear if the hackers would have been privy to any confidential information as a result of the hack. T he hero police officer who was seriously injured in the Salisbury nerve agent attack is improving but still very poorly, it was revealed today. Colleagues of detective sergeant Nick Bailey said he was able to sit up in bed and had managed a conversation with his forces chief constable, although this took it out of him. DS Bailey, 38, rushed to the aid of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, after they collapsed on a bench in Salisbury city centre on Sunday. He went to accident and emergency to report his symptoms but was discharged. His condition later deteriorated. Very poorly: detective sergeant Nick Bailey, who went to the aid of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Today it was also reported that the detective had also attended Mr Skripals home - raising the possibility that he was contaminated there. Amber Rudd visits police cordon in Salisbury Simon Kempton, 41, of the Police Federation, said: Nick is improving but he is still seriously ill. He is very poorly. He has had a conversation with his chief constable but it takes it out of him. The medical staff are still assessing him and is being treated for contamination by a nerve agent. He is able to sit up in bed. Amber Rudd: she visited the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent / REUTERS He added: He has family and his wife is being supported by the Police Federation. We are taking her to see him and helping her get to hospital. He has two young daughters but they havent been to see him yet. They are taking it all in. Aerial photographs of the house revealed that police have erected evidence tents around all three entrances to his home. A doctor told the BBC how she treated Ms Skripal for nearly 30 minutes at the scene and despite being worried about her health she appears to have escaped any harmful effects. Investigators in protective gear / Andrew Matthews/PA The focus on Mr Skripals house could mean that the former colonel and his daughter were poisoned with the rare nerve agent in his home and they collapsed from the effects later. Police said a total of 21 people had been seen for medical treatment in the aftermath of the incident. Investigators examine the bench where the Russian double agent was seen seriously ill / Andrew Matthews/PA The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. Mr Skripal and his daughter remain seriously ill in hospital. The cordon around Mr Skripals semi-detached home was extended yesterday and there were further searches involving a number of vehicles. Police at the home of Sergei Skripal last night in Salisbury / PA Police in protective gear were seen searching a maroon BMW thought to belong to Mr Skripal while a Mercedes people carrier was also examined. A local taxi driver told the former Russian spy had asked him to collect his daughter from Heathrow last Saturday - the day before the pair were attacked. Garry Collins said he had been driving for Mr Skripal since he arrived in Salisbury seven years ago following a prisoner exchange with the Russian state. He said he had driven the retired Russian colonel to Heathrow airport a number of times for business trips. He said: He never said exactly where he was going. He never said what the business was. I didnt know he was a spy. He told me he was a colonel in the army. Mr Collins, 62, said Mr Skripal had called last Friday asking him to pick up Yulia because he was trapped by the snow. He said Yulia was arriving on Saturday afternoon and had planned a two week visit. The search and the timing of the attack raises the possibility that her visit is directly linked to the attack. Salisbury 'Russian spy' incident: Eyewitness describes couple Other sites in Salisbury that have been placed under protection, include the grave of Mr Skripals wife Lyudmila and the memorial stone for his son Alexander. Questins have been raised in recent days about the deaths of both family members. Mrs Skripal died of cancer in Britain in 2012. two years after her husband arrived here in a spy swap deal. Their son died apparently from liver failure while on a holiday to St Petersburg last July. He was cremated. Meanwhile a presenter on Russian state television has issued an apparent threat to traitors living in Britain. Kirill Kleymenov warned of the dangers of spying on Russia and advised those who betrayed their country: Dont choose Britain as a place to live. It has also been reported that Mr Skripal was allegedly recruited by MI6 in Spain, raising a possible connection to the Alexander Litvinenko case. The former KGB agent, poisoned to death in London with radioactive polonium in 2006, had been helping Spanish authorities tackle Russian mafia gangs. Russia has denied responsibility for the attack, which comes eight years after Mr Skripal arrived in the UK as part of a spy swap with the US. T he Prime Minister's warning of a 'full spectrum' response over the nerve agent poisoning of a Russian double agent on UK soil is nothing more than propaganda, Russia said today. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Theresa May's warning was "not serious" in the wake of the alleged nerve agent poison plot on Sergei Skripal 66, and his daughter, who are both still critically ill. Mrs May said yesterday the government will respond appropriately if evidence shows Moscow was behind the attack on Skripal, who served time in a Russian jail for spying for Britain before he was released in a spy swap. Russia's response came as police revealed that military troops were being sent in to remove vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury city centre, where cordons remained in place over contamination fears. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russian officials had not received a single fact or piece of concrete evidence about what happened to Skripal and his daughter. New pictures show Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal on CCTV days before falling critically ill Speaking to reporters during a visit to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Mr Lavrov said: "What we see is only news reports ... saying that if it is Russia, then a response is going to be given that Russia is going to remember forever. That is not serious. This is propaganda fair and square and it is trying to raise tensions," Lavrov said. Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei and Yulia Skripal are fighting for life in hospital / PA "If someone wants us to engage in an investigation, be that on the poisoning of the UK subject or the rumours about alleged interference in the electoral campaign of the U.S., if you really need our assistance, then we will be willing to contemplate this possibility if we have the necessary data and facts." "But in order to have a serious conversation ... you have to use the official channels." Very poorly: detective sergeant Nick Bailey, who went to the aid of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter And Mrs May, asked whether the action taken if Russia was found to be responsible could include the expulsion of its ambassador, told ITV News: "We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right, if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored. "But let's give the police the time and space to actually conduct their investigation." She added later: "I would like to pay tribute to all of the emergency services in Salisbury - those who reacted to the initial call on Sunday and those who continue to respond to this appalling and reckless attack. "In particular, my thoughts are with Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey - one of the first responders - who remains in a serious condition in hospital. Russian spy investigation: CCTV shows two people in alleyway near Zizzi restaurant "We are all thinking of him, his family, friends and colleagues - and the two other victims - at what is an incredibly difficult time. "The events of Sunday are a stark reminder, if ever one was needed, of the dangerous situations our emergency services face and the dedication and courage they display every day in order to keep us safe." Russia's response came as Home Secretary Amber Rudd visited Salisbury to meet with the emergency services on Friday. Speaking to reporters, she said that Mr Skripal and his daughter are still in a "very serious" condition following the "outrageous" nerve agent attack but that the police officer hurt was still "engaging and conversing". Amber Rudd: she visited the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent / REUTERS Ms Rudd did not reveal any further details about the substance, how it was deployed, or who used it. She will make a private visit to Salisbury District Hospital where the three are being treated this morning. Mr Skripal was found along with his daughter on a bench in The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury after police were called by a concerned member of the public at around 4.15pm on Sunday. The pair did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital where they remain in intensive care in a critical but stable condition. Police officers have spent the week securing a number of areas including Mr Skripal's home, the Zizzi restaurant on Castle Street and the Bishop's Mill pub in The Maltings. H ome Secretary Amber Rudd is to chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Saturday. The urgent meeting is to discuss updates on developments in the Salisbury nerve agent attack investigation, Downing Street has confirmed. It came after troops arrived in Salisbury as they were drafted in to provide assistance following the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. A military convoy, carrying bomb disposal experts, chemical warfare instructors and decontamination specialists, was seen driving to the entrance of the A&E unit at Salisbury District Hospital on Friday afternoon. UK troops are understood to have been deployed to remove a police car, which has been parked outside the A&E unit, behind a police cordon. It came as police in hazardous material (Hazmat) suits were pictured inspecting the graves of 66-year-old Mr Skripal's son at a cemetery in Salisbury. Drafted in: The troops will deal with decontaminating the area / Getty Images Up to 180 troops are believed to have been called in from the Royal Marines, RAF Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps and Royal Tank Regiment as well as from the Defence CBRN Centre and 29 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Group. The Met has said the units were called in because they had "the necessary capability and expertise". Troops assist at the scene of the suspected poisoning / Getty Images Meanwhile, police placed a blue forensic tent over the memorial of Mr Skripal's son Alexander in Salisbury's London Road cemetery. Fire officers in hazmat suits were seen pegging down the tent as firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews in regular uniforms stood nearby. The tent at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury over the memorial stone of Alexandr Skripal / PA Other officers in white suits and gas masks were seen packing items from the cemetery into a yellow barrel. A bystander told reporters of the military presence in the cathedral town: "It's mad." New pictures show Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal on CCTV days before falling critically ill Earlier on Friday, Amber Rudd visited the city centre and the hospital where Mr Skripal and Yulia, 33, remain after they were targeted in what she has called an "outrageous" chemical attack. The pair are still in a very serious condition in hospital. A police officer is also in a serious condition but is improving and talking to people. Up to 180 troops are arriving in Salisbury / Getty Images Police said 21 people had been seen for medical treatment since the incident, which includes members of the public and emergency staff. On Thursday, pictures emerged of Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who rushed to the aid of Mr Skripal and his daughter shortly after they fell ill at The Maltings shopping centre in the city centre at about 4pm on Sunday. As police paid tribute to the "amazingly courageous" officer they said he is now "stable and conscious" but still "very anxious" about having been exposed to the nerve agent. Russia has strongly denied involvement in what is being treated as attempted murder. Theresa May warned that there would be a "full spectrum" response over the nerve agent poisoning, however Russia branded her words nothing more than propaganda. T heresa May is lining up a full spectrum response to the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal as police confirmed the injury toll had climbed to 21. The Prime Minister told cabinet ministers to prepare options for a powerful response across military, diplomatic and economic fronts following the suspected assassination attempt in Salisbury. It comes detectives continued to probe whether Mr Skripal, who was struck down by a toxic substance along with his daughter Yulia on Sunday, was singled out for a hit sponsored by Vladimir Putin. The UK must overhaul its position on the potential Russia threat and fully realise the Kremlins attempts to debilitate the west, one senior minister told the Sun. Sergei Skripal: What we know so far The minister added: Putin doesnt dare attack the US, so he goes for us instead because of all the governments current troubles. It is crucial we are seen to stand up to that. If Russia is found to be behind the poisoning the UK government response would involve the immediate expulsion of senior Russian diplomats and boosting Britain's military deployments in Eastern Europe, according to reports. Russia has denied responsibility for the attack, which comes seven years after Mr Skripal was released from the country as part of a spy swap with the US. He had been convicted in his home country in 2006 for passing state secrets to MI6. Russian President Vladimir Putin / EPA Counter-terror police are trying to pin down the source of the chemical weapon used against the 66-year-old ex-spy and his daughter, 33. Both remain seriously ill in hospital following the murder bid. They were critically injured after coming in to contact with the substance, along with first responder Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is in a stable condition, authorities confirmed. Investigators next to a police tent outside the Mill pub at the Maltings in Salisbury / PA Wiltshire Police temporary Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said the officer was in a "serious, but stable, condition" and had since regained consciousness. As uncertainty lingered over their fate, police said a total of 21 people had been seen for medical treatment in the aftermath of the incident. The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. Home Secretary condemns Russian spy attack as 'brazen and reckless' DS Bailey, meanwhile, was praised as "well liked, well loved, a massively dedicated officer" as he continued to recover from the attack. He joined the force in 2002 and was commended in 2016 his work on a rape investigation. Mrs May echoed the sentiment, saying the events served as a "stark reminder" of the dangers faced by emergency staff. Mr Pritchard said in a statement: "I have visited Nick in hospital this afternoon and I can confirm that he is conscious, talking and engaging with people. Investigators wearing protective clothing continue to probe the nerve agent attack / Andrew Matthews/PA "He still remains in a serious, but stable, condition, but I am deeply relieved to have visited him and spoken with him in person." He added in an interview with Sky News: "Of course he's very anxious, he's very concerned. He did his very best on that night." Russian spy Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia were poisoned with nerve agent, Scotland Yard confirms It comes amid a flurry of activity in Salisbury, where police sealed off the gravestone of Mr Skripal's wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son, Alexander, who was cremated last year. They are located at separate sites in the London Road Cemetery, with each guarded by a police officer. Hundreds of investigators, led by counter-terror police, are working to find out who is responsible for what is feared to be a sophisticated plot amid heightened tensions between Britain and Russia. Yulia: The 33-year-old is in critical condition after the suspected assassination attempt / Facebook On Thursday night, an eyewitness said police had been searching a car at a vehicle recovery centre close to the Russian victim's home earlier that day. He described seeing around 10 people in hazmat suits looking at the vehicle, which was said to be a Mercedes people-carrier. T he value of Bitcoin tumbled this week as American legislators sought to crack down on digital currencies. The cryptocurrency's price tanked to 7,224 on Friday amid fears new laws passed in New York could heavily impact the future of Bitcoin trading. Regulatory bodies have warned first-time traders, and the sites facilitating first-time buyers, will be forced to register with the US government. Meanwhile, a New York judge ruled on Wednesday that cryptocurrencies are 'commodities', which could have long-term implications for investors down the line. Finance expert Bob Pisani told CNBC News: "Cryptocurrencies have seen more fallouts today for fears of regulations. Bitcoin has now fallen 80 per cent over the last two day as watchdogs waive in the digital currency space." The developments coincided with fellow cryptocurrency Ripple's decline to a value of 55p, have reached highs of over a dollar only a week earlier. Bitcoin suffered a major setback earlier this year when South Korea banned the trading of the cryptocurrency at the end of January, while a number of Indian banks froze traders' accounts. D igital clocks across Europe are running six minutes slow due to a political disagreement between Serbia and Kosovo. The time lag is due to a slight decrease in the electric frequency average on the continents electricity grid. The dispute between Serbia and Kosovo is causing a small amount of energy to be taken from the grid having a knock on effect across Europes 25-nation synchronized high voltage power network. It is affecting bedside clocks, central heating timers and oven clocks but not computers and smartphones. Countries from Spain to Turkey and Poland to the Netherlands are among those impacted. John Hyphen who works in communications for an environment NGO described why the clocks were slowing down in series of tweets. He explained that the electric clocks were slowing down because they rely on the frequency of the electricity grid to keep time. Claire Camus, a spokeswoman for the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity told the Standard: The European Continental Grid is interconnected and operates synchronously at an average frequency of 50 Hz. To keep this average frequency and indeed security of supply, each transmissions system operator must balance supply and demand in its control area. If there is an imbalance in one system the frequency of the whole network is affected. The continental grid has lost 113 GWH of energy since January due to Kosovo using more electricity than it generates. Serbia which is responsible for balancing Kosovos grid has failed to do so. This loss of energy has impacted Europes standard frequency which has effected electric clocks which keep time by the power systems frequency rather than quartz systems. The ENTSO-E has urged European authorities and national governments to address the political problem at the crux of the issue. It said: The political disagreements opposing the Serbian and Kosovar authorities have led to the observed electricity impact. If no solution can be found at political level, a deviation risk could remain. Since the war in Kosovo ended in 1999, the Serb-dominated north of Kosovo that remains loyal to Belgrade has not paid the Kosovo government for the energy it consumes. In 2015, an agreement was made to resolve the dispute but it was unable to be implemented as Serbia blocked it. Serbias power operator, EMS,told the Guardian that the problem lied with Kosovo. It claimed that in January and February the country was withdrawing, in an unauthorised manner, uncontracted electric energy from the continental Europe synchronous area. D onald Trump is set for talks with Kim Jong Un within weeks in what would be an unprecedented first meeting between a US President and a North Korean leader. The President accepted an invitation for the encounter after Pyongyang offered to suspend nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The announcement was made at the White House by South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," said Mr Chung. "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. Trump to Kim: My nuclear button is bigger than yours "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation." Briefing: South Koreas national security director Chung Eui-yong speaks to Donald Trump / REUTERS Mr Trump later confirmed that the arrangements for the meeting were being planned, but said the US will continue to put pressure on Pyongyang. "He tweeted: "Kim Jong Un talked about de-nuclearisation with the South Korean representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" South Korean officials had passed on the verbal invitation to the White House on Thursday, having met Kim earlier this week. After months of hostile rhetoric between Kim and Mr Trump, the announcement of a meeting was hailed as a "milestone for peace" by South Korea's President Moon Jae-in. Talks: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (L) shaking hands with South Korean chief delegator Chung Eui-yong during a recent meeting / AFP/Getty Images "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet following an inter-Korean summit, complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula will be put on the right track in earnest," he said. But analysts warned of the need for caution ahead of the meeting. Evan Medeiros, the former Asia director at the US National Security Council under Barack Obama said Mr Trump was wrong to accept the invitation. North Korea Military - In pictures 1 /33 North Korea Military - In pictures The fourth tunnel of North Korea's nuclear test site is blown up in Punggye-ri, North Korea AP AP News1 via Getty Images Reuters EPA EPA News1 via Getty Images Reuters AP EPA News1 via Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees a target-striking contest of the special operation forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Reuters An intermediate range Hwasong-12 missile launched by North Korea earlier this year AP Missiles are driven past a stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other high ranking officials during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of North Korea's founding father, Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang Reuters A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army Reuters Commandoes march across the Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides a target-striking contest of the special operation forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Reuters A test launch of a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile AP A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile AP Soldiers on tanks parade across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes the test-fire of the country's Hwasong-15 long-range ballistic missile North Korea tested ballistic missiles such as the Hwasong-14 last year AP North Korean soldiers salute while the national anthem is played during a military parade AP University students carry the national flag and two bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting soldiers AP Navy personnel sit in front of a submarine-launched ballistic missile during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claps with military officers at the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Reuters Women in uniform march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP Rockets being launched by Korean People's Army (KPA) personnel during a target strike exercise at an undisclosed location in North Korea AFP/Getty Images Soldiers shout as they march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP Special operation forces personnel of the Korean People's Army (KPA) conducting a target strike exercise in North Korea AFP/Getty Images North Korean soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army AFP/Getty Images He said: "This move is vanity over strategy. "It validates and advances Kims goal of being recognised as a de facto nuclear state. You dont give away a presidential meeting for nothing. What did we get for this? Nothing. But South Korean officials had said they had won concessions from the North, including clearance to continue previously-delayed large-scale joint military exercises involving the South and the US. Loading.... Daniel Russel, who until last April was the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, a senior US diplomatic position, said: "Remember that (North Korea) has for many years proposed that the president of the United States personally engage with North Koreas leaders as an equal - one nuclear power to another. "What is new isnt the proposal, its the response. Navy vessels moored in port at the US Naval Base Guam / REUTERS He added: "There is plenty of reason to be cautious, given their track record. Second, let's read the fine print. The North has made peace overtures in the past that did not hold up under scrutiny." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country would "keep putting maximum pressure until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation". D onald Trump was corrected by a steelworker after the US President assumed his father was dead in an embarrassing gaffe. The US president told steelworker Scott Sauritch that his father would be looking down with pride before he quickly quipped back: "He's still alive." Mr Sauritch, president of the United Steelworkers Union, was speaking at an event hosted by the US president on Thursday, in which he told reporters his father had lost his job in the steel industry. Mr Trump's gaffe came as Mr Sauritch stepped off-stage, saying: "Your father, Herman, is looking down. He's very proud of you right now." Blunder: Donald Trump assumed Scott Sauritch's father was dead / AP Mr Sauritch, looking confused, replied: "Oh, he's still alive," to roars of laughter from the audience. Mr Trump responded: "Oh, he is?" Covering his mouth, he said: "Well then he's even more proud of you." The misunderstanding took place at a press conference designed to outline the president's new tariffs on imported steel and aluminium. Donald Trump stands firm on tough trade tariffs The tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium temporarily exempt the country's "real friends" Mexico and Canada. Mr Trump faced a global backlash when he announced the tariffs earlier this month. EU leaders warned the US may face "retaliatory action" while Australia's trade minister Steven Ciobo said the tariffs would distort global trade and ultimately cost jobs. He said: "My concern remains that on the back of actions like this we could see retaliatory measures that are put in place by other major economies. That is in no-one's interest." U S President Donald Trump will only meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if the state shows concrete actions to end its nuclear weapons programme. "The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Mr Trump later tweeted that the arrangements for the meeting were being planned, but added the US will continue to put pressure on Pyongyang. On Friday, Ms Sanders confirmed Mr Trump agreed to the meeting as the nation had promised to denuclearise. Responding to a query as to why the president had confirmed talks without preconditions, the White House spokeswoman said: Theyve promised to stop nuclear missile testing and theyve recognised that we are going to continue in our military exercises. She added: "Let's be very clear: The United States has made zero concessions. But North Korea has made some promises, and again, this meeting won't take place without concrete actions that match the promises that have been made by North Korea. The unprecedented announcement that the pair would meet within weeks was revealed at the White House by South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong. North Korea Military - In pictures 1 /33 North Korea Military - In pictures The fourth tunnel of North Korea's nuclear test site is blown up in Punggye-ri, North Korea AP AP News1 via Getty Images Reuters EPA EPA News1 via Getty Images Reuters AP EPA News1 via Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees a target-striking contest of the special operation forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Reuters An intermediate range Hwasong-12 missile launched by North Korea earlier this year AP Missiles are driven past a stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other high ranking officials during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of North Korea's founding father, Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang Reuters A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army Reuters Commandoes march across the Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides a target-striking contest of the special operation forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Reuters A test launch of a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile AP A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile AP Soldiers on tanks parade across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes the test-fire of the country's Hwasong-15 long-range ballistic missile North Korea tested ballistic missiles such as the Hwasong-14 last year AP North Korean soldiers salute while the national anthem is played during a military parade AP University students carry the national flag and two bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting soldiers AP Navy personnel sit in front of a submarine-launched ballistic missile during a military parade AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claps with military officers at the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA) Reuters Women in uniform march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP Rockets being launched by Korean People's Army (KPA) personnel during a target strike exercise at an undisclosed location in North Korea AFP/Getty Images Soldiers shout as they march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade AP Special operation forces personnel of the Korean People's Army (KPA) conducting a target strike exercise in North Korea AFP/Getty Images North Korean soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army AFP/Getty Images "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," said Mr Chung. "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation." The president later wrote on Twitter: Kim Jong Un talked about de-nuclearisation with the South Korean representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" World leaders welcomed prospects for a possible thaw in the long standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. The leaders are set to meet within weeks / AFP/Getty Images South Koreas President Moon Jae-In hailed the announcement of the meeting as a milestone for peace. "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet following an inter-Korean summit, complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula will be put on the right track in earnest," he said. President Xi Jinping told Mr Trump in a phone call on Friday that he appreciates his desire to resolve the North Korea issue politically, Chinese state media said. Xi "hopes the United States and North Korea start contacts and dialogue as soon as possible and strive to reach positive results, the report added. White House press secretary Sarah takes questions during a briefing in Washington / REUTERS Neutral Switzerland, which often hosts summits, said it was ready to facilitate the meeting, Reuters reports. The White House spokeswoman was also hit by questions relating to Stormy Daniels during Fridays briefing. The former adult film star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has alleged she had an affair with Donald Trump. But Ms Sanders refused to answer queries, saying: Weve addressed this extensively and I dont have anything else to add. A doll of late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo made by the manufacturers of Barbie has sparked a row. Toy-maker Mattel is in dispute with a distant relative of Kahlo over the rights to the doll, released as part of the company's Inspiring Women series. Kahlo's great-niece Mara de Anda Romeo said Mattel does not have the rights to use the artist's image. Pablo Sangri, a lawyer for Ms de Anda Romeo, said his client is not seeking money but wants Mattel to talk about redesigning the doll. Critics have complained that the doll does not reflect Kahlo's heavy, nearly conjoined eyebrows, and they say its costume does not accurately portray the elaborate Tehuana-style dresses the artist wore. "We will talk to them about regularising this situation, and by regularising I mean talking about the appearance of the doll, its characteristics, the history the doll should have to match what the artist really was," Mr Sangri said. An image of how the dolls look / Barbie via AP Barbie is a famous American brand that has often been criticised for promoting an unrealistic body image and consumerist lifestyle. Kahlo was a life-long communist who died in 1954 before the doll was introduced. Mattel said in a statement that it worked with the Panama-based Frida Kahlo Corp "which owns all the rights". "The Frida Kahlo Corporation actively participated in the process of designing the doll, Mattel has its permission and a legal contract that grants it the rights to make a doll of the great Frida Kahlo," the company's statement said. The face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un is an extremely high-risk enterprise. Failure could invite catastrophe. The North Korean regime appears to have been preparing this for months, which seems to have taken the White House by surprise. There is no US ambassador to North Korea in post and Americas apparent lack of preparation for talks is a concern. The first signs of a move towards talks came in Kims new year speech when he offered to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea. This was followed by a charm offensive at the Games and an exchange of envoys and goodwill visits. Not enough has been said for the skill of South Korean president Moon Jae-in, who has seized the opportunity very quickly. After the nuclear warhead tests of Kim Jong-uns brief reign, and the weaponised rhetoric between him and Trump last year, the move to talks might seem baffling. We know that Kims team want to talk about denuclearisation. This does not suggest a mere freeze. Most likely, they are looking for nuclear weapons to be removed from the Korean peninsula altogether. Coupled to this, Pyongyang seems to be asking for a reduction and possible removal of the bulk of US forces stationed in South Korea. Kim will also want guarantees of his own survival. The big prize is a peace treaty for the Korean War, which came to an uneasy ceasefire 65 years ago. China will have a vital background role in the talks and Russia comes into the equation as well. Meetings between big leaders are risky, especially when volatile personalities are involved. But if this is to lead to real peace, the Trump-Kim schmooze can only be the first step in a long and difficult process. C olin Firths wife has admitted to having a fling with a childhood friend she now accuses of stalking her. Film producer Livia Giuggioli, who has been married to actor Colin since 1997, fired up a police investigation amid claims that journalist Marco Brancaccia had harassed her with a frightening stream of messages. On Thursday evening the 48-year-old Italian revealed she had previously shared a relationship with Brancaccia whilst being briefly separated from Firth. Ms Giuggioli claimed that her former flame had begun sending her threatening texts and calls after she reconciled with the British actor. Pair: The American actor and his film producer wife / Dave Benett Mr Brancaccia, 55, slammed the claims and told The Times that the accusations had been made up in an attempt to cover up the pairs affair which allegedly took place between 2015 and 2016. A spokesperson for the couple said: A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited. TODO: define component type brightcove "Subsequently, Mr Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public. Details of the police interest first appeared in Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The publication reported that Mr Giuggioli said the stalking had sparked from Ms Brancaccias inability to accept being cut out of her life. He is also accused of threatening to write compromising articles about the couple before emailing photographs to the Kingsman actor, which prompted him to alert Italian prosecutors. Married: Firth and his wife wed in 1997 / Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images Mr Brancaccia, who works as a journalist for the Italian news agency Ansa, said the stalking allegations were false. He said: We were romantically involved. She wanted to leave Colin for me. [Their] marriage had been over for years. My stalking consisted of two messages via [the messaging service] WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email. M ark Hamill reunited with Harrison Ford and paid tribute to the late Carrie Fisher as he received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star. The Luke Skywalker actor was presented with a star outside El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in a ceremony on Thursday. Co-star Ford joined Hamill for the prestigious event and celebrated him as a master of his own experience. The 75-year-old also took a moment to remember Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the film franchise, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 60. Carrie Fisher remembered as Mark Hamill receives Walk of Fame star Ford said: When thinking about today I was really sorry we dont have the other member of our trio here to celebrate with us. But I feel her presence, he added to loud applause from the crowd. Iconic: Carrie Fisher, who played the role of Princess Leia, passed away in 2016 / PA Addressing the audience, which included Star Wars creator George Lucas, Hamill said: Its hard to convey my gratitude, my joy, the exhilaration of being recognised this way. I havent been this speechless since Force Awakens, he joked before thanking Ford was his advice years earlier telling him not to get cocky. R ose Byrne says she is nervous about how British cinemagoers will react to her depiction of Beatrix Potter in the new Peter Rabbit film. The Australian actress, 38, plays a character called Bea, an artist who is loosely based on the author of the tales and acts as a mother figure to Peter in the live action animation. She stars opposite Domhnall Gleeson, who plays the nephew of the fearsome Mr McGregor. James Corden voices Peter. Byrne told the Standard: Shes such a beloved figure. I was most nervous about the British reception because shes such a national treasure here, so that was the most intimidating thing. I just wanted to honour that and make sure everybody was happy. Peter Rabbit - Trailer 2 I was one of those little kids who just loved her and was completely transported by her magical world and her intense imagination. I even had a pet rabbit, I was very into it. Byrne, who rose to fame in American films including Bridesmaids and the X-Men franchise, said it was important to her to get the English accent right: Shes such an iconic, legendary figure so I just wanted to capture that spirit and so I wanted to make sure I did a convincing job. Beatrix Potter: Rose Byrne stars in the upcoming Peter Rabbit film (Getty Images ) / Getty Images The supporting cast of voice actors includes Margot Robbie, Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki, but Byrne did not get to meet them until after filming. There were some fantastic people voicing some of the rabbits but it was very separate, she said. I got to spend time with Margot and Elizabeth Debicki and Corden when we were doing the press, which was really fun. She added that acting opposite characters she could not see made her feel like a child again. Its like returning to your childhood, performing these stories with imaginary people around, she said. It could get a little tedious some days but you figure it out. Its just a different type of scene. Will Gluck is a really great director, he was really high-energy and moved things really fast. You kind of need this on this type of shoot, moving things on and not letting things get stale and old. H ugh Grant has welcomed his fifth child his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley reveals that fatherhood has changed him. The 57-year-old English actor and 35 year-old girlfriend Anna Eberstein had their child last week. Bridget Jones Diary actor Grant has had all of his children after the age of 50. Hurley appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, she was quizzed on whether she was surprised by the amount of children her former flame had. Split: Hurley and Grant ended their relationship after 13 years in 2000 / Getty Images She replied: He had another one last week. He has five. He was over 50 when he spawned them all." He's an enchanting dad. Really, really sweet. Having these kids has transformed him from a very miserable person into a fairly miserable person. It's an improvement. He's gone up the scale. The newborn child is Grants third child with Swedish TV producer Eberstein. Not-so-miserable: Hurley has told how Grant is 'less miserable' since becoming a father / AFP/Getty Images He also has two children with ex-girlfriend Tinglan Hong as well as being godfather to Hurleys son. Grant and Hurley split in 2000 after 13 years together and still boast their close friendship. The actor recently described the pairs relationship as that of a brother and sister. He said: Were like brother and sister... I think its partly because we went from zero to somewhere together. J ason Gardiner has hit back at accusations of bullying during a heated interview on Good Morning Britain. The Dancing on Ice judge was accused of being cruel and evil by hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard. Why are you so direct if you don't like the word cruel? So you know what its like to be picked on, how do you look at those comments and think thats different? asked Garraway. Gardiner branded the question controversial, responding: "Actually what youre saying is that Im picking on people and that youre likening what I do to bullying. But Garraway wasnt deterred saying, Well some people might look at it and think that but youve obviously decided its not in your head so perhaps explain it to us. A visibly annoyed Gardiner commented, Really? Thats interesting. Im there to give a critique based on my expertise and I have 10 seconds to make a point. Now if I was to sit there and spout technical jargon, its lost on the contestant and its lost on the viewer. Dancing On Ice 2018- In pictures 1 /17 Dancing On Ice 2018- In pictures Lemar Obika, Cheryl Baker, Kem Cetinay, Brooke Vincent, Alex Beresford, Stephanie Waring, Antony Cotton, Donna Air, Jake Quickenden, Perri Shakes-Drayton, Max Evans and Candice Brown. ITV Max Evans. ITV Antony Cotton and Brandee Malto. ITV Brandee Malto. ITV Alex Murphy and Kem Cetinay. ITV Alex Murphy. ITV Kem Cetinay. ITV Candice Brown and Matt Evers. ITV Matt Evers. ITV Candice Brown. ITV Alex Beresford and Brianne Delcourt. ITV Cheryl Baker and Dan Whiston. ITV Dan Whiston. ITV Cheryl Baker. ITV Donna Air and Mark Hanretty. ITV Mark Hanretty. ITV Donna Air. ITV Choreographer Gardiner is one of Dancing on Ices most controversial judges, known for being tricky to please. He returns to the skating shows panel for this weekends final, which sees former rugby player Max Evans, reality star Jake Quickenden and Coronation Street actress Brooke Vincent battle it out for the top prize. E merging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the blockchain, are making their way into the mainstream and have the capacity to transform lives. This is according to a new report by the Nominet Trust, the UKs leading social tech investor, named Transforming Lives with Tech: A Global Conversation. Now in its 10th year, the Nominet Trust has invested more than 31 million in ventures driving social change. The report is looking back at the past five years of NT100, the trusts annual campaign focusing on social tech around the world. Based on analysis of 400 of these social tech projects, it investigates what it takes for a social tech venture to achieve impact at scale. As a result, the Nominet Trust pinpointed the top social tech trends it will be focusing on for 2018. Vicki Hearn, director of Nominet Trust, said: We firmly believe that when social needs are baked into the very early stages of tech development, the transformational effect on peoples lives is multiplied. During the five years weve been curating the NT100, weve amassed a rich bank of knowledge which were sharing to help accelerate the growth of socially-motivated tech around the globe. The five social tech trends for 2018 1. Blockchain The Trust believes that the blockchain, the decentralised ledger technology which underpins bitcoin, has the capacity to bring inclusion to billions. New socially motivated ventures are beginning to harness the potential to improve financial systems. For instance, an initiative named Alice is using blockchain to restore trust in charitable giving and is helping homeless people get off the streets of London. As well, BanQu is using the technology to give refugees a secure and verified ID, tracking things such as their transaction history and educational qualifications. 2. Artificial intelligence We may forget that AI is already part of our daily lives, from the iPhone X Face ID to a simple Google search. Yet the technology is breaking ground in services such as healthcare and education. In healthcare, AI is being used by the company Zebra to scan medical images to detect cancerous cells, with 91 per cent accuracy. In addition, WYSA has created an AI-enabled chatbot app to provide advice for people experiencing mental health conditions on things like cognitive behavioural therapy. AI is breaking ground in services such as healthcare and education / Alamy Stock Photo 3. Bionics Bionics, as well as things like bio-electronics, are starting to gain traction. The Nominet Trust thinks developments in this space will continue this year in order to deepen their impact. One company BrainGate, has developed pill-sized electrode implants that respond to thoughts. It hopes to use these to restore a level of independence to people affected by paralysis. Another one to take note of is the Smart Lens Program from Verily Life Sciences, which is working on a contact lens that measures glucose in tear fluid. This could create a non-invasive solution to monitor diabetes. 4. Immersive tech This year is the year we could see immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) make a move from gaming into other areas. AR, in particular, is having an impact in hospitals through initiatives like the Patients Virtual Guide. Its an AR app that guides children through the hospital environment before theyre admitted as patients, intended to ease stress and anxiety, as well as improving outcomes. Virtual reality and augmented reality are being used in hospital settings to ease patients' stress / Adam Berry/Getty 5. Autonomous vehicles Autonomous vehicles dont just mean driverless cars. Theres the Zanzibar Mapping Initiative, a partnership between the World Bank and Zanzibar's state university, that is using drones to capture aerial images and topography of the island, to help monitor and respond to floods and diseases. Four months since Tanzanian actress Elizabeth Lulu Kimemeta Michael was imprisoned, her boyfriend Majey aka Majizzo has broken his silence. The popular actress, famously known in Kenya as Bahatis crush, was last November sentenced to two years in prison for the death of Bongo Movie Star Steven Kanumba, with whom she was reportedly in a romantic relationship with. While many celebrities and fans took to social media to condole Lulu, Majizzo opted to stay low-key much to the chagrin of Elizabeths fans who dubbed him heartless. He has finally spoken up, taking to social media yesterday to remember his strong beau on International Womens Day. Majizzo wrote: In life, all people may probably be necessary. Very useful if everything goes right or wrong. You are very important because you can be strong in all situations. Happy Womens Day #utakujaisomaOneday Majizzo is a media owner in Tanzania who owns Bongo radio station EFM and TV-E. He is also Hamisa Mobettos baby daddy. 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We will soon see. His announcement this week that he is willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for direct talks is stunningly good news. The next few weeks will be make-or-break for a historic peace settlement to the decades-old Korean conflict. Washingtons next moves and words are crucial. Kim made the offer in a letter to Trump conveyed by a South Korean delegation to Washington DC. Trump has responded positively, and a possible meeting is to take place in May. That would be the first time a sitting American president has ever met a North Korean leader. Trump must forgo the temptation for macho posturing, and summon the maturity to act responsibly in the interests of regional and indeed world peace. Washington bears a heavy responsibility for the conflict that has racked the Korean Peninsula since the 1950-53 civil war, in which the US backed its South Korean ally against the Communist North. It is futile for American leaders to point the finger at Pyongyang as a rogue state while denying Washingtons own baleful role in the legacy of conflict and insecurity. The quickening pace of inter-Korean peace diplomacy is a much welcome change from the war rhetoric that was endangering world security only a few months ago. This week it was reported that the North and South Korean leaders are ready to meet next month in what would be the biggest dialogue event in more than a decade for the Peninsula. Now President Trump has also agreed to talks with North Koreas Kim. North Koreas reported willingness this week to freeze its nuclear weapons program is ground-breaking. It should be reciprocated by Washington moving, at long last, to sign an armistice to definitively end the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea has long maintained, with sound reason, that its nuclear weapons program has been impelled by the existential fear of a US-led war being thrust on it. Given the horrendous devastation inflicted on the people of North Korea during the 1950-53 war in which millions died from American aerial bombing campaigns, it is incumbent on Washington to commit to a full peace treaty to finally and formally end that war. Why not? If, however, Washington insists on unilateral North Korean disarmament then the prospect for a peaceful settlement is doomed. It is counterproductive to look back at past failed negotiations with recrimination about one side or the other reneging on obligations. Surely, the imperative of the present hour is to seize the opportunity for peace by both sides making a mutual commitment to resolving grievances through solely peaceful means. This is the diplomatic process which Russia and China have been urging all sides to embrace. North and South Korean leaders have stepped up to the plate and shown an admirable willingness to engage in earnest dialogue. Since the beginning of this year, North and South Korean delegates have held several rounds of sincere talks to find a way forward for the security and peace of all the Korean people who share the one Peninsular homeland. The results have been promising and underscore the vital need for mutual engagement. It is evident from the respective leaderships in Pyongyang and Seoul that the people of Korea, North and South, yearn for a peaceful coexistence. What the Trump administration needs to do is listen to the wishes of the Korean people. Washingtons bellicose rhetoric towards North Korea must be somehow replaced with humility to genuinely resolve the Korean conflict a conflict which Washington is a protagonist in. These are far from unreasonable demands on Washington, as several former American diplomats and leaders such as President Jimmy Carter have recognized and endorsed. Washington is insisting on imposing new punitive sanctions on Pyongyang, as well as carrying out forthcoming military exercises which have continually offended North Koreas national pride and security. Washington is acting like the master of the situation issuing ultimatums instead of pursing diplomacy. There is a pragmatic way forward to achieve a peaceful resolution over Korea. Russia and China must prevail on the US to meet its international obligations of peaceful diplomacy. Is Washington a law-abiding peaceful state, as it so often claims to be, or is it a rogue state that sees itself above the law and international moral consensus? A moment of truth is at hand. The stability of the unbreakable alliance between North America and its European allies has become a kind of mantra that is repeated in each and every public speech delivered by a high-ranking US, NATO, or EU official. Together we can do anything, they claim, emphasizing the need to strengthen the Western unity they so celebrate. Sounds great, but does this much-vaunted unity exist? President Donald Trump announced on March 1 that he would impose stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to protect American manufacturers. The move would deal a heavy blow to the EUs alliance with America. There is the risk of retaliation from major US trade partners like Europe, China, and neighboring Canada that would hurt US carmakers. The warnings have already been issued. Brussels is already preparing a list of $3.5 (2.8) billion worth of US goods, such as Harley Davidson motorcyles, that would then be subject to a 25% tariff imposed by Europe. This would breach no agreement the planned measures would comply with WTO rules. So, a tit-for-tat trade war is brewing that will turn these Western allies into belligerents. Some commentators compare this new American policy to Brexit. Meanwhile, Washington has been engaged in a futile dispute with Canada, a NATO ally, as well as Mexico, over amendments to the North American Free Trade Agreement. America has reason to be concerned about Europes defense plans, especially the program known PESCO, which may diminish NATOs role. It is viewed as a protectionist vehicle for the EU. US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison openly expressed concern about the program at last months annual security conference in Munich, which revealed the widening rift between America and the EU over the independent military might of Europe. Germany and France said the EU should not be dependent on a NATO that is dominated by the US. The idea of creating an independent EU defense force has been backed by Germanys new coalition government. The plans are to be implemented in partnership with France. European influence worldwide could grow at the expense of the US. The US has reason to worry, because PESCO and the creation of an EU defense fund could potentially lead to joint purchases of European defense products, which would hurt American arms exports. This is a serious bone of contention. The disagreements will probably escalate. Its really hard to see how these diverging interests could be aligned. Last May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe can no longer rely on the US and the UK. It needs to build its own future independently. The US and the EU have opposing views on Iran. It has become clear that Washington is close to tearing up its nuclear deal but Europe wants to keep it intact. This is a very serious rift. The US insists the deal should be renegotiated or nullified if changes are not accepted by Tehran. The EU is standing firm and rejecting the idea. If the US walks away from the Iran deal and Europe does not, which is a very likely scenario, the West as we know it today will find itself deeply divided over a major international issue. This brings to mind the split between NATO allies before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, with Germany and France in open opposition to the adamant American and British plan to unleash war. This time itll be worse because Europe has significant economic interests in Iran. Europeans are well aware that whatever Washington says or does, that nuclear deal will remain in effect, due to the fact that any changes require the consent of the other signatories: Russia, China, and Iran. The EU is far from being united. The bloc is torn apart by divisions of all kinds. Those are going to be exacerbated as a result of the Italian election held on March 5, in which populist parties scored big. The Visegrad V4 group, which is sticking to its guns on immigration and other issues, is just one of the alliances within the alliance. The popular concept of a multi-speed EU will certainly drive the last nail into the coffin of European unity. There are so many smoldering conflicts dividing the West and they are close to breaking through to the surface. The unity of the West is a myth. It is about to break apart and thus alter the global political landscape. The anti-Russian policy has failed to unite the countries of the West and makes no sense, given the deep divisions undermining them. It would be wiser to concentrate on the burning problems challenging the Wests very existence, rather than inventing enemies. The West vs. Russia paradigm is no longer viable. This confrontation is at odds with the Wests own interests and is a distraction from the real issues that need to be urgently addressed. This would be an opportune time to recognize this new reality. Canada has a reputation for being a relatively progressive state with universal, single-payer health care, various other social benefits, and strict gun laws, similar to many European countries but quite unlike the United States. It has managed to stay out of some American wars, for example, Vietnam and Iraq, portrayed itself as a neutral peace keeper, pursuing a so-called policy of multilateralism and attempting from time to time to keep a little independent distance from the United States. Behind this veneer of respectability lies a not so attractive reality of elite inattention to the defence of Canadian independence from the United States and intolerance toward the political and syndicalist left. Police repression against communist and left-wing unionists and other dissidents after World War I was widespread. Strong support for appeasement of Nazi Germany, overt or covert sympathy for fascism, especially in Quebec, and hatred of the Soviet Union were widespread in Canada during the 1930s. The Liberal prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, hobnobbed with Nazi notables including Adolf Hitler, and thought that his British counterpart Neville Chamberlain had not gone far enough in appeasing Hitlerite Germany. Mackenzie King and many others of the Canadian elite saw communism as a greater threat to Canada than fascism. As in Europe, the Canadian eliteLiberal or Conservative did not matterwas worried by the Spanish civil war (1936-1939). In Quebec French public opinion under the influence of the Catholic Church hoped for fascist victory and the eradication of communism. In 1937 a Papal encyclical whipped up the Red Scare amongst French Canadian Catholics. Rejection of Soviet offers of collective security against Hitler was the obverse side of appeasement. The fear of victory over Nazi Germany in alliance with the USSR was greater than the fear of defeat against fascism. Such thoughts were either openly expressed over dinner at the local gentlemans club or kept more discrete by people who did not want to reveal the extent of their sympathy for fascism. The Liberal prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, hobnobbed with Nazi notables including Adolf Hitler, and thought that his British counterpart Neville Chamberlain had not gone far enough in appeasing Hitlerite Germany Even after the Nazi invasion of the USSR in June 1941, and the formation of the Grand Alliance against the Axis, there was strong reticence amongst the governing elite in Canada toward the Soviet Union. It was a shotgun marriage, a momentary arrangement with an undesirable partner, necessitated by the over-riding threat of the Nazi Wehrmacht. If Hitler invaded Hell, Winston Churchill famously remarked, I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons. Once Hitler was beaten, however, it would be back to business as usual. The Grand Alliance was a truce, as some of my students have proposed to me, in a longer cold war between the west and the USSR. This struggle began in November 1917 when the Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd; it resumed after 1945 when the truce, or if you like, the Grand Alliance, came to a sudden end. This was no more evident than in Canada where elite hatred of communism was a homegrown commodity and not simply an American imitation. So it should hardly be a surprise that after 1945 the Canadian governmentMackenzie King was still prime ministershould open its doors to the immigration of approximately 34,000 displaced persons, including thousands of Ukrainian fascists and Nazi collaborators, responsible for heinous war crimes in the Ukraine and Poland. These were veterans of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the Waffen SS Galicia and the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), all collaborators of Nazi Germany during World War II. Chrystia Freeland, the current Canadian minister for external affairs The most notorious of the Nazi collaborators who immigrated to Canada was Mykhailo Chomiak, a mid-level Nazi operative in Poland, who came under US protection at the end of the war and eventually made his way to Canada where he settled in Alberta. Had he been captured by the Red Army, he would quite likely have been hanged for collaboration with the enemy. In Canada however he prospered as a farmer. His grand-daughter is the Ukrainian-Canadian Chrystia Freeland, the present minister for external affairs. She is a well-known Russophobe, persona non grata in the Russian Federation, who long claimed her grandfather was a victim of World War II. Her claims to this effect have been demonstrated to be untrue by the Australian born journalist John Helmer, amongst many others. In 1940 the Liberal government facilitated the creation of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress (UCC), one of many organisations used to fight or marginalise the left in Canada, in this case amongst Canadian Ukrainians. The UCC is still around and appears to dominate the Ukrainian-Canadian community. Approximately 1.4 million people living in Canada claim full or partial Ukrainian descent though generally the latter. Most Ukrainian-Canadians were born in Canada; well more than half live in the western provinces. The vast majority has certainly never set foot in the Ukraine. It is this constituency on which the UCC depends to pursue its political agenda in Ottawa. The Canadian Ukrainian Congress (UCC) president Paul Grod After the coup detat in Kiev in February 2014 the UCC lobbied the then Conservative government under Stephen Harper to support the Ukrainian regime change operation which had been conducted by the United States and European Union. The UCC president, Paul Grod, took the lead in obtaining various advantages from the Harper government, including arms for the putschist regime in Kiev. It survives only through massive EU and US direct or indirect financial/political support and through armed backing from fascist militias who repress dissent by force and intimidation. Mr. Grod claims that Russia is pursuing a policy of aggression against the Ukraine. If that were true, the putschists in Kiev would have long ago disappeared. The Harper government allowed fund raising for Pravyi Sektor, a Ukrainian fascist paramilitary group, through two organisations in Canada including the UCC, and even accorded charitable status to one of them to facilitate their fund raising and arms buying. Harper also sent military advisors to train Ukrainian forces, the backbone of which are fascist militias. The Trudeau government has continued that policy. Canada should prepare for Russian attempts to destabilize its democracy, according to Minister Freeland: Ukraine is a very important partner to Canada and we will continue to support its efforts for democracy and economic growth. For a regime that celebrates violence and anti-Russian racism, represses political opposition, burns books, and outlaws the Russian language, democracy is an Orwellian portrayal of actual realities in the Ukraine. Nevertheless, late last year the Canadian government approved the sale of arms to Kiev and a so-called Magnitsky law imposing sanctions on Russian nationals. The Harper government allowed fund raising for Pravyi Sektor, a Ukrainian fascist paramilitary group There is no political opposition in the House of Commons to these policies. Even the New Democratic Party (NDP), that burnt out shell of Canadian social democracy, supported the Harper government, at the behest of Mr. Grod, a Ukrainian lobbyist who knows his way around Ottawa. In 2015 the UCC put a list of questions to party leaders, one of which was the following: Does your party support listing the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic as terrorist organizations? The Lugansk and Donetsk republics are of course anti-fascist resistance movements that emerged in reaction to the violent coup detat in Kiev. They are most certainly not terrorist organisations, although they are subjected to daily bombardments against civilian areas by Kiev putschist forces. Nevertheless, the then NDP leader, Thomas Mulcair, who would have agreed to almost anything to win power, answered in the affirmative. This must have been a moment of dismay for Canadians who still harboured illusions about the NDP as a progressive alternative to the Liberal and Conservative parties. How could it support a US/EU installed putschist regime which governs by intimidation and violence? In fact, it was a Conservative electoral strategy to obtain the votes of people of Ukrainian and East European descent by backing putschist Kiev and denouncing Russia. Mulcair was trying to outflank Harper on his right, but that did not work for he himself was outflanked on his left. Some Canadians harboured illusions about the NDP as a progressive alternative to the Liberal and Conservative parties In the 2015 federal elections the Liberals under Justin Trudeau, outwitted poor Mr. Mulcair and won the elections. The NDP suffered heavy electoral losses. Mulcair looked like someone who had made a Faustian bargain for nothing in return, and he lost a bid to remain as party leader. The Liberals campaigned on re-establishing better relations with the Russian Federation, but that promise did not hold up. The minister for external affairs, Stephane Dion, tried to move forward on that line, but appears to have been stabbed in the back by Mr. Trudeau, with Ms. Freeland guiding his hand in the fatal blow. In early 2017 Dion was sacked and Freeland replaced him. That was the end of the Liberal promise to improve relations with the Russian government. Since then, under Freeland, Russian-Canadian relations have worsened. The influential Mr. Grod appears to keep the Canadian government in his hip pocket. There are photographs of him side by side with Mr. Harper and then with Mr. Trudeau, with Ms. Freeland on his left. Mr. Grod has been a great success in backing putschist Kiev. Last summer Mr. Trudeau even issued a traditional Ukrainian fascist salute, SlavaUkraini!, to celebrate the anniversary of Ukrainian independence. The prime minister is a great believer in identity politics. The influential Mr. Grod appears to keep the Canadian government in his hip pocket The latest gesture of the Canadian government is to approve $1.4 million as a three year grant to promote a Holodomor National Awareness Tour. Ukrainian nationalists summon up the memory of the Holodomor, a famine in the Ukraine in 1932-1933, deliberately launched by Stalin, they say, in order to emphasise their victimisation by Russia. According to the latest Stalin biographer, Steven Kotkin, there was indeed a famine in the USSR that affected various parts of the country, the Ukraine amongst other regions. Kazakhstan, not the Ukraine suffered most. Between five and seven million people died. Ten millions starved. Nonetheless, the famine was not intentional. It resulted from Stalins policies of forced collectivization,Kotkin writes, himself no advocate of the Soviet Union. Compulsion, peasant rebellion, bungling, mismanagement, drought, locust infestations, not targeting ethnicities, led to the catastrophe. Similarly, there was no Ukrainian famine, according to Kotkin, the famine was [a] Soviet[-wide disaster] (Stalin, 2017, vol. 2, pp. 127-29). So the Liberal government is spending public funds to perpetuate a politically motivated myth to drum up hatred of Russia and to support putschist Kiev. Identity politics and Canadian multiculturalism are now invoked to defend Ukrainian fascism celebrated in the streets of Kiev with torchlight parades and fascist symbols, remembering and celebrating Nazi collaborators and collaboration during World War II The Canadian government also recently renewed funding for a detachment of 200 advisors to train Ukrainian militias, along with twenty-three million dollarsit is true a pittance by American standardsfor non-lethal military aid, justified by Ms. Freeland to defend Ukrainian democracy. Truly, we live in a dystopian world where reality is turned on its head. Fascism is democracy; resistance to fascism is terrorism. Identity politics and Canadian multiculturalism are now invoked to defend Ukrainian fascism celebrated in the streets of Kiev with torchlight parades and fascist symbols, remembering and celebrating Nazi collaborators and collaboration during World War II. Any country sending representatives to Russias celebration of the 70th anniversary of their victory against Adolf Hitler, warned putschist Kiev in April 2015, will be blacklisted by Ukraine. The further a society drifts from the truth, George Orwell once said, the more it will hate those that speak it. Well, here is one truth that Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Freeland will not want to hear, hate it or not: 42,000 Canadian soldiers, not to mention 27 million Soviet citizens, died during the war against the Axis. Memories must be fading, for now we have come to this pass, where our government is supporting a violent, racist regime in Kiev directly descended from that very enemy against which Canada and its allies fought during World War II. In late 2017 Israel tested a new missile defense system for its Saar class corvettes. The new system uses a number of defensive systems based on software and sensors that rapidly identify and then deploys one or more countermeasures (flares, chaff or jamming signals). One of these countermeasures was quite visible when tested. This was the chaff filled rockets that rapidly put a cloud of radar blocking metal strips in front of the ship in the minute or two before the missile arrives. This is often sufficient to cause the missile to miss. Chaff was one of the many electronic countermeasures first developed during World War II. While electronic countermeasures and exotic stuff like lasers (to blind heat seeking missiles) get more publicity, something as simple, and visible, as chaff continued to be used ever since the 1940s. Chaff made its first appearance during the Summer of 1943 when the use of electronic countermeasures seemed to have become a dominant factor in aerial warfare. The Allies introduced Window ("chaff") to jam German radar. Window was tinfoil strips, cut to the right length to cause German radar to see a "wall" of well, tinfoil strips. Bundles of it were tossed out of allied aircraft and this, in effect, created an electronic smoke screen behind which anything could be happening. The Allies began using separate groups of aircraft equipped with jammers and chaff to create deceptions and lure the German night fighters to them and away from the formations of bomber aircraft. But the Germans fought back. In late 1943 they deployed the SN 2, an improved night fighter radar that was immune to Window and had a range of 400-6,000 meters. The use of chaff was a major blow to the German use of radar and they quickly responded to such challenges. In November, 1943, Germany began using Wurzlaus. This was a modified Wurzburg radar that could sometimes differentiate between stationary tinfoil clouds and nearby aircraft that were, of course, moving. The Germans also modified their Wurzburg radar (the "Nurnburg" version) so that is gave an electronic sound to the operator, as well as the blip on the radar screen. After some training, an operator could use his ears to tell the difference between the radar signal coming back from a chaff cloud and one coming back from moving aircraft. Chaff, like so many other measures, was only a temporary advantage and soon was compromised by countermeasures. The Germans also used chaff, but with less success because the allies had many more interceptors and that limited the effectiveness of German chaff. After World War II chaff continued to be used, but not as frequently or successfully and usually as an unexpected method for confusing radar. Electronic countermeasures became dominant although chaff was still around and often used with success when the enemy wasnt expecting it. That use continues and the new Israeli ship defense system uses chaff (probably with different lengths of metal strips for different missile guidance system radars) as part of a larger number of countermeasures that that are quickly deployed by software and sensors that use speed and a constantly updated database of missile guidance systems to make missiles miss. But sometimes chaff alone is still used in unanticipated ways. There was an example of this in 2003. To prevent Iraqi air forces from detecting and shooting at the 300 Tomahawk cruise missiles the U.S. Navy launched on the opening night of the war, a unique distraction was used. The Navy took five Firebee target UAVs and set them loose over Baghdad. Three of the Firebees were launched from a C-130 modified for the task. Two other Firebees were launched from Kuwait. The one ton Firebees were themselves to dispense chaff. The five Firebees, with an endurance of about an hour, flew back and forth over Baghdad until their fuel ran out, and then crashed. Iraqi air defenses were suitably shocked and awed and were caught by surprise when the cruise missiles that arrived soon after the Firebees went down. As always chaff will continue to be used successfully if it can be deployed when the enemy doesnt expect it. Here are links to the biggest stories in the world today. Spy probe police seek nerve agent source Counter-terrorism officers are working to uncover the origin of the nerve agent used in the attempted murder of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. The pair were found unconscious and are critically ill in hospital, along with a policeman who went to their aid. Spanish trains cancelled as women strike Many trains in Spain have been cancelled as workers prepare to strike to highlight gender inequalities on International Womens Day. Three-hundred trains will not be operating on Thursday, the countrys transport ministry announced. A 24-hour strike, called by 10 unions, has been the subject of much debate. Viral homeless piano man dies at 46 The death of a homeless man who played piano on the street has struck a chord with many in the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta. Ryan Arcand was used to the sounds of the city cars honking, people shouting, the steady hum of traffic while living on the street. Climate change hurts women more Women are more likely than men to be affected by climate change, studies show. UN figures indicate that 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. Roles as primary caregivers and providers of food and fuel make them more vulnerable when flooding and drought occur. China dominates self-made woman rich list China has once again dominated a list of global self-made woman billionaires. The top four women in the report by publisher Hurun and five of the top 10 come from the Asian superpower. Zhou Qunfei, who founded a firm that makes glass used to cover laptops and smartphones, was the worlds richest self-made woman, with $9.8bn (7.1bn). New Hampshire House Votes To Protect Transgender People From Discrimination In another major victory for transgender rights this week, New Hampshires Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted on Wednesday in favor of a bill that prohibits discrimination against transgender individuals. The bill, which passed 195-129, bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of gender identity. Trumps Lawyer Got Restraining Order Against Stormy Daniels To Keep Her Quiet President Donald Trumps lawyer got a restraining order against former adult film actress Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) in an attempt to stop her from speaking out about her alleged 2006 affair with Trump. Attorney Michael Cohen secretly obtained a restraining order on Feb. 27 in private arbitration proceedings, NBC News reported . HBOs Martin Luther King Jr. Film Reveals His Dark And Dangerous Final Years The world will get an intimate look into the final years of Martin Luther King Jr. s life as the anniversary of his death approaches next month. HBO on Wednesday unveiled the trailer to its documentary King in the Wilderness, set to premiere April 2, two days ahead of the 50th anniversary of the civil rights leaders assassination. Los Angeles DA Wont Prosecute Agent Who Allegedly Groped Terry Crews The Hollywood agent accused of groping Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast member Terry Crews wont be prosecuted for the alleged crime. Both the Los Angeles city attorney and the Los Angeles County district attorney reportedly will not prosecute Adam Venit, who Crews accused of groping him at a Hollywood party in February 2016. Deadpool Actress Taylor Hickson Sues For Facial Disfigurement On Ghostland Set Deadpool actress Taylor Hickson is suing Incident Productions Inc. for career-altering facial injuries that she suffered on the set of Ghostland. According to the suit, obtained by Deadline Tuesday, Hickson was told to pound on a glass door harder during an emotional scene of the indie horror film, which was shot in Winnipeg in December 2016. Amazon reveals why Alexa is randomly laughing and creeping people out Amazon has finally revealed why Alexa is randomly laughing, creeping out Echo users. BuzzFeed first reported earlier this week that Amazon Echo users were surprised to hear their devices laughing at random. After confirming the company was working on a fix, Amazon revealed on Wednesday why Alexa was laughing at random. Good guy Ed Sheeran bought pizza for fans waiting overnight for his show Whatever you may think of his music, Ed Sheeran seems to be a good guy, and hes especially great to his fans. Like any hot concert, people lined up early to nab the best spot to see Sheeran, who performed in Adelaide, Australia on Wednesday. Gary Oldmans son decries clickbait stories about fathers 2001 domestic abuse allegation Gary Oldman scored his first Academy Award on Sunday. Now, his son has some choice words for anyone attacking the Best Actor winners character. Some background is in order. The senior Oldman has faced backlash during the 2017/2018 awards season over an alleged domestic abuse incident stemming back to 2001. The father of seven-year-old Zainab, who was raped and murdered in Kasur in January this year, has appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to arrest the facilitators of her daughter's killer. Appearing before the Supreme Court's Lahore Registry today to meet Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, Amin Ansari submitted a plea stating that relatives of the convict Imran are harassing his family. Sources said he will meet the chief justice once the hearings are completed. He also claimed that Imran's facilitators were not investigated in the case and demanded their arrest. Zainab was kidnapped from near her aunts house in Kasur on January 4 and was found dead in a garbage heap five days later. On January 23, the authorities claimed to have nabbed Imran Ali, said to be a serial killer involved in other such crimes, through a DNA match. On February 17, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) hearing the high-profile case sentenced Imran to death, four times. Claiming innocence, Imran challenges Zainab murder case conviction A few days later, on Feb 20, the convict challenged his sentencing in the Lahore High Court claiming that he is innocent. Imran was sentenced to death for kidnapping, rape, murder and under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Additionally, for performing an unnatural act with a minor he was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs1 million and for desecrating human remains by dumping Zainab's body in the garbage he was sentenced to seven years, the Punjab Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir had informed the media. Names of the five senators-elect were withheld from the notifications as they are accused of possessing dual nationalities. Sources in the ECP said their notifications were not issued in light of the Supreme Courts orders regarding the matter. Earlier this week, the SC had ordered the commission to withhold the notifications of senators-elect who possess dual nationality until they are able to prove they have surrendered all other nationalities except their Pakistani nationality, as claimed in their affidavits submitted to the ECP. The affected are four senators-elect from Punjab Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insafs Chaudhry Sarwar, PML-Ns Humayoun Akhtar, Nuzhat Sadiq and the prime ministers sister, Sadia Abbasi and one from Balochistan Khuda Babar. The fate of these five is to be decided tomorrow by the SC, which will determine whether they will be able to vote for a Senate chairman on March 12. Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance, Economic Affairs and Revenue Miftah Ismail said on Friday that the federal budget would be presented on April 27. Ismail, addressing a press conference, also said all political parties have been taken in confidence for the upcoming budget. The adviser for finance further said that the government has not been able to sell bonds in Pakistani markets for the last seven years, but will be sold now. Referring to industries, Ismail said the present government was not responsible for an increase in gas prices. Earlier, Miftah said the government hopes to achieve GDP growth of six per cent during the current fiscal year, which will be the highest in last 10 years. He had said that IMF had appreciated the growth trend in Pakistan. In fact, they [IMF] suggested Pakistan should slow down the economy, Miftah had claimed. On the international monetary body's observation regarding balance of payments and declining foreign exchange reserves, the adviser said that the IMF analysis was written before the devaluation of the local currency in December 2017. He had also said that trade data for the month of February 2018 suggested that the current account deficit of the country was narrowing. The Civil Aviation Authority has asked all major Pakistani airlines to strictly ensure compliance with a ban on smoking on board aircraft, saying "rampant" violations of the rule by cockpit crews is a safety hazard, it emerged on Friday. In a communique sent to domestic airlines, CAA Flight Standards Director Capt Arif Majeed reminded operators that smoking by the crew and passengers both is prohibited on board an airplane when it is airborne or on the ground. "[However], despite repeated reminders by PCAA on the subject, smoking on board aeroplanes by crew is still rampant," reads the letter, dated March 7. "Smoking on board an aircraft is a threat to its safety and an offence under state law," it said, recalling that the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 forbids smoking at all public places, institutions and public service vehicles. Majeed stated in the letter that safety assessment inspections carried out abroad on Pakistani aircraft in the past have often reported evidence of smoking in the cockpit. "This flagrant violation [of the rule] besides portraying [a] bad image of Pakistani pilots as principal violators is also a major reason for negative marking [in safety assessments] of Pakistan-registered aircraft," he said. The negative marking has an adverse impact on the cumulative safety assessment of Pakistani airplanes. Directing airlines to immediately implement the smoking ban, CAA has asked them to include the rule in the operations manual along with details of punitive actions. In addition to the pilots, passengers and cabin crews are also barred from smoking in the cockpit, the letter stated. If it emerges and is proven that someone from the crew has smoked or permitted smoking, the licences of all crew members present in the cockpit will be suspended for three months. The licence of the crew member found violating the rule on board for the second time will also be revoked, the letter stated. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar paid a surprise visit to two government hospitals in the Punjab capital on Friday. A three-member bench headed by the chief justice was hearing suo motu cases on various public welfare issues when the chief justice decided to pay a surprise visit to the city's hospitals. Accompanied by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Yawar Ali, the chief justice of Pakistan first visited Services Hospital where he inspected various wards, including the emergency department. While interacting with patients, a woman approached the chief justice asking for monetary assistance for medical treatment. Chief Justice Nisar assured the woman of help and directed the relevant authorities to provide her services free-of-charge. Later, as the chief justice arrived at the government-run Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), he expressed displeasure at the absence of wheelchairs at the institute's entrance. Inside, patients complained to the chief justice of various issues faced by them after which he directed the hospital administration to resolve the patients' problems. Earlier, while hearing the issue of high fees at private medical colleges, the chief justice summoned a report on the structure of fees at the educational institutes. The chief justice had in December last year paid a similar visit to Lahore's Mayo Hospital to inspect facilities there. The move had drawn criticism from various quarters, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz. 'Baba Rehmatay' During the hearing, the chief justice also referred to his Baba Rahmatay [wise old man] remarks, stating that he will explain today the meaning of the term and why he used it. Chief Justice Nisar remarked that Baba Rahmatay is a person who resolves people's problems, explaining that he borrowed the term from writer Ashfaq Ahmads work. The chief justice added that he does not care about comments in the media regarding his use of the term, saying he will continue to work for public welfare regardless of public opinion. The chief justice had referred to the judiciary as Baba Rahmatay during an address to lawyers in Lahore in January this year. Click the image above to watch the video The Mount, Omanu and Papamoa beaches are becoming a popular early morning destination for visitors from China and Taiwan. Over the last 18 months to two years, Ive noticed more and more people arriving on local beaches before dawn to take selfies or photograph the sunrise, or both. During December 2017, one group of four flew in to Auckland Airport from Taiwan, then immediately travelled to Tauranga in order to arrive by 5.30am. They were waiting on the beach in Shark Alley as the sun rose over the water, and took numerous photos. I asked them if they were planning to climb the Mount afterwards. They looked puzzled, so I pointed out Mauao behind them. They seemed disinterested but told me they were heading off to the Historic Village in 17th Ave, before leaving for Rotorua. They asked me to take a photo of them, so I took it with Mauao as the backdrop. Ren Wei Li photographing sunrise at Shark Alley. Yesterday morning Zhao Yen and Ren Wei Li were already set up with cameras on tripods when I walked down on the access mat. From Beijing, they are in New Zealand for 56 days, travelling both North and South Islands in a campervan. Today was Day Three of their visit and theyd flown in to Auckland, then travelled to Tauranga with the intention of capturing our sunrise. Its not surprising really, as the level of pollution in some of the cities in China can make it impossible to see the sun for many days, as I found when I was there in 2015. Zhao Yen told me that over the last two years, this has improved in Beijing. However a sunrise like we have here in NZ is a rare thing, and a major drawcard for tourists travelling from China. Zhao Yen and Ren Wei Li had been told about the local beach and sunrise by their travel agent in Beijing. They planned to leave for Rotorua after the mornings photography. Whilst we may take our sunrises and sunsets for granted, increasingly they seem to be attracting attention making our local Mount beach a must see place to visit. Nearby, Papamoa beach attracted a Chinese poker star couple this week. On Tuesday Pokerstars Team Pro Online member Randy Lew announced on Twitter that he had proposed to his girlfriend Chinas poker queen Celina Lin on Papamoa Beach. The bride-to-be found herself embarking on a treasure hunt to find her engagement ring. Pokerstars Team Pro Online member Randy Lew proposed to girlfriend Chinas poker queen Celina Lin on Papamoa Beach. The couple did not miss the opportunity to share their emotional moment with their fans. Firstly, Lin found a card of riddles. On solving the riddles, she followed the instructions, and found the ring locked in a box and buried in the sand. The two have been dating since November 2016, but first met in 2010, when Lin interviewed Lew during the Asia-Pacific Poker Tour Macau. Caption: Chinas poker queen Celina Lin on Papamoa Beach. When President Kenyatta said that Kenyans are experienced thieves during a state visit to Israel in 2016, some of us were quick to dismiss him for exposing us. Well, it appears we dont need the President to sing our praises anymore as our thieving ways are now internationally recognized. This is after a Kenyan working in the UAE pulled off a Dh5 million(Sh130 Million) heist at a shopping mall in Deira area. A Dubai Police official said the incident happened at 10:30 pm on Saturday during refilling of cash at an ATM. Preliminary investigations indicate the suspect and a work colleague were near the ATM in the mall when the suspect distracted the second guard. The suspect reportedly told the second guard that he was going to the bathroom and took the bag containing the money and escaped. The second security guard kept waiting for the suspect for a while after which he informed his company which alerted Dubai Police. Dubai Police questioned the security guard who denied having any knowledge of the suspects heist. By press time, police were still hunting down the suspect who is said to be in his 20s. The suspect, in his 20s, recently joined the company. We alerted all the ports and are still trying to arrest him, an official told Gulf News. After years of unfair pay and increasing demands for midwives, Tauranga is described as being in crisis mode, with many women desperately looking for a midwife as soon they find out they are pregnant. Papamoa midwife Cara Kellett says Bay of Plenty midwives saw the crisis coming several years ago, but theyre now at the stage where it cant be ignored. Auckland, Canterbury and parts of the Waikato were first to suffer from the shortage, and now Tauranga has been added to that list. The 35-year-old, who has been a midwife for almost five years, believes the shortage is due to high demands for midwives in the growing region and a lack of interest in the industry, with New Zealand midwives seeing just one pay rise of 2.5 per cent since 2007. Last year we lost 13 midwives in the Bay of Plenty region, says Cara, so they either gave up midwifery, went into hospital work or retired. That, combined with our population growing, is why weve now got a crisis on our hands. She says it has got to the point where some women are looking for a midwife as soon as they find out they are pregnant, rather than the normal time of 12 weeks. Those who cant find midwives are being forced to go directly through the hospital for their antenatal care and delivery, where a different midwife will be on duty every 24 hours. Cara says currently, Tauranga Hospital has more than 40 low-risk woman going through the hospital. Our care model is about not only helping the mother, but building a relationship with them, and its really sad that these women wont get that sort of continual care. She says Bay of Plenty midwives have been working hard to cover the shortage and help women where they can, but everyone is starting to feel the stress. There is 168 hours in a week and Im on call for 138 hours, she says. I dont get paid for being on call, and then on top of that I have to do all my work during the day plus be available to go out and do births in the middle of the night. Ive been working extremely hard over the last 12 months to help cover the shortage, but I cant do it anymore and Ive had to drop my case load in half to be able to look after my own health. Although private midwives are deemed self-employed, they are contracted to the Ministry of Health and cannot be paid extra for overtime, public holidays or when a client has been assigned to someone else. Bay of Plenty DHB midwifery manager Annette Harris says a population-based study by the Ministry of Health showcased a shortage of midwives in the Bay of Plenty. There were 53 lead maternity carer midwives in Tauranga, 34 permanent DHB midwives and 15 casual staff who regularly worked with the DHB. We are currently working with women who are unable to find a midwife and providing interim care or complete care as necessary, says Annette. Cara says she loves what she does and its a very rewarding job, but she cant be taken advantage of anymore. Midwives have always fought for womens rights and protecting the birth systems, but now we need women to come out and be heard. Midwives and women will be meeting with a number of Tauranga MPs on Tuesday, March 16, from 12.30-2pm at Bethlehem Birthing Centre at 1 Te Paeroa Road, Bethlehem. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. 365 Threat Monitor scans all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Receive real-time phone alerts, get real-time security breach updates and instantly delete threats with just one click - for free! Learn More. The Pardus Linux distro offers an inviting computing experience with both old and new options. However, a dual development path narrows its user appeal. Pardus suffers from sharing its personality splitting its attention between an enterprise edition and a community version. While they both share the same distro name, they come from different developer teams. Pardus began as a Gentoo-based project before rebranding with a new identity. Prior to 2012, the original developers lost funding. Then the Turkish government began sponsoring the operating system as a means of building a computing platform for its own agencies. Since late 2012, distribution development took place in two loosely connected branches. Exploring their differences is a challenge, as both the enterprise and community releases come only in English and Turkish. Many of the release notes and installation guides offer just a smattering of English as margin notes to accompany the Turkish screenshot displays. The language limitation blunts the potential user base. It also results in a more complicated installation process for new adopters unfamiliar with GNU/Linux setup methods. However, Pardus could be worth the effort for some users seeking a new computing experience. The desktop options are limited to two choices that require very little configuring and nearly no learning curve. Just beware of the potential for lingering support issues if you make this somewhat obscure Linux distro your daily computing choice. The latest Pardus enterprise edition was released last week. The Pardus community editions are less fresh, in that their releases spanned several months at the end of last year. Innovative Technology A number of benefits are associated with the latest Pardus releases. The distro is easy to use and is very appealing visually. It runs well on older hardware with limited resources. The menu display in Pardus 17.2 can fill the entire screen with rows of launch icons or shrink the view to a window. The dock bar is always visible at the bottom for launching tools and favorite applications. A key feature in Pardus 17.2 is the PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) boot support in the Debian Installer. PXE provides a better experience when installing the operating system simultaneously on more than one device. This feature is a great convenience when deploying Pardus in a small office or in an educational institution. Two more advantages are found in under-the-hood software such as Mudar and PiSi. Mudur is a startup framework that speeds up the boot process. PiSi is an efficient package management system with a user-friendly graphical interface. The multitasking view shows an Expo-style screen display for virtual workspaces. Behind the Scenes, Part 1 Pardus Tbitak/Ulakbim is the corporate or enterprise version of the OS. Pardus Enterprise Edition includes specialized tools catering to the needs of government agencies, and its development is overseen by the Network Technologies Department of theTurkish Academic Network and Information Center (TBITAK-ULAKBIM). The enterprise distro is not necessarily a commercial business. You can download it for free and access free support as an individual user. The enterprise distro is housed on a separate website, rather than with the community version. Pardus 17.2 XFCE (64-bit) is the mainstream enterprise edition. To use it you need at least 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of disk space, a graphics processor capable of at least 640480 resolution, and a 1.0-GHz processor with 64-bit support. You can get what the developers call a side edition, which has the Deepin Desktop, or DDE. System requirements for DDE are a bit more demanding. You need 1,024 MB of RAM, 12 GB of disk space, a graphics processor capable of at least 1024768 resolution, and a 2.0-GHz processor with 64-bit support. Both the XFCE and DDE editions ship with the latest version of the LibreOffice word processor (6.0.1). The Pardus operating system ships with Linux kernel 4.9.0. Behind the Scenes, Part 2 Pardus Topluluk, or PTS, is the community version. This distributions development is overseen by Pardus community volunteers. The community edition includes tools helpful to home users. Its focus seems more like a push to integrate a common national Turkish computing system. This Pardus distros goals include packaging support tools to encourage adoption in Turkish schools. For instance, the help documents located under the Documents menu and other content help users extend community assistance. Topics there include how to make installation guides and solve common user problems. You also can access books and articles on computer-related issues, as well as reviews. The Pardus community edition uses the corporate name and logo with permission, according to support documents. It is hosted on Alastyr Servers, unlike the commercial version. The two Pardus divisions are clearly separate entities. Confusion Reigns Your easiest way to deal with either Pardus website is to use Googles translate feature in the Chrome browser. The websites do not offer an English language mirror. That adds to the confusion is selecting the desired ISO download. The community edition offers downloads for desktop and laptop computers and the Pardus Arm Edition (Raspberry Pi). It has several test versions (presumably beta editions) for KDE in both 64-bit and 32-0bit ISO files. Also available are test versions for GNOME and XFCE 64-bit ISO files. The test versions are listed as PTS 4.0 from July, August and October of last year. No DDE edition is available for version 4.0. Also available are PTS 3.0 stable versions in KDE 42-bit and 32-bit only. I grabbed the March 3 enterprise version edition of Pardus with the Deepin desktop. That website is easier to navigate within the limited English translations. I also was more interested in the newer desktop than the XFCE desktop. Deepin Deep Dive Placing too much time and energy into using a Linux distro with limited user appeal is always a risk. XFCE-based distros are a dime a dozen today. Distros offering the Deepin desktop are considerably less available. Pardus Linux with DDE provides an excellent chance to check out this newer desktop environment. I havent spent much time with DDE since its early release days. Its smooth integration made my re-acquaintance with Deepin very satisfying. The Deepin desktop design is snazzy yet simple to use. It somewhat resembles GNOME 3 without the annoyances that keep me from regularly using GNOME 3. The Deepin Desktop Environment looks elegant. Its simplicity, coupled with improved functionality and configurability, make it a nice choice for those looking for something new. Deepin masks some of the stumbling blocks new users encounter when learning about the Linux OS. Like XFCE, Deepin works out of the box with nothing to adjust or configure to get it working. Power users may not like the simplicity, however. DDE lacks much in the way of special effects, like GNOME. But the DDE design is inviting nonetheless. I am not a fan of GNOME 3. It has too many design quirks for my liking. The DDE environment has some of the design elements found in GNOME 3 with just enough user interface modification to make it a superior alternative. Look and Feel Deepins home screen is starkly simple. With a starfield-speckled light blue background and a dock bar at the bottom, it could not be much more user-friendly. Go to the settings array to select from a collection of more colorful background images. You can add some often-used applications to the preconfigured array already on the dock bar. If you do not like the icon-less screen, you can right-click on the menu to place app launchers in plain view. The docking bar at the bottom of the screen shows 13 icons. Clicking an icon launches an application. When you open a program, its icon joins the dock bar and is displayed with a light indicator under it. The first icon on the left end of the dock bar is the main default launcher. Click it to display rows of application icons to fill the screen. You can click a button in the upper right corner to reduce the full-screen display to a smaller window. In the settings panel, you can configure different corner actions. For example, push the mouse pointer into a designated corner to slide the settings panel from the right edge of the screen. Push the mouse pointer into another corner to view rows of application icons. Push the mouse pointer into a designated corner to slide out the settings panel from the right edge of the screen. In menu screen display mode, a small button near the upper left corner of the screen opens an icon-based list of application categories and the installed apps for each category. Click anywhere on the screen to return to the home screen. Mousing Around Two features in DDE make this desktop environment much improved over GNOME 3. One is the ability to set the mouse aside in favor of using dozens of keyboard shortcuts. You can see the full list and edit the assigned shortcuts in the settings panel. The other is using virtual workspaces. Click the multitasking view button on the dock bar to see an Expo-style screen display. Mini views of each workspace appear at the top of the screen. Click the corner X to remove that workspace. click the Plus screen on the top right to add a workspace. Moving among the virtual workspaces is done by clicking the mini screen or the vertical panels on the left and right screen edges. You also can swipe the touchpad or touchscreen to navigate. Deepin lacks a right-click menu to move an open window to another workspace, but you can click and drag at will when in multitasking view mode. You also can right-click on the desktop to access a variety of system actions. Bottom Line The Pardus Community Edition offers 247 live technical support. Its goal is to find solutions to users problems rapidly through constantly available help agents and access to an active user forum. Storage applications are added and removed in line with users requests. The more current versions and more organized website make the Pardus Enterprise Edition a better choice. Unless you have a diehard attraction for XFCE, the Deepin desktop is a worthy alternative. Want to Suggest a Review? Is there a Linux software application or distro youd like to suggest for review? Something you love or would like to get to know? Please email your ideas to me, and Ill consider them for a future Linux Picks and Pans column. And use the Reader Comments feature below to provide your input! Although Tesla is primarily known for their line of premium electric cars, CEO Elon Musk has had his eyes set on more than just that. Last November, Tesla announced they would be developing a line of electric trucks used for commercial transportation. This week, the trucks made their first official production delivery, carrying battery packs from the Gigafactory in Nevada to Tesla's car factory in California. Following this successful trip and future testing, Tesla hopes to sell their trucks to some big industry names like Walmart, DHL and JB Hunt. Tesla will still continue to use them internally while the models are being refined. Although this is the first publicized trip made by the semis, Tesla has also been testing discrete prototypes on a similar route for the past few months. Tesla claims the trucks will have an operational range of about 500 miles and this trip from Nevada to California is about 240 miles each way. There is some considerable elevation change so it's not clear if they will be making the round trip journey or charging up midway. Critics of the trucks worry about its hauling capacity and its range since it is easy to simply fill up a traditional semi with diesel but charging up can take hours. On a production and economics side, Tesla is likely diverting the majority of their resources to the upcoming launch of the Model 3 so we may have to wait until after that to see the full potential of these trucks. What do presidents and first ladies do after they leave the White House? For the Obamas, it seems that the next step is working with Netflix. According to The New York Times, the couple are in talks to create exclusive content for the streaming service, which boasts 55 million subscribers in the US alone. The production partnership has not yet been finalized, and the format of the shows haven't been decided. Its possible that Obama could moderate conversations on key topics from his presidency, while his wife Michelle might feature in shows that cover issues she focused on during her time at the White House, such as nutrition. The pair could also produce documentaries or fictional series that "align with their beliefs and values." While the move would give Barack Obama a platform to reach people outside of his extensive social media followers, sources say the content wont be used for responding to Trump or other conservative critics. Both he and Michelle want to produce shows that highlight inspirational stories. President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire, said Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to the former president. While he didnt comment on the Netflix talks, Schultz added: Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories. This wont be Obamas first taste of working with Netflix. He was the first guest to appear on David Lettermans new show, My Next Guest Needs no Introduction. The ex-president is also said to have close ties to Ted Sarandos, Netflixs chief content officer. Alphabet's self-driving car tech division, Waymo, has been making quite a bit of progress with their vehicles lately. Back in October, we reported the company's vehicles could be intelligent enough to handle emergencies without any human input. In November, the company announced their plans to roll out a fully autonomous transportation service -- entirely composed of Chrysler Pacifica minivans -- in Phoenix. Though Waymo has already been testing that service throughout the city on a smaller scale, it's expected to roll out in earnest sometime this year. However, it isn't just minivans that have gotten the Waymo treatment. The company has also been working on a fleet of autonomous semi trucks and they're finally ready to be put to the test. Beginning sometime next week, Waymo will be launching a pilot test in Atlanta, Georgia where their fleet of self-driving trucks will be "[carrying] cargo bound for Google's data centers." To accomplish this, Waymo will be teaming up with Google's logistics team to accelerate the development of their self-driving semi truck technology and "integrate it into the operations of shippers and carriers." "So far, [our focus] has mostly been on people; last fall we put the world's first fleet of fully self-driving cars on public roads in the Phoenix area," Waymo said in a blog post. "Now we're turning our attention to things as well." To be clear, this isn't the first time Waymo has tested their semi trucks in public - the company is well aware of the many differences between driving a semi truck and driving a traditional minivan. As such, they've been working out the kinks with the technology in the months leading up to this test. "Over the past year, we've been conducting road tests of Waymo's self-driving trucks in California and Arizona," the company said. "Our software is learning to drive big rigs in much the same way a human driver would after years of driving passenger cars." Since this technology is still in its infancy compared to some of Waymo's other projects, their autonomous semi trucks will have "highly-trained" drivers in the cab at all times, ready to take control of the vehicle in the event of an emergency or an AI hiccup. Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne have created the worlds first rechargeable proton battery that uses carbon and water instead of lithium, a relatively scarce and expensive resource. As Engadget explains, the battery is essentially a hybrid between a hydrogen fuel cell and a chemical battery. When charging, water is split to produce protons which are then passed through a cell membrane and bond to carbon electrodes. Critically, this is done without producing hydrogen gas. When it comes time to use the stored energy, hydrogen atoms are released and shed an electron to re-form protons. The electrons supply the power and the hydrogen protons combine with oxygen and other electrons to reform into water. Again, the fact that the battery doesnt produce hydrogen gas is key. Traditional fuel cells must produce hydrogen gas then split it back into protons, a process that reduces efficiency. Because the proton battery doesnt produce hydrogen gas, its far more efficient. Even as-is without optimizations, it is on par with lithium-ion batteries in terms of efficiency. Professor John Andrews, lead researcher on the project, said it could be commercially available within five to 10 years. At that time, it could be an ideal solution for at-home Powerwall-type storage or even as a backup to solar panels or windmills. Its promising, sure, but weve been fed the promise of revolutionary battery technology time and again with diminishing returns. Surely, at some point, one of them has to be commercially viable, right? New details have emerged in the ongoing hearing of a case in which two parents are facing charges of subjecting their toddler to torture by inserting needles in her body. The Court heard on Tuesday that the parents were well aware about the small pieces of metal, contrary to their initial reports. The couple had claimed that they learnt about the needles in the girls body after her examination in hospital. Speaking at the Thika Law Courts, a childrens officer, Rebecca Kariuki, said she received the information from Isaac Gichura and Jacinta Ndunges oldest child after visiting the couples home in Kiganjo, Thika. The couples oldest child said the parents knew baby Jane Wairimu had needles lodged in her buttocks, and that the baby had developed a habit of crying uncontrollably, said Kariuki in her testimony. She further told the court that Gichura was married to another woman and they all lived together. He was living with both of the wives in his small rental house in Kiganjo, she said. Gichuras second wife was not at home during our visit to their house late December 2017. Isaac Gichura, 41, and Jacinta Ndunge, 31, had initially told doctors at the Thika Level Five Hospital that their child was suffering from fever. After an examination, 13 sewing needles were found lodged in the minors body much to the shock of the whole country. The parents maintain that they learnt about the needles in the girls body after her examination in hospital; and not before her admission as claimed by the childrens officer. They further claim that they are unaware of how the needles got into the girls body. Two witnesses had been lined up to testify on Tuesday, but only one did. Resident Magistrate Brenda Bartoo ordered that the doctor who attended to the baby be given a chance to testify before the investigations officer. The case will be heard on March 21, when the two witnesses will appear before the court. Much was made about brand loyalty in the early days of the mobile industry but nowadays, people tend to pick a platform and stick with it. Those needing proof need to look no further than the latest report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). According to the research firm, Android has an impressive 91 percent loyalty rate with Apples iOS lagging behind slightly at 86 percent. As TechCrunch highlights, the figure measures the percentage of US customers who stayed with their operating system when upgrading their phone in 2017. Mike Levin, partner and co-founder of CIRP, said that with only two mobile operating systems at this point, it appears users now pick one, learn it, invest in apps and storage and stick with it. Levin added that now, Apple and Google just need to figure out how to [better] sell products and services to their loyal customer base. Androids high brand loyalty could have a lot to do with the fact that there are many different phones to choose from. This means a user can have a totally different experience on a new device without having to relearn and reinvest in a different operating system. With iOS, youve got a few different model iPhones to choose from and thats it. Android hasnt always led in customer loyalty. In 2013, data showed that iPhone users were more loyal than their Android counterparts. That changed the following year, however, and Android has led the way ever since. British Airways in November 2017 launched trials of its new biometric e-Gate boarding technology for select flights out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Instead of having to present boarding passes and passports at departure gates, customers can simply look into a camera prior to boarding to have their biometric data verified. The technology, from SITA, uses high-definition cameras to identify unique facial features and match them with passengers passport, visa or immigration photos. Once approved, passengers can simply walk onto the aircraft. In testing at LAX, British Airways says the biometric gates allowed 400 passengers to board in just 22 minutes less than half the time it would normally take for customer service reps to manually check physical documents. Now, British Airways is rolling the technology out at additional locations. Two biometric gates have been installed at Orlando International Airport that are available to customers flying on the daily BA2036 flight to Gatwick. E-Gates have also been installed in Miami and New York to assist with processing arrivals. Passengers still need to have their boarding pass and passports examined when going through check-in and security. Carolina Martinoli, British Airways' director of brand and customer experience, said the technology they are using is one that consumers are now familiar with and trust because it delivers a convenient, reliable and secure experience. Indeed, its similar in practice to the facial recognition systems that grace many of todays most popular smartphones. Martinoli said the trials will help British Airways evolve the technology and processes used to best suit the needs of their customers. On Sunday evening, Spanish authorities began evacuating people from the municipalities of El Paso, Tazacorte, and Los Llanos de Aridane. | Read More Harvest Inn announced a strategic alliance with Woodside Hotel Group. City-Core Hospitality, LLC and its principals, Rick Kaufman and Andrew Garay, will retain ownership of Harvest Inn with Woodside managing the day-to-day operations for the St. Helena destination. As of Feb. 26, Chef Charlie Palmer sold his interest in Harvest Inn and the hotel's Harvest Table "to focus on other endeavors," said a separate news release. With this new relationship, Harvest Inn "will enhance its guest experience," said a news release. Executive Chef Spencer Wolff will continue to steer the hotels Harvest Table restaurant, said the release. Im incredibly excited for the next chapter of Harvest Inn, said Rick Kaufman, a principal of City-Core Hospitality. We are thrilled to work with City-Core Hospitality and manage such a beautiful property in St. Helena, said Greg Alden, president and CEO of Woodside Hotel Group. The militant national construction union faces fines of close to $1 million for disrupting work sites in NSW and Queensland, and allegedly inciting workers to wear shorts, defying safety rules. The penalty judgments come in the wake of the Fair Work Commission's approval of a merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia, with a total 144,000 members, combined revenue of $146 million a year and $310 million in assets. The CFMEU and 19 officials were fined $817,500 after they shut down two major Brisbane worksites as part of a campaign allegedly aimed at forcing a company to sign the union's enterprise agreement. The union and one of its officials were also fined $58,500 after allegedly inciting workers to wear shorts on a building site in Newcastle. The Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) took legal action against the CFMEU after it encouraged workers to wear shorts and short-sleeved shirts in defiance of construction company John Holland's safety policy, which required long sleeves and long pants to be worn. BHP read the pulse of its large base of retail shareholders on Friday, using a webcast to speak to and hear from them as some of its largest investors are pushing for changes to end the company's dual market listing. The unprecedented move can easily be seen as a BHP charm offensive designed to shore up the retail investor base, which makes up one-third of the Australian companys register. Most of BHP's army of retail investors will be more interested in dividends than how the company is structured. Credit:David Mariuz The reality is that many - if not most - of these investors are more interested in dividends and share buybacks than the arcane and complex issues of its corporate structure, which is ultimately about tax. The activist professional investor leading the charge to consolidate BHP plc and BHP Ltd into one stock, Elliott Management, has lobbied hard with the companys board and management and has worked assiduously to convince other large shareholders of the merits of its plan. Sunday, March 11, 10 a.m. service. USCNV is happy to welcome Rev. Robert Brach as our guest speaker this week. His message is entitled, WISDOM and Deja` vu-The Possibility Of Reincarnation. Our Sunday Service music is selected and performed by our guest musician, Ric Morgan. 11:40 a.m. Sunday Forum: Following a brief refreshment break, Rev. Bob will conduct a discussion group related to his message. 3275 Hagen Road (1/2 mile east of the Silverado Trail), Napa. UnityinNapaValley.org , 255-6881. Sunday, March 11 at 10 a.m. we will have guest speaker Lloyd Whitford. His sermon title is Running For The Prize from 1 Corinthians 9:24. The main church building is under repairs and we are meeting at 1920 Finnell Road in Yountville while we are under construction. We will continue to have all of our Sunday school classes, services, and bible studies. Sunday School is at 9 am for all ages. We have an Adult Bible class, Youth Group (fifth - eight grades and high school students), and Children's classes "Jesus and Me", (Birth-Kindergarten) and first through fifth grades are offered. 6619 Yount St., Yountville, 944-2179. President Donald Trump has spent the past week railing against trade policies that allegedly put the US companies at a disadvantage. Though economists, fact-checkers and even members of Trump's own party have called the President's international trade analysis into question, inventor and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk appears to agree (in part) with Trump. Elon Musk pointed out a significant disparity in the import duties each country places on the other nation's cars. Credit:AP Musk, 46, was a member of Trump's advisory council before stepping down following the President's decision in June to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement. Amid a series of tweets on Thursday, Musk - apparently frustrated by the Asian nation's import duties - compared China's trade policy to "competing in an Olympic race wearing lead shoes". Three global juggernauts carbon, technology and human rights are recalibrating the way our societies operate. And that demands a rethink of the way we build. The Paris Agreement sent a signal to the worlds markets. A low-carbon future is coming. If Australias economy does not adjust to take advantage of this shift, we will be left behind. The language around carbon budgets and trajectories can be complex and confusing, but underneath the rhetoric is a crystal-clear message. Buildings are responsible for roughly a quarter of Australias carbon footprint, and every year of delayed action means more pain down the track. Romilly Madew is the chief executive of the Green Building Council of Australia Australias property owners have heard that message loud and clear thats why GRESB has ranked Australias commercial real estate market the worlds greenest for seven years straight. Central to the NGV's Colony: Australia 1770-1861 exhibition is the development of European art in Australia, but curators are quick to emphasise that important counterpoints to this glorified colonial narrative are included along the way. This juxtaposition of celebrated European works and First Nations' cultural objects produces an agile dialogue, much subtler than the complementary exhibition Colony: Frontier Wars, though equally as potent in challenging the Commonwealth's preferred interpretation of its nationhood. In terms of provocation, the launch of the double exhibition is perfectly timed, arriving in the midst of a key point of difference between the two major parties over a proposal for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous "voice" to parliament. The Prime Minister's objection to the proposal recently saw him threaten to take the issue into an upcoming federal election, potentially the most divisive since the One Nation-charged politics of the Howard era. Add to this scenario the contested ground over Australia's national day on January 26 and the relevancy of Colony: Australia 1770-1861/Frontier Wars should become too incendiary to miss. Joseph Lycett, Inner view of Newcastle (detail), c.1818. Credit:NGV Highlights include artefacts from the continent's Dutch explorers that dispel the myth that the great southern land was discovered by Lieutenant James Cook aboard the Endeavour; a range of early views of Sydney Harbour, including images of the local First Nations mob engaged in their traditional practices around the British penal settlement; the art of scrimshaw recalling the impacts of European whaling and sealing in southern Australia; drawings by early settlers that bluntly mark out the places of massacre of First Nations peoples around Melbourne; detailed pastorals painted by convict artists that reveal the extent to which settlement was predicated on dispossession and dispersal through a sudden elimination of Blackfullas from the artists' adopted composition of the landscape. In the curious absence, a true history emerges. It is this capacity for truth-telling that is most instructive when it comes to the approach required for the Commonwealth to realise its aspiration for reconciliation. In this direction, the Colony: Australia 1770-1861/Frontier Wars exhibitions take respectful note of the vital third tine of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls not only for a First Nations voice to parliament, and a treaty (or treaties), but a critical, public process of national self-reflection. In 2001 the Dutch graphic design group Experimental Jetset (EJ) produced a Beatles T-shirt. The idea was deceptively simple: replace the faces of the most recognisable band in the world with just their names. After all, everyone knows which band they belong to. The shirt sold surprisingly well. EJ would design two more, listing the Rolling Stones and Ramones. The real success lies not in the number of T-shirts sold, but what they spawned. People began sending them T-shirts in the same format: a plain shirt set in Helvetica type. An ampersand at the end of each line gave the impression the list was a piece of concrete poetry, as much as a pop-cultural tribute. Seventeen years later, the designers still receive band T-shirts with names they've never heard of. "For us it's like a pop quiz," says Danny van den Dungen, one of the EJ design trio. "We have to look on the internet to [identify] who it is." The Superstructure exhibition includes the groundbreaking Beatles T-shirt. Credit:Experimental Jetset EJ are themselves "rockstars of graphic design", according to Cooper Hewitt museum senior curator of design Ellen Lupton. EJ's members Marieke Stolk, Erwin Brinkers and van den Dungen met in design school and have been together for 23 years. Van den Dungen self-deprecatingly describes the Beatles T-shirt as "like a one-hit wonder", but their work branding museums such as the Stedelijk in Amsterdam and the Whitney in New York prove otherwise. Their fans need no introduction. They recognise the group's signature riffs: Helvetica (almost always); pictures, almost none. In their stripped-back style, concepts are their powerchord. Superstructure, a retrospective at RMIT Design Hub, demonstrates how EJ's ideas draw on a rich history of subcultural influences. The group designed the exhibition themselves. Visitors journey through their influences the Dutch anarchist movement Provo, Russian Constructivism, punk rock and French Situationism as if walking through an imaginary city's four quarters. An abstracted amalgam of "street furniture" barricade/billboard/stadium hoarding will display both EJ's work and its source material. How cool is Kim Deal? She's so cool that she has been in not one, but two of the coolest rock bands of the last 30 years The Pixies and The Breeders. She's so cool that The Dandy Warhols, who tried their hardest to be the coolest band on the planet, wrote a song called Cool As Kim Deal. She's so cool that most people in her hometown of Dayton, Ohio don't even know who she is, including the girl who has just this moment made her coffee at Starbucks. And Kim Deal is totally cool with that. The last time we spoke was 1993, when The Breeders released Last Splash, which is considered one of the greatest albums of that decade. Deal and her twin sister Kelley, who played guitar in the band, were in the backseat of a car in LA and the conversation was freewheeling, manic and hilarious. Occasionally it even made sense. The Breeders. Credit:Marisa Gesauldi "Oh my God," says Deal. "I bet the whole thing was a mess. I actually wasn't too bad with my drinking then. I got much worse later. Certainly it was a challenging time for Kelley back then." Kelley's challenge was heroin addiction. She kicked the habit in 1995 after being arrested for possession. Kim, meanwhile, was drowning herself in beer. Her last drink was on Pearl Harbor Day, 2002. Chadwick Boseman in a scene from Marvel Studios' "Black Panther". Credit:Matt Kennedy My high school was quite a racist high school. It was the 1970s and all the white Aussie boys used to torment the ethnic Aussie boys, calling them terrible names the Greeks were all wogs, the Italians were all wops, the Lebanese were all Lebos, and I was a Yank Four-Eyed Jewboy (which wasnt entirely correct: I was born in Canada so I should have been a Canuck Four-Eyed Jewboy. But I didnt want to make a big deal about it, close enough, I just left them to it). Then in 1978 something seismic happened. The movie Saturday Night Fever came out, starring John Travolta as a sexy, smooth-dancing Italian stallion, wearing a pair of clingy polyester slacks that fit him like a glove a glove with two knuckles and a large thumb. Almost instantly, the school-universe flipped around. The Woggy-Woppy-Lebo look was on-trend, it was the buzz-fashion, and all the Greek and Italian and Lebanese boys became the cool guys they styled their hair like Travolta, they learnt to dance like Travolta, they wore their clothes like Travolta, squeezing into supertight schoolpants using a shoehorn and baby powder. Saturday Night Fever was the first culturally cathartic movie Id ever seen. A whole generation of boys plodded into cinemas feeling like downtrodden losers and two hours later, theyd metamorphosed into swarthy sex-gods, strutting out of the cinema with a John-Travolta macho-swagger while humming Bee Gees songs in a baby-voiced falsetto (the disco era was kind of strange, nothing made much sense). IN THE FADE (MA) 106 minutes When he doesn't get too ambitious, the German-Turkish director Fatih Akin is a likeable talent, but the critics who have overpraised him have done him no favours. His 2004 breakout hit Head On, about two addicts who fall in love in rehab, brought some chaotic punk energy to a basically conventional romance. Having gained the world's attention, he followed up in 2007 with The Edge of Heaven, a ponderous state-of-the-European-Union address one of those films about how we're all secretly connected which I can hardly imagine anybody wanting to revisit now. Diane Kruger and Denis Moschitto in In the Fade. Akin's subsequent projects have made fewer waves, and it wouldn't have been surprising if he had dropped out of sight completely. Instead, he's regained some momentum with In the Fade, a political thriller of sorts and the first German-language film to star Diane Kruger, who was born and raised in Germany but has found success internationally in films ranging from Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds to Benoit Jacquot's Farewell, My Queen. Divided into three chapters that are given separate titles on screen, the film begins as a portrait of a relationship rather like the one in Head On. Kruger plays the heroine Katja, a tough blonde from Hamburg whose Kurdish husband Nuri (Numan Acar), born in Turkey, is a former drug dealer (they met, we learn, when he sold hash to her in college). He's still serving a prison sentence when they marry in the opening scenes, to the dismay of their respective families. A few years later, they're a settled, respectable couple, running a small business and doting on their little son Rocco (Rafael Santana). German-born Diane Kruger dominates her first German-language movie In the Fade. Then everything is shattered. Nuri's office is the target of an apparent terrorist bombing; he and Rocco are killed. With Katja still in shock, the police take to grilling her about what criminal activity Nuri might have been mixed up with (primarily, this is a matter of racial profiling, although the viewer is allowed to wonder about other possibilities as well). Back at home, Katja retreats to what a psychologist would call "safety behaviours," in other words her old patterns of drug use though Akin, who doesn't seem opposed to drugs in general, implies that this is only natural under the circumstances. Often alone on screen, Kruger dominates the film, which succeeds most fully as a character study of a woman battling to hold herself together: her grief, her isolation, her incipient mania. Her situation improves, but only mildly, when the culprits for the bombing are identified as a young neo-Nazi couple (Ulrich Friedrich Brandhoff and Hanna Hilsdorf). As the trial looms, she finds an ally in the prosecutor Danilo (Denis Moschitto),who clearly views her as more than just another client. But many scenes in the courtroom and elsewhere continue to be built on her silent, tense gaze, her anxiety fuelling ours. In contrast to the passionate Danilo, the lawyer for the defence (Johannes Krisch) is portrayed as an unscrupulous swine, leaving no doubt about which side we should be on. Nor is there any doubt that the film, as a whole, is meant as a statement in favour of multiculturalism and against a rising tide of far-right racism in Europe, a point underlined by a title card at the very end. Of course, this attitude is not one that any viewer of In the Fade is likely to disagree with. The question which remains open is how far tolerance can be extended to figures like the neo-Nazi couple, who are set at a distance (even physically) but not wholly dehumanised. Akin, after all, has an affinity for rebels and in some ways these two parallel Nuri and Katja at the start of the film, especially in their reliance on each other for emotional support. DUMBO (64 minutes) G Walt Disney and his team were at their very best (and least cloying) in this 1941 fable about a baby circus elephant mocked for his giant ears. Though the character's eventual comic triumph is never in doubt, there are traumatic moments along the way, including an extraordinary, nightmarish drunk sequence that suggests the animators had early access to LSD. Screens as part of the Disney Classics Film Festival. Digitally projected. Selected Village cinemas (check online for session times). Juliette Binoche in Let the Sunshine In. ROMAN HOLIDAY (118 minutes) G Shot on location in Rome, William Wyler's bittersweet 1953 tale of a runaway princess (Audrey Hepburn) and a hard boiled reporter (Gregory Peck) represents Hollywood magic at its purest, even as it draws inspiration from the quasi-documentary spirit of neo-realism. Hepburn, despite her best efforts, was never quite so young again. Digitally projected. Astor, Sun Mar 11, 2pm. Double bill with Breakfast at Tiffany's. Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin has spoken out about her controversial turn on the show, describing the experience as "traumatic" and slamming Nine for their inadequate support in the wake of abuse and death threats on social media. "I barely got out of this whole ordeal alive," the Brisbane Instagram model and businesswoman told the ABC. The 26-year-old became the show's villain amid a ratings-grabbing cheating scandal that saw her pursue married co-star Dean Wells behind insta-husband Ryan Gallagher's back. The dramatic storyline saw Rankin branded a "homewrecker" by viewers on social media; the star said she also received threats of violence and death threats. Growing up, I listened to Mums stories from her nursing days: it was her job to routinely prepare all the babies bottles every four hours, and to bind womens painfully swollen breasts against the arrival of their milk. She recalled an instance of an "unwed" mother coming in to birth her baby, quietly squirrelled to another ward, hushed up and away from the other mothers. Before she married, my mother was a nurse. In the latter years of the 1970s she worked in "mid" nursing and midwifery in a large regional hospital. We look back and we think, "We dont do that to women anymore." But do we? Credit:Stocksy We sigh over historical ignorance and thank our lucky stars that we dont do that anymore: we dont give birthing women enemas or shave their public hair, or drug them with heavy sedatives that leave the entire births of their babies as empty, black holes of time. We dont tell women their breastmilk is an inferior inconvenience better dried up; we dont care whether or not a woman is married when pregnant. Barely two generations ago, many women were obliged socially, and sometimes, legally to give up their jobs upon marriage and working through a pregnancy was unthinkable. The public horror espoused over the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s seems laughable in todays so-called sexually liberated society. And with safe abortion now available, women neednt die at the hands of backyard butchers. We look back and we think, "We dont do that to women anymore." But do we? Researching my third novel, a story that begins in the early 1960s, I was struck by the the way gender based oppression has changed so much in half a century, but at the same time, almost paradoxically, has changed so little. Consider "marriage bar" legislation. First enacted in the early 1900s to "protect mens jobs" and increase the birth rate, this law barred married women from employment within the public sector. And while it technically affected only Commonwealth employees, it was an attitude that carried broadly into society in general. A magistrate on Friday dismissed charges against three men accused of protesting outside Canberra's abortion clinic. But while the men said they felt vindicated by the decision, which found their silent prayers were not a protest, the clinic's spokeswoman expressed disappointment, saying women in 2018 should be able to access the medical procedure "without having to be judged by three men with rosary beads". Kerry Mellor. Credit:Alexandra Back Anti-abortionists Kerry Mellor, 76, John Popplewell, 76, and Ken Clancy, 79, had for years been part of a pro-life group that gathered outside the abortion clinic in the ACT Health building on Moore Street on Fridays. The group would sometimes bring props, such as an image of the Virgin Mary, a crucifix and a box with a model of an unborn fetus. It was a public street in Charnwood and a brazen, daylight attack on two teenage girls. Even though a suspect could not be identified, the crime was never forgotten. Not by the 15-year-old girl who saw the man grab her 16-year-old friend and ejaculate onto her pants, and not by the police systems that collect forensic evidence in the hope of matching it to an offender. Now, more than 15 years later, Benjamin James Morgan has been identified, found and just last month jailed for his crimes against the girls the evening of February 25, 2001. "I remember the incident as clearly as the day it happened," the girl who witnessed the crime wrote to a Canberra court. "His face, the smells, the noises, the feelings of helplessness, the fear on my friend's face, the tremble in her voice as she asked for help and the fear consuming my body, unable to move, talk and breathe." The friends had been walking home when they sensed the man close behind them. They quickened their pace, but at the sound of steps right behind her, the 15-year-old turned to see him grab her friend from behind and pull her close. From the second she arrives at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday morning for the 45th Black Opal Stakes, Kristen Henry will start quietly tapping people on the shoulder. The MIX106.3 breakfast presenter, celebrity redhead and style icon is once against hosting Fashions on the Field for Thoroughbred Park and will start scouting the capital's best-dressed race goers as soon as she walks through the front gates and into the betting ring. Canberra radio royalty Kristen Henry (left) and Beth Larsen with Black Opal Stakes entrant Sizzling Belle. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "I've always got a sneaky eye out," Henry laughs. "I'm actually always walking around, tapping women on the shoulder and saying, 'You look divine, you have to enter Fashions on the Field'. "We have such beautiful and unique style [in Canberra] and maybe I'm biased but when I go to race days in Melbourne or Randwick, I'm like, 'Canberra women just get it'. March 10: Structuring Your Story, a writing workshop run by Canberra Region Fellowship of Australian Writers, is on at 10am at the Town Centre Vikings Club, cnr Athlon Drive and Rowland Rees Crescent, Greenway. Free for FAW members, banknote donation for non-members. More information: Pamela Waugh on 0417 692 018.. The 2018 Australian Catholic University Prize for Poetry is now open for entries with the theme "Empathy." First prize is $10,000, with $5000 for the second prize and $3000 for the third prize. Entries close at 5pm on July 20, 2018. See acu.edu.au/literature-prize . March 12: Canberra author L.J.M. Owen launches her new book Egyptian Enigma with a screening of the 1932 classic The Mummy at the National Film and Sound Archive at 6pm. $25 includes a copy of the book. Bookings: nfsa.gov.au/events/mummy-presented-dr-ljm-owen. March 12: At The Street Theatre at 4.30pm, writer Clementine Ford will discuss what next for #MeToo with facilitator Nikki Anderson followed by an audience Q&A as part of Festival Muse. $30. thestreet.org.au. March 12: That Poetry Thing : Abhishek Gupta (Canberra) and Jane Liddell-King (Britain) combine for a night of poetic surprises. Art by Nancy Tingey. Includes open mic. $5 on the door. Smith's Alternative, 76 Alinga St, Civic, 7pm to 9pm Wednesday, March 14: At 6pm in the China in the World auditorium, Fellows Lane ANU at a free ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author event, Craig Emerson will be in conversation with Andrew Leigh on Emerson's new book The Boy from Baradine, following his journey to the corridors of Canberra. Book signings before and after the event. Bookings: anu.edu.au/events or 6125 4144 March 14: Poetry at the House at ANU's University House at 7.30pm features Jane Liddell-King (Britain) and Lachlan Brown (Wagga Wagga, NSW). $10 waged, $5 unwaged, collected just before the reading starts. Bookings: gpage40@bigpond.net.au. Tavake Lee Pikula is an accused killer no more. Canberra prosecutors downgraded charges against the 31-year-old in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday. Eden Waugh was allegedly killed by a single gunshot on November 3 in 2016. Defence lawyer Dean Rutherford noted in court that his client had gone from "alleged murderer to barely even in the statement of facts". Pikula was granted bail but will stay behind bars until he can secure parole. A Queanbeyan pharmacist says he was "pressured" by friends to supply drugs - including steroids and drugs of addiction - without a prescription. Pharmacist James Fearon - who previously had an "unblemished record" - was arrested at Blooms the Chemist in Queanbeyan in November 2014 and subsequently pleaded guilty to supplying prescription drugs and possessing a prohibited drug. A Queanbeyan pharmacist supplied drugs to his friends and associates without a prescription The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal this month cancelled his registration and disqualified him from seeking registration for 12 months, for complaints relating to the criminal charges as well as additional allegations of drug supply. The tribunal heard Mr Fearon supplied himself and a number of other friends and associates drugs including steroids, weight loss drugs, Xanax and sleeping pills. The endless horizon of ramshackle refugee shelters lining the hills of Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, is a world away from the views across Sydney harbour that will greet Aung San Suu Kyi when she flies into Sydney next week for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. Yet the plight of the one million Rohingya refugees that reside there must be front and centre on the ASEAN agenda when the Australian government hosts one of the first visits of Suu Kyi outside of Myanmar since the Rohingya crisis began. Aung San Suu Kyi. Credit:AP The leadership of Suu Kyi, who heads the civilian government in Myanmar, has been under intense scrutiny since the violence in August 2017 condemned by the United Nations as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" led to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing for their lives. Her critics may argue that Australia should not host her visit, given her failure to condemn the violence against the Rohingya. But Australia is right to extend the invitation. The ASEAN summit presents a key opportunity for leaders in our region to engage with Myanmars leader in finding a durable solution to this crisis. And, as host, Australia also has a special responsibility to show leadership. A consortium that said it would privately fund a fast rail line from Melbourne to Sydney will get a share of $20 million in public funding from the Turnbull government. Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, or CLARA, is a private company that claims it can build two inland cities in Victoria and a further six in New South Wales that are linked by high-speed rail lines between Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. A 2016 image from Consolidated Land and Rail Australia (CLARA), the company planning a fast rail link between Melbourne and Sydney. It will be given millions of dollars in public money by the Turnbull government to write the business case for its first stage, to Shepparton. Credit:CLARA Their rail line would, CLARA's plans say, be paid for by the company taking options to buy land in regional areas at a low price. The land would then be sold at a far higher price once a rail line was built nearby. But the problem is also an electoral one - not enough women vote for the Coalition. Only 35 per cent of Australian women voted for the Coalition at the last election, Credlin writes (according to a Menzies Research Centre analysis of data from the Australian Electoral Survey). On average, for the past 30 years or so, the Coalition has won about 40 per cent of the female vote, so it is sliding the wrong way. Peta Credlin with Tony Abbott when he was prime minister. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Even if the trend is reversed and the Coalition goes back to winning 40 per cent of the lady-vote, that means in order to govern, it has to persuade 60 per cent of men to vote for it, which is a lot. That skews policy and creates a vicious circle. Women look at us [the Coalition] and we dont look like Australia, Credlin told me this week. I can argue that from outside the machine. Credlin said she doesnt support quotas but she says she cant support the status quo either, and goes on to suggest measures which sound quota-ish. Credlin says there is no point having an aspiration of 50/50 gender representation in parliament by 2025 (as the Liberals do), unless you have processes in place to achieve it. She suggests a well-funded national body to drive the preselection of women. Such a body would work independently, outside the party structure, but would be a part of it. (That sounds an awful lot like Emilys List, one Labor party bot observed to me drily.) Credlin says there should also be published data on female representation within the party to ensure accountability, practical support for women running for preselection, and a determination to ensure every pre-selection has a good percentage of women in the field. Unless were prepared to invest in women, the present target will be nothing more than an excuse for failure, she writes. Some Liberal women raised their eyebrows at the column - to many, Credlin is an unlikely feminist because she worked for Abbott (itself quite a sexist assumption when you examine it). Kelly O'Dwyer with Josh Frydenberg before she took maternity leave in 2017. Credit:Andrew Meares Last year it was reported Credlin was approached by a group of wealthy Liberal party supporters to mount a challenge to Minister for Women Kelly ODwyer in her Victorian seat of Higgins, while ODwyer was on maternity leave with her second baby. Credlin denies she was approached by the group, Save our Super, to run in Higgins, and says she has no interest in running for political office at the moment. As Abbotts chief-of-staff, Credlin was a controversial figure and disliked by many within the Abbott government. But she was also the victim of sexist attacks herself, not to mention years of Michaelia Cash-style false rumours about her relationship with her boss. Loading That she was pitted against another strong, competent Liberal woman, ODwyer, in media reports over a possible challenge in Higgins, is yet another example of why many women would hesitate to involve themselves in politics at all. The fewer women in the political pool, the more women will engage in patch protection where they feel they must compete with each other to retain their positions. The more women there are, the more they can relax and support eachother. The Labor party has long been a stronghold of the kind of macho blokey unionism that is antithetical to female advancement. Opposition leader Bill Shorten himself admitted last week that as a union leader he overlooked his female members and colleagues. But Labors quota/target/aspiration of 50/50 gender representation by 2025 (same as the Libs), is on track to be fulfilled. Theyre streaking ahead of the Libs. Federal Labor now has 46.8 per cent women across both houses, and if Ged Kearney wins Batman they will be at 48 per cent female representation. Crucially, and unsurprisingly given its reputation for head-kicking, the Labor party has an enforcement mechanism called the spill rule: if the gender targets arent met, all seats can be spilled and pre-selections thrown open. The lever has never been pulled, but it acts as an incentive to meet the targets/quotas/goals/whichever term makes you feel less threatened. I can see there's a war there. Of course, I'm on the side of evolution. And I've been an atheist since I was maybe 11, although I was very religious before that. Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we're told to keep private. This week, he talks with Jenny Graves, geneticist and La Trobe University professor who was awarded the Prime Ministers Prize for Science in 2017. She has spent 50 years in genomic and epigenetic research. At my public primary school, where they of course had state-sanctioned religious education, I won a book called I Want to Live. It was the most horrible book you could possibly imagine: hellfire and brimstone, "You all go to Hell." I read this and thought, "Oh my goodness, no one told me we're going to go to Hell. I'd better do something." So I organised a little church in our backyard for me and my sisters, under an olive tree. You went from starting your own renegade church to not believing. What happened? One day in year 6, our teacher told us all to stand up. We had to sit down if we knew we were evil. I thought, "Evil? Well, I don't think I'm particularly good, but evil?" That's, like, torturing kittens. The entire class sat down, one by one, leaving me standing, getting redder and redder. That teacher called me Saint Jennifer for the whole year. My elevation to the sainthood certainly increased my cynicism when I attended church for the first time. Sunday school was run by an old guy who told us how much it hurt to be crucified. When he said, "Don't you feel sorry for Jesus?" I disgraced myself by saying, "I feel more sorry for the thieves, because at least Jesus knew he was going to Heaven." Saint no more. That was the first and last time I went to church. The Napa County grand jury filed court papers Thursday ordering the district attorney to initiate legal action against Assessor John Tuteur to recover what it says are about $20,000 in back taxes. Tuteur learned of the action that afternoon. I am happy to have the State Board of Equalization or staff from an assessors office in any California county review the challenged assessment, Tuteur said. The challenged assessment was done by staff working independently and reviewed by the chief appraiser, Tuteur said. An Assessors Office procedure report said this method is used to ensure employee property assessments are done with integrity. The issue involves property on Green Valley Road that John and Mary Tuteur leased for a cell tower site to Transmission Agency of Northern California from about 1992 through 2016, the court papers said. Cell tower rental income was to be capitalized for property tax assessments. The Napa County assessor failed to capitalize the rental income correctly from 2008-2015 and the property was under-assessed, the court papers said. In 2016, the assessor discovered the error and attempted to correct the assessment for 2016. The NSW government decision to buy more than $2 billion in new trains that are unable to fit through tunnels in the Blue Mountains would have been better thought through if the government had embraced engineering safeguards that have been proposed for several years. Believe it or not, anyone in NSW can call themselves an engineer and there is no requirement that engineering advice be taken into account during the conception and development of major projects like this one. One of the tunnels on the Blue Mountains line that will be upgraded to make it suitable for the new intercity trains. NSW is now the only major state on the eastern seaboard where this is the case, after Victoria joined Queensland this week in adopting a professional registration system for engineers and the appointment of a chief engineer in government to ensure engineering advice is at the centre of decisions about engineering projects. Most people are gobsmacked to hear that engineers working on everything from approving your plans for a house extension to managing huge projects like WestConnex do not have to be registered or licensed, unlike other professionals like electricians, architects, doctor and nurses. The Greens will attempt to increase the pressure on Labor this weekend in the Batman byelection campaign, stepping up their criticism of the ALP's record on refugees. As the race to the March 17 vote approaches its final week and with no clear front-runner, the Greens will look to get an edge over their opponents with the refugee issue, which has tormented the ALP in its inner-city seats since the early 2000s. The Greens have been campaigning hard for weeks on another difficult issue for Labor, the proposed Adani coal mine in Queensland, but will pivot towards asylum seekers, a proven vote-winner in Australia's inner-cities since the early 2000s. A scene from the Greens' online advertising blitz on refugees for the Batman byelection Credit:The Greens Labor's Batman candidate Ged Kearney has a long record in her previous job as ACTU president of speaking out on behalf of refugees, putting her at odds with her party's official positions on the issue, which have backed offshore detention and boat turn-backs as well as other harsh measures against asylum seekers. One night of loud construction in their inner west street was bad enough. The second night was worse. It was so upsetting, it was so loud," resident Deb Fernon said. "I just thought Im pretty sure its illegal to have noise at that time. Workers were installing infrastructure for the NBN in Ashfield on Grainger Avenue and Elizabeth Street, and locals were not impressed by the mid-week, late-night construction involving jack-hammering and concrete cutting. High profile Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has a controlling shareholding in nine private companies and a minor shareholding in a tenth company, his Register of Interests shows. Cr Tate and the Gold Coast City Councils chief executive officer Dale Dickson are being investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission about the sale of a car park in Surfers Paradise and Cr Tates alleged failure to declare he had a material interest in a development company that has bought a nearby bowls club. Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate leaves a meeting with the Crime and Corruption Commission in 2016. Credit:Glenn Hunt Cr Tate is a partner in Crestden Pty Ltd, which plans to build a 56-storey building called Waterglow on the old bowls club site opposite the Bruce Bishop car park in Surfers Paradise. Cr Tate told a Gold Coast City Council meeting on November 4, 2013, that he had a material personal interest in the development application as a shareholder, left the council meeting and did not vote. It wasnt until Paul Carnell lined up the old satellite photos of Port Phillip Bay with fresh images that he saw it. "Whoa", Dr Carnell thought, as he looked over the old images. There were thick forests of kelp everywhere, supporting a rich ecosystem. In the new images, those forests were now barren, a desert on the seafloor. In a stroke, they proved the claims of locals: starving sea urchins were destroying huge swathes of the bay. In some of the images in the 1970s and '80s, you can start to see urchin barrens [areas of the seafloor denuded of all life] on parts of the reef, particularly deeper, where people would not have noticed, says Dr Carnell, who is a fellow at Deakin University. Police have released extraordinary details of an alleged motorbike hoon who they claim has committed a string of extreme speeding offences in the past several weeks. The Northam motorcyclist is facing almost 50 driving charges. These include allegations he rode his bike at more than 200km/h and 180km/h on other occasions. The man is facing 47 charges in total. A major police operation was launched by the Wheatbelt traffic office last month after they identified the rider was behind a string of recent high-speed offences captured on camera. Senior Sergeant Tony Page said on February 27, an operation was launched to capture the rider after police identified who he was. A Perth council's decision to spend thousands in ratepayers' dollars unsuccessfully pursuing a couple over a $300 bill has been described as ludicrous and their legal action likened to "hitting a tack with a sledgehammer". City of Stirling lost its legal battle against Woodlands couple Christopher and Heide Murphy in the Perth District Court on Thursday following a long-running dispute about an overdue rates payment. Christopher and Heide Murphy (inset) have won their legal battle against the City of Stirling over their Woodlands home's rates bill. In December 2013, the Murphys paid their annual rates bill, valued at $1,773.50, three months after receiving a final demand notice from the City of Stirling. Around 10 days after the bill had been paid, the couple was served a summons notice from the Magistrates Court notifying them the council had commenced legal action to recover the overdue bill. A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a weapon on Thursday morning following reports of a person walking through the neighborhood near McCormick Lane and Browns Valley Road about 5:45 a.m., according to Napa Police. Officer responding to the scene located Humberto Luis Sosa in a vehicle at the end McCormick Lane. Sosa was holding a Glock .40 caliber pistol when he exited the vehicle, but dropped the gun when commanded to by officers, police said. Sosa, who had an extra loaded magazine with him, told officers that he had been looking for someone, according to police. Sosa was under the influence of a controlled substance, police said. Sosa was arrested and booked at the Napa County jail on suspicion of felony brandishing a weapon and misdemeanor being under the influence of a controlled substance. He is being held on $50,000 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. "Just as well Daniel Ellsberg did not leak today's equivalent of the highly classified Pentagon papers on the Vietnam war to the ABC," he said. . "Previously, Australian print and television journalists have enlightened the public by reporting highly classified documents without doing any demonstrable damage to national security. It beggars belief that nothing in the documents given to the ABC could be reported in a way that served the public interest without hurting national security." Another leading investigative journalist Kate McClymont of The Sydney Morning Herald applauded Toohey's article saying it was "excellent" and "excoriating." She told Fairfax Media: "When the ABC paid more attention to how it came by the filing cabinet, rather than its contents, it failed in its primary role. Journalists' primary concerns should be the public's right to know. This can be done without breaching national security." More than anyone, Toohey has found ways to cast light into the dark corners of government. Without him the Australian public and sometimes even the government of the day would not have found out what the joint US/Australian bases at Nurrungar and Pine Gap actually did and how they increased Australia's attraction as a nuclear target. Nor would we have heard about the discrete mass of half a kilogram of plutonium buried at Maralinga. Thanks to Toohey's report, based on information drawn from the Top Secret Pearce Report, this terrorist-invitation-waiting-to-happen was safely removed and secured. Toohey's past practice also provides the road-map that could have enabled the ABC to publish stories from the highly classified documents without endangering public safety or national security. In November 1988 the government discovered that Toohey and his colleague, William Pinwell, were about to publish a book on the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. So little was known about this organisation that as late as the 1980s two former prime ministers, John Gorton and Billie McMahon, said they had been kept in the dark about its activities. Gorton said he never really knew much about the service: "I still don't know what they did in ASIS" and McMahon said: "I received absolutely no co-operation from the organisation and I was not informed of its activities." The public had a right to know. But as the manuscript was about to go to the printer the government took out an injunction which would have stopped publication. Toohey and Pinwell reluctantly accepted vetting of their manuscript, negotiating the final text with ASIS and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Toohey says in the end only a couple of small redactions had to be made. In his published account of the filing cabinet leak Lyons says the ABC first got wind of the documents last year when the "bushie" rang Freedom of Information editor Michael McKinnon. McKinnon is a highly experienced investigative journalist, born and raised in Canberra, with a former department head father and a brother, Allan, who is deputy secretary in charge of national security in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. McKinnon advised the bushie to get legal counsel. When the bushie called again and said he wanted to meet, McKinnon called his boss Craig McMurtrie, the deputy director of news. McMurtrie told Lyons: "From that first conversation we were extremely conscious of the national security implications and continued to be mindful of that through the editorial process." McMurtrie added that as journalists their job was to report good stories and serve the public. McKinnon is also quoted as saying "reading those documents that night, it was clear to me there was a public interest in the public knowing this material." The Lyons' account raises many questions but the ABC has gone to ground and refused to answer specific questions put to it by Fairfax Media. Why in the end did we, the public living in a democracy, hear little of what was in the documents? Is it now standard ABC policy to seek prior government clearance before publication of any stories drawn from confidential, restricted, secret, top secret or AUSTEO documents? Why did the ABC choose to reveal so much about the source of the documents? And did Michael McKinnon discuss the matter with his brother Allan, deputy secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet? Asked directly, McKinnon told Fairfax Media, "At no stage did I speak to my brother. I never discussed the cabinet files with him before publication." He would not make any further comment. It's far from clear who made the decision not to publish the claimed hundreds of stories. The ABC says it was "selective and responsible" in what it published. The ABC "reported the stories that passed the tests of being both significant and in the public interest, and did not reveal sensitive information which might have unjustifiably endangered public safety or national security with no overarching public good." The ABC went through the normal editorial and legal processes and reached an agreement with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet on securing and returning the documents. "This has been achieved without compromising the ABC's priority of protecting the integrity of its source and its reporting, while acknowledging the Commonwealth's national security interests," an ABC representative said. It's believed that in negotiating the deal the ABC received an undertaking from the government that they would not go after or prosecute the "bushie". Just as well, because from what we've been told, investigators would have had little trouble finding him. Lyons says the "bushie" rang Michael McKinnon after researching who might be interested in this sort of thing. The "bushie" bought the cabinets after attending a second-hand auction in the middle of last year at a shop that sold second-hand government furniture. The cabinets came from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. So no trouble for investigators: go to PM&C and from its records identify the shop and the date of sale of the cabinets; go to the shop and get its mid-year sales records; get the name of the man who bought the two cabinets for $10 each (there won't be too many of these); check the man's telephone records to confirm a call to McKinnon at the ABC; and .. ..well the ABC might just as well have given the authorities his name, address and phone number. (The Australian Federal Police are investigating the leak and a review of PM&C's security procedures is under way but at the time of writing no official account of what happened has been released.) It is of course possible that the man paid cash and was extremely cautious in how he contacted McKinnon. But even so the ABC has played fast and loose in providing so much information about its source. Can it honestly claim to have done everything to protect the bushie? There's a view from some with knowledge of the ABC's internal workings, but no direct involvement with the documents themselves, that the ABC is now risk averse. One former ABC employee told The Informant he suspected that the old practice where a journalist and an executive producer made decisions together had been replaced by a committee system which tended to be over cautious. Sensitive material that might be controversial was "upwardly referred" so that the powers that be know what is coming. Another was appalled at the handing back of the documents and the self-congratulatory exposure of how the documents were obtained. Everyone is agreed that personal details or material endangering national security should be redacted. There's an age-old journalists' saying that news is what someone doesn't want you to print. All the rest is advertising. What led the bushie to believe that politicians say one thing and do another? We should not have to wait until what is in these documents is irrelevant to find out. It's now history that Prime Minister John Howard took us to war in 2003 based on his false claim that Iraq had an arsenal of Weapons of Mass Destruction. His statements were not supported by the intelligence from his own government agencies. Forty years earlier Prime Minister Robert Menzies claimed to have had a request from the South Vietnamese government for military assistance and committed Australia to a war even though at the time of his speech no formal request for assistance had been received. Even worse, Menzies seemed to think we would be fighting the Chinese, a traditional foe of the nationalistic Vietnamese. More recently leaks have revealed Australia's reprehensible bugging of the Timor government's cabinet room in order to gain an unfair advantage in negotiations over our international border and oil and gas rights in the region. This leak will hopefully lead to settlement of a fair agreement with our impoverished neighbour. The ABC's actions stand in sharp contrast with western media's proud publishing tradition, best illustrated by the handling of the Pentagon Papers. When in June 1971 the Nixon administration sought an injunction to stop The New York Times publishing the papers, The Washington Post took up the challenge. When The Post received an injunction, 15 other newspapers took up the cause, publishing the documents and risking prosecution. Katharine Graham, left, publisher of The Washington Post, and Ben Bradlee, executive editor of The Washington Post, leave U.S. District Court in Washington after getting the go-ahead to print the Pentagon papers on Vietnam. Credit:AP Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden and many others have maintained this tradition. The ABC was at the forefront in last year reporting from AUSTEO classified documents that revealed special forces actions between 2009 and 2013 in which special forces troops shot dead insurgents, but also killed unarmed men and children. Currently the government is considering a bill that threatens Australians right to know what is going on in this country. The bill would make it a crime for anyone to receive and handle certain national security information. A journalist in possession of a top secret document could face 20 years in jail even if nothing was published or broadcast. Attorney General Christian Porter says he is considering amendments to strengthen the defence for journalists who publish what they consider to be information that is in the public interest. I thought the Mexican Wall was Trump's dumbest idea, then he comes up with a different sort of wall: a tariff wall designed to push up the price of steel. Has he not noticed? Steel is one of the key ingredients required to build a border wall. What fun if one Trump wall trumps the other Trump wall by making it too expensive to build. Of course, as the whole world has pointed out, if Trump wants to save American manufacturing jobs, taxing steel is about the worst idea possible. It's an input cost in every second manufactured product from a can of baked beans to an aircraft. Even if you don't use steel in the product you make, there's steel in the machines you use, in the buildings you occupy and the cars your employees drive to work. President Donald Trump is misguided if thinking protectionism is going to "make America great again". Credit:CHUCK BURTON Suddenly your whole economy is walking around with a couple of American steel workers perched on either shoulder. There's another problem: erect a tariff wall and suddenly everything you make becomes a little bit shoddy. There's no competition, so no-one makes an effort. Australia will urge its Asian neighbours to redouble their sanctions against North Korea in a bid to intensify pressure on dictator Kim Jong-un after an apparent breakthrough in the global effort to stop his nuclear weapons program. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is hoping to speak to Donald Trump by telephone this weekend to offer Australian support on dealing with North Korea, while also thanking the US President for offering special treatment for Australia on steel tariffs and possibly discussing regional security in the South China Sea. A TV screen at Seoul Railway Station in South Korea announces the pending talks between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump. The regional show of force will be on the agenda when Asian leaders fly into Sydney within days for a summit with Mr Turnbull, with Australia preparing to enforce tougher sanctions, and hoping others do the same. Mr Trump agreed yesterday to meet Mr Kim in a breakthrough after a year of escalating missile tests by North Korea. The Greens push to capture the federal seat of Batman has been hit by more internal sabotage attempts. Two separate and fresh leaks by disgruntled Greens about the alleged conduct of their candidate Alex Bhathal have again forced the campaign onto the defensive. ABC radio aired on Friday morning what it says are fresh allegations of "intimidation, manipulation, harassment and misconduct" against Greens candidate Ms Bhathal. Greens candidate for Batman Alex Bhathal. Credit:Facebook The party was then forced to deny that Ms Bhathal will go into next week's byelection for the northern Melbourne seat facing calls from fellow Greens for her expulsion or suspension from the party. "How grossly unprepared Trump will be?" tweeted Robert Kelly of Pusan National University. The Trump administration has failed to appoint a South Korean ambassador. One contender for the job, Victor Cha, who was reportedly screened out because of his distaste for a US miliary strike, said in the wake of the news of the Trump meeting: "The question becomes what are we putting on the table: Sanctions? Normalisation? Peace treaty?" Cha was a senior advisor on North Korea to George W Bush. The US's special envoy on Korea, Joseph Yun, who was appointed by the Obama Administration and was believed to have favoured diplomacy, said last week he was quitting. South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong, speaks to reporters at the White House. According to Kelly, "Summits normally come at the end of a long series of negotiations at lower levels in which lots of devils in the details are hammered out. Trump, always the publicity-seeker, is just diving right in." "Less than a year after the 'armada', fire and fury,' and 'totally destroy NK,' Trump is suddenly going to have a break-through summit?" A North Korean leader has never met with a sitting US president. Bill Clinton decided against visiting Pyongyang while in office, but travelled there in 2009 as a former president to carry a message from president Obama, according to Wikileaks files, and to negotiate the release of two US journalists. Jimmy Carter also travelled there as a former president in 1994. Mr Trump tweeted on Friday: "Kim Jong-un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" Kim will first meet with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, on the South Korean side of the demilitarised zone in April. Moon said if Trump and Kim meet, denuclearisation will be fast tracked. The meeting in May will be recorded as an historical milestone in the future, for achieving peace in the Korean Peninsula, he said on Twitter. Leonid Petrov, a North Korea expert at the Australian National University, said the historic meeting between Trump and Kim was a good thing, but Americans would be concerned it might legitimise the North Korean regime. "There is an element of risk but both men love risk and live dangerously," Petrov said. Trump had likely agreed because "the White House is a mess and has been drained of experts. No-one told him it was a bad idea to meet". He credited Moon's Winter Olympics diplomacy for creating "a strong appetite for the relaxing of tensions between the US and North Korea in the region". Loading The Asia Society's Isaac Stone Fish, a senior fellow on US-China relations, was optimistic and said that unless the summit is a total disaster and North Korea swiftly reneges on the deal, it could be a "big win in the short term for Trump". "While there are concerns that the summit was arranged hastily, and that meeting in May won't give the American side much time to prepare, this is the best chance for the reduction or removal of tensions in the Korean peninsula that the world has seen in years, if not decades," he said. But Mr Stone Fish also cautioned it was unlikely North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons. "Moreover, it will be incredibly difficult to verify if North Korea has given up its nuclear weapons. In 2009, in regards to North Koreas nuclear assurances, Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Pyongyang that he 'was tired of buying the same horse twice'. The North Koreans could resell that same horse to Trump for a much higher cost." Beatrice Fihn, executive director of Nobel peace prize winner, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, said: "ICAN commends South Koreas leadership in achieving historic dialogue between the US and North Korea, which is the only pathway to nuclear disarmament in the face of fire and fury." Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said he "appreciated" the shift from North Korea and it was the result of international pressure, but the stance of the US and Japan would be to maintain "maximum pressure until North Korea takes concrete action" towards disposing of its nuclear weapons. There is speculation that China might be a possible site of the meeting between Trump and Kim. A retired North Korea expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Science, Zhang Liangui, attributed Kim's offer to denuclearise to Trump's maximum-pressure policy. "It made North Korea realized the danger of situation. If it continues to advocate a tough stance, the US would use force, then North Korea would be finished," he said. A day before the Trump and Kim summit was announced, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said all parties should show political courage and hold "necessary bilateral and multilateral contacts, to push forward the relaunch of dialogue and negotiation for a peaceful resolution". In Washington state, 93 per cent of principals reported being in "crisis mode" or struggling to find qualified teachers in 2015, while in California the number of emergency teacher permits has tripled in three years. The Learning Policy Institute estimates a shortage of 100,000 teachers this year, largely due to high rates of teacher attrition, poor pay and a dive in teacher education enrolments following a teacher glut during the 2008 recession. The shortages are most acute in maths, special ed and bilingual education. Loading Last year, school officials in Sacramento said they had no other choice but to look overseas for 12 special needs teachers. Clark County in Nevada took 81 recruits on starting salaries of $US40,000 ($51,000), far more than the typical $US5000 in the Philippines. Avenida, who runs an agency called AIC, regularly travels to her native Philippines to hold seminars that typically attract 500 hopefuls, often teachers with decades of experience and masters' degrees. When schools pick a candidate, she charges the teacher $US2500 to cover the costs of moving, background checks and obtaining a three-year J1 cultural exchange visa. The teacher gets overseas experience, the school plugs a hole. "It's a win-win," she said. Some of her recruits have gone on to become school principals and, while she tells them that the J1 is not a path to permanent residency, most transfer onto a H1 (specialty employment) if they do well. Loading But critics - including some teacher recruits - say these programs are ripe for exploitation and belie a grim reality for teachers. Mariano's experience is not unusual: Filipino recruits commonly fill difficult jobs that American teachers don't want, such as special needs classes and jobs in rougher cities or rural areas. One report said 42 US states had a special needs teacher shortage in 2016-17 and, instead of trying to persuade reluctant Americans to take the jobs, school districts can attend jobs fairs in Manila with hundreds of applicants. But David North, a fellow at the conservative Centre for Immigration Studies, said schools use these recruits as a "captive audience" who are assigned the toughest roles and can't leave because their visa is tied to a contract with the school or school district. He analysed six court cases from 2010 in which Filipino teachers were sued for not paying proper taxes. The judgements revealed dire conditions: one female teacher was punched and had her hair cut by a student at a school in Baltimore, where Filipinos made up about 10 per cent of the teacher workforce. Another was injured when a table was pushed against her leg. The six paid about $US8000 in fees each and, several years into the job, four of them hadn't completed necessary qualifications. Loading "The American worker would give up, but these folks can't," said North, a former US Labour Department official who has done research projects for the Australian immigration department. He questioned the claims of a national teacher shortage, saying farmers used the same argument to justify bringing in cheap labour from Mexico. Silicon Valley has also hired tens of thousands of Indian workers for programming jobs that they claim Americans won't fill. "I understand the difficulties in hiring for some of these [teaching] positions but I don't think this is how you solve the problem. You're short-changing those kids," he said. J1 visas are generally subjected to less oversight as they're intended to be cultural exchanges rather than temporary foreign worker programs. Whereas costs for specialty employment visas must be borne by the employer, J1 fees can be borne by teachers and there is no limit on numbers. In 2009, Universal Placement International, which hired 350 teachers in Louisiana, was sued for charging teachers $US16,000 and then keeping them in virtual servitude, taking some wages and threatening to deport them if they complained. Avenida was also investigated in the '90s for her hiring methods but was cleared. Ronie Mataquel (centre, in blue T-shirt) quit after his first three months at a Californian school but he has since become a well-respected teacher in New York. Seeing so many teachers struggling with displacement and exploitation compelled Ronie Mataquel, a teacher at John Bowne High School in New York, to start the United Federation of Fil-Am Educators, a support network for sharing job openings, advice and skills. "It's a 360-degree difference," he said. "In the Philippines, students are scared of their teachers. Here, you're not only dealing with the behaviour of students but also the language and cultural change." Mataquel paid $US6000 to take a job as a special needs teacher at a Sacramento school in 2001 but, just three months in, financial and professional stress had made him physically ill and he quit. He worked illegally for a computer company before being hired by John Bowne in 2003. He has since won several awards for his teaching and said Filipino teachers are dedicated, highly-skilled workers who add to the cultural fabric of US schools. AUTO LAB Talk Radio - LIVE from NYC Saturday Morning 7-9 AM March 10, 2018 Auto Lab Talk Radio on New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 and Streamed Worldwide On The Auto Channel This Weeks Show: Broadcast Date: March 10, 2018 Car Question or Concern? Call Toll Free 888-692-7234 Auto Lab is a 28 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice. Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format. Listeners can hear the past 18 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on www.theautochannel.com. Auto Lab Page includes Audio-on-Demand Archives, Auto Programs at Community College Database, Guests Pictures This Weeks Show: March 10, 2018 IN STUDIO: Auto Lab's Real World Experts Answer Your Questions; Discuss: Repairs, Second Opinions, Regular Maintenance, How To's, Safety, Used and New Car Buying, Ombudsmen Suggestions Harold Bendell - Major Auto Fred Bordoff - Bronx Community College's Automotive Technology Department-CUNY Tim Cacace - Master Mechanix Joseph Guarino-Joe Guarino's Auto Repairs Jerry Pastore - D & J Diagnostics Johanna Pastore - D & J Diagnostics Joanne Porcelli, Esq. Michael Porcelli - Automobile Services Nicholas Prague - MTA Auto Lab Correspondents Remote Interviews: Featuring Auto Safety News, New Car Reviews, Technology and Latest Auto World Information That Will Effect You! Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent, Suffolk England DESIGN - TWO -TONE CARS RETURN CREATES PAINT SHOP CHALLENGES John Russell- Senior Correspondent KIA CADENZA Russ Rader Senior Vice President Insurance Institute for Highway Safety AUTOMATED VEHICLES Robert Sinclair AAA Northeast EDUCATION FOR THOSE INTERESTED GOING INTO AUTO TECHNICIAN CAREERS A Calgary man has been arrested and faces multiple charges related to sexual assaults on young girls in Garson and the RM of Springfield. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/3/2018 (1290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A Calgary man has been arrested and faces multiple charges related to sexual assaults on young girls in Garson and the RM of Springfield. Ivan Valintine Cesnik, 57, became the subject of a investigation after Jan. 22, 2018, when Oakbank RCMP received a report regarding a historical sexual assault involving four female victims, three aged eight and one aged seven. Ivan Cesnik Police determined Cesnik committed assaults at his Garson residence and at a rural residence in the RM of Springfield between 2010 and 2015. He then moved to Calgary and no longer had contact with his victims. Cesnik is charged with three counts of sexual assault, three counts of uttering threats, three counts of sexual interference, and two counts of administering a noxious substance. Police said in release there may be more victims in the Manitoba, Alberta and the Kelowna, BC area. Anyone with information can contact Oakbank RCMP at 204-444-3847. In Calgary or the surrounding area has information, reports can be made to the Calgary Police Service or Alberta RCMP Serious Crime Branch at 403-420-4966. In BC, police asked the public to contact the police force in their jurisdiction. The curbside observance grew out of two meetings involving staff, parents and middle-schoolers, according to Dan Schwartz, head of the school. Although gun-control supporters have used the Florida shooting as an example of the need to restrict gun ownership and challenge the lobbying might of the National Rifle Association, Schwartz described a consensus at Blue Oak that its ceremony should stress childrens safety rather than politics. It wasnt necessarily about taking a specific political stance on the NRA, it was about safe schools, he said Tuesday. (Its being done) out of empathy for the students who died in Parkland, and in solidarity with Parkland students who called for action to bring the conversation forward on keeping schools safer. Our students talked about it and decided this was something they were comfortable doing. While Blue Oaks students of junior-high age hold signs, those in the fourth and fifth grades will be on hand as observers and will write an article about the event for a school newspaper, school officials said. How best to involve 9- and 10-year-olds was a particular point of discussion because of the different times when such children start engaging with the wider world, according to Julie Inalsingh, who teaches fourth-graders at Blue Oak. Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer on their wedding day. Photo: Instagram/Amy Schumer Although Amy Schumer married chef Chris Fischer in a secret ceremony last month, the comedian shared a ton of pics from her sweet and (celebrity-filled) wedding on social media as soon as the news broke. And now that shes on her honeymoon, Schumer is doing the same thing sharing a ton of images of her romantic Italian holiday on Instagram, just like any other tourist would do. Schumer and Fischer appear to be hitting up all the big Italian tourist spots Piazza San Marco in Venice, endless museums in Rome and happily broadcasting their adventures on social media. They seem to be having a wonderful time, in a way that makes us sad that we werent invited but also happy to be living vicariously through them. For instance, on TMZ, you can see an image of Fischer taking a picture of Schumer on a picturesque balcony in Venice and then, on Instagram, she posted the pics he took (meta tourism!). Shes also posted a ton of Instagram stories of the happy couple drinking cappuccinos (with froth on her upper lip, how cute) and of Fischer buying cured meats (how Italian!). Schumer and Fischer in Italy. Photo: Instagram/Amy Schumer Fischer and meats. Photo: Instagram/Amy Schumer And like any diligent tourist, Schumer has posted suggestions of places we should also visit (thanks Amy!). Thank you great people of Milan! Going to Venice next. Where should we go? In Milan we loved the Monkey cocktail bar. Langosteria, da giacomo. Sorbillos and all the incredible sites, she wrote in one caption. We love this touristy honeymoon so much and cant wait to recreate it ourselves (but in lieu of a spouse, we will be traveling with our one true love, bread). Yousra Ishaq. Photo: Mohammed Al Mekhlafi Women of the World is a series of snapshots of how women live, in honor of International Womens Day. Yemen has been at war since 2014 when rebels from the north allied with the Yemeni military and forced the government into exile. Today, the nation is on the verge of partition, there is no coherent judicial system, and the situation on the ground is apocalyptic: 21 million people need aid, over 7 million are on the brink of famine, and the cholera outbreak is the deadliest in modern history. The Cut spoke with 30-year-old Yousra Ishaq, a film producer from Sanaa, about life as a woman in a war zone. When the war started, it was a shock and we thought it would end after just a few weeks. But it continued, and it quickly sucked our life away. In every family there is pain I lost one of my dear friends who was killed by a sniper. The war has also caused extreme poverty; people havent received their salaries, hospitals are full of the sick who are trying to get treatment. Medicine is ruined, disabled kids are suffering. At the start of the war we operated a mobile clinic for cerebral palsy kids, but most of the streets were blocked, so it was so hard to get to them. Being a woman in Yemen means struggle, fighting, and hope. Because of the war, the most basic everyday tasks are difficult. I start my day hoping that I have fuel in my car, and even if I do, then I have to pray that I find a fuel station that is open so that I can get more. Then I have to pass by dozens of military checkpoints: Different political parties control different parts of the country, so when you travel you must stop so they can search your car for weapons or grenades or wanted persons. They usually dont do much if they see a woman in the car because male officers want to protect female modesty, but we still have to stop. Once I was arrested by a gang of terrorists. When they saw the cameras I was using for my filmmaking projects they flipped out and kept us for a few hours. In a way, holding a camera is way more dangerous than holding a gun. If I have enough gas, Ill drive to my office, where the electricity will hopefully be turned on. When the war started, the electricity station was bombed and officials say it needs to be fixed by professionals who cant enter Yemen because of the blockade. In 2015 we spent nine months without power, and it was a nightmare. We mixed boiled water with cold water and showered like we were in the dark ages and we had to find cafes with generators to charge our phones. The war has created new priorities: Women are taking responsibilities and society has started to trust us more. Everyone is suffering terribly from the war, and Yemeni women are suffering mentally, physically, and emotionally. Its important for people in the U.S. to understand that women in war have new priorities. War is awful but it builds strong women. There are so many stereotypes about Arab women, like that we wait for our husbands to make decisions for us. Thats just not true. The war has created new priorities: Women are taking responsibilities and society has started to trust us more. Even in the poorest areas, Yemeni women are very strong. Sometimes moms go and pull their sons out of the battlefields to stop them from fighting. I hope a woman ends this war. Women want to heal, they dont go to the frontlines to fight and kill. Women feel misery more deeply than men. Most of the social activists in Yemen are women. Women fight in ground clashes between parties. Women visit tribes, talk and try to find solutions. There are some women who deal with snipers every single day and I know they will never stop. Women fight air strikes. Air strikes are a nightmare the sound of the missile flying above your head reaches the ground and then you hear the explosion and fighter jets hovering. When you hear the first sound of the missile, you dont know if it will hit you and your family sitting next to you or if it will hit your friends in another home. I used to cope by watching Friends. Maybe the hardest conversations I have had were with the victims of an air strike that hit a funeral and killed six women and two children. I talked to an old lady in her 60s who lost her eye. She was in so much pain, but all she cared about was her daughters and granddaughters. She didnt ask where her eye was she just wanted to know where they were. When I asked her why she said, I wont need both of my eyes if I lost my family. Yemen used to be ruled by queens. I hope one day this country goes back to normal, and we lead. This interview has been condensed and edited. 2 Men Killed by Drunk Driver Identified Authorities have now identified two men that were killed by a drunk driver as they were changing a flat tire in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The victims were identified as 21-year-old Michael Chambellan of Albuquerque and 28-year-old Lonnie Escovedo of Santa Fe, Sandoval County Sheriffs officials said. The crash took place on the night of Tuesday, March 6, at the southbound I-25 near Algodones, according to ABC affiliate KOAT-TV. 2 men killed while changing flat tire identified https://t.co/dw9i8J5lMa pic.twitter.com/Wd2olWR6bv KOAT.com (@koat7news) March 8, 2018 One of the men pulled over in the emergency stopping lane to change a flat tire before another driver stopped by to help. Then, as the two men were changing the tire, another driver crashed into them, police said. Both men died at the crash site. Police said 31-year-old Christie Noriega of Rio Rancho is the driver who killed the two men in the crash. At the time her 2-year-old daughter was in the car with her, according to KOAT-TV. Deputies: Woman driving drunk hits, kills 2 men changing flat tire https://t.co/IBJv2zzohH pic.twitter.com/BwOcdloVI6 WYFF News 4 (@wyffnews4) March 8, 2018 According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, alcohol was a factor in the accident. Noriega has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide: aggravated driving while under the influence, and child abuse. Court records show she had a blood-alcohol level of .16 or higher, which is double the limit. Police say she was slurring her words and found an open bottle of alcohol next to her car, WYFF reported. The charges are pending as of writing. Its also unclear yet if Noreiga has a lawyer. This is the driver who killed the two men on I-25 last night. Court records show 31-year-old Christie Noriega's BAC was .16 or higher. She's facing 2 counts of homicide, aggravated DUI and child abuse. .@koat7news pic.twitter.com/ykobYs2mBz Sasha Lenninger (@SashaKOAT) March 8, 2018 BREAKING: Officers have shutdown I25 just south of Bernalillo after a deadly wreck. Sandoval Co. Deputies say a driver was fixing their flat tire when another car slammed into them .@koat7news pic.twitter.com/0IXJegRGdR Sasha Lenninger (@SashaKOAT) March 7, 2018 Authorities closed the interstate highway for most of Tuesday night, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. The mens names were not released immediately because authorities were trying to notify their family members of the deaths. At the time of the crash, traffic was being diverted. Drivers are being diverted onto 313. Please slow down. Its going to take you longer to get home tonight. I25 will be closed until deputies are done with their investigation, Sasha Lenninger, a reporter for KOAT tweeted. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: Firefighter Going Over 100 mph Before Deadly Crash But Republicans now show signs of smartening up to one basic law of the jungle primary when too many candidates from one party run, they can splinter their supporters vote so much that none of them makes the runoff. Barely a week before the filing deadline for the June primary, one of the three significant GOP candidates for governor dropped out for the sake of party survival. That was former Sacramento-area Congressman Doug Ose, who entered the race late and never drew many campaign donations or decent poll numbers. Ose, like San Diego County businessman John Cox and Orange County Assemblyman Travis Allen, hoped to capture the bulk of the votes of Californias Republicans, who now total just one-fourth of those registered to vote. But he never got above 3 percent in the polls. If Allen and Cox split Oses meager support, both would still be running far behind Newsom and Villaraigosa, unlikely to advance to November. To field a fall candidate, the GOP probably needs one more of its hopefuls to drop out, the survivor presumably netting virtually all Republican votes and possibly pulling more currently undecided voters than any Democrat. An unlikely scenario. But at least the Republicans recognize the danger of having too many candidates for one office. 7-Month-Old Baby Found Dead After Alleged Kidnap by Father Oklahoma police called off an Amber Alert issued for a 7-month-old baby after he was found dead on Wednesday, March 7. The babys homeless father has been charged with his murder. Police were looking for Victor Manuel Minjarez, 31, who allegedly kidnapped his son, Jody Minjarez, in February. An Amber Alert was issued for Jody on the morning of March 7. By evening, police had located Minjarez at a residence in Oklahoma, where they also discovered Jodys body, said a press release. Minjarez was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains. Authorities said the incident began on Feb. 19 when police responded to a domestic violence call at Jodys mothers home in Norman. According to an earlier police statement, Minjarez allegedly violently attacked the babys mother and then fled the scene with Jody in a U-Haul pickup truck. Police said they were unable to locate Minjarez because he was homeless. However, they believed he may have been staying in the metro, a motel, or with a friend. On Feb. 23, an emergency Victim Protective Order was issued to the childs mother, which required the return of her 7-month-old. Five days later, the mother allegedly received a message from Minjarez through his friend that she would never see her son again, said the statement. UPDATE: The body of a child believed to be 7-month-old Jody Minjarez was located at the residence in OKC where 31YO Victor Minjarez was taken into custody. @OKCPD is the lead agency on these investigations as they occurred in their jurisdiction. Norman Police (@normanokpd) March 8, 2018 Based on this information, it is believed that 7-month-old Jody Minjarez is in imminent danger of bodily harm or death, the statement said. However, an Amber Alert was not issued until March 7, after police received evidence of further recent criminal behavior, according to the release. Police called off the Amber Alert later on Wednesday after they discovered Jodys body. The medical examiner is set to determine the babys cause of death. Minjarez is currently being held in Oklahoma City Jail. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: A Mother Shares the Story of Her Sons Heroin Overdose An Australian volunteer for the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, Sandeep Sarath, allegedly sent and financed by the Australian Labor Party, explains his actions in an undercover video from Project Veritas. (Screenshot, Project Veritas) Bernie Sanders Campaign May Face Criminal Investigation Over Australia Labor Party Collusion Australian taxpayers may have unwittingly and illegally funded the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, not only with donations but also with campaign workers who were deployed in several U.S. states to work for the Sanders campaign. Undercover videos released by guerrilla journalism organization Project Veritas show the Australian campaign workers explaining how they were financed and deployed by the Australian Labor Party. Additional footage shows the Australian campaign workers stealing Trump election signs from the yards of homes, and admitting on-record that their actions were illegal. The Project Veritas Action Fund requested the Justice Department to investigate the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign to determine, according to a press release, whether it and the Australian Labor Party conspired to defraud the U.S. government and allowed foreign national interference with U.S. elections.' The grounds for the investigation, it notes, are the possibilities that there was a conspiracy to defraud the United States government, and there were likely false statements to the United States government. Former Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives William OBrien also called for an investigation through the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorneys office in Concord, New Hampshire. OBrien noted in his letter, according to Project Veritas, that the investigation should look into additional potential criminal violations stemming from an apparent conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. He noted federal election law states, persons who knowingly and willfully engage in these activities may be subject to an FEC enforcement action, criminal prosecution or both. The Sanders campaign has already been fined by the Federal Election Commission for accepting $14,500 in prohibited foreign contributions for donations from the Australian Labor Party, after the donations were exposed by Project Veritas on Feb. 28. The allegations that the Sanders Campaign colluded with the Australian Labor Party hit close to the current investigations into whether Russia interfered with the 2016 elections. While its still unproven whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, there is video evidence of Australian nationals colluding with the Sanders campaign, and admitting their actions. Among the individuals shown in the undercover videos is Ben Kremer, admitting that he was among several sent from Australia to work for the Sanders campaign. Their operations included, Kremer said, Nevada, New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, and there is one more. Our undercover videos in the Sanders 2016 Campaign showed Australian nationals, paid for by the Australian Labor Party, explain their efforts to interfere in our election across multiple states. #ForeignCollusion Full Story: https://t.co/aVKkk9y258 pic.twitter.com/40hCMZyy7e James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) March 8, 2018 Kremer also states, It is awesome, like I couldnt afford to be here if they didnt pay for it, and acknowledges the money comes from Australian taxpayers. Another Australian volunteer for Sanders, Sandeep Sarath, explained it as like an exchange program, and said the Australian Labor Party sent us over. In another video, an Australian volunteer for Sanders, Rebecca Doyle, admitted her group of volunteers was coordinating with the Australian Labor Party. She states the local Sanders team was at least partially aware of their role. They knew we were coming, and they knew they had to give us a house, but not much else, she said. They thought we were only here for four days. She adds that the Australian Labor Party pay for our flights. They pay for the cost of accommodation, which is just the staff house, and then we also get $60 stipend a day. VIDEO: Australian Labor Party interfering with American elections. ALP paid for Australian nationals who worked for Bernie 2016 campaign. We have filed a criminal complaint with DOJ to further investigate #ForeignCollusion between ALP and Bernie 2016.https://t.co/0vwOYk6c39 pic.twitter.com/9sbtdrGOBM PVeritas Action (@PVeritas_Action) March 8, 2018 Doyle clarifies that the Australian Labor Party did not pay for the entire staff house, but just the cost of their accommodation, suggesting there was some coordination in payments with the local Bernie Sanders team. Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd, accompanied by Temporary Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, visits the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent in Salisbury, Britain on March 9, 2018. (Reuters/Peter Nicholls) British Interior Minister Visits Scene Where Russian Double Agent Collapsed SALISBURYBritains interior minister on Friday March 9 visited the scene where a Russian double agent was found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center after being poisoned in a nerve agent attack. Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital since they were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury. Home Secretary Amber Rudd visited the city on Friday, including the area around the benchnow covered by a police forensics tentwhere Skripal was found, according to a Reuters photographer at the scene. Britain has said it will respond appropriately if evidence shows Moscow was behind the nerve agent attack. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident and says anti-Russian hysteria is being whipped up by the British media. British experts have identified the substance, which will help identify the source, but the police have not made the information public. Both victims remain unconscious, in a critical but stable condition, while police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also harmed by the substance, remains in a serious condition though he can now speak. A total of 21 people had been treated in hospital following the incident, police said. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies. The attack has been likened in Britain to the assassination of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry said Litvinenkos murder had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy. Lugovoy is an ex-KGB bodyguard who later became a member of parliament. Both denied responsibility and Russia has refused to extradite them. Russias embassy in London declined immediate comment. Recommended Video: U.S. Imposes More North Korea Sanctions U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during their meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11, 2017. Canada has been granted a temporary exemption from U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images) Canada Said to Negate Belief It Is a Conduit for Chinese Steel, Aluminum Canadian Chamber of Commerce urges tough action on dumping Canada denied a belief within the Trump administration that Chinese steel and aluminum were entering the United States via Canada, according to the CBC. Yesterday, Canada was granted a temporary exemption from U.S. tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday to dissuade the U.S. leader from imposing tariffs and that Canada was not a conduit for the Chinese, according to the CBC citing a government source. Canada is the No. 1 seller of both products to the United States. China exports only a small amount of steel directly to the United States, but its massive production has driven down prices globally. Chinese steel exports to the United States have been dampened by prior anti-dumping duties, but the additional tariffs are seen to be further targeted at Beijing to continue to cut steel and aluminum production. Trump has spoken at length about the U.S. trade deficit with China. China is the second largest exporter of steel into Canada, according to the Global Steel Trade Monitor. Antidumping duties and countervailing duties are mechanisms used to address effects of unfair trade or problems associated with a surge in imports on domestic industries. As of Dec. 1, 2016, Canada had 14 trade remedies in effect against China and no more than five against any other country. Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Perrin Beatty expressed concern in a news release that these new U.S. tariffs will result in diversion of steel and aluminum from affected countries into Canada. The business group said the waiver of the tariffs should be made permanent and not be linked with the outcome of the NAFTA renegotiations. We encourage the Government of Canada to ensure that steel and aluminum are not dumped into Canada, and that the Canadian Border Security Agency is appropriately staffed, resourced and financed to deal with this issue, according to the Chambers press release. Trumps tariffs will start on 15 days from March 8. Recommended Video: How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers A petitioner is detained by police outside the Chaoyang Hospital where a group of people are protesting about medical and land grab issues in Beijing on May 8, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages) Could China Be Spending More on Stamping Out Dissent Than Funding Its Military? The Chinese Communist Party is playing a numbers game. On March 5, Chinas Ministry of Finance unveiled the countrys 2018 budget. Chinas military spending would get an 8.1 percent boost to 1.107 trillion yuan (about $175 billion), while public safety expenditures will grow 5.5 percent to over 191.91 billion yuan ($30 billion). Those expenses are known as stability maintenancethe oft-used Chinese term for the authorities efforts to crack down on dissent, from arresting petitioners who travel to Beijing to address their grievances, to detaining human rights activists and censoring opinions that criticize the Party. More often than catching criminals, police use advanced technology and other resources to surveil and catch dissidents. During major political meetings and other sensitive times, the authorities double down, in an effort to stamp out anything that sullies the Partys image. Just recently, as the Partys rubber-stamp legislature convened on March 5 for a two-week session to pass decisions made by the top leadership, Beijing has received a record number of petitioners, who report mass arrests and detention. The capital is under tight security as people are searched and questioned at major metro stations and thoroughfares. In previous years, China had consistently spent more money fighting its own citizens than building up its national defense. Prior to 2014, the Ministry of Finance published numbers for both central and local government spending. Based on those aggregate numbers, the budget for maintaining stability exceeded the military budget every year from 2011 to 2013. According to the state-affiliated newspaper Chinese Social Sciences Today, the total public safety expenses first exceeded military spending in 2009, at 601 billion yuan ($95 billion) compared to 514 billion yuan ($81 billion). The same trend followed from 2011 to 2013. The following year, the Ministry of Finance stopped including an appendix with local spending numbers. Since then, domestic security spending has remained opaque. Many observers believe the Chinese regime underreports its budget figures. In a recent interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA), Bruce Lui, senior lecturer in the journalism department of Hong Kong Baptist University, estimated that the real domestic security budget could total more than a trillion yuan ($158 billion)comparable to the newly announced military budget. Petitioners and human rights activists tell stories of how local authorities profit off arrests and harassment. Xu Qin of the China Human Rights Observer group told The Epoch Times in a September 2017 interview how police made money from monitoring herfrom spying on her phone calls to constantly following her. In some areas, there arent as many petitioners, so the local government will hype up the scope of the situation in order to request more monitoring expenses from the higher-ups, she said. In a March 6 RFA article, a petitioner from Jiangsu Province told the radio station about a relative of a local official, who established a security firm that profited from arresting petitioners. The official would request stability maintenance fees from Party authorities and split up the money with his relative. Another petitioner from Wuxi City explained how a local security firm promised 7,000 to 8,000 yuan (about $1,100 to $1,200) compensation for every petitioner taken into custody. One petitioner from Wuhan City explained that officials in his hometown collude with their friends and relatives to open security firms in Beijing. After a petitioner is arrested in Beijing, they earn a sum. When the petitioner is sent back to his or her hometown and detained, they earn another sum, forming a profit chain. Li Xi and Xiao Lusheng contributed to this report. Dog Refuses to Leave Hospital Where His Murdered Owner Died 4 Months Ago A dog whose owner was fatally stabbed has been waiting outside the hospital where his owner died for the last four months. The dog turned up at the Santa Casa de Novo Horizonte hospital in Brazil four months ago, according to local media reports. The dog had reportedly chased the ambulance that was taking his 59-year-old owner, a homeless man, to hospital. His owner had been in a fight and later died from his injuries. But the pet continues to wait for his owner on a rug outside the hospital reception, Brazils O Globo reported. Hospital staff gave the loyal dog food and water, and found a new owner in a local kennel who could take him in. However, the dog escaped the kennels that were three kilometers (1.8 miles) away, and returned to the hospital door, waiting for his owner to come back. The financial director of Santa Casahospital, Osvaldo Palota, described the animal as extremely tame, docile, and quiet. Over the entire four months, the dog never tried to enter the hospital. Local Cristine Sardella, a lawyer, was touched to learn about the dogs story and shared pictures of the faithful pet on Facebook. We have a lot to learn from animals, she wrote. This dog stays every day at the door of the Santa Casa de novo horizonte hospital waiting for its owner who unfortunately passed away. He may be waiting in vain, but the love he feels for his owner is eternal. In a similar touching case, a little dog refused to leave her later owners grave, two months after her owners death. The dog, called Deta, seems overcome with sadness as she curls up next to her 86-year-old owners memorial in Amersterdam city, New York state. The loyal pet refuses to leave, moving her new owner to tears. A loyal dog in Argentina stayed at his owners grave for over a decadesince January 2007. Local media reported the dog passed away in February. Recommended Video: Emotional Footage Shows Overjoyed Family After Being Reunited With Missing Dog Driver Killed by Trucks Wheel Hub Identified The driver killed by a semi trucks loose wheel hub in Jolliet, Illinois, has been identified as a pregnant mother of three. Thirty-eight-year-old mother Melinda Cullen died on Tuesday, March 6, while she was driving police said, according to CBS affiliate KCTV. At the time a truck driver was driving east on Interstate 80 when its wheel hub, (an automotive part inside a wheel) detached from its rear tractor axle. The loose part then crossed over into the westbound lanes and hit Cullens windshield. Pregnant woman killed after wheel hub hits windshield https://t.co/9iG3UM8Wvr WGN TV News (@WGNNews) March 8, 2018 She was rushed to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Her unborn son, Jaxson Cash Cullen, was also killed in the crash, according to her obituary. Cullen was due to give birth in just 10 days, ABC 7 Chicago reported. The truck driver, Antanas Sereiva, 59, was charged with a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act violation for unsafe equipment, officials said, according to KCTV. Cullens parents-in-law said they last saw her on Sunday. We would give anything to not see this happened, Charles Cullen told ABC 7 Chicago. We just lost so much. A witness to the scene said the loose tire directly hit Cullens car. First thing I thought of was that could happen to anyone at any time, witness Rob Bishop told ABC 7 Chicago. And that poor person in that vehicle probably never saw it comingThere was two state police officers next to it and there was a pretty big gaping hole in the windshield right in front of where the drivers face would have been. Cullen is survived by her husband Dave Cullen and their three daughters aged 8, 5, and 15-months old. You dont expect something like this here, how it happened. She was just in that place at that time. I sat up last night wondering if she would have been five minutes or 3 minutes, one way or the other, they would missed it, Charles Cullen said. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: Firefighter Going Over 100 mph Before Deadly Crash The RCMP have a 19-year-old man in custody after an elderly woman in Brag Creek, Alberta, was attacked with a sword on March 9, 2018. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Viktor Pivovarov/Google Maps) Elderly Woman Attacked With Sword Near Calgary An elderly woman in a hamlet southwest of Calgary was taken to hospital after being attacked by a man wielding a sword, local media report. Police were called to a home in Brag Creek, Alberta, in the early hours of Thursday morning after a 19-year-old man living in the same home allegedly attacked the elderly woman, CBC News reports. The woman, whom neighbours identified to CTV News to be Elaine Rath, was taken to a hospital in Calgary in serious condition, but her condition has since been upgraded to stable. Police say the suspect and the victim were known to each other. The RCMP currently have the suspect in custody, and the investigation is ongoing. There is no concern for public safety, police say. Heres the latest from #BraggCreek where a woman in her 70s was assaulted inside a home early this morning by a 19-year-old man with a sword @CTVMorningYYC @CTVCalgary #yyc pic.twitter.com/dEOp3rzPas Mark Villani (@CTVMarkVillani) March 9, 2018 According to Global News, a neighbour who wished to remain anonymous says that the 78-year-old Rath lived with her 19-year-old grandson in the home, and that they were always feuding. According to the neighbour, yelling could be heard from the home regularly, and that the grandson made knives in his spare time. Police are not confirming any of the details at this point, and have not identified the suspect or the victim. Brag Creek is located around 45 kilometres southwest of Calgary. Recommended Video: How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers Ex-Boyfriend Charged After Allegedly Setting Fire to Womans Body in a Field An Arizona man has been arrested after police found a significantly burned body believed to be a 21-year-old mother who was reported missing this week. Police said the body, tentatively identified as Jasmine Dunbar, was found on Wednesday afternoon in a field near 107th Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix. The young mother was reported missing on Tuesday evening, March 6, after her 7-month-old daughter was found abandoned in a car seat that had been left on the side of the road, reported azcentral.com citing court records. Along with the baby, police found an adult shoe, diaper bag, backpack and wallet containing Dunbars ID. Dunbar was last seen with her ex-boyfriend Antwaun Travon Ware, 20, on Tuesday night. Family members told ABC15 the 21-year-old was going out with Ware and her 7-month old baby at around 7:30 p.m. so that Ware could take a paternity test. According to court records, officers went to Wares home at around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday after Dunbar was reported missing. Initially, he told police he had picked up the mother and daughter on Tuesday evening but dropped her back off at the apartment after they had a disagreement. However, Ware changed his story and told police that he had a physical altercation with Dunbar where he punched her multiple times and left her in a field near 107th Avenue and Camelback Road. He claims Dunbar was still alive at that time, reported 12news. Ware then drove away with the 7-month-old still in the car but panicked and dropped the baby in another area so that someone would find the infant and take care of her, court documents read. Police allege that Ware returned to the field where he left Dunbar and found her dead. He then placed a piece of paper on her body, poured gasoline over her and lit her on fire with a cigarette. Ware then stayed to watch the body burn until the flames stopped, reported the news station, citing court documents. Police believe Ware then returned to the location where he abandoned the baby but noticed that police were already with the baby. He then fled in another direction in order to avoid the police. The 20-year-old was booked into Maricopa County jail on Thursday, March 8, on suspicion of first-degree murder and several other charges including abandoning a body and child abuse. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: A Mother Shares the Story of Her Sons Heroin Overdose Florida Governor Rick Scott will have the Sunshine Protection Act, on his desk soon. Here the Governor speaks at the White House, Feb. 26, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Florida Votes for Permanent Daylight Saving Time Tired of setting your clocks ahead one hour? Floridians might not have to, ever again. Floridas Senate voted 322 to extend Daylight Saving Time (DST) year round, following a similar vote to extend by the Florida House, 10311, on Feb. 14, CNN reported. Florida lawmakers explained their actions by sharing anecdotes about the problems that Spring Ahead can cause. Senate Greg Steube, a sponsor of the bill, said he overhead his constituents complaining about DST. Senator Steube told the Senate Community Affairs Committee, One of the barbers had young children and it had such a negative impact every time they set their clocks back [that they had trouble] getting their kids up for school, the Miami Herald reported. Ive heard from mayors across the state that its going to save them money because they dont have to light their softball fields at night, he said. I cant tell you how many people have come up to me who have said even my high school age kid, its hard to get him up in the morning when we fall back the clocks. The Sunshine Protection Act, is headed for the desk of Governor Rick Scott next, but even if he signs it, that wont be enough. Congress would need to approve the change because right now DST is federal law. Why Spring Ahead? Daylight Savings was instituted by Germany during the First World War to save energyprobably so there would be more coal for the war effort. The United States started its own program in March, 1918, but it only lasted until the end of the war in November the same year. The idea was universally disliked and roundly rejected. The United States resumed Daylight Saving Time (DST) during World War II and again dropped it when the war ended. Some states kept it, and some counties in some states kept it. The patchwork of time zones upset interstate businesses, so in 1966, the Federal government published the Uniform Time Act, which is currently overseen by the Department of Transportation. Arizona and Michigan originally opted out, but Michigan later joined in 1972. Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands have all sought and received exemptions. All these regions, like Florida, are close enough to the equator that they get more than enough sunlight year round, so the problems caused by biannual adjustments outweigh any potential gain. Downsides of DST Daylight Saving Time was initially enacted to save energy. However, it seems to be ineffective nowadays. A 2008 Department of Energy study found that energy saved as a result of DST is a minuscule 0.03 percent. That same year the University of California-Santa Barbara published a study showing that DST might actually increase energy usage. The New England Journal of Medicine published a report showing that DST might actually be harmful, because it disrupts sleep patterns. Major disasters, including the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger, have been linked to insufficient sleep, disrupted circadian rhythms, or both on the part of involved supervisors and staff, the article stated. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: GoPro Dropped Down Deep Well to Check Out Reports of Limestone Caves Thats not the same thing, said organizer Cat Brooks, with the Anti Police-Terror Project, interrupting Raburn as he spoke. No! she stood up and shouted from the audience, telling the directors that they arent doing another piece of business until meeting the groups demand that Tindle be put on an upcoming agenda. After a moment of uproar from the crowd packed into the board chambers, director Lateefah Simon spoke, saying that as a black woman and a mother she felt she had a responsibility to move this process forward in the interest of justice for Tindles family. She moved to have an update on the investigation into Tindles death added to the agenda for the next meeting, and that motion was seconded by director Bevan Dufty. Brooks called that a victory, brought about as a result of community pressure. They were really clear that we shut the BART meeting last time, and that we were going to continue to shut it down, Brooks said. I think there was a clear message that we were upping the ante next time if he wasnt on the agenda. Brooks said the APTPs next goal will be to ensure that Mateu loses his job, then push to disarm the BART Police Department. This question remains of why BART police officers have guns, Brooks said. They dont need the guns, and every time we see them engage with the guns from Nate Greer to Oscar Grant to Shaleem Tindle a community member is killed. Group of Scamming Mums Accused of Shoplifting and Claiming Free Meals A group of women described as Irish mums is accused of scamming restaurants and businesses across Queensland, Australia. Details have emerged about a group of mums who carry designer handbags, have broad Irish accents and are often seen with young children around them. New security footage has captured these women allegedly engaging in theft, with business and restaurant owners around Queensland accusing them of fraud. On one occasion, the women were caught on camera during an attempted shoplifting spree. The footage shows one of the women, armed with a huge handbag, placing one item in her shopping basket while placing another item in her handbag, When a staff member approaches, she panics and starts removing the items from her bag back into the shopping basket. According to the news station, it is believed the women stole about $150 worth of items from the small supermarket. Its already so tough for small business owners, let alone these extra losses, the National Retail Associations Lyneta Darlington told 7News. On another occasion in late January, two women pushing prams with two small children were caught on camera suspected of stealing a pair of shoes at a high-end Chanel boutique, reported 7News. However, it is unclear whether these two women are the same suspects linked to the group in question. The group has also been targeting restaurants by putting pieces of glass into their meals in a bid to claim a free meal. According to restaurant owner Marie Yokoyama, a group of Irish girls showed up at her restaurant with four children who she described were unbelievably rude. They came in and totally destroyed the restaurant, Yokoyama said on her Facebook post on March 6. During their meal, one of the women started screaming and claimed that there was a piece of glass in her meal. She then demanded the restaurant owner that their meal should be free of charge. Halfway through the meal one lady started screaming that their [sic] was glass in her meal and that her mouth was bleeding. I believed her and then asked to see the glass, Yokoyama said. Upon inspection, I knew that this had not come from our restaurant but they were relentless. We dont have any thick glass of this sort in the restaurant. I was so scared and terrified of them that I made their meals and drinks free around 180 dollars value, she added. A number of social media users replied to Yokoyamas post saying that they have also encountered a similar situation with the same suspects. One user, Carmen Hartwich, even managed to produce a photo of the suspects, which Yokoyama confirmed as the group. Hartwich said the photo was posted on a Brisbane hospitality forum on Friday, March 2, after a similar incident occurred at another restaurant. Shael Dawson, the manager of a pawn shop in Brisbane, said the women have frequented his shop on numerous occasions. They come in, theyre very pushy, theyre very full on [with] two prams, four kids, Dawson told 7 News. Police are now looking for this group of women and investigating whether they have links to a man who was recently arrested over a similar scam, reported 7News. After checks with Interpol, it is revealed the man has a history of fraud back in Ireland, according to the news station. If you have any information, you are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report anonymously online. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: Kangaroo Attacks Cyclist Hunters Donate 290,000 Pounds of Venison to Feed the Hungry Thousands of Missouri deer hunters donated 289,292 pounds of venison to feed the hungry as part of the states program. Nearly 5,600 whole deer were part of the donations, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The program, called Share the Harvest, has continued annually since 1992. In the first year, about 3,000 pounds of venison were donated. Since then, the total of all donations rose to 4 million pounds. This season saw a significant jump from the last years, when 198,277 pounds of venison were donated. Over 100 meat processors helped grind the meat into ready-to-use packages. The packages are given to local food banks and food pantries that distribute it to needy Missourians. Hunters started Share the Harvest because they saw a need in their communities, said MDC Director Sara Pauley in a release. And hunters remain the driving force behind this popular program that helps feed our fellow Missourians who are in need. We sincerely thank the thousands of deer hunters who support Share the Harvest, along with the many participating meat processors and sponsors. To participate in the program, hunters take their deer to an approved meat processor and say how much they want to donate. Thanks to sponsors, the hunters may not have to pay processing fees, or they may be charged less if processing funds are available and they donate a whole deer. Be sure to contact individual processors to determine if funds are available, MDC suggests. The program only accepts venison from white-tailed deer legally taken in Missouri. Over 260,000 deer have been killed by Missouri hunters during the 2016-2017 season, according to MDC. It represented a slight decrease compared to the previous season. Recommended Video: Huge Crocodile Snags Fishermans Catch at Last Moment South Korea's national security chief Chung Eui-yong briefs U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office about his visit to North Korea, in Washington March 8, 2018. (The Presidential Blue House/Yonhap via Reuters) Trump Says He Will Meet With North Korea After Kim Promises to Denuclearize SEOUL/WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first U.S.-North Korea summit, marking a potentially dramatic breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. Kim has committed to denuclearization and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, South Koreas National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong told reporters at the White House on Thursday after briefing Trump on a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim earlier this week. I told him (Trump) that in our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that hes committed to denuclearization, Chung said. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. She added: We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. .@POTUS greatly appreciates the nice words of the S. Korean delegation & Pres Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet w/ Kim Jong Un at a place & time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of NK. In the meantime all sanctions & maximum pressure must remain Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) March 9, 2018 Chung said Kim had expressed eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. Trump has now agreed to meet with Kim by May. Asian stock markets responded positively to the news, with Japans Nikkei climbing 2.3 percent. South Korean stocks were enjoying their best day since May, up 1.8 percent, while the dollar rose against the safe-haven Japanese yen. Kim Also Promises No Missile Tests I told him (Trump) that in our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that hes committed to denuclearization, Chung said. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible, he said. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve denuclearization. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Trump said on Twitter on Thursday night. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2018 A meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged insults that had raised fear of war, would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of tests aimed at developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. Trumps aides have been wary of North Koreas diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments and the failure of efforts on disarmament by the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. South Koreans responded positively to the news, with online comments congratulating President Moon Jae-In for his role in the Trump-Kim talks. Some even suggested Moon should receive the Nobel Peace award, although scepticism over previous failed talks remained. North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a ceasefire, not a truce. It Made Sense Daniel Russel, until last April the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, the most senior U.S. diplomatic position for Asia, said he wanted to see detail and hear from North Korea on the plans. Also remember that (North Korea) has for many years proposed that the president of the United States personally engage with North Koreas leaders as an equal one nuclear power to another, he said. What is new isnt the proposal, its the response. A senior administration official told Reuters Trump had agreed to the meeting because it made sense to accept an invitation to meet with the one person who can actually make decisions instead of repeating the sort of long slog of the past. President Trump has made his reputation on making deals, the official said. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Trumps firm stance on North Korea gave the best hope in decades to resolve the threat peacefully. A word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un the worst possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him, Graham said on Twitter. If you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime. Joint Military Exercise In what would be a key North Korean concession, Chung said Kim understood that routine joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States must continue. Pyongyang had previously demanded that such joint drills be suspended in order for any U.S. talks to go forward. Trump has derided the North Korean leader as a maniac, referred to him as little rocket man, and threatened in a speech to the United Nations last year to totally destroy the Kim regime if it attacked the United States or one of its allies. Kim responded by calling the U.S. president a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. Tensions over North Korea rose to their highest in years in 2017 and the Trump administration has warned that all options are on the table, including military ones, in dealing with Pyongyang, which has pursued its weapons programs in defiance of ever tougher U.N. sanctions. Signs of a thaw emerged this year, with North and South Korea resuming talks and North Korea attending the Winter Olympics. During the Pyongyang talks this week, the two Koreas agreed on a summit in late April, their first since 2007. Japan, however, remained cautious. Japan and the United States will not waver in its firm stance that they will continue to put maximum pressure until North Korea takes concrete action towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible end to nuclear missile development, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo. South Koreas Moon has said sanctions should not be eased for the sake of talks and nothing less than denuclearization of North Korea should be the final goal for talks. By Christine Kim and Steve Holland Recommended Video: U.S. Imposes More North Korea Sanctions Racial Privilege Campaigns at 2 Canadian Schools Spark Controversy A campaign to raise awareness about racial privilege at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) has drawn such a barrage of online derision that posters put up around campus have been removed. A similar campaign at a school district in British Columbia has sparked criticism from parents, who also want the posters taken down. The posters at UOIT showed a list of privileges such as Christian, Male, White, Heterosexual Cisgender, and Native English Speaker with tick boxes next to them. The posters define privilege as unearned access to social power based on membership in a dominant social group. The posters encouraged students to attend a RISE (Respecting Individuals and Supporting Equity) workshop to learn more about fostering an equitable campus community. The reaction on UOITs social media was swift, with some calling the campaign racist or divisive. This is actually hate speech by definition. It defines certain groups of people and blames them for the ills of society, one critic said, adding that the campaign only serves to further divide people. It is targeted and goes specifically against the actual ideas behind equality and inclusiveness. Another commenter said: If the above are all features of privilege that need to be checked for a safer and more equitable campus, and attendees of the RISE workshops will learn bystander intervention to promote safety and equity and since, last I checked, UOIT doesnt have any white supremacists etc. running around, just what sorts of crimes/aggressions will trainees be responding to?? Being white? Speaking English? Sharing your Christian faith? These posters are offensive and discriminatory towards anybody who feels in any way a part of these social, racial, sexual or physical groups mentioned, Blake Doan wrote. John MacMillan, UOITs director of communications, told Durhamregion.com that there was no official directive to remove the posters and he couldnt comment on what happened to them. He said the campaign aims to improve equity, diversity and inclusion on campus and are part of ongoing initiatives at universities across Canada. Because something is a difficult conversation doesnt mean that we should avoid it, MacMillan said. In some ways, the fact that people are discussing this speaks to what universities are all about, that we encourage this kind of discussion around these kinds of issues. The UOIT Office of Student Life is planning to hold a discussion event to gather feedback on the posters, Durhamregion.com reported. Meanwhile, School District 74 in B.C., which covers several communities in the Interior, put up posters aiming to address racism and white privilege with phrases such as Got Privilege? and If you dont have to think about it, its a privilege. Some of the posters feature school administration staff noting their own experience with privilege or racism. One poster shows an image of superintendent Teresa Downs next to a quote reading, I have unfairly benefitted from the colour of my skin. White privilege is not acceptable. In another, district principal of Aboriginal education Tammy Mountain appears beside a quote saying, I have felt racism. Have you? But the campaign is raising concern among parents. Id say 95 percent of the people are in favour of having the posters taken down, and thats from all races, Kansas Field Allen told CBC News. Field Allen said when she heard about the posters, she was shocked. She posted photos of the posters that her son had taken on social media to seek the opinion of other parents. Downs said the campaign is based on a City of Saskatoon anti-racism billboard campaign. We were quite inspired and interested in the work they had done, she told CBC. We were also very aware of some information we had from [students] in our school district around some of the racism and prejudice and bias that they were facing, both in their schools and also in the community. Field Allen noted that parents werent notified about the campaign and it wasnt made public before the posters went up. They could have handled it in a lot better way than they did, she said. Although there are no plans to take the campaign to social media, Downs said, the district is offering to talk with parents about it. We do understand that this is a discussion about race and privilege, and it can make some people uncomfortable. Recommended Video: How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers H.R. McMaster, national security adviser to the president, at the White House in Washington on March 6, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) This Week in Fake News: False Reporting That H.R. McMaster Will be Fired NBC News Misreports White House Preparing for McMaster Exit NBC News reported on March 1 in an exclusive report that the White House is making preparations to replace National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster as early as next month. The sources for the article are described as five people familiar with the discussions. The White House, however, denied that there are plans to fire McMaster and instead said President Donald Trump is pleased with his performance. General McMaster is not going anywhere. As the president said yesterday, in the Oval Office to a number of the people, he thinks he is doing a great job and glad he is here, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. This is not the first time that NBC News misreported on senior Trump officials. NBC News claimed in an article published in October last year, that Vice President Mike Pence had to convince Tillerson to stay on after he was allegedly upset over a speech Trump had given to the Boy Scouts. Tillerson strongly denied the claims saying: I have answered that question repeatedly, for some reason it continues to be misreported. New York Times Wins Prestigious Award in Part on Inaccurate Reporting The New York Times was awarded the prestigious George Polk award for its reporting on the Russia investigations. A list of the articles that The New York Times won the award for, obtained by The Washington Times, revealed that it includes an article described as almost entirely wrong by former FBI Director James Comey. Speaking under oath before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on June 8, 2017, Comey had discredited the Feb. 15 front-page story, which claimed that members of Trumps 2016 presidential campaign had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. At the hearing, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) pressed Comey on the piece from The New York Times, asking, Would it be fair to characterize that story as almost entirely wrong?, to which Comey replied, Yes. All of you know this. Maybe the American people dont, Comey said, addressing the Senate committee. He said when it comes to reporters writing stories about classified information, people talking about it often dont really know whats going on. He said there have been many stories about the Russia investigations that are just dead wrong. Major Networks Coverage of Trump 91 Percent Negative Research by the Media Research Center shows that 91 percent of coverage of President Donald Trump by the ABC, CBS, and NBC evening newscasts in January and February were negative. According to the research, only 9 percent of statements made about Trump in the broadcasts were positive. The study includes all 505 evening news stories that mentioned Trump or his administration. The research also shows that 24 percent of the broadcast time was dedicated to the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections by special counsel Robert Mueller. The topic received over twice the amount of airtime compared to the second most covered topic during the surveyed time period, which was the debate over immigration policy. A previous Media Research Center analysis of the whole year of 2017 showed that 90 percent of all coverage of Trump by the major networks was negative. U.S. President Donald Trump and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn affirm their support for each other at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, on Jan. 6, 2018. (Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images) Trump Calls Outgoing Economic Adviser a Globalist Who Loves His Country President Donald Trump shared an unfiltered description of outgoing Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn at his last cabinet meeting on Thursday. He may be a globalist, but I still like him. Hes seriously a globalist, Trump said. Theres no question. You know what? In his own way, hes a nationalist because he loves his country. Cohn announced his resignation earlier this week after publicly disagreeing with Trumps decision to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Thank you, sir, Cohn, who was seated near Trump, replied. Globalists advocate for free trade and open borders, among a host of other issues that prioritize global interests over an agenda of a given nation. Hes going to go out and make another couple of hundred million, and then hes going to maybe come back, Trump added. I have a feeling youll be back. I dont know if I can put him in that same position, though. Hes not quite as strong on those tariffs as we want him to be. Cohn opposed the tariffs and lobbied Trump to reverse course. Trump didnt back down and is set to sign the tariffs into law on Thursday. The order leaves out Canada and Mexico but applies to every other nation, according to the White House. Trump mentioned the possibility of tariffs on the campaign trail. As a candidate, he campaigned on a promise to bring back American jobs and place American interests first on the international stage, a sharp departure from the policies of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Trump praised Cohn for contributing to the passage of comprehensive tax reform. The bill slashed taxes for 90 percent of working Americans and reduced the tax burden for businesses across the board. Cohn helped a lot on tax cuts, its been so great, Trump said. Dems dont know what to do. The tax cuts have already inspired more than 400 companies, including Apple, Jet Blue, and American Express, to issue cash bonuses, pay increases, and other tax-cut based rewards to over 4 million workers, according to Americans for Tax Reform. No Democrats voted for the measure. Cohn has served in the Trump administration since the president was inaugurated in January last year. He was second-in-command at Goldman Sachs before Trump offered him the job in December of 2016. It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform, Cohn said in a statement on his resignation. I am grateful to the president for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the administration great success in the future. From NTD.tv Recommended Video: President Trumps First State of the Union Address Specialist officers in protective suits secure the police forensic tent which is covering the bench where Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill on March 4 and were taken to hospital sparking a major incident in Salisbury Wiltshire, England on March 8, 2018. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images) Twenty-One People Treated in Aftermath of Former Russian Spy Poisoning A total of twenty-one people have been treated after a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent in the UK, Sky News reports. On Sunday, March 4, Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious slumped on a bench, vomiting and fitting in Salisbury, England after reportedly being poisoned with a very rare nerve agent. The two remain in a critical condition in quarantine in a hospital. One of the first responders, officer Nick Bailey, also fell ill after treating the victims. He was taken to intensive care, where currently he is in a serious but stable condition. Another eighteen people, including members of the public, police officers, and emergency service workers, received treatment as a result of the nerve agent attack, reported Sky News. First video released: Poisoned ex-spy's daughter Yulia enjoying a trip to Munich #skynews pic.twitter.com/zP4ChZVJoY Bethany Minelle (@Bethanyminelle) March 8, 2018 Multiple people have been treated, around 21 people, including the man and the woman found on the bench, said acting chief constable of Wiltshire Police, Kier Pritchard. A number of those have been through the hospital treatment process, they are having blood-tests, support and advice. Pritchard said Skripal, Yulia, and Bailey are the only ones currently in hospital. The attack is being treated as an attempted murder. However, critical details about the crime remain unclear, including who administered the poison, their motive, and how it was carried out. Addressing lawmakers, Amber Rudd from British Home Secretary labelled the attack an outrageous crime, adding that the government will act without hesitation as the facts become clearer. The use of a nerve agent on UK soil is a brazen and reckless act. This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way. she said. The investigation now involves hundreds of officers following every possible lead to find those responsible. Rudd declined to comment on whether Russia might have been involved in the incident, stating that police investigations should be based on facts, not rumor, reported the BBC. Russia has denied involvement in the attack. According to the BBC, it may take weeks before the government can comment if there was any Russian involvement. Nerve agents are a class of highly toxic chemicals that disrupt the messaging between the brain and the body. They stop the nervous system working and shut down bodily functions. The unidentified nerve agent used on the pair has been described as very rare, and only a few laboratories around the world have the capability for its production, reported Sky News. Two experts told Sky News that they believed this was a professional hit. Skripal was granted refuge by the British in a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport in 2010 . He was one of four prisoners Moscow agreed to release in exchange for 10 Russian spies arrested by the FBI, reported BBC. Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested Skripal in 2004 on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to the British MI6 foreign intelligence agency. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial. Recommended Video: U.S. Imposes More North Korea Sanctions Perhaps One of the Most Riveting & Timely Films Currently Available to Watch US Bans Government Employees From Travel to Mexican Beach Resort MEXICO CITYCiting a new security threat in Mexicos Caribbean beach resort of Playa del Carmen, the U.S. government is prohibiting its employees from traveling there, marking another blow to the battered reputations of the countrys most popular tourist hubs. The U.S. travel ban was issued late on Wednesday and was later cited by the Canadian government in its own warning. While the travel ban only applies to government employees, the U.S. Embassy said Americans should consider the security threat, which it did not specify, before traveling to the area. Playa del Carmen is located about 46 miles south of Mexicos top beach destination, Cancun, part of a long strip of white sand beach-front resorts that attracts international tourists. Late last month, an explosion on a ferry docked at a Playa del Carmen pier injured 25, including several U.S. citizens. TRAVEL WARNING: State Dept. issues travel warning advising Americans to avoid Playa del Carmen, Mexico this spring break after an explosion on a ferry. pic.twitter.com/WsOh2XWlAg Nina Harrelson ? (@NinaHarrelsonTV) March 9, 2018 The blast was caused by an explosive device, according to a U.S. embassy statement earlier this month. Local media reported that two other similar devices were later found attached to another ferry on the nearby island of Cozumel, also a major tourist draw, but neither detonated. Both federal and state officials continue to investigate the incidents. The U.S. State Department has previously advised travelers to avoid five Mexican states due to soaring crime #Urgente ? Se reportan lesionados graves tras #explosion de un ferri de #BarcosCaribe en un muelle fiscal de #PlayadelCarmen [? video]. (En un momento mas informacion). pic.twitter.com/Gepfwu6eCb Luces del Siglo (@lucesdelsiglo) February 21, 2018 Mexicos long-running battle against drug cartels has in recent years bled into its iconic tourist destinations, including the once-glamorous Pacific beach resort of Acapulco and most recently Los Cabos on the southern tip of Baja California, both of which have seen murder rates jump sharply. Recommended Video: Texas Sheriff Talks About Why Sanctuaries Dont Help Public Safety For months now, Republicans have been searching for a way to discredit special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigation of the Russia scandal. One way they've done so is by alleging that the Justice Department and the FBI are the locus of an anti-Trump and pro-Clinton conspiracy. To prove this, they've seized upon (among other things) the case of Uranium One, another Clinton faux scandal that never came to anything, because there was no wrongdoing on Hillary Clinton's part to uncover. Republicans - including President Donald Trump - have charged that law enforcement overlooked the scandal during the Obama years, and have recently been trying to get Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appoint a second special counsel to look into it. But a document released Thursday by Democrats on three congressional committees pretty much demolishes the case they've been trying to make for that second special counsel. Uranium One was a mining company bought in 2010 by the Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom. That sale had to be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is made up of the heads of nine executive branch agencies, including the State Department. This frame grab from 2008 video footage shows Maulana Fazlullah, newly appointed chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), speaking with local journalists in the Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) US Offers $5 Million Bounty for Pakistani Taliban Leader WASHINGTONThe United States on Thursday said it was offering a $5 million reward for information on Mullah Fazlullah, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban group that has waged a decade-long insurgency in the South Asian nation. The offer came amid worsening U.S.-Pakistan relations, and coincided with a visit to Washington by Pakistans foreign secretary for talks expected to focus on boosting counter-terrorism cooperation and the U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan. Although Pakistani Taliban terrorists still unleash attacks, the group has lost control of all territory in Pakistan since its Dec. 2014 attack on an army school that killed 132 children. The U.S. State Department also offered rewards of $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali, the head of a Pakistani Taliban affiliate, and Mangal Bagh, the leader of an allied Pakistani insurgent group accused of attacking NATO convoys. Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals, the department said in a statement. Pakistans Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington and Kabul accuse Pakistan of harboring Afghan Taliban and fighters of the allied Haqqani network, which Islamabad denies. Islamabad says the Pakistani Taliban maintain sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended security assistance of around $2 billion to Pakistan, saying it had failed to crack down on the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network. The three Taliban leaders pose threats to Pakistan, as well as U.S.-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, the State Department said in its statement. The Pakistani Taliban, whose Urdu name is Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, has also threatened attacks against the U.S. homeland, it said. The group claimed responsibility for a failed May 2010 bomb attack in New York Citys Times Square. In Oct 2012, its fighters also shot Malala Yousafzai, then an 11-year-old who advocated education for girls. She received the Nobel peace prize in 2014. Wali leads a TTP affiliate called Jamaat ul-Ahrar, which has attacked civilians, religious minorities, military and law enforcement officials and killed two local employees of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar in March 2016, the State Department said. Mangal Bagh leads Lashkar-i-Islam, a TTP ally involved in drug trafficking, smuggling and extorting taxes on trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the department added. The group has also attacked NATO supply convoys between Afghanistan and Pakistans southern port of Karachi, it said. On Wednesday, a suspected U.S. drone strike on a training camp in a remote part of Afghanistan killed more than 20 Pakistani Taliban terrorists preparing to launch suicide attacks in Pakistan. Recommended Video: President Trumps First State of the Union Address U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a proclamation during a White House ceremony to establish tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum at the White House in Washington on March 8, 2018. (Reuters/Leah Millis) US Steel, Aluminum Tariffs Exempt Canada, Mexico U.S. President Donald Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will start in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico and the possibility of alternatives for other countries, a senior U.S. administration official said on Thursday. The tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, proclaimed by Trump on Thursday during an event at the White House, appear to soften what the U.S. president billed last week as a global, no-exceptions move to protect the two industries under a 1962 national security trade law. Trumps sudden push for the tariffs last week triggered fears of a global trade war and rattled financial markets. U.S. stocks pared gains on Thursday after the administration officials comments. The official told reporters the tariff proclamations will allow other countries to discuss with the administration alternative ways to address the national security threat caused by their steel and aluminum exports to the United States, the official said. Asked whether these would include voluntary export restraints, the official did not provide specifics, saying only that the order could be flexibly modified. The tariff plan has angered U.S. allies, including Canada, Mexico, Britain and members of the European Union, who argue that their exports to the United States do not pose a threat to U.S. national security. Some, including the EU, have threatened retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products such as bourbon whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The exemptions for Canada and Mexico would start immediately with an unspecified duration. Their continuation depends partly on progress in negotiations to modernize NAFTA, the official said. He added that NAFTA was an important part of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico security relationship. But the official said that with any alternative remedies, it was important to maintain the target for increasing steel and aluminum industry capacity utilization, which could result in higher tariffs for other countries. The wonderfully flexible document is designed to accommodate U.S. security relationships with other countries and provide ironclad protections for the industry, he said. Recommended Video: How Doctors in China Turn into Murderers Amazon is officially changing the home selling game. Apart from delivering everything from liquor to laundry materials to food, the company is now selling a prefabricated tiny home, which they can deliver straight to your door. SO INSPIRING: Texas tiny home for sale just the start of one man's incredible dream According to the Amazon listing, the 320 square foot shipping-container "house" was manufactured by MODS International and is a fully-furnished including a bedroom, shower, toilet, kitchenette, living area, heating and air conditioning, and more. The MODS International company got its start after the president, Doug Larson was working to assist New Orleanians after Hurricane Katrina. According to the website, the construction crews were living in motorhomes during the rebuilding efforts, and when he returned home he noticed a shipping container that was about the same size and shape as the RVs they'd been living in. Shortly after, he began building temporary homes inside the containers and MODS was born. The MODS 40-foot tiny house is listed for $36,000, plus about another $3,800 for shipping, but if you're looking to downsize this could be a great choice (and you don't even have to pick it up). Take a look through the gallery above to see other cool tiny houses. Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli. A military veteran who had been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder burst into a veterans home in the North Bay town of Yountville on Friday with a rifle, killed three women connected with the treatment program and then killed himself, authorities and program officials said. Law enforcement officers found the bodies of the victims and the killer at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville shortly before 6 p.m., more than seven hours after the incident began, said Chris Childs, an assistant chief of the California Highway Patrol. Authorities had earlier said the gunman was holding staff members of the Pathway Home, a program on the Veterans Home campus that had been treating him for PTSD until he was asked to leave several days ago. One of those killed was the programs executive director, Christine Loeber, the Pathway Home said in a statement. Also killed were Dr. Jen Golick, a therapist with the program, and Dr. Jennifer Gonzales, a psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Francisco, the statement said. The CHP did not release the killers name, but a knowledgeable source identified him as Albert Wong. The source said he and the three victims were shot to death. The tragedy began around 10:30 a.m. when the gunman walked into a staff meeting of Pathway Home, a program that treats combat veterans for PTSD. State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, whose district includes the center, said the man had been asked to leave several days ago, for unknown reasons. The gunman exchanged fire with a Napa County sheriffs deputy, whom Childs credited with preventing the killer from finding other victims. The deputy was unharmed. Some witnesses said 20 or more shots were fired. The gunman took the three women hostage, along with two additional unidentified people whom he released a short time later. The gunman then barricaded himself with the hostages inside a room in one of the buildings on the 9,000-acre Veterans Home campus, located about 10 miles north of Napa. It was there that authorities found the bodies of the victims and killer just before 6 p.m. It was not immediately known when they died. The discovery came after fruitless hours of trying to contact the man, said Napa County Sheriff John Robertson. We do know who he is, Robertson said at an afternoon news conference. Weve been trying to contact him by his own cell phone and phones in the (Veterans Home) dormitory. Childs said the killers phone was found inside his parked rental car near the site of the hostage taking. Authorities checked the car for explosives after a bomb-sniffing police dog signaled that they may be present. None was found. Dodd said the killer was a war veteran who had entered the Pathway Home program last year. The Pathway Home has focused in recent years on post-9/11 veterans from California, many of whom transition to higher education to pursue studies at Napa Valley College, Santa Rosa Junior College and elsewhere. It was a setting of the 2017 fictional movie Thank You for Your Service, about a Marine platoon leader with PTSD. Loeber, 48, a social worker with her masters from Boston College, worked at Department of Veterans Affairs clinics in San Francisco and Menlo Park before coming to the Pathway Home. In an interview with The Chronicle when the movie came out, Loeber said, When these people are in combat, their systems are programmed to keep them alive under incredibly stressful situations. Nobody helps them understand that when they get back they have to reprogram their nervous system to operate at a different caliber so they can be successful civilians. According to her Linked In page, Golick was clinical director at the Pathway Home. She described herself as a licensed marriage family therapist with more than 16 years of clinical practice. Loeber, Golick and Gonzales were brave women (and) accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nations veterans, working closely with those in the greatest need of attention after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pathway Home said in its statement. President Trump offered his condolences early Saturday. We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation in Yountville and mourn the loss of three incredible women who cared for our Veterans, he said in a tweet. According to radio transmissions between officers at the scene and dispatchers, the man who burst into the Pathway Home on Friday was a 36-year-old veteran wearing a stash of bullets around his neck and his waist. Larry Kamers wife, Devereaux Smith, is a development director for the Pathway Home. She was among those present at the staff meeting, which also included a going-away party for departing employees, when the gunman entered. Smith was able to escape before he opened fire, Kamer said. Shes obviously quite shaken up, he said. Just imagine, youre at a normal workday gathering and a man walks in with a rifle, and hes ex-military. Its very scary. Hostage negotiators from the Napa County Sheriffs Department, city of Napa Police Department and the FBI tried all day to contact the gunman, Childs said. Much of the Veterans Home was locked down for the day. About 80 schoolchildren rehearsing a play in a theater some distance from where the gunman was holed up were whisked away in a bus to safety. Friends and relatives of residents and employees waited anxiously at the entrance to the property, some distance away from the main buildings. After the initial gunfire, Fernando Juarez, 36, of Napa, began exchanging text messages with his sister, Hirma Vanessa Flores, a 22-year-old caregiver who works inside. Her texts said she was unharmed and that all she can hear is yelling, Juarez said As of late last year, some 850 people lived at the Veterans Home. The center is across the street from the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville on California Drive and is more than 133 years old. My father drank Manhattans and my mother favored the Old Fashioned (water, not soda please). These were stalwart drinks of the type favored in the post-war era. The liquor was out front, only slightly modified by other liquors. Sours became the gateway cocktail for the baby boomers. Lemon and sugar masked the stronger flavors of the whisky. With the gently tapering glass on a short stem, topped with an orange slice and a cherry, you hardly knew what you were drinking. Cocktails, though, became victims of the crusade against the three martini lunch and the constant search for the next big thing. There were a couple decades when pulling a wine cork was the only skill a bartender needed. Thats not the case now. Driven by an explosion of interest in spirits, new flavorings, and a thirst for mixology, cocktails are pushing wine by the glass and craft beer to the bottom of the drinks menu. The standards are being revived and updated, while creative new combinations challenge our taste buds. Small batch distillers are the pioneers of the liquor biz, following in the footsteps of winemakers and craft brewers. Its fun to experience and collect these new spirits and even visit the distillery, but then you need cocktail ideas to keep the ball rolling. Theres nothing like an expertly restaurant-made cocktail the bartender (mixologist if you must) pouring the liquor, adding the bitters and syrups, shaking or stirring with a flourish, and pouring the finished drink into a prepared glass. All of this just for you. But it can be just as rewarding to make cocktails at home. For a home bar, youll need some spirits vodka, gin, bourbon, scotch, and maybe rye. Then youll need the fun stuff: bitters and syrups, along with fortified wines, aperitifs, and specialty liquors that add the flavor and zing. Tony Broom, who with his wife Julie hosts the Thimble Islands Bed and Breakfast in Stony Creek, is a connoisseur of the Manhattan. Hes flexible on the brand of bourbon and the source of the sweet vermouth, but insistent on the formula. The Manhattan area code says it all for Tony two parts whisky, one part sweet vermouth, and two shakes of bitters: 212. He likes it served on the rocks, no fancy glassware needed. Were currently working our way through a bottle of Ginger Zap, a ginger flavored vodka that we picked up at the Asylum distillery in Bridgeport. Their website has 10 recipes for drinks using the Zap, everything from a Ginger Cosmo to a Ginger Fizz. We loved the refreshing Ginger Sidecar, but added a little extra simple syrup to tame the razor sharp edges of the Zap. Simple syrup is the bartenders trick to sweeten while ensuring that all the sugar dissolves in the cold drink. Simmer equal parts of water and sugar, a cup of each for instance, and keep it in the fridge for anytime you need a splash of sweet. Simple syrup can also be flavored with mint, black pepper, lemon, honey, or even hot peppers for an added dimension. Bitters are, well, bitter, but flavorful too the other side of the cocktail coin from simple syrup. Angostura, with its aromatic herbal kick, is the best known, but there are many others. A whole industry has sprung up to create flavors like orange, peach, and smoked chili. The Hudson Standard makes four flavors from locally harvested Hudson Valley ingredients: Catskill Masala, Spruce Shoot, Ginger, and Love Struck. Fortified wines including vermouths and aperitifs like Campari or Aperol are essential for making classic cocktails. The martini and Manhattan both call for vermouth, although there is much debate about the proper ratios. Add some Campari to a Manhattan and youre in Negroni territory. I enjoy building a collection of spirits and flavors, then practicing and perfecting the recipes. Cocktail ideas can come from restaurant experiences, magazine articles, and books. My latest concoction involves fresh apple cider, dark rum, Fruitlab ginger liqueur, and a squeeze of lime. Its a delicious drink in search of a name. Whenever I get involved in something new, I like to have a book on the subject. In this case its the New York Times Book of Cocktails. There are drink recipes, of course, but past columns on cocktails are included here too. Writers, including Rosie Schaap, Mark Bittman, Pete Wells, Frank Bruni and many more, weigh in on their favorite drinks history, lore, and musings the perfect kind of stuff to read with a cocktail in your hand. NORWALK The district is extending its celebration of National School Breakfast Week another week, after classes were canceled three days in a row. The week kicked off from March 5-9 at schools across the nation, highlighting the importance of having a hearty breakfast. As part of the commemoration, Norwalk schools also expanded its Grab n Go breakfast program piloted last year through a grant from American Association of School Administrators. The program will roll out at Columbus Magnet School on Tuesday and at Naramake Elementary School on Thursday. We know that kids who are hungry are not ready to learn and thats why this initiative to emphasize school breakfast was put in place to begin with, Norwalk Public Schools spokeswoman Brenda Wilcox-Williams said. The Grab n Go breakfast program offers food carts by the front entrance of schools, where students can easily grab them on their way to class, said George Kirby, who works with district food service. Breakfast carts filled with fresh fruit, muffins, milk and juice are already available at Brookside, Kendall, Fox Run, Silvermine, Jefferson, Tracey, Rowayton, Cranbury and Wolfpit elementary schools. By 2018-19, carts will be available at Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk High School, Nathan Hale Middle School and Roton Middle School offering all schools with the Grab n Go program. It's long overdue, in my opinion, for us to take a step like this. It's really a no brainer, Kirby said. The statistics they dont lie, whether its attentiveness, attendance, focus the whole bit. In fact, studies have shown that children who eat school breakfast are significantly more likely to do well on tests, miss less school and behave better in class, according to the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. The hope for an expanded Grab n Go program is to reach more students, Kirby said. So far, the program has seen success, he added. Theyre using the first five to 10 minutes getting assimilated, having their breakfast, he said. And it's really just an easy, social way to start their day. WILTON Spending quality time with a good book that opens up new thinking is always something readers strive for. Being able to have a one-on-one conversation with the author of that book to create a meaningful dialogue is even better. Wilton Librarys Human Library, from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, provides just that opportunity. As the program name might imply, the stories available on that day are human books; community members who have volunteered to share their stories in order to break down barriers based on age, race, sexual orientation, religion, ability, lifestyle choices, or other aspects of their identity. The library is offering 20 books ranging in topics from ageism to anorexia, from racism to surviving sexual assault, from being Christian to being Pagan, from defeating addiction to living with Alzheimers and much more. The Human Library is an international movement that started in Denmark in 2000 and is now held in more than 70 countries. Wilton Library is the first non-academic library in Connecticut to receive permission from the Human Library Organization to host an event. Susan Lauricella, teen services and Makerspace manager, said of the program, I first had a chance to see the Human Library in full swing at Fairfield University and I was overwhelmed by the experience both by the books and the interactions and reactions from the readers, people who took the time to sit down with each of the human books and engage in conversation. Melissa Baker, Wilton Librarys media and digital services librarian, concurred, We were thrilled when we got the OK from the Human Library Organization. We felt that our Wilton Library audiences are naturally inquisitive, and this program would be a perfect fit for the community. Library staff have been working diligently over the past few months to discover people who were willing to share their personal stories of their struggles, and thereby enlighten people in the process. Lauricella continued, The tagline for the initiative is Dont judge a book by its cover which is very true for our brave volunteers. In these few hours, if we can gain just a modicum of understanding or compassion for what others are going through, whatever challenges or prejudices they face, then we will feel that we accomplished what we wanted for the community. Elaine Tai-Lauria, executive director of the library, noted, With intolerance becoming the accepted norm on social media, this project gives people a chance to step back, and have a thoughtful and meaningful conversation in more than 140 characters with someone who might not naturally be part of their circle of influencers. Were looking to bring new insight to people in an original way. For an advance look at the book jackets, people can visit the librarys website at www.wiltonlibrary.org and click on the Human Library icon where they can see the individual stories listed. There is no advance registration for the program. People can sign up for 10-minute conversations with the human books when they come to the library on March 24, between 1 and 5 p.m. The program is made possible with the help of sponsors Catamount Wealth Management and Mountainside Treatment Center of Wilton. Wilton Library is at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For information, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call 203-762-6343. Many of these children, even though they had grown up in the Bay Area, had never even seen the Golden Gate Bridge. He brought them up to Chiles Valley to learn about ranch life, offering them a new view of life outside the streets of the inner city. Horseback riding, boating, fishing, water sports, archery and arts and crafts are just a few of the activities offered. At the Bar 49 Summer Camp, children from all social classes learned to live, work, and play together. Running the Bar 49 Summer Camp was truly a passion of his, and in his later years he actively wanted to start up again. My grandfather was a loving human being, he was tough, but he also didnt judge and was open to anyone and everyone. He set up the Edward A. Keith Foundation with the sole hope to help underprivileged youth regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation get a foothold on life and open new opportunities. Ed Keith grew up in very poor conditions on the streets of San Francisco. He was a self-made man, so providing opportunities to those in need was of incredible importance. Prior to passing, he was active in local charities and was one of the donors to help construct the Boys and Girls Club of Napa Valley. WILTON For nearly four days, many Wilton residents were left without power and others were left confined to their homes after a noreaster left debris scattered across roads in a storm that some have compared to Hurricane Sandy. Heavy, wet snow combined with strong gusts of wind made for dangerous conditions for town emergency officials and residents, according to Wilton police. The snow storm, which left 14 inches of snow in some parts of town, closed schools for three consecutive days, shut down town functions for two days and left parts of it cordoned off until the morning of March 12. In total, approximately 192 separate locations in town were affected by fallen trees, downed wires or some combination of the two, police said. At the height of the storm, there were at least 30 roads in town that required complete closures nearly double the amount when compared to Hurricane Sandy, police said. Its all fun and games until the power goes out, or a tree falls across your driveway, said Wilton resident John McCarthy as he worked to clear his driveway of the remaining storm debris on Monday. At the storms apex, Wilton police said that they received 211 calls for service. Of these, four were for motor vehicle accidents and 141 calls were related to road conditions, such as downed trees and wires. The cleanup efforts came on the heels of another powerful noreaster that left the town to deal with fallen trees and widespread power loss a couple of days earlier. Between the two storms, there were nearly 7,000 incidents of power loss and almost 200 road closures. Back-to-back storms, with one the magnitude of the most recent, is like having a second child it feels like more than two times the work and the stress. Employees are working a lot of overtime and dealing with a good number of emergencies and frustrated residents, First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said. Further complicating cleanup in town was the fact that the Department of Public Works has only one crew shift, meaning a single crew of workers was responsible for prep work before the storm, plowing during the storm and clearing roads after the fact. As a result, the storm was particularly difficult on the crews tasked with clearing the towns streets, Vanderslice said. We are fortunate we have such dedicated and selfless employees and volunteers, said Vanderslice. Id remind residents that as frustrating and stressful as it is for you, it is as stressful or more so for our employees who are in the field. Two days into recovery efforts, with more than 37 percent of residents still without power, Vanderslice took aim at the towns energy provider Eversource, calling the companys response to the snow storm woefully inadequate in a call to town residents Friday afternoon. Vanderslice said that the three crews assigned by Eversource to Wilton were not enough to restore power to the town in a timely manner. The day after the selectwomans strong words, Eversource more than doubled the number of crews in town. Despite the protracted waits for power and road openings, Wilton police spokesman Capt. Robert Cipolla said the restoration efforts would have taken even longer if it hadnt been for the aid of residents. The Wilton Police Department would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to all of our residents who assisted us and remained patient through this process. Many of you helped us in identifying and tracking the damage, which helped us collaborate successfully with Emergency Operations Center personnel, Cipolla said. We could not have been successful without your support. EDWARDSVILLE Business Builds: Economies. Leaders. Communities. was this years theme for the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerces Annual Community Awards Gala and Auction. Local business and community leaders attended the event, which took place at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 8 at SIUEs Meridian Ballroom. Following live and silent auctions and a dinner, Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors Sam Guarino announced this years award recipients. The first award, for Small Business of the Year, was announced via video that revealed this years winner. The award was presented to owner of Chavas Mexican Restaurant, Lisa Bohannan. Bohannan took to the podium and gave thanks to the Edwardsville community and her customers. Wed just like to say thank you and weve just been so fortunate here to have such good support in our community, Bohannan said. I cannot imagine a better place to own a business than Edwardsville and the Glen Carbon area. Were thankful for all of our regular customers. I cant believe its been almost five years since weve opened, but Im also thankful to my brother for helping me, with all of his support. Chavas has two locations: one in downtown Edwardsville and one in St. Louis. The restaurant is known for its house special El Mireko and first opened in Edwardsville in June of 2013. Next up was the award for Large Business of the Year, which was also revealed via video, and was awarded to Cedarhurst of Edwardsville/Ruths House Memory Care. The facility opened just last year in August and is located on Marine Road in Edwardsville where it serves as a senior living center. Director of Cedarhurst Serena Meade took to the podium and accepted the award. Thank you to the Chamber for this nomination and for this award and thank you to the Edwardsville community for accepting us for sending so many volunteers, schools, churches to help serve our residents. Its an honor and a privilege every day, Meade said. The next award was the Albert Cassens Award for Outstanding Community, presented by Robert Plummer, the 1996 recipient of the award. After having been involved with McKendree College, Allisons Hope, Anderson Hospital, the YMCA Board, Cassens dealership, and other organizations, Linda Cassens was this years recipient. With Cassens being out of town, Larry Wehmeyer, president/general manager of Cassens & Sons, read a statement of thanks on her behalf. I am honored and humbled to receive the Community Service Award, Wehmeyer read aloud on behalf of Cassens. I feel so blessed to be able to give back to this wonderful community I call home. I will continue to concentrate my efforts on the children of this community and the much-needed hospital we are so fortunate to have. I am also grateful for how this community has truly come together around our outstanding efforts to raise money to help find a cure for cancerI am honored to be able to contribute to our town and humbled by the support and recognition. Thank you. The 2018 Tallerico Leadership Award was up next, presented by Kay Werner, the 2005 recipient of this award. The purpose of the Tallerico Award is to honor individuals in the community who have mentored others and served as a role model to encourage women to achieve their full potential. This years recipient was Bev George. George has been a part of SIUE as a two-time graduate, a member of the alumni board, the Education Advisory Council; shes also a member of the Meridian Society and part of the Friends of Lovejoy Library. George also plays a significant role in the Edwardsville community with her involvement with the Edwardsville Childrens Museum, the humane society, the YMCA, Holiday Shores Fire Department, the Watershed Nature Center, Goshen Market, and others. George took to the podium and offered words of gratitude for her nomination and award. What a pleasant and humbling surprise. Thank you Chamber board and members so very much. Its such a joy to be a part of this community for nearly 40 years and I love my involvement with the chamber so thank you very much, George said. The last award of the night, the Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented by both Jonathan and Mandy Fowler of J.F. Electric. This years recipient is their father, Greg Fowler. Fowler is an annual supporter for the Better Place to Play Campaign, an annual sponsor for the YMCA, a donor to the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities, a Chamber of Commerce member and supporter, a donor and member of the Watershed Nature Center, and others. Jonathan Fowler said on his fathers behalf that he has also made quite the impact in the family business as well. Greg has grown the business to over $200 million in revenue, making J.F. Electric one of the largest, privately-held companies in the St. Louis area and the regions second largest electrical contractor, he said. On a more personal note, we are honored to call Greg Fowler our father. Our dad is role model to many. Not only does his family look up to him, but so do the people in the communityHe finds real joy when being able to help when help is needed and he tries to ensure that everyone around him has the chance to do what they desire. He is very humbled by this award, Mandy Fowler added. He loves this community and plans to spend his future helping Edwardsville and Glen Carbon be a great place to live and work for many generations to come. EDWARDSVILLE Four women were killed in a November accident near Hamel when a truck crashed into several vehicles. On Monday, an attorney for the second of those four women filed a lawsuit against truck driver Mohamed Yussuf Jama; his employer FAF, Inc.; and Keller Construction, the general contractor performing construction work and repairs near the stretch of highway where the accident occurred. No charges have been filed against Jama. The case is still under investigation. The crash killed 20-year-old Tori Carroll of Alhambra; 20-year-old Hailey Bertels and her 17-year-old sister, Madisen Bertels of Staunton; and 19-year-old Vivian Vu of Joplin, Mo. A suit was filed in late January by the family of Tori Carroll. This week lawyers for the family of Vivian Vu filed a similar one. The crash happened about 6:15 p.m. on Nov. 21. Madisen Bertels was driving a 2010 Kia Forte south on I-55 when it slowed or stopped in a construction zone near Hamel. The Kia was struck from behind by the truck, according to state police. Six other vehicles were also involved in the crash, and about a dozen people were injured. Hailey Bertels was a passenger in the back seat of the Kia. Vu was one of six students and a professor from Missouri Southern State University returning home from a Model United Nations Conference in Chicago, according a statement from the university. She was majoring in international studies and was an honor student. Carroll was a 2015 graduate of Staunton High School. She had been studying at Northern Kentucky Universitys School of Law. The lawsuit claims that Jama was guilty of negligence for, among other things, allegedly: failing to operate his truck in a safe and proper manner; failing to keep a proper lookout; failing to slow down as necessary to avoid colliding with any vehicle on that stretch of interstate; failing to slow down, or turn his tractor trailer to the left or to the right or swerve, as necessary to avoid a collision; otherwise negligently operating his tractor trailer so as to cause it to collide with a number of vehicles, including the one Vu was a passenger in. The suit claims that Keller was, among other allegations, negligent for allegedly failing to: properly design a highway construction work zone to ensure the safe and proper control of traffic within the work zone and preceding the work zone; install proper electronic traffic monitoring and warning devices, allegedly failed to erect traffic control devices in a manner that would prevent traffic from slowing or stopping on the highway; warn drivers of stopped and/or severely slowed traffic with and preceding the construction work zone. The suit was filed in Madison County Circuit Court by James OBrien, an attorney with the St. Louis law firm Buchanan, Williams & OBrien. It seeks in excess of $50,000 on each count of alleged negligence. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four strategic business units: Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; and Capital Markets. The company offers chequing, savings, and business accounts; mortgages; loans, lines of credit, student lines of credit, and business and agriculture loans; investment and insurance services; and credit cards, as well as overdraft protection services. It also provides day-to-day banking, borrowing and credit, investing and wealth, specialty, and international services; correspondent banking and online foreign exchange services; and cash management services. The company serves its customers through its banking centers, as well as direct, mobile, and remote channels. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Peru 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 Peru ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. Acacia Mining plc, together with its subsidiaries, mines, processes, and sells gold in Africa. The company has three gold mines in north-west Tanzania, including Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi, and North Mara; and a portfolio of exploration projects at various stages of development in Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Mali. It also produces co-products, such as copper and silver. The company was formerly known as African Barrick Gold plc and changed its name to Acacia Mining plc in November 2014. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Acacia Mining plc is a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation. Read More Wall Street analysts have given Botswana Diamonds 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 Botswana Diamonds wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys. View MarketBeat's top stock picks here. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. 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. The Gun Crazies have endured the pain of having to explain away terrible mass shootings by insisting that guns dont kill, by saying that its the price of freedom, or whatever. They say its always too soon for legislators to discuss gun violence. How many times can they be expected to hear that the U.S. has only 5 percent of the worlds population but 45 percent of the worlds civilian-owned gunswell over 300 million firearms? And its been like a broken record for them, hearing that Americans are 20 times more likely to die from gun violence than citizens of other wealthy countries. So we have to sympathize. And I personally am extra sympathetic, considering that these guys have given me the key to a Nobel by offering their own solution to the problem of gun violence. The way to make us all safer is simple, they say: more guns. Are you worried about some shooter popping up in a gun-free zone? All you need to do is arm two or three hundred thousand teachers; that same number of ministers, rabbis, and priests; and, say, a couple of million bartenders. Voila. Mr. Shooter will think twice about indulging his uncontrollable murderous rage. Hes obviously not going to want to get shot or anything. Working with their basic idea for a more peaceful America, I now present to you my mostly fool-proof plan for world peace. If our country is going to be safer with a larger number of guns in more hands, it makes sense that the world will be a much safer place if there are lots more nukes everywhere. Think about it. If practically every country in the world has plenty of nuclear weapons, none of them will dare use them! The Middle East will become a haven of peace once Iran, Syria, Iraq, and the others all have a healthy inventory of nukes. Sub-Saharan Africa will settle into at least a semblance of stability through the magic of deterrence. Not that there will be a couple of Marriotts and a Hooters appearing in Khartoum right away, but there will be a palpable calm everywhere, the kind of calm that can be generated only through the threat of massive nuclear retaliation from a variety of countries. Moser lives in Napa and is the author of the satire The New Revised Catechlysm. He blogs at thisunholymess.com. The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. 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Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. 1 hour ago Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11 Pfizer said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon -- a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. Read Article Jonathan Nagy, who has known Brewer since 1998 when he worked dosage at Brewer-Clifton, appreciates Brewers passion for wine. It is that passion for what we do in Santa Barbara County. It is a passion for an area and a willingness to grow roots. Wells Guthrie met Brewer shortly after starting Copain and has also admired Brewers singular mantra of focusing on Sta. Rita Hills and being consistent. Adam Lee added his admiration for Brewers ability to intellectually talk about wine how his passion affects how he lives. You need great grapes; you need a good winemaker, but you also need to be engaged both in your heart and head, like Greg is. Adam Lee, Siduri For more than 20 years, Adam Lee has specialized in Pinot Noir. While the Russian River is his adopted home, he makes wine from Oregon to Santa Barbara. Lee said he believes in vineyards and focuses on giving us a sense of place. Today, Lee produces more than two dozen single-vineyard Siduri Pinot Noirs, vinifying each lot separately by block and clone. Wells Guthrie, who recalled meeting Lee when he was working as the tasting coordinator for Wine Spectator and noted his generous spirit, affability and dedication. His joking underlies his dedication. Nagy called him a road warrior and Brewer added that he brings wines to the people. Four winemakers who work in different parts of the state, who choose different winemaking techniques, such as stem inclusion and picking times, share common values. The believe in a sense of place. They show mutual respect and admiration and most importantly they are passionate. Talk to other winemakers and I am sure you will find some of these same qualities as that is the nature of the industry. Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a marketing and event-planning agency. A freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. Contact her at allison@pleasethepalate.com. What if the scourge of false news on the internet is not the result of Russian operatives or partisan zealots or computer-controlled bots? What if the main problem is us? People are the principal culprits, according to a new study examining the flow of stories on Twitter. And people, the studys authors also say, prefer false news. As a result, false news travels faster, farther and deeper through the social network than true news. The researchers, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that those patterns applied to every subject they studied, not only politics and urban legends, but also business, science and technology. False claims were 70 per cent more likely than the truth to be shared on Twitter. True stories were rarely retweeted by more than 1,000 people, but the top 1 per cent of false stories were routinely shared by 1,000 to 100,000 people. And it took true stories about six times as long as false ones to reach 1,500 people. Here are other findings from the research. Covering the history of Twitter The research, published Thursday in Science magazine, examined true and false news stories posted on Twitter from the social networks founding in 2006 through 2017. The studys authors tracked 126,000 stories tweeted by roughly 3 million people more than 4.5 million times. News and stories were defined broadly as claims of fact regardless of the source. And the study explicitly avoided the term fake news, which, the authors write, has become irredeemably polarized in our current political and media climate. The stories were classified as true or false, using information from six independent fact-checking organizations including Snopes, PolitiFact and FactCheck.org. To ensure that their analysis held up in general not just on claims that drew the attention of fact-checking groups the researchers enlisted students to annotate as true or false more than 13,000 other stories that circulated on Twitter. Again, a tilt toward falsehood was clear. Novelty wins retweets The MIT researchers pointed to factors that contribute to the appeal of false news. Applying standard text-analysis tools, they found that false claims were significantly more novel than true ones maybe not a surprise, since falsehoods are made up. The studys authors also explored the emotions evoked by false and true stories. The goal, said Soroush Vosoughi, a post-doctoral researcher at the MIT Media Lab and the studys lead author, was to find clues about what is in the nature of humans that makes them like to share false news. The study analyzed the sentiment expressed by users in replies to claims posted on Twitter. As a measurement tool, the researchers used a system created by Canadas National Research Council that associates English words with eight emotions. False claims elicited replies expressing greater surprise and disgust. True news inspired more anticipation, sadness and joy, depending on the nature of the stories. Two stories: one true, one false The researchers provided an example of two business stories, and how much more time it took the true one to reach 200 retweets. The example also shows the judgment calls made by fact-checking organizations. In 2014, the fashion chain Zara introduced childrens pyjamas with horizontal stripes and a gold star. The company said the design was inspired by what a cowboy sheriff would wear. But Twitter users posted messages saying the pajamas resembled Nazi concentration camp uniforms. Snopes: True. Time to reach 200 retweets: 7.3 hours. In 2016, a website republished a portion of a satirical article about how the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain had decided to begin a We dont like blacks either marketing campaign to stir up controversy and boost sales. It came after the companys president did say he opposed same-sex marriage. Snopes: False. Time to 200 retweets: 4.2 hours. What can be done? The MIT researchers said that understanding how false news spreads is a first step toward curbing it. They concluded that human behaviour plays a large role in explaining the phenomenon and mention possible interventions, such as better labelling, to alter behaviour. For all the concern about false news, there is little certainty about its influence on peoples beliefs and actions. A recent study of the browsing histories of thousands of U.S. adults in the months before the 2016 election found that false news accounted for only a small portion of the total news people consumed. We have to be very careful about making the inference that fake news has a big impact, said Duncan Watts, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research. Read more about: NEW YORKPeter Thiel is Silicon Valleys homegrown Cassandra. He warned for years that the big tech companies were arrogant and clueless and less good for mankind than they believed. Comeuppance, the billionaire investor warned, was coming. Trouble has arrived. Unfortunately for Thiel, the storm is centred on Facebook, whose board he has been a member of practically since its founding. The social network, which billed itself as bringing democracy and enlightenment to the world, was used by the Russians to subvert democracy and sow confusion in the United States. Read more: Billionaire Peter Thiel submits bid to buy Gawker.com, a site he helped bankrupt Even people paid to see the future did not see that one coming. The boards role is to help think about some of the medium- and longer-term problems coming around the corner, Thiel said. We were far from perfect in doing that. Thiel, 50, is at the centre of nearly every issue that roils Silicon Valley, ranging from the tech elites fascination with New Zealand hideaways (Thiel obtained New Zealand citizenship) to bitcoin (he is a major investor) to the problems of herd thinking (he is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles to escape it) to the evolving role of content on the internet (he has been exploring the creation of a media company that would outflank Breitbart and Fox for a younger audience). Two subjects are overwhelming everything else: U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Thiel aggressively backed for president, and Facebook, whose core mission is being called into question in the wake of the Russian revelations. In a typical Thiel move he tends to run toward controversy even as his Silicon Valley peers try to make themselves inconspicuous he agreed, in a rare interview, to talk about both. Its been a crazier two years than I would have thought, Thiel said in his new Midtown Manhattan apartment, which is so far up in the clouds that it literally looks down on Trump Tower. Despite the proximity, the mutual enthusiasm between Thiel and Trump seems to have cooled. After Thiel spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2016, there were unsourced media reports that said Trump wanted to put him on the Supreme Court. But now even photo ops are rare. The investor said he had last spoken to the president a few months ago. We dont talk that often, he said, but added, I can get access anytime I want. The Trump whom Thiel touted at the Republican convention was a candidate who would end the era of stupid wars and rebuild our country, move us past fake culture wars and start projects the equivalent of the Apollo space program. That does not seem to be the president he got. There are all these ways that things have fallen short, Thiel said. But he said he had no regrets about his endorsement. Its still better than Hillary Clinton or the Republican zombies, he said, referring to the other candidates. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Thiel is routinely labeled a libertarian. On a bookshelf in the apartment, as if in confirmation, is a hardback copy of Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged, the bible of the movement. A gift, he said. A lesser-known but possibly deeper influence was French philosopher Rene Girard, who taught at Stanford University when Thiel was an undergraduate there. For 15 years, on and off, Thiel sat in on a study group about Girards ideas. Girard believed humans were deeply mimetic, which is to say they copy one another. Its very anti-Ayn Rand: There are no self-contained autonomous figures, Thiel said. Our desires are not our own. They get shaped powerfully by the society around us. It was this illumination that helped him see the potential of Facebook where people could find out in intimate and addictive detail what their friends were up to when it was barely a year old. He was the first outside investor, buying 10 per cent of the company for $500,000 (U.S.). He sold most of his holdings in 2012 as Facebook went public. A few months ago, with Facebooks market capitalization at about $500 billion, he sold most of what he had left. Last summer, there was a flap when a memo by a fellow board member, Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, appeared in the New York Times. In the memo, Hastings wrote to Thiel that he displayed catastrophically bad judgment in supporting Trump. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, did not ask him to step down from the board, and reports that he wants to leave the board are incorrect, Thiel said, noting that among other things he brings ideological diversity. He declined to say exactly how much or what kind of advice the Facebook board was offering Zuckerberg, but defended the company from criticism that it was slow to wake up to what the Russians did. Remember when Trump said the election was going to be rigged? People said that was crazy How dare you question the integrity of the electoral process? That was the view of most of the people working at Facebook, too, he said. They did not think things were so hackable. It was a mistake, but an understandable mistake. Facebook declined to comment. The anger being turned on Facebook, Thiel argued, is less about Russia specifically and more about tech arrogance its failure to do so much for so many. It is a sentiment that helped put Trump in the White House. The Trump campaign slogan, Make America Great Again, was perhaps the single most offensive thing you could say to Silicon Valley, he said. Silicon Valley says the future is going to be better than the past. That is the propaganda, if you will. A friend of his in Silicon Valley had the idea of running for governor of California this year. Thiels advice was that he had better have a good answer to this question: Why is tech good for the average person in California? The answer, he cautioned, couldnt be a banality, such as its making us more connected, and it couldnt be utopian, such as its going to cure all diseases. He wasnt able to come up with an answer, and I couldnt come up with one, either, Thiel said. He declined to identify the friend, but it is well known in tech circles that Sam Altman, president of Y Combinator, the prominent startup accelerator, was thinking about running. Altman confirmed it was him and said he had decided not to run for many reasons. There is a big painting of a cresting wave in Thiels living room, and it might as well be a visual metaphor for what is going on in big tech now. Having some ambition that transcends just making money is a critical thing for a company, he said. But there is some point where it gets crazy and self-delusional. He added that the companies are probably in some trouble maybe its a little, maybe its a lot. The prospect of government regulation looms. In 2015 and 2016, Thiel gave $300,000 to Josh Hawley, who was campaigning to become Missouris attorney general. Hawley won, and in November he opened an antitrust investigation of Google. A spokeswoman for Hawley, a Republican who is now challenging the states Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, said there was no connection between Thiels donation and the investigation. Google declined to comment. The news last month that Thiel is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles reflects a shift that is as much mental as literal. Getting out of the tech bubble, he figures, will give him more clarity about his investments. Network effects are very positive things, but theres a tipping point where they fall over into the madness of crowds, he said. Another of Thiels contentious ideas was destroying Gawker, the online publisher. He secretly financed the privacy lawsuit that Hulk Hogan, the former pro wrestler, filed against the media company, which Hogan won. That led to Gawkers bankruptcy in 2016. A news operation that specialized in deflating the arrogance of Silicon Valley should have been to Thiels liking. But he argues that his philosophy is consistent here. Gawker was trying to cut people down to size for not conforming, he said. The ability to speak and not have every word you say get distorted, to have wrong ideas and then be able to correct them these notions were powerfully undercut by Gawker. Thiel is still pursuing the remnants of Gawker in court, which has prompted accusations that he wants to remove all its content from the internet as a final victory. He denied this. Terry Bollea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, is still owed some money from the Gawker sale, and that is what I am trying to get, he said. I dont want the archives. I dont think it makes sense to destroy them. Preserve them, study them instead. Read more about: Three towering marble slabs loom over a broad gallery space in the Aga Khan Museum, their rough hides heavy with the weight of downfall. There is urgency etched into the stone: Made to adorn the royal palace of the Fatimids in ancient Cairo, their fluid forms a fish, deer, foliage, peacocks are rough and unfinished, their work abruptly cut short. When they were found centuries later, buried in the desert face down a clear sign of contempt they were one of few things that remained. The panels date to the late 12th century, right around the time that Saladins army marched through the city gates and laid waste to all that the Fatimids had done. It was an erasure so complete that the Fatimids 200-year rule exists only in fragments and whispers. The big problem with the Fatimid period is that we have a minimal proportion perhaps one per cent of what once existed, said Assadullah Souren Melikian-Chirvani, the London-based curator who brought the objects here. It was systematically destroyed when (Saladin) conquered Cairo in 1169. The evidence of destruction is overwhelming much of the material was smashed to smithereens. There was prodigious hostility towards the Fatimids by the Sunni conquerors, which means there are all kinds of questions well never be able to answer. If Melikian-Chirvani liked a challenge, he certainly found one as tried to put meat on scant old bones. Cobbling objects from such far-ranging sources as the Louvre in Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, New Yorks Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, which holds the bulk of the dynastys slim remains, he stitched together The World of the Fatimids, a patchwork quilt of esthetic remnants that, for the first time, tries to divine a fuller picture of a society interrupted. It opens Saturday. The marble slabs are alone here for their monumentality. The lions share of objects are tiny, delicate, quotidian the kinds of things that slip past a hostile interloper looking to erase all evidence of his forebears. A small bronze mortar here, inscribed with the regal symbol of a lion, is one of only 50 such objects to be unearthed from Fatimid Egypt. Across the Islamic world, Melikian-Chirvani says, such objects number in the many thousands. Such rare things help to sketch a unique moment in a mythic citys hodgepodge visual evolution. The Fatimids Ismaili Muslims who came to Egypt from North Africa around 909 AD arrived to find a small city on the Nile. Surveying the terrain, they chose to build their own a few hundred metres afield. By 969, their bustling settlement had evolved into a city in its own right, which they named Cairo a Fatimid city from the beginning. From what hes been able to gather, Melikian-Chirvani sees an esthetic distinct from both neighbouring Islamic hubs in Syria and Persia. Among the Fatimids, art made for the royal family had a playful cheekiness, eschewing heroic idolatry for a more mischievous air. He steers toward a series of earthenware bowls, painted in gold to depict hunting scenes. In one, a royal sits astride a horse, an eyebrow dubiously raised; in another, cartoonish lions and hares symbols of the royal hunting field parade in an almost camp-seeming procession. You see a sense of derision coming out, Melikian-Chirvani said. Theses are artists having a ball making these, laughing their heads off. Theres a fun, an exuberance coming out. That couldnt have been done subversively. All that implies a tolerance among those in office, and the fun breaks out everywhere. The Fatimids, of course, hold a special place in history for the Aga Khan Museum, its patron being the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims worldwide. But Melikian-Chirvani suggests a broader significance: Of a pluralistic society at the core of the Muslim world where peaceful coexistence was the norm. The Fatimids, as Ismailis, were surely a minority in a bustling community populated by Coptic Christians, Armenians, Jews, and various other Muslim sects. There is a tolerance in Fatimid Egypt you had very diverse communities, he said. You dont have a unified esthetic style things go in absolutely every direction. Why are we interested in the Fatimid period? The paradoxical diversity, the astonishing laugh that breaks out, is unique in world history. Its the only case where a very small religious minority establishes a dynasty in a country where there are other faiths. Its the juxtaposition of things that do not blend that give us glimpses into the extraordinary diversity of that world. The World of the Fatimids opens Saturday at the Aga Khan Museum. Read more about: I do not think Stormy Daniels is one of the major issues facing our country. Sen. Bernie Sanders in conversation this week with CNNs Anderson Cooper Bernie Sanders, populist senator from Vermont and Hillary Clintons defeated challenger for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, has twice tried to elevate the national conversation away from juicy scandals and on to more serious challenges facing the U.S. The first, of course, was when, in a debate back in what now seems like political Paleolithic times, he famously said to Clinton: The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails. Read more: Melania Trump, out of sight since Stormy Daniels reports, will attend State of the Union He was wrong on that before he was emphatically right. In fact, the media-hyped brouhaha about Clinton using a private email server when she was secretary of state helped Donald Trump defeat her in the presidential election. But now, Clintons emails are supremely irrelevant as America struggles to gauge the seriousness amidst a White House in chaos with fleeing staff, controversial steel tariffs, investigation into Russian meddling, global conflict of the Stormy Daniels affair, otherwise salaciously known as The President and the Porn Star. I like Stormy Daniels. She has a friendly smile. She may be in legally dicey territory trying to speak out now, and most certainly she is interested in the financial benefits of doing so. But at least shes transparent about what shes doing. Stormy Daniels, who said she had an affair with the U.S. president more than ten years ago, is suing him. She claims the non-disclosure agreement she signed is null and void, because Trump didn't sign it. The adult film star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, allegedly used the pseudonym Peggy Peterson on a nondisclosure agreement she signed in 2016. That was when she took $130,000 (U.S.) from a Trump lawyer to stay quiet about an alleged sexual affair she had with Trump in 2006, right after his wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. She had a consensual affair with a famous blowhard rich guy (who also apparently used the pseudonym David Dennison in the 2016 agreement, and yes theres now a President Dennison meme out there) who improbably became president. Now she yearns to be free to take full advantage of her 15 minutes of world fame. Go Stormy. From appearing on the late-night circuit although saying little and embarking on a sleazy tour dubbed Making America Horny Again, Stormy has tried to stay relevant. But now, like most of Donald Trumps senior staff facing special counsel Robert Muellers juggernaut, she has lawyered up. I certainly hope shes not connected to the Russians, ha ha. No, she has sued the president claiming that the nondisclosure agreement was never signed by him and so she should be free to speak. Trump, in turn, secretly through his lawyer, silenced her again last week in a hush order upheld by a private arbitrator in California. All of this will play out. There may be legal implications for the president, including the question of whether he broke campaign finance laws in his effort to financially silence Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the campaign. But there wont be any moral ramifications. So why he even bothered to silence her, I dont know. A consensual affair with a porn star seems like small potatoes after Trumps grab em by the p---y audiotaped remarks about women became public before the election. And still they voted him in to the highest office in the land. There are no family values arguments that can ever be made in favour of Donald J. Trump, whatever his constituency. In fact, one Republican commentator, acknowledging this, said softly on CNN, think of Barron, about this scandal. Yes, do think of Barron, growing up in the shadow of such a mess of a man. First lady Melania Trump alternates public displays of loathing her husband with remaining stoic and even sometimes still holding his tiny hand. Yech. Trumps daughter Ivanka, along with her hapless husband Jared, is so embroiled in her own troubles that she may one day be thrilled to hawk a perfume called Complicit. My point is this: when it comes to women, Donald Trump doesnt have the Midas touch. He has a Mud touch, a Merde touch, a way of reducing any woman who chooses to work or consort with him to reputational rubble. Take Sarah Huckabee Sanders, 35, once an up-and-comer in Republican circles and now White House press secretary. In this role, she lies publicly, she sneers at the press and therefore the public she is paid to serve. She scowls as she repeats her own fake-news mantra, The president has made this very clear before saying thats all, guys as she walks away soiled. Her choice. I wont countenance anyone calling her a slob, as one former out-of-control Trump aide did (are there any in control?). Its her judgment, not her appearance, that is simply awful. She serves at the pleasure of this president. Take Kellyanne Conway, counsellor to the president and now confirmed to have breached ethical rules, once in urging the defeat of the Democrat who eventually banished the odious Alabama bigot and alleged sexual predator Roy Moore to the sidelines. Take Hope Hicks, Trumps just resigned director of communications, who at 29 should have been celebrated as an efficient, discreet wunderkind. Instead, she slinks away covered in muck. She, too, served at the pleasure of this morally repugnant president. So, to answer Bernie Sanders, yes, Stormy Daniels is not the most serious issue facing his country. But President Donald Trumps attitude toward women as disposable bodies, souls and minds, to be used or betrayed any which way he desires? Now, thats an issue. Rise, women, rise. Judith Timson writes weekly about cultural, social and political issues. You can reach her at judith.timson@sympatico.ca and follow her on Twitter @judithtimson Read more about: OTTAWAJustin Trudeau is expected Friday to put a woman in charge of the RCMP, signalling a culture change in the national police force which has been beset by complaints about sexual harassment and discrimination against female officers. Sources say the prime minister will name Brenda Lucki as the new commissioner of the Mounties during a visit to the RCMP training academy at Reginas depot division, where Lucki is the commanding officer. A 31-year veteran of the force, Lucki has also served in the former Yugoslavia and assisted in the United Nations civilian police mission in Haiti. Read more: RCMP to investigate male officers Facebook group reportedly sharing sexual content RCMP investigating post in officers Facebook group claiming Colten Boushie got what he deserved Two ex-RCMP doctors accused of sex abuse now facing more than 80 complaints She has received numerous commendations over the years, including a United National Force Commanders commendation for bravery, two UN protection forces medals, and the Canadian peacekeeping service medal. According to her RCMP biography, she is also a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in recognition of her work to improve relations with First Nations. Luckis appointment comes amid continuing embarrassing revelations about sexism and sexual misconduct in RCMP ranks, one year after commissioner Bob Paulson apologized for discrimination against female officers and agreed to a $100-million settlement of two class-action lawsuits. It also comes at a time when the forces relations with Indigenous people are particularly strained. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP this week launched an investigation into how the Mounties handled the death of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous youth who was shot by a Saskatchewan farmer after driving onto his property. The farmer, Gerald Stanley, was acquitted last month, prompting accusations of bias against Indigenous people by both the police and the justice system as a whole. The appointment follows the creation last year of an independent, non-partisan selection committee, headed by former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, which earlier this year recommended three contenders for the top job. In coming up with the short list of highly qualified candidates, the committee was specifically instructed to seek to support the government of Canadas commitments to gender parity and representativeness of diversity in its appointment process. Lucki will become the first woman to permanently take the helm of the RCMP; Beverley Busson held the post on an interim basis for six months in 2007. OTTAWAInternet users in Turkey and Syria are being targeted by a state spying campaign making use of a Waterloo-based tech companys products, new research from the University of Torontos Citizen Lab suggests. Researchers said Friday that Sandvine Incorporateds products have been used to hack internet users devices along the Turkey-Syrian border, installing malicious spyware and raising significant human rights concerns as the Turkish government cracks down on internal dissent and battles Kurdish militia in northern Syria. Citizen Lab did not identify the perpetrators, but said the spying was likely done by nation-states or (Internet Service Providers) on the Turk Telekom network, which researchers noted has ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling party. According to the report, internet users in Turkey and Syria downloading popular software like Avast Antivirus and CCleaner were redirected to malicious versions of the software that included spyware. The same technique, known as packet injection, was used on users accessing Download.com, which offers a variety of different applications for download. The researchers say Sandvines PacketLogic internet filtering devices were used in the hacks. Imagine that your device could be silently commandeered and used to spy on you simply because you surfed the web. No need for anyone to have possession of it and physically install something. No need to trick you into downloading spyware, clicking on a malicious link, or entering your credentials into a phoney login page, wrote Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab at U of Ts Munk School. Imagine no more. In a statement Friday afternoon, Sandvine said theyve opened an internal investigation in the wake of the Citizen Lab report. But the company also criticized the report as being technically inaccurate and intentionally misleading without saying specifically what findings they take issue with. Sandvine is deeply committed to ethical technology development and we hold our business processes and behaviour to the highest standards. We institute strong safeguards to ensure adherence to our principles of social responsibility, human rights, and privacy rights, the companys statement read. The Citizen Lab report also found evidence of similar hacks in Egypt, although for a very different purpose. On Telecom Egypts networks, Sandvines technology was used to redirect internet users to advertisements and cryptocurrency mining schemes, suggesting economic motives although the report suggests spyware may also have been deployed. Sandvines PacketLogic products were designed for legitimate internet filtering and network management uses. But internet filtering devices can also be used by repressive regimes to censor the internet, blocking access to critical journalism, political opponents, or social media. The Citizen Lab report found evidence of that censorship in both Turkey and Egypt. In Egypt, (Sandvine) devices were being used to block dozens of human rights, political, and news websites In Turkey, these devices were being used to block websites including Wikipedia, the website of the Dutch Broadcast Foundation (NOS), and the website of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Nation states using network injection to spy on their citizens has long been the stuff of legends, the report notes. In documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the U.S. National Security Agency even had a code name for the technique QUANTUM. Quantum has reportedly been used to target employees at a Belgium telecommunications company, workers at OPEC, and internet users accessing terrorism-related materials. Deibert told the Star this is the first empirical evidence of this type of technique has been observed in the wild, however. Sandvine Incorporated, which Premier Kathleen Wynne called a true Ontario success story in 2016, was acquired by Francisco Partners and Procera Networks Inc. for $562 million in 2017. Procera has been tied to internet censorship and surveillance in Turkey before. In 2016, Forbes reported a group of Procera engineers quit the company in protest of a deal to provide surveillance hardware to Turk Telekom. I do not wish to spend the rest of my life with the regret of having been a part of Erdogans insanity, so Im out, wrote one engineer in a company-wide email reported by Forbes. Read more about: OTTAWAVice-Admiral Mark Norman, the former vice chief of defence staff, has been charged with breach of trust for allegedly spilling cabinet secrets related to a navy supply ship contract. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced Friday that a criminal charge had been laid against Norman, 54, following a long probe that began in December, 2016. Norman is alleged to have illegally disclosed government information to unauthorized parties, the police force said in a statement. An information filed at the Ottawa courthouse alleges that the breach of trust occurred in connection with the duties of his office between Sept. 1, 2014 and May 12, 2016. The charge relates to the alleged leak of the Liberal governments intention to delay a contract to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with an interim supply ship. That delay became public, forcing the Liberal government to stick with the contract plan. But behind-the-scenes, there was anger and questions how cabinet discussions had leaked. The Privy Council Office, the bureaucratic wing that supports the prime ministers office, ran an initial investigation into the leak, producing a 210-page report in November 2016. The following month, the RCMPs sensitive and international investigations section which handles sensitive cases that pose significant threats to Canada's government institutions and public officials began a probe. Norman was abruptly relieved of duty as second-in-command of Canadas military in January 2017 by Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, who offered little explanation at the time. Normans lawyer, Marie Henein who in the past has declared he is innocent said Friday the charge marked a very sad day for an extraordinary Canadian. She said that Norman, who rose through the ranks to the number two post in the Canadian Armed Forces, devoted his career to serving Canada and our military. Not once has he ever been swayed by political or personal considerations. . . . He remains unwavering in his commitment confident in the knowledge that he has always acted in the best interests of this country, Henein said. She said that Norman should be celebrated rather than prosecuted and said public resources should be put to better use. His faith in this country remains unshaken. So too is his faith in the legal system. . . . We will respond to this allegation in a courtroom where evidence, objectivity and fairness matter and where politics have absolutely no place, she said. Court documents released last year revealed that investigators suspected Norman of leaking cabinet confidences to Chantier Davie Canada Inc., the shipyard that had the $667-million contract to refit a civilian cargo ship as a navy supply ship. It was meant as a stop-gap measure until the navy could take delivery of two new supply ships. But there were concerns that the Liberal government was going to delay or even cancel the contract because of concerns raised by two other shipyards. The leaked classified information was used to influence decision makers through various means, including the media, the documents filed by the RCMP allege. The documents detail how one email from an unnamed source included the subject line From Mark, which lead the RCMP investigator to believe Norman had leaked the classified information. The documents allege that Norman leaked the information to Spencer Fraser, chief executive of Project Resolve, which was created by Chantier Davie to handle the navy ship contract. However, while Norman was the focus of the police investigation, the documents also make reference to a second government official they allege independently leaked classified information. The leak from second, unnamed government official went to a lobbyist at Hill and Knowlton, the documents say. The RCMP says its investigation involved witness interviews, forensic analysis of a significant number of documents and assistance from U.S. authorities. Search warrants were executed to obtain email records and other documents from the shipyard, lobbying firms in Ottawa and Normans Ottawa home. Norman is scheduled to appear in court on April 10, 2018. Read more: RCMP case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman reveals cutthroat world of military procurement Vice-Admiral Mark Norman leaked cabinet secrets to shipbuilding exec, RCMP allege Canadian vice-admiral denies any wrongdoing after being removed from post DNA found under the right hand fingernails of murder victim Allan Lanteigne almost certainly belongs to the man accused of beating him to death, Michael Ivezic, a jury has been told. The probability that a randomly selected individual, unrelated to Ivezic, would coincidentally share the same DNA profile, found in the fingernail clippings, is estimated to be one in one quadrillion, forensic biologist Kimberley Sharpe testified Thursday. Sharpe, who performed the DNA analysis, testified she could not identify the source of the genetic material, but suggested it could have come from saliva, skin cells or semen, but not blood. And while Sharpe couldnt say how Ivezics DNA got there or when, she cited research showing that the transfer was unlikely from casual contact, such as a handshake or touching someones clothing. Youre looking more towards a close, physical contact, which could happen during sex or a violent struggle, Sharpe told jurors Thursday during questioning by prosecutor Hank Goody. Ivezic and Demitry Papasotiriou-Lanteigne are alleged to have planned the murder of the latters husband as he returned home from work to his Ossington Ave. home on March 2, 2011. They have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. The Crown alleges the pair, who were lovers, planned to murder Lanteigne in order to collect a $2 million life insurance policy. At the time of the killing, Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, a lawyer, was in Europe. Ivezic is alleged to have beaten Lanteigne with an unidentified weapon after gaining access to the home with a key and disarming the alarm. The trial began in November and is winding down with the DNA evidence, which is key to the prosecutions case against the self-represented Ivezic. Sharpe told court that biological samples of genetic material were collected from under the deceaseds fingernails. They were submitted to the Center for Forensic Sciences for DNA analysis. Ivezic voluntarily provided homicide investigators with a sample of his DNA, the jury has heard. Sharpe testified she found no DNA under Lanteignes left hand fingernails. But under Lanteignes right fingernails she found a major male DNA profile, she told jurors. More DNA came from that male than from the victim, she said. Research indicates it is uncommon to find any foreign DNA under a persons fingernails, and very uncommon to find more DNA than the person to whom the fingernails belong. She said theres no way to know for sure how long foreign DNA beneath fingernails would last and that would depend on such things as handwashing or bathing. But she estimated that given the amount of the foreign DNA present, it is likely the actual transfer came three days before Lanteignes death. Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein excused the jury until Monday when the defence is expected to begin cross-examining Sharpe. Accessibility advocates are questioning the Wynne governments recent appointment of former lieutenant-governor David Onley to lead the next independent review of Ontarios landmark accessibility legislation. They say Onley, a childhood polio survivor, who completed a three-year appointment last fall as the governments special adviser on accessibility, should not be reviewing the same policies and actions he so recently defended in that role. There is absolutely no question about the record and the commitment of Mr. Onley on disability advocacy, said Laura Kirby-McIntosh of the Ontario Autism Coalition. But the concern is, he is being asked to review the government he was part of. And optically, that is a little bit awkward. Politics is about perception. The difficulty here is the optics are bad. He doesnt have the independence that he needs, she added. Ontarios 2005 Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) commits the government to ensure the provinces 1.8 million people with disabilities have the opportunity to learn, work and play to their full potential by 2025. To drive momentum over the 20-year timeline, the legislation mandates the appointment of a person to conduct a comprehensive review of the act every four years. The review must consult people with disabilities and other members of the public and may make recommendations to improve the acts effectiveness. Lawyer David Lepofsky of the AODA Alliance, who first raised concerns about Onleys appointment last month, praised the former lieutenant-governors advocacy on accessibility, but said he is the wrong person to lead the review. The purpose of these reviews is for someone outside the government to take an independent look at how much progress has been made, whether we are on schedule for full accessibility by 2025, and if were not, where the shortcomings are and what needs to change, he said. This independent review comes when weve got less than seven years before we hit the deadline of 2025, Lepofsky added. This is going to be an important time for us to say were not on schedule and things need to change dramatically. So it is very important that the person conducting this next review be and be seen to be impartial and fully independent of government. ARCH Disability Law Centre, a legal aid clinic dedicated to defending and advancing equality rights of people with disabilities, is also concerned. For ARCH the issue is really about ensuring public confidence throughout this review process, said Robert Lattanzio, the clinics executive director. If there is even a perception of a lack of independence, that just undermines the entire exercise. Onley says Lepofsky and other accessibility activists have misunderstood his role as special adviser and says the bulk of his work was with the public, not the government. Not only did I keep an arms-length relationship from the accessibility directorate, but they kept an arms-length relationship from me. It was mutually understood, he said in an interview Thursday. We were separate. Despite writing a letter to the Star in 2015 that said he believed Ontario was on track to meeting its accessibility goals by 2025, Onley said he does not hold that view today. In my analysis over the past two years, I now see things are not moving as quickly as I perceived at that time, he said. We have to move the needle on accessibility. And a large part of that will be the full implementation of the AODA. A spokesperson for Tracy MacCharles, minister responsible for accessibility, said Onleys role as special adviser involved consulting with stakeholders with a variety of views on the AODA. His mandate did not involve drafting the legislation, its regulations, or reviewing how they have been implemented, their compliance and enforcement, Mahreen Dasoo said in an email. As such, whether from a legal or operational perspective, Mr. Onleys past role as special adviser does not disqualify him from reviewing the legislation, she added. Other groups questioning the appointment include the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians; Citizens with Disabilities Ontario; Deaf Blind Services Ontario; Older Womens Network; Ontario Disability Coalition; and Guide Dog Users of Canada. Lee Ann Fujii didnt just teach: her classes were performances. Fujiis theatrical background came out, enlivening her courses. To attend a lecture by Fujii was like attending an academic production. The University of Toronto Mississauga associate professor died last Friday, leaving behind nearly two decades of extensive research into genocide and political violence. She was 56. Her death has resonated through the academic community, with scholars across the U.S. and Canada expressing their shock at the loss of a vibrant and dedicated scholar. Lee Ann was an exceptional scholar and it was only matched by her warm, engaging and refreshing personality, wrote Lahoma Thomas, her doctoral student and research assistant, to the Star Thursday night. When you got Lee Anns full attention, she had this uncanny ability to make you feel like whatever you were saying was the most interesting and captivating thing she heard for the day. Fujii obtained her PhD in political science at George Washington University in 2006, and continued on to teach at the Washington, D.C. school until 2010. In 2011, Fujii began her career at U of T. Her work was widely published including two books, three book chapters and eight articles. She never stood still, she was constantly moving, said Erin Tolley, an assistant professor with UTMs politics department. Attending her classes meant you had to have your head on a swivel. The classroom was like a stage for her, Tolley said. As a woman of colour, which remains a rarity in higher education, Fujii found a calling mentoring other junior academics of colour. Seeing that the demographic makeup of professors at U of T didnt match the city she lived in, Fujii worked to disrupt the system. It is with great pride that I can say I was one of the first recruits in her revolution, Thomas, also a woman of colour, wrote to the Star. She was chosen by Fujii to be her doctoral student in 2011, shortly after starting her PhD. As a mentor and a friend, Lee Ann helped me navigate the isolation that comes with being the only woman of colour, particularly the only Black woman, in an academic space, she wrote. She took her role as a mentor very seriously, Tolley said. Fujii aimed to support women of colour who were pursuing academic jobs I say this without hesitation, if not for Dr. Lee Ann Fujii I would have dropped out of the PhD program many times over, Thomas wrote. But she also did her best to help anyone who came her way, no matter their background. If you were someone that contacted Lee Ann and asked her for help, she would help you, Tolley said. The political science department posted a statement and two photos to their Facebook page Monday. One photo showed Fujii smiling; the other was her nameplate on her office door, with a Post-it note of a heart pinned beneath it. Associate Professor Fujii was a vibrant and much-loved member of our community. A highly respected scholar of political violence, ethnicity and race, African politics and field methods, she spent 2016-17 as a Fellow at the Institute for Advance Studies in Princeton, N.J. where she was working on a new book on public violence, the statement reads. Fujii was the author of Killing Neighbors: Webs of violence in Rwanda, published in 2009. Tolley noted that the topics Fujii chose to persue were difficult, and focused on violent political conflicts, such as genocide or lynchings. I dont know how she did it, its one of those things that we know we should know more about, but very few of us have the stomach to address head on, said professor Ed Schatz, chair of the UTM political science department. She was brave that way, intellectually brave and personally brave to do a lot of these things. Schatz expressed his hope that Fujiis most recent project, a book on local involvement in violence would see print, even in an unfinished form. I think her ideas are so important, and she inspired so many people. It would be a shame not to see that happen. While no formal memorial for Fujii has been announced, a condolence book has been set up in the departments student lounge for anyone wishing to pay tribute. With files from Alexandra Jones, Fakiha Baig, and Brennan Doherty Calling the Motherisk Commissions final report a massive disappointment, a top official with the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians said Ontarios review of tainted child protection cases failed to fulfil its promise to Indigenous people, who were disproportionally impacted by the hair-testing scandal. In a letter to Attorney General Yasir Naqvi this week, the Alliances deputy grand chief Gordon Peters blasted the recently concluded review as a secretive process that looked at only a fraction of the thousands of known child protection cases involving faulty drug and alcohol hair-testing from the Hospital for Sick Childrens Motherisk lab. Peters said the government-ordered Motherisk Commission made unilateral decisions and selective omissions and ignored Indigenous communities and families, contrary to its mandate. Read more: Motherisk Commission calls for sweeping changes to child protection system Opinion | Edward Keenan: Motherisk reforms show struggling families dont need to be split up, they need our help The Commission, in our view, conducted its work in a manner that retrenched colonial policies and systems which serve little purpose but to remove First Nations children from First Nation families and communities, he wrote. It is harsh criticism of the independent review which was supposed to ensure meaningful participation of Indigenous people from an organization that represents 20,000 First Nations citizens from seven communities in Ontario. A lawyer for the commission said on Thursday that many efforts were made to meet with and inform Indigenous communities of the review and that those communities were invited to suggest cases for the commission to investigate. Because of these consultations, the commission sought out cases where children were placed with family members, which is more common in Indigenous communities. In an email, a spokesperson for the ministry of the attorney general said the province is confident that Commissioner Judith Beaman has fulfilled her mandate and done everything in her power to ensure public confidence in the child protection and criminal justice systems. But according to Peters, the discussions the commission had with his people were largely one-sided. They said, Here is the issue and heres how were going to fix it, he said in an interview. Peters said he told the commission very clearly that Indigenous communities should be involved in determining which files to open as well as in the review of cases involving their children, but that did not happen. When you get down to the important matters of making decisions we have absolutely zero role, he said. With the commissions mandate concluded, he is now calling on Naqvi to review every Motherisk case and immediately notify all affected children and parents. However, while the ministry spokesperson acknowledged that what happened to the children and families impacted by the flawed Motherisk testing was heartbreaking, he said the government is not looking to reopen the work performed by the Motherisk Commission. Motherisks flawed hair-testing was used for decades, in at least eight criminal cases and thousands of child protection cases across Canada, where the results were used as proof of parental substance abuse. Beaman found the reliance on the testing in decisions to remove children from their families was manifestly unfair and harmful and was imposed on the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society, with scant regard for due process. After reviewing nearly 1,300 affected Ontario child protection files, Beaman concluded in her final report last week that 56 families were broken apart by Motherisks faulty testing. In these cases, she found the testing played a significant role in decisions to remove children. Although Indigenous individuals make up less than 3 per cent of Ontarios population, Indigenous families, who are overrepresented in the child protection system, were involved in nearly 15 per cent of the files the commission reviewed. In her report, Beaman said the commission met with Indigenous leaders and communities across the province, such as chiefs, band councils, and Indigenous Friendship Centres. She said these discussions helped us understand the Motherisk testing issue in the context of Indigenous peoples distinct history and experiences, including residential schools and the 60s Scoop, which saw the federal government remove thousands of Indigenous children from their homes, beginning in the 1950s, and place them with non-Indigenous foster families. The commission also sent materials to Indigenous organizations and advertised with media that were mainly targeted for Indigenous and multicultural audiences, she said. Lead counsel for the commission Lorne Glass said his team did take many, many, many steps to engage with people in the Indigenous community and listened to their concerns. If we hadnt seen their case, they were invited to come forward and give us their case, he said, adding that commission counsel included an Indigenous lawyer, who played a meaningful part in the review process. In her report, Beaman said the commission made every effort to identify and review all of the cases involving Motherisk testing where children were permanently removed from their families and were still under the age of 18. The commission also reviewed cases upon request. The commission produced 32 recommendations aimed at preventing a similar tragedy, but in only four cases has it succeeded in returning lost children to their parents, in part, because, once finalized, adoptions are virtually impossible to undo, Beaman noted. Peters said the community reacted with anger early on, when they were told by the commission that legal remedies in these cases would be difficult to achieve an explanation he remains unable to accept. If you steal a child under faulty pretenses, that child has to come back, he said. An earlier review of Motherisk by former justice Susan Lang, which deemed the testing inadequate and unreliable for use in legal proceedings, estimated that 16,000 individuals were tested at the request of Ontarios child welfare agencies from 2005 to 2015 alone. More than 9,000 of those individuals tested positive for drugs or alcohol. Sick Kids made millions from the testing. It closed the Motherisk lab in the spring of 2015 during Langs review, which was launched following a Star investigation. In selecting cases to review, Glass said the commission relied on records from Sick Kids and the courts, and focused primarily on cases where there was a possible legal remedy available under the Child and Family Services Act. He said these choices were guided by the government order that appointed Beaman to lead the commission in early 2016, as well as Langs recommendations. In her December 2015 report, Lang said a second review that examines every child protection proceeding in which (a Motherisk) test was obtained would not be efficient, effective, or necessary. The Motherisk Commission was given two years and a $10-million budget to review 25 years of child protection cases. In his letter, Peters said the commission ought to have had a broader focus and criticized it for not taking appropriate steps to notify the thousands of individuals who were tested, all of whom could be clearly identified using the databases made available to Justice Beaman. It is possible that thousands of files involving Indigenous children being illegitimately removed from their families as a result of Motherisk testing have been completely missed and/or ignored, he said. Rachel Mendleson can be reached at rmendleson@thestar.ca Read more about: One year before the disappearance of two men alleged to have been killed by Bruce McArthur, a man reported to Toronto police that McArthur had tried to strangle him in 2016, sources have told the Star. Two sources with knowledge of the incident told the Star the man escaped McArthurs grasp and reported the assault to police, but McArthur was let go. The incident took place during an otherwise consensual interaction, according to a police source. As previously reported by the Star, homicide investigators who are now probing McArthurs case were unaware of the 2016 incident until recently, only learning of it after McArthurs arrest in January, according to sources who are familiar with the incident. Read more: Mayor John Tory calls for independent review of Bruce McArthur investigation Bruce McArthur was previously questioned, released by police in separate incident Torontos gay community shocked in the wake of McArthur investigation revelations Toronto police confirmed this week that they launched an internal investigation into what lead homicide Det. Sgt. Hank Idsinga called concerning information that he became aware of. Idsinga said he prepared a report last week and sent it to the Toronto police professional standards unit. That report, he told the Star, was related to the actions of some officers in a previous occurrence (who), I am led to believe potentially did not do what they were supposed to have done, according to our policies and our procedures. For years, residents of Torontos Gay village speculated a serial killer may be at work amid numerous reports of missing persons. After three men Skandaraj Skanda Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi, and Majeed Kayhan went missing between 2010 and 2012, police launched Project Houston to investigate their disappearances in late 2012. The probe ended after 18 months when police could find no evidence to suggest criminal activity. Police are now facing questions about their handling of the project. It is unclear whether officers spoke to McArthur during the course of that investigation. Ontarios attorney general told reporters at Queens Park Thursday that he was reviewing Mayor John Torys call for a provincial public inquiry into the police handling of the McArthur case. We have indicated to Mayor Tory that we will consider the issue of an inquiry and well have an open line of communication to them, but I think at this stage, we have to be very mindful in terms of the criminal proceedings and the criminal investigation, Yasir Naqvi said. Soon after Navaratnam vanished, police detected a pattern in the disappearance of two other missing men with similar ethnicity who were known in the area of Church and Wellesley Sts. Kayhan went missing in October 2012 and Faizi disappeared in December 2010. Near the end of 2012, police came upon information suggesting that Navaratnam had been killed prompting the shift from a missing persons probe to a homicide investigation. That is when Idsinga joined the project with investigators at 51 Division, and for six months, looked into evidence including a suggestion that Navaratnam had been the victim of a cannibalism ring. Police developed a suspect for Navaratnams death during that time, but the man was later cleared. By June 2013, the case was no longer considered a homicide probe and its status returned to a missing persons case. Anyone interviewed from that point on was interviewed strictly as a witness, Idsinga said. Police launched Project Prism in July 2017 to look into the disappearances of two more men, Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen. In November 2017, police came upon evidence that identified McArthur as a possible suspect in the death of Kinsman. Two months later, on Jan. 17, police obtained evidence that pushed the investigation over the edge and led police to arrest McArthur, Idsinga said. McArthur, 66, is now facing six charges of first-degree murder: He is charged in the deaths of Kinsman, 49; Esen, 44; Kayhan, 59; Soroush Mahmudi, 50; Dean Lisowick, 47; and Navaratnam, 40. On Wednesday, Mayor John Tory called for an independent review of the way Toronto police handle handling missing persons cases, as well as the circumstances surrounding the investigation into McArthur. Tory said he would move a motion at the next Toronto Police Services Board meeting to support a request from Chief Mark Saunders for an external review that would look at Toronto police policies, procedures, protocols, and training, among other things, that relate to missing persons investigations. He also called for the review to examine any systemic concerns about any differentiated treatment or bias including but not limited to the LBGTQ communities. The mayors proposed independent review is separate from an ongoing internal review by the force into how its officers handle missing persons cases. Meaghan Gray, a Toronto police spokesperson told the Star earlier this week that the chief has always said, if we come across issues that need addressing, we would not wait. We would act as soon as practical. With files from Star Staff Employers who use temporary employment agencies will no longer be able to evade liability for workplace accidents, the Star has learned, as new legislation promises to hold them responsible when temps are injured or killed on the job. Last year a Star investigation showed how companies use temp agencies to cut costs and limit liability for accidents because temp agencies were considered workers so-called employer of record at the provincial compensation board. As a result, the agency took the financial hit if a temp got hurt, not the place where they were actually injured. That will now change, making Ontario one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to hold employers accountable in this way. Read more: Undercover in temp nation One year after this temp agency worker died at Fiera Foods, family is still searching for answers Temp agencies on rise as province seeks to protect vulnerable workers In a statement to the Star, Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said government will proclaim legislation written three years ago but never enacted. The resurrected section of Bill 18 will now require the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to ascribe injuries and accident costs to the clients of temporary help agencies where injuries occur not the agencies themselves. This will create a fairer system and make workplaces safer for temporary help agency workers in Ontario, he said. Have your say Workers rights advocates and occupational health researchers have long pushed for the reforms, arguing they would remove existing incentives for employers to shift risky work onto temp agency workers who often receive little training or protection. This has been such a huge issue for such a long time that its so, so great that its getting proclaimed, said Deena Ladd of the Toronto-based Workers Action Centre. I think we can now finally hold the companies (accountable) that should have been held jointly and severally liable for decades for injuries. Data obtained by the Star as part of its investigation showed that temp agency workers in Ontario are increasingly being placed in non-clerical environments like factories and warehouses, and that they are twice as likely to get hurt in these sectors as their non-temp counterparts. The number of temp agency offices opening across Ontario has increased by 20 per cent in the past decade and there are now more than 1,700 operating in the GTA alone. A Star reporter also went undercover as a low-wage temp worker at North York industrial bakery Fiera Foods, which relies heavily on temps as it mass-produces bread products for major grocery stores and fast-food chains. The reporter received just five minutes of safety training and was paid in cash at a payday lender, without pay stubs or statutory deductions. Three temp agency workers have died at Fiera and its partner companies since 1999. One was 23-year-old refugee Amina Diaby, killed on the job in September 2016. She was strangled when her head scarf got caught in an unguarded machine, just two weeks after she started at the factory. Fiera subsequently pleaded guilty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and was fined $300,000 for failing to take the necessary precautions to keep her safe. In a statement to the Star Thursday, Fieras general counsel David Gelbloom said the company has a strong set of health and safety standards for temporary and full-time workers. In cases where temporary help agencies have failed to meet these high standards, we have ended working relationships. As a company founded by two refugees, creating opportunity for newcomers is deeply ingrained in our DNA. As is the case with many of our counterparts, these opportunities are often provided through temporary help agencies, he added. Were proud to provide opportunities to newcomers as they enter the local workforce and more than 45 of our temporary employees have been converted to full employees over the past three months. Every employee, temporary or full-time, deserves a safe, healthy workplace. Shortly after Diaby died, the Star began asking questions of the WSIB about health and safety at Fiera, and learned that in 2016, the factory which employs hundreds of workers and operates around the clock had reported just one lost-time injury to the board. Documents recently obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that after analyzing the data requested by the Star last year, the WSIBs executive director of regulatory services noted that these numbers suggest a history of not reporting minor accidents. Fiera alone has over 400 workers, many of which (about 70 per cent) are temporary workers, says the email sent in June 2017 to the boards chief risk officer and chief compliance officer. Fiera Foods did not respond to questions from the Star about whether the figures were accurate. A separate WSIB briefing note released through access to information laws said the boards regulatory databases show investigation files related to 10 different non-compliant temporary employment agencies that are known to regulatory services as having been utilized by ... Fiera. Diabys death was not the first fatality at OLA Staffing, the temp agency that hired her, according to the brief. In 2009, an associated firm was convicted after a Brampton temp worker was crushed to death by a stack of plywood. The temp was brought in because the client company had deemed the work too risky for its own employees, according to a court bulletin from the time. The email correspondence obtained by the Star also shows how the WSIB struggled in the wake of Diabys death to hold Fiera accountable, because the necessary legislation was not in place. After Diaby died, Fiera was initially issued a $44,000 rebate from the compensation board on their insurance premiums for apparently maintaining a good health and safety record. A cheque for the amount was mailed to Fiera on Jan. 9, 2017, according to the correspondence. Noting that Bill 18s provisions on the issue had never passed, an internal briefing note said the WSIB is unable to hold the principal Fiera accountable for having unsafe working conditions and failing to take sufficient precautions to prevent this workplace fatality. WSIB President Tom Teahen was not particularly pleased to learn of the rebate, according to an email from his special adviser Steve Jackson to senior leadership at the board. Meetings were subsequently held to look for creative ways to find Fiera Foods to be the fatality employer and the rebate was ultimately revoked after the WSIB used powers available to it in special circumstances where health and safety violations are suspected. Can you please work with finance ... to make sure that in the future (rebate) cheques are held for any employer/party that is currently engaged in a fatality investigation, says an email from Jackson sent in late January 2017. This may mean a cheque is sent out late, but at least its not sent automatically without some more thought and analysis. A later email from the WSIBs executive director of corporate risk management notes that the reality is that the fix required to fully address this situation is a legislative one, and a particularly simple one at that, that would make the client employer, e.g. Fiera, the employer of record. We have brought this point forward in numerous discussions and submissions with (the Ministry of Labour), the email to senior staff says. The fix will now happen, which Ladd calls an important move forward. Having workers comp be able to directly go after (client companies) now will allow us to support workers on the ground, she said. Its so critical that these companies are held responsible for the actions of their corporation, when they put people in jeopardy and in danger for their lives. Fieras Gelbloom said the company welcomed the measures being taken by the government of Ontario to keep employers accountable for the safety of their workers and hope that these measures raise the bar throughout the industry. Recent reforms through a separate bill, Bill 148, also introduced new protections for temp agency workers, including making it easier for them to unionize, equal pay for equal work, and paid sick days. The ministry is also undertaking an in-depth investigation into the temp agency sector with results expected to be available in the spring. Our government is committed to ensuring the health and safety of temporary help agency workers, Flynn said. smojtehedzadeh@thestar.ca bkennedy@thestar.ca The OPP has launched a formal investigation into Toronto Councillor Justin Di Ciano after receiving information he allegedly broke elections rules. Di Ciano, first elected in 2014 to represent Ward 5 (Etobicoke Lakeshore), is now the subject of a police probe led by the OPPs anti-rackets branch, which is in charge of investigating enterprise crime and complex fraud investigations. The scope of the investigation, which a spokesperson characterized as only potential violations of the Municipal Elections Act with reference to Councillor Justin Di Ciano is not clear. Staff Sgt. Carolle Dionne said they had no further comment. The OPP confirmed they were first alerted to potential Elections Act violations by Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders on Sept. 22, 2017. That followed an investigation by the citys integrity commissioner, Valerie Jepson, who referred a request to police regarding a concern one or more offences may have been committed by Di Ciano, according to the OPP. Jepson declined to comment. OPP said they were looking to see whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. An inquiry, led by OPP Det. Insp. Gerry Scherer of the criminal investigations branch, has resulted in an investigation being launched. Earlier, Dionne told the Star the OPP was following up on allegations that fall under both the Criminal Code and the Elections Act. Its not clear if allegations under the criminal code are still being actively pursued by police. A spokesperson could not say whether the investigation will expand beyond Di Ciano. Its not known to the Star what allegations are being pursued as part of the OPP investigation, including a secret recording the CBCs John Lancaster first reported and the Star confirmed the OPP is aware of. On Feb. 1, the CBC broadcast a recording that appears to be of Di Cianos twin brother, Julien, soliciting donations from a family friend and offering to repay him $300 in cash if they gave the maximum amount of $750. The OPP confirmed to the Star it is aware of the recording acquired by the CBC. Neither Justin nor Julien Di Ciano responded to requests for comment Thursday. Justin Di Ciano earlier called the CBC story factually incorrect. Julien Di Ciano earlier told the Star the broadcaster had their facts wrong. I have checked my financial records and there is absolutely nothing to suggest any irregularities, Julien Di Ciano wrote. He also questioned if the recording had been altered. A male voice can be heard on the recording, posted on CBCs website, saying: I need you to give me, ah, you and Magda, to give Justin a cheque for the campaign, for his political campaign, and Im going to cut it back to you in cash. If you give $750 to the campaign, the city cuts you a cheque for $450 and Im going to give you $300 in cash so youre not out any cash. OK? You did it last time. You and your girlfriend both did it the last election. The other person on the call cant be heard. CBC reported it was Brandon Sobel, a family friend. The Star does not have a copy of the recording and was not able to independently verify it. Julien Di Ciano, earlier told the Star he doesnt have a recollection of the call but didnt deny it was him on the recording. He said Sobel is a longtime family friend and he can only assume it was Sobel on the other end. Both Sobel and a Magda Chelminska gave Justin Di Cianos campaign $750, the maximum amount, according to financial records filed with the citys elections office. Both also gave the maximum amount to Di Ciano during his 2010 campaign. Chelminska ran against Di Ciano in the 2014 campaign for the Ward 5 seat. According to her nomination papers filed with the city, Chelminska signed up on Sept. 12 to run more than eight months into the campaign and just 45 days before election day. Financial statements submitted claimed no expenses and declared no donations, suggesting she did little to no campaigning. She came in second to last place with 645 votes. Chelminska could not be reached for comment. Sobel answered the phone at his Vaughan office where he works as a public adjuster. He promised to try to call the Star back, acknowledging he had received an earlier email. The call and a follow-up email were not returned before deadline. Campaign filings show Di Ciano was running a deficit of more than $31,000 as the 2014 campaign period ended. He requested and received an extension to continue raising money beyond the deadline. Of the 65 individual donations listed on a supplementary financial statement, 43, or 66 per cent, donated the maximum $750. Jennifer Pagliaro can be reached at 416-869-4556 or jpagliaro@thestar.ca Police watchdogs will be stronger and more transparent, police chiefs will have greater powers to suspend officers without pay, and the public complaints system will become more independent after the Liberal governments omnibus police bill was passed at Queens Park Thursday. The hefty legislation rewrites the provinces decades-old Police Act, enacting significant changes to police services, their boards and civilian police agencies, including the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) reforms considered long overdue by police critics, academics, and police services alike. Hailed as a framework of modern policing in the 21st century by Attorney General Yasir Naqvi, the bills passage came after fevered debate inside Queens Park, with Progressive Conservative members voting against the bill after echoing the concerns from police associations that the changes opened the door to the privatization of policing services. But the legislation was dubbed as a large step forward by civilian oversight experts, predominantly those changes that acted on recommendations brought forward by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch following a detailed review of the SIU and other civilian watchdogs. Tullochs recommendations included far greater public reporting requirements, what Naqvi called an open by default approach to investigations into police behaviour to provide key information allowing citizens to understand civilian watchdog decisions. Tulloch also recommended the SIU be granted greater powers to probe police including the ability to lay any criminal charge uncovered during an investigation and to penalize police officers who fail to co-operate with its probes, including up to a year in jail. This is an auspicious day its going to be good for all communities, people of colour especially, said Valarie Steele, a member of the Black Action Defense Committee who came to Queens Park to watch the vote Thursday. You have to have proper oversight, oversight with teeth, that people will not ignore. Ian Scott, the former director of the SIU, said the bill is a large step forward, particularly when it comes to non-criminal public complaints. The new legislation demands that, within the next five years, the provinces police complaint watchdog, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIRPD), be fully independent, no longer referring any complaints back to the police service where the complaint originated. However, Scott highlighted regrettable recent amendments regarding the police duty to co-operate with SIU investigations. In a recent wording change, the legislation now required police to comply with a direction or request received from the SIU Director or an investigator ... unless it is unlawful or impracticable to do so. This change, Scott said, will make it virtually impossible to enforce the duty to comply provision. Will the police simply not comply because they are of the opinion the duty under the new Act is either unlawful or impracticable? This amendment flies in the face of the spirit of the Tulloch Report which recommended strengthening, not weakening, the duty to co-operate provision, Scott said. The Ontario Association of Police Services Boards lauded that the legislation gives police chiefs the power to suspend without pay officers accused of the most serious crimes, something chiefs can do in every other province. The associations executive director Fred Kaustinen also supports the move to define the core function of police officers namely, codifying what work must be done by a highly paid, sworn police officer. The change would allow police services boards to contract out certain police-related tasks that can be done by a security guard or civilian. While the details would be hammered out in still-to-come regulations, some examples of these tasks include crime-scene analysis, forensic identification, physical surveillance, video and photographic surveillance and more. Noting that Ontario taxpayers pay the highest per-capita costs in Canada, the new legislation means communities will now be able to more efficiently and effectively co-operate with partners to take advantage of cost savings that will benefit budgets while letting police officers get back to doing what they do best, Kaustinen said in a statement. The clause has prompted powerful pushback from police associations, who warn the privatization of policing will result in public safety risks. In a joint statement Wednesday, Torontos police union, alongside the Police Association of Ontario and the Ontario Provincial Police Association also accused the Liberal government of hastily pushing through a massive bill that will hurt policing efforts in the province. The claims were echoed by Ontarios New Democrats and the Progressive Conservatives. The NDP MPPs are disgusted by the Liberals move to sneak the privatization of policing and public safety into an otherwise important and necessary bill, a party spokesperson said in a statement. Debating on the bill earlier this week, PC MPP Laurie Scott criticized the Liberal government for failing to adequately define core police functions. Weve consistently said that was not sufficient, that you had to put down what the core definition of police functions were. You could allay a lot of fears, not only of the police associations but also of Ontarians in general, about who is going to respond to their needs in times of crisis, Scott said. Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Marie-France Lalonde has denied that the bill results in the privatization of policing, saying that when an Ontarian calls 911 and needs a police officer, a police officer will respond to you. Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca Read more about: A Toronto man has lost his last-ditch effort to delay his deportation to Nigeria after a 13-year fight that ended Thursday when the Federal Court refused to hear his latest request to suspend the removal. Jamil Ogiamien, 48, was scheduled to be escorted by two Canada Border Services Agency officers and a nurse on a charter flight to Lagos overnight Thursday after the court dismissed his request, confirmed his lawyers, Subodh Bharati and David Cote. According to an affidavit filed with the court by the federal Justice Department, the deportation arrangement would cost taxpayers $244,766.60, plus fuel. He was booked for deportation in late February but successfully asked the court to adjourn it because he needed time to retain a lawyer. We are disappointed by the outcome of Mr. Ogiamiens case. We are extremely concerned about the amount of money which the Government of Canada is spending to deport this one individual, said Cote. We do not understand why Canada is spending this money to charter a plane to remove an individual who is not a danger to the public. Unfortunately, this was not explained to us, the client or the court. Ogiamien was awarded $60,000 in 2016 by an Ontario judge who ruled his charter rights were violated by multiple lockdowns at a provincial jail, where he had been detained for three years awaiting deportation. The award was quashed by the Court of Appeal for Ontario last August. According to the court decisions from Ogiamiens previous litigation, he moved to the United States in 1980 and came to Canada in 2001. He got into trouble with the law when he was arrested for using forged documents at an Ontario drivers licensing office. He filed an asylum claim while he was serving a six-month jail sentence for the offence, but the claim was deemed abandoned when he was extradited to the U.S. to face charges there of forgery and identity theft. In 2005, he was deported back to Canada, which has been trying to deport him since. In 2013, he was arrested by Peel police and charged with impaired driving, possession of marijuana, robbery and prostitution-related charges. Although he was ultimately acquitted of all of the charges in 2014, he continued to be held at Maplehurst in Milton until June 2016, when he won his lawsuit and was released on a court order. Before his deportation, Ogiamien had been asking for months to undergo a mental health assessment and an appointment was scheduled for April, said Bharati. Without a thorough assessment and diagnosis, we are concerned that he will not be able to find treatment in Nigeria, said Bharati. There are few options for mental health care in that country and that all too often, people with such problems end up begging on the streets to survive. Read more about: A transportation engineer has a simple, proactive solution to potholes pave better roads. Carleton University professor Abd El Halim says he invented a machine three decades ago which would prevent the potholes that plague Toronto roads, particularly in the winter and early spring. But despite what he says are test results showing its effectiveness, his invention hasnt caught on. Its not my fault its not being used, Ive done everything a researcher can do, El Halim said. The road has been sick for 200 years, I cant make you take the medicine. His invention, the AMIR road compactor, is named after El Halims eldest son, but also stands for Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller. Its secret is a rubber belt that allows a constant and consistent distribution of asphalt while paving roads. This is in contrast to most rollers, which have rigid, steel wheels that often vibrate and oscillate as they pave. El Halim said rollers leave behind cracks which eventually become potholes. When water gets into the cracks and freezes into ice, it further breaks open the cracks. Winter weather accelerates the process. Complex (problems) dont need complex solutions, he said in an interview with the Star while he was in Toronto for an academic conference. El Halim has recorded dozens of side-by-side tests comparing the AMIR to the typical roller. Each time, his machine leaves no cracks behind, while his other rollers do. In tests, the AMIR also produced roads that were more skid-proof than roads paved by traditional rollers. El Halim built a prototype in the 1980s, and received international attention for the potential of his idea. His machine was used in the late 1990s in Australia for a project for the 2000 Olympics, but has had little commercial use since. El Halim has a few ideas why his invention hasnt caught on. Rollers cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so companies are reluctant to buy another or not use the ones they have. The original AMIR compactor went unused for over a decade, but in 2012, Tomlinson, a construction company, revived it to use on some bridge projects. That same year, Ontarios Ministry of Transportation began to give El Halim research funding for the AMIR, which so far amounts to about $350,000. Tomlinson has also been involved in research and development for the AMIR. In November, the City of Ottawa used the AMIR to construct a test section of a road in the city. The AMIR technology is unique in the world, said ministry spokeperson Bob Nichols. The AMIR III was tested in a side-by-side comparison with the most modern asphalt compaction equipment available . . . The AMIR III produced a superior quality product which is clearly visible and measurable. Nichols said the AMIR has great potential to extend the life of roads, and save significant taxpayer dollars. In 2016, an MTO analysis found that the province would save $50 million annually if roads on the MTOs highways could last even one year longer. The MTO is not planning on buying or specifying the use of AMIR asphalt rollers, but we are very interested in seeing the AMIR technology developed so that the superior quality they produce can eventually be specified on our contracts, said Nichols. The next step is further commercialization. El Halim plans to sell kits to companies that will convert their rollers into ones more akin to the AMIR. He patented the kit with Tomlinson. Its like buying a tie, you just need the right one for your shirt instead of buying a whole suit, he said. The kit is a cheaper accessory that businesses can adopt, while a machine may be too big an investment. El Halim says the AMIR is easier to operate than traditional rollers. He claims anyone who can drive a car can operate it, and that it is far more efficient than traditional rollers. To pave a road, El Halim says traditional rollers will go over the area about 26 times. The AMIR only needs eight. For all of its success, El Halim says the AMIR is not all that advanced, and calls it 1980s technology. However, El Halim says the roller technology hasnt changed much since the early 20th century. Owen Sound As the bus weaved through single-lane country roads across rural Ontario to the County of Grey, Jacinda Rudolph was bombarded with questions from her eager passengers. How much does an average detached home cost? Whats the wait time for daycare? Is there public transit? Do you need a car to live in Grey? And most important for the 30 passengers, what jobs are available and do they pay well? Im not a tour guide, said Rudolph, the countys outreach co-ordinator. But if you want to know what country life is like, I can definitely help. On a gorgeous balmy winter day, the county government along with the Newcomer Centre of Peel, a settlement agency was busing in new immigrants from Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto for a field trip and the regions annual job fair in Owen Sound, more than two hours drive northwest of Toronto. Honestly, I never heard of Grey County, said Huntly Xiao, 32, who came to Canada from China in 2012 as a foreign student and became a permanent resident two years ago, when he graduated with a masters degree in environmental engineering from Concordia University. I have worked at Tim Hortons for the past two years to survive. There are a lot of new graduates, a lot of new immigrants like me here. Its a very competitive job market. This is a great opportunity for me to explore what is available. With Ontarios and Canadas rural communities struggling to fill labour gaps and reverse population and economic decline, the countys New to Grey pilot project, funded by the province, is the latest attempt by the communities to attract and retain new residents both Canadians from outside the region and immigrants to the farm country. Many newcomers are reluctant to settle in smaller communities due to a lack of social support and professional connections. This new model to mix and match newcomers with smaller communities and rural employers through partnerships with immigrant settlement agencies, if successful, could be a new way for Canada to spread the benefits of immigration and ease the pressure on big cities in absorbing newcomers, more than three-quarters of whom settle in just seven Canadian cities. Although none of the bus tour participants had previously heard of Grey County which is about two-thirds the size of Greater Toronto but with a population of only 94,000 they have been learning and researching about the community with help from the staff at the Newcomer Centre of Peel. Leading up to the field trip, many of the newcomers connected with job recruiters at The Agency, an Owen Sound recruitment company, about their resumes, skill sets, previous job experiences, employers expectations and the local labour market. It is a big decision to move. People can do their own Google search but they want to speak to a real person, an employer, a recruiter from the community, said Tania Maximenko, a training and development facilitator at the Peel settlement agency. Our program offers a platform for employers and job-seekers, who wouldnt have an opportunity to meet otherwise. That one-on-one communication is powerful. We see this as a new model of partnership. The guided bus tour was a first, intended to give new prospective residents a flavour of country living and allow them to build a network with county officials and local employers a key for any potential relocation and settlement in an unfamiliar territory. Shehnila Masud, a physician from Pakistan, was wowed by the scenic views of rural Ontario after the bus passed the cookie-cutter subdivisions and big-box stores in Mississauga, Brampton and Orangeville into the expansive fields and sparse farmhouses through Shelburne, Dundalk and Collingwood, where the group stopped at Blue Mountain for a meeting with a manager to learn about job opportunities at the resort. I have lived in cities all my life and heard smaller communities are better interconnected and people are welcoming. Im not sure how true that is in Canada, said the 50-year-old mother of four, as she paused to admire the picturesque shoreline along Georgian Bay. Its hard to find out stuff if you dont know anyone. But this time, they have arranged everything for us. Being able to speak to people from the community is crucial and I can look for myself what its like living and working in rural Canada. Over the microphone, Rudolph continued to entertain the enthusiastic visitors questions, telling them jobs are plenty in the region (4,100 new job postings over the past year) and houses are definitely more affordable (she paid $320,000 for her 5-bedroom house on a two-acre property in Owen Sound). You do need a car and a drivers licence to live and work here, she said. The rural community is not as diverse. If you are used to ethnic food, there arent that many (options). We do have a Chinese community, a Muslim association and a growing Syrian community. Things are changing. As the bus was slowly pulling into the parking lot of the Bayshore Community Centre, the venue for the job fair, Phuntsok Chomphel, a social service worker from Toronto, said he was both excited and nervous. I have read about the Grey County on the web that it is a place of serenity. I dont know how welcoming they are to newcomers, but I have high hopes, said the 36-year-old Tibetan, who came here for refuge from India in 2013. Im not going to limit myself even if I dont get a job at the job fair. His nerves quickly disappeared when he and other newcomers were greeted by Owen Sound Deputy Mayor Arlene Wright and a team of regional professionals in housing, child-care, education training, employment and community volunteers who were there to answer questions. We are really happy to see you here. We are trying to get people to Owen Sound every day, said a smiling Wright, who led a 10-member expert panel from the region to meet the guests over a free curry chicken and naan lunch. We have many opportunities up here. We dont have four-lane highways. We have many small industries that need labour in this community. We have so much to offer. Chomphel asked a manager on the panel in charge of Ontario Works about job opportunities in the social service sector, and was pleasantly surprised that the county would be hiring new case-workers soon. Another participant, Harjeet Singh, an agronomist from India, was eager to inquire about the job opportunities in the agricultural sector; he was connected with another panelist, who has personal contacts in the industry. Knowing the job fair only ran for two hours, Birpal Singh, 34, and his wife Simran Kaur, 29, began checking the list of employers and a map of the job fair over lunch so they could hit the spots immediately. Singh, a business development consultant from India who is fluent in English and French, made quick stops at the RBC and Sunlife booths, but it was the opportunity at Grey Countys economic research and business enterprise branch that attracted him most. Its great we got a chance to talk to all these people. Simran also got the opportunity to explore an opportunity in teaching French and maybe at Georgian College, said Singh, who just arrived Canada with his spouse on January 31. On a scale of 1 to 10, I definitely would rate this event at a 9. I would have given it a 10 if I got a job today. While both Xiao and Chomphel did give out numerous resumes to prospective employers at the job fair, Masud, the physician from Pakistan, said she was disappointed that she couldnt find anything she was looking for in the medical field despite the many health-care-related openings. I was interested in being a personal support worker, but they all required a PSW certificate even though Im much more qualified for the job being a doctor, noted Masud, before the group made a final stop at Markdale to meet with the human resources manager of Chapmans Ice-cream, one of the largest employers in the region. But I made contact with someone at Grey Bruce Health Services. I will keep looking for opportunities out here. As the tour bus was headed to the city through unlit country roads, Rudolph asked the now exhausted newcomers to raise their hands if they would consider relocating to Grey County. They all raised their hands in unison but said only if they can first secure a job there. A rural employment job fair will be held at Mississaugas Maple Banquet Hall on March 20, where employers and officials from 10 rural municipalities will be present to recruit newcomers from the GTA. A Superior Court judge has refused to weigh in on Torontos request for direction on how to run the 2018 election. Justice Katherine Swinton said in a three-page ruling released Friday she was declining to make that kind of declaration. Swinton earlier tossed an attempt by Councillor Justin Di Ciano and Davenport-area resident Tony Natale to appeal the council-approved decision to increase the number of wards to 47 from 44. Di Ciano and Natales lawyer had raised a concern at that hearing that the city had not passed the necessary bylaw setting out how many councillors should be elected in each ward. The citys legal team said the necessary bylaw was passed as part of the ward boundaries decision. In December, the OMB affirmed councils ward boundaries decision following an appeal from Di Ciano and others. The changes were recommended by independent consultants after a nearly four-year review. The citys current 44-ward structure has a vast imbalance in population sizes. The goal of the review was more effective representation for residents, including the premise that all votes should have equal weight. The city will proceed with an election where the city is divided into 47 wards with one councillor elected per ward. With the mayor, there will be 48 members of council. The period for candidate nominations begins May 1 with election day on Oct. 22. Yusra Khogali stood in line with the mayor of the city and raised her fist straight up in the air. Standing at a microphone in the council chamber at city hall moments later, she called for a response: Black lives, they matter here! Those who came to support her seated in the public gallery shouted it back again and again. Khogali, an artist who helped found the Black Lives Matter Toronto chapter was one of two of the first recipients of the Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership Thursday night. In accepting the honour, she demanded the city do better to recognize we are still living in an anti-Black city. Im really grateful and theres an abundance of joy and thankfulness in my heart, she said at the podium as Tory and other city officials listened. But Im also recognizing that Im getting this award on the premise that theres work to be done. Because Black people are dying multiple deaths trying to survive in this city. The city is still consulting on carding, Khogali noted. Street checks, as police call them, have been found by data analyzed by the Star to have disproportionately targeted Black people. Black people are being brutalized for not being able to afford the TTC, she said, referencing an incident where witnesses and video footage saw a teen grabbed and then restrained by both TTC and police officers near St. Clair Ave. W. and Bathurst St. Black Lives Matter has pushed for justice in the case of the police shooting of Andrew Loku; camped outside police headquarters in 2016; and has recently been fighting to stop the deportation of former child refugee Abdoul Abdi, who the government has admitted to failing. Much was made of an old tweet Khogali sent that said, Plz Allah give me strength not to cuss/kill these men and white folks out here today. Hatred continues to be directed at her today. Following that backlash, she wrote in the Star: I put my rage and trauma into words, not action, not threat. Faced with hate, I sought restraint from god and support from my online community. She noted at the time, Mayor John Tory was quick to respond to reports of the tweet but had yet to comment on the protest outside police headquarters. After calling a meeting of Black community leaders, but not inviting Black Lives Matter representatives, Tory was eventually forced to include the young activists. Tory prefaced the awards Thursday by giving a short speech, acknowledging both Khogali and winner Talisha Ramsaroop, who were selected by a panel that included McConnells daughter Heather Ann. Tory said he hoped both would run for public office and follow in McConnells footsteps by advancing the interests in women in Toronto. These were things that she did out of love as well as out of passion and commitment. Councillor Wong-Tam, who handed out the awards, thanked the winners for making us uncomfortable. They like to push the boundaries. Theyre going to be persistent. and theyre going to advocate and agitate for change. And sometimes its going to be uncomfortable and I think thats actually OK because thats how things get done, Wong-Tam said. Khogali noted in her speech how difficult it is to be a Black woman taking a leadership role. As I continue to do this work for my people, I want to ask this question to the people who make decisions in this very room: What are you doing meaningfully to change the lives of Black people in this city? she said. Because when you raise issues of anti-Black racism, instead of the government responding meaningfully to these critical interventions, they choose to pacify, ignore and silence Black women who are the front lines making these interventions. She said she doesnt dream of one day ending up back in the council chamber. Im not interested in running for public office, she said. What my goals are, are Black liberation. The under-resourcing of the backlogged criminal justice system has become a courtroom battle cry in Ontario, with some judges routinely calling on the government to loosen the purse strings so more of them can be hired. Superior Court Justice John McMahon was the latest to issue a warning that a multimillion-dollar alleged financial fraud case might get tossed due to delay because there isnt a Toronto-area judge available to preside over the trial before next January. The hope is that more judges will ensure people accused of crimes receive their constitutional right to a timely trial. That, in theory, will lessen the risk of potentially serious cases collapsing, denying victims justice and defendants the right to clear their names. That concern was heightened after the Supreme Court of Canada, in a 2016 case known as Jordan, imposed new limits on the amount of acceptable pretrial delay. In response, senior levels of governments have appointed more judges to, the province has said, help speed up the justice system. Yet not everyone agrees that increasing judicial numbers will solve what is a very complex problem. They always say more judges, yeah, if theres more judges, theres going to be more cases, if theres more police, theres going to be more charges. More is not the right word in trying to increase the efficiencies. I just find it very myopic, said Osgoode Hall law professor Alan Young. Judges are expensive. As of last April, Ontario Superior Court judges earn $315,300 annually, in addition to generous benefits and a pension equivalent to two-thirds of their salaries. Provincially appointed judges receive $292,829 yearly, along with benefits and pensions based on years of service and age. Rather than boosting judicial ranks, Young would like to see the expansion of alternative measures, with more disputes being resolved through negotiations and mediation, and the decriminalizing of minor offences to free up court resources. We try to use criminal justice for every social evil and as a result we cant have an effective system, he said. Toronto defence lawyer Gary Grill agrees that a streamlined justice system, especially when crime rates are at historic lows, makes more sense than throwing additional judges at the problem, which is a short-term solution at best. We are likely overlooking the real problem: over prosecution, over charging, and an institutionalized fear of letting any prosecution go because we have become so risk adverse, Grill wrote in email. A cost-benefit analysis must be employed. Crowns should have enhanced discretion to resolve charges. Marginal charges should not be prosecuted. Yet our courts continue to be clogged with marijuana prosecutions, weak cases where the Crown lacks the discretion to withdraw. Toronto defence lawyer Greg Lafontaine agrees too much stuff goes through the system that should be resolved with a plea arrangement but cant because the prosecution wont come to reasonable terms with the defence. Nobody is willing to use the discretion that they have to nip cases in the bud, he said. Laurie Gonet, president of the Ontario Crown Attorneys Association, said shes disappointed by that suggestion, because the numbers just dont bear that out, were resolving stuff left, right and centre. At least 90 per cent of criminal charges in the Ontario Court of Justice are resolved, whether by way of plea or the withdrawing of charges, leaving 10 per cent which tend to be the most serious cases, she said. Still, prosecutors must still prepare every file as if it is going to trial and were being crushed under the workload of trying to do that. There simply arent enough of us ... to make it go faster. Cases are also much more labour intensive than they used to be due to a number of factors including the way criminal offences are investigated and the volume and nature of disclosure. While it would be great if new provincial Crowns were hired, why cant we have more civilian staff ... to help us with the administrative things, so it frees us up to actually do the pretrials that will hopefully resolve things, Gonet said. Michael Spratt, who practises criminal law in Ottawa, says there are delays there of between 12 to 18 months for even simple trials, and longer delays for complex trials. Still, he thinks the delay problem has been exaggerated in some circles. Digital evidence and investigative techniques have contributed to lengthier, more complicated trials, so while there might be room to appoint more judges thats not necessarily a good thing. Its easy to think the solution is just hiring more people, throwing more money at the problem, when I think the criminal justice system is really a pit that will swallow all of that up and offer diminishing returns, he said. If the federal government wants a leaner justice system it should follow through on some of its election promises, such as repealing some mandatory minimum sentences. They contribute to court delays by incentivizing people to not resolve matters and go to trial. Federal NDP health critic Don Davies, who helped draft the partys new decriminalization policy, said ending the unwinnable war on drugs would go a long way to solving the glut of cases clogging up the courts. Maybe we dont have enough judges as long as were pursuing a criminalized approach to drug use because we keep feeding an interminable, endless supply of sick people into the justice system, said Davies, who is a lawyer and MP for Vancouver Kingsway. One of the many happy benefits of a decriminalized approach, when you take the crime out of drug use and drug addiction, is you take those people out of the court system and that frees it up for issues that are properly in our justice system. LONDONA British police official on Thursday updated the number of people who sought treatment after a nerve agent attack on an ex-Russian spy, saying around 21 had been given medical help and support. Only three people remain hospitalized after the poisoning Sunday in the southern English city of Salisbury ex-spy Sergei Skripal, daughter Yulia and a British police officer who tried to help them. Health officials insist there has only been a low risk to the public. Authorities havent said who launched the attack, but U.K. officials have warned of a strong response if the Russian government is found to be responsible. Read More: U.K. police say Russian ex-spy, daughter were poisoned with nerve agent Multiple people have been treated, around 21 people, including the man and the woman found on the bench, Wiltshire acting police chief Kier Pritchard told Sky News, referring to Skripal and his daughter, who were found unconscious. Pritchard said that of the new total, a number of them got hospital treatment including blood tests, support and advice. Previously, authorities had said only that several people had sought treatment. Police havent provided details on the nerve agent that was used, and the ex-spy and his daughter remain in critical condition. British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said whoever is behind the attack is guilty of a brazen and reckless act. She said Britain would respond strongly when it is clear whos to blame. British police say a Russian ex-spy and his daughter, who are now for their lives in an English hospital, were attacked with a nerve agent in a targeted murder attempt. (The Associated Press) She said that enormous resources were being used to determine who poisoned Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia. They were found unconscious on a bench, triggering a police inquiry headed by counterterrorism detectives. A police officer who came to their aid is hospitalized in a serious condition, though he is conscious and talking, Rudd said. He was identified Thursday as Sgt. Nick Bailey. The use of a nerve agent on British soil is a brazen and reckless act, Rudd told Parliament. This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way. The Russian Embassy in London, which has mocked other British politicians for suggesting Russian involvement, tweeted that it agreed with Rudd: First evidence then conclusions on Mr. Skripals case. Responsible political approach. Police have refused to publicly speculate on who is behind the attack, but many experts have focused on Russia because of the similarity to the 2006 killing of another former Russian spy who was poisoned in London with radioactive polonium-210. A public inquiry found that Russia was responsible for killing Alexander Litvinenko, and that President Vladimir Putin probably approved it. The Russian government has denied any involvement in the Litvinenko killing or the attempted killing of Skripal, a former Russian agent who had served jail time in his homeland for spying for Britain before being freed in a spy swap. Chemical weapons expert Richard Guthrie of the research project CBW Events, which records the use of chemical and biological weapons, said the highly public attack appeared to be an expression of power intended to send a message. Theres echoes of Litvinenko you are doing it in a way that makes it obvious youre doing it, he said. Russia is obviously a clear candidate, but it is too soon to say who was behind the attack, Guthrie added. Its also possible there could be some troublemaker out there who wants to make it look like it was Russia, he said. Nerve agents are chemical compounds that block nerve cells from sending messages to each other and the organs, preventing the body from working normally. They can be administered in gas or liquid form, causing symptoms including vomiting, breathlessness, paralysis and often death. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the global chemical weapons watchdog based in The Hague, said Thursday the Skripal case was of great concern, adding that it was in touch with British authorities over the attack. Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, has said there was a low risk to the public, but experts say that nerve agents are highly dangerous and volatile. Nerve agents are not materials that can be made at home, said Andrea Sella, a chemistry professor at University College London. Their level of toxicity is such that they are only to be manufactured in specialized facilities. Sella said authorities will be looking to find impurities and residues that might provide clues to the precise chemical process used to manufacture the material. He added that if authorities found the container used to deliver the material, it might well be possible to trace the origin of the substance. Police and forensics officers are searching Skripals home in Salisbury, a medieval city known for its towering cathedral, located 145 kilometres southwest of London, as well as a pub and a restaurant he and his daughter are believed to have visited Sunday. Skripal, a former colonel in Russias GRU military intelligence service, was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain and imprisoned. He was freed in 2010 as part of a widely publicized spy swap in which the U.S. agreed to hand over 10 members of a Russian sleeper cell found operating in America in return for four Russians convicted of spying for the West. Those who knew him in Salisbury were shocked, describing him as friendly and outgoing hardly a man hiding out. The owner of a local convenience shop frequented by Skripal described him as one of her favourite customers. Ebru Ozturk said she made sure to stock the food he liked, particularly smoked bacon and Polish salami. Usually he plays lottery and scratch cards, said Ozturk, 41. Plus a few weeks he was lucky as well and laughed about it. Read more about: KABULA Daesh suicide bomber targeted Afghanistans ethnic Hazaras on Friday, blowing himself up at a police checkpoint near a gathering of the minority Shiites in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said. In northern Afghanistan, the Taliban assaulted an army outpost overnight in an hours-long firefight, and ambushed policemen sent to help the troops, killing six soldiers and 10 members of the local police. The attacks underscore the difficulties President Ashraf Ghanis government is facing as it battles a revamped Taliban insurgency and struggles to rein in Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, whose affiliate in Afghanistan has grown stronger since it emerged in 2014. Kabul has recently seen a spate of large-scale militant attacks by the Taliban and also Daesh. In late January, a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235. In Fridays attack, Basir Mujahid, spokesperson for the Kabul police chief, said the bomber was on foot and was trying to make his way to a compound where the Hazaras had gathered to commemorate the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, who was killed by the Taliban. The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesperson said. One policeman was among the dead. Shortly after the attack, President Ghani issued a statement condemning the bombing and promising that those behind it, if found and convicted, would be given the death penalty. The attack was intended to frighten Afghans but the perpetrators would not succeed, he said. These people who do this are acting against humanity and against Islam, he said. Daesh, or the Khorasan Province as its affiliate in Afghanistan is known, claimed responsibility in a posting on a Daesh-linked website. Daesh said it targeted a gathering of Shiites as they were commemorating the death of a tyrant, an apparent reference to Mazari. Local Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told the Kabul gathering the explosion was an attempt to terrorize Afghans. Most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, and Sunni militant groups consider all Shiites heretics and urge followers to kill them. The spokesperson for the Health Ministry, Wahid Majro, said several of the wounded were in critical condition and feared the death toll could rise further. The overnight Taliban assault in northern Takhar province took place in a remote region of the district of Khwaja Ghar. The insurgents launched a siege of an army outpost there, killing six soldiers and wounding five in a blistering, hours-long attack, Defence Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. The Taliban also ambushed members of the local police who were sent to assist the soldiers, killing 10 policemen and wounding nine, provincial police spokesperson Khali Aseir said. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault late Thursday and the police slayings. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report could not be independently confirmed because of the areas remoteness. In central Ghazni province, the Taliban attacked a police security post late Thursday, killing four policemen, said Arif Noori, spokesperson for the Ghazni provincial governor. Another five officers were wounded in the gun battle, he said. Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, also claimed responsibility for that attack. Read more about: MONESSEN, PA.Bob Dyky has lost his retirement savings three separate times since his steel mill shut down with all the other steel mills around. He has watched his Pennsylvania steel town decay into its current state of dilapidated emptiness. And he believes the cause of all this Monessen misery is cheap steel imports. So when he heard President Donald Trump say he was imposing steep tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, he was positively, profanely delighted, warnings about a trade war be damned. Shut the f---ers down, Dyky, a Trump voter, said Wednesday outside a Monessen grocery store. Then Dyky was asked whether the tariffs should ever apply to Canadian steel. His tone softened. Not at all, he said. Trump exempted Canada from the tariffs he imposed Thursday, but he threatened to change his mind if Canada doesnt agree to a fair North American Free Trade Agreement. A bad idea, Dyky said. Americans and Canadians have always worked together and always been on the same side. And theres fairness there, both sides. Its certainly not fair with the Chinese. Its out of control. Whats fair is fair, whats honest is honest, and the relationships there with Canada. Why ruin it? Dykys views were echoed by other Trump supporters. Even among residents who endorsed the tariffs, there was scant support for hitting Canada. And there was far from unanimous support for hitting anybody at all. It is places like Monessen and its neighbouring towns where Trumps tariffs might be expected to be an easy political winner. Monessen, 50 minutes south of Pittsburgh, was where Trump came to make the major campaign speech in which he decried the effects of globalization and pledged to get tough on steel cheats. But even here, on hilly streets blighted by potholes and vacant storefronts, views on Trumps tariffs were decidedly mixed. And nobody believed Trumps promise in that speech that places like Monessen would recover fast because of his policies. Read more: U.S. wants to decide on tariff exemptions in two weeks, Mnuchin says Editorial | Canada should tell Trump to take a hike on tariffs Trump gives Canada an exemption from tariffs subject to NAFTA negotiations, he says Of 35 people interviewed at modest stores and restaurants in Monessen, still a Democratic stronghold, and at a Walmart in adjacent Fayette County, reliably Republican since 2008, just nine said they were in favour. Not one person voting in Tuesdays hotly contested special election in the local 18th District said the tariffs would affect their choice. There was appreciation for Trumps desire to do something, anything to restore the steel glory days. But it was exceeded by deep skepticism that protectionism will accomplish much in an era of automation. And there was widespread concern about the possible consequences. Its going to start a trade war. Theyre going to give it to us like were giving it to them, said Samuel Perok, 92, a Democratic voter who spent time at a steel company after his Second World War navy service. I dont believe that guy. He talks big, but theres something wrong with that guy. The Stars sample was highly unscientific, and should not be viewed as definitive. But it suggests that Trump may not get a political boost from the move even in steel country. And it strongly suggests that voters will not care if he never imposes tariffs on Canada no matter what happens with NAFTA. Every scientific poll to date has also shown that the tariffs are unpopular. In a Quinnipiac poll this week, 50 per cent opposed the tariffs, 31 per cent supported them. And support was tepid even among white voters with no college degree: 42 per cent were in favour, 40 per cent were opposed. In Monessen, James Sloan, a Republican retiree who voted for Trump but has since soured on him, said he opposed the tariffs because he worries about lasting damage to diplomatic relationships. People are going to walk away from him, allies. And somebody down the line is going to have to reunite all these people, and thats not easy, said Sloan, 76. Hes tramping on people and moving on. But at the same time hes leaving a lot of burning bridges behind him, and you cant put the fires out. For at least one supporter of the tariffs, Trumps decision to provoke an international uproar was a positive, not a negative. I think hes doing pretty good. Because hes made everybody mad. Thats kind of why I picked him, said Larry Harris, 48, a U.S. Steel electrician. I think it needed to happen. Too much of the same old, same old. One thing: it hasnt been boring. In that particular respect, its been good. He dont care who he steps on, and I like that. Like Dyky, Steve Secleter, retired from 31 years at a utility company, was laid off from a steel mill in the 1980s. He did not have a firm opinion on the tariffs. But he said most of Trumps policy decisions have been asinine, and he suspected this one was driven by the presidents personal desire to dominate. Do I think its going to help? No, said Secleter, 62, who voted for the Green Partys Jill Stein because he did not like Trump or trust Hillary Clinton. I think its more or less a threat from him trying to be, like, muscle on the other countries, to say, Hey this is what I want you to do, and youll bow down to what I want. For some residents in and around Pittsburgh, the steel business is tied up with personal identity. Tariff supporters saw a president taking stronger action than anyone had ever taken to punish the people they believe have hurt their families. My father worked in the steel mills. My uncle worked in the steel mills. A lot of my relatives worked in the steel mills. And they shut em down and they started bringing in the imports. When Trump made the statement that he was putting the tariffs on the imported steel? Im all for it, said Ken Marsh, 62, a Republican voter retired after 23 years in steel fabrication. Marsh said, though, that he did not support tariffs on Canada. Weve never had any trouble with it, he said. Almost every resident who endorsed the tariffs said they were doubtful of Trumps assertions that they would revive faded steel towns and substantially boost steel employment. The tariffs are going to help somewhat, yes, they will. But youre not going to bring back steel to the way it was before. You cant, said Lou Mavrakis, 80, a former steelworker and Monessen mayor who invited Trump to the city. These plants have been demolished. Youd have to start from scratch all over again. You know how much that costs? Its astronomical. While steelworkers and ex-steelworkers receive extensive media attention, the economies of many former steel communities have moved on. Pittsburgh, for example, has rebounded with a focus on high-tech businesses and life sciences. People in Monessen said Trump should try to help the modern industries that could be hurt by the tariffs rather than attempting to resuscitate dead-and-buried steel businesses. Joshua Potanko, 34, manager of an optical store, said Trump has done an OK job so far. But he called the tariffs a horrible idea, saying they would set off a huge trade war that the U.S. is going to lose bad. I get why hes trying to do it. I think hes going about it the wrong way of doing it, he said. Republican Mervin Franks, 66, enthusiastically endorsed tariffs in general and on Canada. He flatly said, I dont really care about the other parts of the world. He added, Just because youre Canada dont mean jack s--t to me. He, too, did not expect the tariffs to produce a local steel boom. Read more about: U.S. Sen. Rand Pauls neighbour pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge for tackling the lawmaker in an attack his attorney says was triggered by a dispute over lawn maintenance. Rene Boucher entered the guilty plea in federal court in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to a charge of assaulting a member of Congress. Paul suffered broken ribs in the attack last year. He is looking forward to closure on all of this once and for all, said Bouchers attorney, Matt Baker. He still feels as though he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Read more: U.S. Sen. Rand Pauls alleged attacker charged with federal crime What sparked the attack on U.S. Sen. Rand Paul? Suspects lawyer says landscaping U.S. Sen. Rand Paul doesnt know what prompted neighbour to attack him, friend says A judge set a June 15 sentencing date for the retired anesthesiologist in his late 50s. Federal prosecutors have signalled they will seek a 21-month prison sentence. Baker said he will ask for probation. The charge carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Boucher also agreed to pay restitution to Paul, according to media reports. The amount will be determined at sentencing. Paul, a former presidential candidate, was attacked Nov. 3 while mowing his lawn at his home. A close friend of Pauls said the Republican senator had gotten off his riding lawn mower to remove a limb when he was tackled from behind. Paul has said he never saw the attacker because he was facing downhill and wearing ear protection from the noise of his lawn mower. Paul suffered multiple broken ribs in the attack. He returned to Washington less than two weeks later but developed pneumonia when he returned to Kentucky. Paul has said hes recovering well from the attack. Some residents of the gated neighbourhood in Bowling Green had speculated the attack was motivated by a dispute over yard debris. Baker said Friday that the attack was a complete lapse in judgment by Boucher. He and his neighbour have had a long-standing disagreement, and it just finally boiled over over this yard issue, the attorney said in a phone interview. In comments to police, Boucher indicated the attack was not politically motivated, according to court documents. Instead, it had to do with a property dispute, it said. Boucher is free on bond and living in his house next to the senators home, Baker said. The conditions include that Boucher have no contact with Paul or the senators family. That includes Bouchers daily walks with his dog. He agreed to either follow a route that takes him away from Pauls home, or to take his dog to a nearby park, Baker said. In arguing for no prison time, Baker said, hell note that Bouchers record had consisted of a speeding ticket before the attack. NEW YORKMartin Shkreli, the smirking Pharma Bro vilified for jacking up the price of a life-saving drug, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for defrauding investors in two failed hedge funds. The self-promoting pharmaceutical executive notorious for trolling critics online was convicted in a securities fraud case last year unconnected to the price increase dispute. Shkreli, his cocky persona nowhere to be found, cried as he told U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto he made many mistakes and apologized to investors. Read more: Judge orders Martin Shkreli to forfeit $7.3 million in assets Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli asks judge for leniency: I was a fool Rare Wu-Tang Clan album among assets government wants to seize from Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing, the only person to blame for me being here today is me, he said. I took down Martin Shkreli. He said that he hopes to make amends and learn from his mistakes and apologized to his investors. I am terribly sorry I lost your trust, he said. You deserve far better. The judge insisted that the punishment was not about Shkrelis online antics or raising the cost of the drug. This case is not about Mr. Shkrelis self-cultivated public persona ... nor his controversial statements about politics or culture, the judge said, calling his crimes serious. He was also fined $75,000 and received credit for the roughly six months he has been in prison. The judge ruled earlier this week that Shkreli would have to forfeit more than $7.3 million in a brokerage account and personal assets including his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album that he boasted he bought for $2 million. The judge said the property would not be seized until Shkreli had a chance to appeal. Prosecutors argued that the 34-year-old was a master manipulator who conned wealthy investors and deserved 15 years in prison. His lawyers said he was a misunderstood eccentric who used unconventional means to make those same investors even wealthier. Attorney Benjamin Brafman told Matsumoto Friday that he sometimes wants to hug Shkreli and sometimes wants to punch him in the face, but he said his outspokenness shouldnt be held against him. He said he deserved a sentence of 18 months or less because the investors got their money back and more from stock he gave them in a successful drug company. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said Shkreli deserved the stiffer sentence not because he is the most hated man in America, but because he is a criminal convicted of serious fraud. She said the judge had to consider his history and said he has no respect whatsoever for the law, or the court proceedings. I also want to make clear that Mr. Shkreli is not a child, Kasulis said. Hes not a teenager who just needs some mentoring. He is a man who needs to take responsibility for his actions. Unapologetic from the beginning, when he was roundly publicly criticized for defending the 5,000 per cent price increase of Daraprim, a previously cheap drug used to treat HIV, Shkreli seemed to drift through his criminal case as if it was one big joke. After his arrest in December 2015, he taunted prosecutors, got kicked off of Twitter for harassing a female journalist, heckled Clinton from the sidewalk outside her daughters home, gave speeches with the conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and spent countless hours livestreaming himself in his apartment. He was tight-lipped when faced with a barrage of questions about the price hike from members of Congress a couple of months later, citing his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. After the hearing, he tweeted that the lawmakers were imbeciles. Shkreli insisted he was being persecuted by prosecutors for being outspoken and confidently predicted after his conviction that he was unlikely to be sentenced to jail. Things abruptly changed, though, last fall after he jokingly offered his online followers a $5,000 bounty to anyone who could get a lock of Hillary Clintons hair. The judge revoked his bail and threw him in jail, a decision that she defended Friday. That didnt tame Shkreli completely. He corresponded with journalists, ridiculing the personal appearance of one female reporter who asked him for an interview. Before sentencing him, the judge said that it was up to Congress to fix the issue of the HIV price-hike. And she spoke about how his family and friends state, almost universally, that he is kind and misunderstood and willing to help others in need. She said it was clear he is a tremendously gifted individual who has the capacity for kindness. She quoted from letters talking about generous acts like counselling a rape victim, teaching inmates math and chess, and funding family members. The defence had asked the judge to consider the letters in its case for leniency, including professionals he worked with who vouched for his credentials as a self-made contributor to pharmaceutical advances. Other testimonials were as quirky as the defendant himself. One woman described how she became an avid follower of Shkrelis social media commentary about science, the pharmaceutical industry, but mostly, about himself. She suggested that those who were annoyed by it were missing the point. I really appreciate the social media output, which I see on par with some form of performance art, she wrote. Another supporter said Shkrelis soft side was demonstrated when he adopted a cat from a shelter named Trashy that became a fixture on his livestreams. Another letter was from a man who said he met Shkreli while driving a cab and expressed his appreciation at how he ended up giving him an internship at one of his drug companies. In court filings, prosecutors argued that Shkrelis remorse about misleading his investors was not to be believed. At its core, this case is about Shkrelis deception of people who trusted him, they wrote. BEIRUTRelief workers used a brief lull in Damascus embattled rebel-held suburbs to try and deliver remaining aid left over from a mission earlier in the week but were interrupted by renewed violence shorty after their team entered Eastern Ghouta on Friday. The International Committee of the Red Cross said a convoy of 13 trucks with supplies, including food parcels for 12,000 people, went into Douma the largest and most populated town in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, on the edge of the Syrian capital earlier in the day. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Douma was shelled before the convoy went in. Read more: Russia behind airstrike on Syrian market that killed 84, UN probe finds UN suspends aid delivery in Eastern Ghouta as violence intensifies Russian cargo plane crashes at Syrian airbase, killing 39 Once the relief workers arrived, Syrian government forces shelled the outskirts of the town, he said. Reports were sketchy and it was not immediately clear if the ICRC had off-loaded all the aid. ICRC regional director Robert Mardini tweeted that the convoy was taken aback by renewed violence, adding that we call on warring sides for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow the ICRC, the UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent teams to deliver vital aid to people in eastern Ghouta. ICRC spokesperson Ingy Sedky said the teams are still in and they are doing all their best to off-load the remaining trucks. She did not elaborate. Mohammed Alloush, the political chief of the Army of Islam rebel group, told The Associated Press that the convoy is inside Douma and that they are being targeted by the regime although they have informed the Russians about their location. Alloushs group is the largest in Eastern Ghouta and controls Douma. The delivery consists of supplies that were not off-loaded during a mission to the enclave on Monday, which was cut short because of deteriorating security. The trucks had been stuck at the Wafideen crossing over the entire week, waiting to enter and deliver the remaining food parcels and flour bags. Sedky said earlier that the ICRC went into Eastern Ghouta on Friday after getting security guarantees from all parties to make sure no incident will happen during the presence of our team there. The United Nations says an aid convoy carrying humanitarian assistance entered the town of Douma in Damascus' besieged rebel-held suburbs of eastern Ghouta. The UN says it's delivering health and nutrition supplies and food for 27,500 people. (The Associated Press) The attempt followed what opposition activists and the Observatory said was one of the quietest nights in eastern Ghouta since Syrian government forces escalated their assault on the rebellious region on Feb. 18. The government and its Russian backers, determined to wrest eastern Ghouta from rebel control after seven years of war, recently intensified the shelling and bombardment to clear the way for its troops to advance on the ground. Around 900 people have been killed in the past three weeks of relentless bombardment. Doctors Without Borders said Friday that between Feb. 18 and March 3 at least 1,005 people were killed and 4,829 wounded or 71 killed and 344 wounded on average per day. The group known by its French acronym, MSF, said that the data was collected from 10 medical facilities that it provides with full support and another 10 facilities it provides with emergency medical donations inside the eastern Ghouta enclave. Two of these facilities have yet to submit data for March 3, so this is an underestimation, MSF said. It added that 15 of the 20 hospitals and clinics that MSF supports have been hit by bombing or shelling, with varying degrees of damage. The numbers alone speak volumes. But even more telling are the words we hear from the medics we are supporting on the ground, said MSF Director General Meinie Nicolai. Daily, we hear an increasing sense of hopelessness and despair, as our medical colleagues reach the limits of what a person can be expected to do. Government forces this week advanced from the east and were only about a mile away from linking with forces on the western side of eastern Ghouta. The military gains have caused wide-scale internal displacement as civilians flee government advances toward areas in the territory still held by the rebels. Nearly 400,000 people are believed to be inside eastern Ghouta. The most built-up and densely populated areas still under rebel control include the towns of Douma, Harasta, Jisreen, Kfar Batna, Saqba and Hammouriyeh. The Observatory reported airstrikes on Douma and Jisreen just before the 13-truck convoy arrived Friday, following a hours-long lull. It said the lull was result of local negotiations brokered by unnamed Damascus businessmen with the government to try and reach a solution that would secure the exit of fighters and civilians from eastern Ghouta. State-run Syrian TV on Friday reported that dozens of civilians would likely get out of eastern Ghouta, in addition to 13 gunmen who had turned themselves in, via the Wafideen safe corridor designated by the government. The outlet has been reporting since last week that rebels have prevented civilians from leaving. State TV later said that insurgents targeted the Wafideen corridor on Friday afternoon with bullets and mortar shells to prevent people from leaving. The Observatory, which monitors the Syria war through a network of activists on the ground, also reported that dozens of people from the town of Hammouriyeh in eastern Ghouta staged a demonstration, holding Syrian flags and calling for the end to the fighting in the area. There was no confirmation by any of the rebel groups based in eastern Ghouta of negotiations to leave eastern Ghouta. Read more about: It was all about the land. The 7 11 Ranch stretches over 280 empty hecatres on the wind-tossed western slopes of Colorados Rocky Mountains. The closest town Gunnison is a 20-minute drive. China blue skies cap swinging fields of grass. Foothills climb the horizon. Horse trails rope around the hulking boulder outcroppings. Rainbow and cutthroat trout nose up Quartz Creek. Six cabins are clustered on the property, arranged around the main house, a log structure hung with animal skulls and antlers. Inside that house, in the early hours of May 16, 2015, Deborah Sue Rudibaugh slipped into her sons bedroom. She held a stainless steel Smith & Wesson Lady Smith .357 calibre revolver. As she would tell police more than two years later, that night she shot and killed her son Jacob Millison while he slept. I was afraid he was going to kill me, she told investigators, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Denver Post. She said she acted alone, moving the body herself into a pile of horse manure. Later, fearing wildlife would get to the corpse, Rudibaugh relocated her son, she told investigators. Last July, after Rudibaugh confessed, police found Millison he was in a pit, lying among severed sheeps heads, the Denver Post reported. Read more: The 7 most interesting parts of Stormy Danielss lawsuit against Trump U.S. allies react with bewilderment to Trumps steel tariffs Their son went to Syria. Theyre facing 14 years in prison for trying to send him money they say to bring him home Rudibaughs confession last summer might have solved the mystery of the 29-year-olds abrupt disappearance. But investigators had reason to think there was a different explanation. When he died, Millison was vigorous and fit, his 170-pound physique strong from Brazilian jujitsu. His mother was tiny, five feet tall and 70 pounds, the Denver Post reported. Only a week before the shooting, Rudibaugh had undergone gallbladder surgery. Could this small woman in her 60s haul her sons body around the ranch, police wondered? Just because somebody confesses, you have to continue to investigate to corroborate that, Gunnison County Undersheriff Mark Mykol recently told the Gunnison Times. This week, authorities have released a fuller, and more sinister, account of Millisons death. On March 2, Rudibaugh was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. But Stephanie Jackson, Rudibaughs 33-year-old daughter and Millisons sister, was also arrested in the crime. So was Jacksons husband, David Jackson. Court documents paint a bizarre family drama, filled with twists, including a contested will, violent threats, incriminating Facebook posts and an alleged plot among family members targeting Jacob Millison. Investigators believe the control of the ranch valued at $3 million is what led family members to turn on Millison. The arrests come as a vindication for Millisons friends, who have repeatedly pressed investigators to look at the 7 11 Ranchs residents for the key to their friends disappearance. Literally days before he went missing he told us if anything ever happened to him, it was his family, Randy Martinez, Millisons friend, told CBS Denver this week. Court records indicate that none of the defendants have entered pleas in the case. Lawyers are not listed for the defendants. Jackson was a year older than her brother. The two never got along well, Rudibaugh told the Gunnison Times in June. When Jackson was 7 and Millison 6, their mother split with their father, Ray Millison. She later married a Colorado rancher named Rudy Rudibaugh. The two children and their mother moved to the 7 11 Ranch, four hours by car from Denver. Rudy died in 2009, leaving the valuable property to his widow. Her own will stipulated that the 7 11 would go to Stephanie Jackson, Jacob Millison and one of Rudys children from his first marriage. In 2012, Jackson and her husband moved out of their house in Denver and relocated to the ranch. There, Stephanie Jackson led horseback rides out of the ranch, according to a community newspaper. On May 15, 2015, Millison and a friend went to see Mad Max: Fury Road. After that, he stopped answering his phone. We had plans on that next day, Martinez told CBS Denver. He wouldnt just disappear for no reason. When friends asked Rudibaugh about her son, she had an explanation. She told us the story that he was on a trip with the MMA gym, Martinez said. I know a bunch of the guys in the MMA gym. So we called all of them, and were like, Is Jake with you guys? They were like, No, we were in Denver. Rudibaugh continued to say her son had left on his own. In August 2015, she filed a missing persons report with local law enforcement. She told police her son was using drugs steroids, cocaine and mushrooms and hanging with a dangerous crowd, The Denver Post has reported. Rudibaugh also told police her son had stolen one of her books, titled How to Disappear Without Leaving a Trace. The mother added that after Millison left, she tore up her will, creating a new document leaving the ranch only to Stephanie Jackson. Millisons friends didnt believe her explanations. He was a meticulous planner and would never leave for a trip on a whim. He also had left behind two prized possessions: his dog, Elmo, and his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The friends started a Facebook page Where is Jake Millison to bring more attention to the disappearance. Police continued to search for two years. Eventually, in July 2017, they received a tip about what, law enforcement has not said. But 60 officers and five cadaver dogs arrived at the 7 11 with a search warrant. Rifling through the lodge, they hit on a significant clue. Inside a file cabinet, investigators found a will leaving the ranch to Jackson only. It was not, as she had told police, dated after Millison vanished. It was dated April 27, 2015 weeks before Millison disappeared. The mother came up with a different explanation. She had changed the will in April. It enraged Millison. Her son physically and verbally abused and threatened her, telling investigators he used her like a crash test dummy with his mixed martial arts thing, according to the Gunnison Times. He would hold me and sit on me and stuff. Rudibaugh told investigators she feared for her life, shooting Millison in his sleep before he could kill her. She acted alone, she claimed. Her daughter and son-in-law were in Denver that night. But again: How could a frail woman in her 60s move the body? A Facebook message turned law enforcement toward Stephanie Jackson. On the morning after Rudibaugh had said she killed her son, Jackson posted on Facebook: Have you ever been woken up with such awesome news you wanted to run outside screaming? according to the Denver Post. In addition, police learned David Jackson had been seen driving the victims Harley-Davidson. Court records showed Millison had filed for a restraining order in January 2013 against his brother-in-law after a fight. And when police checked cellphone data, it showed the Jacksons were in Gunnison not Denver when Millison was killed, according to Rudibaugh. In a January 2018 interview with police, David Jackson implicated his wife. Honestly after this and all of that, I have a strong feeling it could have been Steph, David Jackson said, according to court records. I really get a hunch it was Steph, but Im not positive. The couple later failed a polygraph test about their involvement and knowledge of the killing, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Stephanie knew that Deborahs will had been changed to make her the sole heir of the ranch, this weeks arrest affidavit stated. Stephanies lies and actions after the murder show that she knew Jacob was dead immediately and intended to cover up the homicide. 21:04 On the 59th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day, a top American leader today sought to re-energise international efforts to ensure meaningful autonomy for Tibet. "If we do not speak out for human rights in Tibet because of economic concerns, then we lose all moral authority to talk about human rights in any other place in the world," Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement. Every year, Tibetan Uprising Day commemorates resistance to occupation of Chinese government forces in Tibet on March 10, 1959. "Let us move forward together, renewed by the enduring faith of the Tibetan people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and re-energise our efforts to ensure meaningful autonomy for Tibet and guarantee that the culture, religion and human rights of the Tibetan people be fully and forever respected," Pelosi said. Nearly 60 years ago, the Tibetan people stood defiant in the face of oppression and brutality, she said. "Guided by their great faith and dignity, the Tibetan people refused to be silent and the rest of the world heard their clarion call for freedom and justice," she added. In March 2008, the people of Tibet spoke out once more as they faced horrific human rights abuses simply for practicing their religion and culture, Pelosi said. "Today, the abysmal human rights situation in Tibet continues to be a challenge to the conscience of the world. All freedom-loving people must continue to speak out, until every Tibetan man, woman and child is able to celebrate their heritage and culture, learn their own language, freely practice their faith and secure the dignity and respect that they deserve," Pelosi said. -- PTI Canadas 23rd annual Black History Month has come and gone with no demands by University of Toronto students to remove the name of Russell St. from the short thoroughfare passing through the heart of the main campus. It is an event rather the absence of an event that speaks to the ethics of place and belonging and arguably to the deficiencies of multiculturalism. Peter Russell, for whom the street (one of three streets in Toronto, actually) is named, was appointed in 1796 the first administrator of colonial Upper Canada, todays Ontario. He was considered competent but not one of historical Ontarios great personages. He was an addicted gambler who needed to hide from his creditors and spent time in debtors prison. His contemporaries accused him of being greedy for fees and offices (he appointed himself a judge despite having no legal training). He acquired 3,000 hectares of land through government grants and he and his half-sister Elizabeth were said by a chronicler of the time to live together as man and wife. Most significantly, he was one of the colonys biggest slave owners and led a successful political resistance to Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoes efforts to abolish slavery in Upper Canada from the date of the colonys creation in 1791. So. Named for a slave owner and advocate of slavery: A street in the middle of Canadas largest university in the province with Canadas largest black population in a country that celebrates dubiously the equalities of multiculturalism. The naming of public structures or raising of monuments for people whose histories are viewed by segments of the Canadian population in the 21st century as distasteful has become an issue. Think Edward Cornwallis, John A. Macdonald, Hector-Louis Langevin and others. The question raised is whether there is a legitimate right to navigate change without effacing the past. On the one hand, history is a record of things from the past that should not be forgotten. On the other hand, history is a commemoration of expressed values, and a change in the way a community memorializes its past offers a way to recognize important alterations in the communitys values. Emilie Nicolas, a Haitien-Quebecker and co-founder and president of Quebec Inclusif, recently wrote a powerful essay for the Institute of Canadian Citizenship on the notion of home as an ethical space. When our [black] communities are underserved, impoverished, criminalized, over-policed, over-incarcerated, under-represented, and deported; every time, the same message is sent, over and over. You are not here to stay. Your presence is temporary. You are merely passing through. You do not belong. Your belonging is a threat. A street named for a slave-owner in the heart of Canadas largest university is not synonymous with the ethical definition of home. It provides an excellent opportunity for employing the Witt test named for Yale historian John Fabian Witt who recently chaired a Yale University committee on renaming university public structures commemorating people of undesirable values. The committee proposed that several questions be asked in each case, among them: Is a principal legacy of the namesake fundamentally at odds with the mission of the university? Was the principal legacy significantly contested in the time and place in which the namesake lived? At the time of a naming, would the honouring have been fundamentally at odds with the universitys or municipalitys mission? If the street name is to be altered, will it have the effect of erasing history? Peter Russells principal legacy is that he was Upper Canadas first administrator which really says nothing about him and an advocate of slavery which is at odds with the values of University of Toronto and the city. Was this legacy contested in Russells lifetime? Yes. Was it at odds with the values of the university and city at the time the street was named? Probably. Will changing the street name have the effect of erasing history. No. March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination an excellent occasion to give Russell St. a new name. Michael Valpy is a senior fellow, Massey College, and fellow, School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Toronto. The surreptitious monitoring by Toronto police using the IMSI catcher a Stingray cellphone snooping device in their criminal investigations is not going down well with the free speech advocators in Canada. There is a growing concern that Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government has not made the grade on implementing laws related to communications surveillance in agreement with international human rights. Canadas claim to protect the rights to privacy is being widely challenged with this finding uncovered by the Star in its report this week. This incident is not long after Quebec police were caught targeting journalists, where their cellphones were spied on and tracked in violation of their rights to privacy. Read more: Tory says he learned police had access to Stingray phone surveillance a year ago after threat Toronto police admit they use Stingray cellphone snooping device Though Trudeau has stressed freedom of expression being essential to a functioning democracy, the fact is the government has no particular policy in place about how communications surveillance can respect human rights. There is no strategy on how government can affirm support of these critical benchmarks, nor there is a blueprint on whether one can make privacy a fundamental human right. There is no effort to make privacy laws a key to the perpetuation of our democratic societies. There has been a widespread practice of such unsolicited activities aimed to restrict the right to privacy. The government is refraining from calling communications surveillance as a highly intrusive act interfering with the rights of confidentiality and freedom of opinion. The government has not provided any legal justification if any law prescribes such privacy infringements, or if they are necessary to achieve a constitutional aim, and are proportionate to that aim stalked. There is no clear direction on having prior authorization from competent judicial authority to take forward a commensurate surveillance program. Under recognized international human rights law, it is mandatory to human dignity, and it reinforces other prerogative liberal rights, such as freedom of communication and information, that the government provides a framework to examine whether current or proposed surveillance laws and practices are consistent with human rights. Trudeau claims his government has sought strong safeguards and protections in place on the issue of conducting communications surveillance, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and RCMP are being asked to have necessary approval before investigators conduct surveillance of sensitive groups, such as trade unionists, journalists or academics. Despite Trudeaus assertion that communications surveillance has the potential to threaten the foundations of a democratic society, the government is not willing to bring in transparency and public oversight mechanisms for better accountability of such surveillance. It is obligatory on the part of the government to make sufficient information available so people can understand the scope and nature of the governments surveillance programs. The government as of yet prevents service providers and communication vendors from publishing details on the extent of surveillance-related dealings. Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien and his earlier counterpart, Jennifer Stoddart, have voiced concerns calling for the more critical care of Canadians personal and professional information. Even Jean-Pierre Plouffe, the commissioner of the Communications Security Establishment, has said the current collection of signals intelligence and communications surveillance, such as metadata, is jeopardizing the privacy of citizens. Whistleblowers, who expose surveillance activities that threaten human rights, have no reliable protection. It should be mandatory to impose civil and criminal penalties on any party, including the law enforcement agencies, responsible for illegal electronic surveillance. It is vital that those affected by surveillance must have access to legal procedures necessary for effective redressal. It is pertinent that the government takes effective measures to ensure that information does not reach the hands of those who are not authorized to receive, process and use it and never imposed for purposes unsuited with the internationally accepted human rights statute. The collection and storage of information by way of infringement relating to an applicants telephone, emails and internet usage without knowledge amounts to interference with their right to respect for private life. It impairs the enjoyment of other fundamental rights, including the right to free expression, political participation and association. Ravi Jha is a Toronto-based senior public policy and governance administrator and journalist. Its a comfort to reside in a land where requests for judicial declarations involve, not the tawdry doings of presidents and porn-stars, but the Easter Bunny. Still, the mind does boggle. In a ruling released this week, Ontario Superior Court Justice A.J. Goodman found that the rights of a former Hamilton couple to freedom of religion and expression were violated when the local Childrens Aid Society removed two foster children from their care and terminated their fostering agreement in 2016. The nub of the issue, the judge said, stemmed from the refusal of Derek and Frances Baars, a devout Christian couple, to affirm the existence or role of the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus to the children under their care in celebrating Easter or Christmas. Obviously, the care of vulnerable children and the rights of Canadian citizens are no small thing. And the actions in this case of the Childrens Aid Society of Hamilton do seem rash. But, as much as anything, the case seems a study in the perils of dogma and extremism on either side. For sometimes piety, the winner here, literally does defy imagination. The late Bruno Bettelheim wrote famously on the uses of enchantment, the power of fables and fairy tales in all cultures, of the fears and longings they contain, and the consolations of such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast. Fairy tales and fantastical beings are, at core, portrayals of human nature, of tragedy, courage, unfairness, resilience. So heres to the power and glory of make-believe, of figures such as Scheherezade of One Thousand and One Nights. The timeless spellbinders life depended on spinning fabulous tales. And those tales as stories of awe and wonder have for many through the ages saved her. To Santa and the Easter Bunny? Long may you live. Consider a number of the major criticisms leveled in the wake of the Trudeau governments third budget and a common theme emerges. In their oft-touted effort to help the middle class and those who aspire to join it, the Liberals appear to be constrained by an unwavering commitment, whether grounded in ideology or politics, to targeted programs even where universal alternatives seem to make the most sense. The budgets investments in gender equity were most welcome, for instance, for both moral and economic reasons, yet there is truth in the criticism that no policy would have done as much for Canadian women, and for the economy, as a universal daycare plan. The establishment of an advisory panel to devise a pharmacare program, meanwhile, was the budgets most ambitious signal, but hopes were deflated somewhat by Finance Minister Bill Morneaus insistence in the days after that the plan would not be universal, but merely another patch in our threadbare patchwork. There are understandable reasons to balk at the prospect of creating new universal programs. The start-up costs can be daunting and if Ottawa is to share the burden with the provinces, as it must, then it will have to wade into the forbidding fed-prov morass. Still, at least in the case of pharmacare, and arguably for daycare, too, the evidence is clear that both the public and the economics support a universal program. So why the opposition? At a meeting with the Stars editorial board just before his 2015 electoral victory, Trudeau explained his reluctance regarding universal programs with a parable. When he was a child, his father presented a cake to him and his brothers and divided it into three equal pieces, one for each of them. This division struck Justin as unfair. The oldest, he was bigger than his siblings and so required more energy. In policy terms, Pierres distribution of the cake was regressive, not according to need. And so it is with universal programs, the allegory implied a national daycare program, for instance, would help those who need no help, an unwise and unjust allocation of resources. (This argument could, of course, be used against medicare, too.) Trudeau has consistently argued that a means-based approach, in the manner of, say, supplementary drug coverage for low-income people, would be fairer and more fiscally responsible. Its a cute story, but not exactly a sound basis for public policy. Universal programs are not about providing the same service to every citizen. A universal approach to cake would guarantee Justin and everyone else access to the cake they need, when and if they need it. Targeted programs cant do that. In a universal program, nobody falls through the cracks; no administrator can decide you are not eligible for cake. Nor are universal programs, as Trudeau implied, necessarily regressive. If the tax system is progressive that is, if the rich pay a greater share then so are universal programs. Surely the fairness of the cakes distribution depends in part on who paid for the cake. Trudeaus parable misses what the Swedish political scientist Bo Rothstein calls the paradox of universal programs. One would assume that policies that tax the rich and give to the poor would be the most efficient way to reduce poverty, he writes. But the facts are exactly the opposite. The research of Rothstein and others, drawing on numerous international examples, suggests universal programs have a number of advantages that should not be glibly dismissed by governments, especially ones concerned about the middle class and those aspiring to join it. For instance, because everyone benefits from them and is therefore invested, universal programs have been shown to be more durable, less vulnerable to market fluctuations or political lurches. Commitment to medicare, for example, has not seriously wavered, even through major recessions and long stretches of austerity government. Moreover, while the initial costs can seem politically prohibitive, universal programs often create significant long-term savings. A universal pharmacare program, for instance, would allow for the bulk-purchasing of drugs and the elimination of administrative bureaucracy, yielding billions of dollars in savings forgone by a more targeted approach. Finally, and crucially for a government concerned about inequality, universal programs have been shown to promote solidarity and trust. Targeted or means-tested programs may stigmatize recipients, contributing to a sense that low-income people are apart from the rest of the community. A welfare state built mainly on means-tested programs, Rothstein writes, can actually perpetuate feelings of inequality among both the poor and the more affluent. Such feelings should worry Trudeau. After all, the prime minister rightly observed that Donald Trump won the U.S. election in part because too many Americans felt they were not sharing in the countrys prosperity and that this was something Ottawa must also address. The evidence suggests universal programs, design depending, can be a powerful tool for doing just that. Of course universal programs are not always the right option. But Trudeaus disanalogous story about a kid and his cake obscures the unique benefits of universal programs for those the prime minister purports to want to help most. The middle class and those who aspire to join it would be better served by a real conversation about universality. Read more about: The image is in itself banal, depicting an aging, white-haired, husky man caught smiling in front of the thundering Niagara Falls. But, given the probability of secret evil inherent in that sunny day picture of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, Im not surprised that a few readers have asked the Star to please stop publishing the photo. McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper, has been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of six men who had disappeared or had ties to Torontos Gay Village: Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick and Skandaraj Skanda Navaratnam. Toronto police have now isolated a seventh set of human remains from the six previously found in planters seized at a home where McArthur had worked. Please stop using the Niagara Falls photo, one woman wrote this week in imploring the Star to refrain from showing McArthur in such seemingly happy circumstances. That photo, used continuously since his arrest weeks ago, is offensive given the gravity and nature of the multiple alleged crimes committed. If the Toronto Star does not have a mug shot on his arrest, then your editors will have to stop using any photos of this man in deference to victims families and friends and the community in Toronto and to all of us witness by readership to this horrid serial set of crimes. In fact, the Star does not have a mug shot of McArthur and police have never released one. The undated photo of McArthur taken at Niagara Falls was sourced from Facebook and distributed by The Canadian Press. The Star has also published another Facebook photo of McArthur, showing him sitting in front of a window in an undisclosed location. With respect to those readers who have expressed concern about these images, I do not think the Star can or should refrain from publishing them. I understand that the smiling image at Niagara Falls may well be upsetting to some, in that it depicts the seemingly innocuous colliding with unimaginable horror. But this is reality; this is fact as we know it now and it is journalisms responsibility to report reality fully and unflinchingly, even when we know it may offend or upset some readers. Yes, it is disturbing, but given the fact that the investigation is ongoing and police continue to seek information from the public, it would seem to me important that this mans image remain in the public eye. At this time, the newsroom has only the two photos of the accused killer sourced from Facebook and I expect you will see them many times in coming months as the Star vigorously pursues the many unanswered questions abut these murders and how police handled their investigation into missing persons in the Gay Village. As to a followup suggestion from the reader quoted above that the Star should instead use a court drawing of McArthur from an early court appearance, I would counter that even the best artists rendering is never as effective as a photograph. Indeed, I agree with editor Michael Cooke that the Star has no reason not to publish this photo of McArthur at this time. I am aware there is a global movement known as the No Notoriety campaign which aims to discourage news coverage of mass murderers. While this is largely aimed at limiting media attention to terrorists and gunmen who take out multiple innocents in shooting rampages, the concept has been raised here by one reader opposed to the publication of McArthurs photo. I understand why some wish the media would limit the name and likeness of killers and focus on victims. I also have some sympathy for the view that wide broadcasting of mass murderers names and images creates de facto celebrities out of killers that can lead to contagion and copycat effects, as was stated in an open letter to the media last fall following the mass shooting in Las Vegas. But I think we are some ways from any such similar public and newsroom discussion regarding this alleged killer. One key fact is that McArthur has been charged but not yet convicted of these heinous crimes. As in all cases, any such decision to limit publishing the names and images of proven killers always involves a balancing with the medias responsibility to depict reality, not shield facts. publiced@thestar.ca Honestly, what calamities arent the Jews responsible for? Im not about to argue that my people are the most maligned in history, but its safe to say we are the most creatively maligned. Not only are we allegedly responsible for the death of Christ, the Black Plague and 9/11, we are also believed to have found time in our extremely busy, evildoing schedules to fake the moon landing, kill Kennedy, train a dolphin to spy on Hamas (that one I actually wish were true), and, according to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, control agencies of government like the FBI. Farrakhan isnt just the leader of a recognized hate group; he is obsessed with Jewish conspiracy theory. In fact, I could fill an entire column with hateful, inane things Farrakhan has said about my people, but Ill settle on just one. The following is a statement from a rambling anti-government, anti-Semitic speech he gave at his groups annual Saviours Day Address late last month. White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by Gods grace, has pulled the cover off of that Satanic Jew, and Im here to say your time is up, your world is through. The Nation of Islam leader has a lot of unkind things to say about LGBTQ people, too, namely that we have a psychological chemical imbalance but Jews appear to be his primary target. In his mind we are responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behaviour that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men. As a double degenerate in his books (being a gay Jew), all of the above makes me angry. But Im less angry with Farrakhan, whose anti-Semitism is predictable. Im far angrier, the week of International Womens Day, with a less predictable foe. I am angry with the leaders of the American Womens March: women who preach intersectional feminism but who refuse to condemn the man quoted above. Worse, who embrace him. Im referring to leading feminist activists Tamika D. Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour. Mallory, a longtime friend of the Nation of Islam and a high-profile African-American activist, attended the February event where Farrakhan gave the above-mentioned speech. He even gave Mallory a shout-out. Mallory posted a photo of the event to Instagram; in a previous post on the site she refers to Farrakhan as The GOAT the greatest of all time. When criticized this week about her long-time fondness for the anti-Semite, she refused to denounce him. Instead, she penned a column full of platitudes defending her attendance at the event. She writes on NewsOne, Where my people are is where I must also be. (Translation, if my people attend virulently anti-Semitic speeches, I, too, must attend virulently anti-Semitic speeches.) Mallory tweeted her commitment to ending all forms of prejudice but refused to call out and condemn Farrakhan specifically. Meanwhile, other leaders of the womens march, some of whom have personal ties to Farrakhan, have bent over backwards to defend Mallory. Here is Sarsour on her official Facebook page, taking Mallorys critics to task. I dont think these people have our best interests at heart to make us better people or to disrupt misconceptions or anti-Semitism because trashing a strong black woman and holding her accountable for the words of a man is not the way to bring people together. When will we break the cycle and actually build a transformative movement that protects all of us even when we dont agree on some issues. In a sense, this is the left-wing equivalent of Donald Trump condemning anti-Semitism while winking at anti-Semites. Its infuriating because Mallory and Sarsour are activists who would argue in any other circumstance that intersectionality demands the condemnation of all forms of bigotry and that big-tent feminism does not tolerate intolerance. But its clear that when the wronged party in question is Jewish and the wrongdoer is a gentile leader of colour, the opposite is true. Suddenly intersectional feminism demands (as many members of the alt right do) that all perspectives deserve a fair shake, even odious ones. We must tolerate intolerance in the name of togetherness! This is hypocritical BS at its stinkiest. But it confirms what Ive suspected for a long time now. Jews are unwelcome on the feminist left. The refusal by Womens March leaders to condemn Farrakhan in the strongest of terms or, frankly, in any terms whatsoever, is proof that intersectional feminism does not yet take anti-Semitism seriously. Anti-Semitism, in the eyes of those at the helm of the Womens March, is less objectionable and less cause for concern than Islamophobia and anti-Black racism. Perhaps this is because most Jews are white. How bad can we possibly have it, right? Unfortunately, being white has been kind of overrated for us. Being white didnt help us during the Russian pogroms, and it certainly didnt help us during the Holocaust. It doesnt help us today against the likes of David Duke, Richard Spencer, nor any other white supremacist the Trump administration openly flirts with. To these men, our Jewishness is an irreversible stain on our whiteness. In the end, were not white enough for the far right, but were too white for the feminist left. Where does that leave us? Out of place. Nomads. Nothing new there. Emma Teitel is a National Affairs Columnist. All-male speakers panels are definitely out of fashion in the year of #MeToo and especially after the past week of International Womens Day events. But all-women panels arent the answer either, says a high-powered group of Canadian business leaders, who are rallying behind a campaign to make sure that no gender is getting shut out of those panels on TV and at conferences. Its called #WeNeedBoth and so far, its accumulated nearly 200 signatories to its pledge since the groups formation in January women and men who have agreed to insist on panel diversity. You might even be tempted to call it an inclusion rider, as Frances McDormand urged in her best-actress acceptance speech at last weeks Oscars. We believe in diversity of thought in all discussions, including conversations about gender advancement, the group proclaims on the weneedboth.com page. Were asking all genders to use invitations to speak on a panel about gender as an opportunity to help ensure diverse perspectives are represented. The idea started with Laura McGee, a diversity expert who was invited in January to speak on a panel about inclusion and diversity. As she reviewed the invitation, McGee realized all the proposed panellists were women. Tactfully, she told the organizers that a panel on inclusion shouldnt exclude a whole gender. So some men were invited to take the stage too. Honestly, the discussion, in my opinion, was much more robust and much more interesting, having both perspectives there. McGee thought: why not make this a standard part of panel-making? McGee then recruited some high-profile women to the cause Annette Verschuren, chair and CEO of NRStor Inc. and Linda Hasenfratz, CEO of Linamar Corp. Both of these women served on the women entrepreneurs panel that was set up during last years inaugural meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump. Verschuren has wasted little time putting the #weneedboth principle into practice shes already insisted on mens involvement in a couple of panels she has appeared on so far this year. She and Hasenfratz were just recently asked to be on a panel about women and business. I said where are the guys? Verschuren said in an interview this week. We need men in this conversation. Verschuren was also one of the voices urging that more men be part of the panel appearing with Trudeau when he did a womens day event at the Rotman School of Management at U of T this week. Sometimes, she said, men are in a better position to describe the progress theyve seen in business over the past decade or two. We women been talking about it for so long, she said. Its time that this be seen as a big economic and social issue but more economic, in my opinion and that the participation of women be seen as important to the return on investment. It makes no sense to exclude any gender from that conversation, she says. Verschuren and McGee reject the argument that all-women panels are a logical reply to decades of all-male panels an evening of the score, so to speak. Two wrongs dont make a right, they say. Nor do they see this as part of a backlash. Making sure that men stay involved in the conversation whether its about #MeToo, women in boardrooms or diversity in general may actually prevent a backlash, McGee says. The signatories to the #WeNeedBoth pledge so far feature lots of women, but also high-profile men such as former Toronto mayor David Miller and John Manley, the former deputy prime minister, who is now head of the Business Council of Canada. As Verschuren says, the people behind this campaign have to be as diverse as the pledge itself. We need the guys, she says. sdelacourt@bell.net By the time I came across the ledger at the Bangalore Club with Winston Churchills name on it in the late 1990s, British rule in India had been sanitized; airbrushed to present a picture of overall benevolence with a few violent splotches. The entry in the ledger is dated June 1, 1899, and names one Lt W.L.S. Churchill as one of 17 bill defaulters. He owes the club 13 rupees from a time when a whisky cost less than half a rupee. Had we then heard that Churchill once described our beloved city as a third rate watering place without society or good sport, we would have probably laughed it off as the irascibility ever only indulged in the great. Jolly good, old chap. Colonialism of the mind lingers long after the land is free. And if we had heard that he once said, I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion, meh. He was dead. We were thriving. There are flawed heroes. Lincoln, MLK and Gandhi to name a few men who inflicted injustices on individuals. Then there are monsters. Powerful men who lacerate the world with tragedies. Adolf Hitler, certainly, but his nemesis Churchill, too. It was only in 2014 that I first got a glimpse of genocidal mania in the man so lionized for leading his nation through its finest hour. It was a piece titled Remembering Indias forgotten holocaust, in Tehelka magazine that detailed the ghastly origins of the Bengal famine of 1943 that killed an estimated 3 million people in one year. Historians have easily traced it back to Churchill who had diverted the bountiful harvest from Bengal to Britain and other parts of Europe. When the locals began starving, he steadfastly refused to send them food. He said no to rerouting food that was being shipped from Australia to the Middle East via India. No to the 10,000 tons of food Canada offered to send to India, no to the 100,000 tons of food America offered. The famine was the Indians fault, he told a war-cabinet meeting, for breeding like rabbits. In his Revisionist History podcast, Malcolm Gladwell delves into how the historian Madhusree Mukerjee, author of Churchills Secret War, dug into Britains shipping archives to uncover evidence that Britain had so much food at the time that the U.S. had become suspicious they were stockpiling it to sell it after the war. In India, she wrote, parents dumped their starving children into rivers and wells. Many took their lives by throwing themselves in front of trains. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers were fighting alongside the Allied forces. Yet, what did the actor Gary Oldman who portrayed Churchill in Darkest Hour say last Sunday when he received an Oscar for Best Actor? I would just like to salute Sir Winston Churchill who has been marvellous company on what can be described as an incredible journey. Salute. Sir. Marvellous. Incredible. Oldman might as well have danced on 3 million dead bodies, many of whose loved ones were too weak to cremate or bury them. Such tributes for a heinous white supremacist who once declared that Aryan tribes were bound to triumph. Words as hollow as the tunnel-visioned ideals on which people fashion this man, but they cant stem the drip, drip of blood from his hands. They cant hide tens of thousands of Kenyans who were rounded up in concentration camps called Britains Gulags under his orders, where thousands were tortured and killed for rebelling against British rule. They cant hide the bodies of the Greek civilians who were celebrating German withdrawal in 1944, but were killed by the British army because Churchill thought the communist influence on the Nazi resisters who had allied with Britain was too strong. And we havent even got into his treatment of Iraqis or his views on the wiping out of entire Indigenous populations of Tasmania. Churchill was not the first Western leader to profit from plunders and mass murders. Remember John A. Macdonald? But imperialistic popular culture continues to enshrine him, despite the Gallipoli disaster, only as a military great, a fun drunk, a loyal monarch with a penchant for fine speech and a flair for loquacious prose. Churchill tried to manipulate history with the six volumes of his memoirs. Indeed he succeeded so well that even today the Bangalore Club thumps its chest about his membership there. Many a past great including Sir Winston Churchill have been members, says its website. This compounds the tragedy. Erasing his crimes pronounces his victims worthless, deems their lives undeserving of acknowledgement, and leaves their deaths but a footnote in history. On Twitter @shreeparadkar The EU's top trade representative says she expects the EU to win an exemption from U.S. steel tariffs, but German officials want a more forceful response from the bloc. Europe's top trade official said Friday that she expects the EU to be exempted from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, given that it's not a threat to U.S. national security, raising hopes that a trade war between the world's two biggest economic blocs can be avoided. However, business and government leaders in Germany, the region's largest economy, have called for a coordinated response to last night's decision by President Donald Trump to formalize a 25% tariff on imported steel and a 10% levy on non-American aluminum, even as Trump opened the door to exemptions from other countries "treat us fairly on trade." European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malstrom told reporters in Brussels that "we have claimed all the time that Europe is certainly not a threat to American internal security so we expect to be excluded," adding that "we still are of the view that this decision is not good, is not good for the global economy." Germany's Economy Minister, Brigitte Zyrpries, however, was more forthright, accusing the President of "ordering tariffs that do not conform with WTO rules" that are "increasing consumer price and making the work of our companies, both large and small, harder". Hans Juergen Kerkhoff, president of the German Steel Federation, an industry lobby group, said the U.S. has "largely sealed itself off from the rest of the world" and called for an EU-wide response to avoid a flood of steel onto the European market. "The European Union now needs to protect its local steel industry from the consequences of this protectionist U.S. policy in a comprehensive and effective way," he said in a statement. The pair's remarks followed data showing Germany's industrial production slipped for a second consecutive month in February as exports slowed by 0.5% from the previous month, raising concerns for the broader growth moment of the Eurozone economy. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi noted that concern during his question-and-answer session with the media Thursday in Frankfurt following the Bank's decision to keep its key lending rates unchanged at a record low. Draghi called the U.S. tariff move "dangerous", and said that while the potential for broader international disputes -- which he stopped short of calling a 'trade war' -- isn't likely to have serious implications for Eurozone growth, he nonetheless issued a plea for dialogue between Brussels and Washington. "The immediate spillover of [U.S.] trade measures is not going to be that big. But we are convinced that disputes should be discussed and resolved in a multilateral framework," Draghi said. "Unilateral decisions are dangerous. There is a certain worry about the state of international relations because if you put tariffs against your allies one worries who the enemies are." Netflix is said to be in 'advanced' talks with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to produce a series of exclusive shows for the online video streaming network. Netflix Inc. (NFLX) - Get Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) Report shares were marked higher in pre-market trading Friday after reports that former U.S. President Barack Obama is in 'advanced' talks to produce a series of exclusive programs for the online video streaming group. The New York Times reported late Thursday that the former President and his wife, Michelle Obama, would partner on a series of "inspirational" programs for Netflix''s 118 million global subscribers. While not designed to directly attack the polices of President Donald Trump, the Times reported that the programs would focus on issues such as healthcare, voting rights, foreign policy and immigration. The paper also reported that Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Get Apple Inc. (AAPL) Report and Amazon Inc. (AMZN) - Get Amazon.com, Inc. Report were also interested in speaking to the former First Couple on content creation deals. "President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire," the Times quoted Eric Schultz, a close Obama associate, as saying Thursday. "Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories." Netflix shares were marked 0.63% higher from Thursday's New York close in pre-market trading, indicating an opening bell price of $319 each, a move that would extend its year-to-date gain to more than 66%. Earlier this week, TheStreet's Brian Sozzi noted that Netflix stock is trading as if a blockbuster deal is in the works, while the TheStreet's founder, Jim Cramer, has called Netflix and Amazon "the invincibles" and contends they're "the group to watch" in market developments. Jim Cramer and the AAP team hold positions in Amazon, Apple for their Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AMZN, or AAPL? Learn more now. Half of Illinois voters see cuts in government waste, inefficiency as budget solution: Simon Poll CARBONDALE, Ill. At a time when public educational institutions, social service providers, and state and local governments are struggling to emerge from Illinois multi-year budget impasse, 51 percent of registered voters say the solution to the states $1.5 billion budget deficit is to cut waste and inefficiency in government. Meanwhile, 10 percent of those responding to a statewide poll about the states budget by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, believe the solution is more revenue while another 28 percent say the problem requires a combination of revenues and cuts. Institute hosts discussion tonight in Student Center Auditorium Institute staff John T. Shaw, director; John Jackson, visiting professor; and Linda Baker, university professor, will discuss these and other recent poll findings at 6 p.m, in the Student Center Auditorium. The discussion will also examine poll results on the 2018 statewide political campaigns and recent social issues. Admission is free and the public is invited. There will also be an audience Q-and-A session. Voters unable to agree where to cut the budget Results from The Simon Poll show that while voters consistently believe cutting waste and inefficiency in state government could solve the budget crisis, voters have also been unable to agree on where to cut. When offered a choice of major budget categories from which to cut spending: 29 percent chose higher education 17 percent chose health and human services 6 percent chose K-12 education. The largest response category, however, was a volunteered none of the above, at 32 percent. This year, as in years past, our poll shows the people of Illinois support spending cuts in the abstract, but are reluctant to endorse specific spending cuts. This underscores one of the essential reasons for our states seemingly intractable budget problems. The people of Illinois seem to be saying, Please cut spending, but we have no idea of where to actually cut spending - and stay clear of the programs that we like, Shaw said. Millionaires tax, graduated income tax and legalized gambling favored There are some areas in which a majority of voters support increasing revenue, starting with 76 percent favoring the so-called millionaires tax, which would impose an extra 3 percent levy on income over $1 million. Nearly as many, 72 percent, favor a constitutional amendment to allow a graduated income tax, with higher rates for higher earners and lower rates for lower earners. By a slight margin, 49 percent to 46 percent, respondents favored legalized gambling in Illinois to raise state revenues. Less popular proposals favored were taxes on gasoline to fund highway, road and bridge improvements (42 percent) and a sales tax on services (39 percent). Taxing retirement income is widely unpopular A recurring idea is for the state to tax retirement income, such as pensions and social security. This idea is widely unpopular, with 74 percent opposing and only 22 percent in favor. However, in a follow-up question in which only retirement income above $100,000 would be taxed, majorities are in favor. Combining the 22 percent who favored it in the first question with the 52 percent of the 745 initial opponents who would favor it with the exemption, 60 percent of the total sample favor taxing retirement income above $100,000. Voters still believe waste can be cut The institute has been asking the cuts-versus-income-versus-both budget question since 2009. From 2011 to 2015, the percentage of voters believing that cuts were the answer to the problem dropped more than 15 percentage points, from 58 percent to 42 percent. That number jumped to 51 percent favoring cuts in the latest poll. This is a perplexing phenomenon in Illinois public opinion, said Charlie Leonard, an Institute visiting professor and one of the directors of the poll. After more than a decade of cuts to public budgets, people cant let go of the idea that there is $1.5 billion in waste to cut. We have written about this extensively before, but the persistent belief in cutting waste, coupled with the inability to agree on solutions, means well probably still be writing about it in the future. (See Simon Review paper: The Climate of Opinion in Illinois 2008 2016: Roots of Gridlock http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ppi_papers/47/) Sample size and margin of error The margin of error for the entire sample of 1,001 voters is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. This means that if we conducted the survey 100 times, in 95 of those instances, the population proportion would be within plus or minus the reported margin of error for each subsample. For subsamples, the margin of error increases as the sample size goes down. The margin of error was not adjusted for design effects. Among self-identified primary election voters, the margin is plus or minus 6 percentage points in the 259-voter sample of Republicans, and 4.5 percentage points in the sample of 472 Democrats. Polling methodology Live telephone interviews were conducted by Customer Research International of San Marcos, Texas using the random digit dialing method. The telephone sample was provided to Customer Research International by Scientific Telephone Samples. Potential interviewees were screened based on whether they were registered voters and with quotas based on area code and sex (< 60 percent female). The sample obtained 51 percent male and 49 percent female respondents. Interviewers asked to speak to the youngest registered voter at home at the time of the call. Cellphone interviews accounted for 60 percent of the sample. A Spanish language version of the questionnaire and a Spanish-speaking interviewer were made available. Fieldwork was from Feb. 19 through Feb. 25. No auto-dial or robo polling is included. Customer Research International reports no Illinois political clients. The survey was paid for with non-tax dollars from the institutes endowment fund. The data was not weighted in any way. Crosstabs for the referenced questions will be on the institutes polling website, simonpoll.org. Polling data available for use by scholars and the public The institute is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Researchs (AAPOR) Transparency Initiative. AAPOR works to encourage objective survey standards for practice and disclosure. Membership in the Transparency Initiative reflects a pledge to practice transparency in reporting survey-based findings. The Institutes polling data are also archived by four academic institutions for use by scholars and the public. The four open source data repositories are: Note: The Simon Poll and the Southern Illinois Poll are the copyrighted trademarks of the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University. Use and publication of these polls is encouraged - but only with credit to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU Carbondale. 'It doesn't rally 10 bucks in one session idly for nothing,' Cramer says. Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) - Get Wynn Resorts, Limited (WYNN) Report could be the subject of the next big blockbuster deal, according to TheStreet's founder and Action Alerts Plus portfolio manager Jim Cramer. In Cramer's Mad Money on CNBC, he explained that this week's $67 billion Cigna Corp. (CI) - Get Cigna Corporation Report takeover of Express Scripts Holding Co. (ESRX) has ignited the dealmaking landscape yet again. But the next target may not be in healthcare, but rather in casinos and resorts. According to Cramer, both Wynn and MGM Resorts International (MGM) - Get MGM Resorts International (MGM) Report had strong performances Thursday, March 8, after reporting solid year-over-year growth in the Macau market. Wynn stock climbed 6.35% to $179.11 and MGM gained 3.37% to $35.91. Cramer said the rally in Wynn's stock could be a sign that the company is beginning to turn a new corner after CEO and founder Steve Wynn stepped down amid a bevy of sexual misconduct allegations stacked against him. Now that Steve Wynn is out and the stock has gained some upward momentum, it could be time for the company to strike a deal. "I think Wynn might actually be acquired by another casino company now that Steve Wynn has stepped down from his operating role in the wake of those admittedly disturbing sexual misconduct allegations," Cramer said. "I think it's a natural takeover target for, say, Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) - Get Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) Report or even MGM. It doesn't rally 10 bucks in one session idly for nothing." Despite the fallout from Steve Wynn's alleged misconduct -- which this week included the departure of two board members from the company -- shares of Wynn managed gains of 6.24% so far this year. In the last 12 months, shares have rallied nearly 80%. Don't miss any of Cramer's investing insight. Catch up here: Huge end to the week. Netflix and Obama Earlier this week, we speculated on these pages that Netflix (NFLX) - Get Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) Report shares were so hot this year (up 58% as of Thursday's close) that a deal was in the works. What we meant was a takeover, not the signing of former President Obama to a director/host gig. According to various media reports, Obama and his wife, Michelle, were nearing a deal to sign with Netflix to produce a series of shows. While details were scant, the news would be huge for Netflix bulls for a simple reason: It underscores their upbeat thesis. What thesis you ask? It's one tied to the notion that Netflix is becoming the modern day Disney (DIS) - Get Walt Disney Company Report with its aggressive push into original content. "Coming off a quarter with across-the-board momentum in both reported fourth-quarter subscribers and first-quarter 2018 subscriber guidance ahead of Wall Street/UBS estimates, we see Netflix's investments in original/licensed content and customer acquisition/retention as widening the long-term competitive moat," said UBS analyst Eric Sheridan. "Against that backdrop, we still see a compelling risk/reward over the long-term despite strong year-to-date stock performance." Action Alerts Plus holding Amazon (AMZN) - Get Amazon.com, Inc. Report won't have Obama on its platform creating content. Hulu won't have original content from Obama. With the Obama's 110 million combined Twitter followers, there should be lots of social media discussion about Netflix-driven content and not content from its competitors. That's what we (and Warren Buffett) would call creating a wide moat around your business. Quickly Dissecting the Toys 'R' Us News Toys "R" Us failed to find a buyer in bankruptcy court and is preparing to liquidate its entire U.S. store base, according to a Bloomberg report. The struggling retailer, which was bought out in a splashy $6.6 billion leveraged buyout deal by KKR, Bain Capital and Vornado Realty Trust in 2005, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sept. 19. It entered bankruptcy with a $3.13 billion bankruptcy financing package, the largest ever for a bankrupt retailer. Hasbro (HAS) - Get Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) Report CEO Brian Goldner downplayed the impact of the troubles at Toys "R" to me recently. But the market thinks otherwise in the short-term as shares of Hasbro and Mattel (MAT) - Get Mattel, Inc. Report are getting hit Friday on the news. Obviously, closing 880 stores will have an impact on each toymaker as inventory is liquidated and they lose a key distribution point for holiday 2018. Over time I do think Goldner's thesis will play out. Winners here include Amazon, Walmart (WMT) - Get Walmart Inc. Report and Target (TGT) - Get Target Corporation Report which all do big business in toys. Another winner is discount gym chain Planet Fitness (PLNT) - Get Planet Fitness, Inc. Class A Report . The company has feasted on the real estate of dying retailers like Toys "R" Us. Expect the company to gobble up some prized spots that formerly sold Barbie dolls. Happy Birthday Bull Market TheStreet's newsroom shares their personal accounts of the market bottom here. Must watch! Where was I you ask on March 9, 2009? Digging into the financials of the stocks I had under coverage as an analyst: Fannie Mae, Washington Mutual and Freddie Mac (among others). I had one eye on those financial statements, the other on the TV, and my brain worried on whether I would have a job tomorrow ... or ever again. What's Hot This bull market. More from the JoltArchives: U.S. oil producers took four rigs offline in the past week while gas rigs climbed by seven. Oil prices rose after U.S. oil and gas producers brought three drilling rigs online in the past week. U.S. oil producers took four rigs offline for a total of 796, according to Baker Hughes (BHGE) - Get Baker Hughes, a GE Company Class A Report . Gas rigs, meanwhile, climbed by seven to 188, boosting the overall total U.S. rig count to 984. The U.S. rig count was up 216 rigs from last year's count of 768. There were 179 more oil rigs than there were during the same period last year and gas rigs have increased by 37 year over year. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil contracts for April delivery rose 2.8% to $61.81 a barrel, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed 2.4% to $65.16. Earlier this week, oil prices declined after data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration revealed U.S. crude production surged last month. Domestic crude production in February rose by 230,000 barrels per day to an average of 10.3 million barrels per day. The EIA forecast that U.S. crude oil production will reach a new record this year, averaging 10.7 million barrels per day, "which would mark the highest annual average U.S. crude oil production level, surpassing the previous record of 9.6 billion barrels per day set in 1970." Paris-based International Energy Agency, which advises governments and companies on industries trends, said the U.S. will become the world's largest oil producer by 2023. U.S. crude production is expected to reach 12.1 million barrels per day in 2023. "We think that in the next five years to come, the United States will put its stamp on the global oil market developments," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol told CNBC at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) - Get Exxon Mobil Corporation Report plans to triple production in the oil-rich Permian Basin in West Texas by 2025, the company said Wednesday. "We anticipate a fivefold increase in the Permian production and 25 start-ups worldwide, adding net volumes of 1 million oil-equivalent barrels," Chief Executive Darren Woods said during an analyst meeting. Jefferies analyst Jason Gammel noted ahead of the analyst meeting that Exxon has "one of the most aggressive shale/tight oil drilling programs in the industry, currently operating 26 rigs in the Permian/Bakken with intent to reach 36 rigs by [year-end 2018]." More specifically, 30 rigs will run in the Permian this year, with six in the Bakken Shale Formation, which is in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota, said Woods. The increased focus on U.S. shale is part of Exxon's goal to double annual earnings by 2025. But investors were not pleased with the company's steeper-than-expected capital expenditure guidance, sending the stock to its lowest level in more than two years. Exxon expects to spend $24 billion this year, $28 billion in 2019, and then an "average somewhere above $30 billion a year" through 2025, Woods said. "As a result, XOM expects operating cash flow and net income to increase from $30 billion and $15.3 billion in 2017 to $55 billion and $35 billion in 2025, respectively, assuming $60 per barrel Brent," said Credit Suisse analysts, including William Featherston, in a March 7 research note. Exxon shares rose 0.3% to $74.35 on Friday. Rival Chevron Corp. (CVX) - Get Chevron Corporation Report also is accelerating its production, particularly in the Permian. "We're advancing development of our unconventional resources, particularly in the U.S. Permian Basin, where we have a leading position," Jay Johnson, Chevron's executive vice president of upstream, said in a statement. "We're seeing reserves grow, costs shrink, efficiencies expand and production rise." Chevron increased its Permian resources by 20% to more than 11 billion barrels and expanded its unconventional position by 200,000 acres to 1.7 million acres, Johnson said. "We now expect Permian unconventional production to reach around 500,000 barrels a day by the end of 2020 and 650,000 barrels a day by the end of 2022," Johnson said during an analyst meeting Tuesday. "This is based on running 20 company-operated and 9 non-operated net rigs by the end of this year." Shares of Chevron rose 2.9% to $116.67. According to Baker Hughes, two rigs came online in the Permian over the past week, bringing the total rig count in the prolific basin to 436. Broadcom is hoping its latest letter, this time to Congress will convince an inter-agency, national-security focused review panel to drop its review of the chipmaker's hostile bid to buy Qualcomm. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin on Friday suggested that the U.S. government is "fully prepared" to use its powers to protect national security when it comes to Broadcom Ltd. (AVGO) - Get Broadcom Inc. Report hostile $79 a share bid to buy Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) - Get QUALCOMM Incorporated Report . "We're fully prepared to use our powers to protect national security," Mnuchin said, according to CNBC TV. Mnuchin's comments come after Broadcom on Friday issued a letter to Congress once again publicizing its U.S. lineage and commitment to 5G wireless investment in its latest missive intended to convince the Mnuchin-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to leave its hostile bid for Qualcomm alone. "The bottom line is that a combined American Broadcom-Qualcomm will be a more focused and stronger champion for sustained United States leadership in 5G than a standalone Qualcomm, an outcome that strongly supports America's national security interests," Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said in a letter to fifteen lawmakers. In the letter, Broadcom reiterated promises it had made on Wednesday to be a leader in 5G development as well as its pledge to create a new $1.5 billion fund with a focus on innovation to train and educate engineers in the U.S. The letter comes after Cfius, which traditionally has reviewed cross-border deals for national security concerns, earlier this month took the unusual if not unprecedented step of ordering Qualcomm to postpone its annual meeting by 30 days so it could review the deal. Broadcom has six dissident directors up for election and is seeking to take control of Qualcomm's board at the meeting, now set for April 5, so it could close its acquisition. On March 5, the Treasury Department, which heads Cfius, outlined its concerns about the potential hookup, including a critical worry that the transaction could jeopardize Qualcomm's spending on research and development and U.S. leadership in the bodies that set mobile standards amid the launch to 5G wireless. Barry Naughton, professor at the University of California, San Diego, said he was skeptical about whether Broadcom would ever fulfill many of the things it offered up as part of its pledges, in particular, its offer to create a $1.5 billion fund to train and educate U.S. engineers. "This is part of a pattern of Broadcom saying anything they can to get their deal approved," Naughton said. Naughton said that the Cfius letter made clear that there were substantial differences between Qualcomm and Broadcom that could severely impact national security. In particular, he pointed to the Cfius assertion that Qualcomm is a source of technology, knowledge, and R&D that is fundamentally important to the U.S. Alternatively, Naughton argued that Broadcom doesn't invest as much in R&D on cutting-edge technology vital to national security, such as 5G. "Those business strategy differences have nothing to do with whether Broadcom is a foreign company or not," he said. "It's all about whether Broadcom would maintain Qualcomm's R&D model." Naughton's comments zero in on a fundamental Broadcom assertion on why it and many Cfius-specializing lawyers believe that the national security review panel won't have any authority to review a Broadcom-Qualcomm deal - the fact that Broadcom is in the process of reincorporating from Singapore to the U.S., a process that it expects to complete by May 6. Cfius experts contend that should the reincorporation be completed that there would be no statutorily-mandated basis for Cfius to review the deal because the interagency review panel's mandate is to consider foreign acquisitions of U.S. assets on national security grounds, not mergers among U.S. companies. Broadcom pointed in its letter to many qualities that suggest that it is indeed a U.S. company, including its headquarters in San Jose, Calif. and the fact that its board is made up nearly of all U.S. citizens while more than half its workforce is in the U.S. across 25 states. Clif Burns, attorney at Bryan Cave in D.C., said it was possible that CFIUS could say it wouldn't approve the deal after the 30 days but that it was much more likely that if it still had concerns that it would push back the annual meeting and proxy fight vote by 45 days as it launched a formal investigation. A 45-day investigation would push the review past May 6, which is when it appears Broadcom officially will become a U.S. company. Once that happens, Burns suggests that CFIUS would no longer have any purview. "When Broadcom is a U.S. company and given that it is not controlled by any foreign citizen, it will not be a 'foreign person.'" Burns said. "And therefore the purchase of Qualcomm stock after that date will not be a covered transaction subject to CFIUS review." Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon concurs: "The rationale for CFIUS jurisdiction, already tenuous in our opinion, will become quite a bit more so in about 60 days once the redomiciling is complete." Nevertheless, the Trump administration has an unconventional approach in many areas, so it is a distinct possibility that it could ask Qualcomm to postpone its annual meeting again to review the deal further, or even ultimately issue a note after its review saying it would reject the deal if it were ever consummated. In response to a question about whether the deal was dead, Mnuchin said: "I'm not going to comment on that." For now, the Cfius review and Mnuchin's comments appear to make it less likely that Broadcom would get the votes it needs to secure control of Qualcomm's board, or even obtain a minority-slate of directors. Qualcomm, for its part, on Friday announced that ex-CEO Paul Jacobs would no longer serve as executive chairman of the chipmaker's board. Jacobs is being replaced in the role by an independent director, Jeffrey Henderson. Interestingly, Henderson was installed on Qualcomm's board in 2016 as part of a settlement with activist investor Jana Partners, though the insurgent fund no longer owns shares in the chipmaker. Many institutional investors argue that CEOs should be overseen by entirely independent chairman and the replacement of Jacobs, who was CEO between 2005 and 2014, is likely to be applauded by some significant shareholders. It is possible that the chairman position shake-up followed conversations between Qualcomm and its shareholders as the chipmaker seeks to fend off Broadcom's director candidates. Bernstein's Rasgon suggested that the chairmanship shakeup wasn't "terribly surprising" given "the low confidence in management apparently shown by early vote returns reported this week." But don't expect Broadcom to relent any time soon. For its part, the hostile chipmaker may want to offer up a sort-of mitigation agreement to Cfius in advance of the vote in an attempt to assure regulators - and the Qualcomm voting shareholders -- that the deal wouldn't impact national security interests. EAST ALTON East Alton Police Department cautions the public to be aware of an alleged telephone scam. The department said they received a complaint Thursday night that their non-emergency number, 618-259-6212, had been used in a telephone scam. The subjects are stating they are with the police department and there is a warrant out for your arrest, said police in a news release. The subjects are also stating they are sending officers to your residence. Its not the practice of the police department to call regarding such information or to ask for money, police stated. Authorities urge to not give scammers any personal information and to not give scammers the means of gaining money. If you have given personal information to possible scammers, call East Alton Police Department at their non-emergency number. WOOD RIVER Area credit unions have recently been raising money to purchase bikes for needy children, and hope to raise enough to benefit their surrounding communities. Midwest Members Credit Union, 101 Wesley Drive in Wood River, is one of the credit unions participating in the fundraiser. We started out by making a goal of $750 and within the first few days we surpassed that, said Lindsey Kahl, marketing manager at Midwest Members Credit Union. We are hoping to raise enough to purchase about 30 bikes. Kahl said to purchase those bikes, they need to raise at least $2,500, a goal she believes they will easily reach. A lot of our donations have come from our employees, said Kahl. They can purchase packets where they can either leave work an hour early or wear jeans on Fridays, but we have also had a lot of donations from members themselves. Midwest Members is a member of the local chapter of the Illinois Credit Union League, the George G. Burnett Chapter, which meets monthly to discuss topics focused on community relations. Credit unions band together and work together on things, and thats what this is, said Lou Bicanic, executive vice president at Midwest Members. The chapter gets together and does events in the community. Many times we band together and do projects such as this one. They have bike icons available for purchase for $1, where members can write their names and the credit union puts them on a wall in the lobby. Altonized Federal Credit Union and 1st MidAmerica Credit Union are also a part of the fundraiser. Cathy Grabner, vice president of lending at Altonized Federal Credit Union, said their main goal is to put some smiles on kids faces. Grabner said since this is the first year for the program they are hoping to purchase at least 10 bikes, but she hopes to exceed that. Altonized is also selling bike icons that will be available throughout the month of March at the credit union. Kahl said they plan to work with local park directors to decide which kids in the area are in the most need for the bikes. In addition to selling the bike icons in their branches, 1st MidAmerica Credit Union is also planning on raffling a bike off to their employees to raise money. Community Relations Coordinator Alicia Lignoul said they havent set a goal yet, but 1st MidAmericas fundraiser begins on March 12, and will run through March 24. All of the branches in the Riverbend area are participating, Lignoul said. Anyone who wants to donate can visit any of our branch locations. Those locations include Alton, Bethalto, East Alton, Wood River, Jerseyville, Granite City, and Godfrey. The credit unions are planning to get together in April to build the bikes and hope to give them to children so they have them for the spring and summer seasons. Lyons said the idea originated from other parts of the state who built the bikes together as a team-building exercise. We saw what they were doing and thought it was a great idea, but we decided that we wanted to take it a step further, he said. Anyone wishing to donate can visit any of the credit union locations. For locations, visit www.shellcuonline.org, www.altonizedfcu.org, or www.1stmidamerica.org. Reach reporter Kelsey Schulz 618-208-6452. The carpet trading and manufacturing industry goes as far back as the Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent. In the 21st century, gender gap in business ownership should be anything but commonplace. Yet, one would not have to look too closely to realise it is difficult to find women working as self-reliant carpet traders and manufacturers. India is the leading producer of handmade carpets in the world, accounting for 35 per cent market share globally, followed by Iran, China and Nepal. The cottage industry's shipment is growing by 10 per cent every year; the export of carpets in 2016-17 was estimated to be over Rs 10,000 crore. Around 85 per cent of handmade carpets produced are meant for export, and is a valuable source of foreign exchange, employing more than 20 lakh workers and artisans, especially rural women, in this highly labour-intensive, skill-oriented industry. It is high time we look beyond the glorification of women in the carpet industry as just weavers and artisans. At the ongoing 35th Carpet Expo, organised by the government-run Carpet Export Promotion Council and launched on March 8, the International Women's Day, there is enough awareness and acknowledgment of the work being done by women weavers and artisans in carpet manufacturing hubs of Jaipur, Agra, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Banaras, but little in the way of their presence as business and trading representatives. In what is considered to be one of the largest carpet fairs in Asiathis year, the fair has roped in 350 carpet importers from 60 countriesthe fair directory on Indian exhibitors had just three women listed as interface between buyers and their carpet company. Two hundred and fifty eight Indian exhibitors are participating in the expo. In Agra, where we have our weaving units, it is majorly young girls who are involved in weaving before they get married, that is between 16-18 years of age or 20. They are the ones who are working on the loom and actually weaving the carpets, says Shephali Wattal from Gopal Wattal & Co. which manufactures exclusive handmade rugs. Armed with a finance degree, Wattal mostly works in conjunction with her husband Gopal Krishna Wattal whose grandfather started manufacturing carpets in 1929. She mentions other women who are prominent names in the carpet-making industry such as Alpa Mewawala from Agni and Asha Chaudhary from the premier Jaipur Rugs, one of the foremost companies in the carpet business today. Mewawala has been manufacturing and exporting rugs with her husband for close to 35 years from Bhadohi, and Chaudhary is the daughter of the carpet baron Nand Kishore Chaudhary. Gradually, I have noticed young women are getting into the carpet business. You know, when they get married, many of them join their husbands in the business, says Wattal who also sums up the typical profile of a few handful of women at the forefront of selling carpets. Most of them are third generation entrepreneurs who go on to inherit family-run businesses. Self-starting women entrepreneurs are very hard to find in the heavily male-dominated heritage industry of rugs. But even while many are actively taking up hefty roles in their companies, it is more often than not confined to designing and marketing. Very few assume real decision-making roles. Sarita Sarna is managing director at Sarna & Associates, a leading distributor and supplier of carpets. She says she is the first female export agent of carpets in India. She joined her father's business in 1985 and assumed the role of MD after her brother's death in 2004. Carpet-making is a very specialised work which is going from carpets to floor covering. I hope you find the difference in that. Carpet is no more an artwork. And every second person is an agent. On the other hand, even the buyers don't know what to buy. Women are coming to the forefront, but I am not sure how much they know about carpets, says Sarna. The quota reforms of the IMFthat will give emerging economics like India a bigger share of voting rightsare unlikely to take place in 2019, asserted the Shaktikanta Das, Indian Sherpa of G20. The BRICS nations have been pushing for more fair representation. Das, was chairing a lecture G20-A Decade in Multilateralism. There will be pressure to postpone the reforms, he said. The lecture traced the journey of the G20 formed in 2008 to battle the global financial crisis a decade later. Formed by George W. Bush when the world was at the brink of a depression, the world order has changed. In November, when the leaders gather at the G20the first in South Americathe power balance will have shifted firmly to the East. And in the post Trump era, with the US withdrawing, China is emerging as a leader at new power equation. However, Das pointed out that India had an important role to play. Notwithstanding Trump, at Hamburg the Indian leadership had placed the climate change at the centre. You can see the reflection of it in the International Solar Alliance, he said. However, India should play a proactive role in suggesting agendas and pushing agenda for the global good, he said. There was a suggestion to focus on childhood obesity in this session. We have raised the issue of lifestyle disease where yoga and traditional medicine can contribute, he said. It remained to be seen how multilateralism played out at the G20 summit with China emerging as a leader. A lot of observers feel that China will be a less benevolent leader, asserted V. Srinivas, who has been advisor to Indias executive director on the International Monetary Fund. Srinivas had presented his paper on looking at the various stages of the G20 from its inception. The 11th ministerial conference of WTO, held at Buenos Aires in December, 2017, had concluded on a blank note, leaving WTO delegates clueless on how to carry forward their work through the year. In a bid to resuscitate the failed WTO talks and keep an environment of multilateralism alive, India will host a two-day informal discussion of trade ministers and officials of WTO member nations. "We have invited delgates of 53 countries. Of this, 24 have already confirmed presence of their trade ministers. We are expecting confirmation from 14 others as well," said Rita Teotia, secretary, ministry of commerce. New Delhi is calling this meeting the largest mini-ministerial participation on its invitation in the recent history of WTO. "The Doha Development Agenda was recently termed dead and multilateralism is at a risk across the world. In the current scenario we would like to explore the way forward during the talks here," said Anup Wadhawan, additional secretary, ministry of commerce. The United States in the recent past had opposed three words at WTO talks development, multilateralism and Doha Round. The US had also refused the joint ministerial statement of all nations during the Buenos Aires talks. Interestingly, at this meeting in New Delhi, to be held between March 19-20, high-level political and government representations have been confirmed from China, Germany, UK, European Union, Brazil, Kenya, Singapore, Russia and even the US. WTO Director General, Roberto Azevedo from Brazil and other WTO ambassadors are also expected to attend the informal discussions for carrying out the global multilateral trade body's work going ahead. India is currently adopting a 'wait and watch' stance as the US is yet to decide on the imposition of restrictive export barriers for steel and aluminium exporting nations. India is likely to discuss the matter at the WTO ministerial talks if the US Department of Commerce decides that such restrictions would include India. The forum would encourage participants to discuss in a free and frank manner the various issues that they expect to face with reducing multilateral trade environment. A way out is also expected to emerge from this meeting going ahead. If anything happens to me, please tell my story. This was... Two SIU fraternity members win national scholarships by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. Two Southern Illinois University Carbondale students recently earned national scholarships from the Order of Omega for their leadership, academic achievement and service to the campus and region. Jakob Chapman of Ashton and Dennis Ramsook of Terre Haute, Ind., are both members of SIUs Order of Omega, a Greek honorary organization that recognizes the top three percent of the juniors and seniors in the fraternity and sorority community. Chapman wins Gardner Scholarship Chapman is an aviation technologies major and a member of the FarmHouse Fraternity. He received the Dr. Kent L. Gardner Scholarship, established in 1999 to recognize the former vice president of student affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington and longtime Order of Omega executive director and member. Chapman was the 2017 Interfraternity Council executive vice president and assisted Order of Omega in the annual Greek Awards presentation. The $300 scholarship is awarded annually to outstanding Greek leaders. Ramsook claims Halloran Scholarship Ramsook is a management major a founder and president of SIUs Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He is the treasurer for SIUs Order of Omega and director of philanthropy and service for the entire Greek community on campus through the Inter-Greek Council. He received the $500 Patrick W. Halloran Scholarship, named for Halloran, who succeeded Order of Omega founder Parker Enwright. SIU is a repeat winner The scholarship recipients are selected by a committee comprised of student affairs professionals from across the country. This is the second consecutive year that SIU Order of Omega members have earned awards. Campaigning will end on Friday for the high stakes bypolls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, with political parties leaving no stone unturned to drum up support for their candidates ahead of polling on Sunday. In Bihar, bypolls will be held in the Araria Lok Sabha constituency and the two Assembly constituencies of Jehanabad and Bhabua. Counting of all the seats will be conducted on March 14. Uttar Pradesh 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, once the bastion of the Congress and represented by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when Maurya won the seat. The byelections are expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP) 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. The party has fielded Manish Mishra from Phulpur. Maurya said that as far as the vote share was concerned, "60 per cent is ours and the rest is for others to share." Adityanath has termed the byelections a rehearsal for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. According to the Election Commission, there 19.61 lakh voters in Phulpur parliamentary constituency, while there are 19.49 lakh voters in Gorakhpur. However, this time the party faces a new challenge as the SP contestants have the backing of BSP. BSP chief Mayawati had recently said that while her party had not fielded any candidate from Phulpur or Gorakhpur, this did not mean that party workers will not cast their votes. "They will in fact exercise their voting rights appropriately... As per my earlier directives, the BSP workers will vote for a candidate who will be in a position to defeat the BJP, and there is nothing wrong in it," Mayawati had said. Bihar In Araria, the RJD is fielding Sarfaraz Alam, the son of late area MP Mohammed Taslimuddin, while the BJP has put up Pradeep Kumar Singh, who had lost to Taslimuddin in 2014. The JD(U) decided against contesting the Araria election and instead is supporting the BJP. The RJD is contesting the Jehanabad Assembly bypoll, while it is offering support to its alliance partner, the Congress, in Bhabua. In a shocking incident, a teenage girl was stabbed to death outside her college in Chennai on Friday. The assailant was caught by the public and handed over to police. Aswini, a first year B.Com student at Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research at K.K. Nagar, was rushed to a private hospital with stab injuries, but she succumbed to her injuries later. He body was later shifted to Government Hospital in Royapettah, where a postmortem is being carried out. The assailant was identified Alegasan, who is associated with mineral water business. The motive of the crime is not immediately known. However, according to some reports, Aswini had filed a complaint against Azhagesan, but no action was taken on him. Police have started investigation. Ahead of International Solar Alliance's big event, a stream of arrivals have begun, causing a VVIP traffic chaos in New Delhi's Chanakyapuri. Dignititaries for the ISA's first summit, to be held on March 11, have started arriving. Apart from the star of the show, French President Emmanuel Macron, these include representatives of 47 member nations heads of state, heads of government and heads of delegation. Among the VVIPs are Bangladesh President Md. Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Seychelles President Danny Faure, Governor General of Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove, Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the Crown prince court of Abu Dhabi. The ISA became a legal entity on December 6, 2015, just days after the Paris Summit on climate change. It envisages a coalition of 121 nations between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, who are rich in solar energy. The alliance hopes to harness the sun's power to provide clean and renewable energy to these nations, most of which have immense development needs. While solar energy is abundant and limitless (in the time frame of humans, at least), there are several reasons why it has not been used for power generation. These range from problems of scaling up to storage. France's involvement in the alliance is in the position of a capacity builder, technology provider and hopefully, a provider of much required finances, too. So far, 30 countries have ratified the ISA and 60 have signed the framework agreement. K. Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (West Europe) at the Minsitry of External Affairs said that shortly, the ISA membership would be thrown open to countries beyond the tropics, too. The ISA was a grand idea proposed by India and was sold at the Paris Summit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite the initial enthusiasm seen during its formation, as well as the inauguration of its headquarters at Gurugram by then French President Francois Hollande, there hasn't been much visible traction in this sector since. Experts say that the need for solar energy powered machinery is immense, in fact, sometimes the demand is more than supply. Yet, the alliance itself hasn't been stitched up properly yet. We hope the summit will take forward the needs of the industry. We expect France to invest in research for technology that can scale up solar power use, as well as solve the storage issues,'' said Rohit Magotra of Integrated Research and Action for Development. Just ahead of the summit, the European Investment Bank confirmed support to expansion of solar energy in developing and emerging economies. The bank had, in 2017, provided a billion euro for financing new solar energy projects. Australia has also extended support for the ISA initiative. As one of the 26 founding members of the ISA, Australia is looking forward to sharing its expertise in solar technologies and research globally. Australias participation adds a new dimension to the already thriving Australia-India relationship, said a statement issued by the Australian High Commission. It is also expected that India and France will sign some bilateral agreements on solar energy during Macron's visit. All these dignitaries attending the event will be welcomed at Rashtrapati Bhawan on the evening of March 10, with a banquet hosted by President Ramnath Kovind. New Delhi has become used to multi-dignitary visits ever since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister in the summer of 2014. It started with his swearing-in ceremony, where leaders of all SAARC nations were invited. The recent ASEAN Summit as well as the Republic Day celebrations, in which all ASEAN heads were chief guests was another VVIP heavy event. Then, there was the Indo-Africa Forum Summit in 2015, which was perhaps the largest gathering of national heads (around 40) in India in recent times. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said the government cannot reveal the price at which it has bought Rafale fighter jets from France, due to its adherence to the Inter-Governmental Agreement inked for the purchase of the aircraft. However, Dassault Aviation, which manufactures Rafales, has in its annual report for 2016 stated that India has ordered 36 jets at a price of euro 7.5 billion, which is Rs 1,670.70 crore per fighter jet. As per the annual report, the contract with India led to the creation of a joint venture with the Reliance Group to manage the offsets. However, the government has maintained that the contract for offsets has not been finalised by the vendor so far. Coinciding with the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, the Congress, which has been alleging a scam in the Rafale deal as finalised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referred to Dassault's annual report to emphasise its allegations. It said the fighter jet has been sold to India at a price that is Rs 350.90 crore higher per aircraft than what Egypt and Qatar paid for the aircraft just 11 months before Modi signed the Inter-Governmental Agreement for the purchase of 36 aircraft. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, referring to the annual report for 2016 of Dassault Aviation, said 48 Rafale aircraft were sold to Egypt and Qatar in 201524 each to the two countriesfor a total price of euro 7.9 billion, which works out to Rs 1,319.80 crore per aircraft. In September, 2016, as per the report, just 11 months after the sale of aircraft to Egypt and Qatar, 36 aircraft were sold to India for euro 7.5 billion, which is Rs 1,670.70 crore per fighter jet. India is clearly paying Rs 350.90 crore more per aircraft or Rs 12,632 crore for 36 aircraft, Azad said. He further said that the pricing of the Rafale fighters as per the bid finalised during the UPA government on December 12, 2012, was Rs 526.1 crore per aircraft as against the Modi government's per aircraft purchase price of Rs 1,670.70 crore. There is a scam at two levels. The first is cancelling the deal finalised by the UPA government. And the second is finalising a deal that makes India pay Rs 350.90 crore more per jet compared with Egypt and Qatar after a gap of just 11 months, Azad said. The Congress questioned the validity of the Inter-Governmental Agreement signed with France on September 23, 2016, since the object and purpose of the agreement was to ensure that India gets the lowest price of the aircraft in comparison with every other buyer. Randeep Surjewala, head, communications department of the AICC, accused Sitharaman of lying on the issue of finalising the offset contract for the aircraft. The defence minister, through a press release, said no Indian offset partner for the 2016 deal for 36 Rafale aircraft has so far been selected by the vendor. However, the vendor, in its annual report, which came prior to the press release, specifies a joint venture with the Reliance Group to manage offsets, he said. He asked why Reliance, with zero experience of manufacturing fighter aircraft, was chosen over the PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The report states, India ordered 36 Rafales in 2016, a contract that led to the creation of a joint venture with Reliance Group to manage the offsets provided for by the country's 'Make in India' initiative. The Congress has been trying to corner the Modi government on the issue of corruption, and it has been alleging a scam in the Rafale deal. It has asked Modi to come clean on the allegations of corruption in the purchase of Rafales. The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed a plea from expelled AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran for allotment of a common symbol, preferably a 'pressure cooker', and a suitable name of his choice for the AIADMK faction led by him. Justice Rekha Palli directed the Election Commission to do the needful within three weeks after giving Dhinakaran's faction an appropriate hearing. The court order came on an interim application filed by the faction of Dhinakaran and V.K. Sasikala in their main petition challenging the EC's order on November 23 last year, which had allotted the 'two leaves' symbol to the group headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam. Dhinakaran had earlier told the court that he needed a temporary name and symbol for his group to interact with the electorate in the eventuality of elections to local bodies or any other polls held before his claim to the party's symbol was decided. The application sought the allocation of the name and symbol only till the pendency of the main petition, claiming that otherwise the poll panel might declare it as a separate party. Responding to the High Court's directive, the AIADMK stated it would not allow Dhinakaran to use the party name, adding that it would seek legal recourse in the matter. "We will not allow Dhinakaran to use the name AIADMK and we will take all legal steps for this purpose," D. Jayakumar, State Fisheries Minister, told reporters in Chennai. Though anyone can start a party, we are determined that no one uses the party name AIADMK, the senior leader said. Dhinakaran had won the byelection held in Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in December last year under the 'pressure cooker' symbol with a margin of over 40,000 votes. The Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction has also given a list of three namesAll India Amma Anna Dhravidar Munnetra Kazhagam, MGR Amma Dravidar Munnetra Kazhagam and MGR Amma Dhravidar Kazhagamseeking that one of them be temporarily allotted to them. On December 4 last year, the High Court had declined to grant any interim relief to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction of the AIADMK by dismissing their plea to use the 'hat' symbol in the bypoll to the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency. The court had left the decision to the returning officer who had allotted the 'pressure cooker' symbol to Dhinakaran for the bypoll held on December 21, 2017. The 'hat' symbol was given to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group by the EC in March 2017 after it froze the use of the 'two-leaves' symbol to which the group led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had also laid claim. The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the 'electric pole' symbol. However, on November 23, 2017, the poll panel had ruled in favour of the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to them. The symbol issue has been lingering since April last in the aftermath of the announcement of the bypoll to Radha Krishnan Nagar constituency in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa, who had represented it, in December 2016. Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim to the symbol. Palaniswami was then in the Sasikala camp. Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswami revolted against Sasikala. What's special about special status or special category or special package? Even as the angry Telugu Desam Party MPs, Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y.S. Chowdary, have resigned from the Union cabinet because Andhra Pradesh has not been given 'special category' status, there is a lot of confusion as leaders, analysts and others bandy the word 'special' with three different suffixes. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley explained that the quantum of funds to Andhra Pradesh under the special package will be the same as given to 'special category states', which do not exist post the report of the 14th Finance Commission. But that has made no difference to the demand for 'special category' for Andhra Pradesh. The only state in the country to have a 'special status' is Jammu and Kashmir, under Article 370 of the Constitution. For any other state to get a similar status will require a Constitutional amendment, and is not in the realm of the possible in today's India. On the contrary, the Constitution did not come into the picture in the case of special category states(SCS). The National Development Council, under the now abolished Planning Commission, which allocated Central assistance, felt that some states needed to be helped in their developmental efforts. The criteria the council zeroed in was geographic isolation and inaccessible hilly terrain; borders with other countries and strategic location along the national borders; distance from large markets, low population and largely tribal communities at that; poor resource base and economic and infrastructure backwardness and generally states that would be financially non-viable. The states that got the SCS tag were Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. These states together got 30 per cent of the total Central assistance, on the basis of what the government of the day called the 'Gadgil-Mukherjee formula'it just meant they got some weightage. But many other states found reason to ask for a similar status, and even more. Through the years of militancy, and thereafter, Punjab which has over 500km of fenced international border, and was putting up a brave fight against terrorists supported by the ISI in Pakistan, wanted lakhs of crores. Bihar, battling acute poverty and lack of opportunities, too sought special status. There was a feeling that states were lobbying for the status, leading to the formation of a committee under former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan in 2013. The 14th Finance Commission meanwhile raised the devolution of funds to states, from 32 per cent to 42 per cent, though it subsumed much of the Central projects, which the states now had to continue on their own steam. The residual Central funds, it said, would be distributed among states for special projects, with the Centre paying 60 per cent and the states 40 per cent. While the SCS as a category of states would be dropped, the states of the northeast and the three hill states would get 90 per cent by way of Central assistance for the special projects30 per cent more than the others. These states' own share in these projects would be only 10 per cent, compared with 40 per cent in the case of others. In the meantime, the committee under Raghuram Rajan said the SCS would find their need for funds met more than adequately by the basic allocation by the 14th Finance Commission. The committee proposed the idea of categorising states as 'least developed'something that would have been terrible for states at a time they were all trying to woo private investors. With the Centre's funds after allocation to states now reduced, the benefits to SCSs would be minimal, it said, adding that states with special problems are better off seeking a special package. Jaitley explained that the government was committed to giving Andhra Pradesh 90 per centas was being given to former SCS, as a special package. During the debate on the Reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh Act in February 2014, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had said the SCS would be extended to the successor state of Andhra Pradesh for a period of five years. While his government did not do anything to implement it, the former prime minister's reply in Parliament is what buoyed the regional parties of Andhra Pradesh, which is not the only state demanding the special category status for itself. Biharthat lends the first letter to the word 'BIMARU' states, meaning sick or economically backward stateshas long been asking for it, along with demanding Central money for development. Post the floods, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been pressing even more. Soon after he dropped out of the 'Mahagathbandhan' and was sworn in as chief minister of an NDA government in July 2017, Kumar has queered the pitch some more, seeking Rs 2.75 lakh crore as a 'special package'. JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi reminded the media then that Prime Minister Modi had promised a special package of Rs1.25 lakh crore to the state when he campaigned during the Assembly elections. Now, since we have the same alliance ruling at the Centre and in the state, we expect that a Bihar package will be announced soon. Bihar's 'Achche Din' are round the corner, he declared. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has his own reasons for seeking a special package for the state that does not have an international border or difficult terrain. As recently as last month, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told Home Minister Rajnath Singh that Punjab had a long international border, which was in part due to the rivers they had to protect, a hostile neighbour and the volatile border. The state needs a special package, he told the BJP leader, as the two sat at a border post in Hussainiwala in the border district of Ferozepur in Punjab. The chief minister followed it up with a visit to NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar and handed a formal note. Jaitley emphasised that he was waiting for Andhra Pradesh to tell the Centre in which account to send the money. But this would not be as a special category statethe two words around which the Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 in Andhra Pradesh will be fought. The Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congressas well as the Congresswould all like to claim before the voters that they have got special category status for Andhra Pradesh. The BJP, whether alone or with TDP as an ally, will simply talk about whatever the Centre has done for the state. What has to be specially noted, is semantics. Global fisheries output will slump by 20 percent by 2300 and by 60 percent in the worst-hit North Atlantic region if governments fail to slow long-term globa warming, a US team of scientists said on Thursday. Most studies of climate risks extend to 2100 and overlook extra "catastrophic effects" such as the projected slump in ocean life that would only emerge in coming centuries, they said. Unchecked long-term warming would thaw sea ice around Antarctica and disrupt ocean currents, winds and the growth of tiny plankton, the report found. Worldwide, ever more nutrients would sink to the ocean depths, away from fish near the surface."Marine ecosystems worldwide will be increasingly starved for nutrients," lead author J. Keith Moore of the University of California, Irvine, told Reuters of the findings published in the journal Science. The shifts would cut the productivity of fisheries in 2300 by an average 20 percent and by 60 percent in the North Atlantic, where a normal upwelling of nutrients from deeper waters would be most reduced, according to computer simulations. Exceptions would be the Southern Ocean near Antarctica and in the Arctic Ocean around the North Pole where higher temperatures and shrinking ice, allowing more sunlight to reach the water, would boost the growth of tiny plants. Moore said such long-term projections involve many uncertainties but add to existing concerns about more heat waves, downpours and droughts that mainstream scientists link to a build-up of man-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."We need to be thinking 1,000 years into the future, not 100 years," he wrote in an email. "Global warming isn't a problem our children can solve - it will be too late." The study assumed greenhouse gases will continue to build up in the atmosphere, boosting average surface temperatures by 9.6 degrees Celsius (17 Fahrenheit) by 2300.That would be far above goals set in 2015 by almost 200 nations under the Paris climate agreement to limit warming to "well below" 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times by phasing out fossil fuels this century. The report did not factor in other risks, such as an acidification of the oceans caused by the build-up of carbon dioxide that could undermine the ability of creatures such as lobsters and oysters to build protective shells. Charlotte Laufkoetter, a scientist at the University of Bern who was not involved in the study, praised the findings as based on the best existing science, despite the difficulty of projecting so far into the future."There are of course several uncertainties - circulation in the Southern Ocean is very difficult to model," she said. US President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort again pleaded not guilty on Thursday to criminal charges in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and will face the first of two trials in July. Manafort pleaded not guilty in a Virginia courtroom to additional charges ranging from bank fraud to filing false tax returns that were brought by Robert Mueller, the US special counsel for the Russia probe. Manafort also pleaded not guilty last week in Washington to related charges, including conspiracy to launder money, and failing to register as a foreign agent for the pro-Russia Ukrainian government of former President Viktor Yanukovich. US District Judge T.S. Ellis, based in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday set a tentative trial date for July 10. Manaforts trial in Washington begins in September. Mueller is investigating alleged Russian interference in the election, possible obstruction of justice and alleged financial crimes by Manafort and others. Trump has denied his campaign colluded with Russia, and Moscow says it did not try to interfere in the election. None of the charges against Manafort make reference to alleged Russian interference in the election nor the accusations of collusion between Moscow and Trumps campaign. Manafort has been under increasing pressure to cooperate with Muellers probe, especially after his former business partner and former Trump aide Rick Gates pleaded guilty last month to lying to investigators and conspiring to defraud the United States. Prosecutors in Washington have alleged that Manafort laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. They say he used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury. Lewandowski testimony Also on Thursday, another of Trumps former campaign managers, Corey Lewandowski, was interviewed for a second time by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, which has its own investigation into possible Russian election meddling. After the hearing, committee members said Lewandowski had refused to answer many of their questions. Adam Schiff, the panels top Democrat, told reporters after the testimony that members of his party had requested that Lewandowski be subpoenaed. Republicans, who control the committee, have not decided whether they would do so. Lewandowski helped Trump win the Republican presidential nomination, running his campaign for around 18 months. He was fired in June 2016 after he clashed with other advisers over how to appeal to the broader general electorate after Trump won the nomination. Manafort then ran the campaign for several months. At Thursdays hearing, Manafort and his lawyers indicated that he fully intends to contest the charges. Judge Ellis, expressing concern that Manafort still posed a substantial risk of flight, said he was considering stepping up restrictions on his movement from his current status of home confinement to the home incarceration. However, the judge agreed that Manafort should still be subject to the less-rigorous home confinement but that he must now wear two wrist bracelets, enabling probation officials based in both Washington and Virginia to monitor his movements. Lawyers told the judge details of a $10 million bail package was still being finalised, which ultimately could lead to easing of restrictions on Manaforts movements. Prosecutor Andrew Weissmann from Muellers office said he expected a Manafort trial on the Virginia charges would last eight to ten days and would involve the calling of 20-25 prosecution witnesses. -Reuters Doctors of Quebec are a truly inspiring lot. More than 750 physicians, residents and medical students from the Canadian province are protesting a recent hike in their pay. Their reason for protest they already earn more than enough. Instead, they prefer that the money be used to alleviate conditions for patients and overworked nurses. The protesting doctors have signed an online petition requesting that their raises be cancelled. They have observed that drastic cuts by the government has left some citizens without access to necessary medical services. This beautiful gesture was the result of a recent petition from the nurses union in the province. The nurses union requested that the government improve the working conditions of nurses and to address the shortage in their profession. The problem of shortage of nurses was highlighted by a Facebook post by a Quebec nurse last month. Emilie Ricard, a nurse in Quebec had posted on Facebook about her experience on a shift where she was the only nurse available for 70 patients. I am broken by my profession, I am ashamed of the poverty of the care that I provide, she had said. In an unprecedented move, dozens of undocumented youth marched 250 miles and shut down the street in front of the US Capitol last week to demonstrate against the expiration of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on March 5. Their message is simple: Trump and Congress, quit playing games with our lives. This follows two weeks of uprisings by students demanding gun control after 17 students were killed in a mass shooting on Valentines Day in Parkland, Florida. Led by Parkland students themselves, the youth have spoken on every major television network, met with local and federal legislators, and organised a nation-wide school walk out to the US Capitol. We are still, of course, grieving, says Delany Tarr, a 17-year-old student who survived the shooting, but ultimately, we are not making this a partisan issue. We are making this a life-or-death issue. We have nothing to lose. The only thing we have to gain at this point is our safety. All over the world, children are rising up against the violence against them, violence which seems to be on the rise. From South Sudan to Yemen, Syria and Nigeria, children are more and more bearing the brunt of violence and conflict. UNICEFs Director of Emergency, Manuel Fontaine, stated that children are being targeted and exposed to attacks and brutal violence in their homes, schools and playgrounds. As these attacks continue, we cannot become numb. Such brutality cannot be the new normal. At least in heaven theres food, cried the mother in a video shot in a hospital in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, which sustained five days of bombing and more than 1,000 people were killed. Her son was critically injured, and the doctor bent over crying over the hopelessness of the situation. Im waiting for him to die, she sobbed. Nearly six million children in Syria require humanitarian assistance. In Yemen, at least 5,000 children have lost their lives already, a country where one child is infected with cholera every 35 seconds. In Nigeria, once again, another one hundred girls were kidnapped while attending school last week. The world is a dangerous, unsettling place to be a child, but something different seems to be happening. These children are using their voices to stand up against the senseless violence. And they arent backing down. Fifteen year-old Muhammed Najems school and playground were bombed in east Ghouta, Syria this month. His father was killed in a shelling. His haunting videos are gaining international attention as he risks his life filming footage of the daily toll on children and families. I'm like any kid in al-Ghouta, he writes in a captioned photo of himself working. Instead of going to school, I go to buy some wood for my mother to cook our lunch. I hope the war ends and we can all go back to school. In the US, schools have had to run mandatory Shooter Preparedness Drill, as required by the district. But why would someone want to kill kids? asks my seven-year-old son. Even with a Masters degree in counselling, I am at a loss of words. But theres no war here mommy. Why do people buy guns you would use in a war? By the time Ive even begun thinking of how to breach the topic of the $135 million-dollar gun lobby and its influence over politicians, he has moved on to finding worms and folding his homework into a paper airplane. Things kids should be concerned about. Across the world in Syria, Bana Alabed has become the human face of the siege in Aleppo when she began a Twitter feed that went viral last year. The world is watching. The world doesn't do anything," she said to CNN. A lot died and no one helped them. She, too, is seven. Theyre freedom fighters, said Bassan Al-Tamimi from the occupied West Bank, the father of 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi, who sits in jail for slapping an Israeli soldier which was captured on video. She stated the slap was in protest after her cousin was shot in the face by soldiers at close range with a rubber bullet. She is now the new face of resistance in Palestine and for many around the world. She is another child who has spent her life facing injustice. Israeli forces arrested her in a night raid and she has been charged. Many believe her punishment is far too harsh for a child. Not all agree. Theyre arrogant, tweeted Marco Rubio, Florida State Republican Senator who was confronted on national television by Parkland shooting survivors regarding his record of accepting millions from the National Rifle Association (NRA). While the majority of the country applauds the childrens effort, conservative media outlets launched a viscous smear campaign against them. How interesting to hear students who cant support themselves for one day giving us lectures about American social policy, tweeted conservative author Dinesh DSouza. Some of these youth are reportedly receiving death threats. If all our government and President can do is send thoughts and prayers, said 17-year old Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez, who now has over 1 million followers on Twitter, then its time for victims to be the change that we need to see. We certainly do not understand why it should be harder to make plans with friends on weekends than to buy an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. No country is spared from the footage of violence in the world against children; none of us are spared from the possibility it could happen to us. Are we letting our children down? Kids dont care about politics, or economics or votes or power. They want to go to school and play outdoors with their friends and look for worms. Lets join them in their fight to have these rights. What on earth is more important and worth fighting for? Maldives government has appealed to the public to refrain from creating unrest, inciting violence and unlawful protest. The island nation has been in the state of emergency since February 5 and the Supreme Court extended the emergency for one month on February 20, based on 'threat posed to national security'. A statement issued by the Maldives Police Service, following the arrest of four individuals suspected of planning and inciting violent protests, appeals to the public to refrain from creating unrest, and incitement to violent and unlawful protest. According to the police, investigations are ongoing and more arrests are possible as further information comes to light. According to the statement issued by the Maldives government, "The police further noted that they would be carrying out Special Operations to prevent unlawful actions, as identified by police intelligence, which are planned for today and tomorrow. The service will follow due procedure and the law to prevent such unlawful actions." Further, the police denied recent rumours that those arrested during earlier protests were currently in custody, noting that all who were detained during protests have now been released. "The police went on to note, with appreciation, the respect for law and public peace in recent gatherings. The service will continue to work to maintain public peace, within democratic principles and proper police code of conduct," statement further said. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on 5 February declared a state of emergency by Presidential Decree, which states that the state of emergency was enforced in order to protect the peace and welfare of all citizens and the country, following the events that unfolded in relation to the Supreme Court Order No. 2018/SC-SJ/01, issued on 1 February 2018. This has resulted in the disruption of the functions of the executive power and the state institutions vested with specific mandates under the Constitution, the infringement of national security and public interest, and if implemented, which would potentially lead to an undermining of the supremacy of the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives. Government made it clear that despite the declaration of the state of emergency, there will be no enforcement of a curfew; and general movements, services and businesses will not be affected. India has been against the imposition of emergency in the island nation and made repeated appeals to install democracy at the earliest. The American stock market closed for four days after the 9/11 attacks. The economic depression, which started in March 2001, was aggravated in the United States. Then came Bush's war on terror. The huge government spending on defence led to the debt crisis. Unemployment climbed its journey to the peak until June 2003. Greta Gerwig sets her directorial debut Lady Bird in the backdrop of this unusual time when the middle and lower class Americans suffered, but government was busy spending on a war in a distant land. Her Christine Lady Bird McPherson is a 17-year-old girl, studying in a Catholic high school in Sacramento, California. She coined herself that name and insists that everybody calls her so. She hates Sacramento. She doesn't want to go to any college in California, but a city with culture. And, there is the continuous fight between her and her momissues ranging from playing an audio cassette to the college she would study. Her father is an understanding person. But he lost his job in recession. Now, the mother is the sole breadwinner and scrimping each and every penny. She tells Lady Bird that their family would not be able to afford even her in-state college fees. But Lady Bird is determined and hopes to get scholarships. She finally succeeds in getting admission at an Ivy League college. But realisation dawns late that she loves her terribly boring Sacramento and annoying mother. The movie is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama from Greta Gerwig. It is a ready mix of the usual cliches of the genreromance, break ups, 'friendivorces', experimentation. But, even then, the performance by Saoirse Ronan as Lady Bird, supported by a bunch of talented actors like Laurie Metcalf (Mrs McPherson), Beanie Feldstein (as Julie, best friend of Lady Bird), and Lucas Hedges (as Danny O'Neill, first boyfriend of Ladybird), gives a fresh feeling and delivers some new insights on adolescence. The onscreen chemistry between Ronan and Metcalf to deliver realism at its best could be seen in many scenes. Moreover, the worries of money management in a middle class American family during the early 2000s is clearly depicted in the movie. The emotionless face the protagonist delivers on watching the bombings in TV in those distant American invasion front, clearly tell how an ordinary American perceived the Bush years of war-mongering. The most powerful element of the movie is its screenplay which keep us engaged from the first scene to the end. The dialogues are simple and genuine. The cinematography by Sam Levy takes special care that the viewers also have a connect with the Sacramento. Gerwig is only the fifth woman to have been nominated in the Best Director category of Academy Awards. Among the other four, Kathryn Bigelow who directed the war thriller The Hurt Locker is the only one to have bagged the Oscar. Lady Bird carries a special beauty as a film about women by a woman. And it felt like a chapter from her memory book. The film starts with an opening note from writer Joan Didion which says, Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never seen Sacramento. That's what Gerwig wanted to convey in the film, and she has succeeded in it. The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. 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Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. 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Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is an insurance and financial services company. The company provides life insurance, group and employee benefits, automobile and homeowners insurance and business insurance, as well as investment products, annuities, mutual funds, and college savings plans. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Group Benefits and Hartford Funds. The Commercial Lines segment provides workers compensation, property, automobile, liability and umbrella coverage under several different products, primarily throughout the U.S., within its standard commercial lines, which consists of The Hartford's small commercial and middle market lines of business. The Personal Lines segment includes automobile, homeowners and home-based business coverage to individuals across the U.S. The Property & Casualty Other Operations segment includes certain property and casualty operations, currently managed by the company, that have discontinued writing new business and substantially all of the company's asbestos and environmental exposures. The Group Benefits segment offers group life, accident and disabi Read More Praxair, Inc. produces and distributes industrial gases. It operates through five segments: North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Surface Technologies. The company offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene. It also supplies wear-resistant and high-temperature corrosion-resistant metallic and ceramic coatings and powders to the aircraft, energy, printing, primary metals, petrochemical, textile, and other industries. In addition, the company offers electric arc, plasma and wire spray, and high-velocity oxy-fuel equipment; and distributes hardgoods and welding equipment purchased from independent manufacturers. It serves various industries, such as healthcare, petroleum refining, manufacturing, food, beverage carbonation, fiber-optics, steel making, aerospace, chemicals, and water treatment. Praxair, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut. Read More [March 08, 2018] US and China seen as leaders in AI innovation, but emerging players gaining ground according to EY poll -- Corporate board diversity will be key for companies' long-term success -- EY announces global innovation garage to meet demand for disruptive technologies LONDON and PALO ALTO, California, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite its strong history of innovation, the US is facing competition from emerging players across the globe. According to a poll of 126 senior artificial intelligence (AI) professionals released today by EY, 40% of respondents believe the US is leading the race in AI adoption, followed by China (32%). With data becoming more readily accessible and governments worldwide taking an active role in investing in innovation, the US and China are starting to feel the heat from other countries. Jeff Wong, EY Global Chief Innovation Officer, says: "While the US and China continue to lead in AI technology, we are seeing considerable strides being made by other countries, as well. With high-growth start-up scenes in Israel and Japan and a recognized academic community in the UK, the true factor for success will lie in access to quality data and governments prioritizing innovation. The countries that will ultimately break out of the pack will be those that focus on finding ways to unlock data and take full advantage of the access and forward-thinking insight it provides." AI will transform enterprises in 2018 While technologies like blockchain will see a continued increase in application, AI will take the lead among transformative technologies for enterprises in the next year. In fact, 39% of senior AI professionals surveyed believe that machine learning will see the most growth among innovative technologies in 2018. As leaders increasingly collaborate with technologists to achieve comprehensive integration into their business' value chain, companies like airlines and hotels will leverage customer data and AI to improve customer experience. Chris Mazzei, Global Chief Data & Analytics Officer, says: "2018 could be a breakthrough year for more widespread AI adoption. As companies look to integrate AI into their operations, there is a particular opportunity with regards to robotic process automation (RPA) softwre. By combining the intelligence of AI with the operational efficiencies RPA offers, this software can be transformed into a value-generating component of business toolkits, applicable across multiple business functions. This increase in AI adoption will also lead to a rise in other newer technologies leveraging intelligent automation at their core: namely, chatbots will replace intranets, offering a much more intuitive and efficient way to access information within organizations." Board diversity will propel companies into the future With many senior AI professionals attributing stakeholder buy-in (43%) and lack of AI talent (57%) as the greatest barriers to adopting AI technology according to the poll, successful CEOs and boards will need to take long-term steps to overhaul their current mindsets to attract future talent and remain innovative. In order for boards and the C-suite to drive companies to be competitive in the age of disruption, they must examine their composition to incorporate diverse perspectives that can contribute to the company's forward success. With 82% of investors believing that composition should be a board priority, according to the EY Center for Board Matters, there is merit to integrating diverse perspectives to enhance issue identification and problem-solving ability while impeding "group think." Wong says: "Boards without age, gender, nationality and skillset diversity will fail to lead companies effectively in the new era of technology. Innovation involves an investment in people as well as technology. Having a board and C-suite that embodies a global mindset, putting diversity in all its forms at its forefront will be essential in moving the needle across businesses." EY announces Global Innovation Garage in Palo Alto, CA To help meet the growing need for organizations to leverage disruptive technologies, EY today also unveiled the EY Global Innovation Garage in Palo Alto. The new 6,000-square-foot location will be home to the EY Global Innovation team. The EY Global Innovation Garage sets the foundation for collaboration between technology and business in a workspace that fosters creativity, experimentation and innovation within the organization. With Jeff Wong, EY Global Chief Innovation Officer, at the helm, the new location in the heart of Palo Alto will support the development of new ventures, services and technologies in a close-knit team setting. Leading talent, from mathematicians to astrophysicists, will provide an unmatched level of strategic thinking that inspires forward-thinking and fosters innovative solutions for future success. Innovation is at the core of the EY business globally and how it helps clients achieve business transformation. EY drives innovation through a globally connected network of teams, EY wavespace innovation centers, labs and the Garage all working together to solve problems in new ways, focused on disruptive growth strategies and breakthrough technologies. About EY EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients. About the poll EY recently polled 126 senior AI professionals from Global 2000 organizations attending a conference in Boston to gather insights regarding AI trends for 2018. Lizette Kodama EY Global Media Relations +1 212 773 7472 lizette.kodama@ey.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/381362/EY_Logo.jpg [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] ALBANY Even Ferris Bueller never tried this one: A former state employee has been arrested and charged with falsifying and forging subpoenas in order to steal paid days off. State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott's office said Matoaka Aurora Thompson, 36, was arrested and charged Friday with grand larceny, criminal possession of a forged instrument, and offering a false instrument for filing, all felonies. The IG said its investigation found that Thompson, a legal affairs specialist with the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, repeatedly used fraudulent and forged subpoenas that ordered her to nonexistent court appearances. When she started work with OTDA in 2015, Thompson notified her supervisors that she had an ongoing court case in Westchester County Family Court which she would need to attend. While she was properly subpoenaed on several occasions for that case, it ended in October 2016. Subsequent subpoenas she provided to supervisors to justify nine days off between March and May 2017 were falsified and forged, the IG alleged. According to the IG's office, the investigation found that Thompson simply changed the dates on the original 2016 subpoena documents and submitted them to her OTDA supervisors. As a result, she received almost $1,500 in salary to which she was not entitled. Thompson had previously used almost all of her earned paid days off while studying for the state bar exam, which she took in early 2017. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Thompson, who was arraigned Friday in Albany City Court and released pending her reappearance on March 23, was terminated from her position at OTDA during the investigation. Her alleged conduct was reported to the state court system; her admission to the State Bar is still pending. Thompson's most recent address was in Saratoga Springs, the IG's office said. A LinkedIn resume says she is currently working for a management company in Connecticut. Leahy Scott said in a statement that Thompson "brazenly concocted a scheme deceiving her employer and defrauding taxpayers to subsidize paid time off to which she was not entitled." Thompson's attorney, James Knox of Troy, was not immediately available to respond. BALLSTON SPA - The last thing Deanna Shapiro remembered about March 11, 2017 was being next to her husband in the back seat of John W. Cole's twin-turbocharged BMW as it struck a tree on Sitterly Road in Halfmoon. She regained consciousness a month later at Massachusetts General Hospital - the start of a long road to recovery for the mother of two who, since that night, has been a quadriplegic. It was a road that would ultimately lead Shapiro and her husband, Scott, to Saratoga County Court where they would testify Thursday against their longtime friend Cole, the owner of an area collision business. His wife, Regina, who was in the car that night, was present as well Thursday. "All of a sudden," Deanna Shapiro testified, "John hit the gas and we were flying and Regina said for him to slow down ... Scott and I said to him, 'Please slow down. You're going too fast!'" She continued: "We hit something and went airborne and the last thing I remember was hitting trees." Shapiro, 50, of Cohoes recounted her story to jurors as testimony began in Cole's trial before County Judge James A. Murphy III. Cole, 53, is charged with second-degree assault, vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving for allegedly driving drunk and speeding when his car crashed on Sitterly Road just after midnight that day. "It felt that as soon as we got on Sitterly Road, John basically just floored the vehicle," Scott Shapiro testified. He said he, his wife and Cole's wife all told Cole to slow down but Cole looked to Regina and said words to the effect of "don't tell me what to do" or "shut up, woman." Scott Shapiro said it seemed Cole went faster at that point, lost control of the car and the crash followed. He said he heard a crunch and an eerie silence as they went airborne. He said he could not recall if they put their seat belts on. After the crash took place, his wife was motionless. The crash and his wife's catastrophic injuries, he said, require she receive round-the-clock care. Their assets have been liquidated to pay for the care. Deanna Shapiro testified in a wheelchair with a health aide nearby, at times wiping her mouth. She recalled for Assistant District Attorney Katherine DeMartino the events of March 10, the day before the pre-dawn crash. Deanna Shapiro said she worked a half-day, waited for her sons to return home from school and prepared for a night out with her husband and some friends. She said they dropped their car off at the home of Cole, whom they had been friends with for 20 years, and Cole offered to drive to the Rusty Nail in Halfmoon for dinner. They later went to Trick Shot, a billiards and bar establishment, to see a band play. That night she danced, listened to music and drank six-to-seven light beers. She recalled that a month after the crash, she woke up in a daze at Mass General, where she stayed from April until July. She later spent time in Spaulding rehabilitation hospital in Massachusetts and at Sunnyview rehabilitation hospital in Schenectady before eventually returning home to Cohoes to be reunited with her husband of 28 years and two sons, now 12 and 15. Her rehabilitation has included surgery, needing a respirator, needing to physically use her head to make her wheelchair move, speech therapy, occupational therapy and continued physical therapy. She hopes to be able to walk again. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "My biggest goal is to be able to dance with my sons at their weddings," Deanna Shapiro said. Her mother and other family members in the courtroom were clearly choked up as she testified for roughly 35 minutes. Cheryl Coleman, Cole's attorney, delicately cross-examined the witness, electing to sit for the questioning. During cross-examination, Coleman revealed that the now-paralyzed woman was intoxicated at 0.20 percent blood alcohol content on the night of the crash --- which, had she been driving, was more than twice the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers. Coleman didn't criticize Deanna Shapiro for the level of intoxication but as a means to show her recollection of the night might not be reliable. Coleman confronted Scott Shapiro with his previous statement to police after the crash, which she said did not include new details he said in his testimony. At one point, Scott Shapiro said he and Cole are still friends, "and nobody wants to send their friends to jail." The comment prompted an objection from Coleman who asked for a mistrial. The judge denied the request but agreed the remark by Shapiro needed to be stricken. Meanwhile, Cole issued a statement to the Times Union through a spokeswoman: "I deeply regret this unfortunate accident that has impacted my longtime friend Scott, his wife Dee and their two sons. We are saddened and have wanted nothing more than to help them through this. From visiting Dee in the hospital, to communicating with Scott via phone and text, we've tried to be there for them as much as the attorneys would allow. It has been a nightmare and our continued thoughts and prayers are with our friends." "I wish we could all wake up from this, but we can't," he continued. "This tragic accident has greatly impacted the Shapiros as well as my family. All I can do is to continue to pray for Dee's recovery. This accident has rocked us all to the core." MALTA Tom Caulfield, the longtime IBM executive who helped turn GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 computer chip factory in Saratoga County into a technological success story, was named the company's CEO on Friday. Caulfield will replace current CEO Sanjay Jha immediately. Company officials said the move had been in the works for some time. "It has been an incredible four years," Jha said in a statement Friday afternoon. "We have transformed GF into a trusted, reliable foundry for our global customer base. ... Tom Caulfield is the right person to build on this record of success and strengthen GlobalFoundries' position as a leading foundry partner to the semiconductor industry." Caulfield, who spent 17 years at IBM, was hired by GlobalFoundries in 2014 at a time when Fab 8 was having difficulties ramping up cutting-edge chip production for its customers, including Advanced Micro Devices. Despite early difficulties at the facility, Caulfield quickly helped get the fledgling operation off the ground as one of the most advanced chip factories in the world, making the most advanced chips at a nearly flawless rate, an effort that has helped AMD's chips to outperform those of its rival Intel. The work involved the acquisition of IBM's chip-making operations and licensing Samsung's chip technology. The son of a New York City firefighter, Caulfield brought a blue-collar personality to a job that requires a deep knowledge of engineering and science along with a grasp of worldwide economic and technology trends. Between his time at IBM and leading Fab 8, Caulfield led several Silicon Valley firms involved in the semiconductor industry. GlobalFoundries' headquarters is in Silicon Valley, and the company also has factories in Europe and Asia. It also operates two other U.S. fabs in Vermont and in East Fishkill, two former IBM factories. "I am honored to be given this chance to lead GlobalFoundries at such an exciting time at the company and in our industry," Caulfield said in a statement. "With exciting new customers coming into the market, we have the unique technology portfolio and executional track record to reset the competitive playing field in the rapidly-growing foundry segment. And we will continue to change the industry that is changing the world," he said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. GlobalFoundries is a contract manufacturer, also known as a foundry, that makes chips for other companies. It was spun off from AMD in 2009 at the same time it began construction of Fab 8, which became operational in 2011. Fab 8 employs about 3,200 workers. The new general manager at Fab 8 will be Ron Sampson, who has also been at GlobalFoundries since 2014. The company is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi through a fund known as Mubadala Investment Co. Jha is going to work for Mubadala on its future technology investments. "Sanjay delivered on strategic milestones which set the company on the right path and we would like to thank him for his significant contributions," Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, chairman of GlobalFoundries' board of directors said in a statement. "Tom, with his 25-year track-record of operational excellence and delivering for customers, will take the company to the next level of success." Washington Not long ago, Gary Cohn was laying out an ambitious 2018 economic agenda for the Trump administration. Fresh off the triumph of a sweeping new tax cut, President Donald Trump's top economic aide was crafting a priority list that would touch nearly every piece of the economy. There was a $200 billion infrastructure program. There were regulations to drop. There were welfare programs to overhaul, banking rules to amend, housing finance to revamp, a new farm bill to pass. But that was before Tuesday, when Cohn's announced resignation heightened doubts about the direction of Trump's economic policies just as Republican lawmakers were preparing for midterm elections against Democrats re-energized by their opposition to the White House. Cohn's exit followed a series of high-profile staff departures and, for him personally, a dispute with Trump over the president's plan to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Underscoring the administration's erratic policy process, that tariff announcement came as a surprise to many in the White House. Trump's decision has also angered Republican lawmakers, who lobbied furiously against the move, and concerned many economists who think it could ignite a self-defeating trade war. Cohn's departure is likely to cause the administration to place a greater public emphasis on the president's hard-line stance toward America's trading partners. With his decision to impose steep tariffs, Trump is making an aggressive play to transform a global economic system that, he argues, has exploited the United States. He campaigned in 2016 on a promise that, under his leadership, the United States would push aggressively back against existing trade pacts and eliminate the gap between what America exports and the much wider value of what it imports. Cohn opposed the steel and aluminum tariffs that Trump announced last week. Most economists say the tariffs would lead to higher prices for American consumers while also hurting many U.S. companies. Their exports would likely face retaliatory tariffs imposed by other nations. Without Cohn in the mix, Trump could now face greater scrutiny in his efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico to try to deliver more favorable terms for the United States. The president's ability to manage European leaders who are considering retaliatory tariffs against the United States will also become a major part of the agenda. Some other high-profile priorities could be increasingly shunted to the sidelines. A proposal designed to leverage $200 billion in federal funding into $1.5 trillion worth of state and private investment in infrastructure, for example, is unlikely to go anywhere in Congress. Nor do administration officials seem likely to find much traction with their goal of requiring many welfare recipients to work. Cohn is not the only top policy aide to have left the West Wing of late. His deputy, Jeremy Katz, left in January. A top domestic policy aide, Paul Winfree, left recently. Reed Cordish, a central liaison to major business leaders, has moved on, too. Collectively, their departures make it difficult for the administration to develop and implement economic priorities. The White House stressed that Cohn had developed a team of policy experts and said that he will remain in place for a few more weeks to make sure there is a smooth transition to the next National Economic Council director. But even before the departures, the administration struggled for its entire first year in introducing policy. The first weeks of the Trump presidency were dominated by efforts to block the entry of nationals from seven majority-Muslim counties into the United States. That announcement sparked chaos at airports and led to a series of lawsuits. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. As Trump sought to enact policy on health care, immigration and taxes, he frustrated lawmakers at times with vague pronouncements and limited follow-up. Increasingly, legislators have come to expect that Trump may change his statements from one tweet to the next. This erratic process came into focus in recent weeks, when Trump issued unexpected policy suggestions on guns and trade before television cameras in the White House. Cohn's departure could worsen the vacuum in the administration's relationship with Congress, which has become rockier. Trump's announced tariffs have drawn criticism from House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, among others. Cohn was among the few administration officials trusted by Republican lawmakers as well as by some Democrats, noted Brian Riedl, a senior fellow in budget, tax and economics at the conservative Manhattan Institute. "This White House does not have a set of detailed policy promises from the campaign that dictate what they do therefore, on a daily basis, it comes down to who the president is talking to and who works effectively with Congress," Riedl said. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the center-right American Action Forum and a former director of the Congressional Budget Office, suggested that while the loss of so many staffers is concerning, Cohn's departure may have little effect on policymaking. "The president ultimately makes all the decisions and if he doesn't change, the agenda doesn't change," Holtz-Eakin said. Colonie Southwest Airlines is going to resume non-stop flights to Las Vegas starting in October after ending the service a year ago. Southwest will begin the flights again on a seasonal basis starting on Oct. 3, and the airline has already started booking seats on its website, Southwest.com. Back in April 2017, Southwest replaced the direct Las Vegas flight with a direct flight to Denver, Colo. The direct flights to Denver will remain. "Las Vegas, along with Baltimore and Orlando, was among Southwest's first three destinations when the airline announced Albany service in January of 2000. The Las Vegas flight was exceptionally popular among Capital Region and upstate New York travelers and we welcome its return," Rev. Kenneth Doyle, chairman of the Albany County Airport Authority, said in a statement. The Southwest.com site priced a round trip ticket from Albany to Las Vegas and back, leaving on the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 5 and returning the night of Sunday Oct. 7, at $451.96. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Southwest accounts for 43 percent of all of the travel at Albany International Airport, and when Southwest began service out of Albany in 2000, the number of people traveling out of the airport grew by more than 40 percent in a matter of months, which led the airport to expand parking and other services. Last year, 2.8 million people took flights in and out of Albany. Southwest also has direct flights from Albany to Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa with seasonal service to Fort Myers. It might be easy to dismiss the handful of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students setting up dominoes in Mother's, an on-campus event space. They've taken off their shoes, gripe about their professors and line up hundreds and hundreds of the tiles. A novice may not notice any difference save color between the white, pink and maroon dominoes they were handling while setting up a Valentine's Day-themed design. But you are not RPI students Lily Hevesh or Shane O'Brien, who collectively have dealt with millions of dominoes through their lives and know the difference. The pink ones have more of a Lego toy plastic feel, Hevesh and O'Brien explain to the domino newcomers. The maroon from this brand, though, has the texture of ivory. And if you space them closer, say a half inch, they whir and purr when they get knocked down instead of clunk and tick. They're able to share that wisdom in the newly formed domino-toppling club at the institute, which they hope connects to classes stocked with future engineers, spatial reasoners and architects. The domino-toppling club at RPI is a new venture; Hevesh said they were officially approved as a student group in February. You may not be familiar with Hevesh or O'Brien by name, but you may have seen their work. Both Hevesh and O'Brien have YouTube monikers @hevesh5 and @shanesdominoez, respectively with a combined total of more than 1.7 million subscribers. While they can relate to their peers about student housing and meal plans, their work has had international exposure and fandom. The domino setups in the 2016 Will Smith film "Collateral Beauty" were done by Hevesh, O'Brien and a fellow young domino builder, Nathan Heck. Hevesh even walked the red carpet for the movie's premiere in London, and created a domino Christmas tree that Smith personally knocked down. (Don't believe it? People magazine has a video of it on their website.) Hevesh, in particular, has done a lot of commercial work, including domino versions of a red pickup truck for Ford Canada, Spiderman's head for Marvel HQ's YouTube channel and work for a Bethany Mota music video, produced by Jonas brother Kevin Jonas. When Hevesh was first approached to do commercial and spec work, she then just breaching her teenage years asked her dad to verify that the offers were real and not a scam. "I was mind-blown by the fact that people wanted to use my skills," she said. O'Brien said he was part of the "primitive" domino days on YouTube, but has also been recruited to do work with brands like Discovery and Pizza Hut. He and Hevesh have also been involved with world record-setting teams. Hevesh is currently on the Guinness World Record website with a team of domino builders who hold the honor of "Most dominoes toppled in a circle bomb/circle field," which was more than 76,000 dominoes set in a circle, toppled from the inside out. "She's more professional with it," said O'Brien, who Hevesh credits for introducing her to RPI in the first place. Between the duo, they estimate to have more than 100,000 dominoes that they bring in large plastic tubs to the regular meetings. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The club Hevesh and O'Brien spearheaded has helped RPI students get to know the art and engineering of toppling dominoes. In it, they figure out basic to advanced structures, and build them from the ground up. Hevesh said they don't often come with an idea of what they want to build until they can confer with the group during their Wednesday night meetings. Out of the 1 hour, 22 minute build on that Valentine's Day, there were two moments when dominoes began falling before the setup was complete. But Hevesh and O'Brien have taught the students well: Members of the club already had built in stop-gaps a break of several inches of space between domino lines saving an entire project from collapsing before its time. Occasional mishaps notwithstanding, Hevesh and O'Brien agree that the concluding domino reaction is worth the wait, even if they've spent days on a project. So what's the pull? What keeps them involved in a medium that seems more like a game than anything else? "I'm trying to spread domino art into the world," Hevesh said. "Just like painting or sculpting, there is domino art. Dominoes ... teach you patience, persistence, math and physics." She added that families who have children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have connected in designing domino structures. It focuses their attention. That is easy to see in the RPI students setting up the curving Valentine's Day structure. While they were able to joke about homework or how to market the club to get people involved with the art of the hobby, there were moments of quiet and concentration. "I just want to promote dominoes," Hevesh said. In 2002, at the first Underground Railroad conference in Albany, the subject was, well, the Underground Railroad in Albany: the network of activists in the north aiding people escaping slavery in the south. But over the years, that changed. As the conference lent a platform to the latest research, stories from that celebrated web of covert activism grew in breadth and number. The local focus became national, then international. The emphasis on the past inched into the present. "That really has become our focus now ... believing that the civil rights issues we deal with today have their roots in the institution of slavery and the Underground Railroad's response to that institution," said Mary Liz Stewart, one of the event's organizers. Analyzing the past is important, she said. "But we can't stop there. We need to go on with, 'What are we going to do with this analysis? What are we going to do with this understanding?'" The analysis, the understanding and the push forward are all a part of LibertyCon, the 17th annual conference spearheaded by Stewart and her husband, Paul. They are the co-creators of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region and stewards of the Stephen and Harriet Myers residence the Livingston Avenue home that sheltered people on their flight from slavery and held meetings of the abolitionist Vigilance Committee. "LibertyCon 2018: Embracing Equity in a Global Society" includes talks, workshops and round tables on such past-present topics as modern childhood slavery, the Black Lives Matter movement, mapping the Underground Railroad, deciphering historic artifacts and what to do with monuments to enslavers ("Places Should Be Renamed, Statues Taken Down, North as well as South"). The programming underscores a new approach to the Underground Railroad framing it more as a socially relevant model of activism. Most people still associate it with the big names: Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass. In the Stewarts' view, emphasizing such figures can put the cause they served at a remove while de-emphasizing the many ordinary people who did ordinary work. A close examination of history can illuminate their roles. "This is what we're seeing as we continue to wrestle with the story is that it is more human and a little bit less dramatic," Paul Stewart said. In the 1950s, "People used to think of the Underground Railroad as this kind of mysterious, secret, unknowable force that somehow was a linkage of people getting to Canada who were escaping slavery and oppression in the South." In reality, people fled in all directions to Canada, yes, but also to Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico. Many arrivals in New York City were shepherded by a group who "would then forward them on to communities that were receptive and helpful," said Ned Benton, one of the John Jay College professors behind the recently created New York State Slavery Records Index. "And Albany was one of those communities." How many people did the Albany nexus help? On average, one a day, although they often arrived in clusters. According to Paul Stewart, an 1842 report from Albany's Vigilance Committee noted that 350 were aided in the previous year; an 1856 report recorded 287 in the previous 10 months. Those who supported the network often did so in mundane ways, providing a job, a place to flop or some other practical inroad into a new life up north. And they often did so in the light of day, contradicting the old cliche of runaways huddled in basements. Folks in need of clothes, for instance, visited the men's store on Broadway run by Lydia and Abigail Mott sisters to the better-known Lucretia. Or consider the tale of Charles Nalle, a freedom seeker who made his way to Rensselaer County sometime around 1860, found employment with a white man named Uri Gilbert and stayed with William Henry, a black grocer in Troy who sat on the Vigilance Committee. While Tubman did indeed swoop in after Nalle was arrested, saving him from extradition, Nalles' tale is otherwise beautifully ordinary. "He went to work every day," Paul Stewart said. "And this was the nature of his hiding, if you will, his refuge he was in a different place away from the folks that had enslaved him, and he tried to create a life for himself, going to work." Such tales are the life's blood of the ongoing research that feeds the Albany conference, which generally attracts between 200 and 300 people from the region and the country scholars, students of history, preservationists, activists. The name "LibertyCon," like the open invitation to dress in period costume (Mary Liz Stewart won't; Paul Stewart might), suggests a fan-convention vibe a la Comic-Con: the Underground Railroad in the age of cosplay. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The weekend's participants include Sharon Morgan and Tom DeWolf "A Daughter of Slavery and a Son of the Slave Trade" who will discuss their international quest for mutual healing. "They're affirming that there is a responsibility, an affirmative responsibility a kind of affirmative action, if you will to our present day to kind of embrace what happened and the pain and suffering involved," Paul Stewart said. Along the same lines is "Perspectives: By Capital Region Artists," an exhibit at the Albany Area Heritage Visitors Center that addresses slavery and contemporary global challenges. Mounted in conjunction with LibertyCon, it reflects the same mindset linking the centuries together then to now, slavery to civil rights. Just as enslaved people sought their freedom via the Underground Railroad to Canada, Paul Stewart said, refugees are now heading north across the border in search of asylum. "You can't sit and look at this history for very long without recognizing that it has a connectedness, the past to the present," he said, noting the plight of immigrants and the role of modern-day sanctuary cities (Albany among them). "And there are many things about the story, the negative story in the past, that really echo into the present." On Sunday, LibertyCon will conclude with an open house at the Myers residence, where Stephen and Harriet hosted meetings of black abolitionists in the front parlor. But they didn't stop there: Myers believed in suffrage, touted education and supported economic development via a black farming community in Oneida County. From the start, those 19th-century activists didn't limit the Underground Railroad to a clandestine chain of safe houses. They went beyond it, pressing outward into larger issues of justice and the betterment of lives. "For these black abolitionists, at the heart of what they were doing was going back to the promises in the founding document of this nation," Mary Liz Stewart said. "This is what everybody has a right to but this is what thousands of people are being denied." More Information If you go LibertyCon 2018 - Embracing Equity in a Global Society Where: Various locations When: Friday-Sunday Admission: $5-$60 Info: 518-432-4432; undergroundrailroadhistory.org See More Collapse Or, as her husband put it: "Everything old is new again." abiancolli@timesunion.com 518-454-5439 @AmyBiancolli The pleasures of "Gringo" are the pleasures of genre: It's a fun type of movie, but it's not a good version of the type. The movie throws together various shady and colorful characters and has them cross paths and create trouble. The movie is heavy on coincidences, heavy on the wrong person always showing up at the right time, and it goes for a certain mood a zaniness that doesn't preclude the likelihood that lots of people will end up dead. Setting up a movie like this is easy. What's hard is bringing it all home. And so, not surprisingly, the beginning is strong, and then it goes downhill as the audience starts getting that Peggy Lee feeling ("Is that all there is?"). "Gringo" is a puzzle with too many pieces, or not enough pieces, or maybe it's a bunch of pieces from several different puzzles. But one thing is certain. It's never going to fit together. HUDSON A little girl sat at a her school desk, focused on the sheet of paper in front of her. Aliyah, a third-grader in the Hudson City School District, carefully drew a picture of herself captioned, "This is me," and adhered a flower sticker to the hair of her self-portrait that adorned the bottom of the letter she had penned. She added more stickers and drawings of cupcakes, birds and flowers to the letter. "Dear Friend, My favorite color is orange and purple. The best super power to have would be healing illnesses. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, I wouldn't choose because I love food," Aliyah wrote. A few days later, Danette Gorman hand-delivered Aliyah's letter to a Syrian child living in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Aliyah's letter is one of nearly 500 that have been written by about 450 students in the Hudson City School District to the Syrian children living in Ketermaya Refugee Camp. The exchanged letters are part of a pen pal program that Gorman and Bridget Smith, literacy specialist at the school district, started together in June 2017. "Danette approached me in the spring of last year and asked if I thought the students I work with would be interested in writing to the Syrian refugees," Smith said. "Their story is so heartbreaking, but I knew this would be such an important experience for the Syrian children and the kids in Hudson to be aware of the Syrian war." Gorman, who is the co-founder of a visual communication company called Global Apparel Network, learned about the refugee camp by chance when she stumbled upon the documentary "Ketermaya" at a film festival one year ago. "This hit me like, I need to go this place, and somehow I am involved with these kids," she said. "It was very profound with no logic at all." Gorman connected with the filmmaker, Lucas Jedrzejak, and found herself on a plane to Lebanon one month later to visit the camp that seemed to be beckoning her. "The conditions are terrible. There's trash everywhere, the sanitation is terrible, they don't have clean drinking water, they share port-a-potties, they don't have enough food," Gorman said. "I felt very moved by the spirit of the community and the children that live in this settlement, and almost instantly we brought school supplies and gifts and delivered those to the children." Things snowballed from there. Gorman learned that English is a key skill children needed to learn for education and their futures, so she immediately thought of establishing a pen pal program. "When they were forced to flee Syria, they were also forced to give up education," Smith said. "They always talk about how much they love their school in Syria." Gorman and Smith hoped that letters written by kids their own age would make it easier for the Syrian children to connect to, engage with and learn the language. Now, Gorman has volunteer students from the American University of Beirut teaching the Syrian kids English once a week, and they use the Hudson students' letters as learning material. "It's interesting how a letter can be such a dynamic point of connection for the students," Gorman said. "They engage in a vibrant way, ask questions about a word they never heard of or a hobby that struck them as interesting. The kids light up and laugh and talk to each other like a story." On the other end, the women see major benefits of participating in the pen pal program for the students in Hudson. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "My ultimate goal as a teacher is to help my students become critical contributors to greater society," Smith said. "By writing these letters they give the Syrians hope, access to reading material and to the English language. The world is so much bigger than Hudson, New York, and that concept is really new to some of those kids." Smith said her students have had extremely emotional responses to the Syrians' stories, with many of them offering to give money or send food to the camp. "At the same rate, a lot of our children here don't have much to give," she said. "So we kept reassuring them that using their words and sending these letters is giving the kids hope." While Gorman's work with the Ketermaya Syrian refugees began with the pen pal program, she is just getting started. She says the children are facing psychological and physical challenges: recovering from the trauma of the war they escaped, not getting enough food or enough balanced meals, not getting the medicine they need. "There's tremendous basic needs for these children," she said. "At the end of the day, the mothers are profoundly grateful, but they come to me crying and put their hands to the sky asking for help." Contribute to the Ketermaya Refugee Camp To make a donation for the Ketermaya Refugee Camp, visit Danette Gorman's website at www.helpsyriaskids.org. See More Collapse In February, Gorman collaborated with Seba Ali, founder of the IMAGINE workshop and concert series, and transported children from the camp to Beirut to perform a song as part of Ali's IMAGINE concert at the Lebanese American University. She has been raising monetary and item donations from the community to distribute to the camp during her trips to Lebanon, and she's working on initiatives like starting music workshops for the kids. Her hope is for the children to become leaders in a performing arts group that could travel to different refugee camps and work with other children. "Everyone is blown away by these kids, their resilience," Gorman said. "They can't be the lost generation." Vietnam-era experiences subject of Saturday panel SARATOGA SPRINGS A seven-member panel will discuss their Vietnam-era experiences at a free discussion beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at the New York State Military Museum, at 61 Lake Ave. Former State Sen. Roy McDonald, an Army veteran, will moderate. As well as relating their experiences, the panel will give their reaction to Ken Burn's Public Broadcasting Service TV series "The Vietnam War." The show mentions Saratoga Springs native Denton "Mogie" Crocker who died in Vietnam in 1966 while serving in the 101st Airborne Division. Panelists include: Mary Ann Schad Adams Ling. A member of what was then the Women's Army Corps, she served in Washington. Eventually she married another soldier who had deployed to Vietnam. David J. Kissick. A Marine who served in Vietnam in 1967-68 along the demilitarized zone. Ray Manley. An Army draftee who served in Troop C, 17th Cavalry as an Aero Scout, and Crew Chief. He holds the Distinguished Flying Cross. William O'Brien. As a Navy pilot, he had three tours flying off the coast of Vietnam and was flying over the South China Sea and South Vietnam on April 30, 1975 when the U.S. embassy was evacuated. David E. Waghorn. Born in Saratoga Springs, he was inducted into the Army in 1970. He arrived in Vietnam in July 1971 and was assigned to the 8th Radio Research Field Station at Phu Bai, He returned to the U.S. in August 1972. David Wallingford. He left medical school and enlisted in the Marine Corps when 24. During his service he fought in Operation Purple Martin, and was wounded on March 25, 1968. Helene Wallingford. A Navy nurse, she was deployed in Yokosuka, Japan as a nurse for enlisted soldiers with neurosurgical trauma. She met her husband, Capt. David Wallingford, during his recovery. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. McDonald, an Army veteran from Troy served in Vietnam from 1970-71 as an artillery forward observer with C Troop, 1-9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Among his other political offices, he was an assemblyman from 2002 to 2009 and state senator until 2013. Honor Flight presents talk, seeks veterans GLENVILLE - Greg Furlong, Leatherstocking Honor Flight president, speaks about the all-volunteer Honor Flight Network, which takes America's veterans at no cost to Washington, D.C. to visit memorials honoring their service, at 1 p.m. Monday at The Meadows at Glenwyck, 150 Dutch Meadows Lane. Leatherstocking Honor Flight seeks World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans from the greater Capital Region, Vermont and western Massachusetts. Guardians and volunteers are also sought. Trips for veterans to Washington are paid for through donations, while guardians pay for their own trip and are responsible for chaperoning the veterans during the trip. Seating is limited. To reserve a place, call 518-280-7340 or email bethb@meadowsatglenwyck.com. [March 08, 2018] Paycor Expands Leadership Team to Provide Customers with the Industry's Best HR Technology CINCINNATI, March 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Human Capital Management company Paycor today announced it is expanding its seasoned executive team with the appointments of a Chief Product Officer and a Chief Technology Officer. The addition of these two HR industry veterans comes on the heels of a banner year for Paycor with two robust product releases Workforce Insights, a new data visualization solution, and a Learning Management System as well as being name a Top Rated Software for both Core HR and Time Tracking by TrustRadius and a Gartner FrontRunner for Payroll and ATS Software. The companys newest executive hires include: Ryan Bergstrom as Chief Product Officer (CPO): Bergstrom will be responsible for setting the strategy for Paycors comprehensive cloud-based HCM suite to meet SMB market needs and support Paycors accelerated growth. Previously, Bergstrom spent seven years at Ultimate Software, where he most recently held the role of Vice President of Product Management after serving in several manager and director roles. Prior to Ultimate Software, Bergstrom held manager and director titles at Epicor Software Corporation and SPECTRUM Human Resource Systems Corporation in Product, Sales, and Customer Support functions. Bergstrom has a proven track record in creating strong product culture and shaping product direction to drive sustain growth. Charles Cagle as Chief Technology Officer (CTO): Cagle will be responsible for the combined functions of programming, systems analysis and development, database management, computer operatios, telecommunications, security and compliance. Most recently, Cagle was SVP and General Manager of Infor Global Solutions human capital management division offering a full suite of solutions from talent acquisition and assessment to learning and HR service delivery. Previously, he held product strategy, product development, product management, testing and operational titles at PeopleAnswers (an Infor 2014 acquisition), Cognizant Technology Solutions, Parago and Compuware. Known for his execution excellence, Cagle is adept in multi-site operations, business transformation, cloud applications, resource planning, customer satisfaction and retention. Supporting Quotes Since inception, Paycor has been deeply committed to providing our customers with the best possible service, coupled with the most intuitive and reliable human capital management technology to serve their needs, said Stacey Browning, president of Paycor. With the addition of these two, key new hires, we are well positioned for market disruption and look forward to helping our customers make a true difference in their organizations. Im thrilled to join Paycor to help drive our innovative product vision, said Ryan Bergstrom, chief product officer at Paycor. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to aggressively execute on our roadmap, and continue to provide the HR foundation for everything our clients need to manage their people and focus on the core of their business. As CTO, I will be laser-focused on taking full advantage of modern advancements in technology that enable Paycor to be a power player in the dynamic and hypercompetitive human capital management marketplace, said Charles Cagle, chief technology officer at Paycor. In addition to ensuring that our technology strategy aligns with our business strategy, I will prioritize maintaining an engineering culture of high performance, predictability and speed, so that we can continue to provide the most comprehensive, best-in-class HR solution on the market. Supporting Resources Paycor Website Paycor Solution Latest News Join the Conversation Join us on LinkedIn About Paycor Paycor is a trusted partner to more than 31,000 small and medium-sized businesses. Known for delivering modern, intuitive recruiting, HR and payroll solutions, Paycor partners with businesses to optimize the management of their most valuable asset their people. Paycors personalized support and user-friendly technology ensure that key business processes, including recruiting, onboarding, reporting, timekeeping, compliance and payroll, run smoothly. Paycors people operations solutions are recommended by todays most innovative brokers, bankers, and CPAs. Learn how Paycor can transform your business by starting a conversation at http://www.paycor.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION Katy Bunn KBunn@paycor.com (513) 307-6392 MEDIA CONTACT Alandea Waidler paycor@offleashpr.com (831) 236-4501 [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] The volunteers at the Sugar Land animal shelter have been trying to find Meatball more than 700 days. But the shelter's work has finally paid off. Meatball was adopted this week by his new owner, Victoria Morris, who lives in Calgary, Canada. Meatball, who was abandoned and is estimated to be about 7 years old, flew to Canada on a plane and is settling into his new snowy home, Morris said. HEARTWARMING: Viral video shows woman's act of kindness She said she fell in love with Meatball after her dad and stepmother, Chris and Tina Morris who are volunteers at the animal shelter, asked her to share photos of the dog to drum up interest in his adoption. Morris had to get special permission to adopt Meatball from the shelter, which doesn't normally allow people outside the area to adopt pets. She then flew to Sugar Land to have two sleepover nights with the dog, to make sure the pair would be happy together. After flying Meatball home on March 5, it is clear that both parties are, indeed, happy. "I call him a house hippo," Morris said of Meatball; he spends most of his time lazing around and snoring. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. He's also acquired an assortment of winter clothes in which to experience the snow. 'The snow boots haven't quite worked out yet," Morris said. "Some things are worth the wait and this is one of them," said Kathryn Ketchum, animal services manager for the city of Sugar Land. "What a blessing to have Meatball go to such an awesome home after waiting for two years. In our profession it's the cherry on top. It is what we hope for every animal that leaves the shelter, a truly loving forever home." Morris said she is equally grateful for the efforts of the shelter employees and volunteers. She said Meatball became calmer and learned new habits during his lengthy stay in Sugar Land. "They really put in so much love and work into every animal that comes through there," Morris said. ALBANY Forty-six years ago, the Capital Region faced tragedy when an airliner crashed into a city home. The Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashed March 3, 1972, killing 17, injuring 36 and turning a neighborhood into chaos. Ambulances were unable to maneuver through mobs of sightseers who blocked the streets, while rescue workers turned a neighbor's garage into a makeshift morgue, stacking bodies in rows on a blacktop driveway and covering them with sheets from the neighbor's home. At 8:48 p.m., the plane, 4 miles from the Albany County Airport, hit the two-family house on Edgewood Avenue. The 45 passengers were prepared for landing. The flight, with a crew of three, had departed LaGuardia Airport at 8:05 p.m. Those on board were unaware the plane had lost altitude and was having serious propeller trouble. On the 25th anniversary of crash, Tom Devane, then 68, described witnessing it from his house three doors away at Edgewood and Melrose avenues. He was paneling the family room when he looked up and saw the plane so close ''you could almost see the people looking out.'' From a clear vantage, he watched in horror as the airliner plunged into the home of Joseph and Marcia Rosen. He heard a ''muffled poof'' and called police, whose lines were busy. He then called the fire department. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. ''It hit right in the middle of the house; lifted the house right up, and it came back down again'' on top of the plane, Devane said. He went to the site; it was eerily silent. He tried but couldn't open a door on the plane. The National Transportation Safety Board held hearings in Albany following the crash of the Fairchild-Hiller 227-B turboprop and concluded pilot error, along with confusion in the cockpit over trying to remedy a mechanical problem with a propeller, caused the accident. The pilot and co-pilot were killed. The flight attendant survived. The flight was routine until 4 minutes and 41 seconds before impact, the NTSB concluded. Because the pilot was preoccupied with a malfunctioning cruise pitch lock, a device on the propeller, he was not attentive to the rapid loss of altitude. Attempts by the crew to feather the troublesome left propeller, preparing it for landing, proved futile. Hundreds of doctors in Quebec are banding together to fight a recent pay raise. You read that right. They're arguing against a pay raise, not a pay cut. The doctors said in a open letter that the money should instead be redistributed "for the good of the health care workers and to provide health services worthy to the people of Quebec." The letter was published online on Feb. 25 and has been gathering signatures since. CNBC reports that so far more than 500 general practitioners, specialists, medical residents and students are on board. ALSO READ: Twitter engineer vents about 'making ends meet' on $160K salary "We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations. These increases are all the more shocking because our nurses, clerks, and other professionals face very difficult working conditions, while our patients live with the lack of access to required services because of the drastic cuts in recent years," the letter reads. "The only thing that seems to be immune to the cuts is our remuneration." Doctors in Quebec are making more than ever, according to CBC News. General practitioners made $281,053 (Canadian) in 2015, while specialists were making $472,991. That's about equal to $217,883 and $366,681 in American dollars, respectively. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. As CNBC reports, those numbers reflect doctors' gross pay and do not account for high overhead costs doctors must pay to operate in Canada. As the Globe and Mail reports, overhead varies widely by specialty, but doctors have self-reported an average of 26 percent going to facilities, support and other needs. ALSO READ: San Jose Reddit users: You can't live here on an $85,000 salary! A study commissioned by the Quebec's Health and Welfare Commissioner also found doctors were working seven fewer days per year on average and seeing fewer patients daily than they were 10 years ago. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com. Albany Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential elections remains one of the leading political stories of the day. Gov. Andrew Cuomo worries that such foreign interference could turn up in the individual states' elections. "I don't think the Russians say, 'We're only going to interfere in federal elections,' " Cuomo said. "I think part of the goal is to wreak havoc." His comments came Thursday during a phone conference with a fellow Democrat, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, to promote bills his on the state level and hers in Congress that would force disclosure by buyers of political ads posted on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google. Currently, people and organizations buying political ads on broadcast media must disclose their identities under federal law. That explains the disclaimers we all hear at the end of radio and TV ads around election time. Additionally, foreign entities are restricted from purchasing broadcast election ads. No such requirements exist for social media despite the fact that more and more advertising is going to those platforms. Some, like Facebook, are starting to require disclosure on their own, but it's mandated by law. "All the money is migrating over there," Klobuchar said of ads on social media. In New York, all political campaign spending must be filed with the state Board of Elections, but that doesn't mean disclosure comes with the actual ad when it appears. Anonymous ads posted by paid Russian government trolls anoymous online participants have emerged as a central focus in the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller who is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race. Many believe the Russian postings were aimed at helping Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. Cuomo didn't say the Kremlin is looking, for instance, to help his opponents get an edge by using blind internet ads, as is the charge regarding the presidential race. Instead, he said Russian government operatives, and perhaps others, could be using false and misleading internet ads and postings to undermine the democratic process in general. They can do that by spreading false rumors and generally trying to sow chaos, and that, Cuomo, said could be done on the state and even local level. More for you Cuomo pushes to regulate political spending on social media Cuomo said Russians targeted the actual voting systems in 21 states, although no outcomes were changed as a result. In addition to propaganda, lawmakers have expressed fears that Russian hackers could infiltrate a state and local elections boards and tamper with results. New York, like many states, however, has a paper ballot backup system to protect against such threats. That means ballots cast in New York are transmitted electronically but they also include a paper component that can't be electronically hacked. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The local nature of New York's board of elections which operate on a county level also provides a safeguard since there isn't just one central avenue through which votes are cast. Still, an electronic attack on, say the state Board of Elections, could create chaos. Cuomo's measure also calls for funding better cybersecurity. He wants to allocate $5 million toward that end. Klobuchar said the Russians used disinformation two years ago when they tried to get a friendlier government elected in Ukraine. "They've done it in the Baltics. They've done it all over the world," she said. Cuomo's phone conference was one of several in recent months in which he has joined forces with leaders from other states to pursue an issue. That has fueled speculation that he is looking at a 2020 presidential run. In addition to Klobuchar, Cuomo since December has held phone conferences with Govs. Jerry Brown of California, Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Dannel Molloy of Connecticut on the federal tax overhaul which is viewed at harming Northeastern and other largely Democratic states where state and local taxes are high. The federal tax overhaul pushed through by Trump and the Republican-led Congress limits the deductibility of state and local taxes to $10,000. Klobuchar's disclosure measure is also backed by Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain. Cuomo's bill was already passed by Democratic-led Assembly as part of his budget package. State Senate Republicans haven't said where they stand on the matter, Cuomo predicted serious talks will likely commence once the GOP offers its budget plan, adding, "They know I'm going to put it on the table." rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlin ALBANY Now that school shootings are the new normal in America, do armed police officers belong in our schools? That question sparked some fiery debate Friday among members of the Capital Region's school, mental health and law enforcement communities, who gathered at the University at Albany to discuss school safety in the wake of the latest school shooting that left 17 people dead last month in Parkland, Fla. About 100 people attended the event sponsored by UAlbany and Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy's Office. The debate began when Andrew Shanock, an associate professor at the College of Saint Rose and past president of the New York Association of School Psychologists, urged school districts to think carefully before bringing armed police, known as school resource officers, into their buildings. "The more armed people we have in school, the more arrests we have in school, especially for cultural minorities," he said, citing research that shows a correlation between the presence of school resource officers and disproportionately high numbers of school-based arrests. "We start to see more arrests, we start to see more negative disciplinary issues that go on in schools when you have these armed officers within the schools," he continued. "Small issues become bigger issues and they didn't necessarily have to become bigger issues." That struck a nerve with current and retired police officers in the room, including Colonie Deputy Police Chief Michael Woods, who noted that the school resource officers on duty at Colonie High School make "very few" arrests. "Same with Albany," said Acting Albany Police Chief Robert Sears. "We have very, very few arrests in the school very few." Jack Grogan, director of security for the Albany City School District and a 23-year veteran of the Albany Police Department, said student arrests are "way down" from when he first started with the district. Armed officers in Albany schools, he said, serve both as role models to students and as a deterrent for troublemakers. "We are seeing an explosion of young individuals coming from Arbor Hill and other parts of the city who believe that carrying a weapon is what they need to do," he said. "Seeing a smiling police officer in the high school has stopped a lot of stuff for us," he added. Mental health One thing the panel of students, school leaders, mental health professionals and law enforcement as well as audience members seemed to agree on was that a holistic approach is needed to prevent violence in schools and improve mental health among young people. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The rollout this fall of a new school curriculum to educate students about mental health and wellbeing from a young age should help, they said. A 2016 state law requires all New York schools to have a mental health curriculum in place by July 1, 2018. Last year, a majority of superintendents statewide reported that the rise of student mental health issues, particularly anxiety, was their top concern headed into the new school year. More funding is needed, however, to address it, they said to hire school psychologists and counselors, and to partner with existing mental health services in the community. Providing the resources may not be enough, said Asma Bawla, a senior at Shaker High School in Colonie who is organizing a walkout at her school Wednesday as part of a nationwide call to reject gun violence. "A lot of kids have anxiety and stress, but they don't have the bravery or the guts to go and say they need help," she said. "Friends would say, 'Oh, where were you at lunch today?' In a crowd of high school students, going to get help is not exactly the most popular thing. So we need to make it clear that it's OK to use those resources." Mental health professionals, in particular, are bothered by the constant association of mass shootings with the mentally ill, saying it misrepresents the fact that the mentally ill are far more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators. Indeed, said Stephen Giordano, Albany County's mental health director, the wisest thing Americans could do is stop assuming mental illness afflicts just an unlucky few. "It seems to me that if we took universal precautions and assumed everybody is struggling with something not, can we find the sick amongst the rest of us? then we might have more compassion and more likelihood of creating an environment in which someone might say, 'Hey, I'd like to talk to you.'" Tallahassee, Fla. Three weeks after the Parkland high school shooting, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has a gun-control bill on his desk that challenges the National Rifle Association but falls short of what the Republican and survivors of the massacre demanded. Now he must decide whether to sign it. Scott has not said what he will do, and he plans to take up the issue Friday with relatives of 17 people slain in the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. "I'm going to take the time and I'm going to read the bill and I'm going to talk to families," he said. State lawmakers formally delivered the reform package Thursday. The governor has 15 days to sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature. The measure would raise the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21 and extend a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases to include long guns. It would also create a so-called guardian program enabling school employees and many teachers to carry handguns if they go through law enforcement training and their school districts agree to participate. Other provisions would create new mental health programs for schools and establish an anonymous tip line where students and others could report threats to schools. The bill would also ban bump stocks that allow guns to mimic fully automatic fire and seek to improve communication between schools, law enforcement and state agencies. Scott has received top marks from the NRA in the past for supporting gun-rights measures, but he broke with the lobbying group after last month's slayings. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The governor, who is expected to seek a U.S. Senate seat later this year, has called for raising the minimum age to purchase any type of gun, but he does not support arming teachers. Instead, he wanted lawmakers to adopt his own $500 million proposal to put at least one law enforcement officer in every school. The NRA opposes raising age limits to buy weapons or imposing new waiting periods. In a statement Thursday, NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida lobbyist Marion Hammer called the bill "a display of bullying and coercion" that would violate Second Amendment rights and punish law-abiding citizens. President Donald Trump congratulated Florida on the legislation, saying state lawmakers "passed a lot of very good legislation last night." During a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Trump said the White House was working on a plan to ban bump stocks and that efforts to enhance background checks were "moving along well" in Congress. Washington After months of trading insults and threats of nuclear annihilation, President Donald Trump agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May to negotiate an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, South Korean and U.S. officials said Thursday. No American president has ever met with a North Korea leader. The South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, told reporters outside the White House of the planned summit, after briefing Trump and other top U.S. officials about a rare meeting with Kim in the North Korean capital on Monday. The meeting would be unprecedented during seven decades of animosity between the U.S. and North Korea. The countries do not even have formal diplomatic relations. They remain in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. Chung said he had told Trump that Kim says he's committed to "denuclearization" and has pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. The rival Koreas have already agreed to hold a leadership summit in late April. "He (Kim) expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." Chung did not say where Trump would meet with Kim. The White House said the meeting would take place "at a place and time to be determined." Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from attaining a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland. He's oscillated between threats and insults directed at Kim, and conciliatory rhetoric. His more bellicose talk, and Kim's nuclear and missile tests, have fueled fears of war. Trump, who has ramped up economic sanctions on North Korea to force it to negotiate on giving up its nukes, has threatened the pariah nation with "fire and fury" if its threats against the U.S. and its allies continued. He has derided Kim by referring to him as "Little Rocket Man." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. On Tuesday after leaving Pyongyang, Chung had publicized that North Korea was offering talks with the United States on denuclearization and normalizing ties, but the proposal for a summit still came as a surprise, and will raise questions about whether the two sides are ready for such a high-level meeting. Chung, who credited Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign for the diplomatic opening, said Kim understands routine U.S.-South Korea military drills "must continue." The drills were suspended during the Winter Olympics recently hosted by South Korea, which provided impetus for the inter-Korea rapprochement. The drills are expected to resume next month. North Korea has long protested the military maneuvers south of the divided Korean Peninsula as a rehearsal for invading the North. Trump had made a surprise visit to the White House press briefing room on Thursday afternoon to alert reporters to the South Korean announcement. When asked whether the announcement would be about talks with North Korea, he told ABC reporter Jon Karl: "It's almost beyond that. Hopefully, you will give me credit." SARATOGA SPRINGS In a room filled with supporters and critics, the City Council on Friday banned gun shows at the City Center. The council voted unanimously to adopt an amendment to the Saratoga Springs City Center lease that would ban all future sales and displays of fireams and ammunition. The vote came after the panel heard from people on both sides of the issue who filled the city council chamber despite the 11 a.m. time of the vote. For years, firearms shows at the City Center have triggered controversy especially when the shows have followed mass shootings across the nation. Mayor Meg Kelly proposed the ban after the Feb. 14 shootings at a high school in Parkland, Fla., in which a gunman killed 14 students and three faculty members with an AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle. The event has sparked a student-led campaign to call on elected officials around the country to legislate tougher gun laws. Dave Petronis has organized annual gun shows at the center for years. The City Center will honor its final contract with Petronis and allow him to hold his 2018 Memorial Day weekend gun show. Petronis said he also had a January 2019 gun show contract with the Saratoga Springs City Center. But the center's executive director, Ryan McMahon, says the 2019 contract was never signed and is not valid. "My staff will need to find a replacement to book the center for those January dates," McMahon said. "The gun shows were in the center a total of six days each year. Fortunately, I have a great staff so they'll be able to do that. We charge everyone the same rental so it isn't as if one event is more lucrative than another." Petronis did not attend Friday's vote. "There was no reason for me to attend since they'd made up their minds," Petronis said as he fielded calls from worried clients wanting more information about the vote. The first Saratoga gun show I organized was in 1984. A lot of my customers are doctors, lawyers, professionals. Some are hunting or shooting enthusiasts. Some like to collect guns." The council does not ban shows of antique firearms from the City Center. And Petronis has organized shows of antique guns. "But New York defines an antique firearm as a weapon made before 1898 and those aren't the best sellers," Petronis said.."The hottest selling collectibles are made pre-1945, especially the WWII era." Earlier this week, Petronis told the Times Union he had found Saratoga Springs mayor Meg Kelly to be "reasonable." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "The new mayor told me she wasn't anti-gun," Petronis said. "I don't want to see (the shows) banned because it's part of our way of life. If you are an American, you own a gun." According to the Pew Research Center, 30 percent of Americans say they own guns; another 11 percent they live with someone who owns a gun. Commissioner of public safety Peter Martin denied that Saratoga Springs wanted to outlaw guns, make life difficult for those who legally own guns or sell them. "What this vote means is that the City Center isn't the appropriate place for gun shows; that's something that can be decided at the municipal level," Martin said. When asked if the city was contemplating actions related to gun safety or background checks, Martin replied, "The next logical steps need to be taken at the state or federal level." Petronis is president of New East Coast Arms Collectors Association which he says is not affiliated with the National Rifle Association although he is an NRA member and "I encourage everyone to join." On the NEACA website, Petronis writes, "Start the Day off Right ... Stay Conservative and buy a gun ... while you still can! Don't be surprised when the Dems try banning everything and taxing all else if ever given back the power ." SUFFERN (AP) Police say an 88-year-old woman has been killed by a tree that fell and crushed her as she shoveled snow in the New York City suburbs. Suffern Police Chief Clarke Osborn tells the Journal News that Barbara Suleski was injured around 5 p.m. Wednesday and died at a hospital. Fianna Fail Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill has said that Bord na Monas decision not to invest 60m in the United States on a wood chip manufacturing plant should make the company reconsider potential uses for the Littleton site. Last September, I challenged the Minister to intervene with Bord na Mona and to request that they do not continue with this 60m foreign investment. I am glad that the Minister listened to my request, he said. Deputy Cahill said that there were over 1100 acres at the Littleton site and Bord na Mona should actively look at how the remaining peat on the site could be utilised to provide and maintain employment in the area. Peat is a valuable resource and if it can generate employment through its harvesting, then Bord na Mona should look at all options, said Deputy Cahill. He pointed out that when Bord na Mona was established, one of its primary roles was to create jobs in rural Ireland. They must revisit how they plan to use the Littleton site, he said The Fianna Fail TD said that he was aware that the local merchants that promoted and supplied the peat products from the Littleton plant for years had not yet been contacted by Bord na Mona indicating their intentions for the plant in the long term and what alternative arrangements will be in place if any. It is paramount that those who played a vital role in building up the business and brand name of Bord na Mona down through the years at Littleton should be given the respect and recognition now about the future of the business- the executive of BNM owe them this at the very least, said the TD. Deputy Cahill sad that he had been led to believe that instead of manufacturing and importing wood chip from the United States, Bord na Mona believed that there was enough capacity in the EU to meet the requirements of the burgeoning Irish biomass industry. Bord na Mona should actively look at using part of the Littleton site for biomass production. Has it done a cost benefit analysis on the potential for such a project? These questions need to be asked and answers before the Littleton site is closed for good, said Deputy Cahill. The Irish Kidney Association, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is delighted to announce that Claire Byrne has taken up the voluntary role of ambassador for 2018 organ donor awareness. The prolific journalist and national radio and TV broadcaster will front the 2018 Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign (31st March until 7th April) encouraging the public to support organ donation for transplantation. Claire said, I was delighted to be invited by the Irish Kidney Association to take up this role, following in the footsteps of previous wonderful national ambassadors, who are all united in the wish to spread the message that organ donation is an important life-saving legacy. As I take up this role, as ambassador, it is heartening to hear reports that last year was a record year for both deceased and living organ donors and subsequent transplant operations. All this good news greatly serves to offer hope to those 550 plus anxious people on the transplant waiting lists. I would encourage everyone to discuss organ donation with their family members. It is an important and potentially life-saving conversation. I have huge admiration for the many organ donor families, who made the selfless decision to donate a family members organs at a time of deep grief, and also for living donors who make the conscious decision to donate a kidney. Credit must also go to the skill and dedication of our transplant surgical, medical and nursing teams in our countrys three transplanting hospitals. Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association, Mr. Mark Murphy said, We are delighted that Claire has agreed to be the ambassador for organ donor awareness. Claire has furrowed a distinguished career as a much-respected current affairs journalist and enjoys household name status. To have such a prolific figure representing the Irish Kidney Association, a registered charity of patients and carers, carries with it huge impetus to the work we have undertaken for 40 years in advocating and caring for our membership, while also being the organisation charged with the promotion and distribution of the organ donor card in Ireland by the HSE through their procurement service, Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland (ODTI). The organ donor card has developed from what started out as the kidney donor card in the same year our organisation was established in 1978. Claire is giving up her time voluntarily to front the Organ Donor Awareness Week campaign, this Easter, to help us raise awareness, amongst the general public, about the plight of people with organ failure and encourage families to discuss organ donation and consider being a donor in the event of their untimely death. The popular broadcaster will feature in radio advertising and on posters as well as attending the national launch of 2018 Organ Donor Awareness Week by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, T.D. on Tuesday 27th March. There are approximately 550 people in Ireland awaiting life-saving heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplants. Thanks to the gift of organ donation almost 3500 transplanted people in Ireland are enjoying extended life. The focus of Organ Donor Awareness Week is to raise awareness about the ongoing and ever-increasing demand for organ transplantation which relies on the public for organ donation. Its key message is that families need to talk to each other and keep the reminders of their willingness to donate visible by carrying the organ donor card and permitting Code 115 to be included on their drivers license. Organ Donor Awareness Week also serves as a fundraising exercise for the Irish Kidney Association. Throughout the Week (31st March - 7th April 2018), the Associations volunteers will be out on the streets, and in shopping centres throughout the country, distributing organ donor cards while selling 'forget-me-not-flower' emblems, brooches, pens and shopping trolley discs. All proceeds will go towards the Irish Kidney Associations aid for patients on dialysis and those patients fortunate enough to have received a kidney transplant. The Irish Kidney Associations charitable activities include the provision of a 13-double bedroom, free accommodation facility for patients and their families in the grounds of Beaumont Hospital and holiday centres located in Tramore and Kerry, together with patient advocacy, advice, counselling, financial aid and rehabilitative, health promotion through sport and the provision of kidney patient information and education through its head office in Dublin and its 25 branch network of volunteers throughout the country. Free information fact files, which accompany organ donor cards, are obtainable from the Irish Kidney Association and are available nationwide from pharmacies, GP surgeries and Citizen Information Offices. Organ Donor Cards can also be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association tel. 01 6205306 or Free text the word DONOR to 50050. Visit website www.ika.ie/card Editors' Note: Originally published on Feb. 27, this article has been updated with the results of testing from our Galaxy S9+ review. The Galaxy S9 boasts a faster new processor, redesigned camera and a host of other new features that Samsung hopes vaults its latest product to the top of the smartphone heap. Run down the specs for the S9, and there's no denying that Samsung has built an formidable phone that's likely to top last year's model, which was a pretty impressive device in its own right. Forgive Apple's iPhone X, though, if it's not exactly shaking in its boots. For all the enhancments and new additions the Galaxy S9 brings to the table, Apple's flagship phone looks like it still has the edge in half-a-dozen key areas, especially now that we've had a chance to test the Galaxy S9+. Samsung's latest may be the phone to beat on the Android side of the market, but there's plenty of reasons why the iPhone X remains the gold standard in the smartphone world even with the arrival of the Galaxy S9. The A11 Bionic Is Still the Speed King Every new generation of flagship introduces a faster mobile processor. And while the Snapdragon 845 inside the Galaxy S9 improves upon the performance we saw from last year's Snapdragon 835-powered Android flagships, the faster processor didn't unseat Apple's A11 Bionic CPU in several of our tests. In the Geekbench 4 general performance test, we recorded a score of 8,295 for the Galaxy S9+. That's better than any Android phone we've ever tested. And it's still not within shouting distance of the iPhone X's 10,357 score. You want real-world results? We use Adobe Premiere Clip to convert a 2-minute 4K video to 1080p. The iPhone X blazes through that task in 42 seconds. The S9+ improved upon the S8's time, but it still needs 2 minutes, 32 seconds to finish the job. While our testing found that the Snapdragon 845 inside the Galaxy S9+ outperforms the iPhone is at least one graphics benchmark, overall the A11 Bionic remains the speed king. And since it happens to power the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in addition to the iPhone X, Apple can boast a formidable threesome of phones. Animoji Beats AR Emoji Animoji those animated 3D emoji that mimic your facial expressions introduced with the iPhone X are polished and engaging. AR Emoji, Samsung's answer to Animoji on the Galaxy S9, are... less so. While Samsung deserves credit for putting its own spin on the emoji craze, the execution leaves something to be desired. Your S9-created avatar doesn't really look like you, customization options are limited, and the videos created by AR Emoji are as likely to confuse as they will amuse, as your facial gestures simply dont look as natural. Face ID I was a bit of a Face ID skeptic when Apple introduced the feature in the iPhone X. "No fingerprint reader? Are you mad?" I may have muttered in front of confused onlookers. But as turns out, Face ID is pretty slick once you get used to it. It's also secure enough to be used to confirm mobile payments, thanks to that TrueDepth imaging system on the front of the iPhone X. The Galaxy S9's Intelligent Scan is a step in the right direction it combines iris scanning with face recognition so that one of those methods will unlock your phone should the other one fail but it's not nearly as secure or seamless as what the iPhone X can pull off. The iPhone's OLED Panel Is Tough to Beat When the iPhone X came out last fall, we found its display to offer the best OLED experience. Stacked up against leading Android phones with OLED panels, the iPhone X proved to be brighter, offer better white balance and viewing angles and render more natural-looking colors than the competition, including phones from Samsung. We're not sure if that verdict stung Samsung, but the company made a point of boosting the brightness on the Galaxy S9. At 482 nits, the S9+ is certainly brighter than last year's Samsung phone, but the iPhone X is still brighter at 574 nits in our testing. At least Samsung can claim a moral victory since it supplies Apple with OLED screens. Siri's Still Better Than Bixby I'm not going to pretend Siri is flawless, as anyone who's ever watched me engage in a one-way argument with Apple's virtual assistant will confirm. I certainly wish Siri worked with more third-party apps and that it could tap into as deep a knowledge base as Google Assistant does. But one area where Siri does excel is working with your iPhone setting timers, dictating texts, creating reminders when you'd rather not use your hands. Bixby, Samsung's on-board assistant, can't say the same. And even with the improvements to Bixby in the Galaxy S9 its ability to provide real-time translation when you point the phone's camera at text is a nice addition Samsung's assistant still feels like an "us, too" addition. If I need an assistant to help me try on makeup, I guess I'll turn to Bixby Vision; for everything else, Siri still outpaces Bixby. MORE: 30 Best Siri Tips and Tricks An Edge in Apps Google Play has long since surpassed the App Store when it comes to the number of apps available to download. But it's never really closed the quality gap. The best apps tend to land on the iOS platform first and in some cases stay there exclusively. Recent iOS-first apps include everything from great games like Altos Odyssey, the powerful email client Airmail, and the flexible Bear note-taking app. Even more impressive for the iPhone X is the growing number of developers who've retooled their apps specifically to account for the new design of Apple's phone. Better Front Camera The TrueDepth camera on the front of the iPhone X doesnt just produce better looking Animoji. It also allows you to snap compelling portraits that blur out the background. Or, if you use Apples Portrait Lighting effects, you can remove the background compeltely. The Galaxy S9+ can pull off portraits with a bokeh effect using its dual rear cameras, but neither the S9 or S9+ can do portraits with their front shooters despite the many impressive changes Samsung introduced to the cameras on its new phones. Good news, if you get a Galaxy S9: Youll have Android Oreo, the latest version of Googles mobile OS. Thats more than people who bought last years Galaxy S8 can say, as Samsung and the assorted wireless carriers are still in the process of rolling out that update, even though Oreo made its debut last August. Contrast that with Apples approach to iOS updates, where its available to every iPhone at once. iPhone X users can rest easy, knowing that when theres an important security update, bug fix or feature add, theyll get it right away. Strong, functional and safe Modern and extremely strong body-on-frame construction Euro pallet sized load deck 1 tonne payload* 3.5 tonne towing capability* - the benchmark for those who tow large work trailers, caravans & horseboxes Safety aids including six airbags on all models Style - inside and out Great looks complement the pick-ups strength and rugged off-road capability Contemporary and refined interior - unusual in a utility vehicle sets Musso apart Heritage & value Draws on SsangYongs deep experience of building 4x4 vehicles over 60 years Competitive UK pricing Comprehensive list of standard equipment Sector leading 5-year limitless mileage warranty Connectivity & technology DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity on all models Apple CarPlay Google Android Auto The all-new SsangYong Musso pick-up for Europe has been launched at the Geneva Motor Show. Entering the fast-growing and highly competitive pick-up market segment, the new Musso is an extremely competent multi-purpose vehicle with traditional SsangYong values - comprehensively equipped, a sector leading 5-year limitless mileage warranty and a value for money package expected at launch. As Koreas leading and only SUV and 4x4 specialist manufacturer, SsangYong is committed to refreshing its entire product portfolio, and recently completed its SUV model line-up by launching its all-new flagship model, Rexton. Now, just a few months later it is launching this brand-new pick-up. This new Musso pick-up - Musso means rhinoceros in Korean - takes its strong, tough and powerful image from the SUV of the same name employed by the brand since the 1990s. Built on the same architecture as the new Rexton, Musso shares its body-on-frame construction to give an extremely strong vehicle that delivers excellent off-road driving performance and safety from its quad-frame and four-wheel-drive system. Designed to carry passengers in comfort and loads securely, Musso combines a five-seat crew-cab body style with a workman-like load deck that will transport a full-sized Euro pallet. It also carries over 1-tonne* in load weight, and tows trailers of up to 3.5 tonnes*. This combination of utility pick-up and SUV means Musso offers the perfect blend of functionality, practicality, performance and comfort to the driver and family or workmates. Musso is powered by the same e-XDi220 engine found in the Rexton, and delivers a maximum power of 181ps at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 420Nm at 1,600 to 2,600 rpm (automatic transmission). It is available with either a 6-speed manual or an Aisin 6-speed automatic with its success proven by a number of other automotive brands. Inside, Musso is extremely well equipped compared with other pick-ups, and as well as offering excellent shoulder and leg room, Nappa leather seats can be found on the top of the range model for luxury and comfort. DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity feature across the range, while all but the entry level model feature a state-of-the-art infotainment system that includes an 8-inch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and wi-fi mirroring. New Musso will be launched in the UK this summer. Styling Exterior design The exterior design of the Musso gives the vehicle a bold and muscular stance, and is inspired by the dignified motion of nature, one of the elements of SsangYongs design language, Nature-born 3 Motion. A bold chrome line across the radiator grille and the curves of the bonnet present a robust look and the impression of strength. The shoulder wing grille - now a characteristic styling cue of all new SsangYong models - stretches out to the headlights, while the dynamic character lines to the side and especially the rear, add a sense of power and volume to the vehicle. The doors are designed to cover the sills along the lower part of the body to ensure passengers dont pick up dirt from the side of the vehicle when getting in and out, and the 20-inch wheels on the top line model add to the Mussos overall presence. The load deck affords an extremely useful cargo area that is large enough to carry a Euro pallet. It also comes equipped with 12V/120W power outlets and rotating hooks to help strap-down loads such as tools and equipment. Interior design The interior of the new Musso is completely new. Perhaps unexpectedly for a utility vehicle, it brings a level of refinement and a contemporary ambiance thats more akin to a premium SUV yet still feels robust and durable, complementing the exterior look of a pick-up. Remarkably well equipped, it features soft-textured Nappa leather seats on the top line model. Most models feature heated front seats which are also ventilated to make long journeys more pleasant whatever the temperature. With one of the most spacious interiors in its segment, the second row of seats is designed for three passengers to travel comfortably with plenty of leg and elbow room. Driving performance Powertrain The new Musso powertrain employs a 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine manufactured by SsangYong, which delivers maximum power of 181PS and torque 420Nm (auto). This highly efficient, quiet and proven e-XDi220 engine delivers progressive acceleration from a standing start, and strong low-end torque typical of SsangYong power units. Transmission is either a 6-speed manual, or Aisin 6-speed automatic as used by several other marques for its smooth gear changing and durability. The cars four-wheel drive system draws on SsangYongs years of experience in all-wheel-drive technology. For better efficiency and greater fuel economy, it features part time 4x4 with power delivered permanently to the rear wheels, and front wheel drive dialed in electronically as required, with high and low ratios available as on and off-road conditions demand. The noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels on new Musso are excellent, the result of its eight body mounts and polyester wheel-arch linings, and reduced road noise so passengers can travel in comfort. The engine bay also includes better sealing to improve sound, dust and waterproofing, while the fitment of larger rubber engine mounts helps reduce engine noise and vibration. The amount of wind noise is also reduced thanks to detailing such as fourfold door sealing and aerodynamically designed wiper blades. Safety With new technologies and features, the new SsangYong Musso ensures excellent levels of safety and includes up to six airbags. With the high-strength steel construction of its Quad-frame, the vehicle is stiffer than its competitors, achieved by using 1.5Gpa-grade ultra-strength steel - a world first, and featuring 81.7% high strength steel. This not only gives greatly improved body strength but also reduced weight. The pick-up also features impact absorbing elements in the steering wheel and steering column to minimise injuries from a frontal collision, while the structure and materials employed in the frontal area of the body are designed to improve pedestrian safety. Infotainment & convenience All models will feature an advanced infotainment system that includes DAB radio, Bluetooth and MP3 connectivity, while Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and device mirroring come with the middle and top specification models, with everything displayed on an 8.0 screen. Other features include electric windows, central locking, air-conditioning with fine dust filters and a 12V/120W power outlet in the cargo deck area. If you ever need a reminder that yes, we are indeed living in a golden age of performance automobiles, just check out the list of debuts heading to this years Geneva International Motor Show. Specs and figures that would have been considered outlandish and silly just a few decades ago are now becoming the norm, as million-dollar, 1,000+ horsepower monster machines seem to litter the Palexpo convention center floor in 2018. Here are some of the highlights. The Full Story Starting things off is this otherworldly creation from the folks over at Aston Martin. Dubbed the Valkyrie AMR Pro, its a track-only version of Astons already outrageous, barely street-legal supercar, and it twists the knob to 11 before breaking it off entirely. This track-only version once again takes its inspiration from the endurance racers that compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the ground-bound spaceships of Formula 1, rocking aero that looks like it was developed in the future, plus a lightweight, stripped-down attitude that tips the scales at just over 1,000 kg (2,204 pounds). Its also got a hybrid 6.5-liter V-12 with over 1,100 horsepower, improving on that coveted one-to-one power ratio. Expect a 0-to-60 mph time under 2.5 seconds, as well as a huge amount of downforce to keep it glued to the track. Read our full review of the 2018 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro. Not to be outdone, McLaren was also in Geneva with its own track-focused supercar this year. Its called the Senna GTR, one-upping the immensely impressive P1-successor that was revealed last December. Upgrades include more power, and while the Senna GTR might not break the 1,000-horsepower mark (Aston says itll still make at least 814 ponies), the 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds) of downforce the bodywork can create should cement its position as an absolute terror on any racing circuit. Read our full review of the 2019 McLaren Senna. This one is actually street legal, believe it or not. Slotting just below the track-only TSR, the TSR-S (S stands for street) offers all the go-fast stuff as its apex-hunting big brother, but in a package you can still take to the mall (legally, at least). Carbon fiber everything and a barebones interior spec underline its sporting intentions, while a trick active rear wing adds even more rear-end stick thanks to a centripetal left-to-right tilt. Making it go is a twin-supercharged V-8 making upwards of 1,177 horsepower, enabling a 0-to-62 mph run in 2.8 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at 202 mph. Read up even more on the 2018 Zenvo TSR-S You could make the argument that Bugatti is responsible for sparking the modern age of performance excess that we all currently enjoy. You see, back in the early 2000s, Bug unveiled the Veyron, a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W-16 ocean-of-go making around 1,000 horsepower. The Veyron completely reset the supercar playing field, and now, the French automaker is once again probing the limits of whats possible on four wheels with the Chiron Sport. Output is rated at 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque, the same as the standard Chiron, but the Sport version makes better use of it thanks to improvements to the steering, dampers, and AWD torque vectoring system. The Sport also cuts out around 40 pounds of excess weight. All of this goodness can be had for a cool $3.3 million. Read even more about the 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sport! Now were really cooking with gas, or should I say, diesel. The racer you see here is called the Ren RS, and its a track-only variant of the cutting-edge Ren street machine released in 2017. This time around, the brains behind its creation stripped it down and beefed it up, prepping it for duty at the circuit with new, more efficient carbon bodywork. Its also got a diesel micro-turbine powerplant and six electric motors laying out a combined 1,287 horsepower and 1,725 pound-feet of torque. Read up on all of the finer details of the 2018 Techrules Ren RS. While the Bugatti Chiron Sport represents the ultimate evolution of performance technology from the past, the Rimac C Two represents where were headed and the performance of the future. Offered as a follow-up to the incredible Concept One, the C Two is all-electric speed incarnate. The numbers on this things beg belief - 1,914 horsepower and 1,686 pound-feet of torque, all of which is routed to the ground via four electric motors and four independent gearboxes. Put your foot down, and youll find 60 mph in a scant 1.85 seconds. Keep it pinned to the carpet, and youll reach a top speed of 258 mph. And dont stress too much about range either, because the onboard 120-kWh battery pack can provide enough juice to propel you over 400 miles between plug-ins. When it comes to electron-powered performance innovation (and indeed, performance in general), the C Two is the tip of the spear. Read our full review on the 2018 Rimac C Two. Remarks by Ambassador Xavier Carim (South Africa) at the conclusion of his final meeting as chair of the General Council Let me start by saying that it has been a privilege to serve as your Chairman of the General Council. What I say now are my broad reflections on the past year. It should be increasingly clear that our work is not immune to the growing concerns about the impact of globalisation, trade and trade agreements on job security, inequality and development. Such concerns have been raised by many developing countries in the past, but the fact that similar concerns are now more strongly voiced by citizens across developed countries is a significant new development and manifests in ways that deeply affect our work. Many of you will know that this year we are celebrating the centennial of Nelson Mandelas birth. Twenty years ago at an event in Geneva commemorating the 50th anniversary of the GATT, President Mandela delivered a wonderful speech on the multilateral trading system. Many of the issues he raised then continue to resonate and one line has a particular bearing today. He stated that: Rules must be applied but if they contain prescriptions that cannot be complied with by all, or if the results benefit too few, then injustice will emerge. Then it is prudent to remember that no amount of rules or their enforcement will defeat those who struggle with justice on their side. President Mandela was of course drawing on his own experience of South Africas struggle for freedom but it does have a bearing on our work. In our organisation, where decisions are taken by consensus, ongoing and practical expressions of the principles of transparency and inclusivity are a baseline for a fairer, more inclusive and developmental multilateralism. At a minimum, inclusivity requires that our processes and decisions fully take into account the views of Members from the different geographic regions, at different levels of development, but the decisions and processes should also fully engage with the competing policy perspectives and priorities of Members. We all know that the General Council oversees all the regular work of the organisation related to the on-going implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements and subsequent Ministerial decisions. We also know that four of the five Decisions taken at MC11 will need to be carried forward under the General Council. But from the vantage point of the Chair of the Council, I now have a much better appreciation of the myriad of processes, procedures and decisions that shape the day-to-day workings of the organisation. Effective decision making at this level is vital for the proper functioning of the organisation and, generally, these processes and decisions are uncomplicated. However, where procedures are not set out precisely, and where discretionary action is called for, transparency and inclusivity may be even more important to build the trust that is needed to advance our collective, multilateral work. Issues related to such matters arose periodically in the course of the year, and we should deal with such matters sensitively. In the course of the year we also confronted a range of other challenges. At the outset we ran into a serious delay in appointing Chairs of the regular and negotiating bodies. At the May General Council, we encountered difficulties in adopting the Council agenda. I understand that all the difficulties reflect the seriousness that Members attach to all aspects of the work of the organisation, and are an expression of their legitimate interests. In many instances, the key to addressing the challenges is to frame and approach the issues in ways that give sufficient comfort to all Members that their concerns are being taken on board in an even handed manner. It seems to me and this is personal that if there is any bias, it should favour the less developed members amongst us. A great deal of time last year was taken up with the preparations for MC11. Most of this went smoothly but sensitive issues, particularly issues regarding observer status, raise difficulties that are sometimes beyond resolution at the WTO. Most Members seem to agree that the work we undertook just before MC11 on both the Outcome Document and on e-commerce was positive, and I was struck by the fact that the process was marked by a genuine and constructive attempt to narrow differences amongst Members, even though, ultimately, we were unsuccessful. I am grateful to the Chairs of the Regular Bodies as the work they oversaw allowed the General Council to deliver comprehensive reports of all our work to Ministers at the opening of MC11. I again congratulate Argentina for a well-organised Ministerial Conference that many have said met high standards of inclusivity and transparency. In no small measure, this was due to the qualities Minister Malcorra brought to the process. We should build on this experience. Aside from a few troubling moments, the experience of chairing the General Council has been a rewarding one personally and professionally and in ways I had not foreseen just one year ago. I have been enriched by the many opportunities to work with exceptional individuals: highly experienced Ambassadors, Delegates and Members of the Secretariat. I want to thank you, Roberto, for our collaboration over the course of the year, particularly in the run up to and at MC11. I also thank Victor and all the Members of his team for the support and guidance they provided over the year, always in a spirit collegiality and good humour. Stefania offered support on almost a day-to-day basis, even though I may have tested her patience with countless revisions of speaking notes. I am grateful to Zainab and Joan for their support over the year, particularly during the intense weeks leading to MC11, and at the Conference itself. I had always been aware that the Secretariat is a reservoir of accumulated institutional knowledge but I now have a deeper appreciation of the depth and scope of that expertise. The WTO is a Member-driven organisation but it is absolutely clear that the Secretariat is a valuable asset and an indispensible pillar of the system. In light of the challenges we confront with respect to the WTOs negotiating function and dispute settlement function, we may need to pay greater attention and indeed we are duty bound to protect the international stature of the Secretariat by ensuring it always remains above the partisan positions Members take on issues. Let me conclude by thanking all delegations for their dedicated work and for support over the year. I remain grateful to the African Group for nominating me as their candidate for the DSB in 2016, when the long, six-year rotation passed back to Africa. After a years sojourn as General Council Chair, I am happy to return home to the Group! Ill stop here and thank you for your kind attention. Summary of General Council meeting on 7 March 2018 The WTO General Council held a Formal Meeting on 7-8 March 2018 in Geneva. The meeting was preceded by an Informal Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee at the Heads of State level on 5 March. Director-General Roberto Azevedo called on WTO members to avoid triggering an escalation in trade barriers. He responded to a series of announcements from WTO members in recent days which suggested that a range of new, unilateral trade barriers could soon be put into force. DG Azevedo warned of the risks posed by such measures, calling on members to reflect and avoid escalation. In light of recent announcements on trade policy measures, it is clear that we now see a much higher and real risk of triggering an escalation of trade barriers across the globe. We cannot ignore this risk and I urge all parties to consider and reflect on this situation very carefully. Once we start down this path, it will be very difficult to reverse direction. An eye for an eye will leave us all blind and the world in deep recession. We must make every effort to avoid the fall of the first dominoes. There is still time. In his statement the Director-General also reflected on the way forward after the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) in Buenos Aires in December. He encouraged members to learn from the experience of MC11 and to find ways of increasing the levels of flexibility that they show to each other. DG Azevedo also commented on the current situation in the WTO's Appellate Body, specifically regarding the impasse in the selection process for new Appellate Body members. He urged members to act on this point, which he described as an extremely serious and urgent concern for us all, as the dispute settlement function underpins the whole trading system. The Director-General said that members should be actively formulating and discussing solutions, and that he would be facilitating further conversations on the issue in the coming days. Formal Meeting of the General Council The following items were on the agenda: 1. Report by the Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) and Report by the Director-General The Chairman referred to the Director-Generals report at the 5 March Informal TNC and Heads of Delegation meeting. At that meeting, 45 delegations intervened. Under this item, Burkina Faso spoke. 2. Implementation of the Bali, Nairobi and Buenos Aires Outcomes Statement by the Chairman The Chairman reported on the work taking place in WTO regular bodies to fulfil the Bali, Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial mandates. 3. Work Programme on Small Economies Report by the Chairman of the Dedicated Session of the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) The CTD Chairman recalled the Buenos Aires Ministerial Decision on this matter and informed Members that the CTD Dedicated Discussion would continue to discuss how to take it forward. Guatemala (for the Group of Small, Vulnerable Economies) and the Republic of Moldova spoke. 4. Aid for Trade Work Programme Statement by the Chairman on Trade and Development The CTD Chairman reported that consultations on the latest work programme on Aid for Trade had been ongoing since early January. Although progress had been made, the CTD would need more time to deliberate on the matter. Following the CTD Chairs suggestion, the General Council would again take up the item at a future meeting. Chad (for the Group of Least-developed Countries) spoke. 5. Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies In line with the Guidelines for Appointment of Officers (WT/L/510), the General Council took note of the consensus on the slate of names for chairpersons to WTO bodies. The Council for Trade in Goods and Council for Trade in Services Chairs announced that they would conduct consultations to select Chairs for the bodies established under their respective Councils. Chile intervened. 6. Election of Chairperson The Council elected by acclamation Ambassador Junichi Ihara (Japan) as Chair for 2018. Honduras (for the Informal Group of Developing Countries), Kenya and Rwanda (for the African Group) intervened. Under Other Business, 18 delegations raised concerns regarding proposed national trade restrictive measures by one Member. Canada made a statement on a workshop on Trade and Gender Based Analysis. Montenegro and the European Union intervened. The Chairman also made an announcement regarding Members and Observers in arrears. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki on 8 March 2018 to reaffirm the United States and AUs mutual respect and strong commitment to the shared goal of a stable and prosperous Africa. Their conversation builds upon the momentum created by their previous meeting in November on the margins of the annual U.S.-AU High Level Dialogue in Washington D.C. The United States applauded the launch of the AUs 2018 African Anti-Corruption Year, with Secretary Tillerson indicating the United States stands ready to support AU anti-corruption efforts. The United States and the AU share a commitment to combat corruption, which in turn improves the conditions for free and fair trade, enables an open environment for business, and sets the stage for good governance. The two also discussed a few country-specific issues, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the United States continues to urge the AU to press all parties including the DRC government and the political opposition to work towards December 2018 DRC elections. Secretary Tillerson and Chairperson Faki agreed the AU and Intergovernmental Authority on Development should continue to apply pressure on the warring parties in South Sudan for a negotiated solution, to protect the lives and welfare of innocent South Sudanese. Secretary Tillerson thanked Chairman Faki and the AU for its continued attention to and good work across the Continent and underscored the strong U.S.-AU bilateral relationship. Press Conference African Union Headquarters Addis Ababa, 8 March 2018 MODERATOR: (In progress) Excellency Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Excellency Secretary of State of the United States of America Mr. Rex Tillerson, ladies and gentlemen of the media, representatives from the diplomatic corps, thank you very much for joining us this morning for this press conference. Were very pleased to have our key principals today, who are going to make brief statements, in addition to the discussions that they had this morning. And without further ado, I will kindly ask His Excellency the Chairperson of the African Union Commission to address the members of the media. Thank you. CHAIRPERSON FAKI: Thank you. (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen of the press, first of all, I would like to welcome the Secretary of State and his delegation once again. I have just had a very fruitful meeting with the Secretary of State Mr. Rex Tillerson. And first of all, I would like to state that we appreciate the visit of the Secretary of State. In this visit, we see the illustration of the will of the United States to strengthen the partnership with the African Union and the continent. The visit of Secretary of State Tillerson is taking place at a time when Africa is firmly embarked on the path to integration and reform. We informed him of our efforts aimed at establishing a market of more than a billion people, and to stress that a strong African Union is in the interest, not only of the continent, but that of our partners also, including the United States of America. We have agreed to work for the strengthening of the trade and commercial relations between Africa and the United States, including the post-AGOA arrangements. We discussed other aspects of our cooperation, particularly the support to the African Center for Disease Control, agriculture, food security, as well as cybersecurity. In all these areas, initiatives are underway which we now have to intensify. We also talked of some conflicts or crisis situations faced by the continent, and the best way the United States can support the African efforts in order to promote peace and security. I earnestly requested the support of the United States for the ongoing initiatives in order to mobilize a more sustainable and perennial support, financial support the support to AMISOM and to the in the Sahel, the G5 Joint Force, the G5 Sahel Joint Force. And also, the fight against corruption as well as control of illicit financial flows. All of these were discussed. We underscored the importance of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, calling for the scrupulous observance and compliance with international instruments. I recall the commitment of the African Union to multilateralism as being the most effective tool to promote peace and prosperity. Finally, on this International Day of the International Womens Day, we seize the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and the promotion of the gender. The African Union and Africa in general in this matter have made special efforts, and particularly at the last summit of the African Union, we have adopted a decision which, by 2025, will bring about gender parity in the African Union that is, the balance between men and women. Thank you. SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, first, let me thank Chairperson Faki for taking the time to meet with me. We had a very good meeting when I was able to host him at the high-level dialogue in Washington this past November, when we met with many other African leaders as well. And Im really pleased to be here in the continent and I expressed to the chairperson and his colleagues that it was appropriate that I begin my visit to Africa here with the African Union leaders as well, to further our partnership with the African Union. I, too, want to acknowledge and celebrate International Womens Day, a day where we recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women across the world. And I also want to amplify our support for the very strong statements that have been issued by the African Union in their efforts to encourage womens empowerment and their participation in economic activity across the continent. We know that when we enable womens economic participation and entrepreneurship in local communities, it really has a transformative effect not just on their families, but in that community at large, and I have seen this myself firsthand around the world. So we celebrate Womens International Womens Day today with others. The African Union truly is a force for good, and were grateful to the African Unions role in seeking solutions to help this continent move towards greater stability. Recognizing health security also advances national security, economic development, and political stability. We applaud the Africa Centers for Disease Control, which has been quite successful in tracking and responding to disease outbreaks on the continent. We look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the African Union on this important initiative, and were currently in very important discussions to update our joint memorandum of understanding to guide our future efforts, our collaborative efforts in that regard. On trade, we also support the African Unions economic regional integration efforts to lower intra-trade barriers on the continent, boost more intra-regional trade, which we know has been a central goal of the negotiations around the continental free trade agreement which we are quite supportive of. We look forward to engaging further with the African Union once that agreement is in place on how this will also promote greater participation of U.S. private sector business interests as well. I mentioned to Chairperson Faki that we appreciate the African Unions very strong statements made on South Sudan at the recent AU summit. We truly call on all parties to abide by the cessation of hostilities and be open to compromise for the good of the South Sudanese people. We urge the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to keep their maximum efforts moving forward to push for a solution to this conflict for the good of the people in South Sudan. I also appreciate Chairperson Fakis role in leading the African Union through a number of security challenges, and as you might imagine, that was a substantive part of our discussion today as well. The African Unions Mission in Somalia, clearly an example of countries coming together to counter terrorism, promote stability, and enable delivery of much-needed aid to the Somali people. We encourage the African Union to continue these efforts. We will continue our own efforts as well. We have not yet won that battle in Somalia, and we must stay at it. We also discussed ways to ensure the G5 Sahel forces have the necessary resources to continue their fight against terrorism, and how we can put in place more sustainable funding models where theres they have greater certainty around how to plan the future fight against terrorism in the Sahel region as well. And we applaud the brave efforts of the on the part of the G5 Sahel forces. We discussed African Union reform and the chairpersons efforts to increase member-state financing for the African Union and really put in place a more sustainable funding model with greater certainty as well. Last years self-financing of African Union programs expanded to more than 40 percent, which is up from 26 percent just the prior year, so clearly the chairpersons efforts are yielding very good results. Fighting corruption is another area of common cause, and were very pleased to see that the African Union has named 2018 as the year for winning the fight against corruption. From high-level secret deals to petty bribes on the street, corruption really does steal the precious resources from job creators and entrepreneurs and others who would promote benefits to the greater society and to the citizens of those countries. Good governance and transparency are essential to creating the conditions for economic growth and prosperity, and we look forward to continuing our joint efforts with the African Union to improve the business environment on the continent. But transparency really is an essential requirement for good business conditions and will attract greater investment and economic activity as well. That includes supporting greater intra- and global-trade investments in Africa as the environment creates competitive conditions. And finally, I reiterate our desire for more African nations to apply concrete diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea. The goal of the global maximum pressure campaign, which has been supported by multiple UN Security Council resolutions, is to motivate North Korea to achieve the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. African nations can contribute to this goal, and we need, country by country, for nations to take action to support this international effort towards a denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Again, I want to thank Chairperson Faki for his warm welcome and the hospitality during our discussions here at the African Union, and most importantly, for your leadership of the African Union. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairperson. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, this is your first trip to Africa as a top U.S. diplomat. You are calling it a listening tour, but how much listening do you expect to be doing about the Presidents allegedly derogatory remarks? How committed is the United States to the security and investment in Africa? Separately, what is your message to AU and the proposal to self-finance by levying tariffs on imports? Chairman Faki, if I may, first question: Ethiopia is the host of AU and a member. How concerned are you about the decision to impose a state of emergency that restricts freedom of speech? And do you believe the arbitrary detentions have violated peoples rights? Separately, has the AU requested an apology for the U.S. Presidents recent remarks? Thank you very much. SECRETARY TILLERSON: Well, the United States and the African continent have enjoyed many, many years of very strong and positive relationships. In fact, we have diplomatic relations with some countries on the continent that span more than a century now. With the creation of the African Union, it has provided yet another area in which we can cooperate, collaborate, to address security issues more broadly on the continent as we discussed in both of our remarks, and bring greater stability to the continent, and to discuss ways in which we can create economic prosperity which will attract U.S. foreign direct investment. So the purpose of my trip to this continent is to listen. I think it is important that we listen to what the priorities of the countries here on the continent are and see where there is good alignment between their priorities and our areas of greatest interest as well. And I think weve already found there are many, and that should not surprise anyone. We have important joint security activities underway and we appreciate the commitment made by many countries on the continent, not just with their own financial resources, but with their own men and women in uniform who are going right out on the front lines to fight this war against terror that we all are fighting globally. So this is an important trip. I think it is an indication of the importance the continent plays in the future of the United States, both from a security but also an economic standpoint. Africa, as a continent, is going to undergo significant population growth. Five of the worlds fastest-growing 12 fastest-growing economies are here in Africa, so clearly there is significant opportunity for American interest in the future. So its important that we have very open dialogue with one another to understand our priorities and to understand how we align those priorities, and we support each other. So this is a vitally important continent to the U.S. and our future interest as well. I think with respect to the support for the counterterrorism efforts, we had a very good exchange on various ways that we can consider creating a more sustainable and certain funding model for the counterterrorism efforts both not just through the G5 Sahel, but also AMISOM and other activities to win the war against terror on the battlefield. But we also discussed the need to win the war in the social media and cyber space as well. With Africas very large and growing youth population, we must create good opportunities for education, for future jobs, so that the youth of Africa do not become easy targets for recruiting violent extremist messaging, and we had a good discussion about that as well today. So, a very broad canvas of common interests that we have to discuss. CHAIRPERSON FAKI: (Via interpreter) Before I reply to the question on Ethiopia, I want to add that I am satisfied with discussions that I have had with the Secretary of State Tillerson, the commitment of the United States to support the African continent in its fight against terrorism in the whether it is the Horn of Africa, the support to AMISOM, or in the Sahel, ready to support the G5 Sahel Joint Force, through the mobilization of financial and material resources in order to support these important missions. As regards Ethiopia, I would like to recall that in the beginning of the year, in January, the Ethiopian Government has adopted a number of measures that is to expand and open up the democratic and political space. And I react to this important issue by encouraging the Ethiopian authorities and also congratulate them on this important decision. We have also followed the resignation of the prime minister, whom I met later on, and also the commitment of the authorities of this country that is in a consensual manner to pursue and continue the reforms and to have a representative government. It is an ongoing process, and we have been reassured by the authorities of the country, and we think that in a concerted manner, through dialogue, through consensus, this is a way the country can move forward. You know Ethiopia is an important country; not only it is the headquarters, hosting headquarters of the African Union, but also its role it plays in the region. So the situation in Ethiopia is of capital importance. And I have been reassured by the authorities that the political and social forces of this country through consultation and dialogue will find the formula that will allow this country to pursue and continue its way, because at the economic level it has produced early substantive results, and we hope the reforms will enable the country to move forward. QUESTION: Thank you very much, Chair and Secretary. Mr. Chair, my question is: At the moment, there is no clear policy towards Africa from President Donald Trumps administration. Does that bother you? Do you want more from the U.S. administration at the moment? And number two, Mr. Tillerson, youve made a statement about China, saying that China encouraged dependency, utilized corrupt deals and endangered Africas natural resource. Is it something that you want to say again, and whats the base of that? And Mr. Chair, do you agree with the comments of Mr. Tillerson? Final question: President Donald Trump, weve heard, has called Africa a shithole, and Africans. This is something that Africa is still digesting. Do you agree with that and do you believe Africa I mean President Donald Trump owes Africans an apology? Thank you very much. SECRETARY TILLERSON: I think the United States commitment to Africa is quite clear in terms of the importance we place on the relationship. The President himself wrote a personal letter to the chairperson, reaffirming the importance of this relationship from the standpoint of all aspects that I covered in answering a previous question. With respect to Chinas approach, as Ive said to others around the world, we are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese investment dollars out of Africa. They are badly needed. However, we think its important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those investments, and we witness the model that the Chinese follow. They do not bring significant job creation locally; they dont bring significant training programs that enable African citizens to participate more fully in the future; and oftentimes, the financing models are structured in a way that the country, when it gets into trouble financially, loses control of its own infrastructure or its own resources through default. So our message is for countries to consider carefully what the terms of those agreements are, and not forfeit any elements of your sovereignty as you enter into such arrangements with China. We welcome Chinese participation, but we hope they will follow international rules, international norms, and respect the sovereignty of countries and respect the need to develop the citizens of those countries and create a future for their own for the people of those countries as well. CHAIRPERSON FAKI: (Via interpreter) Yes, I confirm that I received a letter dated 25 January written by President Trump to myself, and which I have also copied to all the leaders of Africa, and I believe that this incident is of the past. Africa and with the visit of Secretary of State Tillerson. And the evidence of the relations between Africa and the United States is personified through his visit. I believe reasonably this partnership has produced results. It is useful for both parties, whether in the area of trade or investment, or whether it is peace and stability in Africa. You are aware the African continent has many partnerships. I think the Africans are mature enough to engage in partnerships of their own volition which will be useful for the country for the countries and the continent. So there is no monopoly. We have multifaceted, multifarious relations with other parts of the world. We know where our interests, and it is our full awareness I think that is most important. The African Development Bank and its East and North African Governors have stressed the need for urgent measures to match the continents growing population and youth unemployment, which they likened to a ticking time bomb. The meeting described the continents growing young population as a potential growth engine for the world. The good news is that the solution is within our reach and will require investments, said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. At the end of a two-day consultation at the headquarters of the Bank in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, the Bank and the Governors discussed strategizes for closing Africas $170 billion infrastructure investment gap. To bridge the investment gap, ensure inclusive growth, and create employment for the continents population, the meeting endorsed the African Development Bank-led African Investment Forum and described it as a timely opportunity to catalyze investments into projects and attract social impact financing to Africa. Tanzanias Minister for Finance and Planning, Isdor Mpango, called for closer involvement of the private sector in financing development on the continent. The African Development Bank is well positioned to advise and assist Governments and the private sector to come up with bankable projects, Mpango said, calling for direct resources to provide budget support and investment opportunities. Through the African Investment Forum, scheduled for November 7-9, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Bank and its partners intend to showcase bankable projects, attract financing, and provide platforms for investing across Africa. The forum will bring together the African Development Bank and other global multilateral financial institutions to de-risk investments at scale. A uniqueness of the African Investment Forum is that there will be no speeches. The only speeches will be transactions, said President Adesina. Rwandas Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Claver Gatete said: The African Development Bank has already discussed the concept of the African Investment Forum with us. The Rwandan Government takes this Forum very seriously. Jobs will come from industrialization. The new approach using the African Investment Forum to de-risk the sector and attract investors is the way to go, said Kiplagat Rotich, Kenyan Finance Minister. 13 per cent of the worlds population is estimated to live in sub-Saharan Africa today. That number is projected to more than double by 2050. Four billion (or 36 per cent of the worlds population) could live in the region by 2100, according to the UN Population Division. Africa is projected to have over 840 million youth by 2050 with the continent having the youngest population on earth. According to Adesina, We have 12 years left to the SDGs. It is an alarm bell because if Africa does not achieve the SDGs, the world wont achieve them. The African Development Bank is accelerating development across Africa through the High 5s. We are deepening our reforms. We deepened our disbursements to the highest levels ever last year and we are leveraging more resources for Africa. Tunisias Development, Investment and International Cooperation Minister Zied Ladhari recalled how the Banks 11-year temporary relocation to his country helped strengthen the bonds between them. We share the Banks vision. Africa is the continent of the future. This is a great Africa moment with the Bank at the centre. Unleashing the potential of African economies is a task which the Bank must accomplish. As part of the Banks High 5 agenda, 13 million African women have benefitted from new electricity connections and 23 million from improvements in agriculture. Also, 10 million African women have benefited from investee projects An analysis of the African Development Banks impact from 2010-2017 indicates that 27 million Africans gained access to new electricity connections. 899,000 small businesses were provided with financial services. 35 million have benefitted from improved access to water and sanitation. With the Banks support, Somalia has evolved from a failed to a fragile state, asserted Somalias Finance Minister, Abdirahman Beileh. The African Development Bank has been with us throughout. Together we can reach the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Algerias Finance Minister, Abderahmane Raouia, said The biggest challenge for Africa today is job creation. It is a stake of stability and a lever to pull economic growth upwards. We must offer job opportunities for young people to convince them to stay here on the continent. According to Simon Mizrahi, Director, Delivery, Performance Management and Results, the Bank needs to move from billions to trillions in its funding and leveraging effect. Egypts Ambassador to Cote dIvoire, Mohamed El-Hamzawi, who represented the Finance Minister, said the country has seen two revolutions in 2011 and 2014. He thanked the Bank for supporting the countrys macroeconomic stabilization, financial reforms, infrastructure, and energy projects, among others. Moroccos Economy and Finance Minister, Mohammed Boussaid, praised the Banks ambition for Africa, and underscored its support for energy, agriculture and infrastructure projects. He said a capital increase today is not a choice, it is a necessity. Today, the leading export sector in Morocco no longer belongs to traditional sectors, such as phosphates, but to the automotive industry. This generates jobs and adds value for sustainable and robust growth. With a substantive capital increase, the African Development will be able to execute its robust pipeline of operations (15bn in 2018 alone), including infrastructure and regional integration projects. The prospects for 2018-2020 are bright, with 50.3 million people benefitting from improved access to transport compared to 14 million in 2017. Also, more than 35 million people are expected to benefit from new or improved electricity connections, in contrast to 4.4 million delivered in 2017. East African Ministers share African Development Banks vision for the continent In a historic first, East African Governors of the African Development Bank met with the President Akinwumi Adesina and Executives to discuss economic challenges, opportunities and successes in the continents fast-growing powerhouse region. President Adesina assured the gathering that the Bank intends to make the strategic regional consultations an annual event to allow for more open dialogue, constructive feedback and the acceleration of development reforms. The Governors chiefly Finance Ministers and Ministers of Economic Planning representing Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania shared these sentiments. The High 5s are what Africa needs now, said Henry Rotich, Kenyan Minister of Finance. The Bank has financed one of our key interventions, the Last Mile Project, thanks to which 70 percent of Kenyans now have access to power in rural areas. You know what that means? It means more people can work, shop, study and create jobs. If we implement the High 5s successfully, we can address some of the key challenges we face. Similarly, Tanzanias Minister for Finance and Planning, Isdor Mpang, noted that his country has aligned its own development priorities with the High 5s of the Bank. We want to be a middle income country, he said. How do you do that? These are exactly the five points that you need to work on. Somalias Finance Minister, Abdirahman Beileh, described the Banks unique role in his countrys transition. With the Banks support, Somalia has evolved from a failed to a fragile state, he said. The African Development Bank has been with us throughout. President Adesina highlighted some of the Banks achievements over the last seven years. Approximately 27 million Africans have benefitted from new electricity connections, while 49 million enjoyed improvements in agriculture. Some 35 million gained better access to water and sanitation, and nearly a million small businesses have been provided with financial services. Over the same period, 23 million women saw improvements in agriculture and 10 million were able to take advantage of investee projects. Lending to low-income countries increased seventeenfold, from $434 million in 2010 to $7.5 billion in 2016. Lending to middle income countries doubled. The Banks active portfolio rose from $15 billion in 2010 to $30 billion in 2016. President Adesina noted that the Bank leveraged $9.73 billion from the capital markets for African countries last year and achieved its highest annual disbursement ever in its history, at $7.67 billion. Djibouti Finance Minister Hmadou Ibrahim asked the Bank to ensure that infrastructure projects being financed in neighbouring countries are extended to his country, emphasizing the importance of regional integration through rail and roads. For a country like mine, regional integration is a survival issue, he said. Without regional integration, Djibouti, this link between Africa and Asia, would not exist. As a result, all our investments bear the mark of regional integration to our environment. Hassatou NSele, the Banks Treasurer and acting Finance Vice President, highlighted the Banks outstanding private sector portfolio in low-income countries, with close to $2.4 billion funding in 2017. More than 458 companies have been financed by the Bank in these countries. Matia Kasaijja, Ugandas Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Governor for his country at the Bank, expressed strong support for a general capital increase to enable the Bank to accelerate Africas social and economic development. He noted that the Bank has retained its AAA rating during challenging economic headwinds when many institutions and countries have been downgraded. Sudan Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mohammed Osman Al-Rikabi, said: Most of our partners have focused on humanitarian support. But the African Development Bank has worked hand in hand with the Government to address macroeconomic issues and development projects. As we battle to recover our economy, the African Development Bank is providing support. President Adesina thanked the Governors for their acknowledgement of the Banks work in their respective countries. Your support and confidence in the Bank are uplifting; they mean a lot to us, he told them. You are the wind in our sails. Treehugger and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Treehugger.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) In the 2021 Budget, Finance Minister Colm Imbert had said the goal of the Government was to boost jobs. But what exactly is the state of unemployment in Trinidad and Tobago? ATTORNEYS representing Gary Griffith were in the process of drafting documents late yesterday as they prepare to file High Court action against the Police Service Commission (PolSC) over its decision to suspend him from acting in the capacity of Police Commissioner. It must be a matter of sadness for any citizen with even basic knowledge of governance and the concept of serving the public interest to witness the thrashing around of persons involved in the appointment of a new commissioner of police (CoP). Thank you very much to all! HAMIRIVER: ok, then I can swim in the sea in both whitsundays and in cairns / port douglas? or in whitsundays is it likely that there are not many beach days? We still do not decide if we will go 1 week to whitsundays, or 3 days whitsundays and 4 cairns (or even, we are thinking of changing some of those destinations by top end or red center) but if you keep the qld plan, the idea would be to fly from sydney to airlie beach (proserpine), be three days there, and take a night bus to cairns / PD to stay 4 days and fly from there to auckland thanks for the winter information in sydney! the truth is that while on vacation I dnt like cold days or using winter coats -------------------------------------------------- LOKY_CRAZYCAT: Yes, because I heard it and I saw it in travel blogs, tripadvisor rankings, etc. It always happens when youre a tourist. If you travel to Paris you will want to visit all the "tops" that you see on TV, blogs, etc, even if a Parisian recommends other places. The same thing happens with people who come to Argentina, they want to dance tango for example, and the reality is that we Argentines do not dance tango, it's just a traditional dance -What other more beautiful beaches than Whitehaven can you recommend? -What beaches in the north of Cairns do you recommend? Beaches where I can bathe in July and there are no dangers of crocodiles, etc. - I already bought the tickets, BA-SYD and AUCK-BA, but my intention is not to visit the entire two countries, we are going to dedicate the majority of the days to Australia, and only the final 2/3 days to Auckland. Then I would have 12 nights to allocate to Australia ------------------------------------------------------- SWEET BISCUIT21: Yes, I know that SYD is not as cold as BA in winter (and neither of them is as cold as a European city). So I hope I can enjoy the SYD winter with a light jacket What beaches in Port Douglas (no danger of crocodiles) would you recommend me? I know that Whitehaven costs a lot of money, but the image of that beach eclipsed me since I saw it. I would only consider stop going if the winter did not allow me to enjoy the beaches in the airlie beach / whitsundays area, in that case I would look for another destination or spend 1 week in the area of cairns But, what other beaches of Australia do you recommend? I have pending for another trip to know the beaches of gold coast and sunshine coast, but I prefer to meet them in summer ------------------------------------------------------- GURUSW: It's true what you say, but last summer in BA was VERY particular .. In the north of Australia is not July beach time either? People do not go to the beaches? ------------------------------------------------------ Again, thank you all! and I keep listening to tips We just did a 14 day aus-NZ trip and while I agree that we missed a lot, we also saw a lot! And many of us in the US can only take 2-week max trips during our working years, and might not be able to get back to that part of the world twice. So... We hit only the South Island of NZ. Spent 7 days there. Flew overnight from LA - Queenstown via Air NZ. Rented a van -6 People- and drove to Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound (preferred Doubtful), Lake Tekapo, and Christchurch. On the 7th day, we flew from Christchurch -Melbourne early in the am so we had almost a whole day wandering Melbourne. Took a tour to Philip Island the next day. That was wonderful. The third day we went on a lovely bike ride along the Yarra and flew out for Sydney around suppertime. Got there in time to fly over the city in the twilight. The first day in Sydney we walked about 12 miles... through the botanical gardens, over the bridge to Wendys secret garden, took a ferry to watsons Bay and hiked to the lighthouse, etc. After our second night downtown, we moved (by bus) to the Bondi Beach house. Spent the last 2 nights there. Walked Bondi-Coogee and relaxed on the beaches. So- a whirlwind trip, and no, we didnt see everything, but we saw a lot and had a great time. Its doable. Hi All, We're a couple and we would like to visit CA this August, so we'll probably start in Costa Rica. We dont have much time and also would like to visit Nicaragua, so I guess we'll be in Costa Rica for a week, give or take day or two. We'd like to cross the border in the north to Nicaragua, so I need your help to plan our route. We're intrested in nature, wildlife, and hiking (1 or 2 days trips). less about partying or surfing. I think I read somewhere in this forum that there's a great nature reserve close to the border with Nicaragua, with lots of wildlife. maybe this could be an option for us? can someone give me some details how do we get there, for how long should we visit there, and what are the accomadtion options there? we're traveling on budget. Most important- I also understand the August is the rainy season, but usualy rains afternoon. is it correct? and if so, is this season suitable for the hiking? last but not least- is our general route safe? are there places that should be avoided along the way? Thanks in advance for your answers and your suggestions ! -:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:- This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one. To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. I'm entering Vietnam next month on a 3 month single entry visa and the travel agent told me I must have an onward ticket or Qantas will not let me board (traveling from NZ). I've been trying to research and can't find firm information. If I need to have proof of onward travel, can I use a bus ticket? I will be traveling to Cambodia via bus at the end of my 3 months so don't want to have to purchase a flight if I don't need to. From what I can gather, it's vital to have a proof of onward travel when entering under visa exemption, so what about the 3 month? It seems the only problem is going to be with the airline? I'm not going to overstay my visa obviously, just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing so I dont get denied boarding. Hi! I am looking to book a resort in August for at least a week. We are a couple looking for a nice beach, snorkeling, nice food, peace and quiet. Budget is flexible as long as we find what we want. I have been looking at resorts on the Yasawa Islands, for example Navutu Stars as it seems to be popular on this forum. Any better suggestions? Also Matamanoa Island Resort looks nice and adults only? How does it compare to Navutu for example? What is the best way to book? We are flying from Australia and it seems there are many packages on offer but not sure if there is a difference with booking direct with the resort....? Thanks in advance for any advice given! Hi We are a family of 4 (adults and 2 kids 11 and 9) returning to Cape Liberty. We need to disembark around 10am but our return flight from JFK doesn't leave til 7.30pm. We will have 3 cases. Wife wants to go to Coney Island but I have suggested this is not feasible as I can't find/think of anywhere to store our luggage nearby. I have suggested another day in midtown Manhattan to spend a few hours. Can anyone suggest somewhere we can store our 3 cases - be it near Coney Island our in manhattan area. Thanks in advance, Kevin - Amid all the Eric Omondi controversy, his bae Chantal is capturing fans' attention for all the right reasons - Chantal , on Thursday, March 8, was spotted feeding stray cows along a busy road on her way to a weekend getaway in Zanzibar - She explained that she had immense affection for the cattle which she had grown fond of over time and Eric Omondis Italian girlfriend Chantal Grazzioli is proving to be a rare breed once again after melting fans hearts with a bizarrely noble deed on Thursday, March 8. Chantal, who was headed to Zanzibar with her beau Eric Omondi, could afford to briefly cut her journey short to feed some stray cows which were loiutering in the streets. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Mkenya atoroka Dubai baada ya kuiba KSh137 milioni, asakwa na maafisa wa polisi READ ALSO: Kenyans explain how to make your girlfriend love you more without spending too much money In the video accessed by TUKO.co.ke, a very timid Chantal musters up some courage to approach the bulls which were lazying next to a busy Nairobi highway. READ ALSO: Moral police Ezekiel Mutua says he would have been a Luo, some Kenyans agree with him She then proceeded to feed hand them what looked like grass, and from the looks of things, the cows were obviously familiar with he Eric Omondi's fiance warms hearts after cutting shot her journey to feed stray cows on a busy highway. Photo: Chantal/Instagram READ ALSO: Diamond Platinumz's family finally accepts Hamisa Mobetto's son days after break-up with Zari Whats more, she even exhibited her Kenyan spirit by throwing in a few Swahili phrases in her explanation of the video. Everyday i pass and see these cows and they make me happy and i always try my best to give them what i can...hizi tunyasi za athi river hazi toshi, She said on Instagram. READ ALSO: Ugandan comedienne Anne Kansiime finds solace in music after break up with husband Sadly, she did not have enough grass to go around, but her fans were clearly left impressed by her show of kindness, especially to animals. Have anything to add to this article or suggestions? Share with us on news@tuko.co.ke Kenyans defend disabled hawker arrested by police: Source: Tuko - Miguna Miguna has rubbished the reconciliation between Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta - The fiery Miguna termed the move by the NASA leader a betrayal to innocent Kenyans who died fighting for his stolen victories - He also claimed the reconciliation will only lead to an authoritarian and despotic Kenyatta-Odinga mornachy - Miguna said he won't support the move since his rights were violated when he was deported after swearing-in Raila Odinga on January, 30 Self-styled National Resistance Movement Secretary General Miguna Miguna has trashed the reconciliation of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga. The fiery Miguna was up in arms moments after news hit the world that Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta had converged to quash any bad blood between them, accusing the NASA leader of being unilateral, irrational and erratic. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Seneta wa Jubilee amtahadharisha Ruto kuhusu 2022 kufuatia maridhiano ya Uhuru-Raila President Uhuru Kenyatta and RT Raila Odinga raised the nation's eyebrows after they held a meeting at Harambee House on Friday, March 9 READ ALSO: Kalonzo, Mudavadi, Wetangula disown Raila's reconciliation talks with Uhuru While a number of leaders have come forth to applaud the two August 2017 Presidential giants for their surprising calling of a truce, Miguna went the opposite way and declared he would not support the move. In a damning statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, the former gubernatorial aspirant accused Raila of betraying his own supporters, some of whom passed away in violent protests that followed a number of key electoral milestones since August 8. Miguna Miguna played an integral part in Raila Odinga's controversial swearing in ceremony on January 30. Photo: NASA/Facebook Reconciliation between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila is a fundamental betrayal of the hundreds of innocent Kenyans who have lost their lives fighting for democracy and in defense of Raila Odingas stolen electoral victories of 2007, 2013 and 2017, Part of his statement read. Miguna, is currently in Canada where he has resided over the past few weeks after the State deported him for allegedly surrendering his Kenyan citizenship. You've betrayed people who died fighting for you - Miguna blasts Raila after meeting Uhuru. Photo: Miguna/Facebook READ ALSO: Senior police officer who appealed for donations to help colleagues interdicted for embarrassing govt While he is anticipating a return to Kenya, Miguna called out Raila , saying that all his own personal woes began when he took part in the controversial swearing in ceremony on January 30. As Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta toast, hug and laugh in Nairobi, I remain marooned in Canada because I swore the former in at Uhuru Park on January 30th, 2018. I am here against my will. I am here despite the fact that I have a birthright to be in Kenya," He went on. As TUKO.co.ke reported earlier, long-standing rivals Uhuru and Raila stepped out of Harambee House and jointly addressed the nation disclosing that they had agreed to end the ongoing dissent. Uhuru and Raila vowed to end the ongoing dissent. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook READ ALSO: Kenyan soldier evokes anger online after firing gun and risking lives on live Facebook video Raila who was the first to make his address, said it had been agreed between them that they start a process of healing and uniting the country following the heightened political activity in the country. It was a sight for many sore Kenyan eyes when Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga met on Friday, March 9. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/Facebook READ ALSO: Congratulations Uhuru and Raila- Ruto, other leaders hail surprise announcement between the two rivals But Miguna, who has promised to return to the country on March 26, declared he would now steer the NRM s cause regardless of Railas move. "I will return to Kenya on March 26, 2018 so as to continue the struggle for electoral justice and the culture of impunity that both Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta now represent," The fiery politician concluded. Have anything to add to this article or suggestions? Share with us on news@tuko.co.ke You can watch the report of Uhuru's meeting with Raila at Harambee House: Source: Tuko - Pius Masai who is stationed at the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) was suspended for asking for donations after a fire razed police houses - Masai asked the public to assist officers at the Central police station after their iron structures were burnt down by a huge inferno on February 23 - But the Interior ministry was not amused by his move and sent him home After a fire razed police houses to the ground at the Central police station in Nairobi on February 23, Pius Masai rushed to the station to assess the situation. Nothing had been salvaged at all, and about 80 police officers lost their properties. READ ALSO: Polisi wa kike ashtakiwa kwa kuchapisha picha za utupu mtandaoni The following day, he went to his Facebook page and appealed to members of the public for help, as he has always done in other emergencies cases. Pius Masai was suspend from work when he appealed for donations after huge fire burn police houses at Central Police station.Photo:Pius Masai/Facebook. READ ALSO: Raila meets Uhuru, agree to end dissent "Appeal for humanitarian aid and support: For cash donations, please use Safaricom M-pesa Till No 976898. Donate cash, food and non-food household items like utensils, furniture, beds, blankets, bed sheets, pillows, shoes, mattresses among others in support of the police officers and their families who are victims of the recent fire incident," he said. Little did he know that he would regret for the rest of his life. The Interior Ministry and the top police command were not amused by his action, and he was interdicted. Masai who is the Deputy Director and Communication Officer at the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) appealed to members of the public to donate to the affected police officers. READ ALSO: Kalonzo, Mudavadi, Wetangula disown Raila's reconciliation talks with Uhuru The officer, a Superintendent of Police, also appealed for food and non-food household items like utensils, furniture, beds, mattresses, and shoes among other things. The cash donations were to be sent through Mpesa Till number 976898. The affected officers were temporarily given accommodation at an estate on Jogoo Road owned by a senior politician. They were also issued with uniforms, food rations, and also offered psychological support and counseling. READ ALSO: You've betrayed people who died fighting for you - Miguna blasts Raila after meeting Uhuru The Kenya Red Cross also donated assorted non-food items to the officers. Masai was appointed the NDMUs deputy director in January 2014. He previously served at the International Peace Support School (IPSTC) as the Chief Instructor and also as the officer in charge of the Disaster management Wing at the Kenya Police College. He has also served in Croatia and Bosnia under the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission. Story by Lucky Omenda-Correspondent,Nairobi county Source: Tuko Breaking News It looks like the Gary Griffith vs the PSC matter is set to go all the way to the Privy Council. But Griffith's lead attorney, Senior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj tells TV6, the determination should be quick, as he has already put the Privy Council on alert. One soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was killed as a result of the enemy shelling in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in Donbas over the past day, despite the ceasefire regime announced on March 5. Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson Maksym Prauta said this at a press briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. "Last night, a soldier was killed as a result of the shelling by Russian occupation troops. This is the second loss since the beginning of the announced ceasefire agreements," he said. He recalled that the ceasefire regime was announced at midnight on March 5. Over the past day, Russian-backed militants launched three attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in Donbas. ish The European Commission has formally adopted a proposal for a new macro-financial assistance for Ukraine worth up to 1 billion. This was reported by the press service of the European Commission on March 9. "The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a new Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme for Ukraine worth up to 1 billion to support economic stabilisation and structural reforms," the report reads. Noted that today's proposal was submitted at the request of the Ukrainian leadership and direct discussions between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko. The new programme seeks to build on the progress made in supporting economic stabilisation and structural reforms under the three previous MFA operations. "Today's proposal on the fourth Macro-Financial Assistance programme of 1 billion shows the EU's commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine. This solidarity must go hand-in-hand with a continued commitment from the Ukrainian authorities to an ambitious reform agenda to ensure a stable and prosperous Ukraine. We are counting on the European Parliament and Member States for their support for this important programme," Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis said. The EU has so far pledged 12.8 billion to support the reform process in Ukraine, including 2.8 billion through three MFA programmes, since the onset of the crisis in 2014. Ukraines Foreign Ministry has confirmed the death of two Ukrainians in a road traffic accident that occurred in Poland on March 8. Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine Mariana Betsa wrote this on Twitter. "As a result of the road accident in Poland, two Ukrainian citizens were killed. Four people are now at the hospital," she wrote. Betsa assures that the Ukrainian consuls provide the necessary assistance to the injured persons. ish During a visit to Brussels, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, will meet with NATO leadership and take part in discussions at the Brussels Forum. According to the program of the visit, the Ukrainian official will hold a meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller on Friday. On Saturday, Klympush-Tsintsadze will take part in a panel discussion on the revival of the Euro-Atlantic integration process at the Brussels Forum. Together with the Ukrainian vice premier, the discussion will be attended by U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker and Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili. This year the Brussels Forum takes place on March 8-10. The event is an annual high-level platform for discussion of global political, economic, and security issues, including transatlantic relations, by politicians, experts, scientists, representatives of civil society. ish President Petro Poroshenko believes that the work of Taras Shevchenko continues to support and inspire people in the struggle for free Ukraine. The head of state wrote this on his Facebook page on the occasion of the 204th anniversary of Taras Shevchenkos birth. "The personality of Taras Shevchenko has united Ukrainians at all times. He, surprisingly, remains always modern," Poroshenko noted. According to him, Shevchenko's testament became the guidebook of Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity. "His image appeared on the banners and shields of Ukrainian youth. His word still continues to be a pillar of support and inspiration in our struggle Keep fighting, you are bound to win! God helps you in your fight" the President stressed. As reported, on March 9, Ukraine and the world celebrate the 204th anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko, poet, painter and humanist. ish The International Committee of the Red Cross has sent more than 220 tons of humanitarian aid to the occupied areas of Donetsk region. This was reported on the website of the Ukrainian State Border Service. "Over the past day, 11 trucks carrying over 220 tons of food, healthcare products and construction goods from the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross crossed the Novotroitske checkpoint in the direction of the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine," the State Border Service said in a statement released on Thursday. ish For years, linguists have been studying thousands of languages from manuscripts and inscriptions on rocks and other materials. They have been trying to understand what the first language was, how it came to being, and most importantly, how it evolved into the numerous languages that we have today. If only they could study a language right from its birth, they might then be able to find the answers. Well, the Nicaraguan Sign Language provided linguists with one such opportunity. The first speakers of the language are still alive, enabling linguists to study the language and its evolution right from its birth. Since 1977, the deaf children of Nicaragua have been developing a sign language that has provided experts with unique insights on the evolution of human languages. The Nicaraguan Sign Language, or more commonly known as NSL, is a sign language that was developed, spontaneously by a group of deaf children in Nicaragua. The language was developed in the 1970s and gained momentum in the 1980s. The language has gained much popularity in the linguistic world because it presents linguists with an extraordinary opportunity to study a language right from its birth. Linguists are getting access to a language where they can observe its birth and development right in front of their eyes. Some researchers are in disagreement as to whether the Nicaraguan Sign Language can be considered as a full-fledged language. They are concerned with the stage of development the sign language is currently in, and whether that stage defines a full-fledged language. Judy Kegl, an American Sign Language linguist from MIT, believes that at the stage when the deaf developed the gesture-based communication medium, it gave young children the impression that their input was a language that needs to be acquired. The first generation of young children acquired the language as any human would acquire any other language. The changes that came after that are expected as part of the historical changes. Advertisements Linguists across the world consider the Nicaraguan Sign Language, or NSL, as an important test case because the language was developed entirely in isolation. Interestingly, the first speakers of the language are still alive. As we have mentioned above, the Nicaraguan Sign Language has provided linguists with an opportunity to watch the workings and development of a language right from its birth. This is the first language in the world where the first speakers are still alive. Prior to the 1970s, the deaf people in Nicaragua used to stay in their homes and never had enough contact with each other. But with the opening of a vocational school in 1981, the deaf children were presented with an opportunity to interact with each other. These children at the school never learned any specific sign language. They started interacting with each other and developed their own system of signs to get their messages across. In the beginning, the signs were quite crude. But as more and more children began adopting the language, the signs became more polished. This ultimately resulted in a sophisticated and complex sign language that we know today as the Nicaraguan Sign Language. The language has all the traits of both known spoken and sign languages. One key trait that the linguists identified in the sign language was the children adopted discreteness in their signs. This means that they broke down large containers of information into small manageable packages. Linguists around the world have spent years trying to understand how languages began and how they developed to their current stage. Some believe that our brains are hardwired to develop and acquire languages while others believe that language is something that is just culturally transmitted. Now, for the first time, linguists have come face to face with a language that they can study from its birth. Dr. Ann Senghas of Columbia University says, When people study historical linguistics to try to figure out how languages are born they are usually looking at old historical data, like scratches on rocks. This is the first time we have had the opportunity to observe it in action because the originators are still alive. When linguists started examining this unique sign language closely, they discovered that the children who developed the language used to break down complex ideas into small pieces. This is something that is common to all known languages. To confirm this, the researchers carried out a simple experiment. The researchers showed the Nicaraguan deaf children a cartoon of a cat wobbling down a hill after he ate a bowling ball. The children were then asked to describe what they had seen in their sign language. Deaf students who were among the first to have created the language used a single gesture to describe both wobbling and going down the hill. This was similar to what a speaking human would have used if asked to explain the cartoon in sign language. But when the later generations of students were asked the same, they used different signs to depict wobbling and going down the hill. This is one of the most important features of an abstract language the ability to break down information into small bits and then express it. Advertisements This provided linguists with compelling evidence that humans have an innate ability to develop languages. Even without being taught, humans have the ability to develop their own language. This simple experiment made researchers discover an important insight as to how humans develop their languages. Dr. Senghas says, If they were just clever at learning, they would have learned to do it the way they had seen it being done. But that isnt what they did; they ended up acquiring something different. They ended up breaking down the gestures into something they could build a language out of. This provided researchers with convincing evidence that humans are hard-wired with the ability to develop language in this way. In simpler words, children have the ability to break down the information they receive into small chunks. They then tie those chunks together into a single string forming multiple sentences with a wide range of meanings. Dr. Senghas further explains, We lose the ability to break information into discrete elements as we age. It is not just that children can do it, but adults cant do it. Moreover, this study does not explicitly prove that languages are hard-wired into our brains. But it suggests that the fundamentals of language are part of our innate nature. This means that we do not have any grammar or a specific language in our heads when we are born, but we do have certain language learning abilities. But since childrens language in most cases ends up exactly like their parents language, it is very difficult to pinpoint what their own minds added to the mixture. But now, researchers have the Nicaraguan Sign Language on which to conduct such research. [sources: 1,2,3] Ruban is charged with the preparation of a terrorist act and the illegal possession of weapons. Head of the Ukrainian "Officer Corps" center for the exchange of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban, who was detained in Donbas on March 8, has been brought to Kyiv where a preventive measure is due to be elected in Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky district court. At the same time, Strana.ua has published the text of suspicion, according to which Ruban is charged with the preparation of a terrorist act and the illegal possession of weapons. In addition, he is suspected of plotting an assassination of the president of Ukraine, as well as top officials in Kyiv. As UNIAN reported earlier, Head of the Ukrainian "Officer Corps" center for the exchange of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban was detained on the contact line with the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" at the Maiorsk checkpoint in Donetsk region on March 8. It was reported he tried to transport a huge arsenal of weapons from the occupied territory to Ukraine. The partnerships will see local officials and experts visit each other's communities to identify objectives, analyze challenges, and implement plans over the course of the next three years or more. The European Union increased its support for local and regional authorities in Ukraine on March 8, with the launch of five partnerships between Ukrainian and EU regions and cities. The relationships will see Estonian, German, Hungarian, Lithuanian and Polish communities share their experience in areas identified as priorities by their Ukrainian partners drawing up economic-development plans, supporting rural areas, helping small and medium-sized enterprises, boosting tourism, and increasing transparency, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) reports. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the European Committee of the Regions to support the decentralization of power in Ukraine, a process that began in April 2014 and that has seen a consolidation of local governments, an increase in their funding and the transfer of greater powers to them. Read alsoPM Groysman: Draft budget for 2018 foresees further decentralization The partnerships will see local officials and experts visit each other's communities to identify objectives, analyze challenges, and implement plans over the course of the next three years or more. Four of the five EU communities involved have representatives in the European Committee of the Regions. Financial support comes from the European Commission, with GIZ, the German development agency, providing day-to-day technical support. "Local and regional governments are working together to encourage decentralization and increase capacity-building by providing practical support to communities in Ukraine. These partnerships will help Ukrainian communities emulate the progress of EU towns and regions that have prospered from greater control over local services. Strengthening relations and sharing good policy is in the interests of local communities and will ensure a securer, more prosperous European neighborhood," Karl-Heinz Lambertz, the President of the CoR, said. "These partnerships are a very welcome initiative that will help the decentralization process. Ukrainian communities are gaining more power and funding, but local politicians need very specific support as they learn how to use that power to the best effect for their communities. This is also a show of solidarity by communities in eastern Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, and Poland that have made a similar journey away from very centralized state management," said Sergey Chernov, Chairman of Kharkiv Regional Council and President of the Ukrainian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. The city of Rakvere in Estonia will work with Vesele in southern Ukraine on energy efficiency and sustainable local development, while the Wielkopolska region has teamed up with Kharkiv region in north-eastern Ukraine to assist rural development. Shyroke in Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine will be teamed with Barleben from Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, while the western Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi has asked Szabolcs Szatmar Bereg County in Hungary to help develop green rural tourism. Zarasai municipality in Lithuania will share its experience of improving transparency and involving local citizens in decision-making processes with Chemerivtsi, a town in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains. On the same day, representatives from the Ukrainian regions also attended a meeting in Brussels of the Ukraine task-force created by the CoR, at which the keynote speech was given by Vyacheslav Nehoda, Ukraine's First Deputy Minister for Regional Development, Building and Housing. Other speakers included Marc Cools, Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Tibor Szanyi MEP, deputy chair of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, and senior EU officials including Peter Wagner, Head of the European Commission's Support Group for Ukraine, and Dirk Schuebel, head of the Eastern Partnership division in the European External Action Service. Criminal activity of Ruban's group has been documented by the SBU for a long time. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had a meeting with Head of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak regarding the prevention of terrorist attacks in Ukraine, during which the latter said that the level of terrorist threat to Ukrainians had been the highest since independence. "I want to tell that the level of terrorist threat to Ukrainians has been the highest since the independence of our state," Hrytsak said, the president's press service reports. In particular, he informed that the SBU had prevented large-scale terrorist attacks planned to be made in the near future in the city of Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. Read alsoRuban arrested until May 6 "Yesterday, on March 8, 2018, while trying to enter Ukraine from the uncontrolled part of the country, Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Ruban was detained with a large, I would say, with a very large amount of weaponry. These are weapons, explosive materials, machine guns and other military means of destruction," he said. According to him, criminal activity of Ruban's group has been documented by the SBU for a long time, which made it possible to establish a lot of details on the preparation of this crime. The president thanked the security officials involved in the operation. "The operation has lasted for a long time. The head of the SBU informed me personally about that. I would like to note that Russian media and politicians immediately started to protect him, which confirms our actions were correct," Poroshenko said. Read alsoChief mediator for swaps Ruban detained in Donbas media The president instructed Hrytsak to take the investigation under his personal control, "inform the society as soon as possible and ensure peace for Ukrainians". Poroshenko added that the goal was to destabilize the society with massive terrorist attacks. "I want to emphasize that it's not about the transporter. You will get irrefutable evidence of preparation of massive terrorist attack in Ukraine," he said. In the Donetsk sector, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka came under fire from 82mm mortars. Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas three times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA). Read alsoDay in war zone: Ukraine reports 1 WIA, 3 ceasefire violations "In the Luhansk sector, the enemy fired grenade launchers and heavy machine guns on the defenders of the village of Luhanske," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Friday morning. In the Donetsk sector, the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka came under fire from 82mm mortars. It is reported Ruban has been taken to the Mariupol detention center. Head of the Ukrainian "Officer Corps" center for the exchange of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban was detained on March 8. Ruban was detained on the contact line with the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" at the Maiorsk checkpoint in Donetsk region, Strana.ua reports with reference to its sources in the law enforcement agencies, It is reported Ruban has been taken to the Mariupol detention center. According to preliminary data, he was detained due to the transportation of the "prohibited goods". Later, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko confirmed Ruban's detention. According to volunteer Miroslav Gai, Ruban was detained at the checkpoint at 09:15 Kyiv time when he tried to transport a huge arsenal of weapons from the occupied territory to Ukraine. He said the negotiator was transferred to the SBU Security Service of Ukraine. "Under the guise of a displaced person, this 'general' tried to transport a whole arsenal of weapons that was hidden in furniture," Deputy Minister for the Occupied Territories and IDPs, former Head of the Luhansk Military Civil Administration George Tuka wrote on Facebook. In the Donetsk sector, the aggressor used small arms against the Ukrainian positions in the village of Vodiane at night. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted two attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on Friday, March 9, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another one as wounded in action (WIA). Read alsoU.S. urges Russia to instruct its fighters in Donbas to end intimidation of OSCE monitors "In the Donetsk sector, the aggressor used small arms against the Ukrainian positions in the village of Vodiane at night. In addition, the defenders of the town of Avdiyivka came under fire from small arms," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Friday evening. "Unfortunately, one Ukrainian soldier was killed as a result of enemy shelling. Another soldier was wounded. He was taken to a hospital and provided with medical assistance," reads the report. As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas three times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA). Russia continues to have strong military and cultural ties to Serbia. The top U.S. military commander in Europe warned that the Balkans are facing increased covert and overt pressure from Russia, and that Washington and NATO need to do more to keep the region from destabilizing. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti also told a Senate committee on March 8 that the United States has not come up with an effective response to Russian cyberthreats, in what is the latest warning from top U.S. military and civilian officials, RFE/RL reported. Scaparrotti, who oversees U.S. military forces in Europe and is the supreme allied commander for NATO, was asked by lawmakers on the Senate Armed Service Committee if there were regions in Europe facing new threats from Russia. "The area I am concerned about today is the Balkans actually," he said. "Russia is at work in the Balkans and we have kind of taken our eye off the area." "That is an area we could have problems with in the future," he added. The Balkan nation of Montenegro became the 29th member of NATO last year, a step that was bitterly criticized by Russia and opposed by some Montenegrins who advocate closer ties with Moscow. Montenegrin officials have alleged that a coup attempt in 2016 that involved two Russian citizens, and several Serbian nationals was a plot orchestrated by Russian intelligence to destabilize the country ahead of its NATO accession. The Kremlin denied the claim. Read alsoJuncker: None of Balkan states to join EU without border dispute settlement Russia continues to have strong military and cultural ties to Serbia. Scaparrotti was also asked about how the United States was responding to Russian cyberactivity, which U.S. intelligence warned has increased notably in recent years. "I don't believe there has been an effective response," he told senators. State-backed hackers are alleged to have been involved in attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine, and U.S. officials have charged that Russian spy agencies oversaw a hacking campaign aimed at U.S. political parties and election systems in recent years. Russian officials rejected the accusation. Last week, the man nominated to head U.S. Cyber Command, Army Lieutenant General Paul Nakasone, testified before the same Senate committee that the United States must impose costs on online "adversaries" to make them stop. Nakasone's comments followed even stronger remarks made by the man he is replacing, Admiral Mike Rogers, who said that the Kremlin believes "there is little price to pay" from Russia cyberactivity. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), will create new business opportunities for not only Pakistan but also other countries in South Asia and adjacent areas as it reshapes the regional economic landscape by shortening trade routes BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) ::The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), will create new business opportunities for not only Pakistan but also other countries in South Asia and adjacent areas as it reshapes the regional economic landscape by shortening trade routes. The B&R initiative has made headlines across South Asia, where leaders must ponder the future of regional economic integration in a bid to pursue the maximization of their local interests. Some countries in the region have thus witnessed frequent high-level bilateral exchanges, according to an article published by Chinese newspaper "Global Times" on Friday. The image of Pakistan has improved as the country gives full support to the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative, announced by Chinese President, Xi Jinping for the shared prosperity of the mankind. As an example, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was the first high-level foreign dignitary to be received by KP Sharma Oli after Oli was sworn in as the prime minister of Nepal this month. Nepal's prime minister usually makes his first visit to India after being inaugurated, so the invitation to Pakistan is seen as a sign that the two countries may further strengthen economic cooperation. Although the CPEC faces challenges, the economic corridor has become a reality with the first shipment of Chinese goods through the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan in 2016. The CPEC, a flagship project of the B&R initiative, helps Pakistan occupy an important position in the trade route linking China and the West. While Nepal extends an olive branch to Pakistan to enhance cooperation, Afghanistan has also shown an interest in being involved in the CPEC projects. The B&R initiative is not designed as a political instrument to enhance China's economic ties with the participants, but as an open platform for all of them to strengthen communication among themselves. Active exchanges in various areas are brightening the picture for South Asian economies. It seems the B&R initiative has played an increasing role in promoting economic integration. Countries that have given a cool response to the B&R initiative may be bystanders to South Asia's rejuvenation. This should be recognized by India. Ministers from 11 countries gathered in Chile's capital signed a Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Xinhua reported here on Friday. SANTIAGO, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) ::Ministers from 11 countries gathered in Chile's capital signed a Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Xinhua reported here on Friday. The pact is also known as the TPP 11, since it evolved from the initial 12-member Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that fell apart after the United States withdrew from it in January 2017. At the signing ceremony, Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz praised the agreement as a tool for promoting free trade and economic integration. "We are going to send a clear message to ... the rest of the world, with clear signs of commitment to the liberalization of trade, regional integration, and the creation of jobs and development ... " said Munoz. Ministers from the other 10 signatory states were also present, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The CPTPP reaffirms these countries' opposition to protectionism and support for the free flow of goods, services and investment toward global growth, Munoz said. The United States was one of the proponents of the TPP under former President Barack Obama, but his successor Donald Trump pulled the country out of the treaty when he took office as part of a push to put in place more protectionist measures to bolster domestic manufacturing and production. The CPTPP preserves the core of the TPP, but suspends some 20 provisions, many having to do with controversial intellectual property right. Spanish unions have reached a deal with the government to raise the salary of civil servants for the first time since 2009 after an economic crisis sparked drastic austerity measures, they said Friday. Madrid, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Spanish unions have reached a deal with the government to raise the salary of civil servants for the first time since 2009 after an economic crisis sparked drastic austerity measures, they said Friday. The agreement allows for a 6.1 to 8.8 percent rise over three years, depending on the growth of the Spanish economy over this period, according to a statement published by CCOO, one of the country's main unions. Last year, the government had proposed a one percent increase, but this was rejected by unions as inadequate. "It's the first rise since 2009," Antonio Cabrera, head of the health branch of CCOO, told AFP. "We're going towards an increase that will mean people in the civil service will recover their lost purchasing power." But he said this was just a start, as civil servants lost between 11 and 23 percent of their purchasing power during the crisis, the hardest-hit working in the health sector. On top of this, tens of thousands of posts were abolished in the central administration, army, justice and public health sectors. There were 2.5 million civil servants in Spain in 2016, compared to 2.7 million at the start of 2010, according to official data. Civil servants aside, the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, in power since 2011, is currently faced with the anger of pensioners, thousands of whom took to the streets in February to slam the tiny rise in their pensions. Still, in 2017, the minimum wage rose eight percent, the strongest increase in 30 years, and by four percent this year, with the aim of reaching 992 Euros ($1,223) in 2020. Spain, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy, saw its GDP rise 3.1 percent in 2017, its third consecutive year of growth above 3 percent. But the country still suffers from sky-high unemployment at 16.5 percent, the second highest rate in the European Union after Greece. The economic relations between Iran and Austria are in better conditions in post-JCPOA era, Tehran Governor Mohammad Hossein Moghimi said, IRNA reported. TEHRAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) ::The economic relations between Iran and Austria are in better conditions in post-JCPOA era, Tehran Governor Mohammad Hossein Moghimi said, IRNA reported. There is good capacity for broadening cooperation in economic, agricultural, environmental and cultural fields, he added. He also referred to signing two contracts with Austrian companies, expressing hope for removing investment barriers. Meanwhile, Deputy Governor of Upper Austria Michael Strugl said grounds have been prepared for win-win cooperation between two countries. Austria relations with Iran is in line with Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said adding that important contracts have so far been signed between two countries. Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) will hold interactive mock trading session at University of Sindh, Jamshoro, which is expected to be participated by around 300 students. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :pakistan stock exchange (PSX) will hold interactive mock trading session at University of Sindh, Jamshoro, which is expected to be participated by around 300 students. This academic session of psx is the continuity of its programme to educate, make aware and build a strong brand perception with potential young investors in middle class society, said PSX release here on Friday. The week long series of mock trading session has titled as STOCKCHALLENGE and it is aimed at creating awareness on capital market and investment avenues. PSX had already held such sessions with many business schools including LUMS,IBA, Iqra University, FAST and SZABIST. The Gwadar Port in Pakistan, a key project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has become operational for container vessels, as it welcomed its first such ship on Wednesday local time, a milestone for the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :The Gwadar Port in Pakistan, a key project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has become operational for container vessels, as it welcomed its first such ship on Wednesday local time, a milestone for the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative. A Chinese container vessel, operated by China COSCO Shipping Corp, arrived at the deep sea port escorted by Pakistani Navy vessels. After loading frozen sea food, it departed for the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates. The development marked the start of a container cargo shipping service between Gwadar and several middle Eastern ports, known as the Karachi Gwadar Gulf Express, which is the first container cargo shipping service between Gwadar and the Middle East, according to the report. COSCO, which launched the Karachi Gwadar Gulf Express, will use the Karachi port, Jebel Ali port and other Emirati ports as transit ports to integrate the new shipping line into its 16 international routes and provide services for global clients, China Overseas Ports Holding Co, which manages Gwadar Port, said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday. "This is also the only shipping line in and out of Gwadar in the global shipping market. It means Gwadar will be connected to almost all major ports in the world and represents a big leap forward in the development of Gwadar," the statement read. Parliamentarians on Friday lauded the economic reforms introduced by the present government for the uplift of country economy. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Parliamentarians on Friday lauded the economic reforms introduced by the present government for the uplift of country economy. Talking to APP outside Parliament House, MNA Malik Abrar said that record development projects initiated by the present government, adding that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would create job opportunities and flourish business in the country. He said that government also allocated enough funds allocated for education reforms which are commendable. MNA Zeb Jaffar said that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) would come in government in 2018 elections on basis of its performance. She said that number of initiative were taken for the economic stability during last four years. (@rukhshanmir) South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will closely cooperate in energy, infrastructure, the fourth industrial revolution, and the medical sector, the finance ministry here said Friday. SEJONG, Mar 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will closely cooperate in energy, infrastructure, the fourth industrial revolution, and the medical sector, the finance ministry here said Friday. The agreement came in the sixth round of economic cooperation meetings between South Korea's Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon and his UAE counterpart Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansoori. South Korea and the UAE have been holding the minister-level economic meetings in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy, infrastructure and intellectual property sectors. According to the ministry, the two nations agreed to further build up cooperation for oil field development and renewable energy development. They also agreed to strengthen collaborative research on the fourth industrial revolution, and exchange human resources. The partners said they will share know-how to nurture smaller firms and startups in each area, and further boost cooperation in the medical sector, according to the ministry. The resource-rich middle Eastern country was the second-biggest overseas construction market for South Korea in 2015 and its fifth-largest supplier of crude oil. (@ChaudhryMAli88) UNITED NATIONS, Mar 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Pakistan has called on both Afghan parties -- the government and the Taliban -- to seize fresh opportunity for peace by entering into talks aimed at ending the prolonged conflict to usher in durable peace in Afghanistan. Speaking in the UN Security Council on Thursday, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said that amid deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani had made a dignified proposal for talks without preconditions with the Taliban, offering an opportunity to advance a credible peace process. The international community too had endorsed the goal of a negotiated settlement through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. Pakistan would play its part in fostering such a dignified process, she said, renewing the call for the Taliban to renounce violence and join the peace talks. But the Pakistani envoy also cautioned against the "complex and delicate" task ahead in the war-torn country. "Seizing this opportunity requires an understanding that the simultaneous resort to more kinetic actions "the escalation of military force to 'shape the battlefield' " will evoke an escalation of attacks by the insurgents and erode rather than advance the prospect of initiating the envisaged political process," Ambassador Lodhi said, adding that both the Afghan government and its Coalition allies as well as the Taliban should have now learnt that neither can impose a military victory on the other. "The renewed escalation of force will impose further suffering on Afghanistan's innocent civilian population," she said. Thursday's meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, organized by the Netherlands, the Council President this month, was held on International Women's Day. In her remarks, the Pakistani envoy said, while the peace talks would be Afghan-led and Afghan owned, the other parties involved, including the US, will need to be engaged in the negotiating process. Also, she said the international community must oppose any efforts by "some regional powers and Afghan parties" to derail the peace process outlined by President Ashraf. The Pakistani envoy voiced serious concern about the rapid rise of the presence of Da'esh in Afghanistan, citing recent report that the Afghan Government controls only 18% of the country's districts, and has influence in an additional 38%, while the rest was ungoverned. "The elimination of Da'esh and its affiliates must be accorded a high priority in the endeavor to achieve durable peace in the region," she said, pointing to their presence in ungoverned and contested spaces in Afghanistan's North and the East. The Pakistani envoy also called on the Afghan government and its international partners to break the nexus between drug production and terrorism. On its part, Ambassador Lodhi said Pakistan has successfully turned the tide against terrorism by conducting the largest and most sustained anti-terrorism campaign anywhere in the world with the deployment of over 200,000 troops. Now, she said, the threat of terrorism in Pakistan emanates principally from outside its boundaries. In this context, she cited Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa's remarks at the recent Munich Security Conference that out of the 131 terrorist attacks on Pakistani territory, 123 were conceived, planned and executed from Afghanistan. "This is happening despite the presence of the most powerful military alliance in Afghanistan," she said. At the outset of her speech, Ambassador Lodhi said the UN Secretary General's report painted a bleak picture of Afghanistan, marked by its political impasse and economic situation, as well as production and trafficking of drugs. Such activities took place within a security environment that, in 2017, had witnessed an increase in air strikes and terrorist attacks, and the highest number of civilian casualties ever recorded in that country. The continuing presence of large numbers of terrorist groups and foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan pose a threat to the long-term stability of Afghanistan, its neighbours, including Pakistan, and the entire region, the Pakistani envoy said. Pakistan, she said, also had offered hospitality to Afghan people over the past several decades, and continued to host the largest protracted presence of refugees anywhere in the world. It had delayed sending those refugees back to Afghanistan on compassionate grounds. In conclusion, Ambassador Lodhi said she stood with her sisters in Afghanistan in support of their rights and liberty, calling an assault on their rights an assault on those of women everywhere. The meeting was chaired by the Netherland's Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, who led an all-women delegation. APP/ift (@FahadShabbir) Chief justice Saqib Nisar visited Red Crescent Medical College in which he showed complete disappointment by the college fees relative to the facilities available. One student is charged 25 lacs (2.5 million) which is extremely high Lahore, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) Chief justice Saqib Nisar visited Red Crescent Medical College in which he showed complete disappointment by the college fees relative to the facilities available. One student is charged 25 lacs (2.5 million) which is extremely high. Chief Justice asked Director General FIA to investigate the college management and ordered the college to return extra fees within 1 week. Justice Saqib Nisar, Chief justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan, made a visit to Red Crescent Medical College and had a complete overview of the facilities available. Chief justice said that he is completely disappointed by the bad condition of the college and over-charged fees. He further added that the condition of the college is even below average despite of the high academic fees. Chief justice asked DG FIA to have a thorough investigation from the college management about the fees and the facilities. He further ordered the college to return the over-charged fees from the students within the time period of 1 week. Chief Justice said that it is not easy for the parents to arrange such a heavy fee of 25 lacs. Medical college neither has the adequate facilities nor have the proper faculty members. He said that he will not only remain limited to one province but he will cover the whole country and check all the facilities available to the people. Chief Justice also made the visit to Services Hospital Lahore and PIC for checking all the facilities provided (@rukhshanmir) President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday said constitutional guarantee was important in ensuring broad-based consensus among political stakeholders and national institutions for the stability of system. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday said constitutional guarantee was important in ensuring broad-based consensus among political stakeholders and national institutions for the stability of system. Addressing at the farewell of the retired Senators on completion of their term, the President said parliament was an important body in maintaining functioning of the State, for defining the direction of government and for keeping an eye on performance of institutions. President Mamnoon said all institutions of the State were answerable and accountable to the Parliament and emphasized on accelerating the process of consultation among stakeholders of political system and the relevant national institutions. The said the consultative process needed to be given constitutional cover to foster democratic system in the country in line with the Constitution and also in accordance with the aspirations of people. He called upon the parliamentarians to take up the matter on emergency basis in the interest of the nation so that the history remembers them in good words. The President said the recent election of Senate was an important milestone, however regretted the suspicion cast by some politicians over the process, which he said was a matter of concern. He said due care and caution should be observed while giving statements on the issues of national importance and instead of creating controversy, the matter should be handled responsibly. President Mamnoon said in view of bitter experience in the past, the sensitivity regarding the continuity of democratic process was understandable. He said ignorance of political norms had resulted in the ongoing disturbance and in this regard, great responsibility lied on politicians and parliamentarians. He said bench and opposition were the two pillars of the system and stressed for following the basics of democracy to ensure smooth functioning of the government. He called upon all political parties to shun their mutual differences in the best interest of democracy and contribute to strengthening of the system. The President expressed satisfaction that the Senate Secretariat had compiled its activities in the form of book and proposed to translate it from English to urdu edition for benefiting maximum of people. He lauded the services of Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani for strengthening of democracy and expressed hope that the retired Senators would continue with their positive efforts. Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Chairman Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq and Leader of the Opposition Aitezaz Ahsan also spoke on the occasion. Director General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore Shahzad Saleem Friday gave away a cheque worth Rs 10.8 million to DG Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Zahid Akhtar Zaman here at the NAB Office. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Director General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore Shahzad Saleem Friday gave away a cheque worth Rs 10.8 million to DG Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Zahid Akhtar Zaman here at the NAB Office. The amount had been recovered from the culprits involved in LDA related frauds. According to NAB spokesman, NAB Lahore has been probing various graft cases related to LDA in which hefty amounts are known to be embezzled. Some of such cases include illegally commercialisation of properties with alleged connivance of LDA staff, while the arrest of some culprits had also been made. Other cases involve preparing and selling of bogus/ illegal files of different plots in private housing societies. The NAB Lahore has so far recovered Rs115 million since January 2018 from the culprits and handed the amount over to the affectees or deposited in the kitty. (@rukhshanmir) HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Mar, 2018 ) :The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has rejected the Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2018, bill which was passed by Sindh Assembly on Friday. Talking to the APP here Friday, FAPUASA Sindh chapter President Prof Naimatullah Laghari said the newly amended law had denied autonomy to the universities while vesting all the crucial powers in the Sindh Government. Prof Laghari pointed out that making of the admission policy which was responsibility of the universities' based academic councils had been handed over to the provincial government. The government would also decide the policy of the constituent colleges, institutes and centers of the universities, he added. Furthermore, Chief Minister Sindh had been empowered to remove a Vice Chancellor."CM shall in case of substantial allegations of gross misconduct, inefficiency, corruption, violation of budgetary provision, moral turpitude, maladministration and mismanagement remove the VC after giving him an opportunity of show cause against such removal," reads the Bill. Prof Laghario also took exception to the provisions which allow appointment of a bureaucrat as a VC and reduce representation of academicians in the syndicates while adding to numerical strength of those representing the government.The FAPUASA's President informed that the association would hold a meeting in Karachi on March 12 to decide the course of protest or action in reaction to the bill. APP/zmb/abd Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Department of Gender Studies and Sociology here on Friday organized a panel discussion in connection with International Women's Day to acknowledge the struggle and achievements of Pakistani women who participated in every field of life and played their role for the development of the country. RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Department of Gender Studies and Sociology here on Friday organized a panel discussion in connection with International Women's Day to acknowledge the struggle and achievements of Pakistani women who participated in every field of life and played their role for the development of the country. Vice-Chancellor, FJWU Dr. Samina Amin Qadir also attended the panel discussion. The guest speakers on the occasion highlighted the current issues and challenges, the Pakistani women being faced in different fields of life. The VC said, the International Women Day is celebrated worldwide to highlight issues of women and call for gender parity. She said that education creates awareness particularly among women about their rights and education is also a strong base for development of sustainable societies, economic and social justice. Dr. Samina Amin Qadir said that International Women Day is all about feeling women, realize their worth and giving them a boost to achieve as per their actual potential. On this day, the world unites to appreciate their courage to cross all the hurdles and make such tremendous improvement in every field of life. The guest speakers enlightened the students to understand the issues and coping mechanism to deal with various situations. Dr. Sobia Masood, Assistant professor NIP, QAU, Ms. Ambreen Ajaib, Bedari, Ms. Sadaf Raza, Resarcher and Trainer and Dr. Rukhsana Hassan, Assistant Prof. FJWU took part in the discussion and shared their life achievements and educated the students, how they can tackle with problems and make themselves more strong. The surge of terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda offshoots in the Sahel, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan point to a frightening reality of a global terrorist group that has been dormant since the rise of ISIS in the Middle East. An alliance of terrorist groups loyal to Al Qaida hit Ouagadougou recently killing at least 8 members of Burkina Fasos armed forces. The attack is indicative of the groups might in a region plagued by weak states, porous borders and widespread trafficking in human beings, drugs and cigarettes. The deployment of the special counterterrorism force by five African countries- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger- known as G5 Sahel with French support has not succeeded in containing Al Qaeda, which has been quietly rebuilding while world attention was directed to combating ISIS. Al Qaeda found in the mayhem that engulfed many Arab countries following the 2011 revolutions propitious conditions for recruitment establishing branches in Syria and Libya. Today, a look at the civil wars in Libya, Syria and Yemen show that Al Qaeda terrorist group has gained ground as a key player in these wars. Analysts say that decentralization is a key concept to understand Al Qaedas resurrection. The terrorist group, led by Jordans Ayman al-Zawahiri, counts more than a dozen franchises operating in an area extending from West Africa to South East Asia with a capacity to disrupt local and regional stability. In Syria alone, al-Qaeda now has upwards of twenty-thousand men under arms, and it has perhaps another four thousand in Yemen and about seven thousand in Somalia. Now, after the demise of IS, al-Qaeda stands as the mightiest rebel group in Syria through its franchise Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which has extended its control last year over all of Idlib Province, along the Syrian-Turkish border. Bruce Hoffman, in an analysis on The Council of Foreign Relations, sums up the success of the restructuring of Al Qaeda in three strategic decisions by Zawahiri. The first was to strengthen the decentralized franchise approach that has facilitated the movements survival. Over the years, the leaders and deputies of al-Qaedas far-flung franchises have been integrated into the movements deliberative and consultative processes. Today, al-Qaeda is truly global, having effectively incorporated local grievances and concerns into a global narrative that forms the foundation of an all-encompassing grand strategy. The second major move, according to Hoffman, was the order issued by Zawahiri in 2013 to avoid mass casualty operations, especially those that might kill Muslim civilians. Al-Qaeda has thus been able to present itself through social media, paradoxically, as moderate extremists, ostensibly more palatable than ISIS. Such strategic decisions spared Al Qaeda the wrath of the global coalition to combat terrorism, which were more focused on destroying ISIS. The rise of Al Qaeda has dismissed the claims of several analysts who falsely predicted the fall of the group with the death of Ben Laden. The terrorist group found means to survive through setting up branches in poorly governed and conflict stricken areas. The defeat of Al Qaeda remains now a matter of confronting its multiple affiliates, which act as an organized militia with headquarters and convoys notably in the Sahel, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Office Lahore arranged an event at the Governor's House for paying tribute to achievements of women LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Office Lahore arranged an event at the Governor's House for paying tribute to achievements of women. Chief guest of the event Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana appreciated the women's role in economic progress of the country and said:" We are seeing women's role in every walk of life and their role in other sectors is praiseworthy". He added that the Punjab government was making efforts for effective legislation for ensuring rights of women in inheritance. "Women day is an historic day that demands the need to change our attitudes and approach towards gender discrimination", the governor said, while appreciating Regional Chairman FPCCI Ch Arfan Yousaf and Vice President Shabnam Zafar for organizing a momentous International Women Day event. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha, Provincial Minister for Finance, said every day was a women day and women empowerment should be encouraged. The goal of development could not be achieved without practical participation of women in the national economy, she added. Justice (retd) Nasira Javaid Iqbal said dream of a prosper country could not be achieved without positive involvement of women in economic activities. MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik said women participation in politics was very significant for women development and the government remained committed to empower women in the country particularly through active participation in the political and economic spheres. Shabnam Zafar, Vice President FPCCI and Masooma Sibtain, former vice president FPCCI highlighted the FPCCI's role in women empowerment. (@FahadShabbir) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Salahuddin Mahsud paid a visit to Directorate General of KP Food Safety and Halaal Food Authority and extended full support to ensure safe food for the people. PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) ::Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Salahuddin Mahsud paid a visit to Directorate General of KP Food Safety and Halaal Food Authority and extended full support to ensure safe food for the people. Director General food authority Riaz Khan Mahsud briefed the IGP about various functions of the authority. Salahuddin inspected various sections of the newly state of the art building of the authority, saying it was a role model for rest of the government offices to work out of the way to facilitate the masses. The director general explained that authority was soon to be operational in seven divisions of the province for execution of KP food safety and Halaal Food Act 2014, adding that KP police would be required to work side by side with officers of the divisional offices to implement the rule of law. Salahuddin assured his support to the Director General and other officers of the authority to make sure supply of safe food to general public. "It is my core priority to extend all out support to KP food authority," he remarked. He directed for keeping close liaison with divisional offices of the authority to ensure safe and hygienic food for kids, families and all general public. (@FahadShabbir) Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday met with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Law Barrister Zafarullah. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday met with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Law Barrister Zafarullah. Both the dignitaries discussed the suggestions regarding regularization process of the teachers working on daily wages in the schools of federal capital, a press release said. Barrister Zafarullah highlighted the legal aspects of the regularization of teachers. On the occasion the Director General Federal Directorate of education (FDE) and the representatives of daily wages teachers were also present. The National Database and Registration Authority Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Somalia to provide services to the country. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :The National Database and Registration Authority Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Somalia to provide services to the country. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi witnessed the signing of the MoU that was signed between the two governments. Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Chairman NADRA and senior officials were also present on the occasion, said a PM Office statement. Minister for State and Frontier Regions Lt. Gen. (retd.) Abdul Qadir Baloch on Friday said that no Frontier regions/areas of Balochistan fall under the ambit/ jurisdiction of Ministry of SAFRON. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Minister for State and Frontier Regions Lt. Gen. (retd.) Abdul Qadir Baloch on Friday said that no Frontier regions/areas of Balochistan fall under the ambit/ jurisdiction of Ministry of SAFRON. Speaking in the National Assembly during question hour, the minister said that as far as development works carried out in Pashtun border areas, since June, 2013 and their district wise-details, the Government of Balochistan may be consulted. He said that no development funds pertaining to Balochistan are routed through this Ministry, however, he said under the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA) projects, 36 projects costing Rs. 743.38 million have been executed since 2013 in four Pashtun bordering districts of Balochistan. Replying to another question, the minister said that it was decided in All Parties Conference(APC) held here last year that afghan refugees would be send back to their origin country. The repatriation of these migrants would be made possible with a suitable way so that they would not face any difficulty, he added. The children of the Afghan refugees who are studying in Pakistan, he said, would be awarded study visas adding that business visas would also be given to those refugees having business in the country. He said that those refugees who are unregistered and living illegally in the Pakistan would be send back strictly. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua while emphasizing over the need to continue constructive engagement across the entire spectrum of bilateral relationship, reiterated Pakistan's desire to strengthen its long standing relationship with the US. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua while emphasizing over the need to continue constructive engagement across the entire spectrum of bilateral relationship, reiterated Pakistan's desire to strengthen its long standing relationship with the US. The Foreign Secretary during her official visit to Washington on March 07-08 held meetings with senior US officials including US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the State Department and Deputy National Security Advisor Dr. Nadia Schadlow at the White House, said a message received here on Friday. Ms Janjua had in-depth discussions with South Asia experts at the US Institute of Peace (USIP). She interacted with US media and underscored that a mutually beneficial Pak-US relationship underpinned by mutual respect would serve the common interests of both countries. The Foreign Secretary reaffirmed Pakistan's constructive approach to work together with the United States for regional peace and stability. She expressed the hope that enhanced economic engagement and realizing economic potential in the relationship can open new vistas of long term cooperation, strengthening existing bonds of friendship between the people of the two countries. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry Friday said Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) would bring its own candidate for the slot of senate chairman with the support of its allies. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry Friday said Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) would bring its own candidate for the slot of senate chairman with the support of its allies. PML-N had gained majority in the upper house and also had support of its allies so it was in a strong position to make the chairman of its party, he said talking to a private news channel. He said the PML-N had never been involved in horse trading in senate elections in the country. Politics of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was based on immaturity and there was no consistency in their decisions, Tariq Fazal said. He said the PML-N had announced its unconditional support if Mian Raza Rabbani was candidate for the position of senate chairman like it did in his previous term. Tariq Fazal said Raza Rabbani had run the affairs of the senate in a disciplined manner and he increased respect and honour of the senate during his tenure. He applauded the services of Raza Rabbani as chairman senate saying he was uncontroversial during his last tenure. To a question, he said it was the collective responsibility of all the political parties to play role for strengthening the system in the country. (@FahadShabbir) Prominent poetess of the country are expected to attend a special poetry show "Khawateen ka Khoososi Mushaira" in connection with the International Women's Day at the seminar hall of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)'s officers club on March 11. KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Prominent poetess of the country are expected to attend a special poetry show "Khawateen ka Khoososi Mushaira" in connection with the International Women's Day at the seminar hall of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)'s officers club on March 11. The poetry show has been organized by the University of Karachi's Graduate Forum Canada - Karachi chapter. The event will being at 6p.m., said a statement on Friday. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Outgoing Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) parliamentary leader in the Senate Col (Retd) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi Friday announced to disassociate from the party. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Outgoing Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) parliamentary leader in the Senate Col (Retd) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi Friday announced to disassociate from the party. In a statement issued here,he said that he had the honour and privilege of representing the most patriotic,educated, intelligent, patient and wonderful electorate in Pakistan as Town Nazim,Jamshed Town,Karachi and two terms as senator. He said that he had always endeavored to do his best to represent and raise his voice for the poor,downtrodden and suffering humanity and also fought tor the constitutional and legitimate rights of the people. Tahir Mashhadi said that the recent events,behavior infighting and actions of the Rabita Committee and resultant chaos,confusion, disgrace,embarrassment and irreparable harm that the committee members have inflected on MQM-P has caused tremendous damage to once strong representative of the urban people of Sindh and the middle class. Mashhadi said he could not see the destruction of the legitimate and rightful mandate of Urban Sindh (Mohajir power),being destroyed in such a selfish,childish and unreasonable manner. He said that he would continue to serve the people and city of Karachi in whatsoever capacity he could in future too. (@rukhshanmir) Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry Friday said, Pakistani women have extraordinary talent, who are proving their abilities and excelling in all fields. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry Friday said, Pakistani women have extraordinary talent, who are proving their abilities and excelling in all fields. While, addressing the ceremony organized by Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration in connection with International women day 2018 to celebrate the achievements of women in the fields of life ,the minister said, Pakistani females are very talented and government was committed to extend all possible facilities to them so that they could prove their metal. He said no doubt that there are many challenges that women has face every day but we are committed to give them best working environment and job opportunities. He said islam identified women as an equal member of the society and gave them their due respect and assigned them roles pertaining to their stature. In our society women beside a great mothers, obedient daughters, caring wives and sisters contributing in professional fields as well. All institutions are working together like a family to fulfill goals in this regard, he added. He appreciated ICT for organizing colorful event in which students of colleges performed tableau and on national songs, high performing lady health workers were given cash prizes and social security female laborers were given sewing machines, washing machines and Umrah tickets. Cheif Commisioner Aftab Akbar Duraanni also visited the camp and appreciated the organizations for awareness campaign with regard to women day. Director Industries and labour welfare and vice commissioner ICT social security Rabia Aurangzaib also arranged Free medical awareness camp where by free diabetic medicines and information material was distributed. Riffat Mushtaq founder of roots school system and a successful entrepreneur, Hassan Khawab international development and publicpolicy, Professional and former civil servantand Abid Niaz senior programme officer international labour organization also attended the event. Credit rating agency Moodys maintained Moroccos BA1 positive ranking, and noted that the countrys credit strengths reflect a structural shift towards higher value-added export industries and fiscal improvements, which could lead to stronger non-agricultural growth and a stabilization and gradual reduction in public sector debt. Morocco is strategically positioned within global value chains in the automotive and aviation sectors and as a trade hub between Europe and Africa, said Elisa Parisi-Capone, a Moodys Vice-President in a recently published report. Parisi-Capone, Senior analyst at Moodys and the reports author, added that Moroccos gradual foreign-exchange rate liberalization introduced in early 2018 supports a gradual improvement in competitiveness. Moodys also expects Moroccos real GDP growth to decelerate this year to 3.2% from 4.0% in 2017, partially offset by a further acceleration in non-agricultural growth to 3.0% from 2.7% in 2017. Non-agricultural growth will continue to be driven by the services sector and the phosphate mining industry. Last year was a record year for tourism, with arrivals exceeding 11 million for the first time, the report said. Moroccos moderate fiscal strength reflects the relatively high but affordable central government debt stock, Moodys said, adding that the debt stock is expected to rise to 65.4% of GDP in 2018. The countrys relatively low foreign-currency exposure at 22% of central government debt mitigates the deterioration in its debt metrics by almost 20 percentage points of GDP from 2009 to 2017, the report said. Moodys deemed that the main constraints on Moroccos rating are relatively low GDP per capita, a volatile growth pattern and a relatively high, but affordable, debt-to-GDP ratio in addition to a weak labor market and skills mismatches, which limit the countrys competitiveness and constrain potential growth. Zong 4G has organized colorful ceremonies in all its offices to mark International Women's Day throughout the country and paid tributes to the services of women who work at par with their counterparts in every field of life. ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Zong 4g has organized colorful ceremonies in all its offices to mark International Women's Day throughout the country and paid tributes to the services of women who work at par with their counterparts in every field of life. The zong here in its office started the day's celebrations with opening remarks from Wang Haibo, Chief Human Resource Officer, followed by a motivational session encouraging the female employees to inspire conversation, to raise their voice for empowerment and reach their full potential in whatever they pursue. The high officials of the organization speaking on the occasion emphasized on women to take care of their soul, mind and body. They embarked on the theme for 2018, `Press for Progressas they continue the spirit of togetherness and perseverance towards achieving parity'. In collaboration with local hospital, the 4Gs service provider's team shared vouchers with female employees, encouraging them to prioritize health. Moreover, inculcating the importance of health as foremost priority, trainers from various fitness clubs conducted an exclusive session with "Body Sculpt" promoting health and fitness. An official of the company informed APP that the company continued to nurture a diverse inclusive environment to celebrate and support the achievements of a gender inclusive workforce for collective advancement. "Raising the shout for New Hopes, Zong 4G aimed to create awareness for equal rights and opportunities and to aim for new heights and new dreams", he informed. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Eleven people died when a minibus became trapped in a forest fire in rural Guinea-Bissau, police and doctors said on Friday. Bissau, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Eleven people died when a minibus became trapped in a forest fire in rural Guinea-Bissau, police and doctors said on Friday. The accident happened on Thursday night, after the overcrowded vehicle left the village of Konkoli, near the capital Bissau, on an 80-kilometer (50-mile) trip to a market in Bissora. "The driver tried to go down a track in a forest which was on fire. There was no visibility because of the smoke and fire," a police official said. "(...) The passengers were trapped and died of suffocation." Police recovered nine bodies, and two people who were injured later died, the official said. Nine others are being treated for injuries. The toll was confirmed by sources at the local hospital. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. At this time of the year, farmers in Guinea-Bissau often set fire to harvest stubble to eliminate weeds, and the blaze can spread from fields to the bush. (@FahadShabbir) The Argentine government said Friday it will seek to avoid US trade tariffs on steel and aluminum by calling for an exemption for its meager exports. Buenos Aires, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :The Argentine government said Friday it will seek to avoid US trade tariffs on steel and aluminum by calling for an exemption for its meager exports. Argentina's exports to the US in the sectors are so small they have no effect on the market, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Argentine exports represent only 0.6 percent of steel and 2.3 percent of aluminum of all US imports in both sectors, and therefore Argentina does not cause nor contribute to the distortions that affect the world markets and the US," the ministry said. It said the government would try to open talks with the US "with a view to an exception being made on those tariffs. " US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum on Thursday, sparking fears of a trade war. Argentina's steel producers' association has warned the tariffs could lead to iron and steel products from Asia being diverted from the US and dumped into the Latin American market. Two major Argentine steel producers stand to be affected by the tariffs -- aluminum company Aluar and Techint, which sells seamless pipes to the US oil industry, but has a factory in Houston, Texas. Between January and November last year, the most recent period for which official figures are available, Argentina sold around $200 million of steel tubes and around $500 million of aluminum to the US. (@rukhshanmir) Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Ma Peihua, also vice chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, will attend the presidential inauguration ceremony in Chile from March 10 to 11, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Friday. BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Ma Peihua, also vice chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, will attend the presidential inauguration ceremony in Chile from March 10 to 11, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Friday. Ma is visiting at the invitation of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, said Geng. Sebastian Pinera, right-wing candidate and former president, was elected president of Chile for a second time last December. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Cuba Thursday condemned a program by a local dissident group as a "destabilizing maneuver" backed by Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), to affect the parliamentary elections on March 11. HAVANA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Cuba Thursday condemned a program by a local dissident group as a "destabilizing maneuver" backed by Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), to affect the parliamentary elections on March 11. "This time these organizations pretended to stage a show that would affect the normal process of Cuba's general elections next weekend with the pretext of handing out an alleged award," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The dissident group, the Latin American Youth Network for Democracy, is led by Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of Oswaldo Paya, a staunch critic of the Cuban Revolution who died in 2012. On Thursday it presented the annual human rights award this year to the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA). IDEA includes 37 former presidents from Latin America and Europe, all of whom oppose the Cuban Government and other left-oriented countries in the region. Former Colombian President Andres Pastrana and former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga went to Cuba Wednesday to receive the award but were denied entry and deported. "This act is part of the imperialist offensive against the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, in which the U.S. Government has brought back the 'Monroe Doctrine', and has provoked a setback in bilateral relations with Cuba," the Cuban Foreign Ministry said. Neither Almagro, nor the former Latin Aerican leaders or the dissident organization is interested in the well-being of Cubans. They only aim to disrupt Cuba's constitutional order, the statement said. Almagro was the recipient of the award last year but was refused a visa to Havana. He tried to accompany Pastrana and Quiroga this time, but was denied entry again. Cuba accuses Rosa Maria Paya and her organization, which it calls illegal, of sponsoring the annual event with other foreign institutions financed by the Washington-promoted National Endowment for Democracy. Cuba was suspended from the OAS in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, and has declined to return despite being readmitted in 2009. Since Cuba's suspension, the only OAS secretary general to visit the island was Jose Miguel Insulza, who attended a Latin American summit in Havana in 2014. (@FahadShabbir) The European Union next week will add Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Bahamas and US Virgin Islands to its new tax haven blacklist, according to European sources. Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :The European Union next week will add Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Bahamas and US Virgin Islands to its new tax haven blacklist, according to European sources. But the blacklist will still number nine countries after finance ministers withdraw Bahrain, the Marshall Islands and Saint Lucia, according to an EU document. A European source told AFP the new list will be approved by the 28-nation bloc's finance ministers meeting in Brussels next Tuesday. Activists had sharply criticised the EU's commitment to fighting tax avoidance after it withdrew Panama, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Mongolia, Macau, Grenada and Barbados from the new list on January 23. The countries had promised to meet EU concerns in a move that came just weeks after the bloc unveiled its original list of 17 non-EU nations. The three countries to be added to the list were among those in the Caribbean hit by hurricanes in September that initially got a reprieve. The three that will be withdrawn, the document showed, will move to a "grey list" of countries that have made unspecified commitments to the EU on reforming their tax laws and will be subject to review. The list next week will be made up not only of the Bahamas, US Virgin Islands and Saint Kitts and Nevis but also Guam, Namibia, Palau, Samoa, American Samoa and Trinidad and Tobago. Four hurricane-hit Caribbean countries given a reprieve will join the grey list: Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. The removal of the eight countries in late January drew criticism from Oxfam and other campaigners who say the EU's commitment to tackle tax avoidance after the "Panama papers" leak last year has now been watered down. The lists came a year on from the leak of the "Panama Papers" -- a massive amount of data from a prominent Panamanian law firm showing how the world's wealthy stash assets. The EU originally screened a total of 92 countries to draw up the list, which is expected to be continuously updated. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Paris, March 9 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Mar, 2018 ) :Italy, Poland and Portugal are candidates to host the "Final Four" of the first European Nations League, the competition replacing international friendlies, UEFA said on Friday. The three teams are all in the same group for the competition which will start in September. The team which finishes first and advances to the last four will then host the semifinals, final and third-place match next June. A total of 55 European nations have been divided into four divisions according to their UEFA ranking. Each division is split into groups of three or four teams. These will run from September to November. The four group winners in the top division will go on to play in a Final Four, June 5-9, 2019. The aim is to offer a more competitive alternative to friendlies. The Nations League can also offer a second route to Euro 2020 for four teams in the Nations League. The traditional qualification for those Euros is scheduled to be played from March to November 2019. Myanmar, China and Bangladesh on Friday reached an agreement on electric power trade at a trilateral ministerial meeting in Nay Pyi Taw. NAY PYI TAW,(APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Myanmar, China and Bangladesh on Friday reached an agreement on electric power trade at a trilateral ministerial meeting in Nay Pyi Taw. According to Xinhua, matters relating to starting trilateral cross-border power trading and its implementation mechanism were discussed at the plenary meeting, aimed at enhancing cooperation on electric power trading through promoting the interconnection of power grid and infrastructure development among the three countries. The trilateral agreement to trade electric power among neighboring countries could help with the improvement of energy security, sharing of electricity resources, infrastructure development, capacity development of officials and job opportunity as well as strengthening of long term friendship and fulfilling of the basic requirements of electricity supply to support the economic development for each country, a statement of Myanmar's Electricity and Energy Ministry said. Present at the meeting were Myanmar's Union Minister U Win Khaing for Electricity and Energy, vice administrator of National Energy Administration of China Li Fanrong, advisor to Prime Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs of Bangladesh Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury BB. Philippine authorities opened on Thursday a fresh line of attack against a news outlet that has angered President Rodrigo Duterte, after the website's investors moved to block a separate government effort to shut it down. Manila, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Mar, 2018 ) :Philippine authorities opened on Thursday a fresh line of attack against a news outlet that has angered President Rodrigo Duterte, after the website's investors moved to block a separate government effort to shut it down. The nation's tax authority said it filed criminal charges against Rappler, which has been critical of Duterte's deadly war on drugs, alleging the site failed to pay taxes on bonds it sold in 2015. The government's move comes just over a week after Silicon Valley investment firm Omidyar Network said it was transferring its roughly $1.5-million investment in Rappler to the site's local managers to stave off Duterte's effort to shut it down. The investment is at the heart of a case that led to the Philippines' corporate watchdog to void the news site's corporate license in January, saying it violated a law against non-Filipinos owning any share of local media entities. Rappler has appealed. A statement from the Philippine tax bureau on Thursday accused Rappler of failing to pay taxes on bond instruments -- called Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) -- worth about 18. 6 million pesos ($1.6 million) that the news site sold in 2015. "It is clear there is motive that goes beyond a normal tax audit. Unless of course, the intent is to harass and intimidate Rappler," said the site's chief executive Maria Ressa. The website is known for its extensive reportage of Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign, which police say has claimed over 4,100 lives but which rights monitors say has left 12,000 dead. Duterte has banned a Rappler reporter from covering his official activities, saying its reports were "twisted". "The government has vast resources and we are a very small company and we will continue to fight as long as we can," Ressa said. Commenting on the tax case, Duterte spokesman Harry Roque told reporters: "The law must be enforced. If they have not paid taxes, then they must be called to account." Duterte has also attacked other media outfits that criticise him, including top newspaper, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and major broadcaster ABS-CBN, threatening to also go after their owners over alleged unpaid taxes of loans. A previous "cyber-libel" case filed against Rappler in January was dismissed a month later. A Nigerian plane made an emergency landing in Ghana after smoke was detected in the cabin, officials said Friday, in the latest incident to hit domestic and foreign airline operators. Lagos, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :A Nigerian plane made an emergency landing in Ghana after smoke was detected in the cabin, officials said Friday, in the latest incident to hit domestic and foreign airline operators. The aircraft, owned by Arik Air, was travelling from Lagos to Accra on Tuesday when the fault was detected but no-one was hurt, a company statement said. "Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when (an) unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin", it said. The incident occurred 80 miles (130 kilometres) from the Ghanaian capital but the plane "landed safely in Accra without further incident", it said. It was the latest in a string of incidents involving the aviation sector over the past month. Morocco and Mali signed five cooperation agreements covering transport, logistics and employment as the two countries continue to build on the momentum ushered by two Royal visits to Bamako in 2013 and 2014. The agreements were signed in Rabat Thursday at a ceremony co-chaired by Head of the Moroccan government, Saad Eddine El Othmani and visiting Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga. As part of the visit of the Malian delegation, Malis foreign minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly discussed with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, a set of bilateral issues and agreed to bolster political consultation and cooperation in regional bodies. This meeting was an opportunity to review what was achieved as part of the two royal visits to Bamako, to see the full potential of this relationship and to agree on concrete measures to optimize this potential, Bourita told the press following the meeting. Regarding the peace and reconciliation process in Mali, Bourita said that Morocco is satisfied at the progress made under the leadership of the President of Mali. Bourita also raised the security threats in the Sahel and their repercussions on North Africa and the Mediterranean, urging collective international efforts to combat insecurity in the region. In this respect, the Moroccan minister highlighted the pertinence of the G5 counterterrorism force and the need to bring more support to it. Echoing him, Malis foreign minister welcomed Moroccos return to the African Union and its bid to join the ECOWAS. He also highlighted the longstanding and multilayered ties between Morocco and Mali, noting that Bamako chose Rabat to train its Imams in line with genuine Islamic precepts. (@FahadShabbir) Stockholm, March 9 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Mar, 2018 ) :North Korea's foreign minister will visit Sweden soon, local media reported Friday, after US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un agreed to meet to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests. Ri Yong Ho is expected to meet Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom "in the near future", diplomatic sources told the daily Dagens Nyheter, without specifying what they would discuss. Contacted by AFP, the Swedish foreign ministry refused to comment. The report comes after Trump floored his own advisors when he agreed to accept an offer to meet nuclear-armed dictator Kim before the end of May. One issue to be resolved is where those talks will take place. Sweden's embassy in Pyongyang represents US, Canadian and Australian diplomatic interests in North Korea and plays a key role in liaising diplomatic talks. Trump thanked Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven for Stockholm's efforts to negotiate the release of US student Otto Warmbier, who was arrested for stealing propaganda material during a 2016 trip to Pyongyang and later died when he returned to his country. Washington has long insisted that it will not allow Pyongyang to continue building and testing a nuclear arsenal. Kim's regime boasts it is now capable of delivering thermonuclear warheads to US cities. (@rukhshanmir) UN human rights chief said Friday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs "psychiatric evaluation" Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :The UN human rights chief said Friday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs "psychiatric evaluation". Listing some of Manila's actions against UN envoys, including reportedly filing terrorism charges against one, rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said "it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation." Zeid and other UN rights officials have focused significant attention on Duterte's controversial drug war. Police have killed more than 4,100 drug suspects, but rights groups allege more than 8,000 others have been murdered in what they describe as crimes against humanity. The UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, has become a particular Duterte target over her criticism of his campaign to stamp out illegal drugs. In an exchange with Manila's envoys in the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, Zeid referred to November media reports from the Philippines that quoted Duterte threatening to slap Callamard, while using profanity. "This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected", Zeid told reporters on Friday. - Terrorism charge - Zeid also referred to a pending case against the UN's special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, Victoria Tauli Carpuz. According to Zeid, the Philippine justice ministry charged Carpuz in a regional court last month with terrorism. Manila has accused Carpuz of "alleged membership of the Communist Party of the Philippines and (the) New People's Army", Zeid said. The New People's Army, which is waging a decades-old Maoist armed rebellion, has been designated a "terrorist organisation" by the US State Department. Zeid said that Carpuz believes she has been targeted because of comments she made regarding the alleged killings of indigenous people in the southern region of Mindanao, where Duterte has imposed martial law in an effort to curb a jihadist threat. "This is of course unacceptable for a special rapporteur acting on behalf of the international community whose expertise is sought by the Human Rights Council to be treated in this way", Zeid said. "These attacks cannot go unanswered," he added. Duterte, who took office in 2016 and has boasted of killings he claims to have committed personally, has sidelined many of his top domestic critics. Most recently he has moved against the country's top judge, Maria Lourdes Sereno, who faces all-but-certain impeachment following threats by Duterte over her criticism of the drug war and crackdown on civil rights. Poland has launched the "Dairy Treasures" campaign aimed at promoting Polish dairy products in China, said Polish Chamber of Milk. WARSAW, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Mar, 2018 ) :Poland has launched the "Dairy Treasures" campaign aimed at promoting Polish dairy products in China, said Polish Chamber of Milk. Polish Press Agency reported Wednesday that the "Dairy Treasures" campaign is aimed at raising the awareness concerning high-quality Polish milk products in China, including flavored milk, milk powder, yoghurts and ripening cheese. According to Polish Chamber of Milk, the campaign is a continuation of the three-year "Trade Milk" information and promotion program implemented between years 2014-2017. The chamber said that the program's main goal is to increase the acceptance of Polish products, establish relationships with potential business partners and promote information on high standards of dairy product production in Poland. China is one of the world's largest importers of dairy products, especially butter and milk powder. In recent years, dairy exports from the European Union to China have observed a significant increase. China is also one of the largest importers of Polish dairy products from outside the EU. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Thursday handed Brussels a detailed defence of Warsaw's controversial judicial reforms and warned that any EU disciplinary action could fuel a "populist" backlash. Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Mar, 2018 ) :Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Thursday handed Brussels a detailed defence of Warsaw's controversial judicial reforms and warned that any EU disciplinary action could fuel a "populist" backlash. The EU in December launched unprecedented legal action against Warsaw's rightwing government over "systemic threats" to the independence of the Polish judiciary, and gave it three months to comply. With a deadline of March 20 looming, Morawiecki gave the Polish government's 96-page "white paper" to European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker as part of a dialogue to end a two-year row. "We expect a deep and serious analysis of this document," Morawiecki told a press conference in Brussels. Morawiecki called the talks "very constructive, very promising". Juncker's spokesman Margaritis Schinas said the commission "will assess it (the white paper) carefully". Warsaw could be stripped of its voting rights in the 28-nation bloc under the Article 7 procedure of the EU treaty -- covering systemic threats to the rule of law -- which had never been previously used against an EU state. Poland's ally Hungary, which has also clashed with Brussels over democracy issues, has vowed to veto any such measure. A summary of the Polish document said the EU had no justification for the Article 7 procedure because Polish judges "enjoy very strong guarantees" of independence, and because the reforms resemble regulations in other EU democracies. It warned the proceedings could create a "dangerous precedent" for undermining the sovereignty of EU member states and fuel "populist political forces". Morawiecki -- whose efforts to improve Poland's image since his appointment in December have been marred by a row over a Holocaust law -- has called criticism of his country the result of "misunderstandings". Polish officials said the document outlined the aim of the reforms, their historical context and ways to implement them. Poland began overhauling the judiciary after the rightwing Law and Justice Party (PiS) came to power in late 2015 in what observers called a populist wave. The PiS said the reforms are needed to combat corruption and weed out holdovers from the communist era. The summary document argued that the reforms guaranteed as much independence as judicial procedures in Spain, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and Britain. On top of earlier court reforms, Poland's rightwing dominated parliament in December adopted reforms allowing it to choose members of a body designed to protect judicial independence and reinforce political control over the Supreme Court. Renewed shelling of Eastern Ghouta is putting a humanitarian aid convoy that entered the besieged rebel enclave on Friday at risk, the United Nations said. Beirut, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Renewed shelling of Eastern Ghouta is putting a humanitarian aid convoy that entered the besieged rebel enclave on Friday at risk, the United Nations said. The UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari, said shelling near the enclave's main town of Douma was in breach of "assurances of safety from parties including the Russian Federation." (@rukhshanmir) Freetown, March 9 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Sierra Leone's two main parties traded verbal blows on Friday, with the opposition accusing the government of planning to announce an unconfirmed victory for its candidate in presidential elections. The West African country held presidential, parliamentary and local council elections on Wednesday, which passed off largely peacefully until an opposition leader's residence was raided. The National Election Commission (NEC) has asked for patience as it counts the ballots, saying it will prioritise accuracy over speed. It said on Friday it had yet to reach the 25 percent mark required to release provisional results. However, the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) said in a statement it had a "comfortable lead" over its rivals, causing the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) to accuse them of "endangering public order and national security." The SLPP claimed the APC was preparing to release "fake presidential results", adding that it remained "confident of a clear victory". It comes after the opposition party's leader Julius Maada Bio's residence was raided by police on a bizarre "hacking" accusation despite Sierra Leone using a manual voting system. - 'Transparent, credible' - Partial results are expected in the next few days but must be verified by the National Election Commission (NEC). European Union (EU) observers meanwhile described the election as "transparent, credible and well-organised" in a statement on Friday. However, they said police reaction during the Bio raid was "disproportionate", and called on the officers to exercise their uties in an "impartial, proportionate manner". The EU added that an "increasing number of acts of intimidation and violence against candidates and activists affected the electoral process." The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), a Freetown-based organisation, went further and called police behaviour "unprofessional". "They were seen brutally beating up protesters unnecessarily," the group said. Clashes between rival supporters in Freetown also led to arrests on Wednesday. The APC and SLPP have dominated Sierra Leone's politics since independence in 1961, but third parties are hoping to make their mark after mounting charismatic campaigns based on the two parties' shortcomings. The National Grand Coalition (NGC), whose message of reform has struck a chord with educated urban voters, elsewhere said it had identified "a number of serious irregularities in the voting process which will in some areas require immediate recounts". It would complain to the NEC, it added. Sierra Leone's export-dependent economy of the mineral-rich but impoverished country is in a dire state following the 2014-16 Ebola crisis and a commodity price slump that has driven away foreign investors. A presidential runoff is likely, according to experts, as the threshold to win outright in the first round is 55 percent. Yaound, March 9 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Mar, 2018 ) :A soldier was killed in an attempted kidnapping by militants of students from a school in one of Cameroon's restive English-speaking regions, a minister said Friday. "During an attack with weapons of war, a Cameroonian soldier lost his life and three students were wounded," the minister of territorial administration Paul Atanga Nji said in a statement read on state radio. Separatists targeted the school in the town of Batibo in the northwest region on Wednesday with the "clear objective of kidnapping students," he said, adding that security forces intervened in the attack. In his statement, Antanga Nji also said 18 cases of rape of girls aged between 13 and 18, some of whom are now pregnant, have recently been reported in Batibo and a cache of weapons and explosives discovered. It comes after the kidnap of two Cameroonian officials last month close to the town, which lies 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the city of Bamenda. The abductions were claimed on social media by the so-called Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF), an armed group of English-speaking separatists. A push for independence from the majority French-speaking country has sparked deadly unrest in Cameroon's two anglophone provinces, home to around a fifth of the 23-million population. In the capital Yaounde, 22 activists of the anglophone Cameroon People's Party were arrested by police on Friday, according to the party. Among them was former presidential candidate Edith Kah Walla. "The arrests took place during a women's demonstration to demand that the killings in the southwest and northwest regions be stopped," party general secretary Frank Essi said. The secessionist bid draws on widespread resentment over the perceived discrimination at the hands of the francophones. Dozens of people have been killed in the two English-speaking northwest and southwest regions and tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring Nigeria following a violent crackdown on anti-government protests. Aside from targeting police and soldiers, some separatist groups appear to be turning to kidnapping, as well as threatening French firms located in English-speaking areas. A temporary 24-hour ban on motorcycles was also introduced in both provinces. "Increasingly secessionist terrorists launch their assaults using motorcycles, each having a driver and an armed thug," Atanga Nji said Friday. Opposition groups in Togo said Friday they were suspending upcoming protests against President Faure Gnassingbe at the request of Ghana, which is mediating in the crisis. Lome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Opposition groups in Togo said Friday they were suspending upcoming protests against President Faure Gnassingbe at the request of Ghana, which is mediating in the crisis. "The facilitator, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, received a delegation from the (opposition) coalition on Wednesday in Accra and asked us to give him a week in order to conduct talks with the government. We accepted," coalition spokesman Eric Dupuy said. "The current regime has never honoured its commitments. If nothing emerges from these talks, we will return to the street, because we will not accept the government driving the electoral process unilaterally." A new round of protests had been due to take place next week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Since August, hundreds of thousands of Togolese have taken part in demonstrations to demand that Gnassingbe step down. He has been in office since 2005 after taking over from his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who himself ruled Togo for 38 years after seizing power in a coup in 1967. The opposition wants a return to Togo's 1992 constitution that set a two-term limit for presidents, which would be applied retroactively to prevent Gnassingbe standing in 2020 and 2025. The government has proposed a two-term limit but without the retroactive element. Gnassingbe is serving his third term, after returning as president in 2010 and 2015 in elections that the opposition say were marred by fraud and repression. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Ukraine on Friday charged a prisoner swap negotiator with plotting to assassinate President Petro Poroshenko and other top officials leading the campaign against Russian-backed eastern insurgents. Kiev, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :Ukraine on Friday charged a prisoner swap negotiator with plotting to assassinate President Petro Poroshenko and other top officials leading the campaign against Russian-backed eastern insurgents. A judge in Kiev said Volodymyr Ruban planned to use mortar fire and grenades to attack the presidential administration and parliament. Ukrainian Security Service chief Vasyl Grytsak added that the entire operation was orchestrated by the separatist leadership and at least tacitly approved by Russia. "I would like to report that the terror threat level facing Ukrainians was, in our view, the highest in the history of our independence," Grytsak told Poroshenko in a televised meeting. Ruban was detained on Thursday with a haul of heavy ammunition in his vehicle while crossing the "grey zone" splitting the war zone from the rest of Ukraine. The 50-year-old Ukrainian national is known to have organised several prisoner exchanges dating back to the first months of the war in 2014. Ukrainian media had previously accused Ruban of harbouring pro-Russian sentiments and being supportive of the separatist cause. The presiding judge said Ruban intended to use "mortar guns, grenade launchers, light weapons and explosive devices" to assault the government quarters in Kiev and officials' homes. Ukraine's deputy head of the war-tattered east later posted a photo on Facebook that he said showed the weapons cache seized from Ruban's minibus by the military. A dozen Kalashnikov rifles and an assortment of heavy munitions were laid out on top of storage boxes that security officials said partially belonged to the Russian army. Ruban told the court he did not know that the bus he was using to cross into Kiev-controlled territory was carrying the weapons. He was placed in pre-trial detention for two months. An ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was released from prison on Friday after serving time for inciting unrest in an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the country's hardline Buddhist clergymen. Parmaukkha, who was handed a three-month jail term, Yangon, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2018 ) :An ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was released from prison on Friday after serving time for inciting unrest in an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the country's hardline Buddhist clergymen. Parmaukkha, who was handed a three-month jail term, has helped peddle a fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism and Islamophobia in Myanmar, a country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. The monk was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the US Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against America's use of the word "Rohingya". The Buddhist-majority nation refuses to recognise the Rohingya as citizens, referring pejoratively to the community as "Bengalis" and insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. On Friday several dozen supporters cheered and scattered petals in front of Parmaukkha as he walked out of Yangon's notorious Insein prison at dawn before heading to pray at the city's iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. "He has work to do...I love everything he does for religion and the nation," said Aye Lay, a 32-year-old supporter. Anti-Muslim hate speech has been brewing in Myanmar for several years, often spilling over into bouts of bloodshed. Religious hatred has surged in the wake of a ruthless military crackdown that has compelled 700,000 Rohingya to flee the country since August. The UN says the campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide. But many in the Buddhist majority support the crackdown, which the army says was needed to crush a Rohingya militant uprising. Over the past year religious authorities have taken some steps to curb the influence of ultra-nationalist monks like Parmaukkha. His release on Friday coincides with the end of a year-long public speaking ban on Wirathu -- another firebrand monk known as the face of Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist movement. Wirathu, once dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden", was barred from giving public sermons last year by a council of senior monks who said he had "repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife." The monk was also recently kicked off Facebook, where he had amassed a huge following with incendiary anti-Muslim posts. The social media giant said it took down his page in January in accordance with a policy that prohibits "people dedicated to promoting hatred and violence against others". Khalifa Haftars so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) has set March 17 as a deadline for African forces to leave the Libyan territory on grounds that they play a mercenary role in the conflict opposing rival armed groups in the country. In the unexpected announcement made Thursday, the eastern-based army aligned to the House of Representatives (HoR) said it will grant no more than nine days for all African forces in the southern part of the country to leave. The LNA threatened to use force after the nine-day deadline, reported Acharq Al Awsat daily on its website. According to the media, Haftar warned all combatants coming from neighboring African countries against taking part in illegal militias seeking to destabilize security and stability of southern Libya. They are required to leave the Libyan territories immediately and return to their countries of origin, he said in a statement, adding that the deadline for Africans to exit is set for March 17. After that date, all military means will be used to remove them, Haftar was quoted by Acharq Al awsat as saying. The army leadership also called on elders and southern clerics to contact military security rooms and report all those who provide protection, shelter, or assistance to African migrants in any way that would undermine the security of the southern region of Libya. The ultimatum was issued amidst armed clashes between the LNA and the GNA-aligned forces composed of militias, in the city of Sabha (750 km to the south of capital Tripoli). Armed clashes have been continuing for the second week in a row. The city mayor, Hamed Rafa Al-Khayali, told Turkish news agency Anadolu, Sabha has been festered by foreign armed groups. According to other press reports, forces from neighboring Chad have been identified as foreign intruders fighting Haftar forces. Haftars forces have been jeopardizing the GNA efforts to extend its influence across the oil-rich North African country. Both sides have been since Saturday clashing in and around Sabha, which answers to the GNA. Fighting in the southern Sabha district has raised fears of escalating violence in the impoverished South, where LNA forces are trying to expand influence through pushing against groups allied with the internationally recognized Tripoli-based Government of National Accord. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with brushed cytology is still the standard method for the diagnosis of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in obstructive jaundice; however, the diagnostic yield is limited. To improve the diagnostic sensitivity, DNA methylation analysis is an attractive candidate, since this may constitute a stable marker in brushed specimens. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the importance of such epigenetic markers in brushed biliary cells from patients with obstructive jaundice for the diagnosis of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The cells examined were those that were left over from brushed cytology done during routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography of patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The methylation states of HOXA1, RASSF1A, P16, and NEUROG1 genes in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were measured by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and compared between brushed biliary cells and normal gall bladder epithelial cells. The results showed that the sensitivity of the methylation index measurements of HOXA1 and NEUROG1 genes from brushed samples was markedly superior to that of standard cytology. In conclusion, measurement of the DNA methylation status of HOXA1 and NEUROG1 genes in leftover brushed biliary cells might serve as a useful supplement in the detection of malignant biliary obstruction by increasing the sensitivity of diagnosis by routine cytology. Technology in cancer research & treatment. 2017 Dec [Epub] Varayu Prachayakul, Jiraporn Kanchanapermpoon, Chanitra Thuwajit, Thiraphon Boonyaarunnate, Ananya Pongpaibul, Pornpimol Chobson, Peti Thuwajit 1 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand., 2 Graduate Program in Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand., 3 Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand., 4 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand., 5 NANOTEC-Mahidol University Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29484968 Three women have been granted awards for their contributions to the technology sector in Cambodia. The winners, who were among 30 candidates for the Cambodia Women in Tech awards, received the commendations from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Fat Si Em, a transport and planning manager at a telecomm company, won the ICT Engineer Award; Long Leakhena, a businesswoman, won the Woman ICT Entrepreneur award; and Chan Penh Leak, an open data practitioner, won the ICT For Community award. The nominees were judged based on their past successes, experience, skills and contributions to society, according to Tan Sodany, director of the governments IT policy department. We evaluated their jobs impact on their communities. We evaluated their fame and their commitment, whether they are going to keep doing this in the future, she said. It was the first time the award ceremony, which is aimed at encouraging more women to enter the technology field, was held. Kan Chan Meta, secretary of state at the ministry, said the number of women working in the tech sector was limited because there were not enough visible role models and pressure from society to follow a more traditional path. Only about one in five people globally in the tech sector are women, according to a recent UNESCO report. Si Em said: This field is very interesting. The more I do it, the more I love it because it keeps updating. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit Friday accusing the U.S. government of broadly separating immigrant families seeking asylum. The lawsuit follows action the ACLU took in the case of a Congolese woman and her 7-year-old daughter, who the group said was taken from her mother screaming and crying and placed in a Chicago facility. While the woman was released Tuesday from a San Diego detention center, the girl remains in the facility 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away. Immigrant advocates say the mother and daughters case is emblematic of the approach taken by President Donald Trumps administration. The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in San Diego, asks a judge to declare family separation unlawful and says hundreds of families have been split by immigration authorities. Mother in Texas, son in Chicago The lawsuit also raises the case of a Brazilian woman who the ACLU says was separated from her 14-year-old son after they sought asylum in August. The ACLU says the woman was given a roughly 25-day sentence jail sentence for illegally entering the country and then placed in immigration detention facilities in West Texas, while her son was taken to a Chicago facility. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not announced a formal policy to hold adult asylum seekers separately from their children. But administration officials have said they are separating parents and children to deter others from trying to enter the U.S. The department declined to comment Friday on the lawsuit. DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton, in an earlier statement on the case of the Congolese woman and her daughter, said government officials have to verify that children entering the U.S. are not victims of traffickers and that the adult accompanying them is actually their parent. Awaiting DNA tests In separate court papers filed Wednesday, the U.S. government said it is awaiting the results of DNA testing to confirm the woman is the girls mother. We ask that members of the public and media view advocacy group claims that we are separating women and children for reasons other than to protect the child with the level of skepticism they deserve, Houlton said. Its hard to determine how often parents and children are placed in separate facilities after they seek asylum, which is granted to people who have a credible fear of persecution if they are forced to return to their home country. Different government agencies are responsible for holding adults and children. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains adults accused of immigration violations, while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cares for unaccompanied immigrant children. Settlement set standards Immigration advocates criticized President Barack Obamas administration for opening new family detention facilities in Texas and called for parents and children to be released. The two Texas facilities that it opened were found by a federal judge in 2015 to violate a long-standing 1997 settlement requiring children be released or otherwise held in the least restrictive setting available. That settlement set other standards for the detention of children. The Trump administration has called for ending the settlement as part of its demands for changes to immigration laws. Top administration officials have said they believe the asylum process is overwhelmed and challenged by people making frivolous claims. Advocates have also accused border agents of unlawfully turning away people who are seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Over 400 adults, children separated? Michelle Brane, director of the migrant rights and justice program for the Womens Refugee Commission, said that through attorneys and social service organizations, she had identified at least 426 immigrant adults and children who had been separated by authorities since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Brane said she did not have a comparable figure for Obama's administration. But Brane said since the new administration began, her office has received far more reports of adults being held in ICE facilities without knowing where their children are. A lot of these kids are already afraid because they're fleeing something and they know theyre fleeing something, Brane said. And to have them pulled away, that can be devastating for a parent. A witness and a war monitoring group said warplanes struck Douma in Syria's besieged eastern Ghouta enclave Friday just as aid agencies prepared to deliver food to the town. A resident in Douma and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the planes were still circling in the skies. An emergency aid convoy crossed front lines into the rebel enclave and was headed for Douma, Red Cross officials said shortly beforehand. In less than two weeks, the Syrian army has retaken nearly all the farmland in eastern Ghouta under cover of near ceaseless shelling and air strikes, leaving only a dense sprawl of towns about half the enclave still under insurgent control. About 1,000 killed The onslaught has killed more than 1,000 people, the medical charity Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said Thursday. The war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on Friday gave a death toll of 931 civilians in the campaign. The food convoy comprised 13 trucks with food parcels that could not be delivered on Monday because of heavy fighting, the ICRC said earlier in a tweet. The ICRC was also preparing additional supplies, including medical material, to be sent in a bigger convoy next week. The situation is relatively good today. The bombing eased for a bit and is no longer intense, Bilal Abu Salah, a resident of Douma, said earlier. But he added that shortages are still acute, causing great hardship. Entire families eat one meal in several days, he said. U.N. aid agencies have pleaded with the Syrian government and its ally Russia to halt the campaign and allow access. Damascus and Moscow have both said the assault is needed to stop rebel shelling of Damascus and to end the rule of Islamist insurgents over civilians in eastern Ghouta. Safe routes unused The United Nations estimates that 400,000 people live in rebel-held areas of eastern Ghouta. The government and Russias military have opened what they say are safe routes out of the enclave, but nobody has left yet. Damascus and Moscow accuse the rebels of shooting at civilians to prevent them fleeing the fighting into government areas. Rebels deny this and say the areas inhabitants have not crossed into government territory because they fear persecution. The Observatory said there had been no air strikes on eastern Ghoutas towns overnight for the first time since the government ground offensive began around 10 days ago, and there were only intermittent battles on the front lines. On Sunday, Chinas communist party rulers are expected to smoothly pass an amendment to the constitution that gives the countrys powerful leader Xi Jinping a mandate to serve as president for as long as he wishes, perhaps for life. And while the proposal has sparked controversy domestically and abroad, there has been little sign of opposition or even concern from delegates of Chinas largely rubber-stamp National Peoples Congress, who will vote on the decision at the upcoming meeting. During a review session for the proposed amendments this week, delegates had nothing but praise for Xi and the suggested amendments. At two separate sessions that VOA attended, none of the delegates mentioned the proposal to amend the presidents term in office specifically. Although the term proposal has raised concerns that it gives Xi too much power and prominence, members of the Gansu delegation argued that the changes could help improve rule of law and belief in the constitution. The constitution provides us with security, happiness and fulfillment, which helps build up our greater respect to, firm belief in and recognition of the constitution, said one delegate. The current round of amendments is the largest in more than three decades since the current constitution was established. If approved and there is little doubt that the proposals will not be passed the changes will put an end to a once a decade leadership reshuffling process that has become a hallmark of Chinese politics and one of the few predictable elements of the countrys opaque political system. The amendments will also add Xi Jinpings political thought and vision to the document, a first for any Chinese leader in office since Chinas founder Mao Zedong was in power. Changes will also assert in clearer terms than ever the communist partys absolute authority over all affairs and its position as the only political organization fit to rule China. Although delegates and Chinas communist party and state media insist that this round of amendments has received the publics broad support, that claim is in sharp contrast to the actions authorities have taken at the same time to silence any discussion. Dissidents arrested Online Chinese censors have stepped up efforts to squash any debate and dissidents have been escorted or sent on vacation away from Beijing in an effort to keep them from speaking out. Rights advocates say that one day before International Womens Day, authorities in Wuhan detained two female activists, Huang Jingyi and Geng Caiwen, for making and posting a video online that mocked the constitutional reforms. In the video, Huang acted like she was guiding a car in reverse saying: Careful, backing up. The phrase backing up or going in reverse has been banned from social media along with a number of other phrases including constitutional amendments, I disagree and emperor. Critics of the changes argue that the constitutional amendments are a step backwards, not forward. VOA has reached out to several dissidents who were sent on vacation. One dissident who wished to remain anonymous confirmed he had been forced to leave Beijing and would not be allowed to return until meetings finish later this month. I'm not allowed to comment on the constitutional reform package. Actually, the whole country has been explicitly disallowed to criticize [the package]. I'm not alone," the dissident said. Hu Jia, a dissident who has been sent on vacation outside of Beijing, said the controls were pervasive. Hu said he would continue to speak out and despite authorities efforts to keep him and others silent. He said both the clause to explicitly legitimize one-party rule and scrap the two-term limit were unconstitutional. The term limit works as the only mechanism to have a check and balance of power on the top leader, who can only have a maximum of 10-year rule. Once it is scraped, there wont be any other mechanism. He can stay in office for more than 10 years, even for life, Hu said. During the last round of constitutional amendments in 2004, proposed changes that were much smaller in scope than the current round of changes were allowed to be openly discussed by the public, and deliberations began more than a year before a vote took place. A detailed outline of the specific changes to the articles was released to the public more than two months before a vote was held. The current round of amendments was decided behind closed doors when some 200 senior communist party officials gathered in Beijing in late January. Following the meetings, there was no mention of the proposed amendment to end limits on the presidents term in office. That was only revealed in late February, a week before the current meetings began. In addition to voting on constitutional amendments, delegates as well as officials, who are elected or appointed during the current round of political meetings, will take part in oath taking ceremonies, the first time this has been done during the annual political meetings. Wei Changhao, managing editor and founder of the website NPC Observer, said the ceremony itself will be largely a formality as delegates cannot be sued for dereliction of duty. But there could be a more general aim of having all those officials take an oath around the same time, during the meetings, he added. I think that the main reason is to at least show to the public that the party cares about the constitution, Wei said. Also it may be to instill in elected or appointed officials, some sort of awe, to remind them of their supposed mission. Wei said according to regulations for the ceremony, oath takers will place their left hand on the constitution and raise their right hand in a fist. Chinas national anthem will also be played during the ceremony. Argentina has issued an international capture order for five Chinese boats it says were illegally fishing in its waters, the coast guard said in a statement Thursday, following a failed attempt to detain one of the boats at sea. Federal Judge Eva Parcio de Seleme approved the order to capture the Jing Yuan 626, which the coast guard detected on Feb. 21 allegedly fishing illegally in Argentina's exclusive economic zone off the Patagonian coast. Illegal fishing by Chinese boats has tested diplomatic relations between President Mauricio Macri and China. In 2016, the coast guard sank a Chinese trawler it said was fishing illegally in its territorial waters. After detecting the Jing Yuan last month, the coast guard said it called on the boat to stop moving, at which point it turned off its lights and tried to escape into international waters. An Argentine coast guard vessel pursued the boat and fired warning shots, but it said four other boats tried to collide with its vessel to prevent the Jing Yuan from being captured. The Foreign Ministry called off the operation after eight hours. Argentina's coast is rich in squid, hake and prawns. China has the world's largest and farthest-ranging fishing operation, with 2,500 vessels logging approximately 17 million hours of fishing in 2016, mostly off the southern coast of their home country but also in Africa and South America. Last year, Chinese trawlers were seized off Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau over illegal fishing. British Prime Minister Theresa May is promising an "appropriate" response if it is discovered that Russia is responsible for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter. "But let's give the police the time and space to actually conduct their investigation," she told ITV news Thursday. "Of course, if action needs to be taken, then the government ... will do that properly at the right time and on the basis of the best evidence." Home Secretary Amber Rudd told Parliament "the use of a nerve agent on British soil is a brazen and reckless act. This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way." A police official told Britain's Sky News a total of 21 people were injured by the nerve agent released near a shopping center in the southern city of Salisbury. Three people are still in the hospital the apparent intended target, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal; his daughter, Yulia; and British policeman Nick Bailey, who came to their aid after he found the two slumped unconscious on an outdoor bench. An eyewitness told British reporters Yulia Skripal was passed out, frothing at the mouth with her eyes "wide open, but completely white." He said, "the man went stiff, his arms stopped moving, but he was still looking dead straight." Skripal and his daughter were still unconscious and in critical condition as of late Thursday. Bailey was in serious condition, but awake. Police have been examining security camera footage of the crime scene and are reportedly focusing their attention on a man and woman spotted nearby. Police have not publicly talked about the nerve agent that poisoned Skripal or who might have been responsible. But suspicions are pointing to Russia. Skripal served in Russia's military intelligence agency, GRU. He was exchanged in a Cold War-type spy swap in 2010 on the runway at Vienna's airport. After serving four years in prison in Russia for spying for Britain's espionage service, MI6, Skripal was one of four Russian double agents exchanged for 10 Russians expelled from the United States, including Manhattan socialite Anna Chapman. The incident is drawing comparisons to the case of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian KGB officer-turned-British intelligence agent and a highly public critic of President Vladimir Putin. Litvinenko died an agonizing death days after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210 in a London hotel in 2006. British doctors struggled in that case to identify the substance that killed him. A British inquiry concluded Putin probably approved the killing. The conclusion was angrily dismissed by the Kremlin as a politically motivated smear. Russia is also denying any involvement in the Skripal poisoning. California wildlife biologists have caught two rare Sierra Nevada red foxes in three weeks, a feat they say is a "huge" step to understanding the animal listed as threatened in the state in 1980. A nearly 9-pound (4-kilogram) female walked into a trap this week near Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park. A 10-pound (4-kilogram) male was captured Feb. 13 just outside the park, the Sacramento Bee reported Thursday. Scientists in 2018 intensified their study of the animal, but had not been able to capture a red fox until now. "This is huge," said Jennifer Carlson, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Biologists took blood samples and put tracking collars on the animals before returning them to the wild. Electronic tracking will allow biologists to know more about the size of the elusive red fox's home range and hopefully learn more about den sites and reproductive rates. "We know so little about this animal, and we have never found a den ever," Carlson said. Carlson estimated there are around 20 individuals in the Lassen group, likely too few to sustain a population under ideal conditions. The Sierra Nevada red fox once roamed widely in the upper mountain sub-alpine zones of California's Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges, but its abundance and distribution has declined dramatically in the last century. In addition to the Lassen population, a group exists at Mt. Bachelor in central Oregon, experts say. The Sierra Nevada red fox requires a specific high-elevation habitat that has been shrinking. Another threat to its future is in-breeding, Carlson said. Scientists are collecting fox scat and hair samples to build a database that will help them understand the animals' genetics and how the individual Lassen foxes are related. The retired archbishop of Santiago is trying to deflect criticism for Pope Francis' troubled trip to Chile in January, blaming everything from the summer weather to an "absentee" spokesman for the lower-than-expected turnout and negative press coverage during the visit. Cardinal Javier Errazuriz, a top papal adviser, wrote an extraordinary letter to the bishops of Latin America that insists the pope's trip wasn't a failure, but was "highly positive." The National Catholic Reporter first reported the letter and its contents Friday. Errazuriz did not take responsibility for a sex abuse scandal that shadowed Francis' visit or how the handling of allegations involving the Rev. Fernando Karadima affected the views of Chilean Catholics toward the church and the papacy. The former archbishop initially shelved the investigation of Karadima's abuse of young parishioners and has admitted he didn't believe the victims. A Vatican tribunal convicted Karadima in 2011 and sentenced him to a life of penance and prayer for his sex crimes. Independent polling firm Latinobarometro has pointed to the Karadima scandal as the leading cause of the church's loss of credibility in Chile. The country ranks lowest among the 19 in South and Central America in esteem for the pope. Francis' trip was dominated by the Karadima affair and the pope's support for a Karadima protege, Bishop Juan Barros. Some of Karadima's victims have accused Barros of having witnessed their abuse and ignored it. The criticism reached such a fever pitch that Francis decided upon his return to send a Vatican investigator to Chile. In the letter, Errazuriz accused Karadima's victims of trying to profit from their allegations of a cover-up, calling the claims slander aimed at bolstering a civil lawsuit against the Santiago archdiocese. Victim Juan Carlos Cruz denied the charge, saying complaints about Barros long predated any litigation. "Errazuriz is trying to confuse things and create a distraction to avoid his responsibility in all the cover-up and his poor management of the Chilean church that led to this disaster we are in now," Cruz told The Associated Press. "This is not about any money." Backing Barros Francis sparked an outcry in Chile in 2015 when he appointed Barros bishop of Osorno, Chile, over the objections of some in the church hierarchy. They had proposed that Barros and two other Karadima-trained bishops resign and take a year sabbatical. Members of Francis' sex abuse advisory commission expressed concern that if Barros didn't "see" the abuse when it was all around him, he could not be entrusted with protecting children in Osorno. During his trip, the pontiff enraged Chileans when he strongly defended Barros, calling the accusations against him "calumny." Further blame Errazuriz, in his letter, blamed some of the negative media coverage on Barros' decision to speak with journalists and jointly celebrate "probably an excessive" number of Masses with Francis. He said the "absentee" spokesman for the Chilean bishops' conference should have stopped both Barros and news organizations to keep the focus on the pope. "We needed a Navarro-Valls, able to politely stop the journalists and tell them that the archbishop of Osorno wouldn't be giving any more interviews," Errazuriz wrote, referring to St. John Paul II's longtime spokesman and spin master, Joaquin Navarro-Valls. Errazuriz also blamed summer vacations for the low turnout, as well as the selection of venues that were far from city centers and not serviced by public transportation. China is gearing up to retaliate in response to stiff U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum as Chinese industry associations urge authorities to take "resolute measures." Retaliation from Beijing could contribute to a possible trade war between the world's two biggest economies, analysts said. China's Ministry of Commerce has pledged to "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests" and called for an end to the measures as quickly as possible. In a statement posted on the website of the China Iron and Steel Association, the group appealed to the government in Beijing "to take resolute measures against imports of some U.S. products, including stainless steel, galvanized sheet, seamless pipe, coal, agriculture products and electronic products." While the possibility of retaliating over steel and hitting agricultural imports and other sectors has been mentioned previously, it was the first time that coal has been drawn into the brewing spat. China's increased imports of coal over the past year have given the U.S. industry a needed boost. The group also said U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel would impact the global industry and be met with opposition from more countries. The U.S. has already taken other actions impacting Chinese exports of aluminum, solar panels and washing machines in recent months. The Trump administration has asked China to reduce the trade deficit by $100 billion and threatened several actions to force Beijing to listen. In 2017, the trade gap between the two countries stood at $375 billion; but, there are early indications that the deficit might be much higher this year. In January, the monthly trade deficit with China surged 16.7 percent, to $36 billion, its highest level since September 2015. Flashpoints Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi acknowledged growing concerns about a trade war, while indicating that Beijing was working on possible retaliatory actions. "I would like to say that history has taught us that trade wars are never the solution," he said at a recent press conference on the sidelines of China's annual political meetings. "It will only hurt both sides, and China will surely make a justified and necessary response." The minister advocated a "calm and constructive dialogue as equals" in order to find "a mutually beneficial and win-win solution." The stakes are high for both sides, but there are limits to the amount of damage they can inflict without hurting their own economies, analysts note. China has already launched a probe into imports of U.S. sorghum, a grain used in animal feed and liquor. There are two other flashpoints on the horizon an upcoming report on whether China deserves blame for the large-scale theft of intellectual property rights, and a decision on the issue of dubbing Beijing as a currency manipulator. "They will retaliate; they've already signaled following Trump's steel tariffs [announcement] last week that they are going to take some measures. I think it is just a question of what they are going to decide to do," Gareth Leather, a senior Asia economist with Capital Economics, told VOA while discussing the Chinese leadership's plans going forward. He said Beijing is clever and will likely target sectors of the economy in a manner that hurts the administration at a political level, he said. Political acupuncture "I think the key one [target] is going to be the U.S. agriculture sector. It's obviously a politically key area for them," Leather said. "So, they will look at certain sectors such as orange juice from Florida, for example. They will look at which senators are from there and see whether they are pro-free trade or not." Following the announcement, the communist party-backed Global Times said in an editorial that Beijing should show it will not be cowed. "It [China] must retaliate against U.S. tariffs that forcibly interfere with Sino-U.S. trade and violate World Trade Organization rules. China must show it won't be bullied," the editorial said. Beijing is expected to target soybeans, one of the most valuable U.S. exports to China. China has also used its purchase of Boeing aircraft as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations in the past and might now threaten to shift its preference to Airbus. Leather said China is also closely studying the coming U.S. midterm elections to fine-tune its attack if that is necessary. "I suspect what they'll do is they'll look at plants in certain swing states that may be suffering but have Republican congressmen up for elections and probably target those," he said. While the Trump administration's measures go into effect in about two weeks, they alone will not have a major impact on the Chinese economy. For now, China's response is likely to be quite symbolic, Leather said, and the Chinese are not likely to ratchet up the pressure too much. "I think the risk is, however, that if the U.S. does press ahead on further protectionist measures, which do specifically target China, then, I think, China will have to respond in a much more aggressive way, and then obviously risks all end up getting a lot worse," he said. Trade is not the only area that could be a factor going forward. In a daily newsletter, Trivium China, a research group in Beijing, said news that Trump is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un soon [to discuss ending the North's nuclear program] could have an impact as well. "If Xi Jinping helps to facilitate that meeting, it might buy China some time; but, it would only be a temporary reprieve from Trump's trade ire," the newsletter noted. North Africa focused oil and gas company SDX Energy Inc announced that a gas discovery has been made at its SAH-2 well on the Sebou onshore permit in North-Western Morocco near the Atlantic city of Kenitra. The SAH-2 well was drilled to a total depth of 1,304 meters and encountered 5.2 meters of net conventional natural gas, the company said in a statement. The company will complete the well and conduct further tests to connect it to existing infrastructure, it said. Speaking on this occasion, Paul Welch, President and CEO of SDX said We are very pleased to be able to announce another discovery, the fifth from seven wells drilled to date in our nine-well Moroccan campaign. This was also the first well in the Gharb basin that was successfully drilled using downhole directional tools, which allowed us to penetrate the crest of two individual targets with a single well-bore, he added, noting that the company will use these tools when drilling our next well, LNB-1, an exploration well in our Lalla Mimouna concession, for a similar reason. By successfully targeting the crests of specific horizons, we now have the ability to improve the recovery efficiency from individual wells. SDX Energy Inc (LON:SDX,CVE:SDX) shares rose on Friday after the group confirmed the new gas discovery in SAH-2, An informant whom House Republicans have said could reveal a link between a 2010 sale of U.S. uranium supplies and donations to the Clinton Foundation provided no evidence of that during a four-hour interview with congressional staff last month, Democrats said Thursday. The informant, lobbyist William D. Campbell, "provided no evidence of a quid pro quo involving Secretary [Hillary] Clinton or the Clinton Foundation and no evidence that Secretary Clinton was involved in, or improperly influenced" the uranium sale, the Democrats said in a five-page summary of the Feb. 7 interview. Democrats said they were releasing a summary of the session because majority Republicans, who control the panels involved, refused to approve the preparation of a full transcript. "Mr. Campbell identified no evidence that Secretary Hillary Clinton, President Bill Clinton, or anyone from the Obama Administration took any actions as a result of Russian requests or influence," the summary says. At issue is the sale during Clinton's tenure as U.S. Secretary of State of Uranium One, a Canadian company that controlled roughly 20 percent of U.S. uranium supplies, to Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom. At the time of the sale, Campbell was a confidential source for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a bribery and kickback probe of the head of a U.S. unit of Rosatom. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have pressed for a fresh investigation of the issue, alleging that Clinton orchestrated the sale in return for donations to the Clinton Foundation, and was unduly influenced by Moscow. Democrats call the charges an effort to distract from ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. The White House and Kremlin deny any collusion. Campbell's attorney, Victoria Toensing, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment about his congressional interview. Republican Representative Ron DeSantis, in a television interview last October, said the informant, whom he did not name then, "would be able to link" the Uranium One sale to financial gain for Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton. A DeSantis spokeswoman did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. Unanimous approval of sale The Uranium One sale was unanimously approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which comprises representatives of nine U.S. government agencies. When the issue was voted on, the State Department was represented not by Clinton, but by a lower-level official. Five committees in the U.S. House and Senate previously looked into the issue and found no evidence that Clinton was behind CFIUS' approval of the deal, according to congressional records. Campbell was interviewed by Republican and Democratic staffers from the House Oversight and Intelligence committees and the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We appreciate Mr. Campbell's service to our country and his willingness to appear before the Committee to answer questions related to our core investigative mission: to determine what the FBI did or did not know at the time CFIUS approved the Uranium One deal, and how we can improve the CFIUS process and agency coordination moving forward," said House Oversight Committee spokeswoman Amanda Gonzalez in response to a request for comment. U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned a former Navy sailor who served a year in prison for taking photographs of classified areas of a submarine. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that Trump is "appreciative'' of the service Navy sailor Kristian Saucier has given to the country. Sanders said Saucier's service in the military was otherwise commendable and that he had been recognized by service members "for his dedication, skill and patriotic spirit.'' Saucier pleaded guilty in 2016 to taking photographs inside classified areas of the USS Alexandria in 2009. Saucier had argued during his trial that he merely wanted mementos of his service on the submarine. However, prosecutors accused him of being a disgruntled sailor who compromised national security. Prosecutors also said Saucier destroyed evidence after he was questioned. Trump had referenced Saucier's case while he was campaigning for president as a way to criticize Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Trump argued that Clinton should have been prosecuted for her actions, because people who committed lesser crimes, like Saucier, were prosecuted. Saucier's lawyers even invoked Clinton in their court arguments, saying that Saucier deserved to be held to the same standard as the former secretary of state. The FBI declined to charge Clinton in 2016 after an investigation into her use of a private email server. Then-FBI Director James Comey said she had been "extremely careless" in her handling of classified documents, but said no reasonable prosecutor would bring a case against her. American trading partners are criticizing the Trump administration's proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the United States. Many analysts say the situation could lead to a new trade war, which could hit developing countries as well as big economies. Henry Ridgwell reports. The European Union says it is not clear whether the bloc will be exempt from U.S. President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said Friday in Brussels, "We hope that we can get confirmation that the EU is excluded from this." Trump signed proclamations Thursday imposing a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a ten percent tariff on imported aluminum, with the new taxes set to go into effect in two weeks. Canada and Mexico were given specific exemptions from the tariffs for an indefinite period while negotiations continue on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Malmstroem said the European Union was "not preparing for battle," but was ready to slap retaliatory tariffs on American products, which she said could include peanut butter and orange juice. "Dialogue is always the prime option for the European Union," Malmstroem said. She said the European Union is "counting on being excluded" from the tariffs. "The loss of exports to the U.S., combined with an expected massive import surge in the EU could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the EU steel industry and related sectors," said Axel Eggert, director general of EUROFER, the European steel association. "Ironically, estimates also show that the U.S. could also suffer a net loss of jobs as a result of the measure." Trump imposed the tariffs despite pleas from friends and allies who warned the new measure could ignite a trade war. That galaxy far, far away keeps expanding. In the latest in a flurry of Star Wars spinoffs, the Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that Jon Favreau will write and executive produce a live-action Star Wars series for the company's planned streaming platform. Disney is readying a streaming service to compete with Netflix, and it has signaled that Star Wars will be a major component. The not-yet-named service is planned to launch in late 2019. Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe, said Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president, in a statement. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base. Favreau has been a Disney regular, having directed the first two Iron Man films for Marvel and 2016's The Jungle Book. He also helped produce several Avengers movies. He's currently prepping a Lion King remake to be released in 2019. He has some Star Wars experience, too, having provided a voice for The Clone Wars animated series. Favreau also has a role in the upcoming Han Solo spinoff Solo: A Star Wars Story. If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn't have believed you, said Favreau. Disney has previously announced that The Last Jedi writer-director Rian Johnson is developing a new Star Wars film trilogy, and that Game of Thrones creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff will write and produce a separate series of Star Wars films. No details or release date were announced for Favreau's series. Aid workers should not have to risk their lives to deliver assistance, to Syrias Ghouta, said the regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Middle East after heavy fighting impeded efforts to get aid to people trapped there. Robert Mardini said his group was taken aback by the fighting that broke out despite guarantees from the parties involved in this conflict that humanitarian aid could enter the towns of Douma and eastern Ghouta. The ICRC eventually managed to deliver the food and other supplies for 12,000 people during a pause in fighting. Mardini said it is critical that such guarantees be kept because much more aid is needed in the area. By Saturday, the Syrian army continued its offensive in eastern Ghouta. Douma, northeast of Damascus, is the largest and most populous town in rebel-controlled eastern Ghouta. Promises broken Ali al-Zatari, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Syria, said Fridays shelling was in breach of assurances of safety from parties, including the Russian Federation. The attack started as the convoy approached Douma to deliver aid that could not be offloaded Monday because of deteriorating security. Zeid Raad al Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, has called for perpetrators of crimes in eastern Ghouta to be held accountable and for an independent investigation into recent events. Earlier this month, Zeid spoke about incidents that have taken place in eastern Ghouta, which has been under siege for half a decade, at a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council. He spoke about the denial of food, medicine and other relief to the 400,000 residents of this besieged area. He described the trauma experienced by tens of thousands of severely malnourished children, forced to live in basements to survive the relentless airstrikes by Syrian forces. Zeid recounted the bombing of hospitals, schools and markets and the release of toxic agents that reportedly have killed two children. He said the actions in eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria are likely war crimes, and potentially crimes against humanity. The high commissioner said Syria must be referred to the International Criminal Court so that justice can be done. In response, the Syrian ambassador accused Zeid of being selective and biased in his positions and blamed terrorist factions for the situation in eastern Ghouta. The Syrian army has recaptured nearly all the farmland in eastern Ghouta in less than two weeks, leaving about half the area still under insurgent control. Some rebels yield Also Friday, Syrian state TV said a group of opposition fighters have left Ghouta and reached government-controlled areas. They are believed to be the first to leave the rebel-held area. Russia, backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has offered safe passage for opposition fighters who surrender in eastern Ghouta. State TV showed video of 13 bearded men it said had handed themselves over to authorities. The video showed Russian troops aboard the bus the 13 men were boarding. It was a sunny day. As U.S. Staff Sergeant Jonny Jones was on patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand province - suddenly - a land mine exploded, changing the life of this U.S. Marine forever. "Joey" as his friends call him, lost both of his legs in the blast. "When I woke up in Germany my immediate thought was, "do I have a knee?", because a lot of guys that lose their leg below the knee recover faster and can do more," he recalls. "So if you have one knee that can make a huge difference. And unfortunately the nurse was very honest and said you don't have a knee but you're healthy and you'll be able to walk again and you're going to live. "Joey" Jones had served eight years with the Marines, with tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan -- including seven months as a mine sweeper. After his injury, Jones received financial help from the U.S. government, including health care, education and housing. It's a different story for Afghan soldiers who fought alongside Americans. When VOA visited Jones and his family at his home near Atlanta, Georgia, we showed him photos of an Afghan soldier officer who was disabled in battle. Rafiullah Kunari lost his legs in a military operation in Faryab Province. A mechanic now, he prays someday he will be able to walk again. I wish one day somebody could help me and I could stand on my feet, like him (Staff Sgt. Jones), and do my chores," he told VOA. " But if I were in this situation, I would not be able to take care of my daily tasks since I have many problems. Some Afghan officials say military personnel should receive a yearly retirement benefit from the government. But Kunari says he has never received a check. Joey Jones has great respect for the sacrifices of his Afghan counterparts -- who are often left to fend for themselves. It was inspiring and heartbreaking to see Rafiullah and to know he doesn't get the legs that I value or the opportunity that I get," he said. "But what I'd like to tell him is that he's still an inspiration even to me. To suffer through what he's gone through. But still he'll continue living his life and not just be a beggar or someone who feels sorry for himself. You can see it in his eyes - that he's a fighter. Joey Jones & Rafiullah Kunari, two soldiers on the same battlefield. But each facing new challenges as they adjust to life outside the military. The federal government has been advising a beach town on the Jersey Shore on plans to build a pier and start a ferry service that would speed New Yorkers to the doorstep of a resort co-owned by Jared Kushner. Kushner's seaside resort sits right next to the proposed pier, which places the federal government in the awkward position of helping steer a project that would benefit President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser. Once the project is complete, a former city official said it would raise property values at the Kushner resort, which is currently selling 269 condos for as much as $1.9 million each. The Federal Transit Administration, an agency under the Transportation Department, first gave Long Branch $3.34 million in 2008 to redevelop a fishing pier beloved by generations of beachgoers, but that's not enough money to finish the project. So city leaders have been talking with federal transit officials about how to apply for more funds, and say the agency highlighted the ferry plan at a conference last year as a promising way to improve traffic by getting commuters off the roads. Long Branch also gets FTA technical assistance and guidance on its current grant. Kushner resigned as CEO of his family's company in January 2017 to join the White House, but according to a December financial disclosure report he still owns part of the Pier Village resort, which is currently selling its beachfront condos. If the pier is rebuilt on its historic site and the ferry starts up, the value of those condos could rise as much as 50 percent, said Howard Woolley, Long Branch's former business administrator. Kushner Cos. spokeswoman Christine Taylor said the pier would benefit Long Branch, and had no specific benefit to us versus anyone else in town. Of course, we, like other high-class developers, discuss projects that help the communities that we serve, she said in a statement. To suggest that we have done anything unethical is patently false and appears to be drummed up again for political gain. Woolley said he would regularly brief the Kushner family on the city's efforts to fund the pier, including in-person visits with Kushner's father, Charles. One meeting in 2015 ended with a round of cigars with the senior Kushner atop Kushner Cos.' headquarters in a Manhattan skyscraper, Woolley recalled. Charlie was interested in seeing it built. We all agreed it would be good for the city and good for Pier Village, Woolley said. Woolley and Long Branch officials stressed there was no connection between Kushner's ownership of the resort and their longstanding efforts to bring a ferry to town. They gave us that grant before Kushner Cos. was involved, Mayor Adam Schneider said. ``If the federal government thinks it is a conflict, let them do something about it. I'm just advocating for my city.'' Emails obtained through the Open Public Records Act and interviews indicate the Kushner family and local leaders sometimes coordinated. A Kushner official in July 2016 wanted to set up a meeting to discuss future pier/ferry/helicopter. A 2017 email from a Kushner partner in the project proposed a concept that could offer more parking for ferry passengers. And in the past few months, Kushner Cos. and partner Extell Development Co. sent Mayor Schneider their own proposal for a pier and ferry terminal that would be cheaper than the city's current plan, said Robert Goodman, Long Branch's liaison to the federal government. Schneider confirmed that he and Charles Kushner recently exchanged ideas about Kushner's proposal. Goodman said he mentioned the proposal to the FTA in a recent phone call. The FTA, which has not had a confirmed administrator since January 2014, declined to respond to questions from The Associated Press about the potential for conflicts of interest with Kushner in the White House. The agency sent a statement saying it has given the city technical assistance on how it could become eligible to receive certain FTA funds. The FTA said to date, Long Branch had not applied. Given Kushner's role advising Trump on policy issues ranging from Middle East peace to infrastructure, some question whether those small-town business ties now pose a conflict of interest. The development of that project will accrue to the benefit of the family's business, and will certainly enhance the value of his prime beachfront property, said Virginia Canter, an attorney with the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. He needs to recuse himself from anything involving infrastructure. Kushner has taken no part of any business, loans, or projects with his family's business since joining the government, said Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell. He has followed the ethics advice he has received for all of his work which include the separation from his business and recusals when appropriate, Mirijanian said. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga met Friday in an apparent effort to settle months of violent post-election tensions. The meeting came just hours before a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. In the surprise meeting, Kenyatta and Odinga agreed to work toward unifying the country after last years divisive presidential election. The two who, after their meeting, appeared together to give separate statements to the press acknowledged the country was heading in the wrong direction. Healing divisions Odinga, who has refused to recognize Kenyatta as president, paraphrased U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. He said Kenyans needed to know where they are and where they want to go before they can better judge what to do and how to do it. "Fifty-four years since independence, we are challenged to audit our progress toward the ideals for which our fathers fought to establish a free and independent country and for which many of our compatriots died." As leaders, said Odinga, they had a duty to reflect on their performance in reaching Kenyas goals since independence: justice, unity, peace, liberty and prosperity for all. Kenyatta said the two men came to a common understanding that for Kenya to come together, its leaders must come together. "And this is what me and my brother have agreed," Kenyatta said, referring to Odinga. "That starting today, we will begin a process of bringing our people together. That we will begin a process discussing what ails us and what creates division amongst us." Reconciliation panned Miguna Miguna, a prominent Kenyan opposition lawyer and politician who was deported to Canada in February, denounced the Kenyatta-Odinga reconciliation. In a statement posted to Facebook on Friday, he called the rapprochement "a fundamental betrayal of the innocent Kenyans who have lost their lives" supporting Odinga in several elections over the last decade. Last fall alone, Kenyan security forces killed at least 55 people in election-related violence, according to Human Rights Watch. Miguna, whose deportation was ruled illegal by Kenya's High Court, said in his statement that he would return to Kenya on March 26 "to continue the struggle for electoral justice." Support for collaboration On the streets of Nairobi, Kenyans also welcomed the leaders agreeing to work together. Its a really good step towards harmonizing the country," said Brian Wanjoki, a pedestrian. "Because the electioneering period has left us divided ... supporters of both sides. So, I think its a really good idea that theyve met. And, hopefully we can progress from this. Another man, Philip Ndungu, also seemed encouraged by the leaders' meeting. Noting "the economy has been down," Ndung'u said if the two "resolve their issues, well, at least it will show that we are moving forward and the issue to do with the election is it behind us. Devil in the details Kenya was plunged into political crisis after the Supreme Court annulled the August presidential election, due to irregularities, and Odinga and his supporters boycotted a second round in October. Odinga refused to recognize Kenyattas win; in January, he held a rally where his supporters symbolically inaugurated the opposition leader as president. Observers feared further division would follow the provocative action and the governments crackdown on independent television and the opposition. Fridays breakthrough came just hours before U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's first official visit Kenya. That's not a coincidence, said independent political analyst Martin Andati. "The meeting must have been come out of pressure from the U.S. secretary of state," Andati said. "... You know the West has been very keen on trying to get Uhuru and Raila to meet. So, it helps ease the political tensions.... While Andati called the agreement on unification significant for healing Kenyan politics, the devil will be in the details. We need to understand what exactly has been agreed upon, he said, noting the Kenyan leaders statements contained only generalities. Militia fighters attacked, kidnapped and raped en masse a large group of women in an isolated area of Central African Republic last month, Doctors Without Borders said Thursday. The medical charity treated 10 survivors of the Feb. 17 violence near Kiriwiri, a village in the country's northwest. Fearing further attacks if they tried to reach a hospital, the women were unable to seek medical treatment until about two weeks later, it said. Many other victims remained behind, fearing that, as rape victims, they would be stigmatized in their community. "Some were totally in shock, others paralyzed by fear or unable to talk about the incident. Some of the women had open wounds caused by blades," said Soulemane Amoin, a midwife at the hospital in the town of Bossangoa, where the women were treated. "It was terrible to see. It broke my heart." Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Christian anti-balaka militias. Despite the deployment of a 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission, rival armed groups still stalk much of the countryside. The U.N. Security Council approved an extra 900 peacekeepers in November to help to protect civilians. Gabon, which contributes around 550 soldiers to the mission, announced Thursday it was planning to withdraw its contingent, citing what it said was a "progressive return of peace and stability." The rapes near Kiriwiri coincided with a surge in violence in Bossangoa and the surrounding areas. In its statement, Doctors Without Borders said the women had left their village to fetch water and tend to their fields when the militiamen arrived. Some women fled, but others were grabbed and brought back to the militia's base where they were repeatedly raped before being let go, it said. Doctors Without Borders did not identify the group behind the assault. "This attack is one of the consequences of the new wave of senseless violence that broke out at the end of 2016 and continues without letup," said Paul Brockmann, who heads the Doctors Without Borders mission in Central African Republic. The hospital at Bossangoa has treated 56 rape victims since September, up from 13 in the previous eight months, Doctors Without Borders said. It has also treated around 300 victims of rape and sexual assault from around the country each month this year at its main hospital in the capital, Bangui. People watch a news report about the planned Trump-Kim meeting at a railway station in Seoul on March 9, 2018. Photo: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images It was 5 p.m. on Thursday, and Beltway denizens were starting to think about braving the commute, heading out for a drink, or even packing for spring break with the kids. Then news flashed across Twitter: South Korea would be making a statement from the White House at 7 p.m. President Trump popped into the White House briefing room himself to tease that it would be a major announcement on the big subject. He wasnt exaggerating: we soon learned South Koreas national-security adviser had brought an offer of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the White House had accepted. From the avalanche of national security and political analysis that followed, here are eight things to know. In General, This Is Probably a Positive Development Were all well aware that the cycle of provocations surrounding the Korean Peninsula could have nuclear consequences, and the potential for miscommunication is high. This situation needs to be defused by direct talks between the North and the U.S. Any period of time where the North isnt testing is a period where misunderstandings are less likely. And our South Korean allies very much want us to ramp down the tension and to talk to Kim. Their views matter, since their citizens already live under daily threat, regardless of whether the North can deliver a nuclear missile to the U.S. That Doesnt Necessarily Mean Were Headed Toward a Resolution Within an hour of the announcement at the White House, unnamed officials were telling reporters that while the North Korean concessions were real, the U.S. was not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks. Washington and Pyongyang have gotten close before and no one should be surprised if this latest effort to address the North Korean nuclear crisis doesnt yield a solution. Summits Can Burn You In 2000, Bill Clintons advisers debated heatedly whether he should meet with the current Kims father, Kim Jong-il, as one of his valedictory foreign-policy trips. The skeptics won out. After the North sent an invitation to Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was dispatched to Pyongyang, where she was received with much fanfare yet, the two sides were unable to close a deal. Its worth remembering part of the reason why: although Albrights talks were constructive, she was savaged by critics for allowing Kims expert choreography to portray her relationship with the Dear Leader in too cozy a light, as he continued starving his citizens behind the scenes. This time, Kim Jong-un offered a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests while talks are underway and said North Korea will not object to the U.S. and South Korean military exercises due to be held on and around the Korean peninsula in the next few weeks. These two apparent concessions will help lower the temperature and give the North the high ground. The Trump administration has a tremendously difficult task ahead. Can they maneuver adroitly enough that the North doesnt walk away from the talks? And what happens if, as weve seen at several points during the tortured history of U.S.North Korean diplomacy, Pyongyang accuses Washington of acting in bad faith, or acts in bad faith itself? Is the White House prepared to offer South Korea and the rest of the globe a convincing counter-message? Trump Needs His Diplomatic A Team Or his B team. Or, frankly, any team. Lets review: Trumps National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster did not appear with the South Korean national-security adviser to brief the press, something former Defense and National Security Council (NSC) official Kelly Magsamen believes has never happened since the NSC was created after World War II. And the rumor is that Trump has grown tired of McMaster and is planning to replace him between now and May. Pentagon staffers were telling reporters they didnt know what was coming a few hours before the announcement. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on his way to Africa. And State, which would normally prepare such a summit, has vacancies in the top two positions dealing with Korea (assistant secretary for East Asia and ambassador to South Korea). The diplomatic envoy to the North just announced his retirement. Moments like these are why you need to maintain a talented and robust diplomatic corps. Wendy Sherman on how they prepared for Iran nuclear talks: We wrote an entire agreement, over 100 pages, before we began the negotiation, so we had a sense of what we were trying to achieve. It was incredibly detailed and incredibly technical. Theres homework to be done. Anna Fifield (@annafifield) March 9, 2018 This Happened Because the North Planned It Trump may be showing spontaneity, but Kim Jong-un is not. Professor Elizabeth Saunders points out that summits are currency in international relations. The North views the lack of a permanent peace deal, and Washingtons insistence on treating it as a pariah rather than a respected member of the international community, as not just insults but threats to its existence. A U.S.North Korean summit is a pinnacle of respectability, and thus a prize Pyongyang has sought for decades. A 1988 North Korean propaganda film, The Country I Saw, ends with an American president showing respect for North Koreas nuclear and missile programs (just sketches and plans at the time) by dispatching an envoy to Pyongyang. It is worth noting that the North produced four sequels to this film. Another Reason This Is Happening: Both Kim and Trump Want It Jokes about the bad hair, bad Twitter summit started flying pretty quickly, but there is a serious point here. Both leaders rely on their personal brand, and on inspiring some combination of fear and reverence. Each shows great confidence that his supporters will accept anything he tells them even if it seems to be a complete reversal of things he has said before. Each leader has calculated that a meeting or the announcement of a meeting in the future will make him look strong to his base and help him get more of the international attention he craves. But each leader is also used to playing a zero-sum, two-men-enter-the-ring-one-man-leaves style of diplomacy. This cant end well for both of them. This Doesnt Mean That Trumps Chaotic National-Security Style Was a Stroke of Genius Theres probably already a hot take in print somewhere, or at least a tweet, about how this development proves that Trumps fondness for unpredictability was the brilliant and tough diplomacy the Korea crisis has been waiting for. Madman theory says that if you can convince your opponents that you are irrational and not deterrable, they will make concessions to you. Interestingly, though, this theory has nothing to say about what happens when your opponents study the particular form of your madness and develop a strategy for how to play to your weaknesses. The Chinese and South Korean governments have already demonstrated considerable skill at using flattery to move Trump where they want him. What a Way to Celebrate International Womens Day At first glance, the North Korea news might seem totally unrelated, but from Kim Jong-uns sister Kim Yo-jong to Ivanka Trump to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, women are playing all kinds of critical roles in this drama. And did you notice how many female experts I quoted in this piece? Seemed kind of normal, didnt it? Thats what International Womens Day is all about. But the last word goes to longtime Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiator Aaron David Miller, who drew lessons from another summit gone awry: Having helped shape and plan a failed presidential summit in 2000, followed by three years of violence from which Israeli-Palestinian relations have still not recovered, make sure you know what youre doing. We didnt. Update: This afternoon, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that president will not agree to the meeting without concrete steps and action. Some observers saw this as a belated attempt to insert preconditions; others saw it as a cancellation. But then the White House clarified the clarification, with an unnamed official telling the WSJ: The invitation has been extended and accepted, and that stands. What does this mean? It looks like the sensitive and delicate pre-summit negotiations will be carried out in public. And a significant portion will be among parts of the U.S. government. Not a good sign. The outlawed Pakistani Taliban has confirmed the killing of 21 of its members in an American drone strike in neighboring Afghanistan this past Wednesday. The attack in the eastern Afghan border province of Kunar targeted a training camp of the so-called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, where would-be suicide bombers were being trained, according to Afghan officials and Pakistani intelligence sources. Officials said several militant commanders and the "master trainer" at the facility were among the slain men preparing to launch suicide attacks in Pakistan. A TTP statement issued Friday confirmed that a teenage son of the group's chief, Mullah Fazlullah, also was killed, and the terror group vowed to avenge the deadly strike. The militant group claimed the U.S. drone hit a "madrassa or religious seminary and those killed were students and teachers. The militant confirmation comes a day after the United States announced it was offering a $5 million reward for information on Fazlullah and $3 million each for two other anti-Pakistan militant commanders believed to be operating out of the Afghan border regions. "Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals," the State Department said Thursday. It noted that Fazlullah and two other militant leaders, Abdul Wali and Mangal Bagh, also pose threats to Pakistan and U.S.-led coalition troops in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials maintain TTP leaders and allied militant groups have established sanctuaries in "ungoverned" areas of Afghanistan after fleeing anti-terrorism operations in tribal regions on the porous border between the two countries. Islamabad has been calling on Washington and Kabul to stop the militants from plotting and launching attacks against Pakistan. For their part, U.S. and Afghan officials accuse Pakistan of harboring the leaders of the Afghan Taliban and militants linked to the allied Haqqani network, charges Islamabad denies. Wali heads Jamaat ul-Ahrar, a TTP affiliate, and Bagh leads Lashkar-i-Islam, a militant outfit known for staging attacks on convoys transporting non-lethal military equipment to NATO troops in Afghanistan. A court in Lahore has barred the provincial and federal government from arresting Hafiz Saeed, the leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a U.S.-designated terror organization. The court order, issued Wednesday, also prevents the government from putting Saeed under house arrest. Saeed had filed a petition in Lahore High Court in January, expressing concerns the government might be considering putting him behind bars or under house arrest because of mounting pressure from the U.S. and India. Both the state government of Punjab and the federal government were unable to immediately respond to Saeed's allegations in court. The court has instructed the government to submit its response no later than April 4. The Islamist cleric took the matter to court before the arrival of a U.N. Security Council delegation to Pakistan in late January. The delegation was in the country to monitor measures taken by the government against individuals and organizations listed on the U.N.'s terror watch list. Saeed, a U.S.- and U.N.-designated global terrorist, is believed to be the alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that killed more than 160 people, including six Americans. Saeed was added to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions list in December 2008 following the Mumbai attacks. His JuD and its charity organization, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), which he also runs, are both designated as terror outfits by the United States and the United Nations. JuD is largely believed to be the front organization for Saeed's Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), which was founded by Saeed in the 1980s with the aim of liberating Indian-administered Kashmir and subsequently merging it with Pakistan. Over time, the group also has expanded its operations to Afghanistan. Increased pressure The United States designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2012 and offered a bounty of $10 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Pakistan has been under increasing pressure for its inability to prosecute Saeed and sanction JuD and FIF, which operate freely in the country despite being placed on the U.N.'s terror watch list. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, in briefing reporters in Washington last month, criticized Pakistan for not taking action against Saeed. "How many times have we talked about the person who Pakistan let out of house arrest, who was responsible for the Mumbai attacks back in 2008 that killed so many people, including Americans, too?" she asked, referring to Saeed. Residents of a mountainous city in the Kashmir region are worried their river, the cornerstone of their way of life, will be severely damaged by a new hydropower project. The government promises it has taken all necessary steps to minimize the impact. VOA's Ayesha Tanzeem reports. A group of Muslim rebels is retrenching in the Philippines for what could lead to another fight against the government after a five-month war last year. Members of the Maute Group, an Islamic State-sympathetic, anti-government Muslim rebel front that sparked war in the southern city Marawi, have splintered into 10 smaller outposts since fighting ended in October, Philippine news website Rappler said this week. They number about 300 people. The Philippine army is preparing in turn for more attacks. On January 30, the armed forces set up a camp in Marawi to establish a strategic base in the city to prevent the reentry of Maute-ISIS-inspired terrorist groups, the presidential office website says, using an alternate acronym for Islamic State. Dedicated to ideology The war last year killed core members the Maute family as well as its chief fighters - some 900 of the 1,127 dead - but left angry survivors, experts believe. Their reemergence shows that discontent over political control on the island of Mindanao, a historic Muslim tract in the majority Christian Philippines, festers despite decades of fighting. About 121,000 people have died from conflicts in Mindanao since the 1960s. The reality is that although the leaders have been decimated, there are still many sympathizers and remnants, the second and third liners, and its well known theyre dedicated to the ideology and theyre bound to the group, said Eduardo Araral, associate professor in the National University of Singapores public policy school. And its just a matter of time, because there are many loose groups around Mindanao who could rally around the Maute-ISIS flags, he said. Regrouping after war When the five-year-old Maute Group joined hands with the Abu Sayyaf, a rebel force known for kidnapping and beheading foreign tourists, the armed forces started a war in May 2017. At least 200,000 people fled their homes as fighting made the lakeside university town uninhabitable. IS had picked an Abu Sayyaf leader as its emir for Southeast Asia, raising the danger level for Philippine officials. One of two suspected Maute sympathizers arrested over the weekend in Manila allegedly led an attack against a civilian security detachment last year in Lanao Del Sur, the province surrounding Marawi, domestic news website ABS-CBN reported. The Maute holdouts will try for now to find new leadership, perhaps giving the role to a cousin of the slain founders, said Herman Kraft, political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Metro Manila. Theres going to be some sort of struggle going on as to whos going to take over the entire group, Kraft said. So everybody actually splintering might be something thats going to go on for the next few months. Links to other rebels With 19 other Muslim rebel groups active around Mindanao and the adjacent Sulu Sea, the revived Maute forces might pick some of them to resume their fight, analysts believe. Rebels share the broad cause of securing Muslim autonomy in Mindanao, a farming and mining island of 21 million people, and more resources for relatively poor Muslim populations. The New Peoples Army, the armed unit of a communist insurgency, might help the Maute Group, said Enrico Cau, a Ph.D. student of international affairs and strategic studies at Tamkang University in Taiwan. I think theyre going to find a modus vivendi with the Moros, because they are very good friends, Cau said, using a term for Philippine Muslims, often from minority ethnic groups. If you apply socialist laws or regulations or principles to Islam, they work pretty well. Troops and national police are pushing members of the New Peoples Army to surrender, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday in a statement on his web site. Duterte hopes the armed forces can quash the rebel group soon, he said. Aiming at soft targets Foreign sympathizers of IS, an international terrorist outfit that was weakened last year at its bases in Iraq and Syria, might also reenter the Philippines to help the rebels again, Cau said. Philippine officials suspected that Indonesians and Malaysians reached Marawi last year to support the Maute rebels. "High levels of unsolved grievances maximize the opportunity of success," in the Philippines, he said. Maute survivors may not have the strength to fight a full-scale war but would turn to terrorist acts against soft targets such as schools and shopping malls in larger Mindanao cities, Araral said. The government must give concessions to Muslim groups to ease fighting long term, Cau said. A government commission is working toward an autonomy law following a peace deal with one of the more established rebel groups, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. President Donald Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May in response to Kims invitation to hold the first U.S.-North Korea summit, a South Korean envoy said, marking a potentially dramatic breakthrough in the North Korea nuclear standoff. Here are the reactions from some politicians, officials and analysts: Robert Gallucci, chief U.S. negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis: This is a surprising and welcome development. If representatives of both governments can meet, and a summit ultimately is held, it would represent substantial progress in reducing tension and the risk of war. If real negotiations result in verifiable arrangements aimed at the elimination of nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and an end to the further development of long-range ballistic missiles, the principal source of tension and hostility between the DPRK and the U.S. and the rest of the world will also be eliminated. Takashi Kawakami, president of the Institute of World Studies, Takushoku. University in Tokyo: I think the U.S. will wait to see how the North-South talks in April turn out before making a final decision on whether to meet, and I see three possible scenarios. The first is that North Korea will agree to denuclearization, second that North Korea will agree to a nuclear freeze with the U.S., and third that it withdraws its approach and returns to missile launches. Of those I see the second as the most likely, with Japan calling for continued pressure sidelined. There is nothing that Japan can do except show support for the U.S., which continues to call for maximum pressure on North Korea. And if the second scenario occurs, then Japan will have to seek a strengthening of the U.S. nuclear deterrent including nuclear sharing. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican, on Twitter: After numerous discussions with President Trump, I firmly believe his strong stand against North Korea and its nuclear aggression gives us the best hope in decades to resolve this threat peacefully. I am not naive. I understand that if the past is an indication of the future, North Korea will be all talk and no action. However, I do believe that North Korea now believes President Trump will use military force if he has to. A word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un the worst possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him. If you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime. Bonnie Glaser, Center for Strategic and International Studies: Trump is a deal maker and probably believes he can single-handedly convince Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons. A Trump meeting with Kim presents both risks and opportunities. The U.S. side needs to be very, very well prepared and know exactly what it wants to achieve, as well as what the U.S. is willing to provide in return. Ed Royce, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee: Kim Jong Uns desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work. We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce-by-ounce. Remember, North Korean regimes have repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time. North Korea uses this to advance its nuclear and missile programs. Weve got to break this cycle. The United States and South Korea must stand shoulder-to-shoulder in applying the sustained pressure needed to peacefully end this threat. And Beijing must do its part. Daniel Russel, former U.S. assistant secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific: Lets hear from the North Koreans themselves what they are proposing and what they are willing to do. There is plenty of reason to be cautious, given their track record. Second, lets read the fine print. The North has made peace overtures in the past that did not hold up under scrutiny. Also remember that the DPRK has for many years proposed that the President of the United States personally engage with North Koreas leaders as an equal one nuclear power to another. What is new isnt the proposal, its the response. Mark Dubowitz, CEO of Washingtons Foundation for Defense of Democracies Think Tank: The administrations maximum pressure campaign and rhetoric may be yielding results. We should be very cautious: North Korea has said these things before Kim Jong Il wanted to meet with President Clinton. Pyongyang has to be serious about denuclearization. In the meantime the Trump administration should continue using the toughest sanctions to maintain maximum pressure before the summit in May. The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release March 8, 2018 Remarks by Republic of Korea National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong Good evening. Today, I had the privilege of briefing President Trump on my recent visit to Pyongyang, North Korea. I'd like to thank President Trump, the Vice President, and his wonderful national security team, including my close friend, General McMaster. I explained to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture. I expressed President Moon Jae-in's personal gratitude for President Trump's leadership. I told President Trump that, in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. And he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The Republic of Korea, along with the United States, Japan, and our many partners around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Along with President Trump, we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions. Thank you. Barack Obama and Netflix reportedly are negotiating a deal for the former president and his wife, Michelle, to produce shows exclusively for the streaming service. The proposed deal was reported Friday by The New York Times, which cited people familiar with the discussions who were not identified. The report sent shares to an all-time high of $326.74 earlier. The Los Gatos, California, company's stock reached $326.07 in afternoon trading, marking a gain of nearly 3 percent. Netflix did not immediately respond for a request for comment. Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill declined comment on the report. Obama senior adviser Eric Schultz, in a statement provided to The Associated Press, said the Obamas believe in the power of storytelling to inspire. Schultz said the couple continues to explore new ways to help others share their stories. The New York Times reported that Obama doesn't intend to use his Netflix shows to respond directly to President Donald Trump or conservative critics. Russias campaign to modernize and strengthen its armed forces is increasingly putting U.S. and European forces at risk, with some defense officials raising concerns Moscows military soon could challenge the U.S. and its allies for dominance across the continent. Most of the focus in recent weeks has been on Russias newfound confidence in its nuclear arsenal after President Vladimir Putin boasted about four new delivery systems designed to make U.S. defenses useless. Of equal concern to U.S. and European officials, however, is Russias remade conventional military might, which has been displayed and tested in places like Ukraine and Syria. Russias increasingly modernized military is operating at levels not seen since the Cold War, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, told lawmakers in Washington, Thursday, warning the U.S. has no choice but to keep pace. Given their [Russias] modernization and the pace that its on, and what we are aware of theyre doing, we have to maintain our modernization so we can remain dominant in the areas that we are dominant today, he said. Dominance possible by 2025 or sooner Scaparrotti, who also serves as NATOs Supreme Allied Commander, further underscored that any failure by Washington to continue to modernize its forces could enable Russia to challenge the U.S. in almost every domain, in a military perspective, by 2025. In some areas, like the Arctic, Russian dominance could come even sooner, Scaparrotti said, estimating Moscow could exert control over northern routes there in as little as two to three years. The U.S. and NATO are not alone in their concern. A new report by the Rand Corporation concludes Eastern Europe is especially vulnerable, warning NATO ground forces there would be badly outnumbered and outgunned if Moscow were to launch a conventional attack. Russia would have a substantial time-distance advantage in the initial days and weeks of its ground campaign because of its strong starting position, the report states. It also determined Russia forces would benefit from a strategy that emphasizes mobility and repower and trains to conduct larger-scale operations, strengthening Russias ability to engage in conflicts between mechanized forces close to its border. More tanks, troops According to the report, while Russia has about 78,000 troops along Europes eastern flank, NATO has 32,000. Russian tanks also outnumber NATO tanks 757 to 129. Questioned by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, Scaparrotti pushed back against some of those concerns, noting any potential conflict would not be fought with ground forces and tanks alone. There also are some doubts about the likelihood Russia would try to engage in such a conflict. The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service asserts in a report earlier this year the threat of a direct Russian military attack in 2018 is low. Still, the Estonian report cautioned that Russian forces along Europes eastern flank and the Baltics have consistently strengthened their presence in the region with the most modern weapon systems as well as the establishment of new units and commands. Equally concerning to U.S. and European military and intelligence officials is Russias ongoing influence campaign part of what Scaparrotti describes as Moscows whole of society approach that can soften up potential targets well in advance of any use of force. It can really undermine a nation because all they have to do is sow some confusion, he said. Its subtle but its constant. Every aspect of Europe The commander of U.S. forces in Europe also expressed concern that Washington may not be doing enough to counter Russia, questioning whether there is an effective unification across the interagency, with the energy and the focus that we could attain, despite reinforcing the militarys cyber operations across Europe. Theyre involved in just about every aspect of Europe in one way or the other, Scaparrotti said, pointing to the Balkans, and Serbia, in southeastern Europe, as a particular area of concern. Russias at work in the Balkans, and I think weve kind of taken our eye off of the area, he warned. Ive seen an increase in the year and a half Ive been on the job. Russia, which has religious and historical ties to Serbia, has long objected to efforts by other Balkan nations to move closer to the West, including NATOs acceptance of Montenegro as a full member this past June. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. began deploying additional rotational forces to Europe as part as its European Deterrence Initiative. For fiscal 2019, the Pentagon is planning to boost spending on those forces to $6.5 billion, an increase of nearly $2 billion. Senators from both parties are proposing to let federal courts keep guns away from people who show warning signs of violence in response to the deadly school shooting in Florida. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday their bill is a commonsense proposal to save lives. At a news conference, Graham said the government encourages people who see something suspicious to "say something" to authorities. He asked, "Isn't it incumbent on government to do something" to prevent gun violence? The bill is modeled on state "red-flag laws" that let officials take guns away from people who are judged to pose an imminent danger to themselves or others. A federal law would fill gaps in state laws, Graham said, noting that only a handful of states allow gun-violence restraining orders. "Guns and shooters cross borders," Blumenthal said. "That's why a federal solution is important." A federal red-flag law "will save lives," he said. Police and the FBI received numerous warnings about the accused Florida shooter, but did not move to take away his guns. Graham and Blumenthal said they were motivated not just by the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida, but also by high-profile shootings in their home states a 2015 massacre at a Charleston, South Carolina, church that killed nine people and a 2012 shooting that killed 20 school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut. "I'm 62 years old. I'm tired of going home and telling people we just can't do anything," Graham said. Blumenthal said he is frequently asked in Connecticut why Congress can't stop dangerous people from having guns. "An aroused and outraged public" will be able to overcome opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, he said. Other action Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a law this week prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms. Florida lawmakers, meantime, have approved a bill would let law enforcement officers petition a court for a risk protection order for individuals that show signs of harming themselves or others. Republican Governor Rick Scott has not said whether he'll sign it. Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have introduced a bipartisan bill to encourage states to adopt red-flag laws, with federal grants conditioned on meeting a series of requirements. Rubio is a Republican, and Nelson is a Democrat. President Donald Trump has urged support for improved background checks in the wake of the Florida school shooting and has promised to issue an executive order barring the use of bump stock devices that enable guns to fire like automatic weapons. Trump also has backed more controversial ideas, including increasing the minimum age for the purchase of assault weapons from 18 to 21, which is opposed by the NRA, and arming certain teachers, which the gun lobby supports. Trump met with representatives of the video game industry Thursday as he searches for ways to respond to the Valentine's Day attack. Spain's Supreme Court on Friday turned down a request from a jailed Catalan separatist leader to attend the northeastern region's parliament session, where lawmakers are due to vote on whether to make him president of Catalonia. Judge Pablo Llarena wrote in a ruling that there was a risk that Jordi Sanchez would repeat the offenses that have landed him in jail. He ordered Sanchez kept in preventive detention without bail. Sanchez, a prominent secessionist who was elected to parliament last December, has been held in a prison near Madrid since October. He is being detained while Llarena investigates whether he orchestrated protests that hindered officials trying to stop a court-banned Catalan independence referendum that month. Catalonia's parliament wants to vote on Sanchez as leader Monday in the latest confrontation with the Spanish government, which argues that anyone who is facing charges and is unable to be present at the debate and vote can't be elected by the Catalan parliament. It isn't clear whether Sanchez would have enough votes to be elected in Barcelona. The Spanish Constitution says Spain is ``indivisible,'' but that hasn't stopped separatists trying to break away despite repeated legal setbacks. Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia's ex-leader who fled to Brussels to escape arrest, announced last week that he was temporarily withdrawing his bid to get his old job back and proposed Sanchez - his No. 2 in the Together for Catalonia party - in his place. Paul Manafort and sign. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images Paul Manafort will go on trial for bank and tax fraud on July 10, a Virginia judge said Thursday, after Manafort pleaded not guilty to an 18-count indictment. President Trumps one-time campaign manager, Manafort was greeted by shouts of traitor as he arrived at the courthouse. Paul Manafort arrived at a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia today to shouts of "traitor" and "you're selling America out to the Russians." Manafort pleaded not guilty to an 18-count indictment in the special counsel's Russia probe. https://t.co/fhAffO7jJd pic.twitter.com/K1HyHUHIxY ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 8, 2018 The trial is one of two on Manaforts schedule in 2018. The other, which will begin on September 17 in Washington, D.C., is for additional charges, including money laundering and failure to register as a foreign agent. If hes found guilty on the charges in the Washington case, Manafort could be sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison. The Virginia charges come with a maximum sentence of 305 years. Both sets of charges have been brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In a February indictment, Mueller accused Manafort and his longtime partner Rick Gates of making tens of millions of dollars while working for Ukraine. From approximately 2006 through the present, Manafort and Gates engaged in a scheme to hide income from United States authorities, while enjoying the use of the money, the indictment says. Though the goal of Muellers charges appeared to be convincing Manafort to plead guilty and cooperate with Mueller, it hasnt worked. Not on him, at least. Last month Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and agreed to assist the special counsels investigation. President Donald Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a stunning turn of events after a year of heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. It remains to be seen whether a summit will take place or lead to a meaningful breakthrough, but heres a look at recent events: Jan. 1, 2017: Kim Jong Un says in a New Years address that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have reached the final stage. Jan. 2: President-elect Donald Trump tweets, North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It wont happen! July 4: North Korea conducts its first flight test of an ICBM, the Hwasong-14, which Kim calls the Norths package of gifts for the U.S.s Independence Day. July 28: A second Hwasong-14 is launched with an estimated range reaching into the U.S. mainland, including cities such as Chicago. Aug. 9: Trump says North Korea had best not make more threats or they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. North Korea hours later announces a plan to launch a salvo of missiles toward the U.S. territory of Guam, a major military hub in the Pacific. Aug. 29: An intermediate-range North Korean missile flies over Japan and plunges into the northern Pacific. Sept. 3: North Korea carries out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, saying it was a hydrogen bomb designed for use on ICBMs. Sept. 19: Trump tells the U.N. General Assembly the United States would totally destroy North Korea if forced to defend itself or its allies. He refers to Kim as Rocket Man and that hes on a suicide mission for himself. Sept. 22: Kim accuses Trump of mentally deranged behavior. He says he will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U. S. dotard with fire. Nov. 29: North Koreas third ICBM test demonstrates a potential range that could reach Washington, D.C. Jan. 1, 2018: Kim says in his New Years address that he has a nuclear button on his desk, but also calls for improved relations with South Korea and suggests sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Trump soon responds that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button, and my Button works! Jan. 9: North and South Korean officials meet in the border village of Panmunjom, and agree on North Korea sending athletes and delegates to the Olympics. Feb. 9: Kims sister, Kim Yo Jong, becomes the first member of North Koreas ruling family to visit the South since the end of the Korean War. She attends the Olympics opening ceremony and later tells South Korean President Moon Jae-in her brother desires to meet Moon in a summit soon. March 7: After visiting Kim in Pyongyang, South Korean presidential national security director Chung Eui-yong says Kim is willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the United States and has expressed a readiness to suspend nuclear and missile tests during such talks. March 9: Trump accepts Kims invitation to meet, which the White House says will take place by the end of May. The first inkling that something big was afoot on North Korea came from President Donald Trump himself: He popped his head into the White House briefing room late Thursday afternoon to tease a major statement coming soon from South Korean officials. Then ABC reporter Jon Karl ran into Trump in a West Wing hallway and the president let out a little more string. Asked if the announcement was about talks with North Korea, Trump offered: Its almost beyond that. Hopefully, you will give me credit. Within hours came the remarkable news that after years of brinksmanship and threats of mutual obliteration, Trump had agreed to sit down with North Koreas Kim Jong Un, a man hes long derided as Little Rocket Man. History-making statement Instead of a televised addressed to the nation or a press conference in the stately East Room, the news ultimately was delivered by a South Korean national security official standing on the White House driveway. In the dark. Chung Eui-yong read his roughly two-minute, history-making statement to cameras and shivering reporters gathered in a cluster. Trumps earlier teaser in the briefing room his first known visit there sent reporters whod missed the presidential pop-in frantically rushing to find out what hed said as White House officials scrambled to figure out just where the announcement would occur. Initial plans for a briefing room announcement with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders were scuttled in favor of the driveway. Several Pentagon officials said shortly before the announcement that they had no knowledge of what the South Koreans planned to announce. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, traveling in Africa, just hours before said the U.S. was a long ways from direct talks. White House briefing Word was already out that the South Korean delegation, which had just returned from Pyongyang, had spent the day briefing White House officials on their conversations. And the delegates had made public much of what theyd learned. Some outlets soon reported that Chung had delivered a message from Kim requesting a one-on-one meeting with Trump. But no one was prepared for what would come next. In his driveway statement, Chung delivered the headline: Trump had accepted Kims invitation to meet by the end of May. Almost a half-hour after that news broke, the White House weighed in with a statement from Sanders confirming that Trump had indeed accepted the invitation and the two leaders would meet at a place and time to be determined. Trump wrapped up the days chaotic events with, what else, a tweet: Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May to discuss ending the Norths threatening nuclear program. The surprising announcement was made Thursday evening by Chung Eui-yong, the head of South Koreas National Security Office, who was in Washington to brief Trump, and White House officials including National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, on diplomatic progress made during his visit to Pyongyang earlier this week. He also conveyed a verbal invitation from the North Korean leader to the U.S. president. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization, Chung said. Dramatic change U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a dramatic and surprising change of posture by Kim Jong Un led President Donald Trump to agree to a meeting with the North Korean leader. Tillerson is on a one-week, five-nation trip across Africa. He spoke to reporters Friday in Djibouti City, Djibouti. The secretary said the U.S. was taken aback at how forward-leaning Kim was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation. He said it was the strongest indication to date of Kims not just willingness but really his desire for talks. Tillerson says Trump made the decision himself after determining the time was right for talks but not formal negotiations. But he says it will take some weeks to arrange timing for their meeting. South Korea shuttle diplomacy Chung led a South Korean diplomatic delegation that met with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang on Monday. Afterward, he communicated Kims willingness to engage with the U.S. in denuclearization negotiations, and his promise to suspend nuclear and missile tests while talks are underway. Pyongyangs position, as stated by Chung, is that it would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons should the safety of its regime be guaranteed and military threats against North Korea be removed. The North Korean government has not yet confirmed the South Korean interpretation of the potential diplomatic breakthrough or the invitation. On Twitter, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that Trump will accept the invitation to meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined, and added that, in the meantime all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. The prospect of denuclearization talks could significantly de-escalate heightened tensions over North Koreas accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile tests over the past two years, and efforts to develop operational capability to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile. Trumps maximum pressure approach led international efforts to impose tough sanctions in 2017 that banned billions of dollars worth of North Korean coal, iron ore, clothing products and seafood exports. The Trump administration has also emphasized a willingness to use military force, if needed, to eliminate the nuclear threat. As the U.S. intensified pressure, South Korean President Moon Jae-in tried to create diplomatic space by facilitating North Koreas participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics. Also, North Korea has not conducted any provocative tests since November 2017. Moon Jae-in, in a statement read by his spokesman Friday, says the summit between Trump and Kim will be a historical milestone that will put the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula really on track. Moon also complimented Trump for accepting Kims invitation for a summit, saying Trumps leadership will be praised not only by the residents of South and North Korea but every peace-loving person around the world. Seoul also announced this week that Moon and Kim will hold an inter-Korean summit in April, at the truce village of Panmunjom, on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone border region. This will be the third summit between the leaders of North and South Korea and the first since 2007. Military exercises On Thursday, Chung added the North Korean leader will not object to the resumption of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises expected to start in April. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue, Chung said. Earlier, North Korean state media warned that Pyongyang would respond to the resumption of the joint drills, possibly by resuming provocative nuclear and missile tests, even if it means triggering further sanctions. The annual exercises were postponed to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during the Winter Olympics and Paralympics being held in South Korea, but are expected to begin at the end of March or early April. More than 20,000 American troops, 300,000 South Korean forces, and an array of bomber aircrafts, fighter jets and warships have participated in past exercises. North Korea has denounced these military exercises that have included decapitation drills to attack the leadership and key installations in North Korea in the event of war, as rehearsals for invasion. The U.S. maintains the joint exercises are defense-oriented and legal under international law, as opposed to North Koreas nuclear program, which Washington says threatens its neighbors and the world, and has been repeatedly sanctioned by the Untied Nations. Cautious optimism The prospect of constructive engagement between Trump and Kim follows a tense period in which the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea exchanged not only threats of military retribution, but also derisive personal insults. Trump called the North Korean leader little rocket man and Kim called the U.S. president a dotard, an archaic English word meaning old and senile. North Koreas openness to talks has been received with a mix of cautious optimism and skepticism. Pyongyang has broken past agreements to end its nuclear program, in exchange for economic assistance and security guarantees. North Korea may try to seek immediate sanctions relief for freezing its current nuclear arsenal estimated to be between 13 and 30 nuclear weapons, and hundreds of medium- and long-range missiles while putting off any significant measures to dismantle its nuclear capacities. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been suspicious of North Koreas motives, spoke with Trump on Thursday and praised his hard-line leadership for forcing Pyongyang to change. Abe said he plans to visit Trump in Washington next month to discuss the summit with North Korea. It is also unclear that the U.S. and North Korea can agree what the goal of the denuclearization talks should be. WATCH: Chung: Kim Jong Un Is Committed to Denuclearization Washington wants to dismantle Pyongyangs nuclear program. But North Koreas long-standing requirement for denuclearization includes the removal of all U.S. forces from the Korean Peninsula, and the withdrawal of the American commitment to use its nuclear arsenal to defend its allies in the region. Regarding what the U.S. might be willing to concede to get a nuclear deal, North Korea analyst Victor Cha with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington asked on Twitter, What are we putting on table: sanctions? Normalization? Peace treaty? Chung: We Stand Together in Insisting We Do Not Repeat the Mistakes of the Past President Trump has been critical of past efforts by the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama to resolve the North Korean nuclear threat through negotiations. These past deals slowed the Norths nuclear progress, but Pyongyang covertly continued its development efforts and eventually reneged on pledges to dismantle its nuclear facilities. Lee Yoon-jee in Seoul and Nike Ching in Djibouti contributed to this report. The story of President Donald Trumps alleged extramarital relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels has been an open secret in Washingtons media circles for weeks. Longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has admitted paying Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 to keep quiet about the alleged affair just before the 2016 presidential election. Celebrity magazine InTouch in February published an in-depth interview detailing Cliffords story. But with denials and evasive silence, the story had remained on the sidelines of mainstream news until Wednesday when the White House appeared to acknowledge for the first time that Trump was involved in some way with the porn actress. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, during a Wednesday press briefing, tried to dismiss a question asked about the scandal by saying the president had already won a legal battle relating to the case. This case has already been won in arbitration, Sanders said, referring to a temporary restraining order issued last week by a private dispute-resolution firm that bars Clifford from talking publicly about her alleged affair with Trump and from suing the president. Ruling ignored Sanders added she was not aware that the president knew of the payment made to the actress. Clifford ignored the order, filing a lawsuit Tuesday asserting that the nondisclosure agreement that accompanied the $130,000 payment was void because Trump never signed it. She contends in the lawsuit that she began an intimate relationship with Trump in the summer of 2006, and continued the relationship well into the year 2007. According to the lawsuit, Trumps lawyer filed the arbitration proceeding against Clifford last week to seek a restraining order to shut her up and protect Mr. Trump. Trump 'absolutely knew' Cliffords attorney, Michael Avenatti, told ABC News that Trump absolutely knew about the payment to his client. Any suggestion that he didnt know about it is, quite honestly, absurd, he said. Avenatti said the nondisclosure agreement was sloppy and referred to it as amateur hour. He purposely did not sign it so that later he could have deniability as to its existence, Avenatti told ABC News. The nondisclosure agreement directed that $130,000 be paid into the trust account of Cliffords then-attorney. In return, Clifford was not to disclose any confidential information about Trump or his sexual partners to anyone beyond the few individuals she had already talked to, or share any texts or photos from Trump. It also mandates binding confidential arbitration of all disputes which may arise between them. The nondisclosure agreement also stipulates that any dispute be settled by a solo, neutral arbitrator at one of two private firms. One of those firms, Action Dispute Resolution Services, issued the restraining order against Clifford. David Dennison? The agreement refers to Trump throughout as David Dennison, and Clifford as Peggy Peterson. In the side letter agreement, the true identity of DD is blacked out, but Avenatti says the individual is Trump. Each document includes a blank where DD is supposed to sign, but neither blank is signed. The absence of the signatures is the basis for Cliffords lawsuit filed Tuesday. Clifford claims that she is not bound by the nondisclosure agreement to stay quiet or go through arbitration because Trump never signed the agreement, rendering it unenforceable. If the court agrees with Clifford and invalidates the agreement, Clifford will be free to bring her story involving the American president to the front pages of international news. U.S. President Donald Trumps announcement of new tariffs on steel and aluminum is eliciting strong reactions at home and around the world. Americas neighbors breathed a sigh of relief at being granted an exemption from the tariffs. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said despite the concession, Canada would continue to push back. In recent days, we have worked energetically with our American counterparts to secure an exemption for Canada from these tariffs, she said. This work continues and it will continue until the prospect of these duties is fully and permanently lifted. Canada is the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States. Freeland ridiculed Trumps national security justification for the measure, saying: That Canada could pose any kind of security threat to the United States is inconceivable. Allies combative Other allies took an equally combative stance. Protectionism, tariffs never really work, British trade minister Liam Fox said Thursday. We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel, but this is the wrong way to go about it, he said. As did Canada, Fox said it was doubly absurd to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the U.S. with 1 percent of its imports and made steel for the American military. France said it regrets Trumps decision. There are only losers in a trade war. With our EU partners, we will assess consequences on our industries and agree (to an) appropriate response, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire tweeted Thursday. Last week, Le Maire had warned that any such measures by the U.S. would be unacceptable and called for a strong, coordinated, united response from the EU. Negotiate exemptions During the announcement of the tariffs, the White House said that countries concerned by the tariffs could try to negotiate possible exemptions. The EU is a close ally of the U.S. and we continue to think that the EU must be exempted from these measures, said EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmstrom. I will demand more clarity on this issue in the days to come, she said. WATCH: Economists Warn of Escalating Trade War Following US Steel Tariffs Invitation to a trade war Others also panned the tariffs as an invitation to a trade war. If you put tariffs against your allies, one wonders who the enemies are, said the president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned, Choosing a trade war is a mistaken prescription. The outcome will only be harmful. China would have to make a justified and necessary response. Brazil also said it planned such negotiations. We will work to exclude Brazil from this measure, acting Trade Minister Marcos Jorge told Reuters. Brazil is the United States No. 2 steel supplier. Mixed reactions on Capitol Hill Many of the reactions around Washington were mixed. There are unquestionably bad trade practices by nations like China, but the better approach is targeted enforcement of those bad practices. Our economy and our national security are strengthened by fostering free trade with our allies, House Speaker Paul Ryan said. Senator Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, who is not planning to seek re-election, said he will immediately draft legislation that attempts to block the tariffs. These so-called flexible tariffs are a marriage of two lethal poisons to economic growth: protectionism and uncertainty, Flake said in a statement. Trade wars are not won, they are only lost. But Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virgina said he was excited by the idea of tariffs. Im encouraged, I really am, and I think it gives us a chance to basically reboot, get jobs back to West Virginia, back to America, he said. The highest-ranking United Nations human rights official has called for alleged crimes committed against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority population to be assigned to the International Criminal Court for prosecution. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein referred allegations of atrocities to the ICC at a Friday news conference in Geneva. "There are strong suspicions, yes, that acts of genocide may have well taken place, but only a court, having heard all the arguments, will confirm this," said Zeid, who previously described the Myanmar government's actions against the Rohingya as a "textbook case of ethnic cleansing." Myanmar has prohibited U.N. investigators from entering the country to investigate. On Monday, a U.N. fact-finding mission is scheduled to report its initial findings that are based on interviews with victims and other survivors in Bangladesh and other countries. A senior U.N. human rights official urged the international community Thursday to maintain pressure on Myanmar's government to halt atrocities against the Rohingya and facilitate their return home. "Clearly, there has to be sustained international pressure on the government of Myanmar to prevent its security forces from carrying out the actions that they are carrying out," Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour told VOA on Thursday. "And to enable, to genuinely, not just say it, but to genuinely permit the conditions for the refugees to return." Gilmour returned this week from a four-day visit to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, where nearly a million Rohingya Muslim refugees are living in what has become the world's largest refugee camp. Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25, after attacks by Rohingya militants on state security forces led to military reprisals that the United Nations says were executed in a well-organized, systematic and coordinated manner. 'Forced starvation' Survivors and witnesses have given harrowing accounts of security forces killing and raping Rohingyas while looting and burning their villages in northern Rakhine state. The Rohingya are one of many ethnic minorities in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. They are considered to be economic migrants from Bangladesh and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, even though most can show that their families have been in the country for generations. Gilmour said the Rohingya who have not left Rakhine are now being deprived of food. "It's a policy of forced starvation," he said. "And it is a crime against humanity." He said aid agencies have had no access for months to Rakhine. Farmers have had their fields confiscated by the authorities and their animals have been stolen or killed. In other cases, Rohingya are prevented from leaving their villages sometimes even their homes to prevent them working so they can buy food. Their dire circumstances are forcing many who remained after August to flee now. No UN access The United Nations has had little success getting into Rakhine. "Since June, we've not had one single person allowed there by the Myanmar government," Gilmour said. A fact-finding mission set up by the U.N. Human Rights Council has not gotten in, and the government dismissed a request last month from the Security Council to visit, saying it was "not the right time." "There is clearly a lot to conceal going on and the concealing is happening," Gilmour said. He said for now, the right conditions "clearly do not exist" for the Rohingya to return home in a safe and voluntary manner. Until they can, he stressed that there must be adequate international support for Bangladesh, which is hosting the refugees. Work is also being done to document the human rights violations that have been perpetrated against the Rohingya. The U.N. Human Rights office is deploying a team to Cox's Bazar to collect testimony from survivors. Gilmour is also urging that in addition to the fact-finding mission, an independent international investigative mechanism should be set up to look into individual accountability. A similar mechanism is in place for crimes committed in Syria. The United Nations warns more than two million severely acutely malnourished children in Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk of dying unless they receive urgently needed therapeutic aid. Years of violence and unrest in Democratic Republic of Congo have displaced more than 4.5 million people, creating widespread poverty and hunger. The United Nations refers to DRC as one of the world's most complex humanitarian crises. It says this catastrophic situation has worsened in recent months because of an uptick in fighting in many parts of the country, causing more people to flee their homes and more people to sell everything they own to feed themselves. U.N. aid agencies are on the ground ready to aid millions of people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. But, they say they lack the funds to help them. For instance, the U.N. migration agency says its $75 million appeal for DRC has received only $4.7 million. Spokeswoman Olivia Headon said if IOM had more money, it could provide many of the internally displaced with emergency shelters. "We would be able to help people build homes, to be able to live in them and be safe from the elements," she told VOA. "We also are doing a lot of work with women in the DRC.I think, in the last couple of months, we have helped about 70 women, we currently have 70 women who are survivors of sexual assaults and have fistulas as a result. So, we do medical support as well." The United Nations reports children are suffering most from the fighting, instability, lack of food, medical care and other support.Earlier this year, the United Nations launched its largest appeal ever for the DRC. It asked for $1.68 billion to assist 10.5 million people. So far, it only has received about five percent of that amount. Aid officials say generous contributions from donors could save the lives of more than two million children who are at risk of dying because they are unable to get the treatment they need. Myanmar wants to see clear evidence of what the U.N. and U.S. call "ethnic cleansing" of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim population. About 700,000 of the ethnic group have fled to neighboring Bangladesh since an attack by insurgents sparked a brutal military crackdown in August 2017. Refugees accuse Myanmar's army of rape, mass murders and destruction of villages. A U.N. official speaks with VOA about his visit to a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. Jesusemen Oni reports. A senior U.N. human rights official is urging the international community to maintain pressure on Myanmar's government to halt atrocities against Rohingya Muslims and facilitate their return home. "Clearly, there has to be sustained international pressure on the government of Myanmar to prevent its security forces from carrying out the actions that they are carrying out," Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour told VOA on Thursday. "And to enable, to genuinely, not just say it, but to genuinely permit the conditions for the refugees to return." Gilmour returned this week from a four-day visit to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, where nearly a million Rohingya Muslim refugees are living in what has become the world's largest refugee camp. Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25, after attacks by Rohingya militants on state security forces led to military reprisals that the United Nations says were executed in a well-organized, systematic and coordinated manner and are a "textbook example" of ethnic cleansing. Survivors and witnesses have given harrowing accounts of security forces killing and raping Rohingya while looting and burning their villages in northern Rakhine state. The Rohingya are one of many ethnic minorities in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. They are considered to be economic migrants from Bangladesh and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, even though most can show that their families have been in the country for generations. WATCH: UN Official: Keep Pressure on Myanmar to Halt Atrocities Against Rohingya Gilmour said the Rohingya who have not left Rakhine are now being deprived of food. "It's a policy of forced starvation," he said. "And it is a crime against humanity." He said aid agencies have had no access for months to Rakhine. Farmers have had their fields confiscated by the authorities, and their animals have been stolen or killed. In other cases, Rohingya are prevented from leaving their villages sometimes even their homes to prevent them from working so they can buy food. Their dire circumstances are forcing many who remained after August to flee now. The United Nations has had little success getting into Rakhine. "Since June, we've not had one single person allowed there by the Myanmar government," Gilmour said, referring to the U.N. Office of Human Rights. A fact-finding mission set up by the U.N. Human Rights Council has not gotten in, and the government dismissed a request last month from the Security Council to visit, saying it was "not the right time." "There is clearly a lot to conceal going on and the concealing is happening," Gilmour said. He said for now, the right conditions "clearly do not exist" for the Rohingya to return home in a safe and voluntary manner. Until they can, he stressed that there must be adequate international support for Bangladesh, which is hosting the refugees. Work is also being done to document the human rights violations that have been perpetrated against the Rohingya. The U.N. human rights office is deploying a team to Cox's Bazar to collect testimony from survivors. Gilmour is also urging that in addition to the fact-finding mission, an independent international investigative mechanism should be set up to look into individual accountability. A similar mechanism is in place for crimes committed in Syria. The U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, Friday called on the U.N. Human Rights Council to take action against the president of the Philippines for slanderous attacks against two U.N. special rapporteurs. Zeid is also suggesting that President Rodrigo Duterte see a psychiatrist over the remarks. Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said the U.N. Human Rights Council must take a strong position against what he termed the outrageous attacks targeting the human rights experts, including the special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard. Zeid said the vilification must stop. "This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected," he said. "And, really, it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation." Duterte has lashed out at Callamard for raising concerns over the thousands of suspects killed in the president's so-called war on drugs. Human Rights Watch estimates at least 7,000 suspected drug users and dealers have been killed since July 1, 2016. Zeid has also criticized the Philippine state prosecutor for issuing a petition last month declaring the special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, and two other Philippine national experts on the subject, as terrorists. "This is, of course, unacceptable, for a special rapporteur acting on behalf of the international community, whose expertise is sought by the Human Rights Council, to be treated in this way," he said. "And, I hope, and I expect the Human Rights Council to respond accordingly." Philippine Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano responded to Zeid's remarks by calling them "an unmeasured outburst." Zeid said he is very concerned about deepening repression and increasing threats in the Philippines against individuals and groups holding dissenting views. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tells media to ignore what President Trump thinks he said. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump snared headlines across the world by announcing yesterday he would meet with North Korea, breaking with years of American policy that held such a meeting could only happen if North Korea made concessions on its nuclear program first. It turns out Trumps foreign policy masterstroke did not come as the result of a Metternichtian calculation but instead a completely spontaneous outburst. South Korean official Chung Eui-yong was in the White House yesterday meeting with other officials. Trump decided to see Chung right away; maybe Fox News was in repeats or something. Trump then asked Mr. Chung to tell him about his meeting with Mr. Kim, reports the New York Times. When Mr. Chung said that the North Korean leader had expressed a desire to meet Mr. Trump, the president immediately said he would do it, and directed Mr. Chung to announce it to the White House press corps. It sounds from this account that Trump had no real idea that North Korea has always wanted a face-to-face meeting with the U.S. president, and the U.S. has always imposed conditions. That would certainly be the logical interpretation of this account, given that, in the last week, Trump has confused North Korea with the other, extremely different South Korea, and demanded a laughably tiny $1 billion trade concession from China when he was supposed to demand $100 billion. It certainly appears Trump believed, in the moment, that North Korea had not been interested in a meeting until then, so he needed to take the deal before they changed their mind. Whatever. Art of the Deal. So then the administration rushed out its breakthrough announcement. But now the administration has to slowly back away without quite acknowledging it is doing so. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters today Trump wont meet with North Korea unless they offer concrete concessions beforehand: Press Sec. Sanders on talks with North Korea: "The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea." https://t.co/phiWfrQOEU pic.twitter.com/7xHdQse21v ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 9, 2018 Of course, thats the old policy. Which means Trump shot off his mouth and got excited and then his advisers had to explain to him why he cant do that. Or maybe they havent explained it to him and are backing out without his permission. Whatever the explanation, the major policy change Trump announced appears to be completely moot because he plays the president on television but isnt really president. U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to sit down for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un came as no surprise to top U.S. military officials, though they are wary of setting any expectations. The Pentagon said Friday that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was in contact with the White House and involved in the decision to accept the North Korean leader's offer. But military officials also said the decision to talk with North Korea should not be mistaken for any weakening of U.S. resolve. "The [Defense Department] will continue to support the global maximum pressure campaign against North Korea," a Pentagon spokesman said, referring to ramped-up economic sanctions that have been imposed against Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and missile development programs. "The maximum pressure campaign is clearly having an impact," he added. Drills to continue As part of the agreement to meet, Kim Jong Un agreed that routine U.S.-South Korea military drills would continue as scheduled next month. The North usually protests the drills, which Pyongyang views as preparations for an invasion. Despite that apparent concession, there are questions as to whether the sanctions targeted at the North have made enough of an impact on its government to make Kim want to start negotiations in earnest. "Obviously, we're cautiously optimistic that there is some forward progress here," Mattis told reporters this week, following a meeting with Estonia's defense minister at the Pentagon. "But we've been optimistic before, so we're going to have to watch actions and see if they match words," he said. U.S. intelligence officials also expressed skepticism as word began to spread earlier this week that North Korea might be prepared to hold talks with Washington. "Hope springs eternal but we need to learn a lot more relative to these talks," Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing Tuesday on worldwide threats. Sitting next to Coats, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency also sought to tamp down any expectations. 'Show me' "Right now, I don't share your optimism," Lieutenant General Robert Ashley told one of the senators in response to a question. "That's kind of a 'show me,' and so we'll see how this plays out." One of the key questions for many officials is just how far Kim Jong Un is willing to go. So far, there have been few signals from Pyongyang itself, which relied on South Korean officials to deliver the offer of talks to the U.S. "A key pillar of President Moon's election campaign was increased rapprochement with the North," said Bruce Klingner, a former CIA division chief for the Koreas, now with the Washington-based Heritage Foundation. "Whether or not these promises relayed from the North are being viewed through rose-colored glasses remains to be seen," Klingner said. "But several decades of history with a nuclearizing North Korea would indicate the regime is trying to take advantage of Seoul's desire for a diplomatic resolution." Intelligence officials have also warned about the need to treat any overtures from the North Korean leader with care. While the White House has been quick to publicly question Kim's mental stability and ridicule his bluster, intelligence officials say Kim is a "very rational actor" who has repeatedly displayed a "clarity of purpose" through his actions. "To some, testing nuclear weapons while your people are starving is not rational," a U.S. intelligence official previously told VOA. "But when you believe those weapons are critical to your survival, it is not so irrational." And there have been growing concerns Kim is not content to use his nuclear weapons and missile programs for mere survival. 'For coercive purposes' "What's important to recognize is that North Korea is pursuing this nuclear weapon, not for just defensive purposes that you hear some people argue about, but really for coercive purposes, for offensive purposes, and the world has to recognize that," White House national security adviser Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster told VOA earlier this year. So, too, the latest U.S. Worldwide Threat Assessment, issued last month, casts doubt on the notion Kim is willing to give up his country's nuclear arsenal. "Pyongyang's commitment to possessing nuclear weapons and fielding capable long-range missiles, all while repeatedly stating that nuclear weapons are the basis for its survival, suggests that the regime does not intend to negotiate them away," the intelligence report said. "North Korea is likely to press ahead with more tests in 2018," it said, referencing threats by North Korea's foreign minister to carry out an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific Ocean. Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo has also warned North Korea is likely just months away from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear-armed missile. "We do believe that Kim Jong Un, given these tool sets, would use them for things besides simply regime protection," Pompeo warned during a speech in January. "Call it coercive, how Kim Jong Un is prepared to use these nuclear weapons," Pompeo said, describing the North Korean leader's ultimate goal as "reunification of the [Korean] Peninsula under his authority." The White House on Friday emphasized that the United States had made "zero concessions" in agreeing to face-to-face talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "We are also operating from a position of strength" that was not there during previous U.S. administrations, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, asserting that as a result of the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign, "North Korea is in a place of weakness." Watch related video by VOA's William Gallo: Sanders said, "The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions" by Pyongyang, which South Korean officials say pledged during an inter-Korean summit to pause its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile testing. "The president is getting exactly what he wants," which is the "opportunity for the North Koreans to denuclearize," she said. The White House is insisting that Trump's surprise acceptance announced by South Korean officials here Thursday to meet with Kim by May resulted from months of preparation that involved relevant U.S. government agencies. A deal, the president tweeted Friday, that is "very much in the making." After South Korean officials on Thursday delivered a verbal message from the North Korean leader to Trump, the U.S. president on Friday morning phoned Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the unprecedented U.S.-North Korea leaders' meeting. Trump and Xi, according to the White House, "welcomed the prospect of dialogue between the United States and North Korea, and committed to maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. President Trump expressed his hope that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might choose a brighter path for North Korea's future." According to the China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, "Xi told Trump that he appreciates the U.S. president's desire to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue politically." The report adds Xi hopes the U.S. and North Korea will start talks "as soon as possible and strive for positive results," and that "all parties concerned will show goodwill and avoid anything which might affect or interfere with the improving situation on the peninsula." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been suspicious of North Korea's motives, spoke with Trump on Thursday and praised Trump's hardline leadership for forcing Pyongyang to change. Abe said he plans to visit Trump in Washington next month to discuss the summit with North Korea. U.S. lawmakers Sanders on Friday was asked repeatedly by reporters where and when the meeting between Trump and Kim would occur. She answered that the details are under discussion and no decisions have been made. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who is a member of the Armed Services Committee, suggested the talks would demonstrate that stepped-up U.S. sanctions are having an impact and warned Kim not to "try to play" Trump in any meeting because "if you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime." Graham, a Republican from the state of South Carolina, added, "I do believe that North Korea now believes President Trump will use military force if he has to." Congressman Eliot Engel of New York, the ranking Democrat on House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "It's a high-risk gamble, but I would like to see nothing more than a positive outcome from a face-to-face meeting. "Still, the president should be clear-eyed about Pyongyang's intentions and avoid snap decisions that appear out of step with his top diplomats," Engel said. High-stakes gamble It is not clear what Kim will want in exchange for abandoning a nuclear weapons program that has been a core focus since he became supreme leader in late 2011. The talks are a high-stakes gamble. Success could mean significantly de-escalating tensions over North Korea's accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile tests over the past two years, which have grown sophisticated enough to threaten the U.S. If the talks fail, it could worsen the situation. Robert Gallucci, chief U.S. negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis, said North Korea's invitation is a "surprising and welcome development." He added, "If representatives of both governments can meet, and a summit ultimately is held, it would represent substantial progress in reducing tension and the risk of war." "What is new isn't the proposal, it's the response," said Daniel Russel, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific. North Korea "has for many years proposed that the president of the United States personally engage with North Korea's leaders as an equal one nuclear power to another," he said. Trump has been critical of past efforts by the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama to resolve the North Korean nuclear threat through negotiations. These past deals slowed the North's nuclear progress, but Pyongyang covertly continued its development efforts and eventually reneged on pledges to dismantle its nuclear facilities. Nearly 1 million people were left without power as a second major winter storm in less than a week brought as much as 60 centimeters (20 inches) of wet, heavy snow to the U.S. East Coast. But before the snow brought by Wednesday's nor'easter could begin to melt, forecasters tracked the possibility of another late-season snowstorm to run up the coast early next week. The strength of it and how close it comes to the coast will make all the difference. At this point its too early to say, said Jim Nodchey, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Massachusetts. Were just looking at a chance. Heavy snow and icy roads prompted officials to close schools and cancel or delay thousands of flights across the region. Snow still was falling Thursday in some places; storm warnings were in effect in Vermont until the evening. A train carrying more than 100 passengers derailed in Wilmington, Massachusetts, after a fallen tree branch got wedged in a rail switch. Nobody was hurt. Tory Mazzola, a spokesman for Keolis Commuter Services, which runs the system for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said the low-speed derailment remained under investigation. In New Hampshire, Interstate 95 in Portsmouth was closed in both directions because of downed power lines, leaving traffic at a standstill for hours. Amtrak restored modified service between New York City and Boston on Thursday after suspending it because of the storm. Two deaths were being blamed on the storm, including an 88-year-old woman who died after she was struck by a falling tree in Suffern, New York. Up to 45 centimeters (18 inches) of snow could fall on northern New England, according to the National Weather Service. The governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania declared states of emergency, allowing for the release of government funds for recovery and redevelopment operations if necessary. Some information for this report came from AP. Several Asian nations that are major trading partners with the U.S. reacted strongly Friday to a U.S. decision to impose tariffs on metal imports, raising concerns of global trade conflicts. China, a key target of U.S. trade concerns, said it was "resolutely opposed" to the U.S. tariff decision, with Japan warning of the impact on bilateral ties. South Korea said it may file a complaint to the international trade dispute body, the World Trade Organization (WTO). South Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the U.S. after Canada and Brazil. Several Southeast Asian nations say they fear a wave of import dumping of steel and aluminum products. U.S. President Donald Trump, turning aside warnings from economists and members within the Republican Party, signed an order Thursday for new tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports to the U.S., saying the measures were necessary to protect U.S. industry. Trump has exempted key exporters of steel and aluminum, Canada and Mexico, while negotiating changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and other countries such as Australia also may be spared. The U.S. is the world's largest importer of steel, totaling 35 million tons of raw material in 2017, with South Korea, Japan, China and India accounting for 6.6 million tons. Global reaction Thai economist Wisarn Pupphavesa, a senior adviser to the Thai economic think tank, the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), called the tariff aiming to protect U.S. industry a "very bad situation." "The U.S. has been a leader in the multilateral system, the leader in the trade liberalization, and the U.S. played a most important role in writing all the rules that are governing the global market now. But now President Trump decided to break those rules ... so this is a very bad situation," Wisarn told VOA. Economists at London-based Capital Economics said in a release Friday the major concern over U.S. steps to increase tariffs is they mark a "turning point in U.S. policy to a much broader and deeper shift toward protectionism." Malaysia's Second International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, says the government is monitoring the impact of the tariff increase, although steel and aluminum contributed to less than one percent of Malaysia's total exports. But Thailand's Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said the threat lies in import dumping of steel and aluminum to the Southeast Asian market. FTI secretary general, Korrakod Padungjit, told local media there were several leading exporters Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, China, Vietnam and Turkey that may now target Southeast Asia. The vice president of the ASEAN [Association of South East Asian Nations] Iron and Steel Council, Roberto Cola, told media that excess steel supplies from China would head to Southeast Asia. High demand Southeast Asia's fast-growing economies, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, face a high demand for steel to meet growing infrastructure and development needs. Japan at 11 percent and China at 14 percent are reported to be the largest Asian exporters of aluminum to the U.S. A shift in exports to Asia would put producers in South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand under competitive pressure. Thanomsri Fongarunrung, an economist at the Bangkok-based Phatra Securities, said Thailand already was facing steel import "dumping" by China. She said another fear lies in indirect impacts from any escalation into "tit-for-tat" trade protection measures from other regions, such as the European Union (EU). The EU already has said it will seek to impose tariffs on selected U.S. imports ranging from alcohol to motorbikes. But the TDRI's Wisarn says the economic growth in Southeast Asia in the past decade, with its focus on China, will shield the region from major moves by the U.S. to boost trade protectionism. "East Asia [has] become the new growth core of the global economy. So the impact of the U.S. action, in fact, would have very little impact as far as East Asia is concerned," he told VOA. As a result, the role of the economies of China, Japan and South Korea, as well as Australia and New Zealand, will be enhanced by the U.S. decision. Trade war But analysts say the greater concern for regional trade and potential conflict lies ahead with a battle over intellectual property theft, especially targeting China. Economists say the region's economic growth potential could be hit by a trade war. The World Bank in a January assessment said growth in East Asia and Pacific is forecast at 6.2 percent in 2018, down slightly from 6.4 percent in 2017. The World Bank, while upbeat, says "rising geopolitical tension, increased global protectionism" a tightening of global financial conditions, or a "steeper-than-expected" slowdown in major economies, including China, pose a downside risk to the regional outlook. A Canadian companys hardware is being used to hack internet users along Turkeys border with Syria, researchers said Friday, adding that there were signs that Kurdish forces aligned with the United States might have been targeted. The revelation comes as Turkey presses its offensive against the Kurds dug in along the countrys frontier with northwestern Syria, a conflict that threatens to disrupt the American-led effort to extinguish the Islamic State group. The apparent use of Canadian technology to target a U.S. ally was an irony underlined by Ron Deibert, the director of the internet watchdog group Citizen Lab, which published a report on the spying. These companies are not closely regulated, and that can lead to a lot of unintended consequences, including consequences that harm our foreign policy interests and human rights interest as well, Deibert said. Its a strong argument for government control over this kind of technology. Canadian tech Citizen Lab identified the hardware behind the hacking as PacketLogic devices produced by Procera, a Fremont, California-based company that was recently folded into Canada-based network management firm Sandvine, which is owned by American private equity group Francisco Partners. In a statement issued before the reports release, Sandvine said it investigates all allegations of abuse but said it had been unable to complete its inquiry because Citizen Lab refused to provide the company with its findings in full. Once we have the necessary data, we will conduct a full investigation and take appropriate action, Sandvine said. The statement also said Citizen Labs allegations were technically inaccurate and intentionally misleading, but a representative for the company has yet to supply an example of a misleading or inaccurate claim. Government spying Citizen Lab said it discovered the hacking after a European cybersecurity company reported that network service providers in two unidentified countries were trying to compromise their users using a powerful hacking technique known as network injection. Citizen Lab scoured the internet for signs of the spying and eventually traced the activity to the Turkish provinces of Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir and to the Turkish capital, Ankara, as well as parts of northern Syria and Egypt. Network injection so-called because malicious software is injected into everyday internet traffic by whoever controls the network has long been feared as a particularly powerful form of government spying. This can potentially be used to target anyone in the country with the click of the button, said Bill Marczak, the lead author of the report. Although the identities of those being spied on in Turkey and Egypt arent clear, Marczak said that the devices appeared to be installed on the network belonging to Turk Telekom, a leading phone and internet provider in Turkey as well as parts of northern Syria. He said there were hints suggesting some of the targets are affiliated with the YPG, the Kurdish Marxist rebel group which is fighting Turkish forces for control of the northwestern Syrian province of Afrin. Although Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization, the group provides the backbone of the U.S.-backed operations against the Islamic State in eastern Syria. American officials acknowledged Monday that ground operations against the jihadist groups remnants in eastern Syria were on hold because Kurdish fighters were being diverted to the battle against Turkey. Turk Telekom statement Turk Telekom said in a statement that it complies with Turkish law and doesnt interfere with internet users access. It added that the company does not redirect any internet user to receive malicious downloads of popular software applications. A representative for the company did not immediately respond to follow-up questions. Sandvines ties to the Turkey government have been the subject of previous reporting. In 2016, Forbes reported that engineers at Procera were so troubled at the prospect of supplying surveillance hardware for use by Turk Telekom that six of them quit in protest. I do not wish to spend the rest of my life with the regret of having been a part of (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogans insanity, so Im out, one the engineers said in a letter of resignation quoted by Forbes. LinkedIn shows at least 16 Procera-Sandvine employees listed as working in Egypt or Turkey. One Sandvine engineer based in Cairo listed lawful interception a commonly used euphemism for state-sanctioned surveillance as one of his interests. THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2018 ADJUSTING IMPORTS OF STEEL INTO THE UNITED STATES - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION 1. On January 11, 2018, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) transmitted to me a report on his investigation into the effect of imports of steel mill articles (steel articles) on the national security of the United States under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862). 2. The Secretary found and advised me of his opinion that steel articles are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States. The Secretary found that the present quantities of steel articles imports and the circumstances of global excess capacity for producing steel are "weakening our internal economy," resulting in the persistent threat of further closures of domestic steel production facilities and the "shrinking [of our] ability to meet national security production requirements in a national emergency." Because of these risks and the risk that the United States may be unable to "meet [steel] demands for national defense and critical industries in a national emergency," and taking into account the close relation of the economic welfare of the Nation to our national security, see 19 U.S.C. 1862(d), the Secretary concluded that the present quantities and circumstances of steel articles imports threaten to impair the national security as defined in section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. 3. In reaching this conclusion, the Secretary considered the previous U.S. Government measures and actions on steel articles imports and excess capacity, including actions taken under Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush. The Secretary also considered the Department of Commerce's narrower investigation of iron ore and semi-finished steel imports in 2001, and found the recommendations in that report to be outdated given the dramatic changes in the steel industry since 2001, including the increased level of global excess capacity, the increased level of imports, the reduction in basic oxygen furnace facilities, the number of idled facilities despite increased demand for steel in critical industries, and the potential impact of further plant closures on capacity needed in a national emergency. 4. In light of this conclusion, the Secretary recommended actions to adjust the imports of steel articles so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security. Among those recommendations was a global tariff of 24 percent on imports of steel articles in order to reduce imports to a level that the Secretary assessed would enable domestic steel producers to use approximately 80 percent of existing domestic production capacity and thereby achieve long-term economic viability through increased production. The Secretary has also recommended that I authorize him, in response to specific requests from affected domestic parties, to exclude from any adopted import restrictions those steel articles for which the Secretary determines there is a lack of sufficient U.S. production capacity of comparable products, or to exclude steel articles from such restrictions for specific national security-based considerations. 5. I concur in the Secretary's finding that steel articles are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States, and I have considered his recommendations. 6. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, authorizes the President to adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives that are being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security. 7. Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) the substance of acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction. 8. In the exercise of these authorities, I have decided to adjust the imports of steel articles by imposing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on steel articles, as defined below, imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. In my judgment, this tariff is necessary and appropriate in light of the many factors I have considered, including the Secretary's report, updated import and production numbers for 2017, the failure of countries to agree on measures to reduce global excess capacity, the continued high level of imports since the beginning of the year, and special circumstances that exist with respect to Canada and Mexico. This relief will help our domestic steel industry to revive idled facilities, open closed mills, preserve necessary skills by hiring new steel workers, and maintain or increase production, which will reduce our Nation's need to rely on foreign producers for steel and ensure that domestic producers can continue to supply all the steel necessary for critical industries and national defense. Under current circumstances, this tariff is necessary and appropriate to address the threat that imports of steel articles pose to the national security. 9. In adopting this tariff, I recognize that our Nation has important security relationships with some countries whose exports of steel articles to the United States weaken our internal economy and thereby threaten to impair the national security. I also recognize our shared concern about global excess capacity, a circumstance that is contributing to the threatened impairment of the national security. Any country with which we have a security relationship is welcome to discuss with the United States alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports from that country. Should the United States and any such country arrive at a satisfactory alternative means to address the threat to the national security such that I determine that imports from that country no longer threaten to impair the national security, I may remove or modify the restriction on steel articles imports from that country and, if necessary, make any corresponding adjustments to the tariff as it applies to other countries as our national security interests require. 10. I conclude that Canada and Mexico present a special case. Given our shared commitment to supporting each other in addressing national security concerns, our shared commitment to addressing global excess capacity for producing steel, the physical proximity of our respective industrial bases, the robust economic integration between our countries, the export of steel articles produced in the United States to Canada and Mexico, and the close relation of the economic welfare of the United States to our national security, see 19 U.S.C. 1862(d), I have determined that the necessary and appropriate means to address the threat to the national security posed by imports of steel articles from Canada and Mexico is to continue ongoing discussions with these countries and to exempt steel articles imports from these countries from the tariff, at least at this time. I expect that Canada and Mexico will take action to prevent transshipment of steel articles through Canada and Mexico to the United States. 11. In the meantime, the tariff imposed by this proclamation is an important first step in ensuring the economic viability of our domestic steel industry. Without this tariff and satisfactory outcomes in ongoing negotiations with Canada and Mexico, the industry will continue to decline, leaving the United States at risk of becoming reliant on foreign producers of steel to meet our national security needs -- a situation that is fundamentally inconsistent with the safety and security of the American people. It is my judgment that the tariff imposed by this proclamation is necessary and appropriate to adjust imports of steel articles so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security as defined in section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, do hereby proclaim as follows: (1) For the purposes of this proclamation, "steel articles" are defined at the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) 6 digit level as: 7206.10 through 7216.50, 7216.99 through 7301.10, 7302.10, 7302.40 through 7302.90, and 7304.10 through 7306.90, including any subsequent revisions to these HTS classifications. (2) In order to establish increases in the duty rate on imports of steel articles, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS is modified as provided in the Annex to this proclamation. Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, or in notices published pursuant to clause 3 of this proclamation, all steel articles imports specified in the Annex shall be subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem rate of duty with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on March 23, 2018. This rate of duty, which is in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported steel articles, shall apply to imports of steel articles from all countries except Canada and Mexico. (3) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and such other senior Executive Branch officials as the Secretary deems appropriate, is hereby authorized to provide relief from the additional duties set forth in clause 2 of this proclamation for any steel article determined not to be produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably available amount or of a satisfactory quality and is also authorized to provide such relief based upon specific national security considerations. Such relief shall be provided for a steel article only after a request for exclusion is made by a directly affected party located in the United States. If the Secretary determines that a particular steel article should be excluded, the Secretary shall, upon publishing a notice of such determination in the Federal Register, notify Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security concerning such article so that it will be excluded from the duties described in clause 2 of this proclamation. The Secretary shall consult with CBP to determine whether the HTSUS provisions created by the Annex to this proclamation should be modified in order to ensure the proper administration of such exclusion, and, if so, shall make such modification to the HTSUS through a notice in the Federal Register. (4) Within 10 days after the date of this proclamation, the Secretary shall issue procedures for the requests for exclusion described in clause 3 of this proclamation. The issuance of such procedures is exempt from Executive Order 13771 of January 30, 2017 (Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs). (5) (a) The modifications to the HTSUS made by the Annex to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on March 23, 2018, and shall continue in effect, unless such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated. (b) The Secretary shall continue to monitor imports of steel articles and shall, from time to time, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the USTR, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and such other senior Executive Branch officials as the Secretary deems appropriate, review the status of such imports with respect to the national security. The Secretary shall inform the President of any circumstances that in the Secretary's opinion might indicate the need for further action by the President under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. The Secretary shall also inform the President of any circumstance that in the Secretary's opinion might indicate that the increase in duty rate provided for in this proclamation is no longer necessary. (6) Any provision of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that is inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation is superseded to the extent of such inconsistency. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second. DONALD J. TRUMP Video of a woman being pulled away from her anguished daughters on a California street and quickly driven off in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle has sparked criticism of the way federal agents are enforcing immigration laws. The Border Patrol said Perla Morales-Luna was identified as an organizer for a transnational criminal smuggling organization and was arrested March 3 for being in the country illegally. The woman's attorney, Andres Moreno II, said Friday that he was shocked by video posted on social media that showed the arrest in National City, south of San Diego. "You can do your job without causing such a dramatic separation of family members," Moreno said. "She's a single mother. She was walking with her three minor children. The officers came up and ripped her away from her kids, threw her in the car and left her kids on the street." Moreno said his client denies the allegation of involvement in smuggling. She has not been charged with any smuggling crimes and the Border Patrol has offered no evidence of that. In custody The Border Patrol, which characterized the arrest as a "targeted operation," said Thursday that Morales-Luna was in the agency's custody awaiting transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings. The attorney said he would fight deportation of Morales-Luna, who came to the U.S. from Mexico at 15. Morales-Luna's daughters, ages 17, 15 and 12, are staying with relatives in the San Diego area. The arrest drew the social media spotlight amid heightened focus on immigrants who are in the county illegally. The Trump administration sued this week to block a California law that limits local police cooperation with federal immigration agents. The administration contends the law impedes removal of criminals, but supporters of sanctuary laws characterize them as public safety measures and assert that police need cooperation from immigrant communities to fight crime. Fears of ramped-up deportation efforts recently led Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to issue a public warning of an impending immigration sweep, saying the city would "continue to inform all residents about their constitutional rights." President Donald Trump plans to visit California next week to examine prototypes of the wall he pledges to build along the U.S.-Mexico border. North Korea's neighbors welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss ending the North's threatening nuclear program. Since the talks were announced late Thursday in Washington, U.S. lawmakers, Chinese, Japanese and South Korean officials have embraced the development. But there is also caution over possible outcomes from the high-stakes talks. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson called direct dialogue between the two leaders a "positive signal." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been suspicious of North Koreas motives, spoke with Trump on Thursday and praised Trump's hardline leadership for forcing Pyongyang to change. Abe said he plans to visit Trump in Washington next month to discuss the summit with North Korea. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham suggested the talks show stepped up U.S. sanctions are having an impact. "After numerous discussions with President Trump, I firmly believe his strong stand against North Korea and its nuclear aggression gives us the best hope in decades to resolve this threat peacefully," he said. Graham also said the United States is not going into the talks with high expectations. "I am not naive. I understand that if the past is an indication of the future, North Korea will be all talk and no action." It is not clear what Kim will want in exchange for abandoning a nuclear weapons program that has been a core focus since he became supreme leader in late 2011. The talks are a high-stakes gamble. Success could mean significantly de-escalating tensions over North Koreas accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile tests over the past two years, which have grown sophisticated enough to threaten the U.S. If the talks fail, it could worsen the situation. Robert Gallucci, chief U.S. negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis, said North Korea's invitation is a "surprising and welcome development. He added, "If representatives of both governments can meet, and a summit ultimately is held, it would represent substantial progress in reducing tension and the risk of war." "What is new isn't the proposal, it's the response," said Daniel Russell, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific." He said North Korea "has for many years proposed that the president of the United States personally engage with North Korea's leaders as an equal - one nuclear power to another." President Trump has been critical of past efforts by the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama to resolve the North Korean nuclear threat through negotiations. These past deals slowed the Norths nuclear progress, but Pyongyang covertly continued its development efforts and eventually reneged on pledges to dismantle its nuclear facilities. City announces 17 million plan to fill 50,000 potholes in Rome. Rome prosecutors have opened an investigation into the capital's potholes following complaints from consumer associations, according to Italian news agency ANSA. There are currently no individuals under investigation and neither are there are possible charges mooted in the probe which comes after the recent snowfall caused further damage to the capital's already potholed streets. On 8 March the city announced a 17 million plan to fill 50,000 potholes in Rome, at an average of around 1,500 potholes a day, as part of emergency measures to "guarantee the safety" of motorists. Does every American have a right to read Trumps tweets? Photo: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images For nearly two hours on Thursday, we the taxpayers funded the governments defense, in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, of Donald Trumps unbridled use of his Twitter account. On our dime, the Department of Justice dispatched three lawyers to tell a judge, more or less, that courts have no power to tell the president what to do with @realDonaldTrump let alone to declare that the First Amendment imposes an obligation on him to unblock users who have been critical of him or his administration. Taken at face value, the argument of the United States, our government, is that Twitter is a sacred space for Trump and thus out of the Constitutions reach. Like many judges in the Southern District of New York, the federal court with jurisdiction over private-citizen Trump and his businesses, Senior U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald has seen her share of complex, years-long litigation. But Knight Institute v. Trump, as the Twitter-blocking case is known, isnt a particularly difficult, fact-intensive case. In only nine months time and without the need for a trial, Buchwald has everything she needs to rule on one of the vexing questions of our time: whether Trump, in his official capacity, infringed on the free-speech rights of seven users who tweeted mean things at him, only to later find themselves blocked by the president. Blocking someone on Twitter is one of the mediums joys one of the few redeeming qualities of a social network otherwise plagued by trolls and toxicity. But elected officials blocking constituents seems different, even if theres nothing forcing them to read their critics jabs or even engage in civic dialog with them. Whats private catharsis for the rest of us can be rightly seen as government retaliation when its a public official who goes on a blocking spree. Whether the act of blocking rises to a constitutional violation is the novelty of the case in the law, its whats known as a question of first impression, an issue no other court has decided before. That means theres real pressure on the judge to get it right the first time. And with a tweeting president who is known for berating magistrates and getting his ardent supporters to dox them if they dont rule in his favor, even more so. The pressure was evident when Buchwald seemed to nudge the parties, in open court, to consider reaching a settlement behind the scenes. You dont necessarily want to risk law being made, she said. But a declaration of what the law is is precisely what the plaintiffs want. And theyd like to be unblocked, too. More symbolically, a court pronouncement on the constitutional dimensions of Trumps Twitter usage may be what the country needs at a time when no one, not even White House chief of staff John Kelly, can get the nations chief executive to cut back on his executive time and all the tweeting that comes with it. The president is different, insisted Michael Baer, the Justice Department lawyer charged with making the case that there are serious structural and separation of powers issues with a court ordering Trump to unblock certain users. Was the initial blocking even official action? Or was it just something he did in his personal time? And is his account a public forum akin to the public square where the First Amendment applies with great force? These are all matters Buchwald, who was sharp as a tack throughout the hearing, wrestled with, even as she let everyone in the courtroom know that public officials, or at least judges, had no business tweeting. Before he swore the oath of office, Donald Trumps outbursts on social media were, for the most part, his private business. There remains a genuine question of law in the travel-ban controversy in particular, which the Supreme Court will settle soon about whether his campaign promises and anti-Muslim tweets as a candidate can be imputed to later, official government acts. But as a public servant, no one really doubts that Trumps tweets are a public concern, in more ways than one: They establish government policy, inform the citizenry about administration priorities, announce personnel changes, are a means of diplomacy, move financial markets, and, if Trump happens to be in a foul mood, could spark some global catastrophe. So we care. And the government cares. So much that the Trump administration has declared in White House briefings, government letters, and court hearings that communications that emanate from @realDonaldTrump are, in fact, official statements by the presidency. If thats the case, theres necessarily a constitutional valence to the things Trump posts on Twitter, no matter how nonsensical, vindictive, or lacking in redeeming value they may be. And with that, theres a certain constitutional harm that comes from barring someone from what is the equivalent of petitioning or interacting with a government leader. Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza, a judicial affairs editor at Daily Kos and one of the blockees who sued Trump, told New York before the hearing that she felt shock when she learned she had been blocked. In the course of the litigation, she learned that it was Trump himself not Dan Scavino, the White House director of social media who smashed the block button after she trolled him over his bragging about winning the White House. Her tweet last June wasnt exactly offensive, but then again, it may have triggered him for one very obvious reason: To be fair you didn't win the WH: Russia won it for you. pic.twitter.com/iPUXKopd9B RPBP (@rpbp) June 6, 2017 Like Buckwalter-Poza, none of the plaintiffs I met in court, some of whom made this list, struck me as a shrinking violet. Each has a dedicated following on Twitter, is a verified user, and got the block after tweeting something snarky at him. Philip Cohen, a University of Maryland professor who tweets under the handle @familyunequal, told me he was both shocked and proud of being blocked for tweeting a meme at Trump that called him a number of things none vulgar, all of them words that might show up on a sign at a Womens March or an anti-Trump rally: In a sense, these Twitter denizens are similar to the dedicated constituent who takes the time to show up to city council meetings and, to the chagrin of city council members, speaks his mind all the time. Once it is a public forum, you cant shut somebody up because you dont like what theyre saying, Judge Buchwald said, somewhat echoing something Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote recently, in an unrelated case, about what social media which he called the modern public square means today: These websites can provide perhaps the most powerful mechanisms available to a private citizen to make his or her voice heard. They allow a person with an internet connection to become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox. Short of ordering Trump to stop blocking people, the judge, in a spirit of compromise, seemed keen on letting him at least mute users he finds obnoxious. Isnt that the solution? she pondered at one point. Muting someone isnt as drastic as barring them forever from your Twitter timeline: the muted user can still see your tweets and interact with them and other users in the cyberspace of ideas. But even that would require Buchwald to find a First Amendment problem with the blocking itself. And to get the president, or Scavino, to unblock the plaintiffs and then mute them. And hes above the law? I just want to check, an incredulous Buchwald retorted when Baer, the Justice Department lawyer, suggested as much. From the jury box, where I was sitting, you could see a sheepish grin on Baers face as he said no. Nick Jack Pappas, a comedy writer in New York who is also a part of the lawsuit, doesnt care so much about Trump seeing his tweets, but he does care about others seeing his during that frenzy of responses that follow each of the presidents tirades. This is not about me but about the right of the people to see dissenting views, he told me outside the courthouse after the hearing. As for the potential remedy of getting muted by Trump instead of blocked by him, which would at least give him some of his dissenting privileges back, he said he can live with that. 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If you would like to request a complimentary consultation pls get in tough on info@nobisevents.com or call +39 348 3121012 +39 377 3187325 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. You dont have more leverage in a bilateral agreement, said Christopher Smart, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former Treasury and National Economic Council adviser on trade. In a multilateral negotiation such as the TPP, he said, the United States can allow dairy imports from New Zealand in return for greater access to the Canadian dairy market. You can use the strength of the network to get a much better set of outcomes than you would in a whole set of narrow bilateral deals, he sad. Eric Trump outside the Trump International Hotel in Washington. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/REX/Shutterstock The Trump Organization wrote a check to the U.S. Treasury last month for $151,470, an amount it said represented all profits from foreign government patronage to its hotels in 2017. Though the company announced the donation in February, the amount wasnt known until dailymail.com reported it Friday. The donation fulfills a promise made last year to allay concerns about Trumps continued ownership stake in his company. By refusing to divest from the Trump Organization, he was at risk of violating the Constitutions foreign emoluments clause, critics said, citing the ban on federal officials accepting money from foreign governments. Our donation to the Treasury was voluntary and one that I am very proud of, Eric Trump, who is running the family company with his brother Don Jr., told DailyMail.com. Although we are not legally obligated to do this, we have pledged to account for all profits from foreign government business at our hotels and clubs and have donated that money back to the United States of America. Apart from the amount donated, the Trump Organization has revealed little else about the profits from foreign governments. For instance, its not known which governments the money came from, or who paid how much. However, separate media reports have assigned totals to some events held in Trump hotels. One event, held last year by Kuwaits government at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., could have cost as much as $60,000, Reuters reported at the time. Other foreign government groups to hold events at the D.C. hotel include the Turkey-U. S. Business Council, the American Turkish Council, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Eric Trump told dailymail.com that the hassle of holding these events, which result in no profit for the company, has the Trump Organization avoiding business with foreign governments whenever possible. But critics say the damage is already done. With this announcement, President Trumps businesses seem to confirm that they accepted payments from foreign governments in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause, Rob Marus, a spokesman for the District of Columbia attorney general, said last week. The D.C. attorney general is one of several suing Trump over potential emoluments clause violations. Whether the Trump Organization donated the proceeds from those foreign emoluments is irrelevant to our case, Marus added. Selling wine isnt what I like to do, Lee says. Hes good at it, of course. Lee is a darling of wine writers and consumers because he is outspoken, generous with his time and thoughts, and because, well, he makes darn good wine. Lee and his wife, Dianna Novy Lee, launched their Siduri label in 1994, specializing in cool-climate pinot noirs from around California and later from Oregon. They sold Siduri in early 2015 to Jackson Family Wines, becoming the first winery in the Jackson empire that did not come with vineyards. Steely resolve. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images One week ago, Donald Trump announced that he would be slapping hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the United States. He did not specify whether these duties would apply to imports from all foreign countries without exception. And his administration was unable to clarify this point because the president publicized the policy before hed given the White House staff, government lawyers or officials at the departments of State, Treasury, or Defense an opportunity to weigh in on the measure, or hammer out its details. For days, all Americas allies had to go on were Trump tweets; and those did not evince an appetite for accommodation. As administration officials worked to rebut the idea that the presidents tariffs would spark a trade war, Trump cheered one on observing that trade wars are good, and easy to win. But on Thursday, the president finally gave the world clarity. During a signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room, the president explained that: The United States will impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports, and a 10 percent one on aluminum imports, in 15 days or in no sooner than 15 days, anyway. Canada and Mexico will be indefinitely exempted from these tariffs unless they refuse to concede to his administrations (radical) demands in NAFTA negotiations. Americas other core allies can negotiate for an exemption from the tariffs. And the U.S. will give special consideration to its great partners and great military allies but also, many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on military are our allies as they like to call them. China has been very helpful on geopolitical matters, but the United States will nonetheless enact reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports in the near future, even if that means slapping a 50 percent tariff on some Chinese products. This cacophony of contradictions reflected divisions within Trumps administration and, by all appearances, his own mind. Throughout Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, White House aides whispered to reporters that unresolved debates and complications might force the signing ceremony to be postponed. But, just as he had one week earlier, the president forced his administration to take a fake it till you make it approach to global economic policy, by unilaterally tweeting a confirmation of the event. Looking forward to 3:30 P.M. meeting today at the White House. We have to protect & build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2018 Nonetheless, judging by the stock markets response, the consensus interpretation of Trumps performance is that he has just revealed his trade war to be of the Potemkin variety. The presidents remarks brimmed with populist flourishes lamentations of factories left to rot and rust, and thriving communities transformed into ghost towns, along with condemnations of the politicians who never did anything about it. And Trump repeatedly claimed that Americas trade partners were robbing the country of $800 billion on an annual basis, and that it would be worth slapping 75 percent tariffs on some nations imports to combat this menace. But he also subtly suggested that these statements were motivated less by substantive commitment than domestic political concerns. He framed the signing ceremony as the fulfillment of a campaign promise, and mused that his message about trade was one of the primary reasons he won the presidency. Most critically, in between all that populist bluster, the president did indefinitely, and completely, exempt two of the top four exporters of steel to the U.S. from tariffs a concession that renders the policy decidedly more modest than it appeared to be a week ago. There is still some ambiguity about how all this well play out. While the European Union will have an opportunity to push for an exemption to the tariffs, Trump has put one of his administrations nationalist hardliners trade representative Robert Lighthizer in charge of arbitrating such requests. Nonetheless, even in the most pessimistic reading, Trump appears to be scaling back his ambitions from win a global trade war to extort some policy concessions and/or Mar-a-Lago memberships from core allies in exchange for tariff relief. Which is to say: He appears to be less interested in pursuing protectionism than a protection racket. And, given that the presidents rhetoric over the past week and Gary Cohns sudden resignation Wall Street seems to regard this development as good news. Id like to be able to walk in here and see their airplanes being built in various stages, he says. Id like to see the tools that were used. The saws, the lathes and that sort of thing. Id like to see where they had lunch. Id like to see the whole world, the whole reality, the community at work. Olivia Dedner, a spokeswoman for the Office of the City Administrator, said in a statement, The Bowser administration remains committed to honoring the financial commitments the Trust made to programs that support District youth and families and will work with the Council to enact legislation to transfer the funds to support programming in the Safer Stronger DC Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement that is in keeping with this mission. Seema Verma. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images In January, Republicans in Idaho decided that if Congress wasnt going to repeal the Affordable Care Act, they would just have to repeal it themselves. Governor C.L. Butch Otter signed an executive order that nullified a whole host of ACA regulations: Insurers in the Gem State would now be able to sell health-care plans that didnt cover maternity care, mental illness, or other essential health benefits; to charge higher premiums to people with preexisting conditions, and deny them coverage outright if they had failed to maintain continuous coverage; and set a dollar limit on the amount of benefits that consumers could draw on (which is to say, sneak in a provision that renders the insurance plan useless if an enrollee happens to develop an exorbitantly expensive medical condition). The one catch was that insurers who sold such skimpy plans would be required to also sell at least one Obamacare-compliant option over the exchanges. This arrangement would allow (temporarily) healthy people to get (junky) insurance at a very cheap price while rendering the risk pool for Obamacare-compliant plans exceptionally sickly, thereby causing premiums to skyrocket for people who required comprehensive coverage. This all constituted a flagrant violation of federal law. But responsibility for enforcing said law lay with Trumps Health and Human Services Department, which has been flagrantly violating the spirit of Obamacare for more than a year now. For weeks, the White House refused to say whether Idaho would be allowed to pick and choose which federal laws it wished to follow. In the interim, Blue Cross of Idaho announced that it would gladly sell terrible insurance plans to the good people of the Gem State and other conservative states began seeing the virtues of simply pretending that Obamacare no longer existed. But on Thursday night, Trumps Health Department (somewhat apologetically) announced that it would not allow Idaho to comport itself as a sovereign nation. In a letter to Governor Otter, Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), wrote, CMS is committed to working with states to give them as much flexibility as permissible under the law to provide their citizens the best possible access to healthcare. However, the Affordable Care Act remains the law[.] Verma encouraged Idaho to try a subtler approach to nullifying Obamacare, noting that its proposal could have passed legal muster with certain modifications. And its true that the Trump administration has already provided conservative states with a blueprint for ending Obamacare in practice, if not law. Specifically, the White House has alerted red states to a loophole in the ACA: The law does not impose essential health benefit requirements on short-term insurance plans. The reasoning behind this exemption was fairly simple: People who are transitioning between jobs (that provide subsidized health insurance) should have the option of enrolling in a cheap, short-term plan that will give them financial protection from a medical calamity but almost nothing else. After all, a good number Americans can safely go one or two months without seeing a specialist. So why not let them minimize their premiums during a temporary period of unemployment? But the Trump administration has encouraged states to expand this limited carve-out into a parallel insurance market: When Obama was president, Americans were only allowed to stay on a short-term insurance plan for three months; Trump has proposed expanding that to 364 days and to make the plans renewable after that. In other words: The White House has proposed allowing insurers to sell low-cost plans that flout Obamacares regulatory protections and thus, to create a bifurcated insurance market that jacks up premiums for people who require comprehensive coverage so long as insurers call their junky (year-long, infinitely renewable) plans short-term. All things considered, its a good thing that the Trump administration isnt letting states openly violate federal health-care regulations. But it would be nice if we had a Health department that didnt actively encourage states to covertly violate those regulations, either. Lloyd Blankfein. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images Goldman Sachss CEO Lloyd Blankfein will leave his job by the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The 36-year Goldman veteran has been at the helm of the vampire squid since 2006, guiding it through the financial crisis and becoming filthy rich along the way. In 2017 alone he made $24 million, up from the paltry $22 million he made the year prior. The WSJ says his successor is likely to come from within the bank, with co-presidents Harvey Schwartz and David Solomon the top contenders. But its also worth noting that Blankfeins former No. 2, outgoing director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn, is soon to be unemployed. At only 63, Blankfein could have another career ahead of him if he wants it, but its unclear what that might be. The WSJ notes that his three immediate predecessors went to work in government, but that doesnt seem like a landing spot for Blankfein. At least not until theres a new person occupying the White House. Finca Uganda has awarded scholarships to at least eleven students from different parts of the country to study at different Ugandan universities The Microfinance Deposit-taking Institution (MDI) announced at its head office in Kololo today Friday that the awardees were chosen from a pool at least 500 applicants that responded to call in January for the opportunity. At least Shs 144m will be spent annually on the winners until they graduate, in what Finca said was a give-back to the community. Managing director James Onyutta said: We are only doing one of the many activities and expect parents to continue supporting these young women and men in other ways. For the beneficiaries of the award, embrace it heartedly. Phiona Luswata, a business consultant who made the selection, said applicants were asked to write an essay to show the need for the scholarship. Among the other things they considered were the applicants confidence, command of English, the way of articulation of issues, and the relevancy of the course to the community where they come from. When the applicants were sieved to 14, they were visited at home to see if the need they talked about in the essays was actually true. A mother of one of awardees from Northern Uganda said she never imagined a vehicle would ever reach her home but now she was in Kampala a place she would only see in dreams. Gillian Lamwaka, an awardee from central region and she is going to study bachelor of human resource management,at the International University of East Africa Kampala, said many of them were not sure whether they would finish their courses. She said the Finca gesture had given them another chance to dream. The awardees will attend Uganda Christian University, Kyambongo University, Kampala International University, Makerere University, Busitema University, Gulu Institute of Health Science, School of Clinical Officers Mbale, among others. Finca, established in 1992, has 27 branches across the country. Its business model targets small businesses and people in the informal sector usually underlooked by the bigger commercial banks. Finca and other MDIs have at times posted higher profits than established commercial banks. amwesigwa@observer.ug U.S. drone targeting Pakistani Taliban kills 21 in Afghanistan: Two missiles fired from a U.S. drone hit a militant facility in Afghanistan, killing 21 insurgents, including the son of the head of the Pakistani Taliban, according to two Pakistani intelligence officials and local Taliban commanders. The strike targeted a compound frequented by Maulana Fazlullah, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, who is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. The intelligence officials said he was apparently not there at the time of the attack. Trade is the most obvious example of Trumps clumsiness. While our economic competitors in China move to seize the commanding heights of technology, in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and robotics, Trump is trying to protect jobs in steel, coal and other industries that have been in decline for nearly 50 years. He seems determined to transform the United States into a lagging indicator, rather than a leading one. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Parliaments Appointments Committee is set to vet the newly appointed Security minister Gen Elly Tumwiine, inspector general of police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola and his deputy Brig. Sabiiti Muzeyi today. President Museveni sacked Security minister Lt. Gen Henry Tumukunde and IGP Kale Kayihura last weekend via social media, replacing them with Gen Tumwine and Ochola respectively. Gen Elly Tumwiine was appointed Security minister Museveni gave no reasons for their sacking but during their reign, the country witnessed an unprecedented spate of criminality in the country with murders, kidnaps, armed robberies especially in Wakiso, Masaka, Gulu and Mukono rising. Ochola has been serving as Kayihuras deputy while Muzeyi was the Military Police commander. Tumwiine, a bush war hero, fired the first bullet that kickstarted Museveni's NRA war in 1981. Museveni captured power in 1986. According to a letter signed by the clerk to parliament Jane Lubowa Kibirige dated March 6, addressed to the members on the Appointments Committee, the speaker of parliament received a communication from the president recommending the appointment of the trio as minister, IGP and deputy IGP respectively. The purpose of this letter is to invite you for a meeting to interact and consider the approval of the presidential nominees. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 7th march, 2018, the letter to the committee members read. Rule 164(1) of rules of procedure of the parliament of Uganda states that the committee on Appointments shall be responsible for approving on behalf of parliament, the appointment of persons nominated for appointment by the president under the Constitution or any other appointment required to be approved by parliament under any law. namuloki16@gmail.com This mitigates the immediate harm. Still, the president has launched an experiment in zero-sum economics, both for domestic industries, whose lobbyists will compete with one another for favor, and other nations, which also will be expected to plead and wheedle for bureaucrats to grant them market access. How will decisions be made? The president seems to want help fighting global production overcapacity and contributing to the collective defense; what that means in practice will be up to him and his trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer. What this impending lobby-o-rama has to do with draining the Washington swamp we do not know. We are certain that it has nothing to do with sound economic policy, which would facilitate the buying and selling of goods and services according to objective criteria, not political machinations. The new Republican Party is coming into view. It is a party skeptical about free markets. It is important to remember that it is not really possible to be in favor of capitalism and against free trade. From Adam Smith to Milton Friedman, every great theorist of capitalism has recognized that free trade is at the heart of what makes capitalism work. And they have all pointed out that tariffs are precisely the kind of government intervention with the state choosing which industries to favor, which companies to reward that produces inefficiency and corruption. But Republicans are now comfortable with government intervention, as long as its for the right people. In The Real War, Nixon wrote that if I could carve ten rules into the walls of the Oval Office for my successors to follow in the dangerous years ahead, the first one would be always be prepared to negotiate, but never negotiate without being prepared. If the president goes with one message full and verified denuclearization and sticks to it, the details of implementation can be worked out later. But even its a reverse Munich or a Reykjavik in the Pacific, that is preferable to a photo-op that bestows prestige on one of the worst people on the planet. Fear also leads us to do things in pursuit of safety that may do more harm than what were afraid of in the first place. Think about the psychological effects on kids from all those lessons about when to run, how to hide, directions from their parents to call home if a shooting occurs. A few children have even brought guns to school, saying they wanted to protect their classmates . What happens to childrens ability to learn if they spend their time in the classroom wondering, even if only occasionally, whos going to burst in and open fire? What does the chronic stress of such worry do to their health? What do constant messages of potential danger in a place thats supposed to be safe do to their sense of security in the world? Across the population of public school children in the United States, fear of this extraordinarily rare risk is almost certainly doing far more overall harm than have the shootings themselves, horrendous as they are. The appointment of Sam Mwandha as executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority has caused a rift in the political leadership of the Ministry of Tourism with minister Ephraim Kamuntu and minister of state Godfrey Kiwanda not seeing eye to eye on the decision. While Kamuntu decided to appoint the candidate who reportedly performed best in the interviews conducted by the Public Service Commission, Kiwanda preferred that outgoing Dr Andrew Seguya, who came third, retain his job. Sam Mwandha, executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority At the centre of the disagreement is the realisation that Mwandha, who takes office effective March 1, was seven years ago sacked by the same organisation and faced the prospect of legal action being taken against him. However, Mwandha came into the UWA top management frame again after he beat off six candidates, including Seguya, Sam Mugasi (Naads executive director), Gladys Kalema of the NGO Conservation Through Public Health and Sam Werikhe, a former UWA employee. Others are, Nature Ugandas Achilles Byaruhanga and Daniel Aleper, a former UWA employee. Late in January, the candidates were subjected to three sets of interviews by the Public Service Commission two written and one oral, out of which Seguya, Mwandha and Byaruhanga were shortlisted. Kiwanda, whose docket is wildlife and conservation, is said to have taken exception to the decision of his senior Kamuntu to advertise the job whereas he felt Seguya had performed relatively well and deserved an automatic contract renewal. The UWA board of trustees had also reportedly advised minister Kamuntu to renew Seguya's contract. According to Kiwanda, under Seguya's reign since 2011, the number of visitors to national parks has grown from 207,994 to 245,725 while revenue collections rose from Shs 20 billion in 2011 to more than Shs 70billion in 2016. I advised the minister to renew Seguyas contract. I even met all the board members and gave them my position [because] I am directly responsible for this sector, Kiwanda told The Observer on February 19. Seguya moved from Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) in 2011, to head UWA as caretaker following the interdiction of Moses Mapesa. FORENSIC AUDIT Mapesa was fired along with Mwandha, Joseph Tibaijuka and Olive Kyampire for alleged mismanagement of funds meant for the Friend-a-Gorilla campaign in 2010. According to a September 2010 forensic audit report of UWA by Ernst & Young, Mwandha, who was at the time the director of conservation, was found to be culpable in the questionable payments to Saatchi & Saatchi, a PR firm contracted to publicise the Friend-a-Gorilla campaign. In an October 18, 2010 letter firing Mwandha, UWA chairman Dr Muballe Boysier Oumar wrote: At the board of trustees meeting held on 15th October 2010, it was resolved that your services with UWA are no longer required with immediate effect. As per the human resource manual you are entitled to three months salary in lieu of notice. This termination is not a bar to legal action UWA may institute against you... Kiwanda is said to have raised this situation with Kamuntu but the senior minister reportedly told his junior that Mwandha had explained himself. Kamuntu told The Observer on February 19 that he had appointed a competent individual. The process which interviewed and recommended the names to me looked into all those issues and found the three candidates competent enough to head UWA in the position of executive director, Kamuntu said. My role was simply to appoint any of the three recommended to me, therefore, I did not act outside the law, he added. However, Seguya himself has not been a stranger to controversy during his time in charge. On May 2, 2017, President Museveni wrote to the Inspector General of Government (IGG), asking Justice Irene Mulyagonja to investigate "wrongdoing in the Uganda Wildlife Authority." The president listed eight issues that he said ought to be investigated, including an allegation that Seguya had authorised the export of high value pangolin scales contrary to international conservation norms. Museveni also made reference to the alleged theft of 1,300kgs of impounded ivory worth Shs 3bn from UWA stores, which in 2014 led to the suspension of Seguya pending investigations. He was later cleared. It is, therefore, suspected that Kamuntu was acting under pressure from State House when advertising Seguya's job and going ahead to offer it to Mwandha even when Seguya was among the three shortlisted candidates. sadabkk@observer.ug Trump wouldnt say exactly what he had planned, but promised that it would be very fair and also very flexible. As reporters shouted out questions, the president confirmed that he would implement the tariff numbers. Canada and Mexico probably would not have to pay the tariff, he said, and countries that are friendly with the United States for example, Australia could also receive an exemption. Barely a week after sacking former inspector general of police Gen Kale Kayihura, President Yoweri Museveni has said Ugandan police has been "infiltrated by bean weevils", the reason for increased criminality in the country. Last Sunday, Museveni sacked Kayihura and Security minister Lt. Gen Henry Tumukunde, replacing them with Okoth Ochola and Gen Elly Tumwiine respectively. While speaking at celebrations to mark the International Women's Day at Busubizi Core Teachers Training College in Mityana district, Museveni said his government will defeat the wave of urban terrorism that is threatening people's safety. President Museveni inspecting a guard of honour mounted by women security officers in Mityana "We are being challenged by criminals who are murdering, kidnapping and raping women in urban areas. But we shall defeat them. Crime is going to be defeated in urban areas the same way we defeated rebel groups in rural areas." said Museveni. Museveni said the "bean weevils" had failed police to fight the increasing criminality in the country. Kayihura has severally been accused by some sections in government of working for Rwandan President Paul Kagame to spy on Uganda. It is not clear if Museveni's statement was directed at Kayihura or Kagame. It has also been suggested in some circles, that in fact, Kayihura had positioned his henchmen in key positions in police and intelligence to cover up crime and gather intelligence for external governments. Last year, following the gruesome of police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi after his car was sprayed with bullets, Museveni asked Kayihura to clean up his police. WOMEN APPEAL During the Women's Day celebrations in Mityana, the women appealed to Museveni to help bring an end to increasing criminality that saw over 29 women murdered in Entebbe and Nansana municipalities in Wakiso district last year. Most of the murdered women were first raped and then sharp sticks inserted in their private parts. According to the annual police crime report, gender-based violence cases that were reported and investigated increased by four percent from 38,561 to 40,258 between 2015 and 2016. The 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey revealed that up to 22 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 in the country have experienced some sort of violence. The report also reveals that annually, 13 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 report experiencing some sort of physical or sexual violence. Cases of kidnap-for-ransom are also on the rise including the recent kidnap and murder of 28-year-old Susan Magara. Magara who hailed from the wealthy and politically connected family was murdered after 20 days in captivity. Before cutting off two of her fingers and sending a torture video to the family, the captors had demanded for $1 million (about Shs 3.5 billion). The family reportedly paid her kidnappers between Shs 700 million and Shs 800 million. Museveni said security agencies had already arrested a number of suspects behind some of the killings. "We are going to strengthen security in town to put a stop to people who are kidnapping people and asking for money," Museveni said and added that efforts are underway to increase the level of surveillance in urban areas by installing CCTV cameras, among others. Museveni however, ridiculed officers that are making it hard for criminals to be apprehended. He mentioned the weakness within the police force and the courts of law that have according to him led to the release of criminals. "Many of the criminals were arrested like the ones who hacked people in Masaka during Christmas but the other day two of them escaped because of the negligence of the prison staff and the courts. These killers who had killed people during Christmas were brought to court, the handcuffs were removed but it is the rule of the courts not to have people handcuffed. What is this? Who made that rule? I have never made that rule, I have been here in government for 30 years. What sort of rules are these?," said Museveni. He equally expressed disgust that suspects who had been arrested after an attack that claimed several lives in Bukomansimbi district, had escaped from court, in the presence of the magistrate and prison warders. Incoming Security minister Gen Tumwiine said security forces have the capacity to deal with the insecurity in the country and promised to deal with the criminals. "We have the capacity to deal with the insecurity and we shall defeat it," Tumwiine said. In his remarks, the president called upon women who face domestic violence to come out and report the cases to police instead of just keeping quiet because they are scared of the repercussions they might face. According to Museveni, many women are forced to keep quiet because they do not have the means to support themselves in case they are punished for exposing their husbands. Both extremist groups are trying to provoke sectarian conflict between Afghan Sunnis and Shiites, and many of their attacks have been staged on Fridays, the Muslim holy day for both sects, or during Shiite periods of religious mourning and celebration. The violence became so frequent that the government last year trained and armed local Hazara men to guard community mosques. But now we have these animals and not enough people to scare them away, he said, sitting in a hut with a wood stove and two farmer friends. At 67, Numata is a relative youngster around here. His friends, Etsuro Sugawa and Shoichi Chiba, are 69 and 70 respectively. One of their farmer neighbors is 83. They have long said that if the president would engage directly, then who knows whats possible? Russel said. The fact that theyre looking for the face and the legitimization and the validation of direct engagement of the president of the United States is not new. And its not inconsistent with their strategy of seeking to be treated like the Soviet Union, seeking to be accepted as a nuclear peer. In less than eight years, Ugandas population will hit 55 million going by the current fertility and population growth rates. But this rapid population growth rate of 3.4 per annum, will only worsen country's socio economic problems the permanent secretary ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Dorcas Okalany has warned. State Minister for Youth & Children Affairs Hon. Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi (2nd left) launching the population growth control programme at Serena hotel. Photo: UNFPA With such enormous population increase is exerting pressure on land, the old rules are no longer sufficient to maintain cordial relations between owners and users of land, she said. Okalany was speaking on Wednesday, March 7 during the launch of stakeholders engagement workshop and launch of Support to Address Ugandas Population Challenge and Improve Family Planning Uptake Programme by UNFPA at Kampala Serena hotel. The five year programme will see the UNFPA provide $4 million (about Shs 14 billion) to the Ugandan government to address the population growth challenges and increase family planning services uptake. Okalany said, due to the high population, families have now shifted from rural to urban areas, gradually increasing the proportion of people living in urban areas, which has led to creation of slums and inadequate provision of social services. Some of the socio-economic problems include land fragmentation, low agricultural productivity, family related land disputes, loss of forest cover, environmental degradation and encroachment on critical key ecological systems, she said. The slums are characterised with substandard and unhealthy neighbourhoods that that are usually overcrowded and have limited access to basic services like water, electricity, health facilities and others. The problems associated with high fertility rates include rapid urbanisation, urban poverty, poor waste management, unemployment, environmental degradation, urban insecurity, inadequate urban infrastructure, inadequate transportation and inadequate financing, Okalany added. She said the challenges associated with high fertility rates also lead to inadequate housing, overcrowding and increased poverty and this leads to some interventions to control our population such as family planning services. It is on this basis that my ministry supports family planning interventions to reduce or control family sizes. Most land owners especially on customary land consist of big families. As government issues them with certificates of customary ownership explaining the benefits of smaller families and sharing of benefits, Okalany said. Large family sizes are associated with land degradation and unsustainable use of land, said Okalany the reason why the Lands ministry is to going introduce and regulate family use of communal lands to control degradation and provide guidelines on the use of land by families. 80 per cent of land in Uganda falls under the customary land tenure system. My ministry shall engage families of customary land owners to encourage them to allocate girls land to be able to produce and earn income from the family land other than marrying them off early expecting that they can acquire land from their husbands family, she said. UNFPA country representative Alain Sibenaler says Uganda which has a current population of 38 million, still has the fastest population growth in the world at 3 per annum yet it has a high dependency rate and a burden child dependency where 48 per cent are below 15 years. The high population rate in Uganda is due to early age marriages where some Ugandans are married at the age of 18, and this leads teenage pregnancies. And among married couples, 28 per cent would like to use modern family planning methods but dont have access to them, he said. He added that the launched population programme has four components aimed at health system strengthening to address gaps in quality of service provision, increase coverage of health service, social behaviour change communication messages for targeted groups and promote positive leadership on family planning issues. The minister of State for Housing Dr Chris Baryomunsi said, the problem of our population in Africa and Uganda inclusive, people believe in having many children. Its our duty to tell people to have manageable family sizes to get quality services such as education, health, housing and others. Countries like Tunisia have succeeded in bringing down population to empower young people in education skills, technology and create employment opportunities for the development of their country, he said. zurah@observer.ug Were direct talks between Kim and Trump, two notably volatile leaders who have traded public insults for more than a year, the best way to start what are sure to be complicated negotiations? Was the administration, whose thin bench of experienced experts seems to be growing slimmer by the day, ready to face those wily and untrustworthy North Koreans? The talks, U.S. and South Korean officials said, would take place before the end of May. Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has announced that they will temporarily suspend their Equality Scholarship programmes until it has been reviewed by the new NBL owners. This was revealed this week by Onapito Ekomoloit, the legal and corporate affairs director at Nile Breweries, as he read out the performance of the 2017 Equality Scholarship candidates at the companys head office in Luzira, Kampala. NBL was a subsidiary of SABMiller but was acquired by AB InBev two years ago and the new owners seem to have come with a different strategy. Ekomoloit said that the suspension will not affect the already-continuing students in the scheme. Equality Scholarships were launched in 2011 and the pioneers of the scholarship are now at the university. Some time back, NBL got new owners and they are trying to review all company processes and the scheme is among them, as you can see, this year we did not enroll any student, but those in the scheme, will continue as we wait for the way forward, Ekomoloit said. Under the scholarship, the company sponsors bright pupils from rural primary schools to study in Ugandas prestigious secondary schools. The students are selected from schools in communities that grow sorghum and barley, which Nile Breweries uses to make beer. The programme has 71 beneficiaries from the districts of Budaka, Bukedea, Buikwe, Bundibugyo, Dokolo, Hoima, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kamuli, Kanungu, Katakwi, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kween, Lira, Mubende, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntungamo, Oyam, Soroti and Zombo. The beneficiaries are independently selected using a Uneb computerized system, on the strength of being the best in their districts (excluding schools in large towns). Nile Breweries meets the full cost of their entire secondary education. The scholarship covers school fees, all scholastic requirements, bedding, clothing and pocket money for the beneficiaries. In addition, students who have been admitted to different universities in Uganda, each receives Shs 1.5 million for their first semester costs, as private students. Our plan is to is to take these students to best schools to enable them qualify for government sponsorship, but we will give Shs 1.5 million to those who go on private sponsorship, he said. According to Ekomoloit, students who sat for the O-and A-level examinations performed well. Central to this scholarship is academic excellence. All our beneficiaries performed well and we continue to support them, said Ekomoloit. justuslyatuu08@gmail.com. Parliament will be closed for at least three days to the allow shooting of a movie directed by first daughter, Natasha Kainembabazi. The movie titled 27 guns and due to be released in two months is about Kainembabazi's father, President Museveni and the bush war that brought him to power in 1986. It has been severally documented that the 1981 bush war under the leadership of Museveni was started by 27 guns. Natasha directing the shooting of her father Museveni's movie Kainembabazi's younger sister, Diana plays the role of their mother, Janet Museveni in the movie. A local company, Isaiah 60 productions, which is shooting the film, lodged the formal request to parliament that was granted. In the statement released today by the director of communication and public affairs at parliament, Chris Obore, the House and roads around it will be out of bounds to public from March 9 to 11 this month to allow the shooting to go on. During this period, there will be increased movement of people along the roads near parliament, presence of actors in military fatigue and equipment, simulated gun sounds will be heard as the actors and film crew shoot the film, Obore said. He added that the production company has sought relevant permission from the Uganda police and the Kampala Capital City Authority. The development is most likely not to affect plenary sittings since currently the House is in recess. kamogajonathan50@gmail.com NEW CANAAN A 21-year-old wants to oust Sen. Toni Boucher from her state senate seat in the 26th District. Will Haskell, a government major and French minor at Georgetown University, announced his intention to run for state senator last week. Though he recognizes that hes been alive for nearly the same amount of time that Boucher has been involved in state politics, he believes that no experience is better than bad experience. Haskell, a Westport native, has worked in previous campaigns with Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Hillary Clinton. With his May graduation coming up, Haskell is devoting his time between Washington, D.C., and Connecticut and will become a full-time candidate once he has obtained his degree. Q: What led to your interest in running? A: After attending Staples High School, I went to Georgetown University and I started getting really interested in Washington and politics. I spent a summer in Washington working for the Democratic National Committee, where my job was to look at legislation where theyre trying to make it harder to vote. My job was to investigate the legislation and one day on a lunch break I wanted to see if there was any voter suppression going on in Connecticut, so I took a quick look and I was embarrassed to find out that not only was voter suppression taking place in Connecticut, but it was actually my state senator (Sen. Toni Boucher) who was proposing it. I didnt realize that a supposedly moderate state senator was doing everything she could to make it harder to vote. She tried to impose stricter voter identification requirements and reduce the number of voting hours. She has successfully tried blocked early voting in Connecticut were one of the few states where you can only vote on a Tuesday, its a system that prevents old people, young people and minorities from getting to the polls. Im shocked this was the case. She has opposed equal pay for equal work, she opposed paid family leave people still have to choose between advancing their careers or starting a family I was just stunned. I knew this was a moderate, level-headed district that in the year of Donald Trump voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton and our values are not being represented in Hartford. I decided to move back to Connecticut right after college and get involved and run against her and challenge her to defend her voting record. Q: Why did you decide to move to New Canaan? A: I wanted to move back to the district and my friends were surprised because nobody does that and thats a huge problem for our state and thats why our economic recovery is lagging. Young people want to go to Boston or New York City, they dont see a future for themselves in Connecticut and there are all sort of reasons for that. It makes Connecticut not very appealing for millennials. More Information Sen. Toni Boucher's response to Haskell's announcement "It's always a good thing to have young people involved in our political process. Diverse voices keep our democracy healthy." Sen. Boucher was elected to the 26th Senatorial District in 2008 and is currently serving her fifth term. She served as State Representative from the 143rd Assembly District for 12 years prior to that. See More Collapse I chose New Canaan and I found a place I could afford in town and Im one of the 6.3 percent of millennials in town. Im new to town, Im excited and I want a start a path for young people to come here. Its not just young people, Ive spent time talking to parents and grandparents and they want their kids to come back to Connecticut. People dont realize that affordable housing is what allows young people to start businesses or careers and thats the key to economic recovery. Q: Youre running against someone who has been in politics for nearly as long as youve been alive. A: Im not going to contest that she has a lot of experience. I think years of bad experience is worse than no experience. Im not going to hide the fact that Im new to politics I think its actually a benefit. The knowledge and experience that I bring as a young person moving back to Connecticut I know what young people look for. If you look at the state senate, the average age of state senators is too old and my generation needs a voice in Hartford to start advocating for an economy of the future and a more forward thinking fiscal situation. Legislators are also voting on bills that are going to affect generations to come and they need more stakeholders in that future. I also believe that we need to elect more young people. I dont have a lot of political experience and Im proud of that, Im excited that Im new to politics and young. Q: How are you dividing your time between school and campaigning? A: Im graduating in May and Im coming back and forth to the district until then. Its going to take a full-time candidate to beat Boucher and every experience Ive had on campaigns with Congressman Himes and Sen. Murphy is that there is nothing more important than being at someones door. No mail, no tweet you can send thats more important than shaking their hands and telling them what you believe. Every single day, Im going to be knocking on doors after graduation. Im not going to skip a single day and I think thats what its going to take. Ill be a full-time candidate. Q: Why the state Senate as opposed to another office? A: I look at my representation at the Representative Town Meeting in Westport and I liked who represented me. It was the same for the Board of Education, Finance and Selectmen and our state representative Jonathan Steinberg. The next level up was Toni Boucher who I intensely disagree with and I think she has to be challenged on her record. I did work from the bottom up and decided to run against Boucher and that opened up all these other towns where I could live in and New Canaan was where I decided to go. Q: What would you say are your top three priorities? A: Transportation - we have more than 350 bridges that are structurally deficient and so many of them are in the 26th District. Its dangerous and irresponsible to neglect them. We can oppose reckless, off-peak rail cuts to New Canaan, its a failure on the Department of Transportation. We can do that by establishing a lockbox to keep the money for transportation for that purpose only. My opponent says shes for a transportation lockbox but we could have had it by now but when Democrats proposed it she voted against it because I imagine she didnt want them to get the political credit. Part of my promise, running as a moderate, Im happy to work with both parties anyone who wants to move Connecticut forward. I will never play partisan politics with transportation. Gun control - just last week Staples High School had a near tragedy if it werent for the incredible efforts of law enforcement. Its scared the hell out of me. What happened in Parkland and Newtown it deeply affected the community. The state did pass a great gun law after Sandy Hooks but its not enough. My opponent recently said that Connecticut went too far in regulating guns after Sandy Hook and I believe we havent gone far enough. I think we need to ban bump stocks. I think we need to seriously regulate ghost guns. I really believe we need to crack down on conceal-carry. Connecticut has some of the most outdated conceal-carry laws in the country and we need to fix that. Also, the economy. I want to build one where people like myself want to live and work. It means passing paid family leave, investing in small businesses, it means spending the money to make trains run faster. I think my third issue is trying to make a path for other people to follow to come back to Connecticut with me to start a future. In my job as a reporter for the Westport News, I cover many night meetings at Town Hall and, once or twice, have sought sustenance at Joe's Pizza & Italian Restaurant to prepare me for what I anticipate to be a particularly long meeting. I returned to Joes last Thursday night (March 1)before a meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission which, of all town bodies, has the longest meetings. If pizza is the athletes food of journalism, Planning and Zoning is an endurance sport. My choice of grub was also informed by First Selectman Jim Marpes recent announcement that March is Westport Pizza Month. A short walk from Town Hall, Joes is my pizza shop of choice for proximity purposes, but I also return for the cozy atmosphere tucked in the basement floor of a building on Main Street and the friendly service provided by Joe himself, who opened the shop in 2006, and will chat but also leave me alone when I so desire. Joes always surprises with its single-slice pizza options and, on that particular Thursday, I got lasagna pizza with bologna sauce, ricotta cheese and basil. Yum! Congruent with Marpes Pizza Month pronouncement, Matthew Mandell, executive director of the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce, announced a new event: the Great Westport Pizza Contest, in which 14 pizza-making restaurants in town will compete throughout the month in seven categories to be crowned the Best Pizza Maker in Westport. Pizza-eaters who vote online in categories ranging from best-delivered pizza to best gluten-free pizza will be entered to win a free pizza from one of the winning establishments. March is a good time to create some activity in town, and pizzas a warm food during a colder month, Mandell said, and declined to name his favorite pizza shop so as not to show bias. But I called on six Westporters who did provide their pizza recommendations. More Information Restaurants participating Angelina's 1093 Post Road East Cuatro Hermanos 43 Saugatuck Ave Joe's 190 Main St JoRoadan's 1759 Post Road East Julian's Brick Oven 539 Riverside Ave Julian's Kitchen 1460 Post Road East Planet Pizza 383 Post Road East Rizzuto's 540 Riverside Ave Romanacci 50 Railroad Place Tarry Lodge 30 Charles St Toscano Pizzaria 3383 Post Road, Southport Tutti's 599 Riverside Ave Via Sforza 243 Post Road West Westport Pizza 143 Post Road East See More Collapse Its Westport Pizza, theres no question. They were the first real pizza place in town opened in the mid-60s, located downtown, said Chip Stephens, a Planning and Zoning Commission member who grew up in town and still lives here. Westport Pizzeria and Restaurant, as its full name reads, moved from Elm Street to the Post Road East downtown in 2014. The owner, Mel Mioli of the Mioli family, is a great guy, Stephens said, and noted Mels brother, Joe Mioli, represented Westport as a representative in Hartford for a time. Just a great family always generous to the town in bringing pizza. Good pizza, good family place, Stephens said. Former First Selectwoman Helen Garten concurred. Westport Pizza incredibly friendly place, fast delivery and good pizza, Garten said, adding she prefers the mushroom pizza. Jimmy Izzo, who also grew up and still lives in town and owns Crossroads Ace Hardware on Main Street, solidified my understanding of Westport Pizzeria as the most popular pizza spot in town, at least according to my survey. I used to have it as a kid growing up here. Its been here forever. Its like a cult thing, Izzo said, adding he especially loves the pizzerias traditional cheese pizza. Izzo didnt only mention Westport Pizzeria because he said he wants to keep everybody happy. I love the thin crust from Joes and to sit down and eat Rizzutos (Restaurant and Bar) brick oven pizza is very good, Izzo said. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Cathy Walsh responded to my question with the same trifecta of Westport Pizzeria, Joes and Rizzutos and said she especially enjoys the personal pies with arugula, prosciutto and anchovies from the later. Not all Westporters were partial to Westport Pizzeria, however. Angelinas (Trattoria). Weve been going there for 20-plus years every Friday night. We have a group that gets together and we always order from them, Patty Haberstroh, a family programs specialist in the towns Human Services Department and longtime Westporters, said, noting that while shes boring and likes plain pizza, Angelinas will make anything. Jennifer Johnsons, a land-use activist in town, said her family ordered pizza and a salad every Sunday night from Julians Brick Oven Pizzeria in Saugatuck until it closed the Saugatuck location recently, although Julians still has a location open on the Post Road. Father to two young sons, Greg Kraut who seems to be involved in most town initiatives these days said he takes his two young sons to Planet Pizza on the Post Road, although he prefers Colony Pizza, which doesnt have a location in Westport. For the good staple, right in town, really quick, Planet Pizza is the place where my kids like to go the most, Kraut said. Take these suggestions if you will or, until March 31, judge for yourself whats the best pizza in Westport. Last week, Westport dodged a bullet. Literally. Heightened vigilance since the most recent school shootings in Florida, an overheard threat, a report by a student to Staples High administrators, rapid response by the school and police, a quickly unfolding scenario involving the superintendent, transportation officials and many others, and calm, mature reactions by nearly 2,000 teenagers all combined to ensure that Staples did not join the national shorthand of tragedies, alongside Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Sandy Hook and Columbine. And yet. And yet. And yet: wecamethisclose to horror. In the days after the Parkland disaster, politicians equivocated. They offered their usual thoughts and prayers or, more truthfully, platitudes and evasiveness. Guns were still not the issue, they insisted. Its really mental health. Or video games. Or just bad luck that the United States endures mass killings on a frighteningly regular basis, while every other First World nation has avoided them for decades. The National Rifle Association fired back, as usual. With an arrogance born of years of bullying and buying office-holders, the tax-exempt, nonprofit social welfare organization emerged from its obligatory few days of silence to blast even the mildest measure of gun safety as an assault on the right of every American to own a high-powered killing machine. This time, there was pushback. Walmart and Dicks Sporting Goods, two of the nations leading gun sellers, reconsidered. Airlines, car rental agencies, insurance firms all announced plans to step away from the NRA stranglehold. Even President Trump suddenly flip-flopped on what could, and should, be done. And yet. And yet. And yet thats not the biggest story in the continuing, evolving gun safety debate. None of those changes happened because a major company, or the president, woke one morning and suddenly got religion. They happened because Americas teenagers boys and girls too young to vote, too young to buy alcohol, but not too young to buy a weapon of mass destruction (or be murdered by one) took control of the national agenda. More Information Dan Woog COMMENTARY See More Collapse The voices from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were as passionate, articulate, loud and clear. Strongly, unflinchingly, combining the idealism of youth with the reality of our broken political process, youngsters who had seen the effects of violence far more closely than most adults took up this important fight. They did not wait to be told what to do, or how to do it. They did not take no, wait or but for answers. They led the nation, and they did it with grace and courage. In the wake of the Florida teenagers crusade, their peers in Westport spoke out too. In classrooms, on social media and local blogs, they talked honestly about their own lives and fears. Several Staples students know Marjory Stoneman Douglas kids our communities are similar but whether they had a direct connection or not, they described what its like to live in a wealthy community, in one of the most prosperous countries on earth, surrounded by unimaginable privilege, and yet be scared every day, of the present and the future. And then. And then. And then the abstract discussion of guns in schools suddenly became very, very real. In the aftermath of last weeks near-tragedy, our towns teenagers spoke even more loudly and clearly. Going through what others have endured texting their parents that theyre OK; checking up on friends and siblings; being escorted through the parking lot by police brought this realization home, with stunning clarity: No place in America is immune to gun violence. So Westports youth in middle school, as well as high school have raised their voices. They are telling their parents, teachers, school administrators and anyone else who will listen that they are no longer willing to live in a land where politicians pontificate, delay and refuse to pass legislation; where their parents dont demand action, and where they learn in school about the political process, but are not encouraged to participate directly. It will not be easy. Adults will scoff, and tell these teenagers they are being idealistic, naive, gullible and worse. They will hear that they are being duped and controlled by forces they dont understand. They will write letters, make speeches and testify, and see their efforts fall short perhaps even fail. And yet. And yet. And yet they will persist. They will take the lessons they have learned, about how to research and analyze an issue; how to craft an argument, and communicate it; how to stand up for their beliefs. They will put those lessons into action. Theyll do it their way. Theyll do it with power, poise and grace. Theyll do it using tools, like social media, that those of us who are older cant even conceive of. The future is in superb hands. The bullet we dodged last week did not kill our teenagers. It only made them stronger. Nearly two years after a Winnipeg woman was found dead in her home, her ex-boyfriend has admitted to killing her. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 8/3/2018 (1291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Nearly two years after a Winnipeg woman was found dead in her home, her ex-boyfriend has admitted to killing her. Kevin Klassen, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Thursday in the death of 39-year-old Christina Stoyko, who had been granted a protection order against him in the months before her death. FACEBOOK Christina Stoyko, 39 As Stoykos supporters watched in court, Klassen admitted to killing Stoyko on April 21, 2016, two days before her body was found. His guilty plea came as his murder trial was set to begin in Court of Queens Bench this week. Klassen will be sentenced to life in prison and Crown and defence lawyers are expected to recommend a 10-year ineligibility period before he can apply to the Parole Board of Canada for release. He is set to be sentenced May 1, when members of Stoykos family will have a chance to tell the court how her violent death has affected them. Although no details about the murder were revealed in court Thursday, pending Klassens sentencing hearing, witness testimony during his preliminary hearing last year brought to light the fact Klassen confessed to a homeless stranger, who later spoke to police. The man, who was living in a tent under the Chief Peguis Bridge at the time, testified Klassen approached him and offered him crack cocaine, which they smoked together through the night. At first, Klassen told the stranger hed had a fight with his girlfriend and she kicked him out, according to his testimony. The next day, the man testified, Klassen said he needed to come clean. "He says, I need to tell you the truth, and he says, I killed my girlfriend. And then he just basically walked me through what happened. Theyd had a fight and he knew she had some money and she wasnt going to give it to him, and he said, I just lost it. And that he choked her. And he showed me what he did, and he heard her neck crack." The witness testified Klassen demonstrated how hed choked his girlfriend from behind and said he appeared remorseful. "He just said that he loved her and also that he actually wanted to die and be with her." Not knowing whether Klassen was telling the truth, the man said he rode his bike past Stoykos home at 560 Redwood Avenue, saw police tape and spoke to the officers who were guarding the crime scene. Police found Stoykos body in an attic stairwell in her home, according to officers testimony at the preliminary inquiry. A cabinet had been pushed in front of the attic door. Investigators found pawn shop receipts in the home and later learned Klassen had pawned electronics and jewelry believed to belong to Stoyko. In 2013, Klassen was arrested more than once for attacking Stoyko, being verbally abusive toward her and robbing her to buy drugs. "Im sorry, so sorry. I love you, I want to be with you. I want to resolve the demons that I have. I wont disappoint you," he told her during a July 2014 sentencing hearing, after he pleaded guilty to assaulting her. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In December 2015, Stoyko applied for and was granted a protection order against Klassen, which she wrote about in an affidavit filed in court. "He asked if Im going through with the PO (protection order). I said yes. He replied, Ill be in a world of hurt. Ive added fuel to the fire," Stoyko wrote. "This has been ongoing for quite some time due to the mental, verbal, emotional and at times physical (assaults). I need to help myself get out of this as I fear for my safety. "He will try everything possible to get me to open my door, as he is very manipulative, deceiving, a compulsive liar and a criminal. I want my life back, please." with files from Mike McIntyre katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay A toddler who went missing 14 years ago, 12,000 kilometres away, was reunited with her family Thursday night in Winnipeg. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/3/2018 (1291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A toddler who went missing 14 years ago, 12,000 kilometres away, was reunited with her family Thursday night in Winnipeg. "I love you," Alice Bisimwa told her younger sister through tears when Naomi arrived at the airport and was handed a dozen white roses. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS 16-year-old Naomi (right) is welcomed to Winnipeg by her sister Alice Thursday night. "She was a sweet little girl," Bisimwa said at their reunion. "I would spoil her with treats." Their mother, Maria Musenga, met her long-lost child in Toronto earlier in the day when her overseas flight arrived. She recalled the first words her daughter said to her: "Im so happy to see you I didnt know if I would ever see you again." In 2004, their village in the Democratic Republic of Congo was attacked. During the fighting, the familys house was set on fire and Musengas husband was killed. She grabbed her children to escape, but couldnt find the youngest two-year-old Naomi. Musenga was able to flee with her three other children. When it was safe the next day, the mother went back to look for the toddler, but the village was destroyed and deserted. With no sign of Naomi, and three young children to fend for, the agonized widow took refuge in neighbouring Uganda. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Naomi (left) arrives in Winnipeg Thursday and is reunited with siblings (from left) Alice, Joel and Rachael, and nephew Dwayne. She went missing in Congo in 2004 when she was a toddler. In 2009, Winnipeg-based Hospitality House Refugee Ministry heard of their plight and applied to sponsor the single mom and her children to come to Canada. Always hoping Naomi might be alive, Musenga listed the missing child on her immigration application. In 2013, the family arrived in Canada. Within two months of settling in Winnipeg, Musenga met a fellow villager from Congo with incredible news: Naomi was alive. Musenga was overwhelmed. She was told on the day their community was attacked the toddler was rescued by another villager fleeing the chaos and taken to safety in Congos capital city. "They gave Maria the name and contact info for the woman who had taken her to Kinshasa from their home village," said Hospitality House settlement director Karin Gordon, who took Musengas family under her wing. "Maria was able to contact this woman." The news turned out to be true. Naomi was alive. But, with no legal guardian in a war-torn country that has no social safety net, the child had suffered. "Shes been through a lot," Gordon said. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rachael Bisimwa, 9, waits patiently, holding a bouquet of white roses, to welcome her sister Naomi. Once Naomis mother found her, she tried to help her. "Maria sent money to people to care for her, and she was calling her once a week to talk to her," said Gordon. "Naomi was passed through foster homes," she said, referring to a series of unofficial caregivers who sheltered the little girl and often took the money her mother sent, but didnt spend it on her care. "In one home, she was beaten so badly she was paralyzed on one side." The girl, now 16, is trying to regain her full mobility. While Musenga had located her daughter, proving to immigration officials that Naomi was her child and being allowed to bring her to Canada took nearly five years. "Weve got people waiting 10 years from the time of their initial sponsorship," Gordon said. Hospitality House is one of Canadas largest private sponsors of refugees. "It is agonizing for the refugees overseas who are often subject to abuse," she said. "We hold their hands by email, but we cant speed up Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada." In Naomis case, DNA tests were required to prove Musenga is her biological mother. They cost more than $1,000 beyond the budget of Musenga, who works in housekeeping at a Winnipeg hotel. The cost was covered by Hospitality House, a charity that receives no government funding and relies on donations. This past month, they learned Naomi would arrive in Canada on March 8. On Thursday morning, Musenga flew to Toronto to meet her daughters flight when it landed in Canada. The mother and daughter flew together to Winnipeg that night, where they were met at the airport by Naomis siblings. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Were absolutely thrilled for them," Gordon said. "Were so happy the family is together and complete. Now, Maria and Naomi, who bonded over the phone, will be within hugging distance." Musenga appeared in a 2017 documentary about Hospitality House, titled While We Can the Road to Rescue. Filmmaker Leona Krahn was also at the airport Thursday night to capture the happy ending for a postscript to add to the film. Its a reunion story that could only happen in Winnipeg, Gordon said, "because we brought so many refugees to Canada." Sister Aileen Gleason founded Hospitality House in 1987, to bring to Canada people stuck in unsafe places after fleeing their home countries. "We sponsored oodles of Congolese," Gordon said. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Sexting is known as the sharing of sexually explicit images and videos through the internet or via electronic devices such as smartphones. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/3/2018 (1291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Sexting is known as the sharing of sexually explicit images and videos through the internet or via electronic devices such as smartphones. One in seven teens report that they are sending sexts, and one in four are receiving sexts, according to our study of over 110,000 teens from around the world published today, Monday Feb. 26, in JAMA Pediatrics. Teen-to-teen sexting has generated considerable media attention, with news headlines mostly warning of the dangers of sexting. In January 2018, police in Chateauguay, near Montreal, launched a campaign called "sexts are porn" targeted at students aged 12 to 17. In the U.K., one police force recently warned parents they may be prosecuted if their children send indecent images over mobile phones. Naturally, this has many parents worried. Is consensual teen sexting a cause for concern? Girls and boys participate equally Sexting over the last decade has been on the rise, which is consistent with the rapid growth in the availability and ownership of smartphones. Teen sex, on the other hand, has been on the decline over the last decade. Our team conducted a meta-analysis of the research literature, drawing from 39 research studies on teen sexting internationally between 2009 and 2016. We found that approximately 15 per cent of teens are sending sexts. Meanwhile, around 41 per cent of teens are having sexual intercourse, according to a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. Considerable evidence suggests that teen sexting is related to sexual behaviour. Older teens are also sexting more often than younger teens. Taken together, it is not surprising that older teens are both more likely to sext and have sexual intercourse. Boys are often portrayed as the requesters, and girls as the senders, of nude images or videos. Findings from our study debunk this widely held assumption and show that boys and girls are equally likely to participate in sexting. Our study found that the large majority of teens are using their personal smartphones versus their computers to sext. In 2015, approximately 92 per cent of teenagers aged 15 to 17 in the U.S. owned a cell phone. Risk-taking or normal behaviour? With the ubiquity of smartphones and increasing digital usage across all age categories, parents should not be surprised that teens are engaging in sexting with other teens. Researchers suggest that consensual teen sexting may be a normal component of sexual behaviour and development in the digital age. The increased prevalence of this sexual behaviour, in older youth in particular, corresponds to their increasing interest in sexual exploration and identity development. Sexting has been linked to impulsive and risk-taking behaviours but, so far, the evidence for an association between sexting and poor mental health such as depression or loneliness is weak to non-existent. The most consistent predictor of consensual teen sexting is actually whether or not they want to flirt, be romantically involved with another teen, or maintain intimacy with their partner. Sharing without consent Although girls and boys sext a similar amount, there are important differences in the perception of this behaviour among youth. Compared to boys, girls report feeling more pressure to sext, and also worry they will be judged harshly for sexting (e.g., slut shaming) or for not sexting (e.g., being called a "prude"). Boys, on the other hand, may see sexting as an opportunity to showcase their social status. This double standard may create higher levels of distress for girls. The moment the youth presses "send," they are trusting that the receiver will not share the images or videos without their consent. Sexting can become a problem when this trust is violated. In many countries, it is illegal for a person to distribute an intimate photo without the explicit consent of the individual in the photo. Nonetheless, our research suggests that 12.5 per cent of teens are forwarding intimate photos without the consent of the sender. Coercion and sextortion Taken together, several challenges can potentially arise. First, many teens may feel as though sexting is an expectation. Although likely not a warranted expectation, the idea that "my friends are doing it, then maybe I should do it" could be a strong peer motivator. A second problem that may arise is when teens are coerced into sexting or when they are "sextorted" (when images or videos are used as a form of threat or blackmail). Another problem is the idea of digital security. Teenage brains are still developing; their capacity to critically analyze the digital tools and apps they are using may not be enough to keep them safe. Where are these images stored? Who, other than the intended recipient, has access to them? How long are they kept digitally? And, if I change my mind can I get them back? These and many other questions are simply not at the forefront of the teenage mind nor, arguably, are they always in an adults mind either, 53 per cent of whom engage in sexting themselves especially when these thoughts are competing with sexual interest and intimacy. Parents should be proactive Parents can keep their teens aware and informed by having open discussions about healthy dating relationships, peer pressure, digital security, sexuality and citizenship more broadly. The general consensus is that parents and caregivers should be proactive, rather than protective and reactive, about talking to their teens about sexting. Preaching abstinence is not effective. As with the issue of safe sex, this should be an ongoing conversation with your child instead of a one off "talk." In these discussions, it is important to emphasize digital citizenship. Broadly, digital citizenship encourages individuals to act in a way that is safe, legal and ethical in their online and digital interactions and behaviours. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This is also an opportunity for parents and caregivers to emphasize that digital citizenship applies to adults as well. And such conversations can provide an opening for discussing other sensitive issues with teens, such as sexuality. Its also important to discuss strategies for dealing with peer pressure to engage in sexting. And to discuss the potential consequences of sending sexts. Parents should emphasize cause and effect for teens. Once the videos or images have been sent, the teen forfeits control of who sees it. Sex and the digital world are two topics that can overwhelm parents and caregivers. Fortunately, there are some excellent resources on these issues to help guide conversations with your teens, including Digital Citizenship: Guide for Parents and Common Sense Medias Sexting Handbook. If a parent or teen is concerned about videos and images being distributed without their consent, or if they are being coerced into sexting or sextorted, they should report their concerns immediately to their local police. In Canada, they can also consult needhelpnow.ca and send a report to Cybertip.ca. In the U.S., they can consult Stopbullying.org. Sheri Madigan is an assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in determinants of child development at the Alberta Childrens Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary. Jeff Temple is a professor in the department of obstetrics & gynecology and director of behavioral health and research at the University of Texas Medical Branch. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE An extraordinary number of former intelligence and military operatives from the CIA, Pentagon, National Security Council and State Department are seeking nomination as Democratic candidates for Congress in the 2018 midterm elections. The potential influx of military-intelligence personnel into the legislature has no precedent in US political history. If the Democrats capture a majority in the House of Representatives on November 6, as widely predicted, candidates drawn from the military-intelligence apparatus will comprise as many as half of the new Democratic members of Congress. They will hold the balance of power in the lower chamber of Congress. Both push and pull are at work here. Democratic Party leaders are actively recruiting candidates with a military or intelligence background for competitive seats where there is the best chance of ousting an incumbent Republican or filling a vacancy, frequently clearing the field for a favored star recruit. A case in point is Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA operative with three tours in Iraq, who worked as Iraq director for the National Security Council in the Obama White House and as a top aide to John Negroponte, the first director of national intelligence. After her deep involvement in US war crimes in Iraq, Slotkin moved to the Pentagon, where, as a principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, her areas of responsibility included drone warfare, homeland defense and cyber warfare. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has designated Slotkin as one of its top candidates, part of the so-called Red to Blue program targeting the most vulnerable Republican-held seatsin this case, the Eighth Congressional District of Michigan, which includes Lansing and Brighton. The House seat for the district is now held by two-term Republican Representative Mike Bishop. The Democratic leaders are promoting CIA agents and Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. At the same time, such people are choosing the Democratic Party as their preferred political vehicle. There are far more former spies and soldiers seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party than of the Republican Party. There are so many that there is a subset of Democratic primary campaigns that, with a nod to Mad magazine, one might call spy vs. spy. The 23rd Congressional District in Texas, which includes a vast swathe of the US-Mexico border along the Rio Grande, features a contest for the Democratic nomination between Gina Ortiz Jones, an Air Force intelligence officer in Iraq, who subsequently served as an adviser for US interventions in South Sudan and Libya, and Jay Hulings. The latters website describes him as a former national security aide on Capitol Hill and federal prosecutor, whose father and mother were both career undercover CIA agents. The incumbent Republican congressman, Will Hurd, is himself a former CIA agent, so any voter in that district will have his or her choice of intelligence agency loyalists in both the Democratic primary and the general election. CNNs State of the Union program on March 4 included a profile of Jones as one of many female candidates seeking nomination as a Democrat in Tuesdays primary in Texas. The network described her discreetly as a career civil servant. However, the Jones for Congress website positively shouts about her role as a spy, noting that after graduating from college, Gina entered the US Air Force as an intelligence officer, where she deployed to Iraq and served under the US militarys Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy (the last phrase signaling to those interested in such matters that Jones is gay). According to her campaign biography, Ortiz Jones was subsequently detailed to a position as senior advisor for trade enforcement, a post President Obama created by executive order in 2012. She would later be invited to serve as a director for investment at the Office of the US Trade Representative, where she led the portfolio that reviewed foreign investments to ensure they did not pose national security risks. With that background, if she fails to win election, she can surely enlist in the trade war efforts of the Trump administration. How this article was prepared The House of Representatives is currently controlled by the Republicans, with a majority of 238 compared to 193 Democrats. There are four vacancies, one previously held by the Democrats. To reach a majority of 218 seats in the next Congress, the Democrats must have a net gain of 24 seats. The DCCC has designated 102 seats as priority or competitive, including 22 seats where the incumbents are not running again (five Democrats and 17 Republicans), and 80 seats where Republican incumbents could be defeated for reelection in the event that polls predicting a sizeable swing to the Democrats in November prove accurate. The World Socialist Web Site has reviewed Federal Election Commission reports filed by all the Democratic candidates in these 102 competitive districts, focusing on those candidates who reported by the latest filing date, December 31, 2017, that they had raised at least $100,000 for their campaigns, giving them a financial war chest sufficient to run in a competitive primary contest. In addition, there a few cases where a candidate had less than the $100,000 cutoff, but was unchallenged for the nomination, or where last-minute retirement or resignation has led to late entry of high-profile candidates without an FEC report on file. These have also been included. The total of such candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 102 districts is 221. Each has a website that gives biographical details, which we have collected and reviewed for this report. It is notable that those candidates with a record in the military-intelligence apparatus, as well as civilian work for the State Department, Pentagon or National Security Council, do not hide their involvement, particularly in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They clearly regard working as a CIA agent in Baghdad, an Army special ops assassin in Afghanistan, or a planner for drone missile warfare in the White House or Pentagon as a star on their resume, rather than something to conceal. One quarter of all the Democratic challengers in competitive House districts have military-intelligence, State Department or NSC backgrounds. This is by far the largest subcategory of Democratic candidates. National security operatives (57) outnumber state and local government officials (45), lawyers (35), corporate executives, businessmen and wealthy individuals (30) and other professionals (19) among the candidates for Democratic congressional nominations. Of the 102 primary elections to choose the Democratic nominees in these competitive districts, 44 involve candidates with a military-intelligence or State Department background, with 11 districts having two such candidates, and one district having three. In the majority of contests, the military-intelligence candidates seem likely to win the Democratic nomination, and, if the Democrats win in the general election, would enter Congress as new members of the House of Representatives. There are some regional differences. In the Northeast, 21 of the 31 seats targeted by the Democrats have military-intelligence candidates. This area, not the South or Midwest, has the highest proportion of military-intelligence candidates seeking Democratic nominations. In the West, only 7 of the 23 targeted seats have military-intelligence candidates, while in a half dozen seats the leading candidates are self-funded millionaires, mainly from the IT industry. There has been a wave of Republican retirements in California and wealthy people are bidding for these seats. The military-intelligence candidates are disproportionately favored by the party apparatus, encouraged to run in districts that are the most likely takeover targets. Military-intelligence candidates account for 10 of the 22 districts selected for the most high-profile attention as part of the red-to-blue program, or nearly half. In some cases, military-intelligence candidates have amassed huge campaign war chests that effectively shut out any potential rivals, an indication that the financial backers of the Democratic Party have lined up behind them. To be continued Ougadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, was shaken on March 2 by an attack by two heavily-armed commando squads on the French embassy and the headquarters of the Burkinabe army in the center of the city. For several hours, the Burkinabe army and French special forces were locked in a firefight with the assailants. According to eyewitnesses, approximately 30 people died in the attack, including 8 Burkinabe soldiers, and 85 were wounded including civilians. A newly-formed jihadist group, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday evening, stating the attack was retaliation for French military operations Barkhane and Sabre. The French intervention has claimed the lives of 20 GSIM members in the north of Mali. The group had already claimed responsibility for the death of two French officers in the east of Mali on February 21. What I saw here were truly apocalyptic scenes, said Paul Kaba Thieba, the prime minister of Burkina Faso, after a visit to the army headquarters, which had been heavily damaged by a car bomb. He paid tribute to the memory of our brave soldiers who fell arms in hand. According to Security Minister Clement Sawadogo, the vehicle was stuffed full of explosives, the charge was enormous and caused enormous damage to the army headquarters. There was a meeting about the G5 Sahel maybe it was being targeted, he declared during a press conference. Press reports indicated that the explosion in fact destroyed a room where the G5 alliance of five Sahel countries aiding France in its war in Mali (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Mali) was supposed to meet. The location of the meeting was reportedly changed at the last minute. The attack caused panic in the city, which returned to calm only late in the afternoon. The armed forces were deployed across the capital. Whereas in the last two years, two previous terror attacks had claimed numerous victims in a restaurant and a hotel in Ouagadougou, the latest attack targeted some of the most heavily protected sites in the country. It was aimed at the G5 armies that France is trying to build up as a counter-terrorist force operating across the entire Sahel region, and that Paris wants to associate to the 4,000 French troops who have for four years been in the region for Operation Barkhane, located primarily in Mali. We have the impression that this attack was an act of retaliation by these groups, just as [French President] Emmanuel Macron is putting pressure on the G5 Sahel to organize an offensive in the border area between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, declared political commentator Antoine Glaser. Shortly after the attack, Macron stressed his determination and the full engagement of France, at the sides of its partners in the G5 Sahel organization, in the struggle against terrorist movements. After this latest attack, it was widely remarked in the press that Burkina Faso has become a terrorist target since the removal in 2014 of former President Blaise Compaore in a French-backed putsch. Compaore relied above all on negotiations to avoid the spread of attacks by terrorist groups in the Sahel into Burkina Faso. The former president still has many supporters inside the army, which launched a putsch in 2015 and briefly toppled the transitional government supported by Paris, which then intervened militarily to re-impose it. GSIM was created by a merger in March 2017 between several Islamist movements including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine and Al Mourabitoun, which were able to spread across the Sahel region after NATO backed Islamist militias in its 2011 war in Libya to topple Muammar Gaddafis regime. This war devastated the oil-rich country and divided it into zones dominated by rival warlords in shifting alliances with various imperialist powers. Its consequences have been to destabilize the entire Sahel. Libya now has become an internment zone for countless thousands of refugees who are locked up in European Union-sponsored camps in horrific conditions, tortured or even sold as slaves. Macrons reaction makes quite clear that Paris is preparing a new intensification of the war it has been waging across its former colonial empire with conditional assistance from Washington. This region, whose surface is as large as Europes, is rich in mineral and energy resources that Paris and the EU consider to be essential to the profits of European transnational corporations. This war policy led to street protests against Macrons visit in Ouagadougou on November 27, the day before the Abidjan summit announced an intensification Frances war in the region. Like the other European powers, Paris sees the militarization of the Sahel was an important way to stop the flood of refugees who want to cross the Mediterranean. In January, the German parliament voted to increase from 350 to 1,000 the number of German soldiers deployed to the region, making Mali the largest foreign deployment of the German army. The army of Burkina Fasoa country of 19 million people that, like Mali and Niger, are among the 20 poorest in the worldis supposed to provide a substantial portion of the new anti-terror forces of 10,000 men that France is demanding be set up. Last weeks terror attack in Ouagadagou underscores how the neo-colonial policy of France and the EU threatens to unleash an even greater disaster across this entire region of Africa. Its population is being offered only the choice of greater misery, losing their lives in a terror attack or being used as cannon fodder in an army unit supporting the European imperialists. USA announced head money on TTP leaders WASHINGTON: The United States announced head money on the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leaders and two other suspected Pakistani militants on Thursday as Islamabad urged Washington to resume a structural dialogue between the two countries. The US Department of Justice has placed a head money of $5 million on Mullah Fazlullah and of $3m each on Mangal Bagh and Abdul Wali, official sources told Dawn. The media reported earlier on Thursday that US drone strikes had killed 21 TTP activists in Afghanistan, including Mullah Fazlullahs son. In some areas, they do bring pressure on us, we have made clear that we will do whatever we think is in our national interests, said Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, while explaining the outlines of recent US-Pakistan talks. The important message that we have to give is, we will do whats in our national interests. Ms Janjua, who is in Washington for bilateral talks, stressed the need for resuming structural dialogue between Pakistan and the United States but also reminded Washington that other countries in the region, particularly India, were bringing pressure on Pakistan. The Indian border shelling, particularly across the Line of Control, was like an undeclared war, she added. The foreign secretary underlined Pakistans keen interest in promoting regional integration in South Asia, saying regional connectivity was a core part of the countrys strategy to fight extremism and terrorism. Ms Janjua noted that in their recent statements, American officials had expressed their commitment to continuing talks with Pakistan, which creates a ground for rebuilding the ties. The foreign secretary is scheduled to meet US Under Secretary of State John Sullivan and Deputy National Security Adviser Nadia Schadlow. On Tuesday, US Defence Intelligence Agency said Pakistans efforts in the war against terrorism had some success in reducing violence from militancy and sectarianism. A report submitted to US Senates Armed Services Committee says: Islamabad is likely to proceed with its counterinsurgency operations and border management efforts along its western border while sustaining counterterrorism and paramilitary operations throughout the country. These efforts have had some success in reducing violence. It added: Pakistan will look to the United States and the Afghan government for support against anti-Pakistan fighters in Afghanistan. Ms Janjua said that since August, when the Trump administration announced its strategy for South Asia, Pakistan has clearly outlined its position. We are a responsible state, theres no knee-jerk reactions. We gave the same response in January to President Trumps tweet and when the United States brought pressure on us in FATF. The foreign secretary said that while there were points in recent US policies that were difficult for Pakistan but a policy seems different when it is rolled out. The United States and Pakistan have the same end view, peace and stability in Afghanistan, denying safe havens and sanctuaries to terrorists, she said. We too have very clear concerns about safe havens and sanctuaries provided to anti-Pakistan elements. She said while the US had assured Pakistan that it would not allow terrorists to use the Afghan territory against Pakistan, India was strongly supporting anti-Pakistan elements in those safe havens. Ms Janjua, however, acknowledged that there were differences on modalities, Pakistan wants less on kinetics and more reconciliations, as ultimately its reconciliation that produces results. She said that US kinetics had caused 10,000 deaths a year in Afghanistan for the last three years, which must stop. Across Europe there have been many fatalities following extreme weather conditions, due to a polar vortex over the past month. The AFP news agency reported this week that more than 60 people have perished across the continent. Among the lives claimed were those of rough sleepers and the homeless, whose numbers have rocketed due to cuts in government funding to vital support organisations. Most deaths have occurred in Poland, with at least 29 fatalities. Many of the victims were rough sleepers. Four people died of hypothermia last Friday alone, according to the PAP news agency. The Krakow Post reported that the numbers of deaths increased in 2018, writing, In comparison, 13 people froze to death in February 2017, and just four in February 2016. Deaths were reported in the UK (ten by March 2), Slovakia (seven), Czech Republic (six), Lithuania and France (five each), and Spain (three). Italy, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia reported two deaths each. At least one death was reported in the Netherlands, in Sweden, and in Norway. In Spain, one of the three victims was a homeless man, who had been sleeping in an abandoned truck. In France, a homeless man died in an abandoned house in Lens of smoke inhalation, after lighting a fire to stay warm. The horror stories continued in Scandinavia. An 84-year-old woman was found buried in snow in Denmark. The authorities reported that she left her home Wednesday evening and was found Thursday in a park in Roskilde, west of Copenhagen. In the UKwhere the cold weather front was dubbed the Beast from the Easta storm in its immediate aftermath compounded the crisis. The list of weather-related deaths included a 52-year-old homeless man, known locally as Ben, found dead on February 27 in a tent in Retford, Lincolnshire. The body of a 75-year-old woman was found underneath a car near her home in Leeds, West Yorkshire, the same day. A care worker, Elaine McNeill, was found dead in the snow on February 28 in Glasgow. She had been walking to the homes of clients in the Milton area of the city when she collapsed on Kippen Street. In Kent, two died, as well as one in Devon and one in East Lothian, Scotland. On March 2, several people died in car accidents in the north of England. The day before, a seven-year-old girl died after a car crashed into a house in Cornwall. Troops were called out in several areas to rescue trapped people, with a major rescue operation required in the county of Hampshire. Across Britain, some 1,000 schools were forced to close, while hospitals cancelled non-urgent operations and appointments. Up to 3,500 vehicles were stuck on motorways, leading to passengers having to sleep in their cars overnight. The effects were widespread, with people left stuck on trains for more than 15 hours. Some fire services were trapped in the heavy snow and refuse collections were cancelled by councils. Tens of thousands of people were left without water in the UK, including 12,000 households in London, after water pipes burst when they thawed out. Thames Water was forced to distribute water to queues of people from a supermarket in Balham, south London. In Hampstead, north London, crates of water were driven to residential streets for distribution by Thames Water employees from their own cars. Welsh Water reported that burst pipes affected 4,500 homes. The situation was so severe that Severn Water had to request Jaguar Land Roverone of the main auto manufacturers in the UKcease production at its Solihull car plant near Birmingham. This was so water supplies could be targeted to hospitals and schools. Production at the Cadburys Bourneville chocolate plant was also halted. Even before the cold snap took place, many homeless people perished of exposure. In France, 11 people sleeping rough died in the six weeks between January 1 and February 12. The figures were compiled by the Les Morts dans la Rue group (Deaths in the Street). Across the greater Paris region of Ile-de-France, a total of 18 deaths took place in the same period. The devastation wreaked by the cold weather in the UK, with its terrible human cost, took place despite the government being warned a month ago by the Meteorological Offices chief long-range forecaster that a spell of extremely cold weather would arrive. A lack of planning for energy demands was evident. On March 1, the UKs National Grid issued a gas deficit warning, which resulted in gas prices reaching their highest level for more than two decades. No doubt this will be passed onto the consumer. Peter Smith, the director of policy for the National Energy Action, a charity campaigning to end fuel poverty in Britain, said the recent extreme cold would likely see an average of as many as 100 people per day perishing in cold homes this winter. This compared with a five-year average of 80 people per day. Based on these figures, the final death tally in the UK could be more than 2,300. When on March 1, bookstores started selling the memoirs of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the neo-fascist National Front (FN) and father of its current leader Marine Le Pen, the French corporate media largely moved to promote the book. A vast operation to rehabilitate the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime, to defend torture and the crimes of French imperialism in Algeria and to downplay the Holocaust is underway. The book was published by a small ultra-right publisher, who shares the national values that are at the heart of Jean-Marie Le Pens political activity according to one of its representatives, but it was the mass media that was tasked with promoting itpublishing large extracts of the book and interviewing its author. The extracts they cited present the pro-Vichy former supporter of the Algerian-colonialist Organisation armee secrete (OAS), a fanatical anti-communist and founder of Frances principal far-right party, as a credible political commentator on events after World War II. Newspapers and magazines presented as good coin the image that Le Pen gave of himself, as a man of the people, humane and cultured, who loves poetry. News magazine Le Point led its issue that week with this subject, calling Le Pen a born storyteller about himself [who] seeks to reveal, over the course of many pages, a personality the general public does not know, more humane, more romantic, less hysterical. The newspaper Le Parisien hailed the memoirs as a story with the allure of a picaresque novel, where he particularly stresses his military adventures, even if he sometimes dresses them up a bit. A politician who led a parachutist unit that tortured countless people during the Algerian war, who specializes in historical falsification, anti-Semitism and denials of the crimes of the Nazis, and who was repeatedly convicted in the courts due to these views, is now presented as an honest man or even a son of the people. What is taking place? It is impossible to answer this question without understanding the current political needs of French imperialism, and above all the international degeneration of capitalism. As the French financial aristocracy builds a new Franco-German military axis around a policy of neo-colonial war in the Middle East and great-power conflict, it is forced to rehabilitate even the most extreme expressions of nationalism and militarismVichy and the colonial war in Algeria. In order to prepare the next wars it is planning, and overcome the opposition of a population deeply disillusioned with war, it must falsify the history of its past crimes. This is why the memoirs of Le Pen, hailing the colonial army and its methods, defending Nazi-collaborationist forces and falsifying history, finds such a warm response in official media. Just as German professors are excusing and minimizing the Nazi crimes of the World War II era to rehabilitate Hitler and militarism, the French bourgeoisie is trying to whitewash its participation in the Holocaust as well as its crimes against the people of the countries it colonized. Le Pens memoirs are full of hymns to the glory of French imperialism in Indochina (i.e., Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) and Algeria, which he fully defends. Already in 1960, long before he founded the FN in 1972, as the OAS stepped up its terrorist activities in Algeria, as well as within France itself, Le Pen had founded the National Front for a French Algeria. Le Point, which is close to the current government of President Emmanuel Macron, quoted without any critical comments Le Pens cynical legitimization of the large-scale use of torture by the French army in Algeria: People spoke of torture. Those who carried it out were denounced. The French army was coming back from Indochina. There it had seen horrific violence that went beyond what could be imagined, and made pulling peoples fingernails out seem almost humane. Our job was to put an end to the horror. So yes, the French army indeed used interrogation methods to obtain information during the battle of Algiers, but the methods it used were the least violent possible there was nothing that touched peoples physical integrity. Another theme of Le Pen to which Le Point gives a pass is the defense of the Vichy regime and collaboration with the Third Reich. Echoing the post-war myth that Vichy leader Marshal Philippe Petain collaborated because he wanted to protect the French people, Le Pen insists that the Petain regime was legal and legitimate, it made a normal and binding agreement with the Reich. He continues, The Marshal [Petain] had the enormous responsibility of getting by [with the surrender to the Nazis] to allow his forty million fellow citizens to survive. One can then discuss the collaboration policy, its errors, its excesses, that is fine as long as everyones errors and excesses are examined, too, but it does not change what I have described. Le Pens remarks show how the FN and Jean-Marie Le Pen speak for broad sections of the French bourgeoisie that ardently supported Nazism and still did so after World War IIthough they could not speak openly in the face of deep anti-fascist sentiment in the working class. Today, as they move to spend hundreds of billions of euros on war and slash social programs for the working class, these forces feel they can safely venerate their political ancestors. The FN, founded in 1972, is directly descended from the French Popular Party (PPF) of Jacques Doriot, one of the pillars of the collaboration. Among the FNs initial leaders were Victory Barthelemy, the former PPF general secretary whose participation in the Rafle du Vel dHiv mass round-up of Jews for deportation is well documented, and who became the FNs first general secretary. The FN leadership embraced other ex-PPF figures, including Andre Dufraisse, a member of the Legion of French Volunteers against Bolshevism (LVF), which went to fight in the Nazi war of annihilation against the Soviet Union. Another associate of Le Pen was Paul Malaguti, the killer of Cannes, who worked for the Gestapo in Cannes and later took care of the FNs finances. Other founding FN members include Henry Coston, who launched the Anti-Jewish Youth movement in 1930 and an explicitly pro-Nazi party in 1933; Francois Brigneau of the fascist National Popular Rally of Marcel Deat; and the former Waffen-SS member Pierre Bousquet, the FNs first treasurer. Another stock-in-trade of the former FN leader is Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic statements. In the interviews Le Pen gave about the publication of his book, he again asserted that the gas chambers in the Nazi death camps were a detail of history, statements for which he has repeatedly been convicted. He has also cynically declared in an interview that he might maybe recognize that the Holocaust happened in the second volume of his memoirs, but that he felt no need to apologize for his previous statements: I will not ask for forgiveness to anyone. I feel compassion for those who suffered, as I did also, of the war. By favorably quoting Le Pens remarks, Le Point and broad swathes of the French bourgeois media are doing their part to rehabilitate the crimes of French imperialism and the Vichy regime during World War II, which the French financial aristocracy sees as a critical priority. Class-conscious workers and youth will reject these attempts with contempt, and see in them a warning as to the reactionary policies French imperialism is preparing today. There is more talk of gender in the American and global media than perhaps at any previous moment in history. The #MeToo campaign in the US has supposedly brought the conditions of women to the fore like never before. The US media and Hollywood are animated by hardly anything else. But this is a fraud. The women getting nearly all the coverage belong to the upper echelons of society, the richest five or ten percent. Working-class women are nowhere to be seen in all this, except for a few token exceptions that prove the rule. This skewed class lineup in the media coverage reflects a greater social reality: the gap between affluent women and working-class women has widened dramatically in the past several decades. On International Womens Day in 2018, what are the conditions of the great majority of women in the world, those who are ignored by the media, those who do not get their faces and their complaints on the evening news? Today, of the 1.3 billion of the planets 7.6 billion inhabitants living in extreme poverty, 70 percent are women or girls, according to Project Concern International. Of the worlds estimated 65.6 million refugee populationfleeing war, famine and violenceabout half are women. Women who are internally displaced, and those who are unaccompanied, pregnant, heads of household, disabled or elderly are especially vulnerable. Every day, approximately 830 women die worldwide from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Some 99 percent of all maternal deaths occur in the so-called developing countries. Some advances have been made in this area, with the global maternal mortality rate dropping between 1990 and 2015 by about 30 percent. However, in the United States, the maternal mortality rate increased by 56 percentfrom 16.9 deaths per 100,000 in 1990 to 24.7 deaths in 2015. In this regard, the US is in the company of some of the worlds poorest nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Luxembourg, Canada and Greece were the other developed countries with a rise in maternal mortality rates, but their overall rate is still two to three times lower by comparison to the US. How is this to be accounted for in 2018 in the richest nation on Earth? The plight of working-class women in America is inseparably tied to the plight of the working class as a whole. The US consistently ranks as the most unequal country in terms of income inequality. The scandalous statistics on maternal mortality, poverty, wages and unemployment for American women are a reflection of the US ruling elites seizure of an ever-increasing proportion of the national wealth, and the two big-business parties slashing of what remains of the social safety net. A half-century after the Johnson administration inaugurated the War on Poverty, over half of the 37 million Americans officially counted as living in poverty are women. Another statistic shows that more than 100 million Americans are either living on the edge of poverty or churn in and out of it; nearly 70 percent of these are women and children. Forty percent of all households with children under the age of 18 include mothers who are either the primary or sole source of income. Working women comprise nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers in the US. The median earnings of full-time female workers are still about three-fourths of the median earnings of their male counterparts. Although women make up 47 percent of workers ages 18-56, they comprise 56 percent of the working poorthose who despite holding down a job cannot escape poverty. The issues facing working-class women are the issues facing the entire working classpoverty, exploitation, unemployment, the attack on health care and public education, the degradation and violence, including sexual violence, produced by imperialist war. Basic questions of democratic rights, including the right to an abortion, are also under assault. Poland has completely banned abortion in all but extreme cases. States throughout the US have implemented draconian restrictions on women seeking to terminate pregnancies, with Mississippi on the verge of banning abortions after 15 weeks. Yet at the same time, women account for four of the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the US in 2016, all appearing on Equilars list of the 100 highest paid executives that year. Their total compensation numbers were: Safra Catz of Oracle: $40.9 million Ginni Rometty of IBM: $33.3 million Meg Whitman of Hewlett Packard Enterprise: $32.9 million Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo: $25.1 million These female executives and their small club of women multimillionaires are light-years away from the overwhelming majority of woman workers and their families in every respect. Their greatest concern is their stock portfolios and strategizing to climb to an even higher rung on the corporate ladder. They hire nannies, while workers struggle to pay for daycare; they debate which fine wines to drink and which trendy restaurants to patronize, while millions of families struggle to put food on the table; they make the choice of which penthouse or mansion to jet to, while workers struggle to pay the rent or stave off eviction. The selfish, upper-middle-class champions of womens rights would have us believe that such female elevation to the top of the corporate world is an advance for all women. However, the reality is very different. It is undeniable that class inequalities among women are greater than ever before, as Ruth Milkman, professor of sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center, wrote in 2017 in the Sociologist, a generally taboo subject in feminist circles. But this reality is concealed by the champions of the #MeToo movement, who over the past year have abandoned due process and legal norms in their crusade against numerous individuals, mainly men, to discredit and smear them in the name of womens rights. This travesty has been concocted in the name of all women, but it has nothing to do with advancing the rights and concerns of wide layers of the female population. The fight for womens rights is a social question that must be resolved in the arena of class struggle, not in the rarified atmosphere of the corporate boardroom and Hollywood. As Rosa Luxemburg once explained: The women of the property-owning class will always fanatically defend the exploitation and enslavement of the working people, by which they indirectly receive the means for their socially useless existence. The origins of International Womens Day date to February 28, 1909 in New York City, when a National Womans Day was organized by the Socialist Party of America. Two years later in the same city, on March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers would perish in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory firefrom flames or smoke inhalation and by falling or jumping to their deaths. The vast majority of victims, 123, were women, most of them recent Italian and Jewish immigrants, aged 16 to 23. One hundred years ago, on March 8, 1917, according to the Gregorian calendar, women textile workers began a demonstration in Petrograd marking the beginning of the Russian Revolution, an event that led to a radical advance in the social conditions and rights for workerswomen and men alikein Russia and throughout the world. The struggle for the social welfare, dignity, and rights of working-class women can only be taken forward on the basis of this great socialist tradition, as a part of the fight by the entire international working class for the socialist transformation of society. 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate 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! We need monthly 2,000 tons of RUF briquette. SGS tests required Kennebunk Post Extensive work on the steeple, the Aaron Willard Jr. clock and the weathervane of the 1824 building is complete. Another Sight Behind-the-Scenes Video Explores the Music Behind the Game Melania and Ivanka Trump acknowledged International Womens Day on Twitter, but their messages fell flat with many social media users who were quick to point out their close connection to the president and his troubling past with women. Today we come together in recognition of women at home & around the globe. We celebrate womens achievements, past & present, & pledge to empower women to reach their full economic potential for generations to come, Ivanka Trump tweeted Thursday. When women thrive, we ALL succeed. #InternationalWomensDay, she added. Multiple people on Twitter criticized Ivanka for what they saw as a hypocritical message. Ivanka, your hypocrisy and lack of awareness are pitiful, one user wrote. I think its pretty inappropriate for you to pretend to care about women. Or America, said another. Though Ivanka has spoken out about the importance of paid family leave and empowering women, she recently refused to answer a question about the numerous women who have accused her father of sexual misconduct, calling the inquiry inappropriate. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. In October 2016, just weeks before the presidential election, a now infamous video was released showing Trump boasting to Billy Bush in 2005 of sexually assaulting women. In it, Trump said that because hes a star he can grab [women] by the py. Days later, Trump acknowledged he made the comments but dismissed them as locker room talk. Melania Trump also went on record as saying the remarks were simply boy talk. Since 2016, 19 women alleged on the record that Trump had touched, grabbed or kissed them without their permission. Trump has long denied the claims. RELATED VIDEO: PEOPLE Writer Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack The first lady faced similar criticism for her International Womens Day tweet on Thursday. Happy #IWD2018. Today we recognize, celebrate & honor women around the globe, she wrote, also announcing that she will present the #WomenOfCourage award to some extraordinary women on March 21. Story continues This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Melania I dont know where to begin. Your husbands administration is undermining women every day, one user responded. When will you truly stand up for womens rights instead of being #complicit? I wish you greater empathy and compassion. Do you not see, or care, about the hypocrisy of your tweet Melania? asked another user. If you really want to promote change, stand on your own two feet and be a part of the solution! No medal you hand out could ever be as meaningful. Of course, not everybody on social media spoke out against the two Trump women. Wrote one social media user, @FLOTUS, u are doing a great job, dont listen 2these haters who just secretly wish they were as classy n beautiful (inside and out) as you. Speaking up for Ivanka, another social media user wrote, You are such an inspiration and such an amazing, wonderful Mom and First Daughter. Great leadership! The two women faced similar blowback last week when they tweeted about the start of Womens History Month. The president also tweeted about International Womens Day Thursday afternoon, simply writing: Happy #InternationalWomensDay and linking to the White House announcement about his wife presenting the 2018 International Women of Courage Award. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The president has previously shared that he doesnt consider himself a feminist. I wouldnt say Im a feminist, the 71-year-old said during an interview with Piers Morgan in January. I mean, I think that would be, maybe, going too far. He continued, Im for women, Im for men, Im for everyone. I think people have to go out, they have to go out and really do it, and they have to win. And women are doing great, and Im happy about that. He added, But I have tremendous respect for women. Meghan Markle is inspiring girls everywhere to break gender stereotypes on International Womens Day. During her visit to Birmingham with Prince Harry on Thursday, the couple encouraged a group of young students to to follow careers in science, technology, engineering and math and they took part in a series of tech activities from the Stemettes program. I love being here to see this on International Womens Day, Meghan, 36, told them. Youre using your brain in a really challenging way. Harry and Meghan watched as the teen girls placed wires from a laptop computer to a banana, to connect it to make it work as digital bongos. Harry told his fiancee, I was going to try and help but before laughing and showing her the instructions. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. You must have brains the size of a planet, he said. And you cant just come in today, do this and leave. Youve got to carry it on. Meghan then praised her three new companions for saying they aimed to be a surgeon, doctor and doctor. Its cool that youre so interested in tech, she told another group of girls. Thats really impressive. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Harry and Meghan were then shown a program called Hack The Web, which allows girls to use coding to temporarily change web messages, Meghan said, You can hack it and change things that are untrue into something positive? Thats so cool. Its amazing to see so much young talent, so much confidence. Its such a strong program. Meghan Markle Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, Chief Executive Officer of Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise working across the U.K. and Ireland and beyond to inspire and support young women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths careers (STEM), praised the couple for taking part in Thursdays activities. How many photos do you have of princesses doing technical things? she said. You barely see pictures of women doing technical things, let alone princesses. You cant be what you cant see. To see her do it and see that shes enjoying it, it sends a message. Tori Spelling Police reportedly showed up at Tori Spellings doctors office after her husband Dean McDermott raised his concerns. According to TMZ, McDermott, 51, called the cops to check up on his wife after she left their house on Wednesday. Three Ventura County Sheriffs units reportedly surrounded a building in Thousand Oaks, California, at around 9:45 a.m., while Spelling, 44, was inside. The outlet also has video of McDermott standing outside the office, holding the couples 1-year-old baby. TMZ reports that McDermott sounded the alarm when Spelling left home with at least one of their kids, though it remains unclear why he was so concerned about her wellbeing. Deputies reportedly located the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum at the doctors office, spoke to her and determined she and their kids were okay. Because no crime had been committed, no further action was taken. Police and Spelling have not returned PEOPLEs request for comment. The incident comes one week after police were dispatched over a disturbance at the family home. LAPD officer Rosario Herrera told PEOPLE police received a call for service at 7:17 a.m. on March 1, to Spellings Woodland Hills address. Officer Drake Madison said the situation ended up being a domestic incident and that no crime was committed. He could not confirm who placed the call. According to the audio dispatch call obtained by The Blast and TMZ, the issue involved a female with a possible mental illness. TMZ also reported Spelling called police the night before because she thought someone was breaking into her house, but it turned out to be McDermott coming home. The couple share five children: daughters Stella, 9, and Hattie, 6, and sons Liam, 10, Finn, 5, and baby Beau, who turned 1 last week. RELATED: Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott Celebrate Sons Birthday Together After Disturbance at Their Home Story continues A source recently told PEOPLE that Spelling is in a tough place and can get very stressed, noting that it isnt easy for her to juggle five young kids at home. The last year has been really tough on Tori, said another insider. She has a ton of pressure and stress, with the kids, work and her marriage. She internalizes a lot of her anxiety and she knows its not healthy for her. Of course shes going to get to a breaking point eventually. Tori and Dean have their ups and downs, added the insider. But they love each other and family is most important to both of them. Beyond all the televised moments of the 2018 Oscars, it was the unscripted drama involving Frances McDormands briefly stolen Oscar that might have been the most compelling story line. The Best Actress winner for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri had her statuette heisted while she partied at the Governors Ball, shortly after the ceremony ended. Frances McDormand accepts the Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy Awards on March 4, 2018. (Photo: Craig Sjodin via Getty Images) McDormands trophy was returned to her before the night was over. Suspect Terry Bryant was nabbed and, within 48 hours, charged with Oscar-napping. (Technically it was felony grand theft, and Bryants lawyer told the Associated Press that his client plans to forcefully and aggressively resist the charges against him. Bryant has pleaded not guilty.) But McDormand isnt the only Academy Award winner who has had their statuette swiped. In fact, shes one of the lucky ones. Other Oscars have been jacked over the years, and those cases didnt wrap up quite as neatly. The award Hattie McDaniel won for 1939s Gone With the Wind disappeared from Howard University, where she had donated it, decades ago. In 2000, a man named Willie Fullgear found 52 stolen Oscars near a trash bin while looked for moving boxes, just days before the trophies were to be given out. Here are a few other cases of stolen Oscars: Whoopi Goldbergs 1991 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ghost Whoopi Goldberg holds her Oscar on the night she won it. (Photo: Ron Galella/WireImage) Goldberg was able to hold on to her Best Supporting Actress award for 1990s Ghost much longer than McDormand. Almost 11 years after winning it, she gave it back to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to have it cleaned and replated. The academy boxed up the trophy and sent it via UPS to the Chicago company that manufactured the statues at the time, R.S. Owens and Company, where the package arrived empty. Several days after it was supposed to have been shipped, a security guard at the Ontario, Calif., airport found the trophy in, of all places, the trash. Apparently, someone had unsealed the box and taken the Oscar, before resealing the empty box and sending it on its way. The thief obviously hadnt realized that each Oscar has a serial number, as well as the nameplate, which would make selling it tough. Story continues UPS then hand-delivered that statue back to the academy, where it was locked in a vault until Goldberg picked it up. She decided not to have it refurbished after all. Oscar will never leave my house again, she vowed in a statement. Olympia Dukakiss 1988 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Moonstruck A thief tried to sell Olympia Dukakis the Oscar she won. (Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images) Dukakis never let her Oscar leave her house in fact, she kept it on display in her kitchen but it was still swiped while she was away filming. A thief broke into her home in Montclair, N.J., taking the Oscar and nothing else, on May 19, 1989. The perpetrator decided to hold the statuette for ransom; he called the stars son and tried to sell the statue back! Dukakiss son tried to set up a sting operation, but the thief didnt fall for it, the actress revealed on the Employee of the Month podcast in 2015. What they did was, they took the little thing on it that said who it was for they left that, interestingly enough, Dukakis said. She joked, it was out of respect for my work, I am assuming. And then I told the Academy what had happened of course it was in the news and everything and they sold me another one, the Steel Magnolias star said. Asked how much she had to pay for the replacement Oscar, Dukakis said it was about $75. Margaret OBriens 1945 Juvenile Award for Meet Me in St. Louis Margaret OBrien accepts her Oscar from Bob Hope in 1944. (Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images) The 8-year-old actress who played Judy Garlands baby sister in the holiday classic received special recognition that was occasionally given to outstanding child actors. (Fun fact: The last such award was given in 1960, to a 14-year-old Hayley Mills for her turn in Pollyanna.) OBrien added the Oscar to the room in her L.A. home where she displayed all her honors. Years later, the maid took it and two other awards home with her to polish, as she had done before, while OBriens mother was sick. The maid was fired after she didnt return to work, and she never returned the Oscar, the Los Angeles Times recounted in March 1995. Years passed, and OBriens mother died without realizing the Oscar had gone missing. The actress, now 17, attempted to reach the maid over the phone, but she was unsuccessful. Every time Id go to an antique shop or flea market, Id look around, OBrien told the Los Angeles Times. Id tell myself, If I dont lose hope, itll come around. But it didnt, for decades. Then, in December 1994, antiquer Steve Neimand spotted the Oscar at the Pasadena City College flea market. Hed noticed it at another flea market two years earlier, but this time, he decided to buy it. He thought it might be worth something, and another antique collector agreed to split with him the $500 cost. To be honest, I thought she was the little girl in Miracle on 34th Street, Neimand said, referring to Natalie Wood. I dont know that I have ever seen any of the films Margaret OBrien was in. The buyers decided to sell the Oscar at an upcoming auction, and a friend of academy executive director Bruce Davis spotted the news that it would soon be for sale. Davis expected the Oscar was the replacement the academy had given OBrien, but, no, it was the original. Davis called a friend, who called the auction, who reached out to the Oscars new owners, and they generously agreed to return the award to OBrien. The only payment Neimand requested was a photo. Margaret OBrien thanks Mark Nash, left, and Steve Neimand for returning her Oscar on Feb. 7, 1995. (Photo: Vince Bucci/AFP/Getty Images) Can I get a picture of me handing the Oscar to OBrien so I can tell friends I once presented an Academy Award? he remembered asking. The pair was also given two tickets to the 1995 Academy Awards and recognition in a news conference. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Meghan Markle was baptized on Tuesday in a private ceremony at Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace in London, England, ET has learned. According to a source, Meghan's fiance, Prince Harry, and her future father-in-law, Prince Charles, were in attendance. Prince William and Kate Middleton did not attend. It is unclear if Meghan's parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, were present for the occasion. The 36-year-old former Suits actress identifies as Protestant but went to an all-girl, private, Catholic college preparatory school in Los Angeles. Meghan's official acceptance into the Church is the latest arrangement ahead of her upcoming wedding taking place on May 19 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. As for other pre-wedding activities, a source also told ET on Monday that Meghan's friends held a spa-themed bridal shower for her over the weekend at the Soho Farmhouse in London, England. On Thursday, Meghan and 33-year-old Harry made a public appearance together in Birmingham, England. Meghan warmly greeted the crowd, crouching down to talk and hug children who were waiting outside to meet her. Harry and Meghan's visit was timed to coincide with International Women's Day, as they visited organizations which aim to inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). For more on the couple's feverishly anticipated royal wedding, watch the video below: RELATED CONTENT: Meghan Markle Hugs Children at Birmingham Visit With Prince Harry: Pics! Inside Meghan Markle's New Life in London: Where She's Hanging Out Ahead of Her Royal Wedding Royal Wedding Countdown: Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Enjoy a Regal Date With Kate Middleton & Prince William! Related Articles: A missing 7-month-old boy who had been the subject of an AMBER Alert was found dead Wednesday and his homeless father has been charged with murder, PEOPLE confirms. Victor Manuel Minjarez, 31, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains, the Oklahoma City Police Department said in a news release. He was arrested at a residence in Oklahoma City, where authorities found the body of 7-month-old Jody Minarez, the release states. The ordeal began on Feb. 19, when Minjarez allegedly attacked the babys mother at her home in Norman, Oklahoma, and fled the home with their child in a rented U-Haul pickup truck with an unknown license plate, said Norman police in a statement before the boys body was found. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Soon after, Norman police said they believed Minjarez switched vehicles. Since he is homeless, police said they did not know where he was staying. On Feb. 23, the childs mother requested an emergency Victim Protective Order for the safe return of her son, court records show. Five days later, Minjarez allegedly sent a text message to a friend telling her to tell the mother she would never see her son again, Norman police said in the statement. Based on this information, it is believed that 7-month-old Jody Minjarez is in imminent danger of bodily harm or death, said Norman police. For more compelling True Crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard Police didnt issue the AMBER Alert until Wednesday, when they realized the child was in imminent danger, local station KSN.com reports. Police canceled the AMBER Alert later on Wednesday after the discovery of Jodys body. Minjarez has not entered a plea to the charges against him, and his lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. Minjarez remains in custody at the Oklahoma City jail. Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles is on the mend after being injured in a car accident that killed her 4-year-old daughter Abigail Blumenstein and another child, 1-year-old Joshua Lew. Social media pages belonging to the 34-year-old Broadway star who is pregnant with her second child were updated with a message to fans on Thursday, three days after a driver allegedly struck five pedestrians with her vehicle in Brooklyn, New York, a N.Y.C. Police Department source told PEOPLE. Thank you for your prayers over our families and holding us in our pain. We are extremely grateful for your kindness and generosity, the post said. Ruthie is now out of ICU and healing, by all accounts it is a miracle our second child is unharmed. The message continued, Please continue to pray for the Lew and the Blumensteim families as we process the unthinkable and lay our grief in the loving arms of Jesus. Joshua and Abigail are now resting in Heavenly peace and Joy. Ruthie Ann Miles and daughter Abigail This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Two additional unnamed adult victims were also injured in the crash after the driver allegedly ran a red light. The two children were pronounced dead upon their arrival at Methodist Hospital, police said. Abigail was excited to be a big sister, a source told PEOPLE. She was the brightest little spirit. Every time you were around her, your heart couldnt help but shine. She had the sweetest laugh and the loveliest personality. She was very much like her mother. Ruthie was a wonderful mother. She always put Abigail first and was really dedicated to spending time together, added the source. The two had a very tight bond. They were inseparable. Ruthie Ann Miles Abigail was her life. Abigail was her soul, shared a source who knew the actress when she was pregnant with Abigail, saying the child was the loveliest, happiest and also the most perfect little mix of Ruthie and [her husband] Jonathan [Blumenstein]. She was smart, cheerfully curious about everything. I dont think I ever saw her without a smile on her face. Story continues A GoFundMe set up for Miles raised over $200,000 in less than 12 hours, far surpassing the $5,000 goal. As of Thursday, it had reached nearly $390,000. Additionally, a GoFundMe page for the family of the other fatal victim has surpassed $200,000. Ruthie is so loved by so many people in this community, said the source. No one has the words to express how devastating this is. Everyone in this community will do as much as we can. The only thing we can do is just raise more and more money right now. But we will be there for her. A pregnant Illinois woman was killed after a semi trucks wheel hub came loose and flew into her windshield. Melinda Cullen, 38, died on Tuesday while driving on Interstate 80 near Joliet, Illinois, according to KTLA. Her unborn son, Jaxson Cash Cullen, was also killed in the crash, according to her obituary. Cullen, who was a mother of three, was due to give birth in 10 days, according to ABC 7 Chicago. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, the outlet reported. Charles Cullen and Peggy Bingham, her parents-in-law, told the outlet they last saw her on Sunday. We would give anything to not see this happened, he said. We just lost so much. You dont expect something like this here, how it happened. She was just in that place at that time. She was just a sweet girl, Bingham said. I cant believe that she is gone. That baby. I was hoping that baby would make it, it would have meant a lot. The driver of the truck, 59-year-old Antanas Sereiva, was charged with a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act violation for unsafe equipment, according to the outlet. Joliet Patch reported a preliminary investigation by the Illinois State Police revealed that the trucks wheel rim had become detached from its rear axle causing it to land on Cullens windshield. Melinda Cullen Cullens obituary detailed her life, including her bachelors in communications from Southern Illinois University. Her obituary described her as a woman of strong will, adding, Melinda loved to cook and had a smile that could lighten up any room. She also made special time for her family or anyone in need. Family was of utmost importance to her, and she will most be remembered as a devoted mother that leaves behind a beautiful family that will miss her very much. Cullens funeral will be held on March 10 in Coal City, Illinois. She is survived by her husband, Dave Cullen, and their three daughters, aged 8, 5 and 15 months. A family friend of Tommy Lee tells PEOPLE his son Brandon is worried about his recent antics. After the rocker spewed off a slew of controversial tweets about ex-wife Pamela Anderson on Monday, their older son Brandon, 28, allegedly got into a physical altercation with his father at his Calabasas, California, home. Then, on Wednesday, Brandon released an exclusive statement to PEOPLE in which he claimed his father is battling alcoholism and he tried to set up an intervention. Lee, 55, denied the allegations the same day, tweeting: Im happier than Ive been in my entire life. I have a few drinks here & there because Im fin retired and enjoying my life. I worked 30+ fin years I deserve it. You didnt arrange any intervention, you barely spoke to me while u were here. A family friend corroborates Brandons statement and says Tommy was once sober for five years but definitely has a taste for partying Brandon is genuinely concerned, and Tommy is in such denial, says the friend. An insider close to Lee calls Brandons allegations deflection. He has a few drinks here and there, the Lee insider says. But for 30 years he lived out of a duffel bag to support his family. He can have a few drinks here or there. Tommy Lee and his son Brandon Lee. However, according to the friend, an intervention was indeed planned but fell apart after their altercation. There was supposed to be an intervention. But there are people around him that do not think he has a problem, says the friend. Everyone has been concerned for over a year about Tommy Lee. Maybe its for the best, and maybe they are now seeing he does have a problem and the key is that he gets help. On Thursday, Anderson, 50, released a lengthy statement to TMZ in which she weighed in on the recent family drama. I pray Tommy gets the help he needs. His actions are desperate and humiliating, Anderson said. He is a disaster spinning out of control. I will never talk to Tommy again before he is sober and in his right mind. This is the Devil This is the disease of alcoholism. Story continues Lee and Brandons argument stemmed from a series of tweets Lee posted Monday responding to Andersons interview on Piers Morgans Life Stories Saturday in which Anderson discussed physical abuse she claimed to have endured from Tommy during their relationship. In 1998, Lee was sentenced to six months in the Los Angeles County Jail for spousal battery following an assault that left Anderson with bruises and a torn fingernail. She was reportedly holding their infant son, Dylan (now 20) at the time. Tommy pled no contest to the charges. Think shed find something new to discuss instead of rehashing old s but I guess she has nothing else going on & needs attention Signed, The abuser (who she texts every day & asks for me back), he tweeted, referring to Anderson. With additional reporting by K.C. BAKER Yesterday, Amazon announced that it would be extending its discounted Prime membership to recipients of Medicaid. That would mean 73 million Americans who are enrolled in the government health care program would now be able to receive free two-day shipping on their Amazon purchases for just $5.99 per month. According to the announcement posted on Amazons blog, anyone who is currently on Medicaid and have a valid EBT or Medicaid card qualify for the discounted Prime membership. Once someone has qualified, they are eligible to renew their discounted membership for the next four years and have the option to cancel at any time. This is a huge win for low-income Americans who struggle to make ends meet, providing relief not just on shipping costs but also potentially saving busy parents the time it takes to go to the store. The massive shipping company hopes that the convenience of shopping on Amazon will help parents who simply dont have the time or access to get what they need from traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Along with free two-day shipping, a Prime membership also gives members access to tons of features, including Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, Prime Reading, Audible Channels for Prime, Amazon First Reads, and Twitch Prime. This new deal comes on the heels of other Amazon efforts to make it easier for Americans to access healthcare. The online retail behemoth recently began working with major players in the shipping and healthcare industries to identify ways to help transform the healthcare industry to help benefit low-income communities. There are even reports that the company is planning to sell pharmaceutical prescriptions on their site. Related Articles: The post Amazon Offers Discounted Prime Membership to Customers on Medicaid appeared first on Fatherly. At least 125 people including a dozen high school kids in Milwaukee have been infected with HIV, syphilis, or both in one of the biggest outbreaks ever reported in the city. According to Milwaukees Journal Sentinel, which broke the story on Tuesday, the outbreak has been identified as a cluster, meaning a large number of people have become infected in a particular time and place. According to local reports, 125 people in Milwaukee, including teens, have been diagnosed with HIV, syphilis, or both. (Photo: Getty Images) This is an epidemic people are not talking about enough, and it leads to people taking unnecessary risks, public health consultant Melissa Ugland told the Journal Sentinel. Those involved may have all connected with one another during a 12-month period, added Ugland, who could not be reached for comment by Yahoo Lifestyle. Many of the infected are men, 45 percent of which are HIV-positive, according to Ugland and other health care advocates. Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Milwaukee Health Department did not return Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. A representative from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) sent the following statement to Yahoo Lifestyle: In December, the Milwaukee Health Department informed Milwaukee Public Schools that the entire city is experiencing an increase Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in 15-24-year-olds. Because schools have a significant number of students in the 15-18 age group, we are working with the Milwaukee Health Department, in a collaborative and preventive effort, to share information with young people in middle schools and high schools to keep them healthy and to protect their health. Less than 10 percent of those infected attend MPS, though the numbers could rise, per the Journal Sentinel which also reports that the cluster is being called a sentinel event due to the number of youth infected with HIV and because three area babies were born with syphilis in 2016. Its a really big deal, Ugland told the publication. The National Coalition of STD Directors, which called the Milwaukee case a crisis, published a statement Friday calling out lawmakers. This is unacceptable, wrote executive director David C. Harvey. Those of us working in the field know that STD prevention works when its funded. Investing just 10 cents per person per year in syphilis prevention could cut the number of syphilis cases by almost a third. Story continues He added, Congress must recognize that these epidemics will continue to rage if federal investment does not rise to meet the ever-rising tide of STD rates, and we call on Congress to increase federal funding for STD prevention at CDC. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that during the first two stages causes painless genital sores, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. The final stage involves no symptoms but can damage the heart and brain, as well as other major organs. Mothers may also pass syphilis to their unborn children during pregnancy and experience complications such as stillbirth. Syphilis is treated with antibiotics. HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, is an autoimmune disease contracted through unsafe sex or sex with multiple partners. The virus, for which there is no cure, destroys white blood cells called T-helper cells, and spreads throughout the body, presenting itself with a variety of symptoms, including fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and night sweats. The late stage of HIV is AIDS, which greatly weakens the immune system and the bodys ability to fight other infections. HIV and syphilis spread efficiently within the first few months, often with the person experiencing nonspecific symptoms or those that mimic the flu, Jeffrey Klausner, MD, a professor of medicine and public health at the University of California, Los Angeles, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. And because doctors rarely ask questions about patients sexual activity either because theyre embarrassed or untrained the diagnosis could be missed. He adds, Weve seen a massive erosion in public health resources due to the 2008 recession. Many city clinics were shut down and never refinanced. Klausner says syphilis is treatable if done so timely, and that HIV is manageable and treatable not the death sentence it was 20 years ago. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Photo credit: Getty From Town & Country Colin Firth, 57, and his wife Livia Giuggioli, 48, are in the media spotlight this week, not for Firth's acting career or Giuggioli's work as a film producer, but rather because she has accused Italian journalist Marco Brancaccia, 55, of harassing her with "frightening" messages. Today, it was revealed that Giugglioli previously had a relationship with this man between 2015 and 2016, whom she has now accused of stalking her. Brancaccia has denied the accusations. Aside from this on-going legal issue, here's what you need to know about Giuggoili. She and Firth were married in 1997. They reportedly met in Colombia while working on the mini-series "Nostromo." Over the course of this accusation against Brancaccia, it came out that they decided to separate for a time, but have since reunited. "A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited," reads a statement from the couple in the Sunday Times. "Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public." Again, Brancaccia denies those accusations, telling the Times, "My 'stalking' consisted of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email, he said. "I wrote an email to Colin about my relationship with Livia, which I now regret sending, and she filed a complaint against me for stalking out of fear that I could go public with what she had revealed to me about her marriage and work." Arie Luyendyk Jr., Bachelor, History, Mug Shot In the days that have followed since the epically cringe-worthy finale of Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s season of The Bachelor, more information about his shady past has resurfaced for all of us to gawk at. The 36-year-old race car driver and real estate agent from Scottsdale, Arizona proposed to 25-year-old Lauren Burnham on the After the Final Rose special after he famously dumped 26-year-old Becca Kufrin whom he had just proposed to in Peru. A classic move. Thanks to the Daily Mail, an old mugshot of Arie's resurfaced, and it's glorious. RELATED: New Book Reveals How Contestants With Herpes Are Treated By Producers Of 'The Bachelor' In October of 2008, the speed demon was arrested for driving with a suspended license in Scottsdale. He had been given a ticket for that exact same offense a month, and his rap sheet also includes traffic infractions such as failing to provide insurance, following too closely, speeding, failure to obey a traffic signal and unsafe lane change. Remember, he is a bad boy. Scottsdale Police Department In addition to being reckless behind the wheel, Arie has also apparently not told his new fiance about his troubled past. Which is actually not the only thing he hasn't told her about (if we're also counting not letting her watch him acting like a jerk during his televised breakup). A woman named Jenna Jones claimed that he got onto the reality show without her knowledge. "He continued auditioning behind my back," she wrote in a now-deleted tweet. Jones also said that Arie is "a dude who claims to be a hopeless romantic but forever cheats on and does despicable wrongs to women." RELATED: New Details About January Jones Dating Former Bachelor Nick Viall (After She Admitted To Having A Crush On Him Before They Met) But the shadiest of all the shade comes from a claim by his ex, Cassie Harshman. During a one-on-one with Lauren, Arie told a story about a woman he dated who had a miscarriage. He claims she said: "When you come home, I won't be here." Story continues Apparently, that's not what happened. He was with me in the doctors office when we found out about the miscarriage, Carrie said. It didnt happen at all the way he portrayed it. At all!" "The miscarriage was the beginning of the end but it was a long breakup. It wasnt his story to tell. Its so disrespectful," she continued. "Its very painful to see one of the worst experiences of my life played out on TV. That he would use this while cameras are rolling, with someone he barely knows, to garner sympathy, is just really sad. RELATED: Does The New 'Bachelor' Arie Luyendyk Jr. ALREADY Have A Girlfriend? New Details Reveal Some Troubling Info Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTangos Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz). Keywords: bachelor, celebrity read more Photo: GoFundMe/Home Going for Niya On Monday, 11-year-old Janiyah Taylor of Mobile, Ala., died unexpectedly in her sleep, according to local news reports. Her death is shocking and tragic to those around her, and like other such stories, it is also frightening to other parents and children. After everything we do to keep our kids healthy and safe, how is it that they can die this inexplicably? Without knowing any details of Janiyahs case of which there are few Ashanti Woods, MD, attending pediatrician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, spoke to Yahoo Lifestyle about the frustratingly vague phenomenon called sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC). One thing that could have occurred was some type of seizure activity, Woods says, listing the most common underlying causes of SUDC. The second thing would be some type of heart abnormality or arrhythmia. The last thing might be obstructive sleep apnea. SUDC, the equivalent of sudden infant death syndrome for children aged 12 months to 18 years old, was listed as the cause of death for about 445 children in 2016, according to CDC numbers calculated by SUDC.org. In other words, its extremely rare, but reports of deaths are bound to strike fear into parents hearts. Is there a way to prevent it? The short answer is no, Woods admits. Being a parent, I want to say, thats not good enough. I want to do something. I want to feel like Im protecting my child. What parents can do is make sure their childrens pediatrician has all possible information about the familys medical history. Photo: Getty Images We have to ask our family members, what conditions run in our family, and was there anyone in our family who passed away under 30 and we didnt know why they passed away? Woods says. If there have been any early unexplained deaths, along with a family history of seizure disorder or heart condition, a pediatrician can decide if theres any need for further testing. The doctor might suggest additional blood work, genetics testing, or an EEG. Story continues Another silent killer of children is something called Long QT syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that affects the heart. If one child in a family is known to have heart problems, parents of his or her cousins and siblings should tell their doctors about that too. A sudden death like Janiyah Taylors will profoundly affect the other children who knew her. They cried a lot, Janiyahs dance teacher, Rachael Reese, told a local news outlet. Theyre still crying, according to their parents. Theyre still trying to understand why, why did she have to go like that. Woods said that parents and teachers like Reese might have to reassure the children that they are still very unlikely to die in their sleep. The goal should be to minimize the fear that a child could potentially have, he says. Sometimes bad things happen, but reassure them that they are safe. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Janiyahs memorial. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: After 12-year-olds death in snow pile, should parents ban their kids from building forts? Are magic mushrooms the next medical marijuana? Marijuana could treat chronic pain better than opioids Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Gisele Bundchen better watch out, because 16-year-old look-alike Paula La Croix might be coming for her career. Paula La Croix is an Italian-Brazilian model who bears quite a resemblance to Gisele Bundchen. (Photos: Paula La Croix via Instagram) The native of Brazil is a social media influencer and up-and-coming model who began her career in front of the camera just two years ago. After she attended a workshop dedicated to discovering new faces in the modeling industry, La Croix tells Yahoo Lifestyle, the modeling scout who ran it was the first to make the comparison between her and Bundchen and the pieces all started to come together. As I was always interested in fashion, it was clear to me that I had to try! From that point on, it has become my passion, she explains. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. In a short time, La Croix has transitioned into being a working model mostly thanks to her resemblance to Bundchen. Throughout the hundreds of photos the teen posts, there are always numerous people saying how they believed they were looking at a young Bundchen. Being compared to Gisele is an honor, she is simply amazing, La Croix says. I believe the comparison has only generated great things due to my attitude upon it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Whereas some might try to distance themselves from being known as someones doppelganger, La Croix embraces it. Of course I am inspired by her she is one of my big inspirations due to her resilience and confidence. However, I want to create my own path! the young model says. My aim is to be myself and pursue my own career. But I do not compare myself to her, as we are both unique. Although La Croixs Instagram is inevitably filled with flawless photos of herself in front of the camera, she maintains a normal teenage life, attending school and posting with her friends. Unlike many young people in her industry, she says that education remains her priority. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. I will stay in school, and I plan on going to college, she says. I am pursuing my career, working as much as the balance with school allows me to! I hope that I work a lot with modeling, which is something I love to do! Story continues Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. In 2016, over 64,000 people in the United States died from opioid overdoses either from painkillers, heroin, or fentanyl (a synthetic opioid). To put that number in perspective, thats more Americans killed by opioids in 365 days than were killed during the entirety of the Vietnam War. Opioids in America are more than a crisis theyre a national emergency. Photo: Getty Images While doctors may have helped fuel this epidemic through the over-prescription of opioids, the underlying issue that they were often trying to treat, chronic pain, remains an enormous issue. Americans, pain pills or not, are hurting. In a recent National Institutes of Health study, 25.3 million adults reported experiencing chronic pain every single day in the three months prior to the study, a number that makes up 11.2 percent of the population. An even larger number, 126 million people, reported experiencing pain of some sort in the three months prior. Doctors have long voiced concerns that prescription opioid painkillers on top of a high potential for addiction arent actually solving the problem of chronic pain. This week, science confirmed it. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared opioids (Vicodin, oxycodone, and fentanyl) to non-opioids (Tylenol, ibuprofen, and nerve blockers) to see if they were better at treating chronic back, hip, or knee pain. The answer was clear: They were not. Treatment with opioids was not superior to treatment with non-opioids for improving pain-related function over 12 months, the study reads. Results do not support initiation of opioid therapy for moderate to severe chronic back pain or hip or knee osteoarthritis pain. The news is a major blow for pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma, who have made billions through prescription painkillers, but its even worse news for those suffering the effects of chronic pain. The question it leaves behind: If opioids arent the answer to chronic pain, what is? Story continues For a growing number of doctors, the answer comes in the form of another less dangerous drug: cannabis. This past November, three doctors in Illinois started a campaign called Physicians Against Injurious Narcotics, or PAIN, which aims to expand the states medical marijuana program to allow anyone that qualifies for opioids to also qualify for marijuana. Photo: Getty Images Last month, promising research results from Israel added scientific evidence to back their fight. Published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, the study followed 2,970 cancer patients between 2015 and 2017 as they embarked on a medical marijuana treatment program for chronic pain. Each patient was able to choose a plan that specifically catered to their lifestyle, and to pick from 16 different strains of the drug. Pain scales were ranked before taking the medicine and then measured again after the treatment was underway. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Of the 1,211 cancer patients who were ultimately surveyed (902 patients from the original group died and 680 stopped treatment), 95.9 percent reported an improvement in their condition, and the vast majority of them experienced a dramatic reduction in pain. While at the outset, 52.9 percent of patients had rated their pain between 8 and 10 (on a scale of 10), after six months of treatment, the number reporting that level of pain had dropped to just 4.6 percent. On top of managing pain, the study showed cannabis capable of addressing other issues the patients were experiencing too. Of those surveyed, 91 percent reported improvements in nausea and vomiting, 87.5 percent reported an improvement in sleep disorders, and 84 percent noticed improvement in anxiety and depression. The studys authors fully endorse the drug as a treatment option. In an age where a physician often prescribes a different medication for each [cancer] symptom, cannabis, as a comprehensive treatment that affects several symptoms, becomes a desirable therapeutic option, the authors conclude. Cannabis as a palliative treatment for cancer patients seems to be well tolerated, effective and safe. Cannabiss success in treating chronic pain is echoed in a 2018 review of more than 10,000 abstracts on the topic. Also published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, the large-scale review offers individual conclusions about marijuanas ability to treat a variety of conditions. Under chronic pain, the authors write, There were five fair-to-good quality systematic reviews that contributed to the conclusion that there is substantial evidence that Cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults. Photo: Getty Images Despite these reports, not everyone agrees that medical marijuana is the answer to chronic pain. Kevin Sabet, founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), thinks that the studies miss the point. We do know that components of marijuana like THC have shown results for modest pain relief, but thats a very different conclusion than saying marijuana, which has hundred of components, is good for that, Sabet tells Yahoo Lifestyle. I think we need to really distinguish between THC and raw marijuana especially the kind that the subject would be getting in Israel for the study. Sheila P. Vakharia, the policy manager of the Office of Academic Engagement for the Drug Policy Alliance a nonprofit fighting to end the war on drugs sees it differently. The general pain levels reported by study participants went down dramatically, Vakharia tells Yahoo Lifestyle. And to see folks reporting that change is really promising. Vakharia notes that on top of being effective in treating pain, cannabis comes with fewer risks. Namely, its less addictive and rarely fatal. Although some medical professionals remain reluctant to prescribe medical marijuana, Vakharia says patients are beginning to seek out the benefits of marijuana themselves and are safer as a result. A look at data in the states where marijuana is legal suggests shes right. According to a 2014 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the rate of deaths from prescription drug overdoses is 25 percent lower in states where medical marijuana is legal. While Sabet thinks that more research needs to be done before individuals start using marijuana as a substitute for opioids, Vakharia hopes that the shift already underway will gain momentum. I think the evidence will continue to build and will start to persuade people who are otherwise reluctant to consider it as a treatment for themselves, or to recommend it as a medical professional, Vakharia tells Yahoo Lifestyle. But only time will tell. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. When hes not out there busting retainers and defending his height, Michael B. Jordan is plotting ways to make his future projects more inclusive. On Wednesday, the Black Panther star announced that he will formally be adopting inclusion riders for all forthcoming projects made by his production company, Outlier Society. The actor was referencing the contractual provision that allows stars to stipulate that their films have diverse teams in front of and behind the camera. Such riders entered the vernacular when Frances McDormand gave them a high-profile mention in her fiery best actress acceptance speech at Sunday nights Oscar ceremony, prompting the industry to look inward at what it can really do to promote equality on set. In support of the women & men who are leading this fight, I will be adopting the Inclusion Rider for all projects produced by my company Outlier Society, Jordan declared in an Instagram post on Wednesday. Ive been privileged to work with powerful woman & persons of color throughout my career & its Outliers mission to continue to create for talented individuals going forward. If you want to learn more about how to support the cause link in bio. #OutlierSociety #AnnenbergInclusionInitiative. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. His second hashtag references Stacy Smith, a professor at the University of Southern Californias Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, who invented the rider alongside D.C.-based lawyer Kalpana Kotagal. Were hoping agencies can ask every actor, Would you like an inclusion rider? Smith told Vanity Fair in an interview right after the ceremony. If you get the Hollywood elite to adopt it in their contracts, it becomes baked in. Jordan likely wont be the only star quickly adopting the rider. Meryl Streep told V.F. on Oscar night that she is excited about the change such clauses could bring about: Its something we didn't know we could demand, she said. Its because girls ask for permission, but now, we are just bursting. It was a great night. Story continues Tessa Thompson, Jordans Creed co-star, also applauded the actors decision via Twitter. This is how change happens, she writes. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Meanwhile, more retainers all across the nation are busting in glee. Inside the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party VANITY FAIR OSCAR PARTY 2018 Photograph by Hannah Thomson. VANITY FAIR OSCAR PARTY 2018 Photograph by Hannah Thomson. Photograph by Justin Bishop. Photograph by Justin Bishop. 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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry celebrated International Womens Day on Thursday by making one girl very happy. The pair visited the Millennium Point building in Birmingham to greet locals and talk about some of the causes they want to champion in their married life, per People. While there, Harry met 10-year-old Sophia Richards, who told him that she wanted to be an actress when she grew up. He promptly took her to see his fiancee, freshly off her show, Suits, and Richards got her own mentoring session right on the spot. Meghan told me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve, Richards told People. And Meghan said she would like to see me on TV when I become an actress, Richards says. It was a dream come true. I will never forget this day. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The couple have been making the rounds with the public quite a lot lately. While visiting Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, they met a mini horse, but this time a dog was among the crowd to greet them. Harry seemed delighted by this particular meet-and-greet. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. No matter the audience, human or canine, this couple always seems ready for a formal meeting. Markle, who wore an Alexander McQueen suit to an evening awards event early last month, kept it snappy again during a royal visit to Birmingham, England, in a J.Crew coat and black cropped Alexander Wang trousers. Meghan Markles Royal Style Edinburgh, February 13 By Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images. Edinburgh, February 13 Left, by Samir Hussein/WireImage; Right, by Chris Jackson/Getty Images. London, February 1 By John Stillwell/PA Images/Getty Images. Wales, January 18 Left, by Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Right, by Karwai Tang/WireImage. London, January 9 By Chris Jackson/Getty Images. Sandringham, December 25 By Chris Jackson/Getty Images. Nottingham, December 1 By Andy Stenning/WPA Pool/Getty Images. Nottingham, December 1 By David Hartley/REX/Shutterstock. Jody Minjarez The body of an Oklahoma infant was found a short time after his biological father attacked his biological mother and kidnapped him. According to police, 31-year-old Victor Manuel Minjarez violently attacked 7-month-old Jody Minjarez's mother in her home on Feb. 19 and then ran off with their son. RELATED: 8 Suspicious New Details About Missing 4-Year-Old North Carolina Boy And How Both Of His Parents Have A History Of Child Abuse The victim obtained an emergency Victim Protective Order on Feb. 23 that ordered Victor to return Jody to her. That same day, through communication he had with one of his friends, Victor sent the mother a message saying that she would never see her son again. Because of the message and other information police obtained during their investigation, an Amber Alert was sent out about the boy's disappearance Norman Police Department Police officers said they believed the child to be in imminent danger, and they were right. Victor fled with the child by driving a rented U-Haul pickup truck. He is currently homeless and has no known place of residence. RELATED: The Most Haunting Stories And Theories About 6 Missing Kids Who Disappeared Without A Trace On Mar. 7, police announced that they had found Victor at a residence in Oklahoma City. They took him into custody and said they were still searching for Jody. However, a short time later they said they found the 7-month-old's body inside the home. According to arrest reports, Victor was booked into Oklahoma County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and desecrating a human corpse. Police are expected to release more information soon. RELATED: Horrific New Details Released About WHY A Mother Let Her Boyfriend And His Cousin Rape And Murder Her 10-Year-Old Daughter While She Watched Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTangos Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz). Keywords: crime, Missing Kid read more Man Lures Girl Online Sex Slave, Justin Teeter Bensing A South Carolina man arrested last month in a child sex trafficking investigation wanted to physically cannibalize his intended victim. Justin Teeter Bensing, 36, was arrested on Feb. 12 for soliciting an undercover police officer he believed to be a minor. He was released on bail just two days later. According to the New York Post, Bensing asked the cop if she was ready to be a full-time baby maker and sex slave. He drove from his home in Myrtle Beach all the way to Greenville to pick up the 14-year-old he thought he was communicating with. Bensing was one of 40 people arrested as a result of Operation Millstone, a two-week long child sex trafficking sting, KMOV reports. This is beyond the worst type of human being that you could possibly imagine, Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis said at a press conference Thursday when he announced the arrests. He said the people linked to the ring were "actively stalking children" to kidnap, traffic, kill and cannibalize. The name Millstone" stemmed from a verse in the book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible. RELATED: Eerie New Details About The 'Canterbury Cannibal' Who Moved To The United States After Trying To Eat A Teenage Girl If anyone causes one of these little ones those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea, the verse reads. According to The State, investigators charged 14 child predators, two human traffickers, 10 prostitutes and 17 johns in the child sex trafficking sting. Lewis said that others arrested in the roundup wanted to knowingly pass on sexually transmitted diseases to the underage children. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. They wanted a 14-year-old child to transfer a disease to, Lewis said. You want to take about the depravity of humanity? Look at these people. Bensing was charged with two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor. He has no prior arrests in South Carolina, according to state police. Story continues If convicted, he faces 10 years in person per charge. Lewis revealed some disturbing details about Bensings case after he was released on bond last month. RELATED: Horrible Details About The Man Who Raped A 12-Year-Old Girl And Was Just Granted Joint Legal Custody Of The Child She Conceived From The Rape Bensing used the alias Rebel Deese online, according to investigators. He also discussed passions for cannibalism and bestiality on his devices and wanted to physically cannibalize a minor he was soliciting. KMOV says warrants also indicated Bensing wanted the minor to drink her own urine and spoke of the sexual fetish coprophilia. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Bensings father was reached by phone Tuesday and denied the allegations against his son, who he said was unavailable. The only thing I have to say on Justins behalf is that any charges of cannibalism are not correct, he told a reporter for The Associated Press and then hung up the phone. According to FOX News, Bensing has no attorney and no court dates have been scheduled. His bond is set at $20,000. Court records show he lives in a neighborhood in Myrtle Beach. Sheriff Lewis warned parents to be careful who their kids communicate with. They are still looking for your kids. RELATED: Horrific New Details Released About WHY A Mother Let Her Boyfriend And His Cousin Rape And Murder Her 10-Year-Old Daughter While She Watched .mcclatchy-embed{position:relative;padding:40px 0 56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%}.mcclatchy-embed iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%} Keywords: crime read more In honor of International Womens Day, Ivanka, Melania, and President Donald Trump showed their support with messages on social media. The problem was ... tons of people were just not here for it. Today we come together in recognition of women at home & around the globe, Ivanka tweeted. We celebrate womens achievements, past & present, & pledge to empower women to reach their full economic potential for generations to come. When women thrive, we ALL succeed. #InternationalWomensDay This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Happy #IWD2018, Melania also wrote. Today we recognize, celebrate & honor women around the globe. On March 21, I will be at the @StateDept to present the #WomenOfCourage award to some extraordinary women. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Of course, the POTUS chimed in too, with a simple "#HappyInternationalWomensDay" tweet that linked to details about the award. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The Twitterverse went all the way in and moved at a lightning fast pace to point out the hypocrisy of the family's tweets. Many in particular called attention to how the president has been accused of varying degrees of sexual assault and harassment by several different women. To date, 19 women have accused the POTUS of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. You have no self-awareness whatsoever. I stand amazed and stunned at how you try to keep up this act, another wrote. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. On #internationalwomensday I call for our President to apologize to all the women he has hurt!, another tweeter chimed in. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. And there were many more reactions to come: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Although Ivanka has been vocal about empowering women, she has been criticized repeatedly for not furthering womens rights within the Trump administration, especially when it comes to equal pay. She also recently refused to answer a journalist's question about the many women accusing her father of sexual misconduct and deemed it "inappropriate." Hence, the reactions. Many social media users responded similarly earlier in March, when Ivanka and Melania tweeted in support of Women's History Month. Today, plenty of social media apps like Snapchat specialize in making sure your alcohol-soaked messages are deleted not long after youve sent them. But over 131 years ago, a written message sent in a literal gin bottle proved to be far less ephemeral: A woman in Western Australia found what will likely be certified as the worlds oldest message in a bottle when she came across a century-plus-old gin bottle stuck in a sand dune along the beach. On January 21, Tonya Illman pulled a bottle from a beach-side sand dune near Wedge Island in Western Australia, not quite realizing the importance of what she found. I picked it up thinking it might look nice on display in my home, she said. Another member of her group noticed what they first thought was a cigarette inside the container, butafter a bit of dryingwas determined to be a more-than-a-century-year-old note. The first thing that caught my eye was the year field, 18__, explained family member Kym Illman on his photography website. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The family got in touch with the Western Australia Maritime Museum which was able to connect all the dots. The note was dated June 12, 1886, and was determined to most likely have come from a German boat named Paula that was traveling through the Indian Ocean. As for the bottle itself, the WA Museum traced its production to Daniel Visser and Zonen in Schiedam, The Netherlands, and believes it either contained gin or the gin precursor, genever. Meanwhile, the distinct shape of the bottle helped date it. The starting point of production of this specific type of gin bottle is c. 1880 (typical tapered shape of the rim), Dutch archeologist J. van Doesburg was quoted as saying. The oldest ones are quite angular, just as older types. The later ones have a more rounded shoulder. The development from angular to round takes about 20-30 years and is gradual. [This] bottle should be placed somewhere in this development. The Illmans now believe that their find will be confirmed by the Guinness World Records as the oldest message in a bottle, beating the previous record, set by a 108-year-old bottle, by more than 23 years. International Womens Day (IWD) has been around for more than a century as a day of celebration for the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women all over the world. This message resonates especially loudly this year in the wake of movements like #MeToo and Times Up. Today, shop these seven fashion brands that will be donating 100 percent (yes, you read that right) of their profits to foundations and organizations that support women and girls. Happy shopping. 1. Rachel Roy: Celebrate the word WOMEN in any language with this powerful, limited edition tee featuring the brands signature rainbow foil heart design. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Rainbow Women T-Shirt ($40) benefits World of Children. 2. LIVELY: Everyones favorite bra brand has released a limited-edition tee in honor of IWD that would do any wardrobe proud. Their latest Unapologetically Femme Tee has a simple but bold message, and 100 percent of profits will go to I Support the Girls. 3. LOLA: Womens lifestyle brand LOLA, known for creating smart reproductive care for women, by women, is teaming up with jewelry destination Ryan Porter on a friendship bracelet set that you are gonna want stat. All the profits from the LOLA x Ryan Porter x BUILTBYGIRLS ($15) set support their Girl, You Better (Net)work initiative an annual mini-conference that gives women professional tools to start their careers. Werk it. 4. Eileen Fisher: The fashion company is releasing the second iteration of its Morse Code Capsule Collection ($88-$208) for IWD. The code, which writes out an important message the future is female, gives every dime from the four-piece collection directly to VoteRunLead, a diverse organization that helps women run for office. Image result for Forever21 Girlfluence 5. Forever 21: The fast fashion powerhouse is teaming up with Girls Inc. and some of the brands favorite lady musicians from around the globe to celebrate female empowerment. For each piece sold, F21 will donate $1 to Girls Inc., but the brand has also committed to providing a minimum donation of $50,000. With every item under $30, you have no excuse not to nab buys like this Girlfluence Graphic Tee ($13). Story continues 6. Zoe Chicco: The LA-based fine jewelry designer is partnering with Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson of the Kind Campaign to create a collection inspired by the non-profits goal of shining a light on girl-against-girl bullying. The 10-piece capsule includes a selection of 14k gold rings, nameplate necklaces, and these epic Itty Bitty Be Kind Stud Earrings ($265). 7. eBay x Olivia Palermo: For IWD, style maven Olivia Palermo is joining forces with e-tailer eBay to refresh your wardrobe for a good cause. Palermo created a curated list of must-have fashion and beauty items from her own closet that can be yours with all proceeds going to Dress for Success. Shop her Fendi sunnies, Jimmy Choo handbag, or even a pair of her most prized Manolos. In addition to her closet staples, Palermo is also offering a slew of tips and tricks to keep you in style all season long. How are you supporting and celebrating women this International Womens Day? Let us know @BritandCo. Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations. As communities and organizations around the globe join efforts to promote gender parity for International Women's Day, findings show that the equality gap may take centuries to close. 2018's campaign theme is #PressforProgress. However, even as activism for women's equality expands worldwide, the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2017 Global Gender Gap Report says the goal isn't expected to be reached until 217 years from now. The latest findings reveal the gap appears to be widening. In 2016, WEF anticipated that 170 years would pass before women achieve equal pay and representation in the workplace. "People's abilities are people's abilities," said AccuWeather Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Evan Myers. "There's always been a pay gap in society between men and women and between other groups of people, and there's really no place for that; as a company, we believe that, and I personally believe that," Myers added. AccuWeather employees - IWD 2018 Press for Progress AccuWeather employees show support for the International Women's Day 2018 theme of #PressforProgress. (Photo/Taliya Riesterer) When it comes to receiving a pay raise or applying for a higher-level position, some women are unaware of their value and worth as a qualified employee, according to Elizabeth Soroka, AccuWeather's vice president of human resources. "Not negotiating pay or not getting the promotion causes an issue with women taking on more low-level positions, creating occupational segregation and less of an opportunity for leadership roles," Soroka said. AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Laura Velasquez, an 11-year veteran who works alongside six female and seven male broadcasters, believes gender shouldn't be part of the equation. "I'd like to see pay based solely on accomplishments, experience, education and work ethic," Velasquez said. Women in leadership: Good for business AccuWeather, a leading global media and meteorological organization which boasts a diverse team of more than 400 employees, prides itself on encouraging growth within the company and letting employees know that they're the heart of its success. Story continues "It really means a lot to me to know that I work at a company that's committed to helping promote their employees and finding a path for success for anybody who wants to get there," said AccuWeather Business Intelligence Manager Rosemary Radich. Companies at which women, minorities and people of different sexual orientations are represented within leadership are better able to engage the various types of populations with which they do business, Radich said. Diverse leadership which includes women also benefits a company's bottom line, according to Radich. "We've found time and time again that companies [with strong female leadership] do better financially, compared to the competitors where women aren't represented," she said. Despite data from the WEF which shows that the proportion of female leaders has risen an average of just over 2 percent across 12 industries, data also shows that when leadership includes more women, more women tend to be hired across the board at all levels. "If you have women in leadership positions when you have potential employees out there who are looking at your company and looking at who is represented in your leadership, you're going to attract a more diverse candidate pool," Radich said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Working together to achieve gender parity As a college student studying meteorology in the late 90s, AccuWeather Vice President of Digital Media Strategy Trish Mikita recalls often being the only woman in the room. "There were never more than 10 percent of females in any of my highest-level meteorology, physics or math classes; it was still very much a male-dominated field," Mikita said. A recent study found that women comprise 29 percent of television weathercaster roles. Males continue to dominate meteorology and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, which is why their roles are considered essential to the process of progress. "Our chief marketing officer's leadership team is 75 percent women, and our chief technology officer's leadership team is about 40 percent women," Radich said. "That's in an area where a lot of companies only have about 10 percent of their leadership positions made up of women," she added. "There are men out there who are really good advocates for change, and it can be done." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. AccuWeather has taken steps to encourage women to participate at the leadership level, including outlining a 2018 goal of hiring more women from a range of backgrounds. "It's important for our male employees to be supportive, and I think we have a diverse, male-dominated company that are all for that," said AccuWeather Employee Benefits Manager Aira Nelson. "One of the main reasons you'll notice these changes is because of the support that we have by those leaders." Until women hold half of the leadership positions, according to Mikita, there is still much work to be done to achieve global gender equality. "Men and women need to speak up to make this better," she said. WASHINGTON Advocacy groups with powerful grassroots networks around the country are pressuring senators to vote for unprecedented legislation from Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) that would immediately end U.S. support for a controversial Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting in Yemen since 2015. At noon on Thursday, all Senate offices received a letter organized by the progressive group Win Without War and the conservative organization FreedomWorks and signed by 53 other outfits, including Indivisible, Our Revolution, CODEPINK, MoveOn.Org and CREDO. Activists are organizing a special call-in day on Friday to add to the more than 5,000 calls on the issue that constituents have already made to members. And campaigners plan a flurry of face-to-face meetings with congressional staff in the run up to a vote expected next week. This war of attrition has been waged using U.S. weapons, military support, and personnel without consent of Congress for far too long, reads the letter, which was provided to HuffPost. Congress has a constitutional and ethical duty to ensure any and all U.S. military operations comply with domestic and international law, and U.S. participation in the civil war in Yemen raises numerous legal and moral questions that must be resolved. The Senate bill they support cites the 1973 War Powers Resolution and Arms Export Control Act to say that Congress has the responsibility to expeditiously weigh in on the war and directs a halt to the U.S. role in it. The Trump administration has responded to the bill by questioning its legal basis. In a letter to Senate leaders obtained by HuffPost last week, the acting general counsel of the Defense Department argued that lawmakers legislation cannot invoke the War Powers Resolution and force an end to the policy because American support to the coalition, dominated by Saudi Arabia and fellow U.S. partner the United Arab Emirates, does not constitute hostilities against the Iran-backed rebels the coalition is fighting. Pentagon, State Department and intelligence community officials made their case to Congressional staff Wednesday, and Yemen has now been added to the agenda of a classified briefing for senators themselves next Wednesday that was previously only about Syria, two sources told HuffPost. Story continues But many legal scholars doubt the Defense Departments logic, noting that the House of Representatives last year acknowledged that U.S. aerial refueling and intelligence is going to Saudi and UAE planes bombing the rebels. Many campaigners on the left and right agree. Our view is that Article 1, section 8 [of the Constitution] makes it very clear that Congress has the authority to declare war, said Jason Pye, the vice president for legislative affairs at FreedomWorks. He noted that the Trump administration is sending Capitol Hill updates on U.S. activity in Yemen obligated under the War Powers legislation suggesting that it believes it is relevant in this case. As rights groups have made repeated war crimes allegations against the Saudi-UAE coalition, and starvation and medical crises for millions in Yemen have gotten worse, lawmakers have tried several times to signal their disapproval of the policy initiated by President Barack Obama and continued under President Donald Trump. Despite hearings and proxy votes that have drawn more attention to the war in one case last summer almost preventing a key weapons sale to Saudi Arabia no legislative attempt to change course in the conflict has gone further than a compromise resolution passed in the House last year that acknowledged the U.S. government is not authorized to fight the rebels. Activists say they are more confident about the impact of the Senate legislation. The way it was crafted means it must be dealt with on the floor, forcing lawmakers to be on the record rather than negotiate over the issue in backrooms. Kate Kizer, the policy director for Win Without War, suggested another reason for optimism is how much concern there is now among the public about Trumps general bellicosity. Its in the context of mission creep under this president his belief that he does have the constitutional authority that he can just launch strikes and drop bombs over countries, she said. Trump has bombed Syria, expanded commanders authorities to call in strikes against the self-described Islamic State fight and threatened North Korea. What is essentially at stake is ... this would mean that Congress would have to vote on all these different military entanglements around the world, said Kate Gould of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, on the prospective vote. Trump aides know that this is a game-changing vote, she added. Three influential Democrats have already co-sponsored the bill: Democratic Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Cory Booker (N.J.). Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer seems positively inclined, two sources told HuffPost. Schumers spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. While prominently anti-war Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is not yet on board, citing his opposition to a carve-out in the bill that would allow continued U.S. actions in Yemen against Al-Qaedas branch there, advocates say they are working to have him endorse the legislation. They argue that the more narrow consideration of whether America ought to conduct military actions abroad without any official authorization should be separate from the debate about how the U.S. relies on dated congressional resolutions to justify its pursuit of groups like ISIS. Saudi Arabias powerful congressional lobbying operation does not yet appear to be focused on the Yemen legislation in the Senate, Kizer said. They are instead relying on the Trump administrations work to counter it, she added. Saudi authorities have been trying to draw Washingtons attention to new Saudi aid plans for Yemen, but humanitarian groups say the program is lacking because it does not include key actions like fully lifting an ongoing blockade on the critical port of Hodeidah. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. drone strike on a training camp in an isolated part of Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar on Wednesday killed more than 20 Pakistani Taliban preparing to launch suicide attacks in Pakistan, officials said. Two Pakistani intelligence officials said the attack, carried out in a village called Saresha Sultan Shah, killed at least two senior figures in the movement, besides someone believed to be a trainer of suicide bombers. The Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is separate from the Afghan Taliban and combines a number of groups that fight the government of Pakistan. The U.S. State Department has put it on a list of foreign terrorist organizations. Last month, a suspected U.S. drone strike on the Pakistani side of the border killed the deputy leader of the TTP, which has been waging a campaign of bombings and other attacks on Pakistani forces. The Pakistani intelligence officials said Wednesday's drone strike in Kunar, an undeveloped and thickly forested province on the two countries' border, took place during a visit by senior TTP figures prior to sending the militants into Pakistan. They said it killed Gul Mohammad, a TTP leader in Bajaur Agency on the Afghan border, and Qari Yaseen, whom officials described as a "master trainer of suicide bombers". A son of TTP leader Fazlullah Khorasani was also killed, they added. Sources in the Pakistani Taliban confirmed the strike had killed more than a dozen of their members but said Fazlullah Khorasani, who was visiting the training camp at the time of the attack, had not himself been killed. A spokesman of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and U.S. forces in Afghanistan headquarters in the capital, Kabul, did not confirm the report. "We were not aware of this report and have no additional information to offer," he said in an emailed statement. Last year, the CIA requested increased authorities to conduct covert drone strikes against militant targets in Afghanistan. Provincial officials in Kunar confirmed a drone strike had been carried out, but did not say what the target had been. Afghanistan and Pakistan accuse each other of allowing militant groups to shelter in remote frontier regions to prepare cross-border attacks. U.S. officials have also accused Pakistan of not doing enough to crack down on such groups operating on its side of the border. Relations between Washington and Islamabad have become increasingly strained over the issue and the United States this year suspended about $2 billion in assistance to Pakistan. (Additional reporting by Rohullah Anwari in ASADABAD and James Mackenzie and Hamid Shalizi in KABUL; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Bones found on a Pacific Island in the 1940s, which were likely to be those of pilot Amelia Earhart, went unidentified for years because scientists believed they belonged to a man, an anthropologist has claimed in a new study. When the bones were discovered on Nikumaroro Islandabout three years after Earhart disappeared and was eventually declared lost at seaDr. D.W. Hoodless, principal of the Central Medical School, Fiji, examined them and concluded they were a males in 1941. However, a forensic analysis published in Forensic Anthropology concluded that Hoodlesss belief that the bones belonged to a middle-aged stocky male about 5'5.5" in height, is likely incorrect. Trending: Terrifying 'Super Monster Wolf' Is a Robotic Pet That Will Save Farms The new research, which was conducted by Richard Jantz, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center, involved multiple techniquesincluding a computer program used to estimate sex and stature of skeletons. Jantz also used photographs of the famed pilot to compare her estimated bone lengths with those of the unidentified bones. 3_8_Amelia Earhart Davis/Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images The fact remains that if the bones are those of a stocky male, he would have had bone lengths very similar to Amelia Earharts, which is a low-probability event, Jantz wrote in his published paper. Until definitive evidence is presented that the remains are not those of Amelia Earhart, the most convincing argument is that they are hers. Related: Woman Who Repeatedly Sneaks On Planes Without A Ticket Arrested Yet Again Story continues Don't miss: Man Taken to Hospital After Sneeze Leads to College Brawl Instead of blaming Hoodlesss methods, Jantz said misidentification was the issueas well as an overall field-wide poor understanding of the science of human beings. At the time of Hoodlesss conclusion, anthropology was not well developed, Jantz wrote. However, using Fordica software program Jantz co-createdtodays anthropologists can more accurately identify human remains. The program has become so popular that most other experts in the field across the globe use it today, according to a statement detailing his findings. Despite the new evidence, there's no doubt that conspiracy theories surrounding her disappearance will continue to circulate. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Kris Osborn Security, North America The Air Force is looking into new generation stealth. Will America's Bombers Be Able to Defeat Russian Air Defense? The Air Force is preparing for a substantial technical critical design review of its next-generation B-21 Raider bomber, an aircraft said by developers to mark a new fourth-generation in stealth technology able to elude the most advanced air defenses in the world. The review, described by Air Force officials as a key step prior to formal construction of the aircraft, will assess design specs, technology plans, computing power and weapons integration for the new bomber a platform which service developers say will advance stealth technology itself to new, unprecedented dimensions of technological sophistication. The B-21 program has completed preliminary design review. The next step is critical design review. The Air Force remains confident in the B-21's progress and in delivering this new capability as planned in the mid-2020s, senior Air Force public affairs director Anne Stefanek, told Warrior Maven. Critical reviews of the emerging B-21 design are essential to engineering a platform able to accommodate the most advanced current and anticipated future stealth properties which include stealth coating and configuration, radar cross section reduction and heat signature suppression technologies, among other things. Recommended: America Has Military Options for North Korea (but They're All Bad) Recommended: 1,700 Planes Ready for War: Everything You Need To Know About China's Air Force Recommended: Stealth vs. North Koreas Air Defenses: Who Wins? A new generation of stealth technology is being pursued with a sense of urgency, in light of rapid global modernization of new Russian and Chinese-built air defense technologies; advances in computer processing, digital networking technology and targeting systems now enable air defenses to detect even stealth aircraft with much greater effectiveness. Story continues Russian built S-300 and S-400 air defense weapons, believed by many to be among the best in the world, are able to use digital technology to network nodes to one another to pass tracking and targeting data across wide swaths of terrain. New air defenses also use advanced command and control technology to detect aircraft across a much wider spectrum of frequencies than previous systems could. This technical trend has ignited global debates about whether stealth technology itself could become obsolete. Not so fast, says a recent Mitchell Institute essay The Imperative for Stealth, which makes a lengthy case for a continued need for advanced stealth platforms. The essays principle claim, fortified by lengthy analysis, offers a window of substantial detail into comments from Air Force senior leaders that the B-21 will advance stealth technology such that it will be able to hold any target at risk, anywhere in the world, anytime. The US is now developing its fourth generation of stealth aircraft. The computational capabilities that were available to design the F-117 and B-2 are dwarfed by the power now available to design teams, writes the Mitchell Institute essay, by Maj. Gen. Mark Barrett, USAF (Ret.) and Col. Mace Carpenter, USAF (Ret.) Stealth technology works by engineering an aircraft with external contours and heat signatures designed to elude detection from enemy radar systems. The absence of defined edges, noticeable heat emissions, weapons hanging on pylons or other easily detectable aircraft features, means that radar "pings" can have trouble receiving a return electromagnetic signal allowing them to identify an approaching bomber. Since the speed of light (electricity) is known, and the time of travel of electromagnetic signals can be determined as well, computer algorithms are then able to determine the precise distance of an enemy object. However, when it comes to stealth aircraft, the return signal may be either non-existant or of an entirely different character than that of an actual aircraft. A stealth aircraft will, for instance, appear in the shape of a bird or insect to enemy radar. Given the increased threat envelope created by cutting edge air defenses, and the acknowledgement that stealth aircraft are indeed much more vulnerable than when they first emerged, Air Force developers are increasingly viewing stealth capacity as something which includes a variety of key parameters. This includes not only stealth configuration, IR suppression and radar-evading materials but also other important elements such as electronic warfare jamming defenses, operating during adverse weather conditions to lower the acoustic signature and conducting attacks in tandem with other less-stealthy aircraft likely to command attention from enemy air defense systems. Given these factors, Air Force developers often refer to stealth configuration itself as merely one arrow in the quiver of approaches needed to defeat modern air defenses. Mixing stealthy aircraft with conventional aircraft, deception, air defense suppression, and electronic jamming will complicate an enemys defensive problem set by an order of magnitude, the paper writes. The authors of the paper explain that newer stealth technology able to outmatch advanced multi-frequency air defenses must utilize a characteristic known as broadband stealth. Multi-band or broadband stealth, which is designed to elude both lower frequency area surveillance radar as well as high-frequency engagement radar, puts an emphasis upon radar cross section-reducing tailless designs such as that now being envisioned for the B-21. The B-21 image released by the USAF depicts a design that does not use vertical flight control surfaces like tails. Without vertical surfaces to reflect radar from side aspects, the new bomber will have an RCS (Radar Cross Section) that reduces returns not only from the front and rear but also from the sides, making detection from any angle a challenge, the Mitchell Institute writes. Stealth fighter jets, such as the F-22 and F-35, have an entirely different configuration and rely upon some vertical flight control surfaces such as tails and wings. Being more vulnerable to lower frequency surveillance radars due to having a fighter jet configuration, an F-35 or F-22 would depend upon its speed, maneuverability and air-to-air attack systems to fully defend against enemies. Given that fighter jets require tails, wings and other structures necessary to performance, they are naturally inherently less stealthy than a high-altitude bomber. Newer methods of IR or thermal signature reduction are connected to engine and exhaust placement. Internally configured engines, coupled with exhaust pipes on the top of an aircraft can massively lower the heat emissions from an aircraft, such as the structure of the current B-2 - the authors of the essay say. Hot gases from the engine can be further cooled using mixing techniques in the exhaust system, the paper writes. Technical progress in the area of advanced computer simulations are providing developers with an unprecedented advantage in designing the new bomber as well. Simulations of interactions between designs and various threat radars are now far more accurate and realistic, allowing additional refinement of stealth design solutions before any hardware is actually built or tested, the essay writes. The new aircraft will be designed to have global reach, in part by incorporating a large arsenal of long-range weapons. The B-21 is being engineered to carry existing weapons as well as nuclear bombs and emerging and future weapons, Air Force officials explained. It if's arsenal is anything like the B-2, it will like have an ability to drop a range of nuclear weapons, GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions and possibly even the new Air Force nuclear-armed cruise missile now in development called the LRSO - Long Range Stand Off weapon. It is also conceivable, according to Air Force developers, that the new bomber will one day be armed with yet-to-be seen weapons technology This article originally appeared on Warrior Maven. Image: Wikimedia Commons Read full article A former police officer in North Carolina has been arrested for choking and seriously injuring a black man whom he suspected of jaywalking, marking the latest development in a case that has gripped the Asheville community and sent heads rolling in the local police department Former senior police officer Christopher Hickman was arrested on Thursday and charged with assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury and making criminal threats for his videotaped attack on Johnnie Jermaine Rush, according to the Buncombe County District Attorney. The officer, who resigned in January after it became clear he would be fired, is currently out on bail. The arrest stems from an August 24 incident that was captured on police body camera and subsequently leaked to the Asheville Citizen Times, where it spread widely and caused an immediate uproar in town. Community activists said the footage confirmed what many of them always knew: that police officers in the community unfairly target black men. Trending: Telescopes on the Moon Will Let Astronomers See the Earliest Moments of the Universe in Stunning Detail There is no doubt in my mind that it happened because he's black, Carmen Ramos-Kennedy, the president of the Asheville-Buncombe County NAACP, told Newsweek. Because of the nature of Asheville, there is no doubt in mind. But its shocking and sickening to people who dont know how it is. Hickman Buncombe County Sheriff's Department The 8-minute long footage shows officer-in-training Verino Ruggiero approach Rush on a deserted street shortly after midnight for not using a crosswalk "four times in a row." Hickman, who is wearing the camera and training Ruggiero, watches the interaction from the patrol car. "All I'm trying to do is go home, man," Rush told the officers. "I'm tired. I just got off of work." The two verbally sparred over the seriousness of jaywalking. Eventually, Ruggiero threatened Rush with arrest or a ticket. "It doesn't matter to me, man," Rush told him. "Do what you have got to do, besides keep harassing me." Ruggiero then attempted to arrest Rush, who fled on foot and led the officers on a short chase. Story continues You know whats funny is, you are going to get f*cked up hardcore, Hickman can be heard saying as he runs after Rush, eventually tackling him to the ground. The video also shows Hickman repeatedly beating Rush over the head with a closed fist and tazing him as the man yells out in pain, telling the officer he "can't breathe." Don't miss: Trump Personally Invited Putin to 2013 Miss Universe Pageant, Enthusing About 'Beautiful' Women "I beat the s--- out of his head," Hickman said later in the video, while talking to another officer. "Not gonna lie about that." North Carolina Police Brutality Asheville Police Department Rush, who had been walking home after finishing up a shift at Cracker Barrel restaurant, was initially charged with second-degree trespass for walking through a closed buildings parking lot, impeding traffic, assault on a government official and resisting a police officer, but District Attorney Todd Williams dropped all charges after reviewing the footage. Officials also searched through 58 hours of footage from Hickmans body-worn camera and and flagged at least four other instances as problematic. "The acts demonstrated in this video are unacceptable and contrary to the department's vision and the progress we have made in the last several years in improving community trust," Police Chief Tammy Hooper said. Most popular: Who is Kristian Saucier? Navy Sailor Whose Case Trump Used to Hammer Hillary Clinton Receives Second Pardon of Presidency During a heated community meeting about the incident on Wednesday, Hooper said she would happily resign if it would bring the community peace. In an unusual step, the department released Hickmans personnel record to the public, along with a slew of other materials pertaining to the case. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer vowed that the city of 90,000 will have accountability and, above all, transparency. The FBI has also launched an investigation into Hickmans actions. The former officers last day on active duty was August 25, at which time he was asked by superiors to surrender his gun and his badge, police said. Asheville Police Department Asheville Police Department Neither Rush nor Hickman returned a request for comment. According to a timeline of events, one of Hickman's direct supervisors was also disciplined for failing to review the footage and flag it for concerns about use of force. Ramos-Kenney, who has been advocating for police accountability in Asheville since 2007, described the unknown person who leaked the footage as "an angel." She believes it validated community concerns about police brutality. Someone in the department said, okay, this needs to be seen by the public.' Im very thankful for that, she said. And I do think this will change things. People are seeing that its a dire situation in the community. People are listening. City Councilmember Sheneika Smith echoed Ramos-Kennedy. Its as if we have been liberated, brought out of dark and hidden places into the worlds view," Smith told Newsweek. The arrest is a moment of hope for a community in constant crisis. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Addis Ababa (AFP) - Washington's top diplomat began his first Africa tour Thursday by meeting with the African Union chief, who said the continent had moved on from a reported insult by President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and AU commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed security and counter-terrorism, trade and development, corruption and conflict in an hour-long meeting at the continental body's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. But looming over the meeting was Trump's alleged description of African nations as "shithole countries" in January, which forced the president to pen a letter reaffirming his commitment to the continent. Faki, however, insisted the slur was now in the past. "I received a letter written by President Trump to myself and I shared that with other African leaders. I believe this incident is of the past," he said. Tillerson's five-nation Africa tour -- to include Djibouti, Kenya, Chad and Nigeria, all key allies in fighting Islamic extremism -- has been described as a "listening tour", with no deals or initiatives due to be announced. "The purpose of my trip is to listen to what the priorities of the countries here on the continent are and see where there is good alignment," said Tillerson. The diplomat met Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu as well as Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned earlier this month amid a political crisis in Africa's fastest growing economy. Tillerson urged Ethiopia to move on from a state of emergency "as quickly as possible" and called for citizens in the tightly-run country to be given "greater freedoms". - Focus on security - Analysts highlight the choice of countries visited by Tillerson as a sign of the United States' focus on security issues on the continent. Chad, Kenya and Nigeria are all battling Islamic extremism, with help from the United States, while Djibouti hosts the only permanent US military base on the continent. Story continues Tillerson and Faki discussed continued US support to African counter-terrorism forces in the Sahel and Somalia but no new concrete commitments were given. "We have not yet won that battle in Somalia and we must stay at it," Tillerson said. His visit is also a bid to counter the mounting perception that the continent is a low priority for the Trump administration, with US-Africa policy ill-defined and key ambassadorial and State Department posts unfilled. Tillerson's department, meanwhile, submitted a 2019 budget request that would cut US health programs in Africa by a fifth and diplomatic programs by more than a third. However he said his visit was "an indication of the importance the continent plays in the future of the US, both in security and from the economic standpoint." Also looming over the journey is the rise of China as an economic and diplomatic power to rival the West. Tillerson warned against blind acceptance of booming Chinese investment in Africa. He said the US was "not in any way attempting to keep Chinese investment dollars out of Africa" but urged governments to "carefully consider the terms of those investments" so they do "not forfeit any elements of your sovereignty". He also solicited African support in pressuring North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. Tillerson said the US was "a long way from negotiations" with North Korea, which this week made a shock offer to discuss denuclearisation in return for security guarantees. - Lavrov meeting? - Tillerson's trip to Ethiopia is scheduled to briefly overlap with a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said he had requested a meeting. Washington denied receiving an invitation to talks. "We sent proposals to the Americans and they said they will think about that but later. As you know, they announced that there will be no meeting and that no discussions (about it) have taken place at all," Lavrov said in Zimbabwe. Tillerson, in Addis Ababa, called the idea that he had rejected a meeting with Lavrov "silly." "If it doesn't work out here, he and I see each other often around the world and we have each other's telephone numbers and we do use them." Tillerson heads to Djibouti and Kenya on Friday. The Bachelor fans were so up in arms about the finale, they bought billboards. After Arie Luyendyk, Jr. broke up with fiancee Becca Kufrin during a torturous segment during the shows finale where he brought a camera crew to film him breaking the news to Becca that he was leaving her for the shows runner-up, Lauren Burnham. While this would be distressing to anyone, it felt especially cruel for Becca, who couldnt get a moment alone to cry or process the situation without Arie or the camera crew bothering her, despite multiple requests from her for Arie to leave. In fact, Aries refusal to leave or give Becca space was so infuriating to some members of Bachelor nation, that they took a cue from Mildred Hayes by buying billboard space for their cause: calling out Aries callous actions. So far, at least 16 billboards have been spotted in Southern California (where the Bachelor mansion is) and Beccas home state of Minnesota; the message to Arie is succinct and clear: ArieNot okay. Just leave. Take note, Arie: hell hath no fury like a Bachelor fan scorned. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. It looks like Times Square could be next. Ahead of the student march for gun control in Washington, D.C., planned for this month, Baltimores mayor vowed that thousands of her citys students will be among the protestors. Mayor Catherine E. Pugh said Tuesday that she will provide 60 buses to transport students to the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, which was organized by survivors of last months deadly shooting at a Florida high school. Her announcement came as hundreds of Baltimores students walked out of classes and marched to City Hall to protest gun violence throughout the city and its schools. Once at City Hall, they were met by Pugh, who cheered them on. Baltimore students, seen outside of City Hall on Tuesday, participated in a walkout to protest gun violence in schools and the city. (Photo: Baltimore Sun via Getty Images) We need to end this violence, and it needs to be heard from not just me, leaders of the city. We need to hear the voices of young people. Maybe then Congress will listen, Pugh said, according to local station WBAL. We are a nation filled with too many guns, the mayor added in a video message posted to Twitter later that night. There is a need to control guns in our country, period, and so we want our young people in Baltimores voices to be heard in Washington, D.C. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Pugh, during an exchange on the issue with Fox News Laura Ingraham on Wednesday night, said that funding for approximately 3,000 students transportation is being made available through both the private sector as well as through individual donations. James Bentley, a spokesman for her office, confirmed that detail to HuffPost on Thursday, adding that Pughs office is actively reaching out to philanthropic donors for their support. As for Pughs decision to send students south, he said it followed the marchs national organizers reaching out late last month. The organizers expressed a desire to increase diversity at the march and to have the kids from Baltimore participate in the march, he said in an email. Students are seen participating in Tuesday's walkout to protest gun violence in schools and Baltimore. (Photo: Baltimore Sun via Getty Images) Gun control in Baltimore remains a hot-button issue, with high crime and violence rates continuing to plague the city. Last year, 88 percent of those killed in Baltimore died from a firearm. The majority of the guns used to commit the acts were illegally possessed, The Baltimore Sun reported citing local authorities said. Story continues Another report in USA Today in January named Baltimore the nations most dangerous city, with the area having the nations highest per capita murder rate. The Brennan Center for Justice, which reviewed crime statistics from the nations 30 largest cities, also reported that Baltimore saw a 16.4 percent increase in violent crimes between 2016 and 2017, a percentage that was higher than any other city. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Students from Baltimore School for the Arts walk along Guilford Avenue on their way to City Hall on Tuesday. (Photo: Baltimore Sun via Getty Images) During this weeks student march, the young demonstrators walked not just for those in Florida but themselves and those around them. Student Quinn Parker, 16, marched with a sign reading We stand with Excel Academy, a school in West Baltimore that has lost seven students to gun violence over the last two years, The Baltimore Sun reported. Our city, with its history of such high homicide rates, needs to do a better job of keeping its students safe everywhere, Parker told the paper. We all need to come together and protest so that something can change, another student, Talia Jackson, told WBAL. Im marching today because I think what is happening is unacceptable and its very disturbing. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. The USS Carl Vinson is anchored at Tien Sa Port in Danang, Vietnam, Monday, March 5, 2018. For the first time since the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is paying a visit to a Vietnamese port, seeking to bolster both countries' efforts to stem expansionism by China in the South China Sea - AP Beijing has proposed a new national park in the South China Sea, amid simmering tensions between Asian rivals over the disputed waters. China claims nearly all the strategic sea, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several south-east Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Beijing has caused alarm from its neighbours who claim it is developing its military capabilities in the region by fortifying and building infrastructure on the tiny land formations. Its proposal for a "marine park" to "further protect the region's ecology" comes after a landmark tribunal ruling in 2016 said that China's island building had caused severe harm to the coral reef environment. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague also ruled that Chinese authorities were aware that "Chinese fishermen have harvested endangered sea turtles, coral and giant clams on a substantial scale. The South China Sea has been a flashpoint for tensions in recent years, with Beijing often expressing anger towards Washington over freedom of navigation patrols carried out by US naval vessels in the region. Territorial confrontation in the South China Sea Chinese state media voiced displeasure earlier this week after a US aircraft carrier arrived in Vietnam for the first time since the end of the war in what was seen a symbolic show of strength between the two former foes aimed at Beijing. Britain has vowed to send a warship into the South China Sea this month, in a move which has already provoked anger from Chinese officials. Proposals for a new national park were being aired in Beijing at Chinas rubber stamp parliament, the National Peoples Congress (NPC). Wang Changren, an NPC deputy and Party chief of the Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times: A national park in the region can improve people's awareness of the region's importance, and the South China Sea should be a textbook for marine protection in China." Story continues Q&A | South China Sea dispute The newspaper added: "When asked whether the disputes in the South China Sea will hinder the process for a national park, Wang stressed that countries in the region should reach a consensus on the protection of marine ecology in the vast waters. In 2017, China opened a cinema in Sansha, a city it formed on Woody Island, the largest of the South China Seas Paracel Islands, which are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The city also has a Chinese-built public library and a stadium, which has staged various cultural activities to enrich the lives of residents, Xinhua news agency said. Additional reporting by Christine Wei Department removes from its mission statement promises to build inclusive communities free from discrimination Ben Carson recently faced criticism over revelations he ordered a $31,000 dining set for his Washington office. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP The US housing department, helmed by the former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, has proposed a new mission statement in which the pledge to build inclusive communities free from discrimination is removed. The proposal comes just two weeks after the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services changed its mission statement to eliminate a passage that described the US as a nation of immigrants. A 5 March internal memo, obtained by the Huffington Post, contained a draft of the US Department of Housing and Urban Developments (Hud) new, shortened mission statement, which emphasizes self-sufficiency. The author described it as an effort to align Huds mission with the secretarys priorities and that of the administration. Carson has long touted his own rise from poverty in Detroit and Boston to an Ivy League education and pioneering surgical advances. Yet while he advocates a bootstraps philosophy and has defended proposed budget cuts to his own department, the Guardian recently revealed that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered for his own Washington office. He has called efforts to desegregate housing social engineering and has been criticized for rolling back proposals aimed at eliminating housing discrimination for the LGBTQ community. The new mission statement, advanced in the memo by Amy Thompson, a Hud political staffer, reads: Huds mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation. In a statement, a Hud spokesman, Raffi Williams, said the proposed changes to the Hud mission statement were modest and intended to make it more clear and concise. Hud has been, is now, and will always be committed to ensuring inclusive housing, free from discrimination for all Americans, he said. Story continues But housing rights groups questioned why the agency would remove the promise from its guiding credo. If theyre willing to remove that from the mission statement, are they really making it a priority? said Megan Hustings, the interim director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Its especially appalling, as we near the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, that secretary Carson would signal this step away from Dr Kings legacy, wrote Diane Yentel, the head of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in a statement. Housing policy created the segregated communities that exist today and federal, state and local governments have an obligation to reverse these trends by furthering fair housing. Japan suspended trading on two cryptocurrencies on Thursday, following a reported $530 million cyber heist at Coincheck, one of the countrys largest crypto platforms, in January. The countrys Financial Services Agency (FSA) have ordered Bitstation and FSHO to suspend business for at least a month, Reuters reports, after finding that Bitstations executive previously used customer funds for personal transactions, while FSHO allegedly failed to shore up customer protection. The FSAs sanctions on Thursday also caused Bitcoin prices to briefly plunge. At time of publication, Bitcoins price was down about 7% over the last 24 hours. In addition to Bistation and FSHO, the FSA has imposed administrative penalties on five other cyrptocurrency platforms, including Coincheck, ordering them to improve their risk management to prevent further cyber hacks. Following the announced FSA penalties, Coincheck CEO Koichiro Wada told reporters that the exchanges systems werent in keeping with the expansion of our business. The company has until March 22 to inform the regulator on its plans for improvement. It will also have to repay digital investors $434 million (46 billion yen) following the January heist. Last year Japan became the first country to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges. Neither Bitstation or FSHO could be reached for comment by media outlets. Bitcoin's price tanked to under $10,000 on Wednesday amid fears that a major exchange had been hacked and new regulatory warnings from U.S. authorities. The cryptocurrencys value fell to half that of three months ago, when it reached a whopping $20,000 per coin. But it remains volatile, and the bitcoin price reacted swiftly this week to warnings from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that potentially unlawful trading platforms would soon be forced to register with it or face legal actionfalling to $9,520. If a platform offers trading of digital assets that are securities and operates as an exchange, as defined by the federal securities laws, then the platform must register with the SEC, the agency said. The move comes as several governments aim to tame the unpredictable industrywhich still operates in murky legal territory. Trending: Who Is Ruthie Ann Miles? Katie Holmes, Amy Schumer and More Raise $380,000 for Broadway Star Whose 4-year-old Daughter Was Killed in New York Car Accident bitcoin price crash hold sell cryptocurrency REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration According to the SEC, which has launched lawsuits against exchanges operating in the U.S. including AriseBank, which was endorsed by celebrities, changes are needed in order to protect consumers and investors. Concerns are high about Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), which are used to raise cash. The SEC staff has concerns that many online trading platforms appear to investors as SEC-registered and regulated marketplaces when they are not, it said. Don't miss: Spotify Contributes To Male Bias In the Music Industry. It Might Have A Solution These platforms give the impression that they perform exchange-like functionsbut there is no reason to believe that such information has the same integrity as that provided by national securities exchanges," the agency added. Story continues But the tumbling price was likely also linked to issues with Binance, a major cryptocurrency exchange based in Japan which suffered widespread issues on Wednesday. It has since declared that customer all funds are safe but prior to that was forced to stall all transactions. According to CoinMarketCap, Binance is one of the top three exchanges based on trading volume. In a statement, the company said the market had experienced abnormal trading activity caused by a large scale phishing and stealing attempt. It blamed hackers who were targeting a lesser known cryptocurrency known as Viacoin (VIA). The hackers accumulated user account credentials over a long period of time, Binance acknowledged on its website. There are still some users whose accounts where phished by these hackers and their BTC were used to buy VIA or other coins. Most popular: Super-deep Diamond Reveals Mineral From Earth's Mantle Never Before Seen by Human Eyes Unfortunately, those trades did not execute against any of the hackers accounts as counterpart. As such, we are not in a position to reverse those trades. We again advise all traders to take special precaution to secure their account credentials. Bitcoin price Coindeck Cyberattacks on major exchanges can result in vast sums of money being stolen. In January this year, a Tokyo-based company called CoinCheck was hacked which left the equivalent of $530 million missing from users' accounts. The culprits later tried to launder the funds via the dark web. While mystery surrounds the identities of the CoinCheck hackers, Reuters reported that South Koreas intelligence agencies believed North Korea could have been involved. The rogue nation has been tied to numerous cyberattacks and malware outbreaks in recent years, including the Bangladesh central bank heist and the unprecedented WannaCry ransomware which infected computers globally. The price of a single bitcoin at the time of writing was $9,950. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek By Saad Sayeed ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani court ruled on Friday that all citizens must declare their religion when applying for identity documents, a move human rights advocates say is another blow for the country's persecuted minority communities. The ruling will pile further pressure on the Ahmadi community, who are not allowed to call themselves Muslim or use Islamic symbols in their religious practices, a crime punishable under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. The Islamabad High Court ruled that citizens who disguised their religious affiliation were guilty of betraying the state and ordered that anyone applying for government jobs should declare their faith. "The Government of Pakistan shall take special measure ensuring availability of correct particulars of all the citizens," Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said in the judgment. "It should not be possible for any citizen to hide his/her real identity and recognition." If no appeal is launched, the court's directives will have to be followed. The vast majority of Pakistan's 208 million people are Muslims, with minorities accounting for about 3 percent of the population, according to a 1998 census. The Ahmadi community has been a target of mob violence and attacks since legislation categorized the sect as non-Muslim in 1974 and have been vilified as blasphemers by leaders of new ultra-religious political party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan. The judge "is not only attacking everybody's religious freedom in Pakistan but he is also focusing on one particular sect, which is the Ahmadis," said Human Rights Watch representative Saroop Ijaz. "A judgment like this would enable and incite violence." The order was issued as a result of a petition brought forward by Tehreek-e-Labaik in connection with a change in wording to an electoral law. The amendment sought to replace a religious oath with a simple declaration, which Tehreek-e-Labaik said was blasphemy. The government blamed the change on a clerical error and swiftly restored the original format. Last year, Tehreek-e-Labaik shut down the nation's capital for nearly three weeks with protests against the change. Seven people were killed and nearly 200 wounded in a failed police bid to disperse protesters, leading the government to give way to their demand that a minister accused of blasphemy resign. Insulting the Prophet Mohammad is punishable by death in Pakistan and even a rumor of blasphemy can spark mob violence. "All his (the judge's) specific instructions are about ensuring and finding out who is an Ahmadi," human rights lawyer Jibran Nasir told Reuters, adding that the order would automatically provide the government with specific lists about who belongs to which minority group. "Every day they are being institutionally reminded that they are a minority," he added. "It is a bigoted order." Pakistan's minority Shi'ite Muslims regularly come under attack by Islamist groups. Members of its small Hindu and Christian communities have also sometimes been accused of blasphemy. (Reporting by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Andrew Roche) Would Jake Arrieta really join the Brewers? (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Watch out, Chicago Cubs. The battle to repeat as National League Central champs might get even more difficult soon. The Milwaukee Brewers are considered the favorite to sign Jake Arrieta at least, according to the oddsmakers. [Batter up: Join a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today] Even if the Brewers arent able to get the job done, the Cubs might still be in trouble. Because the Washington Nationals have the second-best odds for the 32-year-old, according to Bovada. The Brewers are favored for Jake Arrieta. (Odds courtesy of Bovada) If Bovada does wind up being right, the Brewers wont be the only team getting stronger in the coming weeks. The Minnesota Twins are favored to make not one, but two big acquisitions. The Twins are favored to sign two pitchers. (Odds courtesy of Bovada) Bovada believes Minnesota should be considered the favorite for both Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb. That doesnt necessarily mean they think the team will sign both players, but more that the Twins are likely to add at least one more pitcher. Other than those players, you can also bet on where Jose Bautista will go. Bovada seems to think its Tampa Bay Rays or bust. You can either take the Rays or the field there. How seriously should we take the odds? Think of them more as a decent guideline on which teams should be involved for which players. The Brewers and Twins were good last season, and could use more pitching. Thats why they are listed for all three guys. For what its worth, Bovada wasnt too far off on Mike Moustakas. The veteran third baseman re-signed with the Kansas City Royals, according to Jeff Passan. Bovada had the Royals with the second-best odds. They thought the Chicago White Sox were the favorite. With time running out in the offseason, all the remaining free agents could find new teams soon. If Bovada is right, plenty of playoff contenders from last season have room to make one final push to the postseason in 2018. More from Yahoo Sports: NFLPA calls for combine ban after prospects claim of inappropriate questions Infuriated UNC coach tries to rip jacket in half. Fails. Chloe, meet Chloe: Olympic star gets her own Barbie After being shot in the head, WR eyes NFL return Story continues Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will respond appropriately if evidence shows Moscow was behind a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in England, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday. Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital since they were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in the quiet cathedral city of Salisbury. "We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right, if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored," May told ITV News, when asked whether Britain could expel the Russian ambassador. "But let's give the police the time and space to actually conduct their investigation," she added, in her first comments on the attack since police said on Wednesday a nerve agent was used. Government experts have identified the substance, which will help identify the source, but have not made the information public. "Of course, if action needs to be taken, then the government will do that. We'll do that properly, at the right time, and on the basis of the best evidence," May said. Both victims remain unconscious, in a critical but stable condition, while police officer Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also harmed by the substance, remains in a serious condition. "He's well, he's sat up. He's not the Nick that I know but of course he's receiving a high level of treatment," said Kier Pritchard, head of Wiltshire Police, after visiting Bailey in a hospital intensive care unit. "He's very anxious, he's very concerned. He did his very best on that night." A total of 21 people had been treated in hospital following the incident, Pritchard said. "BRAZEN AND RECKLESS" In parliament, several lawmakers defied interior minister Amber Rudd's plea to avoid speculation about who was responsible for the "brazen and reckless act". Some called for investigations to be re-opened into the deaths of Russian exiles in Britain in recent years. Story continues Rudd urged people to keep a cool head and focus on the Salisbury incident. "This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way. We will respond in a robust and appropriate manner once we ascertain who was responsible," Rudd said. "We are committed to do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice, whoever they are and wherever they may be." Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies. The attack has been likened in Britain to the assassination of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry said Litvinenko's murder had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy. Lugovoy is an ex-KGB bodyguard who later became a member of parliament. Both denied responsibility and Russia has refused to extradite them. Rudd denied that Britain's response after Litvinenko's murder had been too soft, effectively sending a message that such crimes could be carried out with impunity. "We are absolutely robust about any crimes committed on these streets in the UK. There is nothing soft about the UK's response to any sort of state activity in this country," she told BBC radio. In Russia, some media took an almost jocular tone. "Do not choose England as your next country of residence, whether you are a professional traitor to your homeland, or you just hate your country in your free time," said Kirill Kleimenov, news anchor on Russia's state-run Channel One, as he introduced an item about the story on the evening news bulletin. "Something's not right there, maybe it's the climate, but in the past few years there have been a lot of strange occurrences there with a terrible outcome. People hang themselves, fall out of windows, are poisoned, or crash in helicopters in simply industrial quantities." (Additional reporting by Sarah Young, Alistair Smout and Michael Holden in London and Christian Lowe in Moscow; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Robin Pomeroy) Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Blumenstein, who goes by the stage name Ruthie Ann Miles, is out of intensive care and healing after being injured in a car crash that killed her 4-year-old daughter. The pregnant Broadway star and her daughter, Abigail Blumenstein, were two of five pedestrians hit on a corner in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, on Monday when a car ran a red light and plowed into a crowd of people. Miles pregnancy appears to be unharmed. A 46-year-old man and another woman, Lauren Lew, a friend of Miles, were also injured in the crash. Lews 1-year-old son, Joshua, was pronounced dead at the scene. Ruthie Ann Miles and her daughter with Jake Gyllenhaal on Feb. 23, 2017. Miles and Gyllenhall starred together in "Sunday in the Park With George." (Photo: Walter McBride/WireImage via Getty Images) The cars driver, 44-year-old Dorothy Bruns, reportedly told police she has medical issues. She has not been charged. A message posted to Miles Twitter account updated fans on her health status. By all accounts it is a miracle our second child is unharmed, the statement read. Please continue to pray for the Lew and the Blumenstein families as we process the unthinkable and lay our grief in the loving arms of Jesus. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Miles took home the 2015 Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in the revival of The King & I. The Broadway community tweeted messages of love and support for the longtime performer. A GoFundMe page set up in her honor has raised nearly $400,000 greatly surpassing its goal of $5,000. A fundraiser set up for Lew has raised more than $200,000. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Jerry Brown responds to effort to strike down sanctuary laws Sessions acting more like Fox News than a law enforcement officer Governor Jerry Brown accused Jeff Sessions of lying and trying to appease Donald Trump. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters Californias governor, Jerry Brown, denounced Jeff Sessions on Wednesday after the US attorney general spoke in the state about a lawsuit over policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Brown told reporters shortly after Sessionss speech to law enforcement officials on Wednesday that it was unprecedented for the attorney general to act more like Fox News than a law enforcement officer. The Democrat accused Sessions of lying and of trying to appease Donald Trump. He said Sessionss actions were about dividing America. Earlier, Sessions, escalating the Trump administrations rhetoric against the most populous US state, accused California of obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts and vowed to stop the states defiance. Sessions made the remarks to a law enforcement group a day after Trumps justice department sued Democratic-governed California over so-called sanctuary policies that try to protect illegal immigrants from deportation. California is using every power it has and some it doesnt to frustrate federal law enforcement. So you can be sure Im going to use every power I have to stop them, Sessions, the top US law enforcement officer, said in prepared remarks. In recent years, California has enacted a number of laws designed to intentionally obstruct the work of our sworn immigration enforcement officers to intentionally use every power it has to undermine duly established immigration law in America, Sessions added. Sessions said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carry out federal law and that California cannot forbid them or obstruct them in doing their jobs. The lawsuit, filed late on Tuesday in federal court in Sacramento, takes aim at three state laws passed last year that the justice department contends violate the US constitution and the supremacy of federal law over state law. Story continues Trump has made fighting illegal immigration and cracking down on illegal immigrants already in the United States a signature issue, first as a candidate and now as president. Immigration law is the province of the federal government, Sessions said. I understand that we have a wide variety of political opinions out there on immigration, but the law is in the books and its purpose is clear, Sessions added. There is no nullification. There is no secession. Federal law is the supreme law of the land. Sessions, who was speaking at a California Peace Officers Association conference in Sacramento, has made combating illegal immigration one of his top priorities since taking over the justice department in February 2017. A key part of that effort involves a crackdown on primarily Democratic-governed cities and states that Sessions calls sanctuaries that protect illegal immigrants from deportation. Governor Brown in October signed into law a bill that prevents police from inquiring about immigration status and curtails law enforcement cooperation with immigration officers. OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday appointed a woman to lead the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the first permanent female head of the force, which has been dogged by accusations of discrimination and sexual assault. Brenda Lucki, who has been with the force for 31 years, will take over as commissioner in mid-April, Trudeau told a televised ceremony at the RCMP's training academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. The previous commissioner, Bob Paulson, retired last June after more than five years in the job. During his tenure, Paulson gave a tearful apology as the national police force reached a settlement agreement over a series of harassment, discrimination and sexual abuse claims that deeply embarrassed the force. The RCMP is also under fire for not doing enough to protect Canada's largely marginalized and impoverished aboriginal population. "We know we have a lot of work to do... to restore the RCMP to the full position of trust that it really should have in the eyes of Canadians," Trudeau said. He said the RCMP needed to become better and stronger and said Lucki would "play a vital role in advancing reconciliation with indigenous peoples, promoting gender equality ... (and) addressing workplace harassment." Lucki said she would ask all the right kinds of questions, "including some difficult ones," and would challenge assumptions about how the RCMP operates. The RCMP has around 20,000 uniformed members. It also provides policing in eight of Canada's 10 provinces. The appointment of Lucki was welcomed by the National Police Federation, a union group that represents more than half of the force's members and has been pushing for reform of its leadership. "We hope her selection and appointment will trigger an era of renewed investment for the 17,000-plus men and women who serve across the country, and a more supportive environment for female members in particular," Brian Sauve, the founder of the group, said in a statement. (This version of the story was refiled to recast headline to show appointment made) (Reporting by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Dan Grebler) Ottawa (AFP) - Federal police on Friday charged the former second in command of Canada's military with leaking cabinet secrets related to navy shipbuilding plans. Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, 54, was relieved of his duty in January 2017 while an investigation proceeded. In a statement Friday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said he has been charged with breach of trust, a criminal offence. "Norman is alleged to have illegally disclosed government information to unauthorized parties," it said. He is to appear in court on April 10. His lawyer Marie Henein said the charges are politically-motivated and would be answered in court, adding that Norman "has always acted in the best interests of this country" and should be "celebrated, not prosecuted." "Not once has he ever been swayed by political or personal considerations," she said. "His love of this country and ensuring its military strength has been his only guiding principle." The investigation was launched in December 2015 following a government complaint about the leaks. In an affidavit used to obtain a search warrant of Norman's home last year, police said he had provided sensitive government information to a local shipyard. The 97-page court document included expletive-laden emails from Norman to Spencer Fraser, head of Federal Fleet shipyards in Quebec. Federal Fleet had been selected by the previous Conservative Party government to provide the navy with an interim supply ship. In the emails, Norman appeared worried that the project would be delayed over concerns raised by rival shipyards about the lack of competition in awarding the contract. He also described how the project was viewed by the incoming Liberal government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals put the project on hold when they came to power in 2015, but eventually decided to proceed with it. The MV Asterix was recently delivered to the navy to begin operations. Norman was appointed vice chief of defense staff in 2016, after spending four years in command at the Royal Canadian Navy. Less than a year after legalizing marriage equality, Bermuda passed a law last month to ban same-sex marriage once again. Same-sex couples have until the end of May to wed there before the new measure goes into effect. The self-governing British territory became the first to reverse its stance on the issue, according to GLAAD, as countries increasingly move to legalize marriage between people of any gender. Now, a pack of celebrities, including Ellen DeGeneres, Tegan and Sara and Patricia Arquette, are calling to boycott the vacation hot spot at least until its residents make equality the law of the tiny land. I guess Im canceling my trip, DeGeneres tweeted Thursday evening. Anyone else? This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Actor Bradley Whitford called for a boycott last month, shortly after the news broke. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Later in February, Arquette also called on followers to boycott Bermuda. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. On Wednesday, pop duo Tegan and Sara sent a tweet saying they were thinking of our friends in the LGBTQ community in Bermuda, and encouraged followers to support efforts to overturn the policy. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Bermudas Supreme Court ruled in May 2017 that a registrars decision to deny a marriage license to a same-sex couple was discriminatory, legalizing marriage equality in the socially conservative Atlantic territory. Legislators responded by creating the Domestic Partnership Act, which allows same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships, not marriages, and claims to offer such partnerships equal rights. Same-sex couples who are already married in Bermuda can remain married. Critics say the law contradicts Bermudas constitution, which protects against discrimination. Some worry the law will create problems for Bermudas $431 million tourism industry. Cruise lines registered in Bermuda including Carnivals Cunard, P&O Cruises and some Princess cruises will not be able to host same-sex marriages regardless of where the ships travel, CNBC reported. Story continues The LGBTQ segment of the global tourism industry is significant and growing, according to a 2017 report by the World Tourism Organization, which states that locations supportive of LGBTQ rights are (unsurprisingly) appealing to LGBTQ travelers. GLAAD has called on tourism businesses to speak out against Bermudas reversal on marriage equality. These brands and their business leaders should demonstrate true leadership and stand for those customers theyve courted by helping to combat this harmful decision, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. A CrowdJustice campaign has raised 25,000 pounds (about $35,000) of a 50,000-pound goal (about $70,000) to finance efforts to reclaim marriage equality in Bermuda. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. SANTIAGO (Reuters) - The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade deal to be signed by 11 countries without the United States on Thursday sends a "powerful message" against trade wars, a Chilean minister said. Heraldo Munoz, Chile's minister of foreign affairs, told a news conference the agreement was a strong signal "against protectionist pressures, in favor of a world open to trade, without unilateral sanctions and without the threat of trade wars." "We will be giving a very powerful signal," he said. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Felipe Iturrieta; Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Bill Trott) Chinas 13th National Peoples Congress meets in Beijing Hotel ushers pose for a photo at Tiananmen Square as delegates attend the second plenary session of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 9, 2018. (Photo: Jason Lee/Reuters) The 13th National Peoples Congress (NPC) has more than 3,000 delegates and is the worlds largest parliament or legislative assembly. A plan to end constitutional limits on Xi Jinpings term as Chinas president overshadowed this weeks meeting of the countrys ceremonial legislature. The annual session of the National Peoples Congress used to showcase economic initiatives, plans for social programs and other government work functions largely as a formal seal of approval for the policies fixed by the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. Held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the NPC session is held at the same time as the annual plenary meetings of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Together the sessions are known as Lianghui or Two Meetings. (Shutterstock/AP) See more news-related photo galleries, and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. Asia Times Security, Asia Moscow and Beijing may have struck a deal. China's Air Force May Soon Get More Russian Su-35 Fighters Beijing is happy with the speed and quality of first Su-35 delivery, but makes local production prerequisite of more orders Multiple sources within Russia and the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force suggest that Beijing and Moscow may have struck a preliminary deal for procurement by the PLAAF of more of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighters. Hong Kong-based military monthly Kanwa Defense Review reported in February that the second batch of the highly maneuverable aircraft with thrust-vectoring engines had already descended on PLA airbases in southern China. Among those tipped as the likely locations to service and hangar the multi-role air-superiority fighters is the Suixi airbase in southern Chinas Guangdong province, which is under the PLAs Southern Theater Command. Several Su-35s joined the PLAs recent circumnavigations of Taiwan and air patrols above the South China Sea, along with Su-30s, H-6K bombers and jammer aircraft. Recommended: America Has Military Options for North Korea (but They're All Bad) Recommended: 1,700 Planes Ready for War: Everything You Need To Know About China's Air Force Recommended: Stealth vs. North Koreas Air Defenses: Who Wins? In November 2015, the PLA became the first export customer for the Su-35 after Moscow and Beijing signed a US$2 billion contract for the purchase of 24 of the fighters. The first four aircraft were delivered in December 2016. Citing sources within the Russian defense industry, the magazine noted that Su-35 producer Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant had been canvassing more orders after satisfactory feedback from the PLA about the speed and quality of the initial delivery batch. The Su-35 was a modernized derivative of the Su-27 fighters earmarked for export in the late 1980s, but the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Wests arms embargo clipped its wings, until orders from Beijing threw a lifeline. Story continues Subsequent improvements have also been made to its cockpit, structural design and weapons-control system over the years. Its also said that Beijing has made it clear that more orders can only come under the parameters of knowledge transfer and localized production of some sub-systems and avionics, a tried and true tactic to replicate overseas technologies for cheaper, home-made alternatives. Still, analysts say Russia may be willing to oblige now that there is a genuine rapport between the two powers, and a plethora of bilateral co-development and co-production of weapons and planes ranging from cruise missiles to wide-body airliners is also making headway. Moscow curtailed arms transfers and cooperation around 2005 over Chinese reverse engineering of weapons systems, especially aircraft engines and components. But now it has also agreed to sell China advanced S-400 air and missile defense systems, among others, after several years of lobbying by Beijing. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Air Force also finalized the purchase contract for 11 Su-35s in February, with the first delivery expected by October. India and the United Arab Emirates are reportedly mulling possible purchases as well. This article originally appeared on Asia Times. Image: Wikimedia Commons Read full article Beijing (AFP) - China's chief central banker said on Friday the country could be more "courageous" in opening its markets, as European and American firms push for greater access to the world's second largest economy. "Now that we have entered a new stage, we can be more courageous in opening our market to the outside world," said Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China, during a news conference on the sidelines of the annual rubberstamp parliament in Beijing. China has been considering opening to foreign financial firms since the late 1990s when it was preparing to join the World Trade Organization, Zhou said, blaming the delay on the global financial crisis. But now leaders have taken the first tentative steps, allowing foreign firms to take majority stakes in financial firms operating in China. Last year, Beijing said it would liberalise foreign access within three years, permitting companies to own as much as 51 percent of financial firms -- a welcome move for a key US industry as trade tensions stir between the two countries. And on Friday, deputy governor Yi Gang indicated the shareholding restrictions could be loosened or done away with altogether. "This will reduce the discriminatory treatment of foreign-invested institutions, and bring about equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors," Yi said during the news conference. But analysts question whether foreign firms will be able to make much headway in the country, with Beijing having delayed the move for so long that the opening may do little to threaten the dominance of homegrown financials. Zhou also tore into cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin but adding that China was still interested in digital units. "We don't like the idea of creating a speculative product that prompts people to fantasise about striking it rich overnight," he said. "This is not a good thing." Last year, China launched one of the world's strictest crackdowns on cryptocurrency trading and initial coin offerings. Story continues At the same time, China's digital payments ecosystem has developed faster than most of the world with mobile payments dominating everyday transactions throughout urban centres. The PBoC has set up a digital currency research centre, Zhou noted, stressing that such technological developments should be encouraged as long as they serve the real economy. "In the future, traditional forms of paper money and coins may gradually fade away, and some day may not exist at all," Zhou said. The 70-year-old Zhou is expected to step down from his post this spring, after leading China's central bank for 15 years. BEIJING (Reuters) - Negotiations to broker a framework accord between China and the Vatican on the appointment of bishops are making quick progress towards a deal, a Chinese official said on Friday, in what would be a historic breakthrough in relations. A deal on the thorny issue of who gets to appoint bishops could be signed within months, a senior Vatican source told Reuters in February. The potential Vatican rapprochement with Communist China sparked a war of words between Catholic officials. "Talks are progressing at full swing," deputy head of the official Chinese Catholics association, Fang Jianping, told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament, when asked about the prospect of a normalization of relations. China's 12 million Catholics are split between "underground" communities that often recognize the pope and those registered with the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association, where bishops are appointed by the government in collaboration with local Church communities. Fang said national policy was very positive towards the development of Catholicism in China. He did not elaborate. A deal would allow the Church to care for China's Catholics and to focus on expanding a Catholic presence in a country where Protestant churches are growing quickly. China has said it is sincere in its efforts to improve relations with the Vatican. Last December, a Vatican delegation went to China to discuss the status of two Vatican-recognized bishops, including the possibility of allowing one prelate to retire and be succeeded by a state-backed bishop. There is also a potential "gentleman's agreement" for seven government-backed bishops to be recognized by the Vatican after seeking a papal pardon, but this has not yet been formalized, the Vatican source told Reuters in February. Cardinal Joseph Zen, however, the outspoken former bishop of Hong Kong, criticized news of progress towards a deal at the time, saying the Vatican was "selling out" the Catholic Church in China and suggested that there was discord between the pontiff and Vatican diplomats doing groundwork in China. The Vatican has said that the Church is unified in its approach to China. (Reporting by Yawen Chen and Christian Shepherd; Editing by Robert Birsel) Actor Colin Firths wife, Livia Giuggioli, an Italian movie producer and director, has confirmed she had an affair with the man shes now accusing of stalking her and her husband. The Firths, whove been together for over two decades, apparently separated for a short while a couple years back. During this time, Giuggioli began an affair with lifelong friend and journalist Marco Brancaccia, who has launched a frightening campaign of harassment against the pair, who have since gotten back together, the couples representative said Friday. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public. A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr. Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited, a representative for the actor told HuffPost Friday in a statement. The statement comes after reports about the allegations were made public due to leaked court documents, which possibly stem from the indictment against Brancaccia made by Italian prosecutors after the Firths lodged a harassment complaint. Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented, the statement continued. As a consequence of his stalking, threats and refusal to desist, the legal complaint was lodged with the Italian authorities. The couple is based in London, but the Firths also have a home in Umbria, Italy. Brancaccia, who works for the ANSA news agency, is now the subject of an Italian police investigation. He has denied the allegations and accused Giuggioli of fabricating the stalking claims to cover up the affair, which he says occurred between 2015 and 2016. We were romantically involved, she wanted to leave Colin for me, he said in a statement to The Times published Friday morning. He added that the couples marriage had been over for years. Brancaccia went on to claim that he only sent two WhatsApp messages to Giuggioli, as well as an email detailing the affair to Firth, who he describes as understanding. Story continues In a year she sent me hundreds of messages of love, photos and videos, even a diary, he added. Firth and Giuggioli share two children together Luca, 16 and Matteo, 15. The Oscar-winner also has another son, from a previous relationship to actress Meg Tilly. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story indicated that Colin Firth and Meg Tilly were married. They were not. Also on HuffPost LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 13: Dwayne Johnson, Lauren Hashian and daughter Jasmine Johnson attend a ceremony honoring him with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/ WireImage) WESTWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 13: Will Smith and Jaden Smith attend the Premiere Of Netflix's 'Bright' at Regency Village Theatre on December 13, 2017 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 13: Annette Bening (L) and Warren Beatty attend the Museum of the Moving Image Salute to Annette Bening at 583 Park Avenue on December 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 13: Alec Baldwin (L) and Colin Kaepernick attend Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Hosts Annual Ripple Of Hope Awards Dinner on December 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Ripple Of Hope Awards) HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 12: Actress Rebel Wilson arrives for the premiere of Universal Pictures' 'Pitch Perfect 3' held at The Dolby Theater on December 12, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images) HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 12: Actress Hailee Steinfeld arrives for the Premiere Of Universal Pictures' 'Pitch Perfect 3' held at The Dolby Theater on December 12, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images) HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 11: (L-R) Nick Jonas, Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, and Kevin Hart attend the premiere of Columbia Pictures' 'Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle' on December 11, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 11: Sienna Miller attends the New York premiere of 'Phantom Thread' After Party at Harold Pratt House on December 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 11: (L-R) Actors Sharon Stone, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Bell and Alfre Woodard attend Moet & Chandon Toasts The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominations at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 11, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon ) NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 08: Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron attend 'The Greatest Showman' World Premiere aboard the Queen Mary 2 at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on December 8, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 07: Gal Gadot attends the 2017 GQ Men of the Year party at Chateau Marmont on December 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GQ) LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 06: Zac Efron seen at Capital Radio Studios on December 6, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford/GC Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 05: Jennifer Aniston is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on December 05, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 07: Cate Blanchett attends the IWC Photocall on day two of the 14th annual Dubai International Film Festival held at the Madinat Jumeriah Complex on December 7, 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for DIFF,) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 06: Demi Lovato attends Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles: Turn It Into Art at ROW DTLA on December 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/WireImage) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 06: Janelle Monae attends Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles: Turn It Into Art at ROW DTLA on December 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 06: Sterling K. Brown (L) and Kathryn Hahn at The Hollywood Reporter's 26th Annual Women In Entertainment Breakfast presented in partnership with FIJI Water at Milk Studios on December 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for FIJI Water) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 06: Angelina Jolie speaks onstage at The Hollywood Reporter's 2017 Women In Entertainment Breakfast at Milk Studios on December 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images) Actress Jennifer Lawrence attends The Hollywood Reporter 2017 Women In Entertainment Breakfast, on December 6, 2017, in Hollywood, California. / AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACON (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images) BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 05: Actor Ashley Judd speaks onstage at The Paley Center for Media on December 5, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 05: Sebastian Stan, Craig Gillespie, Allison Janney, Steven Rogers, Bryan Unkeless, Tonya Harding, Ricky Russert and Margot Robbie attend NEON and 30WEST Present the Los Angeles Premiere of 'I, Tonya' Supported By Svedka on December 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for NEON) NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 05: Diane Kruger discusses 'In The Fade' with the Build Series at Build Studio on December 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/WireImage) MADRID, SPAIN - DECEMBER 04: Actress Jessica Chastain attends 'Molly's Game' Madrid premiere at Callao Cinema on December 4, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Pablo Cuadra/WireImage) MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - DECEMBER 03: Actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis arrive at the 2018 Breakthrough Prize at NASA Ames Research Center on December 3, 2017 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images,) WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 04: Reese Witherspoon (R) and Ava Phillippe attend Molly R. Stern X Sarah Chloe Jewelry Collaboration Launch Dinner on December 4, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Sarah Chloe Jewelry) LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 04: Chris Pratt is seen at 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on December 04, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by BG017/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 03: Julianne Hough attends The Trevor Project's 2017 TrevorLIVE LA on December 3, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by JB Lacroix/ WireImage) NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Armie Hammer and Saoirse Ronan poses with her award at the 2017 Gotham Awards sponsored by Greater Ft. Lauderdale Tourism at Cipriani, Wall Street on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau) NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman attend the GreenSlate Greenroom at The 2017 Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for GreenSlate) NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Robert Pattinson and James Franco attend IFP's 27th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Actor Timothee Chalamet is seen Downtown on November 27, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce the engagement of Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017 in London, England. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been a couple officially since November 2016 and are due to marry in Spring 2018. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage) TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 27: Actress Jessica Chastain attrends the press conference for 'The Zookeeper's Wife' at Roppongi Hills on November 27, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage) SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 14: Katy Perry performs during her 'Witness' tour at SAP Center on November 14, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Actors Jane Krakowski and Maya Rudolph attend FOX's 'A Christmas Story Live!' Lighting Event featuring the leg lamp at The Grove on November 24, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images) Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Luis Jaime Acosta FUSAGASUGA, Colombia (Reuters) - Four years ago, when Colombia last held congressional elections, Carlos Antonio Lozada was dodging army bullets in jungle trenches as he and his Marxist rebel comrades battled a government offensive. Back then he wore camouflage fatigues emblazoned with the emblem of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - two crossed rifles over the nation's red, blue and yellow flag. Now, as a 56-year-old candidate for the Senate in Sunday's elections, Lozada no longer brandishes an automatic assault rifle and the FARC emblem has become a red rose on a white background. The Spanish-language acronym now stands for the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force, the political party the rebel group established after a peace deal was signed in 2016. As Colombia adjusts to the end of Latin America's longest-running armed conflict, the FARC is pitching its defense of the poor and other proposals to a traditionally conservative electorate, divided between those who accept its new role in politics and those who demand its leaders go to jail. "We're learning to go to public squares and seek massive support for our ideas with arguments and proposals," Lozada told Reuters, speaking at the close of his campaign for Sunday's vote. From the stage in Fusagasuga, an agricultural town close to the capital, the former rebel commander outlined the FARC's plans for social change to some 200 flag-waving supporters and the curious. "This is what we bet on when we signed the (peace) agreements," said Lozada, who served 39 years as a rebel fighter. As part of the peace deal, the FARC will be guaranteed five seats each in the 108-member Senate and the 172-member lower house. But polls show it faces an uphill battle in the fight for open congressional seats. The FARC has also expressed concern about the safety of its candidates, after many were pelted on the campaign trail with tomatoes, bottles and eggs by angry protesters. Patriotic Union, a political party founded by the FARC and Colombian Communist Party in the 1980s, was decimated by a campaign of violent attacks and assassinations blamed on right-wing death squads and drug lords. The new FARC suffered a setback on Thursday when Rodrigo Londono, its candidate for the May 27 presidential race and known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, withdrew due to ill health. The party said it would not seek a replacement. HEALTH, EDUCATION, CORRUPTION Colombia's five-decade conflict and subsequent peace accord dominated elections in 2014. Now, candidates are focusing on health, education, corruption, the economy and closing the chasm between rich and poor in the country of 50 million people. Sunday's ballot will include party primaries to select the candidates who will compete in May's election to replace outgoing center-right President Juan Manuel Santos. It is unclear if Londono's exit from the race will help give a boost to Gustavo Petro, a prominent leftist and former member of the now-defunct socialist M-19 rebel movement. But polls show Petro will almost certainly emerge as a candidate from Sunday's primary and his political rise, after serving earlier as Bogota's mayor, stands out as something of an example for the FARC. The 57-year-old economist and former senator was granted amnesty after serving two years in jail for his involvement with the M-19 insurgency. Supporters of Petro's "Colombia Humana" party highlight his work to improve conditions for the poor. He has pledged to create a "social economy" at the service of the people and shift it away from oil toward agriculture. A strong showing in Sunday's election will likely worry markets. "If voter turnout for the left-wing primary is close to the center-right coalition's primary, this could consolidate Petro's bid for the presidency," Citibank said in a note to investors. "A lukewarm turnout could lead Petro to lose steam." On the right, Ivan Duque, a young senator with backing from former President Alvaro Uribe, looks set to notch a win over Marta Lucia Ramirez, a former defense minister, in Sunday's primary. Duque, 41, of Uribe's Democratic Center party, is a lawyer and senator who studied at Georgetown University before working at the Inter-American Development Bank and United Nations. While some are concerned by his lack of political experience and say Uribe will pull the strings if he wins, investors welcome Duque's pledges to streamline the tax code and levy companies depending on their size. (Additional reporting and writing by Helen Murphy; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Tom Brown) A Colorado teacher's tweets went viral after she thought her school was experiencing a lockdown because of an attack on Tuesday. I am a teacher, today I cowered in a closet with my fifth grade students. I locked doors and switched off tech, tweeted Colorado teacher Ali Kemp after her school reportedly went into lockdown mode. Trending: 473 Million Women Won't Be Able To Read This Article This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Subsequent tweets revealed a harrowing, moment-by-moment account of Kemp reacting to the lockdown announcement of this is not a drill. She writes in one tweet, if today would be the day she would use her training to be a fighting target so others can escape. Soon after, her tweets revealed that the school had made a mistake. Thirty seconds later, the school was on lockout because of a "neighborhood incident." "Thank god. A simple miscommunication. But for thirty seconds, it had been real. Not a drill. Thirty seconds of blood pounding in my ears. Of students eyes on the ground. On the closet doors. On my face," she said in another tweet. Schools are placed on lockout anytime there is police activity in the neighborhood, and it's a standard safety practice, an official from Denver Public Schools told Newsweek. Don't miss: NASA Juno Unlocks Secrets of Jupiter's Mega Cyclone Clusters The official was unable to confirm where the incident happened, adding that lockouts happen "frequently" in its more than 200 schools. While it usually lasts just a few minutes, doors are locked and no one is let in or out, the official said. In the scenario of a lockdowna step upcalls cant be made and electronics are shut off. We always have regular drillsthats a practice thats already been in place. Were on top of school security, the official says. In the aftermath of last month's deadly attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High students in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed, authorities have worried about copycat attacks. Story continues In the week after, the Educator's School Safety Network found threats were being made on an average of 50 a day, according to an NPR report. Most popular: Porn Website Pulls Democratic Congressional Candidate's Ads Over Abuse Allegations After these events, it brings up a lot of emotions about what it means to be an educator, educators want to keep their students safe, there are a lot of emotions going on, said Melissa Brymer, director of terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, to Newsweek. A wave of these moments happens, and educators have to deal with trauma in the most effective way, she said. Nine out of 10 public schools across the U.S. conduct mass shooting drills. Twenty states have laws that enact lockdown drills in all of its public schools, and 30 states have "broad emergency plans" that may include lockdowns. But living in the environment of crisis preparedness can also add to the anxiety, Brymer said. While the debate on active-shooter drills dates back 20 years, since the Columbine High School attack, reports make evident the psychological trauma on those who go through them, prompting some to question tactics and what can be improved. Past cases show that drills and planning save lives, but it's also important to look at how they're carried out, Brymer said. It's honestly better to have announced drills, Brymer said. Unannounced drills can cause a confusion, the goal and purpose of a drill is to make sure everybody knows what to do, our main job is to educate and to learn. We dont need it to be the scariest situation where its unannounced. She points out that, in that case, should an emergency truly happen, teachers won't be left guessing. Many drills could potentially delay response times and cause greater confusion, if in the likelihood an emergency situation is actually underway. Newsweek also reached out to Denver police, who referred us to Denver Public Schools regarding reports of the lockout. Kemp declined an interview request from Newsweek. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - Rural communities in Taraba state, eastern Nigeria, were on Friday on indefinite lockdown as the authorities tried to contain mounting violence between cattle herders and farmers. Police spokesman David Misal said a round-the-clock curfew has been imposed in affected areas "due to the escalation of violence between Fulani and Mambilla ethnic groups". Nigeria has been gripped since the start of the year with an increase in clashes between the largely nomadic herders and farmers over land, water and grazing rights. At least 10 people were killed in several days of violence in Taraba last week into the weekend, while some 24 lost their lives in the central state of Benue in the last few days. Misal said there were reports that the violence was spreading but gave no further details. "The government, after consultation with security agencies, finds it necessary to impose a curfew in order to allow security operatives to restore peace," he told AFP. "From Wednesday, residents in (the affected areas) have been ordered to remain indoors day and night indefinitely until the security situation is reviewed." The Mambilla area of Taraba lies on Nigeria's border with Cameroon and is a herding and farming hub reputed for fertile land, lush vegetation and abundant water. Tensions have been running high for many years between herders and farmers over increasingly precious resources. Last year, the cattle herders union claimed more than 700 people were killed in violence, although the authorities gave a much lower death toll. The herders are Muslim and the farmers are largely Christian, which adds an ethnic and religious dimension to the tensions. Many herders have fled to northern Cameroon. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who is under pressure to quell the violence, this week visited Taraba's capital, Jalingo, and met representatives from both sides. He said the government was "fully committed" to resolving the issue and vowed that anyone involved in the violence would be investigated and prosecuted. Extra troops have been sent to Taraba as part of a military plan to crack down on those behind the violence. In the summer of 2016, as evidence mounted of Russian meddling in the U.S. election, a team in the White House began work on a far-reaching counterstrike against Russian media, the Kremlin oligarchy, and Putin personally plans that were shelved when President Obamas national security adviser, Susan Rice, ordered the staffers to stand down. The details of the project, and the debate within the administration of how aggressively to confront Moscow, are told in a new book, Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putins War on America and the Election of Donald Trump, by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones. Excerpts from the book are being published this week by Yahoo News and Mother Jones. The book goes on sale Tuesday, March 13. Photo illustration: Yahoo News The counteroffensive was the brainchild of Michael Daniel, the White House cybersecurity coordinator, and Celeste Wallander, the chief Russia expert in the National Security Council. One proposal was to unleash the NSA to mount its own series of far-reaching cyberattacks: to dismantle the Russian-created websites, Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks, that had been leaking the emails and memos stolen from Democratic targets; to bombard Russian news sites with a wave of automated traffic in a denial-of-service attack that would shut them down; and to launch an attack on the Russian intelligence agencies themselves, seeking to disrupt their command and control nodes. I wanted to send a signal that we would not tolerate disruptions to our electoral process, Daniel told Isikoff and Corn. The Russians are going to push as hard as they can until we start pushing back. Wallander proposed leaking snippets of classified intelligence to reveal the secret bank accounts in Latvia held for Putins daughters a direct slap at the Russian president that would be sure to infuriate him. Working with Victoria Nuland, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs, Wallander drafted other proposals: to dump dirt on Russian websites about Putins money, about the girlfriends of top Russian officials, about corruption in Putins United Russia Party. The idea was to give Putin a taste of his own medicine. We wanted to raise the cost in a manner Putin recognized, Nuland says. Story continues But the signal Daniel had intended was never sent; the plans were scrapped by Rice and Lisa Monaco, the presidents homeland security adviser, who worried that if news of the project leaked it would box the president in and create pressure for him to act. One day in late August, according to Isikoff and Corn, Rice called Daniel into her office and ordered him to stand down and knock it off. The White House was not prepared to endorse any of these ideas. Dont get ahead of us, Rice warned. Daniel walked back to his office. That was one pissed-off national security adviser, he told one of his aides. At his morning staff meeting, Daniel matter-of-factly told his team to stop work on options to counter the Russian attack: Weve been told to stand down. Daniel Prieto, one of Daniels top deputies, recalled being incredulous at the decision. As Prieto saw it, the president and his top aides didnt get the stakes. There was a disconnect between the urgency felt at the staff level and the views of the president and his senior aides, Prieto later said. When senior officials argued that the issue could be revisited after Election Day, Daniel and his staff took strong exception. No the longer you wait, it diminishes your effectiveness. If youre in a street fight, you have to hit back, Prieto remarked. Russian President Vladimir Putin, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, CIA director John Brennan, President Barack Obama and national security adviser Susan Rice. (Photo-illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP (7), Getty Images) The series of decisions and nondecisions made by Obama and his top aides in response to the Russian attack have been the subject of intense debate ever since. In Russian Roulette, Denis McDonough, Obamas chief of staff, defends the presidents handling of the issue, saying Obama was concerned that escalating the conflict with the Russians could feed Trumps narrative that the election was rigged. The first-order objective directed by President Obama, McDonough recalled, was to protect the integrity of election. Obama wanted to make sure whatever action was taken would not lead to a political crisis at home and with Trump the president feared the possibility for that was great. After the stand-down order, according to Isikoff and Corn, Obama and his senior advisers decided on a different approach one that would frustrate the NSC hawks, who believed the presidents team was tying itself in knots and looking for reasons not to act. Rather than striking back, the president would privately warn Putin and vow overwhelming retaliation for any further intervention in the election. Obama delivered the threat at a private meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit that September. The president later informed his aides he had delivered the message he and his advisers had crafted: We know what youre doing. If you dont cut it out, we will impose onerous and unprecedented penalties. One senior U.S. government official briefed on the meeting was told the president said to Putin in effect: You f*** with us over the election and well crash your economy. White House officials believed for a while that Obamas warning had some impact: They saw no further evidence of Russia cyberintrusions into state election systems. But as they would later acknowledge, they largely missed Russias information warfare campaign aimed at influencing the election the inflammatory Facebook ads and Twitter bots created by an army of Russian trolls working for the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg. On Oct. 7, 2016, the Obama administration finally went public, releasing a statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security that called out the Russians for their efforts to interfere with the U.S. election process, saying that only Russias senior-most officials could have authorized these activities. But for some in Hillary Clintons campaign and within the White House itself, it was too little, too late. Wallander, the NSC Russia specialist who had pushed for a more aggressive response, thought the Oct. 7 statement was largely irrelevant. The Russians dont care what we say, she later noted. They care what we do. (The same day the statement came out, WikiLeaks began its month-long posting of tens of thousands of emails Russian hackers had stolen from John Podesta, the CEO of the Clinton campaign.) Nearly two months after the election, Obama did impose sanctions on Moscow for its meddling in the election shutting down two Russian facilities in the United States suspected of being used for intelligence operations and booting out 35 Russian diplomats and spies. The impact of these moves was questionable. Rice would come to believe it was reasonable to think that the administration should have gone further. As one senior official lamented, Maybe we should have whacked them more. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: TMZ reports that Dean McDermott, husband of Tori Spelling, called the police out of concern for his wife on Wednesday morning. Spelling reportedly left the house and headed to a building in Thousand Oaks, Calif., where Three Ventura County Sheriffs units showed up. McDermott was said to be outside the building, as well, holding their son, Beau, 1. Deputies reportedly located the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum at the doctors office, spoke to her and determined she and their kids were okay. No further action was taken. The crowd of Democratic supporters listens to Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke giving a speech Austin, Texas: Drew Anthony Smith/Getty Images Texas Democrats have more than doubled the partys turnout since the last primary election four years ago. One million Democrats had cast ballots in the states recent primary election, while 1.5 million Republicans did. In 2014 Democrats only had a 30 per cent share of the vote in the historically conservative state. The jump was less than what party officials had hoped for but it will make for a tighter race in November general election in certain races, particularly Republican Senator Ted Cruz being challenged by Democrat Beto ORourke. Democrats are hoping to mount challenges in other races as well though because at last count, voter turnout was up for the party in 15 of the most populated counties. Texas is made of nearly 40 per cent Hispanic and Latino residents according to the last US Census data. It is now perhaps ready to send the first Latinas - Democrats Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia - to Congress from districts that are seen as safe wins for the party. While Mr ORourke performed well in terms of fundraising and overall - he garnered nearly 700,000 votes to Mr Cruzs 1.3 million - he stumbled in the southern parts of the state that are predominantly Hispanic or Latino. As The Hill newspaper reported: Hispanic turnout will be key for the Democratic effort in the fall. What may bolster Democrats in the state even more is Mr Cruz himself. He expressed concern about the partys growing numbers, telling CNN this past week: "The extreme left is energized and angry, and it makes it all the important for conservatives to show up in November. "If conservatives stay home, if we rest on our laurels, we could see Texas turn blue, he said, referring to the colour denoted on maps to Democrats. Texas has been a reliably red state for decades. In fact, the last time a Democrat held a US Senate seat for the state was 1993-1994, the same year as the last Democratic Governor. Since then, Republicans have controlled all federal level offices and governorships. A presidential candidate has not won the state since Former President Jimmy Carter in 1979. WASHINGTON Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who is also a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, became the lead sponsor of the House single-payer health care bill on Wednesday. The legislation has detractors among his fellow Democrats, but Ellison said hes eager for a debate on the policy. Our movement is ascending, but the truth is that, for many years, people werent there, Ellison said of the Medicare for All push in an interview with Yahoo News on Sirius XMs politics channel, POTUS. So more and more people are coming on every day, but not everyone is on. We have to convince them, we have to talk to them, we need to engage in a respectful, fact-based debate about which systems are the best. Ellisons House colleagues voted unanimously to let him assume leadership of the bill, which is officially named The Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act (H.R. 676). It was originally sponsored by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who stepped down late last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The bill would establish a universal health care system akin to the Medicare program that currently exists for senior citizens and includes coverage for prescriptions, primary care, emergencies, and long-term care. Everybody would get a card, and you can get the care that you need, not unlike what they have in Canada right now. And truth be told, every major industrial country has a universal system; many of them have single-payer systems, said Ellison. Conyers first introduced the bill in 2003 with 25 co-sponsors. As of this writing, there are 121 co-sponsors of the bill, all of whom are Democrats. In the Senate, a separate Medicare for All bill has also been introduced by former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. No Republicans have signed on to the idea of Medicare for All, and the plan doesnt enjoy universal support from Democrats. In the House, there are 72 Democrats who do not back the measure and 31 of the Senate Democrats dont support Sanderss bill in the upper chamber. Story continues Polls show a growing number of people support a government-run health care system. The country is essentially split between those who want a public program and those who prefer private insurance. Senate Budget Committee ranking member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at a committee oversight hearing on Jan. 24, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Critics note Medicare for All would come with tax increases to pay for the trust fund that finances the program. It would essentially be paid for through some taxes. One would be a 5 percent tax on high-net-worth individuals that just got a major tax cut a few weeks ago, so they got it, Ellison said, adding, There would be a financial transactions tax, and it would be a very small payroll tax to cover everybody. And overall, Ellison argued the program would save a lot of money by bringing down health care costs for individuals, including premiums, co-pays, deductibles and the price of medicine. It would save the nation more than $500 billion a year, in large measure because of preventative care, Ellison said. Along with cutting down on expensive health emergencies due to lack of preventive treatment, Ellison claimed the bill would lower administrative costs associated with health care. Sanders has cited a similar $500 billion figure tied to those costs. Politifact called that claim half-true and said the number may be a high estimate, though there could still be pretty substantial savings of at least $300 billion. Another sticking point for Medicare for All critics is the question of what might happen to people who currently have private insurance and are satisfied with their policies. Ellison did not answer directly when asked if he could make the infamous if you like your plan you can keep it promise that dogged President Obama following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. However, he said there would be room for private insurance policies to exist under his plan. You would be able to take out private insurance policies for certain things, Ellison said. Its not inconceivable that single-payer systems and private systems coexist. They certainly do in England right now, so its not really that big of a problem. While Ellison points to programs in Western Europe and Canada as exemplary models, some critics respond by noting that those programs are plagued by long lines and lower standards than the U.S. system. Ellison said health outcomes in this country have lagged behind other nations, a claim backed by some experts. He also pointed out Canadians are largely satisfied with their public health system and want to see it expand. Ive never met a Canadian that wants to switch their system for ours, Ellison said. They like their system. Do they complain about it? Yes. Because, guess what? People complain about stuff no matter where they live. But I can tell you that people who live in Canada and benefit from that health care system, they like it. With all 435 House seats and 35 spots in the Senate up for election this year, Medicare for All has become a major question for Democrats on the campaign trail. The issue is in some ways emblematic of the divide that emerged in Sanderss presidential primary race against Hillary Clinton and Ellisons campaign for the DNC chairmanship, between the partys progressive base and the establishment. One Democratic candidate who has taken heat from progressives for not embracing Medicare for All is Talley Sergent, who is running to represent West Virginias second congressional district. Sergent also appeared on Yahoo News SiriusXM broadcast on Wednesday, and described Medicare for All as an option. We asked what shed say if she won her race and Ellison called her up to ask her to sign on to his bill. Well, Id appreciate the congressman calling me up, but Im going to listen to the folks across West Virginia and make sure that it makes sense for people here, Sergent said. Thats who I care most about, and what they think and what they say. With his dual role as one of the top backers of Medicare for All and a leader of the DNC, Ellison is in a unique position. However, he said he doesnt believe the party needs to take a side, and he thinks Democratic candidates can succeed regardless of their position on his bill. I think people can win for all kinds of things all over the country. This is not a doctrinaire movement where were going to litmus-test people, Ellison said. Read more from Yahoo News: An auto industry turning away from diesel and European drivers increasingly favouring hybrid cars: add it up and the result is clear -- advantage Toyota. The Japanese company is the world's third largest car manufacturer but it has always struggled to match that impact in Europe. But the "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal that blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, heavily discrediting diesel technology, has created a new opening for Toyota, which was the first car maker to market hybrid engines two decades ago. "If there is one manufacturer that has taken advantage of 'dieselgate' it is Toyota," said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Germany-based Centre for Automotive Research. Experts have noted that while major European manufacturers spent years betting the house on diesel as their environmentally friendly alternative, Toyota was making itself the industry leader in hybrids, which are powered by a combination of gasoline and electric generators. Other manufacturers, notably Suzuki and Kia, have long-standing commitments to hybrid, but "Toyota was the first and focused all its efforts on developing and positioning the technology as a good alternative" to diesel, said Felipe Munoz, an expert at London-based auto industry analysts Jato Dynamics. - Diesel in decline - Toyota's hybrid model sales in Europe jumped 45 percent last year. "Since last summer, we have seen people in dealerships who we'd never seen before and who always drove diesel," said Toyota's spokesman in France, Sebastien Grellier. Four out of every 10 Toyotas registered in Europe are hybrids, a number that rises to six out of 10 for France. A particular success has been the compact SUV -- the Toyota C-HR -- introduced at the end of 2016. Toyota says that 90 percent of the vehicle's sales are hybrids. Meanwhile, as awareness grows about diesel engines spewing out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates, diesel sales in Europe are plummeting. Story continues The market's future has been further imperilled by plans in major cities such as Paris to ban diesel, while pro-diesel legislation across the continent is rapidly being scrapped. Last year, nearly 15 percent of Toyota's sales in Europe were from diesel vehicles, down from 30 percent in 2012. On the eve of this week's Geneva Motor Show, Europe's first major car show of the year, Toyota said it will stop selling diesel cars in Europe, beginning the phase-out this year. - 'Focus on hybrid' - "We will not develop new diesel technology for passenger cars, we'll continue to focus on hybrid" vehicles, said Johan van Zyl, president of Toyota Motor Europe. Having that focus ahead of the competition may have given Toyota an edge, but experts warn that maintaining the advantage is far from assured. Dudenhoeffer believes Toyota "is benefitting today because of its successes of the past", not because it remains a leader in innovation. He highlighted the "48-volt light hybrid" engine that some experts say will grow in popularity by improving performance while still allowing makers to meet emissions standards. Renault and Volkswagen are already using the new technology, but Toyota is not. Longer term, experts believe the hybrid market will also continue to weaken, with 100-percent electric cars ultimately taking the lead over the next decade. Toyota is trailing its main rivals Nissan and Renault in 100-percent electric cars but has vowed to catch up through sustained investments in the emerging technology. trumo-mueller.png Donald Trump ignored White House legal advice by asking key witnesses in the Russia investigation about their conversations with investigators, according to a new report. The US president reportedly asked Reince Priebus, his former chief of staff, how his interview with the FBI investigators had gone and whether they had been "nice". Mr Trump also reportedly attempted to get the White House lawyer Donald McGahn to deny a report that the president had instructed him to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading up the investigation. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel probing Russian interference in the 2016 election Credit: AP Mr McGahn refused to do so, on the grounds that the report was true, according to sources quoted by the New York Times. The White House has not yet responded to the reports. There is no suggestion Mr Trump's queries would amount to witness tampering, but they suggest Mr Trump has ignored his lawyers' advice not to do anything that could be viewed as interfering with the probe. Mr Mueller and his team are investigating possible collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and the Russian government. However a portion of Mr Mueller's investigation is said to focus on whether the president has tried to obstruct the inquiry - one of the grounds for impeachment. Investigators have recently questioned witnesses about the nature of their interactions with Mr Trump since the Russia investigation began, it was claimed. Trump campaign 2016 | The four investigations Mr Trump has already faced questions over his decision to sack the former FBI director James Comey who was initially heading up the inquiry. Mr Comey claimed that the president had asked for his loyalty and to end the inquiries into his former national security adviser Michael Flynn shortly before he was sacked. In January, a number of US newspapers and broadcasters reported that Mr Trump had also sought to fire Mr Mueller, who took over the investigation following Mr Comey's departure. Mr Trump was said to have accused Mr Mueller of having conflicts of interest with the investigation and instructed Mr McGahn to request his dismissal. Mr McGahn refused to make the request to the Justice Department and threatened to quit, according to sources. Mr Trump then relented. The US president has previously denied the report, dismissing it as fake news. Seoul (AFP) - The stunning announcement that US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold an unprecedented meeting is the latest and most astonishing step forward in a flurry of diplomacy. The two and their respective allies fought each other to a ceasefire in the 1950-53 Korean War and Pyongyang has for decades defied heavy sanctions to pursue its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, developing rockets that can reach the US mainland. But it has offered to put them on the negotiating table if what it calls threats against it are eliminated. Here are some questions and answers on the dramatic developments. - Where will the summit be? All that has been confirmed so far is that the meeting will take place by the end of May. If it happens in Pyongyang, Kim is sure to put on a spectacular show for his visitor, but for America it would run the risk of appearing that Trump is coming to pay his respects. The Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas -- where Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are to meet in late April -- is probably the favourite at this stage, offering ease of access for both sides, a controlled environment, and facilities already in place. It would also appeal to the two men's sense of drama. A more neutral location with less weight of symbolism such as Beijing or Geneva -- Kim was educated in Switzerland -- would mean the three key players would have to plan events with another host nation. Furthermore, it would involve a journey on both sides and Kim has not left the North since inheriting power from his father in 2011. Seoul would most likely be unthinkable to Pyongyang, and Washington even more so, but on the other hand no one would have predicted three months ago that Kim's sister would visit the South Korean capital within weeks. United Nations headquarters in New York -- Trump's home town -- would mean Kim stepping on American soil but it has a long history of hosting a rogues gallery of world leaders. Story continues Events have moved so far, so quickly and in such unforeseen ways that no option can immediately be ruled out. - How will Trump prepare? The announcement on the White House lawn came almost exactly 24 hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US was "a long way from negotiations" with the North. The North's diplomats are renowned as tough, wily negotiators -- "very Machiavellian" in the words of one analyst. But under Trump the State Department has lost many Korea specialists and he has yet to name an ambassador to Seoul -- front-runner expert Victor Cha was reportedly ruled out of consideration because of his refusal to entertain the idea of a pre-emptive US strike on the North. The US Special Representative for North Korean policy Joseph Yun retired last week, and there has been none of the diplomatic groundwork that usually precede a meeting between heads of state. "Summits normally come at the end of a long series of negotiations at lower levels in which lots of devils in the details are hammered out," said Pusan National University associate professor Robert Kelly. "Trump, always the publicity-seeker, is just diving right in," he tweeted, warning there was a risk he "will wander from decades of joint US-South Korea policy, about which he naturally knows nothing, and make some kind of deal for a 'win' that no other US official would endorse". - How will the two get on? The two men are radically different but in other ways strikingly similar. Kim was chosen to inherit power and was groomed to do so for years, while Trump is one of the unlikeliest US presidents in history, reaching the White House via a career in property development and reality television. Kim has far more experience in office -- more than six years -- and expects to rule for decades, planning for the long term accordingly with no concern about the next day's headlines in his state-controlled media. But both men prize personal loyalty, counting family members among their closest advisers, and they share a taste for theatre -- Trump has called for a military parade in Washington, something Kim holds in Pyongyang usually every year. They traded threats and personal insults last year, with Trump dubbing Kim "little Rocket Man" while menacing the North with "fire and fury" that would "completely destroy" the country. In turn Kim called him a "mentally deranged US dotard". But Trump is known for his sudden turnarounds and tweeted in November: "I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" - What is South Korea's role? Strikingly, all the key announcements of recent days have been made by South Korea. Its envoys revealed both North Korea's willingness to negotiate over its nuclear weapons and -- on the White House lawn, with no US officials present -- Trump's acceptance of the offer to meet. In the early months of Donald Trump's presidency he focussed on China as a way to influence the North and developed a friendship with Japan's Shinzo Abe, leading to fears in Seoul that the South was being bypassed -- reinforced when he accused President Moon Jae-in of "appeasement". But Moon has seized the opportunity presented by the Winter Olympics to try to broker talks between the rivals -- while repeatedly crediting Trump's assertive approach for Kim's willingness to talk. - How will China react? For decades Beijing has been Pyongyang's key diplomatic protector and main source of trade and aid, but their relationship has soured in recent years. Kim has not travelled to Beijing to pay his respects to President Xi Jinping, and Beijing has become increasingly frustrated with its neighbour's behaviour, showing a new willingness to agree to tougher sanctions against it -- and enforce them. At the same time it fears the collapse of the regime in Pyongyang and the instability it would bring, potentially sending waves of refugees into China and the possibility of US troops stationed on its border in a unified Korea. As such it will welcome an agreement -- for years it has been urging the resumption of the Six-Party Talks process it chaired. And after Seoul announced an historic inter-Korean summit this week, Beijing said it was "cheering them on". Any agreement that could lead to a reduced US troop presence in the South would also by implication tilt the balance of power in Beijing's favour in a region it increasingly sees as its own back yard. South Koreas national security adviser confirms historic talks after relaying offer from Pyongyang to White House Donald Trump has accepted an invitation from the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, to hold an unprecedented summit meeting to discuss the future of the embattled regimes nuclear and missile programme. In a stunning development following months of tension and mutual sabre-rattling, senior South Korean officials appeared outside the White House to announce the news, having verbally conveyed Kims invitation to Trump. The White House confirmed Trump was ready to meet Kim by May, at a time and location yet to be determined. If the meeting takes place it would be the first ever between leaders of the two countries. Pyongyang has long sought a summit with the US to reflect what the regime sees as its status as a regional military power. Bill Clinton came close to agreeing to a meeting with Kims father, Kim Jong-il, in 2000, but arrangements had not been made by the time he left office in January 2001. Administration officials portrayed the invitation as a victory for Trumps policy of maximum pressure and stressed that the US would not relax its stringent sanctions regime before North Korea began disarming. A senior official said Trump is not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks. The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said on Friday Trump had taken the decision to hold talks after the US was surprised at how forward-leaning Kim was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation. President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right. And I think in the presidents judgment that time has arrived now, he said. Kim Jong-un watches the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in an undated photo released by the Korean Central News Agency in September. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters Pak Song-il, North Koreas ambassador to the UN, praised Kim for his broad-minded and courageous decision in quotes reported by the Washington Post. He advised the US to contribute to peace by bringing a sincere position and serious attitude. Story continues Moon Jae-in, South Koreas president, praised the possible meeting as a historic milestone on the way to peace on the peninsula. Trump himself confirmed the meeting in a tweet, adding that US sanctions would remain in place until a denuclearisation deal was achieved. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The development was announced by South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong, flanked by intelligence chief Suh Hoon and Cho Yoon-je, South Koreas ambassador to US. The invitation, Chung said, was accompanied by an offer to suspend missile and nuclear tests, the condition US officials have laid down for the start of any substantive talks. Chung is expected to head to Moscow and Beijing, while Suh will travel to Tokyo. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Beijing was pleased with the positive signals while the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said a Trump-Kim meeting would be a step in the right direction. It should not just be a meeting, it should open up a way to resuming a fully fledged diplomatic process to find a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue on the basis of principles agreed during the six-party talks and the UN security council, he told reporters. Japans prime minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he highly appreciated the surprise announcement and planned to visit Trump as early as April. Much of the regimes domestic legitimacy rests on portraying the country as under constant threat from the US and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan. To support the claim that it is in Washingtons crosshairs, North Korea cites the tens of thousands of US troops lined up along the southern side of the demilitarised zone the heavily fortified border dividing the Korean peninsula. Faced with what it says are US provocations, North Korea says it has as much right as any other state to develop a nuclear deterrent. North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un is also aware of the fate of other dictators who lack nuclear weapons. Japan has been cautious about the recent Olympics-driven rapprochement, with Abe warning on Thursday that talks for the sake of talks are meaningless. On Friday, he cautioned there would be no change in policy yet: We will keep putting maximum pressure until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is complete, verifiable and irreversible. Japans foreign ministry said Abe and Trump spoke by phone shortly before the announcement. In a statement, the White House said: President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. The South Korean delegation had met the North Korean leader in Pyongyang on Monday. Announcing the delivery of the invitation in a hastily arranged press statement outside the White House, Chung praised Trumps leadership. I told President Trump that in our meeting, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, said he is committed to denuclearisation, Chung said. Kim Jong-un pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. He added that the Kim had expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation. White House officials said the US national security adviser, HR McMaster, would brief the UN security council on Monday. There have been no significant negotiations between the US and North Korea since 2012, when the two sides agreed a short-lived moratorium on long-range missiles and nuclear weapons activity in return for food aid. The agreement fell apart after Pyongyang launched a satellite with a powerful rocket that could be used in a missile. A deal struck in 1994 fell apart as a result of mutual distrust. It is far from clear that a new deal would be any more enduring. Mintaro Oba, a former state department official involved in North Korean policy under the Obama administration, urged caution. This is a welcome step that will help us de-escalate dangerous tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the near term and hopefully lead to progress toward denuclearisation. That said, we must manage our expectations given our knowledge of North Koreas interests and past behaviour. There is a long and complicated road ahead. Jon Wolfsthal, special assistant to Obama on arms control and non-proliferation, said: The US must pursue this idea. Scepticism is healthy but the chance for progress is too good to pass up. Donald Trump is searching for a new economic adviser after Gary Cohn announced his resignation, amid international concern about a possible trade war and mounting speculation the White House is struggling to attract top talent. Mr Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs CEO who served as the director of the Presidents National Economic Council, announced he was standing down after a year in the position over his disagreement with Mr Trumps threat to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminium. Mr Trump thanked Mr Cohn for his service and later said he would soon be naming a successor to the billionaire banker and free trade advocate. Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Adviser. Many people wanting the job will choose wisely! What the president is saying about his ability to have his pick of top people for any job is false. Several top people have declined to be interviewed... Before Mr Cohn, 57, announced his decision, Mr Trump sought to play down media reports of chaos inside the White House, following the resignation last week of communications director Hope Hicks, the downgrading of Jared Kushners security clearance and his public scolding of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Appearing with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he was inundated with people who wanted to work with his administration. Many people want every single job. Everybody wants to work in the White House, he said. They all want a piece of that Oval Office. They want a piece of the West Wing. And not only in terms of, it looks great on their resume its just a great place to work. Yet many reports have suggested just the opposite, describing the White House as a toxic, uncertain place, where people are out for themselves only and are deeply troubled by Mr Trumps admitted preference for a chaotic environment with people competing for his attention and priority. Indeed, shortly after Mr Trump made the claim that everyone wanted to work for him, the respected New York Times political reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted: What the president is saying about his ability to have his pick of top people for any job is false. Several top people have declined to be interviewed. Story continues While every administration endures staff turnover, the Trump White House has a rate of 34 per cent, a level that has not been seen for decades, according to the Brookings Institution think tank. Mr Cohn, who will leave the White House in a couple of weeks, had been instrumental in helping shape the major Republican tax cuts that Mr Trump signed into law late last year. He had been one of the strongest voices urging the President against protectionism and pointing out that if he went ahead with his plan for tariffs, other nations could retaliate. That is something that has already happened, with the EU, Canada and Mexico threatening to impose their own tariffs. Mr Trump responded by saying a trade war would be good for America. The White House has said it will an announcement on tariffs either later this week or early next week. In answer to a question, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters: Yes we are still on pace for an announcement on that at the end of this week. Asked about naming a successor to Mr Cohn, she said: Look, that will happen when the president is ready to make that announcement. Im certainly not going to get ahead of him and try do that right this second. Among the names that have been mentioned to fill the slot are Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council, and conservative commentator Larry Kudlow. On Wednesday, Germany was among those countries to voice its concern about Mr Cohn departure and the possible impact it would have on the direction of Mr Trumps administration. Germanys Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said she hoped Mr Trump would change his mind on import tariffs. The situation is serious, she said of Mr Trumps decision to impose import tariffs and the departure of Mr Cohn, who was seen as a moderating voice in the White House. According to Reuters, she added: I hope Trump changes his mind. President Donald Trump has signed an order imposing sweeping new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, despite an international outcry and warnings it could begin a trade war. Prior to officially authorising the tariffs, Mr Trump promised to show great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military. After a week of intense lobbying from members of Congress including members of Mr Trumps own party world leaders and other stakeholders, he has agreed to exempt Canada and Mexico from the tariffs. He has also left open the possibility of later excluding allies such as Australia. But the order, which would go into effect in 15 days, could hit South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Brazil. The UK steel industry has said that tariffs would have a profound impact on their business and the British Prime Minister has voiced here concerns to Mr Trump about the move. A spokesman said: The [UK] Government has been clear that tariffs are not the right way to address the global problem of overcapacity, which requires a multilateral solution. We will work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today. However, Mr Trumps words on flexibility towards real friends may be a suggestion that the country could be in line for exemptions alongside Canada and Mexico. The signing ceremony for the proclamation issued at the White House was attended by several steel and aluminium workers, some of whom spoke of how excessive dumping of steel and aluminium imports had negatively affected their jobs and families. The actions we are taking today are not a matter of choice, they are a matter of necessity for our security, Mr Trump said. The President added that he was fulfilling a campaign promise by imposing the tariffs, asserting that support from steelworkers was part of the reason why he won the presidency. American steel and aluminium workers have been betrayed, Mr Trump added, but that betrayal is now over. Story continues Foreign leaders have warned that this move by the US could start a trade war. Both China and the EU said they would retaliate with their own import taxes against the US if Mr Trump implemented the tariffs. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC that the broad tariffs are needed to counteract Chinas transshipment of products. China has been very clever at transshipping products through other countries and dislodging domestic demand in other countries, which causes their producers to dump on us, Mr Ross said. So the reason we have to go on a broader basis is to deal with the problems of transshipment and the problems of displacement. But the decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium will hurt poorer nations and could trigger takeovers in their mining industries, according to the head of the United Nations trade and development agency, Unctad. They are casualties of the process, but there is very little they can do right now, because developing countries, transition economies, least developed countries are incapable of retaliatory action against the US, Unctad secretary general Mukhisa Kituyi told Reuters in Geneva. Many top Republicans disagree with the Presidents tariffs, including House Speaker Paul Ryan. The decision cost Mr Trump his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, whose free trade views clashed with the protectionist move. In a statement immediately following Mr Trumps formal proclamation of the tariffs, Mr Ryan said he would continue to urge the administration to narrow this policy so that it is focused only on those countries and practices that violate trade law. I am pleased that the President has listened to those who share my concerns and included an exemption for some American allies, but it should go further, he said. There are unquestionably bad trade practices by nations like China, but the better approach is targeted enforcement against those practices. Our economy and our national security are strengthened by fostering free trade with our allies and promoting the rule of law. Republican Senator Jeff Flake has already introduced legislation to nullify the tariffs. Trade wars are not won, they are only lost, said Mr Flake, who last year announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018, meaning he is less susceptible to the Presidents frequent attacks than most. Congress cannot be complicit as the administration courts economic disaster, the Arizona senator added. Right now it is unlikely that the Republican-led Congress can muster up enough votes to block Mr Trump. While cautiously praising Mr Trumps new tariffs, the House of Representatives top legislator on tax issues said they should be narrowed. Exempting Canada and Mexico is a good first step, and I urge the White House to go further to narrow these tariffs so they hit the intended targets and not US workers, businesses, and families, House Ways and Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, who is a Republican, said in a statement. As Americas economy and trading partners react to these new taxes, Congress which has constitutional authority over trade with foreign nations will continue to be actively engaged with the administration. Mr Brady and more than 100 House Republicans urged Mr Trump on Wednesday to use narrowly focused tariffs to take action against China and other countries instead of across-the-board measures. Watch NBC Nightly News on Yahoo View. When Donald Trump told a steelworker his father was looking down on him with pride for leading a local union, there was only one problem - the man's dad was not dead. His mistake caused an audience to descend into laughter at a White House press conference which saw him sign an order imposing sweeping new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Steelworker Scott Sauritch had previously told the crowd about how excessive dumping of metals had affected his family. My father, during the 80s, he lost his job due to imports coming into this country," said the president of a union chapel in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. What that does to a man with six kids is devastating. I never forgot that looking into his eyes, in my household, what that does to a family. You hear about it, but when youre actually involved and it impacts you, itll never leave you. For Herman Sauritch, your story didnt end. And for all the people that I represent at my union, I never want to see it again. And for these workers and for these folks, I appreciate the opportunity, Im very humbled with this. Taking back the microphone, the President said: Well, your father Herman is looking down, hes very proud of you right now. Mr Sauritch responded: Oh, hes still alive. As steelworkers and White House officials laughed, Mr Trump hastily added: Then hes even more proud of you. The US leader then challenged another steelworker to an arm wrestle as he took the microphone to address the press conference. The President said he was fulfilling a campaign promise by imposing the tariffs, asserting that support from steelworkers was part of the reason why he won the presidency. American steel and aluminium workers have been betrayed, Mr Trump claimed, but he added that betrayal is now over. Story continues The new tariffs have sparked an international outcry and warnings of a trade war. Prior to officially authorising the tariffs, Mr Trump promised to show great flexibility and co-operation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military. After a week of intense lobbying from members of Congress including members of Mr Trumps own party world leaders and other stakeholders, he has agreed to exempt Canada and Mexico from the tariffs. He has also left open the possibility of later excluding allies such as Australia. But the order could hit South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Brazil. The UK steel industry has said that tariffs would have a profound impact on their business and the Prime Minister Theresa May has voiced here concerns to Mr Trump about the move. WASHINGTON Companies that are notorious for mistreating U.S. consumers could benefit from a bipartisan Senate bill that is supposed to protect those consumers. Legislation by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and supported by more than a dozen Democrats would give credit monitoring companies like Equifax a chance to expand their role in the mortgage industry. The bill would require government-backed mortgage companies to solicit applications for credit scoring models for evaluating the creditworthiness of people seeking home loans. Guess who is one of the biggest beneficiaries of this change, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said Thursday. Equifax, of course. The governments housing finance apparatus has long used the Fair Isaac Corporations proprietary FICO score when it considers the likelihood a borrower will pay off her mortgage. Fair Isaacs main competition is something called VantageScore, a product jointly created by the three credit monitoring companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. A spokesman for VantageScore called the bill a positive development for underserved consumers and those who believe in competition. VantageScore would probably have an edge in a credit score competition, since both FICO scores and VantageScore are based on the credit reports produced by VantageScores parent companies. Making the governments housing finance enterprises consider an alternative credit score will benefit people with limited credit histories, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a release which is similar to how VantageScore markets itself. Scott co-authored the provision with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). A Warner spokeswoman noted the senator has harshly criticized Equifax in the past and lamented that the broader bank bill, which he helped write, doesnt do more to rein in credit monitoring firms. A funny thing about this provision of the legislation is that the Federal Housing Finance Agency had already been in the process of considering an alternative to the FICO score. In a December request for input, the agency said its own research so far had revealed only marginal benefits to requiring a different credit score than FICO. Story continues The report also said that regardless of which score was used, Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs own underwriting systems more precisely predicted mortgage defaults than third-party credit scores alone. The Senate bill, which could pass as soon as Monday, would apparently blow up the agencys own process for selecting which credit score to use. However, a spokesman for Scott said that the bill would set up a process that would be more transparent than the one FHFA had been following. Brown said it would be great to have additional ways of helping Americans become homeowners. But determining creditworthiness and balancing access to credit with the need to make sure we dont end up with millions of foreclosures is complicated, he said. That is why we have FHFA, and that is why we have a process in place. In a massive Equifax security breach last year, hackers stole personal financial information pertaining to more than 140 million Americans. Members of both parties skewered the company during hearings that recalled 2009 Congressional hearings when members of both parties skewered the bankers whod been bailed out after the financial crisis. Ostensibly, the legislation punishes Equifax as a political counterbalance to the bills favorable provisions for banks, which will allow them to hold less capital and engage in riskier practices in the name of making more loans to U.S. consumers. Provisions in the Crapo bill require the three credit monitoring firms to allow customers to freeze their credit information at no charge and to give free services for members of the military though Brown noted Thursday that the bill would also prevent military members from suing the companies. And it would probably be an excellent marketing opportunity for all three firms, which are infamous for offering free products that require a credit card up front and later charge fees unless theyre proactively canceled. Scott has said the credit report competition provision would improve access to credit for African-Americans, who are denied loans at higher rates than white people in similar circumstances. Another part of the Crapo bill, however, would free banks from having to disclose some of the loan application data that has made it possible to detect widespread racial discrimination in mortgages in the first place. The credit competition part of the bill appears designed to benefit VantageScore, said Mike Litt, a policy expert with the consumer advocacy group U.S. PIRG. We think its probably an attempt to lay out a better runway to aid them to really take over the credit reporting and credit scoring markets, Litt said. This article has been updated to include comment from Scotts spokesman and Warners spokeswoman. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Summer's coming, which means that soon enough, it'll be time to tuck the glaciers in. This year, like every year, a group of Swiss will traipse up through the mountains to the Rhone Glacier, hauling huge white blankets. As E&E News reported in a recent article on geoengineering, the annual hike is part of a doomed effort to protect the massive blocks of ice from the rising summer heat. The Earth is getting warmer, and glaciers around the world are retreating and shrinking. As Live Science has previously reported, humans appear to have caused 69 percent of glacial melting between 1991 and 2010 and warming has only accelerated in the nearly eight years since. In the Rhone region, that shrinking represents an economic emergency as well as an environmental one. The ice mass, which 11,500 years ago covered a large chunk of Switzerland, is a significant tourist attraction; Agence France-Presse reported in 2015 that an "ice grotto" has been carved into the ice every year since 1870 for visitors to walk through, and is threatened by the shrinking ice. The glacier has retreated 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) since 1856. The blankets, their white color chosen to reflect light before it strikes the ice, may slow the glacier's decline. But they won't stop it. Glaciologist David Volken told Agence France-Presse that the glacier still loses 3 to 5 inches (10 to 12 centimeters) on a hot day. Nonetheless, this idea and others like it are becoming increasingly popular, as it grows clearer that the world will blow through the 2-degree-Celsius temperature rise target policymakers have set for limiting the worst effects of climate change. If the world's glaciers do collapse entirely, the potential for raising global sea levels is enormous, according to research published in 2013 in the journal Science. As Oceans Deeply reported, scientists at the December 2017 meeting of the American Geophysical Union seriously considered proposals like spreading giant sheets of reflective material on top of landlocked polar ice, building huge mounds on the seafloor to keep warm water away from melting glaciers, or pumping huge amounts of ocean water on top of sea ice in the summer in order to add to its mass. Story continues All these ideas and more appear in an ongoing E&E series on geoengineering, which Live Science recommends reading in full. Originally published on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations By Marta Nogueira BARCARENA, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian government-backed institute is readying new evidence of contamination near the world's biggest alumina refiner, Norsk Hydro ASA's Alunorte, in the northern state of Para, a researcher told Reuters. A more complete report being prepared for release next week should reveal that there was a waste leak at the plant, said Marcelo Lima, a public health researcher at the Evandro Chagas Institute, a research facility linked to the Ministry of Health. "It will tell more of the story, with new evidence," Lima said on Thursday. Flooding at the Alunorte plant last month sparked fears of a leak of toxic bauxite waste around the facility and government warnings of contamination. A Feb. 16 thunderstorm dropped 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain in 12 hours, causing red-colored water to flood streets, homes and areas of Amazon rain forest near the plant. Authorities ordered the plant, in Bacarena city, to cut output in half until it addressed government concerns, leading Norway-based Hydro to declare force majeure with no time set to restart the plant. Hydro has so far denied any negative environmental impact. The company said in a statement on Friday that it had received a report from federal watchdog Ibama mentioning a lateral leak. It said the leak was contained and there was no contact with the environment. The company and government continue to present divergent accounts of what happened. Five officials at the Alunorte facility, who asked not to be named because of company policy, said the incident began with a lightning strike leading to a power failure. Pumps shut down as the storm, flooding the administrative area of the plant that did not contain hazardous bauxite waste, according to the officials. A small amount of untreated water from the area leaked out of cracks in a sealed, out-of-operation drainage tube and reached the nearby forest, they said. At a separate refinery area, which includes two large waste deposits from processing bauxite, pump units connected to waste treatment areas suffered shutdowns but were quickly reconnected, the officials said. But according to Lima, a separate duct leak, to be detailed in the new report, would have carried waste from bauxite processing at the company's oldest waste deposit. The institute has also collected samples showing the presence of harmful materials in soil and water, including lead, which could indicate that bauxite leaked as well, he said. (Reporting by Marta Nogueira; Writing by Jake Spring; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former staff employee of the U.S. Virgin Islands' representative to Congress was sentenced to a year and day in prison on Thursday for circulating private, nude photos and videos of the member and her husband, prosecutors said. Juan McCullum, 36, of Washington, pleaded guilty in January to two federal cyberstalking charges and two related District of Columbia offenses, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement. A federal judge sentenced McCullum, a former reality TV star, to a year and 361 days in prison. All but one year and a day was suspended on condition he completes two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, the statement said. Prosecutors have not identified the legislator, but Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett thanked investigators in a statement after McCullum and fellow staffer Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, were arrested and indicted in July. McCullum, who worked in Plaskett's office from April 2015 to June 2016, offered in March 2016 to take the lawmaker's iPhone to an Apple store for repairs. Plaskett provided her password to unlock the phone, and McCullum downloaded and distributed the nude images and videos on social media, prosecutors said. Browne-Louis, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, gave McCullum email addresses and other contact information to distribute the images. She also gave one of the nude images to a person who was working on the campaign of a Plaskett challenger in a primary election, the statement said. Browne-Louis pleaded guilty in January to a federal cyber-related charge and a District of Columbia offense of conspiracy to disclose sexual images. She faces sentencing on April 23. (Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; editing by Grant McCool) WASHINGTON Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rapidly shifting the Justice Departments focus from Obama-era goals such as civil rights enforcement and criminal justice reform to conservative priorities. A draft version of the departments five-year strategic plan obtained by HuffPost shows the Trump administrations plans for the DOJ include cracking down on undocumented immigrants, aggressively prosecuting national security leaks, zeroing in on campus speech issues, targeting the MS-13 gang and restoring the rule of law throughout the country. The special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trumps attacks on Sessions have grabbed headlines in the attorney generals first year in office. But the Justice Department, of course, has jurisdiction over much more than the Russia probe. United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions (Photo: Aaron Bernstein / Reuters) The Justice Department is a massive bureaucracy with more than 100,000 employees spread out throughout every federal district in the nation and within component agencies like the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department prosecutes defendants ranging from high-profile terrorists and drug kingpins all the way down to demonstrators who chuckle during congressional hearings. Its strategic decisions affect millions. That makes the draft strategy a final version is due out soon a reminder of the full scope of the Trump administrations impact on the direction of federal law enforcement. A Justice Department spokesman said the plan is not yet finalized but issued a statement highlighting many of the same priorities addressed in the draft plan. The Departments 5-year strategic plan is not final until the Attorney General signs it. As he has not yet done so, we cannot comment on unofficial documents that we have not seen or reviewed and are not in final form, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said. That said, the Attorney General has made clear that his goals are to protect our national security, reduce violent crime, combat the deadly opioid crisis, enforce our immigration laws, and restore the rule of law. Story continues Sessions goals The draft plan has four major strategic goals: counterterrorism; securing the borders and enhancing immigration enforcement; reducing violent crime; and promoting integrity, good government and the rule of law. In the counterterrorism realm, the draft plan calls for the DOJ to improve its ability to use social media to identify terror threats; to steel DOJ employees against internal threats who selectively leak classified information to advance their personal agendas and to aggressively investigate the disclosure of classified information; and team up with the private sector to enhance the departments ability to disrupt cyber attacks. The draft plan also calls for immigration enforcement to be prioritized in every federal district across the country; to denaturalize those who obtained citizenship fraudulently; and to end sanctuary policies. The Justice Department sued the state of California over sanctuary policies this week. Under crime prevention, the draft plan specifically names MS-13, an international gang that has gotten heavy attention from the Trump administration. The specific mention elevates them to a status not even given to the so-called Islamic State group. The draft strategic plan argues that violent crime and intentional targeted assaults on members of law enforcement are up, a disputed claim that critics say fail to place numbers in historical context. The draft document calls for a strategic and targeted plan to incapacitate violent criminals and says the DOJ will partner with other law enforcement agencies to dismantle drug trafficking organizations. The department will also attempt to engage with the community, reduce demand for opioids and focus on opioid-related health care fraud. The DOJs final strategic goal involves promoting integrity, good government and the rule of law. The draft plan says the Justice Department should be a beacon of integrity and bulwark against dishonesty. Thatll be a tougher challenge, given that attacks on the Justice Department from President Trump and others on Capitol Hill have gutted Trump supporters trust in federal law enforcement. Additionally, the Justice Departments internal watchdog has said Trumps proposed budget doesnt give his department enough support to do his work. As part of the draft strategic plan, the Justice Department plans promote a culture of respect for First Amendment rights and to educate schools about their obligation to respect student expression. The Justice Department has already intervened in cases involving the free speech rights of conservatives and Christians. Whats not in the plan The draft plans omissions speak as loudly as its contents. Although the DOJs prior strategic plan emphasized civil rights enforcement and criminal justice reform, the draft version of the plan that HuffPost viewed does not. The Obama-era plan highlighted the rights of federal prisoners and stated that incarceration traps too many Americans and weakens too many communities. It emphasized avoiding harsh mandatory minimum sentences for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders, supported Americans right to equal protection and justice and the need to protect vulnerable populations. Criminal justice reform has been a focus of presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, but hasnt been a priority for the Justice Department. Sessions has rolled back Obama-era sentencing reforms and publicly opposed a bipartisan sentencing reform bill, earning a harsh rebuke from his former Senate colleague Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Under Sessions, the Justice Department has retreated from police reform, which had become a top priority under the prior administration. Trumps draft budget calls for the elimination of a historic office founded by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that works to ease racial tensions. Less than one-third of Civil Rights Division employees are satisfied with the Trump administrations policies. Vanita Gupta, who headed the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division under the Obama administration and is now the top executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said that Sessions has advanced an anti-civil rights agenda since the day he became the nations top law enforcement officer. I supposed they dont have the item that says roll back civil rights progress on their strategic plan, which has been what theyve been doing, Gupta told HuffPost. Frankly they shouldve added that to the list. 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. By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - A nerve agent was used to poison former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the southern English city of Salisbury, Britain's top counter-terrorism officer said. What is known so far? WHAT HAPPENED? At 4:15 p.m. (1615 GMT) on March 4, Wiltshire police got a call from a member of the public about two people who were acting strangely. Police found Skripal, 66, and Yulia, 33, unconscious on a bench outside The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury. The pair had no visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital, where they are in critical condition. CCTV footage carried by British media showed a woman and a older man walking near the bench where Skripal was found. It was not clear who they are or whether they are linked to the case. A police officer who responded to the incident is in hospital. He is now able to talk though his condition remains serious, interior minister Amber Rudd said on Thursday. Counter-terrorism police took control of the investigation on March 6. Rudd said Britain would work out who was behind the attack and respond robustly. WHAT POISONED THEM? Britain's top counter-terrorism officer, Mark Rowley, said Skripal had been exposed to a nerve agent. The agent had been identified but he declined to give any more details about it. "This is being treated as a major incident involving attempted murder by administration of a nerve agent," Rowley said. "I can also confirm that we believe the two people originally who became unwell were targeted specifically." There was no evidence of a wider threat to public safety, he said. Samples from the scene are being tested at Porton Down, Britain's military research laboratory. In Salisbury, some police investigators wore chemical and biological protection suits. WHAT IS A NERVE AGENT? Nerve agents are small molecules based on phosphorus that interfere with nerve transmission, said Andrea Sella, professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London. Story continues "In essence what they do is to block the mechanism that allows a nerve to reset itself after a signal has been transmitted," he said. "This causes a pretty systemic collapse of many bodily functions." WHERE DID THE POISONING HAPPEN? Skripal and his daughter were in Salisbury city centre from around 1:30 p.m. on March 4. Police sealed off the Zizzi restaurant on Castle Street, The Bishop's Mill pub in The Maltings and a business park near the town of Amesbury. "We would like to hear from anybody who visited the area close to The Maltings shopping centre where these two people were taken ill on Sunday afternoon, and may have seen something that could assist the investigation," Rowley said. WHO IS SERGEI SKRIPAL? Sergei Viktrovich Skripal was born in the Soviet Union on June 23, 1951. Little is known about his early life but he served in the GRU military intelligence service. He reached the rank of colonel in the GRU but left in 1999 to work in the Russian foreign ministry. He also taught at the Russian Defence Ministry's defence academy in Moscow. Skripal was arrested in December 2004 by Federal Security Service agents on suspicion of treason: passing secrets to Britain's MI6 intelligence agency. Skripal had been "turned" by MI6 in 1995, the FSB said, and had been in contact with British agents at the Moscow embassy. In a secret trial at a Moscow military court, he confessed to his treachery and to selling the names, addresses and codenames of several dozen Russian agents to MI6, Russian media said when his conviction was announced in 2006. Many of the Russian agents he betrayed were so-called deep cover spies in Britain and Europe. Russian media said his motivation was financial: he received more than $100,000 paid into a Spanish bank account. Moscow's respected Kommersant newspaper reported in 2006 that the FSB considered that the damage he had done to Russian spying operations was comparable to that caused by Oleg Penkovsky, another GRU colonel. Penkovsky, a friend of the then GRU chief, informed British and American spies of a Moscow operation to place nuclear missiles in Cuba. The scandal led to the 1962 Cuban crisis and the world on the brink of nuclear war for several days. Penkovsky was arrested in 1962 and executed in 1963 after being found guilty of high treason and espionage. Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during his sentencing, was jailed for 13 years in 2006. "The spy caused significant damage to Russia's ability to defend itself and to state security," the FSB said at the time, Itar-Tass reported. WHY IS SKRIPAL IN BRITAIN? In June 2010, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had broken up an undercover Russian spy ring in the United States. Dubbed the "illegals", some of the Russians had spent years quietly collecting information and trying to meet Americans with political ties. Skripal was pardoned by then-President Dmitry Medvedev and put on a plane for Vienna, where in July 2010 he was exchanged, along with three others, for the 10 Russian spies caught in the United States. The spy swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged. One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman, who was feted as a hero by Moscow on her return. WHY WAS HE IN SALISBURY? Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday. His house in Salisbury was bought for 260,000 pounds ($360,000) in 2011. Skripal was listed at living there under his own name. In the years since he found refuge in Britain, Skripal lost both a wife and son. His son Alexander died on July 18, 2017 aged 43 in St Petersburg, British media reported. The details are unclear. His wife Liudmila died on Oct. 23, 2012 of cancer at the age of 60, according to British media. Reuters has not confirmed the exact cause of death of either. WHAT IS GRU? Russian military intelligence service is known by its Russian acronym GRU, which stands for Main Intelligence Directorate. Moscow's other, better-known Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is the successor to the KGB's First Chief Directorate. Unlike the KGB, GRU was not split up when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has a special status and answers directly to the chief of the general staff, one of three people who control Russia's portable nuclear trigger. GRU chiefs are picked by the president. GRU has agents across the globe. It also has special forces units that fought in many post-World War Two conflicts including Afghanistan and Chechnya. GRU, whose emblem features a bat hovering above the globe, was founded as the Registration Directorate in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. Revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin insisted on its independence from other secret services, which see GRU as a rival. The public was given a rare chance to see parts of GRUs Moscow headquarters when President Vladimir Putin visited it in 2006. He was shown taking part in shooting practice. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Giles Elgood) This could be the most Canadian thing ever. In an unusual turnabout, hundreds of physicians in Quebec are voicing opposition to a recent hike in their pay. They are opposing the pay raises as nurses, clerks, and other healthcare professionals are facing hard working conditions. Quebec's nursing plight has been a much talked-about topic in Canada for months as nurses say that government cuts have worsened their work conditions, as well as patients' experience due to lower nurse to patient ratios. A viral Facebook post by one Quebec nurse spelled the situation out in late January, describing her total exhaustion after covering more than 70 patients alone on an overnight shift. So, the doctors announced they want to forgo their pay raise, and put the money back into the health system itself. "We, Quebec doctors, are asking that the salary increases granted to physicians be cancelled and that the resources of the system be better distributed for the good of the health care workers and to provide health services worthy to the people of Quebec". FIFA World Cup: A tournament for everyone There are just too many teams, too many leagues, and too many competitions to keep up-to-date with all the major events and news. You can catch the best players, you can catch those players notorious for on field antics and also off field antics. Bandhan Bank's Rs 45 billion IPO to open for subscription next week One of India's newest bank Bandhan Bank is entering the equity market through Rs. 4,500 crore Initial public offering ( IPO ). On the microfinance side, the bank has a networth of 2,600 doorstep service centres and 9.6 million micro-loan customers. Rob Liefeld's 'Extreme Universe' Heads to Netflix Freeze's bad Batman & Robin puns) could be a recipe for disaster, although things are still pretty early on in the process still. He is an absolute comic book fanatic and working with him on adapting Extreme Universe has been electric. The MQRP petition refers to the such conditions adding that the only thing immune to healthcare system cuts are salaries received by the doctors. Obviously health care is a big political issue in the US, but let's set that aside. But Quebec's health minister, Gaetan Barrette, said the pay increase deal has already been made and he has no plans to renegotiate. The Quebec government now says there's nothing stopping the doctors from simply returning their raises individually, perhaps as donations. I recently spent a night in a hospital, fortunately for something that turned out to be just a scare. With this Canadian gesture, the doctors showed they understand this, too. According to figures quoted by CBC News, specialists in Quebec make an average of 403,537 Canadian dollars ($311,853) each year, compared with $367,154 in Ontario. But it still sends a message. A member of Occupy Wall Street protesting on 5th Avenue in October 2011. A new report has found racial inequality has worsened over the last 50 years. (Photo: Shannon Stapleton / Reuters) Consider these three facts. African-Americans in the U.S. are 6.4 times more likely than whites to be in jail. The black unemployment rate in the U.S. is consistently twice as high as white unemployment. An African-American person in the U.S. today can expect to die 3.5 years sooner than a white person. These arent just numbers on a page, they are the outcome of policies and practices that create the systemic racial inequality pervading America today. Last week, the Economic Policy Institute published a report, stating what many of us already know that in the 50 years since the U.S. government took the decision to document segregation, poverty and racism in America, many of the problems identified half a century ago are still with us. Indeed, some have gotten worse. In 1967, the U.S. had one of its most violent years ever. There were more than 160 urban rebellions recorded in the first nine months of the year alone. Cities from Alton, Illinois, to Ypsilanti, Michigan, were affected, and the larger disorders in places like Detroit and Newark, New Jersey, were some of the worst the nation had ever experienced. A demonstration in the streets of Detroit in August 1967. (Photo: Keystone-France via Getty Images) In response, President Lyndon Johnson established a commission led by former Illinois Governor Otto Kerner to get to the roots of what happened and work out how to stop them from happening again. The resulting in the 1968 Kerner Commission Report concluded: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one whiteseparate and unequal. It called for a sweeping set of reforms totaling some $80 billion. These reforms were designed to make police more representative and more accountable to working class black communities, to integrate the news media to provide better reporting of ghetto conditions, and to provide over two million public and private sector jobs by creating a sweeping jobs program. Although the Kerner report was released with much fanfare, it fell victim to politics and war. In the wake of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam and diminishing political support for liberal government in general, few if any of the reports recommendations were implemented. Story continues Soon after the report was released the nation elected Richard Nixon as president on a law and order campaign that was a thinly veiled attempt to use the urban disorders to stoke racial resentment. Jump forward 50 years. We havent had anywhere near the number or type of disorders that brought the Kerner Commission into being the 2015 Freddie Gray uprising in Baltimore, for example, was neither as violent nor as costly as the 1968 rebellion on the heels of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. but it is clear the conditions are similar. While there have been improvements in some areas for black people, the gap between black and white for everything from housing access to economic opportunity is widening. People taking part in the Million People's March Against Police Brutality, Racial Injustice and Economic Inequality in Newark, New Jersey, in July 2015. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz / Reuters) What the report does not do is connect these problems to larger shifts in the economy. In the years since the Kerner Report was released, union membership has decreased significantly, public sector jobs have fallen particularly since the 2008 crash and the size of the manufacturing sector has decreased significantly. At the same time, the safety net in America has dwindled and remains the subject of constant attacks. It also does not examine the degree to which black communities themselves have grown more separate and unequal. Even in the wake of the 2008 crash, which decimated black wealth, inequality within black communities is higher than it has ever been and is higher than it is within white communities. Focusing primarily on the racial gap can cause us to lose sight of the ways that black communities themselves are now increasingly bifurcated between haves and have nots. Simply asking for piecemeal measures such as more funding for rebuilding infrastructure may drive movement in a positive direction, but it wont address the fundamental, underlying problems. What we need more than anything else is an entirely new way of thinking about our economy that prioritizes equality not just along racial lines as well as a way of garnering a larger slice of the wealth accumulated by the 1 percent and multinational corporations to provide a robust safety net. Lester Spence is is an associate professor of political science and Africana studies at Johns Hopkins University. For more content and to be part of the This New World community, join our Facebook Group. HuffPosts This New World series is funded by Partners for a New Economy and the Kendeda Fund. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from the foundations. If youd like to contribute a post to the editorial series, send an email to thisnewworld@huffpost.com. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Bravo Ariana Madix is making the most of the final days of summer. The Vanderpump Rules cast member sizzled while soaking up some sun in a teeny striped bikini during a recent trip to Las Vegas, as captured in a new photo on Instagram. On September 17, Ariana took to Instagram to show off her sizzling swimwear. The author and mixologist stunned while putting her toned physique on display in the flirty yellow-and-white two-piece. As captured in the snapshot below, the sultry swimsuit featured a structu A Florida middle school teacher who allegedly used the n-word and advised students to avoid dating black boys has been suspended without pay for 10 days following an investigation. Duval County math teacher David Swinyar was suspended without pay from Kernan Middle School after the district found "credible evidence" that he had "engaged in inappropriate communication" with students, including telling students that they "should not be dating all these different African American boys because they are not worth it," the district report states. The alleged incident happened in October 2017. "If your boyfriend says bad things to you and/or treats you wrong, that means he's acting like a n*****," Swinyar said, according to the report. "You all should not be dating all these different African American boys because they are not worth it." Trending: U.S. and NATO Allies Rally in Europe's Biggest Artillery Drill Since End of Cold War middle school Duval County School District The board opted to bypass the first two disciplinary stepsa written and verbal warningand move ahead with the 10-day suspension due to the seriousness of the allegations. It was the teacher's first disciplinary incident, a representative in the district office told Newsweek. The report, presented during a regularly scheduled board meeting, also found that Swinyar had called his students "dumb," and told them that they ended up in his class because they failed the Florida Standards Assessment, an aptitude test required in the state. Don't miss: Trump 'Very Unhappy' With Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Revealing Stormy Daniels Involvement: Report Swinyar was also accused of breaching professional standards by discussing his political affiliations in class, often expressing support for President Donald Trump. When a student called a parent to complain about the remarks, Swinyar allegedly grabbed the phone from the student's hand to prevent the call. Story continues More than two dozen students said they witnessed Swinyar's tangent. The complaint was forwarded to the Office of Equity and Inclusion, where it was then investigated. When confronted with the offensiveness of his alleged behavior, Swinyar apologized and said he "never said that." A lawyer for the teacher told The Florida Times Union that her client completely denied the remarks and would be appealing the decision. Reports of teachers using racist epithets in the class are hardly rare. This week, another Florida teacher was "removed from the classroom" pending an investigation after a HuffPost found that she had been hosting a podcast that promoted white supremacy. Earlier this month, a teacher in Kentucky was suspended for referring to a student as a "porch monkey," according to a Fox affiliate. In January, a teacher was filmed shouting racial slurs and said she was too "educated to be racist," the New York Post reported. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Paris (AFP) - France "regrets" US President Donald Trump's announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to the United States, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said Thursday. "There are only losers in a trade war. With our EU partners, we will assess consequences on our industries and agree appropriate response," he tweeted. Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite repeated warnings from the EU and other allies that this could trigger a full-on trade war. Last Friday, Le Maire warned that any such measures by the US would be "unacceptable" and called for a "strong, coordinated, united response from the EU". The French minister then warned that the tariffs would have "a major impact on the European economy and on French companies such as Vallourec, ArcelorMittal and Ugitech". "There are certain countries which practice dumping and other subsidies which distort global trade," he said, in an indirect reference to China. "The American authorities know that perfectly well, and it is this that they should be addressing, not anything else." The White House said Thursday that countries concerned by the new tariffs could speak to the US in order to negotiate possible exemptions. "The EU is a close ally of the US and we continue to think that the EU must be exempted from these measures," said EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom. "I will demand more clarity on this issue in the days to come," she added. Putin - AP Today's Front Bench looks at the Government's response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury. A sample of the email is below. If you like what you see, sign up here. Don't forget to vote in the poll and leave your reasoning in the comments below. The best responses will feature in this afternoon's Brexit Briefing. Front Bench Three days in and its still hard to escape the story of Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy and double agent who was poisoned with his daughter in Salisbury on Sunday. Two major developments have come to light overnight. First, investigators now believe the poison used was a nerve agent. Second, the first police officer to help the Skripals is now in a critical condition in hospital. He had been discharged, but his condition then deteriorated. Extremely critical condition That this was a nerve agent would seem to rule out anyone but a state actor nerve agents are difficult to produce and hard to store safely. Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that the visit of Yulia may have triggered the assassination attempt, but that last weeks snow likely disrupted the hit team. An intelligence source told The Telegraph that It now looks as though they got desperate by Sunday afternoon and decided to strike. The critically ill police officer may therefore been collateral damage from a bungled attack. The Times reports that Sergei is in an extremely critical condition and quotes a Whitehall source as saying the feeling is that he is not going to make it out of this, but that I think it could be more positive [for Yulia]. They are hopeful that she might be able to pull through. Meanwhile, there were reports last night that Sergei may still have been involved in the intelligence business in some way. Another Russian exile, Valery Morozov, told Channel 4 News that Skripal worked in cybersecurity and regularly visited the Russian embassy. And The Telegraph reports that Skripal become close to a security consultant who worked for Orbis a company run by Christopher Steele, the former British spy who compiled a dossier on US President Donald Trumps alleged Russia ties. Story continues Little room for manoeuvre The poisoning of the officer appears to have raised the stakes for the UK. However, with sanctions already in place over the Ukraine crisis and UK-Russia relations as bad as ever, its not clear that Downing Street has many tools left to use beyond a mass expulsion of diplomats. As Front Bench predicted yesterday, Britains limited room for manoeuvre is already being linked to Brexit. James Landale at the BBC points out the UK will struggle to get the EU to agree to new sanctions, with attitudes on the continent softening to Russia and Brexit using up our diplomatic capital. The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, will make an urgent statement to the Commons today, but the Government is unlikely to act unless it finds hard evidence of Russian involvement. This at least buys it some time, but if the Russian link is proved, the expectation will be there for tough response. Its not clear that Britain will be able to deliver one. Like what you read? Want more? Sign up for the Front Bench newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday morning . It has all the best political analysis like that above and much more. Sign up here Berlin (AFP) - Germany's second biggest party, the Social Democrats, on Friday named their ministers in Chancellor Angela Merkel's next government, completing a cabinet lineup in which they snatched the trophy finance and foreign affairs portfolios. Olaf Scholz, 59, the interim leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), will take over the powerful finance ministry which in recent years was led by fiscal hawk Wolfgang Schaeuble of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU). Meanwhile Heiko Maas, the SPD's outgoing justice minister, will take the prestigious post of running the foreign ministry. The announcements were made by Andrea Nahles, the designated next leader of the centre-left party. Both Merkel's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD, the two mainstream parties of Europe's biggest economy, lost millions of votes to far-right populists in last September's elections. This has forced them, after six months of torturous negotiations involving multiple parties, into another unhappy marriage of convenience dubbed a grand coalition or "GroKo". Merkel, in power for 12 years, is due to formally launch her fourth-term government next Wednesday. But unrest is brewing within her party following a historically poor election result and Merkel's decision to give up key cabinet posts as the price of holding onto power. Given the mutual distrust and looming challenges, "it's possible that this coalition won't last four years," one senior CDU source has told AFP. "Unlike in the past, I'm not sure this time." Hammuriyeh (Syria) (AFP) - Syrian forces pursued a relentless air and ground offensive against Eastern Ghouta on Thursday, moving closer to retaking the rebel enclave but also depriving desperate civilians of vital aid. More than 930 civilians have been killed in the nearly three-week assault on the last rebel enclave outside the capital, where dozens suffered overnight from a suspected chlorine attack. On another front in Syria's complex seven-year war, pro-Turkey rebels seized control of the key northern town of Jandairis from Kurdish fighters. Russia-backed government forces have retaken more than half of Eastern Ghouta, a monitor says, since launching their devastating offensive on the enclave on February 18. The fighting has prompted international outrage, culminating in the UN Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire, aid deliveries and evacuations. On Thursday, 24 civilians were killed in air strikes and rocket fire on Eastern Ghouta, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. An aid delivery planned for Thursday was meant to bring relief to war-weary civilians inside Eastern Ghouta, which is home to 400,000 inhabitants who have been living under government siege since 2013. But with bombardment continuing, the joint convoy between the United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Syrian Arab Red Crescent could not go through. "The movement of the convoy was not authorised by the Syrian authorities due to security reasons," said Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN's humanitarian coordination office (OCHA). It marks the second time this week aid operations have been disrupted by military developments, with food deliveries cut short Monday due to bombardment. - 'Going to suffocate' - Eastern Ghouta towns and villages have fallen in quick succession in recent days, with regime forces on the verge of cutting the remaining rebel-held territory into two isolated pockets. Story continues A military official said the regime would open up a new "humanitarian corridor" for civilians wishing to flee from the south of the enclave. But Moscow accused the rebels of having attacked two Syrian army checkpoints, causing casualties and further holding up aid deliveries. They were "doing everything possible to prevent residents from leaving", it said in a statement. In the town of Hammuriyeh, AFP's correspondent saw motionless bodies lying in the streets on Thursday after a night of ferocious bombing. Dozens of civilians were treated in the town for breathing difficulties late Wednesday, with medics reporting symptoms consistent with a toxic attack. Doctors at one facility treated at least 29 patients with signs of exposure to chlorine, according to the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), which supports hospitals in Eastern Ghouta. It said victims were suffering from shortness of breath, wheezing, and redness of the eyes. Several families were seen trying to reach fresh air late Wednesday on the roof of a four-storey building in Hammuriyeh, after air strikes on their neighbourhood. "I'm going to suffocate," two children screamed as rescue workers carried them down from the roof. Regime forces have been repeatedly accused of using chlorine on Eastern Ghouta in recent weeks, which both the government and Russia have staunchly denied. Syria's war has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. It has since spiralled into a complex conflict involving world powers. - Turkey takes northern town - Since January 20, Turkey-led rebels have pressed an assault on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the north of the country. On Thursday, Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels seized the town of Jandairis, the Observatory said. "Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels took full control of Jandairis... after heavy and sustained bombardment by the Turkish aviation," it said. A rebel commander from the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham group told an AFP reporter in Jandairis the town was under full control. "The entire city of Jandairis was liberated from the secessionist gangs," said the commander, who goes by the name Abu Saleh. "The fight will continue until the whole of Afrin is cleared of them." Turkey says the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) who control the enclave are a "terrorist" group. But the Kurdish militia have also formed the backbone of a US-backed alliance that has successfully fought the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria. The UN Security Council on February 24 demanded a 30-day cessation of hostilities across the country, but the resolution has done little to bring relief to civilians. The UN's top body met behind closed doors on Wednesday in an attempt to shore up the ceasefire. UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura briefed the meeting and offered to help broker a deal with Russia to allow fighters in Eastern Ghouta to leave, a diplomat said. Rebel groups operating in Eastern Ghouta have so far refused to discuss evacuating the enclave and have been firing rockets and artillery into eastern areas of Damascus in recent weeks, leaving at least 32 dead the Observatory says. WASHINGTON Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) spent much of 2017 urging greater accountability for the American role in the civil war in Yemen presenting himself as one of few GOP critics of the Trump administrations policies and aligning with prominent critics of U.S.-backed Saudi-United Arab Emirates operations in Yemen, like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and a bevy of national security experts on the left and right. Now he is trying to undercut the clearest shot war skeptics have of forcing the U.S. to change course. Young and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on Thursday quietly filed new legislation, first reported by HuffPost, in response to a bill unveiled last week by Murphy and Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah). The Sanders-Lee-Murphy bill would force a Senate vote on whether to end U.S. support for the Saudi-UAE coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen. Its unprecedented by design, guaranteed to come to the floor because it invokes the War Powers Resolution and the Arms Export Control Act; it invites Congress to flex its foreign policy muscles in a way it hasnt in decades. Its also a real challenge to President Donald Trump, who has grown close to Saudi Arabia and the UAE and whose lawyers are selling Congress a generous view of presidential authority over American military action abroad. The Young-Shaheen amendment is less ambitious. It requires the secretary of state to certify to key congressional committees within 30 days that the Saudis are investing in diplomacy to end the Yemen conflict and increasing humanitarian access to the more than 20 million Yemenis who need some kind of help. The secretary would have to submit similar certifications two further times: one month later, and eight months after that. If such certifications cannot be provided, the bill says the U.S. must end the aerial refueling the Saudi-UAE coalition relies on for bombing runs though it says American help can flow to that coalition if it is targeting Yemens Al Qaeda and Islamic State branches or Iranian activity, raising the specter of an outright U.S.-funded proxy battle with the Islamic Republic. Story continues A Yemeni man inspects the damage in the aftermath of a reported air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on March 8, 2018. (Photo: MOHAMMED HUWAIS via Getty Images) That proposal would effectively greenlight continued Saudi-UAE operations for months, at the very least. Its a striking move by a man who just six months ago told HuffPost, The actions of the Saudis in Yemen undercut our national security interests and our moral values exacerbating the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. The worry among supporters of the Sanders-Lee-Murphy bill is that Senate leaders will encourage both pieces of legislation to be considered in short succession. That would allow lawmakers to appear to be acting on the Yemen crisis while avoiding an ambitious vote that would represent a rare congressional check on presidential war-making powers. They feel Youngs requirements would be easy for the Trump administration to meet and unlikely to pressure the Saudis, mostly just incentivizing them to emphasize ties between the rebels and Iran to justify escalation and American assistance. The Young-Shaheen camp maintains that its bill is a pragmatic alternative given the Defense Departments view that the War Powers Resolution does not apply in the case of Yemen and the likelihood that Trump would veto the original Yemen resolution. The [Sanders-Murphy-Lee] legislation will not accomplish its stated objective because it will almost certainly not become law, a Senate aide told HuffPost. Even if it were to become law, it would not successfully compel the administration to take the desired steps in Yemen. The Young-Shaheen legislation actually could become law and could play a positive role in pressuring the Saudis to provide better humanitarian access and take concrete steps to end the civil war. Supporters of the Young-Shaheen bill believe the certification requirement would make it more likely for Trump to push the Saudis. And they say more public shame on the Saudis through the Sanders-Murphy-Lee debate would have little effect, and reject claims of authorizing U.S. support for actions against Iran. But their alternative also relies on the idea that embarrassment has an impact. It suggests that either the U.S. can force the Saudi-UAE coalition to improve its behavior so it can be certified and retain refueling support, or the U.S. can issue the weak certifications that activists are worried about and that lawmakers and advocates can use those to humiliate the coalition and demand progress. And while it does not use the word authorization, it explicitly protects U.S. support for Saudi-UAE missions against Iranian terrorist activities a broad phrase officials could easily use to justify all manner of attacks and the transport, assembly, or employment of Iranian ballistic missiles or components in Yemen. The competition between the bills seems likely to lead to Senate drama in the run-up to votes anticipated next week. Young is the most high-profile mainstream GOP skeptic of the Yemen war, so Republicans feeling pressure over it could easily say they are addressing the issue by voting for his proposal. Their leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), has led them to largely support the Saudi-UAE coalition during other votes seen as proxy Senate judgments on it, like a Senate fight last year over a weapons sale to Riyadh. While some top Senate Democrats, like Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) have endorsed the Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has yet to weigh in and Shaheens involvement in the Young effort may give some cover to other Democrats keen to look tough on Iran and respectful of longtime U.S. partners in the Arab world. A spokesperson for Schumer did not respond to a HuffPost request for comment on his position. For months, Young seemed fixated on the Saudi-UAE coalitions treatment of aid, particularly preventing the delivery of four U.S.-purchased cranes to help unload supplies at the crucial port of Hodeidah and halts on aid flows to rebel-held areas. Since Trump personally commented on the aid problems in December, the coalition has allowed the cranes to reach the port and launched a new $1.5 billion Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations plan. And Young has become far less critical of the U.S.-backed effort in Yemen, even as he has continued to meet with humanitarian leaders as part of his Senate Foreign Relations Committee work. I am grateful for the recent steps the Trump administration took to make clear to Riyadh that the use of food as a weapon of war is immoral, counterproductive, and illegal, he said in a Dec. 21 statement. If Saudi Arabia fails to implement its commitments or resumes its starvation blockade, I will work with the administration and my colleagues in Congress to implement relevant U.S. law. Now he seems to have more faith that Trump-Saudi dialogue is achieving the goals he has cited even though aid groups say some of the coalitions most punishing tactics, like an on-off blockade of Hodeidah port and bombing that has killed thousands of civilian lives, are ongoing. And his bill paves the way for more conflict by describing the coalition as potentially helpful against Al Qaeda a group analysts say (and Young once said) it has actually fought alongside in some cases and helped to rise and providing the first official U.S. endorsement of coalition action against Iranian efforts to resupply the rebels. The Trump administration has made it clear that it wants a war with Iran. [Youngs plan] would hand them that war on a silver platter by providing a de facto authorization for the use of force for vague Iranian threats, said an activist involved in Capitol Hill advocacy who asked for anonymity to preserve relationships. Thats troubling on its own, but when its coming from a Senator like Todd Young who has positioned himself as a champion of ending Yemeni suffering, its even more disturbing to see him endorse more conflict that will only exacerbate the U.S.-supported starvation of millions of civilians in Yemen. Campaigners in the constellation of groups supporting the Sanders-Lee-Murphy bill are lining up to blast Youngs move. This always happens when Congress has a real opportunity to step up on issues of war and peace, Elizabeth Beavers of Indivisible, a nonprofit organization, wrote on Twitter. Lawmakers try to construct a half-hearted off ramp that ultimately does nothing and goes nowhere, instead of taking their chance to have real impact. Dont let them do it this time. Spokespeople for Shaheen and Young declined to comment for this story. This article has been updated with more details on the legislation from Young and Shaheen. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Yahoo News photo-illustration; photos: AP, Getty A March 13 special election in the heavily Republican-voting southwest corner of Pennsylvania has turned into a referendum on an array of hot-button issues, and the outcome could shape how candidates campaign around the country and affect debates over American trade policy in the year ahead. The contest is between Republican Rick Saccone and Democrat Conor Lamb for the 18th District seat that opened when eight-term Rep. Tim Murphy resigned last October. Murphy, a member of the Pro-Life Caucus, quit following reports he had urged his mistress to consider an abortion. The special election has the potential to upend expectations about how safe even the reddest of Republican congressional districts will be in 2018, with implications for control of the House and the fate of possible impeachment resolutions. Trump won the district by nearly 20 points, and at the time of Murphys resignation National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers boasted, The NRCC is undefeated in special elections this year, and Im supremely confident that will continue. But newly energized activists had begun organizing against Murphy and other local Republicans shortly after Trumps victory with the long-shot goal of taking back the district, which extends from the suburbs of the Steel City of Pittsburgh to the West Virginia border. With Murphy out of the way, they found in Lamb, a telegenic 33-year-old former prosecutor and first-time candidate, to embody their hopes. Republican Rick Saccone and Democrat Conor Lamb of Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District. (Photos: Keith Srakocic/AP) Saccone, 60, is a state representative and former Air Force special investigator who improbably won his partys nomination last fall after a falling-out between two other candidates. He is known for his pro-gun and conservative social positions and has said he wants to come to Washington to be Donald Trumps wingman. With just a few days to go until the election, Democrats are closer than they ever expected. In late February the venerable Cook Political Report moved the race from leans Republican to toss-up, and recent public polling shows the candidates neck and neck leading to cautious predictions that Lamb might become the first Democrat to win a hotly contested House special election since Trump took office. Republicans notably lost the special election for Alabamas U.S. Senate seat, and have lost three dozen state legislative seats across 2017 and 2018. Although Democratic House candidates have generally improved, often by large margins, on Hillary Clintons 2016 vote, heavily gerrymandered, highly conservative House districts have proved a formidable seawall against the predicted Democratic wave. If that wall fails here, the wave could become a tsunami. Story continues I promise you, if he wins youre going to see probably another half a dozen Republicans say theyre not running again, former vice president Joe Biden, a native son of Scranton, Pa., said Tuesday during a series of appearances in the district to stump for Lamb. Already a record number of Republican representatives have announced plans to retire, creating openings for the record number of Democratic challengers vying to run in the fall. Incumbent House members had a 97 percent reelection rate in 2016. Former Vice President Joe Biden points at Conor Lamb, right, the Democratic candidate in the March 13 special election in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District, during a rally at the Carpenters Training Center in Collier, Pa., March 6, 2018. (Photo: Gene J. Puskar/AP) President Trump will hold a rally Saturday night in the district and is sure to use the opportunity to tout his newly announced steel tariffs. Vice President Pence has also visited the district. Lamb has proved an adept fundraiser, outraising Saccone two to one, but the candidates own spending has been dwarfed by outside money; groups supporting Saccone have poured more than $10 million into the race, giving him a substantial overall financial edge. The hard dollar discrepancy partly reflects fundraising skill and donor enthusiasm for the candidates, but it also stems from a difference in approach between the two parties in the upcoming cycle. Democrats are unusually focused on funneling funds directly to new-to-the-scene candidate committees for advertising and organizing operations, while Republicans continue to rely heavily on a sophisticated, data-driven party organizing infrastructure and well-established outside groups who have tested and honed their anti-Democratic messaging efforts across multiple successful House elections. The deployment of on-the-ground volunteers, trained by the Republican Leadership Initiative to bring targeted messages in person to specific individuals identified as persuadable, helped boost Trump in 2016 in Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Party strategists attribute their continued success in holding GOP House seats in part to their ongoing operations. Democrats may have dozens of new resistance-movement groups to turn to, but the GOP has a centralized program with a proven record of fueling high Republican turnout. That could make the difference in a toss-up contest. And then, of course, theres the steel question. Southwestern Pennsylvania is dotted with steel plants and coal mines that have seen better days and things havent improved since Trumps inauguration, despite his promises. At least five manufacturing plants in southwestern Pennsylvania closed in 2017, leading to the loss of thousands of jobs across the already depressed region. In Westmoreland County, which overlaps in part with the 18th District, a steel plant went idle last year. In Mount Morris, the Mepco-owned 4 West coal mine is slated to close this month. President Trump said hes bringing back coal, but theres not been any change in regulations, really, to make a significant difference, Blair Zimmerman, chairman of the Greene County Board of Commissioners, told NPR when the closure was announced in January. The closing of the mine will cost the region 370 jobs. We need help, said Zimmerman. President Trump holds up a signed proclamation on adjusting tariffs on imports of steel into the United States, flanked by steel and aluminum workers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 8, 2018. (Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Accordingly, Trumps tariff announcement has been greeted with enthusiasm. Last week, a president stood up for Pittsburgh, and for the Mon Valley, and Weirton, and Youngstown, and all the small American towns that felt the ripple effect of unfettered trade and abandonment of a primary American industry. It was not Donald Trumps dumbest hour, it was his finest, opined the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in an editorial hailing the president for keeping his word to protect the steel industry and issue tariffs. The American Alliance of Manufacturers and the locally influential Steelworkers Union also cheered and thanked the president, while the AFL-CIOs president, Richard Trumka, took to Twitter to defend him. Tariffs wont start a trade war. People may not like how Pres Trump rolled these out, but I applaud him for trying, he wrote. But its far from certain that this late-in-the-game announcement, which already contains an exemption for Canada and Mexico and will almost certainly face court challenges, will be enough to make a difference against the felt reality of plant closures and job losses. Nor is the race only a referendum on Trump, whose approval in southwestern Pennsylvania had dropped from 60 percent in May 2017 to 40 percent by last fall. Also at issue is House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the enduring power of advertising against her. The Paul Ryan-affiliated Congressional Leadership Fund has made her a villain in advertising across congressional races for years, and she has figured prominently in their advertising against Lamb. Lamb, for his part, has said that House Democrats need new leadership and that he would oppose Pelosis reelection. But he would need to be joined by a majority of the caucus to have an impact, and thats not a likely scenario, barring a Democratic collapse in the midterms. And whoever wins Pennsylvanias 18th District wont be able to keep the title of its representative for long, given the impending court-ordered redistricting. If the plan now under consideration survives further challenges, voters in the current 18th District would be split between a renamed 14th District and a renamed 17th District. The existing 14th District represented by Democrat Michael Doyle, which includes the Democratic stronghold of Pittsburgh, would be renamed the 18th. Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone meets with supporters at VFW Post 4793 on March 5, 2018, in Waynesburg, Pa. (Photo: Swensen/Getty Images) In that scenario, Saccone would be a strong candidate to win the open seat in the new and even more conservative 14th District, while Lamb might be better positioned as a challenger to incumbent GOP Rep. Keith Rothfus in the new 17th District. Lambs home in Mount Lebanon is in the new 17th District, and he has already begun to receive local Democratic endorsements for a possible fall race against Rothfus. Republicans have sought to tie Lamb to the national partys position on gun control as well. Lamb, a former Marine captain, has said he does not support a ban on assault weapons, but the ads have continued. Its a tactic that often works for Republicans, but national polls show that support for some gun control measures is higher than ever before in the wake the Parkland, Fla., shooting. In the last two months, some of the biggest surges in support for tightening gun laws come from demographic groups you may not expect independent voters, men and whites with no college degree, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, announcing the findings. That might mitigate what in other years has been an effective line of attack. One thing is certain: Both parties will be watching the results Tuesday closely for clues about how to position themselves for what could be one of the most consequential midterms in a long time. Signs promoting President Trump and Republican Rick Saccone outside a campaign rally on March 5, 2018, in Waynesburg, Pa. Saccone is running against Democrat Conor Lamb in a special election being held on March 13 for the Pennsylvania 18th Congressional District vacated by Republican Tim Murphy. (Photo: Keith Srakocic/AP) Read more from Yahoo News: 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 CARACAS (Reuters) - U.S. philosopher Noam Chomsky and Hollywood star Danny Glover joined other activists on Friday in condemning U.S. and Canadian sanctions on Venezuela's socialist government, saying they hurt the poor and torpedoed political reconciliation. The two high-profile activists were among 154 signatories of an open letter to the Washington and Ottawa governments urging them to reconsider recent measures to pressure President Nicolas Maduro's administration. The United States and Canada have slapped individual sanctions on a handful of Venezuelan officials, including Maduro, over accusations of corruption, democratic abuses and human rights violations. The measures include freezing assets and preventing U.S. and Canadian nationals from dealing with them. The U.S. government has also imposed financial measures, intended to stop Venezuela from contracting new debt, and is considering oil sanctions. While critics say sanctions are aimed only at Venezuela's "dictatorship", Maduro says they are part of an international right-wing conspiracy intended to topple him and take control of the OPEC nation's oil wealth. "We are deeply concerned by the use of illegal sanctions, whose effect falls most heavily on the poorest and most marginal sectors of society, to coerce political and economic change in a sister democracy," the letter said. "Sanctions merely complicate efforts by the Vatican, Dominican Republic, and other international actors to mediate a resolution to the deep polarization in Venezuela." Former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez used to enjoy high-profile support from a raft of leftist personalities, but his successor Maduro has seen foreign opinion harden against him, particularly during opposition protests last year. "It is no secret that Venezuela -- unlike Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia -- is targeted for regime change by the U.S. precisely because of Venezuela's leadership in resisting U.S. hegemony and the imposition of the neo-liberal model in Latin America," the activists' letter said. Opposition supporters say Western celebrities are ingenuous in supporting Venezuela's leftist government without understanding how its policies have spawned malnutrition, disease, and mass emigration. (Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Alexandra Ulmer and Bernadette Baum) A New Jersey high school has retracted a threat banning students from prom, for participating in organized walk-outs in response to the Florida school shooting. Principal Dennis Perry of Cherry Hill High School East explained the changeabout in a February 27th letter to the school, even inviting students to participate in an organized walk on March 14th, the same day as the national school walkout planned by The Womens Marchs Youth EMPOWER group. A student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and teachers were killed in a February 14th shooting, protests in support of gun laws. (Photo: Getty Images) Perry also announced a weekly meeting between students and teachers to discuss school safety and a letter campaign to victims of the February 14th shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, among other initiatives. I am formally retracting the statement that I made on Monday, February 26, regarding withholding participation in the senior trip, the senior prom, or graduation for participating in the disruption planned for that morning, wrote Perry. One day prior, Perry made the controversial announcement in the midst of a student protest in support of teacher Timothy Locke, who was reportedly placed on administrative leave after expressing concern about Cherry Hills lack of armed officers and comparing the school to Columbine High School, where in 1999, two students killed 13 people in a mass shooting. A student also told Philly.com that Locke said, The chances of East being shot up were high. And Locke himself told the website that his bag was searched and he was ordered to undergo a physical and a psychiatric evaluation. In an audio obtained by PhillyVoice, Perry said, I am assuming that the purpose of the planned disruption was out of frustration because it was felt as though you were not being heard. Well, I do want you to have that opportunity to be heard, and I do want to hear you. He added, Please know that those of you who opt into some sort of civil disobedience will be immediately suspended and you will lose your senior trip and prom if you are in 12th grade. Perry did not answer Yahoo Lifestyles multiple requests for comment. Story continues In many cases, its unconstitutional to punish student protesters. (Photo: Getty Images) According to Edward Barocas, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), threatening to punish student activists is, in many cases, unconstitutional. Schools cannot punish kids for skipping class to protest any more harshly than they would for skipping for another reason, he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. It would be unconstitutional to focus on the reasons for missing class. Threatening to ban protesters from prom violates two rights, says Barocas: The right to due process, which in this case, requires fair and transparent discipline procedures for an offense not eleventh-hour bans and the right to free speech. Aside from the March 14 walkout, a March for Our Lives walk in Washington, D.C. is scheduled for March 24th, and a National School Walkout, on April 20th on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. Cherry Hill is one of several schools to threaten protesting students with discipline. According to local news station KHOU, a district in Spring, Texas issued a statement that students who participate in walk-outs face in-school suspension, even while investigating a February 23rd threat to one its own high schools. The Needville Independent School District, also in Texas, stated in a now-deleted Facebook post, Should students choose to [walk out], they will be suspended from school for three days and face all the consequences that come along with an out-of-school suspensionWe will discipline no matter if it is one, fifty or five hundred students involved. The good news is, student activism doesnt seem to be a deal breaker for many prospective colleges. Hannah Mendlowitz, senior assistant director of admissions at Yale penned a February 23rd post which read, Does Yale look unfavorably upon discipline resulting from peaceful demonstrations? The answer is simple: Of course notI, for one, will be cheering these students on from New Haven. The MIT admissions department said in a blog post, We have already informed those who asked that, in this case, a disciplinary action associated with meaningful, peaceful participation in a protest will not negatively impact their admissions decision, because we would not view it as inappropriate or lacking integrity on its face. The University of Massachusetts Amherst assured protesting students We wont hold it against you. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. And the dean of admissions at Smith College tweeted, Weve got you on this side. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. The honorary titles once decorating Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi continue to be revoked amid the ongoing Rohingya crisis, with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum becoming the latest to withdraw an award from the erstwhile democracy icon. The museum announced Wednesday that is rescinding Suu Kyis Elie Wiesel Award, bestowed on her in 2012, due to her refusal to stop or condemn military violence against the Muslim Rohingya minority. It is with great regret that we are now rescinding that award. We did not take this decision lightly, the museum said in a letter addressed to Suu Kyi, who is Myanmars State Counsellor. The museum, which emphasizes genocide prevention, said it has been closely monitoring the militarys campaign against the Rohingya, as well as Suu Kyis handling of her governments response. We understand the difficult situation you must face in confronting decades of military misrule and violence in your country and that institutions still powerful constitutional role, the statement continued. However, the militarys orchestration of the crimes against Rohingya and the severity of the atrocities in recent months demand that you use your moral authority to address this situation. Since 2015, the museum has warned that Myanmars decades-long persecution of the Rohingya, including denial of citizenship, education and access to health care, could be early warning signs of genocide. Over the past two years, the Myanmar military has responded violently to what it says was were attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group. The museum said it hoped Suu Kyi would condemn those actions and express solidarity with the Rohingya. Instead, Suu Kyis government has been accused of running an internationally criticized propaganda campaign. State media has published op-eds referring to the group as fleas and other dehumanizing monikers. The leader herself said in September that a huge iceberg of misinformation was exacerbating the crisis, and has repeatedly sided publicly with the military. Story continues Read more: Myanmars Attempt to Destroy Rohingya Muslims Since security forces renewed what they call clearance operations last August, more than 671,000 Rohingya, most of them children, have fled Myanmar for neighboring Bangladesh with little more than accounts of the atrocities they witnessed. The U.N. has labelled the violence ethnic cleansing and has documented evidence of well coordinated and systemic violence, including rape, arson and extrajudicial killings. The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the brutal attacks and eradication of whole villages was intended to prevent the return of Rohingya to Myanmar. Myanmar denies committing atrocities and claims to be waging a legitimate counterterrorism campaign. Within Myanmar, Rohingya are widely referred to as Bengalis and portrayed as dangerous interlopers from Bangladesh. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who holds the titles of State Counsellor and Foreign Minister since her government came to power in early 2016, has recently lost several other awards earned in honor of her years as a dissident under the former military junta. The freedoms of the cities of Dublin, London and Oxford have all been revoked. Fellow Nobel laureates have also criticized her handling of the Rohingya crisis, which the U.N. reiterated this week has not stopped. Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan said lawmakers in California should be thanking him for removing public threats, instead of assisting immigrants from being deported. During an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Homan said that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and other Congressional representatives in California should show gratitude to ICE agents that remove undocumented immigrants. Trending: NASA Spots Spectacular Rock Formations On MarsAnd Scientists Don't Know What's Caused Them This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. I would think that the Oakland mayor and the Congressional representatives in California would send me letters thanking me for removing public safety threats," Homan said. Homan also slammed California Senator Kamala Harris, accusing her of playing a political game to hide ICEs true agenda. He claimed tjat he tried to meet with Harris and California Senator Dianne Feinstein over the past few months to explain the agencys motive. I've tried to meet with Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein three separate occasions over the past two months to explain to them what ICE is doing. They've canceled every one of those meetings," Homan said. "They don't want to know the facts." Don't miss: Myst Remake? Developer Teases Something With Series Of Tweets Homans comments come after he read off a list of crimes that were allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants who were detained by ICE during raids. Schaff created controversy by issuing a warning ahead of the raids in an effort to help 800 immigrants. Attorney General Jeff Sessions called out Schaff on Wednesday during a law enforcement symposium in Sacramento. Sessions said Schaafs warning was an irresponsible action. The Oakland City Council voted in January to stop any branch of city government from assisting ICE before, during, or after any planned ICE raids within city limits. The unanimous vote came just a day after the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the agency planned to arrest at least 1,500 undocumented immigrants. Story continues This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek BEIRUT (Reuters) - A convoy of relief trucks crossed front lines into the rebel-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta on Friday and unloaded all its food to the trapped population, despite fighting that the Red Cross said had come "extremely close". The Syrian government's two-week onslaught in eastern Ghouta has killed around 950 civilians, the war monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. For eastern Ghouta's civilians, mostly trapped underground with little food or water, the choice of whether or not to emerge to seek supplies may be one of life or death. "People were hopeful after the bombardment decreased and went out onto the streets," said Moayad al-Hafi, a man in the Ghouta town of Saqba. "But then air strikes began again, and there are still people under the rubble that we couldn't get out." Syria and its main ally Moscow have both said the assault is needed to stop rebel shelling of nearby Damascus and end the rule of Islamist insurgents over civilians in eastern Ghouta, where some 400,000 people live. But U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has said, in comments criticized by Syria's government, that the assault is "legally, and morally, unsustainable". There was a pause in the government's bombardment overnight, but air strikes and shelling quickly resumed after the convoy carrying food parcels crossed into eastern Ghouta, according to residents and the Observatory. Syrian state television and a witness later said bullets and mortars were fired from inside the rebel enclave at the al-Wafideen crossing point, through which the convoy had entered. "Shelling in proximity of Douma (in) eastern Ghouta today is putting the ... convoy at risk," said U.N. resident coordinator Ali al-Za'tari said. He said the fighting had resumed "despite assurances of safety from parties including the Russian Federation". Robert Mardini, Middle East director of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said it had been "taken aback by the fighting that broke out despite guarantees." FOOD PARCELS A Douma resident, in a voice message over which loud explosions were audible, said four jets were in the sky and residential areas had come under air attack. The food was supposed to be delivered on Monday when a previous convoy entered Douma, but fighting forced it to leave early without unloading fully. The 2,400 food parcels that were delivered can sustain 12,000 people for one month, and 3,248 bags of wheat flour were also unloaded, according to the ICRC. For President Bashar al-Assad, the capture of Ghouta would mark a major victory as he builds on the military momentum created by Russia's 2015 entry into the war, which has restored his rule over swathes of Syria. In around two weeks, the Syrian army has retaken nearly all the farmland in the enclave east of Damascus under cover of near-ceaseless shelling and air strikes, leaving only a dense sprawl of towns - about half the territory - still under insurgent control. Around a dozen imprisoned fighters from a group linked to al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria were allowed to leave the besieged enclave on Friday. One of the area's two main rebel groups, Jaish al-Islam, said it had agreed with the United Nations to allow the evacuation of fighters that it was holding from Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadist factions linked to the Nusra Front. Jaish al-Islam and the other main rebel faction, Failaq al-Rahman, have repeatedly denied that they are in negotiations with Damascus or its ally Russia over their own evacuation. In other areas such as Aleppo, rebels have eventually surrendered terrain in return for safe passage to other opposition areas along with relatives and civilians loath to fall back under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule. In a statement, Jaish al-Islam said the imprisoned fighters would be sent to a rebel-held area in northwest Syria. Syrian state television then showed footage that it said was of 13 fighters and their families leaving the enclave. Air strikes started up again after the evacuation, killing nine people and injuring around 28, the Observatory said. "ONE MEAL IN SEVERAL DAYS" U.N. aid agencies have pleaded with the Syrian government and its ally Russia to halt the campaign and let aid in. Bilal Abu Salah, a resident of Douma, said shortages were causing great hardship. "Entire families eat one meal in several days," he said. The Syrian government has opened what it calls safe routes out of the enclave, but no civilians are known to have left yet. Damascus and Moscow accuse the insurgents of shooting at civilians to prevent them fleeing. A Reuters reporter said there was small arms and mortar fire from rebel areas on the al-Wafideen crossing on Friday. Rebels deny stopping anyone leaving and say people have refused to cross into government territory for fear of persecution. However, the terror of the bombardment and the desperate living conditions are taking their toll and may push people to brave the fighting and flee. "I don't want to leave, but I don't want any harm to happen to my family," said Douma resident Abu Ahmad al-Ghoutani, who said he has two children. State media have reported people in eastern Ghouta raising Syrian government flags and holding small protests in support of Assad. The Observatory has reported protests in one village to demand an end to the bombardment and the departure of rebels. Tens of thousands of people have fled further into the enclave in the face of the warfare, a U.N. official said on Thursday, and residents of Douma said shelters were crowded with the new arrivals. (Reporting by Ellen Francis, Lisa Barrington, Dahlia Nehme and Yara Abi Nader in Beirut, Kinda Makieh in Damascus and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Why be you when you can be me? That question was part ofa 90s social marketing campaigncreated by Concerned Childrens Advertisers and Health Canada. In the clip, two young girls are walking through a boutique that offers products and procedures to help consumers change their appearances and personalities. Dont settle for just being yourself, a womans voice says as one of the girls is examined by a makeup artist who covers her lips with bright red pigment. Why be you when you can be me? she says. The ad campaign seems more relevant now than ever, with that question representing exactly the type of attitude social media is perpetuating: Why be you when you can be like all the popular, beautiful people, like Kylie Jenner? Social media influencers these days are starting to look like beauty clones. You know the look: a full pout, perfectly arched eyebrows, maybe some expertly applied eyeliner, topped off with a healthy dose of highlighter and cheek contouring. With a few makeup brushes, a contour palette and some matte lip color, you can be well on your way to looking like everyone else. Why, though, is looking like everyone else something we aim for? There are a number of factors that play a part, including a possible desire to fit in and a tendency to mimic celebrities and influencers. Others have written about what has been dubbed Instagram makeup and Instagram face before, but the trend is still going strong. HuffPost spoke toRachel Weingarten, a beauty historian, Renee Engeln, a psychology professor and author ofBeauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession With Appearance Hurts Girls and Women, andDr. Michael Brustein, a clinical psychologist, to get some answers. So, How Did We Get Here? In the days before social media, as Weingarten explained to HuffPost, our beauty habits were defined by factors like geography and ethnicity. For example, she said, if you lived in a certain part of Asia, you may have used skin whiteners, or if you lived in France in the 1700s, you probably powdered your wigs. Story continues It kind of was isolated to a moment and a place and maybe your religion and beliefs, she said, adding that around the late 1800s and part of the 1900s, magazines were opening peoples eyes to new things. But the time that things really started to affect beauty was probably the 40s and 50s, when celebrities started to show up in magazines as beauty ideals, she said. Then everybody started copying the celebrities. Thanks to the internet, Weingarten said, people no longer have to travel to see beauty trends from all over the world, nor do we need to wait for them to make their way to us. Because of that, we learn about trends that are popular in other parts of the world more quickly than we ever would have in the past, and we can participate in them. (Just think about Korean beauty and how quickly it exploded in the U.S. You can even buy specialty products at CVS and Walgreens.) The other thing that happened is people are no longer clearly defined by their ethnicity, their race, even their gender, Weingarten said. So, theres this weird conformity where it used to be if you were Asian or Caucasian, that limited your beauty. If you had African-American hair, that made you look a certain way. You dont have to do that anymore. What we have now is a sort of aggressive version of what the ultimate in multicultural beauty could look like, she added, explaining the popular makeup looks we see on Instagram again, its the sharp cat eyes, full matte lips and well-groomed brows could technically work on someone with any skin tone or nationality. In that sense, the look is accessible, which is perhaps why so many people online conform to it. A post shared by Kylie (@kyliejenner)on Sep 18, 2017 at 8:04pm PDT People Want To Fit In And speaking of conforming, people want to fit in. One way to do so, especially online, is to model yourself after social medias most popular figures. Celebrities, especially those like Kylie Jenner, who has cemented a massive following on herselfie-filled Instagram account, have really come to represent beauty trends, Engeln said. Brustein agreed, noting that celebrities are a huge driver of societys beauty ideals, and in attempting to fit in with these ideals, many people mimic celebrities. Generally speaking, celebrities and Instagram models are seen as whats considered attractive, Brustein said, adding that he thinks people want to fit in and live up to these ideals to help make themselves feel good. Theyre modeling it after celebrity, and I think, really, thats what drives it, he said. If I have this, I feel good, I feel worthy, I feel validated. And then they put it on their Instagram and its reinforced through social media as its passed around. It makes people feel confident. Humans are social creatures by nature, and we have a powerful drive for social acceptance, Engeln added. At present, its all about the Kardashians and what some have called The Kardashian Effect i.e., the Kardashians ability to influence consumer habits. Look at Kylie, known largely for her overly plumped pout. So many people wanted the now-20-year-olds lips for themselves that they werewilling to physically harm themselvesto achieve the look, even if it was temporary. Kylies influence over beauty trends has helped her create abillion-dollar beauty empire. At this point, [Kylies] look has become symbolic for beauty for some reason. It is more inclusive, lets say, than the blond, blue-eyed look of the early 70s or the 50s. People feel that this is accessible beauty, Weingarten said. Obviously filters and editing apps play a role in this trend, too. Not only are individuals styling themselves like each other, but theyre also editing their photos using the same tools. For instance, an app like Facetune allows users to smooth their skin and/or make their eyes appear bigger and brighter. Then theres the cosmetic surgery aspect. While not everyone is open about possible work theyve had done, there is a chance people are enhancing their looks with needles and fillers. We know Snapchat and Instagramfilters are inspiring individuals to pay a visit to the plastic surgeon, but one could argue that the seemingly unfiltered images of flawless individuals have a similar influence. What Does It All Mean? For Weingarten, Brustein and Engeln, the emergence of this homogenized expression of beauty can be problematic. On one hand, some people may find that conforming to a beauty standard can help with confidence and self-esteem. As Brustein explained, fitting in gives people a sense of cohesion. They dont want to be seen as the outsider. That confidence boost, though, will likely be short-lived, especially if you become increasingly obsessed with presenting an altered version of yourself on social media. In the long run if youre preoccupied with fitting in, it could lead to negative emotion or distress because your identity is tied in with meeting these expectations that are derived from a social norm developed by the media or by a celebrity who we imbue with power, Brustein said. It should be noted that not everyone who participates in the current Instagram trends will find themselves sinking into a black hole of dissatisfaction with their own lives. Its all about keeping things separated and not allowing your social media self define who you are, Brustein said. Weingarten finds the trend of people looking the same very disturbing, and in her opinion, it quells the experimentation that teenage girls used to have. The pressure to look a certain way starts younger than ever. Girls dont get to try on and fail anymore, she said. One of my fondest memories of being younger was trying on these ridiculous makeup trends, but [now] theyre just copying, theres nothing original there anymore. It is sad. As Engeln put it, the fact of the matter is we dont all look alike. We dont all look young and we dont all have full lips and smooth skin, and when you see this kind of uniformity, its a real denial of human physical features, she said. I think thats ugly no matter what. That kind of denial hurts people. It makes them feel erased, and for women in particular, it makes them spend God knows how much time trying and trying to reach that look that they may be genetically unable to reach. Its also important to remember that not everyone on Instagram or social media in general is perpetuating this homogenized beauty standard. One of the good things social media does is allow people to seek out feeds that do represent more diversity. So you dont have to have a feed where everyones face looks the same. You can opt out of that, Engeln said. I think thats the promise. Social media is democratizing in some ways. Youre not just letting fashion magazines dictate what faces we see. I think thats really great. Additionally, theres no need to shame those who participate or find solace in conforming to the current beauty trends. Theres nothing inherently wrong with wanting to fit in, but, as Engeln explained, when were constantly seeing images that are so far from what people look like in real life, there can be some psychological costs. Its not just [that] you see that picture of someone else looking perfect and you feel bad, she said. Even for the person who posted that picture they have to contend with the gap between [whats in a] picture they made of their own face and what they see in the mirror when they wake up in the morning. Most of us do not wake up flawless, she said. Related Coverage These Beauty Products Are Like Instagram Filters For Your Face 'Snapchat Dysmorphia' Points To A Troubling New Trend In Plastic Surgery This article originally appeared on HuffPost. WASHINGTON The Interior Department is spending $138,670 to replace leaky doors in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes office, according to records first uncovered by The Associated Press and reviewed by HuffPost. The agency awarded the contract to Conquest Solutions LLC, a Greenbelt, Maryland-based company that specializes in automation systems. A contract summary available online lists the purchase as Secretarys Door. (Photo: USSpendinggov/Screenshot) Conquest Solutions could not be reached for comment late Thursday. The Interior Department also did not respond to HuffPosts inquiry. However, department spokeswoman Heather Swift did confirm the purchase to the AP, saying that Zinke was not aware of the contract and that the purchase is part of a long-running modernization of the historic headquarters building in Washington, D.C. The secretary was not aware of this contract but agrees that this is a lot of money for demo, install, materials and labor, Swift said. Between regulations that require historic preservation and outdated government procurement rules, the costs for everything from pencils to printing to doors is astronomical. This is a perfect example of why the secretary believes we need to reform procurement processes. The work involves replacing three sets of double doors, including two that open from Zinkes office onto a balcony overlooking the National Mall and another that enters into a hallway on the buildings sixth floor, the AP reported. Internal agency emails show that the balcony doors were problematic early in Zinkes tenure. On March 29, Joe Nassar, director of the Interior Departments Office of Facilities and Administrative Services, wrote to other facilities management staff about water leaking in and the need for new locks. We need to come up with a permanent solution for the doors since they are still allowing in rain, Nassar wrote. He also wrote that replacing the locks would ensure Zinke doesnt need a key from the inside and he doesnt get locked out when he goes outside. Story continues (Photo: SCREENSHOT/DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR) In a subsequent email, James Grisham, an assistant building manager, informed the others that he was planning to contact a government contractor named Ian presumably Ian Mulira, the general manager of Conquest Solutions to replace the historic wood doors with metal ones. (Photo: SCREENSHOT/DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR) Swift told the AP that the third door leading into the hallway does not lock and requires a security upgrade. It is unclear how much is being spent on each separate door. Emily Atkin of The New Republic looked into how a door could possibly cost that much and found that state-of-the-art electronic security doors can feature fingerprint or retina scanners. A specialist at a company similar to the one the Interior Department contracted told Atkin that the price tag is not unreasonable for that type of door. To be honest with you, $140,000 is not really that far out of the ballpark if its a high-security type deal, the employee told her. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. On its website, Conquest Solutions notes that it is working to install a new digital control system at the Interior Department that will reduce energy consumption. Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club Lands Protection Program, issued a statement blasting Zinke for the seemingly lavish expense. Zinke is a walking scandal who believes he can live the life of luxury on the American taxpayers dime, and its time Trump puts a stop to it, Manuel said. We only hope that this $139,000 door doesnt hit Zinke on his way out. Upon taking over the Interior Department, Zinke a former Montana congressman and Navy SEAL redecorated his office with a slew of dead creatures and a collection of Navy SEAL knives. Staff members were left scrambling to accommodate the changes, shuffling around a huge grizzly bear, mounting bison and elk heads directly into the offices carved oak paneling, and making way for a $1,749 leather couch from California that included white-glove delivery service. The interior secretary has also been criticized for his use of private planes, which he dismissed as a little BS. But Zinke isnt the only member of Donald Trumps Cabinet to have his spending habits questioned. Just weeks ago, it was revealed that the Department of Housing and Urban Development spent more than $31,000 on a new dining set for Secretary Ben Carsons office. Carson later canceled the order. And the Environmental Protection Agency spent nearly $25,000 to build a soundproof privacy booth in Administrator Scott Pruitts office. This story has been updated to include more details about the procurement process for the door. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. LONDON (Reuters) - Iran will not negotiate with the West over its presence in the Middle East, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, days after the visiting French foreign minister sought to discuss Tehran's role in regional conflicts. Jean-Yves Le Drian traveled to Tehran on Monday with a brief to reaffirm Europe's support for a nuclear deal that opened Iran's economy while echoing U.S. concern about Tehran's missile program and its influence in the region. "European countries come (to Tehran) and say we want to negotiate with Iran over its presence in the region. It is none of your business. It is our region. Why are you here?" Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website. Khamenei said Iran would only negotiate on that issue with other states in the region. "We will negotiate with America, when we wanted to be present in America," he added. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal unless three European signatories help "fix" the accord by forcing Iran to limit its sway in the Middle East and rein in its missile program. French President Emmanuel Macron has criticized the program and raised the possibility of new sanctions. Tehran supports Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in the government's war against rebel forces, including groups backed by the West, and is an ally of Israel's enemy Hezbollah in Lebanon. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; editing by John Stonestreet) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Fewer Americans now think highly of President Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, compared with when they first started serving as senior advisers in the White House, a new poll shows. Related: Melania and Ivanka Trump's popularity has gone in different directions since entering White House, poll finds In January 2017 when Ivanka Trump entered the White House, 42 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of her, and 33 percent had an unfavorable one. While the percentage of those who view her in a favorable light has remained unchanged in the 14 months since, the percentage of those with an unfavorable impression of the president's eldest daughter has leaped up to 43, according to an Economist/YouGov Poll released Wednesday. Trending: 'Five Nights at Freddys: The Fourth Closet Plot Description Revealed A similar scenario has played out with Ivanka Trump's husband. Considerably less well known than his wife when entering the White House, Kushner had a favorability rating of 25 percent in January 2017, compared with 29 percent who looked at him in a negative light. Since then, not only has the percentage of those viewing him favorably seen a modest drop, to 22 percent, but his unfavorability percentage now stands at a massive 42 percent. The poll comes after a wave of negative reports and incidents involving both Kushner and his wife. The downgrade of his top-secret security clearance announced last week appears to have dealt a particular blow to his popularity. According to the poll, only 22 percent of poll participants think Kushner can carry out his duties without the top security clearance that gave him access to classified information, while 40 percent think he cant. Don't miss: Trump Eliminated Miss Universe Finalists Who Were Too Ethnic or Snubbed His Advances, Pageant Staff Claim This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Kushners broad foreign affairs portfolio includes a Middle East peace plan and leading relations with Mexico and China. Doubts that he can be effective in his role exist even among some Republicans23 percent think he cant do his job, while 36 percent think he still can. Story continues Further damaging Kushners reputation were reports last week that his family-run real estate company obtained loans from Apollo Global Management and Citigroup after Kushner met with the lenders in his official capacity. Most popular: Handmaids Tale' Season 2 Trailer: Alexis Bledel Returns From the Dead Democrats, by 6-to1, said they thought the loans materialized due to Kushners role in the White House, while 21 percent of Republicans agreed and 32 percent disagreed, according to the poll. Democrats were more attentive to issues plaguing the Trump administration31 percent said they had heard a lot about the Kushner loan reports while only 11 percent of Republicans had. Ivanka Trump, meanwhile, faced a barrage of criticism after claiming during an NBC News interview that it was "inappropriate" for her to be asked about sexual misconduct allegations made against her father. The poll, conducted from March 4 to 6, surveyed 1,500 American adults and had a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Japanese authorities Thursday ordered two cryptocurrency exchanges to suspend operations as part of a clampdown following a massive hack that saw thieves steal hundreds of millions of dollars in virtual currency. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) said in a statement it had ordered FSHO and Bit Station, exchanges based in Yokohama and Nagoya, to temporarily halt their operations for a month from Thursday. The agency alleged that FSHO "does not have a proper system to monitor trading and has not given training to its employees," while an employee of Bit Station "diverted digital currency deposited by clients for his personal use." Immediate comments from the two exchanges were not available. Authorities also ordered five other exchanges, including Coincheck, to improve their business practices. Coincheck was already slapped with sanctions in January following the hack. The hack of Coincheck -- resulting in the disappearance of NEM cryptocurrency worth $530 million -- was one of the largest of its kind, and prompted authorities to search the firm's office last month. The company has already pledged to reimburse about $400 million to all 260,000 customers who lost their holdings of NEM, then the 10th biggest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation. But it is unclear how and when the money will be returned. Following the fresh FSA order, Coincheck vowed to "thoroughly review its management" and take measures to protect its depositors and deal with money laundering and funds for terrorists. "Once again we apologise to our customers and people concerned for causing a lot of trouble and worries," the company said in a statement, promising to "do its best" to regain confidence. In February, seven plaintiffs -- two companies and five individuals -- filed a lawsuit against Coincheck. They are seeking the reimbursement of 19.53 million yen ($184,000) in virtual currencies and further compensation for interest lost due to the hack. Story continues Thieves syphoned away 523 million units of the cryptocurrency NEM from Coincheck during the January 26 hack, exceeding the $480 million in bitcoin stolen in 2014 from another Japanese exchange, MtGox. That hack prompted Japan to issue new regulations, requiring exchanges to obtain a licence from the FSA, but Coincheck was allowed to continue operating while the agency was reviewing its application. As many as 10,000 businesses in Japan are thought to accept bitcoin, and bitFlyer -- the country's main bitcoin exchange -- saw its user base grow beyond one million in November. White House Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner travelled to Mexico to meet leaders there without including the US Ambassador: Drew Angerer/Getty Images Jared Kushner met with Mexicos President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City, but did not include the US Ambassador in the meetings. As the point person at the White House for bilateral relations, adviser, and President Donald Trumps son-in-law Mr Kushner was there to do damage control after a phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Pena Nieto two weeks went badly. Tensions rose as the proposed border wall and the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) were discussed on the call, which took place just days after the US Ambassador Roberta Jacobson announced her departure. Mr Pena Nieto cancelled his visit to the US as a result, according to two officials who had spoken to ABC News. Mr Kushner also just lost his Top Secret security clearance, having been downgraded to the Secret level due to a series of errors and omissions on his paperwork. Ms Jacobson, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has been in the position for a little under two years and her resignation comes in the wake of several US State Department and Trump administration departures. According to the New York Times, she was not even invited to Mr Kushners meetings with Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray. Ms Jacobson was one of the most experienced Latin America experts in the State Department, having spent most of her 31 years there focusing on the region, the newspaper reported. Former State Department spokesperson John Kirby tweeted his criticism of Mr Kushner leaving Ms Jacobson out, despite her upcoming departure. Mr Kushner has no diplomatic or political experience, worrying many Washington insiders and Mr Kirby likened the move to diplomatic malpractice. President of the Council on Foreign Relations and former George W Bush administration staffer Richard Haas tweeted that it was truly inappropriate and part of a larger pattern of undercutting our professional diplomats around the world that [Secretary of State Rex Tillerson] should not stand for. Story continues The ministry issued a short statement saying that Mr Kushner had discussed issues such as the fight against drug trafficking, border security, migration, jobs and Central America with his Mexican counterparts. It made no mention of the border wall or how progress might be measured. The issue of the wall has been a contentious one since Mr Trump began repeating the mantra on the campaign trail. He said in 2015: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists". It prompted former Mexican President Vicente Fox to say: "we're not paying for the f****** wall". The Trump administration also tied wall construction to a negotiations on bill on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme, which is intended to protect those brought into the US illegally while they were minors from deportation. The Trump administration also asked for $18bn (13bn) over the next decade, for the initial phase of the border wall - significantly more than Mr Trumps initial cost estimate of around $10bn. Spirits briefly improved during Mr Kushner's trip when the White House said it might exempt Mexico and Canada from Mr Trump's planned tariffs on steel and aluminium, an idea he has floated as a trade-off in return for progress on Nafta. Withdrawing from the trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the US was one of Mr Trump's key promises on the campaign trail in 2016. He claimed it is a "job killer" and was antithetical to his "America First" approach to foreign policy. The deal, one of the largest trade agreement in the world, was originally signed in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and allows free trade between the three countries in North America. According to the CBC News in October 2017, a source told them the US delegation at the round of negotiations on reforming the deal have been uncomfortable with the demands they are presenting, which appear to have been dictated to them by the Trump administration. The seventh round of Nafta negotiations ended earlier this week in Mexico City and one official told Reuters Mr Kushner pushed for a speedy renegotiation. Former Vice President Joe Biden and his team have reportedly toyed with a number of ways to campaign against, and beat, President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The perceived frontrunner for the Democratic nomination along with independent Senator Bernie Sanders, Biden could either announce his candidacy very early or later in the primary season so as to dictate the field around him, according to Politico on Friday citing people privy to Bidens talks with aides. Other ideas involve opting to head directly to South Carolina, instead of the first two primaries in New Hampshire and Iowa, as well as picking a running mate immediately. Trending: Who Is Marco Brancaccia? Colin Firth's Wife Admits To Affair With Journalist Biden could also reportedly preach a campaign message not only to Democrats but to disenfranchised Republicans unhappy with what Trump has done to their party since capturing the nomination and the White House. The former Delaware senator is looking at a million unconventional options because he recognizes a battle with Trump may be an unconventional campaign, a source involved in the talks with Biden told Politico. GettyImages-928318066 Getty Images/Jeff Swensen Don't miss: Officer's Lawsuit Against Mother of Boy Killed in Crash "Effectively Blaming Her For Her Son's Death" Still, Biden, 75, is said to be concerned about his current age and the fact that he would be 78 before he would potentially enter the White House. Biden has fed speculation about a 2020 run throughout Trumps first year in office mostly by chastising the current commander-in-chiefs policies and actions. During a Democratic retreat last month, Biden told lawmakers to stay united while also attacking what he perceived as a narcissistic president. Story continues Most popular: EPA Environmental Justice Adviser Ran a Company Where 40 Workers Inhaled Deadly Plutonium "Who in God's name would have thought we would be here at this moment with this President? We have a President who is consumed by his political survival," Biden said. "Everything is run through the filter of how it affects Donald Trump in Donald Trump's mind." If he does run, Biden may have to fend off as crowded a Democratic field as Hillary Clinton did in 2016. With Biden and Sanders leading the pack, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have each been linked to speculation for a 2020 run against Trump. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Kathy Griffin at the 2018 Writers Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 11, now says she was ahead of her time with her controversial Trump photo shoot. (Photo: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) Kathy Griffin took quite a hit for that Trump beheading photo shoot, but nearly a year later she can laugh about it. The comedian, 57, posted a photo from Guccis runway show in Milan last month a memorable catwalk session because it featured models carrying what looked like their severed heads. Griffin, who was investigated by the Secret Service for her anti-Trump pictorial, was a fan of Guccis gambit, jokingly calling herself the muse of the campaign and describing her stunt as ahead of my time. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Last month, the fashion house generated loads of attention at Milan Fashion Week because designer Alessandro Michele accessorized models with replicas of their own heads for their march down the runway. The theme of the collection was cyborgs, and Gucci had the Rome-based visual effects company Makinarium make the noggins. Of course, Griffin found herself in major hot water last May after posing with a severed replica of the newly minted President Trumps head in a photo shoot with Tyler Shields. But it certainly wasnt in fashion. She got death threats. She lost work. She was investigated by the government. She was trolled by Trump supporters. She lost friends. (Were looking at you, Anderson Cooper.) She even cried her eyes out during a press conference. However, by the end of the summer, she had changed her tune, saying on the Australian show Sunrise, I am no longer sorry, the whole outrage was B.S., the whole thing got so blown out of proportion. In November, during an interview on the BBCs HARDtalk, she said, I take the apology back 1,000 percent. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Nairobi (AFP) - President Uhuru Kenyatta met opposition leader Raila Odinga in public on Friday for the first time since last year's hotly-disputed elections, with the pair promising to heal the country's divisions. The surprise meeting at Kenyatta's downtown office on Friday ended with the symbolic appearance of the two men standing side-by-side to deliver a joint statement. Calling one another "brother," they announced a plan for "a programme" to overcome deep and long-standing ethnic and political divides, although they provided few details of what it might involve. "We have come to a common understanding, an understanding that this country of Kenya is greater than any one individual, and that for this country to come together leaders must come together," Kenyatta said. Odinga expressed similar sentiments. "Throughout our independence history, we have had doubts on how we have conducted our affairs in the face of growing divide along ethnic, religious and political lines. Regrettably, we have responded to our challenges by mostly running away from them," said Odinga, who spoke first. "The time has come for us to confront and resolve our differences." Friday's meeting came hours before the arrival of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as part of his first Africa tour. The US has been urging direct talks between Kenyatta and Odinga to resolve the political strife. Tillerson later described the meeting as "a positive step". "While we know addressing Kenya's ethnic and political divisions will take some time and effort, today both of these men showed great leadership in coming together and in the agreement they signed," he told a press conference in Nairobi after meeting with Kenyatta. But Tillerson also warned against democratic backsliding, urging the government to, "correct certain actions, like shutting down TV stations and threatening the independence of the courts." Story continues Last year's fraught election season saw one presidential poll annulled by the courts and the re-run boycotted by the opposition. While political violence did not come close to that which followed the 2007 vote -- when over 1,100 lives were lost -- the disputed elections led to the deaths of over 100 people, most of them shot by police. On January 10, European Union election monitors said the flawed poll had "weakened" the country's democracy. "Kenyans went from high hopes for these elections to many disappointments and confrontations. Kenya remains deeply divided," EU chief observer Marietje Schaake, a Dutch member of the European parliament, told AFP as the critical report was launched. Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un a scenario that appeared improbable in the recent context of insults and threats exchanged between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea. Whats more, Kim has said hes willing to consider relinquishing his nuclear arsenal, according to the first delegation of South Korean officials to meet with him. For veteran watchers of the authoritarian Kim dynasty, however, the message brought to mind similar statements by Kims father and grandfather, who used talks on their nuclear-arms program to extract concessions without ever giving up on the weapons. North Korea blames the U.S. for reneging on the deals. 1. Will there be nuclear talks? An unprecedented summit between Trump and Kim will take place, possibly within weeks. According to a top South Korean official, Kim expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible and Trump said he would meet Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The leaders of North and South Korea had earlier agreed to meet for a summit on their shared border in late April. One report said North Korea had promised to halt development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, but the pledge was dependent on U.S. attitude. 2. Why is it important the U.S. is involved? Because North Korea says it wouldnt give up its program without assurances that the U.S. poses no military threat to the country. Technically, the U.S. and North Korea are at war, given that the 1950s conflict between communist North Korea, backed by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by the U.S., ended without a peace treaty. The U.S. stations some 30,000 troops in South Korea and conducts drills with its military. 3. What has stood in the way of talks? Trump has insisted as did previous U.S. administrations that North Korea must be willing to commit to giving up its nuclear weapons before talks could begin. Recently North Koreas position had been that talks shouldnt be tied to any such conditions. And in an address in December, Kim said his nations nuclear deterrent was irreversible. Story continues 4. Why did Kims position soften? His regime is so isolated, its impossible to do more than speculate. Kim may see himself negotiating from a position of strength after advancements in his nuclear program. At the same time he could be feeling the bite of tougher sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council, U.S. and European Union. The countrys currency reserves have shrunk enough to crimp imports of essential products, some analysts say. Its also possible that Kim sees an opportunity to create dissension between the U.S. and South Korea. Moon Jae-in, who became president of South Korea in May, has encouraged talks prompting Trump to accuse him of appeasement. 5. How advanced are Kims weapons and missiles programs? Kim has accelerated the programs, declaring the countrys nuclear force complete. Last year, North Korea detonated what it said was a hydrogen bomb capable of riding an intercontinental ballistic missile. It also test-fired ICBMs and said the entire U.S. is now in range. One study concluded Kims military had successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can fit inside its missiles. But the U.S. military said as recently as January that North Korea hasnt demonstrated essential capabilities for a missile, including whether such a device could survive reentry into the atmosphere and hit a target accurately. 6. What would be the point of negotiations? Diplomats have long talked about seeking a grand bargain: In exchange for economic assistance and security guarantees, North Korea would give up its nuclear-weapons program in a way that could be verified by outsiders. Others argue the most that talks could achieve would be a freeze on the program. 7. Why the skepticism about North Korean intentions? North Korea has a track record of escalating and then lowering nuclear tensions to win diplomatic and economic benefits. A 1994 deal to freeze its nuclear program, brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, collapsed in 2002. A year after North Koreas first nuclear test in 2006, multinational talks produced an agreement to close its nuclear facilities in exchange for food and energy assistance. That accord collapsed in 2009. 8. Would Kim be a more reliable partner? The world will find out. Kims behavior suggests that, like his predecessors, his foremost concern is the perpetuation of his regime and hes willing to go to extremes to ensure it. (Hes executed senior advisers including his uncle.) Possession of a nuclear arsenal, arguably, lowers the risk of a foreign invasion that would depose him. So to give it up, Kim would have to be convinced by whatever security guarantees hed receive in exchange. Or hed need to be seriously worried that his nukes were putting his regime in mortal peril. 9. Is accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state an option? Some analysts have suggested thats the best way to ease the current tensions, but no major country has said yet that it would go that far. Doing so could lead South Korea, Japan and perhaps Taiwan to seek their own nuclear arms undermining, perhaps fatally, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. When tensions were strained last year, South Korean politicians discussed the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons, which were removed in the early 1990s. KANSAS CITY, Kan. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) on Thursday offered his first evidence of noncitizens trying to register to vote in a trial challenging a Kansas requirement that people prove their U.S. citizenship to get on the voter rolls. The evidence was a spreadsheet of 38 instances of alleged illegal voter activity in Sedgwick County that Kobachs office had compiled over 18 years, from 1999 to 2017. As of 2016, there were more than 293,000 registered voters in Sedgwick County and over 1.8 million in Kansas. Documents like the spreadsheet will be crucial to Kobach as he makes his case that large numbers of noncitizens are trying to get onto the voting rolls. In order to preserve the Kansas law, he will have to show that noncitizen voter registration is a substantial problem and that nothing short of the states proof-of-citizenship law can stop it. Kobachs office has identified 129 people who have attempted to or successfully registered since 2000, but he says that there could be nearly 18,000 noncitizens on the rolls and that he plans to present more evidence in the trial. Kobach questioned Tabitha Lehman, the Sedgwick County election commissioner who compiled the spreadsheet data. Of the 38 people on the list, 18 had registered, 16 had attempted to register and four had been allowed to register after a federal judge issued an injunction in 2016 blocking the Kansas proof-of-citizenship law. Of the 38 people on the list, only five had voted, some multiple times. Prompted by Kobach, Lehman said there was no way to determine who those illegal voters cast their ballots for or to cancel them after they had been cast. Kobach has argued that Americans may never know who really won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election because there could be millions of illegal voters on the rolls and its impossible to know who they voted for a claim President Donald Trump has also made. Democrat Hillary Clinton defeated Trump by nearly 3 million votes but lost the Electoral College vote. There is no evidence illegal voting is a widespread problem or that it swayed the 2016 election. Story continues From May 2017 until January, Kobach led Trumps voter fraud commission, which was sued several times for allegedly violating federal procedural laws. The White House disbanded the commission in January. Angela Liu, a lawyer working with the American Civil Liberties Union to represent the plaintiffs five Kansas residents who were not allowed to vote in 2016 pressed Lehman on the details of the Sedgwick County spreadsheet. She noted that the 18 noncitizens who had registered over 18 years amounted to an average of one per year. Several of those on the spreadsheet were registered for many years but had never voted. Liu also suggested the number of people on the list was inflated. She presented Lehman with documents showing that people on the spreadsheet had voluntarily disclosed they were not citizens on their voting applications but Kobachs office had counted them anyway. Lehman noted many of them had signed an affirmation on their application saying they met all of the requirements to be eligible to vote, including that they were U.S. citizens. Lehmans testimony took up the morning of the third day of a trial that is moving forward slowly and is expected to spill over into next week. The ACLU had initially planned to play highly anticipated video of a deposition of Kobach on Thursday, but the parties werent able to move quickly enough through witnesses on Thursday. Its clear that both parties feel the sluggish pace of the case, and expert witnesses scheduled to testify for days have had to show up each day. While the public packed the courthouse for the first day of the trial, it was far emptier on Wednesday and Thursday. Related Coverage Trump's Voter Fraud Czar, And His Claims About Illegal Voting, Are About To Go On Trial Blocked From Voting, Kansans Get Their Day In Court With Kris Kobach Kris Kobach Claims Its Not That Hard For Would-Be Voters To Prove Citizenship Kris Kobach Just Got Torched By A Federal Judge In Kansas Vote Trial Also on HuffPost Alabama State Capitol (Montgomery, Ala.) Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Alaska State Capitol (Juneau, Alaska) Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Miller) Arizona State Capitol (Phoenix) Pictured on Friday, April 23, 2010. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) Arkansas State Capitol (Little Rock, Ark.) Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) California State Capitol (Sacramento, Calif.) Pictured on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images) Colorado State Capitol (Denver) Pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006. 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A federal judge lit into Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and his lawyers for trying to introduce information in a trial over voter suppression without giving the other side a chance to review it. In an unusual move, the Republican state official is representing his own office in a lawsuit challenging a Kansas requirement that residents prove they are U.S. citizens when they register to vote. Kobach and his legal team made a number of procedural missteps throughout the case and been reprimanded by U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, a George W. Bush appointee, who is presiding over the trial. The dispute Thursday was over the number of people who were on a list of suspended voters because their applications were incomplete. Kobachs office initially provided the American Civil Liberties Union with that information in 2016, but at 10:45 the night before trial, the ACLU lawyers were given an updated list. Robinson didnt allow Kobach to admit the updated list into evidence because she said it was unfair to spring it on the lawyers at the last minute. But Kobachs legal team tried to get the information into the record another way Thursday. While he was being questioned by one of the lawyers on Kobachs team, the Kansas director of elections, Bryan Caskey, said he had recently done an updated analysis of the number of applicants whose voter registrations were considered incomplete and the number of those who had been removed from the suspense list for various reason. Robinson, who had appeared to be patient for much of the trial, became visibly angry when Kobachs team tried to introduce the evidence. When Kobach stood up and objected that the numbers were constantly changing and the court needed to be aware of the most recent information, Robinson said that the underlying data were always changing and that for the purposes of a fair trial, Kobach could not keep changing the numbers the court was reviewing. Story continues Thats not how trials are conducted, Robinson told Kobach. When an opposing attorney noted that Kobachs office hadnt given them an updated list since 2016, Robinson said that if the numbers were constantly changing, it was outrageous that Kobach hadnt updated opposing attorneys for two years. When Sue Becker, an attorney helping represent Kobach, stood up to speak, Robinson angrily told her she was out of line. Kobachs attorneys have told Robinson that they are asking certain questions during examinations to preserve information in the record for an appeal. Robinson punctuated her rebuke of Kobachs legal team by saying she wanted her own comments to be preserved in the record for an appeal. Kobachs lawyers have made a series of missteps in court this week. Throughout the week, Robinson has admonished Kobach and his lawyers for not following proper procedure when introducing evidence. At one point on Tuesday, she explained how the process was supposed to work and said what she was telling them was Evidence 101. Earlier in the case, Kobach was sanctioned with a $1,000 fine for demonstrating deceptive conduct and lack of candor in his interactions with the court. From May 2017 until January, Kobach led the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. The commission was sued several times for allegedly violating federal procedural laws. Facing legal scrutiny, the White House suddenly disbanded the panel in January. Related Coverage Trump's Voter Fraud Czar, And His Claims About Illegal Voting, Are About To Go On Trial Blocked From Voting, Kansans Get Their Day In Court With Kris Kobach Kris Kobach Admits White House's Idea For Identifying Voter Fraud Wasn't A Good One Kris Kobach Claims Its Not That Hard For Would-Be Voters To Prove Citizenship Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. r Purinton admitted one count of premeditated first-degree murder in Mr Kuchibhotla's death: Henry County Sheriff's Office/AP A man who shouted "get out of my country" before he gunned down an Indian tech worker and injured two others, has pleaded guilty to first degree murder. Adam Purinton faces a life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years, after he admitted to shooting Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani last February. Kuchibhotla later died from his injuries in hospital. The Indian nationals who were working as engineers at the Garmin tech company, had been drinking in Austin's Bar and Grill in the city of Olathe, Kansas, when the 52-year-old approached them. Mr Madasani told detectives the assailant asked the men if their "status was legal" before opening fire with a handgun, according to an arrest affidavit released after the shooting last February. Witnesses said the 52-year-old shouted "Get out of my country" as he shot the pair. After Ian Grillot attempted to intervene, Purinton turned the gun on him blasting him in the hand and chest, Documents released by Johnson County District Court revealed that he had been asked to leave the bar when he made derogatory comments but returned a short time later with the gun. After the attack Purinton drove 70 miles to a restaurant in Missouri and told a bartender he had just shot two Iranian people. He pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder. He will be sentenced on 4 May and . The Navy veteran still faces a federal case over the incident, including hate crime charges, that could carry a potential death sentence. Kuchibhotla's widow, who was not present at the court hearing, released a statement saying she hoped the guilty plea would "send a strong message that hate is never acceptable." Sunayana Dumala said: "We must understand and love one another. She also called on Donald Trumps administration to fight hate crime in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, adding that her husband's murder had confirmed her worst fears about xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment in America. Story continues In a separate interview with the KCTV-TV news channel, she said: "I told him many times: 'Should we think about going back? Should we think about going to a different country?' He said, 'No'." Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted a link to an article about the shooting at the time and called on Mr Trump to "step up and speak out" against "threats and hate crimes." This was followed by a White House spokesperson condemning the shooting and telling reporters the incident appears to be "an act of racially motivated hatred." The shooting is just one of a spate of killings which have recently raised the spectre of far-right violence in the US. Melania Trump said she was heartened to see children affected by tragedy using their voices to try and create change after meeting with a student survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The first lady welcomed Parkland, Fla., student Kyle Kashuv to the White House on March 8. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Trump praised Kashuv, who briefly met President Trump as well, for his message of unity. The teen is co-creator of an app called ReachOut, which aims to help troubled students get support. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Kashuv also met with politicians including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Charles Schumer during his visit to Washington, D.C. He later tweeted that the Trumps were true patriots. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. But the meeting wasnt without its criticism, or controversy. Some conservatives pitted Kushov, who has identified himself as a Second Amendment supporter seeking a moderate, bipartisan solution, against his liberal classmates specifically David Hogg, who revealed that he hung up on the White House when they invited him to join a gun control talk with President Trump. Others said Kashuv was only chosen for his conservative views, and argued that the White House isnt doing enough to make gun control a reality. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Kashuv himself responded to some of the controversy, denying claims that the White House was using him to push an anti-gun control narrative. The teen tweeted that he requested the meeting with the Trumps. He also defended the first lady, calling criticism of her immoral. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Asuncion (AFP) - Latin America's Mercosur trade bloc countries formally launched negotiations on a free trade deal with Canada on Friday. Paraguay's Foreign Minister Eladio Loizaga said the first meeting would take place in Ottawa, Canada on March 20-23. In a joint statement, ministers said they were aiming to conclude a "Canada-Mercosur Global Trade Agreement" with a "shared commitment to trade liberalization and opening markets." The talks with Canada, represented by Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, will cover access to goods and services markets, employment, environmental issues and small and medium-sized businesses. Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie said the two sides hoped to sign a free trade agreement before the end of the year. "I think that this will be quicker than the negotiations with the European Union," said Faurie. The South American bloc -- made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -- has been engaged for more than two decades in talks with the European Union, which are moving towards a conclusion but have slowed over the reluctance to European farmers to accept imports of South American beef. EU and Mercosur officials said last week they would extend their talks on a trade deal by a couple of weeks to resolve "four or five" outstanding issues. "The last details are the heaviest, the most complicated ones," the Argentine minister said. Michael Cohen, personal attorney for President Donald Trump, used his Trump Organization email to arrange to have money transferred to former adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, NBC News reported on Friday. A source familiar with the negotiations said Cohen used the Trump-affiliated email address to arrange the 2016 transfer of $130,000 to Clifford, who goes by the stage name Stormy Daniels. The lawyer used the same email in other negotiations with Clifford, who signed a nondisclosure agreement not to speak publicly about an alleged 2006 affair she had with Trump. In those email communications, Cliffords then-attorney, Keith Davidson, referred to Cohen as Special Counsel to Donald J. Trump and addressed correspondence to him in his capacity at the Trump Organization, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News. The report could undermine Cohens efforts to take Trump out of the discourse surrounding Clifford and the 2016 payout. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly, Cohen told The New York Times last month. Cohen added that the $130,000 payment came out of his own pocket and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone. But an email provided to NBC by Cliffords current attorney, Michael Avenatti, appears to show that Cohen communicated with First Republic Bank using his Trump company email address in discussing the payout. The bank emailed Cohen on Oct. 26, 2016, to say that a certain amount of money had been deposited into his checking account. It was not clear whether the bank was referring to a personal bank account or a work account, but the correspondence was addressed to Cohens Trump Organization email address. Cohen then forwarded the communication to his Gmail address and then forwarded that to Davidson, perhaps to indicate that the money was ready to be wired. Story continues Mr. Cohen should immediately provide the prior emails to show exactly where the money came from, Avenatti told NBC. Cohen called Avenattis concerns ludicrous and downplayed the significance of the email. I sent emails from the Trump Org email address to my family, friends as well as Trump business emails. I basically used it for everything. I am certain most people can relate, he told ABC News on Friday. On the matter of where the $130,000 sent to Cliffords attorney came from, Cohen said: The funds were taken from my home equity line and transferred internally to my LLC account in the same bank. Cohens payment to Clifford, which was routed through an account with City National Bank controlled by Davidson, was flagged on several occasions. First Republic filed a suspicious activity report on the money transfer with the Treasury Department, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. It wasnt clear when the bank filed the report. In September 2017, City National asked Davidson about the source of the payment, according to The Washington Post. The bank didnt specify the reason for its interest. Watchdog group Common Cause filed a complaint to the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department to determine if the payment ran afoul of campaign laws as an in-kind contribution. The Trump Organization, Davidson, Cohen and Cohens attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not respond Friday to questions from reporters about Daniels, saying, Ive addressed this extensively, and I dont have anything else to add. Avenatti is currently representing Clifford in a lawsuit against the president, claiming Trump never signed their nondisclosure agreement. The agreement blocked Clifford from publicly discussing her alleged relationship with Trump. According to the suit, Clifford and Cohen signed the document, but Trump did not, allegedly nullifying the agreement. In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that Clifford allegedly had an affair with Trump in 2006, a year after he married Melania Knauss and a few months after their son, Barron, was born. The White House has denied that ever happened. Cliffords lawyer also initially released a statement from the actress denying the affair. But the lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, said Clifford was forced into signing that denial by Cohen through intimidation and coercive tactics. Clifford also said through her manager in February that Cohen invalidated their agreement when he acknowledged that hed paid her $130,000 in a private transaction just before the 2016 presidential election. Everything is off now, and Stormy is going to tell her story, manager Gina Rodriguez told The Associated Press. This post has been updated with comments from Michael Cohen and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A Texas woman wrongfully convicted in the death of her foster son is expected to receive more than $570,000 from the state for the years she spent in jail, according to reports. Hannah Overton spent seven years in prison for the death of 4-year-old Andrew Burd, who she and her husband, Larry Overton, were in the process of adopting when the little boy ingested a fatal amount of sodium. The prosecution alleged that Overton tried to punish the boy by making him drink water that contained seasoning, while the defense speculated Andrew may have had the eating disorder pica, a condition that includes an insatiable appetite. Overtons attorneys said the little boy may have accidentally poisoned himself. The mother of five had no prior trouble with the law, but she was convicted of capital murder in the salt poisoning case and sentenced to life in prison. In 2014, a Texas appellate court overturned her conviction on the basis of an ineffective counsel and she was released on bond. She was charged a second time for murder after her release, but former Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka dropped the new case against her in 2015. In May 2017, she was officially declared innocent, making her eligible to grant state funds available to the wrongfully convicted. She will also be protected from facing a trial connected to Andrew's death ever again. Overton will receive a check for $573,333.33 as compensation for the time she lost in prison, her attorney told ABC News. She will also receive an annuity and is qualified to receive insurance and education benefits. "Im very thankful that this compensation is finally coming through, Overton, who is pregnant with her sixth child, told ABC News. No amount of money will ever bring back the years that were taken away, and the seven years of freedom I lost. I could never thank my attorneys enough for fighting endlessly to prove my innocence and bring me home." RELATED STORIES Man Locked Up For 38 Years For Rape He Didn't Commit Leaves Prison With a Puppy Story continues After Doing 13 Years for a Murder He Didn't Commit, Exonerated Man Adjusts to Life on the Outside Man Exonerated After Spending 23 Years Behind Bars for a Murder He Didn't Commit Related Articles: The group had previously published a letter opposing pay rises for specialist doctors: iStock More than 500 doctors and 150 medial students have signed a public letter in protest over their own pay rises. The group, known as Medecins Quebecois pour le Regime Public (MQRP), from Canada, have raised concerns that they would receive an increase in their salaries while patients and nurses are struggling. Like the UK, Canada has a public health system which provides coverage to all who need it. The doctors and medical students who have signed the letter have called on raises to be given to the areas of the health service that need it most. We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations, the letter says, according to CNBC. These increases are all the more shocking because our nurses, clerks and other professionals face very difficult working conditions, while our patients live with the lack of access to required services because of the drastic cuts in recent years and the centralization of power in the Ministry of Health. The only thing that seems to be immune to the cuts is our remuneration, the letter adds. MQRP had previously published a letter opposing pay rises for specialist doctors. At the time they said the increase was indecent. The far-right pair have been jailed for hate crimes (PA) Mugshots of Britain First leader Paul Golding and deputy leader Jayda Fransen have emerged as the pair are jailed for hate crimes. Kent Police released the mugshots of the far-right pair in custody, deeming it to be in the public interest. Golding, 36, and Fransen, 32, both of Penge, south-east London, were jailed on Wednesday at Folkestone Magistrates Court for 18 weeks and 36 weeks respectively after standing trial for religiously-aggravated harassment which they carried out in Kent in May last year. The pair launched a political campaign in which they claimed to be trying to expose Muslim men who were the subject of a rape trial. However, instead they ended up branding innocent Muslims paedophiles and rapists. Jayda Fransen, Britain First Deputy Leader, has been jailed for 36 weeks (Kent Police) When Fransen and Golding were being sentenced, members of the press requested the release of the pictures but were told force policy was only to release images if a defendant had been handed an immediate jail sentence of more than a year. The force broke with regular procedure today, when the force said it believed it was in the public interest to do so due to the nature of the offences. Detective Inspector Bill Thornton, of Kent Police, said the crimes were abhorrent and the force would not tolerate crimes motivated by prejudice and hate, adding: The fact that completely innocent members of the public were accused of being rapists, making them fear for their own safety, shows how little regard they [Golding and Fransen] have for the consequences of their actions. Requests for the release of footage depicting the crimes, which was played in open court, was denied due to concerns the videos could cause offence and because the files were not readily available. Britain First Leader Paul Golding has been jailed for 18 weeks (Kent Police) During the Britain First leaders trial Fransen talked over Judge Barron to say: This is a very sad day for British justice. Everything I did was for the children of this country and they are worth it. This sparked cheers and applause to erupt from the public gallery as the pair were led away. Judge Barron temporarily left the courtroom before concluding his directions. Story continues When Britain First supporters left the courtroom, they hurled abuse at court staff and members of the press, branding the proceedings a shambles and shouting: No surrender. While delivering his judgment, Judge Justin Barron told the court Fransen and Golding were well-known, controversial and generate their own publicity. He made clear that his verdict was based solely on admissible evidence heard in court. Even the most dedicated sky watching hobbyists have to accept the fact that observing the amazing accomplishments of NASA and other space-faring organizations is as close as theyll get to participating in the exploration of the cosmos. NASA is trying to change that ever so slightly with its Parker Solar Probe which is slated to launch this summer. The probe will explore the Suns atmosphere in a way thats never been done before, and it will truly be an incredible achievement if they can pull it off. The best part is that youre invited! NASA just launched what it calls the Hot Ticket program to allow members of the general public to participate in the solar probe mission by having their names included in a tiny memory card that will be placed in the probe. Its little more than a symbolic gesture for space fans but its still pretty cool, and heres how to sign up. Don't Miss: This new $99 robot vacuum has a better rating on Amazon than a $900 Roomba Simply enter your name and email on NASAs sign-up page and submit your request. Once youve done that youll need to confirm your request by clicking on an email link sent from NASA. Itll take you to a new page where you can confirm your submission and receive your digital ticket for the voyage. The Parker Solar Probe will be subjected to the most intense journey of any manmade spacecraft to date. Its heat shield will be over four inches thick in order to protect it from the Suns intense heat. It will orbit the star at a distance of just under 4 million miles, and it will have to endure temperatures of almost 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite that intense heat, the instruments housed within the probe will remain at roughly room temperature according to NASA. The probe, which is about the size of a small car, will make multiple loops around the Sun during its mission, inching ever closer while gathering data about the stars magnetic field and atmosphere. That information will help inform scientists and hopefully expand our knowledge of how our Sun works. The current mission timeline for the probe stretches to 2025, but could be given additional extended missions depending on how things pan out. Story continues BGR Top Deals: Trending Right Now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns Friday from the United States to face what may be the most crucial stretch of his long political career, with corruption probes encircling him and talk of elections building. With no fewer than four investigations looking into his affairs and a possible indictment on the horizon, Netanyahu has been seeking to remind Israelis of what supporters view as his clout and leadership. He sat alongside US President Donald Trump and spoke of the "historic" White House decision to designate the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a major diplomatic coup for Netanyahu that enraged the Palestinians. Trump said he may attend the opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of the creation of Israel. A day later, receiving a warm welcome from some 18,000 people at a conference for pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, Netanyahu spoke of what he describes as his achievements at home and abroad while pledging to "stop" Israel's greatest enemy, Iran. But even as he prepared to meet Trump, a former aide who had been among his close allies was signing a state witness agreement with the police to testify against him. He is the third Netanyahu associate to do so in a matter of months. The attorney general is now weighing whether to follow a police recommendation to indict Netanyahu for bribery in two of the four cases, with investigations continuing into the others. As the investigations close in, there has been widespread speculation that Netanyahu, prime minister for a total of 12 years, will opt for early elections to bolster his standing ahead of a decision on indictments. Some accuse Netanyahu of allowing a political crisis to brew within his coalition to enable elections soon -- or to at least give himself options. - 'Play this game' - His right-wing coalition has been split over a bill to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious students from military service, with the issue threatening to pull apart the government. Story continues "If he wants to solve it, he can solve it. There is no real crisis here," a source in the opposition said on condition of anonymity. He said politicians were assuming the attorney general would reach a decision on indictments in the summer. "It makes sense for him to go to elections before that," the source said of Netanyahu. "That's our working analysis." Some polls suggest Netanyahu could remain in power after fresh elections even with the investigations hanging over him. He is not required to resign if indicted. Netanyahu, a savvy campaigner with long experience in the raucous world of Israeli politics, says he wants his coalition to last its full term, due to expire in November 2019. "If the coalition leaders agree, that is what will happen," Netanyahu told journalists in the United States on Wednesday. "If they don't, then we'll have early elections." He has publicly stuck by what many analysts see as a three-prong strategy. He has sought to portray business as usual when it comes to his work while denigrating the investigations as a bid by enemies to force him out. Meanwhile, he has sought to burnish his credentials to convince Israelis he is the best option for prime minister. "This is his approach and he must stick to it," said Gideon Rahat of Jerusalem's Hebrew University and the Israel Democracy Institute think tank. "One option is to play this game and the other is what? To resign and to take the risk of going to jail like Ehud Olmert?" he added, referring to the former Israeli premier who served prison time for corruption. - Huge gamble - The graft probes are varied but amount to allegations Netanyahu granted financial or other benefits to businessmen in exchange for gifts or favours. In one of the cases in which police have recommended his indictment, he and his family are accused of receiving gifts such as expensive cigars, jewellery and champagne from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. The other alleges he sought to negotiate a deal with the publisher of a top-selling newspaper for favourable coverage. Two other cases still being probed also centre on allegations of bribery. Further adding to the pressure facing him, there are two additional cases indirectly linked to Netanyahu -- accusations of corruption in the purchase of German submarines and alleged misuse of public funds by his wife. Elections would be a huge gamble, Rahat said, though victory would cement his argument that he is being hounded by the country's elites but supported by the public. "On the other hand, if he loses the elections, he loses this line of defence," he said. By Andrea Hopkins OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is sticking to its keep-calm strategy as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up trade war rhetoric, convinced that no move is the best move for the country with the most to lose, but critics say it risks being a soft target if its strategy fails. While the European Union immediately drew up a list of U.S. products from bourbon to blue jeans to hit if Trump follows through on a plan to impose global duties on aluminum and steel, Canada has gone with equivocation. "We're going to make sure that we're doing everything we need to do to protect Canadian workers, and that means waiting to see what the president actually does," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday. Minutes after Trudeau , White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Canada and Mexico, and possibly other countries, may be exempted from the planned tariffs on the basis of national security. Well-placed sources said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and other senior Canadian figures have made many calls to U.S. policy makers over the last few days. Freeland spoke on Wednesday to House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a prominent Republican critic of the tariffs proposal, said a Canadian government official. Trudeau himself called Trump on Tuesday. CTV news said Canada's ambassador to Washington would be having dinner on Wednesday with White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster. No one at the embassy was immediately available for comment. From the outset, Trudeau has taken a decidedly sunny approach to the unpredictable president, launching an outreach campaign to save NAFTA one encounter at a time with as many U.S. lawmakers, governors and administration officials as possible. The Liberal government's approach is largely backed across the political and business spectrum but pressure is building to abandon the measured tone. "Trump has already treated China and Russia with more kid gloves than us. Why is that?" said John Weekes, Canada's chief negotiator for the original NAFTA deal. Weekes said Canada should draw up a long list of possible targets for retaliation, and publish it for public comment. "I'd be the first to agree that retaliation is a mug's game, but how do we help our allies in the United States make the case to change the course of policy?" he said. Labor too, is demanding more action. Jerry Dias, president of private-sector union Unifor, said the government's keep-calm approach had been the right one up until Trump's planned tariffs, but that Canada would look weak if it did not react. "What are we supposed to do? They come after us on everything. So we can just continue to be perceived as nice Canadians - when we get hit we say 'Thank you' - or we can say 'enough is enough'" Dias told reporters on Wednesday. A source familiar with Canadian government thinking said retaliatory measures were "a live conversation going on at this moment" and would be deployed if the tariffs are implemented. Trump has linked the tariffs with ongoing NAFTA negotiations. Beyond the divide-and-conquer strategy of the outreach tour in the United States, those close to the trade file say that dealing with Trump brings its own imperatives. "We have to keep calm. It's pointless talking in public about the ways you might retaliate until you have to act," said a second source familiar with the issue who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "As for people who stomp around and say 'We will strike back' why would you do that? It just irritates the president." (Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr and David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Nichola Saminather in Toronto; Editing by James Dalgleish) A high-level South Korean delegation has passed on a message from North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un to President Donald Trump, inviting the American leader for an unprecedented meeting regarding the ongoing nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. After meeting directly with Kim, South Korean National Security Chief Chung Eui-yong and his delegation flew to Washington to hold a press conference in front of the White House on Thursday. Chung, who previously said the young leader may be willing to halt weapons testing and ultimately abandon the nuclear weapons if his country's security could be guaranteed, revealed the historic invitation. Related: Will the U.S. Talk to North Korea? China and Russia May Take Advantage of Trump's Silence Trending: Fertility Clinic Freezer Malfunction in Ohio Affects Hundreds of Patients and More Than 2,000 Eggs "I told President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North Korea would refrain from any form of nuclear or missile tests," Chung said. "He expressed his eagerness to meet with President Trump as soon as possible." "President Trump said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," he added. RTX3HI7O Kevin LaMarque/Reuters/KCNA/REUTERS Don't miss: Pro-Trump Pastor Says 'Thou Shall Not Have Sex With a Porn Star' is 'Totally Irrelevant' For the President At a time of rare inter-Korea talks, recent diplomatic exchanges by rivals North Korea and U.S.-backed South Korea have left observers wondering if a major breakthrough was in store for a conflict that's lasted for over six decades. Trump has so far argued that North Korea must first commit to abandoning its nuclear weapons before the U.S. would opt to enter into a direct dialogue. Story continues The announcement is unlikely to affect U.S. policy toward North Korea anytime soon, though. Earlier on Thursday, a senior administration official told Newsweek that Trump's "maximum pressure campaign is having an impact," confirming that the U.S. planned to go through with its annual "Foal Exercise" military drills conducted jointly with South Korea. The drillsconsidered by North Korea to be a major provocationwere postponed for the duration of the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, but will reportedly return by the end of the month or early next month. Most popular: Terrifying 'Super Monster Wolf' Is a Robotic Pet That Will Save Farms "Our posture towards the regime will not change until we see credible moves towards denuclearization," the official told Newsweek. "They have attached non-starter conditions to denuclearization, saying the U.S. should remove troops from the peninsula, things like that. What we are looking for are concrete steps for denuclearization, not a rehashing of old conditions." "Even if North Korea were to refrain from test launching missiles, that would not be enough if their plan is simply to buy time to continue building their arsenal; talks arent going to get very far because weve seen that movie before," the official added. Trump and Kim have frequently threatened and insulted one another in a game of nuclear brinkmanship that has concerned other world leaders. Still, Trump said during his first Asia tour last November that he would "certainly be open" to meeting Kim if the opportunity should arise, as South Korea's official Yonhap News Agency reported. Kim has argued his nuclear weapons were necessary to guard his country against a potential U.S. invasion, but the U.S. and other United Nations Security Council members have deemed North Korea's nuclear arsenal a threat and have rolled out harsh sanctions against the reclusive, communist state. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek The South Korean delegation that returned from meeting North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un was impressed with his behavior over the dinner held on Monday evening, just a few hours after their arrival. The young ruler showed he was aware of his unfavorable international imagePresident Donald Trump branded him Little Rocket Man at a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September and referenced the North Korean leaders height and weight in a tweet in Novemberand joked lightheartedly about it, South Korean officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The South Korean press also quoted unnamed officials who attended the dinner with the North Korean ruling family describing the atmosphere as pleasant and relaxed. At the meeting, in which Kim Jong Un said he would suspend missile launches, he also joked about South Korean President Moon Jae-in no longer needing to wake up in the small hours of the morning to discuss the provocations. Trending: Cocaine, MDMA and Amphetamine Capitals of Europe Ranked in New Report "So far, if we fired a missile, President Moon Jae-in went through the trouble of convening a national security council meeting," Kim Jong Un said, according to South Korean officials quoted by the Yonhap news agency. "As I made up my mind today, President Moon will no longer have to wake up early in the morning," Kim Jong Un reportedly said, adding any matter could now be discussed directly between the two leaders in a phone call. 03_09_Dinner_Pyongyang South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty Images The North and South Korean leaders are scheduled to meet next month, while the White House confirmed Trump accepted an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un by May. Story continues Don't miss: Sims Mobile Money Guide: Cheats For Getting More Of It Quicker A presidential official denied some of the reports about the dinner, in particular one instance reported in the conservative newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reporting that Kim Jong Un joked about being short and fat. "Only five special envoys who attended the dinner know what was said between Chairman Kim and the envoys' delegation," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said, asking the media to refrain from reports that could affect the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap. In Pyongyang, the South Korean delegation were served North Korean specialties discussed during Kim Jong Uns sister, Kim Yo Jong, visit to South Korea last month. Most popular: F-35 Jet: Most Expensive Weapon Ever Will Need Another $16 Billion in Upgrades "During her visit here, South Korean officials asked her about famous North Korean foods, such as onban (rice in chicken soup) and Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold noodles). And the envoys were served onban at the dinner, and naengmyeon at the lunch the next day," the official said, quoted in The Korea Times. The meal was washed down with copious amounts of alcohol, including wine, ginseng liquor and Pyongyang soju. The bottles kept coming, an official with knowledge of the meeting told Reuters. Kim Yo Jong and Kim Jong Uns wife Ri Sol Ju were the only two women sitting at the dinner table. South Korean officials used the opportunity to observe the relationship between the ruling couple. They seemed to be quite close to one another and he didnt seem like one of your conservative husbands, an official told Reuters. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Donald Trump has accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns invitation to meet, an extraordinary turn of events that followed months of rising tensions between the two nations. South Koreas National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong told reporters at the White House that North Korea expressed a willingness to refrain from testing missiles and nuclear weapons and said Mr Trump pledged to meet by May in an effort to achieve permanent denuclearisation. Mr Trump confirmed that he would accept Mr Kims invitation but said that sanctions would stay intact. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Mr Trump tweeted following Mr Chungs announcement. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! No sitting US president has ever met with a North Korean leader. Mr Trump said last May that he would be willing to meet with Mr Kim under the right circumstances. But that remark was followed by months of heightened tensions and flame-throwing between the two leaders. Now, after maximum pressure on Mr Kims regime, a senior administration official said, North Korea now appears ready for some kind of dialogue. But Mr Trump has been very clear from the beginning that he will not reward North Korea for talks, the official added, and will only accept the permanent denuclearisation of North Korea. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. Mr Chung said North Korea did not demand a precondition long cited by Pyongyang: a cessation of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, which it regularly denounces as provocations and rehearsals for an invasion. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the Unites States must continue, Mr Chung said. Story continues Mr Kims offer presents an opportunity for a breakthrough at a time when military officials have warned that North Koreas increasing military sophistication and its progress toward becoming a nuclear-armed state pose an urgent threat. Mounting belligerence from Pyongyang has loomed over Mr Trumps first year in office, testing the limits of international diplomacy and raising the spectre of nuclear conflict. North Korea has tested multiple ballistic missiles and threatened to annihilate its neighbours; Mr Trump and his surrogates have responded by saying theyre prepared to launch an overwhelming military response. Rhetorical sparring between the two countries leaders escalated the standoff. After the President derisively nicknamed the North Korean leader Little Rocket Man and threatened to totally destroy North Korea during a speech to the United Nations, Mr Kim issued a rare direct response dismissing Mr Trump as a mentally deranged US dotard. But during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea cracked open a diplomatic window after North Korea sent athletes and representatives south of the demilitarised zone. South Korean envoys returned from a rare, post-Olympics visit to Pyongyang with a message that North Korea was willing to negotiate with the US around renouncing its nuclear arms programme. The President initially reacted to the overture with cautious optimism, hailing the first serious effort at progress in years but hedging against false hope. I think that they are sincere, Mr Trump said at the White House earlier this week, noting that multiple rounds of sanctions imposed by the United Nations in recent months have been very, very strong and very biting. Mr Trumps embrace of meeting with Mr Kim appeared to contradict his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who earlier in the day called direct talks unlikely to take place soon. Were a long ways from negotiations, Mr Tillerson said during a news conference in Ethiopia, adding that we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it. Even amid signs of a thaw, the US has continued to condemn North Korean aggression. Earlier this week the State Department announced new sanctions, saying North Korea had directed the assassination of Mr Kims half-brother used a banned chemical agent. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier while on a tour in Africa that were a long way from negotiations with North Korea. We just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it, he added. Republican Representative Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said North Koreas desire to talk with Mr Trump shows that sanctions are starting to work. The administration can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure, he added. Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said that Mr Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Koreas weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal, Mr Lewis wrote on Twitter. The academic runs the Arms Control Wonk, a blog dedicated to arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation. Washington (AFP) - North Korea's surprise offer of nuclear talks has thrown Donald Trump the biggest global challenge of his administration -- and prompted a rare show of restraint from the usually outspoken president. Perched in the Oval Office, the 71-year-old president was uncharacteristically cautious. "I don't want to talk so much about things that we don't know yet," he said, holding out for clarity about a seemingly enticing offer from Pyongyang. Details are still sketchy, but North Korea gave word it may be willing to freeze provocative weapons tests in return for talks with the United States. Kim Jong Un, the North's leader, may even be willing to scrap nuclear weapons if Washington takes regime change and military action off the table. Later this week officials from South Korea, who brought the message from Kim, as well as officials from Japan and the United States, will huddle in Washington to compare notes. But until then, Trump voiced a tentative openness to North Korea's "very positive" offer, even if his administration retains deep doubts. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats was reticent, telling Congress "I'm quite skeptical about all of this." "Maybe this is a breakthrough. I seriously doubt it," he said. "Hope springs eternal." One senior administration official, who requested anonymity, suggested "it's a good idea for everybody to keep some perspective, take a deep breath." "We have a long history, 27 years, of talking to North Korea. There is also a 27-year history of them breaking every agreement they've ever made with the United States," the official said. - Options open - Trump's willingness -- at least for now -- to drop his confrontational talk of wars and "little rocket men," is part opportunity and part necessity. Evan Medeiros, a National Security Council director for Asia under Barack Obama, said it was likely Pyongyang -- which has not yet spoken about the offer itself publicly -- was trying to drive a wedge between South Korea and Washington. Story continues "I'm deeply skeptical" he told AFP. "Pyongyang will use talks to play for time and advantage." The two treaty allies have not seen eye-to-eye, with the more dovish government of President Moon Jae-in favoring carrot over Washington's stick. The US president being seen to prematurely slam the door on talks would put a massive strain on relations with Seoul and would likely spell the end of rigorously enforced international sanctions. It could also fuel divisions within Trump's own administration, where National Security Advisor HR McMaster has reportedly taken a harder line in favor of military action than Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Having lost a string of his most senior aides, including economic advisor Gary Cohn, Trump can hardly afford more resignations in protest. Even if North Korea is serious, according to Medeiros it is not clear that Trump, who is without an ambassador to Seoul, lost his nuclear special envoy and has hollowed out the State Department, has the wherewithal to engage in real talks and simultaneously keep the coalition pressing North Korea intact. Most analysts said Pyongyang won a decisive public relations victory over the United States at the Olympics last month, when Vice President Mike Pence appeared open to talks but North Koreans and South Koreans actually met. - Military options - Trump's other options are stark. US officials privately admit that a "bloody nose" strike -- mooted to chasten Kim away from nukes or ballistic missile tests -- was never under serious consideration. In reality, they say, any strike against North Korea would require overwhelming military force and would almost certainly put 30,000 US personnel and millions of other allied civilians in South Korea at immediate risk. Diplomacy would seem a better option, but Trump has made clear that unlike his predecessors, he will not let the situation "fester." On Tuesday, he reportedly held talks with former UN ambassador John Bolton, who is tipped to replace McMaster and recently advocated a "first strike" against North Korea. During Trump's first visit to the Oval Office in November 2016, then-president Obama warned him he may have to make a fateful decision about North Korea, according to those familiar with the talks. What he does now in the Oval Office could help decide whether this decades-long nuclear standoff ends on the battlefield or at the negotiating table. But as George W. Bush found in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as Richard Nixon found in Vietnam, wars have a way of defining presidencies. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho will visit Sweden in the near future and meet with his Swedish counterpart, Margot Wallstrom, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported on Friday, citing sources. A Swedish foreign ministry spokesman and a spokesman for Wallstrom both declined to comment. Sweden's embassy in Pyongyang represents U.S. diplomatic interests in North Korea in the absence of U.S. diplomatic relations with the country. The report comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday he was prepared to hold an unprecedented meeting with Kim Jong Un following an invitation from the North Korean leader. The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, which has limited the options for the two sides to reduce tensions over North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs. Sweden, however, was the first Western European nation to set up an embassy in Pyongyang, in 1975, and it has been acting on behalf of other western states in dealing with the secretive government in North Korea. Sweden has been taking an increasingly active role in international talks related to North Korea behind the scenes Dagens Nyheter reported, citing sources. (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Larry King) The final night of a Norwegian cruise on the lines Epic vessel was anything but boring. Tuesday evening, off the coast of the Bahamas, one of the guests onboard the more than 1,000-foot-long vessel fell off and into the ocean below. Luckily, the guest was rescued by the crew of the ship and successfully brought back onboard, Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement to Newsweek. Once onboard, the guest was taken to the on-site medical facility, evaluated and determined to be in stable condition. After the ship arrived in Port Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday morning, the guest was able to get further care onshore, the statement said. Trending: Brandon Thomas Lee: Tommy Lee's Son Claims Rock Star Has Drinking Problem, 'Devastated' About Alleged Assault Details about how the guest fell overboard or whether any foul play was involved were not included in the statement, and Norwegian did not respond to Newsweeks questions about the fall. We are thankful that our team reacted quickly and was able to rescue the guest. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest and their family as they embark on the recovery process and our CARE team is providing support and assistance during this time, said the statement from the cruise line. The boat was full of vacationers enjoying their last night at sea at the time. Kandace Tice, a 20-year-old student at Florida Gulf Coast University, was napping in her room before dinner when she and her friends heard an alarming noise and felt the boat shake around 9 p.m. They soon realized that the shaking they felt was the boat slowing down and went out onto the balcony to see what was going on. Don't miss: Alabama School Shooting: What We Know About Accidental Huffman Shots that Killed Female Student On the balcony, we saw the emergency boat go into the water, Tice told Newsweek. But it was pitch black out in the middle of the oceanthe ship had left port in the Bahamas nearly five hours earlier and was scheduled to reach Florida by morning, she said. Story continues We couldnt see anything, said Tice, who added that at that time they didnt know what was going on but could see people in the bridge of the ship moving around and looking out into the water. The women thought maybe a smaller boat had sunk nearby. But then they saw where the emergency boat was heading. We saw the blinking vest, said Tice. Another passenger on board posted a video of the rescue boat heading out on Twitter. Most popular: 473 Million Women Won't Be Able To Read This Article This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. For about 45 minutes to an hour, the ship stood still while the emergency vessel made two trips out into the night, said Tice. When the captain of the ship made an announcement over the intercom, he was almost casual, maybe trying to keep everyone calm, she explained. The captain said on the intercom there was a passenger overboard but she was rescued and taken to the hospital, said Tice, Thankfully, she was OK. The captain added that the boat would still make it back to Port Canaveral on schedule the next morning. It wasnt until Tice and her friends went to dinner that they learned more about the incident. They ran into a group of parents who said they had seen the whole thing happen, said Tice. The story onboard was that the woman, who was on vacation with her parents, was on the top deck of the boat, about 15 stories high, when she leaned over the railing to take a selfie and ended up falling. The parents said that other passengers made an attempt at pulling her back over but couldnt so they tossed her a life vest and got help immediately, said Tice. The cruise had previously scheduled Tuesday as a day at sea to take the boat from the Bahamas back to Florida, but due to water conditions, the plan changed, and instead the boat docked in Nassau on Tuesday morning. That meant the boat had to make up for a day at sea in one night, which isnt entirely unusual. But even before the woman fell overboard, the ship was traveling pretty quickly that nightor, as Tice described it, They were hauling butt. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek President Donald Trump denounced Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf on Thursday for tipping off immigrants about federal raids in her city, saying from the Oval Office that what she did ... was a disgrace. But Schaaf shrugged off the presidents comment with a smile. I am proud to live in a country where everyone can criticize elected officials, she told a reporter in a video her office provided to HuffPost. Much of the criticism of Schaafs decision to warn residents about raids has come from outside her community, she said Thursday. Im so appreciative of the Oakland community ... the feelings of being supported, of being heard, of being stood up for, those have been really wonderful for me to hear, she added. After learning late last month that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was planning local raids, Schaaf warned residents to take precautions, saying it was her duty and moral obligation to warn her constituents. Oakland is a city of law-abiding immigrants and families who deserve to live free from the constant threat of arrest and deportation, Schaaf said. Schaafs action catapulted her to national prominence and to the heart of an increasingly heated battle between the Trump administration and cities and states over undocumented immigrants. Attorney General Jeff Sessions also attacked Schaaf on Wednesday. How dare you needlessly endanger the lives of our law enforcement officers to promote a radical open-borders agenda? he challenged her during a speech in Sacramento. Schaaf responded: How dare you vilify members of our community by trying to frighten the American public into thinking that all undocumented residents are dangerous criminals? Sessions claimed that ICE would have arrested some 800 undocumented immigrants had Schaaf not tipped off Oakland residents. Trump said Thursday: Where they had close to a thousand people ready to be gotten, ready to be taken off the streets. Many of them, they say 85 percent of them were criminals, had criminal records. He did not provide the source of that figure or elaborate on the nature of the alleged crimes. Story continues Sessions filed a lawsuit against California this week, challenging three laws that make it a so-called sanctuary state for undocumented immigrants. One of the laws blocks local police from sharing certain information about immigrants with federal authorities. Another bars employers from turning over workers records to federal authorities unless officials have court orders forcing them to do so. California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) angrily slammed Sessions lawsuit as a political stunt, saying he sounded more like a Fox News host than a law enforcement official. Brown said the administration was initiating a reign of terror against California immigrants. The governor said the administrations actions constitute going to war against the state of California, the engine of the American economy. Its not wise, its not right and it will not stand, Brown said. The U.S. Conference of Mayors issued a strong statement against Sessions lawsuit on Wednesday. The United States Conference of Mayors today stands firmly united with mayors across the state of California, the statement read. The Attorney Generals decision to yet again threaten mayors and demonize our immigrant communities only strengthens our resolve to fight for what is just as we enforce the laws of our cities. It is unfortunate that the Attorney General continues to ignore both the Constitution and policing practices that have made our cities safer. Heres Schaafs original statement warning Oakland residents about ICE raids: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A Florida sheriffs deputy who resigned for staying outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during last months mass shooting also warned other officers to stay away, according to newly released police radio recordings. Do not approach the 12 or 1300 building, Stay at least 500 feet away at this point, ex-Deputy Scot Peterson says on police radio minutes after the shooting had stopped and students and staff lay dying. The Feb. 14 massacre killed 17 people and wounded more than a dozen. Peterson, an armed school resource officer hired to protect students on the Parkland, Florida, campus, was forced to resign after it was discovered he did not engage the shooter. The police radio recordings, along with a timeline of events released Thursday by the Broward County Sheriffs Office, suggest Peterson may have hampered the ability of other officers to help victims. Peterson can be heard on the recordings giving commands as he waits outside the school and the first officers arrive. Get the school locked down, gentlemen! he shouts. Deputy Scot Peterson told other officers not to enter the building as a gunman was shooting students. (Photo: Twitter) Peterson says several times that he heard gunfire coming from the 1200 building on the campus, but never entered. The county sheriff has said protocol is for deputies to engage an active shooter. Do not approach the 12 or 1300 building, stay at least 500 feet away, Peterson says over the radio at a point several minutes after the active shooting had stopped and the suspect was no longer in the 1200 building, according to the timeline. Jeff Bell, president of police union representing Broward deputies, told the Miami Herald he welcomed the release of the new records. It certainly backs up that he never went into the school, Bell said of Peterson. At one point he says to keep back 500 feet. Why would he say that? Download the police radio recording here. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. The 19-year-old suspect accused of shooting and killing 17 people at a Parkland, Florida, high school earlier this month has been observed "laughing" and "giggling" while in protective custody at the at the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to court observation records obtained by a local ABC affiliate. The observation reports stated that Nikolas Cruz has been at turns "contemplative," "deep in thought," "restless" and "cooperative." He was also spotted "giggling" and breaking out in laughter in the company of his attorneys, according to the observation reports, which were obtained by WFTS-TV. The reports span six days, beginning three days after the February 14 attack. Cruz is being held in a single cell separated from other prisoners due to his high profile, records state. At one point, the 19-year-old asked jail staff to read him the Bible, according to WFTS. That request came on the same day he was scheduled for a family visit. Trending: Overwatch News: Next Event Could Be Another Uprising? His lawyers cautioned that the observations were not made by doctors treating Cruz. Nikolas Cruz Mike Stocker/Reuters "They are snippet observations from corrections officers and are not clinical impressions made by his treating psychologist or psychiatrist at the jail," Chief Assistant Public Defender Gordon Weekes said in a statement. "They don't show a complete picture. They are generated because Mr. Cruz has a high-profile case and is on suicide watch." Don't miss: Will the Spice Girls Perform at the Royal Wedding? Mel C Says Mel B Was 'Joking' Over Invite The records come just one day after Florida prosecutors laid out their case to a grand jury for an indictment on 17 counts of first-degree murdercharges that could warrant a death sentence. Aside from brief comments in court, Cruz has not spoken about the shooting. Story continues The Broward County Sheriff's Office had received at least 45 calls to respond to service about Cruz or his brother in the past decade, before the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, reports stated. Cruz had been expelled from the school prior to the attack for disciplinary reasons, according to school staff. The suspect, who posted violent messages on social media, allegedly used a legally purchased AR-15 in the shooting. On Thursday, students at the high school returned for the first day of classes after becoming leaders of a movement to strengthen gun control laws in the country. The teens planned to march on the Capitol on March 24 as part of a large demonstration against gun violence. Most popular: 'Jihad' Inspired Man to Kill 4 People, He Said in Court "Everybody needs to remember, we are just children. A lot of people think that disqualifies us from even having an opinion on this sort of matter," said student activist Alfonso Calderon. "This matters to me more than anything else in my entire life." 02_15_School_Shooting_Parkland_Florida REUTERS/Jonathan Drake This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Newly released court documents show that a federal judge reprimanded Paul Manafort for breaking a gag order she had imposed on his case. At a court appearance in Washington, D.C. on February 28, Judge Amy Berman Jackson chastised President Trumps former campaign chairman, saying, I want to reiterate, Mr. Manafort, that the order that I issued, over no ones objection, does not just apply to Mr. Downing [Manaforts lawyer], but it applies to you, and issuing a statement about the prosecution, I believe, is contrary to the order, according to an official court transcript. Jackson referenced a statement issued on behalf of Manafort on the day that his former business associate and co-defendant Rick Gates pleaded guilty in his own case. She didnt specify what the statement said, but it appears to be the one Manafort released on Feb. 23, which read, Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence, Manaforts statement continued. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me. Gates pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy against the United States and making a false statement. Manafort, who was indicted in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation, has pleaded not guilty in D.C. district court to conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money and making false statements, among other charges. He is also facing a second case in federal court in Virginia, where he pleaded not guilty to tax and fraud charges. Jackson issued the gag order in November, saying that Manafort and others involved in the case had to refrain from making statements to the media or in public settings to avoid tainting a jury with pretrial publicity. Jackson said she wouldnt punish Manafort for his Feb. 23 statement. I recognize that on that date there were hundreds of articles indicating that your business partner pled guilty to conspiring with you, she said. I can certainly understand the impulse to not let that go by without asserting your innocence. So with respect to the statement that was issued that day, Im not going to take any action. But she warned him not to do it again. Manaforts trial in D.C. will begin on September 17. Doug Bandow Security, Asia Using negotiations to divide Washington and Seoul and gain time to continue missile and nuclear development are time-honored DPRK strategies. Peace in Our Time on the Korean Peninsula? South Korean officials declared that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is prepared to negotiate with the United States over denuclearizing the peninsula and normalizing relations. President Donald Trump declared his policy is working. The first is good news, if true. But even if true, it is merely the first step to achieving a stable peace in Northeast Asia. The second probably is not true. Any talks are likely to be conducted on North Koreas rather than Americas terms. Almost certainly Pyongyang will still possess its current arsenal of twenty or more nuclear weapons when this year comes to a close. And the next year as well. The South Koreans who met with Kim and his officials suggest that peace is in the air. The DPRK wants dialogue and is prepared to denuclearize. Just a few steps further and the lion will lie down with the lamb, ending more than seventy years of intra-Korean conflict. However, so far, Kim Jong-un has not spoken. It is obvious what visiting South Koreans wanted to hear. Kim may have told them what they wanted to hear. But what will he say to the world, and especially the United States? Just after Seouls announcement the Workers Party of Korea official newspaper justified Pyongyangs possession of nuclear weapons. The peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the world have been secured thanks to our strengthening of nuclear deterrence, declared the Rodung Sinmun. Maybe that just indicates that Pyongyang intends to strike a hard bargain. But even that is an important corrective to optimistic assessments of DPRK policy. We wont really know the Norths position until North Koreas Supreme Leader responds. Moreover, theres nothing particularly new in Pyongyangs presumed offer. In the past North Korea has engaged the United States in a dialogue over denuclearization. But that did not mean the North was willing to abandon its weaponsor at least to do so in return for what Washington was willing to give. The reason there have been no recent talks, whatever back channel communication might have occurred, is because the Trump administration insisted that the North agree to the main contested issue beforehand: denuclearization. Story continues Indicating a theoretical willingness to disarm is not the same. When I visited Pyongyang last year North Korean officials told me they were willing to consider yielding up their weapons if the United States, China, Russia and other nuclear states did likewise. Under these conditions the willingness to denuclearize is theoretical only. Now the DPRK apparently says it wants sufficient security guarantees. What would they be? Pyongyang might, and seems likely to, demand far more than what Washington is willing to give. In the past the North demanded that America end the alliance with the Republic of Korea and withdraw U.S. troops from the region. Perhaps there will be other conditions as well. This would not be simple duplicity, though North Korea obviously is capable of such. And using negotiations to divide Washington and Seoul and gain time to continue missile and nuclear development are time-honored DPRK strategies. Nevertheless, what rational dictator on Washingtons naughty list would trust the Trump administration and its successors? Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton took out or forced out nearby regimes not to Americas liking. President George W. Bush ventured further afield, forcing regime change in Afghanistan and Iraq, targeting the DPRK as a member of the Axis of Evil, and announcing that he loathed the Norths ruler, Kim Jong-il. President Barack Obama engineered the ouster of Libyas Muammar el-Qaddafi after the latter negotiated away his nuclear weapons and missiles. The Obama administration also spent several years unsuccessfully attempting to oust Syrias Bashar al-Assad. President Donald Trump has repudiated the agreement reached between his predecessor and Iran, dismissed the diplomatic efforts of his secretary of state, and threatened to unleash fire and fury on the North. Only nuclear weapons seem capable of deterring this type of aggression from a future U.S. president. Kim is unlikely to accept expressions of good will and paper guarantees as sufficient to abandon the weapons that his nation has worked so hard to develop. Finally, Pyongyang long desired talks with America, but without preconditions. The North Koreans reportedly told their ROK counterparts that they simply wanted to be treated like a serious dialogue partner. It appears that Pyongyang has simply repackaged a long-standing objectivebeing treated with respect by the globes superpower. Will the Trump administration agree? Discussions between the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan impend, and an anonymous Trump administration official insisted that Washingtons policy will not change until we see credible moves toward denuclearization. He also dismissed entering into talks encumbered by non-starter conditions by the DPRK as in the past. However, the North is a good enough negotiator not to abandon its leverage without receiving anything in return. And it can simply move its conditions one step back, from agreeing to negotiate to agreeing to disarm. Even if the administration is dissatisfied it will find it difficult to reject talks with the North for failing to meet Washingtons conditions. The ROK will put strong pressure on the United States to respond to what is being presented as a possible breakthrough. And if the administration does sit down with the North, America will have given Pyongyang what the latter long desired, bilateral negotiations without promising to yield its nuclear weapons. Indeed, the South Korean report indicated that Kim wanted to discuss bilateral relations as well as nuclear weapons. No doubt, North Korean officials would push to lead with the former which, after all, affects the hostile policy which they argue has made nuclear weapons necessary. At relatively minor costappearing reasonable and peaceableKim Jong-un then would fulfill his diplomatic objective, despite Washingtons past year of rejection. In short, it is not at all clear that much of anything has been changed. President Trumps fulminations and threats may have forced Kim Jong-un to be more creative, but they have not likely forced the latter to capitulate. Nevertheless, despite such caveats, the prospect of negotiations offers a way out of todays crisis. The Trump administration is threatening to start the Second Korean War and legislators like Sen. Lindsey Graham are egging on the president, arguing that such a conflict would be a good deal in the long-term. In fact, almost any alternative is better than preventive war. And creating an ongoing dialogue between Pyongyang and both Seoul and the United States would make resort to military action much more difficult. After having helped keep the peace for sixty-five years, it would be foolish beyond measure for the administration to risk triggering another massive conflict on the peninsula, especially one which could lead to a nuclear exchange. Kim is unlikely to tolerate U.S. attacks aimed at destroying the regimes most important weapons and perhaps the regime itself without responding. And Americas conventional preponderance would encourage Pyongyang to use it or lose it, which could mean attacks by missiles topped with biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. Japan, as well as South Korea, would be at great risk, and the harm could extend into China and Russia. Many Americans, civilians living in the south and military personnel sent to defeat and conquer the North, would die as well. The DPRK long has been the land of second-best options. But Washington should use the prospect of talks to develop a plausible alternative to war or a nuclear North Korea. The United States should work with South Korea and Japan to develop a common denuclearization offer for the DPRK and then seek Chinas backing for the plan. This offer should include Americas willingness to reduce and remove its military presence. Additionally, America should be willing to turn over to its allies defense responsibility for South Korea and the region to the ROK. It is not in Americas interest to remain permanently entangled in the conflicts of other nations or to turn the Pentagon into a welfare agency. Equally important, friendly states should not be allowed to become permanent welfare dependents. Denuclearization should remain Washingtons long-term objective. In the meantime, the United States also should pursue other advantageous (and possibly short-term) goals, such as freezing North Korean missile and nuclear development and reducing the conventional military threat against the South. And as in the past, policymakers should consider creative options if such efforts reach a dead end. Among those creative options should be the possibility of shifting nuclear deterrence from the United States to South Korea, which would reduce risks to America while sharing the North Korean nightmare with China. Pyongyangs apparent offer to talk is a gambit in a larger strategy for dealing with America. As such, it is an opportunity, not a breakthrough. The move offers the possibility of gain for both sides. Washington should pursue the apparent opportunity to sit down with North Korea and search for a peaceful exit from the dangerous cul-de-sac into which administration policy has driven. Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is author of Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World and coauthor of The Korean Conundrum: Americas Troubled Relations with North and South Korea. Image: Reuters Recommended: Why North Korea's Air Force is Total Junk Why Doesn't America Kill Kim Jong Un? The F-22 Is Getting a New Job: Sniper Read full article (Reuters) - A 45-year-old Pennsylvania man signed a 16-year-old girl out of her school 10 times between November and February, and the two have gone missing, police said on Wednesday. Allentown police issued a missing person alert on Wednesday for Kevin Esterly and Amy Yu. A warrant for Esterlys arrest for interference with the custody of children was issued on Wednesday, according to Pennsylvania court records. Investigators said Esterly and Yu had a secretive relationship, according to court documents seen by the Allentown Morning Call newspaper. Amys mother called police on Feb. 9 to report Esterly signed her daughter out of Lehigh Valley Academy that day without permission, according to the newspaper. Police interviewed the teen later in the month and she told them Esterly signed her out of school about five times. Investigators checked the Bethlehem schools records and found Esterly signed her out of school 10 times between Nov. 13 and Feb. 9 without her parents permission, Allentown police Captain Steve Vangelo told Reuters. Officials at Lehigh Valley Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment after school hours. Susan Mauser, the schools CEO, told the Morning Call that a student could only be picked up by someone on an emergency contact list provided by parents and she was investigating whether protocols were followed in Yus case. Esterly and the teen were last seen on Monday and may be traveling in a 1999 red Honda Accord, the missing person alert said. (Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Matthew Lewis) A number of individuals who had successfully sued Equifax (EFX) in San Francisco small claims court in January have won the appeal filed by the credit agency, cementing judgments between $5,490 and $7,440 each. The initial victories, delivered to the plaintiffs en masse by a sympathetic judge, were thought to be up in the air, as other consumers had attempted to sue but were denied by other judges thanks to the vagueness of the damages paying for credit monitoring, (justified) paranoia, and overall diminished security. Furthermore, these verdicts had been delivered without the help of lawyers, which are typically not permitted in the informal environment of a small claims court. On March 8th Christian Haigh and Christina Brandt Bernstein managed to triumph over the credit giant, disgraced by its data breach that had left 150 million people with exposed personal information, including Social Security numbers. Another plaintiff, Jason Wittig, won on March 1. FILE PHOTO: Credit reporting company Equifax Inc. corporate offices are pictured in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo According to Haigh, who is not a lawyer but has informal legal experience through the litigation financing company, Legalist, Equifax arrived at the courthouse with a VP, an in-house counsel, and an experienced lawyer from King & Spalding, a top law firm famous for defending the Defense of Marriage Act for the U.S. House. Haigh and Wittig did not have lawyers; Bernstein was represented by her husband, a lawyer. The trials took around two hours and were somewhat contentious: Equifax came with a high-powered legal team to an informal setting usually reserved for petty disputes involving five-figure sums or less. (Corporate lawyers often charge $1,200 to $1,500 per hour.) The arguments According to Haigh, Equifaxs major objective was to convince the judge to apply district court rules to a small claims situation. Hearsay, for example, can be admitted if a judge wants it to in small claims; in district courts the standards are higher. Equifax did not respond to numerous requests for comment. Story continues I dont think they had been in small claims court all that much, Haigh told Yahoo Finance. It was very bizarre. Also amusing: Its really like taking a square peg to a round hole. You dont hire King & Spalding for small claims. Given that the appeal was for a small claims situation, the judge kept the small claims rules, which created friction in a number of situations. One of the tactics Equifax attempted was arguing that the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which laid the grounds for Haighs damages, was not referenced in the initial complaint. Haigh argued that this is normal; as a small claims complaint form is a superficial fill-in-the-blank document, designed to be short. There are just two lines to write why money is owed. Equifax was spurned. The issue came up again when Haigh attempted to bring in a report from Sen. Elizabeth Warrens (D-Mass.) office, which outlined Equifaxs sins. Equifax objected to the report, deeming it unverified hearsay. Haigh asked the judge to decide, and noted it came from a senators office and should have bearing. He won that argument, too. The crux of the case came down to how the damages were framed. Equifax, which had closely scrutinized Haighs credit report it had on file, found that there was no weird activity. But Haighs argument was that he was more likely to have his identity stolen in the future, and thus had a good reason to request damages of the costs of credit monitoring services as well as punitive damages. What I wanted to make clear to the court was my [Social Security number] had been breached and other personal identifiable information had been breached, Haigh said. During cross examination, he asked and Equifax said yes. That means my SSN is in the hands of someone other than Equifax, he said. What this victory means At a glance, it may seem odd that Equifax is fighting these small claims with as much legal firepower as they are. But according to Scott Vernick, a trial lawyer at Fox Rothschield, Equifax has to fight these to maintain a consistent legal position. Even though it costs money, Im sure they think its all in aid of the broader objective: maintaining consistent defense, Vernick told Yahoo Finance. With the extremely high stakes of a class action, fighting a few small claims is small potatoes. (However, thanks to a chatbot called DoNotPay, which drafts a complaint automatically by filling in the blanks, hundreds of consumers if not more have sued in small claims.) The victories thus far, upheld in appeal, are potentially promising, and establish some sort of mild precedent for consumers. But with vague damages the possibility that identity theft might happen its unclear how judges en masse will react to the arguments put forward. But there is a sort of irony in play when it comes to coming to a number: Equifaxs own credit monitoring products TrustedID has or had, its free now a price tag. As for Haighs money, he said its not entirely clear what happens next. I think I have to reach out to them and request payment, he said. And if they dont pay, I contact the Sheriff, get a shopping cart, and we go over. Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Confidential tip line: FinanceTips[at]oath[.com]. People are taking Equifax to small-claims court and winning Elizabeth Warrens bill would thrash Equifax for another data breach The worst company of the year, according to Yahoo Finance readers Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy now fighting for his life in a British hospital, had every reason to feel secure in his retirement in the south of England. Unlike some of his comrades, who had escaped to the West with the help from foreign spymasters, Skripal was sent abroad on orders of the Kremlin. He had served four years in a Russian prison for his work as a double agent. And then he was released, in full compliance with Russian law, through a deal that gave the Kremlin no reasons to complain. Yet on March 4, British police found Skripal unconscious in a park in the city of Salisbury, apparently poisoned with a rare and deadly nerve agent. The attack also critically injured his daughter and a British policeman, apparently as collateral damage, and there are still no clear motives or suspects in the case. But if Russias spy agencies were involved, the poisoning would go against some basic rules of espionage, especially considering the way Skripal wound up in the U.K. in the first place. At the end of June 2010, when he was serving out his sentence for high treason in Russia, the FBI arrested ten Russian agents working in the U.S. under cover. In exchange for their freedom, the Kremlin agreed to release Skripal and two other men convicted in Russia for espionage. As a former colonel accused of outing dozens of Russian agents, Skripal was among the more valuable pieces in this trade, though at the time he received scant attention in the media. The cameras were focused instead on a relatively minor player: Anna Chapman, the Russian operative who was all-too-generously painted in the press as a latter-day Mata Hari. For the U.S. and Russian governments, Chapman made for a nice distraction from the more embarrassing aspects of the case. For one thing, the swap was an awful deal for the U.S. government, which was then in the second year of the Obama Administration. Even apart from its basic arithmetic three prisoners in exchange for 10 these two groups were by no means equal in value. Story continues Aside from Chapman whose tradecraft was closer to Austin Powers than 007 the spies arrested in the U.S. made up a big chunk of Russias Illegals Program. Among them were the types of sleeper agents who pose as normal members of American society, complete with fake identities, perfect English, regular jobs and, in some cases, children who have no idea their parents are spies. Such spooks are the most difficult to train and deploy, and losing so many of them all at once was among the biggest failures in the history of Russian espionage. Now consider what Russia gave up to get them back. Of the three convicted spies released from Russian prisons, Skripal was the only one to provide the West specifically, the British intelligence services with a rare window into the agency known as the GRU, which has a reputation as the most disciplined and secretive in Russias intelligence community. But even with Skripal thrown into the mix, the U.S. did not get much for releasing all of those sleeper agents. The main reason the White House went along with it was, apparently, politics. A few days before the Russian spies were arrested, Dmitri Medvedev, who was then serving as Russias president, had paid a visit to the U.S. to see his new friend and counterpart Barack Obama. They seemed to have a lot of fun together. They were both keen to reset U.S.-Russian relations. And while passing through Arlington, Virginia, the two of them even stopped for lunch at Rays Hell Burger, where they shared a portion of French fries. The next week, Medvedev was probably still recovering from jetlag in Moscow when Obama called to talk about the awkward matter of the spies. Neither of them wanted to make a big thing of it. Why spoil the good will that had resulted from their reset? Both Presidents quickly and quietly agreed to arrange the swap. Oleg Nechiporenko, a retired KGB colonel, who at the height of the Cold War was outed as a spy in Mexico and deported to Moscow, told me that the deal had an obvious lack of parity. It was a mystery to him at the time why the Americans accepted it, but he guessed that it may have been a kind of apology from Obama for publicizing the arrest of the Russian illegals. Or maybe just to speed things up, Nechiporenko told me in 2010. In their haste, the Americans even agreed to pad their wish list with Igor Sutyagin, a Russian academic who had been convicted of espionage on the thinnest of charges. Flying out of Moscow as part of the swap, Sutyagin recalls a U.S. diplomat sidling up to him and asking that he not seek asylum in the U.S. They freed me for humanitarian reasons, he told me a few years later in London, where he wound up finding a job and a home. But they felt no responsibility for me, because I was not an actual spy. The same cannot be said of Skripal. In the eyes of Russian prosecutors, his work as a double agent amounted to high treason, and he was given a 13-year sentence in prison in 2006. The spy swap set him free four years later, and for the rest of his life, the informal rules that govern such trades gave him a chance to live in peace. His release had, after all, been sanctioned by the Russian government, which could easily have decided to keep him locked up by taking his name off the swap list. The Americans would probably have accepted some replacement. Instead, shortly after the swap was done, President Medvedev granted Skripal an official pardon. This meant the Russian state had no more grudge against him. He was free to go, which is partly what makes his poisoning seem so bizarre. In the eyes of whoever organized the attack, the pardon Skripal got from the Kremlin was meaningless, as was the states decision to let him go. Investigators have already suggested that the most obvious suspects in the case are the Russian intelligence services. But if they are responsible, it would suggest a major break from the rules they are taught to follow. As Mark Galeotti, an expert in Russias spy agencies, wrote this week of the Skripal case, It seems to reflect a breakdown in the old etiquette of espionage. It suggests that a much wider range of Western intelligence assets, both current ones and those already retired, could become the targets of Russian retribution going forward. And it means that the West should start considering, in Galeottis words, new ways to punish Moscow, ones the Russians have not already gamed out in advance. Its still possible, of course, that Skripal did something to provoke retaliation from Moscow. The GRU has recently been implicated in the hacking of the U.S. elections in 2016. And if the former colonel was tapping his old sources to get fresh intelligence, rather than enjoying his retirement in silence, he could have turned himself into an target. But theres no evidence to suggest that and without it, Skripals old comrades might have been expected to leave him alone. Even if some in Moscow continued to see him as a traitor, the official pardon he received from the state should have shielded Skripal from their desire for revenge. It should not matter that the pardon was granted when Medvedev was in charge, or that the swap was organized under Obama. Then again, with Putin in power, maybe such deals no longer apply. By Scott Bransford YOUNTVILLE, Calif. (Reuters) - A gunman entered a California home for disabled veterans on Friday, fired numerous shots and took three hostages, but there were no injuries at the sprawling facility in the Napa Valley's wine country, authorities said. State Senator Bill Dodd, who represents the area, told reporters that the gunman was a member of the Pathway Home, a program for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The hostages were believed to be employees at the Yountville Veterans Home who worked with the suspect in the Pathway program, he said. Larry Kramer told Reuters his wife worked at the facility, the largest of its kind in the country and home to about 1,000 veterans about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of San Francisco. "Shes quite shaken up. Shes in a locked down building, Larry Kramer told Reuters after speaking by phone to his wife who is safe but sheltering in place. She said it was just very calm. He walked in with a rifle. She was face to face with him when he walked in. Hostage negotiators from three different agencies were trying to make contact with the suspect, the California Highway Patrol said. "Gunfire was exchanged. It's not known at this time how many rounds were exchanged, but I am happy to report that at this moment there have been no injuries," CHP spokesman Chris Childs told reporters. The standoff comes less than a month after a former student with an assault-style rifle killed 17 people at a Florida high school. The massacre touched off a student-led drive for new restrictions on gun ownership to prevent the kind of mass shootings that have become epidemic in the United States. A Napa Valley sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene within four minutes of the first reports of gunfire, and exchanged shots with the suspect, Sheriff John Robertson said. Authorities know his identity, he said, though it has not been disclosed yet. Story continues A resident of the home, identified as Rod Allen by the local CBS affiliate KPIX, said the gunman took the hostages after allowing some people at a party to leave. He fired about 30 shots, the resident said. The California Department of Veterans Affairs could not be reached immediately for comment but in a Facebook post said it was following reports of gunfire at the home. (Reporting by Daniel Wallis in New YorkAdditional reporting by Andrew Hay and Keith CoffmanWriting by Frank McGurtyEditing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker) President Donald Trump on Thursday did something he has rarely done: He enacted a policy most Republicans oppose. In a hastily assembled White House ceremony, Trump signed orders imposing tariffs of 25% on imported steel and 10% on aluminum. The signing followed days of confusion and months of intense infighting in an Administration that has been sharply divided on trade policy. Our industries have been targeted for years and years decades, in fact by unfair foreign trade practices, Trump said. Its going to stop. On one side of the President stood a group of steel and aluminum workers; on the other, a select group of his economic advisers but, notably, not a single Republican lawmaker. The policy Trump issued Thursday was watered down somewhat from the blanket tariffs he announced last week he planned to impose. The duties will not take effect for 15 days, according to the White House, and will exempt Canada and Mexico, key U.S. allies and trading partners. The trade law that authorizes the tariffs, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, is nominally about protecting national security, but key national-security officials such as Defense Secretary James Mattis didnt attend Thursdays ceremony and reportedly oppose the policy. Read More: The Real Trade War Is Inside Trumps White House Trump, as he noted in his remarks, has believed in tariffs as a boost to American manufacturing for decades, predating his entry into politics. His stance on trade differentiated him from other Republicans in 2016 and struck a nerve in the industrial Midwest. The officials who accompanied Trump on Thursday U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and economic advisor Peter Navarro comprised the White House faction that supported Trumps protectionism. But another faction, led by chief economic advisor Gary Cohn, and including Republican congressional leaders, strongly opposes tariffs. The two groups have been fighting tooth and nail for the past year, with the free-market faction succeeding until now in forestalling an action conservatives warn could have severe economic consequences. Story continues Trade was just one of many issues on which Trump took a heterodox stance in his campaign. His campaign rhetoric included, at times, promises to provide universal healthcare and take on the pharmaceutical industry; to raise taxes on hedge-fund managers and protect Social Security and Medicare; to dial down military engagement and spend billions of dollars building up infrastructure, among other stances not typical of a GOP nominee. In recent weeks, he has also speculated about liberalizing immigration policy and pursuing gun control. But in practice, when it comes to policy Trump as president has done little to affront his fellow Republicans. The accomplishments of his first year tax cuts, deregulation, a conservative Supreme Court justice, undermining the Affordable Care Act are things a President Ted Cruz would likely have done, had he been elected instead. Despite all the hype about Trumps party-busting populism, he has mostly governed as a conservative. Thats one reason why Republicans in Congress, despite being exasperated by Trumps tweets and scandals, have rarely resisted him outright: Theres not much hes done in the realm of policy that they actually oppose. Trumps tariff announcement was the rare exception. So vociferously did Cohn oppose it that he reportedly resigned rather than see it on his watch. Republican leaders decried the move in unusually explicit terms: I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences, House Speaker Paul Ryan said. (Some Democrats, meanwhile, cheered the action, and AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka lauded it.) This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. In true Trumpian fashion, the President dithered to the end, torn between his protectionist impulses and the conservatives begging him to change his mind; some White House staffers learned of the Presidents plans when he tweeted about the announcement, which was not yet on his official schedule, on Thursday morning. But in the end, Trump went through with the tariff hes long sought. For too long, the workers who poured themselves into building this great nation were betrayed, he said. That betrayal is now over. With reporting from Tessa Berenson By Laila Bassam and Suleiman Al-Khalidi BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's army is poised to slice rebel-held eastern Ghouta in two as forces advancing from the east link up with troops at its western edge, a pro-Damascus commander said on Thursday. The government, backed in the war by Russia and Iran, is seeking to crush the last major rebel enclave near the capital in a ferocious campaign that the aid agency Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says has killed more than 1,000 people. Rebels, who accuse the government of "scorched earth" tactics, said they were deploying more guerrilla-style ambushes in lost territory, trying to stop further advances. "We came because of the intensity of the bombing," said Abu Mohammed, a 32-year-old farmer who had left his cows, sheep and farm equipment to join thousands of others fleeing to Douma, further into the rebel enclave. "It was a miracle that we made it here," he said, speaking of the heavy air strikes. As for his former home town of Beit Sawa: "It was totally destroyed. Burnt," he said. Defeat in eastern Ghouta would mark the worst setback for rebels since the opposition was driven from eastern Aleppo in late 2016 after a similar campaign of siege, bombing and ground assaults. MSF said on Thursday the offensive had killed 1,005 people and injured at least 4,829. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group in Britain, says 915 civilians have died in the last 18 days, including 91 on Wednesday. A U.N. official said fighting had reportedly driven the everyone in the towns of Mesraba, Hammouriyeh and Mudeira to seek refuge elsewhere in the rapidly shrinking pocket. They had an estimated population of about 50,000 in December, the official said. The pro-Damascus commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, confirmed a report by the Observatory late on Wednesday that the enclave had effectively been sliced in two. But Wael Alwan, the Istanbul-based spokesman for Failaq al-Rahman, one of the main rebel groups in eastern Ghouta, denied that the territory had been cut in half. "No," he said in a text message when asked if the report was correct. Another rebel spokesman, Hamza Birqadar of the Jaish al-Islam group, said in a tweet on Thursday that insurgents had regained some positions in a counter-attack. The Observatory reported heavy fighting on several fronts. A military media unit run by the government's ally Hezbollah also reported that the army had taken the village of Hosh al-Ashari and a military base near Aftaris, both in the southern part of the enclave. CONVOY In northern Syria, rebels began to bombard two government-held villages besieged by insurgent forces, killing two children, the Observatory reported. Plans to send an aid convoy to Ghouta on Thursday were postponed, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations said. "Convoys need to come in with food and supplies - and the last convoy was only half unloaded," Henrietta Fore, executive director of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, told Reuters. The United Nations says 400,000 people are trapped in the towns and villages of eastern Ghouta. They have been under government siege for years and were already short of food and medicine before the assault. "We are dying of hunger and our children are dying of hunger. Have pity on us," said a woman reached in Douma by a voice messaging service, who identified herself as Um Mahmoud. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, has offered rebels safe passage out with their families and personal weapons. The proposal echoes previous agreements under which insurgents, in the face of military defeat, were permitted to withdraw to opposition-held areas along the Turkish border. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that a second safe route out of eastern Ghouta, along with one near Douma, had been opened in the southern part of the enclave. Russia's defense ministry said on Wednesday some rebels wanted to accept the proposal to evacuate. So far rebels have dismissed it in public and vowed to fight on. BATTLES RAGING Syria's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Hussam Aala, told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday the assault targeted "terrorist organisations in accordance with international humanitarian law". Moscow and Damascus say the Ghouta campaign is necessary to halt deadly rebel shelling of the capital. Rescue workers and opposition activists in eastern Ghouta have accused the government of using chlorine gas during the campaign. The government firmly denies this. Damascus and Moscow have accused rebels of planning to orchestrate poison gas attacks in order to draw blame onto the Syrian government. A Syria-focused medical aid group said there were reports from doctors of a chlorine attack on Wednesday evening. Local rescue workers said gas had affected 50 people. Social media activists shared videos and photos, which Reuters could not verify, of people with signs of breathing difficulties. The opposition-run rescue service said two of its rescuers were killed when their ambulance was hit last night, adding its teams were hampered from reaching many victims under rubble. The narrow point linking rebel territory in north and south parts of eastern Ghouta is all within the range of government fire and impossible for insurgents to cross, meaning the enclave has in military terms been bisected, the commander said. A rebel fighter with Jaish al-Islam, one of the main factions in eastern Ghouta, said intense fighting was under way. "Nothing is secure and battles are raging and it's difficult to predict what will happen," the fighter, who gave his name as Abu Ahmad al-Doumani, said in a text message to Reuters. (Reporting by Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, and Lisa Barrington in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by William Maclean and Andrew Roche) London (AFP) - Four protesters were arrested after gaining access to the balcony of the Iranian embassy in London on Friday, police said, prompting a complaint from Tehran about security at the building. "We were called at 4.20 pm (1620 GMT) to reports of four protesters on the balcony of the Iranian embassy in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge," a spokeswoman for London's Metropolitan Police said. At around 6.40 pm (1840 GMT) all four men were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and being unlawfully on diplomatic premises. "All four people have been taken to a central London police station. They remain there in custody," the spokeswoman said. It is understood the protesters did not manage to get inside the building. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Tehran had lodged a strong protest with the British government over the incident, according to the IRNA state news agency. The report said supporters of an "extreme cult" living in Britain were responsible. Iran's deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi made his protest known to the British ambassador in Tehran, demanding "absolute protection of our diplomats in London and immediate dealing of the police with the attackers", IRNA said. In a statement, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "The safety and security of diplomats and diplomatic missions in the UK is of paramount importance to us." In 1980, six gunmen who supported a dissident Iranian group took over the Iranian embassy in London, taking more than two dozen hostages. After a six-day siege, British special forces raided the building, killing five of the gunmen and arrested another. Two of the hostages also died. Vladimir Putin kisses Larisa Sergukhina while she takes a selfie with him. (CEN) Russian President Vladimir Putin stunned onlookers in Russia by kissing a female supporter as he campaigns for re-election. The famously terse Russian leader, 65, was seen kissing fan Larisa Sergukhina at the Luzhniki stadium in the capital Moscow after a concert which was intended to drum up support for him. The event saw celebrity performers expressing their support for Putin, including popular rapper Timati, 34. But once the show finished, Putin agreed to have photos taken with his supporters with one in particular garnering attention. Larisa Sergukhina met Putin after a concert in Moscow (CEN) Onlookers were stunned when Putin planted a kiss on the forehead of admirer Ms Sergukhina. Posting online, some Russian citizens even suggested that the man in the photo could be one of the Russian leaders rumoured lookalikes. Its so dangerous act to do for such an important person, I think his bodyguards were shocked watching this, one user wrote. Vladimir Putin is standing for re-election (CEN) Another said: She is an Internet star now! I want a selfie with the president as well! Im jealous! Putin is the favourite to win the presidential election on 18th March, although questions have been repeatedly raised about the veracity of the forthcoming vote. MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO He faces opponents in the form of Pavel Grudinin of the Communist Party and Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the liberal LDPR party. U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet North Koreas Kim Jong-un for talks by May, South Koreas national security adviser Chung Eui-Yong said in a statement Thursday evening. In remarks issued after he delivered Pyongyangs invitation to the White House, Chung said that the North Korean leader is committed to denuclearization and has pledged to refrain from further nuclear or missile tests. Chung also said that Kim accepts the continuation of joint-U.S.-South Korea military exercises, which Pyongyang has traditionally regarded as rehearsals for invasion. Read Chungs full statement below. Good evening. Today, I had the privilege of briefing President Trump on my recent visit to Pyongyang, North Korea. Id like to thank President Trump, the Vice President, and his wonderful national security team, including my close friend, General McMaster. I explained to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture. I expressed President Moon Jae-ins personal gratitude for President Trumps leadership. I told President Trump that, in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. And he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The Republic of Korea, along with the United States, Japan, and our many partners around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Along with President Trump, we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions. Thank you. On Feb. 28, John Ferriola, the CEO of Americas largest steel producer, Nucor, got a call from the White House. Could he be in Washington the next day? With few details to go on, Ferriola dutifully showed up at the West Wing on March 1, where he and a dozen other metals-company executives were ushered into the Cabinet Room. Soon, they were told, they would be having a private meeting with President Donald Trump. The topic was the imposition of tariffs on imported steel and other metals, measures the industry has long sought. As Trump talked, it seemed to Ferriola that the President was leaning toward action but hadnt made up his mind. By the end of the meeting, encouraged by the executives, Trump seemed convinced. Immediately after, he told the press he planned to put surcharges of 25% on imported steel and 10% on aluminum. People have no idea how badly our country has been treated, Trump said as the CEOs nodded along. Theyve destroyed the steel industry, theyve destroyed the aluminum industry. But, the President said, were bringing it all back. Washington flew into a tizzy. The stock market swooned. Republicans rebuked Trump in dire terms. Soon rumors flew about the Presidents motivations. He was said to have acted in a fit of pique, inflamed by special counsel Robert Muellers ongoing Russia investigation and the resignation of his communications director and confidant Hope Hicks. But the President was undeterred. Responding to the hail of criticism the following morning, he tweeted with characteristic puckishness: Trade wars are good, and easy to win. Trumps declaration was exactly the sort of brazen middle finger to the establishment that he promised his voters in 2016. But for all his campaign populism, the GOP establishment had, to that point, been successful in constraining Trump on trade during his first year in power. Trumps metals tariff, if he goes through with it, would represent a rare and consequential break with GOP orthodoxy. Story continues Trade policy has also been the subject of vicious infighting within the White House. Trumps top economic adviser, free-market advocate and Goldman Sachs alum Gary Cohn, resigned on March 6 in the wake of the announcement. Yet even those closest to the issue werent sure that Trump had made up his mind to impose the tariffs. The President seemed caught between competing impulses: his strong, long-standing convictions on trade, and his record of compliance with Republican doctrine. Since the 1980s, Trump has complained that the U.S. was being cheated by unfair foreign competition. As a presidential candidate he hammered on the idea of getting tough with, in his distinctive pronunciation, Chyyy-nah. Trumps stance on trade set him apart from other Republicans and was at the heart of his appeal in formerly blue states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, and it epitomized his opposition to globalism, elites and experts, and his emphasis on muscular nationalism. It was also bound up with darker impulses: xenophobic distrust and nostalgia for a bygone social hierarchy. The forgotten man, as Trump termed his bloc of blue collar supporters, welcomed the promise to make America great again by bringing back manufacturing. And after voters in the industrial heartland helped power him to victory, Trump suggested that he would make good on his rhetoric. In his Inaugural Address, he vividly evoked a landscape of rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. The newly sworn-in President thundered, We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Trade was just one of the populist promises that traditional Republicans feared Trump would follow through on in office. But they soon realized the new President was disengaged from policy details, easily distracted and susceptible to flattery. In practice, many of the policy disruptions Trump had threatenedfrom health care and taxes to, more recently, gun control and immigrationproved to be empty threats. As a result, despite his instincts, Trump has governed mainly as a conservative. On trade, the free-marketeers in the White House, like Cohn, succeeded in diverting Trump from scrapping NAFTA and other radical measures. But if Trumps ardor for tariffs cooled, he was never persuaded to change his mind. In one Oval Office meeting, he vented to chief of staff John Kelly that he felt stymied by the globalists in his orbit, according to Axios. I want tariffs. And I want someone to bring me some tariffs, the President insisted. By March 1, Trump seemed finally to have cast off the restraints. But the furious behind-the-scenes campaign to temper his impulses has not let up, and until the papers are drawn up and signed, he could still change his mind. And so Washington, Wall Street and the steel industry wait to see which Trump will prevail: the gut-level protectionist or the good Republican soldier. Cohns departure seemed to signal that the anti-tariff faction had lost the internal battle. Weve been waiting for the President and Administration to let us know whats going on, says Ferriola, the Nucor executive. Were hopeful that the President is going to move forward with the commitment he made during the campaign. Two top diplomats from major world powers arrive in an African nation and stay in the same five-star hotel. Each aware of the others presence, they contemplate whether to meet. After all, nothing could be easier than sauntering into the hotel lobby to consult on world affairs over coffee. But instead, the meeting never took place, and each diplomat said the other was to blame. This isnt the plot of a political satire. Its what happened when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week. Trending: Tesla Driver Who Travelled With His Feet Out of the Window While on Autopilot Avoids Ticket The U.S. and Russias top diplomats are simultaneously on a tour of Africa, demonstrating that the continent is a place of strategic interest for both world powers. But the relationship between their two countries, plagued by accusations of election interference and international sanctions, is in such bad shape that its representatives couldnt agree on who, if anyone, had asked whom for a meeting. 929224556 ONATHAN ERNST/AFP/Getty Images In a Facebook message for international womens day, the Russian embassy in Washington taunted State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert for failing to facilitate a meeting. We always assumed that Heather Nauert closely follows events in the world and inside the U.S. Department of State. However in the last couple of days, something seems to have broken in her department, the post reads. Two ministers will be simultaneously in the same hotel. This would be a great opportunity to discuss a range of accumulated issues on regional and global agenda...In any case, we congratulate Heather Nauert and, of course, all female employees of the State Department on International Womens Day! the post continues, dripping with sarcasm. Story continues Don't miss: What is Jo Min-ki's Cause of Death? South Korean Actor Accused of Sexual Misconduct Found Dead Despite the breakdown in their relationship, both countries leaders appeared determined to flex their diplomatic muscle while in town. Lavrov immediately left Ethiopia for Zimbabwe, where he floated the idea of joint military operation and a $3 billion joint platinum project near the capital, Harare. Tillerson, meanwhile, plans to visit Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria during his eight-day journey through Africa, meeting with the leaders of each country. He also met with representatives of the African Union in Ethiopia on Thursday. But Russia wasnt the only world power casting a shadow on his visit. China, which funded the construction of the African Union building and has been rapidly increasing its investment in Africa, also loomed large. A Chinese journalist at the African Union meeting asked Tillerson whether President Donald Trump had really called African nations shithole countries. 929165618 JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images Tillerson used the opportunity to warn African leaders about the perils of accepting Chinese investment. Most popular: Steve Nash Releases Video to Announce New Job Covering Soccer And Its Awesome We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa, Tillerson said during a press conference. It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements and not forfeit their sovereignty. The comments werent received warmly by Ethiopian leaders, who are happy with the billions of dollars of investment China has given them, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Ethiopia is also rocked by political problems. Its prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, surprised everyone in mid-February by stepping down suddenly. A day later, the government declared a nationwide state of emergency that has lasted ever since. Asked by an Ethiopian journalist on Thursday about the country's martial law, Tillerson said he hopes the country can have a peaceful transfer of power that will return civilian rule. While we appreciate the governments responsibility to maintain control and not allow violence to break out and harm innocent people as well who may become victims of violence, it is important that that that the country move on past the state of emergency as quickly as possible, Tillerson said. Still, some Ethiopian journalists voiced skepticism about the U.S. role in their country. "When it comes to the investments of the United States to Africa, Ethiopia particularly, we dont see much," one journalist noted during the press conference. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek BUCHAREST (Reuters) - The leader of Romania's ruling Social Democrats and speaker of its lower house of parliament, Liviu Dragnea, is under investigation in Brazil on suspicion of money laundering, a Brazilian prosecutor was quoted on Friday as saying. An online investigative reporting platform, Rise Project, quoted Brazilian federal prosecutor Carlos Wagner Barbosa Guimaraes as saying Brazilian authorities were investigating whether Dragnea and others had used ill-gotten funds to buy beach properties in the country through third parties. Asked about the report, Dragnea, who keeps a tight grip on his party and is seen as effectively in charge of Romania's government, said it was false. "We talked about this topic in 2017. They (Rise Project) have reheated the soup, but I am not eating it," said Dragnea, who is barred from becoming Romania's prime minister by a suspended jail sentence imposed on him in a vote rigging case. Rise Project, which is a member of the cross-border Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project of investigative journalists, also quoted Barbosa Guimaraes as saying the Brazilian investigation had started after Romanian prosecutors had asked for help in mid-2017. Dragnea is currently on trial in Romania in an abuse of office case and is also under investigation in a separate case on suspicion of forming a criminal group to siphon off cash from state projects, some of them EU-funded.. Dragnea has denied all charges of wrongdoing, including in the earlier vote rigging case, where he said the verdict was politically motivated. Transparency International ranks Romania among the European Union's most corrupt states. Brussels, which keeps Romania's justice system under special monitoring, has praised magistrates for their efforts to curb graft. At the start of 2017, attempts by the ruling coalition to weaken anti-corruption legislation triggered Romanias biggest protests in decades. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Gareth Jones) First Paris, then a pair of German cities, and now the Eternal City. Two weeks ago, the mayor of Rome announced on her Facebook page that the city would ban diesel cars altogether by 2024. It's not clear whether the ban applies solely to the older, most-polluting diesels as it does already in Paris, or to any vehicle with a diesel engine. CHECK OUT: German court rules cities may ban older diesel vehicles A court ruling issued February 26 in Germany had been widely awaited as a sign of how far cities could go in aggressively attacking unhealthy air within their municipal limits. The German court decided that individual cities in the country may legally ban vehicles with diesel engines to reduce air pollution. As Europe's largest carmaker and most populous country, Germany is widely considered a bellwether on how EU markets will evolve. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The older diesels banned in Paris and likely to be barred in Germany emit far more nitrogen oxides than those under the latest emission limits, known as Euro 6b, which went into effect on January 1, 2017. Those limits brought EU-market limits on nitrogen oxidesa major contributor to airborne photochemical smogdown to roughly the same level they have been in the U.S. since January 1, 2008. DON'T MISS: Mixed messages on future of diesel at Geneva auto show The day of the German court decision, Rome's mayor Victoria Raggi said on her Facebook page, If we want to intervene seriously, we have to have the courage to adopt strong measures. The story was covered by the Reuters news service, among other outlets. Exhaust emissions from tailpipe [photo: Simone Ramella, 2005, used under Creative Commons 2.0] Her move is especially significant because Italy is a stronghold of diesel sales within Europe. Italian American automaker Fiat Chrysler sells half of all its European diesel vehicles within Italy, where gasoline is costly and the distaste for diesels has not reached the heights it has in other EU member states. READ THIS: How Paris will ban dirtiest diesels: color-coded stickers As Reuters notes, "Rome has no major industries, so nearly all of the air pollution in the Italian capital is caused by motor vehicles." The city administration already bans certain types of older and more-polluting vehicles from its roads when air pollution exceeds critical levels. The Russian government has derided the United States Department of State on Twitter, accusing its top spokesperson of spamming all of us with criticism of Moscows bombings in Syria. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted in response to department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's post, in which she called attention to the persistent bombing campaign in eastern Ghouta. The town is besieged by forces under the control of Syrias autocratic President Bashar al-Assad, who is strongly supported by Russia, but increased attacks violate a United Nationssponsored ceasefireone that Moscow has publicly endorsed. More than 100 people have died in the enclave because of regime bombardment according to rescue workers. Related: Jailed escort says she has a scoop on Trump-Russia scandal but Washington is not in a hurry to send diplomats Trending: Rubik's Cube World Record Smashed by MIT Reseachers Using Playstation Cameras We call on Russia & the Assad regime to adhere to #UNSC Res. 2401 & allow the delivery of desperately-needed humanitarian aid to 400,000 innocent civilians, Nauert wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. In a tweet posted about an hour earlier, she questioned Russias commitment to humanitarian assistance, estimating that in the last week of February, Russian jets carried out 20 raids of eastern Ghouta and nearby Damascus. The Russian-sponsored talks of a ceasefire have failed, she concluded. 03_08_Lavrov_Tillerson Hans Punz/AFP/Getty Images Calm down, Russias top diplomatic institution tweeted at Nauert. Your propaganda machine is out of control. Several Russian embassies have retweeted the ministrys post, which also accuses the U.S. department of spam. Don't miss: How Many Grammys Does Mariah Carey Have? Singer Disses the Awards in New Interview Story continues In a longer message on Facebook, the Russian Embassy in the U.S. echoed the ministrys comments about Nauert, adding that something seems to have broken in her department. We hear a stream of fake newsabout Russia's atrocities against the peaceful population of East Ghouta, the statement read, while also ridiculing Nauerts tweets praising Ukraine and the Oscars. Both Russian diplomatic bodies demanded then to discuss the lack of a meeting between its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, both of whom were in Africa on separate visits, but appear to have missed each other. Most popular: Huge Mystery Fish Weighing 330 Lbs Found On Australian Beach: I've Never Seen Anything Like It' Russian officials have repeatedly claimed they have requested to meet officially, however Nauert said earlier this week that Washington had received no such request. The situation echoed the awkward buildup to a second face-to-face encounter between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. Both men were attending a G20 summit in Vietnam at the same time, but as Kremlin officials took turns affirming the likelihood of the two leaders sitting down for a substantial conversation, the line from Washington was different. Tillerson stressed then that the pair would only meet if there is something sufficiently substantive to talk about. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer told Newsweek at the time that it was Russias strategy to elevate its own claim of being a global power by drumming up attention to a Putin-Trump meeting, even if there was little chance of any political breakthrough. For Trump, whose administration is already plagued by allegations of collusion with Russia or being overly sympathetic to the Kremlin, such a meeting would not be positive. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek (Reuters) - An inmate convicted of selling drugs walked out of a federal minimum security prison camp in California on Thursday, the second prisoner to flee the facility this week and at least the 10th over the last two years, police and local media reported. Prison officials at the camp at Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex discovered Fabian Barragan Lombera, 28, was missing during a count at 4 p.m. local time, the Lompoc Police Department said in a brief press release on its website. The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not consider Lombera dangerous and does not know if he is armed, police said. Lombera is serving a sentence for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was to be released in 2025, police said. Early on Sunday, prison officials discovered another prisoner, Mauricio Martinez, missing. Martinez, 29, was serving a sentence for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, local media reported. Lombera is at least the 10th prisoner to walk away from the facility over the last two years, according to various reports on local newspaper and television news websites. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Catherine Evans) By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - A second man pleaded guilty on Thursday to arranging the transport of dozens of immigrants across Texas last year that ended with 10 of them dead or dying in a sweltering tractor-trailer in a San Antonio parking lot. Pedro Silva Segura, 47, faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty before a federal magistrate judge in San Antonio to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. According to court documents, Segura operated a "stash house" in Laredo, on the Rio Grande, where undocumented immigrants were housed by smugglers while awaiting further transport to urban centers across the country. A Homeland Security Investigations special agent, Shane Folden, said in the court papers that on the evening of July 22, 2017, Segura delivered five illegal immigrants to a tractor trailer to be driven into the interior of Texas by Kentucky trucker James Bradley, 61. Later in the evening, with the temperatures in the 90s, Bradleys truck left for San Antonio, three hours away, with as many as 200 men, women and children, including several unaccompanied minors, jammed into the un-air conditioned trailer. Early the next morning, police were called to a Walmart parking lot on Interstate 35 in south San Antonio, where they found 39 people, eight of them dead inside the truck. Another 20 were rushed to area hospitals, where two died. The others had already been picked up by immigrant smugglers. Bradley, who was arrested at the scene, pleaded guilty in October to human smuggling charges and faces a life prison term when he is sentenced later this year. (Reporting by Jim Forsyth in San Antonio; Editing by Dan Whitcomband Leslie Adler) Douma (Syria) (AFP) - The Syrian army continued its offensive against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta Saturday, a day after an aid convoy delivered food to the hunger-stricken residents of the enclave despite heavy bombardment. Nearly 950 civilians have been killed since Russia-backed government forces launched a blistering assault on the last opposition bastion near Damascus on February 18. Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 inhabitants have lived under government siege since 2013 and the enclave -- more than half of which has over the past three weeks been retaken by regime forces -- is home to a myriad of armed groups. Apart from Islamist groups such as Jaish al-Islam, jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who are mostly linked to Al-Qaeda, are also deployed there. Syrian state television aired footage of a single bus carrying 13 "fighters" and family members out of the enclave through Al-Wafideen checkpoint, without giving their affiliation. Some appeared to be young, while others wore hoodies to cover their heads and faces. The limited operation came as the powerful Jaish al-Islam said HTS fighters would be evacuated to the northern province of Idlib, in an arrangement struck following consultations with the United Nations and other international players. "It has been agreed that the first group of HTS members be released from the prisons of Jaish al-Islam ... (and) moved to Idlib at their request," Jaish al-Islam said. HTS is the main force in Idlib, in Syria's northwest and the last province outside regime control. - 'Enough death' - Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the violence on Friday with at least six killed in air strikes on the area of Jisreen, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said. Thirteen trucks loaded with 2,400 food parcels, meanwhile, crossed into Eastern Ghouta, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, entering what UN chief Antonio Guterres has called "hell on earth". Story continues But "shelling" near the enclave's main town of Douma threatened "to put at risk" the joint ICRC, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and United Nations convoy, said the UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari. The aid was delivered as helicopters hovered overhead and warplanes targeted areas outside Douma, a correspondent said. The World Health Organization said it has verified 67 hits on medical facilities in Syria through January and February, nearly half of them in Eastern Ghouta. The facilities hit included 20 hospitals, 16 health facilities, two ambulance stations and one medical supply warehouse. Doctors and nurses in the enclave have run out of several life-saving items, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which reported a "terrible medical catastrophe." "Medical material is extremely limited, medical infrastructure has been hit and medical staff are exhausted," it said, adding that hundreds of people have been wounded and need urgent assistance. In the face of the regime's Russian-backed onslaught, Ghouta's main rebel groups had so far rejected Moscow-brokered offers to evacuate civilians or any of their own fighters. But on February 27, they said in a letter to the United Nations they would be willing to expel jihadist fighters from the enclave as soon as a UN ceasefire took effect. That offer came on the same day as a daily humanitarian "pause" called by Moscow began, a measure which fell short of a 30-day ceasefire called by the UN Security Council late last month. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said talks were underway between regime representatives and local figures to organise the evacuation of civilians or fighters from parts of the enclave. SANA earlier said dozens of civilians were expected to leave on Friday through the Wafideen checkpoint, an agreed exit point. An AFP correspondent at the checkpoint said green and white trucks and ambulances were parked waiting to pick up passengers. In the town of Hammuriyeh, dozens of people took part in a protest calling for an end to the bloodshed, the Britain-based Observatory said. "Enough destruction and death! We want to save our children and all those who have not died," said Abu Riyadh, a 47-year-old man in the town. - 'Colossal human tragedy' - A negotiator from the Hammuriyeh said a "civilian delegation" wanted to hold talks with the regime to end the fighting in the area. A tribal leader said more than 300 civilians from the areas of Kafr Batna, Saqba and Hammuriyeh wanted to leave. He told journalists there had also been discussions for "500 fighters to hand over their weapons to the army". Syria's war, which enters its eight year next week, has killed more that 340,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Friday called the conflict a "colossal human tragedy". In rebel fire on Friday, a woman and a child were killed by a mortar round that hit the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, SANA said. On another front, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his forces and allied rebels could enter the northern Syrian town of Afrin "at any moment", a day after they seized another town in the area. Turkey-led rebels have been pressing an assault on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin since January 20. JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan has suspended the operations of Radio Miraya, which is owned by the U.N. Mission in the country, for failing to comply with media laws, the media regulator said on Friday. Media outlets in South Sudan have increasingly come under threat and tight control from the regulator since it was established in 2016. Elijah Alier Kuai, head of regulator South Sudan Media Authority, accused the station of "persistent noncompliance and refusal to be regulated under media laws of South Sudan." He said the station had failed to respond to several queries over the years, including the violation of the terms of its broadcast license. He did not give further details. The UN Mission in South Sudan's (UNMISS) spokesperson Francescal Molde said that they were discussing the issue with the government and that they were still on air. "Radio Miraya is continuing to broadcast across the country," Molde said. The station provides news on the activities of various U.N. agencies to the public in South Sudan and political programs aimed at fostering peace. South Sudan has been racked by an ethnically charged civil war since late 2013, pitting forces loyal to President Salva Kiir against rebels linked to former vice president Riek Machar. Some local media organizations have been shut down over failure to observe the regulator's demands. Last year 20 foreign journalists were barred by the media authority from entering and reporting in the country. (Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Paris (AFP) - The Spanish flu outbreak 100 years ago is the modern world's deadliest epidemic, its toll of more than 50 million surpassing that of World War I. Here is some background. - Why 'Spanish flu'? - Countries caught up in the 1914-1918 war censored information about the extent to which the flu outbreak was ravaging their troops. Spain was, however, neutral in the conflict and had no such restrictions. Media reporting on the effects of 1918-1920 flu outbreak there resulted in the false impression that Spain was particularly hard hit, giving rise to the nickname. - Where did it come from? - The geographic origin of the epidemic is not certain and no samples remain for further study. The first cases were recorded in March 1918 among soldiers in Kansas in the United States. It may have spread to Europe with the troops. The virus is the type A(H1N1), the same strain behind the swine flu outbreak of 2009. That outbreak claimed about 18,500 lives in 214 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), although later estimates say the final toll could be around 200,000. It is believed that all existing type A flu viruses come directly or indirectly from the 1918 virus but are less harmful. - Rapid spread - Spanish flu spread in three waves, the first in the Northern Hemisphere spring of 1918 being highly contagious but causing few deaths. The second, more virulent, emerged later in the year and "swept the globe in six months, killing over 10,000 people per week in some US cities at the height of the pandemic," says a paper on the US National Academy of Sciences site. "Emotional reports of fit and healthy soldiers falling down on parade and dying the same or the next day are recorded," another article says. The third wave followed in early 1919. Few regions were untouched. Australia was among the countries least affected because of its strict quarantine measures. - A ghastly toll - There is no precise death toll for the Spanish flu outbreak. Story continues All estimates say that it caused many more deaths than World War I, when around 10 million soldiers were killed along with several million civilians. The WHO regularly states "more than 50 million" died from the flu and one 2002 study, cited by many others since, says the toll may have been as high as 100 million. About 500 million people, estimated at one-third of the world's population at the time, were infected, says a 2006 report entitled "1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics". "Much of the high death rate can be attributed to crowding in military camps and urban environments, as well as poor nutrition and sanitation, which suffered during wartime," the Smithsonian Institute says. The virulent form of the virus acted quickly, causing the lungs to fill with fluid and suffocating victims, some of whom died within days of their first symptoms. - The victims - While flu epidemics today tend to strike mainly young children and the elderly, the Spanish flu hit hardest among young adults aged between 20 and 40. Its high-profile victims reportedly include: Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1918); French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1918); Donald Trump's grandfather Frederick Trump (1918); Brazilian president Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves (1919). The League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations, created in 1922 a health committee in part to respond to the need to fight such epidemics. It evolved into today's WHO. Sources: AFP, WHO, Smithsonian Institute, papers with the US National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and US National Institute of Health library. Emergency services at the scene of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, right, and his daughter, Yulia. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images, TASS via Getty Images) The poisoning in the south of England of a former Russian spy was most likely ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin in order to send a message to potential dissidents and defectors on the eve of his expected re-election, says the CIAs former station chief in Moscow. Daniel Hoffman, who served in Russia during the early years of the Obama administration and arranged the 2010 spy swap that freed the victim of the attack, Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, discusses the bizarre case in this weeks episode of the Yahoo News podcast Skullduggery. You probably wont be able to prove this in a court of law, but there will be enough evidence to point in the direction of the Kremlin, said Hoffman. He cited the use of a nerve agent a substance, he noted, that is easy to carry across international borders as evidence that strongly implicates a state actor, Russia being the most likely candidate. Lets all remember that Vladimir Putin is going to be re-elected on March 18. Its more like a coronation, said Hoffman. Putin wants to deliver a message first and foremost to his security services, lest they be tempted to defect or spy for rivals. Skripal and his adult daughter, Yulia, collapsed in a public street Sunday and are reportedly comatose in a British hospital. Several police officials who came into contact with them were also injured. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Listen to Episode 9: Who poisoned the Russian double agent in England? Although he is not permitted to discuss it, Hoffman has a direct connection to Skripal. After the FBI arrested a network of Russian spies in the United States, known as the illegals, Hoffman negotiated the spy swap that allowed the Russian spies to go home in exchange for Western spies imprisoned in Russia. One of them was Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer who had been recruited by British intelligence, and was arrested in 2004 and convicted of selling military secrets. Story continues Although there is no evidence that Skripal had been doing anything in England that might have angered the Kremlin since he was freed, Hoffman said this doesnt matter to Putin. He recalls that when the spy swap was arranged, Putin was quoted as saying, Traitors always end badly. I think he had his mind set that he was going to have his revenge on those who got out in that spy swap, Hoffman said. Also on Skullduggery this week: Randy Credico, the New York comic and former radio talk show host. Credico was singled out by Roger Stone as the backchannel to Julian Assange who tipped Stone off to WikiLeaks plans to dump emails damaging to Hillary Clinton. But in the new book, Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putins War on America and the Election of Donald Trump, Credico disputes Stones account, and says Stone, the longtime political consultant and self-proclaimed dirty trickster, was falsely fingering him as the fall guy. He says that he absolutely never told Stone anything about Assanges plans to release Clinton emails, because he knew nothing about them. Credico repeated that denial on Skullduggery. However, he said he expects to receive a subpoena from special counsel Robert Mueller, probably in the next few days, seeking documents and possibly his testimony about his conversations with Stone. If he does get a subpoena, Credico said, he may defy Mueller and invoke his Fifth Amendment rights. Asked whether that is what he now intends to do, Credico said: Id have to flip a coin right now. _____ Read more from YahooNews: From left, Russian President Vladimir Putin, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, CIA Director John Brennan, President Barack Obama and national security adviser Susan Rice. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP (7), Getty Images) This is the second of two excerpts adapted from Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putins War on America and the Election of Donald Trump (Twelve Books) by Michael Isikoff, Chief Investigative Correspondent for Yahoo News, and David Corn, Washington bureau chief of Mother Jones. It will be released on March 13. CIA Director John Brennan was angry. On Aug. 4, 2016, he was on the phone with Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), the intelligence agency that succeeded the KGB. The phone call was one of their regularly scheduled ones, the main subject once again the horrific civil war in Syria. By this point, however, Brennan had had it with the Russian spy chief. For the past few years, Brennans pleas for cooperation in defusing the Syrian crisis had gone nowhere. And after they finished discussing Syria again with no progress Brennan brought up two other issues not on the official agenda. First, Brennan raised the problem of Russias harassment of U.S. diplomats an especially pressing matter at Langley after an undercover CIA officer had been beaten outside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow two months earlier. The continuing mistreatment of U.S. diplomats, Brennan told Bortnikov, was irresponsible, reckless, intolerable and needed to stop. And, he pointedly noted, it was Bortnikovs own FSB that has been most responsible for this outrageous behavior. Then Brennan turned to an even more sensitive issue: Russias interference in the American election. Brennan was now aware that at least a year earlier Russian hackers had begun their cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee. We know youre doing this, Brennan said to the Russian. He pointed out that Americans would be enraged to find out Moscow was seeking to subvert the election and that such an operation could backfire. Brennan warned Bortnikov that if Russia continued this information warfare, there would be a price to pay. He did not specify the consequences. Story continues Bortnikov, as Brennan expected, denied Russia was doing anything to influence the election. This was, he groused, Washington yet again scapegoating Moscow. Brennan repeated his warning. Once more Bortnikov claimed there was no Russian meddling. But, he added, he would inform Russian President Vladimir Putin of Brennans comments. This was the first of several warnings that the Obama administration would send to Moscow. But the question of how forcefully to respond would soon divide the White House staff, pitting the National Security Councils top analysts for Russia and cyber issues against senior policymakers within the administration. It was a debate that would culminate that summer with a dramatic directive from Obamas national security adviser to the NSC staffers developing aggressive proposals to strike back against the Russians: Stand down. ***** At the end of July not long after WikiLeaks had dumped over 20,000 stolen DNC emails before the Democratic convention it had become obvious to Brennan that the Russians were mounting an aggressive and wideranging effort to interfere in the election. He was also seeing intelligence about contacts and interactions between Russian officials and Americans involved in the Trump campaign. By now, several European intelligence services had reported to the CIA that Russian operatives were reaching out to people within Trumps circle. And the Australian government had reported to U.S. officials that its top diplomat in the United Kingdom had months earlier been privately told by Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos that Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton. By July 31, the FBI had formally opened a counterintelligence investigation into the Trumps campaigns ties to Russians, with sub-inquiries targeting four individuals: Paul Manafort, the campaign chairman; Michael Flynn, the former Defense Intelligence Agency chief who had led the crowd at the Republican convention in chants of Lock her up!; Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser who had just given a speech in Moscow; and Papadopoulos. Brennan spoke with FBI Director James Comey and Adm. Mike Rogers, the head of the NSA, and asked them to dispatch to the CIA their experts to establish a working group at Langley that would review the intelligence and figure out the full scope and nature of the Russian operation. Brennan was thinking about the lessons of the 9/11 attack. Al-Qaida had been able to pull off that operation partly because U.S. intelligence agencies several of which had collected bits of intelligence regarding the plotters before the attack had not shared the material within the intelligence community. Brennan wanted a process in which NSA, FBI and CIA experts could freely share with each other the information each agency had on the Russian operation even the most secret information that tended not to be disseminated throughout the full intelligence community. Brennan realized this was what he would later call an exceptionally, exceptionally sensitive issue. Here was an active counterintelligence case already begun by the FBI aiming at uncovering and stopping Russian covert activity in the middle of a U.S. presidential campaign. And it included digging into whether it involved Americans in contact with Russia. ***** While Brennan wrangled the intelligence agencies into a turf-crossing operation that could feed the White House information on the Russian maneuver, Obama convened a series of meetings to devise a plan for countering whatever the Russians were up to. The meetings followed the procedure known in the federal government as the interagency process. The protocol was for the deputy chiefs of the relevant government agencies to meet and hammer out options for the principals that is, the heads of the agencies and then the principals hold a separate (and sometimes parallel) chain of meetings to discuss and perhaps debate before presenting choices to the president. But for this topic, the protocol was not observed. Usually when the White House invited the deputies and principals to such meetings, they informed them of the subject at hand and provided readahead memos outlining what was on the agenda. This time, the agency officials just received instructions to show up at the White House at a certain time. No reason given. No memos supplied. We were only told that a meeting was scheduled, and our principal or deputy was expected to attend, recalled a senior administration official who participated in the sessions. (At the State Department, only a small number of officials were cleared to receive the most sensitive information on the Russian hack; this group included Secretary of State John Kerry; Tony Blinken, the deputy secretary of state; Dan Smith, head of the departments intelligence bureau; and Jon Finer, Kerrys chief of staff.) For the usual interagency sessions, principals and deputies could bring staffers. Not this time. There were no plus ones, an attendee recalled. When the subject of a principals or deputies meeting was a national security matter, the gathering was often held in the Situation Room of the White House. The inhouse video feed of the Sit Room without audio would be available to national security officials at the White House and elsewhere, and these officials could at least see that a meeting was in progress and who was attending. For the meetings related to the Russian hack, Susan Rice, Obamas national security adviser, ordered the video feed turned off. She did not want others in the national security establishment to know what was under way, fearing leaks from within the bureaucracy. Rice would chair the principals meetings which brought together Brennan; Comey; Kerry; Director of National Intelligence James Clapper; Defense Secretary Ash Carter; Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson; Treasury Secretary Jack Lew; Attorney General Loretta Lynch; and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with only a few other White House officials present, including White House chief of staff Denis McDonough; homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco, and Colin Kahl, Vice President Joe Bidens national security adviser. (Kahl had to insist to Rice that he be allowed to attend so that Biden could be fully briefed.) Rices No. 2, deputy national security adviser Avril Haines, oversaw the deputies sessions. White House officials who were absent from the meetings were not told what was being discussed. This even included other NSC staffers some of whom bristled at being shut out. Often the intelligence material covered in these meetings was not placed in the Presidents Daily Brief, the top-secret document presented to the president every morning. Too many people had access to the PDB. The opsec on this the operational security was as tight as it could be, one White House official later said. ***** As the interagency process began, there was no question regarding the big picture being drawn up by the analysts and experts assembled by Brennan: Russian state-sponsored hackers were behind the cyberattacks and the release of swiped Democratic material by WikiLeaks, Guccifer 2.0 (an internet persona suspected of being a Russian front), and a website called DCLeaks.com. They knew who the cutouts were, one participant later said. There was not a lot of doubt. It was not immediately clear, however, how far and wide within the Russian government the effort ran. Was it coming from one or two Russian outfits operating on their own? Or was it being directed from the top and part of a larger project? The intelligence, at this stage, was also unclear on a central point: Moscows primary aim. Was it to sow discord to delegitimize the U.S. election? Prompting a political crisis in the United States was certainly in keeping with Putins overall goal of weakening Western governments. There was another obvious reason for the Russian assault: Putin despised Hillary Clinton, blaming her for the domestic protests that followed the 2011 Russian legislative elections marred by fraud. (At the time, as secretary of state, Clinton had questioned the legitimacy of the elections.) U.S. officials saw the Russian operation as designed at least to weaken Clinton during the election not necessarily prevent her from winning. After all, the Russians were as susceptible as any political observers to the conventional wisdom that she was likely to beat Trump. If Clinton, after a chaotic election, staggered across the finish line, bruised and battered, she might well be a damaged president and less able to challenge Putin. And there was a third possible reason: to help Trump. Did the Russians believe they could influence a national election in the United States and affect the results? At this stage, the intelligence community analysts and officials working on this issue considered this point not yet fully substantiated by the data they possessed. Given Trumps business dealings with Russians over the years and his history of puzzling positive remarks about Putin, there seemed ample cause for Putin to desire Trump in the White House. The intelligence experts did believe this could be part of the mix for Moscow: Why not shoot for the moon and see if we can get Trump elected? All these potential motives were not mutually exclusive, a top Obama aide later said. Obama would be vacationing in Marthas Vineyard until Aug. 21, and the deputies took his return as an informal deadline for preparing a list of options sanctions, diplomatic responses, and cyber-counterattacks that could be put in front of the principals and the president. ***** As these deliberations were under way, more troubling intelligence got reported to the White House: Russian-linked hackers were probing the computers of state election systems, particularly voter registration databases. The first reports to the FBI came from Illinois. In late June, its voter database was targeted in a persistent cyberattack that lasted for weeks. The attackers were using foreign IP addresses, many of which were traced to a Dutch company owned by a heavily tattooed 26-yearold Russian who lived in Siberia. The hackers were relentlessly pinging the Illinois database five times per second, 24 hours a day, and they succeeded in accessing data on up to 200,000 voters. Then there was a similar report from Arizona, where the user name and password of a county election official was stolen. The state was forced to shut down its voter registration system for a week. Then, in Florida, another attack. One NSC staffer regularly walked into the office of Michael Daniel, the White House director of cybersecurity, with disturbing updates. Michael, he would say, five more states got popped. Or four. Or three. At one point, Daniel took a deep breath and told him, Its starting to look like every single state has been targeted. I dont think anybody knew what to make of it, Jeh Johnson later said. The states selected seemed to be random; his agency, the Department of Homeland Security, could see no logic to it. If the goal was simply to instigate confusion on Election Day, Johnson figured, whoever was doing this could simply call in a bomb threat. Other administration officials had a darker view, and believed that the Russians were deliberately plotting digital manipulations, perhaps with the goal of altering results. Michael Daniel was worried. He believed the Russians ability to fiddle with the national vote count and swing a national U.S. election to a desired candidate seemed limited, if not impossible. We have 3,000 jurisdictions, Daniel subsequently explained. You have to pick the county where the race was going to be tight and manipulate the results. That seemed beyond their reach. The Russians were not trying to flip votes. To have that level of precision was not feasible. But Daniel was focused on another parade of horribles: If hackers could penetrate a state election voter database, they might be able to delete every 10th name. Or flip two digits in a voters ID number, so when a voter showed up at the polls, his or her name would not match. The changes could be subtle, not easily discerned. But the potential for disorder on Election Day was immense. The Russians would only have to cause problems in a small number of locations problems with registration files, vote counting, or other mechanisms and faith in the overall tally could be questioned. Who knew what would happen then? Daniel even fretted that the Russians might post online a video of a hacked voting machine. The video would not have to be real to stoke the paranoids of the world and cause a segment of the electorate to suspect or conclude that the results could not be trusted. He envisioned Moscow planning to create multiple disruptions on Election Day to call the final counts into question. The Russian scans, probes and penetrations of state voting systems changed the top-secret conversations under way. Administration officials now feared the Russians were scheming to infiltrate voting systems to disrupt the election or affect tallies on Election Day. And the consensus among Obamas top advisers was that potential Russian election tampering was far more dangerous. The Russian hack-and-dump campaign, they generally believed, was unlikely to make the difference in the outcome of the presidential election. (After all, could Trump really beat Clinton?) Yet messing with voting systems could raise questions about the integrity of the election and the results. That was, they thought, the more serious threat. Weeks earlier, Trump had started claiming that the only way he could lose the election would be if it were rigged. With one candidate and his supporters spreading this notion, it would not take many irregularities to spark a fullscale crisis on Election Day. Obama instructed Johnson to move immediately to shore up the defenses of state election systems. On Aug. 15, Johnson, while in the basement of his parents home in upstate New York, held a conference call with secretaries of state and other chief election officials of every state. Without mentioning the Russian cyber-intrusions into state systems, he told them there was a need to boost the security of the election infrastructure and offered the DHSs assistance. He raised the possibility of designating election systems as critical infrastructure just like dams and the electrical grid meaning that a cyberattack could trigger a federal response. Much to Johnsons surprise, this move ran into resistance. Many of the state officials especially from the red states wanted little, if anything, to do with the DHS. Leading the charge was Brian Kemp, Georgias secretary of state, an ambitious, staunchly conservative Republican who feared the hidden hand of the Obama White House. We dont need the federal government to take over our voting, he told Johnson. Johnson tried to explain that DHSs cybersecurity experts could help state systems search for vulnerabilities and protect against penetrations. He encouraged them to take basic cybersecurity steps, such as ensuring voting machines were not connected to the internet when voting was under way. And he kept explaining that any federal help would be voluntary for the states. He must have used the word voluntary 15 times, recalled a Homeland Security official who was on the call. But there was a lot of skepticism that revolved around saying, We dont want Big Brother coming in and running our election process. After the call, Johnson and his aides realized encouraging local officials to accept their help was going to be tough. They gave up on the idea of declaring these systems critical infrastructure and instead concluded they would have to keep urging state and local officials to accept their cybersecurity assistance. Johnsons interaction with local and state officials was a warning for the White House. If administration officials were going to enlist these election officials to thwart Russian interference in the voting, they would need GOP leaders in Congress to be part of the endeavor and, in a way, vouch for the federal government. Yet they had no idea how difficult that would be. ***** At the first principals meeting, Brennan had serious news for his colleagues: The most recent intelligence indicated that Putin had ordered or was overseeing the Russian cyber operations targeting the U.S. election. And the intelligence community sometimes called the IC by denizens of that world was certain that the Russian operation entailed more than spy services gathering information. It now viewed the Russian action as a full-scale active measure. This intelligence was so sensitive it had not been put in the Presidents Daily Brief. Brennan had told Obama personally about this, but he did not want the information circulating throughout the national security system. The other principals were surprised to hear that Putin had a direct hand in the operation and that he would be so bold. It was one thing for Russian intelligence to see what it could get away with; it was quite another for these attacks to be part of a concerted effort from the top of the Kremlin hierarchy. But a secret source in the Kremlin, who two years earlier had regularly provided information to an American official in the U.S. Embassy, had warned then that a massive operation targeting Western democracies was being planned by the Russian government. The development of the Gerasimov Doctrine a strategy for nonmilitary combat named after a top Russian general who had described it in an obscure military journal in 2013 was another indication that full-scale information warfare against the United States was a possibility. And there had been an intelligence report in May noting that a Russian military intelligence officer had bragged of a payback operation that would be Putins revenge on Clinton. But these few clues had not led to a consensus at senior government levels that a major Putin-led attack was on the way. ***** At this point, Obamas top national security officials were uncertain how to respond. As they would later explain it, any steps they might take calling out the Russians, imposing sanctions, raising alarms about the penetrations of state systems could draw greater attention to the issue and maybe even help cause the disorder the Kremlin sought. A highprofile U.S. government reaction, they worried, could amplify the psychological effects of the Russian attack and help Moscow achieve its end. There was a concern if we did too much to spin this up into an ObamaPutin faceoff, it would help the Russians achieve their objectives, a participant in the principals meeting later noted. It would create chaos, help Trump and hurt Clinton. We had to figure out how to do this in a way so we wouldnt create an own goal. We had a strong sense of the Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm. A parallel concern for them was how the Obama administration could respond to the Russian attack without appearing too partisan. Obama was actively campaigning for Clinton. Would a tough and vocal reaction be seen as a White House attempt to assist Clinton and stick it to Trump? They worried that if a White House effort to counter Russian meddling came across as a political maneuver, that could compromise the ability of the Department of Homeland Security to work with state and local election officials to make sure the voting system was sound. (Was Obama too worried about being perceived as prejudicial or conniving? Perhaps there was some overcompensation, a top Obama aide said later.) As Obama and his top policymakers saw it, they were stuck with several dilemmas. Inform the public about the Russian attack without triggering widespread unease about the election system. Be proactive without coming across as partisan and bolstering Trumps claim the election was a sham. Prevent Putin from further cyber aggression without prompting him to do more. This was one of the most complex and challenging issues I dealt with in government, Avril Haines, the NSCs No. 2 official, who oversaw the deputies meetings, later remarked. The principals asked the Treasury Department to craft a list of farreaching economic sanctions. Officials at the State Department began working up diplomatic penalties. And the White House pushed the IC to develop more intelligence on the Russian operation so Obama and his aides could consider whether to publicly call out Moscow. ***** At this point, a group of NSC officials committed to a forceful response to Moscows intervention started concocting creative options for cyberattacks that would expand the information war Putin had begun. Michael Daniel and Celeste Wallander, the National Security Councils top Russia analyst, were convinced the United States needed to strike back hard against the Russians and make it clear that Moscow had crossed a red line. Words alone wouldnt do the trick; there had to be consequences. I wanted to send a signal that we would not tolerate disruptions to our electoral process, Daniel recalled. His basic argument: The Russians are going to push as hard as they can until we start pushing back. Daniel and Wallander began drafting options for more aggressive responses beyond anything the Obama administration or the U.S. government had ever before contemplated in response to a cyberattack. One proposal was to unleash the NSA to mount a series of far-reaching cyberattacks: to dismantle the Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks websites that had been leaking the emails and memos stolen from Democratic targets, to bombard Russian news sites with a wave of automated traffic in a denial-of-service attack that would shut the news sites down, and to launch an attack on the Russian intelligence agencies themselves, seeking to disrupt their command and control nodes. Knowing that Putin was notoriously protective of any information about his family, Wallander suggested targeting Putin himself. She proposed leaking snippets of classified intelligence to reveal the secret bank accounts in Latvia held for Putins daughters a direct poke at the Russian president that would be sure to infuriate him. Wallander also brainstormed ideas with Victoria Nuland, the assistant secretary of state for European affairs and a fellow hard-liner. They drafted proposals to dump dirt on Russian websites about Putins money, about the girlfriends of top Russian officials, about corruption in Putins United Russia party essentially to give Putin a taste of his own medicine. We wanted to raise the cost in a manner Putin recognized, Nuland recalled. One idea Daniel proposed was unusual: The United States and NATO should publicly announce a giant cyber exercise against a mythical Eurasian country, demonstrating that Western nations had it within their power to shut down Russias entire civil infrastructure and cripple its economy. But Wallander and Daniels bosses at the White House were not on board. One day in late August, national security adviser Susan Rice called Daniel into her office and demanded he cease and desist from working on the cyber options he was developing. Dont get ahead of us, she warned him. The White House was not prepared to endorse any of these ideas. Daniel and his team in the White House cyber response group were given strict orders: Stand down. She told Daniel to knock it off, he recalled. Daniel walked back to his office. That was one pissed-off national security adviser, he told one of his aides. At his morning staff meeting, Daniel matter of factly said to his team it had to stop work on options to counter the Russian attack: Weve been told to stand down. Daniel Prieto, one of Daniels top deputies, recalled, I was incredulous and in disbelief. It took me a moment to process. In my head I was like, Did I hear that correctly? Then Prieto asked, Why the hell are we standing down? Michael, can you help us understand? Daniel informed them that the orders came from both Rice and Monaco. They were concerned that were the options to leak, it would force Obama to act. They didnt want to box the president in, Prieto subsequently said. It was a critical moment that, as Prieto saw it, scuttled the chance for a forceful immediate response to the Russian hack and keenly disappointed the NSC aides who had been developing the options. They were convinced that the president and his top aides didnt get the stakes. There was a disconnect between the urgency felt at the staff level and the views of the president and his senior aides, Prieto later said. When senior officials argued that the issue could be revisited after Election Day, Daniel and his staff intensely disagreed. No the longer you wait, it diminishes your effectiveness. If youre in a street fight, you have to hit back, Prieto remarked. ***** Obama and his top aides did view the challenge at hand differently than the NSC staffers. The first-order objective directed by President Obama, McDonough recalled, was to protect the integrity of election. Confronting Putin was necessary, Obama believed, but not if it risked blowing up the election. He wanted to make sure whatever action was taken would not lead to a political crisis at home and with Trump the possibility for that was great. The nation had had more than 200 years of elections and peaceful transitions of power. Obama didnt want that to end on his watch. By now, the principals were into the nitty-gritty, discussing in the Sit Room the specifics of how to respond. They were not overly concerned about Moscows influence campaign to shape voter attitudes. The key question was precisely how to thwart further Russian meddling that could undermine the mechanics of the election. Strong sanctions? Other punishments? The principals did discuss cyber responses. The prospect of hitting back with cyber caused trepidation within the deputies and principals meetings. The United States was telling Russia this sort of meddling was unacceptable. If Washington engaged in the same type of covert combat, some of the principals believed, Washingtons demand would mean nothing, and there could be an escalation in cyberwarfare. There were concerns that the U.S. would have more to lose in all-out cyberwar. If we got into a tit-for-tat on cyber with the Russians, it would not be to our advantage, a participant later remarked. They could do more to damage us in a cyberwar or have a greater impact. In one of the meetings, Clapper said he was worried that Russia might respond with cyberattacks against Americas critical infrastructure and possibly shut down the electrical grid. The State Department had worked up its own traditional punishments: booting Russian diplomats and spies out of the United States, and shutting down Russian facilities on American soil. And Treasury had drafted a series of economic sanctions that included massive assaults on Putins economy, such as targeting Russias military industries and cutting off Russia from the global financial system. One proposal called for imposing the same sorts of sanctions as had been placed on Iran: Any entity that did business with Russian banks would not be allowed to do business with U.S. financial institutions. But the intelligence community warned that if the United States responded with a massive response of any kind, Putin would see it as an attempt at regime change. This could lead to a nuclear escalation, a top Obama aide later said, speaking metaphorically. After two weeks or so of deliberations, the White House put these options on hold. Instead, Obama and his aides came up with a different plan. First, DHS would keep trying to work with the state voting systems. For that to succeed, the administration needed buyin from congressional Republicans. So Obama approached Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan to try to deliver a bipartisan and public message that the Russian threat to the election was serious and that local officials should collaborate with the feds to protect the electoral infrastructure. Obama and the principals also decided that the U.S. government would have to issue a public statement calling out Russia for having already secretly messed with the 2016 campaign. But even this seemed a task fraught with potential problems. Obama and his top aides believed that if the president himself issued such a message, Trump and the Republicans would accuse him of exploiting intelligence or making up intelligence to help Clinton. The declaration would have to come from the intelligence community, which was then instructed to start crafting a statement. In the meantime, Obama would continue to say nothing publicly about the most serious information warfare attack ever launched against the United States. Most of all, Obama and his aides had to figure out how to ensure the Russians ceased their meddling immediately. They came up with an answer that would frustrate the NSC hawks, who believed Obama and his senior advisers were tying themselves in knots and looking for reasons not to act. The president would privately warn Putin and vow overwhelming retaliation for any further intervention in the election. This, they thought, could more likely dissuade Putin than hitting back at this moment. That is, they believed the threat of action would be more effective than actually taking action. A meeting of the G-20 was scheduled for the first week in September in China. Obama and Putin would both be attending. Obama, according to this plan, would confront Putin and issue a powerful threat that would supposedly convince Russia to back off. Obama would do so without spelling out for Putin the precise damage he would inflict on Russia. An unspecified threat would be far more potent than Putin knowing what we would do, one of the principals later said. Let his imagination run wild. That would be far more effective, we thought, than freezing this or that persons assets. But the essence of the message would be that if Putin did not stop, the United States would impose sanctions to crater Russias economy. Obama and his aides were confident the intelligence community could track any new Russian efforts to penetrate the election infrastructure. If the IC detected new attempts, Obama then could quickly slap Russia with sanctions or other retribution. But the principals agreed that for this plan to work, the president had to be ready to pull the trigger. ***** Obama threatened but never did pull the trigger. In early September, during the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China, the president privately confronted Putin in what a senior White House official described as a candid and blunt talk. The president informed his aides he had delivered the message he and his advisers had crafted: We know what youre doing. If you dont cut it out, we will impose onerous and unprecedented penalties. One senior U.S. government official briefed on the meeting was told the president said to Putin, in effect: You f*** with us over the election and well crash your economy. But Putin simply denied everything to Obama and, as he had done before, blamed the U.S. for interfering in Russian politics. And if Obama was tough in private, publicly he played the statesman. Asked at a post-summit news conference about Russias hacking of the election, the president spoke in generalities and insisted the United States did not want a blowup over the issue. Weve had problems with cyber-intrusions from Russia in the past, from other counties in the past, he said. Our goal is not to suddenly, in the cyber arena, duplicate a cycle escalation that we saw when it comes other arms races in the past, but rather to start instituting some norms so that everybodys acting responsibility. White House officials believed for a while that Obamas warning had some impact: They saw no further evidence of Russia cyber-intrusions into state election systems. But, as they would later acknowledge, they largely missed Russias information warfare campaign aimed at influencing the election the inflammatory Facebook ads and Twitter bots created by an army of Russian trolls working for the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg. On Oct. 7, the Obama administration finally went public, releasing a statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Department of Homeland Security that called out the Russians for their efforts to interfere with the U.S. election process, saying that only Russias senior-most officials could have authorized these activities. But for some in the Clinton campaign and within the White House itself, it was too little, too late. Wallander, the NSC Russia specialist who had pushed for a more aggressive response, thought the Oct. 7 statement was largely irrelevant. The Russians dont care what we say, she later noted. They care what we do. (The same day the statement came out, WikiLeaks began its month-long posting of tens of thousands of emails Russian hackers had stolen from John Podesta, the CEO of the Clinton campaign.) In the end, some Obama officials thought they had played a bad hand the best they could, and had succeeded in preventing a Russian disruption of Election Day. Others would ruefully conclude that they may have blown it and not done enough. Nearly two months after the election, Obama did impose sanctions on Moscow for its meddling in the election shutting down two Russian facilities in the United States suspected of being used for intelligence operations and booting out 35 Russian diplomats and spies. The impact of these moves was questionable. Rice would come to believe it was reasonable to think that the administration should have gone further. As one senior official lamented, Maybe we should have whacked them more. The attorney representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump said on Friday that she has proof to back up her claims. We have substantial evidence and facts that were not included in the complaint, Michael Avenatti, Danielss lawyer, said on CNNs New Day. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Daniels says that just days before the 2016 presidential election, Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, attempted to silence her by having her enter into a nondisclosure agreement to prevent her from coming forward and talking about the year-long sexual relationship she says had with Trump beginning in 2006. In return, Daniels was paid $130,000 a payment Cohen says he facilitated. I am confident that when that evidence and those facts come to light, the American people are going to conclude that attorney Cohen and the White House have not shot straight with them on this issue, Avenatti said. Cohen has said that Trump was unaware of the payment to Daniels, and that he negotiated the agreement on his own to protect the then-Republican nominee a claim Avenatti called absolutely laughable. Were going to prove that Mr. Cohen is not telling the truth about that, Avenatti said. Were going to be able to obtain discovery and documents and testimony that is going to show, I am highly confident, that Mr. Trump knew exactly what was going on. Cohen, Avenatti argued, had ethical obligations as a licensed attorney in New York to keep Trump informed at all times. Mr. Cohen wants the American people to believe that he ran off half-cocked, negotiating a very detailed agreement with a signature line for his client, arranged this payment, made this payment in the waning days of the 2016 presidential election, and that all the time his client was in the dark, Avenatti said. Its laughable. Its absurd. And the mere suggestion is an insult to the American people. In the suit, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, seeks to void the agreement because it was allegedly never signed by Trump. Story continues It was not signed. There was no deal, Avenatti said on CNN. We believe there was a reason it wasnt signed namely so Donald Trump would have deniability. In suit, Daniels states that she had an intimate relationship with Trump beginning in 2006 that lasted about a year. At the time, Trump had been married to his wife, Melania, for less than two years. On NBCs Today show this week, Avenatti was asked if Daniels had a sexual relationship with the president. Yes, Avenatti replied. Daniels herself has not publicly affirmed the alleged relationship since it was first reported in January. On CNN, Avenatti was asked why Daniels initially denied the affair. I think when shes allowed to speak openly, and the American people hear her explanation, theyre going to judge for themselves whether shes credible, he said. The public explanation may be coming soon. On Wednesday night, Anderson Cooper sat down with Daniels and Avenatti for an interview that will be broadcast on an episode of CBSs 60 Minutes, the network said. On Thursday afternoon, Avenatti tweeted a picture of himself with Daniels and Cooper. CNN said that the 60 Minutes sitdown will air Sunday. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Avenatti was also asked why, even if everything he says is true, the public should care about a decade-old affair. Because coverups matter, he said. You have attorney Cohen claiming Donald Trump never knew anything about this. You have the White House claiming Donald Trump never knew anything about his. Thats going to be shown to be patently false. Meanwhile, Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice are calling for an FBI investigation into what they describe as the Trump Organizations hush money payments to both Daniels and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate. Payments to influence an election outcome might be considered in-kind campaign contributions and, if not disclosed in public reports, could constitute a violation of federal election laws. As members of Congress, we are troubled by these payments because they are evidence of moral failings of the president, Lieu and Rice wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. As former prosecutors, we believe these payments may be felonies. Read a full copy of the lawsuit filed by Daniels below: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. (Cover tile photos: Leah Millis/Reuters, Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Read more from Yahoo News: Stormy Daniels has filed a lawsuit against President Trump, claiming the non-disclosure agreement that paid her $130,000 in hush money should be null and void and leave her free to discuss their alleged relationship. The suit was released by Cliffords attorney to the public after it was filed in Los Angeles Tuesday. In the suit, Daniels says only she and Trumps personal attorney, Michael Cohen, signed the agreement, and therefore it is not valid. Daniels claims in the suit that she began an affair with Trump in the summer of 2006, around the same time first lady Melania Trump gave birth her only child with the president, son Barron. She said the affair continued into 2007. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, says Daniels wants to be free to tell her story. "My client wants an opportunity to tell her story, to tell the truth about what happened and what didn't happen," he told CNN Wednesday. The non-disclosure agreement reportedly says that if Daniels revealed any details about her alleged relationship with the president, she would have to pay $1 million for each breach. Last month, the adult film star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, spoke to Inside Edition's Jim Moret in her first television interview since news of the alleged scandal broke. At the time, she said she was definitely surprised with the size of the story, adding she was also very surprised at how much stuff is just completely made up about me. In an unaired portion of the interview, she revealed how she's been coping with the scandal, saying, "I think I just have to focus on taking it one day at a time." The 38-year-old says her greatest concern was her family. The married mom of a 7-year-old daughter seemed to be milking the scandal. She appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and launched a national tour of strip clubs. But she told Inside Edition that the attention has been a double-edged sword and she has lost work as well. I think a lot of people are afraid of being accused of things," she said. "Guilty by association." Story continues She said that she felt that being involved in a scandal with the president was going to hurt her in the long run. A lot of people are saying, 'Oh, she wanted this. She asked for this.' Ive been out of the spotlight for a while now, Ive really moved to behind the camera, focusing on directing and I have moved out of California, focusing on my hobbies and my family and I was very incognito and then I wake up one morning and there's, you know, news trucks and reporters outside of my house, she said. Daniels sat in silence when she asked whether the scandal could bring down the president. Trump is reportedly furious at how White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders handled questions about the $130,000 payment. On Wednesday, Sanders told reporters that the arbitration was won "in the President's favor, leading her statement to be taken as an admission that a nondisclosure agreement exists and involves Trump. "POTUS is very unhappy," a source close to the White House told CNN. "Sarah gave the Stormy Daniels storyline steroids yesterday." The episode didn't come up Thursday when Trump invited reporters into the White House as he signed tough new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. RELATED STORIES Trump Raises Eyebrows With Gridiron Dinner Joke That Melania May Be Next to Leave White House As Melania Trump Is Shunned by Women's Mags, Could Politics Be to Blame? Trump's Notes for Listening Session With Shooting Survivors Remind Him to Say 'I Hear You' Related Articles: Wayne R. Vradenburgh, water superintendent for Newburgh, New York, at the city's new water treatment facility on Feb. 26, 2018. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) NEWBURGH, N.Y. Lately, Wayne Vradenburgh daydreams about a demotion. Vradenburgh has spent his entire career working for the water department of Newburgh, an upstate New York city of 28,000 people, most of whom are Hispanic or black. He started as an assistant water maintenance mechanic at 18, repairing fire hydrants. Two decades later, in 2016, he took the top job of superintendent. He made plans to fix leaky pipes, and mostly just aspired to keep things running smoothly for the poverty-stricken city of dilapidated brownstones nestled on the Hudson River. Then, a mere two weeks after he took over, state health officials pulled up in his driveway. They had grim news. Lake Washington, the 1.3 billion-gallon reservoir that had served the city since the 1880s, had tested positive for a dangerous chemical. Vradenburgh soon found himself frantically studying the names of tongue-twister chemicals hed never heard of, going head-to-head with state and federal agencies, and working 70-hour weeks overseeing $50 million in emergency projects. Its been a whirlwind ever since, said Vradenburgh, 40, as he brushed his hand through his hoary hair, which contrasted starkly with his sandy brown, neatly trimmed beard. Ive got a lot more grays now. The contamination started back in 1990 when the nearby Stewart Air National Guard Base, home to the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, spilled 4,000 gallons of fire-fighting foam into a stream that flows directly into Lake Washington. That foam contained perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, an invisible, flavorless industrial chemical that clings to water molecules. PFOS has been linked to cancer, thyroid problems and chronic kidney disease, and can accelerate puberty, delay mammary gland development, lower sperm count and raise cholesterol. The Pentagon has continued to use the foam, discharging it into pools near the airbase. Even now, the Department of Defense has only put some restrictions on its use as it researches an alternative. Even if they had stopped, the Environmental Protection Agency classifies the chemical as extremely persistent, meaning it takes many years to naturally degrade. Story continues Despite this, PFOS is not federally regulated. In January 2009, the EPA issued an advisory in response to a contamination in Alabama, stating that the chemical only posed a health risk in concentrations of at least 200 parts per trillion. For its sister compound, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, the EPA warned against concentrations any higher than 400 parts per trillion. New York already had a PFOA contamination crisis underway when Newburghs situation came to light. In late 2015, Hoosick Falls, a sleepy former mill town about two-and-a-half hours north of Newburgh, discovered dangerously high levels of PFOA in its water. As parallels emerged between Hoosick Falls and the lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) keen to avoid the national criticism Michigans leaders received decided in January 2016 to make New York the first state to regulate PFOA as a hazardous substance. The state added PFOS to the list of hazardous chemicals in April 2016, a first step to setting limits on maximum allowable levels. The sun shines across the water of the Lake Washington reservoir in Newburgh, New York. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) Those moves awoke Newburgh to its own chemical crisis. Samples taken from Lake Washington in 2014 contained PFOS levels of up to 243 parts per trillion. In Silver Stream, they were as high as 286 parts per trillion. In drainage pools at the air base, that figure climbed to 5,900 parts per trillion. Near the airstrip, contamination levels skyrocketed as high as 1.9 million parts per trillion. Recognizing the urgency of the problem, the EPA in May 2016 issued a new health advisory lowering the health risk threshold to 70 parts per trillion. That prompted Newburgh to declare a state of emergency, which temporarily banned filling swimming pools and watering lawns. The city stopped drawing water from Lake Washington and switched over to the Catskills Reservoir, the highly regulated source of New York Citys water. In August 2016, the Cuomo administration designated the air base a state Superfund site, giving the state authority to petition the Department of Defense to clean up the contamination. The state has nearly completed construction on a new water treatment plant that will filter out PFOS. But officials in Newburgh say they dont just want the PFOS cleaned from their water they want the toxic chemicals removed at the source. State health officials say the Department of Defense hasnt moved to do so, despite getting $25 million in the defense spending bill last year for PFOS and PFOA remediation. But Newburghs elected officials say the state should be doing more, too. And late last month, it announced plans to sue the state, the Department of Defense, several other federal agencies and two private companies for contaminating the water in the first place. The lawsuits aim to force the Cuomo administration to take radical steps to change the way the state manages its watersheds, taking authority away from cities, towns and villages and putting it in the hands of the state Department of Health. That would require the governor to push for new regulatory powers from a Republican-controlled legislature to take on the military and big corporate polluters, officials say. Cuomo has chastised the city for filing the suit, arguing that his administration is already doing everything it can. But city officials say its their best hope for forcing someone to take responsibility for tainting their water. The states must declare their inherent police powers on this matter, and the feds must quit their game of selective federalism, said Newburgh City Manager Michael Ciaravino. Everything is landing on local governments heads. A Band-Aid Approach For decades, the Newburgh Water Department was housed in three plain two-story, red-brick buildings less than half a mile northeast from Lake Washington, on the quiet, tree-lined Little Britain Road. But construction at the department has been almost nonstop recently. First, backhoes exhumed a 1.3 million-gallon tank from beneath a grassy field and replaced it with a 1.5 million-gallon above-ground concrete dome, and beside that, a two-story red barn. Inside the barn, 18 sea-green cylinders, 27 feet tall and 12 feet in circumference, now whir like a giant engine. This is the new granular activated carbon filter that will remove the PFOS from Newburghs water. A new water tank that can hold over 1 million gallons of water sits outside a new filtration plant in Newburgh on Feb. 26, 2018. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) Calgon Carbon Corporation, the Pittsburgh-based filter manufacturer, said its the biggest of the 45 PFOS filtration systems its installed across the country in the past two years. The company has sold activated carbon filters for decades to strain out bacterial and chemical contaminants, and only began selling systems to treat PFOS contamination two years ago. The company says those systems now make up 2 percent of its global sales, or roughly $15 million. For now, the tanks hold untainted water from the Catskills Reservoir, pumping 3.1 million gallons into the towns pipes and taps each day. But thats just to work out the kinks. At some point in the coming weeks, the city plans to run its inaugural tests on water from Lake Washington, allowing it to flow through the screens of the shed-sized brick intake building that juts out on a dirt peninsula into the middle of the reservoir and, with the pull of gravity, gush through pipes into the new filtration system tanks. The filtered water will be tested for PFOS, the results of which will take two weeks. But the city says just cleaning the chemical out of the water isnt enough. The state has gone ahead with this Band-Aid approach, putting granular activated carbon filters at the end of the pipe to try to treat whatever chemicals would come into the system, Alan Knauf, the attorney leading Newburghs lawsuits, told HuffPost. The problem is theyre just treating contaminated water, theres the possibility of a breakthrough of some of the chemicals, and eventually there will be a breakthrough. Its Vradenburghs job to keep that from happening. Standing next to one of the tanks last week, he demonstrated how he will collect samples by turning one of four nozzles and pouring a splash of clear water into a cup. He swirled it around, then dumped it into a bucket. The weekly tests are expected to cost the water department $1,200 a month, nearly doubling what it used to pay for standard bacterial testing. The state has agreed to cover the costs. A number of handles control the flow of water from new carbon filtration tanks in Newburgh meant to protect the city's water supply from the chemical contaminant PFOS. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) This is the rest of my career, Vradenburgh said. He sighed and stared up the tank. For him, the effort is worth it; he lives just two miles from the plant, and has a 3-year-old daughter and one-month-old son. But Ill make sure that were good. Strokes, Seizures And Severe Migraines For some residents, the plant is too little too late. At a city council meeting last week, the packed recreation center erupted in applause when Beatrice Harris, 29, stepped up to the microphone and thanked the city for its decision to sue the state. Personally, I think that is one of the best decisions this city has ever made, she said. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Beatrice Harris, a resident of Newburgh, outside the city council meeting at the activity center in Newburgh on Feb. 26, 2018. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) Harris moved to Newburgh in 2006. Three years later, she met Julius Harris and fell in love. In a 22-slide PowerPoint she put together for a presentation on water contamination at the local library, she shows two pictures of them together in 2009, with the captions: used to smile all the time, and feeling safe. They married in 2013. The next slide shows her in a hospital bed, unconscious and hooked up to IV drips. Had my first stroke in 2013, she said. And it got worse over the years. Now I have permanent neurological issues as a result. Not to mention Im pre-menopausal, and Im only 29. Strokes, seizures, right-sided weakness, severe migraines, she added. I have had a pretty rough adult life. Shes convinced that the PFOS-laced water from Lake Washington is to blame. Harris and her husband started the Environmental Alliance of Newburgh last year to make people aware of PFOS and advocate for a complete cleanup. She is skeptical of the new filtration system. There really is no right way to filter this out of water, no matter what they say, she said outside the council meeting. Thats bullshit to me. State health officials insist its too early to tell if Newburgh is experiencing increased rates of cancer or other PFOS-related diseases. The state Department of Health started a review of New Yorks reported cancer cases last year, including the geographic location of each diagnosis. Once that review is complete, the agency plans to produce a report by the end of the year examining the rate and types of cancer diagnoses in Newburgh. Yet data on PFOA- and PFOS-related diseases remain scarce. The Department of Defenses budget this year includes funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to perform a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study of the non-cancer health effects of the chemicals. That could provide crucial big-picture context to the body of research linking the chemicals to thyroid disease and developmental problems. Theres emerging evidence to suggest theres certain concerns for health effects, said Brad Hutton, deputy commissioner at the New York State Department of Healths Office of Public Health. [But] theres quite a bit of gaps in information, including what are the levels of exposure that bring those health effects. A Familiar Story The health impacts of exposure to perfluorinated chemicals are clearer in places such as Hoosick Falls. The village, about an hour northeast of Albany, was built around two chemical plants that produced Teflon products. In 2011, scientists studying a massive PFOA contamination near a DuPont plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, began releasing findings linking the chemical to a host of diseases, including kidney and thyroid cancer. In 2014, residents in Hoosick Falls became concerned about unusually high rates of kidney cancer and thyroid disease and began urging the village and state officials to test the water. In late 2015, after a residents privately run tests yielded alarming results, the state finally stepped in and found dangerously high levels of PFOA in the groundwater. That finding is what prompted New York to list PFOA as a hazardous substance in January 2016. Yet, the state issued notices advising the public that their water was safe to drink even as federal regulators said otherwise, actively disputing the EPAs concerns. At that point, the Cuomo administration had already waited more than a year do anything about the contamination, despite knowing that the PFOA levels in Hoosick Falls exceeded federal guidelines, according to a Politico investigation published in March 2016. In July 2016, Cuomo signed legislation to make it easier for municipalities like Hoosick Falls to sue polluters in the villages case, two giant chemical manufacturers over water contamination. But cleanup efforts stalled. Hoosick Falls residents soon grew so frustrated by the states failure to do anything to eliminate the contamination that they staged a protest outside the governors office in November 2016. The state finished installing a filtration system in Hoosick Falls in February 2017, and also established a Drinking Water Quality Council in September to address drinking water problems across the state. But Judith Enck, New Yorks former regional EPA administrator for eight years under President Barack Obama, described the council as mired in bureaucratic malaise. Its met just three times, and is still working on making a final recommendation on safe levels of PFOA and PFOS. Hutton, the Health Department official, said that the council is at the real close endgame of getting a recommended level. In Hoosick Falls case, the village sued Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International, the chemical companies that at different points operated the plant that polluted the groundwater. The governor supported that suit, and officials announced a $330,251 settlement with the companies last week. But now Newburgh is targeting Cuomo, and the governor has come out swinging. At a press conference at Marist College in Poughkeepsie late last month, Cuomo criticized the city for its impending lawsuit. Why they would threaten litigation you know they have to feed lawyers, Cuomo said. Michael G. Ciaravino, city manager of Newburgh. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) Ciaravino, Newburghs city manager, scoffed at the governors remark. Were a city thats facing 12 firefighter layoffs, he told HuffPost. We have a lot of financial challenges. The last thing we want to do is enrich lawyers. What he does want is for the state to take control over the watershed. It wouldnt be an unprecedented move. In 1997, New York adopted rules that gave regulators in New York City and the towns located on its watershed new powers under the state Department of Health to protect the Catskills Reservoir and any tributaries that feed it. The rules, called the Watershed Rules and Regulations, established a unified code mandating the same standards for zoning, permitting and wastewater treatment across the entire watershed. The rest of the state relies on drinking water regulations passed in the early 1900s. As a result, water rules generally address pollution sources such as cesspools, garbage, animal manure and industrial discharges, but make no mention of modern contaminants such as sediment, fertilizer, pesticides and road salt, according to a memo from Hudson Valley Regional Council, a county agency in Newburgh. What we see in the case of New York City is the world-class example of protecting drinking water at its source, said Dan Shapley, the water quality program director at the New York-based watchdog group Riverkeeper. But those same rules and regulations have not been updated for other communities in New York State for 100 years or close to it. Newburgh is a paradigm of the problems that the current web of water jurisdictions creates. The state owns the air base that polluted the stream that feeds Lake Washington, but leases the property to the federal government. One quarter of the reservoir is located in the town of Newburgh, a separate, confusingly larger neighboring municipality of roughly 30,000 people, located to the citys north and west. The other 75 percent is technically part of the town of New Windsor. The City of Newburgh pays property taxes to both of them. Then theres the development issue. In recent years, the town of Newburgh has been building up a strip of big-box retailers on Route 300, a thoroughfare that runs along the western bank of Lake Washington. Shapley warned that runoff from stores poses yet another risk to the water. Changing watershed regulations across the state would require transferring many zoning and permitting powers from towns and villages to larger municipal bodies, such as counties or even the state itself. The constitutional grounds to do so are solid, according to John Nolon, a law professor at Pace University and counsel at the schools Land Use Law Center. There arent legal obstacles to solving the problem, Nolon said, but introducing a bill to strip towns of key powers could be career suicide for a state lawmaker. That is a politically very fraught task, because state legislators within the Assembly or Senate, theyre all local politicians and they all run for office, he said. When they go home, its difficult for them to say, We just took away the towns power to determine its future. No Political Clout If the state committed an original sin in Newburghs contamination case, Ciaravino sees it not as the 1990 PFOS spill, but the states classification of Silver Stream as a Class D stream, which allowed the Department of Defense to obtain permits to discharge into it in the first place. The stream should have been designated under Class A, meaning it provides drinking water and therefore should not be used for waste. It was a simple error in labeling on the map, said Martin Brand, deputy commissioner for remediation at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He declined to comment on whether it was appropriate to discharge [into the stream] or not, noting that PFOS was not regulated until 2016. Yet, he insisted the body of water was all appropriately mapped. The Department of Defense did not respond to repeated calls and emails requesting comment. For the last two years, Silver Stream has been severed from Lake Washington by a thick steel diversion gate, locked with three chained-together, rust-covered wheel cranks. Cut off from the lake, the stream gushes over a cement dam and through the woods and into the Hudson River. The lake remains stagnant, full of water with a contaminant that wont disintegrate anytime soon. A dam overflows with water diverted from Silver Stream, the body of water that would normally feed into the Lake Washington reservoir but was discovered to be contaminated with the chemical PFOS. (Photo: Mark Kauzlarich for HuffPost) Ciaravino worries Newburgh may have one thing stacked against it that a village like Hoosick Falls doesnt. Hoosick Falls is nearly 98 percent white, according to census data. Newburgh is 52 percent Hispanic and 26 percent black. Historically, studies show those demographics suffer worse from pollution than white Americans, and receive far fewer resources to mitigate it. Even without the PFOS contamination, Newburghs water is dirty. The Environmental Working Groups tap water database shows levels of trihalomethanes cancer-causing contaminants that form during the water treatment process roughly three times higher than the state and national average, though still within legal limits. Chromium, a carcinogenic pollutant linked to industrial waste, appears at levels three times EWGs guidelines, which are based on combined state and EPA advisories. And thats just based on the data available in 2015. Maybe we just dont have the political juice over the last 20 years to advocate for our own safety needs, Ciaravino said. Even if Newburgh fails to force the state to take more drastic action to clean up the contamination and change the way watershed jurisdictions work, its lawsuit could open the doors to a flood of litigation against the Defense Department, one of the nations top polluters. The military is responsible for 140 federal Superfund sites, according to the EPA more than any other civil entity. And the problem could be much bigger. The Pentagon identified 391 active and closed installations with known or suspected releases of PFOS and PFOA as of December 2016, according to a Government Accountability Office report released last October. The report warned that there are still holes in the Defense Departments internal data. Almost every military base, almost every firefighter-training session, used massive amounts of PFOS, Enck told HuffPost. We are really in the middle of an emerging national crisis. This story was updated to include additional sampling data on the contamination. Related... We Should Have Been Listening To Erin Brockovich All Along The McMansionization Of America's Forests Is Hurting Rural People Study: Pollution Kills Far More People Than We Realize, At A Far Greater Cost Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost. This is lower compared to ASEANs average of 39%. Women only hold 30% of senior management roles in Singapore, whilst 78% of businesses said they now have at least one woman in the senior management level. According to Grant Thornton International Ltd.s annual Women in Business report, businesses are motivated to introduce gender equality policies to enhance company performance (84%), live up to organisational values (82%), and attract and keep employees (72%). The top three common gender equality policies are paid parental leave (80%), equal pay for both men and women performing the same roles (76%), and non-discrimination policies for recruitment (74%). However, the report revealed that introducing such policies are usually barred by the cost of implementation (26%), stereotypes about gender roles (26%), and complexity of translating good intentions into practice (24%). As such, the report suggests that a wide culture inclusion from the top management is needed to further drive gender equality more than introducing policies. While its hugely positive that women are in senior roles at more businesses, its disappointing that they are being spread so thinly. This suggests businesses are concentrating on box-ticking at the expense of meaningful progress and means they will not gain from the benefits of true gender diversity. We need to move beyond policy and focus on the vital role leadership and culture can play in creating real progress in gender balance, said Francesca Lagerberg, global leader for network capabilities and sponsor of women in leadership at Grant Thornton International Ltd, in a press release. The Women in Business report polled 4,995 respondents including CEOs, managing directors, chairs, and other senior decision makers in 35 countries. Meanwhile, another report from Accenture showed that female workers in Singapore have 55% chance to advance to manager roles or above. More From Singapore Business Review NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday in Nairobi that he had shared his concerns with Kenya's president about the importance of democracy and said the government should not stifle the media and threaten the courts. The Kenyan government shut down three television channels in January on the day opposition leader Raila Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath, then defied a court order to switch them back on. The stations had planned to live-stream the oath. "We believe that there are actions that need to be taken in Kenya and that they need to correct certain actions like shutting down independent TV stations and threatening the independence of the courts," Tillerson told a news conference in the Kenyan capital. "I know Kenya takes these matters seriously. A free and independent media is essential for safeguarding democracy and giving all Kenyans confidence in their government." Asked at the news conference with Tillerson if Kenya could call itself a democracy in light of restrictions appeared intended to stifle dissent, Kenya's foreign affairs minister, Monica Juma, said that "the notion that there is a restriction of the media is not backed by fact or reality. She said that only "three of more than 10s" of TV stations were temporarily shut down. The three stations taken off air reach the majority of viewers in the country. In September, after Kenya's Supreme Court overturned President Uhuru Kenyatta's election victory and ordered a new poll, Kenyatta dismissed the judges as "wakora", meaning "crooks" in Swahili. He also said the country had a "problem" with its judiciary that needed to be fixed. Tillerson, the top U.S. diplomat, praised Kenyatta and opposition leader Odinga for meeting on Friday and pledging to bring their people together after last year's contentious and bloody elections. "All the credit" for the meeting went to the Kenyan political leaders, Tillerson said, in response to a question as to whether the U.S. had a role in organizing it. As expected, Tillerson also emphasized the U.S. security partnership with Kenya and what he called "our shared fight against terrorism". He said he would pay his respects on Saturday in Nairobi to victims of the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The bombings killed 224 people. He also recognized the 4,000 Kenyan troops fighting al-Shabaab in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission AMISOM. Analysts say the Trump administration has focused mainly on security concerns in Africa at a time when China, Turkey and other nations are ramping up diplomatic and business links. "The U.S. is no longer the dominant external actor in Africa, and must compete for influence not only with China, but a host of other, increasingly assertive, states pursuing their own agendas, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Japan and India," said EJ Hogendoorn, deputy Africa program director at the International Crisis Group think tank. At Tillerson's two news conferences on Friday, in Djibouti and Nairobi, the typical arrangement for news conferences involving the secretary and his counterpart in the host country were changed, American reporters traveling with Tillerson said. Typically, reporters with Tillerson and from the host country get to ask the same number of questions. But at both news conferences on Friday, the U.S. journalists were allowed only one question while local journalists in the two countries asked multiple questions. U.S. officials did not intervene to allow the U.S. journalists to ask questions, according to a Reuters witness. (Reporting By Maggie Fick, editing by Larry King) President Donald Trump would have taken no joystick in Trevor Noahs mockery of his suggestion that video games share blame for gun violence like the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida. The president convened a meeting of video game industry leaders on Thursday to explore the possibility, prompting The Daily Show host to imagine the conversation. Why isnt Mario here? says an imitation Trump, who is reminded that video game characters arent real. Noah later switched on his argument in earnest: Heres the thing: There have been hundreds of studies on this issue, and they have shown that there isnt any connection between violent video games and violent activities. Now, that doesnt mean that video games have no influence on you, because lets be honest, everything we consume as human beings affects us somehow. Sex and the City might make you want to go to brunch, Karate Kid might have made people join the local dojo. The comedian reinforced his point, saying, Ive been playing a ton of Angry Birds, so Ive gotta go outside and throw some pigeons at pigs. Watch the segment above. Also on HuffPost 1981: The Attempted Assassination Of President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady, was shot in the head. 1993: The Brady Handgun Violence Act The Brady Handgun Violence Act of 1993, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, mandated that federally licensed dealers complete comprehensive background checks on individuals before selling them a gun. The legislation was named for James Brady, who was shot during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. 1994: The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, instituted a ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons, including Uzis and AK-47s. The crime bill also banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition. (An exemption was made for weapons and magazines manufactured prior to the ban.) 2004: Law Banning Magazines Holding More Than Ten Rounds Of Ammunition Expires In 2004, ten years after it first became law, Congress allowed a provision banning possession of magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition to expire through a sunset provision. Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke told HuffPost that the expiration of this provision meant that Rep. Gabby Giffords's alleged shooter was able to fire off 20-plus shots without reloading (under the former law he would have had only ten). 2007: The U.S. Court of Appeals For The District Of Columbia Rules In Favor Of Dick Heller In 2007 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to allow Dick Heller, a licensed District police officer, to keep a handgun in his home in Washington, D.C. Following that ruling, the defendants petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. 2008: Supreme Court Strikes Down D.C. Handgun Ban As Unconstitutional In June of 2008, the United States Supreme Court upheld the verdict of a lower court ruling the D.C. handgun ban unconstitutional in the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller. Gabrielle Giffords And Trayvon Martin Shootings Gun control advocates had high hopes that reform efforts would have increased momentum in the wake of two tragic events that rocked the nation. In January of 2011, Jared Loughner opened fire at an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), killing six and injuring 13, including the congresswoman. Resulting attempts to push gun control legislation proved fruitless, with neither proposal even succeeding in gaining a single GOP co-sponsor. More than a year after that shooting, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was gunned down by George Zimmerman in an event that some believed would bring increased scrutiny on the nation's Stand Your Ground laws. While there has been increasing discussion over the nature of those statutes, lawmakers were quick to concede that they had little faith the event would effectively spur gun control legislation, thanks largely to the National Rifle Association's vast lobbying power. Read more here: Colorado Movie Theater Shooting In July of 2012, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on theatergoers attending a midnight premiere of the final film of the latest Batman trilogy, killing 12 and wounding scores more. The suspect, James Eagan Holmes, allegedly carried out the act with a number of handguns, as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 100-round drum magazine. Some lawmakers used the incident, which took place in a state with some of the laxest gun control laws, to bring forth legislation designed to place increased regulations on access to such weapons, but many observers, citing previous experience, were hesitant to say that they would be able to overcome the power of the National Rifle Association and Washington gun lobby. Sikh Temple Shooting On August 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page opened fire on a Sikhs gathered at a temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding four more before turning the gun on himself. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump will make his Latin America debut next month, visiting Peru and Colombia after harsh rhetoric towards Hispanic migrants and neighbors to the south. Trump will travel to Peru to attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima on April 13-14, a gathering of leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. From there he will visit Colombia, White House officials told AFP. The announcement ends speculation that Trump may skip the summit entirely. He is the first president since Bill Clinton not to have visited Latin America during his first year in office. As recently as this week -- after Trump spoke to the summit host, Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski -- the White House refused to say whether Trump would attend. When Trump travels south he is likely to encounter protests and perhaps a hesitant welcome from fellow heads of state and government. Trump has long courted controversy in the region. His election campaign was marked by accusations of Mexicans sending "rapists" over the border.] He suggested Colombia was not doing enough to stop cocaine coming to the United States, has promised to build a wall on the US border with Mexico and threatened to tear up a trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Argentina and Brazil also face the prospect of punitive tariffs on steel exports after Trump's controversial announcement on Thursday. On Friday, Trump spoke by phone with old business acquaintance, Argentine President Mauricio Macri -- whose office said he had urged the US president to exempt his country from the tariffs. The first Summit of the Americas took place in Miami in 1994, and it has long been a forum for the United States to influence events across the region. Then president Barack Obama used the last summit, in 2015 in Panama, to meet Cuban leader Raul Castro for the first time and to try to isolate the Venezuelan regime. Venezuela will likely be a hot topic again this time round. President Nicolas Maduro vowed last month to attend the meeting despite the hosts saying he is unwelcome. Story continues "Are they are afraid of me? They don't want to see me in Lima? They're going to see me, come rain, thunder or lightning!" a defiant Maduro told a press conference in Caracas. The leftist Venezuelan president vowed to get to the summit venue in Lima "by air, land or sea!" Maduro is seeking a second six-year term despite the oil-rich country's widespread economic woes. He has barred leading opponents from standing. The International Monetary Fund projects Venezuelan inflation will climb to 13,000 percent this year, along with chronic shortages of basic foods and medicine. Trump and Maduro's attendance now sets up the prospect of an awkward interaction between the pair. During Trump's call with Macri, according to the White House, the pair "underscored the need for countries in the region to work together to bring democracy back to the great people of Venezuela." DJIBOUTI (Reuters) - Talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take some weeks to arrange, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday. Trump said on Thursday he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between any leaders of the two countries. It potentially marks a major breakthrough in easing tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. "President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right," Tillerson said. "And I think in the president's judgment that time has arrived now." The decision was made by the president himself, Tillerson said during a visit to Djibouti. "Now it's a question of agreeing on the timing of the first meeting between the two of them, and that will take some weeks before we get all that worked out." Trump has derided Kim as a "maniac", referred to him as "little rocket man", and threatened in a speech to the United Nations last year to "totally destroy" North Korea if it attacked the United States or one of its allies. Kim responded by calling the U.S. president a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard". Trump's aides have been wary of North Korea's diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments and the failure of efforts on disarmament by previous U.S. administrations. Some U.S. officials and experts worry North Korea could buy time to build up and refine its nuclear arsenal if it drags out talks with Washington. Tillerson said the United States was surprised at how "forward-leaning" Kim was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation. He said it was the strongest indication to date of Kim's "not just willingness but really his desire for talks". Kim has committed to denuclearisation and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong said on Thursday after briefing Trump on a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim earlier this week. Story continues China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, called on the United States and North Korea to hold talks as soon as possible, saying that at a news briefing in Beijing on Thursday that things "will not be smooth sailing". Russia believes that a possible meeting between Trump and Kim "is a step in the right direction", Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters while on a visit to Ethiopia. (Reporting by pool reporters, additional reporting by Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa, writing by Maggie Fick and Katharine Houreld,; Editing by Angus MacSwan) U.S. President Donald Trumps administration faces waves of criticism for not properly staffing the State Department, where dozens of senior posts sit empty. But as Rex Tillerson departs for his first trip to Africa as secretary of state, Trump is eyeing appointing a retired career diplomat to be next assistant secretary of state for African affairs, four sources close to the administration and former State Department officials tell Foreign Policy. Tibor Nagy, a retired foreign service officer with over three decades of experience, is expected to be nominated as assistant secretary of state for African affairs as soon as this month, sources say. It could give extra umph to the State Departments role on the continent, which critics say is waning with an absence of senior appointees and ambassadorships, all while the U.S. militarys footprint is rapidly expanding to confront growing terrorism threats. The news comes as Tillerson visits Africa for a weeklong tour of the continent, months after Trump triggered diplomatic uproar for reportedly calling African nations shithole countries. Former officials say Nagy, if nominated and confirmed, could send a much-needed signal that the State Department under Trump values veteran career diplomats. Nagy, whose family came to the United States from Hungary as political refugees in 1957, joined the foreign service in 1978. He spent over two decades in Africa as a foreign service officer, including stints as ambassador to Guinea from 1996 to 1999 and Ethiopia from 1999 to 2002. After leaving the foreign service, he went back to work for his alma mater, Texas Tech University, where he recently retired as vice provost for international affairs. I think its a good signal that theyre reaching back to a former foreign service officer, says Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, who had heard Nagys name floated for her old job. I just hope they empower him to actually do the job. Story continues A White House spokesperson says they have no announcements on the position at this time. Nagy declined to comment when FP reached out to him. Nagy may not have been the White Houses first choice for the job. J. Peter Pham, an academic and author currently at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, was on the shortlist to take the job. But a lone Republican senator, James Inhofe from Oklahoma, blocked his nomination over a disagreement on the status of the disputed Western Sahara region in Morocco, as FP first reported. Donald Yamamoto, a career diplomat, is currently filling the role in an interim position. Tillerson is slated to visit Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Chad, and Nigeria this week, and he is expected to focus on counterterrorism, development, and boosting trade ties with the continent as China expands its influence on the continent. Our countrys security and economic prosperity are linked with Africas like never before, Tillerson said in a speech at George Mason University on Tuesday before he embarked on his trip. He also announced a new $533 million aid package for areas wracked by famine and conflict, including Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Lake Chad Basin region. This will save lives, he said. Beyond the new pledge in aid, the trip appears to be a listening tour, senior State Department officials indicate. Theres really no deliverables, a senior State Department official told reporters on a call last week. For our trip now, its really to underscore the commitment of the United States to Africa, but also to explore with the leadership in each of the countries about what we want to achieve at the together as partners but also in our overall program. Some experts in Washington believe the trip is in part a cleanup tour for Trumps alleged shithole comments in January, which incensed African leaders. It is a good thing for the secretary of state to go to Africa, but the timing can only be read as a reaction to President Trumps horrible insult to the entire continent, says Reuben Brigety, dean of George Washington Universitys Elliott School of International Affairs and former U.S. ambassador the African Union under President Barack Obama. If Nagys nomination is put forth, it could help Tillerson deflect growing criticism from lawmakers and former officials that he is hollowing out the State Department. Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, said on Monday the administration was hindering U.S. engagement in Africa with a failure to properly staff the Africa bureau, inadequate budget requests, lack of strategic engagement with the continent, and poor interagency coordination. The State Department has repeatedly pushed back against these types of criticism, saying Tillerson has a cadre of talented career diplomats filling the gaps in interim roles. We have experienced career professionals serving in key positions that are highly capable of advancing U.S interests in the African region, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert writes in a statement to FP. The State Departments Bureau of African Affairs continues to develop new and creative approaches to tackle difficult challenges, and further strengthen the United States partnership with the region, she adds. In the meantime, eight African countries, including South Africa, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, still have no U.S. ambassadors in place. Update, March 7, 2018: This article was updated to specify the timeframe of a quote from a senior State Department official. Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump enlisted Friday the help of China's Xi Jinping to keep sanctions pressure on North Korea, amid fears that an audacious diplomatic gambit by the US president could lead to backsliding. In an evening tweet, Trump praised a possible future agreement with the communist North as "very good" for the international community as a whole, after the US leader stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of May. "The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined," Trump wrote. During a telephone conversation, Trump and the ever-more-powerful Chinese president committed to "maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization," according to the White House. As aides scrambled to catch up with Trump's decision -- taken before consulting key confidantes -- the White House sent mixed messages about conditions. "They've made promises to denuclearize, they've made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "We're not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea," she told reporters. Officials behind the scenes said this did not constitute a change of heart. A day after the bombshell announcement that the US and North Korean leaders would meet, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House would keep "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang and claimed US efforts to isolate Kim had been vindicated. There has been limited reaction from Kim's regime, but South Korean President Moon Jae-in said news of the summit -- announced by his national security advisor on a visit to Washington -- was "like a miracle." Story continues For his part, Xi urged the two leaders to begin talks as "soon as possible" and praised Trump's "positive aspiration." China has long been North Korea's most important ally but has been on board with the sanctions agreed at the United Nations. A cryptic report by South Korean news agency Yonhap said the South's envoys also delivered a "special message" to Trump from Kim during their US trip, but did not elaborate on what was said. - 'Huge gamble' - The UN Security Council has imposed tough economic sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and advanced missile launches. China and Russia argue that sanctions alone will not push North Korea to change course and have repeatedly called for stepping up diplomatic efforts to achieve a solution. The summit announcement triggered a rise in global stock markets while world leaders voiced hope the meeting would deflate tensions that had been building dramatically in recent months. Some observers questioned the US president's wisdom in granting Kim a long-standing wish for a meeting after only agreeing to temporarily halt nuclear tests. Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has negotiated with and traveled to the North, told AFP it was a bold move that is "worth taking" but also a "huge gamble". "This is not 'The Apprentice' or a reality TV event... It's a negotiation with an unpredictable leader who has at least 20 nuclear weapons and who threatens the United States," he said. Republican Senator Cory Gardner said America's approach to North Korea still needs not just a drop "but a whole bucket of reality." "There is no greater diplomatic tool or lever than the President of the United States," he added. "If this doesn't succeed how much is left of that diplomatic runway is a very good question." - 'Little Rocket Man' - Trump has previously ridiculed Kim as "Little Rocket Man," imposing wide-ranging bilateral sanctions on the Pyongyang regime and also leading a drive for international sanctions through the UN. Pyongyang has hit back by calling Trump a "dotard". Pence stressed that the White House has made "zero concessions" to get Kim to the table and emphasized that the sanctions would remain in place. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the world leaders to hail the announcement as a "glimmer of hope," saying North Korea's nuclear drive "has been a source of great concern for all of us." The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, voiced hope the summit would produce "concrete progress" and a resumption of long-suspended nuclear inspections. Pyongyang's long race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States has proved a problem for successive US administrations. But the alarm bells have been ringing even louder since July, when Pyongyang conducted two intercontinental ballistic missile tests, declaring the entire United States now within range. Trump threatened "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continued to threaten the United States, only for North Korea to carry out its sixth nuclear test. The US and North Korea fought on opposite sides of a war in the 1950s, and in the last two decades have been engaged in perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. There was big news from the Korean peninsula earlier this week as Kim Jong-un had an openhearted talk with South Korean envoys in Pyongyang. But it was overshadowed with even bigger news out of the White House last night, as President Trump agreed to meet with the North Korean leader in May. But how excited should we really get about the prospects of a diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang? Here are five things to keep in mind: Hopeful sign #1: North Korea legitimately wants to talk Kim Jong-uns Olympic detentea remarkable (if largely symbolic) climbdowncaught most everyone by surprise. But in South Korean President Moon Jae-In, Kim finally has a counterpart not only willing to engage with Pyongyang, but one who made doing so a plank of his campaign platform. A former human rights lawyer (and special forces soldier), Moon has staked much of his political reputation on ratcheting down tensions on the Korean peninsula. Moon may well represent Kims best chance to negotiate with a South Korean leader in good faith. Earlier this week, North and South Korea agreed to hold a summit between Kim and Moon in late April. In the ru-up to the Koreas summit, Moon and Kim will have a hotline installed so they can discuss issues directly. Kim also signaled he was willing to discuss North Koreas denuclearization and a pause in weapons testing in exchange for the possibility of normalizing relations with the U.S.an invitation Donald Trump accepted just last night. North Korea clearly wants to talk; that alone provides reason to be hopeful. And while its true that previous North Korean overtures have fallen flat in the past, none of those were under Kim. Hopeful sign #2: China is getting serious Kims sudden change of heart didnt come out of nowhereBeijing has been turning the screws on Pyongyang lately by actually enforcing international sanctions against the Kim regime, another positive sign that talks may prove fruitful this go-round. Without China and its food and energy exports (China makes up 90 percent of North Koreas trade volume), the isolated Hermit Kingdom would collapse in short order. Pyongyangs provocative nuclear and missile testing may have pushed its adversaries to the negotiating table, but its also unnerved Beijing, the one indispensable ally Pyongyang has. Story continues Why? North Koreas provocations have resulted in increased U.S. military activity in Chinas Asian backyard, and spurred perennial foes Japan and South Korea to enhance their own military capabilities to deter Pyongyang. Chinese businesses and banks have been hit by sanctions targeting North Korea. Chinas inability to keep North Korea in check has also damaged its credibility in the eyes of its neighbors as well as the world community at large. And now that China is gunning to take the global leadership mantle from the US, that reputation is more important to Beijing than ever. Determined not to be left behind, a Chinese state-run paper ran an editorial this week declaring that the Korean issue cannot be solved without the participation of China (in addition to Russia and the UN Security Council). Theyre not wrong. But the mere fact that Chinese media acknowledges it is a heartening sign of a more engaged Beijing. Reason to worry#1: North Korea wont easily give up its deterrent The flipside to all this is that talk of summitry and potential breakthroughs may simply be a ruse to buy North Korea more time. At the end of the day, Kim has one goalstay in power (and relatedly, alive). The whole point of developing nuclear weapons was to prevent the type of regime change that felled the likes of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, strongmen without the protection of a nuclear arsenal to scare away enemies. While North Korea has ostensibly vowed to stop its weapons testing should talks with South Korea and the U.S. progress, that promise doesnt prevent it from refining the technical aspects that may be needed to make those weapons more accurate and potent down the line. And theres always the risk that North Korea interprets its newfound respect as reward for its brazen (and still illegal) pursuit of nuclear weapons. If Pyongyang sees its nuclear capabilities as the primary reason its now commanding respect from previously-hostile countries, its difficult to imagine they would willingly surrender them. Reason to worry #2: South Korea wants its own talks with the North Also a worrying sign: South Korea has effectively created its own dialogue track with North Korea, separate from the U.S. Thats understandable given Donald Trumps erratic policy swings, but it also highlights a real concern: any sustainable resolution between North and South Korea will ultimately need buy-in from Washington. Lets be fairDonald Trumps confrontational approach to North Korea, at one point even threatening to rain down fire and fury on the Kim regime, has played an enormous role in pushing Beijing to lean on Pyongyang, and has helped force North Korea to the negotiating table. But as we saw from Trumps recent announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, this president has a penchant for making international policy decisions in response to political developments at home. And now that Trump has directly entered the negotiation process, the uncertainty factor spikes dramatically. That wont keep South Korea and Moon from pushing for a breakthroughtheyll just have to cross the Trump bridge when (and if) they get to it. Conclusion: The stakes are higher than ever So where does this leave us? To put it bluntly, theres now a higher chance of diplomatic breakthrough, but also a higher chance of war if these talks breakdown. South Korean officials expect that Trump and Kim will meet by May; thats a long time from now, and you better believe there will be plenty of Trump tweets in between. Either way, were getting closer to the end game. By Christine Kim and Jeff Mason SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World leaders welcomed prospects for a possible thaw in the long standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons program on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to hold an unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump and Kim prompted jitters around the world last year as they exchanged bellicose insults over the North's attempts to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States. Pyongyang has pursued its nuclear program in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. But tension eased around last month's Winter Olympics in South Korea, laying the groundwork for what would be the first meeting between leaders from North Korea and the United States, and the biggest foreign policy gamble for Trump since he took office in January last year. "A meeting is being planned," Trump said on Twitter after accepting an invitation to meet from Kim. There is no date or venue yet for the meeting although it could take place in May. A senior State Department official said the talks would likely only be a preliminary discussion about holding future negotiations. "The expectation is that the talks would lead to a discussion around a conclusion that we're ready to engage in negotiations," the official said. News of the planned meeting was welcomed by China, which is North Korea's largest trading partner and its sole major ally, though overall trade has fallen in recent months as U.N. economic sanctions take effect. President Xi Jinping told Trump in a phone call on Friday that he appreciates his desire to resolve the North Korea issue politically, Chinese state media said. Xi "hopes the United States and North Korea start contacts and dialogue as soon as possible and strive to reach positive results, the report added. The head of South Korea's National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, speaking in Washington on Thursday after briefing Trump about a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim this week, said Trump had agreed to meet the North Korean leader by May in response to Kim's invitation. Kim had "committed to denuclearization" and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, Chung said. Neutral Switzerland, which often hosts summits, said it was ready to facilitate the meeting. Sweden could also play a role. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho will visit Sweden in the near future, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported on Friday, quoting sources. The Swedish foreign ministry declined comment. Sweden's embassy in Pyongyang represents U.S. interests, in the absence of U.S. diplomatic relations. INSULTS AND THREATS A Trump-Kim summit would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of missile tests that Washington sees as provocative and after a barrage of insults between the two leaders. U.S.-based experts say North Korea appeared to show last November that it has succeeded in developing a missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon anywhere in the United States. Trump has derided Kim as a "maniac," referred to him as "little rocket man" and threatened in a speech last year to "totally destroy" North Korea, a country of 26 million people, if it attacked the United States or one of its allies. Kim responded by calling Trump a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard." The Trump administration has led a worldwide push to tighten international sanctions on North Korea to choke off resources needed for its weapons programs. U.S. officials say the moves, which include restrictions on fuel supplies to North Korea, on its key coal exports, and to cut revenues it has received from tens of thousands of workers overseas, have begun to show signs of working. North Korea sees a Trump meeting as a chance to win relief from the sanctions as well as an opportunity to earn the international legitimacy that it seeks, the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank said. "For Kim, the prospect of an early summit with Trump provides the best prospect of removing international sanctions pressure while giving Kim room for maneuver to possibly keep his nuclear deterrent in place," it said. Vice President Mike Pence said the United States had made "zero concessions" and had "consistently increased the pressure" on North Korea. Some U.S. officials and experts worry North Korea could buy time to build up and refine its nuclear arsenal if it drags out talks with Washington. The government of Japan remained cautious about the talks. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump, in a phone call, promised to continue to enforce sanctions until Pyongyang took "tangible steps ... toward denuclearization," the White House said in a statement. 'DEAL MAKER' A leading Democratic lawmaker said the Republican president would need help from others in the U.S. government if he is to go head-to-head with Kim over such complex issues as nuclear weapons and geostrategy. "It will require the President to rely on the expertise within the State Department, the Intelligence Community, and throughout the government, and not simply on his own estimation of his skills as a deal maker." Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said in statement. Trump had agreed to meet Kim without any preconditions, a South Korean official said. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," Trump said on Twitter on Thursday night. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." Trump's aides have been wary of North Korea's diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments and the failure of efforts on disarmament by previous U.S. administrations. North and South Korea, where the United Sates stations 28,500 troops, are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a ceasefire, not a truce. (Reporting by Christine Kim in Seoul, and Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Steve Holland, Yara Bayoumy and John Walcott in Washington; Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Susan Heavey in Washington, Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Paul Tait, Nick Macfie and Frances Kerry) Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's plans to allow offshore oil drilling along virtually the entire US coastline threaten millions of jobs and billions in economic output, according to a report published Wednesday. The report could buttress the arguments of local governments which oppose the proposed new drilling, fearful of losses to tourism, fishing and the potential for environmental disasters. To encourage domestic energy production, the Trump administration said in January it would undo restrictions put in place by the prior administration and allow drilling on more than a billion acres of coastal waters off California, the Eastern Seaboard, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic. The proposal was welcomed by industry but is fiercely opposed by governors of coastal states, including the Republican governors of Florida and South Carolina. The plan also faces legal challenges. According to the marine conservation group Oceana, the offshore drilling proposal would endanger more than 2.6 million jobs and nearly $180 billion in economic output for the chance to develop two years' worth of oil and a year's worth of natural gas. "Coastal communities and states are outraged by this radical plan that threatens to destroy our clean coast economies," Oceana campaign director Diane Hoskins said in a statement. The report said it derived its figures by analyzing Commerce and Interior Department data on ocean-related employment and GDP as well as estimates of undiscovered oil and gas reserves that are economically recoverable. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced in January that Florida waters would be excluded but analysts say this will strengthen arguments by other states which are also seeking exemptions. Another senior Interior official testifying before Congress less than two weeks later said no final decision on Florida had in fact been made. BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest-ever oil spill in ocean waters, drove former president Barack Obama to ban oil drilling across large areas of the Arctic and Atlantic coasts -- a legacy Trump is seeking to undo. Watch news, TV and more on Yahoo View. Panama City (AFP) - The Trump Organization is taking legal action over the name change of a luxury hotel it used to manage in Panama -- as it remains entangled in a complex battle with the new owner, who removed Trump's name from the facade of the building. On March 5, the letters T-R-U-M-P were pried from the front of the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower, located in an exclusive area of Panama City. Cypriot businessman Orestes Fintiklis, the majority owner of the complex -- which he renamed "The Bahia Grand" -- said that Panamanian authorities gave him permission to remove the Trump organization from the hotel's administration. "The former Trump Ocean Club Hotel will be operated under the name 'The Bahia Grand Panama,' which is unaffiliated with the Trump brand as of March 5, 2018," Ithaca Capital Partners, of which Fintiklis is a managing partner, said in a statement Friday. The statement added that the hotel is under new management, with its main goals to "safeguard the interests" of its 240 employees and owners of units within the hotel, along with honoring all previous and future commitments with clients and suppliers. However, the Trump Organization has denied the existence of such an order, and insisted that they were authorized to manage the hotel while the dispute with Fintiklis is resolved. "In view of irregularities committed by the judicial administrator," the Trump Organization said, "we are taking legal action to not only restore the Trump name to the hotel but to also receive compensation for the damages that these abusive and legal actions are causing." Donald Trump inaugurated the sail-shaped tower -- his first hotel in Latin America -- in 2011 with then-Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli, who is currently in on bail in Miami fighting extradition to Panama. The 72-floor building has more than 1,000 rooms, along with apartments, a casino, shops, a spa and even a small private beach. Story continues The hotel and most of the apartments were bought last year by Miami-based Fintiklis. As part of the sale agreement, the Trump Organization would continue to manage the hotel, but in lawsuits lodged in the United States, Fintiklis tried to boot them out before its management contract was up, blaming the Trump name for a drop in business. Panamanian prosecutors said in February they were opening an investigation into the case following complaints by Fintiklis that he had been prevented from entering the building. The dispute will be mediated by the International Chamber of Commerce. Last week, Trump Hotels accused Fintiklis and his team of using "mafia-style tactics" to control the building. The building, which stands at 284 meters (932 feet) high and cost $430 million, was the tallest building in Latin America when it first opened. Outgoing White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn laughs as President Donald Trump talks about him during a cabinet meeting at the White House: AP Donald Trump has said he has a feeling that his top economic adviser Gary Cohn will one day return to the White House. Mr Cohn announced that he would resign this week, the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the Trump administration. The announcement came after a reported disagreement between him and Mr Trump over the Presidents proposed aluminium and steel tariffs. Hes going to go out, and make another couple of hundred million, and then hes going to maybe come back. I have a feeling youll be back, Mr Trump said during Mr Cohns last cabinet meeting. I dont know if I can put him in that same position, though. Hes not quite as strong on those tariffs as we want him to be. Mr Trump also called the former Goldman Sachs president a globalist. He may be a globalist, but I still like him, Mr Trump said of Mr Cohn. Hes seriously a globalist. Theres no question. You know what? In his own way hes a nationalist, because he loves his country. Mr Cohn, who was seated in a chair behind and to the right of Mr Trump during the meeting, responded: Thank you, sir. Mr Trump on Thursday signed an order imposing sweeping new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, despite warnings that doing so could begin a trade war. The President has thanked Mr Cohn for his service as director of the National Economic Council. He said earlier this week that he would soon be naming a successor to the billionaire banker and free trade advocate. Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new chief economic adviser. Many people wanting the job will choose wisely! Mr Trump has tried to dispel rumours that there is chaos in the White House as his top officials continue to resign. Mr Trumps White House has a staff turnover rate of 34 per cent a level that has not been seen for decades, according to the Brookings Institution think tank. The President on Monday said everybody wants to work in the White House. They all want a piece of that Oval Office; they want a piece of the West Wing, he asserted said during a joint press conference with the Swedish prime minister. So many people want to come in [to the White House]. I have a choice of anybody. I can take any position in the White House and Ill have a choice of the 10 top people. South Korea's national security advisor is set to make a "major" announcement in the White House on Thursday, days after holding landmark talks with Kim Jong Un. US President Donald Trump said the announcement would be made at 7:00 pm (0000 GMT), and that he had spoken to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, but did not give more detail. A senior administration official said the announcement would be made by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong at the White House, who will be joined by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. The South Korean official is currently visiting Washington to brief US allies about his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. South Korea announced Tuesday that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed." The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang with Kim. Trump welcomed the offer as "very positive" and refused to rule out a historic meeting with Kim. "We have come a long way at least rhetorically with North Korea," Trump said. However his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he was "quite skeptical" and Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization." In the past North Korea has indicated that security guarantees mean US forces leave the Korean peninsula and break a mutual defense treaty with the South. - Breakthrough or stalling? - Seoul had earlier announced the two Koreas would hold a historic summit in the Demilitarized Zone next month -- and that the North's leader Kim Jong Un was ready to halt provocative missile and nuclear tests and sit down with its old enemies. Story continues Although Trump's response was positive, his administration followed it up with another sharp rebuke when it declared that it had formally concluded that Kim's regime had last year murdered his half-brother in a Malaysian airport with the banned VX nerve agent. Trump also sounded a note of warning, signaling the threat of military action remains on the table should talks fail to make headway, and his administration said it would press ahead with potentially provocative joint war games with South Korea. The United States says Pyongyang is testing -- and will soon complete -- an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuke to the continental United States. That ominous technological breakthrough would put cities like Los Angeles and even New York in striking distance of a hostile regime, something that is unthinkable to many in the West Wing. The offer of talks, not yet publicly confirmed by North Korea, is a tantalizing one for the White House -- offering a possible off-ramp from the road to a bloody war. But it is also fraught with risks. On multiple occasions, Kim's father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time, easing sanctions and dividing South Korea from its allies. Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to press ahead with 25 percent tariffs on foreign steel and 10 percent on aluminum -- singling out Germany for criticism while saying Mexico, Canada, Australia and "others" could be exempt. "We are going to be very fair, we're going to be very flexible," Trump told his cabinet, while pointing to winners and losers from the contentious policy. Trump said Mexico and Canada could get carve-outs if talks to renegotiate the trilateral NAFTA trade agreement go well. "If we reach a deal it is most likely that we won't be charging those two countries the tariffs," he said, adding that Australia would also be spared. "We have a very close relationship with Australia, we have a trade surplus with Australia, great country, long term partner, we'll be doing something with them," he said. "We'll be doing something with some other countries." But Trump took aim at Germany -- the biggest economy in the EU trade bloc -- as a bad actor likely to face tariffs. Railing against countries that had "taken advantage" of the United States, Trump accused Germany of behaving unfairly by contributing much less than the US towards the funding of NATO. "We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said. "If you look at NATO, where Germany pays one percent and we are paying 4.2 percent of a much bigger GDP -- that's not fair," he said. "So we view trade and we view the military, and to a certain extent, they go hand in hand." ANKARA/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Turkey has asked Sweden to arrest Syrian Kurdish leader Saleh Muslim, Turkish media reported on Thursday - Ankara's third attempt to get a European state to detain and extradite him in just over a week. Turkey says Muslim is linked to two bombings that killed dozens in its capital - a charge he denies. Muslim formerly headed the PYD, Syrias main Kurdish party, a group that Turkey sees as a terrorist organization. A Swedish source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Muslim had been in Stockholm but had already left the country. Sweden's foreign ministry said it could not comment on his whereabouts. Muslim was detained in Prague at Turkey's request last week but later released by a court. Ankara also asked Germany to arrest him on Friday, leading German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel to promise to review the request on constitutional grounds. There was no immediate comment from Muslim, or any details on his current location. He has said he will remain in European Union territory and cooperate in any further proceedings. Ankara launched a military operation inside Syria six weeks ago to sweep Kurdish YPG fighters from its southern border. Relations between Turkey and Europe have soured in the aftermath of a 2016 failed coup, as President Tayyip Erdogan has overseen a sweeping crackdown. More than 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from their jobs, and more than 50,000 detained. Turkey says the measures are necessary for its security. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm; Editing by Daren Butler and Andrew Heavens) Jandairis (Syria) (AFP) - Turkey has reached a key milestone in its operation against Kurdish militia inside Syria by taking the town of Jandairis, boosting its chances of successfully completing a tough campaign that has claimed the lives of dozens of Turkish troops. Ankara launched operation "Olive Branch" against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on January 20, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing it would be "finished in a very short time". The operation in the northern Afrin region has been a watershed in Turkey's modern relations with the West, pitting the Turkish army against a militia force allied with fellow NATO member the United States in the battle against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. But Turkey initially made slow progress, with the battle hardened YPG putting up fierce resistance and the army making only the most gradual of indents inside the border towards Afrin town, the main target of the campaign. Forty-two Turkish soldiers have been killed, each one hailed as a martyr and buried with full honours in a campaign where the support of the Turkish public is crucial. But the capture of Jandairis, the key town in the district after Afrin itself, is a major success for Turkey and gives the army and allied Syrian rebels a clear shot at Afrin town to the east. "The Turkish-led operations seem to be progressing slowly but fairly steadily," said Aron Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation. "Turkey and its rebel allies spent the first few weeks banging their heads against the Kurdish perimeter but since then they are eating their way through YPG defences," he told AFP. - 'One direction battle' - Elizabeth Teoman, Turkey analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), described the seizure as a "key milestone in Turkey's line of advance towards Afrin city". "Operation Olive Branch appears to be progressing as the Turks hoped," she commented. Story continues Lund described Jandairis as an "important step along the way" for Turkey. Maybe it's slower and more painful than they would have liked, but so far the battle only flows in one direction, which is towards Kurdish defeat. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Turkish army and allied forces took control of Jandairis on Thursday after heavy bombardment. Turkey's Anadolu news agency also said they were in control of the town while sporadic fighting continued. An AFP reporter in Jandairis saw bodies of male and female YPG fighters in the streets as Faylaq al-Sham, one of the main pro-Ankara groups, raised its flag above the building the YPG had used as headquarters. The town was empty of civilians with most shops shuttered down after civilians apparently left in a hurry. Turkish security expert Abdullah Agar told AFP the capture had given Turkey a bridgehead on one of the three key routes heading to Afin. "It means that whatever they do, the YPG will not be able to stop the advance of the Turkish army, even if they said they were sending reinforcements to Afrin," he added. - 'More costly fight' - What happens next is less clear and dependent partly on a complex web of diplomatic intrigue that includes all the players in the Syrian conflict such as the United States, Russia, Iran and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The YPG had been counting on a degree of support from Russia and Moscow's allies in Damascus, but this has yet to materialise in any meaningful form. Turkey despises the YPG, seeing it as the Syrian branch of its own Kurdish militants, and fears the establishment of a Kurdish autonomous region in postwar Syria risks inciting separatism at home. Fabrice Balanche, a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, said that Turkey's ultimate aim was now clear -- to take control of the the entire area including Afrin itself. He said Turkey could besiege Afrin, as has been threatened by Erdogan. But he added the YPG was looking to block civilians in Afrin as human shields and send in more troops. "Turkey, as a NATO member, will not be able to allow the deaths of thousands of civilians in Afrin," Balanche said, adding Ankara would also not want its military losses to rise above 200. "We may see a more costly fight for Turkish forces in the weeks ahead despite gains thus far," said Teoman of the ISW. Silivri (Turkey) (AFP) - The trial resumed of staff from Turkey's opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper on Friday, seen as a test of press freedom under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with two suspects approaching their 500th day behind bars. A total of 17 staff from Cumhuriyet (Republic) face terror charges in the case, with most now free pending the conclusion of the trial after a number of conditional releases. However three senior members of staff -- chairman Akin Atalay, editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu and investigative reporter Ahmet Sik -- remain in detention to the outrage of supporters. Sabuncu and Atalay have spent the last 495 days in jail and Sik, who was detained a little after the initial wave of arrests, 434 days. "End this persecution," said Cumhuriyet in its front page headline. All three jailed suspects were present as the trial resumed at the courthouse in Silivri outside Istanbul, part of a complex that also contains the prison where they are held. Also present were the defendants who were released last year after long stints in jail but remain charged, including cartoonist Musa Kart and columnist Kadri Gursel. The court was expected to rule after 1830 GMT on whether to keep the three detained in jail. A final verdict in the case was not awaited in this hearing. - 'Unacceptable detention' - There was tension ahead of the opening of the hearing as anti-riot police with shields prevented supporters from giving statements to media in front of the courthouse. In the end, some managed to read brief statements in front of the line of police calling for the release of the staff, an AFP correspondent said. "It is unacceptable for journalists to stay in prison that long just because they express their thoughts or publish headlines," Utku Cakirozer, an MP for the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), told AFP. Unable to read his statement closer to the courthouse, fellow CHP MP Sezgin Tanrikulu added: "Justice cannot emerge out of this place but we are still here for our friends." Story continues The latest hearing came a day after an Istanbul court sentenced 25 journalists to prison terms of up to seven and a half years over links to the group of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen who is blamed by Turkey for the 2016 failed coup against Erdogan. The Cumhuriyet staff are charged with supporting through their coverage three organisations Turkey views as terror groups -- the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), and the Gulen movement. In court various witnesses gave statements, including former Cumhuriyet journalist Altan Oymen who was once briefly a leader of the CHP and rubbished any idea it had backed Gulen. "The allegations are unimaginable," he said, adding it was Cumhuriyet which had properly reported on the activities of Gulen. The suspects face up to 43 years in prison if convicted. Supporters say the charges are absurd, noting that the outlawed groups cited in the indictment are themselves at odds with each other. In a separate development, Turkey's top appeals court quashed the verdict of Cumhuriyet's former editor-in-chief Can Dundar who was sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail on charges of revealing state secrets in 2016. It ruled he should face an even more serious charge of espionage in a new trial and risk a longer prison term of up to 20 years. Dundar has fled Turkey and is now based in Germany. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's highest court overruled a five-year jail sentence against prominent journalist Can Dundar on Friday, saying he should instead face up to 20 years in prison on espionage charges, the state-run Anadolu agency said. Dundar and a colleague from the Cumhuriyet newspaper, Erdem Gul, were both sentenced in 2016 to five years in prison for publishing a video purporting to show Turkey's intelligence agency trucking weapons into Syria. They were later released pending appeal. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the lower court should have sentenced Dundar on espionage-related charges, which carry a 15-20 year sentence, rather than the lesser charge of disclosing confidential information, Anadolu said. It said Gul should be acquitted due to lack of evidence. Following his release, Dundar left Turkey and is now being tried in absentia. Gul remains in the country and is free while his appeal is in process. For critics of President Tayyip Erdogan, Dundar has become a symbol of what they say is Turkey's sweeping crackdown on press freedom, especially since a failed coup in 2016. Turkish authorities have sacked or suspended 150,000 people and detained 50,000 on suspicion of involvement in, or support for, the coup. "Real 'espionage' is the secret transfer of arms into a foreign country. Those who report on it are journalists," Dundar tweeted, in response to the report of the decision. Dundar, in London for rehearsals of a play commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company about his life, dismissed the espionage charges as the Turkish government's latest attempt to punish him for his critical coverage of Erdogan. "If there's a crime, it's not mine but the government's," he told Reuters, adding that he had not yet seen the ruling. Dundar said his wife, Dilek Dundar, continued to challenge Turkey's ban on her departure from the country, with her case now before Turkey's constitutional court. Last month, Turkey sentenced six other journalists, including two prominent brothers, to life in jail for aiding plotters of the 2016 failed coup. Mehmet Altan, an economics professor and journalist, and his brother Ahmet, also a journalist, were accused of giving coded messages on a television talk show a day before the abortive military putsch. Nazli Ilicak, another well-known journalist, was also among those sentenced. All six have denied the charges. The government says its security measures are necessary given the multiple threats it faces. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones) By Michele Kambas NICOSIA (Reuters) - Turkish Cypriots will launch their own exploration for oil and gas around Cyprus if Greek Cypriots persist with their own plans, their foreign minister said on Friday, as an uneasy standoff lingered over offshore resources. Greek Cypriots, who run Cyprus's internationally recognized government, have licensed several offshore blocks to multinationals for oil and gas exploration. But Italy's Eni abandoned a scheduled drill last month because of the presence of Turkish military vessels. A division of ExxonMobil is due to launch an exploration attempt this year. "Either we will do it together - by discussing, agreeing and moving together - or things will stop, or, we (Turkish Cypriots) will do the same thing: we will start exploiting and drilling as well," said Kudret Ozersay, foreign minister of Northern Cyprus, a breakaway state recognized only by Turkey. Turkey has vowed to prevent what it sees as a unilateral move by Greek Cypriots, but EU member Cyprus has shown no signs of backing down. Brussels has urged Turkey to avoid threats and refrain from actions that could damage relations with the bloc. Asked whether the dispute could escalate, Ozersay said diplomacy would be the first tool: "We aim at cooling down the waters, not warming them up." "For that reason in the most recent (incident) we did not use force. We did not even demonstrate force. There was deterrence there," he said, adding the Turkish Cypriot side had pursued diplomacy before then. Torn apart in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a Greek-inspired coup, seeds of division were sown earlier, when a power-sharing arrangement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots crumbled amid violence just three years after the former British colony gained independence. Greek Cypriots were left running the internationally recognized government. "HISTORIC RIGHTS" "Our argument on the issue of maritime areas is not based on geography," Ozersay said, to an observation that Cyprus has only licensed maritime exploration areas lying south of the island, where it exercises effective control, and not to the north. "It is based on historic rights and the rights deriving from the partnership republic," he said from his office, less than 5 km (3 miles) from a checkpoint where hundreds of Cypriots cross daily between the two sides. "The thing is, not only the Turkish Cypriot side, but also the international community and the Greek Cypriot side accepts and acknowledges that we are the co-owners of those hydrocarbon resources," Ozersay said. Greek Cypriots have repeatedly said a peace deal would allow both communities to benefit from any offshore resources, and have baulked at including the issue in reunification discussions. But peace talks collapsed last year, with no sign of resuming soon. The talks ended primarily over a dispute on the role Turkey would play in a post-reunification Cyprus. Ankara has more than 25,000 troops in northern Cyprus, and Greek Cypriots insist their departure be integral to any deal. Although the sides have agreed, in principle, to unite Cyprus as a bicommunal bizonal federation based on political equality, they do not have the same interpretation of what that means, Ozersay said. "We don't understand the same thing from the same sentence. We are repeating the same sentence, but we don't understand the same thing. That's the problem." (Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Americas newsrooms are severely lacking in female journalists of color, says a new report. A report from the Womens Media Center published on Tuesday shows that while women of color make up about 20 percent of the total U.S. population, they represent just 7.95 percent of U.S. print newsroom staff, 6.2 percent of local radio staff and 12.6 percent of local TV news staff. For its report, Womens Media Center used data from two annual industry reports: the American Society of News Editors 2017 survey of diversity in print and online newsrooms, and the Radio Television Digital News Associations 2017 report on diversity in TV and radio. While the Womens Media Center releases a separate annual report on womens representation in media, this report focuses specifically on women of color to highlight data reflecting the unique barriers they face due to gender and race, according to communications director Cristal Williams Chancellor. Without the voices of women of color in the newsroom, many stories are missing the mark or going untold, Williams Chancellor told HuffPost on Thursday. And those stories reflect what is true in America. Without those reflections, the media cannot be credible. For instance, as mainstream media outlets across the country rushed to cover sexual harassment and assault in response to the Me Too movement, some noted that the voices of women of color were missing in the widespread coverage. Racial diversity numbers in newsrooms, based on data from the American Society of News Editors. (Photo: Women's Media Center) The data in the Womens Media Center report reflects the by now widely acknowledged lack of racial and gender diversity in U.S. mainstream media: While women make up just over half the U.S. population, they made up just 39 percent of newsroom employees in 2017, according to ASNEs report. And while people of color are almost 40 percent of Americans, they represented under 17 percent of newsroom staff last year. Yet while these statistics illustrate the broad issue of racial and gender diversity in news media, they dont illuminate the specific challenges women of color face, Williams Chancellor said. Story continues Women of color continue to be underrepresented in news media and face the same challenges they faced over decades, she explained. Were hoping this report will shine a light on the need for newsrooms to be more intentional about hiring, recruiting and maintaining women of color. Female journalists of color who spoke to the Womens Media Center for the report including household names like Soledad OBrien and Joy Ann Reid cited the challenges of systemic racism and old boys clubs in the industry. Its still very, very challenging for women of color, particularly women of color who present in a certain way, for those of us who are vocal and push for diversity and want coverage to reflect our society, The New York Times Nikole Hannah-Jones said in the report. I hear all the time ... how we often arent mentored or groomed in our careers, how our forward advancement often is harmed by us just being who we are. One of the reports main recommendations for improving inclusion numbers is for newsrooms to be transparent with data, sharing staff diversity numbers publicly, Williams Chancellor said. While some major outlets release such data regularly, many newsrooms (including HuffPost) dont, making it harder for the public and staff to hold management accountable for making progress on the issue. It is important for media and the public to be aware of the barriers that still exist for women of color in U.S. newsrooms, Williams Chancellor said. It is also important that our society is one that is just and equitable and for that to exist, our media has to look, sound [like] and reflect America. Also on HuffPost "My 11-year-old daughter; she's strong and tough and proud!" "My girls love science and have so much fun with our experiments!" "My 11-year-old daughter fencing with her coach. She is strong, fierce and competes in a sport dominated by boys. I am so amazed by her." "My little golfer girl has a great swing at 3 years old! She sinks putts left and right, and wants to hit her drives as far as Mommy and Daddy someday!" "My 5-year-old loves to skateboard." "We are a family of four who live on a sailboat currently in the South Pacific. Our daughters know more about how to fish than most grown men. They're keen on which lures to use, line to put out, how to properly gaff a fish (go for the eyeball) and how to 'nicely' kill a fish. Pictured here is their double hook up on the way to the Cook Islands. Our youngest daughter doesn't look too thrilled as her fish had just slapped her in the face. I love watching them give tips and advice to 'real' fishermen at port who have heard about their success. Teach your daughters to fish and they will provide." "Because girls want to be astronauts, too! Got this on the 'boy' costume rack at Costco...sigh." "I have a daughter that does both and am proud of her for being able to be a tomboy when she wants or a girly girl." "My daughter is 4 now and has always broken the stereotypes. She loves superheroes and was Spider-Man for Halloween (muscles and all). Her favorite color is green and her snuggle buddy is Hulk." "I love coaching my 7-year-old daughter through lifting with her own child-sized barbell." "My first-grader. The only girl on her Pop Warner team. She's my hero." "Our 5-year-old is a strong, smart, and confident girl! She loves Legos, Star Wars, bike riding and skateboarding, but still also enjoys playing dolls, dress-up, and the color pink! She adores building, creating, and using her wild imagination when playing with Legos. She takes pride in completing sets 'all by herself' in addition to coming up with new, creative ideas." (Dress by PDP Studio on Etsy.) "Girls like building robots and coding, too!" "My daughter is 5 and loves anything that has to do with outer space: 'Star Wars,' rocket ships, etc. She loves superheroes and has no interest in dolls or princesses. When she grows up she wants to be an astronaut and a police officer." "This kid rocks a vest like it's her job!" "My daughter had to be Iron Man for Halloween. She didn't want frill or tutus or anything else because Iron Man doesn't have them." "My 4-year-old daughter defies gender stereotypes because she is agentic, confidently expresses her ideas and thoughts, and as her preschool teacher identified, she is both 'tough and strong.' She's the kid who relentlessly asks to go to the 'Body Worlds: Pulse' exhibit she sees on banners on the way to preschool (and who asks to return after visiting the exhibit). She loves all things Halloween and spooky, and is always up for an adventure, like kid friendly bungee jumping. When she has a project that is too easy, she says, 'Mama, I need a more challenging (x).' She is willing to stand out when conforming may be easier. She's setting a powerful example for her baby sister, and other girls and boys. Simply put, she's our amazing stereotype-defier!" "My strong girls at their last karate tournament. My youngest leads her class and my oldest helps teach weapons. So proud of them!" "My daughter is a 'princess who can save herself!'" "This is my daughter. She was 10 at the time of this photo, taken last December. We live in a VERY small town, less than 1,000 people, in the Midwest and it took a bunch of courage for her to cut her hair like this. She caught a bunch of flack for it at school and from family. Most was from my dad and it makes me really sad, but I'm so proud of her for being so independent and marching to the beat of her own drum. I was not excited about her cutting her hair this way but I wasn't about to stomp all over her freedom of expression!" "There are women golfers, but there aren't many African-American women golfers and I'm proud of her for giving it a go!" "She's smart and determined. She doesn't back down." "My 2-year-old likes to build things with her Papa." "This is my daughter. She is 4 years old and her interests include everything scaly or creepy! She particularly loves her lizard Pascal who is a 1-year-old bearded dragon. She loves sharing him with people, but most of her little girl friends are less than enthused." "My 15-year-old daughter jams a mean long-scale bass, ukulele and guitar. She enjoys playing with makeup, being an ally for underrepresented minorities and learning Iron Maiden songs." "Mad scientist in the making!" "My short hair-wearing, baseball-playing, 'Star Wars'-loving, math and science smarty pants, fierce, beautiful and all-around fantastic oldest daughter!" "My 7-year-old at a peaceful protest because she will not be quiet!" "My 6-year-old girl who loves slithery reptiles with a passion and thought this python encounter was the best thing ever!" "My 10-year-old daughter; she's all about anything with a motor." "Here's my little girl. Five years old and obsessed with bugs of all kinds. She especially likes spiders and will care for the spiders she finds at home." "Here's our 11-year-old daughter getting down and dirty during softball practice this year." "Adrenaline junkie 3-year-old. Born with a rare heart defect and a need for speed. Prefers Mickey over Minnie, and wants Daddy to repaint her dirt bike red." "One of my favorite photos of my 5-year-old daughter. She enjoys (pretend) samurai swords and dressing up as superheroes and wants to be a pilot one day. She was born with a few congenital heart defects and has a midline scar on her chest from open heart surgery that she is very proud of. Nothing stops her from kicking butt." "This is from last year when my daughter played defensive end. This year she's in the running for quarterback on her middle school football team. She's persisted and put in more effort than I would ever have expected from a 12-year-old girl and hopefully it will pay off and get her the position she wants." Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it was offering a $5 million reward for information on Mullah Fazlullah, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban militant group, which has waged a decade-long insurgency in Pakistan. The offer came amid worsening U.S.-Pakistan relations, and coincided with a visit to Washington by Pakistan's foreign secretary for talks expected to focus on boosting counter-terrorism cooperation and the U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan. Although Pakistani Taliban militants still unleash attacks, the group has lost control of all territory in Pakistan since its Dec. 2014 attack on an army school that killed 132 children. The U.S. State Department also offered rewards of $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali, the head of a Pakistani Taliban affiliate, and Mangal Bagh, the leader of an allied Pakistani militant group accused of attacking NATO convoys. "Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals," the department said in a statement. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, a suspected U.S. drone strike on a training camp in a remote part of Afghanistan killed Fazlullah's son and more than 20 Pakistani Taliban militants preparing to launch suicide attacks in Pakistan On Friday, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Mohammad Khurasani confirmed Fazlullah's son was killed in the drone strike, but denied it was a Taliban camp, saying the U.S. drone hit a "madrassa on the border area of Afghanistan and killed 21 students". Washington and Kabul accuse Pakistan of harboring Afghan Taliban and fighters of the allied Haqqani network, which Islamabad denies. Islamabad says the Pakistani Taliban maintain sanctuaries in neighboring Afghanistan. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended security assistance of around $2 billion to Pakistan, saying it had failed to crack down on the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network. The three militant leaders pose threats to Pakistan, as well as U.S.-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, the State Department said in its statement. The Pakistani Taliban, whose Urdu name is Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, has also threatened attacks against the U.S. homeland, it said. The group claimed responsibility for a failed May 2010 bomb attack in New York City's Times Square. In Oct 2012, its fighters also shot Malala Yousafzai, then an 11-year-old who advocated education for girls. She received the Nobel peace prize in 2014. Wali leads a TTP affiliate called Jamaat ul-Ahrar, which has attacked civilians, religious minorities, military and law enforcement officials and killed two local employees of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar in March 2016, the State Department said. Mangal Bagh leads Lashkar-i-Islam, a TTP ally involved in drug trafficking, smuggling and extorting "taxes" on trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the department added. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshaway; Editing by Susan Thomas and Clarence Fernandez, Larry King) (Note story contains language that may offend some readers) By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson flew to Ethiopia at the start of his first diplomatic trip to Africa on Wednesday, seeking to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to China for aid and trade. He was due to visit the African Union where many officials are still smarting from U.S. President Donald Trump's reported dismissal of member states as "shithole" countries in January. Trump later denied making the comment. U.S. officials said Tillerson would focus on discussing ways of fighting terrorism and promoting stability, trade and investment on the week-long tour. "The long reach of terrorism threatens to steal the future of countless individuals," Tillerson said in a speech at Virginia's George Mason University shortly before departing on Tuesday. Militant attacks in Africa had risen to more than 1,500 per year from around 300 in 2009, he said. "A growing population of young people, if left without jobs and a hope for the future, will create new ways for terrorists to exploit the next generation, subverting stability and derailing democratic governments." Tillerson then announced an additional $533 million in aid for countries hit by drought and conflict. The U.S. Secretary of State was due to visit Ethiopia, the home of the African Union, and Kenya - both key U.S. allies in the fight against al Shabaab Islamist militants in Somalia. He was also scheduled to visit tiny Djibouti, host to sprawling U.S., French and Chinese military bases. In West Africa, Tillerson will visit Chad and Nigeria, both major oil-producers struggling to contain the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency. Analysts say Trump has focused mainly on security concerns in Africa at a time when China, Turkey and other nations are ramping up diplomatic and business links. POSTS UNFILLED Trump has authorized the use of more aggressive U.S. military operations in Somalia and the deaths of four U.S. soldiers in Niger last year shone a spotlight on increasing U.S. counter-terrorism engagement in West Africa. At the same time, key ambassadorships in South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and other nations remain unfilled, along with the continent's top diplomatic position, the assistant secretary of state for Africa. Trump has said he wants to cut the budgets for foreign aid and the State Department by a third. "Africa is ready and open for business. And the Chinese have understood it and have been more proactive and aggressive in a way that it's benefiting them," Brahima Coulibaly, the director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings Institution, said, commenting on the trip. Acting Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Don Yamamoto told journalists on Monday that U.S. diplomats were becoming concerned about the high levels of Chinese debt some nations were incurring. "The United States was concerned that some Chinese loans were pushing countries back into heavy debt not long after they received debt relief from international financial institutions," he said. "We're seeing countries at 50 percent, 100 percent, and in one case 200 percent of GDP debt based on concessionary loans from China." China surpassed the United States to become Africa's largest trading partner in 2009. (Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Nick Macfie and Raissa Kasolowsky) By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China, the continent's biggest trading partner. Tillerson is using his first diplomatic trip to the continent to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to Beijing for aid and trade. He may also seek to smooth relations after U.S. President Trump reportedly dismissed some African nations as "shithole countries" in January. Trump later denied making the comment. "We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa," Tillerson told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital. "It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements and not forfeit their sovereignty." The United States is the leading aid donor to Africa but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009. Beijing has pumped billions into infrastructure projects, though critics say the use of Chinese firms and labor undermines their value. Tillerson said Chinese investments "do not bring significant job creation locally" and criticized how Beijing structures loans to African government. If a government accepts a Chinese loan and "gets into trouble", he said, it can "lose control of its own infrastructure or its own resources through default." He did not give examples. The growing Chinese lending to the continent has also attracted criticism from some Africans, who say China's agenda is to feed its appetite for African raw materials like oil, timber and minerals, and secure contracts for its firms. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, visiting Zimbabwe on Thursday, told reporters it was inappropriate for Tillerson to criticize China's relationship with African countries. "It was not appropriate to criticize the relations of his hosts -- when he was a guest there -- with another country," he said. Many African governments enjoy close ties with both Washington and Beijing. Kenya, for example, inaugurated a $3.2 billion railway funded by China last year. For the last three years, Kenya has received more than $100 million annually in U.S. security assistance. Asked about Tillerson's criticism of China's approach on the continent, Kenya's foreign affairs minister Monica Juma said: "This country is engaging with partners from across the world driven by our own interests and for our own value." "OPAQUE CONTRACTS" Tillerson arrived in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, on Wednesday and visited the African Union headquarters on Thursday. The complex was funded and built by China and is seen as a symbol of Beijing's thrust for influence and access to the continent's natural resources. Ethiopia is home to some of Beijing's biggest investments, from a railway to Djibouti that opened last year to factories and industrial parks. Earlier this week, Tillerson criticized "China's approach" to Africa which he said encouraged dependency through "opaque contracts" and "predatory loan practices". Ethiopia's prime minister resigned suddenly last month and a state of emergency was imposed but protests in the restive Oromia region have continued. The secretary of state met Hailemariam Desalegn, who resigned as prime minister but is still acting in the post awaiting a replacement. Details of their discussions were not released. Tillerson said after meeting his Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu that the answer to political turmoil in Ethiopia was greater freedoms. "It is important that the country moves on past the state of emergency as quickly as possible," he said. Tillerson reiterated previous calls for African states to cut ties with North Korea. North Korea has more than a dozen embassies on the continent. The Trump administration has said that Pyongyang earns hard currency from arms deals with African government and the trafficking of wildlife parts from Africa. Tillerson is due to fly to Djibouti, host to military bases owned by the U.S., China, Japan, France, and Italy. He will then visit Kenya, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Shabaab Islamist militants in Somalia, before traveling to Chad and Nigeria, which are also battling to contain Islamist insurgents. Analysts say Trump has focused mainly on security concerns in Africa at a time when China, Turkey and other nations are ramping up diplomatic and business links. "When you look at the set of countries that are being visited I think it kind of reinforces the perception that security, indeed, is the overwhelming focus," said Brahima Coulibaly, the director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings Institution. (Additional reporting by Kumerra Gemechu in Addis Ababa and Omar Mohammed in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) North Korea has pursued its most ambitious diplomatic overture to its southern, U.S.-backed rival in yearsbut President Donald Trump's hardline stance could encourage rising powers China and Russia to seize the opportunity. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday during his debut tour of Africa that he "saw potentially positive signals" after a high-level South Korean delegation met with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un and his officials, but maintained that the U.S. was "a long way from negotiations," Agence France-Presse reported. This determination came despite the fact that South Korean diplomats suggested Kim may even suspend weapons tests and eventually give up his nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances that the U.S. would not invade his country. Related: Russia and Iran Winning War of Influence Against U.S. With New Ties to Middle East Allies Iraq, Syria and Each Other Trending: U.S. Soldier Found Dead At South Korea Army Base Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Thursday that the move was "an important step in the right direction" and urged the U.S. to open dialogue "sooner rather than later," according to the Associated Press. The Russian Foreign Ministry hoped "these agreements will help launch [a] direct dialogue between the United States and North Korea." Rather than further postponing or suspending military drills, the U.S. appeared to be planning to press on with a massive exercise later this month or early April, once the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games conclude, according to U.S. officials cited Wednesday by CNN and NBC. Such a move would rile not only North Korea, but fellow Asian powers China and Russia as well. RTS1MB83 KCNA/Reuters Story continues Both Beijing and Moscow have sought a "double freeze" or "freeze for freeze" approach to solving the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, where Kim has developed and tested advanced ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons in spite of increasingly crippling international sanctions, especially from Washington. The strategy would see the U.S. indefinitely suspend military exercises near the Korean Peninsula while North Korea agreed to halt weapons tests. Don't miss: Elon Musk Tweets Trump: China Trade Rules Like Racing With Lead Shoes The U.S. has so far refused the approach, wanting to see North Korea officially commit to denuclearization as a precondition for dialogue. Shortly after rare inter-Korean talks began in January, North Korean delegation head Ri Son Gwon said his country's nuclear weapons were not up for debate because they were "only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, China or Russia." North Korea, however, has suggested in the past that it may give up its nuclear weapons, which Kim and his government have argued were only necessary due to the lingering U.S. threat of military action. Many U.S. officials remain skeptical of Kim's intentions, remembering similar moves by his father and grandfather before him that ultimately did little to resolve a war that never technically ended after the two Koreas fought a three-year conflict on opposite ends of the Cold War in the 1950s. North Korea's insistence on dealing directly with South Korea as the U.S. refused to participate, however, has put Seoul in a difficult positionone that may adversely affect its relationship with the U.S. As South Korean National Security Chief Chung Eui-yong arrived in Washington on Thursday to discuss his recent North Korea trip with his U.S. counterpart, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo told U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Navy Admiral Scott Swift he "need not send strategic weaponssuch as nuclear-powered submarinesthis time while serving as commander," according to The Korea Times. Most popular: North Korea's Kim Jong Un Joked About His Bad Image Abroad, South Korean Officials Say While Song's office later clarified that the remark was made in jest, it added to widespread speculations that, if the U.S. and South Korea do hold their annual "Foal Eagle" exercise this year, it would be a scaled-down rendition. Such a move would be welcomed not only by North Korea, but also by China and Russia. They too found the joint maneuver provocative and opposed growing U.S. military presence in the region. GettyImages-663590320 Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images In particular, they condemned South Korea's installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), a U.S.-built missile defense system that both China and Russia felt undermined their national security. As Trump kept a cold shoulder to his North Korean foe, Russian and Chinese officials have already offered to mediate between the neighboring rivals on the Korean Peninsula. During Thursday's press conference, Wang said China was willing to play a role in the talks. One day prior, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told South Korean member of parliament Chung Dong-young that Moscow would "provide assistance to promoting dialogue between South and North Korea," according to the state-run Tass Russian News Agency. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China, the continent's biggest trading partner. Tillerson is using his first diplomatic trip to the continent to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to Beijing for aid and trade. [L5N1QP17F] He may also seek to smooth relations after U.S. President Trump reportedly dismissed some African nations as "shithole countries" in January. Trump later denied making the comment. "We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa," Tillerson told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital. "It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements and not forfeit their sovereignty." The United States is the leading aid donor to Africa but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009. Beijing has pumped billions into infrastructure projects, though critics say the use of Chinese firms and labour undermines their value. Tillerson said Chinese investments "do not bring significant job creation locally" and criticised how Beijing structures loans to African government. If a government accepts a Chinese loan and "gets into trouble", he said, it can "lose control of its own infrastructure or its own resources through default." He did not give examples. The growing Chinese lending to the continent has also attracted criticism from some Africans, who say China's agenda is to feed its appetite for African raw materials like oil, timber and minerals, and secure contracts for its firms. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, visiting Zimbabwe on Thursday, told reporters it was inappropriate for Tillerson to criticize China's relationship with African countries. "It was not appropriate to criticise the relations of his hosts -- when he was a guest there -- with another country," he said. Many African governments enjoy close ties with both Washington and Beijing. Kenya, for example, inaugurated a $3.2 billion railway funded by China last year. For the last three years, Kenya has received more than $100 million annually in U.S. security assistance. Asked about Tillerson's criticism of China's approach on the continent, Kenya's foreign affairs minister Monica Juma said: "This country is engaging with partners from across the world driven by our own interests and for our own value." "OPAQUE CONTRACTS" Tillerson arrived in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, on Wednesday and visited the African Union headquarters on Thursday. The complex was funded and built by China and is seen as a symbol of Beijing's thrust for influence and access to the continent's natural resources. Ethiopia is home to some of Beijing's biggest investments, from a railway to Djibouti that opened last year to factories and industrial parks. Earlier this week, Tillerson criticised "China's approach" to Africa which he said encouraged dependency through "opaque contracts" and "predatory loan practices". Ethiopia's prime minister resigned suddenly last month and a state of emergency was imposed but protests in the restive Oromia region have continued. The secretary of state met Hailemariam Desalegn, who resigned as prime minister but is still acting in the post awaiting a replacement. Details of their discussions were not released. Tillerson said after meeting his Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu that the answer to political turmoil in Ethiopia was greater freedoms. "It is important that the country moves on past the state of emergency as quickly as possible," he said. Tillerson reiterated previous calls for African states to cut ties with North Korea. North Korea has more than a dozen embassies on the continent. The Trump administration has said that Pyongyang earns hard currency from arms deals with African government and the trafficking of wildlife parts from Africa. Tillerson is due to fly to Djibouti, host to military bases owned by the U.S., China, Japan, France, and Italy. He will then visit Kenya, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Shabaab Islamist militants in Somalia, before travelling to Chad and Nigeria, which are also battling to contain Islamist insurgents. Analysts say Trump has focused mainly on security concerns in Africa at a time when China, Turkey and other nations are ramping up diplomatic and business links. "When you look at the set of countries that are being visited I think it kind of reinforces the perception that security, indeed, is the overwhelming focus," said Brahima Coulibaly, the director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings Institution. (Additional reporting by Kumerra Gemechu in Addis Ababa and Omar Mohammed in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg) London (AFP) - The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First, who hit the headlines after US President Donald Trump retweeted anti-Muslim videos she posted, was jailed Wednesday for 36 weeks for religiously-aggravated harassment. Jayda Fransen, 31, filmed and posted online videos of people who she wrongly believed were defendants in a rape trial at Canterbury Crown Court in May last year, in a case that led to the conviction of three Muslim men and a teenager. Britain First leader Paul Golding, 36, was also found guilty and jailed for 18 weeks. The pair also posted offensive leaflets to houses in the area where the defendants lived. Judge Justin Barron at Folkestone Magistrates' Court said Golding and Franson had "demonstrated hostility" towards the Muslim faith. "I have no doubt it was their joint intention to use the facts of the case (in Canterbury) for their own political ends," he added. "It was a campaign to draw attention to the race, religion and immigrant background of the defendants." Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said the case had demonstrated Golding and Franson "were not merely exercising their right to free speech but were instead aiming religiously-aggravated abuse at innocent members of the public. "The victims suffered the distress of the abuse followed by additional stress when the footage was uploaded to the internet," he added. Trump's sharing in November of three inflammatory anti-Muslim videos posted by Britain First, unrelated to the videos in the Folkestone trial, sparked a diplomatic spat with British Prime Minister Theresa May. The retweeting of the controversial videos led to renewed calls for Trump's planned state visit to the UK to be cancelled. He later made a rare apology, saying he did not know the group's background before retweeting. By Ayat Basma NAQOURA, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lebanon and Israel have been holding talks nearly every day over a border dispute that has raised tensions between the two enemy states, according to the U.N. peacekeeping force on the frontier that is mediating their discussions. "There is a full engagement from all the sides and there have been meetings almost on a daily basis. The dialogue is open. No one has ever walked out from these meetings," said Andrea Tenenti, spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Tensions have spiked recently over an Israeli border wall, Lebanese offshore energy exploration, and the growing arsenal of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which Israel sees as the biggest threat on its frontier. Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL were already holding three-way talks every few weeks in a building on the border near the peacekeepers' base at Naqoura in southern Lebanon. They are now being held more often, Tenenti said, along with indirect talks conducted through UNIFIL. Israel is building a border wall near the Blue Line, as the frontier demarcation between the two countries in lieu of a formal border agreement is known. Lebanon has described the wall as an "aggression", saying it intrudes into Lebanese territory. Israel says the wall will be entirely on its side of the Blue Line and in Israeli territory. At the same time, Lebanon has begun oil and gas exploration in a block that includes a small area of sea along the maritime frontier that is claimed by Israel. "There is a will to keep this dialogue open ... I think now, beside the heightened rhetoric, the reality on the ground is different and there is no appetite for instability or for war," Tenenti said. BLUE LINE Reuters footage from a recent trip to the border area showed construction work in areas along the Blue Line, including cranes erecting concrete blocks and bulldozers working at a fence. Israel occupied southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000 and in 2006 it waged a month-long war against Hezbollah there. Israel says the Shi'ite Muslim group has grown stronger due to its role in the Syrian civil war, and has attacked it there. "The last 12 years have seen the quietest period the south of Lebanon has witnessed in over 30 years," Tenenti said. "But it is important to keep in mind that things along the Blue Line are in general very sensitive. Anything could, if it is not addressed immediately, potentially spark into something bigger and increase tension." For Abu Moussa Taher, 77, a shop owner in Naqoura, the idea of a new war seems distant. "It is impossible, I think. When you think of a war, you have to think of its consequences," said Taher, who says he has witnessed all of the wars to hit the area since 1978. (Writing by Ayat Basma; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Addis Ababa (AFP) - Washington's top diplomat Rex Tillerson said Thursday the United States was "a long way from negotiations" with North Korea, which this week made a shock offer to discuss denuclearisation. Tillerson, who is in Ethiopia on his first-ever Africa tour, said the signals from Pyongyang may be positive but stressed negotiations with Kim Jong Un's regime were not going to happen soon. "I think as President Trump has indicated, (there are) potentially positive signals coming from North Korea by way of their intra-Korean dialogue with South Korea," he told journalists. But "in terms of direct talks... we're a long way from negotiations, we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it," he said. He said a first step would be "talks about talks" to see if "conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations." Details are still sketchy, but South Korea announced Tuesday that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed". The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearisation and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, the South's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang with Kim. President Donald Trump welcomed the offer as "very positive". However his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he was "quite skeptical" and Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearisation." China on Thursday urged the United States and North Korea to start negotiations as soon as possible, while Japan has warned it could be a ploy to play for time, and urged "concrete" steps from Pyongyang. Paris (AFP) - French water and waste giant Veolia is to seek World Bank arbitration in a bitter dispute after Gabon cancelled its contract, the group said Friday, as Libreville has accused the firm of polluting the country. The decision to seek international mediation was taken by Veolia's Gabon-based SEEG unit, which has provided water and electricity distribution services in this small central African country since 1997 but lost its contract in February with the government seizing control of its facilities. The expropriation was denounced by Veolia as a "very serious, illegal act of expropriation", sparking a bitter war of words between the two sides. "This request was made following the expropriation of its assets and personnel, after the sudden cancellation of the public service concession for the production, transportation and distribution of drinking water and electricity by the Republic of Gabon on February 16," a Veolia statement said. Gabon said initially it was cancelling Veolia's contract because of a "deterioration of the quality of the service provided to users". Libreville later accused the firm of causing "considerable environmental damage" through oil and fuel spillage at the sites where it operates, raising concerns about its effect on water quality. But a company spokesman said at the time that SEEG had been audited more than 10 times by the Gabonese authorities over the past decade who had never raised any issues about environmental damage. And he insisted its water supplies were drinkable and met World Health Organization standards. SEEG, the Water and Energy Company of Gabon, is 51 percent owned by Veolia and provides drinking water and electricity throughout this former French colony of 1.8 million people, most of whom live in Libreville or in Port-Gentil, the economic capital. The company has also been at odds with Libreville over whether the government has met its commitment to invest 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) into SEEG, with the two sides in dispute over responsibility for power cuts and electricity fees. By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Virginia man was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to driving up the price of Fitbit Inc stock by orchestrating a hoax takeover bid, making about $3,000 in profit. Robert Walter Murray, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. Christopher Flood, a lawyer for Murray, could not immediately be reached for comment. As part of his plea deal, Murray agreed not to appeal any sentence of 6-1/2 years or less. Murray, 25, was arrested in May 2017 and charged with submitting a sham regulatory filing in which the nonexistent, Shanghai-based ABM Capital Ltd offered to buy Fitbit for $12.50 per share, roughly a 46 percent premium. The filing caused Fitbits share price to rise 8 percent to $9.27 on Nov. 10, boosting the companys market value by $122 million, before the San Francisco-based maker of footstep counters and other wearable devices denied knowledge of any tender offer. Authorities said Murray spent less than $1,000 on Fitbit call options, a bet the share price would rise, just before submitting the hoax offer. They said he made about $3,000 profit in one day by selling the options after the stock jumped. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges against Murray. The hoax filing was submitted through the SECs electronic Edgar database. The SEC said Murray concealed his identity by accessing Edgar through an account that appeared to be associated with a company in Napa, California, and having the filing signed by a Kevin Mead, ABM Capitals purported chief financial officer. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Tom Brown) Russian President Vladimir Putin stands with a gun at a shooting gallery of the GRU military intelligence headquarters Reuters With nuclear tensions at a high between Russia and the West, Vladimir Putin has said that he is willing to destroy the world but only if Russia is threatened. In a two-hour video documentary released in his native Russia, Putin said that he would give the order to launch if Russia was threatened with nuclear missiles. He told the host of World Order 2018, This is called reciprocal strike. If there is this decision to destroy Russia then we have a legal right to respond. He said, This would be a global catastrophe for humanity but I, as a citizen of Russia and the head of the Russian state would like to ask you this what do we need a world for if there is no Russia in it? MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO The comments come after months of sabre-rattling by Russia and America. Russia also said it was ready to begin work on its notorious Satan 2 missile, which can carry 10 thermonuclear warheads, enough to devastate an entire country. Satan-2 Details also leaked of a Kanyon doomsday torpedo which could swamp coastal areas in a radioactive tsunami up to 500 feet high. In 2016, Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear war drill involving 40 million Russians and 200,000 specialist rescue units. The Kremlin has ramped up measures designed for a nuclear war with the West upgrading bomb shelters and dusting off Soviet-era civil defence plans. Exactly four years after Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, the fate of the plane still remains unknown. Questions still abound about the planes disappearance, while the search for the airliner continues. Heres what we know about MH370 four years after the flight was lost. The Disappearance Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 when it lost contact with air traffic control. Two hundred and thirty nine passengers were on board the Boeing 777. Trending: Trump Still Hasn't Appointed A US Ambassador to South Korea or Filled 56 Other Such Vacancies The First Search After the plane vanished, Malaysia, Australia and China joined forces to launch an extensive search for the aircraft. The ensuing two year search for the flight was the costliest in the history of aviation at around $200 million, scouring some 46,000 square miles. The search was officially called off in January 2017. Despite every effort using the best science available, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft, authorities said at the time. MH370 Reuters Don't miss: Rachel Dolezals Biracial Son Says His Mother Just Drains Me In Netflix Documentary What Was Found The initial search yielded only three pieces of debris collected from the Indian Ocean confirmed officially to be from the plane. Those included a portion of the left outboard flap and a portion of the right outboard flap, as well as the right flaperon, a flight control device located on the wing. What Happened Despite the multinational search, the fate of the plane remained unclear and questions about its final moments remained unanswered. Authorities were still unclear about who was in control during the planes last moments. Competing theories surfaced about what happened. Some believed it had been hijacked or that the pilots were in control of the plane, while others thought it was not controlled at the tiem of the crash. Story continues Investigators, however, said they believed someone could have switched off the transponder on the plane before diverting the flight. The plane was believed to have crashed somewhere off the western coast of Australia, in the Indian Ocean. Most popular: Carrie Fisher Slaps Oscar Isaac 24 Times in New Star Wars: The Last Jedi Blu-ray Clip MH370 Search REUTERS/Rob Griffith Renewed Search Efforts After initial efforts were called off, the search was resumed in January by a private United States based technology firm called Ocean Infinity. The company struck a no find, no fee deal with Malaysia, agreeing that Malaysia would pay $70 million only if the plane was found. Ocean Infinity was using submarine drone technology to focus the search precisely on specific areas of the seabed. The company planned to continue searching until the end of April. Investigators were waiting to release the final investigation report until Ocean Infinitys search came to a close. In the event that the aircraft is found, the team will conduct further investigation, the investigation team said in a Tuesday statement, according to Channel News Asia. If the aircraft is not found a decision is made to discontinue the search, the team will resume the completion of the report and release it in the months ahead. MH370 Search REUTERS/Rob Griffith This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek WASHINGTON White House officials are refusing to turn over information to congressional leaders on their handling of domestic abuse allegations against former top aide Rob Porter, further raising questions about the Trump administrations already muddled explanations. House Oversight Committee chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) launched an investigation into the White Houses handling of the matter on Feb. 14, giving chief of staff John Kelly a deadline of Feb. 28 to submit information, particularly on why Porter worked under an interim security clearance to handle sensitive information. But in a letter on Thursday night, first reported by Talking Points Memo, White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short did not provide answers to the committees questions about Porter, and suggested to Gowdy that officials would not cooperate until a later time. Porter resigned last month after reporting by The Daily Mail and The Intercept revealed allegations that he had physically abused his two ex-wives. The White House continually changed its story of what officials, particularly Kelly, knew about the allegations against Porter, and for how long. FBI Director Christopher Wray later contradicted key parts of the administrations account, saying that the bureau had warned the White House about the allegations as early as last March, and completed its investigation this January, several weeks before Porter resigned. In his letter, Short told Gowdy the White House has formed a working group of officials who plan to streamline, harmonize, and modernize applicable standards across the Administration regarding the process of background checks and security clearances. We would be pleased to update you and others on the progress of the working group at the appropriate time, Short said. On Friday, the committees top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), called Shorts letter a completely inadequate response, asking Gowdy to issue a subpoena to obtain the information from the White House, or step aside from the committee. Story continues There is an obvious pattern here. Unfortunately, by repeatedly backing down, the Committee has now enabled and emboldened the White House to openly defy congressional oversight, Cummings wrote in a letter to Gowdy. It is now clear that the White House will not respond to this Committee unless it is compelled to do so. Gowdys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the White House and Cummings letters below. White House Letter To House Oversight Committee On Rob Porter Investigation by Marina Fang on Scribd This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Rep. Cummings Letter To Rep. Gowdy On White House Response by Marina Fang on Scribd This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Ottawa (AFP) - For the first time in its storied history, a woman has been appointed to lead the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on a permanent basis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced at the federal police force's training academy in Regina, Saskatchewan on Friday that Assistant Commissioner Brenda Lucki will succeed Commissioner Bob Paulson, who announced his retirement last year. Another woman held those reins on an interim basis for six months from December 2006 to June 2007. But Lucki is the first woman to be named to the post on a permanent basis. "When she takes her new post this April, she will be the 24th commissioner in the RCMP's history and the first woman to serve as commissioner in a permanent role," Trudeau told a news conference. "I'm very, very excited about being able to appoint the absolute best person for the job to be commissioner of the RCMP, who just happens to be a woman," he said. Since joining the RCMP at age 20 in 1986, Lucki has been posted across Canada as well as with the United Nations in the former Yugoslavia. More recently, she was in charge of training cadets. "I plan to challenge assumptions, seek explanations, and better understand the reasons how we operate," she said. "This means that no stone will be left unturned and if what we find works, then we carry on until we unearth the issues that need addressing. "I am confident that together we will meet our challenge head on and move forward to continue to modernize our organization." Lucki's appointment comes as the RCMP is grappling with an underrepresentation of women and sexual harassment within its ranks. According to the government data, only 22 percent of RCMP officers are female. Outgoing commissioner Paulson last year gave an official apology and offered an estimated Can$100 million compensation to settle two sexual harassment class action lawsuits launched by former policewomen. Story continues About 25,000 women who worked for the RCMP since 1974 -- when the force started hiring women -- qualified for the payments. The new commissioner will face calls for higher pay from members who recently won the right to unionize, and will soon have to face a new civilian oversight board. Lucki will also have to work to improve soured relations with Canada's indigenous communities. Ottawa has also tasked the RCMP with improving Canada's cybersecurity and leading efforts to tackle an increase in gangs and gun violence. Mallory Lubbock, 26, shares selfies post-skin cancer removal on Facebook. (Photo: Facebook/Mallory Lubbock) Most selfies on the internet tend to serve little to no real purpose. But in Mallory Lubbocks case, they might actually save lives. The 26-year-old from Iowa took to Facebook to share a series of images she took of her face that show her recent experience dealing with a cancer scare. Throughout the post, she chronicles her terrifying journey, explaining that it began in a tanning bed and resulted with a life sentence of routine checkups and likely more discoveries of skin cancer. The pictures may seem somewhat graphic, but Lubbock tells Yahoo Lifestyle that thats the point. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. I wanted to bring awareness to not only what can happen when youre out in the sun without sunscreen but also in a tanning bed, Lubbock says. I went every single day for two years, and almost every day for four. Im so young and will now deal with this the rest of my life! Blaming her 16-year-old self for making the poor choice to tan, the mother of two now realizes how impactful those decisions have become, although she previously believed that this would never happen to her. I remember seeing skin cancer posts on Facebook and thinking, Oh, thatll never happen to me, Lubbock admits seeing photos likely comparable to the one that went viral in 2015. The photo posted by Tawny Willoughby (who now goes by the last name Dzierzek) was of a similar nature, where the then 27-year-old shared a raw photo of her own scars that she also attributed to tanning. The post, since being shared about three years ago, has received more than 100,000 shares and 9,000 reactions, which inspired a study about a selfies likelihood to influence important conversations. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Lead author of the study Seth M. Noar, PhD, provides a viable comparison of the two photos, ensuring that Lubbocks is just as important a story that has the potential to gain power through more widespread attention. In the case of Willoughby, her story went viral it was shared roughly 50,000 times before the media picked it up, Noar tells Yahoo Lifestyle. The national media broadcasts then exposed a national audience to the story, some of whom may have also then searched for it on social media. In [Lubbocks] case, it is currently unclear how widely this has been shared or broadcast, or in what ways beyond Facebook. In any case, the potential is clearly there for another story of this kind to get major attention and engage the public on the topic of tanning beds and skin cancer. Story continues Just around the time of Willoughbys share in 2015, Noar and his colleagues saw near-record levels of online searches for information about skin cancer. And although he believes Lubbocks photo could have the same potential, Lubbock herself just hopes that it reaches enough young girls to steer them away from tanning beds. I so hope it keeps a 16-year-old from getting in a tanning bed because my facial wound is so frightening, Lubbock says. Or I hope it reaches a mom whose daughter tans daily so she can show her my images and maybe she will realize this is what can happen. As for her own children, one of whom is a little girl, Lubbock will undoubtedly tell her daughter about this horrific experience once she gets older. I hope to God my own daughter doesnt get into [a tanning bed]. And I will do everything in my power to make sure she hopefully doesnt. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Mother left with hole in her face after mistaking skin cancer for stubborn spot Are you skipping this crucial part of your face when applying sunscreen? Scientists Created a Treatment That Can Make Skin Tan Without the Sun Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is one of the world's most well-known female economists. More women are needed in the field. (Photo: Alex Wong via Getty Images) Women are missing from economics. Women make up only 14 percent of full professors in U.S. economics departments. In stark contrast to other social sciences where women typically receive over 60 percent of doctoral degrees, women in economics receive only 35 percent of doctorates. Women have made significant progress in certain STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, traditionally dominated by men. But economics is not one of them. Startlingly, evidence suggests little progress in bringing women into economics since 2000. So why does the gender makeup of economists really matter? Would we have more information on the global social impacts of climate change, the root causes of income inequality, and solutions to the gender wage gap if economics were more gender balanced? Might policy questions have been asked or answered differently if more women were economists? Those advocating for gender parity presume that women economists need to be included when research is being conducted and when policy is being debated because they bring a different perspective than men. As economists, my co-authors and I decided to test this theory. The results show that there are indeed differences in the views of similarly trained male and female economists in both the European Union and in the United States. Women economists, for example, are more likely to favor government intervention over market solutions. Male economists not only show a greater willingness to rely on markets, they are more likely to see problems from interfering with them. These differences in views were evident across many policy areas on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, calls to make employers provide health insurance, and income inequality. Woman marching for equal pay in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last year. (Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images) Perhaps not surprisingly, large differences existed in views between male and female economists on matters of gender equality in the labor market. Where men saw issues such as the gender wage gap as largely a case of skills and choice, women were more likely to view outcomes as the result of unequal opportunities. Story continues We begin to see how these differences in views may help influence gender imbalance in economics imbalances that are prevalent in universities throughout the world. If men are the majority of full professors (and they are), younger female academics may find it harder to have their research seen as valuable. If men are the majority of editors of economics journals (and they really are), it is not difficult to understand why, as Erin Hengel has shown, in some of the top journals in economics, it takes women six months longer to go through the review process for publishing in some of the top economics journals. The imbalance also may be a reason why the research topics of women economists dont appeal to those male editors. More importantly perhaps, we can begin to understand what these gender imbalances in economic research mean for how economic decisions are influenced and made. Of course, even acknowledging the barriers to womens progress in economics, some may be convinced that the arc of history will eventually bring more women into the discipline, along with younger male economists more open to diversity. Unfortunately, there is growing reason to question that assumption. As Alice Wus analysis of the Economics Job Market Rumors forum a site to discuss jobs in the sector demonstrates, some of the biases that have contributed to the gender imbalance appear alive and well among those entering the profession. Wu looked at more than a million anonymous online posts, and what she found paints a disturbing portrait of attitudes that persist at least in some corners of the economics profession. Where users were likely to describe men with words related to academia or their profession such as adviser or mathematician when it came to women, users focused on appearance, using words like hotter or gorgeous. This snapshot of misogyny unfortunately rings uncannily true for a number of women in the field, as well as young women considering whether to make economics their lifes work. The governing board of the American Economic Association, at its January meeting, responded to the issues raised by the job forum and there is some movement afoot to deal with the challenges presented by this disrespectful discourse. But leaders in the profession and economists throughout the world must begin to reflect upon the many factors that have produced the gender imbalance and how to address it constructively. The profession must understand that the lack of gender parity in economics is a systemic problem that will not fix itself. Ann Mari May is professor of economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For more content and to be part of the This New World community, join our Facebook Group. HuffPosts This New World series is funded by Partners for a New Economy and the Kendeda Fund. All content is editorially independent, with no influence or input from the foundations. If youd like to contribute a post to the editorial series, send an email to thisnewworld@huffpost.com Related... 5 Numbers To Have Handy When Men Ask Why There Is An International Women's Day Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. How much did she have to drink? Why didnt she wear a more modest outfit? Why did she and the man she later accused of raping her look like two lovers while walking together on campus? These are some of the questions that defense attorneys asked a Yale University student who brought a rape complaint against her classmate. The questioning occurred during a rare criminal trial over a campus sexual assault case, and is all the more striking amid an ongoing national reckoning over womens allegations of sexual misconduct against dozens of powerful men in industries ranging from politics to Hollywood. The court proceedings drew criticism from groups that support sexual assault victims, who said the defense attorneys questions were an assault survivors worst victim-blaming nightmare. The trial also comes at a moment when the very definition of consent and sexual assault is being debated on college campuses, pitting students who believe schools need to do more to support alleged victims against those who think schools need to do more to protect the rights of the accused. Much of the debate has focused on campus proceedings, particularly after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos last year rolled back Obama-era Title IX guidance that had instructed colleges to use a lower burden of proof when investigating sexual assault complaints. But the Yale University case shed light on what happens when such complaints are handled in a court of law, as they rarely are. The trial ended Wednesday when a jury found 25-year-old Saifullah Khan not guilty. Khan was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow Yale student after a Halloween party in 2015. He was suspended from the university in 2015 pending a disciplinary hearing, his attorney said. A spokesperson for Yale declined to comment. During the trial, Khans lawyers asked whether the woman who accused Khan had previously flirted with him and how much she had to drink the night she alleged that he assaulted her. The lawyers also asked the woman why she had worn a black cat costume instead of dressing up as something more modest, like Cinderella in a long flowing gown, the New York Times reported. Story continues That type of questioning blames alleged victims and may discourage other women from coming forward with accusations, said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Womens Law Center, which advocates for womens rights, including on issues of sexual assault and harassment. These sort of myths about rape are deeply embedded not only in our culture, but also in our legal proceedings, and are a big piece of why it is that, even though we know rates of sexual violence are so high, rates of reports are so low, especially in the criminal justice system, she said. What I worry about is the message that it may send to survivors about their ability to use the criminal justice system. Maura Crossin, executive director of the Victim Rights Center of Connecticut, which represented the female Yale student, declined to comment. Norm Pattis, Khans attorney, said the questions were relevant to the defenses argument. If you dress in a sexually provocative manner, dont be surprised if someone becomes provoked. Does that justify rape? No. Was that one of the factors that led Mr. Khan to believe she might be willing to explore intimacy? Yes, Pattis told TIME on Thursday. It was directly relevant, and to suggest otherwise is criminally naive, if not stupid. If you flirt with somebody, you have a little bit too much to drink, you invite him back to your room, and youre wearing provocative clothing, dont be surprised if the individual looking at you is going to be provoked, he added. People need to take responsibility for the signals they send. All this outrage about the questions I asked is really ridiculous. You dont get a free pass just because you claim to be a victim. Pattis like other lawyers and advocates for students who say they are falsely accused said that accused students have been unable to get a fair hearing in campus sexual assault proceedings, arguing that the Obama-era Title IX guidance created an institutional bias against them. DeVos decision to roll back that guidance last year was swiftly criticized by advocates for victims of sexual assault, who have warned that it will discourage victims from coming forward to report rape and, by extension, make campuses less safe. In testimony, the alleged victim said that on the night in question, she was separated from her friends after drinking at a party, lost consciousness several times and walked with Khan back to her dorm room. She testified that she fell asleep on her bed fully clothed and felt Khan on top of her in the middle of the night, according to the New Haven Register. When she woke up, she was naked and had bruises on her legs, the New York Times reported. Khans account differed; he said she invited him into her room and initiated sex. The jury found him not guilty after determining that there was sufficient doubt about each of the charges, one of the jurors told the Times. When asked during the trial if she planned to file a civil suit against Khan or Yale, the woman said no. I have nothing to gain by this, she said, according to the Times. Its been difficult reliving it the last three days. In a statement after the trial on Wednesday, Pattis criticized Yale for how it had handled the case on campus, and called for the university to readmit Khan. Were grateful to six courageous jurors who were able to understand that campus life isnt the real world, Pattis said in the statement. Kids experiment with identity and sexuality. When an experiment goes awry, its not a crime. For those who have pushed for changes on campus to more clearly define consent and ensure that sexual assault claims are taken seriously, criminal proceedings that focus on womens outfits or flirtatious text messages are a disappointing setback. It also shows a huge discrepancy between the way that we teach students on campus about consent, and the way that courts and antiquated laws look at sexual violence and consent, said Jess Davidson, interim executive director of the group End Rape on Campus. This case is every survivors worst victim-blaming nightmare. Prague (AFP) - Czech President Milos Zeman on Thursday was sworn in for a second and final term at a Prague ceremony where the pro-Russian, pro-Chinese and anti-immigration leader used his speech to criticise journalists and rivals. The former communist, who became the Czech Republic's first directly elected president in 2013, was reelected in January with 51.4 percent of the vote, edging out his liberal challenger Jiri Drahos who scored 48.6 percent. In his speech at Prague Castle, Zeman went after several media outlets owned by controversial businessman Zdenek Bakala, accusing them of "trying to manipulate public opinion". He also criticised political rivals, including the conservative pro-European TOP 09 party, whose leaders including chairman Jiri Pospisil left in protest. "It's sad that Milos Zeman can't stop himself from attacking those with different viewpoints," the European Parliament member said on Twitter. Zeman won a second five-year term thanks to support from rural and leftist voters. Fear of migrants and a rejection of EU migrant quotas also played a key role. The 73-year-old -- who walks with a cane, is diabetic and is known as a former heavy drinker and smoker -- had to be physically supported during the ceremony. Some fifty townswomen in a remote community in South Sundan greeted an Israeli Foreign Ministry delegation with singing and dancing after it distributed 20 tons of food to refugees affected by the civil war plaguing the country. A team from the Foreign Ministry headed by Ambassador to the South Sudan Hanan Godar distributed 20 tons of food to refugees affected by the civil war plaguing the country. In the remote town of Jebel Dinka, outside of Jouba, 50 townswomen greeted the Israeli delegation with singing and dancing. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter South Sudan has been suffering in recent years from a severe humanitarian crisis caused by a combination of serious violence and climate change in the region. The country is now considered one of the world's worst disaster areas. Two million of its citizens are defined as refugees (1 million internally displaced persons and 1 million refugees in neighboring countries). Joyus welcoming for Israeli FM delegation in South Sudan X Israel enlisted in a campaign to alleviate the suffering following an international appeal for urgent assistance. Each food package handed out by the delegation, headed by Ambassador to the South Sudan Hanan Godar, was divided into 100 kilograms of food for each family, and the food was distributed to the village women who are in the most acute nutritional distress. Goder also announced that the State of Israel will receive 60 students from southern Sudan for agricultural training in the coming year as part of the Israel Foreign Affairs Assistance Mission. The students will stay in Israel for year and will work for five days on farms and one day a week will study agriculture at Kinneret College. Goders announcement was widely covered in the local media where Israel is viewed as a giant contributor in foreign aid and is advancing many building projects in South Sudan. US President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a message put out by the White House late Thursday said, following an announcement by South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong, in which he said the meeting will take place within the next two months. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Trump himself later tweeted about the matter, adding it marked "great progress," but that sanctions will remain in place until an agreement is reached. President Trump (L) agreed to hold a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim (Photo: AFP) Chung added that Kim "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." A message by the White House later said that Trump had indeed accepted Kim's invitation to meet, and that the meeting will be held "at a place and time to be determined." Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2018 The message further stated that the US expected the Korean peninsula to be denuclearized, and that sanctions should remain in place in the interim to exert pressures on the isolated country. CNN reported earlier that Chung delivered to the White House a letter addressed to Trump from the North Korean leader that contained an invitation to meet. The letter was delivered to Chung during a meeting between senior South Korean officials and Kim held Monday, considered the first meeting between the dictators and officials from the South since he took power in 2011. Chung added that Kim stated his commitment for Korean denuclearization, as well as his assent to halt his country's nuclear and missile tests National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong recounted the North said during the talks it was prepared for "openhearted talks" with the United States on issues relating to denuclearization and normalizing relations between Pyongyang and Washington. "North Korea made clear its willingness to denuclearize the Korean peninsula and the fact there is no reason for it to have a nuclear program if military threats against the North are resolved and its regime is secure," Eui-yong told a media briefing. Chung headed a delegation of ten South Korean senior officials that visit their northern neighbor for two days, staying in Pyongyang. The following day, Trump said that Pyongyang was "on the right track." Moon welcomes Trump-Kim meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the planned summit between Trump and Kim will be a "historical milestone" that will put the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula "really on track." Moon in a statement read out by his spokesman on Friday also complimented Trump for accepting Kim's invitation for a summit, saying Trump's leadership will be praised "not only by the residents of South and North Korea but every peace-loving person around the world." Moon is also preparing for a summit with Kim at a border village between the Koreas in April. South Korean President Moon welcomed the meeting between the two leaders (Photo: Getty Images) Previously, the Pentagon stated it was "cautiously optimistic" about the North-South talks, which resumed in January for the first time in two years. The Americans made clear to North Korea that no negotiations could take place without the isolated country's denuclearizationa demand summarily rejected by the communist North. It appears, however, that in the wake of the South Korean delegation's visit the North has softened its stance on the matter. The joint Korean delegation at the Pyeongchang games (: ) X Last year, for instance, it could scarcely have been believable for the North to host a South Korean delegation, but relations between the two Koreas have significantly improved lately, with detente between the two countries beginning with North Korean participation in the Winter Olympics held in South Korea, and continued with Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, visiting the Pyeongchang games. The visit by the leader's sister was the first such visit by a member of North Korea's ruling family since the Korean War ended. Furthermore, claims were made in the US that Vice President Mike Pence planned to hold a secret meeting with the dictator's sister and other senior officials, but that the North had backed out of it at the last minute. VP Pence and Kim's sister (circled both attended the Winter Olympics in South Korea (Photo: EPA) Diplomacy preceded by saber-rattling In a speech for New Year's Day , Kim iterated his desire for dialogue with with the South. "When it comes to North-South relations, we should lower the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to create a peaceful environment," Kim said. "Both the North and the South should make efforts." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used his New Year's speech Monday to declare the United States will never be able to start a war with his own country, which now has the capacity to target the entire US with its nuclear weapons. He did, however, also strike a less than conciliatory tone when he said, "The whole territory of the US is within the range of our nuclear strike and a nuclear button is always on the desk of my office and this is just a reality, not a threat," emphasizing that the weapons would only be used if North Korea is threatened. North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September in defiance of international warnings and sanctions, raising fears of a new conflict on the Korean peninsula. In his New Year's Day speech, Kim warned that 'the nuclear button was always on his desk' (Photo: AP) The height of US-North Korean tensions was reached when the latter stated it was seriously considering targeting the island of Guam in the Pacific Oceana US protectoratewith medium-long range missiles. This statement was preceded by Trump vowing that, "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and the fury like the world has never seen." The two leaders also traded personal insults on several occasions, with Trump calling the North Korean leader "Little Rocket Man" and Kim branding the president a "senile dotard." Israels investigation authorities are considering scheduling a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, and their former media advisor-turned state's witness, Nir Hefetz as part of the Bezeq corruption affair , pitting the two sides against each other as they present their version of events. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Netanyahu is suspected in the scandal, also known as Case 4000, of providing benefits to the Bezeq communications giant in return for favorable coverage on the Walla! News site, which the latter owns. An arranged confrontation between the two former allies would constitute an aberration in the handling of the myriad corruption cases involving the prime minister, since thus far the police have refrained from organizing such a scenario between two other states witnesses who agreed to testify against Netanyahu. Suspended Communications Ministry Director-General Shlomo Filber, who for a time was Netanyahu's right-hand man, recently agreed to serve as a state witness in the investigation while the former chief of staff at the Prime Minister's Office, Ari Harow, signed a state's witness agreement in Case 1000 and Case 2000 Nife Hefetz (L) and PM Netanyahu (Photo: Amit Shabi) According to officials familiar with the details of the investigation, Hefetz could be brought to the prime ministers official residence in Jerusalem at some stage in the near future to testify about things that he witnessed and personally heard, including alleged instructions regarding news coverage on Walla! News controlled by Bezeq majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch. When Hefetz inked the states witness deal , authorities informed him that part of his obligation would be to confront anyone they askeda demand with which he said he was ready to comply unconditionally. Ynet learned Wednesday that Hefetz also has dirt on two other Likud ministers and two senior members of the party. While police scrambled to clarify that he had not yet provided any incriminating evidence against anyone, officials privy to the details claim that he does, however, know about suspicious incidents involving the ministers. While he has yet to provide his full testimony, Hefetz claimed that the work he conducted with those senior officials, as part of a larger framework of projects at the Ministries of Health and Environmental Protection, was carried out with a substantive conflict of interests, abuse of authority and nepotism. Hefetz was connected with many officials in the public service and in government offices, said one of the officials. If he decides to speak about it all there are many more who will have to hide. Shortly before heading back to Israel from his five-day trip to the US, Netanyahu again rejected the claims and reports being made about the different investigations against him, complaining that he and his wife "were under attack all the time, every hour and every minute." "A prime minister is allowed to seek justice. I won't remain silent, I am telling the truth," Netanyahu told Israeli reporters after a visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York. Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki criticized Arab states, saying their failure to implement decisions reached regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have encouraged the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This failure, Maliki claimed, encouraged small countries such as Guatemala to follow the American lead and also transfer their own embassies to Jerusalem. "If we can't implement our own decisions, how can we prevent other countries from undertaking such moves?" he wondered. Dozens of Israel Police and Prison Service retirees and their wives are protesting outside the Haifa home of Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, demanding government provide them with similar payments to ones made to IDF retirees. Protesters claimed the government did not abide by decisions of a labor court on the matter handed down almost eight years ago. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman continued a second round of attacks on Haredi political parties in the government Friday morning, over their role in creating an ongoing crisis regarding IDF conscription that is threatening to tear the coalition apart. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The draft bill that is being formulated at the moment is not a compromise, but rather a letter of surrender to an act of extortion, Lieberman wrote in reference to attempts by coalition members to resolve the crisis by forming a compromise bill that would placate ultra-Orthodox parties. The crisis erupted in recent weeks when the Council of Torah Sages demanded that Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzmans United Torah Judaism (UTJ) make his support for the 2019 state budget dependent on the passage of an amendment to the current conscription law that would solicit state recognition of Torah studies to being equal to military service. Yaakov Litzman and Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg and Yoav Dudkevitch) The amendment Litzman is seeking to the current law would essentially facilitate exemption from military service for yeshiva students. However, in a bid to mollify the intransigent position being taken by UTJ and avert the calling of snap elections, ministers gathered to come up with what could be an acceptable compromise amendment. The ultimatum of either the conscription bill or the the state budget was put forward by the Haredi parties. The ultimatum either the conscription bill in a second and third reading in May or dismantlement of the coalition was decided by the Haredi parties, the defense minister continued. Complicating matters further, he also promised that his own political party, Yisrael Beytenu will support a bill only if it is drafted by the defense establishment and the IDF. On the matter of security there is no compromise. The compromise that members of the coalition began fleshing out on Thursday includes alterations to the proposed amendment which was set to be discussed on Friday by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation. The compromise is expected, inter alia, to include a quota of 3,800 Haredi conscripts into the military and the civil service which will rise each draft cycle. In the event that the quota is not met, the law would require that sanctions be imposed on the yeshivas and it would expire every five years and need to be approved afresh. The sanctions currently being debated for failure to enlist, in the meantime, are strictly economic. The draft compromise is supposed to be presented to Litzman and the rabbis on Friday. However, with Lieberman toughening his stance and declaring his reluctance to accept any phrasing of the amendment by political rather than military officials outside the defense establishment, a new spanner has been thrown into the works. Ministers work toresolve crisis (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, Ohad Zwigenberg and Yoav Dudkevitch) On Thursday evening, Lieberman attacked the ultra-Orthodox parties for their part in the crisis, calling them a "group of extremist element. "In recent days, the people of Israel have been taken hostage by a group of extremist elements. They're threatening to drag all of us to unnecessary elections, in a complex security reality, and demand that we give in to their extortion, or they would dismantle the right-wing government. We must not and we will not allow that to happen," Lieberman said. The crisis has ensured that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus return landing from his five-day trip to the US on Friday will not be soft. Since Sunday is the final day on which the IDF conscription bill can be brought before the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, the prime minister will have just two days to decide whether to intervene and settle the matter or call early elections, as he threatened to do while in the US if the coalition could not work it out. Some have speculated that the tactic is a mere ploy to let the government unravel itself, thereby providing a pretext for Netanyahu to call elections, bolster his mandate and extricate himself from the net of corruption investigations closing in around him, while simultaneously demonstrating his indispensability in keeping a coalition together. Bibi is concerned for himself, said one minister earlier this week, arguing that the rationale behind calling elections stemmed from investigations, not the coalition infighting. Hes thinking about the investigations, about the police recommendations to indict him and about the states witnesses. He prefers to go to elections before the decision about the indictment and to renew the nations faith. He is just riding on the back of the conscription crisis. Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) With the prevailing uncertainty on whether or not elections are on the horizon, Bayit Yehudi party leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett has already outlined his own preconditions for joining any future government, demanding that he replace Lieberman. I dont intend to push Netanyahu aside, but if he assembles the next government I absolutely intend to demand the defense minister's portfolio, Bennett said in an interview with Army Radio. If he leaves the stage, I intend to run for prime minister. The Palestinian minister of foreign affair has accused Arab states of encouraging US President Donald Trump with his decision last December to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital by failing to adopt and implement their own decisions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Riyad al-Maliki charged that this failure also led to the Guatemalan president to echo Trumps declaration and emulate his decision to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Arab states have no option of exerting pressure on Guatemala, the Palestinian minister said. This brazen act by Guatemala came only after it read the map and realized that the Arab states were not able to implement the decisions which they took on the Palestinian issue for many years." Minister Riyad al-Maliki (Photo: Reuters) On Sunday, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said that his country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May, two days after the US embassy makes the same move. I would like to thank President Trump for leading the way. His courageous decision has encouraged us to do what is right, Morales said in a speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committees annual policy conference, according to a translation of his remarks on the pro-Israel US lobbying groups website. If we are not able to implement these decisions, how can we prevent other states from making this kind of move? al-Maliki. President Jimmy Morales at AIPAC Conference (Photo: AFP) Palestinian officials in Ramallah say that so far Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has not managed to rally adequate support for his position from the international community. According to those officials, some countries are loath to offer full support for the Palestinians for fear of falling out of favor with the US and its at times bellicose leader. Other states, the officials claim, have gone a step further in actively pressuring others to adopt Trumps position on the premise that only the US can serve as the broker in any future peace agreement and that ultimately only negotiations can resolve the decades-long conflict. United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley at AIPAC Conference (Photo: AFP) Earlier this week, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley spoke about Israel's capital at the AIPAC Conference, declaring that "Jerusalem was, is and will always be the capital of Israel. That's a fact." The assembled Washington crowd responded with raucous applause. "This was not something that was created by the location of embassy," she continued "This is not something that was created by an American decision. America did not make Jerusalem Israel's capital. The joint American-Israeli Juniper Cobra 2018 military exercise has reached its apex in the past few days, in preparation for a scenario the likes of which Israel had never experienceddealing with thousands of rockets and missiles launched simultaneously from Iran, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter For the David's Sling unit, it will be the first baptism of fire. "We're learning a lot about how to improve the system and adjust it for future threats," Lt.-Col. Kobi Regev, commander of the the first David's Sling battalion said. Commanders of the US force speaking about Juniper Cobra (: , ") X Soldiers operating the American and Israeli air defense systems' command and control centers are required to tackle operational dilemmas that may turn the tide of the next conflict. They are tasked with handling heavy rockets, precision-targeted and long-range missiles, in the medium defense layer between the Iron Dome and the Arrow missile In some cases, the Israeli and American forces are forced to counter threats that have yet to be created, as they are still under development by Israel's enemies. "Soldiers are required to operate weapons systems in a complex environment, as they see the enemy's missiles bearing down on the neighborhood where they live," Lt.-Col. Regev told Ynet. (Photo: US Air Force Tech Sergeant Matthew Plew) "An immense amount of coordination is required between the Iron Dome, Arrow, Patriot and David's Sling systems. We don't have the privilege of each system operating independently and have to coordinate interceptions across all systems while holding constant communication between our senior strategic staff and the American brass, down to the parallel lower tactical ranks," he added. The battalion commander revealed that a "significant and frantic" process of studying the enemy was taking place. "One of the main challenges for soldiers participating in the exercise is therefore to identify (incoming threats) within a short period of time, with determination and level-headedness, and launch an intercepting missile to hit the target. "We may face down things we can't even imagine in the next war, and so we're currently joining the race to learn with the desire to counter all threats. The enemy is constantly thinking up ways to surprise us, not only weapons-wise but also as it pertains to its combat doctrine and perceptions. We at David's Sling bring an advantage of honing in on specialized targets existing in the field. No system can work alone." 3rd Air Force Commander Lt.-Gen. Richard Clark (L) and Commander of IDF Aerial Defense Brig.-Gen. Zvika Haimovich (Photo: EPA) Despite it all, Regev stated that, "Defense will not be hermetic, and a central component of our activities is (therefore) to bring sufficient warning to civilians, so that they may quickly and aptly seek shelter." The David's Sling commander also recounted how moved he was by joint briefings at the end of each day. "American tactical officers take to the stage, and say they're here to defend the State of Israel and its sovereignty as if they were fighting for their own country. They say they'll do anything to defend Israel. It's moving," he said. David's Sling Commander Lt.-Col. Regev said he was moved by the American offices' dedication Lt.-Col. Richard Clark, commander of the American force, said that US Army forces are prepared to leave Europe and arrive in Israel within two or three days from the moment they are called upon. The "thousands of threats" to prepare for notwithstanding, Clark said, the exercise allowed both Israel and the US to improve their communication and cooperation. "Defense against ballistic missiles is a difficult, highly technical task and requires a precise joint effort to succeed, and that's what we're working to develop here," he said. Lt.-Gen. Clark (R) said the exercise was the glue that will hold the American and Israeli forces together (Photo: EPA) "This is the biggest, most important exercise held by United States European Command this year. it symbolizes our commitment to Israel's security," Clark stated. "For eight months we've drawn conclusions from the previous exercise and thought about ways to improve our ability to defend Israel. "Some 2,500 American troops deployed across Israel, Europe and the US are participating in the exercise along with more than 2,000 IDF soldiers. In our operation centers, we have American service members sitting side by side with Israeli defense force members, and this is the glue that is going to hold the inter-operability and the integration together when it comes time for us to execute this mission." Israeli forces side by side with American troops (Photo: Herzel Yosef) Israel has made missile defense a priority since the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bombarded the country with 39 Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War. The Lebanese-based terror group Hezbollah, meanwhile, rained some 4,000 rockets into Israel during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, while Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza have fired thousands of rockets into Israel from the south. Today, the threat is far more formidable. Hezbollah is now believed to possess a stockpile well in excess of 100,000 rockets and missiles capable of striking virtually anywhere in Israel. (Photo: US Air Force Tech Sergeant Matthew Plew) Hamas's rocket capabilities are also alarming. The Gaza terror group fired some 4,000 rockets at Israel during Operation Protective Edge and occasionallyduring times of security crisisdifferent Palestinian terror groups launch rockets at Israeli communities on the Gaza perimeter. The Juniper Cobra 2018 exercise, which began March 4, will last until the end of the month. DJIBOUTI US President Donald Trump made the decision to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un himself, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday, but the talks will take "some weeks" to arrange. Trump has said he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders and potentially mark a major breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. "That is a decision the president took himself. I spoke to him very early this morning about that decision and we had a very good conversation," Tillerson told reporters during a visit to the African nation of Djibouti. "President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right," the top US diplomat said. "And I think in the president's judgment that time has arrived now." Dozens of men and women marched in south Tel Aviv to protest the plan to deport Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers. Protesters carried signs saying, "Stop the expulsion" and Women say no to deportation." The "South Tel Aviv Liberation Front" group will hold a counter-protest nearby. The Foreign Affairs Ministry is mulling strident disciplinary measures against the administrative officer at the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria, one of South Africa's capitals, after she decided to give away a rare, expensive sculpture placed near the embassy's entrance, only because she thought it was "ugly and a piece of junk." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The enormous, imposing monument, whose value is estimated to be $100,000 at the very least, was created by artist Edoardo Villa, one of South Africa's preeminent sculptors. The sculpture was purchased by Israel when it purchased the property on which the embassy is located. Despite the fact the statue being official property of Israel and never having received authorization from any qualified figure within the ministry, the embassy's administrative officer Yaffa Mendel decided to give away the statue to Pretoria University. The sculpture was given away to Pretoria University by an embassy official The ministry's Inspector-General Orna Sagiv has been reviewing the incident for the past few weeks, after a complaint against Mendel was lodged. Villa, who passed away in 2011, was a South African sculptor of Italian origin who worked mainly in iron and bronze. Many called him the "Picasso of South Africa," and his works were displayed in museums and galleries around the world. Israel fielded requests to purchase the statue for years for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the embassy refused, saying it was an Israeli as well as South African national treasure. The administrative officer, however, was unimpressed, and attempted to get rid of it two years ago. Then-Israeli Ambassador to South Africa Arthur Lenk blocked her attempts, as he recognized the piece's enormous artistic and monetary value. When Lenk concluded his posting, the officer received the assent of new ambassador Lior Keinan, who was not aware of the work's importance and value, and gave the statue away to Pretoria University. Sculptor Edoardo Villa was known as 'Picasso of South Africa' Foreign Affairs Ministry sources said Mendel described the state as a "piece of junk" and initially even considered giving it away to junk dealers. The matter was only discovered when a senior ministry official arrived to visit the embassy and noticed the famous statue, which became synonymous with the embassy, was gone. The ministry estimated the statue was worth $100,000, but other sources within the ministry said it was a minimal appraisal, and that it's true value could reach half a million dollars. "It's still criminal negligence even by the lower estimate," a ministry source said. "It's unthinkable to just give away a statue like that one without authorization or any return. It's like a country's representative giving away an apartment or two new cars of his own volition." The Foreign Affairs Ministry responded to say, "The matter is under review by the ministry's inspector-general. The Foreign Affairs Ministry treats the incident with the utmost seriousness and gravity." LONDON Britain will keep up pressure on North Korea even as it welcomes progress towards talks between its leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday. Trump said he was prepared to meet North Korea's Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders and could mark a breakthrough in the standoff over the North's nuclear weapons. "We have always been clear that we want Kim Jong Un to change path and put the welfare of his people ahead of the illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons," May's spokesman said. "We will continue to work closely with the US, South Korea and the international community to ensure that pressure on North Korea continues and sanctions are strictly enforced until Kim Jong Un matches his words with concrete actions." Former US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in a gala event bidding farewell to outgoing Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Also in attendance were Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ze'ev Elkin and Opposition Chairman Isaac Herzog, as well as heads of American Jewish communities and organizations. Sharansky will be concluding a nine-year posting in the United States this coming June. L-R: Avital Sharansky, fmr. US President Bush, Natan Sharansky, Sara and Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO) The current Jewish Agency head first rose to prominent in the 1970s, when he was incarcerated in the Soviet Union for his Zionist activism and was one of the leading "refuseniks"people denied right to make Aliyah by Soviet authorities. Sharansky served nine years in Soviet prisons. Upon his release in 1986, he immediately immigrated to Israel. His political career began in 1995, when together with Edelstein he founded the Yisrael BaAliyah party, which later merged with Likud. Throughout his political career, Sharansky served as minister of industry and trade, interior minister, housing and construction minister and minister of Jerusalem affairs. He was elected chairman of of the Jewish Agency in June, 2009. "I'm extremely proud of Jewish Agency emissaries who take our mission to campuses, communities, synagogues and schools," Sharansky said at the New York City event. Sharansky and the Jewish Agency envoys dancing to Israeli tunes (Photo: Jewish Agency's Twitter account) Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated Sharansky, and said, "Thank you, Natan, for your service to the Jewish people, the Jewish state and the cause of freedom." Dozens of Jewish Agency envoys participated in the ceremony as well, and danced raucously to to the sounds of Israeli hit "Todo bom" by the duo of Static and Ben-el Tavori. ANKARA Turkish forces have besieged northern Syria's Afrin town and entry into the city centre is imminent, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, zeroing on the main goal of its operation in the region. On Thursday, Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies seized control of the town of Jinderes, state media reported, giving them control of one of the largest settlements in Syria's northwest Afrin region. Erdogan made the comments during a televised speech in Ankara. Some Likud party members are reluctant to defend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in public since he engaged in a media battle against law-enforcement authorities after his former media advisor Nir Hefetz signed a states witness agreement last weekend as part of the Bezeq corruption affair Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Bibi has stopped speaking to us and doesnt seek advice from anyone, a Likud member said on Thursday, using the prime ministers nickname. We are also not thrilled with coming to his defense in the media, especially after his attack on the law-enforcement authorities, particularly the police. Even if you are interviewed and defend him in a stately and moderate manner he isnt satisfied, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Hefetz (L) and PM Netanyahu (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Another Likud official commented on how the prime ministers level of trust in those around him had plummeted. Netanyahu doesn't trust anyone and doesnt believe anyone, he said, adding that he had almost completely isolated himself. He has practically no close associates in the party, except maybe Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. Thats why the MKs and the ministers are afraid of expressing anything, of responding or voicing their criticism on the investigations. Any statement of this kind is immediately thought of by him as subversion, as treachery or some kind of conspiracy to unseat him, the Likud member said. On Wednesday, Netanyahu accused authorities heading a series of graft probes against him of employing intimidatory techniques to compel suspects into slandering him, regardless of the veracity of the claims. The verbal assault on the investigative teams came just days after Hefetz, signed a state's witness agreement, joining two other former close Netanyahu associates who have turned state's witnesses recentlyAri Harow and Shlomo Filber. (Photo: Amit Shabi) I read about a man who was taken for investigation, on whom they exerted masses of pressure and told him, Lie, be a states witness and he refuses. It is difficult to believe that in the State of Israel, in our 2018 democracy, such things occur, Netanyahu said in a video uploaded on his Facebook page as he was flying from Washington to New York. So I want to say a few words about the industry of states witnesses. They take people who claim that they carried out some offence, place them under arrest, terrify them and say to them: Your life is over. Your familys lives are over. Were taking practically everything from you, including your freedom. Do you want to be free of this? There is one way outslander Netanyahu. It doesnt matter if you tell hallucinatory lies. The main thing is that you slander Netanyahu, the prime ministers post continued. When there is something real, you dont need a single states witness, and when there isnt anything, even one thousands states witnesses wont help. This obsessive hunt for one states witness and then another and another is the best proof that there is nothing, he added, sticking to the mantra that has escorted him throughout his public defense since the investigations erupted. Palestinian sources reported that a 24-year-old from Hebron was shot to death during clashes with IDF forces in the Bab al-Zawiya neighborhood of the city. The IDF conducted a preliminary investigation into the incident, which revealed that the force spotted the young man while he was throwing a Molotov cocktail at them, and that the claim of his death was being investigated. The European Union is welcoming US President Donald Trump's readiness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "positive development." EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, in a statement Friday, also welcomed another summit planned for April between Kim and South Korea's president. She said the EU is looking forward to the outcome of the talks and that the bloc supports all efforts to obtain "the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." South Korea's national security director announced on Thursday that Trump had agreed to a proposal by Kim to meet by May to discuss the denuclearization of the peninsula. Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man Friday during clashes in the Bab al-Zawiya neighborhood of Hebron, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter An Israeli military spokesman said the man had been about to throw a fire-bomb at the troops, who were responding to an immediate threat when they shot him. He added that the incident would be reviewed, not yet confirming the details given by the Palestinian Health Ministry. Palestinian rioters, IDF soldiers clash in Ramallah, West Bank on Friday, March 9 (Photo: AFP) Bab al-Zawiya lies on the seam between the Israeli and Palestinian parts of the city. Meanwhile, at the At-Tuwani village in the south Hebron Hills of the Hebron Governorate, The IDF and police are investigating a suspected hate crime in which extreme right-wing activists smashed windows of Palestinian-owned vehicles. In recent weeks more than 10 similar incidents have been reported in the West Bank. US-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2014 and a new push by President Donald Trumps administration to restart negotiations has shown little progress so far. Tensions between the sides have risen since Trump declared on December 6 that he recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Outraged Palestinian leaders said Washington could no longer take the lead in peace efforts but Israel has said the United States should remain peace-broker. Trumps announcement and the planned move in May of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalemhome to sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christiansreversed decades of US policy on the city. Its status is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Israel says the entire city is its indivisible and eternal capital. Elior Levy and Yoav Zitun contributed to this report. The United States said on Thursday it was offering a $5 million reward for information on Mullah Fazlullah, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban militant group, which has waged a decade-long insurgency in Pakistan. The offer came amid worsening US-Pakistan relations, and coincided with a visit to Washington by Pakistan's foreign secretary for talks expected to focus on boosting counter-terrorism cooperation and the US war strategy in Afghanistan. Although Pakistani Taliban militants still unleash attacks, the group has lost control of all territory in Pakistan since its Dec. 2014 attack on an army school that killed 132 children. The US State Department also offered rewards of $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali, the head of a Pakistani Taliban affiliate, and Mangal Bagh, the leader of an allied Pakistani militant group accused of attacking NATO convoys. "Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals," the department said in a statement. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A smoke grenade was thrown Friday at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private home in Caesarea during a protest by hundreds of residents of Hof HaCarmel and Zikhron Ya'akov against the intention to build a gas distillation rig offshore of Hof HaCarmel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The flare landed near the driveway to the home and caused orange smoke to fill the air. The police detained a 16-year-old boy for interrogation on suspicion of throwing the flare. Police reported that the flare was immediately extinguished by the police force called to the scene. Police force putting out the flare (: ) X There were no injuries and no property was damaged. Netanyahu and his wife were on their way back to Israel from the premier's diplomatic visit in the United States. The demonstrators protested any intention to set up a gas rig so close to residential communities, saying such an installation would endanger the lives of residents of the area and cause heavy air pollution. The alternative, they say, is the construction of a facility near the gas drilling rig, 120 kilometers from shore, instead of the current plan to construct it at the Leviathan gas field., 10 kilometers from shore. Police force putting out the flare (Photo: The Forum for the Protection of the Beaches) The demonstrators traveled in a convoy about a kilometer long in the direction of Caesarea, where they demonstrated close to the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One of the protestors, Moshe Barak of the Shomrei HaBayit (Guardians of the Home) organization which opposes the rig's construction, warned that the current plan would lead to the establishment of a harmful petrochemical industry, dangerously close to Israeli beaches and settlements. "From a social perspective, public health should be placed first," he said. In recent weeks, residents have demonstrated several times in front of the homes of decision-makers, including the Netanyahu home of Yitzhak Tshuva, who owns 45% of the rights to the natural gas at the Leviathan gas field. Polands foreign minister on Friday acknowledged the existence of an internal ministry document that reveals tension in the US-Polish relationship but denied Polish media suggestions that Washington is imposing sanctions. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The strains have emerged over new Polish legislation that makes it a crime to falsely attribute the Holocaust crimes of Nazi Germany to Poland. The US fears it could violate free speech. US President Trump (L) and Polands President Duda attend a news conference in Warsaw (Photo: AP) A Polish news portal, Onet.pl, reported on Monday that it had seen an internal Foreign Ministry document from February. It said the document revealed that Warsaw was informed by the US administration that the Polish president and prime minister should not expect meetings with the US president or vice president until the matter is resolved. Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz largely confirmed that on Friday, though he characterized the US message as being: It would be good if meetings at the highest level could take place in an atmosphere when these issues are resolved. He stressed that there was no mention of sanctions and denied the US position as meaning that diplomatic ties are somehow frozen, as some reports claimed. Czaputowiczs characterization seems confirmed by a number of meetings that have taken place in recent weeks between US and Polish officials in both Washington and Warsaw. There is nothing in it that could raise concerns, Czaputowicz said of the document. He also said prosecutors are investigating the leak of the document, which should not have been made available to journalists. Polands president last month signed the law, but also sent it to the Constitutional Tribunal for review. Many hope the court will find a way out of an impasse that caused what appears to be the worst rift in US-Polish ties in many years, and also created a dispute with Israel. The United States has concerns which I hope the Constitutional Tribunal will resolve, Czaputowicz said. Polands Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denied reports that the US is punishing Poland over a controversial new Holocaust law. Bartosz Cichocki, the deputy foreign minister, conceded that Washington has been expressing concerns and questions about the law, but said reports of sanctions are untrue. The largest rebel group in eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus says they have agreed with a UN team that entered the besieged area to evacuate al-Qaida-linked fighters from the district. In a statement Friday, The Army of Islam said that the first batch of fighters to be evacuated is currently detained in the group's prisons in eastern Ghouta. The Army of Islam said that the detainees from the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee have asked to be sent to the rebel-held province of Idlib in Syria's northwest. It was not immediately clear if the government would accept such a relocation which will involve passing through state-controlled areas to reach Idlib. In a letter last month to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the three main rebel factions in eastern Ghouta said they were committed to making al-Qaida-linked fighters and their families leave within 15 days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Saturday at 9 pm local time with heads of the Haredi factions to discuss a solution to the draft law crisis, it was announce by the premier Friday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Aside from United Torah Judaism heads Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and MK Moshe Gafni and Shas leader Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, the meeting will also be attended by two members of the LikudTourism Minister Yariv Levin and Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Minister of Environmental Protection Ze'ev Elkin. L to R: Deri, Gafni, Litzman and Netanyahu (Photos: Alex Kolomoisky, Yoav Dudkevich, Reuters) The crisis erupted in recent weeks when the Council of Torah Sages demanded that Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzmans United Torah Judaism (UTJ) make his support for the 2019 state budget dependent on the passage of an amendment to the current conscription law that would solicit state recognition of Torah studies to being equal to military service. The amendment Litzman is seeking to the current law would essentially facilitate exemption from military service for yeshiva students. However, in a bid to mollify the intransigent position being taken by UTJ and avert the calling of snap elections, ministers gathered to come up with what could be an acceptable compromise amendment. Defense Minister Lieberman (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) On Friday morning, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman excoriated the newly formulated compromise amendment, saying it is not a compromise, but rather a "letter of surrender to an act of extortion." He then promised that his own political party, "Yisrael Beytenu will support a bill only if it is drafted by the defense establishment and the IDF. On the matter of security there is no compromise." The compromise that members of the coalition began fleshing out on Thursday includes alterations to the proposed amendment which was set to be discussed on Friday by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation. The compromise is expected, inter alia, to include a quota of 3,800 Haredi conscripts into the military and the civil service which will rise each draft cycle. In the event that the quota is not met, the law would require that sanctions be imposed on the yeshivas and it would expire every five years and need to be approved afresh. The sanctions currently being debated for failure to enlist, in the meantime, are strictly economic. The White House says President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed North Korea. The leaders spoke Friday, the day after Trump agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a date and time still to be determined. The White House says Trump and Xi "welcomed the prospect" of dialogue between the US and North Korea. They also committed to keep pressure and sanctions in place until North Korea takes "tangible steps" toward "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization." Trump expressed hope that Kim will choose a brighter path for his country. China is North Korea's main benefactor. Trump has urged his Chinese counterpart to help pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear program. With the advancement in technology and education, you would think that child trafficking doesnt exist anymore, how wrong! As sad as this is, many countries not only just in Africa but in the whole world are still stuck on this barbaric activity despite there being many interventions put in place by the United Nations and other human activist groups. Ghana is one such country with a leading statistics of child trafficking, however, sooner or later this script is changing and for the better. Below are the statistics, causes and interventions put in place to help stop child trafficking in Ghana. Source: Pulse.com.gh Ghana is one of the fastest developing countries in the West African Region Today today. Not only does the country boast of a vast wealth of resources in terms of natural resources but also good infrastructure both physical and technology wise. Despite these developments, Ghana still lags behind when it comes to the human trafficking. Currently, these meace is more predominant than it was during the colonisation period with the biggest victims being young children. READ ALSO: Children along Ghana's coast being sold as low as 50 cedis Statistics of child trafficking in Ghana According to the statistics of Child trafficking in Ghana, out of 187 territories and countries, Ghana was ranked at Tier 2 in to watch list countries. The 2017 report named "Enhancing Criminal Accountability and Addressing Challenges in Prosecution Efforts, is a report that sought to come up with solutions that will be effective in ending human slavery in the world. These child trafficking in Ghana statistics in Ghana is not something new. In June of 2009, the USA Department of Trafficking in Persons Report released a full report documenting at least 30,000 children working as porters, fishermen and others primarily being used for sexual tourism. Causes of child trafficking in Ghana Source: Deutsche Welle To effectively solve the problem of child trafficking in Ghana the first important thing all concerned parties need to be aware of is the causes of child trafficking in the first place. The first cause that has been the biggest contributor to this menace is the cheap labor that comes with child trafficking. Created in 1960, Lake Volta is the number source of employment and food in the region. With the increasing depletion of fish in the region, most parents who live below poverty levels in the region always see the reason to have multiple jobs and for this substitute their children into the fishing business. In addition to cheap labor, children are trafficked into fishing for their small bodies as they can reach to places older fishermen cannot. The other cause of child trafficking in Ghana is explained by the cultural practices. Save for the ongoing education and sensitization in the country, lots of families in Ghana will freely and willingly give their children to join hard labor to learn manual jobs through apprenticeship. This in itself has contributed to the rise in child trafficking case in the country. Solutions to child trafficking in Ghana Despite the huge and increasingly rising statistics in Ghana, this child trafficking in Ghana menace can be resolved however all stakes holders need to be involved. The first intervention that needs to be done by the government is formulating and implementation of human trafficking act Ghana. Through legislative, the government can come up with stringent measures on all those involved in child trafficking menace. The second intervention that should be done is to educate adults on the hazards of human trafficking and child labour in Ghana. In addition to this parents should be advised to educate their children instead of involving them with hard labor. Lastly, avenues of child trafficking should be regulated in Ghana. For instance, when it comes to the fishing industry in the Lake Volta region, fishing of smaller fishes should be discouraged at all costs as this will see the work of young children in this activities significantly reduced. READ ALSO: Mother in Volta Region "sells" son for 300 cedis If you are wondering whether the children trafficking menace in Ghana can be curbed, yes it can. With the right interventions and goodwill from all the concerned stakeholders human trafficking and child labour in Ghana can all be a thing of the past. Source: Yen - GBCs Napoleon Ato Kittoe has purported that a man dressed like a policeman robbed him - He revealed that the policeman joined him and led him to an ATM to withdraw the money - The alleged policeman then joined a taxi after he had robbed the journalist Ghana Broadcasting Corporations top journalist, Napoleon Ato Kittoe, has become the latest victim of robbery in the capital city of Accra after a man reported to be a policeman made away with his money. According to the media practitioner, he was forced to withdraw money from an ATM machine for the police man who was allegedly armed. READ ALSO: Yvonne Nelson finally opens up about giving birth out of wedlock Recounting the incident on Facebook, Napoleon Ato Kittoe wrote, "I have news for the public. I was accosted around fiesta royale hotel by a man wearing police inspector uniform at 10:20am today. I was on my way to weija but the police man with gun who entered my car diverted me to korle bu where l was forcibly asked to withdraw money with ATM for him. The man demanded 8,500ghc but l withdrew 1,000ghc. He then left me and jumped into waiting taxi and it sped off. He said to me, are u not the broadcaster who traveled with presidents? Do it and have your peace. READ ALSO: Latest video of Ebony and her boyfriend playing together shows she was truly full of life It is yet to be ascertained if the man in uniform was indeed a police officer. However, the incident seemed to have been planned since the taxi which the policeman jumped into after taking the cash could not have been waiting there by coincidence. Napoleon Ato Kittoe This daylight robbery incident adds up to the alarming number of robbery cases that have been reported in the country in the last couple of weeks. The police have however been on high alert and have managed to make some arrests in connection with the escalated security threats that have beleaguered some parts of the country. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has however, assured the citizenry of bringing the perpetrators of the recent robbery attacks to book. In line with this, he has directed for funds to be released to enable the security forces fight the menace. READ ALSO: Photo: Street trader warms hearts on social media with her unique way of celebrating Ghana's 61st Independence Day Star Gist on YEN brings you an exclusive interview with upcoming music star Kobla Jnr: 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.com.gh - US Department of State report says five of the suspects have been on police wanted list since 2013 - Reports say defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by the US court of law. Seven Ghanaians including a South African, have been indicted by a US court in Columbus Ohio for an online romance scam, money laundering and other related offenses. According to a Mynewsgh.com report, the seven Ghanaians are Kwabena M. Bonsu, Kwasi A. Oppong, Kwame Ansah, John Y. Amoah, Samuel Antwi, King Faisal Hamidu, and Cynthia Appiagyei were indicted on Tuesday March 6, 2018. Four of the 7 suspects READ ALSO: Ghana cant develop with prayers and tongues speaking Ken Agyapong Reports say the accused persons were arrested and charged for conspiring to transfer the proceeds of their online romance scams through unlawful means. A US Attorney, Benjamin C. Glassman, who spoke on the matter disclosed that five of the suspects have been on police wanted list for similar crimes. According to him, Kwabena M. Bonsu had been arrested in 2013 for a similar crime but was released later. Benjamin C. Glassman explained that, the gang created several profiles on online dating sites and then contacted men and women throughout the United States with whom they cultivated a sense of affection, and romance. They later then request money with typical wire amounts ranging between $10,000 and $100,000 per wire. READ ALSO: My girlfriend, lawyers and manager abandoned me when I was in prison Ramzy The US Attorney in his statement added that the suspects succeeded in manipulating their victims using dating websites such as Match.com, ChristianMingle.com, BabyBoomerPeopleMeet.com, PlentyofFish.com, OurTime.com, EHarmony.com, Facebook and then defrauding them of millions of dollars. A statement released by the state department explained that in furtherance of the scheme, the co-conspirators allegedly created several companies, some of which were shell companies, to help attempt to hide the true nature of their proceeds. The statement added that the gang attempted to launder millions of dollars in proceeds earned from the scam through a series of financial transactions in order to conceal their illegal activities. However, US Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Ryan L. Korner has said that, indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. READ ALSO: Ghanaian musician congratulates Owusu Bempah's new wife for drinking 'akpeteshie' Meet emerging music star Kobla Jnr on Star Gist with Yen.com.gh: 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 - Rev. Owusu Bempah says some people are planning to assassinate President Akufo-Addo - Rev. Owusu Bempah explains that the people were displeased with the setting up of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and wanted to get rid of the president - The man of God claims the information came to him through a divine revelation Founder and leader of the Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah, has stated that some people have been planning to assassinate President Nana Akufo-Addo According to him, God revealed that people who are not pleased with the setting up of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) were bent on getting rid of the President by poisoning him or staging an accident involving him. Reverend Isaac Owusu Bemoah and President Akufo-Addo Though Rev. Owusu Bempah failed to mention specific names, he warned those with such evil intentions to change their minds or get exposed by him. READ ALSO: Mahama turns 'saviour' in Sierra Leone after Wednesday's elections "God has revealed to me that some people who are not happy about the creation of the Special Prosecutor's office by the president HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are planning to assassinate him . . . They are planning to use any means possible necessary, either through poisoning or accident, but I am warning them to stop else I will put out their names," he warned. Rev. Owusu Bempah is reported by Peacefmonline to have made the disclosure in an interview on Accra-based Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme. The man of God's revelation comes just days after the swearing in of Mr Martin Amidu as the Special Prosecutor. READ ALSO: Kumawood actress Maame Serwaa shows off her gentle daddy President Akufo-Addo, during the 2016 electioneering campaign, promised to set up the OSP to fight political corruption. A little over a year after taking office, President Akufo-Addo has fulfilled that promise to the admiration of many including former President J.J. Rawlings. Swearing in Mr Amidu, President Akufo-Addo had reminded him of the high expectations of the citizenry. READ ALSO: Photo of Ghana Police patrol car loaded with alcoholic beverages causes stir on social media The Ghanaian people expect the office of the special prosecutor to rise to the challenge and to the occasion, and collaborate with other existing law enforcement agencies to fight relentlessly and help eliminate corruption in our public life. Rev. Owusu Bempah who supported President Akufo-Addo in his corruption fight called for more support from Ghanaians saying "we cannot have some people who will want to destabilize the country or undermine its development for their own selfish and parochial interest." YEN.com.gh samples a number of potential top pastors in Ghana: We are looking for unique stories and photos about developments happening in your area. Get in touch with YEN on Facebook or Instagram. Source: Yen Ghana ECI holds a meeting with CEO/DEOs to instruct SOPs related to First Level Checking (FLC) of EVM-VVPAT Counting of votes for 3 city corporations in K'taka under way Guwahati : Nearly 95% funds raised for causes from Assam on Milaap, Indias largest crowdfunding platform are for medical needs and emergencies. With the advent of social media and the increased popularity of digital payments people are now increasingly switching to the faster, more convenient way to meet urgent, pressing needs where a larger sum of money is needed. In fact, the platform has seen an increase of almost 4 times in the number of fundraisers set up from the state compared to the previous year. Another interesting observation is that Assam is a pioneering state in driving online fundraisers through closely knit online groups and communities. Almost 92% of all the fundraisers from the state are funded by individuals and groups using word of mouth on social media. Fundraisers from Assam have collected nearly INR 1 Crore so far, for various causes: cancer care, treatment for rare medical conditions, kidney transplants or even to address local community concerns in rural areas, or in the aftermath of a disaster. During the floods of 2017, a group of volunteers raised over Rs 10 Lakh through their online fundraiser with the help of over 600 people from across the world. The funds were used to provide immediate relief, dry ration and set up medical camps in flood affected areas. Hundreds of families received instant help from supporters around the globe within a click. Similarly, doctors too, are now resorting to trustworthy online platforms to ensure more patients can avail quality healthcare and specialized medical facilities, undeterred by financial limitations. For example, recently Alon, a 2 year-old was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (a fast-spreading dangerous Cancer).. Pradeep Tisso, Alons father had retired from the army after serving the nation for 17 years. His battle was then against cancer, fighting valiantly to save his 2-year-old son. Pradeep and his wife, Deepika did everything possible, including travelling to several states in India in search of specialized medical care. When they did find the right hospital, they were almost completely drained financially. The hospital recommended crowdfunding, and the couple managed to raise nearly Rs 7 Lakh for their childs treatment within a couple of days. Baby Alon is now receiving Cancer treatment, thanks to the kindness of nearly 350 generous people across the globe. In a city conference today, Anoj Viswanathan, president and co-founder, Milaap said that, the very objective of online fundraising is to leverage technology to allow people to directly help another person in need. "We have over 460 fundraisers from the North East overall. It is amazing how the digital space is bringing these communities closer, and helping people act on causes they care about. With so many people eager to help one another, all it takes is a quick, easy way to get word out, and reach the right people, Anoj Viswanathan said. Milaap uses modern technology like digital payments and social media to bring the best out of human empathy. With the objective to ensure a smooth, hassle-free experience for beneficiaries, who might or might not be very familiar with the digital sphere, the platform is now looking forward to collaborate with hospitals across the state as well. This would help the platform directly collect and verify any documents or information, and make the process of verification much easier. Today, anyone with a smartphone can mobilise help from around the globe, or help another person anywhere in the world. Working closely with the community of users, Milaap is constantly striving to bridge any gaps that prevent people from resorting to this extremely convenient and easy way to tackle emergencies, Viswanathan adds. If anyone wishes to set up a fundraiser for a cause they care about, they can easily set up campaigns by using the instructions below: Visit https://milaap.org/fundraisers/new to start a fundraiser Send us a whatsapp message on (+91) 9916174848 or email at feedback@milaap.org for guidance to set up a campaign Do read frequently asked questions at https://milaap.org/faq to find easy solutions and quick tips to fundraise better! About Milaap Milaap is India's leading crowdfunding platform for personal and social causes. Constantly endeavoring to make it easier for people to raise money online for the causes that matter to them, the platform enables India to raise funds for personal causes, loved ones, pets and animals, natural disasters, medical treatment, education, local charities, emergencies, natural disasters, neighborhood, sports, documentaries, volunteering and fellowships, arts, and other projects benefiting individuals or communities in need. Milaaps community of funders come from over 120 countries across the world and has contributed nearly Rs 300 Cr from 100,000+ projects across India. Over the last seven years, Milaap has become the preferred platform for people to raise and contribute towards causes they care about in India. Milaap.org is constantly working to take crowdfunding to the masses. The website has over 2.5 million page views every month, and is growing 3x yearly. The platform constantly adds new features based on user feedback to ensure a hassle-free experience. The e-mail support extends over 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is rendered via a dedicated team that hand-holds users through any procedure on the website. WARNING for European visitors European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent. As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies. Contact: Mostly, the Rude Pundit doesn't give a shit what you have to say, but, if you have to say it, you can write to Lee Papa here: rudepundit(at)yahoo(dot)com Morocco denounced, Tuesday in Geneva, Algerias refusal to authorize the headcount and registration of the populations of the Tindouf camps, exposing the Algerian regimes manipulative ploy in the management of these camps to the detriment of the rights of the sequestered Sahrawi populations. Algerias opposition to the census of the camps populations hinders their obtaining the refugee status that will grant them the right to voluntarily return to Morocco, or at least the right to choose freely their country of asylum. This opposition also confirms Algerias maneuvering to evade its international responsibility and the lack of interest it grants to the humanitarian tragedy of these populations, stressed a Moroccan diplomat in Geneva. Addressing Tuesday the 71st session of the Standing Committee of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), convened in Geneva March 6 to 8, the Charge dAffaires of the Moroccan representation, Hassan Boukili, said that Algeria has chosen to be in this situation of alleged host country of Sahrawi refugees as it has itself created this situation. For the diplomat, Algerias repeated refusal to allow a headcount is a documented violation of the 1951 Geneva Convention, of the UNHCRs mandate and of Security Council resolutions urging it to authorize this census. According to the Moroccan diplomat, the Algerian regime continues to hide the real number of this population that would hardly exceed 20,000 to 25,000 people, out of fear that the world discovers that Algerians and nationals of sub-Saharan neighboring countries were knowingly infiltrated among the Sahrawi population to inflate the number of refugees. Algeria, which has for years taken advantage of the generosity of donors by inflating the number of refugees to 165,000, is now afraid to be held accountable for the misappropriation of humanitarian assistance and to be forced to reveal the authors of this misappropriation, the Moroccan diplomat underscored. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Education Reporter Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe. Former DPP is now Belize Supreme Court judge Social Share Former Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Colin Williams has been sworn in as a justice of the Belize Supreme Court, bringing the number of Vincentians serving on the bench in Belize to two. Williams took up duties at the beginning of March as one of two temporary judges, appointed for a period of one year to deal with a backlog of cases. There are 10 permanent judges on the Belize bench. During the ceremonial opening of the Belize Supreme Court in January, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin announced that he had received formal notification of financial support for the appointment of the two temporary judges for the Criminal Division. Williams joins another Vincentian, Justice Sonya Young, a former chief magistrate here in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), who took up duties as a judge in the Central American nation in March 2014. Williams, who had been DPP in St Vincent and the Grenadines since 2003, is now on pre-retirement leave from the public service. He has been a practising attorney since 1999.No one has so far been appointed to act as DPP, but Crown Counsel Sejilla McDowall is in administrative control of the department. "Can We Wait 75 Years to Cut the Prison Population in Half?" | Main | Federal judges fives "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli (waaaaaay-below-guideline) sentence of 7 years March 9, 2018 "The Reintegrative State" The title of this post is the title of this timely paper authored by Joy Radice that has just been posted to SSRN. Here is its abstract Public concern has mounted about the essentially permanent stigma created by a criminal record. This is no small problem when the U.S. criminal history database currently stores seventy-seven million criminal records, and poor people and people of color constitute a severely disproportionate number of them. A criminal record makes it harder for people to find housing, get hired, attend college, and reunite with their families. Yet these very things have the greatest chance of helping people lead law-abiding lives and reducing recidivism. Scholars, legislators, and advocates have confronted this problem by arguing for reforms that give people with a conviction a second chance. States have responded. By one count, from 1994 to 2014, over forty state legislatures passed 155 statutes to mitigate the civil collateral consequences of a criminal record. Although states have recognized that they have an interest in reintegrating their citizens with convictions, most people with criminal records cannot return to full citizenship. The stigma of a conviction follows them for a lifetime, even for the most minor crimes. This Article takes a systematic look at state reforms and integrates them into a more workable and effective whole, which I call the Reintegrative State. It makes four contributions to the growing literature on collateral consequences and criminal records. First, it argues that there is a state interest, if not obligation, to create an intentional and sequenced process to remove civil legal disabilities triggered by a conviction and to mitigate the permanency of public criminal records. Second, this Article argues that reintegrating people with convictions back into society is consistent with the states interest in punishment and public safety, especially in light of criminology research showing that a significant number of people stop committing crimes. Third, it critiques current state experiments with reentry initiatives as piecemeal, discretionary, inadministrable, and limited to a narrow segment of people with criminal records. Fourth and finally, this Article argues that the state can and should be the external force that destigmatizes a person with a conviction by reestablishing that persons legal status. To do so effectively, the state must incorporate reintegration approaches throughout the criminal justice system not just after sentencing or after release. The Reintegrative State envisions a holistic framework for helping those with criminal records re-assimilate into society. March 9, 2018 at 01:23 PM | Permalink Comments The criminals have good social skills. Many even have training in some work skills. They will take care of themselves. The employers are afraid of being sued for hiring them. Tort reform is the single best path to re-integration. Posted by: David Behar | Mar 9, 2018 1:43:13 PM Post a comment Highlighting that registries are not only for sex offenders in many states | Main | "Can We Wait 75 Years to Cut the Prison Population in Half?" March 8, 2018 You be the sentencing juror: what punishment for deadly drunk driving by Texas State college student? The question in the title of this post is prompted by this local article in Texas, headlined "Im guilty: Former Texas State student testifies in deadly DWI crash," which highlights that in the Lone Star State jurors are sometimes called to serve as primary sentencers in non-capital cases. Here are some case particulars via the local press piece: When Shana Elliott took the stand Thursday morning, she admitted: Im guilty. Elliott, 22, says she was intoxicated and should not have been driving the evening of Aug. 2, 2016, after a day of tubing on the San Marcos River. We decided to go float the river, we werent thinking ahead, we didnt plan who was going to be driving, Elliott said on the stand. The float ended around 5 and thats when nobody else was going to drive and I decided that I would. On that day, Elliott, who was 21 years old at the time, allegedly drove drunk and ran head-on into a car on State Highway 21 killing 23-year-old Fabian Guerrero Moreno and injuring his pregnant wife, Kristian Nicole Guerrero. Guerrero was five months pregnant. The unborn child did not survive. Elliott says before the crash she dropped her friends off at their homes then decided to drive home herself. Its really blurry, I just remember as soon as the accident happened, I know that I made the worst decision ever. She says she got out of her car at the scene of the crash and ran to the other vehicle. I just remember fighting, I wanted to go to make sure they were okay, she said. Im sorry. I accept responsibility and I know what I did was wrong. At Elliotts home, investigators found meth, heroin and a large bag of marijuana. On the stand Elliott admitted to being addicted to heroin at one time, she said she smoked marijuana, but never did meth. She says after a previous arrest for drugs she had plans to sober up. While Elliott was on the stand, prosecutors presented a large bottle of alcohol that was found at the crash site. Elliott told the jury it was hers, adding it was full before she and her friends began floating the river. Prosecutors also played recordings of phone calls Elliott made from jail. In one of the recordings, Elliott is talking with her boyfriend, speculating the other victims of the crash were part of the cartel. In another recording, Elliott can be heard joking and laughing with her friends about getting her eyebrows threaded in jail just four days after the crash. Elliotts grandmother Eleanor Brumley also took the stand Thursday morning. She was determined to make something of herself, said Brumley. Ive always been proud of her. Brumley describes Elliots childhood as difficult. She says her father died of a heart attack and her stepdad was an alcoholic and was abusive mentally and emotionally. Shana would deal with that and walk out the door with a smile on her face. She didnt complain. Shes always thinking of everybody else, said Brumley. Elliott says she tried to deal with the abuse herself, but when she arrived at college she sought psychiatric help through a doctor at Texas State University. She claims the doctor diagnosed her with depression, anxiety and slight PTSD stemming from her difficult childhood. At the time of the crash, Elliott was a senior at Texas State University. Records show her blood alcohol content was .199 at the hospital. On Monday, Elliott entered a plea of guilty for two counts of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. The jury is expected to decide her punishment this week. UPDATE: This local article reports on the jury's sentencing decision: Shana Elliott, a former Texas State University student, was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday afternoon on each count in the deaths of a man and his unborn child.... Elliott, who pleaded guilty Monday, received seven years in prison each for two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in the deaths of Fabian Guerrero-Moreno and his unborn child, who were killed in a drunk driving crash in August 2016. March 8, 2018 at 06:20 PM | Permalink Comments I would like to read the probation report. What has she been doing since the crash? If she has improved, and done well, she can continue to do so. If her last drink was an hour before the court, she needs time out of circulation. The facts are necessary for sentencing in an utilitarian scheme. In a retribution scheme, they do not matter, only the damage she has done matters, and everyone loses. If allowed to work, she can be sued, and compensate the estate for its loss. That is a win win outcome for everyone. Posted by: David Behar | Mar 8, 2018 6:38:04 PM What is the sentencing range? Does Texas have potentially pertinent enhancements and downward departures? Posted by: K | Mar 8, 2018 7:48:56 PM It's indeterminate sentencing. Second degree felony, 2-20. Tex. Penal Code 49.08 and Chapter 12. Posted by: Fat Bastard | Mar 8, 2018 8:20:30 PM That's some open-ended range. I would need to know how much comparable people received. The facts are pretty ugly though joking with friends really doesn't tell me much. Running to the other car helps a little. I don't know. Maybe, 5-10 years, depending on the terms for early release. Posted by: Joe | Mar 8, 2018 8:41:12 PM She should recieve the same punishment given to drunk drivers who dont kill people because all drunk driving is equally blameworthy. I dont know what that punishment is these days, but I think driving while seriously intoxicated should be punished with about 6 months in jail, so Ill say 6 months in jail. Punishing her more harshly than those who engaged in identical conduct and hazarded identical risks of harm simply because the dice came up death in her case serves none of the purposes of punishment. Posted by: Josh Lee | Mar 8, 2018 9:27:44 PM Interesting idea but another comment puts the actual range as starting at two years & judges/jury go by the laws on the books and the "going rate," not the laws we think most just. One "purpose of punishment" in our current system is retribution & that includes dealing what actually happens. Society and individual victims work off the death, even if it is partially a matter of luck. Anyway, the specific facts regarding the drunken driving (including the extended driving she did, not merely driving straight home from a party) can be aggravating factors. The drugs are too. That much drugs is probably worth more than six months alone -- heroin and meth particularly. A "large bag" of marijuana might be enough for sale. Of course, it we are going to have certain views on justice, we can determine drugs should be legalized too, I guess. Posted by: Joe | Mar 8, 2018 11:18:45 PM Under Texas law, intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault sentences may be stacked by the trial court, notwithstanding that they arose out of the same course of conduct. I see her getting two twenty-year sentences for the intox manslaughter cases and a ten year sentence for the intox assault. Some or all may be stacked; I'm not familiar with the judge, however. Posted by: Mark M. | Mar 9, 2018 1:41:48 AM Only an asshole would joke about causing the death of a family caused by their decision! Pathetic uncompationate selfish prick! Posted by: Mai | Mar 9, 2018 8:54:03 AM I am curious about the feeling of the people here, if the same outcome had resulted from driving sleepy, or while texting. Each has been shown to be as impairing as legal intoxication. Posted by: David Behar | Mar 9, 2018 9:14:55 AM I know Prof. Berman's feelings about the under punishment of drunk driving. Should the term be changed to impaired driving, and all punishments cover other causes of equally severe impairment as drunk driving? While I decry the murder rate, the number of deaths in crashes is double and the way people die is by butchery. Suicides are also double the murder number. Half of those people are legally drunk. Posted by: David Behar | Mar 9, 2018 9:28:29 AM This defendant knowingly got into a one-ton vehicle and drove drunk. Lets posit that she truly hoped should would not hit anyone or anything. Is this any different from the person who takes a rock to the top of the empire state building and who, while fervently praying it will not hurt anyone, drops the rock and kills 2 people? People must bear the consequences of their reckless acts. Here, any sentence less than 10 years would be a travesty. Posted by: anon1 | Mar 9, 2018 12:14:38 PM These are good thought experiments. If possible, it would be helpful if we get an update in each case on what the actual sentence was. Posted by: Joe | Mar 9, 2018 12:18:36 PM I struggle with this one -- each mitigating factor seems to have an aggravating factor right on it's heel. She accepts responsibility in the court room, but phone conversations undermine the idea of remorse and responsibility. She had knowledge of addictive behavior, especially with hard drugs, but seems like she still socially binge drinks and didn't seek formalized treatment. The victims make it hard to accept any mitigating factors -- a wife lost her husband and her unborn child because of the drivers actions. Ultimately, her age and background are strong mitigating factors that suggest to me that she could be rehabilitated and live a law abiding life in spite of the other factors. I would hope she won't get more than 5-10 years and will hopefully receive the treatment she obviously needs. Posted by: Shelby Slaven | Mar 9, 2018 12:25:08 PM In my state, which also uses jury sentencing for "first time" offenders, there is a second evidentiary phase after the jury finds the defendant guilty. At that phase, the parties can put on aggravating and mitigating evidence -- like municipal offenses, whether the defendant has completed an alcohol treatment program since the offense, etc. What the jury does not get are: 1) any probation report (normally not completed until after the trial); 2) any information about what judges and other juries have done (we want this jury's sense of what is appropriate, not them merely following what has been done by other people); 3) any information about possible probation or parole (such later choices are discretionary and any information is likely to be confusing and probably inaccurate). Given the .199 and evidence of other drugs and the phone calls, looking at what would be a 5-15 year range in my state for the two deaths and one injury (we have folded vehicular assault and manslaughter back into the DWI statute as sentence enhancements), I would probably recommend 9 years. Posted by: tmm | Mar 9, 2018 12:53:44 PM There is a separate sentencing hearing where evidence is heard in Texas. Somewhere I have seen that 10 years, partially probated, is kind of the going rate for intoxication manslaughter. I'm not a huge fan of adding a separate crime for intoxication manslaughter. In the final analysis, it is an accident. An accident made entirely more probable by the actions of the defendant, but not much more craven than many other driving impairments. It's evocative of the great judgment still levied against the use of intoxicants. And the lobbying of MADD and the spinelessness of legislators, who will do any damn thing for a vote. Posted by: Fat Bastard | Mar 9, 2018 1:42:52 PM As a practitioner in criminal law and an adjunct professor at a local college, I believe this to be an excellent real life example for my sentencing law class and would very much like to see how this sentencing plays out. Thanks. Posted by: ABC | Mar 9, 2018 2:05:12 PM "not much more craven than many other driving impairments" Like what? The "entirely more probable" part is why an enhancer to me makes sense. It is not "spineless" for legislators to determine that something that significantly makes it more dangerous, including killing people, to drive should be factored in here. And, the specific thing is a recreational activity that people are on fair notice regarding & the activity is not some necessity. She wasn't even driving from the river, an isolated location perhaps where alternative transportation etc. is harder. Talking about "any damn thing" in this context cheapens abuse of legislative action. This isn't merely a drug prohibition rule. Posted by: Joe | Mar 9, 2018 2:33:10 PM As a father of a 22 year old, I cry for her. As a criminal defense attorney, I advocate for her and plead for leniency. As a relative of the person killed, I'm angry at her and want her punished to the maximum extent of the law. As a judge, I must concur with anon1's opinion above: "you were intoxicated and still drove a one ton vehicle on the street; you acted recklessly and are responsible for the forseeable consequences of that reckless act...with heavy heart, I sentence you to 10 years(but you'll get good time, and probably be released early). " Posted by: Michael R. Levine | Mar 9, 2018 6:25:16 PM 10-15 years sounds about right. Posted by: federalist | Mar 9, 2018 7:18:29 PM The jury gave her 10 probated for one of the intox manslaughters, and two 7-year incarceration sentences for the other intox manslaughter and the intox assault cases. because the vehicle was a deadly weapon, she won't be parole eligible until she's served half the sentence. my limited research didn't reveal a news story which addressed whether the trial court stacked any of the sentences--which is really the greater determinant to the actual time she will be caged. Knowing Texas juries, I think she did as well as could be expected with this fact pattern. In fact, the jury seemingly took great pains to see that she would be supervised upon her eventual release--assuming the judge doesn't stack the seven-year sentences. Posted by: Mark M. | Mar 10, 2018 2:28:04 AM Michael. Is the US a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights? Is it not monitored by the United Nations Human Rights Committee? Does its Article 14.7 prohibit double jeopardy, defined as conviction on a charge on which one has been acquitted (the usual meaning of double jeopardy), but also a charge on which one has been convicted? Does stacking violate that ratified international Covenant? Someone is convicted of manslaughter for an actus reus. Can they be convicted of assault for the same actus reus without violating that Covenant? There is also an outcome bias. This is a fallacy that is very hard to resist. For example, biased defense experts thought there should be tort liability for the same doctor acts, but with bad outcomes in theoretical scenarios presented to the. However, it is nevertheless a fallacy. Fallacies violate procedural due process rights in the Fifth Amendment. If in her same condition, she had hit a mailbox, and not people, would she have been charged criminally for anything by DUI? Has anyone raised the outcome bias objection Why not? Has anyone ever made the argument of outcome bias as a violation of the constitution? Why not? Posted by: David Behar | Mar 11, 2018 7:46:52 AM Wow!! She got 7 years? What a system we have. They are trying to give me 10 years for constructive possession of a firearm. I haven't been in trouble in over 15 years. The second I'm near a firearm they want to bury me. I seen child molesters get offered less than me. Guess when you don't have a fancy lawyer to fight for you this is what happens. Check out my link and read my story. That's all I ask. Thank you.https://www.gofundme.com/the-justice-system-failed-mehelp Posted by: Lawrence Archer | Mar 21, 2018 2:08:08 AM Post a comment Economy ministries of 11 worldwide countries of Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam co- signed CPTPP in city of Santiago, Chile on March 8 (local time) Accordingly, Minister of Trade and Industry Tran Tuan Anh led the Vietnamese delegation to attend in the event. At the ceremony, the ministries approved common statement relating to CPTPP and pledged to strengthen connection between member economics and trade, investment and economic growth in Asia- Pacific region on base of mutual benefits, rule and obviousness. CPTPP's 11 member countries join the singing ceremony They showed their determination to make efforts to quickly complete domestic legal procedures in order to put the agreement into practice soon. Additionally, the foreign ministries welcomed attention of other economics for the CPTPP because it would create condition for boosting further economic integration process. The singing sent a message of strengthening economic growth, creating jobs, improving the quality of people's life, strengthening trade and economic cooperation among countries in the Asia-Pacific region. BY VAN PHUC- Translated by Huyen Huong [March 08, 2018] Enghouse Releases First Quarter Results MARKHAM, ON, March 8, 2018 /CNW/ - Enghouse Systems Limited (TSX:ENGH) today announced its first quarter (unaudited) financial results for the period ended January 31, 2018. First quarter revenue increased to $85.1 million, compared to revenue of $78.8 million in the first quarter of the prior year. Income from operating activities was $22.0 million, which includes a foreign exchange balance sheet loss of $2.5 million, compared to $22.4 million in prior year's first quarter, which had a foreign exchange gain of $0.2 million. Net income for the quarter was $6.8 million or $0.25 per diluted share compared to $11.7 million or $0.43 per diluted share in the prior year's first quarter, with the decrease being attributable to tax charges related to the enactment of the United States Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017 and the foreign exchange balance sheet loss. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $25.3 million or $0.93 per diluted share compared to $22.8 million or $0.84 per diluted share last year, with the increase being attributable to contributions from acquisitions and stronger license sales in certain regions. To normalize results for the significant volatility in foreign exchange rates over the past couple of years, the definition of Adjusted EBITDA has been revised this quarter to exclude foreign exchange balance sheet gains and losses. Both current quarter and prior period comparatives figures have been restated accordingly. Operating expenses before special charges related to restructuring of acquired operations were $36.3 million compared to $31.0 million in the prior year's first quarter and reflect incremental operating costs related to acquisitions and foreign exchange losses on assets and liabilities including intercompany accounts. Non-cash amortization charges in the quarter were $7.2 million compared to $7.5 million in the prior year's first quarter, and include amortization charges for acquired software and customer relationships from acquired operations. The Company generated strong cash flows from operating activities of $23.1 million compared to $10.7 million in the first quarter of 2017, an increase of 116%. As a result, Enghouse closed the quarter with $145.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, compared to $130.3 million at October 31, 2017. The cash balance was achieved after payment of $4.3 million in cash dividends and $4.9 million for acquisitions. In January, Enghouse named Vince Mifsud as President with responsibility for the Company's worldwide sales, operating and finance units. Mr. Mifsud has established an impressive track record in the SaaS and enterprise software industry, helping grow technology companies in Canada. Today, the Board of Directors approved an increase to the Company's eligible quarterly dividend to $0.18 per common share, payable on May 31, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 17, 2018. Enghouse has now increased its dividend in each of the past ten years, by over 10% each year. A conference call to discuss the results will be held on Friday, March 9, 2018 at 8:45 a.m. EST. To participate, please call +1-416-204-9269 or North American Toll-Free +1-800-499-4035. No PIN required. About Enghouse Enghouse Systems Limited is a leading global provider of enterprise software solutions serving a variety of distinct vertical markets. Its strategy is to build a diverse software company through strategic acquisitions targeting the Contact Center, Networks (OSS/BSS) and Transportation/Public Safety sectors. Enghouse shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ENGH". Further information about Enghouse may be obtained from the Company's website at www.enghouse.com. Non-GAAP Measures The Company uses non-GAAP measures to assess its operating performance. Securities regulations require that companies caution readers that earnings and other measures adjusted to a basis other than GAAP do not have standardized meanings and are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation. The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of operating performance. Therefore, Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as results from operating activities adjusted for depreciation of property, plant and equipment, foreign exchange gains and losses, and special charges for acquisition related restructuring costs. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate operating performance as it excludes amortization of software and intangibles (which is an accounting allocation of the cost of software and intangible assets arising on acquisition), any impact of finance and tax related activities, asset depreciation, foreign exchange gains and losses, other income and restructuring costs primarily related to acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA: The table below reconciles Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable IFRS measure, Results from operating activities: Three Months ended January 31, 2018 January 31, 2017 Total Revenue $ 85,075 $ 78,840 Results from operating activities 21,981 22,356 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 670 614 Foreign exchange losses and (gains) 2,531 (242) Special charges 129 98 Adjusted EBITDA $ 25,311 $ 22,826 Adjusted EBITDA margin 29.8% 29.0% Adjusted EBITDA per diluted share $ 0.93 $ 0.84 Enghouse Systems Limited Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (in thousands of Canadian dollars) January 31, 2018 October 31, 2017 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 135,936 $ 120,608 Short-term investments 9,031 9,737 Accounts receivable, net 73,269 71,894 Prepaid expenses and other assets 9,853 8,528 228,089 210,767 Non-current assets: Long-term deposits and accounts receivable, net 1,207 1,002 Property, plant and equipment 5,473 5,322 Intangible assets 75,457 79,714 Goodwill 151,393 150,687 Deferred income tax assets 10,065 14,345 Total assets $ 471,684 $ 461,837 Liabilities Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 51,471 $ 54,656 Income taxes payable 6,253 6,018 Dividends payable 4,323 4,319 Provisions 924 1,521 Deferred revenue 65,889 59,104 Current portion of long-term loans 452 468 129,312 126,086 Non-current liabilities: Non-current portion of income taxes payable 7,917 - Deferred income tax liabilities 15,501 21,449 Deferred revenue 2,907 3,337 Net employee defined benefit obligation 2,377 2,328 Long-term loans 1,893 2,238 Total liabilities 159,907 155,438 Shareholders' Equity Share capital 72,312 71,422 Contributed surplus 4,968 4,715 Retained earnings 224,265 221,775 Accumulated other comprehensive income 10,232 8,487 Total shareholders' equity 311,777 306,399 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 471,684 $ 461,837 Enghouse Systems Limited Consolidated Interim Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts) Three months ended January 31, 2018 2017 Revenue Software licenses $ 25,808 $ 24,208 Hosted and maintenance services 42,596 39,166 Professional services 14,377 13,968 Hardware 2,294 1,498 85,075 78,840 Direct costs Software licenses 2,035 2,109 Services 23,184 22,243 Hardware 1,425 1,001 26,644 25,353 Revenue, net of direct costs 58,431 53,487 Operating expenses Selling, general and administrative 21,429 19,825 Research and development 11,691 10,836 Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 670 614 Foreign exchange losses and (gains) 2,531 (242) Special charges 129 98 36,450 31,131 Results from operating activities 21,981 22,356 Amortization of acquired software and customer relationships (7,162) (7,457) Finance income 122 39 Finance expenses (60) (15) Other income 742 170 Income before income taxes 15,623 15,093 Provision for income taxes 8,810 3,360 Net income for the period $ 6,813 $ 11,733 Items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss: Foreign currency translation gain (loss) from foreign operations 1,464 (6,689) Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale investments 324 (93) Deferred income tax (expense) recovery (43) 12 Other comprehensive income (loss) 1,745 (6,770) Comprehensive income $ 8,558 $ 4,963 Earnings per share Basic $ 0.25 $ 0.44 Diluted $ 0.25 $ 0.43 Enghouse Systems Limited Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity (in thousands of Canadian dollars) Share Capital -number Share capital $ Contributed surplus $ Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) $ Retained earnings $ Total $ Balance November 1, 2017 26,993,212 71,422 4,715 8,487 221,775 306,399 Net income - - - - 6,813 6,813 Other Comprehensive Income (net of tax): Cumulative Translation Adjustment - - - 1,464 - 1,464 Unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments - - - 324 - 324 Deferred income tax expense - - - (43) - (43) Comprehensive income for the period - - - 1,745 6,813 8,558 Employee share options: Value of services recognized - 399 - - 399 Proceeds on issuing shares 35,200 890 (146) - - 744 Dividends - - - - (4,323) (4,323) Balance January 31, 2018 27,028,412 72,312 4,968 10,232 224,265 311,777 Balance November 1, 2016 26,906,962 69,555 3,875 7,469 187,649 268,548 Net income - - - - 11,733 11,733 Other Comprehensive Income (net of tax): Cumulative Translation Adjustment - - - (6,689) - (6,689) Unrealized loss on available-for-sale investments - - - (93) - (93) Deferred income tax recovery - - - 12 - 12 Comprehensive income for the period - - - (6,770) 11,733 4,963 Employee share options: Value of services recognized - 188 - - 188 Proceeds on issuing shares 29,500 458 (94) - - 364 Dividends - - - - (3,771) (3,771) Balance January 31, 2017 26,936,462 70,013 3,969 699 195,611 270,292 Enghouse Systems Limited Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands of Canadian dollars) Three months ended January 31, 2018 2017 Cash flows from operating activities Net income for the period $ 6,813 $ 11,733 Adjustments for: Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 670 614 Amortization of acquired software and customer relationships 7,162 7,457 Stock-based compensation expense 399 188 Provision for income tax 8,810 3,360 Finance expenses and other income (682) (155) 23,172 23,197 Changes in non-cash operating working capital 2,913 (7,926) Income tax paid (2,980) (4,596) Net cash flows from operating activities 23,105 10,675 Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of property, plant and equipment, net (600) (565) Purchase of other software - (489) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired $1,068 (2017-$Nil) (2,991) - Purchase consideration for prior period acquisitions (1,926) (393) Net purchase of short-term investments 985 (608) Net cash flows used in investing activities (4,532) (2,055) Cash flows from financing activities Issuance of share capital 744 364 Repayment of loans (368) (1,667) Payment of cash dividend (4,319) (3,767) Net cash flows used in financing activities (3,943) (5,070) Effect of currency translation adjustments on cash and cash equivalents 698 (1,342) Net increase in cash and cash equivalents during the period 15,328 2,208 Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period 120,608 78,436 Cash and cash equivalents - end of period $ 135,936 $ 80,644 Enghouse Systems Limited Selected Segment Reporting Information (In thousands of Canadian dollars) (Unaudited) For the three months ended January 31 2018 2017 Revenue: Asset Management Group $ 36,680 $ 31,286 Interactive Management Group 48,395 47,554 Total $ 85,075 $ 78,840 Asset Management Group: - Segment profit before special charges $ 10,414 $ 8,433 - Special charges (129) 96 Asset Management Group profit $ 10,285 $ 8,529 Interactive Management Group: - Segment profit before special charges $ 14,194 $ 15,768 - Special charges - (194) Interactive Management Group profit $ 14,194 $ 15,574 Corporate expenses (2,498) (1,747) Results from operating activities $ 21,981 $ 22,356 Amortization of acquired software and customer relationships (7,162) (7,457) Finance income 122 39 Finance expenses (60) (15) Other income 742 170 Income before income taxes $ 15,623 $ 15,093 SOURCE Enghouse Systems Limited [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] Dolphin Dems Push Back Against Candidate Tim Smith Letter to the Editor Dear South Florida Gay News: I am writing in reference to your article entitled Dolphin Dems Accused of Rigging Their Endorsement. The reason Mr. Smith was not on the ballot for endorsement at the February meeting is because he did not comply with the endorsement process as stated in the bylaws and was therefore ineligible to be endorsed. The Dolphin Democrats is undergoing major changes in its leadership and community involvement. Membership has more than doubled in the past year and new board members are actively engaged in rebuilding the organization. In November 2017 the Bylaws Committee met and completely reviewed the bylaws of the organization and proposed amendments to update them. The revised bylaws were submitted to the membership and voted on at the January 10, 2018 meeting. One amendment says candidate endorsements are made for one race only and candidates seeking endorsements must request to be endorsed for each race separately. Primary, general and special elections are all separate races. All amendments were publicly available on the Dolphin Democrats webpage prior to the January 10th meeting. An announcement was made at that meeting that all candidates seeking endorsements for the upcoming Fort Lauderdale race in March had to submit their request by January 22, 2018 to be eligible for consideration at the February 21, 2018 meeting. The bylaw amendments were approved by a 2/3 vote of the members attending the January 10th meeting. Mr. Smith voted for the bylaw amendments. Mr. Steven Glassman was the only candidate who correctly followed the bylaw endorsement process. Thus, Mr. Glassman was the only candidate eligible for the endorsement vote at the February 21st meeting. Although Mr. Smith was not endorsed, his contributions to the organization and the LGBTA community should not be diminished. We wish Mr. Smith luck in his campaign and hope we may continue to receive his long-standing support in the future. Thank you, Scott Herman President of the Dolphin Democrats Parkland: Another Tragic Loss to our Community Dear Editor of the SFGN, A mere dozen days have transpired since yet another massacre of innocent young adults. The Parkland community, Florida and the U.S. have suffered an immense loss. We are all without words to express our sorrow and suffering. In a week and a half we have witnessed a trans-formative experience in Florida and the United States. The survivors of that horrible murder against 17 human beings have staged a massive response. Their voices now heard loud and clear throughout the nation and the globe, demanding respect for life and the children of God. With emphasis, without a hint of self-doubt these young men and women have reclaimed and rightfully so their place in history. On June 2016, almost two years ago a very similar horror was endured by a different community. A hater arrived at the Pulse club in Orlando and killed 49 brothers and sisters and wounded 58. The nation tethered at the edge of the abyss. Our LGBTQ community lost more than many lives that night we lost our political virginity. Unfortunately, most of us did not perceived it that way. As in the past, we receded back into our mental and sinister closets. Back to our invisible yet powerful ways we went back to the usual. Unusual, as all destinies are, the latest tragedy shows the generational contrasts that are maybe inevitable after all. The young generation of survivors from Parkland are showing the LGBTQ people how to fight back. The missed opportunity we had will be surveyed by history. The survivors, young men and young ladies from the Stoneman Douglas High School, are teaching us a lesson. When we are hit we must not just defend ourselves we stand strong, organize and bring the fight and the conversation to another level: from the individual pain to the collective imagination of our nation. Maybe there is hope after all.... Sincerely, Jimmy Lam Why Destroy This Mans Life? Reader: Have empathy for the abuser as well as the abused I am writing because I find myself conflicted after reading your article on Bruce Presleys past...and the follow-up published in the 2-14-18 (Valentines Day) Issue. I know and respect MeToo, and believe it takes courage to speak up and out about sexual abuse and assault, especially in our sex-obsessed and repressed society. However, after a 40 year absence, I want to say, Give me a break! The poor man has given to society...and to gay society...benefits of money, expertise and time. The boys are now men, and those you write about have managed to be productive citizens through their pain. They were not innocent enough not to have broken rules at Lawrenceville School; they had decided to fight if they were physically assaulted; one did stop his exercises and leave. These seem to have been appropriate responses at the time (perhaps at any time). So, why destroy a man at the end of his life when these men have managed to pick up and maintain successful lives? If I were the Symphony or Stonewall, I would not have stripped Presley of these identities but tried to find another way to have the man express - remorse, one would hope - and then move on. I intend to communicate this to them. Meantime, I would ask, knowing that you have many more years to grow before you reach Presleys age, that you try to find more balance in your next feature of sexual misbehavior. Empathize, not only with the abused, but for the abuser, whom I expect has not responded to contact attempts because of his own horror of the effects he wrought. These boys who are now men, should possibly spend more time working on their own resolutions without devastating a schools reputation, and that of another human being. Sincerely, Frank E Grant, PhD Fort Lauderdale Bruce Presley Was an Excellent Teacher I am writing to you to provide another perspective on Mr. Bruce Presley, as I learned that he is under investigation for his alleged misconduct at the Lawrenceville School in the 1970s. I had Mr. Presley as my teacher for AP Physics, and also a teacher of programming (the language known as BASIC). I do want you that I found him to be an excellent teacher - he made AP Physics clear and easy to learn, and actually supported my college applications, although I was not successful in getting admitted to his Alma Mater, Yale (I ended up attending another Ivy League school). He was always supportive of my interest in science and computers at a time and (time of life- adolescence) when interest in science and math was looked upon as wonk . I personally never saw/heard/experienced any of the behavior that is being reported on in the press or currently under investigation, although I did not have him as a headmaster (I was a day student). I just wanted to provide this perspective in the midst of the pile-on that is occurring with all these accusers coming forward at this time, and would be happy to talk to you by phone. Sincerely, Evan Lee, Lville class of 1978 The House of Lords received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th annual Shelley Novak Awards an event known for honoring drag entertainers and club kids of the scene, from Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale. Held at Kill Your Idol on Thursday, March 1, Angel Infiniti presented the award to Grandfather Alexis Lords and his crew of divas, who in nearly 25 years, have won numerous pageants, including Miss Miami Beach, Miss Florida, Ultimate Miami Drag Queen and Ultimate Bartender. The group was assembled in 1994. Infiniti said when the House of Lords was established, a family, a safe space, an authentic space where talent, support, participating in pageants, club and nightlife in the Miami LGBT movement was formed. In and out of the ballroom scene, the House of Lords has exceeded and has been fierce in everything they have done, Infiniti said. The House of Lords has been an advocate in the community. With the rise of new HIV diagnoses in our community, the House of Lords continues to fight and educate, leading and paving the way for the new generation. Alexis Lords named Roger Lords the new Father of the House. He joined four years ago when he was inducted into the House during Miami Beach Gay Pride. Im very honored, thrilled and excited for our new chapter were going to be having, Roger Lords said. No matter what, [Alexis] will still be my father, our iconic, overall father. We have over 80 members strong that all do something in the community. We are in Miami, Orlando, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Las Vegas. We even have as an honorary member Adore Delano from RuPauls Drag Race. Roger Lords says the House of Lords represent a gay family, a community, a safe space, and above all, love. In the community, many see us as leaders and people to look up to, but we are all open to help and be involved in our community, Roger Lords said. Being in a house is more than walking a ball for recognition. Its helping our fellow queers to have a voice. The House of Lords also include TP Lords, Sasha Lords, Calypso Lords and Jasmine Lords, among others. Novak said bestowing this honor on the House of Lords was a no-brainer and very deserving. The House of Lords have been around forever, probably longer than I have, Novak said. Longtime Miami drag entertainer Helen Swan was the recipient of the second Lifetime Achievement Award of the evening. She was not present to receive the honor, but Novak accepted the award on her behalf, calling her a fixture in the community. She never fails to have a smile on her face when I see her in the clubs or out there in the world, Novak said. Whether its at Gay Pride or out in the clubs, she always has a smile on her face. Shes always there to listen to your problems, and she just makes you feel good. Thats really what a good person is all about. Other winners of the 25th Annual Shelley Novak awards were: BEST DRAG NAME: Queef Latina BEST COSTUMES: Andro Gin BEST CLUB KID: Kunst MOST GLAMOROUS: Miss Toto BEST LATIN PERFORMER: Juleisy y Karla BEST MAKE UP: Persephone Von Lips BEST NEW ARTIST: Candi Dixx and Celia Booze (tie) BEST FORT LAUDERDALE QUEEN: Amanda Austin BEST DRAG VENUE: Flaming Classics BEST PERFORMANCE / NIGHT: Elishay DWitshes climbs a double decker bus BEST WIGS: Queef Latina BEST DRAG KING: Andro Gin, Ded Cooter and King Femme (three-way tie) (WB) A transgender man who was attacked by police officers in 2015 was among the candidates who ran in El Salvadors national elections that took place on Sunday. Alex Pena, a volunteer with Generacion de Hombres Trans de El Salvador, was a candidate for the San Salvador Municipal Council for the left-wing Social Democratic Party. Pena did not win, but he told the Washington Blade on Monday during an interview at Generacion de Hombres Trans de El Salvadors offices in the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador that it was a right to run for office. As a citizen, as a person, as a Salvadoran, it is a right that we have to be part of this, he said, referring to the countrys political process. Sundays elections were for the countrys municipal councils, mayors and National Assembly. The right-wing opposition Republican Nationalist Alliance (ARENA) party appears to have soundly defeated President Salvador Sanchez Cerens left-wing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) party. Salvadoran election results have yet to announce the official results. The election to succeed Ceren will take place in 2019. Penas colleague, Bryam Rodriguez, pointed out to the Blade there were two other trans candidates who ran in the elections. Rodriguez noted Pena is the only one of them who publicly discussed their gender identity. It is my right to become part of the Municipal Council, Pena told the Blade. El Salvador is one of the worlds most violent countries A group of more than a dozen police officers attacked Pena on June 27, 2015, after he attended a Pride march in San Salvador. The attack took place after Pena had a confrontation with a bus driver. The officers who Pena said attacked him broke his eye socket and fractured his skull. Andrea Ayala, executive director of Espacio de Mujeres Lesbianas por la Diversidad, another Salvadoran advocacy group, told the Blade a few weeks later during an interview in D.C. the officers also broke Penas partners shoulder during the incident. [The attacks] were motivated exclusively by the hate that these police officers had against Alex because he is a trans man, Ayala told the Blade. El Salvador, which borders Honduras and Guatemala, has one of the worlds highest per capita murder rates. Violence against trans Salvadorans because of their gender identity remains commonplace. Salvadoran lawmakers in 2015 approved an amendment to the countrys legal code that enhances penalties for hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Pena, Ayala and other LGBT rights advocates with whom the Blade has spoken maintain Salvadoran authorities are reluctant to use the statute to prosecute these cases and have generally not done enough to prevent violence and discrimination. Three of the officers who attacked Pena were convicted and sentenced to prison. Pena told the Blade the outcome of his case would have been different if he and other advocates did not publicize it. If (Hombres Trans) de El Salvador was not with me or I wasnt a volunteer for them, perhaps I would not be telling you about it, he said. Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association. Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, both solar panels are deployed on the agency's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The satellite is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. TESS is the next step in NASA's search for planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Dr. George Ricker of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research serves as principal investigator for the mission. Additional partners include Orbital ATK, NASA's Ames Research Center, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the Space Telescope Science Institute. More than a dozen universities, research institutes and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission. NASA's Launch Services Program is responsible for launch management. Photo credit: NASA/Leif Heimbold Larger image Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Bir-Lahlou (Liberated Territories), March 8, 2018 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, received Thursday in Bir-Lahlou, Dr. Panduleni-Kano shingege, who presented her credentials, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Namibia to the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The Ambassador of Namibia, conveyed to the President of the Republic, greetings and wishes for prosperity of his Namibian counterpart. The meeting discussed the best ways and means to further strengthen diplomatic relations and cooperation between the two countries. Mrs. Dr. Panduleni-kaino shingenge, was ambassador of her country in Algeria, France and Zimbabwe, it should be recalled. (SPS) 062/SPS/TRA Missile J got back to the winners circle after a powerful stretch burst to score a 1:50 victory in Thursdays $30,000 Preferred Pace at Dover Downs. Last weeks feature winner Sicily took the lead at the start for Montrell Teague and led thought-out approaching the finish line when Tetrick moved four wide on the final turn with Missile J and zoomed past in the closing strides to win by three-quarters of a length. Sicily was second with Major Uptrend and Tony Morgan third. Trained by Scott DiDomenico for John McGill and Brian Carsey, the five-year-old American Ideal-Cantors Daughter gelding notched his third win of 2018 in six starts. He now has 19 lifetime successes while earning $683,827 in his career. The biggest upset came in the last race when 29-1 Ponderingjacksfame roared home for a 1:51.3 lifetime best to win for the second straight start in a $18,000 Winners pace. A 76-1 shot Aint It Fun (Art Stafford, Jr.) came on for second to set up a $718.80 exacta with another longshot 35-1 Cash Is King (Jonathan Roberts) third. Tom Lazzaros Never Say Never N, trained by Dylan Davis, closed with a rush to win the $14,000 Winners-Over pace in 1:51. Downthehighway (Vic Kirby) was runner-up. Race favourite JJ Flynn (Tetrick) had to accept third ending a two-race win streak. The winner is a five-year-old Bettors Delight Maid In Splendor horse who won for the third time this year. He has won $153,928 in his career. In another $14,000 division, Sweet Rock took control the start with Vic Kirby in the bike and was in front the rest of the way in 1:50.4 for his second win of the year, 22nd lifetime while banking $597,342. Wayne Givens trains the Rocknroll Hanover Penn For Nickel gelding for owners Gary Calloway, Reggie Hazzard and Legacy Racing. Highalator (Roger Plante), one of the four-year-olds in the field along with Hypothetical (Jonathan Robbers), also four, was third in the nine horse field. (With files from Dover Downs) Mississippi Senate Passes 15-Week Abortion Ban JACKSON, Miss., March 9, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- The Mississippi Senate passed the House bill Tuesday by a 35-14 vote that would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. If signed into law, HB 1510 would be the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation. The bill now goes to the House, and if passed there, on to the desk of Gov. Phil Bryant who stated he will sign it into law. HB 1510 would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks gestation, except in a medical emergency and in cases of severe fetal abnormality. The bill would prohibit a physician from performing an abortion without first determining the probable gestational age of the unborn child. The determination of probable gestational age should be made according to standard medical practices and techniques used in the community. A physician who violates this would have his or her medical license suspended or revoked. The bill specifically states, "The Supreme Court has long recognized that the State of Mississippi has an 'important and legitimate interest in protecting the potentiality of human life,' and specifically that 'the state has an interest in protecting the life of the unborn'The majority of abortion procedures performed after fifteen (15) weeks' gestation are dilation and evacuation procedures which involve the use of surgical instruments to crush and tear the unborn child apart before removing the pieces of the dead child from the womb. The Legislature finds that the intentional commitment of such acts for nontherapeutic or elective reasons is a barbaric practice, dangerous for the maternal patient, and demeaning to the medical profession." Mississippi is one of the nation's most pro-life states and has one abortion facility. Mississippi law currently prohibits the procedure after 20 weeks. Gov. Phil Bryant said, "Mississippians are committed to protecting the lives of unborn children, and this law will be a major step in accomplishing that goal. I am committed to making Mississippi the safest place in America for an unborn child. House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal, and I encourage the House to pass it and look forward to signing it." "Liberty Counsel commends the Mississippi Senate for passing HB 1510," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "This is a positive step toward saving the lives of children and women in this state and the nation. Now we strongly encourage the House to quickly pass it so Governor Bryant can sign it into law. Abortion takes the life of an innocent human being and has enormous physical and psychological consequences on the mother. It's time to stop committing human genocide in this nation, and Mississippi now can take the lead. We must make the womb a safe place again," said Staver. Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. **Bumped Up From TAM Wire. Posted by RedeemtheTime** The Sunshine State moves to observe daylight saving time year-round. Via WFLA.com. Florida is a step closer to living up to its nickname as The Sunshine State. A bill to let Florida remain on Daylight Saving Time year-round is headed to Governor Rick Scotts desk after the state Senate approved it 33-2 on Tuesday. If Scott signs the Sunshine Protection Act, Congress would need to amend existing federal law to allow the change. While the rest of the Eastern United States would set their clocks back in the fall, Florida wouldnt, leaving it with more sunshine in the evening during the winter. Northwest Florida is currently in the Central time zone. For those who might not know, Daylight Saving Time was first enacted by the federal government in 1918, during World War I, as a way to conserve coal. If this bill is signed into law, it could help us all stay a little healthier. One study found that the risk of a heart attack increases the Monday and Tuesday following the spring time change. Africa should avoid forfeiting sovereignty to China over loans : Tillerson US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, (center) walks with Ethiopia Minister of Foreign Affairs Workneh Gebeyehu, (center right), as he arrives to begin a six-day trip in Africa, after landing at Addis Ababa International Airport on Wednesday. Reuters, Addis Ababa : U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China, the continent's biggest trading partner. Tillerson is using his first diplomatic trip to the continent to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to Beijing for aid and trade. [L5N1QP17F] He may also seek to smooth relations after U.S. President Trump reportedly dismissed some African nations as "shithole countries" in January. Trump later denied making the comment. "We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa," Tillerson told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital. "It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements and not forfeit their sovereignty." The United States is the leading aid donor to Africa but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009. Beijing has pumped billions into infrastructure projects, though critics say the use of Chinese firms and labour undermines their value. Tillerson said Chinese investments "do not bring significant job creation locally" and criticised how Beijing structures loans to African government. If a government accepts a Chinese loan and "gets into trouble", he said, it can "lose control of its own infrastructure or its own resources through default." He did not give examples. The growing Chinese lending to the continent has also attracted criticism from some Africans, who say China's agenda is to feed its appetite for African raw materials like oil, timber and minerals, and secure contracts for its firms. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, visiting Zimbabwe on Thursday, told reporters it was inappropriate for Tillerson to criticize China's relationship with African countries. "It was not appropriate to criticise the relations of his hosts-when he was a guest there-with another country," he said. Many African governments enjoy close ties with both Washington and Beijing. Kenya, for example, inaugurated a $3.2 billion railway funded by China last year. For the last three years, Kenya has received more than $100 million annually in U.S. security assistance. Asked about Tillerson's criticism of China's approach on the continent, Kenya's foreign affairs minister Monica Juma said: "This country is engaging with partners from across the world driven by our own interests and for our own value." Tillerson arrived in Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, on Wednesday and visited the African Union headquarters on Thursday. The complex was funded and built by China and is seen as a symbol of Beijing's thrust for influence and access to the continent's natural resources. Ethiopia is home to some of Beijing's biggest investments, from a railway to Djibouti that opened last year to factories and industrial parks. Earlier this week, Tillerson criticised "China's approach" to Africa which he said encouraged dependency through "opaque contracts" and "predatory loan practices". Ethiopia's prime minister resigned suddenly last month and a state of emergency was imposed but protests in the restive Oromia region have continued. HAAB, Premier Bank signs deal M. Shahdat Hossain (Taslim), Secretary General of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) and M. Reazul Karim, Managing Director of Premier Bank Limited, exchanging a MoU signing documents at HAAB office in the city recently. Under the deal, HABB m Business Desk : Premier Bank Limited recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) where HABB members will open accounts with the Premier Bank for depositing Hajj related fees and expenses of Hajj Pilgrims. The Bank will provide specialized services to HAAB members to ensure smooth transactions, said a press release. M. Shahdat Hossain (Taslim), Secretary General of HAAB and M. Reazul Karim (FCMA), Managing Director and CEO (In-Charge) of the bank has signed the agreement on behalf of the respective organizations. Shamsuddin Chowdhury, Md. Shah Alam, DMD and Convener of Hajj Project Team, Md. Kabir Hossain, Head of Islamic Banking Division, Md. Tareq Uddin, Senior Vice-President and other Executives of the bank were also present. Secretary General of HAAB M. Shahdat Hossain (Taslim) has appreciated for the continuous support and appraised for the overall activities and services provided by bank towards HAAB and Hajj Pilgrims during the hajj seasons. Eurozone economy hits 'speed bump' amid uncertainty AP, London : The outlook for the 19-country eurozone appeared murkier Monday with the rise of populist parties in Italy and mounting fears of a global trade war after U.S. President Donald Trump backed tariffs on aluminum and steel and warned that more could come, even on European cars. This shift comes after the eurozone has been one of the bright spots in the global economy for months, with growth and job creation picking up steam after years of crisis management and a lack of confidence. The eurozone economy appears to have peaked at a historically high level. Financial information firm IHS Markit said Monday that the eurozone economy hit a "speed bump" in February, possibly due to heightened political uncertainty in Germany and Italy. The firm's so-called purchasing managers index, a gauge of business activity, slipped to 57.1 points from January's 12-year high of 58.8. Chris Williamson, the firm's chief business economist, said it's "too early to read too much" into the monthly decline but noted that some pull-back was "always on the cards." Although the political uncertainty in Germany has been lifted by the Social Democrats' decision to remain in a coalition government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc, the situation in Italy is far from clear. Two populist and stridently anti-European Union political groups - both fierce rivals - surged in Italy's parliamentary election Sunday at the expense of the country's traditional powers, but neither gained enough support to govern alone. That will herald a period of fraught discussions on forming a coalition government. Preliminary results released Monday by Italy's Interior Ministry showed the center-right bloc winning about 37 percent of the parliamentary vote and the populist 5-Star Movement getting about 32 percent. The center-left bloc was far behind with 23 percent support. Both the center-right bloc and the 5-Stars insisted Monday that they should be given the right to form a government in Italy. Analysts said it's too early to gauge the impact of the vote on the Italian economy, which has been improving over the past year. In 2017, it expanded by 1.5 percent. Though that's a full percentage point lower than the eurozone's overall growth, it was Italy's best performance since 2010. "The prospect of a prolonged period of domestic political uncertainty risks weighing on the ongoing recovery," said Nicola Nobile, an economist at Oxford Economics. "For now, we are not making any changes to our forecast but we will revisit it once the dust has settled." Italy's main stock market underperformed its peers, trading modestly lower at the close Monday. The euro currency was barely changed at $1.2335. The longer-term worry for investors is that the Italian election may stoke renewed concern about populist forces in the eurozone, nearly a year after many of those were vanquished by the outcome of elections in the Netherlands and France. At this time last year, the rise of populism was considered by many economists as the gravest cloud hanging over Europe's economic future, especially as worries over Greece had abated. The great fear for those overseeing the euro currency is that a party may come into government seeking to get out of the single currency and revert to the country's original currency. Matteo Salvini, the head of Italy's anti-migrant, euroskeptic League party declared Monday that the shared European euro currency is "wrong" and is ultimately destined to end. "It's a wrong currency and a wrong choice" for Italy, he said. Salvini's party is one of the two demanding to form Italy's next government. Externally, the eurozone economy faces another potential headwind from Trump, who said he planned to levy penalties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports from next week. Leading EU officials have warned of retaliation, which prompted Trump to warn he could go further and slap tariffs on European cars. "This obviously raises the threat of a downwards spiral of tit-for-tat tariff barriers being imposed by the EU and the U.S., leading us to a genuine trade war, with spillover effects onto most other economies," said Michael Every, a strategist at Rabobank International. END/AP/UNB/HM ToRs of teachers are basically different Appellate Division (Civil) : Nazmun Ara Sultana J Syed Mahmud Hossain J Md Imman Ali J ABM Nasrul Aziz............Petitioner vs Crescent Jute Mills Company Limited, represented by its General Manager and others... Respondents Judgment September 15th, 2014 Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972 Article 102(2) The petitioner receive benefits and salary up to the age of 60 years as a teacher not as an employee of BJMC and, therefore, there will not be any deduction in respect of salary received as a teacher up to the age of 60 years. .......(9) ABM Bayezid, Advocate, instructed by Syed Mahbubar Rahman, Advocate-on-Record-For the Petitioner. Tufailur Rahman. Senior Advocate, instructed by Chowdhury Md Zahangir, Advocate-on-Record-For Respondent No. 1. None Represented -Respondent Nos. 2-4. Judgment Md Imman Ali J : This civil petition for leave to appeal is directed against the judgement and order dated 8-1-2012 passed by a Division Bench of the High Court Division in Writ Petition No. 7040 of 2010 discharging the Rule. 2. The facts of the instant case, in brief, are as follows: On 10-10-1978 the petitioner on getting appointment as Assistant Teacher of the Crescent High School, joined in the said post. On 9-1-2002 the petitioner was served a letter of retirement tinder Memo No. BJM/ Administration/21/4509 dated 12-1-2002 stating that the authority had decided to retire all the teachers at their age of 57 years instead of 60 years. Accordingly, the petitioner was directed to refund the salary which he got after attaining the age of 57 years. Challenging the said letter, the petitioner filed Writ Petition No. 2366 of 2002 before the High Court Division and obtained Rule. The Rule in the said Writ petition was disposed of with an observation that since the petitioner retired from his service, he is entitled to get retirement benefit up to his age of 60 years in accordance with law. Before passing the said order the petitioner attained the age of 60 years. Thereafter the respondents by the impugned letter dated 17-9-2009 informed the petitioner that he would get gratuity as per provision of Regulations 28 and 29 of the Recognized Non-Government Secondary School Teachers Employees Service Regulations, 1979. According to the respondents, the petitioner is entitled to get gratuity of one month against every three years' service, i.e. he is entitled to get salary of 8 months of his total service. 3. Against the said letter the petitioner filed Writ Petition No. 1622 of 2012 before the High Court Division and obtained Rule. 4. By the impugned judgement and order, the High Court Division discharged the Rule. Hence, the petitioenr has filed the instant civil petition for leave to appeal challenging the impugned judgement and order of the High Court Division. 5. Mr ABM Bayezid, learned Advocate appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that the High Court Division failed to consider that the petitioner was appointed by respondent No.1, and accordingly respondent No. I is duty bound to give benefit to the petitioner as per the Rules of the respondent No.1 and the High Court Division declared that the petitioner as an employee of the respondent No. 4 and, as such, committed serious error of law and the petitioner is highly prejudiced and, as such, the impugned judgement and order is liable to be set aside. He further submitted that as a similar matter, a senior teacher namely Mrs Rajia Akhter of the same school got the benefit of her retirement at the age of 60 years, but the petitioner did not suffer the same double standard as maintained here, and, as such, the impugned judgement and order is liable to be set aside for ends of justice. He lastly submitted that the petitioner was offered 42 months' salary for 21 years' service in the school on condition to deduct the two years' salary already received by the petitioner for his service, but after the judgement of Writ Petition No.2366 of 2002 the authority did not pay the same in respect of the petitioner. 6. Mr Tufailur Rahman, learned Senior Advocate appearing for respondent No. I made submissions in support of the impugned judgement and order of the High Court Division. He submitted that the petitioner would receive his salary as teacher up to the age of 60 years, but he could not get the retirement benefit of an employee of BJMC after reaching the age of 57 years since that would not be covered by the Service Rules applicable to BJMC employees. 7. We have considered the submissions of the learned Advocates for the parties concerned and perused the impugned judgement and order of the High Court Division and other connected papers on record. 8. It appears from the impugned judgement that the High Court Division took note of the earlier judgement in Writ Petition No. 2366 of 2002 that the writ petitioner claiming himself as an employee of Crescent High School he would not get gratuity of two months' salary against every one year of service as per provision of BJMC Employees Service Regulations. It was further held by the impugned judgement that the writ petitioner would get retirement benefits as per the provisions of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance 1961. 9. In view of observations made by the High Court Division in the earlier Writ Petition No. 2366 of 2002 and the observation of the High Court Division in the impugned judgement in juxtaposition with the submissions made before us by the learned Advocate appearing on behalf of respondent No.-I, we are of the opinion that the petitioner would be entitled to receive the enhanced retirement benefits provided by the BJMC Service Regulations up to his age of 57 years and that in addition he would be entitled to receive the benefits and salaries in accordance with the provisions of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance, 1961 for the period in between his age of 57 and 60 years. The petitioner would thus receive benefits and salary up to the age of 60 years as a teacher not as an employee of BJMC and, therefore, there will not be any deduction in respect of this salary received as a teacher up to the age of 60 years. With the above observations, the civil petition for leave to appeal is disposed of. When quashment of proceeding not permissible High Court Division : (Criminal Miscellaneous Jurisdiction) Borhanuddin J Md Ashraful Kamal J Roma Morshed.........Accused-Petitioner vs State and another............Opposite Parties Code of Criminal Procedure (V of 1898) Section 561A Negotiable Instruments Act (XXVI of 1881) Section 138(lA) Service of notice is a question of fact which can be determined by the trial court upon taking evidence. Quashment of proceedings at the stage when trial already began and prosecution witnesses are being examined, is not permissible. On perusal of the order sheet of the court below as appended with the application under Section 561A of the Code it appears that after concluding testimony of the prosecution witness, Court below examined the accused-petitioner under section 342. Thereafter, both the parties completed their argument and the case was fixed for delivering judgment. At that stage the accused-petitioner preferred criminal miscellaneous case under Section 561A of the Code and obtained rule alongwith an order of stay. . ..... (8 & 9) Golam Sarwar Hiru vs State, 13 MLR (AD) 103 = 14 BLC (AD) 26 and Md Mosharraf Hossain vs Golam Mohamad, 19 BLT (AD) 239 ref. Sagorica, Advocate - For the Accused-Petitioner. Md Hamidur Rahman, Advocate-For the Opposite Party No.2. Judgment Borhanuddin J : This Rule has been issued calling upon the opposite parties to show cause .as to why proceedings of Metropolitan Sessions Case No. 2279 of 2012 arising out of CR Case No. 467 of 2011 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, now pending in the 1st court of Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Dhaka, should not be quashed and/or such other or further order or orders passed as to this court may seem fit and proper. 2. Facts relevant for disposal of the rule are that the opposite party No. 2 herein as complainant filed CR Case No. 467 of 2011 (Kotwali) in the Court of learned Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka, stating interalia that 'in course of business the accused owed Taka 10 lacs to the complainant and to repay the amount issued a cheque dated 31-3-2011 amounting Taka 5 (five) lacs from the account of Mercantile Bank Limited maintained in the name of her business organization 'Princes Beauty Parlour; the complainant deposited the 'cheque in her account of Bank Al Falah Limited, Dhanmondi Branch, on 7-6-2011 for 'encashment but the cheque was returned for 'insufficient fund'; the complainant served legal notice 'upon the accused under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act but the 'accused neither received the notice nor take any step for payment of the amount; Hence, the case. 3.Record of the case transmitted in the 1st Court of learned Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Dhaka, for trial and' registered as Metropolitan Sessions Case No': 2279 of 2011. The accused voluntarily surrendered and obtained bail. Court below framed charge against the accused on 25-6-2012 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The complainant was examined as PW 1. After concluding testimony of the prosecution witness, Court below examined the accused under Section 342 of the Code of. Criminal Procedure. Both the parties completed their argument and the Court below fixed 29-11-2015 for delivering judgment. 4. At that stage, the accused as petitioner preferred' this criminal miscellaneous case by filing an application under Section 56lA of the Code of Criminal' Procedure and obtained the present rule alongwith an order of stay. 5. Ms Sagorica, learned advocate appearing for the petitioner submits that the legal notice was not served upon accused petitioner in compliance with the provisions of Section 138(IA) of the Negotiable Instruments Act inasmuch as notice was sent at the address where accused petitioner does not reside. 6. On the other hand, Mr Md Hamidur Rahman learned advocate for the opposite party No.2 submits that whether legal notice was served or not is a disputed question of fact and does not come within the ambit of Section 56lA of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He also submits that when examination of the witnesses has been completed and a date has been fixed for delivering judgment, at that stage plea of quashment under Section 56lA of the Code of Criminal Procedure is not tenable. In support of his submissions, learned advocate referred the case of Golam Sarwar Hiru vs State, reported in 13 MLR (AD) 103 = 14 BLC (AD) 26 and the case of Md Mosharraf Hossain vs Golam Mohamad, reported in 19 BLT (AD) 239. 7. Heard learned Advocate for the petitioner and learned advocate for the opposite party No.2. Perused the application under Section 56lA of the Code of Criminal Procedure and annexures appended thereof alongwith counter affidavit filed by the opposite party No.2. 8. On perusal of the order sheet of the court below as appended with the application under Section 56lA of the Code of Criminal Procedure it appears that after concluding testimony of the prosecution witness, Court below examined the accused-petitioner under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Thereafter, both the parties completed their argument and the case was fixed for delivering judgment. At that stage the accused-petitioner preferred this criminal miscellaneous case under section 56lA of the Code of Criminal Procedure and obtained present rule alongwith an order of stay. 9. The only contention of the learned advocate for petitioner is that the complainant opposite party did not comply provisions of Section 138(IA) of the Negotiable Instruments Act inasmuch as the notice was not served upon the accused and the address of the notice is not correct. It is settled by our apex court that service of notice is a question of fact which can be determined by the trial court upon taking evidence. In the case of Go/am Snrwar Hint vs. the State, reported in 13 MLR (AD) 103 = 14 BLC (AD) 26, it has been held by our apex Court that quashment of proceedings at the stage when trial already began and prosecution witnesses are being examined, is not permissible. 10. In the present case, after concluding testimony of the prosecution witness Court below examined the accused petitioner under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, both the parties placed their arguments and a date was fixed for delivering judgment. At this stage, application under Section 561A of the Code of Criminal Procedure for quashment of proceedings cannot be entertained. 11. Considering facts and circumstances of the case and for the reasons state above, we are inclined to discharge the rule with cost. 12. Accordingly, the Rule is discharged with a cost of Taka 5,000 (five) thousand. 13. Order of stay granted at the time of issuance of the rule and extended from time to time is hereby vacated. Communicate a copy of this judgment to the court concern at once. UGC team gets 'Best Performance Award' in India City Desk : A 32-member delegation of University Grants Commission (UGC) from Bangladesh achieved the 'Best Performance Award' in the 11th South Asian Universities Festival (SAUFEST)-2018, held on March 2-6 at Ganpat University of Gujarat in India. The delegation was led by UGC Joint Secretary Dr Md Fakhrul Islam. UGC Deputy Secretary Md Shahin Siraj, UGC Senior Assistant Secretary Mauli Azad and UGC Assistant Secretary Md Mamun, among others, participated in the festival as team managers. Dr Md Fakhrul Islam delivered a speech in the award giving ceremony of the festival as guest of honour on behalf of the participating countries. A total of 26 students from Khulna University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Jatiya Kabi Nazrul Islam University, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, BRAC University, Varendra University, BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology and Southeast University took part in the festival. The Bangladeshi students participated in a number of events including light vocal, solo song, group song, classical dance, elocution, poster making, photography, debate and clay modeling and achieved the best performance award. About 650 students from eight countries participated in the SAUFEST. The South Asian Universities Festival is annually arranged for establishing mutual cooperation and exchanging ideas among the students of the universities of South Asian Countries. Assam high-ups want more, not less, connectivity with BD President Abdul Hamid being greeted by the young women at Balat village in Tripura\'s Meghalaya while visiting the area on Friday where he stayed during Liberation War, and recollected the memories of those days. UNB, Guwahati : The Indian state of Assam is keen to introduce direct air connectivity with Bangladesh, as would be clear from the separate courtesy calls bythe state's Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and its Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi to President Md Abdul Hamid at his hotel here on Thursday evening. President Abdul Hamidand Jagdish Mukhi showed their keen interest on increasing the communication connectivity between the two countries to utilize the tourism potential, said president's Press Secretary as quoted the meeting. That would seem to fly in the face of recent fears and slogans fanned in the state by politicians of as the principal breeding ground for illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, who are alleged to be shifting the social and demographic balance in Assam - always without any credible evidence to back up the claim. The president arrived in India on Thursdayafternoon to attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit of 121 countries in the solar power sector. But the conference in New Delhi is not until March 11th. So Hamid decided to take advantage of the weekend preceding it to visit two of the north-eastern states he shares a personal connection with - Assam and Meghalaya. During 1971 Liberation War, he was a sub-sector commander of the Bangladesh Liberation Force (Mujib Bahini). He inspired and organised Bangladeshi youths, who took shelter in India during the war, at Gumaghat, Moilam and Balat in Meghalaya. Hamid established a youth reception camp at Balat for Bangladeshi youths and he acted as president of the camp. Comilla boy loses wrist in crude bomb blast The fire started after a massive explosion inside a boiler at a chemical factory named Ramedeo Chemicals in India. UNB, Comilla : A college student suffered serious injuries in a crude bomb explosion at Nazira Bazar Goshnagar in Burichong upazila early Thursday. The injured was identified as Riazul Islam, 17, a student of Comilla City College. The blast occurred on the ground floor of his grandfather's four-storey building where Riazul and his cousin Sohag used to live, said Md Shah Abid Hossain, superintendent of Comilla Police after visiting the spot around 10pm. He said Riazul lost one of his wrists and sustained injuries in another hand in the blast around 2am that also broke the door and two windows of the room. After the explosion, locals rushed in and rescued the injured. He is now being treated under police custody at Comilla Medical College Hospital. Police also detained Sohag, 14, who received minor injuries, during the blast. Law enforcers also cordoned off the house after the incident. Ensure business friendly environment TENSION runs high among the businessmen as the country enters the election year. The business leaders recently urged the government to form a high-powered monitoring cell to ensure ease of doing business. In the pseudo development climate where economic growth is concentrated into some mesmerizing mega projects, the call for ensuring ease of doing business should be addressed. There are many reasons for the businesses to worry about. We saw that due to reasons of lawlessness and chaos that followed the business environment has deteriorated since 2013. After five years, the confidence of businesses remains shaky and new investment is slow in coming. In the meantime, the banking system became an easy game for looters. FDI and remittance inflows also faced a setback, political polarisation sharpened, income gap widened, and the trade gap broadened. We doubt whether the government is really in a position to know how to ensure a business-friendly environment. Bangladesh achieved 7.28 percent economic growth and the size of its GDP touched $250 billion in 2016-17. Even then the country's rank in the World Bank's Doing Business 2018 Index has gone one notch down to 177 in 2017. The country needs at least $15 billion of annual investment in infrastructure development to attract foreign and local investment. Bangladesh will require $320 billion by 2030 to develop a reliable, sustainable and affordable infrastructure. The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) said that private investment needs to be scaled up to 29 percent of the gross domestic product from the current 23.1 percent. The export target is $37 billion for the current fiscal year, which will reach $41 billion if the services sector is included, and it will hit $60 billion by 2021. Bangladesh will lose the Generalized System of Preferences from the European Union -- which contributes 54.2 percent of the country's total export earnings -- as soon as it graduates from being a least developed country. So, Bangladesh needs to take preparation to qualify for the EU's GSP plus facility by complying with core international standards in the areas of human and labour rights, environment and good governance. Because of slow progress, the costs for implementation of mega projects are exponentially increasing. The DCCI proposed forming a high performing authority to accelerate the implementation of mega projects but it may not work. The country's economy is to be judged by job creation through new investments from outside. Unless the local investors feel confident in the political atmosphere, solid investments will not take place. The government seems to be too busy with chaotic politics. It will not talk to others and it does not believe in political compromises. In short, we have a government that defines its own success. 3,746 BD natls invested in Malaysia's second home scheme Kazi Zahidul Hasan : Malaysia's Second Home programme continues to magnetize more Bangladeshis raising the illicit fund transfer from the country. A total of 3,746 Bangladeshis have so far invested in the Malaysia's My Second Home (MM2H) programme, making Bangladesh the third largest investor in the scheme after China and Japan, according to statistics available with the official website of the scheme. Politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and expatriates are among who enrolled in the scheme. Sources said the number of Bangladeshis enrolling on the MM2H programme has been on the rise since 2011, meaning a rampant money laundering was taking place from the country to Malaysia under the scheme. "Not a single investor from Bangladesh transferred fund to Malaysia for investment in the scheme using legal routes. Even they did seek permission from the government in this connection, as the law of the land does not allow such fund transfer," a high official of Bangladesh Bank (BB) told The New Nation yesterday on condition of anonymity. He said most of the money invested in Malaysia was channelled through informal ways, as BB does not allow Bangladeshi citizens to take such big amounts abroad without its approval. "The money for MM2H was sent through hundi or transferred to Malaysia from a third country," he added. When asked, he said, the central bank sought information of the Bangladeshis, who enrolled on the programme, from the Malaysian government but it declined to share the information. From 2002 to August 2017, the Malaysian government has approved over 35,000 applications for its Malaysia residency programme "Bangladeshis have invested in Malaysia's second home programme through illicit fund transfer," an official of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) told The New Nation. He said ACC has identified 1,050 Bangladeshi citizens who have invested in Malaysia under its MM2H programme. Earlier, in August 2014, the ACC started its investigation against the Bangladeshis who enrolled in the second home project. It, however, failed to collect information by sending Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLR) to Malaysia. "The Malaysian authorities declined to provide information about the Bangladeshis saying it is out of the Malaysian government's policy," said the ACC officials. "The second home scheme has become a big channel to siphon off money abroad. People are sending large amount of money to Malaysia to enroll in the scheme," Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman told The New Nation. He said people are amassing wealth illegally in the country and they are siphoning off the money to participating in the Malaysia second home scheme. It's the government's responsibility to identify them and bring them to book. AL won't sustain in power for a long time: Fakhrul Staff Reporter : BNP's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, AL won't sustain in power for a long time. "Their dream to hold the elections without Khaleda will not come true. We will get her released and contest the polls. A farcical election cannot be acceptable," said the BNP leader. A group of Jatiya Party (Zafar) arranged the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, demanding BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's release from jail. The BNP claims that the government is deliberately delaying Khaleda's bail. "Prisoners in such cases get bail when they appeal, but the government is unjustly depriving Khaleda Zia of her rights," Fakhrul said. Fakhrul accused the executive of destroying all the democratic institutions. The government is controlling the judiciary as well. Referring to the Chief Election Commissioner's comment that the Commission will not take any initiative to bring all the political parties to the next general election, Fakhrul said KM Nurul Huda's remark has reflected the government's desire. "We know that you won't take any move for an inclusive election as you have been made CEC to ensure Awami League's return to power through lopsided polls," he added. The programme was chaired by Jatiya Party Acting Chairman T I M Fazley Rabbi. General sectary of Jatiya Party Mostafa Jamal Hayder, JAGPA President Rehana Prodhan, Islami Oikya Jote Chairman M A Rakib and NAP Secretary General Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan spoke at the programme. Govt plans to distribute textbooks in Oct M M Jasim : The government will distribute the textbooks among the students of Class I to Class X of 2019 academic session in October instead of January next year, Education Ministry sources said. The printing of the textbooks will start in June this year to avoid distribution disorder. The Education Ministry sources said the next national election may be held in December. The political situation of the country may be tense at that time. That is why, the government plans to complete the textbooks printing by September next. The government does not want to tarnish its achievement delaying distribution of textbooks. A total of 37 crore textbooks can be printed to meet the demand for next year. Over 35 crore textbooks have been distributed among the students of current academic year. The Education Ministry, and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education held several meetings with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to finish all the printing activities within the scheduled time. Member of NCTB Dr Mia Enamul Hoque Siddiqui said, "The NCTB will invite tender for printing the textbooks this month. The distribution process of the work will finish by April." "It is the election year. The ministry has asked the NCTB to complete printing by October. So that the textbooks can be distributed before the election," he said. NCTB sources said the Education Ministry on January 23 approved the ATPP for printing books for secondary-level students while the Primary and Mass Education Ministry has approved the ATPP on February 11 to print primary- level textbooks. The tender for primary-level books will be invited on March 5 and an agreement will be signed on June 6 with the contractors. As per the deal, the contractors will have to deliver half of the textbooks by August 9 and must complete supply 100 percent of the books by September 14. Tender will be invited for printing books for secondary level (Bangla and English versions) and art boards on February 28. A deal will be signed with the contractors on July 1, and as per the deal, they will have to supply all books by September 29. The authorities will invite a tender for printing secondary-level textbooks. including paper (SSC Vocational, Dakhil and Alim Vocational) on March 27 and a deal will be signed with contractors on July 11. As per the deal, the contractors have to deliver books by October 17. A tender (without paper) will be called on March 2 (SSC Vocational, Dakhil and Alim Vocational) and an agreement will be signed with contractors on June 15. Books will have to be delivered by September 21 as per the deal. Tender for printing Braille, pre-primary and secondary textbooks will be invited on April 20. A deal will be signed with contractors on August 8 for delivery by November 28. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education will not receive the fund from World Bank to print the primary books. The Ministry officials said that the World Bank dominated the ministry's activities giving only 10 percent fund of the primary books. Additional Secretary (Development) of the Primary and Mass Education Ministry Md Gias Uddin Ahmed told The New Nation that The Ministry could not work independently due to the disturbance of the World Bank. "This year, the Ministry will print the primary books by its own fund. As a result, we will not face any problem in printing the books in time," he said. Level playing field yet a far cry Reza Mahmud : Police frequently arresting BNP leaders and activists from its scheduled programmes in the capital and elsewhere across the country since the party chief Khaleda Zia was jailed in a graft case last month. The BNP central leaders have alleged that the police are arresting their important leaders who are capable to organize field level activists for implementation of agitation programmes. Besides, police also continued overnight raids on houses of BNP leaders and activists and arrested scores of them all over the country, they further alleged. Meanwhile, the political analysts marked such police action as a bad example for democracy as the next national polls is nearly on the doorstep. "This year is calling as election year. A 'level playing field' is being demanded for all political parties from every quarter. But, we have seen the police are foiling the BNP's peaceful programmes frequently. It is not good for democracy," Badiul Alam Majumdar, the founder-Secretary of SHUJAN (Citizens for Good Governance) told The New Nation yesterday. The government should refrain from such actions, he said. He said, "If police wanted to arrest any accused, they can do that but it should not foil any democratic programme of any party." He asked to ensure obstacle free environment to perform democratic activities. He also urged to make level playing field for all political parties in the country. When contacted, political analyst Professor Dr. Md. Sharif Uddin of Jahangirnagar University told The New Nation, "The government should welcome the BNP's peaceful movement instead of obstructions. It is must to stop police action in peaceful programmes of any political party for the sake of democracy." On the other hand, the BNP leaders are condemning such actions of the government. They warned that the government is pushing the situation towards darkness by provoking the peaceful agitations. "They (police) are arresting those leaders who are capable to organize our party men from grassroots level to implement our announced agitation programmes. It is totally anti-democratic steps. They are trying to establish one party BAKSHAL rule again," Mirza Abbas, a Standing Committee Member of BNP told The New Nation yesterday. He warned that the government would not be able to stay in power for long. "It is not good gesture for democracy. The government should stop it soon for the sake of democracy. They should think that no one is able to cling power for long," Mirza Abbas said. On Tuesday, plainclothes policemen have detained Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal President Shafiul Bari Babu from the BNP's sit-in programme in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka. On Thursday, police attacked and picked Chhatradal Dhaka North Unit President Mizanur Rahman Raj from the BNP's sit-in programme in front of the National Press Club. On February 14, police chased BNP Joint-Secretary General and the Dhaka South City unit President, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel from the same venue while the party observing its token hunger strike but failed to detain him. But the programme swooped by the police action. BNP leaders also accused the government of arresting some other leaders and activists from its peaceful programmes without any provocation after the party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's landing in the jail on February 8. Lankan PM removed Xinhua, Colombo : Sri Lanka's Minister of Public Administration and Management Ranjith Madduma Bandara was sworn in as the new law and order minister on Thursday in the wake of deadly communal clashes in Kandy, Central Sri Lanka. Bandara, who is a senior member from the ruling United National Party, took oaths in front of President Maithripala Sirisena, at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Bandara took over the portfolio from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who temporarily took over the Law and Order Ministry last month. President Sirisena declared a week-long nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday after violent communal clashes erupted in Kandy, leaving three dead and several injured. The state of emergency is the first ever declared since the country ended a civil war in May 2009. Mobs have burnt homes, businesses, temples and mosques after a 41-year-old man succumbed to his injuries on Sunday after being attacked by a group of people on Feb. 22. The police said 24 people had been arrested over the killing. EU`s concern over forced disappearances and extra-judicial killings: Plain-clothes armed police is worrying also Editorial Desk : The European Union has expressed concern over the incidents of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Bangladesh and few other countries and called upon the government to run impartial investigation and arrange for prosecution of perpetrators. Needles to say, the European countries, particularly those in Western Europe maintain human rights and humanitarian values at the highest level and they are right to demand the state to give full protection to people. Unfortunately Bangladesh is a different place where human life has little value in chaotic political environment. So given the scant regard for the rule of law in Bangladesh, it is least likely that the EU's call will get positive response at a time the government is busy to liquidate the opposition for easy electoral victory scheduled for the end of this year. The EU government is not unaware how the law enforcers in uniform and in plain-clothes are haunting their targets made of leaders and workers of the major opposition and wealthy business people. They are made victim of forced disappearance and the government is giving scanty attention to stop such crimes. In case of arrests of political opponents court warrant is of little consideration. What is dangerous for police is that they are using plain-clothes people with arms to break-up opposition gatherings and also to make arrests. Thus it will make easy for others to use arms claiming to be police. We feel such use of plain-clothes police as muscle men is resorted to in police states. The Supreme Court in a recent judgment ruled against arrest of persons without court warrant by plain-clothes police. It is sad and most disappointing that the country is heading to be a hateful police state and destroy the police as dependable law enforcers. This is the state of the law and order in our country when the EU is calling for opening probe and punishing the perpetrators. It does not take much time to find out who are those criminals either in plain-clothes or in uniform. The point is that the government is knowingly allowing it to happen and so such crime is happening unabated. Statistics suggests in the last 13 years, at least 1900 people have been victims of extra-judicial killings, of whom 800 died in police custody. In such worsening situation it is difficult to expect from the government to open impartial investigation to punish those abducting people. According to various reports between 2010 and July last year as many as 519 people have become victims of enforced disappearances -- 329 are still missing. Much to our surprise, a few had even returned with conflicting stories about their temporary disappearances. It is a shame that the governments of a free country is to be told by the EU, many other nations and international human rights organisations regularly about the need of authentic probe and stop unnatural deaths in questionable circumstances. We expect no response to international reactions unless we can have a people's government elected by the people and accountable to the people through democratic institutions of checks and balance. So half-hearted international call though well meaning makes the people more helpless and police actions more oppressive. Our call to international community is to help the government to become democratic and be out of bureaucratic ways of a police state. Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials 1 year ago Yes, the decision belongs on the local level No, no one should be able to dictate whether people wear masks Vote View Results Right: Team Dominica State College accepting their winning trophy from SVGCC Board Member Mrs Deborah Dalrymple (3rd from right). The 2nd Windward Islands Debating Competition (WIDC), was held last weekend under the patronage of His Excellency the Governor General, Sir Frederick Ballantyne. The competition saw the four Community and State Colleges in the Windward Islands: Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) from St Lucia, Dominica State College (DSC), T. A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) from Grenada, and our very own St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC), vying against each other. The first round of the debate on Friday, March 2, 2018 saw SALCC defeating SVGCC in debating the topic: The perpetual heavy reliance on tourism by Caribbean countries as an economic driver is unwise. In the second semi-final also on Friday March 2, 2018, DSC got the better of TAMCC in debating the topic: There should be fixed terms (in office) for Prime Ministers in the OECS countries. On Saturday, March 3, 2018, Dominica State College defeated Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in a keenly contested final debate on the topic: The lack of good governance in the Caribbean is more debilitating to the sustainable development than the likely impacts of Climate Change. The overall best speaker was Mr. Rahym Augustin-Joseph of SALCC. This is the second year of the WIDC, and the second time that DSC has come out on top. This year was no easy feat, as they had to overcome the devastation of Hurricane Maria in September 2017 which closed the DSC for over two months. It reopened partially in November 2017. Most of Dominica is still struggling with electricity issues and internet connectivity. Last years competition was held in St. Lucia and next years competition will take place in Grenada. Earland Derry Gabriel, along with three other men, having been missing at sea since February 4. It has been just over one month since Earland Derry Gabriel and three other men have been missing at sea. Sarah Gabriel of Rose Bank and mother of the 28-year-old Earland, told THE VINCENTIAN that the men left Chateaubelair on February 4 on a speed boat, heading for Dominica. The other occupants, she said, included another resident of Rose Bank, a man from Kingstown and a national of Dominica. Gabriel said that she knew the individual from Rose Bank only by his nickname, Saddest, but did not know the other men. "At the time, I dont know what he was thinking, the woman said, explaining that there was a lot of rain and the seas were rough on the day the men left. "I dont know if the boat drift, or sink, she continued. Gabriel, a security guard, added that she was unaware of any plan for the trip, or else she would have advised her son not to take the risk. She disclosed that she was informed of her sons disappearance when his girlfriend in Dominica, contacted her the day after he and the other men left St Vincent and the Grenadines, saying that they had not arrived in Dominica as expected. A report was made to the police in Chateaubelair and the local Coast Guard, but, according to Gabriel, she is yet to hear anything about the whereabouts of her son and the other men. It was rumoured that the boat was picked up by Martinique authorities, she said, but as it turned out, it was a false alarm. What was a fact, though, was that, in an unrelated matter, Martinique authorities, earlier this week, picked up two Vincentians at sea, with 150 kilos of marijuana on board their boat. Left:Junior Bacchus, President of the SVGIHF, will be a lead presenter at the Indian Cultural Day to be held at the Calder Government School. Right:Dr. St. Clair Thomas will also make a presentation at the Cultural Day progamme. The SVG Indian Heritage Foundation (SVGIHF) is partnering with the Calder Government School, to mark that institutions 60th anniversary 2018 . In this regard, the Foundation will, on Friday, March , 2018, hold an Indian Cultural Day at the School. According to a release from the SVGIHF, the Days proceedings will be a mix of activities. Addresses are expected to come from Minister of Education St. Clair Prince, and Parliamentary Representative for the area- Frederick Stephenson. A number of presentations befitting of the East Indian history as it applies to St. Vincent, will be made by members of the Foundation. Junior Bacchus, President of the Foundation, will deliver on the topic The journey of Indians from India to SVG; Dr. St. Clair Thomas, a native of Calder, will trace the development of East Indian communities in and contribution to Richland Park, Calder and Argyle; Norris Bullock will address the East Indian presence in the world, with a look at Indians in the Diaspora, and Elmore Gaymes will lead a session on Yoga a mind and body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy. These presentations will be preceded by an overview of the Foundation by Cheryl Rodriguez. A cultural component of the Days programme will feature presentations of East Indian music and dance, as well as a parade of models displaying East Indian wear. The Marriaqua-based organization Country meets Town will use the occasion of the Cultural Day, to present partitions for the school, to the Minister of Education. Calder is one of the communities in SVG that have a visible East Indian presence. The SVGIHF said it was more than pleased and found it only fitting to align itself intimately with the milestone celebration of the school there. The Calder Government School has graduated a number of students of East Indian heritage, who have gone on to make significant contributions to the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Filing Your Taxes for Newcomers With the deadline quickly approaching, its time to get the ball rolling on filing your income taxes for 2017! If youre like most Canadians, you are gathering together everything you need to file your taxes by the April deadline. This differs if you have your own business or are self-employed, but for most of us, the deadline is Monday, April 30. Did you know the Toronto Public Library has many free income tax clinics located at branches throughout the city? Many of them require you to register or have a particular income level, so please read carefully and contact the branch for more information. Many libraries also have Settlement Workers who can give you more information about filing your taxes. If you are new to Canada, it can be especially helpful to discuss any questions you might have about how it all works. I like these helpful tax tips for newcomers shared from a recent article in the Huffington Post: Find out when youre considered to be an official resident. It may be even before you arrive in Canada if you already own property or have a bank account here. Apply for the GTS/HST credit, a tax-free quarterly payment. If you are a new resident and have children under 18, you may qualify to receive the Canada Child Benefit. Find out if your income from another country is tax exempt. Canada has tax treaties with almost 100 countries. You can claim your moving expenses if you are relocating for a new job. If you are buying a home for the first time, you may be eligible for the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit. The Canadian government also has a section of their website dedicated to helping newcomers file their taxes and a handy pamphlet that introduces you to the Canadian tax system. Are you filing your taxes online? Find out about which certified software you can use to complete your tax return. Still want more? Please visit this blog post from 2017 for a helpful and comprehensive guide to filing your tax return for the first time: Filing Your First Tax Return in Canada: Free Resources for Newcomers Good luck filing your taxes this tax season. If youre lucky, youll be as happy as this guy by the end of it! Al Marjan Island, a world-class luxury resort destination in Ras Al Khaimah, is showcasing investment opportunities within the flagship development and in the emirate at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, Germany. Al Marjan Island, a patron of the event, will highlight the remarkable evolution of the master-planned destination that will feature beachside resorts, branded and non-branded residences and leisure attractions. The development pipeline and the long-term expansion plans for the destination will also be presented to underline the investment opportunities offered for the hotel industry within the development. This further builds on the record growth in tourist arrivals to Ras Al Khaimah in 2017, with the number of tourists going up 19 per cent over 2016. According to the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Germany, Russia, the UK and India were the top international source markets. Hotel occupancy also recorded growth to 73.6 per cent with the average length of stay increasing by 2.71 per cent to 3.41 days. At Al Marjan Island, international investors can purchase land plots with development rights. The infrastructure for the land is already developed under a plug-and-play model. Most of the plots are designated for residential units, boutique hotels, resort hotels, community facilities and retail. Eng. Abdullah Al Abdooli, CEO of Al Marjan Island, said: One of the increasingly sought-after hospitality destinations in the UAE, Al Marjan Island is a vibrant tourism and lifestyle development that offers tremendous value for investors. Through our participation at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, we are putting the spotlight on the high-value investment opportunities for European and international investors within Al Marjan Island and in Ras Al Khaimah. They will be part of one of the fastest-growing tourist and hospitality hubs in the Middle East region as Ras Al Khaimah consistently records growth in tourism and hotel performance. With its distinctive positioning as an attractive beach resorts destination, Al Marjan Island complements the focus of the Ras Al Khaimah government to establish the emirate as one of the fast-growing business and leisure hubs in the region. With one of the largest economic zones housing more than 13,000 companies, Ras Al Khaimah offers investors 100 per cent ownership and zero income tax. Ras Al Khaimah is making significant gains in tourism with its extensive coastline, golden sand beaches, natural mangroves, the UAEs tallest mountain which is home to the longest zip line in the world, and a rich cultural heritage highlighted by the archaeological findings. According to the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, tourist arrivals are set to grow from 1 million this year to over 2.9 million annually by 2025, driving the demand for hotels and resorts. With a GDP growth of 4.5 per cent in 2016, higher than the national average, Ras Al Khaimahs hospitality sector has recorded sustained growth. From 2009 to 2016, room nights demand for five-star hotels increased by a CAGR of 13.83 per cent while room night supply grew 11.59 per cent. Significantly, Al Marjan Island is regarded as the project of choice for property investors and developers who are seeking exceptional residential and leisure amenities. With the impressive growth in the number of tourist arrivals as well as Ras Al Khaimahs emphasis on promoting industrial diversification, the emirate is an ideal fit for European investors. An additional 15,000 hotel units are required in the next seven years to serve the growth in tourist arrivals, with the sector set to record a growth of 23 per cent per annum. About 7,000 new hotel rooms are set to be added, mostly in the five-star beach resort category, in the next three years (by 2021), with nearly 71 per cent to be delivered on Al Marjan Island. Underlining the robust performance of hotels, RevPAR figures have increased by over 5 per cent in the last three years. Only 15 minutes from the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and 45 minutes from the Dubai International Airport, Al Marjan Island comprises four islands Breeze, Treasure, Dream and View. The entire development is served by a well-integrated road network that connects to all key cities of the UAE, With 7.8 kilometres of pristine beaches, 23 kilometres of waterfront, 6,500 planned residential units, 8,000 planned hotel rooms, 400-room wellness retreats and 600 holiday villas, Al Marjan Island has an evolved hospitality sector already with Breeze Island being home to Rixos, DoubleTree by Hilton and Bab Al Bahr exceptional hotels -that offer the perfect harmony of luxury and nature. - TradeArabia News Service Saudi Arabias Saline Water Conversion Company (SWCC) has appointed consulting and engineering company Poyry to supervise the engineering, construction and commissioning of the Rabigh-Jeddah-Makkah Water Transmission project. The Rabigh-Jeddah-Makkah Al-Mukarramah Water Transmission System is one of the largest transport systems for drinking water. The project caters for the rapidly increasing demand of the metropolitan areas of Jeddah and Makkah in the Western Province of Saudi Arabia. Poyry's scope includes review of contractor's engineering services and supervision of construction, erection and commissioning. "Poyry has a long-standing relationship with SWCC going back more than 30 years. As one of the world's leading power engineering companies, Poyry is proud to support SWCC in this important and vital project that will transport the required water needs to the people of Jeddah and Makkah," said Ari Asikainen, Poyry's head of Thermal Power and Renewable Energy in the Middle East. TradeArabia News Service Omans Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) has signed an agreement with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) for the establishment of a research chair on industrial estates and free zones. Through this agreement, PEIE and SQU seek to stimulate scientific research in the field of industrial estates and free zones, which play a role in the sultanates economic development, said a statement. The agreement was signed by Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, chief executive officer of PEIE, and Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi, deputy vice chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research at SQU, it said. The vision of this research chair is to assist in capacity building in areas related to industrial estates and free zones through stimulating scientific research in areas that represent vital industrial needs that have not yet been developed. The mission that will be adopted by the chair lies in the provision of high quality research and studies in the field of industrial estates and free zones through applied research, academic events and awareness research activities that contribute directly to the Sultanates economic and social development, it added. Hilal Al Hasani stressed the importance of this research chair and emphasised that more research should be carried out to highlight the impact of industrial estates and free zones and their contribution to the national economy in the sultanate. He said: Such research should include sub-research areas such as statistics of foreign investors, the total investment in these areas compared to other economic sectors, and their ability to create jobs and contribute to Omanisation, among other topics. In fact, the establishment of this research chair comes as a confirmation of the continuing interest of the sultanates government and its recognition of the potential advantages offered by the industrial estates and the free zones, he added. Al Hasani added that the Ninth Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) highlights a number of vital projects in the manufacturing, transport, logistics, tourism, fisheries and mining sectors. These projects have been identified to act as a way to help the Sultanate achieve economic diversification, he pointed out. Al Mahrooqi said: It is very important to strengthen the relationship between academia and the industry. The chair will help in twinning the efforts of PEIE with those of SQU so that research is used as a guide for industrial sustainable development. Therefore, the chair will stimulate research and other forms of academic activity in areas related to industrial estates and free zones, which are of great importance to Oman, not only because these have often been overlooked in academic circles, but also because manufacturing, logistics, and trade all of which intricately linked to the success of industrial estates and free zones are of strategic importance for the Sultanates continued social and economic development, she said. It is for these reasons that SQU and PEIE have joined together in establishing this research chair, in the knowledge that its instigation will allow us to gain a much clearer and better informed picture of the opportunities and challenges associated with the industrial estates and free zones within Oman and to devise solutions to challenges and recommend ways of grasping and capturing new opportunities, she added. The research chair aims at conducting quality research and studies that provide insights and solutions which are contextual, focused, and tailored towards the challenges faced by the industrial estates and free zones in Oman. The chair also aspires at developing and supporting applied research related to the industrial estates and free zones in Oman, and helping guide policymakers, business leaders, decision makers and other stakeholders in making informed decisions about industrial estates and free zones to foster contribution to social and economic development. Moreover, the research chair seeks to prepare Omani researchers and experts to perform organised research and creative work in areas related to strategies, sectoral performance, diversification, employment, productivity, environmental impact, among others. The chair also aims at supervising graduates and preparing Omani researchers and experts to carry out creative and systematic works in areas related to industrial estates and free zones, and contributing to the development of human capital related to industrial estates and free zones by organising workshops and other specialised training courses and event. Additionally, the chair shall support and enhance the universitys position in the fields of industrial estates and free zones locally, regionally and internationally through arranging local seminars and international seminars and conferences, and will support students and professors of Sultan Qaboos University in acquiring knowledge and skills in areas related to industrial estates and free zones. The initiative also endeavours to help fulfil national development plans as they relate to industry and trade as outlined in Omans development strategies and the Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020), it stated. TradeArabia News Service The latest automation and digitisation technologies and growth opportunities for Saudi Arabian process industries will be highlighted at the Symposium on Industrial Systems & Control 2018, to be held in the kingdom. The symposium is taking place at the Kempinski Al Othman Hotel Al Khobar, on March 27 and 28, and will be providing an exceptional platform for automation professionals, equipment manufacturers and service providers to explore new strategies and solutions and showcase the latest products and most recent technical innovations in this area, said a statement. The event was announced by the International Society of Automation Saudi Arabia Section (ISA-SAS), and is being held in collaboration with King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM). Dr Khalid Sultan, rector of KFUPM, chairman of the board of the Saudi Electricity Company, and member of the board of directors for Saudi Aramco, is set to deliver the opening remarks on the first day, it said. The event has the official support of Ahmed Al Saadi, senior vice president technical services, Saudi Aramco, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Microsoft is hosting its inaugural AI Hackfest for the Gulf Region, giving customers the opportunity to work with Microsoft experts to solve real-world problems using artificial intelligence tools. Taking place at the Address Boulevard hotel, downtown in Dubai, the Hackfest falls in line with UAEs strategy for Artificial intelligence and the Gulf regions aim to use an integrated smart digital system that can overcome challenges and provide quick efficient solutions. The event will demonstrate the power of AI technologies to leading IT decision makers and give them an opportunity to experience capabilities such as machine-learning, advanced analytics, and natural-language processing - all hosted by Microsoft Azure cloud platform. During the event, attendees will present business problems and challenges to Microsofts experts, who will collaborate with the delegates on solutions that use a combination of cloud-based AI tools. The intelligent cloud is full of possibilities, because of advancements in artificial intelligence, said Sayed Hashish, general manager, Microsoft Gulf. Many companies, from multiple industries, and several governments, including those here in the GCC, have begun reaping the rewards. This Hackfest is our way of demonstrating the potential of AI to solve real world problems - to the extent that we are bringing our best engineers to collaborate with the regional tech community and solve their business challenges with real solutions. This is our AI challenge; bring us your most daunting digital transformation issues and watch the intelligent cloud show you how to achieve more: engage customers, empower employees, optimise operations and revitalise business models, he added. A recent Microsoft survey of large Gulf enterprises discovered that more than half of them (51 per cent) were planning to migrate to the cloud. Many others expressed interest in adopting various forms of AI, including business intelligence (41 per cent), Internet of Things (37 per cent), automated workflow (25 per cent), predictive analytics (21 per cent) and robotics and machine automation (14 per cent). Hackfest 2018 is designed around two tracks. The first track focuses on attendees who have presented problems best solved by AI and Machine learning, while the other track engages with customers who would like to learn more about developing cognitive applications. Organisations attending the Microsoft AI Hackfest include Dubai Municipality, DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), MBC Group, The United Arab Emirates University, du from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, Al Jaber Engineering & Contracting (ALEC) and the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar. The hackfest concludes on February 28. - TradeArabia News Service Saudi Aramco has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Royal Dutch Shell to jointly pursue international gas business opportunities, including upstream development, liquefaction projects and other aspects of the gas value chain. The MoU, signed during the UK-Saudi CEO Forum held in London, reflects Aramcos strategy to expand its natural gas assets while acknowledging Royal Dutch Shells strength in LNG, said a statement. Saudi Aramco is a participant in the forum held to promote bi-lateral business and cooperation between the two countries. The forum coincided with the official visit to the UK by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Speaking at the forum yesterday, Saudi Aramco President & CEO Amin H Nasser said: Saudi Aramco has a massive investment program over the next 10 years. This includes a number of large world scale projects where British businesses can play a major role. With Vision 2030, I believe there are more opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, not only in the oil and gas sector but also in infrastructure, manufacturing and services industries which are critical to manage and operate an enterprise like Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco has nearly 4,000 registered British vendors and contractors. In the last 10 years, we have spent nearly $10 billion in services and materials contracts with British service providers. We currently have more than 200 active contracts with British companies. The businesses range from engineering and construction, drilling equipment, power generation machinery and quality management services. Saudi Aramco also signed an MoU with The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), one of the worlds leading think tanks and research establishments and a frequent host to visiting heads of government and senior political leaders, including high ranking Saudi ministers. The MoU reflects a long-standing relationship and paves the way for further cooperation on assessing changes to the global and national energy markets and policies. The company also signed an MoU with Imperial College London. The MoU will seek to establish joint projects targeting frontier technologies and developments in chemical engineering, petroleum and geoscience, mechanical engineering and advanced materials. Finally, Saudi Aramco inked a further MoU with the internationally acclaimed Cambridge-based independent research and technology institution, TWI which is recognised as a global centre of excellence in materials joining and engineering processes. The MoU sets out plans to establish the multi-stakeholder Non-Metallic Innovation Center (NIC) at TWI alongside NSIRC (National Structural Integrity Research Centre), a partnership with leading academic institutions, research centres, energy companies and composite materials manufacturers. The four MoUs were complemented during the visit with two other commercial agreements including one with Aberdeen-based Downhole Products to further strengthen Saudi Aramcos drilling operations. Following todays signing ceremonies, Nasser said: Today, we are further expanding our relationship with six agreements and MoUs with leading British companies and organisations to support Saudi Aramcos long business growth strategy. At Saudi Aramco we have real, tangible and meaningful opportunities to collaborate and build partnerships now and in the future. The strengths of British businesses and industry can play a role in Saudi Aramco business plan including in our diversification and expansion strategies underscored by the framework of Vision 2030. - TradeArabia News Service In response to increasing customer demand, Etihad Airways has launched its first direct flight between Abu Dhabi and Baku, Azerbaijan. The inaugural flight, EY297, departed Abu Dhabi on March 3 carrying a special delegation including diplomats, dignitaries, media representatives, and senior members of Etihad Airways management team. On arrival in Baku, the aircraft was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by the customary display of the Emirati and Azerbaijani national flags from the cockpit windows. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief executive officer, said: We are tremendously excited to be launching scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi and Baku, the only scheduled service linking the two capitals. There is strong demand from both markets for a direct, full-service operation on the route, and we have responded to this increasing customer requirement. The new flights will further boost traffic from the UAE and strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations. The visa waiver programme introduced for UAE nationals by Azerbaijan in 2015 has greatly stimulated interest in the country, resulting in a surge of visitors since its implementation. Etihad Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines recently announced a codeshare partnership which now sees Azerbaijan Airlines place its 'J2' code on Etihad Airways services between Baku and Abu Dhabi. Under this partnership, Azerbaijan Airlines guests will be able to book codeshare flights to and from Abu Dhabi and connect onto Etihad Airways extensive global network. Jahangir Asgarov, president of Azerbaijan Airlines, said: "Azerbaijan Airlines and Etihad Airways are long-standing partners in civil aviation. The launch of joint flights between our two airlines will allow Azerbaijani citizens to further expand their global reach, attracting increased numbers of tourists and creating more opportunities for business travellers." Etihad Airways has appointed Saeed Mohammad Ahmed as its country manager Azerbaijan. A UAE national, he is an experienced aviation professional whose previous role with the airline was business development manager for the US base in Chicago. In his new position, he will be responsible for the strategic and commercial success of the new route, and for developing business relationships with key Azerbaijani corporations and the travel industry. Flying three times a week using a 136-seat Airbus A320, configured with 16 seats in Business Class and 120 in Economy Class, the new flights will operate every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, providing optimal daylight timings for guests departing and arriving in Abu Dhabi and Baku. The schedule provides convenient connections to and from the airlines global network and has been timed evenly throughout the week to provide a mix of weekend, short stay and business travel options. - TradeArabia News Service By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net A few kilometres east of Gorakhpur railway station, there is a lake named Ramgarh Tal. Walking along the banks of the lake, one might get a feel of walking around Mumbais seaside while looking at the multi-storey apartments under construction around the lake. The same path leads to Champa Devi Park where Akhilesh Yadav, the national president of Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, held a political rally on March 7 for the campaign of Samajwadi Partys candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad, who also adds Engineer as a suffix before his name. Akhilesh Yadav sat on the stage with senior leaders of various small political outfits of the state, strengthening the argument that he has succeeded in forging a sort of grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh as well. Support TwoCircles Along with him, Rajendra Chaudhary from SP, Dr Ayyub from Peace Party, Sanjay Kumar Nishad from NISHAD party, and RK Chaudhary from Rashtriya Swabhiman Party also shared the stage, with their joint candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad standing on the left side of the stage. Apart from the above-mentioned political parties, several Communist parties, Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Rashtriya Vikas Party have also joined this alliance in Uttar Pradesh before the by-election in Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency to be held on March 11. Dr. Ayyub, the founder-president of Peace Party made the aims of the alliance clear while speaking on stage. A secular alliance comprising every group of the society needed in the state. This alliance is a first major step towards that. We will bring justice to Dalits, OBCs, Muslims and poor people in the polling on March 11, he said. Even though the Peace Party does not have much of a base in Gorakhpur, it has a long association with NISHAD party. Even in Muslim-dominated localities of Gorakhpur, people have only heard of Peace Party. Rashid Qureshi, a 43-year-old meat seller in Urdu Bazaar of Gorakhpur, said, We know about Ayyub, his son, and their party. But I must add here that we have not seen them ever among us. Muslims in Gorakhpur are likely to vote in the majority for the newly-forged alliance but the only reason behind this is the name of Samajwadi Party, which is an old favourite of Muslims of the state. Samajwadi Party is only alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party, and that has nothing to do with Peace Party or its campaign, added Qureshi. However, one of the biggest game changer in the by-election equation is the NISHAD Party. The Nirbal Indian Soshit Humara Aam Dal better known as NISHAD party was founded by Sanjay Kumar Nishad, who has also been a member of The All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF). Experts in Gorakhpur believe that in the last few years, BAMCEF-trained Sanjay Kumar Nishad has managed to create a large base in the rural areas of the district. Maybe this explains the reason behind the huge turnout in March 7 rally of Akhilesh Yadav in Gorakhpur. We did not have to do much to gather people here. Workers and supporters of NISHAD party did most of the work to gather people here, confessed one of the workers of Samajwadi Party on the condition of anonymity. On Tuesday, March 6, hundreds of Nishad party members along with Sanjay Kumar Nishad entered Gorakhnath Temple and prayed for their win in the election. Sanjay Nishad conducted a press briefing outside the temple and made the same old, but well-known claim that the Gorakhnath Temple belonged to the Nishad community and lashed out at Yogi Government. This issue has often been brought up by the Nishad community especially in the context of the current politics of Gorakhpur, but very few media outlets carried the news next day. According to journalists and the spectators, the rally on Wednesday was one of the biggest political rally someone held for the upcoming elections. Women, children, and senior citizens were fairly visible in the crowd. Sunita Devi, a 36-year-old housewife who held the flag of NISHAD party high, told TwoCircles.net, It is an added attraction for us to see Dr Sahab (a famous nickname for Sanjay Kumar Nishad) with Akhilesh Ji. Yogi Ji is the leader of the temple and the people around it, but this alliance will take care of all. In his address, Sanjay Nishad called the BJP the Bharat Jalao Party and said, This (the alliance) is an attempt to consolidate the 70 percent votes which were cast against BJP in last general elections, and we will succeed in doing that. He further said, I have committed my son Gorakhpur candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad to the principles of Samajwadi Party, a statement which Akhilesh Yadav endorsed later by saying that Praveen is the son of NISHAD party, but he is also the younger brother of the Samajwadi party. Sanjay Kumar Nishad also attacked Yogi Government, holding them responsible for infant and child deaths in Baba Raghavdas Medical College, Gorakhpur last year. Yogi should have been resigned from the post taking moral responsibility of the same, but he did not, Nishad said. It is important to note that the Samajwadi Party started losing ground support in Gorakhpur since Yogi Adityanath aka Ajay Singh Bisht became the MP of Gorakhpur. It was always the division of votes of Nishad, Muslim and other backward communities between several parties which used to give a huge winning margin to Gorakhnath Temple. But the current by-election has put SP back in the fight. Ravi Kumar Gaud, 32-year-old rickshaw puller said, I used to give my vote to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) or NISHAD Party, but this time I hope my vote to SP will not go for a loss. As the BSP has extended support to SPs alliance for the by-election even though none of the leaders from BSP was present on Wednesday rally a major chunk of votes are likely to shift towards SP alliance. Raju Kumar, a 29-year-old jobless voter shares, We have the conviction to vote for BSP since long. But in this election, Mayawati has told us to go with SP. Hope that will change something. The mysterious Tiwari Hata, which is silent this time The rift between Brahmins and Thakurs in Gorakhpur is not new, but it came out in the open after a raid that was conducted on Tiwari Ahata or more popularly known as Hata the house of Harishankar Tiwari, Yogis rival in Gorakhpur situated in the middle of the Gorakhpur soon after Yogi sworn in as a Chief minister last year. Ex-cabinet minister and BSP leader Hari Shankar Tiwari has been a source of Brahmin pride in Gorakhpur and nearby areas. Considered a Bahubali, Tiwari has succeeded in creating a centre of Brahmin consolidation in Gorakhpur, a city which has a large chunk of Thakur voters. Yogi Adityanath, who comes from a Thakur background, has been a rivalry of Harishankar since he bagged the Loksabha seat of Gorakhpur 20 years ago. Tiwari, who has been one of the favourites of BSP leader Mayawati, faced humiliation after UP Police conducted a raid on his residence on April 22 last year, and apprehended six people. Irrespective of the administrative explanation, people in the Gorakhpur knew that the raid was conducted on the direct orders of Yogi Adityanath, who wanted to humiliate Tiwari. Otherwise, there was no specific reason which caused the police to dare to enter the premises of Harishankar Tiwaris house after almost three decades. But even after such episodes, Hata does not speak. None of the members of the family of Harishankar Tiwari or any of the men living in the Hata want to speak to the media over election strategies. We entered a Hata early evening and met Bahubali Mishra, one of the several managers in Hata in his early 30s. After many attempts, Mishra spoke freely, Everyone knows here that BSP has supported Nishad candidate of SP. But we see no activity in Hata about that. It certainly feels strange that owing to BSP for a powerful politics, Hata seems silent when it actually has the chance to defeat Yogi Adityanath or BJP or the power centre of Gorakhnath Temple. The compound is filled with four-wheelers, but they rarely leave for campaigning. None of the vehicles or establishments has the flag of Praveen Kumar Nishad or Samajwadi Party or even the BSP. Mishra concludes by whispering, This is not an election day in Hata. We are doing almost nothing besides our daily managing activities. Vinay Shankar Tiwari, Member of Legislative Assembly from BSP and son of Harishankar Tiwari, is in Lucknow for assembly session. Another worker tells us, MLA Ji is in Lucknow. If he would have given us responsibility, people would have been roaming around campaigning. The idleness implies that the Hata does not want to oppose the BJP this time, which has fielded Upendra Dutt Shukla, a Brahmin. Rather, the Hata seems unaffected with the politics going on both sides. Senior journalist Manoj Kumar Singh tells, Hata has always been following a closed-door politics leaving everyone in dark. But this time they are not even trying to consolidate Brahmin votes against BJP. It seems that they are trying to keep themselves out of the equation. But where will the Brahmin votes go in the absence of Hatas voice? Akhilesh Kumar Pandey, a 39-year-old social activist, says, Brahmins, especially the ones who are not part of the set up of Gorakhnath Temple, have a long history of opposing it. But when it comes to lining up with Nishad or Muslims, we refrain. So obvious choice would be going with BJP. Usually, Brahmins tend to go against Yogi Adityanath, but seeing his diminishing power in the larger politics, the Brahmins may support BJPs Shukla. In absence of a voice from Hata, people have no one to influence their insight. So they may go for BJP this time, added Pandey. Hindu Yuva Vahini: A missing talk of the town When I hear the word Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), two things come to my mind: Yogi Adityanath and Gorakhpur, says Pankaj Jaiswal, a fellow traveller with us to Gorakhpur. But keeping the HYV in focus, no one in Gorakhpur talks about Yogi anymore. Keshav Kumar Singh, 32, a member of HYV, meets us in Gorakhnath Temple. Keshav says, Soon after Yogi Ji won the election, we were almost stopped assigning tasks. Soon, upar ke log cleared to us that we have to look at the organizations function and agenda unlike what we were doing earlier. Singh clarifies. Earlier, we had to create a momentum in the society about Hindu pride and the young generations association. But we all are now a part of a larger politics which is controlled by Bharatiya Janata Party, so we exercise other sorts of tasks. Most of the members of Hindu Yuva Vahini have either left or joined other organisations. Many work with the BJP, many shifted to some other party, few have left the path of radical politics and are now involved in a business. However, there remains a small section of people who are willing to revive the Vahini even after Yogis denial. One of such member talked with TwoCircles.net on the condition of anonymity. He said, Yogi Ji does not need the organisation which actually built his stature as Hindu Hriday Samrat (the king of Hindu hearts). He has a larger base of workers from BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which is spread in more diverse areas, and they are doing enough to keep him in the sky. Now many of the members of HYV take orders from BJPs small-scale leaders, which is somehow not understandable because it was Yogi earlier who used to be our boss. But we know that if we want to be involved, we have to accommodate with the new development, added the member who admitted that he has been trying to get a ticket for next village-level elections. With the candidature of Upendra Shukla, the claim to govern Gorakhpur has slid from the hands of Gorakhnath Temple to the BJP. With this, one of the last local reasons to keep Hindu Yuva Vahini alive has also come to an end. Many in Gorakhpur were influenced by HYV groundwork, but now at least among the lower castes and Muslims, the BJP does not have a good image. Even Yogi Adityanath did not want to have Shukla as a candidate because the latter never had good relations with Yogi or his camp. Maybe this is the reason that workers close to Yogi Adityanath are half-heartedly involved in the campaign. But Yogi has sorted his ties with Shukla, which explains why just a week back, Yogi arranged the quick and efficient treatment of Updendra Shukla when he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his brain. BJP might be covering the story of Shuklas illness and his comeback in just five days of time after operation, but Shukla is not clever enough to do that as he announces from the stages now, Yogi Ji has saved my life. Muslim factor supports the new equation Maybe it is the new social engineering of Samajwadi Party, or the recent anti-Madrasa or anti-Muslim announcements or decisions by the Yogi government, or even the recent interference with the personal laws, but Muslims are clearly alienated from the Yogi camp this time. This also applies to Rasoolpur, a Muslim-majority locality surrounding Gorakhnath Temple, where a fair amount of Muslims used to vote for Yogi Adityanath as his camp inside the temple still deals with the everyday problems of Muslims. Mohammad Shamim Ansari runs a cloth shop in Rasoolpur. He said, This time, we are keeping our political and social equations far apart from each other because socially, the Temple helps us in the everyday matter, no doubt. But when it comes to politics, there is BJP which is strictly against Muslims. Many of our brothers are not voting for BJP this time. Many of us are of the opinion that we will collectively go for Samajwadi Party, as many of us had already been doing that, which will make our survival easier, at least in Gorakhpur, adds Ansari. If claims made by Ansari stands correct, then BJP might lose few more votes of Muslims, apart from those of Nishads, Jatavs, a few Brahmins and other backward castes. But will these changes in social equations affect Yogis kingdom for the two decades? Lets look at the numbers. In the general elections of 2014, Yogi bagged 51.8% votes and ended up winning the election with the margin of 3.12 lakh, a number which was not touched by SP, BSP, and Congress collectively in the same year. SP and BSP, have both been picking Nishad and Brahmin candidates alternatively for the past many Lok Sabha elections thereby cutting the votes of each other thus handing over the seat to BJP almost as a gift. So the past numbers indicate that indeed BJP is on the victory side, but the newly-forged alliance between SP and BSP by including NISHAD party in between is sparking a debate that first time in three decades, Gorakhpur is going to witness a real political fight. If 3.5 lakh Nishad voters, 2 lakh Dalit voters and about 2 lakh OBCs in Gorakhpur consolidate without much difference, it may give rise to a new political episode in the district. No game for Congress, yet again In Gorakhpur, there is either Yogi Adityanath or Samajwadi Party. Almost no voter in Gorakhpur talks about Surahita Karim Chatterjee, the Congress candidate for upcoming by-polls. Karim is a well-known name in Gorakhpur and tries to win the election, but even many of the state and national level leaders and planners of Congress party do not have high hopes for her. A senior state-level party worker told TwoCircles.net, Surahita indeed is going to lose her deposit this time. It was never a fight for us, even though she performed well in 2012 Mayoral elections. For the past many years, Congress vote percentage has remained between 2.6% and 4.9% and almost every time, it has lost its deposit. And this time too, all thanks to the polarisation of votes between SP and BJP, Congress may face the same fate again. The social engineering adapted by Samajwadi Party, and formulated by NISHAD party, has made the by-election extremely interesting in Gorakhpur. If this alliance performs well on March 11, the alliance may continue for 2019 general elections also, but it is indeed sure that if BJP witnesses a tough win or even a loss, Yogi will sure try to take back the charge. Related: Gorakhpur: Like 2014, by-elections will be a fight between Brahmin and OBC candidates Uttar Pradesh: Grand alliance in making? BSP extends support to SP for upcoming bypolls Gorakhpur: Independent Muslim candidate wins in Yogi Adityanaths own ward Yogi Adityanath: Wishes public on Hazrat Alis birthday, but changes name of Ali Nagar to Arya Nagar Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov called a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un, as a step in the right direction. "Only today we heard about this agreement, I hope that it will be realized, of course, it is necessary to stabilize the situation around the Korean peninsula. We also welcome an agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang about the inter-Korean summit to be held April, as I understand. The Russian Federation, the PRC and many other countries called for this in order to defuse tension, the atmosphere around the nuclear problem of the Korean peninsula. We should act not using threats, ultimatums, unilateral sanctions, but the dialogue on a mutually respectful basis, through the search for agreements that would satisfy all parties, " Sergey Lavrov said. At the same time, he refused to comment on whether an agreement was reached to hold high-level contacts between Pyongyang and Washington at the expense of the pressure of sanctions: "Each side wants to prove its opinion is right. Let's not talk now about what caused this arrangement. It is even more important that this agreement will be realized and wont end with a talk, but will lead the way to the resumption of a full-fledged political negotiation process with a view to a settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula on the basis of the existing principles, which were approved at the six-party talks and in the UN Security Council. " Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday that his nation is hopeful that all parties to the talks will show their political courage, according to an Associated Press report, and that China supports positive inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea interactions. As Politico writes in the article China, Russia supportive of Trumps North Korea meeting, China has long served as North Korea chief trade partner and benefactor on the world stage, until recently shielding it from the most aggressive actions sought by the U.S. and others at the United Nations. As North Korea ramped up its campaign of missile tests and nuclear saber-rattling, Trump has sought to ramp up pressure on the Kim regime with the help of China, which wields a disproportionate amount of influence with North Korea as its principle trading partner. China has agreed to tougher sanctions on North Korea in recent months, and Geng said Friday that the Chinese government will continue to strive for the political resolution and lasting peace and stability on the peninsula. The White Houses Thursday confirmation that Trump would meet with Kim in the coming months came as somewhat of a surprise, breaking with past precedent that kept U.S. presidents from meeting leaders of the repressive nation. Trump himself has at times ratcheted up tensions with North Korea, pledging last summer to attack it with fire and fury like the world has never seen if it continued its nuclear provocations, but also expressing a willingness last May to meet with Kim. Japans prime minister, Shinzo Abe, told the AP that he and Trump spoke on the phone and agreed to continue the U.S.-led campaign of international sanctions intended to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear arsenal. Abe said he will visit the U.S. in April to hold talks with Trump. And Sweden, which is one of a handful of nations to maintain diplomatic relations with North Korea and has represented U.S. interests in Pyongyang, offered to help facilitate the meeting between Trump and Kim. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told the AP Friday that he hopes the dialogue between the two is smooth. Azerbaijan's Armed Forces will hold large-scale exercises with the participation of various military branches, formations and units on March 12-17, 2018, the republic's Defense Ministry said. The exercises will be conducted in accordance with the plan approved by President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. The drills will involve up to 25,000 military personnel, about 250 tanks and other armored vehicles, up to 1000 missiles and artillery systems of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, nearly 50 army and front-line aviation units for various purposes. During the exercises, the troops will carry out tasks to prevent the enemy from attacking, suppress the enemy with fire, restore defense along advantageous frontiers by inflicting counterstrikes and conduct a large-scale counteroffensive operation, APA reported. The military personnel will work out tactical episodes on the interoperability of formations and military units, the management of troops and fire means, as well as the prevention of various actions of the imaginary enemy throughout the exercises to be held in difficult conditions of mountain relief and electronic warfare environment. Live-fire exercise using new weapons systems is planned to be conducted at various training grounds in the course of the exercises. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Georgia's Minister of Defense Levan Izoria. During the talks, the president said that political relations between the two countries are developing successfully. Ilham Aliyev hailed the long-term successful development of the bilateral cooperation in a variety of fields, including military sphere. He noted that Levan Izoria's visit to Azerbaijan created a good opportunity for discussing cooperation prospects in this area. Defense Minister Levan Izoria reiterated the Georgian people`s respect for the Azerbaijani President, and praised President Ilham Aliyev`s great contributions to the successful development of ties between the two countries. Georgia's minister said his country supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Touching upon Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey cooperation, Levan Izoria described it as an important factor in strengthening regional stability. He stressed successful joint military exercises of the three countries. Noting that Azerbaijan and Georgia enjoy successful interaction in economic, energy and transport areas, the head of state emphasized the importance of the global projects implemented by the two countries. President Aliyev said Azerbaijan backs the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. US President Donald Trump's decision to introduce customs tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum in order to "protect national security" has provoked a stormy reaction, not only in the European Union, but throughout the world - even in the US. Sen. Jeff Flake said that he will introduce legislation to nix Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports just minutes after they were announced. "I will immediately draft and introduce legislation to nullify these tariffs, and I urge my colleagues to pass it before this exercise in protectionism inflicts any more damage on the economy," Flake said in a statement. Speaking at a panel discussion in Brussels, the European Union's trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom criticized Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium products. It is not crystal clear on what the president said yesterday, Ms Malmstrom said at an event organised by the German Marshall Fund. So we will have to seek further clarity. We hope that we can get clarity that the EU is excluded from this, she said. If not we have been clear that we dont think this is compatible with the WTO, so we will go to the WTO, possibly within some other friends. Germany's government urged multilateral talks to address overcapacity in the steel sector and said it supports the European Union's plans to retaliate to Trump's steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. "The European Union has decided to respond clearly to the US measures and as the federal government we support this position," Reuters cited the government spokesman Georg Streiter as saying. "The exact nature of the (EU) steps will be decided after a close analysis of the American measures," he added. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said that France regrets US President's decision. "There are only losers in a trade war. With our EU partners, we will assess consequences on our industries and agree appropriate response," he tweeted. The head of China's Ministry of Commerce's Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau Wang Hejun called on the US to revoke its decision to impose tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum exports. He said the US measures are in essence trade protectionism in the guise of national security. He said most US steel and aluminum imports are for civil use and by no means impair US national security. According to the official, the US abuse of "national security" provision is a wanton sabotage of the multilateral trading system represented by the World Trade Organization, and is set to hurt the normal international trading order. "China firmly opposes that," he said in a statement posted on the ministry website. "China urges the US to respect the authority of the multilateral trading system and revoke the decision as soon as possible." Wang Hejun said China has lodged solemn complaints with the US side through multiple channels and said China will assess its loss caused by the US measures. "(China) will take strong measures to safeguard its legitimate interests," China Daily cited the official as saying. Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono said called US-approved tariff measures on steel and aluminum imports regrettable. "These measures could make a significant impact on the economic and cooperative relationship between Japan and the U.S., who are allies, as well as the world economy. Japan will appropriately address this issue upon careful scrutinization of the impact on Japanese companies and the relationship with the WTO Agreement," the statement says. Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have had no meeting in Ethiopia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said. The minister added that such a meeting is no longer expected there. "There has been no meeting, and it will not be held. Well be waiting for another chance," TASS cited Ryabkov as saying. Despite the coincidence of high-profile envoys staying in the same hotel on separate African tours on the same night, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Russia hadnt asked for a meeting between the two. That prompted a response from Lavrov, who insisted during a stop in Zimbabwe that Moscow did in fact want to meet. I want to say that this is untrue, Lavrov stressed. Asked about the meeting that wasnt happening, Tillerson said the notion that the US had rejected diplomatic engagement is really silly - thats just silly. He said he learned of Lavrovs desire to meet only as he was flying to Africa on Tuesday night. Repeating that we never received a formal invitation from Lavrov, Nauert said, Just because because the two of them happen to be in the same country at the same time doesnt necessarily mean that theyre going to carve out time. Georgian President Georgi Margvelashvili held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. The leaders discussed the process of integration with the alliance, the dynamics of cooperation with Georgia, as well as plans for the future. At the meeting held at the General Secretary's residence, Jens Stoltenberg invited Margvelashvili to the 2018 summit in Brussels. The NATO Secretary General specified that Georgia will attend the summit as a graduate student and a partner country of the alliance. First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has today met with Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan Tomohiko Taniguchi, the presidents press service reported, AzVision.az reports. Azerbaijan's First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva expressed her confidence that Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan Tomohiko Taniguchis visit would contribute to the development of the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Japan. Besides, Mehriban Aliyeva hailed the successful development of the friendly cooperation between two countries in economic, political and humanitarian fields highlighting the importance of the State Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Japan. Touching upon the successful bilateral relations on energy sphere, Mehriban Aliyeva said that two of great Japanese companies - "IMPEX" and "ITOCHU" have been operating in our country for many years. Besides, she stressed their active involvement in development of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil fields. Azerbaijani First Vice-President stated that being one of the world's most advanced economies Japan draw the attention of the world for its experience in information, construction technologies and transport fields. NATOs Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller said that Turkeys Operation Olive Branch in Afrin should be restricted in point of time and scope. "Turkey should remember this alliances principles. It must be adhered to the alliance in the context of principle of proportionality. Turkey should pay utmost attention not to hurt civilians in Afrin," she said, speaking at the annual Brussels Forum conference. Moscow believes that a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un "is a step in the right direction", Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said. "For sure, we believe that this is a step in the right direction. We have heard about this agreement only today. I hope that it will be implemented. It is needed to normalize the situation around the Korean Peninsula," Lavrov told reporters while on a visit to Ethiopia. "It should not just be a meeting, it should open up a way to resuming a fully fledged diplomatic process to find a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue on the basis of principles agreed during the six-party talks and the U.N. Security Council," Reuters cited the top diplomat as saying. South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong said that Trump had agreed to meet with Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. Ex-leader of the Syrian Kurds Salih Muslim will not be extradited to Turkey, despite Ankara's official demand, since he already crossed Sweden's border, the Swedish Justice Ministry official Cecilia Riddselius said. She said that, according to the police, Muslim is no longer on Sweden's territory, TASS reported. Turkey had delivered a protest note to Sweden demanding to arrest the former leader of Syria's Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) Saleh Muslim, the CNN Turk broadcaster reported. Salih Muslim is wanted by Turkey, which has requested his extradition from several European countries on terrorism charges. Muslim is a former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the dominant Kurdish political party in Syria that he helped found in 2003. US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May. The invitation to meet was delivered in person by South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yon, who met with Trump and key national security officials in the Oval Office on Thursday, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters following the announcement. Speaking outside the White House, a South Korean envoy said Kim "expressed eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." Kim has also pledged that his country will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests" while talks are underway, Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing, and said he would meet him to achieve permanent denuclearization." Both the time and place have yet to be discussed, according to the administration official, who emphasized that the development was just a meeting, and not a promise of sanctions relief or concessions from the United States. "We're not even talking about negotiations. The president is not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks, but he's willing to meet and he expects North Korea to start putting action to these words," the official said. In the long term, the United States "will settle for nothing less than denuclearization. It's what we expect and what the world expects," he added. The president has been coordinating closely with South Korea and Japan in recent weeks, the official said. Following his Oval Office meeting with South Korean diplomats, Trump spoke by phone Thursday evening with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, CNBC reported. The White House confirmed that Trump had accepted Kims invitation. President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a statement read out by his spokesman on Friday reflected the hope and relief many here feel about the planned summit when he declared Friday that it will be a "historical milestone" that will put the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula "really on track." US President Donald Trump signed a decree to introduce customs tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum mill articles. Trumps plan is to impose a 25% tariff on imports of steel, and a 10% tariff on aluminium. The initial plan was for a global levy, although Trump made clear exceptions would be made and suggested that allies military spending might be taken into account, the Guardian reported. At the same time, Trump promised to show "great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military" before signing the document. In the presidential proclamation on the introduction of the tariffs, released by the White House, Trump said that any country with which the United States has "a security relationship" is welcome to discuss "alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports from that country." The tariffs will not be applied to foreign companies who open production facilities in the United States. Certain nations may be exempt from tariffs, including Canada and Mexico. The tariffs will come into force in 15 days. Turkey's president says Turkish troops and Ankara-backed opposition fighters have encircled the main city in a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave in northwest Syria and are on the verge of entering it, Fox news reports. In a speech in Ankara on Friday Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish forces, which took control of the key town of Jinderes on Thursday, were 6 kilometers away from the city of Afrin. "Afrin (city) is encircled. God willing, we are may enter Afrin (city) any moment," Erdogan said. Erdogan reiterated Turkey's resolve to advance to Manbij a region east of Afrin, where the U.S. has a military presence and other Syrian Kurdish held locations east of the Euphrates river, once the offensive on the enclave is completed. Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish fighters "terrorists" and allied with Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the intention of the US and North Korean leaders, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, to hold a meeting in the near future, the official spokesman for the Secretary General Stefan Dujarric, reported. Dujarric stressed that Guterres is encouraged by the announcement of an agreement between the United States and the DPRK and supports all the efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the situation on the Korean peninsula, RIA Novosti reports. LONDON VinaCapital and Maybank Kim Eng Securities hosted the Viet Nam Corporate Day in London on Wednesday and Thursday to showcase investment opportunities in Viet Nams stock markets. The event, featuring large cap companies like Coteccons, FPT Retail, HDBank, Phu Nhuan Jewelry, Eximbank, and Vietjet Air, was attended by around 100 institutional investors with combined assets in excess of US$7 trillion. Viet Nams stock market has become one of the most attractive destinations for international investors thanks to solid progress in the SOE privatisation programme and the Governments focus on foreign investments, Kim Thien Quang, CEO of Maybank Kim Eng Viet Nam, said. Don Lam, CEO of VinaCapital, said the event was in line with his funds efforts over the last 14 years to promote Viet Nams impressive growth story to the world and facilitate direct discussions between international investors and Vietnamese businesses. From the success of Viet Nam Corporate Day, I believe more investors will take notice that Viet Nam is open for business, and participate in more opportunities to help take Vietnamese companies to the next stages of growth and improve their competiveness in ASEAN and the world. VNS HA NOI The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Agreement will be vital deal to expanding free trade and ensuring sustainable development in Viet Nam, said Minister of Industry and Trade (MoIT) Tran Tuan Anh. Therefore, economic sectors should take the initiative in economic restructuring in order to maximise the benefits of the pact, which was scheduled to be inked in Chile on Thursday (local time) by ministers from its 11 member countries, Anh told the Vietnam News Agency. The minister said such sectors as garment-textiles, footwear, food processing, beverage, confectionery, tobacco and wine and beer will benefit most from the deal. He cited a study jointly conducted by the World Bank (WB) and the research institute under the Ministry of Planning and Investment as saying that Viet Nams GDP would be 1.1 per cent higher than otherwise expected in 2030 thanks to the CPTPP. Like other member economies, Viet Nam has committed to market opening and trade facilitation and liberalisation towards lifting non-tariff barriers, the minister said. At the same time, the country will continue to streamline State management of market development, he said, stressing that through the agreement, the competitiveness of the national economy as well as businesses will be likely improved. Citing US$36 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) poured into Viet Nam in 2017, Anh said the pact would lead to breakthroughs in the flow of investment into the country. Domestic businesses, therefore, will have more resources to develop further and access technologies as well as quality human resources, the minister emphasised. However, apart from opportunities, the agreement would pose challenges to both the business community and people if less attention was paid to fulfilling integration commitments, the minister warned. He cited lessons from Viet Nam s joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and signing of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US to clarify his views. The official said a number of fields in the agriculture sector like sugarcane exploitation and sugar industry have remained slow in restructuring, as compared with other sectors like telecommunications, e-commerce, garment-textiles and footwear. The MoIT has designed specific communications projects in order to help businesses and people grasp opportunities generated by the agreement. The ministry will also submit an overall action plan to the Government in preparation for the implementation of Viet Nam s integration commitments while reviewing its legal framework. Economist Nguyen Le inh Quy said the CPTPP is the countrys largest free trade agreement to date and would provide momentum for Viet Nams economic reforms. In joining the CPTPP, Viet Nam would have opportunities to promote its exports to big markets such as Japan , Australia , Canada and Mexico as well as attracting FDI into sectors which the country has demand for development. In addition, it would also promote institutional reforms, creating a transparent investment and business environment, Quy said. Luong Hoang Thai, director of the MoITs Department of Multilateral Trade Policy, said Viet Nam would have more advantages in protecting its benefits because it participated in the pact from the beginning. The CPTPP is set to take effect in early 2019 after it is ratified by at least six member economies. Its current member economies make up about 13 per cent of the global GDP. After the US withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the predecessor of the CPTPP, in 2017, the remaining 11 economies ( Australia , Brunei , Canada , Chile , Japan , Malaysia , Mexico , New Zealand , Peru , Singapore and Viet Nam ) agreed to maintain the deal and rename it CPTPP. They agreed on the revised content of the agreement on January 23, 2018. On February 21, the full text of the CPTPP was announced, which is considered a sign showing that the 11 countries are ready to sign the agreement. HCM CITY Viet Nams woodworking industry can expand exports but to expand market share and increase value, it needs to keep pace with market trends and capitalise on opportunities, experts have said. Helmut Max Merkel, editor-in-chief of Mobelmarkt (International Interior Business Magazine) and general manger of CRP Consulting Nuremberg, Germany, said the German furniture market is big but difficult. Germans love to buy furniture. German consumers were not directly affected by the European crisis, and the countrys low jobless rate makes its climate conducive for private consumption, he told the Global Wood Products Market Development seminar in HCM City on Wednesday. German love to live in a cosy environment. So the per capita consumption of furniture is higher than in other countries. There was an increase demand for furniture products made from natural materials, multifunctional furniture at reasonable prices, he said. In the past, Germans preferred harder seats compared to consumers in its neighbouring countries, but now the seat comfort has become important and modular sofa sets are becoming popular, he said. Germanys furniture imports were worth 9.4 billion euros (US$11.67 billion) in January-September last year, with Poland, China, the Czech Republic and Italy being the biggest exporters and Viet Nam ranking 13th. But not many Germans have information or know about Vietnamese furniture, Merkel said. Juliane Lemcke, technical wood expert for the Swiss Import Promotion Programme, said demand for wooden furniture in the EU is rising slowly, with consumption steady in the larger markets like Germany, the UK, Italy and France and increasing in Spain, Poland, Sweden and the Netherlands. There is an increase in the use of engineered wood products (EWP) for home construction, commercial buildings, industrial products and furniture, especially flat pack furniture, in the EU, she said. The EWP market in Europe is still at an early stage of development but its use is growing rapidly, especially in home construction, commercial buildings, industrial products and furniture, due to its cost competitiveness. And demand for environment-friendly packaging products to replace non-recyclable materials is on the rise. Talking about the European home furnishing market in 2016-20, she said demand for multi-functional furniture is expected to increase, with living room and bedroom furniture generating the majority of sales followed by the kitchen segment. The major trend in bedroom furniture is the use of country or rustic style, involving use of pale, pastel colours and traditional styling, she said. She also spoke about the US trends and effects on furniture. With the number of single-person households increasing, and thus also smaller homes and apartments, demand for modular, space-saving and multifunctional furniture and furniture for storage is high, she said. Bjorn Henseler of Schuler Consulting GmbH said Viet Nam is good at making furniture from solid wood, but the future of the market lies in customisation. So businesses should also grasp market trends to adopt suitable development strategies, delegates said. They agreed that consumers shopping habits in the US and EU are changing with the growth in e-commerce, especially to young customers. Huynh Van Hanh, permanent vice chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa), said Viet Nams exports of wood and wooden products have increased by 12.3 per cent a year on average for the past seven years, reaching $7.66 billion last year. They are expected to reach $8.5 billion this year, he said. Co-organised by Hawa and the Swiss Import Promotion Programme, the seminar was held on the sidelines of the Viet Nam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair being held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre from March 7 to 10. VNS HA NOI VinFast Manufacturing and Trading Company Limited has announced 36 global-standard designs, including 17 for its electric vehicles and 19 for internal combustion engine vehicles on Thursday. This is the first time that a Vietnamese company will produce electric vehicles, marking a breakthrough for the development and integration of the Vietnamese automobile industry. VinFasts electric and mini vehicles will be launched late next year, faster than expected by nearly one year. A design of VinFast mini-size car collection. Photo courtesy of Vingroup This event affirms VinFasts goal to become Southeast Asia s leading car manufacturer, with comprehensive products in the line of internal combustion engine vehicles (sedan, SUV and hatchback) and electric vehicles. VinFast decided to invest heavily in electric vehicles to create a breakthrough within Viet Nam and the world market. The production line will apply the worlds leading technology to produce eco-friendly electric vehicles in line with the latest developments and trends of the world automotive industry. In addition, mini cars are being developed with the goal of bringing the opportunity of owning international quality cars at affordable prices to local customers. A design of VinFast electric car collection. Photo courtesy of Vingroup "Electric cars are the car of the future. With a pioneering mission and a desire to make a breakthrough in the car market, we decided to produce electric cars at this time. In addition, VinFast will also produce mini-size cars alongside two models of sedans and SUVs to serve the current domestic demand," said Vingroup deputy chairman Nguyen Viet Quang. In order to realise the goal of manufacturing cars with Vietnamese identity and international standard, VinFast continues to call for community participation in contributing ideas for vehicle designs. During the period from March 14 to March 18, consumers can vote for their two favourite designs for Vinfast electric and mini-size vehicles at www.binhchonmauxe.vinfast.vn. A design of VinFast electric car collection. Photo courtesy of Vingroup Those taking part in the vote can have the chance to win attractive awards with the total value up to VN800 million (US$35,550). The first prize is worth up to VN200 million. In addition, VINFAST will also host many interesting minigames on its fan page so that customers can directly share and comment on the models. VNS By Brian Spence* As the cool kids would have it, we live in very woke times. Thanks to the influence of social media and the 24-hour news agenda, we are all more aware of social and environmental issues than ever before and more able to hold bad actors to account. And, in this new era of transparency and accountability, many of us will have found a heightened sense of personal responsibility has taken hold. It is not often that you find the global financial services industry capturing the zeitgeist of the day, but that is exactly what were seeing with the sectors ever-growing focus on ethical, or responsible, investing. Not only is the industry seizing the chance to rehabilitate its image generally, it is also coming to see ethical credentials as a great way to boost the bottom-line too. So, what is responsible investing all about and why is it such a focus now? Responsible investing is, in fact, nothing new. Investors started to back away en masse from industries like tobacco and weapons in the 1960s, following the lead of religious or other highly-principled institutions like family foundations in their avoidance of sin stocks or morally compromised countries. And, while the movement has had far more traction in the West than in the East up until now, it is actually deeply rooted in Asia. The Pax fund, the first modern ethical fund, was launched in 1971 by Methodists who did not wish to financially support the Vietnam War. Out of this fund sprang an entire industry dedicated to giving people a way to align their investments with their beliefs. Winning hearts and minds Today, this is known as the ESG or SRI sector acronyms which stand for Environmental, Social and Governance and Socially-Responsible Investing respectively, and which give a clue as to how broad this movement now is. Not only do ESG investors take account of the environmental and social impact of the companies they invest in, they attend to the principles on which they are run too. Additionally, where once investors focused predominantly on screening out companies engaged in negative practices, they now look to screen in those that are actively doing good. (Taken to its furthest extreme, in what is known as impact investing, the financial return from an investment and the social or environmental benefit it generates are given equal weight.) Having steadily grown over past decades, ESG assets have really exploded in recent years, hitting US$8.7 trillion at the end of 2016, up around 33 per cent since 2014. The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 has doubtlessly played a big role here, exposing the risks of unscrupulous investment practices, but so too has growing evidence that well-run, responsible companies tend to do better financially over the long term. Investors have recognised that doing well (financially) and doing good (socially, environmentally) are not mutually exclusive at all. There are now hundreds of investment firms offering ESG investments and new products are being launched every week by both smaller specialists and global behemoths. Fidelity, Northern Trust, BlackRock, UBS and JP Morgan are just a handful of the global brands piling into this space. But this is not just out of the goodness of the banks hearts. For them, ESG, SRI and impact investing offerings have emerged as a crucial means of broadening their appeal. Big appeal for wealthy women Not only are todays financial institutions facing an increasingly competitive market, they are also wrestling with how to appeal to women and Millennials two highly important investor groups which are both slightly out of the sectors comfort zone and who have more on their minds than the bottom line alone. An overwhelming 82 per cent of wealthy millennials see ESG considerations as important (nearly twice the rate for High Net Worth Investors overall). Similarly, 83 per cent of female investors around the world care about where their money is invested and 69 per cent feel an urgent need to invest responsibly figures which run even higher among Asian women. A growing body of research is proving that having a positive impact on the environment, healthcare and education are top concerns to female investors globally, but particularly so among Asian women (no doubt due to the regions strong culture of community and charity). Asias booming wealth is being matched by a rapidly maturing financial services landscape in which both institutions and investors are becoming more sophisticated, fast. And, given that female wealth growth is especially strong in Asia and that Asian women are strongly inclined towards ESG investing, we can expect a proliferation of products with an ethical slant as providers jostle to stand out. Not only is responsible investing a good look for financial services firms, as the young might also say, it is also a good way to encourage women into investing. Here as around the world women tend to be hesitant about investing in their own right. The opportunity to impact on causes close to their hearts might be just the push many affluent females need to get started. I for one hope so, and would be delighted to advise any readers wishing to learn more. * Brian Spence is a UK expat now resident in Ha Noi as co-founder and managing partner of S&P Investments, a portfolio management and financial planning advisory firm for High Net Worth Individuals. He has over 30 years of experience as a fund manager, Independent Financial Advisor, business consultant and Mergers & Acquisitions specialist. He is also known as an ESG expert, having launched a number of international and home-based products that were the first of their kind in the UK. The columnists email is brian@sandpinvestments.com HA NOI The vice chairman of Lotte, Hwang Kag-Gyu, met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Ha Noi on March 8 to explain Lottes business strategy in Viet Nam and discuss investment, expansion and co-operation plans. The meeting was held in the context of Viet Nam and South Korea celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relation in 2017 and the relationship between the two countries developing strongly through active economic co-operation and exchange activities. Lotte is a popular brand around the world and especially in Viet Nam. The group has played an important role among other South Korean enterprises in investing in Viet Nam, Phuc said. He was impressed by the strong development of Lottes business in the country. The South Korean conglomerate entered the Vietnamese market in 1996 and has risen consistently since then, owning 16 subsidiaries, four factories and 280 stores in various sectors such as commercial centres, supermarkets, hotels, confectionery and cinema, along with the Lotte Centre Ha Noi, located in the central area of the capital. The PM also urged Lotte to expand its business and develop new projects in the country, and he highly appreciated Lottes successful projects developed in major cities of Viet Nam. Phuc expressed his delight that Lotte had put great trust in the Vietnamese market and spoke highly of the South Korean groups social welfare activities that have worked well in Viet Nam. At the meeting, Prime Minister Phuc asked Lotte to support local producers consume Vietnamese farm produce that is imported into South Korea as Viet Nam was now enlarging agricultural production but its markets had remained narrow and there had remained a trade deficit for Viet Nam in bilateral relation with South Korea. In addition, he expected Lotte, based on its strong nationwide network of retail stores, would help Viet Nam with the consumption of plastics, chocolate and other industrial products that had remained Viet Nams key export items. The PM suggested Lotte assist Viet Nam in developing new technologies to catch up with the fourth industrial revolution and further develop its business in other fields in Viet Nam. As a large-scale enterprise in Viet Nam, Lotte had focused on its onsite human resource training which had helped not only boost the groups performance but also provide high-quality employees and workers for the Vietnamese economy, Phuc said. Based on the long-term strategic relations between Viet Nam and South Korea, Lottes success will make great contributions to making the two-way relationship tighter and more effective. The Vietnamese Government commits to creating good conditions for Lotte to develop its long-term, sustainable business in Viet Nam, he said. Lottes vice chairman Hwang said: "I would like to ask for continued interest and support for the businesses that are being carried out in Viet Nam. In the future, Lotte will be a company that grows with Viet Nam through investing in various business sectors, creating jobs and social contribution activities. Lotte had been carrying out various business projects in Viet Nam in the fields of hospitality, retail, services, construction and farm produce import, Hwang said, adding that the South Korean firm would make more contributions to improving the living conditions of the Vietnamese people. Hwang expected Lotte would receive strong support from the Vietnamese Government and local agencies for its future business activities and Lotte would strive to meet the expectations of the Prime Minister, the Government and Vietnamese people. Lotte is currently pursuing the development of an Eco Smart City, a large-scale complex development project with department stores, shopping malls, hotels, offices and apartments in the Thu Thiem area, which HCM City is developing as a new economic hub. The South Korean company also planned to acquire financial companies that had encountered problems and make further investment in the information-technology and transportation sectors. Lotte has been developing its e-commerce business unit in Viet Nam since 2017. Lotte has been active in Viet Nam with the food and restaurant business since the 1990s, and its core businesses such as distribution, service and construction has continued to enter Viet Nam. Lotte Centre Ha Noi, a large-scale complex opened in 2014, has become a landmark in Ha Noi, raising Lottes brand image. Currently, there are 16 affiliated companies in Viet Nam. Lee Kwang Young, the CEO of Lotte Asset Development also attended the meeting. VNS HA NOI Many Vietnamese wooden furniture and handicraft companies are advertising their products to foreign customers at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2018 (IFFS-2018), which opened in the island country on Thursday. Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Singapore Tran Thu Quynh described the event as a good opportunity for Vietnamese furniture firms, including those from craft villages, to explore new business strategies in the context of the interior industrys focus on distinguished and environment-friendly products. Le Thi Thuan, director of the Qua Thuan Handicraft Manufacturing and Trading Company, which is participating at the fair for the third time, said the event would help local furniture producers to promote their products and seek potential international and regional trade partners. More than 400 companies worldwide are participating in IFFS-2018. The fair will conclude on Sunday. Viet Nams export of wood and wooden products has increased by 12.3 per cent per year for the past seven years and is predicted to grow even faster in the next three years, according to the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa). Currently, Viet Nam is the largest exporter of wood and wooden products among ASEAN countries, the second largest in Asia and the fifth largest in the world. The countrys export value of wooden products is likely to reach US$8.5-8.7 billion this year, Hawa predicts. VNS HA NOI Four Vietnamese tycoons have been named in Forbes Billionaires 2018, and they share a common interest in agricultural investment or businesses dedicated to benefiting Vietnamese farmers and the poor. The richest among them, Pham Nhat Vuong, owner of real estate conglomerate Vingroup and Viet Nams first billionaire named by Forbes in 2012, has been ranked the worlds 499th wealthiest person this year, with a net worth of US$5.5 billion as of March 9. This is the sixth consecutive year the self-made billionaire has been honoured in the annual Forbes Worlds Billionaire List. Founded in 2002, Vingroup has expanded its presence in many sectors, including retail, education, healthcare, commercial and hospitality real estate, agriculture and, the latest, automobile production. Talking to journalists about making it to the top 500 richest men in the world, Vuong said: I dont care about that. We will do what we think is good for society, good for many people and are capable of. If I just want to spend on one thing or another, I would have stopped my work a long time ago, Vuong said, adding, As a human, I cannot live a wasted life. A lot of Vingroups products and services in real estate, resorts, health, education and agriculture have earned customers trust. They not only help generate huge profits for the company and its owners but also create massive jobs for workers and farmers who have joined the production chain in its business lines. Vingroup has been among the pioneers in investing heavily in hi-tech agriculture, targeting clean and safe food production. After two years of operation, VinEco has produced thousands of agricultural products, including many kinds of vegetables, fruits and spices. More than 200 categories of Vingroups products are being produced in automatic control procedures in green houses, such as mushrooms, vegetable sprouts, hydroponic vegetables, melons, cucumbers and baby cucumbers, while applying advanced technology from Japan, Israel and South Korea. To assist farmers in familiarising with modern agriculture, in September 2016, VinGroup launched the programme Support and promote agricultural production in Viet Nam, which attracted 3,000 applicants. Nearly 800 households have sold their products through Vingroups retail chains, Vinmart and Vinmart+. In addition to this, VinEco has organised many large-scale training seminars for farmers nationwide, attracting 2,000 participants and supporting more than 500 households to register for VietGap. Vingroups investment in agriculture has helped change the agricultural production model, support farmers who participate in its production chain with both capital and technology and secure their businesses by committing to buy their produce with stable prices. According to Nguyen Si Dung, former vice chairman of the National Assemblys Office, VinGroup has contributed to raising labour productivity, creating jobs and paying high income to nearly 50,000 workers, which has had enormous social significance. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (r) receives outgoing Chilean Ambassador to Viet Nam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana in Ha Noi on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed outgoing Chilean Ambassador to Viet Nam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana for his contributions to the Viet Nam-Chile comprehensive partnership at his farewell reception for the diplomat in Ha Noi on Thursday. He said the ambassador contributed to organising the high-level visits between the two countries, especially the State visit to Viet Nam by President Michelle Bachelet Jeria in November 2017. The leader hailed the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement in Chile on Thursday, describing it as an important outcome of drastic negotiations and discussions of the pact members, which included the proactive roles played by Viet Nam and Chile. The signing of the CPTPP and the sound traditional ties will open up opportunities for broader cooperation in economics, trade and investment, and promote partnership in culture, education and other fields between Viet Nam and Chile , he said. He wished the diplomat success in his new post and that he will continue contributing to the growing ties between the two countries. Ambassador Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana thanked the PM and Vietnamese agencies for helping him accomplish his tasks and boosting the bilateral relations. He pledged that in any future positions, he will spare no effort for the two countries relations and expressed his belief that the bilateral ties and collaboration at multilateral forums will be developed. He expected that the two countries will work harder to increase their two-way trade value, which stands at over US$1 billion, and step up their ties in other fields. He agreed with the PMs view on the importance of the signing of CPTPP, saying the event will help accelerate cooperation between the two countries. He said he wants Viet Nam to co-operate and share with Chile its experiences in the successful organisation of APEC 2017 as his country will host the APEC Year 2019. Earlier in the day, the ambassador was received by President Tran ai Quang. VNS National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (r) receives Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Union of Myanmar Aye Thar Aung in Ha Noi on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Duong Giang HA NOI National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan highlighted the reinforced relationship between the legislatures of Viet Nam and Myanmar at her reception for Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of the Union of Myanmar Aye Thar Aung in Ha Noi on Thursday. Chairwoman Ngan congratulated Myanmar on its recent socio-economic achievements, voicing her belief that the country will succeed in promoting national reconciliation and harmony and improving its stature in the region and the world. She expressed her delight at the increasingly strengthened friendship and co-operation between the Vietnamese NA and the Myanmar parliament, as seen in an official visit to Viet Nam by Speaker of the Assembly of the Union Mahn Win Khaing Than in May 2017 and another trip to Myanmar by a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA in September 2016. Deputy Speaker Aye Thar Aung praised the Vietnamese peoples heroic struggle in the resistance wars to liberate the country, as well as its achievements in social affairs, economy, political stability and external work at present. He said Viet Nam is increasingly affirming its stature and Myanmar wants to learn from Viet Nam s precious experience to develop the country. Viet Nam and Myanmar boast traditional friendship and close co-operation, which were built by late President Ho Chi Minh and leader Aung San, and have been nurtured by generations of the countries leaders and people, he added. At the meeting, the two sides noted the wish to enhance cooperation in all aspects, between their Parties, parliaments, Governments and peoples. In particular, they will increase delegation exchanges at all levels, between their parliamentarians as well as between parliamentary committees. The Vietnamese and Myanmar legislatures will implement the co-operation agreement signed in 2013 soundly and step up sharing legislative and supervisory experience between their specialised agencies and parliamentary friendship groups to boost mutual understanding. They will also augment coordination in monitoring the implementation of the co-operation agreements and programmes inked by their Governments. Chairwoman Ngan said Viet Nam is ready to share development experience with Myanmar . She asked both sides to soon establish a defence policy dialogue mechanism at the deputy ministerial level, and continue to negotiate and accelerate the signing of co-operation deals in the agro-forestry-fishery, transport and justice sectors. She also called on Myanmar to continue providing optimal conditions for Vietnamese firms in the banking, telecommunications and business sectors. Deputy Speaker Aye Thar Aung said Myanmar wants to attract more foreign investment. Its parliament has exerted efforts to make investment attraction policies and is working to remove obstacles to foreign investors, including Vietnamese businesses. Lauding bilateral co-operation at regional and international forums, especially in ASEAN and the United Nations, the host leader asked both sides to keep intensifying co-operation within the ASEAN framework and other international and regional forums while working together to use the Mekong River water in a sustainable and effective manner. HA NOI The Party Central Committee (PCC)s Secretariat has asked the Government to soon release the inspection results of a VN8.89 trillion (US$395 million) acquisition by communications giant Mobifone. The request was made during a Secretariat meeting chaired by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on the inspection report of the Government Inspectorate on the deal, PCC announced on Thursday evening. State-owned Mobifone allegedly paid VN8.89 trillion for 95 per cent of Audio Visual Global (AVG)s shares, some 2.5 times higher than AVGs charter capital recorded by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. According to the Secretariat, the deal was very serious, complicated and sensitive, and the public paid special attention to it. The Secretariat asked the Government and the Inspectorate to take responsibility for the inspection results and urgently handle the case in an objective and accurate manner in line with the partys regulations and the law. VNS HCM CITY The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, the countrys rice granary, expects to harvest around 11 million tonnes of paddy this winterspring rice crop, one million tonnes more than last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The region has planted 1.6 million hectares and expects an average yield of 6.66 tonnes per hectare, 454kg higher than last year. Fragrant, specialty, and high-quality rice varieties have been planted on around 62 per cent of the total area, glutinous rice varieties on 9.8 per cent and other varieties on the rest. Farmers have already harvested more than a fourth of the crop, earning profits of VN25-40 million (US$1,100 1,800) per hectare. Speaking at a seminar held in An Giang Province on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said the winterspring rice crop has achieved a bumper harvest and rice prices are high. Several provinces like ong Thap and An Giang and Can Tho City have achieved much higher yields than in previous crops, he said. To protect the crop, he instructed the Plant Protection Department and local plant protection sub-departments to carefully monitor the weather for unseasonable rains and storms and promptly take action in case of a bad forecast. Rice diseases should be controlled, he said. Summer-autumn crop He also instructed authorities to set clear cultivation schedules for the coming summer-autumn and autumn-winter crops to protect them from brown plant hoppers and saltwater intrusion. The region should increase the cultivation of fragrant and high-quality rice varieties in the summer-autumn crop to meet export demand, he said. The delta plans to grow 1.65 million hectares of rice, the same as the last summer-autumn crop. The Cultivation Department has instructed the delta provinces and Can Tho City to sow the summer-autumn crop between April and mid-June to reduce the damage by brown plant hoppers and saltwater. Areas along the Tien and Hau rivers in ong Thap, An Giang and Tien Giang provinces and Can Tho City, a part of the Long Xuyen Quadrangular and the area north of National Highway No 1 in Vinh Long Province will plant the crop in April. Areas south of the highway in Vinh Long, Tien Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh provinces will plant in May. Areas that rely on rainwater for irrigation in Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Kien Giang, Ca Mau and Soc Trang provinces will begin in early June. The delta should secure water to irrigate the summer-autumn crop since saltwater intrusion has already occurred in coastal areas, according to the ministrys Irrigation Department. As of the end of last month, saltwater had penetrated 25-35km inland in some areas. VNS Doctors in hospitals of HCM City have warned of an increase in diseases caused by streptococus pneumoniae bacteria, reported Tin Tuc (News) online newspapers. Photo baotintuc.vn HA NOI Doctors in hospitals of HCM City have warned of an increase in diseases caused by streptococus pneumoniae bacteria, reported Tin Tuc (News) online newspapers. The bacteria causes many serious diseases in both children and adults, and leaves dangerous complications, even death, if patients are not given proper treatment. Since the beginning of the year, many children have been hospitalised with diseases of pneumonia and meningitis caused by streptococus pneumoniae. Dr. Chau Viet Cuong, head of Infectious Department of Childrens Hospital 2 told the paper: Since early this year, the hospital had received two patients with purulent meningitis, one of whom was nine-month baby hospitalised in serious condition who died after 12 hours. Meanwhile, in the HCM City Hospital of Tropical Diseases, there have been four children with streptococus pneumoniae-infected pneumonia and purulent meningitis. Doctors said that most infected children are from southern provinces of Long An, An Giang and Ca Mau. Dr. Cuong said that children who had the disease of bacteria-infected purulent meningitis were in serious condition, needed prolonged treatment and suffered several complications such as infection or abscess on the brain. If the abscess were serious, the children underwent surgery to suck out pus from the brain, the doctor said. Besides, the treatment fees are very high, about VN100 million (US$4,600) per case, because of prolonged treatment and the use of many kinds of antibiotics medicines, said Cuong. According to Dr. Nguyen Thi My Linh from the citys Preventive Healthcare Centre, the diseases caused by the bacteria could affect all people. However, the high-risk groups were children under two years old and seniors over 65, the doctor said. Other high-risk groups were people who live in unhygienic environments, had weak immune systems or asthma or heart disease and those who are often hospitalised and use respirators. So far, the best measure to prevent bacterial diseases is vaccination, according to a doctors advice. Some vaccines can be used for children from two months. Besides, keeping a clean living environment was also an effective solution. VNS HCM CITY Collaboration across industry, academia and government is needed to both retrain the existing workforce and better prepare the next generation of graduates from secondary schools and universities to achieve optimal success with the fourth industrial revolution, a two-day conference heard in HCM City. The fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 refers to the trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing, considered the fourth revolution since the 18th century. Speaking at the Industry 4.0 & STEM (STEMCON): People are the Key to Success and Competitiveness conference held on Thursday in HCM City, delegates said the collaboration would help train students better. Enterprises could provide machinery and equipment to universities, and set up open labs for their students, they said. The conference organisers said global markets recognise that Industry 4.0 would require a massive transformation in leadership, professional and technical skills, workplace culture, and the recruitment and training of the new and existing workforces. Already today we are seeing low-cost labour rapidly falling to advanced automation, and traditional manufacturing approaches needing to be changed or replaced. This requires new skills and competence in areas such as programming, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, systems integration, cyber security and software development. See Chong Chan, managing director of First Solar Viet Nam, said universities should continue innovating to train their students in these skills. New graduates have low collaborative skills and do not understand the importance of working together, he said. Their training should include many different subjects like science, technology, engineering, and maths, he added. Universities should invite foreign talent to offer professional advice on training programmes to develop creation and co-operation skills in students, he added. Dr Pham Thai Lai, president and CEO of Siemens Limited Vietnam, said students should be trained to take full advantage of artificial intelligence, which is used widely in industry. Dr Vu inh Thanh, rector of the HCM City University of Technology, said universities in the country face challenges in training students to adapt to Industry 4.0 due to their shortage of facilities. Training programmes at universities including the HCM City University of Technology should focus on interdisciplinary instead of individual sectors, he said. It is very important to collaborate with companies for training, he added. Other delegates suggested that students should be trained to master technologies and mine and analyse data. Hosted by Arizona State University of the US and the Vietnam National University-HCM City, the conference saw two days of interactive plenary and technical sessions, panel discussions, seminars and exhibitions. VNS HA NOI The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) said the model of an underground station (Terminal C9) for the urban railway project No 2 will be displayed to allow people to give feedback. The exhibition, which opens on Friday, will run at Ho Guom cultural information centre, located at No 2 Le Thai To Street in Hoan Kiem District. The MRB said the public feedback would be taken into consideration and the design revised, if necessary, before submitting to the competent agency for approval. Comments will be recorded on the spot or through other methods such as via email or online survey. In accordance with the approved plan, Ha Nois urban rail route No 2 spans 11.5km long, including an 8.5km section underground running beneath the Old Quarter. It runs through five districts: Bac Tu Liem, Tay Ho, Cau Giay, Ba inh and Hoan Kiem, with three aboveground terminals and seven underground ones. The underground Terminal C9 is designed with four entrances and exits. The first is located on the premise of the Hanoi Power Corporation, and the second on the front of the Northern Power Corporation. The third entrance is situated next to Hoan Kiem Lake and the last is behind the monument honouring Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the first French Indochina War. Representatives from MRB said the urban rail route No 2 has been calculated to connect with lines 1 and 3 very well, the Voice of Vietnam reported. Specifically, Terminal C8 of rail route No 2 at Hang au Street will receive and act as a transit point for passengers with rail route No 1, Ngoc Hoi-Nhu Quynh. Terminal C10 on Hang Bai Street area will connect to rail route No 3 Nhon-Hoang Mai. As the one in the middle, terminal C9 will connect to all three urban rail routes. Therefore, terminal C9 must be located on inh Tien Hoang Street to ensure the distance between the terminal and the other two terminals is within 1km, in order for people to easily access all three routes. Late last year, the design of the Terminal C9 was discussed at the meeting between Ha Noi Peoples Committee and scientists, historians and architects. Local experts and architects have expressed concern over the design, saying the construction of the station will affect the architectural beauty as well as the open space of the lake. The project has total investment capital of VN34.68 trillion (US$1.5 billion), sourced from Japans Official Development Assistance and matching funds from the Vietnamese government. VNS TRA VINH Workers negligence might have caused the fire at the Duyen Hai 3 coal-fired power plant in Tra Vinh Province, authorities said on Thursday. The blaze allegedly started on Wednesday morning at the under-construction flue-gas desulfurisation tower, where a couple of workers were welding at the height of some 30m. Authorities suspect sparks from the welding fell on composite material below and caught fire. The two-hour fire burnt down some 70 per cent of the facility, which was being built by a Singapore-based company at the cost of US$10 million. Construction of the plant began in late 2014, with a total investment of nearly VN23 trillion ($1.02 billion). It would have had the capacity to provide nearly four billion kilo-watt hours of electricity per year and was expected to become operational this year. VNS NAM INH Police on Thursday arrested two officials for their involvement in illegal land deals in Nam inh Province, raising the number of arrested officials to six. Ngo Van Chien, deputy chairman of the Yen Tien Commune Peoples Committee, and Truong Quang Viet, deputy party secretary of Yen Tien Communes ong Thinh Village, were arrested for alleged abuse of power, said the local police. The case was brought to light early last year when the Peoples Committee of Y Yen District ordered an official investigation into the repeated complaints of ong Thinh villagers accusing several local officials of mishandling and illegally selling thousands of square metres of land for profit. In September 2017, the Y Yen police arrested three officers of ong Thinh Village, including inh Cong Hien, the village party secretary; Bui Cong Mon, the village chief; and inh Van Thao, head of the service division of a State-owned agriculture cooperative. The police arrested another official named inh Van Loi in December last year. All have been charged with abuse of power. The matter is being further investigated. VNS HA NOI The satellite data sharing system, Viet Nam Data Cube, has been introduced in the country, promising a satellite image database for Vietnamese earth observation satellite data users. It aims to find valuable data architecture solutions for global users and enhance the role of earth observation satellite data, Pham Anh Tuan, director general of Viet Nam National Space Centre-Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology told a workshop on Tuesday. At the workshop, experts introduced Data Cube and its specific applications in many countries in the world, such as Viet Nam Data Cube for forest, rice and water monitoring; demand on using satellite remote sensing data for the Mekong river basin as well as use at the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute. Viet Nam Data Cube aims to improve the capacity of users to use earth observation satellite data in Viet Nam, thereby contributing to global priority programmes, such as programmes in SDGs of the United Nations and Paris and Sendai agreements. Through a free satellite database and open exploiting tool, Viet Nam Data Cube system will contribute to create deeper and broader applications for socio-economic sustainable development goals (SDGs), not only for Viet Nam but also for other countries within the region, Tuan said. Currently, earth observation satellite data have been used not only in research but also in practice for SDGs, which shows great potential in resolving important issues such as environmental, economic and social problems on local, regional and global scales. In fact, new generations of earth observation satellites are providing increasingly large amounts of data on the global scale. So, for many applications, the challenge is not the lack of data but how to connect the data, applications and users. The challenges of data management and analysis due to the huge open and free satellite data volumes can be overcome by having in place new computing devices, technologies and data structures such as Data Cube, Tuan said at the workshop. International experts from space agencies in Australia, the United States, France, Japan and European Union attended the workshop alongside representatives of the ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development and Science and Technology, as well as of the Mekong River Commission, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology and universities. VNS HA NOI Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has asked the Ministry of Finance to direct the General Department of Customs (GDC) to clarify the responsibilities of customs officers, particularly the units leaders, involving a case dating back three years. In mid-2015, the GDC detected 213 containers from 56 logistics enterprises that were to be transported from HCM Citys Cat Lai Port to Cambodia. But the containers never arrived at the Viet Nam-Cambodia border. The containers contained electronic goods, including Japan-made washing machines, air conditioners and speakers, which are prohibited from being imported into Viet Nam. At the end of March last year, an inspection team from GDC found out that officials from the Customs Branch of Saigon Port, Zone 1, did not follow regulations on the goods as there was no documentation relating to the containers. The 56 enterprises were found to be unoperational and did not have headquarters at the addresses mentioned in their registration certificates. The GDC has collaborated with the General Department of Security under the Ministry of Public Security to investigate the incident. Binh, who is head of the national steering committee on combating smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods (Steering Committee 389), said strict punishment should be given to the violators and the results should be reported to the Prime Minister before May 1. Investigators have coordinated with the Supreme Peoples Court to take into custody four suspects, including two customs officers. Further investigation is underway. VNS WASHINGTON President Donald Trump agreed on Thursday to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in Americas high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea. Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong earlier announced the first ever meeting between a US president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim personally. According to the South Korean official, the reclusive young leader "expressed his eagerness to meet president Trump as soon as possible." Trump confirmed he had agreed to meet Kim -- hailing "great progress" in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme. "Meeting being planned!" Trump tweeted. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." The news came almost out of the blue, after a period of extreme tension and bellicose rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war. The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the worlds most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. Pyongyangs recent race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States prompted Trump to embark on a campaign of sanctions, diplomatic pressure and the threat of military force. The White House said that strategy of "maximum pressure" would stay in place, for now. "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." But the prospect of a top-level meeting is nothing short of a paradigm shift. North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who have rebuffed the notion as an effort to achieve strategic parity that does not exist. Pyongyang now seems to have achieved its goal, while only agreeing to a temporary suspension of nuclear tests. The table was set for the announcement on Tuesday when South Korea shocked the world by announcing that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed." The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearisation and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang. Seoul also announced the two Koreas would hold a historic summit in the Demilitarised Zone next month -- and that the Norths leader Kim Jong Un was ready to halt provocative missile and nuclear tests and sit down with its old enemies. Trump had welcomed the offer as "very positive" and refused to rule out a meeting with Kim. "We have come a long way at least rhetorically with North Korea," Trump said. AFP WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump slapped steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum on Thursday, drawing sharp protests from allies at home and abroad as the contentious move raised the specter of a global trade war. Signalling a sharp departure from a decades-long US-led drive for more open and less regulated trade, Trump declared that America had been "ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices." "Its really an assault on our country," he said, in announcing the tariffs of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum. Trump said the tariffs -- which will come into effect after 15 days will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions. "Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on the military are our allies, as they call them," he complained. The tariffs, worth billions of dollars, sparked immediate protests from top trading partners the European Union and Brazil, with retaliatory action expected from China and other economic powers. Leaning on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, Trump said he was fulfilling a campaign promise. "Ive been talking about this a long time, a lot longer than my political career," he said. "Weve been treated very badly by our past administrations, by presidents that represented us that didnt know what they were doing." The mercurial 45th president compared his action to those of predecessors George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley. Real friends Canada, Americas neighbour to the north, was its single-largest source of steel last year, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Germany. Regarding alumina and aluminum, Canada was also by far the largest supplier followed by China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump had indicated he would be flexible toward "real friends", and during the signing confirmed Canada and Mexico would be permanently exempted if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is successful. The US leader had also added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, as a "great country" and "long term partner". But he singled out Germany for criticism, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share. "We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said. The EUs top trade official Cecilia Malmstroem insisted the entire bloc "should be excluded" from the tariffs as a "close ally," vowing to "seek more clarity" from Washington. Britain, meanwhile, said it would "work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today," saying "tariffs are not the right way" to tackle the problem of global over-capacity in steel. Major producer Brazil immediately vowed to take "all necessary steps" in order to "protect its rights and interests" in response to the US move. China on Friday denounced US tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, saying that they would profoundly harm the international trade environment. The USs "abuse" of national security concerns as a reason for implementing the measures will lead to "a serious attack on normal international trade order", the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its web site, adding that "China is firmly opposed". Japan, the sixth biggest exporter of steel to the US, also hit out. "The measure could have a grave impact on the economic relationship of Japan and the US... and also on the global economy," said Foreign Minister Taro Kono, describing the move as "regrettable". Both Mexico and Canada, meanwhile, rejected Trumps linkage of the levies to ongoing NAFTA talks. Canadas foreign affairs minister termed the two things "separate issues" while Mexicos Economy Ministry said, "the negotiation of the NAFTA should not be subject to conditions outside the process." AFP Govt 'Delighted' at UK Package of Brexit Linked Measures The Government have said it is delighted that the United Kingdom Government has guaranteed the continuation of market access for Gibraltar financial services and online gaming firms into the UK once we have both left the European Union. They also said this will serve to reassure the business community and will contribute to encourage the growth of these sectors. Todays agreements have come about as a result of the close cooperation and positive discussions between the two Governments since the referendum of June 2016. A wide package of measures was agreed at a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) which took place this morning in London and it also covers University tuition fees, Health, Transport, the Environment and Fishing. The JMC was chaired by Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union Robin Walker MP and included Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan MP and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury John Glen MP. The Gibraltar delegation was led by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and included the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for EU Exit Dr Joseph Garcia, Attorney General Michael Llamas, Financial Secretary Albert Mena and UK Representative Dominique Searle. The United Kingdom has agreed to guarantee Gibraltar financial services firms access to UK markets as now until 2020. Ahead of this, the UK has committed to work closely with the Government of Gibraltar to design a replacement framework to endure beyond 2020 similarly based on a shared, high standard of regulation, and enforcement of this regulation, and underpinned by modern arrangements for information-sharing, transparency and regulatory cooperation. On on-line gaming, the UK have provided an assurance that gambling operators based in Gibraltar will continue to access the UK market after we leave the EU in the same way they do now - and they are working towards agreement of a MOU which will enable closer working and collaboration between gambling regulators in Gibraltar and the UK. The UK have also provided an assurance to the Government of Gibraltar that, following EU Exit, British Citizens resident in Gibraltar will continue to be eligible for higher education Home fee status at English Institutions (both during the Implementation Period and afterwards) subject to concluding a reciprocal agreement for English students studying at Higher Education Institutions in Gibraltar. On Health, the United Kingdom has agreed to maintain the current reciprocal arrangement between the UK and Gibraltar. This means that Gibraltar can continue to refer an unlimited number of our patients to the UK for free elective treatment. Gibraltar and the UK have also agreed to recognise the importance of enhancing our liaison on all of the environmental and fisheries implications of EU exit that are relevant to Gibraltar, whether by sharing information as openly as we can, by providing specialist expertise across a range of policy areas to support Gibraltar with its own preparations, or by considering with Gibraltar where its interests might be promoted in future through regional or international agreements. Finally, on transport matters, the UK has expressed its commitment to work closely with the Government of Gibraltar towards transport arrangements post EU Exit that support Gibraltars prosperity. Following the meeting, Minister Robin Walker said: It was good to meet with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo today, and continue our ongoing constructive engagement with Gibraltar on the process of our EU exit. We agreed a positive package deal on issues surrounding our exit from the EU which ensures that the relationship we have built over hundreds of years remains solid and undented. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: "The work we have done with the teams led by Secretary of State David Davis at DeExEU and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the FCO is bearing fruit today. The UK - and in particular Mr Davis and Mr Johnson - has recognised the importance of market access for Gibraltar and Robin Walker and Sir Alan Duncan have worked hard with us to make the announcements today a reality. Great care has rightly been taken by the UK and Gibraltar to ensure regulatory standards will be maintained between us in a manner than will de designed to assure customer protection and equivalence on regulatory outcomes going forward. Today our bilateral relationship grows stronger and the terms for it to endure are further cemented as we realise the commitment to maintain and enhance market access for Gibraltar service providers into the UK post-Brexit. There is a lot to celebrate in this and a lot of hard work to recognise on the part also of the team in Gibraltar, in particular the Deputy Chief Minister and the Attorney General, and in the UK FCO, DeExEU, Treasury, DCMS, Cabinet Office and Downing Street. I extend the gratitude of Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar and the people of Gibraltar to all involved." 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(1) Mar 9, 2018 | By Benedict The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has developed an inline system for testing, qualifying, and adjusting the focused powder jet of laser metal deposition nozzles. Laser Metal Deposition is an additive manufacturing process that uses the technology of laser cladding. Laser Metal Deposition, an advanced 3D printing process perfected by engineers at Germanys Fraunhofer ILT, can be used for applications like repairing tools or applying anti-corrosion coatings. But certain aspects must be just right for the process to work properly: the laser beam must apply the powder evenly, for example, else the outcome will be less than satisfactory. To ensure even distribution, the nozzles and caustics of an LMD 3D printing system must be regularly checked, certified, and calibrateda complex and tricky process, usually achieved by applying a powder trace on a metal sheet which can then be checked by an expert. Because this difficult task can only be carried out by a highly qualified member of staff, Fraunhofer ILT decided to create a new means of testing nozzles. Its new machine-supported inline process makes the process much easier, and consists of three main components. The first of these is a camera module, complete with movable optics and illumination, which is mounted on the machining head. The nozzle is measured with a laser module, which is placed in the system, while electronics integrated either in a separate section or the machine control cabinet control the other two modules. (Images: Fraunhofer ILT) The jet is illuminated with a laser line perpendicular to the powder gas flow, and observed by a coaxially arranged camera through the powder nozzle, a process that serves to detect and measure the particle density distribution and caustics of the powder jet. The new ILT system changes the relative position of the laser and the machining head several times in order to record more measurements, before evaluating 2,000 to 3,000 images to show the statistical distribution of the particles in one plane. If I use this method to gradually capture the so-called causticsi.e. the focusing area in which the powder particle beam is bundledit can be calculated and characterized very precisely in terms of the most important parameters, such as the minimum diameter and the density distribution, says graduate engineer Oliver Nottrodt, project manager for Process Control and System Technology at Fraunhofer ILT Nottrodt. This measuring system for Laser Material Deposition enables a user to measure and certify the powder feed nozzles and also completely characterize the powder used in the additive manufacturing process. It will be demonstrated at CONTROL 2018 in Stuttgart at the end of April. Posted in 3D Printing Technology Maybe you also like: Mar 9, 2018 | By Tess Our readers will already know how excited we were about the release of Marvels Black Panther and how especially pleased we were that some of the films stunning costumes were made using 3D printing technologies. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) To add to the excitement, we recently got the chance to speak to Julia Koerner, an architect and 3D printing fashion specialist who worked on the film and played an integral role in realizing the 3D printed crown and shoulder piece worn by Queen Ramonda, a character played by Angela Bassett. Koerner, whose work weve written about before, is the founder of JK Design GmbH, a design practice specializing in the use of cutting-edge technology. Her 3D printed pieces, which blend nature-inspired and architectural structures, combine fashion and technologysomething that drew the attention of Black Panthers costume designer Ruth E. Carter. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) The kingdom of Wakanda in the film tells the story of a fictional place where advancements in technology and innovation are taking place, Koerner tells us. The costumes of the character Queen Ramonda were meant to exemplify the combination of traditional African culture and the most high-tech fashion. Fascinated by my recent work, costume designer Ruth E. Carter approached me to work together on 3D printed costumes for the film. Together we developed the most cutting-edge, digitally designed wearables that we could imagine. Ruth E. Carter, whose vision of Wakandas culture and aesthetic is being praised all over the globe, drew from various elements of traditional African cultures as well as technology to create an amazing visual tapestry in the film. Of course, she had a talented and dedicated team that helped bring her vision to the screen. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) It was great to work with Ruth Carter and her team, Koerner elaborates. Costume Concept Artist Philip Boutte created beautiful illustrations based on Ruths concepts, while I developed digital designs and parametrically generated patterns that were inspired by traditional African culture for the Zulu Hat and Shoulder Mantle. In our interview, Koerner explains what went into the design and manufacturing process for Queen Ramondas headpiece and shoulder mantle. Based on the initial costume design sketches by Ruth Carter, I developed a series of African-inspired 3D patterns and designed the Zulu Hat and the Shoulder Mantle so that it had corresponding elements in the pattern, she told us. It was important that the fashion pieces did not look hand-crafted and incorporated the technological look of something generated parametrically by algorithms by a computer. Therefore, we used visual programming software to develop the geometries for the pieces and experimented with the material intricacy and behavior. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) In actually fabricating the costume props, we worked with Belgian company Materialise, with whom I have frequently collaborated over the past 10 years. The technology we used was laser sintering, a powder-based 3D printing technology that enables the highest level of freedom of design as no supports are needed. The costume props were made from PA 12, a polyamide material that provided us with a high level of accuracy, flexibility, and strength. The material is also well suited for skin contact, making it ideal for fashion and costume designs. According to Koerner, the detail and structure of Queen Ramondas 3D printed costumes was realized in part thanks to her frequent collaborator Kais Al-Rawi. Personally, I work closely with my partner, Kais Al-Rawi on such projectswe have a shared background in architecture and both hold master degrees in emergent technologies and design from the Architectural Association in London. He brings expertise on complexity from a large-scale point of view, having worked on notable projects such as stadiums, museums, and airports. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) It is exciting how our design processes enable us to work in a cross-disciplinary way and explore different applications of the additive manufacturing process. We have worked with well-established Parisian haute couture houses and designers in the past years and we are continuously exploring the small-scale application of generative digital design. Admittedly, it is quite different to be involved in a film where a much more diverse and broad audience can relate to the 3D printed designs. In addition to the 3D printed costume props, Koerner says that a series of floor lamps that are part of Shuris lab in Black Panther were prototyped using 3D printing. I worked on the design of the Artemide New Nature floor lamp while at Ross Lovegrove Studio in London in 2011, the designer said. We actually developed 3D printed prototypes throughout the design process of these lamps. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) Black Panther marks the first time that Koerner has been part of a films production, and the incredible impact of the film is not lost on her. I am so thankful to have my first project in this industry to be at this scale and level; Black Panther is an incredibly inspiring movie, she told us. It is overwhelming to see how well the movie is being received worldwide. I certainly think that it will be an inspiration for the young generation to innovate with emergent technologies. Personally, it is a surprise how all of a sudden old friends of mine can relate to my work and associate themselves with what I do. Most of the innovative fashion work or research in architecture is received by a small design community and I feel that with this movie I was able to connect with a much broader audience of all kind of cultures and backgrounds. (Image: Marvels BLACK PANTHER / Costume Design by Ruth Carter) Speaking about pieces for her own company JK Design, Koerner elaborates on what elements inspire her and how 3D printing has opened up possibilities for her products. I am inspired by nature and its patterns and structures. The organic growth and synthetic manufacturing processes have an incredible contrasting engagement which I find enticing. Additive manufacturing is definitely the only technique to output the 3D designs I develop on the computer within their organic form, the intricate patterns and geometries often challenge both the computational capacity of my tools as well the production companies I work with. I always push and see what has not yet been done and I am eager to create something new. Koerner, who gained critical acclaim for her 3D printed Sporophyte fashion collection in 2015, has had her work featured and exhibited all over the globe. Most notably, the designer has been highlighted in SCHON! Magazine, Aesthetica Magazine, AD Magazine, and exhibited at Ars Electronica, the A+D Museum in L.A., the Tallinn Architecture Biennale, and more. Koerner has also collaborated with Dutch fashion designer and 3D printed fashion pioneer Iris van Herpen, Austrian fashion designer Marina Hoermanseder, and Maison Lesage for its Chanel Haute Couture collection in 2015. Presently, the designer says she is working on a number of new projects which will be unveiled in the next few months. Designer & Architect Julia Koerner Posted in Interviews Maybe you also like: 13 Action News spoke with a relative of Kuwait Abdul-Rahim. The man did not want his identity released because of his job. The family is grateful the child was found safe. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't know exactly what's going on, but I'm sure he feels it," said the relative. The relative also provided new details about what occurred in the moments before Amir Abdul-Rahim allegedly shot a neighbor. "He mentioned to him... you probably want to take the baby inside," said the relative, "...he just flipped a switch." Right now, police continue to search for the suspect. The relative wants Abdul-Rahim to surrender to detectives. "The sheriff in Clark County has promised to catch criminals who commit violent crimes and it could end a nasty way," he said. Chico, Calif.--Chico High School students are reacting to news that a former teacher molested one of his students. 52-year-old Halden Calvert worked for the district for 20 years. When this investigation began he was placed on administrative leave, but he later resigned. Students we spoke with said many thought he was just sick and that's why he wasn't teaching anymore, but they were surprised when they learned the reason why he's no longer in the classroom. "Everyone seemed to love him, I don't think anyone expected it from him. I didn't have him myself, but he seemed like a good dude," said senior Scott Cannell. Cannell is neighbors with the victim that was molested by the former math teacher and he said he's known about the situation for months, but is surprised to learn that on Thursday he pled guilty to the charges. "There's no room in the world for people like that, it's foul," he said. District Attorney Mikes Ramsey said the relationship between Calvert and the victim, who was a junior at the time of the offenses, began last spring. In the fall, the victim's father found evidence in her diary and phone after they became alarmed by her suicidal thoughts. "Our understanding is that this is an isolated incident, but by any means if a parent is concerned, if they feel that there is anything inappropriate happening between an adult, any adult, and their child...they need to contact us immediately, said superintendent Kelly Staley. An investigation was initiated and a search found about 5,000 text messages between the student and Calvert. The student eventually admitted that he had kissed her several times while they were alone in his classroom, and he touched her physically during visits to his home. "It makes me sick to my stomach that anyone would prey on a student and that's certainly not what we're about, certainly why we took this situation very seriously and we will work to the fullest extent of the law," said Staley. "Students are very surprised because I know he was a loved teacher, a lot of people really liked him and so it was kind of weird, an awkward tension I felt like, especially for the students that had him and did like him a lot," said senior Bishop Thomas. The victim has been going through counseling, and Thomas wants her to know she's not alone. "All the students at Chico High support her, whatever she needs, we're one big family here. Whatever she needs, we're here to help," he said. Since Calvert entered a guilty plea today he will now have to register as a sex offender and lose his teaching credentials. He'll be sentenced June 14 where he faces up to a year in jail and $5,000 fine and restitution for the girl's counseling expenses. The unions held a last ditched meeting with Anglian Water CEO Peter Simpson on Thursday to seek the involvement of ACAS to resolve the dispute, however Mr Simpson told the trade unions to "ballot for industrial action as he was not prepared to attend any meetings with ACAS." Over 1,300 workers at Anglian Water are affected by the closure of the defined benefit pension schemes, which could see some losing up to 100,000 should the new planned defined contribution pension scheme fail to deliver. Anglian Water, the biggest geographic water company in England and Wales, with nearly 5 thousand staff, whose motto is "Love Every Drop", has announced to staff that their final salary pension schemes will close because the water regulator Ofwat has told them to save money. The schemes will close in favour of a cheaper inferior scheme, saving the company 8m each year. Transferring workers from a guaranteed income based on their final salary into a defined contribution scheme with much less contributions from the company which will open up workers pensions to huge uncertainty plunging their pension pots into the volatile market with no guaranteed returns. The three trade unions GMB, Unite and Unison offered to go to ACAS to try to come to a fair resolution but Peter Simpson CEO refused, even though a ballot to reject the proposal by members has already taken place. Some members stand to lose over 100,000 should the new scheme fail to deliver on wildly optimistic projections in a volatile market. A statement from the unions said: "Anglian Water will certainly "love every drop" they can wring out of employees pensions, they will use the proceeds to prop up their already vast profits and this will amount to an incredible shortfall for employees making it much more difficult for them in their old age than it otherwise might have been. "This is in stark contrast to the four executive directors at Anglian Water who are on target to be paid over 3.7m in remuneration between them this year. The CEO of Anglian Water, Peter Simpson, who's pay is around 150 times the lowest wage for a worker at Anglian Water, is on target to receive a minimum total remuneration of 1.2m, and as his pension is fully funded hes a deferred member of the pension schemes so he receives a significant payment in lieu instead. According to the company annual report he received overall 1.5m in 2016/17 and 2.3m the year before. "Anglian Water has a history of treating executives differently from the rest of their employees, accounts filed with Companies House show a previous CEO, Jonson Cox who later became the chairman of Ofwat left Anglian water with a golden goodbye of 9.5million in salary, pension pay-outs and bonuses. "According to the Paradise Papers, Anglian Water paid no corporation tax in 2016/17 and in fact received a tax credit of over 100m. "Anglian Water paid 320.3m in dividends to shareholders in 2016/17, of which 192.3m was paid in interest to service a loan from Anglian Water Overseas Holdings Ltd to Anglian Water in the UK, Michael Gove has recently questioned the way water companies are set up, in terms of their inter-company arrangements and the way they pay tax. Whilst this is not illegal, it is certainly immoral." Michael Ainsley, GMB Regional officer said: "I have written to Frank Field and the commons pensions select committee asking that they look into this scandal as the company are ignoring the union members rejection of their proposals and are imposing the closure of their pensions. "This is about a transfer of wealth from customers, tax payers and staff to shareholders and is to my mind as much asset stripping as would be selling off reservoirs, buildings or land. "The owners of Anglian Water are the Osprey consortium of investors which are mainly Australian and Canadian investors linked to pensions. And now to add insult to injury 3i Infrastructure have sold their 15% holding for 580m to the infrastructure investor Dalmore Capital and a group of council pension funds from Manchester, London, Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Merseyside, which form GLIL Infrastructure. "Anglian is taking from its employees to give to both overseas and our own local authority pensioners. "Unions want to move into further talks in ACAS; however, management told unions that they will only go to ACAS if their members return a ballot for industrial action." Baroness Fairhead announces financing from UK Export Finance, the UKs export credit agency, for the sale of C Series aircraft by Canadian company Bombardier to Korean Airlines, supporting investment and jobs in Northern Ireland. Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, said: "The UK is at the forefront of the civil aerospace industry and I am delighted that the Department for International Trade is backing this landmark contract, which will support the global success of Bombardiers C Series programme and its operations in Northern Ireland. This represents a double-first; it is the first time that UKEF has supported a C Series aircraft sale from Bombardier, who are a major investor and employer in Northern Ireland, and it is the first sale of the C Series to an Asian airline. This contract clearly shows the value of support from UK Export Finance to those investing into the UK as they grow their international businesses." The announcement comes at a historic moment for the UK and Asia, with two weeks to go until the UK Government hosts the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong, designed to boost trade between the UK and Asia. UKEF has worked in partnership with Canadian export credit agency Export Development Canada (EDC) to provide Korean airlines with financing to support the sale to date of two C Series aircraft, whose wings and parts of the fuselage a significant proportion of the complete aircraft are made at Bombardiers site in Belfast. UKEF has provided reinsurance support to EDC for the UK elements of the aircraft. Michael Ryan, President, Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services, said: The C Series aircraft is the market leader in the 100- to 150-seat segment and subject to significant global demand. This aircraft has advanced carbon fibre wings and advanced technology fuselage sections manufactured in Belfast. We are very proud to have secured our first C Series aircraft sale to an Asian airline and with the backing of UK Export Finance and Export Development Canada look forward to building on this success. UKEF, Bombardier and EDC are planning to extend the programme, with further support likely to follow for future C Series deliveries to Korean Airlines scheduled for 2018. By John Stone Age of Autism has been reporting on two scientists, Antonietta Gatti and Stefano Montanari, who had their research seized (including their computer) by Italys financial police in a raid two weeks ago, just as Prof Gatti was preparing to testify in a military court case in Sardinia. On the face of the events followed a dispute between a non-profit organization and the scientists over their electron microscope. According to a report in the Gazzeta di Modena by Miriam Figluola (24 February): The non-profit organization accuses the professor of having used the tool for profit and not for scientific research, but there is a court ruling that authorizes Gatti and Montanari to be able to use the instrument and to be compensated for travel expenses. "Money that they never gave us," explains the doctor, claiming she is not an anti-vaccinationist and claims the abnormality of the times. The story has become a political case in Sardinia, because Gatti should conclude her evidence in court on February 28, but data on the analysis of samples taken at Quirra are in the PCs seized in the mysterious operation. But it is also an unhappy coincidence that the former Italian health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, put herself forward in the recent Italian election as a candidate for Alternativa Popolare party in Gatti and Montanaris home city of Modena, and has now been elected there. Lorenzin will be familiar to Age of Autism readers as the instigator under the Gentiloni government of Italys vaccine mandates following a deal with GSK. Notoriously, she also told Italian television that 270 children had died in a recent measles outbreak in London, in which claim there was not a single word of truth. Of course, Gatti and Montanaris findings are troubling for the mandates project because all the human vaccines they tested for micro and nano-particles turned out to be contaminated. Indeed, their results were confirmed, as reported here, by a European Medical Agency official, Melanie Carr, in the British Medical Journal last year. Given the type of contamination (which will cause harm in the smallest quantities since the body has no means to process the particles), and the number of vaccines routinely administered to an infant, Carrs claim that this was within acceptable limits looks slender indeed. Short of recalling all the products and admitting decades of negligence, it was probably all the EMA could do - situation management. Last month Lorenzin was complaining that the Dutch had cheated in their bid to host the EMA when it leaves London following Brexit. John Stone is UK/Europe Editor for Age of Autism. By Nathan Gain The UK government has signed a long-awaited Memorandum of Intent with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to aim to finalize discussions for the purchase of 48 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. "This is a positive step towards agreeing a contract for our valued partner," confirmed Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive, in a statement. RSAF single-seat Typhoon figher jets (Credit: Eurofighter GmbH/Jamie Hunter) "We are committed to supporting the Kingdom as it modernises the Saudi Armed Forces and develops key industrial capabilities critical to the delivery of Vision 2030," Woodburn added without giving further details. This MoI still required the details but things are looking good for BAE Systems, which is recording another success in the Middle East just a few months after Qatar signed a contract for 24 Typhoon fighter jets in December 2017. This major announcement comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans visit to London today turned to defense and security on Friday as he met British defense minister Gavin Williamson. Saudi Arabia on 2007 signed a US$41 Bn deal with BAE Systems for 72 Tranche 2 Typhoon jets, with deliveries ended in 2017. Saudi Arabia then took delivery of 48 single-seaters and 24 twin-seaters. The Houston County Commission is making preparations for a $14 million project to build a refrigerated warehouse, according to the Dothan Eagle. The project could create more than 50 jobs when fully operational, the paper reported. The warehouse, which will be built near the intersection of Westgate Parkway and Technology Drive, will provide about 70,000 square feet of storage space and can expand if needed. Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce President Matt Parker said there are perhaps five such warehouses in the area, encompassing Florida and Georgia, and could attract related businesses. A suspect is in custody and charged in the slaying of a 68-year-old at his Chelsea home earlier this week. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office on Friday announced the arrest of Randall Anthony Gargone, 62. He is charged with capital murder in the Monday killing of Tracy Ward Austin. Sheriff's investigators responded Monday night to Austin's home in the 5800 block of Shelby County Highway 39. Ward was found dead inside. His death initially was unclassified. An autopsy carried out by the Alabama Department of Forensic Science led to the homicide determination. Authorities have not said how he was killed, but the arrest warrant said the victim was beaten with a hammer and stabbed. "Sheriff's investigators have been working on this around the clock since then and have made an arrest in the case,'' according to a press release. Gargone has been previously convicted of armed robbery and other felony offenses including assault and theft. "While the arrest of Gargone is significant, the sheriff's office's investigation will continue all the way through prosecution,'' the release stated. "There may still be witnesses who have not come forward for any number of reasons. We still want to talk with anyone who has any information about Mr. Austin's murder." Gargone was booked into the Shelby County Jail Friday where he is being held without bond. Sheriff John Samaniego said Gargone, who was on parole for two armed robberies, was hired by the family several months ago as a handyman at the victim's home. Austin lived at the home with his mother and brother, but was the only person in the house when the killing took place. "We determined it was possibly a burglary,'' the sheriff said. "He had knowledge of the home and we believe he was surprised by Mr. Austin and Mr. Austin was murdered." "My heart goes out to the family and friends of the Austins,'' he said. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Shelby County Sheriff's Office directly at 205-669-4181, the Secret Witness line at 205-669-9116 or contact authorities through the website at www.ShelbySO.com by clicking on the "Report Criminal Activity" link and choosing the "General Information" category. While there were many emotions from the few students who returned to Huffman High School on Friday, not one who spoke to AL.com said they felt safe. "Huffman is Huffman," Qiana Williams, a sophomore, said. "I'm used to stuff like this." The students are returning after a shooting inside the east Birmingham school on Wednesday afternoon left senior Courtlin Arrington dead and a school employee injured. A teenage boy, who was also injured, was released from the hospital and taken into custody Thursday. Initially, Birmingham police officials said the deadly shooting, which happened inside a classroom, appeared to be accidental. The shooting, however, was captured on video and led authorities to pursue the charges against the male student. A statement from Birmingham City Schools said approximately 150 counselors, nurses, and other support staff were available at the school Friday. While staff turnout was high-- less than 10 teachers reported off--student turnout was low, with a little more than 150 students attending. "We planned that today would be a day of comfort and care for students, and not a day of instruction," Superintendent Lisa Herring said. "We recognized that returning would be difficult for our students, and our crisis team will be back Monday, and for as long as students need our support." A student walking into school Friday morning, Anthony Durr, said he was friends with Arrington. "She was amazing," he said. "She was beautiful, she had an amazing smile." Durr said he doesn't feel safe at the school, and he doesn't have confidence that the security measures officials have promised will actually stay in place. "The damage is done now. If they were doing what they were supposed to be doing from the beginning, we wouldn't be here," he said. The feeling of a lack of safety was common among students. A junior, Justin Peoples, said he was nervous to go back to class, and a freshman named Daveon said the same. A senior who asked not to be named knew both Arrington and the teenage boy being held in custody, said he's afraid. "She didn't even get to graduate," Daveon said. "And, I think a lot of people need time to heal." School was canceled Thursday, as school officals tried to formulate a plan for better safety measures. A seperate message from Herring to the parents of students, issued Friday morning, said: "I want to personally thank you for entrusting our system with your child. We pledge our commitment to do all in our power to keep children safe and prepare them to achieve their personal best in life." As Sandra Willis dropped off her son, she was visibily emotional. "It can happen anywhere," she said. "I want [the school] to take extra measures... Once you take a life, you can't give it back." Willis said she's talked to her son Justin about the fatal shooting, and tried to provide support for anything he needs to feel more secure. She praised the school's principal though, and said she has confidence that "they'll do what they need to do to keep our kids safe." Representatives from radio stations 95.7 Jamz, 98.7 Kiss FM, and 610 AM Wagg were on site as kids were dropped off this morning, standing with school-colored balloons and ribbons. They organized the hashtag #HealingHuffman as a way to show the community that they are available in any way the students need. "These are our babies," Ashley Daniel of Jamz said. "We're just showing them that we love them." As classes began for the day, the group released the balloons at the school's front door, under a flag placed at half-staff. This post will be updated. An Atlanta-based developer is again trying to build a self-storage and office facility on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard near Vulcan Park & Museum in Birmingham's Southside. The Birmingham Zoning Board of Adjustments, though, denied Brooks Lumpkin's request Thursday afternoon for a modification to the B2 General Business District zoning to reduce the amount of off-street parking spaces from the required 49 to 14. The board's denial effectively prohibits the developer from building a four-story, 102,908-square-foot self-storage facility at 1901 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. The proposed facility would contain 700 storage units and about 900 square feet of office space. This site is only about 50 feet from the former McDonald's restaurant where Lumpkin previously wanted to build a self-storage facility. In July, the board denied Lumpkin a variance for shorter setbacks to build a five-story self-storage facility. The current zoning of both properties on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard allows for self-storage. Lumpkin's modification request was effectively denied on Thursday due to a split vote from the four board members present. The board voted 2-2 on a motion to deny the request, and 2-2 on a motion to continue the matter until the next meeting. Residents from Redmont Park neighborhood, where the property is located, and the Five Points South neighborhood spoke out against the zoning modification. Vulcan Park & Museum President & CEO Darlene Negrotto also asked the board not to approve the modification. Negrotto said Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard is a gateway into Birmingham and deserves more than the "dead space" of a self-storage facility. She said the corridor is "poised for great progress." A nearly $6 million Vulcan Park improvement project will be completed in the next couple of weeks, she said. The city of Birmingham is also studying redesigning Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard between 16th Avenue South and Valley Avenue and adding a 14-foot wide paved multi-use pathway to make walking and biking safer. Redmont Park resident Bill Mudd asked the board to consider the future use of the property if the self-storage facility goes out of business. He said the building couldn't be used for offices because of the lack of parking spaces. "This is a bad project," he said. "It is a cheap building for these people to make a lot of money. It is a huge building for a tiny spot." Mickey Turner, who owns Life Realty next door to the proposed site, said she barely has enough parking spaces for her business. She said she is concerned that if the self-storage facility ran out of parking than its customers would use her lot. Following the meeting, Lumpkin said he doesn't know how he will move forward. He said making the building taller to accommodate more parking isn't an ideal plan. He said he will go back to the drawing board. Lumpkin and his attorney John Pickering argued that, according to self-storage industry standards, the parking requirements for self-storage should be much lower than 49. Pickering said data shows self-storage only needs 11 parking spaces, and they were requesting 14. Board member Henry Penick said the project is the wrong use for the small piece of property along Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard. He said the property is a "prime location" but no one has proposed a use for the property that will generate less traffic than self-storage. Board member Don Cosper said the developer is attempting to shoehorn a large project onto a small piece of property. He said the project needs to be smaller to potentially avoid a zoning modification. Updated at 9:56 a.m. to correct comments from board member Don Cosper. A Pike County campground has cancelled a renaissance festival after a flier promised a "weekend of fun-filled debauchery" and "sexual play," The Troy Messenger reported. Patrick Faircloth, owner of the property at Southern Pillar Campground, told the newspaper he and his wife "did not know what type of events were planned for the Southeast Dark Ages Festival scheduled for March 23-25 until they learned of a flier being circulated in the area last week." The report continued: "The fliers promoting the event included information about "sex play" and how "consensual kink" would be monitored during the festival, as well as references to the use of intoxicants during the weekend... "When I became aware of it, I immediately said I'm not in support of this," Faircloth said. "We don't even allow alcohol. Now, if someone wants to rent it out for a bachelor party or something, we consider that an 'adult weekend.' But some of the stuff in their flier could be construed as illegal." Changes are coming for 31 high-ranking Alabama department of education employees, state interim Superintendent Dr. Ed Richardson told board of education members at Thursday's work session in Montgomery. Richardson said reducing the number of those employees, known as "exempt" or "at-will" employees, is necessary as the department has been criticized by lawmakers and others for bureaucratic bloat, and he is prepared to do what it takes to get the number of at-will employees to a reasonable number. "I cannot solve the issue of titles, positions, salaries without making some hard decisions," Richardson said. "And I intend to do it." Richardson said state lawmakers were preparing to cut the department's budget because of what they saw as unnecessary spending on high-ranking personnel. Those cuts could have negatively impacted statewide instructional programs, he said. Richardson and others started work on the reorganization since last October. A consultant hired by the Alabama Personnel Department conducted a study to look at job tasks, titles, and salaries, he said. Along with cutting top employees, the areas within the department will be realigned, he said. The overall goal, Richardson said, "Is to organize this department so that it has fewer moving parts and will be able to function better, communicate better and more efficiently," he said. To right the ship, Richardson first recommended board members rescind a 2015 resolution giving the state superintendent full authority to hire at-will employees. Richardson said the resolution violates state law which requires the board to approve all hires by the state superintendent. The board adopted that resolution at former Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice's recommendation, Richardson said, and that's where the problem started. That resolution gave Bice and all future superintendents the ability to hire people as deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, directors, and coordinators without board approval. "It left the door wide open both in terms of number and salary of individuals [who were hired]," Richardson said. A document obtained by AL.com last September showed 37 at-will employees working under Sentance, while there had been 41 under Bice. AL.com has not yet received a response to a request for an updated list. Richardson pointed out that not only does the law require board approval for the initial hire of at-will employees, it also states that employment of at-will employees ends when the superintendent leaves office. That part of the law has not been observed in the past, he said, but needs to be considered as a new superintendent will be seated by April. The current organizational chart has the department divided into four major divisions, with a Deputy Superintendent heading each area. The proposed chart divides the department into two divisions, instruction and administration, and reduces the number of Deputy Superintendents to two. Richardson said he will meet with all at-will employees as a group tomorrow to discuss the reorganization and then he "will meet individually with the 31 individuals to explain what the options are." "It has to be done now," Richardson said. "That way the next superintendent doesn't have to do this." Alabama State Department of Education proposed reorganization - March 8, 2018 by Trisha Powell Crain on Scribd Dreams of finding the Clotilda may have been deferred, but ambitions to uplift the Africatown community have not gone dormant. If a gathering held Friday was any indication, they've gained fresh energy. In January, a promising shipwreck site was found a few miles from Mobile in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The possibility that it might hold the remains of the last known ship to bring captive Africans into slavery in the United States brought international attention. But in early March a team of experts determined that the wreck could not be the infamous slave ship. The Clotilde's captives arrived in Alabama shortly before the Civil War and were freed by it. Many of them formed a unique community north of Mobile, known as Africatown, where they and their descendants preserved elements of their native language and culture well into the 20th century. Advocates for Africatown had hoped that the find of the Clotilda would supercharge their efforts, helping transform Africatown into a destination for researchers and history-minded tourists. But it would be a mistake to think that Africatown's descendants and supporters ever pinned their dreams wholly on the find of the ship, or that the recent disappointment would leave them passively waiting for the next opportunity. Friday's meeting was a planning retreat meant to develop the concept of a project called the Africatown Connections Blueway. Prominent supporters of the concept include the Mobile Environmental Justice Action Coalition (MEJAC) and the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Parks Service. The goal of the project is to "preserve the natural spaces, habitat, and water ways of historical Africatown" -- but also to open them up to recreational access, giving visitors and residents themselves new connections to their own environment and among their own communities. This week, officials announced $315 million in Deepwater Horizon oil spill money being disbursed to projects in Mobile County, including a Mobile County Blueway and projects along Three Mile Creek. The Africatown Blueway wasn't one of those projects: Its plan simply isn't far enough along to be presented for such funding. But Friday's gathering crackled with energy as participants worked to close that gap. "It will allow Africatown to connect to the water," said Joe Womack, executive director of community group CHESS. "The water is right there and it always has been." But, he lamented, residents were cut off from it by industrial development as the 1900s advanced. A creek called the Chickasabogue winds through the area, potentially connecting Africatown to Prichard, to expanses of undeveloped wetlands and, via other waterways downstream, to Mobile. It connects to at least half a dozen bayous inaccessible by road. A generation of residents has been cut off from its own natural environment, Womack said. "You've just got to see Hog Bayou," he said, praising the beauty of one spot. "We've got people in their 80s who've never seen it, who live across the street." Friday's meeting was "an opportunity to nail down a description and also connect the communities," said Anderson Flen, referring to the communities in the room. Flen himself is president of the Mobile County Training School Alumni Association, a group very active in Africatown issues. Others present included representatives of Mobile, Prichard, Mobile County and various community groups, not to mention three state legislators: Sen. Vivian Davis Figures and Reps. Barbara Drummond and Adline Clarke. Far from being disappointed by the verdict on the shipwreck, Flen said, "The community has been energized by both the interest an the support from throughout the country." The immediate goal for the Blueway's backers, Flen said, is to hold a ribbon-cutting later this year. It won't be a typical ceremony celebrating a finished project that's open for business. Instead, he said, the point will be "to unveil what we've been working on and highlight why it's important." "The finding of that shipwreck, even though it turned out not to be the Clotilda, actually was what we needed to ignite the interest to a point where it has pulled so many entities together so we can collaborate and bring Africatown to life," said Sen. Figures. "I believe to the depths of my soul that ship is out there, and I believe we will find it in God's perfect timing." One of the challenges in promoting Africatown is that there are few entry points for anyone wanting to visit and study it. There's a historic cemetery, a church that played a pivotal role in the community's development, and the empty site where a welcome center once stood. That stands to change. The grants announced this week include several million dollars for a new Africatown welcome center and tourism program. And the Blueway is all about creating new access -- to the water, and from one point of interest to another via the water. "All this work will come together though it's being done separately," said Flen. "When this master plan is in place and the Clotilda is found ... where the doors have been closed, you're going to see them open," said Figures. "This is huge." "We continue to do the work that needs to be done," she said. "When we find the Clotilda, it's going to be the icing on the cake." A Maine man has been sentenced to four years behind bars after pleading guilty in an Alabama child molestation case. Daryl Raymond, a former petting zoo worker, has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty in a child molestation case. Daryl Raymond Jr. was working for Jungle Safari traveling petting zoo when he was accused of molesting children in Florence in 2016. Earlier this year, the 50-year-old pleaded guilty to two lesser charges of attempted sexual abuse of a child. Raymond on Wednesday was handed two 10-year split sentences with two years to be spent in prison for each count, court records show. The sentences will run concurrently, keeping Raymond behind bars for four years. Raymond also is required to register as a sex offender, avoid all contact with the victims, and pay court costs, fines and fees, per Lauderdale County Circuit Judge Gil Self's order. Raymond was indicted on allegations of molestation involving children ages 3-5, court records show. He was accused of inappropriately touching the children at the petting zoo, including during a pony ride, according to authorities. Raymond no longer works for Jungle Safari, a Florida-based petting zoo that travels to malls, fairs and festivals across the country. The leaders of the Alabama House and Senate on Thursday called for a deliberate approach on legislation concerning school safety and guns. With the election-year legislative session winding down, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, were asked about the outlook for bills proposed in response to the Feb. 14 shooting that claimed 17 lives at a Parkland, Fla., high school. Proposals have ranged from training and arming some teachers to raising the minimum age to buy some semiautomatic rifles. McCutcheon, a retired police officer, has encouraged proposals from legislators but has not endorsed any specifics. "The worst thing we can do is start thinking about this as a political thing or trying to rush something through because that's what we're supposed to do," McCutcheon said Thursday. "We need to be responsible and try to put together a good plan on this." McCutcheon said school safety could be a subject the Legislature revisits over multiple sessions. "This may be something that we work on continuously for several years," the speaker said. Marsh joined Gov. Kay Ivey for a Tuesday press conference, when the governor announced she was forming a council to study school safety. The governor called for more secure campuses, identification and intervention with students deemed a risk to cause violence and updating and standardizing school emergency plans. Ivey directed the council to issue a report by April 30, after the legislative session ends. Lawmakers are aiming to pass the state budgets and finish the session in about three weeks. Marsh said that probably moves the topic of school safety to next year, unless the governor decides to call a special session. "My hope is we can kind of wait for this commission report, what they think needs to be done, vs. everybody just throwing in bills trying to decide what law enforcement and educators could do," Marsh said. "At that time, if she (Ivey) sees something that's very urgent, she could call a special session on it. And if she should choose to do so, we would respect that. But otherwise, I think '19 is the year for it." A two-vehicle crash killed a Montgomery man early Thursday morning, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Jadakiss Thomas, 19, was killed when the 1998 Toyota Camry he was driving collided with a 2003 Dodge Ram on Highway 22 near Chilton County Road 15, troopers said. The crash was about six miles west of Clanton. Thomas was not wearing a seatbelt. He was pronounced dead on the scene, trooper said. Three passengers in Thomas' car were injured and taken to area hospitals for treatment. The driver and only occupant of the Dodge Ram was wearing a seatbelt and was not injured, troopers said. Additional details about the crash were not immediately available. A Sylacauga woman was jailed Thursday after posting threats against BB Comer School on Facebook, according to the Talladega County Sheriff's Office. Wednesday, deputies learned of a threat against BB Comer Memorial Elementary School and Sylacauga students through a Facebook post. On Thursday, deputies were dispatched to BB Comer School after someone reported there was a gunman at the school, deputies said in a Facebook post. Deputies searched and determined there was no gunman at the school, deputies said. Investigators later learned the call stemmed from the earlier Facebook post, which was posted by a third party under someone else's name, deputies said. On Thursday, deputies arrested Tiffany Alicia Pate, 44, and charged her with making a terrorist threat. Sheriff Jimmy Kilgore said there will be officers at all Talladega County Schools in response to this threat. A 19-year-old Cherokee High School student was in the Colbert County Jail today after writing a campus shooting threat on the bathroom wall, authorities said. Andrue Dylan Jones is charged with felony making a terrorist threat, according to the Colbert County Sheriff's Office. Jones was released on his own recognizance. He didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. "Him and his buddies got together and he wanted the day off," Sheriff Frank Williamson told AL.com. "We don't believe he had any intentions of doing anything at the school. He knew with all of the stuff that's happening now that it would get everybody's attention." The threat came about two weeks after 17 people were gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. A student found the threat written on the bathroom wall March 1. The written message said a "school shooting" would happen the next day, according to authorities. The threat is among several made in Alabama and around the country following the Florida shooting. Earlier this week in Birmingham, a 17-year-old girl was killed at Huffman High School. Student Michael Jerome Barber is charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Courtlin Arrington. Cherokee is one of three high schools in the Colbert County School system. The school is in Cherokee, a tiny town in the northwest corner of Alabama. Courtlin Arrington Merika Coleman couldn't sleep. It was nearly 4:30 a.m. on Thursday and the Democratic representative from Birmingham (District 57) was still awake, unable to find rest. Or peace. Her mind was on the children--on her own, a college-aged daughter and a son not too much older than 17-year-old Courtlin Arrington, the future nurse with the brightest smile who died in an ambulance on Thursday afternoon en route to the hospital after being shot--accidentally, the police still say--at Huffman High School in east Birmingham. (A fellow student is being held in relation to her death.) Her mind's eye could not stop seeing the young girl----as well as the too many young people who've died by gunfire of late, and the too many who may still, alas, lose their lives by gunfire in the days, weeks, months ahead. "It began as just a normal day of school for that child," Coleman shared later. "She expected to go to school, get an education, maybe participate in extra-curricular activities and come home safely. She was so close to the same age as my own child, with so much life to live, and now that's gone--so it touched me on a personal level. "As a lawmaker, I was wrestling with what we can do to keep these guns out of the hands of children," Coleman said. "I know I have to be able to do something." Coleman wasn't the only legislator who was sleepless in Montgomery, who was haunted late into the morning by the Huffman tragedy, though, truth be told, all of our legislators and state leaders should be tossing and turning trying to devise ways to keep us safer from gun violence, especially our children. Instead, some are championing bills during this legislative session to place the Ten Commandments in public buildings (really? I'm a Christian, and I'm bored with this) or gutting state ethics laws (surprise, surprise). Instead, some are still gripping their guns with pale, numb fingers to appease to constituents who see any attempt to curb access to guns as an attack on their own rights, irrevocably granted to them by the Founding Fathers (who, of course, never pondered someone taking an AK-15 to school and slaughtering their classmates, or a child taking a gun to school to either threaten a schoolmate or defend themselves from one.) Instead, Gov. Kay Ivey is meekishly asking some folks to sit down and chat about it some more--study it some more, gather some more info and come back and tell her what should be done. Let me make it easy for y'all--our lawmakers and leaders should be doing anything and everything that can be reasonably, legally and responsibly done. And doing it now. Not after yet another task force tells us what we already know. Not after yet another human is killed in a drive-by, or as an act of domestic violence, or by happenstance while standing in the wrong place on a street they thought to be safe. And certainly not after yet another child dies in a school shooting. On Wednesday, just a few hours before Arrington's death, Coleman dropped a bill designed to curb the access to a gun to those deemed at risk to themselves or others. HB478 allows families and law enforcement officials to request the court issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order temporarily preventing someone they believe may be dangerous from possessing a firearm. "We're not trying to take guns away from people who have guns legally in their homes to protect themselves or their families, or other legal purposes," Coleman says. "It just tries to make sure people who are at risk of harming others do not have access to guns. It gives them an opportunity to calm down and get well before getting a gun again. They even have the opportunity to fight the petition and prove they're not a danger to themselves or other, so there is due process." Just five states (none in the South, of course) currently have ERPO laws but due to the spate of mass shootings in recent months--from Las Vegas to Parkland--more than 30 ERPO bills are currently being discussed in 20 states, and in Washington, D.C. Coleman believes the law might've prevented the slaughter last of 17 high-school students at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Florida, allegedly by Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old former schoolmate. "The mom in the home where he lived said she had concerns about him," Coleman says. "She could have used this tool to get guns out of the home." "This is not a partisan issue," she adds. "It's a safety issue, and it should be supported by anyone who wants to keep us all safe." Including those lawmakers cowering beneath their National Rifle Association membership cards, and behind its tone-deaf leader, Wayne LaPierre, and his loathsome, compassionless, threatening minion, Dana Loesch. Thanks to the bravery of the Parkland survivors, who called "BS" on those politicians who fill their coffers with the organization's funds and hide under their desks with their "thoughts and prayers" each time another gun tragedy occurs, it's finally and gratefully clear that--who borrow another movement's phrase--"time's up" for the NRA, too. "Those kids said: Anyone who is supported by the NRA, we're going to hold you accountable," Coleman says. "'It's blood on your hands if you don't do something more to protect children or people at concerts or movie theaters. "We're at the crossroads and people have to decide what side they're on." Alabama representatives may have to make up their minds soon, as skittish as they might be in this election season. On Thursday, the Democrats catapulted HB478 to a "top priority" bill, meaning it will be fast-tracked through committee and given a public hearing to address pros and cons and any needed adjustments. If a public hearing can be held within the next two weeks, there may be an opportunity to bring the bill to a vote before the current legislative session ends at the end of the March. Passage, Coleman says, would be a "great first step in getting a great piece of legislation out there that is a bi-partisan effort." Thankfully, HB478 isn't the only bill related to gun violence being considered by Alabama lawmakers. Also, on Wednesday, the Senate Finance and Taxation and Education Committee passed a bill allowing schools systems to use money from the state's Advancement and Technology education savings fund for school security. (A similar bill already passed the House.) Last month a bill was introduced by Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) that would raise the state's minimum age for buying an assault-type rifle from 18 to 21. Indeed, on Thursday, Coleman says Democrats met for 30 minutes with Republican House Speaker Mac McCutcheon to discuss the beginnings of a "master bill" that would combine many proposals currently percolating through the legislature into one. "Alabama has to take holistic approach [to gun safety]," Coleman says. "How do we protect people across the board? How to restrict access to guns to those who may do harm? Now is not the time to study. We need to take some action. We have to look at every idea and think, 'How can we better protect ourselves and our children? By the close of Thursday's session, Coleman was understandably drained and not looking forward to another restless night. And yet, she said, "My soul is not going to rest until we do what we need to do to protect children who simply want to go to school and get an education." Courtlin Arrington was one such child. To honor her, as well as other innocent Alabamians who've lost their lives to gun violence, our legislators should not only pass HB478 as soon as possible but rename it Courtlin's Law. Just one small way to ensure that a young, bright life tragically cut short lives on. Roy S. Johnson's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Hit me up at rjohnson@al.com or/and follow me at twitter.com/roysj. The Brazilian government and national steel institute Aco Brasil are deciding whether to immediately file an appeal with the United States government against its extreme decision to impose a 25% tariff on steel imports, the association said late on Thursday March 8. The group understands that the blockage of Brazilian steel exports to the US market mostly slab steel, which is re-rolled by US mills will cause considerable damage not only to Brazil-based companies, but also to North American firms that are not able to produce their own semi-finished goods. Aco Brasil expected that Brazil-origin steel would be excluded from the US measures due to the complementary nature of their separate industries. These measures damage the concept of fair trade, it said. The institute and the Brazilian government also will analyze ways to prevent the local steel market from being affected by the redirection of steel volumes away from the US to other countries because of the new import tariffs. Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump confirmed his previously announced tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium imports into the US. All steel products, including slab, are to be included in the US trade measures, which are scheduled to become effective on March 23. The US government has noted, however, that it is authorized to provide relief from the import duties in the case of any steel material that it determines is not produced in the US in sufficient quantity, or with reasonable availability, or of satisfactory quality. But such relief shall be provided for a steel product only after a request for exclusion is made by a directly affected party located in the US, it added. Slab shall be included in the exemptions list, a Brazilian trader said. I hope that slab is excluded from the measure. US-based companies that are relevant importers of slabs include California Steel Industries (CSI), Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Essar Steel, AK Steel, and the AM/NS Calvert facility in the state of Alabama - a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and NSSMC. The major Brazilian slab exporters are Ternium, Companhia Siderurgica de Pecem (CSP) and ArcelorMittal Tubarao. In 2017, Brazil exported 2.45 million tonnes of slab to the US, up from 2.11 million tonnes in 2016, according to figures released by the countrys foreign trade ministry, MDIC. Brazilian industrial association CNI has said that it also opposes the unjustified and unlawful decision of the US to impose additional tariffs on steel and aluminum exported by Brazil and other economies. The measures will affect $3 billion in Brazilian exports of iron and steel and $144 million in aluminum exports, CNI said. You might notice something different here. As we continue our evolution, our data and market news is now available through the Fastmarkets platform and a trial of this website is no longer available. Our new delivery solution allows you to access the prices and news that matters most to you in a way that delivers value, quality and a unique, fully customizable view for you. We are working hard to develop an experience that allows you to test drive building your view of our data and news on the new platform. In the meantime, learn more about us through any of the options below. The US Section 232 import tariffs will cause serious losses to Brazilian exports, and will have a significant negative effect on bilateral trade flows and on trade and investment relations between the two countries, according to Brazilian foreign trade ministry MDIC. The trade flows have been largely favorable to the United States over the past 10 years, the ministry added. MDIC, along with national steel institute Aco Brasil, looked at ways to avoid being included in any measures related to the Section 232 investigation into steel and aluminium imports. It told the US government and other relevant actors in that country that Brazils products do not pose a threat to US commercial or security interests. The US measures will undermine continuing efforts at the Global Steel Forum - to which the US is a party - to address the issue of overcapacity in the steel sector, [which is] the major cause of the problems faced by the industry, MDIC minister Marcos Jorge said. The measures restricting imports of steel and aluminium are incompatible with US obligations [to] the World Trade Organization, he added. While expressing a preference for dialogue and partnership, Brazil reaffirms that it will take all necessary steps, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to preserve its rights and interests, according to the MDIC. On Thursday March 8, US President Donald Trump confirmed his previously announced tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminium imports into the US. After the announcement of these measures, Aco Brasil said that the Brazilian government would decide whether to immediately file an appeal with the US government against its extreme decision to impose a 25% duty on steel imports. Mercosul, Canada deal On Friday March 9, Brazil, along with its partners in the Mercosul trading bloc, held a meeting in Paraguay to celebrate the initiation of negotiations for a free trade agreement with Canada, according to MDIC. Mercosul is the customs union and trading bloc that covers most South American countries. MDICs Jorge considered the timing for the start of these talks to be very strategic, and underscored Brazils determination to open up and participate in international trade. The dialogue between Mercosul members and Canada came after the announcement of the US import tariffs on Brazil-origin steel and aluminium products. While some international players are closing [their markets], Brazil and the Mercosul partners have demonstrated that the integration of our markets into global value chains is fundamental, Jorge said. The negotiation of new agreements, like this with Canada, is an important step. The city of Circleville, situated thirty miles to the south of Ohios largest city, Columbus, has a few things to boast. The Circleville Pumpkin Show, which the city has been hosting for more than a century, is the biggest festival in the United States dedicated to the fruit, attracting several hundred thousand visitors over multiple days, as well as unusually large-sized pumpkins. Pumpkins weighing in excess of 1,000 pounds frequently turn up at the pumpkin weighing contest, with the current record standing at 1,964 pounds (891 kg). Circleville is also one of the first American cities to undergo a major urban restructuring. When the city was originally founded, in the beginning of the 19th century, it had a circular layout to correspond to the circular ancient Native American earthwork over which the city was built. This is how the city got its nameCircleville. It had an octagonal courthouse at the center surrounded by concentric rings of streets intersected by more streets radiating out of the courthouse like spokes of a wheel. But many residents were not happy with the layout, so starting 1837, the city demolished its old buildings and streets and rebuilt the entire city in the more conventional square grid. The city boasts this rebuilding process as the earliest example of urban redevelopment in the United States. Hitler Road#2 in Circleville, Ohio. Photo credit: Scott/Flickr The other thing Circleville boasts about is the abundance of Hitler references. There are two Hitler roadsnumbered 1 and 2as well as a Huber-Hitler Road, a Hitler Pond, a Hitler Park, and a Hitler-Ludwig Cemetery, among other things. None of them pays tribute to the maniacal, genocidal, Nazi dictator, fortunately. These were the good Hitlers we are talking about, the original ones, the ones who founded Circleville. The Hitlers were one of the pioneer families who migrated to Ohios Pickaway County in 1799 and settled in an area that is now Circleville. As Circleville Herald attests, they were fine, upstanding citizens. The Hitler family consisted of George Hitler, his wife Susannah Gay, and their eleven children, seven of which were born after they resettled in Circleville. These children married into other Pickaway families, had their own children and the Hitler family grew. Two of George Hitlers children became successful wheat farmers shipping flour down the river to New Orleans. One of his grandson, Nelson Hitler, owned 2,000 acres in Pickaway, Circleville and Washington Townships, part of which he donated to the Pickaway Township Board of Education to be invested for the purchase of books and upkeep of the school library. He also helped build the Hitler Ludwig Cemetery. Eighteen Hitlers now remain buried there. Nelson Hitler The site for the Martha Hitler Park in Washington Township was donated by Martha Hitler. There was also a Hitler School, but it was sold in 1920. Many fine homes in Pickaway County originally belonged to the Hitlers or their descendants. Then there was Dr. Gay Hitler, son of George Washington Hitler, who was a local dentist who served the community for more than twenty years in the early 20th century. All was well, until Adolf Hitler ruined it for everyone. Now the many surviving Hitlers of Circleville have to endure the strange looks and questions wherever they went. But after more than seventy years, they are getting used to it. Tom Ebenhack, the local veterinarian whose mother was a Hitler, believes that his generation and that before him probably had to bear some jokes but were never ridiculed. But the same cannot be said for those who left Circleville for other cities. One family, who moved to North Carolina, had to change their telephone number to escape the harassment. One was asked to change his name by the president of the company where he worked. But he refused. The Hitler-Ludwig Cemetery. Photo credit: Douglas Siple/Flickr Many Circleville residents are, in fact, proud of their legacy. They argue that their Hitler came first, and theirs is the only family of true Hitlers in the world, and that Adolf wasn't even an actual Hitlerwhich is true. Adolf Hitlers father, Alois Hitler Sr., was born out of wedlock as Alois Schicklgruber. His mother, Maria Schicklgruber, later married Johann Georg Hiedler, after whose name Alois Hitler changed his surname from Schicklgruber to Hitler. It is not known why Alois Hitler chose that particular spelling, although Johann Georg Hiedlers brother, on whose farm young Alois spent three years, was sometimes known by the surname Huttler. As a matter of fact, there are far more genuine Hitlers in this world than we would like to believe. A couple of years ago, filmmaker Matt Ogens, hunted down all the Hitlers he could find and interviewed them for a documentary named Meet the Hitlers, where he explores how their lives have been affected by one of the most notorious names in history. Some people are cool about itits their family name and it has been around before Adolf Hitler, so they are going to keep it. Others are not. One high-school girl ran for class president but got heckled off stage and didn't win. Some Circleville residents wishes they could change the names of their roads and parks, but the Hitlers stand firm on their stance. They arent going to let one man's infamy force them to change their name. Grave of George Hitler, son of George Hitler Sr., the original Hitler of Circleville. Photo credit: Douglas Siple/Flickr Posted on: March 8, 2018 3:16 PM The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, hosted the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, at a private meeting in Lambeth Palace, today, and discussed a range of issues including religious freedom for Christians in Saudi Arabia and the conflict in the Yemen. Archbishop Justin was accompanied in the meeting by the Bishops of Newcastle and Leeds, Christine Hardman and Nick Baines for the hour-long meeting. In a statement, a Lambeth Palace spokeswoman said that Archbishop Justin was encouraged to hear about Saudi Arabias Vision 2030 roadmap. The Crown Prince made a strong commitment to promote the flourishing of those of different faith traditions, and to interfaith dialogue within the Kingdom and beyond, the statement said. In the statement, the spokeswoman said that the Archbishop shared his concern about limits placed on Christian worship in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and highlighted the importance for leaders of all faiths to support freedom of religion or belief, drawing on the experience of the UK. In a cordial and honest conversation, the Archbishop voiced his distress at the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and asked that all that is possible be done to alleviate the suffering of civilian populations and to seek an end to the conflict. As leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop shared the challenges and concerns of Anglicans from around the world, who often as a minority faith community have few advocates for freedom of religion or belief where they live. He emphasised the crucial role that Saudi Arabia could play in protecting minorities across the world. During the visit, the Archbishop showed the Crown Prince a selection of early Christian, Muslim and Jewish texts from the Lambeth Palace library collection, as well as the Birmingham Quran manuscript written in Arabic Hijazi script and radiocarbon dated to between 568 and 645 AD, it is amongst the earliest written parts of the Quran still in existence. It was sent to Lambeth Palace for the Crown Princes visit by its owners, Birmingham University. The visit to Lambeth Palace is part of an official visit to the UK by the Crown Prince, and follows a visit to Egypt earlier this week. On Monday, the Crown Prince met with Pope Twadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church and discussed the brotherly relations between the kingdom and Egypt, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding: they stressed the importance of the role of different religions and cultures in promoting tolerance, renouncing violence, extremism and terrorism and achieving security and peace for the peoples of the region and world. The Crown Prince paid tribute to the role of the Copts in stabilising Egypt and standing with the issues of the Arab and Islamic nation. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pope Tawadros said that The Prince spoke a lot about his love for Christians. He revealed that the Prince had invited the Pope and all Copts to visit Saudi Arabia. Posted on: March 9, 2018 12:25 PM A former priest in the united Church of North Indias Diocese of Calcutta has been chosen to be the next Area Bishop of Bradwell in the Church of Englands Diocese of Chelmsford. The Ven Dr John Perumbalath already serves in the Diocese, which covers the county of Essex and parts of east London, as the Archdeacon of Barking. He comes, originally, from the ancient Syrian Christian community in Kerala, India, and trained for ministry at Union Biblical Seminary in Pune. Dr Perumbalath worked as a youth worker among university students for two years and as a theological educator for three years before his ordination in the CNI. In addition to his parish ministry, he served on the CNIs General Synod and its theological commission. He moved to the Church of England in 2002 and served in three parishes before becoming Archdeacon of Barking in 2013. He is a member of the C of Es General Synod and sits on its appointment committee and mission & public affairs council. He is a trustee board of Westcott House, a theological college at Cambridge University, and chairs the national committee for minority ethnic Anglican concerns (CMEAC) and the London Churches Refugee Network. He is a former trustee of the Anglican mission agency USPG and has accepted invitations to speak at meetings in various provinces of the Anglican Communion. I am humbled and honoured to have been invited to be the next Bishop of Bradwell, Dr Perumbalath said today. It has been a great joy to share in the life of Barking Episcopal Area in the last five years and I look forward to the new opportunities and challenges that serving the Church in the Bradwell Episcopal Area will bring. I am passionate about the Christian faith that can transform individuals, communities and institutions, and about communicating that faith through pastoral care, teaching and community engagement. God is about human flourishing. He is there for every Essex Man and every Essex Woman. I am aware of the social, economic and cultural challenges faced by the communities in the Area. I am committed to working with and serving the churches and communities in this part of Essex. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Bishop of Chelmsford, Stephen Cottrell, said he was delighted at the appointment, describing Dr Perumbalath as a wise and gifted theologian and pastor. Bishop Stephen added: As Archdeacon of Barking he has won the trust and affection of the parishes, supported the mission of the Church, and helped ensure each community was served effectively. He will bring this experience to the parishes and communities of the Bradwell Episcopal Area, building on the work of those who have gone before him. Please pray for John and his wife Jessy as they prepare for this move. He succeeds Bishop John Wraw, who died in July last year after a three-year battle with multiple myeloma. Posted on: March 9, 2018 4:48 PM Thousands of young adults from around the world will gather in Hong Kong in August for a five-day Taize Pilgrimage of Trust and Reconciliation. The Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) the Anglican Church in Honk Kong has joined with the Catholic Church and the Hong Kong Christian Council to invite Taize to stage the significant international gathering in Hong Kong City. Some brothers from the France-based Taize Community arrived in Hong Kong last month and will stay in the Chinese autonomous territory to help plan for the international event. They have taken part in local services and welcomed to a provincial meeting of HKSKH Clergy. In a joint letter to Taize, the Anglican Archbishop of Hong Kong, Paul Kwong; the Bishop of the Hong Kong Catholic Church, Cardinal John Tong Hon; and the chair of the Hong Kong Christian Council, the Revd So Shing Yit Eric; said: We see in this initiative a sign of faith, hope and love, so necessary today for our world and for Hong Kong in particular in promoting justice, reconciliation and peace. Indeed, we have to educate our young people in this respect, so that they too can contribute to transforming human society. It is our understanding that the coming event would not be an end in itself, but rather a means for Christians, together with all people of good will, to open up new paths of faith, hope and love. We would appreciate it if the meeting could be prepared in an in-depth manner with the assistance of our local communities and institutions. This gathering will be a great opportunity for our different Churches, and especially for young people, to work together to welcome young people from different parts of the world. . . We cordially welcome you and your Community to Hong Kong, and with all our hearts we assure you of our blessing. From 8 - 12 August, thousands of young people aged between 18 and 35 will gather in Hong Kong City. They will attend common prayer three times a day in local churches. The week will also include reflection and silence, meeting in small groups with people from different places and backgrounds, workshops on themes related to faith, social commitment, culture and art, as well as a time of silent retreat. Since their arrival in Hong Kong, delegation members Brother Jean-Marie and Brother Han-yol joined young people in a Taize-styled prayer service at St Pauls Church on 23 February. On 25 February, the delegation attended a Sunday service at Holy Spirit Church one of the host parishes for the international event and introduced the international meeting to the parishioners. Holy Spirit Church will provide hospitality to the meetings pilgrims. Brother Lucas, Brother Han-yol, and Brother Ghislain were invited to the provincial clergy meeting on 1 March to meet with the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui priests. While the core age for the week is 18-35, accompanied 17-year-olds are welcome to attend; as well as youth-leaders aged over 35. It will be followed by a reflection week which is restricted to 18-35 year-olds. The aim of the week is to allow young adults of the same age-range to meet and discuss their future seen in the light of faith, Taize said. There will be a Bible introduction for everyone at the end of morning prayer. The programme will include workshops in which young people from different continents, people involved in international organisations, Christian communities and local initiatives of solidarity will participate. There will also be small sharing groups. Posted on: March 9, 2018 11:11 AM Draft legislation to make it easier for police and prosecution authorities to crack down on modern slavery in New South Wales has been welcomed by the Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies. The Archbishop was in the public gallery of the New South Wales Legislative Council yesterday (Thursday) as MLC Paul Green introduced his Modern Slavery Bill. Archbishop Glenn said that the Bill deserves the wholehearted support of the Parliament and the people of NSW. He added: Human trafficking is an abhorrent form of modern slavery. It is a trans-national crime which preys upon the most vulnerable. Human trafficking should be abolished in all its forms from our world, along with other practices of enslavement, such as servitude, forced labour, debt bondage, organ trafficking, deceptive recruiting, as well as forced marriage and childhood brides. Such practices are a blight on our society, as they were in the days of William Wilberforce, and I urge all people, especially Christians, to join the fight to eradicate slavery in all its forms. In addition of its overriding aim of combating modern slavery, the Bill has a number of objectives, including the provision of assistance and support for victims, the creation of an anti-slavery Commissioner, mandatory reporting of risks of modern slavery occurring in the supply chains of some types of companies, to make forced marriage of a child and certain slavery and slavery-like conduct offences in New South Wales, and making it an offence to administer a digital platform for the purpose of child abuse material. Introducing the Bill, Mr Green told members of the Legislative Assembly that Human trafficking includes slavery and slavery like practices such as servitude, forced labour, debt bondage, organ trafficking, deceptive recruiting and child cybersex trafficking as well as forced marriage and childhood brides. Unfortunately, the data does not reflect the true levels of modern slavery due to its very nature of being a clandestine activity that hides in the shadow of our communities on a daily basis. However, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016, it is estimated that 45.8 million people worldwide, and more than 4,000 people in Australia, are victims of some form of slavery. Drugs are sold once and used, but people can be sold time and time again. Introducing his Modern Slavery Bill in the Legislative Council of the NSW Parliament, MLC Paul Green quoted Proverbs 31:8: Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Photo: Jesse Bass Martin / Wikimedia He told MLCs that the Assistant Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Debbie Platz, had said that Australians can pay as little as $40 AUD (approximately 23 GBP) to watch a child in a south east Asian raped online. He quoted Platz saying that Australians can get online and order a child, and order what they would like happen to that child, and that could mean anything from undressing of a child and seeing them naked, right through to torture, rape and in the most extreme cases . . . the murder of a child. He continued: It is deeply disturbing and heartbreaking. It shakes one to the core to contemplate that happening to any child. It is even more excruciating to imagine that sometimes long after the abuse has ceased the images and videos continue to be distributed on the dark web like a double-edged sword causing additional pain and suffering for the victim. The depravity of mankind knows no bounds. According to the United Nations 2016 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 79 per cent of human trafficking is for sexual exploitation and the victims are predominantly women and girls. Children account for 20 per cent of trafficked victims worldwide. That is approximately 9.16 million children, or the equivalent of 16,838 A380 plane loads of children. I have heard of the rise of young girls forced into illegal marriage, exposing them to long-term abuse and rape with the consent of their families. It is important to note under-age forced marriage is not limited to any particular culture, religion or ethnicity. Regardless of religious or cultural background, it is unacceptable and reprehensible to expose children to a forced marriage whether it happens in Australia or through taking the child overseas. The debate on the Bill was adjourned. Human trafficking and modern slavery is a key campaign issue for Anglicans throughout the Communion and has been discussed at recent meetings of both the Anglican Consultative Council and Primates Meetings. The Royal Anguilla Police Force on Thursday 8th March, 2018 at about 9:30pm responded to a report of a shooting incident that left a 28 year old male nursing a gunshot wound. Officer who responded to the scene met and spoke with the victim who was later transported to the Princess Alexandra Hospital where he was treated and then released. As the Police continues their investigation into this matter they are appealing to members of the public who may have been on the Tackling/True Eyes Road, and may have witnessed this shooting incident or have any information regarding this shooting to contact the Valley Police Station with such information. The telephone number is 497-2333 and asks for the Criminal Investigation Department or to speak to any Police Officer of their choice. The perpetrator is believed to have been traveling in a small hatch back vehicle at the time. Additionally information can be sent via the RAPF Tips Website by logging on to www.gov.ai/911 which is a secured website. The Royal Anguilla Police Force is eleven (11) police officers stronger with the return of the recently trained batch of eleven officers who had been at the Regional Police Training Center in Barbados for the past thirty (30) weeks. The group who were accompanied by Sgt. 59 Kenneth Millette during the training was exposed to various subjects in police discipline as well as Local Statutes, constitutional law, sociology and civil law. A great deal of time was also spent in physical training, self-defense and firearm training. Commissioner of Police Mr. Paul Morrison who attended the graduation ceremony in Barbados on Thursday 1st March, 2018 said, I was very impressed with the performance of the officers during their graduation ceremony. I was also impressed with the report that was given on the officers by the administration at the Regional Police Training Center. The officers are this week participating in a one week Probationers Training Program. As of next week they will be attached to one of the four Beat and Patrol Shifts where they will work with a team of officers under the supervision of a Sergeant as first responders. The new officers will remain on probation for the next three years during which time they will participate in various training programs and attachments to other departments to assist with their overall development. Since returning to the island they have visited the Force Chaplain Bishop Errol Brooks, the Governor His Excellency Tim Foy the Prison and the Legislative Assembly. WPC 114 Janille Browne was awarded the Commandants Trophy and Baton of Honour as well as the title of Best Recruit for Course 141. Spanish researchers ask for help saving giant mussel Appeal against extinction of Pinna nobilis (ANSAmed) - MADRID, MARCH 9 - Spanish researchers are calling for Spanish citizens' help in saving the giant mussel known as Pinna nobilis from extinction. They said the species in the Spanish Mediterranean is facing a "catastrophic situation". The bivalve mollusc, whose valve can reach lengths of 1.2 m and can live up to 50 years at more than 60 metres under the sea, is seriously threatened by infection from a protozoan that has reduced a population of hundreds of thousands down to precious few remaining. Last October, the Spanish government declared a state of emergency for an endemic species, for the first time in history. It implemented a series of urgent measures to avoid the species' extinction, brought about by contagion. Among these was the rescuing of 215 of the mussels off the Catalan coastline, in the Ebro Delta, where the Pinna nobilis still has not been infected by the lethal parasite. The mussels that were rescued were transferred to specialised nurseries in Alicante, Barcelona, Huelva, Murcia, and Valencia, to create genetic reserves in captivity. The reserves would serve to repopulate the species in the event that all specimens in the wild were to become extinct. The outlook is so concerning that researchers from the Nacras Project ("nacra" is the name in Spanish for the Pinna nobilis) are calling on Spanish citizens to join in their efforts to find surviving specimens of Pinna nobilis. The project was developed immediately after the discovery of the initial mass deaths of the molluscs in Spanish waters. It has a website called "Seawatchers" (Observadores del Mar), which was created by groups of researchers from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA), headed by the Superior Council of Scientific Investigations and the Balearic Islands Oceanographic Centre of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). In recent months, more than 250 observations were made across the Mediterranean, by citizens aware of the emergency. The observations allowed for increasing the scientific survey database to help understand the phenomenon of the parasite's expansion and to identify tools to fight it. Now, however, researchers are renewing their appeal to all observers who are able to dive during the winter months, in order to intensify searches for surviving specimens of the giant mussel. This is the most favorable season for research since Posidonia oceanica plants, which are the species' primary habitat, have shorter leaves during the winter. A call has gone out on social media, with the Twitter hashtag #retonacra.(ANSAmed). TEL AVIV - A commercial for an Israeli supermarket chain offering non-kosher food including pork has drawn a great deal of attention online, with 100,000 views in only a few days. It has also opened an ideological debate between supporters of a secular state and those who would instead prefer for at least some public areas to be subject to Jewish Orthodoxy. To capture the attention of viewers, the Tiv Taam chain made use of the voice of the 'Father of the Homeland', David Ben Gurion, in a recording in which he states that Israel guarantees ''freedom of religion, education, culture and language'' for all. On this basis, Tiv Taam concluded that ''every one of us must be free to decide: how to live, what to eat, and when to buy products'' including non-kosher meat, and even on the Sabbath (day of rest). The commercial was launched during recent protests against the closing of shops that had opened on Saturday in the city of Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv. The Facebook page of Tiv Taam has received an onslaught of outraged reactions from those seeing the commercial as an insult to Judaism. ''What choice are you talking about,'' Lior S. asked. ''A Jew has one truth, one Torah.'' Other replied that it is also possible to live as Jews without being Orthodox, while Haaretz noted that such a heated debate was sparked simply over whether or not one could eat pork or shop on Saturdays. ''This,'' a commentator said, ''is what we have left of Ben Gurion's vision.'' (ANSAmed). ISTANBUL - A trial against journalists and directors of the secular opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet resumed on Friday morning in the Silivri jail in Istanbul. The case has become one of the symbols of threats to freedom of the press in Turkey. Some 19 people stand accused of terrorism, including some of the most well-known journalists in the country such as former editor-in-chief Can Dundar - who has sought refuge in Germany and is being tried in absentia - and his successor at the head of the newspaper, Murat Sabuncu, who has been detained for 495 days. Also on trial is the chairman of the newspaper's borad, Akin Atalay, and the investigative jounrlaist Ahmet Sik, who has been in jail for 434 days. The defendants are accused of links with the network under imam-in-exile Fethullah Gulan, allegedly behind a failed coup in July 2016, the Kurdish PKK or the far-left DHKP/C, all of which are considered terrorist groups. Another ruling is expected in this sixth hearing on whether the accused will continue to be held in jail as a preventative measure or not. According to the Platform for Independent Journalism (P24), a civil society organization founded by members of the Turkish press, a total of 155 journalists are currently detained in Turkish jails, more than in any otehr country in the world. BEIRUT - A UN aid convoy on Friday managed to enter the opposition-held area of Eastern Ghouta in Syria, which has been under heavy bombing in recent days, reported the BBC. The broadcaster quoted UN officials as saying that the situation was 'calm'. The 13-lorry convoy is expected to distribute the rest of the aid that was unable to be offloaded on Monday, when initial attempts were interrupted by government bombing on the besieged area, the International Committe for the Red Cross said. The lorries were able to re-enter the area thanks to a temporary respite from government shelling that is scheduled to last a few hours. ''Friday's delivery is the third attempt this week to get humanitarian aid to civilians trapped by the fighting in the region on the edge of the Syrian capital, Damascus,'' the BBC noted. The lorries are carrying food for about 12,000 people in the city of Douma. The vehicles had previously been forced to turn back at the Wafideen crossing point between regime-held territory and territory under opposition groups. They had remained there waiting until they were given assurances that the humanitarian aid workers would not be bombed. The UN estimates that there are about 400,000 people in the Eastern Ghouta area, under siege since 2013. Activist says 'excluded post-revolution youth go with ISIS' In Tunisia, Kaouech works on awareness with at-risk youth (ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 9 - Asma Kaouech, a Tunisian legal consultant, civil society activist and Sacharov Fellow who works with her Tunisian NGO to prevent the radicalisation of youth, spoke on the sidelines of a meeting in Rome about the reasons Tunisian young people decide to join ISIS, especially in the post-revolution period. "The main reasons that have pushed Tunisian youth in recent years to join ISIS are linked," said Kaouech. "There's the search for a leadership role, since the young people who led the revolution felt excluded after, and are therefore indignant towards the government. At the same time, they see ISIS as an enemy of the government and therefore they join," she said, adding that "ISIS sees the present in young people, not the future, as in Tunisia". "I work with people who were recruited by ISIS or who are thinking of joining," she said on the sidelines of the meeting, which took place at the Office of the European Parliament in Italy. "Preventing and fighting violent extremism is a priority issue in Tunisia, given that there have been many attacks and there are about 6,000 Tunisians who have left as foreign fighters," she said. Kaouech said she and the NGO Fanni Raghamn Anni work with at-risk youth to increase their "resilience and critical thought, and to make them more aware of their rights and responsibilities, more involved in public life". She said one of the terrorists in the attack at the Bardo Museum on March 18, 2015 in Tunis was a neighbour of hers and a friend from high school. "Back then he was tolerant, calm, a normal young man. Then he became a Salafist and went to Libya to the jihadist training camps. He came back home and carried out the attack. Since then, I've become more aware of how terrorism surrounds us and how urgent it is to eliminate it before it eliminates us," she said. "Given that terrorism is a global problem, all countries should cooperate to find solutions and share best practices, respecting local contexts," she said.(ANSAmed). A new air traffic control system to speed traffic flow through the Arabian Gulfs increasingly congested airspace has been introduced by the UAEs aviation regulator. Alan Dron reports. For the past decade, the success of the three major Gulf airlines Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways has had the side-effect of adding considerably to the congestion of airspace in the region. As the airlines fleets have mushroomed, so the areas air traffic controllers have had to fit more and more aircraft into a finite space. While the hardworking controllers have coped admirably so far, average delay due to traffic congestion is now 29 minutes and this figure is forecast to double to 59 minutes per flight in the next few years unless something is done to alleviate the situation. On December 7 2017, the UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) implemented what it describes as one of the largest airspace changes ever seen in the region. That date saw the completion of the UAE airspace restructuring project (ARP), which transformed the Emirates flight information region into the worlds first airspace structure to be completely based on performance-based navigation (PBN) with a navigation specification of RNAV-1. PBN is a system that uses satellites and computerised on-board systems. This offers considerable advantages over traditional sensor-specific navigation based largely on fixed, ground-based beacons that guide aircraft along published routes via waypoints defined by those beacons. Primarily, the airspace change aims to increase the UAEs airspace capacity to meet forecast air traffic demand for 2022, as well as increase access to all the UAEs airports and generally improve efficiency for both customers and air navigation service providers. It will also reduce the environmental impact of the regions increasing air traffic by allowing it to move more efficiently. The restructuring project was the culmination of several years of analysis, development and collaboration across the UAEs aviation community to develop one of the worlds most advanced navigational systems. The implementation of the ARP is not only impressive from a technical perspective, said GCAA director-general Saif Al Suwaidi. To achieve collaboration on such a large-scale change required teams of project management and technical experts with dedicated representation from the six UAE air navigation service providers (GCAA, dans, Abu Dhabi ANS, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah), 15 core agencies (including the UAE national airlines, UAE airport authorities, UAE military, regulatory representation, IATA and the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology) and the five surrounding international air traffic service providers. Implementation of the UAE ARP has demonstrated our capability to safely meet the capacity requirements for the forecast 2020 air traffic demand and beyond, but also to deliver environmental efficiency and fuel savings exceeding $15 million to airline customers within the first year after implementation, said Al Suwaidi. These sustainable annual fuel savings further translate to around 100,000 metric tonnes of C02, supporting a significant contribution towards the UAEs environmental policy and responsibilities towards greener aviation. The project got under way in 2013 and a major milestone was achieved in July 2016 with the integration and implementation phase, which saw international consultants help ensure the transformation of the ARP concepts into a workable solution. Overall, the project required more than 120,000 working hours to bring to fruition, said the chairman of the project steering group, Ahmed Al Jallaf. Multiple fast-time and real-time simulations were staged in the UAE, Italy and the UK to validate the design of the revised airspace network. The ARP also required more than 250 air traffic controllers to undertake simulation and theoretical training to allow them to handle the new system. Additionally, more than 200 instrument flight procedures had to be redesigned and 30 new airways had to be incorporated. As well as handling planned traffic increases out to 2022, the new system is designed to provide a basis for future-proofing the UAEs airspace as far into the future as 2040. This will ensure that the expected traffic increases engendered by the expansion of Al Maktoum International and Abu Dhabi International Airport can be catered for. It will also help ensure that aviation will continue to play a major role in the growth of the UAEs economy for the foreseeable future. Etihad Aviation Training, part of Etihad Aviation Group, has relaunched its aviation training organisation. Based at two locations in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, Etihad Aviation Training, previously known as Etihad Flight College, is a commercially-focused business open to external customers, while retaining the operational and safety values that have underpinned Etihads training services to-date. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, said: Etihad Aviation Training is an ambitious enterprise, pursuing its mandate to provide outstanding training services to a global audience. The growth of the business will mirror the expansion of the global training market and we are excited about our expanding portfolio of programmes and products. These services are accessible to both Etihad Airways and now, for the first time, to external customers. Etihad Aviation Training offers a wide range of training products and services, including airline training, type rating, cabin crew safety training, instructor training and cadet programmes, and aircraft maintenance training, making it one of the largest training facilities in the Middle East. Ten full-flight simulators are currently in operation at with two additional devices arriving later this year, including the first Airbus A350-900 and a third Boeing 787-9. This will enable Etihad Aviation Training to take advantage of the increasing global training demand, particularly from within the GCC, Europe, Indian sub-continent, Africa and Southeast Asia. Captain Paolo La Cava, Director Etihad Aviation Training, said: We are always looking for ways to expand our operations and activities, and the relaunch of the center is the perfect platform for us to do this. By expanding and redeveloping our facilities within the UAE, we are able to offer a one-stop solution to our customers from individual pilots to global airlines, and Im confident that we will grow to become a globally recognised aviation training centre. Captain Paolo La Cava, Director Etihad Aviation Training (left) with Chris Youlten, Managing Director Etihad Airport Services (right) at Etihad Aviation Training in Abu Dhabi. PODCAST 38: How one African airline is preparing for return of tourism PODCAST 39: Optimism as Africa and Middle East sees positive growth for 2021 PODCAST 37: How Qatar rode the storm and Dassaults new Falcon PODCAST 35: Change abounds at IATA and new cargo boost while ATM has a new approach PODCAST 34 : Why India is vital to Middle East aviation recovery The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for January 2018 showing traffic (revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 4.6% compared to January 2017. This was the slowest year-over-year increase in nearly four years, but results were affected by temporary factors including the later timing of the Lunar New Year in 2018 as well as less favorable comparisons with the strong upward trend in traffic seen in late 2016-early 2017. IATA estimates the impact of the later Lunar New Year-related travel period holiday represented around two-fifths of the slowdown in year-over-year growth for the month. January capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) rose 5.3%, and load factor slipped half a percentage point to 79.6%. "Despite the slower start, economic momentum is supporting rising passenger demand in 2018. That said, concerns over a possible trade war involving the US could have a serious dampening effect on global market confidence, spilling over into demand for air travel," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO. Middle East carriers had the weakest growth, with demand up just 0.5% compared to January 2017, the slowest pace since September 2008. The market to/from North America has been especially hard hit owing to factors including the temporary ban on large portable electronic devices as well as the proposed travel bans to the US from some countries in the region. Capacity climbed 4.6% and load factor fell 3.1 percentage points to 76.8%. International Passenger Markets International passenger demand growth slowed to 4.4% in January, from 6.1% in December, with all regions recording growth, led by Latin America and Europe. Capacity rose 5.3% and load factor dipped 0.7 percentage point to 79.6%. Asia-Pacific carriers recorded a demand increase of 4.6% compared to January 2017, which was a 46-month low. This largely was owing to the impact of the later Lunar New Year, which fell in mid-February this year. Capacity rose 6.1%, and load factor dropped 1.2 percentage points to 80.4%. European carriers international traffic climbed 6.0% in January compared to the year-ago period, up from 5.8% growth in December 2017. The region was the only one to see an acceleration in traffic compared to the prior month. This is being supported by the buoyant economic conditions in the region. Capacity rose 5.0% and load factor was up 0.7 percentage point to 80.8%. North American airlines experienced a 3.5% rise in traffic over a year ago, but capacity rose 4.3% and load factor dipped 0.7 percentage point compared to a year ago to 79.6%. The relatively healthy economic backdrop in the region is helping support outbound demand but this is being partly offset by a negative impact on inbound traffic to the US. Latin American airlines traffic climbed 7.3% in January compared to January 2017, strongest among the regions. Capacity rose 8.2%, however, and load factor slipped 0.7 percentage point to 82.6%, which still was the highest among the regions. Stronger economic conditions in Europe are helping support rising demand on the market between Europe and South America in particular. African airlines saw January traffic rise 4.9% against a mixed backdrop for the regions largest economies. In Nigeria, business confidence has risen sharply while in South Africa, political uncertainly continues to inflict an economic toll. The regions capacity rose 4.2%, and load factor edged up 0.5 percentage point to 70.3%. To celebrate International Womens Day Netflights has highlighted the Top 10 Inspiring Women in Aviation of all time. Paul Hopkinson, marketing director from Netflights said: Womens achievements in the aviation industry, from well-known heroes such as Amelia Earhart to lesser-known legends who deserve more kudos, like Amy Johnson, the Brit who flew solo from the UK to Australia. Air travel has come a long way since the pioneering days of the Wright Brothers, and despite aviation being considered a male-dominated field, women have made significant contributions to that progress throughout the decades. The first woman to hold a pilot's licence was a Frenchwoman in 1910, and a dozen other countries followed the French lead by allowing women to fly by the end of the First World War. But in many places the role of women in aviation remained restricted for a long time, for a host of sexist reasons. And until the early 1970s women were often restricted to serving in support fields, such as flight simulation training, air traffic control and as flight attendants. The pioneers: Top 10 To celebrate the women who broke the mould and fought gender stereotypes, Netflights.com has collated the top 10 most inspiring women in aviation. 1. Raymonde de Laroche, 1910 In the early days of aviation, Raymonde de Laroche became the first woman in the world to receive a pilots licence in 1910, paving the way for other women to follow in her footsteps and take to the skies. Raymonde de Laroche 2. Lilian Bland, 1911 Energetic, unconventional and adventurous, Lilian Bland became the first woman in the world to design, build and pilot her own plane. She playfully named it Mayfly (it may fly, it may not fly). Lilian Bland 3. Hilda Beatrice Hewlett, 1911 Not only was Hilda Hewlett the first British woman to receive a pilots licence, she also established the first flying school in the UK and co-founded a successful aircraft manufacturing business that contributed significantly to the UK's effort in the First World War. Hilda Beatrice Hewlett 4. Harriet Quimby, 1911 The first woman to receive a pilots licence from the Aero Club of America, she also became the first woman to successfully fly across the English Channel in 1912. 5. Bessie Coleman, 1921 At a time of both gender and racial discrimination, Bessie Coleman was the first person (male or female) of African-American descent, and the first of Native American descent, to hold a pilots licence in the USA. 6. Amelia Earhart, 1928 Amelia Earhart was famously the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Other achievements include being the first woman to fly solo above 14,000 ft (1922); helping form The Ninety-Nines (1929) and becoming the first pilot to fly solo from Hawaii to California (1935). Amelia Earhart 7. Amy Johnson, 1930 Only one year after obtaining her pilots licence, Amy Johnson became the first female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia. Her longest solo flight before that had been from London to Hull, her hometown. Amy Johnson 8. Jacqueline Cochran, 1953 In 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman in the world to break the sound barrier in an F-86 Sabre. She also persuaded the US government to use women pilots in non-combat missions during the Second World War. 9. Emily Howell Warner, 1973 It was not until the early 1970s that the world would see the first woman pilot a commercial airline, when, in 1973, Emily Howell Warner was hired by Frontier Airlines. 10. Wang Zheng (Julie Wang), 2016: After spending most of her life pursuing a career in advertising, Wang Zheng, also known as Julie Wang, decided to take up flying. She obtained her private pilots certificate in 2011 and became the first Asian woman to circumnavigate the planet by aeroplane in 2016. Despite these amazing achievements, figures show that there is still a way to go for women in aviation. Today only 3% of pilots are women worldwide; in the UK the figure is 6%. Hopkinson said: Celebrating International Womens Day is essential not only to highlight womens achievements, but also to raise awareness. We want people to both be inspired and to remember that there's still work to be done when it comes to womens rights in the workplace around the world." Celebrating Women with Altitude is the perfect way to mark International Womens Day, as this highlights the amazing contributions women have made to what is considered a male-dominated field. For more information on these pioneering women please go to: http://www.netflightswomenwithaltitude.com/ A Royal Jordanian flight on the Amman-Aqaba route was operated by an all-female crew on the occasion of the International Womens Day today. The scheduled flight RJ300 was operated by Captain Hadeel Khamash and first officer Shireen Qatamin; the three flight attendants were Maysoon Jaara, Rinad Kawash and Walaa Issa. The passengers on board the A320 aircraft expressed admiration for this RJ gesture, and thanked the airline for its support for working women and for helping qualify Jordanian women to fill different positions and play different roles in the aviation industry, which for a long time used to be an exclusive domain for men. President/CEO Stefan Pichler offered his congratulations to all Jordanian women in a short video posted today on all RJs social media channels, and expressed pride in and appreciation for those who work for RJ for their input and help in attaining different achievements for the past 55 years since the company was established. Pichler said: RJ spared no efforts in offering all the support to these women who played a major part in the progress of the company, investing in their competencies and giving them the opportunity to be promoted. Women in RJ have played different roles efficiently; amongst RJs female cadre was the first female captain in the Arab world; today, there are three female captains and five first officers in the airline. Pichler added that women have occupied leading positions in RJ, including those of vice president, heads of department, directors, area managers, station managers, accounting managers and air hostesses, as well as other important positions in operations, engineering, and commercial and finance departments. A NATO commitment set the members national defense budget to 2% of each GDP in view of building a credible defense force. In this regard, Belgium is at last launching a major rearmament process. Its 2018 military budget includes 4.7 times more so-called engagement credits than the 2017 budget. This process means cash to be paid on delivery; therefore, it does not appear in normal operating budgets. Altogether, this involves spending 9.2 billion ($US 11.3 billion) on military equipment between 2020 and 2030. Multi-Role Armoured Vehicles VBMR "Griffon" In 2014, the NATO member states agreed on putting an end to cuts in defense budgets. This commitment was officially inscribed in the Belgian government coalition pact agreed that same year. In 2015, the Belgian parliament adopted a resolution calling for a balanced military force, at which point Defense Minister Steven Vandeput said that spending more will be inevitable. In 2017, the military planning law prepared a major increase in spending, and in December of the same year, Belgium and 25 other EU countries signed the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), a process that creates a path to the embryonic European army proposed by Berlin and Paris. Few people think a real European army could ever exist, though. On 22 June 2017, the Belgian Council of Ministers had already given its green light to a proposal from Defense Minister Steven Vandeput for launching the purchase of French-made armored vehicles: under a EUR 975 Mn (US$1.2bn) program, Belgium will purchase 60 Jaguar EBRC combat and reconnaissance vehicles and 417 Griffon VBMR multirole armored vehicles. These two vehicles are currently being developed under the French "Scorpion" program. They will replace the Belgian army's Piranha 3 6x6 and Dingo 2 4x4 armored vehicles currently in use with the Medium Brigade. The Jaguar/Griffon vehicles will be purchased along with communications systems and spare parts. Vehicles are expected to enter service between 2025 and 2030. According to a statement released on the Minister's website, the objective of this program, dubbed "CAMO", is to establish a partnership with Paris which will be based on identical combat vehicles. Under this partnership, Belgium and France will share common organization, training programs, and logistical support. A statement that doesnt seem to come true, according to a recent press conference given by CMI (Cockerill Mechanical Industries) on a very irate tone, the government also stated in 2017 that the Belgian companies CMI, Herstal, and Thales-Belgium could thus obtain contracts in exchange for Belgiums decision to join the program. Lets remind that France, on its side, is buying 1,668 Griffon and 248 Jaguar vehicles as part of this program. This is supposed to allow the forces of the two countries to coordinate even more closely on the battlefield. Officially, the aim of the rearmament process is to reestablish the Belgian armys credibility. In his New Year speech, Chief of Defense General Marc Compernol proposed to modernize and invest to ensure key missions but also to save our core business while taking into account of demographic changes. Other programs than the CAMO aim at improving special operations forces, as they are more and more deployed abroad. 200 transport vehicles for light troops will replace the home-modified Unimog 1300L trucks. In 2016, Belgium had already ordered 108 British-made Jankel Fox rapid-reaction vehicles. For the Air Component (air force), the Belgian government is currently in the evaluation of the best offers submitted by Lockheed Martin and the Eurofighter consortium for the replacement of 34 F-16s. The fate of the French proposal for the Rafale remains unknown to date, as it was submitted outside the official tender procedure. Beside the fighter/bomber aircraft for the Air Component, there is also a plan for a joint military satellite program with France. For decades, the cooperation with the Netherlands to develop frigates and warships, mines, drones and a complete redesign of computer systems for the intelligence services is in progress. In a larger perspective, the European Union is engaged in a massive rearmament program in anticipation of growing international conflicts as the world has not seen since World War II. This emerged notably in French President Emmanuel Macrons statement last year that we have entered into an era in international relations where war is again a possible horizon of politics. For instance, Sweden has re-introduced mandatory military service. In 2014, Berlin had already announced that it would re-militarize its foreign policy. The Egmont Institute, an official Belgian thinktank, published a recent report titled Belgian Defense in 2018: Regeneration Time? One can read in it: The present and future force structure is based on a logic of peacetime, whereas the possibility of major conflict on the European continent is perhaps still remote, but surely no longer inconceivable. The deepest challenge for Belgian defense planners relates to the question of how to respond to future contingencies that could be vastly more challenging in operational terms than the experience of recent decades. Bank has written a letter to banking sector regulator seeking its opinion on making provisions for fraud. Bank sought 100 per cent cash margins for issuing LoUs for raising buyers' credit, which was contested by the firms saying they had availed of the facility from as early as 2010. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Reserve Bank may provide four quarters to Punjab National Bank (PNB) for making provisions against the country's biggest ever banking fraud of Rs 12,646 crore allegedly masterminded by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi. The bank has written a letter to the banking sector regulator seeking its opinion on making provisions for the fraud, sources said. Although there is a direction of the RBI on provisioning to be made in case of loan fraud, the bank is taking pre-emptive action to deal with extraordinary situation created by unearthing of this mega fraud. There is no precedence of fraudulent Letter of Undertaking (LoUs) issued earlier, so the RBI is likely to allow PNB to make provision against the fraud not exceeding over four quarters. Last month, PNB had lodged an FIR with CBI stating that fraudulent LoUs worth Rs 280.7 crore were first issued on January 16 this year. At the time, PNB had said it was digging into records to examine the magnitude of the fraud. In the complaint, PNB had named three diamond firms -- Diamonds R Us, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds -- saying they had approached it on January 16 with a request for buyers' credit for making payment to overseas suppliers. The bank sought 100 per cent cash margins for issuing LoUs for raising buyers' credit, which was contested by the firms saying they had availed of the facility from as early as 2010. Nirav Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal and Mehul Choksi are partners in Diamonds R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds, which has shops in foreign locations such as Hong Kong, Dubai, and New York. Among those named is a deputy manager, Gokulnath Shetty, who was posted at PNB's foreign exchange department in Mumbai since March 31, 2010. He had allegedly along with another official Manoj Kharat fraudulently issued LoUs to these firms without following prescribed procedure or making entries in the banking system, avoiding detection of transactions. In 2015, Bank of Baroda -- another public sector bank -- had brought to light a scam in which two Delhi-based businessmen cheated it of Rs 6,000 crore (slightly less than USD 1 billion at that time). Investigations revealed major irregularities, as the forex transactions were done mainly via advance remittances for import, through newly-opened current accounts. Heavy cash transactions -- sometimes four or five times a day -- were also noticed. The Enforcement Directorate, under the revenue department of the finance ministry, had arrested the businessman duo under money laundering provisions. On Wednesday, the CBI has registered a fresh case against billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi in connection with the alleged fraud in credit facilities extended by Punjab National Bank, causing a loss of Rs 321 crore to it. The action has been taken on a complaint by the bank on March 4, they said. The CBI has named Modi, then president (finance) of his Firestar Diamonds International Limited Vipul Ambani, chief finance officer Ravi Gupta, other directors and officials of the company, and unidentified public servants of the bank, they said. This is the second CBI FIR in which Modi has been named. Auto driver, Shiv Shankar Mahato, 66, was thrown several metres in the air as a result of the collision and died on the spot. According to the police, the teenager jumped a traffic signal and rammed into the auto-rickshaw at a turn between KG Marg and Tolstoy Marg. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: An auto-rickshaw driver was killed after a car, driven by a minor, crashed into his three-wheeler on Kasturba Gandhi Marg in New Delhi early on Thursday, the police said. The car, a Maruti Ciaz, was being driven by a 17-year-old boy, who was accompanied by his friends, also minors. Police said the friends had come to Connaught Place for a drive. The car belonged to the teenager's uncle, who is also likely to be booked for giving his car keys to a minor. According to the police, the teenager jumped a traffic signal and rammed into the auto-rickshaw at a turn between KG Marg and Tolstoy Marg. The driver, Shiv Shankar Mahato, 66, a resident of Mata Sundri Road, was thrown several metres in the air as a result of the collision and died on the spot. A passerby informed the police about the accident around 6 am. The teenagers were also injured. The minor driver sustained head injuries and was taken to a hospital. Further investigations are underway. Sikh separatist Atwal said he had visited India numerous times including 3 visits over the past year. Jaspal Atwal said, 'I do not advocate for an independent Sikh nation. I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India.' (Photo: File/ANI) Ottawa/New Delhi: A former Sikh militant apologised on Thursday for causing embarrassment to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his trip to India. Jaspal Atwal, who was part of a movement that supported an independent Sikh nation in the 1980s and went to prison for the attempted murder of a visiting Indian minister in 1986, was invited to a dinner with Trudeau in New Delhi causing consternation among his hosts. Trudeau's visit to India had already been dogged by suspicions that Canada was soft on Sikh separatists. "I am sorry for any embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and my family," the 62-year-old told a news conference. "I renounce any form of terrorism," he said. "I do not advocate for an independent Sikh nation. I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India." Since his parole, Atwal said he has engaged broadly in politics on behalf of the Indo-Canadian community, and visited India numerous times including three visits over the past year, each time "with the full permission of the Indian government." "There were also no restrictions placed on me by Canada so that I could not travel," he added. Before his latest trip, Atwal said he reached out to his local member of Parliament, Randeep Sarai, to ask if he could attend a reception with Trudeau in India. "I had assumed there would be no problems. No one had at any point indicated there would be any issues," he said. The controversy has continued to hound Trudeau since his return to Canada, with opposition parties and editorialists heaping scorn on the prime minister over the misstep. Sarai, meanwhile, has been stripped of his responsibilities within the Liberal caucus. Former CBI chief AP Singh said the court will only see evidence available in the past and no fresh evidence will presented. Nupur and Rajesh Talwar were released from jail in October 2017 after the Allahabad High Court acquitted them of charges of their daughter's murder due to lack of evidence. (Photo: File/ANI) New Delhi: Former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief AP Singh on Friday welcomed the decision of the probe agency to challenge Rajesh and Nupur Talwar's acquittal in their daughter Aarushi murder case. Singh's statement comes a day after the CBI moved to apex court challenging the Talwar's acquittal in their daughter murder case. Also read: CBI moves SC challenging clean chit to Aarushi Talwar's parents Singh said that the court will only see evidence available in the past and no fresh evidence will presented. "When lower court has convicted and High Court has acquitted, there is obviously some doubt in the result of investigation. Good that case is being referred to Supreme Court," Singh told news agency ANI. Nupur and Rajesh Talwar, the parents of Aarushi, were released from jail in October 2017 after the Allahabad High Court acquitted them of charges of their daughter's murder due to lack of evidence. Also read: Aarushi murder case: After 4 years, Talwars walk free A special CBI judge, S Lal, had earlier held Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty of conspiracy and murder of Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. On May 16, 2008, Aarushi was found murdered at her residence in Noida - with her throat slit. It was initially suspected that house help Hemraj had killed Aarushi. However, the case took a shocking turn when Hemraj's body was recovered two days later from the terrace of the same flat. The police then began to suspect the Talwars and said Rajesh had murdered the two after finding them in an "objectionable" position. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that this was not Atwal's first visit to India, he has visited the country since January 2017. 'There are well established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travellers which have been followed in this case as well,' Raveesh Kumar added. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) New Delhi: Convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal had travelled to India on a valid visa, the external affairs ministry said on Friday. Though Atwal's presence at an event for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his India visit created a furore, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the government has a conscious policy of reaching out to the Indian Diaspora, including misguided elements, who in the past may have harboured anti-India sentiments which they have since renounced. "Jaspal Atwal has travelled to India on a valid visa. This was not his first visit to India. He has visited the country on earlier occasions since January 2017," Kumar said. There are well established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travellers which have been followed in this case as well, he added. While Atwal attended an event in Mubai where Trudeau and his wife were also present, invitation to him for a dinner at the Canadian High Commission here was withdrawn after strong reactions in New Delhi. Atwal, who was part of the Khalistan movement, was convicted for the attempted murder of Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986 in Canada. Atwal, meanwhile, has apologised for the "embarrassment" he caused to Trudeau and India by attending the event during in Mumbai and asserted that he no longer supported the Sikh independence movement. BJP leader Y. Patton, who is elected as the leader of BJP Legislature Party, was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Neiphiu Rio and his 11 Council of Ministers. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Guwahati: After an exile of nearly four years from state politics, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party leader Neiphiu Rio made a strong comeback on Thursday when he was sworn in as the chief minister of Nagaland for the fourth time on Thursday. Nagaland governor P.B. Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Rio, who is heading the NDPP-BJP led Peoples Democratic Alliance government in the state. BJP leader Y. Patton, who is elected as the leader of BJP Legislature Party, was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. Though the BJP has been the part of Nagaland government since 2003 when it won seven seats and joined the government as part of Naga Peoples Front-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, this was for the first time that the saffron party has got the lions share in the government by grabbing six cabinet berths out of 12. Despite being in the drivers seat the NDPP, have three Cabinet ministers and the post of chief minister. One JD-U and one Independent MLA occupied the other two berths. In 2013 elections, the BJP had got just one seat. The outgoing Cabinet though had two BJP ministers, including a NCP MLA who joined the BJP after Lok Sabha elections in 2014. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by a galaxy of BJP leaders Union minister of defence Nirmala Sitaraman, Union minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju, BJP president Amit Shah and BJP chief ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and newly sworn-in chief minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma. Former chief minister T.R. Zeliang and his cabinet colleagues were also present. It is significant that Mr Rio, who is also the MP, was elected unopposed on an NDPP ticket from 11th Northern Angami-II Assembly constituency. 67-year-old Mr Rio was educated at Baptist English School, Kohima and Sainik School in Purulia, West Bengal. He did his higher education from St Joseph College, Darjeeling and graduated from Kohima Arts College. Mr Rio, who led Nagaland for 11 years, began his tryst with politics when he was elected president of Kohima district youth wing in 1974. The CBI had arrested him in the INX Media case and he is now in police custody till Friday. Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P. Chidambaram, leaves Byculla Jail after meeting former INX Media directors Indrani and Peter Mukerjea in Mumbai. (Photo: Debasish Dey/File) New Delhi: With the Enforcement Directorate strongly opposing grant of anticipatory bail in the guise of protection from arrest, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked Karti Chidambaram to approach the Delhi high court for interim relief, either stay of arrest or bail. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi informed a three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud that they apprehended that their client Karti would be arrested on Friday soon after the CBI releases him from custody and that he should be protected from arrest by the ED. Mr Sibal strenuously argued that in the absence of registration of an FIR by the Enforcement Directorate or receipt of a complaint, no arrest could be made. The CBI had arrested him in the INX Media case and he is now in police custody till Friday. Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta for the ED cautioned the apex court from showing indulgence or granting privilege of anticipatory bail or protection from arrest. He said it would send a wrong precedent if the apex court grants anticipatory bail in a petition challenging summons as the high court was the right forum to seek such a relief. He said the registration of ECIR (Economic Case Information Report) is itself based on a cognisable offence and the ED has the power to arrest, search, seize and attachment of properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Indias response came after Pakistan raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian representative Mini Devi Kumam told the UNHRC that Pakistan was committing grossest violation of human rights by exporting terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: ANI) Geneva/New Delhi: After terming Pakistan as "terroristan" and "Ivy league of terrorism", India on Thursday coined a new phrase to denote Pakistan - "special terrorist zone." The term coined by India on Thursday is used to describe Pakistan's continuing support for terror and its provision of safe havens for terrorists. Also read: India blasts Terroristan at UN as Pakistan raises J&K "We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to end cross border infiltration; to dismantle special terrorist zones, safe havens and sanctuaries, to take verifiable actions, including on terror financing...", said Mini Devi Kumam, second secretary, India's Permanent Mission at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. India's response came after Pakistan raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Also read: India tears into terror state Pakistan "The real problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control," said Kumam at the 37th Session of UNHRC. In September 2017, at the UN General Assembly in New York, India said "Pakistan is now 'Terroristan', with a flourishing industry producing and exporting global terrorism." Almost exactly a year before the "Terroristan" comment, India described Pakistan as "the Ivy League of terrorism", castigating it for financing and supporting terrorist groups it uses as proxies against India. On Thursday, Mini Devi Kumam also said it had become a habit of Pakistan to misuse the UNHRC platform to make misleading references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. "This Council should be mindful that the dubious concern for human rights is coming from a country, which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of the people in Baluchistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir," said Kumam. She added, "Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights." The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan was committing grossest violation of human rights by exporting terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir. "Terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights. The real problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control," Kumam asserted. Right of Reply by India. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan should provide freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) by ending its illegal and forcible occupation. While highlighting the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, India said Islamabad should end harassment of minorities; place procedural and institutional safeguards to prevent its misuse. Kumam also demanded that Pakistan should end forced conversions and marriages of minorities; including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all such cases. India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by the Pakistani security forces. "We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists by its security agencies. Pakistan should also prosecute all perpetrators of such crimes," Kumam said. India also demanded end of sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shia, Ahmadiyas , Ismailia and Hazaras in Pakistan. A response on similar lines was received from Nirav Modi citing that he could not travel to India to join the probe. New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday sent fresh summons to billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to join investigations at the earliest. Gitanjali Gems promoter Choksi, in his seven page letter which was released by his lawyer, has said it was impossible for him to return to India and join the investigation due to the suspension of his passport and ill-health. The agency had sent three summonses on February 19, 23 and 28 asking them to join the probe. They were asked to appear on March 7. In a detailed email reply to the CBIs notice, Choksi said his passport has been suspended by the authorities and he was undergoing medical treatment, sources said. Choksi said that on February 16, he received an email from the passport office which stated that his travel document has been suspended due to security threat to India. However, the regional passport office, Mumbai, did not give him any explanation for suspension of his passport or as to how he was a security threat. I am also not in a position to travel due to my persisting health problem. I had a cardiac procedure... The entire procedure could not be completed on all veins due to danger to kidney and therefore I am not allowed to travel for at least a period of four to six months, Choksi said. A response on similar lines was received from Nirav Modi citing that he could not travel to India to join the probe. In a terse reply, the CBI directed him to approach the Indian mission in the country where they were residing so that immediate arrangement can be made for their travel to India, officials said. The agency has told him that they were obliged to join the investigations, they said. The CBI had earlier asked them to join the investigation related to the $2 billion scam pertaining to fraudulent issuance of the LoUs and Letters of Credit (LCs) from Brady House branch of PNB in Mumbai in their favour, they said. President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignations of Union Ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take over the portfolio of Civil Aviation from Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju following his resignation on Thursday evening. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take over the portfolio of Civil Aviation from Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju following his resignation on Thursday evening. "As advised by the Prime Minister, the President has directed that the work of the Ministry of Civil Aviation will be looked after by the Prime Minister," news agency ANI quoted Rashtrapati Bhawan as saying. Two Union Ministers, Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary, have submitted their resignations to the Prime Minister on Thursday evening following the TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's announcement. Also read: AP special status: 2 ministers quit cabinet, TDP to stay with NDA Naidu on Wednesday said that two of his lawmakers will resign from their ministerial posts as the Centre has not considered their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh. The resignations of Raju and Chowdary were accepted by President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday, as advised by the Prime Minister. On the situation in Doklam in Bhutanese territory, where India and China had a military face-off last year. New Delhi: China is developing support bases, ports and other infrastructure facilities in the littoral countries in the Indian Ocean region, including in the vicinity of Indias maritime boundary as part of the Chinese stated objective and strategy of becoming a maritime power, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. The government said both countries have already reiterated that the relationships pursued by India and China with other countries must not become a source of concern for each other. On the situation in Doklam in Bhutanese territory, where India and China had a military face-off last year, he stated, Since the disengagement of Indian and Chinese border personnel in the Doklam area on 28 August 2017, there have been no new developments at the face-off site and its vicinity. The status quo prevails in this area. The girls were identified as Sravani Kale and Bhargavi Patel, both aged 15 years. Police has registered a case under 174 CrPC (suspicious death) and is investigating the matter. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Two teenage girls, appearing for Class X board examination, committed suicide by jumping off the eighth floor of a high-rise residential tower in Hyderabads Saroornagar on Thursday night, police said. The girls were identified as Sravani Kale and Bhargavi Patel, both aged 15 years. The girls were students of Akshara International School, Byramalguda, and were writing their Class 10 CBSE examinations. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the reasons for the suicides are not known. However, the police suspect the reason to be pressure of performing well in the examination. The police said, May be they were under pressure to perform better in the examinations, adding that the bodies were shifted to Osmania General Hospital for post-mortem. According to the LB Nagar police, Sravani, whose father Nagendra Kale is a scientist with Research Centre Imarat (RCI) visited the residence of Bhargavi, daughter of Santhi Kumar Patel who is into construction business, in the evening for combined studies. It is not known what exactly had happened, as there was nobody in the flat when they were studying. At around 6.30 pm, both the girls suddenly jumped off from the balcony of the flat one after the other and died on the spot, LB Nagar sub-inspector Vemulakonda Madhu said. Police recovered a suicide note from the room, in which Sravani had written a few words saying: Dear Ma, Paa.. Sorry, and I miss you Teju.. (her elder brother Teja). However, police did not found a suicide note from Bhargavi. Preliminary inquiries revealed that both the girls were brilliant in their studies. Police has registered a case under 174 CrPC (suspicious death) and is investigating the matter. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said in India, there is a general atmosphere of 'intimidation'. Speaking at a panel discussion at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Rahul Gandhi also said that there is a challenge to the institutional structure of India. (Photo: Twitter | @OfficeOfRG) Singapore/New Delhi: Launching an attack on the BJP, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said there is a general atmosphere of "intimidation" in India where "nasty form of politics" of dividing people is being played to win elections. Speaking at a panel discussion at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Rahul Gandhi also said that there is a challenge to the institutional structure of India. "If you ask me what am I proud about my country...it is the idea of plurality. It's the idea that people in India can say anything they want, do anything they want and they won't face any problem and that is being challenged...," he said. "There is a particular type of politics that's not only happening in India but in a number of places - of dividing people, of using (their) anger to win elections and that's what is happening in India," he told the audience at the school, which is part of the National University of Singapore. Commenting on the recent controversy of four senior Supreme Court judges holding an unprecedented press conference, Rahul Gandhi said, "Normally in India, the people go to the judges for justice. For the first time in my life, I saw four Supreme Court judges actually go to the people for justice. They went to the press and said that they need the people to hear their voice as there is something that is fundamentally wrong. I don't know if you know the details about the comments they (judges) were making but the centre of the issue is the case of (BJP president) Amit Shah. So, there is a challenge to the institutional structure of our country," he said, apparently referring to the issue of alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge BH Loya, who was hearing the sensitive Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Amit Shah was discharged as an accused in the case. Rahul Gandhi alleged that there is a "very very aggressive and organised attack on the system and on the judiciary. If you speak to the press, if you talk to business people, they will also tell you that we feel intimidated. so there is a general atmosphere of intimidation." The Congress president said that the idea of India that Mahatma Gandhi envisioned was that an India where everybody is comfortable regardless of religion, community, regardless of state. "The idea that anybody coming to India, even the foreigner coming to India, feel comfortable in the country...that idea is being challenged now," he asserted. "Where we are running into trouble now is the levels of violence and anger that you are seeing in India and this to me is a syndrome," he said, adding that "I'm proud to say that our vision is bringing people together." Responding to a question, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and the RSS of indulging in anti-minorities politics. "Mahatma Gandhi died protecting minorities. We, the Congress party, have been protecting minority people for the last 70 years. We don't like an India where people are persecuted, where people are being beaten up for what they eat, what they say and what they wear," he said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi controls the law making, he controls the UP police, he controls the Haryana police, he controls these things. An extremely nasty form of politics is playing out in India," Rahul Gandhi said, without elaborating. "We will fight this nasty form of politics and we will defeat the BJP in the next election...Very soon you will see an India where everybody is loved, respected and taken along," he asserted. He also criticised BJP's Kashmir policy, saying the UPA government had curbed terrorism by 2012 but it resurfaced after the BJP came to power in 2014. "One complaint I have against the BJP's policy is that it is episodic rather than strategic," he said. "In 2014, when I went to Jammu and Kashmir, I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can do to years and years of work," he said. The BJP has lost the touch with the people and created a strategic problem in Jammu and Kashmir, he said and underlined the need to engage people and win their trust. "It is very easy to pretend that you will have simple solutions. There are no simple solutions. You can divide people and play politics, but how is dividing communities going to give them jobs?" he asked. He also slammed the BJP government over its "bad record" of creating jobs, saying "our record is better". Responding to a question on International Women's Day on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress party had sought to pass the Women's Reservation Bill but it was opposed by other parties. On India's foreign policy, he said India has to have peaceful relations with China, the US, Europe, Asean and others. He said India and China should have a peaceful and co-operative relationship. Answering a wide range of questions from the panel and audience, Rahul Gandhi spoke of India's advantage in connecting its skilled people through IT and manufacturing sector. He noted Chinese manufacturing capabilities of having factory operation based on large workforce, some running into 50,000 to 100,000 which, however, was not applicable to India due to different culture of working. He also spoke of India's potential of developing a health care for the global markets. Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Singapore and will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday. He will then travel to Malaysia where he will meet Prime Minister Najib Razak and members of the Indian community. The visit to India by Atwal last month was his third in the recent past, the first being in January 2017. New Delhi: India on Friday admitted that Jaspal Atwal, a Canadian national convicted earlier in Canada for an act of terrorism and whose presence at a function last month in Mumbai attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had caused a furore, had visited India on a valid visa, adding that this was part of a conscious policy of outreach to misguided elements who had given up their anti-India sentiments. The visit to India by Atwal last month was his third in the recent past, the first being in January 2017. Controversy had hit Mr Trudeaus India visit last month when it turned out that Atwal, convicted of shooting at a Punjab minister way back in 1986 in Canada, had also been invited to attend a dinner reception in New Delhi to be attended by Mr Trudeau. The Canadian high commission had then swiftly withdrawn the invitation extended to Atwal. Jaspal Atwal was reportedly convicted in Canada for shooting at the then Punjab minister Malkiat Singh way back in 1986 Atwal was then apparently part of a banned radical Sikh militant group. The Canadia-ns had, however, then made it clear that Atwal was not part of Mr Trud-eaus delegation to India. . Sources had told this newspaper earlier that the name of Atwal was apparently removed from a blacklist earlier by the MHA as part of the outreach policy to now-moderate elements which resulted in Atwal being able to get an Indian visa. On Friday, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, Jaspal Atwal has travelled to India on a valid visa... He has visited India on earlier occasions since January 2014... The Government of India has a conscious policy of outreach to the Indian diaspora, including misguided elements who in the past may have harboured anti-India sentiments which they have since denounced... There are well-established procedures to grant a visa to foreign travellers which has been followed in this case as well. India had recently clarified, however, that Atwal was not invited at its behest to the functions of the Canadian high commission in New Delhi or Mumbai. The MEA had recently said, We have seen the recent exchange in Parliament of Canada regarding two invitations issued to Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian high commissioner, for functions hosted in honour of the Canadian Prime Minister in India. Let me categorically state that the Government of India, including the security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by the Canadian high commissioner in Mumbai or the invitation issued to him for the Canadian high commissioners reception in New Delhi. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and unacceptable. BJP president Amit Shah said that that the partys government will ensure Tripura develops as a model state. BJP president Amit Shah greets Biplab Kumar Deb after he was sworn in as the 10th chief minister of Tripura in Agartala on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also seen. (Photo: PTI) Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stressed the need for encouraging cooperative federalism to serve people in states as Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister of Tripura at a grand ceremony attended by BJP national president Amit Shah and party leaders. Addressing a public meeting after the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Tripura, Mr Modi said that people of a state do not belong to any political party, they are the citizen of India and his government is committed to work for their welfare without making any distinction. Referring to the new Biplab Kumar Deb government, the Prime Minister said, This government is for all whether they voted for us or not. The Prime Minister also reiterated that the BJPs victory in the frontier state can be attributed to the partys commitment to the idea of cooperative federalism. Mr Biplab Kumar Debs taking over as chief minister brought an end to the 25-year rule of the Left Front. Apart from the chief minister, Jishnu Deb Burman was administered the oath of office as deputy chief minister along with seven ministers, including BJP-ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripuras (IPFT) chief N.C. Debbarma. A 100-ft-long stage was erected for the swearing in ceremony. Mr Modi, while addressing people who came to witness the swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government, said that Tripuras election results ares a verdict that will stand out and will be talked about for a long time. Tripura election is one such election where new analysis will keep on emerging. This is another facet of Indian democracy. People here have scripted history, he said. Stressing the need of accelerating the pace of development in the Northeast, Mr Modi said, I have visited the Northeast over 25 times in the last four years, which is more than all Prime Ministers put together in the last 70 years. I am happy that the efforts made in last four years have started bearing results. Asking elected representatives from both the ruling party and the Opposition to work together for the states development , Mr Modi said, Those in the Opposition in Tripura today have been in power for long. They surely have a lot of experience. Ours is a new and fresh team. In age, too, our team is younger. They have anubhav (experience), we have umang (joy) and utsah (enthusiasm). We have to work together for the progress of Tripura. In the history of India, there are some elections that will always be discussed. The 2018 Tripura elections will be one such example. People will continue to discuss these polls, said Mr Modi who in a rare gesture went to see off and welcome the former chief minister Manik Sarkar. BJP president Amit Shah said that that the partys government will ensure Tripura develops as a model state. Earlier budget allocations was done but it never used to get converted into development, he said. Lalu Yadav asked Nitish Kumar why he didn't put enough pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer special status to Bihar. RJD supremo and former CM of Bihar Lalu Prasad's comments came in the backdrop of TDP ministers resigning from the Union council of ministers over the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh. (Photo: File) Patna: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Thursday attacked Nitish Kumar for not being able to secure the special category status for Bihar, accusing the chief minister of surrendering the interest of the state for personal gains. The RJD supremo, who has been in jail for more than two months following his conviction in fodder scam cases, made the attack on Twitter, which is managed by people close to Lalu Prasad. He asked Nitish Kumar why he did not put enough pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer special status to Bihar. Lalu Prasad's comments came in the backdrop of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ministers resigning from the Union council of ministers over the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh. "Why is Nitish not asking his boss to accord special status to Bihar. PM Modi had promised special status to Bihar in March, 2014 at a rally in Muzaffarpur during Lok Sabha elections. Nitish must play that speech recording in front of the PM," a tweet on Lalu Prasad's official Twitter handle said. He accused Nitish Kumar of having surrendered Bihar's interest for personal gains - an oblique reference to the chief minister's exit from the Grand Alliance and forming a new government in the state with the BJP. In another tweet, the former Bihar chief minister asked, "Why is Bihar not getting special status despite the NDA being in power both at the Centre and in the state? Does Nitish not want special status or is the BJP opposed to it?" He also asked Nitish Kumar to disclose why and because of whom Bihar is not getting its due. "Nitish ought to keep his spine straight and let go of his fear and his self-interest." The RJD chief also sought to know how much of the Rs 1.65 lakh crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as special package has been given to the state. "Actually, the state has not got even a penny. Admit it, if you have the guts. How long will you keep hoodwinking the people," the RJD supremo added. A five-judge Constitution bench of Supreme Court passed the order allowing passive euthanasia with guidelines. thanasia gives enough time to people to prepare for the death, of ones own or that of a near one. (Photo: Pixabay) The Supreme Court on Thursday said passive euthanasia is permissible with guidelines. "Human beings have the right to die with dignity," said the apex court after allowing passive euthanasia. SC said that "living will" be permitted but with the permission from family members of the person who sought passive euthanasia and also a team of expert doctors who say that the person's revival is practically impossible. A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra passed the order allowing passive euthanasia with guidelines. Euthanasia definition: It is the termination of someones life, when living becomes physically unbearable for someone. Euthanasia is mostly carried out because the person who dies asks for it, but there are cases of euthanasia where a person is not even in a state to make such a request. While it is called assisted suicide, euthanasia is different. Euthanasia gives enough time to people to prepare for the death, of ones own or that of a near one. Here are some things about euthanasia that you should know. The e-cars are similar to a Sedan automatic type, fully air-conditioned with zero tail pipe emission. Union minister R.K. Singh hands over the keys of the e-vehicle to SDMC commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel. New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will become the first civic body in the country to replace ICE vehicles by e- vehicles to make Delhi clean by putting a break in the citys pollution levels. Union minister of power, new and renewable energy R.K. Singh during the lau-nch of the national emobility programme handed over the keys of the first E-vehicle to SDMC commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel. After the launch of the e-mobility programme, the SDMC has received its first fleet of 32 e-vehicles and the remaining 43 will be delivered soon by the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) Dr Goel described the SDMCs step as driving into the future in the direction of developing a Clean Delhi and contributing to sustainable environment. We have started the process of allotting these vehicles to the concerned officer. We are ushering in an era of clean, green and future oriented technologies in Delhi. The e-cars are similar to a Sedan automatic type, fully air-conditioned with zero tail pipe emission. The new vehices will result in huge savings in fuel consumption, maintenance and operating costs of the vehicle and drasticallty reduce CO2 emission, he added. The advantage that electric cars have over conventional fuel-powered cars is the low running cost. There is a considerable difference in the cost of the input power or fuel required to run an electric vehicle and a conventional fuel-powered vehicle. Assuming that a vehicles runs for 1,600 km per month, an electric vehicle saves approximately `64,000 per year. As far as savings in the fuel consumption and other costs, including operating and maintenance cost, the corporation is likely to register a reduction of more than 2,100 tonnes of CO2 annually and save more than 1.65 lakh litres of fuel every year However, Mr Mungantiwar said that the state government is trying to raise its revenue sources to meet the needs. Mumbai: In its bid to achieve a trillion dollar economy in 2025, the states debt stock has risen to a worrisome Rs 4.12 lakh crore as per the economic survey of Maharashtra 2017-18. Even the states interest payment has gone to Rs 31,027 crore for this year. Of the debt stock, the internal debt has reached Rs 3,31,435 crore, which is 80 per cent of the debt stock. Opposition members have suspected that the debt stock may turn out to be more in the budget to be declared on March 9. According to the survey, The rise in debt stock continues to be a matter of concern as it is estimated to be Rs 4.12 lakh crore in 2017-18 as compared to Rs 3.56 lakh crore in 2016-17. The expected debt stock is 16.6 per cent of GSDP, well within the limit of 22.2 per cent laid down by the 14th Finance Commission. The average cost of borrowing is expected to be 8.4 per cent during 2017-18. The survey further said, The internal debt of the state has reached Rs 3,31,435 crore which is 80.2 per cent of the debt stock. Of which the open market borrowings are expected to be Rs 2,54,366 crore. So out of the internal debt, 31 per cent will be used for repayment of loans. State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that there is no need to worry as the borrowing is in the limit prescribed by the finance commission. However, he also agreed that the state has requested the Centre to increase the borrowing limit by Rs 20,000 crore. Though interest payments are increasing, their percentage to revenue receipts is decreasing and is expected to be 12.7 per cent during 2017-18. The government is spending about 46 per cent of the income on salary and pension while 12.5 per cent on the interest on borrowings. However, Mr Mungantiwar said that the state government is trying to raise its revenue sources to meet the needs. Our interest on borrowings are 12.5 per cent which is much better than other states. In Gujarat it is 16.83 per cent and in Karnataka it is 17.9 per cent. The fiscal deficit to GSDP is 1.6 per cent. But in Gujarat it is 1.82 per cent, in Tamil Nadu 2.8 per cent, Karnataka 2.61 per cent. It is true that our revenue expenditure is more than other states. But we are trying to reduce it by adopting various measures, he said. He alleged that Mr Fadnavis has always been providing false figures, but the economic survey has proven that he was making false statements. Mumbai: The Opposition has slammed the government over the decrease the overall and agricultural growth rate, with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde asking how Mr Fadnavis would achieve the one trillion economy target by 2025 after such a poor performance. Mr Munde asked, The Fadnavis-led government has spent more than 1.25 lakh crore in the agricultural sector including the Jalyukt Shivar. Where has this money gone? Why has food grain and other crop production decreased in spite of good rainfall this year. He alleged that Mr Fadnavis has always been providing false figures, but the economic survey has proven that he was making false statements. Decrease in the food grains production by 22.9 per cent will create problems, including the price rise of agricultural products, said senior officials. CM had declared in the Magnetic Maharashtra business summit, We will progress with the 15 per cent growth rate and achieve the target of one trillion economy by 2025. But there is no mention about this in the survey and with such poor growth rate, it is not possible to achieve the target, said Mr Munde and Mr Chavan. Mr Fadnavis has claimed many times that the government has spent more than 1.25 lakh crore in the last two to three years, including his flagship programme of Jalyukt Shivar. But as per the economic survey report, Rabi crop area decreased sharply by 31 per cent from 68.29 lakh hectares in 2016-17 to 46.88 lakh hectares. Due to this, food grain production will decrease sharply by 22.9 per cent from 172.30 lakh metric tonnes to 132.83 lakh metric tonnes this year. Maersk Honam caught fire on Wednesday around 390 nautical miles from Indias Agatti Islands at Lakshadweep. Mumbai: A day after a 330-metre-long Singaporean ship carrying chemical containers burst into flames following an explosion, the fire continued to rage on Thursday, melting the containers on it. One of the survivors succumbed to his injuries while three others are critical, said Coast Guard officials. Apart from the fire, poisonous gases were released on the ill-fated Maersk Honam. Three of the crew of a merchant vessel that was assisting in salvage had to be put on interceptor boat to Trivandrum after they inhaled the poisonous gas emanating from Maersk Honam. The Coast Guards high-speed interceptor from container ship Ceres is 20 nautical miles from Trivandrum. MV Ceres is on the way to Cochin with 19 other survivors, as it is suspected that toxic fume poisoning has affected the entire crew of Maersk Honam. The three critical survivors from MV Ceres are Deepu Jayan, an Indian; Sukun Suwannapeng, a Thailand national; and Alan Rey Palca Gabunilas, a Filipino. Reports suggest that the ship was carrying a cargo of class of dangerous goods. The thick plume of smoke is toxic and the crew has been taken ill because of toxic gas inhalation. The Indian Coast Guard ship with doctors evacuated these patients as they were in need of immediate medical help, said Avinandan Mitra, PRO Indian Coast Guard. Maersk Honam caught fire on Wednesday around 390 nautical miles from Indias Agatti Islands at Lakshadweep. ICGS Shoor, which is at the site of the incident, is fighting the fire presently. A preliminary probe into the incident revealed that the fire started on one of the decks of the ship carrying the chemicals. Four crewmembers, including an Indian, are missing. Aurangzeb was one of 14 children Shah Jahan sired from his beloved Mumtaz Mahal. The latest installation in the dark pantheon of Hindutvas anti-heroes is the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Had he lived, he would have been exactly 400 years old this year. Dead, he has become the target of barbs poisoned with prejudice. Generations since Aurangzebs death in 1707 have been force-fed the stale gruel that Aurangzeb, the monarch was a narrow-minded, Hindu-hating bigot who wasted his Mughal inheritance in a foolhardy obsession with conquering the Deccan. Some go so far as to assert that he single-handedly rang the death knell of the Mughal Empire. A few even argue that had Dara Shukoh (Aurangzebs eldest brother and rival) not lost the battle for their fathers throne, a post-1947 India would have been one contiguous, homogenous political realm, in which Muslim rulers and their multi-religious subjects would have lived in communal harmony. Four hundred years is too long a time to sustain such wisps of conjecture. The fact is that Dara Shukoh lost and Aurangzeb won. History can be an impatient judge, often passing a hasty verdict disproportionate to the crime. That is why any biography of Aurangzeb, especially one as unbiased as Audrey Truschkes Aurangzeb: the Man and The Myth (2017) is a necessary, albeit overdue, corrective. Aurangzeb was one of 14 children Shah Jahan sired from his beloved Mumtaz Mahal. He and his eldest brother Dara Shukoh could not have been more dissimilar. Dara inherited the aesthetic sense of his forebears, Aurangzeb their martial prowess. Dara Shukoh was a man of letters, a Sufi, an ornamented prince with dreams; Aurangzeb a man of action, a soldier, a ruthless tactician. Had Aurangzeb possessed the literary flair of his ancestors, he might have left a fuller chronicle of his own reign, as detailed as the Baburnama, the Humayun-nama, the Akbarnama, the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, or the equivalent of Shah Jahans Padshahnama. Instead, Aurangzebs personal reticence, like Cordelias, proved to be his undoing. The perfunctory Maasir-i-Alamgiri has been overtaken by less kindly legends. Aurangzebs 88-year-long life falls into four parts. Up to the age of 17, he was brought up in his fathers court and groomed in all the skills Mughal princes needed to govern. The second phase from 1635 to 1657 saw him exercise those skills in the provinces of Balkh, Gujarat and the Deccan. While still in his teens, he fell in love with a Hindu courtesan Hirabhai Zainabadi (he spied her plucking a mango in an orchard). Later he married a Muslim Dilras Begum. The third phase 1657 to 1681 began with the fratricidal war between the sons of Shah Jahan who could not wait for their ailing father to die. A contemporary described Aurangzeb as a wolf thirsting for the blood of his brothers. A fair description, had he been the only wolf in a pack of equally ferocious brothers and sisters. Once emperor, Aurangzeb ruled from Delhi for 24 years and then moved to the Deccan where he spent the last 26 years of his life, skirmishing with rajas and besieging their forts. It was as unproductive an enterprise as King George Vs obsession with postage stamps, which, according to his biographer Harold Nicolson, he spent 17 years pasting into albums when he was not shooting animals. Did Aurangzeb spend his last 50 years, as his detractors maintain, destroying Hindu temples and imposing the jizya tax on non-Muslims? Truschke relies upon the study by a fellow-historian Richard Eaton who puts the number of confirmed temple destructions during Aurangzebs rule as just over a dozen, with fewer tied to the emperors direct command. More revealing is the edict issued by Aurangzeb (still a prince) to the Hindu Rana Raj Singh of Mewar in 1654: Because the persons of great kings are shadows of god that men of various dispositions and different religion should live in the vale of peace and pass their days in prosperity, and no one should meddle in the affairs of another. Modernists will recognise a similarity between this benevolent injunction and a speech made on August 11, 1947, by another much-maligned Muslim leader: You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship... In his final years, Aurangzeb (the last of the great Mughals) died hankering after a ripe mango from the plains, just as his ancestor Babur (the first great Mughal) once pined for Kabuls musk melons. Bigots are usually made of sterner stuff. Historians writing of our age will compare the sanguinary Mughal wars of succession with the finesse with which our contemporary leaders wage their sibling rivalries. One Sharif refuses to dethrone his elder brother, preferring politely to wait until the throne falls vacant. Such exquisite discretion comes from historys hard lesson that sitting on a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. By arrangement with Dawn The TDPs pullout from the Union government has the possibility of reworking the equation prior to 2019. Hurt Telugu pride was at the root of N.T. Rama Raos rise in the early 1980s. This changed the topography of Indian politics inexorably for years. NTR became pivot of the non-Congress or anti-Centre parties in the 1980s. With his charismatic presence and ability to keep several arch-rivals united in pursuit of the aim to oust the Congress government, NTR gave a fresh lease of life to anti-Congress politics after the botched Janata Party experiment. According to an apocryphal story, in 1982 the newly-anointed Congress general secretary, Rajiv Gandhi, landed at Begumpet airport on a private visit. He was surprised when he was greeted on the tarmac by the state Cabinet and party workers led by chief minister T. Anjaiah. Instead of setting this aside as an act of unabashed servility, Rajiv Gandhi publicly humiliated him some records say he called Anjaiah a buffoon. The story goes that already hurt by Indira Gandhi whimsically changing several Andhra Pradesh chief ministers in quick succession, NTR decided to quit his film career and turned politician. The Telugu Desam Party swept the ensuing elections and NTR became the first non-Congress CM of the state. In the melodramatic parting of ways between the BJP and the Telugu Desam Party earlier this week, no one called each other names but TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu claimed that the Prime Minister was not available which is odd in this mobile age when he wished to communicate the decision to pull out from the NDA government at the Centre. My OSD spoke to his OSD, he said, explaining how the decision was communicated. Flashback to 2013-14, when Mr Modi and Mr Naidu had worked in tandem for Mr Modi as PM and the latter as CM. Workers of both parties termed the duo Jodi No. 1. Partings are bitter but have deeper impact if one party accuses the other of humiliation. Mr Naidu claimed that he visited New Delhi to meet the PM and Central ministers 29 times in the last four years. I showed a lot of patience, but we were taken very lightly all the time. The Centre is behaving as if we are greedy to get a lot of money from the Centre which does not belong to us. We are only asking for what is rightfully ours. Effectively, he claimed that since May 2014 he visited the Indian capital once every month and a half to seek what was promised but was humiliated. This will be interpreted as another instance of causing hurt to Telugu pride. Mr Naidus principal challenger in the state, Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress, has for long pursued the narrative of the Centre habitually snubbing regional aspirations. Mr Reddy has been at this theme since 2011 when he stormed into Parliament in a byelection after being denied political space and dignity by the Congress after his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy died tragically. His declaration of upping the ante against the NDA government the party is circulating a no-confidence motion in Parliament, failing which its MPs are to resign from the House ensures a clean slate for the BJP from Andhra in the next elections because the principal rivals are in sync on their anti-Centre posture. Mr Naidus decision to snap the pact with the BJP may have been taken with intent of not vacating the anti-Centre space in the state, but is also indicative of the BJPs growing woes with allies. The trouble with the present BJP leadership is that it remains intoxicated with the 2014 verdict, and reads too much into state victories. However astounding the triumph in Uttar Pradesh may have been, the partys fortunes almost crashlanded on the banks of the Sabarmati river. Likewise, the victories in Tripura and the formation of coalitions in Nagaland and Meghalaya may have given rise to that heady sentiment once again, but only to be brought down thanks to the belligerence of supporters who display acute inability to remain level-headed after a victory. Mr Modis decision, against the grain of his track record, to issue a stern statement on the reports of vandalism from different parts of the country, was no change of heart or sudden love for the memory of Lenin. Instead, it was indication that the party leadership has recognised irreversible damage to party fortunes in Tamil Nadu caused by desecration of Periyar statues. After all, actor-turned-aspiring politician Kamal Haasan declared in public that Tamilians did not require assistance from the police to protect statues of the icon of Tamil nationalism. With the BJP already politically inconsequential on its own in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, its failure to reverse the setback in Tamil Nadu bodes ill for the BJP these four southern states account for 101 Lok Sabha seats. Additionally, the BJP is in troubled relationships with its two oldest allies the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal. Concerns about Mr Modis domineering personality once raised controversially by Nitish Kumar lie at the root of the BJPs uneasy partnership with these parties. The sentiment is shared by several others who are part of the NDA government. But while they have not immediately followed in the footsteps of Jitam Ram Manjhi, the possibility of major realignment cannot be ruled out if the parties begin to perceive that the hawa is blowing in a different direction. There is also no certainty if the partys ties with the Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir will hold comfortably till the next hustings. Although the PDPs support may not be required for the BJP to retain its stranglehold on the Jammu region, association with ideologically diverse parties increases its acceptability at the national level, and especially among people who are not fundamentally Hindutva supporters. The TDPs pullout from the Union government has the possibility of reworking the equation prior to 2019. How Mr Modi now responds to this challenge will be crucial in the short and medium term. Naidu announced that the two ministers of his party in the Union council of ministers would resign. When after the presentation of the Union Budget early last month, the Telugu Desam Party expressed its deep disappointment that Andhra Pradeshs demands had been ignored, BJP president Amit Shah urged TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu not to take any precipitate decision. Mr Shah had also held out the assurance that the NDA government at the Centre, in which TDP is a coalition partner, will address the states demands. But the opposite has happened. Finance minister Arun Jaitley publicly announced on Wednesday that a special status for Andhra Pradesh was not possible due to the 14th Finance Commissions recommendations. Andhra had lost important revenue sources upon the bifurcation of the state some four years ago. As for financial support for the states new capital Amravati and the Polavaram project, the finance minister suggested that the Centre had already fulfilled most of its obligations and only a relatively small sum was now left to be disbursed. Responding to the Centres stance, Mr Naidu announced that the two ministers of his party in the Union council of ministers would resign. The two BJP ministers in the Andhra Cabinet put in their papers early on Thursday morning. It is clear that the BJP made no efforts to save the situation while the TDP ministers at the Centre waited all day for an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which eventually fructified on Thursday evening. Can the TDP-BJP political equation still be salvaged? The TDP will doubtless keep in mind that the PM had not taken the CMs phone call on Wednesday evening. They eventually did speak telephonically on Thursday, but this hasnt yielded very much yet. The meaning of this should be clear enough. Why the TDP has quit the government but not the NDA yet is an intriguing question. But the way things have gone so far, Mr Naidus hand may just be forced. After the YSR Congress announced that its MPs would resign their seats if special status was not granted to Andhra Pradesh, the TDP had little room for manoeuvre left and leaving the Union government was the least that it could have done. For the last four years, getting additional Central funds under various heads had been pitched sky-high by the TDP. The party has now been cornered for playing a maximalist game. Mr Naidu would have also had to factor in the statement of Congress president Rahul Gandhi that if his party came to power in 2019, it would grant special status to Andhra Pradesh. Politics in Andhra Pradesh now appears to be totally fluid. The possibility is open that the two major national parties and the two main state parties will contest the next Lok Sabha poll separately. However, partial electoral arrangements cant be ruled out. The vulnerability of the minorities was stressed as Muslim shops and residences were burnt in the central hill district of Kandy. It is worrisome that Sri Lankas President Maithripala Sirisena has divested his Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, of the law and order portfolio. This is not suggestive of where failure may have lain in controlling the communal conflagration in his island nation as much as a measure of desperation in the government to ensure that the violence doesnt spiral out of control, as the future of the government itself might be at stake. Declaring a state of emergency seemed stern but the right thing to do in trying to stem the violence between the majority Sinhala Buddhists and the minority Muslims. It may appear silly that a traffic accident should trigger so much tension among the communities that it should spill over into violence after the Sinhala victim succumbed to his injuries. The vulnerability of the minorities was stressed as Muslim shops and residences were burnt in the central hill district of Kandy. The political background to these incidents is what makes the situation fraught. The play of hate in an era of instant communications via social media is something that all governments have to tackle. The Sri Lankans have followed the classic pattern of shutting down social media access for a while, hoping the tensions subside once people are kept away from it, specially as they were being fed with rumours of attacks on places of worship. Of greater concern may be divisive politics, as former President Mahinda Rajapaksas Sri Lanka Podujana Perumana (SLPP) party is rising again, as seen in results of recent local elections. It is suspected Mr Rajapaksa may be stoking the latent fear of the resurfacing of Tamil extremism to derive political advantage. In fact, it was the insecurity of minority Tamils and Muslims that led to Mr Rajapaksa losing the presidency on being defeated in national elections. He paid a high price for the Aluthgama riots of 2014, when extremist Buddhist monks ran riot at the minorities expense. Emboldened by the end of the civil war involving Tamils in 2009, Buddhist groups have been sharpening their stand against Muslims, leading to the heating up of this communal cauldron. The anti-Muslim riots may now be limited to Kandy, but if it spreads, the situation may even become conducive to a swing towards a hardline Sinhala regime. In the post-civil war scene since 2009, the Sinhalese have become an absolutely dominant group, but communal incidents have only been sporadic as in Gintola last year. The President himself visited Kandy to check on police operations. Containment of the violence must be his top priority as the support of the minorities is vital to the SLFP-UNP. The government has to take greater control over the actions of the police forces on the ground if it is to quickly bring about normality. The Army Chief kept a stoic silence as our brave soldiers were killed with unceasing regularity. The time has come for India to shift focus to its northern border. The country is capable of handling Chinas assertiveness. China is a powerful country, but we are not a weak nation. Yes, China is exerting pressure. We are dealing with it. Yes, we should try that it is not escalated. We will not allow our territory to intruded. Troops are earmarked should a situation arise While troops (of the PLA) may have returned (from Doklam) and infrastructure remains, its anybodys guess whether they would come back there, or is it because of the winters that they could not take their equipment, but we are also there, so in case they come, we will face them Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat Around Army Day (January 15), the Chief of Army Staff, a position revered by the troops, was busy shooting his mouth off, virtually delivering a quote a day, unbecoming of his stature. Indias Army Chiefs, ensconced in the Raksha Mantralayas corner office, dont normally indulge in needless gabfests, and in Gen. Rawats case it is unnecessary baiting of a dangerous adversary. On Tuesday, it emerged that India has been ranked the fourth most powerful military power in the world. According to Global Fire Power Index 2017, Indias military strength is behind only that of the United States, Russia and China, while rival neighbour Pakistan ranks 13th on the elite list. Even as Gen. Rawat consistently rattled the cage, Pakistan, which has been bleeding us for years using its doctrine of death by a thousand cuts, was functioning with its usual impunity attacking military installations and soft targets in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army Chief kept a stoic silence as our brave soldiers were killed with unceasing regularity. And for all the Army Chiefs theatrics and creation of optics, the dreadful and ugly truth is that the Chinese have not taken a backward step in the sensitive Doklam region. On Monday itself, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman validated the Chinese threat perception in Doklam when she said in Parliament: Indian and Chinese troops have redeployed themselves away from the face-off site in Doklam, and China has undertaken construction of helipads, sentry posts and trenches for its Army personnel there. She added: Post disengagement from the face-off in 2017, troops of both sides have redeployed themselves away from their respective positions at the face-off site. The strength of both the sides has been reduced. In order to maintain these troops during the winter, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken construction of some infrastructure, including sentry posts, trenches and helipads. Last week, our junior defence minister Subhash Bhamre had said the situation along Indias border with China is sensitive and it has the potential to escalate. The troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam beginning June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28. Sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doklam and significantly ramping up its infrastructure in the disputed area. Now the question is why would you pump up the volume knowing well that the Chinese threat represents a clear and present danger? Obviously, one cannot back down to any threat posed against our sovereignty, but what about the active daily engagement on our western border. J&K is a cauldron brimming over, and despite an effective concentric circle-type all-pervasive security grid, Pakistan proxies or fidayeen are doing incalculable damage to the morale of our fighting forces. The Army Chief said not one word for those dying bravehearts, instead he is busy ratcheting up the pressure on our northern neighbor, where an undefined border has created constant consternation with a bellicose PLA trying to assert itself. Since January 1 this year, the Indian Army has killed around 20 Pakistani soldiers in punitive fire assaults and lost more than 15 soldiers, apart from BSF personnel and civilians, in over 280 ceasefire violations and terror incidents in J&K this year so far. That both the PM and the defence minister chose to stay away from the Army Day functions on January 15 even though both were very much in the country was most galling. As many as 10 Indian soldiers were killed in the first two weeks of this year alone. In January alone, a belligerent Pakistan ISI-jihadi military complex had upped the ante. An Army jawan and three civilians were killed while 15 people were injured as Pakistani troops targeted forward Indian positions and civilian areas both along the international border and Line of Control (LoC) in J&K for the third day running. The injured included two security personnel. The four deaths took the toll for January to 10, almost equalling the number of deaths in the whole of 2017 in such cross-border firings. Yet the Army Chief focused on China, ignoring the ongoing fusillade in J&K. And as if all this wasnt enough, the piece de resistance came when in a confrontational move, he shot his mouth off making a tangential politically-loaded statement about Assam I dont think you can now change the population dynamics of this area. If it was five districts to eight to nine the inversion has taken place, whichever be the government...There is a party called AIUDF if you look at they have grown in a faster timeframe than the BJP has grown over the years. When we talk of the Jan Sangh, with two members of Parliament, and where they have reached, the AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam. Finally, what will be the state of Assam, we will have to take a call? This seems the theatre of the absurd. Since when did Army Chiefs comment on politics, and that too on sensitive demographics? The aggressive jingoism for China was in any case misplaced, by commenting on Assam and its religious makeup, he had opened a communal front in an openly disputatious comment. Was he being prodded into saying these things? That would tantamount to his position being compromised, and no Army Chief has indulged in this kind of cheap theatrics, at least not in recent memory. Should he be asked to zip up? Yes, most definitely, for the Indian Army cannot be associated with such colored statements. It is sacrilege to make such petty statements and it certainly doesnt behove the Army Chief to say what he said. The reactions came swift and fast. Retired Lt. Gen. Prakash Menon, well respected for his sense of fair play, but extremely outspoken, tweeted: The army is not in charge and is the lead agency in politically-loaded internal security situation. Depending on context of issue relevant ministry/ dept/agency could comment. Overall, chief should not voice opinion that projects that he in charge of the entire situation. In another tweet, he argued: Two issues 1st chief making statements that have political and religious overtones eg madrasa edu in J& K etc, 2nd, government has not commented, therefore tacit approval. Is it healthy for mil institution? I dont think so. Though there could be more to it than what is in public domain. Retired Gen. V.P. Malik, a former Army Chief, countered on his timeline, saying: Topmost mil ldr of the country has the right to spk on issues affecting national security where mil is/may be called upon to act. What, when, and where to spk depends upon situations and personality. Muzzling him will be counter-productive. Retired Lt. Gen. H.S. Panag, writing in his blog, created a flutter when he said: Our Chiefs of the defence forces have been making headlines with their statements on national security issues and at times also on issues outside their domain. Questions have been raised by the media, the Opposition and veterans about what the Chiefs should and should not be saying. While some are cheering them, others say they have transgressed into the political domain. He went on: Curiously, the defence secretary, who is responsible for the defence of India and the armed forces, as per the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules 1961, has never made a public statement with respect to national security in 53 years of my military memory. Yet, in the not-too-distant past, a defence secretary allegedly commented on the clamour for a Chief of Defence Staff: We already have a Chief of Defence Staff. I am the Chief of Defence Staff! Three divergent schools of thought, but the majority view is that sagacity demands that Indias Army Chief should be more circumspect and choose his words more carefully. After all, he symbolises the garima of the armed forces and as its leitmotif, its not his job to make such utterances. And if he is being prompted to do so by those in power, thats even more distressing. Emasculating this fine institution will be our collective death. In a media interview in October 2017, French defence minister Florence Parly had declared India was Frances major strategic partner in Asia. India and France are celebrating 20 years of partnership. The accord signed in 1998 by then French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is one of the oldest strategic partnerships that this country has. The pact was signed during President Chiracs visit to India: Both countries share a perspective that the new world order has to be a genuine multipolar world order. Our bilateral relationship is poised to grow in the coming months in a multi-faceted manner, Mr Chirac had declared. Over the last two decades, the partnership has steadily grown no major political differences have darkened the sky between Paris and New Delhi. France has been constantly supportive of India, particularly so for a permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council, and has shown comprehension for Indias nuclear policy. Though in recent years the term strategic partnership has been devalued by the multiplication of such accords, in the Indo-French case, the 1998 momentum has been regularly sustained by new initiatives. One is of course the Rs 59,000-crore deal for 36 Rafale fighters in September 2016; it will soon prove to be a game-changer, partly due to the offset clauses forcing France to reinvest in India 50 per cent of the total deals amount, but also for Indias western and northern fronts. China realises this, and its recent efforts to reinforce its air defence of the Western Theatre Command, particularly on the Tibetan plateau, is definitely linked to the forthcoming arrival of the Rafale in India, expected in 2019. In a media interview in October 2017, French defence minister Florence Parly had declared India was Frances major strategic partner in Asia. She noted that the relationship was the fruit of a long, shared history, grounded in an unshakeable trust. We have always worked alongside India, in good times but also at difficult moments, she said, adding: Our partnership is continuing to develop even more, including in very sensitive areas. These sensitive areas make all the difference. New Delhi knows it needs to diversify its diplomatic relations if it wants to play a major role in the world. An example: for Indias engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, France could also be a crucial partner. In a Carnegie India research paper, C. Raja Mohan and Darshana M. Baruah had written: Faced with a growing geopolitical turbulence and more aggressive maritime manoeuvring, India and France are eager to expand their strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific. The authors elaborated: As maritime security acquires greater salience in Indias foreign policy, New Delhi is increasingly looking to leverage its strategic partnerships, particularly with Paris. Although India and France have joined forces on a number of issues since 1998, regional cooperation in the Indo-Pacific has never risen to the top of the agenda. However, this may be about to change. The study cited a series of high-level discussions between New Delhi and Paris that focused on the prospects of a stronger maritime security partnership: Central to the recent discussions has been the creation of a framework for strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific. As they explore their bilateral cooperation on regional security, the Indo-Pacific offers ample potential for such an enterprise. A high point of French President Emmanuel Macrons coming visit could be a logistics accord allowing India access to the strategically important French base in the Reunion Islands near Madagascar. Another possibility is the opening of French facilities in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, where Indias rival China already has a military base. This is part of Indias new maritime strategy. Interestingly, another author, Emanuele Scimia, wrote in the Asian Times about a new alliance emerging in the region. He cited the French Jeanne dArcs naval task force, heading for East Asia and the South Pacific to hold exercises with Britains Royal Navy. Though the objective of the five-month deployment is improvement of maritime cooperation between their navies, in reality, said Mr Scimia, it can be read as a new initiative by the two European countries to support the United States in its freedom of navigation operations in the region against Chinas military activism. The task group consists of the Mistral-class helicopter assault ship Dixmude and the La Fayette-class frigate Surcouf. Mr Scimia further wrote: It is worth noting that the French-led task force will dock in countries at odds with China. Indeed Indonesia, Australia and Vietnam question Beijings claims to the South, before concluding: The prospective Quadrilateral (Quad) alliance among the United States, India, Japan and Australia to counter Chinas military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific space could be extended to France and Britain. Does this mean a Quad + Two? India and France will probably prefer the bilateral way to start with. Incidentally, in December 1954, a previous avatar of the Dixmude arrived in Mumbai to deliver 20 aircraft with ammunition: Dixmude will stop at Bombay only for five days. In view of large quantities on board and the short time available for offloading, the French air ministry has requested for facilities, as a special case, to unload explosives at the jetty instead of at an anchor outside the harbour, wrote the then Indian ambassador in Paris. Four years later, 22 Mystere and 13 Ouragan (Toofanis) were delivered again by the same Dixmude. Another important development during the coming presidential visit, a deal could also be signed between India and Safran (one of the partners of Dasault in the Rafale deal) to develop a M88 engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. A media report recently hinted that the M88 engine would be used as the base engine to adapt it for the LCA programme or it would be an altogether new development using Safran technology to create a new engine from the ground upwards. The LCA Tejas, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is now equipped with a General Electric F404 IN20 engine. India is obviously keen to resurrect the Kaveri engine project which was originally started in the 1990s to develop an indigenous jet engine. Safran has offered to collaborate on the Kaveri engine programme as part of the 50 per cent offsets for the Rafale deal. After Ms Parlys visit, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian came to India in November; in New Delhi he mentioned common bilateral interests like combating terrorism, maritime security, cooperation in the Indian Ocean where France and India are two countries belonging to the Indian Ocean Rim we have a complete commonality of views, which calls for the strengthening of our partnership. Mr Macrons visit was delayed by a few months due to an important joint initiative, the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015, the ISA wants to create a coalition of solar resource-rich countries and address each participants special energy needs. Finally, 20 years after President Chiracs visit, it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner with France in more futuristic research projects such as a fifth-generation combat aircraft or an armed drone. Mr Modi and Mr Macron need to prepare the future. The hospital at Bossangoa has treated 56 rape victims since September, up from 13 in the previous eight months, MSF said. Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Christian anti-balaka militias. (Photo: AFP/ Representational) Abidjan: Militia fighters attacked, kidnapped and raped en masse a large group of women in an isolated area of Central African Republic in February, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Thursday. The medical charity treated 10 survivors of the February 17 violence near Kiriwiri, a village in the countrys northwest. Fearing further attacks if they tried to reach a hospital, the women were unable to seek medical treatment until about two weeks later, it said. Many other victims remained behind, fearing that, as rape victims, they would be stigmatised in their community. Some were totally in shock, others paralysed by fear or unable to talk about the incident. Some of the women had open wounds caused by blades, said Soulemane Amoin, a midwife at the hospital in the town of Bossangoa where the women were treated. It was terrible to see. It broke my heart. Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Christian anti-balaka militias. Despite the deployment of a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission, rival armed groups still stalk much of the countryside. The UN Security Council approved an extra 900 peacekeepers in November to help to protect civilians. However Gabon, which contributes around 550 soldiers to the mission, announced on Thursday it was planning to withdraw its contingent, citing what it said was a progressive return of peace and stability. The rapes near Kiriwiri coincided with a surge in violence in Bossangoa and the surrounding areas. In its statement, MSF said the women had left their village to fetch water and tend to their fields when the militiamen arrived. Some women fled, but others were grabbed and brought back to the militias base where they were repeatedly raped before being let go, it said. MSF did not identify the group behind the assault. This attack is one of the consequences of the new wave of senseless violence that broke out at the end of 2016 and continues without let-up, said Paul Brockmann, who heads MSFs mission in Central African Republic. The hospital at Bossangoa has treated 56 rape victims since September, up from 13 in the previous eight months, MSF said. It has also treated around 300 victims of rape and sexual assault from around the country each month so far 2018 at its main hospital in the capital, Bangui. Trump has said he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders. Trump has said he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders and potentially mark a major breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. (Photo: File) Djibouti: US President Donald Trump made the decision to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un himself, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday, but the talks will take "some weeks" to arrange. Trump has said he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders and potentially mark a major breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. Also Read: Trump agrees to meet Kim Jong Un by May: S Korea official "That is a decision the president took himself. I spoke to him very early this morning about that decision and we had a very good conversation," Tillerson told reporters during a visit to the African nation of Djibouti. "President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right," the top US diplomat said. "And I think in the president's judgment that time has arrived now." He said the United States was surprised at how "forward-leaning" Kim was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation. He said it was the strongest indication to date of Kim's "not just willingness but really his desire for talks". The Special Court in Islamabad also directed to seize the property of former president and make him appear in the case as early as possible. Islamabad: A Pakistani court on Thursday ordered interior ministry to take steps for the detention of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in treason case. The Special Court in Islamabad also directed to seize the property of former president and make him appear in the case as early as possible. The hearing of the case was later adjourned till March 21. The former military ruler was nominated as the sole accused in the high treason case in December 2013. In March 2014, he was indicted in the case by the special court comprising judges of three different high courts. The prosecution in the case has presented all the evidence and produced its witnesses before the court. The last prosecution witness testified on September 18, 2014. Last year, the Islamabad High Court ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to re-investigate the case to ascertain role of facilitators in the imposition of emergency in the country on November 3, 2007. Mr Musharraf, who is facing multiple charges including treason and murder over the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, arrived in Dubai on March 18 for what his lawyers said was urgent medical treatment after a three-year travel ban was lifted. He was banned from leaving Pakistan in March 2013 after he returned to the country on an ill-fated mission to contest elections. The former ruler was barred from taking part in the polls and instead faces a barrage of legal cases. Sindh high court had lifted Mr Musharrafs travel ban, but the federal government appealed the verdict. SC upheld the Sindh High Court decision and ordered the government to allow Mr Musharraf to travel. Jo Min-ki, who had been accused of sexually molesting at least eight victims, was found dead at his home in Seoul. Most of his victims were drama students at a provincial university where he taught, it said, adding the 52-year-old had been forced out of his professorship over the scandal, leaving his career in tatters. (Photo: AP) Seoul: A South Korean actor accused of sexual assault was found dead Friday, reports said, as a wave of #MeToo accusations sweeps the countrys still male-dominated society. Jo Min-ki, who had been accused of sexually molesting at least eight victims, was found dead at his home in Seoul, Yonhap news agency cited police as saying, adding suicide was suspected. Most of his victims were drama students at a provincial university where he taught, it said, adding the 52-year-old had been forced out of his professorship over the scandal, leaving his career in tatters. His roles were mainly in television series, but he also appeared in a number of films. The #MeToo movement has gradually gained ground in South Korea, which remains socially conservative and patriarchal in many respects despite its economic and technological advances. Allegations of abuse have been made against prominent men in fields ranging from politics to the arts. Earlier this week, provincial governor and former presidential contender Ahn Hee-jung resigned after an aide accused him of multiple rapes. The last straw came when Ahn called her into his office on the night of February 25 and apologised for having hurt her, talking about the countrys #MeToo movement, she told a television interviewer. And then he raped me again, she said, holding back tears. Ahn presented himself to prosecutors on Friday for questioning, apologising and saying he would cooperate with the investigation. It was a stunning fall -- Ahn was the governor of South Chungcheong province and came second to current President Moon Jae-in in the contest for the Democratic Partys presidential nomination in 2017. A governorship is seen as a springboard to a presidential bid and he had been tipped as a front-runner among liberal hopefuls to succeed Moon, who can only serve one term. First of all, I offer my words of apology to the people and the provincial residents, Ahn said outside the prosecutors office, as a barrage of flashbulbs went off. I also feel deeply sorry for my wife and children, he added, although he did not apologise to his accuser. Musharraf, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016, was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. (Photo: File) Islamabad: A special Pakistani tribunal has ordered the government to arrest former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and confiscate all his properties as it heard the high treason case against the "proclaimed offender" for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007. The 74-year-old former president was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges. A three-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi held its first hearing in the case in eight months. During the hearing, the interior ministry submitted in the court a report on Musharraf's properties, stating four of the seven properties are owned by the former president, The Nation reported. Prosecutor Akram Sheikh asked the court to order Musharraf's arrest and his production. Musharraf, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016, was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. The court during Thursday's trial asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials what the procedure is to bring back an absconder from abroad. The officials replied the interior ministry should send them a request after which action could be taken. Afridi then said the court is ordering the arrest of Musharraf and seizure of his properties. Musharraf's counsel, Akhtar Shah, prayed to the court not to order confiscation of Musharraf's properties until March 21, but Afridi remarked the court procedure cannot be violated. During the hearing, the court sought mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE in the matter of his arrest from Dubai. The court also expressed anger over non-receipt of details of his foreign properties even after 10 months. The court questioned what problem lies with initiation of action in respect of his properties outside the country and why Interpol has not been contacted after issuance of warrants against him. The court summoned Foreign Office and FIA authorities on the next hearing, besides seeking mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE. Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. A nation-wide state of emergency remains in force, whilst a curfew has been imposed in Kandy. Police have arrested 85 people involved in racial and ethnic violence. Strong fear grips Muslims. Colombo (AsiaNews/Agencies) Sri Lankan authorities have decided to boost security at mosques ahead of Friday prayers after anti-Muslim violence left three people dead this week. At the same time, most Muslim-owned shops and businesses will remain closed. Tensions are still running high in Sri Lanka, and many fear the outbreak of a new civil war. The confrontation is centred in Kandy, a well-known tourist destination. On Monday a crowd of Buddhist Sinhalese attacked and set on fire to a local mosque and several Muslim-owned shops and houses because of the death of a Sinhalese man. As a result of the violence, the authorities declared a state of emergency throughout the country and imposed a curfew on the city of Kandy. However, this has not stopped attacks against the Muslim minority. The latest estimate indicates that more than 200 Muslim-owned businesses, homes and vehicles have been destroyed. Police note that at least 85 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest, including the man considered the instigator of racial and religious violence. The authorities have also blocked Internet and social media to prevent the spread of fake news. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake visited Kandy on Thursday and promised greater military presence near mosques nationwide. "There is some fear among Muslims that they could be targeted on Friday . . . We will ensure their safety and security," a military official quoted Senanayake as saying during his visit. Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist 75 per cent of the population of 21 million whilst Muslims account for about 9 per cent. The island nation went through almost 30 years of civil war between the military and Tamil Tigers rebels, which ended in 2009. Since then, the country has been engaged in a difficult process of national reconciliation that is still hard-pressed to manage. Today the Indian Supreme Court has admitted the possibility of stopping treatment for the terminally ill. Parliament will have to legislate in the matter of living will. For the bishops, the "taking of innocent life is never a moral act." They oppose over-zealous treatment and are in favour of palliative care. The mark of a good society is its ability and willingness to care for those who are most vulnerable. New Delhi (AsiaNews) "The Church rejects any proposal concerning active euthanasia as well as passive euthanasia, says a note issued by Indias Catholic bishops following a ruling by the countrys Supreme Court that allows passive euthanasia for the terminally ill. The note is signed by Fr Stephen Fernandes, national secretary of the Office for Justice, Peace and Development of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI). No one, the note reads, can in any way permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a foetus or an embryo, an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease, or a person who is dying. Today the Supreme Court issued a historical albeit very controversial ruling, saying that every human being has the fundamental right to "die with dignity". In their decision, the five justices laid down the conditions for euthanasia. The patient must make a "living testament" that gives explicit instructions about refusing medical assistance in case of irreversible coma. This will allow for the interruption of medical care. The Court also clarifies what euthanasia means, namely the "withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient". It also noted that the living will is matter that falls on lawmakers. For the Catholic Church, No one has the right to ask for this act of killing for ourselves or for those entrusted to our care. "In India, the sanctity of life has hitherto been placed on the highest level. The right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution does not include within its scope the right to die. The taking of innocent life is never a moral act." According to the CBCI, "Legalizing euthanasia would place the lives of vulnerable people at risk, including those whom others might be tempted to think would be better off dead. At the same time, the bishops acknowledge that, Especially at the end of life, when it is clear that death is imminent and inevitable, no matter what medical procedures are attempted, one may refuse treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, so long as the normal care due to the sick person in similar cases is not interrupted. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (N.2278), "Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of over-zealous treatment." Better access to high quality palliative care, greater support for care givers and enhanced end of life care will be the hallmark of a truly compassionate society. The mark of a good society is its ability and willingness to care for those who are most vulnerable. It would be the first one on one meeting between the leaders of the two countries, since the Cold War. The invitation of the North Korean leader delivered by the Seoul delegation yesterday in Washington. Moon: historical landmark for peace. Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Kim Jong-un has invited US President Donald Trump to meet in May, and promises: an end to missile and nuclear tests. This was announced by South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, speaking to Washington journalists in the past few hours. The summit would be the first of the leaders of the two opposing countries since the Cold War. Chung, together with the head of the secret services Suh Hoon, went to Washington to report the details of their visit to Pyongyang. The two officials met with the American president in the afternoon, along with other senior US officials. The journey of the two South Korean senior officials to the North was possible in the context of detente initiated with the negotiations for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. During their stay in the North, Kim Jong-un handed a message to the South Koreans for President Trump, whom he invited him to meet as soon as possible. The meeting will take place after a summit between the North Korean leader and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, in late April. For his part, Moon applauds the announced summit, calling it a "historic milestone" for peace on the Korean peninsula. For weeks, Seoul has been trying to bring the historic American ally and the neighboring North to dialogue: "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet after an inter-Korean summit, the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will indeed be back on track." A place dedicated to encounter and literature opens in the former capital of the Caliphate. The jihadists burned books and whipped those who read forbidden texts. Marx and Nietzsche are also on the shelves today. The project was born thanks to the commitment of two thirty-year-old engineers who want to be "open to all sectors" and change society. Mosul (AsiaNews) - The idea of opening a place dedicated to meeting and reading "came while we were under occupation", when culture and books became the only weapon to oppose the insane ideology of Islamic State jihadists (SI , ex Isis). Today, a few months after the citys liberation, the first literary cafe has been opened in Mosul, the second most important city in Iraq and for over three years the stronghold and capital of the self-styled "Caliphate". A place where some of the worst Daesh atrocities were consummated (Arabic acronym for the Islamic State) and which today, is struggling to rise from the ashes to be reborn to new life starting also from the books that the militiamen burned in the squares. The Book Forum opened its doors for the first time at the end of last year and is, according to its visitors, one of the symbols of "incredible resistance" opposed by the metropolis of the north to the Isis culture of death and terror. The cafe is located near the university, also the subject of jihadist devastation, and was born thanks to the intuition and the work of two thirty-year engineers, with a passion for literature Fahad and Hareth. The walls are covered with paintings by local and foreign artists; and then there are shelves and shelves on which hundreds of different books can be found. These include Karl Marx and Nietzsche, although these are two atheistic intellectuals confirming the variety and openness on which the structure is based. Groups of students, engaged couples, friends or lonely lovers of reading crowd their tables, accompanying the texts with a good coffee. "I got the idea while we were under the occupation," recalls Fahad Sabah. "Before Daesh - he tells LaCroix - I was a contract professor at the university's oil and mining engineering department, which had just opened. I had also obtained a doctorate in the United States. All this vanished with the entry of ISIS into the city. And I could not even escape, because my twins were about to be born ". Today the literary cafe has become a meeting point for students and bibliophiles, but the path that led to its birth is marked by dangers and challenges. Under the occupation of Daesh Fahad refused to collaborate with the men of the "Caliph" and refused to work in a university bent to extremist ideology. He barricaded himself into his home and survived by arranging clandestine antennas and guaranteeing pirated internet connections to neighbors. The security services of Daesh find out and, in order not to denounce his customers, he preferred to abandon the activity and devote himself to his second, great passion: reading. Among the texts that inspired him for to open the Book Forum are the text of the Iraqi sociologist Ali Al Wardi "Preachers of the Sultans" - analysts of political-social problems in the times of the Ottoman Empire - and the Bible, to deepen the knowledge on the Jewish religion. Fahad comments I could have been executed for this ". This is echoed by colleague and friend Hareth, who recalls that "one could be punished" even for the possession of books on the Muslim religion "contrary to the doctrine" imposed by Daesh. The text of Ali Al Wardi, he adds, "could cost a minimum of 50 whiplashes". Music, films, paintings and drawings of women were strictly prohibited. "I am a Muslim - he concludes - but I also read Nietzsche and Marx because they are great thinkers of humanity. Unlike the adult literature, which we prefer to avoid because it is too controversial. We want to remain open to all sectors, hoping one day to change the rules of our society ". The authorities deny claims that people died, acknowledge only two wounded. Over 400 residents of Thnou blocked National Road 76A for three hours yesterday. Workers from the Memot Rubber Plantation and security forces torched the huts and razed the farms of 300 villagers. About 150 soldiers and police officers were deployed to remove protesters. Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies) Security forces in Cambodias northeastern Kratie province on Thursday opened fire on a group of villagers protesting over a long-running land dispute with a rubber plantation, killing as many as six people and wounding dozens of others, a human rights group reported. Local residents say two more people have died. For their part, the authorities say no one died. More than 400 residents of Thnou commune, in Kraties Snuol district, blocked National Road 76A for three hours (pictured), beginning around 9 am on Thursday, after workers from the Memot Rubber Plantation and security forces burnt down the huts and razed the farms of 300 villagers locked in a dispute over ownership of the land, a witness told RFAs Khmer Service. The demolition came a day after Kratie provincial authorities met with the villagers in a bid to resolve the dispute with Memot which leased the land around the same time residents settled in the area but were unable to come to an agreement. Around 150 soldiers, police and military police were deployed to remove protesters from the road, and security. A video of the confrontation, circulating on social media, shows villagers with sticks and machetes arguing with authorities. At one point, at least 30 shots can be heard as the villagers run away, and a separate video purportedly shows a man shot in the thigh receiving medical treatment from fellow protesters. Citing eyewitnesses and the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC*), Cambodias oldest human rights organization, RFA and the Phnom Penh Post have reported that eight people have been confirmed dead and 40 wounded. However, the authorities have denied the media claims, accusing them of spreading fake news. Provincial Governor Sar Chamrong said that no one was killed and that only two people, a man and a woman, reported minor injuries. Another villager was arrested for causing the clash, and that some farmers had "homemade guns". In a separate account, National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said that two people were injured, and ten were arrested as a result of the unrest. According to the police report, villagers were armed with knives and axes, but no mention of homemade guns. Police fired into the air to prevent any violence. After some shooting, the people dispersed, but we do not know how the weapons ricocheted to hit the two people, one man and woman, the police spokesman said, adding that the National Police were regretful of the injuries. Pi Thnou municipal chief Pong Vin said he tried to negotiate with villagers to clear the road but protesters would only leave if authorities resolved their land dispute. Adhoc coordinator Be Vanny, who initially reported the deaths, said that he was simply passing on information he had received, adding that he was now wanted by police. Soueng Sen Karuna, land rights coordinator at Adhoc, said that he had been contacted by a Kratie Provincial Court official demanding the rights group retract its previous statement, but Court spokesman Tiv Vuth Then denied the court had contacted the rights group. * Association pour les droits de lHomme et le developpement au Cambodge The state of sin distances us from God. But in fact, sin is the way that we distance ourselves from him. Yet that does not mean that God distances himself from us. For the pontiff, The priest-confessor is the source of neither mercy nor grace: he is certainly the indispensable instrument, but always only an instrument, and never a master of consciences. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis took part in this afternoons penitential celebration in St Peters Basilica during which he went to confession and confessed some believers for almost an hour. During the service, the pontiff said that The love of God is always greater than anything we can imagine; it even reaches beyond any sin with which our conscience may charge us. Francis also spoke about confession this morning when he received participants to the 29th Course organised by the Apostolic Penitentiary. He told them that those who confess must be teachers, educators, and pastors. They must always be witnesses of mercy and never masters of consciences. The priest-confessor is the source of neither mercy nor grace: he is certainly the indispensable instrument, but always only an instrument! And when the priest takes charge of this, he prevents God from acting in hearts. This awareness must favour a careful vigilance over the risk of becoming masters of consciences, above all in the relationship with young people, whose personality is still being formed and is therefore far more easily influenced. The more the priest disappears, the clearer Jesus appears as the supreme and eternal priest. This helps confessors to have the indispensable attitude of humility needed to learn a second requirement, namely knowing to listen to questions before offering answers. The confessor is called to be a man of listening: human listening to the penitent, and divine listening to the Holy Spirit. Truly listening to the brother in the sacramental dialogue, we listen to Jesus Himself, poor and humble; listening to the Holy Spirit we place ourselves in attentive obedience, we become hearers of the Word and therefore we offer the greatest service to our young penitents: we put them in touch with Jesus Himself. We know that the state of sin distances us from God. But in fact, sin is the way that we distance ourselves from him. Yet that does not mean that God distances himself from us. The state of weakness and confusion that results from sin is one more reason for God to remain close to us. The certainty of this should accompany us throughout our lives. The words of the Apostle are a reassuring confirmation that our hearts should trust, always and unhesitatingly, in the Fathers love: No matter what our hearts may charge us with, God is greater than our hearts (v. 20). His grace is constantly at work in us, to strengthen our hope that his love will never be lacking, in spite of any sin we may have committed by rejecting his presence in our lives. It is this hope that makes us realize at times that our life has lost its direction, as Peter did, when he denied Jesus. The crowing of the cock startles a man who is bewildered; he then recalls the words of Jesus, and at last the curtain is lifted. Peter begins to glimpse through his tears that God is revealed in Christ, who is buffeted and insulted, whom he himself has denied, yet who now goes off to die for him. Peter, who wanted to die for Jesus, now realizes that he must let Jesus die for him. Peter wanted to teach the Master; he wanted to go before him. Instead, it is Jesus who goes off to die for Peter. Peter had not understood this; he didnt want to understand it. Peter is now confronted with the Lords charity. Finally, he understands that the Lord loves him and asks him to let himself be loved. Peter realizes that he had always refused to let himself be loved. He had always refused to let himself be saved by Jesus alone, and so he did not want Jesus to love him completely. The Ankara troops take Jandairis. Now they are aiming to reach the capital from the eastern sector. Analysts and experts speak of "milestone" in the context of an "ongoing progress" of the offensive. Ankara's attack on the Kurds has weakened the war against the Islamic State. Ankara (AsiaNews / Agencies) - In the context of the offensive against the Kurdish YPG militias (People's Protection Unit) in Afrin, northern Syria, the Turkish army has conquered the city of Jandairis, with strategic importance. In this way, Ankara's troops have strengthened their chances of successfully completing a very harsh military campaign that has caused hundreds of victims, including civilians. On January 20, Ankara promoted the "Olive branch" operation against the Kurdish militias; a military campaign that, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will end "in a short period of time". In reality, in the first period the Turkish military made meager progress on the ground, thanks to the strenuous resistance opposed by the Kurdish militias. The offensive aims at the city of Afrin, the real goal to be conquered in this anti-Kurdish campaign launched by the "Sultan" Erdogan. Among the Turkish soldiers there were at least 42 dead, hailed as "martyrs" by the leader of Ankara and buried with honors in their country of origin. The capture that took place in these hours of Jandairis, a town of strategic importance in the Afrin district, is a great success. It allows you to open the road to the capital from the eastern sector. Elizabeth Teoman, a Turkish scholar at the Institute for War Studies (ISW), has defined Jandairis's grip as a "milestone" in the advance towards Afrin. The complex operation, she adds, "seems to be in continuous progress" and the final objective becomes more and more concrete. Analysts and experts say the attack on the Kurds in northern Syria is a watershed in relations between Ankara and the West. It placed in a frontal confrontation position the Turkish troops against an allied US militia in the fight against the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis) in the region. In fact, the fight against the men of the "Caliphate" has undergone a sharp break in the latter period, after months of military campaigning that resulted in retaking of much of the territory once under the control of Daesh [Arabic acronym for IS] . A recent YouTube video showed footage of a Tesla Semi driving in broad daylight on a highway near Sacramento, Calif. This was the first time the vehicle has been seen in operation since the plug-in electric Class 8 truck was unveiled in Nov. 2017. The Tesla Semi is expected to go into production in 2019 but so far, its only public appearance has been at the launch event. After the video came out, Tesla Founder and CEO Elon Musk posted a picture of two Tesla Semis with trailers in tow, out in the open. In the photo description he said that the two trucks were on their first production cargo trip, carrying battery packs from Teslas factory in Nevada to its car factory in Northern California. This is in line with what the company said in a presentation in Europe after the launch. Jerome Guillen, Teslas vice president of truck and programs said that Tesla would be its own first customer and would use the Tesla Semi to haul cargo on a 260-mile route between facilities in Freemont, Calif., and Reno, Nev. The Tesla Semi will be produced in two versions, a base model with a 300-mile range and an extended range version that can go up to 500 miles on a charge. The base model starts a $150,000 and the 500-mile range version will sell for $180,000. The company is accepting reservations for the vehicle costing $20,000 and so far, high profile fleets like UPS, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, J.B. Hunt, and Walmart have all placed orders for multiple vehicles. Photo via Roman Logov/Good Free Photos. Right Cars Vehicle Rental Ltd. sold the master franchise for the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, as part of a huge expansion of the Right Cars brand in the region, the company announced. The expansion will initially aim to provide car rental services at all the major airports. The Right Cars car rental franchise network continues to expand in many regions around the world. Countries such as Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, and Kuwait will soon be seeing the Right Cars brand, as the company provides more and more car rental pickup locations for both old and new customers. If users have a route suggested via Google Maps and want to use a taxi for the trip, Sixt Ride is now available as a Germany-wide provider of spontaneous mobility. Page Content Not your typical bible, the Tupper Family Bible from the 1870s includes pages of biographical entries about the family of Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, son of Canadas sixth prime minister, Sir Charles Tupper. The bible also includes letters, portraits, newspaper clippings, bookmarks, and numerous engraved maps and plates. This book was recently acquired by Library and Archives Canada. Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper The bible was given to Charles Hibbert Tupper by his parents. His father, Sir Charles Tupper, was Prime Minister of Canada in 1896. Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, a physician, a Canadian diplomat and a successful politician in his own right, served as a member of the Canadian Parliament from 1882 to 1904. The Tupper Family Bible The Tupper family owned this bible for nearly a century. Its biographical entries are what make this book special; they start with the marriage in 1879 of Charles Hibbert Tupper and his wife Janet McDonald, and continue all the way to 1969. The family register in the bible consists of five folio pages of these biographical entries. As well, several pieces of related family documents include a letter from James McDonald to his sister, Lady Tupper, congratulating her on her husbands knighthood in 1893, and two nicely embroidered bookmarks, one with the initials C.H.T. Library and Archives Canada would like to acknowledge and thank the Friends of Library and Archives Canada for their generous donation of this rare book. Marianne Scott, President of the Friends, has expressed her pleasure that the Friends were able to donate this special item to Library and Archives Canada to help mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Rare Book Collection Library and Archives Canada has one of the largest collections of rare Canadiana in the world! To consult the Tupper Family Bible or other rare books in our collection, visit the Rare Book Collection web page to find and access these items. You can also explore our rare book collection by browsing our catalogue or viewing our Flickr rare book album. The California Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of a Delano man who has spent the past 26 years on death row after being convict Eissler Elementary students help plant three new trees to bring shade to their campus Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Athough race weekend does not officially begin until Friday, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is off to a fast start. On Thursday, the race's lead sponsor announced they were extending their sponsorship of the race through 2020. Bridgestone Americas began title sponsorship in 2014 City can now plan around future races For tickets to the race, visit gpstpete.com "We figured the best way we could say 'thank you' was to go ahead and extend our sponsorship with the race through 2020," said Firestone spokeswoman Lisa Boggs. The streets of St. Petersburg are an ideal proving ground to showcase the durable, dependable technology built into Firestone tires," Boggs continued. "The support from the city and its residents, along with the team at Green Savoree Racing Promotions, has made this one of the marquee events on the Verizon IndyCar Series circuit. Our team at Green Savoree Racing Promotions is honored to continue this partnership with Firestone for an additional two years, said Kim Green, chairman and co-owner of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, the organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Firestone is one of most iconic and successful brands in auto racing history. Its impact on this events growth as well as the positive momentum happening in the Verizon IndyCar Series is tremendous. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said that kind of commitment will help grow the annual event. "That really allows people to plan in advance," Kriseman said. "Reserve hotel rooms early, make airplane reservations. Its a lot cheaper when you know what youre doing in advance, that when youre doing it at the last minute." This all adds up to better start to the race than last year. Spectrum Bay News 9 has learned that in 2017, a bump in the asphalt on Turn Three of the track almost derailed the entire race. Drivers testing the track during practice runs were losing control on that turn, but city workers worked overnight to fix it. This year, Grand Prix officials say they couldn't be happier with the track's condition. "Now weve changed that again back to what it was like," said Green, "and so I think the race track is great." The race runs on Sunday, March 11. For tickets, visit gpstpete.com. A woman is dead after an officer-involved shooting in Tarpon Springs. Woman shot and killed in incident in Tarpon Springs Police responded to 442 Riverside Drive No officers injured, FDLE investigating No officers were injured. According to police, officers received a call just after 10 a.m. and responded to a home at 442 Riverside Drive. Police said the initial call referred to a black woman saying something to the effect as "call the police." Two officers approached the woman upon arrival and said she produced at least one knife and aggressively charged the officers. Police shot the woman, later identified as Alkeeta Allena Walker, 32, with a Taser twice, but said she continued to aggressively charge at them with the knife. According to police, one of the officers, Officer Matt Greer, was backing up and fell to the ground as Walker advanced toward him while holding the knife. Greer then shot at Walker, striking her. She was taken to Florida Hospital-North Pinellas where she was pronounced deceased at 10:58 a.m. Neighbors said the whole thing caught them off guard. "This is my bedroom window right here, literally like 20 feet away" said a resident who would only give us his first name, Eric. "I never heard anybody screaming or yelling. I just heard 'pop pop,' looked out the window and she was down." Other witnesses said they never actually saw the knife, but they did see Walker rush the officers. "She was lunging towards him with something in her left fist," said resident Tom Acierro. "That was the only wild movement I saw." Officers reported finding at least two knives on the scene, including one with a six-to-eight inch blade. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement responded to the scene and is conducting an investigation. The officer was placed on paid administrative leave according to department policy. Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a school safety and gun reform package passed by the Florida Legislature in the wake of the Parkland mass shooting. The National Rifle Association responded with a federal lawsuit. Families of the victims of the shooting met with Scott in Tallahassee earlier Friday to demand he swiftly sign the $400 million package into law. It raises the minimum age to buy an assault-style weapon from 18 to 21, implements a three-day waiting period on those purchases and includes new checks to prevent guns from falling into the hands of the mentally ill. The National Rifle Association opposes the bill. The lawsuit the NRA filed in federal court Friday in particular takes issue with the minimum age requirement on rifles. "Preventing a responsible 20-year-old from purchasing the best tool for self-defense will not stop a deranged criminal intent on committing a crime," the NRA said in a statement. The NRA says the measure violates Second and 14th Amendment rights. Some school staff can get firearm training Critically, the bill also includes a program to allow certain highly qualified school personnel to carry guns on campus, called the "guardian" program. Scott said he doesn't support a number of items in the bill, including arming teachers. "There are things in this bill that I oppose and I've been pretty open about that," Scott said. "I still think law enforcement officers should be the ones to protect our schools. I've heard all the arguments for teachers to be armed, and while this bill was significantly changed on this topic, I'm still not persuaded." "I'm glad however, the plan in this bill is not mandatory," Scott continued, adding that the program will be up to local officials to implement. "If counties don't want to do this, they can simply say no." At a packed media avail, flanked by parents of #ParklandShooting victims, @FLGovScott announces he's signing a gun violence prevention bill opposed by the @NRA, conceding "I'm still not persuaded" that teachers should be armed. Also says he won't veto funding. #guncontrol #flsen Troy Kinsey (@TroyKinsey) March 9, 2018 Many Democrats are continuing to call the guardian program a poison pill that could lead to deadly racial profiling. Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association isn't happy about Scott's move. Powerful NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer sent an email to her group's Florida supporters, saying lawmakers have given into "bullying and coercion" in passing the package. For the students of Stoneman Douglas High School, the focus will continue to be what's not in the law: a ban on assault-style weapons like the AR-15 used in Parkland. Chris Grady, a senior at Stoneman Douglas, called the signing of the legislation a "baby step." "Obviously, this is what we've been fighting for. It's nowhere near the long-term solution,'' said Grady, an organizer of the March for Life later this month in Washington, D.C. "It's a baby step, but a huge step at the same time. Florida hasn't passed any legislation like this in God knows how long. It's nowhere near what we want, but it's progress and uplifting to see," he told the Associated Press. The shooting at Stoneman Douglas happened on Valentine's Day. Former student Nikolas Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first degree murder. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Check back for updates on this breaking news story. They were part of an elite special forces team that took on the Taliban after 9/11, and now, some of the retired Green Beret soldiers whose stories were told on the recent movie "12 Strong" are getting into the whiskey business in the Bay Area. American Freedom Distillery expected to open this summer 10 retired Green Beret soldiers behind endeavor Building will be 17,000 square feet "It was very emotional for all of us. America was attacked," Retired Green Beret Bob Pennington said. "I took it all in and thought, 'Wow this is us, this is me in a movie,'" Pennington said. From the battlefields to whiskey barrels, Pennington is one of 10 retired Green Beret soldiers that are entering a new endeavor in St. Petersburg. "I applied the planning and organizational and coordinating skills I used in the military into the whiskey business," Pennington said. They are about to open a one-of-a-kind business called "American Freedom Distillery." "That's what's unique about the bonds of brotherhood and their families. We all remain quite close as we retired at different times," retired Green Beret Scott Neil said. The 17,000-square-foot building will be filled with different spirits, food and war stories. The men took on the Taliban after terrorists attacked and said it was a mission that formed an unbreakable bond. American Freedom Distillery is expected to open this summer. Nearly 60 women from the Sunshine State were sworn in Friday, making them naturalized citizens of the United States of America. Ceremony held Friday in Riverview The 58 women represented 25 countries The group gathered in the auditorium of Cooley Law School on the campus of Western Michigan University's campus in Riverview where the ceremony took place. Friends and relatives looked on as they took their oath. "I'm starting a new beginning, a new journey and I'm so happy," said Fabiana Dragonetti, who immigrated to the U.S. from Brazil four years ago. "I'm so proud of me." Rosario Agbanlog, who immigrated from the Philippines and has a son enlisted in the Marines, also took the oath. "I'm very blessed to be an American citizen," she said. The group of 58 women represented 25 countries, officials said. Cuba has the most representation with 10 women becoming U.S citizens. This is the third year Cooley Law School held an all-women Naturalization Oath Ceremony in honor of Women's History Month. A South Korean delegation says, after talks with North Korea, the North's leader, Kim Jong Un is eager to meet with President Trump. And President Trump says he wants to have this meeting by May. A South Korean delegation spent hours with U.S. officials on the outcome of a recent meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. President Trump this afternoon then made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room to announce that South Korea's national security adviser would be making a major statement. The announcement caught even Trump administration officials by surprise. The South Korean delegation says the policy of pressure against the North played a role in bringing Kim Jong Un to the table on talks. They said Kim was interested in talking about denuclearization and ending nuclear testing in the Korean Peninsula. South Korea's National Security Director Chung Eui-young said North Korea will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." North Korea and the United States have been in a formal state of war since the 1950s. This is a developing story. Check back for the latest. Editors note: The following are excerpts from a speech by Rev. Edward Pinkney at California State University in February, 2018 . There are 400 families in America who make an average of $97,000 per hour and the people [are fighting just to] make $15 and the majority of us dont say nothing. Fifty-three cents out of every federal dollar goes to the military. And yet they wont provide money for education of the children. As a minister, as a teacher, as a preacher, it is imperative that we lean on the Bible and teach what is really going on. My struggle was to bring justice to my community. They had practically destroyed the city. Their plan was to wipe out anybody who stood up. We fought Michigans Public Act 72, the [corporate] financial manager law. Then they came up with Public Act 4, the emergency manager law, which gave them absolute power. First thing they did was to take the mayors desk and put it in the basement. Then they changed the locks on the commissioners office. Then took away their cell phones, and anybody knows you dont take away a Black mans cell phones! Now the commissioners wanted to join with us. Whirlpool was financing James Hightower, the puppet mayor, and we got enough signatures to recall him. They claimed there were five signatures altered out of 700, which wouldnt have made a difference, but they cancelled the election and charged me with election fraud. Fortunately, I knew they didnt have any evidence. Immediately, at the opening of the trial, the prosecutor said we dont really need evidence to convict Rev. Pinkney. I had never heard of that before. He said circumstantial evidence is enough to convict. They found me guilty and sent me to prison for 30 months to ten years. When I got there, they were waiting. They wanted me to die there. First was putting me where mold was eating me up. I lost 30 pounds and became very sick. Then they accused me of making a three-way call and suspended my phone for 180 days. I was 500 miles from home. Then a visitor of mine was stopped on his way out and they wanted his notes. They put me in shackles and took me to the hole, accusing me of trying to smuggle something out, his notes. A group from Northern University picketed outside in my defense. They came back with not guilty. The whole place was cheering. [Rev. Pinkney then discusses the many successful efforts of unifying prisoners inside the prison through education and organizing.] The point is we need to take things to a whole different level. You have to tell people what is right and wrong. Tell the truth. They got us so divided up. Now they are trying to take food stamps and give you a box, nobody talking. We have to learn how to get this stuff together. It dont matter if you are Black, white, brown, red yellow, you have to learn to work together, you have to start organizing and educating and start mobilizing to change the way this system has got us fighting one another. They have us so divided up we dont know which way to go. I know we can do this. For Immediate Release, March 9, 2018 Contact: Andrea Santarsiere, (303) 854-7748, asantarsiere@biologicaldiversity.org Wyoming Proposes Cruel Grizzly Bear Hunt Hunt Allowed by Trump Administration's Premature Removal of Endangered Species Protection JACKSON, Wyo. Less than a year after Yellowstone's famed grizzly bears were stripped of Endangered Species Act protection, Wyoming today proposed hunting of the bears beginning this fall. Under the regulations, the state will sell tags for 24 grizzlies in areas outside of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Wyomings reckless hunt ignores the fact that grizzly bears remain endangered in Yellowstone and across the west, said Andrea Santarsiere, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. Its tragic that these imperiled animals will be shot and killed so trophy hunters can stick heads on their walls. Although grizzly bear numbers in the Greater Yellowstone area increased with endangered species protections granted in 1975, the bears continue to be threatened by isolation from other grizzly populations, loss of key food sources and human-caused mortalities, including now hunting. Overall grizzly bears occupy less than 4 percent of their historic U.S. range. Yellowstones amazing grizzly bears are loved by people around the world, and they deserve a real shot at survival, said Santarsiere. Its horrific that Wyoming doesnt see the intrinsic value that these bears bring to the states landscape. Millions of tourists from all over the world come to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park each year in hopes of seeing a grizzly bear and other rare wildlife. The tourism industry is a major economic driver for many towns in Wyoming and Montana. But the new regulations would provide no protection for Yellowstones famed bears, which could be shot if they leave park boundaries. Just last month Montanas state game agency took the opposite approach, recommending no grizzly bear hunt this year. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission adopted the recommendation Feb. 15. Montana made the right decision to not allow grizzly bear hunting this year and hopefully in future years, said Santarsiere. Wyomings failure to follow suit is deeply disappointing. The proposal to allow hunting comes as key grizzly bear food sources in the heart of the Yellowstone ecosystem have been collapsing and grizzly mortality rates have been increasing. The dramatic decline of whitebark pine and Yellowstone cutthroat trout has prompted bears to eat more meat, such as big-game gut piles and livestock, resulting in increased grizzly bear mortality. Drought and climate change are likely to worsen these problems. Yellowstones bears have long been isolated from other bear populations, forcing the government to keep them on permanent life support by trucking bears in to avoid inbreeding. This fact further highlights the need for recovering grizzly bears in more places. For Immediate Release, March 8, 2018 Contact: Emily Jeffers, (510) 844-7109, ejeffers@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Failure to Protect Walrus Officials Reversed Scientific Finding That Ice Melt Requires Endangered Species Listing ANCHORAGE, Alaska The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration today for denying Endangered Species Act protection to Pacific walrus. The lawsuit is being filed just as Arctic sea ice coverage is hitting a record low. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found in 2011 that the walrus warranted protection because climate change is destroying the sea ice it needs to survive. But a few months after Trump took office, the agency reversed course and found the species no longer merits protection. The Trump administrations outrageous reversal is a deathblow for the Pacific walrus, said Emily Jeffers, an attorney with the Center. Arctic ice is disappearing at a record rate, and walruses are suffering catastrophic habitat loss. Rather than ignoring the science, the administration needs to give these magnificent creatures the protection they desperately need to survive and legally deserve. In 2011, following the Centers 2008 petition to list the walrus as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, the Service determined that the Pacific walrus warranted protection under the law. Officials concluded that climate change would destroy the walruss sea-ice habitat and cause a substantial population decline. Six years later the Trump administration executed a 180-degree reversal, determining in October that listing the Pacific walrus as threatened or endangered was "not warranted. The Service reached this conclusion despite strong science demonstrating the Pacific walrus faces extinction within the foreseeable future. The case for listing the species has only grown stronger since 2011 as Arctic sea-ice extent hit numerous record lows; summer sea ice continues to disappear from the walruss foraging grounds in the Chukchi Sea; and new models representing the international scientific consensus on climate change point to a dramatic loss of the walruss sea-ice habitat through at least the end of the century. Pacific walruses, known for their massive size and ever-growing pair of tusks, depend on Arctic sea ice for their essential life functions. Pacific walruses need sea ice for courtship, giving birth, nursing their young, and resting during foraging and molting. Without strong action to reduce carbon pollution, scientists project that summer sea ice will disappear in the next decade or two. The science clearly shows that climate change is destroying the sea ice walruses need to survive, said Jeffers. Were confident the court will see this reckless finding as a politically driven decision that completely ignores the agencys legal obligations to protect imperiled wildlife. The listing of the Pacific walrus would not affect subsistence harvest of the species by Alaska natives. Listing the walrus would provide the species with several important protections, including increased protection from oil and gas development and the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change. It also requires the federal government to designate critical habitat to protect the species most essential habitat areas. The lawsuit comes a day before the close of the comment period on the Trump administrations proposal to allow offshore oil and gas drilling in all U.S. oceans, including the Chukchi and Bering seas where walrus live. Toxic Weed Killer to Be Sprayed on 60 Million Monarch Acres Monarch butterfly populations have fallen by 80 percent in the past two decades due to pesticide use and other threats. The news gets worse: Now we know that more than 60 million acres of their habitat will be sprayed with a pesticide extremely harmful to milkweed plants, monarch caterpillars' only food. The Center for Biological Diversity's new report A Menace to Monarchs shows that the butterflies face a dangerous new threat from accelerating use of this notoriously drift-prone, highly toxic weed killer called dicamba across an area larger than Minnesota. "America's monarchs are already in serious trouble, and this will push them into absolute crisis," said Center scientist Nathan Donley. "It's appalling that the Environmental Protection Agency approved this spraying without bothering to consider the damage it will do to these butterflies and their migration routes." Check out this startling animated map and read more in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Founding Women is a collection of the inspirational, first-hand accounts of 20 African women who are defying the odds to build successful businesses in technology on the continent. Filled with practical advice and words of encouragement, this book speaks to any girl who has a dream but fears the odds might be stacked up too high against her.Founding Women is a publication of the Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN), a UK-based social enterprise that works to promote sustainable development in Africa through technology innovation and enterprise.All proceeds from sale of the book will go towards ATBNs training and mentorship programme for young female entrepreneurs in Africa.The release of this book is timely, especially as the world marks International Womens Day. We must recognise that the playing field is not even for all women. African women in tech are not often visible, particularly, as we are so under-represented in the sector.Founding Women is about highlighting role models to show girls and young women across Africa and the world, that technology is for them and that they too can become technology entrepreneurs if they want to. The book also speaks to a much broader audience because ultimately these womens stories can teach us all something about going for our dreams and not giving up, said Eunice Baguma Ball, author and founder of ATBN.As highlighted by the recent #MeToo movement, gender inequality continues to be a pressing issue worldwide, particularly in male-dominated sectors like technology where women face systemic barriers.Recent findings show that out of the $85 billion invested by venture capitalists in 2017, only 2% went to women , and less than 1% to black female entrepreneurs . This book not only puts the spotlight on some of the challenges faced by African female entrepreneurs, but also showcases their strength and commitment to their visions.Eunice Baguma Ball is a UK-based, Ugandan social entrepreneur and technology advocate. She is the founder and executive director of the Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN).Her passion for technology stemmed from her experience working on financial inclusion projects in Uganda where she saw the impact that technology-enabled access to financial services could have on the lives of those in underserved communities. She later founded a technology startup in Uganda. While it was not successful, the experience motivated her to work towards building an African innovation ecosystem where young entrepreneurs can access the support they need to succeed and led her to establish ATBN. Facilitating a session for 140 communicators and business leaders in Zambia to enhance communication of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was a privilege. The gathering was arranged by the Zambia Public Relations Association (ZAPRA), the official communicator's body in Zambia. Daniel Munslow is a director of MCC Consulting. Catalyst for innovation It was an opportunity not only to enhance communication skills, but to do so for an outcome that can change peoples lives and make the world a better place.While some people have heard of the SDGs, many have not. These are a collection of 17 interrelated global goals set by the United Nations, that each has its own targets to achieve. The SDGs cover a broad range of social and economic development issues, affecting all countries to varying degrees and levels of priority.Until now, many organisations have left the discussion and promotion of the SDGs in the domain of the UN bodies and civil society in their respective countries. Three years in to the 15-year goals of the SDGs, organisations are now adopting a different philosophy; one that believes that everyone has a role to play in achieving the SDGs and enhancing the quality of lives of billions of people.The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership, inclusivity, and pragmatism, encouraging people to make the right choices now to improve the lives of current and future generations. They provide explicit guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own national development priorities and the environmental challenges they, and the world at large, face.The SDGs tackle the root causes of poverty and unite the world together to make a positive change for both people and planet. UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner has said, Poverty eradication is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, and so is the commitment to leave no-one behind. The Agenda offers a unique opportunity to put the whole world on a more prosperous and sustainable development path.So, how then do PR and Communication practitioners approach the SDGs within the context of their work? How do they tell the story? How do they engage with relevant stakeholders? What is the discussion at the table? The integration of corporate reputation management around the SDGs is an opportunity to show how strategic the communication function should be in managing corporate reputation and the bottom-line, while at the same time making the world a better place.A recent PWC report showed three interesting facts about the SDGs back in 2015. 71% of businesses said they had already started planning how they would engage with the SDGs; 13% of businesses had identified the tools they needed to assess their impact against the SDGs; and 41% of businesses said they would embed the SDGs into strategy and the way they do business. I wonder how far they have come?The SDGs represent a catalyst for innovation and a myriad of opportunities for savvy CEOs to embrace and adopt within the context of their businesses, linking to corporate social investment and an ethical responsibility to the environment in which they operate.This means businesses and communicators need to be rethinking their reputation strategies and the type of behaviour change that is needed to positively contribute to society. It makes good business sense to know how an organisation is contributing towards a governments ability to achieve the SDGs through broader localised National Development Plans, and how this is being positioned as part of its social licence to operate in its geography.It starts with an alignment mapping exercise to identify relevant SDGs to the organisation; the stakeholders involved; measuring the impact from a reputational, social and business perspective; and implementing initiatives that support and create a good basis for dialogue and this has to be market specific.As a multinational operating in multiple geographies, it helps to evidence a companys commitment to the social needs of each market, which in turn helps secure and maintains the social licence to operate.To what extent should business be taking a lead from the goals that general society deem important rather than focusing just on the goals where the company believes it has the most impact and opportunity? After all, businesses are dependent on society for its employees, its customers, its reputation, and of course its social licence to operate. So, if business is targeting its thinking towards priorities not on the consumer agenda, is this indicative of a disconnect in the way business identifies and values its dependencies?Now is the time to challenge and mobilise action that will bring these agendas meaningfully and tangibly to life, in all markets. Communicators have an excellent opportunity to recognise the gaps that have been identified in the SDGs and communicate them to fulfil a vision of a better world. This company article has been removed. In the search to become 'more than a store', retailers in Africa need to put their customer at the heart of the operation, says Frans van der Colff, an independent retail consultant who previously occupied a role as director for Africa and international at Food Lover's Market Group. Focus on low-income communities Cultural cognisance Community-centred design Speaking on the topic of store design at the Seamless Africa conference in Cape Town this week, he pointed out that retailers in Africa often neglect their customer. And South Africa, with its relatively sophisticated retail model, is no exception.Consumers in lower income groups receive the most neglect, with their store environment marred by lengthy checkout processes and largely showing a lack of any experiential elements.In South Africa we tend to focus on the upper 10% and ignore 88% of our customers and theyre where were going to get the biggest growth from.We get the checkout system so wrong in other African countries and especially in our rural and township areas. People buy in smaller quantities which translates to a larger number of customers, but we hardly have enough checkouts open and we don't ensure people get through them easily. For some reason, we believe that if you're poor you can stand in a queue for a long time.He advised that retailers experiment with more ways for customers to taste, learn and discover by allocating areas for interactive experiences, like cooking demos, for example. Its not only an opportunity to entertain, but also to educate consumers on products like fresh produce, and thus healthy living.Education is an important role for retailers and they should be providing a feast of information for Africas burgeoning young population who are so hungry to learn.Van der Colff also called out the arrogance of South African retailers when expanding into other regions on the continent, who many times fail because they neglect to integrate the cultural nuances of the area into their operations and design.We think we've done a good job back home so we'll show everybody else how to do it. But many times, we simply take our model and we plonk it down elsewhere without taking into the account the cultural and customary differences.Who is the customer and what's important to them? The retailers that will see success in their African expansion plans will be those that can successfully marry the local culture and needs with their offering.Store design can add real value to the shopping experience, and in Africa specifically, van der Colff feels that we should be designing around the concept of community.In Africa it's all about 'we'. Before colonialism, the African village was very much a community-driven concept, with a culture of sharing and assisting one another at its core. That sense of community is still very strong on our continent, and we need to design according to it.He emphasised the importance of social hubs within the store layout, drawing inspiration from the continent's age-old pastime of shopping in local markets.The market is not only the place you shop for fresh produce, it's also the place where people socialise. Our store designs so often neglect that. The entire shopping experience is rushed - we don't include meeting areas where our customers can engage and spend time with each other. We need to recreate that rich market experience. Energy minister, Jeff Radebe, said the renewable energy projects that have been on hold for two years will be signed next week. Creating 61,000 full-time jobs Community development Outstanding small producer programme agreements to be signed Industry response I am delighted to announce that the project agreements for the 27 renewable energy independent power producer projects (REIPPP), including the power purchase agreements with Eskom, will be signed on Tuesday, 13 March 2018, with the full support of the president and my cabinet colleagues the ministers of finance and public enterprises as well as Eskom, he says.The minister said signing the agreements would reaffirm governments commitment not only to renewable energy, but also to a solid partnership with the private sector in pursuing energy transition objectives for the future.This initiative will enable R56bn of new investment in the economy over the next two to three years, which will immediately contribute to growth in the economy supporting the already positive achievement of 3.1% GDP growth in the quarter four, he said.The programme, will have a significant contribution in job creation across the energy value chain, including the re-establishment of industrial development and support to the technical training of young people to be absorbed in the labour market.In a nutshell, these projects will provide 61,600 full-time jobs of which 95% are for SA citizens, mostly during plant construction specifically with a focus on youth employment.Northern Cape will have 59% of the jobs created, followed by Eastern Cape with 15% and North West 13% of jobs created, he said.The minister said black participation is anticipated to increase not only at ownership level, but at operational level, and added that the construction and operation of the projects will eventually lead to the creation of black industrialists.Local community shareholding (equity share) in the 27 projects amounts to 7.1% (or R1.6bn), and these shareholders will receive R5.9bn net dividends over the 20-year lifetime of the projects. This will have a substantial positive impact on the living standard of the communities around these projects.Communities through community trusts have full control over how the money will be spent in their areas.The IPPs will enable local communities to further benefit directly from the investments attracted to the areas through the R9.8bn to be spent on socio-economic development initiatives and R3.4bn to enterprise development over the 20-year lifetime of the project agreements.As part of the bid obligations, the bid window 3.5 and 4 preferred bidders have made commitments in five categories, namely, education and skills development, social welfare, healthcare, general administration and enterprise development. The majority of the money will be spent in these local communities around the projects and will involve women-owned small businesses. It will also ensure youth participation and development, whether through skills transfer and training, bursaries and/or the establishment of small businesses, he said.Radebe has requested the IPP office to start finalising all outstanding requirements for the signing of the 20 small renewable programme (projects between 1MW and 5 MW) projects, which will have a substantial impact on a different market segment and contribute to creation of small businesses. This will immediately ensure a R2.7bn investment in this part of the economy.The Development Bank of South Africa and the German development finance institution, KfW, have established access to affordable funds for small businesses to participate in the green economy and therefore the small renewable energy programme.Together this will achieve a further R103bn of investment in the economy with substantial foreign direct investment.Meanwhile the South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea), together with the broader renewable power sector, have welcomed the commitment from the minister. The Industry is therefore immensely relieved to receive confirmation today from Minister Radebe that PPAs will be signed with no further delay, said Brenda Martin, CEO of Sawea.The task of getting the REIPPPP, which has endured extended policy uncertainty for over two years, back on track will no doubt be a challenge for all involved, however, the industry has reaffirmed its commitment to working with government, civil society and labour to ensure that the programme makes an optimal contribution to job creation, advancing the transformation agenda and attracting further foreign direct investment. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has found that Eskom suspending head of legal compliance Suzanne Daniels was an "unfair labour practice". "The respondent party Eskom is ordered to uplift the suspension with immediate effect and take the applicant back into its employ with effect from 19 March 2018," CCMA commissioner Prince Kekana said in her award."The respondent is ordered to pay to the applicant, Suzanne Daniels, compensation equivalent to five months remuneration for the unfair suspension."Daniels blew the whistle on state capture at Eskom while testifying in Parliament last year. She compiled a report implicating senior Eskom managers in the Trillian/McKinsey saga. Eskom paid global consultancy McKinsey and Gupta-linked financial firm Trillian R1.6bn.Daniels issued letters of demand to McKinsey and Trillian in October to the same value and was suspended shortly after the letters were sent by then acting CEO Sean Maritz - who has since been suspended and has subsequently resigned.Daniels testified in Parliament last year that she met Ajay Gupta, Duduzane Zuma, former deputy public enterprises minister Ben Martins, and an unidentified Chinese woman at a townhouse in Melrose Arch in Johannesburg on 29 July last year.She is expected to be a key witness in the upcoming judicial commission of inquiry into state capture that will be headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. Environmental Affairs minister Dr Edna Molewa says transformation of the biodiversity sector is a necessity in a changing world. This is more so in the context of South Africa, where policies of the past were exclusionary, thus depriving the majority of our people from actively participating in sectors of the economy, Molewa said.Addressing the third Biodiversity Economy Indaba (BEI) at the International Convention Centre in East London, Eastern Cape, she said it cant be justified that the custodians of the genetic resources and equally the holders of traditional knowledge are treated as non-equals in the beneficiation of their resources.Molewa said government has, in response to this anomaly, developed and implemented the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy, which aims to promote a new generation of partnerships between communities, industry and the public sector. Molewa said this was done to realise the access, fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of biological resources.In order to ensure a coherent approach in the implementation of this strategy, detailed plans at a three-feet level were developed through the Operation Phakisa Model, organised in the form of the Biodiversity Economy Lab.This was an intense process which focused on identifying quantifiable targets centred on transformation, sustainability and economic growth, as well as the associated initiatives meant to deliver big fast results for the bio-prospecting, wildlife, and coastal and marine tourism subsectors, she said.Molewa said the countrys efforts in the bio-prospecting industry should create a sustainable, inclusive and commercially viable sector adding 10,000 new jobs and contributing R1.7bn to GDP at 10% per annum by 2030. In recent years, the biodiversity economy, which is an important contributor to job creation, has shown a constant annual growth of 6%.The South African bio-prospecting sector encompasses organisations and people that are searching or collecting, harvesting and extracting living or dead indigenous specimens, or derivatives and genetic material for commercial and industrial purposes.The third BEI Indaba brings together multiple and diverse stakeholders in the biodiversity economy, including the hunting and game farm sectors and the bioprospecting, natural products and biotrade industries. They might be at the bottom of the food chain, but krill could prove to be a secret weapon in the fight against the growing threat of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. By ystein Paulsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons New research on Friday, 9 March, showed the tiny zooplankton are capable of digesting microplastics - under five millimetres (0.2 inches) - before excreting them back into the environment in an even smaller form.Study author Amanda Dawson stumbled on the finding while working on a project involving microbeads - polyethylene plastic often used in cosmetics such as face scrubs - at the Australian Antarctic Division's krill aquarium to check the toxic effects of pollution."We realised that krill actually break up plastic, it was amazing," the researcher from Australia's Griffith University told AFP."It's difficult to know exactly what the implications of this could be, but the theory is that because plastics in the ocean are already degraded and more fragile, they would be even easier for krill to break up."The problem of plastic pollution is widespread, and rapidly getting worse. Every year, more than eight million tons ends up in the ocean, costing billions of dollars in damage to marine ecosystems and killing an estimated one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals and untold numbers of fish, studies have shown.UN secretary general Antonio Guterres last year cited one study that showed plastic could outweigh fish in 2050 if nothing was done.Australian Antarctic Division krill biologist and study co-author So Kawaguchi said this was the first time scientists had examined microplastics digested by the crustaceans.Published in, it found the fragments excreted were, on average, 78% smaller than the original beads with some reduced by 94%."It's a new pathway for microplastics to interact with the ecosystem", Kawaguchi said.He added that the research suggested other zooplankton with similar digestive systems may also be able to break down microplastics.But Dawson cautioned the finding could also be a double-edged sword, citing the potential for toxins to be passed down the food chain as the smaller excreted particles became available to organisms that would not be able to ingest larger ones."We've barely scratched the surface and more work is needed," she said.Krill are zooplankton invertebrates that float in huge swarms in oceans all over the world. Barely the size of a paper-clip, they can live for 10 years and are one of the most abundant animal species. The Ntsebeza Inquiry into the conduct of former KPMG employees ground to a halt again on Thursday following a two-week postponement. The inquiry, headed by advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, was instituted by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) and is looking into whether any individuals who are members of Saica contravened the code of conduct of Saica in their work for KPMG on the Gupta family accounts and the so-called Sars report.The inquiry heard evidence from a third individual on the Saica code of conduct, Ulrich Schackermann, who dealt with the guidelines of ethical behaviour the code sets out for chartered accountants who are members of Saica. Saica membership is not compulsory.The inquiry was due to hear evidence from the first of five complainants, Alex Richter, but counsel for law firm ENS Africa Johan Smit raised concerns over whether or not Richter's evidence fell within the ambit of the terms of reference of the inquiry.Smit also raised concerns over a second submission his clients had made in response to Richter's complaint, which seemingly had not made its way into the evidence bundles shared with the panel.In the ensuing debate over points raised by Smit, Richter's evidence was not heard. He will likely be called to give evidence on Monday.understands that Richter's complaint is based on events surrounding the conduct of two KPMG employees in dealings with his deceased father's estate.The inquiry is set to resume on Friday and is scheduled to hear evidence from Dr Elmarie Buys, whose complaint deals with the conduct of two KPMG employees who compiled a report that led to her suspension from the Department of Science and Technology.The other complaints that will form part of the inquiry are by Sars, former KPMG director Mooketsi Motsisi and former Randgold director Johan Blersch.reported on Thursday that the inquiry is expecting Sars commissioner Tom Moyane to give evidence next week. Section 12J of the Income Tax Act has been a "huge success" in that it has ignited SA's venture-capital industry and unlocked funding for innovative firms, says Clive Butkow, CEO of section 12J company Kalon Venture Partners. Section 12J was introduced in 2009 to incentivise investments in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via tax breaks. While interest was tepid at first, the government amended certain rules in 2015, making the scheme more attractive.Among other measures, the maximum size of investee firms was raised from R20m to R50m, while investors in section 12J companies would have to hold their shares for only five years " as opposed to indefinitely " to retain tax rebates.By February 2017, R1.8bn had been raised by 49 registered investment vehicles, which collectively invested into 56 companies, according to the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (Savca). Nearly 900 investors held shares in section 12J venture capital companies.There were now 95 section 12J companies, and Kalon is one of about five to focus on digital technology investments, said Butkow, a former chief operating officer at Accenture SA.These five companies had probably invested "a few hundred million" in local software technology groups. Kalon raised R110m for its fund and has deployed about R30m of that in four tech companies to date, Butkow said."There are two problems in SA - one is that there's not enough capital to marry the amount of innovation that's going on. 12J has helped because it has brought more capital into the ecosystem," he said. "The other problem is that there's a lack of last-mile skills to deploy that capital and pick the winners from the losers " there's not a lot of skills to invest in technology companies because it's so new."SA is "still probably 10 years behind Silicon Valley, but at least we are starting to create an ecosystem", said Butkow."From what SARS intended it to do " create jobs and help GDP growth " I think it's been incredibly visionary."According to Savca CEO Tanya van Lill, funding for SMEs remains "in very short supply"."The capital raised by this incentive, and the increased attention by professional investors, is expected to have a positive impact on the wider South African economy," she said.Neill Hobbs, co-founder and director at Anuva Investments, another section 12J venture capital company, told Business Day after the 2018 budget speech that "avoiding tax in a legal manner is still a priority for many"."[Section 12J] paved the way for not only making investments that are tax free, but also that encouraged support of SMEs," Hobbs said.While Anuva had hoped former finance minister Malusi Gigaba would announce more incentives to invest in SMEs, Gigaba's focus "on better supporting" SMEs through other funding mechanisms and programmes was "good news". Karabo Takadi and Wessel Lemmer of Absa Agribusiness recently compiled an avocado outlook for the industry. Lotus Head via FreeImages International trends Domestic trends Consumption Exports Outlook Strong demand has kept avocado prices at attractive levels for the past decade, which continues to bode well for additional investment into this sector. As a result of drought conditions in some of the major avocado-producing and exporting countries in 2016, global prices have significantly increased, as production has declined. The American Restaurant Association, which analyses data from the United States Department of Agriculture, reported that the wholesale price of avocado in the United States (US) increased 125% between January and September 2017, from $37.25 (about R527.48) for a standard box of 48 avocados to $83,75 (R1,185.95).Mexico, which is currently the worlds biggest producer of the fruit and exports primarily to the US, Europe, Asia and Canada recorded a substantial harvest in 2016. However, production declined by an estimated 20% in 2017 as a result of unfavourable weather conditions. Poor weather also led to a production decline in Peru in 2017, resulting in limited production and insufficient supply.This presents South African producers with a temporary opportunity to gain more widespread access to the European market. Meanwhile, avocado production has recovered in Chile, after almost a decade of drought. Chile ceases avocado exports during April, opening up a potential marketing window for South African producers.There are about 17,500ha planted to avocado in South Africa. However, the 2015/2016 drought negatively affected avocado yields in 2017, which resulted in lower-than-average production levels. Moreover, as 2017 was an off-season, which usually tends to deliver lower yields, production declined even further. The estimated total avocado production for 2017 is currently at 117,000 tons. However, there is certainly room for expansion, with an average of an additional 1,000ha planted to avocado every year.Avocado is currently grown in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. There is also growing interest to expand production to the Eastern and Western Cape.In 2016, 45% of South Africas avocado harvest was exported, while 18% was sold on the fresh produce markets. 12% went to the processing sector, while 16% was sold on the informal market and 8% was sold directly to retailers.Price increases have been driven by higher demand, as well as avocado increasingly being used in the manufacturing and production of beauty products.Lower production and yield have resulted in lower exportable volumes. Exports of the 2017 crop, primarily to the Netherlands are expected to amount to 52,000 tonnes, which is 7% lower than that of 2016. Despite lower yield in 2017, there may be more export opportunities for South African producers in the future, as industry role-players work on accessing new markets such as the US, Japan, China and India. The avocado industry remains profitable, as local prices have increased annually for the past six years. During this period, prices increased 173% because of strong demand. This may also explain the increased rate at which additional trees have been planted.Demand is increasing more rapidly than the current rate of production. This trend will most likely be supported by a growing market, which may encourage producers to invest in expanding production. Margeaux Adams has been named the University of Witwatersrand regional winner of the 31st Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Award. Margeaux Adams Architecture as a product of culture In the annual competition, the countrys best architectural students from eight major universities are identified based on their final theses and presented with awards throughout the year. The winners of each of the regional competitions then go on to compete for the national title and a prize of R50,000 at the Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards.The students of today are the creators of the built environment of the future. We find ourselves in a challenging time where our finest young minds will have to adapt to unprecedented changes. We are on the brink of a fourth industrial revolution. Whereas, the first industrial revolution was centred on engineering, the second driven by electricity and mass production and the third by information technology, the fourth will hinge on human creativity. Already we are seeing massive levels of disruption as people completely recreate processes that we have taken for granted for decades, said Musa Shangase, Corobrik commercial director told students and academics at the award ceremony.Margeaux Adams' thesis is entitled. She says, The research interrogates dominant western pedagogy and concepts of cultural superiority including the idea of architecture as a product of culture."It looks at colonial discourse with a specific interest in language and its use in constructing systems of knowledge and power and assesses architecture as an extension of this colonial language."Using post-colonial theory, the research intends to deconstruct harmful and inaccurate ideas of cultural superiority and its embodiment in our spatial landscapes. Noting that during colonialism and its succeeding ideology apartheid, erasure of people of colour occurred in various forms. Erasure of their identities under racial classification systems and the accompanying spatial erasure through spatial displacement and relocation."Within the spatial case study of the small Anglican mission settlement of Abbotsdale (a community of former slaves) the research addresses three central ideas from an architectural standpoint; identity, power and ritual. This community has experienced multiple forms of erasure within its physical and psychological landscape."The architectural proposal programmatically attempts to accommodate the remaining remnants of the rituals of the town and community. Therein acknowledging and giving value to the community's heritage and history. This takes physical form in the reinterpretation of the spatial role once played by the church in a mission settlement. The programme is a complex which includes an archive, an agricultural school, an event space, a community-based market and a bakery.Adams received first prize of R8,500, while Rene Vidjak won second prize of R6,500 and Aeron Stipanov received the third prize of R4,500. A R4,500 prize for the best use of clay masonry was also presented to Gabrielle Cutler.Adams will represent the University of Witwatersrand at the national finals to be held in Johannesburg in April this year. In light of International Women's Day and the recent IAB Digital Summit, which had a notable line-up of women in digital in this notoriously male-dominated sector, I thought I'd interview Sturae Hickley, ad operations manager at Mark1, who was a panellist at the Summit, where she, along with other women in digital, discussed data, AI and how they're using programmatic to manipulate us. Sturae Hickley, ad operations manager at Mark1. How did you feel about speaking at the Summit this year? What is your opinion of programmatic? What has been your experience as a woman working in this male-dominated space? Where do you see AI in a few years and what impact do you expect it to have? What are some data trends youve seen play out over the last year? What does this mean for marketers? Todays lineup of females blazing trails in our industry and the men who support them is proof that we are maybe slowly, but certainly surely championing diversity in digital, said Josephine Buys.This year, the Summit theme was around data and disruption in future-proofing digital marketing. Hickley believes that it is always important to evaluate where the industry is at, and these types of discussions allow for this and best practices. It keeps us abreast with the conversations happening within the industry, she says.Here, she shares some effective ways for marketers to leverage data and talks about the impact AI will have on the industry and our day-to-day lives in generalI felt so many emotions: super nervous, excited, honoured and overwhelmed. It was an opportunity I didnt take lightly and a huge privilege to be sharing a stage with big names in our industry.Programmatic is such a powerful form of advertising with data at the core of it. Audience data allows for more accurate targeting, ensuring that we reach the right audience at the right time, on the right device with the relevant message. Users have become desensitised to advertising, that is why as marketers it is imperative that we get this data thing right.Truth be told, it is tough most of the time, even more so as a woman of colour. You need to have thick skin, and just continue with the good fight, because you are paving the way for young women coming after you and because of this its worth it. It would not be fair if I dont mention that there are men that respect your voice, just as much as the other men in the room.AI has made itself known, loud and clear. Were made aware of robot dogs, self-driving cars and a robot citizen. If this doesnt make a statement nothing else would. It is here to stay and will only improve as time goes on. The industry has already started benefiting from AI with machine learning and automation becoming more prominent. AI is here to make things even more convenient for us, whether its going to take over our jobs is definitely a factor we would need to consider and probably get used to.There are so many data trends to talk about, such as blockchain, ads.txt, GDPR, etc. I think the one that would be most prominent this year and moving forward is the official introduction of GDPR in the EU in May 2018. This is similar to the PoPI Act in South Africa, which goes into effect in the next couple of months.As marketers, we are going to have to be extra careful and vigilant when it comes to users personal information. We would need to ensure that measures are in place to keep data safe, as well as be transparent about how we are using the data. Global software company SAP's investigation into contracts with state-owned enterprises (SOEs) Transnet and Eskom has found that there were payments made to Gupta-related entities and that there were indications of mismanagement and irregularities. The mismanagement was in relation to the management of the Gupta-linked third parties and the irregularities were in the adherence to SAP's compliance processes, Adaire Fox-Martin the company's president of global customer operations Europe, the Middle East and Africa, parts of Europe and greater China said on Thursday."There is no evidence, however, of any payment or attempted payment made to any South African government official or any employee of an SOE in connection with Transnet and Eskom," she said.SAP has been embroiled in the Gupta scandal along with other companies, such as consulting firm McKinsey and Trillian Capital Partners, which were all linked to Eskom contracts. An internal investigation into these matters was conducted by law firm Baker McKenzie on behalf of SAP.A tranche of leaked Gupta e-mails showed not only how kickbacks were allegedly paid but also how the Guptas gained access to highly confidential draft contracts between SAP and Eskom. The SAP-Eskom contract was for an SAP management tool that tracks purchasing, invoicing and payment documents. The Guptas also managed to obtain a bid by SAP to provide commercial software for use in the South African public service.There were also allegations that CAD House, which is owned by former president Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane, received multimillion-rand kickbacks for helping SAP secure contracts with Transnet.Going through a summary of the report, Fox-Martin said on Thursday that SAP SA had concluded two contracts with Transnet and four with Eskom between December 2014 and June 2017, with Global Software Solutions (GSS) and CAD House acting as commissioned intermediaries.One of the contracts involved "a commission" of 10% while the other five contracts involved a commission rate of 14.9%. This was just below the 15% threshold which would have triggered an SAP executive board review of the deals, Fox-Martin said.She said the investigation also found no evidence that SAP had direct contact with any member of the Gupta family or that of the Zuma family. "The primary connection was with Gupta intermediary, Santosh Choubey, and the people who reported to him. Choubey became the principal for GSS and CAD House."GSS became eligible to act as a sales commission agent in September 2014 when it became a value-added reseller, and CAD House was approved as a sales commission agent in August 2015. SAP had terminated the ability of value-added resellers, such as GSS, to act as sales commission agents in 2016.Fox-Martin said SAP would not tolerate misconduct and wrongdoing and had instituted disciplinary proceedings against three senior executives, who were put on administrative leave in July last year and then suspended in October.She said the executives have now resigned and have received no severance from SAP. SAP refused to divulge who the officials were. The City of Johannesburg is to revalue 8,000 properties following an outcry from residents and companies affected by huge increases in municipal valuations. The city revalued all housing and commercial properties in its administrative jurisdiction in 2017, in terms of a legislated process that takes place every four years.Last week,reported that businesses, residents and other property owners affected by the valuation increases had accused the city council of unfairly inflating property values to boost its flagging income.This came soon after the Joburg council passed its adjustment budget, in which its 2017/18 capital and operational expenditure budgets were adjusted downwards. It received R926m less revenue than expected in service charges. Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba said in a statement on Wednesday, 7 March, that many of the properties identified as problematic had received valuation hikes of more than 100%.Mashaba said the valuations entailed an average increase of 30% over a five-year period for the 879,000 residential properties.The values of 40.71% of the properties had been hiked 21%-40% and those of 30.65% of the properties 41%-60%. Eight percent of the property values were increased 61%-80% and 2.23% were raised 81%-100% and 3.38% more than 100%.Mashaba said on Wednesday the owners of the properties to be revalued would receive section 78 notices from next week, which would provide the revised valuations.The notices would also make provisions for a 30-day period during which property owners could provide relevant information to be taken into account in the review process.Mashaba said that these properties would be placed on the supplementary valuation roll. "In cases such as this, the city must assume the burden to address the problematic valuations before the implementation date on July 1 2018," said Mashaba. This differed from the conventional objections process, which placed the burden on account holders to object to the valuation.Municipal valuer Piet Eloff, in response to emailed questions, told Business Day that the municipality could not put a cap on the valuation levels, saying the municipal valuer was independent and could not be prescribed to.Legislation made provision for the city to object to the values of properties where they disagreed, Mashaba said. Eloff said the properties in question were mostly commercial properties, but also included some blocks of flats.He said a perceived fair increase in the valuations differed from area to area but on average it was 40% for residential properties and 30% for commercial properties.The city's finance department has indicated that a process to reset rates tariffs was still under way.Gauteng premier David Makhura added his voice to those of distressed residents and companies, saying that he was "deeply concerned" about the city council's proposed rates increases."These rate hikes will in no doubt put financial strain on the residents who are already buckling under financial pressure due to the weak economic environment," he said.Makhura said he would meet Mashaba to discuss it and would appeal to the mayor to ensure that Joburg residents were not unduly burdened with unjustified rate hikes. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) announced on Thursday that veteran presenter and journalist Bongani Bingwa will join its news anchoring pool. Bongani Bingwa will co-host the 6pm to 9pm slot on SABCs 24-hour news channel alongside Francis Herd | Twitter Thrilled to be joining @SABCNewsroom - daunting task ahead. It's a new challenge as I say goodbye to @carteblanchetv - 11 of the best years of my career! And just to be clear, I am NOT leaving my first love, @Radio702. I just needed to still say Ubusuku Benzolo!!! Bongani Bingwa - 702 Breakfast & SABC PrimeTime (@bonglez) March 8, 2018 The SABC says Bongani Bingwa @bonglez is joining SABC News (@DStv 404) as new co-anchor of @FrancisHerd weekdays 6-9pm; as well as the 9pm news simulcast on @SABC3. -Nothing yet on what's happening to @peterndoro who was the co-anchor. -Nothing yet from @MNet & @carteblanchetv. pic.twitter.com/XNi422k1ke TVwithThinus (@TVwithThinus) March 8, 2018 Bingwa was a presenter and journalist onfor 10 years. He is also the host of the Radio 702 breakfast show - a position he was adamant on Thursday night he was not leaving.Bingwa will co-host the 6pm to 9pm slot on SABC's 24-hour news channel alongside Francis Herd from Monday. The slot was previously co-hosted by Peter Ndoro, whose Twitter bio states that he will be now news anchor from 3pm to 6pm.The SABC said Bingwa brought to the public broadcaster a wealth of knowledge in journalism for both radio and television news and current affairs."As part of our continued efforts to stay relevant in the highly dynamic and competitive broadcasting space, it is crucial that we recruit the best talent that will deliver cutting-edge news and current affairs programmes which are well researched, balanced and fair," SABC group executive for news and current affairs, Phathiswa Magopeni, said.Bingwa, responding to the appointment, said he was excited to be part of the changes at the SABC and to join a team that would be creating a new legacy for the public broadcaster. South Africa needs to do more to support people living with disabilities who want to run their own businesses. At present it is hard for them to make a living. Helping them would benefit the broader economy too. The township environment Equipment and machinery I believe that the number one limiting factor for some of us is lack of supporting tools and machinery. Because I am in a wheelchair, the best thing for me would be to have machinery for my business, so that I get on board with new machines that are designed with the user in mind and ultimately increasing the productivity of my business. Discrimination I need answers as to why we have to go through such discrimination and humiliation just because we are physically disabled. We are always last in line for everything, we are not treated the same because of this stigma. Business networking Most entrepreneurs who are not disabled exclude us from their business networking events just because we are physically challenged. This is because they recognise us as entrepreneurs who are very slow in their business operations. Each time I attend business networking events people see my disfigurement and they wouldnt want to, or dont know how to, approach me. Start-up capital Commercial banks do not want to offer loans to entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities they are not confident in our competence to run businesses. Support centres Education and training We do not have adequate knowledge and teaching on how to manage various entrepreneurial businesses. Recommendations Individuals with disabilities make up 15% of the South African population and its estimated that 8 in 10 people living with disabilities are unemployed.There are some measures in place designed to alleviate the situation. These include the disability grant and some specific provisions in laws such as the equity act, black economic empowerment as well as the Constitution of the country. But these are far from enough.In a country like South Africa where the unemployment rate is 27.7% , entrepreneurship could save the day. In particular, it could give people with disabilities greater independence and the ability to support themselves financially. They could set their own schedules and reduce transport problems if they were based at home.Our study set out to identify the difficulties facing entrepreneurs who live with physical disabilities in the country. It focused on an area called Sebokeng, south of Johannesburg. Using qualitative research, the study explored the experiences and perspectives of disabled respondents.Six themes emerged from the interviews: a lack of equipment and machinery; discrimination; business networking; hardships in obtaining start-up capital; knowledge of support centres and education and training.Sebokeng was established 1965 as a settlement designated for black people under apartheid. Areas like it, known as townships, were designed as labour reserves to supply industries with cheap labour.The planners of township infrastructure didnt imagine that residents would ever be self-employed. But entrepreneurs emerged against the odds. And the challenges they face are still enormous.In Sebokeng, there are businesses like carpentry workshops making household furniture, small scale clothing and food manufacturers.Disabled people involved in small businesses face the same hurdles as other entrepreneurs, but their difficulties are multiplied. The areas in which they face the biggest challenges include:Lack of equipment and machinery. Physically disabled entrepreneurs said that most facilities for small business werent equipped to accommodate their conditions.A physically disabled sculptor said:Most of the entrepreneurs living with physical disabilities said they lacked confidence as they experienced a lot of discrimination. For example, they said people thought they werent competent because they were disabled.A physically disabled jewellery designer said:A hairdresser said:People in business use broader networks to form business relationships that create opportunities all over the world. Most of the participants in our study said they were not involved in business networking activities in the Sebokeng area. They said that they were unable to make and maintain relationships with other people in business because of the discrimination they faced.A 24-year-old computer programmer told us:A comment from a 25-year-old entrepreneur was even more telling:Getting capital to start a business is always a challenge for entrepreneurs. The majority of the participants said this was an issue, mostly when they sought loans from financial institutions.A 31-year-old entrepreneur said:Study participants were not aware of the government support centres or initiatives to support businesses that are managed and operated by people with physical disabilities. Only a few said that they got support from the government. But the support they received wasnt enough to sustain them in running their ventures.Education and training also emerged as a critical theme. It is generally accepted that educated entrepreneurs are better able to take advantage of opportunities. Participants in the study said that lack of education and training was a barrier to their success. In the words of one of them:The South African government needs to do a dedicated review of policies that are meant to support people living with disabilities to give them a better deal. Some old policies will need to be revamped and new ones put in place where necessary. This must be done with a focus on critical areas like education and skills development, start-up finance and to influence the general environment to be more friendly towards people living with disabilities.It is imperative for business people living with physical disabilities to form networks and partnerships that can be used to lobby and open opportunities. This job expired on 8 May 2018. March 2018 marks the 15th year anniversary of Emergency Assist 991 in Botswana. The company, formerly known as Netcare 991 launched its Botswana operation in March 2005 with Tumelo Pabalinga, Simon Modisaemang and Netcare 991 South Africa as its founding shareholders. However in 2009 The two local Shareholders i.e. Tumelo Pabalinga & Simon Modisaeman acquired Netcare 911 South Africas shareholding thereby creating the first ever100% wholly citizen owned emergency medical assistance company in Botswana which the two shareholders take pride in. The company started with a staff complement of 10; 5 assistance vehicles, including 2 ambulances and zero client base. Today the company boasts of a staff complement of 70; with 22 assistance vehicles, that include 15 ambulances, and a client base of over 65 000. We now have 6 branches in Botswana. The Directors attribute their company successes to a team of its dedicated and loyal staff members whom majority have been with the Business for well over 6 years. The Directors are proud and place a lot of value in their wonderful team of EA 991 staff who have remained true to the business through thick and thin. EA 991s core services are emergency medical services (both ground and air operation), roadside assistance services, home assistance services and call centre assistance services. According to Tumelo Pabalinga, as an assistance company, we are a very customer focused company in the sense that our customers come first and we forever strive to deliver beyond our customer expectations. We came into a monopolised market on the emergency medical services, but over the years we have made our mark within the industry due to our persistent good service and this has seen us capture a sizeable market within the private and government business sector. One of the companys milestones was opening Emergency Assit 991 Namibia in 2010 for the emergency medical service operation and to date the company employs a total of 12 Namibian staff members. The Directors consider EA 991 as work in progress as it has not reached its full potential both locally and internationally. It is their intention to gradually increase their footprint in Botswana as well as within the Southern Africa region because their ultimate goal is to create a very strong brand that will compete regionally with other big international players within the space LCJFS Computer Outage PUBLIC ASSISTANCE COMPUTER SYSTEM OUTAGE Due to system maintenance and updates being conducted by the State of Ohio, staff at... Operation Christmas Child BUCKEYE LAKE, OHIO, Oct. 30, 2020More than 4,000 locations will now offer a curbside drop-off option for... House Fire on Walnut Road Buckeye Lake, OH Drivers on Walnut Road, Rt. 79, across the street just north of the post office, noticed... Tour de Buckeye Lake 2020 Bike Buckeye Lake is Going the Distance at a Distance.. Last year, Bike Buckeye Lakes annual fundraising cycling event, Tour... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The Suzuki-owned firm had an m-cap of Rs 2.63 trillion at the end of trading hours. However, if we include Tata Motors DVR in the companys m-cap, the value goes up to Rs 1.097 trillion. Since the start of this calendar year, the Tata Motors stock on the BSE has declined 19 per cent to Rs 345.90 (a 52-week low), against a decline of about nine per cent in Maruti Suzukis scrip and 2 ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor French President Emmanuel Macron arrived tonight on a four-day India visit and was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture. Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. During the visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival at AFS Palam in New Delhi | PTI Photo Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron upon their arrival at AFS Palam in New Delhi | PTI Photo "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte Macron upon their arrival at AFS Palam in New Delhi | PTI Photo "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. After holding delegation-level talks with Modi tomorrow, Macron will take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different levels and institutions are expected to participate. On the same day, he will also take part in a Knowledge Summit which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On March 11, President Macron will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India. The ISA Summit, expected to be attended by several heads of the states and governments, is likely to focus on concrete projects. On the same day, he will also visit Taj Mahal in Agra. President Macron will also visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, on March 12. He, along with Modi, will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. Lok Sabha Speaker on Friday said that even she was not being allowed to speak in the lower house of Parliament, and hoped that order will be restored in the house in the coming week. "No one is allowing even me to speak in the house," the Speaker told the media here when asked about the opposition leaders' charge that they were not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha. She said Congress leader in the house Mallikarjun Kharge was also not able to speak because of the ruckus in the Lok Sabha ever since the second half of Parliament's Budget Session began on Monday. "Anyone can speak only when the house is in order," she said. Mahajan said she hoped the house will see order in the coming week. "I am trying my best. This was the first week. Let us see what happens in the coming week," the Speaker said. She said that, if needed, she is ready to call another all-party meeting. A meeting of the floor leaders of various political parties called by the Speaker on Thursday remained inconclusive. About the disruptions and if she had attempted to hold talks with Lok Sabha members, the Speaker said: "I have a dialogue with them everyday." "That day (Wednesday) when Shiv Sena (MP) wanted to speak, I asked if he wanted to speak amid the din. He agreed, and their MPs went back from the well... I try my best," Mahajan said. "I also called a meeting, and told the MPs that the issues cannot be resolved in this manner. Parliament is for discussion -- I will give permission to raise issues only as per the rules," she said. The Speaker, however, added: "I can only request... let us see what happens." The Lok Sabha has been facing a logjam since Monday, with protests over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab Bank fraud, according special economic status to Andhra Pradesh, and constituting a board for managing Cauvery river water, among other issues. The lower house did not transact any business for the fifth consecutive day on Friday. One of the most iconic scenes in the 2003 German classic Good-bye, Lenin! shows one of the main characters, Christiane, watching the statue of the communist leader being flown away by a helicopter. It's 1990, the Berlin Wall has fallen, and capitalist West German influences are flooding the East, which had remained in a kind of Soviet silo for 40 years. But Christiane, wandering about the streets of Berlin, is unaware of this. She has recently come out a coma, and on the advice of doctors, her son, Alex, has created a fictional East Germany for her, so as to prevent her from the shocks of the momentous tides of history. Directed by Wolfgang Becker, the film indulges in exquisite Ostalgie. The word, a neologism, is used to describe nostalgia for an idyllic socialist past, which has become a sort of cottage industry since the 2008 global financial crisis and the more recent challenges to neo-liberalism. Last week, watching videos and reading news reports of a statue of Lenin being razed in Tripura allegedly by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, after the party snatched the state from the Left Front that had ruled it for the past two decades I, too, was afflicted by a sudden bout of Soviet nostalgia. Having growing up in Left-ruled West Bengal, I have communist iconography as an indelible part of my mental landscape. Watching Good-bye, Lenin! was cathartic and illuminating at the same time. In the film, Alex, his sister Ariane, and girlfriend Lara go to extraordinary length despite overwhelming challenges to keep Christiane from discovering the fall of soviet East Germany. To begin with, it isnt that difficult, as Christiane is bedridden. Alex sources East German products, such as the famous Spreewald gherkins, so that his mother does not tumble upon new capitalist ones Burger King, Coca-Cola that have started flooding the erstwhile Soviet satellite state. When she wants to watch TV, he manages to show her staged videos that he shoots with the help of his friend, Denis, an ambitious West German filmmaker. Yet, how long is it possible to keep up such appearances? In a rather comic scene, Alex goes hunting for discarded packages of East German products in a garbage dump so that he might use them to package West German things and fool his mother. While one laughs at his predicament, one cannot help but wonder: Is the socialist way of life nothing more than these symbols? Is communism intrinsically embedded in shoes and skirts and pickles made in state-owned factories, or even in the celebratory songs of workers unity or the statues of Lenin and Marx in every public square? The film seems to suggest that communism is merely a performance, like any other socio-religious philosophy. Alex and his friends are performing socialism in front of his mother. It has every aspect of any theatrical or cinematic performance: They wear clothes that were fashionable in East Germany (costume), the out-of date products they use (props), the language in which they speak (dialogue) and even the news broadcast video (cinematography). They might as well be making a period film. We must also remember that Good-bye, Lenin! is, after all, a period film. It has been criticised for indulging in nostalgia, and avoiding comment on what was essentially a brutally repressive, one-party police state. But, I would like to argue that by dramaticising the quotidian of the socialist state it suggests that socialism at its worst becomes only about such redundant markers, its philosophy forgotten or shoved under the carpet. This obsession with symbols has been described by some scholars as the quasi-religious nature of communism. Another German film which looks at the final years of the GDR is Lives of Others (2006). In some ways, it could be described as more political, as its narrative deals directly with the state surveillance of a playwright and his actress wife. Also a period piece, this Oscar-nominated film painstakingly creates the claustrophobic atmosphere of East Berlin where even the most intimate details of ones life were always under state scrutiny, where intrusive home searches were the rule of the day rather than the exception, and where suicide seemed like the only escape from all-pervasive surveillance. The characters and the narrative quite naturally lend themselves to the idea of performance: How to be a good citizen? How to be a good communist? Whether or not one actually believes in it, one has to keep performing these roles to survive. Good-bye, Lenin! is also a comment on this aspect of performing a communist, albeit in a humorous tone. At the very beginning of the film, we learn that Alexs father Christianes husband has escaped to the West leaving his family behind. The constant interrogation by intelligence agencies leads to Christianes nervous breakdown. When she recovers, Christiane becomes devoted to the state, a sort of activist for greater equality and socialism. Alex comments that its as if she was married to the state and since it was an asexual relationship there was a lot of leftover energy for indulgence in vigorous socialist singing and dance. The missing father/husband is supplanted by the Fatherland and paternal figures such as Papa Lenin and Papa Stalin. Towards the end of the film, after the Reunification, when the real father is reunited with the family, there is no more any need to parental guidance from the state. The son has stopped playing at being a Soviet cosmonaut or a good socialist. Yet, the communist utopia has been missed but democracy has been reclaimed. In Tripura, however, the wanton violence after the election results were declared makes it difficult for one to believe that two decades of Left Rule has been replaced with a more democratic alternative. One can only wait and watch. French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive for a four-day-visit (March 9 to 12) to India on Friday, on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Macron will be accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, and a delegation of businessmen and ministry officials. "The visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement", the MEA said in a statement. "The strategic partnership between India and France, established in 1998, is one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and is marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding", it added. Both sides will continue to enhance and cooperate in the defence, maritime, space, security, and energy-related sectors. It will also work together on issues of concerns such as terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation and youth exchanges. Prime Minister Modi and his French counterpart will co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will take place on March 11. The ISA, an alliance of more than 121 countries, was initiated by Prime Minister Modi in January 2016. The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. On March 12, the French President accompanied by Prime Minister Modi will visit Varanasi. The last visit of the French President to India was in January 2016, when Macron was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi had last visited France in June last year. The visit is also aimed at forging not only strong manufacturing and technology partnerships but also greater people to people contacts especially through greater exchanges of students and researchers. The bilateral trade between India and France for the period between April 2016 and March 2017 reached USD 10.95 billion. France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 6.09 billion from April 2000 to October 2017. Close to 1000 French companies are present in India. About 120 Indian companies have invested in excess of 1 billion euros in France and employ close to 7000 people. The India-France CEO's Forum will also take place during the visit. The Indian community, including Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) in mainland France number around 1.1 lakh people, largely originating from the French enclaves of Puducherry and Karaikal (Tamil Nadu), Yanam (Andhra Pradesh), Mahe (Kerala) and Chandannagar (West Bengal). In the last two years, no other topic has received as much attention in the country as the issue of the discriminatory nature of archaic triple divorce under Muslim personal law. Television anchors devoted hundreds of hours discussing this, though the Supreme Court itself eventually noted that the practice of triple divorce was on the decline and was today being practised only by a minuscule minority of Hanafi Muslims. We are celebrating yet another International Womens Day and our Supreme Court in a historic verdict has decided the much-awaited case of Hadiya. The court, in a bold and progressive decision, has restored her marriage and overturned the highly regressive and legally erroneous judgment of the Kerala high court. This is the best gift which our highest court could give to our women on International Womens Day. But there are several other orders of our courts which are problematic. The experience of females has not been really included in our laws and in seven decades of our independence, we have had only six women judges in the highest court, which does have a bearing on gender justice. The lone female judge was not included even in Shayara Bano (2017) on the multi-religious bench. Justice Markanday Katju in D. Velasamy (2010) had termed a second Hindu wife as mistress and keep, and thus not entitled to maintenance. But in 2011, another bench which included a female judge, Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra, opined that a deserted wife is entitled to marriage regardless of the validity of her marriage. Many feminists and civil libertarians do believe that there is some semblance of a U-turn by the judiciary in general and the Supreme Court in particular on womens issues as in a number of cases judgements of high courts in favour of women were reversed by the apex court. Let us discuss some of these problematic decisions of our courts. After the commencement of the Constitution, Indian courts tried to use the newly granted right to equality to promote gender justice. But cases of early decades will show that courts adopted a protective approach, and considering women as weak and in need of protection used Article 15(3) to uphold special provisions in favour of women. This protective approach is inherently wrong as it compromises womens agency. In these cases, the courts were more interested in formal equality rather than substantive equality. Treating men and women as exactly the same under the so-called sameness doctrine was the result of our belief in formal equality. Substantive equality on the other side requires appreciating the differences between men and women. These differences do not make women inferior in any way but do require differential treatment. There have, of course, been some highly progressive judgments as well which did try to give effect to substantive equality. But lately, we observe that our courts are reluctant to go forward and have rather wasted a few good opportunities to develop gender-just jurisprudence. In some cases, unfortunately, a patriarchal mindset too was clearly visible. Justice Anil Dave and Adarsh Goel s judgment in Prakash v. Phulwati,(October 16, 2015) refused to give retrospective effect to a social welfare legislation, i.e, the 2005 Amendment to the Hindu Succession Act under which daughters were also for the first time recognised as coparceners. Thus, the pro-women judgment of the Karnataka high court was reversed by the apex court. The high court had given the benefit of the new amendment to the daughter as the Supreme Court itself in Geethas case (2009) had held that any development in law will inevitably apply to pending proceedings. Very strangely in the second part of the same judgment, Justice Goel expressed concerns about Muslim women and the discriminatory nature of Muslim Personal Law though he did accept that the matter was not in dispute before them. He also noted that the Supreme Court itself in Ahmedabad Women Action Group had held that such issues are a policy matter and are best left to the wisdom of the government, yet he went ahead and directed the registry of the court to file a public interest litigation on the discriminatory provisions of Muslim Personal Law. Why did the court not consider discriminatory provisions of the Hindu Succession Act, which were very much before it, i.e, a Hindu mother, Hindu wife and Hindu daughter-in-law are still not coparcener? Similarly, if there is an issueless Hindu couple, the property of the husband goes to his parents, but strangely even the property the wife goes to the husbands parents rather than her own parents. Similarly, a Hindu can deprive his/her daughter of self-acquired property through testamentary powers of will. Under Muslim Personal Law, on the other side, no heir can be deprived of his/her share and through a will, not more than one-third of property can be given to a non-heir. Thus, the Shayara Bano case basically originated on the orders of the apex court as the court genuinely looked somewhat more concerned about Muslim women. Finally, a five-judge bench on August 22, 2017, declared by a majority of 3:2 that triple divorce is set aside. The apex court did not declare triple divorce as unconstitutional but merely invalidated instant triple divorce which has not been preceded by the efforts of reconciliation. It is interesting to note that minority judges (Justice Rohinton Nariman and Justice UU Lalit) who held triple divorce unconstitutional, did not do so because women did not have a similar right to give instant triple divorce but because it was arbitrary. In fact, gender justice has not been talked about at all in the judgment even though the term is mentioned nine times in the summary of arguments by the parties. Exactly a year later, in Narender v. K.Meena (October 6, 2016), the same bench of Justice Dave and Goel passed another strange order which came as a bolt from the blue for women. In this case, the learned judges explicitly held that under Hindu traditions, a wife on marriage is supposed to fully integrate herself with her husbands family and if she refuses to live with her in-laws, it would amount to cruelty and the husband would be entitled to divorce her under the Hindu Marriages Act. Here, too, the high court had ruled in favour of the wife. But the Supreme court, reversing the high courts order observed that in India, generally people do not subscribe to western thought, whereupon getting married or attaining majority, the son gets separated from the family. In normal circumstances, a wife is expected to be with the family of the husband after the marriage. She becomes integral to and forms part of the family of the husband and normally without any justifiable strong reason, she would never insist that her husband should get separated from the family and live only with her. A wife is an integral part of her husbands family yet she is not a coparcener. Does that not sound strange? The court came down heavily on the wife for trying to live separately with the husband solely for monetary considerations and termed it as the torture of the husband. The court also used the Indian and Hindu ethos interchangeably without realising that under Muslim Personal Law, a wife has an absolute right to demand a separate residence and if the husband cannot provide the same, a separate door so that she does not come across her in-laws. Every hour, 39 crimes against women including four rapes are committed in India. Reported rape cases have increased by 88% over a decade. On July 27, 2017 in Rajesh Sharma v. State of U.P, a two-judge bench of Justice Adarsh Goel & UU Lalit in yet another strange order, after noting the misuse of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code which punishes cruelty, and low conviction rate, observed that there should be no automatic arrests on charges of cruelty and each district should have a Family Welfare Committee. While it is true that conviction rate is low, the court did not notice that it is, in fact, going up every year. In 2012, it was 14.4% but in 2016 it stood at 18.9%. In any case, low conviction rate does not mean a case itself was entirely false. It shows that our investigation techniques and prosecution processes are in bad shape. In this case, a demand for dowry was made for Rs 3,000,00 and a car, which the wifes family was not able to meet. The pregnant wife was dropped at her house leading to termination of pregnancy. She was allegedly tortured as was noted by the lower court. An offence under Section 498A is non-bailable, where bail is not a matter of right but dependent on the discretion of the court. It is non-compoundable so that the victim is not pressured into compromise. And it is cognisable in that a police officer can make an arrest without a warrant from the court. Unlike Prakash v. Phulwati, the plain language of the statute and legislative intent were not a problem in this case. The court did not hesitate in giving a number of directions in favour of accused no arrest should normally be effected till the newly constituted committee submits its report; similarly passports are not be impounded in a routine manner; personal appearance of the accused and outstation family members need not be insisted upon; bail application should be decided same day. The only saving grace was that these directions are not to be applied in cases of physical injuries or death. In a happy turn of events, on October 13, 2017, a three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Mishra going beyond prayers in the case before them agreed to review Justice Goels judgment. The initial order of the Supreme Court in Hadiyas case ordering an NIA probe was similarly shocking. In spite of courts repeated queries by the current bench of Chief Justice Dipak Mishra about the high courts powers in nullifying the marriage of two adults in exercise of writ jurisdiction and welcome order of her release from the captivity of her father, the case was unnecessarily lingering on and precious judicial time was unnecessarily wasted on a non-issue. Justice Dipak Mishra himself in Pawan Kumar V.State of H.P.(April 28, 2017) in an enlightening judgment has similarly held that one is compelled to think and constrained to deliberate why the women in this country cannot be allowed to live in peace and lead a life that is empowered with a dignity and freedom. It has to be kept in mind that she has a right to life and entitled to love according to her choice. She has an individual choice which has been legally recognised. It has to be socially respected. No one can compel a woman to love. She has the absolute right to reject.(emphasis mine) Thus Hadiya too is free to make her choice. Maybe her choice of religion, as well as a spouse, are totally wrong but nothing can be done about it. Rajasthan High Court in a similar matter boldly dismissed the case promptly. Under Section 497 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, only men are punished for the offence of adultery. As a matter of fact, the first law commission of 1837 that drafted the IPC did not include adultery as a crime in the original IPC and preferred to have it only as a civil wrong. The Second Law Commission headed by Sir John Romilly did not agree with Macaulay but spared women from punishment for adultery due to their deplorable conditions because of child marriages, the age gap between spouses, and polygamy which legalised husbands sexual relations with more than one woman. Thus we cannot entirely blame the drafters of IPC. They were really sympathetic to our women. It is a different story that at that time women were considered just the property of their husbands and, therefore, we see similarities between offences of theft and adultery. On January 6, 2018, the matter was referred to a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court to examine the constitutionality of the adultery law as it does not punish women. We need to wait and see whether the court will simply make the adultery law gender-neutral or will strike down the provision as a whole as it impinges on the individual autonomy of consenting adults. Some of the high courts orders in the recent past have been equally shocking, showing little sensitivity to gender issues. In Hadiyas case, some of the observations of Kerala high court about Hadiyas independent agency and powers of her father over her were indeed shocking. A divisional bench of the Kerala high court consisting of Justice Surendra Mohan and Justice Abraham Mathew in a shocking judgment (May 25, 2017) observed that a girl aged 24 years is weak and vulnerable, capable of being exploited in many ways and her marriage being the most important decision of her life, can be taken only with the active involvement of her parents. This judgment is the classic example of what has been termed above as protective approach. The Madras high court gave a strange judgment by directing that divorcees too should maintain sexual purity to claim alimony. This decision not only took away the freedom of choice of the divorcee but also treated her as just a sex object by observing that the man with whom she had such a relationship was maintaining her. Thus, a divorcee must maintain the same discipline that she was supposed to maintain during the subsistence of marriage. In another case, the Madras high court had given bail to a rape accused so that he could mediate with the victim. The Supreme Court had to intervene to get the bail cancelled. Let our judges prove Ishwar Chand Vidhyasagar wrong who had in 19th century talked about the plight of widows. He said Oh women! what sin have you committed that you were born in India. Let todays Hadiya judgment take us forward in the direction of substantive equality with due recognition of differences, preferential treatment and individual autonomy of Indian women. The author is Vice-Chancellor NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. In special arrangement with The Wire After a year of lay-offs by Indian IT companies, IT professionals now have a reason to cheer, as Japan is looking to hire about 200,000 professionals from India in the coming months. Currently there are around 920,000 IT professionals in the country and there is an immediate demand for more than 200,000 IT professionals from India, which is likely to further swell to 800,000 professionals by 2030," The Economic Times quoted Maeda, Executive Vice President at Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) as saying. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor A former Sikh militant apologised on Thursday for causing embarrassment to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his trip to India. Jaspal Atwal, who was part of a movement that supported an independent Sikh nation in the 1980s and went to prison for the attempted murder of a visiting Indian minister in 1986, was invited to a dinner with Trudeau in New Delhi causing consternation among his hosts. Trudeau's visit to India had already been dogged by suspicions that Canada was soft on Sikh separatists. "I am sorry for any embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and my family," the 62-year-old told a news conference. "I renounce any form of terrorism," he said. "I do not advocate for an independent Sikh nation. I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India." Since his parole, Atwal said he has engaged broadly in politics on behalf of the Indo-Canadian community, and visited India numerous times including three visits over the past year, each time "with the full permission of the Indian government." "There were also no restrictions placed on me by Canada so that I could not travel," he added. Before his latest trip, Atwal said he reached out to his local member of Parliament, Randeep Sarai, to ask if he could attend a reception with "I had assumed there would be no problems. No one had at any point indicated there would be any issues," he said. The controversy has continued to hound Trudeau since his return to Canada, with opposition parties and editorialists heaping scorn on the prime minister over the misstep. Sarai, meanwhile, has been stripped of his responsibilities within the Liberal caucus. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday denied humiliating Metroman E Sreedharan and blamed the Centre for the delay in the taking off of key Metro projects in Kerala. Speaking in the assembly Vijayan said that none should doubt his regard for Sreedharan's credentials. The only reason for the state government not acting at the speed that the Metroman wished was because it did not have the required funds for the Light Metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Vijayan was responding to the Congress' criticism in the assembly which slammed him for causing Sreedhran's and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) exit from the state, following the Chief Minister's non-responsive attitude towards the technocrat and his requests for meeting. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Friday led an opposition walkout after slamming Vijayan for sending a "wrong message to probable investors considering to invest in Kerala" by his callous attitude toward's the Light Metro projects. The Chief Minister, however, said: "The reason why there has been a delay in the Light Metro is that last year the Centre came out with a new Metro policy. "The only hitch today and the delay in this project is we cannot go forward without getting the sanction from the Centre. "If we had Rs 1,278 crore to spare with us, we would have not waited for the clearance from the Centre. If the Centre clears this project, then they would bring in Rs 1,278 crore. "Since we do not have that much money to spare, we have now asked a high level committee here to do a complete working to see the financial viability of the Light Metro project." "Once that comes and the clearance from the Centre comes, we will go forward with the project and there is no question that the project has been shelved," said Vijayan. On Thursday, a peeved Sreedharan had gone public and said that the Kerala government has failed to sign an agreement with the DMRC even 14 months after it was awarded a project and hence they are exiting from Kerala. K.Karunakaran's son K.Muraleedharan had sought leave for an adjournment motion to discuss the manner in which Vijayan had humiliated Sreedharan. "Being a Lok Sabha member years back, I saw the speed at which the Delhi Metro was built and made operational. It was Sreedharan who was instrumental in building the Konkan Rail and for a person who has done such a huge project, putting up a Light Metro in two of our cities is child's play. "The whole world is convinced of Sreedharan, but you (Vijayan) have doubts about his capability." The Congress also reminded Vijayan of his protest a few years back in Kochi, when news reports surfaced that the then Oommen Chandy government was not keen to appoint Sreedharan for the Kochi Metro project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today assured full support to the new BJP government in Tripura, saying the entire country was behind the state's march towards progress. In his address after the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Tripura, Modi said the north-eastern region had many opportunities and potentials, which had to be explored for its development. "I appeal to the people of Tripura, let's take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of the people. I want to assure that in Tripura's march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation with the motto of cooperative federalism," he said at the event held at the Assam Rifles ground here. Earlier, Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister, Jishnu Deb Burman as deputy chief minister, along with seven other ministers, including Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) chief N C Debbarma. The first BJP government in the state assumed charge after bringing the curtains down on the 25-year Left Front rule. The prime minister said the new government would take along every citizen and all sections of the society and work for the development of Tripura. "There would be no discrimination between those who voted for us and those who did not vote for us. This government will serve both. You just wait for some time to see the change in Tripura," he said. Modi added that the government's motto would be development, good governance, people's participation and "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas". "I have visited the north-east many times as prime minister and I want to tell you that India is with the north-east, India understands the issues of the north-east and every Indian stands by the people of the north-east," he said. The swearing-in ceremony was also attended by BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Shah wished success to Deb and his cabinet colleagues and said the new government would live up to the expectations of the people. "Tripura will be turned into a model state. The people here have been waiting for this moment for a long time," he said, while claiming that the north-eastern states were witnessing a fast-paced development ever since the Modi government assumed office. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states -- Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam) and Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) also attended the function. Manik Sarkar of the CPI(M), who was the chief minister of Tripura for 20 years before the BJP-IPFT combine unseated his government in the February 18 Assembly polls, was also present at the swearing-in ceremony. A signed vintage photo of Mahatma Gandhi, walking alongside Madan Mohan Malaviya, was auctioned for $41,806 in the United States. Signed in fountain pen, "M K Gandhi," the rare photo was taken after the second session of India's Round Table Conference in London in September 1931, according to Boston-based RR Auction. As the delegate acting on behalf of the Indian Congress, Gandhi attended the second session of the British-organised round table conference, a three-part conference series held in London from 1930 to 1932, with the aim of discussing the ongoing constitutional reforms in India, a media release said. Malaviya, who had formerly been president of the Congress and played a significant role in the Gandhi-led non-cooperation movement, joined him as a representative advocating for a free India. The photo dates to a period in which Gandhi, suffering from pain in his right thumb, opted to write with his left hand, a temporary inconvenience that lasted from August 8-December 19, 1931, according to RR Auction. "The autographed photo of Gandhi presents him as he is doing his life's work," said Bobby Livingston, executive VP at RR Auction. "We are not surprised that this giant of the 20th century still resonates today," he added. At the auction, Karl Marx's letter requesting copies of his 'Revelations' from a noted radical editor sold for $53,509. Leo Tolstoy letter written in 1903 offering editorial advice sold for $21,450. Claud Monet letter describing the intensity of his artistic process fetched $21,128. Wolfgang Pauli letter written in 1949 to an eminent American physicist sold for $14,700 while Jean-Paul Sartre portion of a handwritten draft for his autobiographical work Les Motes sold for $12,105, according to PR Auction. The Fine Autographs and Artifacts auction began on February 17 and concluded on March 7. On February 3, 2018, local policemen of Jhinjina village in Uttar Pradeshs Shamli district waited to nab an extortionist near a temple where he was supposed to come and collect the bounty. None of them had anticipated what they would lay their hands on. The police had received a complaint that the man had demanded Rs 10 million from a local panchayat member as blood money for not killing his family members. When two men on a motorcycle came to the designated spot to collect the extortion money, they were apprehended by the police. The two men - one carrying a .32 bore pistol ... US President Donald Trump signing an executive order to impose tariffs on foreign made steel and aluminium is not likely to dent steel exports from India, Care Ratings said in its report on Friday. Aluminum and steel together accounts for around 3 per cent of India's exports to the US. In FY17, finished steel exports to the US by India stood at 235,000 tonne and accounted for 2.1 per cent of the 11.3 million tonne of finished steel exported by India. The share of steel exports to the US has declined over the years in quantity as well as value terms. During April-October ... In October 2015, when a new policy to give a push to the maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO, sector in India was announced, hopes were high. If things were to go according to the plan, industry analysts were predicting a sharp jump in MRO work in India. But it did not happen. The size of the industry when the policy was announced was roughly Rs 5 billion. The size today still remains at Rs 5 billion. So wheres the snag? Why has the sector not taken the major leap as the policy envisaged and was designed to deliver? Lets start with what went right. A big change that ... US and China are among the 24 WTO members who will send their "political representatives" at the 'mini-ministerial' meeting called by India on March 20 to break the impasse on certain issues and prepare a common ground to push the mandate of the global trade body, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said here today. The talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial at Buenos Aires in December had collapsed with the US going back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding, a key issue for developing countries like India. Soon after the collapse of the talks, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabu had announced that India would be hosting a mini-ministerial with a view to break the deadlock. On whether United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer would be coming, Teaotia said he was keen, but the US would be represented by at political level. Talking to reporters here, she said India has invited 53 WTO members for the mini-ministerial to be chaired by Prabhu. This would be the second mini-ministerial meeting being hosted by India. The first was in 2009. Forty countries have confirmed participation, three (Jamaica, Male and Vietnam) have expressed their inability to attend the conference and response of the remaining 10 is awaited, Teaotia said. The response for "political level" participation is very positive and quite unusual also, she said, adding that 24 members would be sending their political representatives. The countries which would be sending political representatives, include the US, China, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Singapore and Russia. Pakistan, which too is among the invitees, is yet to respond, she added. WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo would be in India to participate in the meet. "This will be the largest mini-ministerial in recent times, probably the largest of all time," said J S Deepak, India's Ambassador at WTO. Stressing that India is quite happy with the response, Teaotia said the meeting would be more of an "ice-breaker" as it is being held after the collapse of talks at the Buenos Aires WTO Ministerial in December last year. When asked if there would be a statement by the Chair at the end of the meeting, she said it would be for the mini-ministerial to decide. She said there is no agenda for the meeting. The idea is to have a free and fare discussion and efforts would be to "try and explore potential for a common ground" among the member nations so that some guidance could emerge for taking forward the mandate of World Trade Organization (WTO). On outcome from the mini-ministerial, Teaotia one should not expect that "suddenly some magic will work" as this a forum for engagement to find a way out of the deadlock. The Buenos Aires Ministerial, attended by trade ministers of WTO member countries, had ended without a declaration. There was virtually little or no guidance from the ministerial for want consensus on host of issues. A strong connect with retail borrowers has often been seen as Bandhan's strategy as a microfinance institution and then as a bank. Its upcoming IPO is somewhat a manifestation of that ideology. A financial institution with less than three years of operation is not allowed to have more than 25 per cent of retail and HNI participation in an IPO. Bandhan has got special permission from Sebi to have this limit up to 50 per cent, with 35 per cent of the net offer reserved for retail individual customers. We do see our retail subscribers are our future customers. This way ... The Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed a chargesheet against a former director in an alleged Rs 50 billion bank fraud case involving a Gujarat-based pharma firm. The final report was filed before Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma against Anup Prakash Garg under the sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The chargesheet, filed through ED's special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana, alleged that during the probe, the agency came across "certain entries" in a diary seized by the Income Tax Department in 2011 which showed various payments totalling about Rs 15.2 million made to one "Mr Garg, Director, Andhra Bank" by Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, directors Sterling Biotech, between 2008 and 2009. "Various cash payments were made to Garg, as reflected in the said entries, on the instructions of the Sandesara brothers, by withdrawing cash from the bank accounts of several benami companies owned by them," it said. This is the second (supplementary) chargesheet in this case after the agency filed one against Delhi based businessman Gagan Dhawan in this case last year involving the Vadodara-based company Sterling Biotech Pvt Ltd. Garg (59) was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this case in January. The 81-page chargesheet along with annexures, also called prosecution complaint under the PMLA, names Garg and his "beneficial onwership" firm-- RAG Buildtech Pvt Ltd as accused. The agency said it has seized assets worth Rs 1.23 crore of Garg and his family which includes a flat in Indore, an agricultural plot in Dewas in Madhya Pradesh and four fixed deposits. It said its investigation in the case found that "in the year 2008-2009 Garg had received nine cash payments to the tune of Rs 1,52,00,000 which was withdrawn from various accounts of Sterling Biotech Limited group companies and the same was eventually funded out of availed credit facilities by SBL group." According to the ED, the group had "availed credit facilities of around Rs 23,500 lakh between 2006-2009 from (which is the lead bank of consortium of with regard to credit facilities given to the SBL group) and in that period Garg was the director of " The ED said Garg "has been actively and actually involved in criminal activity and the properties acquired by Ms RAG Buildtech Pvt Ltd were found involved in the offence of money laundering which the accused projected as untainted property being beneficial owner of the said company."It said many other properties involved in money laundering "need to be unearthed as there are suspected to be more than 300 benami and offshore entities involved in the diversion and misutilisation of the public money obtained fraudulently from various public sector "The ED registered a money laundering case in this instance after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR. The CBI had booked the Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the case. It had alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank, which turned into non-performing assets. The FIR had also alleged that the total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The court had on November 14 last year, issued open ended non-bailable warrants against the Sandesara brothers. It claimed that Garg infused several crore of his unaccounted money in various companies through several Kolkata-based bogus shell companies, with the help of cash or cheque entry operators in Kolkata, in order to launder the proceeds of crime obtained by him from the Sandesaras. Garg was arrested by the ED on January 12 and is currently in judicial custody. He was named as an accused by the ED as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The ED had lodged the money laundering case after taking cognisance of an FIR lodged by the CBI. Union Bank of India has direct credit exposure of about Rs 1.2 billion ($18.4 million) to companies controlled by jeweller Nirav Modi, and another Rs 1.75 billion ($26.9 million) to Gitanjali group of companies, its chief executive told Reuters on Friday. Companies belonging to Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who heads the Gitanjali group, have been accused by Punjab National Bank of defrauding the bank of over $2 billion. The bank alleges firms controlled by the duo colluded with rogue PNB staff to secure fraudulent guarantees that were used to raise credit from overseas branches ... Major Asian nations reacted sharply to US President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Friday, warning of damage to relations amid industry calls for retaliation. Japan said the move would have a "big impact" on the countries' close bilateral ties, while China said it was "resolutely opposed" to the decision and South Korea said it may file a complaint to the World Trade Organization. Trump on Thursday pressed ahead with the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminium on ... Across corporate America, the race is on to dodge the tariff. Just as President Donald Trump left the door open for countries to apply for exemptions to the 25 per cent levy on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, his official proclamations Thursday also offer some workarounds for companies. Under the new rules, an importer can ask the Commerce Department for a waiver if theres a limited supply of the product in the US or if national security is at stake. How thatll be interpreted is anyones guess, but aluminium can makers, pipeline builders and car companies ... Over 1,000 people have been killed and 4,800 injured in Syria's rebel-held area of in just two weeks, MSF or Doctors Without Borders announced on Friday. The group said the numbers, dating from the start of the renewed Syrian government assault on February 18 until March 4, were an "underestimate" and do not include the data of all MSF-supported medical facilities or facilities not supported by it, reports CNN. MSF's toll was last updated on Sunday. Monitoring groups have reported scores killed daily this week as activists reported "apocalyptic" scenes in the streets of Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of capital Damascus. Fifteen out of 20 MSF-supported facilities have been shelled or bombed in the continuing government offensive, according to the NGO. "MSF urgently repeats its call for an immediate ceasefire to be implemented and for medical supplies to be allowed into the besieged area to treat the sick and wounded," CNN quoted the organisation as saying. Reports of malnourishment were also rampant and many of Eastern Ghouta's residents were living in poorly equipped basements for some respite from nearly incessant shelling. On Wednesday alone, 90 people were killed in strikes across Eastern Ghouta, according to the Syrian American Medical Society. The UN Security Council and Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued calls for a pause in fighting to allow civilians to leave, but both were ignored. Rebel fighters in and Syrian government forces have accused each other of breaking the truce. A special Pakistani tribunal has ordered the government to arrest former military ruler and confiscate all his properties as it heard the high treason case against the "proclaimed offender" for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007. The 74-year-old former president was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges. A three-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi held its first hearing in the case in eight months. During the hearing, the interior ministry submitted in the court a report on Musharraf's properties, stating four of the seven properties are owned by the former president, The Nation reported. Prosecutor Akram Sheikh asked the court to order Musharraf's arrest and his production. Musharraf, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016, was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. The court during yesterday's asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials what the procedure is to bring back an absconder from abroad. The officials replied the interior ministry should send them a request after which action could be taken. Afridi then said the court is ordering the arrest of Musharraf and seizure of his properties. Musharraf's counsel, Akhtar Shah, prayed to the court not to order confiscation of Musharraf's properties until March 21, but Afridi remarked the court procedure cannot be violated. During the hearing, the court sought mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE in the matter of his arrest from Dubai. The court also expressed anger over non-receipt of details of his foreign properties even after 10 months. The court questioned what problem lies with initiation of action in respect of his properties outside the country and why Interpol has not been contacted after issuance of warrants against him. The court summoned Foreign Office and FIA authorities on the next hearing, besides seeking mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE. during the hearing, senior lawyer Farogh Naseem separated himself from Musharraf's legal team. Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Pakistani police say they have arrested a key suspect sought for inciting the lynching of a university student who was falsely accused of blasphemy in the country's northwest. District police chief Saeed Khan said today that the man, identified as Arif Khan, had been in hiding since April 2016, after a mob killed 23-year-old Mohammad Mashal Khan at his university campus in the town of Mardan over unfounded rumors that he shared blasphemous content on social media. The arrest came after an appellate court suspended three-year prison terms handed down last month to 25 suspects over the student's slaying. In February, an anti-terrorism court sentenced one man to death and five to life imprisonment. Those sentences are still unchanged. Blasphemy against Islam is punishable by death in Pakistan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today dismissed as "propaganda" accusations that Moscow was behind a nerve agent attack on a former double agent residing in Britain. British media and politicians have said the attack on Sergei Skripal, who came to Britain in a spy swap in 2010, bears the hallmarks of a Russian operation. "They're levelling accusations against us for everything that goes wrong -- according to our western partners -- on this very planet," Lavrov said during a visit to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. "This is propaganda fair and square and it is trying to raise tension." While Britain has not formally blamed Russia for the attack, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it "echoes" the 2006 poisoning in London of former Russian spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko. London blamed Moscow for that attack. Some 21 people were injured in the incident which took place in the sleepy southwestern English city of Salisbury where Skripal was found on Sunday, slumped on a bench with his daughter Yulia. "If action needs to be taken, then the government will do that," British Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged. National counter-terrorism police have taken over the investigation which they are treating as attempted murder. Skripal was a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who was jailed for betraying agents to Britain's MI6 secret service. In 2010, he was pardoned and then flown to Britain as part of a high-profile spy swap involving Russia and the United States. Japanese Prime Minister on Friday said that he would be meeting with United States President Donald Trump next month. In a telephone call with President Trump on Friday, Abe hailed the "change" in North Korea's stance saying such a dialogue with the US will lead to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. "I agreed with President Trump that this development (proposed US-North Korea talks) is the result of Japan, the US and South Korea, together with the community, having continued to put a high level of pressure on North Korea," Abe was quoted by The Japan Times as telling President Trump over the phone. "The solid position of Japan and the US that we will continue to put maximum pressure on North Korea until it takes concrete actions toward the complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear (weapons) and missiles is absolutely unwavering," he added. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said North Korea's offer of talks with President Trump is indicative of the Communist country's desire to abandon its nuclear programme and bat for peace in the Korean Peninsula. A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official said recent developments between Washington D.C. and Pyongyang were "a bit quick." Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, however, added that for the proposed talks to take place, North Korea needed to abandon its nuclear programme. On Thursday, President Trump accepted an invitation and agreed to meet Kim by May. However, he stated that sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until the Communist country achieved denuclearisation. President Trump received Kim's invitation from a South Korean delegation, led by National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong. The South Korean delegation is on a two-day visit to update American officials on their recent talks with Kim in Pyongyang. Other members of the delegation included 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. Envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Pyongyang earlier this week and were hosted at a welcome dinner by Kim at the headquarters of the ruling Worker's Party. The two Koreas also agreed to hold summit-level talks at the border village of Panmunjom, located in the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which acts as the de facto border between North and South Korea. US President Donald Trump on Friday signed two proclamations that impose 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, a move that is likely to start a global trade war. The contentious tariffs come into effect in 15 days. Though primarily targeted at the massive steel and aluminium dumping by China, only two countries Canada and Mexico have been exempted from the new import tariff, that too till the time the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations are complete. Other countries would have to negotiate with US Trade Representatives (USTR) if they want exemptions from the steel and aluminium import tariff, Trump said as he vowed to slap "reciprocal tariffs" on countries like China and India if they do not match America's tariff. Trump signed the proclamations in presence of steel workers from Pennsylvania, Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, United States Trade Representative Robert E Lighthizer and economist Peter Navarro, architect of his steel and aluminium policy. Meanwhile, 11 countries including Japan and Canada signed a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement without the United States on Thursday in what one minister called a powerful signal against protectionism and trade wars. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will reduce tariffs in countries that together amount to more than 13 per cent of the global - a total of $10 trillion in gross domestic product. With the United States, it would have represented 40 per cent. Reiterating that countries including America's "friends and allies" have been fleecing the US and taking away jobs for decades, Trump pledged to impose "reciprocal tax". "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25 per cent or if India is going to charge us 75 per cent and we charge them nothing. They are 50, they are 75 or they are 25, we are going to be doing the same numbers. It's called reciprocal. It's a mirror of tags. So they charge us 50, we would charge them 50," Trump said in his remarks before signing the two proclamations. The US President said the stage for the imposition of reciprocal tax has been set in the first year of his administration. "They will charge us 50, we charge them nothing. Doesn't work. So that's called a reciprocal tax ... mirror attacks. We will be going to be doing a lot of them," Trump said. "American companies have not been treated fairly and some American companies frankly have taken advantage of it and gone to other countries and developed in Mexico, massive automobile plants, taking our jobs away and taking our companies down to Mexico to make the cars and then they send them right across the border without tax, without anything," he said. Trump said a strong steel and aluminium industry are vital to US national security. "Absolutely vital. Steel is steel. You don't have steel. You don't have a country. Our industries have been targeted for years and years. Decades, in fact, by unfair foreign trade practices, leading to the shuttered plants and mills, the laying-off of millions of workers, and the decimation of entire communities. That's going to stop," he said. Trump said the "unfair" foreign trade practices were not merely an "economic disaster" but a "security disaster" and by signing the two proclamations he was defending America's national security. "We want to build our ships, we want to build our planes, we want to build our military equipment with steel, with aluminium from our country. And now we're finally taking action to correct this long-overdue problem. It's a travesty," he said. Stating that he wants a lot of steel coming to the US, Trump asserted that he wants it to be "fair". "We want our workers to be protected and we want, frankly, our companies to be protected. By contrast, we will not place any new tax on a product made in the USA. So there's no tax if a product is made in the USA. You don't want to pay tax? Bring your plant to the USA. There's no tax," he said. The action being taken, the president said, follows a nine-month investigation by the Department of Commerce, documenting a growing crisis in US steel and aluminium production that threatens the security of the country. It is also bad or US economically and with jobs, he rued. Trump called the "aggressive" foreign trade practices an "assault on our country". "The American steel and aluminium industry has been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices. It's really an assault on our country. It's been an assault. They know better than anybody. Other countries have added production capacity that far exceeds demand. And flooded the world market with cheap metal that is subsidised by foreign governments, creating jobs for their country and taking away jobs from our country," he said. China has an annual trade deficit of nearly $500 billion with America and ranks 11 among the largest sources of US steel imports. "Well, we'll let it happen, but they've got to pay. So trans-shipping, frankly, is a big deal," Trump said as he announced US is going to stop the trans-shipping. "And they trans-ship, and we're going to accept their product, but it's going to cost a lot of money from the standpoint of the trans-shipper," he added. "We're in the midst of a big negotiation. I don't know that anything is going to come of it. They have been very helpful. President Xi, I have great respect for. A lot of respect," he said. "But we're going to cut down the deficits one way or the other. We have a deficit with China of at least $500 billion. When you add an intellectual property, it's much higher than that," Trump added. China cautioned on Thursday that it was prepared to "make an appropriate and necessary response" should the United States impose the tariffs. Referring to a tweet by Tesla head Elon Musk, Trump said China charges 25 per cent duty on American cars whereas it is just 2.5 per cent on import of Chinese cars into the United States. "Very interesting, I saw a tweet, just came in from Elon Musk who's using our wonderful space facilities and did a great job three weeks ago. He said, "For example, an American car going to China pays 25 per cent import duty. . But a Chinese car coming to the United States only pays 2.5 per cent. A tenfold difference'," the US President said. The import tariffs are also likely to face retaliation from America's top trading partner, the European Union. Britain, currently a member of the EU, criticised the announcement, saying it was the "wrong way" to resolve trade disputes. "We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it," Britain's Trade Minister Liam Fox told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show, adding protectionism and tariffs never really work. Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for America's allies. From Japan and South Korea to Australia and Europe, officials lined up on Friday to seek exemptions from President Donald Trump's tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports, while Chinese producers called on Beijing to retaliate in kind. Tokyo and Brussels rejected any suggestion that their exports to the United States threatened its national security - Trump's justification for imposing the tariffs despite warnings at home and abroad that they could provoke a global trade war. "We are an ally, not a threat," European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen ... Government-owned MMTC, the countrys largest international trading company, will hold the first auction under the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) of the central government in the next 10 days. The Government of India has mobilised about 21 tonnes of gold under the scheme. Of this, 12 tonnes is aimed to be sold through auction in the next three to six months, said a senior official of MMTC. We have completed the documentation with the department of expenditure to initiate the process. The notification for the auction is expected in a day or two and the auction will be held in the ... Two senior officials of National Intelligence Service and National Security Office in South Korea are scheduled to visit Japan next week. Suh Hoon, the director of National Intelligence Service and Nam Gwan-pyo the deputy chief of presidential National Security Office of Korea, will visit Japan on March 11 to brief them about their meeting with the North Korean delegation, as per Yonhap news agency. Both North and South Korea have established a dialogue among them regarding the denuclearisation of North Korea after being persisted by Japan and United States. South Korea had earlier sent a team of envoys to North Korea to discuss regarding denuclearisation. Post which the North Korean leader agreed to hold a summit with President Moon Jae-in in April and further expressed willingness to hold denuclearisation talks with the United States. The official spokesperson of presidential office of South Korea Cheong Wa Dae said, "Special envoys will meet and discuss regarding the ways for future cooperation". On the similar lines, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would be meeting the US president Donald Trump in April to pressurise North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. On Thursday, President Trump accepted an invitation and agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jon Yung in May. However, he stated that sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until the communist country achieved denuclearisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 2018 edition of ad In-depth discussions highlighting What's New and What's Next in the Post- Advertising Era elated the first day of the summit with brands showcasing the best practices along with next-gen practices to better connect with the end consumer. Key themes on the first day of the event included The Science and Magic of Storytelling, Engagement by Technology, How Brands Grow Using Data Tech and Machine Learning, The Right Measure of Mobile - What's New in Mobile Measurement and several others. Experts across sectors exhibited their perspective and encounters on how they function in an offered circumstance which has evolved with the coming into the forefront to determine an issue to enhance ROI and experience. "We are astounded to witness that tech that is out there, tools and facts available to the marketers today prepared for the post advertising era. The 8th edition brought together more than 90 companies from across the globe to exhibit what's new and what's next in the Post-Advertising Era. Over the years ad:tech has developed as an incubator for both international brands and startups aspiring to make a significant mark in the Indian market," said Country MD at Comexposium India, Jaswant Singh. Atin Kulkarni, Global Head, Media & Content Innovation CoE, Pepsico in his key note session explained the magic of the insights drawn from the data and the impact it created on customer with a personalised experience. He stated that "44% of consumers globally expect personalised experience". While sharing his views on leading ad campaigns leveraging Data Mr. Kulkarni added "Data is unlocking the opportunity to seamlessly integrate brands into consumer's lives." Matt Bruce, General Manager, Adobe India in his session on Turbocharging customer Experience with AI stated that "More than 50% of the businesses are prioritizing AI". He further added that "The Post Advertising Era is all about experiences and not exposures anymore. 80% of marketing executives believe that AI will revolutionise the marketing industry by 2020." The next day will have some of the key and exciting sessions on automation, innovation, integrating AI, Machine learning and building brands the Indian way by renowned brands like Nestle, Google, Oath, Philips, Hero Motor Corp amongst others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Imposing a temporary halt on the long-pending Android-iOS battle, a study recently revealed that users of the former have higher loyalty than those of the latter. According to the report on published Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), Android brand loyalty remained consistently high since early 2016, and are now peaking new highs. As per the study, Android achieved 91 percent loyalty rate, compared to 86 percent for iOS, as per the percentage of U.S. customers who stayed with their operating system when they upgraded their phone in 2017. "With only two mobile operating systems at this point, it appears users now pick one, learn it, invest in apps and storage, and stick with it. Now, Apple and Google need to figure out how to sell products and services to these loyal customer bases," said a TechCrunch report, quoting Mike Levin, partner and co-founder of CIRP. From January 2016 through December 2017, Android loyalty ranged from 89 to 91 percent (ending at 91 percent), while iOS loyalty was several percentage points lower, ranging from 85 to 88 percent. In 2013, iPhone owners were found to be more loyal than Android users. But that shifted the following year, and Android has risen ever since. A prime reason for this shift in loyalty, according to the CIRP, is the extensive user base that Android enjoys. Therefore, the absolute number of users that switch to iOS from Android is as large or larger than the absolute number of users that switch to Android from iOS, the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Arunachal Pradesh's ethnic tribal group Nyishi community celebrated the 50th pre-agriculture festival known as Nyokum Yullo at its Yajuli town recently. The Golden Jubilee Nyokum Yullo 2018 festival was attended by state's Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with various elected leaders of Bhartiya Janta Party. The event was mainly organised by the villagers of Talo. The festival featured demonstrations of traditional hunting, fishing practice, Swla Dunam (traditional zip line) and other traditional sports. This pre-agricultural festival is not only a celebration of appeasing for God's blessing for bountiful harvest but it is also a festival of paying obeisance to Nyokum deity, the rain god for peace, harmony and fertility in the society. The villagers were dressed in traditional attires including customary traditional headgear and carried swords. The event witnessed beatings of drums and other indigenous musical instruments. The members of indigenous communities including that of Monpas, Galos and Khamptis performed cultural dances. Arunachal MLA Likha Saaya attended the event and supported the promotion of organic farming in the festival. He told ANI, "We, the committee member and being an MLA of this region, I have always encouraged organic farming, whether it is agriculture or horticulture and I strongly discourage the use of fertilizers, pesticide, and weedicides in crop cultivation". Nyishi tribe, a Tibeto-mongoloid race are one of the largest ethnic groups in Arunachal Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said Pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal came to India on a valid visa citing that government has a conscious policy of outreach to Indian diaspora including misguided elements. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Jaspal Atwal travelled to India on a valid visa. This was his third visit. Government of India has a conscious policy of outreach to Indian diaspora including misguided elements, who in past may have harbored anti-India sentiments, which they have since renounced." "There are well established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travelers which have been followed in this case as well," he added. For the unversed, Atwal was invited to dine with Prime Minister Trudeau, during his visit to India in February, at a formal event hosted by Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel. The invite was later rescinded. Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia's High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu, has welcomed the announcement of the visit to India by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retired), from March 10 to 14. The Governor-General is visiting India to represent Australia at the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Founding Conference in New Delhi. "Australia congratulates India and France on their leadership in establishing the ISA," High Commissioner Sidhu said. "As one of the 26 founding members of the ISA, Australia is looking forward to sharing its expertise in solar technologies and research globally. Australia's participation adds a new dimension to the already thriving Australia-India relationship," she added. During the summit, the Governor-General will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. He will also interact with business leaders in New Delhi and Chennai, address educational institutions with Australian links, view an Australian-funded aid project in Nizamuddin Basti, officially open an ANZAC Centenary exhibition, and visit an Indian Coast Guard vessel which is playing a role in enhancing regional security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Biplab Kumar Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Friday, officially ushering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Left bastion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states have been invited. "The swearing-in ceremony will be on March 9 at 10.30 am. We have sent an invitation to the Prime Minister and all the chief ministers of the BJP government. I hope Prime Minister accepts the invitation," said Deb, while addressing the media on Thursday. Former chief minister Manik Sarkar was personally invited by Deb and BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav. Yesterday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced Deb as the chief minister while Jishnu Kumar Deb was named as deputy chief minister. The announcement was made at the state guesthouse in Agartala. Earlier in the month, the BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) scripted history in the assembly election 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. The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura as a 'historic one', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his party has lightened a lamp of progress and prosperity in the state. While addressing a gathering at the oath-taking ceremony of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, the Prime Minister said, "Today is a historic day for Tripura. It feels like the state is celebrating Diwali. We are lighting the lamp of progress and prosperity. There is new vigour and enthusiasm here". "In the history of India, there are some elections that will always be discussed. The 2018 Tripura elections will be one such example. People will continue to discuss these polls," he added. Terming BJP a people-friendly party, the Prime Minister said they will ensure development in the state. "Those in the opposition in Tripura today have been in power for long. They surely have a lot of experience. Ours is a new and fresh team. In the age too, our team is younger," Prime Minister Modi said. "They have Anubhav, we have Umang and Utsah. We have to work together for the progress of Tripura," he added. The Prime Minister further assured complete support to the new Government of Tripura and said, "Tripura's dreams are the BJP's dreams as well." "Good governance, Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, people's participation, we hold these principles in high regard," he added. He also expressed gratitude to the people of the North Eastern state for giving the mandate to the party in the assembly election. Apart from the Prime Minister, former chief minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar, Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh were also present at the oath ceremony here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British High Commission announced a scholarship, to pay tribute to renowned lawyer and human activist Late Asma Jahangir, who passed away in February. The Asma Jahangir Scholarship will be awarded to a top female candidate who is selected for the British government-funded Chevening Awards programme every year. Jahangir passed away on February 11 after suffering a cardiac arrest. The Chevening scholarships are awarded to outstanding emerging leaders from around the to pursue a one-year Masters programme at any UK university. Over 1,600 Pakistanis have been awarded the scholarship since 1983 according to Dawn. The announcement regarding the scholarship was made on the occasion of International Women Day which was celebrated worldwide on March 9. British High commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew took to his Twitter account to express his delight over the launch of new scholarship. "I'm delighted to announce the creation of a new annual "Asma Jahangir Scholarship" for the top female Chevening Scholarship candidate", he tweeted. Asma Jahangir was the co-founder of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women's Action Forum. She also participated in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy and protested against former Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq's oppressive military rule. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Chennai zone, on Thursday seized 23 kilograms of gold, smuggled into India from Sri Lanka at Egmore Railway Station. Four people were also arrested by the police in this regard. In the latest of a series of seizures, the sleuths acted on specific intelligence that a syndicate was smuggling gold from Sri Lanka into India by boat, and that certain persons would be reaching Chennai with the smuggled gold by the Rameswaram-Chennai Sethu Express today morning. Detailed examination of the pouches revealed that the quartet had totally brought 123 gold bars, totally weighing 23.1 kilograms. On February 21, the DRI had seized 19.27 kg of smuggled gold from two persons on a motorcycle near Jegathapattinam (a coastal village near Mimisal in Tamil Nadu), and arrested the two persons. This financial year, the DRI in Chennai has totally seized 193 kilograms of gold, valued at about Rs. 57 crore in 31 cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leaders of the Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, demanding appropriate action against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for their failure to deliver on their manifesto promises and assurances. The Congress Party was referring to issues such as the grant of Special Status, delivery of a special package and other promises. It maybe recalled that both parties had in their respective election manifestos made a few important promises and secured votes from the public that ensured that they formed the governments at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh. The move by the Congress Party came a day after the Telugu Desam Party's two ministers in the central government submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the orders of party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu took the decision to pull out his ministers from the central government after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled out the grant of "special status" to Andhra Pradesh, saying it would be an unconstitutional step. Naidu responded by saying that this decision of the Centre was "hurtful and insulting." In reciprocation, two BJP ministers in the Andhra Pradesh government submitted their resignations. The next logical step is expected to be the TDP exiting from the NDA. The TDP joined the NDA 46 months ago. The TDP was deeply upset with the neglect of Andhra Pradesh in the Union Budget. The party faces extreme pressure in the state ahead of assembly elections and the election next year, with opposition parties accusing Naidu of failing Andhra Pradesh by not ensuring special status for it as a partner at the Centre. A survey among the TDP cadre has shown that 95 per cent favour ending the partnership with the BJP. TDP lawmakers have continuously pressured the government ever since the union budget was presented, disrupting parliament by shouting slogans demanding that Andhra Pradesh be given central funding under special status. Other parties have joined in. Apart from Andhra Pradesh's chief opposition party the YSR Congress, lawmakers from the Congress and Trinamool Congress too protested in Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday. Naidu had earlier this week said that he had visited Delhi 29 times over the demand for Special Status and not giving it as a right amounted to "insulting the sentiments" of the people of the state. He is on record as saying that there can be "no compromise in protecting the state's interests". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday granted bail to Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, director and promoter of Tarini Group of Companies, in connection with disproportionate assets case involving former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh. On March 1, a Delhi Court had reserved its order on the bail plea of Vakamulla Chandrashekhar in connection with the case. Earlier on February 24, the Court sent Chandrasekhar to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with the said case. On February 16, the ED arrested Chandrasekhar under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly providing an amount of Rs 5.9 crore to Singh and his family members through his three personal bank accounts. Earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate filed a supplementary charge sheet against Singh, his wife and others under the provisions of the PMLA. Singh is accused of accumulating assets worth around Rs 6.03 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as Union minister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar has been sent to prison till March 22 by a court in Thane on Friday. Kaskar was produced before the court over his plea for medical treatment. His lawyer Shyam Keswani sought permissions for his treatment in Mumbai. The court also asked the police to ensure medical treatment. On September 18, Thane anti-extortion cell (AEC) arrested Kaskar on the charges of extortion, from his Mumbai residence after a complaint was filed by a builder who was facing extortion threats since 2013. The builder was taken into confidence and a complaint of extortion was registered at the Kasarvadavali Police Station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu pulled out Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) two ministers from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, party MP JC Diwakar Reddy said both the leaders want the welfare of the state. "Even after the divorce, for the benefits of their children, they will talk together. They will discuss their children's welfare. Here also, the people of Andhra Pradesh are children to Chandrababu Naidu & Narendra Modi," Reddy told ANI. On Thursday, two TDP ministers in the central government had submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Modi on the orders of party chief and Chief Minister Naidu. Naidu took the decision to pull out his ministers from the central government after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled out the grant of "special status" to Andhra Pradesh, saying it would be an unconstitutional step. Naidu responded by saying that this decision of the Centre was "hurtful and insulting." In reciprocation, two BJP ministers in the Andhra Pradesh government also submitted their resignation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chitkara University is proud to announce that Dr. Madhu Chitkara (Vice-Chancellor of Chitkara University) has been honoured with NIVEDITA award for outstanding service towards women empowerment. The award was presented during the International Women's Day celebrations on 6th March 2018 under the auspices of NIVEDITA and National Service Scheme Unit, National Institute of Nursing Education, PGIMER Chandigarh. Dr. Madhu Chitkara is an influential women entrepreneur. With a passion for academics and great acumen, she has had a diversified career and variegated experience in the field of spanning 42 years. She is highly knowledgeable, focused, a strategic leader and has a passion for excellence. She has adeptly managed numerous academic ventures and remains a true leader who leads by example, is warm, sincere and always willing to walk the extra mile to deliver on promises. Her support to several humanitarian causes in association with many NGOs is indeed a tribute to her philanthropic nature, her zest for life and her desire to transform lives for better. The nursing institute at Post Graduate Institute of Medical and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh is among the premier government institutes of India. "We are honouring Dr. MadhuChitkara for the excellent contribution in the field of and nation-building. We appreciate the continuous efforts and unflagging commitment towards women empowerment through the education system. It is a great opportunity for our students and women folk to follow her footsteps and choose the path of self-empowerment," said Dr. Sandhya Ghai, Principal of National Institute of Nursing Education, PGI. Dr. Madhu Chitkara interacted with the nursing students to make them aware of the magnitude of responsibilities on the shoulders of the nurses, not only as health service providers but also as women. "It is a great feeling to be recognized for my efforts towards women empowerment through education system on account of International Women's Day. To be a successful woman, it is all about the self-confidence, self-esteem, understanding yourself and moving towards the goal of making big in your life ethically. Be a giver to the society and believe in the concept of givers gain," Chitkara added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Valocity, a leader in mortgage and valuation technology, has appointed Sachin Sandhir as Chief Executive Officer to head its operations in India as part of its global expansion. The first of its kind technology, Valocity has completely transformed the mortgage lending process in Australasia by combining the best of data, analytics and technology to create a digital ecosystem for valuers, brokers, lenders and insurers that streamlines the entire process. The recent Nirav Modi scam has exposed many anomalies in risk and regulatory compliance mechanisms and highlighted the urgent need to ensure processes are fully integrated and digitized. Just like SWIFT, third party valuations ordered by banks and housing financial institutions are not integrated with core banking systems and are at high risk due to their subjective nature in an unregulated environment. Valocity provides a unique solution to solve this issue. "Given the success of our scalable technology, we feel the time is right to extend our innovative platform to the Indian banking and mortgage lending sector. We are pleased to appoint Sachin Sandhir, an industry veteran with over 20 years' experience in mortgage lending, real estate and education, to lead our expansion into this exciting, yet challenging, market. Our platform is a game-changer for lenders and we are looking forward to making a real impact on the mortgage valuation market in India," said Carmen Vicelich, Valocity's Global Managing Director. A specialist in building start-ups, innovation and expansion, Sachin has built four successful businesses - both as an entrepreneur, as well as a corporate leader. Prior to joining Valocity, Sachin was the Global Managing Director - Emerging for RICS, responsible for the professional body and education venture RICS School of Built Environment, Amity University. He has also worked with companies like Blackrock Solutions, DLF and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). "India is on the cusp of a digital transformation - necessitated by the sheer magnitude of opportunities as well as risks in the country. The financial services industry needs to embrace digital innovation now, more than ever before. Having been closely associated with commercial mortgage and property valuation in my previous roles, I am excited to further my journey of bringing positive change to the Indian real estate and finance sector. Valocity offers innovative, customizable solutions which will elevate the entire mortgage valuation process in India," said Sachin Sandhir, Chief Executive Officer, Valocity India. Its digital platform automates the entire valuation ordering process (removing individual biases) and will be fully compliant with the Companies Act, 2013 (Registered Valuers and Valuation Rules, 2017). The platform's customizable design integrates seamlessly with any bank's internal policies at the same time as capturing data throughout, allowing for best practice risk management and benchmarking. Post the global financial crisis, the lending and valuation process has become more robust, the world-over. While the Indian banking system emerged relatively unscathed in the 2009 crisis, it is increasingly becoming more vulnerable. From a nation that had the lowest ratio of non-performing assets (NPAs) among the G-20 countries in 2009 (i.e. 2.2 percent of total gross loans), today, India has the third highest ratio (9.7 percent of total gross loans) of such assets - estimated at nearly INR 8 trillion. The Valocity platform connects an ecosystem of stakeholders - lenders, valuers, brokers/advisors and customers, bringing them together to create a seamless mortgage lending experience for the customer. By combining the best of data, technology and analytics, this next generation platform helps banks better manage risk and regulatory compliance. Valocity is completely modular. Banks can choose to use it end-to-end to create a seamless digital process or they can pick modules and integrate with their own data, policies and unique branding. The Valocity platform deploys quickly and can integrate as needed with existing legacy enterprise systems, internal data sources and external parties such as auditors, allowing reporting and portfolio summary views. Valocity has won multiple awards recognizing excellence and innovation for its technology, including the CIO award for 'Best Business Transformation through Digital and IT', as well as a number of other marketing and property accolades in recent years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French President Emmanuel Macron arrived here on Friday for a four-day visit, on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was received by the Prime Minister Modi. Macron is accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, and a delegation of businessmen and ministry officials. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement, "The visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement." "The strategic partnership between India and France, established in 1998, is one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and is marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding", it added. Both sides will continue to enhance and cooperate in the defence, maritime, space, security, and energy-related sectors. It will also work together on issues of concerns such as terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanisation, science and technology cooperation and youth exchanges. Prime Minister Modi and his French counterpart will co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will take place on March 11. The ISA, an alliance of more than 121 countries, was initiated by Prime Minister Modi in January 2016. The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. On March 12, the French President, accompanied by Prime Minister Modi, will visit Varanasi. The last visit of the French President to India was in January 2016, when Macron was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Prime Minister Modi had last visited France in June last year. The visit is also aimed at forging not only strong manufacturing and technology partnerships but also greater people to people contacts especially through greater exchanges of students and researchers. The bilateral trade between India and France for the period between April 2016 and March 2017 reached USD 10.95 billion. France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 6.09 billion from April 2000 to October 2017. Close to 1000 French companies are present in India. About 120 Indian companies have invested in excess of 1 billion euros in France and employ close to 7000 people. The India-France CEO's Forum will also take place during the visit. The Indian community, including Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) in mainland France number around 1.1 lakh people, largely originating from the French enclaves of Puducherry and Karaikal (Tamil Nadu), Yanam (Andhra Pradesh), Mahe (Kerala) and Chandannagar (West Bengal). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man trying to sell an antique idol was arrested here on Thursday, the police said. Acting on credible information that the accused was going to strike a deal with a prospective client at Phase 2 of Vijayapuri Colony in Vanasthalipuram, the police laid a trap and arrested him. The police have seized the antique idol of Hindu goddess Kali, a copper vessel and two mobile phones. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has lambasted Pakistan for harbouring the United Nations-designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed. Speaking at the 37th session of UN human rights council (UNHRC), Mini Devi Kumam, Second Secretary, India's Permanent Mission, said, "In gross violation of UN Security Council resolution 1267, the UN designated terrorists like Hafiz Mohammed Saeed are freely operating with State support, and the UN designated entities are being politically mainstreamed in Pakistan." "They are raising funds in flagrant violations of Pakistan's international obligations," she added. She further asserted that Pakistan continues to support cross-border terrorism in India. "We await credible action by the Government of Pakistan to bring all those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack and the 2016 Pathankot and Uri attacks to justice," she said. "Even as terrorists thrive in Pakistan and roam its streets with impunity, we have heard it lecture about the protection of human rights in India. The does not need lessons on democracy and human rights from a country whose own situation is charitably described as a failed state," Kumam added. Kumam also demanded that Pakistan should end forced conversions and marriages of minorities; including Hindu, Sikh and Christian women, and prosecute all such cases. India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by the Pakistani security forces. "We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists by its security agencies. Pakistan should also prosecute all perpetrators of such crimes," Kumam said. India also demanded the end of sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shia, Ahmadiyas, Ismailia and Hazaras in Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The death toll in a suicide bombing in Mosalla-e-Mazar area of Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul has increased to nine. According to Tolo News, the Ministry of Interior's deputy spokesman Nusrat Rahimi confirmed the death toll and said the explosion occurred in Kabul's PD6 in the west of the city close to a ceremony on the death anniversary of Abdul Ali Mazari, the slain leader of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan. At least seven others were wounded in the blast, he added. Last week, one person was killed and 14 others, including two Australian nationals, were injured when a car bomb was detonated near a convoy of Australian Embassy vehicles in Kabul. Afghanistan has been hit by a series of deadly suicide attacks in the last few months, killing over 150 people, particularly in Kabul. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Entering last week (third week) of its pre-ICO round, Kali Coin ICO has unveil Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to public of its upcoming cryptocurrency exchange - CoinRecoil. The MVP is aimed at giving first-hand look of CoinRecoil exchange while also availing valuable feedback from users to offer them the best possible platform for crypto trading. The official launch of the exchange is scheduled for August 2018 while its beta version will be released by July 2018. Kali Coin ICO is developing country-specific FIAT-TO-CRYPTO EXCHANGE model which aims to transform the trading in cryptocurrencies with its international cryptocurrency exchange - CoinRecoil. While the first exchange will be in India, talks are on with potential partners for country-specific FIAT to CRYPTO Exchanges in Canada, Singapore, and Australia as part of the expansion strategy. "Unveiling of MVP is also to get valuable suggestions from users with an objective to make CoinRecoil the most preferred trading platform for investing in cryptocurrencies in India, offering safe, secure and seamless trading experience. CoinRecoil will be universal in terms of its security, user friendly approach, interactive features, and advanced technology. CoinRecoil will have browser and mobile apps integrated with secure wallets for its users which will enable them to buy, sell, send, receive, or store all the supported crypto currencies. Starting with ten major cryptocurrencies, we will add more based on market demands," said co-founder, KALI Coin and CoinRecoil, Kunal Barchha. Kali Coin ICO is an opportunity for investors across the globe to participate in the emerging and rewarding of cryptocurrency trading. The main objective of the ICO is to promote international cryptocurrency exchange - CoinRecoil. In addition, investors of Kali Coin ICO will also enjoy "zero brokerage" charges for one full year, privilege trading and customer services among others. In addition, all new ALT coins shall be paired with KALI coins which will ensure demand for the Kali Coins all the time. Further, every year 20 percent of the exchange profit will be utilized to buyback KALI coins, further rewarding coin holders. "Kali Coin ICO has entered last week (3rd week) of its Pre-ICO round and following Private ICO which sold out within five days. Going forward we plan to list Kali Coin on one-of-the leading global crypto exchange in next few months before we become live with our first exchange in India which is targeted for August 2018," said co-founder, KALI Coin and CoinRecoil, Gopal Modi. Tokens of Kali Coins will be available at USD 0.045 during Mar 6 -13 and will increase to USD 0.05 in the first week of main ICO. The ICO will close on April 3. The objective of CoinRecoil is to address current challenges in crypto trading and make CoinRecoil - the first choice for anyone who thinks of investing in crypto space by offering them fundamentally strong coins along with best exchange features. CoinRecoil will offer superior IT and Tech support by hosting exchange on its own servers, dedicated call center; provide instant fiat deposits and withdrawal option. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an unprecedented breakthrough in US-North Korea politics, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited US President Donald Trump for a meeting, as stated by a senior US official. According to the CNN, a South Korean delegation arrived at the White House on Thursday to update officials on their recent talks with Kim at the headquarters of the Worker's Party of Korea in Pyongyang. The delegates spoke with Trump and also handed him a letter from Kim, inviting him to meet. Earlier, Trump teased a "major announcement" on North Korea and the news is nothing short of groundbreaking. The senior US official said North Korea has offered to suspend their nuclear missile testing alongside their invitation for talks. The official also said there are no plans to suspend the upcoming planned military exercises with South Korea. According to the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, the leader of the South Korean delegation and the National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong will make the announcement from the stakeout position outside the West Wing with the rest of the South Korean delegation alongside. National Security Adviser Lt. General H.R. McMaster will also brief the UN Security Council on Monday regarding the situation in North Korea, according to a senior US official. Trump has at times indicated his willingness to communicate with the regime's leader, however, asserting that they must first take necessary steps toward denuclearisation. "All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible moves toward denuclearisation," a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday. "What we are looking for is concrete steps toward denuclearisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maxxis Rubber India, a sub-company of Maxxis Group, the largest two-wheeler tyre manufacturer in the world, on Thursday inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The plant was inaugurated by Vijaybhai Rupani, chief minister, Gujarat, in the presence of Tsai-Jen Lo, chairman, Maxxis Group, Cheng-Yao Liao, president, Maxxis India and Jia-Ciao Liou (Gary), spokesperson, Maxxis India. The plant with an investment of over USD 400 million (Rs. 2,640 crore), is spread across a massive 106 acres. The facility is currently dedicated to manufacturing of two-wheeler tyres and tubes and will have a capacity to produce around 20,000 tyres and 40,000 tubes per day. With this size and capacity, the company is targeting a market share of at least 15 percent of India's tyre market within five years. Cheng-Yao Liao, President, Maxxis India stated "That Maxxis Global is targeting to become one of the top five tyre manufacturers in the world by 2026 and India market will play a vital role in their growth". "We are fully committed to the government's 'Make In India' initiative and our intent is to 'Make In India' for the world. We monitored the market for over two decades and then devised the strategy for entering India. The manufacturing plant in Sanand is only the first step of Maxxis's full range appearance in the country," he asserted. Maxxis currently serves as an OEM tyre supplier to Honda (two-wheelers), Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Tata and Jeep in India. Apart from catering to the domestic tyre market, the product portfolio from the facility will be exported to south Asia, and will further expand to Africa and middle east countries in the coming years. The production from the first phase of the facility began in August, 2017 and Maxxis has been selected as the original equipment tyre supplier to India's number one selling model, Honda Activa, since 2015. Jia-Ciao Liou (Gary), spokesperson, Maxxis India said "The Sanand facility, an integrated manufacturing plant offers all facilities from mixing to tyre building and curing, all under one roof". "With a rich global experience of over fifty years, Maxxis utilises the most advanced manufacturing equipment and engineering facilities in the industry. We are committed to delivering the same world class quality products and services that customers in India expect and deserve," Jia-Ciao Liou (Gary) stated. "The plant currently employs a workforce of 600 people and we are working to extend our manpower to 2000 human resources within a span of five years," he added. Maxxis India is dedicated towards government of India's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and reiterated their commitment to contribute towards the Clean India Mission during the ceremony. The Sanand facility boasts of the most efficient Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) that gives the plant the status of a 'Zero Liquid Discharge' facility. Maxxis's global product portfolio includes tyres for passenger cars, two-wheelers, light trucks, trucks, buses, ATV's and agricultural and industrial vehicles. Globally, Maxxis's high standards for quality, efficiency and innovation have been acknowledged with numerous honours and awards. The group hasits presence in six continents with 21 manufacturing plants and five R&D Centres worldwide and develops its diversified tyre products for customers across 180 countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Party on Friday charged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) was jeopardising the security by cancelling the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) Rafale aircraft deal. Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Modi government cancelled tender floated by the UPA government to buy 126 Rafale jets. "Tender floated by the UPA government was for 126 Rafale jets. That deal has been cancelled. What are we going to purchase now? Only 36 jets. Who is going to compensate for these 90 pieces of jets? Does that mean the current government has compromised with security?" asked Azad. Questioning the intent and motive of the Modi government, the Congress leader also said that the NDA government was paying more money to buy the jets than Qatar and Egypt. "The very purpose of signing an Inter-Governmental Agreement with France was defeated because India is paying more price for the jets than Egypt and Qatar," said Azad. He said that on December 12, 2012; during the UPA regime, the bid of a Rafael jet was Rs 526.1 crore but the Modi government is purchasing per Rafael jet at the price of Rs 1670.70 crore. "Why was prior approval of Cabinet Committee on Security not taken before announcing the purchase of 26 aircraft on April 10, 2015?" questioned Azad. Congress President Rahul Gandhi has been leveling allegations the government over the Rafael deal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States on Thursday said that it was open to talks with North Korea, hours after President Donald Trump accepted an invitation and agreed to meet North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un by May. At a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said, "The US is open to talks with North Korea. Deputy Secretary John Sullivan met with the South Korean delegation on the outcome of their trip to Pyongyang." The South Korean delegation led by National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong spoke with Trump and also handed him an invitation letter from Kim. The delegation arrived at the White House on Thursday on a two-day trip to update officials on their recent talks with Kim at the headquarters of the Worker's Party of Korea in Pyongyang. 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. Commenting on the authenticity of the message of the delegation to Trump, Nauert said, "We are closely coordinating with the Republic of Korea. I mean, it is no surprise that we are so closely linked in this and that they left Pyongyang and came to Washington D.C. to brief us. That shows how closely coordinated and connected we are with our allies and partners in our ironclad relationship that continues very strongly today." On being asked about Kim's remarks on the legitimacy of nuclear weapons, Nauert clarified that she was not aware of any remarks. Replying to a query on the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria's Afrin region, the US State Department spokesperson thanked the SDF for supporting and participating with the US in eliminating the dreaded Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. "They have been a tremendous fighting force. Without the SDF, we would not have been able to achieve the success. For example, in Raqqa, the US Government and coalition partners have succeeded, with people now slowly being able to come back home. They're a valuable partner. We would like to see the ISIS defeated once and for all. The best way to do that is to stay focused on ISIS," Nauert continued. On January 20, Turkish forces launched a military offensive titled - 'Olive Branch' to clear out the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PYD/PKK) and IS terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria. Over 3,000 terrorists have been 'neutralised' so far in the nearly two-month operation. The PKK, which is based in Turkey, Iraq, and parts of Syria, has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey for the past few years. Its aim is to achieve the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state. It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. On being asked on reports that worldwide tariffs on steel and aluminium would be imposed within 15 days, Nauert clarified that the review was under process and would meet Trump regarding the matter soon. "We have deep relationships with them where we discuss a range of issues, whether it would be tax and trade issues or various campaigns that we're involved with around the world," she added. Trump on Thursday signed a proclamation that imposes new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, claiming the revised tariff plans have been introduced to stop "assault on the US". The new order will see a 25 percent tariff on imports of steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminium. This might potentially have huge implications on the international trade front, with many experts predicting it will adversely affect oil prices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) About $10 billion were reported by Belgian authorities to be missing from frozen Libyan funds, which were controlled by the inner circle of former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. Four separate accounts opened for the Libyan Investment Authority and Libyan Foreign Investment Company in the Euroclear bank held over $16 billion after an investigation into money laundering sought to seize the assets. The Belgian authorities found the disappearance of a significant part of these funds in the fall of 2017. It turned out that in the four accounts just over $5 billion dollars remained. The investigation into billions of Gaddafi assets held in Belgium discovered big, regular outflows of stock dividends, bond income, and interest payments, while legal documents, bank statements, emails and dozens of interviews point to a loophole in the sanctions regime. According to the Ministry of Finance, Belgium did not take any decision to unfreeze the assets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Choosing a unique way to campaign for Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bye-elections, lookalikes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah have hit the streets of Gorakhpur to gather support for the BJP. The pair interacted with people on the busy market streets and also offered prayers at a temple. "We have come from Delhi. My name is Ranveer, and we have been visiting all the markets for a week, talking to people. The response has been warm," the prime minister lookalike told ANI. The Amit Shah of the pair said, "We have received so much love from the public that I think we will win by five lakh votes." Two constituencies of Uttar Pradesh -Gorakhpur and Phulpur- will go to polls on March 11, as the seats were vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, respectively after taking office. March 10 is the last day for campaigning. The results will be declared on March 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior Pakistani Government official said that the process of confiscating the assets of the Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) was still to be completed. While speaking at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Thursday, Pakistan Interior Ministry Arshad Mirza said that a list of JuD and FIF assets were prepared by the country's intelligence bureau. The meeting discussed the implication of Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) decision to put Pakistan on the "grey list" from June and the steps being taken to address global concerns. He described the list as the "geo-mapping of properties and assets of banned organisations", The Express Tribune reported. As of now, the process of confiscating the FIF and JuD's assets has been completed only in the capital Islamabad and the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, where they had only some few properties. According to the figures presented by Mirza before the Senate Committee, 148 properties of the two entities linked to JuD founder-chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed have been confiscated in nine out of 10 divisions in Punjab. However, no action was taken place in other provinces in Pakistan such as - Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The assets of the medical wings of the two groups were to be taken over by Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), which had made all arrangements. However, the transfer did not happen due to unknown regions. Mirza announced that the Pakistan finance ministry would hold a meeting to deliberate on the country's action to overcome the shortcomings pointed out by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global counter-illicit financing watchdog. Former Interior Minister of Pakistan Rehman Malik said that the government should implement proposals as mentioned in the National Action Plan (NAP) on terror financing. He added that Pakistan had suffered more than any other country in the war against terrorism and the instead of appreciating its role was putting it on the grey list. He suspected Indian involvement in such moves against Pakistan. Malik also demanded that a task force should be created to crack down on terror financing and money laundering. In January, Saeed's entities were moved from Pakistan's watch list to the list of proscribed organisations after the government introduced a presidential ordinance by amending the Anti-Terrorism Act to include UN-designated terrorist groups and individuals for terror financing, paved the way for the confiscation of JuD and FIF assets. However, despite the ban, the entities were found to be freely operating in Pakistan. Last month, Pakistani authorities confirmed that the country was going back on the "grey list" of the FATF, after a span of nearly four years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which sought making of two-child policy mandatory across the country. The apex court dismissed the petition after hearing one of the petitioner Prathviraj Chauhan, in regards to the same. According to media reports, the apex court said it is a policy matter and the court cannot intervene. The PIL was filed in the apex court on February 12, seeking direction to the Union Government to implement the 'two-child policy'. The petition also stated that government should promote family planning and adopt all such measures to motivate the people of the country to follow two-child policy. The two-child policy is family-size control policy, which encourages parents to limit their families to two children. In India, apart from level promoting of family planning, the two-child policy is effective in certain states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan. In order to contain its burgeoning population, China introduced the one-child policy in 1979, as a part of its family planning policy. According to reports, the number of births in China fell around 630,000 in 2017. The country repealed its one-child policy in 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre on Friday moved an application in the Supreme Court to quash the FIR registered against Major Aditya Kumar of 10 Garhwal Rifles, in connection with the civilian killings during a firing incident at Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. Talking to ANI, advocate Aishwarya Bhati, representing Major Aditya's father Lieutenant Colonel Karamveer Singh said, "The Centre has on Friday moved an application to quash the FIR registered against Major Aditya in connection with the Shopian firing incident case." On March 5, the Supreme Court had ruled that no probe shall be initiated against Major Aditya Kumar till the next date of hearing in connection with the case. The next date of hearing is scheduled on April 24. Earlier, the apex court had ordered a stay on the FIR in response to a plea filed by Late Aditya's father Lt. Col. Karamveer seeking to quash the FIR. On January 27, three civilians were killed after Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob of protesters in Shopian district. Over 200 protesters pelted stones at the Army convoy, following which the army personnel shot in the air in self-defence. Thereafter, the state police filed an FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the Major and his Army unit of 10 Garhwal Rifles. Subsequently, the Army filed a counter FIR in response. India's representatives at the United Nations have coined a new term for Pakistan's safe haven for terrorists special terrorist zones. This comes after India described Pakistan as "terroristan" and the "Ivy League of terror". India on Thursday urged the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to call on Pakistan to end cross-border infiltration, dismantle its special terrorist zones, safe havens and sanctuaries, and take verifiable actions, including on terror financing. The new term came into play as part of India's response to Pakistan raising the issue of human rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir. In return, India highlighted at the UNHRC Pakistan's human rights violations. Here are the top highlights of what India had to say at the UN about Pakistan and its support for terrorism: 1) Pakistan's habit to misuse UNHRC: Mini Devi Kumam, second secretary and India's Permanent Mission at UNHRC, said it had become a habit of Pakistan to misuse the UNHRC platform to make misleading references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu & Kashmir. 2) India shows Pakistan the mirror: At the UNHRC on Thursday, India highlighted human rights violations by Pakistan. India's response came after Pakistan raised the issue of human rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir. "This Council should be mindful that the dubious concern for human rights is coming from a country which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of the people in Baluchistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," Kumam said at the 37th Session of UNHRC. ALSO READ: Haqqani Network receiving significant support in Pakistan: NATO commander 3) Pakistan using human rights as a mask: Kumam also said: "Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights." 4) 'Pakistan committing grossest violation': The Indian representative further told the UNHRC that by exporting terrorism to Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan was committing the grossest violation of human rights. "Terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights. The real problem in the State of Jammu & Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control," Kumam asserted. ALSO READ: JeM continuing to threaten PM Modi, India at the behest of Pakistan's ISI 5) 'End your support for terror': India urged the UNHRC to call on Islamabad to end cross-border infiltration and to dismantle its special terrorist zones, safe havens and sanctuaries. New Delhi also called on the country to take verifiable actions, including those regarding terror financing. 6) 'Free Pak-occupied Kashmir': The Indian representative told the UNHRC that Pakistan should end its illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and provide freedom to its people. ALSO READ: Afghanistan hails Pak's inclusion on terror finance watch list, aid cut 7) India slams Pakistan's blasphemy laws: While highlighting the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, India said Islamabad should end the harassment of minorities. India also called on Pakistan to place procedural and institutional safeguards to prevent the misuse of laws. ALSO READ: Pakistan economy to be hit by FATF terror finance list: Top 10 developments 8) 'End forced conversions': Kumam also demanded that Pakistan should end forced conversions and marriages of minorities, including Hindu, Sikh, and Christian women, and prosecute all such cases. 9) 'End enforced disappearances': India also highlighted enforced disappearances and unlawful killing of political dissidents by Pakistani security forces. "We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to stop targeting political dissidents and legitimate criticism in Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to stop torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful killing, including that of journalists and activists, by its security agencies. Pakistan should also prosecute all perpetrators of such crimes," Kumam said. 10) 'End sectarian violence': India also demanded an end to of sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on Muslim minorities, such as Shias, Ahmadiyas, Ismailis, and Hazaras, in Pakistan. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday asked the African nations to join Washington to put pressure on North Korea to quit its nuclear program. Tillerson is on a five-nation Africa tour with a visit to Ethiopia after he arrived in the capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday. He also met the chairman of African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat to discuss economic partnership and collaboration against terrorism. He said, "African countries can contribute (putting pressure on) North Korea." While expressing Washington's discomfort at China's growing influence in Africa, Tillerson added: "African countries should carefully consider terms of investments (by China) in Africa". Over a period of time, US has imposed various sanctions in addition to global punitive measures to control North Korea's nuclear missions. Tillerson further said China was encouraging dependency in Africa through its infrastructure and other support, as per Anadolu Agency. In response to the comments by the US Secretary, Mahamat said that African nations are well aware of their priorities and the nature of their foreign partners. He said, "I am satisfied with the discussions with the U.S. secretary of state, which ranged from security and economy to trade and commerce". Earlier in the day, South Korean president Moon Jae-in also urged North Korea to give up the nuclear weapons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World Animal Protection welcomes the recent announcement by the government of India to invest in upgrading the fishery and aquaculture infrastructure. Many people in India depend on the sustainable management of our oceans, both for their livelihood as well as food security. World Animal Protection calls on the government to ensure that planned loans through the fishery and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund also address the issue of lost and abandoned fishing gear, also known as 'ghost gear'. Better infrastructure, including access to port reception facilities where the fishing community can dispose of end of life fishing gear, is important to prevent further fishing gear from ending up in our oceans. Making these facilities free of charge to fishing communities is important. "We hope India will join the 12 nations that currently already support the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to show its leadership in this area and establish a mechanism for further exchange of views and best practices with other stakeholders around the world. We would also like to see application of the best practice framework for the management of fishing gear by all parties involved in the fisheries supply line," said India Country Director at World Animal Protection, Gajender K Sharma. World Animal Protection had earlier written to the Indian Navy to increase Navy patrols to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to tackle the issue of ghost gear, and to protect our fishermen, our economy, local communities and marine life,fishing. But it's not only the government which has a role to play in addressing the threats of ghost gear. A report released today by World Animal Protection has found that the world's 15 biggest seafood companies need to do more to stoptheir lost fishing nets killing millions of fish every year. An estimated five to 30 percent of the decline in some fish stocks can be attributed to 'ghost gear' - abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), which can take up to 600 years to decompose. The 15 seafood companies in the report 'Ghosts Beneath the Waves' are ranked from one to five on their ability to address the problem of ghost gear; with tier 1 being the best and tier 5 the worst. Not one of the world's biggest seafood companies achieved tier 1 status by leading the way with best practice, or tier 2 status by making responsible management and handling of their fishing gear integral to their strategy. Overall Lost Gear Ranking Tier 1 - Leader / setting best practice Tier 2 - Achiever / integral to strategy Tier 3 - Improver / established, but work to be done - Thai Union, TriMarine, Young's Seafood Tier 4 - Engaged / on the agenda, but limited evidence of implementation - Bumble Bee Foods, Dongwon (StarKist) Tier 5 - Not engaged / no evidence that ALDFG is on the agenda - Beaver Street Fisheries, Clearwater Seafoods, Cooke Seafood, East Coast Seafood Group, High Liner Foods, Maruha Nichiro, Nissui, Pacific Seafood Group, Pescanova, Samherji Only three of the 15 companies achieved "improver" tier 3 status, as they have established policies for the management and handling of their fishing gear: Young's Seafood - the British producer and distributor of frozen, fresh, and chilled seafood, supplying approximately 40 percent of all the fish eaten in the United Kingdom every year Thai Union, which has a global portfolio of popular brands including John West and Chicken of the Sea Tri Marine which supplies tuna and tuna supply-related services to leading tuna brands worldwide. Bumble Bee Seafoods, North America's largest branded shelf-stable seafood company, who sell canned and pouched tuna, salmon, sardines and specialty seafood, is a tier 4 company, as is Dongwon, South Korea's largest seafood company and owner of the Star Kist tuna brand. These companies have responsible management of fishing gear on their agendas, but there is limited published evidence of them implementing changes. Worryingly, the report shows that 73 percent of assessed companies do not have a clear position on abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear or publicly acknowledge the issue. - The average company score was just 22 percent. - Less than half of the companies effectively address marine litter, marine pollution or bycatch/entanglement - Just three companies - Young's Seafood, TriMarine and Thai Union have established policies on lost and abandoned fishing gear - Only two companies, Bumble Bee and Clearwater Seafoods, publicly disclose that they have 100% verifiable traceability of their produces and oversight of supply chains - Only two of the companies, TriMarine and Young's Seafood, are a participant of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative The prevention of ghost gear is vital, as not only does it deplete fish stocks, it is also killing our marine life. Every year more than one hundred thousand whales, dolphins, seals and turtles become entangled in ghost gear. Lost gear is four times more likely to trap and kill marine animals than all other forms of marine debris combined. In addition, it is also contributing to the ocean's plastic problem with more that 70 percent of macroplastics by weight being fishing related. Ingrid Giskes, global head of Sea Change at World Animal Protection, said: "Fishing gear is designed to catch and kill, and when it is left in the ocean it is the most harmful form of marine debris for animals. It's heart-breaking to know that animals caught in this incredibly durable gear can suffer from debilitating wounds or suffocate or starve to death over a number of months". "We hope to see the companies at the bottom of the ranking working hard to improve and rise in the ranking in future years. These companies must remember that consumers demonstrate they care about the welfare of animals when they are deciding what brands to put in the shopping baskets. Joining the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) is an important first step they can take". The GGGI is an alliance founded by World Animal Protection in 2015, dedicated to tackling the problem of ghost fishing gear on a global scale. The GGGI's strength lies in the diversity of its participants including the fishing industry, the private sector, academia, governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Every participant has a critical role to play to mitigate ghost gear locally, regionally and globally. The report clearly demonstrates that companies who join the GGGI perform better at addressing ghost gear in their supply chains as well as contributing to the delivery of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. Through the expertise and knowledge of GGGI members, companies can contribute to significantly reducing ghost gear entering our oceans by 2025. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key benchmark indices edged higher in early trade tracking positive global cues. At 9:16 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, rose 81.93 points or 0.25% at 33,433.50. The Nifty 50 index advanced 28.65 points or 0.28% at 10,271.30. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index advanced 0.27%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.31%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex. Overseas, Asian stocks edged higher after moderate gains on Wall Street overnight following the implementation of US tariffs on steel and aluminum. US stocks closed higher yesterday, 8 March 2018 after President Donald Trump implemented steel and aluminum import tariffs that excluded Canada and Mexico, two key US trade partners. Trump signed a proclamation yesterday, 8 March 2018 authorizing the tariffs at 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminium, the same level he promised when he revealed the plan on 1 March. The aluminium and steel import tariffs will take effect in 15 days, as per reports. In Europe, the European Central Bank (ECB), at its monetary policy meeting yesterday, 8 March 2018, kept its broader policy unchanged. The central bank said it could still extend its 2.55 trillion euro ($3.16 trillion) bond purchase scheme beyond September if needed. Back home, the breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 736 shares advanced and 317 shares declined. A total of 38 shares were unchanged. Infosys was up 0.39%. The company issued a clarification with regard to media articles in relation to the alleged fraud concerning the Income Tax department and the First Information report (FIR) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to these allegations. Infosys said it is not named as an accused party in the said FIR. So far it has not been contacted by the CBI in connection with this matter. Infosys will co-operate with law enforcement agencies as and when it is approached, it added. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 March 2018. TCS rose 0.28% after announcing that its flagship product TCS BaNCS has gone live in Gansu Bank, China. This go-live expands TCS BaNCS' footprint in China with three other large credit unions that are already fully operational in addition to 20 other financial large banks and financial institutions in the country. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 March 2018. Bharti Airtel advanced 0.59% after the company's announcement that a meeting of committee of directors is scheduled on 13 March 2018, to consider issue of listed, unsecured, rated, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs Series I and II) aggregating upto Rs 3000 crore on private placement basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 March 2018. In political news, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), ally of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has pulled out its two ministers from the Narendra Modi cabinet yesterday, 8 March 2018, in protest against the injustice to Andhra Pradesh. However, the party decided to continue supporting the NDA. The action by the TDP, which has sixteen members in the Lok Sabha and six in Rajya Sabha, will have no impact on the stability of the Modi government which has sufficient numbers in Parliament but will be seen as a big political setback as TDP is the first pre-poll ally to pull out of the Centre in nearly four years. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Market may edge higher in early trade tracking firm global cues. Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 45 points at the opening bell. Overseas, Asian stocks edged higher, tracking moderate gains seen on Wall Street following the implementation of US tariffs on steel and aluminum. US stocks closed higher yesterday, 8 March 2018 after President Donald Trump implemented steel and aluminum import tariffs that excluded Canada and Mexico, two key US trade partners. Trump signed a proclamation yesterday, 8 March 2018 authorizing the tariffs at 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminium, the same level he promised when he revealed the plan on 1 March. The aluminium and steel import tariffs will take effect in 15 days, as per reports. In Europe, the European Central Bank (ECB), at its monetary policy meeting yesterday, 8 March 2018, kept its broader policy unchanged. The central bank said it could still extend its 2.55 trillion euro ($3.16 trillion) bond purchase scheme beyond September if needed. Among corporate news back home, Bharti Airtel's meeting of committee of directors is scheduled on 13 March 2018, to consider issue of listed, unsecured, rated, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs Series I and II) aggregating upto Rs 3000 crore on private placement basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 March 2018. Infosys issued a clarification with regard to media articles in relation to the alleged fraud concerning the Income Tax department and the First Information report (FIR) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to these allegations. Infosys said it is not named as an accused party in the said FIR. So far it has not been contacted by the CBI in connection with this matter. Infosys will co-operate with law enforcement agencies as and when it is approached, it added. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 March 2018. In political news, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), ally of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has pulled out its two ministers from the Narendra Modi cabinet yesterday, 8 March 2018, in protest against the injustice to Andhra Pradesh. However, the party decided to continue supporting the NDA. The action by the TDP, which has sixteen members in the Lok Sabha and six in Rajya Sabha, will have no impact on the stability of the Modi government which has sufficient numbers in Parliament but will be seen as a big political setback as TDP is the first pre-poll ally to pull out of the Centre in nearly four years. Key benchmark indices registered modest gains on bargain hunting yesterday, 8 March 2018 after a sell-off in the last six sessions. The Sensex had surged 318.48 points or 0.96% to settle at 33,351.57, its highest closing level since 5 March 2018. The trading activity showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 364.80 crore on 8 March 2018 as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 675.26 crore on 8 March 2018, as per provisional data. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shree Renuka Sugars rose 1.29% to Rs 15.75 at 09:32 IST on BSE after the company's board of directors signed a binding restructuring agreement with banks. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 10.12 points or 0.03% at 33,361.69. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was off 10.26 points, or 0.06% to 17,347.09. On the BSE, 77,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 3.81 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock hit a high of Rs 16 and hit a low of Rs 15.60 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 22.40 on 26 July 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 12 on 8 June 2017. The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 94.52 crore. Face value per share is Re 1. The board of directors of Shree Renuka Sugars approved the allotment 48.18 crore, 0.01% compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) at Rs 16.28 each to Wilmar Sugar Holdings Pte. on preferential basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 8 March 2018. Meanwhile, in a separate announcement made during market hours today, 9 March 2018, Shree Renuka Sugars announced that in connection with the implementation of a debt restructuring package for the company, it has received a notice from Wilmar Sugar Holdings Pte. exercising their option to convert 48.18 crore, 0.01% compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) into equal number of equity shares. Pursuant to such notice, Shree Renuka Sugars has allotted 48.18 crore equity shares to Wilmar Sugar Holdings Pte. Shree Renuka Sugars reported a net loss of Rs 119.60 crore in Q2 September 2017, as compared with net profit of Rs 2.50 crore in Q2 September 2016. Net sales dropped 32.73% to Rs 1365.20 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016. Shree Renuka Sugars is one of the leading sugar manufacturers in India. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UPA Chairperson and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the promise of "achhe din" will work against the BJP in the same manner as 'India Shining' campaign did against then Vajpayee government in the 2004 General Elections. She also said that the Congress and its allies in the United Progressive Alliance will return to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "The main issue with the BJP is that they made huge fantastic promises. But what is being implemented? They sold such a positive picture -- we will give jobs, give you Rs 15 lakh. There is great disappointment. I am confident the BJP's 'achhe din' will actually turn into 'India Shining' -- which brought us to power (in 2004)," she said at an India Today conclave here. Sonia Gandhi took several questions after her address at the event. The Congress leader said there was a lot of disappointment among people over the promises made by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2014 elections. The then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government lost power in the 2004 elections despite a massive 'India Shining' campaign and expectations that it will do well. Sonia Gandhi said the Congress and its allies will not let Modi get another term in office at the Centre. "We are going to come back. We are not going to let them come back," she quipped. About BJP and its allies now ruling 22 states and the reasons for Congress decline in the 2014 polls, Gandhi said the UPA had been in power for two terms of five years each and definitely there was certain amount of anti-incumbency. "People felt perhaps they wanted a new person. There were other issues. Also, I think we were out-marketed because we couldn't compete with the manner in which Modi and his party went into elections," she said. The Congress leader said they will fix the grey areas where the BJP did better. "We have to... It is a challenge. But I am sure we will be able to meet it." On the lessons learnt from the 2014 debacle, she said the party has to really develop a new style of connecting with the people at the organisational level. "We also have to look at the way we project our policies and programmes," she said. Gandhi said the National Democratic Alliance had adopted earlier UPA's programmes and in some cases "weakened" them. On corruption as a big factor in the 2014 polls, she said it was "highly exaggerated" against her party. She referred to the court verdict in the 2G spectrum case in which all the accused were acquitted and to the huge figure of notional loss pegged by the then Comptroller and Auditor General. "... now everyone realises it was highly exaggerated. Another question we can ask ourselves is -- how come the person who was incharge of that institution was given a cushy job right after his retirement? One must be told about these things," Gandhi said. Sonia Gandhi said her son Rahul Gandhi, who took over as party chief in December last, always wanted to induct younger people in the All India Congress Committee but was held back. "He certainly has always wanted to have younger and new people in the party. If you do not have such people, how is the party going to grow. That is his argument and a very valid one," Sonia Gandhi said. "... there are also seniors/elders who feel 'we have been struggling all these years and suddenly what is going to happen to us'. But in the last Congress Working Committee meeting, he clearly said that young people must be encouraged but it does not mean doing away with or ignoring the seniors who have been in the party for long and have contributed to its growth," the Congress leader said. --IANS ps-sid/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of French President and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to this Uttar Pradesh city on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday reached here to take stock of preparations for the high-profile visit. The visiting dignitaries will reach the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport here around 10.25 a.m and after a brief break, will fly in a chopper to Dadarkalan in Mirzapur. Adityanath met district officials and the police top brass and understood the travel plans of the French President and assessed the preparedness of the visit, an official said. Macron and Modi will partake in the inauguration of a solar plant at Mirzapur for 20 minutes after which they will drive back to the helipad before flying off to the Badlapur and then to the Deen Dayal Handicraft Institute. Macron will then go to Derek helipad from where he and Modi, who is also the Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, will drive to Assi Ghat on the banks of the holy river Ganga. They will take a boat ride followed by lunch, and in the evening, will fly back to New Delhi in a special IAF plane. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Friday said the divestment process of state-owned air carrier Air India was very much on track in terms of the timeline. The Ministry is keen to transfer the airline to the private sector by the end of this calendar year, he said. "Our timelines are very clear. Our goal is to award it by the end of June and to have the whole transaction closed and done of the transfer of airline to the private sector by end of this calendar year," Sinha told the media on the sidelines of WINGS India 2018 at Begumpet Airport here. He attributed the delays in the expression of interest (EoI) processes to several important issues that the Ministry had to sort out besides obtaining approval from the Alternative Mechanism, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. On Thursday, Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey said there would be clarity in two weeks on the expression of interest. Sinha, however, refused to divulge the details of the percentage of stake sale or the quantum of money to be raised through the divestment. He also chose not to comment on the interest shown by some foreign airlines to participate in the bidding. On the safety concerns over the new engines of Pratt & Whitney in the A320 aircraft, Sinha said the Ministry was working closely with safety regulators around the world to decide on the best course of action for the engine. Sinha was all praise for his senior minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju who quit the government on Thursday. "We will very much miss the honourable minister. He was a tremendous source of inspiration, guidance and leadership for us. And we in the Ministry of Civil Aviation have benefited greatly from his leadership," he said. --IANS str/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bengali community lives across the globe and Bangla is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but the market for its cinema has not been nurtured properly, says National Award winning filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. Chowdhury, best known for "Antaheen" and "Pink", believes the screen density needs to be increased in small towns of West Bengal. "I agree with the fact that every story has its certain reach, but a good distribution system can make a difference. Bengali is the sixth most spoken language in the world, and our neighbouring country Bangladesh has a huge potential market, along with other international markets where Bengalis are living. "Unfortunately, the Bengali film market has not been nurtured properly yet," the filmmaker told IANS on the sidelines of the Ficci Frames 2018 here. "Yes, it is true that Hindi has a larger reach within the country, but if we look at the European countries, whether it is Hindi or Bengali, for them, it is an Indian film. Therefore, we Bengali filmmakers should have a proper agent who can position our films in the right market. Though the film and cultural exchanges are happening between us and Bangladesh, it is yet to happen on a much larger scale," he added. Coming from an ad film background, Chowdhury made his debut in the Hindi film industry in 2016 with the much-celebrated film "Pink". While his past Bengali movies "Anuranan" and "Antaheen" were critically acclaimed and won National Awards, it took a Hindi film for Chowdhury to earn fame. But he shrugged it off. "I really do not look at this negatively. In that film ('Pink'), Amitabh Bachchan was one of the key actors. The mileage that he can bring to a film, who else can? And because of the same reason, the film got a good market and distribution," he said of the movie, which highlighted how a girl's "No" means "No". Asked if language creates a barrier in making regional films reach people, and if dubbing is a potential solution to that, Chowdhury said: "See, we make a film with a certain nuance, and if you are dubbing it in a different language, certain elements get lost in translation. Therefore, I neither watch nor encourage dubbed films. Subtitling is a good option." Citing an example of his debut film "Anuranan", he said: "If you compared the Hindi dubbed version of the film with its original Bengali one, you can find the difference. That is precisely the reason why we should watch the film with subtitles. We do the same thing when we are watching a Korean or an Iranian film." With the advent of digital platforms, the footfalls at theatres are going down while films are reaching people through laptops, iPads and smartphones. According to the filmmaker, screen density and well-maintained theatre halls are the two most important elements that should be taken into consideration. "I come from Asansol, a small town in West Bengal. When my relatives went to watch my first film 'Anuranan', they came back from the theatre before the film finished because there were rats running under the seats and bad smell was coming from washroom. "If the authorityies are not maintaining the existing theatre halls or increasing the screen numbers considering our population, how can we expect people to come to the theatre," he questioned. (Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in ) --IANS aru/rb/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling BJP in Jharkhand on Friday said it will contest both vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state, even as the opposition also geared up to give it a united fight. BJP state President Lakshman Giluwa said the party will contest both seats. The BJP held a meeting at the party headquarters here to chalk out a strategy for the contest. Chief Minister Raghubar Das and Giluwa were present at the meeting. The Bharatiya Janata Party can win one seat comfortably but will require to dent the opposition unity if it wants to win the second also. In the 82-member Assembly, the JMM has 18 legislators and the Congress five. The Congress will try to get support of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik's two legislators. To win the Rajya Sabha polls, 28 votes are needed. The ruling BJP has 43 legislators while its ally All Jharkhand Students Union has four. On Friday, Congress leaders R.P.N. Singh and state Congress President Dr Ajay Kumar met Jharkhand Mukti Morcha President Shibu Soren. Singh later thanked the JMM for supporting the Congress which will declare its candidate on March 11. "We thank the JMM for supporting our candidate in the RS polls. JMM is the largest opposition party in the Assembly and is supporting us," Singh told the media here. --IANS ns/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the BJP had succeeded in wrongly convincing people that the Congress was "a Muslim party" and the more public focus on its leaders visiting temples was to perhaps to counter that perception. "BJP has managed to... I don't say brainwash... that's a bit of a rude word... But it has managed to convince, to persuade people that the Congress is a Muslim party," said Gandhi when asked about Congress President Rahul Gandhi's temple visits in Gujarat and if her party was looking at something called soft Hindutva. "Now, I ask... in my party, the great majority is Hindu... and different sections of ... but yes, there are Muslims. So, I fail to understand this branding us as a sort of Muslim party," she added during an interactive session at an India Today conclave here. Gandhi furhter said: "We have always been to temples. When I used to travel with Rajiv (Gandhi), whereever we went there was always at least one major important temple which we would visit. But we never made a show of it. It was quite natural." She also stressed that Rahul Gandhi had gone to temples earlier too. Asked if it was a deliberate deliberate thrust in that direction, she said: "I don't think so." Asked if her party thought the BJP can't monopolise the whole Hindutva movement, she replied: "Maybe... there is a bit of this because we have been pushed into a corner on that... you know... And so, perhaps rather than going to a temple quietly, then maybe yes... a little more of public focus on that." --IANS sid-ps/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu on Friday urged the Central government to set up the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee as per a Supreme Court order and stick to the timeline. According to an official statement, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, Public Works Department Principal Secretary S.K. Prabakar and Cauvery Technical Committee Chairman R. Subramanian participated in the meeting called by the Central government here. The Chief Secretaries of Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry also attended the meeting. The Tamil Nadu team stressed that the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee should be set up within six weeks of the apex court judgment, the state government statement said. The apex court on February 16 ordered the Central government to set up the board and the committee within six weeks. The Supreme Court had reduced Tamil Nadu's share in the Cauvery water to 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), down from 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007. --IANS vj/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI on Friday sought further six-day custody of Karti Chidambaram to interrogate him for allegedly receiving kickbacks in getting foreign investment clearances to private companies when his father P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a special court here that the CBI had recovered a lot of documents proving that the senior Congress leader's son had direct links with Advantage Strategic. The firm allegedly received lakhs of rupees from Aircel and INX Media for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approvals. Mehta said the CBI raided an earlier unknown office of Advantage Strategic in Chennai on Wednesday and Thursday and "recovered a lot of documents proving Karti Chidambaram was directly associated with it. "So we need six more days of police custody." Defence lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi opposed the CBI plea, mocking at the agency for it failure to locate the registered office address of Advantage Strategic in Kumbukkan Road in Chennai. "For one year, the CBI cannot find the registered office. Anyone can Google about it. It is tragic as well as comic for me." Mehta countered Singhvi and said some documents had been shifted from the Chennai office location. The CBI raided the location on a tip off on March 7 and 8 and several documents were recovered, he said. Singhvi said the CBI needed to rest its demand for extending the custody of his client on solid grounds. "You have no bonafide reason. It is a 10-year old case, documents cannot be changed, witnessed can be changed." The CBI has alleged that Karti received kickbacks in the clearance of foreign investment worth Rs 305 crore for INX Media -- owned by jailed media executives Peter and Indrani Mukherjea. It said it has a recorded statement of Indrani Mukherjea accusing Karti Chidambaram of demanding and receiving a bribe to get the FIPB clearance. Karti Chidambaram was confronted with Indrani Mukherjea in Mumbai last week. On Friday, the CBI moved two more applications, seeking court permission to confront Karti Chidambaram with his Chartered Accountant Bhaskar Raman. The second is to allow the CBI bring the Mukherjeas to Delhi from Mumbai and identify the places where they met Kartik Chidambaram. Singhvi also told the court that Karti's blood pressure levels were fluctuating as he was not allowed to sleep as four guards keep playing cards till 2.30 a.m. each night. "On March 7, his blood pressure was 140/90 while on March 8 it was 150/100." The court reserved its order on extending judicial custody till 4.30 p.m. --IANS aks-akk/sar/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The high-powered group set up by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) following the Rs 12,600 crore fraud on state-run PNB, with a mandate to suggest remedial measures in the banking system, has not yet received the required documents and information from the bank, ICAI said on Friday. The group had written to various Punjab National Bank officials, including the Chairman of its Audit Committee, to provide relevant information on the case. "The high-powered group appointed by the ICAI is awaiting the required documents and information from the PNB officials to find out the systemic loopholes... it is worthwhile to mention that the group recommendations are dependent on the availability of documents and information," an ICAI statement said here. "Ordinarily, concurrent audit in a bank is carried out by an independent firm of chartered accountants. As per the current system of appointment of auditors in PNB, internal and concurrent audit was carried out by the PNB officials," the statement said. Though government agencies are trying to identify the culprits, it prima facie appears that the fraud was committed due to collusion of many persons inside and outside the system, the statement added. The ICAI has also written to various investigating agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India, requesting for details of their investigations in the matter. Following the PNB fraud by accused diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said last month that the Indian industry, in collusion with chartered accountants, had for years been employing various ways like creating shell companies to "round-trip" money into the country. --IANS rrb-bc/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Clashes erupted between security forces and protesters in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian town on Friday in which around a dozen civilians were injured. Police sources said youths resorted to heavy stone pelting at the security forces, forcing them to fire tear smoke and pellets. The protests were held against the killing of six persons, including two militants and four civilians, in Pahnoo area of Shopian district on Sunday. Reports reaching here said that around a dozen protesters were injured in the clashes. A young man who sustained serious injuries was referred to a Srinagar hospital. Clashes between youths and security forces also occurred in the old city Nowhatta area of Srinagar after the congregational Friday prayers. Heavy deployment of security forces in the area helped bring the protests under control. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UPA Chairperson on Friday said there may be a Congress President from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family in future, adding that she opted for Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister in 2004 as he was a better candidate for the post than her. "Why not? In future there may well be," Gandhi shot back when asked at the India Today conclave if there was a chance of a leader from outside the family heading the Congress. On if the Congress will survive without a Gandhi as its leader, she said the question should be put to Congress workers. Gandhi said there has been been a tradition in the Congress and the leaders are elected democratically. She also referred to dynasties in the US such as that of the Bush family and the Clintons and also to dynasties in several states of India. Asked if she was the only glue for the party, she smiled and said it was a tough question. "There are many Congressmen, you can ask them." Dismissing perception in certain quarters that under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government when Manmohan Singh was in office, she was in power, Gandhi said: "I don't think it was that kind of a situation." Asked why she did not become the Prime Minister, she said: "Because I thought Dr Manmohan Singh would be a better Prime Minister than myself." "Without trying, even I knew my limitation," she said answering another question. Gandhi said she decided to take the political plunge when she saw that the Congress was going through a very difficult time. "Some people were leaving the Congress, I really felt that I was being sort of a coward in not even trying to do something to see if I could help the party," she said. An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police allegedly committed suicide here by shooting himself with his service revolver, police said on Friday. The incident was reported to police at around 8 a.m by a motorist who found P.P. Anirudh lying dead not far from the Prime Minister's residence in the heart of Delhi. "Anirudh was posted with the Third Battalion of Delhi Armed Police. Initial investigation revealed he shot himself while going back home. His motorcycle was found near the spot along with his service revolver," a senior police officer told IANS. "We are also probing to ascertain if there is any foul play," he added. --IANS sp/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Textile revivalist Madhu Jain has been awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 by President Ram Nath Kovind for her contribution to women's empowerment. The designer says it is a formal ratification of the invaluable skills of Indias master weavers and craftspeople. "This award is much more than a personal validation of my work in the indigenous, organic textiles sector and my environmental concerns in producing textiles that leave the smallest carbon footprint. "It is a formal ratification of the invaluable skills of India's master weavers and craftspeople whose artistry has been handed down to them generationally. I will continue to strive to revive ancient weaving techniques and to ensure livelihoods for India's artisanal sector," Jain said in a statement. Jain was among the 30 individuals who were awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 on the occasion of International Women's Day on Thursday. The award carries a certificate and cash award of Rs 1 lakh. Tapping rural weaver communities through NGOs and self-help groups, Jain's work in eco-fashion and sustainable production is revitalising artisanal livelihoods across India by ensuring markets for weavers' generationally-honed skills. Jain has also been instrumental in innovating new weaves and in reviving textiles and embroidery-notably, Nakshikantha and Dhaka Muslin-that were lost to India post-partition. Over the last 15 years, Jain's experiments with alternative fibres led her to bamboo. Sunil Sethi, President, Fashion Design Council of India, said he is proud that the fashion fraternity is being acknowledged and is being given its due for its work in the sustainable fashion space. "Madhu's work leads by example. The future of sustainable fashion is immense. Such innovations are important for the environment. Every advancement in this sector benefits our weavers and karigars, and I am confident that this textile too shall prove to be an employment booster," he said. --IANS nv/rb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major relief to Karti Chidambaram, the Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) not to arrest Congress leader P. Chidambaram's son, accused in the INX Media money laundering case, till March 20. The interim relief to Karti Chidambaram, 46, from "any coercive action" taken against him by the ED till the next hearing of the case came a day after the Supreme Court transferred to the Delhi High Court his plea seeking quashing of summons issued by the probe agency. A High Court bench of Justices S. Muralidhar and I.S. Mehta, however, directed the businessman to cooperate in the investigation, appear before the ED whenever required and submit his passport. Senior counsels Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, told the court that they were apprehending sequential arrests of their client by the ED after he is freed from the custody of the CBI, which is separately probing the case. Karti is being interrogated by the CBI since his February 28 arrest. His custody ended on Friday. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, special public prosecutor in the case, informed the High Court that the CBI would seek extension of his custodial interrogation for six more days. Mehta said he was going to seek more time for filing a reply on the bail plea of Karti in the CBI court case against him. Considering this, the High Court directed the CBI court to proceed in the matter without being influenced by the bench's interim relief order. Karti Chidambaram is being investigated for allegedly receiving money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister in the UPA government. The CBI has alleged that Karti received kickbacks in the clearance of foreign investment worth Rs 305 crore for INX Media -- owned by Peter and Indrani Mukherjea. The Mukherjeas are in jail in a murder case. The CBI said it has a recorded statement of Indrani Mukherjea accusing Karti Chidambaram of demanding and receiving a bribe to get the FIPB clearance. --IANS akk/sar/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Table etiquettes are always a daunting topic -- whether it is a business dinner you are going for, a black-tie event that you wish to attend or a casual brunch on a day out with friends. From types of cutlery, styles of eating different cuisines -- there are different levels of etiquettes that are followed throughout the world depending on the occasion. Tushar Nagar, Food and Beverage Manager, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru, and Ishan Shah, Director and Co-Owner MAIA - Eat, Bake, Mom, Bengaluru, tell us how to get the right table etiquettes. * Getting Started: If you are invited to have dinner with someone, it is always a good idea to respond, even if an RSVP is not requested. This helps with planning. When you are dining at the home of a friend, it is a good idea to bring a gift for the host or hostess. Some dinner parties are formal and have place cards where the host or hostess wants you to sit. If not, ask if there are any seating preferences. Wait until the host sits before you do. * Know your glasses: If you have more than one glass on the table which resembles a wine glass, you can tell which one is for what purpose by the following simple guide. The water glass is always a thicker one with a substantial stem as opposed to wine glasses. Within the wine glasses, the dessert wine glasses have a wider mouth and smaller bowl, the champagne flutes and more elongated than others and the white wine glass has a wider mouth and a narrower body. * Use of cutlery and hands: If there are a lot of forks and knives on either side of your plate, always start the meal by using the cutlery on the outer most end and work your way in. Do not keep your knife and fork crossed on the plate at any time as that is considered rude. If you are drinking from a stemmed glass, hold it by the stem. A typical rule of thumb is to start with the utensil that is farthest from your plate and work your way toward the centre of your place setting. Dishes such as pizza, sushi pizza, the nagiri sushi, and your breads are meant to be eaten with hands so use of cutlery is not always the right thing to do specially if you are with a Japanese or an Italian, in this case. * When to eat: If you are eating out, you should wait until all the members of your group have been served before picking up your fork. For dinners where food is served at the table, the dishes should be passed in a counter a counter-clockwise flow. Never reach across the table for anything. * While eating: It is always advisable to turn off your cell phone before sitting down, to avoid talking and texting while dining. It is rude in the company of others or guests. Keep your elbows off the table or rest the hand you are not using in your lap. Never talk or burp while dining -- it's just gross, even if someone asks you a question, wait for the food and then answer. Taste your food before you add salt, pepper, or other seasoning. Doing otherwise may be insulting to the host or hostess. Cut one or two bites instead of cutting all at once and taste everything served on plate unless you're allergic. If you spill something at a restaurant, signal one of the servers to help. If you spill something at a private dinner party in someone's home, pick it up and blot the spill. Offer to have it professionally cleaned if necessary. * After the meal: After you finish eating, partially fold your napkin and place it to the left of your plate. Never use a toothpick or dental floss at the table. Having said all this, eating is always about one's comfort, so how one wishes to eat a dish is completely on them. At the end of the day, the best advice would be to enjoy your meal, make sure you convey your pleasure and bon appetit. --IANS nv/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With a record budget pegged at Rs 1.151 trillion, Haryana's Finance Minister Abhimanyu proposed no new taxes in the annual budget for 2018-19. The budget was presented in the state assembly on Friday during the ongoing Budget Session. The Finance Minister announced reduction on VAT (value added tax) on natural gas used by industry from 12.5 per cent to 6 per cent. The per capita income of the state at current prices in 2016-17 was estimated at Rs 178,890 which is likely to further increase to Rs 196,982 in 2017-18 as compared to the all-India figure of Rs 1,12,764 making it one of the highest in the country, said Abhimanyu as he presented his fourth budget. He said that the budget represents an increase of 12.6 per cent over the 'Swaran Jayanti Year' Budget of Rs 1.02 trillion last year (2017-18) and 14.4 per cent over RE (revised estimates) 2017-18 of Rs 1.0 trillion. The budget outlay comprises 26.1 per cent as capital expenditure of Rs 300 billion, and 73.9 per cent as revenue expenditure of Rs 851 billion. Riding the crest of better realisation of both tax and non-tax receipts, the Finance Minister has estimated revenue receipts at Rs 769 billion, including the state's own tax receipt of Rs 491 billion, and non tax-revenue of Rs 113 billion. The major sources of tax revenue are GST Rs 237 billion, VAT Rs 114 billion, Excise Duty Rs 60 billion and Stamp and Registration Rs 45 billion. Referring to the share of budgetary allocations to different sectors in fiscal 2018-19, he said these had been hiked in most cases. About 28.7 per cent of the total budget has been allocated to economic services like agriculture and allied, irrigation and rural electrification subsidy 12.22 per cent, power 5.87 per cent, transport, civil aviation, road and bridges 4.73 per cent, rural development and panchayats 3.76 per cent and others 2.12 per cent. Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Prakash Jarwal, arrested for allegedly assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash last month. The court observed that during the course of arguments on the bail plea, a trust deficit between the members of legislative assembly and the bureaucrats was evident to the hilt. "To see that no unforeseen incident occurs in future and also to maintain transparency, the Government of NCT of Delhi would be well advised to get the meetings inter-se the legislators and the bureaucrats videographed," Justice Mukta Gupta said while granting bail to Jarwal. The court also asked Jarwal to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the like amount. The court said: "In view of the discussion aforesaid, the nature of allegations, the sentence provided for the offences invoked if convicted after trial and the fact that there is no likelihood of the petitioner fleeing away from justice, this court deems it fit to grant bail to the petitioner (Jarwal)." The court, however, imposed condition that if Jarwal, himself or through someone else, intimidates or harasses or obstructs the lawful activity of the complainant, the police would be entitled to seek cancellation of the bail. The court directed him not to tamper with the evidence or intimidate or approach any of the witnesses. The court also noted that this was the third FIR against Jarwal for assault on a public servant and said in case he indulges in any such illegal act in future, the bail granted to the accused would be liable to be cancelled. Besides, the court directed the legislator not to leave the country without prior permission. On February 19, the Chief Secretary alleged that he was beaten up by AAP legislators Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the CM's residence, where the top bureaucrat had been called for an emergency meeting. --IANS akk/nir/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 16th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) next month will have a memorial tribute screening of "Chandni", one of the gems from the late Bollywood actress Sridevi's glorious cinematic career. The gala will screen a 2K print of the 1989 hit "Chandni", courtesy of Yash Raj Films, read a statement. IFFLA, to be held April 11-15, will open with "In The Shadows", starring Manoj Bajpayee, and conclude with Rima Das' "Village Rockstars". Other highlights include Nagraj Manjule's short film "An Essay of the Rain", Ben Rekhi's "The Ashram" starring Kal Penn, Vaishali Sinha's "Ask The Sexpert" about 93-year old sex advice columnist Mahinder Watsa, "The Hungry", starring Naseeruddin Shah and Tisca Chopra, Hansal Mehta's "Omerta" and Nila Madhab Panda's "Kadvi Hawa". The line-up includes 12 languages and a list of first and second-time filmmakers, including 11 women filmmakers. "This year's lineup is a testament to the rich variety of genre, style and skill that exists within the Indian filmmaking community. We are enormously proud to present this collection of exciting, inspiring, and challenging stories that are sure to make for a thrilling festival experience," said Mike Dougherty, IFFLA's Director of Programming. This year, IFFLA will feature four world premieres, three North American premieres, two US premieres, and 14 Los Angeles premieres. Various filmmakers and actors will attend the festival, including Mehta, Sinha, Bornila Chatterjee, Panda and "Ajji" lead actress Sushama Deshpande. A ferocious tiger, which recently killed a woman in Pilibhit forest of Uttar Pradesh, has been successfully rehabilitated to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. Being seen as a landmark in conservation efforts, this is only the second such achievement in Terai region -- and among the few across the country. The forest communities in the Terai region are the most vulnerable to fatal attacks from the big cats. As many as five deaths in just over two months of 2018 have caused panic among residents in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve area. The region, infamous for highest number of man-animal conflict, had witnessed 21 tragic deaths in 2017. In the present case, the feline was tranquilised the day after it killed a 22-year-old woman -- thought to be the latest in a series of similar incidents. The tiger had take refuge in agricultural field just near the village where it killed its last victim. It was intercepted and sedated by a five member team in a daunting operation. The team comprising experts from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), state forest department and WWF, used a JCB machine, two tractors and a offroader to corner the ferocious feline. Prior to its release, it was closely observed in confinement for three days. The tiger has now been radio-collared to help foresters monitor its movements and analyse its hunting behavior to ensure it does not wander off, officials told IANS. It has now been learnt that although the tiger killed the woman "out of hunger", it did not eat the carcass. "Therefore, the tiger is not a man-eater, it has no deformity which makes it the most suitable for rehabilitation," Dr Mayukh Chatterjee, Head of WTI's Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation division, told IANS. According to the officials, the tiger has been relocated in Belrayan Range of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, about a 100 kms away from the Pilibhit region. Its new abode, officials say, was choosen carefully so that the area has less tiger density, and high prey-base. "In high tiger density region, there are possibilities that the young tiger may be dominated and pushed out by other felines," Chatterjee said. In the last similar incident, a conflict-tiger wondered over 200 kms from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve to the outskirts of Lucknow city and was rehabilitated in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in 2014. "Its a rare opportunity and a matter of pride for us. We again have an opportunity to understand the behaviour of a rehabilitated tiger. Dudhwa is one of the safest reserves for tigers and now, after 2014 case; its also emerging as a rehabilitation heaven," Mahaveer Koujalagi, Deputy Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, told IANS. Just on the outskirts of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve are agricultural fields where the local residents cultivate sugarcane. While tigers see these sugarcane fields with rich prey-base as an extension of their natural habitat, it also leads to negative man-animal conflict -- the death of the woman on March 5 being the latest example. In 2017, total 21 people were killed by at least five different tigers in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. One such tiger was declared man-eater in February 2017 and sent to Lucknow Zoo. According to records, 33 people were killed by tigers in 2013-14, while 28 were killed in 2014-15 throughout the country. India is home to 70 per cent of the world's free-ranging tigers, estimated at 2,226 in 2014, of which at least 640 dwell outside tiger reserves. (Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in) --IANS kd/ss/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will develop its relations with China based on commonalities while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests, concerns and sensitivities, a senior official said here on Friday. The comments come after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that the Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant must not fight with each other but dance together. "As two major countries and large economies, relations between India and China are not just important bilaterally but also have regional and global significance," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told the media here. Kumar said that during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Xiamen in September last year, the two leaders agreed that sound development of relations between the two Asian giants are a factor of stability amidst today's global uncertainties and that the two countries should not allow their differences to become disputes. "Since then, both sides have maintained regular exchanges at all levels, which have helped in strengthening bilateral communication," he said. "We are willing to work with the Chinese side to develop our relations based on commonalities while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests, concerns and sensitivities." On Thursday, speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the Chinese parliament session, Wang said that both countries, which nearly came to war over a two-month military stand-off along their border last year, should replace suspicion with trust. Sounding positive on bilateral ties in the coming year, the minister said: "The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other." Sino-India ties took a nosedive after their militaries faced-off each other in their worst stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim section of their boundary. China's opposition to a UN ban on Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar and India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group has also tested their relationship. "Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to grow. In the process, China has both upheld its legitimate rights and interests and taken care to preserve the relationship," Wang said. He emphasised that mutual trust was a key factor between India and China. --IANS ab/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Irrfan Khan's "Hindi Medium", which takes a comical look at the underbelly of India's education system, will be releasing in Taiwan. Zee Studios International, the overseas distributor of the film, is extending its international release to China and Taiwan, read a statement. Released in India on May 19, the story of "Hindi Medium" revolves around a couple who want to give their daughter the best education so that she becomes accepted by the elite. "China's theatrical market is huge and growing rapidly. Seeing that 'Hindi Medium' has performed well in each and every major international territory is a testament to its potential in China and Taiwan as well. They appreciate good content. With 'Hindi Medium', we hope to offer them another spectacular movie experience," said Vibha Chopra, Head - Zee Studios International (Film Marketing, Distribution and Acquisition). "Indian cinema has no constraints of mobility or literacy, the trick is to understand how far your film can reach, with such a strong subject and interesting storyline 'Hindi Medium' is bound to touch hearts beyond borders," added Chopra. The film also stars Pakistani actress Saba Qamar and "Tanu Weds Manu" fame actor Deepak Dobriyal. The second part of the film has also been announced. Homi Adajania will be directing the sequel to "Hindi Medium" with Irrfan playing the lead. There is no word on Qamar getting back for the second part. --IANS sug/rb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is witnessing a major upsurge in job creation, not in the traditional economy but in the new economy, a central minister said on Friday, citing the example of cab aggregators Ola and Uber who created millions of jobs in the past year. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha was addressing a session titled "Democracy, Demography, Demand: The Mystery of the Missing Jobs" at the India Today Conclave here. "There is a tremendous upsurge in job creation, not in the traditional economy but in the new economy, in entrepreneurship," Sinha said "For instance, Ola and Uber have given employment to one million drivers. So, I would say it is not about the missing jobs..it is about the missing data," the Minister said. In support of his contention, the Minister pointed to various estimates, including Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) data to say that "job situation is not as bad as it is being made out to be". As per EPFO data, over one crore new accounts were added in 2017 to the 45 million members of the organisation. Former Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot of the Congress, who participated in the discussion, highlighted the dismal employment situation in the country, pointing to the stressed agriculture sector, which has prompted a farm friendly Budget 2018-19, as well as the slowdown in exports. "Our country is at a turning point with the number of young people who are unemployed or underemployed," Pilot said. "We have a situation where 40 per cent of people going out to seek jobs are underskilled," he added. Rebutting Pilot, Sinha said that it is precisely to meet this gap in skilling that the ruling NDA government had created a Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. "No doubt there is work to do in the area of job creation, but we are a 2.5 trillion dollar economy and we are on the right trajectory," Sinha said. While the NDA made an election promise of creating 10 million jobs a year, slowing private investment and huge corporate indebtedness has made the job scenario a difficult one. Besides, with the larger part of the workforce in the informal economy, demonetisation made 2017 an even more difficult period. The 5th Annual Employment-Unemployment Survey, 2015-16, shows that with rising education levels, the unemployment rate has also gone up in the age group of 18-29 years. "The unemployment rate for persons aged 18-29 years and holding a degree in graduation and above was found to be maximum with 18.4 per cent based on the Usual Principal Status Approach at the all-India level," said the Survey report on Youth Employment-Unemployment Scenario, Volume II. The unemployment rate for the age group at the all-India level was estimated at 13.2 per cent. The Survey's Volume I suggested that the unemployment rate was estimated to be five per cent at the all-India level. Karnataka Lokayukta Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty, who was stabbed multiple times by a complainant on Wednesday afternoon, is recovering and will stay in the hospital for another week, a senior doctor from the hospital said on Friday. "Justice Shetty has been operated upon for his stab wounds and is recovering. He is likely to be kept in the hospital for another week," chief cardiac surgeon at Mallya Hospital Divakar Bhat told IANS here. Shetty, 73, was stabbed by a 33-year-old complainant, Tejraj Sharma, on Wednesday afternoon and was rushed to Mallya Hospital in the city centre. The attacker was immediately nabbed by police. "A police team led by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) N. Satheesh Kumar is probing the incident of attack on Justice Shetty. I am expecting the report soon," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy tweeted on Friday. Sharma, a furniture supplier from Tumakuru, about 70 km northwest from here, had filed a complaint with the anti-graft official about a local government office, according to the police. "He was allegedly unhappy that his complaint was not being heard. This could have been the motive for the attack," city Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had earlier said. A few days before the incident took place, Shetty had advised the accused not to "squabble" in the Lokayukta office, the Home Minister said. After the attack, the Home Minister on Thursday had suspended the Deputy Commissioner of Police Yogesh for "lapse in security". Shetty was earlier a judge in the Karnataka High Court and had also practised in the Supreme Court. He had taken charge as the state's ombudsman in January 2017. --IANS bha/nir/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI on Friday got a court permission to question Karti Chidambaram for three more days even as the Delhi High Court gave him interim protection from being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a case relating to alleged kickbacks in getting foreign investment clearances to private companies when his father P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. Judge Sunil Rana of a special court allowed the CBI to quiz the 46-year-old businessman till March 12 after the agency sought extension of his custody for six more days. Karti Chidambaram is being interrogated by the CBI since his February 28 arrest. The CBI said it had found "new incriminating documents" to prove that Karti Chidambaram got kickbacks to get foreign investment clearance. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the special court that the CBI had recovered evidence to prove that Karti Chidambaram had direct links with Advantage Strategic, which allegedly received lakhs of rupees for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approvals for INX Media and Aircel companies. "So we need six more days of police custody." Defence lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi opposed the CBI plea, mocking at the agency for its failure to locate the well-known registered office address of Advantage Strategic in Nungambakkam High Road in Chennai. "For one year, the CBI cannot find the registered office. Anyone can Google about it. It is tragic as well as comic for me." Mehta countered Singhvi and said some documents had been shifted from the Chennai office location. The CBI raided the location on a tip off on March 7 and 8 and several documents were recovered, he said. A CBI official here said the agency searched ASCPL's office on May 16, 2017 in Chennai. After that the board of companies passed a resolution to change the office. The CBI alleges that Karti Chidambaram received kickbacks in the clearance of foreign investment worth Rs 305 crore for INX Media -- owned by jailed media executives Peter and Indrani Mukherjea. It said it had a recorded statement of Indrani Mukherjea accusing Karti Chidambaram of demanding and receiving a bribe to get the FIPB clearance. Karti Chidambaram was confronted with Indrani Mukherjea in Mumbai last week. On Friday, the CBI moved two more applications, seeking court permission to confront Karti Chidambaram with his Chartered Accountant S. Bhaskararaman, arrested last month. The second is to allow the CBI to bring the Mukherjeas to Delhi from Mumbai and identify the places where they met Karti Chidambaram. The Special Court Judge dismissed the CBI's application seeking permission to bring the Mukherjeas to Delhi. Extending Karti Chidambaram's custody, the court told the CBI to confront him with the Chartered Accountant at Tihar Jail. Singhvi also told the court that Karti Chidambaram's blood pressure levels were fluctuating as he was not allowed to sleep as four guards keep playing cards till 2.30 a.m. each night. "On March 7, his blood pressure was 140/90 while on March 8 it was 150/100." In a related development, the Delhi High Court gave a major relief to Karti Chidambaram, directing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is separately probing the allegations, not to arrest him till till the next hearing of the case on March 20. The interim relief from "any coercive action" taken by the ED came a day after the Supreme Court transferred to the Delhi High Court his plea seeking quashing of summons issued by the probe agency. A High Court bench of Justices S. Muralidhar and I.S. Mehta, however, directed the businessman to cooperate in the investigation, appear before the ED whenever required and submit his passport. Defence counsels Kapil Sibal and Singhvi told the court that they apprehended sequential arrests of their client by the ED after he was freed from the custody of the CBI. In a bid to enhance the safety and security of tourists in Kerala, the state government has formed a Kerala Tourism Regulatory Authority (KTRA) and has set a target of 100 per cent increase in arrival of foreign tourists and 50 per cent domestic tourists in the next five years, an official said here on Friday. "To ensure the accomplishment of a target of 100 per cent increase in arrival of foreign tourists and 50 per cent in domestic tourists in five years, a tourism regulatory authority has been formed. "This would help put a stop to any unhealthy practices and guarantee better intervention of the Tourism Department through scrutiny and licensing system," Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said in a statement. "The body will be part of the tourism policy," Jafar Malik, Additional Director, Department of Kerala Tourism, told reporters on the sidelines of a buyer-seller meet. "Whenever a tourist visits a place, the primary concern is whether I will be safe and secure there. Kerala being an educated society and having a high literacy rate is already peaceful. There are no law and order issues normally. But when a tourist visits, he will expect more than that," Malik said. "There are lot of single women, international tourists roaming in the streets and visiting places without any kind of fear. That kind of situation has come only because of these kind of initiatives," he added. Malik said the state government wanted a department to solely focus on safety and security, as well as to ensure that hotels have proper licences. "The government wanted a department which can solely focus on safety and security of tourists. So, this regulatory committee is not only for safety and security of tourists, but it will also keep a check on whether hotels have proper licences." Last year, around 10-12 lakh foreign tourists visited Kerala, Malik said. "We aim to double that footfall in the next five years." "Fifty per cent increase (of domestic tourists) is not a great number in tourism sector. But that is what we have set for next few years... Even if we are not ... promoting Kerala tourism, people will come to Kerala by word of mouth. In order to enhance that, we are doing all of this," Malik stated. "We also want tourists from West Bengal to visit Kerala in larger numbers," he added. --IANS dm/bdc/nir/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With only three days left for filing of nominations for one vacancy in the Rajya Sabha from Kerala, the ruling LDF on Friday offered the seat to Janata Dal-United led by media baron M.P. Veerendra Kumar. The Left Democratic Front, led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist, took a decision to offer the seat to Kumar, a friend-turned-foe-turned-friend, at a meeting here. Speaking to the media here, Kumar said: "We thank the LDF for considering our request to be included as an LDF ally. Our party's parliamentary board will decide on the candidate." The last date for filing nomination is March 12. Kumar and his party remained part of the LDF till 2009, but shifted to the UDF camp after he was denied his Lok Sabha seat of Kozhikode. Kumar's party nominee was given a Cabinet post when the Oommen Chandy government assumed office in 2011. His JD-U ended its alliance with the Congress-led United Democratic Front as well in December 2017. Earlier, Kumar was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 on a UDF ticket. Kumar lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls by over one lakh votes and since then he was unhappy with the UDF too. However, the UDF kept him happy by offering him a Rajya Sabha seat. The JD-U leader suffered a jolt when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to support the NDA, forcing him to bid goodbye along with Sharad Yadav. At present, the JD-U has no legislator in the Kerala Assembly. --IANS sg/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nearly one million residents were left without power and in the cold as two nor'easters hit the northeastern United States in less than one week. A nor'easter hit the upper half of the East Coast on Wednesday, bringing a lot of snow to the New England region, adding to the lingering snowfall from another nor'easter that descended on March 2, reports Xinhua news agency. As a result of the extreme weather, nearly one million residents in the region have been left without power causing severe difficulties for those living in rural areas. According to local media reports, 250,000 people in Massachusetts were without power as of Thursday afternoon. "Please plan to be without power for multiple days as we work through this significant restoration," power provider Eversource tweeted, noting that hundreds of engineers have been dispatched to restore power. In New Jersey, more than 320,000 power outages have been reported in homes and businesses across the state. Approximately 46,000 people in New Hampshire were without power, with local providers predicting "days" before power can be restored. In Pike county, Pennsylvania, thousands were left in the darkness since March 2. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the widespread blackout was "unacceptable", demanding power companies to step up efforts. Other states that have been hit hard by the storm include Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island, each with tens of thousands without power and in some cases cut off by heavy snow. The weather has taken a heavy toll on regional traffic as well. As of Wednesday afternoon, New Jersey police have responded to 356 crashes. On Wednesday more than 2,700 flights were cancelled, and another 2,400 delayed, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Amtrak, which operates most passenger trains in the northwest, also had to reschedule its trains, suspending traffic on some lines altogether. Another nor'easter is expected to hit the East Coast on March 12. --IANS ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Know how the brain can shape our lives in unexpected and, in some cases, brilliant and alarming ways; read the story of a seasoned reporter at the North Kanto Times who runs a daily battle against the power struggles and office politics that plague its newsroom; learn how media manipulators work; and flick through a moving, disturbingly close to reality story about love at its worst and at its best. The IANS book shelf has these reads to offer for this weekend. 1. Book: Unthinkable; Author: Helen Thomson; Publisher: John Murray; Price: Rs 399; Pages: 290 Our brains are far stranger than we think. We take it for granted that we can remember, feel emotions, navigate, empathise and understand the world around us, but how would our lives change if these abilities were dramatically enhanced -- or disappeared overnight? Award-winning science writer Helen Thomson has spent years travelling the world tracking down incredibly rare brain disorders. In "Unthinkable", she tells the stories of nine extraordinary people. From the man who thinks he's a tiger to the doctor who feels the pain of others just by looking at them, their experiences illustrate how the brain can shape our lives in unexpected and, in some cases, brilliant and alarming ways. Delving into the rich histories of these conditions, exploring the very latest research and cutting-edge medical techniques, Thomson explains the workings of our consciousness, our emotions, our creativity and even the mechanisms that allow us to understand our own existence. "Unthinkable" takes us on an unforgettable journey through the human brain. 2. Book: Seventeen; Author: Hideo Yokoyama; Publisher: Riverrun; Price: Rs 499; Pages: 403 It's 1985. Kazumasa Yuuki, a seasoned reporter at the North Kanto Times, runs a daily battle against the power struggles and office politics that plague its newsroom. But when an air disaster of unprecedented scale occurs at the paper's doorstep, its staff members are united by an unimaginable horror, and a once-in-a-lifetime scoop. Switch to 2002. Seventeen years later, Yuuki remembers the adrenaline-fuelled, emotionally charged seven days that changed his and his colleagues' lives. He does so while making good on a promise he made that fateful week -- one that holds the key to its last unsolved mystery, and represents Yuuki's final, unconquered fear. 3. Book: Trust Me, I'm Lying; Author: Ryan Holiday; Publisher: Hachette; Price: Rs 499; Pages: 378 You've seen it all before. A malicious online rumor costs a company millions. A political sideshow derails the national news cycle and destroys a candidate. Some product or celebrity zooms from total obscurity to viral sensation. What you don't know is that someone is responsible for all this. Usually, someone like the author -- a media manipulator. "I wrote this book to explain how media manipulators work, how to spot their fingerprints, how to fight them, and how (if you must) to emulate their tactics. Why am I giving away these secrets? Because I'm tired of a world where trolls hijack debates, marketers help write the news, opinion masquerades as fact, algorithms drive everything to extremes, and no one is accountable for any of it. I'm pulling back the curtain because it's time the public understands how things really work. What you choose to do with this information is up to you," the author says. 4. Book: Will You Still Love Me?; Author: Ravinder Singh; Publisher: Penguin; Price: Rs 199; Pages: 260 Lavanya Gogoi is from the scenic hills of Shillong while Rajveer Saini belongs to the shahi city of Patiala. Worlds apart from one another, the two land up next to each other on a flight from Mumbai to Chandigarh. It's love at first flight, at least for one of them. For the other... well, it's going to take more than a plane ride! And when love does finally happen, there are more obstacles to overcome. Rajveer has to stand up against his own if he and Lavanya are to be together. However, life has other plans. Things go horribly wrong and Rajveer now has to fight a different battle - one in which he is the devil as well as the deliverer. His love for Lavanya will be put to the ultimate test. And there are no guarantees. --IANS mg/vm/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 37-year-old was arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh six months ago, police said. "Naveen Kumar, 37, has been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and is an accused in the Gauri Lankesh case," SIT investigation officer M.N. Anucheth told IANS. Kumar was detained on March 2 for questioning after he was booked by the Crime Branch on February 19 under the Arms Act for illegal possession of 15 bullets of a revolver. The accused hails from Birur town in Chikmagalur district, about 250 km west of Bengaluru, the police said. "Based on certain clues provided by him, the SIT took him into custody for further questioning and investigation," Anucheth had said earlier. Lankesh, 55, Editor of "Lankesh Patrike", was shot dead outside her residence here on September 5 last year. Of the seven bullets fired, three hit Lankesh -- two in the chest and one in the forehead. The government set up the SIT to probe the journalist-activist's killing. A 37-year-old man was arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh six months ago, police said. "Naveen Kumar has been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case and evidence collected so far confirm he is an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder," SIT Investigation Officer M.N. Anucheth told IANS here. The accused hails from Birur town in Chikmagalur district, about 250km west from here. Kumar was taken into custody by the SIT on March 2 for questioning after he was booked by the Crime Branch on February 19 under the Arms Act for illegal possession of 15 bullets of a revolver. A city court on Friday extended Kumar's police custody till March 15. "In the interest of protecting witnesses and further investigation, we cannot reveal his role in the Gauri Lankesh case at this juncture," Anucheth said. The court will on March 12 pronounce its order on whether the accused is to undergo narco test. "Based on certain clues provided by him, the SIT took him into custody for further questioning and investigation," Anucheth had said earlier. Lankesh, 55, the Editor of "Lankesh Patrike", was shot dead outside her residence in the city's southwestern suburb by unidentified assailants on September 5 last year. Of the seven bullets fired, three hit Lankesh -- two in the chest and one in the forehead. The state government had set up the SIT to probe the killing. In September last year, the state had announced Rs 10-lakh reward to anyone providing clues/information that could lead to the killers of Lankesh. --IANS bha/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday said all opposition parties should consider the larger picture vis-a-vis the and come together to fight and defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2019 General Elections. "It is difficult for all the parties, including the Congress, because... while we can get together at the national level, on some issues we are opponents at the ground level." "So, there is a lot of pressure from all the parties, from my party, from the party of another leader. For instance, in West Bengal and many other states, it is a difficult task," Gandhi said during an interactive session at India Today conclave here. "But if all of us think of the larger picture, if we really think and care for the country, then we should not think about local differences which really deal with state " Asked about the proposed dinner to be held for leaders of opposition parties on March 13, Gandhi said: "I am no longer President of the party. But yes, I am Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party... and I do sort of meet (Congress chief and her son) Rahul Gandhi and some party colleagues. We try to have regular meetings with like-minded parties to see if we can work together. "We have worked together in the past. In Parliament, especially in the Rajya Sabha, there is a certain amount of coordination. I do that," she said. As for her daughter Priyanka Vadra joining politics, the Congress leader said: "Priyanka always comes out during the elections to manage, at least mine. Last time, also for Rahul. At the moment, she has two grown-up children who are sitting in exams. She is preoccupied with a lot of work. It is up to her. I don't see it now... but one never knows about the future." As for Rahul's visit to his grandmother in Italy when election results from three northeastern states were pouring in, she said: "I do not see it as an issue at all. Of course, he has become the party President. There are plenty of leaders who take holidays in between. You never hear about it; I know about it." Gandhi said she was not too fond of slogans, empty promises and 'jumlas' during electioneering. "What do they mean? What are these 'jumlas'? If you go into elections, you don't lie to the people and offer to them or tell them that you are going to do things for them that you know you would never be able to implement. "Many politicians do that, I always try not to. In this particular party (BJP), this is what they are doing. Even today, they are promising -- they are making promises which they know they cannot implement." Gandhi said public speaking was never her forte. "It's a course I pursued at a Delhi institute that helped me speak in Hindi publicly. It was very difficult in the beginning. But, slowly, slowly I learnt. Public speaking is not my forte... as you all know. And Hindi is even more... stressful. But, I do speak Hindi," she said in a lighter vein. --IANS ps-sid/tsb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is no spirit of accommodation towards the opposition under the Modi government and Parliament worked in a much more positive way when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Friday. "The present situation is such that there is no accommodative spirit... It is our right, it is right of opposition. We worked very well when Prime Minister Vajpayee was there," Gandhi said. She was answering a query at the India Today conclave about the disruptions by the opposition in Parliament. Gandhi, who earlier delivered a speech, alleged that her party was being sidelined by the government and was not being allowed to speak on the multi-crore PNB fraud. "When you have a genuine issue to discuss, you follow all the procedure, (but) we are just sidelined. We are not allowed to discuss. At times we have agreed to the suggestions of the government... "The last two-three days we wanted to discuss the (PNB bank) fraud. It is an issue which is agitating people. We are simply not being allowed to speak," she said. Answering another query, Gandhi said her party had raised slogans during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech during the reply on the motion of thanks to the President's address as her party leader was prevented from speaking the previous day. Asked how the present acrimony will end, she said: "It cannot be fixed with the way the present government is running Parliament. "It is impossible because they are not willing to allow us to speak. What is Parliament for? I am aware that people at large are constantly angry with the Congress because they feel we are shouting, making noise. But there is a very serious reason for it. Parliamentary rules are not followed." She said now BJP allies including the TDP, the TRS and the Shiv Sena were also going near the Speaker's podium and shouting slogans. "Unless something major happens, I don't see much improvement in the situation." Gandhi said Vajpayee had great respect for parliamentary procedure. "And the then speaker was what a speaker ought to be. You got to hear both sides," she said. Asked about her views on Modi as a person, Gandhi said she did not know him. "I don't know him. I don't know the person. We see him in Parliament or occasionally at functions but I can't say I know him," she said. She said the Congress was also in opposition during the Vajpayee government. "We were bitter opponents. But we functioned well. Of course there were disagreements at times but on whole it was much more positive way. There was give and take, there were compromises when it came to debate." Referring to CAG reports on alleged Gujarat State Petroleum Corp scam, she said her party was not allowed to speak on the issue in Parliament. --IANS ps-sid/him/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday sought help from the public to trace two minors missing in Poonch district. Police said the minors, identified as Govind and Seeza and belonging to a family from neighbouring Punjab that works as scrap collectors in Poonch, were missing since Thursday. "According to their family, the two went out to collect scrap on Thursday morning but did not return in the evening," a police officer said. --IANS js/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In tune with India's increasing focus on the Indian Ocean region, President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a five-day visit to the island nations of Mauritius and Madagascar from March 11, it was announced on Friday. While he will visit Mauritius from March 11 to 14, he will be in Madagascar on March 14-15. Briefing the media here, Sanjay Panda, Joint Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) in the External Affairs Ministry, said Kovind will attend the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of independence of Mauritius. He said the diaspora linkage is a very important part of bilateral ties with Mauritius which is home to a large number of ethnic Indians -- mostly descendants of indentured labour taken from India to work in the sugarcane plantations there. Panda said there has been qualitative improvement of India's ties with Mauritius in recent times after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to that country in 2015 set the ball rolling. In the last two years, India and Mauritius have signed a double taxation avoidance agreement and New Delhi $353-million economic package. Panda said that four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between the two countries during Kovind's visit. The President will meet the leadership of the island nation and also interact with the Indian diaspora. He will inaugurate the World Hindi Secretariat that has built with India's assistance. The visit to Madagascar will be the first ever by an India VVIP since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1954. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is nearly the size of France. According to Neena Malhotra, Joint Secretary (East and South Africa) in the External Affairs Ministry, the island nation off the coast of east Africa is rich in natural resources and is the world's largest producer of sapphires. She said that Kovind will hold talks with his Malagasy counterpart Hery Rajaonarimampianina. Malhotra said that India is keen to expand naval and maritime cooperation with Madagascar and India has expanded lines of credit in the past. There is 15,000 to 20,000-strong Indian community in that country and Kovind will meet their representatives. This is the second foreign visit Kovind is undertaking after assuming office last year. In October 2017, he visited Djibouti and Ethiopia. Ashok Malik, Press Secretary to the President, said it was no coincidence that both times Kovind has gone to Africa and reflected the importance India was attaching to the region. The President will be accompanied by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey and four Members of Parliament during the visit. --IANS ab/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron during the four-day visit of the foreign dignitary that begins later on Friday. Though the meeting does not figure in the Ministry of External Affairs' detailed itinerary for Macron's visit, Gandhi's office confirmed to IANS that a meeting is scheduled for Sunday. Political circles in the capital are speculating whether the controversial Rafale fighter aircraft deal will figure in their discussions -- and whether Macron will seek to clear the Congress President's misgivings about it. The Congress has been attacking the Narendra Modi government over its decision to scrap the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-negotiated deal for 126 Dassault-built Rafale fighter jets and instead buy just 36 of them in fly-away condition. The party, which has raised the matter in Parliament as well as outside, has alleged that the Modi government is buying the aircraft at a highly inflated price, compared to the one negotiated by the UPA. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to reveal the price of the 36-aircraft deal citing a "secrecy clause" in the agreement signed with the French government. Since his elevation as President of the largest opposition party in Parliament, Gandhi has been meeting visiting heads of state and government. Since December, he has met Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He was away in Italy during the visit of Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang, who met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He, however, did not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. --IANS ab-ps/sac/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajasthan Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a bill that provides for the death sentence to those convicted of raping girls aged 12 years or below. Once the bill is passed into law, Rajasthan will become only the second such state, after Madhya Pradesh, where the rapists of girls of 12 years or below will face the gallows. The Rajasthan government took the step in view of the rise in crimes against females, including children, in recent times in the state. According to officials, the state government had started preparing for bringing this bill soon after the Madhya Pradesh government had introduced a similar bill in December last year. Earlier, Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria had said that various departments of the state government were studying the bill passed by the MP government to prepare the draft. Haryana Chief Minister Manoharlal Khattar has also hinted at bringing a similar law in his state given the increase in the number of rape cases there. --IANS arc/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajya Sabha on Thursday saw repeated adjournments and was finally discontinued for the day amid pandemonium. As soon as the House met at 2 pm after an earlier adjournment, members belonging to the AIADMK, the TDP, the Trinamool Congress and YSR Congress came near the Chair's podium, holding placards and shouting slogans on different issues. While TDP and YSR Congress members demanded "justice for Andhra Pradesh", the AIADMK pitched for setting up a Cauvery Management Board and the Trinamool members protested with placards against the shutting down of loss-making public sector unit, Burn Standard Company Ltd in West Bengal. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said he would resume the division of votes on the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill that could not be done on Wednesday due to disorder in the House. "If a member asks for the division of votes, the Chair has to comply. So I will start from where I left yesterday (Wednesday)," Kurien said, asking the agitating members to go back to their seats so that voting could start. However, the protesting members did not budge and kept on shouting slogans. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel asked the protesting members to allow the House to pass the anti-corruption bill and other legislations. But this was not conceded. Soon, Congress members too joined others near the podium. Kurien then adjourned the House for 15 minutes, observing that he was unable to proceed with discussion "due to unruly behaviour of some members". The House then reassembled at 2.26 pm but the members resumed their protests. Kurien threatened to suspend the protesting members, saying: "I have two options. Either I go for division of votes or a motion is moved to remove all the members in the 'well'. Thereby you will lose all your voting rights." He urged the members to take part in the voting and reject the Bill through their vote if they were opposed to it. As sloganeering continued, Kurien again said: "Should I proceed with the suspension motion?" However, when the protesting members did not budge from their positions, Kurien adjourned the House for the day. --IANS mak/him/hs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The South Korean government on Friday slammed the US government's decision to impose new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and said that it was considering protesting against the measure at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). "We express regret over the US government's decision to impose tariffs on imported steel even though the Korean government has pointed out the problems of this action through various channels," said South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Paik Un-gyu during a meeting with representatives of local steel companies. "If this action takes effect, it would inevitably deal a serious blow to South Korea's steel exports to the US." The minister said that Seoul will continue to have dialogue with us President Donald Trump's administration for the exemption or exclusion of certain products, and at the same time explore ways to protest the decision to the WTO if Washington does not accept its demands, reports Efe news. The new US tariffs, which have been added to previous ones on specific products, will be 25 per cent for steel imports and 10 per cent for aluminium and affect all countries that sell them to the US with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico. South Korea sent 3.6 million tonnes of steel to the US in 2017, making it the third largest exporter to the country after Canada and Brazil. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security was heightened throughout Sri Lanka on Friday to maintain law and order after deadly communal clashes erupted in the central Kandy region earlier this week, killing three and injuring several others. Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told Xinhua news agency that tight security remained in place for the fifth consecutive day in Kandy and security would remain across the district for the coming few days. Gunasekera said additional security had also been deployed outside mosques and temples throughout the island on Friday in order to avoid further clashes elsewhere in the island. He added that although the curfew was lifted in Kandy on Friday morning, it may be reimposed. "This will just be as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. However things are returning to normal and there have been no major incidents reported in the past 48 hours," he said. So far, at least 110 people have been arrested after communal clashes broke out in Kandy on Sunday evening, damaging several shops, businesses, homes, temples and mosques. Police said the main suspect was arrested on Thursday morning along with nine others. Police conducted search operations in several areas in Kandy on Thursday night and said it had recovered more than 20 petrol bombs. President Maithripala Sirisena declared a state of Emergency on Tuesday, the first since the country ended a 30 year civil war in May 2009. In a nation-wide address, he appealed for calm and peace and warned of "stern action" against anyone spreading violence and rumors with the intention of provoking communal violence. The latest clashes were triggered on Sunday evening after a 41-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after being attacked by a group of people on February 22. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian soldier was injured on Friday in Pakistani firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. Defence sources said the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing on the LoC in Uri sector. The injured soldier was shifted to a hospital. "Our troops retaliated strongly and effectively," an official said. The LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka exceeded 200,000 in February, a 19.3 percent growth compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a strong rise from China, statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Ministry showed on Friday. China emerged as the leading market for incoming tourists, followed by India and the United Kingdom, reports Xinhua news agency. A total of 35,929 tourists arrived from China in February, a 42.3 percent increase from the same period last year. India recorded over 32,000 tourists while over 23,000 arrived from the United Kingdom. So far this year, 474,542 tourists have visited Sri Lanka, a 13.8 percent growth compared to last year. Region wise, Europe continued to be the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with a 52 percent growth followed by Asia and Pacific with a 41 growth. America recorded a 5 percent growth and the Middle East a 2 percent growth. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said the country hoped to attract at least 1 million tourists from China per year by 2020. Overall Sri Lanka received more than 2.3 million tourists last year, the highest ever in history. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a fresh twist in the Thane CDR case, the city police's Crime Branch has summoned Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui for investigations, but he failed to respond, official sources said here on Friday. The acclaimed award-winning actor was allegedly accused of spying on his wife and his name cropped up after the police in Thane nabbed 11 persons, mainly private detectives, who were involved in the Call Detail Records scam. According to statements by some of the accused, Siddiqui had allegedly acquired CDRs of his wife's phone through an advocate by hiring a private sleuth to keep an eye on her contacts and whereabouts. "One of the accused has revealed the name of Siddiqui during interrogation. We have issued summons to him, but he has failed to appear before us for investigations," Thane Crime Branch Senior Police Inspector Nitin Thakare said on Friday. The accused have revealed the names of several other Bollywood personalities, businessmen and even politicians who are likely to be probed soon, investigators said. However, Thakare said the police cannot identify other suspects till the full probe into the sensational case is completed. Incidentally, Pandit's name cropped up during the interrogation of four other private detectives arrested in January this year -- Makesh Pandiyan, Pratik Mohpal, Prashant Palekar and Jigar Makwana -- all nabbed from Thane and two others later -- Prashant Sonawane and Santosh Pandagle, both from Navi Mumbai. --IANS qn/him/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Film: "Tomb Raider"; Director: Roar Uthaug; Cast: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas and Nick Frost; Rating: ** Director Roar Uthaug's action-adventure film "Tomb Raider" is the third film of the "Tomb Raider" series which first made an appearance in 2001. This is also a reboot of the 2013 released video game of the same name. In this edition, Alicia Vikander, flashing her washboard abs takes over the mantle of Lara Croft from Angelina Jolie. And unlike Angelina's Lara, this one is more vulnerable, kind and compassionate, minus guns and superhuman abilities. She establishes herself as a proficient cyclist, kick-boxer, archer and at the apt moment even displays cold-blooded killer instincts. Seven years after the disappearance of her father Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West), Lara leads a reckless and carefree life, working as a courier girl. She is cash-strapped, yet she refuses to accept her vast inheritance as this would mean accepting the fact that her missing father is dead. But inadvertently, she stumbles upon a pre-recorded message from her father detailing his research about Himiko, the mythical and cursed Queen whose touch brought death. Richard had apparently left for Japan in search of her tomb. In his message to Lara, he warns her to destroy all of his research. But Lara decides to investigate further and so she follows his final footsteps and heads east. She travels to Hong Kong and then sails to the purported island in Japan, where the tomb is situated. The plot, packed with her travails is steadfastly predictable, which include some borrowed iconic sequences from the video games. The action sequences are generic and the adventure seems a little uninspiring and lacklustre. The inciting moments are flat and the motivation of the characters are shallow and hackneyed. The dialogues are uninspiring. Alicia Vikander, with her sharp features as Lara Croft, is pretty relatable. She is aptly supported by Dominic West as her father Richard who at times does not seem to have aged in comparison with her, Kristin Scott Thomas as Croft Holding's corporate caretaker Ana Miller, and Walton Goggins as the murderous Vogel who too is searching for Himiko's Tomb. With ace production values, the film is glossed over. The computer generated images are skilfully meshed with the live-action sequences and the 3D effects are as good as not being there. Overall, Tomb Raider is emotionally unexciting and drab. --IANS troy/rb/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, an extraordinary development following months of heightened nuclear tension and frequent threats and insults, media reports said. The news was confirmed on Thursday night by both the White House and visiting South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong. "President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," CNN quoted White House press secretary Sarah Sanders as saying. After meeting Trump at the White House, Chung said: "He (Kim) expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. "President Trump said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May." Chung however, did not provide any information on where the meeting would take, reports The Washington Post. Chung led the South Korean delegation earlier this week to North Korea, where Kim and his senior cadre expressed a willingness to hold talks with the US and were prepared to discuss denuclearisation and normalising relations. In Seoul, the presidential Blue House clarified that the meeting would occur by the end of May. Trump also expressed his optimism about the meeting in a post on Twitter, saying that Kim had "talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze", The New York Times reported. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time... Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" Trump and Kim have spent the past year making belligerent statements about each other, with Trump mocking Kim as "Little Rocket Man" and pledging to "totally destroy" North Korea and Kim calling the American President a "dotard" and a "lunatic" and threatening to send nuclear bombs to Washington, D.C. No sitting American President has ever met a North Korean leader, The Washington Post reported. Former president Jimmy Carter met Kim's grandfather Kim Il-sung, and former president Bill Clinton met his father, Kim Jong-il - during visits to Pyongyang after they had left office. Both Carter and Clinton also went to Pyongyang to collect Americans who had been imprisoned by the regime. Since he took over the leadership of North Korea from his father at the end of 2011, Kim Jong-un has not met any other head of state. Discussions were now underway to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas at the end of next month. After a year in which North Korea fired intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching all of the US and tested what is widely thought to have been a hydrogen bomb, such a moratorium would be welcomed by Washington and the world. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State Congress chief Raj Babbar on Friday accused Sawajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for bungling a joint opposition front against the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha bypolls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief, speaking to the media here on the sidelines of his whirlwind campaign trail, said his party right from the onset of the poll exercise wanted to join hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the SP, but due to the stubborn attitude of the former Chief Minister, this could not materialise. The actor-turned-politician said: "We would have been better placed and snatched both the seats from the incumbent BJP had we come together and fielded joint-opposition candidates. But it has not happened because of Akhilesh Yadav." The BSP, too, he said did not initially show interest in the efforts of the Congress to bring everyone on one platform against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Babbar also claimed that to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 General Elections, all secular parties will have to come together and fight unitedly, "otherwise defeating the BJP would not be easy". The BSP, burying its 25-year-old bitter rivalry with the SP, has extended its support to the SP nominees on both seats but the Congress is going it alone. Both the seats are crucial for the ruling BJP as they were formerly held by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Gorakhpur) and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya (Phulpur). The Congress and SP had fought the 2017 state assembly elections in an alliance but to disastrous results. While the SP was voted out of power and its tally slipped to 47 from 224 in the 2017 assembly polls, the Congress could win only seven seats. --IANS md/in/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the new BJP government in Tripura of providing full support for the all round development of the state, saying the entire country was behind its march towards progress. In his address after the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Tripura, Modi said the northeastern region has many opportunities and potentials which have to be explored for its development. "I appeal to the people of Tripura, lets take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of people. I want to assure that in Tripura's march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation with the motto of cooperative federalism," he said at the event held at the Assam Rifles ground here. Earlier, Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister, Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief N C Debbarma. The first BJP government in the state assumed charge after ending 25 year rule of the Left Front. The prime minister said that the new government will take along every citizen and all sections of society and work for the development of Tripura. He said the motto of the government would be development, good governance, people's participation and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash'. "I have visited the Northeast many times as prime minister and want to tell you that India is with the northeast, India understands the issues of the northeast and every Indian stands by the people of the northeast," he said. The swearing-in ceremony held at the Assam Rifles ground was attended by BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) besides others also attended the function. The Congress and the BJP were locked in a slugfest today over Rahul Gandhi's address at a Singapore university where he assailed the saffron party of pursuing divisive After the BJP criticised Congress president Gandhi for "insulting" India abroad with his statement, the Congress hit back, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who started it and "abused" the country's 70-year-old history. Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said Rahul Gandhi, as leader of the principal opposition party, "will continue to show the mirror of truth to an "arrogant and authorotarian" government. He said, "Our country's prime minister is such a person who abuses the country's history of 70 years and says that he felt ashamed being an Indian till he became the prime minister. He had said that he claimed to be hiding from hunger and poverty." With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff. #RGinSingapore #IndiaAt70 pic.twitter.com/OnTJz0kzUx Congress (@INCIndia) March 8, 2018 BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao hit back, saying represents everything retrograde about the Congress' "dynastic" and that Modi enhances the country's prestige during his visits abroad while Gandhi diminishes it. "Modi is a self-made man who has emerged on the top of from humble beginning while Gandhi represents everything retrograde of his party's dynastic politics," he said. The prime minister represents meritocracy and people appreciate his journey, while people see Gandhi as an "undeserving dynast", who only boasts about his family and has little to show by way of any personal achievement, Rao said. What people get to see Gandhi is his "incompetence and lack of intellect", Rao said. The Congress chief also courted a row during his visit to the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, University of Singapore, when he reportedly "dodged" a question by an economist about lower per-capita income of the country whenever his family was in power. "With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff," said the Congress, on its twitter handle while referring to the economist's question. However, Prasenjit K Basu, the economist who asked the question, claimed the Congress edited the video of the event and put out an unedited version which purportedly showed Rahul did not take the question. "This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapore's courts!," Bose tweeted. Reacting to the development, BJP's Narasimha Rao said, "You have inherited the mantle as a dynast. So, you will be asked questions of your family's poor track record in office and its 'poverty perpetuating model' for promoting political interests. Post 2004, I'm glad you are admitting your role in scam-ridden governance. The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of "compromising" on security and causing a loss of Rs 126 billion to the state exchequer on account of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. Quoting from the annual report of Dassault Aviation, makers of the fighter aircraft, the party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs 3.51 billion higher than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Randeep Surjewala said while 36 Rafale jets were sold to India at 7.5 billion Euros in 2016, 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at 7.9 billion Euros in 2015. This amounted to Rs 16.7 billion per aircraft for India and Rs 13.1 billion to Egypt/Qatar. There was a difference of Rs 3.51 billion for each aircraft, the party claimed. Addressing a joint press conference, Azad, Surjewala and former Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh asserted that the government had adopted complete opaqueness in the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft. Azad asserted that had the Modi government not cancelled the deal struck by the UPA dispensation for 126 Rafale jets, it could have saved Rs 412 billion. "The Modi government's 'diversionary tactics' on has left more questions than answers," they said in a statement. Accusing the prime minister of compromising on security and interests, Azad asked why were only 36 fighter jets purchased instead of 126 jets for which international bids were called for. "Is this not compromising with security? Why are prime minister and defence minister hiding the purchase price (of the jets)? Is it correct that per aircraft pricing of Rafale as per bid dated 12.12.2012 (during the UPA-Congress government) was Rs 5.26 billion as against the Modi government's per aircraft purchase price of Rs 16.7 billion?" he asked. Surjewala said the deal was also made in absence of prior clearance from Cabinet Committee on Security, thus sacrificing the national interest and bypassing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on the Rs 360 billion 'offset contract' in favour of a private entity with no defence manufacturing experience. "Grave apprehensions and claims of insurmountable loss being caused to public exchequer stand exposed as the government refuses to state the truth. A huge scam is brewing in procurement of fighter aircrafts for the Indian Air Force, yet the Modi government remains opaque, intransient, obscure and obstinate," the Congress leaders alleged. UPA Chairperson and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the promise of "achhe din" will work against the BJP in the same manner as 'India Shining' campaign did against then Vajpayee government in the 2004 General Elections. She also said that the Congress and its allies in the United Progressive Alliance will return to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "The main issue with the BJP is that they made huge fantastic promises. But what is being implemented? They sold such a positive picture -- we will give jobs, give you Rs 15 lakh. There is great ... India today provided scholarships to 200 Nepalese students as part of its effort to support human resources development and the overall socio-economic development of the country. The scholarship scheme was started by the Government of India in 2002 for meritorious Nepalese students marking the completion of 50 years of India-Nepal Economic Cooperation. So far more than 2,150 Nepali students have been benefited from this scholarship scheme from across 77 districts of Nepal. The scholarship scheme enables selected Nepalese students to continue studying MBBS, BE, BSc, BA, B.Ed, BBA and under-graduate courses at various universities and colleges in Nepal by providing financial assistance. Under this scholarship scheme, an MBBS student receives Rs 4,000 per month for five years while a BE student is provided Rs 4,000 per month for four years and a student studying in other under-graduate courses receives Rs 3,000 per month for three years. Shanker Das Bairagi, Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal and India's Ambassador for Nepal, Manjeev Singh Puri, congratulated the eligible students for their selection for the scholarship. They advised the students to achieve personal and professional fulfilment, which will contribute to further deepening and strengthening India-Nepal relations. These scholarships are part of India's effort to support human resources development and the overall socio-economic development of the country, a statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said that the state achieved better progress in the last three years and nine months than prior to bifurcation in June 2014 and credited it to team work. "We have achieved this growth due to our hard work. Ninety per cent of us are working well. If we can make it 100 per cent, we can achieve wonderful results," he said. He was addressing ministers, government secretaries and heads of departments via videoconferencing this afternoon. The Chief Minister pointed out that Andhra Pradesh stood out as an example in creation of wealth and its distribution, leading to better results. "We could register highest growth rate in agriculture (17.76 per cent) because of various initiatives. But we are still lagging in growth of services and industries sectors. We could achieve double-digit economic growth only because of the agriculture sector," Chandrababu Naidu pointed out. Per capita income in the state rose by Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,42,054 in the last 3.9 years as against Rs 1,12,764 at the national level. Stating that his aim was to make Andhra Pradesh a role model in all respects,Naidu said for this the state has to set global benchmarks and get third party evaluation done, besides securing accreditation from national and international agencies. He directed that the e-Office system be strictly implemented in all government offices from April 1 to make the entire administration paperless. State Finance Secretary M Ravichandra said that the Comprehensive Finance Management System would go live from March 29. A help desk was being set up for different departments to enable smooth transition to the new system. During the video conference, the Chief Minister told the bureaucrats why the Telugu Desam decided to withdraw its two ministers from the Union Cabinet. "I travelled to New Delhi at least 29 times in the last three-and-a-half years, but none of the assurances given by the Centre, including grant of special category status, were fulfilled," Chandrababu said. "We had to overcome many challenges as we lacked infrastructure and resources due to bifurcation. Despite that we have created a great ecosystem in the state," he said. "The reason I am talking about these achievements is to remind you all that we have been able to achieve this because of proper planning and execution. We must continue to work with the same level of efficiency," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra today expressed gratitude to the promise of support by the union government to the development of the state as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the state. "This is for the first time in the history of independent India that the north eastern region has been given so much attention at the highest level of the Central government," the governor said in his address to the eight-day Budget session of the state Assembly. Stating that the state governments path of policy formulation is democratic, participatory and inclusive, Mishra said that elimination of poverty, creation of employment avenues, providing high quality education and health care facilities were the priorities of the government. Referring to the programmes and policies of the state government, the governor said that the government had zero tolerance to indiscipline and corruption. He said that through the Border Area Development programme a massive push was being given to create social and economic infrastructure which would enable the villagers live a life of dignity and comfort. Rural electrification in the remote parts of the state is also being done under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramjyoti Yojana and by April end the government aims to achieve the gigantic task of cent per cent rural electrification," he said. He said over the next two months the state would witness the commissioning of the Kameng and Pare hydro electric projects which would generate 710 MW in the state. My government has been in an active dialogue with Assam which will see the resumption of work on the stalled Lower Subansiri Hydro electric power project soon. "The Aalo-Pasighat-Roing-Tezu 132 KV transmission line has been commissioned. "This has significantly altered the power situation in the eastern districts of the state, he said. Expressing concern over the recent cases of assault on girls, the governor said that the society should develop an inviolable respect for women. The state government will take concrete steps for creating a more conducive environment for safety, protection and progress of the girl child. "Equally, the government will create effective system to address cases of women in distress and to provide support and counselling to families in their difficult times, he said. The governor added that the government would address the problem of opium menace in the eastern districts in a comprehensive manner by using effective counter measures to check poppy cultivation and insurgents activities. We will create more employment opportunities and alternative cash crop cultivation and de-addict the youth who have gone awry, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The majority of the members of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly today demanded speedy investigation into the mysterious death of former MLA Ngurang Pinch and asked the government to consider handing over the case to the CBI. The body of Pinch was found at the Hatimatha river in Papum Pare district on November 18 last year. Pinch, who was the chairman of Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB), was on a rafting expedition along with eight others the previous day and stayed on the river bank near the confluence of the Popum and the Poma rivers. Pinch was found missing in the morning of November 18 and on search his body was found floating in the Hatimatha river between Basar Nallo and Rana Ghat on Assam side. The family members of Pinch suspected it as a case of well planned murder and demanded the state government for a proper investigation by a competent authority. Taking part in obituary reference in respect to former Home Minister Tako Dabi, Pinch and other two former legislators Jobom Basar and Lokam Tado, Urban Development Minister Nabam Rebia said that the state government should consider handing over the case to the CBI. Stating that a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the state police has been investigating the case, Rebia who represents Doimukh constituency, asked the agency to speed up the investigation. Education Minister Honchun Ngandam, Tourism Minister Jarkar Gamlin, Home Parliamentary Secretary Pani Taram, former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and many other legislators while endorsing the suggestion of Rebia, asked the state government to speed up the investigation in order to provide justice to the bereaved family members. Taking part in the discussion, Chief Minister Pema Khandu admitted that the investigation by the SIT was not in the fast track. As per the directives of the High Court, the state government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team with two superintendents of police as investigating officers under an officer of DIG rank and the investigation will be completed within two months, the chief minister said and assured to provide a copy of the investigation report to Pinchs family members. Later the Assembly observed two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the Supreme Court holding the right to die with dignity a fundamental right and recognising 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients as permissible, India has joined a league of select countries where passive euthanasia has been accorded legal sanctity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "euthanasia" as "the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma". The term is derived from the Greek "euthanatos", with 'eu' meaning well, and 'thanatos' meaning death. In ancient Greece and Rome, citizens were entitled to a good death to end the suffering of a terminal illness. There are different euthanasia laws in each country. It can be classified into five types -- voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary, passive and active. India joins countries like Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg in legalising passive euthanasia. While dealing with the issue, the five judges arrived at a concurrent finding by analysing the practise of euthanasia in various countries. Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar, who wrote a separate judgement, noted that in the US, active euthanasia was illegal but physician-assisted death is legal in the states of Oregon, Washington and Montana. A distinction has been drawn between euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. In both Oregon and Washington, only self-assisted dying is permitted. Doctor-administered assisted dying and any form of assistance to help a person commit suicide outside the provisions of the legislation remains a criminal offence. In Canada, physician-assisted suicide is illegal according to Section 241(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada. In Germany, assisted suicide is illegal. However, this is not the case for passive assisted suicide. Thus, if doctors stop life-prolonging measures on the written wishes of a patient, it is not considered as a criminal offence. Besides, it is legal for doctors in Germany to administer painkillers to a dying patient to ease pain. The painkillers, cause low breathing that may lead to respiratory arrest and, ultimately, death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jaspal Atwal, a convicted Sikh terrorist, has apologised for the "embarrassment" he caused to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and India by attending an event during his visit to Mumbai and asserted that he no longer supported the Sikh independence movement. The controversy surrounding Atwal erupted last month after he was photographed with Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire and other senior officials at the event in Mumbai as part of Trudeau's first state visit to India. He was also invited to the dinner reception at the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner in Delhi during Trudeau's week-long visit. The invitation was later withdrawn. Atwal, 62, was a Sikh separatist active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation when he was convicted for attempting to murder Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in Vancouver in 1986. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail. He was released on parole in the early 1990s. After several days of silence, Atwal finally addressed the situation at his lawyer's office in Vancouver yesterday. Reading from a prepared statement, he said he was "shocked and devastated" when controversy exploded over his attendance at the event. "I had assumed there would be no problem. No one at any point indicated there would be any issue," said Atwal. "I am sorry for the embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and family and friends," Atwal was quoted as saying by the Star.com. Atwal said he has "nothing but regret and remorse" for his role in the 1986 attack on Sidhu, adding he is no longer a supporter of the Sikh independence movement. "I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India," he was quoted as saying by CBC "I have nothing but regret and remorse for my actions and the suffering I caused to the victim. What I did was described as an act of terror by the judge who dealt with this matter. I accept full responsibility. I do not disagree with the court's conclusions," he said. According to the Vancouver Sun, Atwal was also charged but acquitted in the 1985 beating of Ujjal Dosanjh, a vocal opponent of Sikh extremism who later became British Columbia premier and a federal Cabinet minister. Meanwhile, Indian-origin Liberal MP Randeep Sarai said in a statement that he was responsible for the invitation to Atwal. Atwal told reporters that he was travelling to India this year, and asked Sarai if he could attend an event with Canadian politicians during Trudeau's visit. "I was eventually provided invitation by the Canadian ambassador and attended a reception," Atwal said. He also said that he has associated with politicians from Canada's three major political parties. Atwal's lawyer, Rishi Gill, did not allow reporters to ask his client questions during yesterday's press conference, the Star.com reported. Atwal never illegally entered India and has visited a number of times since his release from prison, Gill said. Gill said Atwal went through the "proper channels" to get an invitation to the event, adding those who feign ignorance about his criminal past are being disingenuous. "He was a political embarrassment to the prime minister, that's obviously accepted ... but let's make sure this is on the record Mr. Atwal presents absolutely no security threat to this country or any other country," Gill added. Atwal said this was not his first visit to India since his release from custody, adding he travelled to his homeland twice in 2017 and received a visa from the Indian government without trouble. "At all times I visited India lawfully and with the full permission of the Indian government," he claimed. Opposition parties in Ottawa have also demanded an explanation after reports emerged that an unnamed Canadian official blamed factions in the Indian government for Atwal's presence at the event a claim that Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer called "a conspiracy theory that is unsupported by any proof," the report said. Sarai has also apologised for inviting Atwal and has resigned as the Liberal Party's Pacific caucus chair. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today congratulated him on becoming the new CM of the state. "The Bangladesh prime minister called me over phone and congratulated me," Deb told reporters here. She also said her government would extend support and cooperation for the implementation of all projects involving Bangladesh and Tripura, he said. Bangladesh shares a 856-km-long border with Tripura. Earlier in the day, Deb took oath as the chief minister of the first BJP government in the state, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office and secrecy to Deb at a function here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited employees' union today threatened to go on an indefinite stir from March 22 to press their charter of demands including higher wages and according recognition to the union. The Metro management warned that it would invoke provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and action would be taken if anyone resorts to disrupting metro services. The BMRCL Employees Union said though it is registered and affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress, it has not yet been recognised. The management has not accorded recognition despite the union fulfilling all the criteria, INTUC general secretary D Leelakrishnan told reporters. He accused the management of harassing office-bearers of the union on false pretext and resorting to "anti-union and anti-labour" policies to suppress it. Other office-bearers of the union rued that there wasdisparity in the salaries. "The Delhi Metro Rail, Nagpur Metro Rail and Kochi Metro Rail employees are getting more salary than us," said an office bearer requesting anonymity. Meanwhile, the BMRCL managing director Mahendra Jainsaid the Metro service has been declared as essential services under Essential Services Maintenance Act and stringent action would be taken if anyone resorts to disrupting metro services. Jain appealed to the employees not to get carried awayby elements who try to mislead them, disrupt operations and inconvenience people. He stressed that genuinegrievances are being addressed by the BMRCL's grievance redressal machinery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Debt-laden Bhushan Steel today said its chairman B B Singal was called for questioning by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) yesterday in a case pertaining to alleged siphoning of funds worth over Rs 1,000 crore. Responding to a clarification sought by the BSE, Bhushan Steel said, "Yes, B B Singal, Chairman appeared before SFIO on March 8, 2018, in compliance with the summon issued in this regard." On Thursday, a source said that the SFIO had questioned Singal in the national capital with regard to alleged siphoning of funds. The agency, which comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry, has been probing allegations of fund diversions at the company since last year. The diversion of funds is estimated to be more than Rs 1,000 crore, the source added. Bhushan Steel is one of the 12 non-performing accounts referred by the Reserve Bank of India to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for insolvency proceedings. The company owes more than Rs 44,000 crore to its lenders. In recent weeks, the SFIO has been asked to investigate a significant number of companies for fraudulent activities, especially those related to diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in the Rs 12,700 crore Punjab National Bank fraud. Last month, the ministry ordered the SFIO to probe around 110 companies and about 10 limited liability partnerships related to Modi and Choksi. Besides, the white collar crime investigation agency has already questioned various bank officials with regard to the scam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Biplab Kumar Deb, who became the first BJP chief minister of Tripura, the 'red bastion' which fell to the 'saffron force' in the recent assembly poll, has come a long way since his days in the RSS. Deb (48) became the tenth chief minister of the north eastern state. He joins the ranks of young chief ministers of the country along with Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh) and the newly-elected Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Like Manik Srakar, the Marxist chief minister he replaced, Deb had a humble beginning. Born into a middle class Bengali family at Rajdhar Nagar village in Tripura's Gomati district on November 25, 1971, his father Haradhan Deb was a local leader of the Jan Sangh. He completed his graduation from the Udaipur College in the state in 1999 and left for Delhi soon after to join the RSS. He served the right-wing organisation for around 16 years under the guidance of Gobinda Acharya and Krishnagopal Sharma, two prominent Sangh leaders. Deb returned to Tripura in 2015 and assumed the charge of central Jan Sampark Pramukh of BJP, and was made the state president of the saffron party on January 6, 2016 replacing Sudhindra Dasgupta, the longest-serving chief of the party in Tripura. His wife Niti is an officer of the State Bank of India. The couple has a son and a daughter. "I am ready to take the responsibility. I will not run away from taking any responsibility," he had told reporters in New Delhi. The BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura, where polls were held on February 18. The saffron party won two-third majority with ally IPFT and ended the 25 year-long uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led rule in the north eastern state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telugu Desam Party is fuming. The Shiv Sena has long been a thorn in the flesh. The PDP in Kashmir is often at loggerheads, and Akalis too are sulking. Such open show of discontent by allies should have rung loud alarm bells in the BJP, but the ruling party is far from looking jittery. Many BJP leaders who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity are of the belief that some of its trusted allies have become sullen because the BJP has grown from strength to strength across the nation, often at the cost of its partners like Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. But the BJP is also secure in the knowledge that most of its allies are unlikely to quit the ruling National Democratic Alliance despite their tantrums. Even TDP, the most disgruntled of the bunch, went only so far. While TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced the withdrawal of his two ministers from the central government, the party did not sever ties with the NDA. It was a separation, not a divorce, as some called it. Political observers, however, caution the BJP against complacency. Manindra Nath Thakur, an associate professor at Centre for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told PTI that the discontentment of allies may not look serious now, but the BJP needs to develop a better mechanism to deal with the allies ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019. "I have a feeling that in 2019 the BJP will not get the kind of majority it has now, and it does not need an analyst to suggest so. BJP's highest strength is now and they will definitely need alliances in 2019. So to make them (allies) unhappy is not the way to go," he said. Shiv Sena, which long enjoyed an ideological brother status in the BJP family, has already sounded the bugle of rebellion by announcing its intention to fight the Lok Sabha elections independently. Sanjay Raut, a party leader, said that TDP's decision _ ostensibly over the Centre's refusal to give Andhra special status _ was expected. He predicted that anger of more allies will spill out in the coming days and they will walk out of the NDA. Earlier, when the ties between the TDP and the BJP soured, Naresh Gujaral of the Shiromani Akali Dal had advised the bigger party to not ride roughshod over its allies and to follow the coalition dharma' practised by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who headed the first NDA government. But times have changed. The allies do not have the free rein they had under Vajpayee when the BJP depended on their support for survival, unlike now when it enjoys a majority on its own. A BJP leader said Naidu as the NDA convener during the Vajpayee government enjoyed a lot of clout and was in a position to dictate terms to the BJP. Now he is just another ally and the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief Amit Shah would not go out of the way placate any ally, he said. As a BJP leader put it, unlike the political and executive flexibility the allies enjoyed in the first NDA government, now there is more accountability and stricter control. This is also cause of some heartburn, he said. The BJP leadership believes that as long as the party remains electorally strong and controls the levers of government at the Centre and in states, its allies will stick around. The TDP's decision to remain a part of the NDA and not shut the door on the BJP is driven by this as it would not like to burn its bridges with a party which may come back to power in 2019, BJP sources said. Andhra BJP chief K Hari Babu said a separation would also help his party expand its reach in a state where it has always been a marginal player. In Maharashtra, the Sena would like to renegotiate the terms of its alliance with the BJP as it was always the big brother in their ties before being pushed far behind in the 2014 assembly polls. Pointing out that the Sena remains part of the governments at the Centre and in the state, a top BJP leader mocked the small party's decision to part ways in 2019, saying it was like an angry wife threatening her husband that she would leave him one year later. A BJP ally which did walk out on it and joined hands with its rival is Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, who announced a tie-up with Lalu Prasad-led RJD in Bihar. With JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar now in the NDA, BJP leaders said there was little more they could offer to Manjhi as division of seats in the Lok Sabha polls among its existing allies will be a hard task. However, political watchers believe brewing discontent among allies may come back to haunt the BJP if its performance in the next Lok Sabha polls falls short of expectations. They pointed that it needs to sweep a state like Bihar if it has to come near to a repeat of its performance in the last polls. And loss of allies, however minor, to a strong opposition like the RJD may harm it. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - A bomb on a London Underground train last year that injured 30 people but failed to detonate fully could have been fatal, an explosives expert said on Friday at the alleged attacker's trial. The device, which went off during morning rush hour on September 15, contained nails and knives, packed with 400 grams of TATP, an unstable high explosive often used in jihadist attacks. "400 grams of TATP has the potential to cause damage to property and harm or seriously to those in closest proximity which could potentially be lethal," expert Sarah Wilson told the court. Asked why the device had failed to function, Wilson said the bomb may have been wet or not built correctly. But she agreed that it contained "all the elements necessary" for a viable bomb. Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Ali, an 18-year-old Iraqi who had been living with a foster family in Sunbury, southwest of London, is accused of attempted murder and causing an explosion. He denies the charges. Hassan arrived in Britain in October 2015. He told authorities he was in fear of the Islamic State group and that it had taken him by force and trained him "how to kill" when he was in Iraq. Prosecutors said the suspect used 20 (23 euros, $28) that he won in a school prize to go on Amazon to buy the main component for the bomb, which he built in his foster family's kitchen. Victims of the attack on Thursday described the "fireball" that tore through the train carriage. Having got off one stop before, Hassan fled to Dover in Kent where he was picked up by police the following day. The attack, claimed by IS, was the fifth time Britain had been targeted in six months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Major steel exporter Brazil said today it would take all necessary steps to protect its interests after US President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. "Brazil reaffirms that it will resort to all necessary steps, in the bilateral and multilateral spheres, to protect its rights and interests," said a joint statement by Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes and Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Marcos Jorge. Brazil is the second biggest exporter of steel to the United States after Canada. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, got a breather in a money laundering case today, with the Delhi High Court restraining the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from arresting him till March 20. However, a CBI court extended his custody in the INX media case for three days. Karti was produced before the CBI court after the expiry of his three-day remand before special judge Sunil Rana, who posted the hearing on his bail plea on March 15. Following HC's order, Karti cannot be arrested by the ED if the CBI court grants him bail on March 15. The interim protection from arrest in the case, arising from the INX Media corruption case, came while he was being produced in a special CBI court on expiry of his three-day custody for interrogation. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta, which heard the matter in a packed courtroom for close to three hours, also made it clear that if the special court grants Karti bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI against him, the ED will not arrest him till the next hearing by the high court. "If the CBI court grants bail to the petitioner in the CBI case, no coercive steps shall be exercised against the petitioner by the ED under section 19 (Power to arrest) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)," the bench said. P Chidambaram was present in the courtroom through the hearing. The bench also issued notice and sought response of the ED and the Centre on Karti's plea seeking quashing of summons and challenging the proceedings in the money laundering case. It impleaded the Centre as a necessary party in the case as in the original plea Karti had only made ED a party. The bench said if the trial court decides to grant bail to Karti in the CBI case, it shall impose conditions such as the accused shall appear before the ED as and when called by the investigating officer and cooperate in the probe. He shall also be directed not to leave the country and surrender his passport, it said. The court said it was persuaded to pass the order for interim protection after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, sought time to satisfy the court on the issue of its power to arrest an accused. The ASG said the matter was at a crucial stage of probe, and a separate CBI investigation was going on in which he is already in CBI custody. He said Karti should not be granted any interim relief as there was "cogent, substantial, reliable and unimpeachable material" against him. "We need his custodial interrogation. Karti's bail in the CBI case is also pending. Any relief from the high court will also affect the case pending before the trial court. It is not witch-hunting. Please remove this from you mind," the law officer argued. He said a strong case of money laundering was made out against Karti, and voluminous records have been recovered by the ED. He said Karti needed to be confronted with the documents. Mehta, assisted by ED counsel Amit Mahajan, said it was a "very, very dangerous" situation that the accused was giving a complete go by to section 438 (direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest) of the CrPC, and directly moving the writ court. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said havens are not going to fall if he is protected from arrest and the ED was free to interrogate him without arresting him. He said certain documents were shown to the court but not put to Karti and this violates his fundamental right to protection of life and personal liberty. "They had these documents prior to my interrogation in January and February this year. How can the ED place the documents before the court without putting it to me? Is it a fair procedure of investigation?" Sibal argued. Karti has sought the court's direction to strike down the powers of arrest of the ED under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as unconstitutional and in violation of Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution dealing with rights of people for equality before law and protection of personal liberty. He also sought striking down the presumption codified in Section 24 of the PMLA which says that when a person is accused of having committed an offence under section 3 (money laundering), the burden of proving that proceeds of crime are untainted property shall be on the accused, as unconstitutional. The plea sought quashing of the enforcement case information report (ECIR) and probe by the ED for the offences under the PMLA. It sought quashing of the probe by the ED, alleging that it was contrary to the procedure established by law and violates Karti's fundamental rights. The court was informed by Sibal that Karti had appeared before the ED twice on January 18 and February 15 this year and no summons were issued to him thereafter. He contended that the allegations against Karti date back to 2007, and the case was lodged by the CBI and the ED after 10 years. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who also represented Karti, said the ED must show the need and necessity to arrest him, and claimed there was no money trail. When the senior counsel said how can the investigating agencies rely on the statement of Indrani Mukherjea, former director of INX Media, who is in jail in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, the court asked him to stop. "Don't go into all this," the bench said. Mehta said it was embarrassing as a counsel to argue like this, and even he was not taking names. The ED had registered a case against Karti Chidambaram and others in May last year. It had registered an ECIR, the ED's equivalent of an FIR, against the accused named in the CBI complaint. These accused included Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) today jointly launched the 'Crime-free Zone' project in the Indo-Bangla border area of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The aim of the project is to make the area free from illegal, antisocial and criminal activities by integrating the efforts of BSF and BGB, in assistance with the district administration, NGOs and border population of both countries. The pilot project was launched by BSF Director General K K Sharma and his BGB counterpart Maj Gen Abul Hosain along a stretch of 8.3 km. The BSF border outposts Gunarmath and Kalyani and BGB border outposts Putkhali and Daulatpur have been declared as a crime-free zone. "The project Crime-free Zone was discussed during the DG level talks held at New Delhi last year and a decision was taken to launch a joint declaration," Sharma told reporters. Hosain said more such projects will be launched at various other border outposts along the border in the near future. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canada will continue to push back on US steel and aluminium import tariffs, despite being granted an exemption along with Mexico, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said today. At the same time, she rejected US President Donald Trump's linkage of the levies to ongoing continental free trade talks. "Today is a step forward. There is more hard work to do," Freeland told a conference. "In recent days, we have worked energetically with our American counterparts to secure an exemption for Canada from these tariffs," she said. "This work continues and it will continue until the prospect of these duties is fully and permanently lifted." Senior Canadian officials including the prime minister made a flurry of calls Wednesday and Thursday to American lawmakers and White House officials, hoping to head off the levies. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminium to the United States. In her comments, Freeland pilloried the US national security justification for the measure, saying: "That Canada could pose any kind of security threat to the United States is inconceivable." She also called the steel and aluminium tariffs and the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations "separate issues," but added that a NAFTA deal was "within reach."Canadian, Mexican and US trade officials are scheduled to meet in Washington at the end of the month for the next round of NAFTA negotiations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today warned the Tamil Nadu government that the chief secretary would be summoned if it did not comply within two weeks with the court's directions on providing necessary infrastructure to the idol wing police. Justice R Mahadevan flayed officials for their lethargic attitude and posted the matter for further hearing to March 23. The matter relates to pleas moved by R Venkataraman and advocate Elephant G Rajendran seeking transfer of investigation of all pending cases of idol thefts to the CB-CID. The judge had earlier directed IGP A G Pon Manickvel and his team to continue the probe in the cases and also issued 21 directions to authorities. On January 4, the court had warned the state government that it would order a CBI probe into the pending idol theft cases, if the authorities failed to cooperate and provide proper infrastructure to the court-appointed idol wing police. Justice Mahadevan made the oral observation while censuring officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department for not complying with the court's directions to provide necessary infrastructure to the idol wing. It had earlier ordered transfer of all pending cases to a court in Kumbakonam for speedy disposal. The high court had also overruled the transfer of Manickavel out of the idol wing police and directed the officer to head it again. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China today demanded US President Donald Trump to revoke his decision to impose steep trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium, saying it "firmly opposed" the move which will seriously undermine international trade order. Trump today imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium which he said were necessary to boost the US industry suffering from "unfair" business practices, a move that has sparked fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs, worth billions of dollars, will go into effect in 15 days. China's Commerce Ministry said it "firmly opposes" Trump's move which will lead to "a serious attack on normal international trade order". Last year, China's steel exports to the US constituted about 2.9 per cent of the 35.6 million tonnes of the metal imported annually by America. The tariffs were based on national security grounds, but the majority of steel and aluminium was for civilian use, Wang Hejun, a senior official at the ministry said. Abuse of the clauses on national security would damage the World Trade Organisation and other multilateral trade system, Wang said. China, world's second largest economy, will take measures to defend its legitimate rights and interests, he said China urged the US to respect the multilateral trade system and revoke the policy as soon as possible, Wang said. Trump has exempted Canada and Mexico from the tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium because of their status as regional allies. China, which ranks 11 among the largest sources of US steel imports, was also the only country named in a White House statement on the tariffs, amid a worldwide glut of aluminium that has shuttered US smelters. Trump also hinted at further punitive measures aimed at China to rein in a bilateral trade deficit with China pegged at a record USD 276 billion last year. A separate statement by the China Iron and Steel Association said the move not only damaged the iron and steel industry across the world, but damaged the interests of consumers, especially American consumers. Iron and steel trade has been the sector worst-hit by China-US trade frictions. Before the Trump administration's Section-232 investigation, dozens of anti-dumping and countervailing measures had been imposed on almost all iron and steel products, with some tariffs already almost prohibitively high. The association called on the government to take firm counter-measures against imports from the US, state-run Xinhua agency reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui called on Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi at her office here today. The Ambassador was on an official visit to the union territory to participate in a symposium on the Chinese scholar Hu Hsu, who settled down at Aurobindo Ashram here, a release from Raj Nivas said. The Ambassador recalled the historical and cultural connection between the People's Republic of China and India, it said. Zhaohui was accompanied by his wife Dr Jiang Yili. Hsu had resided at the ashram for 27 years and translated the works of Aurobindo as well as ancient Indian Sanskrit texts including the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita into Chinese. Earlier, the Chinese Ambassador met Chief Minister V Narayanasamy at his office. Official sources described it as a courtesy call. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After refusing to provide its commandos to guard five-star hotels, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has now decided to offer security consultancy to these luxury facilities across the country in order to prepare them against 26/11-like terror strikes. Sources in the paramilitary force said a blueprint was prepared, keeping in mind two specific terror incidents where luxury hotels and their guests were targeted in the past that led to the loss of numerous lives. One was the 2008 Mumbai attack, where the Taj Mahal and Trident hotels were targeted by heavily armed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. The other incident also took place in the same year, when an explosives-laden dump truck was detonated in front of the Marriott hotel in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, killing over 54 people, the sources told PTI. Once the security consultancy blueprint was approved, the force would write to some of the prominent five-star hotels in the country, proposing to render the services of its special unit and experts and provide specific consultancy on security issues to them, the sources said. As part of the consultancy, the CISF would tell the client where to install CCTV cameras, deploy security staff, how to check access control, train the hotel security staff and install emergency response gadgets at their premises. The service would come with a fee in the range of Rs 4-5 lakh for each luxury hotel once the consultancy was done and CISF experts surveyed the premises. After the 2008 Mumbai attack, the CISF was mandated by the government to provide security to the private sector also. But the force had refused to provide its personnel to the five-star hotels as its priorities in the private sector, given the limited manpower, was in the energy and software domains, the source said. The CISF, at present, guards nine private facilities, including IT major Infosys' premises in Bengaluru, Pune and Mysore, the Reliance corporate park in Navi Mumbai and the Patanjali food and herbal park in Haridwar. Late last year, the paramilitary force had made a similar proposal to schools in the wake of the killing of a student in a Gurgaon school. "A total of 28 schools from across the country have expressed their intent to take the CISF security consultancy to make their premises safe for the children. "While four of them have deposited the service fee and the survey has begun at their premises, the rest are at various stages of consideration," CISF Additional Director General Alok K Pateria said. Some of the prominent schools which are in talks with the CISF for this service are the Doon School in Dehradun, La Martiniere in Kolkata, Scindia School in Gwalior, Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan in Delhi and Gaurs International School in Greater Noida. The CISF security consultancy wing was raised in 1999 and till now, it has provided expert advice to over 150 organisations or institutions, including the IITs, IIMs, RBI and the National Police Academy in Hyderabad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The opposition Congress and INLD today described the Haryana budget for 2018-19 as "directionless" and "disappointing". "This budget tells the tale of fiscal mismanagement. The state's debt liability is projected to go up from Rs 1,41,792 crore to Rs 1,61,159 crore," former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said in his reaction to the budget. He said the budget does not mention any big project. "There is nothing for farmers, traders, youths, employees and labourers to cheer about in this budget. This budget has also disappointed the deprived sections," he said. Describing the budget as one which will break the back of common tax payers, Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala, who is a senior INLD leader, said this budget is "directionless and disappointing". "It has disappointed all sections," Chautala said, even as he also criticized the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government for mounting debt. The BJP government in Haryana today proposed no fresh tax in its fourth budget for 2018-19, while keeping its size at Rs 1.15 lakh crore with focus on raising expenditure in key sectors, including farm, education, health, industry, skill development and infrastructure. The revenue deficit has been projected at Rs 8,253.51 crore for 2018-19 as against revised estimates Rs 8,226.17 crore for 2017-18. The fiscal deficit, another key fiscal indicator, has been proposed at Rs 19,399.34 crore as against Rs 17,240.45 crore in 2017-18. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has hailed the budget presented by Finance Minister Abhimanyu as one which will further propel growth, make it inclusive, push employment, and turn farming into more remunerative proposition. Reacting to the budget proposals, the chief minister said that the emphasis on economic services and skill development, reflected in higher outlays, will not only help generate jobs but also boost employability of the youth. The effort made to combine fiscal prudence with sagacious use of resources to optimize their effect is laudable, he said. "That 28.7 per cent of the total budget (Rs 1.15 lakh crore) has been allocated to economic services, including rural development, and 33.89 per cent has been allocated to social services more than underscores the attempt to lace growth with social welfare," Khattar said. Besides, the thrust on agriculture rural development will better the lot of the farmers and make life in the rural areas better by creating more opportunities, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ruling Congress today questioned the BJP's "silence" on the proposed official state flag for Karnataka, a day after it was unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ahead of the assembly polls. It also asked whether BJP MPs, including the state party chief B S Yeddyurappa, will put pressure on the Centre in getting necessary approval for the flag. "Lacking in #KannadaSwabhimana, @BJP4Karnataka maintains pindrop silence on #KarnatakaStateFlag," the Congress' Karnataka unit said in a tweet. "Will BJP MPs & Shri Yeddyurappa put pressure on the Union BJP Government to quickly grant the necessary approvals?," it asked. The 'Naada Dwaja' (state's flag) in hues of yellow, white and red, has the state's emblem 'Gandaberunda' or the two-headed mythological bird that was also the royal insignia of the erstwhile Mysuru kingdom, at its centre. In the tricolour flag, yellow represents wealth and celebration, white represents peace and stability, and red represents valour and pride. Calling the state flag a "sign of Kannadiga pride", Siddaramaiah had yesterday said it would be sent to the central government for approval. A committee formed by the state government last year had recommended the separate flag for Karnataka, discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles for it. Yeddyurappa has said his party was not opposedto a separate state flag, but had flayed Siddaramaiah's "unilateral decision" to form a panel on the issue without consulting the opposition leaders. BJP had earlier accused Siddaramaiah of politicising the issue ahead of assembly polls in the state, due in April/May. The government's move to form the panel had also drawncriticism from some quarters, with some comparing it to Jammu & Kashmir, which enjoys a special status under Article 370 ofthe Constitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress would soon launch a programme to reach out to Dalits in Telangana, the partys state unit presidentN Uttam Kumar Reddy said here today. Addressing a meeting of Telangana Congress Committee's Scheduled Caste department, heurged the activists to strive for taking the party closer to the Dalit community under the programme, named 'Dalitula kosam Congress' (Congress for Dalits). He asked the party workers to finalise the details of the proposed programme. The PCC president saidDalits and Scheduled Tribes had supported the ruling TRS in the 2014 Assembly elections as the party had made tall promises to them. But Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has 'failed' to fulfil the promises, includingmaking a Dalit leader as Chief Minister, providing three acres of land to poor Dalit families and providing 12 per cent reservation for STs, he alleged. Congress, the main opposition, would raise the three acres of land and other issues in the Budget session of state Legislative Assembly beginning March 12, Reddy said. Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) held a meeting here this evening to discuss its plan of action for the session. The meeting discussed the possibility of fielding its candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections from the state, sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Showcasing the vibrant and variegated cuisine of the country, the French Consulate in Kolkata organised a culinary trailer of the global 'Good France Event' to be held across five continents on March 21. The Kolkata event was the precursor to the one-day Gout de France (Good France) food meet which will be held in 3,000 restaurants across the five continents on March 21, Damien Syed, the French Consul General to Kolkata, said at the dinner on Wednesday. "Eight best restaurants from as many luxury hotels in the town, a cafe run by a local NGO and one hotel from Assam have been picked for tonight's event and all of them rolled out amazing French delicacies prepared by their Indian chefs. "...Good food is all about showcasing vibrant, innovative, high quality delicacies of a country and its heritage," he said. The Good France Event, organised at the initiative of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, French government, will be held in all major Indian cities including Kolkata on March 21, he said. Director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale, part of the worldwide network of 813 centres spread over 136 countries, Fabrice Plancon said, "All of us are now waiting for March 21 as I found Indian chefs doing such a great job in preparing French delicacies." Plancon named a fish and crab preparation, crepes and chocolates as the "most delectable items" that he 'randomly chose' at the dinner. Japanese Consul General to Kolkata Masayuki Taga, who was present at the dinner, said, "I am enjoying the food here." Some of the cuisines on offer were charred pumpkin soup enhanced with tomatoes, herb crusted lamb chops with burgundy, grilled canadian sea scallops, pink pepper corn spiced spring lamb loin, valrhono chocolate and raspberry marquise among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The arrest of Mohammed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, could have a bearing on the gutkha case in which some businessman were accused of supplying machinery to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees for a gutkha plant in Pakistan, a senior official said. Takla is an absconder in the gutkha case which is being heard by a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court, police officials said. Takla was yesterday arrested from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport by the CBI after he arrived from Dubai. Police said that Takla's role in the gutkha case had cropped up during the confessional statement of another accused Jamiruddin Ansari alias Jumbo in 2004. During Jumbo's confessional statement in the gutkha case, Farooq Taklas name had surfaced, Suresh Walishetty, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police told PTI. The team of ACP Walishetty and slain encounter specialist police inspector Vijay Salaskar had arrested Jumbo. In his statement, Jumbo had told police that he was present in a meeting called to settle a dispute between gutkha barons Rasiklal Dhariwal and J M Joshi in the presence of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Jumbo had told police that Ibrahim had asked Dhariwal to pay Rs 110 million to Joshi to settle the matter. His confession stated that post the settlement, Joshi had allegedly arranged for the setting up of a gutkha plant in Karachi for Ibrahim'ss brother Anees. The machinery was sent from Nhava Sheva port to Dubai where took receipt of the consignment in the name of "Ali Asgar Company" and then forwarded it to Karachi, Walishetty said. The retired ACP said that Takla may be arrested in the gutkha case by the CBI as the case was transferred to the agency to probe Dawood and Anees Ibrahims gutkha business. Dhariwal died in October last year. A Pakistani high court today ordered that anyone seeking public office should declare his religious belief, a verdict said to be a major victory for hardliners in the Muslim-majority country. Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui announced the verdict in a case about controversial changes in the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prophethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. The judge ruled that it was compulsory for all Pakistanis to take an oath regarding their faith if they seek to join the civil service, the armed forces or the judiciary. "Citizens applying for jobs in state institutions must take an oath which ensures compliance with the definition of Muslim and non-Muslim provided in the Constitution," Justice Siddiqui said the short order. Siddiqui took up the case when a group of hardline clerics blocked a major highway leading to capital Islamabad in November last year to protest against the changes in the oath and ended the protest after government sacked law minister Zahid Hamid. The clerics alleged that the Elections Act 2017 changed the oath to facilitate Ahamdiyya people who were declared as non-Muslims by the parliament in 1974. Khatm-i-Nabuwwat is core of Islamic faith and means that Mohammad is the last prophet and there will be no prophet after him. Ahmadiyyas were declared as non-Muslims for not allegedly believing in Khatm-i-Nabuwwat. Hardline clerics allege that Ahmadiyyas hide their true faith to join sensitive jobs and had been demanding that it should be mandatory that everyone applying for public office should declare his beliefs. The problem arises as the Ahmadiyyas do not consider them as non-Muslims and use names like other people in Pakistan. Normally, it is not possible to identify someone as Ahmadiyya. "The Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath is the foundation of our religion and it is the duty of every Muslim to protect this core belief," Justice Siddiqui said in the order. The judge also said that hiding religious belief was fraud and asked the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to give a deadline to correct religion in identification documents in case it was wrong. Justice Siddiqui further ordered that educational institutions must ensure that teachers appointed to teach Islamic Studies should be true Muslims. He further ordered that faith of a citizen should be mentioned in birth certificate, national identity cards, voter list and passports. The verdict is major victory of hardliners who were pressing that Ahmadiyyas working in government offices should be identified. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today demanded deferment of the Supreme Court's verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit till after the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 as the issue will get "heavily politicised". Speaking during a panel discussion on 'Ayodhya: The Politics of Hate' at the India Today conclave here, Owaisi said the Ayodhya dispute was over land and had nothing to do with religious faith. "The Ram temple issue is a land title case. It has nothing to do with faith. It is about the rule of justice and secularism. Each one has to accept the Supreme Court's decision. However, the issue should not be decided before the parliamentary elections as it will be heavily politicised," Owaisi said. The discussion also involved Congress spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam and his BJP counterpart Sambit Patra. Nirupam, while slamming the BJP said the party was not interested in actually constructing the temple but only in politicising the issue. "I am 100 per cent sure the verdict will be out before the 2019 elections because the BJP wants it so. Lord Ram is the life of this country. However, faith and feeling do not stand in court. The BJP should not worry about the Ram temple. It should be left to the Nirmohi Akhara (one of the parties to the title dispute)," he said. Patra questioned that if the Ram temple was only a land title issue, why would the Supreme Court suggest an out of court settlement. "If Ram temple is only an issue of land, why are the Congress and others worried about 2019? Congress is now hiding behind the judiciary because they are unable to fight Narendra Modi," Patra said. Slamming spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over his comments on the issue, Owaisi sought to know how could he preach peace the world over when he did not even understand the Indian Constitution. "Who is he to say India will become Syria if the issue is not resolved?" Owaisi asked. Nirupam asked how had the government allowed a spiritual guru to "threaten" the Constitution and why it had not taken action against him. Patra, however, questioned as to why no critic of the Art of Living founder had as yet filed an FIR against him over his statements. "As a devout Hindu, I will not talk ill about a guru. But to say that he is trying to break the ethos of this country would be an overstatement," Patra said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today granted bail to AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here. Justice Mukta Gupta allowed the bail plea of Jarwal who was arrested on February 20, a day after the alleged incident. The court had earlier reserved the bail plea of the Deoli legislator and said that it was a very unfortunate situation where the state and the officers feel unsafe and are being threatened by each other. The bail plea of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was also arrested in the case on February 21, is pending before the court. A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to both of them, saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner" while dubbing them as "history-sheeters". Jarwal had then moved a sessions court and was again denied the relief with the court saying the situation could not be more alarming when lawmakers do not respect the rule of law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Few days after taking home two Oscars at the 90th Academy Awards, director Guillermo del Toro has revealed that he divorced his wife of three decades Lorenza Newton last year. Del Toro told Mexican magazine Reforma, "I separated in February (of 2017) and divorced in September. But few people knew." Speculation began to swirl about del Toro's marriage when he walked the Oscars red carpet arm-in-arm with screenwriter Kim Morgan, who penned the director's upcoming project, "Nightmare Alley". Del Toro, who won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture for his film, "The Shape of Water", also thanked Morgan in his acceptance speech. In the interview, the director, however, said he is just good friends with Morgan and she was not a factor in his divorce. "She is working with me, we have a nice friendship. In case some appear, let's clarify that I separated in February. I started working with her at the end of the summer." Del Toro shares daughters Marisa and Mariana with Newton. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-politician Kamal Haasan said today people should let Tamil Nadu decide what it wants and not interfere in its affairs as doing so could be "volatile and dangerous". Haasan, who recently launched his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (People's Justice Centre)in Tamil Nadu, said no one should divide the people of the state. Haasan was speaking at the 15th edition of the Young Indians Annual Summit, 'Take Pride 2018'. Asked about the system of the country and if it's healthy,Haasan said he himself was a high school dropout. "There must be something terribly wrong with it (the system) that a high school dropout is more successful than so many educated people," he said. The 63-year-old filmstar-politician said over the decades, there hasn't been a "sea change" and thinks launching a skill set development programme will be the equivalent of "the new satyagraha movement". "If we do that, we empower India so much that will take care of itself. I think we must seriously, leave the states be and don't make it a monoculture, monolithic thing. "Diversity is the beauty of India and it should be maintained," he said. Elaborating further, Haasan said the states must be given the right to decide its syllabus. "Tamil Nadu should be given the right to decide its syllabus and what its people need, leave their pride be. "Anything you touch will be volatile and dangerous for all of us because that will reflect on various other states." "Do not panic, do not divide the people. That's my request from the other end of India. I think the rest of India will also agree because we comprise of so many individuals, diverse, linguistic states and that pride should not be tampered with," he added. The actor said the state "with great efforts" was moving away from casteism but some people were trying to pull it back. "This has got nothing to do with casteism or other things which are people now trying to bring in Tamil Nadu. With great efforts we were losing it and now it's coming back again. "I will not let it be. This is citizen K speaking, not a politician," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Doctors across the country were today assigned a major role by the Supreme Court in giving effect to the "advance medical directive" or 'living will' of persons in persistent vegetative state and terminally-ill patients who refuse to get medical treatment. A five-judge constitution bench, which recognised that a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state could execute a "advance medical directive" to refuse medical treatment, spelt out the safeguards to be followed during this process. The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that when the doctor, treating a terminally-ill person undergoing prolonged medical treatment with no hope of recovery and cure of the ailment, would be informed about advanced directive, the medical practitioner shall ascertain its genuineness and authenticity from jurisdictional judicial magistrate before acting upon the same. "The instructions in the document must be given due weight by the doctors. However, it should be given effect to only after being fully satisfied that the executor is terminally ill and is undergoing prolonged treatment or is surviving on life support and that the illness of the executor is incurable or there is no hope of him/her being cured," the court said. The bench said if the doctor would be satisfied that instructions given in the document need to be acted upon, he shall inform the executor or his guardian or close relative about the nature of illness, availability of medical care and consequences of alternative forms of treatment. It said that hospital, where such patient has been admitted, shall constitute a medical board consisting of the head of treating department and at least three experts from the fields of general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, psychiatry or oncology with experience in critical care and having experience of at least 20 years. The members of the board would then visit the patient in the presence of his guardian or close relative and form an opinion whether to certify withdrawal or refusal of further medical treatment. "This decision shall be regarded as a preliminary opinion," it said. The bench said when the board would certify that advanced directive be carried out, the hospital shall forthwith inform about it to the jurisdictional collector who would then set up another medical board to look into it. It said if medical board would concur with the initial decision of the medical board of the concerned hospital, they may endorse the certificate to carry out the instructions given in the advance directive. "In the event the executor is incapable of taking decision or develops impaired decision making capacity, then the consent of the guardian nominated by the executor in the advance directive should be obtained regarding refusal or withdrawal of medical treatment to the executor to the extent of and consistent with the clear instructions given in the advance directive," it said. The apex court said that chairman of the board nominated by the collector shall convey its decision to the judicial magistrate before giving effect to the decision to withdraw medical treatment to the patient. The magistrate shall visit the patient at the earliest and after examining all the aspects, authorise implementation of the decision of the board, the court said. It said if the medical board would refuse to grant nod, it would be open to the executor of the advance directive or his family members, the doctor or hospital staff to approach the high court and the Chief Justice shall set up a division bench to decide it expeditiously after affording opportunity to the state. "The high court will be free to constitute an independent committee consisting of three doctors from the fields of general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, psychiatry or oncology with experience in critical care and with overall standing in the medical profession of at least 20 years," it said. The court said that in cases where there is no advance directive about terminally-ill patients, the doctor treating him may inform the hospital which, in turn, shall constitute a medical board. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Twenty-three kg of gold allegedly being smuggled into India from Sri Lanka by four people in specially designed waist pouches was seized by DRI officials, according to an official statement issued today. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials intercepted four passengers when they arrived at the Egmore Railway Station by the Rameswaram-Chennai Sethu express here on Thursday, it said. During questioning, the passengers admitted that they had gold bars concealed around their waist in specially designed pouches, the DRI statement said. They were carrying 123 gold bars weighing 23.1 kg. The value of the bars is about Rs 7 crore, it said. The passengers admitted that the gold bars had been smuggled into India from Sri Lanka, and that the gold bars had been given to them by certain persons based in Ramanathapuram with instructions to deliver at Chennai for a commission, the statement said. On February 27, the DRI had seized 19.27 kg of smuggled gold from two persons on a motorcycle near Jegathapattinam (a coastal village near Mimisal in Tamil Nadu). The duo were later arrested. In another case, the agency had seized 11 kg gold smuggled into the country through Tiruchirapalli airport. The gold had been concealed in the smoking room of the airport's arrival hall, and was retrieved by a housekeeping staff of the airport who would use his employee pass to escape customs unnoticed and hand it over to other gang members for transporting it to Chennai, it said. An entire chain of gang members was arrested including air passengers who smuggled in the gold, the housekeeping attendant who retrieved it, the organiser in Trichy, gang members who transported it and a merchant in Chennai who was to eventually receive the smuggled gold, the statement said. In the 2017-18 fiscal, DRI Chennai has seized 193 kg of gold, valued at Rs 57 crore, in 31 cases and arrested 53 people. More than half of the gold seized this year (103 kilograms) was smuggled by boats from Sri Lanka through the Tamil Nadu coast, in connection to this 22 people were arrested, the DRI said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said today that "each election has divided", and not united, the people of the country. Addressing an event at Amity University here, the Lok Sabha MP and National Conference chief said, "Each election has divided us and not united us...the people asking for votes who feel threatened and tend to divide the people of the nation in the name of religion. I appeal to students to create a nation where every religion is respected, which will lead to peace. He advised the students to work hard and nurture the feelings of brotherhood and affection within every person to make the country great again. Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat advised the students to value the rich culture and history of the country. He shared that the challenges in present times are created by educated people and not by the uneducated and poor ones. He said that Indian Politics is not in a good condition since it is based on uncertainty of ideas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European nation Estonia today said it is looking to build cooperation with India in cyber security and e-government development space and also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the country. "I gave invitation to Indian foreign minister and prime minister to visit Estonia. Last visit of an Indian prime minister to Estonia was 36 years ago. It was Indira Gandhi and people in Estonia still remember that. It is time again to have so high level visit from India to Estonia," Republic of Estonia's Entrepreneurship and IT Minister Urve Palo told reporters. During her visit to India, Palo met Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar. She was also scheduled to meet Commerce and Industries Minister Suresh Prabhu later. "So far I have seen that Indian government is very much interested in cooperation into cyber security and also in the e-government development issues," Palo said. She said that Akbar, Estonian delegation discussed recognition in India of diplomas that are awarded in Estonia. Palo said that both India and Estonia have shown high interest in the area of information and communication technology, cyber security and smart cities. India and Estonia have already signed memorandum of understandings in the field of ICT. Palo invited Indian entrepreneurs to sign for e-residency using which they can conduct a business from Estonia. "E-residency does not give citizenship but e-residency holders can access to e-governance services of Estonia and conduct their business without even visiting Estonia. It gives entrepreneurs access to European market," Palo said. Firms in Estonia gain business opportunity from e-residents. By 2025, e-residents are expected to add a total of 1.8 billion euros to Estonia's economy via direct (state fees and taxes) and indirect (job creation across industries, incremental demand, increased administrative efficiencies and country brand), a representative of Estonia said. Estonian authorities shared that Prasad was given e-residency of Estonia when he visited the country last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The European Union is prepared to retaliate against US President Donald Trump's decision to impose steel and aluminium tariffs while still favouring talks to resolve the dispute, a senior EU official said today. "We are prepared and will be prepared if need be to use rebalancing measures," European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen told a press conference in Brussels. But he said Brussels was hoping "we are not forced to use them" as it favoured "dialogue" with the Trump administration. Katainen said Brussels was seeking "clarity" on how the tariffs will be implemented as the 28-nation bloc argued it should be excluded because its industry was not a security threat to Washington. "We need a dialogue with the US. It's clear, we need clarity to the situation," Katainen said. "We are also looking at the option to be excluded." He said he hoped for greater clarity when US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer visits Brussels on Saturday for long-planned talks that are now a de facto crisis meeting. Katainen echoed remarks earlier by EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem who said the bloc was "not preparing for battle" but had to be ready to protect its industry. Malmstroem said dialogue was the "prime option" for the bloc. Brussels has already drawn up a hit list of flagship American products to target for countermeasures if its exports are affected by the tariffs including peanut butter, bourbon whiskey and orange juice. On Thursday Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite repeated warnings from the EU and other allies that this could trigger a full-scale trade war. They are due to take effect in the next two weeks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The EU "should be excluded" from new US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, the bloc's top trade official insisted today, saying Brussels would seek urgent clarification from Washington. Brussels has already drawn up a hit list of flagship American products to target for countermeasures if its exports are affected by the tariffs signed off by US President Donald Trump today, Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium -- despite repeated warnings from the EU and other allies that this could trigger a full-on trade war. "The EU is a close ally of the US and we continue to be of the view that the EU should be excluded from these measures," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem wrote on Twitter. "I will seek more clarity on this issue in the days to come," she said, adding that she would meet US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Brussels for talks on Saturday. Announcing the tariffs, Trump said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions, but he singled out Germany for criticism. The British government said the problem of global over-capacity in steel needed all sides to work together, insisting "tariffs are not the right way" to tackle the issue. "We will work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today and continue to work with all the sectors involved in this decision to robustly support our industries," the government said a statement. The EU has threatened retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of US imports items; from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim jeans -- most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win reelection. Europe exports around five billion euros' (USD 4 billion) worth of steel and a billion euros' worth of aluminium to the US each year, and the commission estimates Trump's tariffs could cost some 2.8 billion euros. The EU is also looking at "safeguard" measures to protect its industry -- restricting the bloc's imports of steel and aluminium to stop foreign supplies flooding the European market, which is allowed under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. EU President Donald Tusk yesterday warned Trump that "trade wars are bad and easy to lose", directly rebuffing the US leader's claim last week they were "good and easy to win". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Europe's main steel federation says President Donald Trump's reasons for slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum are absurd and that the move could cost tens of thousands of jobs across the continent. EUROFER chief Axel Eggert said today that "the national security justification the president has used - and the linking of these tariffs to NATO funding - is an absurdity." The European Union exported about 5.5 million tons of steel to the US last year. European steel producers are concerned about a loss of market access but also that steel from elsewhere will flood in. Eggert said "the loss of exports to the US, combined with an expected massive import surge in the EU could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the EU steel industry and related sectors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of bank and tax fraud in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling Russia meddling probe. Answering the second set of charges brought against him by Mueller's team, Manafort asked the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia for a jury trial. A trial date was set for July 10. On February 28 Manafort, 68, also pleaded not guilty in a Washington court to charges of money laundering, illegal lobbying and lying, setting up the first trial to result from Mueller's investigation. The charges in both cases relate to Manafort laundering some USD 75 million in relation to his work for Russia-backed former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych between about 2006 and 2014. Manafort's former aide in Ukraine and on the Trump campaign, Rick Gates, negotiated a plea deal last month with Mueller, accepting reduced charges in exchange for cooperation in the broader probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russians who interfered in the 2016 presidential race. But Manafort, a veteran Washington Republican political consultant, has refused to do a deal and will go to trial instead. The trial related to the charges set in the Washington court will begin on September 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'Fake' madrasas costing the state exchequer over Rs 1 bn per year have been detected by the Uttar Pradesh government during its drive to register such minority institutions online. "Online registration of madrasas was started in the state in a bid to bring in transparency in their functioning. But even after increasing the deadline for the same a number of times, 20 mini ITIs (run by madrasas) out of a total of 140 mini ITIs failed to register themselves. "Over 2,000 madrasas in the state also failed to join the government's online registration drive. A grant of Rs 1 billion is given to such minority institutions by the state government every year," state Minority Welfare Minister Lakshmi Narain Chowdhury told PTI. "It seems these madrasas are fake and are run only on papers. We are probing the matter further," he said. There are 19,213 madrasas recognised by the State Madrasa Board in Uttar Pradesh. Of these only 17,000 madrasas have submitted their information on the website of the board, the minister said. Chowdhary said the aim of the state government with the drive is to ensure proper education system in the madrasas, where there is no exploitation of teachers and staff, and the scholarship is directly transferred to the accounts of students. He said the state government was also mulling to frame a law to keep a tab on the appointment and removal of madrasa teachers. The state minister said many discrepancies came to the fore after the online registration of the minority institutions. "It was found that name of a teacher was used by many madrasas. How can a teacher teach at the same time in a number of madrasas," he said, adding only genuine madrasas would now be allowed to run in the state. A senior government official said a majority of 'fake' madrasas were covered under the madrasa modernisation scheme under which teachers are given honorarium by the government to teach subjects like Mathematics, Science, Hindi and English. "Under the scheme, graduates with BEd degrees are given Rs 8,000, while post graduates with BEd degrees are given Rs 15000. It is suspected that fake madrasas were misusing the same to earn money," the officer said. A total of 8,171 madrasas are at present covered under the scheme. The Centre has agreed to examine the possibility to provide faster connectivity to Delhi from Hisar through six-lane expressway and fast speed trains, Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu said today. "I am happy to inform that Government of India has agreed to examine the possibility for providing faster connectivity to Delhi from Hisar through 6-lane controlled areas expressway and fast speed trains, which will ensure that the 134 Km distance between KMP expressway, surrounding Delhi and Hisar will be covered in less than 75 minutes," Abhimanyu said in his budget speech while tabling the state budget for 2018-19 in Haryana Vidhan Sabha here today. Feasibility for the same is being examined, he further said. The minister further said the state government is developing an integrated aviation hub on the existing Hisar airfield as a brown field project. "It is also proposed to expand the existing airstrips at Pinjore, Karnal, Bhiwani and Narnaul, from the current length of 3,000 feet to 5,000 feet and developing parking space for accommodating spill over from Delhi Airport for parking," he said in the house. Abhimanyu said the strategic action plan for phased development of International Aviation Hub at Hisar in three phases has been finalised. "In the first phase, the existing airfield will be upgraded into a regional connectivity scheme airport under UDAAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme in six to eight months time. Thereafter, in phase two, the runway will be extended from 4,000 feet to 9,000 feet for Maintenance, Repair & Overhauling (MRO), parking and sub-basing operations. Finally, after a DPR study, bids will be invited for developing an International Aviation Hub, including an International Airport," the minister said. The finance minister also proposed an outlay of Rs 201.27 crore for 2018-19 as against revised estimates of Rs 28.35 crore in 2017-18. The finance minister informed the house that on the initiative of Haryana government, Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways included the project of four laning of corridor Raimalikpur (Rajasthan Border) -Narnaul - Mahendragarh - Charkhi Dadri - Bhiwani on NH-148 B to Kharak on NH-709 Extension, over a length of 155 km, for an amount of Rs 1,240.65 crore. "Under Setu Bharatam Scheme of Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will construct 8 Road Over Bridges (2 at Jind, 1 at Jhajjar, 1 at Ambala City, 1 at Pali Rewari, 1 at Loharu, 1 at Kaithal and 1 at Pinjore) on different National Highways in Haryana, at a total cost of Rs 346.69 crore," he further said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Major Aditya's father has moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against his son by the Jammu and Kashmir government for his alleged involvement in the January 27 Shopian firing incident. He has referred to the Centre's submission to the apex court that there is total bar on the institution of legal proceedings in the case, except with the previous sanction of the union government. The apex court had on March 5 halted further probe by the state government in the firing incident in which three civilians were killed after the Centre said prior sanction is needed under section 7 of the Jammu and Kashmir AFSPA Armed Forces Act. The three civilians were killed when Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in Ganovpora village of Shopian on January 27, prompting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to order an inquiry into the incident. Both the Centre and and the Jammu and Kashmir government are at loggerheads over lodging of the FIR in the case, as the state government said that Major Aditya's name does not feature among the list of accused in the case. Major Aditya's father Lieutenant Colonel Karamveer Singh said in his interlocutory application that the FIR lodged on January 27 at Shopian police station under sections 336, 307 and 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code is in nullity as no previous sanction was applied for or obtained by the police prior to its registration. The apex court had on March 5, observed that Major Aditya "is an army officer and not an ordinary criminal" and directed the state government that no further investigation shall take place in the case till April 24, when the final hearing in the matter would take place. Section 7 of Jammu and Kashmir AFSPA says "No prosecution, suit or other legal proceeding shall be instituted, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government, against any person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act". The top court had on February 12 restrained the Jammu and Kashmir Police from taking any "coercive steps" against Army officers, including Major Kumar, who was earlier reportedly named as accused in the case. Singh had said in his main petition that his son, a major in 10 Garhwal Rifles, was "wrongly and arbitrarily" named in the FIR as the incident relates to an Army convoy that was on bona fide military duty in an area under AFSPA and was isolated by an "unruly and deranged" mob pelting stones, causing damage to military vehicles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who performed at the Arab Music Institute here, said there are many cultural and musical similarities between India and Egypt. The event, which was a part of the Mega cultural festival India by the Nile, was attended by many music enthusiasts from Egypt. Ambassador of India Sanjay Bhattacharyya and other dignitaries were also present at the concert. "I feel at home in Cairo. Music of Egypt and India have many similarities. There is a historical connection between Arabic music, Egyptian music and Indian music. We have so much in common," he said. The sarod maestro, who had earlier performed in Egypt in 1978 and in the 1990. "Music does not belong to any religion like flowers, air, water, fragrance and colours. But every religion needs music to express your emotions and feelings. Music is a precious gift of God. "With sarod, I don't deal with language because through sound I cannot manipulate. If I'm out of tune, you'll know. Other types of music are based on language and texts. Through language you can always manipulate. And unfortunately language is ruling the world, Khan added. The veteran musician said he is "worried about world peace". "The 21st century should have been very peaceful and full of harmony. I think it is the worst time in the history of music. Because today people are killing each other on account of religion. My father who is my guru he taught me the way of life. He told me that all of us have a common god and we are of common race. We have racial problems. I wish the priest of every religion should give this message, that we have a common God and we have a common race... humanity, he added. Khan will next perform at Syed Darwish Theatre tomorrow. The concerts are organised by the Embassy of India in Cairo, in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The country's foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 167.8 million to USD 420.758 billion in the week to March 2 on an increase in core currency assets, the Reserve Bank of India said today. In the previous reporting week, the reserves had declined by USD 1.13 billion to USD 420.591 billion. The reserves had touched a life-time high of USD 421.914 billion on February 9. It had crossed the USD 400-billion mark for the first time in the week to September 8 last year, but has been fluctuating since then. In the week to March 2, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, rose by USD 177.2 million to USD 395.642 billion, the apex bank said. Expressed in the US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, the pound and the yen held in the reserves. The value of gold reserves increased by USD 8.1 million to USD 21.522 billion, the central bank said. The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund declined by USD 7.4 million to USD 1.529 billion. The country's reserve position with IMF also declined by USD 10.1 million to USD 2.064 billion, the RBI said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive here tonight on a four-day India visit during which the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, sources here said. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during delegation-level talks tomorrow. "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. After holding delegation-level talks with Modi tomorrow, Macron will take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different levels and institutions are expected to participate. On the same day, he will also take part in a Knowledge Summit which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On March 11, President Macron will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India. The ISA Summit, expected to be attended by several heads of the states and governments, is likely to focus on concrete projects. On the same day, he will also visit Taj Mahal in Agra. President Macron will also visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, on March 12. He, along with Modi, will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has finally extended an "exclusive family pension" to the armed forces personnel killed or injured while guarding the Sino-India border but did not heed to a long-standing demand by the Army to implement it with retrospective effect. The 'liberalised family pension' was applicable to only armed forces personnel deployed along the Line of Control and International Border (IB) with Pakistan. It provides for 100 per cent of the last "reckonable" emoluments in comparison to normal family pension of 30 per cent of the last emoluments, officials said. According to a defence ministry notification, the family pension scheme will come into effect from March 7, adding cases which were settled prior to the issue of the notification will not be "reopened". Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had promised to extend the liberalised family pension to those guarding the nearly 4,000-km-long Line of Control (LAC) with China. Official sources said the army was pressing for implementing the scheme with retrospective effect, at least from June last year, when the Doklam standoff between Indian and Chinese armies had begun. They said it is an exclusive family pension and the armed forces were demanding that those guarding the border with China be included under it. There are indications that the Army was going take up the matter with the defence ministry as it feels implementing the scheme with retrospective effect from middle of last year will benefit a sizeable number of army men. Under the scheme, an armed forces personnel getting injured or killed due to natural calamities, fire or while performing operational duties against enemy forces will get family pension. The notification said 'Liberalised Family Pension' covers accidental death or injury sustained due to natural calamities such as flood, avalanches, landslides, cyclone, fire and lightening or drowning in river while performing operational duties or movements in action against enemy forces and armed hostilities in operational area. It said an amendment was made to the order dated February 3, 2011, relating to the scheme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Eight months after the Doklam standoff, the government has extended the ambit of an "exclusive" pension scheme to cover the armed forces personnel killed or injured while guarding the Sino-India border, seen as reflection of its renewed focus on the northern frontier. However, the government rejected the Army's demand to implement the scheme with retrospective effect from June last year, when the Doklam face-off between Indian and Chinese armies had begun, official sources said. The 'liberalised family pension' provides for 100 per cent of the last drawn emoluments in comparison to normal family pension of 30 per cent of the last emoluments, officials said. Earlier, the scheme was applicable to those security personnel deployed along the Line of Control and International Border (IB) with Pakistan. According to a defence ministry notification, the family pension scheme for the armed forces personnel deployed along the Sino-India border came into effect from March 7. It said the cases which were settled prior to the issue of the notification will not be "reopened". Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on December 20 had accorded in-principle approval to extend the liberalised family pension to those guarding the nearly 4,000-km-long Line of Control (LAC) with China. "Bringing the armed forces deployed along the Sino-India border under the scheme reflects government's serious approach towards the northern frontier," said a senior official. In January, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for India to shift its focus from borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, indicating that situation along it was worrying The sources said the army was pressing for implementing the exclusive scheme at least from June last year, when the Doklam standoff between Indian and Chinese armies had begun. They said the Army was likely take up the matter with the defence ministry as it feels implementing the scheme with retrospective effect from middle of last year will benefit a sizeable number of army men. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16, 2017, after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28. The sources said since 2011, the defence forces had been demanding inclusion of those deployed along the Sino-India border under the pension scheme. They said the families of those killed while patrolling the border with China between 2011 and Mar 6 this year will have to take legal recourse in seeking justice. The sources said the Armed Forces Tribunal had also issued notices to the government on matter. Under the scheme, an armed forces personnel getting injured or killed due to natural calamities, fire or while performing operational duties against enemy forces will get family pension. The notification said 'Liberalised Family Pension' covers accidental death or injury sustained due to natural calamities such as flood, avalanches, landslides, cyclone, fire and lightening or drowning in river while performing operational duties or movements in action against enemy forces and armed hostilities in operational area. It said an amendment was made to the order dated February 3, 2011, relating to the scheme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two German journalists were arrested at the Greek border with Turkey after allegedly entering a restricted area, local police said. The pair, reportedly a 31-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, work for television station ARD and said they were researching a story about the migration route that passes from this area, according to Greek police. They were taken to a local police station and will appear before a prosecutor today. Journalists arrested in Greece over such incidents are usually released pending trial. The Evros river on the Greek border with Turkey has for years been a crossing point for migrants and refugees seeking to enter Europe. Many die in the attempt from the cold or by drowning. More recently, there have also been reports of illegal pushbacks of migrants back into Turkey, though the Greek state has officially denied such practises. Last week, Turkish troops arrested two Greek soldiers in the same area. The two men, who are on trial in Turkey, say they lost their way in poor weather and entered Turkish territory by mistake. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold prices fell by Rs 100 to Rs 31,350 per 10 grams at the bullion market today in tandem with a weakening global trend amid sluggish demand from local jewellers. Silver also drifted down by Rs 115 to Rs 39,385 per kg due to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers. Traders said sentiment remained bearish on the back of a weak trend overseas as the US dollar bounced from a near three-week low against the euro after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi signalled that any policy normalisation in the euro zone would be very gradual. Globally, gold fell 0.27 per cent to USD 1,318 an ounce and silver by 0.21 per cent to USD 16.43 an ounce in Singapore. In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity declined by Rs 100 each to Rs 31,350 and Rs 31,200 per 10 grams, respectively. It had lost Rs 220 yesterday. Sovereign, however, remained unaltered at Rs 24,800 per piece of eight grams. In step with gold, silver ready eased by Rs 115 to Rs 39,385 per kg while weekly-based delivery dipped Rs 80 to Rs 38,690 per kg. Silver coin, however, remained unaltered at Rs 74,000 for buying and Rs 75,000 for selling of 100 pieces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government on Friday said it had sought Rs 130 billion more from the Reserve Bank over the Rs 306.59 billion surplus fund it transferred earlier. Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash C Garg had said on Thursday that the government was expecting "some more" dividend from the central bank this month. In August, RBI had paid a dividend of Rs 306.59 billion for the fiscal ended June 2017. It was less than half the Rs 658.76 billion paid in 2015-16. "The government had sought Rs 130 billion in addition to the surplus of Rs 306.59 billion transferred by RBI," Minister of State for Finance Pon Radhakrishnan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He said additional fund was sought as per the Malegam Committee's recommendations of transfer of the RBI's entire surplus to the government. The government is hard pressed to bridge the fiscal deficit, which is expected to widen to 3.5 per cent of the GDP in the current fiscal as against the budget estimate of 3.2 per cent. Under the RBI Act, 1934, the central bank is required to pay the government its surplus after making provisions for bad and doubtful debts, depreciation in assets and, contribution to staff and superannuation fund among others. The Union water resources ministry today held a consultation meeting with top bureaucrats of the three Cauvery basin states, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry to discuss the modalities of a scheme, to be implemented in the light of a recent Supreme Court order in connection with the dispute. It was decided at the meeting that the member states would submit their recommendations vis--vis the structure of the scheme, functions of its members and responsibilities. The scheme has to be in place within six weeks from February 16, when the apex court had pronounced its verdict, that is, by this month-end. According to the ministry sources, the sentiment of the member states, which also included Kerala, was that the physical assets (dams and other structures on the river) would continue to be with the respective states, while the regulation, water release and supervision aspects would be dealt with by the scheme. The meeting was chaired by Water Resources Ministry Secretary UP Singh. The chief secretaries of the three states and Puducherry and other senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting. The Supreme Court had, on February 16, increased the 270 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating the latter by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water had to be placed on a "higher pedestal". By virtue of the apex court verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry would be annually entitled to 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water respectively out of a total of 740 tmcft. The Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) award of February 5, 2007 (notified in the gazette on February 19, 2013) had allocated 419 tmcft , 270 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of water annually to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry respectively. The meeting was called for consultationwe wanted to know the views of the four states. Since the scheme has to be formulated, what should be the exact shape, composition, roles and responsibilities of the body that will be set up under it, Singh told reporters after the meeting. He said the states had already given their views orally on the issues concerned and that they might make written submissions if they wanted. To a question on whether the composition of the scheme would be on the line of what the CWDT had recommended, Singh said it was a matter of interpretation. The tribunal had, in the 2007 award, recommended setting up a board with a chairman, who would be an officer of the chief engineer's rank (with 20 years of experience). The tribinal had said there would be two members (chief engineers with 15 years of experience each) -- one from the agriculture department and the other from the water resources department -- and a board secretary. They would be full-time members, the tribunal had said and recommended two part-time engineers from the central government, of the rank of chief engineer, and a commissioner. The four states would also have representations through part-time members, it had recommended. and the Supreme Court has (in its order) not used the words Cauvery Management Board, it is basically saying a scheme'. It (the scheme) could be exactly what the tribunal had said, Singh said. He added that the meeting also discussed if an official, senior than the rank of a chief engineer, should be appointed as the chairman of the scheme for its better implementation. Singh confirmed that all the four states would have representation in the scheme. On the issue of allocation of functions with regard to the physical assets, regulation and release of water, a source in the ministry said, The sentiment among the members was that the dams will remain with the respective states, while regulation and release of water will be with the body (scheme) to be formed. Singh cited two models of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the Narmada Control Authority (NCA). The BBMB is engaged in regulation of water and power supply from the Bhakra Nangal and Beas projects to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pardesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. On the other hand, formed in December 1980, the NCA is a body with representatives from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and the Centre. These models are slightly different in the sense that in one case, the assets have been taken over by the BBMB. Whereas, under the NCA model, the assets continue to be with the state governments, but the regulation, release, supervision are concerned with the NCA, Singh said. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Karnataka Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha said the unanimous decision taken at the meeting was that there should be a scheme. According to sources in the Karnataka government, the state is expected to send its recommendations with regard to the scheme by Monday or Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer today said the 50-aircraft order placed by the grounded airlines Air Costa is still valid and they are hopeful of a recovery from the regional airline, a senior executive at Embraer Commercial Aviation said today. "It (Air Costas order) is on our books. The airline can fly again if they are able to. So there is no time for that (cancelling their orders) unless something happens," Cesar Pereira vice-president Asia Pacific, Embraer Commercial Aviation said on the sidelines of Wings India 2018, being held here. Pereira said that Embraer is in touch with Air Costa, adding, "the airline is trying to recover from the situation." The Vijaywada-based airline temporarily halted operations in July 2016 due to a capital crunch and the aviation regulator DGCA subsequently suspended its flying permit. Responding to a question on diverting the deliveries of the aircraft from Air Costa's order, he said, "We do not necessarily have to do that (selling those aircraft in some other market). If that happens, we are going to talk to them to see the next step." When asked if they are going to divert the order to other markets, he said, "We need to wait for that (cancellation of license) to happen before taking action."The LEPL Group-promoted regional air operator had placed a firm order for 50 jets with Embraer in January 2014, in a deal valued at USD 2.94 billion under a 20-year fleet-management plan. Air Costa has options for purchase rights of an additional 50 of the E190-E2 jets as well. Replying to a query on Udan scheme, Pereira said Embraer sees a "big opportunity" in the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) announced by the centre last year. "RCS is an excellent programme to bring more passengers to the system. But some airlines look at long-term sustainability. They may fly for three years, but what after that? We know that IndiGo decided to go for ATRs. SpiceJet has their Q400s. So we are talking to all airlines to unlock the opportunity with the E175." We are delivering these type of aircraft, which is an 80-seater to the US market as well for their regional routes, he added. Embraer estimates the airlines in Asia Pacific will take delivery of 3,010 new aircraft in the up to 150-seater segment over the next 20 years, representing 29 per cent of the worldwide demand for the segment. Meanwhile, Claudio Camelier, vice-president, sales for Middle east and Asia Pacific, Embraer Executive Jets, said infrastructural constraints in the (aviation) sector restrict the growth of business jets in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of priests of the Syro-Malabar church hit the streets here today, urging Cardinal George Alencherry to keep off all responsibilities of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese in view of a police probe on alleged irregularities in a land deal involving him. A meeting of over 200 priests at St Mary's Basilica here also urged police to commence a probe after registering an FIR against Alencherry and three others on the complaint over the alleged irregularities. The meeting, held days after Kerala High Court ordered police to register an FIR against Alencherry, also Archbishop of the Archdiocese, and three others on the complaint, passed a resolution urging him not to hold any authority in the archdiocese till a solution was found in the matter. The priests also marched to the bishop's house here to hand over a memorandum in this regard to Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese. They demanded that it be sent to the Vatican. According to the priests, if the Cardinal continued to enjoy power in the archdiocese, it would send a wrong message to the followers of the Church. "We are in a crisis," Fr Kuriakose Mundadan, who is leading the campaign against the Cardinal, said. The priests alleged that Alencherry and the others sold prime land of the archdiocese for "a very low price" and refused to make public the details about it. "It is an internal matter of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. The properties earned by our forefathers for the archdiocese have been sold for a very low price in a non transparent manner. An investigation by a six-member panel has found irregularities in the business." "Now the High Court has ordered a probe into it. So the Cardinal should keep off from all responsibilities of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese till the police probe into the matter is over", the priest said. Meanwhile, a group of people supporting Alencherry demanded action against the priests who declared "war against the Cardinal by violating all basic principles of priesthood". Early this week, the High Court ordered the probe after rejecting Alencherry's contention that the land belonged to the diocese and that a third party could not complain about alleged loss in sale of such a private property. The judge passed the order on a petition by one Shine Varghese from Cherthala, who had moved the court saying that the Ernakulam Central Police had not lodged a FIR on his complaint against the Cardinal and others over the land deals. Besides Alencherry, priests Joshy Puthuva and Sebastian Vadakkumpadan and middleman Saju Varghese were the others against whom the complaint was lodged. Directing police to conduct a free-and-fair probe after filing the FIR, the High Court had said that the alleged conspiracy and breach of trust issues could be investigated. Alencherry's counsel had contended that the Cardinal could not be charged with breach of trust in the sale of land belonging to the church and the alleged financial loss. In his complaint, the petitioner had sought registration of an FIR for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and cheating against the Cardinal and the three others. Earlier, a six member church committee, which probed the alleged irregularities, said it found numerous instances of violation of canon and civil laws and recommended necessary action against those responsible. The committee also said that the Cardinal "seems to have fully known and involved" in alienation and purchase of lands by the archdiocese between April 1,2015 and November 30, 2017. The panel, comprising priests, was appointed by Alencherry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court granted bail to AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal in the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case with a warning that any such illegal activity in future would lead to cancellation of his bail. The judge also noted that the case was a reflection of "trust deficit to the hilt" between the members of the Delhi Assembly and the bureaucrats and suggested that the Delhi Government should videograph the meetings between legislators and bureaucrats to see that no unforeseen incident occurs in future and maintain transparency. Justice Mukta Gupta made it clear that if Jarwal himself or through someone else intimidated, harassed or obstructed the lawful activities of Anshu Prakash, the Delhi Police and the chief secretary would be entitled to seek cancellation of his bail. The court also asked him not to tamper with evidence or intimidate or approach the witnesses in any manner. "This FIR being the third FIR against the petitioner (Jarwal) for assault on a public servant, in case the petitioner indulges in any such illegal act in future, the bail granted to him would be liable to be cancelled," it said. The high court imposed other general conditions that Jarwal will not leave the country without prior permission of the court and in case of change of his residential address, it shall be intimated to the concerned court through an affidavit. It directed that Jarwal be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the like amount. The court noted that the offences invoked against the MLA entailed maximum punishment of up to three years and said his custodial interrogation was not required as police remand has not been granted by the trial court. "In view of the nature of allegations, the sentence provided for the offences invoked if convicted after trial and the fact that there is no likelihood of the petitioner fleeing away from justice, this court deems it fit to grant bail to Jarwal," it said. The court said there was also no apprehension that he would not be available for trial or flee away from justice. "The concern of the complainant (chief secretary) that efforts are being made to harass him can also not be said to be without any basis for the reason (that) though initially the senior counsel for Jarwal stated that he is not a member of the committee which issued notice to the complainant, however, on being confronted with the notice of the meeting even though not signed by him, it notes the petitioner to be member of the said committee. "Faced with this situation, the senior counsel for Jarwal stated that he is willing to furnish any undertaking as required by this court, to ensure that no harassment will be caused to the complainant by the petitioner or any other person through him. Thus the bail, if required to be granted to Jarwal, has to be with stringent conditions," it said. Jarwal was arrested on February 20 for allegedly assaulting the chief secretary during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on the midnight of February 19. The court had earlier reserved the bail plea of the Deoli legislator and said it was a very unfortunate situation where the state and the officers felt unsafe and were being threatened by each other. The bail plea of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was also arrested in the case on February 21, is pending before the court. A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to both of them, saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner" while dubbing them as "history-sheeters". Jarwal had then moved a sessions court and was again denied the relief with the court saying the situation could not be more alarming when lawmakers do not respect the rule of law. The court was earlier informed by the bureaucrat's counsel that after the February 19 incident, he was served with a notice on March 1 by the Privileges Committee of the Delhi Assembly asking him to appear before it on March 5 with regard to a complaint against him. On March 6, he was served with a notice by the Assembly's Question and Reference Committee with a direction that he should present himself before it on March 8. The chief secretary has challenged both the notices before the high court. The high court had directed the Question and Reference Committee not to insist for the chief secretary's appearance as the matter was pending before it. The Privileges Committee had earlier assured the court that it will not proceed in the matter concerning the chief secretary till further orders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court has issued a notice to the censor board on a PIL seeking removal of a scene, which allegedly denigrates women, from a recently released Tamil film. A bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose issued a notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and JSB Film Studio, the producer of the film "Merlin" which released on February 23. The bench posted the PIL to March 16 for further hearing. Praveena Charumathi Sampathkumar, in her public interest litigation, contended that a dialogue in the scene insulted women and sought a direction to the CBFC for removing it. The woman said she was shocked to find such a dialogue in the 'U' certificate film, written and directed by Keera, adding that it amounted to showing disrespect to women. Her counsel submitted that the Cinematography Act has laid down elaborate guidelines under which women characters in any form should not be degraded and denigrated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a PIL for a probe into the recent death of veteran Bollywood actor Sridevi, saying the authorities in India and Dubai have already looked into the incident. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar dismissed the petition which had claimed that the actor's death was a matter of national interest. The plea was moved by Uttar Pradesh native Sunil Singh who claims to have acted in and directed a few movies and runs cinemas and visual-effect studios. He has said in his petition that he was in Dubai on a family vacation from February 20 to February 26 when he came to know of Sridevi's death. The actor had died on February 24 due to accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub. The petitioner has alleged that on enquiries made by him from the hotel staff, officials of the hospital where the 54-year-old actor was taken and others associated with the matter, he had reeived information which was contrary to what was reported in the media. Due to this, he had filed the petition for a probe into her death, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following are the top at 1830 hours: LEGAL LGD30 SC-2ND LD EUTHANASIASC recognises 'living will' of terminally ill patient to die with dignityNew Delhi: In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court today recognised that a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state can execute an "advance medical directive" or a "living will" to refuse medical treatment, saying the right to live with dignity also includes "smoothening" the process of dying. By Abhishek Anshu & Manohar LalLGD32 DL-HC-2NDLD KARTIBreather for Karti from HC in money laundering caseNew Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, got a breather in a money laundering case today, with the Delhi High Court restraining the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from arresting him till March 20. Nation: CAL5 TR-OATH-2NDLD CM Biplab Kumar Deb sworn in as Tripura CM, Modi assures all help to the state Agartala: Biplab Kumar Deb today took oath as the chief minister of the first BJP government in Tripura, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured full support for all-round development of the state. DEL24 RSS-TRIPURA Mega Hindu congregation in Tripura last year was effective: RSS Nagpur: On a day when the BJP assumed power in Tripura, its ideological mentor the RSS said the mega Hindu congregation organised by it in the northeastern state last year was "inspirational" and "effective in every sense". By Jatin Takkar DEL5 PREZ-RESIGN-ACCEPT Prez accepts resignations of Raju and Chowdary; PM to look after civil aviation New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind today accepted the resignations of Telugu Desam Party MPs Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati and Y S Chowdary, an official spokesman said here. DEL28 POL-BJP-SULLEN ALLIES BJP looking far from jittery despite discontent among sullen allies New Delhi: The Telugu Desam Party is fuming. The Shiv Sena has long been a thorn in the flesh. The PDP in Kashmir is often at loggerheads, and Akalis too are sulking. Such open show of discontent by allies should have rung loud alarm bells in the BJP, but the ruling party is far from looking jittery. By Kumar Rakesh BOM9 POL-SONIA-MANMOHAN Knew Manmohan Singh would be a better PM than me: Sonia Gandhi Mumbai: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi today said she chose Manmohan Singh as the prime minister in 2004 as she was aware of her limitations and knew that he was a better candidate. MDS7 KA-GAURI-ARREST SIT makes first arrest in Gauri Lankesh murder case Bengaluru: Six months after the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, Karnataka police today arrested a man said to be linked with a right-wing radical group for his suspected involvement in the sensational killing. DEL21 LD PARLIAMENT Par proceedings of the week washed out due to protests New Delhi: The proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were virtually washed out for the entire week, as the Lok Sabha was today adjourned for the day soon after it met and the Rajya Sabha in the afternoon following unabated protests by the opposition parties and ruling NDA allies TDP and AIADMK over various issues. DEL32 POL-CONG-RAFALE Rafale row: Cong accuses govt of hurting national interests New Delhi: The Congress today accused the Modi government of "compromising" on national security and causing a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer on account of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. CAL4 WB-RS-SINGHVI-MAMATA RS poll: TMC to support Abhishek Singhvi from West Bengal, says Mamata Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee today said her party would support Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from the state. DEL26 DEF-PENSION-CHINA Full pay pension for those killed, injured while guarding China border New Delhi: The government has finally extended an "exclusive family pension" to the armed forces personnel killed or injured while guarding the Sino-India border but did not heed to a long-standing demand by the Army to implement it with retrospective effect. BOM1 MH-LD-FIRE Fire breaks out at chemical factory in Maharashtra; 3 killed, 13 hurt Mumbai: A major fire broke out after an explosion inside a boiler of a chemicals factory in Maharashtra's Palghar district last night, killing three people and injuring 13 others, police said. FOREIGN FGN37 TRUMP-2NDLD NKOREA Trump agrees to meet North Korea's Kim to ease nuclear tensions Washington: US President Donald Trump today said he has agreed to meet North Korea's top leader Kim Jong-Un by May, setting the stage for a historic summit between the two leaders who have repeatedly traded insults amid spiralling tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes. By Lalit K Jha FGN14 TRUMP-US-LD TARIFF Trump imposes heavy tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into US Washington: President Donald Trump imposes heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium which he said were necessary to boost the US industry suffering from "unfair" business practices, a move that has sparked fears of a global trade war. By Lalit K Jha FGN33 TRUMP-TARIFF-INDIA Trump threatens to impose "reciprocal tax" on India, China Washington: US President Donald Trump threatens to impose "reciprocal tax" on countries like China and India if they do not match America's tariff. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The military has been deployed in northern Albania to help hundreds of people trapped by floods following heavy rainfall, authorities said today. More than 9,230 hectares of agricultural land is underwater in the Shkodra region, including villages where the only means of transport is by boat, the defence ministry said. Army personnel are evacuating residents and securing food supplies in the affected areas, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, Tirana. The torrential rain in recent days has caused landslides damaging dozens of homes and flooding roads, said the transport ministry. The rain has also forced the Albanian authorities to release excess water from a hydroelectric plant, which has added to the flooding in northern areas of the country. Weather forecasters say the rain is likely to ease from tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A city-based company, which allegedly failed to deliver certain equipment to the Russian embassy in Delhi as per a commitment, returned the money it had taken following investigation into the matter, police said here today. The Rachakonda Police Commissionerate here said in a release that a complaint was received from an official of the embassy in September last year. The complaint stated that the embassy had approached the Hyderabad-based company in 2016 for purchase of certain electronic equipment at the embassy premises, including ground penetrating radar Upon confirmation of availability of the said equipment with that company, the Embassy paid the entire amount of US Dollars 42,500 through bank transfer, the release said. However, despite repeated requests through phone, SMS and e-mails, the firm neither delivered the said equipment nor refunded the amount to the Embassy, it said. A case was registered and the matter was investigated, it said. Under the supervision of Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda, Mahesh M Bhagwat and due to efforts by several police officials, "the company authorities had remitted the entire amounts to the Embassy on installment basis through bank transfer," the release said. The good work done by the investigating officers was appreciated by the Russian Federation Embassy officials too, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special CBI court today said orders on the discharge pleas filed by former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran in the "illegal" telephone exchange case would be pronounced on March 14. According to the CBI, Dayanidhi Maran, during the check period of June 2004 to December 2006, when he was the Union minister for communication and information technology, misused his office and installed a private telephone exchange at his residences in Chennai and used the facility for business transactions involving the Sun Network. It alleged that he had caused a loss of Rs 1.78 crore to the exchequer. More than 700 telecom lines were installed at their residences in Boat Club and Gopalapuram here, the agency charged. Among the accused are former BSNL general manager K Brahmanathan, former deputy general manager M P Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's private secretary Gauthaman, and Sun TV officials. Counsel for the Maran brothers and others have argued that they are innocent and have not committed any irregularities as alleged by the prosecution. On the other hand, the prosecution has said there is prima facie material to proceed against them and wants the court to dismiss the discharge petitions. When the pleas came up today, Judge Natarajan said orders on the discharge pleas would be pronounced on March 14. Arguing on the discharge pleas filed by the brothers, their counsel Kabil Sibal had last month contended that the case was foisted on them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proclamations by US President Donald Trump to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminium received mixed reaction from stakeholders with some seeing it as a step that would revive the manufacturing sector while others warned it would lead to a trade war. Trump today signed two proclamations that impose 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium. While one section hailed it as a "historic" decision that would bring back jobs to the US and revive manufacturing sector, another warned of an adverse impact on the American economy and cautioned that it would lead to a trade war. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that Trump is taking action today to protect "both our national security and critical industries" to the economy. "The President's decision are the result of a long and well thought-out process led by the Commerce Department. Once again, President Trump is keeping his promises and standing up for American families, American businesses, and American workers," Ross said. Under Trump's leadership, America has a robust trade agenda that supports national security, US Trade Representative Robert E Lighthizer said. "The President is once again demonstrating he will protect our country, fight for American workers and strictly enforce our trade laws. I will work closely with other Cabinet officials to advise the President on how to implement the program on steel and aluminium that he announced today," he said. Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Trump's decision to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports will not protect America. "Reminiscent of failed protectionist trade policies of the past, this decision will harm the American economy, hurt American workers, and damage relations with America's allies and partners," he said. McCain said America should confront China's "unfair" trade practices, including its attempts to circumvent existing anti-dumping tariffs and its pilfering of American invention and innovation through coercion and outright theft. "Trump squandered perhaps the most important opportunity to do that when he withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It is fitting that on the very day Trump finalised these protectionist tariffs, the TPP-11 countries signed the trade pact without us. As a result, American businesses and consumers will not benefit from the advantages free trade brings," he said. McCain said Trump compounded that mistake by forfeiting the opportunity to take targeted action to hold China accountable for its behaviour in international trade. "Instead, he chose to adopt sweeping tariffs that will punish our most important allies and partners all around the world. This strategic mistake will only succeed in undermining the credibility of American leadership on free and open trade, and risk driving our allies and partners closer to China," he said. Sharing Trump's concerns regarding Chinese steel overcapacity, Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was disappointed by the administration's approach to this problem and ultimate decision to use a rarely used national security provision to implement new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. "A better way to level the playing field for American companies would be to rally our friends and allies to advance a robust, targeted effort to ensure that only those responsible for excess global capacity pay a price," he said. "Unfortunately,I fear this announcement could have far-reaching unintended consequences that will put at risk the hard-fought economic gains US businesses have seen over the past year," Corker said. House Speaker Paul Ryan said he disagrees with this action and fear its unintended consequences. "I am pleased the president has listened to those who share my concerns and included an exemption for some American allies, but it should go further. We will continue to urge the administration to narrow this policy so that it is focused only on those countries and practices that violate trade law," Ryan said. "There are unquestionably bad trade practices by nations like China, but the better approach is targeted enforcement against those practices. Our economy and our national security are strengthened by fostering free trade with our allies and promoting the rule of law," he said. Defending the action, the White House said Trump is addressing global overcapacity and "unfair trade practices" in the steel and aluminium industries by imposing the tariffs. It said the strengthening of domestic steel and aluminium industries will reduce "our reliance on foreign producers". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and France are expected to hold extensive deliberations to further deepen the already close bilateral defence cooperation including co-development of major military platforms during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit. Sources said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her French counterpart Florence Parly are also likely to have detailed discussions on specific projects including on the Scorpene submarine programme for the Indian Navy. Defence cooperation is also likely to figure prominently during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Macron tomorrow. The sources said a key point of discussion is likely to be the Scorpene submarine programme as the French side has been exploring additional orders for French defence major Naval Group (formerly DCNC). India's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd is currently building six Scorpene class submarines under Project 75 in partnership with French Naval Group. India has also started the process to acquire another six submarines under project P-75 (I). Four foreign ship-builders have emerged as the main contenders for the project to build six advanced stealth submarines at a cost of around Rs 600 billion under the strategic partnership model. The sources said Parly has also communicated to the Indian defence minister that the Naval Group has responded favourably to the Request For Information (RFI) (under Strategic Partnership Model) for the new P-75(I) programme. Naval Group, Russia's Rosoboronexport Rubin Design Bureau, Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Sweden's Saab group have responded to the government's request for proposal (RFI) for the project. The project P-75 (I) will be a follow-on for Project 75. A total of six submarines are to be built under the Project-75 (I) programme. The project is seen as critical to counter the rapid expansion of China's submarine fleet. The Navy has been pressing the government for clearing the project. Under the SP model, select private firms will be engaged to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities. Parly is also likely to push for a follow up order of additional Rafale fighter jets after delivery of 36 jets under a Rs 580 billion deal finalised in 2016. The two ministers are also likely to deliberate on a range of other possible co-development initiatives, the sources said. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Philippines' National Defence Secretary Delfin N Lorenzana today held wide-ranging talks to strengthen bilateral defence and security cooperation with a focus on the maritime sphere. Officials said Sitharaman and Lorenzana deliberated on possible areas of defence cooperation and exchanged views on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region. The two countries had signed an agreement to step up cooperation in the defence sector during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Philippines in November last year. President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte had expressed interest in acquiring fast offshore patrol vessels during talks with Modi. Separately, Defence Minister of Mongolia Enkhbold Nyamaa also met Sitharaman. The two ministers also explored ways to boost bilateral defence cooperation, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu today exuded confidence that India will become a USD 5 trillion economy in the next seven years. Also, he said that India will be a bigger economy than China at some point of time. Currently India's economy is estimated at USD 2.5 trillion and that of China at USD 11.85 trillion. In the October-December quarter, India posted a GDP growth of 7.2 per cent to regain the tag of world's fastest growing major economy. "I am very sure, you take a medium term, India will grow at a much faster rate. We will be five trillion dollar economy in seven years time," he said at an event here. The minister said that his ministry has already prepared a paper on how India can become a larger economy. He said the manufacturing sector would contribute USD 1 trillion, services sector USD 3 trillion and the rest would come from agricultural sector for the country to become a USD 5 trillion economy in the next seven years. "After that in next 7-10 years time may be a USD 10 trillion economy. China still will be growing. "I am not saying China is just going to wait there at USD 11.8 trillion, but when they will start slowing down, we will start growing faster. I am sure one day we will be a bigger economy," the minister said. He also spoke about various steps being taken by the government to increase India's exports. Prabhu also expressed concern over "growing voices of protectionism" and said that opening up of economies is necessary for global growth. "We have seen after formation of WTO all the countries have benefited. Some countries benefited obviously more than others, like China is the biggest beneficiary of the WTO," he said. The talks at the WTO's 11th ministerial at Buenos Aires in December had collapsed with the US going back on its commitment to find a permanent solution to the public food stockholding, a key issue for developing countries like India. Soon after the collapse of the talks, Prabhu had announced that India would be hosting a mini-ministerial with a view to break the deadlock. The informal WTO mini-ministerial is scheduled to be held here on March 19-20 with an aim to find out common ground to carry forward the mandate of World Trade Organisation (WTO). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale today held talks with a state-run Chinese strategic think-tank on improving Sino-India relations which were strained following a 73-day standoff at Dokalam. Bambawale met with Wu Hailong, President of Chinese Peoples Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), in Beijing, the Indian Embassy here tweeted. The CPIFA focuses on people-to-people diplomacy. "They had candid discussions about India-China bilateral relations and enhancing mutual exchanges," it said. Since he took over charge in November last, Bambawale has been interacting with Chinese state-run top think-tanks on the improvement of India-China relations affected by a host of issues including last years standoff at Doklam. In January, Bambawale visited Pangoal Institution in Beijing and participated in a roundtable discussion with Chinese scholars on the 'Prospects of India-China relations'. State sponsored think-tanks play influential role in China shaping its foreign policy. After the 73-day standoff at Dokalam which was resolved on August 28 last year both the countries have stepped up contacts to revive the ties. Last year marked a new low in India-China ties with issues like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, China's repeated attempts to block India's bid join the Nuclear Suppliers Group and efforts to get leader of the Jaish-e-Muhammad leader, Massood Azhar designated as terrorist by the UN. The two countries have been holding a series of meeting at various levels to reset the relations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The heavy industries and public enterprises ministry is supporting setting up of four centres in the country to facilitate SMEs implement Industry 4.0, a senior government official said on Friday. N Sivanand, Joint Secretary in Department of Heavy Industry, said these four centres will come up at institutes, including IIT Delhi; Central Manufacturing Technology Institute, Bengaluru; and IIT Mumbai. These centres would be set up this year. Industry 4.0 is the next level of industrial revolution encompasses use of robotics, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing and increasing digitisation. He said the ministry is taking several steps to increase awareness about these sectors as it would help boost growth of manufacturing in the country. The term Industry 4.0 is synonymous with smart manufacturing and it is revolutionising the way manufacturing is done worldwide, he told PTI. These centres would create awareness on the relevant smart manufacturing technologies, application of which would lead to increased efficiency and productivity, he added. It encompasses cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and cognitive computing. The opportunities and efficiencies that smart manufacturing offers can help the industry in increasing its competitiveness, he said. The centre in Pune has come together to create awareness, skill training, consultancy support and R&D for 5,000 companies for faster adoption and integration of new modern technologies in automobiles and machine tools sector. Members of the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind, in their national conference, denounced terrorism and asserted that Islam preaches peace and love of mankind. Islamic scholars from different parts of the country are attending the two-day conference of the outfit at Ramleela Grounds here. "Islam is a religion of peace. It is not a religion of hatred and terrorism. It not only propagates the safety of mankind, but also guarantees the safety of all the creatures, a statement from the organisation quoted Mufti of the Holy Mosque of Madina, Sheikh Ibrahim bin Ibrahim Al Turki as saying. "The greatest challenge of the present time is propagation of world peace and safety of mankind, said Asghar Ali Imam, head of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind. The youth should work as messengers of peace and should not be enticed by the anti-social elements, he said, adding that they should work for humanity and brotherhood. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Foreign minister Khawaja Asif today accused the US of trying to use Islamabad as a "proxy" in defending its interests in war-torn Afghanistan. Maintaining that Pakistan wants constructive ties with America, he said that in the high-level engagements recently, the US officials have been told that Trump's "unwarranted" allegations against the country were against the cooperative history of the US-Pak relationship. In his new South Asia Policy in August last year, Trump had called for tougher measure against Pakistan if it fails to cooperate with the US in its fight against terrorism. The US also blocked about USD two billion in security assistance to Pakistan. Replying to a question in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, he said, Pakistan would not defend any country's interest but only its own. Without naming any country, he also said that certain "powers" were responsible for the unrest in the Muslim world from Libya, Iraq, Syria to Afghanistan. "The United States wants Pakistan to become a proxy and defend its interests in Afghanistan, but we will not defend anyone else's interests...Pakistan will only defend its own interests," he said. Rejecting the US' allegations that Pakistan was supporting Haqqanis and Taliban, Asif said, "The Taliban are operating in 43 per cent of Afghanistan, and yet they blame us for facilitating the Haqqani Network." The minister also questioned the rise of Islamic State in the neighbourhood and said "everyone knows who introduced the militant Islamic State group to Afghanistan". He did not elaborate the forces behind the introduction of the dreaded terrorist group. Asif also criticised Pakistan's military rulers for joining the US war against the USSR in 1980s in Afghanistan and termed it as "made-in-America jihad". He was also critical of Pakistan becoming ally in the war on terror. Asif also told lawmakers that Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia will not become part of a civil war in Yemen. He said the troops were there to help maintain "internal security" under an existing bilateral security pact. "We have not taken part in any across-the-border action by Saudi Arabia," he said. Pakistan last month decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia under an existing bilateral security cooperation agreement with its close ally Saudi Arabia which is involved in a civil war in neighbouring Yemen. He also said that it was unfortunate that Muslim countries were badly divided and not efforts were being made to unite them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities today imposed restrictions in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir to prevent violent protests post the Friday prayers against the killing of six persons, including two militants, in a shootout with Army on March 3. Sporadic protests have been reported from the south Kashmir district since last Sunday when six persons were killed in a shootout involving Army and militants. "Restrictions have been imposed in Shopian as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order," a police official said. He said the restrictions were imposed to curb any violent protests in view of large gatherings that assemble for Friday congregational prayers. While the Army has claimed that the youth killed during last Sunday's shootout in Shopian's Pahnoo area were militants and their overground workers, the police on the other hand said they are investigating the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A TDP parliamentarian said today that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley comparing Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny the southern state the special category state status "angered" the people and was one of the factors behind the party's decision to pull out its ministers of the central government. "The Union Finance Minister in a press meet compared Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny Andhra Pradesh a special category state status and that also contributed in our party president (and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu) announcing the resignations of two ministers," he said, adding that it hurt the sentiments and angered the people of Andhra Pradesh. "When you make such comparison, there arises a question why should we give special status to AP while having a state more backward, Bihar. This is wrong. They angered the people, ministers and the chief minister. It was a promise made in Parliament and the comparison was not right," TDP Rajya Sabha MP T G Venkatesh told reporters. To a query on whether special category state status would be granted to Andhra Pradesh, Jaitley at a press conference on March 7 had said "Why not Bihar? Why not Jharkhand? Central Government has to look at 29 states." Under relentless opposition attack over its failure to secure special category state status for Andhra Pradesh, the state's ruling TDP pulled out of the Modi government yesterday. President Ram Nath Kovind today accepted the resignations of Telugu Desam Party ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati and Y S Chowdary. Raju today for the first time joined his party MPs in a protest inside the Parliament Complex raising their demand. The ministers after their resignations yesterday said that they would now have "more freedom" to protest for the rights of Andhra Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Japanese finance ministry official linked to the cronyism allegations dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been found dead, local media said today. A second key official stepped down over the scandal, the finance minister confirmed late Friday, as the damaging issue refuses to go away. Police are investigating the death of the official in Kobe in western Japan and suspect he committed suicide, with some media reporting a suicide note had been found. A police spokesman contacted by AFP could not immediately confirm the reports. The unidentified official, who was found dead on Wednesday, was at the heart of a scandal over the cut-price sale of government-owned land to a close friend of Abe, the reports said. He was responsible for the 2016 sale of a plot of land in Osaka to the right-wing operator of a kindergarten at a price well below market value. Separately, Finance Minister Taro Aso told reporters that another senior official involved in the scandal, Nobuhisa Sagawa, had decided to step down after lawmakers and taxpayers demanded his resignation. Sagawa was promoted to head the tax agency in July, after holding a post overseeing the finance ministry division that negotiated the deal. "Sagawa is a capable individual," said Aso. "He said he wants to resign to take responsibility for the troubles caused." In addition to the resignation, Sagawa will have 20 percent of his severance package docked for three months as punishment, the minister told reporters. The scandal has dogged Abe since it first emerged last February, though the prime minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing and his approval ratings remain solid. According to local media, the land was sold for around one tenth of its market value, and the kindergarten had announced plans to name Abe's wife Akie the honorary principal of a primary school being built on the same plot. Abe says his wife had only "reluctantly" accepted the post of honorary principal and had since "resigned." Last week, allegations emerged that the finance ministry's documents on the sale had been tampered with before being submitted to parliament. The allegation has paralysed parliament in recent days, with some opposition lawmakers boycotting debates. The opposition has accused ministry officials of hiding some key documents and colluding to cover up the scandal. Aso said he had told his ministry staff to come up with conclusions early next week but stressed he himself had no plans to step down over the scandal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actors Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew are ditching their scrubs at the end of the current season of "Grey's Anatomy". Capshaw and Drew, who play Arizona Robbins and April Kepner respectively in the ABC's hit medical drama currently in season 14, have been associated with the series since 10 and nine installments. Creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes said the two characters played an important role in representing both "LBGTQ and devout Christian communities", which had not received the space they deserve on television, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "It's always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters. Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic - both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV. I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life," Rhimes said in a statement. Co-showrunner and executive producer Krista Vernoff said it was a privilege to work with two actors. "The characters of Arizona and April are permanently woven into the fabric of 'Grey's Anatomy' thanks to the extraordinary work of Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew. As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go, and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love," Vernoff. Capshaw took to Twitter to respond to the of her departure from the show, saying it had been a privilege to play Arizona for a decade and she is thankful to Rhimes for this. "For the past 10 years, I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins but also being madly in love with playing her... She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented as a series-regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. I am sad to see her go, but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on..." she wrote. Drew said she was "sad" after she received the information of her exit from the series and she was not ready to say her "thank yous" yet. "For now, I'd like to say: I love you, and I love April, and her story isn't over yet. And the really good (for me at least) is that I'm here on set shadowing one of my favorite people, Kevin McKidd, with my beloved 'Grey's' family all this week and next, so I get to process all of my feelings surrounded by the community that has nourished and nurtured me for almost a decade. For that, I am so grateful (sic)," she wrote in a lengthy statement on Twitter. After the announcement, many implied that Capshaw and Drew's departures were linked to the main lead Ellen Pompeo's massive USD 20 million deal recently. But Vernoff refuted the claims, saying it had nothing to do with Pompeo's salary renegotiation. "It smacks of an old, broken, patriarchal notion that women must be pitted against each other and that one woman's success will be costly to others. Ellen Pompeo has not only advocated passionately for her fellow cast members, she has taken the time to educate women worldwide as to how to advocate for themselves and that must not now be twisted. The decision to make changes to our cast was a creative one..." she tweeted. Pompeo also called out a website on Twitter saying it was unfortunate that media was trying to pit women against each other on International Women's Day (March 8). "It's unfortunate that @DEADLINE chooses to try to pit women against each other on #InternationalWomensDay #shameonyounotme "I'm a big girl @DEADLINE can take shots at me if they want but to the fans please don't fall into that trap. This is above my pay grade," she tweeted. Capshaw and Drew become the second and third series regulars to exit "Grey's Anatomy" this season. They join Martin Henderson, who was written out after a two-season run. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A first group of jihadists is to be evacuated from the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, the target of a devastating regime assault, a powerful Islamist rebel group announced today. he fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group made up mostly of Al-Qaeda's ex-affiliate Al-Nusra Front, is to be evacuated to the northern province of Idlib, Jaish al-Islam said in a statement. It said the initiative was "based on consultations between Jaish al-Islam and the United Nations, and a number of international actors... "It has been agreed that the first group of HTS members be released from the prisons of Jaish al-Islam ... It has been agreed that they be moved to Idlib at their request," Jaish al-Islam said. Despite two weeks of air strikes and artillery bombardment that have killed almost 950 civilians, the main rebel groups have so far rejected Russian-brokered offers to evacuate civilians or any of their own fighters. The main groups had said on February 27 they would be willing to expel jihadist fighters from the enclave as soon as a UN ceasefire took effect. Eastern Ghouta, which lies just east of Damascus, is home to some 400,000 civilians and is controlled by myriad armed groups. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All properties of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its charity arm have been confiscated in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan while 148 properties were seized in Punjab province during a crackdown on the two organisations, a senior Pakistani official has said. Interior secretary Arshad Mirza told the Senate Committee on Interior yesterday that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) had confiscated three immovable assets of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), including hospitals and dispensaries. The meeting was presided over by Senator Rehman Malik, 'The Express Tribune' reported. Mirza told the committee that the humanitarian organisation Pakistan Red Crescent had been directed to take over seven ambulances associated with the two organisations. Previously, the committee had sought briefing by the Ministry of Interior and Foreign Affairs on what measures the government had taken in view of Pakistan's placement on 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Mirza informed the panel that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the JuD and the FIF were on the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) sanction list as per its resolution number 1267. Therefore, Pakistan was supposed to impose sanctions against the three outfits, he said. The Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) was also amended through a presidential order for taking action against the three organisations that had been declared proscribed by the UNSC, he added. The panel members were also informed that in consultation with multiple stakeholders a checklist was prepared and circulated among the stakeholders for taking action against the JuD and the FIF. Regarding the action against the proscribed organisations, he said the finance ministry was the lead agency. While highlighting other measures against these outfits, Mirza said the passports of the persons associated with them had been cancelled, a move that had barred them from flying abroad. Moreover, their weapons' licenses had also been cancelled and they had been stopped from raising funds as well, he added. Mirza said a meeting would be held next week in the finance ministry in which representatives of the Financial Action Task Force would also participate. During this meeting, he said a reporting mechanism would be designed to satisfy the FATF demands regarding these organisations. In a FATF meeting in Paris, he said, Pakistan was given three months to satisfy it with regard to measures taken by the country against the organisations declared proscribed by the UNSC. Besides having obligations Pakistan also had some internal obligations, the official said. However, senators in the parliamentary panel strongly criticised the policy of the successive governments on countering terrorism and radicalisation and urged the government that it was time to look inward and do more for a respectable standing in the comity of nations. Senator Shahi Syed said Pakistan got a bad name for fighting the CIA-sponsored jihad. He said it was incumbent on Ulema-e-Haq (the true scholars) to confess that a mistake had been committed in the past. He said Maulana Sami-ul-Haq had been openly claimed that Taliban were like his children, yet two grants of 300 and 270 million rupees were given to his religious seminary Darul Uloom Haqqania by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government. "If you want to do reforms for madrasas then it should not only be specific to Darul Uloom Haqqania. It should be for all religious seminaries, he said. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry said that matters needed to be reviewed if the community was not ready to buy Pakistan's narrative even as the country massively suffered during the war against terror. "You can't fool the world. It's better to get along with the rest of the world," Chaudhry stated. Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said Pakistan committed mistakes one after the other in the first and second round of the war in Afghanistan. He said no proscribed organisation should be allowed to work with a different name. "We are still in a state of denial; not ready to identify the mistakes. We term the banned outfits as Jihadi organisations," he stated. Karti Chidambaram today told a Delhi court that the CBI was meting out inhuman treatment" to him in its custody which caused his blood pressure to shoot up. The accusations were made by Karti when he was produced before special judge Sunil Rana who directed the CBI sleuths to "do the needful, as per rules". Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Karti, told the court that "during the police custody remand of accused Karti, from February 28 to March 6, he was kept in a separate room. However, in the intervening night of March 6-7, he was shifted to a cell where guards were also present who kept on chatting and playing cards continuously while the light was kept switched on." "On that day, he was interrogated till 2.30 am and was again woken up at 6 am, and was asked the same questions. Due to this kind of inhuman treatment on the part of the CBI, the accused's blood pressure shot up and he faced certain medical problems," Singhvi said. At this, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, undertook that the accused shall be shifted to the room where he was previously kept, and all other things will be taken care of, as per rules. On the issue of lights, Mehta said it was necessary for security purposes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court today gave the CBI three more days for custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram in the INX Media corruption case, while the Delhi High Court granted him relief, restraining the ED from arresting him in a related money laundering case till March 20. Though the beleaguered son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram got a breather in the money laundering case, special judge Sunil Rana remanded him in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to Karti. The trial court order came hours after a high court bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta granted Karti interim protection from arrest till March 20. The high court asked the ED to satisfy it on the issue of its powers to arrest an accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the next date of hearing. The high court order failed to effectively bring any relief to Karti, who has been in CBI custody for the last nine days for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28. The trial court asked the CBI to produce Karti before it on March 12, and the agency still has the liberty to seek his remand for three more days as the law provides for custodial interrogation of an accused for 15 days for certain offences. The special judge posted the hearing on Karti's bail plea on March 15. The outcome of Karti's bail plea assumes significance as the high court has said that if he is granted the relief by the special judge, ED will not take any coercive steps against him till March 20, when it will hear the matter. Making it clear that the trial court shall pass orders without getting influenced by the high court's directions today, the bench said certain conditions be imposed on Karti like asking him to appear before the ED, as and when called by the investigating officer, and cooperate in the probe. He shall also be directed not to leave the country and surrender his passport, it said. Unperturbed with the high court's order, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is appearing for both the CBI and the ED in the case, told the trial court that Karti's custodial interrogation by the CBI was needed to confront him with the recovery of fresh incriminating documents. He said Karti also needed to be confronted with his chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, who was arrested by the ED and today remanded in judicial custody till March 22. Mehta claimed Karti was maintaining "a false stand" that he was not connected to Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd, but the new documents seized during the raid showed that it belonged to him or his family members. "The CBI has been able to give sufficient ground and justified reason to show that it is possible to uphold the contention of the CBI that for the purpose of further and complete investigation further custody of the accused is necessary to ensure continuity and to speed up investigation to secure the evidence, which may be useful at the trial or to arrive at the truth," the special judge said. Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister. The CBI had initially alleged that Karti received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for the FIPB clearance. It, however, later revised the figure to 1 million USD (about Rs 6 crore 50 lakh at current exchange rate and Rs 4 crore 50 lakh in 2007) The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former Director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17. P Chidambaram was present during the proceedings, both in the high court and the trial court, while his wife Nalini, also a senior advocate, was there in the trial court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala government earned Rs 31.5 crore revenue through seven auctions of sandalwood in the last financial year, the state assembly was informed today. Stating this during question hour, Forest Minister K Raju said Kerala has sandalwood forest in 1,438.22 hectares. These were spread in Marayoor (596.51 hectares) and Kanthalloor (841.71) forest ranges in Idukki district,he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned for nearly 50 minutes this morning amid vociferous protests by various parties over a number of issues, including the PNB scam. Ashok Gajapati Raju (TDP), who had resigned yesterday as Civil Aviation minister, was seen standing in the Well with his party colleagues demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Like others, he too was wearing a stole depicting his party's colour. As the House met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan welcomed a parliamentary delegation from South Korea. Later, the House paid tributes to former members Prabodh Panda, Shyama Singh and Bhanu Kumar Shastri who had died recently. Soon after the members from various parties trooped into the Well, prompting the Speaker to remark that after a minute of silence, the House is again witnessing din. Members from AIADMK, TDP and YSR Congress were in the Well holding placards. While AIADMK was demanding constitution of the Cauvery Board to settle water disputes with neighbouring states, the TDP was demanding special status for AP. The YSR Congress too was making a similar demand. While one TDP MP was holding an idol, another had donned a colourful traditional headgear. Congress members did not enter the Well but were holding placards demanding that tainted businessman Nirav Modi be brought back to India. The Speaker then adjourned the House till 12 noon even as Question Hour was in progress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Argentine President Mauricio Macri today urged President Donald Trump to exempt the South American country from US steel and aluminium tariffs. Macri made the plea in a phone conversation with Trump, a day after the US president signed off on the tariffs, sparking fears of a trade war. "Trump undertook to evaluate his request for Argentina to be exempt from any restrictive measures that affect exports of steel and aluminium to the United States," Macri's office said in a statement. A White House statement said the two leaders had discussed "potential United States tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium" and had "agreed to stay in touch to strengthen the robust bilateral relationship." The Argentine government signalled its intention to seek an exemption for its meagre exports in a statement earlier Friday. Argentina's exports to the US in the sectors are so small they have no effect on the market, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Argentine exports represent only 0.6 per cent of steel and 2.3 per cent of aluminium of all US imports in both sectors, and therefore Argentina does not cause nor contribute to the distortions that affect the world markets and the US," the ministry said. It said the government would try to open talks with the US "with a view to an exception being made on those tariffs." Argentina's steel producers' association has warned the tariffs could lead to iron and steel products from Asia being diverted from the US and dumped into the Latin American market. Two major Argentine steel producers stand to be affected -- aluminium company Aluar and Techint, which sells seamless pipes to the US oil industry, but has a factory in Houston, Texas. Between January and November last year, the most recent period for which official figures are available, Argentina sold around USD 200 million of steel tubes and around USD 500 million of aluminium to the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra government today came down heavily on alleged accusations, bullying and browbeating of judges in the Supreme Court by some activist lawyers in the Judge B H Loya death case and said the judiciary and judicial officers need to be saved from such averments. It said that fingers were being pointed by some lawyers on sitting judges of Bombay High Court and district judges and if the judiciary is in such a bad state, there is no point of judicial review and activism. "Please don't allow this to happen. If this entire system dances to the tune of one man, as has been alleged, then we should wind up this institution. Time has come to stop this immediately," senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Maharashtra government, told a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud. Salve's hard hitting submissions was targetted towards some activist lawyers like senior advocates Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising and advocate Prashant Bhushan for allegedly making aspersions not only against the judges of the bench but also against the lawyers representing the state in the case. Recalling an incident of 1978, Salve said that once Justice Y V Chandrachud in this court had reminded noted jurist Nani Palkhivala that speeches were made in Parliament and not in the court. "In my 40 years of career, such insinuations and accusations were never made. This shows where are we heading. This court has to stop this. Our Bar has risen to every occasion to represent a case. Speeches may be good in public life, in Parliament. It's not between us and them. It was never between us and them. Please do not allow this to happen," Salve said at the fag end of the hearing. In the jam-packed courtroom, the bench sat to hear Salve's argument for 20 minutes more than the apex court's scheduled time of 4.00 pm. Salve was referring to the suggestions made by Dave, Jaising and Bhushan, that four judges including two high court judges who were along with the Special CBI judge Loya during his last moments be allowed to be examined. "Are the four judges a part of murder conspiracy. Did they bump off their colleague (Loya)? What degree of proof does this court require to start an inquiry? Can the judges be allowed to be cross-examined? Do we now need to doubt their credibility? Has this system come to this disrepair? This court should not issue notice in the matter as it will be like doubting their credibility," the senior lawyer said, posing a spate of questions. Observing that fingers were pointed by the petitioners counsels on former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, he said "this court is robust enough to deal with these allegations and should not allow this practice to go on". He said the judges must enjoy the faith of higher judiciary or what else will the people who have got justice from the hand of these judges say, that they are murder accused. "Judges need to be protected and this court must protect them. Our district judges are the most vulnerable lot and they need to be protected more. If they are to be cross- examined, they will be examined as murder accused. They will be under tremendous pressure. Our system will stand condemned in which no enquiry will exonerate them," Salve said in his emotive arguments. While referring to the argument made by Bhushan that two judges Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud who have served in Maharashtra should not hear the matter, Salve said, "I say that that these two judges are from Maharashtra and this makes them more eligible for hearing this matter". During the hearing, Rohatgi, who also represented Maharashtra, refuted the charge that the ECG report of judge Loya was planted and did not show any indication that he had suffered a heart attack. "All these allegations are based on the articles in Caravan (magazine). Doctor of AIIMS forensic department and doctor at King Edward Memorial Hospital have denied any such suggestions that the ECG reports are not correct," he said. Rohatgi also countered the petitioners' allegations that the FIR was not lodged in the case and asked whether the family members or friends lodge a complaint with police when there is no suspicion over the natural death of a person. Demolishing the arguments that there was no provision of "discreet inquiry" in the law, Rohatgi said the state does order "discreet inquiry" as per the vigilance manual when questioned are raised with regard to the death of eminent figure like politician, artist or judge, which is a regular routine. Rohatgi's arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on March 12. Yesterday, the apex court had taken umbrage against a senior lawyer for casting aspersions on judges that they were only asking "searching questions" to those who brought the B H Loya death case before it, and not to the Maharashtra government. Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, had allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014 when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 34-year-old man, wanted in several cases and carrying a cash reward of Rs 50,000, has been arrested by Delhi Police, a police official said today. According to police, Nadeem, a resident of North East Delhi, was arrested on a tip-off and a country-made pistol with two live cartridges was seized from his possession, he said. "During interrogation, he disclosed that he used to grab disputed properties and during one such dispute he killed a man and also tried to burn the body to conceal the identity," the police official said. For the last five months, he was evading arrest by changing his hideouts regularly, he said. He regularly changed his mobile numbers to conceal his position and changed around 20 mobile numbers during his run, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On a day when the BJP assumed power in Tripura, its ideological mentor the RSS said the mega Hindu congregation organised by it in the northeastern state last year was "inspirational" and "effective in every sense". Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi, while presenting the RSS' annual report at its crucial triennial meeting which began today, specifically mentioned the 'Hindu Sammelan' organised in Tripura by the organisation in September last year. The Hindu Sammelans organised in the northeastern states, especially in Tripura, was inspirational in much ways, the Sangh said in its annual report which was read out by Joshi in the presence of RSS workers. Sharing the details about the event, which was organised in Agartala on September 17, 2017, the RSS said preparations for it had started in June last year. A plan to contact each every tribal group was prepared. The invitations were delivered personally. Each house was hoisted with a saffron flag and consequently one lakh households could be reached, the report said, adding that it was effective in every sense. This mega hindu congregation was addressed by the Sarsanghchalak (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat and lakhs of people from more than 500 villages from Tripura and other districts of nearby northeastern states attended the event. "The admiration expressed by eminent personalities from social, religious, industrial fields indicates the growing acceptability of our work," the Sangh said. Biplab Kumar Deb today took oath as the chief minister of the first BJP government in Tripura, ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office to Deb at a function which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "We see with concern the tariff hikes for specific products," the leader of Europe's biggest economy said, adding that Germany backs the EU in "seeking dialogue with the United States, but also with countries that could be affected, like China." She stressed that "no one can win in such a race to the bottom", adding that "it would be best if we could be exempted" from the tariffs. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Newly elected BJP MLA Mmhonlumo Kikon was today sworn in as the pro-tem speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly. Governor P B Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Kikon at the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan here today. As the pro-tem speaker, Kikon will be chairing the first day of the Budget session of the Assembly on March 13, with the members of the NDPP-led People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) on the Treasury bench and the Naga People's Front (NPF) legislators on the opposition bench. The House will witness MLAs occupying the opposition bench after four years. In 2014, eight legislators of the opposition Congress, during a show of strength, pledged support for T R Zeliang, the then leader of the House, rendering the 12th Nagaland Assembly opposition-less. The Congress legislators later joined the Zeliang-led Naga People's Front (NPF). This time, however, the NPF, which had ruled the state for the past 15 years, will play the role of Opposition. Zeliang, while accepting defeat, told mediapersons recently that the NPF will fulfill its responsibilities as a "constructive Opposition" in the Assembly. The first day of the session will witness the election of a new Speaker and administering of oath to the members of the House, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said yesterday. In the recently concluded Nagaland Assembly elections, the NDPP-BJP alliance won 30 seats. The alliance, however, garnered the support of a JD(U) MLA and an Independent legislator, taking the tally to 32. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan troops today guarded mosques and facilitated Friday prayers as authorities stepped up security in the violence-hit Muslim neighbourhoods in Kandy district after four days of riots that have left at least two people dead. Several homes, businesses and mosques in the hilly Kandy district have been damaged in anti-Muslim riots, since Monday. The violence erupted after the death of a Buddhist Sinhalese man last week. To rein in communal violence, a state of emergency has been imposed by President Maithripala Sirisena's government. A large number of Muslim-owned businesses in the island nation remained shut in protest against attacks by mainly Buddhist Sinhalese, but some shops in the Muslim neighbourhood opened today. Army personnel and police constables patrolled outside mosques in Kandy where prayers were offered in open grounds in many places because mosques had been burnt or vandalised. About 3,000 police, 2,500 army personnel and 750 special task forces have been deployed in Kandy to bring the situation under control. "There were no incidents during the Friday prayers," a police official said, adding that investigators had stepped up the search for those who took part in the violence. At least 140 people, including the main suspect, have been arrested and brought to Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. Authorities have also blocked internet access across the district and disrupted Facebook and messaging platforms after police said they were used to instigate communal violence. Police said the situation had largely been peaceful during the day, however, curfew would be re-imposed in the district. "The curfew would be re-imposed in the Kandy district, except in the Kandy Municipality areas, from 8 pm today till 5 am tomorrow," Police spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. All schools remained close after the communal violence erupted. However, the Central Province Education Ministry today said that schools will reopen on Monday. Last night, during the curfew, rioters tried to attack Muslim sites, but swift intervention by the Army prevented arson. There were, however, incidents of stone pelting at Muslim sites elsewhere in the island. Fresh violence erupted yesterday in Muslim neighbourhoods in the Indian Ocean island nation's hilly central district. In the capital Colombo too, Muslim-owned businesses remained shut. Troops guarded mosques in the city while extra deployments were made to strengthen security and maintain peace. Meanwhile, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Kandy today and held talks with religious leaders, including leading Buddhist monk. Rajapaksha urged both the Sinhalese and Muslim communities to live peacefully and accused the government of failing in its duties in controlling the situation. Yesterday, the police arrested 81 people, including the main suspect, for inciting violence against Muslims. The arrests came after the police came under increasing public criticism over its alleged inaction to prevent violence in spite of the imposition of curfew. Under attack for alleged police inaction, President Sirisena also replaced Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the law and order minister. Wickremesinghe had also announced that compensations would be paid to the victims affected by the violence. The communal violence has also hit the the tourism industry, as a number of foreign cancelled their visits. According to media reports, around 80 tourists have cancelled their bookings made at one of the top three travel companies in Sri Lanka, which could possibly amount to a loss of 800 nights. The Kandy region is about 115 kilometres from Colombo. It is popular tourist as well as Buddhist pilgrimage destination. The Sinhalese Buddhists are about 75 per cent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population while Muslims are 10 per cent of the population. Tensions between Muslim groups and the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community in the country have escalated since the end of the civil war in May 2009. In 2014, violence directed against Muslim minority groups broke out in the southwestern town of Aluthgama, following a rally by hardline Buddhist nationalist monks, resulting in the death of at least three Muslims. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has announced plans to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative at the Centre, today said there is a need to prepare a national agenda, keeping in mind the needs of different states and various sections of society. He held a meeting with senior officials and retired bureaucrats "on the preparation of a National Agenda for development and the viability of the existing methods, their good and bad aspects", a release from his office said tonight. "Though the country became independent seventy years ago, the development for the past 70 years has not been on the lines as people expected." "Though other countries in the world are racing towards development, we are still not able to fulfil the basic needs," it quoted him as saying. The Chief Minister said that though several states have water disputes among them, they have not been settled. Several reforms suggested by experts in Centre-State relations have not been complied with. "The true federal spirit has not been reflected. Under these circumstances, there is a need for preparing an agenda for the national development," he said. A decision should be taken on which subject should be with whom between the states and Centre, he said. "There is a need to bring in structural changes in social, judiciary, legislature and administration areas.There should be a clear agenda on the reforms to be brought in reforms, and amendments to Laws and the Constitution," Rao said. Political leaders, experts and senior bureaucrats should give their suggestions in this regard and become stakeholders in the process, he added. Rao's plans for an alternative at the Centre has received support from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and others, official sources had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is no precedent of any state in India having a separate flag, barring Jammu and Kashmir which enjoys a special status, but the Constitution does not provide for or against it, a government official said today. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had yesterday unveiled the proposed official flag of the state and said his government would send the proposal for Centre's approval. The Flag Code of India and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act refer only to the tricolour and there is no mention of any other flag, the official said requesting anonymity. Jammu and Kashmir has a separate flag because of the special status it enjoys under Article 370 of the Constitution. The official insisted India as a nation has only one flag, and there will be "chaos" if tomorrow some states or some districts or some villages start seeking separate flags. When asked for a comment, a Home Ministry spokesperson said, "We have not received any such proposal from the Karnataka government (yet) so it is premature to say anything on the subject." Another government official indicated that a regulatory framework has to be brought into existence to deal with such a situation so that a decision could be taken as per the law and Constitutional provisions. "We are one nation, one flag. Legally there is no provision either for providing or prohibiting a separate flag for any state," the official, who wished not to be named, said. The separate flag that Karnataka already has represents only the "people and not the government", he said, adding it was not used at ceremonies like Republic Day or Independence Day but on occasions like the state's foundation day. The 'Naada Dwaja' (state's flag) unveiled by Siddaramaiah is in hues of yellow, white and red, and has the state's emblem 'Gandaberunda', a two-headed mythological bird, at its centre. Siddaramaiah unveiled the flag after chairing a meeting of pro-Kannada organisations, activists and literary personalities, where they unanimously approved the design. It was decided to have a flag for the state as a symbol of pride of Kannada speaking people, he said, adding "it was the intention, opinion and voice of Kannadigas." A committee formed by thestate government last year had recommended a separate flag for Karnataka,discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A three-day festival to celebrate Odisha's culture, tradition, heritage and cuisine commenced here today in the lawns of the India Gate. Chief Justice Dipak Mishra was the chief guest of the inaugural ceremony of Odia Parba which was also attended by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan among other eminent personalities. The second edition of Odia Parba, which the organisers claim is bigger and better than previous year, is based on the theme Odisha's freedom struggle against British rule from 1804-1947'. "I am quite delighted to be a part of Odia Parba yet again for its second edition. We have completed 200 years of Paika Rebellion and I am proud to say that I was born in Banipur which is quite famous for its Paika fighters. "Let's come and celebrate this event at the national capital which is a platform to bring together Odias and showcase our rich culture and heritage," the CJI said. The programmes lined up for the festival include those on fashion, culture, dance, handicrafts. Visitors are also being treated to the coastal state's mouth-watering delicacies. One of the highlights is an innovative fort-shaped food-court, reflecting the ambience of 'Baarah Maasi Tera Parba', which reflects Odisha's passion for festivals in one calendar year. "Through this festival we want to show the people of Delhi the rich culture and heritage of Odisha. People can now see glimpses of our culture through the handlooms like Sambalpuri saree, Kotpad saree etc. and mouth-watering dishes like Gupchup katki Chaat, Pitha etc," organiser of the event and president of the Odia Samaj Sidhartha Pradhan said. Apart from these, there is also a painting competition for children and art workshops by famous Odia artists. Padma Shri awardee and renowned sculptor Sudharshan Sahoo will also be showcasing his intricate stone work in the gala fair. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 100 Chinese ministers were among 263,000 lakh people punished for corruption in the country over the past five years in the massive anti-graft campaign carried out by President Xi Jinping who is set to be China's leader for life, according to a report. Courts at various levels concluded 1.95 lakh graft cases from 2013 to 2017, implicating 2.63 lakh people, a report delivered by Chief Justice Zhou Qiang of China's Supreme Court to the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's parliament said. This included cases involving 101 former officials at the provincial and ministerial level or above over the past five years, the report was quoted by state-run Xinhua news agency. A total of 13,000 people were convicted for offering bribes, the report said. Since Xi took over power as chief of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), he launched a massive anti-graft campaign which included the military. Those punished included four former high-level party CPC Politburo members Bo Xilai, Zhou Yongkang, Guo Boxiong, Sun Zhengcai. Officials reports earlier said over a million officials have been punished in the campaign. A recent article in the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said over 100 generals and more than 4,000 general officers having been purged, ostensibly for corruption in the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The extent of the campaign has sparked allegations that Xi has made use of it to consolidate his power. As he began his second five-year term, the CPC has brought in a constitutional amendment removing the two-term limit for president which is to be ratified by the NPC later this week. Once ratified it would enable Xi to become China's leader for life holding all the three post, discarding the collective leadership followed by the party in the last three decades to avert an individual dictatorship emerging in the one-party state. Zhou's report to the NPC also said Chinese courts at various levels have overturned convictions in 6,747 criminal cases after retrials in the past five years as part of judicial reforms. Among the cases, 39 major wrongful convictions were corrected, including the two cases of death penalty. Huugjilt a prisoner was executed in 1996 for the rape and murder of a woman. He received a posthumous exoneration in 2014 after a serial rapist and killer admitted to the crime. Nie, who was executed for rape and murder in 1995, was acquitted in 2016, when a retrial found the conviction had been based on insufficient evidence and unclear facts. Courts at various levels acquitted a total of 4,874 defendants from 2013 to 2017, Zhou said. State compensation was granted to the victims who had been wronged, he said. Over Rs 29,000 crore of fresh investment was received during the tenure of BJP-led Haryana government even as a new policy to promote agri-business and food processing will be rolled out to attract investment of Rs 3,500 crore. "During the tenure of the present government, fresh investment amounting to Rs 29,121 crore has been made, generating employment for 2,03,359 persons in the private industrial enterprises," Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu said in his budget speech while tabling the state budget for 2018-19 here today. "Additional investment of Rs 45,000 crore is under process in the on-going projects," the finance minister said. He further said the state came out with a 'path breaking' Enterprises Promotion Policy-2015, aligned with the 'Make in India', 'Digital India' and 'Skilling India' campaigns to propel the state to the next level of growth trajectory. "New Enterprise Promotion Policy has created congenial atmosphere for development of industries in the state. In the year 2016, the State stood at 14th rank in the Ease of Doing Business rankings of the country," he said in his speech. Seeking to give impetus to food processing industry, Abhimanyu said, "Agri-Business and Food Processing Policy 2018 is under formulation". "Further, by establishing efficient forward and backward linkages, it aims to create greater employment opportunities across the entire food value chain, thus promoting agriculture and rural prosperity. The policy aims to attract an investment of Rs 3,500 crore and to generate 20,000 new job opportunities in the sector," he said. He said the state government had recently approved Haryana Textile policy 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India today termed as "very shocking" a Pakistani court's order to the country's election commission to hear the case of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's political party for registration and said it was an attempt to "mainstream" his activities. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also said that the order "exposes Pakistan's duplicity" in taking action against terrorists and terror groups operating out of its soil. Yesterday, the Islamabad High Court set aside a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reject the application of Jamaat-ud-Dawah's political front Milli Muslim League (MML) for registration as a political party. It sent the case back to the ECP asking it to proceed further on the application by giving the party an opportunity of hearing. Responding to a question on the issue, Kumar said, "It seems, this is an attempt by Pakistani establishment to mainstream him, his system as a political party. And this is a way of shielding the activities he earlier indulged in." "It is a very shocking development which completely exposes Pakistan's duplicity in taking action against terrorists and terror groups operating out of Pakistani soil," he said. He said that Saeed is a UN proscribed terrorist and the prime organiser of the Mumbai terror attack, who has has "blood on his hand of not only several innocent Indian citizens but also from any other countries across the world". Last month, a decision was taken at a plenary session of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international task force mandated to combat terror funding and money laundering, to put Pakistan in the grey list. It will be placed in the grey list in June. Kumar said Pakistan is mandated under the UN law to take action against Saeed. "I think, the true face of Hafiz Saeed and true face of Pakistan is for all to see. Not only India but also the international community feels that the action which should be taken against Hafiz Saeed has not been taken," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Pakistan court has ordered the election commission to allow the registration of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as a political party. The order came days after a Pakistani court extended a stay against the "possible arrest" of the JuD chief till April 4. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) yesterday set aside a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reject the application of Jamaat-ud-Dawah's political front Milli Muslim League (MML) for registration as a political party. Justice Aamer Farooq sent the case back to the ECP asking it to proceed further on the application by giving the party an opportunity of hearing, Dawn newspaper reported. The MML through its president Saifullah Khalid approached the IHC and made the ECP and the interior secretary respondents in the matter. Challenging the ECP's order of October 11, 2017, the petition described it unreasonable, illegal as well as against the Constitution and the law. "Article 17 (2) of the Constitution confers a fundamental right on every citizen, not being in the service of Pakistan, to form or to be a member of a political party, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by the law in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan," the petitioner maintained. He prayed to the court to set aside the order and direct the ECP to scrutinise the documents afresh, strictly in accordance with the law and enlist the party. The ECP had turned down the plea of the MML because of its alleged links with banned militant outfits. The ECP took the decision on the basis of a letter from the Ministry of Interior which had asked the commission to ban the MML for having links with banned militant outfits. The ministry had stated that the JuD and its charity Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation (FIF) were banned organisations under the Pakistan Security Council Act 1948. The court's latest order also comes in the backdrop of a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental money-laundering watchdog, that put Pakistan on a grey list. At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his "charities" were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a global terrorist. Saeed, who is accused of having masterminded the November 2008 Mumbai attack, was also placed on the terrorism black list by the United Nations in December 2008. The banned JuD head was released from the house arrest in November last year after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani troops today shelled mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army. "The Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0930 hours in Poonch sector along the LoC in Rajouri district," a defence spokesman said. It may be recalled that Pakistan troops shelled Sunderbani and Keri areas in Rajouri district, and Khour area in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district on Wednesday. Ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir have left 21 people, including 12 security personnel, dead and more than 80 others, mostly civilians, injured this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir and a soldier was injured in their unprovoked firing, a defence spokesman said. The spokesman said the injured soldier was evacuated to Army's 92 Base Hospital in Badamibagh cantonment here for treatment. "Indian Army has retaliated to the unprovoked firing appropriately," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Palestinian man was killed in clashes today with the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. Mohammed al-Jabari, 24, was shot during the clashes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and later died in hospital, the ministry said. The official Palestinian agency Wafa said he had disabilities, without further details. The Israeli army said a "riot" had broken out in Hebron and that protesters had attacked soldiers. "Troops fired live rounds towards a main instigator who held a firebomb with the intent to hurl it," a spokesman said, adding an investigation had been launched. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers are common after Friday Muslim prayers. Meanwhile, at least four people were wounded in the Gaza Strip on Friday, one of them seriously, in clashes along the border with Israel, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said. Tensions have risen since US President Donald Trump's recognition in December of Jerusalem as Israel's capital -- a decision that has infuriated the Palestinians. 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. At least 30 Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed since Trump's December 6 announcement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were virtually washed out for the entire week, as the Lok Sabha was today adjourned for the day soon after it met and the Rajya Sabha in the afternoon following unabated protests by the opposition parties and ruling NDA allies TDP and AIADMK over various issues. This was the first week of the second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament, in which the Finance Bill 2018 and Demands for Grants are slated to be passed. The Lok Sabha proceedings were washed out for the fifth straight day as members of several parties including TDP and AIADMK, continued their protests over various issues. While opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress were up in arms against the government over the Rs 12,700 crore fraud at the country's second largest PSU lender PNB, Andhra Pradesh parties -- TDP and YSR Congress -- continued to press for special status to be granted to the state. Disappointed over the Centre not granting the status, the TDP had yesterday pulled out its two ministers -- Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdary -- from the Narendra Modi-led government. However, the party continues to be an NDA ally. While the AIADMK was demanding setting up of the Cauvery Board to settle water disputes with neighbouring states, few others were seen holding placards of Dravidian movement founder Thanthai Periyar, whose statue was defaced recently in Tamil Nadu. The TRS pressed for increased quota of Telangana. When the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan welcomed a parliamentary delegation from South Korea. Tributes were also paid to former members Prabodh Panda, Shyama Singh and Bhanu Kumar Shastri who died recently. Soon thereafter, the members of various parties trooped into the Well carrying placards and raising slogans, prompting the Speaker to remark that after a minute of silence, the House was again witnessing din. Members from AIADMK, TDP and YSR Congress were in the Well holding placards. Raju, senior TDP leader who had quit as the civil aviation minister, was also seen standing in the Well with his party colleagues demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Like others, he too was wearing a stole depicting his party's colour. While one TDP MP was holding an idol, another had donned a colourful traditional headgear. Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned for nearly 50 minutes when the Question Hour was in progress till noon. At noon, the noisy protests continued and the House was adjourned for the day soon after the listed papers were laid. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha too, where the proceedings were disrupted again today as members of several parties stormed the Well over various issues including India's biggest bank scam and special package for Andhra Pradesh, no sooner were the listed papers laid. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not wait long enough and adjourned the proceedings till 1430 hours. "One week has gone waste. This is no good. This is sad," he commented before adjourning the proceedings. Before the House saw its first adjournment, Naidu announced the nomination of JD(U) member Kahkashan Parveen on the panel of presiding officers to conduct the proceedings of the House, making her the first woman to be included in the panel in the recent times. The historic move came a day after the International Women's Day when the members had expressed concern that there was no woman member in this panel, which was agreed to by the Chairman. Referring to this, Naidu said that in deference to the wishes of members expressed on the occasion of International Women's Day yesterday, he is nominating Parveen on the panel with effect from April 3. According to the Upper House rules, the chairman nominates from amongst the members up to six vice-chairmen or presiding officers who chair the proceedings in absence of the chairman and the deputy chairman. Parveen would replace Basawaraj Patil, whose term expires on April 2, Naidu said, adding that she has been a mayor and the chairperson of the Bihar Mahila Aayog. Naidu, who is also Vice President of India, is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, while P J Kurien of Congress is the Deputy Chairman. The panel of vice-chairmen or presiding officers includes Satyanarayan Jatiya (BJP), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), T K Rangarajan (CPI-M), Bhubaneswar Kalita (Congress), Basawaraj Patil (BJP) and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (Trinamool Congress). When senior Congress member Viplove Thakur who had demanded the inclusion of a woman in the presiding officer's panel yesterday, rose to thank him, Naidu, in a lighter vein, said he wanted to nominate Thakur, but she would have lost her voice in the panel. "Viplove, in our language, means revolution," he said. Naidu's native language is Telugu. When the Upper House reassembled at 1430 hours and took up the Private Members' Business, Pramod Tewari (Cong) tried to raise a point of order on the issue of the banking scam. However, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien disallowed him from doing so and asked him to persuade his protesting party colleagues to return to their seats from the Well. However, members of the Congress, TDP and AIADMK continued to be in the Well raising slogans. This prompted Kurien to adjourn the House for the day. Today being Friday, Private members' business was listed in the afternoon. There was no official bill listed in the business for the day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood veteran Susan Sarandon has revealed that her "Twilight" co-star Paul Newman once gave a part of his salary to her after he came to know that she was being paid less than the male leads in the film. The 71-year-old actor said on the sets of the 1998 movie she discovered that her two male co-stars (Newman, Gene Hackman) were receiving a higher pay than her. The film's poster although showed all three stars being given equal billing. She said the producers said it was "favoured nations", "but they meant the two guys". The phrase "favoured nations" is a contract between a producer and an actor, which ensures the actors are given the same terms as their co-stars. Sarandon told BBC 5 live that Newman "stepped forward and said, 'Well I'll give you part of mine'. So, yeah, he was a gem." The actor recounted the time when Emma Stone had called for equal pay in Hollywood, some of her male co-actors stepped up and offered their part of the fee. "Emma Stone once came forward and said she got equal pay, because her male stars insisted upon it and gave up something of theirs. That happened to me with Paul Newman at one point, when I did a film with him ages ago," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN human rights chief said today that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs "psychiatric evaluation". Listing some of Manila's actions against UN envoys, including reportedly filing terrorism charges against one, rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said "it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation." Zeid and other UN rights officials have focused significant attention on Duterte's controversial drug war. Police have killed more than 4,100 drug suspects, but rights groups allege more than 8,000 others have been murdered in what they describe as crimes against humanity. The UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, has become a particular Duterte target over her criticism of his campaign to stamp out illegal drugs. In an exchange with Manila's envoys in the UN Human Rights Council yesterday, Zeid referred to November media reports from the Philippines that quoted Duterte threatening to slap Callamard, while using profanity. "This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected", Zeid told reporters today. Zeid also referred to a pending case against the UN's special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, Victoria Tauli Carpuz. According to Zeid, the Philippine justice ministry charged Carpuz in a regional court last month with terrorism. Manila has accused Carpuz of "alleged membership of the Communist Party of the Philippines and (the) New People's Army", Zeid said. The New People's Army, which is waging a decades-old Maoist armed rebellion, has been designated a "terrorist organisation" by the US State Department. Zeid said that Carpuz believes she has been targeted because of comments she made regarding the alleged killings of indigenous people in the southern region of Mindanao, where Duterte has imposed martial law in an effort to curb a jihadist threat. "This is of course unacceptable for a special rapporteur acting on behalf of the international community whose expertise is sought by the Human Rights Council to be treated in this way", Zeid said. "These attacks cannot go unanswered," he added. Duterte, who took office in 2016 and has boasted of killings he claims to have committed personally, has sidelined many of his top domestic critics. Most recently he has moved against the country's top judge, Maria Lourdes Sereno, who faces all-but-certain impeachment following threats by Duterte over her criticism of the drug war and crackdown on civil rights. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a series of bilateral meetings with the heads of three nations ahead of the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance. Modi met Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Republic of Togo; Enele Sopoaga, Prime Minister of Tuvalu; and Charlot Salwai, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu at Hyderabad House here, official sources said. Tomorrow he will hold similar meetings with Baron Waqa, President of the Republic of Nauru; Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger; Daniel Kablan Duncan, Vice President of the Republic of Cote d' Ivoire; Albert Pahimi Padacke, Prime Minister of the Republic of Chad; and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. On Sunday, he will meet leaders from Sri Lanka, Australia and Bangladesh, among others at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. Heads of the states from 23 nations including France, Australia and Sri Lanka will attend the first International Solar Alliance Summit on March 11 here. The event is being co-hosted by India and France to promote solar energy. Besides 23 heads of states, senior country representatives including deputy prime ministers and energy ministries have confirmed their participation so far. President Ram Nath Kovind will co-host the summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. It will focus on various aspects of promoting solar energy in 121 countries associated with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) like credit mechanism, crowd funding and sharing of technological breakthroughs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leaders from across the globe will converge in the national capital for an End Tuberculosis summit beginning next week to review ongoing efforts and accelerate action to reach the 2030 End TB goal, the WHO said today. The summit will be hosted by the Union Ministry of Health along with the WHO and the Stop TB Partnership. The summit will be inaugurated on March 13 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and addressed by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Chair of the Stop TB Partnership. WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Stop TB Partnership Executive Director Dr Lucica Ditiu and Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands would be present at the meeting. Health ministers of a number of countries, including Indonesia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Peru and Brazil, were also expected to participate, the WHO said. TB was responsible for 1.7 million deaths in 2016, despite most cases being curable while over 10 million people contract TB every year. WHO South-East Asia Region, including India, which hosts about one-fourth of the global population, shares a disproportionate 46 per cent global TB disease burden, the global health body said. "The Delhi End TB Summit builds on the Delhi Call to Action adopted by member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region in March 2017, and the WHO Global Ministerial Conference 'Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era: A Multisectoral Response' held in Moscow in November last year," the WHO said in a statement. The summit next week would set the stage for the September 2018 United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB, where for the first time, TB would be discussed in the UN General Assembly at the Heads of State level. The UN high-level meeting is expected to endorse an ambitious set of goals to put the world on a course to ending TB. "As part of next week's summit, health ministers and programme heads from WHO South-East Asia Region will review accelerated efforts being made by countries since the adoption of Delhi Call to Action," the statement said. Regional Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh had announced ending TB as a flagship programme in the South East Asian Region at the Delhi Call to Action. The WHO said since then, countries in the Region have beefed up efforts to end TB. "India, which had set a 2025 target, is matching it up with increased funding and efforts to pro-actively detect and treat patients," the global health body said. It also pointed out that Sri Lanka was also aiming to end TB by 2025 while Bhutan was focusing efforts at the sub-national level. Indonesia, on the other hand, was moving toward the universal use of rapid molecular tests to diagnose and treat missing TB cases while Thailand had approved a strategic plan to significantly reduce TB incidence, and Maldives recently launched its national strategic plan. "On March 14-15, the Stop TB Partnership will hold its board meeting, which is being hosted in India after 14 years, demonstrating the country's resolve to fast-track efforts to end the killer disease," the statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a police constable, with hands and legs tied, was today found beside a road connecting Pawana and Ahir village in Jaipur rural area, the police said. Khyali Ram Yadav (55), posted at Chaturbhuj Choki police station, had gone to a bank for some work yesterday, but did not return. His body was found today, sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar Yadav said. Prima facie, the constable was poisoned to death, the police official said, adding the body has been sent for post-mortem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Poland's foreign minister has acknowledged the existence of an internal Foreign Ministry document that reveals tension in the US-Polish relationship but denies Polish media suggestions that Washington is imposing "sanctions." The strains have emerged over new Polish legislation that makes it a crime to falsely attributing the Holocaust crimes of Nazi Germany to Poland. The U.S. fears it could violate free speech. A Polish portal, Onet.pl, this week reported seeing a document saying Warsaw was informed by the U.S. administration that Polish leaders should not expect meetings with the U.S. president or vice president until the matter is resolved. Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz largely confirmed that Friday, though he characterized the U.S. message as being "it would be good if meetings at the highest level could take place in an atmosphere when these issues are resolved. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a six-day visit starting March 11 to the Aisland nations of Madagascar and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, a region vital to India's strategic interests. Kovind will be the chief guest at the celebrations commemorating 50th year of independence of Mauritius, said Sanjay Panda, the joint secretary (Indian Ocean Region) in the Ministry of External Affairs. The visit of the president to Madagascar, from March 14-15, will also be the first ever visit by an Indian VVIP to the island nation, Neena Malhotra, joint secretary (East and Southern Africa) said. The visits assume significance as these African countries lie in the Indian Ocean, considered India's backyard and also a region that has been witnessing growing Chinese naval presence. After assuming office last year, Kovind had visited Ethiopia and Djibouti. In Mauritius, Kovind will hold talks with his counterpart Ameenah Gurib, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, other political leaders, including the leader of the opposition, in the country. Four pacts in areas ranging from higher education to Ayurveda will be inked during the visit. Kovind will also inaugurate the World Hindi Secretariat that is coming up in Mauritius, besides laying foundation stone of an ENT hospital and also the social housing projects. The projects are being executed under the Special Economic Package of USD 353 million for Mauritius extended by India. In Madagascar, Kovind will meet his counterpart and interact with the business community. He will also hold delegation level talks with Malagasy President Hery Rajaonarimampianina during his visit. Madagascar is straddled in the Indian Ocean and along side the strategic Mozambique channel. Asked whether there will be an agreement on defence cooperation with Madagascar, Malhotra said, "We already have defence cooperation agreements with almost all Indian littoral countries. We have agreements with South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Seychelles. We are expecting to sign with other nations. Madagascar could be another country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ISI Helmet Association has hailed the move of making sale of non-ISI helmets an offence, saying these headwears compromise on safety and add to road fatalities. "We are now glad that the government has made it mandatory for all helmet manufacturers to obtain Indian standards certification from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)," ISI helmet manufacture Association President Rajeev Kapur said. According to the association, a senior transport ministry official had stated that the BIS has informed the Supreme Court that the process would be completed in six months. Looking at the current statistics, over 75-80 per cent of helmets used by two-wheeler riders across India do not meet ISI standards, the market is flooded with sub-standard products that compromise on safety despite a fourth of all road deaths involve two-wheeler occupants, Kapur said. In India, riders underestimate the role of helmet and tend to buy cheap headwear, which does not protect them well and this has worsened the situation and giving rise to the substandard helmet manufacturers, the association said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court today observed that people should not merely blame officials but instead should be self-disciplined and understand their responsibilities. A bench headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee made the observation when a mention was made by an advocate about the death of a class seven boy who fell down from a state-run corporation bus here. The advocate said despite the court ordering operation of special buses for the benefit of students, the government had not taken any action and this was the cause of such untoward incidents. He sought permission to file a contempt petition. Government Pleader T N Rajagopalan submitted that as per reports the bus was not full and the incident might have occurred because the boy was travelling on the footboard. Justice Banerjee then referred to the recent death of a pregnant woman after a two-wheeler, on which she was riding pillion, was intercepted by a police personnel. She said it had come to light that the deceased and her husband were not wearing helmet. The traffic police wanted them to stop for not wearing helmet, but the her husband sped away. When there was a rule that the riders of two-wheeler should wear helmet, it should be obeyed by the public. "There is no question of merely blaming police officials but the public should also realise their responsibility and should have self-interest and self discipline. The public and students shall be sensitised in this regard," the chief justice said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont did not rule out today fresh elections in the Spanish region if the jailed candidate chosen by Catalan separatist parties to form a new government is not allowed to be sworn in. "It is no tragedy if there are new elections, although it is not the priority and no one desires it," he said in an interview published in Catalan nationalist newspaper El Punt Avui. Puigdemont moved to Belgium after the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence on October 27 following a banned referendum on secession and faces arrest if he returns to Spain over his role in Catalonia's separatist push. As such he has no power to call elections himself, and he even formally abandoned his bid to be re-appointed Catalan president last week, proposing Jordi Sanchez as a candidate. But Sanchez is considered to have little chance of taking up the post since he is remanded in custody pending accusations of sedition over last year's Catalan independence crisis. On Friday, Spain's Supreme Court turned down his request to be released from jail to attend a crux parliamentary session on Monday where he was set to officially be appointed. The court's decision means it is unlikely that the Catalan assembly will convene, though parliamentary speaker Roger Torrent has yet to react. "If we have elections", Puigdemont said, "it will be due to the enormous irresponsibility of the state, because they did not accept the results" of the snap elections held in Catalonia on December 21 which saw separatist parties once again win an absolute majority of seats in the Catalan parliament. "Since they did not like the outcome, they don't want parliament to pick its president... They are forcing things in such a way that maybe we should repeat elections," he added. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government dissolved Catalonia's parliament, called the early election and imposed direct rule over the region after Catalonia's assembly on October 27 unilaterally declared independence. It has vowed to resist any bid to break the region away from Spain and called on Catalan separatist parties to appoint a candidate for president who does not face prosecution. Sanchez, the former leader of influential grassroots separatist organisation ANC, has the support of Catalonia's two main separatist parties, Puigdemont's Together for Catalonia and the leftist ERC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron during his four-day India visit. According to sources, the meeting is slated for Sunday after Gandhi returns from his two-nation visit to Thailand and Singapore that is part of his overseas Indians outreach plan. The Congress, which has launched a tirade against the government over the Rafale deal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck during his visit to France in April 2015, however, said that the issue would not be raised during the meeting. "The Congress party will not discuss India's defence deal with the head of state of a foreign country. This is our internal matter and this discussion the government has to do with France and not the Congress. "We are demanding answers from our government and not from the French government," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said. Alluding to the Rafale deal, he said that when one goes to buy something, the buyer has to ensure whether the product is good or not, as the seller will obviously say his product is good. The buyer has to decide looking at his pocket, Surjewala said. "The government has to ensure that its money is not wasted and gets the best deal in the least money. There should be no loss to the state exchequer. "It is not the responsibility of Mr Macron, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence minister, on which they have failed," he alleged. The Congress has been attacking the government on the Rafale deal and demanding answers from it over the price of the aircraft. The Congress today alleged that the government has caused a loss of Rs 12,612 crore to the state exchequer by buying the aircraft from Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets. The party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs 351 crore more than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. The government has refused to divulge details of the purchase price of Rafale jets due to the "secrecy clause" in the agreement signed with the French government. Surjewala said if a president or prime minister of any country come to India, "He is our guest and there are no differences between the government and the opposition". The heads of state formally meet the opposition leaders, as they had been meeting Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley in the past, he said. Gandhi, who is the leader of the principal opposition party in the country, has been meeting visiting heads of state and government after he took over as party chief. Gandhi recently met visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau. He was in Italy during Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang's visit, who met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly today passed a bill approving death penalty to those convicted of raping or gang-raping a girl upto 12 years of age. With this, Rajasthan has become the second state in the country after Madhya Pradesh approving death sentence for those convicted of such rapes. State Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria introduced The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018 today in the assembly, which was passed in the House by a voice vote following a debate. The state government aimed to introduce the bill noting the cases of rape and gang-rape of young girls. Accordingly, sections 376-AA and 376-DD were added in the Indian Penal Code, 1860. They provide, that whoever commits rape/gang-rape on a girl upto twelve years of age shall be punishable with death or a rigorous imprisonment which shall not be less than fourteen years and 20 years respectively for the sections and which may extend to imprisonment for life, which means imprisonment for the remainder of the offender's whole life, and with fine. According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) 2016 report, the cases of crimes against children have shown a steady rise in Rajasthan. The state recorded 4,034 such cases in 2016, which is 3.8 per cent of the crimes against children (98,344) registered across the country. It stands fourth in the crime against women category. In 2015, the state had registered 3,689 cases of crime against children, which increased by 345 in the year under review. As per the NCRB data, state police registered 728 cases of child rape in 2015, which increased to 858 in 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An elderly couple living alone was found dead in their house today with their throats slit, police said. The couple, identified as GK Nair (70), a retired Air Force personnel, and his wife Gomti (68), were found dead by their neighbours at their Narmada Green Valley residence under Awadhpuri police station, Bhopal Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dharmendra Choudhry told PTI. He said that the maid at the household alerted neighbours after there was no response from inside despite her repeatedly knocking on the door. "Neighbours who peeped in from a window saw the couple lying in a pool of blood. Their throats had been slit with a sharp object," the official said. Police said that as valuables and household goods had not been touched, they were also looking at personal enmity as a possible cause. A reward of Rs 20,000 had been announced for information on the case and a team under the local Superintendent of Police had been formed the solve it, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canada went to court in South Africa today to ground a private jet used by the Indian-born Gupta business family which has been accused of corruptly influencing former president Jacob Zuma. Export Development Canada (EDC), the country's state-run trade credit agency, alleges the controversial family's businesses defaulted on a $41 million loan for the Bombardier Global 6000 which subsequently disappeared. The Canadian-built aircraft's public tracking device was deactivated on February 4, the court heard. "As we sit today, my client cannot tell where the aircraft is," EDC's lawyer Alfred Cockrell told the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. EDC is now petitioning for the aircraft to be grounded, wherever it is located, until a bid to have the plane seized can be heard in an English court. "All my clients want is for the aircraft to sit in a hangar somewhere so it can't be flown to Dubai or India or somewhere," said Cockrell. EDC doesn't "want to sell this aircraft in the interim period, they just want the aircraft to be put in a safe place where it can be stored and where it cannot be used by the Guptas." Cockrell added that grounding the aircraft would not be an inconvenience for the Guptas as they would be able to charter another jet or fly first class. Guptas, one of South Africa's wealthiest business families, are facing police investigations in the country over alleged corruption as well as their links to former president Jacob Zuma, who resigned following several graft scandals. Cockrell said EDC feared "damage to the aircraft", "reputational harm" and that "the aircraft may be forfeited because it is the proceeds of crime". South Africa has launched several investigations into the family and Indian tax officials this week raided several properties belonging to the Gupta brothers in their former home town as part of a money laundering probe. Last month, South African authorities also raided Gupta properties in Johannesburg as part of the ongoing investigation into alleged graft. One of the three Gupta brothers, Ajay, was declared a "fugitive from justice" by police after he failed to respond to a summons. Thirteen other people are facing charges linked to allegations that millions of dollars of public money meant for poor South African dairy farmers was embezzled by the Guptas. They are also accused of receiving highly favourable government contracts during Zuma's presidency. Led by Atul, the Guptas arrived in South Africa in 1993 as white-minority apartheid rule crumbled, a year before Nelson Mandela won the country's first democratic elections. The case was adjourned for lunch and will resume Friday afternoon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Kerala priests today said the Supreme Court judgment, allowing terminally-ill patients passive euthanasia with conditions, could be misused. Terming it "unfortunate and condemnable", Kerala Catholic Bishop Conference president Archbishop Soosa Paikam said the verdict was "painful" and would have disastrous consequences. "The right of life is in the hands of God. It was not acceptable for anyone who believes in humanity to kill a person suffering from old age or sickness due to sympathy," he said. The order that stipulates guidelines to undergo passive euthanasia could be misused, Paikam said. People suffering from old-age and sickness should be taken care and protected to allow them a natural death, he said. In Kochi, a senior priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said legal recognition of 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia is against the Indian culture. Father Paul Thelakkat, editor of the church-run Sathyadeepam magazine, said the church apprehends that the verdict could be misused as a right of dignified killing of terminally ill patients. "No one has the right to put an end to human life. The ultimate aim of the medical science is to save life from death. If we move away from this principle, there would be far-reaching repercussions in our society," he told PTI. Thelakkat, who was also a former spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Church, claimed that such laws were being widely misused in some developed countries, where doctors used it as a "tool to eliminate people." "In view of the Supreme Court verdict, I apprehend such a situation here also. All people have the right to lead a dignified natural life and to have a dignified natural death. Our stand is very clear...killings of people should not be allowed," he said. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra today said passive euthanasia and advance living will are "permissible". According to Thelakkat, the Supreme Court may have laid down procedures to be followed for executing euthanasia but that it could be misused in a country like India. "Life is sacred. It should have a dignified natural end. No one should be allowed to douse it. We have a history of misusing the laws made for human good. I apprehend that this law will also be subjected to such a misuse," he said. "This verdict is against the Indian culture which underlines the right to life," Thelakkat said. India should desist from implementing euthanasia, he said, adding, this has become a "fashion" in some countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security forces have been deployed along the Assam-Mizoram border in Kachurthal area of Hailakhandi district to prevent "intrusion", officials said today. Tension has been prevailing in the area ever since some members of Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), an apex student body, entered Assam and erected a working shed and a temporary checkpost, which were later dismantled by the state police personnel, they said. The police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers will be stationed along the border till normalcy returns to the region, the officials said, adding that the local people will also feel safe in their presence. Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan said the district administration, with the help of adequate forces, has "ensured that not one inch of Assam's land is encroached upon". "We will not let our guard down and constantly keep an eye on the situation," he said. The repeated attempts made by several organisations of Mizoram yesterday to 'intrude' into Assam's territory were thwarted by the police and paramilitary forces, a government release said here today. Around 50 activists of these organizations pelted stones at the police and CRPF personnel deployed along the border, it said. "The deputy commissioner and other officials of the administration tried to pacify the activists and asked them not to enter into Assam's territory but they did not pay any heed to it. When they forced their way into Assam's territory, they were pushed back with minimum force," it added. A media report in Aizawl had claimed yesterday that the members of the MZP and the Young Mizo Association were lathicharged by the Assam Police when they had gone to Zophai in Kolasib district of Mizoram, bordering Assam, to attend a programme. The MZP claimed at least 20 students were injured in the police action. The Mizoram Journalists' Association also said that six scribes who had gone there to cover the programme were attacked by the Assam police personnel despite flaunting their press cards. The Hailakhandi administration today termed the media reports in Aizawl as 'misleading'. "Around 50 activists tried to intrude into Assam's territory. Despite warnings, the student activists did not care a hoot, forcing the administration to push them back. Maximum restraint was exercised to tackle the situation," said a police officer of Jamira police outpost in Assam. In view of the rising tension and intelligence reports on incursion attempts, the Deputy Commissioner clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC on certain pockets of Hailakhandi ion Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come up with the "best possible package" for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, saying the issue has been "hanging fire". The Patna Sahib MP's remarks came in the backdrop of two Union ministers belonging to the TDP in Andhra Pradesh resigning from their posts yesterday, over the issue of grant of special status to the state. The southern state has been raising the demand after the creation of a separate state of Telangana. "Sir, what is all this happening. You had promised, the Government had promised. Chandrababu Naidu and Andhra Pradesh certainly deserve the Andhra package, the best possible package. And so does our Bihar and our friend Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM). Bihar's special package has been hanging fire," the actor-turned-politician said in a tweet. Sinha, who has been critical of the Narendra Modi government in the past, said a special package for Bihar "was promised to us since ages, especially after the separation of Bihar and Jharkhand". Kumar has been pressing for special status for Bihar over the years, owing to resource crunch faced by the state, hit by recurrent floods and droughts, along with a high density of population. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six months after the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, Karnataka police today arrested a man said to be linked with a right-wing radical group for his suspected involvement in the sensational killing. The Special Investigation Team, probing the murder, said it arrested alleged gunrunner K T Naveen Kumar, who was taken into police custody on March 2 for interrogation in connection with the case. This is the first arrest in the case after the 55-year old Lankesh, known as an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on September 5 last year. "He (Naveen Kumar) has been arrested. He is an accused (in the case)," Deputy Commissioner of Police M N Anucheth, the investigating officer in the case, told PTI here. Police said Kumar, in his 30s, was suspected to be linked with a fringe right-wing radical group. Initially, he was arrested on February 19 on charges of illegally possessing five bullets. A case under the Arms Act was then registered against him and he was remanded to judicial custody by a court. Subsequently after interrogation, he was taken into eight-days custody by the SIT for suspected links in the Lankesh murder case. The arrest comes two days after state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the SIT would soon clear the air whether the police have picked up the right person in the case. Kumar's family has maintained that he was innocent and in no way connected to the case. The state government, which constituted the SIT headed by Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) B K Singh, had announced Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone giving clues about the perpetrators of the crime. The killing of the journalist had drawn widespread condemnation and the Siddaramaiah government had come under flak for not making any headway in nabbing the culprits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif today said that the situation on the Line of Control and Working Boundary with India has been rapidly deteriorating since 2017. Responding to a query in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, he alleged India has committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary since January in which 18 civilians have been killed. "Heavy weapons, including moderates are frequently being used by the Indian forces on the civilian population on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the Working Boundary," he said. Asif said the LoC violations were an attempt to divert the attention from the "deteriorating" humanitarian situation in the Valley. He said that the role of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was crucial to ensure peace at the LoC. The minister alleged that Pakistan always extended full cooperation to the UNMOGIP but India was not cooperating with the world body representatives. India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC). Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Office today said it had raised the issue of alleged human rights violations in Kashmir during the 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is being held in Geneva. Speaking at the UNHRC, Pakistan's Deputy Permanent Representative Tahir Andrabi accused India of denying access to the UN Fact Finding Team in the Valley, saying it is a desperate attempt to hide its atrocities in the most militarised zone of the world. The FO said that Andrabi termed the Indian illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir as root of the problem and Pakistan demanded the UN to continue documenting human rights abuses by India in the Valley. Stressing that Pakistan would continue to give its moral and political support to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir in realisation of their inalienable right to self determination, the FO said struggle of Kashmiris for right to self-determination cannot be subsumed under the label of terrorism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif today said that the situation on the Line of Control and Working Boundary with India has been rapidly deteriorating since 2017. Responding to a query in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, he alleged India has committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary since January in which 18 civilians have been killed. "Heavy weapons, including mortars are frequently being used by the Indian forces on the civilian population on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the Working Boundary," he said. Asif said the LoC violations were an attempt to divert the attention from the "deteriorating" humanitarian situation in the Valley. He said that the role of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was crucial to ensure peace at the LoC. The minister alleged that Pakistan always extended full cooperation to the UNMOGIP but India was not cooperating with the world body representatives. India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi today tore into the Modi government alleging that the country is being led by "regressive vision" and asked if India was really a "giant black hole" before May 2014 and marched to progress only after BJP came to power at the Centre. Gandhi, 71, also alleged that the country, the society, its freedom are now all under systematic and sustained threat and that there is "rewriting of history, falsifying facts and fanning prejudice and bigotry". In a deeply introspective speech that was followed by a question and answer session, the UPA chairperson spoke on a wide range of topics, including her children, her own shortcomings and the role of democracy in India, the first time she has opened up since relinquishing the party president post. Gandhi was addressing the India Today Conclave here. Gandhi's no-holds-barred attack came a day after her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP alleging there is a general atmosphere of "intimidation" in India where "nasty form of politics" of dividing people are being played to win elections. During the interactive session, Sonia Gandhi alleged that the Modi government's "lack of accommodative spirit" has led to the present of acrimony in Parliament which has been rocked by disruptions during this entire week. Gandhi also said she chose Manmohan Singh as the prime minister in 2004 as she was aware of her limitations and knew that he was a better candidate. "I knew my limitations. I knew Manmohan Singh would be a better prime minister than me." She alleged that there is shocking insensitivity to atrocities on Dalits and women and that the society is being polarised in a bid to win elections. "Our country, our society, our freedom are now all under systematic and sustained threat. There is rewriting of history, falsifying facts and fanning prejudice and bigotry," she said. "Today we are presented with an alternative and indeed regressive vision," Gandhi said. "Was India really a giant black hole before May 2014 and start marching to progress only four years ago. Is this not an insult to the intelligence of of our people? It is not a matter of taking credit but acknowledging India's strength," said the Lok Sabha member from Rae Bareli. She also said callous remarks about changing the Constitution were deliberate attempts to subvert the essence of India it enshrines. "Provocative statements from the ruling establishments are not random or accidental but a part of a dangerous design. Alternate voices are being silenced. Freedom to think, marry according to ones wishes is under attack. Religious tensions are being fuelled, vigilante mobs and private armies have been let loose," she charged. "Long standing principles that have stood the country well are being violated. Parliamentary majority is being interpreted as a licence to stifle debate and bulldoze legislations. Political opponents are being targeted through misuse of investigative agencies," she said. "The opposition is not allowed to speak in Parliament. People are angry with Congress for the disruptions in Parliament. But there are serious reasons for it. Parliamentary rules are not followed. There is no accommodative spirit. The opposition has a right to speak in Parliament," When asked to compare former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Modi, she said Vajpayee respected parliamentary procedures. "We were better opponents and there were disagreements. But we had positive way of handling situations. we functioned well," she added. She also said she does not know Modi as a person. She said BJP allies like TRS, TDP and Shiv Sena are also coming into the well of the house to protest on various issues. "'Acche Din' will soon be 'India Shining'," she said in reference to UPA's win despite BJP's 2004 slogan of 'India Shining'. Continuing her attack on the NDA government, she said judiciary is under turmoil, freedom to differ, eat and marry is under attack and India's social DNA was being re-engineered. "Does maximum governance mean minimum truth? Does it mean alternative facts take the place of uncomfortable reality? Take jobs for instance. Everyone knows employment situation is grim but all of a sudden we are told seven and a half million jobs were created in 2017. "This claim was widely debunked. But, does it really make a difference? It doesn't. Because as soon as one myth is demolished another takes it place," she said. Gandhi also felt the Congress needs to develop a new style of connecting with people at the organisational level. "We also need to look at a way of how we project our programmes and policies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Sudan has suspended a United Nations radio station for allegedly refusing to comply with the country's media laws, although the station has not yet been taken off the air. Today, the Media Authority, an independent body charged with regulating journalistic practices in the country, said it was shutting down Radio Miraya for "persistent non-compliance." They said the radio station was "not immune" to oversight. "Radio Miraya opted not be regulated or questioned. They are operating in an environment of their own but they operate in the Republic of South Sudan where there are laws that need to be observed," said Elijah Alier, the Media Authority's managing director at a press conference. Alier said they are not trying to censor the station but rather they are monitoring it for "hate speech and incitement." The government may not be able to take the station off the air because the transmitter is on the UN base in Juba. Amid South Sudan's 5-year civil war, which has killed tens of thousands and plunged parts of the country into famine, freedom of the press has also been under siege. Last year, at least 20 members of the foreign press were prevented from entering or kicked out of South Sudan, according to the Foreign Correspondents' Association of East Africa. Local journalists have been detained, beaten, threatened and denied access to information and newspapers are censored, according to local media bodies. Reporters without Borders ranked South Sudan 145th out of 180 in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index. This is Radio Miraya's first suspension since it launched in 2006. The United Nations is in discussions with the government over the action and it intends to keep broadcasting, Francesca Mold, spokeswoman for the U.N. in South Sudan, told The Associated Press. Under the Status of Forces Agreement, between the U.N. and South Sudan's government, the U.N. has the right to operate radio stations under its "exclusive control" and to convey information to the public relating to its mandate. Civic groups are calling the suspension disturbing and are urging the Media Authority and the UN to "sort out their differences," said Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation. Since being formed more than a year ago, the Media Authority has been a reliable regulatory body, with the number of local journalists being arrested decreasing significantly, said Edward Terso, general secretary of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan. However, he said closing a media outlet indefinitely "deprives the public of access to information" and he is calling on the Media Authority to find a balanced and amicable approach to the situation. Alier, of the Media Authority says only when the UN complies with the law will the station be allowed to return to the airwaves. "They won't be on air until they cooperate," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of Buddhist monks and activists staged a demonstration in the Sri Lankan capital today to condemn anti-Muslim riots that have killed three people and forced the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. The National Bhikku Front said they organised the silent protest against what they called "communal clashes destroying national unity". Moderate Buddhist leaders have also denounced the riots concentrated in the central city of Kandy, 115 kilometres east of the capital Colombo. Several Sri Lankan users also posted photos on Twitter of Buddhist monks visiting mosques during Friday prayers to express solidarity. Sinhalese and Muslim civil society groups had staged a joint protest in Colombo yesterday calling for tough action against the perpetrators of the riots. Violence erupted on Monday after a Sinhalese man died of injuries suffered during an attack last week by four Muslim men. Tensions escalated when the body of a Muslim man was found in a burnt out building in the Kandy district on Tuesday. Sinhalese gangs set fire to mosques and Muslim-owned businesses, homes and vehicles in Kandy and elsewhere. The government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew while troop reinforcements were used to back police patrols. Police said the main instigator of the riots was arrested yesterday along with 145 others. He was identified as Amith Weerasinghe, a Sinhalese known for anti-Muslim activism and extremist social media posts. A group of radical Buddhists monks are facing prosecution for their alleged role in anti-Muslim violence in 2014 that left four people dead. Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese community accounts for about three quarters of the 21 million population. Most are Buddhists. Muslims account for 10 percent of the population. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States' move to impose tariffs on certain steel and aluminium imports is likely to impact India's shipments of engineering items to America, exporters' body EEPC said today. Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) Chairman Ravi Sehgal said protectionist measures taken by countries like the US would provoke other regions such as Europe and China into taking retaliatory steps, which would further dent exports from India. India's exports of steel items to the US are estimated at about USD 500 million per year. The country's share in prime steel imports in the US is 1.28 per cent, while in aluminium it is 1.12 per cent. "Certainly the move by the US would impact India's engineering exports, maybe not directly but indirectly. The price movement of products would become volatile now," Sehgal told PTI. It looks like the world is going back to the era of Cold War, raising trade barriers and protectionist steps, he added. US President Donald Trump has imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium which he said were necessary to boost the American industry suffering from "unfair" business practices. The move has sparked fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs will come into effect in 15 days. The import tariffs are likely to face retaliation from America's top trading partners, especially the European Union and China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Class 12 student, a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, today lost a finger in an attack by two of his classmates just before he was about to take the board exams here, police said. Police said Arjunan suffered multiple injuries all over the body and was admitted at the Government Rajaji Hospital. Arjunan, a student of the Government Higher Secondary School at Thiruvathavur, was attacked by the two students, one of whom used a knife, when he was about to enter the examination hall, officials said. Police said the students used to clash frequently over seating arrangements and this could be the reason behind the attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suicide bomber on foot blew himself up in Kabul's Shiite area today, killing at least seven people, officials said, in the latest attack in the Afghan capital. "In the explosion seven were martyred and seven were wounded," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish wrote on Facebook. One policeman was among those killed in the blast, which happened near a gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari -- a prominent former leader of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban. Kabul police chief Mohammad Daud Amin told Tolo that the bomber detonated his explosive device at a checkpoint "after being identified by police". "The bomber failed to get inside to target the gathering," Amin said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but it comes amid growing pressure on the Taliban to take up an offer by the Afghan government for direct talks on peace. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Kabul last week unveiled a plan to open talks with the insurgents, including eventually recognising them as a political party. In return, Ghani said the militants should officially recognise the Afghan government and constitution, a perennial sticking point in past attempts to open talks. "The offer of negotiation is on the table," UN envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto told a Security Council meeting on Thursday to mark the annual renewal of the UN mission to the war-torn country. The United States has also called on the insurgents to consider the offer of peace talks. While Western officials have hailed Ghani's offer as a positive step, they have told AFP that it is far too early to tell if it will lead anywhere. Before Ghani's speech, the militants had called for direct talks with the US. Friday's attack comes a week after a car bomb detonated near a passing Australian embassy convoy in the city's east that killed at least one child and wounded several other people. Kabul is one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians as both the Taliban and the expanding Islamic State group step up their assaults on the city. Despite the cautious optimism for a peace deal, Kabul remains on high alert, fearing further violence. American officials are also braced for more fighting in the spring after an unusually violent winter when the conflict traditionally eases. Since mid-January, militants have stormed a luxury hotel, bombed a crowded street, raided a military compound and launched a suicide attack during morning rush hour in the capital, killing more than 130 people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Suspended Bharathiar University Vice chancellor,A Ganapati was released from Central jail here today, a day after Madras High court granted him bail. The High Court yesterday had granted conditional bail to Ganapathi, arrested on charges of accepting Rs 30 lakh as bribe from an Assistant professor aspirant by sleuths of Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption. He and a chemistry professor Dharmaraj, who brokered the deal were arrested on February 3 and lodged in the Central Jail here. The Special Court had rejected their bail petition twice. The High Court had yesterday granted bail to Ganapathi and directed him to surrender his passport before the trial court. The judge had also directed him not to leave Coimbatore and to appear before the investigating officer daily till further orders. Dharmaraj was also granted bail by the Special Court for Prevention of Corruption Act here this noon. After receiving copies of the bail orders, both of them were released around 7 PM. Ganapathi refused to respond to queries of reporters, saying that he did not want to comment since the matter was sub-judice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of 90 JNU teachers today claimed that the administration's compulsory attendance move had received support from scientist M S Swaminathan and 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan, among others, a claim denied by the two eminent persons. A representative of the teachers' group, Prof. Atul Johri, told reporters, "Some of the prominent academicians (who extended support) include agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, (former ISRO chairman) G Madhavan Nair and likes of them." However, when PTI contacted, scientist M S Swaminathan and his biographer Dr Parasuraman, who are on a visit to Delhi for an event, denied making any such endorsement. "It is totally unethical if someone is doing it," Parasuraman said. Sreedharan too said he had not extended support to the move. "They have not contacted me and I have not given any such support," he told PTI. The issue of compulsory attendance has triggered fresh tussle between the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration and students. The students' union and a section of teachers have opposed the move to make 75 per cent attendance compulsory for students. The group of teachers, however, quoting the academicians said, "We wish to see JNU as shining and outstanding university. We are hopeful that the students of JNU shall abide by established norms and popular practices. We, therefore, condemn the campaign against attendance." The group of teachers also accused JNU Teachers Association(JNUTA) of instigating the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) and said, "We appeal that the JNUTA strongly condemns the abominable, destructive behaviour of JNUSU. If JNUTA leadership refuses to condemn and do not refrain from instigating the protests, we will be compelled to stop our fee to JNUTA."The teachers have also submitted their complaints collectively against the JNUSU to the Vice Chancellor and have demanded appropriate action. Over 98 per cent of the JNU students who participated in a students unions' referendum on the compulsory attendance initiative voted against the move. In the referendum this week a total of 4,456 votes have been polled and 4,388 of them voted against the move, while 41 students voted in support and 27 were invalid, a statement issued by the students body said. There are around 8,000 registered students studying in JNU and nearly 6,000 of them stay on campus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Roger Federer says even though he reclaimed the No. 1 ranking and captured his 20th career Grand Slam title in January he still has plenty to prove on the ATP Tour. "You always have. As much as I like to tell you 'it doesn't matter how I play here' I didn't come here to lose first round two and two," Federer said yesterday. "As little pressure as there seems to be, there is always pressure on the top guys. "You are always the centre of attention and expectations are there. "I am definitely in a good place. I also feel that I have less to prove today than in the past, but that doesn't mean I don't want it badly. I need to have that drive to be successful." Federer was speaking ahead of his opening match in at the ATP Masters at Indian Wells. The 36-year-old Swiss marvel continues to defy the ageing process, claiming a sixth Australian Open crown two months ago. The defending champion has enjoyed a perfect start to 2018, winning in Melbourne and the Rotterdam Open, and taking his career singles title tally to 97. "You do care about the moments. You do care about the fans, what they think and how they portray you. You care about the result," he said. Federer will open the defence of his Indian Wells title by playing a second-round match against either American Ryan Harrison or Federico Delbonis of Argentina. Federer comes into the elite event as the oldest ATP number one in history. In the Open era, only American Jimmy Connors has won more titles than Federer, with 109. Federer has spent a record 306 weeks at No. 1. He reclaimed the honour a couple of weeks ago in Rotterdam and he will remain No. 1 if he reaches the semi-finals in Indian Wells. He said the older he gets the more he appreciates the top ranking. "The feeling of getting back to No. 1 is deeper and gratifying because when you are old you know how much work you put into it," he said. "In 2004 when I finally got to No. 1 it was a relief because I had blew my chance earlier in Montreal when I lost to (Andy) Roddick. I thought, Oh man, hopefully I get to number one in the world one day. "When I finally got it, I just felt like I'd probably deserved it. I had played a lot." Federer said getting back to the top spot was a big motivator at Rotterdam. - 'Went to chase it' - ====================== "This one was different because I went to chase it. It was all about world No. 1 when I went to Rotterdam and winning it there then going back home and celebrating. "So it felt different, yes." The Swiss is 64-5 with nine titles since returning in 2017 from a left knee injury. A five-time Indian Wells champion, he won this tournament three straight years beginning in 2004. His other victories came in 2012 and 2017. Federer is not alone in his hunt for a sixth Indian Wells crown. Serbian Novak Djokovic, who is making his first return to the Tour since the Australian Open, is also a five-time Indian Wells winner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Afghan official says the Taliban launched a deadly assault on an army outpost in a remote region of northern Takhar province, killing 10 local policemen and wounding nine. Provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said today that a large number of Taliban fighters assaulted the outpost overnight. He says the members of the local police were ambushed and killed while on their way to the outpost to assist the Afghan soldiers in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. The soldiers suffered no casualties. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault late yesterday and the police slayings. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report couldn't be independently confirmed because of the area's remoteness. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Thane police today said that they had summoned actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his wife and a lawyer in connection with investigations into the Call Detail Record (CDR) scam that was unearthed here in January. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Abhishek Trimukhi told mediapersons that the three had been called after some of the arrested accused had told police that an advocate had obtained CDRs of the actor's wife from private detectives. "Three arrested accused, Prasad Palekar, Ajinkya Nagargoje and Jigar Makhwana informed the police that an advocate had obtained the CDRs of Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife from private detectives. Hence to verify the same, we have summoned them," Trimukhi said. The CDR racket was unearthed on January 24 when police, acting on a tip off, nabbed four private detectives from Kalwa in the district. The four, whom the police identified as Makesh Pandian (42), Prashant Palekar (49), Jigar Makwana (35) and Samresh Jha (32) alias Pratik Mohpal, had at the time revealed the name of renowned woman detective Rajani Pandit who too was subsequently arrested. Since then, Trimukhi said, 11 persons had been arrested in the scam which involved the illegal procurement and sale of CDRs of private individuals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabhaskar will meet central government officials on March 13 at Delhi to discuss setting up of AIIMS in the State, Principal Secretary, Health, J Radhakrishnan said today. All details with regard to setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences have been passed on to the Centre, Radhakrishnan told reporters here. The state has already suggested five locations for the purpose and it was for the Centre to decide on it, he said. The official was here to inspect ongoing renovation works in Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and installation of various equipment in the departments of cardiology, nephrology and neurology, at a cost of Rs 30 crore. He also said a cath lab will soon be set up here for the benefit of those suffering from heart ailments. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu government today "insisted" that the Centre should constitute the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks as mandated by the Supreme Court which recently pronounced its verdict on the inter-state dispute. The state government made the submission today at a meeting convened by the Union water resources ministry in Delhi with top bureaucrats of the Cauvery basin states including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. "At the meeting, it was insisted on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government that as per the Supreme Court verdict, the CMB and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee must be constituted within six weeks by the Centre," an official release here said. Tamil Nadu was represented by Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and Principal Secretary, Public Works Department SK Prabhakar and Cauvery Technical Committee chief R Subramanian. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A police inspector, arrested over the death of a pregnant woman after he allegedly kicked a two-wheeler, has been admitted to a prison clinic for treatment of an injury suffered during a public protest over the incident. The 34-year old woman was killed and her husband injured when the two-wheeler they were riding was allegedly kicked by traffic inspector Kamaraj for not stopping during a helmet check drive near here. The inspector had suffered a cut in the head and doctors in the prison clinic sutured the wound, police said. Security has been stepped up for Kamaraj in the prison, they added. The inspector and some other police personnel were allegedly injured when a section of the local people, staging a protest on a road after the woman's death on Wednesday, clashed with them after police made a lathicharge. Around 20 protesters were injured in the lathicharge and melee. Meanwhile, the body of the woman was handed over to her relatives following talks held by district officials. They had earlier refused to accept the body demanding action against inspector Kamaraj. The family of the woman alleged that attempts were on to treat the case as an accident. The inspector has also been suspended. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today said he has agreed to meet North Korea's top leader Kim Jong-Un by May, setting the stage for a historic summit between the two leaders who have repeatedly traded insults amid spiralling tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes. Speaking outside the White House after briefing Trump, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong said he had passed on a message that Chairman Kim was "committed to denuclearisation" and had "pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests". The White House said Trump had agreed to the proposed face-to-face meeting. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-Un at a place and time to be determined," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. The announcement came amid months of tension between the two adversaries. If the meeting takes place, it would be the first ever between leaders of the two countries. Trump himself confirmed the meeting in a tweet, adding that US sanctions would remain in place until a denuclearisation deal was achieved. "Kim Jong-Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!," Trump tweeted. North Korea last year increased the pace of its missile programme. On November 29 last year, the North Korean leader said that his country had achieved full nuclear statehood after what he said was the successful test of a new missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States. Fears of a catastrophic conflict between the US and North Korea spiked as the leaders of the two nations taunted each other, with the US President Donald Trump calling North Korean leader Kim 'Rocket Man'. The two nations had recently threatened to wipe each other out. Trump's decision to meet Kim, after a year in which the two have repeatedly traded insults, is being seen as a remarkable breakthrough. South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong, who led his country's delegation to Pyongyang this week for talks with the North Korean leaders, briefed Trump and his national security team. Reading from a prepared statement, Chung said the North Korean leader has expressed his "eagerness to meet with President Trump as soon as possible." Chung attributed the North Korean turnaround to Trump's leadership and his maximum pressure policy together with international solidarity. In his meeting with the North Korean leader, Chung said Trump is committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," he said. "The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions," the South Korean national security adviser said. According to a senior administration official, Trump may meet the North Korean leader in couple of months. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Kim's desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work. "We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce. Remember, North Korean regimes have repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time," he said. Trump's decision is a remarkable breakthrough. It brings the North Korean regime close to its long-desired aim of recognition on the international stage, and offers Trump the tantalising prospect of a historic diplomatic victory. But the consequences of such a high-stakes gamble remain hard to predict, CNN commented. Meanwhile, Trump also spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea till the time it takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation, the White House said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May, the White House announced today, setting the stage for an unprecedented summit between the two leaders following months of tension over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programme. In a stunning development, senior South Korean officials announced the of verbally conveying Kim's invitation to Trump for talks. The White House said Trump was ready to meet Kim by May, at a time and location yet to be determined. The announcement came amid months of tension between the two nations If the meeting takes place it would be the first ever between leaders of the two countries. Trump himself confirmed the meeting in a tweet, adding that US sanctions would remain in place until a denuclearisation deal was achieved. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!," Trump tweeted. North Korea last year increased the pace of its missile programme. On November 29 last year, the North Korean leader said that his country had achieved full nuclear statehood after what he said was the successful test of a new missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States. Fears of a catastrophic conflict between the US and North Korea spiked as the leaders of the two nations taunted each other, with the US President Donald Trump calling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Rocket Man'. The two nations had recently threatened to wipe each other out. Trump's decision to meet Kim, after a year in which the two have repeatedly traded insults, is being seen as a remarkable breakthrough. South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong, who led his country's delegation to Pyongyang this week for talks with the North Korean leaders, briefed Trump and his national security team. Reading from a prepared statement, Chung said the North Korean leader has expressed his "eagerness to meet with President Trump as soon as possible." Chung attributed the North Korean turnaround to Trump's leadership and his maximum pressure policy together with international solidarity. In his meeting with the North Korean leader, Chung said Trump is committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," he said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing, and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The Republic of Korea, along with the United States, Japan, and our many partners around the world, remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Chung said. He said South Korea was optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. "The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions," the South Korean national security adviser said. Reacting to the announcement White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, "President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined." She added that the sanctions on the reclusive nation must remain. "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," Sanders said. According to a senior administration official, Trump may meet the North Korean leader in couple of months. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Kim's desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work. "We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce. Remember, North Korean regimes have repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time," he said. "North Korea uses this to advance its nuclear and missile programs. We've got to break this cycle. The United States and South Korea must stand shoulder-to-shoulder in applying the sustained pressure needed to peacefully end this threat. And Beijing must do its part," Royce said. Trump spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea till the time it takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation, the White House said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As he signed orders imposing stiff and sweeping new tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, US President Donald Trump today appeared to be hardening his stance on China, with which America has an annual trade deficit of nearly USD 500 billion. Trump also pitched for the "reciprocal tax" programme, which, he says, would ensure "fair trade deals" for the US. Trump doesn't hesitate naming India while talking about the reciprocal tax. The US President mentioned China several times in his speech in the Roosevelt Room of the White House at a ceremony wherein he signed two proclamations to impose 25 per cent and 10 per cent import duties on steel and aluminium respectively. "China says it's got two per cent, but it sends much more. We're going to have a great relationship, hopefully, with China, but we have to do something. We're losing with China USD 500 billion a year. We have to do something," Trump told reporters during the signing ceremony. Trump said the US is going to stop the trans-shipping. "Well, we'll let it happen, but they've got to pay. So trans-shipping, frankly, is a big deal," he said. "And they trans-ship, and we're going to accept their product, but it's going to cost a lot of money from the standpoint of the trans-shipper," he added. The US, he said, is negotiating now with China. "We're in the midst of a big negotiation. I don't know that anything is going to come of it. They have been very helpful. President Xi, I have great respect for. A lot of respect," he said. "But we're going to cut down the deficits one way or the other. We have a deficit with China of at least USD 500 billion. When you add intellectual property, it's much higher than that," Trump said. He then referred to a tweet from Tesla chief Elan Musk. "Very interesting, I saw a tweet, just came in from Elon Musk who's using our wonderful space facilities and did a great job three weeks ago. He said, 'For example, an American car going to China pays 25 per cent import duty. But a Chinese car coming to the United States only pays 2.5 per cent. A tenfold difference'," the US President said. "So an American car going to China pays 25 per cent import duty. We send our car over there, pay 25 per cent. They send their car over here, 2.5 per cent. Ten points. But everybody knows it, they've known it for years. They never did anything about it. It's got to change," Trump said as he once again raked up the issue of high import duty on Harley-Davidson motorcycles by India. "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax program at some point, so that if China's going to charge us 25 per cent or if India's going to charge us 75 per cent, and we charge them nothing. If they're at 50 or they're at 75 or they're at 25, we're going to be at those same numbers," he said. "So, they charge us 50, we charge them 50. Right now, they'll charge us 50, we charge them nothing. Doesn't work. So that's called a "reciprocal tax," or "mirror tax." And we're going to be doing a lot of that," he added. China, which ranks 11 among the largest sources of US steel imports, cautioned yesterday that it was prepared to "make an appropriate and necessary response" should the United States impose the tariffs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump today imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium which he said were necessary to boost the US industry suffering from "unfair" business practices, a move that has sparked fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Other countries would have to negotiate with US Trade Representatives (USTR) if they want exemptions from the steel and aluminium import tariffs. Trump said strong steel and aluminium industries were vital to the US national security. "Absolutely vital. Steel is steel. You don't have steel. You don't have a country. Our industries have been targeted for years and years. Decades, in fact, by unfair foreign trade practices, leading to the shuttered plants and mills, the laying-off of millions of workers, and the decimation of entire communities. That's going to stop," he said. Trump said the "unfair" foreign trade practices were not merely an "economic disaster" but a "security disaster" and by signing the two proclamations he was defending America's national security. "We want to build our ships, we want to build our planes, we want to build our military equipment with steel, with aluminium from our country. And now we're finally taking action to correct this long-overdue problem. It's a travesty," he said. Stating that he wants a lot of steel coming to the US, Trump asserted that he wants it to be "fair". "We want our workers to be protected and we want, frankly, our companies to be protected. By contrast, we will not place any new tax on product made in the US. So there's no tax if a product is made in the USA. You don't want to pay tax? Bring your plant to the USA. There's no tax," he said. The action being taken, the president said, follows a nine-month investigation by the Department of Commerce, documenting a growing crisis in US steel and aluminium production that threatens the security of the country. It is also bad for US economically and with jobs, he rued. Trump called the "aggressive" foreign trade practices an "assault on our country". "The American steel and aluminium industry has been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices. It's really an assault on our country. It's been an assault. They know better than anybody. Other countries have added production capacity that far exceeds demand. And flooded the world market with cheap metal that is subsidised by foreign governments, creating jobs for their country and taking away jobs from our country," he said. The import tariffs are likely to face retaliation from America's top trading partners, the European Union and China. Major Asian nations reacted sharply to Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, warning of damage to close relations amid industry calls for retaliation. Japan said the move would have a "big impact" on the countries' close bilateral ties, while China said it was "resolutely opposed" to the decision and South Korea said it may file a complaint to the World Trade Organisation. Trump also pledged to impose "reciprocal tax" on countries like China and India if they do not match America's tariff. "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme, at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25 per cent or if India is going to charge us 75 per cent and we charge them nothing. They are 50, they are 75 or they are 25, we are going to be doing the same numbers. It's called reciprocal. It's a mirror of tags. So they charge us 50, we would charge them 50," Trump said in his remarks before signing the two proclamations. Trump in recent weeks had complained India's tariff on the import of American motorcycles - specifically Harley-Davidsons - was too high. The US President said the stage for the imposition of reciprocal tax has been set in the first year of his administration. "They will charge us 50, we charge them nothing. Doesn't work. So that's called a reciprocal tax ... mirror attacks. We will be going to be doing a lot of them," Trump said. "American companies have not been treated fairly and some American companies frankly have taken advantage of it and gone to other countries and developed in Mexico, massive automobile plants, taking our jobs away and taking our companies down to Mexico to make the cars and then they send them right across the border without tax, without anything," he said. Referring to a tweet by Tesla head Elan Musk, Trump said China charges 25 per cent duty on American cars whereas it is just 2.5 per cent on import of Chinese cars into the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today imposed heafty tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, citing national security concerns and the need to protect American industries from "unfair" business practices, triggering fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except neighbouring Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Other countries would have to negotiate with US Trade Representatives (USTR) if they want exemptions from the steel and aluminium import tariffs. Trump, who was surrounded by steel and aluminum workers at a White House event, said strong steel and aluminium industries were vital to the US national security. "Absolutely vital. Steel is steel. You don't have steel. You don't have a country. Our industries have been targeted for years and years. Decades, in fact, by unfair foreign trade practices, leading to the shuttered plants and mills, the laying-off of millions of workers, and the decimation of entire communities. That's going to stop," he said. Trump said the "unfair" foreign trade practices were not merely an "economic disaster" but a "security disaster" and by signing the two proclamations he was defending America's national security. "We want to build our ships, we want to build our planes, we want to build our military equipment with steel, with aluminium from our country. And now we're finally taking action to correct this long-overdue problem. It's a travesty," he said. Trump said he wants a lot of steel coming to the US, but asserted that it should be "fair". "We want our workers to be protected and we want, frankly, our companies to be protected. By contrast, we will not place any new tax on product made in the US. So there's no tax if a product is made in the USA. You don't want to pay tax? Bring your plant to the USA. There's no tax," he said. The action being taken, the president said, follows a nine-month investigation by the Department of Commerce, documenting a growing crisis in US steel and aluminium production that threatens the security of the country. It is also bad for US economically and with jobs, he rued. Trump called the "aggressive" foreign trade practices an "assault on our country". "The American steel and aluminium industry has been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices," he said. Trump's surprise announcement has already spooked markets, caused a rift with his closest allies on Capitol Hill, and prompted the resignation of his top economist Gary Cohn. America's top trading partners, the European Union and China have already warned of retaliation. Major nations reacted sharply to Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, warning of damage to close relations amid industry calls for retaliation. Japan said the move would have a "big impact" on the countries' close bilateral ties, while China said it was "resolutely opposed" to the decision and South Korea said it may file a complaint to the World Trade Organisation. China described Trump's decision as a "serious attack" on the system of international trade. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem tweeted that, as a close ally of the US, the bloc should be excluded from the tariffs. The UK government said it would work with EU partners to consider "the scope for exemptions" while "robustly" supporting UK industries. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said there were "only losers" in a trade war. Trump also pledged to impose "reciprocal tax" on countries like China and India if they do not match America's tariff. "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme, at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25 per cent or if India is going to charge us 75 per cent and we charge them nothing. They are 50, they are 75 or they are 25, we are going to be doing the same numbers. It's called reciprocal. It's a mirror of tags. So they charge us 50, we would charge them 50," Trump said before signing the two proclamations. Trump in recent weeks had complained India's tariff on the import of high-end American motorcycles - specifically Harley-Davidsons - was too high. "They will charge us 50, we charge them nothing. Doesn't work. So that's called a reciprocal tax ... mirror attacks. We will be going to be doing a lot of them," Trump said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today hailed a proposed meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "a step in the right direction". "We do hope that this meeting is going to take place," Lavrov said after meeting with African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat at the body's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. "Certainly, it is required to normalise the situation around the Korean peninsula." South Korea yesterday said the two leaders would hold an unprecedented summit by the end of May, raising hopes they can broker an agreement on Pyongyang's nuclear programme that has fuelled tensions on the peninsula. The announcement was confirmed by the White House. of the summit is the latest move in a fast-developing diplomatic detente, with North and South Korea exchanging envoys after the two neighbours marched together under a unified flag at the Winter Olympics. It follows a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang which saw the two leaders exchanging bitter, personal insults, with Trump mocking Kim as a "little rocket man" and Kim describing him as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard." The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have engaged in perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff. Lavrov was in Ethiopia as part of a five-day African tour which began on Monday with a visit to Angola after which he continued on to Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would not take place without "concrete actions" that match the promises made by the reclusive nation, the White House said today. It, however, maintained that the time and place for the meeting has not been determined, a day after Trump said he has agreed to meet Kim by May, setting the stage for a historic summit between the two leaders who have repeatedly traded insults amid spiralling tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes. "This meeting would not take place without concrete actions that match the promises made by North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily conference, adding that the time and place for the meeting is yet to be determined. Sanders reiterated that the Trump administration will continue with its "maximum pressure" campaign on Pyongyang. Last night and this morning, Trump has had a series of telephonic conversations with a number of world leaders, who have been involved with the US on the North Korean issue. Sanders said the US has accepted the invitation to talk based on the commitment made by North Korea. "We are making no concessions. We are not going to move forward until we see concrete and verifiable actions from North Korea," she said. The President, she said, is committed to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "The US is speaking from a position of strength and North Korea is on a weak wicket," Sanders added. Earlier in the day, US Vice President Mike Pence said that North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization while suspending all ballistic missile and nuclear testing is evidence that President Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working. "The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions and, in close coordination with our allies, we have consistently increased the pressure on the Kim regime," he said. "Our resolve is undeterred and our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program," Pence said. Sanders said Trump is hopeful that the US can make some continued progress. "Look, what we know is that the maximum-pressure campaign has clearly been effective. We know that it has put a tremendous amount of pressure on North Korea," she said. "They have made some major promises. They've made promises to denuclearize. They've made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing. They have recognised that regular military exercises between the US and its ally, South Korea, will continue. The maximum-pressure campaign, we're not letting up," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today invited other countries for talks and negotiations if they want exemption from his 25 per cent import duty on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium. Mexico and Canada are the only two countries that have been given temporary exemption because of the ongoing negotiations with them on North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The tariff would come into effect in 15 days. "America will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations. As long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security," Trump told reporters. The US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert E Lighthizer has been made in-charge of negotiating with countries that seek an alternative to the steel and aluminium tariffs, Trump said. The White House said Trump welcomes any country with which "we have a security relationship" to discuss alternative ways to address US concerns, including those about global excess capacity. He has left open an avenue for potentially modifying or removing a tariff under certain conditions for individual countries, it said. "Modification or removal of the tariffs would be possible if alternative means are agreed upon to ensure imports from a country no longer threaten to impair our national security. Under the direction of the President, the USTR is responsible for negotiations with countries that seek an alternative means to the steel and aluminium tariffs," the White House said. "In addition, there will be a mechanism for US parties to apply for the exclusion of specific products based on demand that is unmet by domestic production or on specific national security considerations. This process will be managed by the Department of Commerce in consultation with other Federal agencies," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump will travel to Peru next month to attend the Summit of the Americas of leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. The decision, which a White House official confirmed to AFP, ends speculation that sour US relations with southern neighbours may stop Trump's attendance at the meeting in Lima on April 13-14. Trump spoke to host President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski earlier this week, after which a US official said his attendance had "not been confirmed." But the White House now says he will attend, following a call with an old business acquaintance, Argentine president Mauricio Macri. During today's call, Trump "underscored the need for countries in the region to work together to bring democracy back to the great people of Venezuela," according to the White House. When Trump travels to Lima, he is likely to encounter protests and perhaps a hesitant welcome from fellow heads of state and government. Throughout his election campaign and his presidency, Trump has maligned Hispanic migrants and attacked Latin American nations over drugs, trade and the movement of people. He has promised to build a wall on the US border with Mexico and threatened to tear up a trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Argentina and Brazil also face the prospect of punitive tariffs on steel exports after Trump's controversial announcement yesterday. The first Summit of the Americas took place in Miami in 1994, and it has long been a forum for the United States to influence events across the region. Then president Barack Obama used the last summit, in 2015 in Panama, to meet Cuban leader Raul Castro for the first time and to try to isolate the Venezuelan regime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The pulling out of DMRC from two Light Metro Projects (LMPs) in Kerala today found its echo in the state assembly with the Opposition alleging that the government was "deliberately keeping away" the company from transport schemes. UDF members led by its leader Ramesh Chennithala walked out of the House slamming the government on the matter. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government had not shown any disrespect to E Sreedharan, Principal Adviser DMRC. Sreedharan had said that the decision to pull out from LMPs was taken following the "reluctance" of the Left-led Kerala government to sign the turnkey consultancy agreement for the preparatory works of the system. Vijayan, however, said the government had always recognised Sreedharan's expertise and role in building infrastructure in the country. Stating that the government was committed to go ahead with the Light Metro Projects (LMPs) in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, the chief minister clarified that the state wanted to begin the project after getting clearance from the Centre. "The only differences between the state government and Sreedharan was that the government wanted to start the projects after getting Centre's clearance, but the 'Metroman' (Sreedharan) was of the opinion that works for the projects could be started even before getting sanction," he said. The state could not go ahead with the projects without Centre's clearance as it involved financial liability, he said. Referring to Sreedharan's remark at a press meet, which the UDF-led Opposition raised in the House, that the chief minister did not give an audience for discussing the projects, Vijayan admitted that he could not meet the official due to some engagements. "But that is not due to any disrespect to him. I am ready to meet Sreedharan again," he added. The new metro policy of the Centre had forced the state to make changes in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the LMPs and the revised one is under the examination of a committee headed by the Finance Secretary. The DPR would be submitted to Centre after the state government approved it, Vijayan said. Hitting out at the Kerala government over the issue, Chennithala said the exclusion of DMRC and E Sreedharan from the projects would lead to corruption. He also questioned the state government's move to float global tenders for the project procurement. Chennithala wanted Vijayan to hold talks with Sreedharan and sort out the problems and engage DMRC for implementing the projects. Congress leader K Muraleedharan, who sought leave for the motion, reminded the CPI(M) of the human-chain agitation held by them in support of Sreedharan and DMRC during the previous UDF rule when reports came that there was a move to avoid Sreedharan from Kochi Metro Project. The total estimated cost of the 22.5 km Thiruvananthapuram LMP and the 13.33 KM Kozhikode project is about Rs 7,000 crore. Sreedharan (85) was the key architect of the state's Kochi metro project which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. He is popularly known as the Metro Man for his work in transforming public transport in the country, particularly his work with the Delhi Metro. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK government today deployed chemical warfare and decontamination specialists from the military to assist the counter terror police in its probe into the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter with a deadly nerve agent. About 180 military personnel from the Royal Marines, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other military establishments were deployed in Salisbury in the south-west England, where the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66 and his daughter Yulia, 33 were found collapsed after being poisoned on Sunday afternoon. Skripal and Yulia remain in a serious condition along with a police officer who came in contact with the same substance. The Counter Terrorism Policing Network has requested assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury town centre as they have the necessary capability and expertise. The public should not be alarmed and the public health advice remains the same, the Scotland Yard said in a statement. UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson said the military had stepped up to "assist with this crucial inquiry" as speculation surrounding Russia's involvement in the attack continued. We have the right people with the right skills to assist with this crucial inquiry. This is a dreadful incident and my thoughts remain with the victims and their families, he said. UK home secretary Amber Rudd described the attack as outrageous, as she made a visit to the city today. For the police officer (Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey), it is still serious but we understand he is conversing and engaging, she said. At the moment our priority is going to be the incident. In terms of further options, that will have to wait until were absolutely clear what the consequences could be and what the actual source of this nerve agent has been, she added. According to reports, Bailey was poisoned at the Skripal family home in Salisbury, indicating that the nerve agent was administered there. A nerve agent is most toxic if weaponised in an aerosol spray and takes immediate effect. Yesterday, the investigation had widened as police sealed off the graves of Skripal's wife, Liudmila, and his son, Alexander, and said 21 people had been treated as a result of the incident. Rudd has refused to speculate on whether the Russian state might have been involved in the attack, saying the police investigation should be based on "facts, not rumour. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has categorically denied any Kremlin involvement, dismissing it as baseless "propaganda". But the attempted murder of Skripal has drawn comparisons to the 2006 assassination of another Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who ingested the rare and highly radioactive polonium 210 in London. Colonel Skripal was convicted of treason in 2006 and jailed for 13 years for selling secrets to MI6, which had recruited him in the 1990s. The senior intelligence officer with Russian military intelligence GRU, was pardoned in a spy swap in 2010and settled in Salisbury, Wiltshire. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's trade minister Liam Fox today criticised US President Donald Trump's announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the "wrong way" to resolve trade disputes. "We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it," he told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show. "Protectionism, tariffs never really work," Fox added. Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite calls for restraint from Britain and repeated warnings from the European Union and other allies that it could trigger a full-on trade war. Announcing the move Trump leaned on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, but said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions. Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for America's allies. "We'll have to wait to see what the announcements are," he added on the potential opt-outs. "We'll wait to see whether there's a time for negotiation -- that's why I'm going to Washington next week." Fox argued it was "doubly absurd" to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the US with one percent of its imports and made steel for the American military. The British steel industry could be badly hit by the tariffs, with trade body UK Steel saying the tariffs could have a "profound and detrimental impact". Britain is currently a member of the European Union and would be bound by US measures against the bloc and any retaliation it launches. The EU, which says it should also be excluded from the duties, has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain needs to get its act together and make the first move towards a new trade agreement with India, a senior Indian diplomat in the UK has said. Dinesh Patnaik, India's Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, told a gathering of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF) at Chatham House in London yesterday that India had a choice to make post-Brexit between a bloc of 27 nations that comprise the European Union (EU) or a single nation that is breaking away. "If you look at it from an Indian perspective, unless the UK gets its act together, why should we get interested? We need the UK to take the first step, he said, adding that trade in goods, services and free flow of people are the key elements that must come together for any new trade pact. "Unless all three come together, you cannot have a trade agreement. And, the UK is still not ready for the third part. We are making the stage ready for the first two, but the third part is the most important, he noted. Patnaik's views on a potential new trade agreement came in response to the UK's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell, raising the prospect of an ambitious new free trade agreement (FTA) with India. The senior member of the Labour party indicated that such a new deal would involve EU "partners", in an apparent reference to the Opposition party's stance in favour of Britain staying within the EU's Customs Union. He said: We have a different way of thinking about the relationship with India than the current government. Britain's trade with India is under-performing, relative to the potential. There are gains from trade that are not being won by either side. There is a significant opportunity for Britain and India agreeing a new free trade agreement, with our European partners involved as well. That is our ambition." McDonnell made a plea for Indian investments by reassuring entrepreneurs that his party's socialist views were not in conflict with the needs of business. "We believe in working with Indian entrepreneurs for our joint benefits. The private sector does not require no government, but good government...the Labour Party represents wealth creators at every level, he added. The event, titled Post-Brexit UK and India: Perspectives for Business and Innovation', was part of a regular dialogues series organised by IPF, a non-profit think tank for Indian professionals related policy advocacy issues set up earlier this year. "The UK remains a destination of choice for Indian companies and we want to ensure that it remains so post-Brexit, said IPF president Mohan Kaul. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US today announced a USD 5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which has carried out several deadly attacks, including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which over 150 people, mostly students, were killed. The announcement by the State Department came a day after Fazlullah's son was reported killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan. Under its rewards for justice programme, the US also announced a USD 3 million reward for information each on Abdul Wali of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Lashkar-e-Islam leader Mangal Bagh. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a terrorist organisation that split away from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while Lashkar-e-Islam is based in Pakistan's Khyber Tribal Agency. The announcement came as Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua held meetings with officials of the Trump administration, including the White House and the State Department. The State Department said the TTP was a terrorist organisation based in the tribal areas of eastern Afghanistan. It has historically maintained close ties with al-Qaeda. Since being appointed by the group's central Shura Council in November 2013, Fazlullah has organised and directed several TTP attacks in Pakistan and has publicly blamed the US for military operations against the group. In December 2014, Fazlullah's operatives carried out the most lethal terrorist attack in Pakistan's history when they killed 151 people, including more than 130 children, during an attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the failed assassination of Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafzai for promoting girls' right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP, the State Department said. Abdul Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Under Wali's leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in the Punjab Province and has claimed multiple suicide bombings and other attacks throughout Pakistan. In March 2016, JuA conducted a suicide bombing at a public park in Lahore that killed 75 people and injured 340 others. In August 2015, JuA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Punjab that killed Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada and 18 of his supporters. Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was born in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan and is believed to be in his late 30s. He is a former journalist and poet and has studied at a number of madrasas in Karachi. According to the State Department, Mangal Bagh and his group earns revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, raids on NATO convoys and taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bagh has led Lashkar-e-Islam since 2006 and has routinely shifted alliances to protect illicit revenue streams while enforcing an extreme version of Deobandi Islam in the areas of eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan that he controls, particularly Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. Born in Khyber Agency in Pakistan, he is believed to be in his mid-40s. Bagh is a member of the Afridi tribe. He studied at a madrasa for several years and later fought alongside militant groups in Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US today announced a USD 5 million award for information leading to the arrest of Afghanistan-based Maulana Fazlullah, leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outfit which carries out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Under its rewards for justice program, the US also announced a USD 3 million reward each for information on Abdul Wali, of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), and Mangal Bagh leader of Lashkar-e-Islam. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a terrorist organization that split away from TTP while the Lashkar-e-Islam is based in the Khyber Tribal Agency in Pakistan. The announcement came as the Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua held meetings with officials of the Trump administration including the White House and the State Department. The State Department said TTP is a terrorist organization based in the tribal areas of eastern Afghanistan. It has historically maintained close ties to al-Qaida. Since being appointed by the group's central Shura Council in November 2013, Fazlullah has organized and directed several TTP attacks against Pakistani interests and has publicly blamed the US for military operations against the group. In December 2014, Fazlullah's operatives carried out the most lethal terrorist attack in Pakistani history when its operatives killed 151 people, including more than 130 children, during an attack against the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan. In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the failed assassination of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai who promoted girls' right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP, the State Department said. Abdul Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Under Wali's leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in Punjab Province and has claimed multiple suicide bombings and other attacks throughout Pakistan. In March 2016, JuA conducted a suicide bombing at a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, that killed 75 people and injured 340. In August 2015, JuA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Punjab that killed Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada and 18 of his supporters. Wali is also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani. He was born in Mohmand Agency, Pakistan, and is believed to be in his late 30s. He is a former journalist and poet and studied at a number of madrasas in Karachi. According to the State Department, Mangal Bagh and his group earns revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, raids on NATO convoys, and taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bagh has led Lashkar-e-Islam since 2006 and has routinely shifted alliances to protect illicit revenue streams while enforcing an extreme version of Deobandi Islam in the areas of eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan that he controls, particularly Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Born in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, he is believed to be in his mid-40s. Bagh is a member of the Afridi tribe. He studied at a madrasa for several years and later fought alongside militant groups in Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US today announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which has carried out several deadly attacks, including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which over 150 people, mostly students, were killed. The announcement by the State Department came a day after Fazlullah's son was reported killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan. In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the assassination of Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafzai for promoting girls' right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP, it said. Malala was seriously injured in the attack and had to be shifted to the UK for specialised treatment. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Under its rewards for justice programme, the US also announced a $3 million reward for information each on Abdul Wali of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Lashkar-e-Islam leader Mangal Bagh. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a terrorist organisation that split away from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while Lashkar-e-Islam is based in Pakistan's Khyber Tribal Agency. The announcement came as Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua held meetings with officials of the Trump administration, including the White House and the State Department. The State Department said the TTP was a terrorist organisation based in the tribal areas of eastern Afghanistan. It has historically maintained close ties with al-Qaeda. Since being appointed by the group's central Shura Council in November 2013, Fazlullah has organised and directed several TTP attacks in Pakistan and has publicly blamed the US for military operations against the group. In December 2014, Fazlullah's operatives carried out the most lethal terrorist attack in Pakistan's history when they killed 151 people, including more than 130 children, during an attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. Abdul Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Under Wali's leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in the Punjab Province and has claimed multiple suicide bombings and other attacks throughout Pakistan. In March 2016, JuA conducted a suicide bombing at a public park in Lahore that killed 75 people and injured 340 In August 2015, JuA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Punjab that killed Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada and 18 of his supporters. Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was born in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan and is believed to be in his late 30s. He is a former journalist and poet and has studied at a number of madrasas in Karachi. According to the State Department, Mangal Bagh and his group earns revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, raids on NATO convoys and taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bagh has led Lashkar-e-Islam since 2006 and has routinely shifted alliances to protect illicit revenue streams while enforcing an extreme version of Deobandi Islam in the areas of eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan that he controls, particularly Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. Born in Khyber Agency in Pakistan, he is believed to be in his mid-40s. Bagh is a member of the Afridi tribe. He studied at a madrasa for several years and later fought alongside militant groups in Afghanistan. The Trump administration on Friday asserted that it firmly supports the territorial integrity of Pakistan and does not support Baloch insurgency or any group that threatens this country. A day earlier, the US announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Afghanistan-based Maulana Fazlullah, leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outfit that carries out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. Under its rewards for justice program, the US also announced a $3 million reward each for information on Abdul Wali, of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), and leader of Lashkar-e-Islam Mangal Bagh. "We firmly support Pakistan's territorial integrity. We do not support a Baluch and surgeons or the threat of a irredentism against Pakistan," Alice Wells, Senior Bureau Official in South and Central Asia wing of State Department told a Washington audience. Wells, who is the State Department point person for South and Central Asia, in the absence of a full-fledged Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia said during her appearance at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) that the message of the Trump administration is that any group or any terrorist group threatening any country in the region has to be opposed. She also referred to the announcement of rewards by the US for three TTP leaders. "We oppose groups that are targeting Pakistan. Of course, we oppose groups that are targeting Afghanistan," she said in response to a question. The United States, she said, has not yet seen "decisive or sustained changes" in Pakistan's behaviour and as a result, "we suspended our military assistance," she said. "But we are not walking away from Pakistan. This relationship is important to us and we're continuing our intensive dialogue through both our military and civilian channels to discuss how we can work together better," she said, adding that a day before Deputy Secretary John Sullivan and she met with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua. Pakistan, she said, has an important role to play in a peace process, and in stabilising Afghanistan. "We believe that Pakistan can help change and shape the calculus of the Taliban. We are engaged with Pakistan on how we can work together as well as address Pakistan's legitimate concerns through a negotiated process," she said. "Pakistani officials have long expressed concerns ranging from border management to refugees to terrorism that emanates from ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan, and these are issues that need to be addressed during the course of a reconciliation process," Wells said. She said that senior officials of the US and Pakistan are engaged in an "intensive dialogue". "We have a calibrated our relationship with Pakistan in a very different way than other administrations. We've gone much further and underscored the importance and the centrality of this issue to our ability to expand relations with Pakistan," Wells said. US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer is unlikely to participate in the WTO mini-ministerial meeting called by India here on March 20 to discuss ways to take forward important issues in the World Trade Organization, an official said today. India has invited trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan to discuss key issues related with areas like agriculture and services. The US Trade Representative would not be able to join in the deliberations, an official said. So far about 15 trade ministers have confirmed their participation. This would be an informal meeting of the WTO members and India is expecting representatives from every country in the deliberations, including WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo. "Members would be discussing issues which are creating hurdles in progress of negotiations in the multi-lateral body," the official said. The issues which are not moving forward include finding a permanent solution for food security purposes; trade facilitation measures to push services trade and appointment of members in the WTO's dispute settlement body. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court today granted bail to a businessman arrested in connection with a multi-crore money laundering case against former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and others. Special judge Arvind Kumar granted the relief to Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, the director/promoter of Tarini Group of Companies, noting that no purpose would be served by keeping him in further custody. Chandrasekhar was arrested on February 15 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was in judicial custody. The agency had alleged that Chandrasekhar "had provided an amount of Rs 5.9 crore to Singh and his family members through his three personal bank accounts". It had said that when the source of funds was enquired into, it came to light that the amount was received through a web of firms indulging in accommodation entry operation. The court had on February 12 summoned Singh, his wife and three others as accused in the case, after taking cognisance of the ED charge sheet against them and others, saying there was "prima facie" enough evidence against the accused persons and directed them to appear before the court on March 22. The ED had listed in a charge sheet 83-year-old Singh, accusing him of projecting around Rs 7 crore "proceeds of crime" as agricultural income in connivance with his wife and others and invested them in purchasing LIC policies. Besides Singh and his 62-year-old wife Pratibha Singh, the court summoned Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan and two other co-accused, Prem Raj and Lawan Kumar Roach. The final report also named as accused Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) agent Anand Chauhan, against whom a charge sheet was earlier filed by the agency. All six have been named in the charge sheet under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Chauhan, arrested on July 9, 2016 by the ED under relevant provisions of the PMLA, was granted bail on January 2 in the case. In the charge sheet against Virbhadra Singh, the ED said, "The proceeds of crime acquired by Virbhadra Singh were projected as agricultural income with the help of Anand Chauhan, LIC agent and Chunni Lal Chauhan and were invested into insurance policies purchased in the name of Singh and his family members and a major part of it, after criss-crossing through various bank accounts found way into acquisition of immovable property." The "proceeds of crime generated through criminal activities" were managed by Anand Chauhan, who actively assisted him in laundering it by projecting it as untainted, the final report had alleged. In a separate case filed by the CBI in connection with the matter, Singh, his wife and Anand Chauhan were named in a charge sheet along with others. The couple, who have not been arrested so far, and the other accused are facing trial in the CBI case. The other accused in the CBI case are Chandrasekhar, Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia. The CBI had claimed that Virbhadra Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as Union minister. The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court which, on April 6, 2016, asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Watching warily its ally North Korea moving closer to the US, China today welcomed the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and maverick leader, Kim Jong-Un for a direct dialogue bypassing Beijing. Trump today said he has agreed to meet Kim Jong-Un by May, setting the stage for a historic summit between the two leaders who have repeatedly traded insults amid spiralling tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes. "We welcome this positive signal by the US and North Korea in having direct dialogue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media here today. "We hope that all parties can demonstrate political courage and make the right political decisions," he said amid criticism that Kim, who is yet to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping despite close ties between the two countries will be meeting Trump first, which observers here say is a disquieting development for China. China has long viewed North Korea as a strategic buffer zone from encroachment by the US and its Asian allies. In a surprise move, Trump agreed to Kim's offer for talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme, South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said in Washington today. Geng ducked questions whether China could host the summit between Kim and Trump saying that "what we have done is there for all to see and our role in easing tensions. China will play a positive role," he said. On Trump's move to pressure China to implement the sanctions, including cutting oil and energy supplies, Geng said the sanctions have worked but China has paid a price for it. "China has been fully and strictly implementing relevant UN resolutions" on North Korea, he said. "We paid our price" in an apparent reference to causing anger to North Korea. "However, we will continue to honour international obligations," he said, adding that sanctions are not an end but the resolution of the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the main demand of US can only be achieved through political and diplomatic means. "China will continue its positive role," he said. Chinese analysts say the Trump-Kim meet is a setback for China. Shi Yinhong, director of Renmin University's Centre for American Studies and an adviser to China's central cabinet, said while China may welcome the breakthrough and to see an easing in tensions in the region, it should be worried about the geopolitical implications of warming ties between Washington and Pyongyang. "While China has exhausted its resources (in the stand-off), it has failed to even gain concessions on trade from Trump," Shi was quoted as saying by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post today. Trump piled up pressure on China to strictly enforce sanctions linking Beijing's actions to Chinese imports to US. "During the whole process, China has been completely excluded It can only stand on the side-lines and welcome the development, but it can almost do nothing," he said. Relations between North Korea and China, its sole ally and economic patron, have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with Kim and Xi yet to exchange official visits. Kim snubbed China last November by refusing to meet Xi's envoy Song Tao who is also the head of the Communist Party of China (CPC) International Liaison Department, when he went there to brief him on the outcome of 19th Congress of the party. Kim apparently was upset as China supported the maximum pressure campaign of the US, agreeing to several rounds of United Nations sanctions last year, including bans on North Korean exports of iron, coal, lead, seafood, textiles, as well as some oil import restrictions. Lu Chao, director of the Border Studies Institute at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said China still played a key role in curbing North Korea's nuclear ambitions. "North Korea will not be able to survive without China. North Korea's economic structure is closely linked to China, as you can see from the impact the UN sanctions have had on North Korea, Lu told the Post. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He may have just entered the hurly burly of politics, but actor-politician is already talking about the possibility of forming the next government in Tamil Nadu. The 63-year-old film star today said he will try to form the next government in the southern state where is dominated largely by two regional parties - the AIADMK and the DMK -- and emerge as the "third alternative". Haasan recently launched his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (People's Justice Centre) in Tamil Nadu, where the next Assembly elections are due in 2021. Asked what will be his message to the ruling AIADMK and the main opposition DMK, he shot back, saying, "Mend your ways or we will step in." He was speaking at a session on 'Point of View - Turmoil Nadu: Who will fix it' at the India Today Conclave here. When asked specifically if he is trying to say that his party will form the government after the next elections, the actor-politician said, "Yes, we will try." "It is not my voice alone that is speaking, the strength comes from my people. I am looking for the welfare of the people with their participation, that is a vision," he said. Haasan asserted he will not compromise on his ideals at any cost and maintained his decision to join was not spontaneous but culmination of a well thought-out process. "Losing an election is not that daunting as losing your ideals. Losing an election is not a big thing. I have lost many elections thinking I have voted for the right party. But they did not make it, the wrong man made it to the top, I felt I have lost. But that will go on," he said. Haasan considers himself a social service leader and not an organiser and says he has been functioning below the radar for about 37 years. "Now, we have more than six lakh members working with me. You think this idea of coming into is overnight? I don't think so. I have been thinking about it since the turn of the millennium. "But I was not sure how my great heroes did it without coming into politics. I thought I could pull it off like them but times have changed. We cannot pull it off that way," he said. Haasan said way back in 2004-2005, he had thought of stepping into politics but held back. Then in 2007-2008 he had almost taken the plunge but then felt he should not get there at all, the actor-politician said. "I thought my heroes like Mahatma Gandhi ji and Periyar (social reformer and founder of Dravidian movement) were able to do it without getting into electoral politics. The difference is I became political long...long time ago, nearly 30 years ago. I wanted to be part of it. But I felt electoral politics is not for me," he recalled. Asked what made him float his own outfit instead of joining existing parties like the AIADMK, Haasan said, "What will I do when I am very hungry and I want to eat and what is available to me is rotten food?" However, it does not mean the Makkal Needhi Maiam will not have any electoral alliance in the future, he said, adding one cannot dismiss it (tie-ups) as that will sound arrogant and despotic. "We will have to see who we can align with, who has similar passion at least if not ideology." Prod him further if he has any such people in mind, pat comes the reply --"I am looking, I am not shopping." The veteran actor said any alliance in the future will be based on certain ideas, plans and programme implementation if not ideology. For Haasan, fighting corrupt politicians and people with criminal antecedents is of utmost importance and he will never join hands with such elements. "In English, a pickpocket is called a thief...If a bank manager does it, it is called embezzlement and then it becomes a scam and an oversight. I think all are thieves when you touch other people's money." Asked if he will become a mascot around which the CPI(M) will try and revive its political fortunes, the actor said, "I don't think so. I will borrow (a line) from Edward De Bono -- we always work in yes or no, either positive or negative. We don't think there is a third alternative. But there is. "That is why Mr Edward De Bono wrote a book 'Po: Beyond Yes, No'. He invented the word 'Po'. There is a third alternative, We want to be the third alternative." Talking about his journey in life, Haasan said he always aspired to be a writer but his mentor K Balachander advised him to become an actor. The actor said he would have happily retired by now but decided to take on more responsibilities as he wanted to produce and direct more films. "I did my first 100 films in first ten years and I have not crossed the 200-film mark after 40 years in the film industry that is because I took on more responsibilities. "Now after coming in the social service as a servant, I will have to take this responsibility seriously, for which acting might come in the way. If I were to take an office, I cannot be doing that. I better get prepared for that." Asked if he will go back to films after his political plunge, the "Vishwaroopam" star said, "It can come back in nostalgia may be not as an option of a second career now. I always say in all my meetings that I had never thought to be an actor or be in office. Thanks to my teachers I became one. "Now I have decided that this is not how I am going to die, I will die in service of my state, my nation, in that order. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of wilful defaulters, who did not repay loans to public sector banks (PSBs) despite the capacity to do so, rose by 1.66 per cent to 9,063 in the April-December period of the current fiscal, government said on Friday. "The amount involved for PSBs is reported as Rs 1,10,050 crore (1.1 trillion)," Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The number of was 9,063, which represents a marginal increase of 1.66 per cent during the nine months of the current financial year, he said. There are provisions for penal measures and criminal action against as per the guidelines of Reserve Bank of India. Besides, Shukla said, market regulator Sebi has issued regulations barring companies with as promoters/directors from accessing capital markets to raise funds. Amendment has been effected to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 for barring wilful defaulters from participating in the resolution process, he added. "PSBs, as on December 31, 2017, have registered 2,108 FIRs against wilful defaulters, filed 8,462 suits for recovery from wilful defaulters and initiated action under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 in respect of 6,962 cases of wilful defaulters," Shukla said. In reply to a separate question, he said Rs 2.3 trillion has been written off by PSBs for five year period ended March 2016. "Writing-off of non-performing assets is a regular exercise conducted by banks to clean up their balance sheet and achieving taxation efficiency. Writing-off of loans is done for tax benefit and capital optimisation. Borrowers of such written off loans continue to be liable for repayment," he said. The Reserve Bank has recently revised the stressed assets resolution process that need to be implemented within 180 days. Shukla said state owned banks have committed to ensure for clean lending, strict segregation of roles for appraisal, monitoring and recovery, online processing of loans, clean consortium lending arrangements, stressed assets management verticals for stringent recovery and clean post sanction follow-up for loans above Rs 2.5 billion. Alleging that the country was facing a "super emergency" under the BJP-led central government, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief today said she would try to unite all the anti-BJP forces to defeat the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The West Bengal chief minister also met senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel today to discuss After the meeting with Banerjee, Patel told reporters that the idea of having a federal front in the future was discussed between them. "A beginning has to be made. She (Banerjee) was very happy. She said the leadership should not be discussed, the idea is to have a formidable alternative to bring in a change in the government at the Centre. There will be a series of meetings," he added. Addressing the TMC's extended core committee meeting here, Banerjee said, "Someone has to bell the cat. We want everybody to come together to fight against the BJP. We will help them in all possible ways." Stating that she was not for power, nor any chair, the TMC chief said, "I will be helping everyone. I will coordinate with all the anti-BJP parties, so that they can work together. This is a big fight. "A super emergency is going on in the country under the (Narendra) Modi government. The TMC is not scared of anyone. We cannot be intimidated and will show the way to the country. It was from Bengal that renaissance had started." Stating that if the BJP had targeted Bengal, her party was looking at the Lal Quila in 2019, Banerjee said, "I will ask them (BJP) to manage Delhi first and then think about Bengal."Pointing out that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had pulled out its ministers from the Modi government, she said, "The Shiv Sena is saying it will go on its own. They (BJP) have somehow managed to retain Gujarat."Alleging that the saffron party might try to disturb peace in Bengal, the chief minister exhorted the party workers to be alert. She even asked them to take along the CPM and Congress workers, who could be intimidated to join the BJP during the upcoming panchayat polls in the state. Banerjee asked the TMC workers to strengthen the party in the run-up to the panchayat polls. Patel said not only NCP chief Sharad Pawar or Banerjee, but other senior political leaders would also meet in New Delhi on March 27-28 to chalk out a future programme as regards how the shape of would evolve in the coming days. He said Banerjee had spoken to Pawar over phone and added that the two leaders would decide on their next course of action after the March 27-28 meeting. (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.) India today said it is waiting for the US notification on hike in import tariff on steel and aluminium to gauze its impact on domestic players amid global outcry over the America's decision to increase duties beyond its commitment at the WTO. US President Donald Trump has imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, sparking fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Talking to reporters here, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said there is a "disquiet" as the US has raised duties on certain items beyond the bound rates or its commitment at the World Trade Organisation. When asked what would be impact of the US duty hike on India, the Secretary said "of course" there would be some impact as India is an exporter. "We will wait to see what from it (US notification on tariff hike) will take," she said. When asked if other countries too have raised duties beyond the bound rate, Teaotia said no other WTO member has used the "security exception" argument as done by the US in raising duties on import of steel and aluminium. India, she said is not a protectionist country and has always kept its import duties in the WTO bound rates. She further said that 17 countries, including India, had expressed concern over the US plans to raise tariffs during the General Council Meeting of the WTO at Geneva in Switzerland. To another question on US demand to lower import duty on super-bikes, like Harley Davidson, Teaotia said India has its own 'Make In India' and is largest producer of motor bikes. She, however did not elaborate further. The BJP's Karnataka unit today accused the Congress government in the state of "failure" on the law and order front and demanded that the Governor recommend imposition of President's rule in the state. The state BJP chief Yeddyurappa also hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly instructing prison officials to provide "special amenities" to deposed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala who is lodged in the central jail here in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Slamming the government for the attack on Lokayukta P Vishwanatha Shetty, who was stabbed multiple times in his cabin on wednesday, Yeddyurappa said, "this shows that there is no civilian government in place in the state." He said the attack on the Lokayukta has become nationwide and brought down the credibility of the state government in front of the world. "The government that cannot provide security to the honourable judge is not fit to continue in power even for a minute. Governor has to immediately take action and should recommend President's rule," he told reporters here. The former chief minister also said he along with Union Minister Ananth Kumar had met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi yesterday on the matter. Alleging that day by day, the law and order situation has deteriorated, Yeddyurappa said Karnataka has, for the first time in its history, become "a goonda state", where murders and extortion have become common. Giving numbers indicating increase in cases of murder, atrocities against Dalits, incidents of rape and dacoity, he said, "This is Siddaramaiah government's record...the Chief Minister has to give an explanation to the people of the state." Yeddyurappa targeted the government for repeated incidents of "attacks and murders" of BJP and right wing activists. He also accused the Siddaramaiah government of weakening the institution of Lokayukta by bringing in the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which works according to its instructions, to target political opponents. Referring to the allegation made by former DGP PrisonsSathyanarayana Rao that certain amenities were provided to Sasikala in jail following instructions from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Yeddyurappa called it "shameful". "This for the first time in the history of the country, a Chief Minister has tried to help an inmate (in jail). This is an insult to our democratic system." Terming it contempt of court, he said the governor has to initiate legal action against the ChiefMinister. Siddaramaiah, however, has denied having instructed officials to give certain amenities to Sasikala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Jonathan Barrett and Colin PackhamSYDNEY (Reuters) - Sheep farmers in rural Australia waited more than half a century for wool prices to come roaring back, only to find there aren't enough shearers to trim their golden fleeces."Once upon a time you could go down to the local pub and arrange for some fellas to come in and start almost immediately - those days are gone," said Alan Rae, a wool producer in Bungunya, a town of about 200 people in Queensland state.The industry shackles mean suppliers in Australia, which provides about 90 percent of the world's exported fine-wool used in clothing ... The government is considering action against cement companies for cartelisation, news channel ET Now tweeted on Friday quoting the union road minister. "Government is mulling action against cement cos for cartelisation," ET Now quoted the Minister Of Road Transport And Highways Nitin Gadkari as saying. The Competition Commission of India had imposed a fine on 10 cement companies and a trade body for price fixing in 2016. ACC Ltd, Ambuja Cements Ltd, Ultratech Cement Ltd and Jaiprakash Associates Ltd were among those which were fined. Separately, ACC and Ambuja ... India will transfer part of Air India's $8.5 billion debt pile to a special purpose vehicle before selling a stake in the state-owned carrier, its junior civil aviation minister told Reuters on Friday. Jayant Sinha said the government had already decided to split the debt into sustainable and unsustainable debt. "The unsustainable part will be with the special purpose vehicle (SPV)," he said on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai. He did not elaborate but Bloomberg, citing sources, reported in November that the government had proposed transferring non-aviation ... By Sonali Paul and Clara Denina MELBOURNE/LONDON (Reuters) - At least three bidders are expected to submit final offers for global miner Rio Tinto's Hail Creek and Kestrel coal mines in Australia, which could fetch up to $2.5 billion, people familiar with the process said.The Anglo-Australian mining company made a strategic decision in 2017 to exit coal and focus on growth in iron ore, copper and its aluminium division.Hail Creek and Kestrel are Rio Tinto's last two coal mines, following the $2.7 billion sale of its Hunter Valley coal operations in Australia to Yancoal last year.Australia's ... By Susan CornwellWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Senator Jeff Flake said on Thursday he would introduce a bill to nullify President Donald Trump's aluminum and steel tariffs, which Trump finalized in a proclamation earlier in the day.Flake's move came amid a loud chorus of criticism from Republicans, traditionally a free-trade party, for Trump's action. The Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Orrin Hatch, also criticized the tariffs but said he would work with the White House to "mitigate the damage."There was some praise from Democrats for the Republican president. ... NEW YORK (AP) Yee Won Chong had just been diagnosed with cancer. His relatives were half a world away in Malaysia and couldnt care for him. So he turned to the friends he considers his chosen family. There was no question, says his longtime housemate Brooks Nelson, a Portland, Oregon, charity executive who used his own sick days to accompany Chong to doctors appointments. Thats what family does. Arrangements like theirs have quietly been gaining political recognition. In the last two years, Arizona , Rhode Island and the three biggest U.S. cities New York, Los Angeles and Chicago have passed laws that let workers use sick days to care for anyone whos like family to them. Similar laws also passed in Austin , Texas, just last month and St. Paul , Minnesota, in 2016. Millions of federal employees and contractors also have the benefit. To some business interests, such laws put bosses in the awkward position of figuring out whos the equivalent of family. But to Chong, the policies simply catch up with the ways people are related to each other. At 46, the nonprofit-organization consultant has had romantic partners but also forged bonds with people in homes he has shared and in his circle of liberal activists. Still, as he asked for help dealing with cancer, he wondered: Am I imposing on them? His friends didnt see it that way. Roberta Hunte readily kept Chong company at chemotherapy, recalling her friends support when her mother had cancer. Andrei Joseph, who flew in to help Chong recuperate from surgery, is a cancer survivor and part of a couple whose home Chong shared for years in Brookline, Massachusetts. What kind of person would I be if I didnt go in his time of need? says Joseph, a retired teacher. Acknowledging the equivalent of family relationships is rooted in a 1969 regulation about federal employees leave for military funerals in the thick of the Vietnam War. A 1994 law extended the equivalent definition to federal workers sick time, and a 2015 presidential order did the same for many federal contractors. The more recent state and local measures cover an estimated 10 million private-sector and government workers, says Wendy Chun-Hoon of Family Values at Work, a paid sick leave advocacy group. Workers dont get extra sick days for family-equivalent care; its just a way they can use their allotted time. Its not yet clear whether the broad definition spurs workers to take more of their sick days. Much of the impetus for chosen-family-friendly sick leave laws has come from gay people. But New York City got complaints about workers being denied sick leave to care for aunts and a fiancee before its law was broadened last fall, consumer affairs Commissioner Lorelei Salas said. Wil Darcangelos chosen family is one he never envisioned when he moved into a studio at a Fitchburg, Massachusetts, home five years ago in exchange for carpentry work. The household now includes him and his husband; a 22-year-old blind woman with autism they legally adopted last summer; his husbands stroke-stricken ex-partner; a British expat who helps aides care for the ex-partner and plays music with Darcangelo and his daughter; and the 72-year-old homeowner. Our system works for us, but only in spite of the way the larger system works, says Darcangelo, 48, a church spiritual coordinator whose flexible hours allow him to fill care gaps. Regardless of laws, some employers let employees use sick or personal days to care for whomever they choose. I dont need to know or research or see a birth certificate, a wedding certificate. Were dealing with adults, says Jim Houser, co-owner of Hawthorne Auto Clinic in Portland. But some business groups and employment lawyers are wary of managing sick time around the equivalent of family. This open-ended provision, which defies any definition or parameters, is priceless to sick-time slackers, says Michael Soltis, a Connecticut lawyer who tracks paid sick leave laws. Lisa Horn of the Society for Human Resource Management, a major association of HR professionals, says the language raises a host of concerns about its meaning. Others see better ways to be inclusive. Who gets to decide whos the equivalent of family?' asks Richard V. Reeves, a senior fellow in economics at the Brookings Institution think tank. He suggests simply letting workers use sick time to care for themselves or another. However its worded, the meaning of chosen family seems clear to Jana Clark, who is looking forward to seeing Rhode Islands law take effect in July. After a stint in graduate school, Clark, who is 30 and starting a job at a university, returned to Providence last summer because of her chosen family there. The friends help one another in ways as big as opening homes when someone needs to stay, and as everyday as dropping off soup when someones sick. Just the same kinds of things, she says, a family member might do. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The new mayor of a mostly polygamous town on the Utah-Arizona border is finishing off a complete overhaul of municipal staff and boards after mass resignations when she took office in January to become the first woman and first non-member of the polygamous sect to hold the seat. Six of the seven Hildale, Utah, town workers quit after Mayor Donia Jessop was elected and took charge of the local government run by the sect for more than a century. They were joined by nine members of various town boards, including utility board chairman Jacob N. Jessop. All were members of the sect, the mayor said. Jacob Jessop said his religious beliefs prevented him from working for a woman and with people who are not sect members, according to resignation letters obtained Thursday by The Associated Press through a public records request. The mayors husband is distantly related to Jessop in the town of about 3,000 people where many have that last name. It has come to a point where I have to choose between my religion and participation in city government, and I choose my religion, he wrote in his letter dated Jan. 25. My religion teaches me that I should not follow a woman for a leader in a public or family capacity. He cited sermons from the 1860s from Brigham Young, the second president of the mainstream Mormon church who led pioneers west to settle in Utah. Polygamy was part of early Mormonism, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has disavowed polygamy for more than a century. He added in the letter that his religion teaches him to leave apostates alone severely and not have anything to do with them. Apostates refer to people who renounce their religions teachings. Most of the others who resigned said in their letters they were taking other jobs. But Mayor Jessop said all of them are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, of FLDS, an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism that practices polygamy. The group has run the sister cities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, for more than a century and had total control of town governments until Novembers elections. The victory by Donia Jessop and wins by three other non-sect members for city council seats marked the latest sign of the polygamous groups waning control of the community surrounded by striking red cliffs near Zion National Park. The new town leadership is the latest sign that the communitys demographics are shifting as it begins to resemble a typical town in the U.S. West, not a cloistered religious community. Government-ordered evictions of sect families from about 150 homes forced many to seek refuge in trailers around town or in different cities. The town government and police are being watched closely by court-appointed monitors after a jury found them guilty of civil rights violations. Also, a food-stamp fraud case led 10 people to plead guilty and exacerbated a leadership void. Donia Jessop and other former sect members who have returned to the town consider the changes progress that will help the community break free from the reign of Warren Jeffs, who is serving life in prison in Texas for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. But sect members believe the town they built and love is being ripped away from them, that Jeffs is their prophet and was wrongly convicted. More changes could be coming two city council members who werent up for re-election in November did not attend first two regular meetings of the year. If they miss the next meeting in April, their absences will be considered resignations per a new city resolution passed in January, Donia Jessop said. Later this year, elections in the sister city of Colorado City, Arizona, could bring in outsiders, including to the mayors seat. Donia Jessop is a former member of the religious group but left four years ago over unrest about Jeffs was running the group. She returned to Hildale to buy an evicted members home and start a business. She is in a plural marriage but no longer follows the tenets of the FLDS religion. She said she laughed when she read the letter from Jacob N. Jessops on her desk. I knew that that was out there, but for it to be so blatant, spelled out so perfectly, it was quite a shock, Donia Jessop said in a phone interview. If you cannot work with me, then its good that you are moving on because this is the future of Hildale and Im not going anywhere. The resignations were first reported by the St. George News, but the copy of Jacob N. Jessops resignation letter was not made public until this week in response to the records request by The Associated Press and another media outlet. The mayor said the resignations havent been disruptive, with the employees leaving incrementally to avoid leaving the town completely unstaffed. She said she asked each to reconsider, but only one of those who resigned decided to stay. Donia Jessop said she has filled the positions that include town recorder, clerk and treasurer with former members of the FLDS and other people with no ties to the sect. New hires should help the community, said Jared Nicol, a new town council member and mainstream Mormon. Its going to ensure that everybody in the city is being considered and represented, he said. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts: NOT REAL: Meddling globalist George Soros named as the puppet master behind student gun control push THE FACTS: Billionaire liberal philanthropist George Soros isnt bankrolling student survivors pushing for gun control after the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting. False stories claimed Soros, a frequent target of conspiracy theories, is directing student activists as part of a National Gun Control Movement and is connected to a group organizing March 14 school walkouts against gun violence. His spokeswoman, Laura Silber, said he is not providing any funding to the students and that his foundation doesnt currently fund organizations working to prevent gun violence. NOT REAL: FDA Announced That Vaccines Are Causing Autism! THE FACTS: Some websites misrepresented an old vaccine label to claim the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had announced vaccines cause autism. Researchers have debunked claims that vaccines can lead to autism and the FDA has made no such announcement. Autism was listed as an adverse event on a 2005 label for Sanofi Pasteurs Tripedia childhood vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. At the time, consumers generated the adverse event reports, which were automatically added to the label even if there was no plausible connection to the product. The vaccine in question hasnt been on the market in years. NOT REAL: Cadbury Confirms It Has Stopped Making Chocolate THE FACTS: Water supply problems affected a Cadbury plant after freezing weather in England, but the company never stopped making candy. A false story made that claim after bitter weather followed by a thaw led to burst pipes in the Birmingham area. Thats where Cadburys flagship Bournville factory produces Dairy Milk chocolate bars, Easter creme eggs and other treats. Cadbury says there was a limited supply of water for a brief period, but sweets production never came to a halt. NOT REAL: Irelands Prime Minister to Bring in One-Million Migrants. Farewell Ireland. THE FACTS: The new Ireland 2040 government plan to address population growth isnt an outline for nation-destruction that will bring in 1 million immigrants from Muslim countries. Several websites incorrectly tied the entire projected increase to immigrants, and said they would be likely Muslims from Afghanistan, Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan. Ireland never specified where immigrants would come from in the plan, and the largest group moving to the country in recent years is that of people returning to their native Ireland. NOT REAL: Legendary actor Kirk Douglas dead, 4 days before his 101st Birthday THE FACTS: Douglas celebrated his 101st birthday on Dec. 9, and appeared to a standing ovation at the Golden Globes in January for a tribute. The YourAction News3 site, which said he died of natural causes, has reported death hoaxes before. The Lust for Life and Spartacus star is the father of actor Michael Douglas and one of the last living legends of Hollywoods golden age. This is part of The Associated Press ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform. Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck MOAB, Utah (AP) Mitt Romney is shaking hands, posing for pictures and cracking jokes as he barnstorms Utah seeking votes for his Senate bid. What he isnt doing is talking about his well-documented feuds with President Trump. Wearing blue jeans and flashing his famous smile, Romney strode into a gymnasium lined with elk antlers and rifles to greet a group of sportsmen not far from the Bears Ears National Monument, downsized recently by the Trump administration. Before he spoke, the lights went down and up came a video portraying President Obama as the villain for setting the land aside as a monument. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and President Donald Trump were cast as champions and heroes for shrinking it by 85 percent. Finally the land has a voice, a champion (picture of Zinke) and a hero (picture of Trump), the narrator said as the crowd of 400 ranchers and hunters boomed their approval. The voters in these tiny towns, flanked by magnificent red rock landscapes and full of red-blooded conservatives, are the ones Romney needs to support him as he campaigns to restart his political career and succeed retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch. He drew big applause when he told the convention he wants to see reform of the Antiquities Act so presidents cant lock up such large expanses of land with one stroke of the pen. The crowd of hunters also bellowed when he said the Endangered Species Act has been overused. At 70, he is arguably one of the nations most famous Mormons and is treated like royalty at every stop. Though some hope Romney will become the GOPs counterbalance to Trump, whom he called a phony and con man during the 2016 presidential race, as a candidate, Romney is avoiding lobbing any new attacks on the president and is instead trying to keep the focus on Utah issues. Romney makes a point in short speeches to applaud President Trumps moves to lower taxes, shrink bureaucracy and shift more control of public lands to the states examples he hopes show he and Trump see eye-to-eye on some issues. When asked directly about Trump, Romney strikes a middle ground and stops short of pledging blind loyalty to the billionaire businessman who in 2016 called Romney a choke artist. President Trump and I both respect people who speak their mind. I call them like I see them. He of course does the same thing, Romney said. If either one of us does something that the other finds to be out of line or not right for the country, why, Im sure well speak out. The tight rope Romney is trying to walk seems just fine with most Utah Republican voters, even the ones who are ardent Trump supporters. Kent Green, a former rodeo bull rider who runs an off-road adventure company in the tourist town of Moab, was among a small crowd who listened to Romney give a short speech at the county Republican Lincoln Day dinner. Green, 61, said he didnt like when Romney ripped Trump, but said hell back him for the Senate seat just as he did six years ago in the presidential race. They were able to settle their differences, said Green, 61. People disagree. Its a good thing sometimes. Jeramy Day, the Grand County GOP chairman who hosted the dinner, said he leans hard right but supports Romney because somebody with political power is needed to fill the massive void being left by Hatch. Someone like Mitt with his experience, his connections, I think he carries a big stick, said Day, a 39-year-old hotel manager. If he doesnt fulfill the duties to Utah, Utahans arent above booting him out like we did Bennett. Day was referring to the surprising ouster of the late Sen. Bob Bennett, who was defeated in 2010 in his bid for a fourth term during the rise in tea party-fueled anger among Republicans. Romney isnt running unopposed Salt Lake County Council member Jenny Wilson is a Democratic challenger who consistently criticizes Romney but hes the heavy favorite to win in a the conservative state where Republican voters outnumber Democrats by a four-to-one margin. During his first major campaign swing, Romney visited Arches National Park to admire the rock formations that draw tourists from the around world and meet with community leaders in several small towns in coal country in the central part of the state. Romney likes to joke that he likely wont serve 40 years like Hatch because that would make him 110, but he does not rule out a second or even third term if elected. Romney was born in Michigan to the former governor of that state and set his first roots in Utah nearly a half century ago when he attended the Mormon-owned Brigham Young University in Provo. But it would be nearly three decades before he earned his adopted son status in Utah when in 1999 he took over the Salt Lake Olympics and helped it navigate through a bribery scandal to put on successful games three years later. Hes faced some scrutiny from critics who point out he only made Utah his primary home after losing the 2012 presidential election. But Brink Griffin, a Mormon father of four who runs a plumbing store, said he feels confident in Romney because he shares the same religion and understands what Utah residents want and need. Griffin and three of his sons took a picture with Romney at a small general store in Huntington, home to a large coal-fired power plant, before Romney bought a Twinkie and signed campaign signs. Its a huge blessing. I think hell do great, said Griffin. He shares a lot of our same values. HOUSTON (AP) The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit Friday accusing the U.S. government of broadly separating immigrant families seeking asylum. The lawsuit follows action the ACLU took in the case of a Congolese woman and her 7-year-old daughter, who the group said was taken from her mother screaming and crying and placed in a Chicago facility. While the woman was released Tuesday from a San Diego detention center, the girl remains in the facility 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away. Immigrant advocates say the mother and daughters case is emblematic of the approach taken by President Donald Trumps administration. The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in San Diego, asks a judge to declare family separation unlawful and says hundreds of families have been split by immigration authorities. The lawsuit also raises the case of a Brazilian woman who the ACLU says was separated from her 14-year-old son after they sought asylum in August. The ACLU says the woman was given a roughly 25-day sentence jail sentence for illegally entering the country and then placed in immigration detention facilities in West Texas, while her son was taken to a Chicago facility. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not announced a formal policy to hold adult asylum seekers separately from their children. But administration officials have said they are considering separating parents and children to deter others from trying to enter the U.S. The department declined to comment Friday on the lawsuit. DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton, in an earlier statement on the case of the Congolese woman and her daughter, said government officials have to verify that children entering the U.S. are not victims of traffickers and that the adult accompanying them is actually their parent. In separate court papers filed Wednesday, the U.S. government said it is awaiting the results of DNA testing to confirm the woman is the girls mother. We ask that members of the public and media view advocacy group claims that we are separating women and children for reasons other than to protect the child with the level of skepticism they deserve, Houlton said. Its hard to determine how often parents and children are placed in separate facilities after they seek asylum, which is granted to people who have a credible fear of persecution if they are forced to return to their home country. Different government agencies are responsible for holding adults and children. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains adults accused of immigration violations, while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cares for unaccompanied immigrant children. Immigration advocates criticized President Barack Obamas administration for opening new family detention facilities in Texas and called for parents and children to be released. The two Texas facilities that it opened were found by a federal judge in 2015 to violate a long-standing 1997 settlement requiring children be released or otherwise held in the least restrictive setting available. That settlement set other standards for the detention of children. The Trump administration has called for ending the settlement as part of its demands for changes to immigration laws. Top administration officials have said they believe the asylum process is overwhelmed and challenged by people making frivolous claims. Advocates have also accused border agents of unlawfully turning away people who are seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Michelle Brane, director of the migrant rights and justice program for the Womens Refugee Commission, said that through attorneys and social service organizations, she had identified at least 426 immigrant adults and children who had been separated by authorities since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Brane said she did not have a comparable figure for Obamas administration. But Brane said since the new administration began, her office has received far more reports of adults being held in ICE facilities without knowing where their children are. A lot of these kids are already afraid because theyre fleeing something and they know theyre fleeing something, Brane said. And to have them pulled away, that can be devastating for a parent. Follow Merchant on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nomaanmerchant. BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) President Donald Trumps administration moved quickly Thursday to install a female wildland firefighter to lead the U.S. Forest Service after the agencys former chief stepped down amid sexual misconduct allegations. The appointment of Vickie Christiansen as interim chief came as lawmakers from both parties called for more aggressive efforts to combat a culture of harassment and retaliation within the Forest Service. The problems mirror recent misconduct within the nations other major public lands agency, the Interior Department. Christiansen has been with the Forest Service for seven years and became a deputy chief in 2016. Before joining the federal government shed worked in forestry for 30 years at the state level, in Arizona and Washington. She did not return an emailed message from The Associated Press seeking comment. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in an email to the Forest Services approximately 35,000 employees that it had been a difficult week, punctuated by Wednesdays abrupt retirement of Tony Tooke. Tookes departure came just days after PBS NewsHour reported he was under investigation following relationships with subordinates prior to his appointment last August. The leadership changes at the agency were first reported by The Missoulian. Abby Bolt, a Forest Service employee in California with a pending sexual discrimination complaint against her male supervisors, told The Associated Press that rumors of Tookes relationships had started circulating within the agency as soon as he was appointed. Bolt, a fire battalion chief now on leave, said she was hopeful Christiansen would bring some fresh eyes to the Forest Services problems, but also wants Tooke held to account for any wrongdoing. If we just have somebody retire and step down, then we dont get to see that, Bolt said. Preliminary results of a sexual harassment audit released Thursday by the Agriculture Departments inspector general said that almost half of employees interviewed had expressed distrust in the process of reporting complaints. Perdue said more steps already were being taken to protect victims from retaliation. Those include using outside investigators for at least the next year to investigate sexual misconduct complaints, according an Agriculture Department inspector generals audit released Thursday. Representatives of the Forest Service and its parent agency, the Department of Agriculture, did not answer repeated questions Thursday about whether the investigation into Tooke would continue. They also declined to answer if an outside investigator was handling the case. Tooke said in a final note to employees that the agency deserved a leader with moral authority as it addresses reports of rampant misconduct and bullying of female employees. He did not directly deny the allegations against him but said he cannot combat every inaccuracy that is reported. Lawmakers expressed outrage over the events and called for a hearing and investigation. I plan to use every tool to ensure all bad actors are held accountable, said Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, who chairs the Senate agriculture subcommittee that oversees the Forest Service. He said hell hold a hearing on sexual harassment in the agency. Rep. Jackie Speier of California, a Democrat and leading voice in Congress against sex harassment, said a wide investigation was needed of into the Forest Services toxic culture by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service has about 35,000 employees and manages more than 300,000 square miles (777,000 square kilometers) of forests and grasslands in 43 states and Puerto Rico. Lawmakers in Congress held hearings on sex harassment at agencies in 2016. Senior officials have repeatedly vowed to address the problem, both during the administration of former President Barack Obama and more recently under President Donald Trump. Tooke, a native of Alabama who joined the Forest Service at the age of 18, had worked in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Prior to becoming chief he served as regional forester for the southern U.S. In announcing his appointment in August, Perdue cited Tookes knowledge of forestry and his dedication to the noble cause of being a steward of public forests. Tony has been preparing for this role his whole life, Perdue said at the time. His transition into leadership will be seamless. Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at www.twitter.com/matthewbrownap . PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) Brown University has canceled plans to display the house where Rosa Parks lived for a time after she left the south and moved to Detroit. The house had been on a demolition list until it was saved by Parks niece and artist Ryan Mendoza, who moved it to Berlin. He brought it back to the United States in pieces last month with Browns backing, and was reassembling it when the Ivy League university made the abrupt announcement Thursday. Parks niece, Rhea McCauley, called the decision a missed opportunity and said the university had not consulted with the family. They made this decision on their own, she said. Brown cited an unspecified dispute involving the R osa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, which Parks co-founded but which has feuded with relatives in the past. Brown spokesman Brian Clark said in an email that the university took steps quickly upon learning recently about the dispute. Brown is not a party in the dispute and therefore we are not in a position to speak about the nature of the dispute, when asked for more details. Also, we know that individuals involved in the dispute intended to object strongly if the exhibit proceeded. It is out of our respect for the legacy of Rosa Parks that Brown is stepping aside. A message left for the institute was not immediately returned Thursday. But a lawyer for the institute, Steven Cohen, cast doubt on the connection to Parks in comments he made to The Brown Daily Herald student newspaper last month. The truth is, she didnt stay there, he told the newspaper. Its a house which Rosa Parks brother and his family used to live in. Its no more Rosa Parks house than it is my house. McCauley disputed that, as did Ray Rickman, a Providence community activist who worked with Parks for three years in the office of U.S. Rep. John Conyers in Detroit. Rickman, who sometimes drove Parks to church, recalled driving by the house with Parks one day. She told me she used to live in it. And I laughed and said thats a tiny house, and she said a lot of people lived in it, he said. It was something to that effect. And then she laughed and I laughed and changed the subject. Mendoza, who owns the house, decided to bring it to Brown because it has grappled in recent years with its historical ties to the slave trade. He disassembled the house, packed it up and sent it by ship across the Atlantic and has spent the past few weeks preparing the site for the house and building a frame for it. Mendoza had planned to reassemble it piece by piece for a display that was due to open to the public next month. He said someone told him a lawyer had threatened Brown with a cease-and-desist letter, and he learned Thursday afternoon that the display was canceled. He pointed out that the decision was announced a few hours after he published a statement calling on Brown to rename itself Rosa Parks University. Maybe Brown took on a project too big for them, Mendoza said. Brown does not command this ship, and this house will go on to find a better home, but it breaks my heart that there should be such vast cowardice, everybodys ducking and hiding. McCauley called the house a part of history and said the project was an effort to help students understand Auntie Rosas legacy. Its a missed opportunity for Brown University to begin to repair the legacy of slavery, she said. BERLIN (AP) Germanys center-left Social Democrats announced Friday theyre nominating the mayor of one of Berlins toughest districts among six ministers the party will have in the countrys next government. Franziska Giffey is considered a rising star within the party and will take charge of the Families Ministry the first ministerial position held by Chancellor Angela Merkel from 1991 to 1994. Like Merkel, Giffey was born in the former East Germany. The 39-year-old became mayor of Neukoelln three years ago. The southeastern district of Berlin has a high poverty rate and many families with an immigrant background. Giffey said she wants to ensure that children who grow up in poor families with low levels of education have the same chance to finish school and succeed in life. The Social Democrats also confirmed Justice Minister Heiko Maas will move to the Foreign Ministry and Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz, a member of the federal government from 2007-2009, will control Germanys powerful Finance Ministry. The party managed to wrest the post from Merkels Union bloc as part of a deal to continue the so-called grand coalition until 2021. Katarina Barley, a former judge, will get the justice portfolio, the party said. Its former general secretary, Hubert Heil, will lead the Labor Ministry, and the Environment Ministry will be headed by Svenja Schulze, a lawmaker from western Germany. Like Merkels party, the Social Democrats have proposed an equal number of male and female ministers. The overall balance is tipped by Merkels Bavarian allies, who nominated three men. Merkel will be elected for a fourth term by Parliament on Wednesday, after which she will propose her Cabinet to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Germany has been without a new government since Septembers national election, the longest such period in the countrys post-war history. BEIJING (AP) China accused U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday of damaging the global trading system by hiking steel and aluminum tariffs, while Japan and South Korea expressed alarm at potential economic costs. Chinas Commerce Ministry said it firmly opposes Trumps move. It gave no indication whether Beijing might make good on threats to retaliate. Asian stock markets rose Friday on relief that Trumps measures were not more severe. Traders also were encouraged by news Trump might meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. South Koreas trade minister, speaking at an emergency meeting, appealed to other governments to prevent a trade war. We will urge the international community to refrain from adopting measures that inhibit free trade, said the minister, Paik Un-gyu, according to a ministry statement. Trump said the tariff hikes ordered Thursday were needed to protect U.S. national security by ensuring the survival of the countrys metals producers. These measures could make a significant impact on the economic and cooperative relationship between Japan and the U.S., who are allies, Taro Kono, Japans foreign minister, said in a statement. The new tariffs take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely spared to see if we can make the deal, Trump said, referring to a possible renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He suggested at a Cabinet meeting that Australia and other countries might be spared, a shift that could soften the blow amid threats of retaliation. Within Asia, demand for steel has grown fastest in developing Southeast Asian economies such as Thailand and Vietnam. The region is dependent on imports to meet its needs, and a large share of Japanese and Chinese steel goes to those markets. U.S. tariffs could push producers to sell still more to Southeast Asia, depressing steel prices. That would hurt producers but boost profits of construction and other industries in Southeast Asia. Trump has complained about low-cost Chinese exports of steel and aluminum, but the latest move was likely to hit Japan and South Korea harder. The United States bought just 1.1 percent of Chinas steel exports last year compared with 12 percent for South Korea and 5 percent for Japan, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. Significant damage in South Koreas steel exports to the United States seems unavoidable, said Paiks statement. Australias trade minister, Steve Ciobo, said he hoped to reach a positive outcome in the next two weeks following preliminary discussions with the U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer. The Chinese Commerce Ministry criticized Trump for taking unilateral action instead of working through the World Trade Organization. The misuse of the national security exception clause by the United States is wanton destruction of the multilateral trade system represented by the WTO and will surely have a serious impact on the normal international trade order. China firmly opposes it, said a Commerce Ministry official, Wang Hejun, in a statement. Beijing said it was ready to retaliate if Chinese companies are hurt, but Fridays statement gave no indication of official action. The U.S. pursues trade protectionism, said the China Iron & Steel Association, an industry group, in a statement. This move will harm the global steel industry, and seriously hurt consumers interests, said the statement. It said the United States will injure others and harm itself. AP writers Mari Yamaguchi and Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo, Youkyung Lee in Seoul and Stephen Wright in Jakarta contributed. BEIRUT (AP) The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local): 9 p.m. The largest rebel group in eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus says they have agreed with a U.N. team that entered the besieged area to evacuate al-Qaida-linked fighters from the district. In a statement Friday, The Army of Islam said that the first batch of fighters to be evacuated is currently detained in the groups prisons in eastern Ghouta. The Army of Islam said that the detainees from the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee have asked to be sent to the rebel-held province of Idlib in Syrias northwest. It was not immediately clear if the government would accept such a relocation which will involve passing through state-controlled areas to reach Idlib. In a letter last month to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the three main rebel factions in eastern Ghouta said they were committed to making al-Qaida-linked fighters and their families leave within 15 days. 6:20 p.m. The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has delivered along with the U.N. and Syrian paramedics urgently needed aid to the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus despite fighting that took place extremely close to the humanitarian convoy. ICRC says it delivered Friday along with the U.N. and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent 2,400 food parcels that can sustain 12,000 people for one month, as well as 3,248 wheat flour bags. Robert Mardini, ICRCs regional director for the Near and Middle East, said in a statement that they were taken aback by fighting that broke out despite guarantees from the parties involved that aid could enter eastern Ghouta. Mardini added that as more aid is needed in the coming days, it is absolutely critical that these assurances be renewed and respected in the future. 3:20 p.m. Turkeys president says Turkish troops and Ankara-backed opposition fighters have encircled the main city in a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave in northwest Syria and are on the verge of entering it. In a speech in Ankara on Friday Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish forces, which took control of the key town of Jinderes on Thursday, were 6 kilometers away from the city of Afrin. Afrin (city) is encircled. God willing, we are may enter Afrin (city) any moment, Erdogan said. Erdogan reiterated Turkeys resolve to advance to Manbij a region east of Afrin, where the U.S. has a military presence and other Syrian Kurdish held locations east of the Euphrates river, once the offensive on the enclave is completed. Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish fighters terrorists and allied with Kurdish insurgents fighting inside Turkey. 2:50 p.m. Relief workers used a brief lull in Damascus embattled rebel-held suburbs to try and deliver remaining aid left over from a mission earlier in the week but were interrupted by renewed violence shorty after their team entered eastern Ghouta on Friday. The International Committee of the Red Cross said a convoy of 13 trucks with supplies, including food parcels for 12,000 people, went into Douma the largest and most populated town in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta, on the edge of the Syrian capital earlier in the day. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Douma was shelled before the convoy went in. Once the relief workers arrived, Syrian government forces shelled the outskirts of the town, he said. Reports were sketchy and it was not immediately clear if the ICRC had offloaded all the aid. PARIS (AP) A Canadian companys hardware is being used to hack internet users along Turkeys border with Syria, researchers said Friday, adding that there were signs that Kurdish forces aligned with the United States might have been targeted. The revelation comes as Turkey presses its offensive against the Kurds dug in along the countrys frontier with northwestern Syria a conflict that threatens to disrupt the American-led effort to extinguish the Islamic State group. The apparent use of Canadian technology to target a U.S. ally was an irony underlined by Ron Deibert, the director of the internet watchdog group Citizen Lab, which published a report on the spying. These companies are not closely regulated and that can lead to a lot of unintended consequences, including consequences that harm our foreign policy interests and human rights interest as well, said Deibert. Its a strong argument for government control over this kind of technology. Citizen Lab identified the hardware behind the hacking as PacketLogic devices produced by Procera a Fremont, California-based company that was recently folded into Canada-based network management firm Sandvine, which is owned by American private equity group Francisco Partners. In a statement issued before the reports release, Sandvine said it investigates all allegations of abuse, but said it had been unable to complete its inquiry because Citizen Lab refused to provide the company with its findings in full. Once we have the necessary data, we will conduct a full investigation and take appropriate action, Sandvine said. The statement also said Citizen Labs allegations were technically inaccurate and intentionally misleading, but a representative for the company has yet to supply an example of a misleading or inaccurate claim. Citizen Lab said it discovered the hacking after a European cybersecurity company reported that network service providers in two unidentified countries were trying to compromise their users using a powerful hacking technique known as network injection. Citizen Lab scoured the internet for signs of the spying and eventually traced the activity to the Turkish provinces of Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir and to the Turkish capital, Ankara, as well as parts of northern Syria and Egypt. Network injection so-called because malicious software is injected into everyday internet traffic by whoever controls the network has long been feared as a particularly powerful form of government spying. This can potentially be used to target anyone in the country with the click of the button, said Bill Marczak, the lead author of the report. Although the identities of those being spied on in Turkey and Egypt arent clear, Marczak said that the devices appeared to be installed on the network belonging to Turk Telekom, a leading phone and internet provider in Turkey as well as parts of northern Syria. He said there were hints suggesting some of the targets are affiliated with the YPG, the Kurdish Marxist rebel group which is fighting Turkish forces for control of the northwestern Syrian province of Afrin. Although Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization, the group provides the backbone of the U.S.-backed operations against the Islamic State in eastern Syria. American officials acknowledged Monday that ground operations against the jihadist groups remnants in eastern Syria were on hold because Kurdish fighters were being diverted to the battle against Turkey. Turk Telekom said in a statement that it complies with Turkish law and doesnt interfere with internet users access. It added that the company does not redirect any internet user to receive malicious downloads of popular software applications. A representative for the company did not immediately respond to follow-up questions. Sandvines ties to the Turkey government have been the subject of previous reporting. In 2016, Forbes reported that engineers at Procera were so troubled at the prospect of supplying surveillance hardware for use by Turk Telekom that six of them quit in protest. I do not wish to spend the rest of my life with the regret of having been a part of (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogans insanity, so Im out, one the engineers said in a letter of resignation quoted by Forbes. LinkedIn shows at least 16 Procera-Sandvine employees listed as working in Egypt or Turkey. One Sandvine engineer based in Cairo listed lawful interception a commonly used euphemism for state-sanctioned surveillance as one of his interests. Online: Citizen Labs report: https://citizenlab.ca/2018/03/bad-traffic-sandvines-packetlogic-devices-deploy-government-spyware-turkey-syria/ Sandvine: https://www.sandvine.com/ Raphael Satter can be reached at: http://raphaelsatter.com KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) An Islamic State suicide bomber targeted Afghanistans ethnic Hazaras on Friday, blowing himself up at a police checkpoint near a gathering of the minority Shiites in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said. In northern Afghanistan, the Taliban assaulted an army outpost overnight in an hours-long firefight, and ambushed policemen sent to help the troops, killing six soldiers and 10 members of the local police. The attacks underscore the difficulties President Ashraf Ghanis government is facing as it battles a revamped Taliban insurgency and struggles to rein in the Islamic State group, whose affiliate in Afghanistan has grown stronger since it emerged in 2014. Kabul has recently seen a spate of large-scale militant attacks by the Taliban and also IS. In late January, a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235. In Fridays attack, Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the bomber was on foot and was trying to make his way to a compound where the Hazaras had gathered to commemorate the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, who was killed by the Taliban. The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesman said. One policeman was among the dead. Shortly after the attack, President Ghani issued a statement condemning the bombing and promising that those behind it, if found and convicted, would be given the death penalty. The attack was intended to frighten Afghans but the perpetrators would not succeed, he said. These people who do this are acting against humanity and against Islam, he said. The Islamic State group, or the Khorasan Province as its affiliate in Afghanistan is known, claimed responsibility in a posting on an IS-linked website. IS said it targeted a gathering of Shiites as they were commemorating the death of a tyrant, an apparent reference to Mazari. Local Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told the Kabul gathering the explosion was an attempt to terrorize Afghans. Most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, and Sunni militant groups consider all Shiites heretics and urge followers to kill them. The spokesman for the Health Ministry, Wahid Majro, said several of the wounded were in critical condition and feared the death toll could rise further. The overnight Taliban assault in northern Takhar province took place in a remote region of the district of Khwaja Ghar. The insurgents launched a siege of an army outpost there, killing six soldiers and wounding five in a blistering, hours-long attack, Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. The Taliban also ambushed members of the local police who were sent to assist the soldiers, killing 10 policemen and wounding nine, provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault late Thursday and the police slayings. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report could not be independently confirmed because of the areas remoteness. In central Ghazni province, the Taliban attacked a police security post late Thursday, killing four policemen, said Arif Noori, spokesman for the Ghazni provincial governor. Another five officers were wounded in the gunbattle, he said. Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, also claimed responsibility for that attack. Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report. BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Serbias president said Thursday that his country wont recognize Kosovo as an independent nation, but is open to discussing solutions to the contentious issue. If we recognize Kosovo Albanians will gain everything, and my question is what will Serbs get? said President Aleksandar Vucic, who was in Romania for talks with President Klaus Iohannis. Youre going to get your monasteries protected, your churches protected. My counter question would be and otherwise you would burn it, or what? he said in English, echoing the emotions of many Serbs who view Kosovo as Serbias historic heartland and refuse to give up claims to it. He added, however, that Serbia is willing to discuss all possible solutions, though part of the issue is how to sell it to our public and how the Albanians sell it to their public. Vucic said if both sides delivered a solution it will mean that we do care about the future of our people and the future of our nation, although he acknowledged that failure was a more likely outcome. Last month, during a visit to Belgrade, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Serbia it had to solve its dispute with Kosovo and implement a series of reforms before it can join the European Union. Vucic thanked Iohannis, who offered to help on the Kosovo issue. Romania traditionally has good relations with Serbia and supports its bid to join the European Union. If the solution is not fair. and is not supported, it wont be a solution, Iohannis cautioned. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by 115 countries. Serbia and Romania do not recognize Kosovo. About 10,000 people were killed during the 1998-99 war in Kosovo which ended when NATO bombed Serbia to end its crackdown against independence-minded ethnic Albanians. In December 2017 during a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan and Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami, Chinas Central Military Commission vice chairman Xu Qiliang stated that China would build a military facility in Afghanistans northeastern Badakhshan province to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in areas of military exchange and anti-terrorism and safeguard the security of the two countries and the region, making contributions to the development of China-Afghanistan strategic partnership of cooperation. Chinas main motive is to interdict the flow of Uyghur militants to and from Xinjiang, yet the initiative potentially has wider implications for Afghanistan and the region. BACKGROUND: China has made significant investments in Afghanistan, including a US$ 3 billion copper mining project in Mes Aynak in Logar province, which has stalled because of security concerns. Despite these investments China has shied away from participating in international pacification efforts in Afghanistan. That is apparently changing with Beijings announcement that it will be underwriting the Badakhshan facility, in a province which shares a 47-mile frontier with Chinas restive Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region along the eastern end of Badakhshans 130 mile-long Wakhan Corridor, in which the Wakhjir Pass in the Pamirs is the sole pass between Afghanistan and China. The Chinese military has apparently already begun limited security incursions into Afghanistan. On November 3, 2016, Indias World is One News agency published an article showing Chinese Mine Resistant Ambush Protected and Humvee-type vehicles patrolling in Badakhshans Little Pamir region, adjacent to the Chinese border, adding that regional eyewitnesses accuse the Chinese military of direct involvement. Chinas new involvement with the Afghan military stems from the belief that Badakhshan has increasingly become a base for Xinjiangs Uyghur militants who use the Wakhjir Pass in the Wakhan Corridor to move between Afghanistan and Xinjiang, which was historically used as a trading route between Badakhshan and Yarkand. Another wildcard in Chinas military interest in Afghanistan has been the rising presence there of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), whose global jihadist intentions stand in contrast to the Afghanistan-oriented Taliban. Mohammad Mohaqiq, the deputy chief executive officer of Afghanistan observed that The north of Afghanistan from Badakhshan to Badghis and Herat were secure, there was no war in the areas but with the presence of Daesh (ISIS), today the north of Afghanistan is at war. According to an Afghan Ministry of Defense source, The Chinese side fears that the Chinese Uyghurs, who are among the terrorists now, can cross the territory of China through Afghanistan and make problems for the Chinese authorities. The source added that ISIS militants active in northern Afghanistan now include ethnic Uyghurs from Chinas Xinjiang province. Beijing fears that, after acquiring combat experience, they will use Badakhshans remote Wakhan Corridor to infiltrate back into Xinjiang to undertake terrorist attacks there. Beyond financing the Badakhshan facility, China is also providing funding for the Afghan military to build a mountain brigade. Afghan Member of Parliament Ghulam Hussain Naseri said of the initiative, This is not support for the security of Afghanistan because they have their own interest. China is trying to protect its own borders from Daesh (ISIS) and they have the right to do so. A further factor complicating security operations in Badakhshan is the fact that militants based there not only control the drug trade, but are harvesting revenue from the illicit mining operations including for lapis lazuli, gold and marble. In 2017, 9,000 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan. According to the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime, overall opium production in Afghanistan surged 63 percent in 2017. Badakhshan saw a significant increase of 32percent in opium poppy cultivation from 6,298 hectares to 8,311 hectares, making it number 10 among the 24 provinces in Afghanistan cultivating opium poppies. In September 2016, Badakhshans Provincial Governor Ahmad Faisal Begzad said that militants had been collecting revenues of lapis lazuli mines in the provinces Karano Manjan district for years, diverting the revenues to jihadist activity. Highlighting the provinces importance to the Taliban, in its July 2017 offensive the Taliban killed at least 32 members of the local police and government-aligned uprising groups in a push to capture Badakhshans Tagab district. In a measure of the firmness of their grip upon parts of Badakhshan, two months later the Taliban announced that their mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate began the construction of a new Jama Masjid (public mosque) in Wardaj district of northern Badakhshan. Maulana Qari Fasihuddin, the governor of the Islamic Emirate in the provinces Wardaj district, laid the foundation stone of the new mosque. IMPLICATIONS: While China has traditionally delineated its engagement with post-2001 Afghanistan around economic and technical cooperation, that paradigm is shifting. Chinese leaders have always seen stability in Afghanistan as having a direct influence on security within Xinjiang. It is increasingly obvious that after 17 years of foreign intervention, the security situation in Afghanistan remains unstable, compelling the Chinese government to take a more proactive stance in providing security along Xinjiangs western borders. The Security Council visit to Afghanistan highlighted a grim truth to its participants; after 17 years of war, peace remains elusive. Even the U.S. government is acknowledging this reality, albeit quietly. U.S. military officials say the balance between the Taliban and Afghan government-led forces is a stalemate, despite coalition military casualties of more than 3,500 killed and 33,000 wounded since 2001. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently told the Taliban, You will not win a battlefield victory. We may not win one, but neither will you. Concerns about Afghanistans domestic security are rising; according to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, 21 international terrorist groups are now operating in his country. In such an environment, China must seek bilateral accommodation with the Afghan government to stabilize Badakhshan province, along with sealing the border as much as possible to restrict the movement of militants. While China has in the past contributed troops to participate in UN peacekeeping missions, there is no evidence that this option is being considered at present. Accordingly, and in light of either a military or political solution to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, underwriting an Afghan military base in Badakhshan is a prudent bilateral prophylactic measure for China to undertake. At the very least it will accommodate an increased Afghan military presence in a province deemed critical by the Chinese government to security in Xinjiang, where stability remains elusive, though on a much smaller scale. A further incentive for Beijing to stabilize its Western frontiers is its ambitious One Belt, One Road Eurasian economic development plan, which Afghan instability puts at risk. Beyond Afghanistan being an underdeveloped market for Chinese exports, the country could also become a significant element of the ambitious US$ 46 million China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, interweaving Chinas transport infrastructure into Pakistan. The feasibility of transporting substantial cargoes via rail through Afghanistan remains uncertain. As the Asian Development Bank noted in a recent study, the transport sector performance in Afghanistan is affected by three main problems: inadequate infrastructure, limited government capacity, and insecurity. Accordingly, increased security in the Wakhan Corridor would serve a twofold purpose for Beijing, lessening the opportunity for militants to slip in and out of Xinjiang while also laying the groundwork for developing a transport infrastructure allowing China to increase bilateral trade with Afghanistan, as well as points beyond. CONCLUSIONS: Chinas military assistance to Afghanistan must be seen in the light of the domestic security issues and increased trade possibilities provided by an improved transport infrastructure; while it will in no way prove decisive in the Afghan governments operations against the insurgency, it may well achieve some success in interdicting the flow of Uyghur militants to and from Xinjiang, a policy consideration of rising importance to the Chinese government. The province is now belatedly coming to the attention of Afghanistans International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which in early February for the first time conducted limited bombing strikes in Badakhshans Warduj district. Joint efforts by Beijing and Kabul to secure the frontier will not have a solely bilateral impact; while Badakhshans Wakhan Corridor may be remote, Chinese efforts to secure its border there will not go unnoticed by India, Pakistan and Tajikistan, particularly as China has unresolved regional issues with both New Delhi and Islamabad in Kashmir. Besides ISAF, Indian and Pakistani interest in Chinas dealings with their neighbor will undoubtedly increase, particularly if the proffered aid to Afghanistan by China evolves from merely fiscal and military materiel to boots on the ground. AUTHORS BIO: Dr. John C. K. Daly is a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute; current work includes monographs on the development of Eurasias railways and the dissolution of the Soviet Navy. Image source: By eng.mod.gov.cn, accessed on 3.9. 2018 "Every Meal An Adventure!" ~ Food & Travel in Asia | BY Ricki Green | Media agency, Bohemia has welcomed Jennifer Lloyd to the role of commercial director. Says Brett Dawson, CEO, Bohemia Group: We are delighted to welcome Jen. She has the trifecta for a financial lead commercial acumen, a genuine care for our people (clients included) and an active contribution to agency culture. Says Lloyd: I am very excited at the opportunity to join the Bohemian family. Its an agency that Ive admired from afar for its strong culture and down to earth approach. Bohemians are known for putting their clients and staff first and this is something that resonates with me and my way of working. I look forward to helping grow and cultivate all these good qualities. | BY Ricki Green | Independent Brisbane-based creative agency next Thursday has bolstered its senior team with the hire of Richard Woof (left), who joins as head of strategy and group account director. Woof brings a broad mix of cross-industry marketing and business skill gained over 20 years from both client and agency-side with the likes of Ogilvy Group, Wolters Kluwer and Allan Burrows (Y&R) in the UK. He joins from Ikon Communications in Brisbane where he was client service director. He is tasked with leading the strategic function on existing and new client work together with heading up client service and operational delivery. Says Dan Adler (above, right), MD, next Thursday: Weve been on the hunt for someone who has the right talent, experience and cultural fit to lead strategy for our clients, helping the creative team springboard their ideas off insightful thinking, and build efficiencies in the way we operate. The agency is hitting its straps, so the timing couldnt be better for Richard to join the team. His reputation and strength of relationships in the media industry are excellent, which will no doubt create opportunities. Also, his lean towards creative and digital, combined with solid understanding media and head for strategy makes him the ideal stabiliser to maintain our trajectory as we push the pedal to the metal. Says Woof: Next Thursday is producing some amazing work for a great and growing client base, so when the opportunity to join them came up I jumped at the chance. I was so impressed with the partnerships they have with their clients and the quality of the work that this produces. Theres a real sense of family within the agency, so it was a perfect fit for me. Notice for the Postmedia Network This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. news, latest-news At-risk youth will continue slipping through the cracks if the growing need for drug treatment and mental health support is not addressed, advocates say. Lachlan Dean manages the Street University in Civic, which offers drug and alcohol treatment to the territory's young people, as well as other services such as counselling. The number of young people using the Street University's services in the space of a month had recently grown by almost 80 per cent, Mr Dean said. "In the past three months we've had 297 separate client contacts young people coming in and looking for support," he said. In the past month alone as many as 127 young people had visited the centre, with only two staff available on a typical day to offer assistance, Mr Dean said. "And that affects our quality of work. It makes it hard to provide a good quality of service to these at-risk kids." In addition to its counselling and drug treatment services, the Street University, on E Row, also runs programs for art, music and dance, among other things. "We aren't running a drop-in centre. If young people want to come here they have got to be doing something the time spent here has to be productive." Mr Dean said the community services sector had been plagued by funding uncertainty in recent years, and called on the federal government to make a firm and lasting commitment to help. "You might get short-term funding for a project, and just when you start getting something off the ground, you lose the funding." The Canberra Street University is part of a nationwide program run by the Ted Noffs Foundation. The foundation's chief executive, Matt Noffs, echoed Mr Dean's calls for more funding from the federal government to stop at-risk youth slipping through the cracks. "One of the big issues is that there really hasn't been any significant increase in funding from the commonwealth government for young people with these issues," he said. "The ACT government has been really supportive. But we are still waiting to hear from the Commonwealth government to see if they will continue funding [the Canberra Street University]." The Department of Social Services forwarded questions about federal government funding for youth drug and alcohol programs to the Department of Health. The Department of Health said providing these services was a priority for the government. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/90c7e5fe-6554-488b-9fba-bb1962f2df93/r0_122_2000_1252_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The next stage of the ACT government's plan to "democratise" city planning will begin this month. In the coming weeks, about 15,000 Canberra households, including both homeowners and renters, will be invited to have their say on the future of Canberra's housing. The process of this 'Collaboration Hub' will be similar to the ACT government's citizen's juries, a spokesman for Planning Minister Mick Gentleman said, and managed by independent contractor newDemocracy Foundation. From those who accept the offer, a group of about 40 will be randomly chosen for more intensive discussion on issues such as zoning. In 2017, the ACT government launched a review of its planning strategy, including a public survey that ended this week. "Now it is time to work with community representatives to refine what we've heard," Minister Gentleman said. One of the key takeaways so far, according to a discussion paper put out in November, was a need for more flexible housing options, as respondents questioned current rules on residential development. More than half of Canberrans surveyed said they wanted more dual occupancies in their area, and demand for medium density housing was strong. The size of both land blocks and households in Canberra have shrunk in recent years. While the capital "started from a young base" it was also one of the fastest ageing cities in Australia, the paper said. "The number of residents aged 65 and above is projected to increase 93 per cent from 2016 to 2041," it said. A spokesman for Mr Gentleman said Canberra's "natural advantage is the years of careful city planning", but there were now a range of "trade off decisions to consider" as the city grew. "We feel this is best done [with] members of the community," he said. "Invitations will be sent to physical addresses randomly so as to not discriminate between those who own or rent their property. At its completion in June, a report written by the 40 participants will be presented to the minister with recommendations. "Over five in-depth meetings [citizens] will consider and weigh up the demands, options, best practice and the desires of stakeholders." The challenge in planning future housing, the spokesman said, was striking a balance between meeting demand for choice and "providing the right urban design outcomes to protect and enhance existing character and amenity in the established suburbs". /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/9a8bcf56-9c17-4d29-964e-327986c3644c/r0_114_2000_1244_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news From the second she arrives at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday morning for the 45th Black Opal Stakes, Kristen Henry will start quietly tapping people on the shoulder. The MIX106.3 breakfast presenter, celebrity redhead and style icon is once against hosting Fashions on the Field for Thoroughbred Park and will start scouting the capital's best-dressed race goers as soon as she walks through the front gates and into the betting ring. "I've always got a sneaky eye out," Henry laughs. "I'm actually always walking around, tapping women on the shoulder and saying, 'You look divine, you have to enter Fashions on the Field'. "We have such beautiful and unique style [in Canberra] and maybe I'm biased but when I go to race days in Melbourne or Randwick, I'm like, 'Canberra women just get it'. "They're classy, so I think it's really nice to get them up on stage and make sure they're showcasing the fashion at Thoroughbred Park for Black Opal Stakes - I want those women to be poster children for Canberra because they're fabulous." According to Henry, the race day fashion on Sunday should be all about the subdued colours of winter - like burgundy, black and navy - and less about bright colours, flowers and straw. For the first time ever on Sunday, Fashions on the Field entrants will need to pose for a photo at the The Podium (located in the betting ring) while completing their entry, with judges using the images to select finalists for the catwalk. In another first for the Fashions on the Field competition at Thoroughbred Park, a new category called "Outfit of the Day" is open exclusively to men and women over the age of 40. Sunday morning will be a whirlwind of hair, makeup, champagne and excitement for Henry, who describes race day as "my Christmas" and often finds it hard to match clothes to her red hair: "You'll never see me in yellow or mustard". She's "breaking all the rules" on Sunday by wearing a vibrant red Carla Zampatti pant suit and a matching red and black fedora designed by Canberra milliner Christine Waring. Henry's Capital FM colleague and Fashions on the Field judge Beth Larsen wants to see plenty of "attention to detail" in the dresses and suits at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday. "I obviously want to see outfits that follow trends and the different racewear requirements but I also love lots of detail," Larsen says. "It has to go together but outfits that have a different flair or look to them - something that you wouldn't necessarily think of doing and then you go, 'Oh that works', even though it might be a little bit different." The HitFM morning presenter, who is wearing the Ramone dress by Pasduchas on Sunday, says dressing for race day is all about "giving yourself time". Her own preparation started months ago when she began researching current race day trends online, including what the women of the Kentucky Derby were wearing. Just as a Fashions on the Field judge should, Larsen will arrive at Sunday's Black Opal Stakes in style - in a limousine with friends, champagne in hand. The 45th Black Opal Stakes, Sunday 11 March, Thoroughbred Park Canberra. Gates open at 11.30am, with Fashions on the Field entries accepted between 12 noon and 3pm. For further information head to www.thoroughbredpark.com.au Follow Bree Winchester on Instagram and Facebook /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/82b2f590-c4f5-486b-b995-c2439f0d5a0e/r0_109_2000_1239_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Tavake Lee Pikula is an accused killer no more. Canberra prosecutors downgraded charges against the 31-year-old in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday. Defence lawyer Dean Rutherford noted in court that his client had gone from "alleged murderer to barely even in the statement of facts". Pikula was granted bail but will stay behind bars until he can secure parole. Pikula had originally been charged with murder and trespass with an intent to cause harm in relation to the death of Canberra man Eden Waugh. He pleaded not guilty to both allegations in December. Last month, a second man, Peter Forster-Jones, 22, of Ainslie, was arrested and charged for the murder. On Friday, the charges against Pikula were amended to knowingly concerned in murder and being knowingly concerned in aggravated robbery. He was also fresh charged with attempting to conceal evidence. He is yet to enter a plea to the new allegations. Mr Waugh, 37, died from a single gunshot wound to his chest in his Watson home in November 2016. Police allege the shooting was revenge after Mr Waugh went to police over an alleged home invasion triggered by a drug deal gone wrong. Police allegedly found a gun and a crowbar believed to be linked to the alleged murder when they searched the Queanbeyan River in August. Pikula had been a sentenced prisoner in NSW when he was arrested and transported to the territory to be charged with the killing in December. He had been eligible for parole in NSW at the time of his extradition. Prosecutor Margaret Jones did not oppose bail for Pikula on Friday, subject to a number of strict conditions, including he report to police daily, reside at a designated address, not consume alcohol or illicit drugs, and be subject to random urine analysis. Before he can walk free, he must apply for parole and have it approved by the Sentence Administration Board. He was remanded to reappear in court on the new charges in May. Taniela Manu Pikula, 29, of Karabar, and Deanne Pikula, 26, of Queanbeyan, - who are charged as accessories after the fact for Mr Waugh's murder also appeared briefly on Friday. The matters were also adjourned to return to court in May. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/95ce980f-e569-4d20-8510-9bebcfaf3745/r0_241_2000_1371_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The latest literacy and numeracy test results show most Canberra students perform well above the standards of other Australian children. But the ACT's results remain poor when compared with students interstate of similarly wealthy and educated backgrounds. The My School website, which rates individual schools' performances, was updated this week with last year's testing outcomes. Students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are assessed in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. Canberra's average results were among the nation's highest in every area and year, except for year 3 writing, where the Victorian average was higher. In recent years, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, which manages the so-called "NAPLAN" tests, has encouraged parents to focus not on raw scores but on how, over the course of two years, schools improve the skills of the same group of students. In the ACT, three public schools in particular Charnwood-Dunlop in west Belconnen, Taylor Primary in Kambah, and Maribyrnong Primary in Kaleen had stunning successes across the board in boosting the results of 2017's year 5 pupils, compared with when they were in year 3. In high schools, the overall gains for last year's year 9 students were highest at Catholic girls school Merici College, and three public schools: Caroline Chisholm in Tuggeranong, Melrose High in Woden, and Melba Copland Secondary in Belconnen. The latest raw scores show that public schools with children from particularly wealthy backgrounds, such as Turner, and the elite private schools Canberra Girls Grammar, Canberra Grammar and Radford College perform best in literacy and numeracy. In a report last year, the ACT's public sector watchdog, Auditor-General Maxine Cooper, strongly criticised the Education Directorate's failures to use the NAPLAN data more effectively to target underperformance. "ACT public schools are performing below similar schools in other jurisdictions despite expenditure on a per student basis for public schools being one of the highest in the country," she wrote. Dr Cooper said reviews of government schools had "consistently identified shortcomings in their analysis of student performance information and their use of data to inform educational practice". "These shortcomings indicate a systemic problem." However, a spokeswoman for the directorate said this week the government was using the latest data to "identify broad areas of need across schools as well as to identify where we can provide more targeted support for individual schools". "For example, the 2017 dataset confirmed a need to focus on early years literacy ... Similar initiatives have emerged in numeracy ... and high school writing." She said the government was focusing on the data on student improvements over two years, which identified "strong performers like Charnwood-Dunlop Primary School". "Through this lens, you can see that schools across Canberra are doing great things even where their raw academic performance differs." Earlier this week, the public school teachers' union branded the My School website "a spectacular failure that is doing nothing for students". ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry echoed some of the union's concerns, and is currently leading a national review of how the results are reported. But shadow education minister Elizabeth Lee defended the website, saying she feared the government was trying to "remove parental choice and healthy competition in schooling". "Every parent wants their child to get the best education possible. Comparative data on academic outcomes empowers parental choice and inspires healthy competition among schools to strengthen academic," she said. "Of course it is also the case that compared to other jurisdictions, ACT academic outcomes have largely declined under the Labor government. This is embarrassing for the government and no doubt it is eager to remove anything that would highlight its own failures." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/75b2789d-a8a6-41d6-a709-6e8d959823d3/r0_13_470_279_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news An ugly stoush has erupted at Trinity Grammar after its long-standing deputy principal was sacked for trimming a student's hair on school photo day. In a letter to parents and former students, school council chairman Roderick Lyle said deputy principal Rohan Brown left Trinity on Thursday night over his handling of a disciplinary issue. He said Mr Brown's actions were at odds with school policy and inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age. As a result, the school council was of the view that Mr Browns leadership position at the school was no longer tenable, Mr Lyle said in the letter. "We are all very disappointed and deeply saddened by the situation." It is understood that Mr Brown, who is in charge of discipline, trimmed a student's unruly hair on school photo day. An emotional Mr Brown, who worked at the Kew private school for almost 30 years, told The Age that he loved Trinity and was saddened by what had happened. "I would like to go back," he said. "Its a good school and this is tearing me apart. I can't comment further." Many former students are shocked by the decision and some believe Mr Brown's sacking is political. Tensions have been brewing since November, when Old Trinity Grammarians' Association president David Baumgartner sent a scathing letter to the council chair and headmaster, accusing the prestigious private school of becoming too preoccupied with high ATARS, fundraising and building projects. Mr Baumgartner, who has served on the association for 34 years, wrote in the letter that there was a "resurgent undercurrent of frustration and anger" among the school community. "There is too much inward focus on things like buildings, fundraising, marketing, ATAR excellence, Cambridge schooling program, etc," he wrote. One former student said Mr Brown stood in the way of the headmaster Dr Michael Davies' vision for the school. Rohan represented the old school's values, caring for the community and the moulding of young gentleman, he said. This was a school who produced well-rounded men who had an interest in the wider community not just their pay packets and status. The school is being destroyed. Former teachers who have contacted The Age said there had been an exodus of staff since Mr Davies took over the role of principal from Rick Tudor in 2014. One teacher estimates that 152 teaching and support staff had left the school in the past four years. Some Trinity staff members were given a generous payments to leave the school. They have signed confidential agreements which prevent them from disclosing the payment. One former teacher expressed concern about the school spending so much money to get rid of perfectly good teachers. Mr Lyle said in the letter to parents that Mr Brown had given tremendous service to the school and had made a very significant contribution. He said an interim leadership structure had been put in place while the council searched for a new deputy headmaster. Dr Davies has been contacted for comment. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/95a36b6f-a3ad-4c08-92dd-e763a7e2ae5f/r0_101_2000_1231_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Bess and Jeff Charles, co-owners of Cape Corals Best of 2017 LadyCakes Bakery, and recently named one of the Top 10 Bakeries in Florida, have introduced a new confection. Theyve brought Crumb Buns to the Cape. The couple has deep roots in the northeast. Bess and Jeff grew up in the New York and New Jersey area. Crumb buns were a staple in every household in our area, Bess recalled. At any special event, holiday, family reunion or when company arrived, crumb buns were present. As children, we always knew when we were about to have guests because the crumb buns showed up first! A few months ago, Bess mother, Candice Gowers, suggested LadyCakes make crumb buns available in Cape Coral. Bess and Jeff were unsure. Theres always a bit of guess work involved when we add a new product, said Bess. Candice persisted, Well, you already make cakes. Do the cake base, then come up with the crumb. Thats just what Mr. and Mrs. LadyCakes did but it took a while. The crumb is what makes the crumb bun, explained Bess. She said of Jeff, whos in charge of the baking operation, Hes a perfectionist when it comes to certain things. For months, he and Bess went through many batches. At some point, along batch number three or four, Bess said to Jeff, Honey, this is really good! Jeff wasnt satisfied. They kept experimenting with batch after batch, Until we nailed it! Throughout the process, Bess parents New Jersey and Philadelphia natives, who now live in the Cape, provided expert critiques. Most of us have tasted some variation of a crumb cake that involves yellow cake, brown sugar and powdered sugar. Cakes that, on occasion, result in a spray of fragments scattered in ones lap, or all over the table, rather than in ones mouth. LadyCakes Crumb Bun is vastly different. Each bun is a generous, individual serving. Its a substantial square of buttery yellow cake covered with a 3/4 inch dense topping. A special sugar mixture and butter are in the topping, among other features engendered by the Charles tireless experimentation features they arent quite ready to share. What makes this topping unique is its smooth texture, its cohesiveness. True, the rare, stray particle might escape. However, even with its hint of crunch, this pastry stays put when you bite into it, or cut it with a fork. Another distinct feature of LadyCakes Crumb Bun; its not overly sweet. No matter what you call it, Crumb Bun, Crumb Cake, Its amazing! said Bess. During her childhood, her family enjoyed a close friendship with an Italian family, The Grossos. She reminisced, They love crumb buns. After we perfected the recipe we sent some to New York for them to try. It passed the test! Mr. Grosso paid us the best compliment. He said, I havent tasted a crumb bun this good since my mother, rest her soul, made them. When you bite into a crumb bun, The Heavens Open up.' Calusa Fitness to hold grand opening March 24 Calusa Fitness, which specializes in group classes, CrossFit and personal training, will be holding its grand opening Saturday, March 24, from 9-11 a.m. The new fitness center is located at 871 Lafayette St., in Cape Coral. Owned by Gina and Ben Bollman, the gym will bring top-notch training to Cape Coral. Our goal is to deliver a unique and optimal fitness experience to our city, Gina said. For additional information about the facility, call 239-203-8867 or email info@calusafitness.com Fort Myers, Cape Hooters blood drives March 24 The Fort Myers and Cape Coral Hooters locations will be hosting blood drives for Lee Health Blood Center Saturday, March 24. The Pints for Pilsners Blood Drive will take place at the Hooters of Fort Myers, 4411 Cleveland Ave., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at Cape Coral Hooters, 3120 Del Prado Blvd., from 3-6 p.m. Those who donate a pint will receive a free pilsner draft of beer. LTP Management, a franchisee of Hooters of America, owns and operates 16 locations in South Florida. For more information about South Florida Hooters and their charitable outreach, visit www.HootersFlorida.com or follow us at Twitter @HootersFlorida, Instagram @SouthFLHooters and Facebook www.facebook.com/hootersflorida/. Young named new fire chief for Lee County Port Authority The Lee County Port Authority has named Tracy Wayne Young as chief of the Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting department. He will be responsible for managing all ARFF services including the planning and coordination of aircraft rescue, firefighting, medical response, fire safety, disaster preparedness and development of training programs for the 42-member department at Southwest Florida Interna-tional Airport and Page Field in Fort Myers. Youngs fire-rescue career spans 26 years as a firefighter for the United States Air Force Emergency Services. Since 2009, he served as the deputy fire chief at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Fire Emergency Services in Dayton, Ohio, where his responsibilities included administration and strategic planning of all firefighting, rescue, fire prevention, public education and advanced life support emergency medical services. From November 2015 to March 2017, Young served as fire chief for Wright-Patterson AFB during its fire chiefs deployment. He also worked for the Mad River Township Fire Depart-ment, City of New Carlisle Fire Division and the Bethel Township Fire Department, all located in Clark County, Ohio. Young has a bachelors degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University in Alabama. He holds many certifications including Firefighter I & II, Airport Firefighter, Fire Officer IV, Fire Instructor III and Fire Inspector III. He is also certified as a paramedic by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians and received the Chief Fire Officer designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. The Lee County Port Authority operates Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field in Fort Myers. For more information, please visit www.flylcpa.com. Flexport and Western Global Airlines announce partnership Western Global Airlines has announced that it has entered into a three-year agreement with Flexport to provide dedicated 747-400 freighter scheduled service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles beginning on April 5. The initial service starting in April will be roundtrip twice per week between Hong Kong and Los Angeles growing to three times per week in September. Based in Florida, minutes from the Southwest Florida International Airport, Western Global is a FAA Certified 121 all cargo airline operating its owned fleet of B747-400 and MD-11 freighter airplanes worldwide for many of the top airlines, express companies, logistics providers, humanitarian and relief organizations, and the US DOD. For more information about Western Global Airlines, visit www.WesternGlobalAirlines.com. GATES Construction Awarded Quality Life Center expansion GATES Construction has been selected as the construction manager for the Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida expansion. Quality Life Center is located at 3210 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Fort Myers. Designed by GMA Architects & Planners, the new addition will feature 6,000 square feet of space for a teen center, an enlarged kitchen and a multi-purpose room. For over 27 years, Quality Life Center has been instilling values of discipline, integrity and self-sufficiency by developing the potential of underserved populations in Southwest Florida with afterschool, early learning and teen leadership programs. For more on the capital campaign for the expansion of the Quality Life Center, please visit qualitylifecenter.org. GATES Construction serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs and Sarasota providing construction management, general contracting and design-build services. Its diverse portfolio of commercial, healthcare, multi-family, hospitality, institutional and special projects, showcases numerous landmarks successfully constructed over the past quarter of Century. For more, call 239-593-3777 or visit the website at www.GATESinc.com. Twenty-one students were honored Thursday by the Lee County Sheriffs Office during its monthly Do The Right Thing ceremony in the Board Room of the School Board of Lee County. Each month throughout the 2017-2018 school year, the Sheriffs Office honors the positive actions of the Southwest Florida communitys students through the Do The Right Thing student recognition program. The goal of Do The Right Thing is to reinforce positive behavior among youths and to establish students as role models for their peers. Do The Right Thing partners law enforcement, local government, the business and Lee County educational community together in an effort to make a lasting positive impact on our communitys young adults. Among the students honored were several from Cape Coral: Madison Harder of Cape Coral fifth grade Hancock Creek Elementary School Hancock Creek Elementary School bookkeeper Carmen Ocasio wrote that, one afternoon, as she was leaving our after school program, she found some money on the ground. Madison did the right thing by turning the money in to school authorities. We are proud of her honesty and the choice she has made. Emmerson Lowther of Cape Coral Kindergarten Hancock Creek Elementary School Hancock Creek Elementary School prevention specialist Dawn Engh wrote that, while the school was hosting its family night with reading and math activities located throughout the campus, Emmerson found cash on the ground outside a classroom. Once found, Emmerson began to ask several people if the money belonged to them, but it did not. Emmerson turned the money in to the school office, with the hope that the owner would claim it. Joden Thomas-Grote of Cape Coral fifth grade North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts Mariner High School resource officer Deputy David Conley wrote that, Joden observed activities that were improper and against school policy. He was able to document the infractions. He then immediately turned this information over to school administration officials and a school resource officer. Appropriate actions were then taken to address the infractions and remedy the situation. Joden was recognized last month, by the Cape Coral Police for these actions, and he should be considered for this award from the Lee County Sheriffs Office. Mark Anthony Essad of Cape Coral fifth grade Allen Park Elementary School. Lee County Safety Department, Fire and Safety Coordinator Dorn Beddow wrote Anthony is such a caring, giving child and full of life. He is a child who reaches out to help others and find ways to show them care and compassion. Before Christmas Anthony wanted badly to get involved in helping members of the United States Armed Forces. He became instrumental in getting his own financial funds together, at age 10, to purchase the many items to place in the stockings and send overseas to our soldiers. This was an unselfish act of a boy who sacrificed his own money to do this. He has also done a fantastic job in safety patrol at his school site and I cant compliment him enough. Today, 19 children will die or receive emergency treatment for a gunshot wound in the U.S. And tomorrow, another 19 will. And then another 19 the next day. In fact, 91 percent of all children who die from firearms in high-income countries across the world come from the United States, and guns are the third leading cause of death for all children between ages 1 and 17. Those are a handful of the sobering statistics reported in a new study on gun violence in Pediatrics. Following the Broward County tragedy, there is a large outcry from students across the nation! Let us be sure to listen to them, to hear them! According to the National School Climate Center, (educating minds and hearts, because the 3Rs are not enough) finding the right words is difficult. But we, as parents, educators and community leaders are called to do just that. It is our job to create safe places for young people to learn. The school doors open each morning. Our kids come in. And we must be there for them. We must communicate with parents who are overcome with sadness, fear and sometimes even anger and help them to feel safe entrusting their children to our care each day. We must also listen to the children and allow them to express their feelings. This clearly is a critical time to address these needs and to increase our Prevention efforts in Lee County, directly involving our schools, who house the captive audience every day! Safety is, and has been a priority for Lee County Public Schools. We have already participated in planning to increase the number of SROs and security specialists in our schools. Our law enforcement agencies are involved in ongoing communication with schools and all other public venues to provide protection and support. Over the past year or two, I have been involved in ongoing community conversations regarding Childrens Behavioral/Mental Health needs, to identify ways to create opportunities to combine school and community resources to better meet those needs. A Mental Health First Aid for Schools symposium, sponsored by Hodges University, is scheduled for March 16. Our District School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) consists of district staff and community agency representatives. They meet quarterly to share information to maximize our already existing partnerships with Lee Health, Drug Free Coalition, Salus Care, Health Department and others. As you may be aware, in 2017 we adopted a Comprehensive Health Education Policy here in Lee County after several years of advocating. I do believe that we have many systems in place that can serve the purpose if we increase community wide collaboration efforts. Our Student Services department staff are trained in identifying and removing barriers to learning and providing strategies and interventions designed to create safe learning environments. Implementing district wide use through training and communication can make a positive difference. Several of our staff members have been actively involved in collaborating with community agencies, acquiring and delivering services to our students, families and community organizations to better meet the needs of our students and families. We have a School Board Student Advisory Committee which meets monthly and provides critical information about its successes, concerns, ideas for the school environment. They are spot on, but, are we listening? What do we do with their recommendations? Safe Schools funding has dramatically decreased during the past decade. Florida ranks 50th in the nation in spending on Education. Following the tragic school shooting in Broward County, came an announcement that Florida will pay for the funerals! I ask why Florida wont pay up front for prevention education which would have a more far reaching impact? We need to be proactive rather than having to react in the face of tragedy. Lee County Schools are diligently working on identifying funding sources that will enable us to provide the most adequate safety and education experiences for our students. It is important for the members of the community to recognize that the future of our community depends on their support and encourage all to exercise both privilege and responsibility in being registered to vote and to use the powerful voice they have. We invite our students, parents, staff, and our community members join us in working to improving health and safety for all. Mary Fischer represents District 1 on the Lee County School Board To the editor: Marco Rubios school safety program is woefully short of anything that will be helpful. The real threat to our nation is not just in our schools. It is at our concerts, in restaurants, night clubs, movie theaters, churches, shopping centers, must I go on? Reality is that high velocity weapons such as the AR 15 are weapons of war and no civilian should ever own one and frankly the Second Amendment does not allow for this ownership. No one is trying to take guns away from people in the United States, we are just trying to have some common sense gun laws so that people who are violent, angry people, people with mental illness, people on the terrorist watch list, people who abuse animals, should not have access to guns. There is no reason for anyone who isnt in the military to have a semi automatic assault weapon in his or her possession, ever. These high velocity rifles destroy human organs to the point that the people cannot be saved. Let people have guns if theyre not one of the people listed above. Let them have rifles if theyre not one of the people listed above. But not semi automatic weapons and not high velocity weapons. These are killing machines, weapons of war. I beg you, Senator Rubio, please author your own bill to make Americans safe again. Sallie Troutman Cape Coral To the editor: All I could do reading Susan McGuires letter was smack my head! First of all, the disrespect shown Representative Rooney is blatant. Please note, his title is Representative, not Mr. The writer cites statistics of support or opposition to several policies but, as liberals are wont to do, doesnt cite her sources. Eighty percent support Net Neutrality? Ummmwho in their right mind would support the federal government running anything given their abysmal history of running programs from Social Security to education? But, contrary to the assertion, a Washington Post poll found 48 percent of all voters found the argument to repeal the rules convincing and 51 percent found it unconvincing. Only 28 percent oppose the Meuller investigation? Fifty one percent of those polled by NPR/PBS (hardly fans of conservatism) dont think or dont know if the investigation has been fair. Do most want it to continue? You betcha since we now know the Clintons and their dupes were up to their eyeballs in spreading lies about President Trump to influence the outcome of the election (yes, President Trump, not Trump.) When you have Democrats, who needs Russians?! Just ask Bernie Sanders. Oh, and then of course, the letter has to bring up guns and claims no one wants to talk about that. Really? While I did not hear Representative Rooneys thoughts on this admittedly volatile topic, I would like to hear the writers idea of how to protect schools and churches from lunatics and keep freedoms balanced? Its likely those killed and wounded in the S.C. and Texas church shootings wish someone in the church had a gun. And what if the law enforcement on the scene in Parkland had not been told to stand down and actually were allowed to use their weapons to take down the shooter sooner? We dont need more gun laws but rather enforcement of those currently on the books. But liberals wont be happy until there are no guns needing legislation. Knowledge that weapons may be present provides a deterrent, unlike gun free zones such as that in which the Parkland school was located. I can tell you I sleep very well at night knowing there is an NRA sticker on my front door and a Lady Smith in my nightstand. Ms. McGuire is a member of ROAR-Rise Up, Organize, Agitate and Resist. That is not the American way nor is it in the best interests of American citizens. Please ignore such blatant propaganda as was set forth in this letter to the editor. Denying the truth doesnt change the facts! Kathy Jones Saint James City Photo: Contributed Last week, I wrote about Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus recent trip to India and addressed some criticisms that had been levied. For example, there were allegations the Prime Minister and members of his cabinet are sympathetic to radicalized operatives who support the Khalistan separatist movement in India. At the time I wrote the report, I defended the Prime Minister and stated I believed Mr. Trudeau had attempted to refute these allegations and stated Canadas long support for a united India. The day after, it was revealed the Prime Minister had a guest invited to an official event who was convicted of an an act of terrorism after a failed attempt to assassinate an Indian cabinet minister visiting Vancouver Island in 1986. The presence of this individual created an international uproar that led to the Prime Ministers office engaging in damage control. At one point, Mr. Trudeaus handpicked national security adviser was put forward in a confidential news conference. Quoting from a reporter at the news conference, this high ranking national security official was peddling what must be one of the most bizarre conspiracy theories ever advanced by a Canadian government suggesting That the terrorist invited by the Liberals to Mumbai may have been planted there by the Indian government or maybe by Indian security agencies or perhaps by factions in the Indian government. Soon after this news conference, the Prime Minister and his office realized the media were not buying this unusual conspiracy, so it was suggested that a lone Liberal MP from British Columbia was responsible for the invite. The Prime Minister solemnly assured Canadians this MP would receive a stern talking to once back in Canada. Subsequently, this MP apologized, took responsibility and resigned as chairman of the BC Pacific Liberal Caucus. This appeared to be the end of this sad and embarrassing situation until the Prime Minister was asked about the validity of the conspiracy theory in Question Period. To the surprise of many, Mr. Trudeau stated, while standing in the House of Commons, that when a national security official says something to Canadians, it's because they know it to be true. In other words, Mr. Trudeau doubled down and backed the conspiracy theory. To date, the Liberal government has provided no evidence to substantiate this serious international accusation. In an almost unprecedented event, the Indian government issued an official response denying the allegations in their entirety and by extension questioned the credibility of Prime Minister Trudeau. Since that time, numerous pictures of the convicted terrorist have been circulating that show the individual and Mr. Trudeau together at various points in time. Serious concerns remain, yet to be answered by Mr. Trudeau or his Public Safety minister, Ralph Goodale. As a result, the Opposition tabled a motion at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (known as SECU) to meet with Mr. Trudeaus national security adviser and learn more about this alleged conspiracy theory. Unfortunately, the Liberal members of this committee used their majority to block this motion. Given that the former head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has also cast doubt on Mr. Trudeaus conspiracy theory, many are deeply concerned over this lack of transparency that directly question the credibility of Prime Minister Trudeau. My question this week: UPDATE: 12:47 p.m. Since Castanet published a report on a Cessna Citation safety issue at YLW earlier this week, we have since learned more about what is being called "a really dumb move on the pilot's behalf, that put lives at risk." Airline fuelling regulations require pilots to provide precise fuel specifications based on weight, type of aircraft, number of passengers and baggage, plus distance to be travelled. In this case, that formal request was provided and the prescribed amount of fuel was pumped into the Cessna. Once fuelling was complete, the pilots determined they had made a mistake, but instead of de-fuelling, they chose a risky manoeuvre, much like a burnout in a muscle car, to burn off the excess fuel. The subsequent overheating caused both tires to blow, and the fire was so hot the landing gear had to be completely replaced. There were seven passengers on board the plane who needed to be evacuated. Each tire is worth up to $60,000, and the entire cost of the escapade could reach $300,000, sources say. In addition, the plane sat on the taxiway for almost eight hours before it could be towed into a hangar for repairs. The Cessna is still being worked on five days later. ORIGINAL: 5 a.m. An incident at Kelowna International Airport has been referred to the Transportation Safety Board after seven passengers had to be escorted off a private plane, Monday. Castanet has learned the pilot may have been performing a high-risk manoeuvre to avoid having fuel removed from the aircraft. An airport employee tells Castanet the U.S.-owned Cessna Citation's fuel tanks were filled past the safety cutoff, and instead of calling crews back and emptying the tanks to the prescribed safety level, the pilot revved the engines and applied the brakes as the plane was taxiing to burn off the excess fuel. The end result was two flat tires, overheated brakes and seven passengers evacuated from the plane as a safety precaution. YLW airport manager Sam Sammadar said: "This is a rare occurrence, but we do have incidents like this one from time to time but we do have a safety management system, and it's robust. We always investigate the cause of these kinds of incidents and look at how they can be mitigated in the future." Sammadar says the TSB has been notified. Eric Collard with TSB in Gatineau, Que., says staff are looking into the incident, but have not launched a full investigation at this point. "We are aware of the occurrence and we are gathering information, but it's too early to tell if we're going to be doing a full investigation," he said. At this point, Collard says this is what they know: "A privately operated, foreign, U.S.-registered Cessna Citation was taxiing for departure. The main brakes were dragging, the brakes overheated and began to smoke, two tires went flat and the local response team responded." Collard indicated the public can anonymously volunteer information through the TSB website in regards to transportation safety issues. Photo: The Canadian Press Vancouver Aquarium The Vancouver Aquarium has dropped its legal battle against a filmmaker whose documentary criticized its practices of keeping dolphins and whales in captivity. The aquarium filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court in March 2016 against Gary Charbonneau alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract. The court granted an injunction to the aquarium a month later to remove disputed content from the one-hour documentary called "Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered,'' which it claimed would cause irreparable harm to the facility. But the Court of Appeal ruled last November that the aquarium failed to provide any evidence supporting the claim and highlighted freedom of expression while siding with Charbonneau. The aquarium filed a notice of discontinuance this week for the ongoing copyright dispute. This comes after the aquarium announced earlier this year that it would no longer display cetaceans at its facility. Santana, in his signature hat, and his band came out in head-to-toe white clothing, and quickly got to work melting the crowd's faces with their signature blend of Latin and rock-influenced music. While the bulk of the crowd's attention was paid to Santana and his legendary guitar skills, he was backed by three different percussionists, including Carlos' own wife Cindy Blackman Santana. David Matthews played on the keys, while Tommy Anthony and Benny Rietveld played guitar and bass, respectively. Andy Vargas and Ray Greene, meanwhile, took the lead vocals on some of Santana's classic hits like Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman and She's Not There. The 70-year-old's fingers haven't slowed one bit and the crowd was loving every second. Borrowing from another guitar legend, Santana even dove into Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child, giving the crowd a taste of the famous guitar riff as Greene followed along on trombone. It's so nice to be back in Hawaii! Santana told the crowd with a laugh. It feels like Hawaii in here, because you're hot, I don't feel the cold! Photo: Gold Trail School District A poster campaign at a school district in B.C.'s Interior aimed at creating conversations about racism and privilege has struck a nerve with some parents. Schools in the Gold Trail District hung up the posters featuring officials sharing their experiences with racism in January, but a comment about "white privilege" has some parents now questioning the purpose of the campaign. The poster at the centre of the debate features a photo of district superintendent Teresa Downs next to her quote that reads: "I have unfairly benefited from the colour of my skin. White privilege is not acceptable." Kansas Field Allen, whose son is a Grade 9 student at Kumsheen Secondary School in Lytton, said singling out one racial group is a disservice to blended families. Her husband is Aboriginal, as are their children, and she said since the posters went up, one person told her as a white person she should feel uncomfortable around her family. She said she's also heard of at least one child who said they felt ashamed for being white. "Racism is alive out there and our kids do need to learn about it, but they need to learn about it at an age appropriate level and they don't need to learn about one race over another," she said. "Let's talk to the students and see if we can do this in a better way, a more accepting way." Other posters feature district staff and comment on experiencing and needing to confront racism. Downs said the campaign fits into ongoing efforts to discuss inequality in schools and her comments about white privilege are a reflection of her own experience. "We understand that the discussion of race and privilege can make some people feel uncomfortable," she said in an interview. "But we are also mindful in this district that we cannot have a wholesome conversation about racism without acknowledging that racism results in some groups being privileged." The district serves about 1,100 students across rural communities and First Nations territories west of Kamloops. About 60 per cent of students identify as having Indigenous ancestry, Downs said. For many years, Downs said the district has been tackling issues of racism and colonialism, and has worked to follow recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The posters have gone largely undisputed by students and the community, Downs said. In some schools, students have on their own created "Got privilege?" posters to add to the campaign. Downs said part of the more recent criticism appears to stem from parents struggling with the term privilege. Some comments on social media have suggested Downs doesn't think she's worked hard to earn her role in the community or is discrediting other white people who do struggle socially or economically, she said. "I'm not saying that at all," she said. "The definition of privilege here doesn't mean high social status but just the acknowledgment that things in our society are at times easier for those who have white skin." Darren Lund, an education professor at the University of Calgary, said this type of backlash is not uncommon and people often prefer to stick with "colour blind" discourse, thinking that ignoring inequality and hierarchies is the way to move past it. Photo: The Canadian Press Ramin Seyed Emami, right, speaks to media Vancouver International Airport. The son of an Iranian-Canadian professor who died in a Tehran prison fought back tears after he arrived in Canada on Thursday as he explained how his mother reacted when she wasn't allowed to board their flight from Iran. Brothers Ramin and Mehran Seyed-Emami told reporters that moments before they boarded the flight to Vancouver, where they planned to start a new "peaceful" life, Iranian authorities confiscated their mother's passport and blocked her from leaving the country. Speaking in the arrivals area at Vancouver International Airport, Ramin said they're hopeful Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, who has expressed "outrage" at their mother's detention, will succeed in pressuring Iran to allow her to come to Canada. "They're trying to prevent us from rebuilding our lives," Ramin said of Iranian officials. Freeland issued a statement Thursday welcoming Ramin and Mehran to Canada. "At the same time, we were outraged to learn that their mother, Maryam Mombeini, Mr. Seyed-Emamis widow, was barred from leaving Iran for no apparent reason," she said. "We call on the government of Iran to immediately give Maryam Mombeini, a Canadian citizen, the freedom to return home." Freeland said Canada is continuing to demand answers from Iran on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mombeini's husband Kavous Seyed-Emami, a 63-year-old sociology professor who was being held at Tehran's notorious Evin prison earlier this year. Iranian authorities have said Seyed-Emami's death was a suicide, but the family and others have questioned that finding. Seyed-Emami's death sparked new anger in Iran over the treatment of detainees, especially after nearly 5,000 people were arrested in the wake of nationwide protests at the start of the year. Ramin said the family has faced intimidation by authorities since they began speaking out about his father's death. "Instead of being able to grieve the loss of our father in peace, we have been forced to endure harassment by the Iranian authorities," said Ramin, who was born in Iran but also lived with his family in Canada and the United States. It was difficult to say goodbye to his mother, said Ramin, a musician who performs under the stage name King Raam. "She said, 'I just want you guys to be safe and away from this horrible place. Don't ever come back,' " he said, his voice cracking. "I have friends with her at all times. I don't want her to be alone for one single second." Seyed-Emami was a professor of sociology at Imam Sadeq University in Tehran and the managing director of the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation. He was arrested on Jan. 24. Last month, Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said authorities had arrested several unidentified people on suspicion of spying under the cover of scientific and environmental projects. Photo: The Canadian Press Winston Blackmore A judge has rejected a challenge of Canada's polygamy laws that was launched after two men were found guilty of the offence in British Columbia. Winston Blackmore and James Oler were found guilty in B.C. Supreme Court last July of having multiple wives, but a lawyer for Blackmore argued the law infringes on the charter right to freedom of religion and expression. Justice Sheri Ann Donegan dismissed all arguments today that the charges should be stayed, including a claim that the prosecution was an abuse of process. Both men have been leaders in the small community of Bountiful in southeastern B.C., where court heard residents are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which condones plural marriage. Blackmore was found guilty of marrying two dozen women, while Oler was found to have five wives. Donegan did not set a date for sentencing in the case, but registered the convictions against the two men, which had been delayed while the constitutional arguments were made. In December, Blackmore argued that he believed he was allowed to practice polygamy because he wasn't charged when police investigated allegations about his multiple wives in the 1990s. His lawyer, Blaire Suffredine, argued the unions were never legal marriages, but common-law relationships sanctioned by Blackmore's church, which carry no legal weight. Special prosecutor Peter Wilson argued Blackmore was always at risk of prosecution, even though Canada's polygamy laws have in the past been constitutionally vague. Wilson said the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in a 2011 reference case that it is not unconstitutional to charge someone with polygamy. "The release of the polygamy reference was a sea change in the legal landscape,'' he said during legal arguments in December. "Nothing could have been more significant to a charging decision, in the circumstances of this case, than that.'' Photo: Contributed It may have started as a lark but the Vagina Monologues has grown to become a major talking point for women's issues and fundraiser for women's charities. In Kelowna Jessalyn Broadfoot, spear-headed the project, and the group held two shows, the first on February 22nd at the Landmark Beanscene; the second at the Laurel Packinghouse on February 23rd. Both shows were big successes and the team managed to raise just over $3,000.00 for the Elizabeth Fry Society. The cheque was presented on International Women's Day. The Elizabeth Fry Society last year served 3485 new clients ranging in age from children under ten to adults who are living with unresolved trauma issues. In the last ten months, 122 sexual assault cases have been reported to the Elizabeth Fry Society. The society has a victim service program that accompanies adult victims to the police station, hospital, court or with visits in their office. They are available to provide support immediately after a sexual assaultsafe planning, advice about court appearances, and help with victim impact statements. Director Michelle Novakowski explains, Whenever a victim feels ready to contact us is the perfect time. If the person wishes to report to police then in order to collect forensic evidence we need to get to the hospital sexual assault team within 72 hours (although this can stretch to 7 days). However you can make a police report later than that. You dont need to make a police report to access our services. They also provide ongoing therapy for children from infants to 19 who have experienced sexual abuse. Photo: Contributed A dead body has been removed from the Domtar pulp mill in Kamloops. The body was first discovered by employees on Wednesday in one of the ponds on the site at Mission Flats Road. "There has been some degradation of the body due to the material that was surrounding it," says Cpl. Jodie Shelkie from the Kamloops RCMP. Because of the body's state of degradation, it took several days for its removal. However, RCMP can't say for certain how long it has been there. "That is what the autopsy will have to determine, how much of the degradation of the body is because of time and how much is because of the material surrounding it." At this time, the gender, age or identity of the body are unknown. "Once an autopsy has been completed more information will be forthcoming," says Cpl. Shelkie. Officers are still processing the scene and the investigation is ongoing. A Canadian with a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has sent Castanet video of a brazen daytime robbery of what appears to be a jewelry store. The video, taken from the street by a Kelowna resident, shows the robbery in progress. A man with his face concealed is seen firing gunshots in the air before kicking a security guard and hitting him in the head with the gun. A few seconds pass, and then several armed men are seen leaving the Diamond International store and piling into a grey minivan. The final few seconds of the video show a woman carrying a baby in the foreground as the van speeds away. The person who provided the video wishes to remain anonymous for safety reasons. However, they did tell Castanet that the robbery happened last week. Several local newspapers in Puerto Vallarta confirm the incident. Puerto Vallarta is a popular destination for Okanagan residents. Kelowna International Airport offers direct flights to Puerto Vallarta. On Thursday, the Canadian embassy issued a safety and security warning for travellers visiting Playa del Carmen, on the east coast of Mexico. That warning comes in the wake of an explosion last month on a tourist ferry, which injured more than 20 people. It should be noted that there has been no travel advisory issued for Puerto Vallarta and, that Playa del Carmen is on the opposite side of Mexico, a 4.5-hour flight away from Puerto Vallarta. remaining 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. Witnesses testified on Thursday that a second person was displaying a gun during a "stampede" incident at Hamilton Place Mall on Feb. 24. Witnesses said a person coming down an escalator saw an individual hand a gun to 18-year-old David Ballard, then the unidentified man pulled his own gun and aimed it toward Ballard and his group. Defense attorney Lloyd Levitt called the man "a vigilante going around waving a gun" and said he was the one who started the panic at the mall that was crowded with patrons on a Saturday night. However, prosecutor Cameron Williams said the man was "a concerned citizen" who was trying to protect others at the mall. Following a lengthy hearing in which videos of a gang fight and the display of guns were shown General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes bound charges of aggravated riot, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a gun to the Grand Jury against Ballard. Judge Starnes said it was Ballard "who put the wheels in motion" for the mad dash from the mall. He said he endangered hundreds of patrons by fighting and pulling a gun, Also at the hearing, it was testified that a second person was hurt during the stampede. Witnesses said the manager of a store at the mall was knocked down and suffered a broken tibula. He is now in a cast and on crutches. A woman who was 26 weeks pregnant was knocked down and trampled by two different people running from the mall, Detective Jared Hamilton said. He said a citizen took her to a nearby hospital. Kim Noorbergen, director of mall security, said she was off that night, but got a call from her assistant manager. She arrived at 6:15 p.m. The incident began just after 6 p.m. She said it was "still kind of chaotic" at the mall as police officers with guns drawn were clearing the section near Sears. She said there was a report that a gunman had left the mall, then ran back in so the rest of the mall was also cleared. Ms. Noorbergen, who was with the city police for 28 years, said a "mallcast" had gone out in which store managers are told to lock their doors and retreat with customers and employees to the back of their stores. She said some employees and customers were still locked in stores. That night, she said, "was extremely busy" with hundreds of customers. She noted it was "income tax time" which added to the crowd. Ms. Noorbergen, who said Hamilton Place features 357 cameras, said no evidence was found that any shots were fired, but there was some property damager including planters knocked over and papers scattered on the floor. Detective Hamilton said a path of damage could be seen at the Rodizio Grill, with tables knocked over, glasses smashed and silverware strewn about. He said video shows a fight breaking out inside the mall at 6:03 p.m. between rival Crips and Bloods gangs. He said Ballard is with the Bloods. The witness said Ballard is shown with a gun with an extended magazine sticking out of his waistband. At one point he pulls the gun and places it by his side before returning it to his waistband. It was testified that at one point a black female is seen with a gun, and it is not known if that is the same gun that Ballard had that night. Detective Hamilton said as Ballard went up the escalator that an associate, Kadarius Coleman, handed him a gun. He said the citizen, who was coming down a nearby escalator, saw the exchange and pulled his gun. He said the citizen told a security guard, "He's got a gun" and then took off after Ballard. Detective Hamilton said Ballard is seen leaving the mall at the Sears exit and then ducking down between two vehicles. Afterwards, a Glock 37 with an extended magazine - similar to the one Ballard had in the mall - was found where he ducked down. He said an extended magazine meant the weapon could hold 30 rounds instead of the normal 15. He said there were 17 live rounds in the gun. Afterward, three different shell casings were found on the mall parking lot. Detective Hamilton said they were 9mm and not connected to the Glock. Attorney Levitt asked for a $25,000 bond, saying Ballard has no adult criminal record and is facing the lowest of the felonies, carrying just 1-2 years. He said he would be a favorable candidate for alternative sentencing and is diversion eligible. Prosecutor Williams said Ballard faced multiple charges in Juvenile Court, including especially aggravated robbery and intimidation of a witness. He said his probation was revoked 14 times. Judge Starnes raised the bond on the aggravated riot and reckless endangerment charges. Girls Preparatory School announced that national expert on girl development, psychologist and author Lisa Damour, PhD will be on campus next week. Dr. Damour is part of GPSs speaker series, Understanding Girls, that has included social media expert Katey McPherson (Oct. 2017) and best-selling author of The Wonder of Girls, Michael Gurian (June 2017). Dr. Damour will address the community next Thursday from 7-8:30 p.m., in GPS Frierson Theatre. Her presentation, which is free and open to the public, will include the seven transitions outlined in her book, give parents tools for responding to their daughters moments of stress and anxiety and more. Due to anticipated large crowds, registration for the event is recommended at GPS.edu/UnderstandingGirls. Dr. Damour provides a fresh and comprehensive perspective on girls and their relationships and offers ways for how we as parents and adults can best support them, says Dr. Autumn Graves, GPS head of school. Her expertise, backed by research and presented in an easily digestible and relatable manner throughout her book, is why I am so excited she is coming to share her insight with us. A condensed session will be offered to parents on Friday, March 16 from 9-9:45 a.m. in GPS Caldwell Commons, for those unable to attend Thursday evening. Also on Friday morning, Dr. Damour will speak with GPS faculty and staff, as well as invited area educators, about growth vs. fixed mindset in girls, and finding those teachable moments in and out of the classroom. She will then address the GPS student body. In her book Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, Dr. Damour assures parents that their daughters teenage years dont have to feel like a tangled mess for them or for her. "Theres a predictable pattern to how girls grow, a blueprint for adolescent development, and Dr. Damour pulls back the curtain on the teenage years and shows why a teen girls erratic and confusing behavior is actually healthy, necessary and natural. Untangled prepares parents for whats to come, and lets them know when its time to worry. "Drawing on decades of experience and the latest research to reveal the seven distinctand absolutely normaldevelopmental transitions that turn girls into grown-ups, Dr. Damour helps parents understand, connect, and grow with their daughters. When they know what makes their daughter tick, parents can embrace and enjoy the challenge of raising a healthy, happy young woman," officials said. Dr. Damour directs Laurel Schools Center for Research on Girls, writes the monthly Adolescence column for the Well Family section of the New York Times, and is a regular contributor at CBS News. She maintains a private psychotherapy practice and also consults and speaks internationally. Her New York Times best-selling book, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, has been hailed by Dr. Michael Thompson as the best description of the female adolescent journey that I have ever read and by The Washington Post as the most down-to-earth, readable parenting book Ive come across in a long time. She graduated with honors from Yale University and then worked for the Yale Child Study Center, before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. She draws on years of clinical experience and the latest research to provide sound, practical guidance to girls as well as to their parents, teachers and advocates. Brown University engineers have devised a new method of measuring the stickiness of micro-scale surfaces. The technique could be useful in designing and building micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), devices with microscopic moving parts. At the scale of bridges or buildings, the most important force that engineered structures need to deal with is gravity. But at the scale of MEMS -- devices like the tiny accelerometers used in smartphones and Fitbits -- the relative importance of gravity decreases, and adhesive forces become more important. "The main thing that matters at the microscale is what sticks to what," said Haneesh Kesari, an assistant professor in Brown's School of Engineering and coauthor of the new research. "If you have parts of your device sticking together that shouldn't be, it's not going to work. So in order to design MEMS devices, it helps to have a good way of measuring adhesion in the materials we use." That's what Kesari and two Brown graduate students, Wenqiang Fang and Joyce Mok, looked to accomplish with this new research. Specifically, they wanted to measure a quantity known as "work of adhesion," which roughly translates into the amount of energy required to separate a unit area of two adhered surfaces. The key theoretical insight developed in the new study is that thermal vibrations of a microbeam can be used to calculate work of adhesion. That insight suggests a method in which a slightly modified atomic force microscopy (AFM) system can be used to probe adhesive properties. Standard AFM works a bit like a record player. A cantilever with a sharp needle moves across a target material. A laser shown on the cantilever measures the tiny undulations it makes as it moves along the material's contours. Those undulations can then be used to map out the material's surface properties. Adapting the method to measure adhesion would require simply removing the metal tip from the cantilever, leaving a flat microbeam. That beam can then be lowered onto a target material, where it will adhere. When the cantilever is raised slightly, some portion of the beam will become unstuck, while the rest remains stuck. The unstuck portion of the beam will vibrate ever so slightly. The authors found a way to use the extent of that vibration, which can be measured by an AFM laser, to calculate the length of the unstuck portion, which can in turn be used to calculate the target material's work of adhesion. Fang says the technique could be useful in assessing new material coatings or surface textures aimed at alleviating the failure of MEMS devices through sticking. "Once you have a robust technique for measuring the material's work of adhesion, then you have a systematic way of evaluating these methods to get the level of adhesion needed for a particular application," Fang said. "The main advantage to this method is that you don't need to change a standard AFM setup very much in order to do this." The approach is also much simpler than other techniques, according to Mok. "Previous methods based on interferometry are labor intensive and may require many data points to be taken," she said. "Our theoretical framework would give a value for the work of adhesion from a single measurement." Having demonstrated the technique numerically, Kesari says the next step is to build the system and start collecting some experimental data. He's hopeful that such a system will aid in pushing the MEMS field forward. "We have MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes, but I don't think the field has quite lived up to its promise yet," Kesari said. "Part of the reason for that is that people haven't completely understood adhesion at the small scale. We think that a more robust way of measuring adhesion is the first step towards gaining such an understanding." New Fire Chief Tom Jenkins faces challenges While not quite as archaic as one of Cheney Fire Department's original engines, new Fire Chief Tom Jenkins will have his hands full upgrading the department's equipment while boosting firefighting personnel levels. After graduating high school in the early 1990s, Tom Jenkins spent a year at various jobs in the economically depressed region near Flemington, W.V. What jobs were available - working in a factory or in a coal mine - didn't appeal to him, and things seemed listless until one day when his father gave him an ultimatum. "Dad said 'you've got to do something productive with your life so go to college or go into the service,'" Jenkins said. Not believing he was college material, he chose the latter and began a 23-year career in the U.S. Air Force that culminated with being selected Cheney's new fire chief late last year. Jenkins steps into the position left vacant since the departure of former chief Mike Winters in August 2016. Upon selecting the Air Force, Jenkins was given nine job choices, of which he picked the fire service part of the branch. After completing fire academy training in San Angelo, Texas in 1995, Jenkins headed for his first duty station at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, stopping in West Virginia long enough to marry his high school sweetheart. Jenkins tour at McGuire was interrupted by a one-year deployment at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia in 1998 and then another year assignment at an airfield in Honduras. Jenkins said he still wasn't sure what he wanted to do in the service, so the Air Force made him an offer - if he accepted being a fire chief they would guarantee him that career permanently. The couple spent 10 years at McGuire, during which Jenkins helped build a new fire department at the base and his wife completed her nursing training program. After that, they headed to Fairbanks, Alaska for four years where Jenkins became a senior noncommissioned officer. Jenkins then accepted a military trainer position at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. His duties there were to "mentor, mold and lead the next generation of Air Force officers," exposing the military side of their careers to what is essentially a collegiate environment at the academy. The family - Jenkins and his wife now had three children - eventually moved to Wichita, Kan., thinking it would be their final assignment. But after three years, a move up to fire chief and eight months of serving as the executive assistant to the base's squadron commander, along with several medical conditions facing his wife, left Jenkins considering three locations for their next move: Arizona, South Carolina and Fairchild Air Force Base. They chose Fairchild, partly because Jenkins said he doesn't care for heat, a lot because of the proximity of good medical facilities in Spokane for his wife and the reputation of the assignment. "Over my career, people always told me Spokane is a phenomenal assignment," he said. Jenkins arrived in June 2016, and served as the base's fire chief and six months as squadron superintendent. At a breakfast last summer in Cheney with other West Plains fire chiefs, he learned of the open Cheney department position. "At that point I connected with other area fire chiefs who said 'If you have an opportunity to go to Cheney, jump on it,'" Jenkins said. Jenkins was surprised when he was offered the position, and after some negotiating with the Air Force command, was released from military duty and became Cheney Fire Chief. From an equipment aspect, what he inherits now at the fire station on Fourth Street is "archaic" compared to Department of Defense fire apparatus. "But it's the quality of people (in Cheney) that is the best," he said. The city purchased a new main attack engine at the end of 2017, spending $750,00-$800,000 on the much needed upgrade that should be delivered later this year. Jenkins is also looking at other immediate needs such as new self-contained breathing apparatus air cylinders to replace existing units hovering on being out of date. There is about $200,000 worth of upgrades needed with the department's fire station, including revamping its resident firefighters living quarters. The department is also understaffed - and in fact is afoul of state law requiring a minimum number of firefighters per call in order to operate safely. To deal with that, Jenkins has instituted a part-time paid volunteer firefighter program, and has so far seen his hoped for 18 members sign up, with 14 attending the first meeting on March 1. With annual call volumes rising - most of which are medical - Jenkins said upgrades in equipment and more personnel are essential in fulfilling the department's mission. "Our number one goal is to make sure everyone goes home safe each and every day," he said. John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com. Guest Commentary By FRANK WATSON Contributor My wife and I just got home from a winter vacation in Argentina. It was a great trip. I learned more about the southern hemisphere than I thought I ever would. We went fishing for a week in the largest swamp in the world and toured four of Argentinas largest cities. Oscar was our guide through the wine country of Mendoza. We were together long enough to discover that we had much in common and became friends. Oscar was well versed in the geography, politics and history of his country. He related that following World War II, Argentina was an economic powerhouse with the eighth largest GNP in the world. Since then it has declined and currently struggles through cycles of bankruptcy and recovery. Oscar asked me what I thought caused the change in economic fortune. I thought about his question for several hours before I shared my conclusion that the decline was caused by socialism. When Juan Peron came to power, he made sweeping changes in economic policy. He instituted a minimum wage, shortened the work week and established entitlement programs for the poor and unemployed. Argentina was one of the first nations in the world to provide universal health care at no cost to the patient. Free public education includes a four-year college degree. These programs were, and still are, widely popular but someone has to pay for them. The tax burden on industry and entrepreneurs forced many businesses to close while others moved out of the country. After 25 years of socialism, with the economy teetering on collapse, the military took control and tried to initiate reform, but it was too late. The economy imploded in the early 1980s. The government borrowed heavily in an attempt to find its way out of the hole. By 2002, they were unable to make loan payments and declared national bankruptcy; the largest default in history. Contrary to what Bernie Sanders would have us believe, socialism doesnt work. It didnt work in Argentina and it wont work in America. Free programs are not free. To say that the government pays for them is ludicrous. The government doesnt generate money. It takes dollars from those who are successful and redirects them to others. Redistribution of wealth is a negative incentive for those who take risks and contribute to our national economy. It is in our national interest for our businesses to succeed. Redistribution of wealth only makes success more difficult. President Trumps new tax plan recognizes this. He has made more than his share of mistakes, but the tax plan is not one of them. It must be noted that no plans for economic recovery include elimination of any of the costly social programs, neither in Argentina nor the U.S. The conservatives now in control of Congress have never proposed elimination of any significant social welfare program. Never. Once begun, these programs are permanent. Even in times of crises, no politician would dare to suggest that we cut Social Security payments or reduce aid to unwed mothers. If we keep adding social welfare programs and increasing debt, we will follow the same path that Argentina walked to economic oblivion. Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 19 years. Guest Commentary Fair maps for our children, for our Hispanic communities, for our futures My son will vote for the first time next year. And for his first time, the state of Indiana will have brand new legislative and congressional districts. It should feel like a clean... Voice of the People During the 13 years I have called Chesterton my home, there are few small-town activities I have come to enjoy quite like the high schools homecoming parade. It is always a beautiful moment of celebrating our students, gathering for an afternoon of fun and seeing... Voice of the People I find it hard to believe that the majority of Town employees will put their self-interest over the GREATER GOOD which is, the viability of the Town of Chesterton by not getting vaccinated. Our town tried to save money by self-insuring itself. We could be... Guest Commentary Local coalition aspires to achieve smokefree air for all More than 1 in 5 Indiana adults smoke cigarettes (21.5%), one of the highest rates in the nation, while the number of youths using vaping products remains a concern for anti-smoking advocates. Secondhand smoke is estimated... The three teams are all in the same group for the competition which will start in September. The team which finishes first and advances to the last four will then host the semifinals, final and third-place match next June. Asked how he would feel about Mourinho "parking the bus" and setting his side up defensively to counter Liverpool's attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, the German said he would never use the phrase. The 26-year-old becomes the second player in Serie A to test positive this season. Benevento captain Fabio Lucioni was banned for one year for using an anabolic steroid. The spread, nearly ubiquitous in the United States, barely registers beyond North America. As Northwestern marketing professor Brian Sternthal put it to the HuffPost, "in many parts of the world, peanut butter is regarded as an unpalatable American curiosity." One New Yorker writer described his acquaintances from Northern Ireland responding to his jars of Skippy with disgust, "as if peanuts were synonymous with maggots." In a 1981 essay, William F. Buckley Jr., described the students at his British boarding school tasting the nutty treat, then spitting it out. (No wonder, he wrote, "they needed help to win the war.") Just as bitcoin has infiltrated conversations, headlines and financial exchanges, lessons on the digital currency and its underlying technology are springing up in university classrooms around Illinois. Some professors are altering lesson plans that before just grazed the subject, while some schools are adding entire bitcoin and blockchain classes to their course lists. As far as Hostess, Im very hopeful. Obviously, they know theres problems and you cant really blame them yet. We have to see what their steps are first as far as what theyre going to do to get us adequate training and whatever needs to be done, said Willie Salinas, 45, a machine operator since August. But Hudson does see the impact bringing back the steel jobs could have on his friends who were laid off two years ago. One took a job at Olin Corp., which makes ammunition; another is now an airport baggage handler. Both make about half what they made at U.S. Steel, Hudson said. Others, he said, have taken entry-level jobs to fill the gap, taking even larger pay cuts. The average wage of jobs at the steel plant was $64,000. Over-the-air radio revenue peaked at about $18 billion in 2006, but it fell precipitously during the Great Recession and has never really recovered. While the radio industry is seeing some growth in online advertising, over-the-air revenue remains flat, generating about $14.1 billion in 2016, according to media research firm BIA/Kelsey. Cut 1 chicken into 8 or 10 pieces. Transfer to a bowl; pour in buttermilk to cover. Season 2 cups flour with 2 teaspoons salt plus paprika and oregano to taste. Transfer to a large paper bag. Pull the chicken from the buttermilk, and let the excess drip off, then add it to the bag. Toss to coat, then shake off any excess flour. Heat a heavy, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add enough oil to cover the bottom by about 3/4 inch. When the oil gets hot (350 degrees), add the chicken pieces, making sure they're not touching. When golden brown, flip with tongs; cook until the other side browns and the internal temperature is 165 degrees. "I ordered my lunch, paid at the first window and moved up to the second window to pick up lunch. When I got to the window, the clerk looked at me with my drink in hand and stopped. For the record, I am in full uniform and an unmarked car. She handed my drink to another clerk and walked away in disgust," Lancaster wrote on Facebook. Ive learned so much. Ive pushed myself so hard. Im excited to take that back home, Flamm said. Im excited to bring that back to Spiaggia, see how far I can push it there, you know, with me and Tony, until Im ready for the next chapter. But first he worked as a missionary in the dumps of Tijuana, where entire neighborhoods resided. I was looking for something to alleviate the darkness in my family, Urrea said. He met a pastor who brought him to an orphanage near his grandmothers home in Tijuana. The pastor would seduce kids with doughnuts and chocolate milk then hit them with Bible study, and I was having a personal religious resurgence. Theres this little girl on the floor at my side who looked related to me. I mean, could be my family are copulating fools. This girl, shes tough. Her name is America. Seriously. She begs me not to leave, said nobody spoke Tijuana Spanish in the orphanage like I did. I told her Id return, and the pastors waiting for me outside: Dont lie to my kids. That girl will wait years for you, wondering the whole time what she did wrong when you never show. So, he ended up staying in the dumps, on and off, from the late 1970s until 1987, translating, washing feet, combating lice. I did know, though, that I would insist on my wife, Beth, coming along. If you have a dinner date with three beautiful stars of adult films, it's a no-brainer that you bring your wife. First: because if your wife is my wife, she'll get a kick out of it. Second, because bringing your wife will be a clear signal to the ladies that your intentions are friendly and aboveboard. And lastly, so your wife will let you go. Beth and I had no idea what to expect. Would they be creepy? Sleazy? Embarrassing? Would we stare at each other in silence, realizing that the gap was just too wide between our staid Midwest suburban life and their exotic 24/7 bacchanal of sexual excess? But just a short while after we all sit down, everybody's chatting happily, Nina Hartley is ordering all kinds of food for everybody at the table -- she's sort of a mother figure, it turns out -- and Beth is sneaking off to the bar with Shane to sneak a cigarette and talk about raising kids. "Anything strike your fancy as an appetizer?" I ask Stormy. Take a look behind the scenes of Long Way Home, the Q Brothers collaboration with the Chicago Children's Choir, in this latest Showcase. To a large extent, the interesting play "Time is On Our Side," penned by R. Eric Thomas, set in Philadelphia and getting a Midwestern premiere from the About Face Theatre, is about the collision of those two truths. Or, to put that more simply, it offers a discussion of that much debated, au courant question: Who has the right to tell whose story? As in other branches of the creative professions, the two hosts of a Philly podcast dedicated to the "queering" of history want to reach as broad an audience as possible, for political as well as personal reasons. But Curtis (Rashaad Hall) is more comfortable than best pal Annie (Maggie Scrantom) when it comes to branding what they do especially when it means "queering" the history of Annie's family, wherein grandparents led lives of quiet complexity (Esteban Andres Cruz and Riley Mondragon play those elders, although both are still young themselves). Season 2 gives the heroine the space to grapple with issues lost on most of her male counterparts such as being maligned for being too powerful and come out swinging with the knowledge that her actions have lasting repercussions beyond the mangled body of that car she flipped or that brick wall she reduced to a pile of rubble. "It's an insult not to me, but to the vast majority of the American people who like me cherish their faith," he said. "It demonstrates how out of touch some in the mainstream media are with the faith and values of the American people. That you could have a major network like ABC permit a forum for invective against religion like that." President Trump has been very clear from the beginning that he is not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks. But he is willing to accept an invitation at this time to meet and to allow and really expects North Korea to put action to these words that were conveyed via the South Koreans, a senior administration official said. Phyllis Petruzzelli spent the week before Christmas struggling to breathe. When she went to the emergency department on Dec. 26, the doctor at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital near her home in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood said she had pneumonia and needed hospitalization. Then the doctor proposed something that made Petruzzelli nervous. Instead of being admitted to the hospital, she could go back home and let the hospital come to her. When he worked at United, Mainzer remembers reserving a few seats in the exit rows or the front of economy class for frequent fliers. But this seemed different. A review of the seat maps on his wife's flight, viewed while he was logged on to his elite-status account and also from his wife's nonelite account, showed that virtually every window seat had been blocked, ostensibly for frequent fliers. A "block" means it's impossible to access or reserve the seats. President Donald Trump isnt running in the primary, but there are plenty of Trump cards being played in Illinois politics. Hes the political bogeyman around here. And even though theres a war in Syria and Trump is apparently going to hug North Korea rocket man Kim Jong Un, the media is turgid with reports that years ago, before he even talked about running for president, Trump had sexual congress with a porn star named Stormy Daniels. When they got on the plane that morning, they werent sure exactly where in Parkland they were going, or who they were going to meet, and Trinity wasnt sure at first who was the woman who had picked them up at the airport. She felt anxious wondering whether the woman had lost a child in the shooting. The gathering echoed what Gonzalez has expressed in social media posts and in an essay published last month in Harpers Bazaar: This started with, has been about, will always be for, all of us. And who are we? We are the people who died in the freshman building on Valentines Day at Douglas High, and the people who died in every mass shooting in U.S. history. We are everyone who has been shot at, grazed or pierced by bullets, terrorized by the presence of guns and gun violence in America. The men had been working for most of the morning in the underground tunnel where a conveyor belt, used to bring crushed up stone to be processed into the concrete mix, is located. Hot water and steam is used to loosen up the stone to make it travel easier on the conveyor belt but no one seems to know what caused the fumes, Langford said. A man was shot late Thursday on the Eisenhower Expressway when someone in a passing car opened fire in the outbound lanes at Cicero Avenue on Chicagos West Side, according to Illinois State Police. The officer gave chase on foot and radioed a description. Bauer, downtown for a meeting with aldermen after attending training for mass shootings earlier in the day, was on duty and in uniform in his police vehicle at Lake and Clark streets when he heard the radio call of a fleeing suspect. Moments later, Bauer saw Legghette running nearby, got out of his vehicle and ran after him, authorities said. But a prosecutor told the judge, the transcript showed, that a new lawyer was set to defend Legghette, likely signaling that the trial would need to be continued. Worse, the new lawyer had told the prosecutor that he was unable to make it to court because he was on his way to a chiropractor after hurting his back, according to the transcript. "If I wanted to be partisan, you know what I would do? I'd just drop it," Mendoza said. "Because honestly, if I was taking bets today, I'd think we're gonna have a new governor, and it's gonna be a Democrat. And I could just drop this and say, 'Ya know what, let them do whatever they wanna do with their budgets.' " (Bill Lukitsch) More than 15 years ago, a former girlfriend made an accusation against me. A jury of nine women and three men determined those charges were unfounded, the statement said. The claims were false then and are false today. Since then, I have been a champion for womens issues in Springfield and in the district, and I have built strong working relationships with many female progressive legislators standing shoulder to shoulder with them to protect and promote women. Some say Trump could be setting himself up for failure amid doubts over whether Kim has any intention to relinquish a formidable atomic arsenal that he has made central to his personal stature and North Korea's standing in the world. Kim would also boost his own standing by becoming the first of the three hereditary leaders of North Korea to sit down with an American president. Im more comfortable with what the great humorist Will Rogers once observed: The Supreme Court reads the election returns. Crime rates soared in the run-up to the overturning of Washingtons firearms regulations. Politicians and the public demanded something be done, and so the court did something. Still, that posed an issue that is with us still: Does the right of self-defense entitle someone to own an AR-15? For the two two-year terms: Kimberly Neely DuBuclet is unopposed for the first of these. But youll find no candidate for the second. Take a moment, ask an election judge for guidance if you wish, and write in Cam Davis. Thats Cameron Davis, who was President Barack Obamas point person on Great Lakes restoration. He also headed the Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes and served as a litigation attorney for the National Wildlife Federation. Davis wrote federal legislation to protect the lakes and co-chaired the Obama administrations Asian carp coordinating committee. He says hes spent his career, including time at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working for the publics right to clean water. We hope at least 8,075 Democratic primary voters write in Cam Davis. He is endorsed. None of that may matter to Trump, with his penchant for winging it. But his assent to a meeting is indeed a gamble, and the stakes couldnt be much higher. Trump has already made it clear that the only acceptable outcome is denuclearization. Will Kim be willing to relinquish the very nuclear weapons that give him so much clout? If talks end and Trump doesnt get what he wants, Kim will walk away with strengthened legitimacy and a nuclear weapons program with American cities as primary targets. Trump will walk away boasting of his reasonableness in meeting with Kim. That could give him flexibility for whatever comes in the future such as a pre-emptive U.S. strike if North Korea becomes more menacing. In just one of four sworn statements entered along with the lawsuit, Michelle Brane, an attorney and director of the Migrant Rights and Justice Program at the Womens Refugee Commission, says we have been able to identify separation of parents from children at the border in at least 429 cases collected from our own experience, legal service providers, attorneys, and social service agencies around the country. While the Womens Refugee Commission acknowledges that the separation of an immigrant child from an adult with whom they are traveling may be appropriate in certain cases where there is substantiated reason to suspect that the adult and child are not in fact related, or reason to suspect that the child is in imminent physical danger from the adult, this has not been shown in any way to be the case in the above referenced identified cases. The children in these cases range from toddlers to young teenagers. In several outings as an election judge, I was appalled by the low voter turnout in the precincts in which I worked especially for primary elections (where only 19 percent of eligible voters came out to the polls during the last off-year primary in 2014). Then, as now, many positions were contested, and the voters had choices about who should move on from the primaries to compete in the November elections. Eighty-one percent of eligible voters had influence they failed to use. And I also assume, as most of the world does, that this sort of thing doesnt bother your forgive the expression hardcore supporters. After all, they didnt desert you after the Access Hollywood tape, the numerous credible accusations that you sexually harassed women, the mocking of the disabled, the taunting of the Gold Star family and so on. If anything, these and other raw moments bolstered your reputation for authenticity. Slime is not something companies build their brand on, let alone an enduring one. Well, except Nickelodeon, which has been sliming folks of all ages for nearly 40 years, and, in 2018, is finding new ways to do so. At Mart Plaza, you have prime viewing of the river dyeing. For that reason, youre also surrounded by some of our favorite restaurants and bars. We recommend 3 Greens Market, Gene & Georgetti and River Roast for food on the east side of the river, but if youre willing to head just a few blocks west to the West Loop, youll find some of the best dining and drinking spots in the city, including Girl and the Goat, the Publican, avec and, really, practically anything in the West Loop. The alderman said at one point he and his husband were facing down eight to 10 men who appeared drunk or high on illicit drugs, one of whom confronted him and another who put him in a headlock. Do you have an event coming up you would like to see included in Five Things to Do? Email your item, including time, date, place and a contact number, to wweber@tronc.com at least two weeks before the event. The developers have agreed to add a fence to the property, and also agreed to make it a solid fence, although it would run only along about half of the property. Residents and some officials have said they would like to see it run the width of the entire property. My first response is typically to save money, but upon reflection, the second reason is far more significant. When I ran to be your mayor, it was because I want to see our city continue to grow and thrive to move past the old reputation that no longer serves or represents us rejecting the status quo. As the second largest city in the state of Illinois, our residents deserve the best, and deserve the opportunity to decide for ourselves what we will and will not accept as a city in every way, shape and form including elections. No equipment on the ground is needed, Rowland said. The antenna is about 3 feet tall and would be installed about 7 feet on top of the pole. A distribution box about the size of a shoebox also would be attached to the pole at a height of 11 feet, above the reach of passers-by. We all selfishly want her to come with us to the new hospital, because she does a great job and we are all a little anxious without her after being with her for so long, Epstein said. But at the same time, we know after almost 40 years of service to Lake Forest Hospital, she absolutely, positively deserves to retire and have some time for herself and her family. The traffic stop occurred in 2012, though, and Larson said she didnt realize it was unlawful until conferring with an attorney five years later. Towne said that fell outside the states two-year statute of limitations, and this week U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve agreed, dismissing the case. According to charging documents, Rome bit the officer, struck him in the face with his fist and slammed his head into the ground about 11 a.m. Wednesday. Rome also allegedly tried to take the officers gun, which was holstered, the charging document said. Later in the day, Lackland drove to a residence where one of the packages of fentanyl analogues from China that he'd tracked had been delivered earlier in the day. Unbeknownst to him, the package had been intercepted days earlier by authorities and was equipped with a tracking device and trigger, the special agent's affidavit states. The FBI office in Westchester County, N.Y., is seeking a fugitive wanted in an investigation into the Hells Angels motorcycle gang and says he could have gone to Illinois and may be in Joliet or Will County. The shooting happened just after 1 a.m. Friday at Izzys bar, in the 500 block of Theodore Street. According to a news release from the Joliet Police Department, bar patrons were able to disarm the suspected shooter and keep him detained until police arrived. Charges against the suspect are pending, police said. The Orland Park History Museum is offering the chance to learn about how exhibits are prepared, view museum collections and learn about the different types of preservation efforts used to protect Orland artifacts from 2 to 3 p.m. March 24 at the museum, 14415 Beacon Ave. The tour is open to those age 18 and up, and the fee is $9 for residents or $14 for others. More information is at 708-873-1622. "We're very guest centered and learner centered. Because of that we've become more aware of the needs of the people who are coming to visit us. And 1 out of every 5 people in the U.S. has some form of disability. I don't know that we have that volume visiting the zoo, but we'd like to, so we want to make sure the zoo is accessible," he said. That left an opening for Kennedy, who reportedly started moving up. The easiest attack on Kennedy would've been the Democrats' praise of the Republican Rauner. "I think Bruce Rauner is trying to do what he thinks is best for the state of Illinois," Kennedy said in January when asked by a reporter if the Rauner campaign was, indeed, acting like some sort of super PAC on behalf of Pritzker's challengers. In the case so far, the village first had to commence action to show the court that the properties were dangerous and unsafe, then post notice of the intended action to see if anybody would come forward, Smith said. Once all the demolition costs are determined, the village will go back to court to secure a lien against the property or foreclose a lien against the property. At Glencoe Youth Services, Margaret Ann Paauw assumed the role of executive director in January, marking a return to the organization where she worked from 2013-2015. Paauw's came back to Glencoe Youth Services a few months after Jaimie Frazin took over late last year as the executive director of the Special Needs Adult Program (SNAP), which operates out of the Glencoe Youth Services building and is overseen by the Glencoe Youth Services board of directors, but the two organizations run separately. The victim was subsequently taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation revealed that the victim was shot in North Chicago in the area of the initial call, he said. Authorities said the chase began after Howell, who lived in Waukegan, tried to steal a semi-automatic pistol from a man from whom he had initially arranged to buy the weapon for $600. A surveillance video shows the two fighting. Howell at one point aimed the gun at the man, who pushed the weapon to the ground, where it then discharged, authorities said. I could go on and on and on about "The Blues Brothers," but consider this Illinois Bicentennial honor to be a victory for true antiheroes two guys from the wrong side of the tracks who go on "a mission from God" to save an orphanage. An antihero is never some conniving kid from Wilmette exploiting everyone he knows to play hooky at a French restaurant (interior scenes of which were filmed in Los Angeles, by the way). "Both the board and the sheriff's office are aware of the state's fiscal challenges," Bibbiano said in a candidate statement. "I see an opportunity to strengthen our partnership even further to use taxpayer dollars efficiently. For example, as technology gets cheaper and faster, the sheriff's office can take advantage of smarter policing by integrating predictive analytics software, automatic license plate readers and handheld fingerprint scanners to better equip deputies on patrol." Firefighters were called to the Maple Parks Apartments at 1330 E. Chicago Ave. about 12:35 p.m. on a report that the building's roof was on fire, Naperville Fire Bureau Chief Jim Kubinski said. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the roof, preventing it from spreading into the apartments, Kubinski said. Henriksen said so many Naperville-area students are under pressure to get into the best four-year colleges and end up graduating with huge amounts of debt. "It's not so much where you are going but what are you going to do with your life," she said. Check driver's licenses before entering building: Before you're allowed to go into a District 204 elementary school, you stand in front of a camera and microphone and state your reason for being there. If the person assigned to buzz in visitors thinks your reason is sufficient, you are granted permission to enter. After you are in the school, you must then provide a driver's license to scan to ensure you are a good person. The problem is you could be a bad person and you are now in the building! Simple fix: move the driver's license scanning device outside the building. "But it also drives down the point that we're trying to make. We want to offer sympathy to the students of Parkland and also respect the fact that they are young adults and they do have the right to speak up on their own behalf," Fielden said. The property site is 43,687 square feet, with the proposed Culver's restaurant consisting of 5,866 square feet, the plan commission findings found. While exceeding the 25,000-square-foot threshold, the project did not need to go through the more extensive planned development process "because it consisted of little more than remodeling an existing restaurant for a new-branded restaurant," the commission found. Morask, the only elected official to vote against tabling the motion, said it was "just not fair" to keep township staff working so late, as they need to return the next day at 8:30 a.m. and "many of them live far." If the district fails to meet that threshold, officials must justify the cuts, Kolstad said, adding that it is acceptable to reduce spending if it is caused by the graduation of a special education student or the replacement of one teacher with another who is less experienced and paid accordingly. Much of the debate between the defense and prosecution leading up to trial centered around a journal kept by the victim in the case and how much of it should be presented to jurors. Cappas had the victim turn the journal over to the court so he could review it. A man facing felony charges for allegedly killing two small dogs last month in Porter Township will remain in jail pending a bond hearing after a judge on Friday called him "a danger to the community." Anthony Priestas, 23, with addresses in Hammond and Hebron, is charged with two felony counts of killing a domestic animal for allegedly killing two pugs that belonged to a woman who'd previously spurned his romantic advances, according to court records. Priestas stole the dogs Feb. 21 from a Winfield home where the woman lived with her family, court documents said. Priestas appeared via video conference for an initial hearing Friday before Porter Superior Court Judge David Chidester during which his attorney, Steve Alvarez, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf. Chidester told Priestas a separate bond hearing would be held at a later date and in the meantime, adult probation would conduct a domestic violence assessment so that input could be included in the decision. "The court right now finds no bond because you are a danger to the community," Chidester said, adding Priestas violated a previous bond pertaining to a recent unrelated arrest. Priestas was arrested Tuesday by Porter County police at the county courthouse in Valparaiso and transported to Porter County Jail. According to online court documents, Priestas was at the courthouse for a hearing on a felony charge of residential breaking and entering in an unrelated case. "Your honor, there's no way to do a bond right now?" Priestas said, continuing until Alvarez cut him off. "Anthony, stop talking," Alvarez said. "Don't say anything that will incriminate yourself," Chidester added. Brandy Ortiz, who has said she received the dogs, Marley and Mugsy, as a Christmas present from her parents seven years ago, told police investigating the allegations that "she remembered a male subject who has been trying to date her but she has stayed off his advances," court documents said. The dogs were reportedly stolen the morning of Feb. 21 from the Winfield home Ortiz shares with her parents. A neighbor told police "that the suspect had walked, facing her, holding a pug under each of his arms as he returned to his vehicle," according to the documents. A short time later, around 10:30 a.m., a resident in the vicinity of the 100 South block of County Road 400 West in rural Porter Township allegedly saw Priestas "slamming a small canine onto the ground several times," according to documents, as well as allegedly beating the dog with some sort of black object. The resident reported she heard an animal "screeching" in pain. "She advised she opened the front door and yelled at the male subject to stop hurting the dogs. She advised the male looked up at her with a 'very angry look' and threw the same canine he was beating into the water" before speeding away in a car, the documents state. The Winfield neighbor and the Porter Township resident reportedly selected Priestas out of photos of possible suspects provided by investigators, documents said. Animal control officers found the two dogs dead in a water-filled culvert, according to the documents, and Ortiz and her family later identified them at the Porter County Animal Shelter after an employee there saw Ortiz's post on social media about her missing dogs. The charges against Priestas carry a sentence of six months to 2 years in the Department of Correction, Chidester said, with a presumptive sentence of one year at the county jail on each count. The maximum fine is $10,000 per count. Chidester set a dispositional hearing for March 20, a pretrial conference for June 5, and a jury trial for July 30. The latex gloves were submitted to the Indiana State Police Laboratory and the results showed a mixture of DNA that at the time could not be separated, Lane said, adding the police lab purchased new technology at the end of last year that could separate the DNA. TruNarc won't work for everything, though, Martinez said. If drugs are wrapped in a colored packaging or is covered in axle grease "to deter the K-9 dog from smelling the narcotic," TruNarc has a hard time registering the substance properly, Martinez said. In those cases, officers have to physically open and test the drugs with kits themselves, he said. "Don't act like we're exposing them to something awful," said Hinckley. "There are a lot of great kids in Gary, Indiana. Come on now. To worry if your kid passes another kid in the hallway, we'll have a terrible situation, let's not talk like that." Caldwell, who chairs the council's boards and commissions committee, said she wants people interested in serving in any of the positions to get resumes to her at city hall, 401 Broadway, by March 29 at noon. That is when she plans to oversee a hearing to review applicants, with selections to be made by early April. The move comes after Kathy Kozuszek, the Democratic director in voter registration, sent a letter to some election board and party officials stating that she would no longer handle elections because doing so ran afoul of state statute. Members of the county council raised concerns about the fate of the responsibilities last month because of the letter. More than 1,800 students using $8.6 million in vouchers went to 16 schools run by the Gary Diocese in Lake and Porter counties, making it the region's biggest beneficiary. An official with Gary Diocese schools was not immediately available for comment on Thursday. The nonprofit Indiana Debate Commission announced Friday that U.S. Rep. Luke Messer and former state Rep. Mike Braun had agreed to the April 30 debate that will be made available to TV stations throughout the state. Trump has bought and paid for the affection and allegiance of every person who has ever had the displeasure of being close to him. He has paid for the silence of every person fortunate enough to get away. How very sad that nobody loves or cares enough to want to be with you because they love you. People go to church to be forgiven for their sins. But it sounds like we have a commenter in Quickly that has never sinned, and probably has all the secrets to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Better keep preaching, I'm not convienced yet! "I wanted to have the full experience of the schools here," she said. "Our school doesn't have nearly as many options. There are many more options in art here as well as other things. I love art, and in our school, I only have drawings that I can do." Eight years later: Do you remember the Colorado flood of 2013? U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have warily circled each other in the Ethiopian capital, News24 reported. March 9, 2018, 12:48 Tillerson, Lavrov fail to meet in Ethiopia STEPANAKERT, MARCH 9, ARTSAKHPRESS:The top American and Russian diplomats paid official visits this week to Addis Ababa, but don't appear to have met. As their two countries trade accusations over Syria, Ukraine and even the Oscars, their governments are trolling each other on social media, even trading barbs over who's to blame for the lack of a sit-down in Addis Ababa. At least publicly, Moscow has been calling for a meeting, and insisting that it has formally asked Washington if one could be scheduled but has received no response. The United States insists that is not so and says that Russia hasn't formally requested a meeting. Our weekly round up of other news affecting foreign investors throughout Asia: Singapores 2018 Budget: Key Highlights for Businesses On February 19, Singapores finance minister delivered the 2018 budget with a focus on helping businesses in Singapore prepare for future challenges and create new opportunities. In this article, we present key highlights from the budget with important implications for businesses. Trudeaus India Visit: Lessons for Foreign Investors Trudeau is a popular leader around the world who enjoys substantial support from Canadas Indian diaspora. How did he manage to lose face on a seemingly daily basis while in India? Russia Doubled it Gold Exports in 2017 Russian exports of fine gold increased 2.5 times to 56.6 tonnes in 2017, compared to 22.4 tonnes in 2016, according to the Russian State Assaying Chamber, a division of the Russian Ministry of Finance. Chinas Silk Road Gold Fund The African & South American Gold Deposits Chinas US$16 billion Silk Road Gold Fund was launched in 2015, and over 60 countries have invested in it. In this article, we look at South-East Asian nations and their gold reserve holdings and known gold deposits. Vietnams M&A Market: Opportunities for Foreign Investors For foreign investors, Vietnams M&A market offers huge opportunities in the public and private sectors. M&A transactions have increased since 2017 and will continue to do so in 2018. Read more to know about the major M&A sectors, regulations, investor concerns, and opportunities in 2018. Among a dozen Barbie's new role models released before 2018 International Women's Day, three are modeled after Chinese female icons Hui Ruoqi, Tan Yuanyuan and Guan Xiaotong. Hui is a volleyball champion who announced her retirement last month. Tan is the prima ballerina of the San Francisco Ballet where she holds the rank of principal dancer. Guan is one of the most popular Chinese actresses who became the UN ambassador for "World Life Day" in 2017. On its website, the doll-making company posted pictures of 19 extraordinary women, after whom the new dolls are made. It said in the poster that the roles were chosen from a survey of mothers across the world in a bid to inspire more girls. "This #InternationalWomensDay, we are honoring more female role models than ever before," Barbie company tweeted on Wednesday. The new roles are composed of two series "Sheroes" and "Inspiring Women." The "Shero" dolls, which include the three Chinese icons, are modeled after women currently making headlines, while the "Inspiring Women" series are of women who have made lifelong contributions to the world. The three "Inspiring Women" in the 2018 series are Frida Kahlo, an artist from Mexico; Amelia Earhart, an aviation pioneer from the United States; and Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician and physicist also from the United States. New productions of the William Shakespeare plays Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest that use "actor and audience friendly" Mandarin translations will be staged in China this year, the Royal Shakespeare Company has announced. The theater company, which is based in Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, commissioned the new translations as part of its Shakespeare Folio Project. The project aims to make the playwright's work more accessible to Chinese speakers. China's National Centre for the Performing Arts, which is also called the NCPA, will put on the new version of The Tempest in Beijing in August. The Guangzhou Dramatic Arts Centre will open its production of Twelfth Night in Guangzhou in October. And the Li Liuyi Theatre Studio in Beijing will premiere the new translation of Hamlet in December. During the development of Mandarin versions of Shakespeare's plays, the RSC is inviting companies of actors, directors, and playwrights from China and the United Kingdom to work with translators during rehearsal workshops. Together they unpick clues about meaning, character, and pacing that Shakespeare put into the text, elements that the RSC says were sometimes lost in previous translations. RSC artistic director Gregory Doran said the new translation process makes for more "actor and audience friendly translations" of Shakespeare's work. The RSC began the folio project two years ago, debuting with a Mandarin version of King Lear that was produced by the NCPA and directed by Li Liuyi in Beijing last year. The RSC plans to complete 36 Chinese translations by 2023. "Visits to the theatre in Stratford were the foundation of the success of my production," Li Liuyi said. "The folio translation project has introduced a new Shakespeare, a contemporary Shakespeare, to the Chinese audience." The RSC is also commissioning translations into English of Chinese classics using the same rehearsal method. Last year, the RSC's Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon produced a contemporary reimagining of Snow in Midsummer, which was written by Chinese playwright Guan Hanqing, who was born in 1241 and died in 1320. Chinese playwright Amber Hsu, who works on the Chinese Classics Translation Project, said it has been "almost inexpressibly meaningful" to bring to the British stage great Chinese works that have been "peripheral to the English language" until now. The RSC's Chinese Classics Translation Project aims to create 10 new English translations of Chinese plays by 2023. You are here: Business China's securities regulator Thursday gave the green light for the stock market listing of Foxconn Industrial Internet, a subsidiary of the Taiwanese manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. The approval came a month after the company filed its prospectus with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) for its Shanghai listing review, a speedy process, which normally takes more than a year. Foxconn Industrial Internet plans to use the proceeds of the flotation to fund eight new projects, including 5G, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, according to the the prospectus. The total investment for the eight projects will reach 27.3 billion yuan (4.3 billion U.S. dollars). The prospectus gave no details on share pricing and the number of shares to be listed. In 2017, Foxconn Industrial Internet posted revenue and net profit of 354 billion yuan and 15.9 billion yuan, respectively, rising from 273 billion yuan and 14.4 billion yuan in 2016. China's security regulator has been taking steps to reform the stock exchange listing mechanism in an effort to invigorate the country's capital market and foster the new economy. The CSRC will reform the listing mechanism, deepen reform of the main board and ChiNext board, and give more support to "new technology, new industry, new industry forms and new business models," Wednesday's Securities Daily cited CSRC Vice Chairman Jiang Yang as saying. A British property developer is hoping to combat the United Kingdom's housing shortage with homes shipped from China in ready-for-assembly kits. Trillium Homes Construction has set up the first British prototype of such a house at a site in Watford, UK. It was built using a light gauge steel frame and other materials that arrived from China in two shipping containers. The materials were manufactured by industrial company Shanghai Steel Fashion. Sam Sabrah, founder of Trillium Homes, said he hopes the government will use the homes to build affordable housing. The need for housing has grown faster than supply in the UK for several years. As a result, house prices have risen to such an extent that the average home now costs almost eight times the average wage. "We are in desperate need of houses in the UK, especially social housing," Sabrah said. "I thought, rather than companies charging thousands of pounds per square meter and taking three to four months to build one house, we could do it a lot cheaper and a lot quicker." Sabrah said the ready-for-assembly houses can be built in 40 days and cost around 1,000 pounds ($1,390) per square meter. He estimates that total construction costs are 60 percent less than they would be for a brick house of the same size. The steel framing and other building materials arrive loose, as opposed to in pre-assembled panels. This means houses can be built in different sizes and can also be assembled into six-story apartment blocks. Shanghai Steel Fashion will eventually supply machinery to Trillium Homes so the company can manufacture the steel frames in the UK, while other materials will continue to be supplied from China. The materials are being tested by construction science organization Building Research Establishment, which is also known as BRE. It is ensuring the materials meet UK regulations. John O'Brien, BRE associate director for construction innovation, said the homes will serve as a "fantastic resource to tackle the housing crisis". "Trillium is streamlining and simplifying the build process to something which is easy and takes minimal skill to put together," O'Brien told reporters at the BRE innovation park in Watford. The European Union has extended its anti-dumping duties, ranging from 48.3 percent to 71.9 percent, on seamless pipes and tubes of stainless steel from China for further five years, the EU official journal said. In the official journal, the European Commission said that some Chinese steelmakers had significant spare capacity and this could lead to large-scale imports at dumped prices if the measures were lifted. Though China-EU relations have been progressing steadily, the EU's recent moves could hamper bilateral relations, Wei Jianguo, a former vice-minister of commerce, said on Wednesday. Some leaders of European countries are still clinging to the Cold War mentality, and had made an "error of judgment" on China, said Wei, who is also the vice-president of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, a think tank. As unilateralism and protectionism led by the United States rise, China and the EU should shoulder the responsibility together to safeguard multilateral trade rules and rebuild the system of international economic governance, Wei said. First set in 2011, the EU's duties on China's seamless stainless steel pipes and tubes expired in 2016. After that, a review began while the duties remained in place during the review period. Changshu Walsin Specialty Steel Co will face duties of 71.9 percent. Other companies affected include Shanghai Jinchang Stainless Steel Tube Manufacturing Co and Wenzhou Jiangnan Steel Pipe Manufacturing Co. The European Commission has 53 measures in place on steel and iron products, including 27 on products originating in China. China does not have export subsidies, Zhang Ming, head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union, said in an article on Politico.com in January. Rather, in the past decade, China has restricted steel exports by levying tariffs, Zhang said. It was not until January that the country abolished export duties on certain steel products. In 2018, China will expand mutually beneficial cooperation across the board with the EU, and add more strategic and global dimensions to China-EU relations, Zhang was quoted as saying by State media Xinhua News Agency earlier. Gao Feng, a spokesman with the Ministry of Commerce, said at a recent news conference that the country opposed the abuse of trade measures such as anti-dumping duties. China has been sharpening its efforts to optimize the structure of steel production. The country plans to cut ineffective steel capacity of about 30 million metric tons this year, according to the Government Work Report available to media on Monday. In the past five years, more than 170 million tons of steel capacity have been slashed according to the report. U.S. President Donald Trump [Chinanews.com] Donald Trump is facing an economic decision: either enact protectionist tariffs to help steel maufacturers, or promote manufacturing of American exports. He can't do both. The proposal by the Trump administration to raise tariffs on steel imports to 25 percent and on aluminum to 10 percent, if approved, will likely have devastating consequences for American exports. Toyota has stated that raising taxes on steel will "substantially raise costs and therefore prices of cars and trucks sold in America." Campbell's Soup has said aluminum taxes will raise the costs of their cans. Boeing will also be hurt. The economic logic is clear. Companies have to price goods at or above the marginal cost of production. If the cost of production increases, so too will the price. That would be bad enough for American consumers purchasing steel-intensive products at home. But the costs to the broader economy and to manufacturing workers who could face job losses add a double whammy. The last time the U.S. imposed such high tariffs, under the Bush administration, a study commissioned by the multi-industry CITAC organization reported that 200,000 jobs were lost. Trump promised to help American exporters and to even out the trade deficit. The importance of the trade deficit is itself questionable, but this certainly won't help. The United States exported $144 billion just in manufactured transportation equipment, including automobiles, in 2016. By comparison, the country exported $62.9 billion in all categories of metal and aluminum, according to data from MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity. America-made cars under a high-tariff system will be competing against foreign-made cars that use much cheaper materials. By raising prices for American manufacturers, tariffs in effect serve as an unfair trade barrier applied by America to its own industries. Even in the unlikely event that every auto-maker switched to America-made steel, the cost of metal would rise due to simple laws of supply and demand. That's only one industry, but the auto industry already employs many more workers than the steel industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 212,000 Americans are employed in car manufacturing, and another 585,000 in production of auto parts. By comparison, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade group that has an incentive to cite a high number, a mere 140,000 Americans are employed in steel production. These economic damages do not even take into account the inevitable retaliation by countries hit by these tariffs. Foreign countries aren't going to let the U.S. stifle their steel exports without response. The EU and China have already been vocal in saying that they will take countermeasures. Reportedly the EU has plans for tariffs on $3.5 billion worth of American exports, including motorcycles and bourbon. So why is the Trump administration apparently taking actions that will hurt more Americans than they will help? Trump has expressed admiration for some industries that are romantically associated with America's mythicized past. Indeed, if he were in the biblical story about Moses returning from Mount Sinai, he might have built the fabled calf out of steel or coal instead of gold. On top of this, a good deal of China-bashing is clearly at play as well. Trump is keen to blame China and other Asian countries, as well as Mexico, for any trade grievance. Xenophobia aside, the facts just don't add up here either. In 2016 the U.S. only imported 0.07 percent of its cold-rolled iron and 0.2 percent of its hot-rolled iron from China. China, meanwhile, exported 57.3 percent of its cold-rolled iron to other Asian countries and only 0.2 percent to the U.S. The vision of an America driven by mining and manufacturing of mineral products is ancient history. However great the nostalgic version of the 1950s was, that economy isn't coming back, if it ever truly existed. And in fact, there's nothing to mourn. Why should anyone privilege employment in one sector (say, steelmaking) over employment in another? From an economic perspective, money is money. In fact, it's actually a good thing that solar panel production and wind turbine maintenance are rising industries compared to coal mining. Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo inaugurated an alley dedicated to Armenian writer and human rights activist Zabel Yesayan on Thursday, March 8 on the occasion of the International Day of the struggle for women's rights. March 9, 2018, 14:14 Paris dedicates alley to Armenian writer and activist Zabel Yesayan STEPANAKERT, MARCH 9, ARTSAKHPRESS:Paris honored the memory of Essayan with the inauguration of the Zabel Yesayan alley, which has been located on a central boulevard of Menilmontant district of Paris. Zabel Yesayan was the only female intellectual on the list of Armenians targeted for arrest and deportation by the Ottoman Young Turk government on April 24, 1915. She was able to flee arrest and reach Bulgaria and then the Caucasus, where she worked with refugees documenting their eyewitness accounts of atrocities that had taken place during the Armenian Genocide. She returned to Soviet Armenia in 1933 but was abruptly accused of "nationalism" and arrested in 1937 during the Great Purge. Yesayan died in unknown circumstances: there is speculation that she was drowned and died in exile, possibly in Siberia, sometime in 1943. The landscape of Yujiapu Finance District is seen at Binhai New Area of the China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Sept. 17, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] In his annual Government Work Report, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that China aims to expand its economy by 6.5 percent this year, the same rate seen in 2017. However, numbers do not tell the full story. In the past, credit growth was nearly two times the growth rate. Now the government's attention has shifted to higher-quality growth exemplified by rising per capita incomes, eradication of poverty and the battle against climate change. Decelerating growth, rising incomes Barely a decade ago, China still enjoyed double-digit growth, but today that growth is slowing, a historically normal pattern in industrializing economies. At the same time, rapidly-rising living standards are supporting thriving consumption. This trend is illustrated in the first term of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and a projection of their next five years, assuming current trends and peaceful conditions prevail (Figure 1). Figure 1China's Growth Rate and Per Capita Income, 2012-2022 (Growth rate: GDP, constant prices, percent change. Per capita income: GDP per capita, constant prices (purchasing power parity; 2011 international dollars). Source: IMF/WEO.) Between 2012 and 2022, the Chinese growth rate is expected to decelerate from 7.9 percent to 5.8 percent. Despite deceleration, however, living standards will double. In 2012, Chinese GDP per capita income was about US$11,000 and by 2022, it may increase to US$20,000. That means that per capita incomes in China are likely to grow by 6.7 percent, more than four times the U.S. figure over the same period. In other words, the "high-speed" growth of the past, typical during intensive industrialization, is morphing into "high-quality" growth. Combatting abject poverty on a historic scale President Xi Jinping's idea of the "Chinese Dream" is predicated on greater focus on quality and equality of development. In the coming years that is likely to mean investments in social equity to reduce uneven coverage of pension and health insurance nationwide and improve public services. It is also likely to translate to rejuvenation of rural areas, increased spending on high school education and vocational training, affordable housing and extended rural land leases, and an aggressive push to eradicate poverty. In his report, Li said the government would seek to lift a further 10 million Chinese out of poverty in 2018, adding to the 68 million already elevated over the past five years (Figure 2). The progressive eradication of poverty on this scale sets a world-historical milestone. Figure 2Lifting People from Poverty, 2000-2018 (in millions) (Poverty Population: Millions of people living on less than 2,300 yuan ($362) in real terms in 2010. Source: China Statistical Yearbook.) Fighting climate change: China's role in the global effort Another key aspect of new growth is Beijing's goal to restore blue skies over the mainland by cutting pollution dramatically by 2020, coupled with efforts to attract major investors in environmental rehabilitation. Overall, the new stress on environmental protection means advances in green manufacturing and clean energy, green finance, emissions-reduction targets and tightening environmental rules to clean up water, air and soil. In aggregate terms, China has been the greatest polluter worldwide since the early 2010s. However, population contributes significantly to aggregate measures, so per capita figures provide a more accurate basis for international comparison, and in fact per capita emissions in China have never exceeded those in Germany and the U.S. In the past half century, U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have slowly decreased from more than 22 tons per capita to less than 16; in Germany, from 15 to less than 10. In China, per capita emissions spiked during the reform period, due to rapid industrialization, but levels peaked at 7.5 in the mid-2010s and are now falling (Figure 3). Figure 3CO2 Per Capita Emissions: China, Germany and the US, 1970-2016 (CO2 tons per capita. Source: EDGAR) In other words, even at the peak of industrialization, Chinese per capita emissions were significantly less than the corresponding U.S. and German levels. Furthermore, during the parallel phase of heavy industrialization in the U.S. and Germany, which took place a century ago, their per capita emissions were far higher relative to China's. While it is imperative that China continue to cut emissions dramatically, the world's major advanced economies should also further reduce their own wasteful practices, which will only penalize future generations in emerging economies. Dr Dan Steinbock is the founder of Difference Group and has served as research director at the India, China and America Institute (USA) and visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump [File photo] U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May, the Republic of Korea (ROK) national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said on Thursday. The announcement was made at the White House after ROK envoys briefed American officials on their meeting with Kim on Monday. The DPRK has offered to refrain from further nuclear or missile tests, Chung said. The envoy also said that Kim Jong Un understands that routine U.S.-ROK military exercises must continue. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump will accept the invitation to meet "at a place and time to be determined." "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea (DPRK). In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," Sanders added. On Thursday night Trump took to Twitter with a series of posts putting the potential meeting with Kim in a positive frame. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," said one post. And Trump added: "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" ROK and DPRK have agreed to hold a summit attended by their leaders late next month, ROK President Moon Jae-in's top security adviser said Tuesday after his trip to the DPRK, according to Yonhap News Agency. Joint military exercises The United States plans to press ahead with potentially provocative joint military exercises with the ROK, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, despite a possible diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang. "After the Olympics and Paralympics, it is only natural that our routine defensive exercises will resume," the official said on condition of anonymity. Washington had agreed to delay the massive joint "Foal Eagle" exercise until after the ROK-hosted Olympic Games, which ends on March 18. Trump and Kim Jong Un: "probably" good friends "I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un," Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in January. "I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised." "You'll see that a lot with me," he said, "and then all of the sudden somebody's my best friend. I could give you 20 examples. You could give me 30. I'm a very flexible person." "It could be something that could happen. I don't know if it will but it would be very, very nice," he added. China: "suspension-for-suspension" proposal has worked Commenting on the recent ease of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described it as a proof that China's "suspension-for-suspension" proposal has worked. Wang made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), answering questions on China's foreign policy and external relations. "China's suspension-for-suspension proposal has proven to be a right prescription for the problem," he stressed. "It has created the basic conditions needed for improving inter-Korea relations." He urged all relevant parties to "demonstrate their seriousness about resolving the issue" and bring the situation back to the track of peaceful dialogue. Other guesses "Trump is a deal maker and probably believes he can single-handedly convince Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons. A Trump meeting with Kim presents both risks and opportunities," said Bonnie Glaser, a China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, according to Reuters. "Kim Jong Un's desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work. We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce-by-ounce. Remember, DPRK has repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said. Flash Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the United States does not have authority to criticize the relationship that China has with African countries. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is on a five-nation African tour, was quoted by media criticizing the way Beijing structured loans to African countries. He also claimed that Chinese investments did not lead to significant job creation in Africa. Lavrov, who was visiting Zimbabwe, said Tillerson's words were inappropriate, state news agency New Ziana reported. "I did not know that Rex Tillerson was a specialist in China-Africa ties. But I do not think it is entirely appropriate if he indeed said that," said Lavrov. "We never meddle within the domestic affairs of any other country, even though we hear allegations to the contrary on a daily basis from Washington and other Western countries," Lavrov said. Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo weighed in saying the remarks by the United States were misplaced. "Africa has its own self determination in terms of charting its own course, in terms of economic co-operation with any member of nations in the international arena," he said. China has stepped up economic cooperation with Zimbabwe and is funding investment projects across different sectors of the Zimbabwean economy. The deals include financing for the expansion of the Hwange Power Station, the construction of a new parliament building and a pharmaceutical warehouse, the expansion of a national fiber optic broadband project and the provision of wildlife monitoring equipment. China has promised sincerity, real results, friendship and good faith to Africa and "work together for a community with a shared future for humanity," as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put it on Thursday. "African brothers and sisters are welcome to get on board China's fast train of development," Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress. Changes in the world will not break China-Africa friendship. Flash U.S. and Israeli military officials said on Thursday they have launched a month-long joint military drill that simulates a missile attack on Israel. The "Juniper Cobra 2018" exercise was launched on Sunday, a military spokesperson said, adding it is the largest drill of its kind. The biennial drill is jointly held by the Israeli military and the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). As part of the exercise, some 2,500 U.S. troops routinely based in Europe were deployed in Israel as well as about 2,000 Israeli Aerial Defense troops, logistics units, medical forces and other Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units. "For more than four weeks, they will train shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in times of crisis. It's not just about an exercise," Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, Israel's air defense commander, told reporters on Thursday. The exercise simulates a scenario in which Israel is being attacked on several fronts, including by precision-guided ballistic missiles from Iran. Two U.S. vessels arrived in Israel to participate in the drill. On Tuesday, the USS Iwo Jima took position off the coast of Israel. On Thursday, the Mount Whitney command and control ship docked at the Haifa port, the spokesperson said. Aboard it, there were more than 500 servicemen and women, half of them from the senior command of the U.S. sixth fleet. It is the ninth Cobra exercise that has taken place. A military notice said that the participators are performing together computerized simulations of a variety of rocket threat scenarios in different regions. The simulations include testing of the anti-ballistic missile system Arrow, Iron Dome anti-rocket system, the medium-range interceptor Patriot missile system, and David's Sling, which was designed to intercept medium-range missiles from southern Lebanon's Hezbollah militants and became operational in April 2017. Flash Chinese and Japanese researchers have found a new kind of topological superconductor that can become a promising candidate in making the future quantum computers. In a paper published on Thursday in the journal Science, Zhang Peng, a post-doctoral researcher at University of Tokyo, and his colleagues attained three key types of measurement necessary to analyze the quantum phase of Fe (Te, Se) in detail. They confirmed that the surface of the material is suitable to support an exotic quasiparticles called Majorana bound states (MBSs). The MBSs was first proposed by Italian theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana. Utilizing the properties of MBSs is now believed as a promising path towards topological quantum computing. According to researchers, the Majorana bound state, existing on edges of two-dimensional topological superconductors, is a fermion that is its own antiparticle. An exchange of two MBSs can result in the change of the system state, thus offering possibilities for quantum computing. Quantum computers are poised to revolutionize society by tackling problems that conventional computers cannot. But most quantum computers currently in development are susceptible to the problem of decoherence, where the quantum state that encodes information degrades, which causes intolerable computing errors. Zhang Peng told Xinhua, "a solution would be to develop topological quantum computers, where the integrity of the quantum state is protected by the topological properties of the system." "In topological state, the local noises cannot disturb the topological properties unless the noises are so loud to cripple the whole system," Zhang explained. But identifying materials that would be suitable to host MBSs is extremely challenging, according to Zhang. He said this is the first time that the topological superconducting is found on crystals of Fe (Te, Se). Unlike other topological superconductors identified to date, Zhang's team created the topological superconducting in a single crystal, on which the stable MBSs can be achieved relatively easily. "It can promote the development of quantum computing," he said. Flash The armed rebels fired on the second humanitarian corridor that was established on Thursday to prevent civilians from leaving the rebel-held areas in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside, said the War Media, the media wing of the Syrian army. The rebels fired on the corridor between the town of Mlaiha and the rebel-held Jisreen area in Eastern Ghouta, said the report. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry was cited by local media outlets as saying that three cars were set ablaze when the rebels fired on a convoy transporting 300 people toward the humanitarian corridor in Mlaiha. The attacks have obviously prevented the civilians from leaving, as no one left through the new humanitarian corridor on Thursday. The Syrian government on Thursday prepared the second humanitarian corridor, after ten days of a failed attempt to receive civilians from the first designated crossing in Wafidin area northeast of Damascus. The civilians' evacuation from the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta is an essential part of the Russian-backed daily humanitarian pause, which has so far seen the evacuation of only a few civilians from Eastern Ghouta. Syrian government accuses the rebels of preventing the civilians from leaving. The Syrian army has captured 52 percent of Eastern Ghouta in recent days, as part of an ongoing large-scale offensive to dislodge the rebels from the area. UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta, where activists said over 800 people have been killed since late last month by intensified shelling and fighting between government troops and the rebels. China Aviation Daily | Mar. 08, 2018 Boeing has expanded its commercial Pilot Development Program (PDP) with the addition of Okay Airways to its growing customer list. The airline joins recent customers Kunming Airlines and YTO Airlines. All three carriers are based in China. Through the Pilot Development Program, Boeing works with a network of flight schools around the globe to provide airlines with comprehensive commercial training including screening PDP cadets, managing student performance and correction, and developing commercial pilot training courses and materials. The comprehensive program includes ab-initio--pilot training from zero-flight-hour experience through advanced flight training--and is designed to develop cadets into 737 type-rated first officers. "This strategic cooperation deepens our relationship with Boeing, and allows us to lay a solid foundation for training and a steady stream of talent," said Dr. Li Zonglin, CEO of Okay Airways. "The Pilot Development Program offers pragmatic and effective training, with continuous improvement of training quality." "Boeing's Pilot Development Program is just one way that our Boeing Global Services team is delivering solutions to meet the needs of customers, both in China and around the globe," said Keith Cooper, vice president of Training & Professional Services, Boeing Global Services. "The commercial aviation market is experiencing an unprecedented demand for pilots, and we anticipate this to continue for the next several years. We're committed to supporting the full lifecycle of an aircraft, and through our training business, we're helping to ensure that our airline customers have pilots available to fly them." Contributed by Boeing The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Ukraine to allow Fikret Huseynli, a journalist of Azerbaijani origin and a Dutch national, to leave the country safely. March 9, 2018, 15:10 CPJ alarmed as Azeri opposition journalist battered in Kiev, faces extradition to Baku STEPANAKERT, MARCH 9, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:Huseynli, a correspondent for the Azeri opposition Turan TV channel, was attacked by unknown assailants at an apartment building he was renting in Kiev, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Ukrainian authorities on October 14, 2017, detained Huseynli, under an Interpol red notice requested by Azerbaijan. Ukraine law enforcement agencies confiscated his travel documents as he was attempting to fly out of Kiev. A Kiev court on October 27 ordered the journalist's release on bail, but ruled that Huseynli should remain in Ukraine for two months while the prosecutor general's office investigated Azerbaijan's extradition request. Ukrainian courts have twice extended the investigation term; the new deadline is March 20, 2018, according to the journalist. In Azerbaijan, Huseynli is wanted for allegedly illegally crossing the border, fraud, and forgery. Speaking to CPJ, he denied all the charges, and said the prosecution was related to his journalism. The correspondent has covered Azeri pressures on opposition politicians, corruption, and has criticized the countrys President Ilham Aliyev. Huseynli said his assailants were speaking both Ukrainian and Azeri. They beat him with their hands and knocked him to the floor, bruising his legs and throat, and breaking his dental bridge. "We call on Ukrainian authorities to immediately return travel documents to Fikret Huseynli and allow him to leave Ukraine," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. "Kiev must not be complicit with Azerbaijan authorities' persecution of critics beyond its borders. We also call on Ukrainian police to investigate the March 5 physical attack on Huseynli, and bring the perpetrators to justice The Netherlands has banned Fatma Sahin, mayor of Gaziantep, Turkey, from visiting the country. Sahin is a member of the Turkish ruling AK party and has previously served as minister for family and social policy affairs. March 9, 2018, 17:19 Netherlands bars Turkish mayor from visiting STEPANAKERT, MARCH 9, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:The Mayor of Gaziantep, a city in the western part of Turkey, wanted to visit the Dutch city of Deventer on March 11 to meet with a group of Turkish women. But local authorities said her visit is inappropriate at the moment. Turkeys reaction to the Dutch stance was cancelling the mayors visit. The foreign ministry of the Netherlands has confirmed the cancellation. It is noteworthy that back in March of 2017 a diplomatic scandal happened between the Netherlands and Turkey regarding a visit of then minister of family and social policy affairs Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya. The then-minister had ignored a ban to enter the Netherlands and had crossed into the country on land to meet with the local Turkish community ahead of the Constitutional referendum. The Netherlands didnt allow the minister to have the meeting and expelled her, declaring Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya persona non grata. Dana Balter, the designated Democratic candidate who will likely challenge U.S. Rep. John Katko in the general election, received another endorsement Thursday. The Democratic Women of Cayuga County endorsed Balter, D-Syracuse, as she aims to unseat Katko, R-Camillus, in the 24th Congressional District race. The group cited Balter's focus on affordable health care, economic growth, environmental protections and public education. Balter has made those issues high priorities during her congressional bid. Barbara Post, who serves as treasurer of the Democratic Women of Cayuga County, said the group was also impressed with the campaign organization Balter has formed since entering the race in September. "She's a really dynamic speaker. She is amazingly quick on her feet," Post said. "She's got great answers, her platform is really strong and she has a great background in policy." Balter secured the Democratic designation in February. She was endorsed by the Cayuga, Oswego and Wayne Democratic committees at a joint meeting earlier in the month. Two weeks ago, she received the Onondaga County Democratic Committee's support. Post believes Balter is a strong Democratic challenger to take on Katko this year. US accusations 'hold no water' By Lucie Morangi in Nairobi, Kenya | China Daily | Updated: 2018-03-09 07:40 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to Africa is to protect interests of the United States in the continent and strengthen security efforts, said an African expert based in Kenya. Tillerson started his five-nation trip on Tuesday that will take in Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria. He had expressed reservations over China's influence, saying loans advanced by the country to Africa are promoting dependency and undercutting sovereignty. While calling these accusations old and mundane, Macharia Munene, a history and international relations scholar at the United States International University-Africa, based in Kenya, said the patronizing tone used by the US top diplomat is similar to the one he used before embarking on his trip to Latin America a month ago. Macharia said the remarks hold no water. "Chinese investment is spread globally and Africa's share is less than 5 percent of total global investment. There is really no basis to Tillerson's admonition," he said. The scholar added that the US is awakening to the realization that China is making strong inroads in Africa and displacing the West's hegemony. He said that China found its footing when most developed nations were retreating due to the global recession. This saw investments from the traditional powers dwindle while those from the East increased. Latest reports by Deloitte, a global consultancy firm, have consistently shown an increase in China's participation in Africa's construction sector while investments from traditional partners such as the US have been waning. "The US is simply protecting its interests," Macharia said, adding that the US wants to re-establish US-Africa ties while strengthening joint peace and security efforts with countries such as Nigeria, Chad and even Kenya. Peter Kagwanja, founder of Africa Policy Institute, a policy think tank, also based in Kenya, said Africa can aptly manage its debts. "We have seen an increase in Africa's infrastructure stock courtesy of China's financial assistance. This is what Africa needed since the 1980s when the US tightened its grip in global influence. Although we are latecomers, the modern infrastructure is improving the continent's global competitiveness." He predicted that Tillerson's trip will focus mainly on security issues but not economics following the US' current policy of "America first". Kioko Ireri, an associate professor at United States International University-Africa, scoffed at the assertions that Chinese loans are creating dependency, pointing out that previous funding arrangements fronted by the Bretton Woods Institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank designed and promoted dependency on aid that adversely curtailed Africa's growth. Sino-African engagements are moving away from this concept and basing their engagements on trade, he said. lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn (China Daily 03/09/2018 page12) Less than a week after he told Republican leaders he is running for governor, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has the support of 16 GOP county chairs. Molinaro's campaign rolled out eight more endorsements Thursday. The most notable supporter is Erie County Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy. Erie County is one of the largest in terms of the Republican convention's weighted vote and Langworthy is one of the more influential leaders in the party. Langworthy believes Molinaro is the only candidate who can defeat Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the general election. "This is about having a candidate that can stand with real New Yorkers and put an end to the culture of corruption that Andrew Cuomo's administration has let cripple our once great Empire State," Langworthy said. "Marc Molinaro is the independent leader we need to unlock New York's untapped potential." The Republican chairs from Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Ontario, Orleans and Saratoga counties also endorsed Molinaro. Trisha Turner, who chairs the Ontario County Republican Committee, previously endorsed Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb for governor. (Ontario is Kolb's home county.) But Kolb dropped out of the race in February. Perhaps you are one of the blessed few who are entirely content with their appearance. Perhaps you never stand in front of the mirror, as I did this morning, wondering as you take in the image before you, Why didnt God improve on that? While were at it, why didnt God make you smarter? Stronger? More creative? More insightful? More wonderful in every way? If, like some irritating friends of mine, you happen to be reasonably good-looking, talented, prosperous, healthy, and happy, asking such questions could seem downright greedy. But lots of us are obviously lacking in one or more of these zones. Or so it would seem. But in the kingdom of God, things are not always as they appear. Jesus is pausing with his disciples in the region of Caesarea Philippi. He asks them how he is currently viewed by the populace, and the response seems very promising: Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets (Matt. 16:14). One would think a rabbi couldnt do any better, but Jesus then asks the disciples their opinion. Peter, one of those keen pupils who instantly sticks up his hand whether he knows the answer or not, replies at once: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. For once, Peter is right, and Jesus blesses him. But then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. This is a bit disappointing. Peter finally gets an answer right, and he cant tell anyone? In fact, he gets The Answer right and he cant tell anyone? Why in the world not? From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life (v. 21). Jesus connects his messiahship, his appointment as the very Instrument of God, with suffering and death and at the hands of the very people who ought to be his strongest supporters, the religious leaders of the people of God. This shockingly contradictory idea provokes another outburst from Peter, which Jesus stifles and sets in order. But soon after that, things get even stranger. Dazzling Savior Jesus takes Peter and his other two closest associates, James and John, up a high mountain (Matt. 17:111). Ive lived in British Columbia for 20 years and wouldnt use that term for a slight elevation in the Levant. But I would be missing the point. High mountains in the Bible are where certain famous Israelites have met God, notably Moses on Sinai and Elijah on Carmel. Sure enough, Moses and Elijah appear on this high mountain, too. But instead of meeting Yahweh, they meet with Jesus. And such a Jesus! His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (v. 2). Peter, once again quick on the draw, wants this amazing meeting to continue so he offers to build shelters for them. But then a bright cloud (yes, just like at Sinai) envelops them and a Voice says, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! The disciples do the natural thing: They fall to the ground, terrified. But Jesus tells them to get up and stop being afraid. They do, and they see only Jesus remaining. They see that, as important as it is for Jews to pay attention to Moses and Elijah, to the Law and the Prophets, it is supremely important for them to listen to the very Son of God. And then that Son of God, just now revealed to them in his dazzling heavenly splendor, says this: Dont tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. Article continues below Not again! Peter must have been ready to explode. Why would Jesus silence them about the greatest sight anyone had seen for hundreds of years? Jesus reminds them that his forerunner, John the Baptist, has already been killed. The implication is clear: If the powers that be are willing to execute someone as popular as John to ward off any challenge to their position, how much worse would they do to someone reported to be the glowing Son of the living God? James Bond and Jesus Jesus had to look and sound like an ordinary mana man so literally nondescript that we have no record of his appearance. He had to do so in order to do what needed to be done: serve as the Son of Man, the representative and model of humanity, quietly making known the good news of the kingdom of God and training his disciples to take over his work once he inevitably came to the attention of those powers and received the predictable treatment from their ruthless hands. Why didnt God make even Jesus more beautiful? If he was capable of shining like the sun, why didnt he do so all the time? For one fundamental reason: Jesus had a calling, a vocation, a mission to fulfill. As Gods Messiah, he was anointed to perform a certain task. And that task required him to look ordinary, not spectacular. So he did. Perhaps, however, you have a little trouble relating to Jesus. He is the Son of the living God, after all. Fair enough. Lets consider a somewhat different illustration. How about James Bond? The Bond movies have starred such actors as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craigand, indeed, George Lazenby. Now, among the less plausible features of this entirely implausible series are the striking good looks of these men. But James Bond is supposed to be a secret agent. When Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan enters a room, everyone notices. How long does he stay anonymous? About two seconds. I, on the other hand, routinely enter, dawdle in, and exit rooms without anyone paying the slightest attention. It follows, by inexorable logic, that I could be an excellent secret agent. The name is Stackhouse: John Stackhouse. I could steal the formula, the fortune, and the femme fatale and no one would notice. To Do Only What You Can Do Beautiful people have a burden, and they are a burden. Have you ever tried to work beside someone who is fiercely handsome or unusually lovely? You cant get anything done, can you? In fact, when faced with such a situation, the only sensible thing to do is to marry the person. (Which is what my wife did. But I digress.) We truly ought to give thanks to God that we are not more gorgeous than we areor more intelligent, or more creative, or more rich, or more influential, or more wise, or more whateverbecause if we were much more gifted, we could not function the same way in our particular roles. People might write off our testimony to the Lords blessing in our lives with the ready retort, Well, thats easy for you to say. Or they might never feel they could identify with us, living as we do in a bubble of blessing, and so they could never confide in us. Or they might try to push their way into the kingdom of God for the wrong reasons, to enjoy the trappings rather than the substance of the gospel of renewal, and that would be bad, too. God wants the whole world back. So God places his people in every walk of life, in every social stratum, in every ethnic group, and in every locale precisely to maximize Gods influence and draw the world most effectively to Gods heart. Thus God strategically deploys individuals and equips them to fit their respective missions. Article continues below I am situated where I am, and I am the person I am, precisely to do what only a Christian such as I am can do: namely, to live this particular Christian life and be a witness in my particular way in my particular social matrix. I alone have this set of relatives, friends, co-workers, enemies, neighbors, and so on, and I alone am this sort of person. Therefore I alone can exert the particular benign influence on each of these people that I alone can exert. This all can sound nonsensically repetitive, of course, but it isnt. Such a statement is vital to the realization that God has not made mistakes in making each of us who we are and placing us where God has in order to get done what God wants to get done. One day, thank God, we will be more beautiful and talented than we are today. But for now we are undercover, playing the roles we have been given in order to achieve key mission objectives that simply could not be achieved were we to drop our disguises and appear in the glory that God has prepared for us (2 Cor. 3:18; 4:17; 1 John 3:2). The sober implication of all this is that we should accept ourselves and our situation because we trust that God has wisely and kindly assigned us to be a certain sort of person doing a certain sort of work. Yes, there are times in which God calls people out of their situations into greater freedomor into heavier forms of service. Sometimes Gods call is surprising and disruptive. Normally, however, we can be assured that unless we have simply run away from God, he has positioned us throughout our lives to do what we alone can do. And however hard it has beenand Gods calling is sometimes excruciatingits for only 70 or 80 years, at the most, and then we get to go home and truly be ourselves (2 Cor. 4:1618). Were Not Playacting I daresay, furthermore, that this picture of being called by God to participate in a series of assignments during a lifetime mission is an important improvement upon the common metaphor of our being issued roles in a play. The image of drama has a venerable heritage in Christian thought, to be sure, and it has its uses. (After all, when the likes of Sren Kierkegaard, C. S. Lewis, N. T. Wright, and Kevin Vanhoozer capitalize on the image, one is wise to give it its due.) But drama isnt realand our lives certainly are. We are not playacting. We are, the Bible says, in a war. A long war, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, but always a grim contest with life-and-death results. The challenges are real, the threats are real, the deprivations and sufferings are realand so are the outcomes real. You, like me, may find it much more encouraging to keep remembering, in each season and circumstance of life, that you are being called not to act in a play but to accomplish a particular set of tasks as a particular sort of person in your particular situation so as to advance Gods purposes in the real world as only you can. Why didnt God make you more splendid than you are? For the same reason that Jesus kept his glory under wraps: to be most effective in performing his assigned mission, to getting done what he in particular was to get done. God equips us to succeed in the calling he gives us. This truth doesnt mean that we cant use resources God provides us to strengthen and beautify and otherwise improve ourselves and our circumstances. But we do so only if those efforts will help us achieve our mission betternot to avoid it for something we prefer. These are hard truths. But one can lean on hard truths for firm support. And the best of these truths is that Gods assignment is only temporary and then there is home, home forever, in which we can finally relax and be totally our glorious selves. I can hardly wait! But for now, Ive got to get back to work. John Stackhouse teaches at Crandall University in Moncton, Canada. This article is adapted from his new book, Why Youre Here: Ethics for the Real World (Oxford). In 2020, we were the church on our heels. A global pandemic shut down much of our world. But the church has been on the move since it was birthed; it will continue to be on the move until God makes all things new. An Ontario judge ruled this week that a foster agency violated a Protestant couples religious freedom rights when it opted to remove two children from their home and ban them from fostering over their refusal to teach about the Easter Bunny. Frances and Derek Baars didnt grow up learning about the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, and didnt want to lie about the fictional figures to the 3- and 4-year-old sisters in their care. Their convictions, based on Christian beliefs, raised concerns among the Childrens Aid Society (CAS) of Hamiltonwhich took the children away from the Baars with just a days notice, citing the couples refusal to respect the girls cultural traditions. As committed members of a small Presbyterian denomination, the Baars assumed there would be instances where their values wouldnt line up with CAS, a government-approved, secular organization that they knew placed kids with same-sex parents and supported gender transition for youth. But they never anticipated what happened back in 2016. If someone had told us then that the Easter Bunny and Santa would team up against us, we would have asked what they were smoking, Derek Baars said this week in an interview with CT. Like some in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, the Baars do not observe Easter and Christmas, keeping only the Sabbath as a holy day. When they became foster parents in December 2015, they altered their celebrations to purchase Christmas gifts for the girls and take them to a family gathering as well as a Sunday school program at another church. Beyond their own theological views of Christian holidays, We have a strict no lying policy, because God is the God of truth who is Truth, and telling kids that the Easter Bunny and Santa are real is lying, Frances Baars told CT. They had shared their positions against the Easter Bunny, Santa, and other traditions like Halloween during their training and home study. Even though the childrens birth mother gave no instructions specifically regarding the Easter Bunny or Santa, CAS staff still brought up Santa with the foster children and urged the Baars to explicitly incorporate the Easter Bunny, specifically the tradition of the Easter [B]unny bringing chocolate Easter eggs, according to the court document. Later, one placement worker, Tracey Lindsay, expressed concern that the Baars would condemn potential gay or lesbian adoptive parents for their girls, though the couple assured her otherwise. It seems likely that Lindsays discussion regarding prospective same-sex couples to the Baars was fueled by a potential stereotypical belief in the inability of Christians to support same-sex marriage, wrote Justice Andrew Goodman of the Superior Court of Justice in Ontario. In a 62-page decision issued Tuesday, Goodman concluded that CAS violated the Baarss religious protections under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He ordered that the organization update their file to reflect their standing, so that the Baarss history wont keep them from future opportunities to adopt or serve as foster parents. (They have since begun the adoption process in another province.) Their constitutional rights of freedom of religion and freedom of expression have been infringed and must be remedied in a manner that is appropriate and just in the circumstances, Goodman wrote. The Society didnt reasonably accommodate the Baars or even attempt to. The Reformed Presbyterian couple sought no compensation in the lawsuit, but wanted to ensure fair treatment for fellow Christian couples in Canada seeking to open their homes to children. When they told us, You must lie to these children or they would be removed, we knew that we were not responsible for the result of doing whats right, and God would take care of us, Derek Baars told CT. He has upheld us. The favorable result has been tremendously encouraging for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, who had joined them to pray that God would turn the judges heart as he does with the kings heart in Proverbs 21:1, Baars said. He noted that the Alliance Defending Freedom, a US-based group advocating religious liberty, sent funds to support the Canadian law firm that represented the couple. The potential clash between faith protections and LGBT rights has come up in the United States as well; but often the other way around, with religious agencies confronting fear or pressure over their requirements for adoptive or foster parents. South Carolinas top foster care agency, Miracle Hill, is currently facing legal backlash involving the Palmetto States department of social services for requiring that foster parents share its Christian faith. Last year, Texas and South Dakota passed protections allowing state-funded child welfare agencies to continue to use faith-based restrictions for family placements. Many adoptive and foster parents are Christian, and its less likely for them to face discrimination like the Baars in Canada. While less overt discrimination cases may occur on occasion in US foster care, its not the norm, according to Kelly Rosati, a former Focus on the Family leader and mom to four kids adopted from foster care. I worry that the discrimination fear is used as an excuse not to engage and help these kids who desperately need permanent and loving families, Rosati told CT, noting that more than 100,000 kids in US foster care are awaiting adoption. A similar case to the Baarss took place in 2011 in the United Kingdom, where a judge sided against a potential set of foster parents who said during the application stage that they would not endorse homosexuality to children in their home due to their Pentecostal Christian beliefs. The court ruled that laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation should take precedence over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds. | Update (April 7, 2021): The fight for campus access for faith-based student groups scored another legal victory this week. A district court judge ruled on Monday that Wayne State University violated the First Amendment with a 2017 decision that temporarily denied InterVarsity Christian Fellowship its status as a student group over the chapters requirement that its leaders be Christian. Wayne States nondiscrimination policy, according the 83-page opinion by Robert Cleland, violated plaintiffs rights to internal management, free speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, and free exercise as a matter of law. The judge ruled that the First Amendment protects religious organizations rights to select their own ministers, and that the InterVarsity chapters student leaders qualified as ministers. While InterVarsity is open to all students, it asks leaders to sign a statement of faith. Cleland also agreed with InterVarsitys argument that the school selectively applied its nondiscrimination policy, since other organizations also had specific requirements for their leaders. The decision comes three years after Wayne State allowed InterVarsity to regain its recognition as a campus group and only resulted in a $1 in symbolic damages. In a statement to Detroit News, the university challenged the decision to pursue litigation when InterVarsity had already been granted everything it requested in a timely manner. The ruling, though, stands to benefit other student groups or chapters at other schools by underscoring the importance of fair treatment and religious freedom. Lori Windham, who represented InterVarsity as senior counsel at Becket, said, The law is crystal clear: universities cant kick religious student groups off campus just because they choose leaders who share their faith. When they get kicked off campus or pursue legal challenges, it may be evangelicals who make the headlines because we have the resources, InterVarsitys external relations director Greg Jao told CT last year, but the resulting First Amendment protections also help minority faith groups who lose out because of the same policies. We should be standing there with the Sikh groups, the Hindu groups those who are most vulnerable. The US Department of Education enacted a final rule late last year prohibiting public colleges and universities from discriminating against religious student organizations over their beliefs, practices, policies, speech, membership standards, or leadership standards and clarified their right to official recognition, facility usage, and funding alongside other groups. ------- Original post (March 9, 2018): Just two days after InterVarsity Christian Fellowship filed a lawsuit against Wayne State University, the Detroit school decided to let the chapter regain its official status on campus once againone of the quickest initial victories in a string of legal battles over Christian groups at public colleges. Last year, InterVarsity lost its recognition as a student group at Wayne State, the third-largest school in Michigan, over requirements that its leaders affirm the organizations Christian beliefs. The school viewed the belief requirement as a violation of its nondiscrimination policy. InterVarsity sued on Tuesday, claiming religious discrimination; other student groups allowed on campus similarly ask leaders to share certain core values. Wayne State ultimately re-certified the student ministry on Thursday. Were so glad that Wayne State is letting us back on campus, said Cristina Garza, former president and current member of Wayne States InterVarsity chapter, which dates back 75 years and is one of the oldest in the country. We hope the school will make this change permanent, so no other students have to go through what weve been through over the last six months. InterVarsity is all too familiar with the fight for campus access, having lost then regained its place on 19 Cal State campuses in 2014 and 2015 due to the schools all comers policy, which requires school-sanctioned groups to open membership eligibility to all students and leadership positions to all members. Such a policy also led to InterVarsity getting forced off Vanderbilt Universitys campus a few years before. Across more than 1,000 chapters at 687 college campuses, InterVarsity opens membership to all students, and about a quarter of participants are not-yet-Christian, the ministry reports. However, InterVarsity continues to require its student leaders to be Christians and to affirm its core beliefs. The Wayne State saga comes weeks after similar issues at other major universities. Last month, Harvard put a Christian group on a year-long probation for asking a student in a same-sex relationship to leave the organization. We reject any notion that we discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in our fellowship, the leaders of Harvard College Faith and Action stated. Broadly speaking, the student in this case was removed because of an irreconcilable theological disagreement pertaining to our character standards. Becket, a religious liberty advocacy group which represented InterVarsity in the Wayne State suit, also helped a Christian group regain its status at the University of Iowa earlier this year. Business Leaders in Christ lost its place on campus over a sexual morality requirement in its faith statement, which kept a gay student from taking on a leadership role in the organization. Back in January, a judge ordered that the group be reinstated, though litigation is pending. Baptist Press reported that the Baptist State Convention of Michigan had shifted its funding toward church plants in college towns over on-campus student groups, a strategic decision that may become a necessary move if campus access issues continue. Our religious liberty and our opportunity to share as openly as we have in the past at colleges and universities is under attack, said Tim Patterson, executive director of Michigan Baptists. Baptists have to rethink how we do ministry on campus because the campus has changed. Evangelicals themselves are largely split on nondiscrimination regulations at public universities, with 51 percent in favor of allowing belief requirements for student leaders and 44 percent opposed, LifeWay Research found in 2015. Americans overall are open to exemptions for groups with religious convictions on sexual morality. More than two-thirds (68%) of Americans say public universities shouldnt only fund religious groups if they allow gay or lesbian leaders, according to the survey. Recent nondiscrimination policies at college campuses have increasingly brought faith groups under scrutiny, but as CT has reported, the issue of campus access has a long history: Even before the Christian Legal Society (CLS) narrowly lost its 2010 Supreme Court case protesting the Hastings School of Laws all comers policy, universities were struggling to find a balance between religious freedom and anti-discrimination . As far back as 1997, Grinnell College in Iowa banned InterVarsity because of its unwillingness to select a noncelibate gay leader. Later, several schools including Tufts University, Rutgers, and the University of North Carolina (UNC) also derecognized InterVarsity because requiring leaders to be Christians violated the schools anti-discrimination codes. UNC reversed its decision just weeks later; Rutgers settled out of court; and Tufts reinstated InterVarsity but later reversed it. InterVarsity recently lost campus access at SUNY Buffalo and Bowdoin College as well. Its good that Wayne State saw the light after it felt the heat, said Lori Windham, senior counsel at Becket. This kind of official religious discrimination should never happen again. ChinaAid Publishes Annual Report 2017 Contact: 432-689-6985 office, 432-553-1080 media, media@chinaaid.org MIDLAND, Texas, March 8, 2018 / The report documents several different categories of persecution that took place leading up to the implementation of China's revised and stricter Religious Affairs Regulations, which went into effect on Feb. 1, 2018. The types of persecution covered in the report include: the condition of Christianity under the rule of Chinese President Xi Jinping and an analysis of his first five years in power; a comparison between Xi's first five-year term and the last five-year term of his predecessor, Hu Jintao; an overview of the government's persecution of churches and Christians, detailing how they oppressed Christianity by disrupting religious and Christian social activities, harassing them in public, or abusing them in socio-economic spheres; and concludes with the step-by-step progression of Christianity's Sinicizationthe process of forcing religion to align with the Communist Party's agenda. In addition, the report records the number of persecution cases tallied by ChinaAid in 2017 and compares it to statistics gathered in 2016, demonstrating an overall escalation in persecution against Christians. A full English translation of the report can be read ChinaAid yearly publishes the Annual Report in order to draw the world's attention to China's human rights, religious freedom, and rule of law abuses and encourage citizens of the free nations to speak out against such atrocities. Share Tweet Contact: ChinaAid 432-689-6985 office,432-553-1080 media,MIDLAND, Texas, March 8, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- ChinaAid released the 2017 edition of its Annual Report Wednesday, charting the vast increase in persecution that took place in China last year.The report documents several different categories of persecution that took place leading up to the implementation of China's revised and stricter Religious Affairs Regulations, which went into effect on Feb. 1, 2018. The types of persecution covered in the report include: the condition of Christianity under the rule of Chinese President Xi Jinping and an analysis of his first five years in power; a comparison between Xi's first five-year term and the last five-year term of his predecessor, Hu Jintao; an overview of the government's persecution of churches and Christians, detailing how they oppressed Christianity by disrupting religious and Christian social activities, harassing them in public, or abusing them in socio-economic spheres; and concludes with the step-by-step progression of Christianity's Sinicizationthe process of forcing religion to align with the Communist Party's agenda.In addition, the report records the number of persecution cases tallied by ChinaAid in 2017 and compares it to statistics gathered in 2016, demonstrating an overall escalation in persecution against Christians.A full English translation of the report can be read here , and it is available here in its original Chinese.ChinaAid yearly publishes the Annual Report in order to draw the world's attention to China's human rights, religious freedom, and rule of law abuses and encourage citizens of the free nations to speak out against such atrocities. Korean Church Leaders Welcome News of US-North Korea Summit Contact: Media Office, World Council of Churches, +41 79 507 6363 GENEVE, March 9, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- On 9 March the National Council of Churches of Korea (NCCK) commented on the news that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), while agreeing to cease missile tests, has requested a summit meeting with the United States, and that President Trump has agreed to a meeting with the DPRK by May. Photo: Candle-light vigil for peace in the Korean peninsula. Photo by Paul Jeffrey/WCC, December 2017 Rev. Haekjib Ra, chair of the NCCK Reconciliation and Reunification Committee, said the NCCK remains convinced that dialogue is the only way to resolve military conflict on the Korean Peninsula peacefully. "Therefore, we request that the two countries, US and North Korea, use this summit meeting to find the correct path to reconciliation and peace," Ra commented. "Furthermore, we truly hope that the two sides will build trust with each other without threat of invasion and that this might become an opportunity to conclude a peace treaty that guarantees mutual peaceful coexistence." WCC member churches in South Korea We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form FEMA denied the disaster request, according to Gillibrand and Schumer, because the storms were separate incidents instead of a single event. The senators noted that there isn't a provision in federal law requiring that a disaster declaration must be linked to a single storm. As an example, the senators cited disaster requests that were granted to Arkansas and Missouri last year for separate severe storms that occurred over multiple weeks. "It is impractical to expect state and local governments to plan and budget for the impacts of a series of extreme weather events lasting 25 days," the senators wrote in their letter to Long. "Thus we implore you to give New Yorkers the same courtesy as other communities who have experienced similar storms and help relieve some of the financial burden unexpectedly placed on these economically challenged counties." Gillibrand and Schumer added, "If that is not possible, we urge you to visit these counties and explain to residents why their county is not eligible for the same level of federal assistance other counties received this year." State Sen. Jim Seward wants to strengthen penalties for individuals responsible for drug-related arson in New York. Seward, R-Milford, visited Homer, Cortland County, Thursday to unveil legislation that would make it a class E felony to cause a fire or explosion while manufacturing illegal drugs. Another charge, a class C felony, would apply if the defendant recklessly causes an explosion or fire during the illegal drug manufacturing process. The purpose of the bill is to close loopholes in state law. These loopholes were revealed after a fire in downtown Homer in September 2016. Brian Bermudez was manufacturing meth in his apartment when his lab exploded. The explosion and the ensuing fire killed his neighbor, Dewayne Block, and destroyed the building. But due to the loopholes in the law, Bermudez couldn't be charged with arson or murder. Seward's bill is supported by Cortland County District Attorney Patrick Perfetti, who informed the senator about the loopholes. 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. APL-urile din sudul tarii au aflat cat de transparente au fost in 2020, dupa ce au fost monitorizate de catre OSC-uri de la nivel local The members of Congress U.S. Reps. Chris Collins and John Faso also signed the letter agreed that the program could benefit communities in their districts. "We must work together at the federal, state and local level to ensure that the families and businesses we represent across New York receive the benefits from this new tax law that they both deserve and have earned," Stefanik, R-Willsboro, said in a statement. Two state agencies Empire State Development and Homes and Community Renewal will work with the regional economic development councils to determine "all possible areas" that could be designated as Opportunity Zones. The agencies will make recommendations to Cuomo, who must submit New York's nominees by April 20. The U.S. Department of Treasury, which will administer the Opportunity Zone program, will review the nominated census tracts and determine whether the areas will be added to the program. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 AKRON, Ohio - Officials will soon be one step closer to potential removal of the Gorge Dam, which crosses the Cuyahoga River in the Gorge Metro Park on the border of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. A new hydrological study is underway to determine what, if any, affects the removal could have on structures upstream of the Cuyahoga River, such as bridges and properties, said Summit Metro Parks Chief of Conservation Mike Johnson. The cost of the $70,000 study by Netherlands-based Arcadis Design and Consultancy will be equally shared by Summit Metro Parks and FirstEnergy, the project's major stakeholders. Other stakeholders include the Ohio EPA, the City of Akron and the City of Cuyahoga Falls. A public meeting to discuss the study, the ecosystem of Gorge Metro Park and other aspects of the project is scheduled for Thursday, March 22, at North High School, 985 Gorge Blvd. in North Hill. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the presentation from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Officials say removal of the 420-foot-wide, 60-foot-tall dam Gorge Dam, which has served no purpose since the early 1990s, would greatly improve the river's water quality, and draw tourism to the region. The dam creates a nearly 1.5-mile-long pool of water that: Turns the Cuyahoga River into a lake, drastically changing its chemistry Obstructs the flow of the river, inhibiting the river's natural ability to clean itself Enables accumulation of algae in the dam pool, which reduces oxygen and potentially kills fish Acts as a barrier to migratory fish, which locally include suckers (clean-water indicators) and seven species of noninvasive native lampreys, which are endangered and pose no threat. The hydrological study is one step in a long list of actions needed to bring down the dam. Studies and surveys to gather information on wetland delineation, rare and endangered species, the construction footprint and historical significance will also be done, Johnson said. With estimates for removal at about $70 million, it will be years before the river flows freely again, but officials remain hopeful. "I want to see this through," Johnson said. "This will happen in my lifetime." The dam , which straddles the border between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, is the last standing in a chain of local dams stretching from Kent to Cuyahoga Falls that have been taken down over the past several years. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. BEREA, Ohio -- Berea City Council reluctantly passed legislation March 5 that amends the city's codified ordinances to reflect the new ability of the state to collect municipal net profit income taxes. Berea had been processing them through the Regional Income Tax Agency for a nominal fee. The city, along with municipalities across Ohio, became a plaintiff late last year in a lawsuit that sought to declare unconstitutional the state's taking control of municipal net income tax processing through provisions outlined in House Bill 49. Berea Director of Law and Public Safety Barb Jones told council in December that the bill "infringes on our home rule ability to collect our own income taxes." "The city, by enacting this ordinance, does not concede the legality of H.B. 49's municipal income tax provisions ... and reserves the right to continue prosecution of the lawsuit and any subsequent appeal," the city legislation indicates. The state will take a 0.5 percent cut of the city's collected net profit income taxes before returning the balance to Berea. RITA will continue to collect Berea individuals' tax returns. "At this point, until there is further action from the court, our advice is that council should pass the ordinance," Jones told council March 5 before the vote. "We're doing it somewhat under protest, reserving our right to continue with the litigation." Businesses can choose to file net profit income taxes under Berea's city code or through the state. "The idea primarily is to make it more convenient for businesses to be able to file in one location through the Ohio Business Gateway rather than having to file in every single jurisdiction," Jones explained, adding that some people have expressed concerns that it could be the state's first step in centralizing all tax collections. According to Director of Finance Dana Kavander, the financial impact on the city is unknown at this time. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Area steel producers declined to discuss President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs announced Thursday, but many steel workers said they believe the tariffs would bring back jobs. Trump is imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. He made the announcement during an afternoon ceremony at the White House, surrounded by steel and aluminum workers. The president said the levies would take effect in about 15 days. Canada and Mexico would be exempted from the taxes. The tariffs could potentially have an impact in Northeast Ohio. The area is home to several steel facilities, including those owned by ArcelorMittal in Cleveland, Republic Steel in Lorain and the Canton area, TimkenSteel in the Canton area and U.S. Steel in Lorain. Arconic, a spinoff of Alcoa, has production operations in Cleveland. In a news release, Republic Steel said that if demand for steel increased because of the tariff: "This could result in Republic bringing back 1,000+ jobs to its Lorain, OH facility." The other companies have not yet responded to The Plain Dealer's request for comment. Pat Gallagher, sub-director for the United Steel Workers, said he is hoping the tariffs would put some of his members back to work. He said unfair foreign competition had played a major role in the layoffs of about 500 of the union's members at U.S. Steel in Lorain and another 700 at Republic Steel, also in Lorain. He is hopeful that tariffs will lead to USW members at those facilities, and at other plants throughout the country, returning to work. (Republic Steel and ERP Iron Ore LLC. announced last month that they would do pig iron production in Lorain by the end of the year, but details - including the projected number of jobs - were not released.) "This free trade has destroyed us," Gallagher said. "The U.S. and Canada are the only two countries that consume more steel than they produce. China, Germany, Brazil, etc. specifically make steel to export - not for their own use. That surplus is what has been flooding the world market and depressing prices, and causing these companies in the U.S. to close down plants." But not everyone believes tariffs will help the U.S. economy. For example, a report this week by The Trade Partnership consulting firm in Washington, D.C., said that while steel and aluminum employment would increase by 33,464 jobs, tariffs would "cost 179,334 jobs throughout the rest of the economy, for a net loss of nearly 146,000 jobs." The report didn't take into account the argument made by many opponents of tariffs that other countries would retaliate for the steep tax imposed by the U.S. Gallagher said he doesn't fear tariffs sparking a trade war capable of causing even more of his members to lose jobs. "All we have been asking for is a level playing field to help this industry and have jobs for our members," Gallagher said. Steel producers in the Cleveland area were among those in the U.S., in recent years, who have gotten the government to impose duties against nations that engage in unfair trade to cope with their steel glut. Duties are imposed only after investigations reveal unfair trade has occurred. Cases can be brought for two reasons. They can be based on dumping, or whether products were sold in the U.S. for less than they were in their home markets or for less than what they cost to make. Cases also can be brought based on subsidies, or when governments provide unfair support to their steel industries that drives down the cost of product sold in the U.S. "The U.S. steel industry has been deluged for 40 years with these illegal imports of steel," Gallagher said. "Countries have been bringing in steel made with free (, or subsidized by their governments,) energy, free water, free utilities and free land." Though the USW and most blue-collar unions endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, many of their members supported Trump because he said he would bring back blue-collar jobs. The international union applauded the tariffs. "The USW - both our U.S. and Canadian membership - has been united in advocating that Canadian production of steel and aluminum not be subject to any tariffs," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard in a news release. "We've raised that point at every level of the administration, including with the President. Our supply chains are integrated and, in steel, the United States runs a trade surplus with Canada. Also, our national security interests are inextricably intertwined with a unique defense and intelligence relationship. "Canada is not one of the countries cheating and is not contributing to the decimation of U.S. production. However, both Canada and Mexico need to take the necessary steps to ensure they do not become points of circumvention for imports into the United States from other nations. This is something our members on both sides of the border have been affected by and it's time for our allies to join us." Plain Dealer Reporter Marcia Pledger contributed to this report and information from the Associated Press was included. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New developments have intensified the Stormy Daniels storm tracking President Trump. Tuesday, the porn star sued 'The Donald' in California claiming the nondisclosure agreement between the two was invalid because Trump never signed it on the line for his alias, David Dennison. The lawsuit also alleges Trump's lawyer,Michael Cohen, who orchestrated the agreement, invalidated it by talking about the case and Daniels publicly, and by taking legal action against her. Through private arbitration, Cohen sought and was granted a temporary restraining order against Daniels to ensure her continued silence. White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed the scandal, claiming the "case has already been won in arbitration" and that "the arbitration was won in the president's favor." Daniels attorney argued Sander's claim that Trump won the case in arbitration was bogus. Daniels' attorney pointed out that Trump was not even a party to the arbitration ruling sought by Cohen, because it was between Daniels and the shell company Cohen had set up to pay her the hush money. The ruling was also limited and temporary. Sanders statement was significant because it was the first time the White House has acknowledged a link between President Trump and the nondisclosure agreement involving the payment of $130,000 in hush money. It's not surprising to read that Trump was said to be unhappy with the way Sanders handled the questions about Daniel's lawsuit. In all past cases involving claims of affairs or sexual misconduct, Trump and the White House have dismissed the claims outright as lies. Why the Daniels storm has been upgraded to a category 3. The Daniels scandal has the potential to damage Trump in the way the other sex claims against Trump haven't, for several reasons. Hush money was paid to Daniels just prior to the 2016 election. That hush money was paid looks bad enough on its own. The fact that it was paid just prior to the election opens Trump and Cohen to potential campaign finance violations. Cohen has claimed he made the payment on his own. It would be highly unusual for any attorney to make a payment on his clients behalf, using his own funds, without seeking reimbursement. If Cohen made the payment without informing his client, Cohen opens himself up to ethics violations, and he's already under investigation by Mueller. The lawsuit could result in discovery motions and Trump depositions revealing that more women were paid hush money and coerced into signing onerous nondisclosure agreements by Cohen. By Trump arguing the agreement is valid, he's acknowledging the hush money was paid, and he knew it. Daniel's payoff gives credence to the Steele dossier claims of alleged kinky trysts with Russian prostitutes. Trump dismissed any such allegation claiming he was too smart to put himself in a situation where he could be compromised. He also said that he was a germaphobe. The major claims in the Steele dossier have yet to be fully discredited by U.S. intel, even if they haven't been fully validated either. The Stormy Daniels affair and hush money payoff gives credence to notion that Trump could be involved with a sex worker and be potentially compromised by one. Daniels may have pictures according to the nondisclosure agreement. The agreement stipulated Daniels turn over all images and messages created by Trump and destroy any electronic record of them. If the agreement is ruled invalid, Daniels and her attorney have promised her full story will be told. If images of that story also exist, it hard to image they also wouldn't be revealed Evangelical Christians make up a good part of Trump's base. How will they respond to a direct link of Trump paying $130,000 to a porn star, and any explicit images of Trump and Daniels being exposed? Melania had just give birth to Barron at the time Trump is alleged to have had his encounters with the porn star. That goes over about as well as John Edwards having an affair and love child while his wife fought cancer. The porn star story may resonate with public better than Russia probe. Not because of the salacious aspect of it being a porn star, but the other aspects. The payment of hush money. The continued efforts to silence Daniels. The fact that the encounters allegedly happened just after Melania gave birth. All of it may be easier for the public to understand and relate to than the complex Russia investigation. Hush money didn't hush. Regardless of the legal outcome of the lawsuit, Trump and Cohen have already lost. Cohen paid $130,000 to keep the porn star story covered up and that didn't happen. It already looks bad for Trump, it's just a question of how much worse it's going to get. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Construction on the began with great fanfare 25 years ago, with Chuck Berry, Billy Joel and Pete Townshend among the VIPs gathered for the groundbreaking in Cleveland. And yet, the $84 million project's success was anything but a sure thing. It had taken years to put together the public-private financing package to build it, and some questioned the value of a museum devoted to such an ephemeral art form. Today, the museum is a Cleveland icon - and an unrivaled economic and cultural boon to the city. It's also aggressively reinventing itself to enhance visitor appeal, better connect with the community, and remain relevant to generations to come. As the museum and the city prepare to host the 2018 Induction Ceremony on April 14, cleveland.com and ideastream will once again come together under the banner of to host a lively community conversation that examines the museum's sometimes bumpy road from idea to reality, its impact on the city of Cleveland and its future direction. The Rock Hall Cleveland Connects forum is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3. The program begins at 7 p.m. with a reception on the lower level of the museum. The 90-minute forum starts at 7:30 p.m. on the Rock Hall's main atrium stage, and will be streamed live on cleveland.com and ideastream.org. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and reservations are required at Admission to the event does not include admission to the museum. Parking is available at The Great Lakes Science Center's attached parking garage. Light refreshments will be provided at the opening reception. Panelists for the forum include: Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He has guided the museum through a major, recent transformation dubbed "Museum 2.0." Dennis Barrie, principal, BarrieProjects and former executive director of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame from 1993-1996. Barrie led the museum during its design and construction, overseeing all aspects of the project through its opening and dedication. David Abbott, executive director of the George Gund Foundation and former executive director of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame from 1997-98. Martha Reeves, legendary American singer and the lead voice of the classic 1960s Motown vocal trio Martha and the Vandellas. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. The moderator of the program will be Rick Jackson, senior host and producer of the "Ideas" and "NewsDepth" programs on WVIZ-TV/PBS and the Friday host of "The Sound of Ideas" on 90.3 WCPN. Cleveland Connects is sponsored by PNC Bank and produced by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in partnership with ideastream, the public broadcasting entity that includes WVIZ/PBS, 90.3 WCPN and WCLV 104.9. An edited version of the April 3 conversation will air later on 90.3 WCPN from 9-10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, and on WVIZ/PBS from 7-8 p.m. the same day. The Rock Hall is at 1100 E. 9th St., Cleveland. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The long-rumored "Star Wars" live-action television series is closer to becoming a reality now that Lucasfilm has hired "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau to write and produce the show for Disney's forthcoming streaming service. "I couldn't be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. "Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the 'Star Wars' universe. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base." Favreau, currently directing a live-action adaptation of Disney's "The Lion King," has dabbled in the "Star Wars" galaxy before. He plays the alien pilot Rio Durant in the upcoming "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and provided the voice for the Mandalorian warrior Pre Vizsla in the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series. "If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the 'Star Wars' universe, I wouldn't have believed you. I can't wait to embark upon this exciting adventure," Favreau said in a statement. In addition to directing -- he also made "The Jungle Book" and "Elf -- Favreau is an accomplished character actor, best known for roles in "Swingers," "Rudy" and the "Iron Man" franchise. Disney's Netflix competitor is due to launch in the fall of 2019. Besides the live-action "Star Wars" series, the streaming service will feature originals including a "High School Musical" reboot and a series based on the Pixar animated film "Monsters, Inc." No premiere date has been set for any of the new shows. FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio -- Growing pains and acclimation to a shift in education methodology are the reasons why Fairview Park City Schools Superintendent Bill Wagner said the district is currently hosting a handful of roundtable discussions. Fairview Park City Schools Superintendent Bill Wagner (Bruce Geiselman, special to cleveland.com) Families and community members are invited to join Wagner and school administrators for a conversation about the Summit Learning platform, which was implemented at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year. "We're instituting significant change for our students, higher rigor for them, higher expectations for them, greater challenges for our parents," Wagner said. "It's a very different method of instruction, with different communication tools and a different way for parents to see the learning and the work their students are doing." Remaining roundtable discussions are planned for 7 p.m. March 13, 5:30 p.m. April 2, 5:30 p.m. April 9 and 7 p.m. April 11 at the Fairview Park Board of Education conference room. Parents of students in grades 6-10 are encouraged to attend. School officials will be present to address concerns, answer questions and provide information. "We've always been open and transparent with what we've been doing from the very beginning," Wagner said. "This significant implementation requires a lot of communication for people to understand it, to learn it." Over the past year, the district has held more than 50 parent-information sessions. Some of the issues addressed at the first roundtable discussion held earlier this month included clearing up misinformation such as teachers not helping students, teacher restrictions and students having trouble learning. "The perception is that the students are all on the computer, and that couldn't be farther from the truth," Wagner said. "There's a lot of computer time, but that was always the case since we're a 1:1 district." Also coming from the discussions are constructive critiques, such as students and parents wanting more teacher interaction and time to complete assessments, as well as a simplification of online communication tools and resources. "We haven't heard any surprises, but certainly there are frustrations," Wagner said. "There have been bumps in the road in our implementation, which is typical. What's really been productive -- and why I think there was a positive feeling coming out of our first session -- was that we're in this together." Next year, Wagner said he expects additional changes and tweaks to the Summit Learning, which continues to evolve. "There are going to be changes because we're going to get better and incorporate some of the feedback," Wagner said. "We're going to process everything we hear from students and parents. "One of my goals is to engage with building principals and some of our students in focus groups to find out what's working and what's not working. Our goal is to take all of this information and then see what we need to do to make the experience better for everyone." CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County corruption investigators have served three more subpoenas on the administration of County Executive Armond Budish requesting records that include deleted emails from accounts of several officials, the county confirmed Thursday. The new subpoenas mention 10 county administrators whose names did not appear in two earlier subpoenas the county made public last month, as well as again naming IT administrators Scot Rourke and Emily McNeeley. As with the earlier subpoenas, the latest batch do not reveal what investigators suspect. County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said the county does not believe the additional administrators mentioned in the subpoenas are targets of an investigation, and that the information being sought is related to previous subpoenas that named McNeeley and Rourke. Rourke and McNeeley were placed on paid leave after the county received the earlier subpoenas. Here is what the new subpoenas seek: One dated Feb. 20, 2018, requests Microsoft Office 365 audit logs related to McNeeley and Rourke since Jan. 1, 2016, as well as information related to the audit logs of Michael Young, Mike Dimarino, Cindy Nappi and James Hay since Jan. 1, 2018. Young is the county's chief technology officer. Dimarino is a systems information analyst for the county. Nappi is an IT administrator and Hay is deputy chief information officer. The subpoena also wants all deleted emails for the county email accounts of McNeeley, Rourke, Young, Dimarino, Nappi and Hay, as well as "access logs or audit trails showing administrator-level access of the Cuyahogacounty.US email accounts associated with Dennis Kennedy, Mark Griffin, Valissa Howard, Cory Swaisgood, Lenora Lockett, and Maggie Keenan." Kennedy is the county's chief fiscal officer. Griffin is the county's inspector general. Howard is a deputy inspector general. Swaisgood is the county's internal auditor. Lockett is director of the office of procurement and diversity, and Keenan is the director of office of budget and management. Investigators had earlier sought emails from McNeeley, general counsel and director of special initiatives for information technology, and Rourke, chief information officer and chief transformation officer for the county, as well as their access to contracts related to two county contractors, Hyland Software and OneCommunity. The second subpoena dated Feb. 21, 2018 seeks 30 invoices related to OneCommunity, a broadband provider that once employed Rourke and that has performed more than $15 million in business with the county. The third subpoena dated Feb. 28, 2018, requests "law office matrix items created by Jeff Mowry on or about June, 18, 2014, concerning the contract" between the county and OneCommunity. The law office matrix is a means of organizing requests of the county's legal department, Madigan said. Mowry was the county's IT director before Rourke. The subpoenas are in addition to the two previously issued by the County Prosecutor's Office. The first subpoena was served on Jan. 24, 2018, and sought, among other things, email communications between Rourke and McNeeley and representatives of Hyland Software, OneCommunity and offshoots of OneCommunity. Investigators also have sought records of any electronic access that Rourke and McNeeley had to contracts related to Hyland and OneCommunity, as well as ethics opinions and legal opinions related to Rourke and McNeeley "concerning their relationship" with Hyland or OneCommunity. County Inspector General Mark Griffin notified McNeeley when she was still an assistant law director that because her spouse worked at Hyland, another assistant law director should "provide legal advice and counsel on decisions or discussions related to contracting with Hyland." But he also said McNeeley could work on Hyland assignments after a contract had been awarded. Rourke also had communications with Griffin related to a relationship with another firm. In a letter to Griffin, he also denied rumors that were "flying around" that he had benefited financially "from a recent contract resolutions (sic) with OneCommunity, where I previously worked." The second subpoena served Feb. 9, 2018, requested personnel records related to Sharon Sobol Jordan, who recently resigned as chief of staff to Budish. Madigan said again Thursday that the county is cooperating with the investigation. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cuyahoga County has reached an agreement with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) to manage the Norma Herr Women's Center, the only publicly-funded shelter for homeless single women in the county. The YWCA will take over running the Payne Avenue facility on May 1, if County Council approves the $1.9 million contract -- through Dec. 31,2018. The council is scheduled to review the deal on March 13. Norma Herr has been managed since 2004 by Frontline Services, a nonprofit which describes itself as a "behavioral health" agency. Frontline's contract was scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2017, but has been extended until April 30 to give the YWCA time to hire and train staff. Frontline was one of two agencies to respond at the end of 2016, when the county sought proposals from agencies interested in managing the shelter. The other was the Westside Catholic Center, which also runs a homeless shelter in Ohio City. Ruth Gillett, the manager of the county's Office on Homeless Services, said neither agency received the minimum scores necessary to be awarded the contract, so a second request was issued in July 2017. The YWCA was the only agency to respond to that request. Gillett said all shelter staff will be trained in crisis management, trauma-informed care and conflict de-escalation to better meet the needs for the nearly 170 women who stay at the facility nightly. Services currently offered at the shelter - mental health and addiction services, as well as life skills and job counseling - will be maintained to help clients move to permanent housing as quickly as possible. "Everyone is being very thoughtful through this transition," said Mary Louise Madigan, a spokesman for the county. "We are working to assure a safe and supportive environment for the women who live at the shelter." Madigan said the building which houses the shelter is owned and managed by Emerald Development and Economic Network and is being inspected to be certain no routine maintenance of has been deferred. The shelter costs about $1.5 million to operate each year. Gillett said additional funding has been allocated by the county to meet the needs of the homeless in the community. The increase comes through the health and human services levy. Margaret Mitchell, the president and CEO of the YWCA, said the management of the shelter is an "important step forward" for the organization. For the last seven years, she said, the YWCA has been working to find and maintain housing for youth aging out of foster care In addition, 69 percent of the children enrolled at the Y's daycare return to homeless shelters at night. "We want our staff to take a fresh approach to creating a culture around permanent housing and working with the women there to empower them to transition from homelessness to a home where they can be safe and flourish," Mitchell said. "With the expanded resources from the county, we will be able to do that." * Note: This story has been edited to reflect that the number of homeless children in daycares run by the YWCA is 69 percent, not the seven percent as previously reported. KENT, Ohio - The Kent State University freshman who Gov. John Kasich honored earlier this week for her work on mental-health issues had for years quietly fought depression, anxiety and bulimia. In a telephone interview with cleveland.com, Nina Schubert said she decided to speak out and get help only after realizing she would otherwise be unable to obtain a college education and lead a successful adult life. Kasich awarded Schubert his Courage Award during Tuesday's State of the State address. The governor noted that she founded the Nightingale Project, a support group for people with depression. "She's an inspiring example of leadership at a young age on such a difficult issue," Kasich said. "We love you Nina for the fact that you're stepping up and stepping out and helping people to get their lives back." Schubert credits a high school guidance counselor with persuading her to seek counseling. The counseling, in turn, allowed her to confront feelings she had pushed aside as a child because she didn't know how to deal with them. "I had just never heard people talk about the feelings of worthlessness, body issues or being bullied before," she said. She said she realized, for the first time, that her battle with mental illness was "just not my issue." Her acceptance to KSU brought new determination to "get well for me." Schubert said some classmates have made hurtful comments when they learn that she suffers from mental illness. But she said she is able to get past the comments by reminding herself that they don't know the hurdles she faces - sometimes just to get out of bed. Schubert began the Nightingale Project last October. She posts encouraging messages on social media daily, especially Instagram -- @nourishing.nina - where she has heard from other's battling mental illness that her story has given them hope. In addition to providing support, the Nightingale Project seeks to end the stigma associated with mental disorders. "I want to end the stigma so that we can get more people talking about mental illness, to normalize it and to end the jokes about it," Schubert said. "I want to end the idea of people turning a blind eye to people who are suffering." Schubert, who is majoring in early childhood education major, also hopes her experience will benefit her future students. "I want to be there when they are at the age where they are discovering themselves and help them cope with whatever is tough for them," she said. "I want them to feel safe. I want them to feel loved." On Thursday, Trump linked the tariffs to his promise during the 2016 presidential race to boost the struggling industries. "We're going to be very fair, we're going to be very flexible but we're going to protect the American worker as I said I would do in my campaign," he said. Here is what you should know about the tariffs: HOW WILL THE TARIFFS WORK? Steel imports will be subject to a 25 percent tariff and there will be a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. WHICH COUNTRIES WILL BE AFFECTED? The tariffs will apply to all countries that import aluminum or steel. There will be exceptions for Canada and Mexico, two of the leading sources of U.S. steel imports. Canada and Mexico will not pay the tariffs, according to a senior Trump administration official. The tariffs seem to target, at least in part, imports from China. But steel from China makes up only 2.15 percent of all U.S. steel imports (in metric tons), according to the Commerce Department. A majority of U.S. steel imports come from U.S. allies Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Mexico and South Korea. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Roads were slick Friday morning in Northeast Ohio thanks to the latest round of winter weather. It also means another round of closings and delays for school districts, particularly in the snow belt east of Cleveland. Check the list of closings and delays below. For a more extensive list, including trade schools, day cares and church activities, go to WKYC Channel 3 or WEWS Channel 5: Agape Christian Academy Auburn Career Center Beachwood City Schools Bedford City Schools Benedictine High School Berkshire Local Schools Bethlehem Christian Academy Cardinal Local Schools Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools Chardon Local Schools Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools Cornerstone Christian (Lake County) Fairport Harbor Exempted Village Schools Garfield Heights City Schools Geneva Area City Schools Grand Valley Local Schools Kenston Local Schools Kent State University Geauga Campus (morning classes canceled) Lake Catholic High School Madison Local Schools (Lake County) Maple Heights City Schools Newbury Local Schools Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Orange City Schools Painesville Christian Academy Painesville City Schools Perry Local Schools (Lake County) Riverside Local Schools St. Anselm School St. Benedict Catholic School (Cuyahoga County) St. Gabriel School (Lake County) St. Helen Elementary School (Geauga County) St. Joan of Arc Elementary (Chagrin Falls) St. Mary Elementary School (Chardon) Shaker Heights Schools Trinity High School Twinsburg City Schools (delayed two hours) Ursuline College (delayed two hours) West Geauga Local Schools WASHINGTON - The moderator of a panel discussion on taxes with Ohio Republican congressmen Jim Renacci and Bob Gibbs before today's Cleveland speech by Vice President Mike Pence could hardly be described as moderate. Curtis Ellis is an ally of former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and a senior policy adviser at the Trump-linked group hosting this afternoon's event - America First Policies. He joined the group after strong protests were raised when he was under consideration to be the Department of Labor's chief diplomat. Ellis has publicly accused the "radical left" of "ethnic cleansing" and deliberately bringing about "the liquidation of white blue-collar working families in an epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse." After penning a Cincinnati Enquirer column that accused Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of being blind to threats from Communist China, he Tweeted "Mitch is China's bitch." "Ellis has a lengthy public record espousing protectionist and anti-Obama trade agenda views on WorldNetDaily, a website known for publishing stories questioning former President Barack Obama's citizenship," according to Bloomberg Law. "A loyal media surrogate on the Donald Trump presidential campaign, Ellis wrote a column in 2015 titled, "legal immigration threatens our society." Curtis Ellis may have left the Labor Dept., (https://t.co/sirWkrADzt) but he's still got sway in Trump world. Ellis hosts an event in Cleveland this afternoon featuring @VP Pence to tout Trump's tax cuts. https://t.co/1HqC941xe5 Ben Penn (@benjaminpenn) March 9, 2018 Ellis also has said the Trans Pacific Partnership deal that Trump derailed was a "weapon aimed straight at the Constitution" and at Christians around the world, because he said it would merge the U.S. economy with countries like Malaysia and Vietnam that persecute Christians. "They ban the Bible, ban Christmas celebrations," Ellis said in a Tea Party News Network interview with former Arizona GOP Rep. J.D. Hayworth. "We're going to be merged with these countries economically." The AFL-CIO labor union opposed his bid for the Labor Department post, arguing that his past history of controversial remarks "will embarrass the U.S. in international relations." "Putting a person with extreme, partisan views--not to mention close association with Steve Bannon--in charge of representing the Department of Labor internationally would be a clear and early indication of the direction" the Labor Department "plans to go, as well as a threat to workers here and abroad," said a statement from Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. Ellis served on the Trump-Pence transition team and worked a special adviser to the Secretary of Labor while he was under consideration for the diplomatic post, He also served as founder and executive director of the American Jobs Alliance, an independent nonprofit promoting "Buy American and Hire American" policies, America First Policies says. "Curtis' wealth of policy knowledge, especially in the areas of free trade and job growth, and his proven commitment to initiatives that promote American strength and prosperity will make him an invaluable member of the America First team," America First Policies president Brian O. Walsh said in a statement when Ellis was hired. Ellis did not make any controversial remarks during the Cleveland event, and Renacci and Gibbs said they knew nothing about Ellis before meeting him Friday. "I just met him," Gibbs told a reporter. "I don't even know his last name. I don't know anything about him. Obviously I wouldn't condone any language or actions of that sort." Cleveland.com politics reporter Seth Richardson contributed to this report. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May to negotiate an end of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. This move by Trump marks the first time an American president will have met with a North Korean leader. The United States and North Korea do not have formal diplomatic relations and have had feelings of hostility, in part because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with a truce and not a peace treaty. South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong told reporters Kim expressed "eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." He also said he told Trump that Kim is committed to "denuclearization" and will not conduct any further nuclear or missile tests after a year of tension over the tests. Eui-yong stated Trump would meet with Kim to permanently denuclearize. Should President Trump meet with Kim? Join us for a pre-curated Talk It Out from 11:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. In our Talk it Out pre-curated conversation, comments are published after they are reviewed -- promptly -- to ensure they adhere to our community rules, which prohibit indecent, hateful, abusive or harassing comments, personal attacks, vulgar nicknames, personal information including telephone numbers and addresses, email addresses belonging to others, anything inciting criminal behavior and copyrighted material for which you do not own the rights. AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron President Matthew Wilson was eliminated from consideration Friday for president of the University of Central Florida. UCF trustees later named UCF Provost Dale Whittaker the university's president-elect after the nationwide search. Whittaker will replace President John C. Hitt, who announced last October that he would retire June 30 after serving for 26 years. UA trustee Chairman Roland Bauer issued a statement Friday afternoon after UCF trustees announced that Wilson was no longer in contention. "While others obviously see the same qualities in President Wilson that we do, we welcome his continued service as our president," Bauer said. "We will move forward aggressively with the initiatives that have been launched to help make UA even more distinctive." UCF has an enrollment of around 66,000, the largest in the state. Wilson and the other three finalists each met with trustees for 75 minutes throughout the day. Trustees then discussed the finalists and voted. Wilson's interest in the presidency came as a surprise to UA's faculty, staff, students and community supporters. He said in a Jan. 25 interview at cleveland.com that he is contacted at least two times a week to see if he is interested in applying for a top-level position, but that he had no interest in leaving Akron. But in a letter to campus after being named a semi-finalist for the UCF job in February, he said his years living in Orlando led him to pursue the Florida job. Wilson, who arrived at Akron in 2014 as dean of the law school, was appointed interim president in July 2016 for a term of 18 months. He replaced Scott Scarborough, who resigned as president in May 2016 after a tumultuous tenure. In October, trustees named Wilson permanent president. Last fall trustees extended Wilson's contract through June 30, 2023. His contract allows him to leave with a 120-day notice. During his tenure, Wilson has engaged with constituencies, helped increase enrollment and stabilized a budget that had significant deficits, officials said. The process to choose the UCF president moved quickly once the eight semi-finalists were named on Feb. 15. In his letter to the presidential search committee, Wilson wrote that now is the perfect time in his career to leave Ohio and return to Orlando, where he and his family had always wanted to settle down. The four finalists each spent two days on campus and spoke at a forum with faculty, students, staff and community members. During his one-hour appearance on March 2 Wilson said that the institution has "incredible" potential and he was the best person to lead it into the future. Wilson mentioned his connection with Orlando and the university several times. He practiced law in the city before leaving in 2003 to begin his academic career. "Fifteen years ago I made my wife a pledge when we left - and she didn't want to leave - that we would return to Florida one day," he said. "I hope this is the opportunity to do that." He spoke of his many accomplishments at the University of Akron, where he was named president in 2016 after President Scott Scarborough resigned following a tumultuous two years. The other two finalists were Suresh Garimella, executive vice president for research and partnerships at Purdue University and Mark Kennedy, president of the University of North Dakota. HARTFORD, Connecticut -- Sometimes it's not best to go with what you know. A man due to appear in court on charges connected to the theft of a car last month showed up for his hearing on Wednesday ... no problem there. But police say it's how he arrived that's the problem -- in another stolen car. Jonathan Rivera, 25, now has the charges of second-degree larceny and taking a motor vehicle without the owner's permission to go with his original charges of first-degree larceny and tampering with a motor vehicle, the Courant reports. Rivera was in the courthouse when parking authority agents started scanning license plates and found a car that had been reported stolen, the Associated Press reports. Police arrested Rivera when he returned to the vehicle, a white 2014 Subaru Legacy, according to the Courant. Rivera didn't get to go home in the Subaru ... he's being held in jail on a $25,000 bond, CBS News reports. To comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments page. FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey -- A man who was on his way to his father's house to shovel snow was killed Thursday when his vehicle hit a downed power line, causing it to burst into flames. The downed line was a result of a powerful nor'easter hit the northeast section of the U.S., dropping more than 2 feet of wet snow on areas and leaving nearly a million customers without power. The storm was blamed for one other death: In Suffern, New York, an 88-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree, police said. According to NorthJersey.com, authorities say Anthony Gonzalez, 40, of Wanaque, N.J., attempted to drive around warning cones set up to keep motorists away from the power line. When rescuers arrived at 9 a.m., they found Gonzalez's Subaru engulfed in flames and a live wire nearby, nj.com reports. Anthony Gonzalez Sr., 61, tells NorthJersey.com that his son was married and had three children, two girls, ages 7 and 8, and a 5-year-old son. "We spoke last night and he said he would take care of me," Anthony Gonzalez Sr. says. "It's like a bad dream," h. "It breaks my heart." Gonzalez Sr. tells NorthJersey.com the cones had not been set up around the wire when his son drove through the area. He says a live wire fell on the Subaru. NorthJersey.com says police were unavailable to comment on Gonzalez Sr.'s claim. Capt. John Bakelaar tells nj.com that the cones had been set up around the wire, but declined to say if Gonzalez Jr. had tried to drive around them. "It's still an active investigation," Bakelaar says. To comment on this story, visit Thursday's crime and courts comments page. COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Northeast Ohio lawmaker may introduce a bill that would require the state to divest from Russia after its invasion of Crimea and interference in the 2016 election. Rep. Dan Ramos, a Democrat from Lorain, said he's trying to get an idea how of much state money is invested in Russian Federation enterprises, Capitol Letter, cleveland.com's daily Statehouse tip sheet, reported Friday. During a Thursday state retirement meeting, officials said at least $2 million of the $90 billion in assets held by the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System is in Gazprom, the Russian energy giant. "Gazprom is the old Soviet ministry of oil," Ramos said. Ramos said he hasn't yet decided if he will draft a Russian divestment bill because he is still researching the issue and any potential ramifications in Ohio. He also doesn't know yet if state divestment would be limited to Ohio's five state retirement plans or all state investments. As a Democrat, Ramos is in the minority party and would need GOP co-sponsors for the bill to gain momentum in the General Assembly, which has a Republican supermajority. He noted that a bipartisan Congress overwhelmingly adopted sanctions last year against Russia for the election meddling. President Donald Trump signed the bill but hasn't implemented the sanctions. Vice President Mike Pence CLEVELAND -- Just over two months ago, with the strong support of Ohio's Republicans in Congress, President Donald Trump signed into law the largest tax cuts and tax reform in American history. When I visit Cleveland today, I'll see firsthand that our tax cuts are working - and they're making a remarkable difference in the Buckeye State. The new tax-cut law capped off a year of decisive action by our administration. Since Day One, we've worked tirelessly to keep our promises to the people of Ohio. We've rolled back the heavy hand of government by repealing regulations, eliminating 22 old rules for each new one. We've unlocked the affordable and abundant energy that powers Ohio's economy. And we've stood up to other countries' unfair trade practices and fought for deals that put Ohio workers first. Cleveland is proof that our policies are working. Since our November 2016 election, unemployment in the five-county Greater Cleveland area has dropped by nearly 10 percent, and good-paying jobs are making a comeback. In the last year of the previous administration, Greater Cleveland lost thousands of manufacturing jobs, but under this president, more than 3,300 new manufacturing jobs have been created. In the Buckeye State as a whole, factories have hired more than 10,000 new workers, and companies across every industry have added more than 50,000 new jobs. But the best news is that our tax cuts will only turbocharge this growth. Since the president signed the tax cuts into law, working families across Ohio have already gotten more money in their pockets, and companies are responding with renewed investment in the Buckeye State. Under our tax cut, the typical Ohio couple with two children will get nearly $2,300 more of their hard-earned money every year. After all, you know how to spend your paycheck better than any bureaucrat in Washington, D.C., ever could. Ohio families can also expect to see their paychecks grow nearly $4,000 in the years ahead, as Buckeye State companies reinvest their tax savings to raise wages for their employees and expand their business. Our tax cut makes American companies competitive anywhere in the world - and as Ohio knows, when the playing field is level, American workers always win. Since the tax cuts passed in December, company after company in Ohio has taken dramatic actions to reward their employees, with raises, bonuses, better benefits, and more. Jergens Inc., a manufacturing company based in Cleveland, is doubling its annual rate increases for its workers. KeyCorp, another Cleveland business with nearly 6,000 employees, is increasing its base wage and putting more money into its workers' retirement plans. Fiat Chrysler is giving $2,000 bonuses to more than 6,000 Ohio workers. And the list goes on. As the tax cuts take hold across the wider economy, more and more companies will take action, benefiting more and more Ohioans. Simply put, workers in the Buckeye State will benefit from our tax cuts for generations to come. Every Republican in Congress from Northeast Ohio voted to pass these tax cuts - they deserve your thanks. Congressmen Dave Joyce, Jim Renacci, Bob Gibbs, and Jim Jordan stood with our administration. They put Ohio workers first. Now President Trump and I will keep working with these principled Ohio leaders to keep growing our economy, supporting job creators, and expanding opportunity and prosperity for the American people. We're going to keep cutting job-killing red tape and standing up to unfair trade practices by other countries, including China. And we'll pass a historic infrastructure bill that will rebuild the Buckeye State. We've got our work cut out for us, but at times like these, I can't help but think of the Buckeye State's motto: "With God, all things are possible." With the continued support of the good people of Ohio, with the leadership of our president, and with God's help, I know: We'll finish what we've started, and we'll Make America Great Again. Mike Pence is vice president of the United States. **************** Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the "Follow" option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. Trade wars are often costly, messy and painful. But that hasn't stopped President Donald Trump from taking an action that could start one. Despite opposition from free-trade Republicans, the European Union and his departing economic adviser, Gary Cohn, the president has moved ahead to impose his steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. With a "bring it on" bravado, Trump is following through on his announcement last week that he would slap a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, calling the imports a threat to national security. He imposed tariffs in January on imported solar panels and washing machines. The United States has long accused China, the world's biggest producer of steel, of flooding cheap steel onto the world market to drive down prices and undermine competition, costing American steel jobs. Yet the United States got just 3.4 percent, by value, of its imported steel products from China last year, according to federal data. The biggest amount, more than 17 percent, came from Canada, which, along with Mexico, will get a temporary carve-out in the tariffs. Some other U.S. allies may also get exemptions, officials said. The president's actions seem to be propelled both by a longstanding protectionist attitude and a 2016 campaign promise to voters in Midwestern swing states that he would be tougher on these imports. He's fulfilling his vows to the joy of unions and some Rust Belt politicians. Yet Trump's decision troubles Europeans who pooh-pooh the notion that steel and aluminum imports are a threat to U.S. national security. The European Union said it would retaliate by slapping higher tariffs on such U.S. exports as bourbon, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and other goods. Cohn, the president's chief economic adviser and an outspoken advocate for free trade, resigned this week over Trump's decision to move ahead with the tariffs, and House Speaker Paul Ryan, other top Republicans and companies that use aluminum and steel were among those who tried to convince the president not to impose the higher tariffs. So who is right here? Is it Trump, who wants to ladle on tariffs to punish steel- and aluminum-producing countries, or the free-traders bucking those tariffs? The editorial board roundtable offers its thoughts and we look forward to reading yours in the comments. Sharon Broussard, chief editorial writer, cleveland.com: President Trump is gambling that the fear and chaos unleashed by his tariffs can bring China to heel. But sometimes chaos produces just more . . . chaos. Trump needs to work with our allies to come up with a strong trade policy and he needs to do far more to retrain people who have lost jobs in these industries. That critical job still needs to be done. Ted Diadiun, editorial board member: Oddly -- perhaps even refreshingly -- reaction to the president's tariffs does not break down neatly along party lines. Ohio's two senators are an example: Democrat Sherrod Brown has reacted positively; Republican Rob Portman negatively -- or at least, warily. As with most things Trump, this all could change dramatically before it becomes policy. Meanwhile, Europe is threatening to retaliate with tariffs on U.S. exports such as bourbon, orange juice, corn and ladders (ladders?). Is this just an opening gambit in negotiations, or is it real? Stay tuned. Thomas Suddes, editorial writer: Free trade is a political shibboleth that masks real-world effects: holding down the wages of U.S. workers in order to maximize the financial sector's dividends. You don't have to like Donald Trump to acknowledge facts. Here's one: After decades of U.S. trade deals, Ohio's per-capita personal income in 2016 amounted to 90.55 percent of nationwide per capita personal income; 1969 was the last year in which Ohio's per-capita personal income matched or exceeded the comparable national figure. If you're OK with that, then you're OK with "free" trade. Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, cleveland.com: Trade wars are bad for America for a good reason: We're an exporting nation, and Ohio is an exporting state. Tens of millions of good-paying U.S. jobs depend on our staying that way. The economic innovation and specialization that keep the U.S. economy and manufacturing states like Ohio humming depends on being able to export the high-end goods we invent and make. If China is cheating, go after it with smart trade cases; don't take down the whole exporting economy for what's essentially a showman's ploy. Building walls, whether trade walls or Mexican walls, solves none of the underlying problems. It's simply a fool's errand, and economically shortsighted to alarming degree. Have something to say about this topic? * Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the "Follow" option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. WESTLAKE, Ohio - A pedestrian died Friday after being struck by a car in Westlake, police said. The crash happened just after 6 a.m. on Center Ridge Road, across from Westlake Park, police said. Westlake Fire Department paramedics took the woman to St. John Medical Center, where she died, police said. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office will release her name once her family has been notified. No one else was hurt in the crash, police said. Investigators did not say how the crash happened. The incident remains under investigation, police said. An overnight snowstorm created messy conditions during Friday's morning commute. To comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments page. Church update The National Park Service's work at the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church on Parker Street continues. Barrows said the agency's preservation crew is at the historic site and is working on renovating the church and neighboring parsonage. The crew is restoring window frames at the parsonage and have nearly finished improvements to the front porch. Contracts are being prepared to remove the existing roof, which will be replaced with cedar roof shingles. Chimney repair work is also planned and a bathroom that is complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act will be installed, according to Barrows. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} There is also some other basic work being done at the sites, including basement and foundation repairs and replacement of heating and cooling systems. "They're moving right along," Barrows said. Brick residence Hill is looking to secure federal funding that would finish renovations at the brick residence and enable visitors to access the structure. The Harriet Tubman Home organization has spent "considerable resources" on the site, she explained. Now she's hoping the federal government will come through with support. The invitation wasn't the only matter addressed by Kim Jong Un. Chung said Kim is "committed to denuclearization." Kim also pledged that his country will not conduct any missile or nuclear tests. Kim, according to Chung, acknowledged that joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises will continue. Chung continued, "And he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." How did Trump respond? After briefing Trump, Chung said the president "appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." Trump has taken to Twitter in the past to lob insults at the North Korean dictator. He has repeatedly called Kim "Rocket Man" and suggested military action may be necessary if the missile tests continued. Following Chung's statement, Trump tweeted that Kim Jong Un "talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." He added, "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" When and where will the meeting occur? A Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Training will be held from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Monday, March 19, at the Masonic lodge at 159 St., Moravia. The invasive insect threatens the area's hemlock trees. Led by Charlotte Malmborg of the New York State Hemlock Initiative, the training will teach participants how to identify and manage the threat. Registration is free and open to the public. For more information, or to register, call (315) 255-1183 ext. 234 or email jlw24@cornell.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market: By Irrigation Type (Boom Irrigation, Drip Irrigation, Micro Sprinkler Irrigation), By Product (Drip Line and Drip Tape, Micro-Sprinklers, Hose, Spinners and Sprays, Regulators, Valves, Others), By Application (Fruits and Vegetables, Flowers and Ornamentals, Others) and Geography Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023 Market Outline: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Global Greenhouse irrigation system is most widely used irrigation system in greenhouse agriculture farming. Greenhouses are built by using plastic or glass material that gives better yield compared to traditional agriculture methods. These structures maintain the desired climatic conditions for the proper development of crops irrespective of seasons. Due to climatic control in a greenhouse, water requirement in greenhouse farming is lesser than open land farming. The most popular greenhouse irrigation systems include drip irrigation, boom irrigation, and sprinkler and micro sprinkler systems. Greenhouse area is smaller than open land farming area, so drip irrigation and micro sprinkler systems are commonly used in greenhouse irrigation systems. A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-greenhouse-irrigation-system-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx Market Dynamics: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Rise in demand for food consumption due to increase in global population, rapid urbanization leads to increase in preference for greenhouse farming, water scarcity issues, and unfavorable environmental conditions are anticipated to fuel the greenhouse irrigation system market. Moreover, government initiations for the greenhouse farming, advantages of greenhouse farming such as better yield compared with traditional farming, and the decrease in arable land are boosting the greenhouse irrigation system market over the forecast period. However, the high cost of greenhouse setup, high maintenance cost, and lack of awareness about greenhouse farming in undeveloped regions have hampered the growth of greenhouse irrigation system market over the forecast timeframe. Market Scope: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Global greenhouse irrigation system market segmented on the basis of irrigation type, product type, and application Based on the irrigation type, it is segmented into the following Boom irrigation Drip irrigation Micro sprinkler irrigation Based on the product type, it is segmented into the following Drip line and drip tape Micro-sprinklers Hose Spinners and sprays Regulators Valves Others Based on the application, it is segmented into the following Fruits and vegetables Flowers and ornamentals Others To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-greenhouse-irrigation-system-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu Market Summary: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Global Greenhouse irrigation system market is growing at a significant CAGR owing to increase in the preference for vertical or rooftop farming in developed countries. Due to rise in global population and rapid industrialization, there is a decrease in arable land, which leads to increase in greenhouse farming and increase the revenue of greenhouse irrigation system market. Moreover, acquisitions and mergers, launching of newer irrigation systems, and technological advancements are the factors expected to fuel the revenue of greenhouse irrigation system market. For instance, in October 2013, The Toro Company acquire Xiamen Xiangfeng Water Saving Equipment Co. which produces the drip irrigation products, emitters and filters, and sprinklers for agriculture and greenhouse production. Moreover, in January 2017, Rivulis and Eurodrip S.A. inked an agreement for strengthening their business greenhouse irrigation system market. Need more information about this report @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-greenhouse-irrigation-system-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3 Regional Analysis: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Global greenhouse irrigation system market segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. North America greenhouse irrigation system market is growing due increase in the preference for rooftop farming or vertical farming, changes in environmental conditions in U.S., and innovation of newer irrigation system devices are anticipated to fuel the market. Europe greenhouse irrigation system market is rising due to the adoption of newer greenhouse farming, decrease in arable land due to increasing industrialization, an increase in agriculture production in UK, Germany, and Russia are expected to propel the market. The Asia-Pacific greenhouse irrigation system market has significant share attributed to rapid urbanization, increase in population in India and China leads to rising in demand for food consumption, and increase in awareness about greenhouse farming are expected to boost the market. Latin America greenhouse irrigation system market is projected to grow due to focus on water usage efficiency, the rise in demand for varied crops, and better yield & quality of crops are witnessed fuel the market. The Middle East and Africa greenhouse irrigation system market have a prominent growth attributed to government support for the greenhouse farming, water scarcity issues, and changes in environmental conditions are bolstering the market over the forecast period. Competition Assessment: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Key player profiles in the global Greenhouse Irrigation System market include: Rivulis Irrigation (Israel) Nelson Irrigation Corporation (U.S.) Irritec S.p.A. (Italy) EPC Industries Limited (India) The Toro Company (U.S.) Netafim Ltd. (Israel) Valmont Industries, Inc. (U.S.) Rain Bird Corporation (U.S.) Lindsay Corporation (U.S.) Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. (India) Notable Market Developments: Global Greenhouse Irrigation System Market In April 2017, Rain Bird introduced LFX300 low flow sprinkler that provides flexible irrigation used in low-volume agriculture, nursery, and greenhouse In August 2017, Mexichem purchased 80% stake of Netafilm drip irrigation pioneer to strengthening its drip irrigation portfolio Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the market Get access to full summary @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-greenhouse-irrigation-system-market/ About Precision Business Insights Precision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs. Contact to Precision Business Insights, Kemp House, 152 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Email: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.com Toll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553 Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Outline: Fungicides Market Fungicides are the chemical compounds, which are used to kill the fungi or fungi spores in crops. Fungal infections are a major cause of crop loss and it is a massive threat for cultivation wheat, maize, rice, soybean, fruits & vegetables, and sugarcane among others. Fungicides help in the crop protection and gives the better quality products with higher yield. Fungicides are classified into either selective to cure specific fungicides or non-selective with the broad spectrum activity and show activity against multiple fungal diseases. Sulfur is the common active ingredient used in the fungicides and the most commonly used fungicides include mancozeb, prochloraz, propiconazole, and chlorothalonil among others. Market Dynamics: Fungicides Market Factors anticipated to drive the fungicides market are increase in the demand for crop protection for better yields, increase in global population coupled with increase in the demand for food, and growing use of fungicides due to rise in incidence of fungal infections. Moreover, development in novel farming practices, shrinkage in arable land, and innovation and launching of newer products into market are expected to propel the fungicides market revenue over the forecast period. However, technological advancements in the seeds, use of genetically modified crops, adverse effects associated with the fungicides, and lack of awareness about the fungal infections in farmers might hamper the growth of the fungicides market over the forecast period. A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/fungicides-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx Market Scope: Fungicides Market Fungicides market is segmented on the basis of product type, crop type, formulation type, and mode of application Based on the product type, fungicides market is segmented into the following: Dithiocarbamates Chloronitriles Triazoles Benzimidazoles Phenylamides Strobilurins Based on the crop type, fungicides market is segmented into the following: Oilseeds and pulses Cereals and grains Forage crops and pastures Others Based on the formulation type, fungicides market is segmented into the following: Water-dispersible granules Liquid Wettable granules Based on the mode of application, fungicides market is segmented into the following: Soil treatment Seed treatment Foliar spray Post-harvest Market Summary: Fungicides Market Fungicides market is growing moderate rate over the forecast period due to advancements in the seed technology, which might lag the revenue growth of fungicides market. Farmers are majorly focusing to improve the crop yield due to rise in global population coupled with decrease in arable land. Various agriculture institutes and governments around the globe are taking initiation to create awareness about fungicides usage for crop protection. Moreover, increase in the sale of ornamental plants for outdoor and indoor applications due to increase in the urbanization also expected to fuel the fungicides market. In addition, acquisitions and mergers, collaborations, product approvals, and product launchings are the strategies followed by the companies for increasing their revenue share in fungicides market. For instance, in April 2014, Sumitomo Corporation acquired crop protection fungicide Metominostorbin, a broad-spectrum systemic fungicide from Bayer Crop Science Japan. Furthermore, in September 2015, Dupont received EPA approval for the oxathiapiproline, a fungicide used in fruits and vegetable crops marketed under the trade name of Zorvec. To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/fungicides-market/#ulp-c654SbFYO64MsOhu Regional Analysis: Fungicides Market Geographically, fungicides market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America fungicides market expected to grow moderately over the forecast period, which is attributed to ban of fungicides by FDA (FDA banned carbendazim due to severe adverse effects such as sterility and cancer in human beings). Rise in R&D for innovation of newer fungicides, frequent product approvals from U.S EPA, and rise in demand for quality food products are anticipated to fuel the fungicides market in North America region. Europe fungicides market occupied significant share in global market due to development in the farming techniques, increase in the focus on quality products with better yield, and high adoption of newer products in the region. Asia Pacific fungicides market exhibiting significant growth due to increase in production and supplying of fungicides from Asia Pacific region majorly from China, increase in demand for food products and decrease in arable land due to increased population, and high dependence on agriculture farming. Market Participants: Fungicides Market Some of the players in fungicides market are BASF SE (Germany), Monsanto Company (U.S.), Bayer CropScience AG (Germany), Nufarm Ltd. (Australia), Syngenta AG (Switzerland), E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company (U.S.), Sumitomo Corporation (Japan), FMC Corporation (U.S.), Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Japan), Nippon Soda Co. Ltd. (Japan), and ADAMA agricultural solution ltd. (Israel) to name a few. Notable Market Developments: Fungicides Market In April 2017, Syngenta launched Aprovia, a fungicide used for controlling the foliar disease in potatoes In January 2017, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. inked an agreement with Monsanto Company to acquire global business of Monsantos latitude, a wheat seed treatment fungicide Need more information about this report @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/fungicides-market/#ulp-14mlyhjMGhVjZqa3 Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the market Get access to full summary @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/fungicides-market/ About Precision Business Insights Precision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs. Contact to Precision Business Insights, Kemp House, 152 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX Email: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.com Toll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553 Website @ https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com 100% Website br.jimdo.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 1093 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 208972 bytes (204.07 kb uncompressed) and 41318 bytes (40.35 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-03-17, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Tracy Verrier, an agricultural entrepreneur and the executive director of Cayuga Strategic Solutions, a joint project between the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce and the Cayuga Economic Development Agency, is one of 10 women who are this year's Makers: Women Who Make America honorees for the station WCNY, according to a press release. The recipients were to be honored at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 8, at the Wesleyan Chapel of the Womens Rights Historical Park in Seneca Falls. Budelmann said Bovee had lied about his identification because he had been wanted for six years on charges in Ontario County. Then, upon his arrest for false personation, Budelmann said Bovee possessed a white powder, which tested positive for cocaine. Bovee is currently serving time in Ontario County Jail for violating his probation, but is expected to be released later this month. Leone ordered Bovee be remanded to Cayuga County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond upon his release. If convicted, Bovee could face up to nine years in prison. He was scheduled to return to court May 24. A teen has admitted stealing a semiautomatic pistol in Moravia. Damian Dusseau, 17, of 197 N. Main St., Moravia, pleaded guilty Thursday to fourth-degree grand larceny and criminal possession of a firearm, both felonies. During his plea, Dusseau said he and a friend decided to "break into some cars" in December. The two then found a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol and tried to sell it to a third party. Dusseau could face up to four years in prison, but Leone agreed to sentence him to no worse than six months in jail and five years probation. The teen has been incarcerated at Cayuga County Jail since his arrest in December. His sentencing was scheduled for May 8. Staff writer Megan Blarr can be reached at (315) 282-2282 or megan.blarr@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @CitizenBlarr. Love 0 Funny 6 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 9 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. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office has opened an investigation following allegations that a 16-year-old Auburn student made threatening statements on a bus ride home from Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. Auburn Enlarged City School District Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo said the incident was reported at around 3 p.m. Wednesday when a student called the bus garage saying she heard there had been threats made on a school bus. He said district administrators immediately alerted the sheriff's office, which launched an investigation. By 8 p.m. Wednesday, Pirozzolo said, detectives informed the district there was no risk to any students or staff members. At around that time, the district issued a school message to parents, informing the community of the allegations and investigation. Detective Lt. Brian Schenck confirmed the investigation is ongoing; however, he said there seems to be no credible threat. "I don't see any evidence at this point to make any charges," he said. "A 16-year-old male was the focus, but I don't believe he actually made a threat as was reported by another student. ... There seemed to be statements made on the bus that were misconstrued and relayed to school staff." Both Pirozzolo and Schenck said they commended the student who brought the incident to their attention and encouraged others to do so if there are ever any safety concerns. Staff writer Megan Blarr can be reached at (315) 282-2282 or megan.blarr@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @CitizenBlarr. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 5 Sad 3 Angry 14 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. OWASCO Joan Pamplun Gurak, 81, formerly of Van Duyne Avenue, Owasco, passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at The Auburn Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Born in Auburn on May 12, 1936, Joan was the daughter of the late William and Marie Linnenbach Pamplun. She had been employed as a phone operator with New York Telephone, and for many years she was the accountant for Custom Cleaners. Joan was a dedicated parishioner of Sacred Heart Church, and had previously been employed as a secretary, and assisted with the religious education program. She enjoyed camping together with her late husband, Walter Gurak, and had been active with the Cub Scouts. Joan is survived by her son, Michael Gurak, of Auburn; her granddaughter, Emma Marie Gurak; her two sisters, Sharon (Fred) Westover, and Sandra (John) Usowski, all of Auburn; and many nieces and nephews. Joan also leaves a special foreign exchange student from Columbia, Luis Gustavo (Gus) Vanegas, who still was in contact with her. He is one of her many children. In addition to her parents, Joan was predeceased by her sisters, Lois Floyd and Carol Green; and her niece, Michelle Westover Montalbano. Dongfeng Yueda Kia suffers MoM sales slump of 95.9% in February Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Dongfeng Yueda Kia delivered 2,050 vehicles, plunging 95.9% month on month and 34% year on year in February. In the past two months of 2018, Dongfeng Yueda KIA sold 51,700 units with a YoY decrease of 15.5%. This year, Dongfeng Yueda KIA will release seven new models, including six SUV models. With these new models, it is expected to help ease the sales drop. According to its product plan, the company will challenge its sales target of 500,000 units in 2018. Dongfeng Yueda KIA now has a product portfolio of 14 models, covering sedan and SUV. Among them, its compact sedan, the K3 is a star model which boasts best market performance among all models of Dongfeng Yueda KIA. The model has offered nine variants since it hit the market in 2016. Positioning a little lower than the K2, the KIA Pegas is a small-size sedan, whose upgraded variant was launched in September last year. The new model holds superiority in appearance and comprehensive fuel consumption. It attracts large attention since it was launched and makes a contribution to Dongfeng Yueda KIA's sales growth. Compared with 2016, Dongfeng Yueda KIA underwent sales drop in 2017. In addition, a number of industry insiders hold that Chinese passenger vehicle market will see a lower sales growth in 2018. Under such conditions, the company made a series of measures and some improvements on product strategy to ease its situation. Yesterday, Nick Clegg was knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in what is surely one of the most glaring examples of reward for failure in modern times. As Lib Dem leader he destroyed his party and as Deputy Prime Minister he introduced a raft of failed policies that cost the taxpayer billions. Unsurprisingly, given his record, he opted for no publicity shots at the ceremony which is why we have mocked up this photograph with computer trickery to relive his moment of glory. Honoured: The Daily Mail's mock-up of how the ceremony might have looked This is the man who presided over the Lib Dems worst electoral defeat in its history reducing its number of MPs from 63 when he took over in 2007 to just eight when he stood down in 2015. He pledged in the 2010 election to fight tuition fee increases for students only to renege on his promise and treble them as soon as he seized power as Deputy PM in David Camerons Coalition. He preached about the need to reform tawdry Westminster politics, and lectured us on gender equality and fairness but scandalously failed to listen to complaints by women in his own party that theyd been sexually harassed by his friend, former Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard (who was never charged). He pledged to agree to the Tories planned changes to constituency boundaries a deal struck in exchange for a national referendum on Cleggs plan for an Alternative Voting system that would give the Lib Dems more seats. And guess what? As soon as the AV referendum result went against him, Clegg reneged on that promise, too. But it is not just that he was so untrustworthy. Clegg, who lost his Sheffield Hallam seat in the 2017 election, is also responsible for a litany of useless and ruinous policies implemented when he was in government. TUITION FEES Last month, Theresa May announced a major review of university finance, prompted by concern over student debts that are now running upwards of 50,000 per graduate. Clegg might claim he agreed only reluctantly to the trebling in tuition fees from 3,000 to 9,000 under the Coalition, yet why should we believe him? After all the main theme of his 2010 election campaign video was politicians broken promises: I believe its time for promises to be kept, he cried. His promise to fight an increase in fees was no more plausible than Jeremy Corbyns pledge at the last election to abolish tuition fees altogether. With total UK student debt currently more than 100bn, and research by the Sutton Trust educational charity showing that 72 per cent of students wont pay back what they owe, Clegg must take his share of the blame for one of the most costly policies introduced by the Coalition. THE GREEN DEAL The Lib Dem manifesto of 2010 included plans to improve energy efficiency by offering taxpayer-funded subsidies for home improvements. Much of this was through the Coalitions so-called Green Deal, a 400 million programme that encouraged households to take out loans to cover the costs of installing insulation, double-glazing and new boilers. But the initiative, launched with a fanfare in 2013 as the biggest home improvement scheme since World War II, was . . . a flop. Nick Clegg led presided over the Lib Dems worst electoral defeat in its history reducing its number of MPs from 63 when he took over in 2007 to just eight when he stood down in 2015 A damning report by financial watchdog the National Audit Office found that 240 million was wasted by the Government, with just 14,000 households signing up which worked out at a cost to the taxpayer of 17,000 for each household that joined the Green Deal before the programme was closed in July 2015. The policy failed to deliver any meaningful benefit, recorded the Audit Office. SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE Clegg saw himself as the progressive architect of a new era of child-rearing, where fathers were encouraged by the State to share more caring responsibilities at home. I know lots of people of my generation who are desperate to get more involved but the rules prevent them, he claimed in 2012. At the moment we have rules which may have made sense in the 1950s, but do not do today. To that end, he insisted the Coalition bring in new arrangements where couples could split the statutory 50 weeks off work between them. So a new mother could go straight back to work if she wanted, and a father could stay at home to change the nappies. As most mums could have warned him, Cleggs vision of an army of stay-at-home fathers would never materialise. Last month, the Government revealed that although 285,000 couples annually qualify for the scheme, the take-up rate had been . . . 2 per cent, with fewer than 6,000 couples a year taking it up. PUPIL PREMIUM Clegg enjoyed a privileged education at private school and Cambridge but became fixated with social engineering for others in the schools system. One result was the Pupil Premium, in which schools were given extra funding for each child from a disadvantaged background. Launched in 2011, Cleggs policy initially cost 623 million a year, but the total funding pot reached 2.41 billion in 2017, with each eligible primary pupil costing taxpayers 1,320 a year and each secondary pupil 935. Yet there have been serious doubts whether this money has been well spent. A report by think-tank Demos warned in 2015 that the premium had done little for social mobility, and that the attainment gap between children from poor and affluent families had actually grown. The policy also created extra paperwork for schools, not just in determining which pupils were eligible, but also for teachers who had to write down how they helped children in the scheme. In a recent article in the Times Educational Supplement, teacher Thomas Rogers wrote that Pupil Premium was flawed as an idea, flawed as an actionable policy. Just because a policy aims to help poor people, in itself an admirable goal, doesnt mean it shouldnt be beyond reproach or protected from proper scrutiny. FREE SCHOOL MEALS Pressure from Clegg led the Department of Education to introduce universal free school meals for all pupils in the first three years of primary school education. He said this would restore the peoples faith in the Lib Dems. But the scheme has caused chaos. Its not just that the cost to the taxpayer has been around 600 million-a-year, which some experts, such as Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University, say has taken scarce money from the education budget. One study in 2016 found that some schools were losing 4,000 a year because the extra cash still wasnt enough to provide so many free lunches. Schools have also had to cope with the costs and chaos of installing new kitchens and dining facilities to cope with demand. Nor is it clear that free meals have led to an improvement in standards or tackled childhood obesity. I dont think the implications of this policy were properly thought through, said Chris Hassall, a Leicester headmaster. YOUTH CONTRACT Clegg also posed as a champion of job creation for young people, with a scheme called the Youth Contract, in which employers were offered a subsidy of 2,275 for taking on under-25s out of work for more than six months. The scheme was aimed at helping around 160,000 young people, but was an abject failure from its launch in May 2012. In its first year, fewer than 4,700 wage incentives were paid out, forcing the Department for Work and Pensions to admit that there has been very little take-up. The scheme had to be abandoned in August 2014. CHILDCARE FOR TODDLERS Never shy to use public money to parade his compassion, Clegg helped drive the Coalitions policy to offer 15 hours of free childcare for 260,000 two-year-olds in families where the parents earned less than 16,190-a-year. Around 40 per cent of all children that age were eligible for such support, described by Clegg as a helping hand. The idea, costing around 500 million a year, had originally been put forward by Labour but was implemented by the Coalition in September 2010. Once again, the results were patchy. A study last year by the Social Market Foundation found that 30 per cent of the targeted families were not being reached by the scheme. And Clegg himself complained his pet project, like so many others, was in danger of withering on the vine. Tess Holliday has opened up about suffering from 'extreme' postpartum depression after the birth of her nearly two-year-old son Bowie Juniper. The 32-year-old, who is also mom to an 11-year-old named Rylee, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a photo of herself with her 21-month-old son Bowie, while sharing a candid message about the difficulties of raising two children. 'Since becoming a new mom (again!) Ive been very open with how hard its been. From dealing with extreme PPD, to at times feeling really isolated and overwhelmed,' she wrote. 'My boys are 10 years apart and that comes with its own set of problems, but Ive found support through other women.' Candid: Tess Holliday took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a photo of herself with her 21-month-old son Bowie Juniper, while opening up about her 'extreme' postpartum depression Motherhood: Tess, who also has an 11-year-old son named Rylee, noted that her boys are 10 years apart and 'that comes with its own set of problems' Tess explained that she came across Peanut, a matchmaking app for mothers, and has been using it to connect with other women who are the 'same stage in life.' She has also bee using the app's Pages feature to get advice from other mothers. 'There have been moments where I thought "can a tiny one year old really throw tantrums?!" GUESS WHAT, THEY CAN AND DO,' she said. 'One mom suggested teaching Bowie sign language so he can communicate what he needs to lessen the tantrums because he cant yet say what he wants. 'Being a parent is really tough, but man is it worth these bags under my eyes!' Tess ended her post by encouraging other moms check out the app, noting: 'There's a reason they say it takes a village to raise a child!' Feeling better: In January, while shooting a swimwear campaign for Alpine Butterfly (pictured), Tess admitted it was great to be enjoying herself after having a difficult few months Opening up: 'After quite a long road of feeling sad/lost, it sure is nice to be doing what I love and be genuinely happy,' she wrote, while posting images of the sixties-inspired shoot The next day Tess celebrated International Women's Day by posting a glamorous photo of herself posed with her hands on her hips with a Google search for 'how to be a strong woman' pictured across her chest. 'Global search interest in "how to be a strong woman" reached an all-time high in December 2017,' she wrote. 'Im proud to be a strong woman & to have so many strong women & femmes in my life.' In January, while shooting a swimwear campaign for Alpine Butterfly, Tess admitted it was great to be enjoying herself after having a difficult few months. While sharing a close-up photo of herself sporting glamorous, sixties-inspired make-up and voluminous hair, Tess wrote: 'After quite a long road of feeling sad/lost, it sure is nice to be doing what I love and be genuinely happy.' Proud: Tess posted this photo on in honor of International Women's Day, explaining: 'Global search interest in "how to be a strong woman" reached an all-time high in December 2017' Body positivity: In January, in honor of the Women's March, Tess posted this nude photo of herself that was taken by her husband, Nick Holliday Love story: Tess and Nick have been together for six years and married for nearly three Tess has more than 1.5 million Instagram followers, and she uses her platform to promote equality and body positivity. While speaking with InStyle about diversity in the fashion industry, the size 22 model explained that there are still a lot of designers who won't dress her. 'Ive been working with my stylist Megan for a couple of years now. Shes reached out to designers that I didnt think would dress me,' she explained. 'I went to Kate Spade's presentation, and Kate Spade dressed me for my book tour. But there are a lot of people that [wont] even respond. Kate Spade was one of the big brands that did.' Tess also praised Christian Siriano for embracing diversity, noting that she could call him tomorrow with a request for a dress for an event and he would make it for her. Famous faces: Tess struck a pose with Selma Blair and Brad Walsh while backstage at Christian Siriano's New York Fashion Week show last month Beauty queen: Tess recently appeared in this glam shoot for plus-size fashion brand Eloquii, but she admitted that very few designers are willing to dress her Last month, the model attended the designer's Fall 2018 runway show during New York Fashion Week, and she was pleased to see that there were plus-size models, as well as trans models and models of different races. However, she wishes that more designers would embrace true diversity instead of featuring only a few curvy models of a certain size. 'Im grateful that some of these designers are at least showing 12 and 14, but I think that its frustrating because I want it to be available for more plus-size women globally,' she said. 'I want to see more representation, I want to see them doing it in a really thought-provoking way and actually understanding how to dress our bodies. 'And yes, it is complicated, but were a huge percent of the market and we have so much buying power, and were just constantly being ignored.' One of the most in-demand models in the fashion world had already walked for a slew of top designers when she made a shocking announcement: she was born male. Teddy Quinlivan, 23, has taken the runway for Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, Miu Miu, and Louis Vuitton but all the while she was blowing up, she shared a secret about her identity. Then, at New York Fashion Week in September, Teddy came out as transgender. Now she's explained to Elle why she decided to break her silence. Surprise! Teddy Quinlivan came out as transgender during New York Fashion Week in September Making it: The 23-year-old was already finding a lot of success as a model Teddy said she knew while growing up as a boy in Boston that she felt female, 'despite my anatomy.' She'd secretly wear her mom's clothes, and would wait until she got to school to put on makeup. Unsurprisingly, this led her to be 'viciously' bullied. 'I understood at a young age that fashion is about identity and self-expression, and that we convey gender through clothing,' she said. 'People would say, "Take that dress off; you are a boy!" But Ive always been rebellious. I thought, Fine, you dont want me to wear a skirt? Im gonna wear one every day.' The principal at her school was unsympathetic to her plight, and told her to conform and she wouldn't be bullied. Luckily, things were better at home, and one night she felt confident enough to tell her mother that she wanted to live as a female. Hush hush: For a long time, no one in the industry knew her secret Transition: She said she'd felt female from a young age and started taking hormones at age 17 'She was like, "Okay, if youre going to transition, you have to really do it take the hormones on schedule, and be responsible about it,' she said. Her mom found good doctors and was supportive through the process. Her dad made an effort, but had a harder time. The even found her a new school to switch to, a boarding school in Massachusetts called the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. There, she said, everyone was an outcast, and she could wear heels to class. 'For the first time, I got to decide my pronoun,' she said. 'I had this incredible art teacher who asked me, "Do you want me to call you she or he?" That was revolutionary. I chose "she," and from then on, it stuck.' At 17 years old, she started taking hormones, and by 22 she had signed with a modeling agency. They didn't know she had been born male. She's walked runways for Louis Vuitton, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg, and more Standing up: She decided to come out because of the 'political climate in the world right now' However, those hormones took their toll, and Teddy found herself enjoying great success but acting 'like a prepubescent girl' so she decided to come clean to some people she trusted. After sharing her secret with two people at her agency and finding that it went well, Teddy decided to tell everyone else, too, and came out publicly in an interview with CNN Style and then on Instagram. 'I've decided to reveal my trans identity because of the political climate in the world right now particularly in the United States,' she told CNN at the time. 'We made an amazing progression under the Obama administration, and since the new administration took office there's been a kind of backlash.' 'There's been violence against transgender people particularly transgender women of color since before I even knew what transgender was. I just felt a great sense of urgency. I'm very fortunate to be in (a) position (that) I never really thought I would be. It's really important to take advantage of a time like this.' Wow: The stunning model first came out to some people at her agency, who were surprised 'Why cant a transgender person walk in a Versace show or run for office? She already has and maybe, one day, I will,' she said She told Elle that people had been surprised by her news because she'd been working as a woman, modeling for Giambattista Valli, Dior Haute Couture, Diesel Black Gold, DSquared2, and Alutzarra. Before she came out, she'd also worked with Moschino, Valentino, and Versace, and appeared in Interview Magazine and Vogue Japan. 'There's a stereotype of transgender people based on whats shown on Maury Povich or Jerry Springer. Its that theres something mentally wrong with them, that they are incapable of serving in the military or existing in the workplace normally,' she told Elle of the reason she came out. I cant stay silent while a reality TV president actively fights to prevent people like me from living a normal life 'But thats not true at all. I am proof a successful model who happens to be transgender. And I think fashion, in terms of social power, is the most important industry.' She went on, 'I cant stay silent while a reality TV president actively fights to prevent people like me from living a normal life. There is no evidence to support the notion that transgender people are being perverted in the restrooms of their choosing. 'If legislation is being made on my behalf as an American citizen, then its incumbent on me to speak up for the transgender taxpayers who deserve the same dignity and respect that a cisgender person receives. 'And if Ive learned anything from Trumps election, its that literally anything is possible in the twenty-first century. Why cant a transgender person walk in a Versace show or run for office? She already has and maybe, one day, I will.' Bel is pictured with her 93-year-old mother and family She is one of my favourite actresses a perennial star whose warmth and intelligence shine through in her face. So I was just a little sad to read that, at 85, Sheila Hancock has announced she has already chosen a care home in case she gets ill, as she doesnt want her two daughters to be lumbered in any way with looking after me. Lumbered? Isnt that rather a grim word for the love and duty that should be the backbone of family life? Believe me, I understand Sheila Hancocks reasons for holding this view. Revealing in an interview that she is suddenly feeling her age (in spite of currently performing eight times a week on a West End stage!) she went on: I had two grannies living with us when we were little girls and I saw what a burden it was for my mother . . . There were constant rows between these old ladies and my poor mum. How she bore it, I dont know. With that experience in mind, Sheila went on to say that she would never move in with a family member if she became sick or needy. Your daughters they have their own lives. They cant be bothered with some boring old fart whos baking, she added. Now, there is nothing wrong with such plain speaking and many will find Ms Hancocks honesty refreshing. Yet, when I heard her words, I wondered how she can feel so sure her mother thought of caring for those two old ladies as a burden? The 2002 British Academy Television Awards at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane - Sheila Hancock with her daughters Joanna and Melanie And how does she know that to look after their beloved mother would be viewed as a boring chore by her own daughters? Why, they might even regard it as a privilege. Family life is immensely complicated. During ten years of writing my advice column every Saturday for this newspaper, I am often overwhelmed by the sorrow and pity of family problems. There are many selfish parents who treat their children so badly that they ultimately forfeit any right to love and duty. And there are plenty of neglectful adult children who leave their widowed mothers desperately lonely, even though they dont live far away. There are the cantankerous old fathers who refuse all help and worry their children sick, and the greedy, idle sons who live off their aged parents, making their house a tip and treating them like servants. Yes, Ive read it all. The star has spoken previously about her views on death, saying people should be less squeamish about the subject Knowing there are often reasons for apparent neglect, I refuse to judge. Still, let me suggest an alternative view to that of Sheila Hancock. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I remain convinced that we have a duty to take care of our elderly parents, even if they sometimes drive us mad. Yes, they repeat themselves but I do, too. Yes, they talk about their ailments but Ive noticed that tendency developing in me. Yes, they want attention but I dont know a single human being of whom that cant be said. If we start to think of the elderly as just versions of ourselves further down the line, it becomes less easy to think of them as a burden or a bore. It goes without saying that specialist care presents another issue for families. I have a neighbour who finally put her adored father into a wonderful care home (and they do exist) because he was wheelchair-bound and suffering from dementia and she couldnt cope with his medical needs any more. She visited him every other day until he died nobody could say she wasnt a devoted daughter. You simply cannot always do it all yourself. Sheila Hancock said last year that the had been pumping iron at the gym after experiencing signs of muscle wastage in her arms Sheila Hancock says she has already selected a care home in case she gets ill and I respect that decision. Yet it also begs a bigger question. Is there an element of sadness and shame behind such seemingly brave comments about old age and care? And does it not encourage that widespread negativity and neglect that we see in this societys attitude towards the old? There is surely a case for suggesting that it is every childs right and privilege to care for elderly parents. After all, thats the way people organise family life all over the world. On Okinawa, Japan (nicknamed by the World Health Organisation the island of long life), there is a culture of younger people regarding the elderly as a treasure (their word), not a burden. And, even today, Native American tribes dignify their older generation with the title elders. And does it not encourage that widespread negativity and neglect that we see in this societys attitude towards the old? They see the old as the keepers of traditions, values, language and history. As role models for children, the elders are also guides to the future. How exciting for the children, parents and grandparents alike. But that way of looking at family life is becoming increasingly remote from us in modern Britain and I think it a dreadful pity. We seem to be raising a generation who are horribly intolerant of the old. It was evident most clearly after the Brexit vote with the young who had been lolling about at Glastonbury furious that their future had been taken from them, while well-known, middle-aged Remainers even suggested it would be a good thing for the reactionary oldies to die, so there could be another referendum. It was shocking and shone a light on a nasty undercurrent pervading through this society. Chronically youth-obsessed and technology-driven, we seem to have lost the innate deference for age, which was once usual in families from all classes. We seem to be raising a generation who are horribly intolerant of the old When I was growing up in the Fifties and early Sixties, a young man of 20 would automatically get to his feet for a mature woman and apprentices learned to knuckle down to their trades in tough schools of life led by older men. They wouldnt have dared whinge! Such things were expected of the young, and respect meant more than the street slang it seems to represent today. I worry that the children of the baby boomers actually think of themselves as immune to ageing and death. Youth culture is relentless and I fear remarks like Sheila Hancocks lob the ball squarely into the self-obsessed court of the young. But why should the generations coming after us be protected from the realities of life including the frailty and (sometimes) indignity of the ageing body? I worry that the children of the baby boomers actually think of themselves as immune to ageing and death What makes them so special? When I was younger, I used to counter my own irritation when a very elderly person was holding up the supermarket queue with the thought: That will be you one day, my girl! At 71, Im still moving too fast and I have to stop myself hurrying my own parents along. I need to do everything slowly, says my 96-year-old father and why shouldnt he? Being close to my parents as theyve grown older has been so good for me. They have taught me to be more patient and that family responsibilities are far more important than a glamorous social life or ambition. Im learning more from them now than I ever did as an arrogant 25-year-old. But thats probably because Im willing to be there for them and love to remember all they did for me. My father thought nothing of jumping in his car with his best friend and driving from Wiltshire to London to fix my electricity when I was in my 20s. My mother was my confidante in tough times and her courage taught me how to be brave. My parents took wonderful care of my two young children whenever I wanted a break with the Sunday papers and scooped them up for bucket-and-spade holidays in a way I dont with my own grandchildren. What makes them so special? When I was younger, I used to counter my own irritation when a very elderly person was holding up the supermarket queue with the thought: That will be you one day, my girl! These are the people who bought me all the books I wanted and encouraged homework and always believed in me. Their generosity to me and my children has been staggering. I owe everything to the mother and father who nurtured me so why should I not return that nurturing now? What price cooking meals and ferrying them to doctors set against that lifetime of devotion? They dont live with me (yet), but my second husband and I factored being near to them into our choice of house. I can get to them in 18 minutes. Nowadays, I will not go away for more than a week (and then only to western Europe) in case they need me. We put a stairlift into their home and organised cleaning assistance for them, but who knows what the future will bring? No one says dealing with old age is easy for anybody. Of course, we can get irritable, because thats only human. But dealing with these emotions is part of a valuable process. I believe that witnessing first-hand the processes of ageing and infirmity helps us develop a wider and deeper understanding of life. I see it in my thirtysomething son, whose patience with his grandfather is nothing short of miraculous. I see it in his lovely wife, who goes to visit with her five-year-old son, every week. I believe that witnessing first-hand the processes of ageing and infirmity helps us develop a wider and deeper understanding of life I know for a fact that if I call on them, my daughter and son-in-law will rally round with strong arms and cheerful chat. And quite right, too. Younger people need to realise that it is the mark of a civilised society how we care for our elderly within the wider community. And the bottom line is the family. But social mobility means that families move far and wide which usually means parents left behind, while divorce can cut grandparents off from the children they love. Meanwhile, a faster society means people have less time for each other. When people are too busy even for their friends, will they make time for the old? No. Whats more, the demographics are disturbing. We are living longer than people have at any time in the past. In general, public health has improved, which means more than a sixth of people currently living in the UK are expected to reach 100. There are now more people aged over 65 than under 16 in the UK. And the number of people aged 85 years or more doubled between 1983 and 2008. This is a problem we all have to face and I suggest it might be easier if we stopped seeing it as a problem. No government, of course, can legislate for happiness or force families to take care of the old, since homes and individuals are so different. But opinion formers do need to recognise the challenge. There are now more people aged over 65 than under 16 in the UK. And the number of people aged 85 years or more doubled between 1983 and 2008 The fightback against ageism and negativity wont be easy. It is a short step from that general perception of problem and burden to many retired people thinking their life is over and they have nothing to contribute. The Mails ongoing Dignity for the Elderly campaign has rightly focused on neglect within the NHS, as well as the appalling treatment meted out in certain (so-called) care homes. Weve been right to be angry. The disrespect and neglect they suffer is a national scandal. But surely that wouldnt happen so easily if we viewed the old with the love and respect given in other societies? Im afraid Sheila Hancocks language of lumbered is at the heart of the issue. Believe me, I know this is a difficult subject; one many people choose to push to one side because its depressing or frightening. But we cant and we shouldnt. Facing up to the prospect of our own age and infirmity is a good way of realising our responsibility to those who bore us. As the Bible says, as you sow, so shall you reap. In my family, we choose not to dwell on problems. You cant plan when you have no idea what will happen or when. Naturally, there are inevitable fears, but we dont talk about them. To me, there is no question that Id care for Mum if ever she needs me. Thats just what you do, isnt it? Well, in my family it is After Sunday lunch (while my father is petting our three dogs), Mum and I chat about my work, the great-grandchildren, whether I need my hair a shade lighter, how high-necks are essential when your neck is wrinkly, what adventures she and Dad had when they went to Albania when it was still communist. Ordinary stuff. The bread and butter of family life. Thats enough. Enjoying the moment and the warmth of the generations. As a down-to-earth woman, my mothers not given to emoting so it was quite a big thing when, last year, she quietly said: I know youll look after us. And I replied: Yes, Mum, I will. By Kitty Dimbleby, Bels daughter To me, there is no question that Id care for Mum if ever she needs me. Thats just what you do, isnt it? Well, in my family it is. Younger people need to realise that it is the mark of a civilised society how we care for our elderly within the wider community. And the bottom line is the family We are blessed to have longevity in our genes: my paternal grandmother lived until her late 90s and my maternal grandparents are 93 and 96. Mum, her parents, my brother and me and our families all live within a six-mile radius. I love our Sunday lunches: four generations at the table, sharing stories. Mum hates it if ever she and my stepfather Robin are invited out and will cancel in favour of cooking lunch for her parents. And she takes them a hot, homemade meal once a week. I try to pop over with the kids once a fortnight. Its often hard to fit in, but worth seeing Nan and Grandad come alive. The years fall away and theyre delighted by the most ordinary (and mischievous) behaviour from my spirited pair. My two love them back my son, Max, is often in danger of knocking them over with his enthusiastic hugs. Watching my grandfather, aged 96, play solitaire with my five-year-old, while Nan giggles in delight as my two-year-old trashes her living room, is good for my soul. Being around the children keeps my grandparents young. Id go so far as to say it gives them a reason to keep living. Being in a care home would have the opposite effect. And for my children? Knowing their great-grandparents is a privilege theyll only truly appreciate when they are older. But, even now, it enhances their lives, as they absorb a valuable lesson that we must value, love and respect the older generations. I know Mum puts her parents first, at the expense of her own social life and, occasionally, of my demands on her as grandmother. But thats how it should be and Im proud of her for it. Nan and Grandad have been, and still are, the most devoted parents and grandparents and it is only right that now, their love and care is repaid. Is it really a big deal to spend time with your parents? To take them meals? I feel that looking after my parents, if needed when they are old, is a rite of passage Id be proud to honour. And I hope my children, learning from the generations before them, might just feel the same. These fascinating images offer a look at the painstaking process behind creating commemorative pieces to mark the royal wedding. A photographer captured workers at the factory of fine bone china label Halcyon Days in Stoke-on-Trent as they put the finishing touches on the limited edition sets being released to celebrate the union of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Skilled artisans are seen carving, painting and polishing the teacups, saucers and decorative boxes painted in several elegant designs. Skilled: Bench caster Steve Mason works on teapots made to celebrate the Royal Wedding Delicate: Sue Carter gilds a mug painted with the Union Jack and Starred Spangled Banner Vibrant: Flags are used to symbolise the union between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Special occasion: The couple, pictured, will tie the knot at Windsor Castle on May 19 Halcyon Days, which holds royal warrants from the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles, has produced royal merchandise for nearly 70 years and has put its expertise into practice when creating the designs for this royal celebrations. The company has produced a beautiful 'wedding ribbons' design with elegant Jacaranda blue and violet stripes with illustrative details of peonies with a violet knotted ribbon framing the Royal couples names. Handcrafted: Bench Caster Steve Mason works on the lids of the commemorative teapots Attention to detail: Sue Carter uses the thinnest of paintbrushes to gild the decorative teapot Finishing touches: A flag heart is gently rubbed as the teacup nears its completion The handcrafted pieces are finished with luxurious platinum gilding. The collection sits alongside ones featuring the Union Jack and Star Spangled banner, a playful take on the British royal's marriage to the American actress, and St George's Chapel and Windsor Castle, where the couple will tie the knot on May 19. Chief executive Pamela Harper, a luxury goods veteran who has worked for Dunhill, Hermes and Burberry among others, said she expected its sales to rise by 10 to 15 per cent. 'There's a huge opportunity for us to merchandise product around events like this,' she said. Elegant: The company has produced a beautiful 'wedding ribbons' design with elegant Jacaranda blue and violet stripes with illustrative details of peonies, pictured 'You know I think it's there for all to see how important, joyous, national events like this can bring very good things to the life of the nation whether that's in the tourism industry, or for hotels and restaurants, hospitality, or for small businesses like ours. 'It's part and parcel of who we are. There's been a huge amount of interest in the wedding. It's absolutely really positive for the economy as a whole, definitely.' Richard Haigh, managing director of consultancy Brand Finance, estimated the value of the wedding to the UK economy is going to be just over 1billion. He said: 'We originally estimated it would be about 500 million back in January but considering the excitement in the last couple of months, we've revised that up.' In the world of the internet's animal stars, Grumpy Cat reigns supreme. But now another, equally doleful feline is nipping at her heels. Luhu, who lives in China with her owner, is an adorable grey tabby whose features make her look permanently miserable. And since her doting owner began sharing photos of her pet's furrowed brow on Instagram, Luhu has built up a 160,000-strong online fan base. Here, FEMAIL shares some of Luhu's saddest - and sweetest - snaps... Cat got your tongue? Luhu's owner loves to snap pictures of her pet's sad-looking face Luhu's permanently furrowed brow and downturned eyes make her appear sad at all times Her comically doleful features echo those of Grumpy Cat, the moody looking feline who became an internet sensation If it's possible for a cat to appear on the verge of tears, Luhu has nailed the look here Even a birthday celebration - complete with her very own party hat - failed to cheer her up Luhu now has a whopping 160,000 fans on Instagram, where her owner shares snaps of her adorable expressions Paws for thought: A pensive looking Luhu rests her chin on her fluffy paws in this cute snap Several women stripped completely naked or topless to make statements Women and men stood in solidarity yesterday as they marked International Women's Day with marches and protests staged across the world. In Santiago, Chile, women used the occasion to shine a spotlight on the ongoing issue of violence against women. Several women marched through the streets topless to draw attention to the cause, with slogans daubed in body paint across their chests. One held a noose around her neck in a powerful gesture of support for Chile's female victims of violence. Women in Santiago, Chile took to the streets to mark International Women's Day on Thursday Many women appeared topless as they called for equality between the sexes and an end to violence against women The women painted their bare breasts with body paint in floral patterns as they marched through the streets of the capital. Some held signs reading 'Todas las mujeres', which tranlates to 'all the women' in English. One solemn looking woman wore a noose around her heavily bruised neck to protest the plight of Chilean women subjected to violence. Another protestor stripped completely nude as her friend applied more body paint to her naked body. The women carried burning torches and covered their faces with masks as they marched Some women decorated their bare chests with body paint in striking floral patterns The women carried fire torches marching through the streets as the protest carried on until the evening. Police were in attendance to monitor the protest. Events were held across the globe to mark International Women's Day which occurs on March 8 every year. From street plays to highlight domestic violence to hundreds of male and female protesters wearing black masks and brandishing #MeToo placards, people around the world have taken to the streets to make their voices heard. One woman posed completely naked as her friend applied more body paint all over her body Many wrote feminist slogans on their bodies, including this one protestors who etched 'Feminism or barbarism' onto her stomach In Rome two of Harvey Weinstein's accusers lead the way at a demonstration in Rome on Thursday as to mark the day. Actresses Asia Argento and Rose McGowan were two of the first to come forward and accuse the Hollywood director of sexual misconduct in 2017 and early 2018 Despite their traumatic stories, the pair marched in strength and unity as they lead thousands of women through the Italian capital on Thursday. Later on in the night the police were on standby as the protestors started fires from their abandoned torches Advertisement With its glass hallways, circular doors and brightly-coloured walls, this property certainly boasts plenty of character. The sprawling 22,604 sq ft home in Saint-Damase-de-L'Islet, Quebec, Canada, is made up from interlocking stacked blocks that are connected by narrow tubular corridors that open out into portals in the rooms. While it might stand out with its unusual 1970s architecture and striking interior design, it also offers lots of space for family living with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a number of reception rooms. The property, which stands alone in a beautiful piece of countryside, has recently gone on the market for $875,000 CAD (494,000). The three-bedroom 1970s home in Saint-Damase-de-L'Islet, Quebec, Canada, is made up from interlocking stacked blocks that are connected by narrow tubular corridors that open out into portals in the rooms Spiral staircases and glass tubular walkways, pictured, create interesting interior design features within the property Quirky entrance ways and tunneled halls add to the maze-like feel, along with an abundance of glass and sliding doors The home offers stunning views of the surrounding greenery and encompasses a sprawling 22,604 square feet. Designed by Canadian architect Jacques de Blois in 1972, broker Chantal Dussault believes the property could be a charming family home or could easily become a trendy bed and breakfast. Speaking about the ideal buyer, Chantal said: 'They would be nature lovers or an operator of a B&B. In the winter the house is even accessible directly by a ramp for snowmobiles'. The property comes with three bedrooms, one pictured, two baths and a number of terraces and reception rooms Designed by Canadian architect Jacques de Blois in 1972, the property could be perfect as a bed & breakfast The home offers stunning views of the surrounding greenery and encompasses a sprawling 22,604 sq ft And the current owners are keen to pass their labour of love onto another loving owner. 'They love their home, but are moving away after being transferred for work,' Chantal added. 'It is important for them that the buyer takes care of the property.' Pictures see a number of spacious open plan living areas on the ground floor boasting stunning views through floor to ceiling windows. There are a number of open plan living areas on the ground floor boasting stunning views through floor to ceiling windows This bar area perfectly demonstrates the unusual colour scheme, with green, yellow and blue clashing Blue spiral staircases, narrow walkways and inside balconies lead to the first floor, where the bedrooms are located The unusual house is dotted with an array of differently shaped windows ensuring the space is flooded with natural light An array of blue spiral staircases, narrow walkways and inside balconies lead to the first floor, which also contains three bedrooms. The unusual house is dotted with an array of uniquely shaped windows ensuring a plethora of natural light throughout the day, and a third floor leads to multiple sunny verandas with more breathtaking views. Pine wood panelling, ceilings and detailing adds to the 1970s feel of the property. Pine wood panelling, ceilings and detailing adds to the 1970s feel of the property. Pictured, one of the reception rooms This large veranda offers ample space for outdoor entertaining and connects to the house through glass sliding doors The kitchen leads into the dining and living area through an unusual circular portal, pictured, that separates the space A woman who feared her enormous 15,000 bum implants would explode has revealed she is seeking therapy over the anxiety they have caused her. Star Delguidice, 28, from Birmingham, flew to Turkey in December to get implants that were double the recommended size, in a seven-hour procedure. They are so big that Star was forced to stand throughout an appearance on This Morning on Friday, because it is too painful for her to sit down for long periods. Star, who first had surgery at 18 and has spent 230,000 in total on altering her face and figure, told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that she 'didn't realise' how large the implants - which she has been told could take up to two years to settle down - would become. 'I really didnt realise what it would be like. It has caused me great anxiety,' she said on the show. 'I am having therapy, because I have post traumatic stress through the surgery.' Despite the after-effects of her decision, Star said she still needed her 'boobs redoing and my face tightening'. Scroll down for video Star Delguidice, 28, from Birmingham, has said that her enormous bum implants make it difficult for her to sit down She appeared on This Morning where she had to do the interview standing because they were uncomfortable Star (pictured shortly after having surgery) said she can feel the implants moving, and has had panic attacks as she's scared they'll explode Among her many procedures, Star has splashed out 24,000 on jaw and forehead contouring and 15,000 on new veneers. WHAT DOES A BUTT IMPLANT PROCEDURE INVOLVE? A larger butt can be achieved through the use of silicone implants, transferring existing fat, or a combination of both. Implants are inserted either in the muscle or above the gluteal muscle on each side. The fat transfer procedure is commonly known as a Brazilian butt lift. Fat removed through liposuction from other parts of the body are injected into the buttocks. Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons Advertisement At first she told the presenters that she didn't want any more surgery because she was scared of how addicted she has become to the procedures, but then added that she still wanted to make some tweaks. Asked by Ruth if she would stop, Star said: 'Well I cant say that I need my boobs redoing and my face tightening.' She also confused the hosts further by admitting: 'Im always changing, I dont stay in the same look.' Star explained how she had to gain three stone before the procedure, which involved having fat drained from her thighs, arms and stomach and transferred to her derriere. However, since the surgery she has struggled to adjust to her new derriere, which has caused her to have panic attacks as she's scared they'll explode. She said that her because her bum implants sit under the muscle they can take up to two years to fully settle but Star wants them out sooner. Star (pictured before getting the bum transplants) says she'd hoped to get the perfect derriere, but has been left unhappy with the results Star has spent 230,000 on cosmetic procedures in total since she was just 18, and has even had her lip fillers dissolved The 28-year-old explained to Eamonn and Ruth just how big the implants were. She bent over in her dress to show the shape The plastic surgery fanatic got implants that were double the recommended size in a seven-hour operation The Kim Kardashian fan said previously: 'I've spent a lot of money since the surgery in December getting scans to ensure the implants are OK. 'I can feel them moving and I've only just been able to sit down and even that still feels strange.' HOW MUCH STAR HAS SPENT ON PLASTIC SURGERY 4x Breast implants - 16,000 3x Designer vagina ops - 12,700 5x Liposuction - 10,000 4x Nose jobs - 16,200 Lip and cheek fillers and Botox - 30,000 per year Jaw and forehead contouring - 23,775 Eye brow lift - 3,500 PDO Therapy - 2,000 a year Lip lift with threads - 1,000 Blepharoplasty (removes droopy eyelids) 6,000 Nipple reduction - 2,000 Eyelash treatments - 1,000 Facials (including carbon black facials, micro dermal facials and vampire facials) - 150 a month Facial laser resurfacing - 3,000 Bum implants and full body fat transfer - 15,000 Veneers - 15,000 TOTAL: 230,000 Advertisement Star said she liked the way her bottom looked in photographs, but said the implants are 'just not practical'. 'I went to Istanbul naive about the aftermath of the surgery, I was in agony when I woke up and I haven't felt my normal self for weeks now,' she said. 'I've had surgery all my life but this one was by the far the biggest surgery to date. 'I had around 650cc [cubic centimetre] implants which is double the size people normally have at first.' Star has spent over 230,000 in total on her new body but after four boob jobs, three designer vaginas, five liposuction procedures, four nose jobs, as well as jaw and cheek surgery. She has also had Botox, lip and cheek fillers, an eyebrow lift, nipple reduction surgery, as well as various eyelash and facial laser resurfacing treatments. Star claimed in the past she was done with more surgery but during her ITV appearance, she wasn't so sure. 'I will continue with my Botox and fillers to maintain my looks but I won't be having anymore silicone. 'I've been working on perfecting myself for years but now I have real curves in all the right places I don't need to go overboard with lip fillers to look extreme.' She spent 15,000 on huge bum implants but now says she wants them removed because they're 'too big' Star explained how she had to gain three stone before the procedure, which involved having fat drained from her thighs, arms and stomach and transferred to her derriere Star said that she likes the way that her new bottom looks in photographs, but says the implants are 'impractical' Despite not liking her new bum, Star - who has funded her surgery thanks to her property portfolio - has noticed it has already got positive attention from strangers. She said: 'I was shopping in Ikea the other day when a woman had to physically turn her husband's head so he'd stop staring at me. 'I do like the attention is brings as it's massive but I just don't know if they're for me. 'I can't see how I'll ever get used to them so I'm currently speaking to other surgeons based in the UK as I might get them taken out. 'I've been through a painful few weeks and I'd warn anyone who's thinking about getting it done to think about the consequences.' She said that she has only just managed to sit down properly but not for a prolonged amount of time saying it still feels 'strange' A parenting magazine owned by Mothercare has been forced to apologise after publishing a joke about low breastfeeding statistics that provoked a flurry of criticism. Gurgle Magazine cited research that suggests fewer than one per cent of UK mums are still breastfeeding at the recommended 12 month mark, and added the caption: 'Hands up who's unduly alarmed by this? Nope, us neither.' It prompted Lactivist, a campaign group that works to normalise breastfeeding, to brand Gurgle 'irresponsible' for 'brushing off' the low rate, which it said was an issue a baby and parenting magazine should be 'greatly concerned' about. After Lactivist shared a picture of the article - and an open letter to the magazine expressing their disappointment - with its Facebook followers, Gurgle posted online apologising for any offence caused. It denied any suggestion the magazine was 'anti-breastfeeding'. Mothercare magazine Gurgle have apologised after receiving an influx of complaints over a breastfeeding joke published in their March issue (seen above) 'The point we had intended to make was that we were not surprised that so few mums are breastfeeding at 12 months given the lack of resource and support', Gurgle told Femail in a statement The open letter from Lactivist had described being 'saddened' by the article. 'Clearly your staff don't care about the product they are producing. As a baby magazine you have the highest form of trust put in your words on each and every page of your publication. Mothers/ parents/ grandparents etc all read your magazine I'm sure. 'They will read thinking you are an insight to the real world of parenting (I hear parents echo haha here as often it's no where near as glossy as the pages of magazines like yours) this statistic should be something you are GREATLY concerned about. Not something to brush off.' Explaining that an increasing number of babies are being hospitalised due to an allergy to breastmilk, Lactivist expressed their disappointment that Gurgle weren't doing more to encourage breastfeeding. The post was shared hundreds of times and prompted a flood of comments from shocked mums. 'Really poor taste. Bad show. Casts doubt on the integrity and reliability of the entire publication', one parent wrote. 'I'm still breastfeeding my almost-11-month-old and I'd be happy to help them with a more positive and helpful article,' another added. A third wrote: 'This is completely appalling and you should be ashamed. More so you should certainly care that as a nation, mothers are not adequately supported to make a the choice to breastfed, many of whom would if the support was available. 'The benefits for mother and child are still being discovered as there are so many and mothers need to know that people do care, not question why so few manage to do it up to 12months which this statement alludes to.' Following the criticism, Gurgle took to their Facebook to apologise to readers, writing: 'Thank you for all your fast feedback on the breastfeeding statistic. 'Gurgle has, and always will, fully support breastfeeding so we were shocked, but not entirely surprised by the 1% stat. 'Encouraging mums to breastfeed their babies for as long as they are able to is part of Gurgle's DNA but we also accept that some mums just don't reach that 12 month marker. If that didn't come across in the positive spirit that it was intended then please accept our apologies for any offence caused as that was not our intention,' the post said. Group Lactivist, who work to normalise breastfeeding, shared a picture of the post, expressing their disappointment that the magazine weren't doing more to share their concern at the statistic Following a barrage of criticism, Gurgle took to their Facebook to apologise to readers 'You should be researching NORMAL baby behaviour and broadcasting it to your readers', one angry mother wrote In a statement to Femail, Gurgle said: 'Gurgle always aims to send positive parenting messages to mums, which includes among other things, positive breastfeeding advice and support. The point we had intended to make was that we were not surprised that so few mums are breastfeeding at 12 months given the lack of resource and support for those who want to start, let alone continue, their breastfeeding journey. 'Despite the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation to breastfeed to 2+ years, the NHS states once they are eating solids your baby will still need to have breast milk or formula as their main drink up to at least their first birthday. 'Really poor taste. Bad show. Casts doubt on the integrity and reliability of the entire publication', one parent wrote 'Whatever views are on the subject this statement sends a message to UK mums that if you are breastfeeding your baby, 12 months is an acceptable marker to aim for. And when you consider the pressures that many mums face, including returning to work, its not surprising that the large majority dont continue to breastfeed for longer. Gurgle applauds mums who continue to full-term breastfeeding, but also respects the many and varied reasons why others do not. 'If nothing else, online comments have highlighted some important issues that are worth exploring further and that can only be a good thing. We appreciate that many have interpreted the comment as anti-breastfeeding, but that was never the intention and Gurgle has since apologised for any offence caused. 'Gurgle is, and always will be, fully supportive of our broad parenting community, which is why so much of our print and online content is centred around breastfeeding and other real mum experiences. Ultimately, Gurgle exists to support all new mums, whatever their parenting choices, empowering them with the knowledge and confidence to trust their own instincts and do what is right for themselves and their babies.' When she's not out and about delivering speeches or lending a hand to charities of which she is patron, Queen Letizia of Spain can often be seen greeting dignitaries and VIPs at Zarzuela Palace. But whatever the location, she is never anything less than impeccably dressed. Friday was no exception, as Letizia welcomed representatives from UNICEF to the palace wearing an elegant silk blouse tucked into high waisted trousers. The palace in Madrid is home to the Queen, King Felipe VI and their two daughters. The Spanish Queen welcomed representatives from UNICEF to the royals' Madrid residence She chose a cream silk blouse for the occasion, tucked into high waisted taupe trousers Never one to shy away from a stiletto, Queen Letizia completed her look with a pair of classic tan shoes with a chunky, gold-trimmed heel. She accessorised with subtle hoop earrings and a flawless deep red mani. Her penchant for red is well known - Queen Letizia was snapped earlier this week in a pair of striking scarlet boots that are fast becoming her favourite pair for high profile events. Always poised: The former journalist was accustomed to being on camera long before she joined the royal family Queen Letizia completed her outfit with a pair of classic tan heels and subtle hoop earrings The former journalist is often photographed welcoming guests and dignitaries to the palace She is notable among European royals for her willingness to experiment with fashion When she wore the teetering boots to meet Spain's Winter Olympians at the palace, it was a third outing for the Queen's red boots since December. She had previously sported them at a charity event in December, and at the ARCO Art Fair in Madrid last month. These glamorous photos capture the frenzy of anticipation backstage at a beauty contest - but this is a pageant with a difference. The would-be finalists snapped donning glittering gowns, and applying the finishing touches to their flawless make-up, are all transgender. The women seen photographed were all competing for the title of Miss International Queen 2018 in Pattaya City, Thailand, on Friday. The glitzy event, held annually in Thailand, is the biggest transgender beauty pageant in the world, and raises money for the country's Royal Charity AIDS Foundation. Over the past fortnight, the 28 finalists have been working on community outreach projects and mingling at high profile events as part of their respective bids to take the crown. The winner, who is due to be chosen on Friday night, will receive around 450,000 Thai Baht (10,364), and be housed in a plush apartment for the duration of her reign. In order to take part contestants must have been born male, but they do not have to have undergone gender reassignment surgery in order to compete. Getting ready: Anahi Cristobal Altuzar of Mexico does the finishing touches on her makeup backstage at the event Popular: Noel Tokuhisa of Sri Lanka speaks live on social media to her fans from backstage Glamorous: The beauty queens put the finishing touches to their glamorous outfits for the pageant Preening: Yuko of Japan puts her lipstick on while a dutiful friend holds up the mirror for her Glamming up: Izabele Coimbra from Brazil shares a joke with the other contestants as she gets her hair done Local hopeful: Jiratchaya Sirimongkolnawin who is representing Thailand at the event fixes her hair Pampering: Longsy Sinakhone from Laos has her makeup done as people rush around backstage Showtime: Marianna Melo of Italy beams for the camera as she prepares for the final night Makeover: Mexican Anahi Cristobal Altuzar does her makeup backstage as she prepares to compete with 27 other transgender women Behind the scenes: Two contestants wait nervously for the big night to begin after two weeks of preparations Last minute nerves: Nguyen Huong Giang of Vietnam looks nervous as she speaks to another contestant On standby: Contestants wait around backstage as they prepare for the show to bein in Pattaya City, Thailand Beauty queens: Nitasha Biswas from India gets her makeup done by a friend in the dressing room Strike a pose:Sofia Solohaga from Argentina uses the backstage lighting to take the perfect selfie Almost time: Nguyen Huong Giang of Vietnam takes a moment to enjoy the pampering Charitable: Yuko of Japan tops up her lipstick as she prepares for the event, which raises money for the Royal Charity AIDS Foundation of Thailand Dolled up: Sofia Solohaga of Argentina strikes a pose for the cameras after getting her makeup done Makeup ready: Yuko of Japan admires her makeup after getting in professionally done for the competition Selfie time: Sofia Solohaga of Argentina plays around with her phone backstage at the pageant Princess Madeleine of Sweden has given birth to her third child as Europe's royal baby boom continues - the third new arrival in two weeks. The royal, 35, and her American husband Chris O'Neill welcomed a baby girl, weighing 3.4kg, in the early hours of this morning at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm. In a statement, the Swedish Royal Court described the newborn as 'a healthy child' and said that 'mother and baby are doing well'. 'We are delighted with the new addition to our family,' Chris, 43, said in a statement. 'Leonore and Nicolas have their long-awaited sibling. They can't wait to meet their new baby sister.' Proud dad Christopher O'Neill took the first official picture of his new baby daughter who was born this morning Chris O'Neill speaks to the media outside Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, where his wife Princess Madeleine gave birth to a baby girl in the early hours of this morning The couple's new arrival is a sibling for Princess Leonore, four, and Prince Nicolas, two The proud dad said that mother and baby are doing well, but no name has been announced yet The new baby, whose name has not yet been revealed, is a sibling for Princess Leonore, four, and Prince Nicolas, two, and is the latest in a spate of royal births. The stepson of Princess Caroline of Monaco and his Russian fashion designer wife Ekaterina Malysheva welcomed their first child, a baby daughter Elisabeth, at the Henriettenstifts hospital in Hanover on 22nd February. And last week Prince Philip and Princess Danica of Serbia welcomed their first son, Prince Stefan. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge is looking forward to the birth of her third child, expected to arrive in late April. Prince Philip and Princess Danica of Serbia welcomed newborn son Stefan into the world last week Prince Ernst August Jr of Hanover, 34, welcomed their first child - a daughter, Elisabeth - on 22 February at the Henriettenstifts hospital in Hanover The Duchess of Cambridge is weeks away from giving birth to her third child Princess Madeleine met her husband after fleeing to the US in 2010 with a broken heart. She crossed the Atlantic following the breakdown of her first engagement to Swedish attorney Jonas Bergstrom amid speculation that he had cheated on her. Madeleine became known as Sweden's party princess during her early 20s, when she was frequently spotted at Stockholm's high-end nightclubs. Countless column inches were also devoted to Madeleine's stylish wardrobe and glamorous lifestyle, but she now focuses on royal duties and raising her children. Observing the supreme confidence of Meghan Markle on stage with Harry, William and Kate the other day, it is all the more surprising to consider that she has been seeking advice from the Duchess of Cornwall. But it has been revealed that Camilla has been helping to calm the American actresss understandable pre-wedding nerves. Many will be astonished at this given the hostility Camilla faced in the early post-Diana years, some of which still lingers. In fact, the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles seems to have become the Oracle at the heart of the Royal Family. What is emerging is a tale of two divorcees, both of whom are making a surprising impact on royal life. At Camillas invitation, Meghan lunched with her at Clarence House. The Duchess extended the same invitation to Kate Middleton before her 2011 wedding to Prince William. And, of course, in those far off days when the 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer seemed set for the happy-ever-after marriage she craved, there was Camillas memorable letter lying on the bride-to-bes bed, inviting her to lunch. It has been revealed that Camilla has been helping to calm the American actresss understandable pre-wedding nerves, similarly to how she did with Kate Middleton before her wedding to Prince William in 2011 The letter was on Dianas bed when she arrived at Clarence House the night before the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles in February 1981. It was an apparently friendly note and was signed lots of love, Camilla. Diana had got to know the mother of two a little in the months she had been courted by the prince. She and Charles had on at least two occasions spent the weekend at Bolehyde Manor, the Parker Bowless Wiltshire country house. When the two women did meet for lunch, the unworldly teenager didnt even suspect that Mrs Parker Bowles, then 33, may have had an ulterior motive in asking if she planned to hunt when she moved into Highgrove. Diana replied that she didnt, and it was only much later that she realised the look on Camillas face that greeted her reply was one of relief for Camilla and Charles both rode with the local Beaufort Hunt. Prince Harry whispers to Meghan Markle as they watch a dance performance by Jukebox Collective in the banqueting hall during a visit to Cardiff Castle Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens, Kensington Palace on November 27, 2017 The recollection confirmed her suspicion that she and the older woman were rivals. It was a feeling that haunted her until her dying day. The worldly Camilla had merely been a royal mistress back then, of course, ostensibly offering a mature womans advice about Prince Charles to the naive and inexperienced newcomer. These days she is an old hand in royal matters, too. But why would Meghan, herself a woman of experience, turn to Camilla for advice? One reason is a sense of isolation she has been experiencing behind the walls of Kensington Palace. They would have had much to talk about anyway as both are divorcees and, like Camilla, Meghan is most probably going to be transformed from a commoner into a royal duchess. She jumped at Camillas invitation because, since meeting Harry almost two years ago, she has come to admire the way the Duchess of Cornwall has worked hard using her chatty personality to overcome public prejudice. Most of all, we understand, Meghan, 36, has been in need of guidance about how informal she can be on public engagements with Harry, and what life will really be like as a working member of the Royal Family. Right now she is mostly immersed in all the detailed planning of her wedding day, one that will be watched all over the world. But behind the bold exterior on display at the inaugural meeting of the Royal Foundation Forum in Central London last week and the wedding excitement she is finding the adjustment from television actress to princess-in-waiting a tougher role than she might have envisaged. The Duchess of Cambridge officially opens the new headquarters of children's mental health charity Place2Be in central London Living with Harry in Kensington Palace means that the days when she could saunter casually, and incognito, to shop in the nearby High Street, are gone. When she leaves Nottingham Cottage, their bijou royal residence, it is usually in a car with blacked-out windows and with armed police bodyguards. She and Harry sometimes go together to a gym in Chelsea. But for a woman used to total freedom, whose TV stardom was never so great that she was bothered by fans, these restrictions on her life are unfamiliar. One thing we learn she does miss terribly is writing her regular blog about her life, and especially the feedback it generated. She had 1.9 million followers on Instagram, another 350,000 on Twitter and some 800,000 friends on Facebook. Meghans finding getting used to the new life a little tough, says a close figure. Shes always been a free spirit and when she felt strongly about something, or just playful, she could tweet it or use her blog (The Tig). But thats gone now. Harry told her what it would be like. Even so, its all happened so suddenly. So one can understand how grateful she was to receive the Duchess of Cornwalls invitation to talk it all through over lunch. Camilla, after all, had to face her own brand of solitude because of her relationship with Prince Charles, especially after Dianas death, when there was considerable public anger at the way Diana had been treated. No one knows better than Camilla how important it is to strike the right balance with the public. The animosity she faced began to fade only after she married the Prince of Wales in 2005. And how it has faded! Her decision to fly with Charles all the way to Australia for the opening of next months Commonwealth Games, but not to stay on with him for a brief, four-day tour, reveals her emerging as a woman of vaulting self-confidence. Her own second marriage to Charles was a civil ceremony, followed by a blessing in St Georges Chapel at Windsor. Meghan, whose first marriage to film producer Trevor Engelson was on a Jamaican beach, is being allowed to marry Harry in the chapel. Much has been written about Meghans boldness in public, with some courtiers considering she has been too touchy-feely too soon. Indeed Meghan stole headlines on International Womens Day by grandly hugging a schoolgirl on a visit to Birmingham. But at 36 Dianas age when she died in 1997 it is probably too late to expect her to change. For Camilla, 70, (left) the opportunity to dispense her worldly wisdom and experience to the royal newcomer Meghan Markle must have been highly satisfying For Camilla, 70, the opportunity to dispense her worldly wisdom and experience to the royal newcomer must have been highly satisfying. When she had lunch with Kate, a Queen-in-waiting, she eschewed the privacy of Clarence House and instead chose a highly visible table in a Knightsbridge restaurant. She is known to have enjoyed the considerable cachet attached to the fact that her advice was apparently being sought by the popular Kate. Ditto the emergence of her intimate tete-a-tete with Meghan. But forging a close alliance with Ms Markle would give Camilla something more, a role that has never quite materialised with Kate that of being an involved royal grandmother, something she has never really been to George and Charlotte. Since their very first steps, the two toddlers have spent endless hours with Kates mother Carole Middleton, cavorting on beaches and being carried on her shoulders. Meanwhile, with Meghan approaching her 37th birthday in August and Harry 34 a month later, they are expected to start a family without delay. Meghans mother Doria Ragland, 61, a yoga instructor who lives in Los Angeles, is unlikely to be very involved in her grandchildrens early years unless she moves to London. For Camilla, who has five grandchildren by son Tom and daughter Laura, here at last would be a chance for her to be fully involved in the moulding of the next, infant generation of royals. And with Harrys mother dead, Camilla is likely to be the only grandmother in town, says one of the Princes circle. Such a role for her would delight Prince Charles. He has always had an easier relationship with Harry than with William. And he has never been as involved with George and Charlotte as much as he wished a particular disappointment as George is, after all, a future king like himself to whom he hopes to be able to offer guidance. At the same time, Charles has always accepted and understood why Kate quite naturally has turned to her mother in family matters involving the children, and spent so many weekends at their home in Bucklebury rather than Highgrove. And Camillas grandmotherly role would help consolidate Charless undiminished wish to see her crowned Queen at his coronation, a move that he would never make without the approval of both his sons. How close to this ultimate goal he has brought the former Mrs Parker Bowles. And yes, how ironic that the woman once viewed as a pariah has managed to turn herself into the Royal Familys most central figure after the Queen, a trusted and vital linchpin between the young and the old. Kate Middleton and Prince William tied the knot on April 29, 2011 For Meghan, her new role as Harrys wife carries even bigger responsibility than she knew. With the retirement of Prince Philip, now 96, Prince Charless idea for a magnificent seven of senior family figures to be the stars in the royal show was reduced to six. With Meghans arrival, the magnificent seven will ride again the Queen, Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, and now Harry and Meghan. For the moment, she is taking root in London with hardly any of the usual family and friends support that any bride-to-be leans on. Long-term friends are mainly in Los Angeles and Toronto, her father remains in Mexico, and little has changed in her difficult relationship with her half-brother and sister in America. So all the usual excitement of shopping for her trousseau with her mother, or a sister, is absent. If this were not difficult enough, she has not only the wedding itself to worry about, but what, in reality, lies beyond it. Enter Camilla, a woman worldly enough to be able to fill some of the gaps in Meghans life. It offers her a new role in the Royal Family, one that she could scarcely have dreamed would ever be granted to her. No one except Prince Charles has ever needed her in the Royal Family before, says one of her friends. Theyve just accepted her. Now, at last, she feels wanted. It makes her very happy. As for Meghan, she is a quick learner and she too knows she is needed by Harry. Her challenge now is to find a way to present a face to the world which is true to her own free-spiritedness, but respectful of the inevitable strictures and demands that are asked of a royal wife. Advertisement NEVER mind an Aga. The latest in kitchen one-upmanship is a wall-mounted bank of three or more high-tech ovens, each costing as much as 1,500. Here, four lucky women explain why they need theirs... WE HAVE AN OVEN FOR EACH OF THE CHILDREN Tiffany Pennington, 37, a part-time school administrator, lives in East Sussex with her husband and their four children aged 19, 14, eight and seven. She says: 'We HAVE a bank of four Bosch ovens in our kitchen one for each child, you could say. Its the room where everyone ends up, whether were just chatting over coffee or entertaining. 'New friends are always eager to have a peek at our kitchen and I love showing it off. Having the ovens built into the kitchen wall in our five-bedroom home was a far more practical and safe choice than a low-down Aga, with all its tempting and accessible doors, with a houseful of children. Tiffany Pennington has different meals on the go during the day using the low-temperature slow-cooker settings on her ovens Ive always enjoyed cooking but my four ovens have added to the joy,' says Tiffany. 'Best of all, I dont have to get out rubber gloves and oven cleaner any more.' 'We wanted a sleek, modern look to the kitchen when we spent 25,000 renovating it three years ago. The ovens are certainly a luxury but they get a lot of use, so I consider the 5,500 we paid for them well worth it. 'Weve lived here for eight years and had two ovens before. But with four children that was never enough, particularly when we hosted extended family at Christmas. 'Also, my seven-year-old son Alfie is a very fussy eater. He pretty much lives on plain chicken but only if it has been cooked on its own, away from the smell of the lasagne or salmon I make for his siblings. 'Because the children are in and out doing various activities at different times, I have different meals on the go during the day using the low-temperature slow-cooker settings. 'They are convection ovens but with all sorts of state-of-the-art functions accessible via the digital touchscreen on each one. 'Theres no need for me to have the likes of separate steamers and slow cookers any more, as the ovens have these functions in-built. One also has the option to work as a microwave. 'Each one can be programmed precisely according to what I want to cook, whether its a cake, a souffle, poultry or fish. I simply select the item from the digital menu and the oven adjusts the temperature and timer accordingly, which removes all the guesswork and results in perfectly cooked and risen food. 'If Im cooking roast beef, for example, it even allows me to choose whether Id like it rare, medium or well done. 'My husband is a meticulous planner and neither of us wanted to regret any of the choices we made when we splurged on the new kitchen. We both agreed that with four ovens we would never be limited in what we could make or how many people we could cook for. 'Ive always enjoyed cooking but my four ovens have added to the joy. Best of all, I dont have to get out rubber gloves and oven cleaner any more I just use the touchscreen control panel to set it to the pyrolytic cleaning program. 'This heats the oven to over 400c, which cremates any grease or food spillages and turns them to ash, so all I have to do is sweep it away later. Who wouldnt be envious of that?' BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I CAN'T EVEN COOK! Nicky Midgley, 45, is a senior administrator for a charity and lives near Leeds with her husband Andrew, 50, a buyer for a bathroom company, and their daughters Eve, 12, and Amber, eight. She says: 'Our swish Neff ovens have become the envy of my friends as well as a bit of a standing joke because, despite being a typical rugby-loving man, my husband does all the cooking. 'We entertained last Saturday and while Andrew slaved away over the food there was lots of talk among our guests of how theyd love a bank of ovens one day, too. Nicky Midgley's 'swish Neff ovens' have become the envy of her friends in her six-bedroom detached home near Leeds The two end ovens in Nicky's kitchen are conventional but with all sorts of high-tech settings, while the one in the middle also doubles as a microwave or grill 'Of course, I think they look gorgeous, but I should confess that I cant do much more with them than demonstrate how the sliding doors work or shove in a tray of oven chips. Im really no cook! 'Andrew and I have been married for 15 years this year and together for 21 years, and in that time Ive probably cooked about five meals because I find it such a bore. Fortunately, he loves it and is happy to do it, never more so than now he has three whizzy new ovens to play with. 'Weve lived in our six-bedroom detached home for about eight years and the previous cooker wasnt even built in, so even though I dont cook I was keen to get rid of it. We renovated the kitchen last October and knocked through to the utility room to make it bigger. 'Andrew had coveted the banks of ovens wed seen at my sister-in-laws house and at the homes of a few friends, and he loved the the idea of being able to cook for larger groups of friends and family. So he and the kitchen designer settled on three. 'The two end ovens are conventional but with all sorts of high-tech settings, while the one in the middle also doubles as a microwave or grill, not that Ive really used any of them! 'Andrew will spend hours in the kitchen prepping and cooking meals. The oven on the left must be his favourite as a symbol flashed up on the digital display the other day to tell me it was ready for cleaning, the first one to do so since they were installed. Thankfully, all it requires is one push of a button and it cleans itself.' I GOT THE OVENS FOR MY 50TH BIRTHDAY Sameena Nawaz, 52, operates the UK distribution of an Italian tanning skincare range and a Swiss lash lift brand with her husband Abid, 55. They live near Newcastle and have two sons aged ten and 17. She says: 'When people first come to our house, they usually gasp Youve got four ovens? with a mixture of disbelief and envy. But I think my bank of four wall-mounted ovens is lush. 'They are from the Samsung Chef collection and cost just over 5,000 in total. They have certainly proved a big talking point since we had our kitchen renovated in June 2016 at a total cost of 50,000. Sameena regularly entertains 30 people at a time, so there may be tandoori chicken in one oven, lamb in another, dishes warming in the third and a cake in the last one Sameena says that she has dreamt for years one day to own a gorgeous kitchen with a bank of ovens and now her wish has come true 'Although its just the four of us day to day, we regularly entertain 30 people at a time, so there may be tandoori chicken in one oven, lamb in another, dishes warming in the third and a cake in the last one. 'They are convection ovens but boast digital touchscreens. One of them also has a microwave function but looks the same as the others and can double as an ordinary oven. In fact, apart from preparing the food theres not much these ovens cant do. 'They are even linked to Wi-fi, so I can control them remotely via an app on my phone when Im out at work or at the supermarket. 'For example, if Ive got a fish pie cooking but Ive been delayed while Im out and need to turn the temperature down or off completely, I can do so using the app. 'The ovens have intense hot grills which are great for cooking pizzas, plus a low-temperature slow-cooking setting, and theres a steam option which converts them to steamers for vegetables, fish and sponge puddings. 'All I have to do is add water to a compartment in the oven to create the steam. They even have a built-in meat probe which I just have to insert into a whole chicken, for example, when I put it in the oven and select the roast chicken option on the touchscreen. 'The probe lets me monitor the internal food temperature via updates on the digital display on the oven, and shows when the meat is thoroughly cooked, all without me having to open the oven door. 'I dreamt for years of a gorgeous kitchen with ovens like this. I drove my husband nuts about it. Im very houseproud and a keen cook, and loved the idea of having a bank of high-tech ovens at my fingertips. 'So, when Abid asked me what Id like for my 50th birthday in 2016, I seized my opportunity and replied, A new kitchen and four ovens, thank you very much! 'He knew he couldnt use delaying tactics any longer. 'As well as looking sleek, my ovens are very practical and self-cleaning. I suffer with a bad back but because they are mounted at eye level I no longer have to bend down to put food in or take it out, or to use the controls. 'They are very much my territory. My husbands way of cooking dinner is to take me out to a restaurant. But I will allow my eldest son to use the ovens in summer, as I plan to train him to cook before he goes off to university.' OURS ARE THE TALK OF THE TOWN Childrens nurse Janette Atkins, 50, lives in Hertfordshire with husband Nigel, also 50, an airport firefighter and property manager, and their children Alice, 18, and James, 14. She says: 'Weve become famous for our swanky bank of Neff ovens among family, friends and neighbours, who always make comments such as, Wow! Are you feeding the whole street? and Is your husbands appetite really that big? 'The main attraction for visitors is that the doors slide underneath the ovens when you open them so that you can tend to the food inside without obstruction. People always want to have a play with those. Childrens nurse Janette says that she has become famous among family, friends and neighbours in Hertfordshire for her 'swanky bank of Neff ovens' Janette cooks a joint of meat on Sundays in her open plan kitchen, with potatoes in one oven, veg steaming in another and Yorkshire puddings rising perfectly in the third 'Weve lived here since we got married 20 years ago and for most of that time we just had a tiny, traditional oven, which didnt even have a see-through glass door. I had to kneel on the floor just to put food in and take it out. 'Meanwhile, Id fallen in love with the idea of a row of ovens after seeing images of them in interiors magazines. 'Thankfully, Nigel likes to keep up with the latest gadgetry for the home, so when he revamped the kitchen of our four-bedroom home three years ago, we both knew what we wanted. 'I knew that, along with the beautiful, handmade kitchen island, the ovens would be the centrepiece of the whole house. 'I suspect he did have an ulterior motive though. I recall him saying: Well, if any of them fails, the Sunday roast will still go ahead in our house! 'They were well worth the 1,000 each that we spent on them. We have a lovely big open plan kitchen and on a Sunday Ill have a joint of meat and the potatoes in one oven, veg steaming in another and Yorkshire puddings rising perfectly in the third. 'All three ovens are fan assisted and have digital, touch-screen control panels. The two on either end have 14 different settings, including a steam function, bread baking, a low temperature for slow cooking, a high heat grill, defrost option. 'Meanwhile, the setting for intense roasting circulates heat and steam in such a way that the roast is crisp on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. 'The middle oven has 12 features, the main difference being that it can be used as a microwave, and all three have a magical self-cleaning mode. 'There are no longer any panics over timings, trying to cram everything into one space, and keeping it all warm, which means that big meals such as Christmas dinner and the New Years and summer parties we like to throw are an absolute breeze. 'I already loved cooking and entertaining but the ovens have made both things even more pleasurable both for me and also my daughter, Alice, whos a keen baker. 'Shell be busy baking the likes of scones and strawberry daiquiri cakes in one oven while Ive got various pots of food on the go in the others. 'Our house is always filled with the most incredible cooking smells. 'I have to confess that unwittingly, the oven on the right is my favourite and gets most use, simply because its nearer to the dishwasher and the fridge.' From soups and ramen to porridge and hearty stews, some of the most comforting foods in the world are served up in a bowl. Now a new book by travel guide publisher Lonely Planet pays tribute to the winter warmers and cosy comforters that are so popular in every corner of the world with stunning photographs and easy-to-follow recipes. The book, Lonely Planet Food: The Worlds Best Bowl Food, takes you around the globe to 46 destinations known for a mouthwatering dish that can only be served in a bowl. From beef bourguignon in France to Vietnamese pho, the book, published this weekend, serves as a guide to the very best of the world's cuisine that just has to be slurped. USA: Macaroni cheese is an American staple and is typically a bowl of pasta and cheese sauce, often topped with breadcrumbs The book contains 100 one-pot recipes, with dishes including breakfast bowls and soups to salads, noodle meals, stews and desserts. All recipes in the book are rated easy, medium or hard and include tasting notes and information about the origins of the dish. A spokesman for Lonely Planet said: 'It's no coincidence that some of the world's very best edible offerings come in a bowl. There's just something hearty, wholesome and inviting about spheres of steaming soup, colourful poke, and aromatic pho that plating up can't match, so get ready and dig in.' BREAKFAST BOWLS Brazil: This is a typical Brazilian berry fruit bowl using acai berries, topped with banana slices and granola. These 'smoothie bowls' have become very popular on Instagram China: Traditional Chinese Congee, a classic Chinese breakfast dish made using rice, that often contains meat South America: Chia seed pudding originated in Central and South America but it's become very popular in the UK and US too SOUPS Greece: This bowl contains avgolemono, a chicken soup with an egg-lemon sauce, rice and fresh parsley leaves Russia/Ukraine: Red Borscht is essentially beetroot soup and is eaten all over eastern Europe European Jewish: Chicken soup with matzo ball dumplings is a classic Latvia: a fresh fish soup which is a typical dish in the country Morocco: Harira is a classic Moroccan dish that often contains dates. It is usually heavily spiced Portugal: Ensopado de borrego is typical of the Azores region and contains meat and onions SALAD BOWLS USA: A chicken burrito bowl containing sour cream, cheese, salsa, guacamole, kidney beans and rice Peru: Ceviche is raw fish marinated in lime juice, often served with accompaniments such as finely chopped tomatoes, chilli, onion and a lime wedge Greece: A typical Greek salad featuring chopped up peppers, onions, olives and topped with a huge block of feta cheese Hawaii: A tune poke bowl containing avocado, red cabbage, radishes, rice, courgette, seaweed and black sesame seeds PASTA, RICE, AND NOODLES Vietnam: Beef pho is eaten across the whole of Vietnam but has only recently taken off in the UK. It always contains rice noodles India: Chicken biryani is a staple not just in India but in the UK too. Biryani is made by combining the curry with the rice in one pot Japan: Ramen noodle soup is all the rage in the US and the UK at the moment. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as sliced pork, dried seaweed, menma, and green onion Canada: Poutine is French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It's carby, it's fattening but it's absolutely delicious Thailand: A much loved takeaway in the UK too, Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish that often contains prawns and peanuts STEWS AND BRAISES France: There's nothing more French than a bowl of meaty beef bourguignon containing braised vegetables and beef in a red wine sauce Poland: Bigos, often translated into English as hunter's stew, is a Polish dish of finely chopped meat of various kinds stewed with sauerkraut and shredded fresh cabbage Ireland: A typical Irish coddle stew containing pork sausages, bacon, carrots and potatoes Hungary: Goulash is a stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices DESSERTS India: Sweet kheer is a rice puddish dish flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios or other nuts and spices UK: Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert made with crushed meringues, lots of whipped cream and plenty of fruit, usually berries such as strawberries Lonely Planet Food: The Worlds Best Bowl Food (9.99) comes out this weekend in paperback, available from Lonely Planet's online shop. Advertisement Toddlers in some parts of England are up to 120 times more likely to be admitted to hospital with rotten teeth than others, statistics show. Government data reveals in Rotherham there are 1,143 hospital admissions because of tooth decay for every 100,000 children under the age of four. In contrast, just nine admissions occur in Leicester for the same amount of youngsters, according to Public Health England figures. It comes as part of a series of interactive maps that show the stark divide in health across each county and unitary authorities. They also revealed infant mortality, low birth weights and childhood obesity are three times higher in certain parts of England than others. Dentists have today blasted the statistics, which also showed a stark north/south divide in terms of the oral health of children. Dr Richard Marques, of Wimpole Street Dental, told MailOnline that they are 'very worrying'. He added: 'This suggests that there is an underlying inequality in dental health throughout the country.' A spokesperson for the Oral Health Foundation echoed the concerns and branded the figures as 'completely unacceptable'. They told MailOnline: 'Every single case of tooth decay is preventable. 'With correct oral health education and an effective routine no child should suffer from tooth decay, no matter where they are in the country. In England, 241 children under the age of four out of 100,000 will be admitted to hospital with dental caries, on average 'There main and most dangerous cause of this is excessive sugar consumption. 'Tooth decay is the number one reason for childhood hospital admissions in the UK and children consuming too much sugar and consuming it too often is the major cause of this.' THE WORST AND BEST AREAS FOR ALL OF THE INTERACTIVE MAPS HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FOUR WORST: Rotherham - 1,143 children per 100,000 BEST: Leicester - 9 children per 100,000 CHILDREN WITH AT LEAST ONE DECAYED, MISSING OR FILLED TEETH WORST: Blackburn with Darwen - 56.1% of children BEST: South Gloucestershire - 14.1% of children INFANT MORTALITY WORST: Stoke-on-Trent - 7.9 babies out of 1,000 BEST: Bracknell Forest - 1.6 babies out of 1,000 CHILD MORTALITY WORST: Luton - 22.4 children out of every 100,000 BEST: Cornwall - 6.2 children out of every 100,000 LOW BIRTH WEIGHT WORST: City of London - 6% of babies weigh less than 5lbs 5oz BEST: Wokingham - 1.8% of babies weigh less than 5lbs 5oz MMR VACCINES WORST: Westminster - 69.8% of children under the age of two have been given the jab BEST: Redcar and Cleveland - 97.5% of children under the age of two have been given the jab Advertisement It is believed that Leicester operates in a different way to many unitary authorities and children are referred to community services and not hospitals. In England, 241 children under the age of four out of 100,000 will be admitted to hospital with dental caries, on average. While a quarter of children (24.8 per cent) across the country have at least one decayed tooth, missing or filled teeth. But there are four times as many youngsters with rotten teeth in Blackburn with Darwen than there are in South Gloucestershire. Some 56.1 per cent of children in the Lancashire district, according to the data. In contrast, the figure is just 14.1 per cent in South Gloucestershire. The data, which is maintained by the National Child and Maternal Health Intelligence Network, also laid bare the staggering differences in infant mortality. For every 1,000 babies born in Bracknell Forest - one of six authorities in Berkshire, 1.6 die before they turn one. This is five times less than the figure in Stoke-on-Trent, where 7.9 babies don't survive until their first birthday. Child mortality rate - the amount of children who die before they turn 18 - also varies dramatically across different regions of England. Luton topped the charts, with 22.4 children out of every 100,000 dying before they officially become an adult, on average. Cornwall placed at the polar opposite end of the scale, with 6.2 children out of every 100,000 not surviving until their landmark 18th birthday. In terms of low birth weight, 1.8 per cent of babies born in Wokingham weigh less than 5lbs 5oz, compared to nearly 6 per cent in the City of London. One interactive map also provides a breakdown of how many children have been given the MMR vaccine across England. It showed that just 69.8 per cent of two-year-olds have been given the jab in the London borough of Westminster. In comparison, this is significantly lower than the 91.6 per cent of two-year-olds who have been immunised against measles, mumps and rubella in England. Other data also confirmed the stark divide in childhood obesity across the country, with some regions having almost triple the rates of others. RCEM president Dr Taj Hassan (pictured) admitted that unacceptable performance at A&Es is now normal Doctors are telling patients to blame politicians for the NHSs worst winter on record rather than the severe flu season and cold weather. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine wants people to write to their MP to complain about A&E care after a key performance target hit its lowest recorded level. RCEM president Dr Taj Hassan admitted that unacceptable performance at A&Es is now normal. But he blamed the crisis on the Governments failure to prioritise the need to increase healthcare funding and called on the public to lobby MPs. His comments came as NHS England figures revealed that only 85 per cent of A&E patients were treated or admitted within four hours in February, a record low and well below the 95 per cent target. Thousands of planned operations were postponed to free resources, while tens of thousands of beds have been taken out of service so far this winter because of norovirus. Dr Hassan dismissed factors including the spike in flu and norovirus, and pressures caused by immigration, instead blaming insufficient staffing and beds. NHS England figures revealed that only 85 per cent of A&E patients were treated or admitted within four hours in February, a record low and well below the 95 per cent target Performance that once would have been regarded as utterly unacceptable has become normal and things are seemingly only getting worse for patients, he said. The current crisis was wholly predictable and is due to a failure to prioritise the need to increase healthcare funding on an urgent basis. The NHS was given an additional 437million of funding to help it cope this winter. Last night Tory MP Andrew Percy, who formerly sat on the health select committee, said: A&E performances across the UK and the world have struggled this winter due to a very tough flu season. As a Government, we have provided the NHS with more funding and more money than it has ever received in its history. What the NHS doesnt need is people using this recent incident to make a party political point when we should be working together. The Royal College of Surgeons said thousands of patients due to have scheduled operations, such as hip surgery, had them postponed and have suffered a painful winter. At least 62,000 fewer NHS treatments, including surgical operations, were performed by consultants this winter compared to the previous winter, according to the RCS. Professor Derek Alderson, its president, said the delays were a necessary evil given this winters pressures. Experts expressed concern that bed occupancy rates were at an average of 95 per cent during February, above the 85 per cent limit considered safe. Janet Davies, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said the figures showed there was no more to give. She said: Safe staffing levels are key to patient safety, and immediate investment is required to train and retain staff. The warning signs are plain to see, and ministers should be under no illusion that failure to act now could be catastrophic. Dr Sue Crossland, vice-president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said this winter has had an immense impact on the wellbeing and long term resilience of the core blood of the NHS, its staff. Staff will be tired, worn out and, unless the NHS leadership and management is careful, will feel that all their efforts have not been recognised in any tangible fashion, she added. We cannot let what has happened over the preceding nine weeks become normal for the service and it is essential we plan more effectively and much earlier. NHS England said staff had been working in a perfect storm of appalling weather and persistently high hospital admissions. But a spokesman said despite the challenges the NHS treated 160,000 more A&E patients within four hours this winter, compared with the previous year. The Department of Health and Social Care said: One thousand more people were treated within four hours every single day in February compared to the same month last year. A spokesman added that the Government gave the NHS top priority in the recent Budget with an extra 2.8billion allocated over the next two years. Common over-the-counter drugs for allergies could be linked to fertility problems in men. Antihistamines are taken for everything from hay fever to hives, as well as conjunctivitis and insect bites, and are available either over-the-counter or on prescription. But a review has concluded the household drugs could have negative long-term side effects for male fertility. This is because they tackle histamine - a molecule produced by the body in response to an allergy which drives reactions such as sneezing, wheezing and itching. Histamines are also involved in fertility, so blocking them could have undesirable side effects. The review, published in the journal Reproduction, states that anti-histamines can lower sperm count, while deforming sperm and making them slower swimmers. Over-the-counter drugs for allergies could be linked to fertility problems in men (stock) More large-scale trials are needed' However this is based on animal studies, most on mice, rats and hamsters, and experts have cautioned that there is a lack of convincing evidence for humans. Study author Dr Carolina Mondillo, from the Experimental Medicine and Biology Institute in Argentina, said: More large-scale trials are needed to evaluate the possible negative effects of antihistamine on reproductive and sexual health. This can then lead to developing novel treatments to relieve allergy symptoms without compromising fertility. The data compiled in this review indicates the crucial involvement of histamine in orchestrating testicular functions, but even so there is still much to learn about the implicated mechanisms. Anti-histamines can lower sperm count, deform them and make them slower swimmers DOES ASTHMA OR HAY FEVER CAUSE CATARACTS? Asthma and hay fever suffers are 50 per cent more likely to develop cataracts, research suggested in January 2018. Cataracts, which are the clouding of the lens in the eye leading to vision loss, have previously been associated with steroid use. Nasally-inhaled steroids are the recommended first-line treatment for severe, persistent hay fever, while oral versions of the anti-inflammatory medication are the go-to drugs in asthma. It is unclear how steroids cause cataracts, however, this may explain the link between eye clouding in asthma and hay fever sufferers, according to the study. The researchers, from The Catholic University of Korea, analysed 14,776 people from the health survey KNHANES-V, which was conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and included residents of South Korea. Questionnaires were completed to determine the study's participants' age, sex, medical history, and smoking and drinking status. Of the participants, 143 had eczema, 417 suffered from asthma and 1,130 had hay fever. For unclear reasons, eczema is not linked to cataracts despite typically being treated with topical steroids. This may be due to the treatment only being applied to the skin, which may not be near the eye, rather than being more directly absorbed into the body. A previous study did not link the use of inhaled steroids in asthma to eye-related complications, however, this was conducted in children and the side-effects many not occur until several years after use. Neither asthma, hay fever nor eczema are linked to glaucoma, which is defined as damage to the optic nerve due to the pressure of fluid inside the eye. Advertisement 'It is far too soon to raise alarm bells' Almost half of British adults suffer from at least one allergy, and the number of sufferers is on the rise. Many take anti-histamines for relief from puffy eyes, runny or blocked noses or skin rashes. But histamine, the molecule to blame for these which is produced when the immune system picks up a threat, has been suggested to affect male libido as well as the number, shape and swimming ability of mens sperm. Anti-histamines, which block it from working normally, are thought to disrupt the production of male sex hormones in the testicles. Commenting on the research, Dr Channa Jayasena, senior clinical lecturer at Imperial College London, said: The average sperm quality in the population has been reducing over the last few decades, so it is always important to consider that common (and increasingly used) medications may be partly responsible. The authors aim to summarise previous scientific studies in the field. 'As they rightly acknowledge, it is far too soon to raise alarm bells about taking these medications. Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: This is an interesting and very comprehensive review paper outlining the possible role of histamine in the reproductive system of men. 'However, I think the evidence is really too limited to say whether anti-histamine medication does or does not have a detrimental impact on male fertility. A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: MHRA is aware of the new review that suggests over-the-counter allergy drugs could have negative long-term side effects for male fertility. An impact on male fertility is not a known side effect of antihistamines, however we will keep any new evidence under review. ends ends Men are four times more likely to get cancer from oral sex than women due to their weaker immune systems, a scientist claims. According to Dr Ashish Deshmukh, from the University of Florida, infected men struggle to rid their bodies of the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes them to harbour the pathogen for a long time and raises their disease risk. Previous research also suggests men may be more willing to perform oral sex due to sexual norms and having fewer inhibitions between the sheets. HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the US and can cause cancer of the penis in men, while women are at risk of developing the condition in the vulva, vagina or cervix. The infection can also cause cancer of the anus or throat in both sexes. Around 79 million people in the US are infected with HPV, which is most commonly spread by vaginal or anal sex. Up to four in five people in the UK develop the infection at some point in their lives. In the US, vaccinations against the infection are recommended for all boy and girls aged 11 to 12. In the UK, only girls are vaccinated from 12 years old. Controversially, certain girls report being left wheelchair bound and paralysed after having the jab, however, global health officials have repeatedly said they are safe. Men are four times more likely to get cancer from oral sex due to their weaker immune systems HOW MELINDA MESSENGER SPARKED THE HPV-VACCINE ROW The former glamour girl was slammed for her controversial opinion on the vaccines Melinda Messenger was accused of scare-mongering after revealing she would not be giving her teenage daughter the HPV vaccines. The TV personality revealed her strong views on This Morning in 2016 and was criticised by the show's resident doctor Dr Christ Steele. Melinda expressed her concern over her daughter, Evie, 13, having the jabs following a link between the vaccines and a range of chronic illnesses. Viewers branded her decision 'irresponsible' and Melinda said hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were overly hostile towards her, both on and off stage. It is believed there was an attempt by the UK Public Health Association to ban her from even appearing on the programme. Advertisement 'Men acquire oral infections more readily than women' Dr Deshmukh told The Inquirer: 'There is good evidence that men acquire oral infections more readily than women, even if they have similar sex practices. 'And more than the acquisition, its the persistence of the virus. 'The clearance rate is not that fast in men.' Male virgins can still get HPV This comes after research released in December last year suggested male virgins can still get HPV. Men who have never had intercourse are still at risk of catching sexually-transmitted HPV if they have oral sex, according to the researchers. Yet, such infections occur at around half the rate of those having penetrative sex. The researchers believe the study's participants may have caught HPV through oral sex. Study author Dr Alan Nyitray from The University of Texas in Houston, said: 'It reinforces the point that HPV vaccination should not be thought of only in the context of sexual behavior.' Of the participants who had sex within one year of the study starting, 28.7 percent became infected with HPV, while 45.5 percent caught the virus within two years. Why are HPV vaccines controversial? In recent years, numerous teenage girls have made headlines after claiming to suffer devastating side effects after having HPV vaccines, with alleged complications including paralysis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Yet, global health officials have always strongly denied the jabs have any nervous system effects. As with any vaccine, there is a very small chance of a severe allergic reaction with the HPV jab, according to the Vaccine Knowledge Project at the University of Oxford. Up to February 2017, 11,867 reactions to Gardasil, the jabs' brand name, had been recorded, according to The European Medicines Agency. Of these reactions, many report symptoms of CFS. Cases of girls being left paralysed are rare. The World Health Organisation, the US Center for Disease Control and the European Medicines Regulator have 'extensively reviewed the vaccine's safety'. They conclude there is 'no credible evidence of a link between the HPV vaccine and a range of chronic illnesses'. In addition, researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health discovered unvaccinated girls face the same risk of developing CFS as those receiving the jabs. Scientists have discovered genes that make elephants resistant to cancer are also found in humans. After being exposed to cancer-causing radiation, three genes, known as FANCL, VRK2 and BCL11A, work to guard against mutations, a study found. As all vertebrates evolved from a common ancestor, humans also have these anti-cancer genes, however, they do not appear to protect against the disease to the same extent. Nevertheless, researchers hope the findings will lead to new anti-cancer medications in humans. Study author Dr Christopher Gregg from the University of Utah, said: 'This method gives us a new way to explore the genome and potentially uncover new approaches to identify, diagnose and treat disease.' Cancer, which occurs when cells multiply uncontrollably, affects around one in 20 elephants, compared to up to one in two humans; despite the animal having hundreds more cells. Previous research also suggests elephants have 40 copies of the gene p53, which suppresses tumours, while humans have just one. Scientists discovered genes that make elephants resistant to cancer are found in humans ARE CANCER CURES BEING DEVELOPED? A cancer drug is in development that could stop the disease in its tracks, it emerged in January 2018. The unnamed medication targets a specific enzyme that fuels the spread of tumours, research revealed. It does this by binding to the membrane of rapidly multiplying cells, a European study found. This hijacks cancer's 'survival mechanism' and prevents tumours from attaching to the protein they need to thrive. The anti-cancer drug binds to cancerous cells' membrane protein, known as dehydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). The researchers analysed how fats, which are the building blocks of cell membranes, and drugs bind to DHODH. Study author Dr Erik Marklund, from Uppsala University, said: 'Our simulations show the enzyme uses a few lipids as anchors in the membrane. 'When binding to these lipids, a small part of the enzyme folds into an adapter that allows the enzyme to lift its natural substrate [the substance an enzyme acts on] out of the membrane. 'It seems the drug, since it binds in the same place, takes advantage of the same mechanism.' Study author Sir David Lane, from the Karolinska Institute, in Sweden, added: 'The study helps to explain why some drugs bind differently to isolated proteins and proteins that are inside cells. 'By studying the native structures and mechanisms for cancer targets, it may become possible to exploit their most distinct features to design new, more selective therapeutics.' It is unclear when the drug could be available. Advertisement How the research was carried out The researchers analysed DNA that controls gene expression. They investigated genes that are shared by all vertebrates but evolved more rapidly in elephants. Gamma radiation, which has known cancer-causing properties, was fired at the genes to assess their abilities to respond to damage. The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. What other animals do not get cancer? Past research from the University of Rochester in New York suggested bowhead whales are immune to cancer. This is surprising considering their one of the largest animals alive, and therefore have many cells, and can live for hundreds of years. A study back in 2015 found the whales have mutations that help prevent DNA from being damaged. It is unclear why this occurs. Naked mole rats, which can live for up to 30 years, also do not appear to develop cancer, which is an otherwise extremely common condition among rodents. Research released in 2013 suggested naked mole rats produce a sticky substance known as hyaluronan, which acts like a gloopy protective glass by sitting in the spaces between cells and preventing mutating ones from dividing further. Although humans also produce hyaluronan, naked mole rats make more and longer versions. Other animals, such as dogs and cats, are highly prone to cancer. Scientists saved the life of an 80-year-old man who was battling a superbug - by injecting him with a virus they plucked from a lake. The patient, from Connecticut, faced death after antibiotics failed to kill his life-threatening heart infection. Quick-thinking researchers at Yale School of Medicine recommended using a virus from a local lake, called a bacteriophage. Health officials at the FDA gave them permission to try the pioneering method, which had proven to work in scientific lab trials. And tests showed that the innovative method successfully wiped out the bacteria by making it vulnerable to antibiotics. The case report, published in the journal, Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, could help fight superbugs in the future. A virus harvested from a local lake was the only thing that cured an 80-year-old Connecticut man of heart infection that had resisted all antibiotic treatment Bacteria-eating virus The unfortunate man who appears in the report initially contracted the infection following a heart surgery that replaced a section of his aorta. The infection was caused by a bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the infection from which typically occurs after a stint in hospital, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. WHAT IS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE? Antibiotics have been doled out unnecessarily by GPs and hospital staff for decades, fueling once harmless bacteria to become superbugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned if nothing is done the world is heading for a 'post-antibiotic' era. It claimed common infections, such as chlamydia, will become killers without immediate solutions to the growing crisis. Bacteria can become drug resistant when people take incorrect doses of antibiotics or if they are given out unnecessarily. Former chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies claimed in 2016 that the threat of antibiotic resistance is as severe as terrorism. Figures estimate that superbugs will kill 10 million people each year by 2050, with patients succumbing to once harmless bugs. Around 700,000 people already die yearly due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria across the world. Concerns have repeatedly been raised that medicine will be taken back to the 'dark ages' if antibiotics are rendered ineffective in the coming years. In addition to existing drugs becoming less effective, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years. In September, the WHO warned antibiotics are 'running out' as a report found a 'serious lack' of new drugs in the development pipeline. Without antibiotics, C-sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements will become incredibly 'risky', it was said at the time. Advertisement The man was put on a treatment of antibiotics, but they found the bacteria would develop an resistance to each new round of treatment. Bacteria are sometimes able to adapt antibiotics given enough time to evolve. Although the man's symptoms would sometimes disappear, the antibiotics were unable to wipe all the bacteria in his body. It was at this point, after several bouts of treatment and reoccurring infection, the New Haven researchers contacted his physician. Coincidentally, they had been researching local water sources searching for bacteriophages, a virus that 'eats' bacteria. In the lab, they had found that the virus - OMKO1 - had been able to destroy P. aeruginosa. The man was then injected with 'hundreds of thousands' of the bacteriophage. The treatment was successful: the man's infection vanished, and he has not required a further course of antibiotics in the last 18 months. 'We argue that the phage therapy played a significant role in contributing to the eradication of the P. aeruginosa infection,' the researchers wrote, in the March 8 issue of the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health. Fighting antibiotic resistance In their report, researchers said the bacteriophage was able to destroy P. aeruginosa. It does this by binding to the proteins on the bacteria's surface, at which point it can no longer expel antibiotics - even if it was previously resistant. The researchers described it as a 'one-two punch': if the bacteria were to change the proteins on its surface, it would then be vulnerable to the antibiotics again. If it did not, however, the bacteriophage would attach to the proteins and allow the antibodies to do their work. The report that covers the unusual series of events suggests this discovery could help fight antibiotic-resistant infections 'The bacteria are backed into an evolutionary corner,' study co-author Paul Turner, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, said. 'We hope that exploratory studies such as this one can provide preliminary evidence suggesting that phage OMKO1 can greatly improve the effects of antibiotics for the removal of P. aeruginosa.' The researchers are currently looking into other bacteriophages to see whether this might also be effective again antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, study co-author Benjamin Chan, a research scientist at Yale, told Live Science. A married couple were left paralysed and spent five months in intensive care after eating green beans from a can. The husband and wife, from Germany, caught botulism - one of the most powerful toxins known to science - from the 'poisoned beans'. However, their son escaped his parents' horrific ordeal after he refused to eat the green beans because they smelt 'off'. Doctors near Leipzig - 118 miles (160km) south of Berlin - went public with the case to raise awareness of the rare toxin. The husband and wife, from Germany, caught botulism - one of the most powerful toxins known to science - from the 'poisoned beans' The tale was reported in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. It revealed just 10 cases of botulism are recorded in Germany each year. The same lethal neurotoxin is used in cosmetic Botox injections - but in much smaller doses to paralyse muscles in the face. The 47-year-old woman suffered dizziness, double vision, drooping eyelids and struggled to speak when she went to hospital. CT and MRI scans found nothing and in the meantime the anonymous woman's neurological symptoms worsened. She was no longer able to open her eyes and she was paralysed from the neck down. Doctors at Universitatsklinikum Halle hooked her up to a life-support machine after her lungs began to fail. Her 51-year-old husband, whose name is also unknown, presented to the same hospital with similar symptoms a day later. WHAT IS BOTULISM? Botulism, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, causes an unpleasant poisoning with nerve paralysis and weakness. They can thrive in canned foods, deep wounds and the stomach. Between 2000 and 2006, just six cases of food-borne botulism were reported in England. Diarrhoea, vomiting, blurred vision, difficulty swallowing and a general all-over body weakness and paralysis. These symptoms normally occur within a day but can be as late as a week after eating the food. A ntitoxins can slow down the process and allow recovery. Most people make a complete recovery, although five per cent of cases are fatal. The same toxin is used for cosmetic Botox procedures, to paralyse facial muscles and reduce wrinkles. Advertisement However, he was able to walk normally because he had consumed a 'smaller amount' of the home-canned green beans. Botulism was suspected when their unidentified son remembered his parents had eaten home-canned beans two days before. Writing in the journal, doctors said: 'The son was present at dinner but refused to eat the beans because of an odd odour.' Blood tests for the woman revealed the presence of botulinum toxin - which struck 113 people in Europe between 2008 and 2012. Tests were inconclusive for the man. Doctors did not administer an antitoxin because more than 72 hours had passed since the ingestion of the 'probably poisoned beans'. German health guidelines state patients battling botulism should only be given it in the first 24 hours after the ingestion of toxin. Within three days the man went onto develop quadriparesis - muscle weakness in all four limbs - within three days. He was placed on mechanical ventilation. His wife was weaned from life-saving mechanical ventilation after five-and-a-half months. Doctors discharged her after 11 months. However, her husband was able to breathe on his own a month sooner - and was allowed to return home after just eight months. Both of their symptoms completely disappeared - but she remained weak and suffered from poor mental health. The number of new penalty points added to licences of British drivers plunged by 27 per cent in 2017, new figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency reveal. Motorists were hit with just short of 929,000 endorsements last year, down from 1.27 million in 2016, the DVLA disclosed. Industry insiders believe increased fines and penalties for motoring offences have helped to kerb some illegal activity behind the wheel. More drivers are hit with a double whammy of punishments than they would have been years before, according to the Home Office. Points reduction: The number of new endorsements on driving licences fell by over a quarter in 2017, new DVLA stats revealed The figures were revealed following a freedom of information request submitted to the DVLA by breakdown firm 24/7 Rescue. In total, licence holders racked up 928,855 new endorsements over the duration of 2017. It was the first significant decline in penalty points in years, with 1,266,857 new endorsements in 2016 and a similar number of added points for the two years previous. While a decreasing number of traffic police officers could have an influence on the number of endorsements dropping, experts believe the threat of higher fines and more endorsements, especially for phone use at the wheel, has reduced the number of offenders. Another FOI request submitted by the breakdown provider to the Home Office earlier this year found that drivers in England and Wales were increasingly likely to be issued with a double whammy of higher fines and endorsements than they would have been in the past. NUMBER OF NEW ENDORSEMENTS ON LICENCES IN DECLINE 2017: 928,855 2016: 1,266,857 2015: 1,284,553 2014: 1,262,912 Source: DVLA figures released to 24/7 Rescue as part of FOI request Between 2011 and 2016, the number receiving both a fine and endorsement rather than just being hit financially increased from 1,858,000 to 2,244,000, a 21 per cent spike. The Home Office's stats also showed the number of fine-only punishments had dropped from 424,000 to 128,000 in the same five-year comparison. Ranjen Gohri of 24/7 Vehicle Rescue, said: 'The increase in drivers being hit with fines and points appears to show that the police are taking a tougher line. 'Under changes made in 2013, drivers do also face heavier fines for a range of motoring offences. 'This, you would imagine, is having a positive effect on the amount on infringements being committed by drivers and the penalty points the DVLA has to dish out as a result.' The punishment for being caught using a handheld device at the wheel was doubled last March from a 100 fine and 3 penalty point to 200 and 6 points. Confused.com said it had a significant impact on the number of offences recorded last year Some 3million speeding offences were recorded during 2016 by the DfT, which is the highest number since 2007 when 3.3million were issued. Many of these drivers would have opted for speed awareness courses instead of endorsements This is the third report in the last month that has suggested UK drivers are cleaning up their act. In February, Confused.com said tougher punishment for being caught using a handheld device behind the wheel has seen the number of convictions fall to 30,500 in 2017 from 46,500 the previous year. The doubling of fines from 100 to 200 and penalty points from three to six for being caught using a phone while driving - first introduced in March last year - is thought to be the catalyst for the decline in offences. The AA said drivers were also becoming more aware of the insurance implications of having more endorsements on their licence. The motoring group estimated that a six-point penalty would see insurance premiums immediately jump by up to 40 per cent on policy renewal - if their insurer will continue to provide cover at all - and they would have to pay higher fees for cover for the following five years. Hone Office stats suggested that drivers are more likely to receive a double whammy of a fine and endorsements for a motoring offence than they were five years ago Weeks before the Confused.com research, the Department for Transport said in its latest quarterly road casualties report that there had been a five per cent decline in the number of people killed or injured on British roads in the year up to September 2017 compared to the previous 12 months. TRAFFIC POLICE NUMBERS HAVE FALLEN BY A THIRD IN A DECADE The decline in the number of penalty points issued could be linked to a fall in policing numbers. A report by the RAC last July said the number of dedicated traffic officers in England and Wales had fallen by a third in 10 years. Budget cuts had trimmed traffic police more drastically in the previous five years, with numbers falling 24 per cent between 2012 and 2017, while overall the number is down 30 per cent compared to a decade before. In 2007 there were 3,766 traffic officers in the forces which responded to the motoring organisation's FOI request. In 2012 that figure stood at 3,472. By 2017 it had dropped to 2,643. Greater Manchester Police traffic officer numbers dropped 69 per cent in the past ten years (241 to 75), Nottinghamshires fell 56 per cent (138 to 61), while the West Midlands cut numbers by 52 per cent from 384 to 186. It said: 'There has been a statistically significant decrease in the number of casualties of all severities in road traffic accidents between the years ending September 2016 and 2017. 'This indicates that there are a number of factors that have combined together to improve some aspects of safety on Britains roads.' Mr Gohri agreed with the DfT's claim and believes the statistics show drivers are getting safer as rules become more strict. 'While you can attribute casualties to improvements in vehicle safety, safer standards among road users will also go a long way to reducing that figure if this trend continues,' he said. 'New laws are constantly being introduced as the way people use the road changes mobile phone usage has been a prime example. 'While increased penalties act as a strong deterrent, the reduction in endorsements dished out last year can also be attributed to drivers getting used to the dos and donts of road safety.' Endorsable and non-endorsable Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) are used by police as an alternative to court prosecution. The penalty system was tightened by the government in 2013, with fines increasing for some offences and police being given new powers to deal with others, such as tailgating and middle-lane hogging. The minimum number of points awarded is two but most endorsable offences start with three, but it can be as many as 11. Speeding offences, while at a near-record high of 3 million in 2016, would account for many of the new endorsements, though drivers are opting to avoid having additional points on their licence by taking speed awareness courses instead. Job hunting: Ex-London Stock Exchange boss Xavier Rolet Love-him-or-loathe-him ex-London Stock Exchange boss Xavier Rolet, who departed his 5.7million-a-year role abruptly following a spat with fusty chairman Donald Brydon, informs friends he currently has 'several irons in the fire'. Doubtless this is true. Though a senior banking source informs me none will be a much-coveted FTSE 100 chairmanship. The unseemly manner of his departure from the LSE means the Frenchman, 58, will probably find lofty roostings tricky to come by. John Lewis's annual report says that the Partnership embarked on a new strategy last year, which aimed to 'unlock the benefits of working in a more co-ordinated way'. They called this touchy-feely-sounding approach 'Stronger Together'. And how did they implement it? By making 1,440 employees redundant. Bearded takeover king Carl Icahn vehemently denies insider trading after dumping 25million worth shares in crane maker Manitowoc, days before his friend President Trump's new steel tariffs sent stock plummeting. Aggressive, unsmiling, not to mention hideously rich (he has a 12billion fortune) Icahn, 82, is not a loveable creature. Nor is he one of life's oil paintings. Ex-Vanity Fair editrix Tina Brown's bitchy diaries describe him as 'a giant of a man, with close-together eyes and a big humourless nose'. Estate agents Countrywide responds to its disastrous 208million losses by saying it's going 'back to basics'. A wise choice of expression? Former PM John Major regretted adopting 'Back to Basics' as a slogan when a succession of MPs were exposed in a string of frothy sex scandals. The British boss of McDonald's, chief superintendent-lookalike Steve Easterbrook (salary: 11million), proudly flipped the burger chain's famous golden arches logo upside down to form a 'W', in support of International Women's Day. Shameless opportunism dressed up as virtue, one of the great scourges of our time. The number of people searching for bitcoin online both in Britain and worldwide has fallen sharply since the start of the year, data for This is Money shows. Searches for the digital currency reached their summit in the week starting 17 December 2017, which is exactly when the price peaked at nearly $20,000 a coin. The correlation shows that many novice investors may have piled into the cryptocurrency at the price peak. It means some may have been stung since as the price has more than halved. Losing interest? Search engine data shows that the amount of people looking online for bitcoin has slumped in 2018 According to exclusive data for This is Money by analytics firm Hitwise, UK searches for bitcoin have fallen 61 per cent so far in 2018 compared to the end of 2017. Hitwise analyses the online behaviour of 3million Britons, using the likes of Google, Bing and app data. The price of bitcoin fell from the peak of $19,343 on 16 December to $6,914 on 5 February. It has since recovered, but today has slid back to $8,500 a coin a 25 per cent dip compared to Monday. In the three weeks previous today, bitcoin had been going through a relatively stable time compared to previous spells for the often volatile digital currency. It had fluctuated between $9,500 and $11,500 since 14 February to yesterday after that sharp fall from December. Pattern: The top graph from Google Trends showing search engine data from bitcoin is similar to the one below of the price - both peaked at around the same Data for This is Money by Hitwise Monitor in December showed that searches for bitcoin were up 819 per cent in 2017 compared to the previous year as interest in the digital currency snowballed. Furthermore, data from Google Trends which is a barometer of how popular a certain topic is shows that worldwide searches for bitcoin are at their lowest level since October 2017. This indicates that appetite for the cryptocurrency around the globe has slowed substantially. Last week, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney called for cryptocurrency regulation and said bitcoin and rivals exhibit 'classic hallmarks of bubbles' attracting 'fools'. The Bank's Financial Policy Committee is carrying out a study into the risks posed to UK financial stability by cryptocurrencies. 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. Next Employees are planning a 30m equal pay claim PAY CLAIM Employees at Next are looking to launch a 30million equal pay claim against the High Street retailer. More than 300 shop floor workers, mostly female, say they are paid an average of 2 an hour less than their warehouse colleagues the majority of whom are men. CHIEF NAMED US drugstore giant Walgreens Boots Alliance has appointed James Kehoe as its global chief financial officer. He joins the retailer, which owns Boots in the UK, from Japanese firm Takeda. JOBS GO Electronics retailer Maplin has made 63 head office staff redundant after it fell into administration last week. Accountants PwC has been unable to find a buyer for the chain, forcing it to make cuts. FASHION ROLE Luxury fashion house LVMH has recruited Pierre Louette as president and chief executive of media subsidiary, Les Echos-Le Parisien Group. He joins from telecoms firm Orange. AIR DEAL Qatar Airways is to run a new route to Qatar from Gatwick Airport from May. Gatwick said 3m customers travelled through in February, up 0.7 per cent on last year. LIFE INVESTMENT A 50million investment scheme has been launched to back pharmaceutical start-ups. NCL Technology Ventures fund intends to support Britains thriving life sciences industry. CULL PLAN Social media giant Snapchat is preparing to cull more than 120 jobs, according to reports. Snap, the picture messaging apps parent, is said to be restructuring its engineering department to reduce costs. Last month almost 1billion was wiped off Snapchats value after socialite and reality TV star Kylie Jenner said she had lost interest in the app. PHARMACY SWOOP US health insurer Cigna is buying pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts in a 48billion mega-deal. Express is a middleman between drug firms and corporate customers. It comes as Americas pharma industry looks for deals to cope with surging medicine prices amid fears tech giants such as Amazon will invade the market. SAVINGS HIT Investment firm Alliance Trust took a 23.5million hit to its savings business last year, blaming spiralling costs from integrating a rival firm it bought in 2015. The Dundee firm said its 2.5billion share portfolio achieved returns of 9.8 per cent from April to the end of the year. Aviva is testing a scheme which gives loyal customers discounts that are not available to newcomers Long-term customers are to be rewarded for their loyalty by insurance giant Aviva. Company boss Mark Wilson has previously criticised the industry's pricing model that rewards customers who switch every year, while those who do not see hikes to premiums. He is now testing a scheme which gives loyal customers discounts that are not available to newcomers. A trial is being run with 50,000 people and has proved popular so far, with Aviva hoping to take it nationwide. Wilson said: 'Rather than putting up premiums, we want to reward loyalty. It can change the market.' The chief executive has spoken in the past about his desire to change how insurers treat customers, saying the race to get them to switch is not in their best interests. Last year he said: 'The market is broken. I don't like it and neither do our customers.' The update on the loyalty scheme came as Aviva unveiled a 2 per cent rise in profits to 3.1billion and said it will buy back 500million of shares from investors. Another 600million has been set aside to buy smaller rivals, although most deal-making is likely to be outside the UK. The dividend was raised 18 per cent to 27.4p per share. Profits in Britain were up 13 per cent to 2.2billion, and Wilson said the success was partly due to Brexit, and was dismissive of the gloomy views of many other bosses. He added: 'In the UK it was a strong year, which may be surprising to some doom and gloom merchants. During these uncertain times, we think there's probably been a bit of a flight to quality.' Shares yesterday rose 0.2 per cent, or 1p, to 508.6p. The remorseless man charged in the killing of an Indiana deputy asked a judge Wednesday if he could seek the death penalty. Police say Anthony Baumgardt, 21, of Lebanon, admitted to shooting dead Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett, 34, during a foot chase on Friday. After hearing the numerous charges brought against him, Baumgardt asked Judge Bruce Petit an unusual question during his court appearance. 'Is the death penalty going to be seeked in this?' the accused killer asked, while Petit replied that the death penalty option has yet to be decided, the Indianapolis Star initially reported. 'If I were to seek it out on my own, would that change anything?,' Baumgardt went on. 'You know, enter my guilty plea now and seek the death penalty? I was just wondering my options, sir.' In this booking photo released by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Anthony Baumgardt is seen. Baumgardt asked a judge Wednesday if he could seek the death penalty in the killing case of central Indiana sheriff's deputy Jacob Pickett Deputy Jacob Pickett is seen. The central Indiana sheriff's deputy was shot in the head during a chase on Friday, March 3, 2018. The K-9 officer was kept alive until Monday, so his organs could be donated Baumgardt has been charged with various counts of felony murder, felony possession of methamphetamine, felony and misdemeanor carrying a handgun without a license, misdemeanor possession of marijuana, and a misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. Hours prior Wednesday, outside the courthouse, Baumgardt revealed he didn't feel any sort of remorse over the killing and worried at the time he would get 'bit' by the deputy's dog. He also told detectives that he fired the fatal shot because he feared being arrested again. Baumgardt wasn't being sought by Lebanon officers when the chase began Friday. They were looking to arrest a woman wanted on a warrant and saw another man facing an arrest warrant who fled in a stolen car in which Baumgardt was riding, according to court documents. Baumgardt is pictured after his arrest on Friday. He also told detectives that he fired the fatal shot because he feared being arrested again The accused killer also said he had 'no remorse' for 'killing the married father-of-two deputy' Baumgardt said he was worried he was going to get 'bit' by the deputy's dog Pickett and his police dog were pursuing Baumgardt after he ran away from the car when the deputy was shot in the city about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis. While Baumgardt was being treated in a hospital after he was wounded when other officers returned fire, he told a detective 'I shot a cop... cause they were going to take me to jail,' the probable cause affidavit said. Baumgardt faced a Marion County arrest warrant for missing a court hearing on a felony theft charge and had a 2016 Boone County felony methamphetamine conviction. Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said he was leaning toward seeking the death penalty against Baumgardt. Court and jail records on Tuesday has not yet listed an attorney for Baumgardt. Baumgardt's father said Monday he's more concerned about the deputy's family than his son. Pickett, 34, is pictured on Facebook with his wife. He had been a Boone County deputy for nearly three years after two years with the Tipton County Sheriff's Department Th accused killer's dad Robert Baumgardt said his heart goes out to Pickett's wife and two young children Robert Baumgardt told WTHR-TV that his son quit school, left home about five years ago and got caught up in drugs and related crimes. 'He just went down the wrong road, had the attitude he don't care,' Baumgardt said. 'You can't help somebody that can't be helped.' He said his heart goes out to Pickett's wife and two young children. No one else faces charges directly related to Pickett's death, but Meyer said ownership of the handgun and the actions of other people remained under investigation. Pickett had been a Boone County deputy for nearly three years after two years with the Tipton County Sheriff's Department. Pickett's services began with visitation 2-7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home of Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, according to the sheriff's department. His funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, the Indianapolis suburb where Pickett grew up and graduated from Brownsburg High School in 2002. The late deputy's funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg A long line of IMPD, Sheriff, and State Police officers continue their route down Meridian St. in Indianapolis as they escort the body of Boone Co. sheriff's deputy Jacob "Jake" Pickett from St. Vincent's Hospital downtown to the Marion County Coroner's office, Monday, Mar. 5, 2018 The officer, who was helping Lebanon police officers serve a warrant Friday, Mar. 2, 2018, was fatally wounded. He was taken off life support and died An Alabama teenager has been charged with manslaughter and possessing a firearm illegally after a 17-year-old student was killed in a high school shooting on Wednesday. Michael Jerome Barber, 17, was charged on Friday for the death of Courtlin Arrington. Authorities initially investigated the shooting at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama, as accidental before they reviewed the security footage and filed charges. Jefferson County District Attorney Michael Anderton said in a press statement on Friday that Barber was being charged for bringing 'a pistol onto the campus of Huffman High School and recklessly causing the death of Miss Arrington.' Barber's bail is set at $75,300 and it is unclear if he has obtained a lawyer yet. Michael Jerome Barber, 17, was charged with manslaughter Friday for the death of Arrington Courtlin Arrington, 17, who friends have identified as an aspiring nurse, was killed during what police initally said was an 'accidental' shooting at Huffman High School Anderton confirmed Barber was charged as an adult even though he is 17-years-old. Barber is a Huffman junior and wide receiver on the school's football team, according to Al.com. 'The District Attorney's Office has examined the investigation of the Birmingham Police Department and the evidence collected by BPD,' Anderton said in a statement. 'They have talked with many of the students in the school, in the classroom where the shooting took place and collected evidence from the scene.' Warrants were issued for Barber's arrest after the evidence, including security footage, was reviewed. 'Our hearts go out to the family of Ms. Arrington, all of her friends and those whose lives would have been changed through her nursing dreams had this event not occurred,' Anderton said. 'This is a parent's worst nightmare. We expect the charges will be heard through the court system and justice meted out to the person responsible.' The school district confirmed metal detectors are at the Alabama high school but were not used that day. They haven't commented on why they were not used. Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring said the school system was reviewing security measures and protocols that were in place Wednesday during the shooting. 'We have not only heightened our procedures, but we are revamping and revisiting, with an extreme amount of urgency, those protocols, not just for Huffman High School, but for every single school in Birmingham,' Herring said at a news conference Thursday. Barger allegedly brought his firearm to the high school in Birmingham, Alabama, and shot it after class was dismissed The superintendent said Huffman had more than 43 entry points with a combination of wand and stationary metal detectors in place, but they were not in use Wednesday. She didn't give details about why. Herring said Arrington, a senior who had aspirations to be a nurse, was a bright student 'lost to senseless gun violence'. 'She was friendly, energetic and well-liked by peers and teachers alike,' Herring said. The shooting took place as class was dismissing for the day, killing Arrington and injuring another student. Police said Wednesday that it was possible the shooting was accidental but filed charges against Barber after reviewing the footage. Huffman High School was closed Thursday and security was being increased at all city schools. Just last week, as police and school officials investigated a reported threat at Huffman Middle School, a gun was found outside an entrance door. It was believed to have been left there as students prepared to be scanned and have their backpacks checked. Arrington died on the way to the hospital. She was 30 days away from turning 18 and had plans to attend college A small bouquet of flowers and two balloons were placed on a fence at Huffman High School Thursday, March 8, 2018 after the fatal shooting Governor Kay Ivey said she's: 'praying for the family of this young lady who has tragically lost her life way too early. ... It reaffirms that there is no place for students to have firearms or other weapons on campus'. The shooting happened the day after Ivey created a school safety council to make recommendations on security in Alabama's schools, including updated threat plans and training for students and staff on emergency situations. A state senator became emotional on the Alabama Senate floor Thursday as she discussed the shooting, which happened in the district she represents. 'I can't imagine a parent sending their child to school and that child never coming home,' state Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison said. 'I can't imagine what those children have gone through, not just in Huffman High School but all over this state.' Alabama lawmakers have proposed multiple measures in response to last month's killings of 17 people at a Florida high school. Republicans would arm either teachers or volunteer security forces in schools. Democrats would limit or ban the sale of assault weapons. All these proposals face a tight deadline before the end of Alabama's legislative session this election year. A monkey has been injured by a lit cigarette given by a tourist in a Chinese zoo. The injured primate mistook the cigarette as food when the man passed it over through a tiny crack and got burnt in the hand. Staff members at the zoo treated the monkey as soon as they received reports from other tourists. Footage shows a man handing lit cigarettes into an enclosure where white-eyelid mangabeys live (left). The monkey waits eagerly as it thinks the man is feeding food (right) Workers at Luoyang Wangcheng Park in Henan Province confirmed to Daihe Daily that the monkey is a white-eyelid mangabey. Footage taken by a female tourist shows the mangabey grabbing a cigarette from a small crack through a window in its enclosure. 'The mangabey hit the glass window after getting burnt. But the man continued to pass five to six cigarettes to the monkey,' she told Pear Video. She added: 'The monkey thought the cigarette was food and got burnt when the man passed it into the enclosure.' The woman said the unnamed man appeared to be around 20 years old. A spokesperson from the zoo confirmed to the reporter that the incident happened on February 25. The primate gets burnt in the hand when it grabs the cigarette from the man (left). The white-eyelid manabey was treated by the zoo keepers later (right) Staff members noticed a section of glass glue was torn off from the side of a window in the primate enclosure and leaving a small gap between the wall and the window. They also saw the man passing the cigarettes through the crack as they inspected the surveillance camera footage. Staff members have reported the incident to the police and treated the mangabey. The police are looking for the man The spokesperson from Luoyang Wangcheng Park reminded the tourist not to feed food to animals. Inappropriate feeding can cause death to the animals if the food got stuck. The scale of Vladimir Putin's 'authoritarian' rule is today laid bare by research which shows he has imposed 50 laws to 'strangle democracy and crush dissent' in Russia. Human Rights campaigners have drawn up a dossier, revealed today by Mail Online, which shows how the Kremlin has used the strong arm of the law to stamp out opposition. They warn next week's presidential election in Russia will be a sham as most genuine political opponents have been either thrown in jail or maneuvered out of the race. And they say Putin - who started his career as a KGB agent before rising to the top of the Kremlin - will continue his crack down on freedom when he is voted in again. Sacha Koulaeva, head of International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), said Russia is cracking down on freedom at home and waging oppressive wars abroad in Syria and Ukraine. Human rights campaigners have compiled a dossier detailing the scale of Vladimir Putin's (pictured in Moscow yesterday) 'authoritarian' rule. The dossier details 50 laws which campaigners say severely restrict democracy and opposition in the country She said: 'The onslaught of anti-democracy laws after represents a mechanism of total control, whether in the spheres of law, human rights, history, education or non-discrimination, let alone Russia's ongoing aggression beyond its borders.' She also warned that next week's vote in Russia will be a 'Potemkin election' - meaning it has been staged to deceive the population. What are the oppressive laws which Russia has passed since Putin's reelection in 2012? Here are some of the laws that have been imposed on Russia which human rights campaigners have warned are strangling democracy. Charities and NGOs have been reclassified as 'foreign agents' in a move critics said severely restricted their freedom to operate. Gay and bisexual Russians faces a fresh wave of discrimination and harassment after a law banning 'propaganda for homosexuality' was passed. Campaigners said this criminalised people for handing out literature and protesting for gay rights and slapped those found guilty with fines of up to one million roubles - the equivalent of 780,000. Laws expanding the authority of the FSB - the Russian security service and successor to the Communist KGB - to give them fresh powers to spy on internet sites and bloggers were also passed. Russians were banned from taking part in rallies or protests without permission. A law banning people from wearing symbols belonging to certain Ukrainian political parties and groups in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea and war in Eastern Ukraine. Advertisement She said: 'While the Russian people will go through a Potemkin election this month, it's painfully clear that democracy is being strangled by Putin.' The stark warning comes as Russia-Britain relations have sunk to new post Cold war depths after the poison spy plot. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are both battling for their lives in hospital after being attacked with a deadly nerve agent. Colonel Skripal was arrested by the Russian authorities for passing military secrets to MI6 but came to Britain in 2010 in a Cold War style spy swap. The finger of suspicion for the poison attack has been pointed at Moscow - and Theresa May has vowed to do 'what is right' response to whoever is behind the 'appalling and reckless' attack. The dossier, compiled by FIDH, details how charities and NGOs have been reclassified as 'foreign agents' in a move critics said severely restricted their freedom to operate in the country. Gay and bisexual Russians faces a fresh wave of discrimination and harassment after a law banning 'propaganda for homosexuality' was passed. Campaigners said this criminalised people for handing out literature and protesting for gay rights and slapped those found guilty with fines of up to one million roubles - the equivalent of 780,000. Laws expanding the authority of the FSB - the Russian security service and successor to the Communist KGB - to give them fresh powers to spy on internet sites and bloggers were also passed. It also handed the FSB new powers to use weapons to suppress Russians committing any crime - no matter how minor. Laws banning participation in an unsanctioned rally or protest, further restricting access to 'state secrets', and banning certain US citizens from travelling to Russia w ere also passed. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (pictured together) are both fighting for their lives in hospital after being poisoned by a mystery nerve agent Specialist officers in protective suits scour the bench where Mr Skripal and his daughter collapsed after being attacked (pictured yesterday) A law banning people from wearing symbols belonging to certain Ukrainian political parties and groups in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea and war in Eastern Ukraine. Theresa May yesterday branded the attempt to kill a Russian double agent with a nerve agent an 'appalling and reckless crime'. The Prime Minister said she would do 'what is right' if it was proven the Kremlin was responsible for the attempt on Col Skripal's life. She hinted that she would expel the Russian ambassador to the UK from his positing if the case against the Kremlin was proven. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was an 'outrageous crime' and using a nerve agent on British soil was a 'brazen and reckless act' that was 'attempted murder in the most cruel and reckless way'. U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort again pleaded not guilty on Thursday to criminal charges in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and will face the first of two trials in July. Manafort pleaded not guilty in a Virginia courtroom to additional charges ranging from bank fraud to filing false tax returns that were brought by Robert Mueller, the U.S. special counsel for the Russia probe. Manafort also pleaded not guilty last week in Washington to related charges, including conspiracy to launder money, and failing to register as a foreign agent for the pro-Russia Ukrainian government of former President Viktor Yanukovich. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, based in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday set a tentative trial date for July 10. Manafort's trial in Washington begins in September. Mueller is investigating alleged Russian interference in the election, possible obstruction of justice and alleged financial crimes by Manafort and others. Trump has denied his campaign colluded with Russia, and Moscow says it did not try to interfere in the election. None of the charges against Manafort make reference to alleged Russian interference in the election nor the accusations of collusion between Moscow and Trumps campaign. Manafort has been under increasing pressure to cooperate with Mueller's probe, especially after his former business partner and former Trump aide Rick Gates pleaded guilty last month to lying to investigators and conspiring to defraud the United States. Prosecutors in Washington have alleged that Manafort laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. They say he used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury. Also on Thursday, another of Trump's former campaign managers, Corey Lewandowski, was interviewed for a second time by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, which has its own investigation into possible Russian election meddling. Meanwhile in Trump-land: The president who Manafort worked for before his election signed an executive order imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum After the hearing, committee members said Lewandowski had refused to answer many of their questions. Adam Schiff, the panel's top Democrat, told reporters after the testimony that members of his party had requested that Lewandowski be subpoenaed. Republicans, who control the committee, have not decided whether they would do so. Lewandowski helped Trump win the Republican presidential nomination, running his campaign for around 18 months. He was fired in June 2016 after he clashed with other advisers over how to appeal to the broader general electorate after Trump won the nomination. Manafort then ran the campaign for several months. At Thursday's hearing, Manafort and his lawyers indicated that he fully intends to contest the charges. Judge Ellis, expressing concern that Manafort still posed a substantial risk of flight, said he was considering stepping up restrictions on his movement from his current status of home confinement to the home incarceration. However, the judge agreed that Manafort should still be subject to the less-rigorous home confinement but that he must now wear two wrist bracelets, enabling probation officials based in both Washington and Virginia to monitor his movements. Lawyers told the judge details of a $10 million bail package was still being finalized, which ultimately could lead to easing of restrictions on Manafort's movements. Prosecutor Andrew Weissmann from Mueller's office said he expected a Manafort trial on the Virginia charges would last eight to ten days and would involve the calling of 20-25 prosecution witnesses. A college student charged with helping her father kill her mother has agreed to testify against him as a part of a plea deal. Karrie Neurauter, 20, says she drove her father Lloyd Neurauter, 45, to her mother's home in Corning, New York on August 27 and disconnected electronic devices in the home to hide his presence. While Lloyd strangled his ex-wife, 46-year-old Michele Neurauter, Karrie says she distracted her 14-year-old sister. She then helped him make the scene look like a suicide and lied to police. Scroll down for video Karrie Neurauter pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Steuben County, New York court on Wednesday. She's pictured above leaving court this week The former admitted to helping her father, Lloyd, 45, murder her mother, Michele, 46 (pictured), in August Neurauter pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Steuben County, New York court to second-degree murder in exchange for a recommended sentence of 15 years to life. The other charges levied against her will also be dropped. Those included first-degree custodial interference, tampering with physical evidence and second-degree conspiracy. The Rochester Institute of Technology computer engineering student says her father gave her an ultimatum in mid-August - saying she could help him kill her mother or he would commit suicide. She says he wanted to end his child support and alimony obligations and get custody of his youngest child. Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker said they believe Karrie's story because she passed a polygraph test. Karrie (left) said her dad (right) gave her an ultimatum - help him murder his ex-wife or he would commit suicide She says she didn't physically help kill her mom, but drove her dad to her mom's house (pictured) and then distracted her little sister during the crime The father and daughter were arrested in January - five months after Michele's murder. Karrie was arrested at her residence in Syracuse, New York. Lloyd was arrested in Princeton, New Jersey after a dramatic confrontation with police in which he threatened to jump off a five-story parking garage. Lloyd Neurauter is in jail awaiting his trial, which is slated to start on September 24. He has pleaded not guilty to several charges including first-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree custodial interference, tampering with physical evidence, second-degree conspiracy, second-degree criminal solicitation, endangering the welfare of a child and offering a false instrument for filing. If convicted, Lloyd faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. A Los Angeles police officer will not face charges for shooting and killing unarmed homeless man Glenn Beck (pictured) in Venice in 2015. A Los Angeles police officer will not face charges for shooting and killing an unarmed homeless man in Venice in 2015. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined to bring charges because they couldn't prove Officer Clifford Proctor acted unlawfully when he shot Brendon Glenn in the back in 2015 in Venice, 'After an independent and thorough review of all the evidence in this case, we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Proctor did not act within the law,' Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck had recommended that charges be brought against the officer considering that Glenn was unarmed, and his death sparked a series of protests across Los Angeles. Glenn was killed during a struggle with officers outside a bar where he had fought with a bouncer. The 29-year-old of Troy, New York, was on his stomach and trying to push himself up when Proctor shot him twice in the back, according to police. A police report said Proctor told investigators that he saw Glenn's hand on his partner's holster and thought he was trying to grab the other officer's gun. However, police have said that Glenn wasn't trying to take a gun from Proctor or his partner when he was shot, and Proctor's partner told investigators that he didn't know why the officer opened fire. The 29-year-old of Troy, New York, was on his stomach and trying to push himself up when Proctor shot him twice in the back, according to police (pictured). A police report said Proctor told investigators that he saw Glenn's hand on his partner's holster and thought he was trying to grab the other officer's gun However, police have said that Glenn wasn't trying to take a gun from Proctor or his partner when he was shot, and Proctor's partner told investigators that he didn't know why the officer opened fire An attorney for Glenn's family called the prosecutors' decision 'spineless' and said it highlighted a conflict of interest when prosecutors are tasked with deciding whether to charge police officers. 'He was my beautiful son,' Sheri Camprone, 61, Glenn's mother, told the New York Daily News. 'There's no accountability,' she said. 'It's a travesty of justice. It's horrible. I don't understand.' Camprone said her Glenn wa in California for a year of travel meant to be part work, part vacation. She spoke to him the Sunday before his death and learned he planned to return to New York soon because he missed his three-year-old son, she said. 'This officer has to live with what he did for the rest of his life. He tore a family to shreds,' she told The News. 'They said my son was homeless. He wasn't homeless. He was on a work vacation and he was coming home. This has been emotional hell.' 'Officer Proctor did not act to deescalate the situation,' lawyer V James DeSimone said in a statement. 'This tragic death could have been avoided with common sense policing.' The shooting, which came amid tensions nationwide over police killings of unarmed black men, drew angry protests in the city. Both Glenn and Proctor are black. Glenn's name has become a rallying cry against police shootings in Los Angeles, and activists have held a series of protests outside Lacey's office. The activists say the office hasn't prosecuted an on-duty officer for a fatal shooting in 16 years. Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said there is no proof that Proctor (on crutches) did not act within the law near the Venice Beach boardwalk in 2015 LAPD Chief Charlie Beck had recommended that charges be brought against Proctor (on crutches) considering that Glenn was unarmed, and his death sparked a series of protests across Los Angeles Surveillance video from a nearby bar did not show Glenn reaching for the weapon, and Proctor's partner, Jonathan Kawahara, said he didn't see Glenn's hand go near his gun, a district attorney's report said. Prosecutors said even if Glenn wasn't reaching for Kawahara's gun, the struggle could've caused Proctor to fear that he was. The district attorney did not decide the shooting was justified and instead said Porter 'could have a rather credible and successful claim that in this struggle to lawfully arrest this man that he feared that there was a threat of death or great bodily injury.' Beck's unprecedented recommendation to charge the officer was not helpful to the case, Lacey said. Such letters raise expectations when the evidence may not be there to support the conclusion, she said. Proctor's attorney, Bill Seki, said he believed the district attorney made the right decision and Proctor was in imminent danger when he shot Glenn. 'That's been our position all along that his actions weren't criminal,' Seki said. Glenn's name has become a rallying cry against police shootings in Los Angeles, and activists have held a series of protests outside Lacey's office. Glenn's mother, Sheri Camprone, said her Glenn was in California for a year of travel meant to be part work, part vacation Proctor resigned from the Los Angeles Police Department in 2017. The city paid $4million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit that was brought by Glenn's relatives Proctor resigned from the Los Angeles Police Department in 2017. The city paid $4million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit that was brought by Glenn's relatives. The report included officer body-camera footage , which is rarely released by Los Angeles authorities, and surveillance videos. Investigators said they also took statements from 10 civilian witnesses, used DNA analysis and brought in a use-of-force expert to consult on the case. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file police officers, said Lacey 'followed the evidence in this case and did not succumb to political posturing or pressure.' While Proctor was on leave after the shooting, internal affairs investigators referred a case to the district attorney's office against him because they found he 'was not at home when he was supposed to be,' but prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges. In 2016, Proctor was charged in a separate case with domestic battery and is also accused of violating a court order and dissuading a witness from testifying, Orange County prosecutors said. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Melinda Cullen, 38, was killed on the I-80 highway near Joliet, Illinois when a wheel hub fell off a truck and smashed into her windshield A pregnant Illinois woman was killed while driving on a highway when a truck's wheel fell off and struck her windshield. Melinda Cullen, 38, a mother-of-three with one on the way, was violently killed on Tuesday afternoon on the I-80 highway near Joliet when a wheel hub smashed into her windshield. The wheel came from a semi truck driving in the opposite direction. The truck was pulling a trailer, from which the 100lb wheel hub fell loose. The wheel fell off the trailer, entered highway traffic, and hit Cullen's windshield. Cullen, of Coal City, Illinois was killed instantly. The horrific incident took place around 2:20pm. Her body was identified by the Will County Coroner's Office. A witness on the scene said the accident happened in a flash. 'First thing I thought of was that could happen to anyone at any time,' witness Rob Bishop said. 'And that poor person in that vehicle probably never saw it coming...There was two state police officers next to it and there was a pretty big gaping hole in the windshield right in front of where the driver's face would have been,' he added. The spoken truck, above, is seen missing a wheel and hub as investigators inspect the scene of the incident where the loose 100lb wheel hub hit Cullen's vehicle and killer her instantly The loose tire (above) shattered Cullen's windshield killing her and the expectant child, who was due in 10 days. The horrific accident took place near Joliet, Illinois Cullen has three daughters, eight, five, and 15 months with her husband Dave Cullen and she was pregnant with her first son, who was due in 10 days at the time of the accident. The baby did not survive the crash, according to NBC. The driver of the semi truck was Antanas Sereiva, 59, of Bolingbrook, Illinois. Sereive has been charged with a violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act for having unsafe equipment, according to Police. Sereive has no previous record of federal violations. Cullen's family has released a statement thanking the public for the outpour of support in the wake of the heart-breaking accident. 'The family of Melinda Cullen is grateful for the outpouring of support and love that they are receiving during this difficult time. Melinda was a devoted mother of three precious daughters and was expecting her first son, Jaxson in April. This tragic event has affected many, and we are reminded how Melinda always made special time for her family or anyone in need. The family requests for prayers and support as they process the loss of Melinda and her son Jaxson,' a family spokesperson said. Cullen (right) pictured with her husband Dave with whom she has three daughters ages eight, five, and 15 months Cullen, pictured above with her children, was described as a devoted mother who 'always made special time for her family or anyone in need' A wake for Cullen, pictured right with husband Dave, is set for Friday with a funeral Saturday A wake is scheduled for Friday and a funeral for Saturday. In the mean time police are investigating the crash, calling for witnesses to come forward. Her father in law Charles Cullen was left heart-broken by the devastating accident. 'We would give anything to not see this happened. We just lost so much,' he said to ABC30. 'You don't expect something like this here, how it happened. She was just in that place at that time. I sat up last night wondering if she would have been five minutes or three minutes, one way or the other, they would missed it,' he added. Police are searching for a naked man who was spotted wandering around a park in broad daylight. The man was seen only wearing dark-coloured socks and shoes in Brisbane's south-east Thursday morning. Police were called to the park in Algester after concerned witnesses watched the scene unfold between 9am and 9.45am, according to 7 News. The man was seen only wearing dark-coloured socks and shoes in Brisbane's south-east Thursday morning (stock image) Police were called to the Col Bennet Park (pictured) in Algester after concerned witnesses watched the scene unfold between 9am and 9.45am When officers arrived at Col Bennet Park, the man had vanished wearing only footwear. The man did not threaten anyone but police are still wanting to identify the man. People with dash cam footage of the area are urged to contact police. Images (left) appear to show militants riding swan-themed pedalos on the water at Band-e Amir National Park - once a hotspot for international travellers and domestic tourists - in central Afghanistan yesterday. The park contains a series of six deep blue lakes situated in the Hindu Kush mountains, roughly 45 miles from Bamiyan - formerly the home of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, which the Taliban destroyed in 2001. Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers, who set up a ministry for the 'propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice' in the building that once housed the Women's Affairs Ministry, are now facing protests over the treatment of women and girls, just one month after overtaking the country's capital Kabul. On Saturday the Taliban excluded girls from returning to secondary school in but ordered boys and male teachers back to the classroom, again breaking their promise to bring about a less severe brand of rule than their 1990s predecessors. During their previous rule of Afghanistan in the 1990s, the Taliban had denied girls and women the right to education and barred them from public life. A statement from the education ministry last Friday demanded: 'All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions.' It made no mention of female teachers or pupils. Some Afghan women are now protesting the return to repression, with boys also refusing to attend class in solidarity. One boy (bottom right) was pictured in a Twitter post holding a sign that says: 'We don't go to school without our sisters'. Top right: Women march near the former Women's Affairs Ministry building in Kabul. Toy-maker Mattel was in a dispute with a distant relative of the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo on Thursday. The tiff was over rights to a Frida Barbie doll released as part of the company's Inspiring Women series. Kahlo's great-niece Mara de Anda Romeo said Mattel doesn't have the rights to use Kahlo's image. Pablo Sangri, a lawyer for de Anda Romeo, said his client doesn't seek money, but wants Mattel to talk about redesigning the doll. This product image released by Barbie shows dolls of pilot Amelia Earhart, left, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and mathematician Katherine Johnson, part of the Inspiring Women line series launched ahead of International Women's Day This undated handout photo issued by The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) shows Frida Kahlo in a blue satin blouse A demonstrator holds up a placard depicting a portrait of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and reading 'Woman, arm-love yourself, start the revolution' during a demonstration to defend women's rights on International Women's Day in Barcelona, on March 8, 2018 'We will talk to them about regularizing this situation, and by regularizing I mean talking about the appearance of the doll, its characteristics, the history the doll should have to match what the artist really was,' Sangri said. Critics complain the doll doesn't reflect Kahlo's heavy, nearly conjoined eyebrows, and they say its costume doesn't accurately portray the elaborate Tehuana-style dresses the artist wore. That is, it's more Barbie-like than Frida-like. Barbie is an American icon that has often been criticized as promoting an unrealistic body image and consumerist lifestyle. Mara De Anda Romeo and Mara Romeo Kahlo during Frida Kahlo Tequila Launch on November 15, 2005 at Michael Scott Estate in Los Angeles, California Kahlo was a life-long communist who died in 1954 before the doll was introduced. Mattel said in a statement that it worked with the Panama-based Frida Kahlo Corp., 'which owns all the rights.' 'The Frida Kahlo Corporation actively participated in the process of designing the doll, Mattel has its permission and a legal contract that grants it the rights to make a doll of the great Frida Kahlo,' the company's statement said. The corporation said it got the rights through Kahlo's niece, Isolda Pinedo Kahlo, more than a decade ago. The corporation said in a statement that it 'celebrates the ideological contributions of Frida Kahlo which have transcended the borders of art and which will influence new generations as a world icon through the Frida Kahlo Barbie, which conserves the essence of Barbie and the legacy of Frida Kahlo.' The Indiana man who allegedly beat two dogs to death had stolen them from a woman after she rebuffed his advances, court documents have revealed. Anthony Priestas, 23, has been charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty for allegedly killing two pet pugs belonging to Brandy Ortiz. Ortiz told investigators that she remembered a 'male subject who has been trying to date her, but she has stayed off his advances', according to the Chicago Tribune. The pugs, named Marley and Mugsy, were stolen on February 21 from the home that Ortiz shares with her parents in Winfield, Indiana. Anthony Priestas, 23, (left) has been charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty for allegedly killing two pet pugs belonging to Brandy Ortiz (right) The pugs, named Marley and Mugsy, were stolen on February 21 from the home that Ortiz shares with her parents in Winfield, Indiana Ortiz was attending class at Indiana University Northwest while her mother was grocery shopping at the time of the burglary. A neighbor reported seeing a 'short kid with dark hair' break into the family's house around 10am and take the pugs, Ortiz wrote on her Facebook page. The neighbor told police that the suspect 'had walked, facing her holding a pug under each of his arms as he returned to his vehicles'. Half an hour later, a resident in Porter Township saw Priestas allegedly 'slamming a small canine onto the ground several times', court documents state. Ortiz told police that Priestas had repeatedly tried to get a date with her, but that she had rebuffed his advances A neighbor reported seeing a 'short kid with dark hair' break into the family's house around 10am and take the pugs from Ortiz's home She also reported seeing him beat the dog with a black object and heard the animal 'screeching in pain'. The woman told police that she 'opened the front door and yelled at the male subject to stop hurting the dogs'. 'She advised the male looked up at her with a "very angry look" and threw the same canine he was beating into the water', according to court documents. She then saw the man speed away in his car, the neighbor told investigators. The dogs were left for dead in the rural area and police discovered their bodies in a 'water-filled culvert'. Ortiz and her family then identified their bodies at the Porter County Animal Shelter. Priestas, of Hammond, was arrested on Tuesday following an investigation by detectives from both Porter County and Lake County. Half an hour later, a resident in Porter Township saw Priestas allegedly 'slamming a small canine onto the ground several times' and beating it with a black object The dogs were left for dead in the rural area and police discovered their bodies in a 'water-filled culvert' 'During a thorough investigation with family members and witnesses, suspect information was obtained,' the Porter County Sheriff's Department said. Both the Winfield neighbor who spotted a suspect taking the pugs, as well as the resident who saw a man beat the dogs to death, chose Priestas out of a line-up of photos. Priestas was arrested on Tuesday following an investigation by detectives from both Porter County and Lake County Priestas was arrested at the county courthouse, where he was attending a hearing on a felony charge for an unrelated case of breaking and entering. He has since been booked into the Porter County Jail. Ortiz wrote a heart-wrenching tribute to her pups, who were Christmas gifts from her parents seven years ago, after their bodies were found. 'We didn't get to say goodbye, but I can't wait to say hello, for I know that you are home up above watching over us,' she wrote alongside a picture of the pugs. 'Thank you for making my darkest days brighter and for being a part of my family. For that all you did was comfort and bring joy to our home.' 'All those that have met them knew they were just two fur balls with wrinkles filled with love.' 'And that they did not deserve to be taken from our home and beaten to death.' California State Senator Bob Hertzberg (seen above in Los Angeles in 2016) has been told to stop hugging people after female colleagues complained A California state senator known by the nickname 'Huggy Bear' has been told to stop hugging people after an investigation concluded that his trademark embraces made multiple female colleagues uncomfortable. However, the investigation released Thursday found Sen. Bob Hertzberg's frequent hugs are not intended to be sexual and more often than not are not unwelcome. Hertzberg, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area, has earned nicknames such as 'Hugsberg' and 'Huggy Bear' for greeting men and women alike with giant hugs. The Senate Rules Committee formally reprimanded him on Tuesday and told him not to hug people anymore, but he will not otherwise face discipline. Hertzberg released a letter apologizing to anyone who felt his frequent embraces were unwelcome. He said he has greeted people with hugs all his life and they were intended as 'a gesture of warmth and kindness and a reflection of my exuberance.' 'I understand that I cannot control how a hug is received, and that not everyone has the ability to speak up about unwelcome behavior,' Hertzberg wrote. Hertzberg, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area, has earned nicknames such as 'Hugsberg' and 'Huggy Bear' for greeting men and women alike with giant hugs. He is seen above hugging Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher on August 31, 2017 in Sacramento 'It is my responsibility to be mindful of this.' Three California lawmakers have resigned over allegations of sexually explicit misconduct, with one stepping down while facing the threat of expulsion. The investigation into Hertzberg covered four complaints dating back to 2010, involving three female lawmakers and a male sergeant at arms. It found he hugged two current and one former lawmaker in ways that made them uncomfortable and made the sergeant uncomfortable by 'dancing briefly with his backside' against him. None of the accusers are named, but former Republican Assemblywoman Linda Halderman has previously spoken to reporters about her accusations against Hertzberg. She said Hertzberg repeatedly hugged her for prolonged periods of time during her term from 2010 to 2012 and at one point thrust into her after she told him to stop. Halderman declined to speak with the investigators from an outside law firm hired by the state Senate. He said he has greeted people with hugs all his life and they were intended as 'a gesture of warmth and kindness and a reflection of my exuberance.' Hertzberg is seen above hugging Senator Lois Wolk in Sacramento in August 2015 The investigators concluded Hertzberg made her uncomfortable but couldn't find any evidence supporting that he continued to hug her after she asked him to stop. Investigators found Hertzberg stopped hugging the second accuser in 2015 after she told him to stop, and that he was unaware that his hugs of another assemblywoman were unwelcome. Republican Senator Joel Anderson of Alpine said it's concerning that none of the accusers are named because it shows the Legislature doesn't have enough protections for people filing claims. 'If they don't feel comfortable, then how does the rank and file employee feel comfortable? How does that person in the public feel comfortable?' Anderson said. He also said it's difficult to be fair to everyone involved if names are withheld. Hertzberg said the allegations against him were exploited by opponents as he proposed overhauling California's money bail system for offenders awaiting trial. Hertzberg also said the Legislature should do a better job of keeping harassment complaints confidential during investigations. Investigators noted Hertzberg has been warned about uncomfortable hugs in the past, including of a 2015 complaint from a staff member who said he held her close and began dancing with her. Hertzberg is seen above greeting State Senator Cathleen Galgiani in Sacramento in August 2015 They faulted Hertzberg for not taking past complaints more seriously, but also criticized the Senate for not giving him enough information about the complaints against him. 'He missed opportunities to understand that some people were genuinely troubled by his hugging,' investigators wrote, later adding, 'more information may have resulted in Hertzberg correcting his conduct with respect to unwanted hugs earlier.' Hertzberg was elected to the state Senate in 2014 after serving six years in the Assembly. Democratic Sen. Ben Allen of Santa Monica said he couldn't say if the investigation or reprimand were appropriate because senators not sitting on the Rules Committee were only given a summary. 'It's a sensitive investigation and I've got a lot of sympathy for everybody involved,' he said. Five other senators of both parties declined comment, including Democrats Connie Leyva of Chino and Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton, with several saying they had been instructed not to talk until after the Rules Committee made its decision public. A young boy has died from head injuries after being hit by a van in Queensland. Shykarn Latham, 4, was on life support at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital after he was airlifted on Sunday but died Thursday evening. The young boy was struck by a van at Dalby, 200km west of Brisbane, when he attempted to cross the road before 7pm, Dalby Herald reported. Shykarn Latham (pictured) has died from head injuries after being hit by a van in Queensland The four-year-old was on life support at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital after he was airlifted on Sunday but died Thursday evening Senior Sergeant Terry McCullough said the driver was travelling about 20km/h under the speed limit because of road works. Mr McCullough said the driver appeared to do nothing wrong. Mikaa Ives created a GoFundMe page for the young boy, saying her 'heart breaks for (her) uncle and aunty'. 'We are all beyond devastated and heart broken,' she wrote. 'They have another six children to care for as well ... they desperately need time to grieve without the stress of money.' The page has raised more than $1,700 in three days, with a goal of $5,000. Theresa May today insisted any complaints about bullying in Parliament by John Bercow or any other MP should be 'fully investigated'. Downing Street said the Prime Minister wanted reforms to complaints procedures in Parliament to cover people who work for the House as well as MPs' staff. The Commons Speaker and MPs on both sides of the Commons have denied allegations they have bullied Parliamentary staff, known as Clerks. Mr Bercow denied bullying behaviour, while a House of Commons spokesman said it was a 'responsible and supportive employer' and did not tolerate 'bullying or harassment of any kind'. But a Downing Street spokesman said that Prime Minister Theresa May regarded the allegations as 'concerning'. As chairman of the House of Commons Commission, the controversial Mr Bercow oversees the running of the House and handles complaints Theresa May today insisted any complaints about bullying in Parliament by John Bercow or any other MP should be 'fully investigated' 'The Prime Minister is clear that there can be no place for bullying or harassment of any kind at Westminster, and everybody should be free to work in an environment that is safe and respectful,' said the Number 10 spokesman. 'If any complaints are made, they should be fully investigated.' He added: 'With regard to the Speaker, I note the allegations are being contested, but I think these are concerning allegations and there can be no place for bullying or harassment of any kind. If complaints are made, they need to be investigated.' Asked whether Mrs May had confidence in Mr Bercow as Speaker, the spokesman said: 'Yes.' As chairman of the House of Commons Commission, the controversial Mr Bercow oversees the running of the House and handles complaints. But questions were last night raised by BBC2's Newsnight over his handling of allegations made against an MP which were subsequently investigated by the Commission. In 2011, Labour's Paul Farrelly was accused of bullying former clerk Emily Commander, who has since emigrated. In 2011, Labour's Paul Farrelly was accused of bullying former clerk Emily Commander, who has since emigrated. The Commission decided it could not rule that she had been bullied despite a report finding evidence that supported her claims, according to Newsnight. In 2011, Labour's Paul Farrelly was accused of bullying former clerk Emily Commander, who has since emigrated Testimony from two other female former members of staff who were allegedly bullied by Mr Farrelly were dismissed as 'too old', the programme reported. The Commission also invited Ms Commander and Mr Farrelly to enter mediation, which is not regarded as a good way to deal with bullying. Documents obtained by Newsnight suggest that Ms Commander was left with the impression that if she did not enter mediation, the Commission might decide that she was not bullied. She did not pursue the complaint and instead left the Commons. Newsnight also revealed new information about bullying claims made against the Speaker himself by a clerk in his office. Kate Emms took a job as his private secretary in May 2010 but left her role less than a year later in February 2011. Her colleagues alleged that this was because of the behaviour of Mr Bercow after she told staff that she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Colleagues told Newsnight that she was undermined by Mr Bercow in a range of ways and he seemed to shout at her a lot. Mr Bercow denies the allegations of bullying towards her. His spokesman said: 'The Speaker completely and utterly refutes the allegation that he behaved in such a manner, either eight years ago, or at any other time. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply untrue.' Documents obtained by Newsnight suggest that Ms Commander was left with the impression that if she did not enter mediation, the Commission might decide that she was not bullied According to Newsnight a number of serving and recently departed clerks said they would not work for Mr Bercow as his private secretary. Ms Emms' predecessor, former Royal Navy submarine captain Angus Sinclair, 60, won a 100,000 pay-off after being sacked for being too old-fashioned Mr Sinclair, who had held the job for five years, was devastated to be told by Mr Bercow that he wanted 'someone more modern' and would be bringing in his 'own people'. Mr Farrelly told Newsnight: 'In 2012 allegations were made about me having bullied a clerk to the Committee during the compilation of the phone hacking report. These allegations were investigated and not upheld. 'Despite this, I apologised if I had inadvertently upset the clerk who had suffered stress. The policy under which they were investigated was considered to be so unfair to those complained about that it was immediately withdrawn and replaced by another policy.' He said it would, in any case, be inappropriate for MPs to be removed from select committees as a consequence of staff complaints because 'MPs are elected either by the whole House or by their political parties to serve on Committees'. Mr Bercow was a Tory MP before he took over as Speaker in 2009, but his time in the role has been punctuated by controversy. His high-handed style has irritated members on both sides of the House and Conservatives have repeatedly plotted to replace him and hold votes of no confidence. MPs also attempted to oust him on the eve of the election in 2015 but were defeated. c.ellicott@dailymail.co.uk Tony Blair has been given a prestigious US prize for democracy despite his campaign to overturn the Brexit vote. The former Labour prime minister was yesterday named as the first British recipient of The Lincoln Leadership Prize. Yet he has been vocal in his desire to overturn the result of the 2016 EU referendum and last week warned of its threat to peace in Northern Ireland. Tony Blair (pictured today in Brussels) recently called on EU leaders needed to join forces with UK politicians to reverse the verdict from the referendum nearly two years ago Mr Blair invited President greeting Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Downing Street in 2006 while he was still Prime Minister (pictured) and since leaving office critics have accused him of having too cozy a relationship with the autocratic Central Asian leader MP Nadine Dorries said it was beyond belief that Tony Blair the man straining every sinew to overturn the votes of millions of people to leave the EU is now being lauded for his commitment to democracy Yesterday Arlene Foster, head of the regions ruling DUP party, condemned Mr Blair for stoking fears as an insult to voters in Ulster. The Lincoln Leadership Prize honours figures who show great strength of character, individual conscience and unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy in the spirit of the 16th president of the US. The award will be controversial because Mr Blair has earned millions advising anti-democratic despots since leaving Downing Street. He has been a strong advocate for a second EU referendum, and in January he argued that Labour voters were entitled to think again, if the circumstances changed. Last night Conservatives pointed out the irony of Mr Blair being granted the award for his commitment to democracy. Tory MP Nigel Evans said the former PM had spent much of his time since leaving office advising figures such as the president of Kazakhstan, whose country is accused of human rights abuses. Tony Blair is not a democrat, said Mr Evans. He has spent a lot of time advising countries which are total strangers to democracy. MP Nadine Dorries added: It is beyond belief that Tony Blair the man straining every sinew to overturn the votes of millions of people to leave the EU is now being lauded for his commitment to democracy. I think the Americans should have taken a closer look at his record. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation cited Mr Blairs stewardship of the Northern Ireland peace process, the introduction of the national minimum wage and civil partnerships. It also praised his revitalisation of public services including health and education, his record of work in the Middle East and Africa and fighting religious-based extremism. No mention was made of Mr Blairs controversial decision to commit the UK to war in Iraq in 2003. Ray McCaskey, chairman of the awards board of directors, said the former PM shared with Lincoln an understanding that leaders have to take decisions that might be unpopular with the public. Yet they remained singularly focused on the policies that would strengthen their countries, he said. Previous winners include Bill Clinton, Steven Spielberg and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Yesterday DUP leader Mrs Foster condemned both Mr Blair and Sir John Major for using Brexit to stoke fears about the return of violence in Northern Ireland. Both former PMs voiced concerns about the possibility of border controls being reinstated between the North and the Irish Republic. But Mrs Foster whose party props up Theresa Mays Government in the Commons told business leaders in London: I object in the strongest possible terms to people who have limited experience of the Troubles ... throwing threats of violence around as some kind of bargaining chip in this negotiating process. To do so is an insult to the people of Northern Ireland who worked so hard to bring peace to our country. Hundreds of passengers are still facing delays of up to two hours as airlines struggle to recover from a chaotic morning at Sydney Airport. Would-be commuters were left stuck at check-in early on Friday morning after a technical issue resulted in the security screening being unable to open. International and domestic flights were both affected by the fault in terminals one and two, with passengers and staff alike not able to pass security. A spokesman from Jetstar told Daily Mail Australia they are still facing delays of an hour on average, nearly five hours after the issue was resolved. Passengers at Sydney Airport were still facing lengthy delays after a technical issue with the security system left thousands stranded early on Friday morning Their longest delay was two hours, and delays are now running from between 30 to 90 minutes. 'Arrivals into Sydney are running as usual, and departures are expected to be operating as normal from midday onwards,' he said. 'Passengers are all on the same flights [they had checked in to], they're just delayed.' Virgin Australia flights were also recovering from significant delays, which included two cancellations. 'Passengers are now being processed through security as per usual,' a spokeswoman said. Jetstar flights were running on time again by about midday 'Virgin Australia is working to minimise any disruption to passengers caused by the earlier issues and to reaccommodate any affected passengers. 'There will be some impact to our flights today as a result. We are proactively communicating with those impacted and we encourage passengers to check the flight status page on our website.' Pictures shared on social media earlier show hoards of passengers milling around the entrance to Terminal 2 about five am, with many reporting they were unable to even pass through the security screening. The issue impacted both domestic and international terminals, with commuters sharing images of closed off roller doors at the screening checkpoint and some claiming the security cameras were not operational. Hundreds of people were left stranded in the check in area of Sydney Airport after a technical failure Would-be passengers have claimed the roller doors to security screening weren't opened due to a technical issue Sydney Airport released a statement about six am, blaming 'technical issues' at T1 and T2, which were causing interruptions to passenger processing and delays. 'We're working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and thank you for your patience. We're advising passengers and visitors to avoid T1 and T2 until further notice,' the statement read. The airport is yet to estimate when the issue will be completely resolved. About 90 minutes after passengers first realised they were stranded, the technical issue was finally resolved A spokeswoman for Qantas told Daily Mail Australia terminal 3 had not been affected, and flights were running as normal. The technical failure was resolved about 6.30am, 90 minutes after passengers were initially stranded. Meanwhile in Brisbane a passenger set off a security screen at the international terminal, causing a backlog of commuters. A spokeswoman for Brisbane Airport told the Courier Mail security screens were closed for 30 minutes after the breach. Australian Federal Police officers are investigating the matter. Passengers said they had been waiting for almost two hours as the departure lounge was cordoned off. Footage has been posted of the funny moment a Sunrise reporter fumbles on air Footage of a live cross to a reporter going hilariously wrong on Sunrise has been posted to the ABC's Media Watch Twitter account. The on-air faux pas happened last week during a morning Perth news update about a missing Mount Hawthorn man, who was later found in good health. The clip begins with Channel 7 Perth Reporter Chris Meldrum rushing into frame, appearing to be caught by off guard by the timing of the live cross. Footage of a live cross to a reporter going hilariously wrong on Sunrise has been posted to the ABC's Media Watch Twitter account The reporter opens his mouth to speak but the cameraman immediately jumps in issuing the directions, 'No, don't go over there,' and, 'Go back over there.' Mr Meldrum visibly hesitates for a moment, then concedes and shuffles to the directed spot. As the camera pans across, showing background filming gear in shot, Mr Meldrum can be heard to exclaim, 'What? What are you doing? They're on.' News anchor Matt Tinney keeps an impressive poker face throughout the stumble. The missing Mount Hawthorn man was later found, the same morning as the clip was shot on February 28, after his car was tracked down by police. Background filming equipment is seen in shot as the camera pans across to reporter Chris Meldrum's new location James Eric Davis Jr, 19 (pictured), who is charged with shooting and killing his parents on Friday, March 2, had escaped from an area hospital just a few hours before A 19-year-old student accused of killing his parents inside his Central Michigan University dorm room last week Had escaped from an area hospital a few hours before. According to Isabella County Dispatch recordings archived on Broadcastify.com, James Eric Davis Jr fled from MidMichigan Medical Center on Friday, March 2, around 3am. Davis Jr had been taken to hospital after having two odd interactions with police in the preceding hours. The teenager was arraigned on Tuesday in the Friday slayings of James Davis Sr, 48, and Diva Davis, 47. In the radio recordings, around 3.10am, police are heard telling dispatchers that hospital workers last saw Davis Jr heading 'towards the woods, north of the helipad', according to Michigan Live. One voice on the recordings advises that hospital staff described Davis Jr. as having 'mental issues.' Then, at about 3.16am, an Isabella County Sheriff's deputy is heard notifying dispatchers that he has located Davis Jr near a landscaping business a little more than half a mile from the hospital. Police had brought Davis Jr to the hospital to begin with at about 1.30am after they saw him sitting with luggage in the lobby of CMU's Campbell Hall. Davis Jr made statements that he was under the influence of drugs and police took him to the emergency room. Davis Jr, 19, seen on a video, appeared in the courtroom of Isabella County Trial Court in Michigan for his arraignment in the killings of his parents at Central Michigan University After he was brought back to the hospital, he was released to the custody of his parents, James Davis Jr and Dina Davis (right). The couple took Davis Jr (left) back to his dorm room to help him pack for spring break A few hours earlier, the 19-year-old had approached a community policing officer, claiming someone was trying to kill him. An investigation proved he was not the subject of a valid threat. Later on the morning of March 2, hospital staff discharged Davis Jr into the care of his parents - who are from the Chicago suburb of Plainfield - and they took their son to his fourth-floor dorm room to help him pack for spring break. Surveillance footage and witnesses revealed the teen later left the hall and went to his family's vehicle, where he apparently retrieved his dad's handgun. He then used his CMU ID to return to the residence hall, police have said, where he shot and killed his parents. Dressed in a blue hospital gown and hooked to machines monitoring his vital signs, Davis Jr at appeared in Isabella County Trial Court via video on Tuesday as he was arraigned from McLaren Central Michigan Hospital. Frequently during Tuesday afternoon's hearing, Davis Jr softly traced an index finger between his nose and upper lip. He also rubbed his chin often while listening to questions from Judge Paul Chamberlain. When asked by Chamberlain if he understood the charges or was able to hear the judge, Davis Jr quietly responded 'yes.' Davis Jr did appear confused when asked if he wanted court-appointed defense attorney Joshua Blanchard to represent him. Chamberlain kept Blanchard as his lawyer for the time being. The judge also lowered Davis Jr's initial $3million bond, setting it at $1.25million. Davis Jr's older brother Russell Matthew Davis (right), 27, said the 19-year-old (left) is not a 'villain' for killing their parents Russell took to Facebook on Saturday, saying he still loves his brother Davis Jr's parents had just picked him up from a hospital Friday morning, where he was brought for suspected drug abuse a day earlier after campus officers said he was acting erratically, according to police. They took him to his room in Campbell Hall to pack up for spring break when they were shot with a gun that belonged to Davis Sr. The 48-year-old married father-of-three had served for many years in the Illinois Army National Guard was was an Iraq War veteran. Authorities have not said whether drugs were found in Davis Jr's system or if the gun used in the shootings was his father's service weapon. A day after the double homicide, the 19-year-old's older brother came to his defense on social media, writing that Davis Jr was not a 'villain.' The couple were killed about 9am in the Campbell Hall dom on the Central Michigan University campus in Mt Pleasant Authorities say Davis Jr (left) used his father's gun to kill his parents. Davis Sr (right) was a police officer in Bellwood, Illinois Russell Matthew Davis, 27, a doctoral divinity student and a member of the Church of God in Christ denomination, announced his parents' death on Facebook and said that he still loved his brother, despite the tragedy. 'Never thought I'd have to post this type of post... but unfortunately the news is true. My mom and dad both rest from their life of labor and stress in a very tragic event. It's so surreal, I'm in shock and even in denial... it's a hard pill to swallow, a heavy load to bear,' Russell wrote. Russell went on to say that he still loved his brother. 'I want him safe, supported and prayed for just like my sister Alexis Davis and I,' Russell said. He had a special message to 'the media and opinionated people': 'Please don't make a villain out of my brother...that is NOT who he is... and despite the circumstances, he also lost a mother and father...And I LOVE him. Consider that!'. It's still unclear what caused Davis to kill his parents but campus police revealed at a Friday press conference that they had taken him to the hospital the night before the murders for an 'overdose or bad reaction' to drugs. He was discharged from the hospital Friday morning, just half an hour before his parents were killed. Davis Jr fled after the shooting and was the focus of an intense manhunt involving more than 100 officers. Police believed the suspect had an 'overdose or bad reaction' and took him to McLaren Central Michigan hospital in Mount Pleasant (pictured) the night before the murders Davis ran north away from the apartment buildings after the shooting before police arrested him early Saturday morning after a 12-hour manhunt News of the shooting has shocked the college student's friends and neighbors, who have have told the Chicago Tribune that Davis Jr was a 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'. Friday's shooting caused chaos at the small college town in Michigan. The school posted to their Facebook on Friday morning about 9.30am, telling students to shelter in place and avoid the area around Campbell Hall while classes were cancelled for the day. An automated phone message from the school also was sent to students Friday morning. 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. Friday was the last day of classes for Spring Break, so many parents were headed to the campus to pick students up. Chaos took hold of Brisbane Airport after a man breached security and flights were grounded while passengers were rescreened. Leonie Vandeve, a Brisbane Airport spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the security matter which disrupted 19 departing and seven arriving international flights caused two aircrafts to disembark for rescreening. 'Friday morning's security matter disrupted 19 departing and seven arriving international flights and occurred as security had reason to speak with a passenger,' she said. Brisbane Airport was disrupted after security had reason to speak to a passenger Australian Federal Police boarded planes and were looking for 'a person', a witness said Australian Federal Police told Daily Mail Australia officers had been called to the Brisbane, and witnesses say a person breached the security checkpoint. One passenger claimed on social media all grounded planes have been asked to disembark and go back through screening. Lesley Woods told Daily Mail Australia her plane was three-quarters boarded when remaining passengers were stopped from getting on the plane. 'The remaining passengers had to wait in the terminal,' she said. 'They eventually said it was clear and remaining passengers came on board, then the AFP came on board. 'Then we were all asked to disembark and go back through security.' Ms Woods said the officers were looking for 'a person', and she had been told officers 'were looking for someone who breached security at the international terminal'. Ms Vandaben further explained the incident saying the CCTV was inconclusive which resulted in rescreening. 'Unfortunately the CCTV review was inconclusive so, as a precaution and following normal procedures, rescreening was conducted. 'During this process the passenger was identified and the matter resolved without further action. The passenger was then able to board her flight.' Passengers who had boarded planes and were waiting to take off have been told to disembark and go back through security Arriving flights are also understood to be backing up at the terminal. A spokeswoman for Brisbane Airport told Daily Mail Australia the issue was a 'passenger matter' and not a technical fault in any screening measures. 'The screening point in the international terminal was closed for a short period of time,' she said. 'As a result of the [security issue] some passengers are now being re-screened and unfortunately a number of international flights have been delayed.' Brisbane Airport told waiting passengers in a tweet security screening had temporarily stopped 'as a precaution' and 'while the investigation continues'. 'We hope to have the area cleared shortly to recommence screening. Thank you for your patience,' the statement read. Brisbane Airport released another statement saying the issue had been resolved about midday. An AFP spokesman said: 'The AFP is assisting Brisbane Airport security staff following a routine passenger screening matter. 'Passengers at the terminal are urged to remain patient and be aware of passenger announcements.' Early on Friday morning, a fault with Sydney Airport's screening system caused thousands to be stuck at check in, with flights still delayed hours later. Anthony Borges, 15, was rushed back to intensive care at Broward General Medical Center in Florida on Wednesday night to under multiple surgeries for a potential abdominal infection A 15-year-old student who was severely injured while protecting his classmates from gunfire in the Florida school shooting has taken a turn for the worst in hospital. Anthony Borges was rushed back to intensive care at Broward General Medical Center on Wednesday night and underwent multiple surgeries for a potential infection in his abdomen. The teenager is the only victim still in hospital following the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Anthony was hailed as a hero in the aftermath of the shooting after he was credited with saving the lives of at least 20 other students. He was shot in both legs and his back while attempting to close and lock a classroom door as the gunman opened fire, killing 17 people. His father Royer Borges said doctors noticed a small ulcer on a section of the teen's intestines and a possible abdominal infection from the impact of one of the bullets. 'So they decided to intervene and cut that section of the small intestine so that my son's life wasn't further compromised,' he wrote on Facebook. Anthony is the only victim still in hospital following the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. He is pictured above with Sheriff Scott Israel Anthony's father Royer Borges said doctors noticed a small ulcer on a section of the teen's intestines and a possible abdominal infection from the impact of one of the bullets. The Borges family are pictured together above 'They will make three or four more trips to the operating room during these coming days. They want to make sure they clean well and that all his organs are out of danger.' A spokeswoman for Broward Health confirmed that Anthony had returned to the ICU for further treatment. It comes just days after his family became the first to file a lawsuit against authorities in the wake of the deadly shooting. A lawyer for Anthony and his family said the sheriff's office, the school resource officer, the Broward County school system and the principal failed to protect students from the teen gunman. 'The failure of Broward County Public Schools, and of the principal and school resource officer to adequately protect students, and in particular our client, from life-threatening harm were unreasonable, callous and negligent,' attorney Alex Arreaza wrote in the lawsuit notice on Monday. Anthony was hailed as a hero in the aftermath of the shooting after he was credited with saving the lives of at least 20 other students 'Such action or inaction led to the personal injuries sustained by my client.' The lawsuit is likely to be the first of many filed by survivors and victims' families. Arreaza said Borges was hit five times, still can't walk and has 'a great deal of difficulty performing rudimentary tasks for himself.' He added that Borges had undergone several surgeries and is still a 'very long way' to recovery. 'By the grace of God he's not No. 18,' Borges' attorney Alex Arreaza said. 'But it's going to be a tough recovery... it's a miracle that we're even talking about recovery.' Anthony's attorney said his medical bills would definitely exceed $1million and that they would be suing for damages to be determined at a later date. This footage could explain one of the reasons why building the New South Wales Government's new Sydney light rail network has been delayed by more than a year. Daily Mail Australia has obtained video footage captured by a motorist waiting in traffic on Anzac Parade of a machine operator working on the multi-billion dollar network who doesn't appear to have a clue of what they're doing. The footage shows the operator appear to be struggling with the machine as they try to shovel up dirt. A motorist waiting in traffic on Anzac Parade captured footage of the machine operator digging dirt on the new Sydney Light Rail project Just over half of the 24.7 kilometre track from Kingsford/Randwick to Circular Quay has been laid so far Daily Mail Australia approached Transport for NSW on Friday morning for a response regarding the footage, which hadn't responded as of late Friday. The latest glitch for the controversial project comes after it was recently revealed it will not be ready for operation until 2019 - more than a year later than first anticipated and at least $500,000 over budget. Just over half (14 kilometres) of the 24.7 kilometre track from Kingsford/Randwick to Circular Quay has been laid. Under the original plans, almost all zones were supposed to be completed at the end of last year. 'It's fair to say NSW is an unhappy customer at the moment, New South Wales Transport Minister Andrew Constance recently told reporters. Building light rail tracks across the intersection of Market and George Streets in the Sydney CBD presented new challenges for construction crews this week. 'The intersection sits just 500mm above the pedestrian and shopping arcade below - that's about the height of two iPads end to end,' Sydney Light Rail posted on its Facebook page on Thursday. Due to the proximity of the arcade below, engineers have been innovative with relocating utilities by fanning them out across the intersection.' As a result, the Market and George intersection will be temporarily closed to traffic most weekends until early April. Daily Mail Australia has approached Transport for NSW for answers as to what the machine operator was doing on the light rail network construction It was recently revealed the new network will not be ready for operation until 2019 - more than a year later than first anticipated Weekend works at the intersection of George Street with Bridge and Grosvenor Streets continue. 'Now that the light rail track and the third rail that will power the light rail are in place, utility and finishing work is ongoing around the intersection to allow the road to be regraded to its final condition,' its website states. 'Traffic has now moved across to enable the team to complete civil, utilities and finishing works on the eastern side of the zone.' The project also announced this week that the first tram has undergone testing on the Randwick end of the project on Alison Road. Testing will be carried out at night and at low speeds, before progressing to daytime testing in the coming months. 'With all track complete on Alison Road between Anzac Parade and Wansey Road, and poles and wires installed, the focus of activity in these zones will be testing and commissioning of the systems and light rail vehicles,' the website states. The New South Wales Government's Sydney Light Rail project is at least $500,000 over budget Born into a mining family in Stoke on Trent, Dame Joan Stringer (left) was the first in her family to go to university Born into a mining family in Stoke on Trent, Dame Joan Stringer was the first in her family to go to university and the first to run one. She failed her 11-plus but went on to forge a hugely successful career in academia, which took her all the way to the role of vice-chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University. Dame Joan, 69, who was widowed then remarried and has no children, never expected to study in higher education but credits her parents determination with getting her there. Her father had worked in the pits a job that saw her uncle go blind and wanted a better life for his daughter. After working in a telephone exchange and for a graphic artist as a teenager, Dame Joan got a job in local government. This broadened her horizons, encouraging her to read history and politics at Keele University. I was the first in my family to go to university and my parents were extremely proud of me, she said in a 2012 interview. As head of the Institute of Directors body tasked with deciding on the future of chairman Lady Judge (pictured), she is embroiled in the biggest row of her life A rapid rise followed as a political scientist, taking her to the jobs of principal of Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh and then vice-chancellor of Edinburgh Napier in 2003. She was made a dame in the 2009 birthday honours, an elevation she described as a bit breathtaking. But this successful career has not been without controversy. Dame Joans retirement from academic life in 2013 was overshadowed by a row with families living near the campus about plans to build 116 new homes on university land which featured historic buildings. And now, as head of the Institute of Directors body tasked with deciding on the future of chairman Lady Judge, she is embroiled in the biggest row of her life. Tributes have flooded in for an eight-year-old British boy allegedly murdered by his mother in their quiet seaside home on Thursday afternoon. Flowers, notes and a teddy bear were have been left in tribute for Brodie Moran, who was killed in his home on Alma Street at Tootgarook, south of Melbourne, at 1.30pm. Joanne Finch, 41, faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday morning charged with one count of murder. His shattered father Lee Moran, from Manchester, England, paid tribute to his son on Facebook saying he had 'lost the best part of his' life. Finch, also originally from the United Kingdom, called Triple-0 asking for help about 1.30pm on Thursday, but when officers arrived at the house they found the boy dead. Scroll down for video Tributes have flowed for Brodie (centre) the eight-year-old boy allegedly killed by his mother Joanne Finch (left) in their home south-east of Melbourne on Thursday afternoon Ms Finch (left) allegedly rang Triple-0 asking for help, but when officers arrived at the house they found Brodie (right) dead A mother has been charged with murder after her eight-year-old child was found dead at their rented home (pictured) on Alma Street in Tootgarook, 80kms south of Melbourne, about 1.30pm on Thursday A dazed Finch was refused bail at a closed out-of-sessions hearing on Thursday night where the court heard she needed to be given anti-depressants after the incident. Replying to a Facebook tribute from a friend, Mr Moran wrote: 'Thank you to everyone that has sent well wishes.' 'At the moment I feel empty, still in shock. I have lost the best part of me... words can not describe how much I love and miss my little fella.' A note left at the front of their home read: 'God bless little man RIP all the angels will be with you now.' A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the pair largely kept to themselves and had only been living in the street about a year. 'I believe it's a rental property and I don't think they've been there a very long time,' she said. 'I'd see her out the front every now and then and wave and say hello, it was just your normal neighbourly relationship - they were pretty quiet.' As part of their investigation, police are looking into whether Brodie was suffocated. As part of their investigation police are looking into whether Brodie (left) was suffocated by Ms Finch Mr Moran took to Facebook to pay tribute to his son on Friday, saying he had 'lost the best part' of his life Police arrived shortly after and arrested the boy's 41-year-old mother, who charged Thursday night Prospective buyers were due to walk through the family's home this Saturday at an open inspection. The three-bedroom house was listed last month with a buyer's guide of $550,000 to $600,000. Meanwhile, locals have described the arrested mother as a friendly resident who would go out of her way to say hello to her neighbours. Alma Street resident Tina Wallace said she was 'horrified' to learn of the child's death, Herald Sun reported. She added: 'It's absolutely tragic, I've got a ten-year-old son myself and it scared the hell out of me to hear what had happened.' 'He was always a happy child,' a separate neighbour told 9 News. Prospective buyers were due to walk through the family's home (pictured) this Saturday morning at an open inspection The house has been described by real estate agents as an 'ideal holiday getaway or an excellent investment' property Paramedics were initially called to the property on Alma Street, responding to reports that someone had been suffocated, 7 News reported 'We'd wave hello as we were collecting the bins. They'd always say hello back.' Nearby residents said no commotion was heard in the afternoon and they couldn't recall any previous trouble at the home, which has children's play equipment surrounding it. Paramedics were initially called to the property, responding to reports that someone had been suffocated, 7 News reported. Flood waters have isolated a group of Townsville students on school camp in north Queensland. Eight teachers and 72 Year 6 students from The Willows State School are trapped at the Echo Creek adventure park after roads between Cairns and Townsville were swamped by 200-250mm of rain over the past 24 hours. A Queensland Police spokesman said the group was safe and in constant contact with authorities. As the bad weather continues, an entire town has been submerged by floods after days of torrential rainfall Emergency services won't attempt to rescue them due to safety risks, but are preparing to provide them with food supplies. The spokesman said a father of one of the children had driven through floodwaters and attempted to paddle a canoe to the group on Thursday, but had later turned back. With the bad weather continuing, an entire town has been submerged by floods after days of torrential rainfall as some Queensland regions experience the worst rainfall in a decade. Forecasters said the chance of a cyclone lashing the northern region is now at 5-20 per cent for this weekend, but the possibility of one developing would increase next week, the Cairns Post reported. The chance of a cyclone forming this weekend in the Gulf of Carpentaria has decreased from (Wednesdays) outlook, as the focus now shifts to early next week, a BOM spokesman said. If a tropical cyclone does form next week, it will be the first tropical cyclone in the northern region for the 2017/2018 season and will be named Linda. Winton, located more than 850km west of Rockhampton in the state's central west, is surrounded by floodwaters with all but one access road cut after days of heavy rain. The council will fly in supplies if the waters don't recede within a few days The area is surrounded by rising floodwaters, as its highest 3.7m deep, after reviving more than 2.5-times the historical average of rainfall the town expects. With a population of 1000, Winton has recorded its wettest day in 18 years with 101.8mm of rain falling in just 24 hours. Locals however are forgiving the inconvenience the floodwaters have brought with many residents remaining in high spirits. 'The people that are getting affected by the water might not be too impressed by it, but everyone else has loved the rain,' he told 9 News. The council will fly in supplies if the waters don't recede within a few days. Winton Hotel owner Kevin Fawcett says locals are okay with the temporary disruption. 'We've been in drought out here for so long, so it's a bit of a novelty everyone's saying how great it is,' he told the ABC. With a population of 1000, Winton has recorded its wettest day in 18 years with 101.8mm of rain falling in just 24 hours Lachlan Millar is the MP for Gregory which takes in flood-bound Winton and other parched towns that are celebrating more than 400mm of rain in recent days. 'The Ilfracombe Dam had been bone dry since January. The town was staring down the barrel of having no water. A downpour over the weekend brought the first inflow into the dam since 2016,' he told parliament. He said drought-affected farmers in the interior would need support for some time and the drought was not over. 'Four days of rain does not undo seven years of relentless drought conditions. Now more than ever we need to support our farmers, graziers and our rural communities,' Mr Millar said. 'The majority of graziers in Western Queensland are destocked. Many have not had an income for five-to-seven years and are struggling to put food on the table. All but one access road has been cut after days of heavy rain 'Those lucky enough to receive rainfall are too scared to restock without the promise of more rain to come ... small businesses are struggling and families have left in droves chasing work and a reprieve from unrelenting drought conditions.' Residents in Far North Queensland are looking at some of the heaviest rainfall and flooding seen in a decade. At on Friday 5am, Cairns recorded 131.8mm of rainfall and intermittent flash flooding while Innisfail has seen 97mm. The Bureau of Metorology has confirmed the tropical cyclone currently in the Coral Sea is not likely to have any effect on Queensland, and chances are low of a cyclone forming off of the low pressure system in the Gulf of Carpentaria. '(Tropical Cyclone Hola) is expected to take a more southerly track during the day and track back to the south-east at the moment and it's not expected to have any impact on the Queensland coast,' BoM forecaster Sam Campbell said. Britain is benefiting very little from a Brussels deal to send asylum-seekers back to the country where they first set foot in Europe. A damning report says the rules known as the Dublin Regulation are virtually useless amid concerns that other members of the bloc are exploiting Britain. Migrants are supposed to claim asylum in the first member state they arrive in. Those who fail to do so can be returned there if they later travel on to another EU country. Scroll down for video Thousands of asylum seekers have made their way to the UK from Calais There were clashes last month between Eritrean and Afghan asylum seekers in Calais An analysis by the Migrationwatch think-tank shows Britain asked its European partners to take back 4,237 asylum-seekers in 2016 on the grounds they had arrived elsewhere in Europe. But just 355 were transferred that year fewer than one in ten. The figures also reveal that for the whole of 2016 and 2017, only 676 asylum-seekers were sent back to Europe under the rules, fewer than one a day. This is despite thousands making their way here via Calais. Over the same period, the UK accepted 1,019 asylum-seekers from other countries under the Dublin Regulations. Migrationwatch, which campaigns for tighter borders, says the UK is gaining little advantage from the agreement. Vice-chairman Alp Mehmet, said: These figures suggest that the Dublin agreement has become virtually useless for the UK. We have seriously to consider whether its continuation serves British interests. In the last year, 26,350 people claimed asylum in Britain while thousands a month are being detected at ports on both sides of the Channel, indicating that huge numbers are trying to sneak in. Extraordinary images routinely show gangs of migrants trying to clamber aboard UK-bound lorries. Despite the so-called Jungle shanty town being torn down in October 2016, almost 1,000 migrants have converged there again in a desperate bid to get into the UK. Thousands of migrants in Calais are desperate to get to Britain - and once they get to the UK they are unlikely to be made to leave The fact that only a tiny number of migrants have been sent back is being blamed on EU rules, which make it difficult to establish where a migrant is eligible to claim asylum. These regulations have been especially exploited by France, which claims it is not responsible for migrants coming to the UK from Calais. Home Office officials say their hands are tied if a country refuses to take back asylum- seekers as it is difficult to establish exactly where an individual first arrived in Europe. EU countries have also been accused of failing to fingerprint stowaways they seize at their border so the asylum problem passes onto other countries. Under the convention, any country which fingerprints an immigrant has to take responsibility for them. It means thousands of migrants have been able to make their way across Europe unhindered once they had made it to the EUs passport-free Schengen zone, ending up in Calais in a bid to reach the UK. The Migrationwatch report was based on figures from answers given by ministers to Parliament and from Eurostat, the EUs statistics section. Arizona man Antwaun Travon, 20, told police he hit and burned ex-girlfriend Jasmine Dunbar, 21, who was found dead Thursday The body of a Arizona mother who had gone missing for two days has been found, according to police, as her ex-boyfriend admits to hitting her, setting her body on fire, and watching the flames blaze before he fled the scene. Jasmine Dunbar, 21, of Avondale, Arizona went missing on Tuesday along with her seven-month old baby girl. The two were last seen with her ex-boyfriend Antwaun Travon, 20, for a paternity test. Alarm was raised when the baby was found abandoned on the side of the road still in its car seat on Tuesday evening. The child was safely returned to its family thanks to a backpack it was left with that held Dunbar's identification. The family then launched a search for its mother saying, 'Jasmine would never leave her baby's side for anything' as said to ABC15. Her family reported that she left her home around 7:30pm. Three hours later her baby was found in her car alone. Jasmine Dunbar, 21, of Avondale, Arizona went missing on Tuesday along with her seven-month old baby girl stirring alarm in her family Her body was found Thursday morning with burn marks on Camelback Road in Phoenix On Thursday morning, police found a body near 107th Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix. Police believe it is tentatively Dunbar's body. Her body had sustained significant burns. Authorities await official identification of the body through scientific analysis, according to ABC15. Speaking to detectives Tuesday, Travon said that after he picked up Dunbar on Tuesday he allegedly 'had a physical altercation' with her and 'punched her a number of times with his fist'. He claimed that he left her in a field near where her body was found and that 'she was still alive then'. Scene of the crime: Dunbar's body was found here charred. Travon told police he allegedly hit her then left her body on the ground here He left the scene to drop off her seven-month-old child in a different neighborhood and returned to Dunbar to allegedly pour gasoline on her body and light a cigarette on her Travon, pictured above, was last seen with Dunbar and her baby as they reunited for him to take a paternity test. The results of the test are not clear Travon (right) allegedly told police what he had done to the body. Police also found a gasoline can in his possession. He was arrested on Thursday and booked into Maricopy County Jail He then fled the scene and dropped off the baby in a different neighborhood. He claimed he returned to Dunbar's body afterwards where he burned her body. He said he allegedly put a piece of paper on her body and 'poured gasoline on her'. 'He then set it afire with a cigarette' and watched as her body burned and the fire put itself out. Travon was arrested on Thursday based on evidence - including a gasoline can- found by police. He was arrested on one count of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of abandonment of a body and one count of child abuse and has been booked into Maricopa County Jail. In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation. The owner of a Gold Coast grocery store claims the Irish mothers accused of scamming businesses across Queensland had wads of $50 stuffed in their bras. The supermarket owner alleged the 'attractive' women stole $100 worth of groceries, the man identified as 'Nash' told Hit 105. He said one of the women had $50 notes stuffed inside of her bra. CCTV footage appears to show at least two women filling their bags at the Chevron Island store before allegedly making off with stolen shopping. Scroll down for video The owner of a Gold Coast grocery store claims the Irish mothers accused of scamming businesses across Queensland had wads of $50 stuffed in their bras The supermarket owner alleges the 'attractive' women stole $100 worth of groceries, the man identified as 'Nash' told Hit 105 The Spar store owner 'Nash' said he had been on the receiving end of similar scams when he lived in the United Kingdom. 'I knew something was up when these ladies came in and one gentleman was outside in the ute,' he said. 'I went running to the front to watch him and they were just filling their bags up and really getting lots of baskets and groceries.' He said despite appearing to browse for a significant amount of time they turned up to the counter with only a few items. 'They basically said this is all I've got. I said 'I need to see your bags' and I saw all this other stuff in there and she said, 'I'll pay for all this separately'.' 'They were attractive girls wearing designer stuff. One of them had wads of $50 notes in her bra, 20 or 30 of them, and the other one was spreading $50 notes over the counter while she was paying me.' Nash said the women did not seem concerned about not paying for their groceries. 'They had money but they just wanted to do this,' he claimed. The CCTV footage show how a staff member approaches the group before the blonde woman appears to frantically unload the goods from her handbag into her basket, revealing the items she allegedly planned to steal. The group of Irish 'gypsy' tourists (pictured) accused of scamming restaurants across Brisbane The three mothers and their children (pictured) have been accused by dozens of businesses in Queensland of planting glass shards in their meals to get a free feed Shocking footage also shows one of the women allegedly swiping a stack of meat trays from the shop floor. Queensland police told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police are aware of the incident and are making follow up inquiries.' Police are now investigating if the mothers are linked to an Irish fraudster who was recently arrested in Broadbeach but failed to show up at court, reported Seven News. Several small business owners across Brisbane claim they have been scammed by the same women, who have been spotted around the city with two prams and at least four children. Managers of several restaurants claim the women have been planting shards of glass in their meals before refusing to pay. The group of Irish mothers (pictured) are accused of demanding a lunch worth $20 for free In another recent scam, the Irish travellers allegedly ordered sandwiches at a coffee shop but when the manager asked for payment, the women claimed they had been given the wrong food the day before and wanted their meals - worth $20 - for free. The manager said he had worked the previous day and hadn't seen the women at all. 'They started getting aggressive and so then I eventually just gave them three of the sandwiches that they said they ordered and then they asked for another one,' he told the Brisbane Times. Staff at the International Hotel also claimed the same women came into their venue, asking for free drinks and cigarettes because the cigarette machine wasn't working. 'At the end they complained the steak wasn't cooked properly so obviously we gave them a free meal,' Nikki Watts of the International Hotel told Seven News. One canny restaurant manager convinced the women to leave their details with him after sensing he was being scammed by the infamous glass trick. Pictured is a shard of glass an Irish mother claimed to have found in her meal at Bird's Nest Restaurant Mido Nassif, who works at Wilson's seafood restaurant, asked the women for their contact details on the pretense of wanting to later check if they were OK. One woman then wrote a note with the name 'Jenny' above a UK address and phone number. The note said they were staying 'In Birisborin' (Brisbane) at a 'Hilton Hotel'. The manager said the two women - who were dressed like they were 'going to a nightclub' - left without paying their $260 bill. The Irish travellers first came to public attention when the owner of Bird's Nest restaurant Marie Yokoyama shared her experience of the glass scam on Facebook and warned other owners to watch out. Melania Trump has met with a Florida school shooting survivor at the White House before surprising the teenager by introducing him to the President in the Oval Office. The First Lady posted a series of photographs and a brief video on social media of her meeting with 16-year-old Kyle Kashuv on Thursday. He also sat down with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office shortly after. The teenager survived the Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 students and staff. Scroll down for video The First Lady posted a series of photographs and a brief video on social media of her meeting with 16-year-old Florida school shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv on Thursday Mrs Trump later surprised the 16-year-old by introducing him to President Trump in the Oval Office He was forced to hide in a classroom closet while the gunman opened fire. Kyle has been in Washington DC for the past few days meeting with various lawmakers to voice his concerns about gun control laws. When meeting with the First Lady, Kyle showed her the ReachOut app, which he has been promoting in the wake of the deadly shooting at his school. The app lets students reach students to discuss emotional or mental problems they might be experiencing. 'Wonderful to meet @KyleKashuv today. His message of unity is one we should all share. Thank you for visiting us at the @WhiteHouse & hope you enjoyed your surprise meeting with @potus! Wishing you much success w @TheReachOutApp,' Mrs Trump tweeted. When meeting with the First Lady, Kyle showed her the ReachOut app, which he has been promoting in the wake of the deadly shooting at his school Melania posted a short video on social media of her meeting with Kyle at the White House The teenager, pictured above in the Oval Office on Thursday, survived the Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Kyle followed up with his own photos and a tweet that read: 'Was so great meeting @FLOTUS and @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. They're true Patriots.' In the immediate aftermath of the shooting Kyle had said that he supported Trump in the last election and considers himself a Republican. But he said the shooting made him reconsider his position on guns, saying there needs to be stronger background checks to make sure mentally unstable people like Nikolas Cruz can't purchase weapons. 'Previously I believed that everyone under the Constitution should be allowed to have guns, but I now realize that not everyone should have guns and we should have way stricter background checks and mental evaluations,' he said. 'We need to a middle ground and have some reform.' In the immediate aftermath of the shooting Kyle had said that he supported Trump in the last election and considers himself a Republican Public service broadcasters such as the BBC are neglecting older women and audiences outside London, the watchdog has warned. These groups do not feel their needs are represented by public service broadcasters including the BBC and Channel 4, according to an Ofcom report. It came as the regulators chief executive yesterday urged channels to work together to survive in an environment dominated by US online giants Netflix and Amazon. Yesterday Ofcom released its Public Service Broadcasting in the Digital Age report. Groups such as older women do not feel their needs are represented by public service broadcasters including the BBC and Channel 4, according to an Ofcom report It read: There is concern among audiences that public service broadcasters do not fully portray and represent the nations, regions and diverse communities of the UK. Older women, young people, people living outside London and people from ethnic minority backgrounds feel less satisfied with public service broadcasters than do other audiences. The regulator said childrens programmes were less well catered for and warned it would hold the BBC to account for distinctive content. In the fight to survive against streaming services, broadcasters were warned they must pump resources into producing British content as youngsters now mainly use TVs for gaming or to watch shows online. Ofcom boss Sharon White told a media conference that the Corporation should renew its commitment to areas such as religion and the arts to ensure it retains its central role in British life. The BBCs deputy director-general Anne Bulford said it was important for viewers to be able to watch content that is original, distinctive, and above all British. Her comments came despite Ofcom stating that the BBCs investment in content from the UK had fallen in real terms from 1.5billion to 1.3billion since 2008. It came as the regulators chief executive yesterday urged channels to work together to survive in an environment dominated by US online giants Netflix and Amazon Miss Bulford told Enders and Deloittes media and telecoms conference: This is not just about the risk of the BBC increasingly finding it harder to compete in an ever more competitive global market. It is about a real and imminent threat to the British content that matters most to British audiences. Responding to criticism that the BBC was excluding parts of society, she said: For British people, British programming really matters. 'We want our TV to respond directly to our lives and reflect the country and the communities we live in. Consumer group The Voice Of The Listener And Viewer said broadcasters must provide something for everyone including younger audiences to remain relevant. The BBC has previously warned of a potential 500million shortfall over the next decade that could put home-grown British programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Sherlock at risk. The Corporation yesterday said it was committed to ensuring it served all audiences. Port Lincoln could be producing a new rockstar with a toddler in the South Australian town being called a drumming prodigy. Matthew Karaberidis, who is only two years old, is already able to keep a beat with his parents suspecting he is copying the drummers at this weekly local church service. Con and Annie Karaberidis, the toddler's parents, explained to 9NEWS their disbelief when they noticed the boys talent, saying that he wasnt taught and 'neither of us are drummers'. Matthew Karaberidis, who is only two years old, is already able to keep a beat Parents Con and Annie Karaberidis suspect he is copying the drummers at this weekly local church service 'He has just been gifted with this, and its just a gift and a passion, a natural passion,'' Mrs Karaberidis said. Matthews ability was discovered when he started playing the pots and pans and, after playing on anything he could find, his parents eventually bought him a child-sized drum kit. Although hard to pull the boy away from his instrument, Con and Annie generally have an 8.30pm cut off rule for the sake of the neighbours. The buy started out playing pots and pans then quickly progressed to anything he could find around the house Con and Annie generally have an 8.30pm cut off rule in consideration for their neighbors A nurse has been suspended from a Wisconsin hospital after five infants were discovered with serious injuries including a fractured skull, rib and arm. At first the marks on the newborns were mistaken for accidents incurred when a baby clutches wire or an IV device at the UnityPoint Meriter hospital in Madison. Last month, however, suspicion was raised on February 2 when staff noticed two babies had bruises. The following day staff noticed bruising on the arm and wrist of another baby. A doctor thought it could have been caused by a tightly wrapped blanket. A nurse, who has been unnamed, has been suspended at UnityPoint Meriter hospital after five newborns were found with suspicious bruises On February 4 staff found bruising on the second child's face and three days later a lump on the infant's head. A CT scan conducted on February 8 determined that the child had skull and arm fractures. The suspected nurse was then suspended. The nurse has not been named. An internal investigation revealed another similar case from January, and two additional cases reported last year. The hospital, above, has since adopted new security measures including a security guard and cameras in all of its rooms A federal agency became so concerned with the hospital's response it threatened to cancel the hospital's Medicare contract, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. On February 23 the agency warned the hospital that the situation 'is so serious that it constitutes an immediate threat to patient health safety'. Meriter hospital spokeswoman Jessika Kasten says the hospital is cooperating with authorities and has implemented new safety measures since including a security guard in the newborn unit and cameras in all of its rooms. In further changes at the hospital each nurse will now care for two patients instead of three in the unit of babies in intensive care. The Madison Police Department is investigating the incidents. Boris Johnson has insisted Brexit holds no 'terrors' for Britain but admitted for the first time there could be 'minimal controls' on the Irish border. The Foreign Secretary insisted Britain would do well if it was forced out of the EU without a deal, even while ministers try to negotiate a free trade deal. The leading Brexiteer hit out after Brussels chief Donald Tusk repeated warnings Britain could not have a bespoke trade deal - or any deal before resolving the Irish border question. Mr Johnson can expect to be condemned by Remain supporters for painting a rosy picture of a no deal scenario that official forecasts suggest would damage the economy. Downing Street insisted today 'minimal controls' was not inconsistent with the Government's commitment there will be no hard border and no physical infrastructure. Boris Johnson (pictured right on a visit to St Leonard's C of E Primary school in Hastings yesterday) said there was 'no need' for a return to a hard Irish border The Foreign Secretary also insisted Britain would do well if it was forced out of the EU without a deal, even while ministers try to negotiate a free trade deal Speaking to an audience of Telegraph subscribers Mr Johnson said Brexit would be 'triumphant success'. The Telegraph reported Mr Johnson said: 'I've never been one of those who is apprehensive about the so-called no deal scenario. 'No deal is better than a bad deal. 'If we have to come out on WTO terms we will be prepared to do so. 'It doesn't hold terrors for me and we will do very well under those circumstances as well.' Mr Johnson also indicated he would be prepared to accept the timetable for the Brexit transition period set out by Brussels, expiring at the end of 2020. 'That would suit me fine,' he said. The Prime Minister has suggested a transition period should last for around two years - which would expire near the end of March 2021 - while Brexit Secretary David Davis has put a range of between 21 and 27 months on the deal. Resolving how the Irish border (file image) will work after Brexit has become the most difficult issue in the negotiations with the EU On the issue of the frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic, Mr Johnson said it 'will be possible to have very, very minimal controls at the border'. He said the issue 'has understandably a great deal of political, emotional charge' and it is 'all too forgivable for politicians to wish to be absolutely certain about how things will work'. Best for Britain champion Tom Brake. 'The only thing that is minimal seems to be Boris' grip on reality. 'The government for months have said there will be no controls at the Irish border and now there could be some. They seem utterly clueless.' Last summer, the Government said there should be no physical infrastructure, such as customs posts, at the border, which has almost 300 crossing points. In a position paper, ministers said they did not envisage CCTV cameras or number-plate recognition technology around the border. Mr Johnson said the issue 'has understandably a great deal of political, emotional charge' and it was 'all too forgivable for politicians to wish to be absolutely certain about how things will work'. European Council president Donald Tusk yesterday warned that EU negotiations could grind to a halt if UK proposals to prevent a hard border are not put forward within weeks. Standing alongside the Irish premier Leo Varadkar, EU Council President Donald Tusk yesterday demanded an 'explicit, specific' solution to the border An elderly mother tragically died from a toenail infection which left her unable to wear shoes. The 87-year-old woman's daughter said her mother had been left poorly cared for to the point where she wasn't showered for a week. Janice Williams told NewsMail she visited her mother, who smelt strongly of urine, to discover the nursing staff had woken her at 3am for a shower because of a staff shortage. An elderly mother tragically died from a toenail infection which left her unable to wear shoes (stock image) The concerned daughter, who is a nurse, also began noticing in May last year that her mother's toenails were not clipped by staff at the Bundaberg Blue Care Pioneer Lodge. Ms Williams claims staff didn't cut her mother's nails so bought a pair of 'expensive cutters' and cut them herself to 'release the pressure and pus'. Early in February, Ms Williams said she visited her mother, only to find she wasn't wearing her hearing aid because a 'personal carer had put it through the wash and dryer'. That evening the 87-year-old was rushed to hospital after becoming severely septic before taking her final breaths on Valentine's Day last month. 'She kept saying "I'm scared, I can't hear you, I love you, are you all here?",' Ms Williams told the publication. 'We just had to rub her hand on our faces to let her know who was there ... she died not hearing our voices.' The 87-year-old woman's daughter said her mother had been left poorly cared for at Bundaberg Blue Care Pioneer Lodge (pictured) to the point where she wasn't showered for a week and had her hearing aid destroyed by staff Ms Williams said there were a number of occasions where she believed her mother was not adequately cared for which the ACCC is now investigating. Blue Care told Daily Mail Australia they were 'committed to providing high quality care'. 'We refute the premise this residents cause of death was the result of the care she received at our facility,' they said. 'The resident had required hospital attention to address her needs on a number of occasions and had been admitted and was receiving care at the hospital five days prior to her passing. 'The resident had resided at our facility since 2016 and had been admitted to our facility with high clinical care needs. 'Our practice is that our people work in consultation with families and their nominated general practitioner in providing support to residents with high care needs. 'An assessment of our records has identified inaccuracies with the claims put forward by Newsmail Bundaberg and cannot be substantiated.' Police say the remains of a Christina Allen, the 23-year-old who was kidnapped in 2014, were found in a field in Texas Police confirmed that human remains discovered in a Texas field are that of Christina Morris, the 23-year-old who disappeared after being kidnapped in 2014. Morris went missing at the Shops at Legacy in Plano on August 30, 2014. The discovery was made around 10am Wednesday by a crew clearing trees on private land in Anna, Texas. Late Thursday Chief Gregory Rushin announced that the medical examiner positively identified the remains as Morris' family stood beside him during a press conference. The crews 'notified the Plano Police Department because of our continuing efforts to find Christina Morris,' Rushin said at the conference, according to KHOU. Jonni Hare, Morris' mother, thanked police and volunteers who worked to help search for her daughter after the disappearance. 'This, I must say, is the most difficult day that I've ever faced in my entire life,' she said. 'I know my daughter - I know our daughter - is in a better place. I know she's in heaven. I know she's proud of us for not giving up. I know she's smiling.' The discovery was made around 10am Wednesday by a crew clearing trees on private land in Anna, Texas, according to Dallas News As soon as it was discovered they were human remains a team of law enforcement officers were called into the scene Earlier Thursday her mother arrived at the site where Morris was found, in the wooded area along Taylor Road, and left flowers. When the remains were first discovered, one of the many volunteers who spent countess hours in a massive search for the young woman when she first went missing, said recovering her body would at least help the family heal. 'Well, if she's gone, we want this to be her,' a volunteer said. 'I don't know how else to put it because her family needs closure.' Groups had searched the wooded area before based on information gathered during the investigation. Enrique Arochi was convicted of kidnapping her in 2016 and sentenced to life in prison. The 27-year-old was acquaintances with Morris, and agreed to walk her back to the car at the in the shopping center after a party near there. Arochi was seen in surveillance video that night with Morris at about 4am in a parking garage near the shopping mall. The same footage never showed her drive out of the garage. He was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping after her DNA was found in the trunk of his car. Enrique Arochi was convicted of kidnapping her in 2016 and sentenced to life in prison The 27-year-old was acquaintances with Morris, and agreed to walk her back to the car at the in the shopping center after a party near there. Surveillance video shows him walking her back to her car, but she was never seen leaving the lot Arochi said Morris was never in his car, but police believe she might have been inside when he was pulling away from the garage in the early hours of that morning. The last 15 calls on her cell phone were to her boyfriend and police said there was no sign of foul play or a struggle near her car. Police also had a video of him examining parts of his car at a grocery store in Allen just hours after Morris was last ween. Evidence at his trial, which started after he was arrested in December, 2014, showed he was in Anna a day after Morris went missing. Since then her family and other volunteers, who have not given up hope of finding their daughter, have honed in their search on the area. They returned nearly every week to conduct a new sweep of the town. Arlene Foster yesterday condemned Tony Blair and Sir John Major for stoking fears about the return of violence in Northern Ireland. The DUP leader said their warnings over how Brexit could threaten the peace process were an insult to voters in the region. The former prime ministers have voiced concerns about the possibility of border controls being reinstated between the North and the Irish Republic. The DUP leader said their warnings over how Brexit could threaten the peace process were an insult to voters in the region Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference in London, Mrs Foster said: I object in the strongest possible terms to people who have limited experience of the Troubles in Northern Ireland throwing threats of violence around as some kind of bargaining chip in this negotiating process. To do so is an insult to the people of Northern Ireland who worked so hard to bring peace to our country. Mrs Foster, whose party props up Theresa Mays Government in the House of Commons, insisted she did not want to see the imposition of a hard border after Britain leaves the EU. At the same time she reaffirmed her partys objection to the EUs fallback plan which would effectively keep Northern Ireland in the single market if the two sides were unable to resolve the border issue. I want to see an optimistic, sensible and pragmatic approach to Brexit, she said. In a newspaper article last weekend, former Tory prime minister Sir John wrote: 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. Mr Blair last week accused voters of being prepared to give up peace in Northern Ireland for Brexit Now, unless we proceed with care, Brexit may undermine it. Mr Blair last week accused voters of being prepared to give up peace in Northern Ireland for Brexit. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I find it not just disappointing but sickening that people should really be prepared to sacrifice peace in Northern Ireland on the altar of Brexit. Speaking outside the conference last night, Mrs Foster described Sir John and Mr Blairs interventions as galling and said they should know better. She added that they need to understand the Northern Ireland of today, not the 1980s. Boris Johnson declared last night that it will be possible to have very, very minimal controls on the border of Northern Ireland. The Foreign Secretary said there was no need for a return to a hard Irish border. However, his suggestion of some form of controls post-Brexit could provoke a row. Last summer, the Government said there should be no physical infrastructure, such as customs posts, at the border, which has almost 300 crossing points. In a position paper, ministers said they did not envisage CCTV cameras or number-plate recognition technology around the border. Mr Johnson said the issue has understandably a great deal of political, emotional charge and it was all too forgivable for politicians to wish to be absolutely certain about how things will work. European Council president Donald Tusk yesterday warned that EU negotiations could grind to a halt if UK proposals to prevent a hard border are not put forward within weeks. Telstra has been inundated with customer backlash over its recently launched virtual assistant chatbot, which has been slammed as 'stupid, offensive and the worst idea in the history of customer support'. The telecommunications giant launched virtual assistant chatbot Codi on its 24-7 live chat in October. By February it had dealt with 300,000 customers inquiries, the Australian Financial Review reported in February. Hundreds of fed up customers have given Codi the thumbs down, where many have taken to social media to vent their frustrations about the new service. Hundreds of customers have vented their frustrations about Telstra's new 24- 7 live chat service. This is one of many examples There aren't many fans of Codi, if Telstra customer comments are anything to go by 'Really not a fan of Telstra's new virtual assistant on the 24x7 live chat. If I say 'billing' a human would be outstanding, or at least, should spit out what it is expecting to help guide a user', one man tweeted. Another man screenshot the conversation he had with the service, where he, repeatedly asks Codi for assistance but the bot is unable to differentiate between his name 'Paris' and France's capital city. Even business organisations have expressed concerns. 'If anyone's interacted with Telstra's Codi, there's a long way to go. Little more than IVR. Not great for customer engagement,' Sydney-based Business Blades recently tweeted. Codi was unable to differentiate between the customer's name 'Paris' and the city in France as it repeatedly states it can help with international roaming Several tweets from Telstra in February stated that 'Codi is still learning' and it 'doesn't appear to be working as it normally does'. A Telstra spokesman told Fairfax that the telco's 'number one' priority was 'to deliver brilliant customer experiences'. 'As with all artificial intelligence applications, Codi continues to learn with each customer interaction and will improve over time,' the spokesman said. 'Customers engaging with Codi can switch to engage with a live chat agent at any stage.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Telstra for further comment. Telstra launched Codi last October, which hasn't had many positive reviews A second person has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the case of a deadly smuggling run that left 10 immigrants dead or dying in a sweltering semitrailer. Pedro Silva Segura, 47, faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty on Thursday for conspiracy to illegally transport immigrants that resulted in death. At least 39 immigrants, most of them from Mexico, had been packed inside a semitrailer parked in a Walmart parking lot in San Antonio, Texas in July last year. Up to 200 people including unaccompanied minors may have been crammed inside but many left before police arrived. The passengers had breathing difficulties in the 100-degree weather as the trailer's cooling system was broken. Police officers found 39 immigrants crammed into this truck. Pedro Silva Segura, 47, faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty for conspiracy to illegally transport immigrants The semitrailer was found in a Walmart parking lot in San Antonio, Texas on July 23, 2017. Eight people were already dead and two people died after they were taken to a nearby hospital The truck driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., 61, pleaded guilty in October to single counts of conspiracy and transporting immigrants resulting in death. He will be sentenced March 26 and also faces up to life in prison. James Matthew Bradley Jr., 61, was the driver of the truck. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and transporting immigrants in October According to court documents, Segura operated a 'stash house' in Laredo, Texas - which runs along the Rio Grande. Undocumented immigrants were smuggled inside the house until they were transported to other urban areas across the US. Investigators said Segura delivered five illegal immigrants to a semitrailer driven by Bradley on July 22, 2017. Bradley then drove that truck towards San Antonio with an estimated 200 men, women and children, including several unaccompanied minors, jammed inside as temperatures were in the 90s. Police were called to a Walmart parking lot early the next morning where they found 39 people - where eight were already dead - in a truck with no air conditioning. Officers rushed 20 passengers to the hospital and two more died. More than a 150 passengers were suspected to have already been picked up by immigrant smugglers. Segura will be sentenced on June 29 for his involvement in the transportation of illegal immigrants. An estimated 200 men, women and children were transported in the truck. More than 150 passengers are said to have been picked up by smugglers before police officers arrived Two Florida SWAT team members have been suspended after responding to the Florida massacre without their bosses' permission. Detectives Jeffrey Gilbert and Carl Schlosser - as identified by the Florida Sun-Sentinel - did not tell superiors that they were going to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where mass shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, killed 17 people. After they jumped into action without following protocol, the two were suspended from the Miramar Police Department's 'privileged program' on February 22 and were ordered to surrender their SWAT-issued rifles. Detectives Jeffrey Gilbert (left) and Carl Schlosser (right) were suspended from Miramar Police Department after responding to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day without their bosses' permission The SWAT members' suspension applied to the SWAT team, department spokeswoman Tania Tues said on Wednesday, adding that they'll remain on active duty for other assignments. Miramar's SWAT team had been training in Coral Springs near the high school at the time of the shooting rampage and was placed on standby after the active-shooter report came in. The Broward County Sheriff's Office never called for the team to respond. The Broward County Sheriff's Office never called for the team to respond to the shooting where Nikolas Cruz, 19, shot and killed 17 (Pictured, students flee Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School) Police response plans across the country have been changed to avoid having cops swarm to scenes (Pictured, students flee Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School) Police response plans across the country have been changed to avoid having cops swarm to scenes. A crowd of arriving law enforcement can cause road blocks needed by ambulances, overwhelm radios and potentially add to more confusion. The president of the police officers' union disagreed with the department's decision and called the officers 'brave and heroic'. 'While it may have been a violation of policy to not notify their supervisors that they were going there, their intentions were brave and heroic, I think,' Jeff Marano, president of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, told the Florida Sun-Sentinel on Wednesday. The president of the police officers' union disagreed with the department's decision and called the officers 'brave and heroic' (Pictured, Detective Carl Schlosser) he SWAT members' suspension applied to the SWAT team, department spokeswoman Tania Tues said on Wednesday, adding that they'll remain on active duty for other assignments (Pictured, Detective Jeffrey Gilbert) A third SWAT member, Officer Kevin Gonzalez, was suspended for violating the department's social media policy and code of contact, reported the Sun-Sentinel. He was accused of being linked to posts that 'put the city and police in a negative light,' the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. The Broward Sheriff's Office told the news outlet Wednesday that it could not confirm whether anyone contacted the Miramar department on the day of the shooting, but said Miramar's SWAT team was 'not needed.' Brian McKiterick has revealed a Victoria Police officer ordered him to stop expressing his views on the rainbow flag issue. The ex-mayor of Surf Coast Shire Council broke his silence to the Geelong Advertiser saying that the police gag order came after mentioning that the rainbow flag for gay marriage was not council business. 'I was instructed in May to not make any further comment in public, or comment in council, with respect to the rainbow flag issue,' he said. Brian McKiterick, (right) ex-mayor of Surf Coast Shire Council, has revealed a Victoria Police officer ordered him to stop expressing his views on the rainbow flag issue Cr McKitericks revelations come amid reports Victoria Police western region Superintendent Craig Gillard (pictured) was asked to speak about the dispute 'I had the meeting with police senior management and was informed the gag order came from senior management of the region.' Cr McKitericks revelations come amid reports Victoria Police western region Superintendent Craig Gillard was asked to speak to the serving policeman about his views on the rainbow flag dispute, the Geelong Advertiser reported. Cr McKiterick has been a councillor for 10 years and mayor for two twice, and was adamant he did not breach any police policy. The Surf Coast Shire debate about the future of the rainbow flag has been escalated to a political dispute. The Surf Coast Shire debate about the future of the rainbow flag has been escalated to a political dispute Western Victoria state Liberal MP Simon Ramsay accused Police Minister Lisa Neville of ordering Mr McKitericks apparent gag Ms Neville was rejected the allegation and expects Mr Ramsay to apologise. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Brian McKiterick for further comment. President Donald Trump has put out a rare and restrained tweet heralding his decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by May after months of trading insults and threats of nuclear annihilation. The historic decision was announced Thursday afternoon by a top South Korean official outside the White House - just hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said America was 'a long way from negotiations' with North Korea. South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, told reporters of the planned summit after briefing Trump and other top US officials about a rare meeting with Kim in the North Korean capital on Monday. Chung said he had told Trump that Kim says he's committed to 'denuclearization' and has pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests - providing a rare diplomatic opening after a year of escalating tensions over the North's tests. President Donald Trump put out a restrained tweet heralding his decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by May after months of trading insults 'Kim Jong Un talked about de-nuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze,' Trump tweeted. 'Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!' The historic decision came just hours after Tillerson made his comments, fueling speculation he was blindsided by the announcement. During a press conference in Ethiopia on Thursday on his first-ever Africa tour, Tillerson said the signals from Pyongyang may be positive but stressed negotiations with Kim's regime were not going to happen soon. 'I think as President Trump has indicated, (there are) potentially positive signals coming from North Korea by way of their intra-Korean dialogue with South Korea,' he told journalists. But 'in terms of direct talks... we're a long way from negotiations, we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it,' he said. A half hour after the foreign official announced the pending meeting steps from the West Wing, the White House confirmed Trump's participation. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have spent the past few months trading insults and threats of nuclear annihilation The historic decision came just hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said America was 'a long way from negotiations' with North Korea A statement from White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the place and time of the meeting was still to be determined. 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined,' Sanders said. 'We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from attaining a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the US mainland. He's oscillated between threats and insults directed at Kim, and more conciliatory rhetoric. His more bellicose talk, and Kim's nuclear and missile tests, have fueled fears of war. Trump, who has ramped up economic sanctions on North Korea to force it to negotiate on giving up its nukes, has threatened the pariah nation with 'fire and fury' if its threats against the US and its allies continued. He has derided Kim by referring to him as 'Little Rocket Man.' After Kim repeated threats against the US in a New Year's address and mentioned the 'nuclear button' on his office desk, Trump responded by tweeting that he has a nuclear button, too, 'but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!' On Tuesday after leaving Pyongyang, Chung had publicized that North Korea was offering talks with the United States on denuclearization and normalizing ties, but the proposal for a summit still came as a huge surprise, and will raise questions about whether the two sides are ready for such a high-level meeting. President Donald Trump has accepted North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's dramatic offer to meet, and he'll do it by May, a South Korean official said Thursday evening Peace move: Kim Jong Un held face to face talks with South Korea's delegation this week - and has passed a message to Trump offering to meet Chung, who credited Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign for the diplomatic opening, said Kim understands that routine US-South Korea military drills 'must continue.' The drills were suspended during the Winter Olympics recently hosted by South Korea, which provided impetus for the inter-Korea rapprochement. The drills are expected to resume next month. North Korea has long protested the military maneuvers south of the divided Korean Peninsula as a rehearsal for invading the North. Trump had made a surprise visit to the White House press briefing room on Thursday afternoon to alert reporters to the South Korean announcement. When asked whether the announcement would be about talks with North Korea, he told ABC reporter Jon Karl: 'It's almost beyond that. Hopefully, you will give me credit.' On Tuesday, Trump had expressed both hope and skepticism about the reported offer of talks, which has yet to be confirmed, at least publicly, by the isolated North Korean government. While the path to a diplomatic resolution over the North's nuclear arsenal would be long and difficult, talks could dampen fears of war breaking out over what represents an emerging threat to the US mainland. Deposed despot Robert Mugabe left Zimbabweans fearing a possible return after he was pictured posing with the current leader of the opposition this week. The photo sent shockwaves through the ruling ZANU-PF party which he dominated for decades as he was shown with opposition leader Ambrose Mutinhiri. Mutinhiri recently became the leader of the brand new National Patriotic Front (NPF) party which hopes to unseat the government in polls expected by August. The NPF is made up of a pack of pro-Mugabe politicians who broke off from the incumbent ZANU-PF party back in November after the tyrant stood down. Mutinhiri's only became leader of the NPF last week after an abrupt resignation from ZANU-PF. The announcement that he would be the presidential candidate of the new party came as a shock to many and exposed deep divisions in the governing party. Scroll down for video Robert Mugabe (centre) posing with Zimbabwean opposition leader Ambrose Mutinhiri (right) The symbolism of the photo opportunity, which was featured at the top of a press release issued by the new pro-Mugabe splinter party, was unmistakable. In response, Zimbabwe's new president Emmerson Mnangagwa said the government would be watching Mugabe's activities very closely. 'There is an issue regarding the former president,' he said. 'Currently we see in the media various speculations about his activities... we are not happy with what the media is saying. We don't know whether it's correct or not but it is an issue we are examining.' '(The photo) sort of solidifies the whole idea that the Mugabe family is behind the project,' said Gideon Chitanga, an analyst with the Johannesburg-based regional think-tank Political Economy Southern Africa, describing Mugabe's meeting with Mutinhiri as 'very cordial'. Other analysts said that Mnangagwa had every reason to be concerned by Mugabe's sudden re-emergence on the political scene. 'There is an understated panic -- especially within ZANU-PF,' said Zimbabwean political analyst Brian Kagoro who added that the ruling party had already struggled to formulate a response to the opposition following the death of its figurehead Morgan Tsvangirai in February. Analysts say new President Emmerson Mnangagwa is right to be concerned by Mugabe's sudden re-emergence on the political scene Mugabe's resignation came after protestors held demonstrations calling for him to step aside 'It would have been a much easier task to concentrate on infiltrating the (opposition) but now they have to deal with uncertainty as to who is with them,' said Brian Kagoro, a director of the UHAI Africa think-tank. Mugabe was forced to quit when the military briefly took power in November and ZANU-PF lawmakers launched impeachment proceedings against their once beloved leader. Since his dramatic reversal of fortune, he has largely appeared to stay out of public life. The military moved against Mugabe, 94, after he sacked his then-deputy and heir-apparent Mnangwga apparently fearing the nonagenarian was grooming his wife Grace to succeed him as president. The former first lady had cultivated her own factional support base within ZANU-PF known as 'G-40' that was seen as hostile to the security establishment. 'There is a fight for legitimacy among the retired military supremos,' said Kagoro, who suggested that Mugabe was behaving with 'grand malice' over his treatment. The NPF claims to have many members 'who are outraged by the unconstitutional and humiliating manner in which president Mugabe was criminally ousted from the leadership of both ZANU-PF and the country'. Robert Mugabe forged a reputation as one of the most brutal and corrupt leaders in the world Who is Robert Mugabe? Zimbabwe's implacable tyrant Robert Mugabe was ousted in November 2017 after a 30 year career as President of Zimbabwe. Mugabe was instrumental in founding the Republic of Zimbabwe - but became known for his brutal policy and corrupt leadership. His rule proved to be one of the most controversial of any world leader in the 20th or 21st century. At 94 years of age when he was eventually replaced by a military coup he was by far the world's oldest active national leader. He was deposed by a military uprising but refused to resign from office for several days afterwards - prompting days of protests across Zimbabwe. Eventually he was persuaded to resign and he was replaced in his position as President and leder of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party by Emmerson Mnangagwa - known as 'the crocodile'. Advertisement Despite the NPF's emergence and the ensuing trepidation at the top of ZANU-PF, the pretender party is unlikely to make significant inroads at the polls. 'They are trying to create the impression that Mugabe has a lot of residual support,' said Derek Matyszak, a independent Zimbabwean political analyst. 'But I don't think they are going anywhere. 'And though he is unaccustomed to not exercising his bit of power, I can't see him going full on into the political field because he is dependent on Mnangagwa to have a comfortable retirement.' Mutinhiri himself is seen as a marginal figure without an established regional or ethnic base that would be essential to dent ZANU-PF's monolithic grip on power. Chitanga, the analyst, said it was unfortunate that Mugabe appeared to be 'getting entangled in opposition politics.' 'The normal thing would have been for him to retire quietly,' he said. The NPF has quoted Mugabe as saying that 'people are free to belong to parties of their choice'. It also vowed to ensure 'there is no interference by the army, or those that would want to resort to violence as a means of getting votes'. It is an irony that will not be lost on voters that elections held under Mugabe were marred by violence and voter intimidation - alongside allegations of electoral fraud. Aracely Sauceda, 24, had an outstanding felony warrant from the Burelson County Sheriff's Office and was found at the Progreso International Bridge A former Texas high school teacher who had a relationship with a student was arrested at the Mexican border on Wednesday. Aracely Sauceda, 24, had an outstanding felony warrant from the Burelson County Sheriff's Office and was found at the Progreso International Bridge. 'CBP officers are committed to protecting our country and communities as they remain vigilant in intercepting travelers with outstanding warrants,' said Port Director Walter Weaver, Progreso/Donna Port of Entry to News 4 San Antonio. 'I commend our officers for this noteworthy apprehension.' The former educator was detained as she walked across the Progreso International Bridge while returning from Mexico. She had been flagged as a possible match to an outstanding warrant when officers found that she was wanted in Burelson County for having a relationship with a student. She was arrested once officers were flagged that she had the warrants while coming back over the border from Mexico on Wednesday Sauceda was a Spanish teacher at Caldwell High School in Caldwell, Texas, in September 2017 Sauceda was a Spanish teacher at Caldwell High School in Caldwell, Texas, in September 2017 when students began gossiping about a relationship she had with a 16-year-old male student. District employees investigated and notified the sheriff and the Santa Rosa, Texas, native offered her resignation on September 18. But Sauceda hasn't been the only teacher at the school under scrutiny for inappropriate behavior with students. Students began gossiping about a relationship she had with a 16-year-old male student and an investigation led to her resignation Jamie Lynn Goforth, 37, turned herself into the authorities on Sunday for having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy in October. The science teacher was released from Burleson County Jail after fronting $10,000 bail, The Eagle reports. An improper relationship between an educator and a student can lead to up to 20 years in prison as it is a second-degree felony. American Guns TV star Richard Wyatt, 54, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison on Thursday A Discovery Channel star and gun shop owner was sentenced to 78 months behind bars for dealing firearms without a license, and failing to report over a million dollars to the IRS. Richard Wyatt, 54, rose to fame on the Discovery Channel series 'American Guns' which focused on his shop Gunsmoke Guns in Wheatridge, Colorado. Wyatt relinquished his federal firearms license back in 2012 but continued to hustle arms secretly in conjunction with other gun businesses and he failed to report $1.1million of income to the IRS. Despite not having a firearms license, the former TV-star conspired with nearby gun store owners to operate under a straw license. Wyatt would have customers buy a gun at Gunsmoke Guns then head to other stores for criminal background checks and to pick up their weapons, according to the Denver Post. TV star: Wyatt's show American Guns aired from 2011 to 2012 in his shop Gunsmoke Guns where he illegally sold guns despite relinquishing his license to do so in 2012 His show focused on Wyatt (right) and his wife (second right) and children (both left). He was caught in illegal arms deals by undercover agents and found guilty of 10 felony counts last year and now faces six and a half years in prison His operation was foiled when two undercover agents purchased four guns from his on three occasions, while wearing body cameras, according to court records. In March 2015, ATF agents seized 583 guns and ammunition from his shop. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison on Thursday after after U.S. District Court found him guilty on 10 felony counts last year, for not only his failure to report over a million in income, but conspiracy and dealing firearms without a license as well. Wyatt's attorney Brian Leedy argued for a 2.5 year sentence instead saying that his loss of ability to exercise the Second Amendment, is punishment enough and is 'as severe as could be imagined aside from incarceration'. 'Guns have been my entire life. Ill never be able to touch one again Ive got to start over completely,' Wyatt said. 'But I got in a little bit over my head,' Wyatt said on the TV fame. His TV screen career lasted from 2011 to 2012 over 26-episodes centered on his gun shop, and family of wife and two children. He was paid $500,000 for the Discovery Channel stint. The show centered on his shop (above) in Wheatridge, Colorado where he illegally sold arms for years and failed to report $1.1million in income to the IRS 'The pressure of it. The places I got to go and the people I got to meet I drank the Kool-Aid and I thought I was special,' he added. Chief Judge Marcia Krieger asked Wyatt to point out what exactly he felt he did wrong to which Wyatt answered 'I didn't do the paperwork. I didn't pay my fair share.' Krieger used this answer against him saying Wyatt did not understand the severity of his crimes of illegally selling arms. She stayed firm on the six-year sentence. She said Wyatt appeared remorseful over the consequences of jail time and not for his actions. Wyatt's attorney tried to raise the TV personality's former law enforcement stint as evidence of good character. But Krieger found this to make his disregard for the law all the more abhorrent. She said, he had 'elements of fraud, greed and arrogance that says, "I'm above the law."' 'Mr. Wyatt. You are not,' she added. Woolworths forced to ship 350 tonnes of food on a barge from Townsville Falls of up to 300mm have already closed roads and schools in the Far North The worst flooding in nearly a decade in Queensland has sent a torrent of water plunging over Barron Falls near Cairns. The steep-tiered waterfall is usually only home to a trickle of water, but it is gushing from the downpours. Falls of up to 300mm in parts of the Far North have closed roads and schools and cut off towns. The trickle of water at Baron Falls (left) has become a torrent (right) after recent wild weather Police have issued an emergency alert for people in Ingham because floodwaters are expected to rise above the levels seen in the devastating 2009 floods over the weekend. Townsville Bulletin reporter Chris Lees said no one was going anywhere: 'Emergency crews are on the scene making sure everyone is safe. 'The town is cut in half and there are about 18 firefighters - with half on each side of the town', he said. The heavy rainfalls which have drenched the Far North this week are expected to move north today. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jim Richardson told the Cairns Post that Cairns and the surrounding areas would stay wet over the weekend. 'The heavier stuff is generally pushing north. We are still expecting some rainfall to be around the next few days. A torrent of water plunged down over Barron Falls near Cairns after severe flooding (pictured) 'The heavier rain will be mostly north of Cairns by this evening but over the next seven days showers are continuing for that region', he added. Woolworths has been forced to organise a ship to take approximately 350 tonnes of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat along with baby nappies and formula, on a barge from Townsville. Hinchinbrook Council have called a major flood warning for the Herbert River and urged residents to prepare for more flooding. Sandbags have been made available for pick up in Ingham, Cordelia and Halifax, for people making preparations in the Far North. School council chairman Roderick Lyle told parents on Thursday night deputy principal Rohan Brown (pictured) had left Trinity Grammar in Melbourne The long-standing deputy principal of an elite, private high school has been fired for cutting a student's hair. Trinity Grammar School council chairman Roderick Lyle told parents on Thursday night deputy principal Rohan Brown had left the Melbourne school. Mr Lyle said Mr Brown's actions were 'inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age', The Age reported. It is understood Mr Brown cut a student's hair because it was too long on the school's photo day. 'As a result, the school council was of the view that Mr Brown's leadership position at the school was no longer tenable,' the letter read. 'We are all very disappointed and deeply saddened by the situation.' Mr Brown had worked at the school for almost 30 years, and said he was upset about what had happened. 'I would like to go back. It's a good school and this is tearing me apart. I can't comment further,' he said. Former students said they believed the decision to sack Mr Brown was political. It is understood Mr Brown cut a student's hair because it was too long on the school's photo day (Trinity Grammar pictured) 'This was a school which produced well-rounded men who had an interest in the wider community not just their pay packets and status. The school is being destroyed,' a former Trinity Grammar student said. Former teachers said there had been high staff turnover after current principal Michael Davies took the role in 2014. A teacher estimates 152 staff had left the school since then. In his letter to parents, Mr Lyle said Mr Brown had served the school and had made a strong contribution. An interim leadership structure has been put in place at the school while the council looked for a replacement for Mr Brown. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Trinity Grammar School for comment. President Donald Trump is set to become the first ever US president to meet with a North Korean leader after he agreed to a historic meeting with Kim Jong-un. After months of trading insults and threatening to 'totally destroy' the country, Trump agreed on Thursday to meet with Kim for a summit to negotiate an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. No sitting American president has ever met with a North Korean leader. The meeting would be unprecedented during seven decades of animosity between the US and North Korea. The countries remain in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. After months of trading insults and threatening to 'totally destroy' the country, President Trump agreed on Thursday to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong-un for a summit 'Great progress being made,' Trump tweeted after the South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, announced the plans to reporters in a hastily called appearance on a White House driveway. Trump added that sanctions will remain in place until there's a deal. It has been suggested that the upcoming summit is somewhat of a gamble and could be seen as a diplomatic win for North Korea given the country has been after international respect for years. The meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged bellicose insults in the past year that have raised fear of war, would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of tests aimed at developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. The meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un (above) would be unprecedented during seven decades of animosity between the US and North Korea Peace move: Kim Jong Un held face to face talks with South Korea's delegation this week - and has passed a message to Trump offering to meet President Donald Trump has accepted North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's dramatic offer to meet, and he'll do it by May, a South Korean official said Thursday evening Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from attaining a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland, a goal that Pyongyang is on the cusp of reaching. Trump's aides have been wary of North Korea's diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments and the failure of efforts on disarmament by the administrations of President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Under Clinton in October 2000, then-U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright held talks in Pyongyang with then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. The White House said late on Thursday that Trump's meeting with Kim would take place 'at a place and time to be determined.' People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Seoul Railway Station in South Korea on Thursday following the announcement A protester stands to oppose the United States' policies against North Korea near U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Thursday 'Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze,' Trump said in a tweet. 'Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time.' It marks a dramatic shift in Trump's stance toward North Korea. He has threatened the pariah nation with 'fire and fury' if its threats against the U.S. and its allies continued. He has derided Kim by referring to him as 'Little Rocket Man.' Kim has pilloried Trump as 'senile' and a 'dotard.' After Kim repeated threats against the U.S. in a New Year's address and mentioned the 'nuclear button' on his office desk, Trump responded by tweeting that he has a nuclear button, too, 'but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!' Advertisement A passionate gospel choir, a trio of Albino musicians, a group of young girls parading to church in their First Communion dresses. These are just three of the variety of characters captured by American photographer Arlene Gottfried as she wandered through New York City with her camera for decades. Now 50 of Gottfried's photos, some of which have never been seen before by the public, are on display at the Daniel Cooney Fine Art gallery in Manhattan. Fifty photos from the collection of late American photographer Arlene Gottfried are now on display at Daniel Cooney Fine Art gallery in Manhattan The collection includes one of her most famous photos, a group of girls in their Communion dresses being led to church Also in the collection is this photo Gottfried captured of a group of Albino men singing in a band together in the 1980s The collection, titled A Lifetime of Wandering, was curated from 15,000 photographs dated from the 1960s up to the 1980s Pictured is 'Guy with Radio', 1970 Gottfried (pictured in a self-portrait), who is the sister of comedian Gilbert Gottfried, had planned to create a retrospective exhibition with Cooney The collection, titled 'A Lifetime of Wandering', was curated from 15,000 photographs dated from the 1960s up to the 1980s. Gottfried, who is the sister of comedian Gilbert Gottfried, had planned to create a retrospective exhibition with Cooney. But she never got the chance, passing away from breast cancer complications at the age of 66 in August 2017. But Gottfried never got the chance to curate her retrospective, passing away from breast cancer complications at the age of 66 in August 2017. Pictured is 'Women on Riis Beach', 1980 The responsibility fell onto Cooney, who spent countless hours inside a storage facility filled with Gottfried's work. Pictured 'Angel and Woman on Boardwalk in Brighton Beach', 1976 Included is a photo of the former convict and club dancer Midnight, who Gottfried followed as he declined into mental illness Nothing was out of bounds for Gottfried, who traveled to Rikers Island to photograph the jail's Olympic games in 1987 Cooney revealed that he decided to focus on images of Gottfried's that highlighted her innate sense of 'humanness' Cooney said Gottfried was 'never sarcastic' or 'making fun' of the variety of people that she focused on with her lens (Pictured is Coney Island, 1976) Thus the responsibility fell onto Cooney, who spent countless hours inside a storage facility filled with Gottfried's work. 'I'd close my eyes and I'd think, "Come on, Arlene, I need you now"', Cooney told Feature Shoot. Cooney decided to focus on images that highlighted Gottfried's innate sense of 'humanness' - favoring photos that featured eye contact or tenderness. 'That's what Arlene was about as a person,' Cooney said. 'She wanted to connect to people.' Cooney selected pictures from Gottfried that featured eye contact or tenderness, whether by the subject matter or the photographer herself Gottfried took her first photographs at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969, with a camera given to her by her father. She would later take a picture of the legendary Rick James (pictured) in 1981 But it wasn't the stars Gottfried was drawn to, even when her brother became a famous comedian. She was always trying to capture the everyday lives of New Yorkers, like these boys arguing at Coney Island in the 1970s She ventured into the the men's bathroom at the disco to capture this performer swallow fire in the heyday of the 1970s Gottfried also went to numerous local establishments, capturing New Yorkers as they enjoyed a cigarette or a drink at the bar (both pictured circa 1980) 'She was never sarcastic. She's not making fun of these people. She's enjoying them. She enjoyed her life,' he added. Gottfried took her first photographs at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969, with a camera that was a gift from her father. But the budding photographer didn't need a music festival to find captivating subjects. She quickly showed a knack for capturing surprising moments, even in the setting of her own home in Crown Heights. Gottfried began by taking pictures of her family and, at the age of 18, became the only female photography student in her class at FIT. Sometimes Gottfried turned the lens on her own family. Pictured is her mother in her kitchen in Boro Park in 1974 She ventured into people's private homes to capture them in their own spaces, in various states of poses and comfort (pictured left is Karen With Hat, 1985, and Bubble on Bed, 1972) Gottfried loved documenting New York, capturing everything from the playful environment of Coney Island to the Puerto Rican neighborhoods that dominated the Lower East Side in the 1970s and 1980s (Man in Central Park, late 1970s) Gottfried became a gospel singer late in her life, so it was no surprise that she often captured the performances she loved (Gospel Singers, 1990s) She focused her lens onto the wild streets of New York, documenting everything from the playful environment of Coney Island to the Puerto Rican neighborhoods that dominated the Lower East Side in the 1970s and 1980s. It was there that she captured one of her most famous pictures, a parade of young girls in white dresses, walking to their First Communion as a Western film played on a television screen atop a nearby car. Gottfried eventually became a professional photojournalist, her pictures appearing in the likes of New York Times Magazine, Life, and The Independent in London. And it was through her work that the world was given a peek into the everything from the clubs to the beaches to the streets of the city that never sleeps. Gottfried eventually became a professional photojournalist, her work appearing in the likes of New York Times Magazine, Life, and The Independent in London (Couple, circa 1980) An elderly woman is now too terrified to sleep at night after following a frightening home invasion in Melbourne's south east on Wednesday night. A 77-year-old woman was woken by a noise just after midnight and found a man ransacking her Carlingford Street home in Caulfield. She fled her home before she called police, Melbourne radio station 3AW reported on Thursday. An elderly woman woke to find a thief ransacking her Carlingford Street home in Caulfield on Wednesday night A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the offender stole a small amount of cash before fleeing. 'The offender was described as being short and thin, male, and was wearing dark clothing,' she said. The elderly victim named Judy called 3AW breakfast radio presenter Neil Mitchell on Friday morning to tell of her harrowing ordeal. 'I'm terrified,' Judy said. 'I slept with the neighbour last night.' She said she would now now with a hammer under her bed. 'It's under the bed, it's between the mattress and the next time somebody comes, one of us won't get out,' Judy replied. 'I'm very tough I must say, but it's frightening. I'm terrified to go out at night.' Police have confirmed it was the second home invasion within an hour in suburban Melbourne on Wednesday night. Two unknown male youths entered a Footscray home shortly before 11pm. A man aged in his 20s who was home at the time was assaulted with an unknown item and taken to hospital with upper body and facial injuries, including knife wounds. The pair then fled but it wasn't known whether anything was taken. It's believed both youths are African in appearance. A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia it was investigating both incidents and urged anyone with information about either incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The latest robberies comes after radio presenter Kate Langbroek was left bruised after an incident involving a man attempting to break down the front door of her St Kilda home. The Australian's Newspoll yesterday shows two-thirds of Victorians believe the Victorian Government needs to do more to tackle violent crime ahead of November's election. A Byron Bay receptionist has come out on Facebook revealing she was raped after her drink was spiked. The 36-year-old woman, who does not wish to be identified, was at The Northern in January, when her drink was spiked and spent two days in hospital with internal damage and severe bruising. The woman claims her possession's were also stolen from her handbag, wallet, phone, clothes and even her underwear. A Byron Bay receptionist has come out on Facebook revealing she was raped after her drink was spiked (stock image) The woman claims her drink was spiked while she was at The Northern Hotel (pictured) and it wasn't until February 23, she was able to report the assault to police The woman says, 'according to doctors, medical staff and counsellors, Byron Bay has a higher than average sexual assault rate and police are struggling.' It wasn't until February 23 the woman was able to bring up the courage and report the assault to police. 'It took me a few weeks of riding a horrendous rollercoaster of emotions ranging from embarrassment, shame, anger and denial,' she said. 'I understand it took me a while to come forward, but nothing can prepare you for the emotions which follow such a horrific act.' The woman says when she first approached the police she was told to speak to a sexual assault counsellor before giving a statement, which she did. After five days, she contacted a detective saying she wanted to make her statement so investigations could begin. 'I emailed the detective and got a short reply saying that they are a bit busy with another investigation and will contact me when they have a day or two free. 'I have since emailed them 3 times and received NO response. It is now March 8th.' A detective has since contacted the woman with investigations under way. A New South Wales Police spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia there was a report of the incident (stock image) The woman spoke to Daily Mail Australia and said she was frustrated that it took police so long to get back to her. 'I know it took me a while to come forward, but it was time for me to speak up about it and another day delaying it meant another delay the investigations would take,' she said. 'The police probably need more resources to be able to deal with these issues.' A New South Wales Police spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia there was a report of the incident. 'Police have received a statement on this incident and are investigating,' the spokeswoman said. 'Investigators have been in regular contact with the victim.' The woman says she is suffering from post-traumatic stress and cant go outside after dark, but is hoping after time that will change. Daily Mail Australia spoke to The Northern and a spokesman who said they were unaware of the claims. 'We don't know anything about this, we've only heard rumors,' the spokesman said. 'We also have not been contacted by police.' Sailors in past centuries would rely on the tool to forecast weather weeks ahead A mixture of chemicals shift from solid to crystalline inside a sealed glass tube Glenn Adamus purchased the mysterious storm glass for $20 three decades ago A weather prediction device has shown something big is in store for Queensland A weather prediction device used by explorers in the 1800s has indicated something big is in store for Central Queensland. Retired television cameraman and reporter Glenn Adamus bought the mysterious storm glass for $20 three decades ago. Made from a mixture of chemicals and stored in a sealed glass tube, the liquid shifts from solid to crystalline and is known as a marine barometer, the Morning Bulletin reported. A weather prediction device has hinted something big is in store for Queensland (stock picture) Sailors in past centuries would rely on the tool to forecast weather days and weeks in advance. Now Mr Adamus believes the worst is yet to come as torrential rain and floods hit Queensland. 'I haven't seen it get to that big in this part of the world but it is building up to something,' he said. 'It's indicating something big is coming, there is rain coming, there is no doubt about that.' A mixture of chemicals shift from solid to crystalline inside a sealed glass tube to forecast weather predictions He said the weather events currently taking hold of the North of Queensland was evidence something was brewing. Not wanting to scare anyone, the Emu Park man said it would be 'good rain'. 'I think it will be prevalent for three to four weeks,' he said. Mr Adamus predicted snow at Alice Springs in 1997 as well as Cyclone Dylan, Marcia and Debbie. President Donald Trump accepting an offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a stunning turn of events after a year of heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. While the move to hold a summit appears to be an effort to ease decades of animosity between the US and North Korea, it comes after months of the two leaders trading insults and Trump threatening to 'totally destroy' the country. From Trump calling Kim a 'rocket man' and 'short and fat' to the US President being labeled 'mentally deranged' there has been no shortage of nasty insults between the leaders. So ahead of the summit - for which a time and place is yet to be determined - here is a look at some of the more notable war of words between Trump and Kim so far. Donald Trump accepting an offer to meet with Kim Jong-un is a stunning turn of events after a year of heated verbal warfare filled with crude insults and threats of nuclear attacks Short and fat: Back in November last year, Trump hurled an insult at Kim during a trip to Vietnam calling him 'short and fat'. 'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?' Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!' he tweeted. He was retaliating after North Korean media had labeled Trump as an 'old lunatic'. Rocket Man: During his address to the UN General Assembly back in September, Trump said the US would 'totally destroy North Korea' if forced to defend itself or its allies. He also referred to Kim as 'Rocket Man' during his speech. 'The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,' Trump said. 'Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.' Mentally deranged: Kim hit back to the Rocket Man comments accusing Trump of 'mentally deranged behavior.' He said he would 'surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire'. Trump responded on Twitter the following morning: 'Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!' Big button: Kim said that he has a nuclear button on his desk in his New Year's address this year. In the same speech, he also called for improved relations with South Korea and suggested sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Trump quickly responded saying that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button. 'North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!' he tweeted. Fire and fury: Ever since Trump was elected, the two leaders have traded barbs about threats of potential nuclear attacks. After North Korea announced they had tested a series of missiles, Trump said the country had best not make more threats or 'they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.' North Korea hours later announces a plan to launch a salvo of missiles toward the US territory of Guam, a major military hub in the Pacific. Other threats of nuclear attacks: Kim said in his New Year's address in 2017 that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile had 'reached the final stage.' A day later Trump, who was then president-elect, tweeted: 'North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US It won't happen!' An egg freezing facility in Cleveland suffered a major malfunction potentially losing out on 2,100 frozen eggs and embryos. The University Hospital Fertility Center in Cleveland has a long-term storage tank containing liquid nitrogen that suffered equipment failure over the weekend. The failure caused the temperature to rise, ultimately making the eggs and embryos at the facility lose their viability. Some of these have been stored for decades. The University Hospital Fertility Center in Cleveland has a long-term storage tank containing liquid nitrogen that houses embryos and eggs An equipment failure caused the temperature to rise, ultimately causing close to 2,100 eggs and embryos to potentially lose viability (stock) 'We don't know the reasons why yet,' Patti DePompei, President of the UH MacDonald Women's Hospital and UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, told NBC News. 'But we do know that the temperature that was measured at a portion of the tank was higher than our acceptable limits.' 'We don't know the reasons why yet,' Patti DePompei, President of the UH MacDonald Women's Hospital and UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, said DePompei explained that while the facility has an alarm system, she wouldn't go into further detail until an outside investigation was conducted. 'Obviously the situation that occurred here is devastating for the families involved, and it's devastating for our physicians and our nurses and our staff as well,' added DePompei. Approximately 500 to 600 families were affected by the malfunction and University Hospitals have begun the tedious task of reaching out to all the families to see how they wish to proceed. In order to see if the egg or embryo is still viable, it has to be thawed out and implanted. All of the eggs and embryos have been moved to a working tank, with the hospital asserting that it won't destroy any of them. DePompei stated: 'We are working very very carefully to determine how we can best support them through the process.' University Hospitals are now rushing to inform close to 600 families that they could thaw the eggs and embryos out and implant them to see if they take (stock) Egg freezing has grown in popularity, with more than 6,2000 women going through the procedure in 2015, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Women have to fork up approximately $12,000 to $14,000 to undergo the procedure. A spokesperson for ASRM shared that there had not been a similar malfunction on on record at any other facility. 'Our hearts go out to the patients who have suffered this loss,' said ASRM's chief policy officer, Sean Tipton, to NBC News. 'We will work with our member clinics to help them take any steps needed to ensure such an event never happens again.' The mother of the gunman who killed 14 children and three teachers at a Florida high school was considering giving up her parental rights after years of enduing his behavioral issues. Nikolas Cruz's adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz, had made dozens of calls to the authorities about her son's disturbing issues in the years leading up to his massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She died of pneumonia in November. 'The past few months [before she died] she was scared,' a source told Fox News. 'I think that's what killed her.' Lynda had worked with therapists to try and control both of her sons, Nikolas and Zachary, and called police. Things had gotten so bad that she did discuss possibly giving up her parental rights, although it is not known who she would have relinquished them to. Lynda Cruz considered giving up parental rights of Nikolas Cruz whose angry outbursts continued despite having mental health professionals and cops called to the home Zachary and Nikolas, adoptive brothers of Lynda, terrorized their mother to the point that she thought about giving up her parental rights to the troubled boys (they are pictured with Lynda's ashes in November) Nikolas killed 14 children and three teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 'I don't think she would have done it, she loved the boys more than anything in the world,' the source said. 'She was just fed up with not getting anywhere, tired of how she was being treated and she was saying, 'Why am I doing this to myself?' The mother once told the family source that Nikolas, dressed in a military uniform and holding an air gun, approached her and said: 'Drop to your knees b-, I'm going to blow your fing brains out.' He later laughed it off and said 'I'm sorry, Mom.' She once told the source on the phone, 'He thinks he's fing ISIS.' Despite the outbursts, Lynda still loved her son. 'She wrote things off that should have been addressed sooner,' the source said. Officials said the teen had received treatment at a mental health clinic for a while, but stopped getting help more than a year ago. He was also found to be autistic at age 10, and suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHA) and depression in his preteen years. Cruz's frequent outbusts included punching holes in walls and throwing things at their upper middle class home in Parkland. He was also seen on Snapchat cutting himself after a breakup. According to police incident reports Cruz in one instance threw chairs, a dog bowl and a drinking glass around the home, and in another he hit his adoptive mother with the plastic hose of a vacuum cleaner. Police would often respond, along with mental health professionals that were aware of Cruz's case history. However, none of the calls ever ended with a conviction on felony charges, and he was never involuntarily held due to mental illness, two points that are flagged in the national gun background checks. During one of dozens of times police responded to the Cruz family home for threats violent outbursts and self destructive behavior was in September of 2016. In that incident report he is described as suffering from mental illness and being 'emotionally handicapped,' and being on behavioral medication. Another report notes, 'He has mentioned in the past that he would like to purchase a firearm.' The family living in this posh Parkland, Florida home, where cops were called dozens of times The emergency calls that the police received from the home included incidents categorized as 'mentally ill person,' 'child/elderly abuse,' 'domestic disturbance' and 'missing person.' At least two calls reported Cruz as missing, in 2012 and 2013. During an incident in November of 2012, Lynda called the police to report he hit her with with the plastic hose of a vacuum cleaner. On another occasion on January 15, 2013, an angry Cruz railed against his mother after he refused to go school, and she took away his Xbox privileges. During this one instance the teen 'retaliated and threw a chair, dog bowl and a drinking glass across the room.' Cruz was formally charged on Wednesday with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 of attempted murder. A rubbish truck has been forced to dump its load on a busy freeway in South Australia after it caught on fire on Friday. Emergency services were called to the Bald Hills Road off-ramp on the South Eastern Freeway at Blakiston around 1.30pm after reports rubbish erupted into flames inside the truck. The rubbish truck driver was forced to unload the garbage onto the off-ramp. Shocked motorists drove past the blazing inferno (pictured) on the freeway south of Adelaide Six crews from South Australia's Country Fire Service attended the scene south of Adelaide. Three crews remained still at the scene four hours later. 'Our aircraft also attended but wasn't required,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia. It's unknown how much damage was caused to the truck. The rubbish truck driver was forced to unload the burning garbage (pictured) onto an off-ramp The incident caused delays in the vicinity while the mess was cleared. Traffic restrictions were in place between Adelaide and Bald Hills roads. 'There were a few delays but they have since cleared,' a South Australia Police spokesman said. There were separate delays to east bound traffic earlier on Friday morning following a single car rollover on the Princes Highway. The driver, a Mount Gambier man aged 78, was airlifted the Royal Adelaide Hospital with life threatening injuries. The passenger, a woman aged 70, was taken to hospital with non life threatening injuries. An elderly Melbourne woman has had her nose broken in a brazen random attack that follows a string of similar crimes in the area this week. The 70-year-old victim was assaulted by a young woman as she walked along Clow Street near the Dandenong Market on March 4. After the offender, aged between her late teens and early 20s, punched the woman in the face she quickly fled north towards Princes Highway. An 70-year-old woman was punched in the face in a brazen random attack near the Dandenong Market in Melbourne's south-east on March 4 Senior Constable Tony Lavars of the Dandenong Crime Investigation Unit told the Greater Dandenong Leader that a passer-by stopped to aid the injured pensioner after the frightening assault. The Good Samaritan took the woman to hospital where it was revealed she had a broken nose. Sen-Constable Lavars said the perpetrator didn't attempt to steal from the victim and no demands for money were made. Just two days earlier a similar shocking incident took place in the adjacent Dandenong Plaza. Over the weekend a group of youths threw a shopping trolley onto the roof of a woman's car as she drove into the Plaza's car park below. Although she wasn't injured, the victim said she heard a loud bang when the trolley hit the bonnet of her car. The assault on Clow Street (pictured) follows a string of criminal activity in the suburb over the past week The incidents follow a series of criminal offences in the area this week including a factory invasion in the early hours of Monday morning. Police are currently appealing for information after a factory invasion and later pursuit on Hammond Road in the suburb's south. It is believed two men gained entry to a premises before stealing seven televisions and a jet ski and fleeing the scene. Victoria Police attempted to intercept the vehicle before quickly terminating the pursuit for safety reasons. Anyone with information in relation to any of the offences is urged to contact crime stoppers on 1800 333 000. An 11-month-old child suffered horrific second-degree burns after he simply touched a door at his Austin daycare, it has been revealed. The family of Aiden McGivney are now suing The Goddard School over the incident, which left their little boy's hand covered in large yellow blisters. Jenny McGivney was at work when she received a call from the daycare, notifying her that Aiden had 'touched something hot on the door'. Aiden McGivney, now one years old, suffered horrific second-degree burns after he simply touched a door at his Austin daycare The family of Aiden McGivney are now suing The Goddard School for the incident, which left their little boy's hand covered in large yellow blisters (pictured) The staff said Aiden had burned his finger on either a 'metal door or a metal plate on the door', McGivney told WTSP. 'I asked if he was okay and they said he was fine, no rush to come,' she added. But when McGivney arrived at the school, she heard her son's screams and saw the huge blisters on his hand. 'I couldn't believe what I saw,' McGivney said. 'He was losing it.' The burns were so serious that a doctor at the local Round Rock, Texas hospital took one look at the boy's hands and immediately called the burn hospital in San Antonio Aiden had to be placed under anesthesia and undergo surgery on both of his hands McGivney quickly took her son to the pediatrician next door to the daycare, who advised she take Aiden to the hospital immediately. The burns were so serious that a doctor there took one look at the boy's hands and called the burn hospital in San Antonio. Aiden then had to be placed under anesthesia and undergo surgery on both of his hands. The one-year-old has since undergone numerous procedures and will have to wear protective compression gloves for up to a year while his hands heal. McGivney said the injuries have caused her baby plenty of pain and even slowed his eating habits. The one-year-old has since undergone numerous procedures and will have to wear protective compression gloves for up to a year as his hands heal His family (pictured) is now suing the school for damages, and fighting to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to another child 'It was cool that day. It was 75 degrees. How did the door get that hot?' McGivney said. 'What were the teachers doing, and why didn't they call for help?' Now the family is suing the school for damages, and fighting to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to another child. Sean Breen, the family's lawyer, said the door at the Goddard School is a 'skillet on hinges'. And the Travis County Sheriff's Office found that the door, which leads from the playground to the inside of the school building, got as hot as 170 F in October. The door was also tested by a Child Protective Services representative, who ordered the school to address the door. Staff members are currently testing the door each time they are outside, the school's owner told Breen. They have also tried to use laminated posters to cover the doors from the outside, but with little success. They are currently working on finding another solution. Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes Liam Fox has branded Donald Trump's transatlantic trade war 'absurd' and pledged to lobby the President to exempt the UK from the tariffs. The US leader has promised to exempt 'real friends' of the country from the 25 per cent tariffs which he signed into law last night. But Downing Street said they still do not know if the UK will be among the select list of countries to be shielded from the punitive charges. Dr Fox, the International Trade Secretary, promised to lobby for British steel interests on a visit to Washington next week - insisting UK make products America does not. His pledge came as Theresa May said tariffs are not the 'right way' to tackle the global steel glut. The PM's spokesman could not say whether Britain was confident it would get an exemption as a real friend of the United States. Liam Fox (pictured on Question Time last night) has branded Donald Trump's transatlantic trade war 'absurd' but insisted Britain still does not know if it will be targeted The US President (pictured at the tariff signing event) announced last night he was pressing ahead with punishing 25 per cent tariffs on steel imported to America to protect domestic industry The tariffs could cause heavy damage to the UK steel industry, including at Port Talbot in South Wales (pictured) He said: The first thing to say is we dont think tariffs are the right way to address the global problem of over capacity on steel. That requires a multilateral solution. We will work with our EU partners. Liam Fox is travelling to the United States next week to get more detail. The spokesman could not say whether Britain was confident it would get an exemption as a friend of the United States. What are tariffs and why has Trump's plan to impose them been met with such criticism? Tariffs are charges which governments can slap on certain goods or products imported into the country. Taxing items coming into a country makes them more expensive and people less likely to buy them as a result. Imposing such tariffs makes people more likely to turn to local products instead theoretically protecting domestic jobs. However, Governments usually try to negotiate minimum tariffs so that goods can be traded freely around the world. This is because for many years most politicians have agreed that free trade leads to greater wealth and makes products cheaper to buy in the shops. The US says the balance had shifted because China has massively ramped up the amount of steel it has produced in recent years and dumped it cheaply on the market. This global steel glut has made it far harder for steel industries in other countries to compete - prompting plant closures and job losses. Donald Trump has responded to domestic anger by imposing his hefty tariffs in a bid to protect the American steel industry. But critics around the world have blasted the move - warning this will result in a tit for tat trade war which will only push up prices in the long term. Advertisement He also could not say whether Britain would take a unilateral exemption if the wider EU was included in the new tariffs. The US President announced last night he was pressing ahead with punishing tariffs on steel imported to America to protect domestic industry. But he also hinted friendly countries might be able to negotiate an exemption. Both the EU and China have vowed to retaliate if the charges ever go ahead, with iconic American brands such as Harley Davidson and Kentucky whiskey in the firing line. Dr Fox faced ridicule from Remain supporters today for pleading for Britain to get a special status when it could stay bound to European allies in the EU. On BBC's Question Time, shortly before the tariffs were confirmed, Dr Fox said the UK produces 'very high value steel, some of which can't be sourced in the United States and will simply push up the price of steel there'. 'We also make steel for the American military programme so it's doubly absurd that we should then be caught on an investigation on national security. 'So our view is yes we can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel, but this is the wrong way to go about it.' Dr Fox insisted Britain would 'wait and see' if it was a target of the tariffs when they are brought into force. A Government spokesman added: 'The Government has been clear that tariffs are not the right way to address the global problem of overcapacity, which requires a multilateral solution. 'We will work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions outlined today and continue to work with all the sectors involved in this decision to robustly support our industries and demonstrate the importance of their high-quality products for US industries and security.' Best for Britain supporter and former Labour cabinet minister Andrew Adonis said: 'Trump's tariff on steel and aluminium imports should be hung around the neck of each and every Brexiteer who promised this country free trade and open markets outside of the EU. 'Going on bended knee to Washington begging for a exemption shows how weak the government is. 'His actions are a timely reminder that the only protection from backwards mercantilism is the pooling of our interests and sovereignty with friends and allies. 'Our vital steel industry is now under existential threat from a capricious continental superpower. Thank goodness we have the support, protection and solidarity of the EU. For now.' Dr Fox faced ridicule from Lord Andrew Adonis today for pleading for Britain to get a special status when it could stay bound to European allies in the EU Trade body UK Steel said the tariffs could have a 'profound and detrimental impact', while the Community union demanded action to protect British jobs and avoid a 'global trade war'. UK Steel's director Gareth Stace said the tariffs 'would have a profound and detrimental impact on the UK steel sector, which exported some 350,000 tonnes of products to the US in 2017, over 7 per cent of its total exports'. US products such as Jack Daniels Whiskey could be hit with new tariffs in a transatlantic trade war 'The UK sector is in the midst of a fragile recovery following years of considerable turmoil, it would be utterly devastating if this were to be undermined.' He said it was 'vital' the EU and UK worked with the US administration on exemptions to the tariff. But the industry also fears the indirect consequences of Mr Trump's actions, which could lead to cheap Chinese steel being dumped on European markets instead of sold to the USA. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of steelworkers' union Community, said: 'Donald Trump's short-sighted strategy will put jobs at risk on both sides of the Atlantic. 'It is now more important than ever that Theresa May and Liam Fox use every bit of influence they have left in America to protect the jobs of British steelworkers. 'The steel crisis cost our industry thousands of jobs and the last thing we need now is a global trade war. 'The UK government must work with other EU nations to ensure we do not suffer the global consequences of Donald Trump's actions.' Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, whose constituency in south Wales includes the giant Port Talbot steelworks, said Theresa May had 'let down' British workers by failing to stand up to the US President. He said: 'Theresa May has, again, let down British steelworkers. 'We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis,' European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned (pictured on Sunday in Hamburg) 'Ever since Trump first announced punitive tariffs on steel and aluminium last week, the British steel industry, unions and steel MPs have been calling on her to make the case against these tariffs and for a UK exemption. 'Tonight we learnt that she has abjectly failed in that task.' Labour's shadow trade secretary, Barry Gardiner, wrote to his Government counterpart, Liam Fox, criticising his failure to address Parliament on the tariffs since they were first announced. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, whose constituency in south Wales includes the giant Port Talbot steelworks, said Theresa May had 'let down' British workers by failing to stand up to the US President He said: 'For an entire week you have failed to come to the House of Commons to tell Parliament what representations you have made to the United States of the European Union to protect UK steel producers. Why? 'Do you not care that 32,000 skilled men and women who work in our steel sector are fearful for their jobs and their families' future. 'They are waiting to hear some words of support from this Government for their industry. When will you do the decent thing and come to the House to made a statement?' The EU's trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the bloc should be excluded from the measures and she would meet US trade representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss the situation on Saturday. Speaking in the White House with a group of workers, Mr Trump confirmed the levy on steel imports and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium in response to an 'assault on our country' from cheap overseas metal. There would be exemptions for North America Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) states Mexico and Canada, and Mr Trump said other countries may be able to negotiate to avoid the tariffs. Mr Trump said if his goals could be accomplished 'by other means' the US will remain 'open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security'. Senator Lindsey Graham offered a word of warning to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un after President Trump accepted his invitation to meet. The Republican politician said on Thursday that he hoped for peace, but warned Kim that 'it will be the end' of him if he tried to take advantage of Trump. In a statement posted on Twitter, Sen. Graham also issued a caution to the U.S. and the international community as he said he thinks North Korea will be 'all talk and no action'. Word of warning: Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement that he has hopes for peace, but warned Kim Jong-Un against trying to 'play' President Trump In a statement posted on Twitter, Sen. Graham also issued a caution to the U.S. and the international community as he said he thinks North Korea will be 'all talk and no action' It reads: 'After numerous discussions with President Trump, I firmly believe his strong stand against North Korea and its nuclear aggression gives us the best hope in decades to resolve this threat peacefully. 'I am not naive. I understand that if the past is an indication of the future, North Korea will be all talk and no action. 'However, I do believe that North Korea now believes President Trump will use military force if he has to. 'A word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un - the worst possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him. If you do that, it will be the end of you - and your regime.' The announcement that President Trump had accepted the invitation came from the South Korean official who led the delegation to Pyongyang this week. South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong (L) meeting US President Donald J. Trump (R) at the White House in Washington, DC, USA Peace move: Kim Jong Un held face to face talks with South Korea's delegation this week - and has passed a message to Trump offering to meet South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong informed U.S. press of the expected in-person conversation, and said the goal of the unprecedented meeting between the two countries' leaders is permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Chung did not say where the meeting would take place. A half hour after the foreign official announced the meeting, steps from the West Wing, the White House confirmed Trump's participation. A statement from White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the place and time of the meeting was still being worked out. 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined,' Sanders said. 'We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' As the Dinka set up camp near the Nile, famine looms. The South Sudan state bureau said in a statement that in January 5.3 million people, representing 48 percent of the population, were facing acute food insecurity. In 2017 some 100,000 people were affected by a famine - meaning people started dying due to lack of food. It was declared over in June. 'Improved access and a massive humanitarian response succeeded in containing and averting famine later last year. Despite this, the food insecurity outlook has never been so dire as it is now,' said a joint statement from three United Nations aid agencies. 'The situation is deteriorating with each year of conflict as more people lose the little they had. We are alarmed as the lean season when the harvest runs out is expected to start this year much earlier than usual,' said Adnan Khan, World Food Programme country director. A bag filled with 54 severed human hands found dumped near a river in Russia was not the work of criminals, according to police. Officers in the city of Khabarovsk, in far east Siberia, say the hands were taken from unidentified bodies and stored at a nearby forensic laboratory. The hands were taken to preserve the fingerprints in case the remains needed to be identified at a later date, investigators said. Locals in Khabarovsk, in far east Siberia, found a bag containing 54 severed human hands on a small island in the middle of a river, close to a popular fishing spot Many speculated it could be the work of a murderer or criminal gang, but police now say the appendages come from a forensic lab which disposed of them improperly Police said the bag ended up dumped on a small island in the middle of a river after being disposed of in an 'inappropriate way'. Officers are now 'carrying out checks and studying all the circumstances of this event', a spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee said. Russians had previously speculated that a dismembering maniac or an international gang could have been behind the grisly find. One theory was that the hands were severed from corpses which had been plundered for body parts to hide the identity of victims, the Siberian Times reports. Another was that it could be the work of the Yakuza, a transnational organised crime syndicate originating in Japan, or a Chinese mafia gang. The island where the hands were discovered was just 19 miles downstream from the point where the Amur forms the frontier with China. Others saw the work of a new maniac dismembering his victims. The hands were discovered close to the Amur River which runs through the city of Khabarovsk Following the police announcement many reacted with disbelief on social media, with some smelling a cover-up. Some asked why fingerprints could not be taken and stored on electronic databases rather than preserving entire hands. Another said: 'The (human hands) do not have criminal background ? 'So there is nothing criminal in the fact that hands were cut off from dead bodies for the purpose of taking fingerprints?' 'This is plain weird,' said another. 'When you buried your friends or relatives, how often did you see that they did not have limbs? Let's be honest. 'Why were these limbs amputated and stored in the same place and later utilised in such an odd way? 'I wonder if this amputation has a purpose to prevent identification of the dead bodies when they are found it would be strange to find 26-28 dead bodies without hands. This are surely not medical stuff, with only hands were cut off' 'Somebody brought the hands here to hide them, not utilise them.' 'This is how our state bodies treat the remains of Russian citizens' A Danish inventor accused of murdering a journalist on his submarine searched the internet for 'beheaded girl agony' just hours before they met. These searches lead Peter Madsen, 47, to a video of a girl having her throat slit. He has admitted sleeping next to the woman's corpse before dismembering her and burying her at sea. Madsen told Copenhagen City Court that Kim Wall, 30, died after a sudden air pressure fall. The inventor said that he was on deck and Miss Wall was inside the vessel when a vacuum effect meant that he was unable to open the hatch door to get to her as exhaust fumes filled the craft. Last message: Miss Wall sent her boyfriend several text messages during her interview with Madsen, which took place on the submarine He admitted that he had lied to investigators and changed his account of what actually happened to Wall several times, but said that he had done so to spare her family. He said: 'I wanted to spare her family and the world the details ... about what actually happened when she died, because it is gruesome.' Miss Wall disappeared after meeting Madsen for an interview on his submarine Nautilus and her body-parts were later found in plastic bags in the water off the coast of Copenhagen. Madsen told the court he already knew how to amputate limbs 'to save lives'. 'I do not see how that mattered at that time, as she was dead,' he added. The defendant told the court that Miss Wall had a 'very, very lovely night' until the moment she died. A psychiatric report of the 47-year-old Dane has concluded that he is an intelligent man 'with psychopathic tendencies' who has 'no empathy or feelings of guilt'. Madsen said in his testimony that he had tried to use a rope to hoist Wall's body out of the submarine, but that she was too heavy. Although he admitted cutting her body up to perform what he described as a sea burial, he told the court he took no sexual gratification from it, as was put to him by the prosecution. Miss Wall, 30, disappeared after meeting Madsen for an interview on his submarine Nautilus and her body-parts were later found in plastic bags off the coast of Copenhagen Trial: Peter Madsen is accused of the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall in August last year, and has admitted to mutilating her body and 'burying her at sea' He denied any sexual activity with the journalist. Earlier today, the prosecutor showed the court the heartbreaking final texts Miss Wall sent to her partner. 'I'm still alive btw (by the way),' she wrote, adding 'But going down now!' and 'I love you!!!!!!' A minute later, she added: 'He brought coffee and cookies tho.' Madsen, 47, is charged with murder, dismemberment and indecent handling of a corpse for the way he disposed of Miss Wall's body. Madsen denies killing the 30-year-old but admits to cutting her body up before he 'buried her at sea'. Madsen's lawyer Betina Hald Engmark said he denied the murder charge and maintained his position that the reporter died accidentally on board his submarine. Evidence: Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen, pictured today arriving in Copenhagen, showed the court the heartbreaking final texts Miss Wall sent to her partner before she died The press and hearers line up in front of the courthouse where the trial of Danish inventor Peter Madsen, charged with murdering and dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark Wearing a black t-shirt, jeans and black eyeglasses, Madsen appeared calm in court, his gaze often looking downwards. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen says Madsen's submarine was submerged for several hours on the night when Miss Wall disappeared, was invisible to radar and didn't immediately respond to attempts to make radio contact. When reached over radio - the audio file was played to the Copenhagen City Court Thursday - Madsen said he had let Wall off on Refshale island several hours into the trip. Madsen also said over the radio that there were no injured persons on board but only technical problems. Shortly after, Madsen reported 'man overboard' over the radio. He was picked up alone. After he was arrested on land, forensic experts found dried blood on Madsen's nose, 'blood that eventually was proven to belong to Kim Wall,' said Buch-Jepsen. Buch-Jepsen said Wall's blood was found on the military-style bodysuit that Madsen wore when he was arrested, and he also said that detectives found videos and texts about killing women on Madsen's laptop and an external hard drive. Buch-Jepsen also showed the court underpants and pantyhoses - both damaged - and pieces of hair. On August 10, Miss Wall and her Danish boyfriend, Ole Stobbe Nielsen, threw a goodbye party before moving to China. That evening, she received a text message from Madsen saying an interview was possible. For months, she had been trying to speak with him and she left the party to join the now 47-year-old Dane. After Wall left to meet Madsen, her boyfriend received several text messages from her. Police technicians board Peter Madsen's submarine UC3 Nautilus on a pier in Copenhagen three days after Kim Wall's disappearance He started worrying when the messages stopped coming and eventually alerted authorities, who launched a search for the submarine, which didn't have a satellite tracking system. The 33-ton, nearly 18-meter-long submarine sank south of Copenhagen shortly after being spotted afloat. Madsen was picked up unharmed. Initially, he told police he had let Wall off on Refshale island several hours into the trip. Investigators found dried blood inside the submarine, and divers eventually found Wall's body parts in plastic bags held down on the Baltic Sea bed by metal pieces. Her torso had been stabbed multiple times. Police believe Madsen sank the submarine on purpose, and found videos of women being tortured and killed on his personal computer in his hangar. He did not make the videos himself, investigators said. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen claims Madsen tied up and tortured Walls before killing her, either by cutting her throat or strangling her. The murder has been called premeditated because he had brought along tools he normally wouldn't take with him on the submarine. A psychiatric assessment described him as a 'perverted polymorph, and highly sexual deviant'. 'He has narcissistic and psychopathic traits, and is manipulative, with a severe lack of empathy and remorse,' said Butch-Jepsen. This is one of the last images of Kim Wall, as she and Madsen prepared to set off from Copenhagen harbour aboard Nautilus on August 11, 2017 Kim Wall grew up in southern Sweden, just across a narrow waterway from Copenhagen. She studied at Paris' Sorbonne university, the London School of Economics and Columbia University in New York, from where she graduated with a master's degree in journalism in 2013. She wrote for The New York Times, The Guardian and other publications, reporting on topics such as tourism in post-earthquake Haiti and nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. Shortly after her death, the Columbia Journalism School graduate's family and friends set up a fund in her name to help women journalists reporting on similar issues. 'This will be a way for everyone to focus on the future instead of it all ending that night on the submarine,' her mother Ingrid Wall told Swedish TT news agency ahead of the trial. 'This means her legacy will live on.' A New York nanny who knifed two children in her care to death complained about the youngsters' mother in her first statement to police, handwritten notes reveal. Yoselyn Ortega, 55, moaned about having to clean the Upper West Side apartment and look after Lucia Krim, six, and Leo Krim, two, despite it being her job. Two days after the attack, shackled to a hospital bed and with a tube down her throat, she dictated statements to NYPD Sgt. Yoel Hidalgo, using an alphabet board. She said: 'I had to do everything and take care of the kids. I worked as a babysitter only and she wanted me to do everything. She wanted five hours of cleaning every week.' Ortega is accused of stabbing the children multiple times and waiting for their mother - Marina - to come home and see the aftermath. The suspected murderer then plunged a knife into her own neck. Scroll down for video In this harrowing hand-written notes penned after the killings, Yoselyn Ortega said: 'I had to do everything and take care of the kids. I worked as a babysitter only and she wanted me to do everything. She wanted five hours of cleaning every week' More moans from Orgeta - saying every day is a different schedule and that she does not want to clean because of soap Yoselyn Ortega, 55, is currently on trial (above in court last Friday) charged with murdering siblings Leo and Lucia Krim in their Upper West Side apartment back in October 2012 Yoselyn Ortega, 55, is accused of killing the children she was meant to be looking after - Lucia Krim (right), six, and Leo Krim (left), two Ortega is accused of stabbing the children multiple times and waiting for their mother - Marina (pictured) - to come home and see the aftermath In her first statement to police following the murders, Ortega complained about the children's mother, the New York Post reports. 'I had to do everything and take care of the kids,' she said when she woke up in hospital. 'I worked as babysitter only and she (Krim) wanted me to do everything so wanted 5 hours of cleaning every week.' Ortega also said she didn't want to clean, 'because of soap'. Hidalgo told jurors she pointed to her pinky finger after making this statement. In the days before the killings, Marina said Ortega had shown her a bleach burn on her pinky finger. Marina went out and bought natural cleaning products, she testified in court last week. Statements from Yoselyn Ortega which were taken down by a police officer as she pointed to an alphabet sheet The police officer's notes, showing the name of the psychiatrist who refutes Ortega's claim she was possessed by the devil Photos of two bloodied knives were shown to jurors in court this week before the evidence photos were released by the New York District Attorney on Thursday One knife used in the stabbing murders was found in the bathroom sink just inches from a pink child's toothbrush Photos of a bloodied knife wrapped in a towel in the hallway (top of image) and blood spattered on the floor and walls were among the images shown One bloodied knife was found wrapped in a towel in the hallway on top of a toy refrigerator Two kitchen knives were used in the stabbing attack. The images were taken inside the apartment roughly seven hours after mother Marina Krim found her children's bodies Marina's frantic text messages to Ortega She also said she paid Ortega $100 extra per week for the five hours of cleaning, according to the New York Post. Speaking about taking down Ortega's statement, Hidalgo said: 'When I got things wrong she would make a grunting, gargling sound. She would tap on the railing. She would show frustration. Even small facial expressions, she would make.' Ortega has claimed she heard voices and was 'touched by the devil', which drove her to kill the young children in October 2012. Psychologists have refuted this, but the 55-year-old - who is on trial - has pleaded not guilty, claiming insanity. On March 2, Marina stormed out of the courtroom after screaming at Ortega. 'You're evil and you love this! You like this!' Krim screamed, wailing 'Get me out of here. Please, get me out of here. Get me out!' as she was escorted out of the courtroom by court officers for a short break. The judge told jurors to disregard the outburst. Prosecutors say two-year-old Leo was stabbed five times and his six-year-old sister Lucia, also known as Lulu, was stabbed 30 times after she fought back. Ortega had allegedly grabbed the two kitchen knives and butchered the children while their mother was blocks away at a dance studio where Lulu was supposed to be. It is claimed Ortega waited until Marina had found her children dead in the bathroom before plunging a knife into her own neck so that she could relish in the devastated woman's pain and horror. Ortega was supposed to pick up Lulu from kindergarten and walk her to dance class before going home to put Leo down for nap. The children's mother had taken her other daughter, three-year-old Nessie, to a swimming class. Marina had shown up to the dance studio to pick up LuLu and panicked when she noticed her daughter wasn't there. She frantically texted Ortega: 'Where's Lulu... Donde Estas... Where are you' but Oretga never answered. Jurors were also shown photos of the blood-spattered bathroom where the bodies of the children were found with their eyes open. The bottom of the bathtub was almost entirely red. At least two jurors wiped away tears as they took in the horror images, while others gasped and held their faces. Ortega, who has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, refused to look and stared straight ahead when the photos taken inside the apartment were shown to the court Dr. Thomas Caffrey (pictured in court) the therapist who saw a Manhattan nanny just days before she stabbed two young children in her charge to death, testified in court on Thursday that she hadn't appeared suicidal or murderous during their session The photos were taken roughly seven hours after Marina found her children's bodies and saw Ortega stabbing herself in the neck. Dr. Thomas Caffrey, the therapist who saw Ortega just three days before the killings, said she hadn't appeared suicidal or murderous during their session. He told the court on Thursday she had booked her first and only appointment with him on October 22, 2012, to discuss a variety of different issues including anxiety, depression, and guilt. Caffrey said there was 'no evidence' she suffered from delusions or hallucinations. 'She didn't tell me about any concerns about voices or visions, smells, tactile. No indication of hallucinations,' Caffrey testified in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to the New York Post. 'Her concerns seemed to be about her heart, her anxiety, her son, her sister, her money. She impressed me as a worried, anxious, frightened person.' During his testimony, Ortega sat in court, shaking her head, and pursed her lips and told her lawyer: 'No, no.' She faces a minimum of 20 years imprisonment if she is convicted and could be jailed for life without parole. The Krims use a Facebook page to post updates on how they are doing, writing about the arrival of two new children, Felix born in 2013 and Linus in 2016. The couple started the Lulu and Leo Fund, which aims to support innovative art programs for children. They recently posted a video message on Facebook asking that people mention the fund as their case becomes news again. A 74-year-old horse trainer with no wife or children is visited by his beloved dog in hospital after a horror car crash left him paralysed. Ian Weis, from Maryborough, Queensland, was hit by a sedan while riding his scooter in March last year. Two nurses in the sedan saved his life by reviving him twice with CPR at the scene - but he sustained spinal injuries so horrific that he is unable to move any of his limbs. Heartwarming: A 74-year-old horse trainer with no wife or children who was paralysed in a horror car crash is visited by his beloved dog (pictured together) in hospital Ian Weis, from Maryborough, Queensland, was hit by a sedan while riding his scooter in March last year. Two nurses in the sedan saved his life by reviving him twice at the scene - but he sustained spinal injuries so horrific that he is unable to move any of his limbs. Pictured: his dog visits him in hospital Mr Weis is now recovering in Brisbane's Princess Alexander Hospital after surviving four weeks in intensive care on ventilation. He has been visited several times by his best friend, a nine-year-old Blue Heeler named Bitz, as moving pictures show the dog trying to lick her owner's face and leaning carefully over his bedside. Mr Weis, who managed his own horse breeding business, can move using a Special Mobility Chair that is controlled by his chin and a device called a sipper puffer which responds to him sucking or blowing air. His niece Lesley described the moment she and her husband were told her uncle's life would never be the same again. Mr Weis is now recovering in Brisbane's Princess Alexander Hospital after surviving four weeks in Intensive Care on ventilation. Pictured: Friends visit with his dog Mr Weis, who managed his own horse breeding business, can move using a Special Mobility Chair (pictured) that is controlled by his chin and a device called a sipper puffer which responds to him sucking or blowing air Mr Weis has been visited several times by his best friend, a Blue Heeler named Bitz (pictured together in happier times) She said: 'On the 19 March at 11.10am, we received the devastating phone call and news that Uncle Ian was in hospital having sustained numerous breaks, fractures and dislocations. 'He fractured his back, ribs and suffered numerous other internal injuries. We learnt that this would change his life and our families forever.' She said that her uncle, who loves fishing camping, travelling, and spending time with friends from his Older Men Unlimited club, pulled through with great strength. 'Uncle Ian's determination, strength and courage, has continued throughout, and even after just a short few weeks, a flicker of movement was visible in Uncle Ian's fingers,' she said. Now Lesley has started a Go Fund Me page to raise money to buy a suitable car for Mr Weis and modify his house for his needs. You can donate here. A depressed teenager who was hit and killed by a train had previously broken up with her boyfriend and walked out of a mental health unit just days before her death, an inquest heard. Megan Dowsett, 18, was on the railway line in Wickford, Essex, on May 24 at 11.59pm when she was struck by a train. The former Beauchamps High School student had a history of depression and suicide attempts and it had been recommended she went to Basildon hospital for mental health treatment after a paracetamol overdose on April 3, 2017. Then in May 2017, Megan reported suffering suicidal thoughts. The inquest heard how Megan was upset and crying at a friend's house in the toilets which led the friend to bring her into hospital on May 17. Megan had said she 'had had enough' and 'didn't want to do it anymore,' as she struggled to get on with life and was stressed about coursework. Megan Dowsett, 18, was hit and killed by a train in Wickford, Essex, last year. An inquest into her death heard she had walked out of a mental health unit just days before her death The teenager was then assessed by a mental health nurse at Rapid Assessment, Interface and Discharge (RAID) who transferred her over to Basildon hospital for a further assessment. Dr Khalid Salim, who works for Essex Partnership University Trust (EPUT) at Basildon hospital as part of the mental health assessment unit, and first assessed Megan on May 19, 2017, was called to give evidence at her inquest. The assistant coroner asked Dr Salim about a report from September 20. Dr Saleem told the court: 'She seemed cooperative coherent, fully orientated, maintained good eye contact, quite interactive and had been laughing and joking. 'At the time of the review, one of the biggest stresses was the breakdown of her relationship a couple of months ago. She had been with her boyfriend for 16 months. 'He told her that he didn't love her anymore. She was also struggling with her coursework and they were two of the major concerns she expressed to me. 'I did explore further enquiries about what she was thinking and what her intentions were and she said she thought about going to Wickford train station but did not go there, she did not attempt it.' Prior to the assessment they went through Megan's records which had shown Megan had attempted an overdose on April 3 and was subsequently reviewed by a mental health team. She first took an overdose at the age of 15 and was transferred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAM) where she was diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder. Megan had a history of self-harm and had deep cuts on her hips from the age of 14 and also tied ligatures around her neck. During the assessment, she told Dr Saleem she had plans for the future and wanted to complete her education and go to Leeds University, where her boyfriend attended, in the hope they could re-start their relationship. 'At the end of the review, I requested her to stay here, I wanted her to stay for a few days but she was not willing to stay,' Dr Saleem added. The consultant psychiatrist told the inquest that Megan did not meet the requirement to allow him to detain her against her will but she did allow him to speak with her mother Denise. Her mother picked her up from the mental health unit later that day. Michael Deacon, representing Megan Dowsett's family, then questioned Dr Saleem and referred to the RAID assessment of Megan that was carried out the day before the doctor's assessment on May 19. The mental health nurse recorded that Megan had been having suicidal thoughts and 'didn't know if she could keep herself safe at home.' 'Surely you were aware of that assessment?' Mr Deacon asked. 'I was aware of that and if I could refer to going back to her history and behaviour of self-harm. Her mental state was completely different,' Dr Saleem replied. 'She did not think that the community mental health team, could manage Megan and were concerned about the risk at home. This was from a mental health nurse just 24 hours before your assessment,' Mr Deacon said. 'I did ask her to stay considering all these things, I used my cognitive behaviour skills to address these issues and make her understand that we wanted to keep her here and I wanted to arrange a meeting with her mother but she declined to stay,' he responded. The report also stated Megan said she would feel sorry for her family but this would not stop her from suicide as she would not be there to see their reaction. 'In your experience, surely a factor with someone experiencing suicidal thoughts would be if they had a reason not to follow on from it and quite often that would be the family,' Mr Deacon added. 'I have to repeat that I wanted her to stay for a further assessment and so we could explore a little bit more before making a formal discharge,' Dr Saleem replied. The report also described Megan as 'unpredictable' and 'impulsive' and heard how the teenager thought she might need to go back to hospital but also that she didn't want to. Mr Deacon continued: 'She felt she was going to do something. Doesn't that box on the report tell you that this is someone who has identified that they need help?' 'That does yes,' Dr Saleem replied. The inquest continues. For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details. The son who was forced to install covert cameras in his elderly mother's house to catch her cleaner stealing cash has slammed magistrates who gave the thief a suspended sentence. Janet Fillis, aged 64, of Heol Bedwas, Birchgrove, was found guilty following a trial at Swansea Magistrates Court, on February 28, of theft by employee, despite entering a not guilty plea. Patricia Moore, 86, became suspicious after cash regularly went missing from her microwave following visits by her trusted cleaner. Janet Fillis, pictured, stole up to 20-a-week from pensioner Patricia Moore, 86, while cleaning Covert footage showed Fillis looked over her shoulder before taking the cash As a result, her son, Brian, installed a covert camera which caught Fillis stealing cash on a regular basis. However, Swansea Magistrates' Court handed Fillis a suspended sentence, angering the family. Mr Moore said: 'Clearly the experience has had a devastating effect on my mother and family. My mother trusted Fillis implicitly. Due to that trust being destroyed - she used to leave her door open so her neighbours could pop in and now that door is always locked. 'For all the time and effort that has been put in by our family, police and Crown Prosecution Service the message that the court has given today is that vulnerable people don't matter. 'There was an opportunity, due to the high profile of this case, to send a clear statement to people who prey on the vulnerable that if you get caught, you will pay a price. 'It would have been so easy to have just sacked her and walk away but we wanted to protect other vulnerable people from Fillis.' The charge related to the theft of an unknown amount of money stolen from Patricia Moore, between the end of February 2017 and July 18, 2017, at the victim's home in Morriston. The defendant had worked as a cleaner once a week for around eight years at the property. Mrs Moore confided in her sons, Brian and Phillip Moore, after she became suspicious of the fact that money she kept hidden in her microwave oven had started to go missing. As a result, the 86-year-old's sons installed hidden cameras in the kitchen which captured Fillis taking money out of an envelope in the microwave oven and putting it in her tabard. Mrs Moore's sons installed a hidden CCTV camera which captured Fillis pilfering cash hidden in the pensioner's microwave and stashing it in her tabard Filis, pictured, was sentenced to a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, along with 50 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay a total of 1,100 In pleading not guilty, Fillis claimed Mrs Moore had instructed her to take her 30 wages out of the microwave if she ever forgot to leave it under a fruit bowl as was customary. Magistrates have now handed Fillis a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, along with 50 hours of unpaid work. She has also been ordered to pay costs of 625, compensation to the victim of 360 and a victim surcharge of 115, resulting in a total fine of 1,100. The prosecution had also sought costs of 199, to be paid to a son of the victim, for the purchase of the surveillance camera and a restraining order, but magistrates disagreed with the applications. Fillis was told: 'We do not agree to the restraining order but it is in your best interests not to contact the victim.' In an earlier hearing, prosecutor Abdul Hussain told the court: 'She was an elderly lady who lived alone and required cleaning assistance at her home. 'She had employed Janet Fillis to the job for three hours once a week. 'Mrs Moore noticed money go missing - somewhere in the region of 20 and 10 every week. ' Mrs Moore set up the cameras to catch Fillis in the act, jurors were told. The pensioner said: 'I wanted someone to record it as my word only wasn't good enough. 'I thought if it was on film I would stand a better chance of proving it.' While Matt Leveson's parents finally held a funeral for their boy on Friday, the middle-aged man they blame for his death continued his cowardly life on the run. Matt was just 20 when his much older lover Michael Atkins dumped his body in a bush grave south of Sydney more than a decade ago. For most of the time since he was acquitted of Matt's murder, Atkins has been living in Queensland, much of it looking over his shoulder. For most of the time since he was acquitted of Matt's murder, Atkins (pictured leaving the Coroner's Court of New South Wales in 2016) has been living in Queensland, much of it looking over his shoulder Matt was just 20 when his much older lover Michael Atkins dumped his body in a bush grave south of Sydney more than a decade ago. Pictured: The couple together The electrician (left with Matt) has moved from house to house, shunned by most of the gay community and rarely breaking cover The electrician has moved from house to house, shunned by most of the gay community and rarely breaking cover. While Atkins has been running and hiding for years, Matt's family has fought relentlessly for justice for their son. The now 54-year-old moves his meagre belongings - often suddenly - without leaving a forwarding address and tells lies when he finds a new one. Atkins has told prospective landlords he needs short-term accommodation because he has split from his non-existent wife. He picks cheap places to stay among other shift workers he presumably thinks won't recognise him. He has told fellow tenants in Brisbane he is working as an electrician in Ipswich, an hour's drive south-west of town. While Matt Leveson's parents (pictured) finally held a funeral for their boy on Friday, the middle-aged man they blame for his death continued his cowardly life on the run While Atkins (left) has been running and hiding for years, Matt's family has fought relentlessly for justice for their son Atkins (left) has told prospective landlords he needs short-term accommodation because he has split from his non-existent wife Leaving home about 5am he returns by 6 or 7pm and then spends his weekends out and about. He may not be wanted by the law but he is trying hard to stay out of the public eye. There was a time Michael Peter Atkins was not so hard to find. The now 54-year-old Atkins moves his meagre belongings - often suddenly - without leaving a forwarding address and tells lies when he finds a new one For years after Atkins was acquitted of Matt's murder he maintained his hard-partying lifestyle, hosting what he called 'pool parties for porn stars' for attractive young men. Meanwhile, Matt's parents Faye and Mark were wielding a pick and shovel in bushland where they believed they might find his body. As they searched, the Levesons told anyone who would listen that Atkins knew exactly where Matt was. When Mark Leveson learnt Atkins was still associating with men Matt's age he telephoned the parents of his latest boyfriend and anonymously warned: 'Google Matthew Leveson'. Matthew Leveson was finally put to rest by his parents, Mark and Faye - who wore a photo of her son on her bag (pictured) The heartbroken parents were seen distraught as they left the chapel after an emotional service remembering their son Hundreds of mourners gathered to remember the 'bright and vibrant' young man (Matthew's casket pictured) Worse was to come for Atkins in 2015 when the Levesons convinced authorities to resume a coronial inquest into their son's disappearance and presumed death. The coronial inquiry had been suspended when Atkins was charged with Matt's murder in August 2008. Atkins was compelled to give evidence at that inquest and after complex legal manoeuvring eventually directed police to a spot where they found his body. Atkins has told prospective landlords he needs short-term accommodation because he has split from his non-existent wife. He picks cheap places to stay among other shift workers Despite admitting he had buried Matt in a shallow bush grave, due to a lack of evidence of exactly how Matt died and a series of deals Atkins made to protect himself he could not be further prosecuted for any crime. The lead investigator into Matt's death, Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin, described Atkins late last year as 'morally bankrupt'. Matt's parents, who have always maintained Atkins killed their boy, have said much worse. Matthew (pictured) was last seen leaving a Darlinghurst nightclub in 2007 when he was 20-years-old, ending in tragedy 'He was just a lovely kid and we want people to see that side of him, not what's been put in the paper,' Ms Leveson said (pictured being comforted by mourners) Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott said in December last year she had been tasked with conducting an inquest into Matt's disappearance because his parents wanted to know how, why and where he died. 'The evidence established that the only person who knew the answers to those questions was Michael Atkins,' Ms Truscott said. Atkins did not take that opportunity to tell the truth. Instead he told more lies. 'I do not accept Mr Atkins as a witness of truth,' Ms Truscott said. 'In any event the lies he has told do not allow me to make a finding that any act performed by him caused Matt's death.' Atkins could have led police to his boyfriend's grave almost a decade before his remains were found but chose to duck and hide. Matt was last seen leaving ARQ nightclub on Darlinghurst's Flinders Street with Atkins, then 44, in the early hours of September 23, 2007. Matthew's parents described him as the 'life of the party' who they hoped was now 'dancing up a storm with the angels' Matthew's remains were found at the Royal National Park after complex legal agreements were struck mid-2017 Pall-bearers were seen carrying Matthew's coffin topped with a colourful floral arrangement at the chapel in Sydney Bright, vibrant coloured flowers were handed out at the start of the service (pictured) matching those on Matthew's coffin Whatever happened the night Matt died does not paint Atkins in a pleasant light. The final version of events he gave police had him finding Matt dead of a drug overdose in their apartment at Cronulla, south of Sydney. Instead of calling an ambulance, attempting CPR - which he was trained to do - or contacting police, Atkins set about planning how best to dispose of Matt's body. Later that day he bought a mattock and duct tape from a Bunnings store, went home to watch television and booked two tickets the next weekend's Sleaze Ball, a gay and lesbian dance party. The Levesons said they didn't want to morn the loss of their son but instead celebrate the 20 years he was with them Friends and family celebrated the 20 years of Matthew's life at touching ceremony more than a decade after they last saw him Having wrapped his lover's body in a blanket or sheet he carried him to the boot of Matt's Toyota Corolla and drove to the Royal National Park. There Atkins dug an 80cm deep hole roughly 2m long and 1m wide then buried the man he said was the greatest love of his life. I cannot find that Mr Atkins was involved in any acts which were causative to Matt's death Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott Three days after Matt's death, Atkins drove to Newcastle and had sex with a man he had met on the internet. When questioned by police, Atkins told lie after lie. One of the stories Atkins told was that Matt, who was extremely close to his family, could be happily living in Thailand. Atkins was eventually charged with murder but acquitted by a jury, who did not hear some of the evidence revealed at the later inquest, in 2009. While Faye and Mark Leveson campaigned for further investigation into their son's death and personally conducted searches for his body Atkins moved to Brisbane where he continued pursuing young men for group sex romps. The Levesons comforted heartbroken friends and family at the touching ceremony for their late son (pictured) Guests were asked to wear a splash of purple, 'Matty's' favourite colour as well as bright colours at the ceremony (pictured) Despite the 20-year-old tragically vanishing more than a decade ago, hundreds gathered to celebrate his life When his seemingly carefree lifestyle was revealed in the media Atkins had his gym membership cancelled, was barred from his favourite gay nightclub and fled his Fortitude Valley home, which he sold at a loss. A petition to have him barred from every gay bar in Australia was circulated online. Forced to give evidence at Matt's inquest, Atkins told more lies and Ms Truscutt was unable to determine exactly how Matt had died. The only person who knew how, why and where Matt died was Michael Atkins Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott 'Ultimately, the lies that Mr Atkins told during the course of his evidence to the inquest, as with other lies he had told to a range of people, including the police, since Matt's disappearance, give rise to a considerable degree of suspicion that Mr Atkins had some connection with Matt's death, apart from the fact he buried Matt's body,' Ms Truscott found. 'However, it does not follow... from that degree of suspicion that I can find that Mr Atkins was involved in any acts which were causative to Matt's death.' The Levesons finally farewelled their beloved boy at a funeral in the South and West Chapels of Woronora Cemetery, Sutherland, on Friday afternoon. Atkins is believed to have been up in Queensland, safe from the law but living a lie. 'It's meant to be a celebration of his life, being grateful for the 20 years that he was alive,' Mr Leveson said before a ceremony Detectives finally found Matt's (pictured) body in May 2017 beneath a cabbage-tree palm that has since been relocated to Mark and Faye's backyard 'All those years of searching, we finally achieved our goal and it's made it all so real,' Mr Leveson said (Matthew's parents pictured together at the ceremony) A lab run by the Russian security services is among just a handful of facilities which could make a 'very rare' nerve agent which poisoned a Russian spy, it was claimed today. The huge police team now investigating the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal are hoping the chemical make-up of the toxin used will show where it was manufactured. Chemical weapons experts say the sarin or sarin-like nerve agent used in the attack was probably made in a state-run laboratory somewhere in the world. One of the few labs capable of producing a nerve agent like that used in the attack on a Russian double agent in the UK is in Russia's foreign intelligence headquarters, it was claimed today Police extended a cordon around Sergei Skripal's house in Salisbury as they test the agent Police forensic officers in gas masks at a car garage where Mr Skripal's car is believed to have been taken after it was overparked following his attack One of the labs in the frame is the Yasenevo facility run by Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR, according to The Sun. The SVR is the successor to the KGB and is the Russian equivalent of MI6. It's most famous former agent is Vladmir Putin himself, who was an agent in East Germany in the 1980s. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, ex-commander of the Army's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear regiment, told the Mail: 'This was quite clearly a very professional operation. 'These things are made in big government laboratories. It reduces in toxicity over time so if it was made in Russia two weeks ago then by the time it was administered its effectiveness would be reduced significantly.' He added: 'Nerve agents cannot be cooked up in a shed. An agent needs to be made in a well-funded laboratory by a highly-trained team of scientists.' The Home Secretary has meanwhile described the chemical as 'very rare'. Detectives are understood to be moving away from the theory that the nerve agent was sprayed directly at Skripal, a source told MailOnline. They are instead believed to be focusing more on the possibility that poison was added to his food or drink at some point before he collapsed. Investigators hope that by working out exactly which nerve agent was used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (pictured in Salisbury two years ago), they can determine where it came from Police in Hazmat suits gathered evidence at the bench where the Russians were found It is hoped the composition of the substance will help investigators work out where the agent was manufactured. Experts say the clear liquids can be made at only 'a few laboratories in the world', mostly government-controlled. The first modern nerve agents, including sarin, which was released by a Japanese doomsday cult onto the Tokyo subway in 1995, were first devised by the Germans during World War II. A new generation of the chemical weapons, including VX, were later invented by the British during the Cold War. VX is up to 150 times more deadly than sarin. The fact that investigators appear to have ruled out those two suggests the nerve agent used last weekend could be a so-called 'fourth generation' agent. They were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s and 1990s and are said to be even more toxic than VX, which has been classed as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN. These Novichoks, meaning 'newcomer' in Russian, are said to be binary weapons, which mean they contain two harmless chemicals which only become toxic when mixed together in an aerosol or missile. This makes them easier to make, store and transport safely, but may also render conventional anecdotes ineffective. Photos emerged today of the immediate aftermath of the nerve agent attack in Salisbury Police in protective suits and gas masks working near Salisbury earlier this week Professor Malcolm Sperrin, Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, said: 'Symptoms of exposure to nerve agents may include respiratory arrest, heart failure, twitching or spasms - anything where the nerve control is degraded.' Scientists do not want to say how nerve agents are created, for fear of copycat attacks, but the ingredients are cheap and easy to obtain, although it takes proper equipment to mix the substances safely. The chemicals can kill within minutes, by disrupting electrical signals through the nervous system which makes it hard to breathe. People cough and foam at the mouth as their lungs fill with mucus, they vomit, sweat, become incontinent and their eyes run. It is described by experts as 'turning on all the taps'. Dr Simon Cotton, from the University of Birmingham, said: 'If you have ever seen a fly sprayed it drops on its back and lies with its legs in leg in the air, twitching, this is the result of nerve agents taking hold.' After a police officer was hospitalised while helping the spy and his daughter, investigations have taken extra precautions when examining the scene Scientists at the Porton Down Research establishment are trying to work out where the nerve agent used came from The Korean leader's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, died within 20 minutes after his face was smeared with VX at an airport in Malaysia last February. The Ministry of Defence has since admitted carrying out animal experiments using the nerve agent, to try to develop an antidote. VX is one of five main nerve agents and, with another called GF, is a 'G-series' agent usually inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Just a fraction of a drop, absorbed through the skin, can take effect within seconds and 'fatally disrupt the nervous system', according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The other three 'V-series' agents are sarin, tabun and soman, which are primarily designed to kill their victims through inhalation and were devised by the Germans but never used during World War II. All five colourless chemicals are sometimes called nerve gas, but this is incorrect, as they are liquid at room temperature. Some Australian rockmelon farmers are facing financial ruin after the recent listeria outbreak which killed four people. Despite the contamination being contained to one New South Wales farm, growers from as far afield as Western Australia say they have experienced a sharp downturn in sales. Dane Capogreco from Capogreco Farms in Waroona, Western Australia, told Daily Mail Australia that his family-owned business has experienced a ninety per cent drop in exports since the outbreak last month. Australian have experienced up to a ninety per cent drop in sales since the Listeria outbreak on a New South Wales farm last month 'People really have nothing to worry about, they need to have trust in us farmers,' Dane Capogreco from Capogreco Farms in Waroona, Western Australia, said to Daily Mail Australia (file image) 'It's 100 per cent true that we've lost business because of the contamination,' he said. 'Locally our sales are down 70 per cent and we've experienced a 90 per cent drop in international exports.' He also added that the loss in people's appetite for rockmelons is unfortunate and without reason as the outbreak occurred in just one farm on the other side of the country. 'People really have nothing to worry about, they need to have trust in us farmers,' he said to Daily Mail Australia. 'Listeria isn't something that can spread across the country like this, the farm next to ours has already tested negative.' In total 17 people have been affected by the contamination which has been linked to a grower in Nericon, New South Wales. In total four people have been killed due to the outbreak but all affected rockmelons were removed from stores in late February and any of the fruit currently on sale have already been deemed safe to eat by health authorities The farm involved voluntarily ceased production shortly after learning of the outbreak. All affected rockmelons were removed from stores in late February and any currently on sale have been deemed safe to eat by health authorities before reaching stores. Australian Melon Industry Association industry development manager Dianne Fullelove said growers must now test their melons for listeria. The contamination was linked to a grower in Nericon, New South Wales, which voluntarily ceased production shortly after learning of the outbreak. 'They have all had negative tests for this particular bacteria and they are gathering as much evidence as they can of their systems how they put their fruit through their packing line and their water tests to supply to their buyers to say "our fruit is safe to put onto their shelves",' she said. Listeria is a bacterium found across the environment in places like dirty water, irrigation water, soil and fertiliser and infects humans through contaminated food. The bacterium can cause listeriosis which is common in raw foods, including fruit. Although it is rare, infections may cause blood poisoning and meningitis, according to NSW Health. Mustafa and Hussain Imam, 12 face losing their place at school after a six-week trip to Pakistan to mourn their father's death Grieving 12-year-old twin boys have been told they could be 'kicked out' of school after taking a trip to Pakistan to mourn their father's death. Mustafa and Hussain Imam were taken to visit relatives and attend memorial events there for six weeks by their mother Shamsa Imam. Their father Muhammad Ali Imam died of cancer aged 47 last September and Mrs Iman insists that visiting close family was essential following his death. The boys are both pupils at the Dean Trust Ardwick in Manchester but school authorities claim they cannot hold a place for children who are absent for an 'inordinate' amount of time. School authorities told MEN that six weeks out of school is unusual and it would be wrong to go against rules on absence, especially in a time of high demand. The boy's mother Mrs Imam who thinks that the boys will lose their place because of the trip, said: 'We believe that there is a high chance that this will happen.' 'The kids have always been fully up to date with their work and are continuing using a variety of learning materials to keep their learning up to date.' The family left for Pakistan on January 30 and are expected to return to Manchester next week. While they have been away a family friend, Angelique Buele, who is supporting Shamsa has called on the school to consider their decision. She said: 'The kids only had a few days off when it first happened. Shamsa needed to spend time with her family. 'Her GP advised her to take a trip to Pakistan to be with family. She didn't have much option but to take the kids because she's a single parent now and her health is suffering. 'The kids have been really good in school all through their dad's illness.' An online petition has been started by Ms Buele asking the headteacher at the Dean Trust Ardwick, Tarun Kapur, to help Mustafa and Hussain. The twin boys attend Deans Trust Ardwick in Manchester and the school have said they allow children to have time off in exceptional circumstances but six weeks is unusual However he said that the school takes advice from the local authority if a child is absent for a long period, he added: 'Because of the great demand for places it's wrong for us to hold places when there are rules to say if a child is away for 'x' number of weeks we should think about taking them off roll,' he said. 'In this particular case we have been really empathetic. 'We expect children to be in school unless there are exceptional circumstances. If someone is away for an inordinate amount of time we take advice from the local authority. 'We try to make sure that children are allowed time off in exceptional circumstances but six weeks is unusual.' Gorton MP Afzal Khan has also attempted to stop the twins from losing their place by writing to the school and asking that they are not taken off the roll. Department for Education guidance states that a pupil can be taken off roll at a school after 20 school days of unauthorised absence and the responsibility for ensuring a child has a school place is the parent's. If a child has been out of the country and taken off roll for non-attendance, a parent would need to reapply for a school place to their home local authority when they return. Viewers watching Good Morning Britain were today 'disgusted' after Dr Hilary Jones 'sympathised' with a GP who turned away a five-year-old girl just hours before she died. Heartbroken mother Shanice Clark, 26, was on the show discussing the death of her daughter Ellie-May. She took the youngster to The Grange Clinic in Newport, South Wales, after she was given an emergency appointment when she suffered an asthma attack. But Dr Joanne Rowe, 54, refused to see her and sent the family home without even looking at medical records and she died just five hours later. Dr Hilary Jones was sat next to the tragic youngster's family and said that he 'sympathises' with the doctor and his comments left viewers angry and 'disgusted'. He said: 'This doctor will see a hundred thousand patients in her career but this one case will blight her career forever. Dr Hilary Jones (left) was on the sofa with Ellie-May Clark's mother Shanice and her grandmother and said he 'sympathises' with the doctor Dr Hilary said: 'I do feel a certain sympathy for the doctor as well who was abiding by a policy that was agreed by the entire practice' Shanice Clark (pictured) described her regret for not taking her daughter to hospital after she turned away by doctors 'So I do feel a certain sympathy for the doctor as well who was abiding by a policy that was agreed by the entire practice. 'As a doctor I'm ashamed about what happened and what is becoming more likely to happen in the future unless patients are more assertive themselves and if circumstances don't change.' But his comments were slammed by viewers who criticised what he said. Sharon Stothard wrote on Twitter: 'Poor little Ellie-May lost her life due to lack of understanding of severe asthma. 'Dr Hilary: "This will keep happening until patients are more assertive!!??" No one should die from asthma!' Roy Parkinson added: 'Disgusted at Dr Hilary saying he felt sympathy for the doctor that refused to see a little girl who turned up for a emergency appointment and later died, as though it is OK for a Dr to make one life saving decision WRONG.' Meanwhile, Ms Clark also spoke of her regret on the show and described her feelings when she was five minutes late to the clinic and said: 'I wish I took her to hospital.' She was asked what she would have done in hindsight and said: 'I would have put my foot down in the surgery and said 'I'm not leaving until the doctor sees me'. 'And if that didn't worked I would have taken her to the hospital, which I wish I had done.' She added: 'I was five minutes late. I could not get there any sooner. I asked to see the doctor and she said that because we were late she was not able to see us. 'I have never heard of it before and I have since heard that that was the first time they have turned away an emergency appointment which is very bizarre to be honest.' Ellie-May Clark was having a severe asthma attack when she arrived five minutes late with her mother Shanice Asked about what it felt like to be turned away after she was given the appointment just 30 minutes earlier, she said: 'I was angry. 'I was really frustrated because I had rushed around and tried my hardest to get down there on time.' Ms Clark said her daughter's breathing had improved so she took her home but phoned 999 when her breathing 'got worse'. She added: 'At that point, we were in the surgery and she was walking and talking and her breathing had improved. 'At that point I was not too worried I took her home and I thought if she gets any worse I will take her to the hospital and when she got worse I rang 999.' She added: 'I think there needs to be procedures put in place that emergency appointments do not get turned away ever, especially children. 'Whether you're five minutes later or half an hour late you should be seen if it's an emergency and that needs to happen. 'I have got a three year old who keeps me going and keeps me on my toes. I've got my family and friends and I take it day by day.' Last month, Gwent Coroner Wendy James recorded a narrative verdict and ruled: 'Ellie-May Clark died from natural causes where the opportunity to provide potential life-saving treatment was missed.' Tearful Shanice said after the hearing in Newport: 'I'm disappointed that the coroner ruled out neglect - we all felt there was enough evidence to show my little girl was neglected by the medical profession. 'I will have to live with the fact that my little girl was sent home to die by a doctor who refused to see her because we were a few minutes late. Single mother Ms Clark was on the show with her mother and said: 'I wish I took her to the hospital' She was turned away from the clinic because she was late. Her devastated mother, Shanice Clark, said the five-year-old was 'sent home to die' Sharon Stothard took to Twitter after Dr Hilary Jones spoke on the show and wrote: 'No one should die from asthma!' Twitter user Roy Parkinson wrote that he was 'disgusted' after Dr Hilary said he felt 'sympathy' for the doctor 'I want justice for Ellie-May and I want to make sure this doesn't happen to another child somewhere else. 'All surgeries should have safeguards to make sure a child as ill as Ellie-May was is seen and given the care they need. 'I'm glad the doctor has apologised, it was nice of her, but I've waited three years for that.' The family solicitor Justin Chisnall said Ellie-May's case was an example of 'obvious neglect'. He said: 'The coroner found there had been grave failures and that Ellie-May was let down by the system. It was a clear case of obvious neglect. 'The family accept the apology from Dr Rowe after waiting three years for the inquest.' Ellie May's computer records at The Grange Surgery stated she was in danger of having a life-threatening asthma attack and had been previously admitted to intensive care, the inquest had been told. Left, Dr Joanne Rowe arrives at the inquest in Newport, South Wales, and right, Ellie-May's mother Shanice Clark arrives for the hearing 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 Ellie May's computer records at The Grange Surgery (pictured) stated she was in danger of having a life-threatening asthma attack and had been previously admitted to intensive care After being turned away, the little girl was left in tears and asked her worried mother: 'Why won't the doctor see me, mummy?' Ms Clark, 26, put her daughter to bed when they got home and planned to take her back to the GP the next day. But she found Ellie-May not breathing at 10.30pm. An ambulance was called but doctors could not save her. Ellie-May died of a severe asthma attack brought on by a viral infection on January 26, 2015. Dr Rowe, a GP at the surgery for 22 years, said she was with another patient when the receptionist phoned through to say Ellie-May had arrived. She told the hearing in Newport: 'It was not acceptable that I sent her away. I should have got the duty doctor to see her.' Dr Rowe, who was given a reprimand by the General medical Council, admitted she would have made a different decision if she knew Ellie-May was having an asthma attack. Advertisement The officer who led the SAS's secretive invasion of Argentina during the Falklands war has spoken out for the first time to say he blames himself for the mission's failure. Captain Andy Legg commanded a crack team of eight men for Operation Plum Duff, one of the regiment's most audacious ever missions. The plan was to infiltrate Argentina to find and destroy the enemy aircraft capable of carrying the country's three remaining Exocets, one of which had sunk the HMS Sheffield just days before. If another Exocet missile took out an aircraft carrier Britain could have gone on to lose the war. Captain Ann Legg, pictured at his desk in Northern Ireland in 1977, led the SAS's disastrous secret invasion of Argentina The plan was for Capt Legg's unit to trek 26 miles towards the enemy airbase at Rio Grande on Terra del Fuego (pictured) and collect intelligence on its defences ahead of a main assault to take out aircraft capable of carrying Execot missiles, one of which had taken out the HMS Sheffield just days before The B Squadron of the SAS parachuted into the South Atlantic on 14 June, 1982 (pictured), before being picked up by the Navy In the only British incursion of the Argentine mainland during the conflict, Capt Legg's unit were sent on a mission to trek 26 miles towards the enemy airbase at Rio Grande on Terra del Fuego and collect intelligence on its defences ahead of a main assault. Due to a combination of appalling planning by military chiefs, bad weather and a lack of food, Capt Legg was forced to abort the mission eight days into it. It has been shrouded in secrecy ever since. Had he chosen to press on with it, the patrol of eight men would have eventually come up against 3,000 Argentine soldiers equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry. Despite saving his men from certain death, Mr Legg has revealed that through a combination of guilt and anger for not making the ill-conceived operation work, he quit the armed forces a few months later. Mr Legg said: 'I didn't think it was very sensible to invade Argentina but we got on and did as we were told. It was unlike any other job I had done before.' He added: 'I faced a board of inquiry because we had written off a helicopter and the mission had failed. As the eight men flew above the Argentinian they thought they were detected by enemy troops and abandoned their original drop-off point, landing eight miles away from the border in Chile, some 40 miles from the airbase They ended up in Chilean Terra del Fuego, pictured, with old maps, a lack of food and poor proper planning. They were forced to abandon their mission - something Capt Legg blames on himself 'No blame was attached to me but inside I felt bad because some of our colleagues had been killed in the South Atlantic yet nothing had happened to us. 'I felt bad that the mission had gone wrong and I blamed myself. Some people might say it was the right thing to do and we could have all been killed but I am sure some of the guys wanted to strike at the enemy. 'I felt upset afterwards that we had been sent off into the unknown with no proper intelligence and when I left it was a personal decision. 'But looking back, I do understand why we did it. Had we lost one of the major aircraft carriers the whole mission to retake the Falklands would have been in doubt.' Mr Legg's team had no intelligence about the target drop zone or enemy forces in the area - the only thing they had to go on was an old aerial photograph and a 'ropy old map'. He has spoken out for the first time after deciding to sell his medals from the war, alongside the map he was given during the mission. He said: 'I felt bad that the mission had gone wrong and I blamed myself. Some people might say it was the right thing to do and we could have all been killed but I am sure some of the guys wanted to strike at the enemy' (Pictured: Captain Legg's personal map of Tierra del Feugo, which is going up for sale) Mr Legg has decided to sell his medals, photos and maps because he hasn't looked at them since he left the military 35 years ago (Pictured: His SAS beret, blue SAS belt, his captain rank slides (shoulder pads), the General Service Medal for Northern Ireland (given to Armed Forces personnel who have served 30 days continuous service in Northern Ireland since 1969), his South Atlantic Medal (given to Armed Forces personnel who served in the Falklands War), the blue SAS halo wings given to trainees upon completion of parachute jump training, and his gold on red mess dress SAS badge) Mr Legg, pictured left last year and right in Northern Ireland before the Falklands war, said of the medals: 'They are sat in the attic and I haven't looked at them for 35 years. They will still be in the attic until the day I die' Mr Legg said: 'They are sat in the attic and I haven't looked at them for 35 years. They will still be in the attic until the day I die.' They are estimated to sell for 40,000 at auction at Woolley and Wallis in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Being sold at auction is Mr Legg's South Atlantic medal and his General Service medal with the Northern Ireland clasp. There is also his SAS beret and the 'ropy old map' he was given for the mission. After leaving the armed forces Mr Legg worked in telecommunications and ran his own contracting business. The married father of four lives on the Isle of Wight with his wife Jane. The auction will take place on May 3. What was Operation Plum Duff? Operation Plum Duff was a reconnaissance mission involving eight men from an SAS unit during the 1982 Falklands war. The plan was to find out as much as possible about the enemy airbase at Rio Grande on Terra del Fuego as preparation for a main assault. The operation was launched just days after the HMS Sheffield was sunk by a French-built Exocet missile on May 10. At that time it was believed that the war could be lost if another aircraft carrier was destroyed, so the SAS embarked on a mission to find and destroy the remaining aircraft that could carry Exocet missiles. On May 15 the men flew in a stripped out Sea King helicopter towards the Argentine mainland 450 miles away. As there was not enough fuel to get back, the plan was to scupper the helicopter upon landing. Although they flew at low-level, they became aware during the flight they had been picked up by Argentine radar, alerting them to their presence. They abandoned their original drop-off point and landed eight miles away from the border in Chile, some 40 miles from the airbase. The troop spent the next five days trekking east in freezing conditions and under the cover of darkness. Each member was weighed down by their 80lbs back pack that included the explosives. But a combination of a lack of rations and distance to cover led to Capt Legg to eventually abort the mission. They were recovered on the Chilean side of the border and taken to a safe house in Santiago and later flown back to Britain. Plum Duff proved to be the only armed incursion on the South American mainland in the whole of the Falklands campaign. Advertisement Despite saving his men from certain death, Mr Legg revealed that through a combination of guilt and anger for not making the ill-conceived operation work, he quit the armed forces a few months later (Pictured: Andy Legg, left, in Oman) Tourists flock to the area, 217 miles north of the Arctic circle, to see the whales come and feed on herring The photographer lives in a fjord called Kaldfjord, famous for the high numbers of killer whales there Svein Aasjord, 44, captured the stunning shot of his friend who was diving close to Troms in Norway Advertisement A Norwegian photographer captured the heart-stopping moment his friend swam near two killer whales who were feeding at the time. Teacher and father-of-three Svein Aasjord, 44, took the stunning shots in a fjord called Kaldfjord, in northern Norway, where he lives with his family. The waters, close to the city of Troms in the Arctic Circle, are known as a famous spot for whale watching - as they often journey close to the land to hunt for herring. 'All the people that have seen that picture tell me 'he's going to die in the next moment', he said. 'I shouted to my friend 'look over here', because I wanted him to be looking at me when one of the big males was behind him. The incredible photo showed Svein's friends treading water just metres away from the deadly orcas in the freezing cold fjord The fjord of Kaldfjord near Troms in the Arctic Circle is a popular spot with tourists who flock there to see the whales feed 'The whale of course was not up for the diver at all, he was just up for air. 'The diver is a friend of mine, he and his girlfriend are experienced divers, they are not professional divers but they dive all the time. 'We shut off the engine, as I am very strict when it comes to not disturbing the whales because they are feeding and I don't want to interfere with their lives.' He added: 'If the whales want to, they come close to my boat, I don't chase them. Dramatic shots showed the daredevil diver floating perilously close to the beasts who were coming up to the surface for air The diver and his girlfriend were friends of Svein's who, although not professional, were highly used to dealing with whales 'What led up to the picture of the orca and the diver was I dropped the divers off and I said I think there is going to be some activity here. 'There was a bit of a current and the divers were dragged into the middle of the pod feeding, the orca were hunting an enormous group of herring, the whole of the fjord was full of herring. 'The orcas push the herring into a ball at the surface where they can hunt them. My friends were right in the middle of a pod like that. 'It looks very scary, but the orcas didn't seem to mind the divers at all, they could have touched the whales.' According to Svein the orcas like to hunt by pushing the herring to the surface to trap them, but they would have known the difference between the fish and divers. Svein said the divers were so close to the whales they could have touched them if they had wanted without fear of being hurt An ambulance driver faces losing his job after breaking the speed limit to deliver life-saving medical equipment. Johnny Kerr was caught by a speed camera driving at just over 100mph in a 70mph zone. He was taking vital apparatus to a hospital after an operation had to be abandoned, leaving a patient in intensive care. Trainee paramedic faces losing his job and a driving ban after he was caught speeding while delivering a desperately needed piece of life saving equipment to a surgeon in Aberdeen who needed the device to save the life of a critically-ill patient Johnny Kerr was carrying medical equipment urgently needed by a surgeon battling to save a patient's life when the 29-year-old trainee paramedic was caught by a speed camera travelling at 102mph in a 70mph zone in the blue light equipped emergency vehicle, pictured Mr Kerr, an experienced ambulance technician who was volunteering for a charity which delivers medical supplies, was confident there would be no legal action against him. But the trainee paramedic, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, claims the charity Scots-ERVS failed to fill in forms which would have exempted him from prosecution. Mr Kerr, 29, now faces trial at the Justice of the Peace Court in Aberdeen next week. ScotsERVS said it had dismissed Mr Kerr for gross misconduct as its rules forbid volunteers from breaking the speed limit. But Mr Kerr insists he was never informed that he was not permitted to exceed the speed limit. He told the Mail he feared his dream of becoming a paramedic with the Scottish Ambulance Service was over because he faces losing his driving licence. He added: I take great pride in my driving. I have a clean licence and I have been driving A&E ambulances for five or six years. I have been dealing with the stress of this situation while studying for exams as I am training to be a paramedic. Mr Kerr became a volunteer with ScotsERVS in February 2016. On April 8 last year he was tasked with delivering equipment to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after an urgent request from a surgeon. The item, which was required to pump blood and oxygen around a critically ill patients body, was not in stock so had to be transported from London to Aberdeen. Mr Kerr picked it up near Glasgow. He said: Its acceptable to break the speed limit if youre driving to the conditions and you have blue lights on, which I did. We had been told the patient was in intensive care and the equipment was urgently needed to save their life. The item was delivered and it is understood the surgery was successful. Mr Kerrs vehicle triggered a camera on the A90 and a speed of 102mph was recorded. Emergency services can apply to the Safety Camera Partnership for an exemption for speeding drivers and these are routinely granted. Mr Kerr said: I didnt hear from ScotsERVS again. The next thing I know is I get a letter saying I need to attend court, so I went to Aberdeen and pleaded not guilty. He claims ScotsERVS did not apply for exemption and he feels he has been hung out to dry. Lawyer Ronnie Simpson, of Michael Lyon Solicitors, representing Mr Kerr, called the decision to prosecute disappointing. A Crown Office spokesman said it could not comment ahead of the trial, scheduled for March 14. Donald Trump is 'surprisingly' good at foreign policy, according to former Australian prime minister Paul Keating. Mr Keating said the United States was directionless under the previous three administrations and Barack Obama blew an opportunity to reshape the world. On Friday Mr Keating said he had not expected Mr Trump to have 'such a pragmatic' foreign policy on China and Russia, and he urged the president to continue down the path he was on. His comments came as the US President accepted a dramatic offer from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to meet face-to-face. Donald Trump (pictured) is 'surprisingly' good at foreign policy, according to former Australian prime minister Paul Keating Mr Keating (pictured) said the United States was directionless under the previous three administrations and Barack Obama blew an opportunity to reshape the world Mr Keating's comments came as the US President accepted a dramatic offer from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (pictured) to meet face-to-face 'America has gone on for 24 years without a strategy,' Mr Keating told a business conference in Sydney, during which he criticised Barack Obama's timidity and 'lack of policy ambition' in office. 'Trump has, surprisingly - and I hope he maintains this - put his hand up for the right policy.' Mr Keating credited Mr Obama for avoiding major conflicts and underwriting some of the US's economic recovery, but argued he failed on the world stage. 'In terms of the big game, we lost two more terms,' he said. 'America has gone on for 24 years without a strategy,' Mr Keating (pictured) told a business conference in Sydney Mr Keating credited Mr Obama (pictured) for avoiding major conflicts and underwriting some of the US's economic recovery, but argued he failed on the world stage Mr Keating also criticised George W Bush (pictured) for blowing two presidential terms attempting to 'propagate American values in the Middle East' Mr Keating described Bill Clinton as a 'domestic politician' who missed the opportunity to remake the world after the fall of the Berlin Wall. 'We lost two Clinton terms as these huge changes in the post-colonial world were taking place.' He also criticised George W Bush for blowing two presidential terms attempting to 'propagate American values in the Middle East'. Poll Do you agree with Paul Keating's comments on Donald Trump's foreign policy? Yes No I don't know Do you agree with Paul Keating's comments on Donald Trump's foreign policy? Yes 66 votes No 5 votes I don't know 2 votes Now share your opinion 'Meanwhile China is growing in the east,' he said. The former prime minister described Mr Bush's deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz as 'dreadful', and warned the US against attempting to remain a homogeneous power in Asia. 'The Chinese will never accept it - we'll have military problems, confrontations,' he said. 'It will all come unstuck.' Mr Keating argued the US should be a 'balancing power' in Asia and learn to relinquish some control of the region. Mr Trump's strategy of using partnership diplomacy with China was a better approach than what Democrat Hillary Clinton would have adopted if elected, he added. Mr Keating said Russia had the power to 'obliterate' the US, and urged Mr Trump to maintain a workable relationship with the Kremlin. 'Russia alone has the capacity to obliterate the United States. If you're a country that lives under the threat of obliteration, you generally should have a policy.' The White House confirmed President Trump will meet the North Korean dictator (pictured), but said the time and place of the meeting was yet to be set Mr Keating described Bill Clinton (pictured with Kim Jong-il) as a 'domestic politician' who missed the opportunity to remake the world after the fall of the Berlin Wall The White House confirmed President Trump will meet the North Korean dictator, but said the time and place of the meeting was yet to be set. 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon,' said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. 'He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined.' 'We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' Quaker Oats has sparked outrage after it gave a 10,000 picture competition prize to a professional food photographer. They had asked their fans to send in pictures of their favourite recipes as part of their #ShowUsYourOats draw. Charlotte O'Connell, who has worked on a number of BBC campaigns, sent in her photograph of a bowl of porridge with pigs, honeycomb and pistachios. And the company is facing criticism after Ms O'Connell was awarded the top prize. Professional food stylist Charlotte O'Connell won the 10,000 prize after entering this photograph of a bowl of porridge with figs, pistachios and honeycomb Ms O'Connell (pictured) has also worked on a number of campaigns for the BBC Ms O'Connell describes herself as an 'experienced recipe writer' and has also worked with Penguin, Cadbury, Tesco and Itsu and says she has more than four years of experience. The 'food stylist' wrote online: 'I have a broad range of experience, having worked on editorial, commercial and video projects. 'I am always interested in taking on new projects and challenges, and love seeing projects through from start to finish. 'As an avid recipe writer and note taker, I also have experience in recipe writing, development and testing.' Quaker Oats also investigated whether she entered a picture taken by another professional photographer but judged she had not broken their rules of entering work which was taken by someone else. They posted online: 'Congratulations to Charlotte O'Connell who's won herself 10,000 for creating our new figgy favourite: a delicious bowl of porridge with figs, pistachios and honeycomb.' The food stylist has worked with a number of top brands including Itsu, Cadbury and Penguin But fans were furious after the company awarded her the prize and took to social media to vent their anger. Vicki Dodge wrote online: 'People just want to know they have a fair chance. 'It looks like the winners are just people who are photographers and have great skill, and nothing at all to do with the bowl of food, which is why people feel misled.' Olivia Kirby added: 'Me too, I'm shocked. It clearly had been commissioned for other purposes. I really hate things like this!' Laura Haines-Gill added: 'Oh good, yet another professional photographer winning the competition. 'Rather than running a competition, why not just pay some professional photographers to create some shots for you?' A Quaker Oats spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We've received thousands of entries to our promotion, and have been thrilled to give away more than 50,000 to individuals and families across the UK. 'The competition was open to everyone. However, in light of some of the feedback we've had, we've decided to choose an additional 10,000 winner.' MailOnline has contacted Ms O'Connell for a comment. A British-Australian mother made a chilling plea to Facebook friends, months before she was charged with murdering her own eight-year-old son. Joanne Finch, 41, shared a link in November asking friends to join her in signing a petition demanding a retrial for South Australian mother Lorien Norman. The change.org appeal expressed outrage at how Norman was spared jail after pleading guilty to aggravated assault towards her eight-month-old daughter. Ms Finch told police she 'heard voices in her head' and her son died after a 'momentary lapse in reason', The Herald Sun reported. Scroll down for video Joanne Finch, 41, is charged with murdering her seven-year-old son Brodie (pictured together) in their Melbourne home on Thursday Finch's chilling final Facebook post was a link to a change.org petition asking friends to join her in signing a petition to retrial Lorien Norman, who pleaded guilty to assaulting her baby girl Part of the petition read: 'So many children are left in care of violent families and once the children lose their lives it is too late for you to say sorry!' Finch briefly appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with murder, as detectives investigated whether Brodie was smothered. Her lawyer said she required a daily dose of the antidepressant drug Effexor and did not apply for bail, leaving her to spend her 42nd birthday behind bars on Saturday. The mother reportedly rang triple-0 asking for help, but when officers arrived at the house they found the boy dead and Finch 'calm and articulate'. Brodie was born in January 2010 to Finch and her partner Lee Moran (family pictured) Brodie on his fifth birthday, appearing to be in one of the Volkswagen Kombi vans her mother was an avid driver of, often accompanying her on road trips in them Brodie's mother reportedly rang triple-0 asking for help, but when officers arrived at the house they found the boy dead Both Brodie's parents were originally from Britain and moved to Melbourne more than a decade ago, though it was not clear if they met there or back in the UK. Finch grew up in the town of Ewell just south of London and attended Epsom and Ewell High School before studying beauty therapy. She has lived in Australia since 2005 when according to her Facebook she volunteered for the Ardoch Youth Foundation in Victoria. Brodie's father Lee Moran, who shared a heartbreaking tribute on Facebook after hearing of his son's death, now works in Shanghai. He grew up in Manchester and worked as a car designer for Ford before transferring to the company's Melbourne office in 2004. The couple got engaged in 2012, two years after Brodie was born, and in 2014 Mr Moran moved to Shanghai to work at a Chinese car manufacturer. Mr Moran (right) took to Facebook on Friday morning to pay tribute to his 'always happy' little boy upon learning of his death Mr Moran took to Facebook to pay tribute to his son on Friday, saying he had 'lost the best part' of his life Since January 2016 he has been chief designer at Chinese state-owned car maker SAIC Motors and made trips home to see his son and partner. However, neighbours said a man, believed to be Finch's boyfriend but not Brodie's father, now lived at the family home in Tootgarook. The three-bedroom house was listed last month with a buyer's guide of $550,000 to $600,000 and due to be auction on Friday, but real estate agents took the signage and delayed the sale. Finch kept her parents and her sister, who is due to give birth this month, updated about Brodie through frequent social media posts documenting his life. Posts included videos of Brodie singing a song for his grandparents, learning to ride a bike, and excitedly preparing to watch his father's favourite team Manchester City play. Both Brodie's parents were originally from Britain and moved to Melbourne more than a decade ago, though it was not clear if they met there or back in the UK Finch grew up in the town of Ewell just south of London and attended Epsom and Ewell High School before studying beauty therapy Brodie (pictured as a baby wearing a the jersey of Mr Moran's favourite team, Manchester City) was born two years before his parents got engaged The little boy appeared to live a happy life, travelling to visit his father in China, grandparents in Britain, and taking roadtrips around Victoria with his mother. Feeding birds while camping on the Great Ocean Road, going on carnival rides with his cousin, playing in sand and at Legoland, and roaring in front of a lion statue in China were some of the many happy snaps he featured in. Brodie also accompanied his mother on roadtrips in vintage Volkswagen Beetles and Kombi vans and attended conventions for lovers of the German brand. Mr Moran took to Facebook on Friday morning to pay tribute to his 'always happy' little boy upon learning of his death. 'Thank you to everyone that has sent well wishes,' a shattered Mr Moran commented. 'At the moment I feel empty, still in shock. I have lost the best part of me... words can not describe how much I love and miss my little fella.' The heartbroken father's words were joined by tributes from dozens of others both on social media and outside his home on Alma Street in Tootgarook, southeast of Melbourne. 'I will miss you,' a Grade two classmate of Brodie Moran left tribute to him on a fence near where his body was found An area near the rented home in Tootgarook on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula was today adorned with letters and soft toys left in tribute to Brodie Moran 'We are so sorry that you are no longer here to enjoy life as little kids should': A local family from Tootgarook left a touching tribute and red teddy bear outside the home where Brodie was found On Friday morning, several of Brodie's classmates from Tootgarook Primary School came to leave toys and messages for their friend. One tribute signed from grade two classmate Robbie was attached to a Hulk doll and read 'to Broadie (sic), I will miss you'. Another came from a local Tootgarook family who admitted even though they didn't know the boy, they 'are so sorry to hear (he's) no longer here to enjoy life as little kids should'. One note left at the front of their home read: 'God bless little man RIP all the angels will be with you now.' A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the pair largely kept to themselves and had only been living in the street about a year. Finch briefly appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with murder, as detectives investigated whether Brodie was smothered Ms Finch (left) allegedly rang Triple-0 asking for help, but when officers arrived at the house they found Brodie (right) dead Finch was charged with murder after her son was found dead at their rented home (pictured) on Alma Street in Tootgarook, 80kms south-east of Melbourne, about 1.30pm on Thursday 'I believe it's a rental property and I don't think they've been there a very long time,' she said. 'I'd see her out the front every now and then and wave and say hello, it was just your normal neighbourly relationship - they were pretty quiet.' As part of their investigation, police are looking into whether Brodie was suffocated. Prospective buyers were due to walk through the family's home this Saturday at an open inspection. The three-bedroom house was listed last month with a buyer's guide of $550,000 to $600,000. Police arrived shortly after and arrested the boy's 41-year-old mother, who charged Thursday night Prospective buyers were due to walk through the family's home (pictured) this Saturday morning at an open inspection Meanwhile, locals described the arrested mother as a friendly resident who would go out of her way to say hello to her neighbours. Alma Street resident Tina Wallace said she was 'horrified' to learn of the child's death, Herald Sun reported. She added: 'It's absolutely tragic, I've got a ten-year-old son myself and it scared the hell out of me to hear what had happened.' 'He was always a happy child,' a separate neighbour told 9 News. 'We'd wave hello as we were collecting the bins. They'd always say hello back.' Nearby residents said no commotion was heard in the afternoon and they couldn't recall any previous trouble at the home, which has children's play equipment surrounding it. A crowd of people were wiped out by a 20-foot wave as they stood near the coastline and watched the churning sea - despite safety warnings. A storm hit Hatillo, in north Puerto Rico, on March 4 and the crowd couldn't help flocking to the promenade to watch. Soraima Velez Rios, who was visiting her niece's seafront house at the time, filmed the spectators as they ignored safety risks and were hit by the wave. A few hesitant onlookers seem to realise their mistake as the giant waves draw closer and they try hopelessly to escape its wrath. They are unable to, however, and you can hear loud screams as the water crashes into them. Ms Rios said: 'Our island is being affected by a cold front from the East of the US. 'It's developing this historic event of swells along our coasts.' This is the moment a crowd of onlookers were forced to flee after a 20-foot wave crashed into them in Hatillo in northern Puerto Rico The island, which is still rebounding from Hurricane Maria, the worst natural disaster on record, has been hit hard by the current storms, with authorities evacuating homes and shutting roads down. Ms Rios, 39, said: 'Only just five months ago our island was hit by a category 5 hurricane which we are still recovering from. 'People from other countries are praying for the situation we are experiencing.' The storm causing the huge waves originated in the U.S and caused authorities in Puerto Rico to evacuate dozens of families and close roads and schools. The crowd, which had gathered to look at the storm that was hitting the sea, quickly dispersed with the area abandoned as they fled Giant waves destroyed palm trees, knocked over cement benches and forced crowds to flee in panic as water flooded streets and homes along Puerto Rico's northern and western coasts. More than 6,000 students were affected by the school closures - according to Pix 11. The swell is the largest to hit Puerto Rico in more than a decade, and it is generating waves bigger than those produced by Hurricane Maria according to Gabriel Lojero, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan. He told the Associated Press: 'It continues to be very dangerous.' The U.S. Coast Guard said it rescued an unidentified surfer who apparently broke his wrist while surfing along Puerto Rico's northwest coast. The footage comes amid evacuations in Puerto Rico after waves bigger than those produced by Hurricane Maria struck parts of the country Government officials also said another three people were rescued from a flooded motel in Hatillo. The heavy swell also destroyed several docks and part of a government-owned boat terminal in Catano that provides ferry service to the historic part of Puerto Rico's capital known as Old San Juan. Ferry service to the popular nearby islands of Vieques and Culebra also was cancelled. The ongoing damage comes as Puerto Rico struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria, which caused up to an estimated $94 billion in damage. The decision to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un for talks was all down to President Trump himself, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday. Tillerson said Trump had been open to talks 'for some time', despite saying just hours before the announcement that the US was 'a long way from negotiations' with North Korea. The White House confirmed on Thursday evening that the President had accepted an invitation from Kim Jong-Un to meet, but did not specify a time and place. Changing message: Rex Tillerson said Trump had been open to talks 'for some time', despite an interview just hours earlier when he said US was 'a long way from negotiations' with Kim Speaking to reporters during a visit to the African nation of Djibouti, Tillerson said the talks between the two world leaders will take 'some weeks' to arrange 'That is a decision the president took himself. I spoke to him very early this morning about that decision and we had a very good conversation,' Tillerson said. 'President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right,' the top U.S. diplomat said. 'And I think in the president's judgment that time has arrived now.' My choice: Tillerson said the decision to accept Kim's invitation was 'a decision the president took himself' Explaining Mr Trump's decision-making about the meeting, Mr Tillerson said that the US had witnessed a shift from North Korea that became apparent when a South Korean delegation visited Pyongyang, then travelled to Washington to brief US officials on the rare meeting. He said the dispatch from that meeting 'was the most forward-leaning report that we've had, in terms of Kim Jong Un's not just willingness but his strong desire for talks. 'What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way,' Mr Tillerson said. 'In all honesty, that came as a little bit of a surprise to us as well.' South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong (L) meeting US President Donald J. Trump (R) at the White House in Washington, DC, USA Despite the interview just hours before the announcement, where Tillerson said the U.S. was not going to schedule talks 'at this point', his staff denied that he was blindsided by Trump's decision to meet Kim. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says Tillerson spoke to Trump about the decision before it was announced publicly at the White House. Goldstein says Tillerson is 'a very careful speaker. He knew exactly what he was saying today.' Goldstein says the meeting 'shows that the maximum pressure campaign is working.' So, it worked. President Donald Trump's inflammatory and bellicose 'Little Rocket Man' taunting at North Korea's Kim Jong Un has, astonishingly, brought the pint-sized dictator to the negotiating table. Trump's 'my nuclear button's bigger than yours' shock tactics scared the life out of almost everyone else, including me. Donald Trump's taunting at Kim Jong Un has brought the North Korean to the negotiating table But it turns out there was method to his apparent madness. In a stunning development, Jong Un's agreed to meet Trump by May, and pledged to refrain from further nuclear and missile tests in the meantime. Even more significantly, he is apparently 'committed to denuclearization' according to South Korea's government, after a meeting its officials held with Jong Un earlier this week. Make no mistake, this is a massive win for Trump. None of his predecessors as US President has ever been able to bring North Korea even remotely to heel. Obviously, this is just the first move towards some kind of settlement and hope may still collapse as fast as it has just arrived. Frankly, I wouldn't trust Kim Jong Un as far as I could hurl the portly little twerp. But, and it's a massive BUT, there's no doubt this is a dramatic step forward in potentially neutralising the biggest threat to world peace. South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong meets Mr Trump in the US yesterday For decades, North Korea has lied, ranted and cheated its way to full nuclear capability. The chronic, shameful inaction by Trump's predecessors in the White House has merely served to embolden the world's most unstable dictatorship, rather than decapitate it. Now, through a mixture of tough talk and wily diplomacy, Trump has succeeded where they so abjectly failed - albeit temporarily. When he wasn't personally abusing Jong Un on Twitter, the President was stepping up draconian economic sanctions, leaning on China and working hard with South Korea's impressive leader, President Moon Jae-In. The first sign of something big happening came three days ago when Trump tweeted: 'Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!' Kim (centre) looks at an object claimed to be the hydrogen bomb North Korea tested last year Last night, North Korea blinked. Despite all his bonkers behaviour, Jong Un - like his father Kim Jong-il before him is a cunning and pragmatic man when it comes to self-preservation. The North Korean strategy has been to enhance its nuclear capability to the point where nobody dare try to pull an Iraq or Libya on its own regime. And it's been a chillingly successful tactic, which is worrying on many levels, not least because it might encourage other rogue states to pursue a similar path. Both Jong-il and Jong Un have previously been able to rely on the fact they were dealing with conventional career politicians in the White House, like Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama. Those US presidents were all terrified of triggering a planet-threatening war and thus did nothing to properly confront the growing menace of a fully-nuked North Korea. Trump is a different animal. Former US president Bill Clinton is pictured meeting North Korea's Kim Jong Il in 2009 He doesn't care for the niceties of Washington diplomacy and from his business life he knows a gigantic bullsh*tter like Jong Un when he sees one. THIS President prefers wielding a big stick, and reminding everyone that America has by far the biggest stick to wield. When Jong Un said his nuclear button was on his desk at all times, Trump immediately hit back with this infamous retort: '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!' He was mocked and derided for this super-charged form of international willy-waving, but now he's had the last laugh. I suspect Kim Jong Un's been quietly growing increasingly concerned that in President Trump, he is now dealing with someone as unpredictable as him, but with a far superior military arsenal that he might actually unleash. North Korea's state media may have recently labelled Trump a 'lunatic mean old trickster and human reject' but those are just words. Former CIA chief and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said: 'I think this is a positive step' Actions always speak louder, and Jong Un's agreement to meet with the US President is a hugely significant climbdown, whatever gloss he tries to put on it. For President Trump, it represents a coup that might prove to be as ground-breaking, daring and meaningful as Richard Nixon's controversial courting of Mao Zedong's China in the early '70s. Trump's book Art of the Deal gives a guide to his negotiating skills. 'My style of deal-making is quite simple and straightforward,' he wrote, 'I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I'm after.' With North Korea, he has displayed that philosophy to dramatic effect. He aimed as high as anyone could possibly aim, openly threatening to vaporise Kim Jong Un into a cloud of nuclear dust. And Jong Un appears to have believed he really might go through with it. As a result, there's a proper chance of North Korea dismantling rather than accelerating its nuclear program. People look a TV screen showing Mr Trump and Kim at Seoul train station in South Korea today For a long time, it has demanded the right for its leaders to meet face-to-face with the President of the United States as equals one nuclear power to another. Now, it will get that opportunity. Though it would do well to heed last night's advice from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham: 'A word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un,' he said, 'the very worst possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him. If you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime.' Jong Un has probably reached the same conclusion. 'Hopefully you will give me credit,' a reportedly ecstatic Trump told ABC News journalist Jon Karl yesterday. Don't hold your breath for that, Mr President. The US mainstream media is already working overtime to accentuate the negative rather than positive from this announcement, such is their collective ratings-boosting hostility towards Trump. But the truth is he deserves a LOT of credit. And even some of his biggest political critics are ready to give it to him. 'I think this is a positive step,' said former CIA chief and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. 'I think the world is breathing a sigh of relief.' Yes, it is. A new mother died when nurses told her to walk off aches and pains that turned out to be a fatal illness, her husband has said. Ayesha Riaz was only 24 when she contracted an invasive strain of Group A streptococcus, three days giving birth to their son at a hospital in southern Ontario. Her husband Saleem, 26, says their baby arrived so quickly that a nurse delivered Eesa, at the Markham Stouffville Hospital and though he was healthy, Ayesha soon began to feel unwell, CTVNews.ca, reported. Ayesha Riaz was aged just 24 when when she contracted an invasive strain of Group A streptococcus Her husband, pictured with their new son Eesa, said his wife was told to 'walk it off' after feeling unwell 'She was complaining of pain in her tailbone, and felt overheated,' he said. With Eesa showing signs of jaundice, Riaz decided to stay overnight in hospital with her baby after the February 7 birth. The next day, Saleem had to go into his and his wife texted him to say she had headaches and was feeling short of breath. Saleem alleges the hospital nurses told his wife, a recent University of Toronto graduate, her complaints were likely due to the usual pains of childbirth. By the following day, Saleem says his wife's heart rate had gone up. Instead, he says hospital staff told Riaz to 'walk it off,' or to do breathing exercises to help with her shortness of breath. 'There was just a lack of care for three days as they completely dismissed her complaints,' he said. Over the following two days Ayesha's health deteriorated and until on February 10th she went into cardiac arrest. Ahmad Saleem and Ayesha Riaz on their wedding day in August 2016. She was the youngest of five children Ayesha went into hospital to give birth to her son Eesa but developed an infection there and died Ayesha pictured on a trip to London. Her husband described her as the most 'charismatic person you could meet' Saleem jumped onto the table to continue the CPR himself, desperate to bring his wife back. 'I was crying obviously. I kept telling the doctor, "I told you not to do this! I told you not to do this!" Eventually the doctor said, "She's not coming back". And I lost it,' he said. Saleem is now in the process of hiring a lawyer so that he can launch legal action against the hospital. 'It's my whole life taken away in a few moments,' Saleem told Global News. 'I look at my son and it's hard because he doesn't know what he missed. 'We just started out life, never could've expected to do this on my own I hold him, love him, I play around with him, but it hurts me every second. 'She was the most open-minded, sincere and honest and charismatic person you could meet. This is not something I am saying because I'm her husband, this is something whoever interacted with her can tell you.' Saleem and his family have begun a GoFundMe crowdfunding page where they are seeking help with the legal fees. The family says they hope their legal action can get them the answers they seek. 'Although we will never be able to bring Ayesha back, the family wants to ensure that this never happens to anyone ever again,' the crowdfunding page reads. Markham-Stouffville Hospital's vice-president of communications and public affairs, Lisa Joyce, said it would not comment on the specific case. But she told CTVnews, two other patients at the hospital also became ill with Group A Strep at the same time as Riaz. The hospital immediately brought in enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures and restricted visitors to the patient care unit. Joyce added the hospital immediately began an internal review with members of its infection prevention and control team. Russia has offered to aid Britain in its investigation into the attempted murder of poisoned spy Sergei Skripal - but only if it is given 'the necessary data and facts'. Speaking at the African union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared to mock the UK, dismissing claims that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack as propaganda aimed at increasing international tensions. He also suggested Russia would be open to taking part in an investigation into alleged interference in last year's US election - but only if the West was willing to share sensitive data. Lavrov appeared to goad the UK, suggesting a major stumbling block to cooperation was the fact Russian officials had not yet seen any concrete evidence. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov made the comments during a joint press conference at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are in hospital after being exposed to a mystery substance in Salisbury, which has triggered a diplomatic row and prompted crisis talks in Whitehall. 'What we see is only news reports saying that if it is Russia, then a response is going to be given that Russia is going to remember forever,' he said. 'That is not serious. This is propaganda fair and square and it is trying to raise tensions,' he added. 'If someone wants us to engage in an investigation, be that on the poisoning of the UK subject or the rumours about alleged interference in the electoral campaign of the US, if you really need our assistance, then we will be willing to contemplate this possibility if we have the necessary data and facts.' 'But in order to have a serious conversation ... you have to use the official channels,' Lavrov said.' Sergei Skripal (left, in 2006) and his daughter Yulia (right) continue to fight for their lives after they were 'targeted' with a deadly substance in the middle of Salisbury town centre Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia are pictured in the Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury in 2016, the same place where they dined before they were attacked with a nerve agent Directly addressing the suggestion the Kremlin was behind the poisoning of Skripal, Lavrov told reporters he believed British claims of interference were simple 'propaganda' British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday her government will respond appropriately if evidence shows Moscow was behind the attack on Skripal, who served time in a Russian jail for spying for Britain before he was released in a spy swap. 'We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right, if it is proved to be the case that this is state-sponsored,' May told ITV News, when asked if Britain could expel the Russian ambassador. Officers have now confirmed 21 people - including Mr Skripal, his daughter - were treated in hospital in relation to the attack, after previously claiming the number was 'fewer than ten'. It is not clear of the 21 how many are police officers, medical staff or ordinary members of the public. Mr Skripal would often enjoy a pint of lager in local pubs in the city (pictured here is a pub believed to be The Mill in 2016) Police seen putting on protective suits and gas masks in preparation to carry out further investigation work, in Salisbury The cordon in Salisbury was extended after a Zizzi restaurant and a pub called The Mill were closed, suggesting Mr Skripal and his daughter visited multiple locations Mr Skripal, who passed secrets to Britain while working for Russian intelligence, and his daughter Yulia are believed to have visited Zizzi restaurant and the Mill Pub in Salisbury before they were found unconscious on a bench near The Maltings shopping centre on Sunday afternoon. It emerged last night police were called to reports of two 'drunks acting strangely on a bench', but were met by the pair slumped in a 'catatonic state'. Initial police investigations appeared to focus on them being poisoned while they were out, but yesterday's police activity suggests they could have become infected beforehand. One line of inquiry is that the nerve agent used against them was developed in a Russian laboratory before being transported by a would-be assassin in a sealed container to Britain. Who is Russian double agent Sergei Skripal? How 'Spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' narrowly avoided execution after selling secrets to MI6 Sergei Skripal (pictured) unmasked dozens of secret agents and gave information to MI6 Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence, was considered by the Kremlin to be one of the most damaging spies of his generation. He was responsible for unmasking dozens of secret agents threatening Western interests by operating undercover in Europe. Col Skripal, 66, allegedly received 78,000 in exchange for taking huge risks to pass classified information to MI6. In 2006, he was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp after being convicted of passing invaluable Russian secrets to the UK. A senior source in Moscow said at the time: 'This man is a big hero for MI6.' After being convicted of 'high treason in the form of espionage' by Moscow's military court, Col Skripal was stripped of his rank, medals and state awards. He was alleged by Russia's security service, the FSB, to have begun working for the British secret services while serving in the army in the 1990s. He was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian labour camp when he was convicted of passing secrets to Britain He passed information classified as state secrets and was paid for the work by MI6, the FSB claimed. Col Skripal pleaded guilty at the trial and co-operated with investigators, reports said at the time. He admitted his activities and gave a full account of his spying, which led to a reduced sentence. In July 2010, he was pardoned by then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and was one of four spies exchanged for ten Russian agents deported from the US in an historic swap involving red-headed 'femme fatale' Anna Chapman. Mrs Chapman, then 28, was a Manhattan socialite and diplomat's daughter, who had lived and worked in London during a four-year marriage to British public schoolboy Alex Chapman. After the swap at Vienna airport, Col Skripal was one of two spies who came to Britain and he has kept a low profile for the past eight years. He moved into a 350,000 home in Salisbury and collapsed outside a shopping centre in the city centre He is understood to have been debriefed for months before being given a home and a pension. The former spy was living at an address in Salisbury, Wiltshire, when the suspected poisoning took place in the city centre. Reports in Russia suggested that Mr Skripal was originally recruited by MI6 in Tallinn, Estonia, and may have lectured on the KGB tactics since moving to Britain. He often went to his local shop to buy a particular type of Polish sausage and spent up to 40 a time on lottery scratch cards and was described as a 'polite' and 'kind' customer who often won money. Adam Blake who owns local firm A2B Taxis, said he 'fairly regularly' used to pick up Mr Skripal, who is fighting for his life after being exposed to a mystery substance. Mr Blake told the Daily Mirror: 'He had a black-faced ring with an animal on it, a wolf I think, and would kiss the ring and ask if you wanted to kiss it. 'Then he would look each way, as if joking, and say, "I'm a Russian spy". He would say it to all the drivers and nobody ever believed him. 'I would often see him standing around town in doorways too, looking around suspiciously as if he was really trying to portray the spy image.' He also joined the 10-a-year Railway Social Club in the city and neighbours said they did not know him well, although he organised a house-warming party shortly after moving in, inviting people by dropping notes through doors. It was also revealed how he had suffered two bereavements within just five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his son Alexandr passed away aged 43 in 2017. This video shows the evidence used to convict Skripal of spying in Russia and his high-profile arrest in Moscow in 2004 His neighbour Blake Stephens, 24, said: 'He used to live with his wife but unfortunately she died in a car accident a while ago.' Col Skripal was turned by MI6 when he was posted abroad as a GRU military intelligence agent in Europe in the mid-1990s. During his years working for MI6, the balding spy unmasked dozens of agents threatening Western interests. Col Skripal was so well-connected that even after his retirement from his spy service in 1999 he continued to pass exceptional secrets to London by staying in touch with his former colleagues as a reservist officer. He was nicknamed 'the spy with the Louis Vuitton bag' after grainy pictures showed him carrying a bag at an airport en route to a meeting with his handlers. He may finally have been snared by the FSB after passing his intelligence to MI6's infamous James Bond-style 'spy rock' a fake stone packed with receiving equipment in a Moscow park. Russian secret services exposed the ploy in 2006, revealing how British agents transmitted their data to the rock via a hidden hand-held device while walking past it. Russian president Vladimir Putin (pictured yesterday) once hinted at how his country deals with spies by insisting that 'traitors always end in a bad way' After Col Skripal's conviction, one official said: 'His activities caused a significant blow to Russia's external security.' Chief military prosecutor Sergei Fridinsky said: 'It is impossible to measure in roubles or anything else the amount of harm caused by Skripal.' State-run TV in Russia even compared him to the legendary Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky, who spied for Britain and the US during the height of the Cold War. Penkovsky was shot by a firing squad in 1963 and is regarded as one of the most effective spies of all time. Advertisement Counter-terrorism officers believe Mr Skripal could have been infected hours before he showed symptoms. The agent used is not thought to be the widely-known Sarin, VX or Novichok but a substance described by Whitehall sources as 'exotic'. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, ex-commander of the Army's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear regiment, said: 'This was quite clearly a very professional operation. 'These things are made in big government laboratories. It reduces in toxicity over time so if it was made in Russia two weeks ago then by the time it was administered its effectiveness would be reduced significantly.' Zizzi, the Mill pub, Mr Skripal's house, his son and wife's graves, part of the local hospital, the ambulance station of the vehicle which took him to the hospital and an office block next to Zizzi's have all been taken over as part of the investigation. Mr Skripal is believed to have visited his wife's grave as recently as March 1. Police still want to question a couple that were caught near the scene on CCTV, who were initially believed to be Mr Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter The only people still in hospital are Mr Skripal, Yulia and Sgt Bailey. While the Detective Sergeant is sitting up and speaking, there are fears former intelligence officer Mr Skripal may die. It also emerged that Whitehall officials were drawing up a list of Russian officials they could expel from the country if it emerged Moscow was behind the assassination attempt. Nerve agents are highly toxic chemicals that attack the nervous system and shut down bodily functions. A cordon was widened around a pub and restaurant at the centre of the investigation. Emergency services have also taped off the park where the Skripals were found. His home in the west of the city is being investigated, as is an ambulance station in nearby Amesbury. Salisbury District's hospital declared an incident that day after the pair were found Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Wednesday, head of counter terrorism policing, Mark Rowley revealed government experts have identified the specific nerve agent that was used, but would not be making that information public. Establishing the substance's origins will be an urgent priority as authorities attempt to track down the person or people responsible. 'Having established that they were exposed to a nerve agent, we are now treating this as a major incident involving an attempted murder by the administration of a nerve agent,' he said. 'Sadly, in addition, a police officer who was one of the first to attend the scene and respond to the incident is now also in a serious condition in hospital. 'Wiltshire Police are, of course, providing every support to his family. 'Whilst we are now in a position to confirm that their symptoms are as a result of exposure to a nerve agent, I will not be providing further information at this stage about the exact substance which has been identified.' Who is the daughter of Russian spy Sergei Skripal? 'Ex-Nike and Holiday Inn employee' Yulia moved to London seven years ago and was visiting her father when pair were taken ill The critically-ill daughter of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal is a businesswoman who supported jailing Vladimir Putin on Facebook. Yulia Skripal, 33, moved to London in 2010 - the same year her father was granted refuge in Britain - and relocated to Southampton, Hampshire. She also worked for Nike in the Russian capital and is currently employed by PepsiCo. According to her Facebook page she lived in Malta in 1985 and started high school in Moscow six years later. Yulia Skripal (pictured) moved to London in 2010 after she left her job working for Nike in Moscow She also lived in Malta in 1985 and started high school in the Russian capital six years later This letter was posted on Facebook, appearing to be a child's school work criticising Putin Yulia was among those who responded to the post, commenting 'nice' beneath it In 2008, she started her role as a Customer Operations Representative at Nike after she graduated from Moscow State Humanities University. Two years later she quit the job and moved to London before relocating to the south coast when she worked for Holiday Inn in Southampton. It is unclear whether she lived with her father or if she had a boyfriend or partner in London. In 2012, her father later moved into a 350,000 four-bedroom home in Salisbury - just 20 miles west of Southampton - and the house was paid for in cash. It was previously owned by Wiltshire Police and neighbours described her father as being a 'happy man' who drove a BMW 3 Series. And it has now emerged that she wrote 'nice' when a friend said he hoped the Russian President would be jailed in his anti-Putin letter. Yulia (left) reported the death of her father's wife to Wiltshire Police when she died in 2012 She remains in a critical condition after she collapsed in Salisbury city centre with her father His letter read: 'I want to put in to jail Vladimir Putin, because I think that he is the worst president in the world. He stole so much money that they can feed a small starving country.' It is understood Yulia had moved back to Russia and was visiting her father when they were taken ill. Mr Skripal's housekeeper said she had been asked to clean Yulia's bedroom before her arrival. In 2012, her mother Liudmilla died and Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council. She recorded her father's occupation as a 'retired local government planning officer'. Advertisement Former British ambassador to Russia Sir Andrew Wood told the Telegraph that the 'assassination attempt' was more serious given a policeman was among the injured. However the former diplomat, who served in Moscow between 1995 and 2000, said the injuries suffered by the double agent's daughter and the officer should not take attention away from the attempt on Mr Skripal's life. He told the paper: 'If it is true that this is, in some fashion, the Russian state, it obviously makes it even harder to believe the Russian state is worth anything or is to be trusted. 'The fact they targeted his daughter, and that a policeman is seriously ill, makes it emotionally difficult, but it does not alter the fact that this was an attempted assassination on British soil.' He added that the diplomatic ways forward now could even involve expelling the Russian ambassador to Britain. The paper also reported that the nerve agent may have been created in the notorious Yasenevo laboratory near Moscow, which is used by Russia's foreign intelligence service. And a Whitehall source was quoted saying there was now widespread thinking within the UK Government that 'Putin's hands are all over this'. Police are mounting a massive investigation to establish how the former Russian double agent and his daughter were targeted and who was responsible. Two moped muggers caught on CCTV robbing a mother of her 25,000 Rolex watch at knifepoint have been jailed for a total of 17 years and six months. Thomas McDermott, 24, and George Fitzgerald, 17, raced through the streets of Chelsea, west London, looking for wealthy victims before jumping off their bikes and attacking Heather Mitchell. CCTV played to Southwark Crown Court showed the mother's children watching in horror as she was dragged along the ground. The thieves wrenched her Rolex Day-Date from her wrist after robbing a businessman of his Rolex Oyster Perpetual timepiece just days before. Other shocking footage shows the gang, which included 20-year-old Hisham Tawfik, threaten people armed with a hammer and an angle grinder. Shocking footage shows the robbers armed with an angle grinder as they threatened wealthy people in west London Thomas McDermott, 24, (left) and George Fitzgerald, 17, (right) raced through the streets of Chelsea, west London, looking for wealthy victims McDermott was on bail at the time at the time for stealing seven motorbikes and mopeds worth tens of thousands of pounds with Tawfik. They grabbed Piaggios, Hondas Vespa and even top of the range Ducatis and a rare MV Agusta worth a total of up to 60,000. McDermott was jailed for 12 and a half years while Fitzgerald was locked up for five years in a youth detention centre. Tawfik was detained for three years. Judge Martin Beddoe told the trio: 'You Mr McDermott and Mr Tawfik stole motorcycles. There value came to 55,000 or perhaps a little more. 'Although there was no violence in the crimes, there was the threat of violence. You Mr McDermott threatened members of the public who tried to stop you with an angle grinder, and you Mr Tawfik threatened people with a hammer.' The judge lifted an order protecting Fitzgerald's anonymity and said: 'You were the driver when Mr McDermott wrestled with Heather Mitchell for her Rolex watch has her two young children watched. 'We have heard how her eight-year-old daughter has had to have counselling and has been robbed of her childhood and security.' Girlfriends and family members of the thieves blew kisses at them as their crimes were detailed. Paul Fairley, prosecuting, said the trio were friends and lived near to each other. Members of the gang were filmed on shocking CCTV threatening people with hammers and angle grinders The men were armed and would typically target wealthy people in parts of Chelsea in west London 'These were organised, relatively sophisticated, well planned and, mostly, efficient and well executed offences,' he said. 'The theft of the high value motorcycles has had a significant increase in Westminster and the surrounding boroughs in recent years. 'In this case, some of the motorcycles stolen were worth 20,000. The sell-on value to those who stole them must therefore also have been high. 'The detection of this set of offences came as a result of enquires into the ownership of the motorcycles found in Tawfik's garage. Hisham Tawfik, 20, (pictured) was detained for three years 'One of them looked very similar to a motorcycle being offered for sale on 'Gumtree'. That sale page linked to a phone number which was linked to Fitzgerald. 'When officers went to his home on 29 June 2017 and arrested him, a search was conducted of his bedroom. 'Officers found a Louis Vuitton holdall, which contained a number of items of motorcycle clothing including jackets, trousers, gloves, a balaclava and a 'snood'. 'The trousers were distinctive Adidas trousers. This was a fortunate but key find for the officers. 'They had been investigating a series of theft and robbery offences which had occurred during June 2017. 'These items had been seen around London on CCTV and because of that the police were able to use them to identify the defendants.' Describing the attack on Ms Mitchell, the prosecutor said: 'McDermott together with Fitzgerald went to Chelsea in June 2017. The thieves were armed and wrenched the mother's Rolex Day-Date from her wrist after robbing a businessman of his Rolex Oyster Perpetual timepiece just days before When the woman realised she was going to be attacked she screamed and told her children to run away 'They saw a woman called Heather Mitchell. She was with her two children at the time taking them to school. 'They approached her, and she became suspicious. When she realised she was going to be attacked she screamed and told her children to run away. Then the defendant pulled out a knife and dragged her along the ground. 'She was screaming for her children. In her statement she told of how her children had been robbed of their security and childhood. 'They also attacked Erez Gehl in St John's Wood Park where Fitzgerald got off the bike and tried to grab a Rolex watch worth 10,000. He pulled out a knife and held it against the man's chest.' McDermott, of Kilburn, admitted conspiracy to rob, theft, attempted theft, and threatening behaviour and was jailed for 12 years six months with eight years. Fitzgerald, of Dagenham, admitted conspiracy to rob, theft and making of without payment and was sentenced to five years in detention. Tawfik, of West Kilburn, admitted theft, handling stolen goods and threatening behaviour and was sentenced to three years in a youth detention centre. A man in China has been saved by seven-hour surgery after a disc flew out of a metal cutter and sliced across his face. The running blade cut from his lips and end up lodged about five centimetres deep in his forehead between his eyebrows, according to reports. The 50-year-old man, surnamed Ma, was said to be cutting open a metal bucket to fix a sink in a pigsty. A 50-year-old man has metal blade stuck in his forehead after it came off from a disc cutter (left). The rusty blade is longer than a size of a 10ml syringe (right) According to Shaanxi Metropolitan Post, Mr Ma was using a rusty disc cutter to fix a sink in a pigsty in Qingyang of Gansu Province on March 4. The machine broke and a blade came off when he was cutting an iron bucket and the fan-shaped blade hit onto his face. It was said Mr Ma did not put on any protective gear. 'The wound is very deep, all the way from lower lip to the forehead,' said Mr Ma's son. His father fainted and was taken to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University immediately. Doctors found cuts on Mr Ma's lips, nose and forehead. The blade came off when Mr Ma was cutting a metal bucket without wearing any protection He is recovering in intensive care unit in the hosptial after undergoing a seven-hour surgery One neuro-surgeon explained to the reporter: 'The blade has lodged very deep in the forehead. We have to be very careful not to damage his eyes and the surrounding blood vessels.' Over 10 surgeons joined forced to perform a seven-hour surgery on Mr Ma but they had to monitor him closely. 'We have to monitor the patient's condition whether the patient will have any infections in the head because there might have some flakes of rusts remained inside,' said one doctor. Mr Ma is staying in intensive care unit after the surgery. This footage shows the moment a grandstand collapses during a military parade as respectful spectators rise out of their seats just as the troops pass in front of them. The spectators can be seen rising to their feet as a military unit marches past and they respectfully salute the soldiers. The rows of benches they are sitting on suddenly collapse and dozens of people drop to the ground. Remarkably, only three people were injured during the stand collapse in Ario de Rosales, in the central Mexican state of Michoacan. One spectator suffered a serious leg injury and was taken to hospital, while the other two had minor cuts and scrapes and were treated on site. The parade was to honour the 203rd anniversary of the first Mexican Supreme Court of Justice. The civic parade was attended by State Governor Silvano Aureoles, whose podium was positioned next to the grandstand that collapsed. The spectators in the Mexican grandstand can be seen rising to their feet as a military unit marches past and they respectfully salute the soldiers State officials were evacuated as a precautionary measure and the parade was temporarily suspended to evaluate the extent of the collapse and treat injured spectators. Mexican soldiers assisted the dozens of people affected by the sudden accident. A statement from the Coordination of Civil Protection said that the spectators were escorted to another area to watch the parade, which resumed after a brief break and followed the event's original schedule. An investigation into the accident has been launched. Bart Andriessen, 46, feared he would suffer after being diagnosed with the debilitating condition MELAS which affects the nervous system An Emirates worker killed himself after organising his own funeral when he discovered he has the same rare disease that killed his mother. Bart Andriessen, 46, feared he would suffer after being diagnosed with the debilitating condition MELAS which affects the nervous system. Over a four month period he planned his own death, organised his funeral, put his affairs in order through a firm of solicitors and even compiled a CD with the tag: 'My Last Song.' Last November 3 after stockpiling prescription medication, Belgium-born Mr Andriessen, from Leigh, Greater Manchester wrote a note saying 'Do not resuscitate' before taking a fatal overdose of tablets. Tragically, His sister is now plagued with the same illness. Following an inquest into Mr Andriessen's death, his ex-wife Wendy said: 'It's just a tragedy. Both his sister and his mum had the same condition. His mum died from it and he had just had enough. 'His dad had to come over from Belgium for his funeral knowing that his daughter was going to suffer with it to. He was in a lot of pain. It was simply a tragedy.' Over a four month period Mr Andriessen planned his own death, organised his funeral, put his affairs in order through a firm of solicitors and even compiled a CD with the tag: 'My Last Song' Mr Andriessen - who worked for the Emirates airline was diagnosed with MELAS which stands for Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy Lactic Acidosis and stroke-like episodes in 2013. The condition affects many of the body's systems, particularly the brain and nervous system and muscles and symptoms include muscle pain, recurrent headaches, loss of appetite and seizures. He suffered up six seizures a day and was prescribed various tablets to help stabilise the condition including carbamazepine, paracetamol and clobazam. However he his mood worsened and he was diagnosed with depression. Mrs Andriessen from Westhoughton, told the Bolton hearing: 'Sadly his diagnosis massively impacted on his personality, he was so different. Mr Andriessen - who worked for the Emirates airline was diagnosed with MELAS which stands for Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy Lactic Acidosis and stroke-like episodes in 2013 'It's like he accepted that he was going to die. I still tried to remain in his life because I cared about him but he was finding it difficult to work. He was deaf and had diabetes and was in a lot of pain. 'Physically he was fine but internally he struggled. We couldn't get him to think ahead. The last time he went to the doctors was 12th October. I believe he had been stockpiling his medication. 'He always used to say "The day I take my life, nobody will know about it". He was capable of doing it. 'Whenever we argued, it would be another trigger for him to say things like that. 'He was intelligent and articulate. He was good with his medication. He was meticulous about it and made sure he always kept up to date with it. So when he stopped going to the doctors, we knew something was wrong.' Family GP Dr Arumugam Saravanan said: 'I have treated him since he came over from Belgium. I saw him regularly for four years and he had type two diabetes. But he was diagnosed with MELAS after he began fitting. This was hereditary. 'This isn't particularly terminal but there is no prognosis. He accepted that this was his fate and he told family and friends that he was going to die. 'He had a previous attempt at self harm through overdose. His behaviour changed when he learned of his diagnoses. He became disengaged with his prescription and he didn't come to the doctors surgery for four months. 'The last time I saw him was in March. The next thing I knew I received a letter from a solicitors firm enquiring about end of life care. I didn't know what was going on as he was fine last time I saw him. Little did I know he was creating a plan for when he died. 'I didn't think he wanted to take his life. I was completely shocked when I found out. This wasn't a cry for help I don't think. This was an intelligent man who believed that he had no alternative. It was a shock to the whole surgery.' In a post mortem report his cause of death was concluded as 1A carbamazepine toxicity. Police Coroners Officer Nicola Boyes said: 'There was no third party involvement or suspicious activity. 'During our investigation we found that he had a insulin diary where he would time and date when he took his insulin. 'On November 2, the day before he was found, he wrote "Rest in Peace". This doesn't tell us when he died but this tells us the state of his mind at the time. 'In the next room we found a number of funeral plans, it seemed like he was putting his financial affairs in order. He also left a CD with a note stating "My Last Song".' Mr Andriessen was found surrounded by blister packs of the drug carbamazepine with at least one of the packets being empty. A toxicology report showed that he had 24 mg of the drug in a litre of blood. The highest toxicity level is 13mg. Recording a conclusion of suicide, Coroner Timothy Brennand said: 'This was self administration of at least 12 carbamazepine tablets. We know this because at least one of the packets was empty. 'We will never know how many were taken but he intended to take his own life. 'This was not a cry for help. He simply had enough. I want to offer my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Bart. This must have been a difficult time for all of you and I'm sorry that you have had to relive that today.' For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details. A four-year-old girl drowned after being forced into a car with the bullet-riddled bodies of her parents and pushed into a lake by their killer. Konstantin, 35, and Inna Larkov, 32, drove two hours across Crimea with their daughter Arina to buy a new car the father found online. They arrived in the small village of Geroevskoe and were met by two men who claimed to be the owners of the new car. Konstantin, 35, and Inna Larkov, 32, were shot dead by robbers who they thought were selling them a new car after they Their four-year-old daughter Arina was then locked in the car with her parents' bodies and the vehicle pushed into a lake where she drowned But when the parents got out of their Chevrolet Lanos, Warder Raven Samar, 28, pulled out a gun and demanded the cash. Mr Larkov tried to fight back and was shot five times in the chest, before Samar turned his gun on Ms Larkov and shot her in the chest and head. The killer and an accomplice then pocketed the 255,000 RUB (3,236) Mr Larkov brought to buy the car, along with his phone, and stuffed the bodies inside. They then forced the terrified girl, who watched both of her parents be murdered, back into the car before rolling it into the lake. Samar went to work at his job as a prison guard in Sevastopol just hours after the brutal murders, carrying the jail-issued gun he shot his victims with. Detectives tracked him down a week later and he made a full confession, even leading them to the bodies and reenacting the sickening crime. When the parents got out of their Chevrolet Lanos, one of the men allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the couple repeatedly in the head and chest The killer and his accomplice pocketed the 255,000 RUB (3,236) Mr Larkov brought to buy the car and stuffed the bodies inside with the terrified Arina Little Arina drowned alongside her mother's body while trapped in the car by the cruel killers Police were alerted when worried neighbours called the police when the family failed to return home or answer their phones. Neighbours put up missing person posters around their home town of Feodosia after hearing the family dog whining from thirst and hunger. 'The adults died from numerous bullet wounds. After being killed they were put into their car,' local police said. 'No bullet wounds or injuries were found on the child's body. She was forced into the car alive and drowned.' Samar faced life in prison but the brutality of his crimes prompted many Crimeans to lobby for capital punishment to be reintroduced. She says she is different to high-profile Brigitte Macron who prefers the office The actress started seeing the President in secret during the 2012 election Julie Gayet, 45, chose to stay out the public eye and avoid state functions Julie Gayet, the elusive partner of former French president Francois Hollande, has opened up about her refusal to accept the job of First Lady. The 45-year-old actress told Paris Match magazine she did not want to take up the office because she believed the role was 'sexist'. 'One person is elected. Not a couple. The role of the first lady is sexist. It's a job that forces her to stop her career. What's more, you don't get a salary,' she said. 'Each to their own profession, mine is actress and producer.' Julie Gayet and Francois Hollande attending the funeral of French singer Johnny Hallyday Ms Gayet began a relationship with Hollande while he was on the campaign trail for the 2012 French presidential election. But their relationship became uncomfortably public for her after Closer magazine revealed she and Hollande had been meeting up in secret while he was still with First Lady Valerie Trierweiler. Ms Trierweiler, a journalist, was admitted to hospital after taking too many tranquillisers after the shock revelations. Hollande announced their separation shortly afterwards. Following her recovery, Ms Trierweiler published a bestselling tell-all memoir shaming Hollande for his actions - a book widely thought to be responsible for his abysmal public approval rating. Ms. Gayet first met Hollande on the campaign trail for the French presidential election in 2012 In the wake of the scandal, Ms Gayet said she wanted her relationship with the Socialist former leader to be more discreet. She took the decision to live at the Elysee Palace but chose to remain out of the public eye and avoid official functions altogether. Speaking during the candid interview, Ms. Gayet said that instead of acting like a traditional First Lady, she chose to see herself as 'the queen of hearts, being at the side of the president without ever taking the position'. Paying tribute to her partner Hollande, Gayet said: 'I love his way of thinking, the way he is, his sense of humour. 'Francois likes the women in his life to be free, strong and independent,' she added. Hollande's previous partner and mother of their four children, Segolene Royal, served as one of his most senior cabinet ministers. She left him after her unsuccessful campaign for the presidency in 2007. It was later revealed he had been seeing Ms Trierweiler for some time during their relationship. Brigitte, 64, and Emmanuel Macron, 40, lead a very different public life to their predecessors Brigitte has proven adept at meeting a horde of celebrities, including Rihanna (pictured) Ms. Gayet's refusal to accept the post is poles apart from the approach of incumbent First Lady Brigitte Macron. Since sweeping to power alongside husband Emmanuel last year, the 64-year-old has thrown herself into public engagements. So far she has been pictured meeting a throng of public figures, including celebrities and state leaders, and supporting her husband in trips abroad. A drunk passenger in China has been arrested after launching a violent attack on a bus driver who reminded him to tap his traffic card. Video of the disturbing event has emerged which shows the man in brown jacket slapping and biting the driver on the face when the driver pulls over the bus. The driver, who sustained bleeding from the mouth and marks on his cheek, is currently hospitalised. A passenger shouts in the bus when the driver reminds him and his friend to pay the fare The man walks up to the front and slaps the driver in the face after the bus was pulled over The incident took place on route no. 102 bus in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province on March 7 afternoon, stated the Metropolitan Post. 'There were three men boarding the bus when I stopped at the north gate of Xingqinggong Park around 3pm. They got on without tapping their cards,' said Mr Zhang, the driver. Mr Zhang pulled over at the next stop and reminded the three passengers to pay with their cards. The man in brown jacket started slapping and shouting at the driver in swear words. He also attacked other passengers who tried to settle the matter. Surveillance camera footage shows Mr Zhang does not retaliate when the drunk man slaps him on the face. The unnamed attacker than leans over and bites Mr Zhang on the side of the cheek. The drunk man then leans over the seat and bites Mr Zhang on the cheek Mr Zhang was bleeding from the mouth but he did not fight back when the man hit him Other passengers who tried to pull the man away also get hit (left). The man and one of his friends were detained by the police on suspicion of assault (right) The assailant and one of his friends were arrested on suspicion of assaulting and detained by the police. His another friend fled from the scene before the police arrived. Mr Zhang, who had bleeding and bruises on his face, was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The case is still under investigation. Advertisement A country estate that is perfect for escaping the rat race as it is on the most northerly point in mainland Britain has gone on the market. The remote Dunnet Estate contains a 10 bedroom mansion, six lochs, 1,800 acres of heath and its own beach looking out to the Orkneys islands. The windswept estate is up for sale for a mere 925,000 - 25,000 cheaper than a one bedroom flat in London's Mayfair. This country estate on 1,800 acres overlooking Scapa Flow and the Orkney Islands is on sale for 925,000 Dunnet Estate contains a 10 bedroom mansion where the Queen Mother once stayed and was built between 1895 and 1908 As well as the 1,800 acres of moors, the amazing property also comes with its own private beach, pictured The Queen Mother once stayed in the white painted baronial-style property, called the House of the Northern Gate, near Thurso. The estate also attracted the attention of Led Zeppelin who considered buying it for a recording studio as well as the Bay City Rollers. The house was built by Admiral Alexander Sinclair between 1895 and 1908. He died in 1945 and the estate was bought three years later by Commander Clair Vyner and his wife Lady Doris Vyner, who was a close friend of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother traveled to northern Scotland in 1953 where she stayed with the then owner Lady Doris Vyner As well as the outstanding sea views, the property also features six loughs capable of being filled with brown trout Anyone who wants a long driveway up to their house overlooking the sea will be in luck with Dunett estate Lady Doris invited her to stay at the house in 1953 and while there she spotted the tower of Barrogill Castle out of one of the upper windows, which she bought and renamed the Castle of Mey. She restored it and stayed there regularly from 1955 until her death in 2002 before it was opened to the public. After the Vyners, the house was run as a hotel by Bill Dodd from 1967 until 1974 and then when it went on the market rock band Led Zeppelin viewed it several times with a view to turn it into a recording studio. Stuart 'Woody' Wood from the Bay City Rollers also showed interest as a buyer but eventually it sold to Divanian Gold, a flamboyant Jewish clothes manufacturer, before he sold it to the current owner's family in the mid-1980s. The house is now in need of refurbishment but could be a stunning family home, a hotel, B&B or serviced apartments, most likely geared towards the demand for outdoor pursuits. Inside the house, the selling agents suggest the interior could do with a little bit of 'tidying up' As well as the main house, the property comes with planning permission for ten timber lodges and a new detached house Any country mansion would benefit by the installation of a four-poster bed such as this in one of the ten bedrooms The estate has a six-acre section that comes with planning approved for building ten timber lodges, which could be built and rented out by the new owner or leased to a holiday letting company. There is also approval for a new build detached house. John Loudon, from Auction House Scotland which is selling the property, said: 'Dunnet Estate is massive, as is the opportunity, and that's a key part of the attraction. 'This has been a home for a number of different families and the buyer could actually become the laird of their own manor. But it also has great business potential to create a fantastic tourist destination resort. This dining room looks like it may need slight modernisation, to bring the property into the 21st century Both Led Zeppelin and a member of the Bay City Rollers considered buying the estate in the 1970s to turn it into a studio The property could be used as a magnificent retreat, or turned into a small hotel / bed and breakfast accommodation John Loudon, from Auction House Scotland said that the property is even further north than John o'Groats 'The estate offers possibilities for grouse shooting and the capability for the lochs to be stocked with brown trout in the future. It's also very close to the North Coast 500 route which is increasingly popular and has encouraged significant investment in the area. 'It's the location of the property combined with the business opportunity that makes it appealing. 'It's a spectacular location and about as far north as you can get on the mainland, indeed even more northern than John O'Groats. 'The views from the situation on the Dunnet peninsula are spectacular overlooking the Pentland Firth towards the Orkney Islands. 'The spectacular scenery will be one of the major selling points. 'It has a fascinating history around it and the current owner's family have had it since the 1980s. 'It will need refurbishment but the degree and expense will very much depend on the buyer's future plans. It is a blank canvas really.' The estate will be sold at auction in Glasgow on March 22 and is expected to sell for at least 925,000 plus auction house fees. Theresa May today welcomed Donald Trump's plan to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Downing Street said the Prime Minister was still determined to see North Korea 'change paths' and put the interests of its people first. But Mrs May welcomed the new de-escalation in incendiary rhetoric that had raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear conflict. The US President made the startling announcement last night he would meet the North Korean leader 'before May' in defiance of normal diplomatic protocol. Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street last night) today welcomed Donald Trump's plan to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong (left) met US President Donald Trump at the White House last night (pictured) as the surprise meeting was announced Mrs May's official spokesman said: 'The UK welcomes the South Korean announcement that Kim Jong Un has made a renewed commitment to denuclearise and will refrain from further nuclear missile tests while dialogue continues. 'We welcome the announcement of direct talks with President Trump by May and (South Korean) President Moon Jae-in in April. 'We have always been clear that we want Kim Jong Un to change path and put the welfare of his people ahead of the illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons. 'We will continue to work closely with the US, South Korea and the international community to ensure that pressure on North Korea continues and sanctions are strictly enforced until Kim Jong Un matches his words with concrete actions. 'We will continue to monitor developments closely.' Commons Defence Committee chairman Julian Lewis told MailOnline: 'This could be a replay of Chairman Mao and President Nixon - such personalities are unpredictable, but not necessarily irrational.' The Trump-Kim meeting was first announced by South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong, who claimed it was due to take place by the end of May. The US President made the startling announcement last night he would meet the North Korean leader (file image) 'before May' in defiance of normal diplomatic protocol Stiff punishing actions on North Korea will continue, despite the overture, the U.S. stressed A statement from the White House did not confirm the two-month timeplan, and said the place and time of the meeting was still being worked out. The announcement was welcomed by governments around the world, with praise from the UK, Russia and Australia. 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said an hour after South Korea's announcement. 'We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' Chung, who made the announcement on behalf of South Korea, led the delegation visiting North Korea earlier this week, and the invitation to meet Trump was reportedly made to him directly by Kim Jong Un. Chung said that Kim understands and accepts the fact that joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises will continue, but that he also made promises to halt nuclear testings until the meeting with Trump takes place. This impressive video shows one man's amazing technique as he appears to open beer bottles using just a flip-flop - though some viewers thought it was just a clever stunt. In the video the man is sat with a group of friends who pass him beers to open, which he takes and then flicks the lids off using the side of an old flip-flop. The man repeats the trick several times, opening beers for the big group of friends and earning cheers from the small crowd. The video was posted to social media, where some users questioned whether the amazing technique was just a trick. In the video the man is sat with a group of friends who pass him beers to open, which he takes and then flicks the lids off using the side of an old flip-flop One user wrote: 'Trick. He has something in the flip-flop.' The video was filmed in the Peruvian city of Puno, but reports suggest the man is Bolivian. He is dressed in traditional Bolivian clothing and the beers are from a popular brand of the country. It is unknown when the video was recorded but it is now being reported in local media. Puno is a city on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the huge body of water that separates Peru from Bolivia, and has a high number of Bolivian residents. Puno is the first major hub in the constant migration of indigenous peoples of the Andes to the larger cities of Peru. NHS workers are set to be offered a 6.5 per cent pay rise over three years but only if they give up a day's holiday each year, a leaked Government paper reveals today. The 3.3billion pay deal, one of the biggest negotiated by ministers since an end to the public sector pay gap, had been slated for release in Philip Hammond's Spring Statement next week. But the announcement has been axed amid continued negotiations with NHS trade unions, it was reported. The Guardian, which obtained the leaked report, said the talks on the deal had been constructive and high detailed but that there was no final deal. Downing Street dismissed the leaks as speculation. NHS workers (stock image) are set to be offered a 6.5 per cent pay rise over three years but only if they give up a day's holiday each year, a leaked Government paper reveals today The 3.3billion pay deal, one of the biggest negotiated by ministers since an end to the public sector pay gap, had been slated for release in Philip Hammond's Spring Statement next week - but the announcement has been postponed If it goes ahead the payrise will be the first significant increase for health service staff since 2010. The Chancellor announced an end to the pay freezes or 1% caps which had been in force when he unveiled his budget in November. Under the draft, the Treasury and Department for Health and Social Care will put forward plans which will see non-medical NHS staff receiving a 3 per cent pay rise next financial year and 1-2 per cent in the next two years. Other staff would see their pay rise owing to the scrapping of the 1 per cent cap on salary increases, the paper added. Government negotiators have said the forfeiture of the one day of annual leave in return is a 'red line'. The Department for Health and Social Care said the department does not comment on leaks. Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, on Wednesday backed staffs plea for a pay rise after seven years of wage restraint and said action was needed in order to help tackle the services growing problems in retaining staff. In a speech Mr Stevens again made clear his view that the government should wholly fund whatever increase is finally decided, given the NHSs deep financial problems. Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, on Wednesday backed staffs plea for a pay rise after seven years of wage restraint Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust thinktank, told the Guardian: 'If the government makes a proposal like that obtained by the Guardian, staff, especially those paid least, will welcome the respite from a real-term squeeze on their wages which has cost them billions. 'With very serious shortages of staff, government is right to conclude that an austerity approach to the NHS workforce has reached its limits.' Professor Anita Charlesworth, director of research at the Health Foundation, said: 'The NHS needs urgent action to turn around nurse recruitment and retention. 'One in 10 nursing posts are unfilled and an increasing number of staff are leaving the NHS. 'Improving pay, especially for those on lower incomes, is very important. However, pay is not a panacea. 'Nurses report that two of the most important factors causing them to leave the NHS are worries about quality of care and lack of work-life balance. Any proposals on pay will need to be part of a wider programme to support nurses.' Parise Leandra Marciano Gale, 27 was met by police off the flight after drunkenly abusing other passengers A wannabe model was so drunk on a flight she abused other passengers and thought she was still in Marrakesh after landing at Gatwick Airport. Parise Leandra Marciano Gale, 27 was met by police off the flight as she returned from a Valentine's break with her partner. The mother-of-two who is also an actress and a dancer pleaded guilty to being drunk onboard an EasyJet flight on February 21. Gale, from West Brompton, was told to be quiet by her fellow passengers but she responded with unpleasant abuse. Prosecutor Mr. Mark Kateley told Crawley Magistrates Court: 'A few weeks ago there was an incoming EasyJet flight from Marrakesh and this defendant was onboard that aircraft. 'There are reports to the fact she was in a very intoxicated state and quite loud and some passengers told her to be quiet and she responded with unpleasant abuse. 'The police were told there was a drunk female onboard and she was met off the aircraft by police, who recorded her being loud, shouting and extremely inebriated. 'She was so inebriated she was under the impression she was still in Marrakesh and not the UK.' The wannabe model was so drunk on the EasyJet flight she thought she was still in Marrakesh after landing at Gatwick Airport Gale, a former estate agent from West Brompton, was told to be quiet by her fellow passengers but she responded with unpleasant abuse Gale, who studied performing arts at Hammersmith College, has three previous convictions for assault, receiving a suspended prison sentence in 2016. Her lawyer Aaron McCalister told the court: 'She apologises and expresses her remorse and embarrassment. 'She has anxiety and had stopped taking her medication and was nervous on the flight and got drunk to get through the flight and there was an argument with another passenger that boiled over. Gale, who studied performing arts at Hammersmith College, has three previous convictions for assault, receiving a suspended prison sentence in 2016. Pictured: Outside Crawley Magistrates Court She could have received up to two years imprisonment if the case was sent to the Crown Court - was fined 115, with 85 prosecution costs and a 30 victim surcharge 'She was on a St. Valentine's weekend with her partner of two years Mr. Bashir.' The court heard Gale is now a full-time carer for her grandmother, who is battling cancer, and has a son, aged seven and a six year-old daughter. 'She is a regular church attender and has discussed this incident with her minister.' Magistrate Lesley Overington told Gale: 'You know why you're here. It was not a good thing to get drunk on an aircraft. 'It is a serious offence. Don't do it again.' Gale - who could have received up to two years imprisonment if the case was sent to the Crown Court - was fined 115, with 85 costs and a 30 victim surcharge. 'I'll never do this again,' Gale told the court. 'I'm never going to drink on a plane ever again.' Gale, who studied performing arts at Hammersmith College, has three previous convictions for assault, receiving a suspended prison sentence in 2016 A South Korean actor and former university professor has been found dead after being accused of sexual assault. Jo Min-ki, 52, who was best known for his TV work and 2013 film The Attorney, was found hanged in the car park of his Seoul apartment on Friday, police said. Jo was facing sex assault allegations by at least eight women, most of whom claimed he assaulted them while teaching drama at a regional university. Jo Min-ki, 52, was found hanged by his wife in the car park under his Seoul home on Friday, days before he was due to be quizzed by police over allegations of sexual assault He was due to be quizzed by police over the allegations on Monday, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. Jo had initially denied the allegations but later apologised and was forced to resign his professorship. He also lost his role in a TV drama that was filming at the time. His remains were found by his wife late on Friday. Jo's death comes amid the worldwide #Metoo movement which has seen women come forward to discuss their experiences of sexual violence. The movement was slow to catch on in South Korea but took off in January after a prominent female lawyer discussed her ordeal on national television. Earlier this week former presidential contender Ahn Hee-jung resigned after an aide accused him of repeatedly raping her. Director Kim Ki-duk, actor Cho Jae-hyeon and poet Ko Un have also been accused. Kim and Ko deny the allegations. A man has died of stab wounds after being threatened and attacked during a violent home invasion. The 36-year-old was stabbed by a group of men who forced their way into his home on Livingston Avenue, Dharruk, in Sydney's west on Friday night. Police and emergency services were called to the scene about 9.45pm after reports of a home invasion. The 36-year-old was stabbed by a group of men who forced their way into his home on Livingston Avenue, Dharruk, in Sydney's west on Friday (stock image) New South Wales Ambulance paramedics treated the man at the scene but he died while being taken to hospital. The group of men were last seen on Kilbridge Avenue, heading east after fleeing the scene. A crime scene was established by officers from the Mount Druitt Police Area Command, assisted by the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad. Stephen Unwin, 40, and 51-year-old William John McFall - known as John - are accused of murdering Quyen Ngoc Nguyen, 28. It has now emerged both men are convicted killers Two convicted murderers joined forces after being released from prison to rape and torture a mother in a five-hour ordeal before burning her alive, a court was told today. It this morning emerged that the two handymen accused of murdering Vietnamese nail technician Quyen Ngoc Nguyen, 28, had previously been locked up for killing vulnerable pensioners in their own homes during burglaries. Stephen Unwin, 40, and 51-year-old William John McFall - known as John - served their sentences but on their release they joined together to attack petite Ms Nguyen in Unwin's home, it is alleged. She was still alive when she was driven to a remote lane near allotments and set ablaze lying on the back seat of her Audi A4 car. The trial began last month but until today the jury had been unaware of the past crimes of the two defendants. But prosecutor Jamie Hill, QC, revealed their previous 'bad character' as evidence in the trial at Newcastle Crown Court. He told jurors that Unwin killed an elderly man in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, knocking his 73-year-old victim to the floor before torching his bungalow, setting three seats of fire. He was released on licence on December 20th 2012. Friends and family wear mourning headbands in tribute to Quyen Ngoc Nguyen during an earlier court hearing into her murder at Newcastle Crown Court McFall bludgeoned to death Martha Gilmore, 77, to death with a hammer in a raid on her home on May 5 1996, hiding the weapon in a graveyard. He was released on licence on October 29 2010. Speaking of Unwin's murder, Mr Hill said: 'In the early hours of Christmas Day 1998 the defendant broke into the home of a 73-year-old man in Houghton-le-Spring. 'He attacked the victim in his bed delivering multiple blows to the head with a camera and then stabbing him in the chest. He used a wheelie bin to carry a TV to his own home and then returned for a video recorder. 'He set three seats of fire, one beside his victim, one at the site of the theft and one at the point of exit. His victim had to be identified by dental records.' Unwin also had previous convictions for theft, burglary and arson, the court was told. In a previous burglary he had set fire to the victim's home but the 72-year-old man was rescued by neighbours. Mr Hill described McFall's murder, saying: 'In the early hours of May 5 1996 the defendant broke into 77 Station Road in Carrickfergus, the home of 86-year-old widow Martha Gilmore. 'Unfortunately Mrs Gilmore, who had mobility problems, disturbed the defendant. She was struck in the face and fell to the ground and was repeatedly struck on the head with a hammer. 'The defendant, his brother and his brother-in-law were arrested.' Floral tributes left at the scene in Shiney Row, County Durham, where the body of Quyen Ngoc Nguyen was found in a burned out car Whilst on remand McFall told another prison inmate that he had killed Mrs Gilmore and had hidden the hammer in a nearby cemetery. He later denied saying it but the graveyard was searched and the hammer found. McFall pleaded guilty to the murder at Belfast Crown Court on April 11 and was sentenced to life. His brother and brother-in-law, both now dead, were not charged through a lack of evidence. Mr Hill said McFall had previous convictions for assaults, burglary, robbery and carrying a firearm with intent. The trial has heard that the two had known each other for a number of years but not how they came to meet. The jurors had previously been told that on the night Miss Nguyen was killed McFall messaged Unwin asking: 'Are we raping the chink?' and after the murder the pair posed for a grinning selfie in Unwin's car. Together they held seven stone Miss Nguyen - also known by her English name of Anna - at the house, raped her, possibly using the barrel of a gas pistol to do so, and then forced her to hand over PIN numbers to her bank cards, which they stole. Mr Hill told Newcastle Crown Court: 'The prosecution say that the motive for this killing was a combination of violent, warped sexual fantasy and greed.' After allegedly raping and killing Miss Nguyen on August 15 last year, Unwin and McFall, were caught on CCTV leaving Unwin's home in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, with her body wrapped in a white sheet, the court heard. The nail bar worker's badly burned body was later found face down on the back seat of her Audi A4 on this dirt road Unwin carried Miss Nguyen, who stood less then 5ft tall, over his shoulder while McFall pulled down the sheet to try to obscure her from security cameras that were attached to the house next door, it is alleged. They then bundled her into her black car and drove her just before midnight to a lane in the Philadelphia area of the town that led to allotments, doused her and the car in petrol and set it ablaze, it is claimed. As the sound of explosions awoke neighbours, the alleged killers walked back to the house and got into Unwin's car, also an Audi A4. Mr Hill told the court: 'They took a selfie of themselves in the car. McFall is holding the phone and smiling into the phone as they are driving along.' Their victim, the court heard, was likely still to have been alive when she was set ablaze on the back seat of her vehicle. Mr Hill told jurors: 'It is clear she was unable to help herself by the time she was taken out of Unwin's house and driven to that lane. 'It is likely you will hear in evidence from a pathologist that the presence of certain gases in her body tend to suggest she was still briefly alive at the point the fire was started.' The court was told that Unwin and McFall worked together on properties which Miss Nguyen rented out and that she visited Unwin's home voluntarily earlier in the evening of August 15. However she was unaware that the pair had taken a depraved sexual interest in her. Miss Nguyen, a mother of two, arrived in the UK from Vietnam in 2010 and moved into a home in Killingworth, North Tyneside, with her sister and the pair opened a nail bar called Glitter Nails in Birtley, Tyne and Wear. Mr Hill said she had one of her children with her in the UK while the other was being looked after in Vietnam. Unwin told police that he and McFall were employed in repairing properties after the cannabis farms had been harvested - but the court was told the pair were actually stealing and selling the crops themselves. The court was told that Unwin and McFall, who sat at opposite ends of the dock deparated by custody officers, blamed each other for the rape and killing of Miss Nguyen. Unwin's DNA was found inside her but he said they had a consensual sexual relationship and had intercourse some days before her body was found. Unwin, of Houghton-le-Spring, and McFall, of Blackpool, Lancashire, both deny rape and murder and the trial continues. The group of Irish mothers accused of ripping off businesses throughout Queensland have allegedly also trashed four brand-new Brisbane apartments. The claims follow a string of business owners in south-east Queensland speaking out against the group who they claim have committed a range of thefts. CCTV footage has continually recorded the same women, spotted around Brisbane and the Gold Coast with two prams and at least four children. Scroll down for video The Irish 'gypsy' mothers of Queensland have been accused of another crime, this time by owners of a series of brand-new, fully furnished apartments which were apparently let out to the group late last year The owners of the apartments (including this one pictured) accused the ex-tenants of a trial of destruction including kicked in drywall, flooded carpets and a toilet clogged with potatoes Their supposed stunts have so far included planting shards of glass in food at several upmarket restaurants before skipping the bill on triple-figure boozy lunches. A Chevron Island grocer has also accused the group of scamming their way out of $150 worth of stock from his business near the Gold Coast. After seeing the apparently thick-accented Irish women in the news this week, a Brisbane landlord quickly recognised them as former tenants. Clara Carmichael told Seven News she had also fallen victim to the group after hers was one of four brand new, fully furnished apartments allegedly trashed when rented out to several Irish families late last year. The trail of destruction allegedly included kicked in drywall, flooded carpets and a toilet clogged with potatoes. 'There was writing on the wall, the damage was just immense,' Clara said. The extent of the damage include markings to the freshly-painted walls Their women's supposed past stunts have included planting shards of glass in food at several upmarket restaurants before skipping the bill on triple-figure boozy lunches 'They also terrorised the other tenants in the building. People were scared to come in and out.' She also said the women sent several abusive text messages including one which referred to her as a 'stupid Australian pieces of s***.' The tenants later fled in the middle of the night after failing to pay rent. Although the identity of the supposed 'Irish gypsies' remains unknown, their recorded escapades have led to local police launching an investigation. Earlier this week, Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police are aware of the incident and are making follow up inquiries.' Federal prosecutors have indicted 75 people including 40 in San Diego in a massive drugs and money operation which has been called the biggest money laundering investigation ever in the Californian city. The defendants allegedly laundered drug proceeds from the Sinaloa cartel for years, U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said at a news conference in downtown San Diego. He said the network was responsible for laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug profits over the past three years. Law enforcement seized more than $6 million in cash. Authorities charged 40 people in San Diego on Thursday with conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug money 209 pounds of methamphetamine, 138 pounds of heroin, 22 pounds of fentanyl, 202 pounds of cocaine and 554 pounds of marijuana worth millions of dollars on the streets were seized 20 firearms, including semiautomatic rifles and handguns (pictured) were also seized 'We have siphoned the cash and life out of a San Diego-based international money laundering organization with ties to the Sinaloa cartel,' Braverman said. According to the San Diego Tribune, investigators managed to seize $6 million in cash thanks to a three-year probe undertaken by the FBI's Cross Border Violence Task Force. Hundreds of pounds of drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and marijuana were also seized. Roberto Lopez-Albarran, 32, the alleged leader of the operation was arrested in San Diego on February 9 and had already been in custody for the last month. 'We have siphoned the cash and the life out of a San Diego-based international money laundering organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel,' U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said Authorities discovered large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine Another 35 people were charged in other parts of the country, said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman, pictured, at a press conference Another 21 people who were named in a series of four other related indictments that were handed down by a San Diego grand jury are also in custody. Although the investigation focused on activity in San Diego, 35 others were charged for their role in money laundering and drug sales in federal courts in Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas and Washington. 25 of those defendants were in custody as of Thursday. As leader of the organization, Lopez allegedly oversaw a large network of people dubbed 'money movers' who moved huge amounts of cash around the country which was then taken back to Mexico. The cash would be hidden in secret compartments of vehicles, or in cash-stuffed duffel bags, luggage and even shoe boxes. The money would be deposited into banks in quantities under $10,000 to avoid regulators The FBI deployed undercover agents and task force officers from various law enforcement to infiltrate Lopez-Albarran's organization and help bring cash across the border They picked up the cash in parking lots, hotels and restaurants in San Diego and other cities large including Dayton, Ohio, Los Angeles, and Lexington, Kentucky. The cash was then deposited into banks using so-called 'funnel accounts.' The accounts were set up to receive deposits from multiple states but were deposited in chunks of less than $10,000 to avoid having to file additional paperwork with regulators. Once in the American banks, the money would be wire transferred to Mexico and into bank accounts for bogus Mexican companies. Manuel Reynoso Garcia, 62, is accused of orchestrating the money-laundering activities. The 62-year-old Garcia was charged last month in federal court with money laundering conspiracy and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty and has been released on a $25,000 bond. The investigation ended up using undercover work by investigators from the San Diego District Attorney's office and Chula Vista police who were able to infiltrate the organization. The group even used code words as well as WhatsApp, to communicate about the money movements and transfers. Former A&E doctor Martin Watt, pictured, is accused of possessing three sub machine guns, two pistols and ammunition with intent to endanger life at Glasgow High Court A retired doctor caught with a haul of guns who made plans to 'assassinate' people involved in him being sacked has been convicted of intent to endanger life. Martin Watt said the 'template' for the attacks was based on a film starring Robert De Niro about mercenaries hired to kill. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the 62-year-old had compiled a list of 'bad guys' including details of individuals linked to earlier disciplinary proceedings against him. Jurors earlier heard that the medic lost his job as an A&E consultant at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, Lanarkshire. Police went on to find three Skorpion sub-machine guns, two Valtro pistols and bullets during a search of his home. But Watt insisted he had no intention to kill and was 'not a danger to the public'. However, prosecutors said the police had performed 'a valuable service' by 'capturing' him. Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC said: 'All this was done in preparation for an awful event. There was an intention to endanger life, it was more than mere thinking about it. 'Dr Watt was harbouring a grudge and he sought out the home addresses of the key players in the disciplinary process. 'He collected a significant arsenal of lethal weapons and felt he had been unfairly treated.' It took a jury at the High Court in Glasgow took just 75 minutes to convict Watt. The first offender has already admitted possession weapons and ammunition. Watt who was with the NHS for 32 years had been based at Monklands until 2012. Jurors were told he was dismissed following disciplinary proceedings. Police found the 'bad guys' list at his home in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, in May last year. He also had information on individuals' addresses and car registrations. Watt said those on the list were involved in the 'bullying, harassment and [his] eventual dismissal'. His QC John Scott asked: 'What were your feelings towards these people?' The former consultant said: 'Monumental disappointment. I felt so cheated. They were trying to make it look like things I was not...being incompetent, racial abuse was also one. They were not allowing me to clear my name.' Watt spent 32 years with the NHS and had been based at Monklands Hospital, pictured, in 2012 when he was sacked following disciplinary proceedings against him Police raiding Dr Martin Watt's house in Cumbernauld, Lanakshire last May recovered three Skorpion sub machine guns, similar to this, as well as ammunition (file photograph) Watt told the High Court in Glasgow that he only used the Skorpion gun for target practice in a forest near his home and he never had any intention to carry out his 'assassination plan' Watt then told the court he had 'assessed how to assassinate' people on the list and 'express my thoughts on paper'. He said the plans were based on the plot of a 2011 film named Killer Elite which Watt stated centred on violent mercenaries. Mr Scott said: 'How to assassinate these people. That is quite a statement?' Watt said: 'Yes.' The QC asked: 'Any intention to carry out this plan?' Watt replied: 'No.' The former medic admitted he had firearms and bullets. But he told the trial he only used a Skorpion gun for target practice in a forest near his home. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the 62-year-old had compiled a list of 'bad guys' including details of individuals linked to earlier disciplinary proceedings against him Mr Scott asked: 'You had the gun and ammunition, a bad guys list, thoughts about assassinating people, so, are these things not all linked?' Watt said: 'No playing out the retribution game on paper gave me some sort of comfort.' He insisted he was not trying to 'execute some kind of revenge on these bad guys'. Prosecutor Alex Prentice, QC, later suggested Watt was someone who 'harboured a grudge' at times 'with people in authority' and went on to state that police had found a significant arsenal of lethal weapons. He asked: 'Why not join a gun club?' Watt said: 'I preferred doing things in my own time.' The advocate depute said Watt had gathered information 'with a view to take some kind of action' against people. Watt said: 'No.' Police also recovered two Valtro pistols, similar to this, from the former A&E doctor's home Mr Prentice concluded: 'Police Scotland played a valuable service by capturing you when they did.' Watt said: 'I do not see myself as a danger to the public or would have allowed these weapons to fall into criminal hands.' The court later heard from Desmond Herkes, 51, who described Watt as one of his best friends and said he was a support and comfort to him when his late mother was in hospital for ten months. He said the retired medic also helped with composing a letter of complaint about her treatment. Mr Scott asked: 'Did he ever lose his temper with medical staff?' Mr Herkes replied: 'No, he was respectful with them.' Mr Herkes told the court that he was 'very shocked' when he heard that a cache of guns and ammunition was found in the house where they both lodged. The Netherlands and Belgium became the first to legalise euthanasia back in 2002 Dutch prosecutors on Thursday launched criminal probes into four euthanasia cases, amid concerns doctors may have flouted the rules in helping four elderly women to end their lives. The prosecution service said in a statement that its board 'has decided that four criminal investigations will be instituted for possible criminal euthanasia, performed by two physicians.' The cases, involving four women aged above 65 who were all ill and suffering from different debilitating diseases, were among 12 forwarded last year to the prosecutors by an official euthanasia monitoring committee. News of the investigations came a day after the committee released its annual report revealing that 15 years since euthanasia was legalised the numbers of those choosing to end their lives has risen to a record high. The Netherlands and neighbouring Belgium became the first countries in the world to enter euthanasia into law in 2002. But it remains a sensitive issue here, even amid a debate to extend it further to those who feel their 'lives are complete', and is carried out only under strict conditions. Euthanasia remains a controversial subject in the Benelux belt. Protestors (pictured) took to the streets back in 2014 to speak out against child euthanasia At least two doctors must certify that there is no other reasonable solution for the patient, and that their suffering is 'unbearable and without any hope of improvement'. In 2017, some 6,585 people chose to end their own lives - some 4.4 percent of the total number of over 150,000 registered deaths in the country - according to the Regional Euthanasia Review Committee. In 98 percent of the cases the strict rules had been properly applied. Out of the 12 cases reported by the committee last year, prosecutors decided not to pursue six of them. Two others are still under review. One of four investigations involves a 67-year-old woman with Alzheimers, who 'lacked the capacity to express her own will' as her living will had been written many years before and the doctor 'was not able to ascertain if it was a voluntary and deliberate request for euthanasia,' the prosecution service said. Out of the 12 cases reported by the committee last year, prosecutors decided not to pursue six of them In yet another case, an 84-year-old woman with various illnesses died believing her life was 'hopeless', but the committee was unconvinced that there had been no other solution to her suffering. In the third situation, a 72-year-old woman with cancer had lapsed into a coma, but she had no living will. 'According to the committee the physician could also not arrive at the conviction that her suffering was unbearable based on the facts ... immediately before the euthanasia,' prosecutors said. Finally prosecutors will investigate the passing of an 84-year-old woman with pulmonary emphysema in The Hague, who had refused further treatment and said she no longer want to live. The review committee said 'the physician concluded too easily that the suffering of his patient was hopeless,' the prosecutors added. The South Korean envoy who brought Donald Trump the chance to meet with North Korea's dictator and make the case for nuclear disarmament also asked the administration for an exemption from his new steel tariffs. And Chung Eui-Yong's request came with a warning that Seoul will consider filing a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization if the White House doesn't comply. Chung's economic appeal came just hours before he stood outside the West Wing and announced the substantial new wrinkle in global diplomacy. South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong (center) addressed journalists Thursday evening after meetings at the White House, announcing that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un invited President Donald Trump to nuclear talks this spring Trump unveiled new steel and aluminum tariffs on Thursday afternoon a levy from which South Korea quickly asked for an exemption on the same trip South Korea's presidential office confirmed on Friday that Chung made the ask in person, first meeting with Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster about it. In a statement, the office said U.S. officials had a 'positive reaction.' Trump said Thursday during an Oval Office announcment that 'America will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security.' And in a morning Cabinet meeting, he said the U.S. would be 'very flexible' but determined to 'protect the American worker.' His remarks raised the possibility of a global parade of exemption requests from U.S. allies, limiting the tariffs' overall impact. Chung spoke outside the West Wing as a circus-like reporter scrum closed around him The Korea International Trade Association released a report Friday concluding that 60 percent of the steel pipes and tubes South Korea exported last year were shipped to the United States. That puts Seoul in a tight spot, since Trump signed a proclamation Thursday afternoon imposing 25 per cent tariffs on future shipments. Only Canada and Brazil send more steel to the U.S. than South Korea. Trump's new import tariffs will take effect in two weeks. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that there might be 'carve-outs' exemptions 'for Mexico and Canada based on national security, and possibly other countries as well.' She predicted that waivers would be offered on a 'case by case' and 'country by country' basis. The newly-released 911 call of the coward Parkland cop reveals that he knew gunman Nikolas Cruz was inside the school despite his 10-day-old claim that he thought the shooting was outdoors. Scot Peterson was the only officer at the scene in Parkland, Florida, when Nikolas Cruz opened fire on Valentine's Day at about 2.20pm. Instead of running into the freshman building to try to take down the shooter, Peterson remained outside. He was fired for the cowardly move but has tried to defend himself by saying he thought the shooter was outside. On Thursday, his 911 call was released. On it, he can be heard clearly telling the operator that the gunfire is 'inside' the building. Afterwards, he tells them: 'Do not approach the 12 and 1300 building. Stay at least 500ft away at this point.' That call was at 2.27pm, by which point gunman Nikolas Cruz had finished killing and had dumped his AR-15 rifle inside to flee in a crowd of scared students. Peterson' s attorney did not respond to questions on the 911 call on Friday. He earlier released a statement on his behalf defending his behavior. 'Let there be no mistake, Mr. Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the seventeen victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims in their time of need,' he said. PETERSON'S 911 CALLS 2.23pm: 'Be advised we have possible, could be firecrackers. I think we have shots fired, possible shots fired 1200 building' Seconds later, he says: 'Get the school locked down, gentlemen.' 2.25pm: 'All right... We also heard its by, inside the 1200' 2.27pm: 'Do not approach. Stay at least 500 feet away at this point.' Advertisement 'However, the allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue.' They said that he believed the shooter was outside because he had listened to others on the police radio saying that the gunman was 'outside' and near the 'football field'. The 911 calls show that deputies do make reference to the football field as the shooter's possible location but Peterson is heard afterwards saying it was 'inside' the freshman building. His first radio call went out at 2.23pm. 'Be advised we have possible, could be firecrackers. I think we have shots fired, possible shots fired 1200 building,' he said. Once he had made his way there, he radioed again to confirm the location of the shooting but did not specify whether the shots were coming from inside or outside the building. 'All right... We also heard its by, inside the 1200,' he said at 2.25pm. Panicked as the shots intensified, he then said: 'Get the school locked down gentleman!' Jeff Bell, the president of BSOs police union, said the audio proved Peterson was cowardly on the day of the shooting. 'It certainly backs up that he never went into the school. At one point he says to keep back 500 feet,' he told The Miami Herald. 'Why would he say that?' Students being evacuated by a SWAT team which entered 24 minutes after the school resource officer's first call Scot Peterson (above left) has defended not going into the school by saying that he thought the shots were coming from outside. Also under scrutiny is captain Jan Jordan (right) who ordered deputies to 'stage a perimeter' around the school before going inside The Broward County Sheriff's Office and its handling of the shooting has faced intense scrutiny and is now the subject of a House Committee investigation. Sheriff Scott Israel condemned Peterson's response as cowardly, as has President Trump. There are also questions over why captain Jan Jordan, who was issuing commands on the day of the shooting, ordered deputies to form a perimeter once they had arrived at the school instead of telling them to go inside straight away. The first SWAT teams did not enter the school until 2.47pm, 15 minutes after Jordan's perimeter request and 24 minutes after Peterson's first call which referenced 'firecrackers'. As Peterson called 911, so too did countless students inside the school. They also texted their parents to tell them that a shooting was unfolding Terrifying video from inside a classroom on the day of the shooting shows students hiding under desks Other harrowing calls from students and parents were also released on Thursday. Nikolas Cruz, 19, is in custody on 17 capital murder charges and 17 counts of attempted murder They included a mother speaking through a 911 operator to tell her daughter: 'I love you, I love you. 'It's going to be fine. Can you hide somewhere? Can you play dead? You need to do it. 'If he shoots, you need to play dead Tell her to pray. Tell her to pray for strength.' The dispatcher then told her: 'Be quiet, be quiet, keep the phone line open. 'Don't move. Just stay hidden.' The calls began at 2.21pm, a minute before Peterson's first one. Cruz was dropped off at the school by an Uber at 2.19pm and began shooting within seconds of entering the school. PARKLAND SHOOTING TIMELINE 2.06pm: Nikolas Cruz is collected in an Uber 2. 18pm: Cruz sends final text to the son of the Sneads, the family he was living with. He asked him what classroom he was in at the school and what teacher he had. His final message was: 'Yo' 2.19pm: Cruz, 19, is dropped off by Uber 2:21:18pm: He is seen entering building 12 on surveillance cameras from the school 2:21:33pm Cruz starts firing his rifle 2.22pm: First 911 call from the shooting is made to Coral Springs 2.23pm: Scot Peterson, the school resource officer, makes his first 911 call over his radio and describes the gunfire as 'possible firecrackers' At the same time, he is seen on surveillance videos making his way there 2:25:08pm: Another officer is hear on radio saying: 'I hear shots by the football field, shots fired by the football field 2.25:18pm: Peterson says: 'We're looking at the 1200 building, it's going to be the 300 building, it's right off Holmberg Road, by the senior lot' 2:25:38pm: Peterson says 'get the school locked down gentleman' 2:25:56pm: Petersons says: We also heard it's by, inside the 1200 building' 2:26pm: Students are seen running west towards football field 2:27: 35pm: Cruz is seen on school surveillance cameras dropping his AR-15 in the stairwell 2.27: 55pm: He is filmed leaving the west side of the building 2.28pm: Seconds later, Peterson says over his radio: 'Do not approach. Stay at least 500 feet away at this point.' 2:29pm: Cruz is filmed on another surveillance camera on the other side of campus 2:31pm: Broward County Captain Jan Jordan joins the radio communication. She asks: 'I know there is a lot going on , do we have a perimeter set up right now and everyone cleared out of the school?' 2.32pm: Four Coral Springs Police Department officers go into the building through the west door 2.33pm: Broward County Police Captain Jan Jordan says: 'I want to make sure that we have a perimeter set up and the school, all the kids are getting out, but we need to shut down around this school.' 2.33pm: A Broward County Sheriff's Officer says there is a team entering the school from the north side 2:35pm: A Broward County Sheriff's Officer and a Coral Springs Police Department officer pull a victim from the school and drive them away on a golf cart 2:36pm: 1O officers (8 from Coral Springs and 2 from Broward County) enter the first floor 2.50pm: Cruz enters a Walmart and buys a drink at the Subway then runs away on foot 2:51 p.m: First notice of shootings to local hospital Broward Health North. 2:55 p.m: First victim arrives at ER at Broward Health North. 3:01 p.m: Cruz goes to McDonalds, sits down for a short time and then leaves on foot 3:40 p.m: Cruz is arrested near 4700 Wyndham Lakes Drive in Coral Springs Advertisement The lawsuits keep piling up for Harvey Weinstein, with the number of complaints having been filed against the embattled executive having now moved well into the double digits. Most of the plaintiffs in these cases are women who allege that they were sexually harassed or assaulted by Weinstein and are now seeking relief in the form of monetary compensation. Weinstein is facing legal challenges from a handful of powerful companies as well such as Lindt and American Express, who filed court papers last month claiming that over $1.3 million is owed on a company card used by the namesake film studio that the disgraced mogul founded with his brother Bob. DailyMail.com has also obtained court filings that reveal there is also a male victim who has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $5 million in damages after claiming that Weinstein attempted to rape him back in 2007 after a business meeting. That incident allegedly occurred just one month before Weinstein said 'I do' to wife number two, Georgina Chapman. Scroll down for video The bachelor: Gregory Ackers filed a complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court back in November seeking at least $5 million in damages from Harvey Weinstein (above with wife Georgina Chapman just a few days after their 2007 wedding) Scene: He claims that he met Weinstein at the restaurant Akwa in Santa Monica on November 2, 2007 and was then lured to the mogul's car (entrance to the parking garage where incident allegedly occurred above) Shoot: Once there, Ackers claims that Weinstein tried to push his head down and get him to perform oral sex on him, but the mogul ejaculated before the assault (court filing above) Gregory Ackers filed his paperwork in Los Angeles County Superior Court back in November, managing to fly under the radar at the time because he is representing himself in the case. In his typed out statement and paperwork he filled out by hand, Ackers states that he is seeking punitive damages from both Weinstein and The Weinstein Company, describing the mater as a personal negligence case. He filed his complaint under personal liability, and then checked off two boxes when asked to describe the type of action in the case: premises liability (e.g., slip and fall) and intentional body injury. Ackers' complaint states that the incident between himself and Weinstein occurred on November 2, 2007 at Akwa restaurant in Santa Monica. Weinstein was at that location on the date in question, as it was the site of his company's annual AFM (American Film Market) event. 'Pltf was an aspiring film director preparing to negotiate terms for the production of a feature film project that Pltf Ackers & Dft Weinstein had arranged in the nearby Santa Monica Lowes Hotel earlier that day,' reads the complaint, which claims that the teo agreed to meet later that night. 'After 10:PM, Ackers & Weinstein met & discussed a proposed production deal on a proposed feature. Dft Weinstein invited Pltf Ackers to speak & negotiate further in Weinsteins [sic] car ,which Weinstein claimed, was parked in the downstairs garage,' claims Ackers. 'Weinstein & Ackers exited the restaurant & went down stairs to the garage area, where not many cars were parked. The garage was devoid of any other people.' That statement, about the lack of witnesses, is a bit of a surprise given the traffic in and out of the venue on the night in question, not to mention that this incident also occurred on a Friday night. 'Weinstein proceed to physically assault Ackers by grabbing his shoulders & attempting to force the Pltfs down to the Dfts crotch/private area,' the complaint goes on to state. 'The Pltf attempted resistance, but the larger, stronger Dft was able to manhandle the Pltfs face onto his genital area. Weinstein fumbled to open his trousers & was noticed by Pltf to ejaculate, during the harried encounter.' Ackers claims that he was then able to break free and run out of the garage by exiting through a nearby alleyway. Boys: Ackers claims that he then fled from the scene, where Weinstein and his company had been hosting their annual American Film Market event (the same AFM event at the same location two years prior in 2005 with Harvey and brother Bob, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez) Objection: Lawyers for Weinstein have dismissed the entire suit, calling Ackers' claims 'uncertain, ambiguous and unintelligible' (The Westport home where Chapman and Weinstein married in December 2007) He writes that he is seeking damages from Weinstein for the attempted sexual assault and from his company for negligence, arguing : 'Prior to the many allegations of molestation by many people, Dft The Weinstein Co. had reason to know of Dft. Weinstein's likeliness to engage in sexual misconduct during his employment.' The plaintiff then goes on to accuse the company of unjust enrichment, claiming the Board of Directors ought to profit from Weinstein's misconduct as evidences from his 205 contract stipulation that imposed an increasing penalty on an settlements paid out by the CEO. It was not until January that Ackers was able to provide proof of service in the case, and Weinstein's legal team immediately dismissed the basis of his entire suit. 'First, all three of your claims are time-barred by the statue of limitations,' reads the letter from Myra Villamor, an attorney at Seyfarth Shaw. She goes on to state that Ackers fails to state any actual claims against The Weinstein Company and point out that 'unjust enrichment' is 'not a proper cause of action' in the state of California. 'Finally, all three causes of action are uncertain, ambiguous and unintelligible,' declares Villamor. 'It is settle law that pleading must allege facts and not conclusions, and that material facts must be alleged directly, and not by way of recital.' Those points were all reiterated in the official court filing in response to Ackers' complaint in February, and since that time the plaintiff has not responded to any correspondence from the defendant's legal team. The case is still making its way through the system however, though it was transferred to an Independent Calendar Court in late February. It was also mentioned in the lawsuit filed against Weinstin by his personal insurance company, Chubb, who is hoping a court will rule they are not responsible for covering Weinstein's defense fees. That filking argues that because the suits 'arise out of a pattern of intentional, egregious sexual predatory behavior by Harvey Weinstein which included rape, flashing, groping, fondling, harassing, battering, and other sexual assault, all for his own personal sexual gratification, which spanned at least the past thirty years,' Weinstein alone should be forced to cover the expenses. Ackers, who is homeless and did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com, has done this before, filing a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton back in August of last year. In that complaint, filed in Georgia, Ackers accused Clinton, John Podesta, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jennifer Palmeri, Donna Brazile, CNN, Time Warner, and the Democratic National Committee of collusion and racketeering for giving the Democratic nominee a debate question and thus putting Bernie sanders t a disadvantage. That filing was ultimately dismissed by the court, Advertisement Soaked to the bone but sipping their tinnies as they would under serene blue skies, these determined beer drinkers battled raging floodwaters with boats and tractors to get to their local boozer. A photo taken outside the Hotel Euramo in north Queensland shows four boats moored outside as undeterred locals enjoy their usual drinks on the front porch. The pub has refused to close its doors despite more than 400mm of rain falling in less than 24 hours in parts of the Tropical Coast on Thursday. This photo taken outside the Hotel Euramo in north Queensland shows four boats moored outside as undeterred locals enjoy their unusual drinks on the front porch The pub has refused to close its doors despite more than 400mm of rain falling in less than 24 hours in parts of the Tropical Coast on Thursday Staff members also posted a video of their punters being escorted to the premises through deep waters on a tractor Staff members also posted a video of their punters being escorted to the premises through deep waters on a tractor. They captioned it: 'Thanks Spoksey for your tactor taxi service might need the tinnie tomorrow'. The pub also posted photos of the floodwaters rising from the windows, with the caption: 'Hi all, update from The Mo. It's wet. The Euramo Yacht Club is open for business Special promotion to the first Tinnie moring of the day.' The Facebook posts have attracted thousands of shares and comments, with customers and locals praising the 'fantastic' boozer and its determined punters. The pub also posted photos of the floodwaters rising from the windows, with the caption: 'Hi all, update from The Mo. It's wet. The Euramo Yacht Club is open for business Special promotion to the first Tinnie moring of the day.' The Facebook posts have attracted thousands of shares and comments, with customers and locals praising the 'fantastic' boozer and its determined punters One customer simply commented: 'Now you're talking!' Another wrote: 'Always loved how the pub would be open during flood times!!! Such a great little area and endless amounts of fun was had by me and my family when the water would rise this much! 'Tractors are the only adequate form of transport to get around the rounds with besides a canoe!' It comes after an increase in reported crocodile sightings due to the floodwaters. Crocodiles (pictured) and deadly diseases are among some of the dangers lurking beneath the flood waters currently swamping Queensland's far north Far North Queensland has been clobbered with rain in the past few weeks with Kirrama Range getting 400mm on Thursday One woman spotted a huge crocodile just metres from the road as she made her way home from work in Ingham on Thursday night. I saw it on way home from working at the hospital last night,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'I was driving slow as I wasn't sure if water was over the bridge. I went passed it and realised it was a croc. I reversed back to take a photo. 'It looked like it had already been hit by something. It was still alive but I didn't get too close. But on driving in this morning it had been moved or had got away.' People have been warned to stay out of flood waters across north Queensland due to the risk of deadly diseases The town of Ingham (pictured) is severely flooded with 175 homes affected in the town, the fire service said A heartbreaking video shows Border Patrol agents ripping a mother away from her three daughters. Perla Morales-Luna, 36, was arrested on the street near her National City, California, home, in front of her children, as she went to pay her rent on Saturday. Cellphone footage showed two men in plain clothing and a uniformed Border Patrol agent grab Morales-Luna and drag her from her daughter's arms into a waiting Customs and Border Protection, CBP, patrol vehicle. Scroll down for video Perla Morales-Luna, 36, was arrested (pictured) on the street near her National City, California, home, in front of her children, on Saturday Video captured the moment she was ripped from the arm of her daughter and taken into custody Her daughters screamed hysterically as the three men bundled their mother into the vehicle. 'Mom!' one of the daughters screamed. 'Get in the car!' one of the agents yelled at Morales-Luna. Her three daughters, at least one of whom is believed to be a minor, screamed and sobbed as they watched their mother get driven away. It doesn't appear the family were ever given a moment to say goodbye. 'Where is she going?' one of the daughters asked after the vehicle disappeared. Her daughters screamed hysterically as the three men bundled their mother into the vehicle 'Mom!' one of the daughters screamed while one of the agents shouted at her mother 'Get in the car!' CBP officials said in a tweet that Morales-Luna, who is in the country illegally, was arrested as part of a 'targeted operation' as they had identified her as an 'organizer for a transnational criminal smuggling organization operating in East County, San Diego.' But when DailyMail.com reached out to CBP to see if she'd been charged with a smuggling-related crime, they refused to comment, simply telling us that Morales-Luna 'was in the US illegally which is also a crime'. When we asked if Morales-Luna would get the opportunity to face the allegations of smuggling CBP had publicly made against her, CBP declined to comment further. The 36-year-old is currently in Border Patrol custody awaiting transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings, according to the CBP statement. CBP Agent Michael J. Scappechio told NBC 7 Morales-Luna has previously been arrested but would not provide further details. Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee in San Diego, told The Washington Post that the video highlighted the 'violent' ways that immigration authorities took people into custody. Morales-Luna's teenage daughters stood sobbing as they watched their mother get loaded into the van The girls, at least one of whom is believed to be a minor, screamed and sobbed as they watched their mother get driven away 'The mother is essentially stripped from the arms of her children,' he said. 'If there weren't uniformed agents, it would resemble a kidnapping.' Morales-Luna's daughters, who were 'suddenly left on their own without anyone to care for them,' after the arrest, are now in the custody of an uncle. Rios said the traumatizing manner of sudden arrest, 'probably happens on a much more regular basis than we know about'. Judith Castro-Rangel, who posted the video of the arrest on Facebook, said she was one of the daughter's teachers. 'It breaks my heart to know that this is the mother of one of my students,' Castro-Rangel said. 'The brutalized, injustice that is happening in this country is sad,' she continued. 'This must take change, no more separation from families!' The upsetting scenes were reminiscent of another family break up in January when a father, who was brought to the United States 29 years ago when he was 10, was deported because he was too old for DACA. Footage showed Jorge Garcia, 39, tearfully waving goodbye to his family in Detroit, as he held his wife Cindy and their two children, who are 12 and 15, staring straight ahead as they wept into his arms. The family blamed his departure on President Trump's strict enforcement of existing immigration laws. 'You have destroyed my life,' he said, addressing the president. 'There's nothing I can do about it. We get a new president and this is what he does, tears my family apart. I hope everybody is happy.' The arrest comes after the Trump administration's crack down on illegal immigration which has seen increased ICE raids and deportations across the country, as well as attempts to get rid of 'sanctuary city' statuses. One man was badly mauled while trying to trap the leopard in a house with a net The leopard became trapped in a house in the city of Indore, India on Friday An enraged leopard that became trapped in a house mauled one man and attacked several others in a terrifying unbridled rampage. The big cat got stuck in the city of Indore, India, on Friday morning after straying into the town overnight. Waking up to discover the predator prowling down their street, petrified residents battened down the hatches and holed up in their apartments for several hours. Help was soon at hand as a large crowd flooded the Pallav Nagar area in a bid to drive the leopard away. Their efforts took a sharp turn for the worse, however, when the big cat mauled one of their number. Dramatic footage captured at the scene shows the incident unfolding. The leopard was thought to have escaped from the Ratapani Tiger Reserve around 150km away from the city The video, shot on a camera phone from the other side of the street, shows several men attempting to cast a net over the entrance to a house. Dozens of people can be seen gathering in the street to aid the efforts to lock down the beast until the authorities arrive. But before they can completely cover the building with the net, there is a sudden movement from inside the house. Suddenly the leopard emerges and leaps over a gate before ducking under the net and throwing itself at the nearest volunteer. The man makes a brief effort to escape but he quickly realising it was in vain as the vengeful animal hurls him to the ground. Luckily for the stricken onlooker, the leopard then decides to chase off the other helpers, leaving him lying in the road. Frightened residents banded together and attempted to trap the animal in a house before it managed to break free The unfortunate volunteer closest to the building was quickly taken down by the beast, being hauled to the floor before it switched targets Forest Department officials were eventually informed of the incident and arrived at the scene 20 minutes later. But even they found it very difficult to trap the agile beast. They finally managed to use tranquiliser darts to sedate the animal and capture it. Although they missed the target five times before eventually hitting the cat. The leopard was rescued after three-hour long operation and shifted to the local zoo for first aid and treatment for trauma. According to forest officials, the leopard must have strayed into the city from the Ratapani Tiger Reserve, around 150km away. The White House is refusing to tell Congress why former staff secretary and accused spouse abuser Rob Porter was allowed to view the most sensitive of classified information for a year with interim security clearance. Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short refused to answer questions about the matter in a letter to the top-ranking congressmen on the House's Oversight Committee, according to Talking Points Memo. The senior official promised to provide an update on a working group the White House had put together 'at the appropriate time' and detailed changes to the security clearance process, instead. The White House is refusing to tell Congress why former staff secretary and accused spouse abuser Rob Porter was allowed to view the most sensitive of classified information for a year with interim clearance Two of Porter's ex-wives told the FBI last fall that the Trump aide has abused them while they were married. The feds shared that information with the White House in November. Yet Porter, was allowed to remain in his position until the abuse allegations were reported by DailyMail.com in early February. He offered a public resignation hours after he was confronted with his first wife's black-eye photos. House Oversight wants to know why the White House kept Porter on for months after it knew about the domestic abuse allegations. A Feb. 14 letter from chairman Trey Gowdy, a Republican, asked when the White House knew about 'potential derogatory or disqualifying information.' Gowdy requested a response by Feb. 28. 'How do you have any job if you have credible allegations of domestic abuse?' Gowdy asked publicly at the time. Sources have said that both Kelly and White House Counsel Don McGahn knew about Porter's past earlier than has been let on. Deputy White House Press Secretary Raj Shah said a day after Porter's resignation that White House chief of Staff John Kelly was not 'fully aware' until Daily Mail's articles. FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress that an update on the status of Porter's background check was provided to the White House in November. The bureau submitted its report to the White House in January. Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said in response to Wray's testimony that the completed FBI report had been appropriately delivered to the personnel security office where it was awaiting final adjudication when Porter submitted his resignation. Kelly, in an on and off the record conversation with reporters last Friday in his office, offered new insight into the haphazard handling of Porter's background check process. 'What Chris Wray said was accurate, that we had received some information. I don't know what information. I don't know if there was anything in there about messy divorces or whatever, but we had received some information,' the White House chief of staff admitted. A Feb. 14 letter from chairman Trey Gowdy, a Republican, asked when the White House knew about 'potential derogatory or disqualifying information.' Gowdy requested a response by Feb. 28 'So he was right that we had received information at the White House [Personnel] Security Office on Rob Porter in March. His wife came to the FBI in January 2017 with the photograph.' It's unclear as to whether the black-eye photos, which Porter says he took himself and are the result of a misunderstanding, made it to the White House prior to their public dissemination. Initially, the White House allowed Porter to resign and sent out statements praising his work. Kelly has since suggested that he showed Porter the door. Kelly acknowledged to reporters, 'We didn't cover ourselves in glory in terms of how we handled that on Wednesday morning. It was confusing.' A school field trip to a San Antonio cave took a turn for the worse on Thursday, when an 18-year-old student got stuck in a crevice and couldn't get out. The guides taking Lee High School students through Robber Baron Cave spent about an hour trying to free to the girl from an area called 'Hole in the Floor' before they finally called 911 around 2:40pm. Firefighters responded to the scene and then spent hours chipping away at limestone to try and free the girl's legs. Scroll down for video An 18-year-old girl was rescued after getting trapped in a San Antonio cave for more than 10 hours on Thursday. She's seen being put on a stretcher above The teen got caught in a crevice in Robber Baron Cave around 1:40pm on Thursday, while touring the cave with a school group By nightfall, about 70 emergency responders were on the scene, working in smaller groups for 20-minute intervals. Rescuers made sure someone was with the teen at all times, and said she was calm for what what have been an emotional experience for many. The teen was given medication to keep her calm and an IV drip to keep her hydrated. They also made sure she was comfortable in the cave, where the temperature hovered around 75 degrees. Firefighters spent hours chipping away at limestone to free the girl's legs The girl was taken to the hospital after being freed, but did not appear to be seriously injured Rescuers ran into a bit of a road block when the teen started slipping further into the crevice at one point. But they found a way to stabilize her and make sure she didn't more further. Near the end of the process, they used soap to make it easier to pry her out. They were finally able to pull her out of the hole around 11:45pm. The first thing the teen said to her mom was 'I didn't want to die in there,' San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. Though she appeared to be uninjured, the teen was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center so that doctors could monitor her overnight. 'Citizens should be very proud of the firefighters today,' Hood said. 'We are happy with the outcome. It's a good feeling.' The Robber Baron Cave is a network of natural caves. They are privately owned and operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition. A former Trump campaign aide arrived Friday at the federal courthouse in Washington for a scheduled grand jury appearance days after he defiantly insisted in a series of news interviews that he intended to defy a subpoena in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Sam Nunberg did not respond to reporters' questions as he entered court shortly after 9 a.m. Nunberg on Monday had balked at complying with a subpoena that sought his appearance before a grand jury as well as correspondence with multiple other campaign officials. He's here: Sam Nunberg, left, arrives at the U.S. District Courthouse to appear before a grand jury - despite his insistence earlier in the week he would defy Robert Mueller's probe Defiant - and drunk: Sam Nunberg said he would seek therapy after his round of media appearances on Monday which included CNN's Erin Burnett telling him she could smell alcohol. He denied it but a friend, Charles Gasparino of Fox Business Network, said drink had fueled his series of interviews Sam Nunberg was seen leaving CNN's New York studios after a marathon day of interviews Monday in which he said he would not cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe But later that night, Nunberg told The Associated Press that he had relented and would wind up complying after all. He said he had worked for hours to produce the thousands of emails and other communications requested by Mueller, who is investigating whether the Trump campaign improperly coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. 'I thought it was a teachable moment,' he said of his 24 hours in the limelight. So far, 19 people and three companies have been charged in Mueller's investigation. Among them are Trump's former campaign chairman and the former White House national security adviser. Five people have pleaded guilty. Nunberg said Wednesday that he had turned over everything to Mueller after his wild media blitz earlier this week when he insisted he would not cooperate with the Russia probe and even threw down the challenge to 'arrest me'. 'I'm not holding anything back,' Nunberg said in an interview with WABC Radio on Wednesday. '[Complying with the subpoena] was much easier to do than I initially thought.' Nunberg said he had given Mueller's investigators copies of requested communications, including texts and emails with 10 campaign associates. He said he met the Wednesday night deadline imposed by the subpoena. 'I'm not going to take the fifth on anything, because I don't need to take the fifth on anything,' Nunberg said. 'I'm not going to give them the excuse to throw me into jail because I won't respond to a question... I'm going to answer every single question.' Nunberg also insisted he wasn't drunk during a series of car crash interviews when he threatened to defy the subpoena. It comes after he revealed he was considering alcohol abuse treatment after attacking everyone from Mueller to the president himself on Monday night. 'I'm a little worried about me,' Nunberg told the New York Daily News, before promising to reveal more 'next week'. Nunberg said on Wednesday that he had given Mueller's investigators copies of requested communications, including texts and emails with 10 campaign associates One of the most eyebrow raising interviews of Sam Nunberg's (left) media blitz happened on the CNN show Erin Burnett (right) Out Front on Monday NOT DRUNK: When CNN's Erin Burnett (right) confronted Sam Nunberg (left) and said she could smell alcohol on his breath, the former Trump aide said he hadn't had a drink on Monday 'I got carried away,' he said. 'I'm trying to just get this over with.' 'I made my point, I got my venting out. Let me just give them what they want because there's nothing there anyway.' Nunberg repeatedly complained during the interviews that he had been asked to comb through emails to top campaign officials for Mueller's probe. 'They wanted every email I had with Roger Stone and with Steve Bannon,' he said, referencing longtime informal adviser Stone and Trump's former chief White House strategist. 'Why should I hand them e-mails from November 1, 2015?' Nunberg added, revealing the timeline Mueller imposed. 'I'm not going to cooperate when they want me to have when they want me to come in to a grand jury, for them to insinuate that Roger Stone was colluding with Julian Assange. Roger is my mentor. Roger is like family to me. I'm not going to do it.' Nunberg's defiance could have led to contempt of court charges or jail time, but the former aide said multiple times that he doubted he would ever be sent to prison. But now, Nunberg said he will 'tell the truth' when he appears before Mueller's grand jury on Friday. Fox Business Network's Charlie Gasparino confirmed Trump's former aide will cooperate with Mueller and then 'seek treatment for what ails him'. Gasparino, who described Nunberg as a 'friend', said he believes 'drinking...is a big part of it and that's what happened [Monday]'. The news will come as little surprise to many who had been following Nunberg's outbursts, which even prompted CNN's Erin Burnett to tell the aide on live television that she could smell alcohol on his breath. Nunberg denied that he had been drinking and, even after admitting he may seek treatment, has still not confirmed whether he was drunk during the interviews. But the former communications adviser seemed to hint that he has been troubled since getting fired from Trump's campaign in August 2015 for racially-charged Facebook posts. 'I was very close to Donald Trump,' Nunberg told New York Daily News. 'I was heavily invested in that campaign. I wasn't very good after getting fired.' Kim Jong-un served his South Korean guests hotpot, cold noodles and bottles of rice spirit as he joked about himself during their visit to Pyongyang this week, officials have revealed. The North Korean leader is 'very aware' of his image in the international media, two sources at South Korea's Blue House reported. Kim welcomed the Southern delegation on Monday this week for historic talks before agreeing to meet with President Trump in an unprecedented summit due to be held some time before May. Kim Jong-un joked about himself and is 'very aware' of how he is perceived by international media as he met with South Korean officials in Pyongyang this week The South Koreans were served North Korean hotpot and cold noodles during their visit, all washed down with copious amount of wine and a rice spirit called soju It is unclear where the pair will meet, though if Trump makes the journey to Pyongyang, the experience of the South Koreans earlier this week could prove enlightening. Officials said the North Koreans had clearly taken note of which foods were spoken about when Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, visited Pyeongchang for the Winter Olympics. The delegates were served North Korean hotpot the first day and cold noodles - another regional specialty - the next, the Blue House official said. Kim and the officials shared several bottles of wine, liquor made of ginseng and Pyongyang soju, the official said. 'The bottles kept coming,' said another administrative source who had official knowledge of the meeting. Kim was the first to tackle difficult subjects, such as joint South Korean and US military exercises, and had a 'relaxed' attitude, it is reported. South Korean delegates said Kim broached uncomfortable subjects first and seemed relaxed during their meeting on Monday The South Koreans were also able to observe Kim's behaviour with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and said the pair appeared 'quite close' and as 'equals' He also made light-hearted remarks about how he is viewed outside North Korea in international media and elsewhere, one Blue House official said. The South Korean visitors to Pyongyang did not see one-on-one trackers that usually follow visitors in the North and were free to move about on the premises of the hotel, the first official added. At the dinner on the first night, South Korean officials were able to observe the relationship between Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, said the second administrative source. The source said Kim did not come across as overbearing, describing the spouses as appearing 'equal'. 'They seemed to be quite close to one another and he didn't seem like one of your conservative husbands.' The meeting between North and South came after a dramatic thawing of relations during the Winter Olmypics, which were billed by the government of Moon Jae-in as the 'peace games'. Kim Yo-jong's visit during the Olympics was the first by a member of the Kim dynasty since Kim Il-sung invaded during the Korean War, and prompted this week's return trip to Pyongyang. Donald Trump has since accepted the offer of a meeting with Kim, though the exact time and place has yet to be determined Kim has offered to suspend missile tests before the meeting takes place, with South Korean officials saying it will happen before May But months of political maneuvering by North and South is now set to be overtaken should a meeting between Kim and Trump take place. No sitting US President has ever met with a North Korean leader and the two countries do not usually maintain diplomatic ties. Trump has previously floated the idea of talks between the US and the Kim leadership, and it was thought Mike Pence might take the opportunity to speak with Kim Yo-jong at the Olympics, but talks never materialized. South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong first announced the face-to-face and claimed it was due to take place by May. A statement from the White House did not confirm the two-month timeframe and said the place and time of the meeting was still being worked out. 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement a half hour after South Korea's announcement. 'We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' A violent prisoner was so desperate not to go back to jail after a court hearing that he started a punch-up on a flight before jumping out of a police van going 80km/h. Patrick Cumaiyi's nine-seater police flight from Wadeye, Northern Territory was taxing down the runway when another prisoner managed to undo his seat-belt. While Constable Bravos was distracted by the other prisoner, Cumaiyi, in handcuffs, unbuckled his own belt and said: 'You want to fight me Andrew? F*** you.' A violent prisoner was so desperate not to go back to jail after a court hearing that he started a punch up on a flight before jumping out of a police van going 80km/h (stock image) He then began struggling, kicking and attempting to bite two officers, just feet away from the pilot. The constable lawfully punched Cumaiyi's head and ribs in a bid to control him as he thrashed around. Take-off was abandoned and the prisoners were taken back to the watch-house. It was then arranged for Cumaiyi to be driven back to jail in a police van - but when it was going 80km/h down a dusty road, he managed to kick the roof off and jump out. His escape was short-lived as another police car just behind picked him up from the side of the road. Cumaiyi yesterday pleaded guilty in the NT Supreme Court to endangering the safety of an aircraft, as well as property damage and escaping lawful custody, reported NT News. He will be sentenced on Monday. Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been given the red carpet treatment in visit Saudi Arabia and Britain have also agreed 65bn of investment in coming years Anti arms campaigners hit out at the news saying Theresa May is sinking to a low The Saudi Crown Prince signed a 'memorandum of intent' to do the deal with UK Saudi Arabia has signed up to an agreement which brings the country a step closer to buying 48 Typhoon fighter jets from Britain. The Saudi Crown Prince has signed a 'memorandum of intent' to work towards finalising a deal to buy the fighter jets. When the deal is eventually signed it will be worth billions of pounds and be a major boost to jobs and the British military industry. Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson today, where they will be discussing security cooperation between the two countries. Mr Williamson said: 'The Crown Prince's visit has opened a new chapter in our two countries' historic relationship. 'We have taken a vital step towards finalising another order for Typhoon jets that will increase security in the Middle East and boost British industry and jobs in our unrivalled aerospace sector.' The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has signed a 'memorandum of intent' to work towards finalising a deal to buy the fighter jets with Gavin Williamson today (pictured together in London) Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks with the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson today, where they will be discussing security cooperation between the two countries Announcing the news, BAE systems said: 'The UK Government has signed a memorandum of intent with the Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia to aim to finalise discussions for the purchase of 48 Typhoon Aircraft. 'This is a positive step towards agreeing a contract for our valued partner.' Its chief executive Charles Woodburn added: 'We are committed to supporting the kingdom as it modernises the Saudi Armed Forces and develops key industrial capabilities.' The Crown Prince has already agreed a deal for 65billion worth of mutual trade and investment between the UK and the Gulf state over the coming years during talks with Theresa May at No10 earlier this week. But today's announcement has sparked anger among anti-arms campaigners who are calling for the UK Government to stop selling arms to the kingdom because of the war in Yemen. The red carpet was rolled out as the two politicians attended the joint defence meeting today Gavin Williamson said today's memorandum and the visit has 'opened a new chapter in our two countries' historic relationship' Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said: 'If agreed this shameful deal will be celebrated in the palaces of Riyadh and by the arms companies who will profit from it, but it will mean even greater destruction for the people of Yemen. 'For decades now, successive UK governments have enjoyed a toxic and damaging relationship with the Saudi regime. 'By rolling out the red carpet for the Crown Prince, Theresa May has shown how low she will sink to maintain it. 'Yemen has endured three years of bombardment and one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. UK arms companies have profited every step of the way. 'If May really cares for the rights of people being repressed in Saudi Arabia, or bombed in Yemen, then she must stop arming and supporting the brutal Saudi dictatorship.' Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK's Director, said: 'Selling more fighter planes to a country leading a military coalition that's already laying waste to homes, hospitals and schools in Yemen, is just adding fuel to a humanitarian fire. The deal to sell the typhoons (such as the one pictured) will be a major boost to Britain's military industry and is likely to bring in billions of pounds and boost jobs 'It's shocking, and shows that the Government hasn't been listening to widespread concern from the British public on this issue during the Crown Prince's controversial visit.' Saudi troops have been accused of committing war crimes in the conflict, while charities say the country is in the midst of a humanitarian disaster because of it. Millions are on the brink of starvation, while many others have been killed and displaced during the bloody war. The Saudi leader has been given the red carpet treatment during his three-day trip to Britain. He was given the rare honour of having a private lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and he also had dinner with Prince Charles and Prince William during the trip. But the visit has been somewhat overshadowed by demonstrators who have descended on London to protest at the visit and the war. Stephanie Henry Pruett, 28, was arrested by Calhoun County sheriffs deputies in Alabama on Thursday A married Alabama high school teacher and mother-of-one has been arrested for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student. Stephanie Henry Pruett, 28, was arrested by Calhoun County sheriffs deputies on Thursday. She is charged with engaging in a sexual act with a student. News of her arrest was reported by AL.com. Pruett, a teacher at Weaver High School, taught history to sophomore and juniors. She also taught a Bible-as-literature class. The sheriffs office said it received information Thursday that Pruett first became involved in a sexual relationship with the teen in October. Investigators interviewed both Pruett and the boy. During the course of the probe, they gathered enough evidence to arrest the teacher. Pruett is a married mother of a young child. She is alleged to have carried on a sexual relationship with a high school student for five months Pruett, a teacher at Weaver High School, taught history to sophomore and juniors. She also taught a Bible-as-literature class Pruett was detained and remanded to the Calhoun County Jail. If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Pruett would also be required to register as a sex offender. Pruett, a resident of Jacksonville, Alabama, is currently on leave with pay. 'It's sad that a woman who has a family and went to college to become an educator is giving that all up,' Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said. 'I just don't understand why she went down that path. It's very disturbing and troubling.' Hate crime charges: Former US Marine Corps reservist Chad Horsley, 27, has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly damaging a Louisiana business which he mistakenly thought was Muslim-owned A former US Marine Corps reservist has been arrested on hate crime charges after authorities say he drove a pickup truck into a Louisiana convenience store that he mistakenly thought was owned by Muslims. According to Livingston Parish Sherriff Jason Ard, 27-year-old Chad Horsley, of Denham Springs, has admitted to targeting the Best Stop store in Watson 'because of the hate he had for Muslims.' The sheriff went on to state in a press release: He blamed Muslims for killing his fellow service members overseas. He was also upset that Muslims, in his mind, were having an easier time prospering than he was despite his time in the service. The vandalized convenience store located in the 11000 block of Louisiana Highway 1019 is actually owned and operated by Sikh Indians. The case, which she sheriff described as a bizarre one, began unfolding on February 27, when officials say Horsley entered the small grocery store, pretending to be a police officer, told an employee he suspected drug activity and said he would return later to carry out a search. On March 3, the sheriffs office in Livingston Parish got a call from a witness saying that a man in a white pickup truck drove into the store on Highway 1019, and that the driver of that vehicle took the stores ATM machine. Impostor: Police say Horsley entered the Best Stop grocery store, pretending to be a cop (left and right), told a cashier he suspected drug activity and said he would return for a search Horsley allegedly drove into the store in his white pickup truck (pictured), causing $4,000 in damage The sheriff said the witness told them when he tried to intervene, the suspect pulled a handgun and fled. Sheriffs deputies investigated the incident and identified the suspect as Horsley, who told them that he was a deputy with East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office. It was also determined that he was the 'witness' who called the authorities. According to investigators, the 27-year-old was a former reserve with the sheriffs office but has no current ties to the agency. Under questioning, the suspect admitted that he purposefully caused damage to the store, which was estimated at around $4,000, according to Sheriff Ard. When deputies searched the mans home, they found a 2011 white Sierra 2500HD Denali pickup truck resembling the one seen in surveillance footage from the wrecked convenience store. Best Stop store in the 11000 block of Louisiana Highway 1019 is seen boarded up after the crash on March 3 Uniformed: Horsley was a former reserve with East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office (pictured in his old uniform years earlier) but had no ties to the agency at the time of the incident The part about the stolen ATM turned out to have been a lie, officials said. Hate: Horsley allegedly 'blamed Muslims for killing his fellow service members overseas' Horsley was booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center on charges of hate crime, simple criminal damage to property, criminal mischief and false personation of a peace office. He was freed on Monday after posting $56,000 bond. Harjot Singh, a nephew of the store owner who works as a cashier there, told The Advocate that even if they were Muslim, the suspect should not have targeted their business. 'We're just trying to make a living out [here], that's all were' doing,' he said. Horsley's father, Samuel Horsley Jr, described his son to the paper as 'as far from a racist as they come' and said he was shocked by the allegations. The elder Horsley revealed that Chad joined the US Marine Corps Reserve in 2014, following a stint at the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, and remained on active duty until August 2015. He was said to have been honorably discharged in December 2017 after being diagnosed with a liver condition. Lewis Birch, 35, posted naked photographs of his former American girlfriend on a porn site after she ended their relationship A jilted boyfriend who uploaded private pictures of his American former girlfriend on porn websites has been jailed for 15 months. Lewis Birch harassed her so badly that she flew back to Britain to report him. Birch, 35, started dating the victim, who is in her 20s, after they met on Facebook messenger in April last year. The pair visited each other on a number of occasions, but his behaviour became controlling after he started reading her journals. Warwick Crown Court heard he was furious after she dumped him in December last year. He then set about sending pictures to her friends, university lecturers and two online porn websites. He even sent a link to the photos on the X-rated sites with the message 'Merry Christmas'. The abuse prompted the woman to fly over to the UK to consult lawyers, who then contacted police. But after learning that she was in the country, Birch began sending her messages telling her: 'What is in motion is that people are coming for you. The abuse prompted the woman to fly over to the UK to consult an English solicitor, which led to police being contacted. But after learning that she was in the country, Birch began sending her messages in which he told her: 'What is in motion is that people are coming for you. 'I can't stop that. I'm going to die also. Why when I was with you couldn't you just accept me?' Birch was jailed for 15 months following a hearing at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday Another message read: 'There are bad people I've contacted. Even though my actions prior were not OK, you hurt me.' Birch, of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, admitted to harassment, disclosing private photographs, fraud and sending threatening communications. He was jailed for 15 months at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday. Judge Sylvia de Bertodano, sentencing, said: 'She ended the relationship, and your reaction to that was immediate, and it was to send compromising photographs of her. 'They were clearly private photographs which she intended no-one but you to see, but you took it on yourself to distribute them to her friends and to her university lecturers, and uploaded them, for good measure, onto pornographic websites. 'She would have been utterly humiliated, and of course that was your intention. 'Once you knew she was in England, you entered into lengthy correspondence with her in which you are clearly making repeated threats. 'The internet is a hugely powerful instrument for good, but the way you chose to use it empowered the internet to inflict humiliation and distress on this young woman. 'This must be an immediate prison sentence. 'The message very clearly must go out that if people harass former partners in this way, and do so repeatedly, they must go to prison.' The court heard how, on one visit to the States, Birch stabbed himself with an EpiPen and swallowed Diazepam tablets. Following the breakdown of the relationship, the defendant repeatedly ordered food to her and her relatives' addresses. He also used her debit card details to order a $50 gift card to be sent to her. Graham Russell, prosecuting, said: 'The relationship did not survive much beyond his return to the UK, and it came to an end on or around December 4, at her instigation. 'Mr Birch did not take it well.' The court was told how Birch had pictures of her which were 'obviously intended for his eyes only.' Mr Russell added: 'But that isn't the way they stayed. 'He gained access to her Facebook profile, and he took the opportunity to distribute three or four of the images to some of her friends.' After distributing the images to friends and the porn sites, he set up false Facebook and Instragram profiles in her name on which he'd post the same images. As his behaviour become 'somewhat unbearable', the victim contacted her local county police - but was told nothing could be done as it was outside their jurisdiction. The victim was left so traumatised that she has been forced to undergo therapy, and has even hired online specialists in a bid to have the images taken down. David Rees, defending, said: 'He has ongoing long-term psychiatric issues. We are dealing with an intense response to a relationship breakdown. 'It is a very sad state of affairs.' A group of lawmakers including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is pushing the heads of institutions who together loaned $500 million to Kushner Companies to reveal details of the terms of the deal involving the president's son-in-law. Warren and a trio of other Democratic lawmakers wrote Citigroup and Apollo Global Management LLC two firms revealed to have loaned $500 million to Kushner Companies at a time when Kushner is a senior advisor to President Donald Trump. 'It would be a serious matter if the loan provided to Kushner Companies by Citigroup resulted in a violation of federal ethics laws,' Warren wrote in a letter to CEO Michael Corbat. She also wrote Leon Black, the chairman and CEO of Apollo Global Management. Jared Kushners family real estate business received hundreds of millions of dollars in loans from two giant investment firms after he held meetings with their executives in the White House last year, it was reported on Wednesday 'Federal ethics laws prohibit federal employees from profiting from their government service,' they noted in the letter, which was obtained by Politico Playbook. Warren, a Senate Banking Committee member, is considered a potential 2020 presidential candidate. The letters seek detailed information about how the loans came about and what the terms are The lawmakers are asking for the dates the loans were offered, a 'complete list' of all terms and conditions, and a description of the process Kushner companies used to get the loans. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Senate Banking Committee member who is considered a potential 2020 presidential candidate, has written two lending institutions to ask about $500 million in loans to Kushner Companies That includes all employees of the lending institution, as well as a 'detailed description' of what was discussed and Kushner or employees 'discussed matters related to Kushner companies in these meetings.' The push for disclosure comes after it was revealed that Kushners family real estate business received hundreds of millions of dollars in loans from two giant investment firms after he held meetings with their executives in the White House last yea. Joining the effort are Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, and Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware. The move to dig up information on Kushner's loans come as he is already suffering from having his security clearance downgraded, following difficulties with his security clearance. But President Trump maintains confidence in him, dispatching him to Mexico where talks to renegotiate NAFTA are ongoing. Kushner Companies received over $500million from Apollo Global Management and Citigroup, according to The New York Times. The loan payments will likely raise ethics questions since White House officials are typically not permitted to use their positions in order to benefit their personal businesses. Kushner's business received $184million from Apollo in early 2017 after a series of meetings he held at the White House with the equity firms founder, Joshua Harris. Kushner's business received $184million from Apollo in early 2017 after a series of meetings he held at the White House with the equity firms founder, Joshua Harris (above) Warren and other lawmakers wrote Leon Black, the CEO of Apollo Global Management about the Kushner Cos. loan Warren and other lawmakers wrote Leon Black, the CEO of Apollo Global Management about the Kushner Cos. loan Warren and other lawmakers wrote Leon Black, the CEO of Apollo Global Management about the Kushner Cos. loan Harris was reportedly at the White House frequently to advise the administration on infrastructure policy. The loan that his company gave to Kushners firm was to refinance a mortgage on a skyscraper that he owns in Chicago. In the spring of 2017, Kushner Companies and one of its partners received an even larger loan - $325million from Citigroup. That loan was to help finance a number of office buildings in Brooklyn, according to the Times. Citigroup extended the loan to Kushner Companies after Jared Kushner met at the White House with the firms CEO, Michael Corbat. Abbe Lowell, Kushners lawyer, did not dispute that the meetings took place. In the spring of 2017, Kushner Companies and one of its partners received an even larger loan - $325million from Citigroup, which extended the loan after Jared Kushner met at the White House with the firms CEO, Michael Corbat (above) A spokesperson for Lowell, Peter Mirijanian, said Kushner has met with hundreds of business people. He said Kushner has taken no part of any business, loans or projects with or for Kushner Companies since he joined the Trump administration. Kushner is considered a top aide to the president who has an extensive portfolio that includes Israeli-Palestinian peace; relations with Canada, Mexico, and China; and streamlining government services. A spokesperson for Kushner Companies denied that Jared Kushners White House role played a part in securing the loans. Stories like these attempt to make insinuating connections that do not exist to disparage the financial institutions and companies involved, the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for Apollo also denied there was any impropriety in the equity firms decision to extend the loan. The spokesperson said that Harris was not involved in the decision and that the loan went through the firms standard approval process. Citigroup said that the loan to Kushner Companies was negotiated with another real estate developer and that the payment had no connection to Jared Kushners position in the White House. Last year Kushner, who is married to Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump, resigned from Kushner Cos and sold his stake to a family trust as part of an effort to avoid conflicts of interests in his White House role. The private real estate company owns or partially owns buildings in New York and New Jersey. Kushners finances have attracted scrutiny from authorities since he came to the White House. New Yorks state banking regulator asked Deutsche Bank AG and two other lenders for information on their relationships Jared Kushner and his familys real estate company, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) made the requests to Deutsche Bank, Signature Bank and New York Community Bank for information on loans and other financial arrangements including lines of credit and loan guarantees a week ago, the person said. The regulator also asked for information related to other family members, the person said. Christine Taylor, a spokeswoman for Kushner Cos, said the company had not received a copy of any letter from the regulator. She described Kushner Cos as a multibillion dollar enterprise that is extremely financially strong. The loan that Apollo gave to Kushners firm was to refinance a mortgage on a skyscraper (above) that Kushner owns in Chicago Prior to our CEO voluntarily resigning to serve our country, we never had any type of inquiries, Taylor said in an email. These types of inquiries appear to be harassment solely for political reasons. As New Yorks bank regulator, DFS supervises the New York branch of Deutsche Bank, Germanys flagship lender, along with the two state-chartered lenders. If DFS finds the loans somehow violate banking law, it could fine the banks or take other corrective action with regard to their business practices, said New York attorney Daniel Alter, former general counsel at DFS. If the regulator finds potential criminal activity by either the borrowers or the banks, it could also refer the matter to prosecutors for further investigation, Alter said. Kushner lost his interim top-secret security clearance, two US officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. This is the shocking moment a mother in southwest China is sent flying in a street by a pickup truck while desperately trying to save her son from being run over. Both the one-year-old boy and his mother were treated in a hospital. The boy had to stay overnight to be monitored and the mother suffered minor injuries. The truck driver, Mr Wu, failed to pay attention while driving on road in a small town, according to reports. A mother is rushing out to the road as she sees a pickup truck coming (left). She tries to save her one-year-old son from being run over (right) Security camera footage from Wanshuizhen in Kaili, Guizhou Province, captured the boy crossing the road when a pale-gold pickup truck drove past on March 7. His mother can be seen rushing out behind a motorbike and trying to grab hold of him. Mr Wu did not seem to reduce his speed and knocked down the toddler in the middle of the road. The mother was sent flying in the street as she hit into the truck from aside. The toddler luckily survived as he passed right between the wheels, appearing on the other side, while the mum remained conscious despite the collision. According to Guiyang Evening Post, Mr Wu told traffic police officer Ke that he had not been careful while driving on road. He did not manage to put on brakes after noticing a child crossing the road. But the driver did not reduce his speed and knocked down both the mother and the child Luckily the boy passed unharmed under the car and the mother was sent flying in the street The mother sustained a sprained ankle and the boy was not injured but had to stay in hospital Both mother and her son were taken to Qiandongnan People's Hospital. The mother had her twisted ankle treated by the doctors. The child did not sustain any injuries but was asked to stay at the hospital. Police are investigating the case and have yet to announce any charges. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of a college student from Atlanta. Bradley Frietas, 22, a Decatur High School graduate, was found dead in a student housing center at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. Emergency services entered the room to find Frietas in his bed, unresponsive. The GBI was called to the scene just after 9pm on March 1 by university police but Frietas was pronounced dead at the scene. Although an autopsy has been performed, so far the results have not been made available, however there have been indications that drugs and alcohol may have been involved, Bradley Frietas, 22, a Decatur High School graduate, was found dead in a student housing center at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro Frietas, who was a senior political science major at GS. was remembered fondly by other students. Those who knew Frietas, both on and off campus, remembered him as a good soul, a thoughtful person and a friend to all. Kara Franklin, freshman nursing major, said that as a new student at GS, Frietas was there for her. 'I just got here this past semester and he was my brother's roommate, so I didn't really have many friends when I first got here and we just kind of clicked,' Franklin said to the GeorgeAnne. 'He ended up being one of my best friends.' 'He really wanted to know about my life and everything that I'm going through,' Franklin said. 'Anytime I was feeling sad, anytime anything bad was going on in my life, he was the first person to call me.' Although an autopsy has been performed, so far the results have not been made available Natalie Warner was friends with Frietas since she was six years old and met him in first grade. 'He loved to bake, I don't know if a lot of people knew that about him, but when I was younger he used to come over to my house...he used to come over after school and we would bake together with my family and he knew how to make this really good red velvet cake without any red dye because I'm allergic to it,' Warner said. Lindsay Futch told the AJC that she and Frietas attended Decatur High school together. 'Bradley was someone who was friends with everyone and was just so sweet and was there for you if you needed him,' Futch said. 'And I say that he was friends with everyone because we all knew how funny and smart and sweet he was.' Although Frietas was a GS student, an official University memorial has not been planned at this time. Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the GBI at 912-871-1121 or GSU police at 912-681-5234. A convicted murderer hid himself in a wardrobe in a brazen attempt to escape jail. Tense footage shows the moment a carpenter breaks open a wardrobe's concealed compartment as a police officer stands by. He wrenches off a plank from the cabinet's wooden back to reveal a sheepish inmate inside - who looks devastated by the fact he made it so close to successfully escaping. The daring attempt was made in Yurimaguas, in the Peruvian province of Loreto. The would-be escapee, 28-year-old Delmar Guerra Vela, is detained by the officer while another man inspects the wardrobe to see how Vela managed to conceal himself. Along with an accomplice, Vela had built the wardrobe in a prison woodwork workshop. The other killer, 58-year-old Forencio Saldana Bocanegra, had also stowed himself away in a wardrobe, reportedly escaping in a taxi. Vela was arrested and returned to prison, according to local media. Bocanegra was jailed for killing his wife, who he stabbed 29 times. It is believed that, unknown to the guards supervising their woodwork sessions, the prisoners had fitted the wardrobes with fake backs. Twenty-eight-year-old Delmar Guerra Vela looks sheepish as he is discovered inside his box They knew the wardrobes would leave the prison to be sold, and so added secret hiding spaces large enough to fit a man. Their plan was partially successful - they were able to leave the prison grounds. But for Vela, he went no further. The National Penitentiary Institute has begun an investigation into the incident. The husband of the M25 rapist Antoni Imiela's first victim has said he is 'over the moon' the 'evil predator' has died. Sheila Jankowitz, was subjected to a savage attack by the rapist in the early hours of Christmas Day in 1987. Her husband, Erwin Jankowitz, 54, said: 'I am over the moon because he does not get to go to the parole board and try and get freedom. 'Instead hes gone down to the hot place.' Imiela died at Wakefield Prison yesterday at the age of 63 after suffering heart problems. Sheila Jankowitz, pictured, was M25 rapist Antoni Imiela's first victim. She was attacked behind her home in Forest Hill, south-east London Her husband, Erwin Jankowitz (pictured), has said he is 'over the moon' the 'evil predator' has died in HMP Wakefield at the age of 63 He became known as the M25 rapist after being convicted of the rape of nine women and girls in London, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Birmingham between 1987 and 2002. He was given seven life sentences with a minimum term of eight years in 2004 for attacking eight women and a 10-year-old girl in the areas linked by the famous motorway. Mr Jankowitz feared the predator - who never showed any remorse for his grotesque crimes - would be free to attack more young girls and women after being released. He added: 'I feel a sense of immense relief, I can close the door completely and he can never come back to haunt us ever again, I can close the door finally. 'I think this is justice for everybody, especially for his victims who are still alive today, my wife sadly died, but it must be such a tremendous relief to those young women who he effectively tortured.' Mr Jankowitz was Imielas first victim and he dragged her behind the couples flat in Forest Hill, south-east London. The vile sex attacker punched her repeatedly, threatened her with a brick, said he would kill her and subjected her to a disturbing assault. Antoni Imiela (pictured) became known as the M25 rapist after raping nine woman and girls between 1987 and 2002 in London, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Berkshire, all connected by the motorway Imiela (pictured) was given seven life sentences with a minimum term of eight years in 2004. Erwin Jankowitz added: 'I think this is justice for everybody, especially for his victims who are still alive today' Mr Jankowitz had gone out looking for her after theyd had an argument at the local pub and walked within a few feet of where the attack was taking place. She heard her husbands footsteps on the drive but was unable to call out because Imiela pressed his hand over her mouth and threatened to smash her head in if she screamed. Imielas DNA was linked to the 1987 attack more than two decades later by detectives. In a tragic twist Sheila Jankowitz was murdered in her native South Africa in 2006 and never got to see justice done, but her family bravely fought for justice and he was convicted for her rape in 2012. The Prison Service confirmed Imiela's death, which is not being treated as suspicious. A spokeswoman said: 'HMP Wakefield prisoner Antoni Imiela died in custody on Thursday March 8 2018. 'As with all deaths in custody, there will be an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.' Imelia had served less than 14 years in prison for his crimes. The former railway worker would them and threaten them with knives before raping them. It emerged in January that Imiela, of Appledore, near Ashford in Kent, was being considered for release by the Parole Board. Face of a sex beast: Antoni Imelia is pictured left with his wife Christine on their wedding day M25 rapist: Imelia is pictured in police custody after he was arrested on suspicion of rape Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been searching high and low for evidence of collusion between Russia and Donald Trump's election campaign. And now, none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed he has whispered lies in the ear of one of Trump's closest White House allies. Putin admitted that he had misled First Lady Melania Trump - about the size of his catch while out fishing. White House lie: Russian president admitted that he had fibbed to First Lady Melania Trump when he met her at the G20 in Hamburg last year During an interview for an upcoming documentary, he spoke about a conversation he had with Mrs Trump and the wife of Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni at the G20 meeting in Hamburg last year. The Russian strongman said he had exaggerated how big the fishes he had caught over the years had been. He said: 'I told them about Russia. About Siberia. About fishing. But, of course, as you do on such occasions, I fibbed a little. 'When you are talking about fishing, how do you not embellish?,' the President joked in the interview according to Newsweek. Who doesn't lie about size? The President, pictured at the G20 meeting with the First Lady, said he had exaggerated the size of the fish he would have caught while fishing in Siberia When the former KGB foreign intelligence officer was asked if he had tried to 'recruit' Mrs Trump, he replied 'No. I haven't done that in a long time. 'Even though I used to love doing that. That was my job, as you know, for many years.' Vladimir Putin is currently on the campaign trail ahead of his country's presidential elections later this month. Putin is the hot favourite to win on March 18, though if no candidate gets more than half the votes cast a second round will be held on April 8, with less popular candidates removed from the ballot slip. Putin is running as an independent. His opponents include Pavel Grudinin of the Communist Party and Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the liberal LDPR party. Widower David Busk, 83, was swindled out of 40,000 after welcoming a family into his home, a court has heard A devout Christian was swindled out of 40,000 after welcoming a family into his home, a court has heard. Widower David Busk, 83, invited Terry O'Brien, his partner Paula Smith and his daughter to live with him in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. But Cambridge Crown Court heard what happened next was 'the dishonest financial exploitation of Mr Busk, a devout Christian'. It is alleged Smith made a marriage proposal to Mr Busk, which he accepted only for her then to steal 1,000 from him. There were also allegations, said Mr Busk, that he had been 'infiltrating Paula's knickers'. The court was told that in the end he handed over 16,300 to O'Brien for the purchase of a mobile home to 'help get him off my premises'. Mr Busk told the court that he first met O'Brien at Baldock's Christ Church in 2013 and that he and his wife Jean had after that been in regular contact with him. He described how his wife, who died in 2014, thought of him 'as a second son'. O'Brien, a builder, and his daughter Heidi O'Brien, 27, - not the daughter who had lived at Mr Busk's home - both of Hitchin, are accused of four offences of fraud or theft totalling 42,480, which they deny. Builder Terry O'Brien (left) and his daughter Heidi O'Brien (right) are alleged to have cheated devout Christian Mr Busk out of thousands of pounds Mr Busk told the court he felt 'very disappointed' about O'Brien. He added: 'He's cost me quite a lot of time and particularly money. I'm rather skint actually. Obviously at my age one needs to have some sort of backing.' Talking about Paula Smith the marriage proposal he said that she had had a chequered background and he felt 'she had suffered'. He said she proposed marriage to him about two to three weeks after she arrived. 'She had already intimated she had had a bit of a rough time in her early years and I felt she was a little bit lonely, looking for someone to form a relationship with,' he said. 'She proposed to me, would I be prepared to get married to her, which in hindsight, me being 80 and her a little over 40, was an unlikely situation. I waited for about a fortnight and said I would marry her.' But he said that after a visit to the Register Office they were returning home to get formally engaged but 1,000 went missing from his car and later Smith confessed she had taken it. He told the jury that this ended any thought of marriage because he couldn't trust her. Heidi O'Brien, who never lived at Mr Busk's address, is charged with one offence of theft of 3,370 between June 2013 and January 2016, relating to 200 for a car repair, a 2,500 loan and a further 700 loan. She is said to have repaid 30. The court heard that she had pleaded guilty to stealing a blank cheque and then fraudulently using it to deposit 2,000 of Mr Busk's money into her own account. Her father, who moved in to the complainant's house with a younger daughter and was later joined by Smith, faces three charges. He is accused of fraud by falsely representing he needed 15,000 to buy a VW Transporter to use in his building trade and to develop a taxi business between February and April 2014. Two theft charges relate to 7,810 between July 2014 and January 2016, the sum outstanding from 20,000 handed over to O'Brien to create a 'hedge fund'; and theft of 16,300 given for a mobile home between April 2015 and January 2016. Prosecutor Michael Attenborough told the jury of six men and six women: 'This is about the dishonest financial exploitation of Mr Busk, a devout Christian.' 'These defendants behaved utterly dishonestly.' O'Brien's move into Mr Busk's home came after there were problems with his council accommodation, the court was told. Mr Busk paid off his 900 rent arrears and, after his wife died, invited O'Brien and a younger daughter to move into his three-bedroom home. Smith arrived about three months later. The trial continues. Officer Chris Hickman has been charged with assault after he was caught on his own bodycam tasering, choking and punching an unarmed black man A white cop has been charged with assault after he was caught on his own bodycam tasering, choking and punching an unarmed black man. Officer Chris Hickman was placed on desk duty last August for ruthlessly beating Jermaine Rush, 33, while arresting him for jaywalking, in Asheville, North Carolina. Hickman resigned in January after an internal investigation determined he should be fired but the case didn't come to light until last week. Bodycam footage of the incident was leaked to a local paper, sparking widespread outcry and an FBI probe. Hickman was finally arrested on Thursday and charged with assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury and communicating threats, according to the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office. He could not be reached on Friday and a phone listing for Hickman had a full inbox that wouldn't take messages. The incident occurred on August 24 when Rush, who is black, was walking home from a 13-hour shift at CrackerBarrel in Asheville, North Carolina. He had just cut through the parking lot of a business that was closed for the day when he was stopped by Verino Ruggiero, then an officer in training, and officer Hickman, for jaywalking. Police body cam footage, obtained and published by the Citizen Times , showed Ruggiero telling Rush, who'd just visited a local store, that he'd already warned him about jaywalking. 'All I'm trying to do is go home, man. I'm tired. I just got off work,' Rush explained. Ruggiero told him: 'I've got two options: I can either arrest you or write you a ticket.' Bodycam footage showed Johnnie Jermaine Rush speaking to then-trainee officer Verino Ruggiero after he was stopped for jaywalking, on August 24 'It doesn't matter to me, man,' Rush replied. 'Do what you have got to do, besides keep harassing me.' Rush then cursed, to which Hickman responded by ordering him to put his hands behind his back. The 33-year-old then tried to run. Video showed the officers take off in pursuit and Hickman, yelling: 'You know what's funny is you're going to get f**ked up hardcore'. Rush appeared to slow down and stopped to confront the officers, who pushed him to the ground. What followed was a brutal beating, as Hickman was seen repeatedly punching Rush in the head, while yelling at him to put his hands behind his back. Rush was then tasered twice and as he was held on the ground, he was choked while breathlessly telling the cops, 'I can't breathe'. The incident quickly escalated and Hickman was later seen punching Rush, 33, in the head repeatedly (pictured) Rush was also tasered as he lay on the ground with his hands behind his back, surrounded by cops 'All this over you getting a ticket,' Hickman, who is white, could be heard telling Rush. 'Now it's serious, bro.' He went on to taunt Rush, who remained prone on the ground, surrounded by cops. His comment can't be heard, but Hickman responded: 'Oh it's a 'Please' now is it?' Hickman says. 'After all that? It was a ticket! And you wanted to act like this? What's wrong with you? What the f**k is wrong with you?' While putting Rush in the back of the police car, Hickman was heard complaining that he 'got blood all over me from his face.' He boasted to an emergency responder called to the scene that he had 'beat the s**t out of his head, I'm not going to lie about that'. The charges against Rush, which included assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, were later dropped. Rush was left with burn marks on his legs where the taser hit, and swelling around his head, around the same location he was repeatedly punched during the arrest Officer Chris Hickman (left) has been charged with assault over the brutal beating of Rush (right) after he was stopped for jaywalking Photos of Rush, taken after the incident, show burn marks on his legs where the taser hit, and swelling around his head, around the same location he was repeatedly punched during the arrest. Police Chief Tammy Hooper publicly apologized to Rush last week, after the Citizen Times released the video, calling his treatment unacceptable. Hooper said, after reviewing the video, that she and District Attorney Todd Williams asked the State Bureau of Investigation to initiate a criminal investigation, but they declined. The chief said that she still felt a criminal investigation was necessary so reached out to another agency. Asheville police opened a criminal investigation into Hickman's behavior on January 18 and late yesterday we was charged with assault. An arrest warrant for Hickman notes that he struck Rush multiple times, causing abrasions and swelling to his head. The warrant said Rush lost consciousness when Hickman placed his arm on his throat and applied pressure. The charges against Rush, which included assaulting a government official and traffic offenses, have since been dropped A Wednesday meeting of a citizen's police advisory board began with Police Chief Tammy Hooper offering a timeline of what she called 'a very egregious and violent episode'. She emphasized that she reviewed the recording and put Hickman on administrative duty only hours after Rush's arrest, following his complaint. 'He never went back on the streets,' she said of Hickman, before her remarks were cut short by audience interruptions. Asheville's mayor and City Council complained that they didn't know about the case until the video was published. The City Council issued a statement Wednesday saying: 'we are furious that no one thought that we - Asheville's elected leaders - needed to know about this incident.' The council said it plans to seek a third-party audit of the police department for signs of racial bias. Asheville's population of nearly 90,000 is about 82 percent white and 12 percent black. Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose lawyer says she had a sexual affair with Donald Trump, will break her silence in an interview with '60 Minutes' her lawyer revealed through a tweet. Daniels sat down for an interview with the storied investigative program, meeting with CNN's Anderson Cooper, who has had a contract with the CBS program since 2006. Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, on Thursday tweeted out a photo of Daniels whose real name is Stephanie Clifford flanked by himself and Cooper. The tweet included four Twitter account addresses: @mavenatti, @StormyDaniels, @andersoncooper, and @60Minutes. A source familiar with the situation said the interview happened, but it will not air on this coming Sunday's episode. TICK TOCK: Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, tweeted out an image of his client flanked by himself and Anderson Cooper That is an indication that the show, known for its deep investigative pieces, is digging into the situation that this week brought the alleged 'hush' payoff to a porn star who says she had an affair with the president into the White House briefing room. Cooper interviewed Avenatti on his CNN program Wednesday evening. It was not immediately known how the interview might intersect with a gag order ordered by an arbitrator. It was revealed this week that Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, obtained a secret restraining order in a private arbitration proceeding barring Daniels from disclosing 'confidential information' related to a nondisclosure agreement she signed in October 2016. Her lawyer, Avenatti, revealed the text of the NDA when he filed a lawsuit in California arguing that the agreement was no longer operative because Trump never signed it and because, he argued, Cohen violated it by confirming its existence. In this Feb. 11, 2007 file photo, Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles CNN's Anderson Cooper also reports for 60 Minutes under his contract White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders brought up the arbitration at a press briefing Wednesday. 'I can share you that the arbitration was won in the president's favor and I would refer you to the president's outside counsel on any details beyond that,' the press secretary said. Asked whether Trump knew about the $130,000 to Daniels by his lawyer, Sanders responded: 'Not that I'm aware of.' That line prompted the question of whether the press secretary had directly asked the president if he knew about the payment. 'Yeah, I've had conversations with the president about this,' she replied, before giving the more direct answer that Trump had 'no knowledge' of the monetary exchange. MUST-SEE TV: The interview is expected to appear in the coming weeks, but not this Sunday Donald Trump and porn Stormy Daniels aka Stephanie Clifford pose together in 2006; the White House says he already won a case in arbitration against her and that he's denied the accusations of an affair Porn actress Stormy Daniels' lawyer confirmed Wednesday that 'yes,' his client had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump a decade ago President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen (pictured) obtained a secret restraining order in a private arbitration proceeding barring porn star Stormy Daniels from disclosing 'confidential information' White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that President Trump had won in arbitration against Stormy Daniels - which her lawyer denies - and that he's denied having an affair with the porn star and had 'no knowledge' she was being paid off Michael Avenatti said on the 'Today' show what his client had been coy about for months Avenatti has argued that the NDA should be considered 'null and void,' and has blasted Cohen for 'threats' and intimidation of his client. After Sanders made the statement that Trump had 'won' in arbitration, Avenatti shot back: 'Yeah, and he won the popular vote.' He told NBC: 'President Trump hasn't won anything relating to Ms. Clifford.' 'First of all, it does not appear as if he was even a party to the arbitration Ms. Sanders was referring to. How can you win something you're not even a part of?' the lawyer asked. 'Secondly, claiming that Mr. Trump "won" at arbitration when there has been no hearing, no notice to Ms. Clifford, no opportunity given to her to respond, and no decision on the merits, is completely bogus.' During a Wednesday interview with NBC's 'Today' Show, Avenatti confirmed that his client had a sexual relationship with the president years ago. 'Yes,' Avenatti said when asked the question point-blank. This is the dramatic moment Jeremy Kyle joined police as they smashed in the front door of a cannabis farm. The controversial TV host accompanied officers as they discovered a crop worth 100k at a terraced house in Gloucestershire. Footage taken for the Kyle Files programme followed a police crackdown on Albanian gangs and drug factories on October 11 last year. Jeremy Kyle joined police officers on a series of raids targeting suspected drug dealers in Gloucestershire Dramatic footage showed the TV host watching on as officers smashed in the front door The raids were the culmination of an eight-month investigation and saw around 50 officers raid six drug farms as well as five other properties, reports the Sun. They recovered cannabis worth around 750,000 - with plants worth 100,000 seized from one property alone. Dramatic footage shows the moment anti-drug officers smash in the door of a suspect's home - before he bolts out the back in a bid to escape. But police and dog teams give chase while Kyle watches on as officers inspect the cannabis find. The TV host said: 'It's extraordinary. The thing is, you could just be living in your house and you wouldn't know next door every room is crammed.' Police claim it could have taken just weeks to set up the cannabis farm. They recovered cannabis worth around 750,000 - with plants worth 100,000 seized from one property alone This is the haul of cannabis uncovered by police. TV host Jeremy Kyle joined police on the raids Since the raids, nine men have now admitted drugs offences Since the raids, nine men have now admitted drugs offences. Elis Gashi, 32 of High Street, Tredworth, Gloucester, and Dardan Horhaj 22 of Widden Street, Gloucester, have admitted conspiring to supply and produce class B drug cannabis as well as two charges of possession/control a false/improperly obtained identity document. Dritan Muhametaj, 27 of no fixed abode; Krenhmik Muja, 20 of London Road, Gloucester; Ardit Agaaj, 27 of Birchmore Road, Gloucester; Gurgen Nikoci, 21 from Norwich; Bardhyl Arifaj, 33 of St Phillips Close, Gloucester; Aranit Kasaheri, 34 of Woodford Green, London have admitted the production of class B drug cannabis. Jeton Muja , 26, of Orchard Close, Gloucester, has admitted conspiracy to supply and produce class B drug cannabis. A sheriff's deputy named Florida's 'Law Enforcement Officer of the Year' in 2016 has been arrested and kicked off the force after authorities found dog feces, illegal drugs and loaded weapons scattered around his home. Cops were called to the home Brevard County Sheriff's Deputy Nick Worthy, 29, shares with his girlfriend Rachel Trexler, 32, Wednesday night, after neighbors heard gunshots and a woman screaming. When officers arrived on the scene, they knocked on the door but no one answered. They got a search warrant the following morning, and broke into the home - finding Worthy with Trexler inside with their two-year-old child and three dogs. Scroll down for video Nick Worthy was arrested and fired from the Brevard County Sheriff's Department on Thursday. The 29-year-old is pictured leaving jail on Thursday Worthy's girlfriend Rachel Trexler, 32 (pictured), was also arrested after cops found drugs and loaded weapons in the couple's home Not only did they find evidence of the gunshots that neighbors heard, but they found illegal drugs and loaded weapons in plain sight inside the home. On top of all that, the home was in 'completely disarray'. Sheriff Wayne Ivey described it as 'extremely disgusting'. 'What was found inside was absolutely disgusting and deplorable,' Ivey said in a press conference. 'The house was in complete disarray. These were conditions no one should have been living in, especially not someone in a profession such as ours or someone that has a small child.' Officers found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine, drug paraphernalia, two loaded and unsecured firearms, dog feces, trash and litter throughout the house. Worthy and his girlfriend were immediately taken into custody and charged with child neglect, possession of cocaine and marijuana under 20 grams and possession of paraphernalia. Cops were called to the deputy's house in Viera Wednesday night after getting reports of shots fired and a woman screaming When they served a search warrant, they found Worthy and his family living in 'deplorable' conditions. Above, investigators bring evidence out of the home on Thursday They could face further charges if cops are able to confirm a domestic assault occurred. Their toddler was placed in the care of the Department of Children and Families and the dogs were turned over to BCSO's Animal Services unit. Worthy was immediately fired after his arrest. He had served with the sheriff's office since 2012. While Sheriff Ivey said Worthy had been the subject of internal investigations before, he would not go into detail about those cases. By all accounts, Worthy was an otherwise upstanding officer. He was named Brevard County 'Deputy of the Year' in 2015 and Florida's 'Law Enforcement Officer of the Year' in 2016. Dog feces, illegal drugs, and loaded weapons were found scattered around the home - where Worthy and his girlfriend live with a two-year-old child. The couple are often pictured with two children on Facebook, but only one child was at the residence at the time Worthy and his girlfriend, Rachel Trexler, were arrested and charged with child neglect, drug possession and drug paraphernalia possession (the couple pictured left and right) Worthy's award for Deputy of the Year came after he and two other deputies saved the life of a man who was the victim of an arson attempt in February 2015. The following month, Worthy was shot at while responding to another call. 'I could not be more proud of Deputy Nick Worthy for everything he does to protect our community and his heroic life saving actions,' Ivey said at the time. 'He is a shining example of dedication to protecting our citizens with compassion, professionalism and courage.' In addition to his law enforcement career, Worthy was a sergeant in the Army Rangers and served four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded the Bronze Star medal for his actions in Afghanistan. Both Worthy and his girlfriend bonded out of jail on Thursday. Worthy was named Brevard County Deputy of the Year in 2015 and Florida Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2016. He's pictured left and right getting the Deputy of the Year award They've proven not to be everyone's cup of tea after receiving Twitter threats over their Nationwide adverts. But singing sisters Flo and Joan appear to be brushing off the negativity after flying to Toronto to record what they've called their 'difficult second album'. And with it the comedy duo will be looking to follow up the success of one of their songs - Have A Cup of Tea - where they suggest everyone forgets about an imminent apocalypse and put the kettle on instead. The duo, whose real names are Nicola (left) and Rosie Dempsey (right) are both single from south London The pair have become a big hit on the comedy circuit, and appeared at the Brickyard Comedy club in Bethnal Green, east London It's perhaps somewhat fitting after Flo and Joan, who are both single and were raised by their piano teacher mother, were bombarded with abuse by online trolls after their appearance in a building society's TV ad campaign. Nationwide were forced to call in police after the abuse got so bad, with one telling them: 'So who's chipping in to get these two singing sisters from the Nationwide advert brutally murdered?' But the pair, whose real names are Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, have been a hit on the comedy circuit since their The 2016 Song went viral last year. Nicola (left) and Rosie got their musical talents from their mother who was a piano teacher The tune, a comic take on a review of the year, notched up 40million views on Facebook and shot them to fame. The sisters told the Evening Standard they came up with their stage name before their first gig. Nicola said: 'We thought Nicola and Rosie sounded boring and the Dempsey Sisters sounded like a vaudeville act. 'So we chose the name of our nan and her sister.' Flo and Joan in the Nationwide advert for which they have been bombarded with abuse They have followed up their success with The 2016 Song called Have a Cup of Tea, telling people to put the kettle on, that features the lyrics: Have a cup of tea when youre feeling blue/have a cup of tea when Prince Harry didnt choose you. They grew up in Cosham, Portsmouth, and were raised by their mum, who is a piano teacher. They also both graduated from Cardiff University. Nicola, of Kennington, south London, then wanted to do a comedy course at a training centre in Toronto, Canada, and her sister went with her. In their spare time they started posting musical clips online, and they were soon attracting millions of views. Last summer they moved back to the UK, and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe. Nationwide got in contact after that and asked them to be part of their advertising campaign. But they said success has come at a price. Rosie, of Lewisham, south east London, told the Evening Standard: 'I hate the internet. It can really mess with your head. Flo and Joan are in Toronto, Canada, where they say they are recording their 'difficult second album' Nicola tucks into doughnuts for breakfast during the pair's trip to the Canadian city 'It's fair enough when people don't like something. I don't like everything but I don't announce it publicly. Nicola said: 'It's a whole world of despair, it drains you. It's an ordeal.' The duo are currently out of the country, after flying to Toronto to record what they say is their 'difficult second album' they have called 'The Kindness of Stranglers. They released their debut album 'Victory Flaps' last year, which included a live recording of The 2016 Song. In an Instagram post earlier this week they told fans: 'We're in Toronto. We ate poutine and doughnuts for breakfast. 'Tonight we're recording our live album. The end. One fan replied: 'Good luck girls. I think your fantastic.' Nationwide bosses say they are now working with the Metropolitan Police as well as industry bosses to tackle the 'worrying trend' of 'keyboard hate.' Other abuse the sisters faced included: 'I don't condone violence of any kind. But it'd benefit us all if the women off the Nationwide advert were left on an uninhabited island far, far away. For the rest of their lives.' Some of the abuse the sisters have received on Twitter after their TV adverts aired Another added: 'Hypothetically - If #floandjoan (the two singing witches from the Nationwide advert) were to suddenly go missing in mysterious circumstances, there'd actually be 60 million suspects.' Nationwide said in a statement: 'Social media has provided a great instant barometer of reaction - good and bad. 'The huge amount of likes and shares have been great. 'But then there are others who have chosen to post the most vile, abusive and misogynistic comments about the duo. It is not just our Flo & Joan adverts that generate these comments, it is also our adverts that feature people of different colours, backgrounds and perceived sexuality, which attract the most criticism. 'Thats why it is important to call out those persistent offenders who put out vile comments on a regular basis and who should really know better. 'Its one thing not to like an advert, another to threaten to kill the stars of it. Abuse is abuse and thats never OK in our book.' Police on the Costa Blanca have arrested a fugitive Briton who is said to be facing a life sentence in the UK for five rapes on two women. Detectives said they had tracked him down to a van he was living in after he used a fake identity to contact relatives on social media. Spanish police said one of his victims was a 15-year-old girl and the other was a woman raped four times. Both were attacked in the 1980s. Police in Alicante (pictured) have arrested a fugitive Briton who they say is facing life in jail for raping two women a total of five times back in the 1980s British authorities told European police forces he was a wanted man back in 2016 and officers in Spain were tipped off he was living somewhere along the eastern Mediterranean coast in July last year. The arrest happened on Thursday in Alicante. The unnamed Brit will now be hauled before a judge at a court in Madrid for an extradition hearing. A spokesman for Spain's National Police in Alicante confirmed in a statement: 'Spanish National Police have arrested a British fugitive wanted for several sex attacks. 'He raped two women in the Eighties, one of them on four occasions. 'The British authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant against the fugitive for committing five rapes. Officers say they found the man using a fake ID to contact relatives on social media and were able to track him to a van he was living in 'One of the victims had just turned 15 when she was targeted. 'He committed the sex attacks between 1980 and 1983 and faces life imprisonment in the UK.' Revealing how they tracked him down with help from Britain's National Crime Agency, the Spanish police added: 'The detainee used a false identity to contact his relatives in the UK. 'That enabled investigators to follow his digital trail until they tracked down where he was hiding. 'Investigators determined he was a person who moved about in a van he lived in, which made finding him more difficult as he didn't leave any physical trace of his movements. 'Yesterday morning/on Thursday morning, and after nine months of investigation, the van he used as a home was tracked down and the rapist arrested after a watch was put on the vehicle.' Louisiana's attorney general is suing a local school after a middle school teacher was removed from a meeting and arrested for questioning a superintendent's pay rise. Shocking video footage of Deyshia Hargrave being dragged from the Vermillion Parish School Board meeting, pinned to the ground and handcuffed sparked outrage across the country. A cop led her from the room after she criticized Superintendent Jerome Puyau's roughly $30,000 pay raise during the public comments section of the meeting on January 8. A lawsuit filed by Attorney General Jeff Landry on Thursday accuses the Vermillion Parish School Board of stifling public debate and violating the state's Open Meetings Law, saying it conducted the meeting 'in an atmosphere that was hostile toward and contemptuous of' residents who attended it. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit against the Vermillion Parish School Board after middle school teacher Deyshia Hargrave was arrested at one of their meetings Hargrave was arrested after criticizing Superintendent Jerome Puyau's roughly $30,000 pay raise during the public comments section of a school board meeting on January 8 It asks the board to undo all the decisions they voted on at the meeting - including Puyau's salary increase - and that it reimburse the school system for any extra money the superintendent received after the raise. Landry is seeking civil penalties against any board member who's found guilty of violating the Open Meetings Act. The maximum penalty for this offense is $100 per violation. The suit states the board's action caused 'irreparable injury to the citizens present at the meeting by effectively excluding them from participation in the meeting and denying them the right to offer comment on matters of interest to the community as well as to students and employees of the school system,' according to KADN. Deputy City Marshal Reggie Hilts arrested the English teacher on charges of 'remaining after being forbidden' and resisting an officer after escorting her out of the meeting and handcuffing her on the hallway floor. Video of Hargrave's comments at the meeting shows her speaking directly to Puyau (pictured) and asking him how he can accept the pay raise knowing that teachers haven't received a pay increase in 10 years The school board president at the time, Anthony Fontana (pictured), then banged his gavel and told Hargrave to stop, saying her comment wasn't 'germane' or relevant to the vote on Puyau's raise before gesturing to a police officer. He resigned shortly after the incident Video of Hargrave's comments at the meeting shows her speaking directly to Puyau and asking him how he can accept the pay raise knowing that teachers haven't received a pay increase in 10 years. Hargrave, a teacher at Rene Rost Middle School in Kaplan, called Puyau's pay rise, which brought his yearly salary to about $140,000, a 'slap in the face'. The school board president at the time, Anthony Fontana, then banged his gavel and told Hargrave to stop, saying her comment wasn't 'germane' or relevant to the vote on Puyau's raise, as reported by The Advocate. He then gestured to officer Hilts, who interrupted Hargrave and escorted her out, according to board member Kibbie Pillette. Deputy City Marshal Reggie Hilts arrested the English teacher on charges of 'remaining after being forbidden' and resisting an officer The Attorney General is seeking civil penalties against any board member who's found guilty of violating the Open Meetings Act (pictured is Hargrave speaking at the January meeting) 'It has been the most stressful two months of thinking that nothing was going to happen and that all this happened for nothing and something has happened,' Hargrave said after hearing news of the suit A dramatic video that showed the officer roughly handcuffing Hargrave on the ground in a hallway went viral, sparking public outrage. 'What are you doing?' she yells as officer Hilts restrains her. He tells her to stop resisting, and she says 'I am not, you just pushed me to the floor.' 'Sir, I am way smaller than you,' she cries as he pushes her out the door of the building. Prosecutor Ike Funderburk decided in January to not pursue criminal charges against Hargrave. Hargrave said the suit is 'good news for anyone who speaks at public meetings'. She's pictured speaking at a January 11 rally in her support Prosecutor Ike Funderburk decided in January to not pursue criminal charges against Hargrave Fontana resigned less than two weeks after the incident after serving six terms on the board. Hargrave said the suit is 'good news for anyone who speaks at public meetings,' according to Fox News. 'It has been the most stressful two months of thinking that nothing was going to happen and that all this happened for nothing and something has happened,' Hargrave said. This is the hilarious moment a baby elephant decided to play up to the camera and chase after a car. The brazen elephant calf was filmed posing by safari tourists at the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The footage, recorded on March 4, shows the elephant chasing after another car while the tourists look on. At the start of the clip, you can see the elephant calf walk up to the car of the tourists who are recording him. He stands in front of the car and stares into the camera for a few seconds. He then walks away and looks as if he is posing as he stretches out and looks back at the camera In the hilarious clip, the brazen elephant calf can be seen walking to the car and camera while looking as if he is posing After pausing for a few moments, the elephant looks at the camera again before letting out a loud roar and charging after a second car that drives past. Although his roar is more of a squeak and his charge is more of a halting jog, he succeeds in scaring off the little red car. The vehicle accelerates quickly with the calf belatedly giving chase before stopping and turning back, looking very pleased with himself. The fleeing car also slows down as the driver realises they aren't in any real danger from the elephant. The brazen calf wanders back into the grass, clearly satisfied. A bikini-clad dancer was caught on camera being bucked off a white horse in the middle of a raucous Miami nightclub. Cheers quickly turned to screams as the distressed horse tried to escape the noisy room at Mokai Lounge nightclub in South Beach. The animal appeared to lose its footing amid the shouts of shock and dismay heard from the boisterous crowd, with many standing shoulder-to-shoulder with drinks in their hands. A white horse was seen being ridden by a scantily-clad rider inside a Miami Beach nightclub, but then seconds later the rider had been thrown off its back The animal is surrounded by club goers and suddenly drops to the ground and then bucks, throwing the woman off A man pulled the scared horse out of the club. A video of the incident was posted to LiveLeak and has led animal activists to demand action against the nightclub. Miami Beach Police say they're investigating. 'Last night MBPD was made aware of the alleged incident at Mokai,' Officer Ernesto Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the department, told the Miami New Times. 'We are very concerned over the allegations. As such, we have launched a joint investigation with Miami Beach Code Enforcement.' It appears such concerns have been taken seriously and as of Friday afternoon code enforcement officers had posted signs around the venue stating the club had its business license revoked. The Mokai club had also come under fire on social media. 'Tonight I was at Mokai and I have to say I was totally shocked!' wrote a woman on the club's Facebook page. People gasp and scream as the horse throws the woman off. Party-goers were terrified as it started bolting and attempted to bite someone A video of the incident starts out with a bikini clad woman riding bareback on a white horse through the crowded venue 'They brought a real horse in the club!! It's animal cruelty!!! I couldn't believe what happened there!!! These people are insane!!! I hate it so much... how could anyone do that???' Another club-goer had a similar response after seeing the video, which has gone viral. 'Shame on Mokai Lounge for ever allowing this to happen,' Leeza Marie Juelle wrote. 'I've reached out to local law enforcement and am hoping to hear back. 'I will also be sending this disturbing video to local news stations in hopes this nightclub can be penalized for the abuse of a poor and helpless animal. This is inhumane and deserves serious attention ASAP.' It seemed the horse was spooked by the loud music and harsh lighting in the club 'I will not stop posting and spamming everyone's feed until this club has been penalized for their crime,' she continued. Another wrote: 'It's upsetting to see this beautiful soul being treated so inhumanly. For those of you at @mokaiofficial who participated and allowed this to happen, IT IS Animal Cruelty. 'I hope the full force of Florida law is applied to those who were involved and this place gets shut down.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Mokai for comment but has yet to hear back. Bianca Jagger on a white horse at Studio 54 celebrating her birthday in 1977 and the tale became legendary in clubbing circles It's not the first time a horse has been inside a nightclub. Back in Studio 54's heyday, Bianca Jagger rode a similar looking horse inside the wild NYC club in May 1977 for her birthday celebration. 'It was a beautiful white horse that reminded me of mine,' Jagger wrote in a letter to Financial Times in 2015 to set the record straight. 'I made the foolish decision to get on it for a few minutes No doubt you will agree with me that it is one thing to, on the spur of the moment, to get on a horse in a nightclub, but it is quite another to ride in on one.' The Parsons Green bomber used his foster parents' Tupperware and a Tesco Clubcard to make an explosive packed with screwdrivers, nails and knives, a court heard. Iraqi asylum seeker Ahmed Hassan, 18, allegedly used a 'student of the year' prize to buy a key ingredient for the device on Amazon and made it in his foster parents' kitchen in Sunbury, Surrey. A fireball tore through the carriage of the District Line train at Parsons Green leaving passengers needing hospital treatment for burns to the face, legs and hands and singed hair which fell out in clumps. Accused Hassan is pictured waiting at the Port of Dover after arriving there by train The jury at the Old Bailey was shown a picture of Hassan's bedroom door with the word 'bored' scribbled several times in black pen. Inside there was a container of hydrogen peroxide on the top of the wardrobe and an Arsenal towel over the wardrobe door. Hassan was arrested in Dover on September 16 last year, 24 hours after the attack, wearing a blue Chelsea top under a red and blue striped jumper. Sarah Wilson, a senior forensic case officer at the Forensic Explosive Laboratory at Fort Halstead in Kent, said the bomb had the potential to kill. Ahmed Hassan pictured at 9.41am on board a separate train after he left a bomb on a District line carriage Other pictures released today by London's Met Police show the kitchen timer used as an initiator mechanism, in addition to a battery and a halogen bulb A court heard how Hassan allegedly took the largest Tupperware container, pictured above, from his foster parents' kitchen to store the 300g of TATP which made up the main charge for the device found in a Lidl bag on the tube Disturbing images released by the Met Police show the contents of the 'Mother of Satan' bomb allegedly prepared by Hassan In addition to nuts and bolts, the alleged terrorist is accused of placing knives inside the device which would act as shrapnel Shrapnel would be 'ejected at high speed which would increase the potential for harm,' the jury was told Other items Hassan is said to have piled into the explosive included screwdrivers The device 'has the potential to cause damage to property and or serious harm to persons in close proximity which potentially could be lethal,' the court heard. Pictured: The charred remains of one of the screwdrivers Ms Wilson said triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) is a primary high explosive which is 'very unstable and very unpredictable and as such is not produced for any commercial or military use.' Just a few grams could blow someone's hands and fingers off, she said, and it was sensitive to impact, friction or heat so that it could be set off by hitting or dropping it. The device 'has the potential to cause damage to property and or serious harm to persons in close proximity which potentially could be lethal,' Ms Wilson said. Shrapnel would be 'ejected at high speed which would increase the potential for harm,' she added. The initiator mechanism, using a kitchen timer, battery and a halogen bulb had functioned but the main charge had failed to function fully. Deserted: A photograph of the smoke-ridden carriage shortly after the device exploded was shown to a jury today as Hassan is on trial for terrorism offences The bomb did not fully detonate because Hassan had not dried out the bomb-making chemicals before use, an expert said The scene of devastation was left behind after the device partially detonated on the packed District Line train at Parsons Green tube station Nevertheless, an 'energetic event' had happened, 'something quite violent', Ms Wilson said, 'a deflagration, a rapid burn rather than a detonation.' But the bomb did not fully detonate because Hassan had not dried out the bomb-making chemicals before use, the expert said. Ms Wilson revealed that forensic tests had found traces of the explosive at the three-bedroom home in Sunbury, Surrey where Hassan, 18, lived with his foster parents. Traces of TATP were found in a bowl in the sink, on the hob and in the extractor fan in the kitchen. The alleged bomber is said to have gone to a Sports Direct store in Ashford where bought a backpack and clothes 'Bomber nodded and shrugged his head when asked if he had seen explosion on the news' Ahmed Hassan, 18, was arrested at the Port of Dover at 7.52am the day after the bomb attempt The teenager accused of the Parsons Green Tube bomb attempt claimed responsibility for the attack, saying 'I did' when a detective asked who made the device, a court has heard. Ahmed Hassan, 18, was arrested at the Port of Dover at 7.52am the day after the bomb attempt. He was held in an interview room until Metropolitan Police detectives arrived at the scene. The Old Bailey has heard that when he was initially stopped Hassan claimed to be homeless and was at the ferry terminal to meet a friend. Police Constable Daniel Carmen told the court: 'I asked whether he had seen the news of the incident, to which he nodded, shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, and he poked his bottom lip out.' Jurors were told that when counter-terrorism officer James Charalambous arrived at the scene in Kent, his first job was to establish an ongoing threat. Giving evidence on Friday, he said his initial questions were focused on finding out whether there was anything in circulation that might be a risk to others. He read notes from his interview with Hassan at the time: Q: 'Who made the bomb?' A: 'I did' Q: 'Are there any other devices?' A: 'There may be a few milligrams traces at my home address' Q: 'Is anyone else involved?' A: 'No' Q: 'Are you sure?' A: 'Yes' The court has heard that over the next four days Hassan was interviewed seven times, and answered no comment. However, on one occasion he read a prepared statement which said no one else was involved in the attack. Hassan, of Sunbury in Surrey, denies attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life on September 15 last year. Advertisement 'There were 60 nano grams in a bowl in the kitchen sink and in a green bag inside a bin liner, in the hob and the extractor fan in the kitchen,' the scientist said. There were also traces of the white crystalline substance in a Tesco carrier bag inside a bin liner in the conservatory and a Tesco Club card in the name Mr A Hassan A blue vase similar to one used in the bomb detonator was found on the ground outside the conservatory. There were a number of clear plastic Tupperware containers with blue lids which appeared to be part of a set, on top of the dishwasher in the kitchen. The suspected bomber, wearing a burgundy-coloured top and beanie, pictured in Dover after travelling from London by train CCTV cameras caught the moment the Hassan was arrested at the Port of Dover The suspected bomber was captured as he was placed in the back of a waiting police van The largest one was missing and appeared to have been wrapped in foil and used to store the 300g of TATP which made up the main charge for the device found in a Lidl bag on the tube. In the kitchen drawer were similar knives to ones which had been used as shrapnel in the device and two screwdrivers were missing from a set in the sitting room which had also been used to multiply the deadly effect of the device. In the conservatory were empty packets of screwdriver socket sets which had also been used in the device, Alison Morgan, prosecuting, said. Left out on the table in the conservatory was a bottle of acid that Hassan had allegedly used to mix with his chemicals and on the top of the wardrobe was a container of hydrogen peroxide. The jury was told that the TATP may been too wet and the fireball could have been caused by excess acetone, one of the ingredients. Hassan spent most of the proceedings bending over so that he could not see the court. He denies attempted murder and causing an explosion likely to endanger life and the trial continues. Harley Streeter, 39, was killed on March 2 after he was struck by a car driven by his girlfriend A Michigan father-of-two has died after he was struck by a car driven by his girlfriend, police said. Harley Streeter had just left work at Honee Bear Canning near Lawton for a lunch break when he was hit by a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze as he was crossing M-40 Road, MLive reports The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened on March 2 around 12:44pm. Streeter, 39, was rushed to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where he died. Police said Streeter's girlfriend, 31-year-old Sarah Romeo, was driving the car that struck him. Van Buren County sheriff's sergeant Dennis Harvey told the Daily Mail that the incident appears to be accidental and there was indication Romeo tried to brake and steer away from hitting Streeter. Harvey also said it was a coincidence that she was in the area at the time Streeter was going to lunch. There was no indication the couple had plans on meeting each other for lunch, he said. Romeo was also driving 'well-below the posted speed limit' at the time of the crash. The incident is still being investigated. Streeter's father, Clyde Streeter, described his son as fun-loving and caring. 'I was really proud of Harley for his work ethic,' he said. Streeter (center) was the father to two kids Charli, 11 (left) and Wyatt, 8 (right) Police said Streeter had just left his job near Lawton for a lunch break when he was hit by a car as he crossing the street. Streeter is pictured above with his two kids According to the grieving father, Streeter's younger sister died in 2001 and their mother died in 2007. 'I'm just heartbroken now You're not supposed to bury your kids but sometimes life doesn't play by the rules,' Clyde Streeter told the outlet. The Lawton High School graduate was employed as an electrician at the time of his death. His father said he was at Honee Bear Canning working an inside wireman. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for a funeral and to set up a trust fund for his children Clyde Streeter told MLive that he and his wife, Jenny, will now help care for his son's two children, Charli, 11, and Wyatt, 8. Harley divorced from the children's mother, but saw the kids on a regular basis. 'Now I'm going to step up,' Clyde Streeter said. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for Streeter's funeral and to set up a trust for his children. Fyre Festival organizer Billy McFarland has been ordered to shell out $26 million as part of a money judgment filed on Tuesday. The 26-year-old business owner pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in a Manhattan federal court in a deal with prosecutors that suggested he serve between eight and 10 years in prison. McFarland admitted to lying to investors and falsifying documents in a bid to raise funds for the lavish event. 'I deeply regret my actions, and I apologize to my investors, team, family, and supporters who I let down,' he told the court. Billy McFarland, 26, pleaded guilty to two wire fraud charges in a Manhattan Federal court on Tuesday McFarland is responsible for the failure of the highly anticipated Fyre Festival (pictured) which was set to take place in the Bahamian island of Exuma over the course of two weekends in April and May 2017 The festival was heavily promoted on social media and billed as 'the cultural experience of the decade' touting luxury villas and gourmet food, but instead, was a total failure McFarland has been blamed for the failure of the highly anticipated Fyre Festival which was set to take place in the Bahamian island of Exuma over the course of two weekends in April and May 2017. He had teamed up with rapper Ja Rule to launch the event as a way to build the digital app, Fyre music. The app allowed individuals organizing commercial events, such as concerts, to bid for artist and celebrity bookings at such events. Packages to the event ranged from $1,200 to 100,000 and promised performances by A-list artists such as Migos, Blink-182, and Disclosure. The festival was heavily promoted on social media and billed as 'the cultural experience of the decade' touting plush villas and gourmet food. Celebrities including Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Emily Ratijkowski were also paid to promote the event on Instagram. However, the project completely fell apart due to lack of funds, and guests arrived at a barren island with inadequate food, water, or shelter, leading them to believe they had been scammed. McFarland had teamed up with rapper Ja Rule (right) to launch the event as a way to build the digital app, Fyre music McFarland, who is the CEO of two other businesses, was arrested last June. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21 McFarland acknowledged in court that he 'grossly underestimated' the resources necessary to hold the event and admitted he gave false information about the state of the festival to a ticket vendor in order to acquire $2 million for a block of advance tickets. Joon H. Kim, the acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director-in-charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, released a statement following McFarland's arrest. 'William McFarland promised a "life changing" music festival but in actuality delivered a disaster. 'McFarland allegedly presented fake documents to induce investors to put over a million dollars into his company and the fiasco called the Fyre Festival,' Kim said. 'Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, McFarland will now have to answer for his crimes.' In addition to the federal charges, McFarland, along with Ja Rule, was also hit with multiple class action suits brought on by angry customers. Grant Margolin, the festival's 24-year-old chief marketing officer, was also named in the lawsuits. Ja Rule was said to have been the least involved of the three - that McFarland was the 'decision maker' and that Margolin was far more involved. After news of the disaster broke, Rule had tweeted explaining: 'I truly apologize as this is NOT MY FAULT ... but I'm taking responsibility I'm deeply sorry to everyone who was inconvenienced by this.' McFarland, who is the CEO of two other businesses, was arrested last June. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21. This is the damage a 19-year-old college swimmer and model inflicted on her boyfriend when he said he wanted to break up. Kathryn A. Mahoney allegedly punched boyfriend Ben Kebbell in the nose and stomach in a dorm at Fairfield University, Connecticut, when he suggested they stop seeing each other. After the assault, Kebbell took to Snapchat to update friends on his condition. He showed off his bloody and broken nose. Kebbell, who is also on the school's swim team and hails from the Isle of Man in the UK, appeared to be in good spirits and even joked about his injuries. Benjamin Kebbel showed off pictures of his bloodied nose after he was hit by his girlfriend last week when he tried to break up with her Kathryn A. Mahoney, 19, (mugshot left) was arrested for the assault. In addition to being a swimmer on the Fairfield University swim team, Mahoney has gotten work as a model 'The katie thing comes with a broken nose lol,' the six-foot-one, 184-pound athlete wrote on one picture, showing blood streaming out of his nose and into his mouth. In a later picture, the freshman smiled after some of the blood had been cleaned off of his face. The bloody incident happened on March 1 in a dorm on the small Connecticut school's campus. A picture of the former couple together in happier times Her Instagram page has more than 100,000 followers Kebbell told police that Mahoney hit him after he mentioned the end of their relationship. He grabbed the Nashua, New Hampshire native's shoulder to get her to stop but he failed and had to run to a friend's dorm room to get help. He took himself to St. Vincent hospital to be treated for a swollen and bloody nose after the incident, the Fairfield Citizen reported. In addition to swimming on the swim team, Mahoney has also worked as a model. Her Instagram page has more than 100,000 followers. Kebbell is also a member of the swim team. He hails from the Isle of Man in the UK Mahoney (left) snapped when her boyfriend tried to break up with her last Thursday. He had to run to a friend's dorm to get help after he couldn't keep her at bay Mahoney is a native of Nashua, New Hampshire. She is a 19-year-old freshman at the small Connecticut college She was charged with third-degree assault and disorderly charges and ordered held on $1,500 bail. The school is a small private university with approximately 5,100 students. DailyMail.com reached out to both Mahoney and Kebbell for comment but have not heard back. Fairfield University is a small private university with approximately 5,100 students Ffiona Scourfield, 54, a charity worker, was found dead at her countryside home on Broadmoor Farm A 16-year-old boy has appeared in court accused of murdering a dog rescue volunteer in a Samurai sword and axe attack. Ffiona Scourfield, 54, a charity worker, was found dead at her countryside home on Broadmoor Farm in St Clears, Carmarthenshire in Wales. Police were called to the rural farm where she saved abandoned dogs on Tuesday and Ffiona was already dead when officers and paramedics arrived. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in Llanelli Magistrates Court today but spoke only to confirm his name and address. During the short hearing the court was told Ffiona suffered from wounds inflicted by an axe and a Samauri sword. The court heard her throat was slashed with the sword. No pleas were entered during the hearing and the case was adjourned. Tributes have been made for Ffiona, known as Suzi, who was a leading a member of UK German Shepherd Rescue. Suzi, whose dog Bruno was described as 'her absolute world', rescued more than 250 dogs in just one year The boy was remanded in custody and will appear at Swansea Crown Court on Monday. Tributes have been made for Ffiona, known as Suzi, who was a leading a member of UK German Shepherd Rescue. Suzi, whose dog Bruno was described as 'her absolute world', rescued more than 250 dogs in just one year. Police were called to the rural farm where she saved abandoned dogs on Tuesday Paying tribute, animal rescue colleague Suzanne Syers said: 'To say the rescue is devastated would be a massive understatement. 'Suzi was one of our longest standing members who supported the rescue wholeheartedly. 'Suzi worked tirelessly to make the world a better place for animals & her loss is a huge loss not only to us but to animals worldwide. 'She spent many weekends braving all kinds of weathers fundraising & raising awareness in the South Wales area, and could always be relied upon to help any dog in need.' Ffiona was already dead when officers and paramedics arrived. A 16-year-old boy was arrested Speaking ahead of today's hearing, a Dyfed-Powys Police spokeswoman said: 'Dyfed-Powys Police have charged a 16-year-old boy with the murder of Ffiona Scourfield. The 54-year-old lady was found dead at a property near St Clears on Tuesday, March 6. 'He has been remanded in custody. 'The local community is thanked for its understanding and support during this investigation. 'Next of kin continue to be supported by specially trained officers.' Rand Paul's attacker has pleaded guilty to assaulting the Senator on the front lawn of his Kentucky home. Rene Boucher, 59, is facing jail for tackling the Republican politician in Bowling Green last year and breaking six of his ribs. Assaulting a member of Congress is a felony and carries a sentence of 21 months behind bars, WBKO reported. Boucher, a retired doctor, was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond on Friday and is not allowed to contact Paul or his family. He has also given up the right to appeal. Sen. Paul was mowing his yard in November, 2017, while wearing headphones when Boucher approached him from behind and dragged him to the ground. Rand Paul's attacker has pleaded guilty to assaulting the Senator on the front lawn of his Kentucky home. Rand is pictured on Capitol Hill earlier this week Rene Boucher, Paul's attacker, is seen walking out of US District Court in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Friday after pleading guilty to a federal charge of assaulting a member of Congress Boucher, a retired doctor, was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond on Friday and is not allowed to contact Paul or his family. He has also given up the right to appeal Boucher (mugshot above) is facing jail for tackling the Republican politician in Bowling Green last year and breaking six of his ribs He was taken to hospital with multiple fractures and later sought treatment for pneumonia. Court documents say Boucher saw Paul stacking more brush and 'had enough.' The two had an ongoing dispute over yard maintenance for a few months. Boucher's attorney, Matt Baker, has recommended Boucher serve no jail time. He also characterized the attack as a dispute that boiled over that had nothing to do with politics. Shortly after the attack, it was learned that Boucher held a grudge against Paul because he felt the Kentucky senator was spoiling his view and thus bringing down the property of his home. Boucher, 59, told Paul in the wake of the mauling that he hadn't been able to sell his $740,000 house for ten years because the congressman's trees were 'in the way'. It's believed Boucher was referring to woodland at the back of Paul's property that blocks the doctor's views of the picturesque private lake that forms the centerpiece of their upscale gated community. While federal prosecutors will recommend a nearly two-year prison sentence, Boucher's attorney, Matt Baker (seen left alongside Boucher in court on November 9) said in January he will argue that his client should not serve any jail time Friends say it could explain why the retired anesthesiologist has failed to find a buyer for his five-bedroom, 1.36-acre home which is nonetheless described on property websites as 'overlooking' the desirable water feature. Boucher's alleged grievance was relayed to the media by another of Paul's neighbors, Alicia Stivers, the first person who saw the bloodied and dazed lawmaker after the November 3 assault in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Stivers, 54, confirmed that account to DailyMail.com days after the assault. Property records confirm that Democrat-voting Boucher has indeed put his house on the market five times over the past decade without success, at one point becoming embroiled in a messy lawsuit when a prospective buyer pulled the plug at the last minute. A look at boundary maps and overhead photographs also shows many of the 'offending' trees are on Paul's land - although one realtor pal told DailyMail.com the Boucher property probably didn't sell simply because it was overpriced. The realtor's comments and property records lend credence to suggestions that Boucher's unruly behavior owes more to a simmering territorial grievance than a political feud, despite the pair's apparent ideological differences. It also contradicts previous reports that the dust up was down to something as trivial as 54-year-old dad-of-three Paul blowing lawn trimmings into his next-door neighbor's yard. Sen. Paul was mowing his yard in November, 2017, while wearing headphones when Boucher approached him from behind and dragged him to the ground. The front yard of Paul's home is seen in the above photo Boucher, a divorced father-of-two, was originally charged by the state of Kentucky with a fourth-degree misdemeanor assault due to the relatively minor injuries. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. The federal government then added the more seriously felony charge of assaulting a member of Congress. Boucher pleaded guilty in a deal struck with federal prosecutors this past January. While federal prosecutors will recommend a nearly two-year prison sentence, Boucher's attorney said in January he will argue that his client should not serve any jail time. Baker said his client is 'a good and a decent person' who made a 'big mistake.' 'Everyone needs to remember, first and foremost, that this is a dispute between two neighbors,' Baker said. 'It was not and has never been politically motivated. And if this very same incident had occurred between two private persons, neither of whom were a congressman or a senator, we wouldn't be in federal court.' Boucher is 'very meticulous' about how he maintains his yard, while Paul takes 'a much different approach' to the upkeep of his property, Baker said. Shortly after the attack, it was learned that Boucher held a grudge against Paul because he felt the Kentucky senator was spoiling his view and thus bringing down the property of his home. Boucher's home is seen in the above photo Boucher, 59, told Paul in the wake of the attack that he hadn't been able to sell his $740,000 house for ten years because the congressman's trees were 'in the way'. The image above shows the rear of Boucher's home He would likely have faced federal charges and the threat of a ten-year stretch if investigators found evidence Paul was pummeled for political purposes. The two men's lots meet on the corner of two private streets and their houses are about 250ft apart, separated by a lawn rather than a wall or fence. It was this 'no man's land' that Boucher charged across on November 4, catching Paul unawares as he stepped off his lawnmower before slamming him to the ground. The seriousness of the assault became apparent days later when the Libertarian former presidential candidate revealed he suffered six broken ribs and a buildup of fluid around the lung known as a pleural effusion. A woman who claims a drag queen 'wiggled her breast' against her face and caused injury is suing a Tampa burger restaurant for $1.5 million. Neldin Molina from Denver, Colorado, filed a complaint last month against Hamburger Mary's, a restaurant in Tampa, Florida. Molina alleges drag queen Amanda D'Rhod grabbed her head during a show and 'wiggled her breast' against her face 'at least eight times'. She is suing the establishment for $1.5 million after she claims she had to go to the hospital for 'excruciating pain and uncontrollable headaches'. Drag queen Amanda D'Rhod (pictured) allegedly violently banged a customer's head against her chest and 'wiggled her breast' in her face at a restaurant, according to a complaint filed Neldin Molina from Denver, Colorado, filed the complaint against Hamburger Mary's (pictured), a restaurant in Tampa, Florida, asking for $1.5 million Molina attended the restaurant on May 30, 2015, for a friend's birthday and said she was unaware there would be a performance. The burger restaurant is known for its drag shows. Molina said she was enjoying the show before she turned back to her meal but when she looked back at the stage, a drag queen named Amanda D'Hrod was pointing and walking towards her. Molina said she turned back around to avoid drawing attention to herself. D'Hrod allegedly touched Molina's shoulders and then walked in front of her before grabbing her head. The complaint said the performer then 'wiggled her breasts against the Plaintiff's face and head eight times'. The performer then allegedly grabbed Molina's face and shook it several times before pounding it against the chest violently. Dailymail.com contacted D'Rhod on Friday for a comment about the allegations. The complaint alleges that Molina suffered from physical and emotional distress after the drag queen went up to her during a performance. Pictured is a poster from the restaurant with Amanda D'Rhod featured on the bottom right Molina claims she went to the emergency room and was treated for cervical pain and severe headaches Molina claims she started to feel headaches and neck pain afterwards so she informed a manager at the restaurant. She later went to the emergency room at Memorial Hospital of Tampa where she was treated of cervical pain and severe headaches. The complaint states that the restaurant failed to advise anyone of possible danger during the show. Molina is suing Hamburger Mary's for medical cost expenses as well as the pain she suffered physically and mentally from the performance. Dailymail.com contacted Hamburger Mary's and the establishment declined to comment. 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, more commonly known as the most hated man in the world, has been jailed for seven years for securities fraud. The disgraced pharmaceutical CEO was sentenced in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday after crying to the judge and asking for mercy. The maximum sentenced he faced was 20 years. Prosecutors wanted to see him imprisoned for 15 years. Shkreli, 34, was found guilty of two counts of securities fraud and a single count of conspiracy in August last year and has been in custody since September when he had his bail revoked. During his sentencing hearing on Friday, Shkreli sobbed and told the judge he had made many mistakes. Referring to himself in the third person, he said: 'The only person to blame for me being here is me. 'There is no government conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions.' It has not yet been decided where he will spend his time behind bars. He has been at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which he calls 'Club Fed', since September. He also has to forfeit $7.4million in cash and assets which include a Picasso painting. and two hip hop albums; a rare Wu Tang Clan recording that he bought at auction for $2million and 'Tha Carter V' by Lil Wayne. Scroll down for video An artist's sketch of 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli sniffling into a tissue at the US District Court in Brooklyn on Friday as he is sentenced to seven years behind bars 'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, more commonly known as the most hated man in the world, has been jailed for seven years Shkreli is best known for raising the prices of a lifesaving HIV drug by a disgusting 5,000% for his own profit but his crimes are unrelated. The only person to blame for me being here is me. 'There is no government conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions' In 2015, Shkreli was arrested on securities fraud charges after using a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors in his pharmaceutical company. He argued that because the defrauded parties got all of their money back and then some, he should not have been jailed. He was initially granted bail and was arrogant about his fate, saying that he did not believe he was ever going to see the inside of a cell. That changed in September when his bail was revoked after he was caught offering his online fans $5,000 if they were able to grab a sample of Hillary Clinton's hair. On Friday, his voice cracked as he apologized to his family. Another sketch shows Shkreli's exasperated lawyer Benjamin Brafman rubbing his temples as his client reads from a statement In another courtroom sketch, Shkreli's lawyer gestures towards Judge Kiyo Matsumoto 'This is my fault. I am not the victim here... Please give me a chance to show what I'm capable of,' he said. Surprisingly, he said he was 'never motivated by money' and that his outlandish and astonishingly unlikeable public persona was an attempt to build a reputation. Even the man's own lawyer said he disliked him. 'There are times when I want to punch him in the face,' Benjamin Brafman, who was representing him, said. After the sentencing, Brafman said Shkreli was doing 'fine'. Prosecutors welcome the sentence on Friday. 'For years, Shkreli told lie after lie in order to steal his investors money, manipulate the stock market and enrich himself. Shkreli was arrested in December 2015 after shooting to infamy as the most hated man in the world when he increased the price of a life saving HIV drug by 5,000%, raising the price of a single tablet from $13.50 to $750 Shkreli's father Pashko attended the hearing on Friday with his brother. They are pictured arriving at the US District Court in Brooklyn JURY SELECTION TRANSCRIPT FOR PHARMA BRO MARTIN SHKRELI The court was challenged to find 12 impartial jurors ahead of Shkreli's trial last year. Nearly all had heard of him and most disliked him so passionately they could not serve as impartial jurors. Some of the comments of jurors who were excused were released by the court in transcripts. Juror 1 Judge: 'The purpose of jury selection is to ensure fairness and impartiality in this case. If you think that you could not be fair and impartial, it is your duty to tell me. All right. Juror No 1 Juror : 'I am aware of the defendant and I hate him.' Shkreli's lawyer: 'I'm sorry?' Juror: 'I think he's a greedy little man. Judge: 'Jurors are obligated to decide the case based only on the evidence. Do you agree?' Juror: 'I don't know if I could (be impartial). I wouldn't want me on this jury.' Juror 47 Juror: 'Hes the most hated man in America. In my opinion, he equates with Bernie Madoff with the drugs for pregnant women going from $15 to $750. My parents are in their 80s. 'Theyre struggling to pay for their medication. My mother was telling me yesterday how my fathers cancer drug is $9,000 a month.' Judge: 'The case is going to come before you on evidence that you must consider fairly and with an open mind.' Juror: 'I would find that difficult.' Juror 52 Juror: 'When I walked in here today, I looked at him, and in my head, thats a snake not knowing who he was. I just walked in and looked right at him and thats a snake.' Juror 144 Juror: 'I heard through the news of how the defendant changed the price of a pill by up-selling it. I heard he bought an album from the Wu-Tang Clan for a million dollars. Judge: 'The question is, have you heard anything that would affect your ability to decide this case with an open mind? Can you do that?' Juror: 'I dont think I can because he kind of looks like a d***' Juror 59 Juror: 'Your Honor, totally he is guilty and in no way can I let him slide out of anything because.. Judge: 'OK. Is that your attitude toward anyone charged with a crime who has not been proven guilty? Juror: 'Its my attitude toward his entire demeanor, what he has done to people.' Judge: 'All right. We are going to excuse you, sir.' Juror: 'And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan.' Advertisement 'He will now pay the price for repeatedly violating the trust placed in him by his investors, his employees and the public. It remains a priority of this Office, together with our law enforcement partners, to identify, investigate and bring to justice criminals like Shkreli,' US Attorney Richard P. Donoghue said in a statement afterwards. 'Martin Shkreli was notoriously ambitious, seeking to enrich himself at the expense of those who unwittingly invested in his lies. There are times when I want to punch him in the face' Shkreli's lawyer Benjamin Brafman 'His crimes have been laid bare for all to see, and his intentions, which have been proven true beyond a reasonable doubt, resulted in this sentencing today. 'While we can now close this chapter of our investigation, our efforts continue to uncover and expose all crimes of this nature that claim innocent victims and defraud our financial markets,' added William F. Sweeney, Jr., FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge. Jurors had been told to disregard the scandal which made Shkreli famous and focus instead on the fraud. During the trial, prosecutors accused Shkreli of dishonestly using investors' cash between 2009 and 2014 after having them invest in two hedge funds that he worked - MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare Shkreli's lawyer Benjamin Brafman (pictured leaving court on Friday) said: 'There are times when I want to punch him in the face'. He said his client was 'fine' but that he was disappointed he would spend so long behind bars Prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulius is pictured leaving court after the sentencing hearing on Friday He has already been told he must forfeit $7.4million in assets, including a $2million Wu Tang Clan album and Picasso painting. Prosecutors alleged that Shkreli inflated his two companies' profits and misappropriated cash. In 2011, when he started his pharmaceutical company Retrophin, he is claimed to have used money from its accounts to settle the concerns of MSMB investors. Among the investors involved in the criminal case against him is 63-year-old Steven Richardson who poured $400,000 into the fund in 2009 and 2010. Richardson, a retired American Express executive who later became a Retrophin chairman, testified last year that during the course of their business relationship, Shkreli made comments about having sex with male colleagues and waiters in restaurants they visited. 'I was gay and had a partner, and he was starting to say certain things of a gay nature that worried me a bit. 'I thought maybe he was saying things to me because he thought I would want to hear them. 'They just felt a bit uncomfortable to me. Before he had his bail revoked in September, Shkreli tried to flog coveted possessions including his beloved rare Wu Tang Clan album which he bought for $2million He was initially given a $5million bail which he posted in 2015 but had it revoked in September last year when he offered his online fans $5,000 to grab clumps out of Hillary Clinton's hair 'He was saying things to me, like, "Maybe Ill have sex with a guy in the office," or we'd be at a restaurant and thered be a waiter and he'd say, "Maybe I should hook up with him."' Among investors Shkreli defrauded is gay investor Steven Richardson who said the young entrepreneur spoke to him about gay sex while pursuing investments Shkreli was arrogant throughout the proceedings and maintained his social media profile. On Facebook, he shared videos with fans and he gave media interviews. In one, which he gave after his own arrest in December 2015, he made a crude remark about Taylor Swift as he spoke lovingly of the Wu Tang Clan and the precious rare album he bought at auction for $2million. The album was among items he flogged on eBay as his legal woes mounted. He also sold a fidget spinner for an astonishing $10,000. In October, he sent a letter to a friend describing the prison where he is currently being housed as 'not that bad'. He complained that he was not sleeping well and that his bed was small. The population of Salisbury is torn after their sleepy Cathedral city became the centre of an huge-scale probe into the poisoning of a Russian spy. Nearly 200 troops, including Royal Marines and chemical weapons experts, have been drafted in to investigate the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on Sunday. The quaint city has unexpectedly found itself at the centre of an international incident, as investigators suspect the Kremlin of being behind the attempted assassination. But while Scotland Yard has insisted 'the public should not be alarmed' and public health officials claim the incident poses a 'low risk' to residents, they are not wholly convinced. Despite the painstaking investigation into who administered nerve agent to Sergei Skripal and his daughter, locals say the Beast From the East and Storm Emma gave greater reason to worry Residents are used to an aura of mystery in Salisbury - which is said to have had a reputation for being where old spies would retire even before the revelations of Sergei Skripal - for it is located near to the military training sites on Salisbury Plain David Bayfield runs the Salisbury Family Butcher stall close to the bench where Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, 33, were found slumped unconscious on Sunday afternoon. The 76-year-old told The Telegraph Salisbury residents are 'fed up of being kept in the dark'. He told the newspaper: 'Everyone is saying it's fine, but there are police everywhere and now the Army. How can it be fine? 'We know he went to the pub but where else did he go? Who did he brush past? Who did he touch? I don't think we've been told the whole truth.' Window installer Tony Curnock, 61, compared this week's scenes to a 'disaster movie'. Meanwhile, detectives in Hazmat suits descended on the graveyard where the wife and son of poisoned Russian spy Sergei Skripal are buried and are believed to have removed items from their graves On Wednesday, Dame Sally Davies, the UK's chief medical officer, maintained there was no apparent wider health risk, stressing: 'My message to the public is that this event poses a low risk to us, the public, on the evidence we have.' A statement from Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit, leading the investigation, insisted yesterday: 'The public should not be alarmed and the public health advice remains the same.' But in spite of the huge investigation into who administered the nerve agent to the Skripals, also poisoning Wiltshire Police's Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, some locals say the Beast From the East and Storm Emma gave them greater cause for concern. Sally Marwan, 22, a clothes shop worker in the George Mall precinct, told The Guardian: 'People are still carrying on with their lives in spite of everything. 'We panicked more about the snow than this. The bad weather had much more impact.' And residents are used to an aura of mystery in Salisbury - which is said to have had a reputation for being where old spies would retire even before the revelations of Sergei Skripal - for it is located near to the military training sites on Salisbury Plain. Vanessa Lucas, 22, was leaving a gym close to the scene on Sunday when she saw the air ambulance. Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia (left) are pictured when she visited him two years ago. His son Alexander (pictured, right) died during a visit to Russia last year 'It wasn't closed off till Monday afternoon,' she said. 'They should have closed it on Sunday evening. So many people have gone to Zizzi and the Mill during the day on Monday. 'You just don't see that stuff in Salisbury. It's Smallsbury - nothing ever happens here.' But determined to carry on as normal, the congregation of Salisbury Cathedral gathered today as usual in the drama's wake. Locations across Salisbury have been sealed off by the massive police and Army-backed operations, with locals fearing they could be contaminated by the 'trail of poison' left by the Skripals. Detectives in Hazmat suits descended on the graveyard where Sergei Skripal's wife and son are buried, removed flowers and trinkets from their graves. The cemetery became the focus of the investigation after it emerged Mr Skripal's wife Liudmila and son Alexander both passed away in recent years. Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, are currently fighting for their lives in hospital after being attacked with a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury. As the investigation into the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal deepens, the police car believed to have been used by Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is fighting for his life in hospital, is pictured leaving Salisbury District Hospital Mr Skripal and his daughter are thought to have visited the grave after she flew to the UK from her home in Moscow days before she and her father were poisoned. Skripal's wife Liudmila was buried in 2012 and the ashes of his son Alexander were flown to the UK last year after he died from apparent liver failure while in Russia. Protected police officers, fire crews and ambulances swarmed the cemetery, eventually taking flowers and trinkets from the Skripal gravesides and taking them by military convoy to Salisbury District Hospital. It is not clear whether detectives plan to exhume Mrs Skripal's body, but sources say they have not ruled it out and could carry out forensic testing at a later stage. Tonight a convoy believed to be carrying Sgt Bailey's police car was seen leaving Salisbury District Hospital A large military vehicle is pictured leaving Salisbury District Hospital carrying Sgt Nick Bailey's police car, which was also contaminated after he was poisoned and fell ill Salisbury District Hospital has been used to examine vehicles contaminated in the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Mr Skripal's car and Sgt Bailey's police car are believed to have been looked at. Pictured is a convoy carrying Sgt Bailey's police car The hospital declared a major incident after the nerve agent attack unfolded on Sunday and has been used to examine Mr Skripal's car and the police vehicle Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also poisoned, was in. Tonight a convoy carrying Sgt Bailey's car was seen leaving the hospital. With suspicions over the attack on the double agent falling on Russia, a massive investigation has been launched supported by Scotland Yard anti-terror experts and, from today, around 180 Army troops. Home Secretary Amber Rudd is due to chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee tomorrow as the investigation into the nerve agent attack continues. The probe is looking at the deaths of Sergei Skripal's wife Liudmila and son Alexander, who passed away in recent years. Pictured: Police officers in hazmat suits at Salisbury cemetery today A tent and cordon is pictured around Sergei Skripal's son Alexander's memorial at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury A tent erected over Russian spy Sergei Skripal's wife Liudmila's grave at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury is today seen being lifted as protected officers in Hazmat suits prepare to investigate whether it was contaminated with nerve agent Bankrupt Toys 'R' Us is preparing to liquidate its American stores and operations after failing in its efforts to find a buyer or a way to restructure its debt deal. Although its still being described as a fluid situation, shuttering the US division of the famed toy seller is said to be increasingly likely, because hopes are fading that the company will be able to find a buyer or that money lenders will agree to debt restructuring terms, sources told Bloomberg. In January, Toys 'R' Us revealed that it intended to close 184 locations. The decision about how many additional stores it will liquidate could come on Monday, following a bankruptcy hearing in Richmond, Virginia, sources told the Wall Street Journal. Bankrupt toy seller Toys 'R' Us could liquidate all of its US stores as early as next week, according to reports. In January, the company said it would close 184 stores Toys 'R' Us went into bankruptcy in September, receiving a new $3.1billion loan as part of its effort to turn its prospects around, but a lackluster holiday season failed to inspire confidence in the toy company's viability. Although most of Toys 'R' Us' international divisions were not included in the company's bankruptcy claim, some are now beginning to experience blowback. Toys 'R' Us in the UK went into administration in February, after talks to sell the business withered. The company's European wing is entertaining takeover bids. Meanwhile, there is talk of selling Toys 'R' Us' Asian business, despite it being the company's most profitable area. Toys 'R' Us in Canada filed for bankruptcy at the same time as the US division did, but the company's VP of Marketing told CBC Thursday that 'Our business in Canada is operating as usual.' Word that Toys 'R' Us could liquidate all its US holdings sent toy manufacturer stocks tumbling on Thursday. Toys 'R' Us toy sales are said to make up 15 per cent of American toy sales Reports that Toys 'R' Us could close all of its more than 800 stores as early as next week had a big impact on toymaker stocks on Thursday. Mattel Inc., which makes toys including Barbie and Hot Wheels, saw its stock fall as much as 6.1 per cent. Meanwhile, while Hasbro Inc. which produces Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony stocks dropped 3 per cent. It's anticipated that toy manufacturers will suffer if Toys 'R' Us does liquidate in the US, as the company accounts for about 15 per cent of American toy sales. In addition, Toys 'R' Us was known for giving small companies and new products a chance, whereas other toy-selling retailers, such as Walmart and Target, prefer to go with tried-and-true merchandise. The decision about how many additional stores it will liquidate could come on Monday, following a bankruptcy hearing in Richmond, Virginia, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The number of stores liquidated would be determined by the size of the bid received by the liquidator. Lisa Bonet, 50, said in a new interview she doesn't need to say I told you so about recent accusations of sexual assault against her former costar Bill Cosby Lisa Bonet has always known there was something 'sinister' about her former costar Bill Cosby, she has revealed. The actress, 50, said she doesn't need to say I told you so about the numerous sexual assault allegations made against the disgraced comedian in recent years. In a new interview with Porter Edit, Lisa said she 'always' sensed a 'darkness' in Cosby, 80. She added: 'There was no knowledge on my part about [Bill Cosbys] specific actions, but... There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed. Lisa shot to fame on the cult 1980s sitcom the Cosby Show where she played Denise Huxtable, but was rumored to have had a difficult working relationship with Bill Cosby during the show's eight-year-run. At the time, the public assumed the rocky relationship was due to Cosby's protective nature - Lisa infamously posed naked for a cover of Interview magazine against her T.V. dad's wishes. But the actress hinted in the interview that there was more to her decades-long disdain for Cosby. Speaking about Cosby's current legal situation - the actor is gearing up for a retrial in a sexual assault case- she said: 'I dont need to say I told you so [about Bill Cosby]. I just leave all that to karma and justice and what will be. Lisa played Cosby's daughter Denise Huxtable on the 1980s sitcom the Cosby Show (pictured with Bill Cosby) The actress and her T.V. dad were rumored to have a rocky relationship during the show. She's pictured on the far right with the Cosby Show cast 'And if I had anything more to reveal then it would have happened a long time ago. Thats my nature. The truth will set you free.' The actress also opened up about the early days of her romance with AquaMan actor Jason Momoa. She and her 38-year-old love were first introduced by friends, and the brunette revealed that she fell for Jason immediately. She said: 'I cant say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met. 'In that moment, love came and it came big, and he did not run as I think a lot of men do. He basically picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, caveman style!' The pair welcomed two children together Lola, 10, and Nakoa-Wolf, age nine, with Lisa also mother to daughter Zoe, 29, from her six-year marriage to musician Lenny Kravitz. The star praised 'alpha-male' Jason for his strong dedication to his family and his career. Lisa said: 'There was no knowledge on my part about [Bill Cosbys] specific actions, but... There was just energy' The actress, 50, also discussed her relationship with her 38-year-old love Jason Mamoa She said: 'Whats cool about Jason is that hes an alpha male who stands for love and family. And to circle back to my own wounds, having an absent father, then to be fully met by a man of that stature, is really incredible. 'Jason embodies a rare form of masculinity in this day and age hes a leader, hes generous. Just in terms of charisma, physique, the right use of power, responsibility, work ethic, you can go down the line.' The star also revealed her how her fathers absence from her life impacted her choices in men. She said: 'When your primary male figure could care less to show up, that can become a theme in your life where youre trying to fill this gap with these different men.' Serene: The star praised 'alpha-male' Aqua-Man star Jason for his strong dedication to his family and his career The pair welcomed two children together Lola, 10, and Nakoa-Wolf, age nine 'So I sheltered myself by always withholding a bit, because I didnt always feel safe. [If I could go back, Id] try not to internalize the disdain and hate that was projected onto me.' Lisa, who has mostly starred in television dramas, and a handful of films spoke about why she feels she didn't break through into big-screen success. She said: 'I dont know! I always had one foot in and one foot out of the business, so thats part of it. But also, its slim pickings out there! There arent endless opportunities for women of color, youve probably noticed.' The star also spoke about the difficulties she experienced as a mixed-race child, saying she 'didn't always feel safe' when she was growing up. She said: 'The world wasnt ready for what I represented, the merging of these two races. I didnt always feel welcome in my moms family, in my school. Those looking to celebrate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can now do so in a truly unique way. The Windsor & Eton Brewery, located just a few minutes from Windsor Castle, has crafted a new specialty beer in honor of the royal wedding. Called 'Harry & Meghans Windsor Knot', the beer is a unique pale ale brewed from a blend of American and British hops, champagne yeast and even barley from Queen Elizabeths Windsor farm. Co-owner Willie Calvert told People: It gives a nice story about Harry & Meghans backgrounds. Were using some nice, fruity hops from Yamika in Washington State, and some English hops, which are more subtly flavored. English hops tend to be more of a grassy, textured flavor a bit more like hay whereas New World hops have more sunlight and are more strongly flavored. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will be held on May 19 at Windsor Castle Calvert believes that it was a natural choice to craft a beer in honor of the upcoming wedding, saying that: 'The brewery was less than one year old when Prince William and Kate were married in St Pauls Cathedral in 2011, and because we have quite a close connection to the castle it was the most natural thing to do a special beer.' Calvert is also giving his best shot as far as making sure the royal couple gets a sample of the special ale. 'Were going to send a sample to them, but it takes a little bit of organizing,' he said. 'We did the same for William and Kate and some of it got through to them, some of it didnt!' Heres all you need to know about when and where the royal wedding is as well as when the beer will be on sale. When is Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding? The wedding will be on May 19, 2018. Where is Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding? The wedding will be held at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. When can I buy the beer? The beer will go on sale on March 28 at the Royal Farm Shop in Windsor. It will also be available in London and Windsor pubs around the time of the wedding. A Florida man spent 35 days in prison and was banned from seeing his wife and children for close to three months after he was accused of raping his son. Jose Cordero, 50, was arrested on October 30 after two detectives with the Hialeah Police Department were informed that a seven-year-old student with autism had told his teacher that he was being sexually abused at his home. Once the detectives arrived at James Bright Elementary School, Saul Fumero informed them that the minor boy had begun revealing things in a diary, which he wrote in using the controversial and unaccredited 'hand over hand' technique. Hand over hand is also known as facilitated communication and is a way of helping the non-verbal communicate. A facilitator helps the person touch or point to letters on a keyboard and holds their hand, wrist, arm or other body part. Fumero insisted to police that he was in no way guiding the boy's hand as he wrote about his father 'placing his penis in union with his anus' and committing other forms of sexual assault. The boy also said that his mother, Jose's wife, was unaware of the abuse, and that he had last been abused the previous day according to Fumero, prompting police to arrest his father and put him behind bars in a Miami prison. Tough break: Jose Cordero (left in mugshot) was arrested in October after police were informed that he has been accused of raping his autistic son, who is just seven, with a teacher (Saul Fumero on right) alerting authorities 'Through the "hand over hand" technique facilitated by Fumero, the victim disclosed penile/ anal penetration by his father as well as union of the victims penis with the defendants mouth,' states the No Action Memo obtained by DailyMail.com. 'During the victims medical examination, bruises consistent with his disclosure were observed on the victims back. The victim wrote that his father grabs him "to poke me with his penis." The victim wrote that the defendant touches "my anus with his penis."' It went on to state: 'When asked about his mother, the victim stated he felt safe with his mother and "she cares for me and my sister, she cares about me too." The victims mother nearly fainted when discussing the allegations with the detectives and appeared completely unaware of any abuse.' Four days later police were again called to the school after it was reported that the same minor child was again detailing abuse that was occurring at his home. This time, Fumero claimed that the boy had said his mother had tried to kill him and he was not safe. 'I am playing with my life and its not a fun game. I should have told you how evil she is she has schizophrenia and doesnt take her medicine like shes supposed to,' said the minor at one point. He said later that his sister was forced to perform oral sex on him at times when their parents demanded it and had 'been conditioned to be a sex slave' for their father. 'This is all a very ugly and disturbing horror story but all true,' said the boy, with all of those comments being made with the aid of Fumero using 'hand over hand.' Cordero was 'very concerned' about his son from the first time he was questioned, and wanted to be sure the boy was safe. The boy's sister, 25, expressed the same sentiments even after she was accused of assaulting the minor child. Fumero told police after the second confession that he had no experience with 'hand over hand,' and that information combined with some other discrepancies resulted in the defense making the decision to waive their right to an adversarial preliminary hearing and a speedy trial if Cordero who could transfer out of the prison and go on house arrest. Confession: That confession came from the boy himself using 'hand over hand' with the aid of teacher Saul Fumero, who had never practiced the method in the past (James Bright Elementary where the boy attends school above) That was granted on November 14, but he could not leave the detention facility until December 4 due to the fact that he had no residence and was unable to move home for legal and personal reasons. Cordero was banned from being near his son and had not spoken to his wife since October, with Ruby Campbell-Cordero filing for divorce in January. Her lawyer told DailyMail.com on Friday that she is still going through with that divorce. The minor child has not written with any of his new therapists or teachers according to the No Action Memo, and the case was finally tossed out for good after forensics in the case showed no DNA had been recovered fro the victim which matched Cordero. 'Though there may have been probable cause for an arrest, the State of Florida has a much higher burden to proof then a mere probable cause. Prosecutorial ethics dictate that if a case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, then the State in good faith cannot proceed,' writes Assistant State Attorney Laura Cespedes. 'Due to significant inconsistencies within the victims disclosures coupled with the controversial means by which the disclosure was obtained, and a lack of corroborating witnesses, the State would be unable to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.' In late 2016, as the extent of Russian election meddling was becoming clear, Obama administration security officials devised plans to hit back at Moscow, only to be shut down. As they learned more about Russia's efforts to hack emails and even penetrate election systems, Obama security advisors debated the pros and cons of hitting back at Russia, whether to go public with what the administration knew, and how to get Russia to stop. Two top Russia aides on the National Security Council, Michael Daniel and Celeste Wallander, believed the U.S. needed to strike back forcefully, according to the new book 'Russian Roulette,' by Michael Isikoff and David Corn. President Barack Obama warned of serious consequences if Russia persisted in its election interference, while his top security aide tamped town planning for other cyber responses, according to a new book They cooked up a series of options. One was to launch counter cyber attacks, like taking out the Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks sites that were posting hacked Democratic emails. Another was to strike at Russian news websites, or even go after the Russian Intelligence Services. Another idea was to get at Putin personally by leaking information about his secret finances, party corruption, or even information about the girlfriends of senior Russian leaders. I wanted to send a signal that we would not tolerate disruptions to our electoral process, said Daniel, arguing that, The Russians are going to push as hard as they can until we start pushing back. We wanted to raise the cost in a manner Putin recognized, recalled former State Department official Victoria Nuland recalled. But as Daniel and Wallander drew up an array of options, they got a warning from Susan Rice, President Obama's top National Security Advisor. Advisors debated the pros and cons of hitting back at Russia, whether to go public with what they knew, and how to get Russian meddling to stop She warned Daniel: Dont get ahead of us. She delivered strict orders to 'stand down,' and told Daniel: 'knock it off,' he told the authors. When he returned to the office after getting the warning, he told an aide: 'That was one pissed-off national security adviser.' One of his top deputies, Daniel Prieto, blasted the stand-down order after the fact.'I was incredulous and in disbelief. It took me a moment to process. In my head I was like, Did I hear that correctly?' he recalled. The administration debated an array of potential responses to the meddling threat. Top officials met in the situation room to discuss what they learned, and measures were taken to wall off information internally so it wouldn't leak. Ultimately, a chief course of action was to have Obama deliver a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit. Advisors believed a generalized warning would be more effective than a specific sanction or action. Obama warned of overwhelming retaliation. 'An unspecified threat would be far more potent than Putin knowing what we would do, a principal said later, according to the book. Let his imagination run wild. That would be far more effective, we thought, than freezing this or that persons assets. A senior official said Obama essentially told Putin at the G20 summit in China: 'You f*** with us over the election and well crash your economy.' There were multiple reasons to try to stay out of an escalating cyberwar with Russia, but one top aide said afterward Obama may have been too concerned about perception of being viewed as prejudicial. Perhaps there was some overcompensation,' the top aide said. 'There was a concern if we did too much to spin this up into an Obama-Putin face-off, it would help the Russians achieve their objectives, said a participant in the top-level security meetings where policy responses were debated. It would create chaos, help Trump, and hurt Clinton. We had to figure out how to do this in a way so we wouldnt create an own-goal. We had a strong sense of the Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm,' said the participant. One way the administration got a read on the Russian meddling was from a secret source inside the Kremlin. The source had warned of a 'massive operation' targeting Western democracies, according to the book. A former aide to the U.S. Virgin Islands' delegate in Congress was sentenced Thursday to spend a year and a day in prison for putting sexually explicit pictures of his boss online. Juan McCullum, at one time the general counsel to Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett, pleaded guilty in January to four charges including two federal cyber-crimes. Under a plea deal for conspiracy and cyberstalking charges, another year of federal prison time was suspended. McCullum, 36, will spend two years on supervised probation after he serves his time, according to U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu and U.S. Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa. Juan McCullum (pictured) former general counsel for U.S. congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett, was sentenced to 366 days in prison on Thursday for stealing nude images of her from her iPhone and distributing them online Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett (left) had nude video and images of her and her husband Jonathan Buckney-Small (pictured right) on her phone, and they ended up in emails to reporters and on a Facebook page that connected to her political opponents He worked for Plaskett in 2015 and 2016. A second defendant, Dorene Browne-Louis, worked in Plaskett's office during much of the same period. She has yet to be sentenced. McCullum previously appeared on the VH1 reality-dating show 'I Love New York' under the name 'Pretty.' In 2015 The Hill named him the fifth 'hottest' person in politics. Plaskett is still in Congress, in her second term representing the U.S. territory as a nonvoting member. McCullum, according to prosecutors, offered to help Plaskett repair a malfunctioning iPhone by taking it to a local Apple store in May 2016. Plaskett gave him her password. The phone contained nude images and video of Plaskett and her husband. Court documents say McCullum posted them on a Facebook account under fake names after he left his job. He also created an email account with a fictitious name and sent at least 10 messages to politicians, members of the media and others each one containing one or more nude images or videos. McCullum's VH1 stint came in 2007. In on episode of 'I Love New York' he was seen in an altercation with the show's leading lady, who calls him 'a woman trapped in a man's body.' Juan McCullum (center) appeared on the VH1 reality show I Love New York, under the name 'Pretty'; in the scene pictured above he gets into an altercation with crew members When Plaskett originally addressed the leak, she said she believed it was a hack carried out by her political foes. 'Private photographs shared between my husband and me, as well as a private playful video of our family, including one of our children, were illegally obtained and disseminated via the internet. To say my family and I are greatly upset would be a tremendous understatement,' she said at the time. Plaskett herself is a former congressional staffer. She was born in Brooklyn to parents from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. She told The Washington Post on Thursday that she is still 'angry and bewildered,' and feels 'exposed, stripped in some way' by the crime. She was in the courtroom for McCullum's sentencing. 'Every day I am reminded of what happened to me, what happened to my family when our family's privacy was invaded [and] pillaged,' she told the court in a letter. A well-muscled Instagram fitness model and personal trainer has been fined $4000 after being found with steroids and testosterone down his pants. Jaxon Kade Tippet, 23, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast on Friday to possessing a dangerous drug, two counts of driving unlicensed and one count of failing to properly disposes of a syringe. Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Jack Mulherin said Tippet was found walking strangely and after he was searched a syringe and needle were found in his underwear, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Jaxon Kade Tippet, 23, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on Friday of possessing a dangerous drug Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jack Mulherin said Tippet was found walking strangely and after he was searched a syringe and needle were found in his underwear Magistrate Donald MacKenzie said Tippet was a poor role model, and should've bulked up in a legal way by eating 'honey and banana sandwiches' Defence lawyer Michael Burrows said Tippet suffered from muscle dysmorphia, which led to him obsessing about being underdeveloped Magistrate Donald MacKenzie said Tippet was a poor role model, and should've bulked up in a legal way by eating 'honey and banana sandwiches'. 'Particularly with young men and seeing they can have the body that you have and thinking they can have a body like you by using steroids,' Mr MacKenzie said. Mr MacKenzie said Tippet was 'idiotic' for using steroids when he had a serious heart issue. Tippet charges up to $150 for an eight-week 'body bulking' program which he advertises through his Instagram account. Mr MacKenzie said Tippet was 'idiotic' for using steroids when he had a serious heart issue Tippet charges up to $150 for an eight-week 'body bulking' program which he advertises through his Instagram account He has more than 166,000 followers on the social media app. He was found with the drugs in his car on Queensland's Sunshine Coast about 11.45am on November 27 after police were given an anonymous tip. They found him hiding a syringe and needle in his underwear after Tippet was 'favouring his groin area'. Defence lawyer Michael Burrows said Tippet suffered from muscle dysmorphia, which led to him obsessing about being underdeveloped. A kinky renaissance festival proved to be too hot for Alabama campground owners, who pulled themselves out of being the hosting grounds for the event after hearing that 'sexual play' and intoxicant use was being advertised in event fliers. The Georgia-based Southeast Dark Ages Festival which bills itself as '21 and up adults only Renaissance Festival' had booked the Southern Pillar Campground in Pike County, Alabama, from March 23 to 25. But, campground owners Patrick Faircloth and his wife, Laurel, said that they were unaware of exactly what the renaissance festival would involve until March 2, when they heard about a promotional flier that was being circulated in the neighborhood, detailing a 'weekend of fun-filled debauchery' and 'sexual play.' The owners of Southern Pillar Campground cancelled the weekend reservation of an adults-only renaissance festival after learning it was advertising 'sexual play' and intoxicate use The Georgia-based Southeast Dark Ages Festival's weekend offerings were to include a 'Protocol dinner,' featuring fetish standards like a whipping boy and human furniture The flier also revealed that 'sex play' and 'consensual kink' would be monitored during the three day festival and referred to intoxicants. 'That kind of thing isnt going to happen here,' Patrick told the Troy Messenger. Patrick said that neither he nor his wife had been consulted about the contents of the flier. 'When I became aware of it, I immediately said Im not in support of this,' Patrick said, noting that the campground does not allow alcohol use on site. 'Now, if someone wants to rent it out for a bachelor party or something, we consider that an adult weekend. But some of the stuff in their flier could be construed as illegal,' Patrick added. The Southeast Dark Ages Festival has removed event details from both its Facebook page and website. However, an example of a featured activity at the event was revealed on Twitter on February 28, just days before the Faircloths were alerted to the event's flier. Festival organizers tweeted that campground neighbors planned to protest the event. Two days later, they announced that the festival was cancelled due to threats received by the campground's owners and their family According to the tweet, the festival's five course 'Protocol dinner' involved: 'Dancing girls. Music. Whipping boy. Human furniture. Test of Skill. Strict service.' Single tickets were being flogged for $35, with couple seats going for $50. The Pike County Sheriff, Russell Thomas, said that he had been approached by neighborhood residents who expressed concern about the festival. On March 6, festival organizers tweeted, 'Seems the locals to venue are planning to protest event,' and added the hashtags '#wewillnotbebullied #fearisovercomewithlove #knowledgeispower.' Patrick told the Troy Messenger that he and his wife consulted an attorney before telling festival organizers that they were cancelling their reservation on March 7, the day after the organizer's tweet. 'If it was a different thing they would have been doing, it would have brought a lot of money to peoples businesses and revenue for the campground, of course, but it doesnt matter how much revenue was going to be generated, that kind of thing isnt going to happen here,' Patrick said. Two days later, the organizers tweeted that the event was cancelled, due to the campground owners had 'decided to back out for their protection,' after receiving 'valid threats and harassment against their family, specifically the minor child.' About 200 people had been expected to attend the festival, according to Patrick. He has said he is 'looking forward' to talking with special counsel Robert Mueller, but now President Trump's lawyers are trying to leverage a sit-down to negotiate an end to the sprawling Russia probe. Trump's lawyers have been negotiating for weeks with special counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigators want Trump to sit for an interview. The president has indicated a willingness to cooperate, despite conflicting accounts on whether it is a shrewd move for Trump, who has a history of making false statements and exaggerations in court depositions, to go on record with investigators. Now, Trump's lawyers are trying to leverage his participation in hopes of securing a commitment to wrap up the investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported. Trump is considering a sit-down in exchange for 'multiple' considerations, according to the report. President Donald Trump's lawyers have been negotiating for weeks with special counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigators want Trump to sit for an interview One is to secure an end date for the Russia probe at least the part dealing with Trump which has led to a series of guilty pleas and a flood of damaging headlines about ties between former Trump officials and Russia, as well as financial misdeeds and lying to investigators. Another is to suggest a deadline for an end of the probe at 60 days after the interview. Mueller's appointment as special counsel includes no such end-date, and the latest administration budget gives his office $10 million a year to keep digging. Another effort is to try to secure agreements on the scope of the questioning. The lawyers expect questioning to focus on Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey and national security advisor Mike Flynn. WILL THERE AT LEAST BE DIET COKE? Trump's lawyers are trying to extract concessions from special counsel Robert Mueller for the Russia probe, including getting him agree to put an end-date on his Trump-related inquiries But recent press reports have indicated prosecutors also are interested in financial dealings of Trump family members and associates. Trump has repeatedly denied 'collusion' with the Russians, but prosecutors also could be assembling a case of obstruction of justice. Former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, a longtime deputy to Paul Manafort, pleaded guilty to two criminal charges and now is cooperating with authorities, having agreed to turn over documents. Trump has repeatedly branded the probe a 'witch hunt.' He tweeted in January: 'On and on it goes. Russia & the world is laughing at the stupidity they are witnessing. White House lawyer Ty Cobb has given repeated assurances about when the Mueller probe will end Trump got caught making a series of exaggerations in a deposition related to a legal battle with an author But he also told reporters in January about testifying: 'Im looking forward to it, actually.' He added, speaking to an interview with Mueller: I would do it under oath. Flynn, and former campaign advisor George Papadopoulos both pleaded guilty to lying to investigators. Mueller also has indicted 13 Russians for a scheme to inject misinformation into the 2016 presidential elections. When his beautiful Italian wife said she was being targeted by a terrifying stalker, actor Colin Firth did what any decent husband would do and alerted the police. Film producer and environmental consultant Livia Giuggioli alleges that 55-year-old Marco Brancaccia left her living in fear after threatening her via telephone calls and texts. The Italian journalist is also accused of emailing photographs of Livia to 57-year-old Firth which prompted the actor to defend his wifes honour by taking prompt legal action through the Italian courts. But that was before an outraged Brancaccia himself stepped into the affray, publicly refuting claims that he was a stalker and, in effect, forcing 48-year-old Livia to admit this week that they had embarked on an affair in 2015. Indeed, Brancaccia told the Mail exclusively yesterday of the magic sparkle he shared with Livia during what he claims was a passionate 11-month affair. Counter-claims: Journalist Marco Brancccia He said their relationship began after a family party at the Firths home in Umbria, Northern Italy, in the summer of 2015 and that at the time Livia had wanted to divorce her famous Oscar-winning husband. I fell in love completely with Livia. I felt she was the woman of my life. I loved her very much, very much, he said, adding that accusations of stalking are rubbish and that the real story is that of a famous couple trying to cover up her love affair. Livia was 27 years old when she married 36-year-old Firth in a romantic hilltop ceremony at a 13th-century church set among forests and vineyards near her home in Citta della Pieve in June 1997 They totally freaked out that I would go public and tell everyone this story, so they filed a com-plaint against me for stalking, he claimed. So what is the truth behind the tangled web of infidelity which has ensnared Firth, his wife and her former lover? Is Brancaccia a highly-respected journalist based at the Italian international news agency ANSA really a stalker? Or, as he claims, are the Firths dragging him through the courts in a bid to stop him telling all about his romance with Livia? An investigation by the Mail certainly suggests there is more to this extraordinary story than meets the eye. Livia and Brancaccia have known each other since she was a teenager. Brancaccia told the Mail that in the past he has even celebrated New Year with the Firths at their home in Umbria. But I can also reveal that this is not the first time that Brancaccia has been taken to court by a former lover. Nearly 20 years ago, the Italian was embroiled in protracted legal proceedings with an ex-partner who fled to her native Iceland with the couples young daughter amid claims of violence and threatening behaviour, which were denied. When Livia and Brancaccia first met 30 years ago in Sperlonga, an Italian beach resort frequented by wealthy visitors, its unlikely that either of them could have imagined that their friendship would one day result in such a toxic and bitter showdown. Brancaccias family has a summerhouse close to the resorts silver-white beaches. He and Livia were introduced by mutual friends during a summer holiday in the Eighties. At the time, Livia, the daughter of a wealthy engineer, was a beautiful and bright student at university in Rome. Brancaccia, who is seven years older than she is, was already working for a press agency in the Italian capital. Speaking to the Mail from Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Italian refused to say whether the pair had become romantically involved at the start of their friendship. Livia and I have been friends for maybe 30 years, he said. Ive known her on and off. Then she moved away. She married Colin. Firth met his future wife in Colombia in 1995 during filming of a BBC adaptation of Joseph Conrads novel Nostromo. Livia was working as a production assistant on set during filming. At the time, Firth was an international heart-throb with millions of swooning female fans, thanks to his mean and moody portrayal of Mr Darcy in the BBCs Pride And Prejudice. More than two decades on, the Firths marriage was, until this week, widely regarded as one of the strongest in showbiz He already had a son Will Firth, who was born in 1990 and is now an actor in his own right after a five-year relationship with actress Meg Tilly. Colin and Meg lived for several years in a log cabin deep in the woods of rural Canada before Firths career took him back to London. Their eventual separation was amicable. Firth later described meeting Livia as like meeting somebody that you just feel youre the other half to. Livia was 27 years old when she married 36-year-old Firth in a romantic hilltop ceremony at a 13th-century church set among forests and vineyards near her home in Citta della Pieve in June 1997. A picnic reception was held in an olive grove on a nearby estate owned by Livias parents. More than two decades on, the Firths marriage was, until this week, widely regarded as one of the strongest in showbiz. The couple have two sons, Luca, 16 and Matteo, 13, and have homes in Chiswick, West London and in Umbria. They also share a passion for environmental causes and global charity work. Behind the scenes, however, it is now clear that their marriage has not always been plain sailing. A spokesman for the couple said: This is an ongoing criminal prosecution and it would be inappropriate to comment in this circumstance On Thursday night, as the drama surrounding the stalking allegations unfolded, a spokesman for the couple released an extraordinarily frank statement. A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited. Subsequently, Mr Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public. Brancaccias alleged campaign of harassment is said to have extended from September 2016 to April 2017. He claims, however, that during that period he sent only two WhatsApp messages to Livia and a single email to Colin. I was based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and she was in London, says Brancaccia. I have not made one single phone call to her. Not one. I am the only case in the world of a stalker living in another continent and not making one single phone call. How is that possible? Brancaccia is said to have sent a heartbreaking and malicious email to Firth, who confronted Livia with it 18 months ago. The message is said to have included a detailed diatribe of their affair and contained revelations designed to wound. A friend of Firths said the email was an attempt to destabilise Colin and Livias attempt to sort things out in their marriage, adding: He described intimate meetings that would devastate any husband no matter what the state of their marriage. Colin presented this to his wife in what must have been a very difficult confrontation. But he has maintained his dignity throughout. 'Stronger than ever': Livia and Colin Firth According to Brancaccia, his affair with Livia began in Italy in the summer of 2015. Intriguingly, despite their alleged decision to separate and the timings Brancaccia has given for the affair, Firth and dark-haired Livia were photographed together often during 2015 and 2016, including being pictured arm-in-arm at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2016. According to Brancaccia, he attended a party at the Firths home in Umbria while the actor was away filming in the summer of 2015. We had dinner, we danced and at the end of the evening we kissed, and that was the beginning of our story. We met in many places because she was travelling or we arranged some trips. She visited me in Brazil. I went to London. We were in New York, Iceland and Prague together. We met in Rome. She seemed to be a wonderful person. And shes beautiful, of course. Wed been friends for many years and suddenly this magic sparkle erupted and we fell in love. Both of us. She wanted to divorce. This is what she said to me. I believed it. I had no reason to doubt it. He wouldnt say how the affair ended, but it is believed that Livia called a halt to it. But, it seems, he refused to accept her decision and emailed Firth to tell him about their relationship. They totally freaked out that I would go public and tell everyone this story, he says. So, the most stupid idea they could have was to file a complaint against me for stalking because she sent me a lot of love messages, a lot of pictures, videos and even a diary full of little hearts and kisses and photos and love poems. They freaked out that all this stuff would go public and ruin the image of this fantastic couple. Details of the police investigation first appeared in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. It reported that Brancaccia was alleged to have begun stalking Livia in September 2016 because he could not accept being cut out of her life. He is also accused of threatening to write compromising articles about her and Firth. They freaked out that all this stuff would go public and ruin the image of this fantastic couple Brancaccia insists, meanwhile, that all the claims being made about him are absolutely untrue. Its a completely different story, he says. Its a mess, and in the end somebody will have to pay for this. Im shocked. Its very sad. Its a horrible story. And yet, Brancaccia has faced accusations of threatening behaviour once before. Nearly 15 years ago, he was embroiled in a lengthy bitter legal battle with his Icelandic former partner, Snaefridur Baldvinsdottir, over custody of their daughter, Marta. The family had been living in Mexico where Marco was working at the time, but politicians daughter Snaefridur (known as Didi) used an emergency passport issued by the Icelandic embassy in Mexico City to return to Iceland in 2003 after Brancaccia allegedly seized their daughters passport. Brancaccia accused her of child abduction and said that her father had misused his political influence to assist his daughters flight. She later told Reykjavik District Court in 2004 that Brancaccias behaviour towards her had been violent, something he absolutely denied. The case was widely reported in Icelandic newspapers. Tragically, Didi died in 2013 after suffering an epileptic fit at home in Iceland. But her 79-year-old father, Jon Baldvin Hannibalsson, former chairman of the Icelandic Social Democratic Party, told me that his daughter, who was signed to Elite models at the age of 17 and went on to become a university lecturer, was afraid of Marco. She was later granted sole custody of her daughter. They were living in Mexico and she fled under threat of legal action, said Mr Hannibalsson. Its no secret that my daughter accused him of violence. Intriguingly, a report on the court case from 2005 also refers to attempts by Brancaccia to give away the dark secrets of the family in court. He was prevented from doing so by an Icelandic judge. Speaking outside the courtroom, he said that the secrets referred to things that matter for the custody case. I am not allowed to tell the whole story about the family. This matters in this case and the well-being of my child. Now it seems the Firths fear that Brancaccia will reveal all about his passionate romance with Livia. A source close to the couple said this week that the case was hugely distressing for the entire family and that despite the blip in their marriage, they were still together and now stronger than ever. They are due to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary in June. Brancaccia also claims to be distressed by the accusations against him and says he hasnt slept for three days. Somewhere in the midst of all these claims and counter-claims lies the truth. Lawyers on both sides are said to be furiously negotiating behind the scenes in a bid to resolve this ugly case. A spokesman for the couple said: This is an ongoing criminal prosecution and it would be inappropriate to comment in this circumstance. Megyn Kelly has revealed that Vladimir Putin will call out President Donald Trump on a lie in her NBC News special airing Friday night. Kelly traveled to Russia last week and interviewed the Russian leader for two hours spread over two days, grilling him on meddling in the 2016 elections, the recent indictments of 13 Russian by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and his opinion of Trump. Without giving away any specifics, Kelly tells People Magazine that the Putin 'directly contradicts Donald Trump on something that Trump has been telling us for a while and it is as plain as the nose on your face.' Scroll down for video Face-off: Megyn Kelly has revealed that Vladimir Putin will call out President Donald Trump on a lie in her NBC News special airing Friday night Kelly said Putin 'directly contradicts Donald Trump on something that Trump has been telling us for a while' 'Not my problems': Kelly grilled Putin about Russia's meddling in the US elections, which he brushed off, saying, 'These are not my problems' In the run-up to the highly anticipated special, which will be broadcast at 10pm ET, Kelly went on the Today show Friday morning to tease her interview with Putin - an encounter she described as 'tense'. 'Why would you allow an attack like this on the United States?' Kelly asked Putin in a new clip from the interview released by NBC on Friday. 'Why have you decided the Russian authorities, myself included, gave anybody permission to do this?' Putin shot back. 'Some names have popped up. So what? They could just as easily have been the names of some Americans who are sitting here and interfering in your own political process.' Kelly reported: 'But it wasnt Americans. It was Russians.' She then pressed Putin, who is currently running for re-election in Russia, whether his constituents should be concerned that he was unaware that a million-dollar cyber warfare campaign targeting the US elections was being carried out right under his nose. 'The world is very large,' Putin replied vaguely, before turning to the 13 Russian nationals who were indicted for meddling. 'You mentioned a number of names, some individuals, and youre telling me that theyre Russians,' Putin said. 'So what? Maybe being Russian, theyre actually working for some kind of American company. Perhaps one of them used to work for one of the candidates. I have no idea. These are not my problems.' In a previously released portion of Putin and Kelly's sit-down, the Russian leader claimed there was no hard evidence that those Russian nationals interfered in the 2016 presidential election and that everything put forward so far, including the indictments handed down by Mueller, amounts to 'yelling and hollering.' Russian President Putin told NBC's Megyn Kelly that he would 'never' extradite Russian citizens to American authorities, referring to the 13 Russian nationals indicted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe During the interview, in which the first clips ran last Friday during NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Putin suggested that the evidence described in Mueller's indictment was not proof of interference and not enough for him to take action against the people it accuses. 'I have to see first what they've done. Give us materials, give us information,' Putin said. He also said Russia would 'never, never' extradite the 13 Russian nationals. 'Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone just like the United States,' Putin told Kelly. 'Does the United States extradite its citizens to anyone?' On Sunday, during a clip that aired during Meet the Press, Kelly asked Putin what actions he's taken to determine whether these 13 Russian nationals were not behind this, pointing out that it's caused an 'international incident.' 'I know that they do not represent the Russian state, the Russian authorities,' Putin answered. Putin has close ties to the head of the meddling operation, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who started the troll factory before Trump announced his campaign as a vehicle to spread pro-Kremlin material on social media. 'What they did specifically, I have no idea. I do not know what they were guided by. Even if they did do something it's ... maybe it's just our American colleagues,' the Russian leader continued. 'Let them just not talk to the press. Let them provide some materials, specifics and data. We'll be prepared to look at them and talk about it,' Putin said. Over the course of the interview, Putin seemed to shift his argument to say that he would only hold the people responsible if they had broken Russian laws, ignoring any US laws which they may have been in breach of. 'You must have people with legal degrees 100 percent you do and people who are well educated who must understand that we, Russia, cannot prosecute anyone if they have not violated Russian law. 'If you don't have a legal degree I can explain to you,' he said. Kelly, who was a practicing lawyer before she turned her hand to journalism, quickly fired back: 'I do!' Putin continued: 'Then you have to understand what it takes is an official request to the general prosecutor of the Russian federation. 'Give us a document. Give us an official request. 'This has to go through official channels, not through the press or yelling and hollering in the United States Congress.' Putin made the comments during an interview which aired Friday night and Sunday morning with NBC's Megyn Kelly Putin was animated as he said the matter must be handled by 'people with legal degrees' In February, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian nationals with election interference. They operated out of a 'troll factory' in St. Petersburg where they wrote fake Facebook posts to cause discord in the US and later promote President Trump, the indictment alleges. Prigozhin is known as Putin's personal chef and has close ties to senior political figures in Russia. He fell into favor with them through his luxury restaurant in St. Petersburg and is now the caterer of choice for any official state events. Before the troll factory, he had a multi-million dollar deal providing catering for the Russian military. The deal lasted one year but pocketed him almost a billion dollars. A year later, he launched the Internet Research Agency, the official name for the meddling operation. Prigozhin has never been the face of it. That honor was given to a retired police colonel who is its CEO on paper. He has close ties to the Kremlin and is said to have funded the entire operation with money he earned through military catering contracts. With his money, he funded the 'troll factory' which was launched first as a pro-Kremlin operation to promote Putin and his allies online. Thirteen Russian nationals including Putin's 'personal chef', businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, were charged last month in a grand jury indictment. Prigozhin allegedly funded the 'troll factory' The 'troll factory' in St Petersburg where the nationals worked from computers to cause discord in the US by posting fake social media posts One of its operations was to sow discord in the US and when Donald Trump announced his presidential campaign, the trolls put their support behind him. They dedicated their efforts to furthering his chances at victory and posed as Americans on fake grassroots organization pages to organize rallies to support him. There was no sign of collusion between the trolls and Trump's campaign team but there was contact. There is no evidence that the meddling worked but US officials including the president's National Security Adviser, HR McMaster, have said it is irrefutable that Russia at least tried to sway the result. When the indictment was announced last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave a similarly indifferent answer to it. 'They are talking about Russian citizens, but we have not heard in announcements from Washington accusations about the involvement of the Russian state, the Kremlin and the Russian government. 'This evidence has no grounds and we dont consider it overwhelming, we dont regard it as fair and cannot agree with it,' he said. President Donald Trump accepting an offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a stunning turn of events after a year of heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. While the move to hold a summit appears to be an effort to ease decades of animosity between the US and North Korea, it comes after months of the two leaders trading insults and Trump threatening to 'totally destroy' the country. From Trump calling Kim a 'rocket man' and 'short and fat' to the US President being labeled 'mentally deranged' there has been no shortage of nasty insults between the leaders. So ahead of the summit - for which a time and place is yet to be determined - here is a look at some of the more notable war of words between Trump and Kim so far. Short and fat: Back in November last year, Trump hurled an insult at Kim during a trip to Vietnam calling him 'short and fat'. 'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?' Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!' he tweeted. He was retaliating after North Korean media had labeled Trump as an 'old lunatic'. Rocket Man: During his address to the UN General Assembly back in September, Trump said the US would 'totally destroy North Korea' if forced to defend itself or its allies. He also referred to Kim as 'Rocket Man' during his speech. 'The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,' Trump said. 'Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.' Mentally deranged: Kim hit back to the Rocket Man comments accusing Trump of 'mentally deranged behavior.' He said he would 'surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire'. Trump responded on Twitter the following morning: 'Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!' Big button: Kim said that he has a nuclear button on his desk in his New Year's address this year. In the same speech, he also called for improved relations with South Korea and suggested sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Trump quickly responded saying that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button. 'North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.' Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!' he tweeted. Fire and fury: Ever since Trump was elected, the two leaders have traded barbs about threats of potential nuclear attacks. After North Korea announced they had tested a series of missiles, Trump said the country had best not make more threats or 'they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.' North Korea hours later announces a plan to launch a salvo of missiles toward the US territory of Guam, a major military hub in the Pacific. Other threats of nuclear attacks: Kim said in his New Year's address in 2017 that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile had 'reached the final stage.' A day later Trump, who was then president-elect, tweeted: 'North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US It won't happen!' Simon Kempton, the Police Federation's operational policing lead, paid tribute to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, the police officer critically injured responding to the Salisbury nerve agent attack. 'He's really highly regarded. Everyone knows Nick and he's really well thought of,' he said. 'He brought a really serious sex offender to justice.' Speaking at the police cordon, yards away from the bench where Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found, Mr Kempton said: 'He's receiving the best possible medical care. The NHS is doing an amazing job. 'He's in a very serious condition. I haven't been to see him, but my colleagues and his Chief Constable have. He's sitting up and talking, but his condition is very serious. 'He's obviously being treated for the effects of nerve agent contamination.' A long lost Viking settlement known as 'Hop' is located in Canada, a prominent archaeologist has revealed. Seafaring Scandinavians built a settlement in North America more than 1,000 years ago, 500 years before Christopher Columbus, it is claimed. Three key things identify this mystical settlement - an abundance of grapes, salmon and canoes made from animal hide - according to legend. Now, one expert claims the only place that matches this description is the Miramichi-Chaleur bay area in northeastern New Brunswick in Canada. This would be the third Viking settlement claimed to have been found in North America, although it could be hard to conclusively prove the new theory. Scroll down for video A lost viking settlement known as 'Hop' that was home to wild grapes and canoes from animal hides has been finally located, a prominent archaeologist has claimed (stock image) Dr Birgitta Wallace, a senior archaeologist emerita with Parks Canada told Live Science that the illusive Hop may have referred to several seasonal settlements. In theories spanning several decades, researchers have suggested it could have been located in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New York - among other places. Dr Wallace has pinpointed the location using descriptions from Viking voyages as well as archaeological work carried out at L'Anse aux Meadows, which was the first Viking settlement found in North America in the 1960s. The second, a site built between 800AD and 1300AD that was uncovered in Newfoundland in 2016, is the second, though scientists are yet to confirm it is of Viking origin. 'New Brunswick is the northern limit of grapes, which are not native either to Prince Edward Island or Nova Scotia,' said Dr Wallace. Wild salmon were also so abundant in New Brunswick that the Mi'kmaq people used them as their totem. They were not found in other pre-Columbian sites such as Maine or New England, which were also believed to be potential locations for the settlement. Canoes made of animal hide were also used by the Mi'kmaq people in the area, which again matches the fabled description. Now, one archaeologist claims the only place that matches this description is the Miramichi-Chaleur bay area in northeastern New Brunswick in Canada. The first Viking site discovered in North America was L'Anse aux Meadows Dr Wallace has pinpointed the location using descriptions from Viking voyages as well as archaeological work carried out at L'Anse aux Meadows (pictured), which was the first Viking settlement found in North America in the 1960s Excavations from Viking site L'Anse aux Meadows revealed remains of wood from a butternut tree that is native to New Brunswick. Ash, beech, eastern hemlock and white elm - which could all be found in New Brunswick - were also present at the site. Although Dr Wallace is confident she has found the general area of the site, researchers may never be able to confirm the findings. The settlement may well have just been a summer camp, meaning buildings could have only been used for a few months. According to oral history and legends, Vikings settled at a place called Hop, meaning 'tidal lagoon', in North America more than 1,000 years ago, 500 years before Christopher Columbus (artist's impression) The main Viking base was Greenland at the time and remains of anyone who died are likely to have been brought back there. Additionally, experts say Vikings at Hop probably would have focused on gathering food and wood - which doesn't bode well for archaeologists looking for remains. 'I hope that all archaeologists working in this area keep their eyes open just in case they should run across something not fitting the cultural patterns they set out to explore,' Dr Wallace said. DID THE VIKINGS DISCOVER NORTH AMERICA? Some experts believe the Vikings may have discovered North America nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus made his famous journey to the New World. L'Anse aux Meadows was the first Viking settlement believed to have been found in North America in the 1960s. In 2016, scientists claimed to have uncovered another Viking settlement in Newfoundland that was built between 800AD and 1300AD. Some experts believe the Vikings may have discovered North America nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus made his famous journey to the New World The site, discovered in an area called Point Rosee in southern Newfoundland, is 400 miles (643km) south west of a Viking settlement found in L'Anse aux Meadows during the 1960s. Now, one expert claims to have found a mysterious location known as 'Hop'. Based on Viking descriptions, three key things identify this mystical settlement - an abundance of grapes, salmon and canoes made from animal hide. An archaeologist claims the only place that matches this description is the Miramichi-Chaleur bay area in northeastern New Brunswick in Canada. This would be the third Viking settlement claimed to have been found in North America, although it could be hard to ever prove it for once and for all. It is thought the Vikings first discovered America by accident in the autumn of 986AD, according to one historical source, the Saga of the Greenlanders. It tells how Bjarni Herjolfsson was stumbled across North America after being blown off course as he attempted to sail from Norway to Greenland, but he did not go ashore. Inspired by his tales, however, another Viking Leif Ericsson then mounted his own expedition and found North America in 1002. Finding it a fertile land, rich in grapes and berries, he named it Vinland. Eriksson also named two further 'lands' on the North American coast - one with flat stones, which he called Helluland, and one that was flat and wooded, named Markland. Advertisement In 2016, scientists claimed to have uncovered a Viking settlement in Newfoundland that was built between 800AD and 1300AD. The site, discovered in an area called Point Rosee, is 400 miles (643km) south west of a Viking settlement found in L'Anse aux Meadows during the 1960s. Dr Sarah Parcak, an archaeologist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, explained: 'This new site could unravel more secrets about the Vikings, whether they were the first Europeans to 'occupy' briefly in North America and reveal that the Vikings dared to explore much further into the New World than we ever thought. 'Typically in archaeology, you only ever get to write a footnote in the history books, but what we seem to have at Point Rosee may be the beginning of an entirely new chapter.' The Vikings are well known to have been adept seafarers, using the sun and the stars to help pick their way across open stretches of ocean away from the coastline. The archaeologists discovered around 28lbs of slag in a hearth that they believe was used to roast iron ore before it was smelted in a furnace at Point Rosee in southern Newfoundland WHAT WERE THE VIKING VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY? The Vikings made many many voyages of discovery during their history, including stops across Europe and North America. 789AD Vikings begin their attacks on England 840AD Viking settlers found the city of Dublin in Ireland 844AD Vikings raid Seville but are repulsed 860AD Rus Vikings attack Constantinople 866AD York is captured by a Viking army 870AD Vikings colonise Iceland 981AD Erik the Red discovers Greenland 986AD Bjarni Herjolfsson sights North America after being blown off course 1002AD Leif Ericsson, son of Erik the Red, explores the coast of North America, named them Karland, Helluland and Vinland 1492AD Italian explorer Christopher Columbus lands in the New World when he stumbles across the islands now known as The Bahamas Advertisement Over time the structures have altered the soil and the way it retains moisture, changing the vegetation that grows above, making it possible to see the outline of the structures in satellite images. These helped them identify intriguing patterns in Point Rosee, which indicated there were some man-made features and the possible outline of a longhouse similar to those used by the Vikings. During excavations of the site, the team uncovered evidence suggesting possible bog iron ore processing. The archaeologists discovered around 28lbs (13kg) of slag in a hearth that they believe was used to roast iron ore before it was smelted in a furnace. Blackened stones, scorched by the extreme heat in this process, were also unearthed at the site. The act of building Stonehenge may have been as important a ceremony to its ancient creators as the use of the finished stone circle, experts claim. Construction of the 5,000-year-old monument drew people together from all over the country to drink and get to know one another in large ceremonial feasts. Work on Stonehenge could have been used to show outsiders the power of the small community building it, researchers at English Heritage said. The theory may explain why some of the Wiltshire site's stones were transported more than a hundred miles (160km) from a quarry in south Wales. Scroll down for video The act of building Stonehenge may have been as important a ceremony to its ancient creators as the use of the finished stone circle. Construction of the monument drew people from long distances to take part, and ceremonial feasts were held for those who attended Susan Greaney, a senior historian at English Heritage, said: 'In contemporary Western culture, we are always striving to make things as easy and quick as possible, but we believe that for the builders of Stonehenge this may not have been the case. 'Drawing a large number of people from far and wide to take part in the process of building was potentially a powerful tool in demonstrating the strength of the community to outsiders. 'Being able to welcome and reward these people who had travelled far, perhaps as a kind of pilgrimage, with ceremonial feasts, could be a further expression of the power and position of the community.' The theory follows English Heritage's recent discovery of feasting at the nearby Neolithic Durrington Walls settlement, also found in Wiltshire. According to the charity's historians, this attracted people from across the country to help build the Neolithic monument. The discovery pushed English Heritage to look again at theories of how Stonehenge was built, concluding that building the monument was important ceremonially and cause for celebration. Stonehenge has been used as a centre for ceremonies throughout its 5,000-year-history. Pictured is an artist's impression of a Neolithic ceremony at the site circa 3,000 BC, when the monument was just a series of ditches without the monoliths it is known for today Ms Greaney said the new theory may explain a mystery surrounding the impressive distances some of Stonehenge's monoliths were carried. The large standing stones at the monument are made of local sandstone, but the smaller ones, known as 'bluestones', come from a quarry in south Wales. Stonehenge's architects would have had to shift the huge rocks 140 miles (225km) from what is now Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to the monument's build site. Work on Stonehenge could have been used to show outsiders the power of the small community building it. The theory may explain why some of the Wiltshire site's stones were transported 140 miles (225km) from south Wales, experts said WHO BUILT STONEHENGE? Stonehenge was built thousands of years before machinery was invented. The heavy rocks weigh upwards of several tonnes each. Some of the stones are believed to have originated from a quarry in Wales, some 140 miles (225km) away from the Wiltshire monument. To do this would have required a high degree of ingenuity, and experts believe the ancient engineers used a pulley system over a shifting conveyor-belt of logs. Historians now that the ring of stones was built in several different stages, with the first completed around 5,000 years ago by Neolithic Britons who used primitive tools, possibly made from deer antlers. Modern scientists now widely believe that Stonehenge was created by several different tribes over time. After the Neolithic Britons - likely natives of the British Isles - started the construction, it was continued centuries later by their descendants. Over time, the descendants developed a more communal way of life and better tools which helped in the erection of the stones. Bones, tools and other artefacts found on the site seem to support this hypothesis. Advertisement Ms Greaney said: 'As soon as you abandon modern preconceptions which assume Neolithic people would have sought the most efficient way of building Stonehenge, questions like why the bluestones were brought from so far away - the Preseli Hills of south Wales - don't seem quite so perplexing.' She added that the idea of 'stone-pulling ceremonies', in which people celebrate moving monoliths by hand, is not a new one. She said pictures from a 1915 stone-pulling ceremony on Nias, Indonesia, showed people in ceremonial dress 'revelling' in the task and taking part in feasts and dances. The large standing stones at Stonehenge are made of local sandstone, but the smaller ones, known as 'bluestones', come from a quarry in south Wales The announcement comes as English Heritage hosts events to celebrate 100 years since the monument was donated to the nation, including inviting the public - for the first time at the site - to help move and raise a four-tonne stone. Stonehenge is one of the most prominent prehistoric monuments in Britain. The monument that can be seen today is the final stage of a project that spanned 1,500 years. The announcement comes as English Heritage hosts events to celebrate 100 years since the monument was donated to the nation, including inviting the public - for the first time at the site - to help move and raise a four-tonne stone (pictured) Stonehenge was built in four stages, with the first beginning 5,000 years ago and the final section completed about 3,500 years ago. Stonehenge was donated to the nation's heritage collection in 1918 by owners Cecil and Mary Chubb. Mr Chubb had bought the then-neglected monument on impulse at an auction three years earlier having been sent there by his wife to bid for a set of dining room chairs. Australian scientists are said to have made a breakthrough in quantum computing after they were able to make two atom qubits 'talk' to each other. The study, which was led by researchers from the University of New South Wales, involved creating qubits by precisely positioning individual phosphorus atoms in a silicon chip. Quantum bits, or qubits, are a unit of measure for quantum information. Once positioned, the scientists were able to get the qubits to communicate and correlate with each other. Scroll down for video Pictured is an artist's impression of two 'qubits' or quantum bits. Scientists at the University of New South Wales were able to control the interaction of these qubits to make them 'talk' The move is being heralded as a 'significant milestone' in the broader effort to build a world-beating quantum computer. Building a quantum computer has been called the 'space race of the 21st century' a difficult and ambitious challenge, with the potential to deliver revolutionary tools. The team of researchers, which is led by Australian of the year Michelle Simmons, is the only group in the world that can see the exact position of their qubits, according to a release from the University of New South Wales. 'Our competitive advantage is that we can put our high-quality qubit where we want it in the chip, see what we've made, and then measure how it behaves,' Simmons explained. 'We can add another qubit nearby and see how the two wave functions interact' 'And then we can start to generate replicas of the devices we have created,' she added. University of New South Wales professor Michelle Simmons, who led the study, said the ability to control atom qubits is a 'breakthrough' in the race to build a quantum computer The scientists were able to control the interactions between the neighboring qubits, so that they became correlated, or communicated with one another. They did this by placing two qubits 16 nanometers apart in a silicon chip. Using electrodes patterned onto the chip, they were able to control the interactions between the neighboring qubits, so that the 'quantum spins' of their electrons became correlated, said Dr Matthew Broome, a co-author of the study. 'It was fascinating to watch,' Broome explained. 'When the spin of one electron is pointing up, the other points down, and vice versa.' 'This is a major milestone for technology' 'These type of spin correlations are the precursor to the entangled states that are necessary for a quantum computer to function and carry out complex calculations,' he added. QUANTUM COMPUTING: OPERATING ON THE BASIS OF A CIRCUIT BEING ON AND OFF AT THE SAME TIME The key to a quantum computer is its ability to operate on the basis of a circuit not only being 'on' or 'off', but occupying a state that is both 'on' and 'off' at the same time. While this may seem strange, it's down to the laws of quantum mechanics, which govern the behaviour of the particles which make up an atom. At this micro scale, matter acts in ways that would be impossible at the macro scale of the universe we live in. Quantum mechanics allows these extremely small particles to exist in multiple states, known as 'superposition', until they are either seen or interfered with. A scanning tunneling microscope shows a quantum bit from a phosphorus atom precisely positioned in silicon. Scientists have discovered how to make the qubits 'talk to one another A good analogy is that of a coin spinning in the air. It cannot be said to be either a 'heads' or 'tails' until it lands. The heart of modern computing is binary code, which has served computers for decades. While a classical computer has 'bits' made up of zeros and ones, a quantum computer has 'qubits' which can take on the value of zero or one, or even both simultaneously. One of the major stumbling blocks for the development of quantum computers has been demonstrating they can beat classical computers. Google, IBM, and Intel are among companies competing to achieve this. Advertisement By enabling the qubits to communicate with each other, the scientists are now one step closer to achieving entanglement, which is essential to building a quantum computer, the Australian Financial Review noted. In the past, theories had predicted that two qubits would have to be placed 20 nanometers apart in order to correlate, Sam Gorman, another co-author of the study, noted. Instead, the scientists only had to place the phosphorous atoms 16 nanometers apart. 'In our quantum world, this is a very big difference,' Gorman explained. 'It is also brilliant, as an experimentalist, to be challenging this theory,' he added. Unlike traditional computers, which are bound to two different states, quantum computers are able to exist in multiple states at once. This allows quantum computers to process information at more than twice the speed and in a far more efficient manner. Seemingly every Silicon Valley giant has put down a stake in the race to create the first quantum computer, including Microsoft, Intel, Google and many others. Scientists are using powerful X-rays to help preserve 1,200 cannonballs found on Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose, nearly 500 years after it perished. The cannonballs, which are the largest assemblage of cast iron shot from Tudor England, are currently kept away from public gaze in low humidity containers. Having spent centuries in the sea outside Portsmouth Harbour, they are permeated with chlorine - which means they will corrode if put on display. In a race to save the collection, experts are testing a new X-ray technique on 12 of them to find out how much chlorine is inside the shot and where they are corroding. Scroll down for video Scientists are using powerful X-rays to help preserve the 1,200 cannonballs (pictured) found on Henry VIII's ship, the Mary Rose nearly 500 years after it perished near Portsmouth The ship went on display in the Mary Rose museum exactly 471 years after it perished in the Solent, just outside Portsmouth Harbour, on July 19, 1545 The ship went on display in the Mary Rose museum exactly 471 years after it perished in the Solent, just outside Portsmouth Harbour, on July 19, 1545. In total, 19,000 items were carefully retrieved from the wreck, including the bones of sailors, a dog called Hatch and a vast stash of cannonballs. The cannonballs provide experts with an incredible insight into the production of cast iron in the 1500s. 'The 1248 [cannonballs] provide a snapshot of material and manufacturing process at a specific point in time', Dr Alexzandra Hildred, Head of Research and Curator of Ordnance told MailOnline. More than 400 of the cannonballs have an 'H' mark which would have been cut into the original mould. 'Stylistic variations in the size and shape of the H suggest different workshops', Dr Hildred said. The cannonballs, which are the largest assemblage of cast iron shot from Tudor England, are currently kept away from public gaze in low humidity containers Having spent centuries in the sea, they are permeated with chlorine which means they corrode if put on display. In a race to save the collection, experts are testing a new X-ray technique on 12 of them to find out how much chlorine is inside the shot and where they are corroding 'Specifically tailored to fit certain guns, matching shot to guns enables predictions about which guns used more often; therefore some idea about battle tactics', she said. Marine archaeological iron is notoriously difficult to conserve due to the presence of chlorine from the salt in seawater. Experts have managed to get rid of some chlorine from the cannon balls by soaking them but it's still not enough, according to BBC reports. 'When put on display in the new Mary Rose Museum in 2013, the conserved shot that had been treated by soaking (two different solutions) started to corrode, indicating chlorine was still present and therefore they were taken off display', Dr Eleanor Schofield, conservation manager for the Mary Rose told MailOnline. Dr Scholfield then decided to use light X-rays in order to visualise differences in corrosion profiles and trace the effect of treatment applied. 'We have taken just 12 of the cannonballs - less than one per cent of the Mary Rose's stock but enough to provide statistical validity of our findings - to investigate different methods of conservation', she said. More than 400 of the cannonballs have an 'H' mark which would have been cut into the original mould (pictured). Stylistic variations in the size and shape of the H suggest they were made in different workshops Marine archaeological iron is notoriously difficult to conserve due to the presence of chlorine from the salt in seawater. Experts have managed to get rid of some chlorine from the cannon balls by soaking them but it's still not enough. Pictured is a cannon found on board the ship This will be done using a powerful X-ray facility called the Diamond Light Source in Didcot in Oxfordshire. 'Our sample is unique as all were raised from the sea at the same time, made at the same time, and are of very similar construction as only one iron blast furnace existed in Britain at the time. 'Once we've found the solution, the cannonballs can be preserved for generations to come and the science made available globally to everyone working to conserve maritime or iron-rich artefacts', she said. Researchers will mimic the corrosion process by exposing metal and chlorine to a set of solutions and measuring the changes weekly for the next six months to a year. 'This crucial information will be used to inform our future conservation, and will be of interest to the wider community around the world dealing with this complex material', Dr Scholfield said. The Mary Rose (artist's impression) sank in battle with the French, killing more than 500 men. Incredibly, the starboard hull remained intact by being embedded in mud on the seabed, which prevented it from being eroded by tides and bacteria Researchers will mimic the corrosion process by exposing metal and chlorine to a set of solutions and measuring the changes weekly for the next six months to a year This will be done using a powerful X-ray facility called the Diamond Light Source in Didcot in Oxfordshire (pictured) HOW THE MARY ROSE WAS SALVAGED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SOLENT The vessel, Henry VIII's flagship, was put on display in the Mary Rose museum exactly 471 years after it perished in the Solent, just outside Portsmouth Harbour, on July 19, 1545. The Mary Rose sank in battle with the French, killing more than 500 men. Incredibly, the starboard hull remained intact by being embedded in mud on the seabed, which prevented it from being eroded by tides and bacteria. For decades, it was constantly coated with millions of litres of finely-sprayed, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5C (41F). That process, along with a series of wax chemicals, were used to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity. Then, in 1985, the ship was turned upright and titanium props were installed to support the internal structure and work was undertaken to remove as much sediment as possible. From 1994, active conservation commenced with the spraying of Polyethylene Glycol (Peg), a water-soluble polymer which can penetrate deep into the wood and support the cell walls. Then, in April 2013, the Peg sprays were turned off and the hull was kept in a state of controlled air-drying phase 100 tonnes of water during the next four to five years. Once drying was complete, the internal walls surrounding the hull were removed so visitors would be able to see a completely unobstructed view of the hull. However, the drying process has caused unwanted movement which they are now monitoring with special cameras as they try to prop up the ship using scaffolding. Advertisement The Mary Rose sank in battle with the French, killing more than 500 men. Incredibly, the starboard hull remained intact by being embedded in mud on the seabed, which prevented it from being eroded by tides and bacteria. Since being raised in 1982 - an event watched by 60 million viewers worldwide - the hull has been kept in highly protective surroundings. For decades, the ship was constantly coated with millions of litres of finely-sprayed, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5C (41F). That process, along with a series of wax chemicals, were used to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity. Then, in 1985, the ship was turned upright and titanium props were installed to support the internal structure and work was undertaken to remove as much sediment as possible. From 1994, active conservation commenced with the spraying of Polyethylene Glycol (Peg), a water-soluble polymer which can penetrate deep into the wood and support the cell walls. Then, in April 2013, the Peg sprays were turned off and the hull was kept in a state of controlled air-drying phase 100 tonnes of water during the next four to five years. That process, along with a series of wax chemicals, were used to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity For decades, the ship was constantly coated with millions of litres of finely-sprayed, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5C (41F) Once drying was complete, the internal walls surrounding the hull were removed so visitors would be able to see a completely unobstructed view of the hull - a phase that was seen as the culmination of the project (pictured) Once drying was complete, the internal walls surrounding the hull were removed so visitors would be able to see a completely unobstructed view of the hull - a phase that was seen as the culmination of the project. Small viewing panels were replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony entered through an airlock so the ship can be seen in all its glory. The carved Tudor rose - the earliest English figurehead representing the ship's name - was retrieved from the bottom of the Solent more than a decade ago as a small piece of wood. The conserved artefact - which still has its carvings despite years of erosion while languishing in the silt of the sea - has now been officially identified as the flower which was fixed to the bow of the Mary Rose. Since being raised in 1982 (pictured) - an event watched by 60 million viewers worldwide - the hull has been kept in highly protective surroundings Last year, the Mary Rose Trust asked the University of Portsmouth for help to enhance the carvings to see what was there. Pictured is the ship being raised The rose was found in 2003, after a group of divers working on a Ministry of Defence excavation made what would transpire to be a hugely historic discovery. The divers had been searching the area for the ship's bowcastle and were trying to raise the Tudor ship's stem and anchor after the government applied to widen and straighten the channel. As these pieces were being prepared for lifting, the divers came across a carved wooden artefact, which was about four feet long and shaped like a lollipop. Unsure what it was, the wood was raised and put into a water tank at the Mary Rose Museum where it was kept without investigation. But, more than a decade on, it has now been properly identified as the ship's emblem. Last year, the Mary Rose Trust asked the University of Portsmouth for help to enhance the carvings to see what was there. Terrorists in vans who try to mow down pedestrians may think again, thanks to a new device that can be installed along kerbs to quickly puncture their tyres. When a vehicle drives over a CatClaw, which is the size of a small orange, its weight pushes a button down, exposing a sharp steel tube that quickly punctures the tyre. The device, which is currently only at the prototype phase, will also act as a deterrent against illegal pavement parking. Its creator envisages it being installed in its thousands along kerbs and other pedestrianised areas around the world. Scroll down for video When a car drives over a CatClaw, its weight pushes a button down, exposing a sharp steel tube that quickly punctures the tyre. While the device is only at the prototype phase, CatClaw's inventor says it may one day prevent terror attacks involving cars Yannick Read, from the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), was inspired to invent the device after watching footage of terror attacks involving cars. To prevent terror attacks at certain locations, physical obstructions such as steel bollards or concrete blocks are the only practicable counter-measure. The car used to attack pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in March of 2017, for example, would have been rendered undriveable if all its tyres had been punctured by CatClaw. This could have prevented its driver from reaching high speeds and staying in control of the vehicle. It's not always feasible to install bollards and blocks, however. CatClaw provides a 'cheap and effective secondary line of defence over a widespread area,' the ETA says. According to Mr Read, CatClaw poses no threat to pedestrians as a person standing on top of the device would not be heavy enough to activate it. He said: '43 people were killed last year by cars and lorries as they walked along a pavement or verge, so I invented CatClaw to reduce this type of terror as much as to tackle politically-motivated attacks.' The ETA suggests that CatClaw can provide a powerful deterrent against illegal pavement parking where is installed. Twitter users have expressed their frustration over drivers parking on pavements. Twitter user @AndyFraser posted photos of a car parked o a pavement, and wrote: 'Anyone who is disabled or pushing a pushchair won't be able to get passed the idiot. I had to walk on the road' When a car drives over a CatClaw, its weight pushes a button down, exposing a sharp steel tube that quickly punctures the tyre. While the device is only at the prototype phase, CatClaw's inventor says it may one day prevent terror attacks involving cars CatClaw is the size of a small orange and is designed to be installed in its thousands along kerbs and pavements Each unit takes three minutes to install, doesn't require an energy supply or upkeep, and costs only a few pounds to produce. CatClaw's can be installed surrounded by solar-powered LED markers as a warning, if necessary. Mr Read told the Bristol Post that the problem of pavement parking is growing. 'The rise of internet shopping means we hear complaints from many people about delivery drivers - couriers and supermarket delivery vans - who would rather pull up onto the pavement to make deliveries thank risk the anger of drivers stuck behind them,' he said. To prevent terror attacks at certain locations, physical obstructions such as steel bollards or concrete blocks are the only practicable counter-measure. CatClaw offers a more comapct alternative Mr Read added that he believes it's not just delivery drivers who are at fault and that our impatient society is also to blame. 'Driving on pavements has become socially acceptable - people don't think anything of it,' he said. Mr Read said the response to his CatClaw prototype has been mostly positive and that he welcomes any critical input from the public. Twitter users have expressed their frustration over drivers parking on pavements, including Chessington North's local policing team which posted photos of cars on pavements on the social media site 'We've shown the principle works,' he said. 'It wouldn't be appropriate to put them everywhere. 'I'd be interested to hear their objections,' said Mr Read. While it is illegal to park on the pavement in London, it is legal to do so in other parts of the UK if road signs permit it. Advertisement A reservoir in Derbyshire has been transformed into an icy wonderland thanks to the Pest from the West. Wildlife photographer Gerald Robinson captured the striking ribbon-like ice formations under the water at Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District National Park on Wednesday night. Mr Robinson, 57, has visited the area for 20 years and claims he has never seen anything like it on previous trips. Experts have suggested the mysterious formation could be the result of 'snow fall ice', in which snow falls onto the surface of a still body of water, melts slightly and is then blown as a slush into wave-like patterns. Scroll down for video A reservoir in Derbyshire has been transformed into an icy wonderland thanks to the Pest from the West. Wildlife photographer Gerald Robinson captured the striking ribbon-like ice formations under the water at Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District National Park on Wednesday night Mr Robinson, 57, has visited the reservoir and surroundings for 20 years but claims he has never seen anything like it on previous trips Professor Chris Fogwell, a glaciologist at Keele University in Staffordshire, told MailOnline: 'The images are intriguing. "Snow fall ice" looks like a good candidate. 'If there had been some snowfall onto the lake surface then in appears that subsequent wind could have folded the slush layer into the patterns illustrated in the pictures.' Dr Emily Shuckburgh, an oceanographer with the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey, agreed. She told MailOnline: 'My guess is that its just the sort of patterns that you get when you have snow light snow falling on the ice, blown around by the wind, like on sand dunes, with some freezing and thawing. 'Ive definitely seen similar things on the river in Boston, Massacheussets.' The Pest from the West is a bout of poor weather that has hit parts of northern England and Scotland this week. An expert has said the mysterious formation could be the result of 'ice ribbons', which normally form on land, appear at the surface of the water when super-cooled liquid expands as it freezes, forming cracks An expert has said the mysterious formation could be the result of 'ice ribbons', which normally form on land, appear at the surface of the water when super-cooled liquid expands as it freezes, forming cracks Another suggested the pattern is a type of 'skim ice', which is the very first, thin layer of ice that forms at the surface of lakes and reservoirs WHAT CAUSED A STRANGE ICE PATTERN TO FORM ON A PEAK DISTRICT RESERVOIR? A series of stunning wavey patterns formed on a reservoir in the Peak District this week, and were captured by wildlife photographer Gerald Robinson. Ice sheets form when water droplets crystallise at the surface of a patch of still water. These crystals quickly join up to form a solid layer of ice on top of the water. If the water is shifting, the ice crystals are not able to join together, and instead form odd patterns. The Pest from the West weather front that has hit the UK this week brought both freezing conditions and strong winds. This meant the water in the reservoir was too choppy for solid blocks of ice to form. The patterns may have been compounded by snow falling on the water, which quickly turned to slush before it was blown by the wind, folding over and re-freezing to form the wavy patterns, researchers said. Dr Jeremy Wilkinson, an ice researcher at the British Antarctic Survey, told MailOnline that this is 'a bit like if you pushed/compressed a tissue you would see an undulating pattern.' Advertisement It followed last week's Beast from the East, bringing in up to four inches of snow on higher ground. Mr Robinson, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, had been driving past the reservoir on Wednesday night when he spotted the unique patterns, which he says look like ribbons or smoke fumes. He pulled over to get a closer look, taking his camera with him. Speaking about what he found, he said: 'It's the first time I have ever seen anything like that on Ladybower Reservoir. Nature is truly amazing. 'These ice formations are quite unusual. I have been going to Peak District for two decades in all weathers and never seen anything like it before. 'I had a drive out to the Peak District after Wednesday's snowfall as I am still recovering from a hip replacement six weeks ago. Mr Robinson, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, had been driving past the reservoir on Wednesday night when he spotted the unique patterns which look like ribbons or smoke fumes, and pulled over to get a closer look, taking his camera with him The strange formations may be the result of the Pest from the West - a bout of poor weather that has hit parts of northern England and Scotland this week 'Getting out with the camera is best form of therapy for recovery. 'I spotted the formations from the road so parked up the car and had a short walk to the side of the reservoir and that is when I noticed it was snow. 'I also asked some guys in a small boat to confirm it was snow and ice. To me it looked like sand dunes in the desert. Ice sheets form when crystals crystallise in a patch of still water. These crystals then quickly join up to form a solid layer of ice on top of the water Professor Chris Fogwell, a glaciologist at Keele University in Staffordshire, told MailOnline: 'The images are intriguing. "Snow fall ice" looks like a good candidate. 'If there had been some snowfall onto the lake surface then in appears that subsequent wind could have folded the slush layer into the patterns illustrated in the pictures' If the water is constantly moving and wavy, ice crystals that form there are not as able to to join together. This means the ice moves through the water with astonishing patterns WHAT IS THE 'PEST FROM THE WEST'? The Pest from the West is a bout of poor weather that has hit parts of northern England and Scotland. The Beast from the East gave way to the Pest from the West for much of northern England on Thursday, bringing in up to four inches of snow on higher ground. The low pressure system coming up across the Atlantic Ocean from the South West is expected to lead to thunder on the south coast on Saturday, gales at exposed spots in the south west and up to an inch (30mm) of rain. Forecasters warned of sleet and snow for upland areas and some lower ground in central and northern England and Wales earlier this week. The Met Office said up to 4in (10cm) of snow was expected to fall on higher ground. A Met Office snow warning, covering the East Midlands, North West England, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber and Wales, came into force just after midnight on Wednesday and ran until late on Thursday morning. A yellow ice warning was also put in place for Northern Ireland and a swathe of Scotland until 9am on Thursday, with forecasters predicting that slippery patches were likely to form on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. There were several reports of slow-related bus accidents in West Yorkshire, with one in Wakefield where a bus skidded on ice and hit a wall, and another bus crash on Churwell Hill in South Leeds. The Pest from the West is a bout of poor weather expected that hit parts of northern England and Scotland Advertisement 'I looked up the ice formation and for it to happen, the water and air temperature have to be just right. It also happens a lot in Antarctica. 'It might have happened there before but I've certainly never seen it, it's an unusual event. 'I've showed people the pictures and they're just amazing. Someone jokingly asked me 'when did you go to Antarctica? I believe it's ice underneath the water and snow.' Mr Robinson said: 'I spotted the formations from the road so parked up the car and had a short walk to the side of the reservoir and that is when I noticed it was snow. I also asked some guys in a small boat to confirm it was snow and ice. To me it looked like sand dunes in the desert' He added: 'I looked up the ice formation and for it to happen, the water and air temperature have to be just right. It also happens a lot in Antarctica' Nasa wants to fly your name to the sun aboard a groundbreaking probe it is sending into the star's atmosphere. The agency is inviting people to include their name on a microchip aboard its Parker Solar Probe, which is launching on a historic research mission in July. The probe will fly closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it to collect vital information about the life of stars and their 'weather', including solar flares. Nasa has opened submissions to fly your name aboard the craft, and all you need to be included is your name and email address. Scroll down for video Nasa wants to fly your name to the sun aboard a probe it is sending into the star's atmosphere. The agency is inviting people to include their name on a microchip aboard its Parker Solar Probe (artist's impression), which is launching on a historic sun-studying mission in July Applications are open until April 27, 2018, ahead of the craft's planned launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 31. In a video publicising Nasa's 'hot ticket' project, Star Trek actor William Shatner said: 'The first-ever spacecraft to the sun, Nasa's Parker Solar Probe, will launch this year on a course to orbit through the heat of our star's corona, where temperatures are greater than one million degrees. 'The spacecraft will also carry my name to the sun, and your name, and the names of everyone who wants to join this voyage of extreme exploration.' To add your name to the Parker Solar Probe (PSP)'s memory card, go to Nasa's 'hot ticket' page and enter your forename, surname and email address. Nasa will send then send you an email to confirm your credentials. Click the link in the message and then select 'confirm my submission'. The agency even offers you a free digital certificate with your name and the date on that you can print or download. On its website, Nasa says: 'Submit your name and it will be included in a memory card that will fly aboard Parker Solar Probe spacecraft. In a video publicising Nasa's 'hot ticket' project, Star Trek actor William Shatner said: 'The first-ever spacecraft to the sun, Nasa's Parker Solar Probe, will launch this year on a course to orbit through the heat of our star's corona, where temperatures are greater than 1 million degrees. Nasa has opened submissions to fly your name aboard the Parker Solar Probe, and all you need to be included is your name and email address WHAT IS NASA'S PARKER SOLAR PROBE? The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) travelled seven times closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it Nasa's Parker Solar Probe (PSP) will travel seven times closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it by the end of its mission. It launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on August 12 2018. The probe flew to the sun's outer atmosphere to study life of stars and their weather events. It is hoped that PSP can help scientists to better understand solar flares - brief eruptions of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface that can knock out communications on Earth. Over the next five years the probe will continue to make new discoveries as it moves closer to the Sun, eventually making its closest approach in the year 2024, as it flies 3.9 million miles above the solar surface. The craft faces extremes in heat and radiation and will reach speeds of up to 430,000 miles per hour (700,000 kph) at its closest flyby of the star. The craft's kit includes a white light imager called Whisper, which will take images of solar waves as the craft propels through them at high speeds. To measure the 'bulk plasma' of solar winds - described by Nasa as the 'bread and butter' of the flares - a set of magnetic imaging equipment will also be stored on board. Advertisement 'Come with us as we plunge through the Sun's atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it, facing brutal heat and radiation conditions - and ultimately providing humanity with the first-ever close-up view of a star.' Nasa began testing its new probe earlier this year ahead of its launch this summer. The agency has previously said the probe will 430,000mph (692,000km/h) probe will 'touch the sun' when it reaches the star's outer atmosphere. The craft will collect vital information about the life of stars and their weather events. The agency even offers you a free digital certificate with your name and the date on that you can print or download The Parker Solar Probe spacecraft will fly closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it to collect vital information about the life of stars and their weather events This will help scientists improve how we predict dangerous solar flares, which can disrupt satellites and power supplies here on Earth. In January, experts from Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland lowered the PSP into a 40 foot (12 metre) tall thermal vacuum chamber. The chamber simulates the harsh conditions that the spacecraft will experience on its journey through space, including near-vacuum conditions and severe hot and cold temperatures. Engineers will pull the spacecraft out of the chamber in mid-March after a seven-week stint for final tests and packing before it is sent to Florida, where it's scheduled to launch on July 31 aboard a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle. Datat collected by the PSP will help scientists improve how we predict dangerous solar flares (artist's impression), which can disrupt satellites and power supplies here on Earth In a written statement, a spokesman for the space agency said in January: 'Nasa's historic Parker Solar Probe mission will revolutionise our understanding of the Sun, where changing conditions can propagate out into the solar system, affecting Earth and other worlds. 'Parker Solar Probe will travel through the sun's atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it, facing brutal heat and radiation conditions and ultimately providing humanity with the closest-ever observations of a star.' Nasa gave a sneak peak of its new probe in September 2017, including newly installed thermal shielding that can withstand temperatures of 1,371C (2,500 F). Nasa begun testing its Parker Solar Probe in January. It will 'touch the sun' when it launches into space this summer. The Parker Solar Probe (pictured) will spend seven weeks in vacuum chamber, simulating the harsh conditions that the spacecraft will experience in space The device has now been shown in flight configuration for the first time at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where it is being built. After launch, it will reach an orbit within four million miles (6.5 million km) of the sun and will measure activity at its outer surface, known as the 'corona'. The revolutionary heat shield that will protect the spacecraft was installed for the first time on September 21, 2017. It measures 8 ft (2.43 m) in diameter and is made of a 4.5 inch-thick (11.43 cm) carbon-composite. The revolutionary heat shield (top left) that will protect the spacecraft was installed for the first time on Sept 21. This is the only time the spacecraft will have its thermal protection system - which will reach temperatures of 2,500 F (1,371C) while at the sun - attached until launch Nasa officially announced PSP during a live stream event in May at the University of Chicago's William Eckhardt Research Centre Auditorium. 'We wanted to take the challenge of going to the worst thermal environment in the solar system - and surviving it,' said Dr Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of Nasa's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The craft will collect vital information about the life of stars and their weather events, and will help scientists predict solar flares 'We want to measure the environment there and find what the heating processes are that make the corona hot, and what processes accelerate the solar wind.' Dr Zurbuchen then announced, live on air, that the probe - originally dubbed the Solar Probe Plus - was to be renamed the Parker Solar Probe after University of Chicago scientist Eugene Parker, who pioneered solar wind science. Dr Parker, who was also speaking at the event, responded: 'I am extremely honoured to be associated with this heroic space mission.' Dr Nicola Fox, mission project scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, then took to the stage. She said that until now, Nasa didn't have the advanced materials needed to make such a close trip to the sun's corona. She added that the corona is actually hotter than the sun's centre, and that finding out why is a key part of the probe mission. 'I like to think of this as the coolest, hottest mission,' she said. She explained that Parker Solar Probe will gradually 'surf' closer and closer to the sun, into its corona. The craft will to withstand higher temperatures than any probe that has come before it. 'We will finally touch the sun,' she said. Answering questions from the audience, Dr Fox described some of the state-of-the-art equipment that the Parker Solar Probe will carry. The craft's kit includes a white light imager called Whisper, which will take images of solar waves as the craft propels through them at high speeds. To measure the 'bulk plasma' of solar winds - which Dr Fox described as the 'bread and butter' of the flares - a set of magnetic imaging equipment will also be stored on board. The spacecraft will swoop within 4 million miles (6.5 million km) of the sun's surface - bringing it seven times closer to the sun's surface than any spacecraft before it. The craft will face extremes in heat and radiation and will reach speeds of up to 450,000 miles per hour (725,000 kph) at its closest flyby of the star. It is hoped that PSP can help scientists to better understand solar flares - brief eruptions of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface that can knock out communications on Earth. According to Nasa, observations from this new vantage point will help to uncover the physics of how stars work, and could improve our ability to predict space weather. These events have impacts on Earth as well as the satellites and astronauts in space. Scientists have long wanted to send a probe through the sun's corona to better understand the solar wind and the material it carries into our solar system. 'This is going to be our first mission to fly to the sun,' Eric Christian, a Nasa research scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said of the mission in 2017. 'We can't get to the very surface of the sun,' but the mission will get close enough to answer three important questions, he said. Until scientists can explain what is going on up close to the sun, they will not be able to accurately predict space weather effects that cause havoc at Earth. The latest mission could help predict a 'huge solar event', Nasa says. The sun is the source of the solar wind; a flow of gases that streams past Earth at speeds of more than a million miles per hour (1.6 million km per hour). Disturbances in the solar wind shake Earth's magnetic field and pump energy into the radiation belts. The PSP will be protected by the sun's heat by a 4.5 inch-thick (11.43 cm) carbon-composite shield One recent study by the National Academy of Sciences estimated that without advance warning a huge solar event could cause two trillion dollars in damage in the US alone. It could leave the eastern seaboard of the US could be without power for a year. Millions of tons of highly magnetised material can erupt from the sun at speeds of several million miles an hour. 'This mission will provide insight on a critical link in the sun-Earth connection. Data will be key to understanding and, perhaps, forecasting space weather,' said Nasa. 'Until we can explain what is going on up close to the sun, we will not be able to accurately predict space weather effects that can cause havoc at Earth.' 'At its closest point, the PSP will be travelling at 450,000 miles per hour.' Waymo, the autonomous vehicle arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, says it will be releasing self-driving trucks onto the streets of Atlanta. The vehicles will carry cargo around the region for Google's data centers. The announcement comes two days after rival Uber Technologies said its self-driving trucks will haul cargo on Arizona highways. And, Elon Musk shared a photo this week of Tesla's electric big rigs in the parking lot of the firm's Gigafactory, ahead of their first cargo run to the California factory. Waymo has been road testing its self-driving trucks in California and Arizona over the last year, since announcing them in July 2017. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle division of Google's parent company, Alphabet, announced today that its self-driving trucks will be tested on Atlanta highways. The vehicles will haul cargo for Google's data centers in the region 'As our self-driving trucks hit the highways in the region, we will have highly-trained drivers in the cabs to monitor systems and take control if needed,' Waymo said in a blog post. A slew of companies are now racing to perfect self-driving vehicle technologies. Autonomous vehicles offer a multi-billion-dollar opportunity to remake urban transportation systems, and companies ranging from Tesla and Apple to traditional car makers such as Ford and General Motors are vying to dominate the market. Waymo, which is among the leaders for this technology, expects autonomous vehicles to be able to take over longer distance trucking in the coming years, while allowing human drivers to handle local pickup and delivery routes. People will be riding in the self-driving semis on Atlanta's streets, monitoring the trucks. A statement from Waymo said they will be in place to take control of the vehicles if the need arises 'If you are in the Atlanta area, look for a bright blue Waymo truck making a run,' Waymo said. The company's statement explained that the software behind its self-driving passenger vehicles was adapted to allow its big rigs to operate without a driver. Waymo said: 'The principles are the same, but things like braking, turning and blind spots are different with a fully-loaded truck and trailer. 'Our self-driving trucks use the same suite of custom built sensors that power our self-driving minivan. The technology used in Waymo's self-driving passenger cars was implemented into the development of the company's semis. The company said the adaptable technology helped expedite the development of its self-driving trucks, which were announced to the public in July 'They benefit from the same advanced self-driving software that has enabled our cars to go fully driverless in Arizona.' The company chose Atlanta as its testing platform because Google's logistical operations are located there. Waymo said the self-driving trucks' test runs on Atlanta roads will help the company develop their technology further. It also explained that the move will help Waymo integrate its technology into shipping and carrying operations, factories, ports, distribution centers and terminals. Scientists are recruiting members of the public to help clean up the shores of Great Britain. Plastic waste is scattered across the beaches of the UK and a computer programme is being developed to help spot the litter. The charity campaign needs human volunteers to help train an artificial intelligence algorithm that will automatically spot plastic in pictures taken by drones. Scroll down for video The Plastic Tide is a charity that is recruiting members of the public to spot plastic litter in drone-footage to train a computer algorithm Plastic Tide, the charity behind the project, hopes to harness cutting edge drone and algorithm technology to create an open source map of the plastic pollution problem. Peter Kohler, founder and director of The Plastic Tide, said: 'Marine creatures die each year through starvation due to eating plastic that stays in their stomach, making them feel full. 'It is estimated that we eat up to 11,000 pieces of microplastics a year and, if nothing is done to tackle the issue of plastic in our oceans, it's estimated that there will be 80 million metric tonnes of plastic going in to the sea a year by 2025. 'The good thing though is everyone has the opportunity to be part of the solution. 'Helping identify rubbish on The Plastic Tide site will be one invaluable way of helping to keep our beaches clean.' The citizen science initiative is being launched in line with the British Science Association, based in London, and British Science Week. Ivvet Modinou, head of engagement at the British Science Association, said: 'Everyone can get involved in science, and British Science Week is the perfect way for people of all backgrounds, ages and interests to take part in a project like The Plastic Tide and make a difference. 'We encourage everyone to put their scientist hat on today and start tagging.' The Plastic Tide has used drones to fly over beaches, taking thousands of images which are then uploaded to a website. Here, people can browse the pictures and tag bits of litter they see Volunteers are being recruited to help rid the shores of the UK from plastic waste. Drones and citizen science are being combined to help spot the litter Drone footage of the UK beaches are being uploaded to a website where the images can be trawled through by volunteers who pick out any plastic waste The Plastic Tide used drones to fly over beaches, taking thousands of images which are then uploaded to a website. Here, people can browse the pictures and tag bits of litter they see. The information from the public is used to teach a machine-learning algorithm how to spot litter from the drone images, to build a much clearer picture of how bad plastic pollution is. According to the new project, the most common items of rubbish found on UK beaches are plastic rope and pieces of net. Eight million tonnes of plastics find their way into the ocean every year Of 30 billion plastic bottles used by UK households each year, only 57 per cent are currently recycled. With half of these going to landfill, half of all plastic bottles that are recycled go to waste. Around 700,000 plastic bottles a day end up as litter. This is largely due to plastic wrapping around bottles that are non-recyclable. Bottles are a major contributor to the increasing amount of plastic waste in the world's oceans. Researchers warned eight million tonnes of plastics currently find their way into the ocean every year - the equivalent of one truckload every minute. The amount of plastic rubbish in the world's oceans will outweigh fish by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to further recycle, a report released in 2016 revealed. At current rates, this will worsen to four truckloads per minute in 2050 and outstrip native life to become the largest mass inhabiting the oceans. An overwhelming 95 per cent of plastic packaging - worth 65 - 92billion - is lost to the economy after a single use, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation report stated. And available research estimates that there are more than 150 million tonnes of plastics in the ocean today. Plastic pollution is ruining the ecosystems of the world, both marine and terrestrial. It litters shorelines, snags animals and suffocates entire populations of animals So much plastic is dumped into the sea each year that it would fill five carrier bags for every foot of coastline on the planet, scientists have warned. More than half of the plastic waste that flows into the oceans comes from just five countries: China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The only industrialized western country on the list of top 20 plastic polluters is the United States at No. 20. The US and Europe are not mismanaging their collected waste, so the plastic trash coming from those countries is due to litter, researchers said. While China is responsible for 2.4 million tons of plastic that makes its way into the ocean, nearly 28 percent of the world total, the United States contributes just 77,000 tons, which is less than one percent, according to the study published in the journal Science. Advertisement Plastic from food packaging made up a fifth (21 per cent) of all the rubbish found. The citizen science initiative is being launched in line with the British Science Association and British Science Week to help solve the plastic problem Fragments of plastic and foam make up around 29 per cent of the litter. Seven per cent comes from plastic food wrappers and five per cent from plastic bags and four per cent from plastic bottles. In total, plastic from food packaging made up a fifth (21 per cent) of all the rubbish found. Whilst food packaging waste makes up a large portion of the waste, more unusual items have also been spotted. According to the new project, the most common items of rubbish found on UK beaches are plastic rope and pieces of net Whilst food packaging waste makes up a large portion of the waste, more unusual items have also been spotted. A solar panel mushroom, a toilet seat, a headless teddy bear and a 20-year-old Lego cutlass have all been spotted A solar panel mushroom, a toilet seat, a headless teddy bear and a 20-year-old Lego cutlass have all been spotted. Ultimately, the machine-algorithm will be able to automatically assess drone surveys and provide information that could help target clean-up efforts. The initiative hopes to use British Science Week to get more than 250,000 image tags. Research from the University of Surrey has found that, while people feel their mood is lifted by being at the coast, littered beaches have a negative impact on their mental state. A strange two-faced mutant goat with two mouths and four eyes has been born in Pakistan, a strange video reveals. The baffling creature is shown suckling on a milk bottle in the short clip which has has been circulated online. This unusual creature appears to have a condition called polycephaly, which derives from the Greek word poly, meaning 'many' and kephale, meaning 'head'. A bizarre two-faced mutant goat with two mouths and four eyes has been born in Pakistan, a strange video reveals (pictured) Animals with this condition, also referred to as dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso. Each head of a polycephalic animal has its own brain, and they share control of the organs and limbs, though the specific structure of the connections varies between each case. Animals with the condition rarely live beyond a few months. 'Although rare, two-headed animals have been documented since the 1800s', according to the video website Newsflare. The unusual condition was captured in a brief film taken in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, according to the website. Puzzled onlookers could be heard referring to the phenomenon as 'a wonder of nature'. They are referred to as bicephalic or dicephalic if the animals have two heads. If they have three heads they are referred to as tricephalic. The baffling creature is shown suckling on a milk bottle in the shot clip which has has been circulated online This unusual creature appears to have a condition called polycephaly, which derives from the Green word poly, meaning 'many' and kephale, meaning 'head' How do animals with two heads function? Two-headed animals have a condition called polycephaly, which derives from the Greek word poly, meaning 'many' and kephale, meaning 'head'. Animals with this condition, also referred to as dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso. Animals with this condition, also referred to as dicephalic parapagus, have two heads on one torso. The unusual condition was captured in a brief film taken in Rawalpindi, Pakistan of a goat (pictured) Each head of a polycephalic animal has its own brain, and they share control of the organs and limbs, though the specific structure of the connections varies between each case. Animals with the condition rarely live beyond a few months. They are referred to as bicephalic or dicephalic if the animals have two heads. If they have three heads they are referred to as tricephalic. 'Although rare, two-headed animals have been documented since the 1800s', according to the video website Newsflare. Advertisement Last year, another mutant goat with human-like facial features was circulated on the internet. Footage of the odd animal swept the web after the creature was discovered in an Indian village. It appeared to have the facial structure of a human thanks to its delicate nose and lips, which appeared to be bent upwards forming a pout on its face. Its nose also resembled that of a human's rather than the snout of a goat. Footage of the bizarre human-like goat has swept the web after the creature was discovered in an Indian village The pictures were taken from a video which shows two people pulling the animal around while trying to determine what it is The pictures were uploaded onto social media by Samiraa Aissa who shared them with her Facebook friends. They were taken from a video which shows two people pulling the animal around while trying to determine what it is. The bizarre clip racked up tens of thousands of views from across the globe since it was uploaded online. She wrote: 'A strange creature has been discovered in India. The animal, whose shape resembles that of a human being, terrified a whole village.' If the world ever implodes as a result of an apocalypse, the last thing you'll want to worry about is 'What should I make for dinner tonight?' Thankfully, Costco has got you covered, with food kits that can feed a family for up to a year. The company is selling kits that range in price from about $1,000 to as much as $6,000. Shelling out a couple grand will get you up to 600 cans, which amounts to more than 36,000 servings of food -- plenty to survive most doomsday scenarios. Scroll down for video Pictured is the $6,000 Nutristore premium food kit. Available on Costco's website, the kit has 36,000 servings of food and includes 600 cans of various items like instant pasta and milk The kits include a variety of freeze-dried, dehydrated and instant foods, including rice, beans, broccoli, bananas, strawberries, chicken and milk. There's also a few essential spices and cooking ingredients, like 'butter powder.' Many of the freeze-dried items will last up to 25 years, while items like instant pinto bean flakes have a 30-year shelf life. Costco has been selling doomsday kits since at least last year, telling the Detroit Free Press: 'This is a great value with shipping included.' 'Enjoy the comfort in knowing you have the essential foods your family will need to survive an emergency or natural disaster!,' Costco's website notes. 'With 11 top quality flavorful and easy-to-prepare varieties in each pail, you can forget the hassle of creating an emergency meal plan for your family,' the site continues. The company hasn't disclosed how many doomsday kits it has sold, but judging by the user reviews made on the $4,000 Thrive 1-Year Food Storage kit, buyers are loving them. One consumer who reviewed the $4,000 Thrive food storage kit. The product description says it includes an 'excellent selection of grains, fruits, veggies and other essentials' Costco offers curbside delivery for the kits, which weigh approximately 1,800 pounds Another buyer said the product was 'peace of mind in a can,' while another referred to it as 'end of the world as we know it insurance.' Many gave the kits five-star ratings. For anyone who's afraid that having a doomsday food vault delivered to their house will freak out the neighbors, Costco promises that it will be 'packaged discreetly for privacy in shipping.' Still, the kits weigh approximately 1,800 pounds and are nearly six feet tall. The company also offers curbside delivery that will drop the kit off at the end of your driveway. Just in case the kits ever sell out on Costco's website, Walmart offers many of the same products, while Amazon also sells emergency meal packages. Having food and water on hand is also one of the top tips described by experts who have instructed how to survive a nuclear attack. Last January, nuclear survival videos were trending on YouTube and other platforms after researchers who manage the clock said President Donald Trump's policies on climate change and nuclear weapons were largely to blame for the change. In addition to stockpiling food, people suggested other basic tips like finding shelter, having an electricity generator on hand and purifying water. Scientists have also taken steps to preserve the world's food supplies in the event of a global catastrophe. HOW TO SURVIVE A NUCLEAR BOMB Experts have detailed a number of tips to improve your chances of survival in the event of a nuclear disaster, including: Pack an emergency supply kit containing water and non-perishable food items. When a nuclear bomb goes off, it sends out radiation that can ruin your mobile phone and laptop, so preparing battery-powered radios for communication is wise. For the blast, it is important to get as much concrete between you and the blast as possible. For the fall-out it's important to have thick walls and a thick roof, he says, and in a house it is a good idea to blockade all the windows. Scientists have devised the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (pictured) as a way to protect the world's food supply in the event of a global disaster. It's located in Norway But if you are outside and know the blast is coming, you might have time to get to a better shelter. First you should get on the ground with your hands behind your head and brace yourself for the blast. Never look at the blast, because it can cause you to go blind temporarily. The, after the blast, you have 30 minutes to get to the best place. Once you get inside remove your clothes and clean yourself straight away and blow your nose, to stop the radioactive materials from spreading, and do not use conditioner. If you cannot have a shower, wipe yourself with a wet cloth. Advertisement Located on an island off of Norway's northern coast, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault stores nearly one million samples of seeds, which represent 13,000 years of agricultural history. The vault provides a last resort back-up to a network of seed banks around the world, which store seeds but can be threatened by war, accidents and natural disasters. Permafrost and thick rock ensure seed samples remain frozen even without power. The vault aims to secure millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today. Researchers have discovered the origins of people living in Vanuatu, a country made up of islands off Australia's east coast. Vanuatu is known as a gateway connecting Asia and the Remote Pacific. By studying ancient remains as well as modern humans living in Vanuatu, scientists pieced together how exactly humans reached the territory as early as 3,000 years ago. For the research, the scientists used a combination of modern DNA samples and DNA from ancient skeletons. Additionally, the researchers studied archaeological clues to construct a 'complete timeline' of the history of humans living in Vanuatu. Scientists analyzed ancient remains, including those pictured here, as well as modern DNA samples for a new study tracking migration to Vanuatu, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean The new research was published in both Nature Ecology & Evolution and Current Biology. The team responsible for the work was made up of researchers from Harvard Medical School and Australian National University (ANU), among other institutions. The researchers found that the first humans to settle in Vanuatu were part of the Lapita culture and came from South East Asia. These individuals arrived in Vanuatu 3,000 years ago, and they were followed by people from New Britain, an island that is part of Papua New Guinea. ANU Professor Matthew Spriggs explained that people from South East Asia first traveled to New Britain before reaching Vanuatu. Professor Spriggs said: 'They came from New Britain, a Papuan island just east of New Guinea. 'This makes sense. New Britain has some of the earliest known Lapita sites. So what we think happened is that Lapita people, after arriving in New Britain, moved fairly directly on to Vanuatu and encouraged some of the local populations already in place on New Britain to move there as well.' Pictured is an ancient skeleton which was used to publish new research on the history of Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. Scientists analyzed both modern DNA and ancient remains to determine how people ended up in Vanuatu thousands of years ago ANU's Dr Stuart Bedford added that the study represents the first time that researchers have been able to analyze a sequence of DNA samples - without any gaps - collected from the Vanuatu islands. Dr Bedford said: 'We've been able to track a complete genetic timeline at regular intervals starting with the first inhabitants right through to modern times. 'The very first generation of people into Vanuatu are primarily Asian, then very quickly you see a series of migrations of Papuan people from the Bismarck Archipelago, who had been living in the region for around 50,000 years.' This trend continued for 3,000 years, the researchers discovered. WHERE DID THE LAPITA PEOPLE COME FROM? The Lapita people originated in Taiwan and nearby regions. Britannica reports that the Lapita people were 'highly mobile' seafaring explorers. By 2000 BCE they had established themselves in the Bismarck Archipelago. Around 1600 BCE they had moved to the Solomon Islands, and by 1000 BCE the Lapita people reached Tonga, Fiji and the remainder of western Polynesia. The researchers found that the Lapita people first went to New Britain Island before traveling to Vanuatu. After they went to Vanuatu, people from New Britain came close behind them By 500 BCE they had moved throughout Micronesia. The Lapita culture is known for pottery - the group is associated with fired pottery, including cooking pots, bowls and beakers. Many shards of pottery that are thought to have belonged to the Lapita people are illustrated with geometric designs. Additionally, some shards have shown figurative designs. Advertisement The genetic ancestry was almost fully replaced by the genetic ancestry of Papuan migrants over the course of the next 3,000 years. Dr Bedford said: 'The people of Vanuatu today, like many peoples of the Pacific, can claim a dual heritage.' The study highlights the Lapita culture's strength, which is evident in the language's continuity. Dr Bedford explained: 'The Lapita people, who originally came to Vanuatu from South East Asia, spoke a form of Austronesian. 'That language persisted, and over 120 descendant languages continue to be spoken today, making Vanuatu the most linguistically diverse place on Earth per capita. This is a unique case where a population's genetic ancestry was replaced but its languages continued.' Scientists have discovered evidence of free-flowing water more than 400 miles beneath Earths surface. An international team of researchers looking for molecular forms of carbon dioxide have stumbled upon traces of rare cubic crystals known as ice-VII, which does not form naturally at the surface. For ice-VII to form, water must be subjected to extremely high pressure such as that as found in Earths deep interior. These crystals, spotted in diamonds spewed from volcanoes and other geologic processes in China and parts of Africa, indicate the presence of water pockets in the boundary where the upper and lower mantle meet. Scroll down for video Diamonds from the boundary of the upper and lower mantle are incredibly rare. But, in samples spewed to the surface by volcanoes and other activities, scientists discovered evidence of free-flowing water more than 400 miles beneath the surface. File photo The new study, published to the journal Science, details the remarkable discovery of water in diamonds that originated deep beneath Earths surface, with some stemming from as far down as 660 kilometers (410 miles). Researchers analyzed diamonds from southern Africa, China, Zaire, and Sierra Leone, studying the diffraction of X-rays to assess their inclusions. And, in doing so, they spotted diffraction from ice-VII in the samples from Africa and China. This shows that this is a global phenomenon, says geoscientist Oliver Tschauner, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The team also detected traces of silicates, carbonates, oxides, and halides, suggesting there may be complex fluid deep within Earth. Diamonds from the boundary of the upper and lower mantle, known as the transition zone (TZ), are incredibly rare, making the latest discovery a remarkable find that holds major implications for our understanding of water in the mantle. Ice-VII has previously been detected in the lab when testing materials under extreme pressures but, its discovery in a naturally occurring form now stands as evidence of water-bearing fluid in actual deep Earth samples, according to the researchers. By retaining high pressures, ice-VII inclusions monitor the former presence of H2O-rich fluid at different depths in the diamond-bearing mantle, the authors explain in the paper. For ice-VII to form, water must be subjected to extremely high pressure such as that as found in Earths deep interior. These crystals indicate the presence of water pockets in the boundary where the upper and lower mantle meet. An illustration of Earth's interior is shown Remnants of former fluids and melts have been found as inclusions in many diamonds through infrared (IR) spectroscopy and microchemical analysis. On the basis of IR spectroscopy, a lower-pressure ice phase, VI, has been reported as an inclusion in diamond, but the fact that aqueous fluid has been trapped in the TZ or LM and crystallized as ice-VII was previously unknown. While prior research has hinted at the presence of water in the mantle, the detection of this unique crystallized form of water is the first to show it exists in fluid form this deep beneath the surface. According to the researchers, the diamonds analyzed in the study were created under temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. WHAT IS THE RARE 'ICE SEVEN'? It is one of the fundamental ingredients for life on Earth and covers around 71 per cent of our planet's surface, but it appears water is far more diverse than most of us could possibly imagine. A study, published in February 2016, discovered a new type of ice crystal that is super-lightweight. This brings the total number of frozen water forms up to 18. And, experts say it could reveal clues about flowing water on distant planets. A study, published in February 2016, discovered a new type of ice crystal that is super-lightweight. In the new type of ice, called Ice Seven (Ice VII), water molecules form an interlocking cage-like structure, called a clathrate (artists' impression) Most forms of ice float on water as the molecular structure it forms when crystallising makes it lighter than it is in liquid form. In the new type of ice, called Ice Seven (Ice VII), water molecules form an interlocking cage-like structure, called a clathrate. These molecules are thought to arrange themselves in this way at extreme pressures that cause the molecules to expand. Ice VII is thought to be produced naturally in otherworldly environments, such as when icy planetary bodies collide. Footage of water freezing into the strange, dense form called ice seven was captured for the first time (pictured) in July, 2017. The substance is produced in otherworldly environments, such as when icy planetary bodies collide Footage of water freezing into the strange, dense form of water ice was captured for the first time in July, 2017. Researchers at Stanford University wanted to examine the phase changes, the process materials undergo to change between gas, liquid and solid states, from water to ice VII. Delving into extraterrestrial ice types, including ice VII, will help scientists model remote interstellar environments. These can range from comets, the internal structures of potentially life-supporting, water-filled moons like Jupiter's Europa, and the dynamics of jumbo, rocky, oceanic exoplanets called super-Earths. Part of their motivation for doing so is to better understand how celestial bodies of ice could could create and support the building blocks of life. It might also open the way to engineering materials with exotic new properties. Advertisement As the water content of the mantle is known to play a key role in the water budget of Earth as a whole, the discovery could add important new insight on processes occurring in a region much too deep to observe, including how and where heat beneath the crust is generated. These discoveries are important in understanding that water-rich regions in the Earths interior can play a role in the global water budget and the movement of heat-generating radioactive elements, Tschauner said. Its another piece of the puzzle in understanding how our planet works. It looks like robots won't be cooking our hamburgers anytime soon. Flippy the burger-flipping robot has been fired from a CaliBurger restaurant in Pasadena after just one day on the job. The robot attracted so much national interest that the CaliBurger was forced to take Flippy offline, as it was too slow to keep up with the crowds. Now, a sign at the restaurant reads that Flippy will be 'cooking soon' and that his return date is 'TBA,' according to USA Today. Scroll down for video The artificial intelligence-driven robot is said to 'cook the perfect burger, every time.' Called Flippy, the machine is fitted with a 6-axis robotic arm, which it uses to flip burgers. Pictured is an older model of the robot, which used a claw instead of a spatula Flippy only started manning the grill at the CaliBurger restaurant this week. Its creators, robotics firm Miso Robotics, had hoped to bring Flippy to 50 other CaliBurger locations across the U.S., including Seattle, Washington, DC and Annapolis, Maryland. But it seems those plans for the artificial intelligence-driven robot will be put on hold for now. Flippy has been switched off at the CaliBurger grill while its human helpers also receive a crash course in how to work efficiently alongside the robot, USA Today noted. Employees are being taught how to put burger patties together, season them and prepare them for the robot to grab them. 'Mostly it's the timing,' Anthony Lomelino, chief technology officer for CaliBurger's parent company, Cali Group, told USA Today. 'When you're in the back, working with people, you talk to each other.' Flippy the burger-flipping robot was developed by Miso Robotics and uses artificial intelligence to flip burgers on a grill. It then places the patties on a rack when they're done CaliBurger began testing the machine in some of its restaurants in March, but has announced a Flippy robot is now working full-time in one of its restaurants thanks to the success of these initial trials. Pictured is a test kitchen where Miso Robotics demoed Flippy 'With Flippy, you kind of need to work around his schedule.' 'Choreographing movements of what you do, when and how you do it,' he added. Miso Robotics told BBC that it's testing the code that controls the robot to make sure that it can cook quickly enough to be able to fulfill orders during the restaurant's peak hours. The firm had said previously that Flippy could cook as many as 2,000 burgers a day. Flippy is likely to raise concerns among those who fear we're all doomed to have our jobs replaced by robots. But fortunately Flippy does require some human assistance in order to get started. Before Flippy begins flipping burgers, a human places raw meat patties on the grill. HOW DOES THE 'FLIPPY' BURGER BOT WORK? Flippy is an artificial intelligence-driven robot that can flip burgers on a grill and then place them on a bung once they are done cooking. It is designed with a 6-axis robotic arm and cameras and sensors to see its environment. The robots arm is fitted with a spatula tool, allowing it to slide under the patty on the grill and flip it over. Flippy also alerts human workers when it is time to add the cheese or other toppings. Its software lets it distinguish between different meats on the grill and when they are done cooking. Advertisement Flippy's creators argue that the robot will bring some consistency to an industry that grapples with high turnover rates. Caliburger has a six-month exclusive period with the $60,000 (45,000) robots before other chains are allowed to purchase them. It was originally expected that Flippy would be hired in the 50 CaliBurger locations for 2019, but a large round of funding made it possible to move up the start date. In July, Miso Robotics received $3.1 million (2.3 million) in funding from strategic investors, including Acacia Research and Match Robotics VC. 'While the biggest companies in the world are focused on using computer vision and artificial intelligence to drive cars and manage the home, Cali Group will facilitate and lead the adoption of these emerging technologies in the restaurant and retail industries,' said John Miller, Chairman and CEO of Cali Group, at the time of the funding announcement. Uber is patenting technology it hopes will keep riders entertained during their commutes. Two of their patent applications, which have not yet been approved, hint at the concept of self-driving cars equipped with virtual reality technology, Motherboard reports. The applications are both called 'Virtual Reality Experience For a Vehicle' and were filed in 2016. The United States Patent and Trademark Office published them in February. Uber is trying to get virtual reality technology used in self-driving cars patented. The company filed two patents for the technology in 2016; they were published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in February. The above drawing was featured in them The VR system that Uber is trying to patent creates an environment that is somewhat synced with the self-driving car's motions. The patent applications say that Uber's VR technology will provide riders with something to do to make their commutes less monotonous. 'Most people travel the same routes at the same times of day over and over again and are interested in using their travel time for something other than looking at whatever is currently visible out of the vehicle's windows,' the applications state. Motion sickness can be induced by VR technology as a result of a lag occurring between simulated motion and real motion, according to Motherboard. Uber's patents said that the company's VR system will address this issue. Additionally, the technology could be used to point out useful information to tourists taking Ubers in unfamiliar areas. It is unclear how riders will access Uber's VR system - whether or not they will have to don a used headset is unknown. Virginia Tech Associate Professor Joseph Gabbard explained some of the mysteries surrounding the technology. He told Motherboard: 'There are some concepts on how to capture and sense the motions that a car is undergoing, and, ergo, what the passenger is undergoing. Virtual reality technology integrated into self-driving cars could cause a number of issues. Uber's VR system could induce motion sickness or isolate passengers from people in the same vehicle 'Even predicting it and making that movement data available to the software layer. So, if you have a savvy VR programmer, you could somehow account for that in the software. But Uber doesn't really say how.' Professor Gabbard emphasized that if the technology is associated with VR induced motion sickness it will not perform well. Gabbard told Motherboard: 'This thing would flop so hard if word got out that it was making people sick.' Another potential dilemma is that of theft: if a rider has a VR headset on, they might not notice if another passenger accesses their belongings. But Uber's patent applications clarify that the company has a solution for this. The applications state: 'A rider would be able to see a representation of other passengers to avoid colliding with them or to monitor if another passenger is accessing their personal belongings.' Uber is among a growing number of technology companies racing to perfect self-driving cars. The company said recently that its self-driving semis have been tested in Arizona over the past few months. Soon after the announcement, Waymo, a division of Google's parent company, announced that its self-driving semis are hitting roads in Atlanta for testing (file photo) Professor Gabbard said that the isolating power of Uber's VR technology - should it be integrated into self-driving company cars in the future - could be dangerous. He said: 'It's like being shuttled around, having our virtual contact lenses in, and shutting ourselves off. I think there's the potential for lost social connections in a world that's becoming that way already.' Uber is among many tech and car manufacturing firms that are racing to perfect self-driving technology. The company has been testing out self-driving semis in Arizona for the past few months. You can really push the gondola out when you stay in Venice. The city is packed with one-of-a-kind hotels that offer everything from in-room jacuzzis to Michelin-starred restaurants. Heres a round-up of the creme of the citys hotel crop. The majestic Gritti Palace is where history and culture are met with renewed Venetian style Hotel Moresco Rating: Each of the 23 rooms at Hotel Moresco is named after traders who have historically worked in Venice. Options include the Scribe, the Chestnut Vendor, the Poet and, of course, the Gondolier. Its the little things that make the difference, such as the welcome wine selected from the hotels cellar, the free aperitivo-style buffet thats brought out for guests between 1830 and 2000 every day, and the little extras at breakfast, like the jar of real honeycomb thats available as a complement to croissants and warm bread. Vaporetto: San Toma An antique mirror, a view over the canal, a gold-leafed mosaic on the walls: each bedroom at Hotel Moresco has a least one detail that makes it absolutely unique Al Ponte Antico Rating: Al Ponte Antico with its gilding and chandeliers, is one of the best places in Venice to take in views of the Grand Canal. While the waterway is visible from some of the upgraded rooms, its the vistas from the terrace that have the swoon factor. You can sit here in the morning and tuck into homemade crepes from the breakfast menu and return at sunset to sip cocktails. Whatever time of day you sit down here, youll almost be within an arm span of the gondoliers that spirit up and down the canal. Vaporetto: Rialto Rooms at Al Ponte Antico are decorated in Louis XV style, with valuable tapestries on the walls Hotel Canal Grande Rating: The rooms at Hotel Canal Grande are named after famous Venetians, so you can stay in a Casanova, a Vivaldi or a Doge room. No matter which one you find yourself in, youll be surrounded by grand interior design elements such as gilding, heavy drapes and damask wallpaper. Some have views of the water. Throughout the year, the hotel runs thoughtful room packages like the warm stay, sweet stay, which adds a hot chocolate, panettone, bathrobes and a Murano glass factory tour into the special price of a room. Vaporetto: Ferrovia Immerse yourself in Venetian opulence at Hotel Canal Grande, where the rooms are decorated with damasks, golden framed mirrors, Murano glass and briar-root furniture decorated with gold leaf Palazzo Veneziano Rating: Palazzo Veneziano offers a selection of jacuzzi rooms, which place the hot tubs either inside the room or on a private outdoor terrace that overlooks the skyline of the city. Even if you dont upgrade to a jacuzzi room, this hotel has a lot to offer. Its rooms are contemporary and full of tech including USB ports for phone charging and chromotherapy lights in the bathrooms. Theres also a bar that serves crafted cocktails and cicchetti classic Italian snacks. Vaporetto: San Basilio Palazzo Veneziano's rooms have a sophisticated and elegant style, and offers stunning views of the city Palazzo Venart Rating: Palazzo Venart is located inside a restored 16th century palace and its filled with original features like Renaissance frescoes, marble fireplaces and antique furniture. The hotels restaurant is run by twice-Michelin-starred chef Enrico Bartolini. Called Glam, the restaurant puts a 21st century twist on traditional French cuisine. So, you can expect to find things like savoury macaroons, edible flowers, emulsifications and foams on the menu. To walk it all off after, you can wander to St Marks square in 15 minutes. Vaporetto: San Stae Original features which include Renaissance frescoes and marble fireplaces have been expertly restored by Venetian specialists and complemented with antiques and custom furnishings to display Palazzo Venarts noble past JW Marriott Venice Rating: JW Marriott Venice is on its own 40-acre private island, a 20-minute private shuttle ride from St Marks Square. Its got a sumptuous infinity pool and decking area that looks out over the main islands of Venice and its home to a plush spa, a rooftop restaurant and a park area where guests can have chic nics. The hotel also offers visitors a range of experiences, such as olive oil tastings and cookery classes. Vaporetto: Private shuttle Find yourself enveloped in a harmonious and elegant design, reminiscent of the '20s, at JW Marriott Venice Ca' Maria Adele Rating: Ca' Maria Adele is a siren for couples. In addition to its deluxe rooms it offers a number of themed rooms including one thats centred around a fireplace, and the sensual Sala Noire, which features black chandeliers and silky bedding, and is scented with black orchid. Theres also an intimate lounge with windows that look out onto the canal and an outdoor terrace thats candle-lit by night. Vaporetto: Salute Each room at Ca' Maria Adele has its own unique theme, like the Doge room, an ode to opulence Gritti Palace Rating: One of the services on offer at the Gritti Palace is a private luxury speedboat tour of Venices lagoon. Its James Bond-style stuff, and just an example of the lengths this hotel goes to for its clientele. While at the more lavish end of a budget, if youre in town to celebrate, feeling in the mood to really treat yourself, then this is definitely one place to stay. Spend your evenings sipping a cocktail on the hotels open-air terrace that sidles up to the Grand Canal or spoil yourself in the spa. Vaporetto: Giglio You can get a deep-fried Mars bar for 2 at Cafe Piccante on East Norton Place in Edinburgh, or a deep-fried mince pie for 3 during the festive season. But you dont have to stick to the citys chippies and takeaways to get a reasonably priced meal. Edinburgh is scattered with restaurants that offer meals for less than 10 or 20 per person. These are our top picks for the citys best budget eats. For great food and a cosy cool atmosphere check out Scran & Scallie Scran & Scallie Tom Kitchin and Dominic Jack the team who brought Edinburgh the Michelin starred eatery The Kitchin are the creators of Scran & Scallie. The restaurant is listed by Michelin as Bib Gourmand, meaning its recognised for offering high quality produce that wont break the bank. Dishes on the menu come across as typical pub grub think ham, egg and chips, and sausage and mash. But when they arrive at the table, theres always some sort of gourmet twist to them. You can expect to fork out between 11 and 22 for a main meal here. The restaurant is open MondayFriday 12002200, and Saturday and Sunday 08301100 and 12002200. 1 Comely Bank Road Bus: Dean Park Street Illegal Jacks Near the University of Edinburgh, Illegal Jacks is a Tex-Mex grill. The menu features loaded nachos, tacos, chilli bowls, quesadillas and burritos theres even a nod to the restaurants location on the menu in the form of a haggis burrito. You wont get white napkins and set tables here the eatery features wooden tables and red leather diner-style seating. What you will get however is an injection of personality take the temporary insanity hot sauce for example and a meal for less than 10. The restaurant is open daily 12002200. 44-45 St Patrick Square Bus: St Patrick Square Makars Gourmet Mash Bar offers authentic Scottish food with a side of mash of course Makars Gourmet Mash Bar Exposed brick walls and wooden tables provide the setting for Makars Gourmet Mash Bar, and the menu unsurprisingly revolves around mashed potato. Dishes range from honey soaked char grilled salmon to haggis with heather honey and turnip puree, and each dish comes with a choice of mashed potatoes. Options include classic butter mash, Scottish cheddar and chive cheese mash, and black pudding mash. The price point for most main meals is between 12 and 15. The eatery also serves craft ales by the pint and by the flight. The restaurant is open MondayThursday 12002030, FridaySaturday 12002130, and Sunday 12001700. 9 North Bank Street Bus: Mound Place (Stop MA) Educated Flea Top to toe cooking is how the Educated Flea describes it culinary offering. The concept refers to the fact that everything from pickling and smoking to preserving is done in-house. Looks-wise, its a pretty neutral place with white brick walls, wooden floors and tables, and a few twinkly lights. The menus, meanwhile, offer Scottish produce with an international twist. Main courses cost between 12 and 16, or you can order sharing platters for two people for around 22. The restaurant is just around the corner from the Edinburgh Playhouse, too, so it offers a pre-theatre menu where two courses cost 15.The restaurant is open Monday 12001430 and 17002100, TuesdayFriday 12001430 and 17002200, Saturday 10002200, and Sunday 10002100. 32b Broughton St Bus: Broughton Street Blonde Located on the south side of Edinburgh, Blonde is recognisable for its bright blue frontage. Inside its a different story, though. The eatery is a clear canvas of white walls and light wood furniture, brightened up in places with quirky wall art. The restaurants menus focus on home cooked local produce. Example dishes on the dinner menu range from slow cooked venison casserole with red wine and chocolate to grilled trout with jalapeno creme fraiche. Most main courses on the dinner menu ring through the till at 12 to 15. The restaurant is open TuesdaySunday 12001430 and 18002200, and SundayMonday 18002100. 75 St. Leonards Street Bus: Rankeillor Street Head to the charming Blonde for a delicious feel good meal made from local produce Paradise Palms Right next to the National Museum of Scotland, Paradise Palms has an eccentric design. Inside youll find everything from postcard wall coverings and tropical bunting to vintage suitcases and typewriters. The restaurant cooks up vegetarian soul food and its menu features inventive dishes such as jerk jackfruit Po boys, southern fried halloumi, and chipotle mac 'n' cheese. Food is just the start of the story at Paradise Palms, though. The restaurant puts on regular events and themed nights. Its calendar is inked in with everything from book clubs and science events to dance-offs and poetry nights. The restaurant is open daily 12000100. 41 Lothian Street Bus: Bristo Place The Dogs Down the road from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, The Dogs is Edinburghs second Bib Gourmand eatery. Its a quirky looking place with huge paintings of dog faces on the walls and framed pictures of everything from pet pooches to the Mona Lisa on display. Its menu showcases British produce, so you can expect options to include things like flat iron steaks with haggis and potato cakes, and fish and chips. Most main courses cost between 14 and 16. Lunch options, meanwhile, include dishes like mac 'n' cheese and risotto for around the 6 mark. The restaurant is open MondayFriday 12001430, SundayFriday 18002200, SaturdaySunday 12001600, and Saturday 17002200. 110 Hanover Street Bus: Thistle Street (Stop GQ) She recently had a second chance at love on Bachelor Winter Games. But while Tiffany Scanlon left the show without a boyfriend, the former Australian Bachelor star proved she's doing just fine on her own. Taking to Instagram, the 31-year-old posted a cheeky bikini photo while sharing her thoughts on International Women's Day. Scroll down for video Enjoying the view? Taking to Instagram, The Bachelor's Tiffany Scanlon posted a cheeky bikini photo while sharing her thoughts on International Women's Day In the snap, Tiffany is seen standing on a blue and white ramp against an ocean backdrop while flaunting her pert derriere in a skimpy bikini. With her long blonde hair in beachy waves, the former flight attendant offered a glimpse of her tattoo while seductively holding her sunglasses. She wrote in the caption: 'You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the whole world and there will still be somebody who hates peaches.' Tiffany continued: 'There is enough hate in the world so instead let's start supporting each other, encouraging each other, lifting each other up and being plain kind and considerate! 'Women can be smart and sexy, cute and cool, wild and tame, funny and shy and all kinds of wonderful so let's celebrate each other all day everyday instead of just today! Who run the world? 'So grateful for all the amazing women in my life, especially my mum who is the most resourceful, resilient and caring woman I know,' Tiffany concluded her International Women's Day tribute. Still single! It appears Tiffany has recently returned to Bali after filming Bachelor Winter Games in America It appears Tiffany has recently returned to Bali after filming Bachelor Winter Games in America. In 2016, she was a contestant on Richie Strahan's series of The Bachelor. She subsequently began a relationship with fellow contestant Megan Marx, but they split after a few months. She was controversially dubbed a 'plus-size' model by radio veteran Mick Molloy. And Simone Holtznagel has hit back at the Triple M radio host, 51, instructing him to 'sit down' after he also compared her to a 'baby elephant'. The 24-year-old spoke with News Corp on Friday about Mick's contentious remarks after her recent elimination from reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. Scroll down for video Retort: Simone Holtznagel has hit back at Triple M radio host Mick Molloy, instructing him to 'sit down' after he compared her to a 'baby elephant' and called her a plus-size model 'Being a model, people talk about the way I look all the time, but sit down Mick Molloy,' she asserted. 'I'm lucky Im really strong and confident and sure of myself and I have a really great support network,' the model continued. 'I know who I am and I dont feel the need to make comments like that about other people,' she finished. 'I'm lucky Im really strong and confident and sure of myself and I have a really great support network,' the model continued 'I know who I am and I dont feel the need to make comments like that about other people,' she finished The shock jock made the comments during his drive-time national radio show with co-host Jane Kennedy. 'She claims to be a world class international model... I call bulls**t!' he exclaimed, to which Jane responded: 'Excuse me, thats incredibly rude of you.' 'I mean, maybe a plus-size model. She's been in the jungle for 10 weeks now and still...' he continued, then started humming the Baby Elephant Walk tune. 'She claims to be a world class international model... I call bulls**t!' he exclaimed The Canberra-born comedian back-tracked on his comments during a later show, offering they were a 'joke'. 'I joked about her appearance. By the way, shes a model. I think youre allowed to talk about a models appearance and on a comedy show where youre known as an idiot and you happen to be as fat as a house yourself. Youre entitled to make a joke.' For further clarification, he added: 'Clearly shes not a plus-size model.' Nicky Hilton was turning heads as she walked through NYC on Thursday in a tight tan leather skirt and a pair of sky-high black heels. The 34-year-old Hilton heiress hid behind a pair of cat-eye sunglasses as she carried an Hermes purse and wore a black coat draped over her shoulders. Nicky recently gave birth to her second child, Teddy Marilyn Rothschild, in December. Scroll down for video Boss babe! Nicky Hilton was turning heads as she walked through NYC on Thursday in a tight tan leather skirt and a pair of sky-high black heels Nicky celebrated International Women's Day surrounded by influential females at the UN Women For Peace luncheon. 'Off to the UN Women for Peace Associations annual luncheon,' she tweeted. 'I cant think of a better way to celebrate International Women's Day.' This year, Hugh Jackman's wife Deborra-Lee Furness was honored with the leadership award. Creating change! Nicky celebrated International Women's Day surrounded by influential females at the UN Women For Peace luncheon The NYC native, who welcomed her second daughter into the world on December 20, is married to James Rothschilda wealthy businessman. They decided to name their second child after Nicky's paternal grandmother Marilyn June Hawley. Hilton calls her first born, Lily Grace Victoria, age one, her 'mini me.' Well off! The NYC native is married to James Rothschilda wealthy businessman Growing family! The couple share their two daughters Teddy Marilyn and Lily Grace Victoria Despite being a working mother, Nicky is making sure to carve plenty of time out for her older sister, Paris Hilton, as she plans her upcoming wedding to fiance Chris Zylka. The youngest Hilton assured Extra that she would serve as the maid of honor. She will also be planning a girls getaway for the bride-to-be. 'Definitely Vegas or something,' Nicky said. Former EastEnders star Sid Owen was reportedly kicked off a flight from Dubai on Thursday, for arguing with a passenger over his reclined seat. According to The Sun, the actor, 46, claimed the flight-goer sat in front of him slapped him, when Sid complained about the seat infringing in his space. Sources claim both parties refused to move to different seats and were subsequently removed from the plane, after their feud delayed take-off by an hour. At war: Former EastEnders star Sid Owen was reportedly kicked off a flight from Dubai on Thursday, for arguing with a passenger over his reclined seat (pictured in January 2017) Insiders told the paper that Sid, best known for playing Ricky Butcher on the soap, claimed to have been 'assaulted' on the British Airways flight, after he asked the passenger in front to not recline his seat so far back. A flight-goer said: 'We were at the gate when he came storming up the aisle shouting at a male steward, 'Someone's just slapped me'. He was extremely red, gesticulating and agitated. 'Apparently, the guy in front of him had reclined his seat and Sid had objected. Then it turned into handbags.' Not happy: The actor, best known as Ricky Butcher in the soap (pictured in 2000), claimed the passenger in front of him slapped him, when Sid complained about his reclined seat The insider went on to reveal both parties were removed from the plane, with one passenger even shouting 'Rickay!' as Sid was escorted off - the shriek made famous by his on-screen wife Bianca, played by Patsy Palmer, in EastEnders. They added: 'Everyone recognised him and was fed up at this little spat delaying us. We learned later that a steward offered to sit the two them at opposite ends of the plane but they were so indignant they refused.' Sid and the angry flight-goer are said to have caught the next flight to London Heathrow, with the actor claiming to have been 'assaulted' upon arrival. Poking fun: One passenger reportedly shouted 'Rickay!' as Sid was escorted off the plane - the shriek made famous by on-screen wife Bianca (Patsy Palmer) in EastEnders (pictured in 2002) Furious: Sid and the angry flight-goer are said to have caught the next flight to London Heathrow, with the actor claiming to have been 'assaulted' upon arrival (pictured in April 2016) MailOnline has contacted a representative for both Sid and British Airways for comment. Sid is best known for playing Ricky Butcher in EastEnders, who he portrayed from 1988 to 2012 - making him one of the longest-running cast members. However, the actor recently sparked rumours he could be returning to the soap, after revealing co-star June Brown is attempting to persuade BBC producers to bring him back. Speaking to OK! last month, he explained: 'June was trying to convince me to come back to EastEnders. She was like, 'I'm going to have a word and get you back.' Main man: Sid is best known for playing Ricky Butcher in EastEnders, who he portrayed from 1988 to 2012 (pictured on the show in 2011 with Linsday Coulson and Natalie Cassidy) 'You do miss the routine sometimes and that camaraderie it's very family orientated because your friends are there.' Yet, it is unlikely his screen partner in crime Bianca will be joining him, as actress Patsy Palmer has relocated to the States. Patsy and her cab driver husband Richard Merkell moved across the pond to start a new life in Malibu, California, four years ago. Her children have gone on to find success Stateside - with her son Charley Palmer Rothwell, 25, an actor, while his brother Fenton, 16, and sister Emilia, 15, are finding their feet as models. He's certainly looks big, red... and maybe even a little cheesy. The first pictures of Zachary Levi in costume as Shazam have been unveiled. Photos from the Toronto set of the latest DC superhero flick show the 37-year-old taking on the rather colorful costume of the comicbook character. Big red cheese! The first pictures of Zachary Levi in costume as Shazam have been unveiled The gold boots, belt and bracers, tight red body suit and white hooded cape looked like they came straight from the source material, right down the the giant yellow thunderbolt on his chest. The thick black hair and bulging muscles whether padded or real, or a combination were spot on also; even down to the gold trim on his cape. The character was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck for Fawcett Comics back in 1939 the golden age of comics in the wake of the success of the likes of Batman and Superman. Hero at work: Photos from the Toronto set of the latest DC superhero flick show the 37-year-old taking on the rather colorful costume of the comicbook character He's got the look: The gold boots, belt and bracers, tight red body suit and white hooded cape looked like they came straight from the source material, right down the the giant yellow thunderbolt on his chest Ripped: The thick black hair and bulging muscles whether padded or real, or a combination were spot on also Details: Even down to he gold trim on his cape Origins: The character was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck for Fawcett Comics back in 1939 the golden age of comics in the wake of the success of the likes of Batman and Superman The alter ego of 14-year-old Billy Batson, he is granted the powers of six 'immortal elders' of the ancient world by uttering the word SHAZAM, including the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Thursday's photos also revealed the first look at his arch enemy Dr. Thaddeus Sivana who coined the immortal 'big red cheese' insult played by Mark Strong. A genius inventor turned bitter villain after years of ridicule, he is normally depicted in the comics as a somewhat frail old man. However the film version appears to depict him much physically stronger; strong enough in fact to go toe-to-toe with the superhero. Bad guy: Thursday's photos also revealed the first look at his arch enemy Dr. Thaddeus Sivana who coined the immortal 'big red cheese' insult played by Mark Strong Strong in name: The film version appears to depict him much physically stronger; strong enough in fact to go toe-to-toe with the superhero Battle: One one scene Strong is shown catching Levi's punch and grabbing him by the throat; another shows the hero flung atop a police car, crushing it underneath How'd he do that? A genius inventor turned bitter villain after years of ridicule, Sivana is normally depicted in the comics as a somewhat frail old man One one scene Strong is shown catching Levi's punch and grabbing him by the throat. Another shows the hero flung atop a police car, crushing it underneath. The film will be the seventh in the DC Extended Universe; but what crossovers - if any - with the Justice League remain to be seen. Chasing Marvel: The film will be the seventh in the DC Extended Universe Where's batman when you need him? But what crossovers - if any - with the Justice League remain to be seen Broke that too: With its more comicbook-look and less realistic approach, Warner Bros may steer the film into more comedic territory, a la Deadpool; indeed just like the Merc With The Mouth, Billy Batson broke the fourth wall and addressed the readers of the original comic directly It's complicated: Despite his lighthearted origins, the character has a very convoluted legal history With its more comicbook-look and less realistic approach, Warner Bros may steer the film into more comedic territory, a la Deadpool; indeed just like the Merc With The Mouth, Billy Batson broke the fourth wall and addressed the readers of the original comic directly. Despite his lighthearted origins, the character has a very convoluted legal history. He was besieged on both sides from the two giants of comic book publishing DC and Marvel the former because of his similarities to Superman, the later because of his original name: Captain Marvel. Confusing: Despite belonging to DC, Shazam's original name is Captain Marvel... which is also the name of Marvel's female superhero DC eventually bought the rights to the character, but were prevented from calling him Captain Marvel by Marvel who had their own Captain Marvel leading him to be referred to as Shazam in the comics, which will likely be the case in the film too. Marvel studios meanwhile is currently filming it's own Captain Marvel film, starring Brie Larson in the titular role. Levi joins the ranks of actors who have played heroes of the Marvel DC divide, having starred as Fandral in Thor. Bethenny Frankel and her ex Jason Hoppy were back in court in New York on Thursday in their ongoing legal battle over their seven-year-old daughter Bryn. The Real Housewives Of New York star, 47, filed for full custody of the child in December seeking to overturn an agreement to co-parent her with her former husband. The judge in Manhattan, however, told the pair he's not prepared to change the custody agreement, according to PageSix.com, and said he wants Bryn to see a psychiatrist for an evaluation. Co-parenting: A Manhattan judge said Thursday Bethenny Frankel must continue to share custody of daughter Bryn, seven, with ex-husband Jason Hoppy. She had petitioned for full custody in December. The couple and their daughter are pictured in May 2012 The gossip website reported that Judge Michael Katz said in court that although 'it appears the child is doing well,' he's concerned about the rancorous relationship between her parents and wants an updated psychiatric analysis. 'What is very clear to me is that there is a terrible environment for communication between the parties,' Katz said. Frankel is fighting for sole custody arguing that Hoppy is stalking her and threatening her. Concerned: The judge also said he wants Bryn, pictured with her famous mother in September, to get an updated psychiatric evaluation because of the bitterness between her parents Unhappy: Frankel, 47, pictured in Miami on Tuesday, has accused her ex of stalking and harassing her, and also mocking her new found Jewish faith Her attorney Allan Mayefsky claimed Hoppy had sent the Skinnygirl mogul '500 emails in 90 days, in which he called her a sad, miserable, bitter old woman'.' He'd also asked her about her life insurance in what she perceived to be a veiled threat, her attorney alleged. Mayefsky also alleged that Hoppy mocked Frankel's newfound Jewish faith. Frankel's father was Jewish and her mother converted to Judaism when she married. appearing to suggest the Bravo reality star has recently converted to Judaism. Hoppy's attorney Robert Wallack countered that Bryn is 'happy' and 'healthy' and doing well at school and 'is thriving under the current custody agreement.' He said the two needed 'to grow up' and 'act like adults' for their daughter's sake. The bitter exes are due back in court later this spring. It's war: : Frankel and Hoppy, who wed in 2010 and split in 2012, are due back in court later this spring in their bitter battle over their child. They're pictured in March 2012 in NYC Frankel and Hoppy married in March 2010 and split in December 2012, but their divorce was finalized in 2016 after years of courtroom battles. Last year, Hoppy was charged with stalking and harassing Frankel, although a Manhattan Criminal Court ruled in November that the charges could be dropped if he left his ex-wife alone. In January 2017, Hoppy was arrested for showing up at Bryn's school and telling Frankel, 'I will destroy you, you can get all the lawyers you want, you've been warned,' a New York Police Department spokesman said. Hoppy agreed to an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, according to TMZ, which meant he had to stay clear of his ex-wife for six months They are known for their trademark tans, and dressing up to the nines for nights out in their beloved Essex. But the TOWIE stars were worlds away from their usual selves on Thursday, when they transformed into Shakespearean figures for the new show teaser. Gemma Collins was typically glamorous in a beaded Elizabethan gown while James 'Arg' Argent channeled Henry VIII in his burgundy garb - but many series regulars were missing from the promo shots, after making a sudden departure last month. TOWIE or not TOWIE! TOWIE stars were worlds away from their usual selves on Thursday, when they transformed into Shakespearean figures for the new trailer (Gemma Collins pictured) Gemma still managed to look glamorous in her beaded beige gown and glittering headdress, as she posed beside her on/off beau Arg, dressed as her King. Lauren Pope set pulses racing in a busty black gown, complete with gold embellishments and fluffy sleeves, while Georgia Kousoulou followed suit in an eye-popping corset and large glittering crown. Meanwhile Yazmin Oukhellou kept things more demure in a red and gold frock - featuring metallic puff sleeves, but lacing up at the front in a saucier touch. Main man: James 'Arg' Argent channeled Henry VIII in his burgundy garb - but many series regulars were missing from the promo shots, after making a sudden departure last month O(t)hello there! Lauren Pope set pulses racing in a busty black gown, complete with gold embellishments and fluffy sleeves Elegant: Yazmin Oukhellou kept things more demure in a red and gold frock - featuring metallic puff sleeves, but lacing up at the front in a saucier touch Her boyfriend James Lock slipped into an opulent velvet jacket and trousers, while Pete Wicks channeled his inner Romeo in a peasant's shirt, as he smouldered for the camera with a red rose in hand. Bobby Norris then posed as Prince Hamlet with a skull held up in front of him - which was of course, covered with diamante, in true TOWIE style. Rounding off the Tudor-themed shoot was Tommy Mallett, laughing for the camera as a jester-like figure, and Diags, looking similar to Shakespeare himself in a traditional ruff collar. The only way is to glam up! Georgia Kousoulou followed suit in an eye-popping corset and large glittering crown Golden boy: James Lock slipped into an opulent velvet jacket and trousers, embroidered with flowers and metallic trim Where art thou, Romeo? Pete Wicks channeled his inner Romeo in a peasant's shirt, as he smouldered for the camera with a red rose in hand However, a number of familiar faces did not appear in the official portraits - after seven series regulars, including Amber Dowding and Chris Clark, were allegedly axed. The pair - who recently moved in together - left the show alongside Mike Hassini, Jack Rigden, Jordan Brook, Maddie Hooper and Ruby Lacey last month, following claims that 'boring' characters have been chopped out of the line-up. The shock shake-up, confirmed by the channel on Thursday, also comes amid a format reshuffle which will see the ITVBe series aired just once a week instead of twice. Fit for a prince: Bobby Norris then posed as Prince Hamlet with a skull held up in front of him - which was of course, covered with diamante, in true TOWIE style Last but not least: Rounding off the Tudor shoot was Tommy Mallett (L), laughing as a jester figure, and Diags, reminiscent to Shakespeare himself in a traditional ruff collar (R) A TOWIE spokesperson told MailOnline: 'There are a number of cast who have mutually agreed their time on the show has come to a natural end for now. 'We wish them well and look forward to another exciting year ahead for TOWIE'. Amber and Chris both joined the series in 2016 and rekindled their relationship in April last year, following his short-lived fling with Jesy Nelson of Little Mix fame. The pair have gone from strength to strength and revealed they had officially moved in together in November. However, the fact that the pair are no longer involved in any romantic drama is said to be one of the reasons they've been axed. Gone: A number of familiar faces did not appear in the official portraits - after seven series regulars, including Amber Dowding and Chris Clark, were allegedly axed. An insider told The Sun: 'TOWIE is like a revolving door and producers are always on the lookout for new faces that can keep the show fresh. 'Chris and Amber have left the series as a couple whove just moved into an apartment together and often being in a happy relationship doesnt work for the show.' They added that Mikes stable relationship with girlfriend Zoe Hamilton was also the reason for his axing. He joined the show for a year in 2015 and returned in 2017. Meanwhile, Jack and Jordan - who joined in 2017 - are said to have been liked by producers, but their scenes were overshadowed by other stars. Axed: Mike Hassinis stable relationship with girlfriend Zoe Hamilton was also the reason for his axing - he joined the show for a year in 2015 and returned in 2017 Cut out: It was claimed that Maddie Hooper (R) and Ruby Lacey - who both joined the show last year - didn't make the cut as they 'failed to resonate with viewers' It was claimed that Maddie and Ruby - who both joined the show last year - didn't make the cut as they 'failed to resonate with viewers.' The news comes following reports that Jon Clark had come close to getting the axe, after it was claimed that scenes he had filmed for the festive special were cut from the ITVBe show. When this year's Only Way Is Essexmas episode aired in December, explosive scenes between Jon and on-off girlfriend Lauren Pope didn't make it to the final edit. As part of the episode, the Essex crowd celebrated Christmas by travelling to Suffolk for Arg's 30th birthday party. Left the show: Meanwhile, Jack Rigden (L) and Jordan Brook (R) - who joined in 2017 - are said to have been liked by producers but their scenes were overshadowed by other stars The special episode concluded with James Argent declaring his love for former flame Gemma Collins. 'Jon filmed with Lauren,' a source told MailOnline after the episode. 'However the producers were keen on the Gemma and Arg storyline as it had a happy ending!' On whether Jon's future with the show hangs in the balance, the insider continued: 'Jon is a well loved and valued member of the cast.' Ahead of the festive special, Jon had cryptically tweeted: 'Tonight @OnlyWayIsEssex Xmas special not everyone gets what they want for Xmas...' A permanent castmember since 2016, Jon's biggest storyline involved long-serving star Lauren. Cute couple: Amber and Chris both joined the series in 2016 but the fact that the pair are no longer involved in any romantic drama is said to be one of the reasons they've been axed After a series of explosive rows on-screen, the duo called off their romance in October after he admitted he still had feelings for Love Island ex Chloe Crowhurst. However, Jon blamed producers for manipulating his relationship for ratings on the ITVBe show. Jon told the Star: 'I understand Lauren and my happiness is at the bottom of the list for what the TOWIE team want. 'They obviously want the drama and tears but I've said, so long as we are a team and stick together we will be OK.' The duo reportedly felt the wrath of producers for having off-screen romances when they claimed to be single. It was originally reported in November that castmembers - new and old - have forgotten that the premise of the show is reality. A source alleged that stars of the show have been living lavish lives and off screens, including having secret relationships, and forgetting to tell show bosses about what's going on in their lives. Gary Oldman put his 98-year-old mother in the global spotlight when he praised her during his Academy Award acceptance speech and asked her to Put the kettle on: Im bringing Oscar home. Now she has told me how her son has made her very proud. Kathleen Oldman, known as Kay to her friends, lives with Gary and his wife, art curator and photographer Gisele Schmidt, who took this world exclusive picture of the two of them. The 59-year-old actor moved his mum from Bermondsey to LA 20 years ago, shortly after his fictionalised, semi-autobiographical film Nil By Mouth was filmed. Gary Oldman is pictured with his 98-year-old mother Kathleen after bringing home the Oscar Shortly after picking up his prize for Best Actor, Gary poses for a photo with his agent Jim Osborne and manager Douglas Urbanski (right) A patient Gary inspects the graving for his Best Actor oscar, moments after being declared this year's winner A beaming Gary cannot contain his delight in photographs taken by his wife Gisele Schmidt Photos by Gisele Schmidt Originally, Mrs Oldman lived in an apartment close to her sons estate, but about 18 months ago she moved into his home. He told me she cant see very well and her hearings poor. She has not spoken about the Oscar that appeared on the kitchen table in the early hours of last Monday morning; but she did give me an exclusive statement: I used to tell Gary stories about living in London during World War II and listening to Churchill on the wireless. 'So to have him win for portraying this great man made me very proud. 'She was my first champion': Gary Oldman thanked his mother Kathleen, 99, for her 'love and support' following big Oscar win on Sunday night Main man: Oldman, 59, was named best actor for his sublime portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, beating fellow Britons Daniel Day-Lewis and Daniel Kaluuya Oldman has often spoken to me about his mother: her upbringing, her abusive marriage to Oldmans father, and how she coped during the War. The actor and Douglas Urbanski, his manager and producer, had hoped to be filming Smileys People for Working Title; with Oldman returning as master spy George Smiley; following on from his Oscar-nominated performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Oldman would have directed the film as well. But it has fallen through (for now) because of various rights issues. He and Urbanski are developing several other screen projects instead. Close: Afterwards Oldman told the Daily Mail his mother was his champion she raised him and his two sisters alone after her husband walked out, and encouraged Gary to pursue acting 'I can remember holding her hand as she walked me to school': Oldman, who battled alcoholism for years, said that he and his mother have always been close Gulliver Flynn Oldman, Gisele Schmidt, Gary Oldman and Charlie John Oldman at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party They struck up a bond during their time on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. And Simone Holtznagel has once again attempted to play down rumours of a romantic relationship with Josh Gibson. The 24-year-old spoke with 97.3 FM's Bianca, Terry & Bob morning show on Friday and admitted Josh has met her parents but described him as being like a 'brother'. Scroll down for video Denial: Simone Holtznagel (pictured) has once again attempted to play down rumours of a romantic relationship with I'm A Celebrity co-star Josh Gibson The breakfast radio program's hosts asked the stunning model if she and former AFL player Josh had developed a romance while in the South African jungle. 'Absolutely not. He's like my brother! And incest is frowned upon in every country around the world,' she joked. 'Even in the jungle, incest is not okay. Josh is like my brother,' she continued. 'Absolutely not. He's like my brother! And incest is frowned upon in every country around the world,' Simone joked after being questioned whether there was a spark between her and former AFL player Josh (pictured) She then went on to admit 'we actually had dinner tonight, with my mum and dad,' disclosing how close the attractive pair have become since their time on reality TV. During her exit interview after being eliminated from the show during Thursday's episode, Simone described the twosome as being like 'brother and sister' again. I'm A Celebrity co-host Julia Morris quizzed the bubbly blonde on whether she was caught glancing at Josh, 33, on numerous occasions. Family bond: During her exit interview after being eliminated from the show during Thursday's episode, Simone described the twosome as being like 'brother and sister' again Inquisitive: I'm A Celebrity co-host Julia Morris quizzed the bubbly blonde on whether she was caught glancing at Josh, 33, on numerous occasions 'Little glances, but you could have been glancing at everyone. We assumed you were glancing at Josh,' Julia said. Brushing off a potential romance, Simone responded: 'No. Me and Josh and Pete [Rowsthorn] came in together on the first day and we are just like brother and sister.' Josh also said the duo aren't an item during his own exit interview: 'She's going to go back to LA, I'm going to move to Sydney and we'll both be single.' James Bond star Daniel Craig is pulling out all the stops to ensure that Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle can complete a Richard Curtis Beatles movie musical in time to take charge of the new Bond film by the end of the year. Craig attended a meeting with James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson and Boyle and his Trainspotting writing partner John Hodge, where the film-makers pitched their vision for Bond 25. They took the idea to Barbara, never believing for a minute she would go for it. But shes excited by the concept and so is her producing partner Michael, a closely connected source told me in Los Angeles. The seed of Danny Boyle's Bond was planted when Danny directed that a short film featuring Daniel Craig, the Queen and her corgis for the opening of the 2012 London Olympics Craig (right) attended a meeting with James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson and Boyle (left) and his Trainspotting writing partner John Hodge But the most important cheerleader in the meeting was Daniel, and he was pushing for Danny to direct. He loves the fact that its something completely different. He has not signed up for more of the same old Bond. Hodge has yet to complete his Bond screenplay. Once its finished and if all parties are happy then and Boyle will hop on the 007 juggernaut. But first, Boyle has to film All You Need Is Love for Working Title, a movie based on a screenplay by Richard Curtis about a struggling musician (former EastEnders star Himesh Patel) that will revolve around the music of the Beatles. Casting and pre-production is well under way and Im told filming will begin sooner than you think. Broccoli and Wilsons Eon Productions, and executives at MGM, have formed an unusual alliance with Working Titles Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner to smooth the way so that if the Boyle-Hodge Bond idea gets the green light, the pair can move seamlessly from All You Need Is Love to Bond 25. Hodge has yet to complete his Bond screenplay. Once its finished and if all parties are happy then and Boyle will hop on the 007 juggernaut (pictured: Spectre in 2015) Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle star in Danny Boyle's T2: Trainspotting, released last year The seed of Danny and Johns Bond was planted when Danny directed that incredible short film featuring Daniel Craig, the Queen and her corgis for the opening of the 2012 London Olympics. Thats where the bond, for want of a better word, was formed, one of my big-time sources told me. Id be shot if I told you the story idea theyve come up with, but its pure movie gold. Everybody is rooting for this to happen. I mean, the idea that Danny might be able to shoot the Curtis film and then be shooting Bond by the end of the year is breathtaking. Its high-stakes British movie producing of the highest order. Your Queen should give them all medals if they pull it off! Meanwhile, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade the long-time go-to Bond scriptwriters are sitting on a screenplay they were contracted to do for Bond 25 that now wont get made, unless the Boyle-Hodge script gets flushed down the loo ... rather like a scene out of Trainspotting. All my reporting suggests that by years end, the man who made Slumdog Millionaire will be putting Craig through his paces as Her Majestys Secret Service agent 007. And who knows, we might even get a royal cameo... Gringo (15) Verdict: Offensively unfunny Rating: Walk Like A Panther (12A) Verdict: Merely Unfunny Rating: Heres a brace of films worth avoiding, albeit for very different reasons. Gringo is a horribly misbegotten stab at a black comedy-thriller, directed by former stuntman Nash Edgerton. It features David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton, Sharlto Copley, Amanda Seyfried and the directors brother Joel Edgerton, and I recommend it only if you want to marvel at how a talented cast could be so spectacularly wasted. Gringo is a horribly misbegotten stab at a black comedy-thriller, directed by former stuntman Nash Edgerton Oyelowo plays Harold, a mild-mannered middle-manager, originally from Nigeria, in a Chicago pharmaceuticals company. Edgerton is his obnoxious boss, Richard, who affects to be Harolds friend while having an affair with his wife (Thandie Newton). In league with an equally unpleasant colleague, Elaine (Theron), with whom he is also having sex, Richard has a dodgy scheme going with, yes, a Mexican drugs cartel. This requires the unsuspecting Harold to make regular business trips to Mexico, where, after discovering that he is likely to lose his job, he decides to fake his own kidnapping and run off with the ransom money. Naturally, things go terribly wrong, not least because, according to a screenplay that might have been strung together from a series of Donald Trumps tweets, Mexico is populated only by petty thieves and murderous brigands. In the unlikely event of Guillermo del Toro subjecting himself to Gringo, the Oscar-winning director of The Shape Of Water might wonder why he wasted his breath on stage the other night, when he suggested that his native country is not, in fact, an unsophisticated backwater. It is here. But such caricatures could be tolerated if they served a funny plot and snappy dialogue. Gringo tries strenuously to extract comedy from murder, torture and embezzlement, and Oyelowo mugs his heart out at the centre of a ludicrously convoluted narrative, but in the end the only effective joke is on those who have forked out for a cinema ticket. Walk Like A Panther is not much better. Its a riotously unfunny wrestling comedy set in Yorkshire, which plays out like a feeble half-hour sitcom stretched, like Big Daddys leotard, almost beyond endurance. Stephen Graham is Mark, the landlord of a village pub, the Half Nelson, which used to be home to a wrestling troupe called the Panthers back in the golden age of the grapple game. Marks own father (Dave Johns) was a Panther, and Mark has always yearned to be one himself. A decent cast also includes Stephen Tompkinson, Julian Sands and Sue Johnston. Maybe they had their arms twisted, Mick McManus-style, into signing up for a feelgood British comedy in the manner of The Full Monty or Brassed Off. Sharlto Copley, David Oyelowo and Joel Edgerton at the 'Gringo' film premiere after party in Los Angeles in March But after about the first 45 seconds, which contain some enjoyable clips from the heyday of ITVs wrestling coverage, the film falls flat on its back. And why a Yorkshire village should be home to such a melting-pot of regional accents (I counted Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Mancunian and East Midland) only London-based film producers, who evidently consider the North to be one big-hearted land somewhere the other side of Milton Keynes, can tell us. Anyway, when an impromptu fight in the pub goes viral on social media, Mark and his chums see an opportunity to save the pub from the nasty brewery boss (Tompkinson). Thrillingly, they make plans to bring the Panthers back from the dead. The script, alas, remains lifeless. You Were Never Really Here Verdict: Pretentious but never dull Rating: Wonder Wheel Verdict: Not so wonderful Rating: Deeply disturbing films about deeply disturbed people can make compelling cinema, and Scottish writer-director Lynne Ramsay, in the eyes of some of those who have already seen You Were Never Really Here, has done just that. I found it mannered, over-directed, listing towards the pretentious, and all too aware of its own strangeness. But its never dull. Deeply disturbing films about deeply disturbed people can make compelling cinema, and Scottish writer-director Lynne Ramsay, in the eyes of some of those who have already seen You Were Never Really Here, has done just that Set in New York and based on a short story by Jonathan Ames, it has distinct echoes of Martin Scorseses 1976 masterpiece Taxi Driver. In the cinematic lineage of violent weirdos, theres an obvious thread connecting Robert De Niros Travis Bickle and the lead character here, a man we know only as Joe, played with De Niro-like intensity by Joaquin Phoenix. Joe is an unkempt loner who lives with his infirm mother (Judith Roberts). On the whole he treats her with tenderness, a trait not conspicuous in his professional life as a hitman. Actually, hes less a hired gun than a hired hammer, his weapon of choice. For a price, Joe will make people disappear, although there does appear to be a warped morality in his assignments. Joe prefers to target bad people, and theres a hint, in a series of flashbacks to a traumatised childhood we assume at the hands of an abusive father that he is evening the score. He is also a combat veteran, tormented by terrible memories of the battlefield. And there appears to be some kind of background in law enforcement, which summons yet more bad memories. One, which assails him when a Chinese tourist innocently asks him to take a photograph of her and her friends, is of a huddle of Asian children, all dead. The suggestion (Ramsays script, somewhat frustratingly, often does little more than suggest) is that they were somehow asphyxiated trying to enter the U.S. illegally. Asphyxiation is a recurring theme in Joes life. He spends a worrying amount of time sticking his head into plastic bags. The message we get from all this is that Joe has seen lots of horrible things, and by the time the film is over (in a mercifully taut 90 minutes), so have we. This is a long way from Charlies Angels, but there is a sort of Charlie figure, who gives Joe his jobs. One of them is to find a senators young, abducted daughter (Ekaterina Samsonov), who is being forced to work as an under-age sex slave in a Manhattan brothel. Joes brief is to get her out safely, though the senator (Alex Manette) also wants retribution. It duly comes from the end of Joes hammer, not that hes averse to using guns and knives. This is a brutally violent film, though Ramsay (who also delved into a troubled mind in the acclaimed 2011 film We Need To Talk About Kevin) at least spares us by showing the worst of the violence obliquely. For instance, when Joe does get past the security detail and into the brothel, his short reign of terror unfolds only on the buildings fuzzy surveillance cameras. Set in New York and based on a short story by Jonathan Ames, it has distinct echoes of Martin Scorseses 1976 masterpiece Taxi Driver More than anything, more even than a psychological thriller, Ramsays film is a character study. Phoenix is on screen almost without respite, which is another reason to be grateful for the compact running time, because he is challenging company. Or rather, Joe is. Or maybe both of them are. Its a commanding, committed performance, although, very disconcertingly, I happened to see You Were Never Really Here shortly after Id seen another new film, Mary Magdalene, in which a lavishly hirsute Phoenix looks pretty much the same, playing Jesus of Nazareth, as he does here. Hes better-suited, physically, to the role of a disturbed killer. And at least he piled on the pounds to play Joe (again evoking De Niro), whose bare torso is all blubber, muscle and scars. Indeed, there can be no doubting the commitment on both sides of the camera, but Ramsays meticulous, highly stylised direction makes it an uncomfortable watch. Its an uncomfortable listen, too. The deliberately harsh score is by Radioheads Jonny Greenwood, who got a richly-deserved Oscar nomination for Phantom Thread, but wont sell many soundtrack CDs on the back of this. The latest Woody Allen film, Wonder Wheel, has a much easier sound; lots of cheerful Fifties harmonies whisking us back to Eisenhower-era Coney Island, and all the fun of the fair. In truth, theres precious little fun anywhere, as a precarious love triangle develops between domestic drudge Ginny (Kate Winslet), her brutish husband Humpty (Jim Belushi) and dishy, literature-loving lifeguard Mickey (Justin Timberlake). Further complicating this uneasy situation are Ginnys young son by her first marriage, whose twin enthusiasms are movies and pyromania, and Humptys grown-up daughter from his first marriage, sweet-natured Carolina (Juno Temple), who has been estranged from her father for years, after eloping with a gangster. Now that shes no longer married to the mob, Humpty welcomes her back. But her ex-husbands menacing associates (Steve Schirripa and Tony Sirico from The Sopranos, not exactly stretching themselves) are looking for her. Meanwhile, to complicate matters even further, Mickey falls for Carolina, clouding Ginnys hopes for a brighter future. Its a perfectly watchable film, but oddly devoid of jauntiness or wit; in fact, with Humpty thundering around boorishly in his vest its as if Allen is trying to make his own version of A Streetcar Named Desire. Moreover, Timberlake is miscast, and his narrations direct to camera manage to be both clunky and twee. As for the bigger issue of how were meant to feel about watching Woody Allen films now that Hollywood seems to have come down on the side of Dylan Farrow, who has accused her adoptive father of molesting her, Ill confine myself to judging the art, not the artist. A classic Western from Outback Oz Sweet Country (15) Verdict: Terrific Australian 'Western' Rating: The title of this truly gripping film, a classic Western in all but its setting, is ironic. The backdrop is Australias Northern Territory, where the Outback has a genuine beauty but is also harsh and unforgiving, anything but sweet. So are the local settlers, especially to the indigenous population, who are treated like feudal serfs. The only man who shows them respect is a God-fearing farmer, Fred Smith (Sam Neill). Against his better judgment, Fred lends his Aboriginal stockman, Sam Kelly (Hamilton Morris), to a new neighbour, war veteran Harry March (Ewen Leslie), for a couple of days. Sam duly rides over with his wife and niece to help the white fella, but Harry is not a principled man like Fred; he is a callous bully and, it turns out, a rapist. That he is half-addled by traumatic memories of the Western Front hardly excuses his brutality. When Harry later storms over to Freds place in an alcohol-fuelled search for a runaway boy, there is an exchange of gunfire. Harry is killed and Sam and his wife go on the run, hunted by a posse led by the bigoted local lawman, Sergeant Fletcher (Bryan Brown). Eventually there is a trial, presided over by a visiting judge, who must decide whether Sam shot Harry in self-defence. For most of the townsfolk, however, its a clear-cut case of murder. Its a simple but stirring tale, wonderfully acted and directed with terrific verve but also great sensitivity by Warwick Thornton, who is himself from an Aboriginal background. He has done his own cinematography, too, turning the extraordinary landscape almost into a character in its own right. This is a very accomplished film. It was recently reported that her dad Lionel Richie disapproves of their relationship and even banned his daughter's boyfriend from attending a family event. But on Thursday, 19-year-old Sofia Richie and her 34-year-old beau Scott Disick reunited when they were spotted together entering the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. The older reality TV star was spotted at one stage with his hand protectively on the young model's back. Scroll down for video Look who's back: On Thursday, 19-year-old Sofia Richie and her 34-year-old beau Scott Disick appeared to be reunited when they were spotted together entering a hotel in Beverly Hills The A-list couple arrived at the upscale Los Angeles hotel in Scott's new gray Lamborghini. The Tommy Hilfiger model stepped out of the expensive vehicle in a tiny pair of Daisy Dukes that showed off plenty of her slim pins, and a tight black top with the top three buttons unfastened. The 5'6" beauty had slipped into a cute pair of black ankle boots for the outing with her man. She seemed to be in a leggy mood as she also posted an Instagram photo showing off her long limbs while wearing short shorts and furry Ugg slippers. 'Lazy night': The model later took to Instagram to post a sexy but casual photo showing the star lounging in short shorts and displaying her long legs Sweet ride: The A-list couple arrived at the upscale Los Angeles hotel in Scott's new gray Lamborghini Kid at heart: For the father-of-three, casual was the order of the day, as Scott wore a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans with sneakers For the father-of-three, casual was the order of the day, as Scott wore a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans with sneakers. His hair was pushed back from his face and he shielded his eyes with dark shades for the outing. As they entered the hotel, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians mainstay placed one hand on his teenage girlfriend's back. Legs for miles: The Tommy Hilfiger model stepped out of the expensive vehicle in a tiny pair of Daisy Dukes that showed off plenty of her slim pins Peep show: She also wore a tight black top with the top three buttons unfastened Booting up! The 5'6" beauty had slipped into a cute pair of black ankle boots for the outing with her man Her American Idol judge father has previously referenced his teen daughter's May-December romance with Disick as 'just a phase.' It was then claimed that Lionel banned the American reality star from joining his other half in attending his Hand and Footprint Ceremony in Hollywood on Wednesday. 'It's no secret how Lionel feels about Scott, he doesn't like that they are together,' a source told The Sun, before reportedly confessing that bad boy Disick wasn't someone he envisioned for his daughter. A long phase! Her American Idol judge father has previously referenced his teen daughter's May-December romance with Disick as 'just a phase' Rule-breakers: It was then claimed that Lionel banned the American reality star from joining his other half in attending his Hand and Footprint Ceremony in Hollywood on Wednesday Speaking to the publication, it was claimed by the source that Lionel didn't approve of Sofia's romance with the father-of-three. 'Scott has so much baggage AND went to rehab. Who wants that for their teen daughter? 'He banned her from bringing him with her to the hand and footprint ceremony,' it was continued. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Lionel and Scott for further comment. Of all the things you can say about London in the Swinging Sixties, there is one that shocks most the house prices! Legendary writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, who helped define the decade with their sitcom, The Likely Lads, seem incredulous when they recall where they could afford to live in the capital as struggling wannabes. You might not have a pot to pee in, but you could live within half a mile of Buckingham Palace. I didnt have any money, except what I made from part-time jobs, says Ian. Like charring, interjects Dick. I wasnt going to mention that but its true, continues Ian. I even cleaned the flat of a national hero, Sir Francis Chichester [the first sailor to circumnavigate the globe alone]. For some inexplicable reason his wife gave me a jar of paprika. Id rather have had the cash. Legendary writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, who helped define the decade with their sitcom, The Likely Lads, seem incredulous when they recall where they could afford to live in the capital as struggling wannabes Well, even from this exchange you know you are in entertaining hands when you are embarking on a trip down memory lane. The pair might be among our most celebrated writers (after The Likely Lads they went on to pen Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet), but their most recent project has been a personal one. When the actor Sir Michael Caine, himself so synonymous with the Sixties, was looking for someone to provide the script for a documentary on the decade, they were an obvious choice. Although they hadnt met Caine in the Sixties (We first ran into him in 1971, they admit), they were entranced. It was an evocative trip into our own past, explains Ian. Maybe its because we were young and maybe its because we got our first break, but we look back on that period with great affection and gratitude. The resulting film, My Generation, involved hundreds of hours of sifting through archival footage, and features a cast list to die for. All the (surviving) greats are there, sharing memories: David Bailey, Dame Joan Collins, Roger Daltrey, Lulu, Sir Paul McCartney, Terry ONeill, Twiggy, Marianne Faithfull, Sandie Shaw. The feature-length documentary was painstakingly put together over six years, with the aim of telling the story of the birth of pop culture in London through Caines eyes. When the actor Sir Michael Caine, himself so synonymous with the Sixties, was looking for someone to provide the script for a documentary on the decade, they were an obvious choice My Generation uses carefully intercut audio of Caines conversations with his co-stars blended with unseen archive material. Particularly jaw-dropping is one sequence where the viewer accompanies Caine as he drives through Piccadilly Circus today with the footage overlaid with original Sixties film. Time travel indeed. Whats fascinating about Ian and Dicks involvement is hearing their own experience of living through that momentous time. Not that they knew it was momentous at the time. When we first met in London The Sixties hadnt really kicked in. I dont think they did until 1963, says Dick. Its maybe no coincidence that was the year the Beatles had their first two No 1s. By then the pair had moved to London, Clement from his native Essex and La Frenais from the North-East. He says he was on what you would now call a gap year waiting to go to university. Clement, meanwhile was working in the media although very much on the fringe for the BBC World Service. London had not yet become the epicentre of the fashion world. London just wasnt an exciting place, says Ian. There was theatre but most of the plays were about debutantes and we couldnt afford to go anyway. The point our film makes is that the Swinging Sixties was actually an exclusive party for a handful of gifted and glamorous people. You and I were definitely not on the guest list, points out Dick. I couldnt get a foot in the door. My Generation uses carefully intercut audio of Caines conversations with his co-stars blended with unseen archive material And the party only happened in London. There were no Mini Mokes or miniskirts on the streets of Middlesbrough. No free love in Geordieland, which is why I came to London in the first place. The pair met in a pub and shared a love of music, even if the music of the time pre-Beatles was questionable. Some of the music wasnt too brilliant, says Ian. Cliff Richard, the Kingston Trio, Bobby Vee. But Billy Fury was great. Our best rocker, hands down. And then there was The Twist, Dick reminds him. He says he was hopeless. Then the glorious name-dropping begins. Rudolph Nureyev couldnt do it either David Bailey says so in the film. They must even then have seemed an unlikely double act. But once they started writing together, the magic started. Also the nerves. Recalling the first time Dick directed something they had written the first episode of The Likely Lads Ian admits he was so wound up he had a panic attack and had to be taken to the nurse. Was she cute? asks Dick. Youre not allowed to ask things like that these days. She prescribed a glass of red wine. And youve been following her advice ever since! At first they lived in Earls Court, in separate flats. Ians was next to an Indian restaurant. The smell of vindaloo used to seep through the walls, recalls Dick. His most vivid memory of the time? His Lambretta. My first wheels, he confirms. Though I admit its hard to look cool on a scooter unless you are Gregory Peck with Audrey Hepburn on the pillion. By the mid-Sixties, change was afoot. Heres my theory, explains Ian. A new sub-species emerged in the Fifties: the teenager. There were millions of them. Theyd left school at 15 and had apprenticeships. They had money and the advertisers were after it. Suddenly young people had clout. Although they hadnt met Caine in the Sixties (We first ran into him in 1971, they admit), they were entranced Dick says this provided a big focus for the film. Its one of the things Michael talks about the youthquake of working-class energy. The astonishing thing is that a few years later there were a dozen or so Brits considered to be among the most glamorous and interesting people on the planet. Shrimpton, Bailey, Twiggy, Vidal Sassoon, Hockney, any given Beatle. Mick and Marianne. Then the actors Courtenay, Finney, Stamp and last but not least our own Sir Michael. And in time, they became part of that clique. The first cool person I met was the photographer Bob Freeman, says Ian. He was on every guest list. His studio was filled with models and pop stars. For some reason he cast me in a commercial. They gave me a crushed velvet jacket and blow-dried my hair. One day he picked me up on the Kings Road. A girl was already in the passenger seat and she had to squirm up so I could wriggle under her unbelievably long legs. She was Anita Pallenberg, Sixties poster girl and the main squeeze of Brian Jones. Later that night we went to a club and Pattie Boyd joined us. I wore the crushed velvet jacket. Dick remembers his friends fashion foibles well. You even bought an Afghan coat, he deadpans. You looked like a yak and when it rained you smelt like one. What they agree on is that it was an epic time to be young and creative. I dont think any other period has provoked so many divided opinions: fascination, admiration, curiosity, even ridicule, says Ian. The critic Bernard Levin said the swinging scene was nothing more than the froth and scum of a decadent, doomed society. Now there was a man who obviously wasnt getting his leg over, says Dick. I dont think the Sixties was just about empty spectacle. It was about imagination, and limitless possibilities. People met face to face, not on Facebook. That human connection is where creativity came from. Oh and then there is the drugs. We cannot talk about the Sixties without them. Did they dabble? I thought about using LSD but I never got round to it, says Dick. Ian shudders at what might have been. What if youd done it and had a really bad trip? Id have had to write Porridge all on my own. My Generation is in cinemas nationwide for one day only on March 14. She was given the chance to work on Studio 10 after starring as The Bachelorette. And Georgia Love took to Twitter on Friday to share her thoughts on the shock departure of permanent presenter Jessica Rowe from the talk show. The 29-year-old voiced her support for the veteran journalist who was allegedly 'forced out', according to the program's former executive producer, Rob McKnight. Scroll down for video Emotional: Georgia Love (pictured left) took to Twitter on Friday to share her thoughts on the shock departure of permanent presenter Jessica Rowe (pictured right) from the talk show 'Very saddened to hear @JessRowe is leaving @Studio10au shes the most wonderful soul and an absolute hoot to work with!' Georgia wrote in her Twitter tribute. 'Youll be missed beautiful Jess,' she continued, with heart and crying face emojis. After her Bachelorette appearance in 2016, Georgia embarked on a career with Channel 10 and co-hosted Christmas episodes of Studio 10 over the holiday period. 'Very saddened to hear @JessRowe is leaving @Studio10au shes the most wonderful soul and an absolute hoot to work with!' Georgia wrote in her Twitter tribute Opportunity: After her Bachelorette appearance in 2016, Georgia embarked on a career with Channel 10 and co-hosted Christmas episodes of Studio 10 over the holiday period 'Youll be missed beautiful Jess,' she continued, with heart and crying face emojis Jessica Rowe, who has co-hosted the show since 2013, announced her departure in an emotional speech on Friday morning. The mother-of-two told viewers she has decided to leave Studio 10 in order to spend more time with her family. 'It's been a very hard thing for me to do, but it's because my family need me. I want to be more present, I want to be a more present mum for my girls, Allegra and Giselle. They need their mum,' she expressed. Farewell: Jessica Rowe, who has co-hosted the show since 2013, announced her departure in an emotional speech on Friday morning Shortly after the star's announcement, the show's former executive producer, Rob McKnight, tweeted the network had been 'planning to sack her for over a year'. He wrote: 'Sad to hear @JessRowe is leaving Studio10au. @channelten have been planning to sack her for over a year. She blamed me, even though I was trying to save her job.' Jessica's agent David Wilson, Director of Watercooler Talent, shot back in a tweet: '@rob_mcknight to be absolutely clear - Ten offered Jess a generous new contract for her to stay. Leaving @Studio10au was Jess' choice for the reasons she so beautifully articulated on air this morning. It takes great courage to make these big decisions.' 'Sad to hear @JessRowe is leaving Studio10au. @channelten have been planning to sack her for over a year. She blamed me, even though I was trying to save her job,' tweeted Rob A Ten spokesperson addressed the debate on Friday and told news.com.au Rob's remarks were 'completely wrong, obviously spiteful and deliberately misleading'. 'As Jess said, she has decided to leave Studio 10 to devote more time to her family and her other interests. Anyone who suggests otherwise is being petty and ignorant. Jess is welcome back to Ten anytime,' the spokesperson continued. Steadfast in his revelation, Rob responded to the spokesperson via Twitter: 'I look forward to them repeating that in court.' He's a jack of all trades with an incredible career. And Harrison Ford made sure not to miss an important event as he took to the skies in a private jet to beat rush hour traffic in Los Angeles on Thursday morning. The 75-year-old legend looked rested and relaxed ahead of announcing Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill's Walk of Fame star on the famed Hollywood Boulevard. Scroll down for video Ticket to ride! Harrison Ford made sure not to miss an important event as he took to the skies in a private jet to beat rush hour traffic in Los Angeles on Thursday morning The Indiana Jones star looked casually comfortable sitting in the cockpit as the forest green plane landed at a Los Angeles-area airport. Moments after a successful land, Harrison walked down a step ladder wearing dark denim pants and a matching navy sweater. Sensible black leather boots were strapped to his feet as he exited the plane holding onto a rail. Nice: The 75-year-old legend looked rested and relaxed ahead of announcing Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill's Walk of Fame star on the famed Hollywood Boulevard Pilot: The Indiana Jones star looked casually comfortable sitting in the cockpit as the forest green plane landed at a Los Angeles-area airport Harrison's shaggy salt-and-pepper hair caught the wind as he covered his eyes from the bright morning sun with a pair of dark sunglasses. He paid tribute to Carrie Fisher, the late member of the original Star Wars trio, as Mark Hamill was honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Han Solo actor Ford celebrated Hamill as a 'master of his own experience' and noted the absence of the Princess Leia actress, who died aged 60 in 2016. Friends: He paid tribute to Carrie Fisher, the late member of the original Star Wars trio, as Mark Hamill was honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Hugs: Han Solo actor Ford celebrated Hamill as a 'master of his own experience' and noted the absence of the Princess Leia actress, who died aged 60 in 2016 'When thinking about today I was really sorry we dont have the other member of our trio here to celebrate with us,' he said, to applause from fans. 'But I feel her presence.' Hamill thanked his family for putting up with his acting as a child, and Lucas. 'If it wasnt for the genius of George Lucas, I wouldnt be standing here today,' Hamill, 66, said. She announced her decision to leave talk show Studio 10 on Friday morning. And Jessica Rowe elaborated on her move in an interview with News Corp later in the day, revealing Channel 10 offered her a new deal prior to her resignation. The 47-year-old spoke out amid allegations from the show's former executive producer, Rob McKnight, that the network had 'wanted to sack her for a year'. Scroll down for video Details: Jessica Rowe elaborated on her departure from Studio 10 in an interview with News Corp on Friday, revealing Channel 10 offered her a new deal prior to her resignation 'Ten have been really supportive of me and my need to step back. Even as late as last week, they gave me a new proposal with reduced hours,' she told the website. 'Ultimately, after discussing it again with the family, I decided that [my daughters] Allegra and Giselle came first at this time,' she continued. 'Simple as that. Ive had incredible support from people right across the TV industry today, and that means the world to me,' she added. 'Ten have been really supportive of me and my need to step back. Even as late as last week, they gave me a new proposal with reduced hours,' she told the website The mother of two told viewers on Friday she had decided to leave Studio 10 in order to spend more time with her family. 'It's been a very hard thing for me to do, but it's because my family need me. I want to be more present, I want to be a more present mum for my girls, Allegra and Giselle. They need their mum,' she expressed. Shortly after the star's announcement, the show's former executive producer, Rob McKnight, tweeted the network had been 'planning to sack her for over a year'. He wrote: 'Sad to hear @JessRowe is leaving Studio10au. @channelten have been planning to sack her for over a year. She blamed me, even though I was trying to save her job.' 'Ive had incredible support from people right across the TV industry today, and that means the world to me,' she added A Ten spokesperson addressed the debate on Friday and told News Corp Rob's remarks were 'completely wrong, obviously spiteful and deliberately misleading'. 'As Jess said, she has decided to leave Studio 10 to devote more time to her family and her other interests. Anyone who suggests otherwise is being petty and ignorant. Jess is welcome back to Ten anytime,' the spokesperson continued. Steadfast in his revelation, Rob responded to the spokesperson via Twitter: 'I look forward to them repeating that in court.' Her ex-husband Karl Stefanovic's new fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough has spent the last few weeks flashing her new engagement ring whenever possible. But the couple's shock engagement doesn't seem to be bothering Cassandra Thorburn, who looked fresh-faced and chic as she stepped out in Sydney on Tuesday. The accomplished journalist was spotted running errands around town, dressed in a pair of blue skinny jeans and a grey marl T-shirt. Girl about town! Cassandra Thorburn looked fresh-faced and chic as she stepped out in Sydney on Tuesday, donning a pair of skinny jeans and a grey T-shirt Donning a pair of stylish spectacles, the mother-of-three completed her look with a powder-blue handbag and set of stylish slide sandals. She also added several delicate pieces of jewellery, including a pendant necklace, bracelets and a statement wrist-watch. The sighting comes after Cassandra announced she was feeling rejuvenated after her exhausting split from Today host Karl Stefanovic. Casual chic: Donning a pair of stylish spectacles, the mother-of-three completed her look with a powder-blue handbag and set of stylish slide sandals Speaking to Woman's Day in January, Cassandra said she was looking forward to the next stage of her life and is in the best place. 'I'm unstoppable and I've never felt more empowered,' Cassandra told the publication. 'This is my second chance to have the life I truly deserve,' Cassandra said of her future sans Karl, 43. 'I'm unstoppable': Speaking to Woman's Day in January, Cassandra said she was looking forward to the next stage of her life and is in the best place She added: 'There's a light always at the end of some pretty dark tunnels - trust me, there really is!' Cassandra made headlines in December 2016 when she announced she had split from husband of 21 years, Karl Stefanovic. The former couple share three children together, Jackson, 18, Ava, 12, and River, 11. Karl reportedly met new fiancee Jasmine Yarbrough, 33, in December 2016, at a boat party on Sydney Harbour. 'This is my second chance to have the life I truly deserve': Cassandra confirmed that she is now enjoying life without Karl Lauren Conrad celebrated International Women's Day in style on Thursday during an event in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old fashion designer donned a dark floral print maxi dress to mark the occasion during a celebration in the Venice neighborhood. She completed her outfit with open-toed black heels and accessorized with a necklace and bracelet. Women's day: Lauren Conrad celebrated International Women's Day on Thursday at an event in Los Angeles Lauren had her blonde hair in a stark bob style that framed her flawless complexion. She was joined at the event by her pregnant longtime friend Hannah Skvarla who wore a long-sleeved black maternity dress. Lauren and Hannah in October 2013 created The Little Market to help create a sustainable income for struggling female artisans worldwide. The Little Market became a member of the Fair Trade Federation in 2015 and gained nonprofit status in May 2016, according to an October 2016 article by Forbes. Maxi dress: The 32-year-old fashion designer wore a floral print maxi dress Longtime friends: Lauren teamed up at the event with her pregnant longtime friend Hannah Skvarla Lauren and husband William Tell, 38, welcomed their son Liam last July. They started dating in 2012 and got engaged in October 2013 before marrying in September 2014. Lauren rose to fame in September 2004 at age 18 after being cast in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Cute couple: William Tell and Lauren are shown in October 2012 in Los Angeles She later starred in her own spin-off series The Hills in May 2006 after moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the fashion industry. The Hills chronicled the lives of Lauren and her friends Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge and Whitney Port in their personal and professional lives. Lauren during the series attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles. Reality star: Lauren is shown in a 2006 still from the MTV reality series The Hills She met Hannah while attending FIDM, but Hannah opted not to be filmed by The Hills cameras. Lauren also has her high-end fashion line Paper Crown that she started in 2010 with her childhood friend Maura McManus. She launched her first fashion line in 2007 and collaborated with Kohl's in 2009 to launch her second fashion line that later was expanded to include a bedding collection and affordable swim line. She announced her shock resignation from Studio 10 on Friday morning. But according to a report in The Daily Telegraph last November, Jessica Rowe may have been involved with the exit of another integral member of the morning show. At the time, the paper quoted an insider as claiming that she and co-star Denise Drysdale had complained about the program's executive producer, Rob McKnight, before he was axed by Channel Ten. Scroll down for video Explosive claims: According to report published in The Daily Telegraph last November, Jessica Rower and Denise Drysdale allegedly complained about Studio 10's executive producer, Rob McKnight According to the report, Rob was instrumental in launching Studio 10 four years ago, which has 'reinvigorated' the embattled network. The insider told The Telegraph that things unraveled when Denise hurled a brussel sprout at co-star Ita Buttrose during filming for a food segment late last year. While Denise thought it was all in good fun, the incident 'inflamed already simmering tensions on set'. All-star cast: Jessica has been a Studio 10 panellist since the show began in 2013 Denise and Rob allegedly had a tense conversation about the incident leading to her and Jessica approaching network bosses to complain about him. Executive producer Rob was axed from Ten shortly after, although it has not been confirmed whether the incidents were related. After Jessica announced her resignation on Friday, the ousted took to Twitter to make an explosively claim that Ten have been plotting to 'sack' the popular presenter for 'over a year'. Gone: Rob was reportedly axed from Studio 10 in November last year Denied by Ten: Ousted producer Rob shared an explosive tweet which was subsequently labeled as 'wrong', 'spiteful' and 'misleading' by Channel Ten Network Ten shot back a vehement denial regarding Rob's explosive claims, telling Daily Mail Australia in a statement: 'Mr McKnight's claim is completely wrong, obviously spiteful and deliberately misleading. 'As Jess said, she has decided to leave Studio 10 to devote more time to her family and her other interests. Anyone who suggests otherwise is being petty and ignorant. Jess is welcome back to TEN anytime.' Last month Ita also denied there was any tension behind the scenes on Studio 10, telling Kyle and Jackie O: 'There's no feud, it's rubbish. Well, as Donald Trump would say it's fake news!' She's appeared on Home and Away for almost two decades. And on Tuesday, Ada Nicodemou looked positively ageless when the 40-year-old actress arrived on the Palm Beach set of the long-running soap. The actress, who has played Leah Patterson-Baker for the past 18 years, was careful not to give too much away on the Sydney set. Back to the Bay! One of the Summer Bay's longest serving residents, Ada Nicodemou, 40, was pictured on the Palm Beach set of the show on Tuesday Strolling casually up one of the beach-side streets, Ada was all smiles as she chatted with cast members while surrounded by surfboards and boating equipment. Veteran Australian soap star, Ada, was spotted in a grey singlet which showed off a hint of cleavage which she coupled with a pair of ripped white jeans. Keeping accessories to a minimum, the brunette beauty wore mirrored aviators and a pair of tan, heeled sandals. Happy: The actress, who has played Leah Patterson-Baker for the past 18 years, was all smiles while walking up a beach-side street Scene stealing! The actress looked striking in a tight mocha coloured top which she paired with tight white, ripped jeans The ageless actress revealed in January she was 'not judgemental,' when it came to the use of anti-ageing treatment, Botox. The actress, who shot to fame on soap Heartbreak High, added she was also forced to simply her beauty regime after she became a mother. She told Daily Mail Australia that getting cosmetic work done was down to the individual. Street glam! The actress put her slender arms on display but didn't give away any spoilers for the show 'I just think everyone should do whatever makes them feel good,' said the flawless beauty, 'I have no judgement on (Botox use) whatsoever.' Ada, who shares five-year-old son Johnas with ex-husband Chrys Xipolitas, also revealed how being a mother had made her condense her beauty regime. 'It's just become simpler, I do everything that I can in the shower so I've got my cleanser there, I've got my exfoliant as a mum you just try and do whatever you can but as quick as you can,' she explained. She recently said she's longing for a curvaceous figure like Jessica Rabbit. But Maya Jama showcased her naturally stunning looks as she appeared on Charlie Sloth's Late Night show at London's BBC Radio studios on Thursday evening. The TV presenter, 23, looked elegant in a sophisticated grey wool wrap dress, featuring a daring thigh-high split. Off-duty beauty: Maya Jama showcased her naturally stunning looks as she appeared on Charlie Sloth's Late Night show at London's BBC Radio studios on Thursday evening The MTV star wrapped up against the chilly conditions in a black padded parka, and teamed her ensemble with burgundy ankle boots. Keeping it simple in the accessories department, Maya - the girlfriend of grime star Stormzy, 24 - tied in her look with oversized hooped earrings. The radio host carried a striped tote bag on one shoulder, and held onto the rest of her possessions in a stylish backpack by YSL. The television personality enhanced her radiant complexion with illuminating highlighter, and swept her brunette locks into an effortless ponytail. Leggy lady: The TV presenter, 23, looked elegant in a sophisticated grey wool wrap dress, featuring a daring thigh-high split During an interview with Women's Health earlier this week, the Cannonball star insisted she yearns for a fuller figure as her ideal is 'flat belly, big bum and big boobs'. But Maya lamented that a Jessica Rabbit-style figure is not her natural frame. Maya has been propelled into the spotlight since kicking off her presenting career on MTV in 2014 and has grown more and more prominent, particularly since the rise in popularity of her rapper boyfriend Stormzy, who she has dated for three years. Having dabbled in modelling, the Bristol-born beauty's cover shoot for Women's Health is undoubtedly a career high as she flaunted her sensational figure. Chic: The MTV star wrapped up against the chilly conditions in a black padded parka, and teamed her ensemble with burgundy ankle boots Shining bright: Keeping it simple in the accessories department, Maya - the girlfriend of grime star Stormzy, 24 - tied in her look with oversized hooped earrings Maya revealed: 'I have a thinner version of the body I want, if that makes sense. If youre wearing a bodycon dress and pose in it and push your hips out, youre going to have an hourglass figure. I know what Im doing! 'I actually prefer a fuller body. If I could paint my ideal, it would be a flat belly, big bum and big boobs. Like Jessica Rabbit. But its not my natural body shape. I definitely dress for the body I want.' On working out, the stunning star said: 'Its difficult with the job I have I cant schedule workouts in advance, I have to grab them when I can, so I want to use that training time wisely... 'Alice (Liveing, Mayas personal trainer) has taught me that its the quality of your sessions that counts, not how long youre in the gym for. I love my bum, so we tend to concentrate on that lots of nice deep squats.' Girl about town: The radio host carried a striped tote bag on one shoulder, and held onto the rest of her possessions in a stylish backpack by YSL Discussing her relationship with Stormzy, she said: 'Were clickbait, I get that, and I find it whatever these days. 'It used to wind me up, but Im super-aware that as soon as you go out with somebody whos doing something incredible, then thats all they want to attach to your name. Maya also opened up about what is important to her as she said: 'You know, Ive got this thing where, if I dont feel 100%, I count my blessings. 'Im like "OK, what are you thankful for? Youve got your health, a nice job, youre not starving, your familys healthy, blah blah blah Who's who? During an interview with Women's Health earlier this week, the MTV starlet insisted she yearns for a fuller figure as her ideal is 'flat belly, big bum and big boobs' 'I pray quite often. A little prayer in the morning, one at night. 'I mean, not every day, but when I can people go through different things that can affect their whole life and make them never want to do anything ever again, or stay at home and not want to venture out. Or turn to drugs, turn to alcohol. 'I never felt like that. Ive always just felt, you know what, lifes really short and shit stuff happens, so I just have to make the most out of whatever situation [presents itself]. 'So I thank God that everythings come into place. Everything Ive prayed for, pretty much, has happened, so somebody somewhere is working their magic.' She's the Home And Away star who is widely admired for her role as Nessa Rose in the smash hit musical Wicked. And on Friday, Penny McNamee got back to her musical theatre roots as she stepped out at the opening night of The Book of Mormon at Sydney's Lyric Theatre. The 34-year-old looked like she was about to break out into song and dance as she posed up a storm in an all white ensemble. Scroll down for video White hot! Home and Away's Penny McNamee stuns in a flirty lace dress as she attends Sydney premiere of The Book of Mormon with husband The Australian actress looked stunning in a white frock, embellished with ornate lace detailing. Her trim pins were fitted with stylish pointed high heels, while she accessoried her outfit with white gold jewellery. She added a punch of colour to her outfit by opting for a glossy red lipstick and black eye-liner. Keeping it classic: The Australian actress looked oh so pretty in a white frock She shared the red carpet with her husband, Matt Tooker, who cut a cool silhouette in a pale-grape hued tailored blazer and charcoal trousers. Earlier in the evening Penny shared a snap to Instagram revelling in her red carpet appearance. 'In my natural habitat. Clearly [in heels] ' she wrote alongside the flirty snap. Couple shot: She shared the red carpet with her husband, Matt Tooker, who cut a cool silhouette in a pale-grape hued tailored blazer and charcoal trousers Furthermore she wished the musical comedy's cast and crew all the very best of luck with their opening night performance. 'Chookas Book of Morman Australia cast and crew!! Especially my darling Emma Del Menico - choreographer extraordinaire!' she wrote to her 118,000 Instagram followers. Before Penny's move back Down Under, she lived and worked in America for several years. 'Chookas Book of Morman Australia cast and crew!!' Penny wished the musical comedy's cast and crew all the very best of luck with their opening night performance During her time in the States, she starred in the 2006 horror film See No Evil with fellow Aussie Rachael Taylor and WWE wrestler Kane. She also appeared in a number of U.S. dramas like Elementary and Blue Bloods. However, the beauty found her biggest success starring on Home and Away. The Aussie soap earned the mother-of-one a Logie nomination for Best New Talent. Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, Penny said that despite her decade long career on the stage, it was Home & Away that made her a household name. She said: 'Its amazing, as an actor you can have an entire career and people not really know your name.' She spoke candidly about her battles with depression and suicide earlier this week. But Jess Impiazzi enjoyed a break from her hectic lifestyle as she soaked up some winter sun in Spain on a recent beach getaway. The Celebrity Big Brother finalist, 28, flaunted her jaw-dropping cleavage in a skimpy sequin two-piece with a sexy keyhole neckline. Fun in the sun: Jess Impiazzi enjoyed a break from her hectic lifestyle as she soaked up some winter sun in Spain on a recent beach getaway The reality star's eye-popping curves took centre stage in the sparkling look, with the bikini's halterneck top highlighting her ample front even more. The glamour model accentuated her shape with high-waisted bottoms, and the two-piece was difficult to miss as it was covered in green sequins. Jess had her gorgeous brown locks curled into beachy waves as she accessorised with cat-eye sunglasses, keeping cool in the blazing hot weather by strolling through the sea. Flawless: The Celebrity Big Brother finalist, 28, flaunted her jaw-dropping cleavage in a skimpy sequin two-piece with a sexy keyhole neckline Amazing: The reality star's eye-popping curves took centre stage in the sparkling look, with the bikini's halterneck top highlighting her ample front even more Sensational: Jess was seen cheekily adjusting her bikini to avoid a nasty wardrobe malfunction as she took a break from chilly Britain Bond girl in the making: Jess kept her brown tresses loosely curled in the sexy ensemble, with the only accessory being her cat-eye sunglasses Jess was enjoying a break away from chilly Britain after openly speaking for the first time about her battle with chronic depression. Speaking on Wednesday's Loose Women, Jess revealed that one of the best days of her life - being accepted into the famed Italia Conti stage school - helped her to come out of a difficult childhood. But that amazing moment was immediately marred when on the same day her 13-month-old nephew passed away. She said: 'The thing that got me out of that sadness was Italia Conti stage school. I auditioned and got in. Struggles: The Celebrity Big Brother star's beach break came after she spoke candidly about her battles with chronic depression during a chat with Loose Women panel on Wednesday Stronger now: While Jess is normally a bubbly character, the beauty recently revealed she had struggled with mental health after her 13-month-old nephew passed away Open: The Ex On The Beach star said that one the best days of her life - being accepted into stage school - was marred by her nephew's death, admitting it triggered her depression Candid: Jess added that one of the things that helped her through the dark time in her life was choosing to care for her mum when she lost her sight Fighting on: The reality TV star was praised by fans for speaking so openly about her struggles, with one calling her 'inspirational' 'Then I had a scholarship for college and it was the day I got the letter in 2006 that my nephew died of meningitis and septicemia. It took away the brilliance of that day.' Jess then went onto add: 'I got hit with depression. The head teacher let me go away for a couple of months. 'I went back for rehearsals and my favourite teacher told me the light in my eyes had gone out. 'I didnt want to see anyone. My confidence was gone. I just wanted to hide.' Soaking it up: During the beach break Jess was seen reclining on the rocks as she lapped up the warm sunshine Busty: The beaming beauty kept some of her curled tresses clipped back out of the way as she enjoyed the sunny weather Strut it out: Jess was also seen taking a stroll along the beach as she enjoyed the Spanish getaway Jess went onto reveal that she eventually dropped out of the prestigious stage school to care for her mum Debbie, who lost her sight after suffering Uveal effusion syndrome, a rare condition that causes fluid to build at the back of the eyes. 'I left school and mum was still on the sofa,' she recalled. 'She was too scared to make a cup of tea. 'I said "You can be like this for rest of your life or you can do something about it," so we did some research and found local braille classes. Watching mum going through something so difficult made me keep going. 'I was on anti-depressants at the time but my mum made me keep going. I felt like I was burden to everyone because I was so depressed.' Sassy: Jess has previously released her own fashion line called HD Female, and is no stranger to modelling her own designs Turning heads: After her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother Year of the Women in January, Jess won an army of fans with her bubbly and loveable nature Near-miss: Since finishing fourth in February's final, Jess has struck up a firm friendship with former police detective Maggie Oliver Debbie, who was in the studio audience, later admitted that her daughter's decision to care for her helped alleviate their individual issues. 'I was really pleased that she was there,' she told the panel. 'The fact that she engaged we went to the brail classes and she was making tea and helping people. 'We were both going through sadness and we pulled each other up. Weve been doing it ever since.' Agreeing with her mother, Jess added: 'I'm fortunate. We all have idols and Im just lucky that mine is my mum.' In the right place: The gorgeous TV star cheekily adjusted her bikini during the relaxed outing, with the green sequins making her difficult to miss! Beach babe: Jess made sure to keep cool by strolling through the waves as she enjoyed the sunny break Almost: The skimpy top nearly caused Jess to suffer a nip slip as it slipped while she adjusted her bottoms She is a national treasure, television presenter, and devoted mother to one daughter. And Lorraine Kelly broke down in tears as she was treated to a special Mothers' Day message from her beloved daughter Rosie, who is travelling abroad on Friday. The 58-year-old chat show host was taken by surprise at a sweet video message recorded by 23-year-old Rosie, who is currently in Laos, South-East Asia. Scroll down for video Emotion: Lorraine Kelly broke down in tears as she was treated to a special Mothers' Day message from her beloved daughter Rosie, who is travelling abroad on Friday Miss you mum: The 58-year-old chat show host was taken by surprise at a sweet video message recorded by 23-year-old Rosie, who is currently in Laos, South-East Asia As Rosie wished her beloved mum a Happy Mother's Day, Lorraine was unable to contain her emotion and started crying. She said: 'Thats so nice! Oh, Ive gone completely. It was just seeing her wee face, that was so nice. I miss her! You're going to have to do the next bit as she wiped away her tears. Lorraine was also presented with pajamas printed with pictures of her dog Angus by resident fashion expert Mark Heyes. She gushed: 'No, no, its too good! That is so cute. That is my son, obviously. Did he order it by himself? Thats not in any way bonkers, I love that so much.' Love: As Rosie wished her beloved mum a Happy Mother's Day, Lorraine was unable to contain her emotion and started crying Lorraine previously spoke about her relationship with Rosie in a 2015 OK! Interview saying being a mother was her most important role in life. She said: I have that strong work ethic in me. But really Im just Rosies mum. Thats my proper job. Rosie also spoke about growing up with a famous mother, saying she was confused when anyone asked Lorraine for an autograph. 'There was never a sudden moment when I realised my mother was not like other mothers,' Rosie explained in Daily Mail's Weekend magazine last year. Touched: She said: 'Thats so nice! Oh, Ive gone completely. It was just seeing her wee face, that was so nice. I miss her! You're going to have to do the next bit as she wiped away her tears' 'I do remember when I was very young and we were out shopping being baffled that people were asking her for her autograph. 'I'd say, 'Why are you scribbling your name on bits of paper for people?' It all seemed very strange. 'People often ask me what it's like having a famous mother, but my mum's been famous all my life so I've never known any different. 'Of course, it has its ups and downs, but deep down she's always been just Mum to me.' Lorraine has been married to Rosie's father Stevie since 1992. She made the surprise announcement on Friday morning that she was quitting Studio 10. And on Friday night a 'relieved' Jessica Rowe toasted a glass of wine with her daughter Giselle. The 47-year-old shared a photo to Instagram of her post-work celebrations, thanking fans for their support, but didn't address speculation she had been forced out of her Studio 10 role. 'New beginnings!' A 'relieved' Jessica Rowe toasts a glass of wine with her daughter after quitting Studio 10 on live TV ... as an ex-producer claims she was FORCED OUT In the photo Jessica beamed from ear to ear as she held up a glass of wine in one hand. 'Today is Friday! Friday is rose - and new beginnings!!! Thank YOU for all your beautiful messages of love and support!!' She captioned the photo. Jessica also added the hashtags #craphousewife #crazycatlady #relieved #werealldoingthebestwecan #youareenough #thankyou #blessed #glitterrules #thankyouthankyouthankyou. Jessica made the shock announcement live on air during Friday's episode. The presenter, who has co-hosted the morning program since 2013, told viewers she decided to leave in order to spend more time with her family. Thanked fans: 'Today is Friday! Friday is rose - and new beginnings!!! Thank YOU for all your beautiful messages of love and support!!' She captioned the photo Shock announcement: On Friday morning, Jessica Rowe revealed she was quitting Studio 10 in order to spend more time with her family Rowe said: 'I've got some news I want to share with all of you because you've been so incredible to me over so many years. I've decided to leave Studio 10.' Her announcement drew stunned gasps from members of the audience. She explained: 'It's been a very hard thing for me to do, but it's because my family need me. I want to be more present, I want to be a more present mum for my girls, Allegra and Giselle. They need their mum.' Stunned: Rowe's announcement drew shocked gasps from the audience and sobs from her co-host Joe Hildebrand (second from left) Rowe is married to Channel Nine newsreader Peter Overton. The couple share daughters Allegra, 11, and Giselle, eight. However, shortly after Rowe's announcement, Studio 10's former executive producer Rob McKnight claimed on Twitter that the network had been 'planning to sack her for over a year'. He tweeted: 'Sad to hear (Jess) is leaving Studio10au. (Ten) have been planning to sack her for over a year. She blamed me, even though I was trying to save her job.' 'I want to be there in the mornings for them': Rowe said she and husband Peter Overton had spoken at length about her decision. Pictured with their daughter Allegra and Giselle in 2016 JESS ROWE'S CAREER In the early 1990s, Rowe started out as a receptionist at Channel Nine, before moving to an on-air position as a weather presenter. She defected to Channel Ten in 1996, co-anchoring Sydney's evening news bulletin alongside Ron Wilson. After nearly a decade, Rowe moved back to Channel Nine to begin co-hosting the Today show alongside Karl Stefanovic. Rowe debuted on the program in January 2006, but just six months later Nine's then-CEO Eddie McGuire allegedly asked when he could 'bone' Jessica - with reports suggesting the word meant to 'sack' her. Rowe ended her troubled tenure at the network in mid 2007, later moving to Channel Seven. While at Seven, she appeared as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars and as a news presenter on Weekend Sunrise. She left Seven in 2013. Rowe returned to Channel Ten in September of that year to co-host new morning program, Studio 10. Advertisement Network Ten denied McKnight's claims, telling Daily Mail Australia in a statement: 'Mr McKnight's claim is completely wrong, obviously spiteful and deliberately misleading. 'As Jess said, she has decided to leave Studio 10 to devote more time to her family and her other interests. Anyone who suggests otherwise is being petty and ignorant. Jess is welcome back to TEN anytime.' David Wilson - the director of Watercooler Talent, which handles Jessica's media career - echoed similar sentiments on Twitter. He wrote: 'To be absolutely clear - Ten offered Jess a generous new contract for her to stay. Leaving Studio 10 was Jess' choice for the reasons she so beautifully articulated on air this morning. It takes great courage to make these big decisions.' On Friday's episode of Studio 10, Rowe made clear that the network has been 'nothing but supportive' of her decision. Discussing her decision to leave the program, Rowe claimed she wanted to spend more time with her daughters. She said: 'I want to be there in the mornings for them, I want to take them to school. It's something that I need to do, it is as simple as that. 'Completely wrong': Channel Ten told Daily Mail Australia that former Studio 10 executive producer Rob McKnight's claim that the network 'had been planning to sack her for over a year' was not accurate. Rowe's talent agent also disputed McKnight's claim on Twitter (pictured) 'This is the best job I've ever had on television': Discussing her decision to leave the program, Rowe claimed she wanted to spend more time with her daughters 'Peter and I have spoken a lot about this over the past six months. It's weighed on me because this is a job I love. This is the best job I've ever had on television.' Rowe said Studio 10 had allowed her to 'find her voice and her courage again'. She then paid tribute to her fellow panellists, including a tearful Joe Hildebrand, who has sat next to Rowe since the show debuted nearly five years ago. Emotional farewell: Joe Hildebrand sobbed throughout Jessica's resignation announcement 'We all begged her to stay': Hildebrand took to Twitter to pay tribute to Rowe 'Joe, I love you. It's been such a journey hasn't it?' she said, as they hugged. 'It's been wonderful,' he replied. Later, Hildebrand took to Twitter stating: 'Sad beyond words that my beloved Jess is leaving Studio 10. 'We all begged her to stay but her family must come first. FYI She will still be with us all month and coming back whenever she wants. We love you Jess!' 'One of the best friends that I've ever had': Denise Drsdale fought back tears as she farewelled Rowe Meanwhile, Rowe also acknowledged fellow panellists Natarsha Belling and Denise Drysdale after she made her announcement. Belling applauded Rowe for drawing attention to issues surrounding mental health during her years on the program. Drysdale also said: 'I feel so blessed. I hate when they say blessed, but I've made one of the best friends that I've ever had and we've got that for the rest of our lives wherever you are. 'I'm very grateful for that, and it's not often you get that when you work on television. It's very rare.' More family time: Rowe pictured with her daughters Allegra and Giselle in December 2017 Rowe made headlines last November, after a The Daily Telegraph reported on alleged tensions behind the scenes at Studio 10. At the time, an insider claimed Drysdale reportedly threw a Brussels sprout at co-host Ita Buttrose while they were filming a food segment. While Drysdale thought it was all in good fun, the incident reportedly 'inflamed already simmering tensions on set'. Drysdale allegedly had a tense conversation about her behaviour with McKnight, who was still the show's executive producer at the time. Drysdale and Rowe subsequently approached network bosses to complain, and McKnight was axed from Channel Ten shortly after. Were there tensions? Rowe hit headlines last November, after a report in The Daily Telegraph that alleged tensions behind the scenes at Studio 10 Meanwhile, on Friday, after news of Rowe's resignation broke, her husband Peter Overton took to Twitter to express admiration for his wife. 'Jess and I have had some long talks about this and the bottom line is our little girls need their Mum. For breakfast, for the school run, for the family,' he wrote. He added: 'This morning, when I asked 11-year-old Allegra how she felt that Mum that was going to be home in the mornings... she said "I am a billion times happy'... and that says it all'. Admiration: Rowe's husband Peter Overton took to Twitter shortly after the news broke to share his admiration for his wife Rowe is one of Australia's most well-known TV personalities, having been on screens for more than 20 years. She was a co-host of Channel Ten's evening news, before defecting to Nine in 2006, where she appeared alongside Karl Stefanovic as host of the Today Show. During her troubled tenure at Nine, then-CEO Eddie McGuire reportedly claimed he wanted to 'bone' Rowe from the network, which is understood to mean 'sack' her. She departed the following year. She left fans weeping after her character Nurse Barbara Hereward passed away from sepsis last weekend. But Call The Midwife star Charlotte Ritchie has revealed she can't even watch her heartbreaking death scene after filming left her 'howling like a child.' The actress, 28, told Lorraine Kelly on Friday morning's show she decided to leave the BBC period drama before she became 'complacent' with the role. Scroll down for video Challenging: Call The Midwife's Charlotte Richie has admitted she struggles to watch the death scene for her character Nurse Barbara Charlotte admitted that she wasn't prepared for the emotional reaction she would have to filming the gut-wrenching scenes, as Barbara passed away with her husband Tom and close friend Phyllis by her side. The actress said: 'I knew it was going to happen and I still howled like a child, which feels really weird. I have known for a long time and I was wishing I wouldn't cry, as I think there's something weirdly narcissistic about crying about your own death. 'But it was just everything, it was saying goodbye to the show, I love it so much. But it was done beautifully and I feel really glad and really proud that I got to say goodbye in that way.' Talking about her decision to leave the show, Charlotte said: 'It was such a hard decision to make. I love it. It's the most wonderful job. It was just the sort of time to go, I think. My character Barbara had had such a gorgeous arc.' Emotional: The actress, 28, told Lorraine Kelly on Friday morning's show she 'howled like a child' during filming for the heart-wrenching scenes Moving on: The television star said she decided to leave Call the Midwife to pursue other projects, as she didn't want to become 'complacent' in the same role 'She's gone': Fans wept after Nurse Barbara Hereward died of sepsis with husband Tony at her side Charlotte added that she decided to leave Call The Midwife to pursue new acting roles and didn't want to 'get complacent'. When asked by Lorraine what sort of roles she would like to try now, Charlotte said: 'I think totally different. I did a couple of comedies a few years ago and I would love to do a bit more of that. As much variety as possible.' Charlotte also revealed that despite her character's death devastating fans, her mum was most upset to hear she was quitting the show. Lorraine asked Charlotte whether it was true that her mother was 'not happy' with her decision, to which the former Fresh Meat star said: 'No. But shes very glad that Ive done it and she loves it and understands.' New adventure: Charlotte said she would like to do something 'totally different' to her previous role, saying maybe something like a comedy Fan favourite: Charlotte won an army of fans for her role as Nurse Barbara when she joined the show's fourth series in 2015 Low-key: The actress was effortlessly chic for the TV appearance, sporting a simple grey blouse and jeans along with wine-coloured ankle boots Upset: Charlotte added that her mother was 'not happy' to hear she was leaving the show, but eventually supported her decision Fans were utterly devastated by Barbara's passing in Sunday's show, taking to Twitter through their tears. One wrote: 'This week's #callthemidwife has been over for almost a hour yet I can still feel tears welling in my eyes - why Barbara?' Another viewer wrote: 'Omg Ive cried buckets tonight along with 10 million more poor Barbara #CalltheMidwife.' The seventh series of Call the Midwife will come to a close this weekend, when viewers will get one last chance to say goodbye to Nurse Barbara as Nonnatus House comes together for her funeral. Call the Midwife continues Sunday March 22 at 8pm on BBC One. She revealed this week that she was once told she didn't have the 'looks' or the 'voice' to become a successful television host. Yet defiant Melissa Doyle - who has proven her initial critics very much wrong since then - beamed as she attended the opening performance of The Book Of Mormon on Friday evening. The former breakfast TV host, 48, was as smiley as ever as she slipped her slender frame into a little black off-the-shoulder number. Golden girl: Mel Doyle beams as she poses in a little black dress with doting husband John Dunlop at The Book Of Mormon... after revealing she was once told she was 'too ordinary to be on TV The blonde television personality grinned from ear-to-ear on the red carpet, with a cute leather purse over her shoulder, in burgundy. She completed the look with elaborately strapped high-heels, wearing her golden locks around her bare shoulders. Her make-up was effortless and fresh as she posed for snaps. She was joined for the show by her husband John Dunlop, who looked smart in a gret suit with an open collared white shirt. Happy couple: She was joined for the show by her husband John Dunlop, who looked smart in a gret suit with an open collared white shirt Both were the picture of wedded serenity, despite the difficult revelation Mel had made earlier that day. The newsreader confessed - while talking about sexism in the workplace in the context of International Women's Day on Nova's In Her Own Words podcast series - that a cruel executive advised her to stick to being an 'ordinary journalist' and give up on her dreams of becoming a presenter. 'He said to me "you'll never be a presenter - you just don't have it,"' she admitted. The executive told her: 'You don't have the looks, you don't have the voice, just stick to being an ordinary journalist and be happy with that.' Mel, who famously transformed her figure after quitting breakfast TV and dropping 10kg in 2013, also revealed she has kept every rejection letter from a TV executive or newsroom boss. Outrageous: The newsreader, 48, confessed that the executive advised her to stick to being an 'ordinary journalist' and give up on her dreams of becoming a presenter (seen on Sunrise in 2006 with David Koch) 'I've got a manilla folder somewhere up in the roof full of letters from all the news directors around the country saying, "No, we haven't got anything [for you],"' she said. Melissa overhauled her fitness and lifestyle after leaving Sunrise several years ago, admitting it was hard to do while juggling a family and a punishing schedule. 'It was only a few kilos. But I was working shift work, with two small children and not exercising as much as I should have been,' she told The Australian Women's Weekly. 'There are lots of women in that situation. But mine happened to be more public,' she explained. Hugh Grant has become a father for the fifth time, his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley revealed on US TV. The Paddington 2 actor, 57, and his girlfriend Anna Eberstein, 35, are said to have welcomed their baby last week. Appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Elizabeth was asked if she was surprised by the amount of kids Hugh has - to which she responded: 'He had another one last week. He has five. He was over 50 when he spawned them all.' Happy days: Hugh Grant has become a father for the fifth time, his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley claimed on US TV Andy asked Elizabeth if she was shocked by it and she delightfully responded: 'No, hes an enchanting dad. Really, really sweet.' The actress then cheekily cracked up her fellow guest on the chat show, David Oyelowo when she spoke of Hugh's forray into fatherhood. She said: 'Having these kids has transformed him from a very miserable person into a fairly miserable person. Its improved him. Hes gone up the scale.' MailOnline has contacted Hugh and Elizabeth's representatives for comment. Father again: Andy asked Elizabeth if she was shocked by it and she delightfully responded: 'No, hes an enchanting dad. Really, really sweet' Hugh's children 1987-2000 - Hugh enjoyed an extremely high-profile romance with Elizabeth before splitting following his infidelities. While they never had children, he is Godfather to her son Damian, 15 September 2011 - Hugh became a father for the first time, to a daughter Tabitha with receptionist Tinglan Hong, after 'a fleeting affair' September 2012 - The actor later became a father for a second time to John Mungo, his first baby with Anna December 2012- After a brief reunion, Hugh and Tinglan had another child, as she gave birth to a boy called Felix although this only became publicly known when a birth certificate leaked when he was 16-months-old December 2015 - Anna and Hugh became parents once more to a second child, although they have never announced the child's name Advertisement In January, Anna's mother Susanne is said to have spoken to Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet, to confirm the news as she said: 'I'm very happy to be getting another grandchild. She's due rather soon.' Hugh and Anna have two young children together - a son John, born in 2012, and a second child, born in December 2015. Clearly delighted at the prospect of becoming a grandmother once again, Susanne reportedly spilled the beans to the magazine. The name of the couple's second child still remains a mystery, but back in 2015 the birth was confirmed by Anna's mother to a Swedish newspaper. In the statement released at the time, she said: Anna Eberstein from Sundsvall has had her second child with film star Hugh Grant. The newest member of the family saw the light of day for the first time last Wednesday. Her mother, a judge and prominent left-wing politician, confirmed to Swedish newspaper Ornskoldsviks Allehanda the baby, her second grandchild, was born. She went on: 'I can confirm that I have another grandchild. It is wonderful that we now have grandchildren (more than one grandchild).' Happy days: Hugh and Anna have two young children together - a son John, born in 2012, and a second child, born in December 2015 A close friend of the family told MailOnline at the time: I heard from Annas parents that she had given birth last Wednesday. It was a little girl. Everything seemed to have gone okay. Hugh also has two other children - a daughter Tabitha, six, and son Felix, four, with Chinese beauty Tinglan Hong. The Notting Hill star went from having no children to being a father of four in just four years. At the time of Tabitha's birth, Hugh's spokesman said: 'He and the mother had a fleeting affair and while this was not planned, Hugh could not be happier or more supportive. He and the mother have discussed everything and are on friendly terms.' When Ms Hong gave birth to Felix, Mr Grant wrote on Twitter: 'In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum.' Happy days: The actress then cheekily cracked up her fellow guest on the chat show, David Oyelowo when she spoke of Hugh's forray into fatherhood In 2014, he spoke for the first time about his son. Speaking to Swedish newspaper Nojesbladet, he said of Anna: We are very good friends and shes a very good mother. The actor said he had plenty of contact with his son. He said: 'I see him all the time, all the time - most days'. His relationship with the boy was excellent, he said, adding: I love him very much. He also spoke warmly about the charms of Sweden, which he has visited several times. Elizabeth and Hugh's close friendship will come as a surprise to many, given that he famously solicited the services of Divine Brown in Hollywood's notorious Sunset Strip in 1995, when he and Elizabeth were still very much in a relationship. Both the Four Weddings actor and the prostitute were pulled over by the police and detained - leading to Hugh's famous sheepish mugshot. The big reveal: Elizabeth revealed the news on Andy Cohen's show Liz and Hugh, who began dating in 1987, were plagued with troubles after his cheating was exposed. The couple worked through their issues, but eventually split amicably in 2000 after 13 years of dating, with Liz previously telling MailOnline that Hugh is 'family' to her. The pair met in 1987 when Hugh played Lord Byron in a Spanish production called Remando Al Viento, and Elizabeth was cast in a supporting role as Byron's former lover Claire Clairmont. Liz and Hugh, who began dating in 1987, were plagued with troubles after his cheating was exposed. The couple worked through their issues, but eventually split amicably in 2000 after 13 years of dating, with Liz previously telling MailOnline that Hugh is 'family' to her. Riverdale's Lili Reinhart has taken to Instagram stories to slam Cosmopolitan Philippines magazine for photoshopping pictures of herself and Camila Mendes. Lili, 21, posted comparison shots of her and Camila, 23, before and after the editing from their February cover issue and in both instances, their waists appeared noticeably slimmer. Referencing International Women's Day, Lili wrote: 'Over the last year, we've seen an unprecedented movement for women's rights, and one thing is clear: our time is now. 'We're f***ing beautiful and you can't "fix" us': Riverdale's Lili Reinhart has slammed Cosmo Philippines for photoshopping pictures of herself and Camila Mendes (untouched image) 'Our fight is not over': The second image she shared showed a dramatic reduction in the size of her waist 'We are phenomenal and we will make the world a better place for all women. But we still have a long way to go. Our fight is not over.' Showing how the images have been distorted, she explained: 'It's an everyday battle sometimes. 'And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is the perfect example of the obstacles we have yet to overcome. Sharing a picture of Camila Mendes, before her waist was retouched, she said: To see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is the perfect example of the obstacles we have yet to overcome' 'So we cannot stop fighting. Our battle has only just begun. We are f***ing powerful, beautiful and strong. We aren't going to hide behind photoshop to conform to beauty standards.' 'That's why I am calling out @cosmopolitan_philippines. It's sad that you felt our bodies needed to be slimmed down. 'But Camila and I are f***ing beautiful. As is. And you can't "fix" us.' Dramatically altered: Sharing a picture of Camila with her waist photoshopped, she said: ''But Camila and I are f***ing beautiful. As is. And you can't "fix" us' She continued: 'So like every other day, women... go kick some ass. You are being heard. You are strong and sensational. 'And I would like to thank the OG @cosmopolitan for keeping our waists as they are in their magazines. 'Also would like to encourage celebrities and other public figures to stop photoshopping their waists/noses/arms/legs in their photos. 'It's only encouraging an unrealistic body image. It's adding to the problem.' MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Cosmo Philippines for comment. Camila supported her friend by also writing something on Instagram stories. It read: '@lilireinhart and I feel disrespected and disturbed by the sight of our photoshopped bodies in @cosmolitan_philippines. 'We want their readers to know that those bodies are not ours; they have been distorted from their natural beauty. 'We prefer to see our bodies the way they actually are. I'm not interested in having a slimmer waist, I'm more satisfied with the one that I already have.' She's the girl of the moment after winning The Block with her longtime boyfriend Josh Barker last year. And on Friday night Elyse Knowles was red hot, the 24-year-old strutting her stuff for Myer at the 2018 Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. The blonde beauty made her catwalk debut for the department store alongside ambassador Kris Smith. Red hot! The Block's Elyse Knowles flaunts her curves in a mini dress as she struts her stuff on the Myer catwalk with Kris Smith The leggy beauty made her way down the runway in a one shouldered red dress which showcased her curves. The short style also flaunted Elyse's toned legs, the stunner pairing accessorising her ensemble with matching red heels. The Block star was also joined on the runway by Kris, the male model looking dapper in a pinstripe suit. Simply stunning: The leggy beauty made her way down the runway in a one shouldered red dress which showcased her curves In high spirits: The former partner of Dannii Minogue smiled supportively as Elyse made her way down the runway The former partner of Dannii Minogue smiled supportively as Elyse made her way down the runway. Meanwhile Elyse also appeared on the catwalk in a white high neck blouse and matching shorts. Wearing her blonde locks back from her face in a messy ponytail, Elyse sported smoky eye makeup. The perfect gentleman: The Block star was also joined on the runway by Kris, the male model looking dapper in a pinstripe suit All white: Elyse also appeared on the catwalk in a white high neck blouse and matching shorts Bronzed beauty: Wearing her blonde locks back from her face in a messy ponytail, Elyse sported smoky eye makeup For her final look Elyse wore her hair out in tousled waves as she donned a double breasted black blazer over a patterned dress. Elyse's appearance at VAMFF is her first role for Myer since she was announced as the department store's ambassador last month. Taking to Instagram, the beauty confirmed: 'I'm very excited to announce that I will be working alongside @myer this season.' Showstopper: For her final look Elyse wore her hair out in tousled waves as she donned a double breasted black blazer over a patterned dress She's the mother-of-four who helped create luxury resort collection, Rama Voyage. And on Friday, Lindy Klim put her best foot forward at the Myer Show at the 2018 Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. The 40-year-old flaunted her slender post-baby figure in a fashion forward ensemble. Scroll down for video One hot mumma! Lindy Klim flaunts her incredible post-baby figure in a colourful skirt and off the shoulder blouse at VAMFF The creative director of Rama Voyage cut a sophisticated silhouette in a loose navy shoulder-baring blouse. The doting mother teamed her shirt with a Zara shiny pleated skirt made-up of white, pale green and copper hues. She completed her ultra-chic look with a Sass & Bide rose gold metallic belt and a pair of black high heels, complete with fluffy ankle straps. Vamping it up at VAMFF: She completed her ultra-chic look with a Sass & Bide rose gold metallic belt and a pair of black high heels, complete with fluffy ankle straps Fashion forward mother-of-four: Lindy gave birth to her fourth child in December last year, and has been flaunting her slender post-baby body ever since The Balinese-based fashionista and her fiance Adam Ellis welcomed their daughter Goldie in December 2017. She recently revealed to Daily Mail Australia she worries she won't fit into her wedding dress ahead her of impending nuptials to the British property developer. She jokingly hinted that her wedding date, had been moved to later in the year because of her recent pregnancy. Bundle of joy: The Balinese-based fashionista and her fiance Adam Ellis welcomed their daughter Goldie in December 2017 'I want to fit into an amazing dress,' she said on the red carpet at the David Jones Autumn Winter 2018 Collections Launch. Speaking about her changing frame after the recent child birth, Lindy added: 'My boobs are so massive! I'm really self conscious.' Lindy shares three other kids - Stella, 11, Rocco, nine, Frankie, six - with her Olympian ex-husband Michael Klim. She sparked a friendship with Sam Faiers during their appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014. And Luisa Zissman took to Instagram to admire her pal's mothering duties with a cosy snap which showed the former TOWIE star, 27, breastfeeding her four-month-old daughter Rosie. The Apprentice star, 30, added a hint of her trademark humour in the picture caption as she asked her legion of followers whether the mother-of-two should nurse her youngest child Clemmie, four months. Sweet: Luisa Zissman took to Instagram to admire Sam Faiers' mothering duties with a cosy snap which showed the former TOWIE star breastfeeding her four-month-old daughter Rosie The television personality wrote: 'Do you think I can stick Clemmie on there @samanthafaiers she's a bit dissatisfied with her bottle #TheGreatDebate #supermum.' In the warm-hearted image, Sam wore a beige sweater and denim skinny jeans as she nursed her baby daughter. The Mummy Diaries star wore her golden locks poker straight while cradling little Rosie in her arms. The pair forged a friendship during their stint on reality show Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, which also saw appearances from Made In Chelsea's Ollie Locke, rapper Dappy and yoga enthusiast Casey Batchelor. Funny: The Apprentice star, 30, added a hint of her trademark humour as she asked her legion of followers whether Sam, 27, should nurse her baby Clemmie (pictured March 2015) The girls now live near each other in Hertfordshire and Sam gave birth to Rosie just days before Luisa welcomed Clemmie. Luisa is a mother to daughters Indigo, 19 months, Clemmie, four months, with husband, Irish businessman Andrew Collins. The reality star also shares Dixie, seven, with ex-husband Oliver Zissman. Sam frequently takes to social media to share her endearing breastfeeding moments with children Rosie and Paul, two. Best pals: The Apprentice star sparked a friendship with Sam Faiers during their appearance on Celebrity Big Brother (pictured January 2014) Great friends: The pair have remained in contact following their appearance on the Channel 5 reality show and live near each other in Hertfordshire The Essex beauty - who is in a relationship with property developer Paul Knightley - gushed over her brood in an interview with The Sun in January. Sam said: 'My children are my priority, not the gossip of whats going on around me, and once youre out of that its so much nicer. It makes you a better person. I feel so much more grown-up.' Following her time on The Only Way Is Essex from 2010 until 2014, the blonde beauty said: 'Im not exactly an attachment parent, but Ive never had a nanny and Baby Paul doesnt go to nursery. I wouldnt have it any other way.' Nicole Banning was shocked after watching the trailer for Red Sparrow and realising the busty one-piece Jennifer Lawrence was wearing was one of her designs. The little-known Australian designer thought something was off when someone purchased nine of the strappy, $290 swimsuits in 2016, but never expected this. She later discovered a costume designer had purchased the pieces, revealing to News Corp on Friday: 'I assumed it might be for theatre or something.' 'Traffic is up, sales are up': Little-known Australian swimsuit maker shocked after realising Jennifer Lawrence was wearing the $290 one-piece she designed in Red Sparrow Still, the mother-of-one - who boasts a modest 475 followers on Instagram - certainly wasn't complaining when she found out. Naturally, when statuesque beauty Jennifer appeared in the trailer and the film's promotional trailer in the raunchy number, Nicole's fortunes rose. 'Traffic is up, sales are up and its boosted sales in general,' she said. As of Friday night, The Noir Split One Piece on her Ephemera label's website was modified with a stock shortage notice. Shocked: Nicole Banning (L) admitted she thought something was off when someone purchased nine of the strappy, $290 swimsuits in 2016, but never expected this 'Preorder - May 2018 delivery,' the item's headline now reads. It's quite clear the small-scale swimwear label will either be hiring more staff, or updating that notice with later delivery dates every day. Nicole praised Jennifer for her part in the outfit's success, and conceded she didn't envision the one-piece looking so hot when she first made it. Not a complain! Still, the mother-of-one - who boasts a modest 475 followers on Instagram - certainly wasn't complaining when she found out 'Traffic is up': 'Traffic is up, sales are up and its boosted sales in general,' she said 'It looked sexier than Id designed it to be but ... shes playing a Russian spy and it totally works. She looks amazing in it,' she told the publication. Despite her label still finding its feet, Nicole does have some impressive notches in her career belt. Get in fast! As of Friday night, The Noir Split One Piece on her Ephemera label's website was modified with a stock shortage notice In the mid-2000's, she spent four years working in Paris for none other than Yves Saint Laurent. She returned to Australia three years ago to launch Ephemera. The first week of March was the label's best sales week ever. Although just like stock of her now-famous black one-piece, that record isn't expected to last long. Fair call! Nicole praised Jennifer for her part in the outfit's success, and conceded she didn't envision the one-piece looking so hot when she first made it They have been together since 2005, finally tying the knot late last year. And Lisa Bonet has opened up about the early days of her romance with hunky actor Jason Momoa in a new interview with Porter Edit. The actress, 50, and her 38-year-old love were first introduced by friends, with the brunette beauty revealing that she fell for Jason immediately. Newlywed: Lisa Bonet has opened up about the early days of her romance with hunky actor Jason Momoa in a new interview with Porter Edit Smitten: The actress, 50, and her 38-year-old love were first introduced by friends in 2005, with the brunette beauty revealing that she fell for Jason immediately She said: 'I cant say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met. 'In that moment, love came and it came big, and he did not run as I think a lot of men do. He basically picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, caveman style!' The pair welcomed two children together Lola, 10, and Nakoa-Wolf, age nine, with Lisa also mother to daughter Zoe, 29, from her six-year marriage to musician Lenny Kravitz. The star praised 'alpha-male' Aqua-Man star Jason for his strong dedication to his family and his career. Stunning: She said: 'I cant say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met' Alpha-male: She said: 'In that moment, love came and it came big, and he did not run as I think a lot of men do. He basically picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, caveman style!' (pictured in 2017) She said: 'Whats cool about Jason is that hes an alpha male who stands for love and family. And to circle back to my own wounds, having an absent father, then to be fully met by a man of that stature, is really incredible. 'Jason embodies a rare form of masculinity in this day and age hes a leader, hes generous. Just in terms of charisma, physique, the right use of power, responsibility, work ethic, you can go down the line.' The star also revealed her how her fathers absence from her life impacted her choices in men. She said: 'When your primary male figure could care less to show up, that can become a theme in your life where youre trying to fill this gap with these different men.' Serene: The star praised 'alpha-male' Aqua-Man star Jason for his strong dedication to his family and his career Family first: The pair welcomed two children together Lola, 10, and Nakoa-Wolf, age nine Lisa shot to fame on the cult 1980s sitcom the Cosby show where she played Denise Huxtable, but was rumoured to have had a difficult working realtionship with Bill Cosby during the show's eight-year-run. In recent years, numerous sexual assault allegations have been made against the star, some of which date back to the 1960s - which he has denied. Lisa said she sensed a 'shadow' when she worked on the hit show. She said: 'There was no knowledge on my part about [Bill Cosbys] specific actions, but... There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed. 'If I had anything more to reveal then it would have happened a long time ago. Thats my nature. The truth will set you free.' 'Shadow': Lisa said she sensed a 'shadow' when she worked on The Cosby Show alongside Bill Cosby, who has had numerous sexual assault allegations made against him - which he denied (pictured on the show) Speaking about Cosby's current legal situation - the actor is gearing up for a retrial in a sexual assault case- she said: 'I dont need to say I told you so [about Bill Cosby]. I just leave all that to karma and justice and what will be.' The star also spoke about the difficulties she experienced as a mixed-race child, saying she 'didn't always feel safe' when she was growing up. She said: 'The world wasnt ready for what I represented, the merging of these two races. I didnt always feel welcome in my moms family, in my school. Out now: The full interview with Lisa can be found in this week's edition of Porter Edit 'So I sheltered myself by always withholding a bit, because I didnt always feel safe. [If I could go back, Id] try not to internalize the disdain and hate that was projected onto me.' Lisa, who has mostly starred in television dramas, and a handful of films spoke about why she feels she didn't break through into big-screen success. She said: 'I dont know! I always had one foot in and one foot out of the business, so thats part of it. But also, its slim pickings out there! There arent endless opportunities for women of color, youve probably noticed.' The actress looked stunning in the outdoor shoot, flashing her toned midriff in a white crop-top and ruffled cream skirt as she posed on a wall, with her striking features enhanced with a light dusting of make-up. A further stunning shot saw her stretch her lithe frame out while clad in a metallic lilac figure-hugging gown. They have been dating for five years. And the romance is still very much alive for Adrien Brody and his gorgeous girlfriend Lara Lieto, as they ran ran errands together on Thursday. The 44-year-old was spotted doing all the heavy lifting as he carried some artwork for his other half. Work of art! Adrien Brody hauled some paintings for girlfriend Lara Lieto before their lunch date in West Hollywood on Thursday Job done, the handsome couple then grabbed lunch to go from Toast in West Hollywood. The Oscar-winner was dressed down for his daytime date, in sneakers and dark jeans, and a retro gas station shirt. The 24-year-old Russian model meanwhile looked sexy in fitted green jeans and black jacket, with a cutoff red tank top that showed off her super-toned tummy. The pair have been dating since meeting at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013. Hot: The 24-year-old Russian model meanwhile looked sexy in fitted green jeans and black jacket, with a cutoff red tank top that showed off her super-toned tummy Brody's screen output has been quiet of late, moving from around three pictures a year to just one. Last year he only film he starred in was Bulgarian thriller Bullet Head about three criminals himself, Antonio Banderas and John Malkovich trapped in a warehouse with a killer dog. This year the only big screen project he has lined up as as the titular character in Emperor, a historic action epic about a young girl who seeking revenge on the holy roman Emperor Charles V for the death of her father. Last year, Brody told The Hollywood Reporter that he was scaling back his output in front of the camera. 'Ive kind of pulled back a bit on the acting side because I've worked a lot the past year or so,' he said. 'I've been focusing on a few things I'm producing. Its an interesting time.' CNN commentator Angela Rye confirmed her split Thursday from hip-hop star Common after around eight months together. 'We have and will always be friends,' the 38-year-old attorney told Page Six TV. 'He is an amazing human being, and I'm a much better person because he's a part of my life. May we all keep loving and living.' Scroll down for video It's over: CNN commentator Angela Rye confirmed her split Thursday from hip-hop star Common after around eight months together Since last summer, the NPR political analyst attended many glitzy events on the arm of the Stand Up for Something rapper, who's turning 46 this Tuesday. When Common (born Lonnie Lynn, Jr.) became a Tony away from EGOT status last September, Angela congratulated him on social media. 'Super proud of this guy for having a big #EGO, which is not to be confused with a big ego,' Rye gushed. The 38-year-old attorney told Page Six TV: 'We have and will always be friends. He is an amazing human being, and I'm a much better person because he's a part of my life. May we all keep loving and living' (pictured December 17) Started receiving death threats: Since last summer, the NPR political analyst attended many glitzy events on the arm of the Stand Up for Something rapper, who's turning 46 this Tuesday (pictured December 3) 'He is SO dope!' When Common (born Lonnie Lynn, Jr.) became a Tony away from EGOT status last September, Angela congratulated him on social media 'Here he is giving thanks to the Almighty for his Emmy just like he does for taking every breath, every single day. I'm thankful for his tremendous example of humility, leadership, kindness, and creativity. May we all be inspired to #WORKwoke. #heisSOdope #itsjustthebeginning #TonyhereheCOMES.' But all was not well when, beginning on August 5, the Capitol Hill alum reported receiving anonymous death threats to the LAPD - according to TMZ. News of the couple's split came as the Love Beats Rhymes actor shared a gushing post about 'dear friend' Ava DuVernay in honor of International Women's Day. 'Much love!' News of the couple's split came as the Love Beats Rhymes actor shared a gushing post about 'dear friend' Ava DuVernay in honor of International Women's Day Close: The 45-year-old Oscar nominee directed Common in Selma, produced his Black America Again music video, and they both played themselves in Girls Trip (pictured in 2016) The 45-year-old Oscar nominee directed Common in Selma (2014), produced his Black America Again (2016) music video, and they both played themselves in Girls Trip (2017). The Florida A&M University drop-out has a 20-year-old daughter Omoye Assata Lynn with ex-girlfriend Kim Jones - and he's reportedly romanced Erykah Badu, Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson, and Serena Williams. Meanwhile, Angela discussed Common's recent Oscar performance 'taking on the NRA' during Wednesday's panel on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. Single father: The Florida A&M University drop-out has a 20-year-old daughter Omoye Assata Lynn (pictured May 28) with ex-girlfriend Kim Jones - and he's reportedly romanced Erykah Badu, Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson, and Serena Williams In Melissa & Joey he played a former commodities trader who lost everything and was forced to declare bankruptcy. Now Joey Lawrence himself has been forced to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, after finding himself in financial difficulties following the end of the ABC Family show after five seasons. Blossom's Joey Lawrence has filed for bankruptcy after falling $355k into the red following the end of Melissa & Joey; he is pictured with his wife Chandie in 2013 It's over: With Melissa Joan Hart on the set of Melissa & Joey, which was cancelled in 2015 It a strange twist of fate, it has been revealed that the 41-year-old former child star and his full-time-mother wife Chandie Lawrence took the move last July, after falling behind on their $13,500 monthly rent payments and having three cars repossessed - including a Bentley and a BMW. In court documents obtained by The Blast the parents of two detail the moves they made to free up cash - including selling furniture to a consignment store for $1,836.70, clothes to a second hand store for $4,325.10 and even listing items on eBay. However this did little to help, with Lawrence bringing home just $6,966 a month in earnings and residuals, but facing a whopping $25,505.35 in expenses. Family: The couple, seen in 2010, have two children together While Lawrence's assets totaled $43,907.32, he owed $355,517.27. Debts included $88,000 in back taxes, $132,000 of credit card bills, $32,000 for an unpaid loan, outstanding car loans of $100,000 and $54,000 in unpaid rent. While starring on Melissa And Joey alongside Melissa Joan Hart, Lawrence made $534,000 in 2015. This dropped to $58,000 the following year after the show's cancellation. In January of this year court documents were filed stating that Lawrences company, Veritas Inc had sold at auction for $56,000, giving the buyer the rights to all royalties and residuals for his work prior to the bankruptcy filing. The debt was discharged by the court, although the bankruptcy remains pending. He played kinky billionaire Christian Grey opposite Dakota Johnson's ingenue Ana. But in reality, Fifty Shades star Jamie Dornan only has eyes for his gorgeous wife, Amelia Warner. The 35-year-old cuddled the beautiful brunette, also 35, as they waited for their car at the valet after enjoying a romantic lunch at Katsuya in Los Angeles without their two children on Thursday. Grown up meal: Jamie Dornan took his lovely wife Amelia Warner for lunch at at Katsuya in Los Angeles without their two children on Thursday The couple were casually dressed for their lunch date. Jamie showed off his pecs appeal in a white T-shirt that stretched across his chest, black pants rolled up at the ankle and mid-brown boots. The star, who hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland, combed his dark hair back and sported a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Amelia slipped on a pair of animal-print leggings that she teamed with a white T-shirt and a knee-length blue coat. Hugging up: The couple cuddled as they waited for their car outside the eatery She smoothed her center-parted brunette tresses back into a pony tail. Jamie and Amelia began dating in 2010 and got engaged in November 2012. They went on to marry in an intimate ceremony in Somerset, South West England, in 2013. Their daughter Dulcie, four, was born at the end of that year and the pair revealed they were expecting again in October 2015. Casually dressed: Jamie showed off his pecs appeal in a white T-shirt, black pants rolled up at the ankle and mid-brown boots while Amelia donned a white T-shirt and animal print leggings It was not until March 2016 when Amelia was pictured walking with a stroller in Notting Hill, London, that the arrival of their second daughter Elva, now two, was confirmed. Meanwhile, it turns out Amelia hasn't seen her husband in any of the steamy Fifty Shades trilogy of films. Fifty Shades Freed is presently in theaters and has raked in $347 million worldwide so far. On January 31, he joked to Ellen DeGeneres on her show: 'I don't want to pay for a ticket for her to like... you know.' Jamie has four films in production including director Otto Bathurst's 'gritty take' on Robin Hood, in which he plays Will Scarlet opposite Taron Egerton as Robin, Jamie Foxx as Little John and Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottinghan, due out on November 21. Untogether, co-starring Alice EVe, Ben Mendelsohn, Billy Crystal and Scott Caan, is due to play New York's Tribeca Festival in April. He's also working on HBO biopic My Dinner With Herve starring Peter Dinklage as French actor Herve Villechaize, co-star of the hit '70s TV series Fantasy Island, who took his own life in 1993 at the age of 50. It also co-stars Andy Garcia as Ricardo Montalban. Her parents went their separate ways in 2017 after 22 years of marriage, with her actor father striking up a new romance with Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And Ewan McGregor's daughter Clara has praised her mother Eve Mavrakis in a series of throwback photos shared to mark International Women's Day on Thursday. The 22-year-old model, shared beautiful black and white snaps of her 51-year-old mother with her daughters in the 90s, as well as a shot of Eve with her mother. Family: Ewan McGregor's daughter Clara has praised her mother Eve Mavrakis in a series of throwback photos shared to mark International Women's Day on Thursday, after her parent's split (pictured in October 2016) Eve was seen cradling her baby girl Esther while sat in a pool with a young Clara smiling sweetly by her side. Captioning one shot 'Thankyou mom' the blonde beauty showed off her close bond with her mother, who also has daughters Esther, Anouk and Jamyan with Ewan, 46. The vintage photo showed a young Clara with her mother proudly smiling at her. The McGregor family have been hitting headlines of late after patriarch Ewan controversially filed for divorce from Eve last month six months after being spotted kissing his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth. New flame: Following the split Ewan moved on with Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 31, although they are now said to have split Back in the day:The 22-year-old model, shared beautiful black and white snaps of her 51-year-old mother with her daughters in the 90s Earlier in the week, it was claimed Ewan has been dumped by Mary because she was unhappy with being dubbed a 'homewrecker'. The Trainspotting and Star Wars actor blamed irreconcilable differences for the split from his wife, the mother of his four daughters who are aged between seven and 22. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Eve for comment. Eve was reportedly left devastated after pictures were published last October of Ewan kissing his co-star in a London cafe. His 15-year-old daughter Esther later posted a song on Instagram about the s*** I found online, singing: Seeing those pictures, theyre making me cry And I dont know how to forgive. I dont know if I can. Cute:Captioning one shot 'Thankyou mom' the blonde beauty showed off her close bond with her mother, who also has daughters Esther, Anouk and Jamyan with Ewan, 46 Close bond: Clara also shared a shot of Eve with her mother or 'mamina' as she calls her The news of Ewans reported split from Mary is revealed in the latest edition of US magazine Star. A source told the publication: Mary hated being labelled a home wrecker and the embarrassment it caused her. 'Its sad because a year ago Ewan and his wife were in great shape and then he decided to throw it all away for Mary. Now it looks like hes lost them both for good. Eve told The Mail on Sunday, No, I hadnt heard, when asked if she knew about her husbands split from his lover. Asked for comment, she said: I really dont know. Sorry. Production designer Eve was said to be furious when her husband won the Best Actor In A Limited Series award at this years Golden Globes and thanked both her and his mistress. I want to take a moment to just say thank you to Eve who always stood by me for 22 years and our four children Clara, Esther, Jamyan and Anouk, he said. And there wouldnt have been any Ray [his Fargo character] without Mary Elizabeth Winstead. When asked about his words, Eve said: No, I did not like his speech. She called their divorce disappointing and upsetting before adding: My main concern is our four children are OK. Mary announced she was splitting from her husband of seven years Riley Stearns last May as she filmed the series. Mindy Kaling donned a strapless b&w-print dress to promote her movie A Wrinkle In Time on Friday's episode of Good Morning America. When host George Stephanopoulos gave the 38-year-old new mother a pink GMA onesie for her nearly three-month-old daughter Katherine Swati, she gushed: 'That's so good, thank you, she will love this!' But it was nothing like the hand-crafted, castle-shaped bookcase filled with 100 classic children's books engraved "Katherine's Book Club" that Kaling received from her castmate Oprah Winfrey. Scroll down for video Summer style in winter: Mindy Kaling donned a strapless b&w-print dress to promote her movie A Wrinkle In Time on Friday's episode of Good Morning America 'I thought it was just going to be flowers,' the six-time Emmy nominee recalled. 'And my assistant says, "No, I don't think you understand. A U-Haul truck is going to come and two [delivery] guys are coming into the house." It was amazing. It was incredible.' Mindy (born Vera Chokalingam) - who's keeping the identity of her babydaddy secret - has only shown glimpses of her newborn princess' golden-winged Jeremy Scott stroller and Adidas Originals outfit. The Massachusetts-born funnywoman portrays the multi-lingual, Shakespeare-quoting Mrs. Who in Disney's newest sci-fi fantasy, which hits US theaters Friday and UK theaters March 23. When host George Stephanopoulos gave the 38-year-old new mother a pink GMA onesie for her nearly three-month-old daughter Katherine Swati, she gushed: 'That's so good, thank you, she will love this!' 'It was amazing': But it was nothing like the hand-crafted, castle-shaped bookcase filled with 100 classic children's books engraved "Katherine's Book Club" that Kaling received from her castmate Oprah Winfrey Baby pics? The six-time Emmy nominee - who's keeping the identity of her babydaddy secret - has only shown glimpses of her newborn princess' stroller and Adidas Originals outfit 'The adaptation is very different than the book, but the spirit is kept alive,' the Dartmouth College grad explained. 'It's an incredible journey of a girl who has low self-esteem, and her father leaving her and she has to save her family and she goes on a science fiction adventure.' Kaling recalled how she embraced sci-fi novels growing up 'a little shy, chubby, book-reading kid.' 'I had such a great imagination, but largely science fiction books ignore you if you are, you know, an Indian girl,' the Family Feud video star noted. 'The adaptation is very different than the book': Mindy (born Vera Chokalingam) portrays the multi-lingual, Shakespeare-quoting Mrs. Who in Disney's newest sci-fi fantasy, which hits US theaters Friday and UK theaters March 23 'Largely sci-fi books ignore you if you are, you know, an Indian girl': The Massachusetts-born funnywoman recalled growing up 'a little shy, chubby, book-reading kid' 'Oprah was used to having it be very quiet': Off-screen, Mindy and co-star Reese Witherspoon (R) got a kick out bugging the 64-year-old OWN CEO at 4AM in make-up chair 'You're never the star of those books and you just love them anyway. And so it's such a pure love because you know it will never reflect you, and I just thought what was so great about this book is it starred a young girl who wasn't popular, who wasn't pretty. She was just smart, and that's why I identified with the book.' Oscar-nominated producer Ava DuVernay helmed the CG-infused epic also starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Zach Galifianakis. Off-screen, Mindy and the 41-year-old Oscar winner got a kick out bugging the 64-year-old OWN CEO as they all got ready at 4AM in make-up chair. 'I think Oprah was used to having it be very quiet and Reese and I would just be chatting her up at the earliest times when you just want to be alone by yourself,' the Office alum laughed. Relies on stylist Cristina Ehrlich: The two-time SAG Award winner paired her summery frock with spiked pumps and a quilted chain-strapped Chanel purse Morning show: Hairstylist Marc Mena gave Mindy's brunette locks a boost with a top hairpiece and make-up artist Janice Kinjo made sure she was ready for her close-up 'And we were like, "Nope, not at all. You're going to be talking to us."' For her morning show appearance, the two-time SAG Award winner - who relies on stylist Cristina Ehrlich - paired her summery frock with matching spiked Louboutin pumps and a quilted chain-strapped Chanel purse. Hairstylist Marc Mena gave Mindy's brunette locks a boost with a top hairpiece and make-up artist Janice Kinjo made sure she was ready for her close-up. Kaling also co-created NBC sitcom Champions - airing Thursdays - about gym owner Vince (Anders Holm) discovering he fathered a gay 15-year-old son with his high school fling Priya (Kaling). She's become an icon for health living and looking after yourself. And Myleene Klass looked absolutely smoking hot as she flaunted her assets in a pink bikini while behind the scenes on a photoshoot on Friday. The mother-of-two, 39, filmed herself snacking on peanut butter and being bronzed with fake tan on set. Photo shoot prepping: Myleene Klass, 39, looked absolutely smoking hot as she flaunted her assets in a pink bikini while behind the scenes on a photoshoot on Friday The stunner, who first found fame on 2000's talent show Popstar, looked ready for summer in a baby pink bikini top with crochet detailing which revealed her cleavage. In the Instagram video, the star explained she was snacking on peanut butter instead of chocolate as she posed for the cameras. Myleene also showed off her famous body as she gave fans a sneak peak of her black cut out swimsuit as the fake tan was applied. Pretty in pink: The stunner, who first found fame on 2000's talent show Popstar, looked ready for summer in a baby pink bikini top with crochet detailing which revealed her cleavage She kept her look natural as she flaunted her lithe figure, showing off her glowing skin while accentuating her looks with mascara and groomed brows. Myleene's caramel locks were in-keeping with the beachy theme, with her shoulder length tresses looking artfully tousled. The entrepreneur recently unveiled her new exercise DVD, and said she was proud of her physique. Beach ready: Myleene's caramel locks were in-keeping with the beachy theme, with her shoulder length tresses looking artfully tousled She told MailOnline: 'Im turning 40 in a month and couldn't be more proud of the body I have. Its given me two beautiful babies, its carried me through good times and tough times, and its allowed me to be a strong and successful woman. 'I filmed "MyBody" so that women would feel empowered, confident and capable of anything they set their mind to.' The Smooth radio presenter revealed her new fitness 12 week programme - which was filmed in Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab - focuses on offering busy women and mums a new way to work out and consists of three 30 minute workouts a week. If you thought Sam Frost's season of The Bachelorette Australia was dramatic, you haven't seen anything yet. The reality star landed a role on the Australian drama series Home and Away playing a brand new character, who United Kingdom viewers will meet soon. Frost's character debuted in Australia in December 2017. The show will resume airing in the UK, with Frost on the cast, soon. Sam Frost, of The Bachelorette Australia fame, landed a role on the hit show Home and Away So what do you need to know about Sam Frost and her Home and Away role? Find out below. Who is Sam Frost? Samantha Frost was born April 4, 1989. She's best known for appearing on The Bachelor and Bachelorette Australia in 2014 and 2015 respectively. At the end of her season of The Bachelorette, she was dating Sasha Mielczarek, but the pair called it quits after almost two years together. Sam Frost Sasha Mielczarek split Sam Frost and Sasha Mielczarek's split garnered tons of attention online. Rumors began swirling that the pair had been contractually obligated to be together, which Sasha vehemently denied in an interview with WHO magazine. 'That's ridiculous. No such thing exists. I mean, Sam and I fell in love. And I still love her. She's an amazing person. We fell head over heels in love from the moment we saw each other. There was no way that wasn't real,' he said at the time. While Sasha claimed he was still very much in love with Sam following their split, it appears she's iced him out. Speaking with WHO magazine about their split she said: 'There is a very good reason why I don't speak to [Sasha]' 'He knows why and I know why and I want to keep it between us.' Sam Frost TV roles After losing two radio shows, Sam Frost competed on Hell's Kitchen Australia. She is now appearing on Home and Away and hasn't announced any other upcoming projects. Sam Frost Home and Away character Sam Frost will play Jasmine Delaney on Home and Away. She'll make her debut in the final episode of the current season. Jasmine Delaney Home and Away story line Sam Frost's Home and Away character Jasmine Delaney will shake things up. In her debut episode, Jasmine will be involved in a nasty car crash. The accident is caused by longtime Home and Away character Kat (Pia Miller) and boyfriend Robbo (Jake Ryan). Kat becomes distracted while in the car and they collide with another vehicle, which happens to be carrying Jasmine. The Home and Away newcomer survives the accident, but Kat and her unborn baby aren't so lucky. Jasmine will go on to settle in Summer Bay, working as a waitress at the local diner. Her golden hair is her trademark. But Nicole Kidman was barely recognizable as she covered it up in a grey wig on Friday. The 50-year-old actress added years to her evergreen looks as she got into character with the help of prosthetics on her face on the set of The Goldfinch in New York. You've got to be Kidman: Nicole Kidman was barely recognizable in a grey wig as she filmed The Goldfinch on Friday She bundled up in a heavy Canada Goose blue parka, assembling the odd ensemble with a scarf, skirt and black ugg boots. She stuck with the blue theme arriving on set too, but looked much more like her norml self in jeans and white plimsolls, collared shirt and pullover, carrying her leather jacket over her arm. Those trademark locks were pulled tight back in preparation for her dramatic makeover. Outfit: She bundled up in a heavy Canada Goose blue parka, assembling the odd ensemble with a scarf, skirt and black ugg boots There she is! She stuck with the blue theme arriving on set too, but looked much more like her normal self in jeans and white plimsolls, collared shirt and pullover, carrying her leather jacket over her arm Blonde ambition: Those trademark golden locks were pulled tight back in preparation for her dramatic makeover Based on the 2013 Pulitzer-winning book by Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch tells the tale of Theo Decker, who miraculously survives a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that killed his mother. Nicole plays the role of Mrs Barbour, a wealthy socialite who takes in Theo after he is orphaned. Her adopted son is being played by Ansel Elgort, who was also spotted en route to the set on Friday. Smile! Nicole showed off her porcelain skin before being whisked away in a vehicle Wig-me: Those trademark locks were pulled tight back in preparation for her dramatic makeover Plot: Based on the 2013 Pulitzer-winning book by Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch tells the tale of Theo Decker, who miraculously survives a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that killed his mother He too sported a heavy parka along with a shirt and tie, and a much neater haircut than his on-screen mother-figure. The film also stars Westworld's Jeffrey Wright as Theo's mentor, while Luke Wilson plays his deadbeat father, and Sarah Paulson the dad's girlfriend. Directed by Brooklyn helmer John Crowley, The Goldfinch not scheduled for release until October 2019. Haircut: Her adopted son is being played by Ansel Elgort, who was also spotted en route to the set on Friday She is one of the fastest rising stars. But Storm Reid knows how to keep herself grounded. The 14-year-old star of upcoming Disney flick A Wrinkle In Time is featured on the cover of LaPalme magazine's Spring 2018 issue. Rising star: Storm Reid is featured on the cover of LaPalme magazine 's Spring 2018 issue In the pages of the publication, the young actress opened up about how she stays grounded as an up-and-coming celebrity. She said: 'I think kid actors may grow up faster, with the responsibility of having to do school work, learn all lines.' Storm believes that what a young star chooses to do outside of acting can directly effect how fast someone grows up and she's doing what she can to keep herself humble. Wise beyond her years: The 14-year-old star of upcoming Disney flick A Wrinkle In Time opened up about how she stays grounded as an up-and-coming celebrity Smart: She said 'Its not about getting so much attention ALL the time.' Showing her style: The young star looked very fashionable She explained: 'I'm still hanging out with friends, watching cooking shows. It has to be a good balance acting and being a regular teenager and human being. 'Its not about getting so much attention ALL the time. Were still kids and we wont be perfect all the time.' No doubt the cover shoot was set up to show off Storm's youthful exuberance as all the backgrounds were pastel colors and featured floral detailings. Flower power: She rocked several hats as the shoot kept up with the spring theme with several flowers Pretty in pink: Her outfits were also very colorful which is absolutely perfect for a spring Her outfits were also very colorful which is absolutely perfect for a spring issue. Creative Director Derek Warburton explained his choice for why she was perfect for the issue as he said: 'The reason I wanted to Storm Reid on our spring cover was very personal.' He explained that it was not only because he wanted to featured a young woman at the beginning of the career but also had a personal connection. Warburton said: 'But the real reason is that she reminds me of my own youth. When I was her age, I was horribly bullied. I was scared to walk down the hall in fear of great ridicule. Dream team: Creative Director Derek Warburton explained his choice for why she was perfect for the issue as he said she reminds him of his childhood 'There was another young woman named Yolonda who looked just like Storm who protected me. She always made me feel safe and demanded respect for me. When I asked her why, she would always say, you deserve. I will never forget that.' Storm can be seen alongside Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, David Oyelowo, Chris Pine, Zach Galifianakis, and Michael Pena in A Wrinkle In Time. The Ava DuVernay directed flick is in theaters in the US now with a UK release following on March 23. Fun times: She was in attendance at the O, The Oprah Magazine hosts special of A Wrinkle In Time in New York on Wednesday She recently returned from Cape Town in South Africa where she spent a month filming her new Amazon drama series The Widow. And Kate Beckinsale was obviously too busy to stop for a bite to eat on Thursday when she was spotted walking in Los Angeles snacking on something tasty and carrying a drink. The 44-year-old English actress stepped out in a black sweater with red and grey panels and red around the cuff of each sleeve. On the go: Kate Beckinsale was obviously too busy to stop for a bite to eat on Thursday when she was spotted walking in Los Angeles snacking on something tasty and carrying a drink She teamed it with black leggings, black calf-high leather boots with a buckle detail and a large black leather bag. The Only Living Boy In New York stunner piled her long brunette tresses on top of her head in an intricate updo and she wore a large pair of shades to protect her eyes from the bright sunshine. Kate has been largely single since her director husband of 11 years, Ken Wiseman, left her in November 2015 and filed for divorce in October 2016. He has moved on with much younger actress CJ Franc, 26. Casual chic: The 44-year-old English actress stepped out in a black, red and grey sweater, black leggings and black calf-high leather boots with a buckle detail Before the split: Kate and her husband of 11 years at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills in January, 2015. The director left her nine months later and filed for divorce in 2016 Kate has been dating on-off beau, 22-year-old TRL host Matt Rife since last August. The couple were last seen together in late November. Meanwhile, it looked like she had a fabulous time in Cape Town, posting a slew of snaps and clips on Instagram last month. They included shots of her with a vivid green parakeet sitting on her head, which the star captioned: 'Sometimes you just get lucky.' 'Sometimes you just get lucky': Kate recently returned from Cape Town in South Africa where she filmed Amazon drama series The Widow, posting this snap of a parakeet nesting in her hair 'Then the day took a turn none of us were anticipating': An ostrich got up close and rather too personal as Kate fed a flock of the birds along with some sheep in a field In another, an ostrich got up close and rather too personal as Kate fed a flock of the birds along with some sheep in a field. She jokingly captioned it: 'Then the day took a turn none of us were anticipating.' Kate also got the chance to pet cheetah cubs at a rescue center. Amazon is making the eight-part series with U.K. web ITV. In it, Kate plays Georgia Wells, a woman who returns to the African Congo and her old life when she sees her husband, who was presumed dead, on the news. The series does not yet have a release date. Meanwhile, The Underworld: Blood Wars stunner is still good friends with her ex-partner, actor Michael Sheen, with whom she shares 19-year-old daughter Lily Mo. 'Still have not got over how lovely this was': The celebrity petted a pair of cheetah cubs while on location in South Africa She lost out in the Best Actress category against Frances McDormand at Sunday night's Academy Awards. And taking the loss in her stride Margot Robbie was spotted catching up with friends in Los Angeles on Thursday night. The 27-year-old actress looked effortlessly stylish as she arrived Pace restaurant in Laurel Canyon. Winter layers: Actress Margot Robbie looked effortlessly stylish as she headed to meet friends at a restaurant in Los Angeles on Thursday night The Aussie beauty wore skinny jeans and a low cut top and tied a skinny scarf around her neck. Margot's outfit was complete with patent black ankle boots and a long dark winter coat draped over her shoulders. Nominated for her role as disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya - which she also produced - Margot lost to McDormand who won the Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on Sunday. Low-key outing: The Aussie beauty wore jeans and a low cut top and tied a skinny scarf around her neck Evening out: Margot's outfit was complete with patent black ankle boots and a long dark winter coat draped over her shoulders However, Margot's co-star Allison Janney took home the award for Best Supporting Actress. Janney played Margot's onscreen mother LaVona in the flick. During the night Margot's younger brother Cameron Robbie hilariously trolled his sister's every move on Instagram. Cameron, who lives in Australia, chugged champagne and documented this reactions as the Oscars played out thousands of miles away. The actors set to take on the roles of Charles and Camilla in a film chronicling the love story between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been revealed. House of Cards' Steve Coulter is set to play Prince Charles, while Deborah Ramsay, who acted in Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder, with Love, is going to be performing as Camilla. Coulter, who takes the role of Mitch Scanlon in Netflix drama House of Cards, has also acted in The Walking Dead. Look-a-likes: House of Cards actor Steve Coulter (right) is set to play Prince Charles, while Deborah Ramsay (left), who performed in Hailey Dean Mystery: Murder, with Love, is going to play Camilla Royal couple: Lifetime announced the actors who would play Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance Last month, Parisa Fitz-Henley and Murray Fraser were named as the actors set to star as Meghan and Harry in the Lifetime movie. Parisa, 40, said on Instagram she is 'psyched' to finally be able to reveal she has been cast along with Murray in the highly anticipated movie, and noted she was 'so happy' to be working with him. The actress, who has also starred in Luke Cage and in NBC's Midnight, Texas, will be tasked with playing the Suits actress, now 36, from the moment she met Harry to the later stages of their relationship. In action: Coulter, who takes the role of Mitch Scanlon in Netflix drama House of Cards, has also acted in The Walking Dead and is set to play Prince Charles in the upcoming film This isn't the first time Murray has played in a royal-related work of fiction, since his acting credits also include PBS' Victoria, starring Jenna Coleman as the eponymous queen. The actor has also played in The Loch, a mini series and serial killer mystery that aired last year. Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance follows in the footsteps of Lifetime's William & Kate: The Movie, the network's 2011 rendition of Harry's older brother William's relationship with his now-wife, Kate Middleton. Starring duo: Last month, Parisa Fitz-Henley (right) and Murray Fraser (left) were named as the actors set to star as Meghan and Harry in the Lifetime movie Royal romance: In November 2016 Harry confirmed their romance after he released a statement asking for his girlfriend's privacy to be respected In that instance, Camilla Luddington, who plays Jo Wilson in Grey's Anatomy, was cast as the duchess, while William was portrayed by Nico Evers-Swindell. In November 2016 Harry confirmed their romance after he released a statement asking for his girlfriend's privacy to be respected, revealing she had been subject to a torrent of abuse amid rumors of their romance. The duo then made a number of low key appearances together in 2017, and announced their engagement in November 2017, spending Christmas together with the Queen at Sandringham. On-screen couple: Camilla Luddington played Kate Middleton, while Nico Evers-Swindell played Prince William in Lifetime's William & Kate: The Movie The couple are now set to marry on May 19 this year at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England. The news of Lifetime TV's new film came after it was reported that Meghan's ex-husband and film producer Trevor Engelson is making a show about a divorced American mother who moves to London to marry a British royal. The show, which is currently untitled, is believed to have been inspired by a conversation he had with producer Dan Farrah, musing on what would have happened if he and Meghan had had children together. Prominent businessman and television personality Mark Bouris has allegedly been assaulted outside a Sydney restaurant. Mr Bouris, who founded Wizard Home Loans in the 1990s, was reportedly at The Grounds of Alexandria on Wednesday morning when he was attacked by an unknown man. NSW Police said in a statement that Redfern officers were investigating an allegation of assault. "While the investigation remains in its early stages we cannot comment further." A statement from Mr Bouris's office said he was on a business call at the time and suffered only a minor injury, Fairfax Media reported. WHAT HAPPENS NOW WITH US TARIFF DECISION: * Donald Trump has left open the door for a deal with Australia by stating: "We have a very close relationship with Australia. We have a trade surplus with Australia. Great country. Long-term partner. We will be doing something with them." * An official White House statement says: "The President welcomes any country with which we have a security relationship to discuss alternative ways to address our concerns, including our concerns about global excess capacity. He has left open an avenue for potentially modifying or removing a tariff under certain conditions for individual countries." * Australian political leaders, officials and business chiefs will seek a specific exemption for Australian steel and aluminium. * United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead negotiations with countries seeking exemptions. * There's a strong case for an exemption as there is a huge trade difference. Australia exports about $12 billion of goods to the US, while $30 billion comes into Australia from the US. * As well, only about $500 million of Australian steel and aluminium goes into the US each year (out of $22 billion of steel imported by the US) and all of it supports American manufacturing jobs. * The broader issue is whether the decision triggers a global trade war, depending on how China and Europe respond. * China's Vice Foreign Minister says his country will "not sit idly by", but does not want a trade war. * Treasurer Scott Morrison says everyone should "keep a cool head". * The United Nations fears poorer countries trying to become commodity exporters will be hard hit and big global corporations will take over smaller vulnerable players, reducing competition. NSW's deputy premier has not ruled out the government reversing its plan to tear up and rebuild two Sydney stadiums, noting it has a history of policy backflips. John Barilaro says a final decision is yet to be made on the estimated $2.5 billion project, with business cases for both Allianz and ANZ still to be fully considered. He expects that to happen within the next few weeks. "I can't see there is any reason why we won't continue to proceed with the stadiums because you would hope that the information that we made the original decision on does stack up," he told ABC Radio on Friday. "But I've learnt in politics, never say never." The NSW Nationals leader said the coalition government had "changed our position on a number of policies" - including the ban on greyhound racing and some council amalgamations amid widespread controversy. "Sometimes as governments and politicians you've got to learn to listen, and if there is red hot anger out there, we've got to actually take that on board in the final decision," Mr Barilaro said. "But at this stage, if those business cases come in and they tick those boxes, the government will have to make an announcement on its next stage." Mr Barilaro believes a vast majority of people think the Allianz Stadium rebuild made "absolute sense", but acknowledge some had doubts about the former Olympic stadium at Homebush. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week reiterated that the planned stadium projects were government policy and the intention was for them to go ahead. Jessica Mauboy has released the song she will be singing at Eurovision, two months before she takes to the stage in the international song contest. The upbeat pop song, We Got Love, was written by Mauboy in collaboration with DNA Songs duo David Musumeci and Anthony Egizii who also wrote Dami Im's Eurovision entry Sound of Silence in 2016 and last year's Australian entry, Don't Come Easy, sung by Isaiah Firebrace. Both songs made it to the top ten of the competition, with Im's making it into second place. Mauboy joins the majority of this year's Eurovision entrants who have also already released their tracks. "I wanted to write a song that captured that instinctive sense of joy of how a great song can change the darkest of moods into happiness. We Got Love is also about how music can lift the human spirit. You can always rise above in the hardest times with something as simple as a great song," Mauboy said. This will be Australia's fourth official entry into the competition following Im, Firebrace and also Guy Sebastian in 2015. Mauboy will compete in the second semi-final which takes place on May 10, alongside entrants from 17 other countries. The final 10 from this semi-final, along with the final 10 from the first one, will join the "Big Five" countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - in the final which will take place on May 12 in Lisbon, Portugal. * Eurovision will be broadcast on SBS from May 9-13, 2018. Broadcaster Jessica Rowe has quit as a co-host of Network Ten's daily morning show, Studio 10. Rowe - who has worked on the show since its inception in 2013 - revealed she was stepping down to spend more time with her family, announcing her departure live on the show on Friday. "After much soul searching and discussions with my family, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to leave Studio 10," Rowe said. The experienced broadcaster who previously worked on Seven's Today Show and Nine's Weekend Sunrise, described Studio 10 as the best job she had ever had in media. "Stepping back from Studio 10 will give me more time for content creation and public speaking and to be more present with my beautiful family. I am going to miss my wonderful friends and colleagues at Studio 10 and wish them nothing but the very best for the future," she said. "Studio 10 is more than just a television show, it is a family, with a great team both on and off air, and I know it will continue to prosper." Ita Buttrose, Joe Hildebrand, Sarah Harris and Denise Drysdale will continue to host the daily show. A group of Aboriginal mothers are calling on the Queensland government to change the way it takes children from their families or risk creating a second Stolen Generation. Three generations of women from Cherbourg have banded together to offer solutions they say would lessen the trauma on children and better support their families. With the backing of elder Cephia Williams, the women are pushing for a bigger say in how children are taken from their parents, who they are placed into care with and ongoing discussion with the Child Safety Department about how that could lead to broader policy change. Nick Cave has announced a tour of the US, but with a difference. The Prince of Darkness will not be performing with a band, but instead will engage in four on-stage question-and-answer sessions with his audience. The shows evolved from Cave's continuous engagement with his audience during his tour last year with his band, The Bad Seeds. "There has been a connection happening with the audience through the recent live shows where we have all shown a kind of willingness to open up and I thought that a direct conversation with the audience might be valuable," Cave said in a statement. The Australian musician seemed intrigued by the questions that had been put to him over the years by his audience and is keen to explore that. "To be honest I am not sure what is going to happen at these events. I have always loved the Q&A format - not the formal onstage interviews that precede them but the questions from the audience afterwards. The audience tends to ask more challenging, revealing, playful and ultimately serious questions. You never know what you are going to get. They can be fearless and they can go deep," he said. "The more frank and intimate the questions, the more interesting the evening will be. The audience can ask me anything and I'll do my best to answer. I do have some things to say." The intimate tour doesn't particularly include any music, although Cave hasn't ruled it out completely. "I can always play some songs at the piano if it all goes horribly wrong. But, I don't know, I've got a good feeling about this one," he said. The tour will go to four venues on the east coast of the US in Massachusetts and New York from the end of April and there are no plans, as yet, to bring the speaking tour to Australia. Queensland's corruption watchdog has issued an arrest warrant for a former senior hospital employee who allegedly arranged work for a family member at a company contracted to the health service. The Crime and Corruption Commission on Friday said a warrant had been issued for the 65-year-old man, who currently lives in the United Kingdom, and would be activated if he returns to Australia. Two other men, a 47-year-old South Australian and a 41-year-old Brisbane businessman, have also been charged with fraud and other offences. Donald Trump is "surprisingly" good at foreign policy, according to former prime minister Paul Keating, who says the United States was directionless under the previous three administrations. Mr Keating on Friday said he had not expected Mr Trump to have "such a pragmatic" foreign policy on China and Russia, and he urged the president to continue down the path he was on. "America has gone on for 24 years without a strategy," Mr Keating told a business conference in Sydney, during which he criticised Barack Obama's timidity and "lack of policy ambition" in office. "Trump has, surprisingly - and I hope he maintains this - put his hand up for the right policy." Mr Keating credited Mr Obama for avoiding major conflicts and underwriting some of the US's economic recovery, but argued he failed on the world stage. "In terms of the big game, we lost two more terms," he said. Mr Keating described Bill Clinton as a "domestic politician" who missed the opportunity to remake the world after the fall of the Berlin Wall. "We lost two Clinton terms as these huge changes in the post-colonial world were taking place." He also criticised George W Bush for blowing two presidential terms attempting to "propagate American values in the Middle East". "Meanwhile China is growing in the east," he said. The former prime minister described Mr Bush's deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz as "dreadful", and warned the US against attempting to remain a homogeneous power in Asia. "The Chinese will never accept it - we'll have military problems, confrontations," he said. "It will all come unstuck." Mr Keating argued the US should be a "balancing power" in Asia and learn to relinquish some control of the region. Mr Trump's strategy of using partnership diplomacy with China was a better approach than what Democrat Hillary Clinton would have adopted if elected, he added. Mr Keating said Russia had the power to "obliterate" the US, and urged Mr Trump to maintain a workable relationship with the Kremlin. "Russia alone has the capacity to obliterate the United States. If you're a country that lives under the threat of obliteration, you generally should have a policy." A man and woman jailed for swindling more than $100,000 from desperate men through a wedding visa scam have successfully appealed some of their convictions. Chetan Mashru, a former migration officer, and celebrant Divya Gowda, were both sentenced to jail in February 2017 after being convicted of arranging the bogus marriages of 16 Indian men to Australians in a "one-stop shop" set up at their Oxley townhouse in 2011. In a Court of Appeal ruling released on Friday, it was ordered the conviction for the pair on each of the charges relating to the marriages be set aside and both acquitted, with a re-trial ordered on just one of the charges. COMPLAINTS AGAINST GOLD COAST MAYOR TOM TATE * At a November 2013 council meeting considering an application for a development called Waterglow, Mr Tate allegedly failed to fully disclose his "material personal interest" as a partner in the company seeking the application. * Mr Tate participates in debates and resolution voting on the funding model for council's new cultural precinct first stage in meetings in May and July 2017. It's alleged he breached the Local Government Act by taking part in these proceedings due to his "material personal interest" in several properties affected by the funding model. * At council meetings in May and July 2017, Cr Tate allegedly made statements he knew to be false and misleading in support of the proposed funding model for the cultural precinct for the "purposes of deriving a benefit for himself". * Mr Tate allegedly engaged in a pattern of conduct concerning council decisions relating to matters where he has a material personal interest, and this conduct influenced council decision making for the "express purpose of providing a benefit to himself, and for his business associates". * Mr Tate accused of misusing his authority by nominating himself, during a closed council meeting, to negotiate CEO Dale Dickson's new employment contract. This was despite being aware Mr Dickson had been delegated the sole responsibility for negotiating the sale of council-owned land to a business in which the mayor had a material personal interest. * Mr Tate failed to update his register of interests within the statutory timeframe to properly disclose the receipt of hospitality benefits he received from the representative of a Chinese developer. A woman charged with murdering an eight-year-old boy requires a daily dose of antidepressants, a Melbourne court has been told. Joanne Finch, 41, briefly faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday for a filing hearing charged with the murder of Brodie Moran on Thursday. Homicide squad detectives attended an address at suburban Tootgarook on the Mornington Peninsula on Thursday afternoon following a call to Ambulance Victoria and the subsequent discovery of the child. Finch was taken into custody and remanded overnight. The court on Friday was told it was her first time in custody, and that she required a daily dose of the antidepressant drug Effexor. Finch did not apply for bail and will reappear in court via video link for a committal mention on June 29. A large number of people may have been exposed to the measles after a woman travelled around Melbourne and parts of Victoria while infectious. She visited Melbourne's CBD, including Flinders Backpackers, as well as St Kilda beach, Philip Island, and the Great Ocean Road between Geelong and Warrnambool, from Saturday until Wednesday, health authorities said. Victoria's deputy chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton warned "many people" may have been exposed to the virus, and said symptoms could show up until March 21. Australia has welcomed proposed talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The May meeting would be the first-ever US-North Korea summit, marking a potentially dramatic breakthrough in the nuclear standoff. President Kim committed to "denuclearisation" and to suspending nuclear or missile tests, South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong told reporters at the White House on Friday morning AEDT. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump "will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined". Mr Trump tweeted later: "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." Turnbull government minister James McGrath said it was a welcome step. "Any dialogue, any meetings that take place to turn down the security situation is to be welcomed," Senator McGrath told Sky News on Friday. "The delegation sent from South Korea to North Korea clearly has done a fantastic job and the South Korean government should be commended for the work they are doing." Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said a meeting between the leaders would attract a lot of attention, but the international community could not "step back one inch" on North Korea. "The more important thing is whether we can get the regime off the path it is currently on," she said. A former Scouts leader who allegedly molested nine children while away on camps in NSW some 30 years ago has been hit with a third wave of charges. The 58-year-old was previously charged in September 2016 for historical child sexual assault offences and remains before the court, police say. Subsequently police received further allegations that two boys were assaulted while on trips around Lithgow, Sydney and Mount Pritchard between 1985 and 1989. The man was bailed but arrested again in December 2016 and charged with a further five counts for gross indecency on a male under 18. Detectives then received new information from a third victim alleging assaults taking place on camps in the Snowy Mountains and Mount Pritchard in 1988. Police say the man was again arrested when he reported for bail at Campbelltown Police Station on Thursday morning. He was charged with 21 counts of intercourse with a male over 10, some 15 counts of indecent assault on a person under authority and two counts of gross indecency on a male under 18. In total, he now faces 85 charges relating to nine victims aged between seven and 16-years-old. He was again released on strict bail conditions and is expected to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday. A Royal Navy warship has sailed into Sydney Harbour for a week's stay before heading towards Japan and the South China Sea, where the captain says he'll be ready for "any possible eventuality". HMS Sutherland docked in Sydney on Friday morning after a ceremonial gun salute, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House providing a picturesque backdrop. Sydney is the last Australian stop for the frigate, which has also visited Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne since departing Plymouth in January. The Royal Navy crew have just completed a five-day training exercise with the Royal Australian Navy in Bass Strait. HMS Sutherland's captain, Commander Andrew Canale, said the exercise was mutually beneficial. "To operate with the Royal Australian Navy is a real privilege, they have gone out of their way to integrate us," Cmdr Canale said. When the frigate departs Sydney next Friday it will head towards Japan and then through the South China Sea, the latest destinations on its seven-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. "I'm preparing myself for any possible eventuality," Cmdr Canale said. "I've already had interactions with Chinese frigates in the Gulf of Aden and I found their interactions very professional, very cordial, and I'm sure that's exactly what I'll get when I meet them again. "The two nations have a lot in common, whether it be international trade or commerce, we don't want to create misunderstandings." HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 anti-submarine warfare frigate - an earlier version of the Type 26 being proposed by BAE Systems for Australia's frigate program. A simple legal error has resulted in the NSW government's new land-clearing laws being ruled invalid by the courts. The NSW Land and Environment Court declared the government's land clearing codes invalid on Friday after it emerged Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair failed to follow due process during their creation. Mr Blair did not obtain concurrence from Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton before making the codes, which is required by law, according to environmental groups. The codes, which were introduced in 2017, allowed landowners to clear sections of native bushland on their property without prior environmental assessment. Environmental groups, which at the time accused the government of throwing biodiversity laws out the window, have welcomed the court's decision. "Today's ruling is an embarrassing admission of failure by the Berejiklian government and a great victory for the rule of law and the thousands of people who have supported us in taking this action," Nature Conservation Council chief executive Kate Smolski said in a statement. "These laws were made against the advice of the scientific community and against the wishes of the vast majority of the many thousands of people who made submissions." A spokeswoman for Mr Blair said the government remained "absolutely committed" to pushing through the reforms. "The NSW government is now moving quickly to respond to Court's declaration and its top priority is providing legal and operational certainty to ensure the benefits of the reform continue to be realised," the spokeswoman said in a statement. Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says minister Mark Bailey's cabinet position is untenable and has called for him to be sacked over his controversial emails saga. The call came after it was revealed Mr Bailey, when energy minister, used his private email to pass on the CV of a man recommended by the Electrical Trades Union for a Energy Queensland board position he later gained. Ms Frecklington on Friday said Mr Bailey's position was no longer tenable and called on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to sack him immediately. Did you watch the Winter Olympics? Compelling viewing for many of us - glued to our screens for two weeks to watch a host of events that we've never heard of, let alone tried ourselves. All in the bitter cold, performed on snow or ice, while we sat sweltering in our lounge rooms. This time the Winter Games were was hosted by South Korea. You know - the country that despite its rather unstable cousins to the north, seems to be almost perfect at everything they do. And true to form, on home soil (or snow) those superhuman South Koreans were a dominant force in the Winter Olympics. With one exception. There we were, watching the Korean speed-skating team glide their way towards what surely would be another gold medal when the strangest thing happened. They fell down. And came last. You could hear the Korean gasps from here. That's how long it has been since South Korea failed at anything. A rare glimpse of their mortality. And I've had a similar experience driving the latest car to emerge from this amazingly successful, ambitious nation. It's called the Hyundai Kona - and it's - not perfect! In fact it was a bit ho-hum, to be honest. The Kona is a small, inoffensive little compact-sized SUV, the latest in a very long line of vehicles to enter this competitive but highly saturated market segment. But unlike just about every Korean car we've tested over the past two or three years, this one didn't strike an instant chord. That's despite the fact it shares many components and some of its running gear with one of Hyundai's very best machines, the latest i30, which we've described in glowing terms in this space. Unlike the i30, the Kona is fairly pedestrian to drive, doesn't feel particularly dynamic or impressive and doesn't really shift the needle in terms of technology or value. Everything the excellent i30 is not, really. Okay, I admit I'm probably a long way from the demographic that Hyundai hopes will buy its new baby SUV. And partly, I must admit, my lukewarm response was also a visual thing. Having seen the car in the TV ads - with its funky colour and pronounced wheel arches, receiving a lap-dance from a carwash carousel, my expectations were set fairly high. When I laid eyes on our test vehicle - painted basic black with none of the jazzy looks we'd been expecting- it was a bit of a let-down. And, to be honest, the feeling never completely left us over the course of our week-long test. We did sample the Kona in its most basic form - the Active model with an enticing $27,000 drive away price. It features a functional 2-litre, normally-aspirated engine (110kW, 180 Nm) and relatively competent six-speed automatic transmission. That will get you to the speed limit in a leisurely 10 seconds. Spend a little extra - about $3000 on any of the three models - and you can enjoy more zip from the more powerful turbo-charged, 1.6-litre GDI engine(130kW, 265NM), coupled to a contemporary seven- speed DCT transmission. Despite its superior outputs, the 1.6 turbo is also more fuel-efficient, at 6.7L/100km, than the bigger two-litre four. Both engine choices are available across the three-model range - from the $27,000 active up to the mid-range Elite ($28,500 or $32,000 with turbo) and the flagship Highlander ($33,000 or $36,000). The Active represents pretty decent value with standard kit stretching to LED running lights, dusk-sensing headlights, Apple carplay, 3.5-inch TFT display screen and a full suite of electronic stability aides. It also includes Hyundai's "Auto Link" system that delivers an array of vehicle information including driving history, tyre pressure monitoring, parking management (that reminds you if your meter is about to expire) and driving information. A safety pack adds things like blind-spot and lane-changing alerts to the Active, but step up to the Elite and you'll also enjoy automatic wipers, leather seats, 17-inch alloys and push button start. The Highlander gets bigger alloys, front park assist, LED headlights and tail lights and head up display. Some models get Millennial-pleasing trinkets such as the wireless charger for your smartphone - but sadly that was lacking on our test machine. Oddly, Hyundai claims a virtue in the Kona being "one of the most compact vehicles in its class - shorter and lower than most of its rivals". To its credit, that makes it particularly nimble to drive and park in tight city conditions - without any noticeable sacrifice of interior space. Yes, the Kona is a competent little machine. And yes, it probably fills a modest hole in the Korean maker's ever-expanding range of small hatchbacks and impressive SUVs. In its funkier forms it will appeal to the smashed avo generation where standing out from the crowd is a key requirement. Bottom line is a car that looks good and delivers solid road manners in a package that is affordable and desirable. And the Kona ticks all those boxes. Who knows, it might even turn out to be a winner - just like so many of its Korean contemporaries. Just don't mention the Olympic speed skating. HYUNDAI KONA ACTIVE HOW BIG? A compact SUV that's smaller than most of its rivals, measuring just 4.1m long and 1800mm high. But it will comfortably seat four adults, plus a modest amount of gear. HOW FAST? Not very. We tested the very tame 2-litre four-cylinder - the 1.6-litre turbo is a better option with more go and a smaller thirst. HOW THIRSTY? 7.2L/100km for our test model, about half a litre per 100km less in the turbo. HOW MUCH? Prices range from $27,000 drive away to almost $10-grand more expensive for all the fruit. The national redress scheme for child sexual abuse victims should be extended to cover physical violence, a support group for people who grew up in state care and orphanages says. The Care Leavers Australasia Network on Friday welcomed both NSW and Victoria signing on to the $3.8 billion federal scheme. The network supported the royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse and has long advocated for a national redress scheme. But compensation should be extended to other victims too, CLAN vice president Frank Golding told AAP. "It's the beginning rather than the closing of opportunities," he said on Friday. "There are still lots and lots of questions that aren't yet answered including the fact that it's for sexual abuse victims only. "Thousands were brutally assaulted and physically and diabolically hardened and we hope the scheme will extend to them." Mr Golding was honoured this year with an Order of Australia Medal for his service to child welfare and social justice. The advocate and other CLAN members - including founder Leonie Sheedy - were invited to the prime minister's redress announcement at Kirribilli House on Friday morning. North Queensland have received a huge blow with Michael Morgan set to miss Friday night's NRL season opener against Cronulla in Townsville due to injury. The Cowboys will not confirm their 17 until an hour before kick-off but it is believed the classy playmaker has succumbed to an abdominal complaint. He is expected to play their second round blockbuster clash against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. Morgan's injury puts a dampener on good mate Johnathan Thurston's 300th NRL game celebrations. Cowboys co-captain Thurston will also eclipse Matt Bowen's club record 270 game mark. Te Maire Martin is expected to slot into the halves with Thurston. Morgan's omission is another injury blow to North Queensland who are already without centre Kane Linnett (pectoral) and fullback Lachlan Coote (hamstring). They line up against a Sharks outfit that are reeling from the loss of backrower Luke Lewis, who injured his ankle at Thursday's captain's run in Townsville. Lewis is expected to be replaced in the starting back-row by Kurt Capewell. Australia and New Zealand are beefing up defence ties particularly in the Pacific region. Defence ministers from both countries met in Wellington on Friday. They discussed efforts to deliver aid to earthquake-hit parts of Papua New Guinea and security assistance to help the country host the APEC leaders summit later this year. Defence Minister Marise Payne and her NZ counterpart Ron Mark said both militaries will also team up more to boost maritime security across the South Pacific. The pair also discussed a joint training mission of Iraqi soldiers. New Zealand and Australian soldiers have trained more than 30,000 Iraqi troops in the fight against Islamic State militants since 2015. More than 300 Australian and 100 New Zealand military personnel are deployed at any one time at the Taji base, north of Baghdad. The Ardern government has flagged it will review the training mission in November. Luke Brooks is not Ivan Cleary's son, but having different bloodlines won't stop him wanting to be part of the Wests Tigers' NRL family for life. Brooks admits he's heard all the talk of Ivan and Penrith rival Nathan Cleary wanting to team up in the future, despite both playmakers owning contracts with their clubs for two more years. "Players come and go at any second. They sign to another club when they've got another year to go at the club they're at. It's crazy, but that's the way it is now," Brooks has told AAP. Since Brooks' anticipated debut in 2013, the Tigers have long viewed the local junior and childhood prodigy as their long-term halfback. But, recent speculation of the Clearys linking up at Concord has twice forced Ivan to reassure Brooks that the club will honour the rest of his deal. "They were saying stuff at the end of last year, so he told me about how it's being spoken about in the media and not to worry about it," Brooks says. "Again, there was a bit of chat at the start of pre-season so he just reassured me. To be honest, there's no point worrying about what I can't control. If it happens, it happens." What the 23-year-old can control is his opportunity to finally deliver on his potential, which could force the club in a difficult position once both he and Nathan are up for new deals. While rival clubs are prohibited from negotiating with players until the final year of their contract, talks between Nathan and the Panthers on an extension have been postponed. Brooks - the only player remaining out of the Tigers' previous 'big four' of Aaron Woods, James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses - hasn't given up on being a one-club player. "Even though it's a business, I think it's good to have long-term goals. For me, I see myself staying at this club - or I want to," he said. "You never know - anything can happen. It can change in a couple of weeks. It'd be ideal for me to stay at this club, but you've got to keep all your options open." Queensland lawyer Anika Wells is set to replace Wayne Swan as Labor's candidate in the Brisbane seat of Lilley at the next federal election. It is understood Ms Wells, a lawyer for Maurice Blackburn, was the only person to nominate for the former treasurer's seat. Mr Swan, who served as treasurer for six years and as deputy prime minister for three, announced last month he would retire at the next federal election. At the time, Mr Swan said he was signalling his intention to give the pre-selected candidate the best chance of winning his seat, and urged Labor to select a female replacement. "I think it would be fitting if the party were to select on this occasion, a young woman with the energy and smarts to represent Lilley forcefully and successfully," he said. Ms Wells joined Maurice Blackburn in 2014 after five years of working as an adviser to the federal government. A man has been accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy while he was under his care in NSW's Hunter region in 2017. The 34-year-old was arrested at a home in the region on Thursday night following an investigation by the state's child abuse and sex crimes squad. The man cared for the boy between January and October 2017, police said in a statement on Friday. He's been charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a victim under authority and also with attempted aggravated sexual assault of a child. The accused was refused bail and was scheduled to face Cessnock Local Court on Friday. Two men wanted for a tattoo parlour shooting in Melbourne remain on the run more than a fortnight after their masked rampage, with their victim now discharged from hospital. Multiple shots were fired inside Nitro Ink at Hampton Park on February 22, leaving a 35-year-old man - reported to be Comanchero outlaw bikie gang member Robert Ale - in a critical condition. Anti-bikie police are yet to track down the balaclava-clad gunmen, who are thought to have dumped their burnt-out getaway car near the crime scene. Cosmetic enhancement may seem like the domain of the fairer sex, but it appears more Melbourne men are handing over cash in the battle to look younger. Dermal fillers and muscle relaxants are fast becoming a common procedure for men seeking to fill out frown lines and crow's feet, as well as other lines and wrinkles, according to one of the city's cosmetic surgeons Dr Daniel Lanzer. "Men tend to shy away from advertising that they have had any cosmetic procedures, however we see men in the clinic just as much as women for these types of treatments," he said in a statement on Friday. Tasmanian senator Steve Martin has stepped down as Devonport mayor to focus on his federal role. Senator Martin was elected to federal parliament in February to replace one-time party leader Jacqui Lambie after she resigned over dual citizenship. The High Court ruled he was eligible to take up the spot irrespective of his position as mayor, but Senator Martin relinquished his local government job on Friday afternoon. Describing his decision to step down after seven years as mayor, Senator Martin said while it might be constitutionally valid to hold the dual offices, it was not advisable. "I think it's hazardous if you want to try and do the two things at the same time because you will lack quality in both positions," he told AAP. "Both are demanding of time, so I would advise anybody who thinks they can take on a position like this in two jobs, that they really need to reconsider." Senator Martin expected to sit down with Turnbull government ministers in coming weeks to discuss legislation on union mergers, resurrected plans to drug test welfare recipients, and strengthening citizenship requirements. "I've got mixed feelings about a lot of this stuff so for me it's about getting a briefing from both sides, gathering my thoughts, and discussing it with advisors and as many groups as I can get into," he said. Senator Martin ran as a Jacqui Lambie Network candidate at the last federal election but was expelled after he refused to step aside and clear the way for her return to parliament. He first flagged his intention to resign as Devonport mayor in November 2017, but held off until March 9 to avoid a $60,000 by-election. Devonport's deputy mayor will fill the position until council elections in October this year. Senator Martin will deliver his maiden speech to the federal upper house on Wednesday, March 21. Almost 80,000 people in Western Australia are waiting to see a specialist to determine if they need surgery, which the premier concedes is unacceptable, but he says only eight per cent of people referred actually need an operation. The WA Health Department has released a report into referrals to public outpatient surgical clinics, revealing that at the end of December there were 79,517 patients waiting for their first appointment. The average waiting time for referrals waiting to be seen for a first appointment was 8.78 months, which is an increase of 1.28 months compared to the end of December 2016. "Clearly we need to do better and clearly that's not acceptable," Premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Friday. "It's a long-term problem that we need to roll out measures to fix." But the premier noted only eight per cent of people referred to a specialist actually needed surgery. "So we need to actually work with the medical profession and with our hospitals and the entire system to make sure that we target what's required to those people who need it and we don't have over-servicing," he said. Opposition spokesman Sean L'Estrange said the figures were "disturbing". "Over the last 12 months of the McGowan government, wait times have blown out a further 1.3 months so it's now 8.8 months on average for people to just get a meeting with a specialist to work out whether or not they need surgery," he told reporters. "I really feel for the people who are enduring these excessive wait times while they are possibly going through pain, but certainly going through the worry of the condition that they have to get advice on." Mr L'Estrange said it was a sign the public health system was under pressure and "going backwards" under a Labor government. "This is a matter of financial priority," he said. Mr L'Estrange said the government had known for some time that an ageing and increasingly-obese population, plus a decline in the number of people taking out private health insurance, meant more people were accessing the public health system. A drug and alcohol treatment facility for men at WA's Casuarina Prison will be established in a bid to help break the cycle of crime related to substance abuse. It will be housed at one of four new units and follows the announcement of a similar facility for women at Wandoo Reintegration Facility. The male treatment prison will include specialised programs and inmates will also transition to other programs upon release. New search and drug testing technology will also be used at the facility, as well as the drug-detecting dog squad. "There are alcohol and drug abuse programs throughout the WA's prison estate, but the overcrowding issues left to us by the previous government affect program delivery when you simply have too many people in a facility originally designed for fewer prisoners," Corrective Services Minister Fran Logan said. "We are creating not only the necessary space with these new units at Casuarina, but also the kind of facilities that will help prisoners address their alcohol and other drug abuse issues more effectively." Opposition spokesman Sean L'Estrange questioned who would have priority to use the facility. "Any efforts by the government to try and address this problem in our society, we as an opposition support, but at the same time we want to see the business case," he told reporters. "We want to know how they're spending the money on this new program, how it's going to improve results for reducing the impacts on drugs and alcohol, not only on the prison population but on society at large." The male facility is expected to open next year. A popular Victorian beach on the Great Ocean Road has been closed after a man reported fighting off a shark "heading straight for him" just offshore. Robert Frostland told the Herald Sun he saw the 3.5m shark thrashing in the water at Lorne beach at about 4pm on Friday before it came at him "six or seven times" and he punched it in the nose. Swimmers are being warned to stay out of the water from Wye River to Fairhaven and two kilometres off shore, with an advice message issued for Big Hill, Eastern View, Fairhaven, Lorne, Moggs Creek, Separation Creek, Wye River. The sacking of a Victorian deputy principal who cut a student's hair at an independent boys' school has sparked outage and demands for his reinstatement within the school community. Rohan Brown, former head of the senior school, was sacked from Trinity Grammar School on March 8 after he a video surfaced of him cutting a teenager's hair to meet requirements on the day of school photos. "The handling of a disciplinary issue by Mr Brown earlier this term was in contravention of school policy and was also inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age," chairman of the school council Roderick Lyle wrote to parents and the wider school community on March 9. A lunchtime protest was held at the school on Friday with students reportedly chanting: "Brownie, Brownie, return Brownie". Students and their families angered by the decision to sack Mr Brown, who had been at the school for about three decades, attended a meeting on Friday night to defend him. "This is not what we wanted," the student in question's aunt said according to the Herald Sun. The aunt said the family had not complained and tried to force out Mr Brown, and her nephew had been bullied since the incident and wanted to leave the school. The Culturally Concerned TGS community Facebook page has organised another town hall meeting on March 13 to bring supporters of Mr Brown together to try to have him reinstated. "Rohan Brown must be returned to his position and we call on the school council chairman to do the noble thing and resign," the page states. Almost 2000 people have signed a change.org petition to bring back Mr Brown. Former student James Perrera told 9 News Melbourne: "He has a really big personality, he's really important to students, to teachers, to staff and to the community." Student Sam Carroll also told 9 News Mr Brown was the "best thing that ever happened to the school". Mr Brown told the Herald Sun his blood still bled green and gold and he hoped to return to teaching. KAGISO RABADA'S RAP SHEET Feb, 2017: Inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with Sri Lanka's Niroshan Dickwella. Three demerit points and fined 50 per cent of match fee. July, 2017: Used inappropriate language after dismissing England allrounder Ben Stokes. One demerit point and fined 15 per cent of match fee. Feb, 2018: Using language which could provoke an aggressive reaction from another player in send-off of India batsman Shikhar Dhawan. One demerit point and fined 15 per cent of match fee. CLOSE CALLS Nov, 2016: Gave debutant Nic Maddinson a send-off in Adelaide that was understood to be stacked with Afrikaans expletives. Mar, 2018: Gave David Warner a send-off in Durban that caught the attention of both umpires. South Africa spearhead Kagiso Rabada has rocked Australia with five wickets in 18 deliveries, giving Steve Smith a spirited send-off as the tourists were rolled for 243 on day one of the second Test. A fired-up Rabada, who already has five demerit points because of a string of indiscretions including last year's send-off of Ben Stokes that led to a Test suspension, screamed in Smith's face then made physical contact as he brushed past him in celebration. The express paceman removed both Marsh brothers in his next over, lifting the Proteas' hopes of a series-levelling victory at tea in Port Elizabeth on Friday. Rabada's rampage continued in the final session, when he dismissed Pat Cummins for a golden duck then skittled Mitchell Starc's stumps. David Warner and Cameron Bancroft shared a 98-run opening stand, seeing off the new ball in tricky conditions, but it was followed by a shocking collapse of 9-114. Tim Paine, lucky to survive on two when Faf du Plessis reviewed one of Vernon Philander's many vocal lbw shouts, then delivered another twist in the form of a final-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood worth 31 runs. Paine eventually fell for 36, while Warner top-scored with 63. Smith, who unsuccessfully reviewed after being trapped lbw on 25, looked decidedly unimpressed with Rabada's serve. Umpires, having put both captains on notice pre-match to ensure their players behave better compared to the acrimonious first Test in Durban, had a long and stern chat with Proteas captain du Plessis after the incident. Rabada also celebrated with gusto following his dismissal of Mitch Marsh, who was batting at No.7 instead of No.6 because of a gastro bug. Footage of Warner's staircase stoush in Durban took the gloss off Australia's series-opening win and ensured all eyes would be on the vice-captain on Friday. Smith's decision to bat thrust his deputy into the thick of it from the outset. Du Plessis described it as a good toss to lose, confident his pacemen would be incredibly potent given the dark clouds, morning rain and some eight millimetres of grass left on the St George's Park pitch. Australia reached 0-18 after 13 overs as deliveries routinely beat the bat, amid stifled laughter and gasps of disbelief from the slips cordon. The morning session ended when Bancroft was out edging for 38, undone by a full outswinger from Philander. Warner was clean bowled shortly after the meal break, victim to a sensational delivery from recalled paceman Lungi Ngidi that kissed the top of middle stump. Smith and Shaun Marsh steadied temporarily in a 44-run stand before Rabada sliced through Australia's middle order. A curvy Melburnian woman could be the next face of modelling agency Bella Management in a talent search sweeping the nation. Cosmo Australia's national roadshow, Cosmo Curve, will kick off in Melbourne before touring the country to find a model unashamedly curvy and eager to have her face in front of the cameras. The first casting call shapes up at Melbourne Myer on Saturday from 11am. Cosmopolitan editor Keshnee Kemp, Bella Management director Chelsea Bonner, Myer category manager womenswear Clare Hurley and a Taking Shape representative will be on the panel. "We're looking for women who embrace what they've got and are passionate about proving that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes," Ms Kemp said. "We're expecting to meet a diverse array of empowered females who want to make a meaningful difference to our young audience." Stefania Ferrario, one of the faces of Melbourne Fashion Week 2017, will be a guest judge at Saturday's event. The face of Cosmo Curve Robyn Lawley will be a guest judge in Brisbane and Sydney while international model Sophie Sheppard will be on the panel in Perth during March. The Liberal National Party says the Queensland senator selected to replace the retiring George Brandis will be chosen on their merits, not their gender. The LNP's state executive will meet in Brisbane on Saturday to select an Upper House replacement for Mr Brandis, who is set to become Australia's next high commissioner in London. Brisbane barrister Amanda Stoker is considered a strong contender for the role, as part of a field of 12 candidates that includes six women. There is reportedly internal pressure to pick a woman for the role, with all five of the LNP's Queensland Senate seats held by men. However LNP strategist Senator James McGrath has told Sky News they wouldn't take gender into consideration when making their choice. "The party members ... will choose who they perceive to be the best replacement for George Brandis, whether that is male or female and that is the way it should be," Senator McGrath said. "People should be chosen on their merits." The Queensland Labor state government criticised the LNP on Tuesday for seeming to drag their feet in selecting a replacement for Mr Brandis, with the official meeting to formally approve the candidate having to be pushed back a fortnight. Labor claimed the delay was because of an internal fight over whether a woman should be selected, but the LNP state opposition rubbished those claims, claiming they had gone through a thorough process to get the field of 12 candidates. Supergirls and Wondergirls will put their numerical brain powers to the test when they gather across Australia for Superhero Daughter Days. Girls aged five to 12 are being encouraged to dress up in their favourite heroine's costume while they learn about STEM - science, tech, engineering and mathematics - on Superhero Daughter Days being held in major cities during March. It's all part of a program designed to entice more girls to pursue careers in jobs such as coding, civil engineering, information technology and architecture that are often dominated by men. Building bridges out of spaghetti and marsh mellows, making wearable tech, programmable friendship bracelets and playing with robotics are just a few of what the girls will learn in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart or Townsville. The day is the brainchild of co-founder Gemma Lloyd who wants parents to encourage their daughters to pursue such careers in the weeks, months and years to come. "I had a six-year-old girl who came up to me and said 'This is the best day of my life'," Ms Lloyd told AAP. "It is also important we encourage gender diversity in the workforce for both men and women." Women make up less than 20 per cent of all Australians qualified in STEM subjects and they're paid less than their male colleagues, a 2016 report by the chief scientist's office found. Tech Girls Movement founder Jenine Beekhuyzen said the event is aimed at primary school aged girls before their inquisitive minds are compromised by gender stereotypes. Superhero Daughter Days are being held in Sydney and Brisbane on Saturday. Similar events will be held in Hobart, Perth, Melbourne and Auckland later this month. The parents of Sydney man Matthew Leveson have finally laid him to rest after a decade-long search for answers. The 20-year-old was last seen leaving Darlinghurst's ARQ nightclub in 2007 with then-partner Michael Atkins. Atkins was charged but acquitted of murder and received legal protection from perjury and contempt of court charges on the agreement he reveal the location of Matthew's body. Mark and Faye Leveson were finally able to keep their promise to their son and give him a dignified burial on Friday after his remains were found in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, in mid-2007. The couple joined hundreds of mourners for a bittersweet service at Woronora Memorial Park to remember the bright, creative, selfless young man whose life was cut short. "We hope you're dancing up a storm with the angels," Mr Leveson said. In December, a NSW coroner wasn't able to rule on Matthew's cause of death, however she did say the lies Atkins told throughout the investigation gave rise to suspicion. A popular potassium chloride supplement has been withdrawn amid concern it contains unacceptably high levels of lead which could be dangerous to unborn babies. Australian doctors have been told to consider alternatives to Slow-K/Duro-K, manufactured by Novartis, for pregnant women or anyone taking more than two 600mg pills a day for an extended period. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is aware of the issue, which involves lead levels above what's acceptable for human consumption under Australian guidelines. "The company is withdrawing their product but there are alternatives for patients," a spokeswoman said in a statement. An initial analysis by the TGA revealed there are no concerns for Australian patients. However a company note sent to doctors, seen by AAP, informs them of an "emerging safety issue" and says Novartis is exploring options for sourcing alternatives from around the world. The company said the supplement still had a favourable "benefit/risk profile". The next South Australian government will need to revitalise the state's health system with boosted funding and rebuild faith within the health community, the Australian Medical Association says. The AMA's national Public Hospitals Report Card revealed that only 52 per cent of urgent emergency presentations at public hospitals in the state were seen within 30 minutes in 2016-17. It also showed that only 64 per cent of emergency department visits were completed in four hours or less - a decline from 66 per cent in 2015-16. State president William Tam said the findings highlighted the need for governments to address the shortfall in health funding. "Neither federal nor state funding has kept pace with demand, leaving hospitals struggling," he said. He said the system has grappled with closing and replacing the Royal Adelaide Hospital, wide ranging cuts and reconfigurations under Transforming Health and the introduction of a new electronic health record system. Professor Tam said the report card also exposes the hidden waiting lists within the state - the wait after referral to see a specialist. It shows the number of category two elective surgery patients admitted within 90 days dropped from from 88.4 per cent in 2015-16 to 87.5 per cent in 2016-17. "In SA we have heard frightening figures about waits of years' duration just for an initial appointment," he said. "The AMA(SA) has for years been calling for outpatient waiting lists to be published online so that doctors and patients know how the system is performing." Queensland wants the federal government to quickly resolve critical issues stopping it from joining a $3.8 billion national redress scheme for child sexual abuse survivors. NSW and Victoria have signed on to the federal scheme, increasing pressure on the other states as well as churches and charities to follow suit. But Queensland and Western Australia say they cannot act until the federal government provides crucial information about the scheme, which begins on July 1. A Queensland government spokesman said significant progress has been made during negotiations on a national scheme, but a range of outstanding critical issues have yet to be agreed across jurisdictions. "Without final details on these matters, the Queensland government cannot be assured that the scheme will provide equal access and equal treatment to survivors to the greatest extent possible, as the royal commission envisaged," he said. The issues included eligibility criteria, the delivery of counselling services, protecting the rights and needs of child applicants and how to ensure key aspects cannot be changed without the agreement of participating states and territories. The Palaszczuk government called on federal Social Services Minister Dan Tehan to resolve the issues with the states and territories as quickly as possible so it can make a decision about the scheme. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill acknowledged issues remained but was confident an agreement would be reached, having now backed the national scheme in-principle. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews admitted the scheme had some shortcomings. "We acknowledge that the scheme does not contain every element that every survivor of abuse may wish to see in it, however this is a ground-breaking agreement which will benefit thousands of people," he said. Despite widespread criticism, the $150,000 maximum compensation payment will not be increased to the $200,000 cap recommended by the child abuse royal commission. Sex offenders or anyone jailed for five years or more for serious crimes also remain blocked from redress under the scheme, along with survivors who are not citizens or permanent residents. Queensland's corruption watchdog is investigating allegations Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate deliberately misled his fellow councillors ahead of a vote on a controversial property sale. Save Surfers Paradise (SSP), a group of businesses and residents, tabled a 50-page complaint to the Crime and Corruption Commission late last year accusing Mr Tate and council chief executive Dale Dickson of improper conduct. Central to the complaints are the sales of a site at 72 Remembrance Drive, which the group claims Mr Tate has a material personal interest in due to his business links, and the Bruce Bishop Car Park - funds from which are set to pay for council's new cultural precinct. SSP steering committee coordinator Deborah Kelly says among various allegations is the claim Mr Tate lied to council during the debate on whether to approve the sale of the car park. "He overstated the amount of people using trams to imply that less parking was needed," she told AAP. In a letter sent to councillors on Friday, Ms Kelly warned them the mayor's alleged deception could leave them personally liable if the sale of the car park is ruled void following the CCC investigation. "The voting should not have proceeded without these matters being made crystal clear and placed on the public record," Ms Kelly wrote. The CCC is already investigating the council's decision to fill in a lake near the city's race course while Cr Tate and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates are facing scrutiny for allegedly not declaring racehorse ownership. Cr Tate has given a one-sentence response to the accusations. "I respect the confidentiality of the CCC," he said. Mr Dickson welcomed the investigation into his conduct, saying the claims aren't new and are part of legal action which will soon be dealt with by the Supreme Court. South Australia firefighters believe a major fire at a commercial building in in Adelaide's south was accidental. The Metropolitan Fire Service said the fire at the Noarlunga Centre on Dyson Road was caused by the failure of an electrical fan in a rear work area. More than 50 firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjoining business but it caused extensive damage to the rear of the affected premises and minor damage to its neighbour. The adjoining business, however, suffered water damage from a burst water pipe, the Metropolitan Fire Service said on Saturday. The firefighters were able to save 75 per cent of the premises and the damage bill was estimated at $1.5 million. Two teenagers have been assaulted and robbed by a group of men in northwest Sydney. The boys, aged 16 and 17, were in a car park in Rouse Hill after 6pm on Friday when they were attacked by four men. The 16-year-old was hit on the head, causing him to fall to the ground. Three of the males then assaulted the 17-year-old, who also fell to the ground, where the group continued to kick and punch him. The teens were robbed of their cash, mobile phones, shoes and jewellery. A Syrian boy receives treatment after air strikes on Hammuriyeh and other rebel-held Eastern Ghouta towns on March 7, 2018 Dozens of people were treated for breathing difficulties after air strikes slammed into Syria's Eastern Ghouta late Wednesday, a monitor said, with medics reporting symptoms consistent with a toxic attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 60 people in the besieged rebel enclave were left struggling to breathe after air strikes and barrel bombs hit the towns of Saqba and Hammuriyeh. Doctors at one medical facility in Eastern Ghouta said they treated at least 29 patients with signs of exposure to chlorine, according to the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). SAMS is a medical charity that supports hospitals in Eastern Ghouta and other rebel-controlled zones in Syria. It did not report any deaths but said it was likely that more victims were being treated at other clinics. "Due to chlorine attack in #EastGhouta, patients are struggling w/symptoms such as severe dyspnea, sweating, congestion of mucus membranes, severe runny nose, wheezing & conjunctival erythema," SAMS wrote on social media late Wednesday. "The emotional trauma from these attacks can not be measured." Dyspnea is shortness of breath. Conjunctival erythema is redness of the eye caused by dilation of the blood vessels. AFP's correspondent in Hammuriyeh saw more than 40 people on the roof of a four-storey building late Wednesday, trying to get fresh air after strikes on their neighbourhood. Parents had stripped their children down and were spraying them with water, fearing toxic substances had got into their clothes. - 'I'm going to suffocate' - Rescue workers arrived and transported the residents off the roof to a nearby medical facility even as bombing raged around them. A Syrian rescue worker carries a man wounded during shelling of the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta town of Hammuriyeh on March 7, 2018 "I'm going to suffocate," two children screamed repeatedly as they were carried down. Eastern Ghouta is facing a blistering offensive by Russian-backed government forces and allied militiamen, who are seeking to clear out rebels from the capital's outskirts. Regime forces have been repeatedly accused of using chlorine on Eastern Ghouta in recent weeks, which both the government and its ally Russia have staunchly denied. United Nations investigators say government forces used chlorine as a weapon at least three times between 2014 and 2015, as well as sarin gas in 2016. The latest assault on Eastern Ghouta began with an intense bombing campaign on February 18, followed by a ground offensive. Government forces have since captured more than half of the rebel-held parts of the area and killed nearly 900 civilians, according to the Britain-based Observatory. The toll includes at least 91 people killed on Wednesday. Air strikes continued to hit the remaining rebel-controlled parts of Ghouta on Thursday. A convoy of humanitarian assistance expected to enter the enclave was postponed, the International Committee of the Red Cross told AFP. It marks the second time this week that aid operations to Eastern Ghouta have been disrupted by military developments, with food deliveries cut short on Monday due to heavy bombardment. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tried to strike a balance between reassurance and assertiveness China's foreign minister sought Thursday to downplay concerns about Beijing's global ambitions, while also hinting at consequences for countries that don't fall in line on issues like Taiwan. Pledging that China had no desire to "replace America" on the global stage, Wang Yi said the Asian nation's path "is totally different than the one that has already been taken by traditional major powers". "The more China develops, the more it can contribute to the world," Wang said in a wide-ranging press conference. Wang spoke as 3,000 members of China's mostly ceremonial national legislature have gathered for their annual meeting in Beijing, where they are set to grant President Xi Jinping a nearly limitless mandate to realise his vision of a resurgent China. Xi's ambitions are not limited to home: he has clearly articulated his vision of putting China at the centre of world affairs, a position reflecting its Chinese name: "the Middle Kingdom." The departure from the country's long-held stance of keeping a low profile had raised fears abroad of spreading Chinese influence. On Thursday, Wang tried to strike a balance between reassurance and assertiveness, as Beijing deals with pressure from countries like the US to change its behaviour. Here are some of the main takeaways: US-CHINA RELATIONS As US president Donald Trump threatens a trade war with China, Wang warned that Beijing is ready to take an "appropriate and necessary response". "China's development and rejuvenation can't be stopped," he said. "Some Americans think that therefore China wants to replace the US's international role, but that is a fundamental strategic misjudgement." China and the US "don't need to be rivals, they should be partners". SOUTH CHINA SEA Nevertheless, China will not give an inch in the South China Sea, where it has built an archipelago of artificial islands hosting military facilities that the US and other nations say threaten freedom of navigation through the strategically vital waterway. Beijing's "resolve to protect the peace and the stability of the South China Sea cannot be shaken", Wang said about the region, where it has overlapping territorial claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. The problems in the region are due to "foreign forces" which "have sent fully armed warships and fighters to the South China Sea to flaunt their military might", he said, referring to operations by the US, Australia and Britain to assert their right to sail through the region. TAIWAN Although China does not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent nation, Wang took questions about Beijing's relationship with Taipei, warning that the Taiwanese government must come around to China's way of thinking if it hopes to enjoy "peaceful development". The relationship between Beijing and Taipei has soured since the election of President Tsai Ying-wen, who has refused to acknowledge the so-called "1992 consensus", which agrees that there is only one China without specifying whether Beijing or Taipei is its rightful representative. "The person who locked the door should open it," Wang said. Only by taking the "correct path" of recognising the consensus can "cross-strait relations restart building a promising prospect for peaceful development". JAPAN Japanese Prime Minister Abe is expected to make a visit to China after years of tense relations set off by a territorial dispute and festering disagreements over the legacy of the Second World War. After mocking a Japanese reporter's Chinese language skills, Wang said that China "wants the Japanese side to speak credibly in its politics, to behave properly in its actions". NORTH KOREA Wang cautiously welcomed the apparent breakthrough over the North Korea nuclear issue as an "important step in the right direction". He urged the US and North Korea to hold talks as soon as possible after Seoul said that Pyongyang was ready to discuss denuclearisation with Washington in return for security guarantees. "Now is the crucial moment to test the sincerity of the parties to solve the nuclear issue," he said. A journalist looks at the new series Barbie "Inspiring Women", featuring (L-R) Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo and Katherine Johnson that honors three historic figures who each made a major mark on the world on March 7, 2018 in New York The new Frida Kahlo Barbie raised eyebrows, and indeed unibrows, from the moment it was announced. Now the late Mexican artist's family alleges the rights to her image have been stolen, and accuses toymaker Mattel of misrepresenting her appearance and ignoring what she stood for. Mattel announced on Wednesday that Kahlo, a painter known for her searingly intimate portraits as well as her defiantly unplucked eyebrows, would be included in its newest collection of Barbie dolls. It was perhaps an unlikely choice for the maker of the famously buxom blonde doll, given that Kahlo was known for upending gender norms and traditional ideas about how women should look and act. Released just ahead of International Women's Day, the "Inspiring Women" collection includes dolls based on Kahlo, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, African-American mathematician Katherine Johnson and other historic figures. But Kahlo's family soon issued a statement objecting to the doll. "Mrs Mara Romeo, great-niece of Frida Kahlo, is the sole owner of the rights of the image of the illustrious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo," it said. "The company Mattel does not have the proper authorization to use the image of Frida Kahlo," it added, threatening to take "necessary measures" against the California-based toymaker. However, an American company called the Frida Kahlo Corporation insisted it was the legitimate owner of the rights. "Mattel has worked in close partnership with the Frida Kahlo Corporation, the owner of all rights related to the name and identity of Frida Kahlo, on the creation of this doll," it said in a statement. Romeo's lawyer Pablo Sangri said the dispute arose after the family established the Frida Kahlo Corporation in 2005, in partnership with another company called Casablanca Distributors. The latter has violated their now-expired contract by failing to inform Kahlo's relatives about the uses of her "brand," he told AFP. And the contract never granted the Corporation rights to Kahlo's image in the first place, only "certain uses of her name," he said. "The Frida Kahlo Corporation doesn't hold, never held and will never hold the rights to Frida's image." - Pop icon - But the problem goes deeper than just a dispute over image rights, said Romeo, the granddaughter of Kahlo's sister Cristina. Kahlo was known for her assertive embrace of her Mexican identity and her unabashed, unmanicured femininity. "I would have liked the doll to have traits more like Frida's, not this doll with light-colored eyes. I would have liked her to have a unibrow, for her clothes to be made by Mexican artisans," she told AFP. "It should be a doll that represents everything my aunt represented, her strength. It should be a Frida that represents Mexico." With her slender face and almond eyes -- topped by just the slightest hint of hair between her brows -- the Frida Kahlo Barbie looks only vaguely like the real-life Frida. In recent years, Kahlo's image has been stamped onto an explosion of consumer products: nail polish, bags, shoes, coffee mugs and much, much more. Her instantly recognizable look -- unibrow, thick black braids, flowery, hand-embroidered Mexican "tehuana" dresses -- and the boldness with which she wore it have turned her into a pop icon. But Romeo said the companies behind such products are making them without the family's permission, and violating Kahlo's legacy in the process. "These products don't mesh with what Frida was. They should contribute something to the world," she said. Kahlo (1907-1954), the wife of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, is today considered one of the great painters of the 20th century, particularly for her self-portraits, often brimming with pain and isolation. In states such as Wisconsin where voters hoped US President Donald Trump would employ business acumen to boost the economy and create more jobs, there were fears that tariffs could have the opposite effect From ketchup to automobiles and soybeans, President Donald Trump's contentious tariffs on steel and aluminum imports could bring unintended consequences for industries in the very places that handed him his election victory. The tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum will come into effect in 15 days, measures the White House says will help American industry recover from unfair trade practices. But in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and other states where voters hoped Trump would employ business acumen to boost the economy and create more jobs, there were fears that the proposed tariffs could have the opposite effect. "The worry is that this is a political response that is trying to help certain communities, but it may end up hurting them," analyst Joseph Parilla, of the non-partisan policy research group The Brookings Institution, told AFP. "Rural areas, smaller towns, the type of communities that voted more for Trump, are extremely export-intensive," Parilla said, adding that exports are vulnerable to retaliatory tariffs by other countries. - What comes next? - To be sure, there was support for the measures in places with a direct connection to the production of steel and aluminum. In parts of Minnesota, for example, iron mining -- which produces steel's key raw material -- is a $3 billion industry. "The steel and aluminum sectors have been under attack by predatory trade practices," said Leo Gerard, president of United Steelworkers International. "Our members have actively fought for action," he said. A worker handle parts for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles at a plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, where the auto industry is worried about rising costs at a time of slowing sales in the US market But among those that use steel and aluminum to make other products, there were concerns about what could come next. In Michigan, the auto industry was worried about rising costs at a time of slowing sales in the US market. "Manufacturers are not prepared to absorb a sharp increase in the cost to build cars and trucks in America," warned Cody Lusk, chief of the American International Automobile Dealers Association, which represents US dealerships of foreign car brands. Agriculture exporters in Minnesota and Wisconsin also were worried about retaliatory tariffs on the products they export, such as soybeans. "We're very concerned about any ramifications of what might come of this, and how it might blow back on agriculture, particularly when we're at a situation right now with tough commodity prices anyway," Perry Aasness of the trade group Agrigrowth Council told Minnesota Public Radio. In Wisconsin, Republican Governor Scott Walker -- Trump's vanquished competitor for the party's presidential nomination -- sounded the alarm by touring two manufacturing plants earlier this week. To make his point, he stood in front of large barrel-shaped rolls of thin aluminum sheets at a manufacturing plant owned by industrial products maker Bemis. That company uses the imported aluminum to make things such as individual ketchup packets. The Hull-Rust Mahoning open pit iron in Minnesota, where iron mining -- which produces steel's key raw material -- is a $3 billion industry "If (the Trump administration's) goals are protecting American jobs, this policy as they rolled it out will do the opposite, so I hope that they'll reconsider," Walker said Tuesday. The governor's office put out a list of other companies that could also be affected - from more expensive cans for beer producer MillerCoors to tariffs on exported motorcycles made by the iconic American brand Harley-Davidson. "The practical application of the tariffs on steel and aluminum would lead to jobs being lost in Wisconsin and moved, not to other states, but to other countries," Walker said. US President Donald Trump stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of May Donald Trump enlisted Friday the help of China's Xi Jinping to keep sanctions pressure on North Korea, amid fears that an audacious diplomatic gambit by the US president could lead to backsliding. In an evening tweet, Trump praised a possible future agreement with the communist North as "very good" for the international community as a whole, after the US leader stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of May. "The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined," Trump wrote. During a telephone conversation, Trump and the ever-more-powerful Chinese president committed to "maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization," according to the White House. As aides scrambled to catch up with Trump's decision -- taken before consulting key confidantes -- the White House sent mixed messages about conditions. "They've made promises to denuclearize, they've made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "We're not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea," she told reporters. Officials behind the scenes said this did not constitute a change of heart. A day after the bombshell announcement that the US and North Korean leaders would meet, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House would keep "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang and claimed US efforts to isolate Kim had been vindicated. There has been limited reaction from Kim's regime, but South Korean President Moon Jae-in said news of the summit -- announced by his national security advisor on a visit to Washington -- was "like a miracle." For his part, Xi urged the two leaders to begin talks as "soon as possible" and praised Trump's "positive aspiration." China has long been North Korea's most important ally but has been on board with the sanctions agreed at the United Nations. A cryptic report by South Korean news agency Yonhap said the South's envoys also delivered a "special message" to Trump from Kim during their US trip, but did not elaborate on what was said. - 'Huge gamble' - Diplomatic tensions between the US and North Korea The UN Security Council has imposed tough economic sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and advanced missile launches. China and Russia argue that sanctions alone will not push North Korea to change course and have repeatedly called for stepping up diplomatic efforts to achieve a solution. The summit announcement triggered a rise in global stock markets while world leaders voiced hope the meeting would deflate tensions that had been building dramatically in recent months. Some observers questioned the US president's wisdom in granting Kim a long-standing wish for a meeting after only agreeing to temporarily halt nuclear tests. Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has negotiated with and traveled to the North, told AFP it was a bold move that is "worth taking" but also a "huge gamble". "This is not 'The Apprentice' or a reality TV event... It's a negotiation with an unpredictable leader who has at least 20 nuclear weapons and who threatens the United States," he said. Republican Senator Cory Gardner said America's approach to North Korea still needs not just a drop "but a whole bucket of reality." "There is no greater diplomatic tool or lever than the President of the United States," he added. "If this doesn't succeed how much is left of that diplomatic runway is a very good question." - 'Little Rocket Man' - Trump has previously ridiculed Kim as "Little Rocket Man," imposing wide-ranging bilateral sanctions on the Pyongyang regime and also leading a drive for international sanctions through the UN. Pyongyang has hit back by calling Trump a "dotard". Pence stressed that the White House has made "zero concessions" to get Kim to the table and emphasized that the sanctions would remain in place. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the world leaders to hail the announcement as a "glimmer of hope," saying North Korea's nuclear drive "has been a source of great concern for all of us." The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, voiced hope the summit would produce "concrete progress" and a resumption of long-suspended nuclear inspections. Pyongyang's long race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States has proved a problem for successive US administrations. But the alarm bells have been ringing even louder since July, when Pyongyang conducted two intercontinental ballistic missile tests, declaring the entire United States now within range. Trump threatened "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continued to threaten the United States, only for North Korea to carry out its sixth nuclear test. The US and North Korea fought on opposite sides of a war in the 1950s, and in the last two decades have been engaged in perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. Krill are capable of digesting microplastics before excreting them back into the environment in an even smaller form They might be at the bottom of the food chain, but krill could prove to be a secret weapon in the fight against the growing threat of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. New research Friday showed the tiny zooplankton are capable of digesting microplastics -- under five millimetres (0.2 inches) -- before excreting them back into the environment in an even smaller form. Study author Amanda Dawson stumbled on the finding while working on a project involving microbeads -- polyethylene plastic often used in cosmetics such as face scrubs -- at the Australian Antarctic Division's krill aquarium to check the toxic effects of pollution. "We realised that krill actually break up plastic, it was amazing," the researcher from Australia's Griffith University told AFP. "It's difficult to know exactly what the implications of this could be, but the theory is that because plastics in the ocean are already degraded and more fragile, they would be even easier for krill to break up." The problem of plastic pollution is widespread, and rapidly getting worse. Plastic pollution in the world's oceans Every year, more than eight million tons ends up in the ocean, costing billions of dollars in damage to marine ecosystems and killing an estimated one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals and untold numbers of fish, studies have shown. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last year cited one study that showed plastic could outweigh fish in 2050 if nothing was done. Australian Antarctic Division krill biologist and study co-author So Kawaguchi said this was the first time scientists had examined microplastics digested by the crustaceans. Published in Nature Communications, it found the fragments excreted were, on average, 78 percent smaller than the original beads with some reduced by 94 percent. "It's a new pathway for microplastics to interact with the ecosystem", Kawaguchi said. He added that the research suggested other zooplankton with similar digestive systems may also be able to break down microplastics. But Dawson cautioned the finding could also be a double-edged sword, citing the potential for toxins to be passed down the food chain as the smaller excreted particles became available to organisms that would not be able to ingest larger ones. "We've barely scratched the surface and more work is needed," she said. Krill are zooplankton invertebrates that float in huge swarms in oceans all over the world. Barely the size of a paper-clip, they can live for 10 years and are one of the most abundant animal species. Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill comforts a villager after an earthquake hit the nation's remote highlands The death toll from an earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea last month has topped 100 with thousands injured, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said Friday, warning it will take years for the region to recover. The Pacific nation's mountainous interior was struck by a 7.5-magnitude tremor on February 26, triggering landslides that blocked roads, caused power outages and cut off villages. Communities have also been rattled by strong aftershocks, sparking fears among disenchanted and suspicious residents that the shaking was somehow caused by oil and gas operations in the area. "Tragically, the Highlands earthquake has already claimed the lives of an estimated more than 100 Papua New Guineans, with many more still missing and thousands of people injured," O'Neill said. The premier has visited the devastated region and said his government and aid agencies were focused on delivering clean water, food and shelter to victims, and restoring electricity and communications. "There will be no quick fix, the damage from this disaster will take months and years to be repaired," he said. The February 26 quake triggered landslides that blocked roads and cut off villages "The social damage to our communities is large, and this earthquake will be the source of sadness and sorrow for generations to come," the prime minister added, describing the plight of one woman who lost six relatives including children. "This is a story of tragedy and loss that is repeated in village after village throughout the disaster area." The remote Southern Highlands region is home to the impoverished country's biggest-ever development -- the US$19 billion PNG LNG project operated by US energy giant ExxonMobil. Traumatised villagers are suspicious of the plant's operators and fearful they might have been using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and destabilised the rock structure underneath, the Post-Courier reported this week. Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping large quantities of water and chemicals at high pressure deep into the Earth to fracture rock to stimulate the flow of natural gas or oil. "I don't want the project to resume its operation until the company is cleared of suspicion of any responsibility," Hela province's governor Philip Undialu told the newspaper. PNG's prime minister Peter O'Neill greeted villagers during a visit to the quake-hit highlands O'Neill said while there was no evidence that energy developments in the Southern Highlands and Hela provinces had anything to do with the quake, he had asked the Australian government to conduct an independent review. He told the Post-Courier that he went to Hela's capital Tari on Wednesday and "they wanted an independent review and report on what is happening". Canberra said in a statement to AFP that Geoscience Australia -- the government agency that monitors and analyses earthquakes -- would look into the causes of the tremor. "The Australian government, through Geoscience Australia, has agreed to the PNG government's request to provide advice on the scientific basis of the earthquake and seismic activity in the region," a foreign affairs spokeswoman said. ExxonMobil said Monday it expected its project to be offline for up to eight weeks to repair the quake-hit facilities. PNG's growth is heavily dependent on its natural resources, and O'Neill has said the shutdown of the plant would have a "huge impact on the economy". Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island nation, tends to rank among the three worst countries in Africa for new infections of leprosy Joseph Ralaiharo has lived cut off from society in a remote village in central Madagascar for more than half a century. His battle with leprosy, an infection that causes unsightly sores, nerve damage as well as eye and respiratory problems, has left him shunned by society. "I can't go home anymore because nobody wants to see me," said 65-year-old Ralaiharo. "We can no longer go to wells to collect water, or into the fields. Even our own land has been sold by our relatives." Despite winning the battle against the infection, having been cured, Ralaiharo continues to live in the colony, such is the lifelong stigma. He came to Ilena in Madagascar with his mother when he was just 13 years old after becoming infected with leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease. He has not left the village since. Ilena lies at the top of a small hill, surrounded by trees, miles from the nearest town, Fianarantsoa, and was built in 1892 as a dedicated community for those with leprosy. Vololonirina Ranorovelo developed leprosy symptoms more than 10 years ago. Even though leprosy is not very contagious, she will never be able to return to her village because her family and friends will reject her Leprosy was initially recorded in the first century and had almost disappeared from Europe by the 18th century, with only a handful of areas still affected thereafter, mostly in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. More than 200,000 new cases are identified every year, according to the latest World Health Organization figures. The condition, which spreads via nasal fluids but is not highly contagious, can be treated with a months-long cocktail of drugs. Ilena is now home to over 400 people, including more than 100 children, all mingling and living together as a community but totally isolated from the rest of society. The residents survive by growing food and rearing livestock as well as producing their own charcoal. Nobody ever leaves, except by dying, they say. - 'A ghetto' village - "This village has become a ghetto. Nobody comes or goes from here," Sister Damien Koenig said calmly. She is one of the nuns who have run Ilena for decades. "When we arrived, we tried to explain that leprosy is not a shameful condition, that those infected should not be embarrassed, that they could go out," she added. "But none of the young men or women can find partners on the outside." In Madagascar, sufferers of leprosy which causes unsightly sores, nerve damage as well as eye and respiratory problems, face a lifelong stigma. They live cut off from society and even their families no longer want to see them Madagascans tend to be extremely proud of their tradition of community support, solidarity and loyalty, described by the catch-all local term "fihavanana". But those living with leprosy are excluded, and face fierce discrimination. In Marana, another village for those afflicted by leprosy in the same region as Ilena, the residents' treatment from outside typifies the prejudice faced by sufferers. The community has had to be relocated three times due to hostility from people living in Fianarantsoa. Marana's 80 residents are now hidden by a ring of trees that shield them from outside view. "When we leave a leper colony, it's difficult to reintegrate into society," said one of them, 61-year-old Robert Razafimahatratra, sighing as he spoke. - 'Shame, confusion and fear' - "Even my family keep their distance from me. "That's what upsets me most -- not the illness, but the fact that my family rejected me. It's a mixture of shame, confusion and fear," said Harisoa Marline, another infected resident. "That's my own family, my own blood, who did that." A combination of poverty and limited access to healthcare is to blame for the continued presence of leprosy on Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island nation, which tends to rank among the three worst countries in Africa for new infections. "Madagascar sees 1,500 new leprosy cases every year," said the head of the health ministry's anti-leprosy programme Andriamirana Andrianatoandro, adding he regretted the "ostracism and exclusion" faced by those living with leprosy. Early diagnosis is crucial to limiting the spread of the infection as there is not yet a vaccine, but identification of leprosy often comes too late -- if at all. "We never give a leprosy diagnosis in the village," said Sister Sabine Ramasinoro, one of the nuns responsible for running Marana. "To prevent people running away, we just say that we're there to care for them." "A farmer in the bush has no incentive to get a leprosy diagnosis of their irritable skin lesions," said Bertrand Cauchoix, a doctor at the Raoul Follereau Foundation, one of the leading contributors to the fight against the condition. "They won't get a diagnosis because then they'll have a disability and will have probably infected someone else." To help detect undiagnosed cases, Cauchoix has put in place programmes to address skin conditions although has struggled to break through the widespread apathy. "We made the mistake of proclaiming leprosy defeated too soon," he said. "No one talks about this illness anymore." The leaders of the US and North Korea are due to meet by the end of May The stunning announcement that US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will hold an unprecedented meeting is the latest and most astonishing step forward in a flurry of diplomacy. The two and their respective allies fought each other to a ceasefire in the 1950-53 Korean War and Pyongyang has for decades defied heavy sanctions to pursue its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, developing rockets that can reach the US mainland. But it has offered to put them on the negotiating table if what it calls threats against it are eliminated. Here are some questions and answers on the dramatic developments. - Where will the summit be? All that has been confirmed so far is that the meeting will take place by the end of May. If it happens in Pyongyang, Kim is sure to put on a spectacular show for his visitor, but for America it would run the risk of appearing that Trump is coming to pay his respects. The Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas -- where Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are to meet in late April -- is probably the favourite at this stage, offering ease of access for both sides, a controlled environment, and facilities already in place. It would also appeal to the two men's sense of drama. A more neutral location with less weight of symbolism such as Beijing or Geneva -- Kim was educated in Switzerland -- would mean the three key players would have to plan events with another host nation. Furthermore, it would involve a journey on both sides and Kim has not left the North since inheriting power from his father in 2011. Seoul would most likely be unthinkable to Pyongyang, and Washington even more so, but on the other hand no one would have predicted three months ago that Kim's sister would visit the South Korean capital within weeks. United Nations headquarters in New York -- Trump's home town -- would mean Kim stepping on American soil but it has a long history of hosting a rogues gallery of world leaders. Events have moved so far, so quickly and in such unforeseen ways that no option can immediately be ruled out. - How will Trump prepare? The announcement on the White House lawn came almost exactly 24 hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US was "a long way from negotiations" with the North. The North's diplomats are renowned as tough, wily negotiators -- "very Machiavellian" in the words of one analyst. But under Trump the State Department has lost many Korea specialists and he has yet to name an ambassador to Seoul -- front-runner expert Victor Cha was reportedly ruled out of consideration because of his refusal to entertain the idea of a pre-emptive US strike on the North. The US Special Representative for North Korean policy Joseph Yun retired last week, and there has been none of the diplomatic groundwork that usually precede a meeting between heads of state. "Summits normally come at the end of a long series of negotiations at lower levels in which lots of devils in the details are hammered out," said Pusan National University associate professor Robert Kelly. "Trump, always the publicity-seeker, is just diving right in," he tweeted, warning there was a risk he "will wander from decades of joint US-South Korea policy, about which he naturally knows nothing, and make some kind of deal for a 'win' that no other US official would endorse". - How will the two get on? The two men are radically different but in other ways strikingly similar. Kim was chosen to inherit power and was groomed to do so for years, while Trump is one of the unlikeliest US presidents in history, reaching the White House via a career in property development and reality television. Kim has far more experience in office -- more than six years -- and expects to rule for decades, planning for the long term accordingly with no concern about the next day's headlines in his state-controlled media. But both men prize personal loyalty, counting family members among their closest advisers, and they share a taste for theatre -- Trump has called for a military parade in Washington, something Kim holds in Pyongyang usually every year. They traded threats and personal insults last year, with Trump dubbing Kim "little Rocket Man" while menacing the North with "fire and fury" that would "completely destroy" the country. In turn Kim called him a "mentally deranged US dotard". But Trump is known for his sudden turnarounds and tweeted in November: "I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" - What is South Korea's role? Strikingly, all the key announcements of recent days have been made by South Korea. Its envoys revealed both North Korea's willingness to negotiate over its nuclear weapons and -- on the White House lawn, with no US officials present -- Trump's acceptance of the offer to meet. In the early months of Donald Trump's presidency he focussed on China as a way to influence the North and developed a friendship with Japan's Shinzo Abe, leading to fears in Seoul that the South was being bypassed -- reinforced when he accused President Moon Jae-in of "appeasement". But Moon has seized the opportunity presented by the Winter Olympics to try to broker talks between the rivals -- while repeatedly crediting Trump's assertive approach for Kim's willingness to talk. - How will China react? For decades Beijing has been Pyongyang's key diplomatic protector and main source of trade and aid, but their relationship has soured in recent years. Kim has not travelled to Beijing to pay his respects to President Xi Jinping, and Beijing has become increasingly frustrated with its neighbour's behaviour, showing a new willingness to agree to tougher sanctions against it -- and enforce them. At the same time it fears the collapse of the regime in Pyongyang and the instability it would bring, potentially sending waves of refugees into China and the possibility of US troops stationed on its border in a unified Korea. As such it will welcome an agreement -- for years it has been urging the resumption of the Six-Party Talks process it chaired. And after Seoul announced an historic inter-Korean summit this week, Beijing said it was "cheering them on". Any agreement that could lead to a reduced US troop presence in the South would also by implication tilt the balance of power in Beijing's favour in a region it increasingly sees as its own back yard. Abe has denied any wrongdoing and his approval ratings remain solid A Japanese finance ministry official linked to the cronyism allegations dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been found dead, local media said Friday. A second key official stepped down over the scandal, the finance minister confirmed late Friday, as the damaging issue refuses to go away. Police are investigating the death of the official in Kobe in western Japan and suspect he committed suicide, with some media reporting a suicide note had been found. A police spokesman contacted by AFP could not immediately confirm the reports. The unidentified official, who was found dead on Wednesday, was at the heart of a scandal over the cut-price sale of government-owned land to a close friend of Abe, the reports said. He was responsible for the 2016 sale of a plot of land in Osaka to the right-wing operator of a kindergarten at a price well below market value. Separately, Finance Minister Taro Aso told reporters that another senior official involved in the scandal, Nobuhisa Sagawa, had decided to step down after lawmakers and taxpayers demanded his resignation. Sagawa was promoted to head the tax agency in July, after holding a post overseeing the finance ministry division that negotiated the deal. "Sagawa is a capable individual," said Aso. "He said he wants to resign to take responsibility for the troubles caused." In addition to the resignation, Sagawa will have 20 percent of his severance package docked for three months as punishment, the minister told reporters. The scandal has dogged Abe since it first emerged last February, though the prime minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing and his approval ratings remain solid. According to local media, the land was sold for around one tenth of its market value, and the kindergarten had announced plans to name Abe's wife Akie the honorary principal of a primary school being built on the same plot. Abe says his wife had only "reluctantly" accepted the post of honorary principal and had since "resigned." Last week, allegations emerged that the finance ministry's documents on the sale had been tampered with before being submitted to parliament. The allegation has paralysed parliament in recent days, with some opposition lawmakers boycotting debates. The opposition has accused ministry officials of hiding some key documents and colluding to cover up the scandal. Aso said he had told his ministry staff to come up with conclusions early next week but stressed he himself had no plans to step down over the scandal. Russian soldiers stand beside an aid truck waiting at the Al-Wafideen checkpoint on March 8, 2018 to pass from Syrian government-held territory into the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta An aid convoy entered Syria's battered Eastern Ghouta Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, after a previous delivery was cut short by bombardment of the rebel enclave. "They are in," ICRC spokeswoman Ingy Sedky said of the 13 trucks loaded with 2,400 food parcels that had been waiting outside the enclave east of Damascus after the interruption of Monday's delivery. More than 930 civilians have been killed in Eastern Ghouta since Russia-backed regime forces launched an assault on the enclave outside the capital on February 18, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But early Friday, the air strikes stopped briefly, with the enclave seeing its calmest night in more than a week, the Britain-based war monitor said. The enclave's 400,000 inhabitants have been living under government siege since 2013, with food and medicines in very short supply even before the latest assault. The new convoy was carrying food that aid workers were unable to distribute on Monday. It had been due to enter on Thursday but was delayed. "Today, they will deliver the remaining of the aid that wasn't delivered during the previous convoy of March 5," Sedky said. "We also have some positive indications that a bigger convoy with additional supplies including medical items might happen next week," she added. Syrian children wounded in a bombardment wait for treatment at an overstretched clinic in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta town of Hammuriyah on March 7, 2018 Doctors and nurses in Syria's beleaguered Eastern Ghouta enclave have run out of several life-saving items and a massive medical re-supply is critically urgent, a charity said on Friday. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also called for medical teams to be allowed into the besieged rebel enclave east of Damascus. "The need for a massive medical resupply, without life-saving items being removed, is increasingly urgent with each passing hour," MSF said. A humanitarian convoy entered Eastern Ghouta on Friday, carrying food that aid workers were not able to distribute from a first convoy earlier this week. It did not contain some life-saving medical items, such as trauma kits, that were removed from the dozens of trucks sent in on Monday. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, however, said there were "some positive indications that a bigger convoy with additional supplies, including medical items, might happen next week." MSF said there was an acute emergency in Eastern Ghouta, where almost 400,000 civilians have endured a blistering military assault by the Syrian government and its allies since February 18. "The numbers reveal a relentless barrage of mass casualty influxes at a time when medical supplies are extremely limited, medical facilities have been hit by bombs or shells, and the medics are completely exhausted. "Daily, we hear of an increasing sense of hopelessness and despair, as our medical colleagues reach the limits of what a person can be expected to do," MSF Director General Meinie Nicolai said. The Paris-based medical charity said 15 of the 20 medical facilities it supports in Eastern Ghouta were hit by air strikes or shelling. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, more than 930 civilians have been killed since the assault began. MSF urged the warring parties to pause the bombing and shelling to allow for the evacuation of critically sick or wounded patients. More than a week ago, the United Nations said those already numbered more than 700. India's top court ruled Friday that terminally ill patients have the right to refuse care, approving the use of "living wills" to set out how they want to be treated. The Supreme Court's order -- hailed as "historic" by petitioners -- means medical treatment can be withdrawn to hasten a person's death, a practice known as passive euthanasia. The ruling means the family of someone in a permanent vegetative state and unable to communicate could withdraw life support in accordance with the patient's wishes. The justices gave the green light to living wills, legal documents that allow adults to express their preference on how they want to be treated if they become terminally ill or slip into an incurable coma. It enshrines the right to refuse care, although under strictly controlled conditions. "Life sans dignity is an unacceptable defeat and life that meets death with dignity is a value to be aspired for and a moment for celebration," the five-judge bench, headed by India's chief justice, said in its order. "The question that arises is should he not be allowed to cross the doors of life and enter, painlessly and with dignity, into the dark tunnel of death whereafter it is said that there is resplendence." The court said its guidelines set out "will prevail until the government comes out with legislation". The Press Trust of India news agency said that in each living will, a court-appointed medical panel will review the instructions before they can be carried out. The 2015 death of 66-year-old nurse Aruna Shanbaug, who was raped and left in a vegetative state for 42 years, reignited India's national debate over euthanasia. Her plight prompted the Supreme Court to decide in 2011 that life support can be removed for some terminally ill patients in certain circumstances. "It is an important, historic decision," Prashant Bhushan, a lawyer and one of the petitioners, told reporters after the hearing. With the latest decision, India joins a growing list of countries including Britain, France, Germany and Spain that recognise living wills. Indian law does not permit active euthanasia or assisted suicide, in which patients are helped by doctors to end their lives. Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta shakes hands with opposition leader Raila Odinga as the pair met for the first time in public since last year's disputed elections President Uhuru Kenyatta met opposition leader Raila Odinga in public on Friday for the first time since last year's hotly-disputed elections, with the pair promising to heal the country's divisions. The surprise meeting at Kenyatta's downtown office on Friday ended with the symbolic appearance of the two men standing side-by-side to deliver a joint statement. Calling one another "brother," they announced a plan for "a programme" to overcome deep and long-standing ethnic and political divides, although they provided few details of what it might involve. "We have come to a common understanding, an understanding that this country of Kenya is greater than any one individual, and that for this country to come together leaders must come together," Kenyatta said. Odinga expressed similar sentiments. "Throughout our independence history, we have had doubts on how we have conducted our affairs in the face of growing divide along ethnic, religious and political lines. Regrettably, we have responded to our challenges by mostly running away from them," said Odinga, who spoke first. "The time has come for us to confront and resolve our differences." Friday's meeting came hours before the arrival of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as part of his first Africa tour. The US has been urging direct talks between Kenyatta and Odinga to resolve the political strife. Tillerson later described the meeting as "a positive step". "While we know addressing Kenya's ethnic and political divisions will take some time and effort, today both of these men showed great leadership in coming together and in the agreement they signed," he told a press conference in Nairobi after meeting with Kenyatta. But Tillerson also warned against democratic backsliding, urging the government to, "correct certain actions, like shutting down TV stations and threatening the independence of the courts." Last year's fraught election season saw one presidential poll annulled by the courts and the re-run boycotted by the opposition. While political violence did not come close to that which followed the 2007 vote -- when over 1,100 lives were lost -- the disputed elections led to the deaths of over 100 people, most of them shot by police. On January 10, European Union election monitors said the flawed poll had "weakened" the country's democracy. "Kenyans went from high hopes for these elections to many disappointments and confrontations. Kenya remains deeply divided," EU chief observer Marietje Schaake, a Dutch member of the European parliament, told AFP as the critical report was launched. Gui was seized while travelling to Beijing to see a Swedish specialist over fears he had ALS China on Friday rejected "groundless" accusations by Sweden over detained book publisher Gui Minhai after Stockholm demanded medical access to the Swedish citizen. Chinese-born Gui was arrested on a train to Beijing in January while travelling with two Swedish diplomats -- the second time he has vanished into Chinese custody in murky circumstances. Sweden has called for his release and on Thursday Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom denounced Beijing's refusal to allow a Swedish doctor to visit the Hong Kong-based bookseller. "China's action is unacceptable and violates previous promises that our citizens would have the opportunity to consult a Swedish doctor," said Wallstrom. In response, China said Gui was in a "good physical state" and that authorities had already arranged a check-up for Gui. "He expressed that at present he doesn't wish to see a Swedish doctor," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. "We've already expressed his wishes to the Swedish side, and hope that the Swedish side can respect them. As for the groundless accusations from the Swedish side, the Chinese side will not accept that," he added. Gui was seized while travelling to Beijing from the eastern city of Ningbo on the way to see a Swedish specialist over fears he had the neurological disease ALS. Gui -- one of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for publishing gossipy titles about Chinese political leaders -- first disappeared in 2015 and resurfaced in mainland China. No public explanation for this arrest has been given by Chinese authorities. He was on holiday in Thailand at the time of his first arrest and eventually surfaced at an undisclosed location in China, confessing to involvement in a fatal traffic accident and smuggling illegal books into the mainland. Chinese authorities declared they had released him in October 2017 but his daughter Angela Gui, 23, told AFP that he was under "loose house arrest" in Ningbo. The Chinese Embassy in Sweden said last month that Gui is now being held in a detention centre in the city. A South Korean soldier views a news programme discussing US President Donald Trump's plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un World powers Friday hailed the announcement of unprecedented talks between a US president and a North Korean leader, saying it offered a "glimmer of hope" of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula. The move is a high-stakes encounter for both US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who have traded insults in the past and threatened to wipe out each other out. South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong said the historic meeting would take place by the end of May. Here is some of the global reaction: South Korea President Moon Jae-in said the news was "like a miracle". Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel said "a united international stance, including sanctions, certainly offers a glimmer of hope. "It would of course be wonderful if we could see an easing of tensions because... the nuclearisation in North Korea has been a source of great concern for all of us," she said. Britain "Important Kim Jong Un comes in good faith ready to fulfil obligations" under UN Security Council resolutions, Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson tweeted. "We have always been clear that we want Kim Jong Un to change path and put the welfare of his people ahead of the illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons," a Downing Street spokesman added. "We will continue to work closely with the US, South Korea and the international community to ensure that pressure on North Korea continues and sanctions are strictly enforced until Kim Jong Un matches his words with concrete actions." EU The European Union said the meeting was a "positive development" which could "create necessary conditions towards a negotiated solution." Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was "a step in the right direction", stressing it was necessary to "normalise the situation around the Korean peninsula." IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was hoping for "concrete progress" and added it had continued to monitor the North's nuclear programme, including through the use of satellite imagery. burs/ach/dcr US Vice President Mike Pence traveled to South Korea for the Winter Olympics and at the opening ceremony sat in the same box with the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un's decision to invite Donald Trump to a historic summit is evidence that the American leader's efforts to isolate his North Korean counterpart are bearing fruit, US Vice President Mike Pence said Friday. "North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization -- while suspending all ballistic missile and nuclear testing -- is evidence that President Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working," Pence said in a statement. The North Koreans "are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions and, in close coordination with our allies, we have consistently increased the pressure on the Kim regime," he said. "Our resolve is undeterred and our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program." Trump's agreement Thursday to meet North Korea's reclusive leader marked a stunning development in America's high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea -- interpreted by some analysts as a diplomatic win for Kim. Previous North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who consistently rebuffed the idea. Faced with Pyongyang's race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States, Trump's strategy has been to ramp up sanctions, tighten the diplomatic screws and regularly threaten military force. But as last month's Winter Olympics drove a rapprochement on the peninsula, Pence traveled to South Korea, rubbing shoulders with Kim's sister, and appearing open to a meeting with North Korean officials -- although it was the North Koreans and South Koreans who actually met. US officials said Pyongyang had scrapped secretly planned talks at the last minute after Pence denounced abuses from North Korea's "murderous regime." Gabon currently contributes 444 troops to the 12,500 in MINUSCA Gabon is to withdraw its forces from the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, a force known by its initials of MINUSCA. The cabinet on Thursday endorsed a request by the defence ministry to pull out the country's troops in MINUSCA, "given the progressive return to peace and stability" there, according to a report of the meeting issued Friday. Gabon contributes 444 troops to the 12,500 in MINUSCA, one of the UN's biggest peacekeeping missions. The CAR has been struggling to return to stability since the country exploded into bloodshed after the 2013 overthrow of longtime leader Francois Bozize by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance. France intervened militarily to push out the Seleka alliance, but the country -- one of the poorest in the world -- remains plagued by violence between ex-rebels and vigilante militias. Launched in 2014, MINUSCA -- the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic -- has suffered 29 deaths since its deployment, according to figures published in December. But it has also been dogged by accusations of sexual abuse by its troops and failure to defend civilians adequately against militias. An official at the United Nations New York headquarters said the UN "regretted" Gabon's decision, which he said would likely have to be implemented during the next troop rotation in June. With Gabon's troop contingent, there were "problems with the equipment and also with sexual abuse," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Gabon is one of nine countries whose MINUSCA troops have allegedly carried out sexual offences, according to internal case files reported last September by a US-based NGO, Code Blue Campaign. There have also reportedly been problems of "discipline" and "performance" with the Moroccan and Mauritanian troops deployed, the UN official added. In January this year, an internal inquiry recommended tactical changes to MINUSCA "to protect civilians" after a surge in bloodshed in the southeast of the country between May and August 2017. The inquiry was initiated by UN Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. Gabon's move comes at a bad time for the UN, which just renewed MINUSCA's mandate in December, with a pledge of 900 more soldiers to join the mission. But sources in CAR say the search for reinforcements has so far not borne fruit. MINUSCA needs "more muscle", the UN official said. A Rwandan contingent has been deployed but the UN is still waiting for Brazil to decide whether they will send troops. MINUSCA's communications chief in Bangui, Herve Verhoosel, on Friday said "the United Nations respect the choice of the Gabonese government and discussions are underway on a timetable for the withdrawal of the contingent on a reasonable timescale". He noted that countries participating in UN peacekeeping missions did so on a voluntary basis, and the Gabonese contribution had been "much appreciated". Thursday's decision by Donald Trump to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un took the US foreign policy community by surprise By agreeing to a meeting between their leaders, the United States has already handed North Korea a long-sought diplomatic victory. But could President Donald Trump's arguably reckless gamble open a path to resolving Washington's most dangerous foreign policy challenge? Thursday's decision, which took the entire US foreign policy community by surprise, certainly shook up expectations. Now, if Trump wants to ensure North Korea's peaceful disarmament, an extraordinary series of things will have to fall into place. Washington has long insisted that it wants nothing short of the "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." Given the rapid progress in enrichment and weapons technology that Kim Jong Un's regime has made in recent years, that implies the North accepting a stern international inspection regime. - Dense diplomatic agenda - And, given that Washington and Pyongyang have no diplomatic relations and are technically only enjoying a truce in a war that began in 1950, it would also suggest the need for a peace treaty. This in turn would mean the United States implicitly or explicitly recognizing Kim's maverick authoritarian regime, which has said it will not give up nuclear arms if it feels under US threat. That is quite a diplomatic agenda. "We've got to be properly prepared and we cannot underestimate Kim Jong Un. He's evolving into a strategic thinker, into a man with an end game," said veteran US politician and diplomat Bill Richardson. "What we don't want to do is get trapped in a situation, a high-level negotiation where we're not prepared, where we don't have our best negotiators forward," Richardson, a North Korea expert, told CNN. Perhaps the only comparable negotiation in recent history would be the one that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and to Tehran opening up its nuclear program to international monitors. But this was the fruit of 14 years of preliminary -- sometimes covert -- diplomacy followed by 20 months of intense negotiations involving senior diplomats from Iran and six world powers. Trump's first meeting with Kim, if South Korean officials are to be believed, will come before the end of May -- less than 12 weeks away -- and Washington may not be ready. - 'Maximum pressure' - For some of Trump's hawkish sympathizers in Washington, like Mark Dubowitz of the think tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, even the Iran talks outcome is a warning sign. "The administration has to test this with a high bar to see whether North Korea is serious. If they are playing us, we should unleash maximum pressure," he said. "The challenge is that the North Korea regime is a global champion, along with the Iranian regime, in playing us as fools." Presumably, even if it was not consulted on Trump's impulse decision, the State Department would be involved in preparing a US negotiating strategy for the eventual summit. But as late as Thursday afternoon, just two hours before Trump breathlessly warned White House reporters to expect a South Korean announcement, America's diplomats were in the dark. Diplomatic tensions between the US and North Korea Asked at 3:00 pm about the prospects for a meeting, a spokeswoman said: "We are not going to schedule talks about talks or any kind of chat or anything like that at this point." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Ethiopia when the news broke. Earlier in the day he too had played down hopes South Korea's outreach to the North would lead to a breakthrough. If Trump or Tillerson had decided to consult serving US experts on the situation before the decision to talk was made, it's not immediately clear who they would have spoken to. The United States special representative on North Korean policy, Joseph Yun, retired at the end of last week and no-one has yet been nominated to replace him. Washington's contacts with Pyongyang are limited, but last year Yun successfully negotiated the return of a US prisoner, college student Otto Warmbier, from a northern jail. He was a strong advocate for diplomatic engagement -- rather than threats of war -- in dealing with North Korea, but will not now be involved in what once seemed improbable talks. Yun's boss in the State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs is respected China specialist Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton. Thornton is still "Acting" because she has yet to be confirmed in the job -- having been belatedly nominated after months of bitter wrangling over appointments between State and the White House. - 'Brink of war' - Trump took his historic decision after meeting on Thursday in the White House with South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong to hear second-hand about Kim's invitation to talks. But America's ability to evaluate South Korea's strategy and advice may be hampered by the administration's failure to appoint an ambassador to Seoul, 13 months after taking office. Until late last year, Korea expert Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was strongly rumored to be the leading candidate for the ambassadorship. This was not to be, but he nevertheless had advice and a warning for the administration Friday in a column in the New York Times. "While the unpredictability of a meeting between these two unconventional leaders provides unique opportunities," he wrote, "its failure could also push the two countries to the brink of war." Less than a quarter of the vote has been counted in Wednesday's elections, according to an official tally Sierra Leone's two main parties traded verbal blows on Friday, with the opposition accusing the government of planning to announce an unconfirmed victory for its candidate in presidential elections. The West African country held presidential, parliamentary and local council elections on Wednesday, which passed off largely peacefully until an opposition leader's residence was raided. The National Election Commission (NEC) has asked for patience as it counts the ballots, saying it will prioritise accuracy over speed. It said on Friday it had yet to reach the 25 percent mark required to release provisional results. However, the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) said in a statement it had a "comfortable lead" over its rivals, causing the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) to accuse them of "endangering public order and national security." The SLPP claimed the APC was preparing to release "fake presidential results", adding that it remained "confident of a clear victory". It comes after the opposition party's leader Julius Maada Bio's residence was raided by police on a bizarre "hacking" accusation despite Sierra Leone using a manual voting system. - 'Transparent, credible' - Partial results are expected in the next few days but must be verified by the National Election Commission (NEC). European Union (EU) observers meanwhile described the election as "transparent, credible and well-organised" in a statement on Friday. However, they said police reaction during the Bio raid was "disproportionate", and called on the officers to exercise their duties in an "impartial, proportionate manner". The EU added that an "increasing number of acts of intimidation and violence against candidates and activists affected the electoral process." The Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), a Freetown-based organisation, went further and called police behaviour "unprofessional". "They were seen brutally beating up protesters unnecessarily," the group said. Clashes between rival supporters in Freetown also led to arrests on Wednesday. The APC and SLPP have dominated Sierra Leone's politics since independence in 1961, but third parties are hoping to make their mark after mounting charismatic campaigns based on the two parties' shortcomings. The National Grand Coalition (NGC), whose message of reform has struck a chord with educated urban voters, elsewhere said it had identified "a number of serious irregularities in the voting process which will in some areas require immediate recounts". It would complain to the NEC, it added. Sierra Leone's export-dependent economy of the mineral-rich but impoverished country is in a dire state following the 2014-16 Ebola crisis and a commodity price slump that has driven away foreign investors. A presidential runoff is likely, according to experts, as the threshold to win outright in the first round is 55 percent. US President Donald Trump signed off Thursday on tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in the Oval Office, triggering a backlash from his own party The rebellion is swelling among members of the US Congress's Republican majority dismayed over Donald Trump's contentious new trade tariffs, with many elected officials threatening to block the president's decree. The US leader has triggered howls of protest in his own camp by slapping tariffs of 25 percent on imports of steel and 10 percent on aluminum on Thursday, with only Canada and Mexico exempt for the time being. Historically proponents of free trade, several Republicans dubbed the measures "stupid" and "misguided" -- if the United States increases the cost of both materials, they hold, American producers of vehicles and other products will suffer setbacks on the international playing field, and consumers will pay more. Trump moreover found little support among Democrats, even though that party is historically more protectionist. In the Senate, Republicans are opposing the duties en masse, with Senator Jeff Flake already preparing a bill to "nullify these tariffs." His colleague Mike Lee, of the ultra-conservative Tea Party, immediately claimed congressional powers as defined in the Constitution's first article -- which says the power to tax belongs to the legislature -- promising "to make sure these tax hikes are never enforced." And with midterm elections looming, the extraordinary backlash from the president's Republican Party sets up a showdown between the chief executive and his own majority lawmakers. - Two-thirds majority - Senator Orrin Hatch (C), pictured here in December with Donald Trump, expressed astonishment at the president's tariffs move Just a few months after he helped drive Trump's landmark tax reform through Congress, Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, expressed astonishment at the president's decision. "I think there's a good chance that we will nullify the tariffs," he told reporters. "I generally support the president on just about everything, but I think he's been misled, there are some people down there who have been misleading him on some of these things," Hatch continued. "I'm disappointed because we just passed a tax bill and this kind of flies in the face of that. It's something I'm very upset about." Congress now has several options: it could pass a law taking back from Trump powers regarding commercial matters, which have been doled out to the White House progressively since the 1930s for purposes of efficiency. In the case of these tariffs, the Republican leader used a 1962 law authorizing the president to tax certain imports in the name of national security protection -- legislation rarely invoked in the past except in the notable case of oil. Many Republicans hold that imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum are an abuse of this law and are pushing to restrict it. Another law grants extensive powers to the president to negotiate trade agreements, allowing some 15 accords to be struck since 1979. The latest version of this law, adopted under Barack Obama in 2015, will expire in July of this year unless Trump requests an extension until 2021. Even then, Congress will have the opportunity to oppose the extension by passing a resolution of disapproval. As Trump vows to sign new bilateral treaties and amend the North American Free Trade Agreement, congressional leaders could seize the moment to reaffirm their role in US trade policy. For now, the top leadership has voiced a preference to collaborate with the administration to adjust and reduce the tariffs as much as possible, holding off on announcing a law. Whatever Washington lawmakers opt to do, they will have to reach a two-thirds majority vote to overcome a presidential veto -- forcing Republicans to find support among the Democratic opposition, a challenge in its own right. In a telephone call with Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "deep concerns" about US President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on European steel and aluminium French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday warned his US counterpart Donald Trump against forging ahead with planned tariffs on European steel and aluminium, saying it risked starting a mutually destructive "trade war". In a telephone call with Trump, the French leader expressed his "deep concerns", saying the tariffs due to come into effect in two weeks "risk triggering a trade war, in which all affected countries would be losers", Macron's office said. He also argued that "such measures against allied countries, who respect international trade rules, would not be effective in fighting unfair practises" and said the European Union would respond in a "clear and proportionate manner to all practises that are unfair or contrary to international trade rules". On Thursday, Trump defied warnings from US allies in announcing tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium. He said they would not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem has said the bloc is "counting on being excluded", but Brussels has already drawn up a list of American products to target for countermeasures if its exports are affected. Donald Trump signs tariffs on steel and aluminum imports next to industry workers at the White House on March 8, 2018 When it comes to numbers, US President Donald Trump worries little about precision. The latest example came as he announced negotiations were underway between Washington and Beijing to reduce the soaring US trade deficit with China -- with Trump misstating a central figure by 99 percent. "China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States," Trump said in a tweet on Wednesday. China in fact runs a massive trade surplus with the United States. Furthermore, $1 billion would represent only 0.3 percent of the US goods and services deficit with China in 2016. Trump should have said $100 billion. The Wall Street Journal corrected the president on Thursday in article by a Beijing correspondent, reporting that both sides had agreed on a $100 billion US deficit reduction during a recent visit to Washington by Chinese economic adviser Liu He. Trump's tweet remained uncorrected on Twitter as of midday Friday. On Thursday, as he unveiled steep new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Trump declared that the US had a trade deficit with China of "at least $500 billion," adding that if losses on intellectual property were counted, "it's much bigger than that." Wide off the mark again. In goods alone, the US trade deficit with China in 2017 was a record $375.2 billion. The $500 billion figure may represent the value of US imports from China without taking into account the value of US exports to that country. During the week, Trump's permissive attitude toward the facts also extended to the family of a steelworker invited to the White House for the tariff announcement. "Your father Herman is looking down, he's very proud of you right now," Trump said to Scott Sauritch. "Oh, he's still alive," Sauritch answered. A protester holds a copy of the Cumhuriyet daily during a demonstration against a lack of press freedom in Istanbul on September 25, 2017 An Istanbul court on Friday ordered the conditional release of two more journalists in the trial on terror-related charges of staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper. Cumhuriyet's editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu and investigative reporter Ahmet Sik were ordered to be freed from jail by the judge after a day-long hearing, an AFP reporter said. However they still remain charged and on trial. One more detained suspect, the paper's chairman Akin Atalay, was ordered to stay in jail. The three were the last remaining suspects in the case to be held behind bars ahead of a final verdict. Atalay is now the only suspect in the case still held in prison. A total of 17 staff from Cumhuriyet (Republic) face terror charges in the case, with most now free pending the conclusion of the trial after a number of conditional releases over the last year. The next hearing in the case was set for March 16. The suspects face up to 43 years in prison if convicted but it remains unclear when the final verdict will be delivered. Sabuncu and Atalay have spent the last 495 days in jail and Sik, who was detained a little after the initial wave of arrests, 434 days. Waymo CEO John Krafcik, whose firm is competing with rival Uber in development of self-driving vehicles Google-owned Waymo on Friday said that its self-driving trucks will haul cargo bound for the internet giant's data centers in Georgia. Rival Uber made a similar announcement on Tuesday, saying it is using self-driving semi trucks to augment human-driven rigs in its on-demand trucking service in the US state of Arizona. Waymo driverless trucks will go to work in the Atlanta area Monday as part of a pilot program intended to help integrate autonomous big rigs with the operations of shippers, ports, terminals, factories, and distribution centers, according to the company. "Our software is learning to drive big rigs in much the same way a human driver would after years of driving passenger cars," Waymo said in an online post. "The principles are the same, but things like braking, turning, and blind spots are different with a fully-loaded truck and trailer." Human drivers will be on board Waymo trucks to take control if needed. Waymo for years has been testing self-driving cars, racing against smartphone-summoned ride star Uber, whose trucking service uses humans to pick up cargo from Uber Freight customers and drive it in trailers to transfer hubs. There, the trailers are hitched onto self-driving trucks for long highway hauls, according to the San Francisco-based company. The self-driving vehicles head to transfer hubs close to their destinations, where the trailers are connected back onto human-steered rigs to complete their journeys. Uber has been testing self-driving truck technology since 2016, and began using autonomous rigs for hauls late last year. The company claims to have made the first commercial shipment ever by a self-driving truck when it hauled a trailer full of Budweiser beer over about 120 miles (193 kilometers) of highway in Colorado. - Paving the road - Autonomous-vehicle technology has been touted as having potential to save fuel, ease congestion, and make transportation safer. Waymo and Uber last month said they had settled a lawsuit over allegedly stolen trade secrets from the former Google self-driving car project. Waymo filed the suit last year but after four days of testimony before a federal judge, Uber agreed to a financial settlement, a source said. In September, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao released new guidelines that permit more testing of self-driving cars and address regulation between the federal government and states. She said self-driving technology could reduce accidents and improve mobility for the elderly, disabled and other restricted populations. But the non-profit Consumer Watchdog warned that roads are being turned "into private laboratories for robot cars with no regard for our safety." US states set their own rules for roads, and a handful have passed laws allowing self-driving vehicles. California and Arizona have been particularly encouraging, hoping that companies developing autonomous technology in those states will create local jobs and facilities devoted to a promising new industry. US President Donald Trump will travel to Peru next month to attend the Summit of the Americas Donald Trump will make his Latin America debut next month, visiting Peru and Colombia after harsh rhetoric towards Hispanic migrants and neighbors to the south. Trump will travel to Peru to attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima on April 13-14, a gathering of leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. From there he will visit Colombia, White House officials told AFP. The announcement ends speculation that Trump may skip the summit entirely. He is the first president since Bill Clinton not to have visited Latin America during his first year in office. As recently as this week -- after Trump spoke to the summit host, Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski -- the White House refused to say whether Trump would attend. When Trump travels south he is likely to encounter protests and perhaps a hesitant welcome from fellow heads of state and government. Trump has long courted controversy in the region. His election campaign was marked by accusations of Mexicans sending "rapists" over the border.] He suggested Colombia was not doing enough to stop cocaine coming to the United States, has promised to build a wall on the US border with Mexico and threatened to tear up a trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Argentina and Brazil also face the prospect of punitive tariffs on steel exports after Trump's controversial announcement on Thursday. On Friday, Trump spoke by phone with old business acquaintance, Argentine President Mauricio Macri -- whose office said he had urged the US president to exempt his country from the tariffs. The first Summit of the Americas took place in Miami in 1994, and it has long been a forum for the United States to influence events across the region. Then president Barack Obama used the last summit, in 2015 in Panama, to meet Cuban leader Raul Castro for the first time and to try to isolate the Venezuelan regime. Venezuela will likely be a hot topic again this time round. President Nicolas Maduro vowed last month to attend the meeting despite the hosts saying he is unwelcome. "Are they are afraid of me? They don't want to see me in Lima? They're going to see me, come rain, thunder or lightning!" a defiant Maduro told a press conference in Caracas. The leftist Venezuelan president vowed to get to the summit venue in Lima "by air, land or sea!" Maduro is seeking a second six-year term despite the oil-rich country's widespread economic woes. He has barred leading opponents from standing. The International Monetary Fund projects Venezuelan inflation will climb to 13,000 percent this year, along with chronic shortages of basic foods and medicine. Trump and Maduro's attendance now sets up the prospect of an awkward interaction between the pair. During Trump's call with Macri, according to the White House, the pair "underscored the need for countries in the region to work together to bring democracy back to the great people of Venezuela." A steelworker checks the temperature of molten metal in a furnace at the TMK Ipsco Koppel plant in Koppel, Pennsylvania US lawmakers, industry leaders and foreign governments have decried President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. But the controversial measures have been met with a far different reaction in and around Steel City. Workers and companies in the Pittsburgh area, the industrial engine of western Pennsylvania that used to produce much of the world's steel, said Friday they were solidly behind the move. Trump's announcement is not a protectionist measure but a nod to America's workers and a restoration of fairness that has been absent for decades, they argue. "The steelworkers have never asked for special treatment, all we asked is for a level playing field," Bobby "Mac" McAuliffe, who heads the United Steelworkers union District 10 in Pennsylvania, told AFP. "And those countries that cheat should pay the price through the increase in tariffs." The Pittsburgh-based union, which represents some 850,000 workers in North America, is a powerful voice in an industry that has been crippled by cheap imports. A furnace heats steel at the TMK Ipsco Koppel plant in Koppel, Pennsylvania Labor representatives of industry titans like US Steel lined up behind Trump in the Oval Office Thursday as he announced the tariffs, which drew immediate condemnation from congressional leaders in his own party as well as trade organizations that expressed concern over how the move would impact other industries, and potentially millions of workers. For steel, it marked yet another step in what one executive called "an enormous comeback" for the industry. "The overall effect is positive," Piotr Galitzine, chief executive of TMK IPSCO, a global leader in producing oil and gas pipes, said in an interview. - 'Lose a little, gain a lot' - For Russia-based parent company TMK, the tariffs hit in both directions. "We stand to lose a little on the import side, but gain a lot more on the domestic side," he said. US President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on steel and aluminum imports TMK-IPSCO operates 10 US facilities with 2,000 US-based employees, and "they're delighted" with the tariffs, Galitzine said. "It's no secret a lot of blue collar voters voted for Trump on the strength of his promise to bring back jobs" after seeing manufacturing positions exported over the last 40 years, he added. At the company's Koppel plant, tons of scrap metal is melted down in an electric arc furnace that reaches temperatures above 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,650 Celsius). It is turned into seamless pipe in a facility in nearby Ambridge. Talk in Koppel was less about the political or trade ramifications of the tariffs -- and the possible trade war that might erupt as a result -- than the optimism for the local plant and the industry in general. "We anticipate a very, very strong year this year," general manager Reagan Kinser said. Mike Sabat, president of local United Steelworkers union 9305 and a maintenance employee at Ambridge, said workers saw Trump's move as "favorable" to the US industry. "They feel it's going to create jobs," he said. Not everyone agrees. The president's move will spark "swift and highly targeted" retaliation from abroad, with countervailing tariffs on US exports, said Christopher Plummer, president of Metal Strategies, a consulting firm that analyzes the industy. Prices will also rise on some goods that use aluminum, like cars and canned beer. "The question is whether it causes much pain," Plummer said. The steel industry overall has recovered to a healthy degree from the collapse of oil prices in 2014, Plummer noted. But Pittsburgh, perfectly positioned near highly prized coal and metal sources and at the confluence of three rivers, has been shifting away from heavy industry for years, said Chris Briem, a regional economist at the University of Pittsburgh. Molten metal runs on the ground at the TMK Ipsco Koppel plant in Koppel, Pennsylvania And metal works have moved on to more profitable locations and more flexible, economic and mobile technology. In the 1950s, when Pittsburgh's steel industry was the most competitive and biggest in the world, the region hosted more than 100,000 jobs in iron and steel mills. That number has shriveled to just 5,000 today, as dramatic improvements in productivity and shifts in technology have changed the industry forever, according to Briem. "You're not going to rebuild heavy industry in western Pennsylvania, with the tariffs or without," he said. "There's no steel mill here waiting to restart." HATZOR AIR BASE, Israel (AP) - If war breaks out in the Middle East, U.S. and Israeli forces are preparing to one day fight alongside one another to defend Israel against missile attacks from across the region. Nearly 5,000 Israeli and American troops have been training together in Israel for that very scenario. The "Juniper Cobra" exercise includes field training, computer simulations and live-fire drills of sophisticated missile-defense systems. "We will practice, train shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in crisis times," Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, chief of Israel's air defense command, told reporters at a briefing at the dusty Hatzor air base in southern Israel. Israel has made missile defense a priority since Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bombarded the country with 39 Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War. Today, the threat is far more formidable. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is now believed to possess well over 100,000 rockets and missiles capable of striking virtually anywhere in Israel. Hezbollah and Iranian forces are also active in neighboring Syria, backing President Bashar Assad. Gaza's Hamas rulers have a vast arsenal of rockets, and Iran has developed long-range missiles that can reach Israel. These threats are concrete. Hezbollah rained some 4,000 rockets into Israel during a monthlong war in 2006, while Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza have fired thousands of rockets into Israel from the south. Last month, Israel intercepted an Iranian drone launched from Syria during a clash that caused an Israeli F-16 warplane to crash, and Israel shot down a Syrian anti-aircraft missile last year. Haimovich said Juniper Cobra is not aimed at any particular adversary. Instead, it is meant to simulate "very complex scenarios" that include simultaneous attacks from enemy countries and militant groups. "We practice that because this is a real scenario," he said. He said the threats include multiple salvos, more accurate rockets and missiles and a "multidirectional threat." "Those are our main assumptions," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's from south, north, east or others." Israel, in cooperation with the U.S., has developed a multilayer system of missile defense. This includes the "Arrow" system, which can intercept long-range missiles before they enter the atmosphere, the "David's Sling" system for medium-range threats and the "Iron Dome," which has been successful at intercepting short-range rocket fire. Israel also uses the American-made "Patriot" system. While Israel takes pride in its ability to defend itself, Haimovich said the cooperation with the Americans provides additional depth to its "tool box." About 2,500 American forces are participating in the drill, which began on March 4 and will run through the end of the month. Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, commander of the U.S. troops, said American forces are ready to deploy in Israel at Israel's request. Once Israel gives the green light, he said American forces could start moving from Europe within two or three days. Juniper Cobra has taken place every two years since 2001, adjusting each time to cope with ever-shifting battlefield. With literally "thousands of threats" to prepare for, Clark said the drill is an opportunity for the two allies to improve communication and coordination. "The ballistic missile defense mission is a very difficult one, very technical one, and it requires precise integrated effort to make it work, and that's what we're developing here," he said. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi man accused of killing eight people, including relatives, acquaintances and a deputy sheriff, was indicted Thursday. Willie Cory Godbolt, 35, of Bogue Chitto, was indicted on four counts of capital murder, which could carry the death penalty; four counts of murder and one of attempted murder, each of which is punishable by up to life in prison; two counts of kidnapping; and one count of armed robbery. Godbolt's defense attorney did not immediately return calls Thursday to The Associated Press. Godbolt is scheduled to appear in court Monday to answer the charges. Godbolt has been jailed without bond since his arrest May 28, hours after the killings in and around the south Mississippi city of Brookhaven, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Jackson. Deputy William Durr responded to a disturbance call May 27 at the home of Godbolt's in-laws in the Brookhaven suburb of Bogue Chitto. Durr, who was 36, was killed there, along with Godbolt's mother-in-law Barbara Mitchell, 55; Mitchell's sister, Brenda May, 53; and May's daughter, Tocarra May, 35. Two cousins - 11-year-old Austin Edwards and 18-year-old Jordan Blackwell - were killed at a second home. A husband and wife, Ferral Burage, 45, and Shelia Burage, 46, were killed at a third home. Moments after he was arrested, a handcuffed Godbolt told a reporter from The Clarion-Ledger, on video, that someone in the first house called law enforcement while he was talking to his wife and in-laws about his wish to take his children home. "My pain wasn't designed for him. He was just there," Godbolt said of the deputy. Mississippi law defines capital murder as a killing committed along with another felony, such as burglary. People can also be charged with capital murder in the killing of a law enforcement officer. One of the capital murder charges against Godbolt was in the killing of Durr. Three were in killings committed at the same time as alleged burglaries of two of the homes. WASHINGTON (AP) - The first inkling that something big was afoot on North Korea came from President Donald Trump himself: He popped his head into the White House briefing room late Thursday afternoon to tease a "major statement" coming soon - from South Korean officials. Then ABC reporter Jon Karl ran into Trump in a West Wing hallway and the president let out a little more string. Asked if the announcement was about talks with North Korea, Trump offered: "It's almost beyond that. Hopefully, you will give me credit." Within hours came the remarkable news that after years of brinksmanship and threats of mutual obliteration, Trump had agreed to sit down with North Korea's Kim Jong Un - a man he's long derided as "Little Rocket Man." South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2018, as intelligence chief Suh Hoon, left and Cho Yoon-je, the South Korea ambassador to United States listen. President Donald Trump has accepted an offer of a summit from the North Korean leader and will meet with Kim Jong Un by May, a top South Korean official said in a remarkable turnaround in relations between two historic adversaries (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Instead of a televised addressed to the nation or a press conference in the stately East Room, the news ultimately was delivered by a South Korean national security official standing on the White House driveway. In the dark. Chung Eui-yong read his roughly two-minute, history-making statement to cameras and shivering reporters gathered in a cluster. Trump's earlier teaser in the briefing room - his first known visit there - sent reporters who'd missed the presidential pop-in frantically rushing to find out what he'd said as White House officials scrambled to figure out just where the announcement would occur. Initial plans for a briefing room announcement with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders were scuttled in favor of the driveway. Several Pentagon officials said shortly before the announcement that they had no knowledge of what the South Koreans planned to announce. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, traveling in Africa, just hours before said the U.S. was "a long ways" from direct talks. Word was already out that the South Korean delegation that had just returned from Pyongyang had spent the day briefing White House officials on their conversations. And the delegates had already made public much of what they'd learned. Some outlets soon reported that Chung had delivered a message from Kim requesting a one-on-one meeting with Trump. But no one was prepared for what would come next. In his driveway statement, Chung delivered the headline: Trump had accepted Kim's invitation to meet by the end of May. Almost a half-hour after that news broke, the White House weighed in with a statement from Sanders confirming that Trump had indeed accepted the invitation and the two leaders would meet "at a place and time to be determined." Trump wrapped up the day's chaotic events with, what else, a tweet: "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" __ Associated Press writers Ken Thomas and Zeke Miller in Washington and Josh Lederman in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed to this report. KAPLAN, La. (AP) - Louisiana's attorney general is accusing a local school board of stifling public debate at a meeting in January disrupted by the video-recorded arrest of a teacher being roughly handcuffed on a hallway floor. Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit accusing the Vermilion Parish School Board of violating the state's Open Meetings Law at its Jan. 8 meeting in which a teacher criticized a district superintendent's pay raise. Middle school English teacher Deyshia Hargrave, whose arrest sparked outrage after video of it spread online, said the suit is good news for "anyone who speaks at public meetings." FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, file image made from a video provided by KATC-TV middle-school English teacher Deyshia Hargrave is handcuffed by a city marshal after complying with a marshal's orders to leave a Vermilion Parish School Board meeting in Abbeville, La., west of New Orleans. Louisiana's attorney general sued a local school board Thursday, March 8, 2018, over a meeting disrupted by the video-recorded arrest of Hargrave being roughly handcuffed on a hallway floor after she criticized the district superintendent's pay raise. Attorney General Jeff Landry's lawsuit accuses the Vermilion Parish School Board and its members of violating the state's Open Meetings Law by stifling public debate at the Jan. 8 meeting. (KATC-TV via AP, File) "It has been the most stressful two months of thinking that nothing was going to happen and that all this happened for nothing - and something has happened," Hargrave told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday outside the Kaplan school where she works. The suit asks a state court to nullify all actions taken by the board during that meeting, including its vote to raise Schools Superintendent Jerome Puyau's salary by roughly $30,000. It also seeks civil penalties against any board members found responsible for violating the Open Meetings Law and says the school system should be reimbursed for any extra money the superintendent received under his raise. "Every community has a stake in the performance and the governance of its public schools, and the community's views and thoughts should be taken into account before any action or discussion on an agenda item occurs," the suit says. Hargrave has said the incident violated her First Amendment right to free speech. "It's been proven that there is a law that was broken, or they're going to at least look into it. And that's the very least that should be happening at this point," she said Thursday. Landry's suit says the school board conducted the meeting "in an atmosphere that was hostile toward and contemptuous of" parish residents who attended it. Video of the meeting shows Hargrave addressing the superintendent directly, asking him how he could accept a raise when teachers haven't received a pay increase in 10 years. Anthony Fontana, the school board's president at the time, then banged his gavel, told her to stop and said her comment wasn't "germane" to the vote on the contract. Hargrave countered that she was directly addressing the matter. At that point, according to school board member Kibbie Pillette, Fontana beckoned Deputy City Marshal Reggie Hilts, who interrupted Hargrave while she was speaking and ordered her out. "I'm going," she said, making her way out. The officer followed her into the hallway, where a camera recorded her on the floor with her hands behind her back as the officer handcuffed her. "Stop resisting," the officer said, lifting Hargrave to her feet. "I am not. You just pushed me to the floor," Hargrave said. Hargrave was arrested on charges of "remaining after being forbidden" and resisting an officer. Ike Funderburk, the prosecutor and city attorney in Abbeville, decided in January not to pursue any criminal charges against her. The teacher told the AP in January that she blamed Fontana for the incident. Fontana, who served six terms on the board, announced his resignation less than two weeks after the Jan. 8 meeting. He had announced last year that he wouldn't run for re-election. The board voted 5-3 to approve a new three-year contract raising Puyau's salary to about $140,000 annually, with incentive targets that could add 3 percent a year. Puyau has said the raise matches what school officials in similar jobs make. Puyau, who also is named as a defendant in Landry's lawsuit, said he couldn't comment on its allegations because of an ongoing Louisiana State Police investigation of the incident. Pillette, who voted against the superintendent's pay raise, said he applauds Landry for filing the suit even though it names him as one of the defendants. "It's about time somebody gives us some help," he said. "We have sent (Landry's office) tons of information about the wrongdoings of the Vermilion Parish School Board." Several other board members either declined to comment or didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the suit. The superintendent has said he began receiving hate mail and threatening phone calls as the video spread on the internet. He told the AP in January that he wasn't happy with how things played out. "It was not good in any way," Puyau said. "We are a good community. It took everybody by surprise. I'm having a hard time with this, but we care about our teachers and our support staff." Vermilion Parish is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) west of New Orleans. ____ Kunzelman reported from Baton Rouge. Associated Press writer Kevin McGill contributed to this report from New Orleans. BANGKOK (AP) - A community leader said Friday that the bodies of two civilians last seen in the custody of Myanmar soldiers have been found in a shallow grave in Kachin State, where fighting between government forces and an ethnic armed group is ongoing. Community leader Naw Mai said the two ethnic Kachin men lived in a refugee camp in Mai Hkawng village and were taken away by soldiers on Jan. 31 while working on a nearby farm. The bodies of Hpaugan Yaw, 65, and Nhkum Naw San, 35, were found Thursday. "We uncovered the bodies near the farm where they went missing as we suspected they might have been killed," Naw Mai said. Rights groups and the victims' families are demanding an investigation. Kachin state police officer Myo Thura Naung said Friday that they had yet to be informed about the incident. "I want an investigation and justice for my brother," said Nhkum Ji Pa, a relative of Nhkum Naw San. Kachin state is where government forces have been fighting an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy for the Kachin people. The fighting has driven more than 100,000 people into refugee camps across the region. Myanmar army's has long been accused of extrajudicial killing, torture, forced labor, rape and other abuses against ethnic minority groups. Last year, three Kachin men from the same refugee camp were found dead after being held by the army. The seizure of civilians in ethnic minority regions by Myanmar's army is not unusual. Rights groups say they are usually taken by troops who accuse them of having connections to armed rebel groups. "The abduction and killing of civilians by the army has been going on for a long time and there are other civilians who were seized by the army and never returned back home," said Khon Ja of the Kachin Peace Network, a local organization that documents rights abuses. Fortify Rights, a Southeast Asia-focused human rights group, said Friday that the two men were last seen in custody of soldiers, bound and, in the case of Nhkum Naw San, badly beaten. The group said the military has since refused to allow search parties to have access to the area where the men were last seen and has also imposed a curfew in the area. "Myanmar authorities must investigative the killings of these men, and hold perpetrators to account," said David Baulk, a Myanmar specialist with Fortify Rights. WASHINGTON (AP) - As he blitzed through the industrial Midwest as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump pitched himself as the savior of the "forgotten" men and women in communities where factories had been shuttered and jobs were moved overseas. Now, Trump is risking a trade war to fulfill a political promise to the voters who helped put him in the White House. His decision to levy stiff new tariffs on aluminum and steel imports puts him at odds with most of the Republican Party, prominent business groups and even some of his own advisers, who warn that the decision could backfire and slow economic growth in a midterm election year. According to economic analysts, some of the communities that would be hardest hit by a trade standoff could be the same ones the president says he's aiming to help. President Donald Trump reaches out to shake the hand of Dusty Stevens, a superintendent at Century Aluminum Potline, during an event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2018. Trump signed two proclamations, one on steel imports and the other on aluminum imports. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) Yet those arguments had little resonance with Trump during the fiery battle over tariffs that has played out in the West Wing in recent days. Having overcome the opposition, Trump relished Thursday's signing ceremony, where he was flanked by steelworkers - some carrying their hard hats - who lavished praise on his decision. "I'm delivering on a promise I made during the campaign," Trump said. Gesturing to the workers, Trump said part of the reason he's in the White House was "because of you and my message having to do with you." Notably, no Republican lawmakers attended the White House event. Current and former White House officials often describe the president as being preoccupied with keeping campaign promises to his loyal supporters, even if those decisions are unpopular with a broader swath of Americans. In public and in private, Trump still speaks frequently of his victories 16 months ago in Democratic-leaning states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where working-class white voters helped propel him to victory. He'll likely need to carry those states again if he hopes to win re-election in 2020. In Pennsylvania, both the Republican and Democratic candidate running in next week's House special election endorsed the broad outlines of the president's approach on tariffs during a recent debate. Trump plans to campaign for Republican Rick Saccone on Saturday. However, most GOP lawmakers have balked at Trump's approach, which includes exemptions for Mexico and Canada and the opportunity for other countries to appeal for a similar reprieve. And like the president, Republicans are making political calculations in doing so. Having made little progress in Congress on several GOP priorities, Republican candidates have been banking on a strong economy and the growing popularity of the party's tax overhaul to combat a Democratic electorate energized by its disdain for Trump. But lawmakers fear a trade war could wipe away economic gains and leave them on shaky ground with voters in November. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin called the tariffs "a very risky action" that could put agricultural and manufacturing jobs in his state and across the country at risk. "I'm not sure there are any winners in trade wars," said Johnson, who ran a plastics manufacturing business in Wisconsin before being elected to the Senate. "There may be people who lose less." House Speaker Paul Ryan, who is also from Wisconsin, issued a rare statement publicly breaking with the president. "I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences," he said. Even before entering politics, Trump the businessman and real estate developer railed against what he viewed as unfair trade practices that left the U.S. economy and American workers vulnerable. Those viewpoints became the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, and he vowed to not only slap tougher tariffs on exports, but also withdraw the United States from multilateral free trade agreements with allies in Asia and North America. Hours before the president signed an executive order implementing the new tariffs, trade ministers from 11 Pacific Rim countries signed a sweeping free trade agreement the U.S. had been part of until Trump withdrew last year. The agreement was negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama's administration, but had broad support from GOP leaders who have long backed multilateral free trade pacts. Economic analysts warn that a trade dispute sparked by the tariffs could damage communities that backed the president in 2016. An analysis by Brookings Institution last year showed that areas that voted for Trump are more dependent on exports, which foreign countries could target in retaliation. Exports account for more than half of the local economy in Columbus, Indiana, and 25 percent of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin's economy. The economic data mattered little Thursday to Dustin Stevens, a superintendent at Century Aluminum Potline in Hawesville, Kentucky, who attended the White House event. "My father worked in the industry, and worked at that plant for 40 years," Stevens said. "So this hits home for all of us." ___ Associated Press writers Josh Boak in Washington and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report. __ Editor's Note: Julie Pace has covered the White House and politics for the AP since 2007. Follow her at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC Vice President Mike Pence, right, listens as President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2018, during an event where Trump signed two proclamations, one on steel imports and the other on aluminum imports. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) TOKYO (AP) - A Japanese court on Friday sentenced a Peruvian man to hang for killing six people over several days in 2015 near Tokyo. The Saitama District Court convicted 32-year-old Jonathan Nakada of the murders committed in Kumagaya, north of Tokyo. Kyodo News agency reported he was also found guilty of related robbery charges. Nakada broke into three homes over three days in September 2015, killing a couple in the 50s in one house and an 84-year-old woman in another. Police arrested Nakada at the final home where he killed a 41-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged 7 and 10. During his arrest Nakada slashed himself several times in the arm, crossed his chest and then threw himself off the house's second-story. The court dismissed his lawyers' argument he was mentally ill and should be acquitted. Judge Naoto Sasaki said investigators showed Nakada's intention was robbery-murder and that he was fully aware of the consequences. BERLIN (AP) - Germany's center-left Social Democrats party is proposing a mix of veterans and newcomers for ministerial posts in the country's next government. The party's membership on Sunday approved continuing the current "grand coalition" with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Union bloc until 2021. Party leaders confirmed Friday that Justice Minister Heiko Maas will move to the Foreign Ministry and acting Labor Minister Katarina Barley will get the justice portfolio. FILE In this March 7, 2018 file photo justice Minister Heiko Maas attends the cabinet meeting in Berlin. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel tweeted Thursday March 8, 2018 that he will not be a part of the next government. Later on Thursday, the German news agency dpa reported that the current justice minister, Heiko Maas, will become the country's next foreign minister. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP) Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz, a member of the federal government from 2007-2009, will control Germany's powerful Finance Ministry. Franziska Giffey, currently mayor of Berlin's Neukoelln district, becomes families minister. Former party general secretary Hubert Heil gets the labor portfolio. A regional official from western Germany, Svenja Schulze, will lead the environment ministry. Merkel and her ministers will be sworn in Wednesday. TOKYO (AP) - President Donald Trump could become the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea if plans for a summit with Kim Jong Un hold. But other prominent American political figures have visited Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, in the past, many with a similar goal of trying to stop its nuclear program. CARTER'S HISTORIC FIRST Jimmy Carter made history as the first former U.S. president to visit North Korea in June 1994. Carter's unofficial four-day visit included a meeting with then-North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un. His intervention headed off a potential conflict and helped seal an aid-for-disarmament agreement that lasted nearly a decade. FILE - In this Aug. 27, 2010 file photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center left, poses with American Aijalon Gomes, center right, at Pyongyang airport, North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump could become the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea if plans for a summit with Kim Jong Un hold. But other prominent American political figures have visited Pyongyang in the past, many with a similar goal of trying to stop its nuclear program. Carter returned in August 2010 to bring home a jailed Bostonian, Aijalon Gomes, who had entered the communist country illegally from China. He had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor in prison. In April 2011, Carter arrived in Pyongyang again, this time with other former world leaders to discuss a food shortage in the country and to try to restart talks to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Yao Ximeng) ___ THAWING TENSION Madeleine Albright is the highest-level U.S. official to visit North Korea while in office. As secretary of state, she met in October 2000 with leader Kim Jong Il, the father of the current leader. They discussed topics from missiles and terrorism to human rights. Albright's visit pushed U.S.-North Korea relations in a positive direction. ___ CLINTON'S SURPRISE On August 4, 2009, former President Bill Clinton arrived unannounced in North Korea on a mission to free two detained American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. His visit came at a time when tensions were high over North Korea's nuclear program. Then-leader Kim Jong Il granted a "special pardon," freeing the two jailed journalists after he and Clinton held talks. ___ CARTER RETURNS - TWICE Carter returned in August 2010 to bring home a jailed Bostonian, Aijalon Gomes, who had entered the communist country illegally from China. He had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor in prison. In April 2011, Carter arrived in Pyongyang again, this time with other former world leaders to discuss a food shortage in the country and to try to restart talks to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. ___ OTTO WARMBIER Most recently, Joseph Yun, then the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, traveled to North Korea in June 2017 to try to bring home an imprisoned American college student, Otto Warmbier. Yun was able to secure Warmbier's release, but he was comatose and died shortly after his return to America. FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2000, file photo, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, left, walk towards a conference room at the Pae Kha Hawon Guest House in Pyongyang, North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump could become the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea if plans for a summit with Kim Jong Un hold. But other prominent American political figures have visited Pyongyang in the past, many with a similar goal of trying to stop its nuclear program. Albright is the highest-level U.S. official to visit North Korea while in office. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, Pool, File) FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2000, file photo, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, left, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the Pae Kha Hawon Guest House in Pyongyang. U.S. President Donald Trump could become the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea if plans for a summit with Kim Jong Un hold. But other prominent American political figures have visited Pyongyang in the past, many with a similar goal of trying to stop its nuclear program. Albright is the highest-level U.S. official to visit North Korea while in office (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, Pool, File) FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2009, file photo released by Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service in Tokyo, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, seated left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, seated right, in Pyongyang, North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump could become the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea if plans for a summit with Kim Jong Un hold. But other prominent American political figures have visited Pyongyang in the past, many with a similar goal of trying to stop its nuclear program. On August 4, 2009, former President Bill Clinton arrived unannounced in North Korea on a mission to free two detained American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File) LONDON (AP) - British police asked the military on Friday to help investigate the nerve-agent poisoning of a former spy, as investigators' attention increasingly focused on the victim's house in a quiet suburban street. Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister said his country might be willing to help with this investigation, but expressed resentment at suggestions Moscow was behind the attack on Sergei Skripal. The ex-agent was found unconscious on a bench in the English city of Salisbury on Sunday alongside his daughter Yulia. The pair are in a critical condition in a local hospital. A police officer who helped investigate is in serious condition, and a total of 21 people have received medical treatment. Britain's Home Secretary Amber Rudd talks with Wiltshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Kier Pritchard during a visit to the scene at the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent, Friday March 9, 2018. Three people remain hospitalized Friday after the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and British police officer Nick Bailey who tried to help them.(Andrew Matthews/PA via AP) Counterterrorism detectives have called in military help "to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene" of the attack, the Metropolitan Police force said. About 180 soldiers, marines and air force personnel have been called in because "they have the necessary capability and expertise," police said. They said health advice remains the same - that there is no broader risk to the public. Detectives are retracing the movements of Sergei and Yulia Skripal as they try to discover how the toxin was administered and where it was manufactured. British authorities have not disclosed what nerve agent was involved. Police have cordoned off sites including Skripal's house, a car, the cemetery where his wife is buried, a restaurant and a pub. Former London police chief Ian Blair said Friday that a police officer who is in serious condition visited Skripal's house - perhaps a hint that the nerve agent may have been delivered there. Blair told BBC radio that Det. Sgt. Nick Bailey "has actually been to the house, whereas there is a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasn't been affected at all. There may be some clues floating around in here." Highly toxic and banned in almost all countries, nerve agents require expertise to manufacture - leading some to suspect whoever poisoned Skripal had the backing of a state. "A well-equipped lab and a very experienced analytical chemist can do it, but it's not the sort of thing a chancer doing kitchen-sink chemistry can get away with," said chemical weapons expert Richard Guthrie. Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, was convicted in his home country in 2006 of spying for Britain and released in 2010 as part of a spy swap. He had been living quietly in Salisbury, a cathedral city 90 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of London. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was "ready to consider" lending a hand, "whether it's poisoning of some British subjects, whether it's rumors about interference in the U.S. election campaign." "But in order to conduct such cases, it is necessary not to immediately run out on TV screens with unfounded allegations," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency Tass in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The U.K. has vowed to take strong action against whoever was responsible for the "brazen and reckless" attack. British authorities say it's too soon to lay blame, but suspicions have fallen on Russia. Those branded enemies of the Russian state have sometimes died mysteriously abroad, and the Skripal case echoes the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian agent who was poisoned in London in 2006 with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry found that Russia was responsible for Litvinenko's killing, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved it. Blair, the former London police chief, called for a review of the deaths of 14 Russians in the U.K. amid suggestions they were targeted by the Russian state. Blair, who led the London force when Litvinenko was fatally poisoned, told the BBC it is important to find out "whether there is some pattern here." A BuzzFeed News investigation claimed U.S. spy agencies have linked 14 deaths to Russia, but U.K. police shut down the cases. Russian media have mocked suggestions of Moscow involvement in the Skripal attack - but also noted that those who betray Russia seem to come to a bad end. One anchorman on a Russian state television news show began a report on Skripal's poisoning with a warning to anyone considering becoming a double agent. Channel One anchorman Kirill Kleimenov said in the Wednesday broadcast that he didn't wish death or suffering on anyone but wanted those "who dream of such a career" to know that traitors rarely live long. "Alcoholism, drug addiction, stress and depression are inevitable professional illnesses of a traitor, resulting in heart attacks and even suicide," Kleimenov said. __ Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this story. Personnel in hazmat suits walk away after securing the covering on a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, England on Thursday March 8, 2018, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent on Sunday. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP) Home Secretary Amber Rudd, right, with Wiltshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, centre, and MP for Salisbury and South Wiltshire John Glen, during a visit to the scene at the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent, Friday March 9, 2018. Three people remain hospitalized Friday after the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and British police officer Nick Bailey who tried to help them.(Andrew Matthews/PA via AP) A plan to end constitutional limits on Xi Jinping's term as China's president overshadowed this week's meeting of the country's ceremonial legislature. The annual session of the National People's Congress usually is used to showcase economic initiatives and plans for social programs and other government work. In other images from the Asia-Pacific region this week, millions of faces were smeared red and green, yellow and purple as India and Nepal celebrated the annual Hindu festival of Holi. The festival is a celebration of warm weather, good harvests and the defeat of evil. A volcano in southern Japan that appeared in a James Bond film had its biggest eruption in years, shooting smoke and ash thousands of meters (feet) into the sky and grounding dozens of flights at a nearby airport. In this Saturday, March 3, 2018, file photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, and delegates attend the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File) ___ This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Masayo Yoshida in Tokyo. ___ Visit the AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com Visit AP Images online: http://www.apimages.com In this Monday, March 5, 2018, file photo, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wipes his face as he delivers a work report at the opening session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) In this Monday, March 5, 2018, file photo, hospitality staff members pose for a selfie during the opening session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China's government pledged Monday to deliver robust growth, pursue advanced technology and boost military spending while urging the public to embrace President Xi Jinping's rule as its ceremonial legislature prepared for changes to allow him to stay in power indefinitely. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) In this Saturday, March 3, 2018, file photo, Indian Hindu devotees cheer as colored water is sprayed on them by a Hindu priest during a Holi celebration at the Swaminarayan temple in Ahmadabad, India. The festival, a celebration of warm weather, good harvests and the defeat of evil, brings out millions of people, from toddlers to the elderly, to throw powder at one another and play with water balloons and squirt guns. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File) In this Tuesday, March 6, 2018, file photo, A column of volcanic smoke rises from the crater on the Shinmoedake volcano after its eruption in Kirishima, southern Japan. The volcano erupted violently several times Tuesday, shooting up ash and smoke up to 2,300 meters (7,500 feet) in its biggest explosion since 2011, the Meteorological Agency said. (Kyodo News via AP, File) In this Saturday, March 3, 2018, file photo, relative of passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have a moment of silence during the Day of Remembrance for MH370 event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The remembrance event marked the fourth anniversary of the jet's March 8, 2014, disappearance. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File) In this Wednesday, Mar 7, 2018, file photo, an elderly Indian woman takes rest at her makeshift hut at a garbage dumping site in Gauhati, India. International Women's Day will be marked on Thursday. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File) In this Tuesday, March 6, 2018, file photo, Kobe Steel President and CEO Hiroya Kawasaki reacts as he listens to a reporter's question during a press conference in Tokyo. Kawasaki is stepping down over a scandal that surfaced last year involving massive falsification of inspections data of the company's products. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) In this Monday, March 5, 2018, file photo, people stand against Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor which is covered in heavy fog. Fog blanketing Hong Kong is common in springtime and may greatly affect shipping and aviation. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File) In this Wednesday, March 7, 2018, file photo, a woman is silhouetted during her morning exercising at the Tonle Sap river bank in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File) In this Wednesday, March 7, 2018, file photo, Shinto female attendants come out of the shrine past votive paper lanterns at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo. Kanda Myojin is the home shrine of the Kanda Festival, one of Tokyo's top Shinto festivals. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) In this Sunday, March 4, 2018, file image made from video, an adult male orangutan smokes a cigarette in its enclosure at Bandung Zoo in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The zoo infamous for mistreatment of animals is being slammed again by activists after a video emerged of one of its orangutans smoking. (AP Photo) A look at what's ahead in a landmark Trump-Kim summit SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - After a year of threats and diatribes, U.S. President Donald Trump and third-generation North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have agreed to meet face-to-face for talks about the North's nuclear program. It remains to be seen whether a summit, if it takes place, could lead to any meaningful breakthrough after an unusually provocative year. North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear weapon to date and test-launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles theoretically capable of striking the U.S. mainland. Will there be a breakthrough? Failure? Or merely the start of another long and difficult process meant to remove the North's nuclear capabilities? Here's a look at what may lie ahead and the challenges that remain: ___ ___ Gunman takes hostages at veterans home, won't answer police YOUNTVILLE, Calif. (AP) - A gunman slipped into an employee going-away party at the largest veterans home in the United States and took three people hostage Friday morning in a shootout and standoff that has kept the sprawling California grounds locked down for hours, authorities and family members said. Nearly eight hours after the standoff began at about 10:30 a.m., authorities said they still didn't know what was going on inside the room where the gunman and the hostages were. California Highway Patrol Sgt. Robert Nacke told reporters Friday evening that the conditions of the hostages were not known and that negotiators had not been able to reach the gunman by phone after trying for several hours. Nacke said the situation remained "dynamic and active" during the brief news conference and that police tactical teams were deciding how to proceed. Authorities said they know who the gunman is but didn't reveal his identity or know the motive for the attack at the state-run Veterans Home of California-Yountville, in one of Napa Valley's most upscale towns in the heart of wine country. ___ Trump getting Washington military parade _ but no tanks WASHINGTON (AP) - It looks like President Donald Trump is getting the military parade he wants in Washington - though he may get no tanks for the effort. A Pentagon planning memo issued Thursday and released Friday says the parade being planned for Nov. 11, Veterans Day, will "include wheeled vehicles only, no tanks - consideration must be given to minimize damage to local infrastructure." Big, heavy tanks could tear up District of Columbia streets. But the event will "include a heavy air component at the end of the parade," meaning lots of airplane flyovers. Older aircraft will be included as available. The memo from the office of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis offers initial planning guidance to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whose staff will plan the parade along a route from the White House to the Capitol, and integrate it with the city's annual veterans' parade. Northern Command, which oversees U.S. troops in North America, will execute the parade. Trump decided he wanted a military parade in Washington after he attended France's Bastille Day celebration in the center of Paris last July. As the invited guest of French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump watched enthusiastically from a reviewing stand as the French military showcased its tanks and fighter jets, including many U.S.-made planes, along the famed Champs-Elysees. ___ Slow recovery from latest nor'easter; 3rd storm on tap? BOSTON (AP) - The sun came out across much of the Northeast on Friday as utilities tackled the arduous task of restoring power to hundreds of thousands of customers who lost electricity during the storm that hit the region this week, all with the possibility of a third nor'easter in the offing. Utilities asked for patience, warning that because of the damage caused by the storm that dropped 2 feet of snow in some areas, pulling down trees, branches and power lines and blocking roads, it could be days before power is back on. "We are making steady progress but realize if your power is out, those milestones don't mean anything to you. We completely get that," said Christine Milligan, a spokesman for utility National Grid in Massachusetts. Power crews were working to restore electricity to more than 200,000 customers in Northeast on Friday night. New Jersey and Massachusetts had the most outages, according to the poweroutage.us website, which compiles statistics from utilities across the nation. Utility PSE&G in New Jersey said it had workers from as far away as Indiana helping local crews repair damaged lines and reset utility poles. Nearly 600 additional tree trimmers also were clearing branches and debris. It expected most customers to have their power restored by Saturday. ___ Soon after governor signs gun bill, NRA sues to block it TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Weeks after their children were gunned down in the worst high school shooting since Columbine, parents of the victims stood in the Florida Capitol and watched Gov. Rick Scott sign a far-reaching bill that places new restrictions on guns. Hours later, the National Rifle Association filed a federal lawsuit to block it. The new law capped an extraordinary three weeks of lobbying after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with student survivors and grieving families working to persuade a Republican-run state government that had shunned gun control measures. Surrounded by family members of the 17 people killed in the Valentine's Day shooting, the GOP governor said the bill balances "our individual rights with need for public safety." "It's an example to the entire country that government can and has moved fast," said Scott, whose state has been ruled for 20 years by gun-friendly Republican lawmakers. ___ Florida school shooting response caught on radio traffic FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - As deputies began responding to last month's deadly Florida school shooting, the school's armed resource officer radioed that shots were coming from the freshman building, but he advised officers to stay back - a seeming failure to follow widely established guidelines to immediately confront the attacker in active shooter situations. Broward County Deputy Scot Peterson's radio calls in the minutes after the Feb. 14 shooting show he almost immediately realized gunshots were being fired inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. That contradicts a statement issued Feb. 26 by his lawyer saying Peterson, who was assigned to the school, "believed that those gunshots were originating from outside any of the buildings on the school campus." If Peterson knew the location of the shooter, Broward County Sheriff's Office mass shooting guidelines required him to enter the building and kill or stop the gunman. Such protocols are near-universal among U.S. law enforcement agencies. Peterson, who has denied wrongdoing, retired shortly after the shooting rather than accept a suspension. Broward Sheriff Scott Israel and President Donald Trump publicly criticized his actions and he is being investigated by internal affairs. The radio transmissions, released late Thursday, also appear to contradict reports that a Broward captain ordered deputies not to enter the building. In fact, it was Peterson who advised officers to stay at least 500 feet away. It's not clear if anyone heeded his request, but it contradicts standard active shooter procedures in place since the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School, when officers remained outside while waiting for a SWAT team, which allowed the two shooters time to continue their rampage unchallenged. ___ 'Pharma Bro' gets 7 years in prison in securities fraud case NEW YORK (AP) - The smirk wiped off his face, a crying Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud Friday in a hard fall for the pharmaceutical-industry bad boy vilified for jacking up the price of a lifesaving drug. Shkreli, the boyish-looking, 34-year-old entrepreneur dubbed the "Pharma Bro" for his loutish behavior, was handed his punishment after a hearing in which he and his attorney struggled with limited success to make him a sympathetic figure. His own lawyer confessed to wanting to punch him in the face sometimes. The defendant hung his head and choked up as he admitted to many mistakes and apologized to the investors he was convicted of defrauding. At one point, a clerk handed him a box of tissues. "I'm not the same person I was," Shkreli said. "I know right from wrong. I know what it means to tell the truth and what it means to lie." He also said: "The only person to blame for me being here today is me. There is no conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli." ___ US hiring surge last month pulls in flood of new workers WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. employers went on a hiring binge in February, adding 313,000 jobs, amid rising business confidence lifted by the Trump administration's tax cuts and a resilient global economy. The surprisingly robust hiring, reported by the Labor Department on Friday, was the strongest in 1 years. It was accompanied by the biggest surge in 15 years in the number of people either working or looking for work. That kept the nation's unemployment rate unchanged for a fifth straight month at 4.1 percent. At the same time, average wage growth slowed to 2.6 percent in February from a year earlier. That was down from January's revised pace of 2.8 percent, which had spooked investors because it raised fears of inflation. The hiring boom caught many economists off guard, because they expected a smaller - though still healthy - increase. Job gains typically slow as the unemployment rate falls, because companies run out of workers to hire. ___ China silences critics of move to make Xi president for life BEIJING (AP) - The day China's ruling Communist Party unveiled a proposal to allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely as Mao Zedong did a generation ago, Ma Bo was so shaken he couldn't sleep. So Ma, a renowned writer, wrote a social media post urging the party to remember the history of unchecked one-man rule that ended in catastrophe. "History is regressing badly," Ma thundered in his post. "As a Chinese of conscience, I cannot stay silent!" Censors silenced him anyway, swiftly wiping his post from the internet. As China's rubber-stamp legislature prepares to approve constitutional changes abolishing term limits for the president on Sunday, signs of dissent and biting satire have been all but snuffed out. The stifling censorship leaves intellectuals, young white-collar workers and retired veterans of past political campaigns using roundabout ways to voice their concerns. For many, it's a foreshadowing of greater political repression ahead. ___ NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts: ___ NOT REAL: Meddling globalist George Soros named as the puppet master behind student gun control push THE FACTS: Billionaire liberal philanthropist George Soros isn't bankrolling student survivors pushing for gun control after the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting. False stories claimed Soros, a frequent target of conspiracy theories, is directing student activists as part of a "National Gun Control Movement" and is connected to a group organizing March 14 school walkouts against gun violence. His spokeswoman, Laura Silber, said he is not providing any funding to the students and that his foundation doesn't currently fund organizations working to prevent gun violence. ___ TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Albanian authorities say a large area in the northwest of the country has been flooded after two rivers and a lake exceeded or approached critical levels. The defense ministry on Friday said 9,230 hectares (22,800 acres) of agriculture land and grasslands in Shkodra district, 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the capital, Tirana, are under water after the Buna River rose above its critical level by 10 centimeters (4 inches). Excess water released from three hydropower stations on the Drini River also added to flooding. Roads and bridges have been damaged by landslides. Army emergency forces have distributed food and drinking water for people and cattle in isolated areas. YORKTOWN, Va. (AP) - Virginia supporters of Medicaid expansion have new hope that the state will approve the program this year. Republicans have long blocked expansion in Virginia, but its prospects are now much brighter after several GOP legislators recently changed their mind. The momentum shift is due in part to President Donald Trump's embrace of work requirements for low-income people on Medicaid. And an anti-Trump backlash last year helped Democrats gain seats at the General Assembly and give the issue new life. Executive Director of the Lackey Free Clinic, Carol Sale, gestures during an interview at the Lackey Free Clinic in Yorktown, Va., Thursday, March 1, 2018. Virginia lawmakers aren't going to pass a budget on schedule this year, the second time in four years that disagreements over Medicaid expansion have led to a stalemate. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) But many Republicans still oppose expansion and the disagreement is threatening a possible state government shutdown as the House and Senate battle over the issue. Lawmakers are set to leave the capital Saturday without passing a state budget because they can't agree on Medicaid expansion. Executive Director of the Lackey Free Clinic, Carol Sale, gestures during an interview at the Lackey Free Clinic in Yorktown, Va., Thursday, March 1, 2018. Virginia supporters of Medicaid expansion have new hope that the state will approve the program this year. Republicans have long blocked expansion in Virginia, but its prospects are now much brighter. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Father Isaak Fahmy, sits on an exam table during an interview at the Lackey Free Clinic in Yorktown, Va., Thursday, March 1, 2018. Virginia supporters of Medicaid expansion have new hope that the state will approve the program this year. Republicans have long blocked expansion in Virginia, but its prospects are now much brighter.(AP Photo/Steve Helber) Father Isaak Fahmy, sits on an exam table during an interview at the Lackey Free Clinic in Yorktown, Va., Thursday, March 1, 2018. Virginia supporters of Medicaid expansion have new hope that the state will approve the program this year. Republicans have long blocked expansion in Virginia, but its prospects are now much brighter.(AP Photo/Steve Helber) Milton Batalona, speaks during an interview at the Lackey Free Clinic in Yorktown, Va., Thursday, March 1, 2018. Batalona is one thousands of working poor in Virginia who are at the center of a tense debate at the General Assembly that threatens a possible state government shut down.(AP Photo/Steve Helber) BERLIN (AP) - Prosecutors are demanding a life sentence for an Afghan migrant on trial in Germany for the rape and killing of a 19-year-old medical student in October 2016. Chief prosecutor Eckart Berger told Freiburg's regional court Friday that the defendant should also be imprisoned beyond the usual 15-year life term in Germany. Hussein K., whose last name was withheld in line with German privacy laws, told the court last year that he pulled Maria Ladenburger from her bicycle, raped her and dumped her unconscious in the Dreisam river, where she drowned. K., who entered Germany in 2015, claimed he was 18 at the time of the crime. An expert report and witness statements put his age at 22 - old enough for an adult life sentence. MEXICO CITY (AP) - Authorities say they're worried about a hippopotamus that is roaming loose in a swampy area of southern Mexico. Nobody knows where the animal came from, but hippos are not native to the country. The hippo appears to have been living in a pair of ponds near Las Chopas, in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. Mexico's office for environmental protection said Thursday that experts are looking for the best way to trap and move the three-year-old, 1,320-pound (600 kilogram) mammal. It also said hippos can be aggressive, posing a potential danger to the public and native species. A local offers a hippopotamus which locals have named Tyson, a branch to snack on, in Las Chopas, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, March 9, 2018. Nobody knows where the animal came from, but hippos are not native to the country and authorities say they're worried about the hippopotamus, that is roaming loose in a swampy area of southern Mexico. (AP Photo/Armando Serrano) The hippo was first spotted by local media near a garbage dump in January. Residents of the town have come to love the animal so much they have nicknamed it "Tyson." A hippopotamus which locals have named Tyson swims in a pond in Las Chopas, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, March 9, 2018. Nobody knows where the animal came from, but hippos are not native to the country and authorities say they're worried about the hippopotamus, that is roaming loose in a swampy area of southern Mexico. (AP Photo/Armando Serrano) ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkey's state-run news agency says two rival groups fired shots at each other near Istanbul's main Taksim Square. At least one person was hurt. The shooting occurred Friday on a street leading to the busy square, where it caused panic. Some people ran for cover while others hid behind a statue, video footage from the private Dogan news agency showed. Police sealed off the entrance to the street where one injured man was seen being carried into a car. The state-run Anadolu Agency said police detained two people who tried to escape the scene in a car. There was no word on the cause of the dispute. TORONTO (AP) - How different was Stalin-era 1950s Russia to the Washington D.C. of "Veep"? For "Veep"-creator Armando Iannucci, there were more similarities than you might think. In his second feature film, "The Death of Stalin," some quite funny people (Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Simon Russell Beale) play some of the more fear-inducing names in 20th century history. When Stalin dies, it's a mad rush for power (Buscemi's Nikita Khrushchev comes running in his pajamas) and a race for the mantle of 'reformer' after years of purges, murders and imprisonments. Yet the satirical ballet of hapless government strivers will be familiar to those who know Ianuncci's other farces ("In the Loop," ''The Thick of It"). It's just that the consequences for losing step with the party line are a tad direr. Director Armando Iannucci attends the premiere of IFC Films' "The Death of Stalin" at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on Thursday, March 8, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP) "If you say the wrong thing or back the wrong person, you might be out of power," said Iannucci in an interview. "But being outside of power can mean being dead, so there's that added tension. You don't just retire and open up a library. You're shot." "The Death of Stalin," which opened in theaters Friday, is Iannucci's first post-"Veep" project. He departed after the first four seasons. When it was announced in early September that the acclaimed HBO season will end with its seventh season, he applauded David Mandel for "bringing her safely home." But while "Death of Stalin" might be a kind of comrade to "Veep," it also charts a different path for Iannucci. The movie, he feels, resonates particularly in the Donald Trump era, and, more than any of Iannucci's previous work, connects insular political maneuvering with its often tragic results for the populace. AP: This is a fairly brutal time period for a comedy. Iannucci: I was keen to make sure of that, yes, we see these people and the decisions they make within the Kremlin, but I also wanted to show how these decisions impacted people on the outside. There's no shying away from that. So you do see people rounded up. People are killed. People are taken away. And you never see those people again. So it was always about going inside, behind closed doors, and then going outside and seeing the effect of what's just happened. I wanted the audience to feel a little bit of what every Russian must have felt on a daily basis: Will I get through the day? AP: Do you think history remembers its figures too seriously and soberly? The Kremlin leaders of your film are uncouth, petty and often thoughtless. Iannucci: They're human. They're not superhuman. And I think a lot of them are either deluded themselves or are persuaded by others to think that they are superhuman. When they find out that they're human, that's when things unravel. In 'The Death of Stalin,' these are people who think they're powerful and therefore they're in complete control. It's fear of not having power that drives them. AP: Where do you get your interest in the comedy of politics? Iannucci: It affects everything you do. It's so important. And therefore I'm fascinated with how it happens. That's it, really. But I also want people to get that vague sense of finding out how important it is. When it goes wrong, it goes very badly wrong. We have this golden view of democracy. We think now that we've arrived at democracy, it's going to stay here forever. Well, no. Get it ever so slightly wrong, just tip it a slightly different way and you end up with authoritarianism and autocracy. AP: How do you think the Trump administration compares to your political comedies? Iannucci: I don't think I could ever reach the giddy heights of the inspired comedy and tragedy that's happening now in Washington. I mean, it's mesmerizing to watch but it's also scary. For me, the scariest thing about it is all those people who were so absolutely opposed to him before he got elected, and then have just drifted away and kept quiet. It goes back to: We've always got to be vigilant about democracy because it can go wrong. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP Actor Steve Buscemi attends the premiere of IFC Films' "The Death of Stalin" at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on Thursday, March 8, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP) Actor Jason Isaacs attends the premiere of IFC Films' "The Death of Stalin" at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on Thursday, March 8, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP) This image released by IFC Films shows, from left, Steve Buscemi, Adrian McLoughlin, Jeffrey Tambor, Dermot Crowley and Simon Russell Beale in a scene from "The Death of Stalin." (Nicola Dove/IFC Films via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has pardoned a Navy sailor who took photographs of the classified areas of a military submarine. Kristian Saucier pleaded guilty last year for taking the photos inside the USS Alexandria in 2009. He's served a 12-month prison sentence for the crime. Trump referenced Saucier's case often on the campaign trail as he criticized his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Saucier has said he merely wanted service mementos. But federal prosecutors said he was a disgruntled sailor who compromised national security and then obstructed the investigation by destroying a laptop and camera. The news was announced by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee at a briefing Friday. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump Organization has donated $151,470 in foreign government profits at its hotels and similar businesses last year to the U.S. Treasury, an executive said in a statement Friday. George Sorial, the executive vice president and chief compliance counsel, said the Feb. 22 voluntary donation fulfills the company's pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage while Donald Trump is president. The company said last week that it had made a donation, but refused to disclose the amount. The Daily Mail first reported the figure on Friday. And while the U.S. Treasury has confirmed receipt of the check, it also did not provide any details. A representative for the Treasury declined to comment. FILE - The Trump International Hotel at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, is seen Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016 in Washington. A Trump Organization executive says the company has donated $151,470 in foreign government profits at its hotels and similar businesses in 2017 to the U.S. Treasury. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) The amount spent at the Trump-owned commercial properties became an issue of debate on social media as media organizations and watchdogs filed public records requests with the U.S. Treasury and lawmakers demanded answers. Ethics experts have challenged the methodology by which the Trump Organization determines its profits as incomplete and misleading. "They could have paid 10 times more or 100 times more, and we would equally have no way to judge whether the amount paid reflects their actual profits or how they calculated it, and which governments have been patronizing Trump properties," said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. Ethics experts have criticized the pledge Trump made at a news conference held days before his inauguration because it didn't include all his properties, such as his resorts, and left it up to Trump to define "profit." The pledge was supposedly made to ameliorate the worry that Trump was violating the Constitution's emoluments clause, which bans the president's acceptance of foreign gifts and money without Congress' permission. Several lawsuits have challenged Trump's ties to his business ventures and his refusal to divest from them. The suits allege that foreign governments' use of Trump's hotels and other properties violates the emoluments clause. Trump's attorneys have challenged the premise that a hotel room is an "emolument" but announced the pledge to "do more than what the Constitution requires" by donating foreign profits at the news conference. As a privately held company, The Trump Organization isn't required to disclose its definition of profit. In its statement Friday, it said made its calculation according to "our policy," but didn't say what that policy was. It also cited an accounting standard called the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, but that standard doesn't provide a definition for profit, Hanson said. In an eight-page pamphlet provided by the Trump Organization to the House Oversight Committee in May, the company provided more details. It said it would send the Treasury only profits obviously tied to foreign governments, and not ask guests questions about the source of their money because that would "impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand." Public Citizen sent a letter to the Trump Organization last month because their methodology would seemingly not provide a donation from any unprofitable properties receiving foreign government revenue. Hotel management professor Bjorn Hanson said there is no commonly accepted definition of profits in the industry. The widely varying definitions means some hotels can show big profits, while others show very little, even if they are doing equally well. Some hotel companies, for instance, show lower profits than others because they subtract a host of costs - interest on loans and estimates of future expenses for replacing wallpaper and sheets - that others leave out. "I teach hotel finance, and I tell my students, 'Don't ever use the term profit,'" said Hanson, professor of hospitality and tourism management at New York University. "'People won't know what you mean.'" Earlier this year, Public Citizen found that foreign government advocacy groups were among the most high-profile interests using Trump properties dating back to the 2016 election. Although few records are available showing amounts spent by Trump Organization clients, Justice Department foreign agent records revealed that a public relations firm working with the Saudi government spent $270,000 for lodging and catering at the Trump D.C. hotel sometime between Oct. 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and other Malay officials also stayed at the hotel last September during an official visit, but no figure was made available for the stay. And Kuwait's ambassador booked the hotel for an undisclosed amount last February for an annual gala. Two pro-Turkish organizations that work to aid business and political relations between the U.S. and Turkey also booked the Trump hotel last May for an undisclosed amount. One of the host groups, the Turkey-U.S. Business Council, was chaired at the time by Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman who had hired Michael Flynn's consulting firm in 2016 to perform lobbying and research. Fired by Trump after a brief stint as national security adviser, Flynn agreed late last year to aid the special counsel's probe of Russian meddling into the 2016 election. ___ AP Writer Bernard Condon in New York contributed to this report. Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/latams PHOENIX (AP) - Francisco Cantu said he joined the Border Patrol at age 23 to get an on-the-ground education in international relations. Now 32, he says he didn't expect his new memoir examining some of the agency's uglier aspects would spark protests by far-left groups denouncing him for the enforcement work and forcing him to cancel some talks promoting "The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border." He said he agrees with much of the criticism from the left - even though it caught him off guard - and had expected most of the backlash to come from the right. In this Feb. 19, 2018 photo, Francisco Cantu poses in San Francisco. Cantu was a U.S. Border Patrol agent from 2008 to 2012 and is the author of "The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border." He's scheduled to appear this weekend at the Tucson Festival of Books. (Santiago Mejia /San Francisco Chronicle via AP) Cantu told his detractors on Twitter: "To be clear: during my years as a BP agent, I was complicit in perpetuating institutional violence and flawed, deadly policy. My book is about acknowledging that, it's about thinking through the ways we normalize violence and dehumanize migrants as individuals and as a society." Cantu said he wrote the book to make sense of his time with the patrol. "Writing the book was a way to come to terms with what I had participated in, a job that made me normalize a certain amount of violence," Cantu said. "I tried not to draw conclusions, but offer descriptions of what happened and a reflection of my state of mind." Released last month by Riverhead Books, the memoir has collected positive reviews for its elegant prose about issues at the forefront of the nation's conversation on immigration and other border issues. It braids together the history of the U.S.-Mexico boundary, Cantu's experiences with the migrants encountered by day and the dreams that haunted him at night. Raised in Arizona's borderlands as the only child of a Mexican-American woman, Cantu thought several years in the agency would provide real-world experience for a diplomatic or legal career after graduation from American University. He joined the Border Patrol even though his mother warned of possible consequences. "'You can't exist within a system for that long without being implicated,'" he recalled her saying. Cantu worked for the agency from 2008-2012 trekking through the Arizona, New Mexico and Texas deserts. He encountered desperate migrants abandoned by traffickers in the desert, moved to bandage a woman's blistered feet and buy a man dinner at McDonald's. He also spent countless, monotonous hours gathering intelligence at a listening post about sinister figures who lurked in the shadows and closely monitored the movements of Border Patrol agents. When Cantu joined the force, he had "an idea about changing the system from the inside or bringing some good to it" but found the system "designed to break you down and rebuild you into an enforcement agent." He wrote that agents' behavior depended "on what kind of agent you are" when fleeing migrants leave supplies behind. "It's true that we slash their bottles and drain their water into the dry earth, that we dump their backpacks and pile their food and clothes to be crushed and pissed on and stepped over, strewn across the desert and set ablaze," he wrote. That passage was cited by some of his Hispanic detractors when they protested his book and recounted their own stories about relatives immigrating to the U.S. Cantu acknowledged that resentment - even though many agents are Mexican-Americans who grew up near the border. Latinos were among activists who disrupted his reading at BookPeople in Austin, Texas' largest independent bookstore. Protest organizer Defend Our Hoodz called Cantu a "vendido," meaning sellout. The group did not respond to written questions. Insults by another group of immigrant rights activists calling Cantu a "hipster Border-Pig" prompted him to cancel talks at San Francisco and Oakland bookstores a week later. He signed books instead. He's scheduled to appear this weekend at the Tucson Festival of Books. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials haven't said anything about the book. "It's just one person's opinion," Border Patrol spokesman Chris Sullivan said. After leaving the patrol, Cantu was a Fulbright scholar for a year documenting the lives of refugees who were refused asylum in the Netherlands. With his memoir as a proposed project, Cantu was accepted into the nonfiction master of fine arts program at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2014. The winner of a 2017 Whiting Award for emerging writers, he has also published essays and translations. FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2010 file photo a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent drives along the international border fence near Nogales, Ariz. Francisco Cantu said he joined the Border Patrol at age 23 to get an on-the-ground education in international relations. Now 32, he says he didn't expect his new memoir examining some of the agency's uglier aspects would spark protests by far-left groups denouncing him for the work and forcing him to cancel some talks promoting the book. (AP Photo/Matt York, File) FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2010 file photo an American flag flutters in the wind on a nearby resident's home near a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle near where agent Brian Terry was killed, northwest of Nogales, Ariz. Francisco Cantu said he joined the Border Patrol at age 23 to get an on-the-ground education in international relations. Now 32, he says he didn't expect his new memoir examining some of the agency's uglier aspects would spark protests by far-left groups denouncing him for the work and forcing him to cancel some talks promoting the book. (Greg Bryan /Arizona Daily Star via AP, File) PERRY, Okla. (AP) - A former principal of a northern Oklahoma elementary school has been sentenced to five years' probation for not reporting child abuse by a teacher's aide. Kenda Miller, 51, was sentenced Thursday after reaching a plea deal for misdemeanor charges of failure to promptly report child abuse or neglect, the Oklahoman reported . Miller resigned in June from Upper Elementary School in Perry, where Arnold Cowen molested girls while working as an aide. Cowen, 86, is serving 10 years in prison after pleading guilty last month to molesting 10 girls. Noble County District Attorney Brian Hermanson said Miller chose not to contact the Department of Human Services when "numerous girls told her they were being touched by Mr. Cowen." "The fact that she chose not to call the Hotline and instead send the children back into the classroom with Mr. Cowen is unimaginable," Hermanson said. Miller acknowledged at the sentencing that she didn't immediately report the abuse. Several parents read statements on behalf of their children. One parent said that Miller "took the side of a child molester and someone who had pictures and videos of children being forced to do bad things." Parents of 16 girls also filed a federal lawsuit in December against Perry Public Schools and the Board of Education alleging school officials showed "deliberate indifference" by failing to remove or report Cowen after he was accused of sexual misconduct. The lawsuit alleges that Miller instructed girls not to report Cowen's misconduct because "it could get people in trouble." The lawsuit also said that the principal told girls to "fist bump" Cowen instead of hug him. Attorney Cameron Spradling, who represents the victims, said Thursday, "It's a disgrace that a woman in power did not protect these little girls." ___ Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com DALLAS (AP) - Dallas Stars center Martin Hanzal is set for back surgery that will end his injury-plagued season. General manager Jim Nill said Friday the expected recovery time is six to seven months. Hanzal, who signed a $14.25 million, three-year contract on the first day of free agency in July, missed almost all of training camp and the preseason with an ankle injury. The 31-year-old Czech then missed 29 games with a variety of injuries, including the back. Nill said the back injury occurred in late November, and Hanzal had three injections to try to play through the pain. When Hanzal reached a point that he couldn't play, he opted for spinal fusion surgery. Hanzal, who last played Feb. 21, had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 38 games. He spent his first 10 years with Arizona before a trade to Minnesota two days before the deadline last season. ___ More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey President Donald Trump will attend the upcoming Summit of the Americas, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday, putting him face-to-face with Western Hemisphere leaders many of whom are upset by his policies and rhetoric toward the region. The regional summit next month in Peru is seen as the leading forum for projecting U.S. leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean. U.S. presidents have participated in all seven previous gatherings, but with Trump's anti-immigrant statements, proposal to build a wall on the Mexican border and stance on trade stirring anger throughout the region, many wondered if he would attend. 'There will be some very uncomfortable meetings there,' said Christopher Sabatini, a lecturer in international relations at Columbia University. Donald Trump will visit South America next month, the White House confirmed on Monday Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the president will participate in the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, and then go to Colombia afterward Awkward: At the 2009 Summit of the Americas, dictator Hugo Chavez gave Barack Obama a copy of a socialist tome titled 'The Open Veins of Latin America' No commies allowed: President Bill Clinton excluded Fidel Castro in 1994 when hosted the summit in Miami A high-ranking Peruvian official confirmed Trump's visit to Lima for the summit. Sanders told reporters on Monday that Trump will also visit Colombia. In recent years, U.S. leaders have faced sharp rebukes from leftist Latin Americans at the periodic gathering and this year's event is likely to be no different. But the upcoming summit is also generating controversy because of a leader at the other end of the political spectrum: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Peruvian leaders have repeatedly said Maduro isn't invited to attend as international criticism grows over Venezuela's human rights record and the nation's increasingly autocratic government. But Maduro recently said he is determined to attend, 'rain, shine or lightning.' 'By air, land or sea I will get to the Summit of the Americas to tell the truth of this country,' he vowed at a news conference for international journalists. Outside the 2005 summit in Argentina, leftist protesters led by former soccer star Diego Maradona set fire to a U.S. flag and burned President George W. Bush in effigy Trump will visit with Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Peru's president (pictured) while he's in South America next month; they last saw each other in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Danang, Vietnam Mercedes Araoz, the chief of Peru's Cabinet of Ministers, later quipped back that Maduro cannot come by 'land nor Peruvian airspace because he is not welcome.' Peru and the United States have emerged as two of the most outspoken nations in voicing their objections to Maduro's rule as Venezuela struggles with hyperinflation, food and medical shortages, and a growing exodus of its citizens fleeing to other parts of the region. Both have also criticized snap presidential elections being held in April that key opposition leaders are boycotting. Peruvian Foreign Minister Cayetana Aljovin reiterated Friday that Maduro is not invited, saying only presidents committed to 'governability, democracy and fighting corruption' can attend. 'There's a real risk of a very undiplomatic showdown that could occur,' Sabatini said of the ongoing squabble with Maduro. 'He's already been disinvited. It would be strange, odd to have him re-invited. And if he should just show up, can Peru deny him entry?' Not welcome: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won't attend the Summit of the Americas because the Peruvians won't let the socialist dictator enter their country Former U.S. President Bill Clinton first invited all hemispheric leaders except Cuba's Fidel Castro to gather in Miami in 1994 to promote a free trade zone ranging from Alaska to the tip of South America. U.S. leaders have gotten an earful from their Latin American counterparts in more recent years. Protesters led by soccer legend Diego Maradona burned an effigy of President George W. Bush to protest the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq at the 2005 summit in Argentina. Four years later, the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez famously gave then President Barack Obama a copy of a classic leftist book, 'The Open Veins of Latin America,' detailing the history of U.S. military interventions in the region. The theme of this year's summit is 'democratic governance against corruption,' a topic that has embroiled nearly every country in the region. Peru's own president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, was nearly impeached in December after an opposition-led investigation revealed his private consulting firm had received payments from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht over a decade before. Odebrecht admitted in a 2016 U.S. Justice Department agreement to paying nearly $800 million in kickbacks to politicians, their campaigns and political parties to secure lucrative public works contracts. Sabatini said it was a 'positive' development that Trump would have face-to-face meetings with regional leaders, but added there are a range of topics likely to be raised that may make the U.S. president uncomfortable. Aside from immigration and the Mexico border wall, his administration's partial rollback of Obama's Cuba policy and new, steep tariffs he recently ordered against steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. are almost certain to come up in the discussions. 'There are a lot of open questions and a lot of points of friction,' Sabatini said. CRANBROOK, British Columbia (AP) - A judge has rejected a challenge of Canada's polygamy laws that was launched after two men were found guilty in British Columbia. Winston Blackmore and James Oler were found guilty in British Columbia Supreme Court last July of having multiple wives, but a lawyer for Blackmore argued the law infringes on constitutional right of freedom of religion and expression. Justice Sheri Ann Donegan dismissed all arguments Friday that the charges should be dropped, including a claim that the prosecution was an abuse of process. Both men have been leaders in the small community of Bountiful, British Columbia where court heard residents are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which condones plural marriage. Blackmore, 62, was found guilty of marrying two dozen women, while Oler, 53, was found to have five wives. Both men face a maximum of five years in prison. In December, Blackmore argued that he believed he was allowed to practice polygamy because he wasn't charged when police investigated allegations about his multiple wives in the 1990s. Outside court on Friday, Blackmore said he doesn't encourage anyone to practice polygamy, but he also doesn't discourage anyone who has a religious commitment. "I know one thing, and that's that our faith is as good as anybody's. But at the end of the day, we need to be people who try to respect the laws of our country," he said. "I didn't know it was illegal. We got a definite letter from the attorney general at the time, which said that our conduct was protected under the charter - the same charter, by the way, that affects all the same-sex couples ... the same charter that affects every other person's right to associate with whoever they choose. All I'm saying is that I should equally enjoy that same right." His lawyer, Blaire Suffredine, argued the unions were never legal marriages, but common-law relationships sanctioned by Blackmore's church, which carry no legal weight. Special prosecutor Peter Wilson argued Blackmore was always at risk of prosecution, even though Canada's polygamy laws have in the past been constitutionally vague. In 1991, the RCMP completed a 13-month investigation into Bountiful by recommending polygamy charges against Blackmore and another man, but B.C.'s attorney general decided not to lay charges because of uncertainty over whether the law was unconstitutional on the grounds of religious freedom. The B.C. Supreme Court upheld the polygamy laws in the 2011 reference case, ruling that a section of the Criminal Code banning plural marriages is constitutional. The court's chief justice found that the harm against women and children outweighs concerns over protecting religious freedom. " Blackmore said after nearly 28 years, the legal battle over polygamy has been a test of the community's faith. "But it's kind of driven us together," he added. Blackmore said he will not decide whether to appeal until after he is sentenced. The case returns to court on May 15 for a sentencing hearing. SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - A Michigan company is suing AM General, alleging the vehicle manufacturer owes more than $3 million for contract work at its northern Indiana plant. Michigan-based Allied Industrial Group's original contract called for $17.4 million in improvements at AM General's commercial plant in Mishawaka, the South Bend Tribune reported . Allied Industrial retooled the plant's assembly line in 2015 to ready it for production of the Mercedes Benz R-Class and Mobility Ventures MV-1 vehicle. AIG's federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Indiana alleges that AM General still owes $3.3 million. James Groves, AIG's attorney, said AM General didn't give an explanation for the unpaid bills. Groves said he had no information suggesting that AM General is financially unable to pay. AM General sold the plant last year to electric vehicle manufacturer SF Motors, a subsidiary of Chinese automotive manufacturer Chongqing Sokon Industry Group. The lawsuit also alleges that AM General didn't let AIG retrieve some materials, tools and equipment left on site after learning that the company planned to sell its plant. AM General eventually allowed AIG into the facility late last year, but AIG officials said they weren't permitted to recover some of its materials valued at more than $1 million. Jason Abel, an attorney representing AM General, said that the allegations "are baseless and without merit." He said the company intends to fight AIG's claims in court. AM General is also the subject of another breach of contract lawsuit, which was filed in November by Michigan-based All State Fastener Corp. The lawsuit alleges that AM General owes All State Fastener more than $232,000 for failing to pay for fasteners purchased under a minimum purchase commitment between the two companies. ___ Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com WASHINGTON (AP) - His staff hollowing out and his agenda languishing, President Donald Trump is increasingly flying solo. Always improvisational, the president exercised his penchant for going it alone in a big way this week: first, by ordering sweeping tariffs opposed by foreign allies and by many in his own party, then hours later delivering the stunning news that he'll meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. An on-the-spot decision with global ramifications, Trump's agreement to sit down with Kim came after a meeting with a South Korean delegation and took some of his top aides by surprise. FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Palace Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, in New York. President Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a stunning turn of events after a year that saw them engage in a heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. It remains to be seen whether a summit will take place or lead to a meaningful breakthrough in the nations' relationship. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) The president has long considered himself his own best consultant, saying during the presidential campaign: "I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I've said a lot of things." Trump has told confidants recently that he wants to be less reliant on his staff, believing they often give bad advice, and that he plans to follow his own instincts, which he credits with his stunning election, according to two people who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about private conversations. Trump's latest unilateral moves come at a moment of vulnerability for the president. Top staffers are heading for the exits, the Russia investigation continues to loom and Trump is facing growing questions about a lawsuit filed by a porn actress who claims her affair with the president was hushed up. The White House pushed back against the notion that Trump's decision to meet with Kim was made in haste, with spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying, "This has been part of an ongoing campaign that's been going for over a year." White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Trump takes input from a "diverse set of viewpoints," but added that "he knows it was his name on the ballot and he controls timing, content and tone." Advisers argue that tales of Trump's freelancing are exaggerated and that in many cases - as with tariffs - he is following through on long-stated promises. Still, the president's decisions, as well as his proclivity for off-the-cuff announcements, frequently leave aides and allies guessing. News that the president would accept a meeting never taken by a sitting U.S. president came from an unlikely source Thursday evening: a last-minute press statement by a South Korean official standing in the dark on the White House driveway. With reality-show flair, Trump built suspense for the announcement by making an impromptu visit to the White House briefing room. The South Korean official, Chung Eui-yong, spoke with Trump on Thursday after meeting with national security adviser H.R. McMaster and others. Trump asked Chung about a recent meeting with the North Korean dictator. The South Korean official relayed that Kim wanted to meet with Trump - and the president immediately accepted, according to a White House official, who was not authorized to discuss the meeting and was speaking on condition of anonymity. Trump then asked Chung to announce it to the White House press, but Chung wanted first to check in with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the official said. Moon granted permission, prompting Trump to make his first known foray into the White House briefing room to inform reporters that the South Koreans would soon be making a major announcement. "Great progress being made," Trump later tweeted, adding: "Meeting being planned!" This was not the only recent moment where Trump opted to trust his gut and go it alone. Determined to keep what he viewed as a crucial campaign promise, Trump forged forward with a plan to order new tariffs this week. In the process, he saw his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, head for the exit and faced his most public condemnation to date from Republican lawmakers. Trump let advisers Cohn and Peter Navarro, who stood on opposite sides of the issue, debate tariffs for weeks, at times contentiously. At another point, during a meeting with steel and aluminum executives, Trump urged Cohn to engage in a debate with U.S. Steel CEO Dave Burritt, according to two people familiar with the exchange and not authorized to discuss it publicly. Cohn announced his departure as it became clear Trump would move ahead with the tariffs. In recent days, Trump told advisers that his experience in business gave him an edge in deciding what to do on tariffs. He told aides that he been proclaiming for 30 years that the United States needed a more protectionist approach, according to two White House officials not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations. The president also boasted to outside advisers that he knew the tariffs issue better than his advisers and suggested that the move could help him lock up Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan again, according to a person familiar with the president's thinking but not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations. The president has previously shown his preference for working alone - with mixed results. Trump surprised the Pentagon last year with a series of tweets announcing he would reverse Obama-era policies allowing transgender individuals to serve in the armed forces. He made a surprise spending deal with Democrats "Chuck and Nancy" that boxed out his own party. And he sent out a series of puzzling tweets about a key spying law that threw Congress into disarray ahead of votes to reauthorize the program. Advisers and supporters were caught off guard recently when Trump appeared to embrace gun control measures at a freewheeling roundtable with lawmakers in the wake of a Florida school shooting. He later met with the National Rifle Association and appeared to soften his stance, but his comment "take the guns first, go through due process second" drew strong criticism. Still, Trump continues to hold that - as he said at the 2016 Republican Convention - he "alone" can fix things. He made that clear when he ran into an ABC reporter in the moments before the North Korea announcement. Trump wouldn't say exactly what was coming, but he stressed: "Hopefully, you will give me credit." ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Ken Thomas contributed from Washington. ___ Follow Lucey on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@catherine_lucey and Lemire at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire Authorities said they are investigating a shooting at a school in Alabama in which a 17-year-old female student was killed as apparently accidental. A 17-year-old boy was injured in the incident at Huffman High School in Birmingham. Birmingham Interim Police Chief Orlando Wilson said investigators are seeking to piece together the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting at dismissal time on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities investigate the scene of the shooting at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama (Carol Robinson/AL.com/AP) He added that the inquiry will involve scouring school surveillance video for clues and completing interviews among students and staff at the school. At this particular time, we are considering this accidental, Mr Wilson said at a news conference just hours after the incident. Right now we have a lot of unanswered questions. The shooting prompted a brief lockdown, although students were released late on Wednesday and authorities said they had subsequently determined that the shooting was not perpetrated by someone from the outside the school. Mr Wilson declined to say who fired the gun or to identify what firearm was involved, adding it had been recovered by authorities. No arrests were immediately reported and the two students were not identified. Police believe the shooting may have been accidental (Carol Robinson/AL.com/AP) We are asking questions from the staff, the students, anyone who was in that area, Mr Wilson said. This should not happen in schools. He said police have already questioned students but declined to say how many. He also would not confirm that metal detectors were in place and functioning in the school. Huffman High in north-east Birmingham is one of the largest high schools in the city. The Birmingham City School system said in a statement that the shooting prompted a brief lockdown and added two students were involved as school was ending for the day. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the dead student would have been 18 in about a months time and was a senior who had aspirations and dreams to be a nurse. We are not just talking about some person, (were) talking about losing a part of our future. Our hearts are heavy, he said. Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring said her goal was to support the family of the teenager who died and to reassure parents about the safety of their children. The incident happened at Huffman High School, one of the largest in Birmingham, Alabama (Brynn Anderson/AP) Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said she was saddened by the students death. I am praying for the family of this young lady who has tragically lost her life way too early it reaffirms that there is no place for students to have firearms or other weapons on campus. The shooting took place just a day after Ms Ivey created a school safety council in Alabama to make recommendations on security. The security plan would ensure schools have an updated security response plan for sharing information about potential threats. It would also require schools to train students and school employees on how to respond to an emergency situation. Multiple Bills also have been proposed in the Alabama legislature after 17 people were killed last month in a shooting rampage at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Varying proposals by Republicans would arm either teachers or volunteer security forces in schools, while measures sought by Democrats would seek to limit or ban the sale of assault weapons. The proposals face a tight deadline before the end of Alabamas legislative session this election year. European Council president Donald Tusk is in Ireland on Thursday to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. They will discuss Brexit negotiations, the European Commissions draft withdrawal agreement and suggested guidelines for the future relationship between the EU and the UK. The pair will also consider key economic issues during the talks at Government Buildings in Dublin. European Council president Donald Tusk meets Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Thursday in Dublin (Victoria Jones/PA) Mr Tusks visit comes before the European Council meeting of EU leaders on March 22-23 on Brexit and economic affairs. Irelands foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has suggested the EU could block Theresa Mays plans to maintain a soft Irish border while leaving the customs union. One fallback option is the UK would have to accept keeping Northern Ireland in an effective customs union with the EU. This is Mr Tusks second visit to Ireland in three months. He has already pledged that the EU will stand with the Republic on the Irish border issue and Dublins efforts to ensure frictionless passage of people and goods. Northern Irelands position post-Brexit is holding up agreement on Britains exit terms and a transition deal. Mrs Mays supporters in Government, the Democratic Unionists, are adamantly opposed to any settlement distinguishing Northern Irelands EU trading relationship from the rest of the UKs post-Brexit, what some have termed a border in the Irish Sea. On Thursday Mr Varadkar will also hold a separate meeting with the secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Angel Gurria. Discussions will cover the OECDs latest economic survey of Ireland and the potential for deeper Ireland-OECD co-operation. Meanwhile, Department for Exiting the EU minister Robin Walker is due to meet Gibraltar chief minister Fabian Picardo on Thursday, and Cabinet Office minister David Lidington is hosting a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee with representatives of the devolved administrations. A severely disabled boy who was at the centre of a life-support treatment dispute has died, his father said. The parents of 12-month-old Isaiah Haastrup had fought against an application by Kings College Hospital in London to move him to palliative care. The couples last resort appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, was dismissed on Tuesday. Isaiah died at 7.50pm on Wednesday, hours after being removed from life-support, father Lanre Haastrup said on Facebook. Isaiah Haastrup with his aunt Dahlia Thomas (Irwin Mitchell/PA) Mr Haastrup and Takesha Thomas, Isaiahs mother, asked the ECHR to intervene after losing two legal battles in England. A High Court judge had given doctors permission to provide only palliative care to Isaiah against the wishes of Mr Haastrup and Miss Thomas. Mr Justice MacDonald analysed evidence at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in January. Specialists at Kings College Hospital in London had said providing further intensive care treatment was futile and not in Isaiahs best interests. Mr Haastrup and Miss Thomas, who are both in their 30s and from Peckham, south-east London, subsequently failed to persuade Court of Appeal judges to overturn Mr Justice MacDonalds decision. They then made a written application to the ECHR as a last resort, which was declared inadmissible. Mr Haastrup said on Wednesday that judges had not listened to their arguments. The question of Gibraltars sovereignty must not be reopened as a result of Brexit, the Rocks chief minister has said. Fabian Picardo is in London for talks with Brexit ministers over the negotiations, which have thrust the status of the British overseas territory back into the spotlight. The European Council sparked anger in Gibraltar with negotiating guidelines which granted Spain a veto over the territorys fate after Brexit. The British overseas territory has 30,000 inhabitants (Yui Mok/PA) Mr Picardo said that Gibraltars parliament holds its own veto, with the power to decide which parts of the final Brexit agreement will apply to the 30,000 inhabitants of the Mediterranean outpost. But he said there was no question of reopening discussions on its future status, telling BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Sovereignty is something which is settled. It was settled in the Helsinki accords and in Utrecht that the sovereignty of Gibraltar belongs to the UK and the people of Gibraltar. We dont barter with sovereignty today as if we were in the 17th century, with kings passing around sovereignty of pieces of land. What we do is look at the interests of the people. What we do is talk to people and ask them what matters. We are very linked to the UK, we see the world through British eyes and we dont want to change that. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable urged the Government to be firmer in its defence of Gibraltars links to the UK after Brexit. Gibraltar must not be a pawn in negotiations. Conservative incompetence in Brexit negotiations has seen Gibraltarians, who voted 96% to remain, let down. Also making this point to @BBCJLandale on BBC radio bulletins this morning. https://t.co/2SnNDWvrUf Vince Cable (@vincecable) March 8, 2018 Sir Vince told the BBC: It is an issue of fundamental principle. This has been attached to the UK for two centuries. We have seen off repeated demands by Spain to have control over the Rock, which has been a fundamental part of British interests. We shouldnt allow Brexit to be used as a cloak for giving away what is a substantial British commitment. Lets not forget that all of these people want to remain in the UK just as much as the majority of people in Northern Ireland. Eddie Jones hopes to trouble France with the enormous pace of Englands back three when the rivals clash in Saturdays NatWest 6 Nations showdown in Paris. Mike Brown has been dropped for the first time in Jones 26-Test reign, making way at full-back for Anthony Watson in a back three that sees the return of Elliot Daly on the left wing. Daly has recovered from ankle and calf injuries to win his first cap since the autumn and completing the jet-heeled trio that Jones expects to exploit any loose French kicking is Jonny May. Englands Elliot Daly Daly has recovered from injury (Andrew Matthews/PA) The three of them are genuinely quick. They have enormous pace but they have got to work together, Jones said. France score a lot of their points through attacking kicks, so we need to counter those and take the opportunities and attack when we get loose ball from them. Mike took the news very well, Ive been really impressed by him. Obviously the players sense selection changes early in the week. Hes really given his best, has trained hard and helped Anthony, which is a really good sign for the team. BREAKING | Your England team to take on @FFRugby on Saturday at the Stade de France Preview https://t.co/GMEIHHbllT pic.twitter.com/Jorx1Rodhq England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) March 8, 2018 A further development of significance in a side showing five changes, two positional, following the 25-13 loss to Scotland, sees the power of Ben Teo preferred to the quick feet of Jonathan Joseph at outside centre. This was always the plan we felt wed need someone a bit bigger and stronger on a slower track at the Stade de France and this is why Ben Teo starts, Jones said. The French play fairly direct and hell enjoying getting a shot on Mathieu Bastareaud early. Eddie Jones has put his faith in Ben Teo (Mike Egerton/PA) Owen Farrell leads England for the first time after Dylan Hartley was ruled out of the penultimate round of the Six Nations by a tight calf. Hartley has been an ever-present under Jones, starting all but one of his 26 Tests in charge and always acting as skipper and his absence at the Stade de France is part of the most radical team selection of the Australians reign. Jamie George, the British and Irish Lions starting hooker against New Zealand last summer, is given the number two jersey while Mako Vunipola has been named vice-captain. Dylan Hartleys long run of England matches under Eddie Jones will end against France (Adam Davy/PA) Dylan is not fit enough to be waterboy on Saturday, lets put it that way. Well see how he goes next week. He started running today and were obviously hopeful hes going to be fit (to play against Ireland). We are trying to develop a team thats self-reliant and we are moving along that pathway. When you have a loss like we had, it accelerates and emphasises the need for that to happen. Thats what has happened within the team. Eddie Jones says Owen Farrell will lead from the front (Aaron Chown/PA) Owen has the respect of the players, he respects the players, hes a passionate aggressive player and hell lead from the front. Thats the expectation. Its not only Owens role that has changed, its the rest of the players roles theyve got to support him. Its a two-way relationship and Im sure he will have their support. Jeremy Corbyn has admitted having been a member of a controversial private Facebook group about Palestine but denied ever seeing anti-Semitic posts. Labour is investigating after claims abusive messages about Jews where exchanged on the forum emerged. Mr Corbyn said he was signed up to the group without his knowledge but later exchanged messages on it. Mr Corbyn said he would have challenged abusive posts if he had seen them (Aaron Chown/PA) During a visit to Alfreton, Derbyshire, he told the Press Association: I was joined on to that group without knowing it in probably about 2013/14. I removed myself from the group in 2015. I replied by Facebook message to a couple of things about a suggestion on the vote on recognising Palestine, which I supported, and inviting a doctor to speak at an event. I have never trawled through the whole group. I have never read all the messages on it. I have removed myself from it. Obviously, any anti-Semitic comment is wrong. Any anti-Semitism in any form is wrong. The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism published screenshots of messages said to have been posted on the Palestine Live group. Among the comments exchanged are claims about Israeli involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and as well as links to neo-Nazi groups postings. Mr Corbyn said the party doesnt tolerate anti-Semitism in any form and he would have challenged any abusive posts if he had seen them. Had I seen it, of course, I would have challenged it straight away but I actually dont spend all my time reading social media, he said. International Womens Day has seen demonstrations across the globe, with an unprecedented strike by millions of Spanish women, and a crackdown in France on companies violating gender-equal pay policies. Many of the events on Thursday echoed the #MeToo movement that has mobilised women against sexual violence and workplace harassment. In Spain, unions estimated that 5.3 million people joined the strike, which targeted gender violence and unequal pay. Demonstrators in Argentina (AP) The day culminated with street protests in several cities, with the theme If we stop, the world stops. Social services worker Teresa Sonsur, protesting in Madrid, said she wanted to end workplace discrimination at her agency. The women are doing all the hard work, dealing with the customers, but in the positions of management it is always men, the 38-year-old said. Meanwhile, French companies that treat women unequally may soon face new pressure and penalties, with president Emmanuel Macron stating his government is going to name and shame such firms. Another government initiative would fine companies with more than 50 employees if there is an unjustified gender wage gap. Today is International Women's Day! "Gender equality is not just about fairness and justice in Europe it is also about a necessity to achieve sustainable peace and economic prosperity" Our joint statement on #IWD2018 https://t.co/qHwn4ljIS0 #EU4Women pic.twitter.com/vRaIGLVrJ2 European Commission (@EU_Commission) March 8, 2018 In Russia, the head of parliaments foreign affairs committee apologised after being accused of sexual harassment by several female journalists. Noting it was International Womens Day, Leonid Slutsky said on Facebook: I am using the occasion to ask forgiveness from those of you whom I freely or involuntarily caused suffering. The apology came after demonstrators, including opposition presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak, picketed outside Parliament, demanding Slutskys resignation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of the worlds most powerful women, said in a video message that the quest for greater gender equality in Germany and worldwide must continue. Many women before us have made sacrifices and fought persistently so that women would have more rights, she said. But theres still a lot to do. In Rome, Catholic women challenged Pope Francis to give women a greater voice in church affairs. Former Irish President Mary McAleese, an advocate for womens ordination and gay rights, accused the churchs all-male leadership of refusing to change womens second-class status. The Catholic Church has long since been a primary global carrier of the toxic virus of misogyny, McAleese said. On this International #WomensDay, let us together demand gender equality and womens empowerment. Let us declare #TimeIsNow. https://t.co/aenAZPRNMy pic.twitter.com/Zrdo0hvp7t Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 8, 2018 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on men to join in making gender equality a reality for all. He said: This is what women and girls want. And that is what I want. It is what every sensible man and boy should want. The White House meanwhile announced that first lady Melania Trump would present State Department courage awards to women from around the world at a ceremony on March 21. A police officer critically injured responding to the Salisbury nerve agent attack is in a stable condition, authorities confirmed as the injury toll climbed to 21. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey rushed to the aid of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who had been struck down by a toxic substance. Wiltshire Police temporary Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said the officer was in a serious, but stable, condition and had since regained consciousness. (PA Graphics) Counter-terror police are trying to pin down the source of the chemical weapon used against the 66-year-old ex-spy and his daughter, 33. Both remain seriously ill in hospital following the murder bid on Sunday. As uncertainty lingered over their fate, police said a total of 21 people had been seen for medical treatment in the aftermath of the incident. The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. It is feared that Mr Skripal who was convicted in his home country for selling secrets to MI6 was singled out for a state-sponsored assassination plot. Home Secretary Amber Rudd talks to Wiltshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Kier Pritchard in Salisbury, where Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent (Andrew Matthews/PA) DS Bailey, meanwhile, was praised as well-liked, well-loved, a massively dedicated officer as he continued to recover from the attack. He joined the force in 2002 and was commended in 2016 his work on a rape investigation. Prime Minister Theresa May echoed the sentiment, saying the events served as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by emergency staff. The acting Chief Constable of Wiltshire police says the officer injured in the Salisbury spy poisoning is sitting-up and recovering in hospital pic.twitter.com/4KiLkuiyqI Sky News (@SkyNews) March 8, 2018 Mr Pritchard said in a statement: I have visited Nick in hospital this afternoon and I can confirm that he is conscious, talking and engaging with people. He still remains in a serious, but stable, condition, but I am deeply relieved to have visited him and spoken with him in person. He added in an interview with Sky News: Of course hes very anxious, hes very concerned. He did his very best on that night. It comes amid a flurry of activity in Salisbury, where police sealed off the gravestone of Mr Skripals wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son, Alexander, who was cremated last year. They are located at separate sites in the London Road Cemetery, with each guarded by a police officer. Hundreds of investigators, led by counter-terror police, are working to find out who is responsible for what is feared to be a sophisticated plot amid heightened tensions between Britain and Russia. On Thursday night, an eyewitness said police had been searching a car at a vehicle recovery centre close to the Russian victims home earlier that day. He described seeing around 10 people in hazmat suits looking at the vehicle, which was said to be a Mercedes people-carrier. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the emergency services for their bravery and professionalism in continuing to deal with the incident in Salisbury. My thoughts are with all those affected, including the police officer who is being treated in hospital. Amber Rudd (@AmberRuddUK) March 7, 2018 Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the use of a chemical weapon on UK soil was a brazen and reckless act, and the Government stood ready to act as a clearer picture emerged. Russia has denied responsibility for the attack, which comes seven years after Mr Skripal was released from the country as part of a spy swap with the US. He had been convicted in his home country in 2006 for passing state secrets to MI6. Christians have routinely embraced a range of false dichotomies when it comes to so-called full-time ministry, confining such work to the life and vocation of the pastor, evangelist, or missionary. The implications are clear: Those who enter or leave such vocations are thought to be entering the work world or leaving the ministry, whether for business, education, government, or otherwise. Yet even when we reject such divides, recognizing the depth and breadth of Christian vocation, we still tend to parse which path is more special or specific when it comes to Christian calling. God may have called me to the factory floor, we might say, but despite the meaning I find in the workplace, such work is far less important or spiritually significant than the vocation of the pastor or priest. In a chapter from Essays for the Common Good, the latest ebook from the Made to Flourish network, pastor James E. Baucom, Jr. points out the dangers of such a perspective, as well as its surprising prevalence, even amid the seeming self-awareness of the faith and work movement. With apologies to all of my clergy friends and colleagues, there is nothing vocationally special about me, and there is nothing vocationally special about any of you, he writes. For Baucom, who serves as senior pastor of Columbia Church in Falls Church, VA, far too many Christians are still dwelling on a false dichotomy between vocation and occupation, often recognizing the spiritual value of everyday labor across the economic order even as they assign greater spiritual weight to clerical ministry, or assume a greater level of spiritual discernment is necessary therein and throughout. This common distinction [between occupation and vocation] raises a critical question for the faith, work, and economics movement, Baucom says. Does every person committed to the cause of Christ have a vocation, or are some called while others are merely occupied? More precisely, is everyone called to their career by God in specific ways, or are only those engaged explicitly in clerical Kingdom endeavors called forth by God while others are challenged to commend their chosen occupations to the common good retrospectively? In embracing this perspective, we dilute our economic imaginations and limit the scope of our service, both in the church and the world. Further, in doing so, Baucom argues that we are nurturing generations of Christ-followers who are becoming deaf to Gods call for all believers. What if, instead, we expanded our view to consider the diverse ways in which God is moving among those created in his image? To inspire that vision, Baucom draws heavily from the Bible, whether from our common calling to cultivate creation as a whole (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:15, Exodus 20:9) or our individual callings to manifest that cultivation in specific, Spirit-directed ways across the economy (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). There is no special manifestation of the Holy Spirit given to any particular category of believer, he writes, except that everyone receives gifts suitable to the work assigned them by God. The same God is working in all of us for the common good, and together we form one body of Christ at work in the world (1 Corinthians 4:12-26). Further, throughout the Biblical story, we see God working through and amid a wide variety of vocational and/or occupational paths and seasons, bringing diversity and unique expression to spiritual mission, whether we observe the similarities and differences of Jeremiah vs. Isaiah as prophets, Daniel vs. Nehemiah as political influencers, Moses vs. Joshua as leaders, or Samuel vs. Ezra as priests. Each has a specific calling. Each has a specific story when it comes to how they heard, discerned, and followed that calling. And yet none is elevated as more special or spiritually directed than the other. Drawing from his own context and experience, Baucom also recounts multiple occasions where congregants and pastors have challenged his basic assertion, each coming from a different perspective. Even in the faith and work movement, Baucom sees plenty of confusion and missed opportunity. Among congregants and workers: There are the proverbial people in the pews, many of whom would prefer to do whatever they like and whatever profits or pleases them most without regard to Gods plans for their careers. A theological construct in which calling has primarily to do with the clergy affords such persons greater personal freedom with lower degrees of accountability. Among pastors and those in clerical ministry: Far too many pastors are more than willing to play this gameWestern society has increasingly discounted pastors as respectable and valuable community leaders, and this fall from societal grace has not been easy for clerical professionals to stomach. The titans of our culture today are entrepreneurs and business magnates, not spiritual leaders. For many pastors, to acknowledge the calling of people as equal to their own is to affirm the collective judgment of the culture. Some clergy may hang on to the uniqueness of their calling as a sort of last bastion of dignity. Among leaders in the faith and work movement (business spiritualists): Leaders in the faith and work movement have also fed this phenomenon or at least missed significant opportunities to counter it by failing to acknowledge the importance and breadth of clergy and the larger church to our undertaking. Too often, faith, work, and economics entrepreneurs have fostered a disjointed and disconnected collective of parachurch (and sometimes antichurch) organizations whose leaders have ironically divorced Monday from Sunday in the same ways that so many congregrational leaders have divorced Sunday from Monday. Too many business spirtualists have failed to honor or even acknowledge the significant impacts of congregational leaders and congregations in the lives and careers of those they sought to impact, though they have no seemed to know it. In the end, Baucom doesnt so much point to balance as he paints an expansive yet simple view of whole-life discipleship. Without it, our vocabulary about vocation and calling will become muddled and confused and our economic activity will be fragmented and disconnected from an active embrace of spiritual empowerment and transformation across all spheres of society. Rather than solving some grand tension between occupation and vocation, what if we all embraced lives of ordinary discipleship everyday economic actors who view their lives as full-time ministry and everyday clerical ministers who see countless opportunities for creative service and common-good transformation? The call of God on a persons life is entirely ordinary to the experience of any true disciple of Jesus Christ, and that call encompasses every disciples occupation, he concludes. That is to say, vocation is basic to following Jesus. Image: Alfredo Mendez (CC BY 2.0) Joe Schmidt strongly defended his attacking blueprint after recent criticism about Irelands style of play. Ireland will tee up an all-out assault on a first Grand Slam in nine years if they beat Scotland in Saturdays NatWest 6 Nations clash in Dublin. Warren Gatland offered a droll apology for previously criticising counterpart Schmidts attacking style after Irelands 37-27 win over Wales two weeks ago, sarcastically branding the Irish performance that day so exciting. Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt, pictured, has defended his sides style of play (Brian Lawless/PA) Several columnists have even suggested Irelands gain-line power against Wales paid homage to Warrenball, the term Brian Smith coined to describe Gatlands hugely successful but no-holds barred power game. Gatland has always bristled against that term, and Schmidt has picked up that theme in insisting Irelands patterns of play are not limited. When asked if Ireland would employ a direct style against Scotland, Schmidt replied: Its ironic you say that, because Id probably challenge people to do a little bit more homework. I think there was some really good tight play against Wales and some stuff that went through the middle, but there was some stuff down the edges as well. Johnny Sextons pass for Jacob Stockdales try, thats still one of the best passes youd see in world rugby. Weve got to keep that variety to our game. See off the Scots and Ireland will chase just their third-ever Grand Slam when they England at Twickenham on Saturday, March 17. Garry Ringrose will start at outside centre to offset long-term injuries to midfielders Chris Farrell, Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne. Munster centre Farrell certainly wielded the kind of gainline bludgeon that typified Gatlands most successful teams, echoing the impact of former Wales battering ram Jamie Roberts, when Ireland overwhelmed Wales in Dublin. Former Leinster boss Schmidt clearly expanded Irelands gameplan in a busy autumn schedule however, where scrum-half Conor Murray often appeared in the fly-half channels, allowing Sexton to direct play from wider areas. And now Schmidt has hit back at suggestions that Ireland are not seeking expansive play, insisting his side have the capability for an all-court approach. At this stage weve probably made the third most offloads: its an area where people would love to beat us with a stick, and its probably overlooked by people that there is some continuity to our play, said Schmidt. Those sorts of things should allow us the variety to try to keep a sort of balance in what were doing to attack them. And then obviously defensively were going to have to link up very well. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks. The whiplash development would put two leaders who have repeatedly insulted, threatened and dismissed each other in the same room, possibly in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. It would have been an unthinkable suggestion just a few months ago, when the insults were at their peak Mr Trump was a senile dotard and Mr Kim was Little Rocket Man. Meanwhile, the North was firing off regular weapons tests in a dogged march towards its goal of a viable nuclear arsenal that can threaten the US mainland. Liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who some believe has manoeuvred the two leaders to this position, reflected the hope and relief many in South Korea feel about the planned summit. He declared on Friday that it will be a historical milestone that will put the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula really on track. But there is also considerable scepticism. North Korea, after all, has made a habit of reaching out after raising fears during previous crises with offers of dialogue meant to win aid and concessions. It has also, from the US point of view, repeatedly cheated on past nuclear deals. And now the North has landed a face-to-face meeting with the leader of the worlds most powerful country, a nation that Pyongyang has long sought to draw into talks. It hopes to establish a peace treaty to end the technically still-active Korean War and drive out all US troops from the Korean Peninsula, removing what the North says is a hostile encirclement of its territory by Washington and Seoul. Great progress being made, Mr Trump tweeted after the South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, emerged from a meeting with Mr Trump and announced the summit plans to reporters in a hastily called appearance on a White House driveway. That remains to be seen. Some speculate that the North is trying to peel Washington away from its ally Seoul, weaken crippling sanctions, buy time for nuclear development and win aid by setting up a meeting with Mr Trump that will win it concessions. North Korea said it will halt missile tests ahead of the meeting (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) North Korea still produces propaganda declaring its continuing dedication to the treasured sword of its nuclear programme. Washington still remains publicly dedicated to annual war games with the South that the North claims are an invasion rehearsal. They are expected to resume next month, after being postponed during the Winter Olympics in the South. Washington is also dedicated to keeping 28,500 troops in the South and 50,000 in Japan, largely as a way to deter North Korean aggression. Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have previously been overseen by lower-level experts, and have often been bogged down, even when so-called breakthroughs have come, in the details, such as allowing outsiders in to inspect North Koreas nuclear compliance, for instance. Now, the talks will start at the top and there will be no time to settle all the problems that have scuttled previous negotiations. It remains to be seen what Mr Trump and Mr Kim might decide in the highest-level meeting in what has been essentially a bloody, seven-decade stand-off between their countries. North Korea appeared to confirm the summit plans. A senior North Korean diplomat at the United Nations in New York, Pak Song Il, told The Washington Post in an email that the invitation was the result of Mr Kims broad-minded and resolute decision to contribute to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. Later, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the dramatic and surprising change of posture by Mr Kim led Mr Trump to agree to the meeting with the North Korean leader. Mr Tillerson said the US was taken aback at how forward-leaning Mr Kim was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation. He said it was the strongest indication to date of Mr Kims not just willingness but really his desire for talks. Mr Tillerson said Mr Trump made the decision himself after determining the time was right for talks but not formal negotiations. But he said it will take some weeks to arrange the timing for their meeting. Mr Tillerson spoke to reporters while travelling in Djibouti. Kenyas president and opposition leader have met for talks. The initiative comes months after the presidential elections sparked turmoil as the opposition charged there was electoral fraud. President Uhuru Kenyatta and former prime minister Raila Odinga said on Friday they had launched a new initiative to unify the country. File picture of Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyas president (Andew Winning/PA) Kenya is largely divided between tribes that supported the rival leaders, raising fears of violence. Had the pleasure of meeting my brother @UKenyatta for discussions on issues afflicting Kenya. We have resolved that the future our nation is more important than any sole individual pic.twitter.com/l9Knre4TBS Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) March 9, 2018 Journalists were not allowed to put questions and it was not clear if demands by Mr Odinga for new elections were discussed. Mr Odinga took court action challenging Mr Kenyattas victory in last years August election and the Supreme Court ordered a new election. Mr Odinga boycotted the repeat election in October, saying adequate electoral reforms had not been made. The UK Government has published details of the devolved powers at the heart of a dispute with Scottish and Welsh ministers. UK ministers want to retain temporary control in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, food labelling and public procurement after Brexit. They say a temporary restriction on the devolved governments using some of the powers returning from the EU is to help ensure an orderly departure from EU law and to provide certainty to UK businesses while new legislative frameworks are agreed. Massive attempted power grab confirmed by publication of @GovUK list - now need considered response from them on constructive proposals put by @MarkDrakeford and I in London yesterday https://t.co/HxkObYBWst Michael Russell (@Feorlean) March 9, 2018 The Scottish and Welsh governments have accused the UK Government of a power grab and introduced their own legislation. Analysis released by the UK Government states there are 153 areas where EU laws intersect with devolved competence. It says the vast majority of powers returning from Brussels will be controlled by Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast from day one of Brexit. However, there are 24 policy areas it says are expected to require a UK legislative framework and where it is intended that existing EU rules and regulations will roll over into UK law for a temporary period. These include agricultural support, animal health, chemicals regulation, fisheries management and support, food labelling and public procurement. There are a further 12 areas that UK ministers believe are reserved but are under discussion with the devolved administrations, including migrant access to benefits and state aid. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington (David Mirzoeff/PA) Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said: This is cast-iron evidence that the EU Withdrawal Bill will deliver significant brand new powers for the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The vast majority of these new powers will be in the control of the devolved administrations on the day we leave the EU. There is a much smaller group of powers where the devolved governments will be required to follow current EU laws for a little bit longer while we work out a new UK approach. We are discussing with the devolved governments how this process will work but, as the UK Government, we feel very strongly that we must have the ability to take action to protect the UK internal market which represents a huge investment to everyone in the UK. Mr Lidington said the analysis had been published to be open and transparent, adding he hoped an agreement can still be reached with the devolved administrations. Scotlands Brexit minister Michael Russell said: This list simply confirms the UK Governments plans for a power grab. We are not opposed to working together on joint frameworks in some of these areas but we have been given no assurances on how frameworks will operate, who makes the decisions about them and how we would be able to ensure Scotlands interests are properly protected. Both the Scottish and Welsh governments have brought forward their own legislation as a backstop to ensure the continuity of EU law in devolved areas in the event that agreement is not reached over the UKs withdrawal bill. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones are due to hold talks with Theresa May next week. Cagliari forward Joao Pedro has been banned indefinitely by Italys national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) after testing positive for a banned substance. The Brazilian failed a doping test following the goalless draw between Cagliari and Sassuolo on February 11 after the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide was found in his sample. NADO Italia issued a statement on their official website on Friday morning, it read: The first section of the TNA (national anti-doping court), in accepting the petition proposed by the National Anti-Doping Prosecutors Office, has proceeded to suspend Joao Pedro Gerardino Dos Santos Galvao, who was found positive for the substance hydrochlorothiazide following a check made by NADO Italia at the end of the Serie A match between Cagliari and Sassuolo on February 11, 2018. Joao Pedro is the second Serie A player to be banned for a failed doping test this season (Johnny Green/PA) Pedro is the second Serie A player to be suspended this season after Benevento captain Fabio Lucioni was given a one-year ban for the use of the steroid clostebol, which was reportedly applied to heal a cut in September. The club doctor who administered the spray on Lucioni, Walter Giorgione, was also handed a four-year suspension. Police officers across the country have sent supportive messages to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey as he recovers from exposure to a nerve agent. The Wiltshire Police officer, who joined the force in 2002 and was commended in 2016 for his work on a serial rape investigation, is conscious in Salisbury District Hospital following the attempted murder of a Russian double agent and his daughter. His chief constable Kier Pritchard hailed him as an amazingly courageous officer. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is in hospital after a Russian ex-spy was targeted with a nerve agent (Wiltshire Police/PA) He said: Hes a great character, hes a huge presence in Wiltshire Police well liked, well loved, a massively dedicated officer. Hes well, hes sat up. He is not the Nick that I know but of course hes receiving a high level of treatment. Of course hes very anxious, hes very concerned. He did his very best on that night. Our thoughts are with Sgt Nick Bailey, his family, those affected by this incident, and our neighbours @WiltshirePolice, who are no doubt missing their colleague. Wishing him a very speedy recovery https://t.co/6qGMUmZhgQ Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) March 9, 2018 And Simon Kempton, of the Police Federation paid tribute to DS Bailey, saying: Hes really highly regarded. Everyone knows Nick and hes really well thought of. He brought a really serious sex offender to justice. The National Police Chiefs Council said: Sgt Nick Bailey and the emergency services first on the scene in Salisbury exemplify the values of public service. It is good to see the public support for them today. His colleagues on the force, and others, also tweeted to wish him well. Sending positive thoughts to @wiltshirepolice colleague Sgt Nick Bailey for a full and speedy recovery following the nerve agent attack. Sgt Bailey, you have the ENTIRE #PoliceFamily thinking of you & your family at this time @wiltspoliceCC #JobLikeNoOther pic.twitter.com/QySsznZ5qy Sam Sparkes (@samsparkes999) March 9, 2018 Wiltshire Police Sergeant Louis McCoy said: Hes my friend, hes trending on twitter right now, big shout out to you mate. Lets get you fit and back! And Avon and Somerset Police said: Wishing him a very speedy recovery. Sue Mountstevens, Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, said: Sergeant Nick Bailey is an example of how emergency service staff really do go above and beyond their role for their communities. Our thoughts are with Nicks family & friends and we are wishing Nick a speedy recovery. Sam Sparkes, a roads policing officer, said: Sending positive thoughts to @wiltshirepolice colleague Sgt Nick Bailey for a full and speedy recovery following the nerve agent attack. Sgt Bailey, you have the ENTIRE #PoliceFamily thinking of you & your family at this time. Sergeant Nick Bailey is an example of how emergency service staff really do go above and beyond their role for their communities. Our thoughts are with Nick's family & friends and we are wishing Nick a speedy recovery. @PCCWiltsSwindon @wiltshirepolice https://t.co/6OvZUQhXFw Avon & Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner (@AandSPCC) March 9, 2018 On Thursday night neighbours in his village outside Salisbury described him as a very nice guy with a lovely family. When I found out I get shocked and immediately worried for him and his family, said a 60-year-old neighbour, who did not want to be named. I hope he makes a full recovery and he and his family can move on from this. The Afghan president has condemned a suicide bombing that targeted a gathering of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul. The attack, which claimed the lives of nine people, has been claimed by the Islamic State group. President Ashraf Ghanis statement, shortly after Fridays bombing in western Kabul, promised that those behind the attack would be given the death penalty, if found and convicted. He said the bombing was intended to frighten Afghans but that the perpetrators would not succeed. Sunglasses covered in blood are left at the site of the suicide attack (Massoud Hossaini/AP) Meanwhile, the Islamic State group in a statement posted on an IS-affiliated website said it was behind the Kabul attack. The suicide bomber targeting the minority community blew himself up at a police checkpoint in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said. According to Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the bomber was on foot and was trying to strike a gathering of Hazaras who were commemorating the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, killed at the hands of the Taliban. The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesman said. One policeman was among the dead. Local Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told the gathering that the explosion was an attempt to terrorise Afghans. A soldier stands guard near the site of the suicide attack (Massoud Hossaini/AP) He blamed the Taliban and the Islamic State, both of which have targeted ethnic Hazaras in the past. Most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, and Sunni militants consider all Shiites heretics and urge followers to kill them. The spokesman for the health ministry, Wahid Majro, said several of the wounded were in critical condition and feared the death toll could rise further. In other developments, the Taliban launched a deadly assault overnight on an army outpost in a remote region of Afghanistans northern Takhar province, killing six soldiers and wounding five in a blistering hours-long attack, defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. Members of the local police who were sent to assist the soldiers were ambushed by the Taliban while on their way to the outpost in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. Ten local policemen were killed and nine were wounded in the ambush, provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault and the police deaths. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report could not be independently confirmed because of the areas remoteness. Three men have been arrested in connection with the death of a man at his home in Glasgow. James Watt, 40, was found dead in his flat at Copland Quadrant, Ibrox, in February. Police Scotland said in a statement: Police Scotland can confirm that three men aged 18, 20 and 30 have been arrested in connection with the death of James Watt in Copland Quadrant, Ibrox, on Friday February 23. Saudi Arabia is targeting children in the brutal war in Yemen with a growing sense of impunity, a charity chief has warned as the countrys key power player completed a high-profile visit to the UK. Killing and subjecting minors to appalling violence is becoming normalised in conflict zones around the world, Save the Children chief executive Kevin Watkins warned. He spoke on the final day of a three-day official visit and charm offensive by Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which included talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and an audience with the Queen. Downing Street said the Prime Minister raised the situation in Yemen with the Saudi royal. As the UK continues to #Welcome_Saudi_Crown_Prince, we have one message for him: #DontBombChildren. Join us and stand up for Yemens children > https://t.co/dlqT0AYOr6 pic.twitter.com/WNSIeMY0rB Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) March 9, 2018 The Gulf state is an important defence partner for the UK, but the sale of arms to the country is highly controversial, especially since its intervention in Yemen. The crown prince is due to hold talks with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday. Mr Watkins criticised the welcome given to the crown prince, saying that in Yemen the Saudis were orchestrating what will potentially become the worst famine in the last 50 years. Speaking in London at the launch of The War On Children, a report into crimes against children in warzones, Mr Watkins said: It has become acceptable to operate humanitarian blockades which, if not explicitly designed to starve children and harm children, will have that inevitable consequence. The fact that we have the head of state of a government that has been operating such a blockade Saudi Arabia recently invited to Buckingham Palace and Downing Street while the military is orchestrating what will potentially become the worst famine in the last 50 years, I think speaks volumes to another aspect of the problem that I want to highlight the growing sense of impunity surrounding these crimes against children. The fact that you can rape, murder, kidnap, bomb schools, bomb clinics with no consequence, speaks I think to the heart of the deeper challenge that we are addressing today. Saudi Arabias crown prince Mohammad bin Salman is greeted by Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street on the first day of his three-day visit to the UK (Victoria Jones/PA) Yemen, which borders southern Saudi Arabia, has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since 2014 when rebels took over the capital city of Sanaa. Saudi Arabia is the main player in a coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis in a war which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe. Prince Salman, 32, is the son of the 82-year-old Saudi king and his visit comes at a time when he is taking steps to modernise the ultra-conservative Arab state. Ahead of his visit, the crown prince signalled the importance of the UK-Saudi Arabia relationship to security, saying both countries would be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia. The Prince of Wales with Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Duke of Cambridge before they had dinner at Clarence House, London (Yui Mok/PA) The crown prince was treated to a private dinner with the Prime Minister at Chequers on Thursday night and has also met with the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge. Downing Street said trade deals worth 65 billion had been agreed during the visit, which were important both for our economy and the economy of Saudi Arabia. Regarding Mrs Mays meeting, a Downing Street spokesman said: The Prime Minister raised our deep concerns at the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The Prime Minister and Crown Prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen. Professor Green has compared the state of the country to the Grenfell Tower fire as he attacked the Governments record on homelessness. The musician and filmmaker, 34, said Grenfell symbolises the entire country, its on fire, as he visited a homeless charity and shelter near his home in south-east London. Professor Green, real name Stephen Manderson, recently removed a bar dubbed an anti-homeless device that had been attached to a public bench in Bournemouth and has previously fronted a documentary on the topic for the BBC. He told the Press Association: It feels like we have a Government who dont really care that much about the most vulnerable people in our society. The Government talks about the country being in a better place because economically its doing better but you should judge a countrys success on its people and the happiness of its people. Im at the 999 Club today with the #NationalLottery to see how they are tackling homelessness in the local community. pic.twitter.com/AbJw3ICIiS Gut issues? (@professorgreen) March 9, 2018 He also attacked a now-dropped plan by Windsor council to fine rough sleepers ahead of the royal wedding in May. They dont wanna solve the problem, they just dont want homeless people visible, he said. Theres no want to solve the problem, no care, no empathy, they just want them out the way so it looks pretty because the problem is they make the place look bad. Rapper Professor Green meets service users whilst visiting lottery-funded homeless charity 999 Club in Deptford, south London, to promote the National Lottery Awards (Victoria Jones/PA) He said he had seen huge unrest during filming his documentaries, adding: The country is desperate for change. I think everything is coming to a head, you look at Grenfell, I think it symbolises the entire country, its on fire. The musician met with users and volunteers at the 999 Club in Deptford which provides advice, shelter, health checks and activities for homeless people in Lewisham and wider south London. The charity has received more than 360,000 of National Lottery funding for its Move On Up project which aims to empower people to resolve the issues that led to their homelessness. Rapper Professor Green (Victoria Jones/PA) The project has been entered for the National Lottery Awards 2018. Manderson called on people to lobby their local councils to help end homelessness, adding: You may not be able to make a huge change but coming together we can make little changes and bit-by-bit we can chip away at it and hopefully turn our country into a better place. Earlier this month housing minister Heather Wheeler promised to resign if the problem of rough sleeping gets worse on her watch. She insisted there would be improvements after the plight of Englands estimated 4,700 rough sleepers was starkly highlighted by the Beast from the East storm which plunged the country into sub-zero temperatures last week. Last week I had an essay exploring Abraham Kuypers interactions with Islam, focused particularly on his tour around the Mediterranean Sea in the early years of the twentieth century. As I argue, Throughout his travels, Kuyper was confronted by the diversity, vitality, and comprehensiveness of the Islamic faith. In Islam, Kuyper sees a world-shaping civilization force, one with the cogency and dynamism to rival Christianity. Kuypers reflections remain salient today, as his engagement of and appreciation for the motivating power of religion surpasses the now-defunct, mid-twentieth-century hegemony of narratives of secularization. Kuyper saw Islam as both a challenge and as an opportunity, for both Christianity and the West. As I conclude, Kuypers ability to recognize what was and was not required by fidelity to his own confession provides a wonderful model for cross-cultural and interreligious engagement today. Thankfully we also have an example of just that sort of incisive and generous spirit on this topic in Matthew Kaemingks new volume, Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear. I was honored to endorse this fine volume, which brings a Kuyperian perspective to bear on the pressing challenges of responsible neighborliness and charity. Heres what I said: In this compelling work Matthew Kaemingk asks what Amsterdam has to do with Mecca, and the answers he finds turn out to have implications the world over. . . . The charity and clarity on display here will challenge Christians to think more deeply, and to act more responsibly, in response to the call to live peacefully and faithfully with Muslim neighbors. Kaemingk also had an essay run on this topic last week, provocatively titled, A Calvinist Defense of Islam. As he puts it, For all Christians should know (especially my fellow Calvinists) that they neither earned nor deserved the love and hospitality that Christ demonstrated to them on the cross. Furthermore, they should know full well that they are called to demonstrate that same love and hospitality to their neighbors. Kaemingk will be speaking this year at Acton University, and I highly recommend attending his session on Islam, Religious Freedom, and Reformed Political Theology if you can. Even if you are not convinced you will be challenged and better for it. One of the standard responses to Kaemingks proposal from Christians runs something like this: your Calvinist case for hospitality toward Muslims may be well and good, but what about their responsibilities? Why dont you say more about what Muslims must do when faced with the challenges of religious pluralism? My own response is that it is quite enough for a single book to lay out a convincing case for a shift in posture, attitude, and behavior towards others. During the roundtable last month about Kuypers volume On Islam, at one point I somewhat cheekily remarked that Kuyper might well contend that Islam needs its own Kuyper, that is, a theorist of sphere sovereignty and pluralism. There are many who are working on such a project today, and part of what it means to be a good neighbor is to bear with one anothers shortcomings and imperfectionseven as we accept help and seek to provide help along the way. Islam has to find its own path from a pre-modern to todays world, both in doctrine and in practice. It is perhaps easy for Christians to forget that we have had to walk this path ourselves, and it wasnt (and isnt) a development that happens overnight or is a once-and-for-all phenomenon. The checkered relationship between Christianity and Judaism is sufficient and humbling evidence enough of that. Jose Mourinho hit back at critical pundits unable to resolve their own problems when they were managers ahead of Manchester Uniteds clash with rivals Liverpool. Old Trafford hosts a mouthwatering encounter between second and third on Saturday lunchtime as Jurgen Klopps swashbuckling side look to usurp the Red Devils. There has been much debate over how Mourinho will set up against Liverpools potent attack in a match that his side approach fresh from Mondays remarkable 3-2 comeback win at Crystal Palace. Former United defender Gary Neville was highly critical of aspects of his old teams display. Ex-Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness has also been a regular critic of United this term, with Mourinho seemingly returning fire on the eve of the Saturdays game. You know, some of the guys with an opinion they couldnt resolve their own problems when they were managers, Mourinho said. So, they are giving opinions like they have solutions for everything, but it is not like that. It is not like that. But they are in a position where they can give opinions about everything. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has had enough of pundits picking faults in his team (John Walton/PA) Sometimes I read, sometimes I dont, sometimes I listen, sometimes I dont. Honestly, this week I was more focused on enjoying Champions League and Europa League and preparing my match than be focused on opinions. Neville has not returned to management since his ill-fated reign at Valencia ended in 2016, while Souness last role came at Newcastle in 2006. The battle for second place A landmark game A crucial run at Old Trafford All that and much more... Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 9, 2018 Pundits were the subject of greater hostility than Liverpool in Mourinhos pre-match press conference as he claimed to still not fully grasp the rivalry. I still dont know (how much this match means) because in my mentality every match is the same and Im not very good on that culture of this rivalry is special, that match is special Ive never been very, very good at it, the United boss said. I never looked to AC Milan as the biggest rival (when I was at Inter Milan), I never looked at Atletico Madrid as the enemy (when at Real Madrid), I never look to Spurs or to Arsenal as the big rival (when at Chelsea). Ive never been very, very good on it. For me, it is just a big match: two historical clubs not just in England but in the world. In this moment, important points for top four, important points for second position that is better than third and fourth. But I still dont look to some matches as special opponents. It is just a big match because we are speaking about two big clubs. Mourinho claims not to have felt any change around the club or the city ahead of Liverpools arrival, although he hopes United fans will have an edge on Saturday given his well-documented frustrations about the Old Trafford atmosphere. (The atmosphere) helps, said the United boss, who can call upon Marouane Fellaini on Saturday after the midfielders recovery from knee surgery. The boss confirms that @EricBailly24 is now fully fit, and Marouane Fellaini could also return to the squad. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Ck4cTLi3cL Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 9, 2018 Crystal Palace, I can imagine if we are losing 2-0 and our away fans, I dont how many, 2,000 or something, we could feel disapproval and criticism or support. We were 2-0 down and we only felt support and with the 2-1 we kept feeling more belief and with 2-2 we were feeling that they wanted us to go for it. So, they can help and, of course, Old Trafford is a huge majority of Manchester United fans, so they can help. Pep Guardiola has played down reports he is close to signing a new contract at Manchester City. It was claimed earlier this week the City managers agent Josep Maria Orobitg was due to fly to Manchester to conclude fresh terms with the club on behalf of his client. Guardiola, who has one more full season remaining on his present contract, insists that is not the case. Pep Guardiola has one more year remaining on his contract at Manchester City (Martin Rickett/PA) Guardiola speaking to media. On reports his agent has been discussing a new contract he says, "Sometimes journalists get bad information. My agent has not been in town." #MCFC pic.twitter.com/P6s7ZzF3fj Andy Hampson (@andyhampson) March 9, 2018 He said: Sometimes a journalist receives bad information. My agent is not in town was not, is not, will not be in town in the next weeks. City are keen to secure the services of Guardiola for the long term and talks had been planned for the summer. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss, who took charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, has overseen an outstanding campaign. City, who are 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League, are just four wins away from securing the title. They have already won the Carabao Cup and are also through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Think Wigan is still on his mind. Guardiola: I don't like to play on a Monday. At the weekend everyone is involved - then the weekend is over. I don't know if the players can be ready but we are going to work on that #MCFC pic.twitter.com/U3hPVHD8Df Andy Hampson (@andyhampson) March 9, 2018 Guardiola acknowledges that they are closing in on glory but stresses the job is not completed yet. He said: The distance is not normal in the beginning of March. Its like I said before, its almost done. But we are not the champions. The champions are still Chelsea. We have to get the points as soon as possible, knowing that we have the opportunity. I know everyone wants to anticipate the situation and what will happen, everyone is thinking about when we will win the title. #PEP: Some of the players are better. @fernandinho is much better. We have one or two training sessions until the game, we are going to decide on Sunday. Delph is like this, like that (50/50). The players are off today, so I dont know the exact situation. Manchester City (@ManCity) March 9, 2018 But the best example was two days ago. Nobody thought we could lose against Basel and we lost against Basel. We need to be relaxed, stay calm and think about Stoke City. City were beaten 2-1 by the Swiss champions, their first home loss for 18 months, but it did not prevent them going through to the Champions League last eight 5-2 on aggregate. They now return to league action as they travel to Stoke on Monday. City thrashed the Potters 7-2 when they met earlier in the campaign but Guardiola is not thrilled about the prospect of a trip to the bet365 Stadium on a Monday night. When you've got to wait until Monday for the City game pic.twitter.com/csOeyA0TxL Manchester City (@ManCity) March 9, 2018 He said: I dont like to play on Monday because at the weekend everybody is involved and when the weekend is over, they are like the weekend is over, there are no more games, but we have to play. I dont know if the players can be ready, but we are going to work on that these next few days. Jupp Heynckes believes Joshua Kimmich can go on to emulate Philipp Lahm after the full-back committed himself to Bayern Munich until 2023. The 23-year-old has already played more than 100 games for Bayern after joining the runaway Bundesliga leaders from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2015. Kimmich had been linked with a move to Manchester City to rejoin former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola but has poured cold water on such speculation by extending his stay in Munich by three years. Manager Heynckes paid him the highest of compliments by comparing him to the much-garlanded Lahm, who retired at the end of last season. Heynckes told a press conference: Joshua Kimmich is a very intelligent and professional lad. He has great potential to develop and is incredibly talented. He can follow in Philipp Lahms footsteps. It is a case of when not if Bayern win another Bundesliga title, and they will attempt to make it 16 wins from their last 17 matches when struggling Hamburg visit on Saturday. Jupp Heynckes thinks Joshua Kimmich can follow in the footsteps of Philipp Lahm (pictured) (Adam Davy/EMPICS) Heynckes said: We have analysed our opponent. Hamburg are obviously under incredible pressure. Were at home and want to build on our good performance in Freiburg. Bayern will be without forward James Rodriguez, who is back in training after a calf injury but will not be risked. Hamburg can take heart from the fact they only lost 1-0 to Bayern in October but since then Bernd Hollerbachs side have won only two matches and are on a 12-match winless run. This week there was a reshuffle behind the scenes, with Heribert Bruchhagen relieved of his duties as chairman. The club sit second from bottom of the table, seven points adrift of safety, but Hollerbach is determined to stay positive. He told a press conference reported on the club website: Of course, Bayern are the best team in Germany, if not in all of Europe. So its undoubtedly going to be difficult. In previous weeks we have been much more stable and we have been playing with more courage. But in addition to our improved defence, we want to be creating more chances to take the lead. Nothings set in stone yet. We know its a tough situation, but I am convinced that we can stay up. Hamburg will be without Albin Ekdal, Bjarne Thoelke, Mergim Mavraj and Nicolai Muller. Sir Elton John has recalled how answering an advert in long-running music magazine NME changed his life as the publication released its final ever weekly print edition. The hitmaker paid tribute to the staple of every teenage music fans bedroom as it announced was focusing solely on its digital output following Fridays last ever free print edition. Publishers Time Inc announced the news earlier this week, citing rising production costs and a tough advertising market. A street vendor hands out the Iconic British music paper New Music Express (NME), the last give-away issue to be printed (AP /Frank Augstein) Dozens of musicians, journalists and readers shared memories of to the magazine which features London rising star Stefflon Don on the front of its final ever issue. Sir Elton recalled how he had met his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin in the magazines advertising pages and thanked them for Charles Shaar Murray, a former NME journalist. He wrote on Twitter: When I was a teenager, I read you from cover to cover. I met Bernie Taupin through an ad in the back pages. It changed my life forever. Thanks for so many memories, and Charles Shaar Murray. Farewell to #NME. When I was a teenager, I read you from cover to cover. I met Bernie Taupin through an ad in the back pages. It changed my life forever. Thanks for so many memories, and Charles Shaar Murray. E x pic.twitter.com/5VSrlncfgf Elton John (@eltonofficial) March 9, 2018 Sir Elton has previously revealed how in 1967 the duo both answered the same advertisement looking for songwriters in the NME in London. Taupin travelled down from his home in Lincolnshire to lodge with Sir Eltons family in Pinner. Although they failed the subsequent audition, they have gone on to create more than 30 albums together. Foals, Kasabian, The Clash, Lily Allen, Mogwai and journalist Danny Baker were among other stars paying tribute to the magazine which launched in 1952 and went free in September 2015. The development comes at a tumultuous time in the magazine world, with Glamour announcing it would be printing a paper magazine only twice a year, and with its online site focusing on beauty. A jump in GKN shares helped buoy the FTSE 100 after the engineering giant agreed to a merger involving its automotive business in a move meant to stave off a hostile 7.4 billion takeover bid by Melrose. Londons blue chip index ended the day up 0.3% or 21.27 points at 7,224.51 points, with GKN among the biggest risers, up 13.7p at 435.1p. It comes amid news that specialist car part manufacturer Dana will pay 1.6 billion US dollars cash to GKN as part of a deal to combine with GKNs Driveline division, which booked 377 million in profit last year on revenues of 5.3 billion. Under terms of the agreement, Dana shareholders will own 52.75% of the company and GKN the remainder, with the combined company set to be domiciled in the UK as Dana which will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. GKN shares were one of the best performers on Londons blue chip index on Friday (PA) In currency markets, the pound was trading higher against the US dollar, up 0.3% at 1.385, and rose 0.3% versus the euro to 1.124 as investors digested a raft of data released by the Office for National Statistics on Friday. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: The pound has had a fairly decent week ahead of next weeks spring statement, with the latest economic data pointing to a fairly decent rebound in economic activity in January. However, he noted that the data wasnt all good with the trade balance still showing little signs of improving. Across Europe, the French Cac 40 closed higher by 0.4% while the German Dax ended the day in the red, down 0.07%. Brent crude prices jumped 2% to around 65.22 US dollars per barrel as the commodity bounced back from two straight days of losses, buoyed by a weaker US dollar which made it cheaper for foreign buyers. In UK stocks, BAE Systems rose 12.8p to 601.8p after the company moved a step close to sealing a multi-billion pound contract to supply Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. BAE Systems shares were trading higher (PA) Inmarsat tumbled 31.2p to 432.7p as the satellite company said it was cutting the annual dividend to 20p as it ramped up investments in its in-flight wifi services. That is compared with the 53.96 cents proposed for its total dividend for 2016. Troubled building supplies firm SIG fell 13.5p to 136.3p amid news that a number of employees will leave the business following disciplinary investigations relating to accounting irregularities and mis-stated profits. It comes as SIG also unveiled its full-year results, which saw losses narrow to 51.2 million but the firm warn over a precarious UK market. Bargain Booze owner Conviviality plunged 15p to 108p, piling further pain on shares which fell nearly 60% a day earlier after warning on profits. Investors were unmoved by news that chief executive Diana Hunter shelled out more than 50,000 for 44,000 shares on Friday, while finance chief Mark Moran bought a further 120,000 shares. The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were NMC Health up 152p to 3,514p, Ashtead Group up 65.5p to 2,010p, GKN up 13.7p at 435.1p, and Rentokil Initial up 8.1p at 272.4p. The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were WPP down 26p to 1,204.5p, Paddy Power Betfair down 115p to 7,885p, Shire down 36p to 3,192.5p, and National Grid down 7.9p at 783.7p. Troops have been deployed to help police probing the nerve agent poisoning of spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter as attention turned to the cemetery where his wife and son were laid to rest. A convoy of military vehicles rolled into the car park at Salisbury District Hospital to recover a police car while a short distance away at the cemetery, officers in hazmat suits were seen placing a blue forensic tent over his sons memorial stone before appearing to place items in several yellow barrels. Military vehicles at Salisbury District Hospital (Henry Vaughan/PA) The grave of Mr Skripals wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son Alexander who was cremated last year, were cordoned off at the London Road cemetery. Mr Skripal, 66, and Yulia, 33, are still in a very serious condition five days after they were discovered slumped on a bench in the Wiltshire city centre. Around 180 troops, including Royal Marines, RAF Regiment troops and chemical warfare specialists, are understood to have been deployed after Scotland Yard requested specialist help to remove vehicles and objects from scenes scattered across the city amid contamination fears. A Met spokesman said: The public should not be alarmed and the public health advice remains the same. Military assistance will continue as necessary during this investigation. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: We have the right people with the right skills to assist with this crucial inquiry. And defence minister Tobias Ellwood told the Press Association: The complexity, the geographic challenge as well of mapping out the entirety of the crime scene, has meant it makes obvious sense to allow the armed forces to do a lot of the guarding, giving space to the police to do the detective work. He said it was also a reflection of the seriousness of the situation. The daughter of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal,, Yulia Skripal,was targeted alongside her father in a nerve agent attack (Yulia Skripal/Facebook via AP) Asked what options he thinks Britain should be looking at if there is evidence of state involvement, Mr Ellwood said: We mustnt get ahead of ourselves but we must have a robust response and its something that well be discussing with our Nato partners and with the forthcoming summit in Brussels in July. He added: Some big questions arise as to how do you stand up to a clandestine and sinister attack deliberately done to play havoc in our society. Home Secretary Amber Rudd earlier visited the city centre and the hospital where Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was part of the initial response by authorities, is in a serious condition. Police launched an attempted murder inquiry after Mr Skripal and his daughter were exposed to a nerve agent. Ms Rudd declined to reveal any further details about the substance, how it was deployed, or who is suspected of carrying out the poisoning. Incident in #Salisbury - military resources to assist emergency services to remove a number of vehicles and objects from town centre; public health advice remains the same. https://t.co/lAyxEQZaNF pic.twitter.com/6OQZlR2lJQ Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 9, 2018 Lord Blair, a former Met Commissioner, suggested on the BBCs Today programme the detective attended Mr Skripals home. He said: There obviously are some indications the officer, and Im very sorry that he has been injured, has actually been to the house, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. So there may be some clues floating around in here. (PA Graphics) The circumstances of the attack, and its echoes of the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, have prompted questions over the Governments response if the evidence points to a state-sponsored assassination plot. Police said 21 people had been seen for medical treatment since the incident. The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. Home Secretary Amber Rudd talks to Kier Pritchard in Salisbury (Andrew Matthews/PA) Russia has denied responsibility for the attack, which comes seven years after Mr Skripal was released from the country as part of a spy swap with the US. He was convicted in his home country in 2006 for passing state secrets to MI6. Tens of thousands of Slovaks rallied in massive anti-government protests across the country to demand a thorough investigation of the killings of an investigative reporter and his fiancee, and changes in government. The protesters packed a central square in Bratislava and other rallies were taking place in dozens of other places in Slovakia as well as abroad, the biggest since the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The organisers want foreign experts to join the team investigating the killings and the creation of a new trustworthy government with no people who are suspected of corruption or ties to organised crime. Jan Kuciaks last, unfinished story was about the activities of Italian mafia in Slovakia and their ties to people close to prime minister Robert Fico, whose government is allegedly also linked to other corruption scandals. Slovakia is shaken as it has not been for a long time, organiser Karolina Farska said. Candles sit in front of a photo of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee during an anti-government rally in Bratislava, Slovakia (Ronald Zak/AP) The peaceful protesters had a message for Mr Fico: Resign, they repeatedly chanted. In the wake of the unprecedented slayings of Mr Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, Slovakia quickly turned from what seemed to be a stable European Union country into chaos. In a speech last month, President Andrej Kiska talked about his country as successful, proud and self-confident. On March 4, however, he said Slovakia faces a serious political crisis triggered by the shooting deaths. Police said Mr Kuciaks killing was likely linked to his work. The political storm has been intensifying daily since the bodies were found February 25. Amid heated exchanges between the ruling coalition and the opposition, claims byMr Fico of conspiracies against him, and his repeated verbal attacks on Mr Kiska, a growing number of people have started to turn against the Fico government, threatening its very existence. Many have realised that the situation is becoming critical, said Michal Vasecka, an analyst from the Bratislava Policy Institute think tank. A fight started to prevent Slovakia from becoming another Hungary, an autocracy controlled by a small group of oligarchs. Reflecting the popular mood and growing protests, Mr Kiska has called for substantial changes in the government or for an early election to resolve the crisis. Theres a huge public distrust of the state, Mr Kiska said. And many dont trust law enforcement authorities This distrust is justified. We crossed the line, things went too far and theres no way back. Mr Fico fired back, accusing the president of destabilising the country with help from Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, whom Mr Kiska met with privately in New York in September. People gather in Bratislava for an anti-government rally (Ronald Zak/AP) Mr Soros dismissed Mr Ficos suggestion he might have anything to do with the presidents proposals and the anti-government protests. Mr Vasecka, the analyst, said Mr Ficos conspiracy claims likely anger some people and contribute to their decision to join the protests because they hark back to the 1990s and the rule of authoritative prime minister Vladimir Meciar who led the country into international isolation. Mr Meciar also targeted Mr Soros. It reminds people of Meciar and also of communist rule. And a large part of society is very sensitive about it, Mr Vasecka said. A junior party in the ruling coalition is demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak. Thousands already demanded Mr Kalinaks resignation last year after he was linked to earlier corruption scandals. Meanwhile, the opposition has requested a parliamentary no-confidence vote on the government, but a date has yet to be set. Mr Fico called the opposition request an attempted coup. Investigators have been summoned for emergency talks on the crisis in Salisbury, where the fallout from a suspected nerve agent attack continues to widen. Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Governments Cobra committee at 3pm on Saturday to receive updates on the police case, Downing Street said. Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia are still fighting for their lives after being exposed to a toxic substance in the Wiltshire city last Sunday. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was part of the initial response by authorities, is also in a serious condition. Police turned their attention on Friday to the cemetery where the 66-year-old Russians wife and son were laid to rest. Officers in hazmat suits were seen placing a blue forensic tent over his sons memorial stone before appearing to stuff items in several yellow barrels. Soldiers remove a contaminated police car (Army/PA) The grave of Mr Skripals wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son Alexander, who was cremated last year, were cordoned off at the London Road cemetery.Apparent fears of chemical contamination have also seen Mr Skripals home cordoned off while detectives attempt to pin down the origins of the substance used to incapacitate him. A short distance away, a convoy of military vehicles rolled into the car park at Salisbury District Hospital to recover a police car. Around 180 troops, including Royal Marines, RAF Regiment troops and chemical warfare specialists, are understood to have been deployed after Scotland Yard requested specialist help. Hazmat suits have been a regular sight in the Wiltshire city since the attack (Andrew Matthews/PA) Mr Skripal and Yulia, 33, are still in a very serious condition five days after they were discovered slumped on a bench in the city centre. Suspicion is mounting that Russia carried out the attempt on their lives as an act of revenge against the former intelligence officer, who was convicted in 2006 of selling state secrets to MI6. He was later released as part of a spy swap with the US. The Kremlin denies responsibility and British ministers have urged caution over apportioning blame until the facts become clear. A tent was erected over the grave of Liudmila Skripal, the wife of Sergei Skripa (PA) Defence minister Tobias Ellwood told the Press Association that the militarys presence reflected the seriousness of the situation, adding: We mustnt get ahead of ourselves but we must have a robust response and its something that well be discussing with our Nato partners and with the forthcoming summit in Brussels in July. Some big questions arise as to how do you stand up to a clandestine and sinister attack deliberately done to play havoc in our society? Had the pleasure of taking @AmberRuddHR to meet Sgt Nick Bailey in hospital to thank him personally for his actions. I know this meant a great deal to Nick & his wife. She also met first responders from @DWFirerescue @swasFT pic.twitter.com/LzFRmm0nBW Kier Pritchard (@wiltspoliceCC) March 9, 2018 Mrs Rudd had earlier visited Salisbury and the hospital where DS Bailey is receiving treatment. Lord Blair, a former Met Commissioner, suggested on the BBCs Today programme the seriously ill detective had visited Mr Skripals home. He said: There obviously are some indications the officer, and Im very sorry that he has been injured, has actually been to the house, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. So there may be some clues floating around in here. Police said 21 people had been seen for medical treatment since the incident. The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. The attack is being treated as attempted murder. Rose McGowan has appeared at a literary event in London to read the letter she penned to Hollywood calling for the industry to stop rewarding predators. The actress received praise for the reading at the Letters Live event in Islington on Friday night. McGowan, 44, wrote the letter in 2016 before she went on to accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape, in what would help cement the movie moguls downfall and trigger the Me Too movement. McGowan at the lectern of the Union Chapel (Kate Andrews/PA) Sue Perkins and Benedict Cumberbatch were also among those at the event that sees stars read important letters of history. McGowans letter, which she addressed on Twitter Dear Hollywood, called for men and women to stop working with offenders. Every time you sanction abhorrent behaviour, you are aiding and abetting a crime, that makes you no better than the criminal, she wrote. Letters Live described the reading at the sold-out Union Chapel as quite a moment, while attendee Caroline Cook praised McGowan as an amazing, inspiring and brave woman. Rose McGowan is now reading her letter to Hollywood. Quite a moment. Letters Live (@letterslive) March 9, 2018 Literally cannot believe we've just heard @rosemcgowan read her letter to Hollywood at @letterslive . What an amazing, inspiring & brave woman. Caz Cook (@teenyreaders) March 9, 2018 Amazed and honoured to have seen the uncompromising and inspiring @rosemcgowan at @letterslive (plus the touching @sueperkins and Benedict Cumberbatch) Sajanthi Nathan (@sajanthinathan) March 9, 2018 McGowan was among the first of around 100 women to accuse Weinstein, 65, of sexual harassment and assault. His fall from grace sparked a reckoning in Hollywood and led to allegations being publicly aired against high-profile figures including Kevin Spacey and Louis CK. Weinstein apologised for his past behaviour, but has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex. A man believed to be in his 20s has died after he was stabbed multiple times in broad daylight near a jewellers. Detectives have launched an investigation after the victim was attacked in Waterloo Street, Oldham, on Friday afternoon. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said they were called to reports that a man was unconscious and not breathing near Charters Jewellers at around 3.20pm. Detectives have urged witnesses to come forward (PA) Investigation launched after man stabbed to death in broad daylight in #Oldham. https://t.co/tORN1sanQ8 pic.twitter.com/RoD0Q41plV Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) March 9, 2018 Officers found the man with multiple stab wounds and he was rushed to hospital where he later died. GMP said the mans next-of-kin had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers. Det Supt Nicky Porter said: My heart goes out to the mans family who have sadly had to be informed that their loved one has died. As the investigation develops, we hope to be able to provide further details but as this only happened recently, were yet to gain a full picture of what exactly has happened and ask the public to come forward with any information. Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 1293 of 09/03/18 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Alabama Free Clinic of Bay Minette is celebrating its 20th anniversary and holding its 3rd annual fundraiser to raise money and awareness for the chronically ill and uninsured of Baldwin County. The event will be held on March 10, 2018, from noon to 5:00 p.m., at The Bone and Barrel. Lee Yankie & The Hellz Yeah with Donna Hall of Wet Willie will perform from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. FOX10 News' Lenise Ligon will be at the event from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Physicians will donate time to serve wine, beer, and Fireball shots. The silent auction features items like a weekend cabin getaway in picturesque Mentone, Ala., rejuvenating spa and cryotherapy packages, and a Fairhope Fitness gym membership. Fundraiser attendees can also try their luck at winning expertly chosen wine and a cash prize. Laurie Kittrell, executive director of Alabama Free Clinic states, "In light of the Affordable Care Act, outside experts have confirmed that thousands of working Baldwin County members will remain uninsured." Kittrell continues, "The need for our clinic is not going away -- each fundraiser is vital to its doors staying open for another 20 years." Quick facts: * The Alabama Free Clinic receives zero insurance or government funding. One hundred percent of its funding comes from public support. * It is staffed by physicians and other medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise. * In 2017 alone, the Clinic provided $766,072 in medication, $1,477,953 in medical care, $16,551 in dental procedures, and $1,705 in reading glasses. The Alabama Free Clinic Fundraiser is sponsored by Amedisys Home Health Care and The Bone and Barrel. ABOUT ALABAMA FREE CLINIC Alabama Free Clinic is a volunteer-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that focuses on the medical needs of Baldwin County citizens at three locations: Bay Minette, Robertsdale, and Gulf Shores. Volunteers are made up of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants, and clerks who meet three days a week to serve those who are chronically ill, without medical insurance, and cannot afford the rising cost of healthcare. For more information, please visit: http://www.alabamafreeclinic.org/. ABOUT THE BONE AND BARREL The Bone and Barrel serves up Deep South fare with a uniquely local twist. Located in historic downtown Fairhope, Ala., the restaurant/bar offers indoor and outdoor seating, three bars, and a spacious courtyard. Local and international music acts play regularly. The best place to fuel up before a parade, show, or a night on the town: Kitchen hours are Mon-Wed 11:00AM-10:00PM, Thurs-Sat 11:00AM-11:00PM, and Sun 11:00AM-9:00PM. Bar stays open late night. The Bone and Barrel is located on 311 Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, Ala. For more information, please call (251) 990-0782 or visit: https://www.facebook.com/TheBoneandBarrel/. ABOUT AMEDYSIS HOME HEALTH Amedisys, Inc. is a leading healthcare at home Company delivering personalized home health and personal care. Amedisys is focused on delivering the care that is best for our patients, whether that is home-based personal care; recovery and rehabilitation after an operation or injury; care focused on empowering them to manage a chronic disease; or hospice care at the end of life. We partner with 3,000 hospitals and 59,000 physicians nationwide have chosen Amedisys as a partner in post-acute care. Founded in 1982, headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA, with an executive office in Nashville, TN, Amedisys is a publicly held company. With more than 17,500 employees, in 432 care centers in 34 states, Amedisys is dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care to the doorsteps of more than 369,000 patients in need every year. For more information about the Company, please visit: https://www.amedisys.com/. For more information, contact: Executive Director Laurie Kittrell, Alabama Free Clinic (251) 937-8096 laurie@alabamafreeclinic.org AFP: US President Donald Trump is offending allies and risking a global trade war with his controversial tariffs on steel and aluminium, Germanys economy minister said yesterday. This is protectionism which offends close partners like the EU and Germany and which limits free trade, Brigitte Zypries said in a statement. We will stand firmly by the side of our companies and their workers and will now work closely with the European Commission to answer coolly and clearly Trumps imposition of 10 percent tariffs on aluminium imports and 25 percent on steel, she added. Thursdays announcement from the White House that it would slap levies on imports of the key metals was met with anger from major trading partners like China, Japan and the EU. While the immediate financial impact of the border duties is small, observers fear they could spark an eye-for-an-eye spiral of countermeasures, as other capitals feel forced to act to protect their own industries. Brussels has warned it could tax imports of politically sensitive American products like orange juice or motorcycles in response to Trumps tariffs. But Trump said he would simply up levies on car imports from the EU in retaliation a potentially painful blow for car nation and export champion Germany. In calmer language than seen last weekend, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said Friday that dialogue is always the prime option of the European Union, adding that Brussels was counting on being excluded from the tariffs after Trump said close allies might be exempt. But as he announced the tariffs Thursday, Trump declared that many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and the military are our allies. He singled out Germany for criticism, which books massive trade surpluses and has long failed to meet NATO defence spending targets. Thats not fair, Trump said. Germanys exports to the United States -- its largest trading partner outweighed imports by 50.5 billion euros (US$62.2 billion) across 2017 and 3.5 billion euros in January this year, figures released by federal statistics authority Destatis showed Friday. Strained relations between Washington and its traditional EU allies have grown so bad that European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi issued a call for calm in a Thursday press conference. There is a certain worry or concern about the state of international relations, because if you put tariffs against what are your allies, one wonders who the enemies are, Draghi said. Disputes should be discussed and resolved in a multilateral framework, rather than tit-for-tat exchanges, he added. News of the US tariffs came as other indicators for the German economy pointed to continuing strong growth into 2018 if it is spared major upsets. At least in the near term, prospects for German industry have never looked rosier, economist Carsten Brzeski of ING Diba bank said after official data showed industrial production held steady in January. Nevertheless, the biggest risk for German exports seems to come from the US the risk for Germany is for real, he added. Some comfort from Berlin comes from the fact that destinations for its exports are very diversified around Europe and further afield, Brzeski said. German business groups offered a mixed response to Trumps tariff assault, with the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) calling for a proportionate response from the EU. By contrast, Holger Bingmann of exporters association BGA warned that the EU may now take steps we wouldnt want... we call urgently for level-headedness. Politically astute stalwarts of the United National Party (UNP) suspect that the calculated anti-Muslim violence had a multi-pronged objective. Challenge Wickremesinghes capacity to discharge his duties well as a Law and Order Minister. Ranils opponents have for long tried to depict him as a weak and ineffective leader incapable of dealing efficiently with threats to the County and/or law and order. The UNP and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) ministers within the Govt. perceive each other as enemies rather than cabinet colleagues bound by collective responsibility. The accusation is absurd and ridiculous as scientifically or medically it is not possible to prevent babies forming in wombs through administering contraceptive drugs in food particularly in kothu roti or meat curry Intimidated and perturbed the Muslim youth got confused. He said yes. was to explain later that he had not understood what wanda pethi meant By D.B.S. Jeyaraj Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Minister of Law and Order on February 25th, 2018. It was a stop-gap measure. The Premier was only expected to be in charge of the portfolio for two weeks until a new Minister was appointed. The fortnightly stint as a caretaker Minister, however, proved to be a terrible ordeal amounting to a baptism of fire for the new Law and Order Minister. A pre-planned, well-coordinated campaign of anti-Muslim violence was unleashed in two phases-first in the Amparai town and next in the Kandy district. Politically astute stalwarts of the United National Party (UNP) suspect that the calculated anti-Muslim violence had a multi-pronged objective. Primarily it was intended to test and challenge Wickremesinghes capacity to discharge his duties well as a Law and Order Minister. Ranils opponents have for long tried to depict him as a weak and ineffective leader incapable of dealing efficiently with threats to the County and/or law and order. The spectre of communal violence rearing its ugly head again would provide an opportunity to demonstrate that Ranil was not a strong leader. Since Wickremesinghe is a contender for the Presidency in 2020, the portrayal of the Prime Minister as weak would certainly pay dividends to any rival contesting on a platform of strong man as president. Apart from this, UNP circles suspect that the orchestrated violence was aimed at placing Wickremesinghe in a tricky situation. If he cracked down hard on the politically motivated criminal elements attacking Muslims, extensive propaganda would be conducted against Wickremesinghe that he had betrayed the Sinhalese. This could further reduce the quantum of Sinhala votes he was likely to receive at the polls. If on the other hand Ranil did not check or contain the anti-Muslim violence effectively, he would lose the confidence and faith of the Muslim community. This could have a ripple effect on the other minority ethnicities too and thereby result in an erosion of what is considered to be a safe vote bank for the UNP leader. The finest example of them all to my knowledge was the action of a young Buddhist monk and some Sinhala students. They slept in the beleaguered Muruttalawa mosque along with their Muslim brethren and turned away marauding mobs not once, not twice but thrice. Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Govt More importantly and more dangerously the violence and its consequences could have a destabilising impact on the Sirisena- Wickremesinghe Govt. The UNP-SLFP coalition government describes itself as a national unity Govt. but there are deep divisions within. It does not appear to be national nor united. President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe are at loggerheads with each other. The UNP and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) ministers within the Govt. perceive each other as enemies rather than cabinet colleagues bound by collective responsibility. The newly formed Sri Lanka Podu Jana Party (SLPP) has got the better of both the UNP and SLFP and emerged as the leading victor at the local authorities elections. Complicating the situation further is the antipathy towards Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister among the President, most SLFP ministers, and some UNP Parliamentarians. Moves are afoot to de-throne Ranil as Prime Minister as well as party leader. In the prevailing situation, escalating communal violence under Law and Order Minister Wickremesinghe could very well turn out to be the tipping point resulting in de-stabilizing change. Then there is also the fact that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions are scheduled for March in Geneva. The Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa became discredited in the eyes of the world for a number of reasons. One such reason was the encouragement received by hate mongering ethnoreligious fascist outfits like the Bodu Bala Sena and the anti -Muslim violence it fomented in places like Aluthgama and Beruwela. The new Good Governance Govt. is much respected internationally because it has ushered in a climate of ethnic harmony and amity where the minority communities felt safe and secure. The Gintota violence dented this image last year. Now with more large-scale and widespread anti - Muslim violence erupting that positive image could be tarnished further. People like Rear Admiral (retd) and ex-MP Sarath Weerasekera could argue in Geneva -if they wanted to - that anti - Muslim violence can happen under any Govt. and not necessarily the Rajapaksa regime alone. It is against this backdrop therefore that the UNP led Govt. viewed the outbreak of anti - Muslim violence in Amparai town followed by Digana and other parts of the Kandy district. There was a distinct pattern in the organized violence directed against innocent Muslim people. The attacking mobs were mainly strangers transported from outside places into the targeted areas. The mobs were guided by a few locals. Causing loss of life or limb was not the priority. The primary objective was to destroy or undermine the economic power of Muslims. Hence Muslim owned businesses, shops, houses, and vehicles were targeted. The secondary objective was to deliver a symbolic message or threat to the Muslims practising the Islamic faith. Thus Mosques were attacked. The violence was accompanied by a well -organized hate campaign against Muslims via the social media justifying the attacks on the basis of canards. Teldeniya -Digana In comparative terms, the violence in Amparai is very much less than the violence perpetrated in the Kandy district. Amparai was a single operation restricted to the town while there have been a series of widely distributed acts of violence in Kandy. There is reason to suspect that the original plan was to use Amparai as a launching pad for other areas too like Siyambalanduwa in Moneragala district and continue extending attacks to other areas. However, another option presented itself without any pre-planning in the Teldeniya-Digana when a Sinhala lorry driver died as a result of an assault by intoxicated Muslim youths. This was seen as an ideal opportunity as it could be projected that enraged Sinhala people were spontaneously rising up against Muslims with righteous anger to retaliate for the death of an innocent Sinhala person. Two noted exponents of Saffron Terror paid their respects to the departed soul and left. Lo and Behold! The floodgates were opened for wave after wave of anti-Muslim violence. At the outset, I would like to emphasise two points. The first point is that most media reports particularly the foreign media outlets have been referring to the violence as race riots between Sinhalese and Muslims or religious riots between Buddhists and those professing the Islamic faith. The prevailing reality, however, is that the current violence is not a clash between two groups. It is a case of large mobs attacking individuals and families. The violence is overwhelmingly from one side. The limited counter violence in self-defence has been only in a few instances where Muslim youths bunched together to protect their families, properties and above all their places of worship. The second point is about the wrong impression conveyed or sought to be conveyed by certain elements that the violence is an all-out ethnic war in which the majority Sinhalese have totally turned against the minority Muslims. Though some racists would like to project that image of the current violence, it simply is not true. Only a minority of the majority community are engaging in violence against a minority. A greater part of the Sinhala people is against this violence and want no part of it. There may be some who sanction it by their silence even if they take no part in it. But most people keep silent not because they approve of the carnage but because they dare not speak out against it due to fear of consequences both real and imaginary. If the majority of the Sinhalese turn against the minorities on a genocidal spree, very few Muslims or Tamils would be left to tell the tale. Mahason Balakaya Initially, the Govt. seemed to have been taken by surprise and responded in a confused incoherent manner. Instead of forging an adequate response to the continuing violence the govt. ministers acted in a confused incoherent manner. Some condemned the violence and appealed for calm through facebook and twitter instead of taking concrete action. After some initial lethargy, confusion and dilly-dallying the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Govt. buckled down to its imperative task of combatting communal violence. An emergency has been declared and curfews are in force in violence-prone areas. The army has been deployed and is coordinating with the Police and Special Task Force. In an extraordinary measure, restrictions have been placed on some social media and telephone applications to prevent the spreading of hate and promotion of violence. Police fired on rampaging mobs on one occasion to convey a strong signal. Over a 100 alleged perpetrators of violence have been arrested. These include the Mahason Balakaya leaderAmith Weerasinghe and his deputy Sureda Suraweera. The Mahason Balakaya had been conducting a hate campaign against Muslims and inciting violence. Amith Weerasinghe is the alleged mastermind directing and coordinating the current campaign of anti-Muslim violence. Interestingly enough, both,Weerasinghe and Suraweera -were arrested by the Polices Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in two separate pre-dawn raids in Digana and Poojapitiya respectively. In a separate development, Public Administration minister and Moneragala district MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara was appointed as the new Minister of Law and Order. Ranil Wickremesinghe ceased to be Law and Order Minister after just eleven days. The anti - Muslim violence is gradually subsiding though it had not ended at the time this column was being written. By all accounts, however, that the shower has ended with a slight drizzle remaining. What remains to be seen however is how the Government will deal with the arrested persons and for how long it will maintain the arrangements necessary to preserve peace and prevent the recurrence of violence. The ethnic -political environment in the country is quite fragile and there are a lot of vested interests waiting eagerly to exploit the situation. Eternal vigilance is needed to counter the potential threat. As stated earlier this years anti-Muslim violence erupted first in Amparai town and was followed by violence in Digana. Thereafter it spread to other areas in Kandy district like Teldeniya, Pallekalle, Katugastota, and Akurana etc. The damage in Amparai is very much less when compared to the destruction in Kandy. In Amparai one mosque, three Muslim-owned hotels, one grocery store and eight vehicles were attacked and damaged. All this happened within a few hours on one night. In Kandy close upon 300 Muslim owned businesses, shops, houses and vehicles were attacked and torched over a period of three days and nights. 25 Mosques in the district were attacked. The extent of damage differed from Mosque to Mosque. Apart from this, UNP circles suspect that the orchestrated violence was aimed at placing Wickremesinghe in a tricky situation. If he cracked down hard on the politically motivated criminal elements attacking Muslims, extensive propaganda would be conducted against Wickremesinghe that he had betrayed the Sinhalese. This could further reduce the quantum of Sinhala votes he was likely to receive at the polls. Although the quantitative nature of the anti-Muslim violence was greater in the Kandy district the Amparai violence was qualitatively more dangerous. The scope and scale of violence in Kandy was greater, lengthier and more widespread than that of Amparai. In Kandy, the death of the lorry driver was used as the pretext for launching violence. In Amparai the reason cited as cause for the violence was hilarious but had the potential of being very, very dangerous. It was alleged in Amparai that a Muslim-run eatery was mixing contraceptives and sterilising drugs in food served to Sinhala customers. The implication was that a Muslim conspiracy had been hatched to reduce the birth rate of the Sinhala people and convert them into a minority by diminishing their numbers. Absurd and Ridiculous The accusation is absurd and ridiculous as scientifically or medically it is not possible to prevent babies forming in wombs through administering contraceptive drugs in food particularly in kothu roti or meat curry. Any drug of that type would lose potency while being heated to a high level on a stove or cooker. Yet, this is what was alleged and propagated to trigger off and later justify the Amparai violence. Sadly quite a number of people believed the blatant lie. The danger is that had this canard been believed by large numbers of Sinhalese (They did not) it would have enabled the hate mongers to target all Muslim hotels and eateries in defence of the Sinhala nation. I shall, therefore, focus on what happened in Amparai in this article. Amparai is an eastern province town situated 360 km from Colombo. It is spelt in Sinhala as Ampara. Both spellings are used interchangeably as the pronunciation is almost the same. Ampara/Amparai is the name of the town as well as that of the administrative district. It was re-demarcated out of the earlier Batticaloa and Moneragala districts in 1959. The electoral district is now named as Digamadulla. Ampara is also the name of an electoral division. The Muslims are the single largest ethnicity in the overall Amparai district which comprises the Ampara, Pottuvil, Sammanthurai and Kalmunai electoral divisions. The Muslims are also the largest community in the electoral divisions of Kalmunai, Sammanthurai, and Pottuvil while the Sinhalese are the majority in Amparai electoral division. Ampara/Amparai town is predominantly Sinhala with a sprinkling of Muslim and Tamil people. According to figures from the Amparai mosque only 104 Muslim families are registered with the mosque as permanent residents of the town. The New Cassim Hotel is a Muslim owned and Muslim run eatery on DS Senanayake Street in Amparai town. The building belongs to a Sinhala person who has leased out the premises. The hotel was originally named Cassim Hotel. After a new management hailing from Kattankudi in Batticaloa district took it over the hotel was renamed New Cassim Hotel. The hotel reputed for its Egg roti, kothu roti and parotta (Barotta)is patronised mostly by Sinhala customers, who relish the dishes cooked there. New Cassim Hotel Monday, February 26was a very busy day for the hotel as there were four funerals taking place in Amparai town. A lot of people from outstations had come to attend the funerals. Many of them dropped in at New Cassim Hotel for a meal. Most of the food cooked on that day was consumed by a large number of customers. It was around 10 p.m. when three Sinhala youths walked in. One of them was an Amparai resident and regular customer of the hotel. They were in a state of intoxication. They wanted kothu roti and beef curry. Since most of the cooked food was over the hotel employees were gearing up to close early. So the manager cum cashier Ahamed Lebbe Bharshith told the youths that food was over and they were about to wind up for the day. The known Sinhala youth had said he was a diabetic and that he had taken an insulin injection. Therefore he needed to eat soon and wanted beef curry. Since the youth was a regular customer and pleaded for food on grounds of being a diabetic who had injected insulin, Bharshith took pity on him. He called the elderly cook who was called Kaakaa (elder brother) by staff and asked him what could be done. The hotel staff numbering six with the cashier had stored some parottas and beef curry for their own dinner. Kaakaa suggested that they could share it with the Sinhala customer. So, the Parottas and beef curry were brought and the customers including the diabetic tucked in. As the beef curry diminished, a few puffy particles were found floating in the gravy. The diabetic blew a fuse and called the cashier and demanded to know what it was. What happens in eateries of this sort is that they mix flour with the gravy in a meat curry to thicken it. Usually, the flour is mixed well and dissolves without a trace in the gravy. But sometimes it does not dissolve well and thick lumps of flour remain. This was what had happened. So, the Sinhala youth was told it was Paanpiti (bread flour or wheat). But he refused to believe it. Since Bharshith was not very fluent in Sinhala he asked another employee fluent in Sinhala to explain. But the Sinhala customer was not convinced. So the cook known as Kaakaa was brought to explain but still, the customer was not satisfied. Wanda Pethi Dammadha? He then began making a few calls on his mobile phone. Thereafter events took a dangerous turn. He started accusing the hotel cashier and staff of mixing Wanda Pethi (contraceptive drugs. sterilizing capsules) with the beef curry to prevent Sinhalese from having children. He began asking Wanda Pethi Dammadha (Did you put contraceptive drugs). It was denied vehemently by Bharshith, the cashier, cooks, and waiters. When they said no, they were slapped hard. Meanwhile, two more Sinhala youths arrived with iron rods. Now the mood turned more belligerent. A waiter was once again asked whether they put Wanda pethi into the beef curry. When he said No he was assaulted with the rods and sustained head injuries. The cashier cum manager Bharshith was approached again and asked Wanda Pethi Dammadha? At the same time, the scene was being recorded by the camera in the telephone. Intimidated and perturbed the Muslim youth got confused. He said yes. was to explain later that he had not understood what wanda pethi meant. He had confused maa meaning flour in Tamil with the Maa sound in Dammadha. Also, he had seen the fate of the employee who said No. So he said Yes to the repeated question whether Wanda Pethi had been put in the curry. This was seized upon by the Sinhala youth and his accomplices. By this time a large crowd had gathered and a few Policemen also arrived. They were shown the telephone confession. After a huge commotion, the Policemen arrested the cashier and cook to be questioned about mixing sterilizing drugs with food served in the hotel. They were assaulted and locked up in the Police station and were released only on Tuesday evening due to the efforts of three young Muslim lawyers. While all this was happening a large number of Sinhala youths arrived at the hotel in a mini-bus and motorcycles and scooters. Soon a mob of over 60 persons gathered on the spot. The mob then started attacking New Cassim Hotel and damaged it. A few Policemen saw all this happening but did not do anything to restrain the mob. The cashier confession about mixing Wanda Pethi in food was now spreading like wildfire via internet. Ampara Jumma Masjid The worst was still to come. When it was close to midnight two buses with nearly a hundred Sinhala youths arrived in Amparai town. These forces were augmented by the youths on motorcycles. Soon the mob increased in numbers. Over 200 men moved towards the Ampara mosque Jumma Masjid and launched the attack. A defender jeep was driven fast to smash the gate and break it open. The mob went on the rampage. Initially, the wall in front of the Mosque was demolished. It was rather a bizarre act. Apparently, there was a suspected motive in this act of madness. The recent Local Authority elections had seen the Pohottu party (SLPP) romping home as the winners in the Amparai Urban Council poll. When the SLPP pasted Victory and Thank you posters all over Amparai town some were pasted on the Mosque wall too. It is widely presumed that most Muslims in Amparai town voted for the UNP and not the SLPP. The mosque authorities had torn down all the Pohottu posters saying they were defacing the wall. A heated argument had ensued between the SLPP supporters and Mosque authorities. It is suspected therefore that the demolition of the Mosque premises wall was motivated by the poster incident. The mob, however, did not stop after destroying the wall. They damaged eight vehicles parked inside Mosque precincts. Recently planted mango tree saplings were uprooted and destroyed. The mosque itself was attacked. Doors were broken down and windows smashed, Copies of the Holy Quran were defiled and burnt. The Mosque office adjoining the main mosque was also attacked and damaged. There were also small structures with rooms within the Mosque precincts where people connected to the mosque were staying. Those structures were also damaged and people assaulted. According to the victims of the attack, people in the mob had kept shouting in Sinhala You Muslims are trying to destroy the Sinhala race through contraceptive drugs. This is in retaliation for that. Let your God (Allaah) save you all if he can. The mob had then attacked two other Muslim run eateries in Amparai town and a Muslim owned grocery store New Mahajana Stores. The Police station was less than a Kilometer away from the Mosque. The cops had been informed of the attack as the mob arrived on the scene.It would have taken the Police only three minutes to reach the Mosque. Yet they arrived leisurely after 55 minutes. The mob was still in town then but the Police made no effort to tackle the violent elements. Some cops were seen conversing with the mobsters in a jovial manner. It was as if a heroic war had been waged and a deadly enemy had been vanquished. A powerful propaganda campaign against Muslims in general and Amparai Muslims, in particular, was launched in the aftermath of the Amparai violence. The attack was justified on the basis that the Muslims were trying to destroy the Sinhala Jathiya through Wanda Pethi. On February 28th Muslim businesses in Siyambalanduwa in adjacent Moneragala district were the targets of a threat campaign. They were warned that what befell the Muslims of Amparai would happen to them too. Most Muslim businessmen closed their establishments early and vacated Siyambalanduwa though most have now returned. Yet they arrived leisurely after 55 minutes. The mob was still in town then but the Police made no effort to tackle the violent elements. Some cops were seen conversing with the mobsters in a jovial manner. Particles of Flour It must be noted that in spite of Muslims being targeted in Amparai on the pretext of Wanda Pethi most Sinhalese in Amparai did not believe the accusation. In fact, quite a number of Sinhalese in Amparai provided refuge to the frightened Muslim families in town. Though there were few takers for the Wanda Pethi canard among the Sinhala people of Amparai there were many Sinhalese who purportedly believed it. This includes some people living in Western countries too. However, the Government analyst A. Weliyange has nailed that canard. After examining stuff suspected of being Wanda Pethi the GA ruled that the alleged contraceptive drugs were merely particles of flour scientifically described as Carbohydrates. So, all that violence including the attack on a Mosque was over flour particles! What a tragicomedy!! As I have observed frequently those of us who love Sri Lanka and yearn for a peace and happiness in the Island need pieces of good and positive news at times to lift up our sagging morale and lift up our downcast spirits. We need silver linings in the dark clouds; we need whiffs of sweet fragrance to eliminate the stinking odour; we need gusts of cooling breeze to reduce the effects of oppressive heat. In the context of violence perpetrated by hate mongers against a minority community we require some positive input to show us that all is not lost and that while inhumanity is displayed by some humans to other humans, there are some humans who show love and amity to their fellow humans at great risk to their lives too. There were many positive acts by ordinary people during the raging violence. So many people mainly Sinhala but some Tamils too gave shelter and protection to their besieged Muslim neighbours and friends. This happened in Amparai and Kandy. In most cases, they were kept hidden in their homes. There were many instances of Sinhala people standing up to the mobs and refusing to let them go on the rampage in their vicinity. There were instances of Sinhala families keeping the vehicles belonging to Muslims in their premises and refusing to let the mobs torch them. Likewise, some people occupied houses owned by Muslims and turned the mobs away saying the house belonged to them. The finest example of them all to my knowledge was the action of a young Buddhist monk and some Sinhala students. They slept in the beleaguered Muruttalawa mosque along with their Muslim brethren and turned away marauding mobs not once, not twice but thrice. May Their Tribe Increase These instances are but a few lamps glowing in an overarching canopy of darkness. These together cannot dispel the overwhelming darkness. Yet they demonstrate that what the hate mongers and neo-fascists say is not true. It also shows that humanity has not deserted the Island lauded as the Dhammdeepa. The future of this resplendent island lies not in the hands of the promoters of hate and perpetrators of violence. It lies in the hands of ordinary people such as those who rise up boldly to face up to extraordinary situations with compassion and courage. These are people who do what is right and not show fright before might. And as the angel wrote about Abou Ben Adhem in James Henry Leigh Hunts poem May their tribe increase in Sri Lanka. D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com Dental issues do not merely cause problems for health, but may affect your appearance as well. What happens when your teeth become more forward than you are? You are in trouble of course! A protruding set of teeth should tell you that its time to visit your dental surgeon. You may dread wearing braces; everyones childhood nightmare. However it will be worth it once the treatment is complete. Dr. Vipula Wickramasinghe, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Dental Association and Regional Dental Surgeon of the Colombo District, spoke to the Health Capsule and shed light on the treatment procedure. Braces are used to correct the malalignment of the teeth. A diagnosis of whether the malocclusion should be corrected or not should be made first. There are certain conditions which may seem like malocclusions, but are perfectly normal. If there is a correction to be made in the positioning of teeth it can be done in several ways, he stated. He further added that braces are not resorted to if it can be helped. Sometimes certain types of malocclusions can be corrected without braces with just a removable type of plates. There are other conditions of malocclusions which need braces while others require surgical approach which is then followed by braces. Orthodontics plus surgery are required. If the malocclusion is only a small issue, a general dental surgeon will be able to diagnose and recommend treatment. If the problem is a bit severe, the patient will be directed towards an orthodontist who is specialized in braces and treatments. It is an aesthetic oriented treatment. Spaces between teeth, clock line teeth, longer teeth and gaps between dental arches can be corrected by using braces, said Dr. Wickramasinghe. Causes According to Dr. Wickramasinghe, there are certain causes for malalignment of teeth. A clock line set of teeth can be genetically inherited from parents to children. Certain habits also cause the malalignment of the teeth. Thumb sucking, using pacifiers during childhood as well as biting on pencils, breathing through the mouth can lead to malalignment. The premature extraction of deciduous teeth untimely or even the extraction of permanent teeth can also lead to deformities in the positioning of the teeth. These are the typical basic causes for malocclusion, he warned. The general advice given to parents by a dental surgeon is that if they notice any form of malalignment of the teeth, then the child should be directed towards a medical professional. Parents are advised not to arrive at a diagnosis on their own. Go to a dental surgeon and get a professional diagnosis and make a proper decision on the treatment, if its needed. A dental surgeon is normally able to understand and identify the complications of the malalignment. If the malocclusion is more complex, the patient will be directed towards an orthodontist. If you feel you have a malocclusion you are free to consult a dental surgeon at any time without making a diagnosis yourself, stressed Dr. Wickramasinghe. Never too old for treatment It should be kept in mind that there is no specific age to visit a dentist and get a diagnosis for malocclusion. It is true that there are certain condition treatments which may have to start at a specific age due to various reasons. However, this is a decision for the dental surgeon to make. There is a common myth that malalignments can only be treated in children between the ages of 12-15. This is not true. A spurt of growth is observed in the age groups within 12-18 which is considered the best period to correct teeth. However this does not mean that once this age is exceeded malocclusions cannot be corrected. Late 25-30 and even a good set of teeth at 40 can be set correctly using braces. Age doesnt matter. Normally the period of the spurt of growth is recommended for treatment as the duration or the treatment reduces during this period as correction takes place quickly during the growth years. Before braces are inserted, X-rays of the patients jaw are needed. Sometimes the extraction of teeth are needed to make space before using braces to push back the teeth. Teeth should be cleaned and polished before braces are inserted during treatment. Before and during the treatment oral hygiene is vital. Caries, tartar and plaque have to be cleaned. Fillings should be performed if necessary before braces are inserted, explicated Dr. Wickramasinghe. Treatment Treatment for malalignments include removable plates, braces or surgery and braces. The treatment of malocclusions by using braces is usually performed under the supervision of an orthodontist. It is a dynamic process and you should go to a specialized person to get this kind of treatment. The idea of the correction using braces is 100% based on the movement of the teeth by applying a force. It is not just pushing back the teeth, but the gross movement of teeth even from the roots itself using the force. Additional force can lead to damage of the teeth. Hence it is an extremely tricky treatment. Before the outset of brace treatment, the procedure should be explained to the patient beforehand. Simple complications that can be corrected by braces can be handled by general dental surgeons. However the more complex issues need to be directed towards an orthodontist. The big state hospitals have this service with well-developed fully functional orthodontist units available free of charge. Treatment can be obtained from the private sector as well, but it is more costly, he added. He stressed that braces come in various forms. Braces with metallic wires, coloured wires or even braces can be set behind the teeth so that people are unaware of the fact that you are wearing braces are currently available. The period during which you have to wear the braces may vary according to the severity of the malocclusion. Uncomplicated cases usually require about 1-1 and a 1/2 years of treatment. More complex cases may extend treatment for 2-21/2 years. The orthodontist should be frequently visited once a month for checkups. The braces cannot be removed in the middle of treatment. If so, the treatment cannot be continued from where it was stopped. You are left on square one and the treatment has to be started from the beginning. Therefore, before treatment is commenced its important to talk to the patient about the procedure, time period of treatment and cost. Once they comply the procedure will be started. Maintenance during treatment Due to the development of current techniques, the outcome of the treatment given can be predicted and shown to the patient, so that the patient is informed of the kind of appearance he or she will get after the treatment. Dr. Wickramasinghe stressed that while wearing braces it is important to pay attention to the maintenance of proper and strict oral hygiene. Brushing of teeth properly, using a fluoridated tooth paste, using interdental brushes are some facts to remember. It is very important to clean the space between the wire and teeth. 100% oral hygiene is necessary or the tendency to develop unnecessary caries is quite high when wearing braces, he warned. Orthodontics and braces have come a long way in terms of development. On the other hand it may cost a lot of money. It is a huge commitment with frequent visits to the dental surgeon as it is an aesthetic oriented treatment. However the outcome received is 100% favourable. Get appropriate advice from the dentist. If and only if braces are recommended, start treatment as early as possible without delay, advised Dr. Wickramasinhe on a final note. By Amy B Wang (Canada), March 7 2018 - In a move that can only be described as utterly Canadian, hundreds of doctors in Quebec are protesting their pay raises, saying they already make too much money. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 700 physicians, residents and medical students from the Canadian province had signed an online petition asking for their pay raises to be canceled. A group named Medecins Quebecois Pour le Regime Public (MQRP), which represents Quebec doctors and advocates for public health, started the petition Feb. 25. We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations, the petition reads in French. The physicians group said it could not in good conscience accept pay raises when working conditions remained difficult for others in their profession including nurses and clerks and while patients live with the lack of access to required services because of drastic cuts in recent years. Corruption is rampant all over like the air we breathe. The development and reputation of the country depend on the impact of the corrupt regime which has a direct impact of law and order and rule of law. There is no room for law and order with corrupt rulers, corruption and nepotism. Sri Lanka was ranked 4th in the globe in law and order. Sri Lanka was also ranked very much below, also ranked as a hub for drug peddling with daylight robberies and crimes increasing by the day. President Sirisena has launched his war against corruption by appointing three Ministers headed by the Health Minister who is also questioned over accusations of misuse of public funds in rent, shipping scams and other shady transactions (Which are in the public domain.) Incidentally the Prime Minister-who is alleged to be also involved in the CBSL Bond Scam by inviting and defending Arjuna Mahendran- too have launched a vigorous campaign against bribery and corruption in the recent past by appointing a committee to carry out the programme under his personal supervision. This is despite other programmes. Sri Lanka was ranked 4th in the globe in law and order. Sri Lanka was also ranked very much below, also ranked as a hub for drug peddling with daylight robberies and crimes increasing by the day. It is an open secret that politicians are directly or indirectly involved in corrupt activities and carrying on the criminal acts against the State without being investigated. Only a few members of the Government are inquired into and these too are over petty incidents, when accusations amounting to millions and trillions on the Ministers are shelved. Accusations against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa of siphoning USD 18 billion and banking them in Dubai-as alleged by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne- are also shelved with no inquiry or further proceedings. Against a President in office, allegations can emerge only after he/she relinquished the post as a President is protected by Immunity under the Constitution. Bribery Commission should take notice of complaints via media and take immediate steps or exonerate the accused person to be fair by him. Bribery is an offence against the State punishable jointly under the Bribery Act and the Penal Code with a special procedure by a Commission appointed by the Constitutional Council and headed by a Director General. A reputed and experienced lawyer is also appointed by the President. With the limited staff and the resources it is not possible to net the countrywide bribe takers unless other methods such as education, name-and-shame methods with the help of the media, recognizing and rewarding the complainants and the informants, appointment of dedicated officers in the public sector, are used. But using traditional investigation methods it is hard to find millions of indirect/direct bribing in business transactions and Government dealings. Bribery is an offence against the State punishable jointly under the Bribery Act and the Penal Code with a special procedure by a Commission appointed by the Constitutional Council and headed by a Director General. A reputed and experienced lawyer is also appointed by the President. a hot Topic Because it is currently a hot topic two seminars were organized at the Organization of Professionals Associations (OPA) on February 15 and 16 by Sri Lanka 2050. The seminars were organized and moderated by the former Ambassador Sarath Wijesinghe. Speakers were D. E. W. Gunasekera- former Minister, Rusiripala Tennekoon, former BOC Chairman, Nanagananda Kodituwakku, activist lawyer. Sham Nuwan Ganawatte, journalist the author of Kawada Hora (Who is the Thief ) in the Bond Scam. The second day was jointly organized by the BASL and OPA on Bribery and Good Governance addressed by Sarath Jayamanne, Director General Bribery Commission, S. C. Mayadunne, former Auditor General, and Yasantha Kodagoda Additional Solicitor General and Presidents Counsel. The first day was lively while the second seminar was somewhat academic. The seminars indicated the interest and activism in the field of bribery and corruption and deliberations were extremely useful on planning war on bribery and corruption and planning out short and long term strategies for eradication of the menace. We do not find fault with the Director General and the Commission as it is not our culture as in USA where the sitting President was rigorously interrogated by the special prosecutor, when in Sri Lanka the Prime Minister who invited Mahendran to Sri Lanka and defended him in the Parliament was soft peddled by giving few questions in advance, contrary to the professional way the other witness were interrogated. In India and many countries, Members of Parliament had been found guilty on charges of bribery and corruption, but in Sri Lanka despite the public knowledge and information corruption is rampant from the top downwards. eradication impossible Eradication of bribery and corruption is impossible. The attempts should be to minimize and to introduce a bribery/corruption free culture in the society. Is it possible in the current political and economic climate of poverty struggle corruption, with easy black money and disappearance of social values? Director General of BC Sarath Jayamanna compared the situation in the West as culturally anti-bribe. He appears to be working hard within his mandate which is an impossible task to achieve alone, unless legal structure is strengthened and new strategies adopted with honest, dedicated and committed leadership. Dilrukshi de Silva started the job as DG of BC with enthusiasm and funfair. However she was compelled to leave and services of Lacille Silva was abruptly discontinued by a powerful, invisible hand. The rule of law and equality before law should be rigorously implemented to clamp down on bribery and corruption The writer is a former Ambassador to the UAE and Israel China regains top source market position after 18 months lapse Second consecutive month of double digit growth in arrivals Tourism arrivals to Sri Lanka in 2018 continued to grow in double digits for the second consecutive month in February, with China reclaiming the top spot as the largest tourist sourcing country after a lapse of 18 months, according to data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Arrivals to the island reached 235,618 tourists, which was a 19.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase over February 2017. The partial closure of the airport in the first 4 months of 2017 had contributed to a lower base figure for tourist arrivals to grow from. Last month also saw the second consecutive month of double digit arrivals, signalling a return to Sri Lankas normal tourism growth rate this year, after 2017 turned out disappointing for the tourism industry, with most months recording low single digit, and at times negative arrivals growth, resulting in just 3.2 percent YoY growth for 2017. Western Europe remained the largest regional market for Sri Lankas tourism industry during the waning winter period with 82,310 arrivals which was a 7.2 percent growth YoY despite political uncertainty in the Eurozone. The British market expanded 17.8 percent YoY attracting 23,817 tourists. The number of Germans visiting Sri Lanka increased 16 percent YoY to 17,066 tourists, while 16,871 French visited the island, which was a 21.3 percent growth YoY. The second largest regional market was East Asia, with 50,192 arrivals, growing at a rate of 21.1 percent YoY during the month in which the Traditional Chinese New Year Falls, after recording negative growth last year. Chinese arrivals grew by 42.3 percent YoY to 35,929 tourists, while arrivals from Japan grew by 10.6 percent YoY to 5,263 tourists. Arrivals from South Asia meanwhile grew by 17.2 percent YoY to 41,177 tourists led by a 25.1 percent YoY increase in arrivals from India, from where 32,914 tourists were sourced. Arrivals from the Maldives, where political unrest continues, fell by 7.4 percent YoY to 4,726 tourists. Arrivals from Eastern Europe grew by 20.3 percent YoY to 28,601 tourists. Arrivals from Russia and Ukraine both grew slightly above average, bringing in 11,043 and 5,138 tourists respectively. Notably, the Polish market grew by 70.3 percent YoY to 3,195 tourists as well. The North American market grew by 27.5 percent YoY to 10,823 tourists, while the Australasian market too grew at an identical rate, bringing in 6,357 tourists. Arrivals from the Middle East however contracted by 29.6 percent YoY to 3,894 tourists. The first two months of this year saw the arrival of 474,542 tourists, which was a 13.8 percent growth YoY. With the continued absence of a tourism promotions campaign, the arrivals trend appears to have returned to the diminishing growth trend witnessed up to 2016, when setting aside 2017, where natural disasters, a dengue epidemic and the airport closure resulted in a flat year. From left: UNCTAD Senior Researcher Dr. Rashmi Banga, Sri Lanka DG Commerce Sonali Wijeratne, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen and Centre for WTO Studies Dr Abhijit Das of UNCTAD Sri Lankas Department of Commerce created history as it jointly launched the first ever Policymakers Session on Digitalisation of Trade and Industries series by UNCTAD for UNCTAD member countries yesterday in Colombo. Our apparels, a major manufacturing export, are world class and this sector reported the biggest export earnings in history last year. This sector needs digitalisation support, said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. Sri Lanka faces a number of challenges on digitalisation. These include slower growth of digital skills, and the need to successfully digitalise the export sectors including apparel. Our understanding is that industrialisation and manufacturing are drivers of growth in Sri Lankas international trade, the minister added. Joining the launch of the high level two-day session were DG Commerce Sonali Wijeratne, UNCTAD Senior Researcher Dr.Rashmi Banga, Centre for WTO Studies Dr Abhijit Das and top policy makers and Commerce Secretaries from South Asia, ASEAN countries and even Europe. This UNCTAD initiative acknowledges E-Commerce as a tool to drive growth, narrow the digital divide and generate digital solutions for developing and least developed countries (LDCs). The multilateral trading system has recognized that digitalization has its positive impact on trade and has included it in their agendas. Along with nine other countries Sri Lanka has signed up as a member of the group on Friends of E-Commerce for Development. UNCTAD believes that the value of global e-commerce is huge -which was US $ 25 trillion in 2015 and is continuing to grow. UNCTADs first ever policy session on Digitalisation of Trade and Industrial Policy is unveiled in Colombo today said UNCTAD Senior Researcher Dr. Rashmi Banga. This is a first in a series of such session aiming to build country capacities. The second session in this ongoing series will be held in South Africa. This is not a series of negotiations with any country but rather is about building policy capacity of the countries, specially forging South South cooperation, she added. At present UNCTAD has already been requested by several countries to come and support in formulating their digitalisation of trade and industrialisation policies. A completed Digitalisation of Trade and Industrial Policy helps a country especially when that country enters any trade agreements. Said DG Commerce Sonali Wijeratne and added that this is an important event for DoC in its partnership with UNCTAD. Colombos two-day exhaustive sessions, concluding today will include working sessions on e-commerce data inclusion, e-commerce in WTO framework, digital infrastructure development in South Asia, Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and digitalisation of South, WTOs Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) and Digitalisation, regional digital cooperation in South, and country perspectives on digital trade and the WTO. The staff, including the doctors of the Gampaha General Hospital, had launched a strike following the death of 33-year-old man, who was killed in a mishap involving the elevator at the hospital yesterday. Dr Lakmal Ruparatne said there had been technical failures very often at the hospital, to which no repairs had been done. The Police said the incident took place when the elevator was stuck mid-way. When it was opened manually and the rescuers were attempting to take passengers out, the victim had reportedly jumped out of the elevator from five feet above ground level and knocked his head on the floor. Dr Ruparatne said although they had informed authorities to take action over the dilapidated condition of the elevators, they had not paid attention. We urge the administrators to look into the issues and deploy personnel to repair the elevator and the generator, Dr Ruparatne added. (Thilakaratna Disanayake) The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) today urged President Maithripala Sirisena to immediately intervene in to the issue where the government had decided to outsource laundry service of local hospitals to an Indian company, which could result in thousands of Sri Lankans losing their jobs. GMOA Media Spokesman Dr. Samantha Ananda told a news conference that the government had signed an agreement with an Indian company named Sukran Hospital Solutions to outsource local hospitals laundry services at a cost of USD 7.5 million. The authorities, including the Health Ministry, should immediately withdraw this decision. Otherwise it would risk the jobs of Sri Lankans even before the Economic and Technology Corporation Agreement (ETCA) with India is signed, he said. He said it would create issues in the Sri Lankan job market and it would result in thousands of Sri Lankans losing their jobs. He also said local small-scale entrepreneurs were handling hospital laundry services in a appropriate and lawful manner and added that there was no necessity to outsource it to an Indian company. The government is trying to outsource every aspect of our health service to India, unit by unit. The initial step towards this move was the Indian ambulance service with was established in Sri Lanka. The second step is the outsourcing of laundry services at hospitals, he said. (Kalathma Jayawardhane) Celebrates Expression through Collaborations Celebrating other creative industries and their expression through fashion has been one of the focus' of HSBC Colombo Fashion Week in recent years. These collaborations have given birth to various sub events that take place during the week of CFW such as Art Connect, Fashion + Food events, Knowledge Workshops, Music Designed and Fashion Films. Art Connect This year the 5th edition of the collaboration between fashion and art, Art Connect will take place from 19th 20th March. It brings together fashion and art under the theme Co-liberate through the featured artwork, where each artist will gather inspiration from a CFW Designer to create one of their artworks. This year Art Connect will be featuring six renowned artists from Sri Lanka. Namely, Pala Pothupitiye, Mahen Perera, Sujeewa Kumari, Pradeep Chandrasiri, Koralegedara Pushpakumara and Kavaan Balasuriya. Art Connect will be the official launch event of Colombo Fashion Week on the 19th of March with an invite only evening of art appreciation and cocktails at the Laksala building in Fort. It will be open to the public on the 20th from 11.00 am to 8.00 pm. Fashion + Food This season Colombo Fashion Week along with selected restaurants will be creating Fashion Capital Menus with a series of themed events; New York Fashion Week - 20th March 2018 - 7.30 pm onwards - rare at Uga Residence, wine paired fine dining event. Paris Fashion Week - 21st March 2018 - 6.00 pm onward - Cafe Francais by Pourcel, French wine and cheese pairing event. London Fashion Week - 22nd March 2018 - 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm - LAB at HIlton, Colombo, A Classic Afternoon Tea. Tokyo Fashion Week - 23rd March 2018 - 9.30 pm (post runway show) - IkoiTei, Curated Bento Box and Sake tasting event. Milan Fashion Week - 25th March 2018 - 11.00 am to 3.00 pm - Il Ponte, Hilton Poolside, Brunch with complimentary access to the pool. Knowledge Workshops Enhancing the knowledge base of young designers is one of Colombo Fashion Weeks key initiatives. CFW carefully plans upgrading skill sets and sharing knowledge. Following this, experts are invited to conduct workshops, by some of the fashion industrys most sought after experts to provide the events attendees with useful insights. This season CFW conducts a workshop on Fashion and Lifestyle in Social Media and Blogging on the 21st of March conducted by Naina Redhu. Naina Redhu is an international Luxury & Lifestyle Photographer & Blogger based in India. Her expertise are also in Brand Storytelling and Influencer Marketing. Music Designed This season Colombo Fashion Week launches Music Designed on the 20th of March, a collaboration of music with fashion as music is an important element of presenting fashion. Three independent music artists picked for this segment will work with selected CFW designers to create original tracks for their runway segment. The musicians being featured are Naomi Wijemanne, Julius Mitchell and Sankha Bopearachchie (Sankha B). Technical support provided by Sooriya Village and Hit Factory Audio Institute. The radio partner is TNL Radio. Fashion Films The third season of Fashion Films will be happening from 22nd 24th of March. This creates a platform for aspiring film directors to showcase their work. Directors are paired with CFW designers to create a 1-minute fashion film recorded entirely on a smartphone to bring the designers inspirations to life through film. These films are revealed prior to each collection taking the runway. This season there are 11 film directors who have teamed together with the designers to create 17 films. Ryan Wijayaratne will create a film for Maus; Jonathan Wijayaratne for Conscience; Christian Hutter for Sonali; Jason Rajasinghe for Lovi Ceylon; Kavindu Sivaraj for Buddhi Batiks; Ishan Iqbal for U by Upeksha, Indi by Indeevari and Aslam Hussein; Karvin Fernando for The Old Railway; Amrik Ratwatte for Amilani Perera; Ravindu Rumesh for Meraki, Charini and Dimuthu Sahabandu; Zeeshan Akram Jabeer for La Sari and FH; and Aleena Abdul Cader for Jai by Jaish and Gihan Ediriweera. Last year CFW celebrated another important milestone with their title partner HSBC, that saw a celebration of 10 years of their partnership that saw this beautiful story of fashion development unfold in front of everyone. This partnership has grown from strength to strength and supported the development of the local fashion design industry by supporting this development focused program. This year they look to the next decade. Hosted by Hilton Colombo, its base for the last few years, CFW celebrates 9 years with Hilton, a partnership that has evolved and become synonymous with fashion and its development. Each partner has been an important stakeholder and contributed in a significant and a relevant way to make this journey important and effective with their support and efforts. Ponds BB+ provide the make-up beauty looks for the last few seasons as the Official Beauty Partner, they understood the needs of the fashion industry and individual personalities. Audi is the Official Automobile of Colombo Fashion Week, their strength in design led performance is what makes them a brand that fashions performance globally. Hydration partner, OLU, is a pure and distinct natural mineral water sourced from the cloud forests of Sri Lanka. Wineworld.lk continues to be the official Lifestyle Beverage Partner, providing the widest range of internationally renowned wines and spirits. The iconic Ramani Fernando has been part of this journey since inception as the Official Hair and Make-up Partner, Vision Care as the Official Eyewear Partner, Hameedia, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka and MSLGROUP Sri Lanka as the Official PR Partner, We Are Designers as the Website Development Partner and Emerging Media as the Outdoor Digital Media Partner all who share and extend their support towards the vision and aspirations of CFW. For further details, please visit www.colombofashionweek.com or follow CFW on Facebook (www.facebook.com/colombofashionweek), Twitter (@colombofw) and Instagram (@colombofw). DeAngelis Diamond is pleased to announce the promotion of Nick Pair from Project Manager to Director of Field Operations. In his new role, Nick will utilize his experience with both commercial and healthcare construction to assist Vice President of Field Operations Brian Hood in managing all field teams nationwide. "Nick is a hardworking member of the DeAngelis Diamond team and we are confident in his abilities to lead," Brian Hood said. "We're proud to offer him this new role - it is well deserved." Nick began his career with DeAngelis Diamond six years ago as a Project Superintendent. He later changed roles in 2016 to Project Manager. Nick attended Auburn University and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Building Science. DeAngelis Diamond is an innovative, award-winning, national construction management firm with more than 20 years of general contracting experience across the United States and in the Caribbean Islands. It's one of America's fastest growing companies, according to Inc. 5000, with a tremendous growth rate over the past three years. DeAngelis Diamond's mission is to develop authentic relationships and have a positive influence on everyone they meet. Visit www.deangelisdiamond.com for more information. Leading tour operators seeing some cancellation of visits Tourism authorities highlight wide-ranging economic implications of short-sighted actions SriLankan Airlines says closely monitoring situation By Chandeepa Wettasinghe The religious and communal violence that erupted in Kandy could end up stymying the momentum built up in the tourism industry over the past three months, as signs are emerging that foreign tourists are cancelling their visits to Sri Lanka. Over 80 tourists have cancelled their bookings made at one of the top three travel companies in Sri Lanka, which could possibly amount to a loss of 800 nights, Mirror Business learns. This is despite the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) constantly issuing updates on the situation, and working with tourism stakeholders and the police to ensure the safety of tourists in the Central district. Attempts to reach the top management of most of the leading travel companies and the two apex industry bodiesSri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) were unsuccessful, as most were in attendance at ITB Berlin, the largest travel trade show in the world. Back home, SLTDA Chairman Kavan Ratnayake hit back strongly against individuals and groups inciting religious and ethnic tension. This is a wakeup call that shows the significance and the gravity of immature action on the part of those who contributed to this situation. The next time before someone throws a stone, or engages in any kind of road-rage, they should think ten times of the wide-ranging economic consequences of their actions, he said. Ratnayake said that the tourism industry is projected to be the leading foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka in two years, and the society should understand the importance of preserving a peaceful environment to sustain the growth of the industry. The loss of income affects not only the major hotels, but also the street seller, the tuk-tuk driver, the farmer and the restaurant worker, he added. The tourism industry was just getting back into gear after 2017 turned out to be a disappointment with a partial airport closure and a dengue epidemic, which resulted in nearly flat growth. Relatively moderate growth last December was followed up by double-digit growth in January and February this year from key markets due to the winter season and the Chinese New Year, before the current tension in the major tourism hub of Kandy spurted. Sparks flew with a roadside brawl over a truck driver thwarting a three-wheeler from overtaking, which resulted in the latter assaulting the truck driver who passed away from the wounds sustained. The incident escalated into communal violence, with residents of the area fanning flames of religious hatred over the fact that the truck driver was Buddhist and the assailants were Muslim. Another death of a Muslim resulted in the ensuing chaos. Foreign media provided wide coverage on the developments, and the US, British, UAE and Australian governments issued travel advisories for their residents visiting Sri Lanka. However, the national carrier SriLankan Airlines, which flies most of the tourists to Sri Lanka, issued a statement, which said that it has yet to see a massive cancellation trend. There could be some cancellations. We are closely monitoring the situation, but so far we are unaffected, SriLankan said. A source within the airline yesterday said that it would take a day or two before the airline could state whether cancellations have substantially increased due to the situation. The unrest would not only result in cancellations by tourists who were set to visit Sri Lanka shortly, but would also discourage potential bookings for the coming months. Area returns to normalcy Tourists can resume their travel plans-SLTDA According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the volatile situation in the Kandy area is returning to normalcy, allowing tourists to resume their travel plans. The situation in Kandy is improving and the area is fast returning to normalcy. No violent incident has been reported from the district in the last 18 hours. Accordingly, the curfew has been lifted by the police and tourists can resume their travel plans to Kandy, it said. Communal violence had resulted in the government imposing a curfew in the affected region, along with a social media blackout. The state tourism office, along with the travel and tourism industry had worked with the local police authorities to issue passes for tourists to move out of the area during the curfew periods on Wednesday. The SLTDA stressed that the situation in Kandy has no impact whatsoever on the other parts of Sri Lanka, and that it, along with all industry stakeholders are working to ensure that tourists are safe during their travels within Sri Lanka. Communal violence had resulted in the government imposing a curfew in the affected region, along with a social media blackout. The state tourism office, along with the travel and tourism industry had worked with the local police authorities to issue passes for tourists to move out of the area during the curfew periods on Wednesday. The SLTDA stressed that the situation in Kandy has no impact whatsoever on the other parts of Sri Lanka, and that it, along with all industry stakeholders is working to ensure that tourists are safe during their travels within Sri Lanka. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is to meet US President Donald Trump by May, a top South Korean security official announced Thursday in Washington, in an unprecedented development. Chung Eui Yong, who led a South Korean delegation to meet Kim in Pyongyang earlier this week, said the North Korean leader had expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. Following a briefing on Kims offer on Thursday, Trump said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization, Chung told reporters. If the meeting takes place, it will be the first time that a US president has met with a leader of the reclusive nation. Chung also said the North Korean leader had agreed to refrain from further nuclear and ballistic missile tests and was committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim also understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue, Chung said. The announcements could be a breakthrough in the decades-long effort to restore peace in the region and follow a flurry of diplomacy which centred around North Koreas attendance of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang last month. The White House later confirmed that Trump had accepted Kims invitation to meet at a place and time to be determined. However, it emphasized that in the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. Trump said in a tweet that great progress was being made. South Korean President Moon Jae described the potential meeting as a historic milestone for peace, local media reported Friday. The May meeting will be recorded as a historic milestone that realized peace on the Korean Peninsula, Moon said in a statement read out by his spokesman, according to the Yonhap news agency. DPA, 09th MARCH, 2018 President Maithripala Sirisena distributed 29 waste compactor vehicles today among 22 local government bodies in the Western Province to assist them in their efforts to properly manage waste disposal. The vehicle distribution is a concept of Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya. Governor K.C. Logeshwaran, Provincial Ministers, members and state officials were present at the event. Pix by Nisal Baduge Fiction of this kind is still very rare in Sri Lanka, either in English, Sinhala or Tamil, it is hoped that the author will write more. The Beast is a debut novel by Jude Perera. The author describes it as a beautifully bleak young adult adventure. Dylan, Rose, Ashwin and Menaka are four friends fond of hiking and adventure. The story is set in the Horton Plains and they set out to find a mysterious, goat-killing beast known locally as Yakush. In the process, they discover a lot more. This is not exactly an Enid Blyton type story, though it, too, has an obtuse, all-knowing Police Sergeant. It has romance, adventure and the author is good at creating atmosphere and a mounting sense of mystery. He keeps the language simple and straightforward, without resorting too much to the colloquialisms peculiar to Sri Lankan English. Sometimes, though, the language can get flippant. Heres an example. Radios suddenly started belting Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Boney M. non stop. Despite such occasional slips, the narrative is quite readable. The inclusion of black and white drawings by Vasana Perera at the start of each chapter makes the book look like a well-crafted, neatly printed work. Parallel to the tracking down of the Yakush is the story of a kidnapping with a lot of twists and unexpected events, including a treasure hunt and the tsunami. The author manages to keep all the plot twists moving within a rather crowded narrative packed into 120 pages. As for any comparisons with Enid Blyton, it should be pointed out that her Famous Five series were for children of thirteen or less. This is for young adults, though teenagers can enjoy it as much. Besides, Jude Perera is a gender-conscious author and his foursomes are also multi-ethnic with one Tamil character. The author is quite good at building up atmosphere through descriptions of climate and scenery, building up a sense of menace and mystery. In Enid Blyton, the skies are always blue. His main female character Menaka is not someone who dreams of cooking and housekeeping, as Blytons Anne does, and the boys in The Beast admire Menaka for qualities other than her cooking skills. And, as a study from the University of Leicester has pointed out, there is racism and sexism in Blytons books (coloured people are always niggers.). There isnt a trace of racial bias or sexism in The Beast. Also, as noted earlier, the author is quite good at building up atmosphere through descriptions of climate and scenery, building up a sense of menace and mystery. In Enid Blyton, the skies are always blue. As fiction of this kind is still very rare in Sri Lanka, either in English, Sinhala or Tamil, it is hoped that the author will write more. The UK Government yesterday said it supports the Sri Lankan Governments determination to end inter-communal violence in the country swiftly. In its statement to the 37th UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, the UK said Sri Lanka should end violence using measures that are proportionate and respect human rights. We urge the Sri Lankan Government to hold the perpetrators to account, it said while sharing concerns about inter-communal violence. Commenting on Thailand at the session, the UK said the Southeast Asian country should deliver credible, inclusive elections in line with international standards as soon as possible. Meanwhile, it said the UK was increasingly concerned by worsening restrictions on freedom of expression in Vietnam and proposed steps to limit freedom of expression in the Philippines. Jeffrey Feltman, UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, has said he was pleased with the action taken by Sri Lanka in terms of the reconciliation process, the Defence Ministry said. Mr. Feltmen, who arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday (8), has expressed these views upon meeting Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne at the Defence Ministry today. In a statement, the Defence Ministry said matters relating to the national reconciliation process, including land release, was taken up for discussion during the meeting. Mr. Feltman was briefed on the progress of the reconciliation process and its current status. The UN Under-Secretary General was pleased with the actions taken by us in this regard, it said. UN Political Affairs Departments Director (Asia and Pacific) Mari Yamashita, Reconciliation and Development Advisor (UN Sri Lanka) Gita Sabharwal and Secretary to UN Under-Secretary General Mary Sack accompanied Mr. Feltman. Senior officers of the Ministry and tri-forces were also present at the discussion. The Amana Takaful Group consistently delivered its profit momentum through the four quarters, with each of the three group companies, Amana Takaful PLC, Amana Takaful Life PLC & Amana Takaful Maldives PLC contributing positively to this profit out-turn. This sustained performance resulted in a full year profit before tax of Rs.171.9Mn. This compares with a loss of Rs 140.2Mn in the previous year.The Groups Gross Written Premium (GWP) of Rs 3.64Bn, is ahead by 7 % over 2016. The Amana Takaful Group consistently delivered its profit momentum through the four quarters, with each of the three group companies, Amana Takaful PLC, Amana Takaful Life PLC & Amana Takaful Maldives PLC contributing positively to this profit out-turn. This sustained performance resulted in a full year profit before tax of Rs.171.9Mn. This compares with a loss of Rs 140.2Mn in the previous year.The Groups Gross Written Premium (GWP) of Rs 3.64Bn, is ahead by 7 % over 2016. Thebold strategies and grouprestructuring in addition to optimizing synergies contributed immensely to this exemplary performance, a note that our stakeholders would embrace favorably opined Chairman Tyeab Akbarally In a much-improved performance, Amana Takaful PLC (ATPLC)posted a GWP of Rs.1.79Bn, doublingits growth to 11% and reporting a profit before tax of Rs 61.9Mn in 2017.This compares with a loss of Rs 139.1 Mn over the previous year. Although Industry growth was at 15%, fueled by the Motor Class, which grew at the same pace & taking anindustry share of 66%, the company chose to re-balance its portfolio from a high dependency on Motor and achieve a fair equilibrium, where its overall upside came from the Non-Motor segment. Productivity improvements, new product launches and strategic tie-ups together with prudent claims management contributed in a large measure to the results of 2017.As the on-going portfolio re-structure gains momentum, Amana Takaful Life PLC (ATLL), listed since August 2016, has made good gains in its Protection-based portfolio delivering a profit before tax growth of 46% to Rs. 52.2 Mnfor the full year 2017. Expansion of Distribution, Channel Development & new product offers together with customer- engagement programs are set to drive performance at a higher pace in the future. Amana Takaful Maldives PLC (ATM), the only listed Insurance entity in the Maldives Stock Exchange, continues its steady pace with stellar performance in all aspects of the business. ATM reports a 245% growth in profits before tax on the back of a 9% GWP upside in a volatile market. These results are borne out through new product lines, efficient cost & claims management and investment returns. ATMs ethical positioning, service ethos and year-on-year dividend pay-outs together with Surplus Awards to its customers are un-paralleled commitments as a responsible corporate. In 2017, the Groups investment income grew by 39% to Rs 379.3 Mn, while the total payout in claims was Rs 1.47 Bn. Pioneering this ethical system of Takaful based on justice and fair-play, each entity of the Group in its own right, is the only listed independent Takaful operator in the respective jurisdictions. Steeped in solidarity, mutual trust and transparency, the purity of the concept is zealously safeguarded through the steadfast adherence to the AAOFI standards. Amana Takaful PLC and Amana Takaful Maldives PLCwon Gold at the Islamic Finance Awards of South Asia. Theresa May today branded an attempt to kill a Russian double agent with a nerve agent an appalling and reckless crime. The Prime Minister said she would do what is right if it was proven the Kremlin was responsible for the attempt on Sergei Skripals life. She hinted at support for expelling the Russian ambassador if the case was proven. Mrs Mays new intervention came after the police confirmed a rare nerve agent was used in the attempted assassination in Salisbury on Sunday. Home Secretary Amber Rudd updated MPs on the latest steps in the investigation in the Commons today. She said it was an outrageous crime and using a nerve agent on British soil was a brazen and reckless act that was attempted murder in the most cruel and reckless way. The Home Secretary urged caution on speculation about who is responsible. The Prime Minister said: First of all the police are still investigating, obviously, we need to let the police have the space and time to conduct their investigating so that we get the best possible evidence of what has happened in this particular case. Of course if action needs to be taken then the government will do that. Asked if she would expel the ambassador, Mrs May said: We will do what is appropriate, we will do what is right, if it is proved to be the case that this is State sponsored. UK, (Daily Mail), 8 March 2018 PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Ingalls Shipbuilding employees once again gathered dockside to bid farewell to yet another of its state-of-the-art warships Friday morning. The Ralph Johnson (DDG114) set sail from Ingalls Friday en route to Charleston, S.C., where it is scheduled to be the latest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy. DDG Program Manager Freddie Joe O'Brien, a Master Shipbuilder with 46 years experience, was among those on-hand to watch the Johnson sail away. He recalled watching his first sail away as a young shipbuilder in 1973. "The first ship I saw sail away was the USS Parche, SSN683," O'Brien said of the Sturgeon-class attack submarine built at Ingalls. "It was the last ship launched from the East Bank. I was 24 years old and had just been hired in. I had no real emotion then, because I was too young to understand what was going on. DDG Program Manager Freddie Joe O'Brien stands alongside the Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) shortly before it departed Ingalls Shipbuilding for Charleston, S.C., Friday morning. "Now it's a totally different feeling," he continued. "More sense of responsibility. My team had a key role in building this ship, and (DDG) 113, and (DDG) 107 and (DDG) 105. The responsibility, the felling of pride, is much, much different than it was back then." DDG 114 is named in honor of Marine Corps Pfc. Ralph Henry Johnson, a Vietnam-era Congressional Medal of Honor winner. Johnson -- only 19 years old -- threw himself on top of an explosive device while shouting a warning to his fellow Marines. Johnson's heroic act saved the life of at least one Marine and prevented enemy forces from penetrating his sector of the patrol perimeter. The Charleston native had only been in Vietnam just over two months when he was killed. When DDG 114 was delivered to the Navy in November, it became the 30th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer delivered by Ingalls. Four more destroyers are currently under construction at the Pascagoula shipyard, including the Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123). GULFPORT, Miss. -- The Moss Point Police Department in conjunction with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Jackson County Sheriff's Department assisted in an investigation leading to the prosecution of an illegal immigrant. Oscar Alfredo Burgon-Urrea, 39, of Honduras, pled guilty on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to unlawful re-entry by a removed alien previously convicted of a felony, according to U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and David Rivera, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in New Orleans. Burgon-Urrea is scheduled to be sentenced by Guirola on June 5, 2018 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On Dec. 4, 2017, during Department of Homeland Security criminal alien program duties at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center, an ICE Deportation Officer arrested Burgon-Urrea, who was being held by local officials for public drunkenness after Moss Point police officers found him by the side of I-10 intoxicated. Further investigation revealed that Burgon-Urrea had been lawfully removed from the United States in 2005, and had illegally re-entered the United States on six subsequent occasions. In 2011, he was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas of re-entry by a deported alien, a felony. He had been known by multiple variations of his name including Oscar Alfredo Burgos-Urrea, Oscar Alredo Burgos Ureea, Oscar Alfredo Burgos, Oscar Burgos and Oscar Alfredo. "ERO is committed to pursuing and apprehending those who choose to violate our immigration laws," said ICE ERO Field Office Director David Rivera. "ERO will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure criminal aliens are arrested and removed." The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris. Has Fashion Given Business Women a Fighting Chance? T-shirts on the Christian Dior runway not too long ago declared, We Should All be Feminists. More recently, the show space was plastered with protest and feminist-inspired imagery. In light of the state of the gender power structure in the fashion industry, it is difficult not to wonder if creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri is not only talking to her Dior customers but also nudging fashions reigning powers that be: The men behind fashions biggest brands. There is, after all, a stark lack of women at the helm of the industrys most well-known brands, and also behind the scenes. This is a particularly interesting phenomenon if we consider the breakdown of the market for luxury goods. In the 250-billion-euro space, 85 percent of personal luxury goods consumers are women, according to a 2015 Bain report. Euromonitor confirmed that luxury womenswear and accessories continued to outperform menswear in 2016. And as recently as October 2017, online marketing consultancy PMX Agency found that of Gen X consumers those born between 1965 to 1984, who make up the biggest buyers of luxury goods women were still significantly outspending men. These figures are wildly disproportionate to the statistics that detail the supply side of the equation, where the industrys most highly-ranking positions are by and large dominated by men. The relatively recent appointments of Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy, Natacha Ramsey-Levi at Chloe, and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Christian Dior the latter being Diors first-ever female creative director in the Paris-based design houses 71-year history signal a degree of advancement. Such appointments serve at least in theory to challenge the status quo of male designers power at the helms of the crown jewel brands of luxury conglomerates portfolios. (This is something we examined at length last spring, in asking: Have luxury conglomerates given a fair chance to female creatives in the upper-most echelon of the fashion industry?). But what is going on behind-the-scenes? On the business side of the equation, the imbalance persists. Industry-wide, women only make up 25 percent of board-level positions in publicly traded fashion and luxury goods companies, as of 2015, per BoF. Initiatives aimed at increasing gender diversity are being imposed in some countries, including France, where a 2011 law requires that all companies listed on the CAC 40 a benchmark French stock market index must show that women account for at least 40 percent of their board membership. Read more at:one shoulder bridesmaid dresses uk | teal bridesmaid dresses uk Could not establish database connection. DB: bostonimc and SQL: --> The administrator has been notified and will resolve the problem ASAP. Posted 3/9/18 A Coggins clinic is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at the Fair Grove Saddle Club.Funds raised at the clinic will go back to the saddle club.Prices for services include the following: For execution of BharatNet project, government has provided Rs 5,744 crore in Phase-I and has earmarked Rs 6,500 crore in Phase-II for BSNL. New Delhi: Government has entrusted state-run BSNL with various telecom network projects around Rs 25,000 crore in works, Parliament was informed on Friday. The big projects include laying of optical fibre based network dedicated for use by Defence worth Rs 13, 334 crore and Rs 6,500 crore for execution of second phase of BharatNet Project, as per details shared by Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha in Rajya Sabha today. "Optical Fibre Cable based Network for Defence Services (NFS Project) has been given to BSNL on nomination basis at the cost of Rs 13,334 crore. For execution of BharatNet project, government has provided Rs 5,744 crore in Phase-I and has earmarked Rs 6,500 crore in Phase-II for BSNL," Sinha said. The state-run firm has been awarded rolling out mobile networks in uncovered villages in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam at an estimated project cost of Rs 1,975.38 crore, implementation of transmission-media plan for North Eastern Region at an estimated cost of Rs 295.97 crore, laying of submarine optical fiber cable project at the cost of Rs 1,900 crore for providing connectivity to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) and augmenting of satellite bandwidth in ANI and Lakshadweep Islands at an estimated cost of Rs 120.49 crore. "Work of setting up of 25000 Wi-Fi Hotspots at Rural Telephone Exchanges at the cost of Rs 940 crore has been given to BSNL on nomination basis," Sinha said. He was replying to question over revival of state-run telecom firm BSNL and MTNL. Both public sector telecom firms have been incurring losses continuously since Financial Year 2009-10 and as per Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines, both CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises) have been declared as Incipient Sick, Sinha said. "Consequent upon declaration of BSNL as Incipient Sick, action has been initiated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for preparation of a revival/restructuring plan for BSNL as per DPE guidelines. Three Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) have been requested to submit their willingness for undertaking a study and preparation of a revival/restructuring plan for BSNL," the minister said. An internal committee of DoT is examining the recommendations of the report prepared by the consultant to decide the path of financial, human resources and corporate restructuring for revival of MTNL. The MTNL consultant has recommended reduction in retirement age from 60 to 58 years for employees, voluntary retirement scheme , debt restructuring and synergy in operations of MTNL and BSNL. Besides this, the recommendation for MTNL should focus on customers and defend current revenue besides generating additional revenue through network capex investment, asset monetisation ease, Sale of real estate, buildings, lease or sale of mobile tower, fiber, copper and active equipments, Sinha said. Government is hard pressed to bridge the fiscal deficit, which is expected to widen to 3.5 per cent of the GDP in the current fiscal as against the budget estimate of 3.2 per cent. New Delhi: The government on Friday said it had sought Rs 13,000 crore more from the Reserve Bank over the Rs 30,659 crore surplus fund it transferred earlier. Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash C Garg had said on Thursday that the government was expecting "some more" dividend from the central bank this month. In August, RBI had paid a dividend of Rs 30,659 crore for the fiscal ended June 2017. It was less than half the Rs 65,876 crore paid in 2015-16. "The government had sought Rs 13,000 crore in addition to the surplus of Rs 30,659 crore transferred by RBI," Minister of State for Finance Pon Radhakrishnan said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He said additional fund was sought as per the Malegam Committee's recommendations of transfer of the RBI's entire surplus to the government. The government is hard pressed to bridge the fiscal deficit, which is expected to widen to 3.5 per cent of the GDP in the current fiscal as against the budget estimate of 3.2 per cent. Under the RBI Act, 1934, the central bank is required to pay the government its surplus after making provisions for bad and doubtful debts, depreciation in assets and, contribution to staff and superannuation fund among others. Hyderabad: The government, which wants to complete the sale within the announced timeline, will split part of the $8.5 billion debt ahead of divesting the national airlines, the junior civil minister said on Friday. Speaking to news agency Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai, Jayant Sinha said that the Centre has decided to split the massive debt into sustainable and unsustainable debt. The unsustainable part will be with the special purpose vehicle. While Mr Sinha didnt elaborate, Reuters, qouting a Bloomberg report, said that the Centre had proposed the transfer of non aviation assets and upto Rs 30,000 crore in short term loans into a seperate firm. In a busy day for Mr Sinha, who also made a stop by in Hyderabad for Wings India, said, To issue the EoIs, we need to get approval from the alternate mechanism that is chaired by the finance minister. That is a process we are going through. As soon as we have the go ahead, we will issue it. The civil aviaition secretary, on Thursday, had said that the Centre plans to issue expression of interests for Air India within two weeks. When asked about the timeline, Mr Sinha added, Our timeline is very clear. We want the whole transaction closed and done including the transfer to the partner airline in this calender year. Those are the timelines that have been established and will be maintained. In 2017, the Cabinet finally gave the go-ahead to privatise the airline after multiple attempts to keep it solvent. But its debt burden and bloated cost structure have been a concern. Rating: Cast: Renuka Shahane, Richa Chadda, Pulkit Samrat, Sharman Joshi, Masumeh Makhija, Himanshu Malik, Ankit Rathi Director: Arjun Mukerjee Chawls in Mumbai have their own unique habitation where though primarily middle-class, yet a wide cross-section of multilayered echelons of Mumbais society reside all displaying bonhomie and easy camaraderie that the high society condominiums seldom have. Debutant director Arjun Mukerjees 3 Storeys delves deeply into three or rather four families and their ordeals, and without dissecting the lives of characters threadbare, leaves you shocked. Not necessarily with a view to making stories follow a natural progression, but clearly, intentionally. A format with three or four tales intersecting and overlapping into a complete whole has been quite popular in Europe, and, in Hollywood too, and even Bollywood has attempted to merge different accounts quite a few times, as in Hrishikesh Mukherjees Musafir way back in the 60s, and more recently in Onirs I Am and in Kiran Raos Dhobi Ghat. 3 Storeys, as the title suggests, has three yarns of people living on three different floors of a building. The first one has a rich, presumably a spoilt brat, Vinay Naik (Pulkit Samrat) hunting for a flat for himself. When his real estate agent takes him to Mayanagar, Vilas feels satisfied on meeting the owner Flory Mendonca (Renuka Shahane). Flory looks a tad cranky but Vilas seems to like the flat and gives his nod writing a cheque immediately as per Florys demands. It is when he starts nudging her to share her story that one gets a glimpse of tragic circumstances that led to the death of her only son and husband. What follows is a twist that would instantly remind viewers of the British novelist and short-story writer Roald Dahls unanticipated endings, and his unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of child characters. The twist is unexpected and jolts one out of their seats. The next one is about Varsha (Masumeh Makhija) whose alcoholic and abusive husband makes her pine for her lost lover Shankar Verma (Sharman Joshi) all the more. When she unknowingly befriends her neighbour and finds out that Varshas past catches up with her when her new family moves in the same building. On Shankars return from Dubai where he works, she gets torn between being a duty-bound wife and her strain and conflict that her former love brings. The last is about two miserable teenagers a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl who find their respective parents a stumbling block to their plans of elopement. Needless to add that all the stories have intriguing climaxes full of twists and turns. During the course of three acts, dark secrets and past regrets get revealed, and the narrator (Richa Chadda), who is herself a minor character living in the same building, underlines the volatility and misapprehension of the small community. While it is commendable to see fresh ideas being dished out in Bollywood, the overall treatment of a complex structure leaves a lot to be desired. Both Renuka and Masumeh are complete miscasts in their roles. Contrary to her benign and caring image that Shahane has often displayed in playing bhabhi or wife in the little body of work that she has done, her rough disposition here is clearly to add an element of surprise for viewers. Resultantly, at times, her presence is in sync with the demands of the story, but mostly she looks ill at ease to look the oddity that she is expected to be. Masumeh tries hard to underscore the lower middle class emotions. It is Sharman Joshi who lights up the screen every time he appears. Other bit role players, including the good-hearted cop played by Himanshu Malik, are also equally convincing. What fails to lift the film, despite its heft and unusual narrative, are some sketchy episodic tales, particularly that of the Hindu-Muslim love affair that one wished had more substance. Mukerjee, it seems underplays some of the films most dramatic moments, may be deliberately to ensure that his audience, after getting a jarring blow, ponders over. But the fleeting flashes of underlying warm sentiment dominate the films intensely striking and remarkable instants for them to register with his audience. Wish there was more content to deal with! The writer is a film critic and has been reviewing films for over 15 years. He also writes on music, art and culture, and other human interest stories. Rating: Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Saqib Saleem, Nidhi Singh, Abhilash Thapliyal, Srishti Shrivastava, Ayesha Kaduskar Director: Aleya Sen Sharma The first thing that came to my mind after watching Aleya Sen Sharmas Dil Juunglee was to question the source of funding for a film that clearly had no clue which way to head, because theres nothing worse than spending an early morning with a heartbreakingly bad movie. Sure, most romantic comedies are predictable, unrealistic and corny, but some films are so bad, theyre actually good. Also, the film is credited to actor producer Jackky Bhagnani as the creative director, no less! Touted as a romantic comedy this Taapsee Pannu and Saqib Saleem starrer is the kind of film whose screenwriting, acting and plot twists are so unforgivable, they leave you more embarrassed than entertained. In fact, like many among the audience did, you might not even make it through the whole thing. Theres no plausible story to speak of, but for all those who would still wish to know, its about Koroli Nair or Koro (Taapsee Pannu), who is the sole child of a London-based business tycoon, is nerdy and goofy. She settles in New Delhi to fulfil her pursuit of happiness and teaches English at the British Council, which makes her feel content in her own way. That she has no interest in her dads business is obviously a cause of concern for him. Her sole ambition in life is to get married and enjoy the joys of motherhood to her future kids. Her diametrically opposite student, Sumit Uppal, a typical Lajpat Nagar highly ambitious lad wants to make it big as an actor in Bollywood, and works as the star trainer at a local gym where he has also worked on his physique. He dreams of walking the red carpet, some day, and brush shoulders with some of Bollywoods finest. He joins Korolis English class at the language school, and in a strange quirk of fate, she falls for Sumit and together they decide to elope to Mumbai where Sumit could try his luck in Bollywood. Their dreams get shattered when Sumits car, which Koro was driving, loses control, forcing all of them to fall in a canal. Taking the arduous journey to Mumbai on foot, they realise the futility of their dream, get into petty fights and become grumpy as all their hopes come crashing down. From then on, the story that should have revolved around their friendship or romance goes all over the place. And you immediately know that you are in for a long and painful ride. If director Sen was trying to tell us the ups and downs that typically run parallel with love and friendship, more so, when the two involved belong to contrasting background, she misplaces the angle of fun, crazed love and madness. The film jumps seven years later to a time when Koro is a hotshot, smart, elegant executive in her fathers firm in London, and calls the shots even as her fiance hovers around her. Sen allows all the possible cliches to be fitted into the film as Koro is seen being chased by Sumit who is on a small-time assignment for a campaign that he keeps himself busy with to eke out a living. Their sudden meeting, Sumits desperate bid to win her back, and Koros first reluctance, and then gradual acceptance is so forced that it looks that Sen, somehow, wanted to include the Karan Johar sequence to make sure it looked like a homage to the director. Or else the film looks like listening to a bedtime story by ones grandmother, who often loses track of the previous nights serialised finale. Pannu stumbles through her performance with cheesy delivery and Saleem infuses all his energetic zeal to pep up the film that actually has not one or two but three forced storylines getting fused and unified together. Posted 3/9/18 University of Missouri Extension will offer a ReproGene workshop, Taking the Next Step in Beef Reproduction and Genetics.The workshop starts at 4:30 p.m. March 21 at the Mills Center, Laclede Ikigai is defined as ones reason for which you wake up in the morning, which can be interpreted as your purpose in life. Getting up early in the morning is a task. Studies show that eight out of ten people hit the snooze button everyday. It turns out that adopting the Japanese concept of ikigai could be the key to waking up feeling refreshed and geared up to start the day. Ikigai is defined as ones reason for which you wake up in the morning, which can be interpreted as your purpose in life. The Japanese island of Okinawa, they dont have a word for retirement, opting to use the word ikigai instead. Talking to The Independent, Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and author, has explained how having a reason to wake up in the morning has allowed the multiple centenarians on Okinawa to live long and fulfilling lives. The principal aspects of ikigai, as stated by neuroscientist and author of Awakening Your Ikigai Ken Mogi, are starting small and accepting yourself, connecting with others and the planet, finding joy in little things and being present. Here are some simple things that you could try to increase your energy, feel more content and kick-start your day. Exercise: Its all about figuring out what form of physical activity that you personally enjoy and that will help push you to get out of bed. This could be going for a walk, doing some yoga in your living room, dancing while you eat your breakfast, anything! Breakfast: They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but you should also try and make it one of the most enjoyable. Indulging in a flavoursome breakfast can give your spirits an incredible lift. Just like with choosing what kind of physical activity to do in the morning, what you eat for your morning meal is completely at your discretion. Social start: The idea of meeting up with a pal for a coffee and a chin wag first thing in the morning may sound like a very strange notion, but that early social interaction could benefit you greatly. According to a 2008 Gallop poll, Americans were recorded as being most happy when they spent approximately six to seven hours socialising a day. However, when you head straight to work after waking up, spend eight or nine hours at your desk and then typically return back home in the evening exhausted from the days events, that leaves very little time to tend to your social life. One of the pillars of ikigai is connecting with others and as such social interactions are pertinent. Finding the time to have a small catch-up with someone who you care about could do wonders for your mood. Even if you dont have the time to actually sit down and partake in an in-depth conversation, sending someone a quick text to brighten their day could have the same effect. Paris: The Spanish flu outbreak 100 years ago is the modern world's deadliest epidemic, its toll of more than 50 million surpassing that of World War I. Here is some background. Why 'Spanish flu'? Countries caught up in the 1914-1918 war censored information about the extent to which the flu outbreak was ravaging their troops. Spain was, however, neutral in the conflict and had no such restrictions. Media reporting on the effects of 1918-1920 flu outbreak there resulted in the false impression that Spain was particularly hard hit, giving rise to the nickname. Where did it come from? The geographic origin of the epidemic is not certain and no samples remain for further study. The first cases were recorded in March 1918 among soldiers in Kansas in the United States. It may have spread to Europe with the troops. The virus is the type A(H1N1), the same strain behind the swine flu outbreak of 2009. That outbreak claimed about 18,500 lives in 214 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), although later estimates say the final toll could be around 200,000. It is believed that all existing type A flu viruses come directly or indirectly from the 1918 virus but are less harmful. Rapid spread Spanish flu spread in three waves, the first in the Northern Hemisphere spring of 1918 being highly contagious but causing few deaths. The second, more virulent, emerged later in the year and "swept the globe in six months, killing over 10,000 people per week in some US cities at the height of the pandemic," says a paper on the US National Academy of Sciences site. "Emotional reports of fit and healthy soldiers falling down on parade and dying the same or the next day are recorded," another article says. The third wave followed in early 1919. Few regions were untouched. Australia was among the countries least affected because of its strict quarantine measures. A ghastly toll There is no precise death toll for the Spanish flu outbreak. All estimates say that it caused many more deaths than World War I, when around 10 million soldiers were killed along with several million civilians. The WHO regularly states "more than 50 million" died from the flu and one 2002 study, cited by many others since, says the toll may have been as high as 100 million. About 500 million people, estimated at one-third of the world's population at the time, were infected, says a 2006 report entitled "1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics". "Much of the high death rate can be attributed to crowding in military camps and urban environments, as well as poor nutrition and sanitation, which suffered during wartime," the Smithsonian Institute says. The virulent form of the virus acted quickly, causing the lungs to fill with fluid and suffocating victims, some of whom died within days of their first symptoms. The victims While flu epidemics today tend to strike mainly young children and the elderly, the Spanish flu hit hardest among young adults aged between 20 and 40. Its high-profile victims reportedly include: Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1918); French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1918); Donald Trump's grandfather Frederick Trump (1918); Brazilian president Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves (1919). The League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations, created in 1922 a health committee in part to respond to the need to fight such epidemics. It evolved into today's WHO. Bengaluru: Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Vishwanath Shetty who was operated on at Mallya Hospital within hours of being rushed to the facility, bleeding from multiple stab wounds - as many as 11 - is stable, doctors treating him said on Friday. He had suffered multiple injuries including deep stab wounds following the attack in his office on Wednesday afternoon by the crazed attacker Tejraj. "There are multiple injuries, but he is stable and recovering. Hopefully another two days at the CCU," maintained Dr Diwakar Bhat, who added that he was subjected to a CT scan as soon as he was brought to the hospital. The scan revealed deep injuries to the chest that may have damaged his heart, lungs and abdomen and set off internal bleeding. The doctors were mainly concerned about the deep cuts which were causing heavy bleeding hence he was immediately rushed to the operating theatre where a team of doctors performed multiple emergency surgery. A highly placed source at the hospital also revealed that the Lokayukta has two injuries on the left side of his chest, another over the epigastric region, over the left lumbar region, left palm, even the left web space (in the palm), his right thigh, over the pulp of the left ring finger along with abrasions over the left eyebrow and a deep cut below the left angle of the mouth. "He is recovering and stable," Dr Bhat said. Tejraj unrepentant Crazed attacker Tejraj Sharma, who breezed through non-existent security by lax policemen sleeping on the job, was being questioned by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) for his murderous attack on the Lokayukta P Vishwanath Shetty at his office on Wednesday. CCTV footage had shown him jumping on the Lokayukta's huge work table inside his office, grabbing his throat with one hand and stabbing him repeatedly as the 71 year old judge tried to fob him off and fell to the floor, screaming for help. Tejraj who was taken to his rented room in Tumakuru from where he ran a failed furniture business was unrepentant and maintained throughout the interrogation that he was committed to the fight against corruption. "He has been repeating the same thing over and over since the day he was arrested. He said that he got angry after his complaint wasn't taken up seriously and the case was shut without any proper investigation," Tejraj's interrogators said. The victim was identified as M. Aswini, a second year B.com student at Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research here. Chennai: A 19-year-old college student was murdered in broad daylight by her spurned lover, a few hundred meters from her college in KK Nagar on Friday evening. The victim was identified as M. Aswini, a second year B.com student at Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research here. The assailant, Alagesan (28) was caught by the public and treated to mob justice before he was handed over to the police. Police sources said that he had also bought a bottle of kerosene with him to commit suicide after attacking the girl. The incident sent shockwaves across the otherwise quaint residential neighbourhood. The incident happened around 3 pm on Friday. Aswini was walking on Loganathan street adjacent to her college on her way to the bus stop when Alagesan approached her. The two of them had a heated conversation and, all of a sudden, Alagesan took out the knife he was carrying and slit her throat and stabbed her, police sources said. Alarmed college students and public rushed to the aid of Aswini and moved her to a private hospital nearby. However, she was declared brought dead after which KK Nagar police secured her body and moved it to the Government multi specialty hospital for autopsy. Aswini's parents were informed of the incident. Bereaved family members demanded strict action against the assailant. Meanwhile, Alagesan was beaten black and blue by college students and public and his limbs were tied until police reached the scene. Police secured him and moved him to a hospital for treatment. Alagesan, police said was working as a water-can supplier in Maduravoyal where Aswini's family also resided. The duo had known each other for two years and had parted ways recently after which Alagesan had persistently stalked and harassed her. KK Nagar police have registered a case of murder and are investigating. Death penalty for rape of girls aged up to 12. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP) Jaipur: A new bill in Rajasthan proposes either gallows or death in prison for rapists of girls 12 years or below. The Rajasthan assembly on Friday unanimously passed a bill that will see rapists of girls 12 years or below being hanged till death. Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria told reporters that two amendments have been made in the bill. "We have made two amendments: added life sentence and life imprisonment for convicts in offences against girls below 12 years of age. We have also made a provision that convict cannot leave the prison for life even after completing 14 years of sentence," Kataria said. When defendants are sentenced to life in prison, they will be eligible for parole after they have served 14 years behind the bars. Contrastingly, offenders who are given a natural life prison sentence will live the rest of their life in a jail cell, until the day that they die. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan has become the second state after Madhya Pradesh to pass such a bill. Now the bill will be sent to the Centre and will need the assent of the President to become a law. In December last year, Shivraj Singh Chouhan led Madhya Pradesh government passed Dand Vidhi (Madhya Pradesh Sanshodhan) Vidheyak, 2017. Both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Delhi High Court has granted relief to Karti Chidambaram till the next date of hearing. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Friday granted interim relief to Karti Chidambaram from being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. The court has granted relief to Karti till the next hearing on March 20. The Delhi High Court also issued notice to ED and Centre on Karti's plea. Karti moved the Delhi High Court on Thursday following directions from the Supreme Court. The apex court had asked Karti, who is in CBI custody in connection with the INX Media case, to approach Delhi High Court for interim relief in INX Media money laundering case. The court also requested acting chief justice to set up an appropriate bench to adjudicate the matter concerning Karti on Friday or Saturday. Karti, who was arrested by the CBI at Chennai Airport on February 28. (Photo: PTI/File) New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday ordered extension of Karti Chidambaram's CBI custody by three more days till March 12 after the central investigation agency underlined that it has found "new incriminating materials" against him in the INX Media money laundering case. The Delhi's Patiala House Court also allowed the CBI application seeking permission to confront Karti Chidambaram with his chartered accountant Bhaskaraman in Tihar jail. The CBI on Friday produced Karti Chidamabaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, before a Delhi court and sought his custody for six more days to interrogate him, saying "new incriminating materials" have been found against him. Karti, who has been in CBI custody since February 28, was produced before special judge Sunil Rana on the expiry of his three-day custody. CBI has already taken nine days police custody of Karti out of the 15 days prescribed under law. While seeking extension of his custodial interrogation for six more days, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said that a CD has been recovered in connection with the case which needed to be sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for examination. The ASG said that new incriminating materials have been found and he has to be confronted with them. However, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is the party colleague of P Chidambaram, opposed any further custodial interrogation of Karti. "It's tragic for me (Karti). They have no new reason for my remand. They are inventing one. CBI has to justify remand every day and every minute," Singhvi said on behalf of Karti. It is a ten-year-old case and all the documents are available with them and "they need my custody to harass me", Karti said through his counsel. Before commencing the proceedings on Karti, the court extended the judicial custody of his CA, S Bhaskararaman, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the case, till March 22. In his bail plea, Karti, who was arrested by the CBI at Chennai Airport on February 28, claimed that he had never attempted to influence witnesses, tamper with documentary evidence, pollute or obstruct the judicial process as was alleged by the probe agency. Earlier, he sought bail from the court alleging that the CBI was acting at the behest of the Centre to malign the reputation of his father during whose tenure Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance was granted to the INX Media group. Karti contended that his arrest was "illegal and arbitrary" but the agency opposed his bail plea on the grounds that the investigation was at a crucial stage and his custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the entire conspiracy in the INX Media corruption case. The CBI had lodged an FIR on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister. The agency has alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a money laundering case in the INX Media case. The high court today granted Karti interim protection from arrest till March 20 in the money laundering case. Delhi High Court earlier on Friday granted interim relief to Karti from being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till the next date of hearing which is March 20. Also Read: INX Media case: Delhi HC grants relief to Karti from ED arrest till Mar 20 Making it clear that the trial court shall pass orders without getting influenced by the high court's directions on Friday, the bench said certain conditions be imposed on Karti like asking him to appear before the ED, as and when called by the investigating officer, and cooperate in the probe. He shall also be directed not to leave the country and surrender his passport, it said. MALAPPURAM: A man was booked by the Police in Malappuram on Thursday for setting his dog on a government employee during an altercation. The victim, Bency Joseph, was attacked by the dog of the local resident in front of the office of the district Police chief on Wednesday night. Joseph, who is residing in a rented house near the office of the district Police chief, was returning home when he got a phone call and stopped the car near the office to attend it. After the conversation, the accused approached him with a dog and allegedly questioned why he was there late at night. Joseph tried to convince him that he was a junior superintendent at the district lottery department and had joined two months ago and was residing nearby. Joseph, a native of Cherthala in Alappuzha, alleged that the local resident was acting as the moral police, questioning him and eventually setting his dog on him. Hearing the altercation, the guards at the Police office came to the rescue of Joseph and rushed him to the Government hospital. He is undergoing treatment at the hospital with bruises on several parts of the body. The police have registered two cases in connection with the incident. While the local resident, who is said to be close to a former minister, was booked for attacking the government employee, the victim was booked for unleashing an attack on the local resident. Atwal, who was part of the Khalistan movement, was convicted for the attempted murder of Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986 in Canada. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: Convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal had travelled to India on a valid visa, the external affairs ministry said on Friday. Though Atwal's presence at an event for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his India visit created a furore, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the government has a conscious policy of reaching out to the Indian Diaspora, including misguided elements, who in the past may have harboured anti-India sentiments which they have since renounced. "Jaspal Atwal has travelled to India on a valid visa. This was not his first visit to India. He has visited the country on earlier occasions since January 2017," Kumar said. There are well established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travellers which have been followed in this case as well, he added. While Atwal attended an event in Mumbai where Trudeau and his wife were also present, invitation to him for a dinner at the Canadian High Commission here was withdrawn after strong reactions in New Delhi. Also Read: Khalistani terrorist guest at Justin Trudeaus Mumbai event, sparks row Atwal, who was part of the Khalistan movement, was convicted for the attempted murder of Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986 in Canada. Atwal, meanwhile, has apologised for the "embarrassment" he caused to Trudeau and India by attending the event during in Mumbai and asserted that he no longer supported the Sikh independence movement. Also Read: Dont advocate separate Sikh nation: Atwal sorry for embarrassing Canada, India Addressing the India Today Conclave in Mumbai, Sonia said democracy allows dissent and debate and not monologues in an apparent barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: conclave.intoday.in/2018/) Mumbai: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday said an alternative and a regressive vision is being presented in the country and freedom as well as the society face a systematic threat. She was addressing the India Today Conclave in Mumbai. "Our country, our society, our freedom are now all under systematic and sustained threat. There is rewriting of history, falsifying facts and fanning prejudice and bigotry," she said. "Today we are presented with an alternative and indeed regressive vision," Sonia said. "Was India really a giant black hole before May 2014 and start marching to progress only four years ago. Is this not an insult to the intelligence of of our people? It is not a matter of taking credit but acknowledging India's strength," said the Lok Sabha member from Rae Bareli. She also said callous remarks about changing the Constitution were deliberate attempts to subvert the essence of India it enshrines. "Provocative statements from the ruling establishments are not random or accidental but a part of a dangerous design. Alternate voices are being silenced. Freedom to think, marry according to ones wishes is under attack. Religious tensions are being fuelled, vigilante mobs and private armies have been let loose," she charged. 71-year-old Sonia Gandhi alleged that there is shocking insensitivity to atrocities on Dalits and women and that the society is being polarised in a bid to win elections. "Long standing principles that have stood the country well are being violated. Parliamentary majority is being interpreted as a licence to stifle debate and bulldoze legislations. Political opponents are being targeted through misuse of investigative agencies," she said. Hitting out at the BJP, she said judiciary is under turmoil, freedom to differ, eat and marry is under attack and India's social DNA was being re-engineered. "Does maximum governance mean minimum truth? Does it mean alternative facts take the place of uncomfortable reality? Take jobs for instance. Everyone knows employment situation is grim but all of a sudden we are told seven and a half million jobs were created in 2017. "This claim was widely debunked. But, does it really make a difference? It doesn't. Because as soon as one myth is demolished another takes it place," she said. In a deeply introspective speech, Sonia Gandhi also spoke on a wide range of topics, including her children, her own shortcomings and the role of democracy in India, the first time she has opened up since relinquishing the party president post. Sonia noted that the Congress also needs to develop a new style of connecting with people at the organisational level. Speaking about her own role in leadership after Congress came to power in 2004, she said that she knew Manmohan Singh would be better a prime minister than her, and that she was aware of her limitations. "Public speaking does not come naturally to me, that is why I was called a reader than a leader," the Congress leader said. Gandhi, 71, who was Congress president for 19 years, was replaced by her son Rahul in 2017 after internal party elections. On being asked during the conclave's 'Q&A' session if she advises her son on party matters, Sonia said, "I try not to volunteer. Rahul wants a balance of younger people and senior leaders to revitalise the party and this is not an easy task." Reacting on criticism of Rahul not being in the country during counting of votes in northeastern states, she said the Congress president went to see his grandmother in Italy for three days after he had done his rounds of electioneering. Taking a question on the political role of her daughter Priyanka, Sonia Gandhi said, "Priyanka is pre-occupied with her children at the moment. It is up to her and one never knows the future." Posted 3/9/18 The Springfield Public School District was born in 1869. There were two schools one for white students, and one for black students that was constructed in 1872 near the northwest corner of The violence had erupted when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwas army. (Photo: File/PTI) Mumbai: The opposition led by the Congress and the NCP came down heavily on the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra on Thursday over the Bhima-Koregaon caste violence, calling it an act of "state-sponsored terrorism". They also raised the issue of the demolition of a statue of Communist icon Vladimir Lenin in Tripura, where the BJP recently swept to power. Also read: Poll aftermath: Lenin statue knocked down in Tripura, Rajnath intervenes Raising a short duration debate in the Legislative Council on the Bhima-Koregaon riots, Sharad Ranpise (Congress) wanted to know why the government has appointed the chief secretary to the probe panel headed by a retired High Court judge. He claimed this was done to influence the probe into the January clashes in Bhima-Koregaon village in Pune district and alleged the Fadnavis government is trying to divide communities. "A political party with communal ideology was behind the oppression of the downtrodden castes. The pulling down of a Lenin's statue in Tripura was lauded by a secretary of that party," he said. Ranpise urged the government not to create disharmony among different castes and refrain from practicing the British-era divide and rule policy. "Why the police did nothing to stop a large mob of 500 to 700 people armed with stones when they were charging at the war memorial (near Bhima-Koregaon). This was because the riots were an act of state-sponsored terrorism," he said. The Congress legislator said the incident was fallout of two-and-a-half thousand years of oppression of the downtrodden castes by the upper castes. "Communal harmony is being disturbed by raking up issues like cow protection, love jihad, ghar wapsi," he said. Referring to the commemoration of the 200 years of Bhima-Koregaon war of January 1, 1818 in which the British forces defeated the Peshwa army, he wanted to know as to why senior ministers visited the venue on December 31 when they knew the event was scheduled the next day. Jaidev Gaikwad (NCP) alleged the work on disturbing communal harmony was going on for the last 10 to 15 years. He argued the trouble in Bhima-Koregaon was fomented by "outsiders". Vijay Girkar (BJP), however, said heavy deployment of police personnel prevented escalation of violence. Jogendra Kawade (Peoples Republican Party) alleged the riots were an organised attack on the Dalit community. The violence had erupted when Dalit groups were celebrating the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which the forces of the British East India Company defeated the Peshwas army. Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory, as it is believed soldiers from the Mahar community then considered untouchable were part of the East India Companys forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits. RJD supremo and former CM of Bihar Lalu Prasad's comments came in the backdrop of TDP ministers resigning from the Union council of ministers over the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh. (Photo: File) Patna: RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Thursday attacked Nitish Kumar for not being able to secure the special category status for Bihar, accusing the chief minister of surrendering the interest of the state for personal gains. The RJD supremo, who has been in jail for more than two months following his conviction in fodder scam cases, made the attack on Twitter, which is managed by people close to Lalu Prasad. He asked Nitish Kumar why he did not put enough pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer special status to Bihar. Lalu Prasad's comments came in the backdrop of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ministers resigning from the Union council of ministers over the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh. "Why is Nitish not asking his boss to accord special status to Bihar. PM Modi had promised special status to Bihar in March, 2014 at a rally in Muzaffarpur during Lok Sabha elections. Nitish must play that speech recording in front of the PM," a tweet on Lalu Prasad's official Twitter handle said. He accused Nitish Kumar of having surrendered Bihar's interest for personal gains - an oblique reference to the chief minister's exit from the Grand Alliance and forming a new government in the state with the BJP. In another tweet, the former Bihar chief minister asked, "Why is Bihar not getting special status despite the NDA being in power both at the Centre and in the state? Does Nitish not want special status or is the BJP opposed to it?" He also asked Nitish Kumar to disclose why and because of whom Bihar is not getting its due. "Nitish ought to keep his spine straight and let go of his fear and his self-interest." The RJD chief also sought to know how much of the Rs 1.65 lakh crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as special package has been given to the state. "Actually, the state has not got even a penny. Admit it, if you have the guts. How long will you keep hoodwinking the people," the RJD supremo added. Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP on Thursday called former MTV Roadies judge and actor Raghu Ram an "on camera bully and off camera sissy" after his tweeted that the BJP was spreading hatred on its official Twitter handle. "Look who's here, the on camera bully and off camera sissy, who was ousted from a reality show for his anger management issues. If you have any sensitivity left, why don't you visit the kin of the 24 deceased karyakartas and know their pain before making loose talks on Twitter," the Karnataka BJP tweeted. Reacting to the tweet, Raghu said, "Im so flattered you have time to tweet to me. Its election time! Surely, there are Muslims to kill, Dalits to burn! Your monthly targets arent gonna meet themselves! Come on! Focus! And as for me, read my bio. I love muting morons. Haha! Bye!" Raghu who is known for his fierceness and anger management issues, had earlier reacted to a tweet by the Karnataka BJP which read, "Our karyakartas get constant phone calls from their families asking them about their safety. Hindus have understood that this govt will not protect them. Fear of annihilation grips every Hindu household in Karavali. Pro jihadi Siddu must go. We must create Jihadi Mukta Karnataka". With the Karnataka elections around the corner, the BJP has been launching blistering attacks on the ruling Congress led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. On March 2, the BJP kicked off a 14-day 'protect Bengaluru' march in Bengaluru, with a call to save the city from that party's "misrule." The party with this march is aiming to strengthen its prospects in the city that has 28 assembly seats, for the coming assembly polls expected in April/May. This is the second march launched by the BJP, the first being the 85-day "Parivarthana Yatra" that concluded on February 4. According to the apex court, passive euthanasia is permissible with guidelines. SC said, 'Human beings have the right to die with dignity.' (Photo: Pixabay) Mumbai: Friday saw a landmark judgement when a Constitution bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, legalised the right to die. The court approved living will made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. According to the apex court, passive euthanasia is permissible with guidelines. It said, "Human beings have the right to die with dignity." SC said that "living will" be permitted but with the permission from family members of the person who sought passive euthanasia and also a team of expert doctors who say that the person's revival is practically impossible. The case followed the Aruna Shanbaug verdict where although it rejected the mercy killing plea, it allowed passive euthanasia in the country. Heres all you need to know regarding passive euthanasia: Passive Euthanasia: It is a condition where medical treatment is withdrawn with intention of hastening death of terminally-ill patient. Living Will: This is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally-ill or no longer able to express informed consent. They can outline whether or not they want their life to be artificially prolonged in the event of a devastating illness or injury. Heres why a verdict on passive euthanasia again after Aruna Shanbaug: The Centre had, on October 11, 2017 informed the apex court that the goevrnment was in conformity with passive euthanasia and was the law of the land and that the government was in conformity with it. The SC in its verdict on March 7, 2014 in Aruna Shanbaug case had permitted passive euthanasia or passive mercy killing under certain circumstances, provided it was backed by the permission of the high court concerned. Origins of the case: The constitution bench verdict was based on a plea by NGO Common Cause seeking that a person should be allowed to make a living will stating, that all medical support should be withdrawn if, in the opinion of the doctors, he is in state of terminal illness. The petition further seeks enactment of a law on lines of the Patient Autonomy and Self-determination Act of the USA, which sanctions the practice of executing a living will in the nature of an advance directive for refusal of life-prolonging medical procedures in the event the person is no more in a condition to give consent. Earlier ruling: Matter was first disposed of by the apex court in February, 2014. However, while dealing with this matter, the court had refrained from pronouncing any order but referred the matter to a constitution bench to ensure that areas of conflict between the Aruna Shanbaug case and Gian Kaur case could be ironed out. Petitioners contention: The primary basis of the petition is that how can a person be told that he/she does not have right to prevent torture on his body? According to them, the Right to life includes right to die with dignity. Government opposition: Although the government has no problem with practicing passive euthanasia as devised under the Aruna Shanbaug verdict but it has opposed living will in principle. The government had opposed the concept of Living Will and the Medical Power of Attorney in case of terminally ill patients. The government had opposed the concept of Living Will and the Medical Power of Attorney in case of terminally ill patients because according to the Centre, persons who opt for it may not be aware of future medical advancements. Any government law on this subject: Any government law on this subject: In October, 2017, the government had told constitution bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AK Sikri, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan that a draft bill permitting passive euthanasia with necessary safeguards was already before it for consideration. The Management of the Patient with Terminal Illness Withdrawal of Medical Life Support Bill was stated to be before the government. While the draft bill was originally authored by the Law Commission and was annexed with its second report on passive euthanasia, the government had later appointed a committee of senior doctors which framed the final draft that is now before the government. 'I appeal to the people of Tripura, lets take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of people. I want to assure that in Tripura's march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation with the motto of cooperative federalism,' PM Modi said. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) Agartala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the new BJP government in Tripura of providing full support for all-round development of the state, saying the entire country was behind its march towards progress. In his address after the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Tripura, Narendra Modi said the northeastern region has many opportunities and potentials which have to be explored for its development. "I appeal to the people of Tripura, lets take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of people. I want to assure that in Tripura's march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation with the motto of cooperative federalism," he said at the event held at the Assam Rifles ground in Agartala. Earlier, Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister, Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief NC Debbarma. Also Read: Biplab Deb takes oath as Tripura chief minister, Modi, Amit Shah attend ceremony The first BJP government in the state assumed charge after ending 25 year rule of the Left Front. The Prime Minister said that the new government will take along every citizen and all sections of society and work for the development of Tripura. He said the motto of the government would be development, good governance, people's participation and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash'. "I have visited the Northeast many times as Prime Minister and want to tell you that India is with the northeast, India understands the issues of the northeast and every Indian stands by the people of the northeast," he said. The swearing-in ceremony held at the Assam Rifles ground was attended by BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) besides others also attended the function. Union Home Ministry has changed its strategy on holding a meeting with the Chief Secretaries and other officials of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on pending issues relating to the AP Reorganisation Act. Hyderabad: In an interesting development, the Union Home Ministry has changed its strategy on holding a meeting with the Chief Secretaries and other officials of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on pending issues relating to the AP Reorganisation Act. On Tuesday, the Home Ministry sent a communication to both states that the proposed meeting will be held on March 12 and that only pending issues pertaining to the states will be on the agenda. The Home Ministry had earlier said that all pending issues related to the AP Reorganisation Act pertaining to inter-state issues between TS and AP would be discussed. Additional secretary, centre-state relations in the Home Ministry, T.V.S.N. Prasad, in a letter to the Chief Secretaries of TS and AP said that the Home Ministry intends to review the status of implementation of various issues under the 9th, 10th and 13th schedules of the AP Reorganisation Act. He wrote that due to the preoccupation of officers of the state governments concerned, this meeting had to be postponed a few times. In this connection it is noted that while 9th and 10th schedules essentially deal with inter-state issues between the successor states of AP and Telangana, the 13th schedule is mainly concerned with assistance to be given by the central government for various projects listed in the schedule, and will be taken up by the concerned ministries, Mr Prasad clarified. He said the meeting will be held on March 12, in Delhi, with the Union Home Secretary in the chair. The 13th schedule deals with educational and infrastructure projects in both states. Twelve education institutions and projects have been listed in this schedule. The Centre has promised tribal universities will be set up in both states and in the 2018-19 budget, the central government sanctioned Rs 10 crore to each state for this purpose. But the centre has to amend the act to set up tribal universities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Mr Igor Boldyrev, second secretary vice-counsel, embassy of Russian Federation in Republic of India, New Delhi, hands over an appreciation letter to M. Mahendar Reddy, DGP, for the dedicated work of state police in solving the crime which affected the interests of the Russian diplomatic mission. Hyderabad: The Rachakonda police cracked a major case and got the CEO of a city-based firm responsible for cheating the embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi of US$42,500. Kore Ranga Babu, the CEO of M/s KRB - GEIO Services, had submitted a bid and been awarded a tender to supply the embassy a ground-penetrating radar system. How-ever, he failed to deliver the equipment. According to the Rachakonda police, Igor Boldyrev, the second secretary vice-counsel of the embassy of the Russian Federation, lodged a complaint stating that the embassy had approached a Hyderabad-based company, whose office is located in Saroor-nagar, in May 2016, with the intention of purchasing electronic equipment required for construction works being undertaken on the embassy premises in New Delhi. He said that upon confirmation of availability of the equipment, the embassy had paid the firm the entire amount, US$42,500. However, the company never ended up delivering the equipment. Despite repeated requests over the telephone, through SMS, and via email, the firm neither made the delivery nor returned the amount. The embassy initially approached the Delhi police, but they were unable to help. A case was then registered at the Saroornagar police station. The polices inquiries revealed that soon after the embassy had signed the deal, demonetisation was announced. Ranga Babu had demanded more money, which the embassy had refused to pay, because of which the delivery had remained pending. Mr Ranga Babu eventually began using the amount for his personal expenses. Subsequently, he stopped responding to the embassys calls and messages and even changed his mobile number. Officials said that Ranga Babu had cheated a few other clients as well, in a similar manner. Another case is registered against him in Gujarat. HYDERABAD: A day after two SSC students jumped to their death because they could not deal with their alleged academic pressure, the police are probing into the details behind the incident. While police are questioning the friends of the two girls and the management of the school, child rights activists have demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident. The students Bhargavi Patel and Kala Sravani, who were at the formers home for combined studies, jumped from the eighth floor flat of the apartment complex located at LB Nagar, on Thursday evening. LB Nagar police registered a case under section 174 of the CrPC. Meanwhile, Akshara International School where the two girls were studying, had declared a holiday on Friday. They will be in our hearts and we express our condolences, said a message by the school management. Investigating officials said that though the incident appears to be a clear case of suicide, they are still probing into the details, as the cause of suicide is not known still and even the parents are clueless about it. The parents said that the Sravani had come to Bhargavis residence in the afternoon and they continued to study together till evening. They were very normal during the whole time and were preparing for the second paper of the pre-final test on Friday. After finishing the formalities of handing over the bodies to the families, we will be questioning their friends and also teachers. Since it was a Friday, they were not available, an official said. Balala Hakkula San-gham has demanded an inquiry to find out what went wrong and what really happened on the fateful day. BHS while appealing to the parents said that instead of feeling that by giving material things and money to their children, they were doing enough, they should spend quality time with the children. The Madras high court has granted two weeks as a last chance to the state government to fully comply with its 21 directions given earlier relating to idol theft probe. Chennai: The Madras high court has granted two weeks as a last chance to the state government to fully comply with its 21 directions given earlier relating to idol theft probe, failing which it would issue summons for the appearance of the chief secretary before the court. When the petitions from R. Venkataraman and Elephant G.Rajendran came up for hearing on Friday before Justice R.Mahadevan, it was brought to the notice of the court that the 21 directions given by the court on July 21, 2017, have not yet been fully complied with. Following this, the judge orally said two weeks time is granted to the state government finally to implement all the directions. Failing which, he would issue summons for the appearance of chief secretary, the judge added and posted to March 23, further hearing of the case. The judge had on January 4 also orally warned the state government that he would order a CBI probe into the pending idol theft cases, if the authorities fail to co-operate and provide proper infrastructure to the court appointed idol wing headed by Inspector General of Police A.G.Ponn Manickavel, IPS. The judge had on July 21, 2017, directed Pon Manickavel and his team to continue the probe, despite his transfer. The judge had also ordered that all the pending cases in various courts in the state be transferred to the additional chief judicial magistrate, Kumbakonam, for speedy disposal on a day-to day basis. The judge also directed the HR & CE to submit a report on the number of temples under its control and the list of archakars employed under them and assigned to each temple to Pon Manickavel, with a specific direction to the officer to prosecute the delinquent officials, if prima facie was made out. Bengaluru: State BJP president B.S.Yeddyurappa claimed on Friday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would face more dissent from his Cabinet colleagues in future over granting minority status to the Lingayat community. As reported in the media, the Chief Minister faced opposition from his own colleagues against recommending a minority status for Lingayats. You wait and see, he will face more dissent within the party because his intentions are not good, he warned, speaking to reporters here. On the tricolour Kannada flag unveiled by Mr Siddaramaiah on Thursday, Mr. Yeddyurappa said the government should have taken a decision on it after taking the people into confidence. The Chief Minister is upto dirty tricks just to get political mileage. What was he doing all these years? He has woken up to the need for a tricolour Kannada flag when only 40 days are left for the elections, he added caustically. Condemning the recent murderous attack on Lokayukta Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty in his own chamber, he said law and order had completely collapsed in the state and urged the Governor to recommend President's rule in Karnataka. Union Minister, Ananth Kumar and I spoke to Union Home Minister, Rajanath Singh at Delhi and discussed the governments failure to handle law and order in the state. Mr. Singh told us that he had spoken to the Chief Minister about the attack on the Lokayukta. Siddaramaiah has weakened the institution of the Lokayukta by constituting the Anti-Corruption Bureau and to make things worse there is no security for the Lokayukta. How can ordinary people then live safely in the state?" he demanded. Posted 3/8/18 Jay Kirksey, Kirksey Law Firm, recently announced Charles G. Ankrom and Jesse T. Ankrom have joined his firm in Bolivar.Charles Ankrom has maintained a private practice since 1982, and he served as Hyderabad: As Telangana Police has denied permission to TJAC to hold Million March Anniversary on Saturday, on Tank Bund, police have geared up to act against the activists who would come to participate in the march from across the state. Around 2,000 police personnel, including police from different wings in the city, armed personnel and paramilitary forces have been already put in place on tank bund and various vital locations in the city. TJAC chief Prof. Kodandaram condemned the acts of the government and the police and said that they are reminding people of the atrocious rule of the United AP regime that had gone all out to suppress the Million March 2011 as part of a separate state agitation. Like the rulers of the united state, who had attempted to crush a march by using police force, our own government is resorting to similar acts, creating panic among the cadre. The Chief Minister has claimed that he will fight in Delhi for the state but is not allowing the citizens of the state to fight for their rights in the gallis of the city which is unfair. As the Chief Minister, when he can fight in Delhi, why cant a common man fight for their rights here in the state. After denying permission for the march, police have been arresting TJAC leaders and cadre all over the state illegally. The State Government should realise that they cannot repress the aspirations of Telangana citizens through arrests and illegal detentions, he said. He further demanded that the police unconditionally release all cadre who were arrested illegally from different parts of the state. The Million March in 2011 had taken the statehood struggle to a next level and despite an atmosphere of curfew in the city, millions marched to the Tank Bund and made it a success, proving their spirit to fight. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday said there is a need to prepare a national agenda for the country, keeping in mind different states and various strata of the society. Experts in the fields, senior bureaucrats should give directions and road maps for the way forward after studying the existing Acts, laws, methods and practices and show the changes and reforms to be taken up, the CM noted. In this endeavour, the CM said people from all sections; all regions in the country should actively participate. The CM held a meeting at Pragati Bhavan here on Friday on the preparation of a national agenda for Third Front with a cross section of experts and senior bureaucrats. There should be a clear agenda on the reforms to be brought in reforms, Mr Rao said. While the medical cell of the BJP has suggested fielding 16 physicians in the poll, several doctors are also reportedly vying for Congress and JDS tickets. Ballari: Healing people may be their profession, but the lure of politics seems to be proving irresistible to several doctors, who are hoping to contest the coming assembly poll in the state. Going by sources in the various political parties, they could field physicians in around 25 to 30 assembly constituencies these elections. While the medical cell of the BJP has suggested fielding 16 physicians in the poll, several doctors are also reportedly vying for Congress and JDS tickets. While the trend is not new,it is clearly catching on. Already as many as 11 physicians have been elected to the current assembly , the highest number in its history. The physcians turned serving MLAs are Dr Sharana Prakash Patil, Dr. Shivaram Patil, Dr Bhagavan Mukbul, Dr Vishwanath Patil, Dr Ashwath Narayan, Dr Srinivas Murthy, Dr Sudhakar Reddy, Dr Ajay Singh, Dr Jadhav, Dr HC Mahadevappa, Dr AB Malakareddy. Two doctors have also been elected to the Legislative Council. Now BJP's medical cell convenor, Dr.K M Basavaraj and co- convener, Dr Prashant Kadakol have written to the partys national general secretary, Muralidhar Rao, who is in- charge of Karnataka, requesting him to consider 16 doctors from various constituencies for party tickets. Interestingly, they have proposed that a physician, Dr B K Sundar, should contest from the prestigious Ballari City assembly constituency where former MLA, Gali Somashekhar Reddy is preparing to contest the poll. Going by party insiders Mr Sundar's chances of getting the party ticket are high owing to his family's close association with External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, who reportedly stayed in his house when she contested the Lok Sabha poll from Ballari in 1999 against former Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saiod on Friday that the state flag or naada dwaja would be used on the lines of the national flag for state functions like the Kannada Rajyothsava and not just anywhere. On the other hand, the Kannada Baavuta could be used by Kannada organisations for protests and so on. The Chief Minister, who was speaking to reporters at the Periyapatna helipad on arrival to inaugurate various developmental projects in the region, said all Kannada organisatons, including the Kannada Sahitya Parishad had welcomed the state flag. Only Kannada activist, Vatal Nagaraj was against it, but the government would adopt it once the Centre gave it its approval. On the formation of the Cauvery water management board, the Chief Minister said that the government would go by the advise of its legal team. Asked if Ashok Khenys joining the Congress would come in the way of taking legal action against him, if necessary, in the NICE case, Mr Siddaramaiah claimed it would make no difference and the law would take its own course. He dismissed JD (S) holding a convention in Varuna as inconsequential, saying it did not have any base in the area and could not hope to get much support here. Responding to a query on a separate religious status for the Lingayat community, Mr Siddaramaiah said it was still under discussion. On Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri approaching CAT against her transfer, he asserted the government would succeed in vacating the stay. It is an administrative matter and cannot be discussed in public, he added. AICC general-secretary and Telangana Congress incharge R.C. Khuntia and Telangana Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy in the Dalit Plenary at Sikh village in Secunderabad on Friday. Bhatti Vikramarka is also seen. (Photo: P. Surendra) Hyderabad: AICC Telangana Congress in-charge R.C. Khuntia said that according to the wishes of AICC president Rahul Gandhi, the youth, Dalits and BCs would be given preference in the party. He said the youth, farmers and student organisations were angry with the TRS government. Addressing the state plenary organised by the Telangana PCC SC cell on Friday, in Hyderabad, Mr Khuntia said with good organising, the SCs and STs were now invo-lved in the leadership. He said the TPCC wou-ld conduct a Bus Yatra in all the 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana. He alleged that to weaken the opposition, Telangana CM Chandrasekhar Rao had brought up a Third Front idea in the politics. TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the party would start a programme by the name of Congress for Dalits and week-long meetings would be conducted in Dalit colonies. He demanded that the TRS government grant all eligible Dalits 3 acres of land, and if the lands were not available, Rs 15 lakh, at the rate of Rs 5 lakh per acre, be deposited in their bank accounts. The TRS government did not keep its promises made to the dalits and instead of this, conducted attacks on them. KCR did not give representation to the Mala and Madiga communities in the cabinet. He alleged that in Karimnagar district (old), KCRs relati-ves had become the land mafia. MLA and TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka alleged that the TRS government had insulted the Dalits by removing the Deputy Chief Minister who was a Dalit, from the Cabinet. Hyderabad: Ruling parties Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and Telugu Desam (TD) are facing huge burden of debt among regional political parties, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Friday. The association released the report after analysing assets and liabilities of the regional parties. The TRS and the TD happen to be the top two regional parties in terms of liabilities. Highest liabilities during the financial year 2015-16 was declared by the TRS (Rs 15.97 crore) but the party had declared Nil liabilities during the financial year 2011-12. Second highest liability was declared by the TD with Rs 8.186 crore, the report said. The liabilities declared by regional parties fall under two major heads: Borrowings (from banks, overdraft facilities, and sundry creditors) and other liabilities. Interestingly, the assets of the TD, since 2014, had increased from Rs 14.6 crore to Rs 65.82 crore. The TRS, which is in power in Telangana since 2014, had seen its assets jump from Rs 5.37 crore to Rs 20.61 crore. Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party emerged as the richest regional party declaring assets worth Rs 634.96 crore in 2015-16 among 20 regional parties, followed by Rs 257.18 crore of DMK and Rs 224.84 crore of AIADMK. During 2011-12, the declared assets of the SP was Rs 212.86 crore which increased by 198 per cent to Rs 634.96 crores in 2015-16. The total assets of AIADMK increased by 155 per cent between the financial year 2011-12 and 2015-16, from Rs 88.21 crore to Rs 224.87 crore, the ADR report said. The assets declared by regional parties fall under six major heads: fixed assets, loans & advances, deposits, TDS, investments and other assets. During the financial year 2011-12, the regional parties declared maximum assets under deposits which amounted to Rs 331.54 crore (68.77% of total assets) which further increased to Rs 1,054.80 crore (80.19% of total assets) in the financial year 2015-16. New political parties to join the list were YSR Congress registered in March 2011, and Aam Aadmi Party registered in November 2012. The average assets declared by these two parties during the financial year 2012-13 was Rs 1.165 crore which increased to Rs 3.765 crore during the financial year 2015-16, the report said. Shiv Sena showed a positive trend by reducing its liabilities in 2015-16. The more you have The more you have to leave behind. From Thumboo Mey Ghabrahat by Bachchoo Mr Ashank Desai, co-founder of IT technology firm Mastek, says in an article on the Internet that he asks taxi drivers in London what they think of the congestion charge which motorists, but not taxis, pay to enter central London. The cabbies inevitably and unsurprisingly tell him that the charge works extremely well for them. It reduces the flow of private cars through central London making it easier for cabs to get around, and depending upon the number of trips they can make per hour considerably increases their income. Mr Desai then tells the cabbies that his company Mastek, together with a conglomerate called Capita (consistently labelled by some British publications as Crapita), invented and installed the technology and number-plate-recognition systems that make congestion charging possible. Mr Desai then boasts that the grateful cabbies refuse to charge him the fare for the ride. I dont suppose the taxi drivers ask Mr Desai for any form of proof that he is indeed the man who installed the cameras and worked out methods of depriving the private motorist of ten to eleven-and-a-half pounds for entering the central zone. The cabbies, who probably have never heard of Mastek, must take his word on faith. Having read this, I am tempted, the next time I get into a black cab, which is not very often as they are an expensive way to get about, to pose as the brains behind some system that congestion charging uses. I dont think I should go so far as impersonating Mr Desai or claiming to be the IT brain employed by Mastek. That may or may not be a crime in UK law. But I can certainly construct some fantasy and invent a company which made the increments in taxi-incomes possible. I may be let off the fare for the journey. Its a gamble, but its worth a try. The alternative, besides taking buses and the tube into central London from my home, which is outside the Russian-Arab-black-money nexus of the centre of London, is to drive. This costs me 10 each time I venture in or cross town. If I dont pay it by midnight the same day, the 800 cameras deployed at the borders of the zone will have my car registration number, trace the cars ownership and charge me a 100 fine. It doesnt take much imagination to work out that I am not as pleased with Mr Desais invention as the London cab drivers are. Being a conscientious citizen, I appreciate the fact that traffic has been eased and billions of pounds are gathered through congestion charging (at least a few hundred of those from my own shallow pocket) and that it may reduce air pollution in the city and save lives. Now it is being suggested that congestion charging be introduced in Indian cities to decrease or discourage the volume of traffic on our overwhelmed roads. Driving in Mumbai and Delhi this very week, I can certainly appreciate the case against overcrowded roads. Nevertheless, in this short and happy week on perhaps 10 or 12 occasions the hiatus in my driven journeys was not caused by the volume of traffic but by the bad behaviour of our urban drivers. In several instances this amounted to crossing a junction through a red light and pausing in the middle of the junction through 10 changes of the traffic-signal, hence blocking the traffic in the perpendicular direction. Thats just one persistent offence. I wont bore you, gentle reader, with the myriad others. Instead, allow me to pose a solution to decrease traffic offences of this sort, which I am sure Mr Desai and the brains behind the congestion charge have not thought of. They neednt feel threatened though, because my scheme can run parallel to congestion charge technology. Let me make it simple. The traffic of Indian cities can be dubbed the wild east. Its a frontier to be conquered and here are the easy steps towards the conquest: Abolish all traffic policemen and confine our police force to solving crimes and fighting corruption. Then recruit a special traffic constabulary a volunteer army of people above the age of 18 who will be equipped with uniforms with in-built cameras. This new constabulary will not be paid a salary, but instead they will be empowered to detect any breach of the traffic code and impose instant fines on the offenders according to a scale of punishments. So, lets say Rs 500 for crossing lanes, Rs 1,000 for crossing a red light, Rs 600 for crossing a pedestrian crossing when pedestrians want to cross, Rs 200 for horning in a silent zone, Rs 1,500 for driving on the wrong side of the road, etc. The fines will be immediately collected and the camera, connected to a central monitoring point in the city, will record the transaction and of course contain proof of the offence being committed. The constable will then be liable to pay 10 per cent of all his or her collections to the city coffers and keep the rest. The spirit of free enterprise will push this new constabulary to stop and fine as many offenders as they can, their remuneration being payment by results. Now the hazard in this scheme is that offenders will try and drive away, in which case the camera can record their number plates and, further than that, the constabulary can be equipped with special firearms which disable the tyres of fleeing vehicles. Dishoom boom! I realise that this is a drastic addition to the scheme but will certainly punish those miscreants who try and unfairly escape justice. Apart from the fines, they will have to pay for new tyres. The moral advantage is obvious. The bribes that traffic cops now demand are instantly turned into legitimate levies and Indias traffic-problem is alleviated if not stamped out. Make in India indeed! Data from NASAs Juno spacecraft, orbiting the solar systems largest planet since 2016, is providing researchers with what they called unprecedented insight into Jupiters internal dynamics and structure. (Photo: NASA) The interior of Jupiter is just as intriguing as the planets dazzling surface, with a swirling mixture of liquid hydrogen and helium at its centre, vast atmospheric jet streams and exotic gravitational properties, scientists said on March 7. Data from NASAs Juno spacecraft, orbiting the solar systems largest planet since 2016, is providing researchers with what they called unprecedented insight into Jupiters internal dynamics and structure. Until now, scientists have had scant information about what lies below Jupiters thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds. Juno is designed to look beneath these clouds, said planetary science professor Yohai Kaspi of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, who led part of the research using Junos new measurements of Jupiters gravity. On Jupiter, a gaseous planet without a solid surface, we can only gather information from orbit, added aerospace engineering professor Luciano Iess of Sapienza University of Rome, who also led part of the research. Jupiter is a type of planet called a gas giant, as opposed to rocky planets like Earth and Mars, and its composition is 99 per cent hydrogen and helium. Junos data showed that as you go deeper under the surface, Jupiters gas becomes ionized and eventually turns into a hot, dense metallic liquid. The scientists said Jupiters jet streams, related to the familiar stripes on its surface, plunge some 1,800 miles (3,000 km) below cloud level, and that its deep interior is comprised of a fluid hydrogen and helium mixture that rotates as if it were a solid body. The very center may contain a core made of high-pressure and high-temperature rocks and perhaps water, but it is believed to be fluid as well, not solid, said planetary scientist Tristan Guillot of the Universite Cote dAzur in Nice, another of the research leaders. Junos data showed a small but significant asymmetry between the gravitational field of Jupiters northern and southern hemispheres, driven by the immense jet streams. The deeper the jets streams go, the more mass they contain, exerting a strong effect on Jupiters gravitational field, Kaspi said. Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, dwarfs the solar systems other planets, measuring about 89,000 miles (143,000 km) in diameter at its equator, compared with Earths diameter of about 8,000 miles (12,750 km). It is big enough that 1,300 Earths could fit inside it. The research was published in the journal Nature. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Twitter and other social media companies such as Facebook have been under scrutiny by US lawmakers and international regulators for doing too little to prevent the spread of false content. (Photo: AP) False news stories spread much more quickly and widely on Twitter than truthful ones, an imbalance driven more by people than automated bot accounts, researchers said on March 8. A study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Media Lab examining about 126,000 stories shared by some 3 million people on Twitter from 2006 to 2017 found that false news was about 70 per cent more likely to be retweeted by people than true news. The study, published in the journal Science, was one of the most comprehensive efforts to date to assess the dynamics behind how false news circulates on social media. Twitter and other social media companies such as Facebook have been under scrutiny by US lawmakers and international regulators for doing too little to prevent the spread of false content. US officials have accused Russia of using social media to try to sow discord in the United States and interfere in the 2016 US presidential election. The stories examined in the study were reviewed by six independent fact-checking organizations including Snopes and Politifact to assess their veracity. False stories spread significantly more quickly and broadly than true stories in all categories of information, but this was more pronounced for false political news than for false news about terrorism, natural disasters, science, urban legends or financial information, the researchers said. They noted increases in false political stories during the 2012 and 2016 US presidential races. Though Twitters allowance of bots has come under particular criticism, the MIT researchers found these automated accounts accelerated true and false news equally, meaning people were more directly responsible for the spread of false news. MIT Media Lab researcher and study lead author Soroush Vosoughi said people may be more likely to share false news because it is more surprising, the same way that sensationalized click bait headlines garner more attention. One reason false news might be more surprising is, it goes against peoples expectations of the world, Vosoughi said in an interview. If someone makes up a rumor that goes against what they expected, you are more likely to pass it forward. While the study focused on Twitter, the researchers said their findings likely also would apply to other social media platforms including Facebook. A Twitter spokeswoman declined to comment on the studys findings, but pointed to tweets by company CEO Jack Dorsey last week pledging to increase the collective health, openness, and civility of public conversation, and to hold ourselves publicly accountable towards progress. Twitter provided funding and some data access to support the study, which was published in the journal Science. The studys findings faulting humans more than bots for sharing false news surprised the researchers, who said they next may look for ways to help people cut down on the sharing of false stories. Lets not take it as our destiny, said Deb Roy, another of the researchers, that we have entered into the post-truth world from which we will not emerge. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Just about a week ago, an Israeli-based government manufacturer Cellebrite claimed that it could unlock the latest flagship models of Apple and extract data stored on phones despite password protection. The company had developed a tool which enables it to access any locked iPhone model including the iPhone X running iOS 11. A fresh report now reveals that a new firm has emerged that claims to be able to hack any iPhone device for just $15,000. The report further asserts that this could be run by a former Apple security engineer. According to Forbes, the company, called Grayshift, is selling two different packages for hacking iPhone's and has released marketing materials to police and forensics organisations claiming to unlock iPhones with its GrayKey tool. The cited source says of the two tools, one of which cost $15,000 that includes only 300 attempts. Forbes says that these 300 attempts are the number of tries the hacking tool includes for brute forcing the device. The second tool which the company is offering to unlock the iPhone will cost around $30,000 which includes unlimited uses. Furthermore, it remains unclear if Grayshifts solution works for every iteration of iOS 11 as to what models and iOS versions are supported. "The marketing doesn't reveal just what iOS vulnerabilities GrayKey exploits to unlock iPhones. It claims GrayKey works on disabled iPhones and can extract the full file system from the Apple device, and indicates the tool would make repeated guesses at passcodes, a technique is known as brute force, to first get into the device, " the report stated. Apple did not immediately respond, therefore, it remains to be seen how the company counters to all the claims of hackable iPhones. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Posted 3/9/18 Once when I was young, I was married to a beautiful girl from South Dakota. When we wed I thought it would be forever, but our eternity was spent as quickly as our youth in a mere 23 years. This is Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Christian anti-balaka militias. (Photo: AFP/ Representational) Abidjan: Militia fighters attacked, kidnapped and raped en masse a large group of women in an isolated area of Central African Republic in February, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Thursday. The medical charity treated 10 survivors of the February 17 violence near Kiriwiri, a village in the countrys northwest. Fearing further attacks if they tried to reach a hospital, the women were unable to seek medical treatment until about two weeks later, it said. Many other victims remained behind, fearing that, as rape victims, they would be stigmatised in their community. Some were totally in shock, others paralysed by fear or unable to talk about the incident. Some of the women had open wounds caused by blades, said Soulemane Amoin, a midwife at the hospital in the town of Bossangoa where the women were treated. It was terrible to see. It broke my heart. Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Christian anti-balaka militias. Despite the deployment of a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission, rival armed groups still stalk much of the countryside. The UN Security Council approved an extra 900 peacekeepers in November to help to protect civilians. However Gabon, which contributes around 550 soldiers to the mission, announced on Thursday it was planning to withdraw its contingent, citing what it said was a progressive return of peace and stability. The rapes near Kiriwiri coincided with a surge in violence in Bossangoa and the surrounding areas. In its statement, MSF said the women had left their village to fetch water and tend to their fields when the militiamen arrived. Some women fled, but others were grabbed and brought back to the militias base where they were repeatedly raped before being let go, it said. MSF did not identify the group behind the assault. This attack is one of the consequences of the new wave of senseless violence that broke out at the end of 2016 and continues without let-up, said Paul Brockmann, who heads MSFs mission in Central African Republic. The hospital at Bossangoa has treated 56 rape victims since September, up from 13 in the previous eight months, MSF said. It has also treated around 300 victims of rape and sexual assault from around the country each month so far 2018 at its main hospital in the capital, Bangui. Trump also shelled out USD 25 million in settling lawsuits that alleged his Trump University real estate courses defrauded students. (Photo: AP) Washington: US President Donald Trump has tumbled down more than 200 places in the world's billionaire rankings after losing around USD 400 million in his net worth from last year. The business tycoon, with 3.1 billion is now ranked 766th in 2018, down from a 544th ranking in 2017. Forbes, the American magazine which compiles a list of the world's richest people annually, attributed his decline to "a tough New York real estate market, particularly for retail locations; a costly lawsuit and an expensive presidential campaign." Trump also lost out around a billion dollars in net worth in 2017. According to Daily News, Trump Tower, the President's New York home, lost an estimated USD 41 million in value in 2017. Another property on 57th St is losing a longtime tenant in Nike. Trump also shelled out USD 25 million in settling lawsuits that alleged his Trump University real estate courses defrauded students. The billionaires list features Amazon chief Jeff Bezos at the numero-uno spot, with his combined wealth totalling to a mind-boggling USD 112 billion. At the second place is former world's richest man and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with his wealth at USD 90 billion. According to the magazine, the gulf between the first and second spot has never been this big. Trump has said he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders and potentially mark a major breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. (Photo: File) Djibouti: US President Donald Trump made the decision to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un himself, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday, but the talks will take "some weeks" to arrange. Trump has said he was prepared to meet Kim in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders and potentially mark a major breakthrough in nuclear tensions with Pyongyang. Also Read: First date: Trump agrees to meet Kim Jong after he says no to nuke tests "That is a decision the president took himself. I spoke to him very early this morning about that decision and we had a very good conversation," Tillerson told reporters during a visit to the African nation of Djibouti. "President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right," the top US diplomat said. "And I think in the president's judgment that time has arrived now." He said the United States was surprised at how "forward-leaning" Kim was in his conversations with a visiting South Korean delegation. He said it was the strongest indication to date of Kim's "not just willingness but really his desire for talks". A meeting between US president Donald Trump (R) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would mark a dramatic breakthrough in efforts to resolve the tense standoff over North Korea's effort to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. (Photo: AP) Washington: President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed a willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May in response to Kim's invitation to hold the first meeting between leaders of the United States and North Korea, a South Korean envoy said. Kim has committed to "denuclearisation" and to suspending nuclear or missile tests, South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on South Korean officials' meeting with Kim on Monday. A meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged bellicose insults in the past year that have raised fear of war, would mark a dramatic breakthrough in efforts to resolve the tense standoff over North Korea's effort to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. "I told him (Trump) in our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that he's committed to denuclearisation," Chung said. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," he said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve denuclearisation." There was no immediate comment from the White House on the South Korean envoy's comments. Trump's aides have been wary of North Korea's diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments. Chung and National Intelligence Service chief Suh-hoon flew to Washington earlier on Thursday to explain North Korea's stance on possible future talks with Washington and the prospect of Pyongyang suspending nuclear tests if the security of the North's government is assured. Earlier Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that though "talks about talks" might be possible with Pyongyang, denuclearisation negotiations were likely a long way off. Washington: US President Donald Trump has agreed to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in Americas high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea. Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Secu-rity Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a US president and a North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim who, he said, expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. Mr Trump hailed great progress in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program. Meeting being planned! he tweeted. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made, but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. News of the summit, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in said was like a miracle, is the latest step in a quickening detente. North and South Korea exchanged envoys as Pyongyang sent a delegation to the Souths Winter Olympics, which Seoul had dubbed the Peace Games. The thaw came after a period of extreme tension between Washi-ngton and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war. Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him little rocket man. Kim returned the favour by describing Trump as mentally deranged and a dotard. The US and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on opposite sides of a bloody war in the 1950s. During the walk, Srishti Bakshi leads workshops for women in rural communities on digital and financial literacy, leadership and health. (Photo: Twitter/ @BakshiSrishti) London: Britains Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday recognised Srishti Bakshi from India as the 26th Commonwealth Point of Light in honour of her exceptional service to empowering women in India. Srishti is the founder of the CrossBow Miles movement. After seeing that Indias National Crime Records Bureau recorded 327,394 cases of violence against women in 2015, Srishti decided to make a statement and spread her message of gender equality across the country. She is leading a team of hundreds of female volunteers on a 3,800-km walk through India across 260 days. In achieving one billion steps, her CrossBow Steps movement has spread the message of womens empowerment and safety across India. I hope the Points of Light award helps Shrishti spread her message globally and I congratulate her for her tremendous creativity and determination, said Dominic Asquith, British high commissioner to India, who presented Srishti with her award to mark International Womens Day. During the walk, Srishti leads workshops for women in rural communities on digital and financial literacy, leadership and health. She has overseen the creation of a mobile app where people from across the world can upload steps collected from their phone pedometers and join the campaigns Billion Steps For Women drive. She said, It is overwhelming and humbling to be recognised for our efforts to build a safer and better India for women, by empowering them. At CrossBow Miles, we have always believed in doing our duty without expectation of a reward, but a recognition like this reaffirms our belief in the work we are doing. The Points of Light awards recognise outstanding volunteers every day of the week - people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others to creative innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond. In the lead-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in April, the Queen - as head of the Commonwealth - is thanking inspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations as part of a special series of the award. Since 2014 British Prime Minister Theresa May has been recognising a daily Point of Light from the UK, with almost 900 now recognised. Commonwealth Points of Light is a continuation of this programme - with a special series of awards recognising inspirational volunteers throughout the Commonwealth in the lead-up to the CHOGM in London in April. One volunteer will be recognised from each of the Commonwealth countries in the 53 week days preceding the Heads of Government meeting. Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. (Photo: File) Islamabad: A special Pakistani tribunal has ordered the government to arrest former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and confiscate all his properties as it heard the high treason case against the "proclaimed offender" for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007. The 74-year-old former president was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges. A three-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi held its first hearing in the case in eight months. During the hearing, the interior ministry submitted in the court a report on Musharraf's properties, stating four of the seven properties are owned by the former president, The Nation reported. Prosecutor Akram Sheikh asked the court to order Musharraf's arrest and his production. Musharraf, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016, was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. The court during Thursday's trial asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials what the procedure is to bring back an absconder from abroad. The officials replied the interior ministry should send them a request after which action could be taken. Afridi then said the court is ordering the arrest of Musharraf and seizure of his properties. Musharraf's counsel, Akhtar Shah, prayed to the court not to order confiscation of Musharraf's properties until March 21, but Afridi remarked the court procedure cannot be violated. During the hearing, the court sought mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE in the matter of his arrest from Dubai. The court also expressed anger over non-receipt of details of his foreign properties even after 10 months. The court questioned what problem lies with initiation of action in respect of his properties outside the country and why Interpol has not been contacted after issuance of warrants against him. The court summoned Foreign Office and FIA authorities on the next hearing, besides seeking mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE. Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The Afghan Governments willingness for peace is despite the fact that armed groups have identified themselves and demonstrated to all of us that they are the irreconcilables, Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin told the UN Security Council. (Photo: ANI) United Nations: India has supported the recent move of the unity government in Afghanistan for peace talks with the Taliban, saying the irreconcilable guns in the war-torn country need to be silenced. At the 2nd Kabul Process Conference on February 28, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to participate in peace talks to save the country while offering security and incentives like passports to insurgents who take part in the negotiations. Ghani had said a ceasefire must be agreed on and the Taliban should be declared a political group. The Afghan Governments willingness for peace is despite the fact that armed groups have identified themselves and demonstrated to all of us that they are the irreconcilables, Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin told the UN Security Council during an open debate on Afghanistan. These efforts of the Afghan government calling on the armed groups to cease violence and join the national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all the citizens, including women, children and the minorities, deserves the full support, he said on Thursday. Akbaruddin, however, said it should be clear to the armed opposition that there will be no tolerance for those who continue violence. Any violence needs a robust response. The irreconcilable guns need to be silenced, he said. He said India had invested over USD 2 billion in Afghanistan since 2002 in reconstruction and development of the country. A strong focus of our work has been on nearly 550 High Impact Community Development Projects which run across areas such as education, health, agriculture and irrigation, power and energy, he added. All these have a direct bearing on the improvement of lives of all Afghans including girls and women specially so for projects in education and healthcare sectors, the top Indian diplomat said. Welcoming the focus of the Security Council on linkages between extremism, terrorism, drug production and illegal exploitation of natural resources of Afghanistan, he said the increase in cultivation of poppy in areas under the control of the Taliban and the outfits involvement in virtually all aspects of the opium trade suggested that it was akin to a drug cartel. We hope that the Council will better utilize the range of tools available to it to deal with these trans-national networks of drugs, terrorism and crime, he said. Akbaruddin said that despite the international communitys efforts, those supporting the terrorists affecting Afghanistan have not been deterred. There are still those who provide sanctuaries to support the dark agendas of terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, LeT and JeM. Indeed the challenges posed by cross border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries to Afghanistan and to our region must be addressed, Akbaruddin said. A resurgent Taliban has been blamed for much of the uptick in violence in Afghanistan since the US and NATO forces ended their combat missions in 2014. A Taliban attacker killed over 100 people and injured more than 230 others after driving an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city on January 27. The Taliban claimed the responsibility of the attack. A week before the ambulance attack, militants stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing 22 people, including 14 foreigners. The ruling NDA coalition ran into rough weather on Thursday with two TDP ministers resigning from the Union Council of Ministers. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary submitted their resignations within an hour after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi the reasons for pulling them out over the phone. "The prime minister said it (resignations) was unfortunate," Chowdary told reporters. However, the TDP stopped short of quitting the ruling coalition or even criticising Modi for failing to meet the expectations of the people of Andhra Pradesh. "I don't think it's fair on our part to expect the prime minister to deal with these issues. It is for the ministries concerned to take up... already a considerable amount of time has lapsed," Chowdary said when asked whether Modi held out any assurance of meeting the TDP's demands. The ministers said the TDP and Naidu were expecting a "little bit of extra hand-holding" from the Centre as Andhra Pradesh went about re-establishing itself after Telangana was carved out as a separate state in 2014. Chowdary said the "special category status" was an "emotional and sentimental issue" and the step taken by the TDP was a reflection of the voice of the people of Andhra Pradesh. Naidu had announced his decision to pull out ministers from the Union government on Wednesday night after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled out granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. TDP is the second major NDA constituent after the Shiv Sena to voice its anguish against the Modi government. In January, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that his party would go it alone in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, Swabhimani Paksha of Raju Shetti, a Lok Sabha MP from Hatkanangle in Maharashtra, quit the NDA over the Modi government's "apathy" towards farmers. There have been murmurs within smaller parties in Bihar, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and former chief minister Jiten Ram Manjhi-led Hindustan Awam Morcha, as the BJP looked to expand its influence in the state. * The 4th International Competition of Cartoons Aleksandar Klas 2017, Serbia: All cartoonists whose cartoons are selected in the catalog and the exhibition will receive a free copy of the catalog ( Regulation ). * International Cartoon Contest in Memory of Cartoonist Prof. Atila Ozer 2016, Turkey: The selected cartoons will be published in a catalog. These will be sent at no cost to the participants whose works are : The selected cartoons will be published in a catalog. These will be sent at no cost to the participants whose works are exhibited and published ( Regulation ). Tejraj Sharma had just one motive on his mind when he was brought to his single-room accommodation at Bidirumale Thota here on Thursday. To hide himself from the view of his neighbours. Handcuffed and his face covered in mask, he took fast steps in the lane and hid himself among policemen escorting him, to avoid eye contact with his neighbours. The 33-year-old has been staying in the 10x8 feet room for the last two months. Police found portraits of Gods, copies of complaints (against government officials), RTI forms and some clothes there. There was no bed, bed-sheet or a pillow, the police said, suggesting that Sharma may have had the habit of sleeping on the floor. Police spent nearly 45 minutes in his room and collected all documents. Even after coming out of the building, Sharma started moving briskly, but Vidhana Soudha police inspector Shankarachar B asked him to go slow. His landlady Venkatamma said she had taken Rs 5,000 advance from Sharma and had fixed Rs 1,300 rent per month. She and other neighbours said Sharma was a well-behaved man. Prakash, who runs a roadside eatery, said Sharma used to have four ragi muddes at the eatery every day. Prakash had given Sharma a concession as requested by him. Harish S, owner of a grocery shop nearby, said Sharma used to by buy pooja items besides toothpaste, toothbrush and soap from his shop. He was reserved and a calm person, Harish recalled. Sharma and his brother had started furniture business and had opened a shop at Sridevi Nagar in Tumakuru. But they incurred huge losses. His brother left him and started selling bags on the footpath on MG Road in Tumakuru. Sharma then worked in a furniture shop, before trading in furniture under the name of Ambe Krupa Number 1 Marketers at SS Puram. He approached various government offices in Tumakuru to sell furniture to them. Sharma began participating in the tender process to supply furniture. When he did not get the tender to supply furniture over alleged irregularities, Sharma filed cases against the deputy director of public instruction, senior division assistant, assistant director of sericulture department and an official with the commercial taxes department, all in Tumakuru. Gangadhar S, Sharma's neighbour and a seat cover vendor, said Sharma used to bring office furniture in a goods vehicles and supply them to government offices. Police brutality? A photograph of Sharma being arm-twisted by the police literally and assault marks on his face have been doing rounds in social media. The accused is seen wearing just an underwear at the Vidhana Soudha police station. A day after Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanath Shetty was stabbed in his chamber, the VVIP Security Wing of the Bengaluru police on Thursday installed a brand new Door Frame Metal Detector (DFMD) at the Lokayukta office at MS Building on Thursday. The metal detector was installed at the entrance of the office. Besides, three police personnel, including a woman constable, were seen frisking each visitor and also checking the bags with a hand-held metal detector at the entrance. Lokayukta registrar H M Nanjundaswamy told DH that City Police Commissioner has not responded to repeated letters on various issues concerning security in the institution, in the last one year. On Thursday morning, VVIP Security Wing took a few measures as temporary arrangements until a systematic security and safety system is put in place at the Lokayukta office. A head constable was seen questioning visitors as to where they were from and for what purpose they have come to the Lokayukta office. Later, the visitors were allowed to make entries in the register. The old defunct wooden DFMD which was there for over three years suddenly started working when the technicians connected a few wires. Since they had brought a new DFMD, they installed the new one and took away the old one. However, Lokayukta officials said that they were not informed about the installation of metal detector and deployment of policemen. "We are not even told about deployment of policemen and installation of metal detectors. We had to communicate to the VVIP Security Wing to inform us in writing about these arrangements,'' an official said. Nanjundaswamy said that they had to write to City police requesting for enhancement of security since some time. ``At least five letters were sent to the city police commissioner. Of those, three letters specifically pertain to non-functioning metal detectors. In addition to this, we had requested additional security staff to man each floor in the building. We have not recieved a response to our letters till date,'' he said, adding that nine policemen are deputed at three points round-the-clock. He jumped over table, stabbed Shetty The CCTV footage inside Lokayukta's chamber shows that Tejraj Sharma jumped over the table and grabbed Justice Shetty. Even as Justice Shetty was in a shock, Sharma stabbed him on hand and in the stomach repeatedly. The CCTV footage from outside the chamber shows a calm and composed Sharma approaching Lokayukta's orderly Palani and giving him a chit. Lokayukta Registrar was inside the chamber at that time and Palani asked Sharma to wait at the visitors' lounge. Justice Shetty, who usually takes lunch break at 1.30 pm asked Palani to send Sharma in. The footage from the camera, which is placed just above the Lokayukta's chair, showed that Tejraj stepped on the table. He choked Justice Shetty with his right hand and stabbed him with the knife in his left hand. The Vidhana Saudha police have seized the CCTV recordings and also taken fingerprints of the staff at the Lokayukta office who had cleaned the chamber on Wednesday. Following a historic announcement at the White House, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are poised for a face-to-face meeting. Since the end of the Korean War, the countries' relations have been marked by high tensions and periodic, but short-lived, thaws. Here is a recap of their troubled history: In 1945 Japan's defeat in World War II ends its occupation of Korea. The peninsula is divided along the 38th parallel between the Soviet-backed regime of Kim Il-Sung in the North and a South under US protection. In June 1950 North Korea, later assisted by China, invades the South. A coalition led by the United States retakes Seoul. In July 1953, an armistice -- not a full-fledged peace treaty -- is signed and Washington imposes sanctions on Pyongyang. In January 1968, the spy ship USS Pueblo is captured by North Korea. After 11 months, its 83 crew members are released. According to Pyongyang, the ship violated its territorial waters, a charge the United States denies. In 1969, North Korea shoots down a US reconnaissance aircraft. In June 1994, former US president Jimmy Carter makes an unprecedented visit to North Korea. In October, three months after the death of Kim Il-Sung and his succession by his son Kim Jong-Il, Pyongyang and Washington sign a bilateral agreement. North Korea commits to freeze and dismantle its military nuclear program in exchange for the construction of civilian reactors. In 1999, a year after its first test of a long-range ballistic missile, Kim Jong-Il declares a moratorium on missile tests and Washington eases sanctions. In October 2000, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright meets Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang. In January 2002, US president George W. Bush labels North Korea, Iran and Iraq an "axis of evil." In October, Washington accuses Pyongyang of conducting a secret uranium enrichment program in violation of the 1994 agreement. In August 2004, North Korea declares it is impossible to participate in a new nuclear program with the United States, attacking Bush as a "tyrant" worse than Hitler and a "political imbecile." In 2006, Pyongyang conducts its first nuclear test. In October 2008, the United States withdraws North Korea from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism in return for controls on all of its nuclear installations. Pyongyang had been on the blacklist since 1988 due to its suspected involvement in the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987 that killed 115 people. In January 2016, American student Otto Wambier is arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster. He dies in June 2017, one week after being returned home to the US in a coma. Numerous Americans have been held for years before being repatriated. Three are currently detained there. On January 2, 2017, then US President-elect Donald Trump says North Korea will never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching US territory. In July, North Korea conducts two intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Kim declares: "The entire US territory is now within our ICBM range." On August 8, Trump threatens "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continues to threaten the United States. On August 29, Pyongyang test fires a ballistic missile over Japan. The US president says, "Talking is not the answer," although his defense secretary does not rule out diplomacy. September 3, North Korea carries out its sixth nuclear test, announcing a "perfect test" of a hydrogen bomb that it claims can be mounted on a missile. On September 21, Washington unveils tougher sanctions to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program. The announcement comes on the heels of Trump's maiden speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he nicknames Kim "Rocket Man" and declares him to be on a "suicide mission." A day later on September 22, Kim brands Trump "mentally deranged" and a "dotard", and warns he will pay dearly for his threats to destroy North Korea. As 2017 closes, Kim boasts his missile arsenal can hit any city on the US mainland. On January 3, 2018, Trump raises eyebrows as he responds to Kim's New Year warning that he has a "nuclear button" on his desk. "I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!", he writes. Pyongyang brands his outburst "the spasm of a lunatic" and the "bark of a rabid dog." On February 25, North Korea slams what Trump describes as the "heaviest sanctions ever" as an "act of war." Meanwhile, North Korean general Kim Yong Chol arrives in the South for the Winter Olympics closing ceremony -- also attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka -- part of North Korea's Olympic Games charm offensive. On March 8, 2018, in a remarkable announcement at the White House, South Korean national security advisor Chung Eui-yong says Kim has invited US Trump to meet by May, and will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." The White House says Trump has accepted the invitation, but does not set a date or locations for the talks, and adds that sanctions against North Korea will stay in place. The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned for nearly 50 minutes this morning amid vociferous protests by various parties over a number of issues, including the PNB scam. Ashok Gajapati Raju (TDP), who had resigned yesterday as Civil Aviation minister, was seen standing in the Well with his party colleagues demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Like others, he too was wearing a stole depicting his party's colour. As the House met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan welcomed a parliamentary delegation from South Korea. Later, the House paid tributes to former members Prabodh Panda, Shyama Singh and Bhanu Kumar Shastri who had died recently. Soon after the members from various parties trooped into the Well, prompting the Speaker to remark that after a minute of silence, the House is again witnessing din. Members from AIADMK, TDP and YSR Congress were in the Well holding placards. While AIADMK was demanding constitution of the Cauvery Board to settle water disputes with neighbouring states, the TDP was demanding special status for AP. The YSR Congress too was making a similar demand. While one TDP MP was holding an idol, another had donned a colourful traditional headgear. Congress members did not enter the Well but were holding placards demanding that tainted businessman Nirav Modi be brought back to India. The Speaker then adjourned the House till 12 noon even as Question Hour was in progress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will look after the Ministry of Civil Aviation too as President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday accepted the resignations of TDP Ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdary. Raju was Cabinet Minister for Civil Aviation while Chowdary was Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. In a communique about acceptance of resignations, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said, "further, as advised by the Prime Minister, The President has directed that the work of the Ministry of Civil Aviation will be looked after by the Prime Minister." Raju and Chowdary had handed over their resignation letters to Modi on Thursday evening after TDP announced its decision to pull out the ministers from the government over the demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh. However, TDP will remain part of the ruling NDA alliance. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a Shiite area of Kabul on Friday, killing at least nine people, officials said, as militants dial up pressure on the war-weary Afghan capital. The Islamic State group's local franchise claimed responsibility for the blast, the SITE Intelligence Group said, as it seeks to stir up sectarian violence in the Sunni-majority country. It was the third suicide attack in Kabul in a fortnight. The attack happened near a high-profile gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari -- a prominent former leader of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban. The event was attended by some of the country's top politicians, including Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and his deputy Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior Hazara figure. It was the first major assault targeting Shiites this year. It follows an escalation in such attacks by IS in 2017, which ended with an assault on a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on December 28 that killed around 40 people. "The death toll has gone up to nine," deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding 18 others were wounded. Among the dead were two policemen, he said. The rest were civilians. Officials said the attacker was on foot. Afghan officials gave a wide range of figures for the number of casualties: a security source told AFP 13 people were killed and more than 30 wounded. But Kabul police chief Mohammad Daud Amin told Tolo News that five people were killed and 22 others wounded. Amin said the bomber detonated his explosive device at a checkpoint "after being identified by police". "The bomber failed to get inside to target the gathering," he said. Kazim Ali, who was at the gathering, told AFP the force of the explosion shattered the windows of the mosque. "We were inside the mosque when a loud explosion took place. Security forces didn't allow us to move afterwards," he said. In a separate incident overnight, Taliban militants raided a number of checkpoints manned by Afghan security forces in the northern province of Takhar, Khwaja Ghar district governor Mohammad Omar told AFP. Omar said 10 local police and seven soldiers were killed and more than a dozen wounded in the attacks claimed by the Taliban. The casualty figures could not be immediately verified. The latest attacks come as the Taliban, by far the biggest militant group in Afghanistan, face growing pressure to take up the Afghan government's recent offer of peace talks to end a more than 16-year insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Kabul last week unveiled a plan to open talks with the Taliban, including eventually recognising them as a political party. In return, Ghani said the militants should officially recognise the Afghan government and constitution, a perennial sticking point in past attempts at dialogue. "The offer of negotiation is on the table," UN envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto told a Security Council meeting on Thursday to mark the annual renewal of the UN mission to the war-torn country. The United States has also called on the insurgents to consider the offer of peace talks. While Western officials have hailed Ghani's offer as a positive step, they have told AFP that it is far too early to tell if it will lead anywhere. Before Ghani's speech, the militants had called for direct talks with the US. Friday's attack comes a week after a car bomb detonated near a passing Australian embassy convoy in the city's east that killed at least one child and wounded several other people. Kabul is one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians as both the Taliban and the expanding IS group step up their assaults on the city. Despite the cautious optimism for a peace deal, Kabul remains on high alert, fearing further violence. American officials are also braced for more fighting in the spring after an unusually violent winter when the conflict traditionally eases. Since mid-January, militants have stormed a luxury hotel, bombed a crowded street, raided a military compound and launched a suicide attack during morning rush hour in the capital, killing more than 130 people. Supreme Court of Florida. JESSE GUARDADO, Appellant, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. No. SC17-1903 Decided: March 08, 2018 Billy H. Nolas, Chief, Capital Habeas Unit, Office of the Federal Public Defender, Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida; and Clyde M. Taylor, Jr. of Taylor & Taylor, LLC, St. Augustine, Florida, for Appellant Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, and Lisa A. Hopkins, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, for Appellee This case is before the Court on appeal from an order denying a motion to vacate a sentence of death under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS The underlying facts of this case were described in this Court's opinion on direct appeal. Guardado v. State, 965 So. 2d 108, 110-12 (Fla. 2007). This Court affirmed Guardado's convictions and sentence of death. Id. at 120. This Court also affirmed the denial of Guardado's initial postconviction motion. Guardado v. State, 176 So. 3d 886 (Fla. 2015). In 2017, Guardado filed a motion for postconviction relief arguing that he was entitled to relief pursuant to Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016). That motion was continued to give Guardado an opportunity to proceed in this Court with a habeas petition. Guardado filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus arguing that he was entitled to relief pursuant to both Hurst v. Florida and Hurst v. State, 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016), cert. denied, 137 S. Ct. 2161 (2017). This Court held: We agree with Guardado that Hurst is applicable in his case. See Mosley v. State, 209 So. 3d 1248 (Fla. 2016). However, because we find that the Hurst error in this case is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, we deny Guardado's petition. As we stated in Davis v. State, 207 So. 3d 142, 175 (Fla. 2016): [T]he jury unanimously found all of the necessary facts for the imposition of death sentences by virtue of its unanimous recommendations. The unanimous recommendations here are precisely what we determined in Hurst to be constitutionally necessary to impose a sentence of death. Accordingly, the Hurst violation in this case is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt and, as in Davis, does not entitle Guardado to relief. Guardado v. Jones, 226 So. 3d 213, 215 (Fla. 2017). Subsequently, the circuit court returned to its consideration of Guardado's successive motion for postconviction relief and summarily denied Guardado's motion, stating: The current state of the law indicates Hurst would apply to the defendant's case. See Mosley v. State, 209 So. 3d 1248 (Fla. 2016). However, the law is also clear the defendant is not entitled to a new penalty phase based on a harmless error analysis. See Davis v. State, 207 So. 3d 142 (Fla. 2016). Indeed, this court is bound by the decision of the Supreme Court of Florida determining any Hurst error in the instant case is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Guardado v. [Jones], No. SC17-389, 2017 WL 1954984 (Fla. May 11, 2017) (denying the defendant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus); Guardado v. [Jones], No.SC17-389, 2017 WL 4150352 (Fla. Sept. 19, 2017) (denying the defendant's motion for rehearing). Therefore, the defendant is not entitled to relief under Hurst. As a result, the instant motion is denied. Guardado v. State, No. 2004-CF-000903, order at 2-3 (Fla. 1st. Cir. Sept. 27, 2017). Guardado filed the instant appeal. On October 31, 2017, this Court issued an order to show cause why the lower court's order should not be affirmed. DISCUSSION Guardado's argument here is nearly identical to that contained in his petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed in this Court on March 8, 2017, which this Court denied in Guardado v. Jones, 226 So. 3d at 215. The proceedings below originated on July 5, 2016, but were continued to permit Guardado to seek Hurst relief from this Court via his habeas proceedings. After this Court denied Guardado's habeas petition, the postconviction proceedings resumed and the circuit court denied Guardado's motion. Order at 1. The circuit court correctly concluded that this Court has addressed Guardado's claims. Guardado's arguments in the present appeal are indistinguishable from those contained in his habeas petition. Further, we have considered and rejected Guardado's claim that Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320 (1985), and Sullivan v. Louisiana, 508 U.S. 275 (1993), affect this Court's harmless error analysis in Hurst. See, e.g., Franklin v. State, 43 Fla. L. Weekly S86 (Fla. Feb. 15, 2018); Truehill v. State, 211 So. 3d 930 (Fla. 2017); Hitchcock v. State, 226 So. 3d 216 (Fla.), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 513 (2017). Because Guardado's claims have been previously rejected, we affirm the circuit court's summary denial of Guardado's successive motion for postconviction relief. It is so ordered. NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED. PER CURIAM. LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, and LAWSON, JJ., concur. Chikkamagaluru-Udupi MP and BJP General Secretary Shobha Karandlaje on Wednesday said that women face a lot more discrimination in society when compared to those in the backward class. She was speaking at a panel discussion organised by Deccan Herald and Prajavani as part of an event to mark International Women's Day. Umashree, Minister for Kannada and Culture and Women and Child Development, and Dr Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, JD(S) member, were part of the panel on Women in Politics. The event included experts from various fields. The panel was of the opinion that self-motivation plays a dominant role in a womans life. The Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament, women's safety, health and education were the other topics discussed. On the effectiveness of women's reservation in local bodies, Umashree said that it is leading to a silent revolution, which is helping women understand their duties as public servants. Though the woman representative will be dominated by male members of her family, she will understand her role and responsibility in society by the end of her five-year term," said Umashree. "She will attend several meetings. She will get a lot of opportunities. These are the things that help her to know her role in society." Karandlaje said, An educated woman can bring change to society. Firstly, we should work towards giving education to women. This leads her to understand her fundamental duties as a citizen and leader. Karandlaje added: There are many women who are balancing their family and their profession. Family should not be a reason for her to give up the opportunity. Women are capable of doing multiple roles at a time." Gowda gave up her job as a civil servant and recently joined politics. She started her career as a doctor, then took the Indian Civil Service exam and was placed at a top post for the Indian Railways in Kolkata. Gowda has now joined Janata Dal (Secular). She believes that it's the responsibility of women politicians to make sure that women's welfare schemes reach the intended beneficiaries. Women's empowerment should begin at the family level," said Gowda. "This gives her moral support and allows her to face any situation. Women politicians should be aware of women's welfare programmes from the government." The panel said that a change in people's mindsets and effective enforcement of the law would help in reducing crimes against women. Firstly, there should be a friendly environment in society," said Karandlaje. "We should increase the number of women in the police force, which will encourage women to approach them to lodge a complaint. The assaulter should be made aware of the consequences and the judiciary has to work in that manner." Pointing to recent examples of women chief ministers in other states, Umashree and Karandlaje said they hoped to see Karnataka's first woman chief minister very soon. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has promised the South's President Moon Jae-in no more missile-related early morning wake-up calls, Seoul said. Last year Pyongyang carried out 20 ballistic missile tests, almost all of them in the early hours of the morning. Moon routinely summons his National Security Council immediately after such events, and the timing has ensured officials, diplomats and journalists in Seoul have regularly been jolted awake. But when he met Seoul's envoys this week a jovial Kim pledged not to disrupt Moon's slumbers anymore. "I've made up my mind today and President Moon does not have to be disturbed from sleep with early morning wake-up calls," he was quoted as saying by an official of Seoul's presidential Blue House. At the four-hour meeting on Monday, Kim agreed to hold a summit with Moon in April, expressed his desire to meet US President Donald Trump at an early date, offered to put denuclearisation on the table, and promised no more missile or nuclear tests while dialogue continued. The two Koreas also agreed to open a hotline between the leaders. "If things don't go well with officials' talks and they behave arrogantly, Mr President and I can now talk directly through the phone and sort things out easily," Kim said, to laughter from delegates on both sides. Kim, whose weight is a regular subject of comment in foreign media, was aware of how he is portrayed overseas and engaged in pleasantries bordering on self-deprecation, another Blue House official said according to reports. No details were provided. But Trump once labelled him as "short and fat". The EU's top trade official said Friday that "dialogue" with Washington was the bloc's "prime option" as it seeks to win exemptions from US President Donald Trump's controversial new steel and aluminium tariffs. Brussels has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures if its exports are affected by the tariffs including peanut butter, bourbon whiskey and orange juice. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said the bloc was "not preparing for battle" but had to be ready to protect its industry. Earlier this week she warned the US tariffs could jeopardise thousands of European jobs. "Dialogue is always the prime option of the European Union," Malmstroem said, adding that Brussels was "counting on being excluded" from the new duties. The EU shares American concerns about overcapacity in the global steel sector, Malmstroem said, but warned "this is not the right way to deal with it". "It is certainly not the right way to include Europe... because we are friends, we are allies, we work together, we cannot possibly be a threat to national security in the US US so we are counting on being excluded," the Swede added. Trump imposed the tariffs -- 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium -- despite repeated warnings from the EU and other allies that this could trigger a full-on trade war. Announcing the tariffs, Trump said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions, but he singled out Germany for particular criticism. Malmstroem said Trump's announcement was "not crystal clear" and she would seek clarification when she saw US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Brussels on Saturday for long-planned talks that are now a de facto crisis meeting. The EU exports around five billion euros' ($4 billion) worth of steel and a billion euros' worth of aluminium to the US each year, and the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, estimates Trump's tariffs could cost some 2.8 billion euros. Brussels is also looking at "safeguard" measures to protect its industry -- restricting the bloc's imports of steel and aluminium to stop foreign supplies flooding the European market, which is allowed under World Trade Organisation rules. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday hailed a proposed meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "a step in the right direction". "We do hope that this meeting is going to take place," Lavrov said after meeting with African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat at the body's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. "Certainly, it is required to normalise the situation around the Korean peninsula." South Korea on Thursday said the two leaders would hold an unprecedented summit by the end of May, raising hopes they can broker an agreement on Pyongyang's nuclear programme that has fuelled tensions on the peninsula. The announcement was confirmed by the White House. News of the summit is the latest move in a fast-developing diplomatic detente, with North and South Korea exchanging envoys after the two neighbours marched together under a unified flag at the Winter Olympics. It follows a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang which saw the two leaders exchanging bitter, personal insults, with Trump mocking Kim as a "little rocket man" and Kim describing him as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard." The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have engaged in perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff. Lavrov was in Ethiopia as part of a five-day African tour which began on Monday with a visit to Angola after which he continued on to Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Negotiations to broker a framework accord between China and the Vatican on the appointment of bishops are making quick progress towards a deal, a Chinese official said on Friday, in what would be a historic breakthrough in relations. A deal on the thorny issue of who gets to appoint bishops could be signed within months, a senior Vatican source told Reuters in February. The potential Vatican rapprochement with Communist China sparked a war of words between Catholic officials. "Talks are progressing at full swing," deputy head of the official Chinese Catholics association, Fang Jianping, told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of parliament when asked about the prospect of a normalisation of relations. China's 12 million Catholics are split between "underground" communities that often recognise the pope and those registered with the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association, where bishops are appointed by the government in collaboration with local Church communities. Fang said the national policy was very positive towards the development of Catholicism in China. He did not elaborate. A deal would allow the Church to care for China's Catholics and to focus on expanding a Catholic presence in a country where Protestant churches are growing quickly. China has said it is sincere in its efforts to improve relations with the Vatican. Last December, a Vatican delegation went to China to discuss the status of two Vatican-recognised bishops, including the possibility of allowing one prelate to retire and be succeeded by a state-backed bishop. There is also a potential "gentleman's agreement" for seven government-backed bishops to be recognised by the Vatican after seeking a papal pardon, but this has not yet been formalised, the Vatican source told Reuters in February. Cardinal Joseph Zen, however, the outspoken former bishop of Hong Kong, criticised news of progress towards a deal at the time, saying the Vatican was "selling out" the Catholic Church in China and suggested that there was discord between the pontiff and Vatican diplomats doing groundwork in China. The Vatican has said that the Church is unified in its approach to China. India today said it is waiting for the US notification on a hike in import tariff on steel and aluminium to gauge its impact on domestic players amid a global outcry over America's decision to increase duties beyond its commitment at the WTO. US President Donald Trump has imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, sparking fears of a global trade war. Trump signed two proclamations that levied a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminium imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico. The contentious tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Talking to reporters here, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said there is a "disquiet" as the US has raised duties on certain items beyond the bound rates or its commitment to the World Trade Organisation. When asked what would be the impact of the US duty hike on India, the Secretary said "of course" there would be some impact as India is an exporter. "We will wait to see what form it (US notification on tariff hike) will take," she said. When asked if other countries too have raised duties beyond the bound rate, Teaotia said no other WTO member has used the "security exception" argument as done by the US in raising duties on import of steel and aluminium. India, she said is not a protectionist country and has always kept its import duties in the WTO bound rates. She further said that 17 countries, including India, had expressed concern over the US plans to raise tariffs during the General Council Meeting of the WTO at Geneva in Switzerland. To another question on US demand to lower import duty on super-bikes, like Harley Davidson, Teaotia said India has its own 'Make In India' and is the largest producer of motorbikes. She, however, did not elaborate further. Accompanied by their legal adviser D Leelakrishnan, members of the Bangalore Metro Railway Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Employees Union held a press conference on Friday and said the management's "high-handed attitude" has forced them to come to the media. About 150 employees gathered near the press club and shared their grievances with media persons. Leelakrishnan, who is also the executive general secretary of INTUC, said BMRCL has time and again tried to suppress the employees by serving disciplinary notices. "There have been numerous violations of rules which have gone unquestioned. They have now sought exemption from Industrial Establishments Act to escape responsibility for their actions," he said. Suryanarayana Murthy, vice president of the union, said the BMRCL has not notified service rules though metro has been operating for nearly 10 years. "They have also failed to follow the rules of recruitment by taking senior and retired officials from other organisations. So we have a situation where people a finance manager has been made the head of Human Resource department," he said. Employees said those working on contract have been given more than one promotion in five years while those who joined BMRCL by writing competitive exams have been sidelined. "In all these years, the grievance redressal committee met us only once and gave us nothing. The committee itself comprises of management officials and doesn't have an employee. We have approached the management nearly 40 times but were given no hearing," they said. Can metro invoke ESMA? BMRCL on Thursday said it will invoke Essential Services Management Act (ESMA) to thwart a strike proposed by employees. However, the employees released a copy of an interim order passed by the High Court of Karnataka on November 7, 2017, to point out that such a move would be in contempt of the court. Taking on record that only Parliament has the power to make laws regarding metro services as BMRCL is governed by the provisions of two central acts, the court has provided for an interim stay on the ESMA notification issued by the Urban Development Department in July last year. Lashing out at the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that the coalition is cynically running down the past accomplishments of the Congress. "I would like to ask, if I may, was India really a giant black hole before 16 May, 2014? Did India's march to progress, prosperity and greatness begin only four years ago? Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people? This deliberate unwillingness to acknowledge and commend what our country has achieved is nothing but arrogance," Gandhi said addressing a media event in Mumbai. "This cynical running down of our past accomplishments, which have been a huge collective endeavour of the people of India, is nothing but conceit. It is not here a matter of taking credit. It is simply a matter of recognising India's strength and strenuous efforts over the past decades," the former UPA Chairperson said. "This is a well sort-out project long in the making to refashion the very idea of India. It involves rewriting history, falsifying facts, slander nation-builders and fanning prejudice and bigotry," the 71-year-old MP said. "We should all be seriously concerned that how the foundational principles and values of our Constitution are being willfully shredded," she charged without naming the BJP, NDA or Modi. "Callous remarks about changing the Constitution point to a deliberate attempt to subvert the essence of India that it enshrines. Provocative statements from the ruling establishment are not random or accidental. They are part of a dangerous design. The evidence of this new and deeply troubling direction is there for all to see. Fear and intimidation are the order of the day," she said. Alternative voices being silenced Gandhi said that alternative voices are being silenced, literally in far too many cases through violence, even murder. "The freedom to think for oneself, to differ and disagree, to eat according to one's choice, to meet or marry, according to one's wishes - all this and more is under attack. Where amity and harmony were encouraged, religious tensions are being fuelled. Vigilante mobs and private armies have been let loose with state patronage," she said. RTI, Aadhaar She said RTI was brought in to enhance transparency and fight corruption, however, it is in cold storage. The RTI and RTI activists are being killed. "Aadhaar was to be an instrument of empowerment. It is being turned into an intrusive instrument of control," she said. "We want to be a knowledge-driven society. But just look at how the scientific temper is being mocked. The noise of politics is the music of democracy. Yet, that very noise is now being muffled. The pretext is to make India a Rs 10-trilion dollar economy. But yes, of course, we need to move fast. But fast F.A.S.T. can not stand for First Act, and Second Think. Acronymites can be very contagious," the Congress President noted. Governence On the claims of governance, she said that the employment situation is grim. "But all of a sudden, we are told that 7.5 million jobs were created in 2017. This claim, of course, has been widely debunked. But, does that really make a difference? No, it doesn't. Because as soon as one myth is demolished, another takes its place. I don't need to remind the audience of how the narrative kept shifting as demonetisation took the economy downriver or the chopping and changing that went with the GST, a reform that was first stymied and then implemented in stubborn haste. Or, the belated recognition, although half-hearted, of growing farmer distress," she said. Vajpayee and Modi When asked to compare Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she said, "Vajpayee had great respect for parliamentary procedure." When pressed for her opinion on Modi, she said, "I have read out the entire Ramayan,...and you are asking who is Sita and who is Ram." QUOTES "I knew Manmohan Singh would be a better Prime Minister than me, I knew my limitations." "I am confident, really, that BJP's 'Acche Din' is turning out to be like 'India Shining' campaign, that brought us to victory in 2004." Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi will attend Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's March 13 dinner for all Opposition parties to form a united front against the BJP. A formal invitation was extended on Friday to the Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi, who also happens to be the youngest son of Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi. Normally, the invitation would have been extended to RJD chief Lalu, who has stood by Sonia ever since she became Congress president in 1998. But languishing in jail following his conviction in fodder scam, Lalu is believed to have suggested through his aides that in his absence, his son and heir apparent Tejashwi will represent the RJD. A few months back, Tejashwi had a one-to-one luncheon meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi at a posh restaurant in New Delhi's Khan Market. But this will be the first occasion when the young RJD leader will dine with Sonia and other important Opposition leaders at her residence in New Delhi. Tejashwi, who is currently campaigning for the RJD and Congress nominees for the three bypolls here, had been instrumental in allotting one seat - Bhabua Assembly constituency a to the Congress for the by-election slated for March 11. The rest two seats (Araria Lok Sabha and Jehanabad Assembly constituency) are being contested by the RJD. The JD (U) is in the fray from Jehanabad while the BJP is contesting the remaining two seats. The campaigning for these seats came to an end on Friday evening. The City Municipal Council (CMC) meeting on Thursday decided to seek the Deputy Commissioner's permission to utilise Municipal funds towards carrying out development works. During the meeting chaired by CMC president Shilpa Rajashekhar, the members unanimously decided to utilise funds from SFC funds of the year 2018-19 and 14th financial grants towards the draft of an action plan. Some members pointed out that the funds could not be utilised without the DC's permission and therefore, the necessity to utilise the funds should be conveyed to the DC to avail the permission so that the development works could be initiated. Shilpa said that all the details sought by the DC regarding the works and available funds, have been furnished. CMC member Devaraj Shetty sought a work order for the works towards which tender process has been completed. Necessary action should be taken before the notification for Assembly election is out. H D Tammaiah suggested an all members meeting with the DC requesting him to grant permission. "A master plan towards the solid waste management unit near Indavar is the need of the hour," he said. Hiremagaluru Puttaswamy meanwhile, sought to know the status of solid waste management project to be implemented at a cost of Rs 80 lakh. A Karnataka Urban Water Supply official said that the work towards 24X7 water supply in the city is in progress under Amrit project. The work will be taken up in 1,2,3, 21 and 22nd wards in the first phase and the works are expected to be completed by June. The second phase would be completed by October. Thammaiah sought detailed information on Amrita project as there is a lot of confusion regarding the same. "As the state government has directed the City Municipal Councils and Town Municipal Corporations to divert SFC grants to Indira canteen, there is a shortage of Rs 2.43 crore funds in the CMC," Thammaiah said. The Congress today accused the Modi government of "compromising" on national security and causing a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer on account of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. Quoting from the annual report of Dassault Aviation, makers of the fighter aircraft, the party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs 351 crore higher than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Randeep Surjewala said while 36 Rafale jets were sold to India at 7.5 billion Euros in 2016, 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at 7.9 billion Euros in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.70 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.80 crore to Egypt/Qatar. There was a difference of Rs 351 crore for each aircraft, the party claimed. Addressing a joint press conference, Azad, Surjewala and former Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh asserted that the government had adopted complete opaqueness in the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft. Azad asserted that had the Modi government not cancelled the deal struck by the UPA dispensation for 126 Rafale jets, it could have saved Rs 41,212 crore. "The Modi government's 'diversionary tactics' on Rafale deal has left more questions than answers," they said in a statement. Accusing the prime minister of compromising on national security and interests, Azad asked why were only 36 fighter jets purchased instead of 126 jets for which international bids were called for. "Is this not compromising with national security? Why are prime minister and defence minister hiding the purchase price (of the jets)? Is it correct that per aircraft pricing of Rafale as per bid dated 12.12.2012 (during the UPA-Congress government) was Rs 526.1 crore as against the Modi government's per aircraft purchase price of Rs 1,670.70 crore?" he asked. Surjewala said the deal was also made in absence of prior clearance from Cabinet Committee on Security, thus sacrificing the national interest and bypassing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on the Rs 36,000 crore 'offset contract' in favour of a private entity with no defence manufacturing experience. "Grave apprehensions and claims of insurmountable loss being caused to public exchequer stand exposed as the government refuses to state the truth. A huge scam is brewing in procurement of fighter aircrafts for the Indian Air Force, yet the Modi government remains opaque, intransient, obscure and obstinate," the Congress leaders alleged. Defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said the Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing, targeting forward posts at Jane Peer Baba post in Uri sector. "Own troops retaliated the fire and the exchanges continued for some time. In the incident, an Army jawan was injured," he said. The injured trooper has been identified as Param Veer Singh of 17-JAT, who has been shifted to Army's 92-Base Hospital in Srinagar. Sources said soon after the ceasefire violation, the Army started a combing operation in the area to ensure that infiltrating militants don't take advantage of firing from Pakistan to sneak into Indian territory. Panic along LoC Reports said the exchange of fire has created panic again along the LoC in Uri and locals have started to shift from the affected area. Pakistan army has been violating ceasefire along the LoC and international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir frequently. Since third week of January, 21 persons, including 12 security personnel and nine civilians, have been killed in Pakistani ceasefire violations along the LoC and the IB in Jammu. Last month more than 500 residents of villages close to the LoC in Uri sector were shifted by the authorities to safer locations after Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling and firing. These villages are just a kilometre away from the border and can be easy targets of shelling from across the LoC. Uri was in the news after the September 18, 2016 fidayeen (suicide) attack on Army base that left 19 soldiers dead and triggered the latest tension between India and Pakistan. Agartala, PTI: Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday took oath as the chief minister of Tripura, with the BJP ending 25-years of the Left Front's rule in the state. Jishnu Deb Burman of the BJP was sworn in as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at a function organised at the sprawling Assam Rifles ground, which was attended by Modi and Amit Shah. 48-year-old Biplab Kumar Deb had staked claim before the governor on March 6 to form the government. A long-time RSS volunteer, he has been largely credited for the BJP's turnaround in the state. The deputy chief minister is yet to be elected, as an MLA, as polling in his Charilam (Scheduled Tribe) constituency was postponed due to the death of the CPI(M) candidate. The election to the seat is scheduled to be held on March 12. Among seven ministers five are from the BJP - Ratan Lal Nath, Sudip Roy Burman, Pranajit Singha Roy, Manoj Kanti Deb and Santana Chakma, the lone woman in the government - and two from its ally IPFT - N C Debburman, IPFT chief, and IPFT general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatiya. In his address after the swearing-in ceremony, the prime minister assured the new BJP government will provide full support for the all-round development of Tripura, saying the entire country was behind its march towards progress. Modi said the northeastern region has many opportunities and potentials which have to be explored for its development. "I appeal to the people of Tripura, lets take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of the people. I want to assure Tripura that in its march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation under the motto of cooperative federalism," he said. The prime minister said that the state government will take along every citizen and all sections of the society and work for the development of the state. Modi said the motto of the government will be development, good governance, people's participation and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were present at the ceremony, besides chief ministers of BJP-ruled states- Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand). Outgoing Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar also attended the function. Giant posters bearing images of Modi and Shah dominated the landscape in Agartala. From the airport to the venue, BJP flags lined up both sides of the street, as party workers wearing saffron celebrated. Security was tightened in the capital city as the prime minister and many other dignitaries attended the ceremony. "A 100-ft-long stage was erected for the big function. This is a big day for us as it marks a political transition for the state. The victory has been made possible by the development work of Modiji that has inspired our workers in Tripura to work for a change," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told PTI here. The alliance had won the Assembly elections with a two-thirds majority in the 60-member House. The BJP had bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight of the 59 seats that went to polls. After a Rs 12,646-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud, the government has asked serious fraud investigation office (SFIO) to probe 107 companies and 7 limited liability partnerships (LLPs) belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi groups, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. The corporate affairs ministry has also filed a petition/application against the individuals, groups and their entities belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi groups before National Company Law, the minister said in a written reply. With regard to effect of the fraud on PNB and other banks, the RBI has stated that it does not have specific information. PNB has stated that it has adequate assets/ capital to meet any liability which may crystallise on the bank, the minister said. The minister further said that the CBI has registered two cases relating to the matter and as on March 6 and arrested 18 people. On the basis of FIRs registered by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed two cases under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act,2002 and conducted searches at various locations and seized movable properties and has attached immovable properties. Further, mutual funds and bank accounts have been frozen. Letter of Request to 13 countries have been issued by the court seeking details of properties, bank accounts of companies,etc. ED has moved the court to obtain non-bailable warrants against the accused. Further investigation is in progress. A day after the arrest of Farooq Takla, an aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, the external affairs ministry said today that it was ascertaining the details from its mission in Dubai on how he got his passport and renewed it. Takla was arrested by the CBI yesterday after being deported from the UAE. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We are ascertaining details from our mission in Dubai. "It is very clear that he is a fugitive who was wanted by the government of India. We had shared this information with the government of UAE and we were pursuing this matter with UAE government. UAE authorities have deported him." Asked about reports that Takla got the passport due to intervention of some Union minister, Kumar said he would not like to speculate. There is a certain process for issuance of a passport and its renewal, he said, adding that the ministry will get the details on when Takla applied and when was his passport renewed. Mohammed Farooq, better known as Farooq Takla, arrived here from Dubai and was arrested by the CBI when he was at an immigration counter at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. His role in the D-company was not clear, but some security officials said that he used to look after the Dubai operations of Dawood. Asked about the status of the Nirav Modi case, Kumar said the ministry has revoked his passport after he did not respond. On controversies surrounding the death of Bollywood icon Sridevi in the UAE, Kumar said, "As far as I know, the paperwork from the UAE government was handed over to us and on the basis of that the mortal remains were brought to India. Had there been something suspicious, it would have come out in the report." Police were dispatched to Hamill Road for an elderly woman having trouble driving her vehicle back to her residence at the John Calvin Apartments. The woman told police she could not see very well and had left to buy cigarettes when it was dark and was now having trouble getting back home. Police had the woman park her vehicle, due to the trouble she was having driving and for her ... (click for more) The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Supreme Court that any order for a further probe into the death of judge B H Loya would amount to raising distrust on colleague-judges who were with him before his demise. Judge Loya was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, in which BJP president Amit Shah was an accused. "Is entire system dancing to the tune of one man, if that is so, we should wind up our judiciary. See the kind of scurrilous allegations put on display in last few weeks. Did the judges who accompanied judge Loya in his last hours, bump him off? Are they guilty of murder? What is the degree of evidence available now? Have the judges who recorded their statement (before intelligence chief) are so distrustful," senior advocate Harish Salve submitted before a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. He said the subordinate judiciary is the most vulnerable and only the top court can protect those four judges, who were with Loya and recorded their statement that there was nothing amiss. He responded to the charge levelled by a batch of PIL petitioners that Loya was under tremendous pressure as he was hearing the case involving Shah. "Has our system come into such a disrepair? Has one politician become so powerful? The politicians are into the rough and tumble of public life. They take their brickbats and bouquets in their stride...but no amount of inquiry, (if ordered) will exonerate those judges in the eyes of the public," Salve said. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, also appearing for the state government, contended the petitioners were now shedding crocodile tears on the basis of reports of a magazine with no circulation and credibility. "Their aim is to somehow reach one man (Shah)," he said. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for intervenor, questioned why no FIR was registered by those accompanying judges when Loya died on December 1, 2014. She demanded initiation of contempt proceedings against the administrative committee of the Bombay High Court. During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan contended that Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud should not have heard the matter for having been associated with the Bombay High Court and they must have known those four judges. "If you are raising it as your legal arguments, we will deal with it," Justice Chandrachud said. To this, Bhushan, however, submitted he was not seeking recusal of judges. When Aruna Shanbaug passed away on May 18, 2015, the sisters and the hospital that had treated her mourned a second death. She had died once before, 42 years before that, when she became the victim of a brutal sexual assault, which began left The attack had left her in a vegetative state for over four decades. The Supreme Court's passing of euthanasia on Friday reminds one of her more than anyone else; she had been under one of the world's longest comatose states and Pinky Virani's book about her plight, Aruna's story: The True Account Of A Rape And Its Aftermath, and the subsequent fight for euthanasia for her had brought much attention to the issue. She was 25 when she went into comatose; she was around 50 when Virani had brought the world's attention to her; she was 66 when she died of pneumonia. On November 27, 1973, Aruna, who was a nurse at King Edward Memorial Hospital hospital in Mumbai, was sexually assaulted by a sweeper in the same hospital, Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki. Attacking her from the back, Sohanlal wrapped a dog chain around her neck and yanked her back with it. First, he attempted vaginal penetration, but finding that she was menstruating, he sodomised her instead. He used the chain to prevent her from moving during the act. The next day she was found in the basement in a pool of blood. The asphyxiation cut off the oxygen supply to her brain, leaving her in a permanent vegetative state (PVS). Sohanlal was caught and convicted and served two concurrent seven-year sentences for assault and robbery, and strangely not for rape. His "unnatural sexual offence" was never mentioned. After being released from jail in 1980 was missing from public view, and according to the last reports, was working as a sweeper in another hospital. Virani, on January 24, 2011, moved the Supreme Court for euthanasia. The court set up a panel of experts to examine her. The court turned down the mercy killing petition on March 7, 2011. However, in the landmark decision, it allowed the 'passive euthanasia' of withdrawing life support to patients in PVS, but rejected outright the 'active euthanasia' of ending life through the administration of lethal substances. While refusing the mercy-killing of Aruna, the court had then laid a set of tough guidelines under which passive euthanasia can be legalised through a high-court monitored mechanism in the country. Convicted Khalistan terrorist Jaspal Atwal was able to visit India during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's tour to the country because the Centre issued him a visa in keeping with its policy of reaching out to the Indian Diaspora. "Atwal, a Canadian Sikh, visited India on a valid visa," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said on Friday. "The Government of India has a conscious policy of outreach to the Indian Diaspora, including misguided elements who in the past may have harboured anti-India sentiments which they have since renounced," said Kumar. He was responding to a query of a journalist, who asked how the former activist of the now-outlawed International Sikh Youth Federation had visited India. "This was not his (Atwal's) first visit to India. He has visited India on earlier occasions since January 2017," Kumar, the MEA spokesperson, said. The MEA also insisted that the government had adhered to the rule-book while granting a visa to Atwal to visit India. "There are well-established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travellers which have been followed in this case as well," said Kumar. Sources told the DH that the Ministry of Home Affairs maintained a "black-list" of "undesirable elements" and people on the roll generally found it very difficult to get a visa to visit India. Though Atwal had also been on the "black-list", he had been taken off the roll a few years back. This had paved the way for him to get the visa to visit India during Canadian PM's tour, sources added. Atwal was convicted for making an attempt to kill the then planning minister of Punjab, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, during his visit to Vancouver Island in 1986. His presence in Mumbai and New Delhi during Trudeau's visit to India last month triggered a controversy. What particularly embarrassed the Canadian government was an invitation extended to him to attend a reception hosted by Ottawa's envoy to New Delhi Nadir Patel in honour of Trudeau and his entourage on February 22. The invitation was rescinded after it came to the public domain following media-reports in Canada. Trudeau's week-long visit to India was overshadowed by the perception that Ottawa had done very little to address New Delhi's concerns over continued anti-India activities by radical pro-Khalistani elements among the Sikhs in Canada. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation later quoted an unnamed "senior official" of Trudeau Government suggesting that "rogue political elements in India" might have "orchestrated the embarrassing invitation" to Atwal to make Ottawa appear sympathetic to Khalistani Sikh extremism. The government had rejected Canada's allegation that rogue elements in India had arranged the invitation for Atwal. At Wings India 2018, Aerotech FMS, a flight management company launched Mahi, a little plane with a lot of pluck, which will circumnavigate Planet Earth with an all-women civilian crew as part of a women's empowerment initiative. The Colors 'Women Empower' Expedition, conceived and managed by Social Access Communications, a not-for-profit communications firm, will be attempted with the Sinus 912 motor-glider weighing less than 500 kg. The feat, already termed as an extraordinary attempt of exemplary courage, mental agility, and an aero-sport adventure, will attempt a world record. Mahi will fly across 22 countries taking the message of women's empowerment and spearhead a unique crowd-funding campaign - the 'WE! Udaan Scholarship' to champion, enable and empower underprivileged Indian girls living in the Udan regional connectivity centres, who want to learn and earn from flying. Syeda Salva Fatima, daughter of a poverty-stricken bakery worker from an impoverished neighbourhood of Sultan Shahi in the old city here, is today one of India's first four hijab-wearing Muslim women to hold a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). Fatima's story of "I want to be a pilot" changed into reality despite many odds and helped attain her life's ambition. She found a mentor to support her dream in Zahid Ali Khan, Editor of Siasat, who along with other philanthropists helped Fatima enrol at the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy in 2007. Five years later, Fatima completed her training at the Academy, logging 200 hours of flying in a Cessna 152 aircraft and 123 hours of solo flight. Dedication, hard work Moved by her story of persistence, the Telangana government announced financial assistance of Rs 36 lakh for Fatima's multi-engine training and type-rating. Dogged by odds repeatedly, Fatima persisted in her training, obtaining her Commercial Pilot License (CPL) in 2013, followed by simulator training in New Zealand and type-rating on Airbus training at the Gulf Aviation Academy in Bahrain. "Have a clear goal and positive thinking. Dedication and hard work don't go waste," is Fatima's message to girls with dreams like her. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, inspected the motor-glider and congratulated the all-women team and expressed his support to the mission. The Congress on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of "compromising" on national security and causing a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer on account of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. Quoting from the annual report of Dassault Aviation, makers of the fighter aircraft, the party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs 351 crore higher than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Randeep Surjewala said while 36 Rafale jets were sold to India at 7.5 billion euros in 2016, 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at 7.9 billion euros in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.70 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.80 crore to Egypt/Qatar. There was a difference of Rs 351 crore for each aircraft, the party claimed. Addressing a joint press conference, Azad, Surjewala and former minister of state for defence Jitendra Singh asserted that the government had adopted complete opaqueness in the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft. Azad asserted that had the Modi government not cancelled the deal struck by the UPA dispensation for 126 Rafale jets, it could have saved Rs 41,212 crore. Accusing the prime minister of compromising on national security and interests, Azad asked why were only 36 fighter jets purchased instead of 126 jets for which international bids were called for. Cong misleading nation: BJP The BJP accused the Congress of "misleading" the nation on the Rafale purchase, saying the UPA dispensation never inked any deal for the fighter aircraft and sat on its file due to its "greed". BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni rejected the allegations by the Congress as a "pack of lies" and part of its strategy to spread "untruth and confusion" against the Modi government. India on Friday reciprocated to the positive vibes from China and said that it was willing to work with the neighbouring nation to mend bilateral ties. "We are willing to work with the Chinese side to develop our relations based on commonalities while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests, concerns and aspirations," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said. Kumar articulated New Delhi's response to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent statement that the two neighbouring nations should shed mental inhibitions, manage differences and meet each other halfway to enhance bilateral ties. "As two major countries and large economies, relations between India and China are not just important bilaterally, but also have regional and global significance," said the MEA spokesperson. New Delhi's troubled ties with Beijing worsened further last year. Beijing was upset about India's opposition to Belt-and-Road initiative of China as well as growing strategic convergence of India, US and Japan in Asia-Pacific. New Delhi was disappointed by Beijing's persistent policy of shielding anti-India terrorists based in Pakistan from United Nations' sanctions and blocking India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group. The face-off between Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army in Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan from June 18 to August 28 brought the bilateral relations to a new low. New Delhi and Beijing, however, have been trying to mend ties over the past few months, with some back-to-back engagements in November and December 2017 and a series of high-level engagements lined up over the next few months. "During the meeting between Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and President Xi Jinping in Xiamen in September last year, the two leaders agreed that sound development of relations between India and China are a factor of stability amidst today's global uncertainties and that the two countries should not allow their differences to become disputes," said Kumar. "Since then, both sides have maintained regular exchanges at all levels, which have helped in strengthening bilateral communication." He was referring to the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sideline of the BRICS summit in Xiamen in China in September 2017 a just a few days after the face-off in Doklam Plateau had ended. Wang too on Thursday referred to the meeting between Xi and Modi in Xiamen. New Delhi of late issued an advisory asking the senior leaders and official functionaries in the states or at the Centre to stay away from exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama's events a ostensibly to avoid hurting the sensitivities of the communist country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday once again made a departure from protocol and received French President Emmanuel Macron at the airport in New Delhi. Modi received Macron and his wife Brigitte as they arrived on a four-day India visit. This is Macron's maiden visit to India after taking over the office of French president in May 2017. "@narendramodi PM of India greets @EmmanuelMacron on his arrival to India! A warm welcome for a promising State visit!," Alexander Ziegler, the ambassador of France to India, tweeted with pictures of Modi with the French president and his wife at the tarmac of the airport. The prime minister had made a similar departure from protocol and had received the then US president Barack Obama in January 2015. He had also received Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah II at the airport. Macron will hold talks with Modi on Saturday. They will attend the founding ceremony of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi on Sunday. Modi and Macron will also fly to Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh to inaugurate a 75 MW solar power plant. They will also visit Varanasi and will have a cruise on a boat on Ganga on Monday. Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation D V Sadananda Gowda on Friday charged the state government with misusing funds to the tune of Rs 2,157 crores meant for the benefit of students at the hostels run by Social Welfare department. Releasing a report on the status of the department-run hostels in the state, Gowda told reporters that the department has spent the money with out calling tenders. The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act has been blatantly violated since 2013. The elected representatives and officials have looted tax-payers' money on the pretext of providing various facilities to SC/ST and backward class students, he added. The status report is compiled by the state BJP SC/ST annd Backward Classes wing to highlight problems being faced by the students in about 2,590 hostels of the department. These hostels lack proper facilities. Blankets, pillows and bedsheets are of substandard quality. There is no drinking water facility and toilets are in bad state in many hostels. Of 740 women's hostels, about 585 does not have CCTV cameras, the report stated. "This shows that the money meant for these hostels have been misused. The state government keeps chanting Ahnida (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) mantra all the time. But what it has actually done is unpardonable. The hostels are literally hell," the former chief minister said, demanding that the government should immediately take action against all those involved in the misuse of money. The BJP has come out with this report in order to woo Dalits and backward classes ahead of the Assembly elections. H Anjaneya is the Social Welfare Minister. The BJP on Friday urged Governor Vajubhai Vala to recommend imposition of President's rule in Karnataka due to "deteriorating law and order" in the state. "It is high time the Governor intervenes and imposes President's rule. The law and order has completely collapsed. The government has failed to ensure security to the Karnataka Lokayukta. Besides, no chief minister in the history of independent India has provided special facility to a convict in jail," state party chief BS Yeddyurappa told reporters. The government does not have moral right to continue in power. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has sought clarification from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the attack on Lokayukta, he added. "Siddaramaiah has helped AIADMK leader Sasikala get special treatment in jail. This is undemocratic and contempt of court. The Governor should take serious note of it and take action," Yeddyurappa said. Congress on Friday dared the Modi government to spell out its stand on the Karnataka government's proposal to have a state flag. "We want the Home Minister to clarify whether the Karnataka government has done anything wrong," Randeep Singh Surjewala, chief Congress spokesperson, told reporters here. Surjewala was asked to comment on Home Minister Rajnath Singh's reported remarks that the Centre had not received any proposal from the Karnataka government on a separate state flag. Taking an aggressive stand, the Congress leader dared the Modi government to spell out whether it had divergent views on the issue of Kannada pride. The Congress also accused the Modi government of adopting a step-motherly attitude towards Karnataka when it came to allocation of central funds. By unveiling the state flag, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has once again introduced the Kannada pride issue in the debate ahead of the Assembly elections in May. The Congress has been taking on emotive issues ahead of the elections, in a bid to corner the BJP which has not favoured a separate flag. Siddaramaiah had also opposed moves to introduce Hindi signboards on the Bengaluru Metro. Senator Lamar Alexander on Thursday released the following statement on the presidents announcement that he is enacting tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum: This is disappointing news for Tennessee workers. President Bushs similar steel tariffs in 2002 backfired and proved that such tariffs destroy many more U.S. manufacturing jobs than they save. Last week, just the threat of steel tariffs caused Electrolux, Europes largest home appliance manufacturer, to put on hold a $250 million expansion in Springfield, Tennessee, even though 100% of the steel Electrolux uses is produced in the United States. According to Electrolux, tariffs on imported steel raise prices on all steel sold in the United States and make it more difficult for U.S.-based manufacturing plants to compete with foreign manufacturers. Senator Alexander spoke on the Senate floor Monday about the effect these tariffs would have on Tennessee, saying, This is especially bad news for Tennesseans because one third of our states manufacturing jobs are auto jobs with more than 900 plants in 87 of our 95 counties. It will now be cheaper for some Tennessee auto parts suppliers to move outside the United States, buy steel and aluminum there and then ship finished parts back to our country. Senator Bob Corker said, While I share the presidents concerns regarding Chinese steel overcapacity, I am disappointed by the administrations approach to this problem and ultimate decision to use a rarely used national security provision to implement new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. A better way to level the playing field for American companies would be to rally our friends and allies to advance a robust, targeted effort to ensure that only those responsible for excess global capacity pay a price. Unfortunately, I fear this announcement could have far-reaching unintended consequences that will put at risk the hard fought economic gains U.S. businesses have seen over the past year. Hopefully, the president will come to realize this possibility and further narrow this announced policy. Former Governor Phil Bredesen said, "The tariffs on steel and aluminum that were signed today are a real problem for workers in Tennessee and their families. Broad tariffs are by their nature like taking a big axe to a problem that needs a scalpel -- the blow may be aimed at a real problem but usually creates lots of other damage in the process. "Here in Tennessee, both LG in Clarksville and Electrolux in Springfield have put new investment and hiring on hold in anticipation of these tariffs. Jack Daniels in Lynchburg is concerned about being damaged by the tariffs that the EU is considering in retaliation to ours. "Washington needs a time out. I would urge President Trump to bring together a bipartisan group to discuss this issue. I would also urge the President to make this group light on Washington political insiders and heavy on leaders in communities out across America who actually know how this works in the real world and have some skin in this game." JD(S) leader and Mangaluru-based businessman B M Farookh, who filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls on Friday, expressed hope that the Congress will support him in the interest of the minority community. "This is in the larger interest of the minority community. If the Congress plays the same game it did during the Rajya Sabha polls in 2016, then it will be a disaster for them. It should not insult me again by opposing my candidature. The minority representation in the Rajya Sabha is limited. It should allow us (minorities) to grow -- in the name of natural justice and equal opportunities to all. Moreover, the Congress should honour its 'give and take' policy with the JD(S). We have extended support to them in the BBMP and during the Nanjangud and Gundlupet byelections. They should do the same for the JD(S) now," Farookh told DH. Farookh is the younger brother of Congress MLA from Mangalore North B A Mohiuddin Bava. Farookh said that the JD(S) is optimistic that the Congress will extend him support by not fielding the third candidate. "My party leader H D Kumaraswamy has signalled to the Congress to support me. JD(S) MP Kupendra Reddy has been holding discussions with senior leaders at the Delhi level. According to him, everybody has responded positively -- he says that the response is good. Many Muslim intellectuals and ulemas have written to Rahul Gandhi asking him to support my candidature," he added. Farookh said that the Muslim population - the second largest in Karnataka, had already changed its stance towards the Congress after the party's "betrayal" to a minority candidate during the last Rajya Sabha polls. He said that he had agreed to contest again, as JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda was particular of a minority-Kannadiga representation in the Rajya Sabha. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office-bearers got an earful from AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal on Friday for displaying inefficiency, especially at a time when the BJP is carrying out statewide, high-decibel campaigns. Armed with performance reports, Venugopal rued that the office-bearers had failed to carry out assigned tasks in each Assembly constituency. Further, Venugopal is learnt to have pointed out that the party's organisation was weak across all the 28 Assembly segments in Bengaluru. "The door-to-door 'Mane Manege Congress' outreach was an excellent organisational exercise, but it was not carried out properly in many constituencies," Venugopal said during a meeting with office-bearers representing all the 224 Assembly segments. "I have all the reports and I know who is performing to what extent. I get reports every 15 days," he warned them. Party workers were pulled up for not countering charges made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. "They come here, speak lies and go. You should tell citizens at the booth-level what our government has achieved. You have to be careful and cautious," Venugopal said. Two new campaigns To counter the BJP's Bengaluru Rakshisi padayatra, the Congress has decided to launch a 'Namma Bengaluru, Namma Hemme' campaign, whose details are being worked out. As part of this, the Congress will also come out with a charge sheet to showcase the misrule of Bengaluru during the previous BJP regime. The campaign will also highlight the Congress government's contribution to the growth of Bengaluru. Similarly, 'Mane Manege' padayatras will be carried out in all the 224 Assembly segments from the first week of April till 23rd. "We have looked into details of every constituency to work out a strategy to win," KPCC president G Parameshwara said. 'Quit or get thrown out' The office-bearers who are ticket aspirants must immediately resign and make way for others, Parameshwara ordered. "If you continue as an office-bearer while being an aspirant, you cannot effectively carry out constituency-related works. If you don't quit, get thrown out," Parameshwara warned, adding that the office-bearers who bunked Congress president Rahul Gandhi's north Karnataka tour will face action. The Centre on Friday asked Cauvery basin states to submit their suggestions on structure and functions of the proposed mechanism to implement the Supreme Court order on allocation of water. At a meeting convened by Union Water Resources secretary U P Singh to discuss the setting up of the body, the Centre asked the states to submit their recommendation on the body's duties and responsibilities. The meeting was attended by chief secretaries of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, The Supreme Court, while pronouncing its verdict on Cauvery water sharing dispute on February 16, has said a "scheme'' should be in place within six weeks to monitor the release of water as per its order. Though the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) suggested the setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to monitor the release of water, the Apex Court did not used CMB instead just said a scheme. In the meeting all the states, including Karnataka, favoured for setting up the scheme. However, all the states were of the view that the physical assets (dams and other structures on the river) would continue to be with the respective states, while the regulation, water release and supervision aspects would be dealt with by the scheme, said an official in the Ministry of Water Resources. All of them also said the proposed scheme should protect the interest of farmers of their respective states. "The meeting was convened to take the views from the states on formulating the scheme, its exact shape, composition, roles and responsibilities of the body that will be set up under it," Singh told DH after the meeting. Though states have given their views orally, they were told to file written submission if they wanted, he said. Asked whether the composition of the scheme would be on the line of what the CWDT had recommended, Singh said it was a matter of interpretation. The Supreme Court has (in its order) not used the words Cauvery Management Board, it is basically saying a 'scheme'. It (the scheme) could be exactly what the tribunal had said and all the states have their representation in the body, Singh said. He said the meeting also discussed if an official, senior than the rank of a chief engineer, should be appointed as the chairman of the sche- me for its better implementation. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Karnataka Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha said the unanimous decision taken at the meeting was that there should be a scheme. She also said that Karnataka is expected to send its recommendations with regard to the scheme by Monday or Tuesday. A Karnataka Legislative Council committee has recommended action against the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) officials who "illegally" allotted land near Hubballi airport to different entities. The Assurance Committee, which submitted its report to the Council secretariat on Friday, said that around 707 acres of land had been acquired for the Hubballi airport, as against 587 acres. The KIADB, instead of returning the excess land to the owners, allotted 43 acres to Infosys, 12 acres to Deshpande Foundation and 2 acres to Ananth Residency. "This is against the law. The KIADB should have returned the land to the owners as per the law," the committee chairman Basavaraj Horatti told reporters. The nine-member committee has probed several assurances made by the government on misappropriation of funds for the year 2016-17. The committee has held 74 meetings and reviewed 1,379 assurances of 34 departments during this period. "Thousands of crores of rupees has been misused by officials. We have even moved privilege motion against some of them. But until the government initiates strict action, there is no remedy for such corrupt activities," said Horatti. He said that senior officials, including some IAS officers, were involved in corruption. The government had not taken action against the guilty officials, he alleged. The High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the Union and state governments and the national and state minorities commissions to file their statement of objections in a petition related to separate religion tag for the Lingayat faith. A division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the authority of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission to constitute an expert panel on the issue. The bench also refused to stay the proceedings of the state government in this regard. The court adjourned the matter. The police have set up two 'Pink Outposts' in South Bengaluru in a bid to provide more security near women's colleges. The outposts, one near NMKRV College for Women at Jayanagar 3rd Block and the other at BMS College for Women at Basavanagudi, were inaugurated on Thursday. The outposts have been set up to protect college-going girls from eve-teasing, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), South Zone, Srinivas. "These outposts will be equipped with four CCTV cameras and only women police will be deployed. Women who are nearby and if they face any kind of harassment can immediately report to the nearest outpost. They don't have to file a written complaint," said S D Sharanappa, DCP, South. So far, no incidents have been reported, Sharanappa added. The police also have plans to set up similar outposts near other women's colleges, like Mount Carmel College at Vasanth Nagar and Jyothi Nivas College at Koramangala. Of late, there has been an increase in instances where men have been caught flashing and even masturbating in front of women's colleges. Though Pink Hoysalas are deployed in most parts of the city, this will add in tightening security, said Srinivas. Welcoming the move, Vibha V, an alumnus of NMKRV College, said, "This will make it easier for girls to reach out for help. This will help in holding the perpetrators accountable immediately." Namma Metro employees have stuck to their decision to go on strike on March 22 unless the management decides to talk to them about their long-standing grievances. They rejected the ESMA threat by stating that the move will only lead to contempt of court. Accompanied by their legal adviser D Leelakrishnan, members of the Bangalore Metro Railway Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) Employees Union held a press conference on Friday and said the management's "high-handed attitude" has forced them to go to the media. About 150 employees gathered near the Press Club of Bengaluru and shared their grievances with reporters. Leelakrishnan, who is also the executive general secretary of INTUC, said BMRCL has time and again tried to suppress the employees by serving disciplinary notices. "There have been numerous violations of rules which have gone unquestioned. They have now sought exemption from Industrial Establishments Act to escape responsibility for their actions," he said. Suryanarayana Murthy, vice president of the union, said BMRCL has not notified service rules though Metro has been operating for nearly 10 years. "They have also failed to follow the rules of recruitment by taking in senior and retired officials from other organisations. So we have a situation where a finance manager has been made the head of human resource department," he said. Employees said those working on contract have been given more than one promotion in five years while those who joined BMRCL by writing competitive exams have been sidelined. "In all these years, the grievance redressal committee met us only once and gave us nothing. The committee itself comprises management officials and doesn't have an employee. We have approached the management nearly 40 times but were given no hearing," they said. DH News Service Can metro invoke ESMA? BMRCL on Thursday said it will invoke Essential Services Management Act (ESMA) to thwart a strike proposed by the employees. However, the employees released a copy of an interim order passed by the High Court of Karnataka on November 7, 2017, to point out that such a move would amount to contempt of court. Taking on record that only Parliament has the power to make laws regarding Metro services as BMRCL is governed by the provisions of two Central Acts, the court had provided for an interim stay on the ESMA notification issued by the Urban Development Department last July. The National Human Rights Commission on Friday issued a notice to the IG (Prisons), Karnataka, seeking a detailed report on the recent suicide of a convict in the Bengaluru Central Prison, within six weeks. The rights body took suo motu cognizance of a media report about the suicide of 38-year-old convict M Jaishankar inside the prison. "The commission has also noted that the state authorities have not informed it within 24 hours of the death in judicial custody, as per its guidelines. Therefore, it has also sought an explanation from the IG (Prisons), Karnataka for not adhering to this guidelines," said the statement. "It has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, amount to negligence on the part of jail officials, which is a matter of serious concern," the statement said. The Karnataka High Court on Friday took exception to the contents of the discharge summary of Vidwath L, the victim in the Bengaluru pub attack case. Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar was hearing the bail petition filed by Mohammed Nalapad, son of Congress MLA N A Haris. Mohammed and six of his associates brutally assaulted Vidwath at Farzi Cafe on February 17. The senior advocate representing Mohammed, C V Nagesh, submitted the discharge summary which stated that "there were no untoward incidents during Vidwath's stay at the hospital". Justice Kumar orally observed that a discharge summary "does not" incorporate such statements by a doctor. Responding to this, the senior advocate asked the court to ignore the summary. Nagesh also submitted medical records which state that Vidwath had not sustained grievous injuries but had only suffered a nasal fracture and fracture of the ribs. He argued that it was just a "drunken brawl" and Mohammed and his aides had no intention of killing Vidwath. The medical records and summary are signed by Dr Anand, a consultant plastic surgeon at the Mallya Hospital. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) M S Shyamsunder dismissed the medical reports and the discharge summary, saying that they were fabricated. The SPP said: "It remains a mystery as to how the petitioner's counsel obtained the medical progress records which were not even provided to the patient as it is confidential in a medico-legal case." Shyamsunder also brought to the court's notice how Haris had posted the discharge summary on his Facebook page in a bid to prove his son's innocence. The SPP submitted that the police have issued a notice to Dr Anand, who is said to be the brother of a close aide of Haris. During the arguments, the SPP relied heavily on the video footage that shows the brutality Mohammed and his associates meted out to Vidwath at the cafe. He also produced the video footage of Mohammed and his gang assaulting Vidwath's brother at the Mallya Hospital. The SPP stated that had it not been for the video footage, the case would surely have weakened. The CCTV footage was submitted in a closed envelope and Justice Kumar said he would watch it in his chamber. The court then adjourned the matter for Monday. High Caliber Bumerang: Why Russia Needs Wheeled Tanks (Source: Sputnik News; posted March 08, 2018) The K-17 "Bumerang" infantry fighting vehicle seen here during the Third International Military-Technical Forum Army 2017 held in the Moscow Region. (Sputnik photo) Russia is developing its first ever wheeled tank which could be ideal both for counterterrorism operations and conventional warfare. RIA Novosti military observer Andrei Kots took a closer look at the new fighting vehicles strong points compared to its tracked counterparts. The wheeled tank built around the Bumerang future armored platform will combine the reliability of an armored vehicle, the versatility of an armored personnel carrier and the firepower of a full-fledged tank. Wheeled tanks are a family of armored fighting vehicles equipped with a tank cannon installed in a fully-rotating turret. Even though less protected than their heavy tracked counterparts, wheeled tanks leave them far behind when it comes to speed, maneuverability and endurance. The K-17 'Bumerang' infantry fighting vehicle is seen here during a show of modern and prospective weaponry at the Army 2017 International Military-Technical Forum, Moscow Region. While a main battle tank breaks down after 10,000 kilometers, a wheeled tank will do so only after 100,000 kilometers. Great endurance, reliability and impressive firepower make it ideal for combat operations on the flanks, in reconnaissance missions, patrols and combat security operations, Viktor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of Russian defense magazine Arsenal of the Fatherland, said in an interview with Russian TV channel Zvezda. High Caliber Murakhovsky added that the new armored vehicle would likely be equipped with a 125mm smoothbore gun the same as that used on the Sprut-SDM self-propelled tank destroyer. This, in Murakhovsky's view, would give Russia a "wheeled tank which has no equivalent in the world." Wheeled tanks, such as the M1128 MGS Strykers, French AMX-10RC, Japanese MCVs and Italian Centauros, are currently in service in a number of NATO countries, and also in Asia. In early 2010, the Russian Defense Ministry was in talks with Italy to buy a number of Centauro wheeled tanks. Several such units were brought to Russia for testing, but the Centauros proved less reliable than expected. A wheeled tank is just one of a whole family of armored vehicles based on the Bumerang platform. The Bumerang APC was unveiled to the public during the 2015 Victory Day parade in Moscow. Plans are also apace to build an armored fighting vehicle, a reconnaissance vehicle and a number of other modifications based on the Bumerang armored platform. According to the developers, the armored vehicles will have highway endurance of around 800 kilometers (500 miles) and a maximum speed of about 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour). The new vehicles will also be better protected than their wheeled predecessors with the Bumerangs featuring variable-armor thickness depending on a concrete mission. The developers say that in the heaviest armor configuration, the Bumerang will be able to withstand a direct artillery hit. -ends- The demand for health care occupations will grow 19 percent in the U.S. thru 2024, much faster than the average of all occupations in the country. That means 2.3 million new healthcare jobs and with 33 percent of employment in Chattanooga in the healthcare field that will mean good jobs for graduates of Hamilton County Schools. Future Ready Institutes designed to help prepare graduates for success in growing career fields of the future are coming to high schools in Hamilton County Schools in the fall. To prepare graduates to fill available healthcare jobs in the area, Erlanger Health System has signed-on with the Future Ready Institutes to offer the Erlanger Institute for Healthcare and Innovation at The Howard School beginning in August. Like all Future Ready Institutes, the program will be open to all students in Hamilton County Schools. The Erlanger Institute will offer programs in Diagnostic Services and Therapeutic Nursing Services and will begin with rising ninth-graders. Erlanger is the seventh largest public hospital in the United States with more than 7,000 full-time employees in the Chattanooga region. The Erlanger Health System includes five hospitals based in Chattanooga. Erlanger Chief Nursing Executive Jan Keys and hospital educators are looking forward to this innovative training opportunity for students at The Howard High School. This program is a win-win for both of us," Dr,. Keys said. It enables us to touch and train future members of our workforce by introducing them to a wide variety of healthcare career opportunities. As the regions only academic teaching facility, Dr. Keys noted that Erlanger had committed a full-time employee to oversee this Future Ready program, which will include training in the hospitals simulation lab and job shadowing. Through extensive education and training, we can expose these students to a variety of healthcare career paths, from medical lab technicians and coders to certified nurse assistants and phlebotomists - well before they graduate from high school. Officials said the Diagnostic Services pathway will prepare students for careers in radiology, medical laboratory, optometry, sonography and other patient diagnostic procedures. Medical lab technician jobs will grow 33 percent thru 2024 and add 2,200 new positions in Tennessee. Medical and clinical lab technologists will grow by 17.4 percent with 5,270 new positions. The median salary for these positions ranges from $39K to $61K. Graduates completing the program will exit having earned early post-secondary college experience, and the possibility of industry-recognized credentials. The Therapeutic Nursing Services pathway will offer graduates the potential to gain entry-level employment in the medical profession as patient care technicians, nursing assistants, and certified clinical medical assistants. Successful graduates may also elect to pursue more training and will enter post-secondary institutions with early college experience and the opportunity to earn the industry-recognized CCMA credential. The projected growth for Medical assistant jobs is 33 percent, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses (LPN/LVN) by 28 percent thru 2024. The median salary for these careers ranges from $32K to $68K. Erlanger has been a teaching hospital since 1915 and serves as the regions only academic teaching hospital. In 1974, the program affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine - Chattanooga Campus. The Erlanger Institute for Healthcare and Innovation at The Howard School will expose participants to higher-level medical courses, college preparedness courses, leadership development opportunities, professional seminars and clinical internships. Participants will have the opportunity to apply for paid summer work experience between junior and senior year and work-based learning experiences with Erlanger during the senior year. Graduates completing the program will have a competitive advantage entering healthcare careers and higher education programs. It is vital that graduates of Hamilton County Schools are post-secondary ready and prepared to succeed in college or a career, said Dr. Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. The Future Ready Institutes, through partnerships with community leaders like Erlanger Health System, are the dawning of a new day filled with opportunity and possibilities for our graduates and their families. A news conference scheduled for Thursday, March 15, at 10 a.m. at The Howard School will reveal all of the Future Ready Institutes planned for the fall and the schools that will host each career program. Major community partners working with Hamilton County Schools in the implementation of Future Ready Institutes and local political leaders will participate in the announcement that will significantly impact the college and career readiness of future graduates. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Can India rise amid growing US-China rivalry? India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) held its annual event IESA Vision Summit at the Leela Palace in India's high-tech center Bengaluru at the end of February. Taking place at the Leela Palace - one of India's best hotels featuring Indo-Islamic architectural grandeur, the event gave participants a striking impression of Indian businesses' real determination to take action in response mainly to the rise of China's semiconductor industry. India's trade deficit with China widened to US$46.7 in the fiscal year 2017, half of which was due to electronics imports from China to India. Hoardings and billboards featuring Oppo and Vivo phones are everywhere in India. Xiaomi also dominates online channels. Price-conscious Indian consumers are scrambling for electronics made in China. To turn the table around, India has planned to raise the import duty on electronics starting in April 2018 and institute several large-scale development projects for critical components. According to industry sources, the Indian government has engaged in a 10-year collaboration program with Korea's LG Display (LGD) with respect to developments of display panels, wherein LGD will oversee production yield and the participating Indian company will be in charge of sales operations. The 10-year long commitment includes a transfer of LGD's technology to the participating Indian company. The next target will be semiconductor technology. With a positive outlook on the future of India's industries, SEMI president Ajit Monocha, Synopsys president Chi-Foon Chan, former Tokyo Electron chairman Tetsuro Higashi and Applied Materials CTO Omkaram Nalamasu all attended IESA Vision Summit 2018 and gave talks on the role India can play amid upcoming changes in the industries. However, during the two-day event taking place in India's high-tech capital, the hottest topic was in fact the rise of China, which has put India on guard and also spurred a new wave of developments as India does not want to be left out of the high-tech boom. Attractive market opportunities in India India's GDP is expected to reach US$5 trillion by 2025, making the country the world's fifth largest economy. The average age of the Indian population will be 29 years in 2020. The young country with a large number of digital natives surpassing most other countries holds tremendous opportunities that world-leading enterprises are all closely watching. Market research statistics show that the Indian electronics sector will reach US$130 billion in 2018. The smartphone segment with a CAGR of 25% has become a growth driver propelling the Indian electronics industry forward. According to the Indian newspaper Hindu News, Airtel joined forces with Google to introduce the world's first low-cost 4G phone based on Android Oreo, which works best on budget phones with less than 1GB RAM. The phone will be pre-installed with a few apps capable of running efficiently under the condition of low data transfer volume. The 4G smartphone named Mera Pehla is designed for entry-level and potential users. Furthermore, India's own Lava and Micromax also have plans to launch new Android Oreo-based phones with similar design concepts. The pre-installed apps will include Airtel TV and Wynk Music. These phones come with price tags that Indians call "budget-friendly." Such exciting offers set off a market boom, which could usher in a golden era for the Indian electronics industry within the next few years. Is India's golden age finally here? IESA Vision Summit 2018 gathered prominent industry leaders, including not only Synopsys president Chi-Foon Chan and former Tokyo Electron chairman Tetsuro Higashi but also Indian semiconductor experts holding influential positions in international companies. This shows Indian professionals have widespread involvement in the semiconductor business. According to Chan, the Indian semiconductor industry took its first step when Texas Instrument (TI) established its Indian subsidiary in 1985. Its engineering workforce has grown from 500 in the beginning to 15,000 today. Among semiconductor companies with offices in India, Intel set up operation in 1988, Synopsys in 1995, Qualcomm in 1996 and Xilinx, ARM, AMD, STM, NXP as well as MediaTek in recent years. India now has a total of 180 semiconductor companies. Synopsys India has a staff of 2,500 people, only second to the Synopsys US headquarters. Chan spoke highly of his company's operation in India. At least 2,000 chips are being designed by engineers working in R&D centers in India every year. Worldwide semiconductor revenues exceeded the US$400 billion milestone for the first time in the industry's history in 2017. The growth of more than 20% annually is also unprecedented in recent years. Chan thinks this has been mainly down to burgeoning applications, including PCs and handsets in the past as well as IoV at present. There is also a worldwide frenzy over innovative combinations of IoT and AI, which holds soaring market opportunities. With semiconductor being fundamental to all industries, governments around the world are more aggressively intervening in market developments than before. Merger and acquisition deals between chip makers totaled US$100 billion in 2015 and further rose to US$114 billion in 2016. But the amount suddenly dropped to US$49 billion in 2017. In the meantime, China, Korea and Taiwan are also ramping up investments in the semiconductor market. How can India remain uninterested? Among Synopsys' revenue generated in India, 90% is from international companies and only 10% from local IC design houses. According to IESA statistics, although India has 15,000 IC design engineers, most of them work for multinational firms. The local Indian IC design industry produces an annual value less than US$50 million. India is still in search of an elementary approach to fostering its own chip design business. India wary of the rise of China SEMI president Monocha commented that the Indian semiconductor industry has been taking two steps forward and three steps back but enjoyed a soaring 22% growth in 2017. Could this mean the Indian semiconductor industry has crossed a new milestone? "How can there be software without hardware?" said Monocha, who left his native country 44 years ago but stays true to his Indian roots. When he sees the Indian market is flooded with electronic goods from China, he calls on the Indian government to strengthen its commitment and engagement because without government support, India stands little chance in the semiconductor competition. Twinstar is the collaborating Indian company in the LGD project. According to a Twinstar executive who took part in the partnership talks, although the deal came into existence mainly because LGD would provide assistance on materials and equipment, the agreement to work together in technological developments was in fact the reason why India decided to fully invest into the display panel business. It is said that LGD has committed to a complete technology transfer within 10 years and will provide training for Indian engineers at its Paju plant. LGD is well aware that it will be at a disadvantage against China-based rivals such as BOE if it is unable to tap into the Indian market. According to the Twinstar executive, who asked to remain anonymous, the training program will take three years and the two parties have agreed that Twinstar will be in charge of product sales while LGD will ensure production yield so that Twinstar will have plenty of room to maneuver against China-based manufacturers. We can learn from the South China Sea disputes that when China makes a strong presence in the semiconductor and display sectors, third-world countries will be on their guard and attempt to form a strategic alliance against China. Such tension will give India a spot on the world stage. But India will be able to get help from Taiwan, Japan and Korea only if it can leverage its demographic advantages, provide infrastructure for industry developments and work with veteran industrialized countries in Asia. When China announced the plan to fuel US$250 billion into its semiconductor industry, what were Americans thinking? Where did India stand? Monocha pointed out that SEMICON China 2017 attracted 70,000 visitors, a lot more than the 45,000 attendees at the second-largest event SEMICON Korea. The US PCAST is closely watching China's growing influence and has issued a report to recommend countermeasures. For India to quickly catch up with China, it is important that the Indian government has a strong ambition. The central and local governments have to work together efficiently in order to bring fundamental changes. Furthermore, India needs partners. "Stop talking" - that is what Monocha suggests his home country should do. He wrapped up his speech by stressing that the future is in the hands of the Indian people. However, although China's expansion has fired up India, China, having made a major head start, will not be the lazy hare racing the tortoise. India should make all efforts to avoid losing the race. SEMI president Ajit Monocha Synopsys president Chi-Foon Chan Former Tokyo Electron chairman Tetsuro Higashi Photos: IESA Subscriber content preview People with higher-paying jobs are abandoning smaller cities leaving fewer people to start new companies or serve existing businesses. By JOSH BOAK AP Economics Writer ERIE, Pa. With the abandoned smokestacks off the bay and ramshackle factories along 12th Street, it's easy to pin the blame for this industrial city's plight on the loss of manufacturing jobs to China and Mexico. Many, including President Donald Trump, hold the belief that shuttered factories are what primarily ails Erie and other aging blue-collar company towns. . . . I moved to Chattanooga in 2008 and have gradually been involved in our community, both personally and professionally. My professional work and some of my passions have exposed me to the inner workings of our state and national government at a very high level. I have had the privilege of working closely with Senator Corker and his staff. They have been pleasant to work with and have always been accessible and willing to help. They have exercised traits of what public service should be and look like - honesty and integrity. They have served our community, state and nation with dignity. Senator Corkers hard work, leadership and impact will be felt for years to come. Our sincere gratitude for his service and dedication to Chattanooga, our state and our country. Hodgen Mainda Chattanooga Subscriber content preview By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer DALLAS Europe never seems to lose its appeal to American travelers, and the growth of discount airlines and alternatives to expensive hotels make visiting the Old World a bit more affordable. Whether a first-time visitor or making your first trip in many years, travel experts say there are ways you can get to Europe for less and make your money go further once you're there. . . . Subscriber content preview MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexican officials said late Wednesday that the Caribbean resort city of Playa del Carmen is safe, despite a U.S. security alert. The government of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said that President Enrique Pena Nieto attended an ocean conservation conference in Playa del Carmen on Thursday. . . . Subscriber content preview Photo by Coughlin Porter Lundeen [enlarge] The Chloe was developed in 2009 at 14th and East Union by Barrientos for a group that included Costcos Jim Sinegal. The Chloe Apartments, at 1408 E. Union St., have sold for $53.6 million, according to King County records. The seller was 14th & Union LLC, which acquired the land in 2006 for $6 million and developed it. . . . Subscriber content preview Matt Griffin of Pine Street Group said hes hoping to start construction by the end of June on the $1.6 billion Washington State Convention Center expansion adding 1.4 million square feet, and roughly doubling the amount of exhibition space. Speaking at a Downtown Seattle Association breakfast event on Friday, Griffin said starting in June will require clearing a few administrative hurdles. Griffin said he expects to have his first meeting with the Seattle City Council transportation committee on April 3, followed by a committee vote as soon as May 1. . . . A Tennessee state trooper on Tuesday shot a man who pulled a gun on him after a traffic chase, the patrol said. Trooper Tyler Oliphant of the Tennessee Highway Patrol was running radar in the median on I-65 in Robertson County on Tuesday. Trooper Oliphant witnessed an SUV traveling at a high rate of speed northbound, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The SUV exited the interstate at exit 112, ran a stop sign, and made a sharp left turn onto Highway 25. The SUV struck a tractor trailer and went down an embankment where it came to rest. When Trooper Oliphant arrived, the driver, identified as Montreal Lamont Batey, exited the vehicle and pulled a gun on Trooper Oliphant. Trooper Oliphant fired his gun striking Batey. Batey was flown to a Nashville hospital for medical treatment. Trooper Oliphant was not hurt. A firearm was recovered near Bateys vehicle. Trooper Oliphant joined the THP as a road trooper in June 2017. The investigation, which is still active, is being conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Doctors in Quebec feel overpaid, demand less pay! In an altruistic move, hundreds of physicians in Quebec are voicing opposition to a recent hike in their pay. They're saying they already earn more than enough - and they would prefer the money go to alleviate conditions for patients and overworked nurses. More than 750 doctors, residents and medical students from the Canadian province signed an online petition that requests their recently-agreed raises be cancelled, noting that drastic cuts by the government left some citizens without access to necessary medical services. The move follows an eight-year, retroactive deal struck in February between a federation of doctors and the government that would see about 20,000 of the province's medical specialists and general practitioners receive an annual salary increase ranging from about 1.4 per cent to 1.8 per cent a year. That would mean that the province, which subsidises the bulk of doctors' salaries, would be liable for an additional C$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) by 2023. According to the unions representing Quebec doctors, who pushed for the deal with the province, it is a fair agreement. But not all physicians agree over 750 doctors, both GPs and specialists, have signed a petition from Medecins Quebecois Pour le Regime Public saying they do not want the rise, and they would rather have the extra money go towards patient care and services. The group represents doctors in the province who strongly support public access to healthcare. "We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations," the petition, written in French, said. "These conditions are all the more shocking because our nurses, clerks and other professionals face very difficult working conditions. "We are asking that the salary increases granted to physicians be cancelled and that the resources of the system be better distributed for the good of the healthcare workers and to provide health services worthy to the people of Quebec," the letter posted on 26 February states. The petition urged that the money that would have gone to fatten their pay checks instead be redistributed "to promote the heath of the population and meet the needs of patients without pushing workers to the end". The petition comes after a nurses union in the province called on the government to address a shortage in their ranks by improving their working conditions. The scenario was illustrated in a Facebook post by a teary-eyed Quebec nurse, which went viral. She wrote after a night shift at which she'd been the sole nurse to look after more than 70 patients: "I am broken by my profession, I am ashamed of the poverty of the care that I provide.'' In Canada, healthcare is public and run by the provinces, not the federal government, which means that salaries can vary quite a lot from province to province. The average salary for a physician nationwide was $339,000, according to the most recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. In Ontario, Canada's largest province, the average specialist made C$403,500; in Quebec, they made C$367,000. Family physicians in Quebec made C$255,000, while in Ontario they made C$311,000. On Wednesday, an independent report commissioned by Quebec's Health and Welfare Commissioner found that physician salaries had doubled between 2005-15, while the hours doctors spent with patients declined. Both the report and the nursing crisis have left many doctors in the province with a feeling of "shame" for their salaries, says Dr Isabelle Leblanc, president of Medecins Quebecois Pour le Regime Public, which published the letter. This sentiment has struck a chord with people across Canada and abroad. The letter was described as "utterly Canadian" by Washington Post reporter Amy B Wang. In Kenya, the doctors' letter was greeted with shock, especially since last year Kenyan doctors went on a three-month strike for higher wages. "It is almost unheard of that a worker would complain of a high salary from their employer," wrote an article in the Kenya paper The Standard. Chattanooga CARESs 23rd Annual Strides of March is set for Saturday, March 24, at Renaissance Park. The event will kick-off at noon."The first Strides of March was held on March 24, 1996. At that time, Chattanooga and the world was facing a new and unknown virus. Through medical advancements and the hard work of advocates, much has changed. This year the focus of the event is to celebrate how far we have come in the battle against HIV."The afternoon celebration will be filled with live music from Priscilla & Little RicKee.Heaven & Ale will be providing some of their amazing ales, and Chatterbox Cafe will be cooking up some of this areas best barbeque," officials said.Strides of March has long been a staple of our organization, said Shannon Stephenson, Chattanooga CARESs CEO. Its a chance for our community to come together in support of those impacted by HIV. Security Colony was one of six cybersecurity companies selected by Austrade & AustCyber to take part in the Federal Governments Landing Pad program in San Francisco. In this exclusive series for Dynamic Business, Nick Ellsmore, co-founder of Security Colony shares his journey as he builds his second business (the first sold to BAE Systems) and introduces an Australian-built cybersecurity solution into the global market against the backdrop of the Californian startup and investment scene. Diary Entry Three My first weekend in San Francisco was spent wandering the streets, trying to understand this puzzling town. From where Im currently living, in the slightly dodgy part of the Mission District, at 24th Street and East of Mission, where in my first 10 days Ive seen the Police cordon off part of the street twice, I walked through to the glamorous corridor of Valencia Street, then back through the Mission lower down at about 18th, past a car accident and pedestrian lying broken in the middle of the road at 16th, and on into SOMA. It was during this walk that I finally put my finger on what was so strange, yet so familiar, about this place. East of Mission Street, the Mission seems best summed up by my two experiences in corner stores, each of which attempted to rip me off for a single dollar through sleights of hand that would make grifters in any third world country proud. A paying customer, sober, in the mid-afternoon, and yet clearly the feeling was that the greatest return on investment that could be had from my custom, was to sneak away a dollar of change. Was it a function of the fact the guy behind the counter is paid minimum wage and needs to feed his family? Was it that I clearly didnt look like I belonged in the neighbourhood so my customer lifetime value seemed likely limited to that one single transaction? I dont know, but it baffled me. That it happened a second time at a different store later that same week, turned what was otherwise one bad egg into a systemic cultural phenomenon. Every man for themselves and short-termism. Our office is based in the Financial District, on Montgomery Street. I needed a monitor, and asked the concierge of our Co-working facility where the closest Target, Best Buy, or whatever-shop-sold-monitors, was. After a puzzled look, and conversing with her co-workers, the answer was simple, and in hindsight, predictable. Nobody buys monitors like that. Use Amazon. It has a better range, it will get here really fast, and if you actually walked the few blocks to buy a monitor somewhere, and then tried to walk back, there was a reasonable chance you would be mugged and it would be stolen. Im not exaggerating that: that was the actual advice and reasoning given. As a result, society is almost entirely intermediated. Even in Australia weve all experienced it at some level sitting in an Uber, trying to change destination and being told to enter the updated address into the App, so that the App can talk to the Server, the Server can talk to the Drivers App and then the Driver will be able to help you get to that location. You cant just tell the Driver; it doesnt work that way. Before coming to San Francisco I was told that in this city, more than any other, walk two blocks and the city can completely change. I heard those words, but didnt quite appreciate it until walking the two blocks from Mission Street to Valencia Street. Where East of Mission is grungy Taquerias, broken laundromats, hipster bookshops with acid jazz recitals, apparent crime and homelessness, Valencia Street is high-end restaurants, art galleries, and well-dressed white people walking their well dressed white dogs. It was on Valencia Street that I had my epiphany. It was brought on by seeing an immaculately dressed young lady with a coffee in one hand and mobile phone in the other, riding a Segway One down the sidewalk. For those who havent seen one and I certainly hadnt the Segway One is basically an electric self-balancing unicycle. The rider stands with one foot on either side of the wheel and through leaning can start, stop, and steer. It was straight out of Blade Runner, and that was when I understood where I was, and why it felt so oddly familiar. This was the future. The mildly dystopian future that so many movies from my youth predicted, where massive inequality moves in lockstep with technological advances, ultimately splitting the world into the dirty, petty crime-ridden East of Mission and the glamorous, Segway riding, Freemason-meeting hosting Valencia Streets of the world. Related: Startup stories from San Fran: diary entry one and Startup stories from San Fran: diary entry two shifting from very interesting to very useful About the author Bryan Johnson, the superintendent of Hamilton Countys public school system, said Thursday night that in a recent informal poll of the systems teachers, a full 70 percent were opposed to the idea of arming certain staff and faculty in an effort to deter mass shooting. He also added that he, speaking as Bryan Johnson instead of the superintendent, was opposed to the idea as well. School safety overshadowed all else, this after 16 students and one teacher were killed in a tragedy in Parkland, Fla., last month. In a School Board work session that was scheduled to discuss next years budget it was virtually ignored.School safety overshadowed all else, this after 16 students and one teacher were killed in a tragedy in Parkland, Fla., last month. Assistant superintendent Christie Jordan said she had no idea how much money would be allocated from the state for school safety. Early indications are federal and state money will be used to upgrade protection in the coming month but to what degree has not been determined. Governor Bill Haslam has a committee currently studying the matter. Hamilton County has already taken some emergency measures that include a Raptor Identification system for $113,000 after school board chairman Steve Highlander made an executive decision to have a device installed at all 75 public schools by the middle of next month. At some schools the machine is already operational. HCDE was already in the process of installed 4,800 telephones in every classroom and updating security cameras. Rhonda Thurman, board member, insisted an important conversation must begin on whether to allow safe guns in schools, noting that in the Stonybrook shooting a child died every 17 seconds. She also claimed that 98 percent of mass shootings have occurred in gun-free zones. Supt. Johnson said, At one time the safest places where churches and schools, but now it seems just the opposite. Ms. Thurman made a strong opening argument to include safe guns but most of the rest of the nine-person panel did not go along. David Testerman noted school shootings are a national problem and urged HCDE to stay in the forefront. He said he is hesitant to make any decisions with President Trump calling for guns in the schools, a state committee studying what to suggest, and the next county School Board meeting not for two more weeks. Some 113 HCDE employees including nine administrators -- have indicated they will retire at the end of this school year, their decision bolstered by a bonus program. Officials said a new tobacco policy will ticket any students who smoke. This includes all forms of smokeless tobacco and vapor smoking. It was also announced that by FY2020-21 the HCDE will move to a zero base style of accounting. Five of the School Boards nine seats will be available in the August election. Chairman Steve Highlander in District 9 and Joe Smith in District 3 have not been challenged thus far. But of those who have picked up petitions from the Hamilton County Election Commission, Karitsa Mosely will be joined in the race for the District 5 chair by Ann Jones Pierre while longtime member Testerman will face Tucker McClendon in District 8. Joe Galloway has indicated he will not run for re-election in District 6 where there are three challengers: Michael Henry, Jenny Hill, and James Pope. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Division reported that its Thursday Facebook Fugitive, Priscilla Lynn Abercrombie, has been apprehended and is awaiting booking at the Hamilton County Jail.The details of Ms.Abercrombies capture are not available at this time.In an effort to promote the apprehension of wanted fugitives, the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office Fugitive Division is now promoting a Monday and Thursday Facebook Fugitive.Each Monday and Thursday morning, a new fugitive will be posted to its HCSO Facebook page in order to locate and apprehend fugitives who have been identified as having a high risk of endangering the public.The designation of these individuals will be made through analysis of criminal charges and intelligence.The Monday and Thursday fugitives will complement the already highly successful HCSO Top 12 Most Wanted already in existence.Although available information pertaining to the ongoing search for these individuals can be limited, especially when they are wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation, fugitive detectives are trying to utilize all avenues available to help apprehend these wanted individuals. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. While U.S. policy toward North Korea has failed for decades, it is clear that a series of sanctions recently put in place by Congress and the administration are having a real impact. "As the administration begins to work through the important details of such a meeting, we must continue to apply maximum pressure to the regime in Pyongyang. Skepticism and caution are critical as these discussions continue. A lot of my friends dont know much about their Circadian Rhythms but they will be reminded once again on Monday morning when the malady will occur this weekend. Yes, early Sunday morning we will once again spring forward into Daylight Saving Time. And, brother, my rhythms just hate it. 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. and 3 a.m. And its not just me do you realize there will not be one baby born nor chicken hatched betweenthis Sunday morning? It is a well-established fact that all of us have a body clock that we reset for about once a day. This cycle, according to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, eating habits and digestion, body temperature, and other important bodily functions. Biological clocks that run fast or slow can result in disrupted or abnormal circadian rhythms. Irregular rhythms have been linked to various chronic health conditions. For years weve been blaming losing that hour of sleep during the time change but, no, its more because our rhythms take a jolt. Theres a great habit in changing every battery in the house when the times changes -- whether they need it or not. Unfortunate as it might seem at first, it takes more than a Duracell to reset your rhythms. Hark! Because I have deeper knowledge than a tree full of owls, todays tip is how to quickly fix your Circadian Rhythms and totally escape the Monday blahs. The different time zones in the United States prove our body clocks are entrainable and best of all Its really easy if youll just use your Zeitgeber. Thats the external stimulus used to entrain your rhythm: the Zeitgeber, or "time giver." All you have to do is expose as much of your body to energy on Saturday afternoon to stimulate your Zeitgeber. Energy comes in the form of light and heat. There is no such thing as darkness scientifically dark is actually lack of light. Same for cold in science cold does not exist but lack of heat does. So on Sunday you need to stay active instead of sleepy. Go for a hike, wash your windows, and go to Costco and just look. The more energy you can stir up the harder your Zeitgeber will get. And the owls in my tree say its a hoot doing it. Presto your rhythms will be restored by Monday . Im thinking when the state of Florida Legislature just decided to go on Daylight Saving Time year round, their real reason was the circadian rhythms. Actually Im betting 75 percent of the legislature rightfully believes it just makes sense because not a one of them could spell circadian rhythms. The fact is changing the clocks is foolishness, outdated, and unnecessary. For the record, it took the Florida bill less than a minute to pass but if Governor Rick Scott approves it, the Florida action will still have to go to Congress for what is expected to be a favorable decision. As of now Hawaii and most of Arizona are the only states that have asked to be exempt from the Uniform Time Act of 1966. In the fall, on the first Sunday in November, you gain an hour which isnt as rough on your rhythms. But what about when Laura Cirioli had twins in a North Carolina hospital one Sunday in November? She gave birth to Peter at 1:32 a.m. and, 34 minutes later , to Allison. However, because Daylight Saving Time reverted to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. , Allison was born at 1:06 a.m. Explain that to the Birth Certificate Bureau. There was a move in the Tennessee Legislature last month that would have stopped Tennessee from taking part in daylight savings time. Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, asked the entire state become Eastern Standard Time year round. But in typical Tennessee fashion, Rep. Buddy Hulsey said no way! To squelch Daylight Saving Time would limit the hours he could ride his motorcycle in the summer. So there. Because Rep. Mary Littleton did not attend the subcommittee meeting, the bill died after a 2-2 stalemate. Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah) was one of the co-sponsors of the bill and its an easy gamble Tennessee and a growing number of other states will adapt a same time bill next session, eliminating the clock change forever. For the record, the latest Department of Energy study claims Daylight Saving Time reduces our gross national energy use by just 0.03 percent. On the other hand, the New England Journal of Medicine has convincing proof that disrupted circadian rhythms, insufficient sleep or a combination of both are a major public health problem. Get this: the nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger have been linked to this very thing. Why? When your rhythms get jolted and you lose an hour of sleep, the combination can cause microsleeps, or a momentary lapse of attention that can end in disaster. A Canadian study, published 20 years ago, cited 24,318 sleep-related deaths and 2,474,430 disabling accidents at a cost of $56 billion in 1998 alone. Then again, there are many incidents of collateral damage. In 1997 about 1,000 students at Ohio University went on a rampage, throwing whiskey bottles at the police and chanting, Freedom! Freedom, when Daylight Saving Time closed their watering holes one hour early. Better yet, the next year the crowd had swollen to 2,000 in anticipation of the time change and the police used rubber bullets, the rioters laughing with glee when their buddies would get thumped. The police shift commander then told the cops to switch to their billy clubs, which quickly sent the obeying darlings straight to bed. There has been no more rioting, especially since bars are now allowed to stay open until 4 a.m. You see what a little common sense can do in any situation? Regardless, my rhythms and I need blessed relief. 2021-09-17 Why do we need to take care of our bones? Weve seen our elders shrunk before our eyes. They used to be our same height or even taller but now that theyre older they seem to just shrink? Or did you just grow? We all need strong, healthy bones. AfterContinue Reading UTC Panhellenic issued the following response to the proposed bill on Tennessee Fraternities and Sororities, HB2042: In February, Rep. John DeBerry proposed a bill that would prohibit fraternities and sororities "to associate with, or operate on the campus of, any state institution of higher education." Though we maintain that Greek life is beneficial for students as it promotes service, scholarship, and community, we have met Rep. DeBerrys concerns with an open mind. We recognize that the culture of Greek Life has caused devastating losses around the country in the past year and we, the Panhellenic women of UTC, call for critical change in our Greek community. This is not an empty call to action, and we have started the change we want to see from our community from within. In response to recent events in other states and Rep. DeBerrys bill, we have strengthened our bylaws and put a greater emphasis on accountability. We have enacted the following changes: Reaffirmation in our bylaws that hazing of any sort is unacceptable and has no place within Panhellenic sisterhood. If Panhellenic organizations are found to be responsible for in hazing activities, they will receive harsh sanctions from the University and the Panhellenic Association at UTC. Addition of mandatory bystander intervention education. Seventy percent of each Panhellenic chapter is now required to attend University-sponsored StepUp! programming on bystander intervention every academic year. Prohibition of Panhellenic organizations from having social affiliations with any organizations on disciplinary probation. If UTC organizations are placed on disciplinary probation by the University, no Panhellenic group will participate in social or competitive events with said organization for the duration of their probation. This includes, but is not limited to, mixers, socials, homecoming partnerships, and philanthropy tournaments. We acknowledge the changes we need to make within the Panhellenic community and will continue to reevaluate how we can best protect our sisters for the future. We are one Greek Community and therefore we believe that holding others accountable is our duty as a part of this Community. We, as Panhellenic women, understand the influence we have on other organizations and hope the changes we have made will encourage those who put anyone at risk to change their course of action. We hope these steps encourage other organizations on our campus not just to speak out against sexual assault, alcohol and drug misuse, hazing, and other problems in our Community, but to implement legitimate changes within their policies and hold others accountable for their behavior. The principal goal of the organizations of the Panhellenic Association at UTC is to protect and grow its members. We are committed to this goal. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and hope others will follow our lead. We thank Rep. DeBerry for holding our community accountable and hope that changes, like the ones we have made, will encourage DeBerry and others reconsider their stance on Greek life. Alex Kellon UTC Panhellenic President Jesicca Fusco VP of Judicial Affairs Genevieve Brown VP of Public Relations Mariah Stoermer VP of Recruitment Rachel Duffey VP of Recruitment Counselors Mattie Strozak VP of Records European Cultural Days of the ECB Given the uncertainty around holding large scale public events in the upcoming months, as well as the cancellation of this years Europa Open Air concert, the ECB and Narodowy Bank Polski have decided to postpone the European Cultural Days of the ECB with Poland as the feature country until 2022. About the Cultural Days In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this video of some of the highlights of previous years Cultural Days events. We look forward to seeing you again at our Cultural Days events in 2022. The European Union (EU) has its foundations in shared ideas and values, while also being home to a rich and varied array of cultures, made up of the traditions of the individual countries and regions. The European Cultural Days of the ECB provide an opportunity to celebrate this unity in diversity. Each year, the European Cultural Days of the ECB focus on a different Member State of the European Union. Towards the end of the year Frankfurt am Main becomes the setting for many high-quality artistic performances, ranging from music, dance and theatre to art lectures and exhibitions, literary events and films, as well as events for children. The ECB organises the Cultural Days together with the national central bank of the featured country and with the support of its many partners, who are committed to promoting European arts and culture. A Euro Cyber Resilience Board for pan-European Financial Infrastructures Introductory remarks by Benoit Cure, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the first meeting of the Euro Cyber Resilience Board for pan-European Financial Infrastructures, Frankfurt, 9 March 2018 It is a pleasure to welcome you back to Frankfurt. Our last meeting was in June last year. Today, we will discuss the future course of the high-level cyber resilience forum for pan-European financial market infrastructures, critical service providers and competent authorities. Establishment of the Euro Cyber Resilience Board for pan-European Financial Infrastructures Recent technological advances have enabled cybercriminals to conduct ever more sophisticated, precise and powerful attacks. And nobody is immune to cyber risks, including businesses, financial infrastructures and public administrations. So we should avoid a blame and shame culture and work together. The ECB and the Eurosystem are striving to lead by example. At the ECB, overseers, operators, supervisors and IT security services are working together more closely on cyber issues. Within the Eurosystem, there has been close collaboration on implementing the Eurosystem oversight cyber resilience strategy for financial market infrastructures that we presented at our last meeting, in line with CPMI-IOSCOs guidance on this topic.[1] The Market Infrastructure Board, which is in charge of Eurosystem financial market infrastructures, has also scaled up its activities to ensure the continued cyber resilience of its systems and platforms. Eurosystem initiatives are part of a growing international effort to combat cyber threats. The CPMI-IOSCO guidance is being implemented. In October 2017, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) delivered a stocktake report of relevant regulations and supervisory practices to G20 finance ministers and governors, and G7 ministers and governors published the Fundamental Elements for Effective Assessment of Cybersecurity in the Financial Sector.[2] The FSB will produce a common lexicon of important terms, while the G7 Cyber Expert Group continues to work on third-party risks, cross-sector coordination and threat-led penetration testing, and will make proposals for G7 cross-border cyber crisis simulation exercises. In this context, the Eurosystem aims at coordinating its own activities in the field of cyber risks with that of market participants and other public authorities to succeed in protecting the financial system from cyber threats. I therefore invite you today to become part of the Euro Cyber Resilience Board (ECRB) for pan-European Financial Infrastructures a regular forum where we can work together in a trusted environment. The ECRBs objective is to enhance the cyber resilience of financial market infrastructures and their critical service providers, as well as that of the wider EU financial sector, in line with international standards. This will be achieved by fostering trust and collaboration and facilitating joint initiatives whether among market players or between market players and authorities. The ECRB will thus contribute to the overall stability of the EU financial system. The ECRB will have no formal powers to impose binding measures and will not make supervisory judgements. Its legitimacy will stem from the voluntary commitment of its members to abide by its common positions, statements and strategic views. The ECRB will be chaired by the ECB, which will be closely involved together with national central banks and observers from the relevant European public authorities. This will ensure that the ECRB acts in the interest of Europe as a whole. Its common positions, statements and strategic views will be adopted by consensus. To kick off the work of the ECRB, we would like to reflect with you on possible work items which we could address collectively. As part of this, we will also report on two of our most recent activities. First, a cyber resilience survey, developed under the Eurosystem oversight cyber resilience strategy, was conducted across more than 75 payment systems, central securities depositories and central counterparties throughout Europe. As you will see, the survey highlighted a number of very pertinent issues for discussion, such as cyber governance, training and awareness, and cyber incident response. Second, the Eurosystem is currently finalising the main elements of the European Threat Intelligence-Based Ethical Red-Teaming (TIBER-EU) Framework. This is an interesting concept which we hope will raise the level of cyber resilience in Europe and enable cross-border, cross-authority testing, which has not been done before. We look forward to hearing your feedback on these two initiatives. We will also update you on the forthcoming market-wide exercise, which will explore the challenges of a specific cyber scenario and see how we can work closer together in times of crisis. I am confident that we will have a fruitful discussion. I will now hand over to my colleague Sabine Lautenschlager, who will make some introductory remarks from the supervisory perspective. After that, I would like to invite the European Commission representative to briefly introduce the very recently published FinTech Action plan, which presents some interesting points to be considered with regard to the cyber resilience of the financial sector. Thank you. Cyber resilience objectives and tools Speech by Sabine Lautenschlager, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB and Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, at the first meeting of the Euro Cyber Resilience Board for pan-European Financial Infrastructures, Frankfurt am Main, 9 March 2018 In 1903, the Italian inventor Marconi demonstrated his new invention, a wireless telegraph, to a large audience. It didnt go too well for him, though. The machine itself did work in the sense that it transmitted a message. However, it was not the message the audience or Marconi had expected. The word rats was being sent again and again. The system had been hacked. The culprit in this case was Nevil Maskelyne, a magician. Allegedly, he had been hired by a British wired-telegraph company which was worried that Marconis invention might ruin its business. Technology has advanced a lot since 1903. And it has created a deeply interconnected world. The financial system is a case in point. No financial institution can survive, let alone thrive, on its own. No bank can do without the complex web of financial market infrastructures that underpins its day-to-day business. No bank, therefore, must underestimate the associated risks. In particular, no bank must underestimate the IT risks, which include cyber risks. In the worst case, a single hack could compromise the entire system. So cyber resilience is a goal we all share. And anyone who sees it as just another competitive advantage is mistaken; the whole chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And in that sense, many actors in the financial system are parts of the same chain. ECB Banking Supervision takes cyber resilience very seriously. Naturally, we focus on banks and on the euro area. In doing so, we take into account that banks are not just connected among themselves but also with other market participants and infrastructures. This means that our supervision of IT risks also covers the end-points of payment systems and market infrastructures in the banks directly supervised by us. In short, we aim to ensure the availability, confidentiality and integrity of banks data and systems. What have we done so far and what are our plans for the future? So far, we have conducted thematic reviews on cyber risk and outsourcing. One result is stating the obvious: there is some concentration in terms of companies to which banks outsource IT functions. Apart from concrete bank-specific findings, the reviews have helped us to get a better idea of the risks. And they have made banks more aware of them. We have conducted a stocktake on how IT risks are supervised outside the euro area. This helped us to identify best practices; and it will help us to define our own supervisory expectations. Work is ongoing as part of our contribution to the work programme of the European Banking Authority, the EBA. We have conducted quite a few on-site inspections into IT and cyber risks, using state-of-the-art methods. Looking ahead, our aim would be to have such inspections every three or four years for large banks. We have set up a reporting framework for cyber incidents. Since mid-2017, banks have been required to report significant cyber incidents. This will help us to quickly react in a crisis and make us aware of common vulnerabilities. Drawing on guidelines from the EBA, we have developed comprehensive IT risk self-assessments for the banks we supervise, including an extensive section on IT and cyber security. The results of these assessments will feed into our Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process, in which we will also challenge the information provided by banks. We will do so as a result of our insights from on-site inspections and from reports of cyber incidents. The information collected will then serve as a basis for a thematic review of IT risks. This review will give us a better idea of the overall IT risk landscape in the banking industry. It will allow us to identify blind spots early on and define areas which we need to investigate further; this will eventually feed into our plans for 2019. In addition, the review will also help us to compare banks. Partially anonymised feedback could then be shared with them. Ladies and gentlemen, there is one thing we need to keep in mind. Right from the start, hacks gained a lot of attention, while preventing them did not. In finance, as in many other fields, it is mostly just mundane work that helps to keep things safe. I wonder whether cyber risk is as unique as we are inclined to believe. I have no doubt that we need to take it seriously and that we need to work towards making banks more resilient. In doing so, we should also welcome new ways of tackling cyber risk, of course. But this I would like to do within the existing framework of banks risk management. Cyber risk needs to be part of general risk management procedures, of general crisis management, and general business continuity planning. After all, it is an operational risk. And our experience in dealing with operational risks can help us to cope with cyber risk as well. We must keep in mind that cyber risk does not invariably arise from the technology itself but also from how we use it. It is people who are behind the hacking. And often, it is people who leave doors unlocked and gates wide open for cyber criminals to sneak in. People play a big role when it comes to cyber resilience. Thus, it makes sense to draw on the principles we have established for risk management and governance, and on the experience we have gained in these areas. Ladies and gentlemen, I am aware that this kind of work is unlikely to capture the publics attention in the same way as Mr Maskelyne did in 1903. But it needs to be done. While cybercrime may have an aura of mystery and power, cyber resilience is quite the opposite: it calls for vigilance and diligence, day in, day out. Thank you. Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o... In the heart of one of the more constrained segments of New York City utility Consolidated Edisons service territory, Demand Energy and L+M Development Partners have developed a microgrid to provide load relief on days when the grid is stressed by air conditioning demand. Marcus Garvey Village is a low- and middle-income apartment complex located in the Brownsville section of New York City, an area that is home to a constrained substation that serves the area. L+Ms overall development goal is to transform specific low-income neighbourhoods into healthy, vibrant and economically secure communities. The company had planned to deploy a 400 kW solar PV system, along with completely rewiring the electrical service that serves the campus. For L+M, adding solar was just the right thing to do in this revitalisation project. At the time, however, they were unaware that this project would become a leading example of the path forward in advancing the citys evolving digital grid. New York City is one of the most energy-intensive urban environments in the world. The peak summer loading of Con Edisons service territory (NYC and Westchester County) approaches 14 GW of demand. By comparison, that is almost a quarter of the peak demand for the entire state of California. This mainly urban grid delivers energy through an underground network, which makes managing and maintaining the system an expensive and challenging endeavour to continue to meet a growing peak load. As loads grow over time, different networks become constrained. In Brooklyn and Queens, there are three networks served by the Brownsville substation that have reached their capacity and are expected to be stressed by 53 MW of additional load in the summer of 2018. This region within Con Edisons service territory is known as the Brooklyn-Queens Demand Management (BQDM) programme. BQDM is an area that peaks at night due to the high load levels created by multi-family building air conditioners. Con Edisons service territory has four types of load pockets that peak at different times of the day, depending upon the load category being served. Residential networks peak from 20h00 until midnight. As L+M started the development of their solar project, their project partners Bright Power, Con Edison, Grid Market, and Demand Energy started to lay out a microgrid system to support the need to time shift solar production into the evening to support the peak. Marcus Garvey Village is a unique facility in that it has a larger winter peak due to the use of electric heat. In the winter, its peak load is in excess of 3 MW. During summer, its air conditioning peak is 1,5 MW, and is part of the problem being addressed by the BQDM programme. By coupling the 400 kW of solar production with a 300 kW/1,2 MWh Li-ion battery system, the solar-plus-storage system can provide four hours of load reduction from 20h00 to midnight on days that Con Edison calls a Commercial Service Reduction Plan (CSRP) event under the BQDM programme. Con Edison also brought Bloom Energy into the project to install a fuel cell to reduce the base load. The integration of solar plus storage and a fuel cell into a microgrid drove the need to have an intelligent control system to manage these distributed energy resources supporting the varying load throughout the four seasons. The microgrid is controlled by Demand Energys Distributed Energy Network Operating System (DEN.OS), which optimises how the various resources interact and perform. A key technical aspect of the project is the ability of DEN.OS to ensure that the housing development self-consumes any energy it generates, without exporting to the grid. That capability directly aligns with Con Edisons BQDM requirements, which helped facilitate the interconnection and permitting process. After Hurricane Sandy battered the East Coast of the US in 2012, New York City began a focused effort to provide resilient facilities able to support neighbourhoods with power during extended outages. The microgrid at Marcus Garvey supports the main office and community space with enough power to maintain the facility during extended outages, as well as provide electricity to support phone charging and HVAC systems. The Marcus Garvey Village microgrid is a prime example of how a major city can build an intelligently controlled distributed digital power grid, provide local resiliency and other grid-supporting capabilities, and transform the energy supply chain. Such systems also lower energy costs, deliver essential load relief for utilities, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rethinking grid infrastructure The BQDM programme offered a new way for New York-based utilities to think about how to design and operate grid infrastructure projects. Without initiatives like BQDM, the Brownsville substation would need a $1,2-billion upgrade to meet the stress created from the projected overload of 53 MW in 2018. To make such an expenditure even more difficult to justify is the fact that the overloading is predicted to only occur on average for four days in the summer cooling season. But under a new direction from the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) and as part of the state-wide Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative, Con Edison has been empowered to solve the problem by making the grid more efficient, creating a new model for earning returns for shareholders. Utilities have traditionally only had one way to earn a profit for their shareholders. To align the interests of ratepayers and utilities to ensure that we have a grid that can meet peak demand, utilities have been allowed to earn set returns on capital equipment deployed. Under this type of incentive structure, utilities have been encouraged to build to meet the peak. Prior to the introduction of energy storage and the wider deployment of solar and other distributed energy resources, the grid was a perfect just-in-time inventory system. Supply needed to match demand or the grid would become unstable. Energy flowed in one direction, from generation through transmission and local distribution to load. Today as we introduce new distributed resources at the edge of the grid, we can balance the grid with a managed inventory method. In Brownsville, the peak load growth was faster than anticipated and the urgency heightened. However, this section of the grid doesnt peak in the daytime, but rather from 20h00 to midnight when most of the load served is residential and the peak is driven by air conditioning demand. The outer boroughs have the best potential for distributed solar in the city, but unfortunately solar peaking production at noon doesnt solve the local system peaking challenge. By coupling solar with energy storage, renewable resources can be shifted to a time in the day when they provide the greatest value. To understand just how high that value is, the PSC stated the following regarding the cost of building to meet peak demand: Stabilising customer bills. The pressure on rates that will be caused by aging infrastructure replacement, reliability and security needs, carbon rules, and other factors can be mitigated by the cost reductions that are available through increased system efficiency achieved through markets and improved regulation. Increasing the responsiveness of demand will reduce price volatility in the near term and price inefficiency in the long term. If, for example, the 100 hours of greatest peak demand were flattened, long term avoided capacity and energy savings would range between $1,2-billion and $1,7-billion per year. Avoided line losses achieved by distributed generation can further improve system efficiency. Total line losses cost approximately $200 to $400-million per year. Beyond these examples of direct cost reductions, markets established under REV will enable a range of options that will reward customers for participating in system optimisation, and assist in control of customer bills. REV Order Adopting Regulatory Policy Framework (p. 20) Achieving the end goal of transforming New Yorks 100-year-old power grid into a decentralised, digitised and decarbonised transactional network will require a combination of proper policies, codes and safety standards; next-level rate structures; and advanced technology solutions. Stakeholders across the entire energy system spectrum, from municipalities to industry to end users, will need to be educated on the costs, benefits, and value of distributed resources, two-way energy, and resiliency. The result will be a true 21st-century grid, built on distributed generation, backed by energy storage, and boosted by enhanced value and better returns. Contact Doug Staker, Demand Energy, doug@demand-energy.com Related Articles The total installed capacity of the large pumped storage schemes (PSSs) in South Africa is at present some 2910 MW. There are four large PPSs operating currently around the country, with the Steenbras (180 MW) being the municipal asset of the City of Cape Town, and three plants owned by the national entity Eskom namely the Drakensberg (1000 MW), Palmiet (400 MW) and now new Ingula (1330 MW). The utility has a few another conventional hydropower plants owned and administered together with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), two situated on the Orange River and others attached to the dams on the perennial rivers in the Eastern Cape Province. These hydropower plants do not have the same function as the pumped storages, but all can generate hydro-energy within a few minutes contrary to the coal-fired energy generation plants, most of the located in one specific area of South Africa. All installed PSSs are serving South Africa as conventional energy storage sites supplementing hydro-energy to the national grid in the specific times of the high demand for electricity. A PSS comprises two large water storage areas (typically two sizeable dam facilities), one lower and the other at the upper elevation providing usually for static head between 100 and 700 m. The choice of a location of a PSS is depending on the availability of fresh or saline water (if a plant is located on the sea coastline) and a suitable geo-morphological configuration. However, a PSS requires certain amount of energy for pumping of raw water to the upper storage which is effectively a battery of energy ready to be utilized when needed. The requirements for essentially two storage reservoirs (on an ocean coast not absolute necessity) and associated pumping and generation infrastructure together with typically large penstocks (i.e. connecting pipeline between lower and upper storages), dictate for rather extensive initial capital costs, but ongoing benefits outweigh typically the capital invested. There are four large PPSs operating currently around in South Africa, with the Steenbras (180 MW) being the municipal asset of the City of Cape Town, and other three plants are owned by the national entity Eskom SOC namely the Drakensberg (1000 MW), Palmiet (400 MW) and now new Ingula (1330 MW). Since early 1980 the Drakensberg PSS has been for many years listed amongst the top twenty PSSs globally installed, sharing fifteenth place for many years with another 1000 MW PSS capacity installed in Iran. In recent twenty years the capacity of pumped storages increased several fold with China having now some 23 100 MW installed (accounting only for the PSSs above or equal to 1000 MW), with another 6600 MW under construction. The USA with some total installed pumped storage capacity of 14 800 MW at present, identified another 40 viable sites to be developed, primarily at existing lower dam to economize on the costs and optimising on utilisation of infrastructure assets and water resources. The tendency worldwide is to develop PSSs in conjunction with a development of other renewable resources as wind and solar PV. The coastline PSS locations are investigated in several countries as well as at several island locations to avoid the costs of the lower dam storage, using the saline water and other renewable in pumping. The examples which can given are: first PSS using saline water in Okinawa, Japan; seawater PSS on the Isle of Lewis in Outer Hebrides, Scotland; a hybrid hydro-wind PSS on Canary Islands; etc. Table 1: The position of SAs PSSs amongst other installations of the same kind. Ranking amongst other PSSs Pumped Storage Scheme (PSS) Installed capacity (MW) Country of installation location 1 Bath Country 3003 USA 2 Huizhou 2448 China 3 Guangdong 2400 China 4 Okutataragi 1932 Japan 5 Ludington 1872 USA 6 Tianhuangping 1836 China 7 Tumut-3 1800 Australia 8 Grand Maison Dam 1800 France 9 La Muela II 1772 Spain 10 Dinorwig 1728 United Kingdom USA (1652 MW), Taiwan (1602 MW), Japan (1600 MW), USA (1566 MW), China (1500), Japan (1500 MW), Bulgaria (1455 MW), India (1450 MW) (Wikipedia 2017). 19 Ingula 1332 South Africa Between SAs Ingula and Drakensberg pumped storages (accounting for the PSSs above or equal to 1000 MW), China has installed pumped storage capacity of some 10 900 MW and another 4 000 MW capacity is listed after the Drakensberg PSS) 57 Drakensberg 1000 South Africa NB: There are eight PSSs under construction at present, with Fenguing PSS in China with capacity to be installed at 3600 MW to be the largest in the world when completed. It is estimated that the overall pumped storage capacity worldwide is at present some 165 000 MW with China leading the development. The development of pumped storages on the African continent is presently far behind, with South Africa leading at present with a 2910 MW of PSS capacity installed History of development and key parameters of existing PSSs in South Africa The South Africas hydro-electricity generation sector has a legacy of almost fifty years since early 1970 when the Gariep Hydro had been commissioned at the large dam on the Orange River. The sector benefited (now already for some 35 years), besides generating hydro-electricity from a few conventional hydropower plants owned and administered together between the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Eskom also for its energy storage and a peak supplementary supply from the countrys existing pumped storage schemes (PSS). Eskom together with the DWS generate hydroelectricity from several conventional hydroelectric plants, two situated on the Orange River and others attached to the dams on the perennial rivers in the Eastern Cape Province. These hydropower plants do not have the same function as the pumped storages, but all can generate hydro-energy within a few minutes contrary to the coal-fired energy generation plants and even the nuclear energy generation. Table 2: The hydro-electricity generation installations in South Africa. Hydroelectric plant Location, river or town (province) Owner/administrator/operator Installed capacity (MW) Ncora Ncora River (E. Cape) Eskom 2 First Falls Umtata River (E. Cape) Eskom 6 Second Falls Umtata River (E.Cape) Eskom 11 Colley Wobbles Mbashe River (E. Cape) Eskom 42 Vanderkloof Orange River (N. Cape) DWS/Eskom 240 Gariep Orange River (N. Cape) DWS/Eskom 360 Steenbras PSS Cape Town (W. Cape) City of Cape Town 180 Drakensberg PSS Bergville (KZulu-Natal) DWS/Eskom 1000 Palmiet PSS Grabow (W. Cape) DWS/Eskom 400 Ingula PSS Van Reenen (KZulu-Natal) DWS/Escom 1332 NB : There several hydro-electric schemes of significance (e.g. Stortemelk, Neusberg, etc.) connected recently to the national grid developed under the DoEs REI4Ps and owned by the IPPs. Steenbras pumped storage scheme The installation is located some 60 km from Cape Town at the foothill of the Sir Lowrys Pass. The planning and design processes had taken six years. It is a first PSS installed in South Africa and also the first on the African continent. The Steenbras Power Station (180 MW) is owned and operated by the City of Cape Town and it is in operation since 1979. The scheme comprises upper dam storage with water run to the lower dam through turbines coupled to generators. The hydro-electricity generated is absorbed into the local (municipal) grid. Two dam storages at different elevations of some 300 m are connected by a low-pressure tunnel installed through the mountain range connected to the high-pressure tunnel connected to a steel penstock of 3,5 m in diameter. Most of the penstock is buried below the ground to reduce the environmental impacts. Four 45 MW pump/turbine machines are located in pairs, each pair situated at the bottom of a shaft 40 m deep to provide for necessary minimum submergence when pumping 27 m below the surface of the lower storage dam. The transient pressure effects (e.g. water hammer and surges) caused while changing from pumping to generating modes are compensated through the surge shaft situated at the end of the low pressure tunnel. The maximum water flow when generating is 75 m3/sec, if all four turbines operating at the same time. Water can be pumped back to the upper storage at the rate 60 m3/sec and it will take 12 hours to fill the upper dam. The Steenbras PSS is serving in reducing the peak loads of the metropolitan electricity supply system. The generation output is automatically controlled so as to maintain the Eskom power in-feed to the CT Metro constantly at a predetermined monthly target demand. This way the PSS serves to the CT City for almost 40 years for the initial investment cost of R 60-million in 1979. As far as critical maintenance is concerned, the steel pipe of penstock was refurbished with new epoxy lining after some 18 years in operation. The hydraulic machines have been subjected to extensive refurbishment due to wear and tear between 1990 and 1996. Drakensberg pumped storage scheme The scheme is situated between the foothill and upper plateau of the lower Drakensberg with the upper storage in the Free State and lower storage in the KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. This is the first large PSS in SA installed in collaboration between the Eskom and DWS. The PSS has a dual purpose. The primary purpose is to generate hydro-energy when Eskom is experiencing the peak demands within the national electricity grid. The second very important purpose is to supplement the water collected in the KwaZulu-Natal by the system of canals, weirs and dams for the inter-basin water transfer to Sterkfontein Dam impoundment which is an integral component of the Thukela-Vaal Water transfer Scheme (WTS), one of the largest and most complex in SA. The original WTS was completed in 1979 without of the PSS. Subsequently, Eskom together with DWS redesigned the original pumping component of the Thugela-Vaal WTS, replacing the Jagersrust pumping station and adjacent feeding canals to Sterkfontein Dam with the underground pumped storage system and installing 27-million m3 Driekloof Dam situated at the very upper reaches of the Sterkfontein Dam. The Drakensberg PSS was commissioned in 1982 comprising extensive underground excavations of tunnels, halls, chambers and shafts. The machine hall contains four 250 MW reversible turbine/generator units. The vertical surge shaft of 14 m in diameter is excavated to a height of 86 m above the headrace tunnels. During the generating mode water is drawn from the upper located storage of the Driekloof Dam situated in the Sterkfontein Dam and discharged into the lower 29-million m3 Kilburn Dam located at the bottom of the escarpment. The Driekloof Dam is pumped full, mainly during the nights (at the low demand periods) with certain amount of water overflowing into the Sterkfontein Dam to supplement the key stand-by storage of the T-V WTS. When a pumping rate head is 71 m3/sec, it takes about 35 hours to pump the Driekloof Dam full against 41l m net head. The original type of cycle operation is weekly and the cycle efficiency of about 73%. According to Moodley (2002) the operation and maintenance processes at the Drakensberg PSS started to be hampered around 1995 (i.e. after some 13 years in operation) by repeated failures of the plants excitation control system causing significant production and rehabilitation losses. An refurbishment project was implemented between 1999 and 2001, which restored the installations excitation control system to near-100 percent reliability. At present three of four Drakensberg generator units are being modernized by a contractor from overseas, to be fully operational in 2018. Palmiet pumped storage scheme The 400 MW pumped storage scheme is an integral to the Palmiet River GWS situated near Grabow in the Western Cape Province. The scheme has also dual purpose similar as the Drakensberg PSS, providing for the generation of hydro-energy between the upper 17-million m3 Rockview Dam and lower 15-million m3 Kogelberg Dam storages and supplementing water to nearby Steenbras Dam PSS reservoir. The overspill water from the Rockview Dam is to supply the water supply system of Cape Town Metropolis. This is then also an inter-basin water transfer scheme. The scheme has been developed jointly by Eskom and DWS and commissioned in 1988 after some 5 years of construction predominantly within the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. The connecting conduit between upper and lower dam comprises a headrace tunnel, which is 750 m long and 6,2 m in diameter. Water flows through a 130 m deep shaft to a pressure tunnel of 482 m long and 5,4 m in diameter and reaching subsequently cut-and-cover steel penstock, 561 m long and 5,4 m in diameter. Two reversible 200 MW pump/generator units are housed on the right bank of the Kogelberg River. From the operation point of view, the time required to pump 15-million m3 is about 40 hours. The original type of operational cycle is weekly with the cycle efficiency of some 78%. The International Hydropower Association (IHA) awarded to the Palmiet PSS its 2003 Blue Planet Prize for a contribution to sustainable development and good practice in utilising hydropower resources. Ingula pumped storage scheme This scheme is situated not very far from the Drakensberg PSS and is also located between lower Drakensberg plateau and its foothills some 23 km from Van Reenen Pass. The upper 19-million m3 Bedford Dam and lower 22-million m3 Braamhoek Dam are situated at some 470 m difference in elevation. The dams are connected by a system of underground waterways with a powerhouse hall housing four reversible 333 MW pump/turbine units. Two 6,1 m in diameter inclined headrace tunnels, each 1940 m long provide for the flow of water to the turbine/generator units. The underground system comprises twin surge chambers, twin extended draft tubes and a single tailrace tunnel. The upper storage dam can be pumped by all four units within 21 hours and is designed to provide for 16 hours of generation. The overall efficiency of the scheme is determined at 76%. The Ingula PSS installation has been finalized in the middle of 2016 after some ten years under construction. Eskom synchronised Unit 1 with the national grid in June 2016. The pumped storage peaking capacity in South Africa has thus increased by 333 MW to present operational 1733 MW. The full connection to the national grid, by remaining 1000 MW, is anticipated by late 2017 or early 2018 when all units will be synchronised with the national grid. The cost of this PSS amounted to-date to R25-billion, increased from the original estimate by at least R7-billion. According to the technical paper by Otieno, et al (2017) discusses the likely attack of soft water on the Ingulas concrete tunnel lining. Numerous samples were laboratory tested. The samples tested indicated possible reduction of tunnel system efficiency by about 3% down to about 93% over some ten years of water tunnels in operation. The results are a warning that in years to come the water conduit tunnels will have to be likely relined to maintain the integrity of tunnel infrastructure and required efficiencies. As-built characteristics and parameters of pumped storage schemes in South Africa The characteristics and essential parameters gathered from as-built PSSs in South Africa together with the time series of PSSs outputs since installation of the Drakensberg PSS in the early 1980 are summarized in the following tables: Table 3: Summary on civil details of PSS installations in South Africa. Name of PSS (owner) Installed capacity (MW) Names of PSS upper and lower reservoir Active storage (106 m3) Type of upper and lower storage dam walls Purpose of PSS installation Steenbras (CTCC) 180 Upper Steenbras 31 Earth-fill embkmt. wall Power gen. & water transfer Steenbras (lower) 3 Earth-fill embkmt. wall Drakensberg (Eskom) 1000 Driekloof (upper) 27 Rock-fill embkmt wall Power gen. & water transfer Kilburn (lower) 29 Earth-fill embkmt wall Palmiet (Eskom) 400 Rockview (upper) 17 Rock-fill with clay core Power gen. & water transfer Kogelberg (lower) 15 Concrete gravity arch Ingula (Eskom) 1332 Bedford (upper) 22 Concrete faced rock-fill Power generation Bramhoek (lower) 26 Rollcrete gravity wall Sources of info: Generated from various public domain documentation available at the ESKOM, Cape Town City Council (CTCC), SA Institution of Civil Engineers (SAICE) and Dept. of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The energy generation sector in SA represented by the Department of Energy and executed by the Eskom recognises the advantages in having hydro-pumped storages as the energy storage provision, a stand-by and peaking generation facilities to some 40 000 MW base-load thermal (coal-fired) plants (ten plants are in operation at present, three plants are return-to-service and two new plants are being build). It takes a hydro-pumped storage plant two to three seconds of a hydraulic starting time and some 15 seconds to get into full load production. The PSSs are still to date the most efficient storages (i.e. batteries) of energy. Table 4 below illustrates the details on pumping/generating equipment for existing plants and the newly developed Ingula PSS. Table 4: Summary on pumping/generating machinery of existing PSS installations in SA. Name and (owner) of PSS Total peaking capacity (MW) Average gen. head (m) Pump/turbine unit flow rates (m3/sec) Type of reversible unit Year of plant commission Steenbras (CTCC) 4 units at 45 MW = 180 286 15/19 Francis pump/turbine 1979 Drakensberg (Eskom) 4 units at 250 MW = 1000 430 55/78 Francis Pump/turbine 1982 Palmiet (Eskom) 2 units at 200 MW = 400 265 45/70 Single stage Francis p/turbine 1987 Ingula (Eskom) 4 units at 333 MW = 1332 450 67/85 Francis pump/turbine Unit 1 in 2016 NB: Very little information is available on the maintenance of particularly the PSSs belong to Eskom. From the analysis of the characteristics and as-built parameters of the PSSs developed to-date in South Africa the general planning/design guidelines applied by the planners and designers adhered primarily to the following: A large PSS site should have a static head between 100 and 700 m. A gradient of at least 1:10 between the upper and lower reservoirs is typically applied. The assessment of water availability at selected site including water losses and evaporation is essential to establish. To prevent cavitations to the pump/turbine assembly should be placed at least 25 m below the lower reservoir level. The viability of a PSS is depending on the land configuration and subsequent costs in developing the upper and lower reservoir. Where a lower reservoir already exists, the priority is given to such a site, reducing thus the overall investment costs of a PSS. The PSS installations are build in SA for the peaking loads and as the stand-by facilities to the coal-fired base load power plants. Three of four PSS installations analysed are having a dual purpose generating hydro-energy and providing for an inter-basin water transfer. Due to environmental issues most, if not all, of a PSS infrastructure is buried and/or excavated underground. The key stakeholders in a development, O&M and upgrading of the PSSs are the Department of Water and Sanitation, Department of Energy and the national electricity supplier Eskom. Ntsone, et al (2016), established that Eskom is finding difficult to cope with the demands for electricity, which are notoriously outstripping (almost daily) the conventional supply options. The existing PSSs are to generate far more frequently than they were operationally designed for (i.e. weekly operational cycle). This implies that Eskom pumped storage installations are forced to change from a weekly balance to be balanced on a daily basis. Table 5: The South Africans power stations output between 1970 and 2016 (GWh). Year Coal fired stations Nuclear station Hydro-electric stations Diesel & gas turbines RE sources W + IPPs Pumped storage stations The commissioning date and capacity of the PSSs in SA 1969/70 37 321 1970/71 40 645 94 1971/72 43 662 813 1972/73 49 570 189 1973/74 55 141 1110 1974/75 60 400 1098 1975/76 64 309 1853 26 1976/77 65 114 1924 12 1977/78 69 004 1887 11 1978/79 74 485 1144 14 Steenbras (180 MW) 1979/80 82 342 992 28 1980/81 95 675 1653 81 415 Drakensberg (1000 MW) 1981/82 100 217 1016 17 1519 1982/83 100 738 595 5 1957 1983/84 110 094 3925 560 8 994 1984/85 113 941 5315 624 0 2107 1985/86 114 298 8803 1623 2 1785 1986/87 122 947 6167 1617 2 1774 Palmiet (400 MW) 1987/88 123 777 10 493 3162 2 1403 1988/89 128 304 11 099 2759 3 1039 1989/90 134 744 8449 1010 3 1841 1990/01 135 743 9144 1980 0 1804 1991/02 136 830 9288 752 4 1333 1992/03 145 514 7255 146 0 1345 1993/04 148 003 9697 1074 2 1517 1994/05 151 730 11 301 529 0 1274 1995/06 163 541 11 775 1319 0 2220 1996/07 170 464 12 647 2092 0 2608 1997/08 165 473 13 601 1596 3 2420 1998/09 165 665 12 837 726 0 2590 1999/00 172 362 13 010 1343 1 2591 2000/01 175 223 10 719 2061 0 1587 2001/02 181 651 11 991 2357 0 1738 2002/03 194 046 12 663 777 0 2732 2003/04 202 171 14 280 720 0 2981 2004/05 251 914 16 912 903 0 Wind + IPPs 3675 2005/06 206 606 11 293 1141 78 3 2867** 2006/07 215 211 11 780 2443 62 2 2947** 2007/08 222 908 11 317 751 1153 1 2979** 2008/09 211 941 13 004 1082 143 2 2772** 2009/10 215 940 12 806 1274 49 1 2742** 2010/11 220 219 12 099 1960 197 2 + 1833* 2953** 2011/12 218 212 13 502 1904 709 2 + 4107* 2962** 2012/13 214 807 11 954 1077 1904 1+ 3516* 3006** 2013/14 209 483 14 106 1036 3621 2+ 3671* 2881** 2014/15 204 838 13 794 851 3709 1+ 6022* 3107** 2015/16 199 888 12 237 688 3936 311+ 9033* 2919** Ingula Unit 1 (332 MW) 2016/17 200 893 15 026 579 29 345+11529* 3294** Notes: * The amount of GWh obtained from the IPPs. ** The amount of GWh required for pumping is on average about 1000 GWh over above production (i.e. about 30 % on average). ***A PSS is a net consumer of energy. Potential for future development of pumped storages in South Africa Firmly evaluated potential for future development of PSSs Now, after Ingula PSS peaking capacity (1332 MW) will go fully on a stream, the future development of another PSS in South Africa appears to be postponed until 2030. Eskom already between 1985 and 1995 identified several highly potential PSS sites around South Africa. Louwinger (2008) highlights that all selected sites were scrutinised according to the environmental, technical, economical and legal requirements. The next large PSSs to be developed by Eskom after Ingula PSS, were listed the Lima PSS (renamed to Tubatse PSS) and Mutale PSS. The layout in Fig. 1 above illustrates other six potential sites besides Ingula PSS suitable for future development. Most promising is a site named Lima (Tubatse) where it is needed only to develop an upper reservoir as the lower very large De Hoop Dam impoundment was commissioned in 2014. The purpose of this dam storage is to provide water for the residential/industrial use in the northern region of South Africa. As the water requirements of a PSS are non-consumptive, this scheme would be not impacting on the dam storage (only marginal evaporation losses at the upper reservoir) and can be likely build for some 25% less than the Ingula PSS, if implemented soon. The development of Tubatse PSS (planned at 1500 MW capacity) has been detailed around 2008/09 and Eskom has been that far as applying for the generation license from NERSA. However, any development of this site has been put on a back-burner. In the meantime it is obvious that Eskom need more peaking capacity due to recent changes in generation patterns, connecting and receiving electricity amounts from several IPPs and grappling with reduced demands for electricity as the national economy is stagnating. See Table 5 for relevant patterns observed within energy generation mix operated by the Eskom. Position of potential PSSs in future energy mix in SA According to the SAs Integrated Resource Plan 2010 (IRP 2010-2030) and its recent revision, the country is contemplating to participate in developing of a hydropower installation at Inga Falls on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A capacity of a 2500 MW from the overall to be installed capacity at the Inga site is offered by the DRC to SA. In the local hydropower terms, this is a capacity termed as the imported hydropower which would be rather expensive to pay for and particularly maintaining transmission over very long distances as well as paying for the security of supply. There are vital issues needing more explanation from the socio-political platform. Also, two coal-fired power stations (Kusile and Medupi) are nearing their completion, increasing the overall energy generation capacity of SA. These two plants are base-load installation as far a generation is concerned and their production is necessary to be supported by an additional peaking capacity, which should not come from by increasing the diesel and gas turbines generation. Table 6: Energy mix generation capacity as per IRP 2010 to 2030. Energy sources mix *Final policy adjusted IRP 2010 to 2030 **New capacity layout introduced/revised MW % MW % Hydrocarbon Resources Coal 16 383 29,0 6250 14,7 OCGT (diesel) 4930 8,7 3910 9,2 CCGT (gas) 2370 4,2 2370 5,6 Alternative Resources Pumped storages (PSSs) 1332 2,4 Nuclear 9600 17,0 9600 22,6 Imported hydropower 2659 4,7 2609 6,1 Renewable Energy Resources Wind 9200 16,3 8400 19,7 CSP 1200 2,1 1000 2,4 PV 8400 14,8 8400 19,7 SHP, biomass, landfill, etc. 465 0,8 Total 56 539 100 42 539 100 Source: *IRP 2010 (May 2011), ** Uncommitted in 2015, SHP = Small Hydro Power As illustrated in Table 6 above, the group of Alternatives PSSs lists the capacity of 1332 MW which represents the Ingula PSS capacity now already installed. No further PSS capacity is listed in the New Capacity Layout and the Draft Revision 2016 of the IRP 2010 also does not indicate any PSS capacity to be developed before 2030. The prospects in development of small scale pumped storage with other renewable South Africa is blessed with rather extensive water supply infrastructure developed over the years in both the urban and rural context. There are several viable opportunities in developing small scale pumped storages together with other renewable energy resources and technologies (i.e. primarily PV-solar in SA). The suitable technologies are now on the market and prices becoming affordable to the municipalities and even to the rural communities, if eligible for the subsidies or grants. Most suitable location for a small scale pumped storage within a water supply system would be already existing elevated concrete reservoir, where only a lower another concrete/steel reservoir is needed to be installed (i.e. if the potable water supply is going to be involved). The research has been done particularly in Europe and several suitable sites selected. Table 7 given below illustrates a theoretical sizing for a small scale pumped storages of 2, 5, and 10 MW. Table 7: Examples of the small scale pumped storages within existing water supply system. Item of pumped storage scheme Size of pump as turbine (PaT) 2 MW 5 MW 10 MW Rate of flow in PaT (m3/sec) 0,809 2,023 4,046 Pipeline size (mm) 700 1000 1200 Friction head of pipeline: steel material 7,2 m 9,5 m 14,4 m Friction head of pipeline (fibre glass option with length of 1200 m) 4,0 m 5,3 m 8,0 m Capacity of reservoirs (m3) 20 000 40 000 80 000 NB: The PaTs pumping demand can be connected to the PV-solar systems. At present there is no any small scale pumped storage system installed in South Africa. However, the installation of pumps as turbines is now tested at the Annlin Reservoir by the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Pretoria. The prospects in development of PSS in Lesotho Lesotho has already a 72 MW hydro-electric scheme installed at the Muela Dam situated at the Katse Tunnel Outlet as a component of the LHWP Phase 1. LHWC together with the local consultants are conducting a master plan study of the Kobong (or Monontsa) 1200 MW pumped storage scheme. The selected site in close proximity of the Katse Dam impoundment offers max gross head of 600 m. Existing Katse Dam impoundment is the location of the lower reservoir and only upper dam storage will need to be installed. Conclusion A pumped storage scheme is effectively a large energy storage battery, energy is stored in the form of water during off-peak periods and released during the peak electricity demands. A PSS using reversible pump/turbine assembly is so far most effective way to store electrical energy at acceptable costs and is the source of energy which can deliver positive or negative reserve to the grid for balancing intermittent resources such as wind and solar. A grid needs energy for rapid balancing the PSS can provide such, and new pumped storage installations benefit from the technological achievements of the recent past in the development of hydraulic and electrical machines and progresses in automatisation. References [1] Eskom: Annual Reports, between 1969/70 and 2016/17. [2] F Louwinger: Case study of Ingula and Lima pumped storage schemes, Energize, May 2008. [3] M Ntsoane, D Booyens and N Pillay: Hydro Pumped Storage Dynamics, Eskom SOS, 2016. [4] M Otieno, M Alexander and J du Plessis: Soft water attack on concrete tunnel lining in the Ingula [5] PSS: Assessment of concrete resistance and protection, Journal of SAICE, Vol 59, No 3, September 2017. Contact Bo Barta, Energy and Water Resources Engineering, Tel 073 177-6045, bartab@iafrica.com Related Articles Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place members invited their respective clergy to attend their annual Clergy Appreciation Day event. "One of the most treasured traditions of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place is setting aside time to honor and show our appreciation to the clergy that are so meaningful to us," officials said. Jason Leonard, pastor of the House Ministry at UTC, was the featured speaker. Pastor Leonard shared the Biblical perspective of work and the importance of a strong work ethic in order to serve a meaningful life. "Work is good intrinsically and good for one's self worth and dignity," he said. He stated there are two ways to understand the impact of work; 1) work displays how we can help others; and 2) work provides a desire to serve and meet a human need. By LA Times , Mar. 07, 2018 A long-simmering battle between the Trump administration and California over immigration boiled over Wednesday, with Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions deriding the state's "irrational, unfair and unconstitutional policies" and Gov. Jerry Brown accusing the federal government of launching "a reign of terror." "This is basically going to war against the state of California," Brown declared. Read More: Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com Follow Larry Elder on Follow Larry Elder on Twitter "Like" Larry Elder on Facebook Dear @IlhanMN, I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by. Here is the upcoming City Council agenda for Tuesday: I. Call to Order. II. Pledge of Allegiance/Invocation (Councilman Henderson). III. Minute Approval. IV. Special Presentation. V. Ordinances Final Reading: (None) VI. Ordinances First Reading: PLANNING a. 2018-026 Brandi Thompson (R-1 Residential Zone to RZ-1 Zero Lot Line Residential Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 434 Whitehall Road, more particularly described herein, from R-1 Residential Zone to RZ-1 Zero Lot Line Residential Zone. (District 1) (Recommended for denial by Planning and Staff) b. 2018-028 SE First Holding, LLC (E-RM-3 Urban Edge Residential Multi-Unit 3Stories Maximum Height to E-CX-3 Urban Edge Commercial Mixed Use 3 StoriesMaximum Height). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 713 Hamilton Avenue,more particularly described herein, from E-RM-3 Urban Edge Residential Multi-Unit3 Stories Maximum Height to E-CX-3 Urban Edge Commercial Mixed Use 3 StoriesMaximum Height. (District 2) (Recommended for denial by Planning and Staff)c. 2018-023 Kenneth Spann (R-4 Special Zone to C-2 Convenience Commercial Zone).An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, so as to rezone property located at 7331 Shallowford Road, moreparticularly described herein, from R-4 Special Zone to C-2 ConvenienceCommercial Zone. (District 4) (Recommended for approval by Planning andStaff)d. 2018-031 ASA Engineering (M-1 Manufacturing Zone to UGC Urban GeneralCommercial Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone properties located at 917 East 16th Street and1604 Central Avenue, more particularly described herein, from M-1 ManufacturingZone to UGC Urban General Commercial Zone. (District 8) (Recommended forapproval by Planning and Staff)e. 2018-032 Matthew McClanahan and John Sweet (R-2 Residential Zone to UGCUrban General Commercial Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code,Part II, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 1700Dodds Avenue, more particularly described herein, from R-2 Residential Zone toUGC Urban General Commercial Zone, subject to certain conditions. (District 9)(Recommended for approval by Planning and Staff)2018-032 Matthew McClanahan and John Sweet (R-2 Residential Zone to UGCUrban General Commercial Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code,Part II, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 1700Dodds Avenue, more particularly described herein, from R-2 Residential Zone toUGC Urban General Commercial Zone. (Applicant Version)f. An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, Article III, Zone and Boundaries, Division 4, Brainerd Overlay Zone.(District 5)g. An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, Article III, Zone and Boundaries, to add a new Division 6, Lovell FieldGateway Overlay Zone. (District 6)PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATIONTransportationh. MR-2018-019 International Board of Jewish Missions, Inc. c/o Edward Frampton(Abandonment). An ordinance closing and abandoning a portion of the 5100 block ofGenesis Lane to allow for creation of green space and parking, as detailed on theattached map, subject to certain conditions. (District 3) (Recommended forapproval by Transportation)VII. Resolutions:ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTa. A resolution authorizing the Administrator for the Department of Economic andCommunity Development to allocate and enter into an agreement with ChattanoogaCommunity Housing Development Organization (CCHDO) for CommunityDevelopment Block Grant (CDBG) funds to provide assistance to eligible,low-to-moderate income homeowners through its roofing program, in the amount of$80,000.00. (Districts 7, 8 & 9) (Added by permission of Vice-Chairman Smithand Councilman Oglesby)b. A resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an Agreement to Exercise Option toRenew with The Enterprise Center, Inc., in substantially the form attached, for arenewal term of one (1) year, for a portion of the ground floor space of 1001 LindsayStreet, further identified as Tax Map No. 145D-X-005, for the operation of anaccelerated learning code school. (District 8)c. A resolution to amend Resolution No. 27253, as amended by Resolution No. 28341,to extend the contract two (2) additional terms of one (1) year each, July 1, 2016through June 30, 2017, and for July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, with Friends ofthe Festival, Inc. for management of the 21st Century Waterfront, and for the Mayorto execute the amendment to the Waterfront Event Management Agreement, for anamount not to exceed $55,000.00 per term, for a total amount not to exceed$110,000.00.d. A resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a one (1) year License Agreement, insubstantially the form attached, with Friends of the Festival, Inc. to hold the annualRiverbend Festival.e. A resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with Moment Factory, insubstantially the form attached, for Public Art Design services for the Walnut StreetBridge Renovation Project to include conceptual design and specialty lightingconsultant services, in the amount of $38,000.00.FINANCEf. A resolution authorizing the renewal of the contract with Henderson, Hutcherson &McCullough for external audit services for year three (3), in the amount of$135,330.00; year four (4), in the amount of $139,160.00; and year five (5), in theamount of $143,100.00. (Revised)HUMAN RESOURCESg. A resolution to repeal Resolution No. 26612 and to adopt new administrativeregulations for conducting employee disciplinary hearings.h. A resolution authorizing the appointment of Matthew Freudenburg, as a special policeofficer (unarmed) for the McKamey Animal Center, to do special duty as prescribedherein, subject to certain conditions.i. A resolution authorizing the Director of Human Resources to enter into an agreementwith ComPsych Corporation to provide Employee Assistance Program (EAP)services to eligible City employees at the rate of $1.15 per employee per month forcivilian employees and $1.28 per employee per month for sworn employees for one(1) year term beginning April 1, 2018, with two (2) additional one (1) year termrenewal options, for an approximate annual cost of $33,775.00.MAYORS OFFICEj. A resolution authorizing the Mayor to apply for, and if awarded, accept the2018/2019 State of Tennessee Justice Assistance Grant for the continuation of theBeyond the Walls Program for a three (3) year period with the City of Chattanooga asthe sub-recipient and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga as thesubcontractor, for an amount up to $100,000.00.PLANNINGk. 2018-022 BWSC (Special Exceptions Permit). A resolution approving a SpecialExceptions Permit for a residential Planned Unit Development for properties locatedat 1835, 1837, and 1919 Old Wauhatchie Pike, subject to certain conditions.(District 7) (Recommended for approval by Planning)PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATIONPublic Worksl. A resolution to amend Resolution No. 29220 for Norfolk Southern Railway Companyrelative to Contract No. S-09-008-802 for engineering and flagging services peragreement and Activity No. 1200923, for an increased amount of $47,472.10, for anamount not to exceed $142,132.68. (District 7)m. A resolution authorizing the Administrator for the Department of Public Works toexecute a sole source Software Maintenance and Licensing Agreement with ESRI,Inc. for the period of March 19, 2018 to March 18, 2019, in the amount of$33,956.66.Transportationn. A resolution authorizing Riverside Development, LLC c/o Chris Curtis, propertyowner, to use temporarily the right-of-way located over a portion of the 400 block ofEast M.L. King Boulevard for the purpose of installing festoon lighting over theroadway, as shown on the maps attached hereto and made a part hereof by reference,subject to certain conditions. (District 8)VIII. Purchases.IX. Other Business.X. Committee Reports.XI. Recognition of Persons Wishing to Address the Council on Non-Agenda Matters.XII. Adjournment.TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018CITY COUNCIL AGENDA6:00 PM1. Call to Order.2. Pledge of Allegiance/Invocation (Chairman Mitchell).3. Minute Approval.4. Special Presentation.5. Ordinances Final Reading:PLANNINGa. 2018-026 Brandi Thompson (R-1 Residential Zone to RZ-1 Zero Lot Line ResidentialZone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, so as to rezone property located at 434 Whitehall Road, more particularlydescribed herein, from R-1 Residential Zone to RZ-1 Zero Lot Line Residential Zone.(District 1) (Recommended for denial by Planning and Staff)b. 2018-028 SE First Holding, LLC (E-RM-3 Urban Edge Residential Multi-Unit 3Stories Maximum Height to E-CX-3 Urban Edge Commercial Mixed Use 3 StoriesMaximum Height). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 713 Hamilton Avenue,more particularly described herein, from E-RM-3 Urban Edge Residential Multi-Unit3 Stories Maximum Height to E-CX-3 Urban Edge Commercial Mixed Use 3 StoriesMaximum Height. (District 2) (Recommended for denial by Planning and Staff)c. 2018-023 Kenneth Spann (R-4 Special Zone to C-2 Convenience Commercial Zone).An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, so as to rezone property located at 7331 Shallowford Road, moreparticularly described herein, from R-4 Special Zone to C-2 ConvenienceCommercial Zone. (District 4) (Recommended for approval by Planning andStaff)d. 2018-031 ASA Engineering (M-1 Manufacturing Zone to UGC Urban GeneralCommercial Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone properties located at 917 East 16th Street and1604 Central Avenue, more particularly described herein, from M-1 ManufacturingZone to UGC Urban General Commercial Zone. (District 8) (Recommended forapproval by Planning and Staff)e. 2018-032 Matthew McClanahan and John Sweet (R-2 Residential Zone to UGCUrban General Commercial Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code,Part II, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 1700Dodds Avenue, more particularly described herein, from R-2 Residential Zone toUGC Urban General Commercial Zone, subject to certain conditions. (District 9)(Recommended for approval by Planning and Staff)2018-032 Matthew McClanahan and John Sweet (R-2 Residential Zone to UGCUrban General Commercial Zone). An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code,Part II, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance, so as to rezone property located at 1700Dodds Avenue, more particularly described herein, from R-2 Residential Zone toUGC Urban General Commercial Zone. (Applicant Version)f. An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, Article III, Zone and Boundaries, Division 4, Brainerd Overlay Zone.(District 5)g. An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, Part II, Chapter 38, ZoningOrdinance, Article III, Zone and Boundaries, to add a new Division 6, Lovell FieldGateway Overlay Zone. (District 6)PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATIONTransportationh. MR-2018-019 International Board of Jewish Missions, Inc. c/o Edward Frampton(Abandonment). An ordinance closing and abandoning a portion of the 5100 block ofGenesis Lane to allow for creation of green space and parking, as detailed on theattached map, subject to certain conditions. (District 3) (Recommended forapproval by Transportation)6. Ordinances First Reading: (None)7. Resolutions:ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTa. A resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Lease Agreement with the CharlesH. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center, Inc., in substantially the form attached,for a term of one (1) year, at the rate of $1.00 per year, with the option to renew forone (1) additional year, for approximately 600 sq. ft. of a building at 1170 S. WatkinsStreet, a portion of Tax Map No. 156C-C-012, for the storage display cases obtainedfrom the Chattanooga History Center. (District 9)HUMAN RESOURCESb. A resolution authorizing the Director of Human Resources to enter into the FirstAmendment to the contract by and between the City and the ChattanoogaMetropolitan Airport Authority, in substantially the form attached, to manage theAuthoritys pension and certain employee benefits and as more particularly specifiedin the First Amendment.c. A resolution authorizing the Director of Human Resources to enter into GroupInsurance Agreements, in substantially the forms attached, with (1) theChattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau; (2) The EnterpriseCenter, Inc.; (3) the Carter Street Corporation d/b/a Chattanooga Hamilton CountyConvention and Trade Center; and (4) the Chattanooga Board of Directors of the Fireand Police Pension Fund to offer coverage for certain employee benefits as specifiedin the agreements.PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATIONPublic Worksd. A resolution to rename the 1100 block of Cleveland Avenue to the 1100 block ofLincoln Park Way, as referenced in Case Number 2018-PW-01. (District 8)e. A resolution authorizing the Administrator for the Department of Public Works toexecute an agreement with Hamilton County for the 2018 Bi-Annual GIS Imagery(Ortho Photography) update, for an amount not to exceed $60,000.00.f. A resolution authorizing Year 2 of 3 for on-call modeling and floodplain analysisservices from (1) LDA Engineering; (2) CDM Smith; (3) Stantec; (4) AECOM; (5)AMEC Foster Wheeler; (6) BWSC; (7) Fulghum MacIndoe; and (8) HDR, to enterinto eight (8) one (1) year blanket contracts with these professional firms subject toone (1) remaining annual renewal option for professional services estimated at$650,000.00 total annually for all eight (8) professional firms for use by alldepartments.g. A resolution authorizing year two (2) of a four (4) year term for the on-call blanketcontract(s) for Geo-Environmental Consulting and Construction Materials TestingServices, Contract No. E-16-007-301, with the following firms: (1) Geoservices,LLC; (2) K.S. Ware and Associates, LLC; (3) S&ME, Inc.; (4) Stantec ConsultingServices, Inc.; (5) Terracon Consultants, Inc.; and (6) Thompson Engineering, Inc.;based on the three (3) services categories of geotechnical, construction materialstesting, and environmental services that each consultant qualified for, the renewal ofthe six (6), one (1) year blanket contracts for professional services estimated at$400,000.00 total annually for all six (6) professional firms for use by alldepartments.Transportationh. A resolution authorizing the Administrator for the Department of Transportation toenter into a Partnership Agreement, Project No. T-18-001-801, with MBSC BlackCreek, LLC for Upper River Gorge Black Creek Phase 8 and to accept the costs andfees associated with the procurement and services of a licensed geotechnical engineerto inspect and approve designs for a new City street. (District 1)i. A resolution authorizing the Administrator for the Department of Transportation toenter into a Partnership Agreement, Project No. T-18-001-807, with T. GeneEdwards, Inc. for the HomeServe Office Project and to accept a contribution in theamount of $30,806.00 towards the cost of sidewalk and curb-and-gutterimplementation. (District 6)8. Purchases.9. Other Business.10. Committee Reports.11. Recognition of Persons Wishing to Address the Council on Non-Agenda Matters.12. Adjournment. The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is proposing improvements to the sidewalks adjacent to the State highway in your community. Our purpose is to make the sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Construction is proposed for the summer of . We will need to acquire temporary easements from the properties along the project in order to construct the sidewalks. There will be no cost to the property owners for these proposed improvements. The Iowa DOT has contracted with the consultant firm(s) listed below to assist with the development of this project. These firm(s) will be assisting Iowa DOT with the project design as well as the acquisition of the temporary easements in advance of the proposed construction. Their contact information is: Brian Higginbotham, P.E.; HGM?Associates Inc 640 5th Ave, Council Bluffs, IA 712-323-0530 John Borgmeyer; Midwest Right of Services, Inc. 13425 A Street, Omaha, NE 402-955-2900 The Emmetsburg public is invited to attend an open house on March 14, 2018 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. in the Poet Room at the Shores Community Center. No formal presentation will be made, however, displays of the proposed improvements and the needed easements will be available for you to view. Consultant and/or IA DOT staff will be available during this time to answer questions regarding the improvements. If you are unable to attend the meeting you can contact the consultant firm listed above with your questions. Also at this meeting, we would like to provide the landowners with the temporary easement information. Owners may sign at the meeting or can take the material with them, sign the documents and mail to the Land Acquisition Firm listed above. If there are tenants on your affected property, we ask that you also please inform them of the construction improvements.You can learn more about this project at www.iowadot.gov/accessiblesidewalks Saint Pats Association of Emmetsburg announced this years Irish Dignitary: Gerry Horkan. Horkan is a Fianna Fail Senator based in South Dublin. He is a chartered accountant with a Masters in Accounting and a Bachelors degree in Commerce from University College Dublin. He was elected to the senate in April 2016. Horkan is also the chair of a secondary school board of management in a south Dublin school with approximately 500 pupils. Gerry Horkan will arrive in Des Moines on Tuesday, March 13. He will spend the morning of the 14th touring the Capitol before coming to Emmetsburg where members of Saint Pats Association and Miss Shamrock will welcome him to town. The official meet and greet for Horkan will be held on Thursday, March 15 from 3:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. at the Saint Pats Association store. The public is welcome to attend and spend a little time getting to know Horkan. He will also attend Chamber Coffee on Friday, March 16 from 9:30-10. At 10:00 Horkan will leave for a tour of the Emmetsburg Schools. He will also be available at many of the public St. Pats functions. Horkan will start the ORound the Lock Run and ride in the 56th annual St. Patricks Parade on Saturday. He will participate in the Gathering of the Clans at the Fire Hall later in the day. Horkan is passionate about family and community, For me, individuals, families, and communities are the bedrock of society, Horkan commented. I look forward to my upcoming visit to Emmetsburg. Teen Mom OG star Farrah Abraham is single once again after she revealed that she broke up with boyfriend Aden Stay. In an interview, the 26-year-old single mom said she is taking a break from dating because men only get attracted to her success. Late last week, Abraham gushed on social media about Stay, 40, saying that he's the best date ever. It was during their date at Il Pastaio that the reality star said she is lucky and blessed to have met someone who is amazing. Since their split, however, Abraham deleted Aden's photo on her Instagram account. "I need to watch whom I date as many men target me for my success," Abraham said. "I'm focused on work right now, between TV and film projects. I wish him well, but I'm not rushing into relationships." Low-Key Dating After her short whirlwind romance with Stay, Abraham got a few words to say about the stunt actor. Stay was previously linked with Australian actress Rebel Wilson. "I found it interesting what Rebel Wilson said in an interview about him and how similar mine was - it's showing and telling," Abraham said. Abraham also said she is seeing someone new, but she likes to keep her dating life low-key. Meanwhile, Stay broke his silence and said that his split with Abraham had nothing to do with her success. The Game of Silence stuntman added that he had no idea of Abraham being a reality TV celebrity. The two went out on two dates together before they finally called it quits apparently due to Abraham's role on the show, according to Stay. He added he plans on staying single until the right woman comes to his life. Graceful Exit It appears that Abraham's renewed focus on her career presents a perfect timing. Viacom, MTV's parent company, terminated Abraham's contract several weeks ago. The young mom is also suing the company with $6 million worth of damages, on the grounds of wrongful termination and breach of contract. In the upcoming reunion of Teen Mom OG, Abraham said the MTV did not include her in the cast lineup. However, she said she refused to get affected and insisted she is still the show's brightest star. "I wish them all the best with the show. I'm out on a high note. This is the longest season in history and I'm their biggest star," Abraham said. After her Teen Mom OG journey, Abraham said she is done with reality TV and wants to explore acting opportunities. Model-actress Eva Longoria is expecting her first child soon, and her friend Kerry Washington has been instrumental in the pregnancy journey. In an interview, Longoria said it is Washington she would always come to ask for advice about her pregnancy. The Scandal actress has two children: Isabelle Amarachi, 3, and Caleb Kelechi, 17 months. "Kerry has actually been one of my main friends that I've been leaning on during pregnancy," Longoria said on Wednesday. "She helped me find a baby nurse, and [figure out what] a doula is. She's been an endless source of information." Aside from pieces of advice, Longoria said Washington also sends her resources to use during and post pregnancy. Example of which is a luggage full of maternity clothes, which Longoria said she has to add to before she passes it on to somebody else. Extended Family Recently, Longoria is photographed with friends Washington and Jane the Virgin actress Gina Rodriguez as they attended the Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA). "Sisters from other misters. That baby's gonna have a lotta aunties!" Washington, 41, said in a photo posted on Instagram. Longoria's attendance to the CDGA is in relation to the launching of her clothing line, The Eva Longoria Collection. The actress is just three months away from her due date, but that does not stop her from working. News of Longoria's pregnancy was confirmed in December. She is married to Mexican Jose "Pepe" Antonio Baston. Baston, who has three children from a previous marriage, is the president of Televisa, the largest media company in South America. The Texas native businesswoman and producer reportedly fell in love with Baston because of his parenting approach. When asked about the name of the upcoming baby, Longoria said there are still no definite plans for it. However, the actress said her son's name should not be weird, and it has to be Spanish. Choosing Fashion During Pregnancy Now that Longoria is almost seven months into the pregnancy, she certainly has to alter her clothes to fit her growing tummy. "I'm not a fan of empire waist or A-Line things," Longoria said, adding that she chooses jumpsuits or bomber jackets. In The Eva Longoria Collection, the actress-model said she and her team are working on women's fashion but are not considering venturing into maternity wear. "I'm not Jessica Alba. I don't have three kids. I think I'm not quite in the mommy group just yet!" Longoria joked when asked by fans about maternity wear. Sofia Richie will be happy to know that there's no hope for reconciliation for now between Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. Only a few days after Kardashian mysteriously deactivated her Instagram account, it appears that as of Tuesday, March 7, the former couple unfollowed each on the social media network. Those that have been in relationships know that nothing says it's over than cutting ties with each other on social media. A source told Radar Online that Kardashian and Disick are estranged and only communicate when necessary as he is very happy in his relationship with Richie. "They deal with each other when they have to but Scott is very, very into Sofia," the source revealed. Disick and Kardashian more than likely only communicate for the sake of their three children -- Mason, Penelope, and Reign. Disick isn't the only one that's over the moon about his new girl as Kardashian has been smiling from ear to ear and it's all thanks to her 24-year-old beau, Younes Bendjima. Kourtney And Younes Reunite Previously, Kardashian and Bendjima sparked breakup rumors when they unfollowed each other on Instagram and deactivated their accounts. However, as of Tuesday, March 7, things appeared to be back to normal as they are following each other again and their accounts are back to public view. Following the unusual social media behavior, a source told People that everything is fine. Well, it seems to be true as the two were spotted together Wednesday at Bristol Farms' Woodland Hills in Calabasas, California. The couple shared on their Instagram stories boomerangs and photos of each other as they roamed the aisles. In one video that Kourtney posted, Bendjima is pushing a shopping cart with one hand while tossing trash into a trash can. As for Bendjima, he shared a video of Kourtney casually walking down the aisle wearing a burgundy tracksuit and white sneakers. Bendjima on the other hand was in a black t-shirt with black pants. The mother of three also shared solo videos of herself jumping up and down in the grocery store. "First time to the market," the 38-year-old captioned the now deleted post. Kou rtney And Younes's Romance After deciding to call it quits with her baby daddy Scott Disick, Kourtney began dating Bendjima in October 2016. On an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney told Khloe Kardashian that Bendjima provided translation assistance when Kim Kardashian was robbed in Paris. Though the reality star never confirmed nor denied her relationship with the former boxer, the two officially went public with their relationship after they were seen together in Cannes in May 2017. Dean McDermott called the cops Wednesday morning to do a welfare check on his wife, Tori Spelling, after she left home with one of their kids. Welfare Check Deputies located Spelling at her doctor's office after McDermott called the cops to check up on his wife. Three Ventura County Sheriff's unit arrived at the doctor's office at a building in Thousand Oaks, California around 9:45 a.m. Footage from the wellness check showed McDermott standing outside the doctor's office while carrying their 1-year-old baby. An officer was also at the scene. However, everyone eventually went their merry way after the cops determined that Spelling and the kids were okay. No further action was taken since no crime was committed. "We were asked to check on her well-being, Deputies went out to talk to her briefly and determined she was fine," a spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department told ET. The Beverly Hills 90210 alum left home with one of their five kids, which apparently worried McDermott. It is unclear why he was so concerned about Spelling's well-being, although it may have something to do with her recent mental breakdown. Mental Breakdown This is the second time that the former Chopped host called the cops on his wife. Police responded to a disturbance call on March 1 at the family's home in Woodland Hills, California. Officer Rosario Herrera from the Los Angeles Police Department said the call came at 7:17 a.m. McDermott reportedly called the cops and told them that Spelling was having a mental breakdown. Officers spent several hours at the couple's home but determined the situation was a domestic incident and that no crime was committed. The night before, Spelling also called the cops to report a break-in. However, it was just McDermott arriving home. A source said that the True Tori star is in a tough place right now and can get very stressed with work, marriage, and her kids. Spelling shares children Stella, 9, Hattie, 6, Liam, 10, Finn, 5, and Beau, 1, with McDermott. A source said that the disturbance call at her home was a wake-up call for her to focus on her health. "Tori has a long road ahead, but she is finally realizing she needs to focus on her health and clean up her financial and marital problems. She loves having kids, but they have become her main focus and the stress of that with her marriage, and endless debt, left her no time for herself," the source said. The insider added that McDermott and Spelling are working together to overcome their financial issues and marital problems. The force is strong in Hollywood as Star Wars legend Mark Hamill received his star at the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Hamill: A 'Star Wars' Icon Hamill, 66, has a handful of other memorable roles under his belt, but none came close to his fame as the beloved Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. The celebrated franchise is well-represented during his ceremony with costar Harrison Ford and franchise creator George Lucas giving funny and touching tributes to the veteran actor. Star Wars actresses Kelly Marie Tran and Billie Lourd were also on hand to watch the fan-favorite Jedi get his star, along with R2-D2 and a stormtrooper on the sidelines. The Hollywood veteran was ecstatic with the honor, beaming from ear to ear and addressing the crowd with a heartfelt speech that included expressing his gratitude to Lucas, Ford, and his family. "You are with me through thick and thin and the highs and the lows and everywhere in between," Hamill says. "If it wasn't for the public I'd be nowhere. From Jedi to Joker and back again, it's been a fantastic ride. And may the Force be with all of you." The normally succinct Ford was playful with his speech, quipping that more people showed up for Hamill's star ceremony than his. The Han Solo actor shares that he went back to watch his old screen tests with Hamill before the event and was surprised at how well the then-newbie did. "I am very pleased for him, he has been the master of his own experience, his own life," Ford says as he caps off his speech. "He is, as he always was, a quiet, sincere, honest person ... I think he has found comfort and utility and control of his destiny, and I'm happy for you, pal." Lucas also weighs in, praising the actor for his enthusiasm that was the quality he was looking for in Luke Skywalker. "I'm very proud of Mark for getting his star," Lucas tells the crowd in his speech. "We've been around together for I don't want to say how many years, and we've come a long way from that casting session." Fans Show Up For Hamill It's not just Hamill's Star Wars colleagues who came to celebrate his Walk of Fame ceremony, but his fans also arrived in droves. Lt. Mark Chong of the LAPD tells Los Angeles Times that Walk of Fame events do not usually need the police to step in, but they had to for Hamill's ceremony, as thousands of people were expected to show up. Even the police officers are fans of the Star Wars films, Chong points out. Over a dozen police officers milled around the ceremony for crowd control and traffic. Netflix is going to air Rachel Dolezal's documentary soon, but clearly, people aren't at all pleased, to say the least, with it. The streamer's announcements of new shows are usually lauded, but people are infuriated over their newest documentary, named The Rachel Divide, that will start streaming on April 27. Their reasons can be summed up as that Dolezal's story should not have been unearthed, and such a powerful platform could have chosen a truthful story to delve deeper on. Rising To Fame For those who do not know Dolezal, she made headlines in 2015, after being exposed that she was not biologically a black woman which she had long claimed to be. This was announced by her parents, and which had launched a media frenzy. The 40-year-old was then a higher official of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was an activist. Dolezal claimed she experienced a lot of hate crimes, though police did not found evidence to support her statements. Because of the revelations, she was fired from the association and the controversy claimed her job as an instructor at the Eastern Washington University. Months after her exposition, Dolezal admitted in an interview that she was biologically white, though she identified herself as black. In 2016, she changed her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo. Now that years had passed by and media's attention shifted into bigger issues, Dolezal is here again to shed spotlight on her story, no thanks to Netflix. In a more than 2-minute trailer, she was seen conversing with her son, seemingly arguing over something. Apparently, Dolezal's son, Franklin, was not comfortable about reigniting the fire that died down, read: a documentary that would resurface everything. The boy's gestures and facial reactions said it all, that he was troubled about the renewed attention that would be given to him, his mother, and the entire family. "The more that I hear about it, the more that I talk to people about it, the more it just drains me," Franklin said. Sympathy Of course it should be noted that the storytelling of Dolezal's life would include the family. Social media users sympathized with the kid, slamming Netflix for having to bring the story out in the open again. The Stranger's Ijeoma Oluo, who wrote about the issue last year, expressed disappointment over the documentary. She added the "harmful" story should not have been dragged. "Even more upset at how the pain of her teenage son seems to be put on display," she wrote. Actress Patricia Arquette also took to social media to weigh in on the issue after witnessing the clip herself. She encouraged people to leave the children alone, as it was plain as day they have suffered enough already. Meanwhile, other users are just plain mad at Netflix and encouraged others to boycott the streamer. Abigail Spencer shares her insight on friend and former costar Meghan Markle stepping into the spotlight, saying she is one of the loveliest people around. Spencer is on the cover of the latest issue of People Magazine and in her interview, she talks about bride-to-be Markle, acting, and being inspired as a mom to 9-year-old Roman. Spencer: She Can Change The World "Meghan Markle is one of the loveliest human beings on the planet, in the world," Spencer says. "I'm just so excited that the world will get to experience her loveliness, and I really think that with her platform for charity and her fortitude she's going to have a great moment to change the world. If anyone can do it, it can be her." Spencer and Markle, both 36, starred together in the USA Network's hit drama Suits. While the former has been off the show for some time, the latter is only set to leave when Suits returns for the second half of the seventh season at the end of the month. Now, both Spencer and Markle are at different stages in their careers and lives, and the Timeless actress is happy for her former costar. "I've known her for so long," she explains. "I'm just excited the world gets to meet the person I love so much. It's just so wonderful to see her so happy and so in love." In her interview, Spencer talked about living her dream to be an actress now that she's in the time-traveling NBC drama Timeless. However, she admits that the best role she has been given is as mother to her son, Ronan, which let her fulfill a longing for a life that's not just about her. The actress adds that having a child inspired her to explore a new side of herself. "Becoming Roman's mom was such an incredible reinvention of myself," she explains. "I started writing. I wrote a pilot that I sold. I started writing films. I just felt this creative rebirth on every level when I became his mother." Markle's Wedding Prep It's not confirmed whether Spencer will be flying across the Atlantic to attend the royal wedding, but a source tells Hello! that the Timeless star was invited and likely to attend along with other Suits cast members and executives. Indeed, the wedding bells are getting closer and closer for Markle and Prince Harry. To prep herself for the big day, the bride-to-be was recently thrown a bridal shower with her friends at member's club Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. "Markus Anderson has helped throw the shower for Meghan and a small group of mostly her London friends," a source tells E! News. "It's just a relaxing day of good food and pampering." In preparation for the wedding, the actress was also recently baptized in a secret ceremony attended by Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Even Mark Salling's death could not hinder his ex-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela from asking $2.7 million settlement from his estate. Gorzela filed for a creditor's claim against the Glee star's estate, stating he owed her $2.7 million from the sexual assault case she won against the actor. The case stemmed from a 2011 incident, when Salling allegedly coerced her to have an unprotected intercourse with him. After the incident, Gorzela had to confront him of what happened and they got into an altercation, which prompted Salling to push her to the ground. The accuser officially filed for a case in January 2013. As of writing, Salling's camp has no statement. Salling took his own life near his house in California late January. He was 35. His death came while he was awaiting sentence for his child pornography case. Salling was arrested in December 2015 after the Los Angeles Police Department was tipped by a former girlfriend of disturbing contents on his gadgets. Police saw thousands of explicit contents on his laptop, flash drive, and hard drive. But what's even more harrowing is that, the subject were children. In October last year, Salling finally admitted possession of child pornography. He went into a plea deal in December, and was sentenced to be locked behind bars for four to seven years, instead of 20 years. However, a month before the sentence was to take effect, he hanged himself. Self-harm At the height of the chaos, TMZ once reported that Salling had cut himself. The outlet narrated the actor panicked and called for his roommate who in turn dialed 911. He was taken to a hospital, and after a few days, was entered into a rehab, citing psychological problems. It was linked to the actor's preference of sweatshirts and long sleeves, despite the heat. However, Salling's camp denied he hurt himself. "Mark is physically fine and Mark is spending his time atoning and working on himself," his lawyer said back then. 'Glee' Reunion Salling was known for his role as bad boy, school bully, Noah Puckerman, or simply Puck, in the musical series Glee. The show also starred Lea Michele as Rachel Berry, Matthew Morrison as instructor Will Schuester, Jane Lynch, who played Sue Sylvester, and the late Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson. Of late, the cast of Glee got together a month after Salling's death. Morrison shared a photo on his Instagram account. Obviously missing were Michele and Darren Chris. "It's a GLEE-Union!! What a beautiful night hangin with my old kids & new kid! Ohana," Morrison wrote. The light side of the Force has spoken as Star Wars icon Mark Hamill sent a message of hope to a young fan and girls all around the galaxy. The 66-year-old veteran actor showed why he's a fan favorite with a Twitter exchange that features his signature positivity and enthusiasm. The Force Is Strong In Females It began when a Twitter user reached out to Hamill, saying her daughter is in tears at the moment over wanting to wear a Star Wars shirt, but fearing her classmates' ridicule for liking "boy stuff." The Luke Skywalker actor instantly responded in encouragement with a gif of himself brushing off his shoulder in the Star Wars: The Last Jedi. "The Force is, & always will be strong with females here on Earth & in galaxies far, far away," he wrote. - mh Just tell her to feel free to use this gesture if her classmates give her any grief. "Boy stuff"? PLEASE! The Force is, & always will be strong with females here on Earth & in galaxies far, far away.- mh pic.twitter.com/lAI4AGr0sc Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 8, 2018 It's the perfect sentiment to cap off International Women's Day, especially since Disney attracted backlash by announcing Jon Favreau as the writer and producer of a new Star Wars television series during a day honoring women around the world. Hamill's Twitter Activities Even beyond offering comfort to young kids, Hamill is an active Twitter user and he may have just landed a major gig for it. When one fan on Twitter reached out to Guardians of the Galaxy big gun James Gunn asking him to create a role for the Star Wars actor in the third film of the ensemble movie, Gunn responded by saying the two of them are actually neighbors in Malibu and they can talk it out over coffee. Hamill, a self-described "unemployed actor," told the Marvel executive to DM him, who then responded in the affirmative. So while the actor already has an impressive career, he's not calling quits just yet. The Star Wars legend, who was just honored with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has a few projects lined up plus his potential gig in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, of course. The actor is set to voice characters in television movie Relatively Super and television mini-series Transformers: Power of the Primes. Kris Jenner shares a beautiful message for all of her daughters on social media on the occasion of International Women's Day Kris Jenner's Touching Tribute To Daughters On a day that commemorates the movement for women's rights, Kris took to social media to share a heartwarming tribute to her five daughters Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner. On Thursday, March 8, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star posted a picture of herself along with her daughters. The said photo was taken from their photo shoot for The Hollywood Reporter last year to mark the 10th anniversary of their E! reality series. The 62-year-old momager accompanied the picture with a heartfelt caption about how she is so proud of their achievements both in their personal as well as work lives. She added that some of them are incredible mothers and also praised the women's work ethics and how she's inspired by how they give their 100 percent every single day. Im so proud of my girls and their hearts and what amazing moms they are and their work ethic and how they get up and do their best every single day.... they share, they give back, they care... they are my best friends and my angels! #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/xaQJImitlI Kris Jenner (@KrisJenner) March 8, 2018 Thank you girls for teaching me how to be better every single moment we share... you give me life and I love you (of course I love Rob the same but its International Womens Day ) #MYSQUAD Kris Jenner (@KrisJenner) March 8, 2018 Kardashian-Jenner Women Honors International Women's Day The Kardashian and Jenner daughters followed their mother's footsteps. They all shared posts honoring Women's Day on their respective social media platforms. Kim shared a series of pictures on Instagram to honor women across the globe. The mother-of-three first shared a picture of herself with the caption, "Empowered women empower women." She then followed it up with a family picture of herself, Khloe, and Kourtney accompanied with the simple caption "Happy International Women's Day." She also promoted some feminist kimojis on Twitter in honor of International Women's Day. Kendall, on the other hand, simply retweeted her mother's post on Twitter. "Love you momma," she wrote along with the retweet. Kylie also kept it simple by sharing an Instagram picture of herself on Thursday captioned "women's day." Khloe also shared a message about International Women's Day on her app and website, listing the reasons she loves "being a woman." "I'm celebrating International Women's Day today by embracing everything I love about womanhood and honoring all the strong, sexy and brilliant women in my life," she wrote on her app. "I love being a woman because I can do it all and still look sexy! I want women everywhere to know: it's okay to love yourself first." It's been a rough few weeks for Tori Spelling. The actress was at the center of a domestic dispute and is reportedly in financial distress. Struggling To Pay Bills Dean McDermott's ex-wife, Mary Jo Eustace, spoke out about the Chopped Canada host's failure to pay alimony payments or to provide for their son. Eustace was married to McDermott from 1993 to 2006. The two split after he had an affair with Spelling on the set of a TV movie which they were both starring at the time. Eustace took her ex to court last year over child custody payments, and the two settled out of court. She explained how McDermott had failed to pay for the rent of their son, Jack, while he was studying at university. When Eustace was set to take his father back to court, Spelling stepped up to the plate. "Tori reached out to me and basically said that she would be covering the alimony because Dean didn't have any money, and she would be doing it," Eustace explained. After a few months of footing the bill on behalf of McDermott, the payments from Spelling reportedly dried up, much to Eustace's annoyance. "I didn't hear from her ... And I reached out to Dean and he didn't respond to me, and I reached out to both of them, and I didn't hear anything," she claimed. Struggling To Cope The couple appears to have a fiery relationship. Police responded to a domestic dispute at Spelling's house on Thursday of last week. Although the LAPD didn't confirm whether she and McDermott had an argument, they only revealed that they responded to a 911 call about a domestic dispute, it's presumed to be the case. Spelling reportedly told Eustace she'd been ill, and admitted to going through a stressful time in her life. The two have only communicated via text message thus far. The 90210 alum's family and friends are allegedly very worried about her. McDermott recently reached out to police to track his wife down, after she abruptly left the family home with one of their children. She was subsequently found outside a doctor's office, and the cops concluded Spelling was fine. The 44-year-old actress has struggled to get work for years, and is reportedly now the primary caregiver for the five children living with her and McDermott. He was reportedly caught having an affair back in 2013, which has also put a strain on their relationship. "You would think the cheating, money problems and constant arguing would be enough for Tori to decide to divorce Dean, but she refuses to even discuss it," explained a source. Spelling, who starred in classic nineties shows including Beverly Hills 90210 and Saved By The Bell, is the daughter of TV super-producer Aaron Spelling. He reportedly left a $600 million fortune when he passed away in 2006. However, Tori only received $800,000 allegedly due to her reckless spending habits. The reviews are in for Disney's A Wrinkle In Time, one of the biggest and most anticipated releases of the year. A Star-Studded Adaptation Selma director Ava DuVernay's celeb-stuffed adaptation, which stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Mindy Kaling in key roles, hits theaters Friday. The movie also played an interesting role in the 90th Academy Awards, as host Jimmy Kimmel invaded a screening across the road alongside stars including Gal Gadot and Ansel Elgort. This isn't the first adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's celebrated 1962 fantasy novel. Alfre Woodard and Alison Elliott starred in a 2003 TV movie for ABC, which L'Engle wasn't a fan of, famously telling the press it met her expectations by being terrible. Lukewarm Reception Now, it seems, DuVernay's big-budget film might be getting the same treatment. Critic Todd McCarthy, of The Hollywood Reporter, pointed to the film's bagginess and less-than-ideal structure. "Most scenes are dominated by far too much cutting. ... One's engagement with the likeable enough characters starts flagging in the final third as the air escapes the balloon. On top of that, the bromides about the primacy of family and being true to yourself are signaled, but not earned," he wrote. The Washington Post's Alyssa Rosenberg discussed her difficulty in separating A Wrinkle In Time the movie from DuVernay's worth as an activist and political commentator. "Some directors become sufficiently important figures that it can feel as though commenting on their work is inseparable from commenting on the worthiness of their larger intellectual project," she wrote in her review of the movie. Still An Important Step She doesn't think the film is any good, but Rosenberg is also filled with regret that she has to say as much. DuVernay is expressing, through this flawed film, a vision of Hollywood to which we all should, and could, aspire. The Boston Herald's James Verniere is more cutting, pointing to the movie's weaknesses in sci-fi plotting and decent visuals, as well as its reliance on stunning audiences with costuming. "[DuVernay] imagined the book's central family as multiracial, brings her keen sense for acting talent to the film's casting, if also a weak eye for science-fiction and fantasy visuals. ... Less effort on hair, wardrobe and hugs and more on dialogue and originality, I say," he wrote. A Wrinkle In Time drops Friday and is a major coup for movies made by people of color. As a Disney project, it stakes a claim for being the first $100 million film production directed by a black woman and for featuring a highly multicultural cast. Hopefully, more film companies will produce similar movies in years to come. It also signals changing attitudes in Hollywood. Kylie Jenner may be a new mom and in a relationship with Travis Scott, however, that doean't mean she can no longer be close with her former flame, rapper Tyga. Since Jenner gave birth to her daughter, Stormi Webster, Tyga reportedly "misses" his relationship with the reality star and has been doing little things to get back into her life. 'Why Can't We Be Friends?' According to reports, the rapper was devastated when he first saw Stormi on Jenner's instagram. "Tyga is heartbroken after seeing Stormi's cute baby pics online. Tyga has been trying to work hard, move on and put the past behind him but he still misses Kylie a lot. Stormi is a big reminder to Tyga what could have been with him and Kylie if he had been a better boyfriend," a source had stated. Recently, the rapper commented on Jenner's sister, Kim Kardashian, by trying to correct a word she misspelled on her post on Instagram. He is also reportedly still close to Kourtney Kardashian's ex and father to her three kids, Scott Disick. Rumors also began to spread that due to the timing of Tyga and Jenner's relationship with the latter's current relationship and the birth of her daughter, Tyga could be Stormi's father and the rapper was seeking a paternity test to prove it. "Now that he has studied the Stormi's face, Tyga has pretty much given up hope and stopped pressuring Kylie for a DNA test and is coming to terms with the truth," the insider continued. Tyga opened up to the radio show The Breakfast Club about his break-up with Jenner where he admitted he wasn't "in love" with her any longer and that Jenner cared too much about "image and perception." The "Rack City" rapper didn't confirm his relationship with Jenner after months of speculation in 2016. The ex-couple's relationship sparked controversy in the tabloids because of the age difference, and they were reportedly dating since Jenner was 16. The legal age of consent in the state of California is 18. Jenner started dating Scott immediately after she broke up with Tyga. The former couple's relationship was also slammed as fans accused Jenner of stealing the rapper from his ex-fiancee, Blac Chyna. Blac Chyna and Tyga together have a son, King Cairo Stevenson, who was born in October 2012, before they split in 2014. Ironically enough, Blac Chyna would go on to have a relationship with Jenner's half-brother, Rob Kardashian. Rob and Blac Chyna hava a daughter, Dream Kardashian, who was born in November 2016. The truth has come out about Livia Giuggiolo, wife of Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth, and her history with a journalist who she claimed stalked her. Giuggiolo admitted that she had an affair with the man, Marco Brancaccia. A Lover Turned Stalker? Giuggiolo said Brancaccia had sent her frightening messages. While authorities are looking into her claims, Brancaccia has maintained his innocence and said it was an allegation Giuggiolo hoped would defer attention from their affair from 2015 to 2016. Firth and Giuggiolo released a joint statement that confirmed Giuggiolos once secret relationship and revealed that Firth and Giuggiolo were not actually together during that time. A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate, said the statement. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr. Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited. The statement claimed that since the end of Giuggiolo and Brancaccias affair, Brancaccia has had trouble letting go and has harassed Giuggiolo for months. They added in the statement that they have proof of Brancaccias alleged stalking. Interestingly enough, the couple didnt want the matter to go public. Still, it made headlines after a court document was leaked. This is greatly to be regretted, said the statement. Prosecutors in Italy want Brancaccia indicted on the charges. As for Brancaccias statement, he has been open about his past with Giuggiolo. His Side Of Things Brancaccia said he only sent her two messages on WhatsApp once she broke things off with him in the summer of 2016. He said that before then, she had plans to leave her husband for good. He added that he actually contacted Firth himself to let him know about the affair. He said that while he wishes he wouldnt have done that, he believes thats what sparked the stalking claims against him. He added that she was afraid Brancaccia would reveal not only their relationship to the public but also things that she told him about her marriage to Firth. He added that within the year they were seeing one another in private, Giuggiolo gave him hundreds of messages that included pictures, video clips, and a journal. Colin Firth Stuck In The Middle? When it came to Firths response, Brancaccia said he actually was understanding about it all. Firth and Giuggiolo tied the knot back in 1997. They have two sons, Luca, 16, and Matteo, 15, together. They have maintained that they are working on their marriage after their separation. Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest news and updates on your favorite celebrities. Oprah Winfrey opened up about why she often rocks the red carpet solo, although the media icon is still going strong with her longtime boyfriend, Stedman Graham. Their Adorable History While the two are one of Hollywoods favorite couples, they are also one of the most private as Graham with Winfrey are hardly ever seen out and about. It should be noted the two have been together for more than 30 years after their relationship first sparked in 1986. Graham popped the question to Winfrey back in November 1992 but they never married as Winfrey made it clear they would not have lasted as husband and wife. They first met at a philanthropic event in their hometown of Chicago. How Maya Angelou Played A Part Still, its safe to say all is good in their household as Winfrey revealed why she makes more appearances without him. She said in an interview that she is shielding Graham from the public, especially after lies were reported in headlines a few years ago. According to Winfrey, the late poet Maya Angelou was an encouraging force to her as she tried to tell Winfrey not to pay attention to what was being written about her. It has nothing to do with you, Winfrey said Angelou told her. Instead, Angelou said it had more to do with the person actually writing the story, a factor she said was all the more reason for Winfrey to ignore the negativity. Still, Winfrey has decided to protect Graham by not going out with him as much. I realized that every time theres a new photograph, there is a new story, said Winfrey. Its an invitation. Who Is Stedman Graham? Considering her private life with Graham, not much is known about him. What we do know is that hes actually got a name for himself outside of nicknames like Oprahs boyfriend and Mr. Oprah. Hes a New York Times best-selling author after penning 11 books from motivational to business and he also has a degree in social work. Graham is also father to daughter Wendy, 42, from a previous marriage. As of June 2015, hes a grandfather as well to Wendys daughter. A fun fact: he's 6-foot-7. Just like much of America, Graham wants Winfrey to run for President. Still, as for his own career, he worked in public relations with a racial activism concentration and has had a prominent clientele such as Angelou and Winnie Mandela. He is currently the CEO of a company he founded, Leadership Institute of Chicago and Athletes Against Drugs. He is also the founder and COO of S. Graham & Associates which is a marketing and consulting firm. Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest on your favorite celebrities. The European Commission and Tunisia have signed an administrative arrangement with the aim of boosting mutual ties in civil protection and disaster risk management. The key areas of cooperation are disaster prevention, readiness and response on emergency issues such as floods, forest fires and rescue missions. Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides commented that global challenges require joint efforts and partnerships. The agreement is a win-win for both sides and will mean practical results for people during times of need. It is a tangible sign that EU cooperation with Tunisia is deep and strong. Commissioner Stylianides also reiterated the EUs commitment to supporting Tunisia as a key civil protection partner in its wider southern neighborhood. Under the new arrangement, Tunisia will benefit from training for experts, the establishment of joint emergency response plans as well as closer cooperation in a number of areas. Following the agreement with Algeria in December 2016, this is the second time that a similar deal has been signed with a country from the EUs southern neighborhood. EU-Tunisia relations that date back to 1976 gained significant momentum when Tunisia signed an Association Agreement in 1995, paving the way for twenty years of mutually beneficial trade and economic relations. Since 2011, EU assistance to Tunisia increased substantially and between 2011 and 2016, EU assistance totaled at 2 billion euros. This package was used to help the Tunisian authorities with the countrys democratic and economic transition and it contributed to the countrys fiscal stability through macro-financial assistance. For investment income, what will happen is pretty much what AARO said, though it's not a matter of a direct credit of what you paid to the US against your French tax obligation. For investment income, you report that on your "main" tax declaration (the 2042 or one of the variations) and then again on a 2047 (which is the form for reporting foreign source income). On the 2047, you detail the type of income (i.e. investment) and what country it's from. The tax office will take that information into consideration and will make the necessary allowances for the fact that the income is taxed in the US (at standard rates - so you don't have to provide your US tax returns or anything). You may wind up paying some amount in CSG, which isn't an income tax, so isn't considered for US tax purposes, but overall, you should wind up paying 0 in French income tax on the investment income. Although it sounds like a lot of work for nothing, you will find that having that Avis d'Imposition (basically the tax bill based on what you filed) will be very handy later on in various administrative matters, if only to document that you owe nothing to the Fisc. All in all, you may well find it a much more logical and effective system than the US tax returns (at least after you get used to it). Cheers, Bev More than 100 farmers will have to look for new opportunities By Diego Flammini News Reporter Farms.com Some dairy farmers in Pennsylvania were dealt a huge blow to their operations last week. Swiss Premium Dairy, a large processor in Lebanon County, began issuing letters to producers on Feb. 26 that indicate it would be terminating contracts with some farmers. I regret to notify you we must cease purchasing milk from your dairy farm. Our agreement will end in 90 days, Brent Bruce, director of dairy direct operations with Dean Foods, the processors parent company, said in the letter obtained by Farms.com. More than 100 dairy farmers across nine states received similar letters from Dean Foods. The contract will end on May 31, the letter states. More than 100 dairy farmers across nine states have received similar notices, Dean Foods said in a statement. Farmers are producing more milk but Americans are drinking three gallons less milk per person per year since 2010, the statement adds. Increased competition between processors is also a factor in the decision, according to the statement. Now dairy farmers have about three months to find new opportunities but they first have to come to grips with their current situation. These notices came out of nowhere. There was no forewarning, and (Swiss Premium) is the dairy everybody wanted to sell their milk to, Nelson Troutman, a producer from Lebanon County, told Farms.com today. Troutman isnt directly affected by Swiss Premiums announcement as he sells his milk to another processor. However, hes seeing the impact of the situation through friends who received letters from Dean Foods. Some of these farmers have called six different dairy processors and nobody will take their milk, Troutman said. These are good people and good farmers with young families. Without processors to accept their milk, dairy producers are considering all options. You can only dump milk for so long before you start losing money, Troutman said. Some will have no choice but to develop an exit plan and leave the dairy industry entirely. Farmers can access some resources if they prepare to transition their production plans. The Center for Dairy Excellence in Harrisburg, Pa., can connect farmers with consultants to help determine the best solution for their operations. Were trying to help the farms in their transition, whether thats to another milk market or if its to another agricultural enterprise, Jayne Sebright, executive director of the Center for Dairy Excellence, told Farms.com today. One resource we have is the Dairy Decisions Consultants business tool. The program provides dairy farmers with professional consulting resources. Once accepted into the program, producers can receive up to $3,500 to work with a consultant. A consultant will come to his or her farm to help the (team) think through their options moving forward, Sebright said. The consultant will talk with farmers about their individual situations, how to identify whats available, what path they need to (follow to) move forward, and put a plan in motion to do so. Top photo: Google Maps The Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) and Alberta Barley today welcomed the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP). The Commissions urge quick passage by Parliament to ensure Canada is among the first group of countries included when the trade deal takes effect. The CPTPP will unlock new access and improve the trading environment for wheat and barley products throughout member countries and ensures Canadian farmers will stay competitive. The deal was signed at an official ceremony in Chile earlier today. Quick passage will ensure that Canada does not lose out on export opportunities to our main competitors, including Australia and New Zealand, who have signalled that they will move forward quickly with ratification upon signing the agreement. These two countries have pre-existing trade agreements with Japan, one of Canadas largest markets for wheat exports. Countries within the TPP zone import more than 6 million tonnes of wheat annually, representing nearly 27 per cent of Canadas wheat export market valuing over $1.5 billion in farm revenues. Canadian farmers are export dependent. This agreement not only opens up new market opportunities which will translate to added profitability for this industry, but it will also ensure that Canada isnt losing market share to our main competitors within the CPTPP zone, said Kevin Bender, AWC Chair. Impacts on our sector will be immediate once this agreement goes into effect. For wheat exports, Canadian farmers will gain a major advantage over U.S. wheat entering into Japan one of Canadas biggest markets since the U.S. is no longer part of the agreement. For Canadian barley, reduction or elimination of tariffs and quotas for feed, food and malt will translate into an additional 400-500 thousand tonnes and $100 million in increased revenue through direct exports, and through domestic feed and malt processing demands to countries in the CPTPP zone. CPTPP will also help Canadian barley to regain its foothold in the Japanese market after seeing a 75 per cent loss between 2012 and 2015 due to Australias free trade agreement with Japan. Canadian barley will also see increased demand within domestic markets since Canadian beef exports are one of the largest projected export gains. Todays announcement is a big win for the agri-food sector, said Jason Lenz, Alberta Barley Chair. CPTPP paves the way for significant diversification in our markets, new export opportunities and better competitive advantage for Canadian farmers. Source : Alberta Wheat Commission The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) applauded the Government of Canada for signing the final text of the historic Comprehensive and Progressive TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) and urged swift movement to ratify the deal. Today, just weeks after the negotiations concluded in Japan, Canadas Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and the Trade Ministers of the 10 Pacific Rim countries signed the CPTPP agreement in an official ceremony in Chile. The signing means the complete text may begin the ratification process through the Canadian and signatory governments. We are encouraged by Canadas commitment to the agreement and pleased to see it move closer to ratification, says Brian Innes, CAFTA president. Having preferential access for the first time to Japan,Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore will fire up the agri-food sectors engine and move us toward the governments ambitious target of $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025. Implementing the CPTPP will give Canada new free trade agreements with seven countries in the Asia Pacific and update existing trade agreements in Latin America (Mexico, Chile and Peru). The big prize in the deal for Canadian agri-food exporters is Japan, Canadas third-largest export market and a high value and stable market for agri-food products, importing $4 billion of Canadian agri-foods every year. The CPTPP also provides Canada a competitive advantage in the region over the U.S. since it is not part of the agreement. "Once implemented, the agreement will mean more stability and prosperity for Canada, says Innes. Now we need the Canadian government and Parliament to make it happen. Canadian agri-food exporters generate a GDP of $ 96 billion. 1 The food and beverage sector is the largest employer in Canada with close to a quarter of a million jobs, more than the automotive and aerospace sectors combined. The deal will enter into force 60 days after six countries ratify it and several members are expected to do so by the summer. CAFTA wants Canada to be in that first wave in order to take full advantage of the initial tariff cuts. Growth will come from international markets, especially Asia where theres a growing middle class, says Innes. We can finally start catching up in the fastest-growing region in the world. Our competitors are already ahead of us. Canada should be leading the way to implement this deal. Australia, Mexico and Chile already have free trade agreements with Japan and the Japan-EU FTA will cut 85 per cent of Japanese tariffs on European agri-food exports. As one of the first and most vocal supporters of the trade agreement, CAFTA welcomed the news in January that Canada concluded negotiations on the deal and will continue to work closely with its members in supporting the quick ratification of the CPTPP. We appreciate the leadership shown by Ministers Francois-Phillipe Champagne and Lawrence MacAulay to enable the agri-food sector to create growth and jobs through this agreement, says Innes. As a CPTPP member we are well positioned to welcome new entrants like the U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines, says Innes. We hope all parties will recognize the importance of this agreement and urge the Government, the House of Commons and the Senate to move ahead on ratification expeditiously. CAFTA representatives are in Chile for the signing ceremony. They have attended numerous rounds and met regularly with the Canadian negotiators to ensure that the outcomes would provide real benefits for its member organizations. CAFTA Executive Director Claire Citeau, Gary Stordy of the Canadian Pork Council, Kim ONeil of the Canadian Meat Council and John Masswohl and David Haywood-Farmer of the Canadian Cattlemens Association attended the signing ceremony in Santiago. Source : Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance By Mary Hightower Impact of 25 percent retaliatory tariffs could be $383 million to Arkansas Tariffs could cause 14 percent decline in value of oilseeds, grains If trade partners inflict a 25 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. soy, rice, corn, and grain sorghum, Arkansas could take a $383 million hit in overall value-added to its economy, according to an analysis released Thursday by economists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Also Thursday, President Trump announced plans to impose import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, with exemptions for Canada and Mexico. Estimated impacts if US is subject to retaliatory tariffs. Agriculture in the United States is a potentially likely target for retaliation, said Eric Wailes, distinguished professor and L.C. Carter endowed chair of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. And Arkansas is a major oilseed and grain exporter to China, Canada, and Mexico among others. Wailes, along with department colleagues Alvaro Durand-Morat, assistant professor of agricultural economist; and technical assistant Leah English, prepared an analysis of potential impact on rice, corn, soybeans and sorghum exports should the U.S. implement trade tariffs. If the value of Arkansas oilseed and grain sectors each fell by 14 percent, Wailes said. The result would be an output loss of $243.7 million in the oilseed farming sector and $191 million in the grain farming sector. The team said those losses could adversely affect Arkansas employment by around 4,438 jobs, reduce labor income by $261 million and reduce overall value-added to the state economy by $383 million. The reduced crop production values are relative to the 2017 preliminary no-tariff estimates reported by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Here is the analysis by commodity: Rice The U.S. is fifth-largest exporter of rice in the world and exports an annual average 3.4 million metric tons, or 54 percent of production. Arkansas accounts for about 50 percent of the U.S. rice economy. Mexico, Japan and Canada are the major export markets for U.S. rice. In their analysis, the economists assumed that only Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Turkey, Japan, the European Union and Taiwan would retaliate. Both the U.S. long grain and medium grain rice markets stand to lose from the retaliatory measures of the selected importing countries, Durand-Morat said. We estimate total U.S. rice production and exports to drop 1.3 percent and 3 percent, respectively, and domestic consumption increases marginally, as a result of the implementation of import tariffs on U.S. rice. The total value of U.S. rice production would decrease by $151 million due to a combination of lower producer prices and output. Rice producers welfare, measured by the producer surplus, would decrease by $118 million. U.S. consumers would benefit from the trade restrictions through lower prices, increasing their welfare some $66 million. Exports to Mexico and Canada would decrease significantly, but the impact would be much smaller in Japan because it already imposes high restrictions on rice imports. Other customers such as Haiti and Colombia would also benefit from the decrease in U.S. rice prices and expand their imports, which partially offsets the decrease in trade with the countries imposing the retaliatory import tariff on U.S. rice. Soybeans The U.S. is a major exporter of soybeans with China being its biggest market. In 2016, Arkansas ranked No. 11 in share of U.S. soybean sales of nearly $1,592 billion, 3.8 percent of total U.S. soybean receipts. A 25 percent tariff would result in a 14 percent loss of value and a 19 percent decline in export volume. Between 2015 and 2017, the average volume of U.S. net soybean exports is 55.7 million metric tons or 49 percent of domestic production. Corn The U.S. is also a major exporter of corn, with the largest markets being Mexico, Japan, Colombia and South Korea. Arkansas ranks 19th among states in corn production. The average volume of corn exports from the U.S. for 2015-2017 is 52.9 million metric tons or 14 percent of domestic production. A 25 percent tariff would mean a 14 percent decline in value and a 44 percent loss in exports. Sorghum The U.S. is the major exporter of sorghum with most of the shipments sold to China. The average volume of U.S. sorghum exports for the 2015-17 period is 7.12 million metric tons or 58 percent of domestic production. Among U.S. states, Arkansas ranked ninth in value of sorghum production in 2016 at $17 million. Using a similar model as for soybeans and corn, U.S. sorghum prices would decline by 18 percent, while volume of exports would fall 12 percent. Methodology The soybean, corn and sorghum analysis aggreg8arch 9lso ortersthrough lower ctics Service. e of oilseeds, grainsrknasas and $191 million inthe . Rice. AGriculture. million ates all importers and all other exporters into a rest-of-world, or ROW, region and assumes a uniform tariff on all U.S. exports. A net trade, partial equilibrium model with the U.S. as the net exporter and the ROW as the net importer solves for a new equilibrium price and U.S. export level relative to the averages of the 2015 to 2017 marketing years. The rice analysis is more detailed, based on detailed global models maintained by the Division of Agriculture. It allows for differential trade responses depending on likely and unlikely U.S. rice export flows that would face a tariff backlash from countries who export steel to the U.S. State impact estimates use the IMPLAN model, but these estimates are approximate since the input-output relationships for grains and oilseeds are not highly disaggregated. 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. Suki Waterhouse thinks happiness smells like "macaroni and cheese". Suki Waterhouse The 26-year-old model is the face of Salvatore Ferragamo's new fragrance Amo, and when discussing what her favourite scents are, she came to bizarre conclusions about the smells she associates with love and happiness. She told TheCut.com: "[The smell that makes her happy is] macaroni and cheese. I wouldn't say I would be home making it, that would be a lie. Something from Postmates, something really cheesy. "I think I used to eat mac 'n' cheese a lot when I was younger. We used to have a lot of cauliflower cheese with bread crumbs. It reminds me of my mum's cooking and yummy meals." Asked what reminds her of love, the British beauty explained: "The tuft of hair on the back of a baby. Like, my brothers and sisters had that. It makes me want to eat the child, just so much love that you have to restrain yourself. I'm eight years older than my siblings so I remember a lot of them growing up." And Suki - who has previously starred on the cover of Vogue and Elle magazines - revealed that if she had to choose a smell that reminded her of her childhood, it would be the "muddy" water of the River Thames. The model - who was born in London, where the river divides the north and south of the city - explained: "I would have to say is the smell of the River Thames. It's a muddy, earthy smell. "I kind of grew up on the river. We'd run down there, with our wellies on, and get covered in mud. We'd also try to go rowing." Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category 404 Page Not Found The page you were looking for doesn't exist Take me home HE PRESIDENT KONROTE AT THE INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY CELEBRATION The Honourable Mereseini Vuniwaqa, Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Honourable Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers Honourable Members of Parliament Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and High Commissioners and Members of the Diplomatic Corp Permanent Secretaries and Divisional Commissioners Representatives from the Development Agencies Friends from Corporate Organizations Representatives of Women Non-Governmental Organisations Members of the Media Distinguished Guests Ladies and GentlemanNi sa Bula Vinaka, Namaste, Asalaam Alaykum, Ni Hao, Noaia e Mauri, and a very good evening to you all.Please allow me at the outset to acknowledge and thank the Honourable Mereseini Vuniwaqa, Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation for inviting my wife Sarote and I to be part of this years International Womens Day Celebration.We are both humbled and honoured to be here not only to officiate at this very important event, but also to launch two vital initiatives that the Ministry has developed in consultation with key stakeholders in Fiji.These initiatives include the National Service Delivery Protocol and the 4th National Womens Expo. Essentially, they are both aimed at continuing to position Fiji to ultimately achieve gender-equality. This is consistent with Fijis 2013 Constitution which provides an unprecedented and broad range of rights for all Fijians, including women, girls and children. Both initiatives will bring positive changes in society so that Fijian women can enjoy a life free of violence and abuse.Additionally, through the National Womens Expo, Fijian Women Artisans can benefit from a connecting platform to domestic and international markets that could provide the means towards a sustainable livelihood for themselves, their families and the national economy.The development of these initiatives is a testament that the multi-sectorial involvement of key stakeholders is highly efficient, empowering, and a collaborative approach to tackle violence against women and children.I understand that the key stakeholders involved in the development of these initiatives include the Suva-based Office of the United Nations Women (UN Women), the United Nations International Childrens Education Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and a host of Non-Governmental Organisations. To each one of these organisations, I commend and thank you for joining forces with the Fijian Government. I have every confidence that the initiatives will have a profound impact on the lives of the women in Fiji.Ladies and gentlemen, Sarote and I are very honoured to be part of the International Womens Day where we can encourage the nation to recommit ourselves to upholding womens rights to safety, justice, and equal access to economic opportunities, among others. This is an opportune time to reflect on the progress we have made as a nation to improve the lives of our women and girls. It is also a time to rally for more recognition of the role of women in society, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in their communities and in our nation as a whole.I understand that the International Womens Day is celebrated widely across the world. The event originated from a labor movement to become an UN-recognized annual event. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City to demand for shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote. With the struggles and sacrifices and lobbying of womens rights activists around the world, the International Womens Day was adopted as an important feature in the United Nations calendar.The UN Theme for International Womens day 2018 is Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Womens Lives. The theme provides an opportunity to encourage greater action to empower women in all settings, and to recognise the activists who are working relentlessly to claim womens rights and realize their full potential.Echoing the priority theme of the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, International Womens Day 2018 will also draw attention to the rights and activism of rural women, approximately 189,000 of whom make up the rural population of Fiji, according to the 2017 Census.The campaign that we have adopted locally for the International Womens Day is Press for Progress. This is aimed at acknowledging both the progress we have made as a nation thus far and the opportunity to do even more for our women and girls.Fijian women and girls make up 50% of our population. They obviously contribute significantly to our progress at the home front, within the communities and at both the national and international levels. They certainly deserve our nations collective support.International Womens Day is also an opportunity to consider how to accelerate the 2030 United Nations Agenda, building impetus for the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially goals 4 and 5, which are to Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning, and to Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.More recently, the Global Gender Index Report ranked Fiji as 125 out of the 144 countries in the 2017 World Economic Forum. This ranking considers womens participation in four key areas including economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment.From a score of 0-1, Fiji scored 0.979 for health and survival, 0.991 for educational attainment, 0.479 for economic participation and opportunity and 0.104 for political empowerment. These ratings indicate that we can do more especially in the areas of womens economic empowerment and womens participation in decision-making.Having said that, I wish to emphasize some key targets of the 2030 Agenda, which are: to ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education; to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education; to end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation; and to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.At this juncture, I wish to commend the Fijian Government for bringing to the fore the role of women in development. This is captured in Fijis 20-Year and 5-Year National Development Plan, which maps out the way forward for Fiji and all Fijians to realize our full potential as a nation.The Fijian Governments work towards ending gender inequality and discrimination against women, and consistently aiming to find innovative and practical ways to do this, must be acknowledged and wholeheartedly supported.Violence against women hurts everyone. It does not hurt only the victim. When women experience violence, families, communities and the entire country is affected through emotional, psychological and economic impacts.This year, International Womens Day comes on the heels of unprecedented global movement for womens rights, equality and justice. Cases of sexual harassment, violence and discrimination against women have captured headlines and public discourse, propelled by a rising determination for change, with evidences like statistics from the Fiji Police Force for the year 2017 revealing that there were 886 reported cases of domestic violence against women and children.What better way to celebrate this day than to launch a tool meant to set a guideline for responding to cases of gender-based violence that has no place in Fiji, yet is continually consuming our society like a terrible disease?Ladies and gentlemen, the National Service Delivery Protocol is a commendable undertaking made possible through the extensive consultations across Government and the existing service providers. It provides for a multi-sectorial response to ensure that appropriate, timely and quality services are provided to the survivors of gender-based violence. It also ensures that perpetrators of violence are dealt with adequately and justice is given to the victims. The agreement binds the service providers, including the Fiji Police Force, Ministry of Health, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Judicial Department, Fiji Womens Crisis Centre, Medical Services Pacific, The Salvation Army and Homes of Hope. It commits their services to a set of principles to ensure survivors of gender-based violence receive the best care and treatment they need by promoting safety, upholding confidentiality, ensuring non-discrimination, respect, strong accountability and zero tolerance for violence.I offer my deepest congratulations to the Taskforce on the National Elimination of Violence against Women for the production of the National Service Delivery Protocol. It is now the standardized instrument to combat the issue of violence against women in Fiji. Without the technical support of the UN Women and their leadership role in coordination during consultations, the Service Delivery Protocol would have been difficult to achieve.The intersection of violence against women with gender disparity and unequal power relations creates systems of patriarchy where womens rights are oppressed and they become vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination. Deeply rooted in gender inequality, this system allows men to assert control over women further creating opportunity for violence to take place, whether its physical, emotional, psychological or economical.It is my firm belief that empowering women and girls is the only way to protect their rights and to make sure they can realize their full potential and we need to work together as a nation to do away with this system where the rights of women and girls are being reduced, restricted and reversed.Entrepreneurship and decent work are the bedrocks of economic empowerment. They support the economic empowerment of women and men, families, communities, and countries. A number of constraints on womens entrepreneurship lead to unequal economic opportunities and outcomes compared to men. They are rooted in structural barriers and discriminatory laws and social and cultural norms and stereotypes that limit the realization of womens rights and treat women as inferior and subordinate to men including in the productive economy.The National Womens Expo, now being the signature event and one of the prestigious platforms for womens economic empowerment in Fiji, is indisputable in that the return of such an investment is always rewarding, provides incentives and importantly, connects women to markets domestically, regionally and globally.The 4th Fiji National Womens Expo is expected to scale new heights with the exhibition of quality, marketable products produced by Fijian Women and through strengthening networks and partnerships with the Ministrys key stakeholders.The Fijian Government through the Ministry has made a commitment to capitalize on this platform to boost womens economic empowerment and distinguishing their full potential towards nation building.Fiji, on its journey to become the best of itself, just cannot afford to leave our women behind in any aspect. The ambition of achieving the sustainable development goals cannot be achieved without putting women in the center of our efforts. Their talent, vision, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit unleashed are quintessential to reaching a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future for all of humanity.Ladies and gentlemen, I once again thank and congratulate the Ministry for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation and all the stakeholders involved in developing the National Service Delivery Protocol and I look forward to your commitment to the change that is sought for the nurturing of Fiji as a society free from discrimination and violence against women. I also congratulate the Ministry on its build up towards the 4th National Womens Expo.On that note, it is my honour to officially launch Fijis first ever National Service Delivery Protocol and the 4th National Womens Expo. This makes the 2018 International Womens Day so extraordinary and our collective efforts to empower our women will yield happier celebrations for our happier Fijian Women.May Almighty God continue to bless you all and bless our beloved nation Fiji.Vinaka Vakalevu, Bahoot Dhanyavaad, Sukria, Xie Xie, Faieksia, and Thank you all. TOKYO, March9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The New National Theatre, Tokyo (http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/), Japan's one and only opera house celebrating the 20th anniversary season (http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/20th/) this year, is pleased to announce the lineup for the 2018/2019 Season under the new Artistic Director of Opera, Kazushi Ono. Ono, who was the musical director at Theatre Royal de la Monnaie from 2002 to 2008 and currently the musical director of Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, has an extensive career in conducting opera productions at prominent opera houses including La Scala, Opera National de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Kazushi Ono (courtesy of the New National Theatre, Tokyo http://prw.kyodonews.jp/img/201803051558-O4-8y965978 Of 10 productions, including four new ones from October 2018 to July 2019, highlights in particular are the two world premieres. One is a new opera titled "ASTERS," a commissioned new work from Japanese composer Akira Nishimura, with a story described by Ono as "an operatic version of a Japanese Jean-Christophe." The other is a grand-scale new production of Puccini's "TURANDOT" directed by Alex Olle, internationally known for his direction of the opening ceremony for the Barcelona Olympics. The production will be part of the "Summer Festival Opera 2019-20 Japan--Tokyo--World," a two-year opera project conceived by the idea long incubated by Ono of 'Made in Japan Opera' being the host of the world. The Opera House of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, is also a residence of the National Ballet of Japan. Under the artistic direction of Noriko Ohara, seven productions, including five full-length narrative ballets, are scheduled to be performed. Highlight of the 2018/2019 Season is taking on Christopher Wheeldon's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," an acclaimed work first performed by the Royal Ballet in 2011. The new production of this work by the dancers of the National Ballet of Japan is made possible under the co-production with the Australian Ballet. Video: National Ballet of Japan (World Ballet Day) https://youtu.be/iVav5URlEEc Please visit the following URLs for the full lineup https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M104851/201803051558/_prw_OA4fl_t63rL6Bu.pdf https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/201803051558-O3-mUJ1193I.pdf http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/ Zurich is transforming into a more customer-focused business. Read all about how we are doing this and some of our highlights: Meet trauma physician (Dr. Stephen Rashford: noopener noreferrer), who supports customers of Cover-More, Zurich's specialist travel insurance and medical assistance provider, in times of crisis. Take it to the streets with a customer who explains why he likes Zurich's insurance for his (Tesla: noopener noreferrer), and the value we offer to electric vehicle owners as a first-mover in that business in Europe. Envision a brighter future thanks to new ideas inside and outside Zurich. We're fueling our drive to innovate in ways that make our customers' lives easier and better, including by working with universities, start-ups and established companies, as well as through innovation fairs, ('hackathons,' and CoderDojo: noopener noreferrer). "Our industry is undergoing a profound change. We, too, must change if we are to meet our customers' evolving needs. After restoring our ability to generate consistent returns, we are now well positioned to look to the future with confidence," said Group Chief Executive Officer Mario Greco. Zurich is also demonstrating progress to become a more sustainable business. Our new corporate responsibility highlights 2017 describes achievements and relevant key performance indicators. It can be accessed (here: http://www.zurich.com/en/corporate-responsibility). The (Annual Report: http://www.zurich.com/_/media/dbe/corporate/docs/financial-reports/2017/annual-report-2017.pdf?la=en&hash=109B8F39C16A1474C1519FE31D95FF80005C6026) contains detailed information about Zurich's financial performance, strategy, structure, executive bodies, risk management, corporate governance and remuneration in 2017. It is available in English and German, with the financial statements in English only. The (Annual Review: http://www.zurich.com/_/media/dbe/corporate/docs/financial-reports/2017/annual-review-2017.pdf?la=en&hash=5CDBA579B4811EE2233177240A6F313E999E0CE6) is a shorter document comprising the front section of the Annual Report, and includes a brief summary of the financial results. It is also available in English and German. In addition, the invitation to the Annual General Meeting 2018 and the Board of Directors' report on the approval of the remuneration of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee can be found (here: http://www.zurich.com/en/investor-relations/shareholder-area/annual-general-meeting). As announced on July 6, 2017, the Board of Directors proposes to elect (Michel Lies: http://www.zurich.com/en/media/news-releases/2017/2017-0706-01) as successor of Tom de Swaan as Chairman in 2018. Zurich also announced on March 8, 2018, that the Board of Directors proposes to elect (Jasmin Staiblin: http://www.zurich.com/en/media/news-releases/2018/2018-0308-01) to the Board. Subject to the re-election and election of the members of the Board by the shareholders on April 4, 2018, the Board of Directors of Zurich will consist of the following members: (Michel Lies, Chairman: http://www.zurich.com/en/corporate/media/news-releases/2017/2017-0706-01) (Joan Amble: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/joan-amble) (Catherine Bessant: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/catherine-bessant) (Dame Alison Carnwath: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/alison-carnwath) (Christoph Franz: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/christoph-franz) (Jeffrey Hayman: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/jeffrey-hayman) (Monica Machler: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/monica-maechler) (Kishore Mahbubani: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/kishore-mahbubani) (David Nish: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance/david-nish) (Jasmin Staiblin: http://www.zurich.com/en/corporate/media/news-releases/2018/2018-0308-01) Further information More information about Zurich's Corporate Governance structure can be found (here: http://www.zurich.com/en/about-us/corporate-governance). MUMBAI, India, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rolta India Limited (Rolta), a leading provider of innovative IP-led IT solutions today announced that it has recently been awarded various large contracts worth Rs. 365 crores in total by large and prestigious organisations from varied industries to fulfil their ambitions for Digital Transformation. Digital transformation has emerged as the #1 driver for sweeping change in the world around us. A deluge of digital data is created in our hyper-connected world with the proliferation of intelligent devices and IoT. Rolta's strategy and investments in developing intellectual property (IP) targeted at this growing demand has ensured that the Company's solutions remain differentiated and paving the way to address these large opportunities. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121023/570667 ) One of India's largest energy conglomerate, a dominant power major with presence in the entire value chain of the power generation recently contracted Rolta for their ambitious program to establish and manage their next generation paperless office as part of the Digital India initiative. This ambitious program leverages Rolta's BI & Big Data Analytics IP-portfolio, to design and establish an enterprise content and knowledge management system encompassing both business as well as engineering data, migration of their existing data, integration and rule-based business process automation along with mobility. In the Telecom sector, Rolta recently won a large project for a state-of-the-art network management and analytics system for a Fibre Optic Network spanning over 57000 Kms. Rolta was selected as part of a consortium, to provide and seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art Geospatial Analytical capabilities with network and inventory management to facilitate network planning, preventive maintenance, fault analysis and reporting. In the Transportation segment, a premier Shipping Transport Agency in India selected Rolta to drive their digital transformation for all their organizational functions related to shipping, operations & maintenance and governance while also providing deep cross-functional analytical insights and decision support by leveraging Rolta OneView'. Under the ambitious Smart Cities Program of Government India, Rolta was awarded a contract as a consortium partner to transform one of the oldest living city in India into a 'Smart City'. Rolta is responsible for the implementation of its field proven Command & Control Center combined with Rolta OneView' - Smart City Operations Intelligence Suite which provides powerful IoT integration with Spatial Fusion. This powerful combination will enable a 360-degree view of critical assets and processes, to help instil best practices and accelerate process improvement across areas such as - Smart City Operations, Smart Transportation, Smart Energy, Smart Lighting, Water and Waste Management, etc. While in the Safe City arena, Rolta recently won a state-wide Dial 112 and Geo Social Intelligence system. Following these recent wins for Rolta in India, Mr. K. K. Singh, Chairman and Managing Director said, "By bringing together a rare combination of rich industry specific domain expertise, deep IT skills, extensive Big Data Analytics and geospatial knowhow with world-class Rolta-IP led solutions, we are able to address large Digital Transformation programs which provide transformative business outcomes." About Rolta: Rolta is a leading provider of innovative IP-led IT solutions for many vertical segments, including Federal and State Governments, Utilities, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, and Healthcare. Rolta is recognized for its extensive portfolio of solutions based on field-proven Rolta IP tailored for Indian Defence and Homeland Security. By uniquely combining its expertise in the IT, Engineering and Geospatial domains, Rolta develops State-of-the-Art Digital Solutions incorporating rich Rolta IP in the areas of Cloud, Mobility, IoT, BI and Big Data Analytics. Rolta is a multinational organization headquartered in India and the Company's shares have been publicly traded for more than 25 years in India. For additional information please visit http://www.rolta.com, or contact: Rajesh Ramachandran Joint Managing Director - Global Products & Technology Solutions Member of the Board rajesh.ramachandran@rolta.com Tel: +91(22)2926-6666 Sohrab Bhot Executive Director - Business Operations sohrab.bhot@rolta.com Tel: +91(22)2926-6666 Rajesh Garg CIO & Vice President - Digital Transformation Solutions Delivery rajesh.garg@rolta.com Tel: +91(22)2926-6666 Tariq Farooqui Vice President - India Sales and Marketing Tariq.farooqui@rolta.com Tel: +91(22)2926-6666 LONDON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --Local Deals Group Limited, operator of the women's fashion store Monroe & Kent has today filed a formal complaint against the online review site Trustpilot.com, with the Competition & Markets Authority. Citing unjust enrichment, Local Deals Group's complaint centres on Trustpilot's alleged systematic failure and neglect to adequately address a pattern of fake reviews that have been brought to their attention. Speaking about the complaint, Vice President of European Operations, Joshua Blacke said, "Reviews are a powerful resource for consumers to determine who they wish to spend their hard-earned money with. As a business we support reviews, both good and bad from customers who have had a legitimate experience doing business with us. In recent months, we have identified a surge in false and fake reviews that we are unable to trace back to real customers. "These concerns have been brought to the attention of Trustpilot who have refused to investigate and have failed to take suitable action time and again to check their veracity. "Oftentimes regulators have focused on businesses writing false reviews to look good, but there is a real and growing problem of businesses being impacted by one or two consumers posting multiple false or fake reviews, or even competitors disparaging a business through fake reviews. "In a climate where we all look for social proof of a businesses credibility, review sites have to be held accountable for the content that is posted on their platform as it has real world consequences to businesses like ours. "We hope that by making this complaint, we can bring light to this issue and call out companies like Trustpilot who profit from the ever-growing number of questionable reviews on their site so that they start implementing stronger compliance protocol to review and curb fake reviews." The complaint to the Competition & Markets Authority comes after a similar step was taken earlier this month by Local Deals Group's parent company, Local Deals Group Inc who filed a formal complaint with the Office of the Attorney General for the State of New York. About Local Deals Group Limited is a subsidiary of Local Deals Group Inc, which operates fashion and home ecommerce properties in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WAGENINGEN, The Netherlands, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Eel Group (SEG) calls for EU-action to prevent illegal fishing and trafficking of European eel before it is too late. The European Eel is critically endangered and key measures for its protection are limiting of fishing and enforcing the existing trade control measures. Within these restrictions it is forbidden to export eel outside the EU. Enforcement agencies however, are estimating that at least 110 Million juvenile glass eels have already been trafficked from Europe to Asia's eel farms this season. Trafficking has to stop, because this wildlife trade undermines the measures for the protection of the eel. Andrew Kerr, Chairman of SEG stated: "The failure to control the selling and distribution of European Eel is threatening the whole recovery effort - for every eel legally eaten, 3 to 5 are being trafficked". Evidence shows that the trade ban adopted by the EU in 2010, is not being sufficiently implemented by EU Member States. The French Le Comite national des peches maritimes et des elevages marins recently stated that France's declared catch alone had reached 140 million glass eels and has another month to run. An instant market survey this week revealed that only some 30 million had been sold to the European legitimate markets. The rest has vanished. SEG is calling on the European Commission to enforce existing measures restricting trade of the eel under CITES and the Commission Regulation (EU) no 1320/2014, banning all imports and exports of European Eel to and from the EU. Additionally, full traceability of all eel trade is obliged by EU Eel Regulation and in particular its Article 12 on control and enforcement of trade. Insufficient implementation of trade control and resulting trafficking frustrates the European Eel Recovery Programme as mandated by the EU Eel Regulation. Consequently, trafficking threatens the survival of the species, while undermining its protection and sustainable use and ultimately some 10,000 jobs. About SEG SEG is an International NGO for accelerating the recovery of the European Eel that brings together the leaders from Science, Conservation and Commercial interests. http://www.sustainableeelgroup.org More information: Backgrounder on eel traffic to Asia: http://bit.ly/2FjTJgi MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon television program, Copyright MMXVIII, all rights reserved. MoneyTV does not provide an analysis of companies' financial positions and is not soliciting to purchase or sell securities of the companies, nor are we offering a recommendation of featured companies or their stocks. Information discussed herein has been provided by the companies and should be verified independently with the companies and a securities analyst. MoneyTV provides companies a 3 to 4 month corporate profile with multiple appearances for a cash fee of $11,995.00 to $17,250.00, does not accept company stock as payment for services, does not hold any positions, options or warrants in featured companies. The information herein is not an endorsement by Donald Baillargeon, the producer, publisher or parent company of MoneyTV. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The pound dropped against its most major opponents in the European session on Friday, after a data showed that the UK visible trade deficit increased in January as the pace of growth in imports exceeded exports growth. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that the visible trade gap widened to GBP 12.32 billion in January from GBP 11.77 billion in the previous month. The shortfall was seen at GBP 11.9 billion. Exports rose 3.1 percent month-on-month, while imports climbed 3.5 percent in January. Meanwhile, separate data showed that U.K. industrial production rebounded in January on oil and gas extraction. Industrial output grew 1.3 percent month-on-month in January, offsetting December's 1.3 percent decrease. Output was forecast to grow 1.5 percent. In a separate communique, the ONS said construction output contracted 3.4 percent on month in January after rising in the previous two months. Further, data showed that construction output logged its biggest annual decline since March 2013. Output was down 3.9 percent in January. European stocks were trading mixed, as investors digested U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and looked ahead to the all-important U.S. jobs report due later in the day for directional cues. The pound traded mixed against its major rivals in the Asian session. While the pound rose against the yen and the franc, it held steady against the greenback and the euro. The pound weakened to 0.8923 against the euro, from a 4-day high of 0.8901 hit at 3:15 am ET. The next possible support for the pound is seen around the 0.91 level. Figures from Destatis showed that Germany's industrial production dropped unexpectedly in January. Industrial output fell 0.1 percent month-on-month in January, confounding expectations for an increase of 0.7 percent. Nonetheless, the pace of decline was slower than the revised 0.5 percent fall logged in December. Reversing from an early high of 1.3831 against the greenback, the pound retreated to 1.3802. On the downside, 1.35 is seen as the next likely support level for the pound. Following more than a 4-week high of 1.3166 hit at 3:15 am ET, the pound reversed direction and edged down to 1.3111 versus the franc. The pound is seen finding support around the 1.30 region. On the flip side, the pound held steady against the yen, after rising as high as 147.62 at 3:05 am ET. At yesterday's close, the pair was worth 146.62. The Bank of Japan kept its monetary stimulus unchanged, as widely expected. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and his board members decided by an 8-1 majority vote to hold its target of raising the amount of outstanding JGB holdings at an annual pace of about JPY 80 trillion. Looking ahead, U.S. and Canadian jobs data for February and U.S. final wholesale inventories for January are set for release in the New York session. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Flashbay, the world leader in customised promotional technology products made its first ever attendance at Exhibitor Live, the Conference for Trade Show and Corporate Event Marketing. The show took place in Las Vegas from 26th - 28th February and is North America's largest exhibition for tradeshow event products and services. Over 6,000 people attended the event. Flashbay is an internationally renowned company with offices spanning 5 countries and 4 continents, with a US office situated in Mountain View, California. Flashbay's presence in the United States has grown year on year since its formation in 2008 and is trusted by over 10,000 organisations. The feedback from visitors outlined the need for promotional products that were new and different, and Flashbay didn't fail to deliver. Buyers were incredibly excited at the extensive range of high-quality promotional items that Flashbay had to offer, in particular the inductive chargers, wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers. Flashbay welcomed a number of high-profile attendees to the stand, from Indeed.com, NY University, Ametek, JP Morgan, and many other enterprise buyers. There was a large interest in gift sets and headphones as promotional gifts for business executives. Many buyers were keen to schedule orders for global marketing events. "We are delighted that so many people were approaching the stand enquiring about our new products, and even asking for our Sales Account Managers by name. It really illustrates the close relationship we have with our clients, our outstanding customer service, and the trust that businesses have in our products," says Janet Abke, President of Flashbay North America. CEO Steve Webster said, "The Exhibitor Live 2018 Event was an exciting buying opportunity for all who attended. Flashbay delivered an impressive range of innovative technology that is creatively customized for any business." A hugely successful first year attendance by Flashbay at the Exhibitor Live Event. Flashbay would like to thank everyone that attended. About Flashbay: Flashbay is the World's No.1 business-to-business (B2B) supplier of logo branded Promotional Technology products. From the smallest schools to the largest multinationals, we offer an attractive range of designs within our Memory, Power and Audio categories, offering unbeatable prices coupled with fast and efficient service. Our product lines include Flash Drives, Power Banks, Speakers, Headphones and a host of related technology products and accessories which allow our customers the unparalleled ability to promote their brands with confidence on the global stage. www.flashbay.com Contact: Natalie Murray Email: n.murray@flashbay.com PUNE, India, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The report"Heat-Treated Steel Plates Marketby Steel Type (Carbon, Alloy, and Stainless), Treatment (Quenching & Tempering, Normalizing, and Stress Relieving), Application (Construction, Energy, Industrial Machinery), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" published by MarketsandMarkets',the Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market size is estimated to grow from USD 102.36 Billion in 2017 to USD 121.77 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 3.53%. The market is projected to witness significant growth in the next few years, because of the increase in demand for new constructions across the world, resulting from rapid urbanization and industrialization. Large-scale investments in industrial and infrastructural sectors, rise in construction activities in emerging economies, and development of innovative products in the construction market are some of the key factors driving the growth of the Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 163 Tables and46 Figures spread through 194 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/heat-treated-steel-plates-market-150119337.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Carbon steel segment, by type, to gain maximum traction The carbon steel segment dominated the market in 2016, and is projected to be the fastest-growing application in the next five years, as a result of its economical price, easy availability, and wide application areas. The core material is highly preferred in the construction industry. The carbon steel plates have found wide applications in manufacturing and construction industries. In manufacturing settings, carbon steel plates serve as a base material for component construction, whereas in case of construction, these plates are utilized in bridges, commercial & municipal buildings, and ships. Get PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=150119337 The quenching & tempering segment to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period The quenching & tempering segment dominated the market in 2016, and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the next five years, compared to other heat treatment methods. This growth is attributed to its property to increase the steel plate's hardness and strength. This treatment, when used in carbon steel plates, minimizes their brittleness. Construction to be the largest market for heat-treated steel plates, by value The construction segment dominated the market in 2016, and this trend is projected to remain the same in the next five years, as a result of the rapid urbanization and demand for better quality bridges and buildings. The demand for heat-treated steel plates is expected to be driven by the growing construction, industrial machinery, and energy & power applications. In construction applications, carbon steel is used in the construction of buildings, bridges, ports, dams, factories, and other engineering structures. AsiaPacific dominated the market for heat-treated steel plates in 2016 The dominance of the Asia Pacific region can be attributed to the increasing demand for steel in building & construction, rising income levels, and the growing middle-class in this region. It is one of the key markets for heat-treated steel plate manufacturers, as the region is witnessing high growth in the construction industry. The market in this region is also growing rapidly due to the presence of numerous leading players. The major players in the Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market in Asia Pacific include POSCO (South Korea), TATA Steel (India), Baosteel (China), JFE Holdings (Japan), Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Japan), and Essar Steel (India). China is estimated to contribute a major market share to the Asia Pacific Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market. The large market share is supported by the demand from end-use industries such as shipbuilding, construction, energy, and automotive. Know more about Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/heat-treated-steel-plates-market-150119337.html About MarketsandMarkets' MarketsandMarkets' provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets' for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets' are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets' now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets' is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets' INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets -- Will Support Feasibility Study to Reduce Annual CO2 Output by 1.3 Million Tons per Year -- Project targets the 1.32MW Nuon Magnum Plant (in Groningen region) Aims to convert one of the three existing units to 100% hydrogen by 2023 Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) will support the Carbon-Free Gas Power project for Nuon's Magnum power plant in Groningen in the Netherlands led by Nuon/Vattenfall, Statoil and Gasunie. MHPS, which manufactures the gas-turbine operating at the Nuon/Vattenfall Magnum combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT), has a long history of success developing special fuels, such as synthetic fuels or blast furnace gas, for its gas turbines. MHPS will apply this expertise to investigate the technical feasibility of H2 firing. The Carbon-Free Gas Power project aims to convert one of the three 440MW CCGT power plants to hydrogen by 2023. Nuon/Vattenfall, Statoil and Gasunie have contracted MHPS to jointly investigate the possibility of using hydrogen for generating electricity by Nuon/Vattenfall's Magnum power plant as the world's first innovative CCGT project. One CCGT can emit up to 1.3 million tons of CO2 per year and burning hydrogen will significantly reduce this emission. Within this project, Statoil will focus on producing hydrogen by converting Norwegian natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide will be stored in underground facilities off the Norwegian coast, allowing carbon neutral production. Gasunie is carrying out research into how the hydrogen can be transported to and stored at the Magnum power station. "In order to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement, CO2 emissions from the electricity sector in the Netherlands will have to be 55% to 75% lower in 2030 than in 1990. Using hydrogen instead of natural gas could be an important contribution to achieve this", said Alexander van Ofwegen, the Director at Business Unit Heat Netherlands at Vattenfall and responsible for Nuon/Vattenfall's Magnum power plant. "We are therefore glad that MHPS will be of service in providing their expertise. The company has played an important part in building the Magnum power plant and is therefore a trusted technology provider for us in this next step for Magnum." About Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS), headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, is a joint venture formed in February 2014 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. integrating their operations in thermal power generation systems and other related businesses. MHPS today ranks among the world's leading suppliers of equipment and services to the power generation market, backed by 100 billion yen in capital and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide. The Company's products include GTCC (gas turbine combined-cycle) and IGCC (integrated coal gasification combined-cycle) power plants, conventional gas/coal/oil-fired (thermal) power plants, boilers, generators, gas and steam turbines, geothermal power plants, AQCS (air quality control systems), power plant peripheral equipment and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC). For more information, please visit the Company's website at https://www.mhps.com/en/index.html View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180309005306/en/ Contacts: PRESS CONTACT: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Joseph Hood, +81-(0)3-6716-2168 PR Manager mhi-pr@mhi.co.jp Fax: +81-(0)3-6716-5860 Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - March 9, 2018) - Peak Positioning Technologies Inc. (CSE: PKK) ("Peak" or the "Company") today announced that members of the Company's executive team will travel to China on March 11, 2018 for a series of meetings with its strategic partners related to the upcoming launch of the Company's financial services subsidiary Asia Synergy Financial Capital ("ASFC"). The Company's Chinese-based executive and senior executives of its strategic partner in ASFC, Jiu Dong Limited ("Jiu Dong"), have been working closely with the Wuxi Municipal Financial Affairs Office to obtain the final approval for the registration of ASFC. Peak's Canadian-based executives have also been involved throughout the process, which the parties have now deemed to be far enough along to start taking concrete measures to prepare for ASFC's first transactions. So the Company's Canadian-based executives will travel to China to discuss ASFC's operational and strategic plans for 2018 and its short-term financial objectives. The talks will also include the planning of an event to be held in Montreal this spring to introduce Jiu Dong's executives to the Canadian investment community while presenting Peak's vision for ASFC and the future of small business lending in China. Surrender of $1M of Secured Debentures to Exercise Share Purchase Warrants The Company also announced that on February 7, 2018, $1M of secured debentures was surrendered to exercise share purchase warrants at a price of $0.05 per share pursuant to the private placement that closed on December 15, 2017. The Company therefore issued 20M common shares at a price of $0.05 per share to the debenture holder. This transaction now leaves the Company with a total amount outstanding of $4.65M in secured debentures, reduced by $7.35M from the original amount of $12M. Update of Peak Website and Executive Summary Presentation Peak also announced that it has updated its website (http://www.peakpositioning.com) to better reflect the business model first presented to its shareholders in April 2017, in which ASFC is expected to play a pivotal role. The updated website also features Peak's latest corporate executive summary presentation which provides additional information on the Company's subsidiaries and their respective revenue models. About Peak Positioning Technologies Inc.: Peak Positioning Technologies Inc. is an IT portfolio management company whose mission is to assemble, finance and manage a portfolio of high-growth-potential companies and assets in some of the fastest growing tech sectors in China, including Fintech, e-commerce and cloud-computing. Peak provides its shareholders with exceptional growth potential by giving them access to the fastest-growing sectors of the world's fastest-growing economy. For more information: http://www.peakpositioning.com Contact information: Cathy Hume CEO CHF Capital Markets Phone: 416-868-1079 ext.: 231 Email: cathy@chfir.com Or Johnson Joseph President and CEO Peak Positioning Technologies Inc. Phone: 514-340-7775 ext.: 501 Email: investors@peakpositioning.com Forward-Looking Statements / Information: This news release may include certain forward-looking information, including statements relating to business and operating strategies, plans and prospects for revenue growth, using words including "anticipate", "believe", "could", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "potential", "project", "seek", "should", "will", "would" and similar expressions, which are intended to identify a number of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information reflects current views with respect to current events and is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as may be required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating any forward-looking information. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 9, 2018) - TerraX Minerals Inc. (TSXV: TXR) (FSE: TX0) (OTC Pink: TRXXF) is pleased to announce assay results from the first 5 holes (2,003 m) of its 2018 winter drill program now underway on the Yellowknife City Gold project. Two of these holes (688 m) tested the Sam Otto South extension, confirming a 2.2 km mineralized zone that remains open along strike and at depth. These holes were drilled as a follow up to our surface sampling program done in 2017 (news release of Sept 26, 2017). That program indicated the Sam Otto zone may extend for 3.5 kilometers south of the main zone which was drilled over 750 m of strike length in 2016. Hole TSO18-035 was collared 1.5 kilometer south of the Sam Otto main zone and intersected a broad zone of deformation and alteration (150 m wide) that contained a mineralized zone assaying 2.16 g/t Au over 27.16 m, including 1 m of 23.1 g/t Au, and 2.44 m at 7.99 g/t Au. The second hole, TSO18-037, drilled 377 m north along strike from TSO18-035 also intersected a broad deformation and alteration zone (231.5 m wide), and contained a mineralized zone assaying 1.92 g/t Au over 11.52 meters, including 2.89 g/t Au over 3.64 meters. A map of drill hole locations is available here. Joseph Campbell, the CEO of TerraX, stated "The extremely long step out for hole TSO18-035 confirmed our exploration targeting. The higher grade multi-gram intersections reported here exceed the grades typically seen in the Sam Otto main zone and confirm continuity within this large mineralizing system. With several kilometers of strike length to explore, we are excited about the potential for a large tonnage deposit." Three holes totaling 1,315 m were also drilled on the Sam Otto Main zone testing the down dip extension of previous TerraX drilling to a vertical depth of 350 meters. These three holes were drilled over 230 meters of strike length below previous drilling at the Sam Otto main zone. All holes hit typical Sam Otto main zone deformation and alteration, extending the Sam Otto main zone to depth, but with an increase in mineralized quartz veins relative to the mineralized zones in the previous shallower holes. Hole TSO18-032 intersected deformation and alteration over 247.5 m, with a well mineralized zone of 0.85 g/t Au over 62.24 m, including 2.04 g/t Au over 13.95 m. Hole TSO18-033 intersected deformation and alteration over 216.5 m, with two well mineralized zones of 0.52 g/t Au over 21.50 m and 0.50 g/t Au over 40.00 m. Hole TSO18-034 intersected deformation and alteration over 176.2 m, with well mineralized zones that included 0.51 g/t Au over 31.80 m. The following table provides a listing of all significant drill results. Sam Otto - Main Zone Drill Results Drill Hole Dip Azimuth UTM Location From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Easting Northing TSO18-032 -60 270 639967 6944586 Deformation and alteration 188.0-435.5m (247.5m) 226.50 228.00 1.50 1.08 289.00 290.85 1.85 0.90 324.00 386.24 62.24 0.85 incl. 327.85 341.80 13.95 2.04 incl. 327.85 328.70 0.85 20.80 358.00 362.75 4.75 0.70 incl. 370.00 383.70 13.70 1.23 395.00 399.30 4.30 0.84 TSO18-033 -50 270 639978 6944697 Deformation and alteration 158.5-375.0m (216.5m) 271.00 292.50 21.50 0.52 incl. 282.57 286.50 3.93 1.26 303.00 343.00 40.00 0.50 incl. 315.00 322.20 7.20 1.09 TSO18-034 -58 270 639976 6944809 Deformation and alteration 238.8-415.0m (176.2m) 238.85 242.56 3.71 1.23 258.20 290.00 31.80 0.51 incl. 277.00 287.00 10.00 0.99 319.00 323.00 4.00 1.10 333.00 334.70 1.70 1.14 incl. 356.83 360.10 3.27 0.85 Sam Otto South Drill Results Drill Hole Dip Azimuth UTM Location From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Easting Northing TSO18-035 -50 270 639802 6943090 Deformation and alteration 96.0-246.5m (150.5m) 96.35 98.60 2.25 0.62 169.64 172.35 2.71 1.90 180.00 184.80 4.80 0.84 201.84 228.96 27.12 2.16 incl. 207.00 208.00 1.00 23.10 incl. 222.93 225.37 2.44 7.99 TSO18-037 -50 270 639804 6943467 Deformation and alteration 94.0-325.5m (231.5m) 103.62 115.14 11.52 1.92 incl. 111.50 115.14 3.64 2.89 134.00 136.00 2.00 1.18 All holes were drilled approximately normal to projected strike and dip of the zones of mineralization and are interpreted to be approximately 75-80% of true thickness. Drilling on the Northbelt property is currently being carried out by two drills on multiple targets. The initial 2018 drill campaign is planned to be approximately 6,300 meters. For the 5 holes reported today, TerraX collected 1,587 samples for assay from the drilling reported here. Results ranged from below detection to 23.1 g/t Au. Drill hole collar locations were surveyed to sub-meter accuracy. Down hole surveying was completed on all holes. TerraX inserts certified standards and blanks into the sample stream as a check on laboratory QC. Drill core samples are cut by diamond saw at TerraX's core facilities in Yellowknife. A halved core sample is left in the core box. The other half core is sampled and transported by TerraX personnel in securely sealed bags to ALS Chemex's (ALS) preparation laboratory in Yellowknife. After sample preparation, samples are shipped to ALS's Vancouver facility for gold and ICP analysis. Gold assays of >3 g/t are re-assayed on a 30 gm split by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. ALS is a certified and accredited laboratory service. ALS routinely inserts certified gold standards, blanks and pulp duplicates, and results of all QC samples are reported. The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Joseph Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer of TerraX, who is a Qualified Person as defined in "National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects." About the Yellowknife City Gold Project The Yellowknife City Gold ("YCG") project encompasses 772 sq km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, TerraX controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 km of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power and skilled tradespeople. The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering 70 km of strike length along the main mineralized break in the Yellowknife gold district, including the southern and northern extensions of the shear system that hosted the high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The project area contains multiple shears that are the recognized hosts for gold deposits in the Yellowknife gold district, with innumerable gold showings and recent high-grade drill results that serve to indicate the project's potential as a world-class gold district. For more information on the YCG project, please visit our web site at www.terraxminerals.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors "JOSEPH CAMPBELL" Joe Campbell CEO For more information, please contact: Samuel Vella Manager of Corporate Communications Phone: 604-689-1749 Toll-Free: 1-855-737-2684 svella@terraxminerals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts, the completion of due diligence and the results of exploration activities - that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. SAN DIEGO (dpa-AFX) - Broadcom Limited (AVGO) said, in a letter to Members of Congress regarding its offer to acquire Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), that it is committed to making the United States the global leader in 5G by focusing resources and strengthening leadership in this area. Any notion that a combined Broadcom-Qualcomm would slash funding or cede leadership in 5G is completely unfounded. In addition, Broadcom will not sell any critical national security assets to any foreign companies. Of course, any dispositions of assets to foreign buyers would be themselves subject to CFIUS review. Broadcom is also pledging to create a new $1.5 billion fund with a focus on innovation to train and educate the next generation of RF engineers in the United States. This will ensure America's continued leadership in future wireless technology. Broadcom also said it will work closely with the United States government as it drives to achieve and sustain this global leadership in 5G and beyond. According to Broadcom, Qualcomm faces a number of challenges that hamper its role in developing 5G. One is that it has been funding its R&D with licensing revenue derived from predatory and anticompetitive practices that have put it at odds with customers and antitrust regulators around the world. There is no truth to Qualcomm's argument that its anticompetitive licensing practices are needed to fund a robust R&D effort. Meanwhile, Broadcom said it funds its R&D through lawful practices, and has a rich and ongoing legacy of innovation, which drives its leading core franchises and delivers shareholder returns that are eight times those of Qualcomm over the past five years. Broadcom said, 'Ninety percent of Broadcom's shareholders are in the United States; in fact, we are largely owned by the same United States institutional investors that own Qualcomm. More than half of Broadcom's total workforce is in the United States, across more than 25 states, including Texas, Colorado, California and Pennsylvania. When we complete our acquisition of Qualcomm, we expect to have more than 25,000 employees in the United States, working to make Broadcom the leading communication semiconductor company in the world.' Broadcom noted that it is currently managed from its headquarters in San Jose, California. Today, it is in the final stages of redomiciling to the United States, and expect this process will be completed no later than May 6, 2018. From base here, each year it will invest $3 billion in research and engineering and $6 billion in manufacturing, resulting in more high-paying tech jobs in the United States. Due to this move, it will also pay hundreds of millions of dollars in additional taxes to the United States. This is the right move because Broadcom is an American company in all respects but its legal domicile. Broadcom said, 'The bottom line is that a combined, American Broadcom-Qualcomm will be a more focused and stronger champion for sustained United States leadership in 5G than a standalone Qualcomm, an outcome that strongly supports America's national security interests.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de LONDON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the global leaders in investor relations communications, Orient Capital, is to collaborate with Master Investor Show as Main Stage Webcasting Partner - extending the reach of the event to a worldwide audience of corporate investors. Taking place on 17 March at the Business Design Centre, London, the event's Main Stage line-up will include talks by public companies, fund managers, research providers and market commentators. The webcasting partnership will support Orient Capital's mission in enabling public companies to engage with shareholders and the wider investment community. The Main Stage line-up includes: TOTAL S.A.; the world's 4th largest global oil and gas company. Budapest Stock Exchange; Central and Eastern Europe's second most liquid stock market. Fidelity International; the world-renowned provider of investment solutions. QuotedData; the award-winning sponsored research house. The webcasting partnership aims to extend the reach of show content, and is primarily aimed at the corporate audiences of Orient Capital and Master Investor. James Hudson, Partnership Manager of Master Investor, commented: "Securing Orient Capital as official Main Stage Webcasting Partner is a fantastic coup! We look forward to engaging with a global audience of corporate investors on the day of our show and in future events." Now in its 16th year, Master Investor Show is today established as a leading event in the Investor Relations calendar of British and foreign companies. Over 100 corporate exhibitors connect with thousands of private investors throughout the day and an even larger audience across Master Investor's digital media platform. Edward Kivell, Sales Manager at Orient Capital, commented: "Having followed Master Investor for many years, we are extremely proud to be the official Main Stage Webcasting Partner. Our main focus as a webcaster, are corporate results, management videos, events and capital market days, we are very excited to be working on a project the size of Master Investor Show." Orient Capital will webcast the first Main Stage presentation from 10.30am onwards via their media platform, here: http://webcast.openbriefing.com/master-investor-2018/ About Master Investor Ltd. Master Investor Ltd. is an investment media and events company that delivers independent, financial commentary and analysis to UK private investors. The company operates the yearly Master Investor Show, an event introducing its 5000+ private investor audience to companies they can invest into. It offers its clients opportunities to generate leads to an audience with significant investable funds. http://www.masterinvestor.co.uk/show About Orient Capital Orient Capital is a global leader Investor Relations support service. We specialise in share ownership analysis, equity market intelligence, investor communication/webcasting, shareholder management technology, global bondholder analysis, institutional targeting & investor perception work. We are the largest analyser of share registers globally. We help listed companies identify and track their shareholders, as well as their behaviour, using either local ownership disclosure provisions or our own proprietary methodologies. Contact: James Hudson - James.Hudson@masterinvestor.co.uk EK Insurance has Access to Outstanding Insurance Companies that Specialize in Workers Compensation for Restaurants, Bars and Cafes NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 9, 2018 / The founders of EK Insurance are pleased to announce the launch of a new specialty division that focuses on workers compensation for restaurants, delis, bars, cafes and the food service industry. To learn more about the new division at EK Insurance and why workers comp for delis, restaurants and other businesses that serve food is so important, please check out https://ekinsurance.com/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-for-restaurants.html. As a company spokesperson noted, the founders of EK Insurance understand that in the restaurant industry, there is no shortage of potential hazards and risks that employees face. From slipping on wet floors and lacerations from cutting food, to suffering grease burns and throwing out their backs from lifting heavy equipment, restaurant employees could be harmed on the job while simply carrying out their daily work. This knowledge inspired the founders to launch the new specialty division that is devoted to works comp for bars, delis, restaurants and more. Visitors to the EK Insurance website can now learn about workers comp for cafes and restaurants, including costs and coverage. They can also read how workers comp helps food service businesses and their employees by covering legal fees for defense of work-related injuries, employee medical expenses and lost wages. "We have access to top rated workers comp insurers that offer specialized coverage for restaurants," the spokesperson noted, adding that the EK Insurance website also now has a section that features information on workers comp class codes. Visitors to the EK Insurance website may also request a no-obligation and free quote at anytime. About EK Insurance: At EK Insurance, they come to work every day because they want to protect their clients from the risks they face in life and business. Because no one can predict the future, people have used insurance to protect themselves against financially devastating losses when an accidents happen. The goal at EK Insurance is to make the insurance purchasing experience as quick and painless as possible. They provide professional and direct insurance advice to their clients, and they believe everyone should have the power of choice. They have access to a wide array of insurance companies, which means they can help people find the insurance protection that's right for them and their business. EK Insurance is a licensed professional insurance agency in California, Delaware, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. They care about their clients and know that the clients' success is their success. For more information, please visit https://ekinsurance.com/. EK Insurance 99 Wall St., #1234 New York, NY 10005 Contact: Ethan Andrew Kosmin info@ekinsurance.com 4848001000 SOURCE: EK Insurance Announcement of New Board Members, introduction of CFO, and AGM Results Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 9, 2018) - Luminor Medical Technologies (CSE: LMT), further to the acquisition of RISE Research Inc., announced today that it changed its corporate name to RISE Life Science Corp. which was approved at the Company's annual and special shareholder meeting (the "Shareholder Meeting") held on Tuesday February 27, 2018. The Company has reserved the stock symbol "RLSC" and will commence trading under this symbol upon approval by the Canadian Securities Commission. "The name change reflects our emphasis on developing and evolving medical cannabis-based formulations to create general use health and well-being products for the emerging consumer category made possible by the legalization of cannabis." said Anton Mattadeen, CEO, RISE Life Science Corp. In addition, the Shareholder Meeting saw three new additions to the Board of Directors including Mr. Chris Dollard, Ms. Constance Finley and Mr. Michael Campbell. Mr. Dollard is COO of RISE Life Science Corp. Previously, he served as COO of RISE Research Inc. since its inception in the fall of 2015. He also brings to RISE Life Science Corp. a wealth of knowledge and experience from his work related to operational planning and facility design pertaining to early cannabis producer applications. Before entering the cannabis industry in late 2012, Mr. Dollard built a 25+ year career in the information technology industry with Fortune 500 companies such as Deloitte, Accenture, IBM and Best Buy, as well as many smaller firms and startups. Ms. Finley is the founder and President of Constance Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based company that produces whole plant medicinal cannabis extracts for physicians and their patients. She is recognized as an industry leader and is a frequent speaker at leading industry conferences including CannaTech, SXSW, The California Academy of Sciences, the Cure Cancer Now Summit, CWCBExpo, and the Cannabis Quality Strategies and Solutions Summit. She sits on various advisory boards, including an assignment to the Scientific Advisory Board for CannaTech. Mr. Campbell is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Intellipharmaceutics International Inc., a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and manufacture of novel and generic controlled and targeted release oral solid dosage drugs. He previously served as General Counsel for Griffis Capital and Canada Cartage System L.P. It was also announced that Mr. Harry Bloomfield, who has served as Chairperson of Luminor Medical Technologies Board of Directors, has retired from the Board. Anton Mattadeen has been elected as Chairperson of the Board of Directors. "Mr. Bloomfield's insights during his tenure as Chairman, helped to significantly move the company forward." said Anton Mattadeen. "We wish to thank him for his leadership." RISE Life Science Corp. is pleased to announce that Robert Lelovic CPA, CA has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Lelovic replaces Chris Carmichael who has filled this role during the transition period from Luminor to RISE Life Science Corp. Mr. Lelovic graduated from York University in 1998 and has been a chartered accountant since 2001. He has extensive experience in public company reporting, corporate governance and compliance. Mr. Lelovic is the president of Robert Lelovic Professional Corporation, a company registered with the Institute of CPA Ontario and the co-founder of Inlync. "We would also like to offer our sincere thanks to Chris Carmichael for his invaluable input into the creation of the company structure," said Anton Mattadeen. "And look forward to working with him in the future." Finally, additional resolutions approved at the Shareholder Meeting included the appointment of MNP LLP as auditor, re-approval of the Company's stock option plan, change of registered address to 145 King Street West, Suite 210, Toronto, ON M5H 1J8 and the reduction of paid up capital in connection with a reorganization of the Corporation involving the distribution of all of the Corporation's shares of its wholly owned subsidiary Scout Assessment Corp. (the "Scout Corp Distribution") to the Corporation's shareholders. The Scout Corp. Distribution is subject to a number of conditions including the filing of a prospectus with the Ontario Securities Commission, CSE approval and approval by the Directors of the Company. Further details of the resolutions can be found on the management information circular filed on www.sedar.com on February 7, 2018. For more information, please contact: Mark Komonoski mark@komonoski.com 877-255-8483 403-470-8384 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in Luminor's (now RISE) periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements including the Company's expectations with respect to pursuing new opportunities and its future growth and other statements of fact. Although RISE has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal under US Federal Laws; changes in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. RISE disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and RISE does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein. New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 9, 2018) - CannabisNewsAudio announces the Audio Press Release (APR) titled "Pliability of Canadian Cannabis Industry Triggers New Business Development," featuring Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF). To hear the CannabisNewsAudio version, visit http://nnw.fm/6wkEA To read the original editorial, visit http://nnw.fm/gY4Iz Choom's business proposition extends beyond the retail face of the cannabis industry. It is also looking to place itself within the ancillary markets that will support the consumer business. Testing labs, security, infused products, consumption paraphernalia and crop cultivation will all be part of an expanding industry. Choom is looking to establish a vertically integrated enterprise, from cultivation through to sales, all under a single hip consumer brand. Choom's application with ACMPR (Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations) has received security clearance and is now in the detailed review stage. The company has also submitted a second late-stage ACMPR application, which is in its confirmation of readiness stage. Aggressively preparing to reap the benefits of this license, Choom has retained Cannabis Compliance Inc. to help expedite Choom's initial license applications and ready the company for legalization of recreational marijuana. About Choom Channeling the spirit of Hawaii in the Okanagan, high-grade handcrafted strains by Choom are all about cultivating good times and good friends. Choom was inspired by the Choom Gang; a group of buddies in Honolulu during the 1970s. Now, after four decades, Choom is bringing the spirit of Hawaii to the Okanagan. The company is planting its flag in the rapidly growing legal cannabis industry in Canada with its own brand of high-grade handcrafted herb. For more information, visit the company's website at www.Choom.ca. About CannabisNewsWire (CNW) CannabisNewsWire ("CNW") is a specialized information service that (1) aggregates cannabis news, (2) provides CannabisNewsBreaks that quickly updates investors in the space, (3) enhances corporate press releases, (4) helps companies with distribution and optimization of social media, and (5) delivers comprehensive corporate communication solutions. CNW is uniquely positioned in the cannabis market with a strong team of journalists and writers who can help private and public companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public through our ever-growing dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. CNW is bringing unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the cannabis industry. For more information please visit https://wwwCannabisNewsWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. CNW Contact: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) Denver, Colorado www.CannabisNewsWire.com 303.498.7722 Office Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net PUNE, India, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "eHealth Marketby Product (EHR, PACS & VNA, RIS, LIS, CVIS, Telehealth, eRx, HIE, Patient Portal, Medical Apps), Services (Remote Patient Monitoring, Diagnostic Services) End User (Hospitals, Home Healthcare, Payers, Pharmacy) - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets', the market is expected to reach USD 132.35 Billion by 2023 from USD 47.60 Billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 22.7%. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 192 Tables and47 Figures spread through 263 Pages and in-depth TOC on"eHealth Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/ehealth-market-11513143.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Factors driving market growth include the regulatory mandates and government initiatives for the implementation of eHealth solutions; growing mHealth, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring markets; and increasing need to curtail the escalating healthcare costs. In addition, the emerging market in China, India, and Australia; rising shift towards patient-centric healthcare delivery; and growing use of eHealth solutions in outpatient care facilities are further increasing the demand for eHealth solutions and services By productsand services, the eHealth solutions segment dominated the eHealth Market in 2017 On the basis of products and services, the eHealth Market is segmented into eHealth solutions and eHealth services. In 2017, the eHealth solutions segment accounted for the largest share of the eHealth Market. The eHealth solutions segment will continue to dominate the eHealth Market, mainly due to the high demand of eHealth solutions due to the benefit of improved patient safety and patient care, stringent regulations, increasing government initiatives supporting the growth of these solutions, and the need to improve the efficiency of healthcare services by reducing medical errors. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=11513143 By end user, healthcare consumers are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on end user, the global eHealth Market is segmented into healthcare providers, healthcare payers, healthcare consumers, pharmacies, and other end users. Healthcare consumers are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth in this end-user segment can be attributed to the factors such as the increasing number of people requiring remote patient monitoring, rising demand for personalized care, and high penetration of digital technologies in the healthcare industry. North America dominated the market in 2017 In 2017, North America dominated the global eHealth Market. The large share of this regional segment can be attributed to the region's favorable regulatory scenario, the high adoption of eHealth solutions to curtail soaring healthcare costs, regulatory requirements regarding patient safety, and the presence of a large number of healthcare IT companies. The key players in the eHealth Market are GE Healthcare (US), Cerner (US), McKesson (US), Allscripts (US), Philips (Netherlands), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), athenahealth (US), Epic Systems (US), IBM (US), Optum (US), Medtronic (Ireland), and Cisco (US). Know more about the Data Fusion Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/ehealth-market-11513143.html About MarketsandMarkets' MarketsandMarkets' provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets' for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets' are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets' now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets' is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets' INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Following the news of a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump praised the 'great progress' being made in a post on Twitter on Thursday. Trump noted that Kim talked with South Korean representatives about denuclearization rather than just freezing North Korea's nuclear program. 'Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time,' Trump tweeted. He added, 'Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!' The tweet from Trump comes as White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the president has accepted an invitation to meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined. 'We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea,' Sanders said. 'In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' The news of the planned meeting was first revealed by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong, who said the two leaders would meet by May. The meeting between Trump and Kim would be the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. A statement from Vice President Mike Pence said North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization is evidence that Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working. 'The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions and, in close coordination with our allies, we have consistently increased the pressure on the Kim regime,' Pence said. He added, 'Our resolve is undeterred and our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program.' The news of the planned meeting between Trump and Kim came as a surprise after the two leaders spent the past year trading insults. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Themed as "Creating a better future", MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2018 was successfully held in Barcelona, Spain. As an industry-leading module and solution provider, Fibocom showed the strength of Fibocom International Alliance, also known as FIA, and its innovative technology and application in multiple vertical markets. In 2017, Fibocom founded FIA and launched "The One" serial events. FIA helps China suppliers to understand oversea market's requirement and demand, and promotes China design and products to global customers; FIA also provides a way for overseas operators to find cost-effective and quick go-to-market devices, solutions and customers. As a bridge between global operators and China suppliers, FIA creates an innovative channel which benefits both. In MWC2018, FIA brought nearly hundred kinds of devices from various vertical markets including intelligent machines, smart payment, telematics, gateways, smart door lock, smoke alarms, smart meters, conference terminals, connected PC, and sharing applications. And more FIA events are planned this year as well. Fibocom is the first module and solution provider listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange (ChiNext), and also an active player in the industry in promoting domestically-made chips in IoT industry. Fibocom always focuses on the development of IoT, and also endeavors to promote the globalization of IoT, helping "Created in China" to go global. ABOUT FIBOCOM: Website: www.fibocom.com Mail: FIA@fibocom.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180309005507/en/ Contacts: Fibocom Zoey Zhao, +86-0755-21601098 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO MIGHT CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OR BREACH OF ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR TO US PERSONS. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF, AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS, AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF, OR SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO BUY OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, ANY ORDINARY SHARES IN THE COMPANY, IN ANY JURISDICTION, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, NOR SHALL IT, OR ANY PART OF IT, OR THE FACT OF ITS DISTRIBUTION, FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED ON IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY CONTRACT OR INVESTMENT DECISION WHATSOEVER, IN ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING ANY SECURITIES. ANY INVESTMENT DECISION MUST BE MADE EXCLUSIVELY ON THE BASIS OF THE PROSPECTUS PUBLISHED BY THE COMPANY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUE. 9 March 2018 Augmentum Fintech plc ("Augmentum Fintech" or the "Company") INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING ("IPO") - SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING OF 94 MILLION Further to the Prospectus issued by the Company on 22 February 2018, the Board of Directors of Augmentum Fintech plc, a new closed-ended investment company which will invest in private financial services technology businesses in the UK and Europe, is pleased to announce that it has raised a total of 94 million in its IPO pursuant to a Placing, Offer for Subscription, Intermediaries Offer and the issue of Consideration Shares at a price of 1 per Ordinary Share. On Admission, the Management Team and family members will in aggregate hold 3.6% of the issued share capital of the Company. Application has been made for 94,000,000 Ordinary Shares to be admitted to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the FCA and to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and that unconditional dealings in the Ordinary Shares will commence at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 13 March 2018. The Company's investment objective is to generate capital growth over the long term through investment in a focused portfolio of fast growing and/or high potential private financial services technology businesses based predominantly in the UK and wider Europe. Fidante Capital acted as Sole Financial Adviser, Bookrunner and Joint Sponsor in relation to the Issue. Commenting on the result of the Issue, Neil England, Chairman of Augmentum Fintech plc, said: "We are pleased with the response which Augmentum Fintech has received on its IPO, with strong support from a broad range of investors. The combination of an established, successful and hands-on management team with access to an attractive seed portfolio as well as an identified and growing pipeline of investments in the fintech space, makes this a compelling investment. We welcome our new shareholders and look forward to working with them and successfully delivering on our investment strategy." Tim Levene, co-founder and principal of Augmentum Capital, the Company's Investment Adviser, commented: "The Company is well positioned to capitalise on the substantial demand for post-seed venture funding in the UK and wider Europe fintech market. We will continue carefully to curate a portfolio of high quality, compelling fintech investments and actively drive value creation at each business to deliver attractive risk adjusted returns over the long term for our new investors." Dealing Codes and Total Voting Rights The dealing codes for the Ordinary Shares are as follows: ISIN GB00BG12XV81 SEDOL BG12XV8 Ticker AUGM The total number of Ordinary Shares with voting rights in issue immediately following Admission will be 94,000,000 Ordinary Shares. Capitalised terms shall have the meaning attributed to them in the IPO Prospectus published by the Company on 22 February 2018 unless otherwise defined in this announcement. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY, PLEASE CONTACT: Augmentum Tim Levene Richard Matthews info@augmentumcapital.com or via Newgate below Fidante Capital (Sole Financial Adviser, Bookrunner and Joint Sponsor) Tom Skinner Nick Donovan Katie Standley +44 (0) 20 7832 0900 Solid Solutions (Intermediaries Offer Adviser) Nigel Morris +44 (0) 20 7549 1613 intermediaries@solid-solutions.co.uk Newgate Communications (PR Adviser) James Benjamin Alistair Kellie Anna Geffert +44 (0) 20 7680 6550 augmentum@newgatecomms.com Further information on the Company can be found on its website at www.augmentumfintech.com. The Company's LEI is: 213800OTQ44T555I8S71. International Solar Alliance (ISA), now registered under the United Nations, is organizing its first summit to be held this Sunday March 11. It is also set to host a founding ceremony of ISA in the presence of French President, Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi President, Abdul Hamid. Government dignitaries of member countries are joining, and 51 solar projects will be signed, by announcing the concrete instrument to facilitate the project execution.The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an inter-governmental body, first to be headquartered in India. Moreover, ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 9, 2018 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Wells Fargo & Company ("Wells Fargo" or the "Company") (NYSE: WFC) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors who purchased the Company's shares between January 13, 2017 through July 27, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before April 16, 2018, the lead plaintiff motion deadline. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss during the Class Period, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall, or Sherin Mahdavian, of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at brian@schallfirm.com. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. According to the Complaint, the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Wells Fargo had charged more than 800,000 customers for unneeded auto insurance, the expense of which pushed approximately 274,000 Wells Fargo customers into delinquency and resulted in almost 25,000 vehicle repossessions; (2) the foregoing conduct, when it came to light, would foreseeably subject Wells Fargo to heightened regulatory scrutiny and/or enforcement actions; and (3) as a result, Wells Fargo's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the truth was revealed to the investing public, shares dropped causing shareholders harm. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. CONTACT: The Schall Law Firm Brian Schall, Esq. Sherin Mahdavian, Esq. Schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm Regulatory News: SuperSonic Imagine (Paris:SSI) (Euronext: SSI, FR0010526814), a company specialised in medical imaging using ultrasound, said today that it strongly denies allegations made in an intellectual property lawsuit brought by Verasonics, Inc. Verasonics filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in which it alleges that Supersonic Imagine infringes three of its U.S. patents and purported trade secrets. Supersonic imagine denies the claims, and will vigorously defend itself against them. Supersonic Imagine intends to challenge the validity and legitimacy of the asserted intellectual property. SuperSonic Imagine, through its multiple innovations in the field of medical ultrasound imaging, will continue to impact healthcare in providing outstanding clinical value to its customers in various domains thanks to its patented features. About SuperSonic Imagine Founded in 2005 and based in Aix-en-Provence (France), Supersonic Imagine is a company that specialises in medical imaging. The company designs, develops and markets a revolutionary ultrasound platform, Aixplorer, which uses the UltraFast technology that can acquire images around 200 times faster than conventional ultrasound systems. In addition to providing exceptional image quality, this unique technology gave rise to several innovations which have changed the paradigm of ultrasound imaging: ShearWave Elastography (SWE), UltraFast Doppler technology, Angio PL.U.S Planewave UltraSensitive Imaging and, more recently, TriVu. ShearWave Elastography allows physicians to visualise and analyse the stiffness of tissue in real-time using a reliable, reproducible and non-invasive procedure. This is an important parameter in diagnosing potentially malignant lesions or other diseased tissue. As of today, over 300 publications have demonstrated the value of SWE in the care of patients with a wide range of diseases. The UltraFast Doppler combines colour flow imaging and pulsed wave Doppler into one simple test, providing physicians with the results of both simultaneously, therefore enhancing efficiency. The latest innovation, Angio PL.U.S, provides a higher level of microvascular imaging through significantly improved colour sensitivity and spatial resolution, while maintaining exceptional 2D image quality. SuperSonic Imagine has been granted regulatory clearances for the commercialisation of Aixplorer on the main markets. Since April 2014, the SuperSonic Imagine company has been listed on Euronext (symbol: SSI). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180309005420/en/ Contacts: SuperSonic Imagine Marketing Communication Emmanuelle Vella emmanuelle.vella@supersonicimagine.com +33 4 86 79 03 27 or FP2COM Media Relations EU Florence Portejoie fportejoie@fp2com.fr +33 6 07 76 82 83 or NewCap Investor Relations EU Pierre Laurent Florent Alba supersonicimagine@newcap.fr +33 1 44 71 98 55 or Pascale Communication Media Relations US Amy Phillips amy@pascalecommunications.com +1 412 327 9499 Shares finished at their best level of the session, amid optimism around the situation on the Korean peninsula, and after a bumper US non-farm payrolls report for February boosted copper and oil futures which in turn lifted shares of miners and oilers. In a break with the standard practice of the past few decades, overnight US President Trump agreed to meet by next May with Kim Jong for talks about its nuclear weapons, something North Korea had been seeking with an American president for more ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/09/18 -- Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SSE)(FRANKFURT: S6Q) ("Silver Spruce" or the "Company") announces that despite efforts, M Securities Limited, a full service retail brokerage firm in Hong Kong, (the "Agent") has been unable to complete the private placement that the Company previously announced on December 11, 2017. As a result, the Company has chosen to cancel the offering and terminate the letter agreement with the Agent. The net proceeds of the financing were to be used to pay for the drill program at Pino de Plata, the work program at the Kay Mine to qualify the historic resource and for general working capital. Karl Boltz, President and CEO of Silver Spruce stated, "Silver Spruce will continue in its efforts to source funding for these two very exciting projects and will keep all investors informed of its progress." About Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. is a well-positioned Canadian junior exploration company pursuing exploration and development of the past-producing Kay Mine volcanogenic massive sulfide ("VMS") project in Arizona, USA, and the exploration of the Pino De Plata and the Encino De Oro epithermal silver/ base metal/ gold projects located in the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental region of western Chihuahua State in Mexico. Disclaimers 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. The Company seeks Safe Harbour. This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Silver Spruce expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Although Silver Spruce has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Silver Spruce assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information in this press release except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Karl Boltz President & CEO, Director Toll Free: (866) 641-3397 info@silverspruceresources.com www.silverspruceresources.com NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 9, 2018 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Wells Fargo & Company ("Wells Fargo" or the "Company") (NYSE: WFC) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 18-cv-01318, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Wells Fargo securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants' violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you are a shareholder who purchased Wells Fargo securities between January 13, 2017, and July 27, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until April 16, 2018, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Wells Fargo is a diversified financial services company providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, leasing, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Company operates through physical stores, the internet, and other distribution channels worldwide. On September 8, 2016, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a Consent Order with a Stipulation to its entry signed by Mary Mack, Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Bank, detailing fraudulent practices at the Company, which were centered on a corporate culture intent on growing its cross-selling opportunities and unlawfully and without its customers' consent opening millions of unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts, and imposing a fine of more than $185 million. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Wells Fargo had charged more than 800,000 customers for unneeded auto insurance, the expense of which pushed approximately 274,000 Wells Fargo customers into delinquency and resulted in almost 25,000 vehicle repossessions; (ii) the foregoing conduct, when it came to light, would foreseeably subject Wells Fargo to heightened regulatory scrutiny and/or enforcement actions; and (iii) as a result, Wells Fargo's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On July 27, 2017, post-market, The New York Times published an article entitled "Wells Fargo Forced Unwanted Auto Insurance on Borrowers." Citing an internal report prepared for Wells Fargo's executives, the article reported that "[m]ore than 800,000 people who took out car loans from Wells Fargo were charged for auto insurance they did not need," that "[t]he expense of the unneeded insurance . . . pushed roughly 274,000 Wells Fargo customers into delinquency and resulted in almost 25,000 wrongful vehicle repossessions," and "that the bank owed $73 million to wronged customers." Following the publication of this article, Wells Fargo's share price fell $1.41, or 2.58%, to close at $53.30 on July 28, 2017. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP World's Most Famous Building Unveils Dynamic New Lighting Tradition on Daylight Savings NEW YORK, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --The Empire State Building (ESB) today announced it will sparkle its world-famous LED lights daily for five minutes every hour between sunset and 2:00 a.m. ET. The hourly sparkle will commence on Sunday, March 11, 2018, to mark setting the clock forward by one hour to celebrate warmer and sunnier days ahead. New Yorkers and visitors alike can now use the Empire State Building not only as a compass in New York City but also as a clock. ESB celebrates many cultures and causes in the world community with iconic lightings. Its tower lights recognize key milestones, events, charitable organizations, countries and holidays, a tradition which began in 1932 when a simple searchlight was used to announce the election of New York-born Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President. In 2012, ESB upgraded its tower lighting system from floodlights to LED tower lights, which allows customized light capabilities from a palette of over 16 million colors in limitless combinations along with effects. Since then, ESB has debuted iconic music-to-light shows designed by world-renowned lighting designer Marc Brickman, featuring music from such stars as Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Zedd and Taylor Swift. "Just as the world defines the New York City skyline by our famous silhouette, our iconic tower lights are the globally recognized icon of the New York City skyline at night," said Anthony E. Malkin, Chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust. "We are excited to unveil the new sparkle effect which will permanently enhance the New York skyline." Visitors and locals are encouraged to share pictures and videos of the sparkling lights and share on their social channels with the hashtag ESBsparkle. About the Empire State Building Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the "World's Most Famous Building." With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper's robust broadcasting technology supports major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world's most beloved attractions as the region's #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg, www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, www.youtube.com/esbnyc or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg/. About Empire State Realty Trust Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the world's most famous building. Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of December 31, 2017, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 700,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652613/Empire_State_Realty_Trust_new_sparkle_light_display.jpg Netsparker, a developer of web application security scanning software, raised $40M in financing. The investment was made by Turn/River Capital, a growth and private equity fund. The company will use the funds to accelerate the development and the adoption of its enterprise product roadmap, grow sales and marketing initiatives, and expand its geographic presence. Led by Ferruh Mavituna, CEO, Netsparker provides a solution to identify security flaws in any type of website, web application and web service. At its core is Proof-Based Scanning Technology, which automatically verifies security flaws as they are discovered, enabling the scanners to have high vulnerability detection rates without reporting any false positives, as confirmed by independent third-party testing. Thousands of organizations, including governments and public enterprises, use Netsparkers solution daily. The company is headquartered in the UK, with offices in the U.S. and Turkey. FinSMEs 09/03/2018 Its got real potential The UKs 24 leading urban economies have been scrutinised and Liverpool city region has been rated as one of the top four hotspots in the UK for economic growth potential. The potential of all 24 cities have been measured analysed and brought together in a report carried out by global design and infrastructure consultancy, Arcadis. The data was measured against six key areas: workforce and skills, infrastructure, business environment, place, city brand and housing. In the final league table of the report, Liverpool was fourth behind Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge, but ahead of London. The citys main strengths were its brand, infrastructure, positive business environment and the quality and affordability of housing supply. A large part of the citys attraction is its strong global brand. Due to Liverpools rich history, its music, the diverse cultural make up, along with the open-for-business environment radiated from the city. This helps to signal to the rest of the world the huge opportunities here and what potential exists within the city and wider city region. Liverpool attracts investors, both in the commercial and property market, from across the UK and overseas. It creates an attractive package adding more to Liverpool future long-term prosperity. Not a new phenomenon This isnt a new phenomenon. Merseysides economy grew faster than London, Manchester and any other major British city in 2015 according to figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Less than three years ago Merseyside enjoyed an economic growth rate of 3.1% in the year, faster than any similar major city region in the country. In fact, major cities across the North West performed strongly during that year according to statistics by the ONS. Liverpool city region continues its process of improving its performance, catching up with other places that used to perform better in the past. It has recorded a strong economic performance over recent years, demonstrating the progress made. In order to continue its fantastic growth, Liverpool is a city that cannot be complacent. The city region is narrowing the gap in terms of GVA (gross value added) per head but the push must continue if the city region is to achieve its full economic potential. Regeneration helps city to rank Undergoing several regeneration schemes and large-scale work across the city has certainly helped Liverpool reach its number four ranking. And through this, pricing across Liverpool is expected to rise. The L1 postcode is a good example of this and has seen house prices risen by a 41.2 per cent according to property website Rightmove. You can find out more information and view properties in Liverpool here at RWinvest. The student population also means that a combination of low house prices and high rental values has given the city some of the highest rental yields in the UK, making it an appealing possibility for property investors keen to create a portfolio in the student rental market. For information on property investment opportunities contact RWinvest on +44 (0)151 808 1250 Email: [email protected] or visit our website: https://www.rw-invest.com Purpose Financial is acquiring Thinking Capital Financial Corporation, a Canadian fintech lender to small business, for a combination of cash and securities. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Launched in 2006, Thinking Capital provides a technology-driven SME lending platform which has enabled more than 14,000 business owners to obtain capital to grow their business. Led by entrepreneur Som Seif, Purpose Financial is an independent financial services company with a focus on customer-centric innovation, delivered through technology-driven solutions. The company, which is developing a diversified product platform aimed at addressing historically underserved segments of the market, operates Purpose Investments, Purpose Advisor Solutions, and Purpose Innovation Labs. Following the transaction, Thinking Capital will retain its headquarters in Montreal and all employees will remain with the company. Jeff Mitelman, CEO and co-founder, will become a Managing Partner of Purpose Financial and will retain an equity position in Purpose Financial alongside existing investor TorQuest and Thinking Capitals management. FinSMEs 09/03/2018 Hyundai 'Le Fil Rouge' unveiled at Geneva is a reinterpretation of Hyundai's design DNA that originated from the brand's historical Hyundai Coupe Concept. This new concept revealed to the world in Geneva is therefore an introduction to Hyundai's latest approach to design, which gets the grandiose title of 'Sensuous Sportiness'. This new design theme will be adopted by all future Hyundai vehicles, including everything from compact hatches to sedans and SUVs. The aim of the intriguing new theme is to bring instinctive beauty and to create emotional value and desirability in Hyundai's future vehicles. One of the big challenges for the team behind the concept was to come up with a design that was new, fresh and achingly modern, but at the same time to also be instantly recognisable as a Hyundai in a crowd. They believe they have achieved this through a through a blend of layered crisp lines and pure volumes, and with a series of concave and convex forms that have been carefully orchestrated to provide what could even be described as an unashamedly sexy character. Luc Donckerwolke, the Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center, explains: 'Le Fil Rouge' is a reinterpretation of Hyundai's design DNA that originated from the brand's historical Hyundai Coupe Concept in 1974. Building on our long history of creating distinctive and sporty character in vehicles, we will open a new era for Hyundai design." Although Hyundai is keen to emphasise technology being a core principle of its philosophy, details about what the HDC-1 concept has going on beneath its sleek bodywork are almost non-existent at this point. The press release mentions the aircraft-inspired two-way air ventilation system and a panoramic floating display. But as for what the designers see as powering the car in the future, that remains a mystery at this point. What isn't in doubt though, is that this really is an incredibly stunning-looking car. UDAN, an acronym for Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik was launched last year to enhance connectivity to Indias hinterland New Delhi: The extension of the governments ambitious regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, which is confined to domestic operations, to international routes seems to be too much of a stretch at present. Or is it? In a surprise move, the Assam government has earmarked Rs 100 crore a year, for three years, for international connectivity from Guwahati airport under UDAN. And the Centre has indicated it would be supportive of the proposal to allow international flights under UDAN. People in the know point towards a Gulf-based low-cost carrier which has been keen to operate international flights from the north eastern region. It cannot add flights in the normal course as bilateral flying rights between its home country and India are already used up and India seems to be in no mood to enhance entitlements further. Bilateral entitlements define how many flights, seats, among other things, airlines from two consenting countries can offer. But this hurdle can be circumvented under UDAN, since India may allow additional flights to this Gulf country to enhance connectivity to the poorly connected north east. At least, this is what this particular airline is hoping for. If this happens, it would kill two birds with one stone: 1) Allow this particular airline to launch additional flights from India and open doors for other middle eastern or south east Asian carriers to follow a similar model while bypassing the bilateral rights math 2) The Centre can dismiss frequent criticism over its inability to control large number of Indian passengers travelling on Gulf airlines to the Gulf hubs and onward, at the cost of Indian airlines. UDAN, short for Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik was launched last year to enhance air connectivity to Indias hinterland. The scheme, as devised initially, had no mention of international connectivity from Indias smaller towns. Among the provisions for UDAN was a combined Central and state government subsidy (viability gap funding or VGF) on such flight operations under a pre-determined ratio. And operators availing of such a subsidy were expected to cap fares at about Rs 2,500 per hour of flying for some specified number of seats on each flight. The aim was to get several remote airports on the aviation map, and facilitate enhanced connectivity through targeted sops for a limited period. Till now, UDAN has seen middling success and needs to be fine tuned further for better results even in the case of domestic operations. For example, helicopter operations under UDAN have not commenced due to concerns over inadequate viability gap funding and some technical reasons. State-owned Pawan Hans Ltds (PHL) proposals for five routes under the scheme were found invalid and PHL has had to submit bids in the second round of the UDAN bidding. Now, in the second round, helicopter bids have been awarded for routes like Shimla heliport to Mandi heliport, three heliport pairs in Imphal, several heliport pairs in Assam and other north-eastern states, the Kasauli to Shimla heliport, among others. Awardees include PHL and some private operators. But it still remains to be seen whether the second phase of the bidding process will actually see the launch of chopper services. Against this backdrop, the Assam governments eagerness to allow international operations under UDAN is interesting. This, even when the Centre has made it clear that it will not provide VGF for such operations. Will this haste to begin international operations augur well for the scheme, since such operations involve permissions from the Centre in terms of bilateral flying rights, questions over type of aircraft for such flights, adequate VGF by state government alone, etc? If the Centre is keen, and the particular Gulf airline involved is willing to operate without seeking VGF and the state government is willing to offer concessions on cost heads such as landing/parking charges, tax cut on jet fuel etc why not? Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at KPMG, said expanding UDAN to international routes is a good idea, but warned of headwinds. VGF will be a key one. The VGF will be a large amount. It can't be recovered from passengers flying on non-UDAN routes like in the domestic UDAN. A significant portion will need to come from the central and state exchequer. VGF can be given only to Indian carriers. Indian taxpayers money can't be used to fund foreign carriers. With some countries wherein the bilateral quotas have been exhausted, this may require opening up additional quotas specific to the UDAN locations. This can get tricky since foreign countries may demand a location-agnostic enhancement of bilateral quotas. Overall, international UDAN is a good idea whose time has come. After all, many other countries support their carriers, directly or covertly, in the international market. No reason why India should not do this. Besides, international connectivity will help the North East create jobs and boost economic growth. As for the domestic leg of UDAN, 12 under-served and 31 unserved airports were to be connected under the first-phase of UDAN. These are airports where either no flight operations were happening earlier or very few flights were operating from them. Under UDAN, these airports have got a new lease of life. In the second-phase of UDAN, the government has awarded 44 more routes/networks to connect the hinterland. Jet Airways hopes to close a deal to buy another 75 narrowbody jets by the end of March, its CEO Vinay Dube told reporters on the sidelines of the airshow. Hyderabad: Indian airlines Jet Airways, SpiceJet Ltd and AirAsia India are planning to add new jets to their fleets as they look to expand in the worlds fastest-growing aviation market, the carriers said on Thursday. Domestic Indian passenger traffic increased by 17.9 percent in January from a year earlier, marking the 41st consecutive month of double-digit growth, the International Air Transport Association said in a monthly update released on Thursday. Civil aviation secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said as long as oil prices remained below $80 per barrel, he expected the Indian aviation market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15 percent for the next 20 years or so. We are committed to ensure that new airports are built, better air space management services are provided, so that there is no congestion in the skies, Choubey said at the Wings India air show. Indian airlines are scrambling to add more jets to meet demand for more domestic and international flights, making it one of the most targeted sales markets for jet manufacturers Airbus SE and Boeing Co. The growth of the domestic Indian (aviation) market is the highest in the world, Boeing senior vice-president Asia Pacific and India sales Dinesh Keskar said. Every segment of traffic in and out of India is going to grow for the next 20 years. Boeing said in July it expected Indian airlines to order up to 2,100 new aircraft worth $290 billion over the next 20 years, calling it the highest-ever forecast for Asias third-largest economy. Jet Airways hopes to close a deal to buy another 75 narrowbody jets by the end of March, its CEO Vinay Dube told reporters on the sidelines of the airshow. The airline last year finalised a deal to buy a separate 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and said it was in serious talks for 75 more. Dube said it would finalise the deal with one of the plane manufacturers, alluding to Boeing or Airbus. AirAsia India is looking to expand its fleet to 60 jets from the current 14 over the next five years, a spokeswoman said. The airlines parent, AirAsia Bhd, said in January it was considering an IPO of the Indian arm. Low-cost carrier SpiceJet said in July it had signed a provisional deal to buy 40 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets. The economic impact on account of additional borrowing made by Devendra Fadnavis government to fulfill the loan waiver promise that ultimately never benefitted anyone beyond winning a political point for Fadnavis himself If one looks at the Maharashtra economic survey 2017-18, there are two things that have dragged down the economy and disturbed the states financesa sharp contraction in farm sector growth and the additional borrowing made to fulfil the June, 2017 loan waiver promise. Devendra Fadnavis Maharashtra gives us a classic example of how to mess up an economy with poorly thought out, politically motivated populist policies such as farm loan waivers and by adopting an entirely wrong approach to address the looming agrarian crisis in the state. To begin with, the way Fadnavis approached farmer distress in Maharashtra must go into the don't's list of any government serious about the state of its exchequer. It shows how the burden of executing farm loan waivers can shake the finances of even the most industrialised state in the country. A quantum jump in fiscal expenditure and sharp slowdown in economic growth, with no other major reasons to show, characterises Maharashtras economy, going by the estimates given in the latest annual economic survey. This should be a message to other state governments and to the union government as well. Lets take a look at where Maharashtras finances stand at this point. According to the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2017-18, the states growth declined to 7.3 percent in financial year 2017-18, the weakest in the three years since Fadnaviss government assumed power. Remember, Maharashtra had logged a 10 percent growth rate in the previous fiscal. In financial year 2015-16, the Fadnavis government had recorded a 7.6 percent growth rate. Revenue expenditure has shot up significantly after the state had to raise an additional Rs 20,000 crore to meet the expenditure for the farm loan waiver. That takes the revenue deficit and fiscal deficit figures way beyond the Rs 4,511 crore and the Rs 38,789 crore estimated at the beginning of the year. The big shock for the state has come from the agriculture sector, which provides employment for more than half of the states population. Growth here is estimated to have slowed to 8.3 percent contraction in 2017-18, the survey showed. Last year, the 10 percent growth in the states economy was powered by a 22.5 percent jump in agriculture and allied activities, which was made possible by good monsoons that year. One can blame the rains for poor farm growth but there are larger issues that the economic survey has raised. The share of agriculture and allied activities to the state's net income has been sliding over years. It fell to 11.9 percent in 2017-18 from 15.3 percent in 2001-02. This points to the fact that even when the farm sector remains as a major employer for the state, employing more than half the population, it is lacking in terms of efficiency and output. This is something that is seen in the national economy as well. As a share of GDP, the agriculture sector contributed nearly 50 percent at the time of independence but that share has now dropped to 13-14 percent. In the wake of continuous farmer agitations, the Fadnavis government chose to go for the easy way instead of looking at deeper solutions that can provide permanent, sustainable solutions to the states farm sector, particularly in the areas of irrigation, technology and reforming the market mechanism. His government went to the town announcing a Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver in June, 2017. The implementation of the waiver scheme itself was a mess as discovered by a series of stories Firstpost published, reporting from rural Maharashtra. So far, just above Rs 13,580 crore has reached the beneficiary accounts. Even here, there are questions about which farmer has actually benefited from the exercise. This is the reason why farmers from across Maharashtra are marching to Mumbai demanding a total loan waiver and further support for crop losses. Empirical evidence from the past shows that loan waivers have never really helped any farmer beyond offering a temporary relief. It destroys the credit culture (by encouraging even honest borrowers not to pay back) and piling up bad loans on the books of commercial banks. The ill-effects of farm loan waivers are explained in detail in this piece. It is quite evident by now that no government is keen to offer long-term solutions to farmer distress. To sum up, there are two major reasons for Maharashtras growth slowdown and widening fiscal deficit as indicated by the economic survey. One, the economic impact on account of additional borrowing made by the Fadnavis government to fulfil the loan waiver promise that ultimately never benefited anyone beyond winning a political point for Fadnavis himself. Second, a sharp slowdown in growth of farm sector that is a result of wrong or inadequate policies, which failed to look at the actual problem on the ground. What we have seen here is a classic case of how to mess up a healthy economy with political populism and wrong policy approach. That has, unfortunately, come from the most industrialised state in India. The All India Bar Examination XI (AIBE- XI) results have been released. Aspirants can check their results on the website allindiabarexamination.com The Bar Council of India has released the results of The All India Bar Examination XI (AIBE- XI). Candidates can check their results on the website: allindiabarexamination.com. Students must note that the council has also released a list of candidates whose results have been withheld. The list can be checked here. According to Hindustan Times, the examination was held on 3 December, 2017. Follow the steps to check the results: Visit barcouncilofindia.org to go to the All India Bar Examination portal or directly visit the site allindiabarexamination.com Click on 'Notification for Result AIBE- XI'. Then choose 'Kindly Click here for the Result of AIBE-XI' Candidates will be directed to another page, where they will be required to enter their roll number and date of birth to check the results Click on submit to check the results. Take a print out for future reference. Meanwhile, online registration for AIBE-XII examination started on Friday. The Bar Council of India is a statutory body created by Parliament to regulate and represent the Indian bar. They perform the regulatory function by prescribing standards of professional conduct and etiquette and by exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar. They also set standards for legal education and grants recognition to Universities whose degree in law will serve as qualification for enrolment as an advocate. The Bar Council of India was established by the Parliament under the Advocates Act, 1961. With inputs from agencies Lawrence Liang, who was accused by this student of harassment on multiple occasions, has disputed the report and its recommendations The Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment (CPSH) at the Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) has reportedly found Prof Lawence Liang its dean for the School of Law, Governance and Citizenship guilty of sexually harassing a PhD student, after an internal investigation. The student who is not an AUD alum had filed a complaint against Liang in October 2017. In her complaint, she detailed multiple instances, beginning in October 2015, when Lawrence had forcibly kissed her or made other unwanted sexual advances. Incidentally, Liangs name was part of a crowdsourced list of men in Indian academia who had been accused of sexual harassment, shared by law student and activist Raya Sarkar on her Facebook page last October. As per a report that appeared in Asia Times, the CPSH recommended penal action against Liang, and also advised that he be stripped of his administrative role. Prof Geetha Venkataraman, who heads the CPSH for AUD, declined to comment on the committees investigation, or its findings and recommendations. She told Firstpost, All constituents of the University are bound by the confidentiality clause enshrined in the AUD policy on prevention of sexual harassment, approved by our board. However, a copy of the letter sent by the complainant to the CPSH after it declared its findings was obtained by Firstpost, which details its recommendations for the action to be taken against Prof Liang, and also states the students dissatisfaction with the measures. The complainant writes that after reading the committees report several times, she believes that despite conviction of perpetrators, which essentially means that the charges of sexual harassment against them especially Lawrence Liang, the defendant of my primary complaint [associate professor Ned Bertz is the second defendant named by the PhD student] have been proven, there are a number of instances in the course of these proceedings that, I feel, have systematically removed me as a victim from accessing justice both substantive and restorative in a more tangible form that could help me heal from the trauma of his repeat sexual assaults. She lists these instances as including: - Prof Liang continuing to hold his position of power in AUD, especially since he has not been suspended or barred from teaching. - The confidentiality clause that is part of the CPSHs guidelines being used to protect Prof Liang rather than her, the complainant. Neither Liang nor Bertz have been named in the CPSHs report, a copy of which was shared with her. - The CPSHs report including no recommendations about how reparation can be made towards the complainant, when she had previously expressed to the committee her desire for a written apology (from Liang), his suspension, and some form of compensation. The complainant further writes, My trauma, the financial and emotional costs I have had to go through, and continue to bear till this day, due to these incidents of sexual harassment in my working environment by powerful men in academia who by the way I still might encounter time and again with even more hostility for having spoken out have been completely overlooked in the report despite the conviction, leaving basically nothing in it for me to feel restored in any manner, or get justice in some tangible manner that would also make my perpetrator realise what he did to me is not okay, and can never be, no matter who he is, or what becomes of him; that he is wrong to assault me and others like me, and there is cost to the damage that he glibly inflicts upon women. If not dismissal from service, at least a suspension for a period of time from all university roles and responsibilities, along with undergoing mandatory gender sensitisation and orientation training, and an undertaking that he understands the ethical responsibilities that come with his position as an educator and how any further complaints of such nature would require him to resign would have felt substantive, or fair to the cause to gender justice, she concludes. The full text of her four-page letter to the committee: Compainant's Letter to CPSH of AUD by on Scribd Prof Liang has said that he is not in agreement with the CPSHs findings and intends to appeal against its report. In response to Firstposts request for comment, Prof Liang shared this statement: The Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment (CPSH) at Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) has conducted proceedings in which I was the defendant. The CPSH has given a report and made certain recommendations. This is only one part of the process provided by the CPSH rules. Those rules provide that both/either party can appeal the recommendations. I informed the CPSH and AUD of my intention to appeal immediately on receipt of the report. I have not commented so far on the matter because of CPSH confidentiality rules. I can, and must, however, say this I dispute the report in its entirety, its findings and recommendations included. Some persons have initiated selective leaks. These persons know that I have signed confidentiality rules and cannot respond. Selective leaks demonize, cause a media trial, and proclaim guilt in advance. I am passionately committed to AUD, and have worked hard to build the School that I am a part of, and I intend to exhaust every channel open to me to clear my name. Meanwhile, the Kafila collective an online publication which had opposed Raya Sarkars list, and of which Prof Lawrence Liang is a contributing member said they would no longer be carrying articles by him. Reports in the media indicate that Lawrence Liang, a member of the Kafila collective, has been found guilty of sexual harassment by an internal committee set up by Ambedkar University, Delhi, through due process, the statement issued by the collective read. He will no longer be writing on Kafila. A TDP parliamentarian said on Friday that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley comparing Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny the southern state the special category state status 'angered' the people New Delhi: A TDP parliamentarian said on Friday that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley comparing Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny the southern state the special category state status "angered" the people and was one of the factors behind the party's decision to pull out its ministers of the central government. "The Union finance minister in a press meet compared Andhra Pradesh to Bihar to deny Andhra Pradesh a special category state status and that also contributed in our party president (and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu) announcing the resignations of two ministers," he said, adding that it hurt the sentiments and angered the people of Andhra Pradesh. "When you make such comparison, there arises a question why should we give special status to AP while having a state more backward, Bihar. This is wrong. They angered the people, ministers and the chief minister. It was a promise made in Parliament and the comparison was not right," TDP Rajya Sabha MP TG Venkatesh told reporters. To a query on whether special category state status would be granted to Andhra Pradesh, Jaitley at a press conference on 7 March had said "Why not Bihar? Why not Jharkhand? Central Government has to look at 29 states." Under relentless opposition attack over its failure to secure special category state status for Andhra Pradesh, the state's ruling TDP pulled out of the Modi government on Wednesday. President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday accepted the resignations of Telugu Desam Party ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pasupati and YS Chowdary. Raju on Friday for the first time joined his party MPs in a protest inside the Parliament Complex raising their demand. The ministers after their resignations said that they would now have "more freedom" to protest for the rights of Andhra Pradesh. In just a three-week span in February, the Bombay High Court has nullified two government resolutions of Devendra Fadnavis administration attempting to favour specific cooperative banks in Maharashtra The Bombay High court's recent judgements, pronounced in a three-week span in February, nullifying two Government Resolutions (GRs), each attempting to favour specific cooperative banks in the state, could cause damage to Devendra Fadnavis' carefully cultivated image of running a corruption-free administration. Firstpost examined the manner in which the two institutions in question, TJSB Sahakari Bank and Maharashtra District Cooperative Bank (MDCB), came into being - our enquiry showed that in so doing the Maharashtra government undermined its own "clean image". File image of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. PTI TJSB Sahakari Bank issue On 21 February, the Bombay High Court set aside the state government resolution asking the teaching and non-teaching staff of government schools in Thane to shift their salary accounts to TJSB Sahakari Bank, previously known as Thane Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd. The court termed the resolution arbitrary and mala fide, questioning the rationale behind the move. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Thane Zilla Shikshan Vibhag. The teaching and non-teaching staff already had salary accounts in the Thane District Central Cooperative Bank, but the state wanted them to shift those accounts to TJSB Sahakari Bank. The petitioner said the government had even threatened to stop the disbursement of their salaries until they shifted their bank accounts. The state government, however, denied that its decision on the shifting of salary accounts for the school staff in Thane was duplicitous. When the bench asked why the government felt the need to shift the accounts from one cooperative bank to another, the state's counsel, Ram Apte whimsically said that the government had the power to change its mind. The court blasted the government saying there seemed to be some ulterior motive behind shifting the accounts from the Thane District Central Cooperative Bank to TJSB Sahakari Bank. So why was the government so keen to shift the bank accounts to TJSB Sahakari Bank? JM Abhyankar, president of the Maharashtra Rajya Shishak Sena, an affiliate of the Shiv Sena, told Firstpost that the only reason the GR was passed because the bank is controlled by people from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)". Earlier, the government had passed resolutions in Nagpur, Nashik, Latur and several other districts in the state asking teaching and non-teaching staff in schools to shift their accounts from one bank to the other. But, in those cases, the teaching and non-teaching staff were compelled to open accounts, in order to get their salaries disbursed in nationalised banks. This was done considering the fact that cooperative banks have a dubious record, Abhyankar said. Abhyankars allegations resonated with those of Kapil Patil, member of Maharashtra State Legislative Council and President of Janata Dal (United), Maharashtra. Patil told Firstpost that TJSB has connections with the RSS and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)". Do these charges hold ground? TJSB Bank, founded in 1972, according to its official website, today has 135 branches spread across cities of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. In May 2013, at the inauguration of the 82nd branch of TJSB in Bengaluru, Dattatreya Hosabale, joint general secretary of the RSS, had referred the bank as an RSS-inspired initiative in the cooperative sector". Successful cooperative banks have emerged in Maharashtra and Gujarat, rising above the barriers, (but) the people of Karnataka will support the bank, which serves the community with a social vision. The TJSB belongs to the Sangh family where I am coming from, Hosabale was quoted as saying by The Organiser, an RSS affiliated publication. When contacted, Sunil Prabhakar Sathe, MD and CEO of TJSB Sahakari Bank, refuted the allegations and said that the question of whether or not TJSB has any connection with RSS has no relevance. Our bank is run on professional parameters. There is 100 percent transparency in the way we operate. They (the Opposition) are mixing up the things. There is no direct affiliation with any political party or any NGO, Sathe told Firstpost. However, when Hosabales statement from The Organiser was cited, Sathe said that the bank believes in the philosophy of Sarva Dharma Sama Bhav (equal respect for all religions) and said, Yes, the bank is inspired by the ideology of the RSS. That's true. The bank is following the RSS ideology. But this was not the reason why the government took the decision. Had the TDCC's services been good, the government wouldn't have thought of passing the resolution." But, let me tell you we are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideology also. We admire the ideology of Subhash Chandra Bose, and we are inspired by VD Savarkar's thoughts. The bank is not part of Sangh Parivar. It is just following the RSS ideology. We are registered as a multi-state cooperative bank, he added. Speaking on the controversy, Madhav Bhandari, chief spokesperson, Maharashtra BJP said, Is it a crime to have connections with the RSS? Abhyankar is of the opinion that these decisions might not have been taken at the chief ministerial level. He claimed that state education minister Vinod Tawde is taking these decisions arbitrarily. Tawde is someone who does not shy away from calling himself a proud Sangh Sevak. Manmohan Vaidya, Akhil Bhartiya Prachaar Pramukh of RSS, said that the Sangh should not be dragged into this debate and added that if the Opposition is really interested in verifying something they should better check the banks performance and not its affiliations. There are around 60 lakh Swayamsevaks working all around India. Obviously, many of them work in various banks. But how could a bank be owned by the Sangh? RSS only has shakhas not banks, Vaidya told Firstpost. The MDCB controversy In less then three weeks before the TJSB case, on 9 February, the Bombay High Court had stayed a similar decision of the state government that made it mandatory for all the teaching staff in govt-aided schools in Mumbai to shift their salary accounts to Mumbai District Cooperative Bank (MDCB). The court had hit out at Tawde for issuing such an "irrational" resolution. "When you (Tawde) were in the Opposition, then you were the one who levelled allegations against this bank (MDCB). And now, suddenly, this bank has become good," the court said while hearing a petition filed by a teachers' organisation, Shikshak Bharati, challenging the resolution. MDCB's dubious record In the MDCB case, the resolution was passed with the sole purpose of benefiting Pravin Darekar, who is a BJP MLC and chairman of the bank, alleges Abhynkar. I have worked in the government in various capacities, but I havent seen such kind of attitude. The government is passing resolutions one after another to benefit their own people, said Abhynkar, who has worked as chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Denying the accusations, Darekar, however, said that the resolution was passed only on the basis of performance of the bank. The bank had promised the state government to give better services. Political connections had nothing to do with the government taking that decision, said Darekar. Even though I am the chairman of the bank, chairmen don't own a bank. The MDCB is a public property. It is not a private property of an individual. Besides chairman, the other members of the bank hold equal authority and they also have their say, Darekar told Firstpost. In March 2015, Darekar was booked for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 123 crore to the MDCB since 1998 by fraud and embezzlement of funds. Darekar, in December 2017, was given a clean chit in the case in which he was accused of misusing his position in the bank for giving loans to his own relatives. Darekar, who was earlier with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), had quit the Raj Thackeray-led party in October 2014 and crossed over to BJP in January 2015. Abhynkar said that if Darkar wouldnt have changed the sides, he would have landed in jail. Defending the state government decision to pass the resolution regarding MDCB, BJP spokesperson Bhandari said that if a BJP MLA or MP holds any position at an institution, it does not mean that the government shouldn't do any business with it. Is there any such law which prevents the state government from doing so? Bhandari asked. Subhash More, working president of Shikshak Bharti told Firstpost that the government did not even bother to invite his organisation, the only government-recognised teachers body, for discussions, before passing the resolution regarding MDCB. Since BJP came to power in 2014, it seems like the government has been deliberately taking decisions that are inconvenient for the teachers fraternity. When Tawde was in Opposition he had accused the MDCB of being involved in Rs 412 crore scam. But, when his party came to power, Tawde passed a resolution favouring the same tainted bank. Isnt it ironic? More said. He added that most of the cooperative sector in Maharashtra is controlled by Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). BJP is nowhere in the picture. And that is the reason the government has been passing these GRs in order to make inroads into the cooperative sector in the state, said More. According to sources, 996 out of the 1,484 refugees from Myanmar's Zhakai community, have already left from Mizoram and the rest are expected to leave the Indian state within this month Lawngtlai (Mizoram): Myanmarese refugees have began returning to their homes two months after they landed in Mizoram following raids in their villages by the Myanmar Army. The first batch of the refugees left the border state on 25 January, and continued subsequently in small groups till the end of last month. According to informed sources, 996 out of the 1,484 refugees who arrived in Mizoram, have already returned, and the rest are expected to leave the Indian state within this month. Currently, all the refugees are temporarily settled at Hmawngbuchhuah village in the Bumthlang subdivision of Mizoram on the bank of Sekul river. When this correspondent visited the village, the migrants were found scattered over hillocks in and around the village in small huts of bamboo and thatch which were erected soon after they landed last November. A few families have even opened up shops but most of the migrants evinced a desire to return to their villages barring some exceptions. "My daughters have already gone back and they want us to join them soon," said Ubakhai, an elderly migrant whose village is located about 10 kilometres from the border in Myanmar. "We will select a date as per our calendar and hit the return trail with my wife." All the refugees who arrived in Mizoram are Buddhists belonging to the Zhakai tribe from the disturbed Rakhine state in Myanmar. Rakhine has witnessed large-scale violence and displacement of the Rohingya Muslims since last August. The Zhakai community inhabits some villages on both sides of the border and many refugees were putting up at the homes of their relatives in Mizoram. Their repatriation was planned earlier in December, but it had to be stalled after opposition from the community who were apprehensive of further retaliation by the Myanmar Army. The crisis had erupted in Myanmars Paletwa and the adjacent region after 11 Myanmar Army personnel had reportedly died on the Kaladan river after being ambushed by a rebel outfit called the Arakan Army. A middle-aged refugee at Hmawngbuchhuah claimed that the Myanmar Army had burnt several villages believed to have offered support and cadres to the militant group. A senior employee of a firm engaged with the multi-crore Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project it will connect eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine State and stationed near Hmawngbuchhuah claimed that gunshots were being heard for over a month in the region across the border which severely stalled the progress of work on the highway. However, conflicting reports are pouring in about the fate of the refugees who had returned to their villages. According to one version, the Myanmar Army has confined them to camps in a manner similar to some Rohingya settlements located south-west of the Zhakai inhabited zone. But some refugees were of the opinion that they have been allowed to resettle in their villages with a warning to abstain from supporting the rebel group. The turmoil in Paletwa reveals a complex pattern of conflict in Myanmars Rakhine state. In this zone, Buddhist citizens seem to view the Myanmar government and the Myanmar army as "aggressors" who have illegally occupied their territory. A young refugee cited the sale of natural gas from the region to China whose profits were garnered only by the government. But not very far in the Rohingya inhabited territory, there were reports of Buddhist civilians colluding with the Myanmar Army in raiding their villages and forcing them to migrate to neighbouring Bangladesh. The disturbance in Paletwa and the activities of the Arakan Army could be a reason for the delay in the execution of a 109-kilometre-long road which is a vital part of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. The proposed highway will connect the river terminal at Paletwa to Zorinpui in the Mizoram border for goods to be transported from Sittwe port in Myanmars Rakhine State. (The writer is a senior journalist in Guwahati and author of the book Rendezvous With Rebels: Journey to Meet Indias Most Wanted Men) A 19-year old girl student of a private college was allegedly stabbed to death by a man in full public view near the institution in Chennai on Friday, police said Chennai: A 19-year old girl student of a private college was allegedly stabbed to death by a man in full public view near the institution in Chennai on Friday, police said. M Ashwini, who was studying BCom, died on the spot as the assailant stabbed her with a knife after confronting and picking up an argument with her, they said. The man, identified as Alagesan, was nabbed by bystanders and thrashed before being handed him over to police. The motive for the murder, which sent shockwaves, was under investigation, police said. Quoting eyewitnesses, police said Alagesan confronted the victim near her college and picked up an argument. Then all of a sudden, he took out a knife and stabbed her and attempted to flee. The killing of the girl comes weeks after a woman IT professional was waylaid and attacked while heading home past midnight on the city outskirts, causing serious injuries. Three men had been arrested in connection with the incident. In 2016, a 26-year old techie Swathi was murdered on the platform of a suburban railway station in Chennai around 6 am while waiting to board a train. A man arrested on the charge of killing her later allegedly committed suicide in the prison. The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence. Justice Mukta Gupta allowed the bail plea of Jarwal who was arrested on 20 February, a day after the alleged incident. The court had earlier reserved the bail plea of the Deoli legislator and said that it was a very unfortunate situation where the state and the officers feel unsafe and are being threatened by each other. The bail plea of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, who was also arrested in the case on 21 February, is pending before the court. A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to both of them, saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner" while dubbing them as "history-sheeters". Jarwal had then moved a sessions court and was again denied the relief with the court saying the situation could not be more alarming when lawmakers do not respect the rule of law. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP dispensation, saying there has been a 'deliberate attempt' to subvert the idea of India. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP dispensation, saying there has been a "deliberate attempt" to subvert the idea of India. "Was India really a giant black hole before 2014? Is it not an insult to the intelligence of our people (to suggest so)? This is a deliberate unwillingness to look at India's strengths over the past decades," she said, while addressing the India Today Conclave in Mumbai on Friday. Sonia, called on as the keynote speaker at the conclave, said she faces "growing anguish and indignation" over what has been happening since 2014, both in substance and in style. "India's has been a noble, liberal democracy, fueled by political competition, but with due regard to constitutional norms. We have allowed dissent and protest, dialogue and compromise. Our public discourse is not anchored in innuendo or invective," she said. She then remarked on how much things have changed since. "Our institutions are now under assault. (There is) rewriting history, falsifying facts, furthering prejudice and bigotry." The 71-year-old, who was president of the Congress party until handing over the reins to son Rahul last year, spoke of how the current government is misusing or amending laws set by the UPA. "RTI was brought in to fight corruption. Today, that law is in cold storage, its activists are being killed. Aadhaar has turned into an intrusive agent of control. Scientific temper is being mocked. Noise of politics is the music of democracy, but decisions are being taken whether regarding the economy, or relations with our neighbours where we act first, think later," she said. She spoke further about rumour mongering and the spread of incorrect information, using unemployment statistics as an example. "Employment situation is grim, but 7.5 million jobs were supposedly created in 2016. This claim was debunked, but does that even make a difference? No. As soon as one myth is broken, another is created," she said. "How and how frequently was the demonetisation narrative changed? How was the GST chopped and changed? How did they react to farmers' distress?" she asked. "The Indian society for many years had been accommodating, but not anymore." While she didn't take specific names, she said "individuals may mesmerise for a while", a snide reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oratory. "Long-standing precedents are being violated; political opponents are being targeted through the misuse of of investigating agencies. Vigilante mobs are being let loose with State patronage. There are shocking atrocities on Dalits and women. Our society is being polarised with a view of winning elections. What happened to the India we knew?" she asked. And these things aren't by happenstance, but are a deliberately orchestrated campaign, she said. "Provocative statements are by design. Fear and intimidation are the order of the day. Liberal voices are being silenced, by violence or even murder. The freedom to differ, freedom to marry as per one's wishes, the right to food, are all being quashed. Universities and students are being silenced," she rued. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Delhi on Friday night on a four-day India visit and was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Delhi on Friday night on a four-day India visit and was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture. Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. During the visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, sources here said. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean region will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and prime minister Modi during delegation-level talks. "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The India-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. After holding delegation-level talks with Modi on Saturday, Macron will take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different levels and institutions are expected to participate. On the same day, he will also take part in a Knowledge Summit which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On 11 March, president Macron will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India. The ISA Summit, expected to be attended by several heads of the states and governments, is likely to focus on concrete projects. On the same day, he will also visit Taj Mahal in Agra. President Macron will also visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, on 12 March. He, along with Modi, will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. Maritime security and counter-terrorism will be high on the agenda among a number of other bilateral issues when French President Emmanuel Macron comes on a four-day visit to India New Delhi: Maritime security and counter-terrorism will be high on the agenda among a number of other bilateral issues when French President Emmanuel Macron comes on a four-day visit to India starting Friday during the course of which he will also co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Macron will hold a bilateral summit in New Delhi on Saturday that will aim at further deepening the strategic partnership that the two countries share. Following the meeting, a number of agreements across multiple sectors are expected to be signed. Briefing the media in New Delhi on Friday, K Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary (Europe West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that though civil nuclear, space and defence cooperation have been the tripod of the India-France partnership, "in recent years, we have seen greater convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy". "Maritime security in the Indian Ocean region is a very important area where we are working together with France," Naidu said. He said that there has been increasing convergence in this area and "we hope to take it forward". According to French sources in New Delhi, though France is not against the recently revived quad of India, the US, Japan and Australia that seeks to work for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, Paris would rather like to work with New Delhi bilaterally in the Indian Ocean region given that there are around two million French citizens in its territories in the region. "Counter-terrorism is an area where we already have a dialogue," Naidu said in his briefing. The fight against terrorism and the security challenges the two countries face form an important aspect of the strategic partnership and these are expected to come up in Saturday's discussions. Naidu also said that the two countries have a very rich economic partnership with around 1,000 French companies operating in India and having invested close to $7 billion. "We have a number of French R&D institutions in India working in very high tech areas," he said. "This is an engagement that is going to grow in the coming years." Stating that bilateral trade stands close to $11 billion, he said: "It is a very evenly balanced engagement. We don't have any major areas of concern when it comes to trade. We don't have any conflict (of interest)." During the presidential visit, an India-France CEOs Forum will also be held which will be attended by around 40 CEOs each from both sides. According to Naidu, the French Development Agency (ADF) has made substantial investments in India, particularly in the Kochi, Nagpur and Bengaluru metro rail systems. "At the same time, you will see that France is increasingly with this country in a number of areas, particularly the renewable energy sector. This will see a far, much more expansion in the coming days," he said. Stating that India and France share a deep engagement in the area of space for over 50 years now, he said: "We would now like to take this to a new level. Hopefully you will get to see that at the end of this visit." He said that overall the bilateral engagement is "very good" across all sectors whether it be political, economic, cultural sphere, or people-to-people exchanges. "We have a very large Indian community in France and in French territories. In France itself, people of Indian community number a little over 1,00,000," Naidu said. He also said that there are five parliamentarians of Indian origin in France and four of them participated in the PIO parliamentarians conference held last January in New Delhi. On Sunday, Modi and Macron will co-chair the founding conference of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) which was launched by Modi and then French President Francois Hollande during the Paris climate summit in 2015. The ISA is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach. It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The interim secretariat of the ISA was inaugurated by Modi and Hollande in Gurugram on January 25, 2016. According to Naidu, till Thursday, 60 countries have signed the framework agreement of the ISA and 30 have submitted the instruments of ratification. Sunday's conference will be attended by 23 of those who have submitted the instruments of ratification and 24 of those who have signed the framework agreement. During the course of his stay in India, Macron will also visit Agra and Varanasi and have a town hall interaction with students in New Delhi. During his visit to Varanasi, he will inaugurate a 75 MW solar plant built by Engie Solar at Mirzapur. Kumar is reportedly the founder of a radical Hindutva outfit called the Hindu Yuva Sena. A Special Investigation Team arrested 37-year-old KT Naveen Kumar, as the "accused number one" in the murder case of Left-leaning journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, the first arrest in the case since September last year. His custody has been extended till the 15 March, CNN-News 18 reported. The police are also on the lookout for other people named by Kumar during interrogation. Who is KT Naveen Kumar? KT Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja was held on 3 March for his alleged involvement in the murder of the editor of Lankesh Patrike, who was shot dead outside her residence on by unidentified assailants on 5 September last year. However, according to The Indian Express, Kumar was first arrested on 18 February, by the Bengaluru Police for the possession of illegal bullets under the Arms Act. He was later named as the first accused in the murder of Lankesh. Kumar, who hails from Birur town in Chikmagalur district, also deals with illegal arms. His alleged connection to the Lankesh murder came to be known when some of his friends voluntarily gave statements that Kumar had alluded his links to Lankesh's murder to his customers and friends, media reports said. News Minute traced down his roots and reported that Kumar and his family had moved to Mandya several years ago, and have been residing at Kestur in Pandavapura taluk. Thimme Gowda, the older brother of Kumar, is also a "local thug" in Mandya and the duo would settle financial disputes between individuals. Police sources also said that his looks matched with one of the sketches of the suspect and the photograph developed from a CCTV footage obtained from Lankesh's residence, which showed a man recceing around the journalist's house. He has been found in possession of more than 15 rounds of the cartridges of the .32 caliber, which are the same as the 7.65 mm cartridges, The Indian Express report said. Lankesh was fatally shot using a 7.65 mm country-made pistol in the driveway of her home. Police suspect that either Kumar was directly involved in Gauri Lankeshs murder or had supplied weapons to the killers. The police are currently seeking permission to conduct a lie detector test on Kumar Links to Hindu right-wing groups? Kumar is reportedly the founder of a radical Hindutva outfit called the Hindu Yuva Sena. According to another The Indian Express report, he is also linked to members of the Sanatan Sanstha outfit and its affiliate the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti; he had reportedly booked a hall to host an event for right-wing activists of the Sanstha. The report further said that right-wing reading material was seized from Kumar's house and he reportedly became close to the Hindutva outfit in 2017. However, the Sanstha deny any links to him, saying that they are a spiritual organisation and many people from across the country attend their events. Sanstha spokesman Chetan Rajhans said an attempt was being made by some "anti-Hindu" elements to "divert" the probe. "False news that Sanatan's activists are involved in the killing of Gauri Lankesh is being spread with the assistance of some media houses. This is nothing but an attempt being made by anti-Sanatan and anti-Hindu elements to divert the investigation," Rajhans had said in a statement. However, the radical outfit has also been linked in Maharashtra to the shooting of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. A News Minute report also links Kumar to Bajrang Dal, which eventually kicked him out for reported use of violence. The organisation now wants to stay clear of the man accused of murdering Lankesh. Kumar a red herring? Sources told Deccan Chronicle, that Kumar is a red herring in the investigation. The report says that Kumar may have nothing to do with the high-profile murder, which is being linked to the killings of other Left-leaning activists like MM Kalburgi and Narendra Dabholkar. "Barring a two-year-old FIR in a church attack case in Mandya in which Kumar was named as a co-accused, there is no police dossier on the man," the report said. Besides, reports have emerged that he could be merely involved in conductin a recce of the journalist's house or of providing arms for the murder. "Kumar is one of the few who let down his guard, police sources said. Investigators of the Gauri Lankesh case believe Kumar is far down the pecking order in the conspiracy hatched to kill the journalist," another report in The Indian Express said. The police are also tight-lipped on the possible motive of the murder. But sources told CNN-News18 that the motive could be the identical stand taken by Lankesh, which contrasted the beliefs of the accused. With the Supreme Court holding the right to die with dignity a fundamental right and recognising 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients as permissible, India has joined a league of select countries where passive euthanasia has been accorded legal sanctity New Delhi: With the Supreme Court holding the right to die with dignity a fundamental right and recognising 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients as permissible, India has joined a league of select countries where passive euthanasia has been accorded legal sanctity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "euthanasia" as "the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma". The term is derived from the Greek "euthanatos", with 'eu' meaning well, and 'thanatos' meaning death. In ancient Greece and Rome, citizens were entitled to a good death to end the suffering of a terminal illness. There are different euthanasia laws in each country. It can be classified into five types voluntary, non-voluntary, involuntary, passive and active. India joins countries like Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg in legalising passive euthanasia. While dealing with the issue, the five judges arrived at a concurrent finding by analysing the practice of euthanasia in various countries. Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice AM Khanwilkar, who wrote a separate judgement, noted that in the US, active euthanasia was illegal but physician-assisted death is legal in the states of Oregon, Washington and Montana. A distinction has been drawn between euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. In both Oregon and Washington, only self-assisted dying is permitted. Doctor-administered assisted dying and any form of assistance to help a person commit suicide outside the provisions of the legislation remains a criminal offence. In Canada, physician-assisted suicide is illegal according to Section 241(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada. In Germany, assisted suicide is illegal. However, this is not the case for passive assisted suicide. Thus, if doctors stop life-prolonging measures on the written wishes of a patient, it is not considered as a criminal offence. Besides, it is legal for doctors in Germany to administer painkillers to a dying patient to ease the pain. The painkillers, cause low breathing that may lead to respiratory arrest and, ultimately, death. The agency suspected external forces behind Hadiyas conversion into Islam since her mentor was found involved in other 'love jihad' cases being investigated by it. The Supreme Court has set to rest the controversy surrounding the marriage of Akhila alias Hadiya to Shafin Jehan but its nod to National Investigation Agency (NIA) to continue its probe into the alleged links of the Muslim youth with extremist outfits will keep alive the debate on 'love jihad' triggered by the inter-faith marriage. Hindu organisations have cited the apex court decision on 8 March to keep the investigation open as a clear admission of the existence of 'love jihad' in Kerala. They had coined the term to describe several cases of conversion of non-Muslims to Islam in the 1990s. The Hindu bodies had claimed that 'love jihad' was part of a well-organised racket that hires young Muslim men to lure Hindu girls by feigning love for the purpose of conversion. It assumed the jihadi dimension after five neo-converts landed in IS territory on the Afghan-Syria border in October 2016. The issue triggered communal frenzy after the Sangh Parivar took it up. Even though the campaign spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) combine was dismissed as part of their political strategy to create a communal division in the state, a recent case involving a 25-year-old woman hailing from Pathanamthitta district and settled in Gujarat has forced a rethinking in political circles. The woman alleged that a Muslim youth from Kannur who tricked her into marriage had tried to take her to Syria from Saudi Arabia. She had met the man identified as Mohammed Riyas while studying in Bengaluru in 2014. Riyaz, who is an active member of Popular Front of India (PFI), a fundamentalist outfit carrying out conversions in Kerala, had taken her forcibly to Saudi Arabia using forged documents. The woman said she was locked up in a room when she resisted his plans to take her to Syria. She was rescued with the help of some NRIs after she managed to contact her parents back home. The high court has referred the case to the NIA for investigation. Two persons, who facilitated the marriage, have been arrested in connection with the incident. The NIA is already investigating the migration of 21 youths from the northern districts of Kasargod and Palakkad to the Afghan-Syrian border in July 2016. They included one Hindu and four Christians, who were converted to Islam. The anti-terrorist probe agency has already booked 16 persons in connection with the alleged IS recruitment and the trial in the first case, involving 15 persons from Kasargod, has already begun in the NIA court at Kochi. The main accused in the case are Abdul Abdulla Rashid and Yasmeen Mohammed Zahid of Bihar. The chargesheet filed in January 2017 named Rashid as the main conspirator who motivated a number of youths from Kasaragod to join the Islamic State along with their families. It said that Abdulla had raised funds from abroad and transferred the money to Yasmeen, who used it for propagating the ideology of violent jihad. The Kerala High Court had ordered a police investigation into the Hadiya case after Shafin informed the court on 21 December 2016 that he intended to take his wife to Muscat, where he worked. Hadiyas father KM Ashokan had earlier expressed suspicion that Shafin had married his daughter for the purpose of taking her to the IS camp in Syria. In its interim report on 6 January 2017, Kerala Police said that Shafin was an active member of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of PFI, and was one among 35-40 administrators of the partys Facebook page along with Manseed Buraq, who was earlier arrested in a case connecting him with IS. The police informed the court that Jahan was also an accused in two police cases including a case related to a political clash. Shafin did not hide his involvement with SDPI in the counter affidavit he filed in the high court but denied any connection with Manseed Buag, who was expelled from SDPI after his link with IS was exposed. The NIA was handed over the probe into the Hadiya case by Supreme Court after Shafin approached it in August 2017 with a plea to quash the 24 May high court verdict annulling his marriage to Hadiya. The findings of the agency submitted to the apex court in a sealed cover are not known. However, Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the agency, informed the apex court that NIAs investigation had revealed a strong pattern of Hindu women being systematically indoctrinated and induced into conversion and marriage by radical outfits. The agency suspected external forces behind Hadiyas conversion into Islam since her mentor was found involved in other 'love jihad' cases being investigated by it. The NIA had selected 32 out of 89 cases referred to it by the Kerala Police for detailed scrutiny. NIAs preliminary investigation revealed PFI womens wing chief Sainaba, who mentored Hadiya, as the common link in several cases. The agency found her involved in luring young Hindu girls into embracing Islam with the help of activists linked to Muslim outfits like PFI, SDPI, and Markazul Hidaya Sathyasarani. Shafins counsel advocate Haris Beeran said the facts in the Hadiya case did not show any element of so-called 'love jihad' since Hadiya had married Shafin much after she embraced Islam. She found him in a matrimonial site and married after due interactions. He told Firstpost whether there is anything incriminating against his client in the NIA probe will be known only after the courts full verdict will be available. The court had delivered only the operating part on Thursday. He said that the court may have taken the NIA probe findings into consideration while restoring the marriage of Hadiya and Shafin. Social activist Rahul Easwar, who had interacted with Hadiya while she was in her parents' custody, also does not believe the involvement of 'love jihad' in Hadiya's case. He doubts even any force behind the conversion. Rahul, who is the grandson of Sabarimala hill shrine supreme priest, told Firstpost that he found Hadiya to be a simple woman, who had developed a genuine affinity towards Islam after her interactions with Muslim friends while studying. He also takes the Sangh Parivar propaganda about 'love jihad' with a pinch of salt saying that they were blowing the issue out of proportion by citing a few isolated cases. However, he finds substance in the allegation that there could be a force behind some conversions. Rahul is not ready to blame non-Hindus alone for this. "Muslim and Christian organisations are able to attract Hindus into their faith because they are vulnerable to conversion. A large section in the Hindu community are disappointed with the neglect and discrimination they suffer. If the conversion lobby in other religion is able to lure them with better prospects they cannot be blamed," he said. Social critic J Devika agrees with Rahul. She said most of the Hindus converts belonged to suppressed sections in the community. She told Scroll that the Hindu upper caste society still considered the lower Ezhava community with contempt in the state. Devika, an associate professor at the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram pointed out that Hadiyas parents belonged to Ezhava community that is officially categorised as Other Backward Classes, while the family of another convert Athira is part of Scheduled Caste Vannan community. She believes that the Sangh Parivar has been running the 'love jihad' propaganda to mask the caste divide in Hindu society. They have realised that this caste division in the Hindu society is hurting its political plans. "'Love jihad is their ploy to mask the caste division and reap electoral dividends in Kerala," Devika said. BJP leaders say their campaign against 'love jihad' was not aimed at maligning a particular community. Party spokesman JR Padmakumar said they have been airing their concern in the wake of arrest of several people in connection with the recruitment of youths to extremist outfits, including IS in the recent past. It is a ten-year-old case and all the documents are available with them and 'they need my custody to harass me', Karti said through his counsel. The Patiala House Court in Delhi extended Karti Chidambaram's CBI custody for three more days on Friday in the INX Media case, even as the Delhi High Court granted him interim protection from arrest till 20 March in the PMLA case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The CBI argued that the existence of a new company has been uncovered and the report of the forensic examination of his hard disk has also come out. The CBI had sought his remand for six more days. The court will now hear the case on 15 March, CNN-News18 reported. CBI has already taken nine days' police custody of Karti out of the 15 days prescribed under law. The CBI has also sought the court's permission to conduct a narco test on Karti. While seeking extension of his custodial interrogation, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said that a CD has been recovered in connection with the case which needed to be sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for examination. The ASG said that new incriminating materials have been found and he has to be confronted with them. However, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is the party colleague of P Chidambaram, opposed any further custodial interrogation of Karti. "It's tragic for me (Karti). They have no new reason for my remand. They are inventing one. CBI has to justify remand every day and every minute," Singhvi said on behalf of Karti. Singhvi also argued that the case is ten years old and all documents are available with the CBI. Before commencing the proceedings on Karti, the court extended the judicial custody of his CA, S Bhaskararaman, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the case, till 22 March. This was again used as the CBI to seek an extension in custody as the investigating agency said it wanted to confront Karti with the revelations made by Bhaskar. Karti was arrested on 28 February at the Chennai airport on his return from the UK. The CBI had lodged an FIR on 15 May last year alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister. The agency has alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a money laundering case in the INX Media case. With inputs from agencies A former Sikh militant, Jaspal Atwal, apologised for causing embarrassment to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his trip to India. Canada: A former Sikh militant apologised on Friday for causing embarrassment to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his trip to India. Jaspal Atwal, who was part of a movement that supported an independent Sikh nation in the 1980s and went to prison for the attempted murder of a visiting Indian minister in 1986, was invited to a dinner with Trudeau in New Delhi causing consternation among his hosts. Trudeau's visit to India had already been dogged by suspicions that Canada was soft on Sikh separatists. "I am sorry for any embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and my family," the 62-year-old told a news conference. "I renounce any form of terrorism," Atwal said. "I do not advocate for an independent Sikh nation. I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India." Since his parole, Atwal said he has engaged broadly in politics on behalf of the Indian-Canadian community, and visited India numerous times, including three visits over the past year, each time "with the full permission of the Indian government." "There were also no restrictions placed on me by Canada so that I could not travel," he added. Before his latest trip, Atwal said he reached out to his local member of Parliament, Randeep Sarai, to ask if he could attend a reception with Trudeau in India. "I had assumed there would be no problems. No one had at any point indicated there would be any issues," he said. The controversy has continued to hound Trudeau since his return to Canada, with opposition parties and editorialists heaping scorn on the prime minister over the misstep. Sarai, meanwhile, has been stripped of his responsibilities within the Liberal caucus. Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Thursday said a DCP had been suspended for lapse in security, a day after Lokayukta P Vishwanatha Shetty was stabbed multiple times by a man in his office, Bengaluru: A day after Karnataka Lokayukta P Vishwanatha Shetty was stabbed multiple times by a man in his office, state home minister Ramalinga Reddy on Thursday said a DCP (deputy commissioner of police) had been suspended for lapse in security. "The state cabinet has decided to suspend DCP Yogesh for lapse of security in the Lokayukta stabbing case," he told reporters in a WhatsApp message in Bengaluru. Shetty was stabbed multiple times on Wednesday by a man who went to his office with a complaint only to be told that the case had been shut. The Lokayukta had collapsed after Tejaraj Sharma attacked him with a knife in an "attempt" to kill him in his chamber in a multi-storeyed building near the Vidhana Soudha. The incident also had prompted Home Minister Rajnath Singh to speak to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and he had expressed concern over the attack. Shetty, in his early 70s, took over as the state Lokayukta in January 2017 succeeding Y Bhaskar Rao, a former high court chief justice. The West Bengal government decided to include Swami Vivekanandas famous speech at the Parliament of Worlds Religion in Chicago in the Class IX to XII syllabus from next year. Kolkata: The West Bengal government, on Wednesday, decided to include Swami Vivekanandas famous speech at the Parliament of Worlds Religion in Chicago in the Class IX to XII syllabus from next year, state education minister Partha Chatterjee said. The proposal to include Vivekanandas speech was given by the representatives of the Ramakrishna Mission at the first meeting held by the committee, which was constituted to look after the celebrations of 125 years of Vivekanandas address at the Parliament of Worlds Religion in Chicago in 1893, held at the secretariat on Wednesday. The meeting was presided by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid the presence of Chatterjee and other senior officials. The syllabus committee will take the final call on the inclusion of the leaders speech. The state government also decided to grant another Rs 10 crore to the Mission for the proposed Centre of Excellence. Earlier, the state had granted another Rs 10 crore for the same. Incidentally, the state government had decided to conduct character-building programmes in schools as part of the celebrations of 125 years of Vivekanandas address at the Parliament of Worlds Religion in Chicago. Three people were killed and 12 injured after an explosion inside a boiler of Tarapur Atomic Power Station, a chemicals factory in Palghar district, on Thursday night. At least, three people were killed and 12 injured after an explosion inside a boiler of Tarapur Atomic Power Station, a chemicals factory in Maharashtra's Palghar district, on Thursday night. The explosion caused a major fire to break out. Police said the incident took place at Ramdeo Chemicals in the Boisar-Tarapur industrial estate. The blast, prima facie is suspected to have occurred in a boiler room and efforts were on to douse the fire in the factory precincts. The fire engulfed the factory at around 11.40 pm after a massive explosion inside a boiler, a senior police official said. The impact of the blasts could be felt 12 kilometres from the spot in Palghar, Mahim, Boisar and surrounding areas. Palghar Superintendent of Police (SP) Manjunath Shinge said that during a search, three unidentified bodies were found at the Arti industries site. "There may be more casualties. Search and rescue operation is going on," Shinge told PTI. The three deceased have been identified as Pintu Kumar Gautam, Janu Adaria and Alok Nath and all three suffered the impact of the blast. The twelve injured were identified as: Sanjay Javade (25), Kailas Kumar (20), Dinesh Kumar (21), Sunil Kumar (21), Sachin Rathod (19), Kailash Sonawane (25), Uday Yadav (42), Vakset Singh (60), Mukesh Rawat (24), Sunil Yadav (21), Urwind Vishwakarma (20), Kudubai (55). Three factories near Ramdeo Chemicals were also gutted in the blaze and 13 people were injured. They were admitted to various hospitals, another senior police official said. The fire, that had spread to the other buildings, has been brought under control and efforts are on to douse it, the officer said. The first blast occurred in Novaphene Specialties Private Limited in E-107 unit of MIDC at around 11.10 pm, The Indian Express reported. Hindustan Times quoted the Palghar district collector who said at least 40 blasts were heard from the plant. "It is clear that the said unit did not follow any safety precautions and due to an exothermic reaction, the blast occurred in the solvent drums. We are probing and the guilty will be charged under relevant sections of the IPC and we may recommend the government to cancel the manufacturing licence of the guilty units," the report quoted Narnaware as saying. Local eyewitnesses said that the explosion, "sounding like a huge bomb" took place when many were preparing to retire for the night. However, scared and shaken by the explosion, many feared it was an earthquake and hundreds rushed out on to the streets and sat there. Further details are awaited and senior civil and police officials besides disaster management teams have rushed to the spot. Preliminary reports revealed that the blasts occurred in 25 drums containing 200 litres each of solvent at Novephene Specialities' plant in Boisar MIDC at around 11.15 pm. Four surrounding chemical units belonging to Prachi Industries (manufacturing iodine), Bharat Rasayan, Arti Industries (manufacturing vitamins), Unimax and others were either partially or completely destroyed. Narnaware suspected that the fire spread as there were chemical drums inside these companies. Tarapur Atomic Power Station, which is also located on the Boisar-Tarapur Road, is around 20 kilometres from the spot, he said. With inputs from agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the new BJP government in Tripura of providing full support for the all round development of the state. Agartala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the new BJP government in Tripura of providing full support for the all round development of the state, saying the entire country was behind its march towards progress. In his address after the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Tripura, Modi said the northeastern region has many opportunities and potentials which have to be explored for its development. "I appeal to the people of Tripura, let's take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of people. I want to assure that in Tripura's march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation with the motto of cooperative federalism," he said at the event held at the Assam Rifles ground. Earlier, Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister, Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief NC Debbarma. The first BJP government in the state assumed charge after ending 25 year rule of the Left front. The prime minister said that the new government will take along every citizen and all sections of society and work for the development of Tripura. He said the motto of the government would be development, good governance, people's participation and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. "I have visited the North East many times as the prime minister and want to tell you that India is with the North East; India understands the issues of the North East and every Indian stands by the people of the North East," he said. The swearing-in ceremony held at the Assam Rifles ground was attended by BJP chief Amit Shah, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand), besides others, also attended the function. News18 Network has announced its marquee thought-leadership initiative News18 Rising India Summit. News18 Network has announced that its marquee thought-leadership initiative News18 Rising India Summit will be held on 16 and 17 March in New Delhi. The summit will bring together national and international luminaries from the fields of governance, arts, business and academia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the audience by sharing his vision for India and his expectations from the leaders participating in the summit. Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman will be a keynote speaker. Talking about the summit, Avinash Kaul, President, Network18 said, "We are proud to announce the News18 Rising India Summit, which is the grand culmination of Rising Series hosted by our network. The Rising Series in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala saw participation of all chief ministers and key policy makers. We believe this is the best time to conclude the series by bringing together top policy makers, corporate leaders and global visionaries to celebrate Indias journey from take-off to triumph." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari will be speaking among other bureaucrats and ministers. Kaul added, "Experts in diverse fields will contribute ideas, and no doubt make commitments to furthering the grand project on which India has embarked. It will be an opportunity to applaud our successes and lay the plans for many more to come." This is the first edition of News18 Rising India Summit. Many significant announcements can be expected at the summit. "We believe that this summit will sow the intention and pen down the direction of taking India to another level of growth in the coming years," Kaul said. Disclosure: News18 is part of Network18 news media group, which is also the parent company of Firstpost.com Pakistani troops on Friday violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir and a soldier was injured in their unprovoked firing Pakistani troops on Friday violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. A soldier was injured in their unprovoked firing, a defence spokesman said. He said that the injured soldier was evacuated to Army's 92 Base Hospital at Badamibagh cantonment in Srinagar for treatment. "Indian Army has retaliated to the unprovoked firing appropriately," the spokesman said. "Our troops retaliated strongly and effectively," he said. Pakistani troops also fired mortar shells along the LoC in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army there as well. These two attacks came after Pakistan shelled Sunderbani and Keri areas in Rajouri district and Khour area in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district on Wednesday. The LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir have left 21 people, including 12 security personnel, dead and more than 80 others, mostly civilians, injured this year. With inputs from agencies The Supreme Court has recognised the Right to Die as a facet of Article 21, while giving sanction to passive Euthanasia and living will/advance directive. Auto refresh feeds Supreme Court of India has held that right to die with dignity is a fundamental right. The five-judge Bench also held that passive euthanasia and a living will also legally valid. The Court has issued detailed guidelines in this regard. The judgment was delivered by a five-judge Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan. The apex court also laid down guidelines governing execution and enforcement of living wills, as well as the procedure to be followed for passive Euthanasia in case there is no living will/advance directive. Writer and one of the biggest supporters of passive euthanasia Pinki Virani said that Aruna Shanbaug gave the gift of passive euthanasia to the country and brought patients' rights into focus, even though the system failed her. Passive euthanasia is a person's right, Supreme Court has ruled. The top court also held that a living will by an individual demanding euthanasia, if in case the said individual is terminally ill, will also be recognised. While majority of the country is hailing the Supreme Court ruling on passive euthanasia as landmark, activist Rahul Eeswar tweeted and said that the judgment was sad and painful. "Sad and pained by Hon'ble Supreme Court Verdict ; The very idea of "living will" can be misused and more importantly not taking into account future growth of Science and medicine." Passive euthanasia has been made legal as doctors are not condemned for failing to save a life. They are not directly killing someone to save them from a worse death but are just denying saving them. While the Supreme Court has legalised passive euthanasia, it has not passed any judgment on active euthanasia. Passive euthanasia entails a withdrawal of medical treatment to deliberately hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. While active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances to end a life. Passive euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. Living will is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally-ill or no longer able to express informed consent. The top court in its verdict on 7 March, 2014 in Aruna Shanbaug case had permitted passive euthanasia or passive mercy killing under certain circumstances, provided it was backed by the permission of the high court concerned. Friday's Supreme Court verdict is not primarily on passive euthanasia or its legality. Last year, on 11 October, the Centre had categorically informed the Supreme Court that "passive euthanasia" was the law of the land and that the government was in conformity with it. CJI Dipak Misra, while reading out the judgment, said that though there were four separate opinions of the bench but all the judges were unanimous that the 'living will' should be permitted since a person cannot be allowed to continue suffering in a comatose state when he or she doesn't wish to live. The court also laid down guidelines governing execution and enforcement of living wills, as well as procedure to be followed for passive Euthanasia in case there is no living will/advance directive. Speaking to Firstpost, Father Sebastian Michael, secretary, inter-religious commission, Archdiocese of Mumbai said that as a citizen of India he respects the Supreme Court decision. "However, as a Christian, I believe life is precious and cannot be taken away by anyone. Eeven by oneself. We have no right to take anyone's life or even our's. We have to live out life. I understand that sometimes certain circumstances in life may be very difficult. However, these teach lessons for the individuals and society. No one should take away another's life or his/her own." Now, all this can happen legally and in a hospital. The judgement does not recognise just the right to dignity of death, but it relieves the family of enormous emotional and legal hassles by legalising what was anyway happening in every hospital. But it wouldn't stop there because most hospitals don't like to show the death on their statistics, they would then force the family to shift the patient home. Worse, to legally secure the hospital, the release certificate would term it "discharge against medical advise" after actually advising the family, unofficially, to the contrary. Legally, the hospital would want no responsibility. Following the discharge, if the patient died on the way home a real possibility in the circumstances then the family would run into problems procuring the death certificate because the hospital would now be out of the picture and there would be nobody to certify the death. The family would then have to run around for a doctor who would be willing to certify the death. That is why the SC judgement is so welcome. This is how passive euthanasia used to work on the ground: The hospital or treating doctors would advise family members about the futility of keeping the patient on life support any longer. They would not take any responsibility beyond that because passive euthanasia was illegal. It would now be up to the family to decide whether and when to switch off. What should be a joint decision would be pinned solely on the family. But that is nothing compared to the insensitivity the family goes through with the legal system. Passive euthanasia won't begin from today, now that the Supreme Court has legalised it. It is the worst kept secret of our medicare system. The Supreme Court judgment on passive euthanasia is a big relief to family members of terminally-ill patients, emotionally, financially and legally. To decide to pull the plug on a family member who is on artificial life support system with rising medical costs and very little or no hope of survival is in itself a tortuous decision to make. Legalising passive euthanasia is not just about patient's rights, it is an emotional and legal relief to the family 9 March, 2018: Supreme Court recognises 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia and lays down guidelines on procedures to be adopted for it. 15 July: A five-judge bench commences hearing on the plea, issues notices to all states and UTs, and appoints senior advocate TR Andhyarujina as an amicus curiae. He dies during the pendency of the case. 25 February: Supreme Court cites inconsistencies in earlier verdicts on passive euthanasia including the one given in the Shanbaug case and refers the PIL to a Constitution bench. 7 March, 2011: Supreme Court, on a separate plea on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug, allows passive euthanasia for the nurse lying in vegetative state at a hospital in Mumbai. 28 April, 2006: Law Commission suggests a draft bill on passive euthanasia and says such pleas be made to high courts which should decide after taking experts' views. 11 May, 2005: Supreme Court takes note of PIL of NGO 'Common Cause' seeking nod to allow terminally-ill persons to execute a living will for passive euthanasia. It seeks the Centre's response on the plea which seeks declaration of 'right to die with dignity' as a Fundamental Right under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution. Following is the chronology of events related to Friday's landmark verdict by a five-judge Constitution bench, recognising 'living will' to be made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia: CJI Dipak Misra also detailed how pressure from society and fear of criminal liability led to prolonging a patient's suffering, resulting in his/her "undignified death". The court also added that it was time to let go of such shared suffering and face reality. In its landmark judgment on 'living will' for passive euthanasia, the apex court upheld that the fundamental right to a meaningful existence included a person's choice to die without suffering, reported The Hindu . ll is not true that we become doctors in order to prolong life, We become doctors in order to improve the quality of life, to give (he patient a more enjoyable life . . . And the same is true when we are dealing with terminally ill patients: what we should ask ourselves is whether there is still any quality of life left. The doctor who is unconcerned about the quality of life is inhumane; and the real enemy is not death but inhumanily. (pl77) According to Barnard that also should be our message. We should not allow medicine to become inhumane. And to become unconcerned about the quality of life is to become inhumane. Thus he writes: Unfortunately what happened to Mr. Kahn is all too familiar. After pointless surgery he developed problems with his lungs, and was intubatcd. During the night he somehow managed to disconnect the respirator. And in bed there was a note, written in a shaky hand. The message read: "Doctor, the real enemy is not deaththe real enemy is inhumanity?' Let us begin with Barnard's story about a patient named Eli Kahn. Aged 78, he was suffering from carcinoma of the prostate, obstruction of the bowel, and very severe emphysema. Mr. Kahn said to his doctor: "You mustn't try to save my life. I am ready to die. The machine is worn out, and the mechanic must now give up." "No," was the reply, "this is not a hospital which just allows patients to die like that. We treat you here, we don't just let you die." The following excerpt is sourced from: Voluntary Euthanasia, Edited by AJS. Downing and Barbara Smoker; Published by Peter Owen, London and Humanities International; Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, 1986, 303 pp, $29.95 Example of a case where euthanasia was not allowed: 'Should not allow medicine to become inhumane' The issue of physician-assisted suicide is complex because sentiment about the practice ranges greatly from strong support for personal freedoms to religious backlash that insists it is murder and against the teachings of God. At this juncture, it seems that the debate will need to be settled before progress towards an agreeable solution will take place. Advocate Dinesh Tiwari, criminal lawyer, says that the decision on euthanasia was long overdue. "It is a very good judgment. It provides a huge relief for those who are in pain and find the pain unbearable to continue living. The Supreme Court ruling is a good development. However, there are chances of the ruling being misused. To avoid this, state governments can lay more procedures in keeping with the apex court ruling to avoid it being misused." Mumbai couple who wrote to Centre asking euthanasia be allowed for them 'not fully satisfied' with Supreme Court's decision Sanjay Oak, former dean of KEM Hospital in Mumbai, has been a strong opponent of passive euthanasia. Today, he reiterated his stand and said he stands by his decision. He also said that a having a "living will" from the patient to stop medical treatment at a certain stage such as when he/she is brain dead or clinically dead helps remove regret or guilt for relatives and "criminal action against doctors". Stating in the Supreme Court judgment, Justice AK Sikri justified his opinion and said that even though religion, law, philosophy, morality and society share conflicting opinions on the right to life and if it includes the right to death as well, they all concur that a person should be able to die with dignity, reported The Hindu . "However, having said that, there must be strict guidelines which should be followed. In Aruna Shanbaug's case, the Supreme Court had recognised passive euthanasia by which it had permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision. Today's decision goes further. It is welcome," Dr Supe said. Supe said it was a much-needed decision. "The concept of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) is an established concept in the West. Many patients ask doctors to not prolong their lives with interventions and medicines. Elderly who suffer can now discuss with family members and take a decision on Living Will. The ailing may be relieved of their pain while their family members can avoid the stress of seeing their loved ones suffer through medical interventions, ICU, etc and also medical expenses." "Aruna Shanbaug could not have exercised Living Will, but it is a good decision by the Supreme Court," says Dr Avinash Supe, Dean, KEM Hospital. Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in his judgment, laid down specific guidelines to test the validity of a "living will", reported The Hindu . He also details who should certify the living will, when and how it comes into effect etc. The guidelines also mention what is to be done if there is no living will and how to make a plea for passive euthanasia, the report added. "Today the Supreme Court has delivered a historic decision. The constitution bench has cleared all the air on passive euthanasia," said Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan. Even Hinduism permits this. Hindu saints are known to take sanyas and even opt for samadhi. This convention and belief involves a saint holding his very breath, and through meditation allows the body and the soul to get separated. In many ways, even the vanaprastha stage advocated by Hinduism allows for a person to leave the material world and wander into the forest, where he is no longer distracted by the world of attachments. How the person eventually dies, remains unknown. It is another practice that is both voluntary and immensely venerated. Cultural practices like santhara among the Jain community allows a person to conclude that his work in this world is done and over with, and that he must now prepare for the souls onward journey, namely death. Such a person stops consuming food and water, and allows his body to waste away. Historically, India is no stranger to the right to die, argues this Firstpost article . Unlike the west, where giving up ones life is a sin, a criminal act, in India, as in most Oriental cultures, opting to die is often an act of honour, of salvation. If a person fell unconscious and has not expressed his will and he can only be kept alive on life support system then the treating doctors and family members together can decide to withdraw life support system if they feel that the person is in an incurable state. If a person leaves a living will that if he becomes unconscious and his life can only be prolong by artificial life support systems, then that living will should be effected by the doctors and his family. According to senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, the apex court said any individual has full right to decide that he should not take any kind of medical treatment should not be kept alive on life support system. And if that person so decides, his decision is binding on the doctors and his family members have to respect and give effect to his decision. While the decision to passively euthanise oneself can be left to the patient, the conditions on when this right may be invoked can be left to a medical board. A living will makes sense if coupled with a medical power of attorney and independent third party monitoring. This will allow for a middle way between all the interests that are at play here. The Right of the patient, the State's interest in human life and the interest of the family of the patient. The right to live with dignity includes the right to die with dignity. The individual must at all times be in charge of their medical treatment. Indian law has always recognised this principle of medical autonomy. The problem arises when this medical autonomy conflicts with the prohibition against a person ending their own life, argues Ajay Kumar in this Firstpost article . A living will in some cases can permit an individual to effectively end their own life by refusing medical treatment that would keep them alive longer. Further, it is evident that the state has an interest in the life of a person. The reply also mentioned that the government is not against letting people make living wills to stop medical treatment in future, if he/she becomes terminally ill. In response to an unstarred question submitted to the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament last year, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MoS, health and family welfare, said that the government is yet to finalise the bill allowing passive euthanasia and that such formulation of legislation is under consideration in the health ministry. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani welcomed the Supreme Court decision on passive euthanasia stating that he believes any individual who is very ill and unable to take care of himself should be allowed to make a decision on his life. "Anyone who is reduced to a life that is unlike that of a sentient being should be given the choice of deciding on his/her life. Any liberty that is given is liable to be misused. Care must be taken to ensure this does not happen by putting strict guidelines," he said. The couple told ANI that the government should give the right to active euthanasia and assisted suicide to people above 75. The elderly couple from Mumbai, who sought legalistaion of active euthanasia, said they are not satisfied with the Supreme Court order. Narayan (88) and Iravati (78) do not suffer from any terminal ailment but are motivated by the will to die after having lived a satisfactory life. They also fear having to live without the other. Hailing the Supreme Court's decision on passive euthanasia, Ashish Tiwari, physician and medico-legal expert said, it would be useful in rarest of rare cases. However, he said, "it must be decided by a team of domain experts and verified by central team. Otherwise in a country like our's, there are chances of it being misused much more than it being used," he said. The Centre, had earlier raised objections to legalising the concept of Living Will. It pointed out that this may lead to the abuse and neglect of the elderly, especially if they were financially well-off, The Hindu reported. The government had pointed out that the living will was a concept which contradicts a person's instinctive urge to survive, the newspaper said. Tiwari said that euthanasia is a rejection of the importance and value of human life. With euthanasia, no one's life is being saved instead life is only taken away, he added. "The right to live with dignity is more important than right to die with dignity." Euthanasia would be for people who are 'terminally ill' but how is it possible to decide the expectancy of life, I wonder, said Ashish Tiwari, physician and medico-legal expert. "Euthanasia can become a means of containing healthcare costs. However, it can be misused by healthcare providers. Euthanasia can become non-voluntary because emotional and psychological pressures on such patients will increase and they will be inclined to opt for passive euthanasia. Legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide is contagious. Is suicide a legitimate answer to life's problems?" While the decision to passively euthanise oneself can be left to the patient, the conditions on when this right may be invoked can be left to a medical board. A living will makes sense if coupled with a medical power of attorney and independent third party monitoring. This will allow for a middle way between all the interests that are at play here. The Right of the patient, the State's interest in human life and the interest of the family of the patient. The right to live with dignity includes the right to die with dignity. The individual must at all times be in charge of their medical treatment. Indian law has always recognised this principle of medical autonomy. The problem arises when this medical autonomy conflicts with the prohibition against a person ending their own life, argues Ajay Kumar in this Firstpost article . A living will in some cases can permit an individual to effectively end their own life by refusing medical treatment that would keep them alive longer. Further, it is evident that the state has an interest in the life of a person. The death of 66-year-old nurse Aruna Shanbaug in 2015, who was sexually assaulted and left in a vegetative state for more than 40 years, had sparked a national debate over the legalisation of euthanasia. The reply also mentioned that the government is not against letting people make living wills to stop medical treatment in future, if he/she becomes terminally ill. In response to an unstarred question submitted to the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament last year, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MoS, health and family welfare, said that the government is yet to finalise the bill allowing passive euthanasia and that such formulation of legislation is under consideration in the health ministry. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani welcomed the Supreme Court decision on passive euthanasia stating that he believes any individual who is very ill and unable to take care of himself should be allowed to make a decision on his life. "Anyone who is reduced to a life that is unlike that of a sentient being should be given the choice of deciding on his/her life. Any liberty that is given is liable to be misused. Care must be taken to ensure this does not happen by putting strict guidelines," he said. #BREAKING - This will help many families. It will stop a lot of pain and also lessen expenses: Dr. Naresh Trehan, Medanta Hospital. #RightToDie #DieWithDignity pic.twitter.com/WwdeSp1iVH The couple told ANI that the government should give the right to active euthanasia and assisted suicide to people above 75. The elderly couple from Mumbai, who sought legalistaion of active euthanasia, said they are not satisfied with the Supreme Court order. Narayan (88) and Iravati (78) do not suffer from any terminal ailment but are motivated by the will to die after having lived a satisfactory life. They also fear having to live without the other. Hailing the Supreme Court's decision on passive euthanasia, Ashish Tiwari, physician and medico-legal expert said, it would be useful in rarest of rare cases. However, he said, "it must be decided by a team of domain experts and verified by central team. Otherwise in a country like our's, there are chances of it being misused much more than it being used," he said. The Centre, had earlier raised objections to legalising the concept of Living Will. It pointed out that this may lead to the abuse and neglect of the elderly, especially if they were financially well-off, The Hindu reported. The government had pointed out that the living will was a concept which contradicts a person's instinctive urge to survive, the newspaper said. Tiwari said that euthanasia is a rejection of the importance and value of human life. With euthanasia, no one's life is being saved instead life is only taken away, he added. "The right to live with dignity is more important than right to die with dignity." Euthanasia would be for people who are 'terminally ill' but how is it possible to decide the expectancy of life, I wonder, said Ashish Tiwari, physician and medico-legal expert. "Euthanasia can become a means of containing healthcare costs. However, it can be misused by healthcare providers. Euthanasia can become non-voluntary because emotional and psychological pressures on such patients will increase and they will be inclined to opt for passive euthanasia. Legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide is contagious. Is suicide a legitimate answer to life's problems?" Passive Euthanasia legalised latest updates: The Centre, had earlier raised objections to legalising the concept of Living Will. It pointed out that this may lead to the abuse and neglect of the elderly, especially if they were financially well-off. Meanwhile, medico legal experts also pointed out that such a provision could but psychological, societal pressure on such patients to cut medical expenses. Senior lawyers and medical practitioners across the country on Friday hailed the Supreme Court's judgment on passive euthanasia. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said that the constitution bench has cleared all the air on passive euthanasia. Doctors also recalled the death of 66-year-old nurse Aruna Shanbaug, who had sparked a national debate over the legalisation of euthanasia. Elaborating the court's stand on passive euthanasia, Justice AK Sikri, in his separate opinion, said that even though religion, law, philosophy, morality and society share conflicting opinions on the right to life and if it includes the right to death as well, they all concur that a person should be able to die with dignity, reported The Hindu. In its judgment on "living will" authorising passive euthanasia, the apex court detailed that the fundamental right to a meaningful existence included a person's choice to die without suffering. CJI Dipak Misra also detailed how pressure from society and fear of criminal liability led to prolonging a patient's suffering, resulting in his/her "undignified death". The Supreme Court on Friday said that a person can make an advance "living will" authorising the withdrawal of all life support system if in the opinion of doctor he has reached an irreversible stage of terminal illness. While allowing a person to make a living will, a five judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however, attached strict conditions for executing "a living will that was made by a person in his normal state of health and mind". The landmark judgment by the five-member Constitution bench also laid down guidelines governing execution and enforcement of living wills, as well as the procedure to be followed for passive Euthanasia in case there is no living will/advance directive. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Kumar Misra, Justice AK Sikri, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan, passed the verdict on the plea to allow "living will" that will authorise the withdrawal of all life support systems if in the opinion of the doctors he has reached an irreversible stage of terminal illness. The Supreme Court said it has laid down guidelines on who would execute the will and how nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. The top court further added that its guidelines and directives shall remain in force till a legislation is brought to deal with the issue. CJI Misra said other members of the five-judge Constitution bench have concurred on the guidelines and directives passed by it. Breaking: Supreme Court allows Passive Euthanasia; Also gives sanction to living will; issues guidelines governing execution of living will and also passive euthanasia in the absence of living wills. Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 9, 2018 Human beings have the right to die with dignity: Supreme Court after allowing passive #Euthanasia with guidelines. ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Supreme Court says passive #Euthanasia is permissible with guidelines. pic.twitter.com/cOcQu8VbUN ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 While reserving the order on 11 October, 2017, the Constitution Bench had observed that the right to die in peace could not be separated from Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. This fuelled speculation that the court allow the right to make "living will", which allows a person to opt for passive euthanasia in the event of irreversible serious illness, by putting in place strict conditions including a medical board certifying that a person is in an irreversible state of terminal illness. An NGO Common Cause had moved the top court way back in 2005 seeking right to make a living will authorising withdrawal of life support system in the event of will makers reaching irreversible vegetative state. The central government had in the course of hearing of the matter by a five-judge Constitution Bench told the top court that passive euthanasia was the law of the land with safeguards by virtue of an earlier 2014 judgement of the top court in Aruna Shanbaug case. The top court by its order on 7 March, 2014, in Aruna Shanbaug case had permitted passive euthanasia under certain circumstances, provided it was backed by the permission of the high court. The Centre had also told the Constitution Bench that a draft bill permitting passive euthanasia with necessary safeguards was already before it for consideration. Patangrao Kadam, senior Congress leader and a former minister in Maharashtra, passed away at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on Friday, media reports said. Patangrao Kadam, senior Congress leader and a former minister in Maharashtra, passed away at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on Friday, media reports said. He was 72. Kadam was admitted to the hospital recently and had been seeking treatment for a few days before his admission, a report in The Indian Express said. He was suffering from renal dysfunction. The founder of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University and several other educational institutes, Kadam has been a staunch Congressman for several years. He held portfolios such as cooperation and forest in the Congress-NCP government during 1999 to 2014. Earlier in the day, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had visited Kadam at the hospital to inquire about his health. During her visit to the hospital, Gandhi was accompanied by Congress' state unit president Ashok Chavan, senior leader Prithviraj Chavan and AICC general secretary Mohan Prakash. With inputs from PTI Ashwini Upadhyay has filed a PIL praying that practices of polygamy and nikah halala should be declared unconstitutional. The petition is a good starting point. In August 2017, the Supreme Court declared the practice of instant triple talaq to be unconstitutional. This judgment was received with both mirth because the judiciary had taken a stand against the discriminatory practice and criticism because of the fundamental logic of the judges. Now, months after this judgment, Ashwini Upadhyay, an advocate and activist, has filed a public interest litigation praying that the provisions within the Muslim Personal Law which validate the practices of polygamy and nikah halala must also be declared unconstitutional. The PIL seeks to declare Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 as violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India in so far as it seeks to recognise the practice of polygamy and nikah halala. In addition to this, the PIL also seeks a declaration that the discriminatory practices be declared crimes under the Indian Penal Code triple talaq be subsumed under cruelty under Section 498A, nikah halala be declared as rape under Section 375 and polygamy be treated as an offence under Section 494 of the IPC. The practice of polygamy allows a man to have more than one wife while nikah halala requires a divorced woman to marry another man, consummate the marriage and then get a divorce in order to marry her first husband. A complete ban on polygamy and nikah halala has long been the need of the hour as they render Muslim wives extremely insecure, vulnerable, and infringe their fundamental rights. Equality should be the basis of all personal law since the Constitution envisages equality, justice and dignity for women, the petition puts out. It also states that, the Constitution has primacy over the Common Law and Common Law has primacy over Personal Laws. So, India doesnt need another personal law on talaq, polygamy and nikah halala. Ashwini Upadhyays petition does have some merit; it tries to put under the judicial magnifying glass some Islamic practices that are gender-discriminatory. This move particularly makes sense because the movement around triple talaq seemed rather fragmentary, where the judiciary did not prefer to examine other forms of discrimination that a Muslim woman goes through, and looked at instant triple talaq as an isolated issue. However, the petition looks at gender-discriminatory practices by one religion only, and this is its biggest flaw. It would be important to state that it is not just this petition; throughout the country, the issue of triple talaq has been deconstructed by representatives from the government as well as non-governmental organizations, thereby, providing more visibility to the problem. In fact, last year in April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of triple talaq at the BJP national executive meet stating that our Muslim sisters should also get justice. Injustice should not be done with them. Nobody should be exploited. Soon afterwards, the Supreme Court adjudicated the Shayara Bano case, and declared the practice unconstitutional. However, it also opened up a larger debate by asking the legislature to make a law regulating the practice. A bill called Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was tabled (and hastily passed) in the Lok Sabha in December 2017. The Bill criminalises instantaneous triple talaq and in the process, attempts to criminalize a civil wrong. But that is all the Bill does it does not look into other issues such as polygamy or nikah halala, that Ashwini Upadhyays PIL tries to examine. The Bill is very unidimensional in its concern for Muslim women, and has polarised the debate around it one group of people believe that criminalisation of triple talaq is a necessary social reform while the another affirms that it is only a political weapon. But why look at gender discriminatory practices of just one religion? Are only Muslim women disadvantaged and marginalised? Have Hindu women never been subjected to religious discrimination and have completely realised and actualised their human rights? Are Christian and Parsi women free from religious discrimination? Not only the PIL in question, but even general debates around religion and gender, are reluctant to dig deeper and scrutinize religions as primary social institutions that marginalise women. Flavia Agnes, a human rights activist and lawyer, remains vehemently against the Bill criminalising triple talaq and views it as deliberate plan to malign and demonize Muslim men and throw them into jails. She also states that criminalisation is not the best answer to the problem Criminalisation never works. Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code [cruelty to wife] came in 1983. The criminal law that dealt with rape was also amended that year. In spite of stringent laws, rape, dowry harassment and cruelty to wife have not stopped. Another view on triple talaq by an academic, Tabish Khair, is particularly compelling. He says that if triple talaq is viewed as a type of wife abandonment, and the government moves forward with this assumption, there could be a more nuanced solution to the issue than the proposed Bill Instead, triple talaq should be considered a type of wife abandonment, along with other versions in all communities. It should not be accepted as an effective divorce, but as abandonment by the husband and grounds for the wife to obtain a divorce in her favour. Its use should be automatically converted into a case of legal divorce through the law courts, which can then implement the conditions of divorce in favour of the wife, with added penalties on the husband. Khair examines abandonment of wives as the issue, and does not oversimplify it as a problem that plagues only Muslim women. This is a more nuanced manner of looking at human rights violations. As I said earlier, Upadhyays petition is an important starting point, but we need to look at all religions and carve out discriminatory practices against women and examine these against constitutional principles. Singling out only one religions practices reeks of political agendas at this juncture. Only if there is a holistic analysis of religion and gender, can there be comprehensive questioning of misogyny at the legislative and judicial levels. The Punjab National Bank scrip is down some 46 percent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) since 29 January, 2018, the day it filed the first complaint. Driven by greed, two seasoned jewelers, Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, colluded with a few crafty bankers to defraud India's second-largest state-run bank. The resultant Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, which surfaced in February following a complaint by the lender, has triggered fears for PNB, fears about the health of the banking system and concerns about the regulators ability to police that system. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will now widen its investigation of the PNB scam, following a second complaint by the bank, which now alleges that Modis flagship firmFirestarmisused legitimate loans and guarantees. PNB says it has been duped of an additional Rs 320 crore in the complaint filed on 4 March, reports Reuters. Firestar was not named in PNBs first complaint that pulled up Modi, Choksi and three firms controlled by Modi. The latest complaint reportedly pushes PNBs total exposure to the scam to over Rs 12,700 crore. The banks scrip is down some 46 percent on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) since 29 January, 2018, the day it filed the first complaint, according to stock market data. The scam has pushed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to order banks to improve checks and balances. The regulator has set an 30 April, 2018 deadline for the same. Earlier in the week, Choksi, who like Modi fled the country even before PNB filed its complaint, told the CBI that he wont be returning to India anytime soon. Choksi said a heart condition prevents him from travelling to India. He fears potential arrest in India and also accused investigating agencies of gross abuse of the law. Modi and Choksi are believed to be in the US. Both have turned down the CBIs request to appear before it. Meanwhile, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has questioned PNB boss Sunil Mehta, as well as executives from ICICI Bank and Axis Bank about their exposure to the scam. Indian lenders whove transacted with Modi and Choksi are staring at some $3 billion in potential write-offs, reports The Hindu. A bulk of the investigation is being handled by the CBI, which has arrested 19 people thus far: six PNB officials including former general manager Rajesh Jindal who headed the banks Brady House branch from 2009 to 2011, six staffers from Modis firms including one executive, four employees of Choksis Gitanjali Group including a vice president and a former director, two auditors who have worked with PNB and one auditor who rendered services to Modi. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), tasked with recovering the proceeds of the crimeModis firms allegedly owes PNB Rs 6,500 crore while Choksis Gitanjali owes Rs 6,138 crore to a consortium of lendersis probing over a 100 shell companies thought to be used by the duo to divert funds, reports The Economic Times . In the last week of February, Choksi and Modi communicated with their employees, asking them to look for other jobs. Modi said he cannot pay salaries following a seizure of assets. The ED has seized diamonds, gold, jewellery, cars and 21 properties, including a solar power plant and a farmhouse belonging to Modi. It has also frozen shares and mutual funds held by the duo. With inputs from agencies Congress president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet French president Emmanuel Macron during the four-day visit of the foreign dignitary that begins later on Friday. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet French president Emmanuel Macron during the four-day visit of the foreign dignitary that begins later on Friday. Though the meeting does not figure in the Ministry of External Affairs' detailed itinerary for Macron's visit, Rahul's office confirmed that a meeting is scheduled for Sunday. Political circles in the capital are speculating whether the controversial Rafale fighter aircraft deal will figure in their discussions and whether Macron will seek to clear the Congress president's misgivings about it. The Congress has been attacking the Narendra Modi government over its decision to scrap the UPA-negotiated deal for 126 Dassault-built Rafale fighter jets and instead buy just 36 of them in fly-away condition. The party, which has raised the matter in Parliament as well as outside, has alleged that the Modi government is buying the aircraft at a highly inflated price, compared to the one negotiated by the UPA. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to reveal the price of the 36-aircraft deal citing a "secrecy clause" in the agreement signed with the French government. Since his elevation as President of the largest opposition party in Parliament, Rahul has been meeting visiting heads of state and government. Since December, he has met Cambodian prime minister Samdech Hun Sen and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. He was away in Italy during the visit of Vietnam president Tran Dai Quang, who met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. He, however, did not meet Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and the King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein during their visits. Similar cases are regularly reported from across India where youths are killed by family members for marrying outside religion and caste. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld 25-year-old Hadiya's marriage to Shafin Jahan and set aside nine-month-old Kerala High Court's judgment annulling their marriage. Akhila, as she was known before her marriage to Shafin, was told by the Supreme Court that she had absolute liberty to marry whoever she likes. K M Asokan, Hadiya's father, said he would consider moving a review petition in the Supreme Court against its judgement setting aside a Kerala High Court order annulling her marriage. "Will consider filing a review petition," he told reporters, reacting to the ruling by the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. He maintained that his daughter's marriage with Shafin Jahan was an act of "adjustment" done by a group. It may be time to bury the institution of family rather than bury our youths. On 21 February, it emerged that at Gollanabeedu village 15 kilometres from Mysuru the parents of 20-year-old Sushma forced poison down her throat and watched her writhe in pain and die. It was her punishment for loving a Dalit man. At Nautan in West Champaran district where the love story of the Muslim man Aslam and Sudamiya from an untouchable caste forms part of folklore teenager Noor Jehan Khatun and Mukesh Kumar were killed for falling in love outside Islam in 2017. Similar cases are regularly reported from across India where youths are killed by family members for marrying outside religion and caste. Privately, highly educated Indian officials admit that they would not permit their US-educated daughters to marry a Dalit man. These anti-love ideas are rooted in caste and religion and are carried from one generation to the next through the institution of family. Family is supposed to protect the individual, offer economic and educational support to children and care for its members when they become sick. But, family also has negative impact on individuals. It inculcates social prejudices and religious bigotries among its members. This social institution evolved when forager bands of homo sapiens evolved into farming communities around 12,000 years ago and settled around sources of water; and women settled in homes to cook and look after children while men went out to work. Family was not created by god. It was created by humans. It subjugates Sushma and Noorjehan. It must die or transform if it does not serve a positive role in the life of individuals. The murders of Sushma and Noor Jehan prove that the patriarchal nature of family cutting across caste and religion has emerged as a threat to the liberty of the modern Indian woman. Her freedom to decide for herself, or marry a man of her choice, is dictated by men. In 2017, when Uttar Pradesh established the so-called anti-Romeo squads, one complicit argument was to draw a line as to who a woman met with. Family, being patriarchal, views women as property. Their subjugation is enforced by khap panchayats and Islamic clerics. To curb this, many states now incentivise inter-caste marriages. There is need to foster inter-religious marriages too. In India, this social institution expanded into a joint family with parents, children and grandparents as its members. Sometimes, even uncles and their children are part of joint family. In present times, nuclear family is the global norm, though grandparents live nearby. But the family is also losing some of its relevance. Around 7-8 million Indians work in the Middle East. Most of them are men who leave wives and children behind. Children are growing up practically as orphans and women are living essentially a widowed life, though the absentee father does drop in once a year or so. The nature of family has changed over the course of history. In the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western societies, children move out of the family soon after 18 years of age to work and live independently. This trend is gradually catching up in India where men migrate in search of jobs. Growing economic opportunities will also help women to move out of family and live an independent life, especially in cities which offer a bigger womb for growth and individual freedom. Such migration of women can revolutionize the liberties of the individual. For now, the family subjugates both men and women at the feet of men who control mosques, temples and churches. Soon after we are born, family divides us Hindus, Muslims or Christians or Brahmin, Dalit, Shia, Sunni and the like. For the rest of life, we defend that religion and its prejudices. Most Muslims are Muslims because the parents are Muslims. We also kill members of other religions in the name of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity. Family is a carrier of religious hatred and caste-based discrimination. If we are born in an upper caste Hindu family, we think the cow is sacred and hate Muslims for eating beef. If we are born in a Muslim family, we hate the innocent pig. If we are born in a Syed family, we don't marry a lower caste Muslim. If we are born in a Dalit family, we cannot marry a Brahmin. Individual becomes hostage to family. Every human mind is brilliant with the capability to invent a space ship to travel to Mars and beyond. But family kills the individual's independent thought and reasoning. Having surrendered at the feet of rishi munis, the Indian mind, for hundreds of years, hasn't invented anything electricity, car, train, aeroplane, political parties, democracy, the internet, Facebook, Google, satellites or credit card. Last month, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak remarked that Indians lack creativity and he doesn't expect anything new from Indians. Family must change. The nature of the biological family is undergoing transformation. With advancement in medical sciences, it is possible now for a child to have three parents. In 2015, Britain became the first country to legalise the creation of three-parent babies. In 2017, Britain granted permission to doctors in the town of Newcastle to use the three-parent fertility technique. In coming years, this will raise moral and legal issues for family. Imagine a situation in which a child belongs to a Dalit man, a Muslim man and a Brahmin woman. Humanity is geared for a revolution, for a new global moral norm. The key argument of this essay is this: since family holds the individual as prisoner to caste and religion, it must die or transform. It is possible to question and debate its role. In India's rural hinterland, under-18 children grow up daily without seeing their fathers who have migrated to cities and abroad. They are brought up by women, who are practically single mothers. For varying reasons, the world is witnessing the rise of single mothers. An institution linked to the family is: marriage. But marriage too is transforming. And more and more children are born outside wedlock. According to a research published by the University of Yale, of 140 million births worldwide in 2016, about 21 million were born out of wedlock. In Europe, the US and Latin America, people no longer consider it necessary to marry to have children. There are 25 countries where the share of children born outside marriage is 60 percent. In Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, France, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Mexico, Iceland and Bulgaria, 50 percent children are born outside wedlock. In Mexico, Chile, Iceland and Cost Rica, this share is up to 70 percent. In the US, children born outside marriage were less than ten percent in 1964, which grew to 40 percent in 2014. In Britain, this figure went from ten percent in 1964 to nearly 50 percent now. In Germany, every third child is born outside marriage. A similar trend can be seen in India cities, where educated youths, well-established in careers, are choosing not to marry, but have children. They don't abandon their kids. But by de-linking their marriage from family, and therefore from caste and religion, such youths are transforming the institution of family for better. In coming decades, as social attitudes of teenagers are transformed by the ideas of liberty and equality enshrined in the Indian constitution, there is bound to be conflict between the individual and the family. In countering the caste, religion and patriarchy embedded in family, youths must grasp the negative role of family in life. Every live-in relationship is a political statement against legal archaisms of our day. Every inter-religious marriage is a statement against religious hate and communal politics. Every inter-caste wedding is a statement of goodness against casteism and patriarchy. Family must be killed before the next Sushma and Noorjehan are killed. Major Aditya's father has moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against his son by the Jammu and Kashmir government New Delhi: Major Aditya's father has moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against his son by the Jammu and Kashmir government for his alleged involvement in the 27 January Shopian firing incident. He has referred to the Centre's submission to the apex court that there is total bar on the institution of legal proceedings in the case, except with the previous sanction of the union government. The apex court had on 5 March halted further probe by the state government in the firing incident in which three civilians were killed after the Centre said prior sanction is needed under section 7 of the Jammu and Kashmir AFSPA Armed Forces Act. The three civilians were killed when army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in Ganovpora village of Shopian on 27 January, prompting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to order an inquiry into the incident. Both the Centre and and the Jammu and Kashmir government are at loggerheads over lodging of the FIR in the case, as the state government said that Major Aditya's name does not feature among the list of accused in the case. Major Aditya's father Lieutenant Colonel Karamveer Singh said in his interlocutory application that the FIR lodged on 27 January at Shopian police station under sections 336, 307 and 302 of the Ranbir Penal Code is in nullity as no previous sanction was applied for or obtained by the police prior to its registration. The apex court had on 5 March, observed that Major Aditya "is an army officer and not an ordinary criminal" and directed the state government that no further investigation shall take place in the case till 24 April, when the final hearing in the matter would take place. Section 7 of Jammu and Kashmir AFSPA says "No prosecution, suit or other legal proceeding shall be instituted, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government, against any person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act". The top court had on 12 February restrained the Jammu and Kashmir Police from taking any "coercive steps" against army officers, including Major Kumar, who was earlier reportedly named as accused in the case. Singh had said in his main petition that his son, a major in 10 Garhwal Rifles, was "wrongly and arbitrarily" named in the FIR as the incident relates to an Army convoy that was on bona fide military duty in an area under AFSPA and was isolated by an "unruly and deranged" mob pelting stones, causing damage to military vehicles. Jammu and Kashmir Police has rejected Indian Army's claim of killing three militants during Shopian encounter, says alleged militant Shahid Ahmad Dar killed by forces could be youth gone missing from the area Srinagar: A police investigation in the killing of six people including two militants on Sunday evening in the Shopian area of Kashmir has found that there was no militant by the name of Shahid Ahmad Dar who the Indian Army claimed to have killed during the encounter. The police said that only two militants were killed by the Indian Army at Pahnoo in Shopian. The two militants have been identified as Amir Ahmad Malik and Ashiq Hussain Bhat. A member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Malik was active since July 2017, whereas Ashiq was missing since 13 November 2017. The army had said in a statement that it killed Shahid and three other over ground workers (OGWs) on Sunday evening after its personnel deployed at a mobile vehicle check post (MVCP) were fired upon. "A mobile vehicle check post near Pohan (Shopian) was fired upon by terrorists from a vehicle. In retaliatory firing, one terrorist identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar son of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar a resident of Jamnagri in Shopian was killed and a weapon was found with him. The three over ground workers (accomplices in the car) who were accompanying the terrorist were also found dead," the Indian Army had said in a statement. However, Ifroz Ahmad, Additional Superintendent of Police, Shopian, said that there was no militant by name of Shahid". Muzamil Showkat, investigating officer in the Shopian encounter said, While there was no militant by the name of Shahid, a youth of the same name is missing from the area. We are investigating the case." Following the contradictions about the killings, the army has now stated in a complaint to the police that three other people who were killed "could probably be the OGWs". In the encounter that took place on Sunday, apart from the two militants, four civilians including a youth named Gowhar Ahmad Lone of Chitragam was killed. Gowhars uncle, Nissar Ahmad Bhat, said that his body was recovered a day after he had left home to buy pesticide stock for his shop in the village. He said that the body was recovered from a Wagon-R vehicle that was found nearly half-a-kilometre away from where the army had set up the MVCP. "There were injuries on his arm and head too, which appeared to have been received due to beatings, he said. However, according to the complaint that the army registered with the police, based on which an attempt to murder case has been registered under Section 307 of the Renbir Penal Code (RPC), the army has said that its personnel were fired from two cars a Swift and a Santro at the MVCP. On 4 March the army was in the processes of establishing an MVCP near Pahnoo school in the evening when a red Santro and silver Swift approached the MVCP and tried to jump it. The troops at the MVCP challenged the occupants of the cars, but they did not stop and opened fire from the inside of the vehicles with the intent to kill the troops at the MVCP. In the exchange of fire that took place between the Indian Army troops and the occupants of the cars, one militant was killed and probably three over ground workers (OGWs) were killed and one weapon was recovered," read the complaint by the army to the police. On the basis of the claims of recovering one AK 47 rifle, three magazines and 88 rounds by the Indian Army, the police also registered a case under Section 27 of Indian Arms Act, 1969, and Section 7 of the Arms Act, 1959. Though the army had earlier said that it was fired upon from two vehicles of which one sped off, it had also said in the statement that the body of the militant Ashiq was recovered from an orchard in the nearby village of Sadipura, whereas Gowhar was found at Pinzore on 5 March near the second vehicle from which the militants had fired. "On 4 March at 7 pm, an army MVCP was deployed along the Trenz-Pinzore road near village Pahnoo. At around 8 pm, two speeding vehicles were seen approaching the MVCP location from the direction of village Trenz. The troops deployed (at the MVCP) signalled the vehicles to stop, however, both the vehicles continued to move. At this point, when a searchlight was flashed towards the approaching vehicles, a heavy firing came from both the vehicles. The army troops, in self-defence, responded the same with fire," the army had said in a statement. "In the ensuing gunfight, one terrorist who fired from one of the vehicles was hit and he fell off the vehicle and the vehicle veered off the road towards the nala while the second vehicle sped off. Later during the search, the body of the terrorist was recovered. He was identified as Amir Ahmad Malik resident of village Harmen. "Three more dead bodies were found in the vehicle during the search. These individuals were accompanying the terrorist. At around 9 am, on 5 March, the body of another terrorist Ashiq Hussain Bhat part of banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba was found from the apple orchards of village Saidpura, who is also linked with the same chain of events at village Pahnoo. "The second vehicle from which the army was fired upon was found in the morning of 5 March where one more individual was found dead. He has been identified as Gowhar Ahmad Lone of Molu-Chitragam village of Shopian." A statue of Lord Hanuman was desecrated in Uttar Pradesh's Kharuav village, triggering tension in the area, police said Ballia: A statue of Lord Hanuman was desecrated in Uttar Pradesh's Kharuav village, triggering tension in the area, police said on Thursday. The incident comes amid an ongoing spate of incidents targeting statues and busts of known figures across the country. Station House Officer, Nagra, Ram Dinesh Tiwari, said the statue was damaged on Wednesday and a poster was also found pasted on it. The police have lodged a case against unidentified persons on a complaint by Kharuav village chief Dushyant Singh, he said. The officer said that the matter is being investigated. No arrests have been made, Tiwari, said. The vandalisation of the Hanuman statue comes after a series of incidents targeting statues and busts across the country. In Kolkata, a bust of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was damaged yesterday following the razing of statues of Soviet icon Vladimir Illyich Lenin in Tripura. The bust of Dravidian movement founder EV Ramasamy Periyar in Tamil Nadu's Vellore was also desecrated triggering widespread protests across the state. The incidents in Tamil Nadu were triggered after BJP leader H Raja had in a Facebook comment indicated that Periyar's statue would meet the fate as that of Lenin's statue. However, facing flak from political parties in the state, he later deleted the post and blamed his social media administrator for the lapse. He also expressed regret for the comment. The issue of passive euthanasia has a complex history and has been dealt with by numerous government bodies of the government. The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment on Friday, held that passive euthanasia is legal and observed that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental one. However, the issue has a complex history and has been dealt with by numerous government bodies. The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha on 15 December 2017, stated that the government is not opposed to letting people make 'living wills' to stop medical treatment in future, if they become terminally ill. A legislation permitting passive euthanasia titled "Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients Bill, 2016" is currently pending in Parliament. The Bill allows patients to take a decision to withhold medical treatment for themselves, provided that they have taken an informed decision and are of sound mind. It provides protection to patients and medical practitioners from any liability for withdrawing medical treatment. The proposed legislation, taking a view similar to that of the Supreme Court, stated that its objective is to assist "for the right of a dignified death". The Bill was introduced after the judgment in the Aruna Shanbaug case, in which the Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia in her case. The apex court had then said that passive euthanasia should be allowed. A report by the Law Commission of India in 2012 also dealt with the issue and said, "A competent adult patient has the right to insist that there should be no invasive medical treatment by way of artificial life-sustaining measures/treatment." The commission recommended that in case of a person in an irreversible coma or persistent vegetative state, relatives, next friend or the doctors should approach the high court to seek permission to withhold life support. This would be if a person has not earlier taken a decision on withdrawing life support. The high court is expected to arrive at its decision after taking the opinion of a panel of three medical experts. The Supreme Court legalised passive euthanasia 'under guidelines' on Friday. The decision drew mixed reactions from various sections of society. Here is a look at some of the reactions. The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the "right to die with dignity" is a Fundamental Right. In a landmark ruling that is likely to have far-reaching impact, the court legalised passive euthanasia "under certain guidelines" and also recognised the validity of a living will. The decision drew mixed reactions from various sections of society. While many experts lauded the court for recognising dignity in death, there were also many who raised fears about how it would be implemented. Noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who argued the case in the court on behalf of the petitioner, the NGO 'Common Cause', termed it a "historic" decision while speaking to the media. Kudos to SC for clearing air on passive euthanasia&living will.Ct holds that every person has right to refuse treatment.Doctors&kin must respect it.If he has left 'living will' that he mustn't be kept on life support,it must be followed. Doctors&kin can decide for unconscious ppl Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) March 9, 2018 Speaking to CNN News18, human rights activist Pinky Virani, who had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug, the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital nurse who was raped and rendered comatose for 40 years, said, "The credit for the Supreme Court order goes to Aruna Shanbaug who lived in sad circumstances for 40 years." Lawyer RR Kishore told CNN-News18 that he believed the verdict was a "profound judgment, not only in the Indian context, but a path-breaking pronouncement for the global community". Naresh Trehan of the Medanta Hospital told CNN-News18 that the Supreme Court ruling will stop a lot of pain and also lessen expenses. "When there is no hope of recovery, who are we to torture if someone wants a peaceful exit," Dr Surendra Dhelia, secretary of the Society for the Right to Die with Dignity, told CNN-News18. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy tweeted saying that he "welcomed" the Supreme court judgment. Laxmi Yadav, a differently abled woman from Bhopal, who had written to former president Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking euthanasia after failing to find a job for several years, hailed the verdict and said it is good that "people can now die with some self-respect". This is a monumental verdict. It is good that people can die in peace with some self-respect: Laxmi Yadav, who wrote to Prime Minister & President for #Euthanasia pic.twitter.com/K0WvKFcYxn ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 However, there were also many who raised concerns over the ruling. Activist Rahul Easwar said there was "nothing progressive" about the right to die. Right to Life is there, no Right to Die. There is nothing 'progressive' about "Right to Die" Passive #Euthanasia today is a partial acceptance of Active #Euthanasia tomorrow. https://t.co/k6UdI2xxYW Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) March 9, 2018 The Lavate couple from Mumbai, who had written to President Ram Nath Kovind in January seeking permission for "active euthanasia", also said they were not "fully satisfied" with the Supreme Court ruling. In a landmark ruling, Supreme Court recognised the right to die with dignity and legalised passive euthanasia on Friday. A Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Kumar Misra, Justice AK Sikri, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan, passed the verdict on the plea to allow 'living will' that will authorise the withdrawal of all life support systems if in the opinion of the doctors he has reached an irreversible stage of terminal illness. In a landmark ruling, Supreme Court recognised the right to die with dignity and legalised passive euthanasia on Friday. A Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Kumar Misra, Justice AK Sikri, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan, passed the verdict on the plea to allow "living will" that will authorise the withdrawal of all life support systems if in the opinion of the doctors he has reached an irreversible stage of terminal illness. The Supreme Court says it has laid down guidelines on who would execute the will and how nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. The top court further added that its guidelines and directives shall remain in force till a legislation is brought to deal with the issue. CJI Misra said other members of the five-judge Constitution bench have concurred on the guidelines and directives passed by it. Breaking: Supreme Court allows Passive Euthanasia; Also gives sanction to living will; issues guidelines governing execution of living will and also passive euthanasia in the absence of living wills. Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 9, 2018 Human beings have the right to die with dignity: Supreme Court after allowing passive #Euthanasia with guidelines. ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Supreme Court says passive #Euthanasia is permissible with guidelines. pic.twitter.com/cOcQu8VbUN ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 While reserving the order on 11 October, 2017, the Constitution Bench had observed that the right to die in peace could not be separated from Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. This fuelled speculation that the court allow the right to make "living will", which allows a person to opt for passive euthanasia in the event of irreversible serious illness, by putting in place strict conditions including a medical board certifying that a person is in an irreversible state of terminal illness. An NGO Common Cause had moved the top court way back in 2005 seeking right to make a living will authorising withdrawal of life support system in the event of will makers reaching irreversible vegetative state. The central government had in the course of hearing of the matter by a five-judge Constitution Bench told the top court that passive euthanasia was the law of the land with safeguards by virtue of an earlier 2014 judgement of the top court in Aruna Shanbaug case. The top court by its order on 7 March, 2014, in Aruna Shanbaug case had permitted passive euthanasia under certain circumstances, provided it was backed by the permission of the high court. The Centre had also told the Constitution Bench that a draft bill permitting passive euthanasia with necessary safeguards was already before it for consideration. However, the Centre had opposed permitting a living will both on the grounds of "principle and practicality" as it expressed apprehension of its possible misuse. The top court in 2011 had recognised passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaug's case by which it had permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision. The Centre had opposed recognition of 'living will' and said the consent for removal of artificial support system given by a patient may not be an informed one and without being aware of medical advancements. It had cited examples of various countries in disallowing creation of living will by patients. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO Common Cause, had argued that safeguards were needed while taking a decision by medical boards to withdraw life support of a patient. The bench was hearing the PIL filed in 2005 by the NGO, which said when a medical expert is of the opinion that a person afflicted with a terminal disease has reached a point of no return, he should be given the right to refuse life support. On 15 January, 2016, the Centre had said the 241st report of the Law Commission stated that passive euthanasia should be allowed with certain safeguards and there was also a proposed law --Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patient (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill, 2006. It had said that on specific occasions, the question of withdrawing supporting devices to sustain cardio-pulmonary function even after brain death, shall be decided only by a doctors' team and not by the treating physician alone. Living will is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally ill or no longer able to express informed consent. Passive euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. Besides, NGO Common Cause, the Constitution Bench was addressed by a number of interveners who had supported permitting the living will. A living will is made by a person in his normal state of mind that is to be executed in the event of a terminal illness if he reaches an irreversible vegetative state. However, it was emphasised that living could only be executed after the opinion of the medical board certifying on the condition of the patient. Click here to follow LIVE updates BJP president Amit Shah and senior party leaders arrived in Agartala on Thursday ahead of formation of a BJP-led government in Tripura on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Auto refresh feeds Biplab Kumar Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura at the Assam Rifles ground in Agartala on Friday which will usher in the first BJP government in the northeastern state. Tripura to welcome first BJP govt in state; Biplab Kumar Deb to be sworn in as chief minister today Deb said, "I love the people of Tripura. I even love the Communist and Manik Sarkar, but I am annoyed that they got so much time but didn't utilise the resources of the state to develop it. We will rebuild it from scratch." Speaking to NDTV ahead of taking charge of Tripura, Biplab Deb said, "People inspire me...they are my dal, roti (staple)." Deb has also assured the people of Tripura of development, something which 'wasn't done by the previous government'. "He would be moving into the party office in a few hours. Sarkar would be living in one room of the party office guest house with his wife Panchali Bhattacharya," he said. Sarkar, who has ruled the state for 20 years, is in the process of checking out of his official residence on Marx-Engels Sarani, about 500 metres from his new home, CPI(M) state party secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters. Outgoing Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will be shifting to his new residence the CPM state committee office after BJP's Biplab Kumar Deb swears in as the new chief minister today. Sarkar's wife also told PTI that she would be donating Marxist literature and books to the party office library and the Birchandra Central library in the city. CPM office secretary Haripada Das said Manik Sarkar had asserted that he would "eat what is cooked in the party office kitchen". "He has already sent packets of books and clothes and some CDs to the party office. Sarkar might shift to a government quarter if he is allocated one by the new government," Das said. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Tripura Cabinet will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and all the chief ministers of BJP ruled states. Ram Madhav and Chief Minister-elect Biplab Kumar Deb made a rare visit to the CPM party office that is going to be Sarkar's home to invite him to Deb's swearing-in ceremony. Madhav tweeted about this later, "Called on former CM of Tripura Sh Manik Sarkar at d CPM office and invited him to d oath ceremony of d new govt tomorrow. True to his character he has shifted to d party office immediately after resigning as CM post the election. Something for leaders to emulate." An unusual visitor knocked on the doors of four-time chief minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar. BJP national secretary Ram Madhav called on the outgoing chief minister after he moved out of the official residence and moved into the CPM office in Agartala. The newest chief minister-to be Biplab Deb Kumar has had a deep-rooted interest in RSS. Born in 1969 and raised in Tripura, he trained under top RSS leaders for 15 years in Delhi, after completing his college education, according to NDTV . Two years ago he was sent back to Tripura and given the task of building a strong base for the RSS and BJP in the Left bastion state. He is fondly known as "Big B" to his supporters. "All these people coming to see me (at the swearing-in ceremony). They are my inspiration. I get my energy from them. I get my dal roti from them," says Biplab Kumar Deb told NDTV , ahead of his swearing-in ceremony on Friday. Following BJP national secretary Ram Madhav and incoming Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb personally invited four-time chief minister Manik Sarkar, Left parties have reportedly announced that they will be boycotting the ceremony. It was also reported that Sarkar accepted the invite. However, outgoing Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and elected leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) will attend the ceremony, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah would be present. The Left Front leaders will boycott the swearing-in of the BJP-led government spearheaded by Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday to protest "large-scale violence" in Tripura after the Assembly elections, Left leaders said on Thursday. He claimed that 290 shops owned by Left members and supporters were burnt down, 10 rubber gardens destroyed, over 600 Left members and supporters assaulted badly, 10 vehicles damaged. This had forced thousands of persons to take refuge elsewhere in the state. - IANS Left Front convenor Bijan Dhar said that since the declaration of Assembly election results on Saturday, around 400 offices of the Left parties and frontal organisations were attacked, 85 party offices burnt down, 315 offices of various Left parties and frontal organisations were forcibly occupied, 1,704 houses belonging to Left members and supporters attacked and around 200 houses set on fire. No statues vandalised in Tripura, it is happening in Mamata's Bengal: BJP national secretary Ram Madhav "People would attend the swearing-in-ceremony from all across the state. In view of the possible arrival of the prime minister and other VVIPs in Friday's swearing-in-ceremony, elaborate security arrangements are being put in place," Saptarshi told the media. -IANS West Tripura District Magistrate Milind Ramteke and West District Police chief Abhijit Saptarshi are supervising the administrative and security arrangements for the swearing-in-ceremony of the new BJP government at the Assam Rifles ground. The swearing-in will also mark the BJP taking over the reins of the state for the first time. The BJP alliance in the northeastern state has won 43 out of the 60 assembly seats, ending nearly 25 years of the Left rule in Tripura. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday attend the swearing-in ceremony of chief minister-elect Biplab Deb in Tripura, official sources said. While the Left cries foul on the bulldozing and toppling of its ideologue Lenin's statue, the Right has defended its position by stressing that it is at best an exercise in selective amnesia. The Right argues, the Left shall do well by remembering its own acts of vandalism and destruction orchestrated in the 1960s and 1970s in West Bengal when "it routinely disfigured the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda". In India, where memory is ideologically driven, there were copycat acts of vandalism targeting the busts of leaders and ideologues (who stood for a specific narrative) in other parts of the country, as per this Firstpost article . A stern warning from the country's prime minister has so far kept an uneasy truce on this monument massacre project. Meanwhile, another battle is taking place in the Indian media the intellectuals defending or criticising the right to destroy the busts, statues or monuments. Vladimir Lenin statues pulled down in Tripura: History is unforgiving, especially to those who wish to control it BJP's Tripura unit vice president Subal Bhowmik told IANS that Amit Shah, BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav, general secretary (organisation) Ajay Jamwal and Assam minister and Tripura election-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma, among other leaders, "held a series of meetings with the state leaders to select the ministers, assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other important functionaries". Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a host of central ministers and leaders and chief ministers of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states would attend the swearing-in-ceremony of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and his Council of Ministers. BJP will help Tripura usher in new era of development, good governance According to the The Indian Express , Tripura BJP leader Sunil Deodhar said the swearing-in of a BJP government for the first time in the northeastern state is a massive event. "This is a massive event. But by 2019, when Narendra Modi becomes prime minister once more, we will hold an even bigger celebration," he said. Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar can be seen talking to BJP leaders at the venue. Tripura's royal family scion Jishnu Debbarma is also the BJP nominee for Charilam assembly constituency (reserved for tribals), where election was countermanded following the death of the Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate and it would be held on Monday. Pranojit Singh Roy, Manoj Kanti Deb and other members of Tripura Cabinet take their oath According to the The Indian Express , Tripura BJP leader Sunil Deodhar said the swearing-in of a BJP government for the first time in the northeastern state is a massive event. "This is a massive event. But by 2019, when Narendra Modi becomes prime minister once more, we will hold an even bigger celebration," he said. #Tripura : PM Modi arrives in Agartala for swearing in ceremony, received by Governor Tathagatha Roy and CM elect Biplab Deb pic.twitter.com/y3arTb73Ao Will be attending the swearing in ceremony of Shri @BjpBiplab as Chief Minster of Tripura today. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani to be in attendance as well Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar can be seen talking to BJP leaders at the venue. #Agartala : Former CM of Tripura Manik Sarkar, Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi & HM Rajnath Singh at the swearing in ceremony of Biplab Deb & others. pic.twitter.com/X0C5xRmChk Visuals of the ceremony from the venue in Agartala Tripura's royal family scion Jishnu Debbarma is also the BJP nominee for Charilam assembly constituency (reserved for tribals), where election was countermanded following the death of the Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate and it would be held on Monday. Pranojit Singh Roy, Manoj Kanti Deb and other members of Tripura Cabinet take their oath Congratulations to Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Deb ( @BjpBiplab ) and his entire council of ministers for forming the first BJP government in #Tripura . pic.twitter.com/dm6p0Ejbjh Biplab Deb is new chief minister of Tripura latest updates: BJP's Biplab Deb took his oath as the chief minister of Tripura on Thursday noon. He is the first BJP chief minister in the northeastern state which was previously controlled by the CPM. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Agartala on Thursday morning ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP-led government in Tripura. Chief minister-elect Biplab Deb and Governor Tathagatha Roy received him. Fifteen chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, including Vijay Rupani, Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, are among those who will be attending the swearing-in ceremony in Agartala. Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony for chief minister-elect Biplab Deb in Tripura, elaborate security arrangements have been made in Agartala, around the Assam Rifles ground. Prime Narendra Modi, and BJP president Amit Shah are among the top saffron party leaders who will attend Friday's ceremony. Following Biplab Kumar Deb's invite to four-time chief minister Manik Sarkar to attend the swearing-in ceremony on Friday, Left parties reportedly said they will be boycotting it after reports emerged Sarkar accepted the invitation. An unusual visitor knocked on the doors of four-time chief minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar. BJP national secretary Ram Madhav called on the outgoing chief minister after he moved out of the official residence and moved into the CPM office in Agartala. Ram Madhav and Chief Minister-elect Biplab Kumar Deb made a rare visit to the CPM party office that is going to be Sarkar's home to invite him to Deb's swearing-in ceremony. Madhav tweeted about this later, "Called on former CM of Tripura Sh Manik Sarkar at d CPM office and invited him to d oath ceremony of d new govt tomorrow. True to his character he has shifted to d party office immediately after resigning as CM post the election. Something for leaders to emulate." BJP president Amit Shah and senior party leaders arrived in Agartala on Thursday ahead of formation of a BJP-led government in Tripura on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed party sources said in Agartala. Apart from Modi, a host of central ministers and leaders and chief ministers of several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states would attend the swearing-in-ceremony of chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb and his Council of Ministers. BJP's Tripura unit vice president Subal Bhowmik told IANS that Amit Shah, BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav, general secretary (organisation) Ajay Jamwal and Assam minister and Tripura election-in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma, among other leaders, "held a series of meetings with the state leaders to select the ministers, assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other important functionaries". He said that Sarma, who is the convenor of the BJP-led anti-Congress alliance, North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), on Wednesday held a meeting here with the saffron party's electoral ally IPFT (Indigenous People's Front of Tripura) and returned to Guwahati. IPFT president Narendra Chandra Debbarma said the party has demanded four ministerial berths from the BJP and "we have discussed with Sarma and other leaders accordingly". "We are yet to confirm how many ministerial berths would be offered to us. Discussions are still on," Debbarma told IANS. Chief minister-designate Deb announced on Tuesday that the party's tribal leader Jishnu Debbarma will be deputy chief minister. Tripura's royal family scion Jishnu Debbarma is the BJP nominee for Charilam assembly constituency (reserved for tribals), where election was countermanded following the death of the Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate and it would be held on Monday. The BJP and the IPFT swept the 18 February polls, winning 43 of the 59 seats. The BJP secured 35 seats in the 60-member Assembly and the IPFT, a tribal-based party, eight. The CPM got 16 seats while the Left Front partners Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party besides once main opposition Congress drew blank. A non-Left government would assume office on Friday for the first time in a quarter of a century. BJP's Bhowmik also said that in the Deb-led government there would be representation of woman, youth, leaders of tribals and Scheduled Castes and other backward communities. Meanwhile, all the outgoing ministers, including Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, are leaving their official residences and checking into MLA hostel, party offices and rented houses. West Tripura District Magistrate Milind Ramteke and West District Police chief Abhijit Saptarshi are supervising the administrative and security arrangements for the swearing-in-ceremony of the new BJP government at the Assam Rifles ground. "People would attend the swearing-in-ceremony from all across the state. In view of the possible arrival of the Prime Minister and other VVIPs in Friday's swearing-in-ceremony, elaborate security arrangements are being put in place," Saptarshi told the media. With inputs from IANS The State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information on Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in the latest U.S. effort to pressure militants in the country. The State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information on Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah in the latest U.S. effort to pressure militants in the country. The announcement came a day after Fazlullah's son was reported killed in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan. Fazlullah is the leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan said to be responsible for numerous terrorist acts against Pakistani and U.S. interests including a failed attempt to detonate an explosive device in New York's Times Square in 2010. Fazlullah is also blamed for the 2012 shooting of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, now a Nobel peace laureate. Additionally, the department offered Thursday $3 million each for information on two other Pakistani militant leaders, Abdul Wali and Mangal Bagh. Below is the full text of the US State Department statement: The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice Program is offering rewards for information leading to the identification or location of three key leaders associated with the terrorist organization Tehrike-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated factions. The Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on TTP leader Maulana Fazlullah, and up to $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali and Mangal Bagh. Maulana Fazlullah is the leader of the TTP, a terrorist organization that has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist acts against Pakistani and U.S. interests, including the failed attempt by Faisal Shahzad to detonate an explosive device in New York Citys Times Square on May 1, 2010. Under his leadership, the TTP has also claimed responsibility for the December 16, 2014, attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan in which gunmen killed 148 people, including 132 students. Fazlullah also is responsible for the June 2012, beheading of 17 Pakistani soldiers, and the October 9, 2012, shooting of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. In 2015, the Department designated Fazlullah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, which freezes all of his assets based in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons. Abdul Wali is the leader of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JUA), a militant faction affiliated with TTP. Under Walis leadership, JUA has staged multiple attacks in the region targeting civilians, religious minorities, military personnel, and law enforcement, and was responsible for the killing of two Pakistani employees of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar in early March 2016. Mangal Bagh is the leader of Lashkar-e-Islam, a militant faction affiliated with TTP. Under his leadership, LeI operatives have attacked NATO convoys. His group generates revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, and collection of taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In September 2007, the Government of Pakistan announced a reward offer of about $60,000 for the capture of, or information leading to the arrest of, Mangal Bagh. Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals. In addition to opposing the Pakistani military, one of TTPs stated goals is the expulsion of Coalition troops from Afghanistan. The group has demonstrated a close alliance with al-Qaida, and, since 2008, has also repeatedly publicly threatened to attack the U.S. homeland. More information about these reward offers is located on the Rewards for Justice website at www.rewardsforjustice.net. We encourage anyone with information on these individuals to contact the Rewards for Justice office via the website, e-mail (info@rewardsforjustice.net), phone (1-800-877-3927 in North America), or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C., 20520-0303, USA). Individuals may also contact the Regional Security Office at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. All information will be kept strictly confidential. The Rewards for Justice program is administered by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid in excess of $145 million to more than 90 people who provided actionable information that helped bring terrorists to justice or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Rewards4Justice. The BJP on Friday accused the Congress of 'misleading' the nation on the Rafale purchase, saying the UPA dispensation never inked any deal for the fighter aircraft New Delhi: The BJP on Friday accused the Congress of "misleading" the nation on the Rafale purchase, saying the UPA dispensation never inked any deal for the fighter aircraft and sat on its file due to its "greed". BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni refuted the allegations levelled at the NDA government by the Congress as a "pack of lies" and part of its strategy to spread "untruth and confusion" against the Modi government. "The Congress has again misled the country over a sensitive issue like defence. It is comparing a best deal struck by this government in the national interest with an alleged deal of the UPA government which had never happened," the BJP's national media head said. The trust is that the UPA dispensation sat on the Rafale deal file for reasons of its "greed and personal benefits" and compromised the nation's security interests, he claimed. The Congress had on Friday accused the Modi government of "compromising" on national security and causing a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer on account of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. PTI KR SMN 03092105 NNNN When BJP won a convincing victory over the Communists who controlled Tripura, the celebrations led to immediate bulldozing of two statues of Vladimir Lenin. The past is big business in Indian politics. While one party swears by the past for legitimacy, another hounds and vilifies that very past to consolidate its present. It is raucous and violent when Indians confront their past. This is more so in the context of the memory and monuments. A vast country with layers of ideological, religious and cultural attributes it is often difficult to have a narrative of the past that is appreciated and appropriated by all. Vendetta politics This has often led to what one might describe as exercise in vendetta politics. This is evident in bashing one ideology over the other or one community over the other. Hence, India experiences regular doses of communal riots. At times, inanimate objects like statues and monuments become objects of derision, hatred and destruction. As a rule of thumb, religious monuments have always been in the eye of vendetta politics. Each of India's multi-religious communities has at one time or the other experienced some kind of attack against its places of worship. If the Hindu monuments were desecrated and destroyed in the past, some Islamic and Christian monuments have come under attack by the Hindus in recent years. The most famous case of this vandalism goes back to the year 1992. On 6 December, 1992, a violent Hindu mob pulled down the disputed Babri mosque in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya. To many, this undertaking was an attempt to rewrite the country's history from the majority community's worldview. Those who defended it called it "an act of historical balance". Past is another country Fortunately, these enterprises and occasions remain infrequent. Violence has not always been the leitmotif to address the vestiges of the past. Very often, political pundits and policymakers in India, think that the easiest way to change the past is to rename it. Every time there is change of guard in the national or the provincial capital, a name-change exercise gets underway. While some undertakings like the replacing of Bombay with Mumbai, Madras with Chennai or Bangalore with Bengaluru have been relatively cosmetic and peaceful, this has set off a dangerous precedent. When a group or the masses feel that renaming parts of the country's past is an entitlement, it sets alarm bells ringing. Moreover, this political vocation can become a liability. We have been witness to a dangerous development in recent days across India. When the nationalist BJP won a convincing victory over the Communists who controlled the North East state of Tripura, among other things, the celebrations led to the immediate bulldozing of two statues of Vladimir Lenin. When questioned about this move, a section of the party that assumed power defended it as an "exercise in redressing the past". The state's governor went on record by suggesting that such things are inevitable. For, "what one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And, vice versa". The sands of history In India, where memory is ideologically driven, there were copycat acts of vandalism targeting the busts of leaders and ideologues (who stood for a specific narrative) in other parts of the country. A stern warning from the country's prime minister has so far kept an uneasy truce on this monument massacre project. Meanwhile, another battle is taking place in the Indian media the intellectuals defending or criticising the right to destroy the busts, statues or monuments. While the Left cries foul on the bulldozing and toppling of its ideologue Lenin's statue, the Right has defended its position by stressing that it is at best an exercise in selective amnesia. The Right argues, the Left shall do well by remembering its own acts of vandalism and destruction orchestrated in the 1960s and 1970s in West Bengal when "it routinely disfigured the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda". Meanwhile, every community and every ideology is trying to outweigh the other through its own tailor-made memory monument building initiative. While the BJP is trying to put its stamp on the national topography by renaming roads and instituting busts of its ideologues derided as unpatriotic and Nazi-sympathisers in the past, others are fast catching up. The marginalised Dalits meanwhile have not left any vital physical space under their control empty where they could instal the statues and busts of their prophets BS Ambedkar or the Buddha. All these monument-builders and destroyers in contemporary India would do well to pay a visit to New Delhi's Coronation Pillar Grounds. Scattered on the ground are unloved, unadorned and abandoned slowly rotting statues of former British strongmen who built their greatest empire in India. Once towering on high marble pedestals, these were dislodged and dumped in such unceremonious burial sites across the country. Lest we forget, history is unforgiving, especially to those who wish to control it. The author is senior lecturer, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University, UK Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday unveiled the new Karnataka State Flag- a yellow, white and red combination with the state emblem at the centre Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday unveiled the new Karnataka state flag a yellow, white and red combination with the state emblem at the centre. Karnataka govt approves state flag. It will be sent to central govt for approval, after that it will be announced as the state flag. pic.twitter.com/BwidTfnyUb ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 Siddaramaiah, who met a delegation of Kannada activists at his office on Thursday morning, displayed the red, white and yellow flag proposed to be used as the official state flag, The Indian Express reported. The proposed flag will now be sent for approval to the Union home ministry. If accepted, Karnataka will be the second state to have an official state flag, the report added. According to News18, the flag or 'Naada Dwaja' with red, white and yellow colours has the state emblem 'Ganda Bherunda', a two-headed mythical bird, in the middle. According to The News Minute, the selected colours represented different things: Yellow symbolises forgiveness, white for peace and red for bravery. The emblem will the printed in black and white on the central white stripe. The Siddaramaiah govternment's move marks a departure from the earlier state government's stand in 2012, when the then BJP government had told the Karnataka High Court that it had not accepted the suggestions to declare yellow and red Kannada flag as official, saying a separate flag would be against the unity and integrity of the country, DNA reported. Kannada flag is not unconstitutional. It is not barred by the Constitution. We will send the design to the Centre. Hope they approve it. There has been a long pending demand for it. I am happy that we finally have a Kannada Baavuta (Kannada Flag)," the chief minister told News 18. Last year, the state government had constituted a nine-member committee to design the state flag. The order nominated the principal secretary of the Kannada and culture department as the chairperson of the committee. The panel comprised secretaries to the departments of Personnel and Administrative Services, Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, as also president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, chairman of Kannada Development Authority, and vice-chancellor of Kannada University, Hampi, as its members. With inputs from PTI Architect Balkrishna Doshi redefines the very nature of cultural institutions, and his varied work over the decades almost defies categorisation | #FirstCulture The awarding of the Pritzker Prize to Indian architect BV Doshi provides an opportunity to understand his immense contribution to world thought. Balkrishna Doshis work, spanning over six decades, finds a place in the events and currents in the histories made by people and politics, economics and technology, during this eventful period. Balkrishna Vitthaldas Doshi was born in 1927, in Pune. He grew up in a large, tradition-bound joint family. Myth and story, ritual and ceremony, sensuous delight in the intense tropical environment contrasted with simplicity and austerity in everyday life, formed Doshis childhood world. Indian society was undergoing great changes as he grew up. The years of Doshis childhood and youth were the years when the Indian Independence movement had gripped the imagination of all. He can thus be seen as an inheritor of the values thrown up during the pre-Independence years. He was to go on to articulate the expression of these concepts in architecture, the built environment and in the form of institutions. Doshi, the architect While it is not possible to exhaustively describe Doshi's architecture in one article, we can study a few projects from two representative categories of his work: the institution and the home. Doshi began his practice in the first decade after Independence in Ahmedabad, a city that had been at the forefront of the making of the new nation. These were also the years of the beginning of new historical currents internationally the Cold War between the capitalist and communist Blocs was beginning, and colonial rule in most parts of the world was coming to an end. Change was in the air, both in the world at large, as well as in the world of architecture. Formally, Doshi's training and experiences positioned him in the Modernist idiom functionalist, technologically-oriented, and valuing unadorned expression. The Modernist outlook was also based on the premise of universalism, where local conditions and cultural traditions were less important than clear, rational solutions that arose in response to need. As a practitioner, Doshi therefore encountered the particular nuances of the Indian public as well as private patronage, where, on the one hand, the Modernist architectural idiom was a symbolic statement of being a modern nation or individual, and yet there was an equally strong desire among the patrons to build a language that distinguished itself as "Indian. Doshi had to navigate between the banks of these two extremes. The question, in his mind, was not What is modern architecture? or What is Indian architecture?, it was rather the question What is architecture? Doshi neither used traditional forms and vocabulary, nor attempted to demonstrate technological prowess. His architecture arose out of close and detailed attention to climate, ways of life and the particularities of material practices in the local context. At the same time, Doshi effectively utilised his mastery of fundamental architectural means to make an architecture that simultaneously addressed local conditions while making significant contributions to the international discourse of modernity. If one studies various institutional buildings that Doshi designed, one sees him developing this approach. From the Shreyas School (1961) to the CEPT Campus (1968) to the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru (1983) one sees unwavering attention to creating an architecture that is fresh and unburdened by either historicist or contemporary cliches. The fundamental ingredients of the art of architecture light and shade, subtlety of enclosure and openness, proportion and rhythm, the sensuous quality of material all these are brought together to create vivid and memorable ensembles, powerfully creating a unique sense of place in each case. Yet Doshi's architecture is not merely based on his sheer mastery of the elements of art. He redefines the very nature of cultural institutions. The place of education no longer emphasises the formal, somewhat overbearing character that had become associated with schools and colleges. It explores the archaic origins of learning as a place of meeting, a crossroads that encourages encounter. In this sense, his architecture is not just great architecture, but a truly revolutionary and creative architecture. The home or dwelling is at the other end of the spectrum. Doshi attempts to find new expression for the sense of home. In the newly developing urban lifestyle, a somewhat more individualistic and socially less cohesive mode was coming into existence. The question that Doshi investigated was: How do we maintain the warmth of family life while allowing for a greater sense of individuality? Doshi there explores a safe, secure, warm interiority of the home. Spaces for individual activity and spaces for family activity are not rigidly divided, but rather flow into a continuity. By considering outdoor space (trees, the sky) as an essential part of living, Doshi releases the tightness of internal relationships. In his own house and houses for his daughters, he develops this concept, giving due weight to each family's particular and peculiar modes of interaction. In this way, here too, there is an in-depth exploration of architecture's expressive and symbolic role. There is in these projects an outstanding mastery over the art of architecture. Material, light, texture and colour, complex exploration of space along with a wonderful sense of a relationship with natural elements make these houses unique. When carried over into the collective realm of housing, this tension between the individual and the social takes the form of needing to express coherent spaces of socialisation while allowing the individual to have a sense of identity. In various housing projects, urban design proposals and especially in the Aranya Housing project in Indore, Doshi shows imaginative and path-breaking approaches to these significant questions. In one sense, architecture can be said to give voice to the beliefs and desires of a people. It presents, symbolises, and facilitates a particular notion of social relationships, relationship of humans with nature, and concepts of the place of technology in culture. Doshi's works show unique new insights into all these concerns. At the same time, his work offers new possibilities for a way of life. This is why his architecture is of great importance not just to India, but to the world at large. Doshi, the institution-builder Doshi is perhaps unique in the ability to shape both tangible works of architecture as well as intangible institutional forms. In the spirit of pioneering radical thought typical of Doshi, it seemed to be the time to ask fundamental questions about mans relationship to the Earth, as well the relationshipspolitical, social and economicbetween humans. Doshi not only asked these questions, he energetically sought new forms of organisation and association. In his view, the new world order offered challenges, dangers and opportunities. Only newer modes of organising the institutions of society would allow some appropriate response. Thus his huge investment of energy into education through the setting up of the School of Architecture was a step in that direction. For the next 40 years and more, he was to participate in building up institutions that broke the conventional mould, and became outstanding centres of education, research, debate and dialogue. While his primary interest was architecture, he was fascinated by a whole lot of human endeavors. He believed that disciplinary boundaries were not as important as the interconnectedness of fields of knowledge. Thus, Doshi initiated the setting up of the School of Planning, encouraged and supported the setting up of the School of Building Science, the School of Interior Design, the Community Science Centre, the Hutheesing Visual Arts Centre, the Kanoria Centre for the Arts, and the Herwitz Art Gallery along with the Hussain-Doshi Gufa (now Amdavad-ni-Gufa) in what was then known as the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology Campus. *** Doshis work through the decades has been extremely varied, and almost defies categorisation. Is he a traditionalist? Is he avant-garde? Is his work experiential and sensuous, or intellectually structured and crafted? These are questions that one cannot answer consistently or with absolutely unambiguous clarity. His works stretch what one might call the classical quality of architecture to the limit. The plan and the section are rigorously organised. Modules and measures tightly structure space. The search for bare essentials seems to simplify and clarify the architectural order. Most often, the fewest possible elements are used. Symmetry and repetition are deliberately instituted. Yet this highly intellectual operation is hidden, it structures experience but does not override it. The actual experience of the work shows a different and divergent set of interests. A sense of playful ease, an enjoyment of difficult juxtapositions, a preference for multifarious and often fragmented parts coming together, the acceptance of circumstance overriding or leavening the purity of the concept, a sensuousness of material articulation, a joyful inclusion of the capriciousness of natural or human actions all these are typical of Doshi's mature work. There is a lyrical sensuousness, this playful engagement and use of sun and shadow, hand-crafted finish and precise engineering, colour and texture which intensifies the experiential over the conceptual. The observer is deliberately moved sideways, on diagonals, upwards or downwards, over smooth crisp straight vista or cobbled pathway, between and around impediments in short, the body rather than the mind encounters the architecture. One is absorbed into architectural experience rather than be able to maintain a critical distance. By appreciating the qualities of Doshi's architecture, we are able to sidestep the chronology-based (contemporary, modern, post-modern, traditional.) historicist mode as well as the geography-based (Indian, Regionalist, Critical Regionalist, Non-Western, Third World, South..) mode of rigid classification. Further, we observe that his work attempts to both transcend as well as integrate high culture and low culture forms and concepts. The 60-year period of Doshis practice is one of those periods when the vision of a good life, of a good society and of a balance between the human and the natural worlds seems to have been under constant scrutiny, discussion and questioning. Doshi has played a significant part in this, and his creative outlook on all these matters has had a deep impact on the world of architecture and public discourse. Prof Neelkanth Chhaya is a noted architect, academician and former dean, Faculty of Architecture, CEPT Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister of Tripura, assuming charge of first BJP government in the state after ending 25 year rule of the Left Front Biplab Kumar Deb was sworn-in as the tenth Chief Minister of Tripura, assuming the charge of the first BJP government in the state after trouncing the Left Front government who ruled the northeastern state for 25 years. The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Assam Rifles ground, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Former chief minister Manik Sarkar was present at the ceremony too. In a rare and unusual gesture, BJP national secretary Ram Madhav and Deb visited the outgoing chief minister and invited him for the oath-taking ceremony. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office to BJP leader Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) chief NC Debbarma. The IPFT is an ally of the BJP in the northeastern state. Ahead of taking charge of the state, 48-year-old Deb told NDTV about his priorities and his new role as the chief minister. "I love the people of Tripura. I even love the communist and Manik Sarkar, but I am annoyed that they got so much time but didn't utilise the resources of the state to develop it. We will rebuild it from scratch," Deb was quoted as saying by NDTV. Speaking at the occasion, Modi thanked the people of Tripura and said that the newly formed "BJP government is for people who voted for the party and also for those who did not." "Elections are over and we have to look ahead. We will serve every citizen of Tripura. I want to thank the people of Tripura. The polls were peaceful and for that too, the people have to be congratulated," the prime minister said. Modi said that in the history of India, there are some elections that will always be discussed. "The 2018 Tripura elections will be one such example. People will continue to discuss these polls," he added. The prime minister urged all elected members to keep their party differences aside and work together for the betterment of Tripura. Since 2014 I have visited Northeast several times, our Ministers have visited several times. All of this is not for elections. It is to serve the people of this region. There are so many opportunities in the Northeast : PM @narendramodi #NewTripura pic.twitter.com/8OYfHA5gAF BJP (@BJP4India) March 9, 2018 Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) besides others also attended the function. #Agartala: Former CM of Tripura Manik Sarkar, Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi & HM Rajnath Singh at the swearing in ceremony of Biplab Deb & others. pic.twitter.com/X0C5xRmChk ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Outgoing Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar also attended the event. If the BJP demonstrates political arrogance, it can prove to be costly for the party, as the coalition phase in Indian politics has not yet come to an end. It appears that a new phase in the BJPs growth trajectory is beginning. This can be seen from the TDPs imminent exit from the NDA, discontent among allies like the Shiv Sena and Akali Dal, the distancing of possible allies like the TRS, and the BSPs decision to support SP candidates in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh bypolls. Notwithstanding the concerns of its allies, the BJP is aggressively pursuing its objective of coming to power in states where it is not in the government. Thus, the NDA is bound to witness more problems. If the BJP demonstrates political arrogance, it can prove to be costly for the party, as the coalition phase in Indian politics has not yet come to an end. The party, in its earlier incarnation as the Jan Sangh, tried to mainstream itself through experiments like the Janata conglomerate and extending support to the VP Singh government. The Jan Sangh's role in the anti-Emergency struggle led by Jayprakash Narayan gave it a sort of political legitimacy beyond the frontiers of its conservative political ideology. However, the core ideology of the BJP, represented through the RSS, became a bone of contention in the Janata Parivar leading to its break up, much to the advantage of the Jan Sangh. Even as the other constituents of the Janata Parivar, especially socialists, got splintered away into myriad political formations, the BJP could consolidate itself and emerged as a stronger political force than its earlier avatar. Its brief support to the VP Singh government was a tactical move and it ditched the dispensation at a politically appropriate time. Mandir politics came to the fore as the mandalisation of the Indian polity under the VP Singh dispensation proved to be an ideological challenge to Hindu monolithic religious politics. However, the aggressive politico-religious mobilisation pursued by the BJP made it rather a political untouchable for most political parties in India which swear by secularism either due to ideological commitment or out of electoral compulsions. In the second phase, under the Vajpayee rule, the BJP remained a political untouchable. However, the BJP only became stronger even as the secular parties tried to isolate it, thanks to its politics of majoritarianism fuelled by the policies of minority appeasement of the so-called secular parties. In the third phase, the post-Kargil politics provided an opportunity for the BJP to garner greater acceptance for its aggressive brand of nationalism coupled with religious appeal. The party moved from its professed ideology of Gandhian socialism at the time of inception to aggressive Hindu nationalism. It emerged stronger in Indian politics as non-Congress political formations got fragmented. The Congress no longer enjoyed the popularity it once had. The anti-Congress political mood, in the absence of any other serious challenger, made the BJP the principal political player and an obvious choice for those disenchanted with the Congress' misrule. Several regional forces emerged due to the Congress centralised authoritarian rule. These regional parties thus moved closer to the BJP as the Congress is their principal political adversary at the state level. This was also the context in which the TDP, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena etc, became BJP allies. Thus, during the NDA-1 government led by Vajpayee, the BJP could muster the support of many regional parties. However, several small and regional parties went into the fold of the Congress-led UPA. This was either because the BJPs politics was unpalatable to them, or because the anti-incumbency faced by the first NDA regime made them wary of any alliance with the saffron party. Thus, the Congress led national coalition could rule the nation for a decade. However, a series of corruption scandals which plagued the UPA-2 regime gave a golden opportunity for the BJP to expand its frontiers of influence across the nation, along with an unprecedented consolidation in its strongholds. The fourth phase saw the BJP consolidating itself by attaining a majority in Parliament on its own. The Modi-led NDA-2 government kept allies in its fold, but on its terms only. The BJP is no longer magnanimous to its allies. The next phase marks the BJP's expansionist agenda, making allies restless and possible allies suspicious of the intentions of the big brother. The BJP president Amit Shah, speaking after the historic victory in Tripura, said that the golden era in the BJPs history will come only when it wins West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala. As the BJP readies itself for battle in these states, the TMC and the BJD, which are incumbent ruling parties, cannot be the allies of the saffron brigade. Similarly, the BJP's quest for power on its own has certainly made the TDP and TRS quite skeptical of its relations with the NDA. The TDP is thus moving out of the NDA, while the TRS, which was till now sympathetic to the Modi government, called for a third front comprising of non-Congress and non-BJP parties. Even the Shiv Sena picked up a quarrel with the BJP only when the latter claimed to the senior partner in the alliance. The Akali Dal also fears such claims by the BJP. The BJP assuming office in Uttar Pradesh made the SP and the BSP its natural foes. The surge of the BJP made these two arch rivals unite to face the Modi juggernaut. Even Nitish Kumar is not sure of the BJP's support, and the saffron party is also unsure of Nitishs commitment to the alliance, given past experience. The Janata Dal (United) has also started complaining of non-implementation of the promise of a special package for Bihar. Meanwhile, the aggressive ideological posturing by BJP will estrange some of its allies. The PDP in Jammu and Kashmir is uncomfortable with the BJP's stand on Article 370 of the Constitution. The BJP's repudiation of Periyar makes it difficult for any Dravidian party to sail with it. However, the BJP hopes that many of these smaller parties and regional forces can be co-opted into the NDA in the pre-poll or post-poll scenario, as they are often opportunistic when it comes to national alliances. Their hostility towards the Congress due to state-specific reasons is also something the BJP will pin hopes on. The BJP's calculations are certainly not unfounded. However, there exists a natural contradiction between the BJP's expansionist ambitions and the imperative to depend on allies to form national coalitions. It is a tightrope walk for the BJP leadership. The writer is a former MLC in Telangana, former editor, The Hans India and Professor, Journalism, Osmania University. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Friday hit out at the Siddaramaiah government for using issues like state flag and separate religion status to Veerashaivas/ Lingayats for political reasons ahead of the Assembly polls. Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Friday hit out at the Siddaramaiah government for using issues like state flag and separate religion status to Veerashaivas/ Lingayats for political reasons ahead of the Assembly polls. "At a time when the election is coming in about 45-50 days, when the election code of conduct will come into place shortly, what is your intention in coming up with Lingayat/Veerashaiva or Karnataka flag issue?" Yeddyurappa asked. Amid reports of differences between ministers,the Cabinet on Thursday discussed inconclusively recommending to the Centre to accord "religious minority" status to the dominant community. It will take up the issue again at the next cabinet meeting on 14 March. According to reports, differences between ministers in the cabinet belonging to both Veerashaivas and Lingayats resulted in no decision being arrived at. Commenting on differences within the cabinet on the issue, Yeddyurappa said "Wait for some time.... you people know and have reported about what is happening in the cabinet. You wait and see how twists and turns will happen." "Despite the issue being discussed in the cabinet for about three-and-half hours (yesterday), it was inconclusive, they have deferred," he told reporters. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has however clarified that paucity of time at the cabinet yesterday had led to discussions on the issue being inconclusive. The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/ Lingayat faiths has surfaced from the numerically strong and politically-influential community, amidst resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same. While one section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has demanded separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaivas and Lingayats are the same, the other wants it only for Lingayats as they believe Veerashaivais are one among the seven sects of Shaivites, which is part of Hinduism. Karnataka State Minorities Commission had formed a seven member committee, headed by retired high court Judge HN Nagamohan Das on the issue, which submitted its report on 2 March, stating that Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority. On BJP's stand on the proposed official state flag, Yeddyurappa said his party does not have any reservation if the common man agrees, but questioned it's timing. "We don't want to make any comment on this issue...common man's opinion should be taken... if the common man agrees, we also agree, we don't have any reservation," he said. Questioning the government what they were doing for over four-and-half years, he said "when you are about to go home, why are you playing this as a political game. Why did you remember the flag all of a sudden?" The ruling Congress earlier today had questioned the silence of BJP on the proposed official state flag for Karnataka, a day after it was unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ahead of the assembly polls. The meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Emmanuel Macron is slated for Sunday after the Congress president returns from his two-nation visit to Malaysia and Singapore. New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet French president Emmanuel Macron during his four-day India visit. According to sources, the meeting is slated for Sunday after Rahul returns from his two-nation visit to Thailand and Singapore that is part of his overseas Indians outreach plan. The Congress, which has launched a tirade against the government over the Rafale deal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck during his visit to France in April 2015, however, said that the issue would not be raised during the meeting. "The Congress party will not discuss India's defence deal with the head of state of a foreign country. This is our internal matter and this discussion the government has to do with France and not the Congress. "We are demanding answers from our government and not from the French government," Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said. Alluding to the Rafale deal, he said that when one goes to buy something, the buyer has to ensure whether the product is good or not, as the seller will obviously say his product is good. The buyer has to decide looking at his pocket, Surjewala said. "The government has to ensure that its money is not wasted and gets the best deal in the least money. There should be no loss to the state exchequer. "It is not the responsibility of Macron, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the defence minister, on which they have failed," he alleged. The Congress has been attacking the government on the Rafale deal and demanding answers from it over the price of the aircraft. The Congress on Friday alleged that the government has caused a loss of Rs 12,612 crore to the state exchequer by buying the aircraft from Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets. The party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs 351 crore more than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. The government has refused to divulge details of the purchase price of Rafale jets due to the "secrecy clause" in the agreement signed with the French government. Surjewala said if a president or prime minister of any country come to India, "he is our guest and there are no differences between the government and the Opposition". The heads of state formally meet the Opposition leaders, as they had been meeting Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley in the past, he said. Rahul, who is the leader of the principal Opposition party in the country, has been meeting visiting heads of state and government after he took over as party chief. Rahul recently met visiting Cambodian prime minister Samdech Hun Sen and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau. He was in Italy during Vietnam president Tran Dai Quang's visit, who met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. It is obvious that Karnataka is seeing a communal election campaign. While either the Congress or BJP will gain, there will be one certain loser Karnataka. Two months after Yogi Adityanath challenged his counterpart Siddaramaiah to prove he was a true Hindu by banning beef in Karnataka, the religion card is once again being thrown at the chief minister. This time, the attack is more pungent, more divisive. The BJP's Karnataka unit has put out tweets this week that call Siddaramaiah "pro-jihadi'' with the hashtag #jihadimuktKarnataka. This line of offence is not surprising. More so when the theatre of politics is coastal Karnataka, a patch notorious for its communal divide. One of the tweets makes a mention of how "fear of annihilation grips every Hindu household in Karavali'', in a reference to how Hindus are at the receiving end of the violent politics of the coast. The reference also is to the killing of 23 youth with a right-wing connection. The BJP projects these murders as a selective attack on Hindus, accusing the government of looking the other way. The Congress claims only nine of them were communal in nature, the rest being due to personal reasons. Our karyakartas get constant phone calls from their families asking them about their safety. Hindus have understood that this govt will not protect them. Fear of annihilation grips every Hindu household in Karavali. Pro jihadi Siddu must go. We must create #JihadiMuktaKarnataka BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) March 6, 2018 K'taka was known for its economic prosperity. It is now breeding ground for jihadis. It was emerging as Asias silicon valley. It became a valley for jihadis to hide. It was known for its communal harmony. It is now communally most sensitive state. We need #JihadiMuktaKarnataka pic.twitter.com/vYrIBUv9Gk BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) March 6, 2018 But the tweets are only a reflection of what is happening in the real world. During a campaign meeting this week, BJP's Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel referred to Siddaramaiah as "narahantaka'' (slayer of human beings) and referred to him as "Sultan Siddaramaiah''. While Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde called the chief minister a "paapi'' (sinner), former minister CT Ravi said Siddaramaiah is no less a "tyrant'' when compared to "his role model Tipu Sultan''. The strategy is obvious push Siddaramaiah into the Muslim camp, to neutralise the temple run of Rahul Gandhi and attempts by the Congress to pursue a soft Hindutva line. BV Seetharam, editor of `Karavali Ale,' a Kannada newspaper published in coastal Karnataka and a long-time watcher of politics in this part of the state, says the process of polarisation is well and truly on in the 20-odd constituencies in four districts of coastal Karnataka. "The language used does not behove a Union minister or an MP or a former minister. It is difficult to say if this will find traction among Hindus. But I don't think all Hindus will approve of this kind of rhetoric,'' says Seetharam. The Congress is tapping into this feeling of discomfiture among educated Hindus to say it is not fair for politicians to stoop to any level to get power. A more combative Siddaramaiah however, claims he too can reply in kind. "I can also speak that way but I choose not to. It shows their culture and background. They are trying to incite people,'' he said. CT Ravi was quick to remind Siddaramaiah that he too had stooped to the same level in 2014 when he reportedly called Narendra Modi a "Narahantaka''. What does this campaign that has hit a new low say about the BJP and Congress? The BJP gameplan is to continuously accuse the Congress of blatant minority appeasement. They want to ensure the original plan of the Karnataka government earlier this year to withdraw cases only against Muslims accused in communal disturbances, stays in the public mind. The BJP had gone to town criticising the move, with the hashtag #CongKillsHindus trending on social media. After this outrage, the Karnataka government amended the order to include "all innocents''. The BJP claims the Congress also has a secret electoral deal with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI). The BJP has been demanding a ban on the PFI, accusing Siddaramaiah of going soft on the outfit because it is used to target right-wing activists in coastal Karnataka. The BJP allegation is that the Congress wants the SDPI to deliver Muslim votes into its kitty in the region. While the PFI is dubbed as a terror outfit, Siddaramaiah, on account of of not taking action against it, is labeled a jihadi supporter. The intention is to corner the majority Hindu vote by labeling the Congress as a party only for Muslims. The politics of coastal Karnataka is polarised and with no JD(S) there, it is a straight fight between the BJP and Congress and just a 3 percent swing can mean a clean sweep of those seats. "Siddaramaiah said he has Siddha and Rama in his name so he is a good Hindu. That is a meaningless argument. By the same argument, Sitaram Yechury too can claim the same. You don't become a good Hindu through your name or through favouring Muslims over Hindus,'' says Hemantha Kumar, political analyst. That the BJP is banking heavily on the polarisation card is obvious from the fact that the prism of religion is being overused by the party. When a member of the Hindu Yuva Sene was arrested in connection with the Gauri Lankesh murder, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje claimed that no Hindu was involved in the killing. Accusing the government of being anti-Hindu, she charged the government of deliberately putting the blame on a Hindu. Political analyst Sugata Raju sees this rhetoric by the saffron party as an admission of its inability to develop a narrative for the elections. "Siddaramaiah has a story to tell about what he has done for five years. BJP is still experimenting with monikers of this kind, reducing the politics to usage of unparliamentary words. This labeling of the Congress speaks more about the BJP than it does about the Congress,'' says Raju. In a tweet, the Karnataka BJP points out that the state is 84 percent Hindu and will not want to become 54 percent Hindu like Kerala. It is quite obvious that Karnataka is seeing a communal election campaign either by minority appeasement, the Congress way or provoking Hindus, the BJP way. And while one of the two parties will gain, there will be one certain loser Karnataka. Congress questioned the BJP's 'silence' on the proposed official state flag for Karnataka, a day after it was unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ahead of the assembly polls Bengaluru: The ruling Congress on Friday questioned the BJP's "silence" on the proposed official state flag for Karnataka, a day after it was unveiled by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ahead of the assembly polls. It also asked whether BJP MPs, including the state party chief BS Yeddyurappa, will put pressure on the Centre in getting necessary approval for the flag. "Lacking in #KannadaSwabhimana, @BJP4Karnataka maintains pindrop silence on #KarnatakaStateFlag," the Congress' Karnataka unit said in a tweet. "Will BJP MPs & Shri Yeddyurappa put pressure on the Union BJP Government to quickly grant the necessary approvals?," it asked. Lacking in #KannadaSwabhimana, @BJP4Karnataka maintains pin drop silence on #KarnatakaStateFlag. Will BJP MPs & Shri Yeddyurappa put pressure on the Union BJP Government to quickly grant the necessary approvals?https://t.co/hV4pUhwgn4 Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) March 9, 2018 The 'Naada Dwaja' (state's flag) in hues of yellow, white and red, has the state's emblem 'Gandaberunda' or the two-headed mythological bird that was also the royal insignia of the erstwhile Mysuru kingdom, at its centre. In the tricolour flag, yellow represents wealth and celebration, white represents peace and stability, and red represents valour and pride. Calling the state flag a "sign of Kannadiga pride", Siddaramaiah had on Thursday said it would be sent to the central government for approval. A committee formed by the state government last year had recommended the separate flag for Karnataka, discounting any constitutional or legal hurdles for it. Yeddyurappa has said his party was not opposed to a separate state flag but had flayed Siddaramaiah's "unilateral decision" to form a panel on the issue without consulting the opposition leaders. BJP had earlier accused Siddaramaiah of politicising the issue ahead of assembly polls in the state, due in April/May. The government's move to form the panel had also drawn criticism from some quarters, with some comparing it to Jammu and Kashmir, which enjoys a special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed TTV Dhinakaran's plea for allotment of a common symbol, preferably a 'pressure cooker', and a suitable name of his choice for the AIADMK faction led by him. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday allowed TTV Dhinakaran's (also sometimes spelled as Dinakaran) plea for allotment of a common symbol, preferably a 'pressure cooker', and a suitable name of his choice for the AIADMK faction led by him. Justice Rekha Palli directed the Election Commission to do the needful within three weeks after giving Dhinakaran's faction an appropriate hearing. The court order came on an interim application filed by the Dhinakaran VK Sasikala faction in their main petition challenging the Election Commission's 23 November order last year, which had allotted the 'two leaves' symbol to the group headed by Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam. Dhinakaran had earlier told the court that he needed a temporary name and symbol for his group to interact with the electorate in the eventuality of elections to local bodies or any other polls held before his claim to the party's symbol was decided. The application sought the allocation of the name and symbol only till the pendency of the main petition, claiming that otherwise the poll panel might declare it as a separate party. Dhinakaran had won the byelections held in Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in December last year under the 'pressure cooker' symbol with a margin of over 40,000 votes. The Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction has also given a list of three names All India Amma Anna Dhravidar Munnetra Kazhagam, MGR Amma Dravidar Munnetra Kazhagam and MGR Amma Dhravidar Kazhagam seeking that one of them be temporarily allotted to them. On 4 December last year, the high court had declined to grant any interim relief to Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction of the AIADMK by dismissing their plea to use the 'hat' symbol in the bypoll to the RK Nagar Assembly constituency. The court had left the decision to the Returning Officer who had allotted the 'pressure cooker' symbol to Dhinakaran for the bypoll held on 21 December, 2017. The 'hat' symbol was given to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group by the Election Commission in March, 2017 after it froze the use of the 'two-leaves' symbol to which the group led by Palaniswamy and Panneerselvam had also laid claim. The Palaniswamy-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the 'electric pole' symbol. However, on 23 November, 2017, the poll panel had ruled in favour of the Palaniswamy-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to them. The symbol issue has been lingering since April last in the aftermath of the announcement of the bypoll to Radha Krishnan Nagar constituency in Tamil Nadu following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim over the symbol. Palaniswamy was then in the Sasikala camp. Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswamy revolted against Sasikala. Ridiculing Bharatiya Janata Party's target of unseating the Trinamool to capture power in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said it would remain a 'dream'. Kolkata: Urging all regional parties to join hands to defeat the BJP in the 2019 general elections, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned the saffron brigade that for them alarm bells have already started ringing. "All regional parties should join hands to defeat the BJP in 2019 (Lok Sabha poll)," Banerjee said at a rally organised by the Trinamool Congress on the International Women's Day. Ridiculing Bharatiya Janata Party's target of unseating the Trinamool to capture power in Bengal, Banerjee said it would remain a "dream". Refering to the Telugu Desam Party quitting Narendra Modi's government, Banerjee asked the BJP whether it could hear the sound of revolt. "Are you (BJP) not able to hear the sound of revolt from various parts of the country? Are you not able to read the results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat? The TDP has walked out," she said. Decrying the centre's failure to give a special category status to Andhra Pradesh, the TDP has quit the Modi government, with its ministers P Ashok Gajapathi Raju (Civil Aviation) and YS Chowdary (Science and Technology) submitting their resignations. Banerjee predicted the BJP's defeat next year, and asked it to introspect whether it was in a position to retain power at the Centre. "Stop dreaming about coming to power in Bengal, look at yourselves and see whether you are in a position to retain power at the centre," the chief minister said. BJP under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is perceived as a fundamentally different beast unlike the gentle creature of Atal Bihari Vajpayee years. BJP's differences with alliance partners have once again emerged to the fore with Chandrababu Naidu's decision to pull Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ministers out of the NDA Cabinet over the 'Special Category Status' (SCS) dispute. While the BJP is at pains to insist that 14th Finance Committee recommendations have made the term 'special status' redundant and that the Centre is committed to provide Andhra Pradesh the appropriate monetary equivalent, Chief Minister Naidu has framed the issue within the paradigm of "regional sentiment" and has called time on the TDP-BJP alliance. It is not hard to see what Naidu is after. Squeezed out of space by Jagan Mohan Reddy who has made the SCS issue an emotive one and is steadily reaping political dividends the chief minister is making a desperate gambit to fashion himself as the challenger instead of the incumbent, and if push comes to shove, keeping open the possibility of going it alone in 2019. Naidu's calculation is that by severing ties with the BJP just ahead of Lok Sabha elections, he will able to rid himself of the controversy surrounding the SCS issue and transfer the toxicity to his erstwhile alliance partner. In the interim, he will keep posing and posturing for special status (just short of walking out of the national alliance) to ensure the best of both positions. If the cookie crumbles TDP's way in 2019, there's always the option of returning to the NDA fold. Regardless of the regional spin-off that will play out over time among the TDP, BJP and YSR Congress, the SCS dispute brings into sharp focus BJP's apparent travails in performing the duties of coalition dharma as we chug towards general elections. The party's troubles with Shiv Sena is well documented. Allies groaning under the yoke of a dominant BJP and struggling for oxygen raises the imagery of an oppressive, unaccommodating force crushing Opposition and coalition partners alike in its quest for aggressive growth. The metaphor feeds the anxieties of allies and Opposition alike. BJP under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah is perceived as a fundamentally different beast unlike the gentle creature of Atal Bihari Vajpayee years. The party's brute strength in Lok Sabha and Modi's courting of a 'strong leader' image have added to the perception. Though this narrative of a "ruthless BJP" (as opposed to a "gentle BJP") unwilling to humour its allies has of late been reinforced, it might not be close to truth. BJP's 2014 mandate, among other things, broke the myth that India has irrevocably shifted from single-party rule to coalition era politics. The leader who fashioned such an overwhelming and norm-breaking win would naturally be perceived as "strong" and less susceptible to pressure from allies. For a polity used to fractured mandates and habituated in seeing leaders make political and ideological adjustments for power, Modi's strength is derived from his unassailable position. Unlike Vajpayee, who needed to be flexible and accommodative of alliance partner's demands even if those were unreasonable Modi's political survival (in current tenure) is independent of coercion from allies. While it makes his allies 'appear weak', it conversely makes him 'look strong'. He doesn't even need to act to merit such an attribute. So when Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut says "BJP regards its allies as entities that it can use and throw. This tendency of theirs has become more prominent after 2014," his comments are indicative of the frustration that allies feel with BJP. On the one hand their political positioning (as in the case of Sena or TDP), voter base (as in the case of Akali Dal) and desire to be associated with a 'winning brand' lead them to stick to the coalition, they rue the lack of control in this power dynamic. To go with this power imbalance, other factors also contribute to the unease among BJP's allies. Modi is not hostile to the idea of coalition politics, but not at the cost of compromising with his philosophy which rests on a theorem that "allies remain when our winnability is high, go away when it is not". It gives us an idea about Modi's (and also Shah's) core belief which gives highest importance to party's vistaar (spread). It is here that the duo has altered BJP's DNA and placed it at odds with its allies. While Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani, as this Firstpost article point out, "were quite convinced of the partys inability to grow in the south and had sought an alliance with regional groups, Modi and Shah outright reject any idea of such an affliction for the BJP. On the contrary, they believe in encouraging an organic and robust growth of the party." Modi and Shah have introduced flexibility in BJP's core ideology, modified its approach to social projects, aggressively adopted new icons and made an audacious pitch to refashion the party as a pro-poor outfit that caters to a cross section of the electorate, away from its core set of Brahmin-Bania-trader voter base. Inevitably, as BJP's footprint has grown across the nation (either directly or indirectly the party now rules in 21 states, over 70 percent of the population), it has eaten into the base of its allies and made them restive. This anxiety drives, for instance, Shiv Sena's unrest which fears an erosion in its base. BJP would be aware that the fight ahead will be very different. Weight of history will add to the headwinds it might face to go with the usual factors of voter fatigue and anti-incumbency. If it cannot manage pre-poll alliances, it must keep options open for post-poll coalitions. The conundrum is, if Modi falls short of majority in 2019, he might still be able to stitch up a coalition of allies, but will he be able to compromise with his philosophy? The logjam in Lok Sabha continued for the fifth consecutive day on Friday, amid continuing protests by Opposition over PNB fraud and other issues New Delhi: The logjam in Lok Sabha continued for the fifth consecutive day on Friday, amid continuing protests by the Opposition over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other issues. The protests started soon after the House met for the day, and amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 pm, within five minutes after it assembled. At 12 pm, when the House reassembled, members from different parties again approached the Speaker's podium, holding placards and raising slogans. Congress members were questioning Nirav Modi's escape, while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Members from the AIADMK meanwhile sought the creation of a board to manage the waters of Cauvery river. Amid the din, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day. The Congress accused the Narendra Modi government of causing a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer on account of purchase of Rafale fighter jets. New Delhi: The Congress on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of "compromising" on national security and causing a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer on account of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets. Quoting from the annual report of Dassault Aviation, makers of the fighter aircraft, the party alleged that the company sold each jet to India at Rs 351 crore higher than those sold to Qatar and Egypt 11 months ago. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Randeep Surjewala said while 36 Rafale jets were sold to India at 7.5 billion in 2016, 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at 7.9 billion in 2015. This amounted to Rs 1,670.70 crore per aircraft for India and Rs 1,319.80 crore to Egypt/Qatar. There was a difference of Rs 351 crore for each aircraft, the party claimed. Addressing a joint press conference, Azad, Surjewala and former minister of state for Defence Jitendra Singh asserted that the government had adopted complete opaqueness in the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft. Azad asserted that had the Modi government not cancelled the deal struck by the UPA dispensation for 126 Rafale jets, it could have saved Rs 41,212 crore. "The Modi government's 'diversionary tactics' on Rafale deal has left more questions than answers," they said in a statement. Accusing the prime minister of compromising on national security and interests, Azad asked why were only 36 fighter jets purchased instead of 126 jets for which international bids were called for. "Is this not compromising with national security? Why are prime minister and defence minister hiding the purchase price (of the jets)? Is it correct that per aircraft pricing of Rafale as per bid dated 12 December, 2012 (during the UPA-Congress government) was Rs 526.1 crore as against the Modi government's per aircraft purchase price of Rs 1,670.70 crore?" he asked. Surjewala said the deal was also made in absence of prior clearance from Cabinet Committee on Security, thus sacrificing the national interest and bypassing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on the Rs 36,000 crore 'offset contract' in favour of a private entity with no defence manufacturing experience. "Grave apprehensions and claims of insurmountable loss being caused to public exchequer stand exposed as the government refuses to state the truth. A huge scam is brewing in procurement of fighter aircrafts for the Indian Air Force, yet the Modi government remains opaque, intransient, obscure and obstinate," the Congress leaders alleged. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, through his statement on Ayodhya, chose to terrorise the numerically inferior, by portraying a bloody, darkled future awaiting them. Editor's Note: This article originally published on 9 March, 2018, is being republished in the view of Supreme Court's latest order pushing for an "amicable" resolution for Ayodhya's Ram Janmanbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case and ordered that a court-appointed panel undertake mediation to resolve the issue. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is one of the members in the three-team mediation panel. *** Sri Sri Ravi Shankars interview to CNN-News18 on the Ayodhya dispute has been interpreted as his attempt to court publicity, as is being said in jest, for winning a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, it is important to decode his interview for the messages he has sought to convey to the nation, not least because of his proximity to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ravi Shankar has an aura of importance around him, partly created through a deft manipulation of popular perception. But this manipulation builds upon an element of reality. For instance, it was under his aegis that an assortment of gurus signed a proclamation at a conference in Bengaluru on 4 and 5 December, 2011 asking the United Nations to observe 21 June as International Yoga Day, an idea Modi endorsed and pushed after coming to power in 2014. Then again, the Art of Living, a foundation established by Shankar, was chosen to organise a community reception and a yoga event for Modi on his visit to Mongolia in 2015. Modi returned the favour to Shankar, brushing aside the controversy surrounding the Art of Livings World Cultural Festival in March 2016 in Delhi to spend three hours there. Shankar has emerged as the ruling dispensations favourite guru, causing much heartburn in the camp of Baba Ramdev, who had earlier enjoyed that status. Shankars new-found exalted status apart, we need to take his interview seriously because it echoes the views of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Ayodhya on many counts. For instance, Shankar has asked Muslims to give up their claims on Ayodhya as a goodwill gesture, a demand RSS-BJP leaders have repeatedly made ever since the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was launched in the 1980s. Like the BJP, Shankar too believes it is difficult to implement a court judgement in the Ayodhya dispute. However, Shankar has gone a step further than the BJP, giving its traditional line on the Ayodhya dispute a chilling dimension. He told India Today, If the court rules against the temple, there will be bloodshed. The government may not be able to implement the court order. Do you think the majority community will accept such an order? He, then, has argued that the only tenable solution is an out-of-court settlement, essentially a euphemism for Muslims relinquishing their claim to the site where the Babri Masjid stood until it was demolished on 6 December, 1992. Shankars opinions have to be analysed against the backdrop of a three-member bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Ayodhya dispute. The bench is headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who retires on 2 October. It is believed that Misra wouldnt have taken up the Ayodhya matter had he not been reasonably sure of delivering the verdict before his retirement. The final arguments in the Ayodhya dispute could not begin on two assigned dates on 5 December and 8 February. The bench is to hear it on 14 March now. Misras slate is crowded with important cases for instance, he is hearing the Aadhaar matter and also the case regarding the Land Acquisition Act of 2013. He is yet to pronounce a judgement in the case involving the distribution of power between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor. Will Misra have adequate time to complete the hearing in the Ayodhya dispute and also deliver his judgement? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar seems to think so, judging from his interview. But he doesnt seem sure that the judgment will allow a Ram temple to be constructed at the disputed site, a conclusion he has presumably reached because Justice Misra in February said that his bench would treat the Ayodhya matter as a property dispute, not as an issue of faith. Such a line, it is thought, could weaken the case of Hindu litigants. This, in turn, has prompted Shankar to warn, in an interview to India Today, that a verdict against the Ram temple would create a Syria in India, shorthand for civil war, which will be devastating for the nation in general and the Muslim community in particular. Shankars interview can also be seen as an attempt to mount pressure on the Supreme Court, telling it, in not so many words, that the government can only implement a verdict that is favourable to Hindus. He seems to suggest that this is the path the Supreme Court should take, failing which its majesty will take a severe beating. His view echoes that of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Ten days before the Ayodhya matter came up before the Supreme Court on 5 December, Bhagwat said that no structure other than the Ram temple will be built at the disputed site in the temple town. Shankar has now gone a step further, outlining unequivocally the bloody consequences of granting the site to Muslims. This suggests that Shankar is reading out from a script someone else has written, designed to incrementally raise the pitch on Ayodhya. It is almost impossible to second-guess court judgments in advance, let alone the hellishly complicated Ayodhya dispute. Yet, Shankars view will have a purpose even in a scenario in which the Supreme Court hands over the Babri Masjid site to Hindus. For one, the global media will point out that the site of the temple construction was where a medieval mosque had once stood. This will certainly have implications in West Asia, where Modi has been visiting to lure foreign investments. To have Muslims voluntary forsake the site in advance will enable the government to manage the foreign policy fallout. A triumph through a court verdict is an incomplete victory for Hindutva, which believes Muslims must atone for the temples that Muslim rulers allegedly destroyed centuries ago. This can be symbolically achieved through a relinquishing of claims to the disputed site. Shankar has grasped the psychology at play, evident from his honey-laden words: Muslims are not surrendering this land to the people who demolished the Babri Masjid or to a particular organisation. On the contrary, they are gifting it to the people of India. This is classic sophistry. It is also possible that Shankar doesnt think the Supreme Court has time to deliver the judgement. In this context, his interview can be seen as a way of keeping the Ayodhya pot simmering for the RSS-BJP, which cannot yet again go to the electorate in 2019 reiterating its promise of building the Ram temple. Unlike the NDAs earlier prime minister AB Vajpayee, Modi enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha. He will be asked to account for inaction over Ayodhya. Shankars interview hints at one possible route still available to the BJP. He has contemplated four possible solutions to the Ayodhya dispute the Supreme Court delivering a verdict favourable to Muslims, or granting the land to Hindus, or upholding the trifurcation of the disputed property (which would imply re-constructing the mosque at the disputed site), or Parliament passing a legislation to settle the temple-mosque site. The first three options would be foreclosed if the Supreme Court were to fail to complete the hearing before 2 October. Shankars fourth option, however, still remains available to the BJP. It can go the electorate saying it needs a massive mandate to legislate for overcoming the impediments that the Supreme Court and Muslims are creating in the construction of the Ram temple. It will provide the BJP a narrative to counter bad electoral news pouring out of Rajasthan, anti-incumbency in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the prospect of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party entering into an alliance in Uttar Pradesh. If the Supreme Court misses the 2 October deadline, the BJP may even explore the possibility of bringing such a Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament, not so much to construct the temple immediately, as it will certainly invite legal challenges, but for creating enough ballast to launch its 2019 campaign. It is also possible that the Art of Living founder is not acting at the BJPs behest, and that he has chosen to give a sensational interview to be in the spotlight. In doing so, he has reduced his stature, and demonstrated that he is more a political camp-follower than a spiritualist, and acted contrary to the philosophy that his foundation propounds. The Art of Living website loftily declares, Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace. For this self-appointed messiah of peace, a better course would have been to crisscross the country, particularly Uttar Pradesh, to persuade the people why they need to respect the Constitution to build a peaceful society, and turn to the court in case they are unable to reconcile their differences. He has instead chosen to terrorise the weak, the numerically inferior, by portraying a bloody, darkled future awaiting them. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has turned the Art of Living into the art of fanning fear. Biplab Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura at the Assam Rifles ground on Friday which will usher in the first BJP government in the northeastern state. Amid reported clashes between the Left front and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the new Tripura Cabinet will be sworn in on Friday at 12 pm. Biplab Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura at the Assam Rifles ground on Friday which will usher in the first BJP government in the northeastern state. Forty-eight-year-old Deb staked claim to Governor Tathagata Roy on 6 March to form the government in the state. The governor then invited him to do so. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and three chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in the northeastern region would be present at the swearing-in ceremony, state BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb told PTI. "All the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states and the members of the BJP parliamentary board have been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony, he said. A long-time RSS worker, Deb has been largely credited for the BJP's turnaround in Tripura. The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) combine swept to power in the state last week, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led Left Front. The BJP had bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight in the 60-member House. Union minister Nitin Gadkari had stated on 6 March that Jishnu Debbarma will be the deputy chief minister. Debbarma is yet to be elected as an MLA as polling in his Charilam (Scheduled Tribe) constituency was postponed due to the death of the CPM candidate. The election will now be held on 12 March. IPFT president NC Debbarma said the party would get two berths in the new cabinet which was decided at a meeting with BJP leader and the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) chairman Himanta Biswa Sarma. Manik Sarkar to attend ceremony Outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar and former ministers of his cabinet would attend the ceremony, Left Front convener Bijan Dhar told PTI. However, leaders of the opposition Left parties would not join the programme in protest against post-poll violence in the state, said Dhar, also CPM state secretary. "The outgoing chief minister and his ministers would attend the swearing-in ceremony. Left parties have also been invited to join it. But we will not go there to protest against the post-poll violence," Dhar told a press conference. With inputs from PTI A clash broke out between two groups belonging to CPM and RSS-backed organisations over attempts to damage a statue of Vladimir Lenin in Jadavpur Kolkata: A clash broke out between two groups allegedly belonging to the CPM and RSS-backed organisations over attempts to damage a statue of communist leader Vladimir Lenin in Jadavpur area on Thursday night, police said. The groups got involved in the clash after the RSS-backed units allegedly tried to vandalise Lenin's statue located near Jadavpur 8B bus stand, they said. A senior officer of Kolkata Police said two BJP activists have been detained at Jadavpur Police Station in this connection. CPM leader Satarup Ghosh claimed that he along with some of his party supporters blocked a few RSS activists, who tried to damage the statue. "They have vandalised a statue of Lenin in Tripura and if they think of repeating the same here, we will not allow them to do that," Ghosh said. Large number of police personnel have been deployed in the area to check any untoward incident, the officer said. A statue of Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at College Square in Belonia sub-division of South Tripura district, with the CPM holding BJP workers responsible for the incident. In south Kolkata, a bust of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was also vandalised on Wednesday by seven persons, including a woman, allegedly belonging to a left-wing group 'Radical'. All the seven persons have been arrested. Ankit Vengurlekar Digital rights activist and founder of MediaNama, Nikhil Pahwa opened this week's Tech2 Talks with an interesting statement. "Every one of us needs to be an activist in this country, we need to be active citizens." hinting that we the citizens of India are the only ones who can fix things and take care of issues that affects each and every one of us. The discussion shed plenty of light on the rather controversial topic about the Aadhaar identification system that threatens the digital privacy and personal identity of the citizens of India. The discussion with Pahwa also takes place at a time when petitioners are actively chasing the government's Aadhaar program, pointing out loopholes and the downsides of the system in the Supreme Court. The efforts made by digital rights activists like Nikhil Pahwa and his team are more about pointing out the errors, mistakes, shortcomings and the dangers related to misuse and suggesting ways to overcome the same complications in the Aadhaar identification system. Pahwa suggested that Aadhaar in its current state is unconstitutional because of the fact that it does not give the citizen, control over their personal identification data. He said that we should have the right to choose whether we want to share our personal data obtained by the Aadhaar system. Having given the constitution to govern ourselves, it is vital that we first understand that the leaders we have selected are not our rulers but are our representatives. With that said, Pahwa believes that despite representing us, they are becoming rulers in the sense that they are forcing Aadhaar upon the citizens of India. The forced fingerprint identification, iris scanning data is then stored and then being distributed with other services and companies, turning it from a personal asset into public asset. Pahwa claims that the government will then privatise the data by giving it out to credit card companies, loan companies, banks and even telecom companies. On the topic of privacy, he said "Our government went to the Supreme Court and argued against our fundamental right to privacy, which is why we cannot trust our government." The founder of MediaNama says that "we have to be very conscious, very vigilant and active citizens and track what the government is doing with our biometric and personal Aadhaar data." tech2 News Staff Chinese smartphone maker and electronics giant Xiaomi has dropped another teaser for its upcoming flagship, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S. According to the teaser that Xiaomi posted on its official Weibo account, an image with a blue-coloured energy symbol is hanging in the air on top of a raised platform. The platform looks like a wireless charging pad hinting at the arrival of wireless charging to the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S. This is not the only information that Xiaomi has teased on its social media accounts as the launch date of the device approaches. As previously reported, it is likely that Mi Mix 2S is likely to pack more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC than the competition such as the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and Sony Xperia XZ2. The company also hinted that the design of the device will not change much in comparison to the previous generation, the Mi Mix 2. The upcoming device may also pack AI functionality as part of its camera software to control the expected dual camera setup on the back according to an earlier report. Apart from the teases, a leaked video suggested that the device may come with a small notch on the top-right corner of the device to accommodate the front camera of the device. This, in addition to a Snapdragon 845 with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage can make for a compelling flagship device. A suicide bomber on foot blew himself up in Kabul's Shiite area on Friday, killing at least seven people, officials said, in the latest attack in the Afghan capital Kabul: A suicide bomber on foot blew himself up in Kabul's Shiite area on Friday, killing at least seven people, officials said, in the latest attack in the Afghan capital. "In the explosion, seven were martyred and seven were wounded," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish wrote on Facebook. One policeman was among those killed in the blast, which happened near a gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari a prominent former leader of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban. Kabul police chief Mohammad Daud Amin told Tolo News that the bomber detonated his explosive device at a checkpoint "after being identified by police". "The bomber failed to get inside to target the gathering," Amin said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but it comes amid growing pressure on the Taliban to take up an offer by the Afghan government for direct talks on peace. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Kabul last week unveiled a plan to open talks with the insurgents, including eventually recognising them as a political party. In return, Ghani said the militants should officially recognise the Afghan government and constitution, a perennial sticking point in past attempts to open talks. "The offer of negotiation is on the table," UN envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto told a Security Council meeting on Thursday to mark the annual renewal of the UN mission to the war-torn country. The United States has also called on the insurgents to consider the offer of peace talks. While Western officials have hailed Ghani's offer as a positive step, they have told AFP that it is far too early to tell if it will lead anywhere. Before Ghani's speech, the militants had called for direct talks with the US. Friday's attack comes a week after a car bomb detonated near a passing Australian embassy convoy in the city's east that killed at least one child and wounded several other people. Kabul is one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians as both the Taliban and the expanding Islamic State group step up their assaults on the city. Despite the cautious optimism for a peace deal, Kabul remains on high alert, fearing further violence. American officials are also braced for more fighting in the spring after an unusually violent winter when the conflict traditionally eases. Since mid-January, militants have stormed a luxury hotel, bombed a crowded street, raided a military compound and launched a suicide attack during morning rush hour in the capital, killing more than 130 people. President Donald Trump ordered steep new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the US on Thursday, vowing to fight back against an 'assault on our country' by foreign competitors Washington: Unswayed by Republican warnings of a trade war, President Donald Trump ordered steep new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the US on Thursday, vowing to fight back against an "assault on our country" by foreign competitors. The president said he would exempt Canada and Mexico as a "special case" while negotiating for changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new tariffs will take effect in 15 days, with US' neighbors indefinitely spared "to see if we can make the deal", Trump said. He suggested in an earlier meeting with his Cabinet that Australia and "other countries" might also be spared, a shift that could soften the international blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. Those "other countries" can try to negotiate their way out of the tariffs, he indicated, by ensuring their trade actions do not harm America's security. Surrounded by steel and aluminum workers holding hard hats, Trump cast his action as necessary to protect industries "ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices". "It's really an assault on our country. It's been an assault," he said. His move, an assertive step for his 'America First' agenda, has rattled allies across the globe and raised questions at home about whether protectionism will impede US economic growth. The president made his announcement the same day that officials from 11 other Pacific Rim countries signed a sweeping trade agreement that came together after he pulled the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership last year. Though he focused on workers and their companies in his announcement, Trump's legal proclamation made a major point that weakened steel and aluminum industries represent a major threat to America's military strength and national security. The former real estate developer said US politicians had for years lamented the decline in the steel and aluminum industries, but no one before him was willing to take action. Despite a week of furious lobbying against his plan by Republican lawmakers and some of his own advisers, Trump said he would go ahead with penalty tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum. But he also said the penalties could "go up or down" depending on the country. "I'll have a right to drop out countries or add countries. I just want fairness," he said. Century Aluminum chief executive Michael Bless said the tariffs would allow his company, which produces high-purity aluminum used in military aircraft, to recall about 300 workers and restart idled production lines at its smelter in eastern Kentucky by early 2019. And Trump took note of US Steel's announcement that it planned to ramp up activity at its plant in Granite City, Illinois, and recall about 500 employees because of the new tariffs. But there was political criticism aplenty, especially from Trump's own Republican Party. House Speaker Paul Ryan, appearing with Home Depot employees in Atlanta, warned of "unintended consequences". And Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin called the tariffs a "very risky action", that could put agricultural and manufacturing jobs at risk. "I'm not sure there are any winners in trade wars," said Johnson, who once ran a plastics manufacturing business in his home state. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said Trump's action was "like dropping a bomb on a flea". "It could carry huge unintended consequences for American manufacturers who depend on imported materials," he said. Business leaders, too, sounded their alarm about the potential economic fallout, warning that American consumers would be hurt by higher prices. They noted that steel-consuming companies said tariffs imposed in 2002 by President George W Bush ended up wiping out 200,000 US jobs. "Tariffs are taxes, and the American taxpayer will pay the cost of a trade war," said Cody Lusk, president and CEO of the American International Automobile Dealers Association. "Even with limited exemptions, tariffs will raise the sale prices of new vehicles." Stocks ended the day higher after the announcement, with investors relieved by the carved out exceptions for key allies. At the White House, an upbeat Trump chatted with steelworkers, invited them to the Oval Office and autographed a hard hat. He invited some of the workers to speak from the presidential podium, and several said that excessive "dumping" of foreign steel and aluminum had negatively affected their jobs and families. Nations around the globe that were not excluded from the tariffs reacted with dismay. The European Union warned before the announcement that it was ready to retaliate with counter-measures against iconic US products such as Harley Davidson motorcycles, Levi's jeans and bourbon. EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom tweeted after Trump's announcement that the "EU should be excluded from these measures". Malmstrom said she would be meeting with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Brussels on Saturday. The British government said tariffs "are not the right way to address the global problem of overcapacity" and said it would work with EU partners to "consider the scope for exemptions outlined". Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono called the decision "extremely regrettable", predicting it could have a major impact on the economy and the relationship between the US and Japan, as well as the global economy. Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, meanwhile, called the announcement a "step forward" and said Canadian officials had exerted tremendous efforts to get the exemption. "That Canada could be seen as a threat to US security is inconceivable," she said. The exemptions for Canada and Mexico could be ended if talks to renegotiate NAFTA stall, the White House said. The talks are expected to resume early next month. The run-up to Thursday's announcement included intense debate within the White House, pitting hard-liners against free trade advocates, such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn. Recent weeks have seen other departures and negative news stories that have left Trump increasingly isolated, according to senior officials speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. North Korea's Kim Jong-un and US president Donald Trump have agreed to meet to secure a deal to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula. Washington: North Korea's Kim Jong-un and US president Donald Trump have agreed to meet to secure a deal to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula, US and South Korean officials said on Thursday. "I told President Trump that at our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he's committed to denuclearisation," said South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong, who came to Washington after talks in Pyongyang. "Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," he told reporters, in an extraordinary appearance on the White House driveway. "He understands that the routine joint military exercise between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue and he expressed his eagerness to meet president Trump as soon as possible," he said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing, and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation," he added. In Seoul, South Korean officials told reporters that the talks would take place "by the end of May." Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confirmed that the US leader "will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined." "We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," she said. Trump did not appear alongside Chung, but earlier had made a surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room to promise that South Korea would soon make a "major announcement". South Korea announced on Tuesday that the North had promised there would be "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed." Trump welcomed this apparent offer as "very positive," implying that he believes he is on the verge of a swift and unexpected breakthrough for his so-called "maximum pressure campaign" to force Kim to accept disarmament talks. North Korea has been placed under a stern international sanctions regime, backed by UN Security Council resolutions and importantly by key power China, the isolated regime's only ally and significant trading partner. Earlier Thursday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi had also cautiously welcomed the apparent breakthrough, and called for Washington and the North "to engage in dialogue sooner rather than later." Washington has long insisted that it will not allow Pyongyang to continue building and testing a nuclear arsenal that Kim's regime now boasts is capable of delivering thermonuclear warheads to US cities. But as late as Thursday morning, officials were warning that negotiations might still be far off. NGO Statement on Freedom of Religion in Malaysia Contact: Gregory Treat, 703-503-0791 GENEVA, March 9, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, March 6, 2018 the undersigned NGOs sponsored a side-event at the UN in Geneva, during the 37th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council. A panel of distinguished experts, including Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief; along with a special video message from Baroness Elizabeth Berridge, Member of the UK House of Lords, Chair of the International Panel of Parliamentarians and Project Director of The Commonwealth Initiative for Freedom of Religion or Belief, spoke on the need for religious minorities to freely practice their religion without restrictions or fear of discrimination. Malaysia is often admired as a moderate Muslim-majority country that upholds democratic values and human rights. Unfortunately, deep-rooted racial and religious prejudices due to the politicization of religion has seriously imperiled the pluralistic nature of this important nation. The panel also expressed their concern that persons who have converted into Islam due to marriage or other reasons should be allowed to freely choose their religion and change their religious status and names in their ID cards without the need to appear before the Sharia courts. To impose such a condition is certainly against the spirit of freedom of religion. As Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief noted: "You cannot force anyone to declare their religion, and when that is done, especially on ID cards, they may be used as a way to discriminate on access to services, sometimes to very basic services. So in all contexts where religion appears on an ID card it becomes an instrument for discrimination or privileged treatment on account of religion." As Malaysia is a multi-religious country, freedom of religion is paramount to ensure that peace, harmony and social order of Malaysia is maintained and that justice is served for all persons. As Eugene Yapp, Director of RFL Partnership said, "this can be best achieve through observing the 'twin pillars of moderation' - one religious group should not dictate to another religious group how she should practice and manage her own religion; and state authorities should not impose its will on any one religious group." The recent appeal of four persons who wish to leave Islam in Sarawak who had raised the issue of which should be the proper forum to decide on their conversion out of Islam is a case in point. The decision by the Federal Court that this matter belongs solely to the jurisdiction of the Sharia court is a condition imposed by the State against the decades old way of Sarawakian life which practices complete religious freedom. This condition has now caused considerable hardship to people who has been wrongly categorised as Muslims. As Gayle Jokinin, attorney said "leading up to the formation of Malaysia, the people of North Borneo and Sarawak were guaranteed complete freedom of religion...what we see today 55 years later is not what we bargained for." However, the panel noted that there were significant opportunities for Malaysia to move forward with positive solutions, in particular the upcoming UPR process, which will allow Malaysia to engage in a dialogue with all components of its civil society, including religious minorities. Baroness Berridge, in a special video message, particularly urged Malaysia to participate in the intergovernmental Commonwealth network whose diversity of religious backgrounds offered a unique perspective on dealing with Freedom of Religion and Belief issues. The undersigned NGOs welcome the panel's discussion and call on Malaysia to: Bring its ID cards in line with the requirements of Article 18 of the UDHR, by removing any indication of religious status on its ID card. Repeal any de jure apostasy or blasphemy codes, and make policy provisions to prevent the de facto enforcement of such codes by governmental or nongovernmental actors. Take concrete steps to implement Malaysia's international commitment to promote and protect the rights of all people to worship in peace and security without discrimination or restriction on the basis of religious belief or practice. Jubilee Campaign, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, ADF International, World Evangelical Alliance, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. European power operators called for an end to a row between Serbia and Kosovo that has sapped the continent's electricity grid and caused electronic clocks to run several minutes late Brussels: European power operators called Wednesday for an end to a row between Serbia and Kosovo that has sapped the continent's electricity grid and caused electronic clocks to run several minutes late. The Brussels-based power operators association ENTSO-E said "political disagreements" between the Balkan neighbours have caused a decrease in the electric frequency in the continental network since mid-January. "The decrease in frequency average is affecting also those electric clocks that are steered by the frequency of the power system and not by a quartz crystal," it said in a statement. Clocks for radio alarms, ovens and heating system currently, it said, "show a delay of close to six minutes" in European countries, including Belgium. "ENTSO-E is urging European and national governments and policymakers to take swift action," it said. "The political disagreements opposing the Serbian and Kosovar authorities have led to the observed electricity impact." Kosovo energy expert Agron Dida told AFP that Serbia has prevented Kosovo, whose decade-old independence it refuses to recognise, from importing the cheaper energy it needs from neighbouring Albania. "Serbia blackmails the optimisation of the regional energy system," Dida said. "It is possible that this creates problems and affects negatively the whole electricity network in Europe." Serbia's electrical power grid company EMS AD blamed the missing power on Kosovo "uninterruptedly withdrawing, in an unauthorised manner, uncontracted electric energy" from the synchronised European grid. EMS AD, which is tasked with balancing the Kosovo grid, said it "has committed all its resources to resolving this issue in a swift and efficient manner." The statement added that Kosovo operator KOSTT had "ceased, as of 3 March, its unauthorised power withdrawal." Aca Markovic, the special advisor for the Energy Agency of Serbia, told AFP that EMS AD had covered Kosovo's energy needs for a while but had to stop because of the costs and its breach of rules. In Pristina, KOSTT deputy director Kadri Kadriu said that the problem was in northern Kosovo, an area populated with some 40,000 minority Serbs who refuse to recognise the ethnic Albanian authorities. "KOSTT is supplying the north of Kosovo with electricity and it is considered as a loss... so the production-spending balance has been deviated causing an imbalance of the system," Kadriu said in a statement. Serbia has refused to recognise its former breakaway province since it declared independence in 2008 and tries to block its attempt to join UN and various international organisations, including ENTSO-E. Both are seeking to join the European Union. Pakistan court ordered election commission to allow tregistration of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as a political party Islamabad: A Pakistan court has ordered the election commission to allow the registration of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League as a political party. The order came days after a Pakistani court extended a stay against the "possible arrest" of the JuD chief till 4 April. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday set aside a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reject the application of Jamaat-ud-Dawah's political front Milli Muslim League (MML) for registration as a political party. Justice Aamer Farooq sent the case back to the ECP asking it to proceed further on the application by giving the party an opportunity of hearing, Dawn newspaper reported. The MML through its president Saifullah Khalid approached the IHC and made the ECP and the interior secretary respondents in the matter. Challenging the ECP's order of 11 October, 2017, the petition described it unreasonable, illegal as well as against the Constitution and the law. "Article 17 (2) of the Constitution confers a fundamental right on every citizen, not being in the service of Pakistan, to form or to be a member of a political party, subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by the law in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan," the petitioner maintained. He prayed to the court to set aside the order and direct the ECP to scrutinise the documents afresh, strictly in accordance with the law and enlist the party. The ECP had turned down the plea of the MML because of its alleged links with banned militant outfits. The ECP took the decision on the basis of a letter from the Ministry of Interior which had asked the commission to ban the MML for having links with banned militant outfits. The ministry had stated that the JuD and its charity Falah-i-lnsaniyat Foundation (FIF) were banned organisations under the Pakistan Security Council Act 1948. The court's latest order also comes in the backdrop of a meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental money-laundering watchdog, that put Pakistan on a grey list. At the FATF meeting in Paris last month, Saeed and his "charities" were top on the list of the groups that the FATF wanted Pakistan to act against. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a global terrorist. Saeed, who is accused of having masterminded the November 2008 Mumbai attack, was also placed on the terrorism black list by the United Nations in December 2008. The banned JuD head was released from the house arrest in November last year after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January last year. India has expressed its support for the Afghanistan government's offer to the Taliban to participate in a peace process without preconditions, and called for international backing for Kabul's reconciliation efforts United Nations: India has expressed its support for the Afghanistan government's offer to the Taliban to participate in a peace process without preconditions despite the group's "irreconcilable" nature, and called for international backing for Kabul's reconciliation efforts. "These efforts of the Afghan government calling on the armed groups to end violence and join the national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all Afghans, including women, children and the minorities deserve our full support," India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin told the Security Council on Thursday. He described the Afghan government's "new call for peace" as a "concrete approach to the Taliban to join the mainstream" that was made "despite the fact that armed groups have identified themselves and demonstrated to all of us that they are irreconcilable". At the same time, he also called for a "robust response" to violence from an armed opposition. "The irreconcilable guns need to be silenced," he added. On 28 February, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani offered a wide-ranging peace package to the Taliban at an international conference in Kabul. The peace offer included a ceasefire, inputs from the Taliban on a peace process, elections in which the Taliban could participate, and the release of prisoners. Akbaruddin, however, warned that supporters of terrorists in Afghanistan have not been deterred "despite the international community's efforts" to promote peace. Without mentioning Pakistan by name, he said that the international community must address the challenges faced by Afghanistan and the region from cross border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries. "There are still those who provide sanctuaries to support the dark agendas of terrorist organiations", like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, he said. "If we are to preserve the achievements of Afghan women and girls, the international community must continue to extend its full support to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process," Akbaruddin said at the meeting held on International Women's Day. It was presided over by Sigrid Kaag, the Netherlands Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Minister. With the participation of Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop and deputy chairperson of the Afghanistan High Peace Council, Habibi Sarabi, and several women diplomats, the session had a special emphasis on women and girls in Afghanistan. Currently, only two countries have women permanent representatives on the Council: Nikki Haley of the US and Joanna Wronecka of Poland, and some countries designated other women diplomats to participate in the Council meeting in keeping with the spirit of the day. Akbaruddin spoke of the efforts of the Indian government and Indian Non-Governmental Organisations to help Afghan women and girls. Many projects financed by the $2 billion aid that India has contributed to Afghanistan have been in sectors like education, health and community development that benefit women, he said. In the last three years, about 5,000 Afghan women have received higher education scholarships to study in India, he said. The Barefoot College in Tiloniya, Rajasthan, has trained several rural women from Afghanistan in solar electrification, he said. Vocational training centers have been set up across Afghanistan and 150 women received training in India to be trainers and more than 3,000 women have been trained in Afghanbistan, he added. Jaspal Atwal's presence in India and the infamous invite have played a vital role in undermining ties between India and Canada, and even dragged down Trudeau's approval ratings and re-election prospects Justin Trudeau's eight-day tour of India ended last month, but the media circus surrounding the Canadian prime minister's visit is yet to leave town. On Thursday, the latest act was unveiled at the law office of Rishi Gill in Vancouver. This was the day Jaspal Atwal was to break his silence. Atwal, of course, is the person convicted of an act of terror in 1986, after attempting to assassinate a visiting minister from Punjab. The conspiracy blew up after a senior Canadian official hinted at a conspiracy theory, that rogue elements in the Indian establishment had wangled an invitation for him to attend a dinner reception for Trudeau in New Delhi just to humiliate the Canadian prime minister. Given the context of absurdity that framed Atwal's appearance in Mumbai, it was little surprise then that it also enveloped the press conference at which the contrite 63-year-old read out a statement and then sat back in stony silence, as his lawyer, swivelling in his chair, responded to queries from the curious media, at one stage upbraiding journalists for their "obsession" with La Affair Atwal. Gill had earlier warned anyone against asking Atwal questions, and one reporter in the room transgressed. Just about the only time Atwal spoke, other than to read out the statement, was to inform Gill he became a Canadian citizen in 1977. Given that his client's presence in India and the infamous invite have played a vital role in undermining ties between India and Canada, and even dragged down Trudeau's approval ratings and re-election prospects, the compulsion is obviously understandable. Unfortunately, a couple of significant facts emerging from the presser could be lost in the noise over the atmosphere it was held in. First, the rogue elements theory has been exposed as being daft. That the Canadian National Security Advisor propagated it, as per Canadian media identifying him as the anonymous briefer, is baffling. That Trudeau continues to back that line is another sign of the desperate reactions of the Canadian government after being shell-shocked by the reception the prime minister received in India. As Gill said, "Atwal, at no point, has considered himself or been approached by any Indian representative in such a fashion that he would act as an agent of some sort. There is some bandying about of the word informant. That is not correct." Not surprisingly, the Canadian Opposition has latched on to this added reminder of the weak legs of a story he was planted by the nefarious India establishment. Opposition leader Andrew Scheer said, "By continuing to support a conspiracy theory that is unsupported by any proof and has been met only with denials by those alleged to be involved, Justin Trudeau is making unsubstantiated allegations to distract attention from his disastrous India trip. Trudeau is failing to be honest with Canadians about the Atwal affair. Canadians deserve answers." And secondly, this wasn't Atwal's first visit to India since his imprisonment on a conviction related to the 1987 act of terrorism. He visited in 1999 and in 2002, and was also denied a visa during the mid-2000s. He then received a one-month visa in 2017 as part of the Narendra Modi's government's outreach programme, then a three-month visa, followed by a one-year multiple entry visa. His trip was personal and was already planned and he made a single request to Liberal MP Randeep Sarai to attend official receptions during Trudeau's visit to India, and that was met with alacrity. Thirdly, Atwal has disavowed separatism and reiterated he no longer believes in Khalistan. That, however, doesn't take away from the fact he attempted a political assassination once for a terrorist cause and should never have figured on any formal guest list, regardless of his remorse. But that's the basic problem with Trudeau's Liberal Party, and one that also afflicts the New Democratic Party and even the Conservatives in Canada: Getting along with bad actors in the Khalistan drama being played out in Canada over the past four decades is a routine act. In some instances, as with the Atwal controversy, it has turned into a farce. But just as they never took it seriously enough in 1985 prior to the bombing of Air India Flight 182, which killed 329 persons, it can turn to tragedy. Immigrant advocates say the mother and daughter's case is emblematic of the approach taken by President Donald Trump's administration. The lawsuit, which asks a judge to declare family separation unlawful, says 'hundreds of families' have been split by immigration authorities. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit Friday accusing the U.S. government of broadly separating immigrant families seeking asylum. The lawsuit follows action the ACLU took in the case of a Congolese woman and her 7-year-old daughter, who the group said was taken from her mother "screaming and crying" and placed in a Chicago facility. While the woman was released Tuesday from a San Diego detention center, the girl remains in the facility 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away. Immigrant advocates say the mother and daughter's case is emblematic of the approach taken by President Donald Trump's administration. The lawsuit, which asks a judge to declare family separation unlawful, says "hundreds of families" have been split by immigration authorities. The lawsuit also raises the case of a Brazilian woman who the ACLU says was separated from her 14-year-old son after they sought asylum in August. The ACLU says the woman was given a roughly 25-day sentence jail sentence for illegally entering the country and then placed in immigration detention facilities in West Texas, while her son was taken to a Chicago facility. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not announced a formal policy to hold adult asylum seekers separately from their children. But administration officials have said they are separating parents and children to deter others from trying to enter the U.S. DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton, in a statement last week on the case of the Congolese woman and her daughter, said government officials have to verify that children entering the U.S. are not victims of traffickers and that the adult accompanying them is actually their parent. In separate court papers filed Wednesday, the U.S. government said it is awaiting the results of DNA testing to confirm the woman is the girl's mother. "We ask that members of the public and media view advocacy group claims that we are separating women and children for reasons other than to protect the child with the level of skepticism they deserve," Houlton said. It's hard to determine how often parents and children are placed in separate facilities after they seek asylum, which is granted to people who have a credible fear of persecution if they are forced to return to their home country. Different government agencies are responsible for holding adults and children. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains adults accused of immigration violations, while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cares for unaccompanied immigrant children. Immigration advocates criticized President Barack Obama's administration for opening new family detention facilities in Texas and called for parents and children to be released. The two Texas facilities that it opened were found by a federal judge in 2015 to violate a long-standing 1997 settlement requiring children be released or otherwise held in the "least restrictive setting" available. That settlement set other standards for the detention of children. The Trump administration has called for ending the settlement as part of its demands for changes to immigration laws. Top administration officials have said they believe the asylum process is overwhelmed and challenged by people making frivolous claims. Advocates have also accused border agents of unlawfully turning away people who are seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Michelle Brane, director of the migrant rights and justice program for the Women's Refugee Commission, said that through attorneys and social service organizations, she had identified at least 426 immigrant adults and children who had been separated by authorities since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Brane said she did not have a comparable figure for Obama's administration. But Brane said since the new administration began, her office has received far more reports of adults being held in ICE facilities without knowing where their children are. "A lot of these kids are already afraid because they're fleeing something and they know they're fleeing something," Brane said. "And to have them pulled away, that can be devastating for a parent." A special Pakistani tribunal has ordered the government to arrest former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and confiscate all his properties. Islamabad: A special Pakistani tribunal has ordered the government to arrest former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and confiscate all his properties as it heard the high treason case against the "proclaimed offender" for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007. The 74-year-old former president was indicted in March 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges. A three-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi held its first hearing in the case in eight months. During the hearing, the interior ministry submitted in the court a report on Musharraf's properties, stating four of the seven properties are owned by the former president, The Nation reported. Prosecutor Akram Sheikh asked the court to order Musharraf's arrest and his production. Musharraf, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016, was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. The court asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials what the procedure is to bring back an absconder from abroad. The officials replied the interior ministry should send them a request after which action could be taken. Afridi then said the court is ordering the arrest of Musharraf and seizure of his properties. Musharraf's counsel, Akhtar Shah, prayed to the court not to order confiscation of Musharraf's properties until 21 March, but Afridi remarked the court procedure cannot be violated. During the hearing, the court sought mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE in the matter of his arrest from Dubai. The court also expressed anger over non-receipt of details of his foreign properties even after 10 months. The court questioned what problem lies with initiation of action in respect of his properties outside the country and why Interpol has not been contacted after issuance of warrants against him. The court summoned Foreign Office and FIA authorities on the next hearing, besides seeking mutual legal assistance agreement with the UAE. Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday hailed a proposed meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as 'a step in the right direction'. Addis Ababa: Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday hailed a proposed meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as "a step in the right direction". "We do hope that this meeting is going to take place," Lavrov said after meeting with African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat at the body's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. "Certainly, it is required to normalise the situation around the Korean peninsula." South Korea on Thursday said the two leaders would hold an unprecedented summit by the end of May, raising hopes they can broker an agreement on Pyongyang's nuclear programme that has fuelled tensions on the peninsula. The announcement was confirmed by the White House. News of the summit is the latest move in a fast-developing diplomatic detente, with North and South Korea exchanging envoys after the two neighbours marched together under a unified flag at the Winter Olympics. It follows a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang which saw the two leaders exchanging bitter, personal insults, with Trump mocking Kim as a "little rocket man" and Kim describing him as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard." The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have engaged in perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff. Lavrov was in Ethiopia as part of a five-day African tour which began on Monday with a visit to Angola after which he continued on to Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The UN human rights chief said that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs 'psychiatric evaluation' Geneva: The UN human rights chief said Friday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has launched profanity-laced diatribes against United Nations rapporteurs, needs "psychiatric evaluation". Listing some of Manila's actions against UN envoys, including reportedly filing terrorism charges against one, rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said: "it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation." Zeid and other UN rights officials have focused significant attention on Duterte's controversial drug war. Police have killed more than 4,100 drug suspects, but rights groups allege more than 8,000 others have been murdered in what they describe as crimes against humanity. The UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, has become a particular Duterte target over her criticism of his campaign to stamp out illegal drugs. In an exchange with Manila's envoys in the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, Zeid referred to November media reports from the Philippines that quoted Duterte threatening to slap Callamard, while using profanity. "This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected", Zeid told reporters on Friday. Terrorism charge Zeid also referred to a pending case against the UN's special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, Victoria Tauli Carpuz. According to Zeid, the Philippine justice ministry charged Carpuz in a regional court last month with terrorism. Manila has accused Carpuz of "alleged membership of the Communist Party of the Philippines and (the) New People's Army", Zeid said. The New People's Army, which is waging a decades-old Maoist armed rebellion, has been designated a "terrorist organisation" by the US State Department. Zeid said that Carpuz believes she has been targeted because of comments she made regarding the alleged killings of indigenous people in the southern region of Mindanao, where Duterte has imposed martial law in an effort to curb a jihadist threat. "This is, of course, unacceptable for a special rapporteur acting on behalf of the international community whose expertise is sought by the Human Rights Council to be treated in this way", Zeid said. "These attacks cannot go unanswered," he added. Duterte, who took office in 2016 and has boasted of killings he claims to have committed personally, has sidelined many of his top domestic critics. Most recently he has moved against the country's top judge, Maria Lourdes Sereno, who faces all-but-certain impeachment following threats by Duterte over her criticism of the drug war and crackdown on civil rights. The communal violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in the Indian Ocean island nation has not subsided despite a state of emergency and a heavy deployment of troops in riot-hit Kandy district Colombo: Fresh violence on Thursday erupted in Muslim neighbourhoods in Sri Lanka's hilly central district where communal clashes have destroyed shops and homes, on a day when President Maithripala Sirisena divested the law and order portfolio from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The communal violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in the Indian Ocean island nation has not subsided despite a state of emergency and a heavy deployment of troops in riot-hit Kandy district. Anti-Muslim riots, since Monday, have damaged several homes, businesses and mosques. The violence erupted after the death of a man from the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority last week. To rein in communal violence, a state of emergency has been imposed by the Sirisena government after seven years. The government ordered the internet blackout, blocking of social media websites including Facebook and instant messaging app Whatsapp, after police discovered mobs of Sinhalese rioters were using social media to coordinate attacks on Muslim establishments. According to media reports, petrol bombs were hurled at a mosque even as armoured vehicles and heavily-armed troops fortified the troubled district, where anti-Muslim violence has left two people dead. Eighty one people, including the main suspect, who had led anti-Muslim violence were arrested, police said. "A man, named Vidanapathiranage Amith Jeewan Weerasinghe, who is believed to be the main suspect and nine others were arrested today (Thursday)," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told reporters. They were arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in a special operation. "They were arrested for inciting communal violence and hate speech," he said. He said since 4 March, there have been two deaths due to clashes. "One of them died of suffocation due to an arson attack while the other had died due to a grenade explosion", he added. During the period, there have been 45 attacks against Muslim properties throughout the Kandy district and at least four religious sites had been attacked, the spokesperson said. The arrests of main suspects came after the police came under increasing public criticism over its alleged inaction to prevent violence in spite of the imposition of curfew. Earlier in the day, President Sirisena replaced Prime Minister Wickremesinghe as the law and order minister to curb the ongoing violence. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a senior politician from Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) was sworn in as the new minister in charge of the police. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the law and order minister 11 days ago. On Wednesday, the President toured Kandy and ordered security forces to use the full force of the law against troublemakers. More reinforcements were sent to the area on Wednesday night to assist police. Meanwhile, the United Nations has condemned the violence and urged Colombo "to ensure that appropriate measures are swiftly taken to restore normalcy in affected areas". The Kandy region is about 115 kilometres from Colombo. It is a popular tourist as well as Buddhist pilgrimage destination. The Sinhalese Buddhists are about 75 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population while Muslims are 10 percent of the population. Tensions between Muslim groups and the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community in the country have escalated since the end of the civil war in May 2009. In 2014, violence directed against Muslim minority groups broke out in the southwestern town of Aluthgama, following a rally by hardline Buddhist nationalist monks, resulting in the death of at least three Muslims. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 1) Leading fast-food chain McDonald's Philippines again posted double digit growth in system wide sales in 2017. In a statement Wednesday, the company said it reached P42.6 billion or a 14 percent increase in system wide sales last year. "This represents consistent double digit sales growth for the company. Mirroring this is the growth of net profit after tax," it said. The growth drivers were new store openings, menu innovations and store marketing activities, the company said. McDonald's Philippines opened 52 stores across the country last year including Antique, Sorsogon, and Agusan del sur. Its expansion provided jobs for some 4,000 direct-hire employees. The company said it "remains committed" to expanding its foothold in the Philippine market, and is targeting double-digit growth again in 2018. It aims to open at least 40 new stores this year as Golden Arches Development Corporation (GADC), the master franchise holder of McDonald's in the country, invests up P2 billion for the company's "nationwide growth initiatives." "We are confident that our expanded presence will also spur employment in our new areas of operations. By opening more new restaurants, we will be able to generate jobs and provide world-class training for thousands of young Filipinos. We also enhance economic activity in areas where we will be present," McDonald's Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Yang said. Yang said McDonald's is also looking at eCommerce as another "strong source" of incremental business growth. He cited how the company's focus on convenient and customer experience-oriented services such as McDelivery have allowed the chain to expand its market share and post "the fastest growth in the quick service restaurant industry." "We're proud of our gains in McDelivery as the first QSR to have an online delivery site in 2009 and an app in 2014," he said. McDonald's Philippines is one of the country's top fast-food chains. It has over 570 stores and almost 60,000 regular employees. Last year, it was named "Best Employer for Commitment to Employer Brand" and "Best Employer for Commitment to Generation Y" at the Aon Best Employers Philippines Awards 2017 based on random employee opinion surveys and people practices index. Majority of GADC is owned by Chairman & Founder Dr. George T. Yang and his family. It has been a wholly-owned Filipino company since 2005. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) More and more Filipinas want to start their own business. This is what entrepreneur and former automotive executive Elizabeth Lee told CNN Philippines "On The Record" on Thursday, as the world celebrated International Women's Day. "I think a lot of information and tools are available now versus before," said the founder and CEO of local electric vehicle manufacturer EMotors. "But starting your own business is easier now with far more gadgets and tools and resources," Lee added. "So if you are going to start a business, I think there is this global trend that now is the time to actually start something." Lee said more than half of entrepreneurs in the Philippines are women, with the Department of Trade and Industry saying in 2016 that 53 percent of the country's 579,794 registered micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs are led by women. Lee said this can be attributed to stronger female empowerment. "Things have changed now," she said. "Younger and younger women are starting their own businesses, so it's more of like, "I want to be my own boss."" Meanwhile, former athlete and International Olympic Commitee member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski said more Filipinos are "getting the message." "Actually, Filipino men, when they're secure, they do allow the women to shine," she said. "There are many things that women go through: pregnancy, childbirth; these are things that limit, in many ways, the physical things that we can do, especially in sports," she added. "But the men are now more accepting of successful women and I think, especially, in our country." Cojuangco-Jaworski added that people in other countries look up to the greater openness in Philippine culture. "Our women are quite respected and I think that if Filipino women also looked at themselves and felt that, "I can do more and be more," then the momentum will keep going," she said. "There still is work to do, but a lot of it also depends on us and the way we see ourselves and the way we project ourselves and apply ourselves, so that men stop looking at us and say "woman" and just "peer,"" said Cojuangco-Jaworski. . 65- . . 19 2021 . 03.02 - . . . . . 65 . - ... : , , : - , , . ? : , . , . , . - . , , . . : 800 . ? : , , . . . . , , . : , ? : . , , , , . - , , . : , ? : , . , . . : , , , , . ? : , , . 2001 . . : ? : . , , . 30 , , . : ? : , , . 2 . , . , , , . [Update: The feature is also available for Chrome Stable and Beta via chrome://flags/#PasswordExport that lets you enable export functionality in password settings.] Google will soon make it easier to save and export passwords .csv file format. This will make it easier to export the password to another password manager. This feature is currently live in the Chrome Dev channel version. Users who are in the Chrome Dev version will now be able to find the Saved Passwords and click Export passwords to download the file. Since this is in developer mode, it is not available to everyone just yet. The news is revealed by the Chrome evangelist Francois Beaufort on Google+. However, he doesnt mention any time frame for the public roll out, but since it is in developers mode, the feature might make it way in next Chrome public release. However, in case if you wish to test it out now, you can opt-in for the dev mode and search for passwords in Chrome settings. The exported file will be in.CSV format which is globally compatible with other password managers as well. Source Samsung rolled out the Android Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and the S8+ recently and its just a matter of time before it goes live to Note8. The company didnt announce any launch date for the update, but now it looks like an official Samsung website has possibly revealed the Galaxy Note 8 Oreo release date and it will get the update starting from March 30th. Samsung used the Guncelmiyiz which is a legitimate website owned and operated by Samsung Turkey to provide the details about upcoming firmware updates for Galaxy devices. According to the listing, the Android 8.0 Oreo is the next major update for the Galaxy Note 8 and the update is currently in the testing phase right now and is planned to get the update from March 30. Apart from Note 8, the listing also reveals the Oreo update for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge which also happens to be in the testing phase with a scheduled roll out from April 13th. On the other hand, the Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 (2017) all of them will receive the Oreo update on May 25. While the Samsung 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab S3 will get the update on May 4. Considering how legit the Guncelmiyiz, we believe that Samsung would roll out the update on the mentioned dates. Either way, it is safe to not put your hopes on the mentioned dates and with Samsungs mid-range phones update track record, it is for the best. As for Note 8 is concerned, it should be rolling out a few days before or after the update is released in Turkey. Source | Via Xiaomi has surpassed Samsung in the largest smartphone market in India in the Q4 2017 to become the number one brand, according to a report from Cybermedia Research. Xiaomi outshined Samsung in Maharashtra which alone amounted to 13.7% of the sales during the last quarter of 2017. According to CMR, Xiaomi sold over 31.2% of the Smartphones during the period compared to Samsung which sold 15.3%. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 was the top selling phone and the company has opened two Mi Homes in the state in October and November 2017. This helped the company in strengthening its presence and access in the state in the offline market. In January 2018, it opened its third Mi Home in the state in Thane. Followed by Samsung and Xiaomi, Vivo, OPPO and Lenovo including Motorola were the other three players in the top 5 Smartphone vendors in Q4 2017 in Maharashtra. Together, all the top 5 companies sold over 84% of the Smartphones. However, with net subscriber addition during the Q4 being negative for Maharashtra; it registered decrease of 362,420 subscribers, the Smartphone sales were primarily replacement or upgrade. This decrease was mainly due to R-Com and Aircel subscriber reduction during 4Q 2017 in the state. Xiaomi sales were primarily a replacement or upgrades which made users replace their existing Smartphones. Micromax including YU accounted for over 26% of the Smartphones that were replaced by the users in the quarter. Intex, Karbonn, Sony Mobiles and iBall were the other brands in the top 5 which were being replaced. Collectively these five companies accounted for 66.5% during this period. This drive from Indian bands to Chinese and global Tier I brand was mainly because of the users upgrading for 4G Smartphones the one segment where Indian brands fell short in establishing a foothold. Source Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) The reel-life Betty and Veronica are standing up against a Philippine magazine's supposed "disrespectful" alteration of their bodies in its magazine spread. "Riverdale" stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes on Friday slammed Cosmopolitan Philippines for an unrealistic editing of their bodies. "It's sad that you felt our bodies needed to be slimmed down. But Camila and I are f***ing beautiful as is," Reinhart posted on her Instagram Stories on International Women's Day no less. She posted photos of her and Mendes, comparing the photos published by Cosmopolitan U.S. versus the ones posted by its Philippine counterpart. Their waists are visibly slimmed down in the ones published by the Philippine magazine. "Lili Reinhart and I feel disrespected & disturbed by the sight of our photoshopped bodies in Cosmopolitan Philippines," Mendes wrote on her Instagram Stories. Mendes, who plays Veronica on the hit TV series "Riverdale," is Cosmo's March cover girl. While Reinhart, who plays Betty, is on the inside pages of the Philippine publication. "We want their readers to know that those bodies are not ours; they have been distorted from their natural beauty. We prefer to see our bodies the way they actually are," Mendes said. The two stars described the unrealistic ways women are subjected to conform to beauty standards. "It's an everyday battle sometimes. To see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have to overcome," Reinhart said. She added she will not give up the battle to smash these disturbing standards. "We are f***ing powerful, beautiful, and strong. We aren't going to hide behind photoshop to conform to beauty standards... You can't 'fix' us," Reinhart wrote. CNN Philippines has reached out to Cosmo Philippines but it has yet to respond. Earlier this week Lenovo announced that it will introduce the next S series smartphone on March 20th, which is expected to be Lenovo S5. Today Xiaomis CEO Lei Jun announced on weibo that the powerful Redmi Note 5 (that was launched asRedmi Note 5 Pro in India) with Snapdragon 636 and 6GB RAM will launch in China on March 16th. Quoting this, the companys CEO Chang Cheng posted that wait till March 20th. He also shared an image of the phone that shows the phone in Red color with dual rear cameras, fingerprint sensor and a metal body with antenna lines on the top and bottom parts of the back. He recently shared an image of front part of the phone that shows 18:9 2.5D curved glass screen. This coincides with the Lenovo K520 that was certified by TENAA recently with a 5.65-inch FHD+ screen, Snapdragon 625, up to 4GB RAM, Android 8.0 (Oreo) and a 3000mAh battery. But this is no way powerful compared to the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Lenovo K520 rumored specifications 5.65-inch (2160 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 2.5D curved glass display 2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm processor with Adreno 506 GPU 3GB RAM with 32GB storage, 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD Android 8.0 (Oreo) Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD) Dual rear cameras with dual-tone LED Flash front-facing camera Fingerprint sensor Dimensions: 15473.57.8mm; Weight: 165g 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth, GPS + GLONASS 3000mAh battery The Lenovo S5 (K520) is expected to come in Black, Red and Silver colors. We should know all the details when the phone goes official on March 20th. Source 1, 2 Since the beginnings of mankind we have gazed up at the stars in awe. The human need to understand, to explore, and find our place within the vast reaches of the universe is part of who we are. We are explorers. Our curiosity is an ingrained part of the human spirit. And the students of Kristy Lavis, senior science teacher at Gulf Middle School, along with a few retired scientists, are evidence that our wonder of space has in no way diminished. Members of the Scientists Society of Southwest Florida recently met with 52 of Lavis eight-graders to field questions about space science. The students presented the scientist with wide-ranging and deeply curious questions regarding space and the universe. The Scientists Society of Southwest Florida is an organization of men and women from all scientific fields. From its website, the Society supports the education of students preparing for a career in the sciences. The Society also provides a pool of experts who serve as judges for school science fairs. When Lavis invited members of the Society to answer questions from her Advance Science students, Science Fair Coordinator John Tallman was immediately on board. Members of the society have always made themselves available to mentor students while they are considering science fair or invention projects. Members have given their time to judge school-based science and invention fair projects and provide feedback to students about their projects, Lavis said. Like the ever-expanding universe, the students interest is piqued by their growing curiosity of space science. Students want to understand the vastness of our universe, other stars relationship to Earth, and what will happen to our sun, Lavis said. Questions regarding topics such as how was the Moon formed, the possibility of colonizing Mars, whats outside of the universe, how does the Hubble Telescope see, and the existence of dark matter. Leading the discussion, Retired Colonel James L. Passauer began by introducing himself to the students and the impact science had upon his career in the United States Air Force. I was one of the only scientists selected as a candidate for the astronaut program. Members of the Society, such as Passauer, offer real-life scientific experience. When I applied for the Scientist as Astronaut Program I was planning to establish a First Order surveying baseline on the Moon in order to provide accurate measurements. I was the only candidate submitted from the Strategic Air Command, the SAC, Passauer said. For the eighth graders the Cold War being the stuff of history texts, Passauer went on to explain his role at SAC. I was in charge of 160 ICBMs, or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, designed for retaliation in the event of a nuclear attack. From this work we designed what is now Global Satellite Positioning. For those of you used GPS, which it seems that we all do, I developed it. Passauer, a past president of the Society, spoke of the importance of scientific inquiry. Many people will give an answer, but as scientists, if we dont know something, well tell you we dont know. We wont make up an answer. But we will investigate, and get back to the person who asked the question and relate our findings. Thats what we as scientists do, Passauer said. As a scientist, Passauer impressed upon the students the importance of continued learning, and continued scientific discussion. Science is advancing year after year. New discoveries. New technologies. We think were young. Were only in our 70s. We enjoy giving back anyway we can, Passauer said. Joining Passauer in the discussion was the current Director of the Society, Charles F. Fuechsel. Fuechsel spent 37 years with NASA and was part of the Hubble Telescope Program. After all these years I continue to marvel at space, Fuechsel said. Fielding questions from the students about the discovery of planets outside of our solar system, Fuechsel, had this to say: Scientist refer to planets that orbit stars beyond our solar system as exoplanets. So far, weve found over 200,000 exoplanets. The Hubble Telescope has been invaluable to scientist in this regard. Fuechsel explained the Doppler Effect, and how scientists use waves to understand objects in space moving toward or away from each other. The Hubble Telescope does not see light as you and I do. Nor does Hubble use lenses. Instead, Hubble uses special mirrors that are carved either in a convex or concave manor to read a broad range of radiation, or wavelengths, we cannot see with our eyes. This is how scientist use Hubble to discover new planets, Fuechsel said. Fuechsel spoke about the missing mass hypothesis in regards to dark matter. This is a big question in physics, why some celestial bodies do not behave the way we expect them to. If you go on to become an astrophysicist, thats a good problem to solve. Recalling his days at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Washington D.C., Ive hung out with astrophysicists so long I began to think like one, Fuechsel said. Another student asked if we have ever left our solar system. Fuechsel responded with a resounding yes. In 1973, we sent the Voyager Space Probe onto the grand tour of space. It was the first to escape our solar system. Voyager is now free of our suns gravity and headed out into the universe. For the eighth graders, coming to terms with the vastness of the universe is a mindboggling topic. The size of the universe is hard for us to wrap our heads around. Its so big its incomprehensible, Lavis said. Fuechsel concurred. Voyager extracted energy from each planet it made a visit to in our solar system. It is now traveling at approximately 11 miles per second. Even at this great speed, it will take Voyager 40,000 years before it reaches the closest exoplanet. Space travel is definitely on the students minds. Names such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos come up in discussion. Musk, of PayPal and Tesla, has sent 50 payloads into space, including missions to the International Space Station, using his SpaceX rockets. Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is still in the test phase, however, his Blue Origin has developed the first-ever reusable rocket capable of a vertical landing. Bezos would like to dabble in space travel. Hes partnered with all the heavy hitters in the aerospace industry to develop a new launch vehicle to travel in space, Fuechsel said. Bezos is developing to the end, searching for the perfect vehicle, while Musk is doing it now, sending trips to the ISS, Passauer noted. Both scientists agreed, however, that long-voyage space travel is still out human reach. Our lives are too short to visit exoplanets, Passauer said. If we want to go to anther star we need a whole new way of getting around town, Fuechsel said. The universe is more immense than most of us can imagine and continuing to expand, like a balloon that has no limits. Nevertheless, Fuechsels words offered a ray of hope for many students, as their faces lit up to the possibility of space travel. Student Gaelle Luc plans to become an animator, however, she was thoroughly engaged in the discussion. Ive always found space fascinating. Im really interested in the universe. I want to know what the universe is made of and how is it always expanding? Luc said. In regards to establishing a colony on another planet, Passauer had this to say: I have always been optimistic about Outer Space and Space Exploration. I believe we should plan a permanent Colony on the Moon before we try to establish one on Mars. The Moon would provide experience that the ISS does not in planning for a successful mission to Mars. It is important to learn as much as we can about our solar system and the universe so we dont do foolish things. There may be water on Mars but there is no food and growing food takes time and energy. The available solar energy on Mars is approximately one fourth of that available on Earth. I built a solar powered house in Omaha NE in 1971. Low gravity and low atmospheric experiments have already proven that some new processes may be more economically undertaken in space or on the lunar surface. Lavis students have a beyond-their-years grasp that for humanity to thrive at some point we may need to become interplanetary. After all, at this point we only have one planet to call home, and so far, we have not been the best stewards of our Earth. There are a lot of things we do not know about space. But learning about it is important because if we keep exploring space our species can survive, eighth-grader Cooper Bisbe said. Be that as it may, Bisbe has reservations about venturing to another planet. Im very interested in space travel but I wouldnt want to do it, he said. The problem with Mars is that its too small to hold onto an atmosphere. Pressure from solar wind, a steady stream of particles from the sun, will do havoc on a colony. We see these particles from the solar wind here on Earth in the form of whats called the Aura Borealis, also referred to the Northern Lights. The Earth, in comparison to Mars, has a hefty magnetic field. Our mass plus our magnetic field enables us to hold onto our water and atmosphere. For us to colonize Mars, well have to work around this. Perhaps build underground, Fauchsel said. Are there other perfect planets out there that people could live on? a student asked. Earth has had microbes for nearly two billion years that make the oxygen we enjoy. That puts us in the Goldilocks zone: a planet with liquid water and an atmosphere. It takes a lot of stuff to support life, Fuechsel said. Students were intrigued with the notion of the ever-expanding universe. Is there any way to get outside of the universe? an eight-grader asked. Were inside the universe and this is all we can see. An interesting term, the universe, but when we refer to the universe, were really talking about the perceivable universe, meaning the part of space that is inside this balloon. Whats beyond that, we can only guess. The stuff outside of it we may never know about, Fauchsel said. What we do know, because of scientists, and Hubble, and years of investigation, is that the universe is made out of the same stuff Earth is, and in retrospect, this is not surprising, Fauchsel said. But why study space? Why should space matter to these eight-graders? According to the NASA website, scientist are responsible for new discoveries in medicine and technology that is undoubtedly improving human life. Science, particularly space science, represents an investment in our future. Space scientists, such as those working at NASA, for example, are developing more highly dexterous robots to perform work in dangerous conditions, revolutionary all-in-one gear and bearing motors, and even working with algae photobioractors that combine wastewater while producing bio fuels. And these are only a sampling of recent advances that come from the space sciences. Lavis had this to say about space science: I hope to encourage students to consider math and science careers and to consider what type of jobs will be available when they are choosing a college degree. Those with science and math jobs are going to be golden. I cant impress upon these kids enough that science and math are the future. There is plenty of worthy stuff out there for you to study when you earn your science degree, Fuechsel said. We dont know what we dont know. Thats why were scientist. To find out, Passauer said. Why do we study space? Why do we desire to learn more? Because its there. Its next, Tallman said. Paul Newman once gave up some of his salary when he and Susan Sarandon worked on a film together, the actress revealed this week. Sarandon spoke about the late actors gesture on Thurday with BBC Radio 5 live. Emma Stone once came forward and said she got equal pay, because her male stars insisted upon it and gave up something of theirs, Sarandon explained. That happened to me with Paul Newman at one point, when I did a film with him ages ago. INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY SPARKS REACTIONS FROM BIG NAME CELEBRITIES Sarandon and Newman both appeared in the 1998 movie Twilight. In the interview, she also referenced a favored nations deal, which BBC explains means that actors and co-stars receive identical work conditions to one another. They said it was favored nations, but they only meant the two guys, Sarandon claimed. He stepped forward and said, Well Ill give you part of mine. Sarandon, now 71, described Newman as a gem. Manila (CNN Philippines Life) In 2000, Love-Love Tioseco became the only female superbike racer from the Philippines. Eighteen years later, she remains to be the only woman racing a 1000cc displacement motorcycle in the country. On top of these accomplishments, she also landed the top five spot in several competitions, beating 15 to 20 other men a rare feat in motorcycle racing. However, she shares her journey to winning and garnering awards was never a smooth ride, as there was a constant barrage of disparaging comments. I have accepted that you cannot please everybody, Tioseco says of her critics. I love my passion. Criticisms, bashers, haters, none of you guys can put me down. Love-Love Tioseco became the only female superbike racer from the Philippines in 2000. Eighteen years later, she remains to be the only woman racing a 1000cc displacement motorcycle. Photo courtesy of LEVI'S PHILIPPINES Tioseco is now one of the three Filipino women featured on Levis #IShapeMyWorld campaign, an International Womens Day special that features a series of online videos celebrating the female form in all of its forms and complexities. The campaign, which features the Levis 300 Shaping Series, includes women with different body types as well as women from different age groups, backgrounds, and professional fields. When you feel that life just gets too much for you for whatever reason, dont doubt yourself, believe in your own strength and shape your mind according to how you want to live your life, says mompreneur Jasmine Mendiola. Photo courtesy of LEVI'S PHILIPPINES Another Filipina included for this series is nature artist Wiji Lacsamana, the woman behind Radioactive Mushrooms in the Forest, an independent brand that only uses natural ingredients for their products, such as cosmetics and scents. Lacsamana says she believes that it is important to create things that make a positive impact on the environment and future generations. Your own little way can help change the world because if you affect one person this way, you inspire them to live this way. Then hopefully theyll inspire another person and just pay it forward, she explains. Joining Lacsamana and Tioseco is Jasmine Mendiola, an entrepreneur and a mom, who underwent an emergency hysterectomy after giving birth to her third child. She was losing a lot of blood, so the doctors had no choice but to remove her uterus, rendering her unable to bear a child again. Wiji Lacsamana, the woman behind Radioactive Mushrooms in the Forest, believes that it is important to create things that make a positive impact on the environment and future generations. Photo courtesy of LEVI'S PHILIPPINES Despite encountering complications such as acute kidney failure, Mendiola recovered and went on to become a work-from-home mom, a bridal makeup expert, and a style and image consultant. For women who are going through tough times, she says, When you feel that life just gets too much for you for whatever reason, dont doubt yourself, believe in your own strength and shape your mind according to how you want to live your life. *** Levis is inviting you to be part of the #IShapeMyWorld conversation! Share what people said to define your limits and what you did to prove them wrong. Join the conversation by tagging them on Facebook @Levis.philippines and use the hashtag #IShapeMyWorld to share your story of defeating obstacles and changing perceptions when others said you couldnt. Apparently, ABC News star Joy Behar thinks its okay to talk to anti-Semitic figures, but not to Jesus. Behar and former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett sparked outrage on Friday on "The View" when they defended Womens March co-founder Tamika Mallory, who has been criticized for her ties to bigoted anti-Jewish Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Behar is no stranger to controversy, as she has been under fire for saying that Vice President Mike Pence suffers from mental illness because he believes in communicating with Jesus. This time, Behar asked if Mallory is being scrutinized for guilt by association because she attended an event where Farrakhan mocked both white and Jewish people while predicting their demise. Meghan McCain pointed out that Mallory didnt simply attend the event, but also took a photo with him and referred to him as the GOAT, an acronym for greatest of all time. Mallory clearly has an affinity for Farrakhan, McCain said. Behar attempted to defend Mallory, who has said the Nation of Islam supported her after the death of her sons father 17 years ago. She has a personal relationship, Behar said. Louis Farrakhan said, Hitler was a very great man, McCain said. This is black and white. Its very simple: You think Hitler is a great man, dont associate with that person there should be no normalizing of this one way or the other. The crowd applauded McCains analysis and Behar chimed in that Farrakhan is a notorious anti-Semite. The outspoken Jarrett, who was a guest host on the program, said that part of being an effective leader is working with people that you disagree with. I met with the Koch brothers when we were working on criminal justice, Jarrett said. Shes learning to be a leader. Shes young. McCain responded that the Koch brothers are nowhere near anyone who has said Hitler was a great man. Behar then said almost everyone has baggage, adding Unless youre in utero, you have baggage. Behar eventually said, We dont like Farrakhan, but it wasnt enough for McCain. I agree, but my baggage isnt that I think Hitlers a great man, McCain said. The New York Times was widely scrutinized on Friday over a story headlined, Why Is Louis Farrakhan Back in the News? The Times piece is essentially an explainer on why the anti-Semitic Farrakhan is back in the news, but the headline resulted in a slew of criticism, tied to criticism of the mainstream media for neglecting coverage of the story. Mediaite columnist Joseph Wulfsohn recently published a piece pointing out that Farrakhan is a glaring anomaly from the current denouncement culture that is typically widespread among the mainstream media. Wulfsohn pointed out that Farrakhan has called white people potential humans, blamed Jewish people for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and even once referred to Adolf Hitler as a very great man. The media has been largely silent on those who back Farrakhan, Wulfsohn wrote. The Times story explains that the 84-year-old head of the Nation of Islam is back in the news because he gave an anti-Semitic speech at his organizations annual convention last month and a previously unreleased photo of Farrakhan and President Barack Obama was recently unearthed. The Times story goes on to explain the Nation of Islam, who exactly Farrakhan is and why liberal leaders such as Tamika Mallory were reluctant to denounce him. While the content of the Times article could be helpful to some, it was simply too little, too late for others. When the paper tweeted a link to its story with the headline asking why Farrakhan was back in the news, Free Beacon reporter Alex Griswold responded, Because we had to shame you into covering a major story, basically. Another user replied:, Imagine their headline if the GOP was holding strategy sessions w/David Duke. The media is purposely not covering this story because they don't want to hurt Democrats midterm chances. It's obvious and pathetic! One reader responded: That is easy. He is a racist religious bigot who is being embraced by people who claimed to be against both those things, and another added, If other publications had not forced the issue, your silence about this racist and his ties to the Democratic Party would have continued. Better is why the racist New York Times doesn't treat liberal racists like Farrakhan the same as it does anyone that opposes open borders as racist? Racial double standards are racism, one reader fired back. Many others responded by pointing out that they were unaware Farrakhan is still alive, which further illustrated the lack of media coverage his recent rhetoric has received. Farrakhan has recently posted several bizarre tweets regarding Jews this week, including the aforementioned tweet about government agencies, specifically the FBI. He has been accused of acting in an anti-Semitic manner previously, including by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2014. Farrakhan has denied claims he is anti-Semitic. The New York Times did not immediately respond to request for comment. Princess Eugenie may be gearing up to walk down the aisle, but right now her big sister Princess Beatrice is on her mind. People magazine reported Thursday the royal cousins of Britains Prince William and Prince Harry spoke to fans at the 2018 We Day U.K. Charity Concert where the newly engaged Eugenie gave a heartwarming tribute to her older sibling. The two princesses are the daughters of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. Eugenie revealed Beatrice, 29, has encouraged her to live fearlessly despite a painful scoliosis diagnosis. Scoliosis is a medical condition that causes a persons spine to curve. As my big sister, you inspire me, said the 27-year-old. I love that, as a team, we work hard to support each other no matter what. When I was 12, I was diagnosed with, and treated for, scoliosis and I have lived with two 12-inch metal rods in my back. It could have impacted my life and stopped me from doing the things I love. The granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, who is eighth in line to the throne, said Beatrice has remained supportive and by her side throughout their childhood. You encouraged me not to get disheartened, said Eugenie. Not to give up. To live fearlessly. Today, I am so lucky to get to work with and support other young women who are going through the same thing. To encourage them to not let their diagnosis win. To live fearlessly too. This isnt the first time Eugenie has detailed her health battle. Back in April 2012, the royal described living with scoliosis in support of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. I can still vividly remember how nervous I felt in the days and weeks before the operation, she described. During my operation, which took eight hours, my surgeons inserted eight-inch titanium rods into each side of my spine and one-and-a-half inch screws at the top of my neck. After three days in intensive care, I spent a week on a ward and six days in a wheelchair, but I was walking again after that. Eugenie added that without the operation, My back would be hunched over. My back problems were a huge part of my life, as they would be for any 12-year-old, she said. Children can look at me now and know that the operations work. Im living proof. Eugenie hasnt forgotten about other children who may be facing a similar ordeal. Nearly two decades after the procedure, she has tirelessly advocated for the London clinic that treated her and continues to speak out about the anxieties that come with being hospitalized. And these days, Eugenie has plenty of reason to celebrate her successful recovery. Just two months after Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle revealed their engagement, Eugenie shared she will say I do just months after her cousins nuptials. Buckingham Palace announced in January Eugenie will marry Jack Brooksbank in the fall. He proposed with a padparadscha sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds. Rachel Dolezal, the troubled former NAACP leader who claimed to be African-American, is the subject of an upcoming Netflix documentary thats already causing major backlash. Social media users are criticizing the streaming service for giving the 40-year-old a spotlight with a film that explores how she portrayed herself as African-American for years, despite being born biologically white. At the end of the day, #RachelDolezal was able to secure a Netflix special because of her white privilege, wrote one Twitter user Thursday. Its VERY important that we DO NOT watch @netflix #RachelDolezal doc, chimed another. We cant give validity to her plight. We vote w/ our views & $, even if you want to hate watch, it would ultimately justify Netflix giving her a voice. She couldve been an ally w/o appropriating. Do better. Sick to death of #RachelDolezal and apparently her kid is too, added a Twitter user. I understand that the documentary is a way to explore the conversation but is this a transracism and conversation we need to have?!!! Dolezals teenage son Franklin, who is African-American, is also seen openly criticizing his mother for seemingly embracing the growing media attention for her questionable behavior. I really do not want to focus on this for the rest of my life, he said in the clip. Why dont you just let it go away?... This is going to affect more than just your life." He then tells the camera, I resent some of her choices and I resent some of the words shes spoken in interviews The more that I hear about it, the more that I talk to people about it, the more that it drains me. Netflix revealed that since the controversy erupted, director Laura Brownson and her production team have filmed with Dolezal, her sons and her adopted sister Esther. The Rachel Divide, which is executive produced by Academy Award-winner Ross Williams, will premiere at New York Citys Tribeca Film Festival beginning April 18. The film will then be available for streaming April 27. In 1998, Metallica released "Garage Inc." featuring the hit song Whiskey in the Jar. Twenty years later, instead of singing about the spirit, they plan to produce it. The heavy metal band, which formed in 1981, is launching its own whiskey brand in partnership with master distiller Dave Pickerell, who spent 14 years making bourbon at Makers Mark in Loretto, Kentuckybefore moving on to rye with WhistlePig in Middlebury, Vermont. I can just say that were going to make a killer whiskey product, and probably build a little distillery someplace as well, putting all the logistics together and crashing just as hard as we can, Pickerell told Whiskycast in an exclusive interview, adding that the rumored venue could very well be built in one of three locations: Louisville, Nashville, or San Francisco. And theres a method to the madness. The San Francisco area has been home to the LA-based Metallica at times in the bands history, Louisville is where bourbon was born, and Nashville is the heart of music, so one of those three seems to make sense, Pickerell told the outlet. Im voting for San Francisco and the Bay Area if nothing falls apart. This isnt the first time Metallica has dipped into the beverage business. In 2015, the legendary group released a limited-edition beer in Quebec City, Canada, in partnership with Budweiser. More recently, the bands lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett, released his own line of coffee beans called Ghoul Screamer for $18 per 12-ounce bag. All the members of Metallica are over 50 now maybe whiskey, whether in the jar or not, has helped them maintain their intensity (except lead vocalist James Hetfield, who is 16 years sober). This story originally appeared in The Daily Meal. A Texas Waffle House employee has been given a college scholarship after her act of kindness toward a customer went viral. Evoni Williams, 18, has received an outpouring of praise after a photo of her cutting the food of an elderly man was shared on social media. The customer, a Waffle House regular, had recently undergone surgery and was using an oxygen tank. WAFFLE HOUSE IN GEORGIA SERVING 'NO WATER MENU' AFTER CITY WATER MAIN BREAKS The photo of Williams and the man was shared on Facebook by Laura Wolf, who was touched by the young womans gesture. "Without hesitation, she took his plate and began cutting up his ham. This may seem small but to him, I'm sure it was huge. I'm thankful to have seen this act of kindness and caring at the start of my day while everything in this world seems so negative," Wolf wrote in her post, which had received 99,000 likes and 47,000 shares as of Friday afternoon. Williams, who was working at the Waffle House to save for college, caught the attention of Texas Southern University. As a thank-you gesture in recognition of her kindness, TSU presented her with a $16,000 scholarship and La Marque mayor Bobby Hocking honored her with her own day, Fox 8 reports. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The young employee told ABC 13 she didnt expect any of the recognition shes received. "It just came from the heart," she said. She plans to still work at the Waffle House, Q13 Fox reports. Martin Shkreli, the embattled pharmaceutical CEO, was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud. The so-called Pharma Bro was convicted last year on charges that he deceived investors through failed hedge funds. Weeks later, he had his $5 million bail revoked when he posted what was a considered a threat to Hillary Clinton. The 34-year-old, who is probably best known for hiking up the price of a life-saving drug, was charged with securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud; a jury found him guilty on three of eight counts. From his social media presence to his leadership of pharmaceutical companies, heres a look at Shkrelis life and controversies. March 2018 A federal judge sentenced Shkreli to seven years in prison on March 9 for for defrauding investors in two failed hedge funds. Shkreli, in a break from his usual assured persona, cried as he told U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto he made many mistakes and apologized to investors. "I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing, the only person to blame for me being here today is me," he said. "I took down Martin Shkreli." He was also fined $75,000 and received credit for the roughly six months he has been in prison. September 2017 Shkrelis bail was revoked and he was sent to prison the night of Sept. 13 because of what was perceived as a threat to a former presidential nominee he posted on social media. Shkreli offered on Facebook $5,000 to anyone who could grab Hillary Clintons hair while she was on her book tour. U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said the post could be seen as a solicitation of an assault as she revoked his $5 million bail. The Clinton Foundation is willing to KILL to protect its secrets. So on HRCs book tour, try to grab a hair from her. I must confirm the sequences I have. Will pay $5,000 per hair obtained from Hillary Clinton, his post said. Shkrelis defense argued that the post was simply political satire, but the judge didnt buy it. The government told the judge that the message alarmed the Secret Service detail that protects Clinton, a former Democratic presidential candidate and first lady. It also argued that it fit a pattern of veiled threats against female journalists who rebuffed Shkreli's social media advances and of taunts aimed at prosecutors in his case. Shkreli will now await his sentencing at a federal jail in Brooklyn instead of his Manhattan apartment where he would often live stream parts of his day. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years. August 2017 A Brooklyn jury found Shkreli guilty on three counts on August 4. The jury deliberated for five days before reaching a verdict. June 2017 Shkrelis trial began on June 26, and he faces up to 20 years in prison. Several potential jurors told the New York judge they couldn't be fair toward Shkreli. One woman said that she knew the former executive as "the most hated man in America" for his price gouging. The judge dismissed her and several other potential jurors after they made negative comments about Shkreli during jury selection. Shkreli "travels to the beat of a very unique drummer." Defense attorney Benjamin Brafman Despite advice from his lawyers, Shkreli didnt lay low ahead of the trial. He was active on social media, particularly on YouTube and Facebook. Shkreli "travels to the beat of a very unique drummer," his defense attorney said. April 2017 Brooklyn U.S. District Court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto ruled that Shkreli and his former lawyer be granted separate trials. Both Evan Greebel and Shkreli requested separate trials and both have pleaded not guilty. Greebel is charged with one count of conspiracy for allegedly helping Shkreli. He would later be found guilty of conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. As Greebel has called Shkreli a serial liar, Matsumoto said trying the two men together would present a serious risk that Shkreli will not receive a constitutionally fair trial. January 2017 After consistently harassing a female journalist on Twitter, Shkreli was eventually banned from the social media site. Shkreli changed his Twitter page background to images of freelance journalist Lauren Duca and photo-shopped himself over her husband in one photo. How is this allowed, Duca tweeted along with a screenshot of Shkrelis account. However, Shkreli made additional accounts since his ban. September 2016 After Hillary Clinton left a 9/11 memorial service due to illness, Shkreli tracked down the presidential candidate to shout at her a question. Why are you so sick? Shkreli shouted at Clinton as she left her daughters apartment. I enjoyed screaming 'why are you so sick' and 'go trump' at @HillaryClinton. Get well soon bae! he tweeted later. This same month, Shkreli raffled off a chance to punch him in the face. February 2016 Shkreli refused to testify in front of Congress instead invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while smirking at lawmakers who peppered him with questions about why he so drastically raised the price of Daraprim. "It's not funny, Mr. Shkreli. People are dying and they're getting sicker and sicker." Rep. Elijah Cummings "Drug company executives are lining their pockets at the expense of some of the most vulnerable families in our nation," Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said during the hearing. "It's not funny, Mr. Shkreli. People are dying and they're getting sicker and sicker." Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., a pharmacist, said he was disgusted by price-hiking drug companies. December 2015 Shkreli was arrested on securities fraud and wire fraud charges unrelated to the rising drug price while he headed Turing Pharmaceuticals in December 2015. Prosecutors said when Shkreli ran a different pharmaceutical company, Retrophin, he would use the companys cash and stock to pay back hedge fund investors for money that Shkreli lost. These actions allegedly took place between 2009 and 2014, according to court documents. Shkreli engaged in multiple schemes to ensnare investors through a web of lies and deceit, U.S. Attorney Robert Capers said at the time of Shkrelis arrest. Shkreli was released on a $5 million bail. The day of his arrest, KaloBios Pharmaceuticals terminated Shkreli as its CEO. The company announced that the young pharmaceutical executive also had resigned from its board of directors. September 2015 Shkreli first became a contentious household name at the end of 2015 when he was chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals. His company drastically jacked up the price of a potentially lifesaving drug, Daraprim, from $13.50 to $750 per pill. Turing acquired Daraprim in August 2015. The drug is the only approved treatment for toxoplasmosis, an infection which is especially risky for pregnant women, people with AIDS and cancer patients. Shkreli defended the price hike, saying it was necessary in order for his pharmaceutical company to make a profit, spend money on research and keep up with operational costs. If there was a company that was selling an Aston Martin at the price of a bicycle, and we buy that company and we ask to charge Toyota prices, I dont think that should be a crime, Shkreli told CBS This Morning. Then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton encouraged Shkreli to do the right thing and lower the cost of the drug to its original price. Clinton also promised to hold accountable anyone who is price gouging American families and jacking up costs for no good reason. Donald Trump, also a candidate at the time, called Shkreli a "spoiled brat." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Twin girls who were born at 24 weeks weighing about a pound each have become the smallest to survive in India, finally going home at 4 pounds. First-time parents, Chinta Devi and Chandeshwar Ram, who were finally able to conceive after 21 years with the help of IVF treatment, almost lost their chance at a family when mother Chinta began bleeding just 24 weeks into her pregnancy. "She had uncontrolled blood pressure and gestational diabetes, Dr. Simi Sood, of Jivanta Children's Hospital, told SWNS. "As the survival of the babies was becoming compromised, she was taken up for emergency Caesarean section," he added. As soon as the twin sisters were born, they had to spend 80 days on a ventilator because they were struggling to breathe, and a total 115 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. PREEMIE BABY PLACED IN PLASTIC BAG SURVIVES, MOM CALLS HIM 'MY LITTLE FIGHTER' Their lungs and guts were not fully developed when they were born, so they had to be given medicines to expand their lungs and fed essential nutrients through an IV line. The babies also had infections in their blood, and their heart function was poor. Doctors inserted intravenous umbilical lines in order to pump essential nutrients into their bloodstreams because they could not feed. Dr. Sunil Janged, Chief Neonatologist at Jivanta Children's Hospital, said, "It was a long and tough journey for me and my team. He went on to say, "At the best of centers, only 30 percent of such babies born this early survive. Most doctors do not even attempt to save such babies, as the possibility of healthy survival is low. "It is only the latest technology, and the high-end expertise of our NICU team, which has pulled this off," the neonatal specialist told the news service. BABY BORN 4 MONTHS PREMATURE READY TO HEAD HOME After three months of being in intensive care, the twins were discharged weighing 4.4 and 4.2 pounds. Their father expressed their gratitude for Dr. Janged and his team. "All this would not have been possible without the support of doctors, Chandeshwar told SWNS. "It was not possible for us to bear hospital expenses as we belong to a low income family from Bihar. The relieved father added, "The hospital waived 50 percent of the cost of the treatment in order to send a 'pro-girl tolerance' message to society." The two girls are now thriving, with normal brain function and eyesight developing normally. A little boy born with no eyes and a gap in his face is bravely raising awareness of what it's like to live with facial differences. Christian Buchanan, six, was born with a condition called Tessier cleft lip and palate - so rare there are only thought to be 60 cases documented in medical history. The condition is caused by the facial tissues not joining properly during a baby's development. It can leave sufferers with severe facial disfigurement, unable to eat, speak and see. Christian's mum, Lacey, from Woodbury, Tennessee, said as a result of her son's condition he's never been able to see. "His condition was caused by amniotic banding syndrome," she said. "Fibrous bands can form in the womb and if they attach to the baby they cut off blood flow, so Christian's banding happened to attach to his face." STRANGER GIVES MOM $1G TO HELP FIX INFANT'S SEVERE CLEFT LIP When Christian was born, he was unable to eat due to the large gaps on his face where the cleft palate was and has used a feeding tube since he was four days old. Despite learning and speech difficulties, Christian's condition hasn't stopped him from living a full life. Lacey explained, Christian is a very typical six-year-old little boy. He's learning to read, he likes to wrestle with his little brother - all the things that any six-year-old would enjoy. The biggest way Christians condition affects his daily life is his vision impairment." Because he is completely blind, he has to learn to navigate the world in the dark. "Our world is made for sighted people and he has to learn to live in it without the benefit of sight and so we have to do things a little differently sometimes but its totally doable and he is doing it. The six-year-old has so far had seven operations, three to reconstruct his face and close the gaps that the cleft created. And mom Lacey said he is set to have more surgery, with the hope that one day he will be able to speak and eat properly. While she hoped to bring her son up in a world that understands different conditions, Lacey said she's been shocked by people's reactions to Christian. I was unaware before Christian was born that there is this huge social stigma about being different, looking different, and most people didnt know how to handle somebody with that type of difference," Lacey said. Just recently we had an issue, we were in a store and Christian was playing with a little toy in the shelf and a lady walked by and said, eww'." Lacey said Christian has heard people making comments, hearing kids say things like "why does he look like that?" and "what's wrong with his eyes?". She said she always answers back in a very positive, upbeat tone, telling people it's just how he was born. BABY BORN WITHOUT EYES DESPITE MOM'S NORMAL PREGNANCY When kids ask why he has red eyes, Lacey tells them, "That's just how he was made, he has got red eyes, you know, it's cool." And she said her son has learned to tell people "that's just how God made me." "He would say, 'that's how I was born and I was born awesome'," Lacey said. As well as being a keen violinist, Christian is currently working towards an orange belt in karate. Lacey said, I would definitely describe Christian as independent. "I remember a few years ago he started saying, I want to do it all by myself mummy'. Hes curious and he wants to explore the world and hes not afraid to do it. Despite how brave her son is and how far he has come, Lacey said she can't help but worry about his future. That's why she's determined to raise awareness of disabilities, to help make the world a better place for her son, and many others like him. She added, "I want to share my familys story to raise awareness for disabilities in general and specifically facial differences. I want to do away with those preconceived notions that people have about what it means to have a disability, what it means to have a facial difference. "And I hope that Im fostering an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding and respect for differences so that the world will just be a better place for Christian one day. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! When history comes calling you answer the door. You simply have no choice. You just never know when the bell will go off again. Thats the situation President Trump faced Thursday when he got an invitation to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and he did the right thing and answered the door. The quote above comes from my friend and mentor, the late Dr. William Martel, one of Gov. Mitt Romneys top foreign policy strategists when Romney ran for president. Martel always had a way with words, and I can picture him telling President Trump to answer the door but remain very, very cautious. The bell that rang for President Trump was a stunner. Kim Jong Un has reached out, and President Trump has accepted a peace overture to have a face-to-face meeting sometime before May. Incredible. If this historic summit happens and that is still a big if President Trump will have achieved a feat no one ever thought possible. This would be a chance to make history on par with President Nixon going to China and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Our grandchildren and their grandchildren would learn about this in school. But, we must be clear, nothing is certain. We are a long way from the two leaders sitting down. My guess is that they will meet somewhere along the Demilitarized Zone dividing North from South Korea, trying to solve one of the worlds most dangerous foreign policy challenges the removal of North Koreas nuclear weapons. In order to make sure this potential North Korean peace offering is sincere, President Trump must be willing to test Pyongyangs sincerity and to make sure Kim isnt simply trying to play him for a fool. President Trump must use all his business negotiation skills and hurry up. He doesnt want to get sucked into a ploy where Kim gets him to the bargaining table but is unwilling to actually bargain by setting impossible conditions for the removal of his nuclear weapons. For example, if Kim demands U.S. troops leave the Korean peninsula or demands that America destroy its own nuclear arsenal, the negotiations will implode in absurdity. To avoid such a scenario, here is how I would recommend the Trump administration proceed: First, President Trump should demand the meeting can only take place in South Korea and I would insist it be at the Demilitarized Zone. Kim is likely eager to have the meeting in his capital of Pyongyang, to show his people he delivered the ultimate prize an American president who is trying to sue for peace on Kims terms. If President Trump goes to the North we would also run the risk of legitimizing a nation that still has 100,000-plus people in prison camps and holds U.S. citizens as its captives. We simply cant take such a risk. If North Korea demands the talks be on Kims home court, President Trump needs to say there wont be talks. Next, President Trump must make it clear to Kim that there will be no letup in planned U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise set for the end of this month. As North Korea has trained its army all winter long, Washington and Seoul must be afforded that same right. If Pyongyang insists on these exercises being cancelled, President Trump should walk away from the potential bargaining table. Third, North Korea must get no economic incentives for coming to the bargaining table. If Kim insists on a bribe food aid, fuel or any letup of the maximum pressure campaign of economic sanctions President Trump needs to make it clear that wont happen. If North Korea puts its hand out for cash, Trump needs to pull his hand away and walk. No exceptions. And finally, for talks to commence, North Korea must spell out at least a preliminary roadmap to what it would offer in terms of denuclearization. This will allow President Trump to ensure we arent about to go through a replay of the old North Korean negotiating strategy: offer talks to stall for time and build more advanced nuclear weapons and missiles. If North Korea will not offer even the faintest idea of how, when and where it will remove its nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula and it looks like Kim is just playing for time President Trump needs to decline Kims invitation. In many respects, we are very much in unchartered waters. However, President Trump is smart to test North Koreas intentions and see what very well could be history in the making. My gut tells me that this is most likely another in a long line of Kim family fiascos, an effort to gain sanctions relief. But the Trump administration owes it to history to give this a shot. The bell simply may never ring again. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 8) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said her disagreements with other Supreme Court justices can still be settled. "Bonds can be renewed. Friendships can be broken. Hurts can be healed," Sereno told CNN Philippines on Thursday. "The movement to go forward can be pushed all in good time, all if there is enough good will. I am more than confident, it can be done." Sereno and other high court justices have been publicly at odds throughout the House Justice Committee's hearings on her impeachment complaint, with some of her colleagues saying Sereno should not have become Chief Justice. Read: SC justices: Sereno's failure to submit SALN should have disqualified her application as CJ Sereno said she does not hold ill will against those who testified against her. "I think what people should understand about me is that my feelings are not that important," she said. "In the course of anybody's work, you will get instances when you feel that someone has wrongly accused you. But when you focus on the job, you set it aside." Sereno is facing charges of violating the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes. The House Justice Committee on Thursday found probable cause to impeach Sereno, saying there was "sufficient evidence" to prosecute her. Read: Sereno on House panel vote: I knew the numbers were not in my favor If one-third of the House agrees with the articles of impeachment, the case would be elevated to the Senate for trial. Sereno said she holds no grudges against anyone for her impeachment. "There is no point in harboring ill will," she said. "Why? Will it diminish you as a person if somebody says bad things about you? No, it doesn't. If you know yourself, why should you be bothered too much if somebody says a non-true thing about you?" 'A non-issue' Thirteen of her colleagues also said in a March 1 statement that Sereno should take an indefinite leave as she prepares for a possible impeachment trial. Read: SC: 13 justices wanted Sereno to go on indefinite leave The high court said it "regrets the confusion that the announcements and media releases of the spokespersons of the Chief Justice have caused which seriously damaged the integrity of the Supreme Court in general and the Supreme Court in particular." The statement came a day after the lawyers of Sereno announced the Chief Justice would go only go on a wellness leave from March 1 to 15, contrary to their meeting with Sereno. Read: Chief Justice Sereno to go on leave as camp expects Senate impeachment trial Sereno has since apologized for the confusion. Read: Chief Justice Sereno apologizes for confusion over indefinite leave Sereno said on Thursday that her colleagues' statement is a "non-issue." "It does not affect me," she said. "I have already paid a huge cost for consistently standing for what I believed in. Every person has to be responsible for his or her actions. Right now, I'm focusing on my defense." NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trumps upcoming meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un announced Thursday night to a shocked world is a stunning vindication of the presidents strategy and National Security Adviser H.R. McMasters artful behind-the-scenes acumen. North Koreas invitation for the meeting and President Trumps acceptance marked a historic step. If a genuine rapprochement occurs on President Trumps watch, leading to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the impact on global security and President Trumps legacy will be enormous. But at this point, its important for President Trump and his foreign policy and defense team to proceed with extreme caution. While they deserve credit for cracking the North Korean silence, the historical record suggests this could be a trap, if not an intentional distraction. President Trumps engaged, creative and blunt approach with artful backroom diplomacy has turned the dial. If this strategic opening leads somewhere, the Russia investigation of the 2016 election will become a footnote on world-changing achievement. President Trump will instead be remembered for calling out North Koreas intolerable nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile threats to global civilization. But a decision to meet, even a North Korean promise to denuclearize, is not an agreement, implementation, verification or a factually denuclearized Peninsula. And the odds of success remain long. When the North Koreans need time, they promise talk. Is talk worth having? Sure as long as everyone understands, talk is not a substitute for action. On the plus side, President Trump not only triggered this opening, but persuaded China to make sanctions real, which occasions a nod to both the president and China. On the minus side, the record suggests profound skepticism is warranted about North Koreas intentions. In 1985, pressured hard by Ronald Reagan, North Korea led by the current leaders grandfather signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty (NPT). Everyone was happy. The world celebrated. That triggered a running of the clock on an 18-month signing of the safeguards agreement, implementing the NPT. The North Koreans ignored the clock. Suddenly, they demanded South Korea drop nuclear weapons. Six years on, President George H.W. Bush withdrew all American nuclear weapons from overseas including from South Korea in order to induce the Soviets to do the same. At that time, North Korea finally signed the safeguards agreement. Reversal was again fast. That year, North Korea was caught and sanctioned for missile proliferation and cheating on the NPT with a rogue plutonium reprocessing plant. By early 1993, the North Koreans had firmly refused International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. But later that year, they doubled back. They allowed them in theory, if the West would pledge not ever to attack, which of course we did. But in 1994, North Korea was caught red-handed again, this time producing enough plutonium for one or two nuclear weapons. Funny thing, the North had done all this cheating while allowing IAEA inspections to other locations. When caught by the IAEA with the plutonium reprocessing plant, North Korea summarily quit the NPT. So much for a solid kick between the goalposts, long run, but no cigar. Like Charlie Brown to the rescue, idealist on call, former President Jimmy Carter flew over to North Korea, and magically announced he had negotiated a freeze on North Koreas nuclear program. The world again celebrated. For better or worse, North Koreas President, Kim II Sung died that year, succeeded by his son Kim Jong II, who was later be succeeded by his son, current leader Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong II toyed with agreements halting nuclear weapons and missile development, but suddenly demanded compensation from the U.S. for giving them up. President Clinton gave nothing to North Korea. A smart move. Soon enough, more cheating produced American sanctions. Without Chinese support, they failed. Over the next 20 years, the North Korean nuclear weapons and missile programs continued their unmitigated, undeterred and largely ignored advance. Missile launches and underground nuclear tests proliferated, beside useless negotiations. More sanctions came, but U.S. intelligence concluded by 2000 that North Korea was developing missiles that would soon be able to hit American territories in the Pacific. Promises were ritually made anew, boldly flouted, with new sanctions imposed, and nothing changed. After seven rounds of negotiations, and a steady flow of wishful diplomats and wistful proclamations, nothing led to nothing, as nothing ever does. When the North Koreans need time, they promise talk. Is talk worth having? Sure as long as everyone understands, talk is not a substitute for action. Today things are definitely different. Americas economic and military might are locked, loaded and ready. Current sanctions are real, robust and bound to bite. China is finally helping, and Americas credibility has been boldly restored. But this is not enough, unless North Korea is serious. Frankly, the stakes are higher than most imagine, a fork in the road, resolution or submission to nuclear blackmail. We are at a Rubicon, a moment of choosing for us, but more so for North Koreas leadership. For good to come of this, we must see a mutual intent to end the madness. The question at this moment, with true and new hope in our sails, is this: Does North Korea appreciate the enormity of this moment, which could be existential? Is the regime serious about this negotiation? President Trump set out to stop the historic merry-go-round. And it looks like, for the moment, he has done it. The North Korean invitation and President Trumps acceptance are monumental steps, but the unspoken question remains toward what? Can they get to genuine denuclearization and a rollback of North Koreas decades-old ambition and threat? Or are we about to be disappointed again? If that happens, the risk to North Korea goes sky high, but does the Kim government know that? As hope is not a strategy, talk cannot be an endgame. What happens next is critical, but is infused with new hope. Suddenly, there exists a previously unknown, world-changing breakthrough. Such things do happen. If this produces a lasting peace and a denuclearized North Korea, President Trump will rise in global stature like no president since Ronald Reagan. But history suggests caution. Courage and hard work may produce the good outcome, or may not. We can dare to hope, we should dare, as the president has, but with realism. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Thursday night's shocking announcement of an upcoming meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to discuss denuclearization of the North is a direct result of President Trump's actions that have fundamentally changed the dynamics of the North Korea crisis. President Trump's tough rhetoric has led Kim to conclude that the use of force by the U.S. really is on the table and that the Trump administration cant be played for fools, like prior American administrations. When President Trump warned at the United Nations last September that he would totally destroy North Korea if it threatened the U.S. or its allies, the president got the attention of North Korean leaders and probably scared the hell out of them. Recent talk of a U.S. bloody nose strike against North Korea and President Trumps warning that he will move to Phase Two if tough new sanctions failed did not go unnoticed in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The Trump administration also succeeded in winning approval of much tougher U.N. sanctions against North Korea, with far better international compliance. These sanctions are starting to hurt. China is changing its North Korea policy due to unrelenting pressure from President Trump and a growing belief that North Korea has become a security liability to China. Chinese officials also are worried about radiation from North Korean nuclear tests drifting into their country. We must be realistic. Given North Korea's history (and what it learned from the Iran nuclear talks), Pyongyang probably hopes to use negotiations to split the U.S. from its partners, buy time to continue its nuclear and missile programs, and loosen sanctions. Kim will likely seek economic and energy aid without making significant concessions. The North's offer to denuclearize may be linked to unacceptable demands, such as the U.S. withdrawing troops from South Korea. North Korea has a long way to go to prove its sincerity. The U.S. must demand the North do this by taking the following actions: ? Halt nuclear and missile tests (agreed to by the North for now). ? Allow robust inspections of all nuclear and missile sites. ? Shut down and disassemble nuclear and missile facilities. ? Declare and disassemble its nuclear weapons. ? Send nuclear fuel and spent nuclear fuel rods out of the country. ? Disclose all information about its nuclear weapon and missile programs. President Trump should only go through with the Kim meeting in May if North Korea agrees to all of the above steps and makes concrete moves toward denuclearization before the meeting. The U.S. also should maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea begins to make these moves. In the past, U.S. diplomats were so obsessed with getting nuclear deals with Iran and North Korea that they repeatedly agreed to weak agreements and overlooked cheating. Both North Korea and Iran were rewarded with concessions after producing fraudulent declarations of their nuclear programs. The Trump administration must hold out for good faith negotiations by the North and be prepared to walk away if talks prove to be a ruse. We will soon know whether Kim Jong Un is actually prepared to denuclearize and normalize relations with the United States. He could waver and the U.S. may need to continue to increase the pressure. But even if the upcoming talks are unsuccessful, President Trump deserves enormous credit for creating an opportunity that no one expected to peacefully resolve the North Korea crisis. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Trump did the right thing in imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. on Thursday. While I pride myself on being a strong supporter of free trade, I have always supported the idea of fair trade the notion that America has the right to impose tariffs or restrict access to our markets the same way a competitor does to us. When it comes this issue, the policy should be simple: do unto others as they do unto you. Who can argue with that? And yet, critics including many Republicans in Congress are calling President Trump and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro just about everything you can think of when it comes to the 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports that the president signed in a proclamation. But the critics and armchair economists have this one all wrong. The administrations actions will not start a global trade war, cause a nasty recession or undo the international order as we know it. All of that is just fake news, designed to take down a president the mainstream media simply cant stand. President Trump is simply doing what he said he would do during the presidential campaign protecting American workers and safeguarding our national security, all at the same time. The Trump administration, in fact, has a clear and important goal in mind: to protect U.S. jobs and industries that we must have in this country for vital national security reasons. First, as Peter Navarro pointed out recently to Fox News, the U.S. aluminum industry is down to less than 10 percent of fulfilling our own domestic demand. Six smelters have stopped production since 2013, leaving our nation with only five remaining. And only two of those smelters are in actual working order. Our steel industry has shed thousands of jobs for decades, and is under real threat of someday being destroyed in the coming years unless it is protected in some reasonable way. Second, our nations security is at stake if these industries were to disappear. As one senior White House official explained to me just this week, this could be a matter of life or death for our country. Once our steel industry is gone its not coming back, the official told me. Once our aluminum industry is gone, its gone for good. And the ramifications could be historic. The official continued: Think of it this way: Imagine if we had to fight a war for a sustained period and we were dependent on other nations for steel or aluminum imports for the most basic of war-fighting materials? Forget the idea that some of those nations, for example China, might be on the other side of the fight, but what happens if those nations need that steel for themselves or simply we cant get the steel shipped to our shores because of wartime conditions? And then defending the presidents tariffs, the official concluded: This is a common-sense step, and no one should get freaked out about it. Who can argue with that? We also need to place this debate in some historical context. Other presidents have enacted similar measures, including President Obama. Back in March 2016, the Obama administration announced a 500 percent duty on Chinese cold-rolled steel. Going back a little further, President George W. Bush, also applied a tariff on steel, this time at a rate of 30 percent, back in 2002. So it shouldnt be a surprise that other nations as well have adopted similar policies to protect their vital industries. The European Union, for example, imposed a duty of as much as 73.7 percent on Chinese steel just a few years ago, all in an effort to protect jobs and European economies. President Trump is simply doing what he said he would do during the presidential campaign protecting American workers and safeguarding our national security, all at the same time. And the president put a human face on a problem that has touched millions of Americans across this country on Thursday by making his announcement surrounded by steel and aluminum workers. His action underscores the fact that no one has stood up for the forgotten men and women of this nation as industry after industry, job after job, has disappeared because of unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices. Being born in Rhode Island, a state that has lost countless blue-color jobs for decades, I can relate to this issue on a personal level. I know dozens of hardworking people back home who have lost their careers because their jobs were offshored overseas or their industries were destroyed by predatory trade practices. Now President Trump is standing up and fighting for these Americans. We can debate the policy in fact we should, in an honest manner but we should all be proud that our president is actually trying to do something to preserve American jobs. I know I am. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! For over four years, Karla Jacinto estimates that she was raped over 40,000 times. Abandoned at 12, she fell prey to a pimp in Tenancingo, Mexico, who through brutality and coercion forced her into prostitution. At 15, Karlas newborn daughter, conceived through rape, was taken from her as she continued to be threatened by her enslavers. Karla was finally liberated at 16 as the result of an anti-trafficking operation. More than 25 million men, women and children worldwide are victims of human trafficking. These victims, like Karla, are often lured with false promises by people they trust and forced into prostitution, domestic servitude and other forms of modern slavery. The United States is committed to ending this horrific practice. President Trump has pledged to bring the full force and weight of the U.S. government to combat this epidemic. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report : Human trafficking is one of the most tragic human rights issues of our time. It splinters families, distorts global markets, undermines the rule of law, and spurs other transnational criminal activity. Last September Tillerson announced a $25 million award from the State Department to the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery. Congress has since appropriated an additional $25 million to this cause. As the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, I am devoted to doing all that I can to combat human trafficking. The United States and the Holy See share a common commitment to this endeavor. In February I spoke at the Santa Marta Conference in Rome, where law enforcement leaders from the United States and around the world joined Catholic clergy and others to exchange best practices in fighting modern slavery. I highlighted U.S. federal law enforcements victim-centered approach, which has made a significant impact both on criminal prosecution and survivor recovery. The victim-centered approach ensures that trauma experts, who understand the psychological and physical manifestations of human trafficking, work directly with law enforcement to support survivors. An example of this approach is Operation Safe Haven, which has led to the arrest of dozens of traffickers from Mexico and Central America. The program is run by Homeland Security Investigations the investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The victim-centered approach of Operation Safe Haven has been used to stabilize and provide care for the survivors. Because of the brave testimony provided by the victims of trafficking, all of the arrested perpetrators were convicted on human trafficking charges. It is crucial that law enforcement continue to develop strong and enduring partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and faith-based organizations that are on the front lines of survivor support. Both Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI have established victim assistance positions within major field offices nationwide that coordinate operations with victim service providers. Over 300 nongovernmental organizations and faith-based organizations are also engaged in this endeavor. Catholic shelters also play a crucial role in survivor care and recovery. I had the privilege of meeting with survivors during my recent visit to Casa Rut in Caserta, Italy. In the last two decades, hundreds of migrant women have found refuge and support at this shelter managed by Ursuline nuns. Following her visit to the Vatican last year, Senior Adviser to the President Ivanka Trump met with trafficking survivors from Nigeria and the Horn of Africa, whom she called a testament to strength, faith, and perseverance in the face of unspeakable adversity and challenge. When Karla Jacinto escaped her captivity, she entered a local shelter in Mexico where she received the help, care, time, attention and love that I needed, as she told members of the U.S. Congress. In 2015, Karla told her story to Pope Francis. Today Karla travels around the world to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery. Her recovery is a testament to the importance of putting victim support front and center in this fight. No single government can end the global scourge of human trafficking. Governments, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations and survivors must work together to eradicate this horror. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Racism and religious and ethnic prejudice are a cancer on the soul and deserve sharp condemnation by every decent man and woman whether such bigotry comes from a neo-Nazi, a Ku Klux Klansman, a radical Islamic terrorist, or an American religious leader. But as the case of Nation of Islam hatemonger Louis Farrakhan sadly illustrates, too many on the left are reluctant to condemn hate when it is spewed by a black activist. They shouldnt be. I am a young African-American man and Im well aware of Americas ugly racist past. The enslavement of my ancestors and the long years of discrimination that later generations endured after emancipation are indefensible and a blot on our nations history. They must never be forgotten. And Im also well aware that racism against people who look like me is still with us today, though circumstances are much improved from the years before I was born. But I know that racism and other forms of prejudice against people who dont look like me exist as well and it would be a lie to deny it. Unfortunately, some on the left who want to atone for the very real sins of American racism believe that bigotry by a notorious black activist isnt as morally reprehensible as bigotry by a white supremacist and anti-Semite. The truth is, such hatred is disgusting and immoral no matter who expresses it. Farrakhan has a decades-long history of racist comments aimed at whites and anti-Semitic comments demonizing Jews. And hes proud of his vile rhetoric posting videos of his speeches on YouTube, including this one just a few days ago in Chicago. In the above speech Farrakhan declared: White folks are going down and Satan is going down, and Farrakhan, by God's grace, has pulled the cover off of that Satanic Jew, and I'm here to say you're time is up your world is through." But Farrakhans racist and anti-Semitic comments dont provoke as much outrage as, say, white supremacist and anti-Semite Richard Spencer. And its certainly not due to differing levels of influence. As journalist Matt Katz has pointed out, Farrakhan rallied in a 10,000-person arena last month. Just a few days ago, Spencer spoke to a gathering of 50. Any attempt to casually dismiss Farrakhan as an unimportant fringe leader is absurd. It is wrong for the left to grant blacks an unspoken pass on race issues just as it is wrong for some on the right to grant a pass to white racists. Both sides would do well to heed the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King, who condemned bigotry from whatever its source and said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The problem is that both black bigotry and white bigotry feed off each other. You cant give one a pass and expect the other not to metastasize. Farrakhans racist rhetoric emboldens white supremacists and vice versa. The two cant be morally separated into different camps. Evil doesnt work that way. But saying that Farrakhan is a black racist and anti-Semite is nothing new. What distinguishes his latest hateful rants is the lefts reluctance to condemn him outright. Womens March leader Tamika Mallory came under fire for proudly attending the Saviours Day event in Chicago where Farrakhan made his ugly comments quoted above. After nine days of silence, the Womens March organization finally issued a statement denouncing Anti-Semitism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism and white supremacy, which seems carefully crafted not to alienate Farrakhan or his followers. And The Daily Caller reports that seven Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Deputy Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, have direct connections to Farrakhan. The Republican Jewish Coalition called on all seven this week to resign. Many critics, including CNNs Jake Tapper, have rightly called for these member of Congress and other leaders to condemn Farrakhan who once said that white people deserve to die and that Hitler was a very great man. More people should join in the criticism. Heres the bottom line: Many people come from racial, religious and ethnic groups that have faced terrible discrimination and injustice. No one would question that African-Americans are in this group. But being the target of bigotry is no excuse for embracing bigotry. Right is right, wrong is wrong, and wrong should be condemned whatever its source. Those on the left who fail to condemn Farrakhan should remember that and should be ashamed of their silence. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! WASHINGTON -- When Karen Gaffney's mother found out she would be born with Down syndrome, the doctor said Karen probably would not be able to tie her own shoes. Instead, as Karen explained in a moving and eloquent TEDx talk, she has become an accomplished open-water swimmer who has crossed the English Channel in a relay race and completed the swimming leg of the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. Now she fears the result of a new race -- the one to "find newer, faster ways" to screen for Down syndrome so that more children with the disability can be killed in the womb. Her fears are well-founded. CBS News recently reported that Iceland was on the verge of "eliminating" Down syndrome. Unfortunately, there was no great medical breakthrough to report. Iceland, it turns out, is not eliminating Down syndrome; it is eliminating people with Down syndrome. The country's abortion rate for Down syndrome babies is close to 100 percent -- the highest in the world. Denmark is close behind at 98 percent. In the United States, it is 67 percent -- and Karen fears the rates here will soon reach European levels. "Save our lives!" she pleads. Far from being a burden on their families, a study from Boston Children's Hospital found that children with Down syndrome bring enormous joy to their loved ones. Sadly, there will always be those who see people with Down syndrome as nothing more than a burden on society. Princeton University professor Robert George recently tweeted out a shocking video in which a bureaucrat from Dutch National Institute for Public Health shows a man with Down syndrome on a blackboard how "expensive" he is for society compared to "normal" people. "Do the Dutch, who suffered under -- and in many cases heroically resisted -- Hitler's domination, forget that the 'final solution' began with the dehumanization and eugenic killing of the handicapped?" George asked. Today, more and more people with Down syndrome are speaking out and demanding recognition of their humanity. Recently, Frank Stephens appeared before the House Appropriations Committee, where he told members of Congress "I am a man with Down syndrome and my life is worth living." Noting the abortion rates for Down syndrome babies in Europe, he declared "I completely understand that the people pushing this particular 'final solution' are saying that people like me should not exist," but pleaded, "Let's be America, not Iceland or Denmark. ... Let's pursue inclusion, not termination." The message of inclusion is slowly getting through. Last month, baby food maker Gerber named Lucas Warren -- a boy with Down syndrome -- its 2018 "Gerber Spokesbaby" selecting him out of 140,000 entries for his "glowing and giggly smile." Good for Gerber. His smile glowing should be no surprise. A 2011 study by Harvard University researchers found that rather than leading lives of suffering, people with Down syndrome have unusually high rates of happiness. An amazing 99 percent said they are happy with their lives, 97 percent like who they are, and 96 percent like how they look. "Overall, the overwhelming majority of people with Down syndrome surveyed indicate they live happy and fulfilling lives," the researchers found. Surveys from Boston Children's Hospital found that far from being a burden on their families, children with Down syndrome bring enormous joy to their loved ones. Ninety-four percent of siblings expressed feelings of pride about their brother or sister with Down syndrome, and 88 percent said that they were better people because of them. Only 4 percent would trade their sibling in for another, and only 4 percent of parents regretted having their Down syndrome child. It turns out, the researchers concluded, that "the experience of Down syndrome is a positive one for most parents, siblings and people with Down syndrome themselves." Lawmakers are taking notice. As The Washington Post reports this week, more states are passing laws prohibiting doctors from performing abortions because of a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis. Indiana, North Dakota, Louisiana and Ohio have passed such laws, with Ohio's "Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act" scheduled take effect later this month. Utah is currently debating a similar law. The bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, says it is "Utah's message to the world is that we will not tolerate discrimination." Naturally, pro-abortion absolutists are suing to block these laws (successfully in the case of Indiana). It is simply intolerable that so many joyous lives are being snuffed out. "All lives are a gift from God," Gaffney says. "To me, that means that all lives matter, even if you will be born with an extra chromosome." Erik Prince tells Fox News that there was no perjury, no collusion and no attempt to set up a back channel to the Kremlin when he met with a Russian oligarch weeks before President Donald Trumps inauguration. Prince, who is the founder of the Blackwater private security firm and brother to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, says accusations that he lied to the House Intelligence Committee simply arent true. The Washington Post cites anonymous sources in its report that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has gathered evidence that a secret meeting in Seychelles just before the inauguration of Donald Trump was an effort to establish a back channel between the incoming administration and the Kremlin. Prince testified last year before the House Intelligence Committee about his meeting and Thursday, Democrats pounced on reports that Lebanese-American businessman George Nader told the special counsel he was at the meeting. Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters the Seychelles meeting crossed the line: The public reports that George Nader may be cooperating with special counsel and has presented a different version of events, in the sense that this Seychelles meeting was part of an effort to establish a back channel to Russia, that the meeting that Erik Prince had with the Russian banker was not happenstances, is obviously at odds with the testimony weve heard in front of the House Intelligence Committee. The Post reports, A witness cooperating with Mueller has told investigators the meeting was set up in advance so that a representative of the Trump transition could meet with an emissary from Moscow to discuss future relations between the countries. Prince says, I never ever have represented as anyone from the Trump transition and the only reason I went to the Seychelles was to see MBZ, referring to Mohammed bin Zayed, the United Arab Emirates crowned prince. Never has so much been made about so little, Prince texted when the story broke. In a phone interview Thursday, Prince said, No one from the Trump transition team knew I was going, referring to the meeting that involved members of UAE government. Prince acknowledges meeting with Russian businessman Kirill Dmitriev on the island, but reiterated his testimony that the meeting was both unplanned and not about any Trump-Moscow ties. Prince says the only political conversation was superficial, Dmitriev brought up his wishes that America and Russia could have a better relationship, to which Prince said he agreed, and, if Stalin and Roosevelt could come together to defeat Nazi fascism then Putin and Trump could come together to defeat Islamic fascism. That was the end, claims Prince, who says he hasnt talked to the Kremlin-connected businessman since. This is a circular firing-squad argument, Prince said, before leaving the country for a business meeting, If the lefts fantasy of collusion is true, why does a meeting two months after election matter at all. California Democrat and Intelligence Committee member Rep. Eric Swalwell told CNN that during Prince's testimony, he never gave the name George Nader. If he met with George Nader, he lied under oath. Prince, who testified without an attorney present, says his comments about meetings with the UAE government, its advisers and delegations in the Seychelles cover Nader who worked for the Emiratis. Now Schiff wants Prince to testify again before the committee; Prince tells Fox News, There is no need. Schiff is grasping at straws, and his feelings were hurt when I scolded them about leaking my work I did as a CIA (nonofficial cover officer the most dangerous of intelligence work). President Donald Trump's planned meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was met with cheers from many Republican lawmakers -- but some skepticism from others. South Korea's national security director Chung Eui-yong said the two world leaders agreed to meet by May. Trump tweeted: Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., praised the presidents efforts to denuclearize North Korea, saying that it gives us the best hope to peacefully resolve escalating tensions. While Graham acknowledged North Koreas past as being all talk and no action, he warned Kim directly that the worst possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him. He added, If you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime. U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also said the invitation showed that sanctions on North Korea were starting to work. U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also praised the sanctions implemented by Congress, saying that they are having a real effect. However, some members of the committee remained skeptical. U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., said the price of admission for Trump and Kim meeting must be complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., also said that the invitation was the beginning of a long diplomatic process and that Trump needed to avoid unscripted remarks that could derail it. Evan S. Medeiros, a former adviser in the Obama administration, warned that Kim played South Korean President Moon Jae-in and is now playing Trump. Medeiros added, Kim will never give up his nukes. The White House confirmed the Trump accepted the invitation but did not reveal and details surrounding when or where a meeting might happen. Fox News Mike Emanuel, Jason Donner and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday said the Department of Justice may have disregarded the cover-up of the fatal hazing of a law student when it dismissed charges against University of Santo Tomas law dean Nilo Divina and others. Lacson said the evidence on the hazing death of UST law student Horacio "Atio" Castillo III is more than enough to build a case against those involved in his death. "Basing it on the evidence gathered and presented during the public hearings conducted by the Senate on the Atio hazing case, the DOJ panel may have overlooked or disregarded the cover-up angle committed by the other frat members not included in the indictment," he said in a statement. The DOJ dismissed all cases against Divina, UST Law Faculty Secretary Arthur Capili, and fraternity member Marc Anthony Ventura. The cases against Divina and Capili were dismissed due to insufficiency of evidence, while Ventura was cleared due to his status as a state witness. Related: 10 Aegis Juris fraternity members indicted over Atio Castillo hazing death Lacson, the chair of Senate committee on public order which looked into the Atio case, said the authenticated Facebook group chat of members of Aegis Juris Fraternity and the video footage of the frantic members' meeting after the UST student's death should be enough to indict the personalities for being "accessories" to the crime. "(It) should have been enough for the DOJ to find probable cause to also charge them for being accessories after the fact at the very least," he said. After several hearings into the death of Atio, the Senate panels' joint report recommended to the Supreme Court the disbarment of Divina. It said Divina mocked the legal profession when he failed to report Atio's death despite being aware of the incident. The committees also wanted the law dean to resign because his position in the university "clearly posed as a threat" for witnesses to testify. The Department of Justice on Thursday charged 10 members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity for violating the Anti-Hazing Law for the death of Atio on September 17, 2017 during initiation rites. The law states that when the hazing results in death, violators will face life imprisonment. John Paul Solano, one of the primary suspects in the case, was indicted with perjury and obstruction of justice. Meanwhile, the DOJ recommended further investigation against 10 other fraternity members. The law student's father, Horacio Castillo, Jr., said the indictment of the ten AJF members is not enough. "As far as we are concerned, they are all guilty and they should be tried," he told CNN Philippines on Thursday. The decision to meet with Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks was one that President Donald Trump made "himself," U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday, attributing the move to a "dramatic" change in posture by the North Korean leader. "President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right,'' Tillserson said during a visit to the African nation of Djibouti. "And I think in the president's judgment that time has arrived now.'' According to Tillerson, the U.S. has seen a shift in Kim from "not just willingness but really his desire for talks." The news that Trump had accepted the North Korean leader's invitation to meet was greeted positively Friday by officials in China, Russia and South Korea -- three major players in efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute between the U.S. and North Korea over the Hermit Kingdom's nuclear ambitions. China's foreign ministry said it hopes all parties to the dispute will "show their political courage" in restarting negotiations, and pledges its support in working toward that goal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was quoted by Russian state news agency Tass on Friday saying -- during a visit to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa -- that Russia considers the move by Trump and Kim to be "a step in the right direction." South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said, during a visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, that her government was consulting with the U.S. on the planned summit -- and hopes that if it does take place, "it's a meaningful meeting with good outcome." News of the planned meeting between Trump and Kim, which the White House confirmed Thursday night, was a dramatic development after months of saber-rattling between the two world leaders. Kim extended the invitation and the president agreed that the two would meet by May, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong announced at the White House. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," Trump tweeted. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" Trump, according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, "will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined." But, Sanders added, "in the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." Earlier Thursday, Chung announced that Trump would meet with Kim to "continue the goal of denuclearization." Kim "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." Kim, according to Chung, understands that joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. would continue. The North Korean leader, according to recent talks with Chung, also claimed to be "commited to denuclearization." "He (Kim) pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear missile tests," Chung said, adding that Trump's "leadership" and "maximum pressure" brought us "to this juncture." Chung said that "along with President Trump," he is "optimistic of continuing a diplomatic process." But he added that "the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions." News of the willingness of Kim to meet with Trump follows recent high-profile talks between North Korea and South Korea. Earlier Thursday, Trump announced that South Korea would be making a "major statement" about North Korea. Chung met at the White House earlier in the day with U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. Chung and other South Korean officials briefed the White House Thursday on a potential diplomatic opening with North Korea after a year of escalating tensions. Chung told reporters Tuesday that he had received a message from North Korea intended for the United States, but did not disclose what it was. Trump and Kim have had a contentious relationship during the last year as both men dramatically increased the rhetoric against the other amid the backdrop of increased nuclear and missile testing by the North Korean regime. In August Trump warned Kim that, if pressed, the U.S. would unleash "fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before." At the time, the president argued that Kim had "been very threatening beyond a normal state," adding that the regime "best not make any more threats to the United States." However, threats and counter-threats continued into 2018. "The U.S. should know that the button for nuclear weapons is on my table," Kim said during a Jan. 1 speech, according to a translation. "The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range," he continued, adding that "the United States can never start a war against me and our country." The next day Trump hit back against Kim by claiming that the U.S. nuclear arsenal was more powerful. "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!" The last round of significant talks involving the U.S. and North Korea concluded in 2009. The so-called six-party talks, which involved the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China, ended when North Korea walked out. Fox News John Roberts, Kristin Brown, Jennifer Griffin, Rich Edson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Throughout the first year of his presidency and even as he campaigned for the office President Trumps rhetoric regarding North Korea has been harsh. He warned earlier this year that Americas nuclear capabilities were much bigger [and] more powerful than that of the Asian nation. And at the end of 2017, Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror again a classification that came with additional sanctions. On the heels of a planned, historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trumps tone softened, saying great progress has been made. But Trump ultimately cancelled that meeting, citing "open hostility" from North Korea. From agreeing to meet with Kim to dubbing him Little Rocket Man, heres a look at what Trump has said about North Korea and its leader over time. Back together again After meeting with a North Korean official in the White House for more than an hour, Trump announced the June summit with North Korea is back on. We'll be meeting on June 12 in Singapore," the president told reporters after the meeting. Let's call the whole thing off Trump announced on May 24 that he has decided to pull out of the June summit with North Korea. "We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant," Trump said in a letter to Kim. "I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting." "You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used," Trump said. "I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you," he added. "In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated." Deal or no deal? After speaking with the South Korean president amid threats from the rogue regime to cancel talks, Trump suggested the historic summit between him and Kim might not happen after all. If it doesnt happen, maybe it will happen later. You never know about deals. Ive made a lot of deals, Trump said on May 22. You never really know. It may not work out for June 12. Trump said he wants the Korean peninsula to be denuclearized in an all in one manner. I can guarantee Kims safety. He will be safe. He will be happy, Trump said. His country will be rich. Trump also said hes noticed a change in Kims attitude recently. I cant say that Im happy about it, he added. Save the date Trump officially announced that he would meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace! Trump said in a tweet. The announcement came hours after Trump and the first lady welcomed the three Americans freed from detention in North Korea at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland early on May 10. After Trump met with the three men, he publicly thanked Kim for releasing the prisoners. Were starting off on a new footing, Trump said. Positive gesture of goodwill In announcing that a date and place has been set for his much-anticipated meeting with Kim, Trump also confirmed three American prisoners have been released. The three Americans Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song are returning to the U.S. with newly-confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump said in a tweet. The president confirmed the three men are also in good health. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORIC SUMMIT BETWEEN TRUMP, KIM JONG UN White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump appreciates Kim Jong Uns action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill. Another American detainee, Otto Warmbier, died in June 2017 after he was released back to the U.S. with severe brain damage. Good relationship formed Trump has confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo his pick to lead the State Department secretly met with Kim in April and a good relationship was formed. He said the meeting went very smoothly. The president also disclosed that the U.S. and North Korea have held direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for the summit. Kim will do what is right After Kims first reported visit to China, Trump said there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity. For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility, Trump said in a March tweet, adding that he is looking forward to his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader. He also gave North Korea the benefit of the doubt earlier that month, saying he believes the country will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests. When Trump delivered a speech in Pennsylvania, the crowd booed the mention of Kim, but the president stopped them. No, it's very positive ... no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because let's see what happens, let's see what happens, Trump said. Invitation accepted Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet, the White House said. While a time and place has yet to be determined, the two leaders are expected to meet by June. The invitation to convene was extended by Kim. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached, Trump said on social media. Meeting being planned! The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined, he later said. Possible progress As North Korea is reportedly willing to negotiate its nuclear weapons, Trump cautiously acknowledged possible progress. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned, Trump said on Twitter. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction! At a later White House news conference, Trump said he believed North Korea, which has a long history of deception and threats to target U.S. cities with nuclear missiles, is sincere. We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea, Trump said. Of the possibility for peacefully resolving the nations deep differences, he said: Itd be a great thing for the world, would be great for North Korea, it would be a great thing for the peninsula. But well see what happens, Trump said. Spirit of the Olympics At the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea sent the U.S. a message through South Korea, saying it has ample intentions of holding talks with America. During a meeting with the nations governors at the White House in February, Trump said those talks will only occur under the right conditions. The administrations position has been that North Korea must get rid of its nuclear and missile programs first before any talks can take place. Relationship status: Its complicated In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump reportedly said he probably has a very good relationship with North Korea. Trump also suggested that he is open to diplomacy with the country hes spent years criticizing, the newspaper reported. I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised, Trump said. The Wall Street Journal released the audio and transcript of the interview after Trump denied making the comments. 'Success for the world' Trump told South Korea that he would be open to talks with its northern neighbor under the right circumstances, the White House said. Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korea ahead of next months Winter Olympics. At a January Cabinet meeting, Trump said it was his administrations pressure on North Korea that caused the rogue nation to negotiate with the South. "Without our attitude that would have never happened," Trump said of the inter-Korean dialogue. "Who knows where it leads. Hopefully it will lead to success for the world not just for our country but for the world, and we'll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens." Whose button is bigger? After Kim warned Trump about North Koreas nuclear capabilities, Trump hit back on social media, arguing that his Nuclear Button is bigger [and] more powerful. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,' the president tweeted. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! Kim previously warned the U.S. should know that the button for nuclear war is on my table. The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range, he said. The United States can never start a war against me and our country. Good news or bad news? Trump insinuated at the start of the new year that sanctions and additional pressures are having a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea, Trump said. Kim now wants to talk to South Korea for the first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not we will see! In his tweet, Trump was seemingly referring to the recent, dramatic escape of at least two North Korean soldiers across the heavily militarized border into the southern country He also alluded to Kims recent comments indicating he would send a delegation to the Winter Olympics to be hosted in South Korea. Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korean leaders. With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump said in a Jan. 4 tweet. Fools, but talks are a good thing! 'Sick puppy' While giving a speech on tax reform at a Missouri event in November, 2017, Trump digressed from the topic to call the North Korean leader a "sick puppy." His comments drew hoots from the crowd. State sponsor of terror Trump re-designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror on Nov. 20, 2017, citing its support of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil. During a Cabinet meeting, Trump announced the designation came along with new sanctions on the murderous regime as part of the administrations maximum pressure campaign in dealing with North Korea. He said these sanctions will be the highest level of sanctions on the North. North Korea was on the list but was taken off by the Bush administration in 2008. Why can't we be friends? In a series of tweets while in Vietnam, Trump said he doesn't know why the North Korean dictator would "insult" him. Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would NEVER call him short and fat? Trump said. Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen! The comment came after Kim referred to Trump's speech in South Korea as reckless remarks by an old lunatic. 'Dont try us' In Asia, Trump issued a stern warning to North Korea, saying it would be a fatal miscalculation for the country to attack the U.S. or an ally. This is a very different administration than the United States has had in the past. Do not underestimate us. And do not try us, Trump said during an address at South Koreas National Assembly. North Korea has interpreted Americas past restraint as weakness, Trump said. 'Lets make a deal' While on his Asia trip, Trump implored North Korea to come to the table for talks on its nuclear weapons program. Trumps request for North Korea to make a deal was in stark contrast to his previous hardline rhetoric when it comes to the rogue nation. "It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and for the world," Trump said during a news conference alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-in in November 2017. Trump also said hes seen a lot of progress in dealing with North Korea but still called the country a worldwide threat. In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo the day before, Trump repeated his assertion that the era of strategic patience with North Korea was finished. Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in the last 25 years, Trump said then. 'Rocket Man' is on a 'suicide mission' After dubbing him Rocket Man in a tweet, Trump eventually tried out the new nickname for Kim during his inaugural address to the U.N. General Assembly. During his speech, Trump vowed to totally destroy North Korea if the country so provokes him. He also said Kim was on a suicide mission. No more talking After North Korea said it successfully launched a missile over Japan, a U.S. ally, and into the Pacific Ocean, Trump initially had a subdued response. "Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said in a written statement after North Koreas missile soared almost 1,700 miles into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table." The missile launch was said to be a precursor to North Koreas containment of the U.S. territory of Guam by Kim, according to state-run media. But in a tweet, the president suggested the U.S. is finished talking to North Korea. The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer, Trump tweeted. The U.S. is 'locked and loaded' Trump took to social media in August 2017 to proclaim that the U.S. military is locked and loaded in case North Korea act[s] unwisely. 'Fire [and] fury' isn't 'tough enough' With the threat of nuclear violence growing, Trump warned North Korea on Aug. 8, 2017 that he would unleash fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before. But when tensions continued to rise and North Korea threatened to attack Guam, Trump said maybe that comment wasnt "tough enough." "Lets see what [Kim] does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before what will happen in North Korea," Trump said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump was "sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jong Un can understand, because he doesnt seem to understand diplomatic language." Kim Jong Un is 'not getting away with it' Trump said Kim has disrespected our country greatly. He has said things that are horrific. And with me, hes not getting away with it, Trump said. He got away with it for a long time, between him and his family. Hes not getting away with it. Its a whole new ball game. 'Strategic patience is over' After meeting with the South Korean president in Washington, D.C., in June 2017, Trump said that the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed. Frankly, that patience is over, he said. As Trump made these comments, the U.S. was rocked with the death of Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American college student who suffered extensive brain damage while being held captive in North Korea for more than a year. There are 'worse things' than assassinating Kim Jong Un In an interview with CBS News during the presidential campaign, Trump said he could get China to make [Kim Jong Un] disappear in one form or another very quickly. When asked if he was talking about assassinating the North Korean dictator, Trump shrugged. Well, you know, Ive heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guys a bad dude and dont underestimate him, Trump said. Any young guy that can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably wants the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated. 'What the hell is wrong with speaking?' Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Atlanta that should Kim want to come to the U.S., he would be accept[ed]. I wouldnt go there, that I can tell you. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners, Trump said in June 2016. What the hell is wrong with speaking? Trump said, referencing the criticism he received for being willing to talk with North Korea. Its called opening a dialogue. 'Maniac' During a GOP presidential debate in September 2015, Trump railed on the maniac in North Korea while answering a question about Planned Parenthood and womens health issues. Nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting there, and he actually has nuclear weapons and somebody better start thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places. But certainly North Korea, Trump said. You have somebody right now in North Korea who has got nuclear weapons and who is saying almost every other week, Im ready to use them, and we dont even mention it, he continued. China needs to solve the problem Even before he was president, Trump urged China to step in and help alleviate problems with North Korea. North Korea is reliant on China. China could solve this problem easily if they wanted to but they have no respect for our leaders, Trump tweeted in March 2013. In April 2013, Trump continued that line of thinking, adding that North Korea cant survive, or even eat, without the help of China. He then accused China of taunting the U.S. As president, Trump has said he is very disappointed in actions China has taken regarding North Korea, particularly allowing oil to go into the nation. He also said a Chinese envoy to North Korea had no impact on Kim. Additionally, Trump has said hes spoken to Chinas President Xi Jinping regarding the provocative actions of North Korea as well as the planned meeting between Trump and Kim. President Xi told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative, Trump said in March 2018. China continues to be helpful! 'Wack job' In April 2013, Trump urged then-President Barack Obama to be very careful with the 28-year-old wack job in North Korea. At some point we may have to get very tough, he tweeted. 'Negotiate like crazy' Trump warned that the U.S. needed to do something to stop North Korea in 1999 during an interview with the late Tim Russert on Meet the Press. "Do you want to do it in five years when they have warheads all over the place, every one of them pointing to New York City, to Washington and every one of us, is that when you want to do it, or do you want to do something now? Trump said. You'd better do it now. And if they think you're serious they'll negotiate and it'll never come to that. He said then that if he ever became president, the first step he would take would be to negotiate like crazy to make sure that the country would get the best deal possible. Trump also predicted then that in three or four years, North Korea would have weapons aimed all over the world, including at the U.S. Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday publicly broke with his longtime allies at the National Rifle Association to sign new gun regulations into law. The move comes three weeks after a grisly school shooting that claimed the lives of 17 people. Scott, a Republican who has received high praise from the NRA in the past, said he was signing the legislation because its a time for all of us to come together, roll up our sleeves and get it done. The law raises the minimum purchasing age for buying a rifle from 18 to 21, invokes a three-day waiting period on purchases and enables school employees and many teachers to be armed. It also allows law enforcement to temporarily seize guns from the mentally ill and fund measures like bulletproof glass and metal detectors at schools. In a bid to appease Scott, who voiced opposition to arming teachers, the State Senate later amended the bill to no longer include arming most teachers in a guardian program, but instead would train up to 10 school personnel to carry weapons in every school. Student activists from the school where the shootings took place have closely followed the bills progress. Though they called it a baby step, many agree that Scott signing the bill into law sends a strong message to the NRA. Scott started to distance himself from the NRA following last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School even creating a $500 million proposal to place an armed officer in every school. As for the NRA, the organization opposes raising the age limit as well as imposing new waiting periods, with NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida lobbyist Marion Hammer on Thursday calling the Legislature's bill "a display of bullying and coercion" that would punishes law-abiding citizens and infringe on Second Amendment rights. President Trump congratulated Florida on its legislation, saying state lawmakers "passed a lot of very good legislation last night." Fox News Benjamin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is debating whether to sign a gun-control bill that the state Legislature passed Wednesday, and said he would speak with survivors of the 17 victims of the Feb. 14 massacre in Parkland before making a decision. "I'm going to take the time and I'm going to read the bill and I'm going to talk to families," he said. "I'm going to take the time and I'm going to read the bill and I'm going to talk to families." Florida Gov. Rick Scott The bill would raise the minimum purchasing age for buying a rifle from 18 to 21, invoke a three-day waiting period on purchases and enable school employees and many teachers to be armed. It would also allow for law enforcement to temporarily seize guns from the mentally ill and fund measures like bulletproof glass and metal detectors at schools, the Miami Herald reported. In a bid to appease Scott, who voiced opposition to arming teachers, the state Senate later amended the bill to no longer include arming most teachers in a guardian program, but instead would train up to 10 school personnel to carry weapons in every school, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Incoming Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, believes the change will be enough to persuade Scott to sign the bill into law as early as Friday, the paper reported. Scott has received high praise from the National Rifle Association in the past, but he put some distance between himself and the lobbying organization following last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School even creating a $500 million proposal to place an armed officer in every school. As for the NRA, the organization opposes raising the age limit as well as imposing new waiting periods, with NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida lobbyist Marion Hammer on Thursday call the Legislature's bill "a display of bullying and coercion" that would punishes law-abiding citizens and infringe on Second Amendment rights. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, congratulated Florida on its legislation, saying state lawmakers "passed a lot of very good legislation last night." During a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Trump said the White House was working on a plan to ban bump stock devices and that efforts to enhance gun-purchase background checks were "moving along well" in Congress. The Tampa Bay Times reported that officials in the state's largest school districts, including Miami-Dade and Broward counties, have balked at the idea of arming employees and instead called for funding to support putting more police officers in schools. Florida's teachers union asked Scott to veto $67 million set aside for the guardian program. Under Florida law, Scott can sign the bill but use his line-item veto power to eliminate the funding. Nikolas Cruz, the suspected gunman in the Parkland attack, faces 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the massacre. The public defender for the 19-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student said Cruz will plead guilty if prosecutors remove the death penalty from play and instead sentence him to life in prison. Prosecutors have not announced a decision. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump has agreed to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House has confirmed. Kim reportedly extended the invitation for the meeting, which is expected to take place by May. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump himself made the decision to accept the offer. From promising to unleash fire [and] fury on Pyongyang to dubbing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket Man, Trumps rhetoric when it comes to the Pacific Asian nation has been anything but soft during his first year in the White House. Heres a look at how Trump and his predecessors have handled North Korea and its nuclear arsenal. Donald Trump Trump redesignated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism in November 2017 and promised a slew of new sanctions as part of the United States maximum pressure campaign. In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil, Trump said from a Cabinet meeting. And during a speech to the United Nations, Trump said the dictator was on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. "If [the U.S. is] forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." President Trump The United States has great strength and patience, the president said. But if its forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. But, in a dramatic turn of events, Trump has agreed to meet with Kim by May. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Trump said on social media after the White House confirmed the upcoming visit. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Barack Obama Former President Barack Obama asked the military in 2010 to prepare with South Korea in order to be ready to deter any aggressions from North Korea after North Korea sank its southern neighbors naval ship. Throughout his presidency, Obama warned and criticized North Korea for testing nuclear bombs and implored the Chinese government to help alleviate the aggression. In one warning to North Korea against launching a long-range missile, Obama said that if it should decide to take this action, we will work with all interested partners in the international community to take appropriate steps to let North Korea know that they cannot threaten the safety and stability of other countries with impunity. North Korea is "a pariah state that would rather starve its people than feed their hopes and dreams." President Obama During a press conference with then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009, Obama said North Koreas actions had been extraordinarily provocative. My preference is always to use a diplomatic approach. But diplomacy has to involve the other side engaging in a serious way in trying to solve problems, Obama said. And we have not seen that kind of reaction from North Korea. And in a 2014 visit to South Korea, Obama said the U.S. would not hesitate to use our military might to defend allies, especially against a pariah state that would rather starve its people than feed their hopes and dreams. North Koreas continued pursuit of nuclear weapons is a path that leads only to more isolation, Obama said. George W. Bush George W. Bush infamously dubbed North Korea, along with Iran and Iraq, an axis of evil during his presidency. In his 2002 State of the Union address, Bush slammed the countries as regimes that sponsor terror. North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens, Bush said. "States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world." President Bush During Bushs presidency, North Korea admitted that it had developed a nuclear weapons program, the New York Times reported in 2002. Bush wasnt ready to give up that axis of evil label for North Korea when asked years later in 2008. That has yet to be determined. The human rights abuses inside the country still exist and persist, Bush said. The North Korean leader has yet to fully verify the extent to which he has had a highly enriched uranium program, he continued. In order to get off the list, the axis of evil list, then the North Korean leader is going to have to make certain decisions. But the Bush administration also removed North Korea from the State Departments list of state sponsors of terror in 2008 in a bid to salvage international talks aimed at halting its nuclear efforts. Following his presidency, Bush said we must do more to improve the human condition in North Korea. Bill Clinton During his presidency, Bill Clinton approved a plan which would provide more than $4 billion in energy aid to North Korea over 10 years. In return, North Korea was expected to disband and dismantle its nuclear weapons program. At the time, Clinton heralded the program as a good deal. The United States and international inspectors will carefully monitor North Korea to make sure it keeps its commitments, Clinton said. Only as it does so, will North Korea fully join the community of nations. "[North Korea] would pay a price so great that the nation would probably not survive as it is known today." President Clinton The agreement ultimately broke down in the early 2000s. In a press conference in November 1993, Clinton warned Pyongyang against waging war. I know of no one who seriously believes that the United States and [South Korea] would be defeated in a war of aggression by North Korea if they were to attack, Clinton said. And I made it as clear as I could that if they were to do that, they would pay a price so great that the nation would probably not survive as it is known today. After his presidency Clinton traveled to Pyongyang in 2009 and successfully negotiated for the release of two U.S. reporters who were jailed when they were caught filming a documentary about the trafficking of North Korean women. The Associated Press contributed to this report. House Republicans are expanding their investigation of the Trump dossier, seeking answers from Obama administration officials including a former staffer for Vice President Joe Biden whose husband works for the firm behind the controversial document, Fox News has learned. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News that Shailagh Murray, who was Biden's former deputy chief of staff and communications director before serving as a senior adviser to President Obama, will be sent a questionnaire Friday. The questionnaire, from Republican Chairman Devin Nunes of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, will ask when Murray became aware that the dossier - commissioned by opposition research firm Fusion GPS - was funded by the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign. According to Murray's online profile with the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, she joined the Obama administration in 2011 after working as a foreign correspondent, and national political reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Murray is married to Neil King Jr., who, according to the Columbia Journalism Review, left The Wall Street Journal to work for Fusion GPS. The source said committee investigators question whether there may be similarities to the case of former senior Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. Ohr was demoted for failing to disclose contacts with former British spy Christopher Steele, who worked with Ohr's wife, Nellie Ohr, to compile the research that went into the dossier. A questionnaire is also being sent to a second official who also worked in Biden's office. Colin Kahl was a former national security adviser to the vice president and before that, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. Kahl told Fox News he had not received the questionnaire. Multiple attempts to contact Murray were unsuccessful. They have until March 19 to respond. The intelligence committee is seeking information about the dossier, which contains what former FBI Director James Comey described as "salacious and unverified" claims about President Trump's activities in Russia prior to his election. The committee last month released a memo summarizing findings in its initial investigation into the dossier, which it determined became the basis for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court warrant to spy on Trump associate Carter Page despite its dubious origin. The questionnaires are apparently part of "Phase II" of the committee's probe. The panel, chaired by Nunes, has already fired off similar questionnaires to more than a dozen of current and former officials -- including Comey -- asking when they learned about the dossier's political roots, and what, if any, official actions they took. Most have responded, with a handful requesting additional time. Their deadline is March 9. In addition to Comey, the questionnaire went out to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan, who testified in May 2017 that the Trump dossier was virtually unknown to him. I have no awareness, Brennan said, when asked by GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy if the FBI ever relied on the dossier as part of any court applications. In a letter obtained by Fox News, Nunes posed a string of dossier-related questions to the current and former intelligence, law enforcement and State Department officials. He specifically wants to know when they learned the document was funded by Democratic sources, and how it was used to obtain one or more surveillance warrants at the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The new letter includes a dozen questions about the dossier, including how the officials in question learned of the documents Democratic funding and whether they held meetings about the unverified allegations against Trump or took any other official action. In the letter, Nunes even threatened to issue subpoenas if he doesn't get answers. "If you do not provide timely answers on a voluntary basis, the Committee will initiate compulsory process, he wrote. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano hit back at United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on Friday following reports the latter said Duterte may need "psychiatric evaluation." In a press release, Cayetano said the Philippines took "grave exception" to Zeid's comments, and countered the world needs more leaders like President Rodrigo Duterte. "The world actually needs more Dutertesleaders with empathy; leaders who listen to their people; and leaders who are ready to sacrifice their lives to protect their people," Cayetano said. He said there was no reason for Zeid's "unmeasured outburst," and it should not be repeated. Duterte has had rocky relations with the UN and other international rights organizations looking to investigate alleged human rights violations under the country's war on drugs. Just last week, he had told police to ignore UN human rights investigators if they talk to them about the war on drugs. READ: Duterte tells police to ignore UN human rights probers of drug war However, the Foreign Affairs Chief said Friday the Philippines is "perturbed" at how a ranking UN human rights official could insult leaders of member-states without giving them due process. "This action of High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al-Hussein is completely uncalled for and demeans not only the Head of State of a Member-State, but tarnishes the reputation of the Office of the High Commissioner," said Cayetano. Cayetano also defended the Justice Department's reported inclusion of UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz in a list of 600 names the DOJ submitted as a proposed blacklist to the Metro Manila Regional Trial Court. UN Human Rights experts on Friday had condemned Tauli-Corpuz's inclusion in the list. In her own statement dated Thursday, she denounced the inclusion of her name and called it "baseless, malicious, and irresponsible." READ: UN human rights experts slam inclusion of rapporteur in DOJ 'terrorist' list "Contrary to the impression of the High Commissioner, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz was included in the list not because of her position as Special Rapporteur but because of her alleged links with the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the CPP-NPA, which, if the High Commissioner is not aware of, is in the list of foreign terrorist organizations of both the United States and the European Union," Cayetano said. He said if Tauli-Corpuz and others in the petition are innocent, they can clear their names and prove in court they have never been associated with the CPP-NPA. "The High Commissioner may not be aware of it but he is being used in a well-orchestrated effort to destabilize a legitimate government that is being undertaken by parties with self-serving agendas and who stand to benefit the most by unseating President Duterte," Cayetano added. The drug war has been criticized by local and international human rights groups since it began in 2016, when Duterte took office. While government data show around 4,000 drug suspects were killed in operations, the groups believe the number to be as high as 13,000. The man accused of violently attacking Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul in November, leaving him with six broken ribs, pleaded guilty Friday. Rene Boucher, Pauls 59-year-old neighbor, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of assaulting a member of Congress resulting in personal injury. A judge set sentencing for June 15. Boucher, an anesthesiologist, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Prosecutors are reportedly seeking a 21-month prison sentence for Boucher, but the charge carries up to 10 years in jail, and a $250,000 fine. Bouchers attorney, Matthew Baker, told Fox News Friday that his client is "relieved" to have "this phase of the case behind him." "He is looking forward to obtaining a complete resolution," Baker said. "This whole situation had absolutely nothing to do with anyone's politics or political agendas or political parties," Baker told Fox News. "It has been a longstanding dispute between two neighboring property owners over the issue of their property maintenance of lack thereof." Boucher initially pleaded not guilty in November. Paul, R-Ky., sustained six broken ribs and a pleural effusion. A pleural effusion is the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Bouchers attorney told Fox News in November that Paul and his client had been neighbors for 17 years in Bowling Green, Ky. and were prominent members of the local medical community and worked together when they were both practicing physicians. He said that the dispute grew out of a matter that most people would regard as trivial. Paul was mowing his lawn on Nov. 3, 2017, when Boucher saw him stacking brush into a pile near his property, according to court records reviewed by The Courier Journal. Boucher had had enough, and attacked Paul, over a property dispute that had finally boiled over, according to the plea agreement reached in January. A spokesman for Paul did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Although specifics werent provided, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined his counterpart to the south in promising to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. The vow to create a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through complete denuclearization came during the Koreas historic summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April, and just before a much-anticipated meeting between Kim and U.S. President Trump. I feel like Im firing a flare at the starting line in the moment of (the two Koreas) writing a new history in North-South relations, peace and prosperity, Kim told Moon. Kim is the first known member of his familys dynasty to set foot on South Korean soil since 1953. There, at least in front of cameras, his rhetoric drastically changed since he engaged in a war of words with Trump throughout the first year of the U.S. presidents time in the White House. (Kim called Trump a dotard; Trump called the North Korean leader short and fat.) Since Kim took over North Korea in 2011, the regime rapidly expanded and tested its missile arsenal with weapons capable of striking the U.S. mainland. His end goal, he once said, was to "establish the equilibrium of real force with the U.S. and make the U.S. rulers dare not talk about military options for the North. Read on for a brief look at how North Koreas nuclear weapons program has grown throughout the regimes in the past century. Kim Il Sung, leader from 1948-1994 Kim Il Sung can be credited with founding North Korea and propelling the nations nuclear program forward but he did not live to see his country conduct its first nuclear test. It was under the first Kim that North Korea began to build up its nuclear reactors. And it was under his leadership that the nation began the Korean War surely a catalyst that led the leader to believe his nation needed nuclear weapons, Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, the Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, told Fox News in an interview. TRUMPS COMMENTS ON NORTH KOREA, FROM FIRE AND FURY TO BLAMING CHINA The seeds of nuclear aspirations were sown in the Korean War, Lee said. The Korean War pitted North Korea and its ally China two nations that did not have nuclear capabilities at the time against a nuclear-armed U.S., making it clear to the first Kim that nuclear weapons are very powerful, a powerful deterrent, Lee said. Kim Jong Il, leader from 1994-2011 When the second leader of the Kim dynasty died in 2011, Kim Jong Il was remembered as the dictator who turned North Korea into a nuclear state, in his New York Times obituary. And its Kim Jong Il that really gets the credit of taking the country down the nuclear path," Lee said. In the beginning of his reign he was North Koreas supreme leader from 1994 to 2011 North Korea denied that it had a nuclear weapons program. TIMELINE OF NORTH KOREAN MISSILE LAUNCHES IN 2017 However, in 2003, Pyongyang announced that North Korea was withdrawing from the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which barred the nation from making nuclear weapons. By 2005, North Korea confirmed that it had its own nuclear weapons. It tested its first nuclear device in 2006. Kim Jong Un, leader from 2011-present Kim Jong Un is credited with accelerating North Koreas push for nuclear weapons, and under the Obama administration, many of the worlds attitudes toward the East Asian nations nuclear capabilities became less blase than in the past, Lee said. Kim Jong Un also crossed a major threshold for his country in the summer of 2017 the ability to credibly threaten the U.S. with an intercontinental ballistic missile. In 2017, North Korea successfully tested its longest-ever flight of a ballistic missile. The intermediate-range weapon traveled 3,700 miles and passed over Japan before it landed in the Pacific. The country also tested its most powerful nuclear test to date this year. After the missile test, Kim Jong Un said North Korea is nearing equilibrium with the U.S. in terms of its military force. The increasingly frequent and aggressive tests added to outside fears that North Korea is closer than ever to building a military arsenal that could viably target the mainland of the U.S. or its allies in Asia. Calling Kim Jong Un Rocket Man, Trump said in 2017 the dictator is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States has great strength and patience, Trump said. But if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. But 2018 brought a dramatic turn of events after he declared in a stark New Years address that a nuclear launch button is always on my table. Kim Jong Un offered to meet with Trump and became the first known member of his familys dynasty to set foot in South Korea since 1953. At the historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, both leaders pushed for peace and would work toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. However, neither leader provided any specific measures or seemed to forge a potential breakthrough on the issue that has captivated and terrified many, especially since last year. Before Trump canceled a much-anticipated meeting with Kim Jong Un, North Korea said it demolished what it claimed to be its nuclear test site, setting off several explosions over the course of a few hours in the presence of foreign journalists. The planned closing of the Punggye-ri site was previously announced, but it's unclear if another facility could be used to continue the country's nuclear weapons program. Yongbyon nuclear complex, located about 64 miles north of Pyongyang, has a new reactor that could produce weapons-grade plutonium. Pyongyang insists is being used to produce electricity for its citizens. Trump ultimately rejected Kim Jong Un's invitation to a June meeting in Singapore, citing North Korea's "open hostility." Fox News Edmund DeMarche, Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A person was arrested outside the White House Thursday evening, the U.S. Secret Service announced. The person, who was not immediately identified, was arrested for assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, threatening bodily harm and destruction of property. Footage from the arrest appeared to show officers tackling the suspect, NBC Washington reported. The Secret Service said White House operations were not impacted. MAN DEAD AFTER SHOOTING HIMSELF OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE, AUTHORITIES CONFIRM The arrest comes less than a week after Cameron Ross Burgess, 26, of Alabama shot and killed himself in front of the White House Saturday afternoon. Metropolitan Police said in a Tuesday report that Burgess was found Saturday with a bullet wound to the head and a gun by his right-hand side. The Secret Service said the gunshots were not aimed at the White House. President Trump was in Mar-a-Lago at the time of that incident. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has answered those who denounced as anti-Semitic his recent "Jews are my enemy" quote with another broadside, this time tweeting a video clip where he says "The Jews have control over those areas of government" - in referring to the FBI. The clip featuring the latest remark was posted to Farrakhan's official Twitter account on March 7, well after the controversy erupted over the remarks made earlier, at a Chicago event on Feb. 25. Those comments brought new attention to Farrakhan's links with seven members of the Congressional Black Caucus, as well as to Women's March co-president Tamika Mallory, who attended the Farrakhan event, and posted a photo of herself with him on her Instagram feed after the speech. The controversy sparked calls by many Republicans for Democrats to vigorously denounce Farrakhan's remarks. Others who quickly condemned Farrakhan's remarks also asked pointed questions on why much of the media was either slow to report the story, or have chosen to ignore it entirely. The Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday called on the seven CBC members to resign. The coalitions director, Matt Brooks, told Fox News the Democratic leaders with ties to Farrakhan have been quick to denounce President Donald Trump and the GOP for remarks or actions that they view as bigoted, but overlook blatant racism and anti-Semitism when it comes to Farrakhan. Theres clearly a double standard, Brooks said, then amended that to say No, theres a double double-standard. Not only do you get the progressive left wing and more centrist Democrats who arent shy about criticizing President Trump or branding the Republican Party as white nationalists or neo-Nazis, but when it comes to condemning Louis Farrakhan, theyre silent. The members called on to resign were the subject of a story in The Daily Caller, which reported a review of videos, photographs and other documents revealed the lawmakers have had ties to Farrakhan. They are Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Maxine Waters of California, Danny Davis of Illinois, Al Green of Texas, Barbara Lee of California, Andre Carson of Indiana, and Gregory Meeks of New York. On Thursday, Meeks tweeted Farrakhan's anti-Semitic messages are upsetting & unacceptable. I always condemn hate speech of any kind. Also upsetting that right-wing blogs suggest otherwise & try making this a black vs. Jewish community issue. Still waiting for those blogs to condemn Trump's racist remarks. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat who is not among those with ties to Farrakhan, took to Twitter to condemn the Nation of Islam leader and to say that he must be rejected, not courted. "This is unacceptable in a progressive coalition or any political coalition," Schatz tweeted. "Anti-Semitism has no place in American society. We must reject this, left right and center." Besides Meeks, Ellison has also condemned Farrakhan for his divisive and hostile rhetoric. Davis denounced anti-Semitism, but also praised Farrakhan, according to the Daily Caller. In a statement on the Republican Jewish Coalitions website calling for them to step down, Brooks wrote: "Anti-Semitism is unacceptable. Farrakhan is the moral equivalent of a leader of the KKK. If it was discovered that members of Congress had met with the leader of the KKK, they would need to resign. In this case, for meeting with, and embracing, Louis Farrakhan, nothing short of resignation is acceptable from these seven Democrats. Earlier this week, a spokesman for Ellison, who is the deputy director of the Democratic National Committee, told Fox News: Rep. Ellison has repeatedly disavowed anti-Semitism and bigotry, since his first campaign for Congress in 2006. The spokesman referred Fox News to a 12-year-old statement Ellison made when he came under fire for ties to Farrakhan, in which he said he erroneously dismissed concerns the Nation of Islam leader was anti-Semitic, and said he never shared their hateful views of Jews, gays, or any other group. Recently, Ellison again was in the spotlight after the Wall Street Journal reported that he had attended a meeting in 2013 with Muslim leaders where Farrakhan was present. Ellison, who was the first Muslim elected to Congress, said he did not know who would be there and that his decision to go was not an endorsement of the political views of other attendees. Davis, the Illinois congressman, said in a February interview with the Daily Caller that Farrakhan is an outstanding human being and said he sees the minister on a regular basis. Days later, Daviss office released a statement denouncing anti-Semitism as being antithetical to everything I believe and everything that I work for on a daily basis. Reactions to the call for resignations has varied, even among groups sharing similar views on many important matters. In Jewishpress.com, writer David Israel argued that while Brooks was right to denounce Farrakhans anti-Semitism, he should not call for the resignation of lawmakers who have been pro-Israel, and are crucial congressional allies to Jews. Their Jewish voters and their Jewish colleagues in the Democratic party are entitled to an explanation about those Farrakhan meetings, Israel wrote in Jewishpress.com, but in politics, meeting a man, disturbing and loathsome as he may be, is not the same as endorsing his views. Pro-Israel Democrats have had enough trouble finding allies within the Black Caucus in Congress to face the Palestinian and BDS threats, to name just two. BDS refers to the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign that says Israel is responsible for violations of Palestinian rights and international law. But Brooks rejected the contention lawmakers should be given a pass for breaking bread with Farrakhan because of other ways they can be useful to constituents. These [lawmakers] are leaders of the Democratic Party, Brooks said. If thats enough for [David Israel], then why isnt there the same standard when they criticize Donald Trump and other Republicans are who friends of Israel? None of these Democrats went into those meetings with Farrakhan not knowing who he was, Brooks said. At some point they made the decision that they were going to go ahead and meet with him. Lets start with the premise that the Stormy Daniels saga hasnt gotten much traction because most Americans dont care about it. The alleged relationship happened a decade ago, it was said to be consensual, the public knew about Donald Trumps playboy lifestyle and the Access Hollywood tape. So what did or didnt happen in 2006 is hardly in the same league as Bill Clinton, as president, having a sexual relationship with an intern and lying about it. But now its become a real-time melodrama, with allegations of hush money payments and attempts to silence the former porn star. Reporters are suddenly asking Sarah Huckabee Sanders about the controversy at the daily briefing. Now its become a legal issue as well as a political one. Trumps private lawyer, Michael Cohen, is trying to suppress Stormys story right now. This would be the same Michael Cohen who, as the Wall Street Journal originally reported, paid Daniels $130,000 to stay quiet in the closing weeks of the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he was not reimbursed by the Trump team, and reports say he was upset about that, but the money was paid. Daniels did her part under the non-disclosure agreement and stayed quiet. When the story bubbled up again this year, Cohen put out a statement on her behalf denying any affair and any hush-money agreement. Unfortunately for Daniels, she had described the supposed affair in great detail in a 2011 interview with In Touch magazine, which belatedly decided to publish it. The magazine has never explained why it didnt run the story at the time, though there have been reports of legal threats from the Trump side. None of this has been good for Stormys credibility. But now she claims she wants to tell the truthand has sued the president to void the non-disclosure deal on the grounds that he never signed it. We have learned, based on a New York Times story yesterday, that Cohen secretly sought a restraining order last week to keep Daniels from speaking out. So this is no longer a matter of the ancient past. Stormys lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has been on a television blitz. He said on Today that the $130,000 payment was an effort to silence Daniels and that theres no question the president knew about it at the time. The idea that an attorney would go off on his own, without his clients knowledge and engage in this negotiation and enter this type of agreement is ludicrous. At Wednesday, briefing, Sanders pointed out that the president has denied having an affair with Daniels and that she was not aware whether Trump knew of the payment. She added that this case has already been won in arbitration, and there was no knowledge of any payments from the president, and he has denied all these allegations. The reference to having won the case is based on a statement from Cohens lawyer that an arbitrator found that Daniels violated the agreement. But Avenatti, who doesnt consider the ruling final, likened that claim to Trump having won the Electoral College. Ultimately there could be a campaign-finance law violation if the 130K was paid for the purpose of influencing the election by muzzling Stormy Daniels. Im well aware that many people dismiss this as tabloid trash, along with the allegations from the same period by Karen McDougal, a former Playboy playmate who was paid $150,000 by the National Enquirer in 2016 when she was threatening to disclose an affair with Trump. I dont really care what Trump did in his personal life as a businessman. So many other stories, from tariffs to guns to immigration, are more important. But right now we have an ongoing attempt by the presidents lawyer to silence a former X-rated film actress and an unexplained six-figure payoff that smells like hush money. No wonder this story isnt going away. Kristian Saucier, the former U.S. Navy sailor who served a year behind bars for taking photos of classified areas in a nuclear submarine, has been pardoned, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday. Saucier recently received a letter from the Department of Justice saying it was taking a new look at his request for a pardon. Although he was released from jail last year, he remained under house arrest. President Trump had denounced the governments handling of Sauciers case, calling it a political move and saying it contrasted with the velvet-gloved response to former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons mismanagement of classified information through a private server. "The president has pardoned Kristian Saucier, a Navy submariner, Sanders said in a press briefing Friday afternoon. Mr. Saucier was 22 years old at the time of his offenses and has served out his 12-months sentence. He has been recognized by his fellow service members for his dedication, skill and patriotic spirit. While serving, he regularly mentored younger sailors and served as an instructor for new recruits. The sentencing judge found that Mr. Saucier's offense stands in contrast to his commendable military service. The president is appreciative of Mr. Saucier's service to the country. Saucier told Fox News that he couldnt believe the pardon had finally come through until his wife emailed a picture of the document signed by Trump, who also called him Friday. Saucier said he feels liberated from the stigma of being a felon, and from the many limitations of house arrest, which precluded him from leaving the state. I feel I can hope for the future now, Saucier said. I can live a normal life. I can take my daughter to different places, I can do all these things with my family. One of his priorities is to see his 94-year-old grandfather, who lives in Connecticut. Saucier said it pained him that he could not see his grandmother in Connecticut before she died. Saucier repeatedly said he recognized that he had made a mistake when he took the photographs to show his family the setting in which he worked. He maintained, though, that the treatment of him by federal authorities was overzealous. I thanked the president for helping my family get our lives back," he said, referring to the call from Trump he received Friday night. "Hes got so much to do and to take the time to do something about this and to call me, its just amazing. Im so overwhelmed. I fought so hard in the military for our freedom, I spent 11 years defending our freedom, Saucier said. Im thankful that I will be able to have those freedoms. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Ronald Daigle, said the next step is to have Sauciers discharge upgraded to honorable, and have his military benefits restored. Saucier, who served as a machinist's mate aboard the USS Alexandria from 2007 to 2012, used his cellphone to photograph parts of the submarine's nuclear propulsion system while it was docked at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. Saucier, who has a 2-year-old daughter, began his sentence in October 2016 at the Federal Medical Center at Fort Devens, Mass. He was released a year later, though he was placed under house arrest. He was convicted of unauthorized retention of national defense information, which is a felony, and received an "other-than-honorable" discharge from the Navy. He faced a possible 10 years in jail, his lawyers said. President Trump said Friday Australia could be exempt from the newly imposed tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, suggesting Australias commitment to a very fair and reciprocal relationship. Spoke to PM @TurnbullMalcolm of Australia. He is committed to having a very fair and reciprocal military and trade relationship. Working very quickly on a security agreement so we dont have to impose steel or tariffs on our ally, the great nation of Australia! Trump tweeted Friday evening. The conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came after the president instituted a tariff of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on all aluminum imports. The tariffs are set to become effective in 15 days. Initially, only Mexico and Canada were exempt from paying the steep tariffs during negotiations over the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA), but the presidents latest tweets seem to suggest Australia will also be exempt. TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON ALL STEEL, ALUMINUM EXPORTS; EXEMPTS CANADA AND MEXICO FOR NOW The administrations move to impose tariffs came after a nine-month investigation, led by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from April 2017 through January 2018. The findings revealed that the current level of aluminum and steel imports to the U.S. had the potential to threaten our national security. The U.S. is the worlds largest importer of steel, importing nearly four times as much as it exports, according to the White House. The U.S. imported five times as much primary aluminum as it produced in 2016. Aluminum is used in a range of weapons and aircraft, and steel is required for aircraft carriers, amphibious force ships, submarines, tanks and light armored vehicles. The White House said the investigation rendered the U.S. unable to produce enough steel and aluminum to meet national defense and critical industry needs in the event of a national emergency. America will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual countries, Trump said Thursday, upon announcing the move. So long as we can ensure their products no longer threaten our security. A senior White House official said that there is language in the presidents proclamation outlining security relationships with countries around the globe, and noted they will be welcome to discuss with the U.S. alternate ways to tariff the imports. The steel and aluminum tariffs that President Donald Trump formally authorized Thursday have already brought some hope -- and plans for hundreds of jobs -- to economically distressed small towns across the U.S. The good news comes as critics and trade groups sound the alarm about the tariffs' potentially negative long-term economic effects, including the possibility of a trade war, net job losses, and higher prices for goods across the globe. TRUMP AUTHORIZES TARIFFS, EXEMPTS CANADA AND MEXICO -- FOR NOW Citing the prospect of fairer trade conditions, Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel announced this week that it would restart a steelmaking blast furnace next month in the small Illinois town of Granite City, the Chicago Tribune reported. The move is reportedly expected to bring about 500 employees back to work, just two years after the company idled the plant and laid off thousands of workers. Our Granite City Works facility and employees, as well as the surrounding community, have suffered too long from the unending waves of unfairly traded steel products that have flooded U.S. markets, U.S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt said in a statement. In Kentucky, Century Aluminum announced that the tariffs would allow the company to hire up to 300 workers for its Hancock County smelter, WKYU in Bowling Green reported. CALIFORNIA STEEL MAKERS SAY TRUMP'S TARIFFS WILL HURT THEM But despite the positive news in some towns, critics say the tariffs may have negative economic consequences when they take effect in 15 days. The threat of the tariff has increased prices already," Jim Russell, director of Utah's Division of Facilities and Construction Management, who predicts the cost of construction projects, told the Salt Lake Tribune, "and were trying to get our arms around what that impact will be and how we can try to mitigate it if we even can, and Im not sure we can. Its kind of a waiting game at this time to see what we can do, because were not in a position to procure the steel at this point. In a report Monday, the pro-trade non-partisan group the Trade Partnership predicted a net loss of nearly 150,000 jobs as a result of the tariffs. The consulting group said job growth in the steel and aluminum industries will be dwarfed by job losses resulting from the increased costs of working with those resources. But in Granite City, population 29,000, the dire predictions did not seem to dampen residents' measured enthusiasm. The feeling I think is more gleeful, Jason Fernandez, a member of United Steelworkers Local 1899, told KMOV in St. Louis. "The feeling I think is more gleeful." Jason Fernandez, United Steelworkers member Its going to be a wait and see just a little bit longer," Fernandez added. But theres a lot more encouragement coming out of the decision today than there was yesterday. A real estate agent and lifelong Granite City resident told the paper her feelings were less mixed. "Were ecstatic, Tina Besserman told the Tribune. Historic. Unprecedented. Shocking. All these terms have been tossed around since the announcement Thursday evening that President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks. But theres another phrase that is also applicable to this monumental meeting: a logistical nightmare. There are so many outliers and so many moving parts to this meeting that it could be a major logistical problem for all sides involved, Yun Sun, the co-director of the East Asia Program at Washington D.C.s Stimson Center, told Fox News. The first logistical issue that needs to be addressed ahead of the planned talks in May is where in the world Trump and Kim will actually meet. The United States would prefer Kim make the trip to Washington D.C., but that seems highly unlikely given the North Korean strongman has never left North Korea since taking power. Even though Pyongyang has been seeking a personal meeting with a sitting U.S. president for at least two decades, experts say it would be surprising if Kim left the hermit kingdom, given his lack of diplomatic experience and presumed comfort level on his home turf. No U.S. leader has ever visited North Korea while serving in the Oval Office. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton traveled to the country on what amounted to peacekeeping missions, but both Democrats had been out of the White House for years before making their trip. While experts are skeptical that Trump would appease the Kim regime and travel to Pyongyang especially given the signal it would send to other Asian nations - they added that it is not out of the question given the strong-willed, in-your-face type of leadership Trump projects. Trump doesnt care how he is perceived domestically among politicians, so he might be the only president to actually do this, Yun said. The neutral-country option seems the most likely answer to where the two world leaders will meet and, despite nations as disparate as Norway, Switzerland, China and Russia being thrown around as possible hosts, the most likely option appears to be South Korea or the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the rival Koreas. Experts note that both Washington and North Korea would feel comfortable implementing their security measures there and that South Korean leader Moon Jae-in already has played a crucial role in bringing the two leaders to the negotiating table. Holding talks on the Korean peninsula would also be seen as a sign that all parties involved are in it for a real solution. "Trump needs to take the same tone Ronald Reagan took when he met with Mikhail Gorbachev. Professor Robert Pape, University of Chicago The location is not so important in settling the short term differences between the countries, but it is for the long term Robert Pape, a professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, told Fox News. Depending on where it is, it will send a message that this is not just a one-and-done meeting between the U.S. and North Korea. Once the location is decided upon, the Secret Service and the security details for the other countries involved must start planning their safety measures. This may seem like a monumental task, but former Secret Service agents say that the U.S. has worked with North Korea in the past on security measures and that the agency will follow the same plan it does for whenever the president travels abroad or a foreign dignitary comes to the U.S. This meeting definitely creates some issues, but there are always counter measures, Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and current political analyst, told Fox News. There are questions that need to be answered, like who will be armed, who will be allowed where, who gets this, who gets that. But the Secret Service is going to implement its plan no matter where it is. As for coordinating a presidential trip of this historic magnitude in less than two months, Bongino noted that it may involve a great deal of intelligence gathering and heavy screening, but it is not unusual for the Secret Service to work within these parameters. Ive personally coordinated an entire Secret Service operation to Afghanistan in nine days, he said. Its not particularly complicated as long as you follow procedures, and May is a particularly long time window to plan for. While the Secret Service handles security, Trump must focus on getting his message just right. Trump needs to take the same tone Ronald Reagan took when he met with Mikhail Gorbachev, Pape said in reference to the former presidents role in ending the Cold War through his talks with the Soviet leader. The two cant easily recreate that, but that should be the goal. A big question will be whether Trump can accept a freeze of North Korea's nuclear weapons program rather than its elimination, Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University, told The Associated Press. Kim will likely want to keep some nukes as a deterrent, but that might be hard for Trump to accept when he spent so much time harshly criticizing his predecessor, President Barack Obama, for standing by and watching as North Korea became a nuclear threat. Kim could, however, express a firmer commitment to denuclearization to Trump, including giving a full report on the North's current nuclear weapons arsenal and allowing thorough international verification once the denuclearization process takes hold. The relationship between the two world leaders has been rocky to say the least. Trump and Kim have repeatedly engaged in a war of words via social media the president nicknamed the North Korean strongman Little Rocket man and called him short and fat. Kim has called Trump a "dotard," and threatened repeatedly to attack the U.S. The two also have argued over the size of nuclear buttons and some observers worry that Trumps unpredictability will sour the talks before they even start. Others, however, say that Trump has been quite successful in his dealings with other world leaders. Pointing to China, Yun noted that his diplomacy with Chinese President Xi Jinping has helped force Beijing to get tougher with North Korea. While his mixed messages toward North Korea are a big no-no, he has been somewhat successful at his diplomacy with other countries in Asia Yun said. He can play nice and be very amicable with Kim, but when it comes to the negotiating table he will push very hard. The White House said Friday that the highly anticipated meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un will not happen without concrete actions from the rogue regime. Kim Jong Un extended an invitation to meet with Trump through South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong, who made the announcement at the White House Thursday evening. The president agreed that the two would meet by May, 2018 but that wont happen until actions match words. What we know is that the maximum pressure campaign has clearly been effective, and they have made some major promises to denuclearize, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said during a press briefing at the White House Friday. Were not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions. "We're not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders Sanders added: Weve accepted the invitation to talk based on them following through on concrete actions based on the promises that theyve made. Sanders told reporters that the U.S. has made zero concessions to North Korea throughout the process, and said this didnt happen overnight. This pressure campaign has been ongoing since the president took office, Sanders said, noting that the U.S. would be having the conversation from a position of strength, not weakness like North Korea. No official time or location has been set for the meeting, but Sanders said the ultimate goal is to denuclearize the peninsula. I can tell you the president has accepted the invitation on the basis we have concrete and verifiable steps, Sanders said. The potential Trump-Kim summit drew positive reactions from world leaders and key U.S. officials. TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT PLAN DRAWS POSITIVE REACTION FROM KEY PLAYERS President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim when conditions were right, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during a visit to the African nation Djibouti Thursday. And I think in the presidents judgement that time has arrived now. The news that Trump had accepted the meeting was greeted with positive reactions from officials in China, Russia and South Korea three crucial players in efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute over North Koreas nuclear ambitions. The White House said Friday that Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jingping, and committed to maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization. President Trump expressed his hope that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might choose a brighter path for North Koreas future, the White House said in a statement. Kim "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said Thursday at the White House. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." Kim, according to Chung, understands that joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. would continue. The North Korean leader, according to recent talks with Chung, also claimed to be "committed to denuclearization." "He (Kim) pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear missile tests," Chung said, adding that Trump's "leadership" and "maximum pressure" brought us "to this juncture." Chung said that "along with President Trump," he is "optimistic of continuing a diplomatic process." But he added that "the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions." Trump and Kim have had a contentious relationship during the last year as both men dramatically increased the rhetoric against the other amid the backdrop of increased nuclear and missile testing by the North Korean regime. In August Trump warned Kim that, if pressed, the U.S. would unleash "fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before." At the time, the president argued that Kim had "been very threatening beyond a normal state," adding that the regime "best not make any more threats to the United States." Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Kristin Brown and Matt Richardson contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) If Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque were to pick a role model for women in light of International Women's Day, it would be Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux "Mocha" Uson. "Naniniwala talaga ako na modelo si Mocha Uson para sa ating kababaihan dahil si Mocha Uson, nakikita natin nagdesisyon siyang magbagong-buhay at talaga namang nagpu-pursige dito sa kanyang bagong buhay," Roque said in a Facebook live interview Friday [Translation: I believe that Mocha Uson is a role model for women, because we saw how she changed her life, and she's really pushing to do well in her new career.] He also admired Uson's huge following and impact on her social media platforms. "Ang sabi ko nga napakalaki ng potensyal na meron si Mocha Uson para magkaroon ng impact sa buhay ng napakaraming tao dahli ngayon pa lang ay sinusundan na siya," he said. [Translation: I said, Mocha Uson has a lot of potential to make an impact on the lives of so many people because even now, she already has a following.] Roque slammed Uson's detractors who use her previous job as an entertainer against her. "Kinakailangan mabuhay. Kinakailangan magbigay ng sustento sa pamilya. Gagawin mo ang dapat gawin, pero 'yung parte ng buhay na yun ni Mocha Uson tapos na," Roque said. "Walang kahit sino ang pwedeng sabihin na hindi pwedeng makaroon ng pangalawang pagkakataon." [Translation: There was a need to survive, provide for the family. You do what you have to do. But that part of Mocha Uson's life is over. No one can say there are no second chances.] Uson, who was appointed to her government post in 2017, enjoys the support of over five million subscribers on her Facebook page, MOCHA USON Blog. The Communications official is a known supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, using her page as a platform to express her opinion. Senators have urged Mocha Uson to use her power as a social media blogger wisely, after a series of gaffes on her page -- including inaccurate photos, fake news, and outdated stories, including those against the President's critics. A state Senate hopeful in Tennessee is testing whether voters in the deep-red state will support an openly atheist candidate. Gayle Jordan, a Democrat running in a state that Donald Trump won by 26 points in 2016, is executive director of Recovering from Religion, a group that supports people who wish to leave their faith behind. She is a former Southern Baptist who left the denomination 10 years ago when her then-teenagers began asking questions she could not answer. Jordan said her atheism is an open fact, but she does not want to make it an issue in the special election looming Tuesday. "It's incidental to who I am," Jordan told the Tennessean. Next Tuesday, Jordan will face Republican challenger Shane Reeves for the District 14 seat vacated by Jim Tracy, who took a job with the Trump administration. On her personal blog, Jordan wrote last year about the campaign that, What Im struggling with right now is making private those blog posts where I specifically deal with my secularism. My atheism These blog posts often use the word Atheist, and some are harsh in their judgment of religion and religious ideas. She said she wants to keep her campaign focused on increasing gun control, abortion rights and religious liberty. When the question of religiosity comes up, she explains that she is an atheist and her worldview means that she cares about human suffering. "That's what motivates me to be involved in my community. It's what motivates me to run for office," she said. 'Dangerous' views? But Reeves, in tandem with fellow state GOP officials, have used the issue of religion to drive a wedge between her and the voters in the district, calling her dangerous and her lack of faith out of step from the rest of the district. "I just feel like her views are radical," Reeves told the newspaper. "Theyre out of touch with the district." Reeves said one's faith shapes one's worldview and affects the decisions one makes. I'm a Christian and that is going to serve as a filter, serve as a moral compass and how I look at things, if I'm fortunate to get elected," Reeves said, adding that many people with whom he has spoken could not believe the Democratic candidate is an atheist. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, launched a scathing attack on Jordans atheism last month on social media. In my 40 plus years in Tennessee politics, I've seen few candidates as dangerous as Gayle Jordan. She is not just out of step with a majority of Tennessee on matters of policy. She is out of step on matters of values and faith, McNally wrote. In her daily work, she directs an organization called Recovering from Religion. Most Tennesseans, whether they are strong believers or not, recognize the strength and comfort faith provides. Gayle Jordan rejects faith as a positive force for good in the world. She believes faith is something from which people need to be rescued, the Republican added. Scott Golden, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, said in a statement that Jordans views were "extreme" and that she works to "lead people away from their faith." The relentless attacks on Jordans lack of faith led to the endorsement by an atheist superstar, Professor Richard Dawkins, who tweeted in support of the Democrat. Can you believe, they think the fact that shes an atheist is a reason NOT to vote for her? Good people of Tennessee, live down the disgrace of Scopes 1925. Support Gayle Jordan. Give Tennessee something to be proud of: an openly atheist State Senator, Dawkins tweeted. Seeks healthy discussions Jordan told the Tennessean that she is not trying to end religion but merely wants people to have a healthy discussions about it. Republican attacks on her atheism, she said, have been about politics rather than genuine concern for values in the state. "It puts them in a terrible light," Jordan told the outlet, adding that their comments make them appear unethical, childish and unpatriotic. In terms of demographics, Jordans atheism appears to be a disadvantage, as only 4 percent of people in Tennessee describe themselves as either agnostic or atheist. Still, she could pull off a surprise in Tuesdays special election. Special elections are known for low voter turnout and Democratic voters have been energized by the Trump administration and Republicans, prompting them to get out and vote in droves. This week, deep-red Texas saw the largest number of Democratic voters since 2002. More importantly, Republican candidates in Tennessee have seen their winning margins decline since Trump took office and a number of Republican-held seats were flipped in other states. Penguins in Antarctica seized the opportunity for a selfie when an Australian researcher left his camera on the ice. The expeditioner, Eddie Gault, was visiting the Auster Rookery, where a colony of emperor penguins lives in Antarctica, when the birds spotted it. The penguins are seen on video walking up to the camera, then looking down at it and inspecting it cautiously, for a while, offering viewers a rare closeup. The Australian Antarctic Division posted the video on its social platforms and has been seen thousands of times. Read more on FOX 13 News. Enormous disks of stars or debris can operate under the same rules as subatomic particles, changing based on the Schrodinger equation, which physicists use to model quantum-mechanical systems. Viewing space structures with that equation can lend new insights into how galaxies evolve, as well as reveal clues about the mechanics of the early solar system and the action of rings circling distant planets, a new study reports. California Institute of Technology researcher Konstantin Batygin, author of the new study, hadn't expected to find that particular equation when studying those astrophysical disks. "At the time, I was completely floored," Batygin told Space.com. "I was expecting the regular wave equation to appear, something like the wave of a string or something like that. And instead, I get this equation, which is really the cornerstone of quantum mechanics." [Planet-Building 'Flying Saucer' Disk Is Surprisingly Cool (Video)] Using the Schrodinger equation, physicists can interpret the interactions of systems on atomic and subatomic scales in terms of waves as well as particles a key concept in quantum mechanics that describes those systems' sometimes unintuitive behavior. It turns out, the warping of astrophysical disks can act like particles, too. "In retrospect, when I look at the problem now, I'm surprised at how I didn't just guess that that's what it was going to be," said Batygin, who's perhaps best known (to laypeople, anyway) for co-authoring a 2016 study with fellow Caltech researcher Mike Brown that found evidence for a possible undiscovered "Planet Nine" in the dark depths of our outer solar system. Blast from the past Batygin came across the connection when teaching a class. He was trying to explain how waves travel through the broad disks that are a staple of space architecture for instance, such disks are built of stars around supermassive black holes at a galaxy's center, and made of dust and debris in a newborn star system. The disks bend and warp in a complex way that current modeling can't handle on all timescales. Scientists can calculate their actions over very short time spans, like what happens over a few orbits, as well as how they will disperse over an entire lifetime, but not how and why they will change on the order of hundreds of thousands of years. "Things might happen, and you don't really know why it's a complicated system, so you just see stuff unfold, see some kind of dynamical evolution unfold," Batygin said. "Unless you have this monstrously complicated physical intuition, you just don't understand what's going on in your simulation." To follow a disk's development, Batygin borrowed a trick from the 1770s: calculating the way mathematicians Joseph-Louis Lagrange and Pierre-Simon Laplace modeled the solar system as a series of giant loops following the planets' orbits. While the model wasn't helpful on short timescales of a few circuits around the sun, it could accurately depict the orbits' interactions with one another over time. Instead of modeling individual planets' orbits, Batygin used a series of thinner and thinner rings to represent different pieces of the astrophysical disk, like layers of an onion, each tied to the mass of the orbiting bodies within that region.The rings' gravitational interactions with one another could model how the disk would warp and change. And when the system got too complicated to calculate by hand or on the computer as he added more rings, he used a mathematical shortcut to convert to describing an infinite number of infinitely thin rings. "This is just a broadly known mathematical result which is used in physics left and right," Batygin said. But yet, somehow, nobody had taken the leap to model an astrophysical disk that way. "What is truly remarkable to me is that nobody has blurred [the rings] into a continuum ever before," he said. "It seems so obvious in retrospect, and I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner." A remarkable connection When Batygin went through those calculations, he found the emerging equation surprisingly familiar. "Of course, the two are related, right? In quantum mechanics, you treat particles as waves," he said. "In retrospect, it's kind of almost intuitive that you should get something like the Schrodinger equation, but at the time, I really was genuinely surprised." The equation has popped up unexpectedly before, he added in descriptions of ocean waves, for instance, as well as the way light moves through certain nonlinear media. "What my research demonstrates is that the long-term behavior of astrophysical disks, the way in which they bend and warp, joins this group of classical contexts that can be understood in an essentially quantum framework," Batygin said. The new results raise an interesting analogy between the two situations: The way waves travel through astrophysical disks, bouncing off the inner and outer edges, is equivalent to how a single quantum particle bounces back and forth between two walls, he said. Finding this equivalence has one interesting consequence: Batygin was able to borrow some of the work done by researchers who have already studied and worked through this quantum situation extensively, and then interpret the equation in this new context to understand how disks respond to external pulls and perturbations. "Physicists have a lot of experience with the Schrodinger equation; it's coming up on 100 years old now," Greg Laughlin, an astrophysicist at Yale University who was not involved with the study, told Space.com. "And a lot of very deep thought has gone into understanding its ramifications. And so that whole edifice now can be applied to the evolution of disks." "And for someone like me who has admittedly a better sense, although imperfect, of what protostellar disks do this also gives the opportunity to go the other way and maybe get some deeper insight into quantum systems by using the disk analogy," he added. "I do think that it's going to spark a lot of attention, and interest, probably consternation. And ultimately I think it's going to be a really interesting development." A framework of understanding Batygin looks forward to applying the equation to understanding many different facets of astrophysical disks. "What I have presented in this paper is a framework," Batygin said. "I have attacked one particular problem with it, which is the problem of disk rigidity the extent to which the disk can remain gravitationally rigid under external perturbations. There's a broad range of additional applications that I'm looking into at the moment." One example is the evolution of the disk of debris that eventually formed our solar system, Batygin said. Another is the dynamics of rings around extrasolar planets. And a third is the disk of stars surrounding the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, which itself is highly bent. Laughlin noted that the work should be particularly helpful in improving researchers' understanding of newborn star systems because they're harder to observe from afar, and researchers currently can't simulate their development from start to end. "The mathematical framework that Konstantin has put together is a good example of something that might really help us understand how objects that are hundreds of thousands of orbits old, like a planet-forming disk, behave," he said. According to Fred Adams, an astrophysicist at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the study, this new work is most useful for systems in which large-scale gravity effects cancel out. For systems with more complicated gravitational influences, like galaxies with very distinct spiral arms, some other modeling strategy will be needed. But for this class of problem, it's an interesting variation on approximating waves in astrophysical disks, he said. "Research in any field, including circumstellar disks, always benefits from the development and use of new tools," Adams said. "This paper represents the development of a new analytic tool, or a new twist on older tools, depending on how you look at it. Either way, it's another piece of the larger puzzle." The framework will let researchers understand the structures astronomers see in the night sky in a new way: While these disks are changing on far longer timescales than humans can observe, the equation can be applied to figure out how a system got to the point we see today and how it might change in the future, Batygin said. And it's all based on math that usually describes incredibly quick, fleeting interactions. "There's this intriguing reciprocity between the mathematics that govern the behavior of the subatomic world and the mathematics that governs the behavior [and] long-term evolution of these astronomical things that unfold on much, much longer timescales," he added. "That, I think, is a remarkable and intriguing consequence." The new work was detailed today (March 5) in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Original article on Space.com. A bizarre medieval grave containing the remains of a porpoise is still baffling experts months after its discovery. The grave was discovered in September 2017 on an islet off the west coast of the island of Guernsey in the English Channel. The islet, Chapelle Dom Hue, is believed to have been occupied by Benedictine monks in the medieval period. Researchers have found a host of medieval pottery and prehistoric flint on the islet, but were stunned when they found the mysterious grave. GRUESOME MYSTERY: 8,000-YEAR-OLD SKULLS FOUND IMPALED ON WOODEN STAKES It contained the remains of a harbour porpoise, explained Philip de Jersey, a research associate at Oxford University and Guernsey archaeologist. The animal seems to have been butchered before being placed in a neat rectangular pit, cut down into the gneiss [a form of rock] which forms the bedrock of the islet. The grave, which is oriented north-east/south-west, was found near the remains of a structure that archaeologists think may be a chapel. Pottery found at the site likely dates the grave to the 14th century, according to de Jersey. Porpoise was a delicacy in the Middle Ages, and there are plenty of references to its consumption, including a couple in 13th/14th century documents relating specifically to Guernsey, he told Fox News. The puzzle, however, is why go to the trouble of digging a grave for this animal after it had been butchered? REMAINS OF MYSTERIOUS STONE AGE BABY FOUND CRADLED IN MOTHER'S ARM The archaeologist notes that it would have been easy to throw the carcass into the sea, which is just a few feet away. It is just possible, perhaps, that this pit was some kind of failed experiment at preserving the meat, packed with salt, and further analysis of the soil may shed some light on this, he said. There were no finds accompanying the animal other than sherds of medieval pottery, as found on the rest of the site, and redeposited prehistoric flint. At this stage, it looks as if the grave mystery will endure. The porpoise skeleton has suffered from the acidic soil, making a first attempt to radiocarbon date the animals vertebra unsuccessful. We may be able to make another attempt with a part of the skull, which is slightly better preserved, de Jersey told Fox News. MYSTERIOUS ROCK ART UNCOVERED IN CAVES ON UNINHABITED CARIBBEAN ISLAND There are no plans to do further excavation at the site. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers A new kind of identity fraud creates phony identities out of fake people and the U.S. government is expressing concern that this could become a go-to scheme for terrorists and organized crime. Synthetic identity fraud creates, in effect, a new person by selecting the right social security number (SSN). This is a new twist to identity fraud, which typically uses an existing persons identity to apply for credit or government benefits. The most common plan here is to randomly choose a SSN that wasnt issued prior to 2011, when the [Social Security Administration] changed the rules on how SSNs were issued, Kevin King, director of product marketing at ID Analytics, told Fox News. CRIMINALS CAN EASILY HACK INTO YOUR WEB BROWSER, REPORT SAYS By choosing a number from this range, they can have reasonable confidence that there wont already be a history of another person using that SSN. Many sites on the Internet provide guidance on how to do this, King added. While the schemes vary and the steps to establish a synthetic ID are different, very basically it can go something like this: the bad guy applies for a line of credit at a financial institution. While this can be rejected, the resulting credit inquiry generates a credit profile for the synthetic ID in the credit bureaus databases. Once the synthetic ID is established via the generated credit profile (or credit file), the criminal again applies for credit, gets credit established, and then applies for multiple credit cards. The criminal in the final bust out stage waits until the credit score is high enough to yield a large payout, then charges the maximum on the card, as spelled out in a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The key to a large payoff is patience. Patient fraudsters will try and mimic the patterns of young people or new immigrants accepting poor credit offers at first and paying them off, to build up their credit score with the ultimate goal of accessing big credit lines and charging off for large financial gain, King said. MAN SUES MICROSOFT FOR $600M AFTER A FORCED WINDOWS UPGRADE DESTROYED HIS PC Organized crime, terrorists pose a threat While individuals are the most common offenders, large-scale schemes are also used by bad guys to fund organized crime and terrorism, according to the GAO report. In a forum convened last year by the government agency, panelists said that synthetic identities have been used to obtain state-issued identity documents for acquiring passports. Panelists also stated that synthetic identities have been used to finance terrorists over long periods of time without being detected by law enforcement. The problem is, terrorists or any kind of organized crime can potentially use synthetic identities to enter and move around the U.S. undetected, the GAO said. Weve seen synthetic identity fraud rings which have seemingly obvious associations to organized crime so that is a significant issue, ID Analytics King said. I cant directly speak to terrorism other than to point out that the factors which make these schemes appealing for organized crime would (in theory) also make them appealing to anyone else trying to conceal or fabricate an identity, King added. Twitter has refused to comment on anti-Semitic tweets from Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, including one where he writes "the Jews have control over those agencies [FBI] of government." When reached for a response by Fox News, a Twitter spokesman said the company does not comment on individual accounts. The spokesman pointed Fox News to the company's help center, where it details its enforcement options and its approach to enforcement philosophy and policy development. The 84-year-old Farrakhan posted several bizarre tweets regarding Jews this week, including the aforementioned tweet about government agencies, specifically the FBI. FAKE NEWS SPREADS FASTER ON TWITTER THAN REAL NEWS, STUDY SAYS "The FBI has been the worst enemy of Black advancement," Farrakhan wrote on Twitter. "The Jews have control over those agencies of government." Farrakhan, who is verified on Twitter, also wrote another inflamatory tweet referencing the Talmud, a central text in the Jewish religion. Several social media users took to Twitter to express their displeasure with Farrakhan's tweets. Farrakhan has been accused of acting in an anti-Semitic manner previously, including by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2014. Last month, Farrakhan gave a near three-hour speech in which he said "powerful Jews" were his enemies, blaming Jews for the "degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men," according to the New York Times. An unreleased photo from 2005 of then-Senator Barack Obama and Farrakhan has recently emerged, further putting the spotlight on the activist leader. Farrakhan has denied claims he is anti-Semitic, including once on Twitter this week. "What have I done to make Jewish people hate me?" Farrakhan tweeted on March 6. Abuse on the platform Twitter has come under fire for the way it handles abuse on its platform and has even questioned the role it plays in society. Earlier this month, CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted a mea culpa for the way Twitter handles the problems it faces on its platform. Twitter has aggressively pursued alt-right accounts on its platform, suspending some accounts and removing verification labels from others. 'TWITTER LOCKOUT': APPARENT BOT PURGE SPARKS OUTRAGE FROM CONSERVATIVE USERS We have witnessed abuse, harassment, troll armies, manipulation through bots and human-coordination, misinformation campaigns, and increasingly divisive echo chambers, Dorsey wrote on March 1. We arent proud of how people have taken advantage of our service, or our inability to address it fast enough. Those comments come nearly a year to the day, when in April 2017, Dorsey gave an interview with the technology publication Backchannel, including discussing harassment on its site. "We recognized that the very nature of the product was giving unfair advantage to people who wanted to harass," Dorsey said in an interview with Steven Levy. "So we needed to change the product experience. We made it a priority last year, but to be very frank and honest, we only shipped one meaningful thing all year. So our progress is not something that we are proud of." Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia The mass murder in Broward County was a huge story. But what about another chilling event where nothing nearly as bad happened but could have? Saint George, Utah: A homemade explosive was found in a backpack. On Monday, a student saw the backpack in a common area at Pine View High, which looked to be smoking. The police have the student who notified faculty and the school officer prevented an explosion that would have caused mass casualties. Police got to the suspect's home, found the bomb making materials as well as info suggesting he'd been researching ISIS. Last month, the suspect may have also replaced the American flag at a different high school with an ISIS one and painted part of an ISIS-inspired threat on one wall. So why don't you hear about this story? Well, it's obvious. First, the bomb didn't go off. That's how news works. We never report when the plane lands safely. And of course, the weapon was not a gun but a bomb. Anyway, we should be grateful that no one got hurt, but don't be relieved because the only reason why no one got hurt is that they got lucky. That backpack smoked and a kid saw it. I return to the solution: hardening soft targets. Surveillance cameras should have caught the kid painting the wall or replacing the flag. Metal detectors could do a lot to reduce all threats. But right now all we have to rely on our eyeballs and chance. We can do better. This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 8, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right, Tucker. Thank you. Welcome to HANNITY. Huge breaking news tonight: President Trump scoring a big win and possibly averting a major global nuclear crisis tonight with North Korea. The president, in fact, accepting an invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un by May and North Korea agreeing to stop nuclear and missile testing and the sanctions continue in the meantime. We'll have our opening monologue in just a few minutes. But, first, joining us from the White House with the very latest on how this all came to be is our own John Roberts. John, big surprise for a lot of people, big term I thought was used is denuclearization. JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, the president says that this is not about a freeze. It's about denuclearization. We knew something was up, Sean, when the president for the very first time poked his head in the Brady briefing room at about 5:30. He got may be his nose and two toes and that's about it. But he told us in the briefing room that South Korea was going to have a major announcement this evening about North Korea. Then we heard what the South Koreans had to say. The president tweeting about it tonight saying, quote: Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean representative, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain in effect until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned. And here is the extraordinary announcement by South Korea's national security advisor Chung Eui-young here at the White House shortly after 7:00. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHUNG EUI-YONG, SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: I thank President Trump that he and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity brought us to this juncture. He expressed his eagerness in meeting President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May. (END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTS: Now, shortly after that, the National Security Council held a conference call to kind of walk us through the background of all of this and where it goes from here. Asked why the president didn't start with lower level talks, the National Security Council spokesperson said other administrations have tried lower level talks with North Korea and they have gone nowhere. So, the president thought that he would jump in with both feet here. Also, that President Trump will not reward North Korea next change for talks but said he would meet and he expects North Korea to put action to the words that they conveyed tonight. Sean, one of the big questions left to answer is, where are they going to meet? I highly doubt that they would meet in North Korea. I highly doubt that they would meet here. There is an area in South Korea, in the North Korean border where they could meet, which is actually where Kim Jong Un is going to meet with Moon Jae-in, the president of South Korea. It's a little place just in the South Korean side, to the border of Panmunjom called Peace House, or maybe they could meet somewhere else. All of that is being decided. What's really interesting about all of this, Sean, is the fact that the president was so widely criticized for taking the approach that he was taking toward North Korea and all of the rhetoric that was flying around calling Kim Jong Un little rocket man, saying, my nuclear button is bigger than yours, and Kim Jong Un responded by calling the president a fat dotard -- well, you never thought that was going to go anywhere except lead to nuclear war which a lot of experts did. And now, here, we sit on the verge of talks between the president and Kim Jong Un. I remember back in November when we were in Vietnam with President Trump, I was sitting in my seat at a press conference at the presidential palace in Hanoi when my phone rang. It was the president who was on the phone. We talked for a while and talk turned to North Korea. The president said to me, John, everybody thinks I'm trying to start a war with North Korea. He said I'm not. I'm trying to prevent a war. And this might be an indication first step down the road that the president is, in fact, trying to prevent a war and not start one as so many of his critics believe. Lindsey Graham had some words of caution for Kim Jong Un tonight saying, quote, a word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un, worse possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him. If you do that, it will be the end of you and your regime. Tough words from Lindsey Graham tonight -- Sean. HANNITY: All right. Historic day by any measure. I will have a lot more. That call is very insightful. I will address that in my opening monologue in a few minutes. But joining us now first with more on this major breaking news live at the Pentagon tonight. Jennifer Griffin, turns out a lot of people might have been taken off guard and from what I hear -- well, Secretary Mattis had to come out of an important meeting. JENNIFER GRIFFIN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Sean. And I have spoken to several very senior leaders here in the Pentagon tonight who have welcomed what they're describing as a potential breakthrough when it comes to North Korea and its nuclear program. Kim's offer to denuclearize is being viewed as potentially historic. There is no downside to talking, one senior U.S. military leader who has been tasked with preparing for a possible preemptive military strike told me. It's good news. People should be happy. The Pentagon was caught flat-footed as you mentioned by the announcement tonight. Spokesman and aides scrambled here at the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had to be pulled out of an offsite retreat with senior civilian Pentagon leaders. He had to leave the meeting with news broke from the White House. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Africa saying earlier today talks were premature. U.S. military exercises with South Korea will go ahead as planned in April. In the past, Kim Jong Un had demanded a freeze for freeze. He views these annual exercises as a dry run for an invasion to overthrow his regime. I just got off the phone with one senior U.S. military leader who said tonight's announcement is the result of the president's maximum pressure campaign on North Korea. President Trump has moved the needle more than any president before him. The proof will be in the pudding. But this is a breakthrough. It's significant this defense official told me. This is a very different tone, Sean, from what we heard from top intelligence officials. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, the head of military intelligence on the Hill two days ago, they were skeptical when asked about Kim's offer at the two-day summit between South Korea leaders Kim Jong-un and Pyongyang. But, tonight, the Pentagon's top leaders are welcoming the news if the real goal is denuclearization of the peninsula. Until then, they tell me they will keep the pressure on -- Sean. HANNITY: All right. Jennifer, as always, thank you. Joining me now with reaction, former deputy assistant to the president, Fox News national security strategist, Sebastian Gorka, and former Secret Service agent, NRA TV contributor, Dan Bongino. Dr. Gorka, we start with you. You know, everybody that has been so critical, oh, rocket man. I can assure and I will address this in my monologue tonight, I can assure the world that he is not going to be offering $150 billion in cash and other foreign currencies. Nor will he be offering what Bill Clinton gave Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, and that was energy and billions of dollars. SEBASTIAN GORKA, FOX NEWS NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIS: It's truly incredible, Sean, what a massive difference one election makes. We have an administration that's not going to kowtow to evil regimes. It's not going to fund terrorist regimes as you rightly pointed out with the JCPOA Iran deal. American leadership is back. We have a president who has walked the walk, talked the talk, and carried a very large stick. He stood up to this Stalinist dictatorship in North Korea. And what's happened in a matter of just a few months, they've backed down and they want to talk after decades and decades of appeasement. This is the vindication of the president's foreign policy. After the crushing of ISIS, this is perhaps the biggest foreign policy win that we have seen. And it's less than a year and a half into the administration. This is a problem that has plagued the West, plagued the Pacific region for decades. And, finally, there is hope of resolution. Remember, what Reagan said, trust be verify, but we are on the way to stabilizing the peninsula. HANNITY: Well said. And, Dan Bongino, by showing strength and a commitment, one thing that I don't think a lot of people have understood is the affect, the impact, these sanctions have had. China, the president's relationship with China has put a lot of pressure. And China has withdrawn a lot of their financial support and trade as it relates to North Korea. That has played a part in it. And also, America's military force in the region as shown by the president. It was no question what the consequences would be if Kim Jong Un continued what he was doing in firing these missiles. He was precipitating a crisis. The president would strike. It would have happened. It was inevitable. DAN BONGINO, NRATV CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. Sean, a couple points on this. You know, one of the lessons a lot of these hostile geopolitical actors learned around the world after the Iraq War was never ever go to war with the United States without nuclear weapons. You will be annihilated and annihilated quickly. Well, the Kim regime learned from that and they have been holding the threat of nuclear war like a gun to the head of the world now for years. But think about what happened. They took advantage of our predictability on this, Sean, and we have been predictable through Democrat and Republican administrations. Then, we get a Queen's builder in office who drops a couple DEFCON 1 level tweets in there. He's entirely unpredictable and, all of the sudden, they want to chat about denuclearization. I think Trump deserves even from his liberal haters and they are many and legion in the media, deserves a little bit of credit for what Dr. Gorka said and he is right a major, major foreign policy breakthrough. HANNITY: You know, very predictably, Dr. Gorka, the left only seems to like it if we are bowing and kissing the rings of murdering dictators and offering them bribes. While offering bribes with Bill Clinton and Kim Jong Il didn't work. It's not going to work with the mullahs in Tehran. And this president took a different response. And it absolutely sent the media in this country, they were apoplectic over the fact that he called little rocket man, little rocket man. Make fun of him, yes, our weapons actually work and we have a lot more than you do and you are going to pay a very severe price. But the one consistent thing that we sees a we look through history is that capitulation and appeasement never works. Peace through strength. It's not just a slogan. It is a philosophy. And the only way to get respect is to stand strong in the face of tyranny. GORKA: Right. As we did twice during the 20th century and American saved Western civilization, saved Judeo-Christian civilization from the Nazis, and then the communist. I just want to see the headlines tomorrow, Sean, in 'The New York Times', 'The Washington Post,' on CNN, in 'The Huffington Post', that they're going to eat crow because the president's policies worked. Do you know what the real irony is? Guess who got the Nobel Peace Prize in the man who flamed out with his policy, Barack Obama. Who deserves a Peace Prize right now? It's Donald Trump for what he is bringing to the Korean peninsula. That's the truth. HANNITY: Let me go, Dan Bongino to the actual statement. I think this is really profound and I brought this up with John Roberts. And John Roberts insight into the president -- I'm not trying to start a war. I want peace here. But peace doesn't begin by begging dictators to be nice to us. We are nice to you and bribe you will you please be nice back. But this is bigger than just stopping the nuclear testing and the missile testing that's been going on. This is about denuclearization. And in the meantime, the joint exercises continue with South America and our allies. In the meantime, the sanctions continue. The president has given up nothing. And it seems like little rocket man blinked and blinked big time tonight because it's been working and he sees this as a real threat. BONGINO: He does see it as a real threat. You know, strength matters. Don't expect anybody in the left in the media, Sean, to give him any credit for this. As we saw with Reagan and his crushing Soviet Union, they went after Reagan, not the Soviet Union. Just like they did, by the way, when they went after Trump when he went after the North Korean leader, a sworn enemy of the United States, you know, the left and the media spend inordinate amount of time fighting fake enemies, inanimate statues and things like that, and leaving the real enemies of the United States alone. But I think Dr. Gorka is right. I think there is going to be a whole lot of servings of crow getting ready to be served tomorrow to the media on the left. This is unquestionable a major breakthrough. I was actually astonished by this tonight when it came out. I'm not surprised by much. HANNITY: Yes, remember during the Olympics, oh, Kim Jong Un's sister made Mike Pence look bad, which never happened. That was the media's narrative. Oh my God, he is provoking World War III. He said little rocket man. One thing that it seems that we forget is we are the United States of America. We have the meanest, toughest military on the face of this earth. Reminding dictators that they cannot intimidate us is not a bad foreign policy. But, if it encourages them to reach out for peace, we offer our hand in peace because the world ultimately is better off for our children and grandchildren. It's not that complicated, Dr. Gorka. GORKA: It's not. And let me share with you, I was in the Oval by myself with the president maybe back in May, and he just looked up from his desk and he said: I do not want to go to war on the Korean peninsula. But he understands when a threat is made. And he loves our military and he understands them. I took 18 Green Berets into the Oval. The way he connected with them was incredible. He understands that diplomacy means nothing unless you have the option force to back it up. And that's what we have forgotten for far too long and whether it's a MOAB bomb in Afghanistan, whether it's cruise missiles in Syria, he is not adventurist but he will stand up to evil as we have done many times before. I just want to know how the never-Trumpers are going to react. How are the Tom Frieidmans? How are the sad individuals like Max Booth going to react now when Donald Trump's policies keep winning and as you mentioned it, I think the steel tariff is part of this deal. HANNITY: Absolutely. I will get to that later in the program tonight. Well said. Dr. Gorka, thank you. Dan Bongino, thank you. Joining us with more reaction, the host of 'War Stories', Colonel Oliver North. Let me -- let me pick up with Dr. Gorka was saying. It's interesting to watch the media reaction to the president and not only wanting free trade but also wanting fair trade and saying that there has got to be reciprocity. Knowing this president as well as I do, you know him well, Colonel North, he's the consummate constant negotiator. And what he's doing is, well, he exempted Canada and Mexico, and he said, oh, and every other country is open for renegotiation. The whole thing is a negotiation. And similarly here, he obviously never wanted to go to war with North Korea. But nor was he going to give an inch to Kim Jong Un and his dictatorial practices and his intimidation and his supposed show of force with his missile launches. OLIVER NORTH, 'WAR STORIES' HOST: So, do you suppose that there is a rapid translation of 'The Art of the Deal' being made in the Korea right now? I would tell you, the comment made by Senator Graham was spot on. If he thinks that he is going to go into this conversation and try to pull something over President Trump's eyes or his head, he is dead wrong. Look it, here is the other part of this that no one has seen yet. For over a decade, the Iranians have been paying for the North Koreans to act as their R&D facility so that the deal that was done isn't going to show somewhere. And Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is in charge of the weapons of mass destruction, the nukes, the ICBMs, the chemical weapons and bio weapons. They have been funding secretly financial and tech support to the North Koreans. This is going to put them on their butts. The bottom line of it is, if this works -- and it's still a big if -- if this works, it is going to make the entire world safer because it's just going to stop the North Koreans. It's going to stop the Iranians because they can't get away with it doing it at home even under the ridiculous agreement that was made in Vienna. It's good news. HANNITY: As well as anybody, you understand and you spent an entire life either involved fighting on the battlefield, being with troops and heroes on the battlefield and also the work that you did in Iran when you were handed by your government a suicide pill in case god forbid that you had to take it. I never understood the mentality. Everybody praised Barack Obama, he wins the Nobel Peace Prize, $150 billion in cash and other currencies. Bill Clinton thought it would work with North Korea and Kim Jong Il. It didn't work. He still has nuclear weapons and we got to the point where we are today. What is it about the left in America that doesn't seem to understand you cannot bribe a murdering dictatorous (ph) regime? NORTH: Sean, years ago, you and I were on the radio together talking about Madeleine Albright doing the 'Macarena' in North Korea because of the deal they had done in 1994. That deal is what got them to this point today that and the help of the Iranians. And what's now happenings with this arrangement, if this works, and I pray that it does, it's not only going to stop what's going on in the Korean peninsula, it's also going to have a very positive effect in the Middle East, because this is a major setback for the Iranians. They have been using the Assad regime and the North Koreans to do things that the rest of the world is looking the wrong way while the Iranians are doing it. This is a major blow to the Iranian goal. HANNITY: There's no downside. Could you tell me -- all right. Sanctions continue. The joint exercises continue. You have a promise before May that at least from now until May is not going to be firing any missiles or test firing them. What else the downside? I don't see one. NORTH: The downside is that this guy comes from a family line that does nothing but lie. They have lied repeatedly now for decades about what they are doing and what they are not going to do. HANNITY: The minute they lie, the minute the deal is taken off the table. NORTH: Understood. Hopefully, he will understand that. That's why that little light-hearted comment about 'Art of the Deal'. If this guy understands what he is up against, and sitting down at a table somewhere in the world opposite Donald Trump, he had better mean it when he is saying I'm going to denuclearize. By the way, it will be magnificent for the people of Korea to take it off the table. HANNITY: It will be magnificent for the world. NORTH: Absolutely right. This is a major step in the right direction. And I go back to what we always say. Trust but verify and you're never going to get a good deal out of the press. You can count on it. Tomorrow morning, it's all going to be bad. HANNITY: Donald Trump could give everybody in the world $5 million and they would still criticize him. NORTH: Yes. HANNITY: All right. Colonel, safe home. Appreciated you. NORTH: Good to be with you. All right. When we come back, my monologue on President Trump now agreeing with Kim Jong-un. Also, we have breaking news tonight that we have got to share with you about an investigation none of us really knew was going on. That's straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) HANNITY: This is a Fox News alert. Major breaking news tonight: a huge foreign policy win for President Trump. Little rocket man blinks. Now, the president's tough rhetoric, his bold action, his severe sanctions, they appear to be working tonight. President Trump is accepting an invitation to meet with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un by May and Pyongyang is agreeing to stop all nuclear and missile tests while these talks are underway. And the sanctions, they will continue. Plus, this is a huge development. The lawyer for the Uranium One informant is confirming tonight, just moments ago, that in fact the FBI field office in Little Rock, Arkansas is, in fact, investigating the Clinton Foundation. Now, this comes after Democrats tried to discredit the FBI informant with the deceptive leaks. We'll have a lot more on tonight's breaking news opening monologue. HANNITY: All right. The media liberals -- they are looking like complete fools tonight because they are once again turning out to be completely wrong about President Trump. The commander-in-chief's leadership is now leading to a major foreign policy breakthrough as it relates to North Korea. This is what we call peace through strength in action. The president is causing little rocket man to back down. It's something that President Obama, other presidents all failed to do. President Trump's tough words, his actions are now starting to yield positive results and hopefully, this will end in the protection of America and, of course, the world and the region in particular. Trump's extremely tough sanctions, they have now backed Kim Jong Un into a corner. He was forced to capitulate. It's a long way to go. We've got to be cautious, trust but verify, but meeting with Kim Jong Un under the pretense that he will stop all nuclear missile testing, this is a good start. For months, President Trump has been putting immense pressure on North Korea. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire, fury, and frankly, power the likes of which this world has never seen before. Frankly, the people that were questioning that statement, was it too tough? Maybe it wasn't tough enough. They have been doing this to our country for a long time, for many years, and it's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries. And what they have been getting away with is tragedy. And it can't be allowed. If anything happens to Guam, there is going to be big, big trouble in North Korea. If he does anything with respect to Guam or any place else that's an American territory or an American ally, he will truly regret it, and he will regret it fast. Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. (END VIDEO CLIP) HANNITY: Of course, the media mocked, the media ridiculed President Trump for daring to stamp up to a brutal murdering dictator. You may remember this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY: He wasn't a president. He was a preacher up there giving his dark world view. DAVID GREGORY, CNN: It's really frightening to hear an American president talk about obliterating any other country. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, CNN: The rhetoric was irresponsible. It was put many world leaders on edge. And frankly, it was contradictory in many, many places. UNIDENTIFIED MALE, MSNBC: I would call it simplistic axis of evil speech on steroids. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more time, simplistic axis of evil on steroids. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On steroids. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this going to go down in the history of weird U.N. speeches? ANDREA MITCHELL, MSNBC: It is certainly an unusual speech, a weird speech, rocket man, insulting Kim Jong Un. (END VIDEO CLIP) HANNITY: They would have rather if he bowed and kissed the ring of Kim Jong Un or kissed the ring of the mullahs in Iran. The reason the media did this is because they prefer the policies of Barack Obama and Bill Clintons. Those are policies of appeasement. The media wanted President Trump to get on bended knee and beg, please be nice to us. But, of course, President Trump, he didn't do that. He didn't cave. He didn't bow to the liberal pressure and he stood firm as they attacked him until, in fact, Kim Jong Un started backing down. That appears to now be happening. And, of course, the destroy Trump media, they have been embarrassingly wrong about the entire situation. Just last month, they were mocking, remember, Vice President Mike Pence for not acknowledging Kim Jong Un's sister at the Olympics? Here's how the left -- the liberals reacted and what they said back then. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WHOOPI GOLDBERG, ABC: VP Mike Pence was in the stand at the Olympics where he seemed to be making a silent protest by remaining seated when North and South Korean athletes entered the stadium under the Korean unification flag. Now, was this the place to make that statement? Or did he just forget to get up? SUNNY HOSTIN, ABC: I thought that Mike Pence said that it was inappropriate to make political statements at sporting events. (LAUGHTER) GODLBERG: If you are in Korea, you need to stand up. You need to stand up and show respect. (END VIDEO CLIP) HANNITY: Remember the media? They also were fawning over Kim Jong Un's sister who is part of a family who slaughters thousands of their own citizens, puts thousands more in death camps and millions are starving. But the truth doesn't matter to the media in this country as usual. They have been praising evil dictators for decades. Very sad. And as for this upcoming meeting between Kim Jong Un, well, President Trump is showing fearlessness in accepting the invitation. I can assure you, this that President Trump, he will not be repeating the same failed policies of appeasement. We can go back to the 1990s, then President Bill Clinton, remember, he tried to bribe North Korea with billions of dollars in energy subsidies in exchange for a promise that Kim Jong U's father, Kim Jong-il would give up his nuclear program. Clinton then went on national TV, patting himself on the back and saying this is a good deal for the American people, and they ended up getting nukes anyway. You may remember. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: This is a good deal for the United States. North Korea will freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program. South Korea and our other allies will be better protected. The entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons. South Korea with support from Japan and other nations will bear most of the cost of providing North Korea with fuel to make up for the nuclear energy it is losing. And they will pay for an alternative power system for North Korea that will allow them to produce electricity while making it much harder for them to produce nuclear weapons. The United States and international inspector will carefully monitor North Korea to make sure it keeps its commitments. Only as it does so will North Korea fully join the community of nations. (END VIDEO CLIP) HANNITY: Well, Clinton was wrong. He was naive. He was dumb. And he was gullible. Because North Korea took the money, broke their promises and then they got nuclear weapons. It's a big reason why we find ourselves in the situation we are in today. As for President Barack Obama, well, he borrowed from President Clinton's failed appeasement playbook. He gave the radical uranium mullahs of Iran vowing to destroy America, vowing to destroy Israel, threatening to, you know, destroy and wipe off the face of the earth Israel and burning American flags and Israeli flags. Obama gave them $150 billion and he still allowed them to spin their centrifuges. Here is Obama, here's him capitulating to Tehran, take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, after two years of negotiations, the United States, together with our international partners, has achieved something that decades of animosity has not. A comprehensive, long-term deal with Iran that will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. This deal demonstrates that American diplomacy can bring about real and meaningful change. Change that makes our country and the world safer and more secure. This deal is also in line with a tradition of American leadership. (END VIDEO CLIP) HANNITY: Another naive failed policy, because just like Clinton, Obama's disastrous deal is doomed to fail. They are still threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and destroy the United States of America. And by the way 150 billion of your tax dollars go to people that hate us and will never make a deal with us under those circumstances. Beyond naive. It never works. Appeasement never works. President Trump and his upcoming meeting, from now until May, the world will probably be a little bit safer. The media should be giving President Trump credit for that and the White House is making clear tonight that until this meeting happens, the Trump administration will not be easing up on North Korea. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders put out a statement it reads, quote, 'President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon, he will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain that includes joint field operations.' That also means if Kim Jong Un dares to resume conducting nuclear missile tests then talks are off the table. They is exactly what Ronald Reagan said when he said trust but verify, and its trust but verify policy. Do I trust Kim Jong Un? Nope. Do I trust North Korea and the regime? Absolutely not. But the President's strength made this meeting possible. Made today possible. Made it possible for a better tomorrow. And I can assure you this. He is not going to be bringing bribes to North Korea or strike a bad deal. Also breaking tonight, and this is huge. A massive development to a major scandal that the media has been ignoring and we have been covering. Victoria Toensing, who will join us tomorrow, she is the lawyer for the Uranium One informant. And she is confirming tonight that the FBI field office in Little Rock, Arkansas is, in fact, investigating the Clinton Foundation. Victoria Toensing is saying that her client, this is the informant, he had infiltrated Putin's network in America when they were involved in bribery, extortion, kickbacks and money laundering. William Campbell, she is saying he was interviewed by the FBI about the Clinton foundation back in December of last year. This comes after Democrats tried today the damage the credibility of this informant with a smear peaceful of selective leaks and it just proves how Democrats are scared and they will do anything and everything to protect Bill and Hillary Clinton. By the way I would like to remind them they have the right to remain silent. And when we come back, the Attorney General Jeff Sessions, he says is he seriously considering the appointment of a second special counsel as it relates to FISA abuses and of course, the Clinton email server scandal. President Trump's attorney, Jay Sekulow, he reacts exclusively next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) HANNITY: All right. Big breaking news moments ago, Victoria Toensing, she is the attorney for the uranium one informant is confirming to this show tonight that in fact the FBI is investigating the Clinton foundation and meanwhile Democrats are doing everything think can do to try to discredit. Remember, the informant, they are selectively leaking information to their friends in the left wing media. We also have other breaking news from the Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He was on last night with our own Shannon Bream when he said that he is seriously now considering appointing a second special counsel, tick tock, watch this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEFF SESSIONS, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, I have great respect for Mr. Gowdy and Chairman Goodlatte. And we are in are going it consider seriously their recommendations. I have appointed a person outside of Washington many years in the Department of Justice to look at all the allegations that the house judiciary committee members sent to us and we are conducting that investigation. I also am well aware that we have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the FISA process. We are not afraid to look at that. (END VIDEO CLIP) HANNITY: This is huge news. Joining us with reaction, he is the chief counsel for the American Center of Law and Justice and attorney to the President of the United States Jay Sekulow. I want to go back, Jay if I may, over these comments, he said in this interview last night, I have appointed a person outside of Washington, many years at the Department of Justice, looking at the allegations that the House Judiciary Committee members sent us and we are conducting that investigation and he stated he is well aware we have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the FISA process. This is a huge development. JAY SEKULOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LAWYER: It is, Sean. And I think the important part to focus in on here is that the attorney general said he has already appointed someone with a lot of experience outside of Washington, D.C. with a lot of experience within the Department of Justice who is already conducting an investigation. That investigation, in all probability, is a determination being reviewed as to whether, in fact, that special counsel, as has been requested by the chairman of the judiciary committee has been called for by members of the United States senate. Been called for by Trey Gowdy. You and I have been talking about it for a long time. So, what's happened right now is it looks like the Department of Justice has appointed someone with a lot of experience to make the determination, at least make advice as to the determination as to whether a special counsel should be appointed for this precise situation. Especially as it relates to the FISA abuse which is such a big scenario. HANNITY: Jay, my sources at the Department of Justice, they have been very clear that in their view, I disagree with it. I think we have -- there is enough evidence that we know now that would warrant and justify a special counsel. But the feeling has been we got to wait for the I.G. report to come out. Then, of course, DOJ attorneys have to look at it, then they would consider the appointment of a special counsel. It seems unbeknownst to all of us that is Jeff Sessions was doing a lot more than any of us knew. SEKULOW: Yeah, you know, we talked about that before. The public doesn't always know what the Department of Justice is doing internally. Remember, according to the regulations here, the Department of Justice has a process that they go through in reviewing as to whether a special counsel should be appointed. Now, have you got to have an issue of criminality? You have to have an issue of conflict of interest. I think in both of those situations as it relates to the FISA investigation, it warrants a special counsel. And it appears that what Jeff Sessions the attorney general has done has started that process internal review, by the way could dual track with the inspector general. Not mutually exclusive, it is not one or the other. The special counsel has a deeper ability to talk to witnesses outside of the existing Department of Justice personnel, which is one of the limitations imposed on an inspector general. So I think this is significant. I think it's significant for the rule of law and especially when you are talking about a FISA situation which was based on an unverified or salacious in the words of James Comey dossier. That dossier information was leaked to the press. That the individual, Christopher Steele, who put that dossier together, was involved with Bruce Ohr, number four at the Department of Justice wife as far as working, she was working for Fusion GPS. You start putting these together and then, of course, he ultimately gets fired, Chris Steele, because he leaked the information to the press. Now, did they tell that to the court in the FISA warrant? I suspect not. But, again, this goes to the point that you have a FISA courts are very serious. Foreign intelligence surveillance act. You have to have procedures in place to protect the American people. That is what this special counsel needs to be looking at. HANNITY: The FISA law is very clear. FBI protocols have very clear that they have legal, moral, ethical, even by their own standards, obligation to verify and corroborate any materials that are sent before a FISA court, it seems to me there were a lot of issues at play here and exoneration before an investigation, months before. That is unheard of. Secondly, if you have. SEKULOW: Witnesses were given, Sean, immunity in that situation. HANNITY: What happened to the computers? SEKULOW: Well, wait a minute. Witnesses weren't even interviewed. I mean, as far as when that -- when the draft of the report that was put together. And, remember this, Andrew McCabe said that they would not have even sought the FISA warrant without the Christopher Steele dossier. And then think about this. James Comey goes to the President-Elect of the United States and tells the President-elect of the United States that there is dossier is out there, but it is salacious and unverified. Meanwhile used it to obtain a FISA warrant. And that warrant was renewed. HANNITY: But this is the point. The FISA warrant, it was unverified, they didn't follow the FISA law. They didn't file the FBI protocols. James Comey allowed it to happen. They never told a Judge it was bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton. That is lying by omission. Then he tells Donald Trump, just before he is inaugurated it's salacious and unverified. They are telling a court in October, they are putting all the faith and credibility of their department on this. SEKULOW: Yes. But also remember this, they also renewed it. It was the day before the inauguration. Based on the same information. HANNITY: Unbelievable. SEKULOW: What you have here is the reason, we just stated the case for why a special counsel should be appointed and I believe that is what's going to happen. HANNITY: All right. Jay Sekulow, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. A lot of breaking news. When we come back, Tomi Lahren hitting the streets of California. What do the people think about the Oakland mayor and that state's liberal immigration laws and putting law enforcement at risk? Straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) HANNITY: All right, earlier this week, the Trump administration sued the state of California for its failure to comply with federal immigration law. So we sent our own Tomi Lahren out to Los Angeles to find out what California residents think. This ought to be interesting. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO) TOMI LAHREN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Do you think that we have an illegal immigration problem in California? You're smiling. You don't want to answer that question? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, boy, how long do we have to unpack? (LAUGHTER) LAHREN: Are you aware you are in sanctuary state? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not. Thank you for letting me know. What exactly does that mean? LAHREN: That means sanctuary for illegal immigrants. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think this is a safe place for a lot of residents to continue living and I'm proud of that. LAHREN: If you are an illegal immigrant you can be harbored, shielded until yesterday because the Attorney General said no more of that California. What do you think? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, if that is the way that they are doing it, then we should embrace it. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The governor here is a criminal. I mean that is a criminal act. You're going against the law. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's great. I think American is fine on immigrants and it should be that way. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any American should pay taxes and work. It is an American dream for themselves. They shouldn't be sheltered. LAHREN: I think for me it's about the rule of law and needs to be respected. You want to come in this country, come in the right way, respect our laws, respect our culture and then I think we welcome everyone. I think there is a right and wrong way to do it. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would agree. LAHREN: Do you think that it would be easier if we didn't have so many illegal immigrants already? Do you think that legal immigrants could get in easier? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, living in California like all of our fruit is picked by undocumented immigrants. I want to keep eating avocados. What about you, do you like guacamole? LAHREN: Why do you think California is so open to illegal immigration? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The term is illegal immigrants. It's not legal and that is not what this country stands for. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think that there have a lot of rules that aren't easy to navigate and we might as well not try to punish people, because our system is so difficult. LAHREN: The happy medium would be let people come in but do it the right way. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. LAHREN: There you go. What do you think about the wall? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wall is a waste of money. A big time wall, would just have to find a new way to go over. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't believe a fence is the answer. Honestly I don't know what the answer is. LAHREN: We got a big beautiful wall with a door. Would you like that wall? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably not. LAHREN: No, you wouldn't like that wall at all. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. LAHREN: Would you visit the wall? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. LAHREN: No, ok. (END VIDEO) HANNITY: All right. Joining us with more is Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren and Catalina Magazine publisher Cathy Areu. Do you believe in the rule of law? CATHY AREU, CATALINA MAGAZINE PUBLISHER: Absolutely. HANNITY: Ok. Is it illegal to enter this country, I asked you the last time? AREU: Right. HANNITY: Without permission in this country, it's illegal, right? It's illegal. Don't make me do this again. AREU: As I said I think many people entered legally and, given the circumstances perhaps stayed for other reasons. HANNITY: Are there people who broke our laws and don't respect American law? That is what I'm trying to get out of you. It's a simple question. AREU: Well, it comes to a world should we really have borders? Isn't this just one world? One planet? Should we go back to John Lennon and not worry about countries and borders and keeping people out? HANNITY: I went down to Texas, 642,000 Texans were victims of crime by illegal immigrants in the seven year period. Do you even care? AREU: Absolutely. HANNITY: Do you care about those Texans? AREU: Absolutely. HANNITY: Do you care about Kate Steinle's family? Do you care about Kate Steinle's family? AREU: Of course. And I care about all the families of the kids who have died in schools, because of our homegrown criminals. These are homegrown. HANNITY: You are like one big long run on sentence that says nothing. AREU: Why? Homegrown criminals are just as bad. LAHREN: Actually I have a question of my own. Do you lock your doors at home at your residence? Do you have a lock on your door? Do you use that lock. AREU: I do, yes. I do. HANNITY: Do you have an alarm? AREU: I don't. LAHREN: Why is that? You lock your door, because you want to know who is coming into your home. It's not because you hate the people outside. It's because you love the people inside. Well, that is what needs to be done with the United States of America. That is why we have a border. We have a right to know who is coming into our country and why. That is what keeps us safe. That is why Sean and I care so much about this issue. AREU: If I had law enforcement in my home and people taking care of me I know something went wrong, something in my home they would take care of it, but I don't have a police officer sleeping over at night so therefore I lock my doors. So, in our country we do have systems in place that people commit crimes, then they will be punished. HANNITY: Tomi? LAHREN: We have systems in place. That is right, called the law. That is the whole issue here. It's called the law. You have need to respect law. AREU: And they do. Millions of immigrants do respect the law. We don't hear about millions of immigrants committing crime. HANNITY: This is 11 million illegal immigrants and 13.5 percent of the crime population comes from the community of only 3.5 percent. AREU: Well, I mean, we're not. HANNITY: That is from the U.S. government, in case you are interested. AREU: Yes it is such a small number. HANNITY: We have 3.5 percent of the population commits 13.5 percent of the crime. AREU: Millions of immigrants in this country pay their taxes and do not commit crimes. HANNITY: Tomi, I don't know how do you this every week and talk to people that don't make sense. AREU: I make perfect sense. LAHREN: Behind enemy lines. It's all right. We are educating. We are doing our jobs here in California. Educating. HANNITY: All right. I'm about to do a shot of whiskey. Have a beer. More Hannity next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) HANNITY: All right. That is all the time we have left this evening. As always, we want to thank you for being with us. We will always be fair and balance. We are not the left wing destroy Trump media. We have major breaking news tomorrow night. Tell your friends. This is huge. There is a Clinton foundation investigation. And another story that I can't tell you about until tomorrow. By the way, we just started our Instagram page on top of that Sean Hannity at twitter and hannity.com. Just go check it out for yourself. We will throw a pictures of Laura Ingraham that will drive a lot traffic. LAURA INGRAHAM, THE INGRAHAM ANGLE HOST: Oh yes. Drive it away, what are you talking about? (LAUGHTER) Copy: Content and Programming Copyright 2018 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2018 ASC Services II Media, LLC. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. This is a rush transcript from "The Story," March 8, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. SANDRA SMITH, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: Bret, great to see you and great to have you back. We pick up THE STORY from here. A Fox News alert: we are awaiting what President Trump says will be a major announcement from South Korea. South Korea's national security advisor is expected to come to that podium at any moment. Let's bring in Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts with what to expect here. An unexpected evening and announcement, John. JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's just typical here at the White House, Sandra -- I've got to put it that way. Every day when you're just feeling like you could pack up and go home, some other piece of breaking news happens. We're outside at the west wing portico here. It's a location that you're familiar with when people come out and talk. It's an unfamiliar location for us to broadcast from. And we are expecting that in the next few minutes, Chung Eui-yong, who is the South Korean National Security Advisor will be coming out here to brief us on a couple of things. First of all, he'll give us a sort of a rundown of what happened in the meetings that South Korean officials had with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, earlier this week. And then he will talk about an invitation that Kim Jong Un is issuing to President Trump to meet. Now, if this were to happen, this would be an extraordinary breakthrough because U.S. presidents have been talking with North Korea, cutting deals with North Korea for nearly 30 years and not once did the American president ever meet with the North Korean leader. So, if there were to be an in-person meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, that would absolutely be precedent-setting. We don't know if we will learn tonight and we may, whether or not any preparations are being made for a meeting between the two presidents. Certainly, President Trump has said he'd be happy to meet with Kim Jong Un if the conditions were right for that and the conditions would be that the substance of the conversation would be about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea giving up its nuclear program, and not just freezing it. Because the president said I don't want to freeze it where it is -- which would allow them to start it up from where we are. They would have to freeze it and roll it back, or they would have to get rid of it all together. Then, there's the question of: where would the two leaders meet? Kim Jong Un will be coming to South Korea along the border at Panmunjom -- there's a place called the 'peace house' on the South Korean side of that border. That's where he'll be meeting in late May with Moon Jae-in, the South Korean President. But if Trump were to meet with Kim? Where would it happen? It certainly wouldn't North Korean soil. It might be able to happen on South Korean soil if they played sort of a neutral broker in all of this, or there could be some third location. We don't know any of this, because we do not know if the president will accept his invitation. But we're told that tonight's announcement is going to be very, very big, Sandra. So, keep it here. We'll have it for you very shortly. SMITH: So, to remind everybody how unexpected this was, very unusual, a lot of things happening tonight. But one was that the president himself walked into that briefing room and said this announcement would be coming. John, can you give us an idea, looking back at the things that this president has said about his willingness to potentially meet with the North Korean leader? ROBERTS: Well, he has said on several occasions that he would be willing to meet with Kim Jong Un but he would only meet with him, as I said before, if the conditions were right and the conditions would be that any talk between the two leaders would be about the denuclearization of the North Korean Peninsula. You know, President Trump has come in for a lot of criticism on his policies towards North Korea. Saber-rattling, saying my nuclear button is bigger than yours. When we had Jim Mattis, the Defense Secretary, come out and said, we're not looking for the complete annihilation of a country namely North Korea, and there has been a lot of extraordinarily tough talk from this president, from this administration toward North Korea. But, I'll let you in on something. When I was sitting outside the presidential palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, waiting for President Trump to arrive, my phone rang. And it was the president that was on the phone. We said we talked about a number of things, and talk came around to North Korea. And he said, John, there's a lot of people thinking that I want to start a war. They're accusing me of wanting to start a war with North Korea. He says, I'm trying to avoid a war. So, of all that tough talk and the sanctions has brought us to this point, then you can paint a picture of a very shrewd strategy on the part of President Trump to bring North Korea to this point. But the president said the other day that the sanctions are biting against North Korea, they're biting very hard. They knew that they were going to take a while to work. And then, we saw that slide opening where North Korea joined in with South Korea in the Olympic game and they marched together in the opening ceremonies. And now, we're moving to the next diplomatic step along the line which is talks between North Korea and South Korea. Talks between the two leaders of North and South Korea and then, maybe, a history-making event. The very first meeting of a U.S. president and a North Korean leader since the Korean War. I mean, that would be extraordinary. SMITH: And this announcement, John, is coming after hours of meetings today happening in that White House. Just a reminder to everybody tuning in right now, we're expecting the South Korean national security advisor to walk out to those microphones, as you just detailed, John, outside of the west wing portico to make a major announcement. And the Pentagon, according to our reporting, has said that this is going to include an invitation from Kim Jong Un to meet with President Trump. Do we know anything else more, John, about who will accompany him to that microphone to make this announcement? ROBERTS: You know, he's got a staff, clearly. And on the on the same way that H.R. McMaster who's the National Security Adviser here at the White House, has a staff. But it will be Chung Eui-yong, who's the National Security Advisor, who's been briefing H.R. McMaster and his staff all day on what happened during those meetings with the South Korean officials and Kim Jong Un, and where this is going to go from here. And, again, the White House not saying anything about where this goes from here. But, we're being led to believe by the significance of this announcement, as, you know, previewed to us by the White House, that this could be something very, very big. So, be patient, stay tuned. They'll be out here soon. SMITH: We will. It was expected at 7:00. We are watching those microphones for this to begin. John Roberts, thank you for that. ROBERTS: Thank you. SMITH: Here with more, Congressman Will Hurd, who sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Waltz, a Former Counter Terrorism Advisor to Vice President Cheney and a Fox News Contributor; and Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner Commentary Writer. I want to start with you first, Colonel Waltz, if you could weigh in on the president's strategy here to walk into that press briefing room tonight and say a major announcement is coming, it will be delivered by South Korea about North Korea. We're all watching. Colonel? LT. COL. MICHAEL WALTZ, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND FORMER COUNTER TERRORISM ADVISOR TO VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Well, you know, I think what this president fully understands is that in order for diplomacy to work, North Korea, and importantly, China, had to believe that there was a credible use of military force. They had to believe that this president would exercise the military option before he allowed North Korea to have a fully capable nuclear arsenal -- capable of striking the United States and its allies. I think North Korea believes this president will go there. I think China believes it. And that's what our diplomats needed; they needed that military stick behind them to actually make diplomacy work. That said, Martha, I'm incredibly skeptical. We've seen this movie before. We know that the North Korean missile engineers are going to be busy at work. They didn't take off a month during the Olympics. And that the head of our intelligence community has said that he believes they have about -- that we have about a year before that ICBM is capable of reentering the United States. So, I'm very skeptical that the North Koreans are going to use this next year to buy time, drag out talks, and do what they need to do to then cross the finish line and have a fully capable nuclear arsenal. So, I think we need to be very, very skeptical here. We have to accept the olive branch, but we need to be skeptical. SMITH: I want to bring congressman. Will the president accept this invitation? REP. WILL HURD, RTEXAS: I don't know. Who knows? But, talking is better than fighting. But, as Colonel Waltz said, we've seen this before. And so, this is a positive development, but we have to continue to move our forces to be prepared for a ground war. We have to make sure that we continue to keep sanctions in place. Let's not make the same mistake that Obama administration made with the Iran deal by getting rid of the things that brought people to negotiate. SMITH: Is it fair to say that, congressman, that this president has done more than his predecessors as far as North Korea is concerned? HURD: I think that's true. One of the things I learned as an undercover officer in the CIA and back alley of places like Pakistan and Afghanistan is be nice with nice guys and tough with tough guys. And that tough rhetoric, making sure people realize we are willing to use our stick has been important in getting people to negotiating table. But we also have to remember the diplomatic effort of making sure China and all of our other allies are putting the noose around North Korea. There are still some more sanctions that can be put on top of North Korea that would stop all fuels from going in to North Korea. That would prevent them from doing any kind of conventional war which we also have to be prepared for. So, there's still more tools in our tool kit. We should be prepared to have talks but the only way a president of the United States should ever go and talk with the leader of North Korea is if they are willing to denuclearize the entire peninsula. SMITH: And the White House has said such that. Tom, I want to bring you in here as we await this announcement by South Korea on North Korea at the White House. Your expectations at this moment? TOM ROGAN, COMMENTARY WRITER, THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER: I think we will hear an invitation. South Koreans have facilitated for President Trump to meet Kim Jong-un. I think President Trump will accept it. He will go and do it. I think he wouldn't have announced this afternoon this sort of excitement walking into the press briefing room, unless that had already been agreed upon. But I do agree with the previous two commentators, congressman and the colonel, in terms of the skepticism we need here. I think the best way that the Trump administration can deal with this is to agree to a rapid talk with Kim Jong-un. I think the timeline, quite frankly, to an ICBM plus warhead capability for the North Koreans is probably a matter of three or four months -- not a year. So, they should have a talk. Trump should say -- President Trump should say to Kim Jong-un, listen, let the IAEA inspectors in there. If you do that, if they can have smack inspections, we will suspend military training, military exercises. But those smack inspections have to have a report back, I think, from the IAEA within a matter of two or three weeks. And in that sense, you get to judge very quickly within a matter of weeks, not months, whether the North Koreans are serious. If they aren't serious, you sanction the Chinese and Russian banks that are hiding behind the scenes pretending they are cooperating with U.N. sanctions. And you also engage in the kind of military -- SMITH: I want to bring your attention to the screen here, because as you can see the national security advisor of South Korea is stepping up to the microphones here. We are going to take a quick pause and bring in our Fox affiliates across the country for this announcement coming from South Korea. Let's pause and bring in those stations. CHUNG EUI-YONG, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR FOR SOUTH KOREA: I would like to thank President Trump, the vice president, and his wonderful national security team, including my close friend General McMaster. I said to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity brought us to this juncture. I express President Moon Jae-in's personal gratitude for President Trump's leadership. I told President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he is committed to denuclearization. He pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile test. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. And he stressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the greeting and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The Republic of Korea, along with the United States, Japan, and our many partners around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Along with President Trump, we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past and that the pressure will continue until North Korea -- with concrete actions. Thank you. (CROSSTALK) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any preconditions, sir? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can Kim Jong Un be trusted, sir? SMITH: That was the national security advisor of South Korea following up on a promise by the president of a major announcement to happen at the top of the 7:00 hour -- and there you have it. He is relaying a message from North Korea. Kim Jong Un has pledged he will refrain from further nuclear tests with the understanding that military exercises will continue to be necessary. Here's the big news on that potential meeting, he said Kim Jong Un has requested to meet with President Donald Trump as soon as possible -- were his words. And he said the president has agreed to do so by May. We're going to dig in to all of this. This is an announcement coming from South Korea after hours of meetings inside of the White House today. And the president came into the press briefing room a short time ago and said there would be a big announcement coming from South Korea on the north. I want to check in with John Roberts. He's outside the White House for us right now. John, did you hear what I heard? ROBERTS: I heard exactly what you heard. And I thought to myself: we're going on a trip and we're going to be going on a trip very soon, sometime before May is what Chung Eui-yong said that the president has agree that he will meet with Kim Jong-un. It's difficult to overstate the historic nature of this for an American president to agree to one-on-one talks with North Korea's dictator, really is quite extraordinary. I thought it was interesting that Mr. Chung said that it was the president's maximum pressure policies on North Korea that brought them to this point. The talks earlier in the week between South Korean officials and Kim Jong Un and the planned meeting now between Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, which will happen, perhaps, after President Trump speaks directly with him. And now, the promise of direct talks between the United States and North Korea. The president is under no allusion, though, that this is going to be a real break-through and this is going to lead some real concrete action. Because he has cautioned for years now during the election campaign and as president that North Korea are serial cheaters. And they lead you to believe that they're going down one road and then they're going down another road, and it goes all the way back to 1994 when they signed that first framework agreement between the United States and North Korea to get rid of its nuclear program and then North Korea did nothing but cheat. But, we are at an extraordinary moment in history right now, Sandra. The American president has agreed to meet with the North Korean president, time and place to be determined, but this is going to happen within the next few weeks. Really quite remarkable. Sandra? SMITH: Important to point out as well that Kim Jong Un has been in power for over six years, John Roberts, and this will be his first meeting with any head of state. ROBERTS: Yes, which one is going to be first, the meeting between him and President Trump or the meeting between him and President Moon Jae-in. I mean, here's a guy that, you know, doesn't stick his head up above the tree line very often. You know, he's got those big parades that he appears in. That's about it -- you know, through the streets of downtown Pyongyang. But, he's going to have to travel because President Trump is not going to Pyongyang. That's for sure. So, whether or not they do this on South Korean territory and maybe they do it right along the border crossing to Panmunjom, where the meetings are planned between Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in at the famous South Korean peace house or somewhere else, maybe a third country, neutral territory. We don't know at this point but those arrangements will be being put into place now that President Trump has agreed that he's going to have a meeting with Kim. SMITH: John Roberts at the White House for us, thank you. ROBERTS: Thanks. SMITH: So, you've been watching a major announcement happening on the lawn of the White House there. The national security advisor of South Korea just announcing that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has requested to meet with our President Donald Trump, and that our president has indeed agreed to that meeting. Kim also pledging, he said, to refrain from further nuclear tests while continuing with military exercises. All right. Thank you so much for joining us. We're going to depart from our affiliates. Please join us on the Fox News Channel for continuing coverage. Back again with Texas Congressman Will Hurd, Lt. Col. Michael Waltz is also joining us, Fox News contributor, and Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner Commentary Writer. Tom, I want to go to you first on this. Some big questions now that this meeting will actually be taking place. The North Korean leader wanted it as soon as possible, and the president has agreed to meet by May according to South Korea there. Where and what will be discussed? ROGAN: Yes, I think it would likely be in South Korea. Frankly, I think President Trump should take Kim Jong Un up at his word and have this as soon as possible again for that timeline, to see if Kim Jong Un is being serious. Why not do it next week? The only issue I think if both sides are willing is the secret service. What would they have to say about it? But functionally, again the key here is not going to be word, it's not going to be pledges along the future timeline, it's the urgency of action now. And so, I think the United States, it will come down to if it is possible, to have that suspension of military training, North Koreans say they don't care about that at the moment, fine, but they're not offering anything apart from talks. When it gets to the meet, can you get those inspectors in in a matter of weeks, two weeks or less? Can you get a verified report? Can you do snap inspections -- the kind of things you haven't seen in Iran? Because if you can't get that, it's the proof he's not serious and it's all a big game as it has been before. But if he is being serious, President Trump deserves huge credit for the biggest diplomatic breakthrough, quite frankly, since the end of the cold war, maybe even before that. SMITH: Congressman, the sincerity of this meeting will obviously be questioned and speculated on all the way up until May when this actually happened. You have not agreed with this president on all of his policies and strategies, but you do, however, sound like you do agree with what he is doing here. Is it working? Is this a good move? HURD: I think it is. I've been supportive of the tough rhetoric for quite a while. This is -- and also the work on diplomacy. We've got to commend Secretary Tillerson for the work he's been doing with our partners. A few weeks ago, we had our Canadian foreign minister host a number of key leaders on the fight against North Korea, and that had pressure on the North Korean regime. And the fact that, again, the number of sanctions that have happened -- the fact that China was participating, Russia was participating. These have all been a very big deal. But this doesn't change anything. This doesn't change any kind of military preparations. This doesn't change the fact that we need to continue to move part of our fleet into that region. And we'll see, after these talks happen, whether there's actually -- SMITH: Well, colonel, what do you think about that? WALTZ: Well, I'm in agreement with both Tom and Congressman Hurd. You know, I think the timeline is what's critical here. I'm happy to hear that this meeting is going to happen as soon as possible, but then it's going to be that follow-on. You know, the working level meetings of getting the U.N. inspectors in. And, you know, we've seen time and time again, we saw this under the Bush administration that once you get down in the details of what they can inspect, where they can inspect, how quickly, what type of notice they can give, and really verify true denuclearization, is where the proof is in the pudding. And then the other piece, I think the deal that really is going to be had here or potentially had here, if, you know, looking at it from a positive standpoint is that Kim Jong Un has said repeatedly he will look at denuclearizing if we remove the threat and the threat U.S. forces on the South Korean Peninsula. I'm not sure we're ready to go there. SMITH: All right, guys, thanks for covering it for us. Tom, Colonel, and the Congressman, thanks to all of you. On that announcement. Also breaking tonight, Democrats seizing on a new report in The Washington Post suggesting Robert Mueller may have found a smoking gun in his hunt for Russian collusion. According to that report, there was a secret meeting in Seychelles, a remote island off the coast of Africa just before Trump's inauguration. At that meeting, Erik Prince, the founder of the private security company, Blackwater, and a Russian official close to President Putin. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. ADAM SCHIFF, DCALIFORNIA: The Seychelles meeting was part of an effort to establish a back channel to Russia that the meeting that Erik Prince had with the Russian banker was not happenstance is obviously at odds with what we heard in the testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. (END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: But it turns out that may not be the whole story. Leland Vittert is live in Washington with exclusive breaking news tonight. Leland? LELAND VITTERT, FOX NEWS CHANNEL CORRESPONDENT: Evening, Sandra. Talked to Erik Prince a couple of times today. He tells me, he 'never ever represented himself as a member of the Trump transition, didn't set up a back channel, didn't lie to Congress', and Adam Schiff just has his feelings hurt. Plus, as you might remember, he testified about this meeting a couple of months ago, Prince is a Trump donor, founder of Blackwater, and brother to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. He says he went to the Seychelles back in January 2017 for a business meeting with the leader of the United Arab Emirates. And while there, spent 30 minutes with Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian businessman with close ties to Moscow. The Washington Post reports, 'a witness cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller told investigators the meeting was set up in advance so that a representative of the Trump transition could meet with an emissary from Moscow to discuss future relations between the countries.' Prince denies this, saying the circular argument, 'if the left's fantasy of collusion is true, why did the meeting two months after the election matter at all?' and he continued, his meeting with the Russian businessman only touched on U.S. Relations with Russia. Prince said, at that meeting, if Stalin and Roosevelt could come together to defeat Nazi fascism, then Putin and Trump could come together to defeat Islamic fascism. That Prince claims was the end of the conversation. He says, he hasn't talked to that Kremlin-connected banker since. Today, Democrats pounced on reports that Lebanese-American businessman, George Nader, told the special counsel he was at the meeting referring to prince's earlier testimony. Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell told CNN, he never gave the name George Nader if he, meaning Prince, met with George Nader he lied under oath. Not so fast, says Prince. He tells me that he told the committee he met with UAE advisors of which Nader was one at that meeting. Now, back to Adam Schiff, today, he said he wanted Prince to come back and testify about all of this, Sandra. I asked Prince if he would. He said, there's just no need and that Schiff is just grasping at straws and has his feelings hurt because Prince 'scolded the Intel Committee for leaking classified information about him'. Sandra? SMITH: Leland Vittert, thank you for those breaking details tonight. Here with more, Byron York, Chief Political Correspondent, The Washington Examiner, and a Fox News contributor. Byron, good to see you in the evening rather than mornings, as usual. BYRON YORK, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Thank you, Sandra. SMITH: Very good to have you here. What can you conclude from what you just heard? YORK: Well, I think the most important thing to remember is the main question that everybody has been pursuing is did the Donald Trump campaign and Russia collude to influence the 2016 election? Keep that in mind when you remember that this meeting in the Seychelles was in January 2017 -- it was two months after the election. It was not a meeting to try to influence the election. After that, what does it mean? Even if Erik Prince were representing the Trump transition and you just heard Leland report he says he definitely was not. But even if he were, I mean, this would be the incoming administration trying to establish some sort of ties with another country prior to the president's inauguration, which is not all that different from that phone call that Michael Flynn had with Sergey Kislyak who was a Russian ambassador. A lot of experts say, there was nothing wrong with that. So, it's hard to figure exactly what the importance of this meeting is when you remember it happened in January 2017. SMITH: Byron, how damaging are these leaks that are coming out of this committee right now? YORK: Well, this is the most dysfunctional, divided committee on Capitol Hill. I think if you go testify before them, it's like going to dinner at the world's most dysfunctional family. They all yell at each other and you're kind of sitting there. SMITH: Sounds like mine. YORK: And we have seen a number of leaks. And I think maybe a really low point was reached last week when Hope Hicks, the president's -- one of the president's closest advisors testified and they pushed her -- Democrats pushed her to suggest that she had lied for the president. And after a lot of talks, she said that she had actually told some small white lies on behalf of the president. SMITH: Right. BYRON: Like telling a caller he was in a meeting when he wasn't really in a meeting, and that got blown up into a big story: Hope Hicks lies on behalf of President Trump, what about? So, the relations between the two sides of the committee are terrible. And they are, at least Republicans are thinking about wrapping this up some time. SMITH: Always good to get your take on things, Byron. And thanks for sticking around after that breaking news coming out of the White House at the top of the hour. BYRON: Thank you, Sandra. SMITH: Good to see you. Well, after six long years, the DOJ will finally release fast and furious details that the Obama administration kept hidden. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed because of that botched gun- running operation and his brother, Kent, is here with us tonight. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANDRA SMITH, THE STORY HOST: Breaking tonight, harrowing audio just released by the Broward sheriff's office recounting shear hysteria on February 14th as parents frantically contact 911 for information on the whereabouts of their children while a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas School. Trace Gallagher live on out West Coast newsroom with the latest on this. Trace? TRACE GALLAGHER, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Sandra, we're going to let the urgency of the calls speak for themselves. I just want to kind of set up the context for you. There were 81, 911 calls made from 2:22 on the afternoon of February 14th to 3:45. Of the 81 calls, the Broward County sheriff is only releasing 10 of them. And if you put those 10 calls together, it's about an hour of audiotape which means there were some long conversations. But only one of the released calls was from inside the school and we're going to play you that. Meantime, the rest are from second and third parties relaying information like these three samples of different parents with kids inside the school. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son is in Stoneman Douglas High School. He said he heard noises in class. And he thinks there's a shooting going on at the school. He said shots, shots, shots. Mom, God. There was few shots in her room. UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God, oh my God. (END VIDEO CLIP) GALLAGHER: And then there's this call from a man who's talking to a woman with two daughters inside the school. One daughter is in the auditorium. The other is in a classroom crouched under a window. Listen to her. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody just entered the room. UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Who is it that entered the room? UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Are they the police? UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, I love you. (INAUDIBLE) UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Is it the police? UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK. It's OK. UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God. UNINDENTIFIED MALE: A police. They said put your hands up. UNINDENTIFIED MALE: I love you. I love you. It's going to be fine. Hide somewhere. Can you play dead? (END VIDEO CLIP) GALLAGHER: You can hear the mom in the background talking to her daughter on the phone how panicked she is. And finally, this call from someone inside the school, it's a male but it's unclear if it's a student or a faculty member. Listen close, because he's whispering. Watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Stoneman Douglas High School is being shot up. UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's being shot up? Are you at the school? (INAUDIBLE) UNINDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't hear you. Are you at the school? (END VIDEO CLIP) GALLAGHER: Yeah. That's when the call either hung up or the line dropped off. The media, by the way, is also asking for the other calls to be released as well as surveillance video outside the school, and the Broward County sheriff has agreed to release the video. Now we're waiting for a judge to either say yes or no. But soon we should have video and the remainder of those 911 calls. Sandra. SMITH: So difficult to listen to those. Trace, thank you. Up next, for years the Obama administration hid documents linked to their botched fast and furious gun-running operation that claimed the life of border patrol agent Brian Terry. Brian's brother, Kent, asked for help and the Trump administration answered. His reaction, next. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNINDENTIFIED MALE: There needs to be accountability. There needs to be justice for my brother. He deserves it. He spent 22 years serving his country as a law enforcement officer, a marine, and that's what he deserves. (END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) SMITH: Developing tonight, six years after the Obama administration botched fast and furious gun-running scandal. We might finally get some answers on what really happened. The Trump DOJ is now releasing hidden documents that Obama and his former attorney general wanted to keep secret about the ill-fated operation that claimed the life of border patrol agent Brian Terry. Brian's brother, Kent, this past weekend took to twitter with this plea to the president. Sir, it's been seven years. My family asks you reopen Obama's gun scandal that cost my brother his life. I talked to you back on the campaign trail here in Michigan and you offered to reopen the books into this senseless scandal. Within days of that tweet, the administration took action. Kent Terry joins me now. Kent, how did it feel when you learned this news? KENT TERRY, BROTHER OF SLAIN ICE AGENT: I was relieved, emotionally relieved. It's been a frustrating six years for me and my family. It just felt like a big weight was lifted off our chest today, and our shoulders. And finally -- but it shouldn't have got to this point if the Obama administration had just been honest with us from the get-go, instead of lying to us and misleading us for the last six years. But today was -- it was a start, but we have still got a long road ahead of us. SMITH: You can still hear the pain in your voice and you and your siblings. We've heard from your sister as well, have been asking for this for so long. And, as you said, you were promised answers a long time ago. And we're reminded of this letter back in 2014 that Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, wrote to you saying as I committed to you in our meeting, holding those responsible for your brother's murder accountable to the fullest extent of the law and ensuring that no operation like fast and furious ever happens again remain top priorities for the department of justice and for me personally. That didn't happen. TERRY: No, it didn't happen. It was frustrating. Especially after the scandal that came out. And I met with him in person, and he sat there and looked at me straight in the face and said the same things he pretty much wrote in that letter. And I never had hope, really, when I walked out of there the disappointment at our justice system let my family down. And not only that, let my brother down. But today, when I met Mr. Trump, President Trump at the time now, he finally put hope in our justice system, and my family getting answers and accountability. SMITH: You have said you want answers but you also want accountability. Will -- ultimately there be responsibility as a result of finally seeing these documents? TERRY: What's that? SMITH: Do you believe that there will ultimately be accountability now that these documents will be turned over? TERRY: I hope so. It needs to, just so it doesn't happen again in the future. And lives are not lost by senseless acts like this. I'm not sure why they did it. But the people they've hurt and the hundreds of Mexican civilians that got killed with these weapons along with -- my brother, is just -- the families, they're the ones suffering. And these people that are responsible for this are just sitting back, you know, still collecting a paycheck and living life, while they took somebody else's is just not fair. SMITH: Kent, obviously, your family is still grieving to this moment. If you could, just leave us off with a thought of your brother tonight. TERRY: He's -- I think about him daily. There's probably not a second that goes by. Is just that -- he's my hero. And he's just -- he always will be. SMITH: We're all thinking about your family tonight. We hope you get answers. Thanks for coming on. TERRY: Thank you. SMITH: We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) SMITH: Fox News alert, this statement just coming in from the president following that big announcement at the top of the hour, President Trump greatly appreciate the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain, and those words coming in just now from Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary. We'll stay on that for you. Meanwhile, developing tonight, pressure is being ramped up on evangelical Christians to defend their support for President Trump. As left wing pundits call them hypocrites for supporting the president amid allegations from adult film star Stormy Daniels. Joining me now, Juan Williams, co-host of 'The Five,' and a Fox News political analyst, and Pastor Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and a Fox News contributor. Good to have both of you here. Pastor, I'll go to you first. What do you make of the evangelicals being called hypocrites in the wake of this -- these allegations? ROBERT JEFFRESS, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it's absolutely ludicrous. Look, evangelicals know they're not compromising their beliefs in order to support this great president. And let's be clear, evangelicals still believe in the commandment thou shalt not have sex with a porn star, OK? We're still agreed on that. However, whether this president violated that commandment or not is totally irrelevant to our support of him for two quick reasons. First of all, evangelicals knew they weren't voting for an altar boy when they voted for Donald Trump. SMITH: Right. JEFFRESS: We supported him because of his policies and his strong leadership. And tonight you saw another example, the result of that strong leadership in the announcement from North Korea. But, secondly, and, Sandra, this is more important, perhaps, evangelicals understand the concept of sin and forgiveness. Look, we're all sinners. We all need forgiveness. That forgiveness is available through Christ for anyone who asks. And whether the president needs that forgiveness for this particular allegation, whether he's asked for it is between him, his family, and his God. SMITH: Get in here, Juan. (CROSSTALK) JUAN WILLIAMS, THE FIVE CO-HOST: Oh, I love Pastor Jeffress. And I want him to make his case. JEFFRESS: I love Juan. WILLIAMS: But pastor, I don't see how you can say that this is something people knew about. This story has gotten much bigger in the last two weeks since we had our previous engagement here on The Story. Because now, you have the lawyer for the president, Michael Cohen, saying, oh, you know what? Not only did I pay $130,000 to try to silence the woman, now I'm trying to get an injunction or some kind of arbitration to stop her from talking yet again. Secondly, you have Sarah Sanders at the White House speaking out. And third, Stormy Daniels suing the president, not only suing the president, but saying possibly she has text messages, pictures or property. (CROSSTALK) SMITH: They're allegations. Go ahead, pastor. JEFFRESS: What I say to that is, look, even if it's proven to be true, it doesn't matter because. WILLIAMS: Wow. JEFFRESS: Of what I just said. And Juan, listen, a blue dress was not enough to turn you into a red Republican, and I believe anything Stormy Daniels has will not be enough to turn red Republicans into blue Democrats. SMITH: But the big question is. JEFFRESS: This is about the policies and issues. WILLIAMS: No, it's not. By the way, what did Christ do at the temple? He threw out the money changers. Pastor, you cannot sell your integrity, your Christian values and say, oh, because President Trump is anti-abortion I'll support him no matter what? What happened to the principles? What happened to your love of people of character? JEFFRESS: We're supporting him because of the principles that he stands for, not because of personal behavior. We all fall short. And when talking about what Christ did, he also caught the woman who was in adultery and said I forgive you and go and sin no more. WILLIAMS: Yeah. And you know what, she wanted forgiveness. This president, pastor, has never asked for forgiveness. Never acknowledged it. JEFFRESS: You don't know that Juan. SMITH: Oh, Juan, we don't know what happened. (CROSSTALK) WILLIAMS: I'm talking about publicly, Sandra. SMITH: I have one very important question, pastor, will this support continue. JEFFRESS: Yeah. You know, I asked the question, what would it cost -- take for evangelicals to walk away from President Trump. I'm his friend. I'll never walk away. But I think his policy changes or if he were found to be in an adulteress relationship now, that would cause many people a problem. WILLIAMS: But pastor, what about someone like Rob Porter abusing wives in the White House and being excused. That's ongoing behavior that I don't think is Christian. SMITH: I'm moving on. WILLIAMS: No, he asked about ongoing bad behavior. SMITH: I'm getting yelled at. I've got to go. It's great to have both of you. You didn't even need me to facilitate that conversation. Great to have you both. Thank you, pastor, thank you, Juan. On this international women's day, there are new questions about some women's group association with nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. The Story right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) SMITH: On this International Women's Day, the women's march group is being forced to answer for their co-president, Tamika Mallory, attending a sermon by the minister, Louis Farrakhan, a controversial leader of Nation of Islam known for hateful rhetoric against Jews. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Israel practiced dirty religion, taking the land from the Palestinians, using, lying, thieving and murder in the name of God as a shield for their dirty practice. UNINDENTIFIED MALE: You are the synagogue of Satan. UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. UNINDENTIFIED MALE: And you have wrapped your tentacles around a U.S. government, and you're deceiving and sending this nation to hell. UNINDENTIFIED MALE: And Farrakhan, by God's grace, has pulled the cover off of that satanic Jew. (END VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: Here now Lisa Boothe, a senior fellow at Independent Women's Day, Jessica Tarlov is author of 'America in the Age of Trump.' Both are Fox News contributors. Good to have both of you here. JESSICA TARLOV, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you. SMITH: Evening of a lot going on. I know you both have strong feelings on this. Let's start with you first, Jessica. TARLOV: I'm appalled by that, as I think most of America is. And I certainly think that it would be good for the leaders of the women's march, two of them have been long time supporters of Louis Farrakhan to speak out against this. I also wanted to mention that it's not just about the antisemitism, the misogyny that has come out of Louis Farrakhan's mouth is something that has no place, certainly, in a conversation about women's empowerment. I think that it's terrible and it's certainly if we're going to be no tolerance of that kind of hateful language, which I think should be the case on both sides of the aisle here. I think something has got to be done. SMITH: Anything about this surprise you, Lisa? LISA BOOTHE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: No. I mean, it doesn't surprise me. The women's march has been associated with individuals that are part of the fringe element of society. People like Linda Sarsour who has been connected to known terrorists. So I think it's unsurprising that again they're embracing an individual that is part of the fringe element of society. But I think the bigger issue here is the fact that the left has also been largely silent. You've got representatives like Danny Davis who has tried to essentially defend this individual who has said that Hitler was a very good man. It should be pretty easy to condemn that sort of rhetoric. And I think it also represents the gross double standard of the media. How many times did President Trump and Republicans have to denounce David Duke, someone that they had no association with. And then, you have President Obama, when he was a senator, photographed with this guy. And members of congress having relationships with this guy and not having to condemn him. And I think that's why the Republican. (CROSSTALK) BOOTHE: That are asking for seven different members on the left to resign. TARLOV: It's not just seven members on the left. So those seven members are members of the congressional black caucus. So you're acting as if the Democratic Party has Louis Farrakhan as one of our icon. That's actually not the case if you've spent some time on twitter today looking. (CROSSTALK) TARLOV: It's a specific group that has an issue with Louis Farrakhan. This is not widespread throughout the party. And if you look at twitter today, you will see. (CROSSTALK) TARLOV: I just did. (CROSSTALK) SMITH: She responded on twitter basically denouncing antisemitism. She didn't even mention specifically Farrakhan. TARLOV: It's problematic. And I think it's going to blow up in their faces in the end here. I mean, the women's march was something that I felt, and I participated in the New York version of it, was incredibly empowering especially after an election that signaled to a lot of people that women's rights were going to be rolled back. And there's no place for this. This is not all Democrats. SMITH: I have to leave it there. BOOTHE: Except there's a lot of women that -- viewpoints aren't. SMITH: Maybe we'll continue this conversation all three of us. (CROSSTALK) SMITH: Thank you for joining us. I'll see you tomorrow at 9 on America's Newsroom and Outnumbered at noon. Tucker is next. Copy: Content and Programming Copyright 2018 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2018 ASC Services II Media, LLC. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. American Airlines passengers departing Sao Paulo International Airport in Brazil en route to Miami were in for a scare when their captain reportedly attacked a ground agent. The March 8 flight was delayed by 27 hours as a result. The Daily Mail reported that the unnamed male captain of American Airlines flight AA930 grabbed a female ground agent by the neck when the two began arguing before takeoff, around 1 a.m., over alignment of the jet bridge. As the agent insisted that the jet bridge was correctly aligned, she apparently stepped on the pilots foot by accident. The 59-year-old captain, who has been employed by the airline for the last 32 years, reportedly told the 41-year-old agent Do not touch me, to which she countered that she had not touched him. ROBBERS STEAL $5 MILLION IN AIRPLANE HEIST According to the outlet, witnesses say that the pilot pushed the agent and grabbed her neck before an airport maintenance worker intervened. Flight AA930 was then immediately cancelled, leaving passengers stuck at the Sao Paulo air hub. Though American Airlines did not immediately return Fox News request for comment, they did confirm to the Daily Mail that there was a discussion between two crew members and that they are taking this incident extremely seriously as local authorities investigate the altercation that went down on International Womens Day. THESE ARE THE DIRTIEST SPOTS IN AN AIRPORT (HINT: NOT INCLUDING THE BATHROOM) The airline offered the Daily Mail the following statement: "Last night, before boarding AA930 American Airlines flight from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Miami (MIA), two crew members were engaged in a discussion in the tunnel that connects a platform to the plane. The authorities are now in charge of the case and providing support to staff members. This is a legal investigation and we are cooperating fully with the authorities, they said. Passengers are being accommodated on other flights throughout the day. American Airlines has provided hotel accommodations and meal vouchers. We apologize to our customers for the problem. The captains passport was withheld by police at the time of his arrest and has since been released. He is scheduled to appear at a special Guarulhos criminal court within the next few days. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. An Alabama man has pleaded guilty to plotting to execute terroristic acts in America for the Islamic State. Aziz Ihab Sayyed, a 23-year-old American citizen, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Birmingham. Federal prosecutors said Sayyed, after watching propaganda videos from the terrorist group, bought the ingredients for an explosive and told others about his hope to use it in a car bomb or explosive belt. In a release, the Justice Department said, Sayyed researched and learned how to make triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a highly volatile and extremely dangerous explosive material, purchased the necessary ingredients for the explosive, and professed his aspiration to use TATP in an explosive belt and/or a car bomb, according to the plea agreement. As noted in that agreement, Sayyed, who lives in Huntsville, told people he wanted to attack police stations or the Redstone Arsenal military installation in Madison County. The Justice Department said he also attempted to form a cell to conduct violent acts within the United States. Sayyed was arrested after discussing his plans with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS member. Sayyeds plea agreement calls for a 15-year prison sentence, according to Justice. When Sayyed pleads guilty to the federal charge, the state charge most likely will be dropped, his attorney told WAAY 31. The states 10 is now off the table, too, for the 15. Now everybody got something in this. The government didnt hand away its case, Bruce Gardner, Sayyeds lawyer, told WAAY 31. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Human remains found in Texas on Wednesday were identified as belonging to kidnapping victim Christina Morris, who has been missing since 2014, the Plano Police Department announced in a news conference Thursday. The skeletal remains were found by a construction crew in an area where homes are being built in Anna, about 45 miles north of Dallas. "The Collin County medical examiner's office has examined the recovered remains and this morning has positively identified the remains as those of Christina Morris," Plano Police Chief Gregory Rushin said. While the Collin County Sheriff's Office previously said it would not have public comments until a positive identification was made by the medical examiner, law enforcement sources told FOX4 the remains were indeed from Morris. "Today is bittersweet," Rushin continued, "as we return Christina to her family in our continuing effort to bring answers and perhaps some measure of peace to those who have been personally affected by her disappearance." The remains were discovered in an area where authorities had previously searched for the 23-year-old Morris, who was reported missing on Aug. 30, 2014, after being seen leaving a shopping center with acquaintance Enrique Arochi. You could just see really up on the hillside over there up in a little opening, there was a skull laying there, Andy Mitchell told FOX4. Mitchel told the television station he spotted the skull while clearing brush, and that it was near what appeared to be a womans dress and undergarments. You hope the family has closure, he said. Arochi is now serving a life sentence in prison for her kidnapping. Prosecutors said during his trial that her DNA was in the trunk of his car, but he has denied any wrongdoing. During his trial, cellphone and cell tower data indicated that Arochi was in and around the Anna area after Morris disappeared, prompting searches of the area. VIRGINIA MOM, 23, WHO MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED FROM FRONT YARD FOUND DEAD; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY In a 2016 interview with The Dallas Morning News, Arochi said he was wrongfully convicted of abducting Morris and hoped "she's alive." "I want to apologize to the Morris family for not being able to help them," Arochi told the newspaper at the time. "My family and I are constantly praying for them and for Christina's well-being." The Plano Police Department told FOX 4 that Morris' parents were notified about the discovery on Wednesday. "Our family has been notified, but nothing has been confirmed. Please keep Christina and our family in your thoughts and prayers, her family said prior to Thursday's announcement in a statement released on a Facebook page dedicated to helping to find Morris. WOMAN, 2 MEN DEAD IN ILLINOIS HAD BEEN REPORTED MISSING Investigators with the Collin County Sheriffs Office, Anna Police Department and Plano Police Department are expected to return to the scene Thursday to continue collecting evidence, according to FOX 4. Lt. Nick Bristow with the sheriff's office said the remains were transferred to the Collin County ME for a positive identification. Lekita McMillan who lives in the area where the remains were discovered, told FOX 4 on Wednesday she felt "heartbroken." "I feel their grief, she said. So that's why I'm here trying to organize a candlelight vigil." Fox News' Elizabeth Zwirz contributed to this report. A reported donation of more than 800 pet oxygen masks will help the Detroit Fire Department save beloved pets in the event of an emergency. With the help of donations from local businesses and organizations, the Detroit Public Safety Foundation was able to give 278 pet oxygen mask kits, which include more than 800 masks, to the department, Fox 2 Detroit reported Thursday. The foundation helps to facilitate donations from the community on behalf of the citys police and fire departments. ANIMAL SHELTERS REQUEST ARMCHAIRS FOR HOMELESS DOGS AFTER VIDEO GOES VIRAL The spur of donations followed a house fire in January, from which responders rescued 15 of the 17 dogs inside, the outlet said. After the event, the department reportedly noted their limited supply of the specialty equipment needed when rescuing the animals. The contributions were announced by Patti Kukula, who leads the Detroit Public Safety Foundation. In a Facebook post, the foundation thanked those involved for their donations and dedication to keeping our pets safe. CHOKING PUPPY SAVED BY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IN DRAMATIC VIDEO DFD now has enough kits for every piece of fire apparatus to be outfitted with this specialty equipment, the post said. When responding to fires, DFD is always mindful of pets and does everything possible to save animals trapped in fires. The Associated Press contributed to this report. When the Upper West Side nanny accused of slaughtering two tots opened her eyes after the bloody attack, a breathing tube down her throat and shackled to a hospital bed, she didnt ask about the slain youngsters or express remorse she whined about their mom. I had to do Everything AND TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS, Yoselyn Ortega communicated to the on-duty cop just two days after she butchered Lucia Krim, 6, and Leo Krim, 2. Jurors Thursday saw the disturbing statements the 55-year-old made to NYPD Sgt. Yoel Hidalgo, who dictated her gestures, via alphabet board, in pen onto four separate sheets of white paper. Ortega claims she doesnt remember the slaughter and says she was possessed by the devil, and was unable to address Hildago verbally because after nearly decapitating the children she plunged the knife into her own throat. NANNY HAD 'EYES OF THE DEVIL' AFTER SLAUGHTERING 2 KIDS, WITNESS SAYS The grisly crime unfolded just three days after Ortega visited a psychologistwho took the stand earlier Thursday to tell jurors Ortega was depressed, but not mentally ill. I worked as babysitter only and she wanted me to do everything so wanted 5 hours of cleaning every week, another statement inked by Hildago read, referencing stay-at-home mom Marina Krim. The 55-year-olds gripes continued, despite the fact that, in a childrens bathroom across the city, investigators were still collecting evidence from the blood-soaked room where shed stabbed the children to death in the tub. I told her I do not want to clean because of soap, Ortega also said, with Sgt. Hidalgo telling jurors shed pointed to her pinky after this statement. NYC MOM OF MURDERED KIDS ERUPTS AT NANNY DURING TRIAL Krim, during her heartbreaking testimony last week, told the court Ortega had approached her and showed her a burn on her pinky from bleach in the days before the slayings. The mom had testified she was horrified by the injury, and purchased natural cleaning products for the cash-strapped woman, who shed offered $100 more a week for five hours of cleaning in addition to childcare. Read more from the New York Post. There is more pressure on the world's most famous sled dog race, and this time it's economic. Iditarod Trail Sled Dog officials are blaming Alaska's recession, pressure from animal rights groups on sponsors and an attempt to ensure the race's future for a purse that is down about $250,000 from last year. The $500,000 purse means there will be reduced payouts to the mushers who finish the race, and the pain starts at the top. The winner is expected to receive about $50,000 for being the first musher to reach Nome. Last year, Mitch Seavey pocketed $71,250 for being the first into the old Gold Rush town on Alaska's western coast. Lower payouts will be staggered down the line, but the middling mushers will suffer the most. Last year, Jason Mackey won just over $11,000 for placing 21st. This year, the musher in 21st place, and every musher after them, will only take home $1,049. Last year, the nominal $1,049 payout to finishers didn't start until 31st place. Mushers must pay $4,000 just to enter the race. Joar Ulsom of Norway led the field of 65 remaining mushers in the race Thursday, with the winner expected in Nome early next week. The Iditarod recently lost a major corporate backer: Wells Fargo & Co. Race officials accused animal rights organizations of pressuring the bank and other sponsors with "manipulative information" about the treatment of the dogs. Alaska's ailing economy tied heavily to the price of oil also doesn't help, spokesman Chas St. George said. "The decision to reduce prize money, along with various other expenses was primarily made to ensure the sustainability of the organization," Stan Hooley, the race's chief executive officer, said in an email to The Associated Press. He said the board for years committed to paying a purse before actually earning the revenue required to pay for it. "This carries risk, particularly when there are no real cash reserves of significance to work with," he said. He said sponsors will allow the race to exceed its budgeted goal by more than $120,000, and the addition of Alaska-based Northrim Bank to replace Wells Fargo was a big part of it. But he said the race is experiencing net revenue shortfalls in other areas, such as merchandising, raffles, advertising, auctions and its pay website. St. George said the Iditarod remains the world's preeminent sled dog race, but it's just going through a tough year economically. He said they look forward to rebuilding the purse. The race has had other blemishes this year, all related to a dog doping scandal. For the first time ever, a dog team tested positive for a banned substance. Race officials said dogs on the team belonging to four-time champion Dallas Seavey last year tested positive for tramadol, an opioid pain killer. They said they couldn't prove Seavey administered the drug and didn't punish him. Seavey dropped out the race in protest and denies he gave his dogs the banned substance. When the race started Sunday in Willow, musher Wade Marrs alleged the race's director of drug testing, Dr. Morrie Craig, threatened him. Marrs claims it was in retaliation because he criticized the board over how it handled the doping scandal and was intended to silence him before a mushers' meeting next week. Craig hasn't returned messages to the AP seeking comment. The 47-year-old operator of an immigrant stash house in Laredo, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the case of a deadly smuggling run last July that left 10 immigrants dead or dying in a semitrailer in San Antonio. Pedro Silva Segura faces up to life in prison; sentencing has been set for June 29. He had a holding area for illegal immigrants waiting transportation, investigators said, and he admitted he gave the driver five of those immigrants from his stash house. He entered his plea Thursday before a federal magistrate in San Antonio. The truck's driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., pleaded guilty in October to single counts of conspiracy and transporting immigrants resulting in death. He's set to be sentenced March 26 and also faces up to life in prison. At least 39 immigrants, most of them from Mexico, were packed inside the sweltering semitrailer. Police found the trailer, which had a broken cooling system, last July in a Walmart parking lot. According to court documents, police responded to a Walmart parking lot in San Antonio just after midnight July 23. An officer saw people standing and lying in the back of the trailer, which had a broken cooling system, and Bradley sitting in the cab. Thats when officers found 39 illegal immigrants most of them from Mexico including four unaccompanied teens. Eight of the immigrants already were dead; two would die later in area hospitals. The immigrants estimated that there were up to 200 people in the trailer during the transport. They also said they paid differing fees to be smuggled. Investigators said passengers had experienced difficulty breathing as temperatures, which had topped 100 degrees in San Antonio, climbed. Fox News Ray Bogan and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Two Florida police officers have been suspended from their SWAT team after reportedly responding to the fatal school shooting in Parkland without permission from their supervisors, officials said. The two unidentified officers were suspended on Wednesday after officials learned that the two employees took it upon themselves to respond without notification to the SWAT commander on February 14, creating an extreme hazard by way of accountability, responsibility, and liability, Chief Dexter Williams said in a statement. Miramar's SWAT team had been training in nearby Coral Springs that morning and had been placed on stand-by after the active-shooter report, but the Broward Sheriff's Office never called for them. Williams emphasized that two officers were suspended because of their failure to notify the proper personal. Let us be clear, the issue was not that they responded, but that they did not advise, the statement read. These officers responded to the February 14, 2018 shooting in Parkland, after the shooting was over. They did not advise prior to self-dispatching, during the incident, nor immediately following. They did not advise dispatch, their SWAT leaders or even check-in with the Incident Command in Parkland. On February 14, a lone gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and opened fire, killing 17. The officers will remain on active duty for their other assignments and have been suspended only from their SWAT team. Miramar police spokeswoman Tania Rues said in an email Wednesday that a third SWAT team member was suspended for violating the department's social media policy. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More than 40 people were arrested in Virginia on drug, cash and gun charges after an 8-month investigation into a gang-related drug ring, police said Thursday. Norfolk police said officers seized $190,000 worth of drugs, including three pounds of cocaine, 11 ounces of heroin, three pounds of marijuana, 24 ecstasy pills and nine grams of methamphetamine. Additionally, 12 guns and $85,000 in cash were also seized. Of the 44 people who were arrested, 39 were charged in state courts while five were charged federally, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Police spokesman Cpl. Will Pickering said their work with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is far from over. He told the Virginian-Pilot the arrests will help authorities target more dealers and traffickers in the region. Among those charged was Vernon Lewis Petway, 48, who was indicted in federal court on Wednesday for allegedly trafficking heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the newspaper reported. According to court documents, Petway was on the DEA task forces radar starting in August when an informant told them he often bought large amounts of heroin in New York and brought it back to Virginia where he divvied it out to lower-lever dealers. Authorities tracked Petway from New York to Virginia Beach, where he was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Investigators found 112 grams of heroin in his backpack and nearly $2,800 in cash in his pants. Officials have so far released the names and mugshots of 18 people swept up in the arrests. The former school resource deputy who stayed outside a Florida high school during a mass shooting appeared to know the shots were coming from inside the building, despite stating he thought they were outside. The Broward County Sheriffs Department released internal radio dispatches from the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that revealed former Deputy Scot Peterson saying the gunfire was coming from inside, the Miami Herald reported. Do not approach the 12 or 1300 building, stay at least 500 feet away, Peterson was heard saying over the radio. Peterson previously stated he believed the gunshots were coming from outside the school, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. "Be advised we have possible, could be firecrackers, I think we have shots fired, possible shots fired," Peterson told dispatchers. 911 CALLS REVEAL PANIC AS FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL MASSACRE UNFOLDED Investigators said later he took up a position near the building and remained there for several minutes. His subsequent transmissions focus on getting nearby streets and the school shut down and keeping deputies away from the building. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has said Peterson should have charged into the building and killed Cruz. Peterson, who has denied wrongdoing, retired rather than accept a suspension and investigation. The sheriffs office calls on deputies to engage an active shooter and eliminate the threat. When it became known that Peterson had not entered the school during the shooting, President Trump slammed him as a coward. "When it came time to get in there and do something, he didn't have the courage, or something happened," Trump said of Peterson. "He certainly did a poor job. That's the case where somebody was outside, they are trained, they didn't react properly under pressure or they were a coward." Jeff Bell, Broward County Sheriffs Office president, said the audio confirms Peterson never went inside the school. It certainly backs up that he never went into the school, Bell said of Peterson. At one point, he says to keep back 500 feet. Why would he say that? The sheriffs office also released a timeline Thursday of the incident and excerpts of 911 calls that were placed that day. COP WHO DIDNT ENTER SCHOOL DURING FLORIDA SHOOTING RESIGNS, HAS HOME GUARDED, IS SLAMMED AS COWARD BY TRUMP Several of the calls were transfers from other 911 operators, including one from a parent who said her son said he heard noises and pops and he thinks theres a shooting going on at the school. An emotional woman also called in saying she was talking with her son who said, "Shots! Shots! Shots! Mom! God.' Dispatchers spoke with a woman whose daughter told her that shots were fired nearby and she was hiding behind a desk. As information trickled in, the girl, who was texting her father, said that police had arrived. The alleged gunman, Nikolas Cruz, was formally charged Wednesday with 17 counts each of premeditated murder and attempted murder. The Broward County grand jury announced the 34-count indictment for Cruz, who police said opened fire inside the high school in Parkland. The attempted murder charges were for the 17 other people injured in the mass shooting. Fox News Elizabeth Zwirz and Shira Bush contributed to this report. The grieving family of a fallen Maryland police sergeant received a generous gift from a local business who wanted to help ease the pain -- by paying the family's mortgage for a year. Cpl. Mujahid Ramazziddin, a Prince Georges County police officer, was fatally shot while off duty as he was intervening in a domestic situation last month. The 14-year veteran was assisting a female neighbor "who was being threatened by her estranged husband" when the man killed Ramazziddin before fleeing the scene. Mike Tikoyan, who owns NT Auto Shop in Alexandria, Va., told FOX5DC he had been following the story during the past several weeks and wanted to help the family in any way he could. On Thursday, Tikoyan met with the police officers widow, Tammi Ramazziddin, and brought a special gift: he announced he will pay her mortgage for the rest of the year. "He really did the ultimate sacrifice. And Tammi didn't choose to be a Gold Star family or want to be a Gold Star family. But now it's our turn in return to support the family," he said. Tammi said she was touched by Tikoyans gesture. "My husband was the breadwinner. He took care of, you know, our mortgage payment," she said. "For them to step up and to offer to do that is huge. It's huge and it takes some concern and worry off of me." Ramazziddin was a Marine Corps veteran and a father of four children. The man who shot Ramazziddin, identified as Glenn Tyndell, was killed by police after a brief chase. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) Embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is not ruling out the possibility that President Rodrigo Duterte may be involved in efforts to remove her from office. During a press briefing on Friday organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Sereno was asked if she "accepts the notion" that the President may have a hand in moves to oust her. "I accept all the possibilities," Sereno said. "I am open to that possibility." She acknowledged that the President had said he "never initiated" moves to impeach her. READ: Duterte denies hand in Sereno impeachment "But I also note the Solicitor General's participation," Sereno said. Solicitor General Jose Calida on March 5 filed a quo warranto petition asking the Supreme Court to void Sereno's appointment. In an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines on Thursday, Sereno said Calida should be asked where his actions are coming from. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sal Panelo said Friday the President did not order the Solicitor General to file a quo warranto petition. "The Solicitor General is merely performing his mandatory duty under the Rules of Court to file the action upon a complaint that any person is unlawfully occupying a public office or if he has reason to believe backed by proof that a public officer is ineligible to occupy the position he holds," Panelo said in a statement. When asked if she thinks the decisions she made in the past on certain issues and cases may have prompted calls for her ouster, Sereno said, "that is a big possibility." "I think some people are just not comfortable with the fact that the stand that I have taken may have meant the disapprobation of certain actions - condemnation even, in strong language," Sereno said. Sereno said some chief justices from other countries have expressed "deep concern" over the impeachment case she is facing. She refused to say who they are and how many. In the impeachment case, Sereno is accused of violating the constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes - grounds for officials to be impeached under the Constitution. She has repeatedly denied the allegations and asked for the complaint to be junked. The House Committee on Justice on Thursday ruled there is probable cause to impeach Sereno, with a 38-2 vote. It is now working on a report listing the articles of impeachment to be submitted to the plenary. 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. A two-thirds vote, or 16 out of 23 senators, is needed to convict the Chief Justice. The Baltimore FBI agent who stabbed his estranged wife to death and then killed himself had a grenade launcher -- but no history of domestic violence. Donna Fisher, 54, and David Raynor, 52, were found dead in a home in Crownsville, Md., on Wednesday. Court records in the couples divorce proceeding show Raynor owned firearms and ammunition believed to be in excess of 125 guns, rifles, grenade launchers and the like, the Annapolis Capital Gazette reported Thursday. In court filings, Raynor acknowledged the collection, the paper reported. An FBI spokesman said the bureau did not issue Raynor a grenade launcher -- the sale of which was banned in Maryland in 2013. Raynor joined the FBI in 1996, and had worked out of the FBIs Baltimore field office since 2003. Anne Arundel Police Lt. Ryan Frashure said police had never been called to the Crownsville home for reports of domestic violence, the paper reported. This certainly looks like a domestic-related incident that got violent and deadly very quick, Frashure said Wednesday, according to NBC4 Washington. Fisher sued Raynor for divorce a year ago. They separated and Raynor moved to Annapolis. In court, Fisher accused her husband of concealing the fact he owned multiple firearms and weapons from the judge presiding over the divorce case, the Capital Gazette reported. The two also couldnt agree on how much the gun collection was worth. The medical examiner announced Thursday that Fisher died of stab wounds and Raynor died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after stabbing himself. Fisher and Raynor were battling over custody of their 10-year-old daughter and the value of the Crownsville home, according to the Capital Gazette. A former U.S. Army Ranger who won the Florida Sheriffs Associations 2016 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award has been fired from his job as a deputy after authorities found feces, guns, drugs and assorted garbage strewn about his absolutely disgusting home. Bevard County Deputy Nicholas Worthy and his live-in girlfriend, Rachel Trexler, were arrested Thursday after police searched the Rockledge property where they lived with their 2-year-old child and three dogs. "The house was in complete disarray. There was dog feces all over the house, there were firearms, ammunition, other types of trash and food," said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. "Also found was a small amount of drugs that was inside the home and inside a vehicle." Worthy who has since been fired -- and Trexler are both facing charges of child neglect and possession of cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Worthy left Brevard County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond on Thursday, according to FOX35. The status of Trexler, who was also taken to Brevard County Jail, wasn't immediately clear Friday. The child was taken by the Florida Department of Children and Families and the trio of dogs are now being looked after by Brevard County Animal Services. Ivey said officials were called to the home Wednesday night after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots. Police failed to make contact with the officer and returned the next morning with a search warrant. After they forcibly entered the home, police found the conditions inside absolutely disgusting and deplorable, Ivey said, according to FOX35. He added evidence was found consistent with the gunshots that were reported. "I can't tell you how absolutely disgusted I am over someone who worked for our agency that would live in those conditions and would certainly subject the child to those conditions," Ivey said. "There are 1,500 members of this agency that get it done right every day, out protecting our community and representing our agency, and to have somebody do this is unacceptable to me, and quite frankly, unacceptable to our profession. The arrest and charges are a stunning fall from grace for Worthy, a native of the area who joined the Brevard County Sheriffs Office in 2012 following a tour in Afghanistan two years earlier. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal of Valor for his actions overseas, the Florida Sheriffs Association said. The organization gave him their Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award in 2016 for his response to two incidents the year before. In February 2015, they said he and two other deputies broke a bedroom window at a burning home in Cocoa and carried a resident to safety. After a full inspection, it was found that the fire was arson set with the intentions of trapping the occupant inside, the Florida Sheriffs Association said. Without the heroic actions of Worthy and his colleagues, the victim certainly would not have survived. A month later, Worthy responded to the same area and took out an individual who was shooting into houses, randomly going through a neighborhood and shooting into houses, Ivey said. As he arrived on scene, the individual turned on him, started firing on him, FOX35 quoted Ivey as saying at the time. He was forced to use lethal return fire to eliminate the threat. It is clear to tell that whether serving Brevard County or our Nation at large, Nicholas Worthy is one of the few who are willing to run toward danger instead of away, the Florida Sheriffs Association said when Worthy was given the honor. In the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting, one of the poignant questions remaining is how the FBI unit that received a tip about the potential shooter in early January failed to pass it along. What went wrong? How overworked is the Bureau unit that handles tips like this and how many tips do they handle? Was it simple human error? The FBI unit that failed to pass along the information about Nikolas Cruz is responsible for handling "all the calls and public leads" submitted to the Bureau nationwide, either by phone or online, and is located in Clarksburg, West Virginia. "On January 5, 2018, a person close to Nikolas Cruz contacted the FBIs Public Access Line (PAL) tip line to report concerns about him," according to an official FBI statement (https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-the-shooting-in-parkland-florida). That caller apparently "provided information about Cruzs gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior, and disturbing social media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting." According to lawmakers, FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich admitted in a March 6 briefing that "the caller provided sufficient information to the tip line for the FBI to launch a probe," despite the fact that the PAL employee who answered the phone apparently "did not ask any standard investigative probing questions during the call." That call-taker was apparently able to connect the dots between the January 2018 tip and another tip that had been submitted in 2017 about a YouTube comment, allegedly made by Cruz, in which he says Im going to be a professional school shooter. According to Bowdich, the PAL employee who connected those dots explained the tips with a supervisor - in a conversation that was never documented - and the matter was eventually dropped. Internal investigations have now been launched with respect to both tips, and preliminary reports already point to the need for "stronger oversight of the tip line... better training for the tip line's call takers and supervisors... [and] better documentation for the interaction between call takers and supervisors." The FBI's PAL call center was established in 2012, both to make the process of submitting tips easier for the public, and to allow agents and investigators to spend more time working, rather than fielding phone calls and sifting through e-mails. PAL is a part of the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division and the Bureau suggests PAL has saved its field offices more than 203,027 work hours since its inception. PAL consists of approximately 150 employees, referred to as "customer service representatives" on the FBI's website, and information can be submitted 24/7. Daily staffing is around 100 employees. Last year, those employees sifted through more than 1.5 million tips. That's roughly 25 tips a day, per person, assuming nobody takes a day off. When you factor in things like weekends, vacation/sick time, and the need to stagger shifts to provide 24/7 service, the number becomes far greater. In 2017, the overwhelming majority of tips handled by PAL - some 98% - were deemed "non-actionable," meaning they did not result in the FBI taking action of its own. An FBI official told Fox News that this classification doesn't necessarily mean the tips were deemed bogus. "Non-actionable" tips can include those with information relevant to a different agency, at which point it would apparently be passed along by PAL staff. However, it seems the term "non-actionable" would also apply to tips that may not be deemed as credible as they should be, which may have been the case with the phone call regarding Cruz just weeks before his alleged killing spree. An FBI official told Fox News that PAL employees answering the phones undergo a "hybrid training" that includes learning about different types of FBI violations, listening to previous calls to see how they were handled, writing reports of their own, sitting with other experienced operators and then being mentored by someone who is watching and guiding them. These employees do not necessarily come from law enforcement backgrounds, according to that same official, who also could not say how long the training lasted, or if the calls reviewed for training purposes were recordings of FBI agents, investigators or other PAL operators. In an interview posted on FBI.gov, Jeffrey Lindsey, described in 2013 as the chief of the PAL Unit, suggested that "when a member of the public calls [the PAL], they can rest assured that on the other end is going to be an FBI employee who's fully trained and experienced in taking calls from the public, making sure that information gets handled in a confidential manner, and gets sent to the investigative or analytical entity that needs that information." Special Agent Eric Reese, described as the watch commander of the Public Access Center Unit, in a different video posted on FBI.gov, said that analysts reviewing digital tips look "for believability, credibility, check internal databases and external databases to verify the information is a valid tip regarding criminal activity or counter-terrorism activity." When asked whether PAL's staffing levels are sufficient, considering the number of tips it receives, Jay Minnucci, an expert in the logistics of call-center operations, pointed out that it would be hard to say without knowing how long the average call or e-mail review lasts. Even without such data, however, he admits that the PAL is no normal call center, and staffing it would come with a variety of unique challenges. "They would require more training than an average center. They are available 24/7/365. They need to answer calls more quickly than other centers. All of those factors need to be considered when calculating staffing, and would increase the required staff numbers," said Minucci, the president of Service Agility and one of the founding advisers of Contact Center Pipeline, a publication for call-center managers. More importantly than its ability to answer calls (or review digital tips) quickly, Minnucci says, is being able to do it well. "[That] means being able to cull the 'moment of truth' calls from the ordinary, typical call. "Most centers... deal mainly with ordinary calls that mean little, but in the midst of that get a few highly important calls that mean everything," he added. Being able to tell the difference, Minnucci says, is like having to find "the proverbial needle in a haystack. A place like an FBI tip line would need to have an exceptionally refined process for evaluating the call importance quickly and accurately." According to the 2017 CJIS Year in Review, the PAL "looks forward to enhancements in its systems and processes which will allow for increased call volume and more focused reporting to field offices." An FBI official was unable to say exactly what that meant, or if there were plans for increased resources and/or staffing. Two licensed nursing assistants are accused of having sexual relations with patients from an Iowa psychiatric facility. An investigation began when the Prairie View Management Facility in Fayette reported two patients had absconded Feb. 21. Four days later, deputies with the Fayette Sheriffs Office learned the missing patients were seen with two nursing assistants from the facility, the Des Moines Register reported. Authorities soon determined Megan Penney, 26, of Clermont and Paige Johanningmeier, 23, of Elgin, had developed a relationship with the two patients and once they had left the facility it became sexual, the sheriffs office said. The patients were at Prairie View under court order due to mental illness, the Register reported. Penney and Johnningmeier were arrested Tuesday on a felony sex exploitation charge related to their position as counselors. Each woman posted $2,000 bond and were released on the day they were booked. Deputies took one of the patients back to Prairie View; they took the other to a hospital. A woman who answered the phone at Prairie View told Fox News Friday that staff cooperated with investigators. She said the facility had no further comment and she declined to identify herself. A former member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve is facing hate crime charges after allegedly driving his white pickup truck into a convenience store he mistakenly believed was owned by Muslims. Authorities said Chad Horsley, 27, of Denham Springs, La., targeted the store in Watson, La., because of the hate he had for Muslims. Horsley wanted to make them pay for some things that he felt happened overseas, and that he was also upset that Muslims, in his mind were having an easier time prospering than he was despite his time in the service, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said. However, the store is owned by Sikhs, not Muslims, authorities noted. According to authorities, Horsley entered the shop in late February, posing as a police officer, and threatened to return and search for drugs, the Advocate in Baton Rouge reported. Then on March 3, police say, Horsley drove his white pickup truck into the shop and then drove off. Harjot Sing, a cashier and nephew of the owner, said his family came from India two years ago. This was the first ever incident to happen like that, he said. Were just trying to make a living out of here, thats all were doing. "This was the first ever incident to happen like that. Were just trying to make a living out of here, thats all were doing." Harjot Sing, cashier at convenience store Damage to the shop was estimated at $4,000, WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge reported. According to WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge, Horsley faces criminal charges of property damage, mischief, false impersonation of a police officer, and a hate crime. His bond was set around $56,000. In Washington, the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement about the incident. We thank local law enforcement officials for their prompt and professional response to this disturbing incident, which is apparently another example of the growing Islamophobia targeting American Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim, said Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR's national communications director. An individual charged with such serious crimes should not have been released on bail before trial." A baker at a Minnesota Perkins restaurant is accused of urinating in a co-workers water bottle up to 15 times after she refused his romantic advances and told him she only wanted to be friends. Police in Minneapolis learned of the alleged act in October after the woman told them she was being harassed by Conrrado Cruz Perez and that her water bottle repeatedly tasted like urine over the past few months, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Cruz Perez, 47, has been charged with two counts of adulterating a substance with bodily fluids and is set to appear in court again March 28. His attorney told the newspaper his client has not yet entered a plea and will not comment on the allegations. The 42-year-old woman at the Vadnais Heights restaurant reportedly told police the incidents began after Cruz Perez expressed a romantic interest in her and she rejected his advances. Cruz Perez has since been fired from the restaurant. In his initial interview with police, he insisted he did nothing wrong, but later, after investigators suggested a DNA test might be conducted, admitted to once peeing into the water bottle, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported, citing a criminal complaint. Cruz Perez told investigators he had to go to the bathroom but the restaurant was too busy for him to take a break, so he relieved himself in the bottle and forgot to throw it away, police said. The circumstances of the other alleged 14 instances were not clear. A New Mexico police officer who has been reprimanded for on-duty car accidents has countersued the mother of a 6-year-old child who was killed in a crash he was involved in. Jonathan McDonnell, an Albuquerque police officer, and his wife countersued Antoinette Suina, claiming the mother failed to yield to an emergency vehicle, which caused the fatal car crash, the Albuquerque Journal reported. Suina filed a lawsuit against McDonnell and the Albuquerque Police Department in January. Suina alleged in the suit that McDonnells deliberate, intentional, and/or reckless conduct led to the wreck that killed her 6-year-old son, Joel Anthony Mumaw, left her daughter Adrianna, 9, injured. NEW MEXICO WOMAN BLAMES FAILED DRUG TEST ON MEDICAL METH, REPORT SAYS The car crash occurred in April 2017 when McDonnell was driving about 80 mph while responding to a call of a person with a machete at a supermarket, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The police cruiser collided with the mothers vehicle as she was making a left. Suina was on her way to a Hobby Lobby location when the accident occurred. The counterclaim stated Suina made the left-hand turn without first ascertaining that this move could be made with safety. She also allegedly failed to give way to an emergency vehicle in making this left-hand turn. As a result [Suinas] vehicle pulled directly into the path of [McDonnells] emergency vehicle, the lawsuit stated. Both drivers had a green light during the time of the crash. An investigation by the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office stated McDonnell was operating his vehicle at a speed too fast for conditions at the time, however, Officer McDonnell as authorized to operate his vehicle in an emergency response. BODIES FOUND IN NEW MEXICO WERE PAIR REPORTED MISSING IN JANUARY, POLICE SAY McDonnell has been disciplined in at least six prior driving-related incidents during his nine years on the force. He was previously disciplined in five preventable crashes and an unauthorized pursuit. He was suspended for three of the incidents, a police report stated. McDonnell is on the force but has been on disability leave, ABC News reported. McDonnell, a married father of three, is seeking unspecified damages. He claimed he "suffered, and will continue to suffer a loss of household services, loss of wages, loss of recreational activities and a loss of enjoyment of life." Suinas lawsuit also seeks unspecified damages and said the negligence and recklessness" of McDonnell caused her "to suffer the companionship of her son." Suinas lawyer, Geoffrey Romero, told ABC News the countersuit heaps more tragedy on this family. "Having killed Ms. Suina's son, it's somewhat offensive that he would turn around and sue her and heap more tragedy on this family," Romero said. "In effect, it's blaming her for the death of her son." Martin Shrkeli, the smirking "Pharma Bro" vilified for jacking up the price of a lifesaving drug, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for defrauding investors in two failed hedge funds. The self-promoting pharmaceutical executive notorious for trolling critics online was convicted in a securities fraud case last year unconnected to the price increase dispute. Shkreli, his cocky persona nowhere to be found, cried as he told U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto he made many mistakes and apologized to investors. "I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing, the only person to blame for me being here today is me," he said. "I took down Martin Shkreli." He said that he hopes to make amends and learn from his mistakes and apologized to his investors. MARTIN SHKRELI CONTROVERSIES: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS "I am terribly sorry I lost your trust," he said. "You deserve far better." Prosecutors argued that the 34-year-old was a master manipulator who conned wealthy investors and deserved 15 years in prison. His lawyers said he was a misunderstood eccentric who used unconventional means to make those same investors even wealthier, and deserved 18 months or less in prison. The judge insisted that the punishment was not about Shkreli's online antics or raising the cost of the drug. "This case is not about Mr. Shkreli's self-cultivated public persona ... nor his controversial statements about politics or culture," the judge said, calling his crimes serious. He was also fined $75,000 and received credit for the roughly six months he has been in prison. The judge ruled earlier this week that Shkreli would have to forfeit more than $7.3 million in a brokerage account and personal assets including his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album that he boasted he bought for $2 million. The judge said the property would not be seized until Shkreli had a chance to appeal. Attorney Benjamin Brafman told Matsumoto Friday that he sometimes wants to hug Shkreli and sometimes wants to punch him in the face, but he said his outspokenness shouldn't be held against him. PHARMA BRO MARTIN SHKRELIS EX-LAWYER FOUND GUILTY OF HELPING HIM COVER UP FINANCIAL FRAUD Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said Shkreli deserved the stiffer sentence not because he is "the most hated man in America," but because he is a criminal convicted of serious fraud. She said the judge had to consider his history and said he has "no respect whatsoever" for the law, or the court proceedings. "I also want to make clear that Mr. Shkreli is not a child," Kasulis said. "He's not a teenager who just needs some mentoring. He is a man who needs to take responsibility for his actions." Unapologetic from the beginning, when he was roundly publicly criticized for defending the 5,000 percent price increase of Daraprim, a previously cheap drug used to treat HIV, Shkreli seemed to drift through his criminal case as if it was one big joke. After his arrest in December 2015, he taunted prosecutors, got kicked off of Twitter for harassing a female journalist, heckled Clinton from the sidewalk outside her daughter's home, gave speeches with the conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and spent countless hours livestreaming himself in his apartment. He was tight-lipped when faced with a barrage of questions about the price hike from members of Congress a couple of months later, citing his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. After the hearing, he tweeted that the lawmakers were "imbeciles." Shkreli insisted he was being persecuted by prosecutors for being outspoken and confidently predicted after his conviction that he was unlikely to be sentenced to jail. Things abruptly changed, though, last fall after he jokingly offered his online followers a $5,000 bounty to anyone who could get a lock of Hillary Clinton's hair. The judge revoked his bail and threw him in jail, a decision that she defended Friday. That didn't tame Shkreli completely. He corresponded with journalists, ridiculing the personal appearance of one female reporter who asked him for an interview. Before sentencing him, the judge said that it was up to Congress to fix the issue of the HIV price-hike. And she spoke about how his family and friends "state, almost universally, that he is kind and misunderstood" and willing to help others in need. She said it was clear he is a "tremendously gifted individual who has the capacity for kindness." She quoted from letters talking about generous acts like counseling a rape victim, teaching inmates math and chess, and funding family members. The defense had asked the judge to consider the letters in its case for leniency, including professionals he worked with who vouched for his credentials as a self-made contributor to pharmaceutical advances. Other testimonials were as quirky as the defendant himself. One woman described how she became an avid follower of Shkreli's social media commentary about science, the pharmaceutical industry, but mostly, about himself. She suggested that those who were annoyed by it were missing the point. "I really appreciate the social media output, which I see on par with some form of performance art," she wrote. Another supporter said Shkreli's soft side was demonstrated when he adopted a cat from a shelter named Trashy that became a fixture on his livestreams. Another letter was from a man who said he met Shkreli while driving a cab and expressed his appreciation at how he ended up giving him an internship at one of his drug companies. In court filings, prosecutors argued that Shkreli's remorse about misleading his investors was not to be believed. "At its core, this case is about Shkreli's deception of people who trusted him," they wrote. Hosts must go through safe space training. Muslims must have a space for prayer. Gender-neutral restrooms are a must. Those are among the recommendations in a two-page inclusivity checklist, at Georgia Tech University for any group planning to host an event on campus. The list, released by the Student Government Associations Cultural and Diversity Affairs Committee, was obtained by The College Fix. We wanted to make students more intentional in ensuring that everyone feels welcome, Barry Johnson-Smith told Georgia Tech News. Theyre simple guidelines, but we are not really taught about these things. For example, students are advised to accommodate overweight people by providing seating for all sizes. Hosts should include trigger warnings against things that might come up at your event like rape, sexual assault, racism, self-harm, transphobia, homophobia, violence, etc. The student leaders suggest using words like women, not females or girls, as well as avoiding slut shaming or hyper-masculinity: promoting or assuming a particular standard of manliness. Hosts, they add, should take your own privilege into account. Before the event, they suggest going through safe space training and providing a private spot available for people to go if they are triggered or overwhelmed during the event. To ensure all genders are included and respected, people, depending on how they choose to identify, can wearing name tags with their preferred names or pronouns. The checklist also has a strong emphasis on LGBTQIA inclusion throughout each category. Be prepared to challenge homophobic/transphobic ideas and opinions during the event, and incorporate discussions and workshops about LGBTQIA topics into your meetings and programs, the list reads. They also suggest making an LGBTQIA-friendly organization the beneficiary for fundraising events or service days as well as checking if sponsors, vendors, etc. have positive stance on LGBTQIA inclusion. This Sunday, Georgia Tech Division of Student Life is hosting an inclusive leadership conference called InclYOUsivity: The Change Starts With You. (CNN) President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday that South Korea will make a "major announcement" concerning North Korea at 7 p.m. ET. It was not immediately clear what the South Korean announcement would entail, but it came after a South Korean delegation came to the White House to brief officials on its most recent talks with North Korea the most significant talks between the two countries in more than a decade. The South Korean officials visiting the White House on Thursday talked to Trump, a person familiar with the matter said. They delivered a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Trump, according to a foreign diplomatic source. A senior US official confirmed a message from the North Korean leader had been delivered. It's not clear if the South Koreans spoke to the President before or after his surprise pop-in to the White House briefing room. The leader of the delegation, Chung Eui-yong, will make the announcement from the briefing room podium, the person familiar with the matter said. Trump has expressed an openness to dialogue with North Korea, but the Trump administration has said North Korea must first take concrete steps toward denuclearization. "All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible moves toward denuclearization," a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday. "What we are looking for is concrete steps toward denuclearization." Trump's approach to North Korea has wavered between bellicose rhetoric and expressions of openness to diplomacy with the President saying the U.S. would rain "fire and fury" on North Korea one day and then saying he would consider speaking directly with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, under the right circumstances. Amid the potentially breakthrough talks between North and South Korea, the Trump administration has also credited its campaign of "maximum pressure" on North Korea as having brought Pyongyang to the negotiating table. Since Trump came in to office, the U.S. has leveled some of its most significant and far-reaching sanctions against North Korea and has also succeeded in pressuring China to further isolate the regime. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Trump says South Korea will make major announcement on North Korea." Louisiana's attorney general is suing a local school board for stifling public debate following the video-recorded arrest and rough handcuffing of a teacher who asked questions during a January meeting. Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit accusing the Vermillion Parish School Board of violating the states Open Meetings Law, and seeks civil penalties against any board members found responsible for violating the law. At the Jan. 8 meeting, Deyshia Hargrave, a middle school teacher, criticized Schools Superintendent Jerome Puyaus roughly $30,000 pay raise, which brought his salary to about $140,000 annually. Hargrave, who taught English, was arrested and wrestled to the hallway floor in a viral video that sparked outrage. She said the suit is good news for anyone who speaks at public meetings. It has been the most stressful two months of thinking that nothing was going to happened and that all this happened for nothing and something has happened, Hargrave said outside the Kaplan school where she teaches. "It has been the most stressful two months of thinking that nothing was going to happened and that all this happened for nothing and something has happened." Deyshia Hargrave, middle school teacher who was handcuffed at a school board meeting The suit asks a state court to nullify all actions by the board in that meeting, including its vote for Puyaus salary increase. It further asks that the school system be reimbursed for any extra money the superintendent received under his raise. Puyau has said he began receiving hate mail and threatening phone calls as the video spread on the internet. Landry's suit said the school board conducted the meeting "in an atmosphere that was hostile toward and contemptuous of" parish residents who attended it. Hargrave also believes her First Amendment right to free speech was violated. Subsequently, the lawsuit said her arrest was a culmination of actions from the board that caused irreparable injury to the citizens present at the meeting by effectively excluding them from participation, Lafayette, La.'s KADN-TV reported. The maximum civil penalty for a violation of the Open Meetings Law is $100 per violation, the report said. Vermilion School Board President Anthony Fontana, a defendant in the suit, resigned from the board two weeks after the meeting. Vermillion Parish is about 150 miles west of New Orleans. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Police in Norfolk, Virginia have made 44 arrests for drug, cash and gun crimes after an 8-month investigation into a gang-related drug ring. And police spokesman Cpl. Will Pickering tells The Virginian-Pilot they're not done yet, since these arrests will help them target more dealers and traffickers. The department says officers seized $190,000 worth of drugs, 12 guns and $85,000 in cash with help from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Thirty-nine of the suspects have been charged in state courts, while five were charged federally. The investigation started when an informant told DEA agents that large amounts of heroin bought in New York were being trafficked in Virginia. ___ Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com A Christian student group has been welcomed back on campus at Wayne State University after threatening a lawsuit for being unfairly booted out. The school reversed its decision Thursday, just two days after InterVarsity Christian Fellowship threatened a lawsuit, represented by Becket, a national legal organization. CHRISTIAN GROUP SUES MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY AFTER IT IS KICKED OFF CAMPUS After a review of the situation and communicating with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship organization, Wayne State has decided to recertify the group as an official student organization, Wayne State spokesperson Matt Lockwood told Fox News. The InterVarsity student group is committed to welcoming and including all students, and the university will not intervene in the groups leadership selection. The group was originally kicked out because all its leaders had to be Christians. Lori Windham, senior counsel at Becket, said the universitys decision is a move in the right direction, but more needs to be done. "Its about time that Wayne State let InterVarsity come in from the cold, Windham told Fox News. Christian student groups should be able to have Christian leaders. Now Wayne State needs to make this permanent and ensure this unfair treatment will never happen again." The issue arose in 2017, when the Detroit-based public college started a new online registration system for its some 400 student organizations. After InterVarsity filled out the form, the group was de-recognized, after being on campus for 75 years, because of the constitutions requirement that leaders share the chapters faith was inconsistent with the schools nondiscrimination code. The schools decision to kick out the Christian student group was not only unfair, but unconstitutional according to Windham. Like many other student groups at Wayne State, anyone regardless of religious beliefs could join InterVarsity, but if they wanted to become a leader, they had to profess the faith requirement consistent with the groups mission. Because of the schools decision to reinstate InterVarsity, they will be able to reserve meeting rooms, host free tables for interested students, appear on the schools website, and apply for student group funds and other benefits that come with official status once again. InterVarsitys purpose is to establish and advance at colleges and universities witnessing communities of students and faculty who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord. The group has been active in the community for decades: volunteering at food pantries, helping clean up rundown neighborhoods in Detroit, and raising awareness on the plague of human trafficking and holding discussions on campus about the intersection of Christianity, race, and social justice. A registered sex offender forbidden from visiting his severely ill 9-year-old son filed a lawsuit Friday against Wisconsin Children's Hospital, arguing its visitation policy is "cruel and causes unnecessary harm to families and innocent children." Security guards escorted Stuart Yates from the building Tuesday, five days after his son was hospitalized with a blood infection caused by e-coli, according to the lawsuit filed in Milwaukee County. Yates' son has had several serious medical conditions since birth, requiring surgical transplants of his pancreas, liver and bowels, the lawsuit said. It wasn't immediately clear how long the hospital's policy of barring registered sex offenders from visiting patients has been in place, but Yates said his son was born there and there have been no problems in the past. Yates, 49, was convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child in 1998 and was sentenced to six months' time served under a deal with prosecutors. Yates said he didn't know the age of the victim in the case and that the incident happened at a house party where there were strippers. "They're using my past record, 20 years ago, against me," he said. "I served my time for it. I've been transparent about it." Hospital spokesman Andy Brodzeller said he's unable to comment on individual cases because of potential privacy violations. Speaking generally, he said "the hospital does have visitation policies in order to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff and those practices do allow us to take steps that would limit an individual's access to our hospital." Yates said his son was having surgery Friday. "He called me this morning and he was crying on the phone," Yates said, "telling me how much he needed me and how scared he was and where am I at? 'Dad where are you? How come you won't come? I miss you, I need you.'" Brodzeller said the hospital can evaluate cases for exceptions to their visitation policy if someone shares their concerns with staff or security. But Yates' attorney, Adele Nicholas, said that hasn't been relayed to them. According to the lawsuit, exceptions are only made if a patient is near death. Nicholas said she has not heard of another hospital having a policy like Children's Hospital and the lawsuit contends that the facility is breaking state law. "The law is quite clear that the patient has a right to designate the people they want to visit with while they're in the hospital and the hospital is not supposed to interfere with that visitation," she said. An ex-Russian spy and his adult daughter were critically injured after they were poisoned by a nerve agent back in March and now Russia is paying for the attack. Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found unconscious March 4 on a bench in a shopping mall in Salisbury, about 90 miles west of London. The pair were released from the hospital two months later and moved to a private, secure location. On Aug. 8, the U.S. announced it was imposing sanctions on Russia for using a chemical weapon in violation of international law, though the Kremlin repeatedly denied involvement. Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions took effect on or around Aug. 22, according to a statement from the State Department. British Prime Minister Theresa May said days after the poisoning that it was highly likely Russia was responsible. And the U.S., Germany and France all appeared to back her. 2 RUSSIANS CHARGED OVER NOVICHOK POISONING OF EX-SPY, USED FAKE PERFUME BOTTLE, BRITISH OFFICIALS SAY Since the March attack, a British couple with no ties to Russia have also been poisoned by the substance in Salisbury. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died more than a week after authorities believe she was exposed to Novichok the military-grade nerve agent also used in an attempt to assasinate Skripal. Charlie Rowley, 45, was also exposed to the agent and remains in critical but stable condition. On Sept. 5, authorities in Britain charged two Russian men, identified as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, as well as Sturgess. The nerve agent used to poison the Skripals was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and applied to the front door of their house, according to Metropolitan Police. Police believe the couple later found that same bottle, thus exposing them to the toxic nerve agent. Heres what we know about Skripal, and the incident that nearly killed him. His background as a spy Skripal served with Russias military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU, and retired in 1999. He then worked at the Foreign Ministry until 2003, and later became involved in business. Skripal was arrested in 2004 in Moscow and later confessed to having been recruited by British intelligence in 1995. He also said at the time that he provided information about GRU agents in Europe, receiving over $100,000 in return. WHAT'S THE GRU, RUSSIA'S MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY? 3 THINGS TO KNOW At the time of Skripals trial, the Russian media quoted the FSB domestic security agency as saying that the damage from his activities could be compared to harm inflicted by Oleg Penkovsky, a GRU colonel who spied for the United States and Britain. Penkovsky was executed in 1963. In 2006, Skripal was convicted on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years. However, he later was pardoned and released from custody in July 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap, which followed the exposure of a ring of Russian sleeper agents in the U.S. Skripals wife and son have both died in recent years. Prior to his wifes death, however, she reportedly told police she feared for her husbands life, the New York Daily News reported. How world leaders responded to the attack On March 15, world leaders said in a joint statement they "abhor" the attack against Skripal. "It is an assault on U.K. sovereignty and any such use by a State party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all, the statement, signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, read. The leaders called on Russia to "live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security." May had given Russia until midnight on March 13 to respond to the charges. When Moscow failed to respond, May expelled 23 Russian diplomats from the U.K. They were given a week to pack their belongings and head back to Russia. This will be the single biggest expulsion for over 30 years and it will reflect the fact that this is not the first time the Russian state has acted against our country," May said at the time. The U.S. also ordered 60 Russian diplomats to leave and announced it would close the Russian consulate in Seattle. In response, Russia then said it would expel 60 U.S. diplomats and close the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg. Two dozen countries, including the U.S., ordered more than 150 Russian diplomats out within a one-week span in a show of solidarity with the U.K. How Russia reacted to the allegations On March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would cooperate with the U.K. in an investigation of the poisonings, calling them a "tragedy." However, Putin said if the claims they were poisoned by the Soviet-designed nerve agent were true, the victims would've died instantly. "Russia does not have such [nerve] agents," Putin said, according to The Guardian. "We destroyed all our chemical weapons under the supervision of international organizations and we did it first, unlike some of our partners who promised to do it, but unfortunately did not keep their promises. Putin added that he thought "any sensible person would understand that it would be rubbish, drivel, nonsense, for Russia to embark on such an escapade on the eve of a presidential election." Putin's remarks came after Russia earlier retaliated against the U.K.: Moscow announced March 17 that it also would expel 23 British diplomats, among other diplomatic measures. Fox News' Travis Fedschun, Zoe Szathmary, Madeline Farber, Kathleen Joyce and The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Japanese court on Friday sentenced a Peruvian man to hang for killing six people over several days in 2015 near Tokyo. The Saitama District Court convicted 32-year-old Jonathan Nakada of the murders committed in Kumagaya, north of Tokyo. Kyodo News agency reported he was also found guilty of related robbery charges. Nakada broke into three homes over three days in September 2015, killing a couple in the 50s in one house and an 84-year-old woman in another. Police arrested Nakada at the final home where he killed a 41-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged 7 and 10. During his arrest Nakada slashed himself several times in the arm, crossed his chest and then threw himself off the house's second-story. The court dismissed his lawyers' argument he was mentally ill and should be acquitted. Judge Naoto Sasaki said investigators showed Nakada's intention was robbery-murder and that he was fully aware of the consequences. A judge has rejected a challenge of Canada's polygamy laws that was launched after two men were found guilty. Winston Blackmore and James Oler were found guilty in British Columbia Supreme Court last July of having multiple wives. A lawyer for Blackmore argued the law infringes on the constitutional right of religion and expression. Justice Sheri Ann Donegan dismissed all arguments Friday that the charges should be dropped. Both men have been leaders in the small community of Bountiful in British Columbia., where court heard residents are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which condones plural marriage. Blackmore was found guilty of marrying two dozen women. Oler was found to have five wives. Both men face a maximum of five years in prison. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Latest on the slaying of a journalist and his fiancee in Slovakia (all times local): 1:45 p.m. Slovakia's top three politicians have failed to agree on a common declaration meant to calm the tense situation in the country following the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee. President Andrej Kiska and Prime Minister Robert Fico had each prepared a text for their Friday meeting with parliamentary speaker Andrej Danko. After the meeting, Danko only said they were not able to agree on a common version. The announcement comes amid growing tensions ahead of Friday's anti-government rallies planned across Slovakia and abroad. The protesters demand a thorough investigation into the shooting deaths of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, whose bodies were found in their home on Feb. 25, and changes in the government. In his last unfinished story, Kuciak, 27, reported on the influence of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and its possible ties to people close to Fico. Fico suggested Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros might be involved in the protests. He says he's got information the protests might turn violent. ___ 8:35 a.m. Slovakia has quickly turned from what seemed to be a stable European Union country into chaos, in the wake of the unprecedented slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee. In a speech last month, President Andrej Kiska talked about his country as "successful, proud and self-confident." On March 4, however, he said Slovakia faces a "serious political crisis" triggered by the fatal shootings of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova. Police said Kuciak's killing last month was likely linked to his work. For his last unfinished story, the 27-year-old Kuciak reported on the influence of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and its possible ties to people close to Prime Minister Robert Fico. A growing number of people have started to turn against the Fico government, threatening its very existence. After a year of threats and diatribes, U.S. President Donald Trump and third-generation North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have agreed to meet face-to-face for talks about the North's nuclear program. It remains to be seen whether a summit, if it takes place, could lead to any meaningful breakthrough after an unusually provocative year. North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear weapon to date and test-launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles theoretically capable of striking the U.S. mainland. Will there be a breakthrough? Failure? Or merely the start of another long and difficult process meant to remove the North's nuclear capabilities? Here's a look at what may lie ahead and the challenges that remain: ___ WHY NOW? Analysts say Trump's decision to accept Kim's invitation for a summit and to do it by May could be linked in part to a desire to claim a significant achievement in his most difficult foreign policy challenge before the U.S. midterm elections in November. Kim, on the other hand, seems desperate to save a sanctions-battered North Korean economy. Both leaders have interests in striking a big deal, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute. Should it happen, the May summit between Trump and Kim will come shortly after a planned meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April. It's likely that North Korea will also push for summits with China, Russia and Japan later in the year to further break out of its isolation, Cheong said. Trump will likely try to achieve something dramatic in his meeting with Kim, said Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification, including a possible exchange of verbal commitments on the denuclearization of North Korea and a peace treaty between the two countries. ___ WHERE TO MEET? The United States and North Korea will likely be talking quite a bit in coming months and maybe even exchanging high-level delegations to set up the logistics of the summit. One of the biggest questions is where it will take place. The United States would prefer Washington, while North Korea will want Trump to come to Pyongyang, its capital. Unless the countries agree to a third-country location, which would likely be South Korea, experts see it as more likely that Trump will fly to Pyongyang. While no incumbent U.S. president has ever set foot in North Korea, Trump might be willing to become the first because it would fit the strong-willed, in-your-face type of leadership he tries to project, Hong said. It's hard to imagine Kim going to Washington because he is much less diplomatically experienced; the planned meeting with Moon in April will be his first with any state leader since he took power in 2011. They could also meet in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the rival Koreas or, Hong said, the southern South Korean resort island of Jeju. ___ WHAT WILL NORTH KOREA WANT? A big question will be whether Trump can accept a freeze of North Korea's nuclear weapons program rather than its elimination, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University. Kim will likely want to keep some nukes as a deterrent, but that might be hard for Trump to tolerate when he spent so much time harshly criticizing his predecessor, Barack Obama, for allegedly standing by and watching as North Korea became a nuclear threat. Still, Kim might express a firmer commitment to denuclearization to Trump, including giving a full report on the North's current nuclear weapons arsenal and allowing thorough international verification once the denuclearization process takes hold, said Choi Kang, vice president of Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. While some experts speculate that North Korea might ask for a halt of annual military drills between the United States and South Korea or even the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, Choi said it's meaningful that Kim, at least according to South Korean presidential official Chung Eui-yong, said he understands that the joint military exercises between the allies "must continue." This signals an important departure from the past when the North thoroughly rejected the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Kim might even free several American citizens currently detained in the North to brighten the atmosphere of his summit with Trump, Choi said. ___ HAVE WE SEEN THIS BEFORE? The whirlwind events of the past months might be compared to 1994, when former U.S. President Bill Clinton concluded a major nuclear agreement between Washington and Pyongyang. Under the "Agreed Framework," North Korea halted construction of two reactors the United States believed were for nuclear weapons production in return for two alternative nuclear power reactors that could be used to provide electricity but not bomb fuel, and 500,000 annual metric tons of fuel oil for the North. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright traveled to Pyongyang in 2000, and there were talks of a summit between Clinton and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. But there was no arrangement before George W. Bush's election. The Agreed Framework broke down after U.S. intelligence agencies said North Korea was pursuing a second way to make bombs, using enriched uranium, leading to the breakdown of the agreement. North Korea is clearly a different country than it was two decades ago, holding a legitimate nuclear program as a bargaining chip. But Trump, in just his second year in office and facing a similarly strong-willed leader eager to directly break a diplomatic deadlock, could be in a better position to cut a meaningful deal with North Korea than Clinton was at the end of his presidency. "Chemistry wise, Trump and Kim might get along; they both strive to be bold and could be eager to strike a deal," said Choi. "After years of diplomatic stalemate over the North's nuclear program, we could use an injection of top-down decision making." ___ Follow Kim Tong-hyung on Twitter at @KimTongHyung. The spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban says the son of their chief, Mullah Fazlullah, was among 21 "holy warriors" killed this week when missiles fired by a U.S. drone struck a seminary in Afghanistan. Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, in a statement Friday identified Fazlullah's son only as Abdullah. His confirmation came a day after officials said the drone targeted a compound, and Khurasani said those killed in the strike were seminary students. Khurasani had earlier said 21 students were killed in Wednesday's drone strike on the seminary near the Pakistan's Bajur tribal region, based on a tip from Pakistani intelligence. Khurasani warned that they will launch retaliatory attacks soon. Fazlullah is the leader of Pakistani Taliban and is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) Human rights experts from the United Nations (UN) on Friday condemned the reported inclusion of a colleague in the Justice Department's list of alleged terrorists. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz was among 600 names the DOJ submitted as a proposed blacklist to the Metro Manila Regional Trial Court. "We are shocked that the Special Rapporteur is being targeted because of her work defending the rights of indigenous peoples," Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst and Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures Chair Catalina Devandas Aguilar said in a statement. Tauli-Corpuz, a Kankana-ey Igorot, is accused of being a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA). In her own statement dated Thursday, she denounced the inclusion of her name and called it "baseless, malicious, and irresponsible." "I am not connected at all in anyway to those organizations nor do I have any knowledge, much less participation, with the alleged incidents cited in the petition," said Tauli-Corpuz. "I am consulting my lawyers on what legal courses of action to take to clear my name and even make accountable those who put my life and security at risk," she added. Her colleagues said the accusation was "an act of retaliation" for her criticism of alleged military attacks and killings among the indigenous Lumad in Mindanao. "We call on the Philippine authorities to immediately drop these unfounded accusations against Ms. Tauli-Corpuz and to ensure her physical safety and that of others listed," the experts said. They also pointed out Tauli-Corpuz has immunity from legal proceedings as long as she is with the UN, as provided in the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 1946. She was appointed as Special Rapporteur by the UN Human Rights Council in 2014. The petition listing the names was signed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong and filed on February 21. A terrorist tag cannot be finalized unless it is approved by a court. Related: DOJ asks court to formalize CPP-NPA terror tag The DOJ has yet to respond to the condemnation from UN Special Rapporteurs. Karapatan hits list Left-leaning group Karapatan also condemned the inclusion of Tauli-Corpuz on the list, saying her concern on possible human rights violations against Lumads was prompted by a letter from their group. It also said some of its members and other indigenous rights advocates were on the list. Karapatan slammed the petition as "an effort to sow fear and panic among Duterte's detractors." "(The) DOJ's proscription petition is dubious and a maneuver meant to harass, target and criminalize persons in progressive organizations," Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said in a statement on Friday. The group also slammed the list as "severely defective," including aliases and names of people who were dead or missing. Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia Division researcher Carlos Conde slammed the petition as a "virtual government hit list." In a piece penned for the HRW website, he said Tauli-Corpuz and activists from the left were not given due process. "There's a long history in the Philippines of the state security forces and pro-government militias assassinating people labeled as NPA members or supporters," Conde wrote. This is not the first time President Rodrigo Duterte's administration butt heads with UN Special Rapporteurs and the CPP-NPA. The administration previously butt heads with UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, refusing to have her investigate the country's controversial drug war. Related: Roque: We'll invite Callamard to swim in Pasig river if she visits PH Despite initially warm relations with the Reds, Duterte has offered hefty prizes for the turnover of rebels. Since peace talks hit a dead end last year, he has called on his government to "destroy the NPA." The Palestinian Health Ministry says a 24-year-old man has been killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank. It said he was shot in the chest Friday and declared dead at a Hebron hospital. Israel's military said Palestinians hurled fire bombs at troops during a protest. It said forces shot an "instigator" holding a firebomb as he threw it at them. Clashes erupted across the West Bank and along Gaza's border. At least a dozen protesters were injured. Palestinians have staged regular protests, that often turn violent, since President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as their future capital and view Trump's decision as siding with Israel on one of the thorniest issues at the heart of the conflict. Prosecutors are demanding a life sentence for an Afghan migrant on trial in Germany for the rape and killing of a 19-year-old medical student in October 2016. Chief prosecutor Eckart Berger told Freiburg's regional court Friday that the defendant should also be imprisoned beyond the usual 15-year life term in Germany. Hussein K., whose last name was withheld in line with German privacy laws, told the court last year that he pulled Maria Ladenburger from her bicycle, raped her and dumped her unconscious in the Dreisam river, where she drowned. K., who entered Germany in 2015, claimed he was 18 at the time of the crime. An expert report and witness statements put his age at 22 old enough for an adult life sentence. The British government deployed the military Friday to help with its probe of the mysterious nerve-agent poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter -- an apparent assassination attempt that also left 19 others seeking medical treatment. The Metropolitan Police force said troops were called in because they have the necessary capability and expertise to help investigators scrambling to trace the nerve agent that left former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in critical condition. The military was set to "remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury town center," police said, adding the public should not be alarmed. "We have the right people with the right skills to assist with this crucial inquiry. This is a dreadful incident and my thoughts remain with the victims and their families, Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said in a statement, according to Sky News. EX-RUSSIAN SPY, DAUGHTER POISONED BY NERVE AGENT IN TARGETED ACT, BRITISH AUTHORITIES SAY Meanwhile, Russias foreign minister expressed resentment at suggestions Moscow was behind the attack and said the Kremlin was ready to consider lending a hand in any investigation, whether its [about] poisoning of some British subjects, whether its rumors about interference in the U.S. election campaign. But in order to conduct such cases, it is necessary not to immediately run out on TV screens with unfounded allegations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency Tass. Skripal, a 66-year-old former colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain and imprisoned. He was freed in 2010 as part of a widely-publicized spy swap in which the U.S. agreed to hand over 10 members of a Russian sleeper cell found operating in America in return for four Russians convicted of spying for the West. He and his daughter, 33, were found collapsed on a bench near a shopping mall Sunday in the town of Salisbury, 90 miles southwest of London. UK OFFICIALS SAY 21 PEOPLE NOW BEING TREATED IN EX-RUSSIAN SPY POISONING Police officer Nick Bailey, who first discovered and treated the pair at the scene, is also in serious condition. A total of 21 people have received medical treatment. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the attack is an "outrageous crime" and a "brazen and reckless act." British authorities say it's too soon to lay blame, but suspicions have fallen on Russia. The Skripal case echoes the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian agent who was poisoned in London in 2006 with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry found Russia was responsible for Litvinenko's killing, and Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved it. A former head of London's Metropolitan Police called Friday for new investigations into the deaths of 14 Russians in the U.K. amid suggestions they were targeted by the Kremlin. Fox News' Travis Fedschun and Kathleen Joyce and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A reporter for Russias main state-controlled media television channels warned so-called traitors Wednesday not to move to the United Kingdom following the assassination attempt on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Kirill Kleimenov of Channel One was reporting on the alleged assassination attempt on Skripal and his daughter Yulia, the BBC reported. The two were poisoned by an unknown nerve agent in Salisbury, England, on Sunday. The father and daughter remain in critical condition. The British government deployed the military Friday to help with the investigation. British authorities say it's too soon to place blame, but suspicions have fallen on Russia. RUSSIAN SPY SERGEI SKRIPAL ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: UK DEPLOYS MILITARY AS MOSCOW, UNDER SUSPICION, OFFERS HELP Kleimenov had a cryptic message for viewers at home. "I don't wish death on anyone, but for purely educational purposes, I have a warning for anyone who dreams of such a career," he said. "The profession of a traitor is one of the most dangerous in the world. Kleimenov said some traitors have lived to a ripe old age while some others have spiraled into a world of substance abuse issues, depression and suicide. The anchor had a piece of advice for traitors or those who simply hate their country in their free time. Dont choose Britain as a place to live, Kleimenov warned. "Something is wrong there. Maybe it's the climate, but in recent years there have been too many strange incidents with grave outcomes there." SERGEI SKRIPAL POISONING: DID DAUGHTER UNWITTINGLY CARRY NERVE AGENT INTO EX-RUSSIAN SPYS HOME? British officials have suspected Russia may be involved in the alleged assassination attempt because it bears similarities to the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko. He was poisoned in London in 2006 with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry found Russia was responsible for Litvinenko's killing, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely approved it. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the poisoning. Skripal, a 66-year-old former colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain and imprisoned. He was freed in 2010 as part of a widely-publicized spy swap in which the U.S. agreed to hand over 10 members of a Russian sleeper cell found operating in America in return for four Russians convicted of spying for the West. Fox News' Lucia Suarez, Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Authorities investigating the mysterious poisoning of an ex-Russian spy living in the United Kingdom are probing the possibility the would-be assassins used the man's unwitting daughter to slip the extremely rare toxic nerve agent inside his home. Former London police chief Ian Blair hinted Friday that a police officer who was in serious condition after coming in contact with the unidentified toxin had visited the home of ex-spy Sergei Skripal during the initial investigation. Blairs remarks on BBC Radio suggested Det. Sgt. Nick Bailey fell ill after visiting Skripals home, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who had not been affected. There may be some clues floating around in here, Blair said. Police have cordoned off a series of sites after Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on Sunday. The pair are in critical condition in a local hospital. Bailey was also admitted to a hospital and is said to be in serious but stable condition. A total of 21 people, including Skripal and his daughter, have been treated after the apparent poisoning. On Friday, Metropolitan Police said they requested the assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the site of the attack. The military was asked to help as they have "the necessary capability and expertise." Investigators are looking into several theories of when and where Skripal and his daughter were targeted by the nerve agent, including if it could have been slipped in via a package or spray at his home or administered at a Salisbury restaurant and pub they visited before they were found unconscious. In addition to his home and vehicle, police have cordoned off the cemetery where Skripals wife is buried as well as The Mill pub in Salisbury. The Telegraph reported police are looking to the possibility that Yulia Skripal may have inadvertently brought a gift to her father from Moscow that may have contained the nerve agent. The younger Skripal arrived in London on Saturday, the day before the two collapsed. Highly toxic and banned in almost all countries, nerve agents require expertise to manufacture leading some to suspect whoever poisoned Skripal had the backing of a state. "A well-equipped lab and a very experienced analytical chemist can do it, but it's not the sort of thing a chancer doing kitchen-sink chemistry can get away with," said chemical weapons expert Richard Guthrie. Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, was convicted in his home country in 2006 of spying for Britain and released in 2010 as part of a spy swap. He had been living quietly in Salisbury, a cathedral city 90 miles southwest of London. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was "ready to consider" lending a hand in any investigation, "whether it's [about] poisoning of some British subjects, whether it's rumors about interference in the U.S. election campaign." "But in order to conduct such cases, it is necessary not to immediately run out on TV screens with unfounded allegations," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state news agency Tass. The U.K. has vowed to take strong action against whoever was responsible for the "brazen and reckless" attack. The Skripal case echoes the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian agent who was poisoned in London in 2006 with radioactive polonium-210. Blair, who led the London force when Litvinenko was fatally poisoned, called for a review of the deaths of 14 Russians in the U.K. amid suggestions they were targeted by the Russian state. He told the BBC it is important to find out "whether there is some pattern here." The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Trump administration is moving to get much tougher on the issue of sexual abuse committed by humanitarian aid workers, and joining an international bandwagon that could cut off funding for international agencies who cantor dont-- address the problem. The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Mark Green, was convening a task force of senior officials and representatives of some key implementing partners on Friday to more aggressively address the issue. It is the latest step among wealthy countries who pay most of the tab for such assistance to quell seemingly endless crimes against some of the worlds most desperate peoplenot to mention keeping scandal from eroding support for aid efforts in a world increasingly afflicted with humanitarian donor fatigue. The U.S. is the most generous of those donors: USAIDs 2018 budget requisition asks for $2.5 billion for humanitarian assistance, plus another $1.5 billion for global health programsthough the Trump Administration looks on foreign aid with a relatively jaundiced eye. USAID officials would not yet name the key partners taking part in the session, dubbed a Forum on Preventing Sexual Misconduct. It follows closely a similar British safeguarding summit held on March 5 that laid out new standards and means of scrutiny for domestic and international aid organizations including United Nations agencies in dealing with sex crimes and exploitation. The burst of action by rich nations comes after years of highly publicized but evidently ineffectual zero-tolerance declarations from the United Nations against sex abuse by U.N.-sponsored peacekeepers and aid agencies, which kindled widespread outrage and cynicism at the anti-sex crime effort, even as the number of victims kept rising. Similar declarations were made by U.N. Secretary Antonio Guterres soon after he took office in January 2017. The threat brandished by Britains equivalent of USAID, the Department for International Development (DFID), to organizations that did not toe the line was considerably more blunt: new funds to organizations will not be approved unless they pass the new standards. So far, Green has said nothing so bare-knuckled, at least in public. Earlier this week, he also sent a worldwide memo to agency staff, saying he had asked USAID legal officials to strategize on ways to ensure that USAIDs humanitarian partners are able to institute a culture of accountability and effectively root out alleged abusers within their organizations. Green has been coordinating closely with Britain in the anti-sex-crime effort. Prior to the British summit, he asked USAIDs Office of the Inspector General to get in touch with its DFID equivalent, and said the OIG will continue to explore the appropriateness of audit and investigation, meaning a separate USAID probe. The detonator for the latest round of action was, by the ugly standards of sexual abuse in humanitarian crises, a relatively minor event: allegations last month in The Times of London that a senior official of Oxfam, Britains most widely respected international charity, had partied with local prostitutes in Haiti while supervising aid work in the aftermath of that countrys disastrous 2010 earthquake. Further reports alleged that the same official carried out similar activities during a 2006 relief operation in Chad. The official, Roland van Hauwermeiren, denounced the charges as full of lies and exaggerations. But an internal Oxfam investigation said he admitted to the use of prostitutes, and found other Oxfam workers had done similar things. Van Hauermeiren, however, was allowed to resign, and the others charged were fired or resigned under the bland heading of bringing Oxfams name into disrepute, among other things. The investigation report was quietly archived. The Times revelations spawned an uproar almost immediately in Britain, where Oxfam is one of the countrys most admired private aid organizations. The furor quickly spurred action, starting with the resignation of Oxfams deputy chief executive, and a mutually agreed freeze on Oxfam funding by DFID. (The organization got some $46 million from DFID in 2017, and it has current projects with USAID worth about $23 million.) This weeks British safeguarding summit went much further in promoting an overall house-cleaning for British international charities, including the creation of an independent body to promote external scrutiny and ensure the highest possible standards across the aid sector. It also called for: - Tighter vetting standards for all humanitarian staffers to ensure no offender can fall through the cracks, - A systematic audit of whistleblowing standards to ensure individuals feel able to report offenses, and -Clear guidelines for referring incidents, allegations and offenders to relevant authorities - including criminal investigation agencies. Oxfam, at least, says it has got the message. In the wake of the summit chaired by Britains secretary of state for international development, Penny Mordaunt, the charitys CEO declared that that as a sector and individual organisations we can and must do better. Prior to the meeting, Oxfam declared it had produced a new plan of action to ward off similar disasters, including an independent watchdog commission of womens right experts, and a new database for vetted staffers. So what about the scandal-plagued U.N., whose peacekeeping forces and other aid agencies have been tarred by even more serious offenses? Though the main focus of the safeguarding exercise was aimed at national and international aid organizations, Mordaunt has made it clear U.N. agencies also had to provide satisfactory action plans for how they intend to deal with sexual crimes and abuse. As she put it two weeks ago, The message from us to all parts of the U.N. is clearyou can either get your house in order, or you can prepare to carry out your good work without our money. A number of U.N. aid organizations have apparently started to pursue that house-cleaning, spurred on even before the new scandal by Secretary General Guterres. The Secretary Generals spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, declared the U.N. received 40 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in the last quarter of 2017, involving 54 victims, 16 of them girls under age 18. In U.N. protocols, even consensual sex with anyone under 18 is to be considered statutory rape. Some U.N. agencies offered up even more meager tallies. The United Nations Development Program, for example, which is heavily involved in development and disaster recovery work around the world, told Fox News that in 2016 its internal watchdogs reported only two proven cases of sexual abuse and harassment: one an alleged harassment of U.N. staffers, the other an attempt by a service contractor to have sexual relations in exchange for money. U.N. critics argue such numbers are vastly, even ludicrously, understated. One private advocacy organization, Hear Their Cries, has claimed as many as 60,000 people per decade have suffered sexual exploitation and abuse at the hands of U.N. peacekeepers, aid workers and other staffers. The basis of those numbers, however, is flimsy. The man who compiled them, Peter Gallo, a former U.N. investigators, told an Italian publication last month, Maybe there is less than 60,000 victims. Maybe there are more. We dont know. Its an estimate and at the end of the day we will never know the real number. On the other hand, there is some disturbing evidence that the sexual abuse problems, in the midst of the largest refugee and humanitarian crisis the modern world has seen, are far larger than anyone yet cares to imagine. If so, the task force that USAID Administrator Green is convening truly has its work cut out for it, for a long time to come. U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the Summit of the Americas regional meeting of Western Hemisphere leaders in Peru. A high-ranking Peruvian government official with direct knowledge of the upcoming event confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday that Trump plans to attend. Leaders around Latin America have been watching closely for any indication that the U.S. president would go to the meeting. The event is scheduled to take place in April in Peru's capital city. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss details. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) A joint effort by authorities from three countries led to the arrest of a suspected child trafficker in Bulacan. Local police, with the help of authorities from Norway and the United States, nabbed on Thursday Anselmo Ico Jr., who goes by the alias Jaja Jhoncel. "Nage-engage siya dito sa mga pedophiles [He engages with pedophiles here]," said Atty. Janet Francisco of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Human Trafficking Division. "Ino-offer niya mga kapamilya niya, yung kapitbahay niya, kaibigan niya, so kilalang-kilala talaga siya bilang nago-offer ng mga bata," Francisco added. [Translation: He offers children to his family, neighbors and friends, so he is really known as a child trafficker.] Authorities seized from Ico a number of gadgets, including a laptop and mobile phones, as well as pornographic materials. Police said most of his clients are U.S. and European citizens. Norway arrested early this year a Norwegian for livestreaming sex abuse of children. The videos were traced to Ico, prompting a multi-national effort to arrest him. "Oo totoo 'yon," said Ico. "Nagpapadala ako ng video, pero hindi ako nahulihan na may kasamang bata kasi ini-stop ko na 'yon." [Translation: Yes, that's true. I send videos, but I was never caught with children because I stopped doing that.] Ico will face a string of non-bailable cases, including child abuse and violation of the Anti-Trafficking Law, from at least 15 potential child victims. Ico's arrest drew praise from the Philippines' partners, who are part of an intensified global effort to fight child trafficking and abuse. "This requires good international police cooperation," said Norwegain police official Sidsel Isachsen in a Friday press conference. "We are so grateful for the cooperation we have with NBI and PNP (Philippine National Police)." "We're here to assist our local partners, as well as our domestic officers and hsi domestic offices to prosecute these individuals," said Jim Anglemyer from the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations at the same press conference. A 2017 UNICEF report found that child sex trafficking and other forms of abuse remain widespread in poor countries like the Philippines and are exacerbated by the Internet. "Pinapaniwala nila yung mga bata, normal 'to, kailangan natin 'to na gawin para meron tayong pambili ng pagkain, para i-send namin kayo sa school," Francisco said. [Translation: These children are made to believe that this is normal, that this must be done so that there's money to buy food and send them to school.] Local authorities said they will continue to crack down on child sex offenders, especially with the renewed support of foreign governments. (CNN) UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd condemned the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy and his daughter in England as "cruel" and "brazen" on Thursday, amid growing suspicions that Moscow may have been involved. Police confirmed Wednesday that a nerve agent was used in the attack in the southern English city of Salisbury on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, who remain in a critical but stable condition. In a statement to members of Parliament on Thursday, Rudd refused to be drawn on who might have been responsible. "The use of a nerve agent on UK soil is a brazen and reckless act this was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way," Rudd said. "People are right to want to know who to hold to account but if we are to be rigorous in this investigation we must avoid speculation and allow the police to carry on their investigation." Rudd said the UK government was committed to "doing whatever we can to bring the perpetrators to justice" and would "act without hesitation as the facts become clearer." Skripal, 66, and Yulia, 33, were found slumped on a bench near a shopping center in Salisbury on Sunday. A police officer who helped them was also exposed to the nerve agent but his condition has improved. Earlier Thursday, Rudd said that Skripal and his daughter were in a "very serious condition" but that the policeman was "talking and engaging." Police: Pair 'deliberately targeted' In a statement on Wednesday evening Mark Rowley, the head of the counter-terrorism division at London's Metropolitan police, declared a "major incident" and said hundreds of police officers, forensic experts and government chemical analysts were involved in the inquiry. Rowley said the attack was being treated as attempted murder, and that Skripal and his daughter were deliberately targeted. If a Moscow link were proved, it would plunge relations between the West and Russia to a new low, and would call into question the British government's ability to protect residents of the UK at home. Rowley said officers from Wiltshire police, the local force, were providing support to the sick officer and his family. Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said the evidence did not suggest any wider danger to the public. Police say they know the nerve agent used in the attack, but have declined to say what it was nor how they suspect it was administered. They called on anyone who visited the area on Sunday, including a branch of the Zizzi restaurant chain or the nearby Bishop's Mill pub, to come forward with any information that might help them piece together what happened. Russian slams UK reaction The Russian embassy in London told reporters it had not received substantive details about the case, which it said was "rather worrying." A spokesman described comments by UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who vowed a "robust response" in the event that state involvement was proved, as "strongly anti-Russian." He described the comments as an attempt to politicize the affair, and attacked the media for aiding the government's efforts. "The parliamentary debate as well as the Government stance are a testament of London's growing unpredictability as a partner in international relations, whose policy towards Russia is inconsistent and looks rather miscalculated, not least in the eyes of the Russian public" the press officer added. Skripal is believed to have lived in the UK since he was released from a Russian jail in 2010. He was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain before he was granted refuge in the UK after a high-profile spy swap in 2010 between the United States and Russia. His daughter Yulia is thought to be one of the few members of the former spy's immediate family still alive after his wife and son died in recent years. Local convenience store manager Ebru Ozturk, who saw Skripal at his shop just days before the incident on Sunday, told CNN that he was a "kind customer" who would usually come in once a week and buy Polish-smoked bacon and scratch-and-win lottery cards. "He is (a) regular customer, he is so kind and he seems to me an educated person. Very polite," said Ozturk. "I don't talk too much to the customers, but he was, you know, one of the very kind customers." 'Outrageous affront' The executive director of the Europe-wide police agency Europol, Rob Wainwright, described the use of a nerve agent to attack a former Russian spy in the UK as an "outrageous affront to our security in Europe and our way of life," but added that people should "exercise caution before jumping to any conclusions." However, he said, "there are not 101 likely offenders," apparently a reference to the difficulty in producing nerve agent, which would limit the number of suspects with the ability to carry out the attack. Nerve agents are rarely used outside the battlefield and require considerable expertise to develop. Exposure to potent doses can result in death. Sarin was used in the 1995 attack on the Tokyo subway, carried out by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, which killed 13 people and injured 5,500 others. Another nerve agent, VX, was used to kill Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Kuala Lumpur international airport in February 2017. In his comments to parliament, Johnson said the Salisbury chase had "echoes" of the plight of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died a slow death after drinking tea laced with highly radioactive polonium-210 in 2006 in a hotel in London. A detailed UK inquiry later concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved the operation by Russian agents to kill Litvinenko. The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the inquiry as politically motivated. READ MORE: Russia spy case is a chilling reminder of suspicious deaths in UK This story was first published on cnn.com, "UK slams 'brazen' attack on Russian spy as Moscow suspicions grow." Measuring health disparities knowledge The Binaytara Foundation, which works to reduce cancer health disparities in the U.S. and elsewhere, will focus on its forthcoming 2018 Summit on National and Global Cancer Health Disparities. Led by oncologist Dr. Binay Shah and mentored by HDRC Associate Director Dr. Beti Thompson, the group will assess the response to its summit, which will tackle issues such as inherent bias, stereotype threats, high health care costs and poor follow-up health care communication. Because of disparity issues many disenfranchised Americans, such as those with low education, the poor, and minority groups, are unable to receive the best possible care despite constant breakthroughs in cancer research and the release of new drugs, Shah wrote in his proposal. These groups are left with worse outcomes than their counterparts. In the richest and most technologically advanced nation in the history of the world, this is inexcusable. The Binaytara Foundation will evaluate participants knowledge of health disparities before the summit then follow up with two tests afterward. One will evaluate caregivers intent to modify practice and the other, conducted several weeks later, will measure actual practice change. The project also will create a cancer disparities task force. The Summits purpose is to educate stakeholders across the spectrum of health care delivery including doctors, nurses, health care executives, industry executives, insurance executives, lawmakers and others, Shah said. This population was chosen because it has the ability to decrease cancer health disparities and directly benefit the patient. Thompson, who launched the workshop program five years ago, was enthusiastic about the Foundations proposal. As health professionals, we often go to conferences and seminars to learn about best practices in our fields of study, she said. We often leave with good intentions to apply what we learned into our practice, but it doesnt always work out that way. Its motivating to see the Binaytara Foundation think this through to look at how knowledge gained at a health disparities conference may influence actual changes in ones practice in working toward health equity. Promoting citizen science All in all, the HDRC program is designed to break down barriers and promote citizen science. Our goal is to help community members develop and strengthen their ability to apply for grants and successfully implement the work they propose, Thompson said. We have past grantees whove had significant findings in their projects and have gone on to present at professional conferences and publish a manuscript. It is really exciting and rewarding to see this type of progress among grantees. Past HDRC grant recipients include the Somali Health Board, the Urban Indian Health Institute, El Centro de la Raza, Cierra Sisters, Gay City, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Entre Hermanos, Gildas Club, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Cornerstone Medical Services, Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging and Komen Puget Sound. The venue for this years Farmers Apprentice bootcamp will be Harper Adams University in Shropshire. Its a perfect fit a competition that attracts hugely talented youngsters being held at a campus that has a long track record in doing precisely the same. High-tech Farmers Apprentice is a competition offering the experience of a lifetime so where better to host bootcamp than a leading land-based university? From humble beginnings when it opened its doors in 1901, Harper Adams University has moved with the times, grown rapidly and made a series of multimillion-pound investments in its facilities. See also: Farmers Apprentice is one of the best things Ive done Its a venue with a proud heritage, but also a real focus on cutting-edge thinking and innovation, with facilities including the Agricultural Engineering Innovation Centre and a robotic dairy unit. Our apprentice candidates will find it the perfect place to learn how powerful combining history and high-tech can be. Agriculture The 2,800 undergraduate students who attend Harper follow a huge range of courses everything from Engineering and Zoology to Animal Sciences and Applied Biology but farming is at the heart of the place, with the campus set on the universitys 635ha mixed farm. Its emphasis is on combining productivity with sustainability a concept that is central to the Farmers Apprentice ethos. We know that those working in todays competitive and volatile global market need a mix of attributes including managerial, practical, technical and interpersonal ones. We will help you hone your skills in all these areas and more. Research The world faces some big challenges and they dont come much bigger than feeding the rapidly growing population. Its the current generation of young people that will have to find solutions to these issues and top-notch research will be needed like never before. Our 10 apprentices will certainly get some inspiration at Harper, where academics from across disciplines come together with students and the industry to conduct internationally important research that shapes professional practice, government policy and the application of new technologies. Candidates will get an insight into this work during their weeks stay as well as benefit from the experiences of influential visiting speakers. People Its partly the people who make careers in farming and food as fulfilling as they are and anyone who has studied at Harper will tell you they have met some fantastic fellow students and teaching staff. Make it through to bootcamp and it will be the same it might only last a week, but the Farmers Apprentice is one experience you will never forget. In fact, we are confident it will be one of the best, most enjoyable things you have ever done. As an opportunity to network, its unrivalled. Yes, you will be vying with the other competitors for the coveted first prize, but previous entrants have said that they have made friends for life during this fun and action-packed week. Experience We are not expecting all our apprentice candidates necessarily to have bags of experience before bootcamp its what you learn while you are there and how you apply it that is important. We want to see candidates who can show they can think on their feet when faced with real-world problems. Its a philosophy shared by Harper, which prides itself on producing work-ready graduates. Whether they are seeking farm managers, food retailers, surveyors or scientists, employers value the applied nature of the teaching and the sandwich placement year in industry that nearly all undergrads complete. Reputation Taking part in the Farmers Apprentice can be a significant addition to your CV. What employer would not be wowed, after all, by seeing you had made it to the finals of such a prestigious competition? So its fitting that this years competition will take place at a venue with an unrivalled reputation. Harper was named the UKs Best Modern University in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018. The 2017 Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey also showed it to have the joint-highest graduate employment rate of any English university. Its a first-class experience in a first-class, rural environment. What is Farmers Apprentice? From farm to fork, businesses are on the hunt for the best new recruits. Its vital, therefore, that the most capable members of the next generation both from farming and non-farming backgrounds chose careers in farming and the food chain. Run by Farmers Weekly, Farmers Apprentice is a unique competition giving young people a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop their skills and progress their careers. We will pick 10 of them to take part in our week-long, summer residential bootcamp that will put them through their paces in a range of tasks and culminate in one being crowned Farmers Weekly Farmers Apprentice 2018. You could win 10,000 Thats right 10,000 to help you kick-start your career. We will help you invest that money wisely, by giving you access to a mentor who can help make sure it makes the maximum difference to your prospects. What would you spend the money on? Would you buy livestock to establish a flock or herd? A piece of machinery that enables you to expand an existing enterprise? Broaden your skills by funding training or education? Or perhaps even take a trip abroad to learn from our overseas counterparts? One things for sure: the chance to win 10,000 doesnt come along every day. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Mayra Linares, a 40-year-old sickle-cell anemia patient at Caracas University Hospital, waited for 10 days until she got one of three units of blood she needed in February. Her mother brought in her bedsheets and paid for medical instruments. (Rachelle Krygier for The Washington Post) CARACAS, Venezuela In Venezuela, getting sick has never been more deadly. Medicines from antibiotics to chemotherapy drugs have become increasingly scarce in recent years. Public hospitals ask patients' families to supply bedsheets and syringes. HIV patients have gone months without their drugs , and transplant patients have died without the immunosuppressants they need after surgery. But the country is now experiencing a crisis in one of the most basic medical necessities: blood. Lower oil prices and populist policies championed by the late Hugo Chavez and continued by his successor, President Nicolas Maduro , have plunged Venezuela into a spiraling economic emergency . The health system, which is also plagued by mismanagement and corruption, is crumbling. Late last year, the situation turned so dire that blood for transfusions and surgeries was in critically short in supply at public hospitals. In January and February, medical workers say, the scarcity paralyzed most public blood banks, forcing patients to wait for urgent procedures and prompting doctors to advise families to try to acquire processed blood from private clinics. The problem, according to doctors, is not so much a lack of donors as a shortage of the seven reagents that test donated blood for infections. Those reagents, which the Health Ministry and the Institute of Social Security import to distribute to public institutions here, are priced in dollars, making them expensive in the local currency, the near-worthless bolivar. Without the reagents, blood cant be used. Women protest the state of Venezuela's heath system in Caracas on Feb. 8. Their signs read, We want to live and We have no medicines: I don't want to die. Humanitarian aid now. (Rachelle Krygier/ For The Washington Post) On a morning in late February, Roselvia Escobar showed up at Jose Manuel de los Rios, the public childrens hospital in Caracas, to beg for help finding blood for her 22-year-old son, Cesar, who needs three transfusions a month. Cesar was diagnosed at birth with thalassemia, a blood disease. If he doesn't get the transfusions, his heart or nervous system could fail and his bones could become deformed. The family was unable to secure blood from December till February, when they got just one unit. Hes in bed, drowsy, inactive and terrified, Escobar, said. The right to live doesnt exist in Venezuela. You just pray to God your loved one doesnt die. This week, Venezuelan patients received rare good news a nearly two-month supply of reagents arrived at most public hospitals, purchased by the Health Ministry and the Institute of Social Security from laboratories and organizations abroad. The Pan American Health Organization said that a separate, donated batch will be sent to the country in the coming weeks and should last an additional month. But doctors call those deliveries short-term solutions to a long-term problem. Facing uncertainty, many patients' families have resorted to buying processed blood from private clinics, which acquire reagents from laboratories here that import them at black-market dollar rates. The official rate is largely inaccessible to private companies. Carlos Maldonado, 40, bought blood from a private clinic for his father, who was admitted to Caracas University Hospital after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in January. It cost Maldonado nearly two months' worth of wages. Thank God we could afford it, he said. We all hope he won't need more transfusions. But not all private clinics are selling blood. Some reserve their reagents exclusively for their own patients, unless public blood banks call directly and offer other scarce products in exchange for them. In any case, in a country where 87 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, most families cant afford to pay what the clinics charge for usable blood. The Health Ministry and the Institute of Social Security did not respond to a request for comment. Its an unimaginable situation, said Maribel Melendez, secretary general of the Venezuelan Society of Hematologists, which represents most public blood banks nationwide. At the worst point in the shortages mid-December to late February 70 percent of banks had no usable blood, she said. For some patients forced to wait as their families and doctors scramble to get them a supply, the blood has arrived too late. In mid-February, a teenager caught in a gunfight died at the Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas because no blood was available. Six other patients died in the hospital this year for the same reason, according to a hematologist there who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid government reprisals. The hospital had no blood reserves from December to March. . At the internal medicine unit of Caracas University Hospital, four patients have died this year for lack of blood, according to a medical resident there. In February, five patients in critical condition were still waiting for blood. Carla Tovar was nervously praying as she held her sick daughters hand at the childrens hospital in January. Fernanda, 9, frequently needs transfusions following chemotherapy treatment for her acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A week earlier, Fernanda needed an urgent transfusion but the hospital had no blood. Tovar took her by bus to a private clinic two hours away, where her husband works as a security guard. The clinic offered to do a transfusion for six months worth of minimum wage. The couple borrowed from friends and relatives to pay for it. If she needs another transfusion, Tovar said in tears, we have no money left. Four other mothers in the waiting room that day were desperate to find blood for their children. Doctors later told Tovar that Fernanda did need another transfusion. After five days of begging for a unit at multiple hospitals, a public bank gave Tovar one. They said I was lucky, Tovar said. That's how the system takes care of Venezuelans these days, she said. It needs to end. Venezuela Has Some Bad News and Some Really Bad News The country's oil production has collapsed; the only question is just how badly. Most would think getting stabbed in the back would hault all other activity that you're physically doing at that time, because well, you just got stabbed in the back. But against all odds, this Brazilian guy, Elionardo Nascimento, got stabbed in the back.... and then carried on doing his thing. Elionardo was casually enjoying a drink in a Brazilian bar when he was involved in a bar fight, resulting in him being stabbed in the back. Rather than freaking out though, he stayed extremely calm, and carried on with his night until the ambulance came. He was lucky enough that the knife missed all his organs and his spine as well. Hollow Earth concept is one that was born out of some musings in the past about whether the earth might contain pockets of life we don't know about on the surface, or perhaps an entire world within. There are legends of this from around the world which makes it an interesting subject to study. Agartha Hollow Earth is referred to as a land called Agartha. It is believed to be entered by points around the world and have an inner sun, a superior people who live long lives and have peace, and might be other-dimensional in qualities. And, more than a few believers think that it might be the origin of UFOs and alien people. Cultures throughout time have spoken about the people of the underground from the Greeks and Buddhists to the Hopi of the American Southwest. This repeated theme is much like the flood theme that has run throughout religious texts and native legends. When something repeats itself that much, there must be some basis for this theme. It is usually worth looking at again to see if there is merit to the concept literally or just figuratively. Is it possible? The deepest we have drilled on the earth is in Russia where they drilled to 7.5 miles (deeper than the deepest ocean) but it became so hot at that depth (356F), they quit drilling. As the distance to the center of earth is approx 4000 miles, that 7-1/2 miles didn't cut it much. ( LINK Many say that a hollow earth area around the core would be impossible; pressure would be too great, as well as temperatures. But, we also thought life could not exist in the arctic ices or the excruciatingly hot volcanic vents on the ocean's floor, and yet it does. Still, knowing that we are still uncovering many mysteries to our own earth, the possibility that large caverns underground could exist and a people could have adapted to such a location isn't entirely ludicrous. After all, we only just learned in recent years that we Homo sapiens share Neanderthal, Denisovans and an unnamed other man's DNA. We have discovered jets and sprites above our atmosphere bursting when storms below are occurring. We have blow away some long-held theories about physics with new research. So, we must remain humble in considering long-held legends and if there is a grain of validity. One thing we know about our Earth, it provides life and energy in such a wide variety of forms that it is wildly diverse by its very nature. I will cover potential openings to Hollow Earth spoken of through time and we can entertain the scope of this subject. Even if you shake your head in disbelief at the notion of Hollow Earth, this is an interesting and animated discussion. North and South Poles Explorer Admiral Richard Byrd flew over the north and south poles and there has been much talk about his supposed diaries that revealed something extraordinary. In his diary, Byrd allegedly tells of entering the hollow interior of the earth, along with others and traveling 17 miles over mountains, lakes, rivers, green vegetation, and animal life. He tells of seeing tremendous animals resembling the mammoths of antiquity moving through the brush. He eventually found cities and a thriving civilization. The external temperature was 74 degrees F. His airplane was greeted by flying machines of a type he had never seen before. They escorted him to a safe landing area where he was graciously greeted by emissaries from Agartha. After resting, he and his crew, were taken to meet the king and queen of Agartha. They told him that he had been allowed to enter Agartha because of his high moral and ethical character. They went on to say that they worried about the safety of planet due to the bombs and other testing done above the surface by governments. After the visit, Byrd and his crew were guided back to the surface of the planet. Byrd stated that the North and South Poles are only two of many openings into the center of the Earth. He also wrote about seeing a sun below the Earth. Openings are most often named at the North Pole and the South Pole, yet there are some other intriguing locations cited around the world. In 2007, there was a planned trek to the supposed opening in the area of the North Pole. This website ( LINK ) Voyage to Hollow Earth, was set up to discuss the planned excursion. The trip never came to fruition, although they had plans to bring paid customers along on the adventure. This would have been a pretty interesting project to follow. Hitler was said to be obsessed with finding the opening to Agartha in Antarctica. ... Nazis explored the Southern regions of our planet and even creating secret bases in Neuschwabenland. Some also speak about Operation Highjump and Admiral Byrds journeys where extremely advanced airships were seen flying around and exploring new territories. Not long ago, we discovered a map of the third Reich in which there are several secret passages depicted which were used by German U-Boats to access mysterious underground regions, as well as a complete map of both hemispheres and the mysterious kingdom of Agartha. Mt. Shasta, California Few mountains have the mystique that Mt. Shasta has. It is part of a range that has seen great geological change and volcanic explosions in the past, but the mountain has become the focus for many of a lot of legends from UFOs, aliens, Bigfoot, and underground cities. One such city is called Telos and its citizens are called Lemurians. Telos is a large city about 1.5 million inhabitants. The city exists in a dome. Its size is two miles in depth and 1.5 miles in area. Telos means "communication with spirit." Its language is Solar Maru, the root language for Sanskrit and Hebrew. The average height of its people is 6.5 to 7.5 feet. The people of Telos live long lives. Many are thousands of years old but look thirty or forty. Telos has a King named Ra and a Queen called Ramu Mu. A council of twelve that is composed of six men and women governs the city. There is no money system as all the inhabitants basic needs are cared for. They use barter to exchange luxury goods. Their predominant spiritual activity is Ascension that involves visiting different dimensions, particularly moving from the third to the fifth dimension and is learned in temple training. The entrance to Mt. Shastas inner sanctum was supposedly by a clear pool near a branch of the McCloud River on the mountains east side. This was the first published reference linking Mt. Shasta to Lemuria. Later, other books followed, all elaborating further on the ancient connection. There were also those who believed it was not the Lemurians living inside Mt. Shasta, but the Atlanteans. Tibet Tibetans speak of a place called Shambhala and the people believe that it is guarded by superhuman beings and within it is a kind of paradise. In the Himalayas, a Tibet expedition in 1938 was intended to produce new findings relating to early Germanic history. The Nazis believed in a Nordic master race that was supposed to have survived the demise of the legendary Atlantis. In Tibet - so the theory goes - these people of Nordic origin are supposed to have constructed the underground realm of Shambalah, traces of which the expedition hoped to find. Shambhala extraterrestrials refused to assist the Nazi expeditions with war but agreed to travel to Germany to help assist in spiritual developement. This involved the foundation of the Vril society. Peru There is mythology of the Inca that involves an opening to Hollow Earth in Cuzco, Peru. LINK) According to South American mythology the belief of the Brazilian Indians, who live alongside the Parima River in Brazil, claim that their forefathers emerged in ancient times from an underground land, and that many of their ancestors still remained inside the earth. There are also legends that say the ancestors of the Inca Empire came from underground caves which are located east of Cuzco, Peru. LINK) ... These ancient legends speak of vast networks of tunnels criss-crossing the entire length and breadth of the planet. Traditions of vaults, labyrinths and buried treasures of remote antiquity are found in Crete, Egypt, Tibet, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. Inca prophecy tells of the upper, middle, and lower worlds, other realities existing in both physical and astral/etheric form. Several places in the Andes mountains are considered gateways to these realms and doorways, where emergence and entrance are possible. Included among this distinction are the famous sacred sites of Sacsayhuaman in the Peruvian Andes, and the ancient pre-Incan city of Tiwanaku near the shores of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. First-Hand Accounts by Voyagers Besides the Admiral Byrd journal entries people recite, others have given reports of their supposed encounters. One was a more recent man who had a car accident that was quite traumatic and when he came out of it, he claimed to have gained knowledge about Hollow Earth. He was so compelled to go there, he planned a voyage. The only problem is, before the excursion, he strangely went missing - Above: Interesting interview with a man named Dallas Thompson who had insight into Hollow Earth and then...went missing ( Interesting interview with a man named Dallas Thompson who had insight into Hollow Earth and then... article about him ). A most intriguing account was given by a Norwegian fisherman named Olaf Jansen from the early 1900s who wrote about his adventures with his family while fishing in the seas to the far north. He wrote about this in "The Smoky God." LINK) The immense craft paused, and almost immediately a boat was lowered and six men of gigantic stature rowed to our little fishing-sloop. They spoke to us in a strange language. We knew from their manner, however, that they were not unfriendly. They talked a great deal among themselves, and one of them laughed immoderately, as though in finding us a queer discovery had been made. One of them spied our compass, and it seemed to interest them more than any other part of our sloop. Finally, the leader motioned as if to ask whether we were willing to leave our craft to go on board their ship. "What say you, my son?" asked my father. "They cannot do any more than kill us." "They seem to be kindly disposed," I replied, "although what terrible giants! They must be the select six of the kingdom's crack regiment. Just look at their great size." "We may as well go willingly as be taken by force," said my father, smiling, "for they are certainly able to capture us." Thereupon he made known, by signs, that we were ready to accompany them. In the lower left corner (above) is Franz Josef Land that Olaf referred to. He also referred to heading along the coast and out for days before they reached a strange area that was warm. If you look at the yellow dots near the top of this Google Earth imagine, they are referred to as "deep explosive volcanoes" that might create a warm area. Interestingly, Olaf also said this - Within thirty-six hours we were out of sight of the highest point on the coast line of Franz Josef Land. We seemed to be in a strong current running north by northeast. Far to the right and to the left of us were icebergs, but our little sloop bore down on the narrows and passed through channels and out into open seas - channels so narrow in places that, had our craft been other than small, we never could have gotten through. On the third day we came to an island. Its shores were washed by an open sea. My father determined to land and explore for a day. This new land was destitute of timber, but we found a large accumulation of drift-wood on the northern shore. Some of the trunks of the trees were forty feet long and two feet in diameter. If you follow that path, it sounds like they were swept into the currents that likely flow along the volcanic seam.... Is there a Hollow Earth civilization? There is certainly plenty enough earth and it was only just recently Son Doong, the largest cave in the world, was discovered in Vietnam. The speculation is quite tantalizing and the legends of old have strong conviction. More than anything else, I think we'd all like to believe it goes something like this - (one of my favorite movies of all time "Journey to the Center of the Earth") More info 13 Pieces of Evidence Supporting the Hollow Earth Hypothesis ( LINK The Hollow Earth Maps of the Third Reich: There is an Entrance to the Hollow Earth ( LINK The Greater Picutre: The Hollow Earth ( LINK Norwegian's account from early 1900s of stumbling across Hollow Earth and spending time there. ( LINK clarajancita at 9-03-2018 01:04 PM (3 years ago) (f) A man sentenced to 72years in prison has requested to be hanged instead because he was unable to exorcise the evil spirit that led him into committing the crimes. A court has sentenced a 31-year-old serial rapist to an effective 72 years in prison. A man sentenced to 72years in prison has requested to be hanged instead because he was unable to exorcise the evil spirit that led him into committing the crimes. A court has sentenced a 31-year-old serial rapist to an effective 72 years in prison. According to Herald newspaper, the Zimbabwean regional magistrate, Dambudzo Malunga, sentenced Charles Magombedze of Chikova Village in Masvingo Province to 78 years in prison, but conditionally suspended six years. Magombedze who was convicted on eight counts of r*pe on his own plea of guilty, shocked the court when he requested the hangmans noose, saying he was unable to exorcise the evil spirit that led him into committing the crimes if left alive. On his initial appearance in court on Tuesday, Magombedze said he was a member of a Satanic Cult whose goal was to spill blood and to have unprotected intercourse to breed another Satanic generation. Magombedze acknowledged guilty to eight counts of r*pe and pleaded with the courts to hand him a death sentence. Zimbabwes constitution may only permit the death penalty to be imposed on a person convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances. Malunga said Magombedze deserved severe punishment because he had behaved like a beast by committing the offences. Armed with dangerous weapons such as iron bars, axes and machetes, Magombedze molested more than 10 victims, including a 14-year-old girl and a police constabularys wife. Magombedze also faces attempted murder charges after he allegedly stabbed a woman five times in an attempt to r*pe her and other charges related to unlawful entry and theft. According to Herald newspaper, the Zimbabwean regional magistrate, Dambudzo Malunga, sentenced Charles Magombedze of Chikova Village in Masvingo Province to 78 years in prison, but conditionally suspended six years.Magombedze who was convicted on eight counts of r*pe on his own plea of guilty, shocked the court when he requested the hangmans noose, saying he was unable to exorcise the evil spirit that led him into committing the crimes if left alive.On his initial appearance in court on Tuesday, Magombedze said he was a member of a Satanic Cult whose goal was to spill blood and to have unprotected intercourse to breed another Satanic generation.Magombedze acknowledged guilty to eight counts of r*pe and pleaded with the courts to hand him a death sentence.Zimbabwes constitution may only permit the death penalty to be imposed on a person convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances.Malunga said Magombedze deserved severe punishment because he had behaved like a beast by committing the offences.Armed with dangerous weapons such as iron bars, axes and machetes, Magombedze molested more than 10 victims, including a 14-year-old girl and a police constabularys wife.Magombedze also faces attempted murder charges after he allegedly stabbed a woman five times in an attempt to r*pe her and other charges related to unlawful entry and theft. Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 9-03-2018 01:04 PM (3 years ago) | Hero felicilin at 9-03-2018 02:23 PM (3 years ago) (f) Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, will be charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) next week by the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) reports the Cable. Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, will be charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) next week by the office of the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) reports the Cable. He will be arraigned for false declaration of assets the same charge slammed against Senate President Bukola Saraki whose case was adjourned indefinitely on Thursday by the tribunal. Ekweremadu is accused of having assets in United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America which he allegedly did not disclose in his declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Meanwhile, officials of the ministry of justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are expected to leave for the UAE on Monday to seek the forfeiture of eight properties allegedly linked to Ekweremadu, TheCable understands. The forfeiture is being pursued under a bilateral agreement reached between the two countries after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015. According to anti-corruption website, Sahara Reporters, two undeclared properties were also traced to Ekweremadu in the UK and three in the US bringing to a total of 13. If found guilty, both men could lose their positions and could also be banned from holding public office for up to 10 years. He will be arraigned for the same charge slammed against Senate President Bukola Saraki whose case was adjourned indefinitely on Thursday by the tribunal.Ekweremadu is accused of having assets in United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America which he allegedly did not disclose in his declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).Meanwhile, officials of the ministry of justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are expected to leave for the UAE on Monday to seek the forfeiture of eight properties allegedly linked to Ekweremadu, TheCable understands.The forfeiture is being pursued under a bilateral agreement reached between the two countries after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015.According to anti-corruption website, Sahara Reporters, twoproperties were also traced to Ekweremadu in the UK and three in the US bringing to a total of 13.If found guilty, both men could lose their positions and could also be banned from holding public office for up to 10 years. Post Reply Posted: at 9-03-2018 02:23 PM (3 years ago) | Hero English French MONTREAL, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For a limited time, coffee geeks will have the opportunity to try a truly unique cup of coffee at Cafes Saint-Henri. The team of coffee hunters found the rare special lot in a coffee laboratory in Costa Rica, amongst several tables of blind coffee tasting. The cup offers complex tasting notes from strawberry sirup, vanilla, orange zest to rhubarb, amongst others. Each year, we travel to meet coffee producers and find their best lots. This year, we had the privilege to taste a coffee that was strikingly superior to anything we had tasted during our trip. The coffee came from the sub-region of San Lorenzo, Tarrazu. Right after our cupping session, we just knew we had to buy it and share this tasting experience with our customers, whatever the price tag. Jean-Francois Leduc, Coffee Buyer and Owner, Cafes Saint-Henri The coffee is from a tiny lot on a parcel called Pie San, situated on La Lia micro-mill. The coffee buyers gave a total appreciation score of 89% (a first), based on the Specialty Coffee Association chart. A myriad of factors, perfectly aligned, explain this years exceptional results: ideal meteorological conditions, the exotic varietal (SL-28), the meticulous harvesting, the process and the slow drying methods, amongst others, all contributed to achieve outstanding cup results. Only 4 vacuum sealed boxes (120 kilos) of this elixir were produced, which qualifies as a nano-lot. Cafes Saint-Henri purchased half of it. As the quantities are limited, it is estimated that no more then 200 cups will be served throughout the 6 locations of the Company, based in Montreal and Quebec City. Small whole beans packages of 45 grams ($20) or 90 grams ($40) will also be available through pre-orders in each Cafes Saint-Henri or through the online store. Our customers are ready for this type of coffee experience. In any given restaurant, they will pay $10 and up for a glass of wine. Why not pay $9 to taste one of the best coffee coming out from Costa Rica? Julie Audet, Director of Quality Control, Cafes Saint-Henri The nano-lot Pie San SL-28, from micro-mill La Lia, will be available as long as the limited stocks last. The special coffee will be served in its unique receptacle: a handmade ceramic cup and saucer with real gold accents and SH markings. About the Company Cafes Saint-Henri micro-torrefacteur is a wholesale roasting business as well as a growing network of corporately owned specialty coffee shops. Since its opening in 2011, the Company has been recognized for exceptional coffees that are selected directly at origin, for coffees that are produced from Cooperatives with organic practices, and for exclusive private batches of coffees sourced through selected importers. As of today, the Company operates 6 Cafes as well as 2 roasting facilities: in Montreal and Quebec City. The Company is privately owned and managed by its sole owner, Jean-Francois Leduc. Contact: info@sainthenri.ca Jean-Francois Leduc (514) 267-0803 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce3f5c0b-1f2f-4de1-9fe0-c8daa1562fe8 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/324f6975-84d8-4a1c-b556-bf928a35b75f Waukesha, WI (53187) Today Showers early then scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 77F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 57F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. For years, Oklahoma teachers have rallied at the Capitol, run for state office and campaigned for a statewide sales tax increase, all in the hopes of reversing the state's status as the lowest paying for public school teachers.As those actions have come up short and teachers remain without an across-the-board pay raise in nearly a decade, educators and union leaders are planning to walk off the job and close schools within a few weeks.April 2 has been selected by the state's largest teacher union as the day for a statewide teacher strike."Our goals remain the same, to force the Legislature to pass a plan that provides teachers and support personnel a significant pay raise," said Oklahoma Education Association President Alicia Priest, who vowed schools would remain closed until a pay and school funding plan was approved.Teachers across the state have intensified their call for a strike in recent weeks, building a grassroots movement through social media and meetings.On Tuesday, the union set an April 23 deadline for the Legislature to act, but that announcement was met with anger from many teachers who felt the date was too far in the future.Less than 24 hours later the union said April 2 was the new target for a walkout."The communication coming out of OEA has not been clear and for that I am sorry," Priest said in a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday. "Our members are ready to act now. We will be at the Capitol until a solution is passed and is signed by the governor."The union has a news conference scheduled for Thursday afternoon to announce the details of a proposal that is expected to include a $10,000 pay raise for teachers.State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister included a $5,000 teacher pay raise in next year's state Department of Education proposed budget. But the Legislature has not been able to agree on a way to fund any increases."Teachers and school leaders have been waiting for a plan to pass, and there have been several plans that have been put forward but their hopes have been dashed. I think the options now are limited," Hofmeister said."But we have had teachers walking out of the classroom and into other states and other industries for the last several years."School district leaders across the state have been preparing for a possible walkout and many school boards, including Tulsa and Oklahoma City, have openly supported such an effort by teachers.However, schools would still be responsible for meeting the 1,080-hour requirement from the state, or risk losing funding. Federal law also requires that 95 percent of students complete required testing or risk losing federal funds.Oklahoma law prevents teachers from holding a strike over a dispute with the board of education, but that does not apply to a strike directed at the state Legislature.The last time teachers walked off the job was in 1990, when a four-day strike successfully won a pay raise, increased school funding and set new education standards.Twenty-eight years later, Oklahoma's public school system, which serves nearly 700,000 students, faces many of the same issues, including average teacher pay ranked last in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.The average annual teacher salary in Oklahoma is $45,276, and starting pay is $31,600, according to the National Education Association.Average salaries in Oklahoma are often significantly behind neighboring states, and school leaders have reported that thousands of teachers have left in recent years for districts in states like Texas and Arkansas, where the yearly pay can be $20,000 higher, or more.In 2016, voters rejected a statewide sales tax that would have funded a $5,000 pay raise.Earlier this year, lawmakers were unable to approve a series of tax increases that would also have funded a pay raise.Oklahoma has a uniquely high hurdle for increasing taxes, requiring a three-fourths vote of the Legislature.Calls and emails to House Speaker Charles McCall's office went unreturned on Wednesday, and the Legislature has been relatively quiet on a possible strike.In Oklahoma City Public Schools, the state's largest district, the leader of the American Federation of Teachers union has said he supports a teacher walkout.As has been the case throughout the state, teachers in Oklahoma City gathered earlier this week to discuss a possible strike."Fed up," "pushed around" and "bullied" are a few of the words and phrases teachers used Monday as they met at Southern Oaks Library in south Oklahoma City to discuss their frustrations and their options moving forward.Dwayne Wiseman, a fourth-grade teacher at Greystone Elementary, said teachers want to feel supported. Wiseman said he was inspired by teachers in West Virginia, who held a nine-day strike to gain a 5 percent pay increase.Teachers are dealing with higher insurance costs, bigger class sizes and more responsibilities, Wiseman said."This has been something on every teacher's mind for a while," he said. "We need to feel valued in the classroom."Teachers aren't looking to hurt their students in any way, Wiseman said."My kids know that I love them dearly and I support them 100 percent and I'm giving my all, but I have legislators who don't care," Wiseman said.Bonnie Green, a teacher at Heronville Elementary School, said teachers feel like their hands are tied and no one is listening."It's time for our voices to be heard," she said.Green, a 30-year teaching veteran with a master's degree, said at this point in her life she thought she would be retired, getting to travel and enjoy her grandchildren. Instead, she said she's looking for a second job to make ends meet so she can retire.Other teachers shared stories of buying socks and underwear or food for their students and working a second job or struggling to make ends meet.Teachers are frustrated and they've reached a point that they're willing to do something drastic, Green said."We didn't ever want it to come down to this," she said. Almost seven months after Charlottesville became synonymous with resurgent white supremacy and political violence, the Virginia General Assembly has rejected virtually every legislative proposal stemming from the deadly rally that shook the city last summer.It came as no surprise that the Republican-controlled legislature blocked bills to let Confederate statues come down just a few years after voting to strengthen a statue-protection law that may block Charlottesville from removing its statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.I think that there is such a strong element in this body that people feel their heritage is being assailed and they dont want to embrace anything that makes it easier for localities to do more than theyre already doing, said House Minority Leader David Toscano, D-Charlottesville, who sponsored several unsuccessful bills inspired by the violence in his home district.A variety of bills aimed at giving local officials and law enforcement more power to control political rallies that could turn riotous were also voted down, despite two post-rally reviews recommending legislative action to help prevent a repeat of the chaos that broke out at the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally.Multiple bills were filed to let local governments ban guns at permitted political rallies or other public events with large crowds, a key recommendation included in both a state report on the rally and an independent review commissioned by the city. The legislation was killed off in the House of Delegates and the Senate before reaching the floor for debate.Other bills that failed in committees would have added Charlottesville and Albemarle County to a list of Virginia localities with expanded powers to ban guns loaded with high-capacity magazines from being carried in public. It may be years before the courts decide the Trump administration's lawsuit that seeks to overturn California's sanctuary laws, but the political impact will be felt in just months. And it likely won't help Republicans.U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions ramped up the political tension Wednesday when he told a law enforcement gathering in Sacramento that California "is using every power it has -- and powers it doesn't -- to frustrate federal law enforcement. So you can be sure I'm going to use every power I have to stop them."His underlying message will frighten immigrant communities and should energize Latino voters, who already overwhelmingly vote for Democrats. That could be a welcome boon for Democrats in the June primary election, because fewer Latinos vote in midterm elections than during presidential years.And Republican candidates will feel pain as they embrace Trump's law-and-order stance to try to attract conservative primary voters, an embrace that will move them further from California's political mainstream should they advance to the general election in November."Politically, what it does is help Democrats by mobilizing Latino voters," said Luis Alvarado, a GOP strategist and president of the Latino Legislative Roundtable. "As I listened to Jeff Sessions speak, I imagined TV commercials on behalf of Democrats in the state."While some analysts predict that the increasing threat of immigration raids has energized Latino voters in recent elections in Texas and Virginia, GOP strategist and Latino vote expert Mike Madrid said "that's not really excitement. Being 'energized' usually means you're happy. These people are voting out of anger and fear. And California is the mother lode of that. This will absolutely affect the outcome of races in California in June."Overall, 58 percent of likely California voters, including 53 percent of independent voters, 54 percent of whites and 80 percent of Latinos, support sanctuary city policies, according to a January survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.Increased Latino turnout could affect California's gubernatorial campaign in multiple ways. During his speech Wednesday, Sessions blasted Democrat Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who leads in most polls, for praising Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf when she warned last month of impending federal immigration sweeps."Bragging about and encouraging the obstruction of our law enforcement and the law is an embarrassment to this proud and important state," Sessions said about Newsom without using his name.Alvarado said being name-checked -- even anonymously -- by Trump's attorney general would be worn as a badge of honor by Newsom."They're popping Champagne at Newsom's headquarters because Jeff Sessions cemented him as the head of the progressives," Alvarado said.But Madrid, who also is a senior adviser to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, said that while Newsom may have scored the name-check, increased Latino turnout may ultimately help Villaraigosa more."I don't think anybody is going to remember who was name-checked in June," Madrid said."The bigger story is that this is a part of a tectonic shift in politics. It's not about one speech or one event or one day," Madrid said. "It's about a series of events and policies that are happening -- and that Latinos and female candidates will be the beneficiaries. That's because Latinos and women tend to vote for Latino candidates and female candidates."A January survey of 900 registered Latino voters found that 68 percent said they were "100 percent" certain that they would vote. That turnout would be off the charts for the state's 4.5 million Latino voters, especially considering that only 25 percent of all registered California voters cast ballots in California's last midterm election in 2014.The survey by Latino Decisions, which conducted the poll on behalf of the Latino Community Foundation, found that a bump in Latino turnout could help Villaraigosa, a former Los Angeles mayor. He was the preferred candidate of Latino voters, with 39 percent saying they'd vote for him in the primary, followed by Newsom with 15 percent of the vote.The two top Republicans in the governor's race came out strongly in support of Sessions' lawsuit.Coinciding with Sessions' visit, Rancho Santa Fe GOP business executive John Cox released a radio ad that attempted to tie the 2015 killing of Kate Steinle on Pier 14 in San Francisco by undocumented immigrant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate to Newsom."The senseless, random killing of 32-year-old Kate Steinle by an illegal alien convict, is chilling testimony to how Gavin Newsom's sanctuary city values differ from the rest of us," Cox says in the ad. "As governor, I promise you that on my first day in office I will act to repeal Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom's sanctuary state and restore the rule of law."Cox's prime GOP opponent, Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County), welcomed Sessions' move, something he called for in January -- along with Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be arrested for flouting federal immigration law. On Wednesday, Allen blasted "the Bay Area liberal elites that control California's government."But Alvarado said that while that may play well in the gubernatorial primary -- where Cox and Allen are fighting over the 41 percent of the ballots expected to be cast for Republican candidates -- "It becomes very difficult to defend that in the general election."This latest battle in the ongoing "war," as Brown put it Wednesday, between the Trump administration and California is likely to have mixed impact on congressional races -- particularly on the 10 GOP-held seats that Democrats are trying to flip.A boost in the Latino turnout could have a bigger impact in Central Valley districts, like the one represented by Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock (Stanislaus County), where 40 percent of the residents and 28 percent of the registered voters are Latino, according to the nonpartisan California Target Book, a compendium of statistics on the state's political districts. It could also impact Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford (Kings County), where 71 percent of the population and 57 percent of the registered voters are Latino.Some progressives are trying to capture this political energy -- particularly among young voters who are sympathetic to the Democrat position on immigration. On Wednesday, NextGen America, the organization founded and funded by San Francisco activist Tom Steyer, announced it would be spending $3.5 million to register young voters in seven GOP-held congressional districts.But that outreach might have less of an impact in some of the targeted GOP-held seats in Orange County, like the one represented by Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Irvine, where only 19 percent of the population, and 12 percent of the registered voters are Latino.However, embracing Sessions' rhetoric may backfire, too."You can hold on to your base if you go that route, but the average suburban white Republican is going to think it's mean-spirited and not go along with it," said Matt Baretto, a co-founder of Latino Decisions. State Rep. Angel Arce, under mounting pressure to resign following revelations that a series of text messages went from his Facebook account to a 16-year-old girl, announced Wednesday that he would step down from his legislative seat.Through his attorney, Arce said he's also leaving his post on Hartford's Democratic Town Committee. He won re-election to the town committee on Tuesday."It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the people of the 4th District for more than five years in the legislature and on the Hartford Democratic town committee. I am proud of what we have accomplished in that time and the goals that we set for the future," he said in a statement released by his lawyer, Jeffrey Kestenband."Despite this, I have decided to resign from my position as a state representative and town committee member," Arce said. "I do not want my presence to be a distraction to the very important work that occurs at the capitol and on the town committee every day. I also do not want my family, friends and supporters to be burdened in any way."Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin asked Arce to resign from the legislature last week after The Courant brought to light a series of text messages apparently exchanged between the representative and a 16-year-old girl. The texts were not obscene but were unusually familiar and affectionate in tone."Good night love and sweet dreams and thank you for coming into my life," one message read. Others said: "I wish you were living in Hartford. We be hanging out all the times"; "You so beautiful and gorgeous"; "Really hun trust I think we going to keep a lot of secrets between us"; "Hope you know how to keep things to yourself when we conversate."The texts were sent from Arce's Facebook Messenger account in 2015. Aresimowicz removed him from all his committee assignments, and took away his title as assistant majority leader.The State Capitol Police issued a statement last week saying they had been presented with an anonymous packet containing the texts, and had concluded that there was no crime in the texts themselves. But the police said they would investigate if they receive further information alleging a crime or if a victim comes forward."Representative Arce has informed House leadership of his intention to resign from the legislature, and under the circumstances it is clearly the right thing to do," Aresimowicz said Wednesday. "The residents of Hartford's 4th District deserve new representation at the Capitol and now that process will be able to begin."Arce's term is up in January. A special election will be held to fill his seat.Bronin called Arce a dedicated representative who "has always worked hard for his constituents. ... I know he wants to do the right thing for his district," the mayor said.Kelly Donnelly, a spokesman for Malloy, added: "This was the appropriate decision to be made in this situation."Arce told The Courant Saturday that was stepping back from the Democratic town committee, though he didn't give his formal notice until Wednesday afternoon.Committee Chairman Marc DiBella said the panel will nominate someone to replace Arce."We are deeply disheartened and share Rep. Arce's recognition that he has a responsibility to the people he has sworn to serve," Arce's town committee running mates said in a Facebook post Saturday. "Moreover, we support his decision to act in the best interests of his family, loved ones and community."Arce has served in the legislature since January 2013 and has been a member of the town committee for more than a decade. The annual South by Southwest mega-conference kicks off today in Austin. And for the second year, the event will include a special focus on mayors and civic innovation.When mayors met last year for SXSW's inaugural government and policy track, the gathering already had a futuristic vibe. Mayors donned virtual reality goggles, checked out automated delivery bots and discussed the ways blockchain could revolutionize government contracting.This year, the focus will move beyond the future of technology to include the broader issues that communities will face in coming decades. Professional futurists will share insights about how they plan for long-term risks and opportunities. Mayors will also participate in an exercise where they produce art reflecting how they envision their cities in 2030.Calling it a "phenomenon experience," Mayor Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, Cailf., arrived early to see local innovations for himself with a view to bringing it back to apply to his work in the California capital.Karen Freeman-Wilson, mayor of Gary, Ind., said she sees the festival as an "opportunity to open up my thinking" to help her see beyond the daily issues that mayors' offices typically handle.The futurist bent at this years government track is just one sign of how the event has evolved since Austin Mayor Steve Adler dreamed it up in 2016. Nearly 40 mayors, including some from outside the U.S., plan to attend this year, almost double the size of last year's group. The conference is still a place for technologists to interact with city leaders, but its also become a space for mayors to find inspiration from their peers and from the private sector. The scheduled panel topics include climate change, immigration, social justice, gun violence and artificial intelligence."As the federal government seems to be not be able to move forward with so much gridlock, Adler says, I think people are looking to cities to be the incubators of innovation and the drivers of economies.This year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors is not only a partner in the government and policy program, but it is also holding its annual leadership meeting in Austin on Monday. C40 Cities, an international network of large cities dedicated to fighting climate change, is also sending a delegation and hosting a panel discussion about how public officials can work with their tech communities to improve the environment.Once again, mayors will judge a "Shark Tank"-style competition in which startups pitch ideas on how to use technology to solve common problems facing local government. Last year, the winner was RideAlong, a company that facilitates safer interactions between police and people with mental illness. This years finalists seek to address a diverse set of public problems, such as getting better data on opioids, making the immigration process easier to navigate and streamlining government paperwork.A team ofreporters and editors will be live-blogging from Austin throughout the mayors' track, which runs through March 12.Mayors Freeman-Wilson and Steinberg also spoke on a special SXSW preview episode of's newest podcast, Go Public. They respond to a keynoter's challenge to look beyond innovation to embrace experimentation - a tricky proposition in a poitical environment. Listen below or subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts Follow our ongoing coverage at governing.com/sxsw as we post news, interviews, videos and photos.You can also follow our coverage on Twitter and Facebook Other news in public finance this week: Louisianas Fiscal Cliff SCOTUS to Hear Internet Sales Tax Case Next Month Federal Spending Deadline Looms President Trumps new tariffs on steel and aluminum could hurt the same states that helped carry him to the presidency.The 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent surcharge on imported aluminum that Trump rolled out yesterday could cost states much as $9 billion in import taxes this year. Florida, Ohio, Texas and Utah would pay the bulk, according to an analysis released this week by the conservative Tax Foundation.Those four states represent nearly 28 percent of the nations aluminum and steel imports, while Texas businesses alone could spend more than $1 billion in additional import taxes this year. (California and New York would also be affected; they combine to represent more than 14 percent of total imports.)Trumps goal with these tariffs is to make U.S.-made steel and aluminum more price competitive. But assMichael Maciag reported this week, experts are worried that they'll negatively impact local economies.From a policy perspective, imposing such a huge increase on the cost of doing business -- on the heels of passing a major corporate tax break -- doesnt make much sense, says the Tax Foundations Scott Hodges. We just lowered the corporate income tax by 40 percent," he says. "Why dont these U.S. manufacturers either pass along those tax savings to their workers or their consumers? Why do they need a tariff in order to be more competitive?The tariffs are just the latest Trump trade policy that stand to damage economies in Republican-held states the most. His ongoing threat to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement is expected to hurt states in the Midwest and Southwest that do a lot of business with their international neighbors.That threat has already soured relationships with Canada and Mexico. Now, the new tariff could make things worse. Thats because although it was billed as something that would reduce Chinas role in U.S. imports, Canada is actually the top trade partner for steel and aluminum whileMexico ranks third in U.S. steel imports A withdrawal from the 1994 pact would result in the re-imposition of tariffs on specific goods between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A report this week from Fitch notes that higher tariffs on both sides, would mean lower tax revenues, likely leading to constrained budgetary flexibility and higher unemployment.Among those with the most to lose are Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, which each send roughly 40 percent of their exports to Mexico. Fitch says Michigan would get hit twice as it sends 43 percent of its exports to Canada and 22 percent to Mexico. Michigan's critical role as the center of the North American automotive supply chain, says the agency, ensures that its economy would be disproportionately affected.Other big exporters to Canada are North Dakota, which sends more than two-thirds of its goods there, and Maine and Ohio, which send nearly half of exports there, according to an analysis by RBC Capital Markets. When it comes to imports from Canada, about half of that countrys goods end up here in the U.S. Illinois and Michigan are the top destinations, absorbing 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Arizona, Colorado and Texas are the top U.S. destinations for Mexican imports.The Louisiana Legislature ended its special session early this week after failing to agree on a solution to fix a projected $994 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year beginning in July. The gridlock prompted S&P Global Ratings to warn that the state is heading toward a self-manufactured fiscal cliff. The shortfall is mainly due to the expiration of temporary tax hikes; roughly $800 million alone from a sales tax increase. The failure to come to an agreement, says S&P, has the potential to stunt what otherwise has been recent positive momentum in the state buoyed by the rebound in oil prices and a $300 million revenue boost thanks to federal tax reform.Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a case that could have dramatic results for governments sales tax revenue. The case, South Dakota v. Wayfair , has been scheduled for April 17. A ruling in South Dakotas favor could extend sales taxes to all online purchases and add up to $13.4 billion in new annual revenue, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Many government and policy groups support such a ruling, as does the Trump administration Still, Fitch Ratings this week warned the new revenue -- if it comes -- wouldnt be a cure-all. At best, it would have a modest effect on sales tax collections nationally, Fitch says, but would not be sufficient to reverse the long-term credit challenge arising from diminished sales tax growth.Those who thought a shutdown crisis was avoided when Congress reached a two-year spending deal last month might want to think again. In their latest policy note, Wells Fargos team of health-care analysts report that negotiators seem to be struggling with how to divide up the newly authorized funding. Unfortunately, having a spending rubric doesnt seem to help smooth over those age-old political flashpoints -- immigration, guns and health care. While we are not ready to start talking about a government shutdown just yet, it would be important to start seeing some progress this week, the note says. Description GIS 09 March 2018: When Mauritius became independent 50 years ago, the country had some stark challenges in terms of demographics and an economy reliant solely on sugar, outlined the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, in his message addressed to students this morning on the occasion of National Day Celebrations 2018 - the golden jubilee of Mauritiuss Independence - and the 26th anniversary of the Republic. Our choices seemed limited especially as we have no natural resources. But our parents and grandparents beat the odds and have succeeded to build a nation which has become a beacon in this part of the world, the Prime Minister said. According to Mr Jugnauth, the long years of struggle have forged a spirit of patriotism, of belonging, in all Mauritians. Today, it is necessary to consolidate this bond so that we thrive further, soar higher and develop strength and resilience to face the challenges that await us, he emphasised. Speaking about Mauritian youth, the Prime Minister highlighted that Government is fully aware of their capabilities and is determined to unlock their potential. The reform in the education and training sector is a direct upshot of this endeavour and the goal is to make the transformations in this domain act as enablers to provide young people with life-long learning opportunities while also equipping them with skills for life, he added. Prime Minister Jugnauth also spoke about his firm belief in investing in the children and youth of the country as it means investing in the future of Mauritius. It is only a modern and globally-oriented education system that will help young people derive optimal benefits and give them the weight and muscle to reshape our nations future, he indicated. As regards institutional changes, the Prime Minister noted that these are needed to create new avenues for further and higher learning. However, he highlighted that innovation in all sectors of Mauritian life, especially in ICT, will be also required for our development and as we embark on the path towards a Smart Mauritius, we are called upon to develop new sectors such as the Ocean Economy and the Education hub. Moreover, Mr Jugnauth observed that the theme La main dans la main that has guided this years National Day celebrations is a very telling one as it speaks of cooperation, collaboration, solidarity and togetherness. These are important pillars on which our Republic relies, for these bind us into a nation that is defined by the ways in which we support each other in times of adversity, he underlined. The Prime Minister also said that the unity that is championed by our National Anthem starts at school and our thoughts and attitudes guide our actions and it is only the right attitude that drives us towards the best of results. Mauritius, small as it is, is connected through the hearts of all of us. We learn from those who are around us and we respect the advice of the older generation in a way that shapes our own vision of how we should fend in life. You are the ones to pave the way and lead your peers on the way forward in the near future, he added. Description GIS 09 March 2018: As we are set to celebrate the 50 years of the Independence of Mauritius, it is vital to valorise the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment. The International Women's Day is a landmark event dedicated to the accomplishments of women in various fields and their enormous contribution in the socio-economic development of the country. The Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development, and Family Welfare, Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus, made this statement yesterday during a site visit effected at Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Limited, Riche-Terre. She was addressing the employees of the company, mostly women, on the occasion of the International Womens Day. Minister Jadoo-Jaunbocus underlined that gender equality should not be categorised as a fight but rather a right to equal opportunities as regards education and employment. She emphasised that women, in all walks of life, have outperformed and have evolved into iconic symbols of patience, hard work and courage. Government, she highlighted, gives high importance to gender parity as a global priority and is determined to eliminate discrimination at all levels. To this end, she underscored that all women should be encouraged to join the National Womens Council which is an organisation working for the integration of women in the development of the country. Speaking of the Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Limited, the Minister pointed out that the company, since years, is providing employment opportunities to women in Mauritius as well as from other parts of the world. It is also noteworthy that currently there are some 10 women who are employed at high management level which is in itself a matter of great pride, she underlined. This, she added, cements Princes Tunas commitment to support the progress of women in their career paths. She reiterated her appeal for a change in mindsets and attitudes to attain gender equality, and consequently a fairer and more just society. She appealed to each and every one to respect women and value them as the pillars of a prosperous country. Description GIS 09 March 2018: The Bio Farming Support Scheme with funding of Rs 5 million as enunciated in Budget 2017/2018 to provide subsidy on the purchase price of bio inputs to small registered planters, was launched yesterday at the Mauritius Cane Industry Association in Reduit. The scheme provides for up to 60% subsidy to small planters on the purchase price on bio inputs (bio fertilizer and bio pesticides) for a maximum of three crop cycles in a year. The aim is to encourage the utilisation and adoption of bio inputs by small planters in line with Governments objective of converting 50% of food crop production system to bio norms by 2020 as well as bring the price of bio inputs at par with chemical inputs. The objectives of the scheme are namely to enable the shift to organic farming through rendering the prices of organic inputs such as bio fertilizers, bio pesticides, accessible to planters and stop agricultural soil degradation while improving the quality of land through utilisation of bio inputs to increase agricultural productivity. It also aims to produce safer food for consumption for the benefit of customers and prevent pollution as well as promote environment stewardship. On the same occasion, children of registered farmers both in Mauritius and Rodrigues who have excelled in the Primary School Achievement Certificate examinations (Certificate of Primary Education 2016), School Certificate and Higher School Certificate 2016 as well as designated laureates for 2017 were awarded one-off cash prizes and shields under the Educational Achiever Award Scheme (EAAS). The EAAS is in line with Governments policy to invest in education and training to render the human resources more competent. The aim was to reward the efforts and achievements of these children for their outstanding performance in their education as well as recognise the contribution of small farmers in the educational progress of their children and eventually to the national development. Description GIS 09 March 2018: National unity and solidarity are key to defining the multicultural landscape of Mauritius with its different practices, beliefs, traditions and religions. Young Mauritians should continue to tread on the path set by the elder generations for the last 50 years. This statement was made by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the unveiling ceremony of a Stele de lunite at Champ de Mars this afternoon in the presence of the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Stephan Toussaint, and other eminent personalities. On this occasion, a March on the theme Anou Marse Pou Linite, starting from Line Barracks to Champ de Mars and gathering some 3000 students was also held to mark the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Mauritius. In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that the unity prevailing among the population has tremendously contributed to the socio-economic development of the country. Government, he underlined, will continue to support the citizens in the promotion of an exemplary nation with all its diversity and values. As regards the unveiling of the stele at Champ de Mars, the Prime Minister underscored that the place is symbolical as it bears testimony to the first flag raising ceremony held fifty years back. Speaking of the March, Mr Jugnauth emphasised that it is highly significant of the unity that binds the Mauritian youth adding that their determination to maintain the diversity will lead to the progress of Mauritius for the coming years. For his part, Minister Toussaint lauded the efforts of the youngsters who have undertaken this March with a sporting spirit. As future leaders of the country, they will be called upon to look forward to the next fifty years, he added. Activities for the March comprised: National anthem by Vent dun reve; Police Riders, Police Band; Majorette from Notre Dame College; flash mob; pledge by young people on Langazman pou linite, and a youth show. (TNS) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Gov. Eric Greitens celebrated last week when Attorney General Josh Hawley cleared his office of wrongdoing over its use of a secret text messaging app.But two St. Louis attorneys who sued Greitens last year claiming he and his staff were using the app to circumvent Missouris open records law say the attorney generals investigation actually strengthened their case. The Star uncovered in December that Greitens and several members of his senior staff were using Confide, an app that automatically destroys messages after the recipient has read them. The revelation raised red flags for transparency advocates who worried the app was being used to circumvent the states Sunshine Law and conduct government business without leaving a paper trail.Shortly after The Stars report, Hawleys office launched an investigation. It concluded last week with the attorney general determining that there was no evidence of wrongdoing, in part because investigators could not find evidence.Five members of the governors staff who were interviewed by the attorney generals office said they did use Confide to discuss their government jobs, but described the nature of their Confide communications as consisting entirely of non-substantive matters such as logistics and scheduling.In Sunshine Law investigations, the attorney general's office does not have subpoena power, and the governor's staff was not under oath when they were interviewed.The governor was not interviewed as part of the inquiry because his office has asserted executive privilege.In a new filing in Cole County Circuit Court, the attorneys suing Greitens contend that by admitting to the attorney generals investigators that they used the app for public business, the governors office can no longer argue that the case has no merit or should be dismissed.We've learned in the past few days that the Office of Governor, and at least five high level staff members, systematically destroyed communications about public business, Mark Pedroli, one of the attorneys, said in an email to The Star. This is a serious and significant problem. Missouri judges have never ruled that documents, emails or text messages about government business can be immediately destroyed after they are sent or received.Greitens attorneys did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.But during a hearing before Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem last month, Greitens attorneys said no evidence has been produced that anyone in the governors office was using Confide to conduct public business. The lawsuit, they said, was based entirely on The Stars reporting.There has been no independent factual investigation, and they have no facts other than what was reported in media reports, Gabriel Gore, a St. Louis attorney hired by Greitens to defend him in the lawsuit, said in court last month.Pedroli said the governors argument is no longer valid.Wrongdoing thrives in secrecy, Pedroli said. Our state law, to the contrary, demands communications about public business be retained and available. The law is nonnegotiable.Pedroli said the explanation that the governors staff used the self-destructing text messaging app only for scheduling and logistical matters was absurd.Who goes out their way to immediately shred their logistical and scheduling communications, when these are precisely the communications organizations rely on to function. he said. They would be missing meetings and showing up late everyday saying, sorry I scheduled this on Confide. The absurdity of this excuse is apparent to most people. Smart cities projects focusing on video analytics, community Wi-Fi, fiber-optic connectivity and more will get an extra boost from the Smart Cities Council. Las Vegas and the state of Virginia have been selected as the 2018 Smart Cities Readiness Challenge Grant recipients and will receive a year of mentoring as well as workshop support tailored to each communitys needs.The five winners had three important things in common, Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst said in a statement. Berst noted the winners were looking for opportunities for uncovering synergies and cost-efficiencies between departments.They also fostered coordinated collaboration between internal departments, external stakeholders and nearby regions, he added. Finally, they exhibited a determination to include underserved and vulnerable populations.Louisville plans to use the organizations expertise to further develop its smart cities plan and strategy. Part of that plan is the deployment of some 115 miles of fiber-optic cable to enhance communications in the region.For us, being able to bring in someone who helps governments from around the world, bring in those best practices, to really beef up our plan, make it better, make sure that were doing the right things, thinking the right thoughts, Ed Blayney, innovation project manager in the Office of Performance Improvement and Innovation, toldlast month when the finalists were announced. I think we feel very comfortable with our plan, but I think it would help us a lot.Similarly, Birmingham will use the Smart Cities Council guidance to grow projects like smart streetlighting, open data, community Wi-Fi as well as a bus rapid transit system.Birmingham is committed to having sustainable and inclusive growth, and the Smart Cities designation will enable us to put that flag in the ground, said Mayor Randall Woodfin in a statement.Cary, a city of 135,000 residents, located just to the west of Raleigh, N.C., also plans to pursue projects like smart streetlighting, but also would like to add destination centers facilities in underserved neighborhoods to assist in housing and jobs.Las Vegas wants to become a fully connected smart city by 2025, and will use the grant resources to get there. The city currently has three pilot projects under way involving video analytics.As for the only state selected, Virginia plans to expand broadband throughout the state, as well as develop a cybersecurity privacy plan.This years winners were selected form a list of nine finalists , which included the likes of Albuquerque, N.M.; Aurora, Ill.; Fairfax County, Va.; and Los Angeles.Also, Puerto Rico, which is recovering from devastation left by Hurricane Maria, will be awarded a separate Readiness Challenge Grant. Last year , Austin, Texas; Indianapolis; Miami; Newport News, Va.; Orlando, Fla.; and Philadelphia were selected to participate in the Readiness Challenge Grant program. (TNS) The cryptocurrency mining boom thats permeated rural Washington communities may be coming to western Walla Walla County next.The Port of Walla Walla will consider a land-use agreement with a company that wants to develop a blockchain facility during Port commissioners 6 p.m. meeting at 310 A St.The proposal includes a lease through the end of this year and an option to purchase up to 40 acres between the Dodd Road Industrial Park and Wallula Gap Business Park.Port officials say the project could bring between $7 million and $10 million of private investment, along with 15-20 new, full-time jobs through bitcoin mining.It also comes at a time when many communities including the city of Wenatchee and Chelan County are stepping back from such cryptocurrency mining developments to assess the operations massive demands on electricity.Those communities have been deluged with requests for blockchain-style mining operations that could have a massive impact on power use and infrastructure for the ever-fluctuating value of bitcoin.In a nutshell, bitcoin is a type of digital currency that uses encryption techniques to regulate the generation of units, according to a simplified online description. It allows people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties, according to an Associate Press website.Miners use specialized computers to help generate new units of cryptocurrency in developments such as the one proposed. The operations require a lot of electricity to operate and keep cool the machines that run all hours.The availability and relative inexpense of resources in the Pacific Northwest has turned it into a hotbed for these operations at a time when officials are still learning about the impacts on the grid.Port Executive Director Patrick Reay said his agency has been working with Antcreek LLC for about six months on the development of a blockchain facility.He said the Port of Walla Walla doesnt have the same concern over electricity because it is not an electric purveyor.Our purpose is to generate assessed value and create jobs, Reay said.He said the lease priced at $4,166.67 per month plus $535 in state leasehold tax provides time for due diligence, including for Antcreek to work with Walla Walla County Community Development on access to the property that does not currently exist, and other land requirements such as stormwater draining and water connections.Rent would be applied to the purchase of the land, if Antcreek exercises the option.The land known as the Kelly property is southeast of the Dodd Road Industrial Park and bordered on the edge by a Columbia Rural Electric Association substation. (TNS) The question is perplexing Clinton, Mo., and people around the country: What caused dispatchers in Henry County to send a police officer to the wrong address where he would be shot to death by a gunman who also died?And not just any wrong address. The originating 911 call came from 20 miles away."This is so horrific," said Aiza Evans, a childhood friend of Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, 30, who died at the scene Tuesday night. "How can something like this happen?"It's still not clear what accounted for the fatal error that led to police being sent to the wrong house in the next town over.Emergency dispatchers in most cases can get an idea of where a 911 call is coming from. Most of the time, callers tell them where to go.The phone call in Henry County was unusual: Police heard only two women screaming on an open line.Precision in pinning down the location of such calls depends on how the call is made.Area managers of 911 systems told The Star on Thursday that land lines give emergency dispatchers the most precise location of a caller's whereabouts: the actual address of the land line.On a land line call, first responders could be sent to the wrong location if there's an error in the database of customer information maintained by phone companies.Pinning down a location on a call from a cell phone, however, can be way more complex. And unfortunately for emergency dispatchers, land lines are falling out of favor with consumers who opt for cell phones.Ellen Wernicke, director of Johnson County Emergency Management & Communications, said just more than 60 percent of calls to 911 now come from wireless phones.Instead of showing a dispatcher an address for the phone call, cell phone calls generate approximate coordinates of a caller's location.And those coordinates depend on several factors, including the type of wireless phone making the call and the number of cell phone towers in the area.A call could come from an area of about 50 meters across. Or a few blocks. Or even more."That can stretch up to a mile radius," said Scott Ekberg, administrator of the Kansas 911 Council. "Rarely would you see anything greater than that."And not 20 miles away, experts told The Star.Also, there are phones that rely on the internet and online networks instead of the dedicated wireless systems of the cell phone companies. Those are called "voice over internet protocol" phones, or VoIP, and they can cause vexing problems for dispatchers.That's because VoIP, like Vonage or Magic Jack, has users register their systems to a specific address.If users move, even to different states, and don't update their registration address, calls on their VoIP systems will continue to go to dispatch centers responsible for the original address.If an Overland Park VOIP owner moves to Chicago and doesn't change his VOIP registration address, any 911 call will be picked up by dispatchers at Overland Park.Ekberg, when asked what could account for a 20-mile variance between a call and where dispatchers sent an officer, wondered about the existence of a VOIP system."That would have been my first guess is it was a voice over internet protocol with an improper registration," he said.Investigators still have not said what type of call triggered Tuesday's events.In Clinton, dispatchers received the 911 call Tuesday at 9:22 p.m. and heard two women screaming in the background."In the case of Henry County, we don't know whether this call came in on a land line phone or a cell phone," said Steve Hoskins, who manages Kansas City's 911 system as interoperability systems manager for the Kansas City Police Department.Henry County dispatchers taking the call Tuesday night heard what's referred to as an open line: No one was speaking directly to the dispatchers, and all the dispatchers heard were women screaming at each other before the line went dead.Dispatchers sent officers to 306 W. Grandriver St. in Clinton.At the home, an officer asked dispatchers for clarification about the nature of the 911 call, according to audio later posted to Broadcastify.com."Could you hear anything on the open line?" the officer asked.A dispatcher responded, "We can just hear two females arguing. We're not sure what they were saying."A woman met officers on the Grandriver home's porch. She said no one was inside and there was no emergency. Officers entered the home to make sure everyone was safe, authorities said.Soon after, gunfire erupted.Several bullets struck Morton, who was the first to enter the home. He told dispatchers he was hit multiple times, in his chest, arm and both legs. The other two officers also were shot and received non-life-threatening injuries.Police later found Morton and the suspect dead inside the home. Authorities said it's still unclear whether James E. Waters, 37, took his own life or was killed by police.The mistake was realized on Wednesday.Sgt. Collin Stosberg, spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol, said Henry County 911 Emergency Communications shared with investigators the phone number of the original call the night before.Investigators then called that number and determined it came from Windsor. The call involved a disagreement between relatives but was not an emergency.Stosberg said he did not believe that a mistake like the one that led Morton to the Clinton address and his slaying had occurred before in Henry County.The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating the officer-involved shooting while Henry County 911 Emergency Communications is looking into the address mishap.Officials with Henry County 911 Emergency Communications have not commented."I just don't understand it," Chris Hinote, a long-time friend of Morton, said in a phone call Thursday morning from overseas, where he is on duty for the Air Force Reserve. "I'm trying to figure out, OK, was it just a coincidence that the house they ended up going to had some criminal activity going on there, too? It just doesn't make any sense."Rural Missouri has often wrestled with improving and upgrading 911 systems.Areas with 911 systems that have not been upgraded can give dispatchers trouble when they are trying to home in on the location of a caller."It's a really good reason to have adequate public funding" for system upgrades, said Evelyn Bailey, executive director of the National Association of State 911 Administrators.On that score, Missouri has a poor reputation. It's among six states that lack a statewide fee for cell phone users to support 911 systems.Voters in Missouri have twice rejected proposals to add a surcharge to cell phone bills earmarked to enhance wireless 911 services.The last measure, which would have added a 50 cent surcharge monthly to every cell phone device in Missouri, failed at the polls in 2002. The tax would have generated $16 million a year to create a statewide 911 emergency system for mobile callers."Although successful implementation of 911 may exist at local, or in rare cases regional levels, Missouri has a disjointed and inefficient system statewide," said a December 2017 report by the Missouri 911 Service Board, a committee that operates within the Missouri Department of Public Safety.The same report said that 16 counties in Missouri offer the bare minimum of 911 service allowed under federal law. Twenty-eight counties can't track the location of cell phone emergency calls.States that administer cell phone taxes are better able to share resources with needy communities and enforce standards in equipment, training and cell coverage to reduce disparities in 911 service statewide.As it is, counties and municipalities in Missouri shoulder their own costs for 911 services. Many come up with money for 911 through tariffs on land-line bills.In 2015, Henry County voters passed a 0.45 percent sales tax to provide central 911 dispatching services for fire, ambulance and other emergency calls. The tax was meant to pay for the purchase and maintenance of communications and emergency equipment.Since then, Henry County's 911 system was regarded as one of the better ones in Missouri.Until Henry County finds out what went wrong, questions will continue to mystify Clinton and its 8,800 people.Lakeviona Waters, daughter of slain James Waters, said in a text to The Star she's frustrated that police were never supposed to have been summoned to the home where her dad was. She questions why her father, whom she described as a broken man, had to die."I feel like they should've have doubled back to make sure they was at the right location," she texted. "Since they didn't, they lost a team member and I lost my DAD!!"911 call led Clinton police to the wrong home. That mistake led to an officer's deathEarlier Tuesday, police had been to the bungalow trying to contact Waters in relation to a rape investigation. Waters has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1999 and was facing new charges in Cass County for meth and marijuana possession.'Stay with us Morton': Scanner audio captures moments of fatal Clinton police shootingMorton left a full-time post with the Clinton Police Department in late 2016 and became a reserve officer in January 2017. But after Officer Gary Michael was shot and killed last August, Morton told his friends he had to go back. He felt they needed him.Six weeks after Michael's death, Morton was back full time and filled Michael's post."He wanted to be there for his brothers," said close friend Tim Jackson.Evans said Morton knew he made the right decision."If he felt like he had a call somewhere, he went," Evans said. "It made me proud that he went back, but it made me nervous."Hinote said he wasn't surprised that Morton was the first inside the home."I read that they heard screams supposedly during the 911 call," he said. "And he was the kind of person who, if he was in a yard and heard someone screaming, would be the first one in there. He had no fear especially if somebody was in danger."Laura Bauer, Judy Thomas, Joe Robertson, Ian Cummings and Max Londberg contributed to this story.2018 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) Inside the lonely-looking building off of Pena Boulevard, a mini city is taking shape.This city, built by Panasonic, includes a 320-square-foot micro apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, Murphy bed, walk-in closet and rotating shoe storage. The lights behind a TV use the companys LinkRay technology to send data to smartphones, which pull up a website for more information about a product.Outside the apartment, streetlights hold various equipment to broadcast Wi-Fi, monitor air quality and noise, and sense moving objects to help autonomous vehicles navigate the road. Beyond a large opening, electric cars sit in a cavernous warehouse. A driverless shuttle bus ferries passengers around on the makeshift roadway in the back of the building.This test city, dubbed the Smart City Innovation Showcase, is one that even Panasonic hadnt expected would emerge when it picked Denver as its technology hub for Panasonic Enterprise Solutions in 2014 We didnt know what to expect, and in that regard, weve wildly exceeded those expectations, CityNow vice president George Karayannis said of the new showcase, which opened Wednesday. What weve done from a connected-vehicle perspective, an autonomous-shuttle perspective and some of the other technology that weve introduced here and what weve built in our smart cities innovation showcase, no one foresaw that a year ago.But Panasonic knew it wanted to help connect communities to smart technology in a smart way. Its working with Xcel Energy and the cities of Denver and Colorado Springs to make streetlights smarter. Poles could be used to hold competing 5G wireless equipment, video cameras and digital-ad technologies. On display was an Array of Things from the Argonne National Laboratory, to measure air quality, detect flooding and record hyperlocal weather.Smart street lighting is a very broad topic. Its more than just adding LEDs, said Karayannis, adding that such poles could supplement a citys need for cell towers. Its a complex topic that cities are struggling with.The company expects to start installing smart technology on Interstate 70 via a pilot program with the Colorado Department of Transportation. The technology is being tested near the Panasonic building and allows connected cars to talk with one another and get data from road infrastructure such as guard rails, light poles and signs. That would tell the cars whether traffic is slowing ahead or whether theres an accident.The 400 acres here, weve set up a test environment to make sure its properly (working). The next stage is I-70, and the next would be statewide (on 400 to 500 miles of road), said Jarrett Wendt, Panasonics executive vice president of strategic innovations. Were about two months away from deploying on I-70. (TNS) Facebook confirmed plans on Wednesday for a sprawling data center campus east of Atlanta, a major investment in the state for a critical piece of the social media giants internet infrastructure.The project, Facebooks ninth data center in the U.S., is expected to employ 100 in its first phase and will rise at Stanton Springs near the Shire pharmaceutical plant along I-20, about 40 miles east of Atlanta.Construction is slated to start later this month and the facility will open in early 2020. Facebooks interest in the site became public in January , but the company had previously declined to confirm its involvement.The nearly 1 million-square-foot center is the first phase of the project, which could expand as its data needs grow, said Rachel Peterson, Facebook vice president of data center strategy. The center will help connect the companys apps and services to more than 2 billion people across the globe, she said.Jobs include data center engineers, facilities operations managers, security and other roles. Pay was not disclosed.Incentives involved in courting the project werent immediately known.The Atlanta area has been a hot bed for data center development in recent years, given its stable power grid and fiber internet infrastructure and growing population base. The region also is less prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.The explosion of personal and business data usage from streaming video to connected devices means more data center space is needed.In recent years, Google announced a big server farm complex in Douglas County , and operator Switch announced plans in 2017 for a $2.5 billion campus in Douglas as well.Data centers generally come with big price tags because of their sophisticated hardware and infrastructure needs. They create large numbers of temporary construction jobs, and Facebooks will be no different, but they ultimately create relatively few permanent jobs compared to factories or corporate headquarters.Pat Wilson, the states commissioner of economic development, said Wednesdays announcement culminates more than a year of discussions between the social media company, local and state agencies and area utilities.Data centers typically require vast amounts of power. This facility, Facebook said, will be powered completely by clean and renewable energy sources in partnership with Walton EMC.Gov. Nathan Deal and other state leaders pointed to the decision by Facebook to invest $750 million in the campus over the next five years as a gold-plated endorsement of Georgias business climate and technology scene.It also comes as state and Atlanta area leaders pitch Amazon for the e-commerce giants second headquarters project.That bid took a beating in the national press after lawmakers and Delta Air Lines found themselves in a very public battle over the carriers decision to end a discount program for National Rifle Association members after a deadly Florida school shooting.In response, conservative lawmakers stripped an airline jet fuel sales tax break from a broader state tax overhaul. The sparring led leaders in other states to pitch Delta on moving its headquarters, though Delta has said it proudly remains an Atlanta-based company.Wednesdays announcement gave Deal and other leaders something else to talk about.Deal was asked after the press conference to answer those who believe the Delta flap might dash Georgias chances for HQ2 and 50,000 Amazon jobs.I look forward to proving them wrong, Deal said. Didi Chuxing (DiDi), the worlds leading mobile transportation platform, announced a strategic partnership with BAIC Group to enhance the operation of new energy car-sharing program. With the support of the Beijing Municipal CCP Committee and the Municipal Government, BAIC Group and DiDi will expand in-depth business cooperation in EV fleet operation, big data applications, mobility services, and customized vehicle design and EV charging services. Electric vehicles play a key role in the mobility industry. DiDi is excited to partner with BAIC Group to accelerate the development of EV support infrastructure, including operation and vehicle charging, which will strongly support the development and adoption of EVs in China and beyond. Shared mobility, new energy vehicle networks, and new AI driving technologies are integrally linked to each other. Cheng Wei, Founder and CEO of DiDi Cheng also indicated DiDi is eager to partner with more auto manufacturers to build AI-powered transportation ecosystem and make new mobile technology work for the automotive industry. Benefitting from this win-win cooperation with DiDi, BAIC Group will be a bellwether to serve the public with intelligent networking EVs and mobility services. Xu Heyi, Secretary of CPC Committee and Chairman of Board of BAIC Group Xu said BAIC Group will accelerate the development of a national EV technology innovation center, push forward a company-wide transformation and upgrade by innovation, and build an EV ecosystem around new energy and intelligent networking vehicles. The strategic partnership with BAIC Group is a significant step for DiDi to build intelligent mobility ecosystem. In order to prepare for the new era of EV, DiDi is cooperating with partners from auto and energy industries to build an EV operation platform for vehicle design and manufacture, intelligent driving technologies, core battery and electrical motor & control technologies, charging network and automotive after-market services. Audi remains convinced of the potential of the fuels e-gas, e-benzin (e-gasoline) and e-diesel and is continuing to pursue its e-fuels strategy. (Earlier post.) Audi and its development partners Global Bioenergies S.A. (earlier post) and the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical Biotechnological Processes (CBP) now report that they have for the first time produced a sufficient quantity60 liters (15.9 gallons US), the largest batch yet producedof synthetic Audi e-gasoline for initial engine tests. Like all Audi e-fuels, the new fuel has many advantages. It isnt dependent on crude oil, it is compatible with the existing infrastructure and it offers the prospect of a closed carbon cycle. Reiner Mangold, Head of Sustainable Product Development at Audi AG Audi e-benzin (e-gasoline) is essentially a liquid isooctane. It is currently produced from biomass in a two-step process. In the first step, Global Bioenergies produces gaseous isobutene (C 4 H 8 ) in a demonstration plant. In the second step, the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical Biotechnological Processes (CBP) uses additional hydrogen to transform it into isooctane (C 8 H 18 ), ETBE and isododecane (C 12 H 26 ). The fuel is free of sulfur and benzene and is therefore especially low in pollutants when it burns. Currently, only a small part of Global Bioenergies ton scale isobutene production is directed toward e-fuels, using Fraunhofers lab scale conversion unit. The e-fuel production capacity will be significantly increased in 2019 with the addition to the Leuna Demo plant of a dedicated fuel production unit, which will allow the production of renewable gasoline batches. Audi engineers are now examining the combustion and emission behavior of the renewable fuel in a test engine. As a high-purity synthetic fuel with very good anti-knock properties, Audi e-benzin (e-gasoline) offers the possibility to further increase engine compression and thus boost efficiency. Over the medium term, the project partners aim to modify the production process so that it will not require biomassin this case, CO 2 and hydrogen produced from renewable sources should be sufficient source materials. (Earlier post.) Audis alternative fuels already offer great potential for sustainable mobility and are helping reduce CO 2 emissions from combustion engines by up to 80% in g-tron models, for example. For Audi, e-fuels are more than just a subject of research in laboratories. Since 2013, the brand with the four rings has been offering renewable Audi e-gas on the market. It originates in part from the companys own power-to-gas plant in Werlte (Emsland). (Earlier post.) Customers fill up their Audi g-tron model at any CNG filling station and pay the regular price for it. By feeding the computed volume of Audi e-gas into the natural gas grid, Audi ensures the green benefits of the program, including the corresponding reduction in CO 2 emissions. Audi e-diesel is also part of the Audi e-fuels portfolio. In Dresden, Audis cooperation partner Sunfire operated a pilot plant for this purpose from late 2014 to October 2016. (Earlier post.) As in Werlte, green electricity supplied the energy, and water and CO 2 were also used as raw materials. The end product was called Blue Crude, which was refined into Audi ediesel. Audi is currently planning production capacity in Laufenburg in the Swiss canton of Aargau. Together with partners Ineratec GmbH and Energiedienst Holding AG, a new pilot plant will produce around 400,000 liters of Audi e-diesel per year. (Earlier post.) For the first time, hydroelectric power is the sole energy supply required for this. Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation have established their new joint-venture company Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc. (MTMUS) that will produce vehicles in Huntsville, Alabama starting in 2021. The new plant will have the capacity to produce 150,000 units of Mazdas crossover model that will be newly introduced to the North American market and 150,000 units of the Toyota Corolla. The facility is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs. Toyota and Mazda are investing $1.6 billion towards this project with equal funding contributions. In collaboration with the state of Alabama and the city of Huntsville, MTMUS will soon begin land preparation for the new plant, and the full-scale construction of the plant is expected to start in 2019. The Volkswagen Group Board of Management has decided that the Group's two major power stations in Wolfsburg are to be changed over from hard coal to natural gas firing. In the course of this project, several new combined-cycle systems are to be installed as replacements for the existing coal-fired boilers. About 400 million (US$492 million) is to be invested in this project and the new facilities are to be commissioned between 2021 and 2022. The new high-efficiency gas turbines to be installed at the Wolfsburg power stations will durably reduce carbon dioxide emissions for heat and power generation by about 1.5 million tonnes per year. This corresponds to the current annual CO 2 output of about 870,000 vehicles and represents a reduction of almost 60% compared with the previous emissions of the power stations at Wolfsburg. With reference to the German plants, the reduction in CO 2 emissions amounts to about 50%. The systems are to be operated by Group company VW Kraftwerk GmbH. At the Heizkraftwerk Nord/Sud power stationa landmark of the Wolfsburg plantVolkswagen plans to replace the coal-fired boilers by a combined-cycle (gas and steam turbine) system and three hot water boilers. In the future, these facilities will generate about 136 megawatts of electric power and about 386 megawatts of heat energy. Heizkraftwerk Nord/Sud In addition, two further combined-cycle units are to be installed in the current coal storage area next to the Heizkraftwerk West power station and will then generate about 288 megawatts of electric power and about 265 megawatts of heat energy. Provided that approval is given by the competent authorities and sufficient progress is achieved with detailed design and calls for tenders, the first construction work could already start in 2018. Did you know that March 1 is National Pig Day and March 7 is National Crown Roast of Pork Day? It only seems fitting for Marchs Artifact of the Month to be a handsaw used in a butchers shop. The saw is linked to Salt Lake City, but this saw has a richer history in Green River. It was used at the butchers shop in the Yellow Front Grocery. The grocery store was owned and operated by Kurt Hoffmann. He and Margaret, his wife, were German immigrants. Kurt came to Wyoming, first arriving in Rock Springs and worked for the Rock Springs Butchering Company. However, he ended up moving to Milwaukee, Wisc., to practice his trade. Margaret finally joined him and they opened their first grocery store, the Garfield Meat Market. They owned the store for a short time before moving back to Rock Springs and eventually Green River. On April 1, 1935, the Hoffmanns open Yellow Front Grocery. It was located on 45 East Railroad Ave. The store was fruitful and they eventually bought another building off of US Highway 30, now Flaming Gorge Way. They opened a new grocery store with living quarters upstairs, called Hi-Way Market and Hi-Way Lodge Cabins. Additionally, Kurt received his U.S. citizenship in 1939, with Margaret earning hers in 1946. Yellow Front Grocery was only open for seven years. It was not because of an unsuccessful business or because of the rise of large supermarkets during the 1930s. In March of 1940, Kurt and Margaret had their first child. A year later, the United States entered World War II. With the possibility of Kurt being drafted, they decided to close the grocery in 1942 because Margaret could not run the store by herself. Come by the Sweetwater County Historical Museum to see this prime cut of local history. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. At first glance, it looked legitimate. A USPS priority envelope Green River resident Linda Fitzgerald received contained a check for $994 made out to her name and a sheet of instructions for what appeared to be a secret shopper assignment. Fitzgerald said she had done some secret shopper work in the past, but the envelope and its contents didnt involve anything she had signed up for. At that point, the small details started to look suspicious. Fitzgerald said the amount of the check stood out to her as she never received such a large secret shopper check, but the check itself didnt have a contact number for the bank issuing the check. The instructions also raised some red flags, specifically requesting the remaining amount after the secret shopping assignment, $814, be wired to an another person in Texas. Fitzgerald said she contacted the Green River Police Department after realizing the envelope was a scam, but worries others may get duped by how professional the scam seemed. To me, its sophisticated enough to get someone, she said. Det. Luke Benson, public information officer for the GRPD said residents should be cautious anytime they receive unsolicited contact involving money. He said people should also be cautious if theyre asked to cash a check, keep some of the funds and send the rest to a third party. Benson said residents can check with the issuing bank to see if a check is legitimate or can contact the GRPD to look over what they received. Wed be more than happy to look at it before someone commits to a possible scam, Benson said. Other scams have been reported throughout the county. The Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office issued a release Monday regarding a scam a Rock Springs woman was targeted with. According to the release, the woman was called by someone claiming to be with the sheriffs office, identifying themselves as Deputy Cook. The intended victim was then told a warrant for their arrest was issued for not reporting to jury duty and could be taken into custody at any time. The only thing to avoid arrest, the caller claimed, was to pay a $2,000 fee using a green dot card purchasable at retail stores. The sheriffs office reports these calls can sound authentic, with scammers providing false case numbers and the Sweetwater County Courthouses address in Green River. Its all part of the scam, to make it look more convincing, Lowell said in the press release. Commissioners make decision It was standing room only at the Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning when residents and organizational leaders from across the state let the Commissioners know how they felt about U.S. Representative Liz Cheneys proposed Wilderness Study Area bill. Before public comment started chairman Reid West explained the county is not the driving force behind this discussion, but Cheneys proposed WSA bill was. West said the Commissioners were misinformed and were under the assumption that Cheney wanted to know if the county wanted to release all of the WSAs, however, they were later informed that she wanted to know what each county wanted to do with its WSAs. Sweetwater County currently has 13 WSAs, including Adobe Town, the sand dunes, Red Creek and Devils Playground. Were not driving this boat, were dealing with it, West said. The WSAs were designated during the 1980s and in 1991, the Bureau of Land Management made a recommendation to Congress about what to do with the 13 WSAs in the county, but Congress never acted. Nothing can be done with these lands nor can the designation change unless Congress takes action. After listening to about 1 1/2 hours of public comments, the Commissioners had their own lengthy discussion on what they should do. They too seemed as though they were split on the idea. Commissioner West started off the conversation by telling the Commissioners they didnt have to make a decision today, but the majority of them were ready to. With a 3-2 vote, the Commissioners approved a motion for a full release of all 13 WSAs, including the three areas that run into other counties. Commissioners Wally Johnson, Don Van Matre and John Kolb voted in favor, while Commissioners Randy Wendling and West voted against it. A letter will be drafted informing Cheney of their decision. Prior to the vote, each commissioner had the opportunity to voice his opinion. Kolb was in favor of multiple use and he understands their are strong opinions on both sides of the matter, but the county has waited long enough. Johnson said he doesnt trust the state of Wyoming to take care of the lands, nor does he trust the federal government. He wants the county to be able to control its own lands. I firmly believe in multiple use, he said. Waiting 38 years is long enough, he said. Its time for us to take action. West said he didnt think all of the 13 areas should be removed as WSAs and that they should let the BLM complete its Resource Management Plan before moving forward. Wendling agreed with West, while Van Matre said he wants multiple use and hopes the commission is making the right decision. Public comments During the public comment portion of the meeting, the room was divided. Some spoke in support of Cheneys proposed bill, while others wanted the WSAs left alone. Im not a fan of blanket wilderness areas, Taylor Jones, Rock Springs resident and Wyoming snowmobiling president, said. It takes the public land out of public hands. Jones said all it does is restrict the access for residents and tourists alike. Mary Thoman, Sweetwater County Conservation District chairman said its time for all 13 WSAs be released to the county. She said this way the county can determine what use it would like those lands to have. They need to get these out of the lockup limbo, she said. Thoman said most of these dont even qualify under the WSA definition of what a WSA is. She said the definition states the wilderness area shouldnt have any roads in it. As for a public process for the WSAs, there is already one in place and the district has already done similar ones. Mark Anderson of the Wyoming Grazing Association said Devils Playground is a mess because the ponds in the area, which include 12 reservoirs cant be worked on. As for the Twin Buttes WSA, he said keep that designation. Anderson said if the all of the WSAs need to be cleared to take care of the problem, then thats what should be done. R.J. Pieper, public lands advocate for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said he doesnt support Cheneys proposed bill and they should wait and get input on it before making a decision. He encouraged the county to look beyond the minerals and see what else these places have to offer, such as a tourist destination. Sadie St. Clair of the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge said they have planted Aspen trees in the Red Creek area and have worked to increase the habitat for the cutthroat trout and they want to continue that work, which is why they wanted this area to remain a WSA. Green River resident Mike Masterson said the commission needs to consider the other 300 million people who are not county residents that have a right to this land too. He said there is no shelf life on land and they should keep it the way it is. Others encouraged the commissioners to make a decision, but take time to do it, however a majority of the commissioners had a different idea. A public hearing Tuesday wasnt the only opportunity for people to comment about how the county commissioners should address the 13 Wilderness Study Areas within Sweetwater County. During the past two weeks, the county has received dozens of online comments. Many of the comments came from people living outside of the county urging the commissioners to support continued management of the studies areas through the BLM. One comment from Colleen Cabot, a resident of San Jose, Calif., supports the areas remaining as WSAs. These Wilderness Study Areas represent incredible landscapes that our state and nation should be proud to designate as full Wilderness, she wrote to the commissioners. Valera Crofoot, a resident of St. Petersburg, Fla., wrote the commissioners to object to private investment and exploitation of the land. The board of commissioners is obligated to act to preserve Wilderness Study Areas, not to contaminate them in the interest of greed, she wrote. Within Wyoming, residents have also supported the commissioners keeping the WSAs as is. Carmen Bria of Lander wrote that the state already has a plenty of areas under development, being destroyed for their resources. She also urged legislators to start listening to people and not large corporations. Evan Germeles, writing the commissioners from Pinedale, believes the commissioners seek to remove all restrictions to all areas based on an ideological basis, not an inventory of each individual area. Germeles also believes the development and exploitation of areas like the Jonah Field and Normalized Pressure Lance is partially justified because WSAs and wilderness areas balance those heavy impacts. Undoing protections for WSA areas is going back on (the) promises made in the above project approvals, he wrote. Marcia Fagnant, a resident of Kemmerer, said Rep. Liz Cheney seeks to change the protections WSAs have. This fast-tracked approach circumvents the wishes of people in Wyoming and around the country who know and love these areas, Fagnent wrote. Rep. Cheney is pressuring local governments to decide how our nations public lands are managed with no meaningful input from the citizens around the country who own these lands. She urged the commissioners to not give recommendations to Cheney and believes the decision should not be rushed. Locally, residents within the county have a more mixed view on what should be done with the lands. While some, such as Green River resident Marilyn Nomis support preserving the WSAs, there are also some who would like to see the WSAs opened to more uses. Rock Springs resident Kari Moneyhun wrote the commissioners, stating the areas should be opened up to motorized recreation and other uses. James Ramsay, another Rock Springs resident, wrote to support releasing the WSAs to local control. A third Rock Springs resident, Cassidy Davies, wrote in support of wilderness access, saying the local economy could suffer without the access. We live here so we can hike, bike, snowmobile and get outdoors, she wrote. The dream team. For several years now, Sriracha has been the go-to, green-capped bottle to grab if you want to add both spice to your food and chef cred to your fridge door. (The California-made sauce is so popular that the companys founder told the L.A. Times that every bottle of sauce produced already has been sold.) But its not the only product of choice chefs turn to on a daily basis. Here are all of the other condiments you should stock up on, stat. Colatura Anchovy Sauce and Scalia Paste To make the brightly colored Colatura Anchovy Sauce, the little fish are marinated and pressed down with sea salt in chestnut wood barrels for five months. Its an ancient recipe that originated on Italys Amalfi coast. Add a bit of olive oil and garlic to make a great pasta sauce. The thicker Scalia Anchovy Paste is super easy to use: You only need a few squirts to make an excellent, salty, umami-packed Caesar dressing or marinade. Fancy Mayonnaise Ditch the always unappetizing jar of Hellmanns in favor of a mayo thats more exotic and flavorful. Sam Mason uses local eggs and ingredients in Empire Mayo: It comes in fancy flavors like rosemary and black garlic, but go for the classic variation. Kewpie Mayo is an umami-packed Japanese condiment that tastes great on tacos, vegetables, and mixed into salad dressings. Chefs dig it, and David Chang has even said its the best mayonnaise in the world. Sir Kensingtons also makes a good highbrow, all-natural mayo. Its smooth, silky, and the first and only mayo made without GMOs, if that matters to you. Saucy by Nature Kimchee Relish Saucy by Nature (greatest condiment brand name ever) makes its Polish Kimchee Relish by stewing locally sourced pickled cabbage and mushrooms with tomatoes and prunes. This is a great item to have on hand during summer barbecues: It pairs well with hot dogs and bratwursts. Better French Mustards Zingermans imports Violet Mustard from Western France. It has a distinct crunch (from the ground mustard seeds), and its purple color comes from grape must. Slather it on cheese. Pommery Moutarde de Meaux is a good option, too and its more versatile and easier to find. The whole-grain mustard is produced in Meaux in Ile-de-France by the original Pommery family. Scotts Barbecue Sauce If its been around in North Carolina since 1917, its pretty damn trustworthy. What makes Scotts Barbecue Sauce even more impressive is that it contains no sugar, unlike most sticky-sweet barbecue sauces produced these days. Fish Sauce Fish sauce is an absolute must: Red Boat is the go-to brand for chefs, but Squids might be even better. While anchovy paste is typically used in Italian kitchens, this similar condiments Thai. If you want to play it safe, add a few drops into a soup or curry for an umami boost. But some folks even like it on fried chicken. Mazi Piri Piri Sauce Mazi makes its hella-spicy Portuguese hot sauce in small batches of 100 bottles. Its at its best when used as a marinade and brushed onto meats and vegetables. Yuzu Kosho This traditional Japanese condiment is composed of three ingredients: the zest of the yozu citrus fruit, ground chile peppers, and sea salt. The Red flavor is enhanced with red chiles, and Green has, well, green chiles. Both taste great on eggs, oysters, and buttered bread. Shark Brand Sriracha Its Andy Rickers Sriracha of choice, and we trust the man. Shark is less sweet and a little thinner than the ubiquitous Huy Fong version you definitely already own. Gochujang Youve tasted this Korean fermented red chili paste used in bibimbap, but its good in all kinds of dishes, adding rich flavor to stews, salads, and marinated meats. Its delightful when mixed with other condiments, if you want to make mayo, ketchup, or barbecue sauce a bit spicier. Pure Indian Foods Ghee This clarified butter is a mainstay in Indian households, and it has a long shelf life. Spread it on naan and idlis, mix it into a simple dinner of rice and lentils, or use it as a fat to fry food. Pure Indian Foods organic ghee is made out of milk from grass-fed, pastured cows: feel-good ghee! Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp Sauce Chefs often use this Chinese hot sauce because it goes with a wide range of Asian dishes: ramen, dumplings, and rice hot-pots. Lao Gan Mas ingredients include fermented soybeans, peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns. ABC Kecap Manis Sweet Soy Sauce Dont mindlessly add this to sushi: ABCs sweet soy sauce is Indonesian, not Japanese. Its on the thicker side and made with fermented soybeans, palm sugar, star anise, galangal, and other aromatics. When in doubt, add it to noodles (the golden rule of exotic condiments). McClures Spicy Brine The Brooklyn-meets-Detroit company offers its pickles in liquid form. Use the product to brine artichokes, marinate steak, or make a stellar Southern mac and cheese. Chulitas Famous Sofrito This Latin American cooking base is a mixture of aromatic vegetables, herbs, and spices. The owners of Chulitas Famous wanted a healthy, preservative-free alternative to other sofritos on the market, like Goyas. Try it out on scrambled eggs. Mina Harissa Moroccan cooking is made easier with this spicy red pepper sauce, which can really be added to anything: couscous, meatballs, lamb, rice, whatever. Minas gourmet, all-natural version is a strong update on the more traditional ones. Chinkiang Black Vinegar Rice vinegar is listed in many Asian recipes, and Chinkiangs, made from black glutinous rice, is excellent. BLiS Bourbon Barrel Matured Pure Maple Syrup Chef Steven Stallard is the one-man band behind this fancy company, which also sells upscale versions of caviar, vinegar, truffle oil, and sea salt. This smokey, Grade A dark-amber syrup is obviously good on pancakes and oatmeal, but its also great to add when roasting savory foods, like Brussels sprouts. Mikes Hot Honey Possibly the toughest condiment to purchase on the list: The Brooklyn-based honey is only available via mail order or at the bar at Paulie Gees in Greenpoint, where its used on pizza. Its hard to find an ingredient that can make vanilla ice cream, salmon, ribs, and booze all taste even better. Heinz As far as ketchup goes, dont toss what youve got or replace it with expensive artisan stuff. Heinz is the best, always and forever. Tense. Photo: Bravo/Paul Trantow/Bravo Together, we have climbed the scenic mountains of Colorado, and we have forded its majestic streams, and in just a few short moments sponsored by the equally majestic San Pellegrino we will have ourselves a new Top Chef. That is the thing about Padma; she never breaks a promise. Here to represent the South Side of Chicago: Adrienne Cheatham, who spent all season looking for her culinary voice, and has now found it! I create elevated southern cuisine, she reflects. Now that I know that and am confident and secure in that, its going to take a lot to get in my way. Also here to represent the South Side of Chicago: Joe Flamm, a longtime favorite except for the time he was briefly eliminated. But now he is back! Im ready to go, Im ready to get in there, Im ready to crush it! he cries, the Braveheart of Italian cuisine. Whoever wins here tonight, the city of Chicago has clearly already won. With the clouds fluttering ominously above Aspen, the warriors are summoned again to the mountain top, presumably to be sacrificed. Lets go get bloody! says Joe Flamm, as the drums of battle rattle in the middle distance. Atop the mountain, Tom and Padma lay out the final challenge: create a four-course meal and then serve it side-by-side to a table of famous people. Speaking of famous people, here come all our old friends, back from the dead, like in a dream ballet. Even Alaska Laura is here! (I think.) Anyway, each chef gets to pick two non-winners as sous chefs. By knife draw, which is how decisions work in Colorado, Adrienne goes first. She picks Chris, for his Southern cooking. Joe Flamm takes Joe Sasto, for his pasta. Adrienne goes with Carrie, because she is creative and fun to work with, and then Joe Flamm drafts Fatima, because she is super-talented. No one even picked Alaska Laura! (I think.) Adrienne explains her plan, which is to kick things off with a little spoon bread with sea urchin topped with a tuile, which is a net made from flour-water, but the twist is that shes never gotten it to work at altitude before. After that, shes envisioning charred octopus with black grits, and then a meat thing, and a banana-yuzu pudding to avoid baking at altitude. My version of Italian cuisine is layering flavors, reinforcing the flavors throughout, and taking food that looks simple but at the same time eats in a way thats really technique-heavy, says Joe Flamm, who will make Italian food. Hell open with reverse vitello tonnato tuna crudo with veal aioli, and pasta, and also chewy brown sugar cake, and everyone nods enthusiastically. I know for a fact Joe Sasto is in love with Joe Flamm, Fatima offers. But I love Joe Flamm the most. If this is a competition of loving Joe Flamm, I win. (This is the most naked display of genuine affection I have ever seen on television, except for YouTube videos of corgis.) Lets drink to product placement. Photo: Bravo/Paul Trantow/Bravo At Whole Foods, Joe Flamm comes in under budget but Adrienne is slightly over, so he picks up a few things on her behalf. I know its the finale but Im not trying to beat anybody because they dont have their stuff, he says. Im going to win for my food or Im going to go home for my food. Would you buy a competitor her cornmeal? Truly, this show asks the big moral questions. Back in the kitchen, Joe Flamm gets to work butchering his pig head. Did you know pig heads are almost always female? I didnt! This one is named Nora. Somewhat less graphically, Adrienne gets to work on her spoon bread, and Carrie gets to work freaking out about the quality grits. Im terrified! Why do I have to cook the grits! frets Carrie, cooking grits. Its just grits, Adrienne reassures her. Meanwhile, Joe Sasto kneads gray-green pasta dough made with grano arso flour, and everyone agrees that color is just fuckin wild, bro! But oh, there is trouble atop the mountain. The first trouble is that Adriennes tuiles are not tuiling, for reasons she cannot understand. The second trouble is that Joe Flamms torta della nonna which isnt really torta della nonna, by Italian standards, but is still a torta that a nonna could make, theoretically tastes bad. Youve just got to make it taste better, advises Joe Sasto. Advice after my own nonnas heart. Nice aprons, guys. Photo: Bravo/Paul Trantow/Bravo Joe and Adrienne head back to the ranch, where Tom and Graham Elliot have prepared a romantic dinner for the four of them. Surprise! We felt like cooking, bubbles Tom, stuffing a bass. Over lamb T-bones, they offer pearls of wisdom, such as taste everything and live in the moment. Having imparted such knowledge, Tom and Graham disappear into the hills. As the sun rises over the snowcapped peaks, Adrienne gives her old mentor Eric Ripert a quick call to find out why her tuiles arent working. Did you whisk it in zee pan? he asks, cheerily. She did not. Ahhhhh, you have to whisk it! This is usually the problem in my life, I find. Either that or seasonal depression. On that note, lets cook! Joe Flamms pig-head stock smells very piggy, but in a good way, and Adriennes whisked tuiles finally work, just as Eric Ripert promised. To capture the overcooked spirit of most black-eyed peas, Adrienne decides to mash some of them, in honor of people who are less good at cooking than she is. Fatima is still struggling with Joes grandma cake, on account of the altitude in her defense, she was notably eliminated before the altitude-baking challenge but there is no time to dwell on such uncertainties, because its time for the first course. A fleet of waiters newly freed from Downton present the options: Adriennes spoonbread, sea urchin, and buttermilk dashi, topped with a sprinkle of ham, caviar, and a wheat tuile, versus Joe Flamms tonno vitellato, composed of raw tuna with veal aioli, smoked wagyu powder, and capers. Theyre both stunning, raves Curtis Duffy, but its Adriennes provocative spoonbread-urchin combo the chefs cant stop talking about. Its very sensual! gushes Graham Elliot. The spoonbread was so tender, marvels Tom. Honestly, what she put together is a flavor combination Ive never had before, offers Nilou Motamed, and I think it is safe to say we have all been forever changed by this experience. Next up: Joe Flamms grano arso tortellini stuffed with pig head, apple, black truffle, and served in braising-liquid broth, against Adriennes blackened octopus with squid-ink grits and fennel chow-chow. This is insane, sputters Tom, at a loss for words. Adriennes octopus is beautiful, if a little lacking in the fat department, but Joes tortellini en brodo is a symphony of flavor. Day-um, Gail opines. Just perfect, Tom whispers. It really does look like river stones! Jonathan Waxman offers. Luckily, there are some (mild) issues with the meat course, so we still have things to talk about. With Joes dish, I was just torturing this meat, says Nilou Motamed, sawing at his roasted beef rib eye with roasted asparagus and smoked bone-marrow sauce. Then again, his asparagus was magic, according to Gail, who would know. Not to be outdone, Adriennes Cheerwine-braised short rib over black-eyed peas with ham hock and Cheerwine-bone marrow bordelaise is dry. (The problem is that she partially mashed her peas.) Big news: Joe Flamms grandma cake comes out totally fine, what with the blueberry thyme sauce and the chocolate shards and the whipped ricotta on bottom. Nancy Silverton says Mmmmm. Is Adriennes banana pudding with yuzu, banana spears, and vanilla wafers banana-y enough? Because Gail is really losing the banana. Overlooking the mountains, Joe and Adrienne turn to alcohol. The moment weve been waiting for. Photo: Bravo/Paul Trantow/Bravo At last its off to one last Judges Table. That first course of yours was probably the best thing I ate all season from anybody, Padma tells Adrienne, moved to tears by memories of her tuile. Gail says she is still thinking about Joes pig broth. (I understand. I am also still thinking about my dinner tonight; it was noodles.) This was exciting! says Tom, before launching into a monologue about the journey of a chef, or of a winner. Its hard to say theres only one winner, because youre both winners, and he means it, is the thing. Padma will do the honors: in this particular case, the one actual winner is Joe Flamm. Oooooooooooohhhhhh! gasps Joe Flamm, bearishly. Would I have preferred to win? Yeah, says Adrienne, through the tears of mixed emotions. But I have no regrets. And so together, strengthened by what we have witnessed here, back down the mountain we must go. Haiti - Social : The First Lady, for equality and against gender violence On Thursday in Port-de-Paix, the First Lady Martine Moise participated in the Celebration of the International Women's Day, which took place in the presence of Eunide Innocent, the Minister for the Status of Women, Stephanie Auguste the Minister of Social Affairs, of Dr. Agabus Joseph, Director General of the Office of Occupational Accidents Insurance, Sickness and Maternity (OFATMA), of Arielle Villedrouin the Director of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBERS), Senator Dieudonne Luma Etienne, Local Representatives, Diplomatic Representatives and International Organizations, several representatives of Northwestern women's organizations and community leaders. Martine Moise presented plaques of honor to 3 North West women: Marie Annaise Fertil Jean, Solange Brave Saturne and Hermione Cher-Aime Tassy for their commitment to the fight for gender equality and respect for women's rights and girls in the department. During this ceremony embellished with some artistic performances of the National Theater, the Deputy Mayor of the Commune, Yanick Agenor carried the grievances of the women of the North-West through the reading of a declaration of commitment of the community leaders for the respect for the rights of women and girls and gender equality. The First Lady said she was determined to continue the struggle for equality between women and men and advocated against violence against women "Vyolans sou fanm... Fok nou pale..." such was her message to the side of the world theme "Fanm angaje, li le pou lavi fanm yo chanje. An'n kontinye aji !" HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - NOTICE : Call for applications, Scholarships The present call proposed by the Citizenship Education component of the program "Access to Justice and the Fight Against Impunity in Haiti" (AJULIH), aims at enabling Haitian undergraduate students (1st cycle) from higher education institutions that are members of the University Agency of La Francophonie (AUF), which are interested in the field of human rights, to benefit from local scholarships for university studies, dissertations and internships. The objectives are to contribute to the dynamism of university research and to promote human rights as a research theme. This call for applications is aimed at students working on the issue of human rights or wishing to deepen this theme within their research. By human rights, we mean: individual freedoms, fundamental rights, collective rights, rights specific to minorities or vulnerable groups such as women, prisoners, minors. Gender is a priority theme for AJULIH. Special attention will therefore be paid to applications that promote reflection on this theme, even if it is transversal to others Disciplines : The disciplines concerned by these scholarships are: law, human sciences (history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology), psychology, social work, and any other relevant field. Mandatory conditions and eligibility criteria : All scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, while taking into account the socio-economic level of the candidates. Two types of scholarships are awarded: - Scholarships for the end of the 1st cycle (passage of the 3rd to the 4th year of license); - The support scholarships for eds memories of 1st cycle (memory of 4th year). To see details related to each type of Scholarships : www.fokal.org/index.php/educationcitoyenne-appel For your application to qualify, please ensure that all required documents are included with your application. Otherwise, your request can not be processed. Calendar : DOpening date of the call : March 8, 2018. Deadline for submission of applications : April 6, 2018. Applications are only online, on the FOKAL website : https://www.fokal.org/index.php/educationcitoyenne-appel Please follow the tutorial on the "Subventions" tab. HL/ HaitiLibre Tim Atkin MW: State of the Union Jack By Tim Atkin What does the Union Jack symbolise to you? Pride? Shame? Sovereignty? Populism? Peace? Colonialism? All are possible responses and have been almost since the flag was designed in 1800 to reflect the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland. As Tim Marshall writes in his recent book, Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of Flags, its beauty or otherwise is in the eye, imagination and politics of the beholder. The Union Jack has always provoked strong reactions its still known as the Butchers Apron in some parts of Ireland, apparently but like so many things in public life it has become even more divisive since June 2016. In such circumstances, the new branding for Wines of Great Britain (WineGB), launched with a modest toot on a trumpet rather than a fanfare on January 1, was not the most sensitive of initiatives. To some Remainers, not least in the wine trade, the logo looks as if it could have been designed by UKIP. David Parkinson, who took over as the chief executive of the trade body on the same day, is no stranger to politics, having worked in local government as well as advertising and the wine business. So surely he and his board should have seen this coming? Its all very well to respond that WineGB is merely the recognition of the formal merger between the United Kingdom Vineyard Association (UKVA) and English Wine Producers (EWP). Or that, as WineGBs marketing director Julia Trustram Eve puts it, Great Britain is a strong statement of our identity, but we live in increasingly fractious, polarised times. How things have changed since the 2012 London Olympics. The politics doesnt stop with the Union Jack, unfortunately. Partly against the wishes of many of its producers, I suspect, the English wine industry has been embraced by Brexiteers like Boris Johnson, Andrea Leadsom and Isabel Oakeshott. The last of this trio tweeted on February 21: Queen served award-winning English fizz @gusbourne at a state banquet; drink of choice at a @foreignoffice party hosted by @BorisJohnson tonite [sic]. Gusbourne, of course, is owned by Lord Ashcroft, another Brexiteer. Who needs that foreign muck, eh? Publicity stunts have followed a similar line. Only last week, Rathfinny gained column inches and the approbation of Brexiteers for its Sussex pint bottles (56.8cl), a size that was apparently popular with Sir Winston Churchill. Why the pint? Because, under EU rules, only 37.5cl and multiples of 75cl are permitted. If he cant sell it, co-owner Mark Driver commented, he will give the 800 bottles away. Im sure Kate Hoey and Nigel Farage would take them. Dangerous game Wrapping English wine in the trappings of Brexit is destined to put off a lot of drinkers, which is an enormous shame. The extent of plantings is much smaller than most people imagine our 2,265ha would fit comfortably inside the boundaries of Chateauneuf-du-Pape but quality has never been better. Whats more, the industry continues to grow and attract new players. There are 502 registered vineyards today, compared with 383 a decade ago; production has more than tripled to 5 million bottles. The Champenois, never an easy bunch to impress, respect our bubblies so much that some of them have invested here. Rather than using English wine for propaganda purposes, Brexit-leaning commentators and politicians should be targeting British wine, which in the words of Stephen Skelton MW shouldnt be able to call itself wine or British, being made from imported grape concentrate, yeast and water. There is still a good deal of confusion, especially on export markets, between English and British wine. Indeed, one problem with the new WineGB brand is that it will only add to this. We should have British wine back, says Sam Lindo of Camel Valley. We cant go round for ever explaining the difference. Most British wine (the inverted commas are mine) is mediocre or undrinkable, sold on price rather than aroma or flavour. One optimistic English wine insider told me that once Brexit is done and dusted, well be able to create our own laws and plug the loophole that allows British wine to exist, but the EU is surely not to blame for this. We are. The Wine & Spirit Trade Association could lobby its members, who include the British Wine Producers Committee, to change the name of their product, but the business is nearly three times bigger than the English and Welsh wine industry, or WineGB, and has considerable clout. Excluding fortifieds (which is a smaller part of the market), a staggering 14.4 million bottles of British wine were made last year. Thats why I cant see the government, pre or post-Brexit, getting rid of it. The contribution to HMRC is just too big. Whether we cork dorks like it or not, theres a market for British wine. I cant see the Queen serving Nobleman Full Cream British Fortified Wine (2.99 from Lidl) at her banquets, but plenty of people are happy to drink it, with or without a Union Jack on the label. By Andrew Catchpole Corney & Barrows wholesale side has been quietly expanding under the thoughtful direction of head of Merchant Business James Franklin, now represnting a major driving force for this City-based company. Access to this article is restricted. You need to have a valid subscription to access this content. If you already have a subscription please log in. Wine gaucho Crozier urges UK to embrace second wave of niche Argentine wineries By Andrew Catchpole Speaking at an Alternative Argentina tasting in London yesterday (8 March), Argentine wine expert Phil Crozier outlined the opportunities for the country to expand its offer with more focus on its diversity and smaller producers. I think we are reaching a maturity in the market for bigger producers, but there is room, a niche, for a second wave of smaller wineries to come over and add more interest to the general offer, said Crozier at a seminar titled Argentina under the radar, exploring varieties beyond Malbec. Conceding that it is more difficult for smaller producers to compete without big marketing budgets, Crozier, who presides over the UKs premier Argentine portfolio at Gaucho Group, nonetheless urged such wineries to invest in the UK, saying that they should take a long term view. Argentina in the UK represents just over 2% of the market in terms of value, but Malbec has been the fastest growing grape for the past few years, with Argentina [commanding] the third highest spend per bottle of wine in the UK (New Zealand is number one). Commenting on certain resistant wine purists that are sniffy about styles popular with the public, Crozier reminded the audience: We need wines like Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc because these market leaders get people interested in wines and lets not forget the wine market here is in decline so thank God for those varieties, as we can then interest people in other styles of wine. Fresh, more restrained styles of Torrontes, crisp Sauvignon Blancs, poised Chardonnays, minerally Garnacha Blanca, varietally pure Cabernet Sauvignons, aromatic and enticing Cabernet Francs, juicy Bonarda, plus a Mediterranean varieties led by Syrah and Grenache, along with fresher, low or unoaked styles of Malbec, were among the varieties being championed by Crozier and producers at the broader Alternatives tasting. Crozier made the point that the high average spend on the category, although currently led by Malbec, could well translate into higher than average spend on rival varieties and styles from Argentina as consumers are already happy to pay a premium for what they perceive as a reliable and quality-focused country. Argentina is the 5th biggest industry in world, and Malbec has been the fastest growing grape variety in the world for the last five years, with more male drinkers, but increasingly attracting female drinkers, and producing more feminine styles, said Crozier. There has been incredible improvement in quality, dramatic and fast, over the last 20 years, things have changed so quickly, he added. Argentina is an old wine producing country situated in the New World, also with a very vibrant domestic market, because Argentina makes wines for Argentineans, so there is no manipulation of wines for particular markets so you have a purity of Argentina and soul that goes into the wines. The Alternative Argentina tasting also highlighted that sparkling wines are a big part of the trade in Argentina, with Charmat styles that are fuller bodied than their Italian rivals potentially offering opportunities for the fast growing UK sparkling sector. However, it was the aromatic purity and appealing drinkability of Argentine Cabernet Franc that stole the day at the tasting, pointing to a new classic from this diverse country. Plotting the indigenous jewels on Hungarys wine map By Jo Gilbert Hungary has come a long way since the heyday of Bulls Blood in the 1970s. Now its rich tapestry of indigenous styles are finding their feet Hungary is place where you will find plenty of words like the biggest and the most. The Danube, Europes second longest river, splits the country in in two its northerly banks not so far from Lake Balaton Europes biggest lake. It can also lay claim to one of the oldest winemaking cultures in Europe. The Hungarian word for wine, bor, which shares not a scrap of rootstock with the Latin word vinum, has led historians to conclude that Hungarian wine predates that of Roman interference. Once home to a rip-roaring wine trade, political upheaval and the sweep of Phylloxera in the late 19th century dampened much of Hungarys production, although it managed to keep more of a connection to its historic grape varieties than some of its neighbours. In 2018, this Old World gem of country is therefore ripe with varietal wines and blends from grapes like Furmint, Jufark, Cardarca, Kefrankos (aka Blaufrankisch), which blend traditional and modern sensibilities to provide point of difference wines of quality, with a fair amount of value for money in there too. For Eastern European wine specialist Caroline Gilby MW, much of Hungarys outward momentum at present is about establishing the countrys quality credibility. Gilby, who gave a talk on Hungarys little known grape varieties at Harpers SITT event last week, took participants on a whistle-stop of the most UK consumer friendly styles from Hungarys eye-watering number of varietals, of which 93 white grapes and 50 red can be grown for commercial production - many of them specific to Hungary. This is a country that has a long and authentic history going back to when it was founded in 896. Its vineyards are based on volcanic sub-rocks that are divided into 22 distinct regions, each with their own distinctive terroir," she says. It is this darkly bubbling countryside, rippling with natural spa springs and extinct volcanoes (there are believed to be 5,000 in Tokaj alone) that gave birth to Bulls Blood, an intense red wine blend with main variety Kekfrankos (Lemberger), replacing Cadarca in recent years. The wine, which can be made in either Eger or Szekszard and will be most familiar to consumers as Egri Bikaver (literally Bulls Blood of Eger) on labels, has been revived by the likes of Lidl in recent years, with a fair amount of nostalgia stirred into the mix. Gilby however, points to a more earnest revival. By the end of 1980s, Bulls Blood was made of blends of odds and ends not good enough to make into varietal wines, she said. Winemakers realised that blends were the best way to express a sense of place and there has been quite a lot of effort being put into reviving Bikaver as PDO in Eger as Szekszard which are the only places where you can make this style of wine. St. Andrea is an example of a producer which is driving the idea of blends with his Aldas Egri Bikaver, currently available at the Wine Society for 11.50 and wholesale through Mathew Clark at 9.50. For Ostorosbor, the biggest winery in Eger, Bikaver remains its flagship and best selling wine. However, it is also putting as much backing into its Egri Csillag (Star of Eger) a white and much younger style of wine which was created in 2010 to create an equivalent white cuvee to Bikaver. Ostorosbors Egri Csillag presented at the tasting, a blend of Kiralyleanyka, Leanyka, Olaszrizling and Chardonnay grapes to name a few, was noted by Gilby for its fragrant and spicy aromatics, helped by the inclusion of Cserszegi fuszeres, which literally means spicy. White accounts for 60% of total production in Hungary. And although the countrys sweet Tokaji wines are the only whites to have really branched out beyond its borders, Hungary is the place to look to for whites rising stars says Gilby: Bianca has come from nowhere recently to top charts. Its a very forgiving grape, and can survive on harsh plains. But when it comes to the next big thing dry Furmint, which is a fairly recent development following experimentation with the grape in the 1990s, is Hungarys star player: Furmint is incredibly versatile, from sparkling to complex dry wines in the Chablis style or more oaked." Jufark meanwhile, is notable for being anchored in the tiny southern wine region of Somlo, where producer Kolonics makes a single varietal wine from equally tiny plots on the slopes of an extinct volcano. Kolonics Juhfark 2013 was singled out for its mineral rich and savoury profile and its food matching capabilities. Which brings us once again back to reds. Once the anchor of traditional Bikaver blends, Cadarca has fallen out of fashion in recent years to be replaced largely by Kekfrankos and Portugieser. Kekfrankos, notably, has seen its origins confused with the shifting geography of the region, although its believed to have originated in a part of Slovenia which would have once been part of Old Hungary and according to Gilby, has been underused ever since. Hungary has missed a trick with Kekfrankos. Its the same grape as Blaufrankisch which is big business in Austria, but Hungary has more than anywhere twice as much as Austria. Growing to prominence during Hungarys forty years as a communist state, it has benefitted in more recent times from a move to keep yields low. The result says Gilby, is something completely different. Kekfrankos makes great quality wines, but you have to treat it like Pinot Noir rather than Cabernet and dont over-extract. When it comes to awareness and receptiveness in the UK, consumers will likely be more familiar with Hungary via the likes of the popular I Heart range from Copestick Murray although via Pinot Grigio, not a food-matching friendly Juhfark or dry Furmint. But with the endorsement of the likes of Copestick Murray and buyers increasingly looking to Eastern Europe for alternatives to well-known grapes, Hungarys varietal mix offers a wealth of options waiting to be mined. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Tamika D. Mallory / Getty Planned Parenthood Chapter Cuts Ties With Womens March Co-Chair in Wake of Farrakhan Controversy by Cameron Cawthorne, Washington Free Beacon, March 8, 2018 A regional Planned Parenthood organization serving the Northwest United States and Hawaii announced on Wednesday that it would part ways with Women's March co-chair Tamika Mallory in the wake of her controversial ties with the rabid anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan. Last week, Mallory received backlash for attending Farrakhan's annual Saviours' Day address, an event where the Nation of Islam leader attacked "that Satanic Jew," called Jews "the mother and father of apartheid," and proclaimed that "when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door." Erika Croxton, the vice president of development for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, sent out an email to inform supporters of plans to "part ways" with Mallory and to announce a "new keynote speaker for the April 5 luncheon in the coming weeks." The annual Seattle luncheon for the nonprofit, which describes itself on Facebook as a "nonpartisan organization educating residents and policy makers in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Hawaii about reproductive health issues," will cost attendees $200 for a general admission seat. On the chapter's website for the event, Mallory is described as a "nationally recognized leader" and a "champion of the civil rights movement." The bio goes on to say she has been an "outspoken advocate for social justice." However, Croxton's email, which can be viewed in its entirety on the chapter's Facebook page , infers Mallory fell short of the group's standard of "fight[ing] for justice for all people regardless of skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin." "We at Planned Parenthood condemn and reject bigotry of all kinds," the Facebook post says. "We are committed to taking a stand against those who wish to undo the progress of the last half century, and we will not stop in the fight for justice for all people regardless of skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin." CNN's Jake Tapper slammed Mallory on Twitter for attending the Saviours' Day address, pointing out that she posted an image of the event on Instagram. 28 Feb Jake Tapper At 2:57:00 he begins approvingly quoting some of the anti-Semitic comments made by Rev. Billy Graham and President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DMPSt_IQac Jake Tapper At 2:59:00 Farrakhan approvingly cites Nixon and Graham attacking Jews' "grip on the media" and Hollywood and "how the Jews were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men. 6:44 AM - Feb 28, 2018 Tapper's full response can be viewed on CNN. And the occasion wasn't the first time Mallory had posted on social media about Farrakhan. Mallory previously referred to the Nation of Islam leader as "honorable" and said she was "super ready for this message!" before an event in 2016, according to CNN. Mallory penned an op-ed for News One on Wednesday where she argued she should not be "held responsible for the words of others when my own history shows that I stand in opposition to them." House Democrat Breaks With Colleagues, Condemn Farrakhan by Peter Hasson, Washington Free Beacon, March 8, 2018 Democratic Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky broke with some of her colleagues on Thursday and denounced Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, a notorious racist and anti-Semite. I am appalled by the statements of Louis Farrakhan and condemn him for once again fanning the flames of anti-Semitism. At a time where the Anti-Defamation League tells us that anti-Semitic incidents rose by 57% last year, those remarks are particularly dangerous. There should be no place in our society for those words, Schakowsky said. Democratic Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz also ripped Farrakhan on Thursday and urged his fellow Democrats to denounce him. This is unacceptable in a progressive coalition or any political coalition. Antisemitism has no place in American society. We must reject this, left right and center, Schatz wrote on Twitter . At least seven House Democrats are known to have ties to Farrakhan , as The Daily Caller News Foundation revealed. One of those seven, Democratic Illinois Rep. Danny Davis, repeatedly praised Farrakhan and called him an outstanding human being in February during an interview with The Daily Caller. Davis doubled down on his comments in an interview with The Daily Caller New Foundation last week , saying that he isnt bothered by Farrakhans response to the Jewish question. Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, claimed when he ran for Congress in 2006 that he had left Farrakhan in his past, although he admitted to being a former Nation of Islam member. Despite those promises, Ellison attended multiple meetings with Farrakhan during his time in Congress, according to photos, videos and witness accounts reviewed by TheDC. Ellison has declined to deny that he attended those meetings, which included a private visit to Farrakhans hotel room. The other five House Democrats with ties to Farrakhan, including Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters, have declined to condemn Farrakhan or otherwise comment on their relationship with him. Farrakhan continued his anti-Semitic attacks on Jewish people last month at the Nation of Islams annual Saviours Day convention, while Womens March leader Tamika Mallory was in attendance. Mallory has since doubled down on her relationship with Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Schakowsky also bashed the Republican Jewish Coalition for calling on the seven Democrats to resign . Schakowsky claimed that, despite her colleagues close ties to a notorious anti-Semite, theyre all very committed to fighting anti-Semitism. At the same time, I condemn those who are trying to score political points over this issue. My colleagues who are being attacked by the Republican Jewish Coalition have spent a lifetime opposing anti-Semitism, homophobia, misogyny, and racism. I know that they will continue working against discrimination wherever and whenever it occurs, and I will work with them to renew and expand those efforts, Schakowsky said. ---30--- (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced settled charges against an Austin, Texas-based investment adviser for defrauding his clients through a cherry-picking scheme. The adviser, Robert Mark Magee, who is the principal, sole owner, and sole employee of Valor Capital Asset Management LLC, has agreed to be banned from the securities industry and pay more than $715,000 to resolve the charges. According to the SECs order, for almost three years, Magee traded securities in Valors omnibus account but waited to allocate the trades to client accounts until after the securities performance changed over the course of the day. Magee then cherry-picked the trades, disproportionately allocating profitable trades to his accounts and unprofitable trades to his clients accounts, reaping substantial profits for himself at his clients expense. The SECs order found that for most of the three-year period there was less than a one-in-a-trillion chance that the outsized performance of Magees personal account, compared to that of his clients accounts, was due to chance. This case echoes the several actions our office has brought in recent months aimed at protecting unsuspecting retail investors from investment advisers who allegedly cheat their clients by cherry-picking profitable trades, said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the SECs Los Angeles Regional Office. The settled order here finds that Magee and Valor cherry-picked trades to their clients detriment for almost three years. The SECs order found that Magee and Valor each violated antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Without admitting or denying the SECs findings, Magee and Valor agreed to the entry of a cease-and-desist order and to pay disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties totaling $715,871.57. Magee also agreed to be barred from the securities industry. The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Wednesday revealed that its analyses of the levels of illicit drugs and their metabolites in wastewater indicate that cocaine use has increased rapidly over the past five years especially in larger cities in Southern Finland. Cocaine use more than doubled in Finland between the years 2012 and 2017. In this respect, the use has become a bit more European, Teemu Gunnar, the head of forensic toxicology at THL, commented to Helsingin Sanomat. Amphetamine and methamphetamine use, by contrast, has decreased after peaking in 2016 according to the analyses conducted last spring in Espoo, Helsinki, Tampere and Turku as part of an annual wastewater study undertaken by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Aino Kankaanpaa, a development manager at THL, reminds in a press release that the use of methamphetamine increased sharply and unexpectedly especially in the capital region but also in other cities in Finland in 2016. The use tapered off in 2017 compared to the record highs of 2016, but it remains at a considerably higher level than before, she tells. The wastewater analyses also show that the use of ecstasy decreased in Espoo, Helsinki and Turku but increased relatively sharply in Tampere between 2016 and 2017. Helsingin Sanomat points out that cocaine is the only drug included in the wastewater study the use of which increased in each of the four cities in Finland. Despite the noticeable increase, cocaine use remains considerably less common in Finland than in, for example, Central or Southern Europe. The assessments found that nearly 30 milligrams of cocaine is used per 1,000 residents a day in Helsinki. The corresponding amount, however, stands at 90 milligrams in Oslo, 215 milligrams in Stuttgart, 370 milligrams in Brussels, 730 milligrams in Amsterdam and 965 milligrams in Barcelona. Amphetamine, on the other hand, was the only drug the use of which decreased in each of Espoo, Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, according to the wastewater analyses carried out by THL. Finlands drug situation is more similar to the situation in eastern rather than in central or western Europe, summarises Kankaanpaa. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Antti-Aimo Koivisto Lehtikuva Vanuatu will review agreement on nurse recruitment with Solomon Islands to fit the new GRT , says PSC Chairman Mahe Yes. I will do my part to conserve household energy usage, even if I'm uncomfortable in my home. No. It is too hot to conserve household energy usage. I already conserve, even before ERCOT requested it. Maybe, depending on the reason ERCOT provides and whether or not I am home during that time. Vote View Results Although "The Moldau" (Czech Vltava), is immediately recognized by most lovers of classical music as the work of composer Bedrich Smetana evoking the flow of the Vltava River from the forests of Bohemia through the Czech countryside to the city of Prague, it holds out a special appeal for many Jews and especially Israelis who hear in its opening bars a melody quite similar to the Israeli national anthem and Zionist hymn "HaTikvah" (The Hope). This seems to symbolize the long tradition of solidarity, sympathy and tragic history that led to the struggles for the independence of the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1993) and Israel. In 1938, Lawrence Morrell, a British journalist, was sent by his newspaper to report on the "Czech Crisis" threatening war between Nazi Germany and the Anglo-French Alliance, which along with the USSR, Yugoslavia, and Romania had pledged themselves to come to the aid of the beleaguered country in case of German aggression. His book "I Saw the Crucifixion" (London, Peter Davies, 1939) was a cry of despair over how Britain, the other Great Power, and the moral blindness of the so-called "international community" had betrayed Czechoslovakia and made possible the transfer of valuable resources and strategic strengths, paving the way to further German aggression and the inevitability of World War II. Morrell had earlier, unsuccessfully tried to warn world opinion of the German threat to absorb Austria and later went on to play an important role in the formation of what became the British Secret Service. His firsthand account of the Sudeten crisis in his book is a masterful portrayal of the immense pressure put on a proud nation to surrender its strategic defenses in the name of "peace." The book casts an eerie spell over all those concerned about current events and the mounting pressure on Israel from all sides to accommodate the Palestinians who are a Trojan Horse today parallel to the Sudeten Germans in 1938. Czechoslovakia then, like Israel today, had the will and means to defend itself against its mortal enemy but was deprived of the right to do so by its "friends" who exercised enormous pressure and mobilized to deprive this democratic state of its right to defend itself and its borders. "It was not the rights and wrongs of the Sudeten Germans which constituted Hitler's problem. It was precisely the integrity of Czechoslovakia, the barrier that the Czechs presented to his drive toward becoming the strongest power in Europe. The Sudeten Germans were pawns he used for his public policy. For his not so public policy, for the benefit of the Communist-haunted handful of people in England, he used the scare of the Czech-Soviet pact and raised the ghost of Communism in Germany. "Perhaps I did not and still do not see things as Mr. Chamberlain sees them, but to my mind the issue seemed very simple that day: England's vital interest lay in Czechoslovakia. After all, when you play chess, you do not wait until your opponent is two moves off checkmating you before moving to defend your king." (pp. 172-173.) Morrell observed how Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford, a prominent National Liberal politician in the United Kingdom between the 1900s and 1930s with a distinguished background of humanitarian aid he helped organize during World War I, was deceived by Chamberlain to lend his hand as an "impartial mediator." Although British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain knew full well of the Nazis' unalterable demands, he nevertheless played with the idea to satisfy anti-Nazi sentiments at home, that various compromise positions based on the Swiss cantonal arrangement of local autonomy might be reached in which the Sudeten region would still formally remain part of Czechoslovakia with only the local police and army units still under the control of Prague. When the Czechs had reluctantly agreed to accept even this which granted the local Sudeten regions the right to introduce the same policies as Nazi Germany, including anti-Semitic measures (Czechoslovakia had granted full equality to its Jewish population, the only state in Central or Eastern Europe who actually lived up to this promise during the Versailles Treaty deliberations), the SdP leader Konrad Henlein balked and withdrew from what were in fact his original demands. He and Hitler had agreed not to stop short of anything less than a complete annexation by Germany of the entire Sudeten region. Can the Israelis expect any better type of negotiation and "compromise"? The SdP, while ostensibly calling for local autonomy had received instructions from Nazi Germany not to reach any agreement and thus all attempts at mediation failed in much the same way that Arafat's PLO, Hamas and a dozen other Palestinian "resistance groups" backed by the political strength at the U.N. of two dozen Muslim majority countries, never were ready to honestly negotiate a compromise. The parallels and sense of deja vu between Morrell's book and today's continued mounting pressure on Israel to throw away all its advantages and risk all it has achieved is startling. Many historians are reluctant to make historical comparisons but in this case, the parallels are inescapable. They extend to the very similar sense of a far-flung diaspora and its aspirations for the continued welfare of the original homeland and close cultural ties. Not only the Czechs and Slovaks abroad but all of the Southern Slavs that comprised Yugoslavia identified with the most successful, vibrant, culturally creative and democratic state of Czechoslovakia much as Jews feel today with the celebration of such events in Israel as the Maccabiya Games. Is it any wonder that this sense of solidarity and common fate linked Czechoslovakia and Israel during and after Israel's War of Independence in 1948? The leaders of the Yishuv (Jewish community in Palestine), already in the summer of 1947, intended to purchase arms and sent Dr. Moshe Sneh (the Chief of the European Branch of the Jewish Agency, a leading member of the centrist General Zionist Party who later moved far leftward and became head of the Israeli Communist Party) to Prague in order to improve Jewish defenses. In January 1948 Jewish representatives were sent by Ben-Gurion to meet with General Ludvik Svoboda, the Minister of National Defense, and sign the first contract for Czechoslovak military aid. At first, a "Skymaster" plane chartered from the U.S. to help in ferrying weapons to Palestine from Europe was forced by the FBI to return to the USA. Czechoslovak assistance to Israel's military strength comprised a) small arms, b) 84 airplanes-the outdated Czechoslovak built Avia S.199s, Spitfires (see illustration) and Messerschmidts that played a major role in the demoralization of enemy troops; c) military training and technical maintenance; On Jan. 7, 1949, the Israeli air-force, consisting of several Spitfires and Czechoslovak built Messerschmidt Bf-109 fighters (transferred secretly from Czechoslovak bases to Israel), shot down five British-piloted Spitfires flying for the Egyptian air-force over the Sinai desert (see illustration) causing a major diplomatic embarrassment for the British government. Since May 2005 the Prague Military Museum has displayed a special exhibition on the Czechoslovak aid to Israel in 1948. Israel learned from the history of interwar Czechoslovakia not to rely on anyone, least of all, the "international community" or formal alliances with the Great Powers. The long memory of the Czech people and their sense of solidarity with the modern state of Israel coupled with the gratitude of many Israelis to the only state that afforded real aid on the ground during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence is a lasting heritage. It explains the recent vote of the Czech Parliament to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and its recommendation to the government to take steps to do so as well as the Czech vote along with other East European states such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, Latvia and even Bosnia-Hercegovina to abstain in the recent vote of the U.N. General Assembly criticizing the United States for its stated plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Of course, historians are fond of drawing historical parallels and others are just as fond as writing "revisionist" treatises challenging established views and proclaiming that one cannot judge history with hindsight. The Sudeten crisis and the Munich Agreement are fertile ground for revisionist claims that Chamberlain did the only "right" thing because British public opinion would not have tolerated potential involvement in another European or world-wide conflict. The same calls are incessantly hurled at Israel for further compromise to make room for a Palestinian state. What these historians neglect to do is to take into account the other even more probable alternative, on the other side and weigh the likely conclusions that: War in September 1938 would have seen a powerful Czech army of two million men in the highest state of readiness and morale, strongly entrenched enjoying topographic advantages dealing the German invaders massive casualties. Such casualties would have undoubtedly rocked German morale and grievously damaged the Nazis' image of invincibility. Hitler himself said in August 1939, "When after Munich we were in a position to examine Czechoslovak military strength from within, what we saw greatly disturbed us; we had run a serious danger." The plan prepared by the Czech generals was formidable. At the Nuremburg trial Gen. Wilhelm Keitel, the German chief of staff, said the High command had been greatly relieved by the Munich Agreement because "We did not believe ourselves strong enough at that moment to take Czechoslovakia." Morrell's book is a collector's item today. I was thrilled to remember that I had acquired it at a used bookstore in London for less than two pounds about 20 years ago. It now sells on Amazon for over $200. It brought history alive from an eyewitness who had amazing prescient powers of observation and did not hesitate to call a spade a spade. What can be said today is that Israelis learned this lesson and are overwhelmingly united by their resolve to avoid the mistakes of Czechoslovakia 80 years ago. Joseph I Denberg, age 71, of Maitland, passed away on Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, at Florida HospitalOrlando. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on Oct. 11, 1946, to the Harry and Gertrude Goldfarb Denberg, Joe was a well-known fixture in the truck parts industrywith an encyclopedic memory for hundreds of obscure, but needed machinery parts. He attended school in Orlando and following graduation entered the United States Navy serving during the Viet Nam era. In 1971, in Orlando, Joe married the former Sheri Tross, his wife and partner for over 46 years, who survives him. Joe was the also the proud father of two daughters, Dara Denberg and Lori Denberg. The family has been long-time members and stalwarts of Temple Israel. A graveside service, with Naval honors, was held at Temple Israel Cemetery with Rabbi Joshua Neely officiating. In memory of Joseph I. Denberg, the family requests contributions to Temple Israel, 50 S Moss Road, Winter Springs 32708. Arrangements entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, 640 Lee Road, Orlando 32810. 407-599-1180. (JNS)-The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States soared in 2017, according to the annual report by the Anti-Defamation League. There were 1,986 acts classified as anti-Semitic in 2017, up 57 percent from 2016 at 1,267 and more than double the 2,015 total of 941. That makes 2017 the second-most anti-Semitic year since the ADL began tracking the incidents almost 40 years ago, and the highest-ever single-year spike. "It had been trending in the right direction for a long time," Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, told The New York Times. "And then something changed." However, included in the figures are the 160-plus bomb threats to Jewish community centers and Jewish institutions in the early part of 2017, which were discovered to be mainly carried out by a Jewish teenager in Israel. Even without those threats, anti-Semitic incidents increased by 43 percent in 2017, with seven Jewish cemeteries vandalized, 19 anti-Jewish physical assaults, and 457 non-Jewish elementary and high schools experiencing anti-Semitic incidents, compared to 235 in 2016 and 114 in 2015. The states reporting the most anti-Semitic incidents were those with large Jewish populations, including New York, New Jersey and California. (JTA)Benjamin Netanyahu is in trouble. Maybe. The Israeli prime minister is engulfed simultaneous in four separate scandals, and each day seems to bring him more bad news. Netanyahu could be indicted or pushed out of office -- or both. Whether this is the beginning of the end of the Bibi Netanyahu era, or just the latest challenge to a seasoned political survivor, is the hot topic in Israel. First, Netanyahu was accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal gifts from a wealthy American. Then he was accused of making a shady deal with a newspaper publisher. Then he was accused of trying to quash an investigation of his wife. Then came news of another shady deal with another newspaper publisher. At least one of Netanyahus friends has turned on him, and the police have recommended that he be indicted. His opponents have put up a billboard on a major highway suggesting he step down. His allies have hemmed and hawed. All the while, Netanyahu has maintained his innocence, claiming the media and police have conspired against him. Will it all mean the end of Netanyahus nine-year rule? Its too soon to tell. But heres a quick guide to the biggest corruption scandal to rock Israel in years and what it means for Jews outside of Israel. Hes accused of bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice Netanyahu is facing an array of allegations that are hard to follow, even for those who follow Israeli politics. Heres a rundown of the four main accusations: Accepting a bribe from Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in the form of champagne and cigars totaling about $200,000. The prime minister allegedly returned the favor by pushing for a U.S. visa for Milchan, as well as a beneficial tax break. Illegally negotiating for more favorable media coverage by agreeing to back legislation hurting a newspaper that supports his government in return for favorable coverage from a newspaper that usually opposes it. Trying to obstruct an investigation of his wife, Sara. A senior aide to the prime minister allegedly offered the post of attorney general to a judge if the judge agreed to stop the probe. Sara Netanyahu was indicted last year for improperly spending state funds on fancy cooking. Illegally negotiating for more favorable media coverageagain. This time, he allegedly supported regulations favoring Bezeq, an Israeli telecom giant, in return for favorable coverage on a news website owned by Bezeqs majority stakeholder. Last week, the Israel Police recommended that Netanyahu be indicted in the first two cases. The third and fourth emerged this week, turning up more heat on the beleaguered leader. Netanyahu has been in trouble before. But this time it looks real. The prime minister has been accused multiple times of illegally charging the state for personal expenses, along with other allegations, but none of them has ever resulted in an indictment. This time could be different. Along with the recommended indictments, in the cases that emerged this week, a close confidant has agreed to become a state witness in return for avoiding prison time. If Israels attorney general decides to indict Netanyahu, it would be an unprecedented legal threat to his leadership. This could be the end of his nine-year rule. Will Netanyahu have to resign? Other prime ministers facing corruption scandals have quit before this point in the process. Ehud Olmert, who went to prison for bribery, announced his resignation a couple months before the police recommended that he be indicted. But its unclear whether Netanyahu will leave his post. According to a Feb. 21 poll on Israeli Channel 2, half of Israelis say Netanyahu should step down, as opposed to 33 percent who think he should stay. But none of his political allies are calling for him to resign (something that did happen with Olmert), saying theyll wait to see if he is actually indicted. Through it all, Netanyahu has remained defiant, denying the allegations and attacking the police and the media for seeking to topple him. Hes even adopted the term fake news, a favorite of President Donald Trump. Whats happened over the past two days is simply madness, Netanyahu said in a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday. A scandal. False claims are brought, lies, as part of a hunting campaign against me and my family thats gone on for years... And we know the goal: to forcibly create a public cloud over the prime minister. Simply unbelievable. If Netanyahu does resign, it will be the end of a defining era for Israel. He has served as prime minister for nearly a decade, representing Israel pugnaciously on the world stage -- opposing Iran, picking fights with (or, as many would have it, standing up to) the Obama administration, courting the Trump administration and taking a (usually) hard line on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. His Israeli supporters credit him with guiding Israel through numerous threats in a chaotic region, advocating for Israel internationally, expanding its relations in Africa and Asia, and maintaining a prosperous economy at home. His opponents blame him for diplomatic inaction on the Palestinian front, economic inequality, personal corruption and stoking internal divisions in Israeli society. Even if he does resign, that does not mean the Israeli government will lurch to the center or left. Netanyahu stepping down would likely trigger an election, and polls show his right-wing Likud party again winning the most votes. His main rivals, centrist Yair Lapid and Avi Gabbay, the head of Israels center-left Labor Party, have consistently lagged behind him in surveys. Congregation Beth Sholom, The Synagogue that Feels Like Family, invites the community to attend a second night Passover Seder with Rabbi Karen Allen at Pennbrooke Fairways, 501 State Road 44, in Leesburg, at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 31. A traditional Kosher Seder dinner will be catered by Deannas Catering, LLC. The meal will include gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, carrot tzimmes, grilled vegetables, oven roasted potatoes, and a choice of four entrees: beef brisket, chicken, salmon, or Vegan. Dessert, coffee, hot tea, and iced tea are also included. A roasted chicken fingers meal is available for children. Reservations must be made in advanceno later than March 20. For more information or to make your reservations contact Burt Kraft at 352-513-3517. Information and a reservation form can be found on the synagogue website: http://www.bethsholomflorida.org. Congregation Beth Sholom will hold a Shabbat Morning Service led by Rabbi Karen Allen on Saturday, March 24 at 10 a.m. A Kiddush will follow the service. The synagogue is located at 315 North 13th St. in Leesburg, with the entrance on Center Street. More information is available on the synagogue website: http://bethsholomflorida.org/ or by calling the synagogue at 352-326-3692. (JNS)Major American Jewish organizations are calling for stricter gun-control laws in the wake of the Feb. 14 mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 14 students and three staff members dead. A spokesperson for the womens organization Hadassah told JNS that the group supports all three of the legislative proposals under discussion in the aftermath of the shooting. One is a bill sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jon Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to expand criminal background checks on prospective purchasers of guns. A second legislative proposal, supported by many Democrats, is to renew the federal ban on assault rifles that expired in 2004. In addition, Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) is calling for legislation that would institute universal background checks, ban individuals on the terrorist watch list from purchasing guns and outlaw bump stocks, the device that enabled the Las Vegas shooter last October to upgrade his weapons from semiautomatic to fully automatic. On Feb. 20, President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Justice to take action to ban bump stocks. He also has indicated that he supports some strengthening of background-check regulations. Hadassah is urging its members to promote the gun-control proposals at upcoming Day in the District sessions, in which its members nationwide meet with Congress members in their local districts. Nathan Diament, director of the Orthodox Unions Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C., told JNS that his organization will likely support all three of the gun proposals. He said the Orthodox Union has long supported common-sense measures to reduce gun violence, including banning certain sophisticated assault weapons such as the AR-15 used in [the Parkland] attack. The organization is also seeking additional federal and state funds for schools for their security needs, although the precise elements of an individual schools security program should be made by each schools leadership, said Diament. Some conservative pundits have suggested stationing armed guards in front of schools, though the logistics and costs for such a policy have not been analyzed. The Orthodox social-justice group Uri LTzedek supports all three of the legislative proposals and will be promoting them through a beit midrash series of educational programs within the Orthodox community. Participants will learn and then pick up the phone, its president, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, told JNS. We will also be using our email blasts to 10,000 recipients and the thousands following our social media to get folks to visit senators and congressmen, call them and write to them. In addition, Uri LTzedek intends to hold public vigils to mourn the losses [from gun violence] and raise public awareness, said Yanklowitz. In a statement to JNS, Bnai Brith International expressed support for legislation to limit access to the most dangerous weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines whose sole purpose is to maximize death counts. It also urged broader background checks, longer waiting periods between buying a gun and taking possession of it, and restrictions on the number of guns an individual may purchase. Barbara Weinstein, associate director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said her movement endorses the Cornyn-Murphy legislation, but believes that bill will only begin to address the problem. She told JNS that Congress should establish universal background checks, renew the ban on assault rifles and close the private sale loophole, which permits a private party to sell guns without obtaining information about the buyers criminal record or mental state. Other Jewish groups have been somewhat less specific in their positions. A spokesperson for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism told JNS: As a religious organization, we believe that Jewish values compel us to do all that is possible, within the framework of U.S. law to protect our children and enact sensible gun-safety laws. The USCJ has not taken a position on pending gun-control legislation. A spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League told JNS that the ADL has taken no position on specific legislative efforts other than those suggested in the groups 2013 resolution on gun control. That resolution recommended stricter controls governing the sale, possession and distribution of firearms; comprehensive background checks; and a responsible conversation on the [gun control] issue that does not further stigmatize mental illness. (Israel Hayom / Exclusive to JNS via JNS)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday hailed a recently announced US plan to relocate the American Embassy in Israel from its current abode in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as early as May of this year, calling the move a great moment for the State of Israel. President Trumps decision to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem will make our Independence Day celebration even happier, Netanyahu said, noting that the planned relocation will coincide with the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Israels independence. Thank you, President Trump, for your leadership and for your friendship. The Israeli Embassy in Washington issued a statement saying, President Trumps decision to move the United States Embassy to Jerusalem on the coming Independence Day follows his historic declaration in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. This decision will turn Israels 70th Independence Day into an even bigger celebration. Thank you President Trump for your leadership and friendship. On Facebook, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat thanked Trump for fulfilling your promise to bring the US Embassy home to Jerusalem, the eternal, united capital of the Jewish people. He added this gift is a particularly meaningful way to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Israels independence and the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem. This is a recognition of Jerusalem not just in words, but in deeds. We look forward to hosting you this year at the Jerusalem embassy! Danny Danon, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, said Trumps courageous decision is proof of the strength of the genuine alliance and friendship between the United States and Israel. This is the hour to recognize Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the State of Israel. Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Zeev Elkin urged additional countries to follow the American lead and move their embassies to Jerusalem as well. We at the Jerusalem Ministry will give any assistance necessary to advance this process, to both the US State Department and to any other country that is interested, said Elkin. Education Minister Naftali Bennett said the people in Israel thank the US president for the friendship, the courage and the determination in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. You will be recorded in the chronicles of Israel. Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely praised the Trump administration for its actions to implement the historic decision to transfer the US Embassy. And Michael Oren, deputy minister and former Israeli ambassador to the United States, called the announcement a great moment for the State of Israel. He said he believed additional countries would follow in its footsteps and relocate their own embassies to Jerusalem. This is another step that proves Trump is a president who lives up to his word, he said, adding that Israel was committed to channeling its strong friendship with the US administration to work towards a genuine solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I congratulate President Trump and thank him from the bottom of my heart. Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Avi Dichter said: In a 70-year delay, the US Embassy will be located in Jerusalem, Israels capital. Calling the move a small step for America, a giant step for Israel and humanity, Dichter said we hope this move will propel other countries around the world to transfer their embassy to Jerusalem. According to Likud MK Anat Berko, this news only proves how important Israel is to the international community and how beloved it is to the U.S. Likud MK Yehuda Glick hailed the move as a historic decision of biblical proportions. Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer said that with the embassy relocation, the Americans have proved that the winds that have blown since President Trump entered [office] are genuine. He hailed his friends in Congress and the American administration for keeping their promise and their steadfast stance alongside Israel and Jerusalem. United Torah Judaism MK Uri Maklev was slightly more cautious in his praise for the move. He said the embassy relocation was a good thing if it comes from the recognition of the importance of the issue, and not from a demand by Israel and in the hope that we will not end up paying a heavy price. Opposition lawmakers also welcomed the move. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said Israel should thank President Trump for a wonderful gift for Israels 70th birthday. In a statement, the president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Dr. Jurgen Buhler, said: We are grateful to the Trump administration, which has kept its promise to transfer the American Embassy to the capital, the place where it should be. We join the people of Israel and its government in saluting the gesture. The Christian Embassy hopes other countries will join the move and we are acting to achieve this goal through our representatives and activists around the world. It is our belief that the transfer of the US Embassy and other embassies from around the world will bolster the citys standing around the world and the freedom of religion that the State of Israel grants the city. In center, with the red beard, Rabbi Shaya Denburg, co-director of CTeen in Coral Springs, Fla., with Rabbi Moshe Klein on his right; Chayale Denburg, co-director of CTeen in Coral Springs, Fla., who is standing and second from right; and some survivors of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting. The survivors were in New York this weekend for Chabad's CTeen conference. (JTA)-Seven survivors of the Parkland school shooting were among thousands of Jewish high school students who attended the annual conference of the Chabad movement's youth group. Responding to the Feb. 14 shooting became an impromptu theme of the conference, which was hosted in New York City by CTeen, the teen arm of the Hasidic outreach movement. CTeen, which has 100,000 members worldwide, has eight chapters in the South Florida area surrounding Parkland. The shooting, which killed 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, has galvanized a youth-led movement for gun reform. But the students at the conference, each of whom had taken part in previous local Chabad activities, said they appreciated the opportunity to grieve and be comforted. "We all have been feeling better because we've been with other teens who have been supporting us," Marc Susskind, 14, told JTA. "They've been checking in on us, keeping us company." On Saturday night, the conference held a moment of silence in Times Square for the murdered teens, and the next day began a campaign for members of the youth group to fulfill one Jewish commandment, or mitzvah, in the teens' memory. The group also called for schools to institute a moment of silence at the beginning of the day. Both the mitzvah campaign and the idea of a moment of silence in public schools-in place of prayer, which is prohibited-are longtime Chabad causes. The movement often encourages doing Jewish rituals, such as lighting Shabbat candles or laying tefillin, as a response to tragedy. Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, CTeen's president, said the group tries to avoid political issues like the gun control campaign, but acknowledged the power of the Parkland students' activism. "Teens are the leaders of today, not the leaders of tomorrow," he said. "Many of them are embracing that. The Parkland event is something that brought this onto the national stage. Teens might be getting a bump in being able to mobilize because a lot of people are looking toward them and seeing what they're going to do." Other Jewish youth groups are explicitly supporting the gun control campaign. According to the New York Jewish Week, the teen arms of the Reform, Conservative and Modern Orthodox movements have all signed onto the effort. "Never before have students across the country mobilized like this, and never before have the eyes of the nation been so closely trained on us as we fight for change," Zoe Turner, a member of the Reform movement's National Federation of Temple Youth in Florida, wrote in an essay last week. "A country-wide call to action roars loudly in all of our ears, and NFTY is heeding the call." The students at the CTeen conference, which drew 2,500 attendees, said they would also be engaging in activism, including a march in Washington, D.C., scheduled for March 24. But this weekend, Parkland survivors said, they were just grateful to be among friends who comforted them. "Everyone knows about the incident and everyone is going to help reconnect," said Maverick Reynolds, 15, who heard gunshots while hiding in a nearby classroom. "We knew it was real and it was very scary." Holocaust survivors protesting Poland's new bill on Holocaust rhetoric in front of the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv, Feb. 8, 2018. (JTA)-The row between Poland and Israel about the Holocaust reached new heights this week after Poland's prime minister said that the genocide had not only Polish, Ukrainian and German perpetrators, but Jewish ones as well. Addressing a new law that criminalizes blaming Poland for Nazi crimes, Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview Saturday that the law's effects would not be as sweeping as its critics complain. "It's not going to be seen as criminal to say that there were Polish perpetrators, as there were Jewish perpetrators, as there were Ukrainian; not only German perpetrators," he said. If his statement was meant to soothe the law's critics-they include international Jewish groups and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the legislation baseless in a rare rebuke of an ally of Israel-then Morawiecki failed spectacularly. Escalating his rhetoric, Netanyahu called the remark "outrageous." "There is a problem here of an inability to understand history and a lack of sensitivity to the tragedy of our people," the Israeli leader said. Another Israeli leader, President Reuven Rivlin, offered his contempt for the remark. "Saying that Jews collaborated with the Nazis is a new low," he said. Jonny Daniels, an influential commemoration activist in Poland who is friendly with Morawiecki, called it a form of Holocaust denial. What Morawiecki said is technically accurate, but historically unfair in light of the specific nature of the Nazi persecution of Jews, according to scholars who have studied the dozens of indictments brought forward in Israel against Nazi collaborators. Until 1972, dozens of indictments led to trials in Israel of alleged Jewish collaborators with the Nazis, said Rivka Brot, a fellow at Bar-Ilan University's Center for Jewish and Democratic Law. Brot wrote her doctoral thesis on the prosecution of Jewish collaborators by Jewish tribunals in transit camps in Europe after World War II, and later in the State of Israel. None of the trials ended with a sentence longer than 18 months in prison. Even before Israel's establishment, dozens of unofficial communal tribunals were set up to process hundreds of complaints against alleged Jewish collaborators in displaced persons camps in Europe, Brot said Lacking binding legal powers, these tribunals could pronounce symbolic guilty sentences that meant excommunication for the convicted. Brot said the offensive element in Morawiecki's remark is not that he mentioned Jews who collaborated with the Germans, but that he listed them alongside Polish collaborators. "Any comparison between Jewish collaborators and Polish ones is false," she said. "The Jewish prisoners who collaborated did so under the immediate threat of death." Poles, Brot added, suffered a lot under the Nazis, "but most were not subjected to the same circumstances as Jews destined for annihilation." Jewish collaborators included "kapos" and other functionaries of the internal power structure that the Nazis forced Jews to form in camps and ghettos, Brot said. Additionally, some Jews helped the Nazis track down other Jews living in hiding in exchange for the collaborators' freedom or that of their relatives. Jews who collaborated inside camps and ghettos often said in their defense that they did so not to better their own situation but to better the lives of other Jews. Eliezer Gribaum, a Polish Jewish kapo who was accused of mercilessly beating inmates at the Birkenau camp and was later killed in Israel's War of Independence, said he accepted the position at the request of other Jews who needed protection from an anti-Semitic non-Jewish kapo, a German criminal. The case of Jews who remained outside camps or ghettos by helping the Nazis hunt down other Jews appears even murkier. Notorious among them was Stella Kubler, who began hunting Jews for the Nazis to keep her parents from being deported and stayed in their service until the war's end. She and other Jewish hunters of Jews were given special papers by the Gestapo and even weapons. Some even received a cash bonus of 200 marks for every Jew they helped deliver. Some of them, including Rolf Isaaksohn, delivered to the Nazis their own relatives-an uncle, in Isaaksohn's case, according to a 1992 Der Spiegel expose about Jewish hunters of Jews. Kubler was tried twice for her actions, which resulted in the murders of dozens: Once by a Soviet tribunal that sentenced her to 10 years in jail, and then by a West German one, which convicted her but did not sentence her to any additional prison time. She spoke with raw hate about the Jewish people, and until her death in 1994 was a favorite among publishers of anti-Semitic literature. Members of Judenrats, Jewish councils set up in ghettos that were answerable to the Germans, constitute yet another variant of collaboration. Dozens of them committed suicide to avoid carrying out the Germans' orders of annihilation against vulnerable ghetto populations, such as children and women, Dina Porat, chief historian for the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Israel, told JTA. Others cooperated with the Nazis out of fear that the ghetto would be subject to mass reprisals if they didn't. Other Judenrat leaders, however, seemed to relish the powers vested in them. Notorious among them was Chaim Mordechai Rumkowski of the Lodz ghetto. Moving around the ghetto on a broken-down horse-drawn carriage, Rumkowski instituted currency bearing his signature and postage stamps with his image, earning him the sarcastic nickname "King Chaim." Infamously, he urged his subjects to hand over their children to the Germans, who sent them to be murdered. He was beaten to death at Auschwitz, where he came on the last transport. Michele Tantussi/Getty Images Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland at a joint news conference with Germany's chancellor in Berlin, Feb. 16, 2018. On Tuesday, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz acknowledged in an interview to the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper that there were Polish collaborators, adding that the situation concerning collaboration "was extremely complicated." There were cases, he added, where Jews caught by the Germans led the Nazis to Poles who were hiding them. (According to one testimony, a woman in the village of Chociszewo denounced her non-Jewish husband to the Germans to pursue her love affair with a Jew whom she had hid-and who later was killed by Russian troops.) Although many Jewish collaborators were despised by Jews in Israel and beyond, comparing them to Polish collaborators "is morally and historically false also because of the complex spectrum of collaboration," Porat said. This complexity does not apply to Polish collaborators, few of whom were threatened with death if they did not betray or turn in Jews. "The indictment against all of those collaborators may appear similar," Porat said, "but the context in which they acted is radically different." Former Palestinian Fatah Party lawmaker Mohammed Dahlan, who is viewed as a potential successor to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, speaks to the media in December 2006. Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs via JNS The battle for the succession of Mahmoud Abbas in the Palestinian Authority is heating up. This was apparent from Fatah Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub's recent attack on Egypt, which supports the candidacy of Palestinian politician Muhammad Dahlan for the position of next PA chairman. The Israeli security forces are concerned about a possible bloodbath in the West Bank as soon as Mahmoud Abbas leaves office. The "bombshell" that Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah in the West Bank, dropped during an interview on the BBC's Arabic service on February 17, 2018, is still reverberating throughout the Arab world and the territories. During the interview, Jibril Rajoub attacked Egypt for supporting his bitter political rival Muhammad Dahlan. He said: "It is not acceptable for Egypt to support Muhammad Dahlan. He was expelled from the Fatah movement, and Egypt knows why. They were part of this process. It's not honorable for Egypt as a nation to support someone who is against the Palestinian problem and his own nation. We are talking about a wrongful precedent and step for Egypt." Jibril Rajoub has a terrible relationship with Egypt. Last year, he was deported from Egypt shortly after he arrived in Cairo to take part in a political conference as a representative of Fatah. Soon after his plane touched down, Egyptian security officers put him on another plane and ordered him to leave the country because he had criticized the Egyptian president in the media. According to Fatah sources, Jibril Rajoub suspects that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will soon retire from political life. As Rajoub believes he is the most suitable candidate to succeed Abbas as chairman, he launched an attack on his rival Muhammad Dahlan. Dahlan has the backing of the Arab Quartet (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates) for the position of the next chairman of the Palestinian Authority. Unsurprisingly, the Hamas leadership is supporting Muhammad Dahlan. Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas political bureau, stated on Feb. 20, that, "Muhammad Dahlan is a major Palestinian figure. His stance is clear regarding reconciliation, and we thank him for his steadfastness for the Gaza Strip." Muhammad Dahlan's supporters reacted derisively to Jibril Rajoub's remarks and said that he is "a crazy man like President Trump." According to them, Rajoub is very concerned by the possibility of Dahlan becoming the next chairman of the Palestinian Authority. In the event of his ascension, Rajoub will have to either leave the area or take the risk of being put on trial and facing a long sentence in a Palestinian jail. Dahlan's supporters claim that Rajoub is trying to market himself as the successor of Mahmoud Abbas and that he has allied himself with Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Israel against Egypt. The US government opposes Dahlan Jibril Rajoub is not the only one working against Muhammad Dahlan. In recent years, the United States has been working against him as his power continues to increase within the Arab world. Dahlan sees himself as Yasser Arafat's true successor. Although he was expelled from the Fatah movement, he is patiently planning his comeback, straight into the position of chairman of the Palestinian Authority. For the past 11 years, the United States has refused to allow Muhammad Dahlan to enter its territory and considers him to be a destructive force against its policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this regard, the Trump administration has adopted the standpoint of the previous administration regarding Muhammad Dahlan. During a Quartet debate in Vienna in 2010, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Muhammad Dahlan is no less dangerous than Hamas and that Washington refused to allow him entry into the United States.1 In discussions held by the Trump administration on "the day after Mahmoud Abbas," attended by envoy Jason Greenblatt and Ambassador David Friedman, Arab sources stated that Muhammad Dahlan had saved the Hamas movement and he had persuaded the Egyptian government to open a dialogue with it. Senior officials in the Trump administration have accused Dahlan of propagating statements calling for the annulment of the Oslo accords and declaring the territories "a state under occupation," which contravenes U.S. policy. The American campaign against Muhammad Dahlan actually serves his purposes very well. For this reason, it is mentioned at length on any Internet site that supports him. (JNS)-After years of bloody warfare, Syria has become a "Shi'a colony of Iran," a Syrian professor who lives in Germany told an Israeli conference in recent days. Addressing the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, Bassam Tibi, professor emeritus of international relations at Georg-August University of Gottingen, said: "They have killed our clans. They have killed our family. The Alawites of the Assad regime have killed our Sunni identity of Damascus." Tibi, a secular Sunni scholar born in Damascus, said the Syrian conflict has been transformed into a sectarian-religious war, adding that this core fact has been missed by many Western observers. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iran has been filling the vacuum "created by the removal of [former Iraqi leader] Saddam Hussein. Ever since, Iran has been expanding its power," explained Tibi. "Today, there are two blocs in the Middle East: the Sunni and Shi'a blocs. The strongest bloc, even though Shi'as are the minority, is the Shi'a bloc. The Saudis are unable to meet the Iranian challenge. Iran now controls Iraq, Lebanon and Syria," he warned. 'Sunni eyes are opening' Daniel S. Mariaschin, executive vice president and CEO of the B'nai B'rith, who had recently met with Persian Gulf leaders in the United Arab Emirates, said at the conference that due to the Iranian threat, Sunni Arab leaders no longer fear Israel and are potential allies to stop Iran. "Sunni eyes are opening to the fact that Israel poses no threat, but that Shi'a Iran... aspires to dominate far beyond its borders," stated Mariaschin. He added that significant potential exists for Sunni states to cooperate with Israel on shared concerns. Despite this positive development, Tibi forewarned that Saudi Arabia, which today is considered to be the leader of the Sunni Arab world, lacked a policy to effectively push back Iran. "Saudi Arabia is not likely to win. But one should support them against the Iranians," he argued. Professor Hillel Frisch, a Middle East expert who is a member of BESA, said the term "Arab-Israeli conflict" is no longer relevant to describe the region. "It's basically an Israeli-Iranian conflict or an Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The only Arabs that are confronting Israel today are proxies of Iran." While non-Arab regional powers-Israel, Iran and Turkey-are on the rise, the Arab states are in dramatic decline, he added. "Of course, this was aided by the Americans when they destroyed the Sunni state of Iraq, which was replaced by a Shi'a state," said Frisch. The Shi'a corridor: Tehran to Beirut According to Tibi, Iran works with state and non-state actors to take over the region, saying the governments of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon were all under Tehran's control, while non-state armed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen and the Shi'a militias of Iraq are also members of Tehran's radical alliance. "There is an axis of power coming from Iran to the Mediterranean, and from Iran to central Asia, and from Iran to the Red Sea," said Tibi. "All of the people who talk about the conflict in Syria do not acknowledge Iranian power. They do not acknowledge that the nature... of the conflict is between Sunnis and Alawites [who are seen as an offshoot of Shi'a Islam]." Professor Benjamin Miller, an expert on international relations from the political-science school at the University of Haifa, also told the conference that Tehran has gained significantly by constructing "a corridor from Iran to the Mediterranean." He added that introducing democracy to Iraq has "made Iran a key broker" in that country, which has a Shi'a majority of 60 percent. In Syria, the Alawites, "who are kind of offshoots of Shi'as, are threatened by the 70 percent Sunni majority," he explained. "Iran is their natural protector and ally. This led to the corridor's formation." The common threat posed by Iran to Israel and Sunni Arab states has "helped to transform relations" between them, maintained Miller. Meanwhile, the Russian-Iranian alliance-formed to assist the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad and rescue it from collapse-is narrowly built on shared interests, but with no shared identity. Miller believes it's most likely going to end. The failure of the West In his address to the conference, Frisch also expressed concern over America's withdrawal from the region, calling it "the major threat that connects between Trump and Obama. From that point of view, they're equal in seeking to withdraw from the role as the world's policeman." Frisch described Iran as "truly a radical imperial state. The best proof of that is that it's the only state in the Middle East... that projects power above 1,000 kilometers from its border," using it to attack Israel, which harbors no ill will towards Iran. Iran "keeps teaching us, together with Hezbollah, that they won't do business with us," he added. Tibi agreed with Frish's assessment, saying the West is failing to meet the Iranian challenge, while also leveling heavy criticism of the 2015 nuclear deal between the world powers and Iran, under which "inspectors can't enter military sites... This must be fixed." "Iran continues to be successful," he said. Looking ahead at the future, Tibi shared a bleak picture, saying, "Syria, my home country, is bleeding... there is a term to describe this conflict, which cannot be solved. The diagnosis for the Syrian conflict is: intractable. In the next five years, there will be no solution. Sunnis and Alawites-and the protectors of the Alawites, the Iranians-cannot live together." The most offensive attacks made by Palestinians and their supporters against Israelis are comparisons to the Nazis. These analogies demonstrate a profound ignorance of historyand a malicious hatred of Jews. As an educational service to these ignoramuses and propagandists, I would like to provide some examples of what the Nazis did to the Jews. First, I must apologize for the graphic nature of some of the examples, but they were purposely chosen because they are so horrific that they are not often discussed. The discussion of the Holocaust is often antiseptic. We talk about the six million murdered by the Nazis as if it is an abstract statisticsimilar to the GDP of Brazil. Israels detractors simply think of Jews as victims of mistreatment that is no different from the way that Palestinians are treated today. It is a lie. Every concentration camp was horrible, but lets consider what occurred at one of the camps that may be less familiar than Dachau or Auschwitz. According to war crimes prosecutors, here are some of the methods used to kill Jews at Mauthausen: gassing, hanging, clubbing, heart injections, driving inmates into the electric fence, kicking in genitals, being buried alive, and by putting a red-hot poker down the throat. Father Patrick Desbois documented how Jews in Ukraine were killed by the Nazis for fun, out of anger, boredom, drunkenness, or to rape the girls. At various times and places, Jews would be forced to strip naked and dig their own graves before the Nazis shot them so their bodies would fall into them. If a single shot did not kill a Jew, sometimes they were buried alive to save bullets. In Hungary, three Jews were tied together along the bank of the Danube. The middle person was shot, sending all three into the freezing water to drown. Groups of Jews were corralled into buildings, and locked inside before the buildings were set on fire. In Bialystok, 800-1,000 Jewish men and boys were burned alive in the Great Synagogue on June 27, 1941. Recently, advocates for the Palestinians have made an issue of a small number of Palestinian teenagers being arrested by Israel for various crimes. During the Holocaust, one million children were gassed, burned alive, stabbed or starved to death for the crime of being Jewish. Jews at many camps were employed as slave laborers. For example, the Heinkel aircraft manufacturing company used between 6,000 and 8,000 prisoners from Sachsenhausen to help build a bomber. Prisoners unfit to work in the camps were murdered. Those who survived the long working hours with little food or rest were usually killed later. In one town, Jews were taken to the butchers slaughterhouse. They were stripped and forced to crawl on their hands and knees up the ramp used for animals. When they reached the end, their heads were chopped off and put in baskets. Their bodies were taken and hung on meat hooks with signs that said kosher meat. The Palestinians have fabricated stories about Israel infecting Palestinians with the AIDS virus. These were actual medical experiments carried out by the Nazis: At Auschwitz, Josef Mengele injected twins and dwarfsaged two and above with various substances. He then killed them so he could conduct comparative pathological examinations of their internal organs. Carl Clauberg injected chemical substances into the wombs of thousands of Jewish women to determine how long it would take to sterilize 1,000 women. Horst Schumann sterilized men and women by pointing x-rays at their sexual organs. Many subjects died after great suffering. At Dachau, doctors experimented with methods of reviving prisoners after they had been forced to remain in a tank of ice water for hours. Other prisoners were infected with malaria to test treatments for the disease. Heres a description of one of the high-altitude experiments carried out at Dachau: It was a continuous experiment without oxygen at a height of 12 Km. (7 miles) conducted on a 37-year-old Jew in good general condition. Breathing continued up to 30 minutes. After 4 minutes the experimental subject began to perspire and to wiggle his head, after 5 minutes cramps occurred, between 6 and 10 minutes breathing increased in speed and the experimental subject became unconscious; from 11 to 30 minutes breathing slowed down to three breaths per minute, finally stopping altogether. If these examples are not enough, I would refer Palestinians and their supporters who repeat the calumny about Jews and Nazis to the eminent philosopher, Emil Fackenheim, who offered these distinguishing characteristics of the Holocaust: The Final Solution was designed to exterminate every single Jewish man, woman and child. The only Jews who would have conceivably survived if Hitler had been victorious were those who somehow escaped discovery by the Nazis. Jewish birth (actually mere evidence of Jewish blood) was sufficient to warrant the punishment of death. Fackenheim notes that this feature distinguished Jews from Poles and Russianswho were killed because there were too many of themand from Aryans, who were not singled out unless they chose to single themselves out. With the possible exception of Gypsies, he adds, Jews were the only people killed for the crime of existing. The extermination of the Jews had no political or economic justification. It was not a means to any end; it was an end in itself. The killing of Jews was not considered just a part of the war effort, but equal to it; thus, resources that could have been used in the war were diverted instead to the program of extermination. Yes, Palestinians can claim their share of suffering, but they have never faced anything remotely like what the Nazis did to the Jews. The only systematic murders of Palestinians because they are Palestinians have been carried out by their fellow Arabs, not Israelis. During Israels administration of the disputed territories, the Palestinian population has grown exponentially. More than 20 percent of the Israeli population are Palestinians who enjoy equal rights with Jewish citizens. Palestinians in the territories have the right to petition Israeli courts to redress their grievances, and more than 100,000 Judea and Samaria Arabs work in Israel and Jewish settlementswith benefits similar to their Jewish co-workers. Palestinians are not forced to wear special clothes or badges. They have no tattoos on their forearms. They have not been sent to concentration or slave labor camps, or forced to build Israeli armaments. The only camps holding Palestinians today are refugee campsand the residents are kept there by their fellow Palestinians and other Arabs. Dr. Mitchell Bard is executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise and author/editor of 24 books, including The Arab Lobby and the novel After Anatevka: Tevye in Palestine. Privately and off the record, US Ambassador David Friedman gave a pessimistic assessment of issues surrounding a possible peace deal with the Palestinians to a group of officials from the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations, according to a Channel 10 News report Monday. "We do not want to raise expectations about the chances of reaching a peace agreement too much. We are realistic. We want a peace agreement, but we know that this would not destroy Hezbollah or ISIS," he reportedly said, while adding, "In any case, we don't believe that threatening to pressure Israel is helpful." He came down hard on the Palestinian Authority, according to a few attendees at the briefing, saying, "They have not shown that they are capable of building institutions that will allow them to live in peace with their neighbors." But even if a deal was in the offing, he was not sanguine about the chances that Israeli society would survive intact, according to the report. The possibility of a mass refusal to follow orders to evict Jews from their homes "worries the Israeli government," he reportedly said. "The command echelon in the IDF is going more and more to the national religious [sector]. These are people who feel duty-bound to this land as land given to them by God," he added, saying it was his opinion that "the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of settlers could lead to a civil war in Israel." On a less controversial note, Friedman said that he believed that the American embassy would be moved to Jerusalem by the end of 2019, "at the latest." Both his interlocutors at the meeting and US embassy representatives pushed back against the remarks attributed to Ambassador Friedman. Conference of Presidents Chairman Stephen M. Greenberg and CEO Malcolm Hoenlein said in a statement following Monday's report, "We have seen the reports on the off-the-record address held with Ambassador David Friedman. The words attributed to him were taken out of context, are incomplete, and are therefore a distortion of the ambassador's remarks." A U.S. Embassy spokesperson said, "The Channel 10 report is based upon three attendees at the conference who failed to provide much of the context behind Ambassador Friedman's comments as well as significant additional and related remarks by the Ambassador... As for settlements, the Ambassador believes that unrestrained settlement growth is not helpful for peace." Friedman, however, is known for his staunchly pro-Israel, pro-settlement stance, having been the president of the American fund-raising arm for the Yeshiva of Beit El in Judea. It was also reported last year that he asked the State Department to stop using the term "occupation" when describing Israel's presence in Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem. WASHINGTON (JTA)When candidate Donald Trump spoke at AIPACs Policy Conference in 2016 and said Barack Obama may be the worst thing that ever happened to Israel, many cheered, many choked and the organization apologized. The fallout from that event will haunt the proceedings when 18,000 activists, including 3,500 students, attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference here this week. Navigating an increasingly polarized political landscape is the new reality for the lobby, which remains pre-eminent among pro-Israel groups and has long banked on bipartisanship. Trump, on the one hand, has delivered on much of AIPACs agenda: He is moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem; he is pushing Congress and Americas allies to toughen up the Iran nuclear deal; he is cutting funds to the Palestinians as a means of forcing them to align more with Israel and the West; and he has spoken forcefully against United Nations members who go against the United States on its Israel policies. AIPAC has advocated all of these policies in recent years. At the same time, much of the Jewish community reviles Trump for his perceived bigotries and postures on a range of issues, including immigration, minority and womens rights, and funding for social safety net programs. His approval ratings among Jewish voters remain bargain-basement low28 percent according to Gallup in January, significantly below the national average, the pollster said. That was after Trump had announced the embassy move and made clear his positions on the other issues that AIPAC favors. AIPAC also has always claimed to speak for the American Jewish community on matters relating to Israel. But can the center hold when its delegates are so deeply divided, sometimes against themselves? Its a real delicate balance, said Neal Sher, who helmed AIPAC as executive director for a period in the mid-1990s before Howard Kohr assumed the post he still holds. Sher said the pro-Israel credibility that Trump accumulated over his first year in office would guarantee a hearty reception for those representing his administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, U.N. envoy Nikki Haley and the ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. The conference this year, theyre going to be going nuts, its going to be like Trump at CPAC, Sher said, referring to the ecstatic reception afforded the president earlier this month when he addressed the annual conference for political conservatives. Thats going to be a problem when you look at Jewish demographics, he said, referring to Jewish disaffection with Trump. Some Jewish Democrats who once relished attending AIPAC now describe it as hostile territory. I feel the right wing has taken over the organization and there is no respect for other opinions, said a former board member who is a major Democratic donor and once reached high enough in AIPACs ranks to chair a policy conference. Its just not a place for me anymore. The dilemma facing AIPAC was in evidence in March 2016, the day after Trump, then close to clinching the Republican presidential nomination, earned a round of cheers for saying Obama, then the incumbent president, may be the worst thing to ever happen to Israel, believe me, believe me. The following morning, the AIPAC brass appeared on stage to apologize for Trumps behavior and the reaction. There are people in our AIPAC family who were deeply hurt last night and for that we are deeply sorry, said Lillian Pinkus, the lobbys president, her voice choking. We are deeply disappointed that so many people applauded a sentiment that we neither agree with or condone. It was a sequence of events that pleased no one: Democrats despaired of the robust cheers Trump earned, Trump enthusiasts were shocked at the apology. (Reportedly so was Trump, and his displeasure was conveyed to AIPAC by a senior aide.) Two years later the sequence still smartsfor both sides. They boo the president at the policy conference and it takes them 24 hours to apologize? the former board member said. Morton Klein, who heads the Zionist Organization of America and has emerged as a Jewish leader with some of the closest Trump administration ties, said an AIPAC apology was overdue. The first thing AIPAC should do is apologize for two years ago, for having the audacity to apologize for Trumps speech, he said. Significantly, both the former board member Kleinalong with multiple otherscited that moment without prompting as representing AIPACs crisis point. Its critical for AIPAC to figure out how to navigate those rough waters, said Tom Dine, Shers predecessor as executive director, if only to sustain the broad bipartisan support Israel has accrued over the decades. At this deeply divided and poisonous period in our politics and policy debate, AIPAC is needed now more than ever, he said. An AIPAC official said the path to bipartisanship ran through Congress. Bipartisanship is part of our DNA because it is the only proven way to secure the U.S.-Israel relationship for the long term, the official said in an email. At a time of polarization, our Policy Conference is an oasis of bipartisanship where we are united in the single goal of strengthening that relationship. An AIPAC insider said the focus on Congress would promote bipartisanship in an arena where the divisiveness Trump tends to elicit is not so apparent. AIPAC has always been about Congress; Congress is 90 percent of the relationship, said the insider, who acknowledged that there was more AIPAC could do to cultivate the Democratic grassroots. The problem with that strategy is that Republicans in Congress are increasingly identified with Trump. Indeed, some of AIPACs best Republican advocates in Congress, who were always careful to partner with Democrats in advancing pro-Israel legislation, are retiring this year in part because they can no longer abide Trumps GOP. Among them are Ed Royce of California and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Floridaboth leave behind influential foreign policy spots. The seeds of partisan division over Israel precede the Trump presidency. The deep divide between the Obama administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government over Iran policy and settlements drove some Democrats away from reflexive support for Israel. AIPAC took Israels side more often than not in those disputes. When I joined AIPAC, it was a safe space for Democrats, said Steve Sheffey, a pro-Israel and Democratic activist from the Chicago area. It has become increasingly right wing, and not where the American Jewish community is, and in the age of Trump its become increasingly embarrassing. Last month, a Pew poll showed that the gap between how Republicans and Democrats view Israel is widening, with 79 percent of Republicans saying they sympathize more with Israel than the Palestinians, compared with just 27 percent of Democrats. Although some criticized its methodology, the poll reflected concern that Israel could rapidly become as politically divisive as abortion or gun control. AIPAC is not ready to give up the fight. Members of Congress speaking at the conference are evenly divided between the parties and, in a let-bygones-be-bygones sign, include many Democrats who voted for the Iran deal. (Most backers of the Iran deal were absent from the last two conferences.) AIPAC is endeavoring to reconcile Democratic and Republican agendas on key legislative actions, including the Taylor Force Act, named for an American slain in 2016 by a Palestinian terrorist. It would cut funding to the Palestinian Authority until it stops payments to Palestinian attackers. Democrats want some carve-outs for humanitarian purposes, Republicans are resisting them. Ann Lewis, formerly a communications director for the Clinton White House, is leading two sessions on reaching out to progressives. Lewis said progressives were a critical constituency to cultivate because America was at a point where political positions are being set in stone for subsequent generations. From all the data I have seen, decisions about political identity is being decided now for years to come; were looking at a generational shift, she said. It is really important that support for the U.S.-Israel relationship be included. Then there was the point of view that AIPAC may as well cut its losses with one party and embrace the more natural fit. Of course, what the natural fit is for a pro-Israel lobby depends on where you sit. The impact of Jews in politics is mostly in campaign contributions, said Steve Rosen, a former AIPAC foreign policy chief who now works for conservative pro-Israel groups. And, he pointed out, the natural constituency for Israels policies increasingly is politically conservative Jews. If the future of AIPAC depends on becoming an organization of donors, that means looking to the Orthodox over time, who also happen to be more conservative politically, Rosen said. Jeremy Ben Ami, who heads J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group that at times has positioned itself as AIPACs rival, said catering to the Trump and Netanyahu governments would be a death sentence considering the American Jewish communitys political trends. The alliance between two leaderships that three-quarters of American Jews disagree with makes it hard to back an organization that exists only to support the Israeli government, he said. Were in an era where the majority of American Jews want to be in opposition. WASHINGTON (JTA)Sheldon Adelsons offer to help pay for the new US Embassy in Jerusalem is getting a thumbs down from a range of observers who support the embassys relocation. The Associated Press had the exclusive on Friday morning, and JTA confirmed it with sources who have been apprised of the State Departments deliberations. State Department lawyers are poring over the law books to determine how to pull off Americas first privately funded embassy. Why the Trump administration would want this? Well, no ones saying, but cost-cutting seems likely. The move to temporary digs, due in May, is eventually going to cost taxpayers about $60 million. An embassy built from scratch will be much pricier. The newly opened US Embassy in London cost $1 billion. Presumably, a Jerusalem embassy will come under $1 billion (although who can guess). Adelson, worth an estimated $40 billion, can afford it. Adelsons spokesman declined to comment. JTA asked various people who have been intimately involved in advocating for the embassy move, in some cases for decades, what they thought of the plan to privatize the embassy. The five who talked thought it was a terrible idea. The triumph of Trumps recognition of Jerusalem, they tended to agree, is that it came about honestly because recognizing an allys capital is the right thing to do. Trump himself said Friday in a speech to conservative activists that he came under intense pressure from the international community not to make the move. The optics of a rich donor paying the US government for the embassy, critics said, makes the move look less like a principled policy than a personal favor. Citizens volunteering their resources and energies to ease the governments burdens is laudable, said Jason Isaacson, the American Jewish Committees director of government and international affairs. But an American Embassy representsand must be seen indisputably as representingthe United States of America, rather than any generous individual or segment of American society. The American Embassy in Jerusalemas with all American embassies around the worldshould serve, and belong to, every American equally. Morton Klein, the president of the Zionist Organization of America, who is close to Adelson, referred to APs reporting that Adelson might seek other funders, including among pro-Israel Christians. This is a United States government project and policy, I dont think it should be the evangelicals, the Jews made this happen. It should be crystal clear the US government made this happen, he said. I dont think its a good idea for any private citizen to pay for the US Embassy to be moved. Daniel Shapiro, the Obama administrations ambassador to Israel who has since leaving the position advocated for a move, said he did not believe that State Department lawyers would sign off on the arrangement. Once Adelson started funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into the U.S. governments coffers, there would be immediate conflict of interest questions, including, what is the casino magnate and pro-Israel philanthropist getting in return? When individuals or corporations are giving something, theres an expectation they may be getting something in return, Shapiro said. That concern about quid pro quo is naturally pregnant in such a proposal. Also against the idea was William Brown, the ambassador to Israel under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He wrote memos to both presidents recommending moving the embassy to Jerusalem. Ive worked in embassies that could use some money, said Brown. But not this way. If Adelson really wants to feel useful, there are some limited options, said Shapiro. Embassy 4th of July parties can receive both cash (usually a few thousand dollars) and in-kind contributions from US companies operating overseas. They are then listed as sponsors, which is a form of promoting US businesses. Abraham Foxman, the emeritus national director of the Anti-Defamation Leaguewho also thought private funding for embassies was a terrible ideahad a different proposal. It would be nice if the Adelsons could pay for the art in the embassy, he said. Theres never a budget for art. The State Department runs an Art in Embassies program that solicits private money to help create vital cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding through the visual arts and dynamic artist exchanges. As our government continues to debate the gun law issues and what to do concerning protecting our schools, Israel has the problem very much under control. Since 1974 there have only been about one-half dozen terrorist attacks on Israeli schools. What is their secret? CBS News foreign correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti asked, Does everyone have a gun in Israel? No, said gun instructor Sharon Gat. Gun laws in America are much more loose than gun laws in Israel. What are the requirements to have a gun? It takes up to three months to get a gun. Forget 18 or 21, you must be over 27, unless you served in the military. You must prove your job requires a gun (not just that you want one). And you must get a doctor to sign off on your application. Dr. Omri Ben Ezra explained to Vigliotti that if you suffer from epilepsy or loss of consciousness or any mental disturbances, you cant have a gun. Those who have guns must take a gun test (like a drivers test) that is pretty rigorous, about 40 percent fail the test and need to reapply. Do teachers in Israeli schools have guns? No, said Nati Stern, principal of Municipal School in Tel Aviv. That is the job of police and the state. Every school does have an armed security guard outside the main entrance of the school, which Stern said is sufficient. The guard is there not by choice, but by law. Security guards must take the gun test every four months. Sounds like a simple, clear solution. Would Americans give up some of their rights for the common sense protection of our children? Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS via JNS President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec. 6 was not a political move, but rather the fulfillment of a true intention. The same goes for his decision on Friday to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, as part of the celebrations marking 70 years since the founding of Israel. The American announcement proves to the world that Trump doesnt just make promises, he takes action. Remember his remarks two weeks ago in a special interview to Israel Hayomthat recognizing our wonderful capital was the high point of his first year in the White House? He meant every word he said to me in the Oval Office. Trump is the best thing to happen to Israel in recent years, after predictions that we had lost America. Between us, history will decidenot the studio pundits who miss the loud voice of former U.S. President Barack Obama. Those same pundits explained just a few days ago that there was a divide between the White House and the Israeli government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lied to the president about construction in Judea and Samaria. Divide? At the most, it was a misunderstanding that was fixed within a matter of hours. These are also the same analysts who explained that Trump wouldnt win the 2016 election, and afterward explained with the utmost gravity that he would never recognize Jerusalem, and therefore never move the embassy. Im curious to know what theyll say nowwill they make threats about the heavy pressure that will be exerted on us as part of the peace deal Trump is putting together? Maybe theyll try to cast doubt on the American presidents brave ties with the Jewish people because he hasnt yet moved to the Efrat settlement? Its astonishing (or not) to see that this joyful, groundbreaking announcement was just the third or fourth report on the Saturday evening news broadcasts, with the worried anchor wondering if it was a gift or a complication. Everybody can calm down. The American president gave us a wonderful present for our 70th birthday. In terms of history, Trump is the giftObama was the complication. Just like former U.S. President Harry Truman, who recognized the state of Israel 11 minutes after it was founded, Trump found himself facing objections to the move, including from his own White House staff. I can understand why many other presidents bailed on their promise because tremendous pressure was put on them not to do it. The other presidents, all of them have failed in the promise even though they made it as a campaign promise but I understand it because I will tell you, the lobbying against it was tremendous, he told me in the interview. There were some including European leaders who tried to explain that an American move like this one would undermine the peace process and even cause unrest. As if all the years in which the U.S. Embassy has been in Tel Aviv were years of calm, without terrorist attacks. Other than that, we all know the peace process isnt exactly going well. In any case, Trump hopes that he has taken Jerusalem off the table, or at least made the Palestinians radical demands irrelevant, as the overwhelming majority of Israelis believe them to be. The hope is that the U.S. move will compel the Palestinians to realize that the rules have changed and become more flexible. We should always remember that even when the peace process was at its peak, when various speeches cast Israelis and Palestinians as relatives (cousins, brothers), the Palestinian demand to divide Jerusalem and allow the right of return was always lurking in the background to torpedo any move. Trump understood that immediately. You need to be in the White House and hear the president and those around him to understand what historic days these are. How lucky we are that Trump has good advisers who love us. Yes, most of the mainstream thinks differently, but most of the mainstream also thinks that Jerusalem should be divided. We dont take directions from them. The Turks and the Palestinians have condemned the embassy move on the grounds that Washington is losing its credibility as a mediator. Some of them are even threatening that the move will set the Middle East on fire. For now, the only thing I see lighting up is the torch Trump will light this coming Independence Day. He deserves to! And we deserve this. Last week we observed the holiday of Purim with the reading in synagogues around the world of the Megillat Esther, partying with strong drink and masquerades, eating Hamantashen (named after the notorious Haman), and exchanging Shalach Monot (gifts of food and sweets). Purim commemorates a theme which occurs too frequently in Jewish history: our struggle for survival against those who in every generation would rise up to destroy us. Of course, the outcome happily is always the same: with the help of G-d, we prevail over our enemies. Earlier this week, immediately following Purim, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held its Annual Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. While the story of Purim is ancient (Circa 357 BCE), its plot and subplots remain relevant in our modern day struggle to battle the de-legitimizers of Israel and the 21st century anti-Semites who would like nothing better than to see Israel and the Jewish people disappear from the face of the earth. While G-d watches over us from above, the Covenant he made with us requires that we be proactive in assuring our own survival. In the palace court of King Ahasuerus in ancient Persia, where all the political ambitions and governmental schemes played out, a Jew named Mordecai closely watched on the sidelines to protect the interests of the Jewish people living securely in exile under a benign administration. Mordecai knew the nature of the political elites of his time and their possible negative influence on the king. He was determined to position a person close to the king to oppose any negative policies and neutralize any deleterious influences that would endanger the security and safety of the Jewish people as well as the stability of the kingdom. His opportunity came when the king sought a new queen, and that person was Esther. You know the rest of the story. Without Mordecais knowledge of the internal workings of the kings court and the affective lobbying of Esther the events of the day would have had a very different outcome. Fast forward to today. For almost all of Israels modern existence, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) has been the pre-eminent American/Jewish lobby to assure that the American/Israel relationship is strong and that a special connection exists between two of the worlds strongest democracies and which is in the best interest of both nations. In Washington D.C., where Congress and the White House play out their political ambitions and governmental schemes, AIPAC closely watches on the sidelines to protect the interests of the Jewish people living securely in America and to educate and lobby members of our government with regard to the American/Israel relationship. The recently concluded Annual Policy Conference brought together thousands of Americans from every corner of our nation to perform the work begun by Mordecai and Esther in another time of Jewish peril. Although the acronym AIPAC may be misleading, AIPAC is not a political action committee. It does not raise funds for or endorse political candidates, although many members of AIPAC are political activists who independently support, endorse and campaign for candidates for public office as responsible citizens of our country. AIPAC is a non-partisan organization whose mission is solely to educate, explain and support the American/Israel relationship as being in the best interest of the American people, to lobby members of our government and to promote policies that enhance this special relationship. Their membership is made up of a cross-section of Americas population and is not exclusively Jewish. The Jewish lobby in ancient Persia was very different from AIPACs sophisticated lobbying in the United States, but the end game remains the same: the safety, security and survival of the Jewish people in Israel and the promotion of policies to members of our government for the safety, security and well being of America, the nation we call home. If you wish to comment or respond to any of the contents herein you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner. If you wish to respond by ranting and raving, please go into your bathroom, lock the door and shout your brains out. Mel Pearlman has been practicing law in Central Florida for the past 45 years. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; on the District VII Mental Health Board, as Special Prosecutor for the City of Winter Park, Florida; and on the Board of Directors of the Central Florida Research and Development Authority. He was a charter member of the Board of Directors and served as the first Vice President of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as its first pro-bono legal counsel. (JNS)Maybe it wasnt such a big deal after all. Instead of waiting until 2019 or 2020, the U.S. embassy to Israel will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May. On Friday, the Trump administration said the ceremony converting a Jerusalem consulate into the embassy would coincide with Israels 70th birthday celebrations. Unlike Trumps initial announcement recognizing the holy city as Israels capital, the reaction to this latest one turned out to be substantially low-key. The Arab world and Muslim populations didnt take to the streets to protest or commit mayhem. Countries that were already critical of Israel and of Trumps stand issued pro forma statements. The Palestinian Authority protested the idea of the United States celebrating a date they regard as the anniversary of their Nakba (disaster), but thats as far as it went. All of which ought to alert the peddlers of conventional wisdom about the conflict that this isnt the only thing theyve been wrong about. Theyve been telling us for decades that the actions currently being taken by Trump would wind up setting the world on fire. But theres more to the lesson that the embassy saga teaches, other than Jerusalem not being as big a deal to the Islamic world as weve been told. The notion that Palestinian grievances are the sole or even main cause of instability in the Middle East was always a myth. So is the idea that peace can happen before the Palestinians admit defeat in their century-old war against Zionism. Yet by creating a fact on the ground that does nothing to impede a theoretical peace agreement, the United States has also exposed the hollow nature of the anti-Israel consensus that holds that any Western recognition of reality that forces the Palestinians to give up their illusions is inadmissible. If peace is to ever to comeand right now, it seems a long way offit will be built on the kind of realism that Trump is employing, not on the kind of appeasement of Palestinian fantasies that often characterized the policies of previous presidents. The problem starts with the fact that sovereignty over the city was never settled by an international agreement. Jerusalem was designated as an international zone by the 1947 partition agreement set forth by the United Nations. Not only was that scheme a nonstarter, Israels War of Independence ended with the city dividedwith the Western part under Israeli control and the eastern part, including the Old City, under illegal Jordanian occupation. The world held off on recognizing western Jerusalem as Israels capital, in part because of the expectation that a peace treaty was inevitable, and because others were simply waiting for the next war to result in the extinction of the Jewish state. Nothing changed after Israels victory in the 1967 Six-Day War that united the city. Some continued to wait for a peace the Arab world pledged not to make, while others still clung to the fantasy. The problem with waiting was that holding off only served to reinforce Palestinian rejectionism. That became especially true since the Oslo Accords in 1993, which had the unintended consequence of encouraging Palestinian intransigence rather than ending it. To this day, the supposedly moderate Palestinian Authority continues to denyas its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has repeatedly doneJewish ties to the city, or that the Temple Mount and the Western Wall are ancient Jewish holy places. In that sense, they are little better than their Hamas rivals. The P.A.s Western donors and Arab patrons know this is nonsense. But by pandering to their denial by holding off recognition of Israels capital, the world ensured that the Palestinians were not forced to rethink their rejectionist political culture. Instead of the Trump administration inflaming the conflict, it has been the willingness of everyone else to indulge Palestinian fantasies that has been the problem. Nothing Trump is doing precludes the possibility of a two-state solution, if indeed one were otherwise possible. All the United States has done is to recognize what has been the truth on the ground for 70 years. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Once the U.S. consulate puts a new sign on the building declaring it the official embassy, the Palestinians will still be free to negotiate a two-state solution that could, in theory, redivide the city and allocate part as the Palestinian capital. If they dont, it wont be because U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman no longer has his desk in Tel Aviv. It will be for the same reason theyve consistently rejected peace all along: Theyre locked in the same tragic mindset that has continued to nurture their failed war against Israel. Peace will have to await a sea change in their culture that will make it possible for their leaders to choose peace, rather than, as Abbas has consistently done, to pander to religious and nationalist fantasies that preclude it. The first step toward that goal can only be taken once the international community that has enabled them to hold onto their destructive vision begins telling them to accept the reality regarding Jerusalem, as well as to give up subsidizing and fomenting terror. As Trump has proven, doing so wont blow up the world. The only question now is whether he understands what hes done. If, as reports indicate, he pushes forward a new peace deal predicated on more Israeli concessions, he will only encourage Palestinian illusions and repeat the same errors made by Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton. If that happens, it will prove that even Trump can still fall prey to the influence of outdated and discredited experts, whose myths about the conflict should have been discarded long ago. Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNSthe Jewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was forced last week to deny being a Holocaust revisionist, after suggesting that Jews were complicit in their own genocide. Referring to a new Polish law making it illegal to say the country has responsibility for the Holocaust, an Israeli journalist and son of Polish survivors asked Morawiecki if he could face prison for recounting how his mother was betrayed by her Polish neighbors. The prime minister replied: Of course its not going to be punishable... to say that there were Polish perpetrators, as there were Jewish perpetrators, as there were Russian perpetrators, as there were Ukrainian, not only German perpetrators. Morawieckis remarks were a shameful adulteration of history. There were no Jewish perpetrators in the Holocaust. They were victims. The Jewish prisoners who participated in the extermination machinery did so under the immediate threat of death. The new law, which Polish lawmakers chose to pushon the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, no lesscannot be understood without an appreciation of the context from which it emerged, nurtured by the rise of nationalism in Poland and the tactic support of the populist government, which views itself as the guardian of Polish historical honor. A dark trend is once again sweeping across the European continent. In Macerata, a small town in Italy, a neo-fascist admirer of Mussolini recently went on a shooting rampage, wounding five men and one woman of African origin. In Austria, a party with neo-Nazi roots now sits in the coalition government. And from Hungary to the Czech Republic, France and Britain, political parties and their supporters are reviving the old blood libel against Jews. Europes grip on its bloody past is far from assured. Of course, Polands history with the Third Reich is complex. If the new law were to clarify that the Polish government had no official role in the Holocaust, it would be an accurate reflection of events. Likewise, Poland is right to object to the flippant use of Polish death camps to describe Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor, Majdanek and Chelmno rather than Nazi death camps inside Poland. But in every country under Nazi occupationPoland is no exceptionmost of the local population were either silent witnesses to the slaughter or willing participants in the annihilation of Jews. Take, for example, the role of Polish collaborators. In July of 1941, 1,600 Jews, nearly the entire Jewish population in the village of Jedwabne, were murdered by their Polish neighbors. Some were hunted down and killed with clubs, knives and axes. Most were forced into a barn and burned alive. The Polish police collaborated with the Germans on many occasions such as in Warsaw, where they remained on duty to control the 50,000 Jews still alive in the ghetto after the liquidation in the summer of 1942. This is only part of the story. In Poland, complicity and heroism coexist. An important aspect of history that must not be forgotten or minimized is the sacrifice of the Polish Underground State. The organization, which came to the rescue of Polish Jewry, operated from 1939 to 1945 and was subordinated to the Polish government-in-exile. The Council to Aid Jews codenamed Zegota, a unique organization one on a global scale, provided structural and monetary assistance to Jews hiding among the Polish population and those living in ghettos, saving the lives of tens of thousands. Thousands of other Poles sheltered Jews despite the fact they and their entire families faced execution by the Nazis, if they had been caught. But the selfless act of humanity by a selective group of Poles cannot whitewash the more sinister chapters of Polish history. In Poland, and many other parts of Eastern Europe, historical revisionism is far from a new phenomenon. The widespread hostility that Jews faced did not die with the defeat of the Nazis. After the closure of World War II, Jewish survivors that returned home were confronted with an anti-Semitism that was terrible in its fury and brutality. The new communist government in Poland made no mention of the crimes committed against Jews by the Nazis. They, too, were anti-Semites. In July 1946, a pogrom occurred in the Polish town of Kielce, resulting in 42 Jews being massacred, an event that Polands foreign minister would recognize 50 years later as an act of Polish anti-Semitism. In recent years, things have regressed again. A rise in nationalism has always been bad for the Jews. Matters were not helped when Poland, over the last decade, lost important public intellectuals who reminded their country of the horrors of the Holocaust with first-hand accounts. Among them Marek Edelman, a Jewish leader of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, a leading figure in the Zegota underground organization. The so-called Holocaust Bill, the new Polish law, promotes the avoidance of historical responsibility and deflects blame, in an attempt to rewrite history in the name of blind nationalism. But the Holocaust cannot be denied, avoided or played down. We are here to remember, educate and speak truth to power. Sarah N. Stern is founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, a pro-American and pro-Israeli think tank ad policy institute in Washington, DC. A thousands-strong force of messengers, spies, and counterspies helped save lives and win battles throughout the war. Its hardly the image of wartime intrigue: a group of British pigeon fanciers discussingwhat elsepigeons one Sunday afternoon in London in 1939. On this occasion the men were wondering whether the homing pigeon would have a role in the looming war, as it did in those of the past. Surely the birds would be useless com- pared with wireless radio, a breeder named Jack Lovell ventured. Dont be so sure, a friend replied. A message transmitted by radio can be intercepted; its not secure. The one thing about a pigeon, Jack, it cant bloody talk, can it? He was right. For all of the advances in communications technology, homing pigeons still had abilities nothing else could approach. When Britain entered the war later that year, Jack Lovells pigeons did too. Homing pigeons allowed silent communication when the enemy was close at hand, or when telephone lines were down or nonexistent. They permitted armored spearheads to communicate under radio silence. And when radios simply didnt work, pigeons did. The pigeon to the army was like a revolver to a civilian, Maj. J. J. Baker of the British Army Pigeon Service explained. You probably never needed it. If you did need it, you needed it badly. As a result, one of the oldest forms of military communication came to be used widely by both sides in World War II, which saw the most extensive use ever of the birds. Drafted as messengers and as spies, pigeons helped communicate news from the front and relayed intelligence from resistance workers in occupied countries; some were even used as counterspies, and a few were instrumental in a propaganda campaign near the end of the war. Although their contribution is little remembered today, homing pigeons saved thousands of human lives during World War II while carrying out missions full of risk andyesintrigue. A major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps gave them the ultimate accolade. Pigeons, he proudly told a New York Times reporter in 1941, can win battles. Agents of the Office of Strategic Services operating in Burma routinely had company when they were dropped behind enemy lines; each was para- chuted in with a small bamboo cage containing a pigeon, which was used to report on the condition of the radio that had also been dropped. After the agent had landed, cleared the drop zone, and had an opportunity to test his radio, said Col. William Raymond, commander of the OSSs clandestine Detachment 101 operation, he would release the pigeon, preferably near daylight, with a coded message either indicating that all was well or giving instructions when and where to drop another one. When an American airborne patrol lost its radio operator during a jump in 1944, the bird that jumped with them, a four-month-old pigeon named Jungle Joe, filled the void. For a week, Joe stayed inside his cage while the patrol gathered information on Japanese troop positions and movements. Then he was set free, flying through 225 miles of mountainous terrain to deliver his message. The information he transmitted contributed to the capture of a large section of Burma by Allied troops. To intercept the message, the enemy would have had to intercept the pigeon, something understandably difficult to do. When that did happen, the opportunity to taunt or demoralize wasnt overlooked. One American bird returned to its handlers on the Italian front bearing this message: To the American Commanders, 36th Division, Infantry Herewith we return a pidgeon to you. Your officers are too stupid to destroy important documents before being captured. At the present moment your division in the southern sector is getting a good hitting. You poor fools. The German Troops That was a rare event, however; more than 95 percent of all messages carried by U.S. Army pigeons, for example, were successfully delivered under combat conditions. And those messages were not only responsible for tactical gains; they often saved lives. On October 18, 1943, the British 56th Infantry Division was to attack the Italian village of Colvi Vecchia. But they encountered little enemy resistance and wound up occupying the village hours ahead of schedulejust before Allied bombers were to strike. They were unable to notify the Allied XII Air Support Command, 20 miles away, by radio, and lacked telecommunications lines, so they dispatched a pigeon named GI Joe with a message to cancel the bombing mission. He arrived at the base within 20 minuteshaving made a 60 mph flightjust as the bombers were warming up. Gen. Mark Clark, the commander of the U.S. Fifth Army in Italy, estimated that at least 1,000 Allied troops would have been lost had the pigeon not reached the base in time. For his actions that day, GI Joe was awarded the Dickin Medal (the equivalent of Britains Victoria Cross, for animals), the only American animal to be given that honor. Of the 54 animals awarded the medal during World War II, the majority, 32 of them, were pigeons, a measure of their usefulness during the war. In addition to providing a means of communication when none else existed, the birds could be intelligent and resourceful, which made them extremely useful in combat. A pigeoneer with Australias Signal Corps Carrier Pigeon Service, Mick Lawrence, recalled how quickly the birds learned to adapt to dangerous environments. We would send two messages on two pigeons, as the Japanese had machine gunners looking to cut our flying communication down, he recalled of an operation in New Guinea. To avoid Japanese gunfire, pigeons would learn to stay below the tree tops, or even fly out two hundred yards off the beach then circle the island, darting back in only once they had spied the loft twenty yards back in the trees. Pigeons also proved amazingly persistent in their drive to reach their home loft, wherever that might be. In 1943, a pigeon breeder in Cleveland, Ohio, shipped a bunch of recruits to Camp Crowder, Missouri. One of the birds went AWOL and, despite a severe snowstorm in the region, returned home800 miles awaya few days later. Even when the birds couldnt fly at all, the instinct to return to the home loft prevailed. At Fort Meade, Maryland, a pigeon named Chester was part of a group of birds released one morning on a training flight from a nearby town; that evening all but Chester had returned. The next day, a soldier traversing a nearby road found Chesterhis wings somehow covered with oil, leaving him unable to flytrudging down the road in the direction of Fort Meade. But that paled in comparison with the journeys pigeons made at the front. A pigeon named Winkie seemed to have a number of strikes against her when the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber she was in crashed in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland on February 23, 1942, 150 miles from base. Wet and oily after escaping from her broken enclosure, she nonetheless arrived home to her RAF handler. The staff at the base deduced what they could from the birds bedraggled appearance and the planes last known location and launched a rescue; the entire bomber crew was recovered within an hour of Winkies arrival. On top of all that, there was the added bonus that pigeons were inexpensive to maintain. It cost the U.S. Army only six cents a week to feed each bird, a bargain that Sgt. Peter Zakutanskya pigeon enthusiast as a youngster who later trained army pigeonsreferred to as a penny a day for a hero. Serious scholars of animal behavior might scoff at such sentiment, but the individuals charged with training and caring for military pigeons by and large werent serious scholars of animal behavior; they were just people who liked pigeons. Men selected for the U.S. Army Pigeon Service were chosen for their gentleness and patience, and were often pigeon fanciers in their prewar lives. The pigeons were primarily selected for intelligence and stamina. Speed is not important, explained Tech. Sgt. Clifford Poutre in early 1941. Theyre all fast on the wing. What we want is a bird that will get back, one that wont get flustered, and that is intelligent enough to be self-reliant. Training began when the birds were four weeks old. They were just starting to fly by then and had not yet bonded to a home loftsomething that occurred at about six weeks of age. In the United States, the center for military pigeon training was at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, headquarters of the U.S. Signal Corps Army Pigeon Service. During the war, the service trained 54,000 homing pigeons, 36,000 of which were sent overseas for active duty. In Great Britain, close to 200,000 pigeons were placed into military service. As the homing pigeon learns its duty it may ride in a jeep or aboard a ship, fly in an airplane, be carried on a mans back or on a war dogs shoulders, or go on a secret mission in a manner which even yet cannot be disclosed, wrote the services Lt. Col. Joseph F. Spears, in a 1947 article for National Geographic. Wherever the Army, the Navy, the Coast Guard, or the Marines go, a pigeon may go also. Military pigeons were specialists. Pigeons by nature tend to avoid flying over water and will fly around large bodies of water rather than over them if given the chance. So pigeons being trained for water flights were allowed to fly only over water. And because pigeons instinctively roost when it gets dark, those intended for night flying were trained only in the dark. What we do is teach them self-confidence, said Poutre. They can fly at night. We simply prove to them that they can. Because the usefulness of the pigeon is based on its instinct to return home, the vast majority of the birds missions were inherently one-way: they were released somewhere out in the field, and would fly back to their home loft. But trainers in the United States and elsewhere got birds to accept the concept of a moveable home loft by putting one on wheels and gradually repositioning it day after day, which increased the birds utility on an everchanging front. By 1942 the U.S. Army was using a 50-pigeon trailer that could be pulled by a jeep. There were even birds specially trained for two-way missions, but Poutre remained mum on how that was done: We have them. Thats all I can say. We trained them, but how we trained them is a military secret. Military secrets were what the birds were all about, and in Europe during World War II, the use of pigeons to transmit secret information became a highly evolved enterprise, with both sides of the conflict pushing the state of the art. Beginning early in the war, the British dropped pigeons by parachute to resistance workers in German-occupied territories. They sent more than 17,000 pigeons to the French Resistance alone. R. V. Jones, a British physicist and specialist in scientific intelligence, described the protocol in his autobiography, Most Secret War, including how he used questionnaires to elicit information particularly valuable to him in seeking the location of German Wurzburg radar stations. In areas where we had no direct contact with the Resistance movement, he wrote, we used to get our bombers to drop homing pigeons in containers which would open after a few hours and release the birds if they had not been found by someone on the ground. Attached to the containers were questionnaires asking a series of simple questions which, for example, a farm labourer might be able to answer, and which might be helpful to us. My own question was Are there any German radio stations in your neighbourhood with aerials which rotate? This feature was an almost certain criterion of a radar station, and we dropped the pigeons wherever we saw a gap in our knowledge. Before the end of 1942 the pigeons had given us the locations of three stations hitherto unknown to us, and more followed during 1943. Around the same time that Britain started reaching out to resistance workers, Germany put its own surreptitious plans for the pigeon into play. Britain got wind of one of these plans in 1940 when what British military intelligence documents referred to as German pigeon personnel were captured and interrogated, revealing that Nazi pigeons had been infiltrating the United Kingdom to allow enemy agents there to send secret communiques back to the Fatherland. It is said that Himmler, who has been a pigeon fancier and enthusiast all his life, is the head or president of the German National Pigeon Society, one intelligence report read. And he has brought his enthusiasm for pigeons into the Gestapo, who are said to use this form of communication both in Germany and in the occupied countries. When MI5 agents located dozens of lofts scattered across German-occupied territory, including Belgium, west Holland, and the Balkans, they took action and began training peregrine falcons to intercept pigeons along Britains borders, and banned the destruction of predatory birds nesting along the Dover cliffs on Englands east coast. The U.S. Army was also dabbling in falcons around this timenot only as a means of intercepting enemy pigeons but as a weapon in themselves. The Signal Corps announced in the summer of 1941 that it planned to train 200 to 300 falcons to attack pigeons and parachutes. The head of the program, which was also based at Fort Monmouth, refused to elaborate on details, but at least one report said the birds would have steel blades attached to their bodies. Before the falcons could attack, however, falcon fanciers did; a University of Pennsylvania professor of zoology pronounced the program silly, and a falcon enthusiast and U.S. Army pilot delivered the fatal blow by convincing Washington bigwigs that it was thoroughly impractical. By early 1942 the United States falcon program was history. Britains defensive falcon force, however, was still going strong; a 1942 intelligence report called the program a great success. Falcons positioned in the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast could watch not only a part of one island, but the whole group, and any pigeon flying over them would be attacked. In early 1944, as both military and civilian populations began to anticipate the Allied invasion of France, a group of British pigeon fanciers approached the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) intelligence staff in London about contributing their birds to the Allied cause. Any plan involving the birds would be inherently scattershot, because unlike the specially trained birds already in service, these would not be returning to any central location, but to home lofts scattered all over England. With that exception, the proposed plan was similar to earlier efforts: drop the pigeons in crated pairs in regions of France, Belgium, and Holland, bearing letters printed in French, Flemish, and Dutch. Locals who picked up the birds would be able to use them to convey information on troop movements and the like to British intelligence. From the counterintelligence viewpoint, the proposal seemed very safe, since carrier pigeons do not possess national characteristics, are resistant to interrogation, and once in a loft would be indistinguishable from local birds, the deputy SHAEF intelligence officer, Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Betts, wrote after the war. The real question, he felt, was whether anything was to be gained. One factor eventually proved key in swaying Betts and his colleagues: the pigeon fanciers themselves. They were earnest, decent people, he recalled. And their pigeons obviously represented their greatest treasure in a grim, war-torn world. They all tended to be thin; we suspected they were sharing their scanty rations with their birds. Above all, we were conscious that they were seeking to give up their most dearly loved possessions in the Allied cause. So the go-ahead was given in March, and the plan given the name Operation ColumbaColumba from the species name for the rock dove, Columba livia, as the common pigeon is more formally known. (The British called their earlier operation Source Columba; it is uncertain whether the name was a reference to the latter, or represented a confusion of the two.) There were a couple of concerns from the beginning, which Betts, clearly a newcomer to pigeon warfare, went on to report with a rather bemused detachment. First, the planners were concerned about how bomber crews, who would be asked to drop the birds, would react to the assignment. We could understand the natural feelings of the pilot who, keyed up to his best to deliver a massive load of destruction at great personal risk, would find himself sidetracked en route by Operation Columba, he recalled. It was too much like stopping off at the supermarket on the way to your wedding. (The American and British bomber crews, in fact, proved to be quite willing.) Second, there were those falcons prowling the cliffs of Dover in search of enemy pigeons, which had seemed such a good idea in 1940. Although the British had successfully continued their clandestine communication with the Resistance, the presence of the predatory birds raised a concern. Now our men pointed out that the predators would not discriminate between patriotic British pigeons and treacherous Axis birds, Betts noted. Please then would we have these enemies of the pigeon restored to their true status as vermin. So the predators were declared fair game again, and the pigeon drops began. Aware of the plan almost from the beginning, the Germans quickly resorted to countermeasures. A source in the French Resistance warned British military intelligence that the Germans were dropping pigeons by parachute into France disguised to look like Allied pigeons: The containers have attached a packet of English cigarettes and the envelope contains a notice to the finder stating that as the invasion is imminent we the Allies are anxious to have the names of all the local patriots. When released by well-meaning informants, these stool pigeons would swiftly wing their messages back to Germany. Meanwhile, Columbas planners awaited the return of their pigeons. Three weeks went by without result. Finally week four brought one pigeonand the unenlightening message that there were lots of Germans around Lier [Belgium]. Great amounts of nothing and a smattering of something became the pattern, and Betts ultimately deemed the operation a failure. But there were unexpected benefits. The Germans became uneasy with the whole affair and began cracking down on pigeon fanciers in the occupied areas, which only served to ally more of them with the Resistance. More than that, the Germans kept track of where the birds were being found, concluded that the locations indicated a special interest in Calais, France, near the narrowest portion of the Strait of Dover, and used this to bolster their theory that this was where the Allied invasion would occur. Thus, virtually by accident, Operation Columba contributed to the Allied deception scheme that obscured the plan to invade Normandy. Following D-Day, the focus of the bird war in Europe turned toward Germany itself. A member of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) suggested dropping pigeons into Germany much like the drops that had already been made into the occupied regionsthis time as part of an ongoing psychological warfare campaign, to give war-weary Germans the opportunity to repudiate Hitler. They decided to elaborate on that plan by dropping not only live pigeons with questionnaires that people could fill out, but dead or stale pigeonspigeons that werent reliable homers and therefore were likely to remain in Germanybearing questionnaires already filled out, apparently by disloyal German citizens, but actually by British black propaganda operatives. The object, of course, was that the birds and their completed questionnaires should fall into the hands of the Gestapo who would try and detect from the answers what traitor had written them, explained British propagandist Sefton Delmer. We would phrase the answers in such a way, I suggested, that the Gestapo would be led into arresting some of their own trusted Party functionariesmen who they would be led to believe were now trying to buy themselves a little slice of last minute reinsurance with the Allies. And if the dead bird was picked up by an ordinary civilian who did not hand it over to the police, it would still provide admirable evidence that well informed and authoritative Party comrades were defecting. It would encourage him to do so himself. In April 1945, later and with more restrictions than the planners had preferred, a total of 330 pigeons were dropped all over Germany. But it was too late in the war to have a real impact. By now, the Nazis fate was sealed anyway. Although no one knew it at the time, pigeons use in war had seen its heyday as well. (When the U.S. Army went on to announce in late 1956 that it was discontinuing its pigeon service, Time magazine reported the event by noting that the homing pigeon had been superceded by the vacuum tube.) Only nine birds from the SOEs black propaganda operation made it back to England that spring. Of these, five carried messages. One read: Thank you. I had the sister of this one for supper. Delicious. Please send us some more. At least one bird returned with useful information, although not enough to make a difference. The pigeon was found at four oclock in the morning in our village, the unknown author wrote. There are no German military personnel in our village. The name of the village is Hellensen. As far as I know, Ludenscheid will not be defended because there are many hospitals in the town. The Party swine have all cleared out. Kreisleiter Joust was seen in the town yesterday in civilian clothes. The writer then revealed he had something in common with those who had sent the pigeons, besides a distaste for the Nazi Party, by concluding his note with a personal aside: I am also a pigeon fancier and send my greetings. Good flight. Originally published in the January 2009 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. How Germany conspired with Russia to build a cutting-edge army and air forcelong before the start of World War II. In 1920 any well-informed observer would have found it highly improbable, if not impossible, that Germany and Russia would pose a military threat to the world for decades to come. Both countries were in desperate shape after World War I. Germany had suffered a catastrophic defeat, and its new democratic government had to con- tend with an economic crisis, a communist revolution, and the loss of 10 percent of its territory. Things were even worse in Russia. Millions of Russians had died in the war. The civil war between the Reds and the Whitesand intervention by the Western powershad further devastated the country. Yet just over a decade later, Germany and Russia were fielding cutting-edge air and mechanized forces. More remarkably, by the outbreak of World War II, the defeated powers of the First World War had surpassed the victors in their ability to wage modern, mechanized warfare. This transformation lay in a feat of military secrecy on a grand scale: a period of cooperation in which the Soviet Union helped Germany circumvent international law by allowing it to rebuild its armed forces in Russia, and in which Germany gave Russia an evolutionary boost in technology and training. The end result had two past and future adversaries effectively sharpening each others saberssabers that they would shortly draw against one another. Desperate conditions can lead to imaginative thinking. In the aftermath of World War I, the armed forces of both Germany and Russia were in desperate straits indeed. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles restricted Germany to a 100,000-man army, with no aircraft or tanks. Its navy was reduced to a squadron of small ships, and strict restrictions were placed on German industry to prevent the manufacture and stockpiling of modern weapons. To see to it that Germany complied with these restrictions, more than 1,000 officers and officials of the Inter-Allied Military Control Commission (IAMCC) set up headquarters in Berlin in the summer of 1919. The IAMCC teams fanned out through the country to shut down arms factories and seek out hidden weapons caches. The intent was to leave Germany permanently at the mercy of the Allied powers. To enforce their will, the Allies would occupy a large portion of western Germany for more than a decade after World War I. The Russian regime under Vladimir Lenin was an isolated pariah state, surrounded by hostile neighbors and cut off from trade with the major powers. Although the Red Army had prevailed against the White Russians, Poles, and the Western powers that had intervened in the civil war (Britain, France, and the United States), it was in bad shape in 1920. The army had little modern weaponry, with obsolete artillery and only a handful of airplanes of 1917 and 1918 vintages. Russia produced few motor vehicles, and the Red Army had only a paltry assortment of 1918-model Renault light tanks captured from White Russian forces during the civil war. Its officers had performed well as small-unit commanders, but the newly created army lacked officers with higher command and staff experience. The two nations were still major powers, however. Germany had the worlds second largest industrial economy after the United States and remained on the cutting edge of technology development. And even a weakened Russia still had a large population and vast unexploited natural resources. Both countries saw the Western Allies as their primary threats, and both believed that the only means of national survival was in building superior military forces. The earliest stages of the German-Russian postwar relationship remain murky. Immediately after the First World War, the German government had little thought for long-term foreign policy as it contended with one internal crisis after another. But a few individuals were able to look beyond the short term. One of them was the visionary Col. Gen. Hans von Seeckt, newly appointed commander of the German army. Seeckt was interested in developing military cooperation with the new Soviet regime and saw Russia as a place where Germany could secretly produce weapons far from the prying eyes of the Allied disarmament inspectors. In early 1920 Seeckt began sending out feelers to the Russian regime through Turkish contacts he had made during the war. These initial forays were conducted privately, without the knowledge or consent of the German government. Seeckt was not alone in seeing Russia as a place where Germany might pursue military production. Officials in the German Foreign Office also considered developing economic and military contacts with the Soviet Union, and by 1920 members of the Foreign Office began secret discussions with the Soviet War Ministry about selling German weapons and technology to the Soviet regime. It might seem strange for Germany to establish relations with a communist revolutionary state just after brutally suppressing a Soviet-supported rebellion by German communistswhich it did in 1919but both sides saw a certain logic to it. Germany had the expertise and modern technology that Russia urgently needed; Lenin saw these diplomatic and military efforts as a means of breaking the Western Allies economic and military stranglehold on Russia. And Russia, for its part, could offer the Germans plenty of space to build secret factories to produce the modern weapons the Western Allies had denied them, without fear of discovery by the IAMCC. With both nations desperately needing to reestablish themselves as military powers, their governments entered into secret negotiations. General von Seeckt carefully laid the groundwork for the alliance, creating in late 1920 an office under his direct control within the Reichswehr staff: Special Group R, the R for RusslandRussia. Seeckt later dispatched Col. Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen, a highly regarded general staff officer who had been chief of the air service in the First World War, to serve as the German armys secret representative in Moscow. In April 1922 Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty of trade and friendship at Rapallo, Italy. The published version of the treaty established friendly relations between the two nations that included trade and investment. But the treaty also had a secret annex, signed two months later, that established close military cooperation between the two powers. Under the treatys secret provisions, Germany would establish joint ventures with the Soviet government to build weapons factories in Russia. These included aircraft manufacturing plants, ammunition factories, and a poison gas plant. Russia would also set up tank and gas warfare schools, and provide the Germans with bases where they could train airmen. German officers of the elite general staff were assigned to teach in the Soviet army and air force staff academies. Soviet officers were allowed to take the German armys general staff courseprobably the finest advanced officer course in the world. The Rapallo agreement was a diplomatic and military masterstroke: the public part of the agreement alone took the Allied powers by complete surprise. The secret part of the agreementthe allying of the Weimar Republics new army, the Reichswehr, with the Soviet Unionwas something they could not even have imagined. To keep it that way, every effort was made to deceive the Allies as the extensive military activities got underway. German airplanes were flown across borders into Russia at night, and shipments of military goods were sent by roundabout routes and boxed as farm machinery. The military training bases were set up in remote areas, and German military personnel assigned to training in Russia were officially discharged from the army and sent under assumed names. Upon completing their training they were reinstated in the army as if they had never left. Some accounts of the secret German military testing in Russia finally did leak out in the late 1920s. By that time, none of the Allied powers wanted to confront Germany over what appeared to be minor breaches of the Versailles Treaty. As long as Germany was ostensibly disarmed, the Western powers did not want to provoke a crisis. The earliest efforts to rearm were inauspicious ones, however. From 1921 to 1923, a series of industrial cooperative programs involving weapons productionamong them an ammunition factory and a small poison gas factorywere set up on Soviet soil. These proved to be the least successful of the joint ventures. The Russians hoped for much, but in the early 1920s the new Soviet state was too poor to order weapons, ammunition, or aircraft in sufficient quantities to cover the cost of the German investment. After a short period of joint production, the German armaments firms closed their factories. One industrial enterprise did have a lasting impact. The German army sponsored a deal with Junkers Aircraft Company to build a secret factory in Russia in the village of Fili, just outside Moscow, in 1922. At the time, Junkers had the most advanced all-metal aircraft designs in the world. Dozens of Germanys top aircraft designers and technicians traveled secretly to Russia to help the Russians set up aircraft and engine factories to build the latest Junkers designs. To work on the Junkers project, the Soviets assembled an aircraft design team under the brilliant young engineer Andrei Tupolev. The Germans liked Tupolev and his team, and admired their desire to learn. But the factory languished because the Soviet regime was unable to buy more than a handful of aircraft. After manufacturing only 150 airplanes in two years, and losing a great deal of money in the process, Junkers pulled out and turned the plant over to the Russians. Yet, by providing the Russian designers and engineers with access to the latest western technology and ideas, this brief cooperation provided a major boost to the fledgling Soviet aircraft industry. Tupolev and his team took over the Fili factory and began manufacturing the TB-1 and TB-3 bombersboth of which showed a strong similarity to the Junkers designs of the era. By the early 1930s the Soviet aircraft industry was growing at an astounding rate, and by the middle of the decade, the Soviet Union possessed one of the largest and most modern air forces in the world. The air force training programs established in Russia came far closer to achieving what German visionaries had in mind. The Germans had created a large and technically advanced air force during World War I, and they were determined to maintain a secret force that could be expanded as soon as the hated Versailles Treaty was renounced. To do so, the German army needed a place to train its airmen and develop new technologies and tactics. The Russians offered the Germans a base at the spa town of Lipetsk, 300 miles southwest of Moscow. It proved ideal, and became the focus of a secret Luftwaffe rearmament and training program in the late 1920s. The Lipetsk base, which opened in 1925, was home to 60 to 70 permanent German personnel, including instructors, technicians, and test pilots. Between 1925 and 1933, several dozen Reichswehr personnel a year were officially retired from the army and sent to Russia as civilians. At Lipetsk they either took a six-month course in advanced fighter aircraft, or were enrolled in the aerial observers course. After completing the rigorous training program, as thorough as any offered in the world at the time, the airmen would return to Germany and be officially reinstated in the army. During the eight years it was in operation, more than 450 Reichswehr airmen were trained in Russia. To ensure the training was as modern as possible, the Reichswehr managed to quietly obtain one of the hottest fighter planes of the era: the Fokker D XIII. During the crisis of 1923, when France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr valley following Germanys failure to make required reparations payments, the German army made secret war preparations that included ordering 50 of the new fighters from its old friend, Dutch aircraft manufacturer Anthony Fokker. The D XIII, powered by a British 450 hp Napier engine, was one of the fastest airplanes of its time and set several speed records in the early 1920s. When the crisis passed, the Reichswehrs air staff shipped the D XIIIs to Lipetsk. There the planes served as trainers for the advanced fighter course and as fighter-bombers used to train German pilots in dropping bombs and attacking ground targets. During the next few years the base also acquired several Heinkel HD 21 and Albatros L 68 trainers, and some Junkers transports that were used for the observer and navigator courses. With plenty of aircraft (the school had 66 planes in 1929), the Germans were able to mount relatively large air exercises. The German air wing also carried out air support for Red Army maneuvers, and the Germans and Russians gained experience in the complicated art of air-ground operations. By 1929 the German instructor staff had developed a cadre of fighter experts and a fighter tactics manual that were the equal of any major air forces. By the late 1920s, the Lipetsk school had expanded to include a flight test center. Although the Versailles Treaty had forbidden the Germans an air force, they were still allowed civil aviation, and in the 1920s companies such as Junkers, Dornier, and Heinkel were producing some up-to-date and even innovative designs. Some of these were not the transport or sport planes they purported to be, but were designed as bombers or reconnaissance planes. The Junkers K-47 dive-bomber, a forerunner of World War IIs famous Ju 87 Stuka; the Do 11 bomber; the He 45 light bomber; and the Ar 65 fighter were all tested at Lipetsk between 1929 and 1931. In 1931, the peak year for training and testing at Lipetsk, 300 German trainers, instructors, and testing personnel were stationed there. A similar success story was unfolding with armor development. One of the most painful mistakes the German General Staff made in World War I was its belated appreciation of the role of armored vehicles on the battlefield. In contrast to the Allies, who had fielded tanks by the thousands in 1918, Germany started late and had manufactured only a handful of tanks by the end of the war. Although denied tanks by the Versailles Treaty, the Germans made the development of modern armored forces a high priority in the 1920s. In 1925, the Reichswehrs weapons office contracted the engineering firms of Daimler, Rheinmetall, and Krupp to build prototype heavy tanks, each armed with a large-caliber gun, several machine guns, and thick armor. The tank prototypes were to incorporate the most advanced engines and transmissions, be gas-proof, and be able to cross rivers. In 1927 the order was followed up by contracts to produce light tanks, also with all the latest engineering features. In keeping with the highly secret nature of the program, the Germans used code names for the armor in all military correspondence: large tractors for the heavy tanks and light tractors for the light tanks. By 1929 the German companies had produced six prototype heavy tanks and four light tanks and shipped them to the Russian industrial city of Kazan to be tested. These tanks, in addition to prototype armored cars produced by the Daimler and Bussing companies, helped equip the German tank officer school, which opened the same year. Along with military personnel, dozens of German engineers were secretly brought to Russia to oversee the armored experiments. Ferdinand Porschewho would go on to design the most notorious heavy tank of World War II (and possibly of all time), the Tiger Mk IVhad his first experience in tank design as head of Daimlers large tractor project and observed the German armys first armored maneuvers in Kazan. The Soviets were just beginning to organize mechanized forces in 1929, so they were especially eager to support the German tank school and testing station. With tank production beginning in the Soviet Union, the Red Armys top priority was to develop a force and doctrine for armored warfare; Red Army leaders saw the Germans, admired as masters of operational-level warfare, as the best means to get the program going. That year, the German General Staff sent three officers to the Red Army to help advise in the creation of the Red Armys first tank units. To ensure the Germans had the support they needed for their armor school and testing center, the Red Army gave the Germans 30 brand new tanksone-third of the Red Armys tank production for 1929. Along with 10 German tanks, the Germans could now practice battalion-sized and larger operations. Although the armored warfare course was only for German officers, Soviet technicians were allowed to examine and test-drive the German prototype equipment, and more than 60 carefully selected Red Army officers were allowed to participate in the exercises and war games. As the Soviet tank force expanded, the Red Army formed its new tank units near Kazan so they could conduct large-scale maneuvers with the Germans in 1930 and 1931. Between 1929 and 1933, 30 German officers went through the months-long armored warfare course at Kazan; another 20 served as instructors. Although small, the course was very thorough and certainly the equal of any offered by the other major powers. Theo Kretschmer, an officer at Kazan and later a major general of panzer troops, noted that the course had turned the participating officers into fully trained armored soldiers. Its alumni would be largely responsible for the Wehrmachts armor might in World War II. Cols. Ludwig von Radelmeier and Josef Harpe, who commanded at Kazan, became the first commandants of the panzer school established in late 1933 in Zossen-Wunsdorf, near Berlin. Col. Ernst Volkheim, who wrote the armys armor doctrine in the 1930s, was a Kazan school graduate. Some of Germanys most able panzer commanders, including Gens. Wilhelm von Thoma, Walter Nehring, and Georg-Hans Reinhardt, first learned about tanks at Kazan. It was at Kazan in 1930 that Heinz Guderian, the legendary general behind the development of Germanys blitzkrieg tactics, saw his first larger-scale armored maneuvers. For the Soviets, the greatest benefit of the alliance was in German officer training. In the 1920s, the German army had the well-deserved reputation of having the best officer training in the world. Conversely, a German officer visiting the Soviet army in the mid-1920s had summed up the state of the Russian forces as: Basic Soldier trainingGood. Equipment: Lacking. Officer Competence: Low. War minister Leon Trotsky understood the urgent need to establish a truly professional officer corps and was enthusiastic about cooperation with the Germans to achieve this. Between 1926 and 1933 the Red Army sent many of its most promising officers to courses in Germany. The Allies had placed no restrictions on foreign officers training in Germany, and the Germans and Russians exploited this opportunity to the fullest. The Red Army used the German army courses as a means of polishing the men who had been selected for high command. Each year from 1926 to 1933, 25 to 45 Russian officers visited Germany, some to take short courses or to observe German maneuvers and war games. An elite few17 in allwere sent to the German armys general staff course. To help establish a general staff course for the new Soviet air force, the Germans sent a small team to Russia headed by Capt. Martin Fiebig, who would, in 1942, command a Luftwaffe air corps in Russia. Fiebig was a veteran of the Imperial Air Service in World War I and a graduate of the general staff course. From 1926 to 1928 he and his fellow Germans were the lead instructors for the men who led the Soviet air force. In a long report to his superior in Berlin, Fiebig described that air force in its infancy, calling the Russians intelligent and eager to learn, but possessing little in the way of a formal education. Despite the drawbacks of an officer corps that had been hastily recruited and trained in the midst of a civil war, Fiebig noted that the Russians were making progressbut had a long way to go. The same could be said of the Red Army in the 1920s. German officers routinely observed the Red Armys war games and maneuvers and provided comprehensive criticism. They found the Russian operations characterized by poor coordination of infantry, artillery, and air support. And, because Soviet tactics did not take into account the technological advances ushered in since 1918, Red Army planning and operational doctrine was also deficient. The Russians were eager to learn from their erstwhile enemies, and took the criticism seriously. The German doctrine of the 1920s, which emphasized rapid maneuver and combined arms in the offense, appealed greatly to the Russians, and the Soviet officers worked to adapt the German approach to war to their own conditions. During the next few years the Germans noted a steady improvement in Soviet tactics and doctrine. Ultimately, the German army had a huge influence on the development of the Soviet armed forces in the 1920s and 1930s. By 1935 the German military attache in Russia noted that the use of German army textbooks and tactical manuals was pervasive throughout the Russian army. While they remained likely enemies, the Germans came to have a high respect for many of the Russian commanders on a personal level. In 1930, a secret assessment by the German General Staff characterized Marshal Klimenti Voroshilov, the Soviet war commissar, as an outstanding officer with a strong and positive character, well educated, clever, modern and capable. The up-and-coming Gen. Mikhail Tuchachevsky, soon to be Red Army chief of staff, was seen as fresh and youthful in his views, very personable. The Germans noted Tuchachevskys first-rate mind; while observing war games with the Germans he put forward many very thoughtful critiques of our operations and tactics. However, the Germans were uneasy about many aspects of the alliance. Part of its price was allowing the Soviets to examine, and likely copy, Germanys latest armor and aircraft technology. And though the German and Russian armies had developed a healthy professional respect for each other, beneath the veneer of civility the officers of both nations understood that a capitalist and a communist nation could not easily coexist. At home, the Reichswehr readily shot Marxist rebels; in Russia, other Germans were training Marxist officers to a high professional standard. In 1930 the Inter-Allied Military Control Commission formally issued its final report and declared that Germany had been disarmed according to the terms of the Versailles Treaty. Without Allied inspectors on German soil, the German military no longer had to worry as much about having its illegal weapons programs exposed. It became just a matter of time until the Germans ended their cooperation with the Soviets. In 1931, Gen. Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord, the Reichswehrs commander, explained his distaste for the Russian alliance to a group of German officers: We will work with Moscow as long as the West is not prepared to accept Germany on an equal status. The relationship with Moscow is a pact with the Devil but we have no choice. However, changing political conditions and the departure of Allied inspectors gave the Germans a choice. In 1932 the German military leaders decided to shut down the Russian operations the following year. Weapons testing and training could be carried out on German soil at far lower cost. The Soviets, who wanted the cooperation to continue and who offered the Germans various incentives, were markedly disappointed at the end of the German presence in Russia. During top-level staff discussions between the German and Soviet general staffs, the Russians made several proposals to continue military cooperation; the Germans rejected all of them. Ultimately, it was Germany that profited the most from the 13- year cooperation with the Soviet Union. Hitler could never have rearmed the nation so quickly without the testing programs in Russia. In its secret bases, the German army and secret air force developed and tested prototypes of new weapons that were ready for production when he came to power in 1933 and began largescale rearmament. The Russian venture left the German army and air force doctrinally ahead of the other major powers. Likewise, the courses at Lipetsk and Kazan provided Hitler with a small but very capable inner circle from which to build the Luftwaffe and a panzer force: a group of officers who were well trained in the latest doctrines and tactics, had practiced them extensively in large-scale maneuvers and realistic exercises, and were able to quickly train a large army to a high standard. The Lipetsk and Kazan schools were schools for generals for the Wehrmacht. Of 40 officers in the 1928 Lipetsk course, 12 became Luftwaffe generals, while Kazan provided it with a small but superbly trained cadre of panzer experts. It was largely thanks to Lipetsk and Kazan that Germany went from having no official air arm and armored force in 1933 tojust six years latera highly modern Luftwaffe and panzer force capable of bringing down Poland in a mere three weeks. The Soviets might have gained far more advantage from their relationship with Germany had it not been for Stalins murderous purge of the Red Army leadership between 1936 and 1940. The German advisors and teachers and the joint maneuvers at Kazan had been invaluable in getting the Red Armys first mechanized units organized. The German general staff training and specialist courses for Red Army officers had provided the Soviets with a well-trained nucleus of leaders. The Russians had proven to be adept learners, and by the early 1930s the Soviets were taking a lead role in the doctrine and technology of mechanized maneuver warfare. But Stalin killed off this invaluable cadre of trained leaders. The top ranks of the Soviet military, most of whom had worked closely with the Germans, were specifically targeted for liquidation. The brilliant Marshal Tuchachevsky and eight other senior officers who were all connected with the training and cooperation with Germany were sent before one of Stalins notorious show trials in 1937. They were charged with numerous crimes, including being agents of Nazi Germanyas evidenced by their cooperation with the Germans in the 1920s. That the cooperation had been carried out under Stalins orders and with his approval was no defense, and Tuchachevsky and his colleagues were all quickly executed. They were followed by the commanders of the Soviet air force, Gens. Yak I. Alksnis and Nikolai Baranov, who were also executed in 1937. That same year, aircraft designer Andrei Tupolev was arrested and imprisoned for his work with the Germans 15 years earlier. Officers who had been trained in Germany were arrested and liquidated. The NKVD, Stalins dreaded secret police, even formed a special squad to find and root out the cells of fascist sympathizers [fascist meaning German] in the Red Army. Since the German army had long been a model for the Russians, it was an easy task. Hundreds of officers were arrested and executed simply for possessing German military manuals and textbooks. This destruction nearly doomed Stalins regime. From the start of the purge until the German invasion in 1941, the Soviet army and air force were in complete disarray, their leadership weakened and demoralized. Indeed, while the Russians were well armed at the outbreak of the war and greatly outnumbered the Germans in troops, tanks, artillery, and airplanesincluding much equipment that was superior to the Wehrmachts, such as the T-34 tankthe Soviet forces lacked competent leadership. Without a core of competent leaders, especially officers such as Tuchachevsky who had trained and worked with the Germans, the Red Army almost fell to pieces when the Germans invaded. In one disaster after another, whole armies were surrounded and destroyed during the relentless German advance of 1941. Had Stalin not taken such care to eliminate his German-trained officers in the great purge, one can easily imagine that a well-led Red Army might have stopped the Germans and sent the Wehrmacht reeling back in the early stages of the eastern campaign. Originally published in the March 2009 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. The Confederate raider and her touch skipper set a record for merchant-ship destruction that has never been equaled. Workers in the John Laird Shipyard at Birkenhead, near Liverpool, watched attentively on the morning of May 15, 1862, as a handsome steam bark slid into the waters of the Mersey River. The vessel was known to them as No. 290, for hers was the 290th keel laid at the Laird yards. Upon launching, she was named the Enrica, but the identity of her owners remained a subject of speculation, for she was being built to the specifications of a Royal Navy cruiser. As May turned into June, the new vessel sprouted three tall masts that would enable her to carry a broad spread of canvas and took on two 300-horsepower engines for steam propulsion. In the waterfront bars of Liverpool, it was said with a wink that the actual purchaser of the Enrica was the Southern Confederacy, then locked in a war to establish its independence from the United States. For once, the tipsters were right on the mark. The possibility that No. 290 was destined for the Confederacy had not been lost on the U.S. minister in London, Charles Francis Adams, who was bombarding the Foreign Office with demands that the ship be seized. By mid-July, James Bulloch, the adroit Confederate naval agent who had supervised construction of the Enrica for the government in Richmond, knew that time was growing short. The ever-imaginative Bulloch arranged for the Enricas departure from England in the guise of a gala trial run. On the fine morning of July 29, the new bark sailed down the Mersey with local dignitaries on board. At dusk, however, Bulloch and his guests returned to Liverpool on a tugboat, leaving the Enrica off the coast of Wales at Moelifra Bay. British authorities had in fact been attempting to detain the Enrica, and Bulloch had thwarted them by the narrowest of margins. On Sunday, August 10, the Enrica arrived at the island of Terceira in the Azores. Eight days later the Agrippina, a tender under charter to Bulloch, showed up with equipment for the Confederate cruiser, including a 100-pound Blakely rifle, an eight-inch smoothbore, six 32 pounders, and provisions. That afternoon a second vessel, the Bahama, arrived with officers and hands for the new vessel. Thanks to Bulloch, the complicated logistics of equipping and manning a cruiser outside British waters were carried out without a hitch. On Sunday, August 24, in the presence of the crews of the Enrica and the Bahama, the Union Jack fluttered down from the mainmast and was replaced by the naval ensign of the Confederacy. A band played Dixie, and the mystery ship was officially christened the Confederate steamer Alabama. The cruisers designated commander was 52-year-old Raphael Semmes, a Maryland native who had taken up residence in Alabama. Semmes had entered the U.S. Navy in 1832 and by 1861 had achieved the rank of commander. He was widely read in naval history and marine law and had written several books, including a lively narrative of his naval service during the Mexican War. A strong advocate of states rights, Semmes had resigned his Federal commission even before the firing on Fort Sumter. In April 1861 Confederate secretary of the navy Stephen Mallory gave Semmes command of one of the Souths first warships, the 437-ton screw steamer Sumter. The Sumter and her more powerful successors were intended to tackle one of two missions that Mallory had established for the Confederate navy: to attack the Norths merchant marine, so as to increase the cost of the war to the enemy and thus encourage Lincoln to acknowledge Southern independence. The navys other missionto construct a fleet of ironclads capable of breaking the Federal blockadewas beyond Confederate capabilities, but the first was not. It had taken Semmes about two months to convert the Sumter into a warship, but he assembled a nucleus of able officers-no mean feat in the agrarian South, with its limited seafaring tradition. The Sumter broke the Federal blockade off New Orleans on June 30, 1861, and reached the open sea. Thereafter, during a six-month cruise, the little raider burned eight Northern ships and released ten others on bonda procedure under which the owners of an American ships neutral cargo were expected to reimburse the Confederacy for goods not destroyed. Eventually, boiler problems and a need for coal obliged the Sumter to call at Gibraltar. There she was blockaded by three Federal warships, with no prospect of escape. Having made the most of his ships limited capabilities, Semmes directed that the Sumter be sold, and set out to Britain with most of his officers. There, to the disappointment of Bulloch, who had hoped for the command, Semmes was given the far more powerful Alabama. Semmess first challenge in the Azores was to persuade enough British sailors to sign aboard the Alabama. So that he could take his new command to sea. He assured the hands of the Alabama and the Bahama that they were free to return to Britain if they chose, but he painted a glowing picture of life aboard the Alabama. He offered good pay4 10s, a month in gold for seamen, and 7 for firemenplus grog twice a day and the prospect of prize money. He touched only briefly on the issues of the American war, but promised excitement and adventure. To his relief, he was able to sign on 80 British crewmenenough to take the Alabama to sea. As time went on, he would supplement this nucleus with recruits from captured vessels. Once Semmes had his officers and crew, he turned his attention to his ship. The Alabama represented the zenith of a hybrid marine form: ships powered by both sail and steam. She measured 220 feet in length, had a beam of 32 feet, and displaced 1,040 tons. She carried enough coal for 18 days steaming and had an innovation found on few ships of her day a condenser that provided a gallon of fresh water per day for each man on board, enabling her to remain at sea for extended periods. Her two-bladed screw could be raised into a well when she was under sail, thus posing no drag in the water. She could make about 12 knots under sail alone, to which her engines could add another three knots. She came with a years supply of spare gear. In the words of one of her officers, Lieutenant Arthur Sinclair, the Alabama was at the same time a perfect steamer and a perfect sailing vessel, each entirely independent of the other. The ships armament also was impressive: six 32-pounders and two pivot guns. A visitor to the Alabama would comment, What strikes one most . . . is to see so small a vessel carrying such large metal. Semmes was under orders to avoid engagements with enemy warships, for his was a special mission. The Alabama, as her commander wrote later, was the first steamship in the history of the worldthe defective little Sumter exceptedthat was let loose against the commerce of a great commercial people. And Semmes set to his mission with a vengeance. The Alabama had been at sea for only 10 days when, on September 5, she sighted the first of the 65 victims she would claim over the next 22 months. The ship was a whalerthe Ocmulgee, of Edgartown, Massachusettsand the capture was easy, for the Ocmulgee had a whale lashed alongside when the Alabama approached. The raider had been flying the American flag-an accepted ruse in war-and in Semmess recollection, nothing could exceed the Yankee skippers blank stare of astonishment when the Alabama finally ran up the Confederate ensign. The Ocmulgees crew was transferred to the Alabama, along with some provisions; officers were permitted to bring one trunk with them, others a single bag. Semmes prepared to burn the whaler, but with the guile that would become his trademark, he waited until daylight: Whalers operated in clusters, and he did not want to scatter them with an unexplained fire at night. The Alabama spent two months in the Azores, burning eight vessels in all. The American whaling fleetor what was left of itreturned to its home ports in New England, where ship owners filled the Northern press with tales of the pirate Semmes. The Alabama, too, worked her way westward. Semmes briefly considered throwing a few shells into New York City, but he thought better of it and instead seized several grain carriers off the Newfoundland banks. The Alabamas captures followed a pattern. The raider would hail a ship on sight. If she did not heave to, Semmes would fire a blank cartridge. If she still failed to respond, he would send a shot from a 32-pounder across her bow, and that would bring her to a halt. While the prize was boarded, Semmes stayed in his cabin; the skipper of his victim was taken to him there. Any ship whose papers showed her to be of neutral ownership was released. If she was U.S.-owned, Semmes transferred her crew to the Alabama. For a commerce raider, the Alabama operated under an unusual handicap: Because of the Federal blockade, she had no home port to which Semmes might send prizes. He thus had to burn most of the ships he captured. After appropriating any usable provisions, a Rebel boarding party would pile up furniture and mattresses, douse them with lard or some other flammable substance, and fire the ship. Semmess first officer was another veteran of the Old Navy, John McIntosh Kell. The tough, red-bearded Kell later wrote: To watch the leaping flames on a burning ship gives an indescribable mental excitement that did not decrease with the frequency of the light, but it was always a relief to know the ships were tenantless as they disappeared in the lonely grandeur, specks of vanishing light in the cradle of the deep. Between captures, the crew had ample opportunity to take the measure of their skipper. Semmes had just turned 53 and was not physically imposing; some thought him past his prime for sea command. His one idiosyncrasy was a carefully cultivated mustache that led his sailors to call him Old Beeswax, but he was a tough disciplinarian; in his postwar memoir he outlined his command philosophy: On weekdays . . . about one fourth of the crew was exercised, either at the battery or with small arms. This not only gave them efficiency in the use of their weapons, but kept them employedthe constant employment of my men being a fundamental article of my philosophy. . . . My crew were never so happy as when they had plenty to do, and but little to think about. Whatever the hands may have thought of Old Beeswax, Semmes appears to have enjoyed the respect of virtually all his officers. First Officer Kell worshiped his commander. And Lieutenant Sinclair later wrote that Semmes understood just how to keep himself near the hearts and in the confidence of his men, without in the slightest degree descending from his dignity, or permitting direct approach. Semmes also impressed everyone with his professionalism. He was a student of every facet of seamanship-he digresses in his memoir to discuss how variations in temperature affect the currents-and he had a childlike wonder at the natural beauty of the sea. Probably only Kell glimpsed the virulent hatred that Semmes nourished for his enemy, the Yankees. Of them Semmes had written in his journal, A people so devoid of Christian charity, and wanting in so many of the essentials of honesty, cannot be abandoned to their own folly by a just and benevolent God. Yet not even his loathing for Northerners as a class could totally destroy his admiration for them as seamen, and as the war went on, the task of burning their ships became less satisfying to him. Semmes dealt with his prisoners as humanely as conditions permitted. Captured crews were usually housed on deck but were afforded some protection from the elements. When the prisoners included women passengers, Semmess officers turned over the wardroom for their use. Prisoners received full rations, and cooks among their number had access to the Alabamas galley. Officers were occasionally placed in irons, generally after Semmes had heard reports of mistreatment of Confederate prisoners. Because prisoners were a nuisance, Semmes got rid of them as fast as possible. Sometimes he landed them at a neutral port, but more often he transferred them to a captured ship whose cargo he had bonded. From Newfoundland the raider worked her way south to Martinique, where, on their first liberty, crewmen got so drunk that Semmes put some twenty sailors in irons. The incident was a reminder that while the Alabamas officers were reliable seamen, committed to the Confederate cause, most of the British crewmen were not. Much as the duke of Wellington once called his army the scum of the earth, Semmes called his crew a precious set of rascals. . . faithless in . . . contracts, liars, thieves, and drunkards. There are . . . exceptions to this rule, but I am ashamed to say of the sailor class of the present day that I believe my crew to be a fair representation of it. Kell, who supervised the boarding of every prize, had a firm rule that no member of the Alabamas crew could board a captured vessel until any supply of spirits was thrown overboard. Even so, he and Semmes were constantly on the alert for smuggled liquor. Semmes had passed up the temptation to show his flag off New York City the previous fall, but in the Caribbean he was inclined to stretch his orders and play a role in the ground campaign along the Texas coast. A Federal force under General Nathaniel P. Banks had captured Galveston in October 1862. Confederate forces had subsequently recaptured Galveston, but the city was blockaded by five Federal warships when the black-hulled Alabama arrived there on January 11, 1863, Semmes considered his options. The city that he had contemplated bombarding was now in friendly hands, and he could hardly take on five enemy warships. While he deliberated, the Federals detached one of their fleet, the gunboat Hatteras, to check out the new arrival. It was a fatal error. Semmes set out toward open water, steaming slowly, luring his pursuer away from the other Federal warships. Night had fallen by the time the Hatteras reached shouting distance of the Alabama, and Semmes, in reply to a hail from the Yankee, identified his ship as HMS Petrel. While the Federal captain dispatched a boat to check out his story, Semmes ran up the Confederate ensign and loosed a broadside at point-blank range. The Hatteras was an underpowered side-wheeler that had no business engaging the powerful Alabama. The U.S. gunboat struck her flag after an exchange that lasted only 13 minutes; a few minutes later she sank in the shallow waters of the gulf. Two of her crew had been killed and three wounded. Semmes rescued the survivors and set course for the Atlantic. The Alabama stopped at Jamaica, where Semmes paroled his prisoners and partook of the hospitality that he would encounter in British possessions throughout the Alabamas two-year cruise. Then he turned his ship southeast around Brazil to work the heavily traveled trade routes of the South Atlantic. Four more ships were stopped and burned in the first weeks of 1863, raising the Alabamas total to 30. However, coaling the raider was proving to be a problem. She still had the services of the Agrippina as a tender, but it was difficult for Semmes to anticipate every supply requirement, and he had little confidence in the master of the Agrippina. In southern latitudes, moreover, coal tended to be scarce as well as expensive. Fortunately for Semmes, he had a generous Supply of gold for payment of ships bills in remote corners of the world. In June 1863, off the coast of South America, Semmes captured the U.S. clipper Conrad, bound for New York with wool from Argentina. He had been waiting for such a prize, and rather than burning her, he commissioned her as a Confederate cruiser, the Tuscaloosa, arming her with guns captured from another ship. This was one more example of Semmess creative approach to commerce raiding; but the Tuscaloosa had little success as a raider. From South America, Semmes set sail for the Cape of Good Hope. In August 1863 the Alabama reached Cape Town, where Semmes supervised some badly needed repairs on his ship. The Confederate commander found himself a celebrity in the British colony, in part because his latest seizure the Sea Bride, from Boston-had been within sight of the cape. As in Jamaica, the Alabamas officers were exhaustively entertained. Semmes held a shipboard open house that produced, in his view, a generous outpouring of the better classes. He also came within a day of encountering a Federal warship that had been dogging his trail, a well-armed paddlewheeler, the Vanderbilt. For all the outrage in the Northern press concerning the Alabamas depredations, pursuit of the raider was disorganized and ineffectual. This was partly deliberate. The Confederacy never had more than a handful of commerce raiders at sea, and of these only the Floridacommissioned around the same time as the Alabama and destined to destroy 38 shipswas in the Alabamas class. The Lincoln administration regarded the maintenance and strengthening of the blockade of Southern ports as its first priority; it was not willing to weaken the blockade to track down the Alabama, the Florida, or one of their lesser consorts. Even making allowances, however, Federal pursuit of the Alabama showed little imagination. The U.S. Navy dogged Semmess trail as if convinced that the raider would remain in the area of its most recent capture. Semmes later wrote that had Navy Secretary Gideon Welles stationed a heavier and faster ship than the Alabama along two or three of the most traveled sea-lanes, he must have driven me off, or greatly crippled me in my movements. From Cape Town, the Alabama worked her way eastward across the Indian Ocean. There, most of the ships encountered proved to be neutral, and friendly captains warned Semmes that the Federals had a warship, the Wyoming, patrolling the Sunda Strait between Sumatra and Jawa. Nevertheless, Semmes seized and burned a New York clipper, the Winged Racer, off Java, and set off in pursuit of another, the Contest, the following morning. The pursuit of the Contest proved to be an omen. For the first time, the Alabama, employing both sail and steam, was initially unable to overtake her prey. But the sun rose higher, the morning breeze died, and the Confederate raider eventually closed in. The Contest was burnednot without regret, for several of the Alabamas officers vowed that they had never seen a more beautiful vessel. Only the failing wind had enabled the Alabama to make the capture, however, and Semmes realized that 18 months at sea had taken a toll on his ship, On December 21, 1863, the Alabama anchored at Singapore. There Semmes saw new evidence of the effectiveness of his campaign: Singapore harbor was filled with U.S. ships that had taken refuge there rather than chance an encounter with the Alabama. Within days of her arrival, about half of these were sold to neutral nations and flew new flags. The Straits Times estimated that Singapore was playing host to some seventeen American vessels aggregating 12,000 tons, some of which had been lying there for upwards of three months and most of them for at least half that period. On Christmas Eve 1863, the Alabama set course westward. Pickings were predictably slim, but the crewmen had their hands full with their own ship. The raiders boilers were operating at reduced efficiency, and some of her timbers were split beyond repair. First Officer Kell observed that the Alabama was loose at every joint, her seams were open, and the copper on her bottom was in rolls. For all of Semmess skill at improvisation, nothing but a month in dry dock could restore the raider to fighting trim. By early March the Alabama was again off Cape Town, but because a belligerent vessel could provision at the same neutral port only once in a three-month period, she had to pass ten days offshore before docking. After coaling at Cape Town, Semmes turned northward. He intended to put his ship into dry dock in France, but he must have realized that the time necessary for repairs made it likely that the Alabama would be blockaded in port as the Sumter had been. On April 22 the raider made the second of only three captures during 1864: the Rockingham, carrying a cargo of guano from Peru to Ireland. After the crew was taken off, Semmes directed that the prize be used for target practicethe raiders first live gun drill in many months. Sinclair later recalled that the sea was smooth and that the gun crews amused themselves blithely at point-blank range. Semmes thought his gun crews fired to good effect, but Kell was less impressed: Of 24 rounds fired, only seven were seen to inflict damage. Ultimately, Semmes had to burn the Rockingham. On April 27 the Alabama made her final capture, the Tycoon, out of New York with a mixed cargo. Semmes burned the Yankee vessel and resumed his northward course. He later wrote: The poor old Alabama was. . . like the wearied fox-hound, limping back after a long chase. . . . Her commander, like herself, was well-nigh worn down. Vigils by night and by day. . . had laid, in the three years of war he had been afloat, a load of a dozen years on his shoulders. The shadows of a sorrowful future, too, began to rest upon his spirit. The last batch of newspapers captured were full of disasters. Might it not be that, after all our trials and sacrifices, the cause for which we were struggling would be lost? On June 11, 1864, the Alabama docked at the French port of Cherbourg. Word of her arrival was telegraphed all over Europe, and three days later the U.S. Navy ship Kearsarge appeared off the breakwater. Semmes had not yet received permission to make repairs at the French navy docks at Cherbourg, but he was allowed to disembark his prisoners and take on coal. The Confederate commander faced a crucial decision. He knew his ship needed a refit, and he probably realized that the prudent course would be to do as he had with the Sumter: put her up for sale and fight another day. But his fighting blood was up, and he had no great respect for his enemies. Nor was he inclined to solicit recommendations from his officers; as skipper of the Sumter and then the Alabama, he was accustomed to making his own decisions. Shortly after the Kearsarge appeared, he called Kell to his cabin and explained his intentions: As you know, the arrival of the Alabama at this port has been telegraphed to all parts of Europe. Within a few days, Cherbourg will be effectively blockaded by Yankee cruisers. It is uncertain whether or not we shall be permitted to repair the Alabama here, and in the meantime, the delay is to our advantage. I think we may whip the Kearsarge, the two vessels being of wood and carrying about the same number of men and guns. Besides, Mr. Kell, although the Confederate States government has ordered me to avoid engagements with the enemys cruisers, I am tired of running from that flaunting rag! Kell was not sure the decision to fight was wise. He reminded Semmes that in the Rockingham gun drill only one in three fuses had seemed effective. But Semmes was not to be deterred. He sent a message to Captain John A. Winslow of the Kearsarge, whom he had known in the Old Navy: He intended to fight. Sunday, June 19, 1864, was a bright, cloudless day of Cherbourg. Aboard the Alabama, boilers were fired at daybreak, and Semmes inspected his crew at muster. Decks and brasswork were immaculate, and the crewmen were dressed in blue trousers and white tops. By 9:45 the cruiser was under way, cheered on by the crews of two French warships in the harbor. The clash between the Alabama and the Kearsarge was, among other things, pure theater. It seemed that everyone in France wanted to watch what would prove to be the last one-on-one duel of the era of wooden ships. Excursion trains brought the curious, and throngs of small craft hovered outside the breakwater. Painter Edouard Manet, with brushes, paints, and easel, was on one of them, The two ships were almost equal in size and armament. Both were hybrid steamers of about the same tonnage. The Alabama carried 149 crewmen and mounted eight guns; the Kearsarge had a crew of 163 and mounted seven guns. The outcome of the battle would depend largely on the skill of the gun crews and the condition of the ships, but the Kearsarge had an ace in the hole: The enterprising Winslow had made imaginative use of his ships chains, draping them along vulnerable parts of the hull as impromptu armor and concealing them behind wood paneling. Semmes later denied knowledge of the chains, but there is evidence that he was warned about it. After the Alabama entered the English Channel, Semmes steered directly for his antagonist, some four miles away. He rotated his two pivot guns to starboard and prepared to engage the enemy on that side. The Alabama opened fire at about 11:00 a.m., and soon both ships were exchanging shots from their starboard batteries. The Kearsarge sought to run under the Alabamas stern, but Semmes parried this move by turning to starboard. The two antagonists thus fought on a circular track, much of the time at a range of about 500 yards. They made seven complete circles during the course of the action, reminding one Northern sailor of two flies crawling around on the rim of a saucer. Semmes may initially have wanted to put his ship alongside the Kearsarge for boarding, but the Yankees greater speed ruled out this option. From the first, the firing from the Alabama was rapid and wild. The Confederate cruiser fired more than 300 rounds, only 28 of which struck the Kearsarge, many of them in the rigging. In their excitement, the Alabamas gunners fired some shot without removing the caps on their fuses-preventing them from exploding-and in other cases fired ramrods as well. It was not a disciplined performance. One of the Alabamas crew conceded that the Confederate batteries were badly served: The men all fought well, but the gunners did not know how to point and elevate the guns. In addition, the dark smoke emitted by the Alabamas guns lent credence to Kells fear that the raiders powder had deteriorated. In contrast, Winslow and his crew fought with disciplined professionalism. Kell later conceded that the Yankee guns were aimed with precision, and deliberate in fire. The firing now became very hot, Semmes related, and . . . soon began to tell upon our hull, knocking down, killing and disabling a number of men. . . in different parts of the ship. Semmes ordered his gunners to use solid shot as well as shell, but to no effect. Meanwhile, the Alabamas rudder was destroyed, forcing the Confederates to steer with tackles. In desperation, Semmes offered a reward to anyone who could put the Kearsarges forward pivot gun out of action. Sinclair recalled how an 11-inch shell from that weapon entered the Alabama at the waterline and exploded in the engine room, in its passage throwing a volume of water on board, hiding for a moment the guns of my division. With his fires out, Semmes attempted to steer for land, only to have the Kearsarge station herself between the Alabama and the coast. Shortly after noon, Semmes gave the order to abandon ship. The Alabama had suffered only nine killed in the battle, but some 20 others, including Semmes, had been wounded; twelve more would be drowned. Semmes and Kell, along with about 40 others of the Alabamas complement, had the good fortune to be rescued from the water by a British yacht, the Deerhound, which took them to England rather than turn them over to the Kearsarge, 70 more were picked up by the Kearsarge, and another 15 by excursion boats, Semmes was lionized in EnglandBritish admirers replaced the sword that he had cast into the English Channelbut he was bitter over the loss of his ship, blaming the debacle on his defective powder and the Kearsarges protective chains. In point of fact, the battle off Cherbourg was the Civil War in microcosm: the gallant but outgunned South, ignoring its own shortcomings, heedlessly taking on a superior force. During her 22 months at sea, the Alabama had burned 54 Federal merchant ships and had bonded ten others. When, after the war, British and U.S. negotiators determined that Britain owed the United States a total of 815.5 million for damage caused by ships sold to the Confederacy, the amount charged to the Alabama86.75 millionwas much the highest. In addition to her remarkable toll in merchant shipping, the Alabama had sunk an enemy gunboat, the luckless Hatteras, and had brought untold embarrassment to the Federal navy. Semmess record with the Alabama would not be approached by any raider in modern times. Yet the raiders influence on the outcome of the Civil War was almost imperceptible. Its toll, however remarkable, represented only about 5 percent of U.S. shipping; the bulk of the U.S. merchant fleet stayed in port, transferred to neutral flags, or took their chances on the high seas. After all, the Confederacys three or four commerce raiders could not be everywhere. Soaring rates for marine insurance added to the Norths cost of waging war, but such economic damage was insignificant alongside the cost of the ground fighting in terms of either lives or materiel. The Northern stateseconomically self-sufficientcould ignore the depredations of Confederate raiders. After the war, Semmes suggested that the North at first could not comprehend the threat posed by Confederate commerce destroyers. Yet when the threat materialized, he noted ruefully, the North was too deeply engaged in the contest to heed it. By the summer of 1864, there was no possibility of a replacement for the Alabama, and Semmes could have lived out the war comfortably in England. Instead, he made his way back to the Confederacy by way of Cuba and Mexico. In Richmond he was promoted to admiral and assigned to the command of the James River squadron in Virginia. Following the evacuation of Richmond, he burned his boats and formed his men into a naval brigade that served under General Joseph E. Johnston in the final weeks of the war. After the war Semmes was briefly under arrest, but he was never brought to trial and supported himself with a small law practice until his death in 1877. Raphael Semmes was not the first commerce raider in the history of naval warfare, but he was the first to operate in the age of steam and he may have been the best of all time. Notwithstanding the unavailability of any home port, he managed to keep a wooden ship at sea for nearly two years without an overhaul and without losing either a crewman or a prisoner to disease. As a strategist, he demonstrated that a nation with a weak navy could nevertheless inflict great damage on any foe with a substantial merchant fleet. It is hardly surprising that Kaiser Wilhelm II made Semmess postwar memoirs required reading for his admirals. In both world wars, German submarine and surface raiders would refine the qualities of speed, surprise, and endurance demonstrated by the Alabama, but with little of Semmess regard for the lives of prisoners and crew. In taking on the Kearsarge, however, Semmes had let his emotions control his judgment. His gun crews were insufficiently trained, he underestimated the enemy, and he committed a cardinal sin: He didnt keep his powder dry. JOHN M. TAYLOR has written extensively on historical subjects. His most recent book is Confederate Raider: Raphael Semmes of the Alabama (1994). MHQ This article originally appeared in the Summer 1991 issue (Vol. 3, No. 4) of MHQThe Quarterly Journal of Military History with the headline: The Fiery Trail of the Alabama Want to have the lavishly illustrated, premium-quality print edition of MHQ delivered directly to you four times a year? Subscribe now at special savings! In 1999, distinguished military historian Holger H. Herwig was asked to con- tribute to a book titled Unmaking the West: What-If? Scenarios That Rewrite World History. The invitation came as a surprise; Herwig had never written a what if article in his life. But its source was a well-respected team of scholars intent on exploring the utility of counterfactual thought experiments, and Herwig was intrigued. The concept for the book, which was published in 2006, was intriguing as well: the team asked an array of historians to write pieces that would assess the contingency or inevitability of the Wests rise to global dominance over a wide span of time. What would have happened if the Persians had defeated the Greeks at Salamis in 480 BC? Would Western civilization have been strangled in its cradle? What if Jesus of Nazareth had escaped crucifixion? Would Christianity still have arisen, and if not, what effect would its absence have had on the values that defined the West? What if China, not Europe, had first harnessed steam power? And, finally, what if Germany had won the Second World War? The reader may be surprised to find Germany implicitly excised from the ranks of Western civilization. But Herwig, though a native German himself, was not: Nazi victory would have constituted a triumph over all that we associate with the term Western civilization. If the Nazis represented Western civilization at all, Herwig recognized, they represented its darker side: hatred, racism, expansionism, and state-inspired mass murder. Herwig agreed to explore a German victory in World War II in accordance with the rules of rigorous counterfactual thought experiments supplied by the scholars who commissioned him. His first task was to find a minimum rewrite of history. What was the smallest departure from actual events that would plausibly have resulted in a Nazi victory? Herwig decided to remove Stalin from the scene at the height of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. That was not difficult. In October 1941 Stalin had briefly insisted on leaving Moscow to stay at his dacha in Kuntsevo. His chief of security, L. P. Beria, managed the rare feat of talking the iron-willed Stalin out of a course of action, explaining that explosives had been placed in the dacha should circumstances require its destruction, and so a visit there was too dangerous. In Herwigs minimal rewrite, Stalin demands to be taken to Kuntsevo anyway, and Berias fears are realized. The dacha blows up, killing the Soviet dictator. Herwig then imagined that a weak and quarreling Politburo cuts a deal with Germany, yielding all of European Russia in exchange for the survival of their Communist regime, much as the Bolsheviks had done to end the war with Imperial Germany in 1918. In fact, Hitler had told Josef Goebbels in August 1941 that he would accept such an arrangement if offered, and that any survival of Bolshevism in the remaining Asiatic Russia would be a matter of only marginal interest. Victory over the Soviet Union then enables Hitler to defeat Great Britain by early 1943 and unleash in full the Nazis terrifying plans for the future. The Nazis enslave the 150 million inhabitants of European Russia, annihilate the 11 million European Jews, and ruthlessly pursue a eugenics program of selective breeding of Nordic stock and the mass sterilization of inferiors. Germanys only remaining adversary is the United States. In Herwigs scenario, Germanyas in realitydeclares war on the United States in December 1941, shortly after the historical Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and conducts a protracted U-boat offensive against the United States in the Atlantic. In Herwigs Germany, factories also construct a fleet of long-range bombers capable of reaching America, and rocket scientists develop the A9/A10 two stage intercontinental ballistic missile projects that actually existed in the blueprint stages. German shipyards begin building advanced Type XXI U-boats with a range of 15,500 miles and a submerged speed of 17 knotsfast enough to outrun most convoys. (The first Type XXI boat, U-2511, actually put to sea in April 1945 and performed at exactly that level.) The Germans also launch the first in a vast fleet of warships whose completion is slated for 1948, as envisioned in the Kriegsmarines historical Z-Plan. Two key events occur in the late summer of 1945 in Herwigs scenario. One is historical: because his Pacific war unfolds as it did in reality, it ends with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese surrender. The other is a minimal rewrite of history in which Hitler dies of natural causes, brought on by two well documented realities: his deteriorating health, and the effects of 74 medications ordered by his personal physician, a quack whose prescriptions included a cocktail of strychnine and atropine, both now known to be poisonous. Also as in reality, Hitlers political last will and testament names Adm. Karl Donitz as his successor. But Donitzs tenure lasts only a few monthsand here is where Herwigs thought experiment takes a significant turn, for in late 1945, he has American B-29s based in Iceland drop six atomic bombs, one after another over a period of weeks, on cities in western Germany, at the extreme limit of the B-29s range. Unable to counter this rain of nuclear destruction, the Nazi regime sues for peace in early 1946. In essence, Herwigs pursuit of a logical sequel to a 1941 German victory over the Soviet Union ultimately led him to a scenario not far removed from reality. In his estimation, the success of the Manhattan Project made it impossible for Germany to win World War II, no matter how quick or sweeping its success in the field. True, in Herwigs scenario, the United States emerges as the worlds only superpower but he simply accelerates a development that did in fact occur by 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Placed within the 2,500-year sweep of Western civilization, a change of 46 years is effectively almost no change at all. The team of scholars that commissioned Herwigs essay asked each contributor to answer certain questions about the implications of their counterfactual thought experiments. What did their work suggest about the legitimacy of various objections to counterfactual history? Was it merely an intellectual parlor game? Or was it a useful exercise that deepened the understanding of history? If the latter, what insights did their thought experiments suggest about the durability of Western civilization? And finally, what, if anything, about their counterfactual explorations surprised them as historians and gave them an appreciation of an event or dynamic they had previously not seen or had underrated? Although Herwig had been a bit of a skeptic at the outset of the project, he came down on the side of the utility of counterfactual thought experiments though he also agreed with those who believe that these experiments should be conservative, scrupulously observing the minimal rewrite principle, grounding the experiment in the established historical record, and curtailing the experiment at a relatively early stage. As for its implications for Western civilization, Herwigs thought experiment pointed to a resilience that could ride out short-term fragility, something untrue of Western civilization in its earliest phases. In other words, although it proved surprisingly easy for Germany to prevail from 1941 to 1943 and triumph over all that we associate with the term Western civilization, ultimately Nazi Germany was defeatedboth in reality and in this thought experiment by the Western values of science and tolerance. Nazi notions of Aryan versus Jewish science blinded the Third Reichs leadership to the potential military use of atomic weaponry. As for what surprised him about his own thought experiment, Herwig had two responses. First, he found he had an increased appreciation for the plethora of strategic options available to Hitler after his victory over France in 1940options that disappeared once Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, but would have expanded had the invasion yielded an early success. The second was his chilling realization that the logical target for the first atomic bomb to be dropped on Germany would have been the port city of Hamburgthe same city in which Herwig, then an infant, was living in September 1945. His counter factual thought experiment thus required him to imagine his own immolation at the dawn of the nuclear age. Originally published in the January 2009 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. Relying on ingenuity and bravado, a Polish Jew survived the Warsaw ghetto to lead a band of partisans in the Italian Alps. One day in the winter of 1944, Comandante Enrico, the revered leader of a group of partisans in the mountains above Savona, Italy, hurried from his command posta cave beneath a sheer rock ledgeto a secluded shed several hundred yards down the mountain. Inside, he found a hefty, middle-aged Nazi lieutenant his men had captured in a skirmish near Altare that morning. With his dark hair, chiseled face, and sinewy build, Enrico cut a dashing figure, and his authority among the partisans was unquestioned. To deal with prisoners who were Italian Fascists, he had formed a court of law with the help of law students from the University of Genoa to ensure that their cases were dealt with impartially. But when it came to handling Nazi prisoners like this one, Enrico took matters into his own hands, often dispensing justice swiftly and mercilessly. I had not a shred of pity left, he recalled in his 1998 memoir In the Shadow of the Swastika. I knew only to do with Nazis what the Nazis had done to innocent people all over Europe. Enrico circled the lieutenant in the cold shed, thumbing a stack of photographs that had been confiscated from the prisoner. The pictures were of the murders of Jews, and on the backs of them, the lieutenant had meticulously recorded the dates and places where the atrocities had taken place: Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. The evidence of the German soldiers crimes was clear, and sickened the comandante. What nobody else in the shed could have known was that the stakes in this short drama were as personal as they could get. Born Hermann Wygoda in Germany, the comandante was a Jew whose mother, brother, and only son were rounded up and murdered by Nazis at the Treblinka concentration camp near Warsaw in 1942. Wygoda, a civil engineer by training who had spent several years in the Polish army and was, thanks to his German father, fluent in both German and Polish, had relied on his smarts, courage, and a good dash of charisma to escape the Holocaust and eventually take his war to the Nazis. In late 1943 he traveled from Berlin to Savona, Italy, and in that move transformed himself from a survivor into Comandante Enrico, the scourge of local Nazis. For 14 months, he and his small army of partisans terrorized Hitlers flailing forces and Mussolinis San Marco Division, mounting raids, killing Axis soldiers, and earning Enrico the undying gratitude of the Savonesiand a Bronze Star, personally awarded by the American general Mark Clark. Now the comandante paused in front of the prisoner, who was mumbling to himself nervously. The Nazis face had turned white. What is the meaning of this? Enrico asked, holding out the pictures. Justice, the lieutenant said, had to be done. He dropped to his knees in supplication. Execute him, Enrico commanded, striding from the shed. Dispensing justice was perhaps the last thing on Wygodas mind when he was growing up in Germany and Poland. He was born in 1906 in Offenbach, Germany, to a Jewish family, but his mother had moved him and his brother Leon to Poland after the death of their father in the First World War. After getting his engineering degree, Wygoda moved to Berlin, which had reemerged as the center of European architecture and industry. There he often sailed on Lake Wannsee with friends and soaked up the citys energy. In 1929, he moved back to Warsaw to get married. The relationship was rocky, but in 1934, before separating, the couple had a son. Wygoda named him Samuel, after his own grandfather. In the days after the September 1, 1939, invasion of Poland, Wygoda sent Samuel to stay with his mother and brother in the countryside. Within weeks of conquering Warsaw, the Nazis had closed Jewish businesses, confiscated homes, and herded the Jews into a walled ghetto. Wygodas knack for bold subterfuge served him, and the many Jews he helped at the time, well. Spouting his fluent German and walking brazenly through the city streets, Wygoda smuggled food and supplies to the family of a friend who had died in the invasion. As security increased, he bribed the Polish police and shuffled materials through a hole in a wall. But each day, access to the ghetto slimmed. Every trip I made into the ghetto became a tragedy for me, Wygoda recalled in his memoir. I usually came out with such a broken heart that I was pushed nearly to the point of having a nervous breakdown. In late 1941, the Nazis cut off utilities to the Jews in Warsaw. It was freezing, and food was scarce. That winter, his friends little girl died. She was the same age as Wygodas son, Samuel. German SS troops widened their persecution of Jews to the villages around Warsaw. Fearing for Samuels safety, Wygoda fetched the boy from his family in the country. He gathered a group of 30 refugees and fled with them to a rural estate where they worked for food and shelter on a Jewish sympathizers farm. One night, the refugees were startled by the arrival of a Jew named Leon Peregal, a Polish soldier who had been released from a Nazi POW camp only to return to the mayhem of the German occupation. Peregal recounted to the refugees his narrow escape from a massacre in the town of Sokolow. There, he had watched as Nazis forced Jewish villagers to dig a ditch, then lined them up on the edge and shot them, their bodies tum bling into the grave. It had been the morning of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. After hearing Peregals story, the camp was seized by panic. In the following weeks, Wygoda moved Samuel from one place to another for the boys safety. He paid a farmer a hefty sum to deliver Samuel to his mother and brother in Kossow, then fetched him againtrudging through the smoky forest around the Treblinka concentration campto hide the boy with a family in Praga. When the neighbors grew suspicious, Wygoda hurried Samuel back to Kossow to stay with a farmer friend. It was the last he would ever see of his precious son. Some time later, he received news that Nazis had discovered Samuel and the rest of his family. They had been sent to Treblinka. In early 1943, Wygoda received a letter from Peregal, who had secured a job painting portraits of the wives and mistresses of Nazi commanders in the eastern Polish town of Terespol. Wygoda joined him, and the two pooled their instincts and ingenuity to survive the war. With Wygodas linguistic skills and cosmopolitan air and Peregals artistry at constructing fake identification cards, they landed jobs with a construction company in Berlin that worked on infrastructure across the Axis occupied territories. Wygoda traveled to Warsaw and Krakow on work projects and, with his newfound mobility, helped Jews flee persecution. For some this meant, oddly, safety in Berlin. The city and its immediate surroundings were the safest places in Europe for a Jew to live, provided he had some documents that did not show him to be a Jew, said Wygoda. Still, he and Peregal skated on the edges of exposure and vowed to escape to freedom. In December 1943, they managed to get themselves assigned to a company doing work in the Italian coastal town of Celle-Ligure, about 130 miles across the Mediterranean from the island of Corsica, which was under Allied control. With a boat secured, they waited for a moonless night to make their move. But the Germans arrived first, and nearly brought Wygodas escapades, and his life, to an end. On February 12, 1944, he recalled, a knock at the door of his apartment startled both men from sleep. In the cold darkness, the room slowly blinked into focus. The maps and compass Wygoda had readied the evening before were stacked on the nightstand, beneath a bottle from which he had shaken several aspirin to sleep off the weeks frantic preparations. His pistol rested on the chair. Wygoda reached for his watch; it was 4 a.m. Shedding the sheets, he pulled on his pants and approached the door. Peregal lay in the other bed, watching with nervous eyes. Wygoda answered the door, and five German soldiers stepped through. A captain pushed Wygoda ahead of him. Get dressed, he said. Youll have to come with me. The captain snatched the pistol from the chair, then examined the maps. As he dressed, Wygoda recalled a stash of American and British bills in his pockets. Can I go to the bathroom? he asked the captain. The captain ordered one of the soldiers to follow him, but the man waited politely outside. Inside, Wygoda flushed the money down the toilet. When he returned, the soldiers spirited him away to a jail in Savona, a town up the coastal road between the mountains and the sea. Before handing him over to an Italian sergeant at the jail, the German officer warned Wygoda against the folly of trying to escape. The sergeant, with whom Wygoda had become acquainted over beers at the bar next door, asked him to empty his pockets. They failed to detect a second pistol, which Wygoda kept strapped behind one knee. Before tossing his wallet on the table, Wygoda removed two pictures. He asked to take them to his cell. These are my children, he said. As the Italian sergeant led him to his cell, Wygoda gripped the pictures. If he had successfully disguised himself to the outside world for two years since Samuels death, it took only a fleeting glance at the images for his private losses to surface. One was of the little girl from the Warsaw ghetto, who had died in the cold winter of 1942. The second was of Samuel, sitting sideways in a stiff coat, grinning bashfully. The pictures were creased through and flaking at the edges, but they were the closest things to treasure Wygoda possessed. Wygoda began planning his escape. There was a latrine for the prisoners in a small courtyard. The latrine door opened toward a tall masonry wall. The street was on the other side of the wall, judging from the sound of passing cars. Wygoda told his cellmatestwo Nazis who had deserted on the Italian frontabout his discovery. They were ambivalent at first, but when Wygoda revealed he had smuggled in a pistol, they decided to join in. At 9 p.m., Wygodas cellmates called for the guard. On the bed, Wygoda writhed, feigning sickness. The guard entered the cell, and when he leaned over Wygoda, the German cellmates grabbed and bound him. Wygoda used his pistol to knock the man out, and they ran into the courtyard. Propping the latrine door against the masonry wall, they scurried over and leapt onto the street. The three of them ran in the shadows along the road to Wygodas apartment in Celle-Ligure. Not surprisingly, Peregal was not there; he had been captured by the Gestapo and sent to the same jail as Wygoda. (He too later managed to break out, and made the long trek to neutral Switzerland, where he waited out the war. He eventually immigrated to Canada.) Wygoda fled into the Alps, stopping in villages over the next few days to scrounge for food and a place to rest. Meanwhile, news of his jailbreak had riveted the region. Over hot polenta, one farmers wife entertained Wygoda with the dramatic tale of a British spys daring escape. That supposed spy, of course, was Wygoda; perhaps the German officers conclusion he was a British spy was why they had treated him with a measure of respect at the jail, Wygoda thought. He had seen the way they treated runaway Jewswith haste and a bullet. In Savona, they had clearly wanted to keep him alive. His secret safe, Wygoda fled deeper into the mountains, passing through Ceva, a quaint hamlet speckled with chestnut orchards, then Roviasca. There, in a cave on the fringe of the property of a sympathetic farming family who had heard the jailbreak story, Wygoda set up camp. Weeks later, representatives from the Committee of National Liberation, a group of Italian partisans, approached Wygoda and led him to a house where a man named Simon, a leader of the partisans Voluntary Liberation Corps, introduced himself. Simon had learned of Wygodas escape from prison and was impressed. He wanted Wygoda to lead their growing but frazzled ranks; it was clear that politics played a role in the choice, as Wygoda later recalled: I understood that I was supposed to be something of a dark-horse candidate in a political stalemate, a catalyst to bind loose ends into a harmonious entity. Wygoda knew of the Italian partisans from his work with the German construction company. They had been the culprits behind many of the destroyed roads and bridges he had repaired. At first, Wygoda was hesitant. The partisans were a nationalist force, and Wygodas Italian was less than perfect. I was frank with them and said that I did not believe myself capable of the job, Wygoda recalled. But they shared a common enemy. Wygoda accepted, and Simon gave him a new nameEnrico. The next day, Comandante Enrico stood before 117 partisans and delivered a rousing speech. Force is the only thing the enemy will respect, he told them in broken Italian. The only way to be forceful is through unity of purpose. The only road to unity is discipline. They responded with a roaring ovation. Enrico spent the next several weeks rounding up smaller bands of partisan troops and organizing them into brigades. By late summer 1944, the partisans numbered around 700 fighters. Hearing of the gathering forces, a British major and an American officer contacted Enrico and began to airlift automatic rifles, machine guns, mortars, and ammunition to the mountains. The British light submachine gun was the most efficient piece of automatic hardware we had on hand, Wygoda later said. With such a weapon, a man who was light on foot and had good agility, as well as a dose of courage, could perform miracles in the mountains. From his cave headquarters, Enricothe brains behind the partisan forces daily operationsordered the bombing of Nazi encampments and the reinforcement of his own with mines. His men killed Germans, cut off supply lines, intercepted information, and were generally a daily scourge to Hitlers forces. To pay for supplies, the partisans held wealthy Fascists from Savona for ransom. With that money, they bought food, clothing, and medicine. From German convoys, they looted French cognac and cans of tuna fish. But their greatest aid came from the local population, who supplied the partisans with information about German troop movements and kept quiet when the Germans came calling. So important to Enrico was the relationship with the townspeople that when one of his men got drunk and raped a farmers daughter, the comandante court-martialed the partisan and held a military tribunal. With his fellow partisans as jurors, the man was sentenced to death by firing squad. Enrico described the execution as agonizing but necessary in order to make life safer for the multitude. In his entire time spent leading the partisans, he had told only one person that he was a Jew: the Polish wife of a doctor who helped the partisans care for their sick and wounded. Concerned she might be a spy when they first met, he questioned her and thought she was being less than truthful. When he continued, she finally broke down, admitting she was Jewish. He quizzed her on her knowledge of Judaism, asking her, for example, what a menorah is, and she answered all his questions correctly. He then told her he too was Jewish and she asked him whether he was circumcised. Do you want me to show you? he answered jokingly. From that point on, the two of them had a silent understanding. From their headquarters in the mountains, the partisans skirmished with German and Fascist forces in the valleys below. When the Nazis captured partisans, Enricos men snatched up Germans, then engaged Padre Giovanni, a local priest, to arrange prisoner exchanges. After one such occasion, the priest negotiated a November 1944 meeting between Enrico and a German officer. On a bridge near Vado, the officer urged Enrico to join the Germans. Enrico responded in kind, urging the officer to join the partisans. They negotiated a prisoner swap: a German captain for 3 partisans who had been captured in an ambush, and another 10 citizens the Nazis had rounded up in reprisal. But on November 28, 1944, before the exchange could take place, the Germans attacked, and the partisan forces biggest battle of the war ensued. First machine gun fire rattled the ridges overlooking the bay. Then, a Ping-Pong match of mortars and machine gun fire followed. By daybreak, the clash had erupted into a battle. The Germans outnumbered the partisans 20 to 1, but Enricos men were deft on the mountain passes, and their positions gave them the upper hand. In the initial strike, the Germans occupied a mountain across from Enricos command post and set up radio communication there. The comandante ordered an assault squad, led by one of the men with whom he had escaped from the jail in Savona, to attack. The partisans destroyed the German command post, then split into smaller bands and attacked the Germans from numerous angles. They cut off the road to reinforcements. By noon, the Germans were retreating in droves. Enrico lost five men in the battle, and six were wounded. The Germans, whose attack had been part of a larger operation against all the partisan brigades in the region, lost 87 men. But they were still keeping Enricos partisans hostage. The comandante sent a handwritten note via the priest to the Nazi commander he had met on the bridge. In the note, he demanded the return of the prisoners immediately. Enrico sent his men to capture three more Germansa lieutenant and two enlisted men. Another letter followed, with Enrico demanding the release of the hostages, as well as 100 pairs of new shoes, underwear, and wool socks for the approaching winter. He included in the letter salutations from the captive Germans to let the Nazis know that they were alive. Finally, the German commander agreed to the terms in full, and exchanged the prisoners. By winter 1944, heavy snow and a general malaise among the Germans all but quelled skirmishes in the Savona area. Enrico was appointed to head a united force of four brigades spread across 400 square miles. The partisan forces swelled with defectors from Mussolinis army and civilians bent on ending Hitlers hold on their country. For Wygoda, having the extra men was heartening. After the war I was asked by many people, particularly British and American officers, how I managed to handle such a large group of people without any disturbances, Wygoda recalled. I had never given it a thought. The only thing I had promised my men was that with their help we would get rid of the enemy very soon. On April 25, 1945, Comandante Enricosoon to be, once again, Hermann Wygodaand the partisans left the mountains and marched into Savona to liberate the city. While a few diehard Fascists resisted, the Nazis immediately surrendered. People filled the streets, chanting Enricos name. The crowd gathered around the comandante, and two men hoisted him on their shoulders, spiriting him to the second floor balcony of a building overlooking the plaza. From the balcony, Wygoda glimpsed his men sprinkled throughout the masses. A colonel from the partisan movement introduced him, and he gave an impromptu speech, genuinely moved, he later said, by such an expression of respect and friendship. In the following days, the Allied and partisan commanders began to return life to normal in Savona. Wygoda took a job as a police inspector. He was a hero, but he was haunted by memories of Poland. Wygoda remembered the ghetto, the beatings, the smell of Treblinka. He was lonely and hungry for home, but uncertain where home was. The beauty of Poland had been overshadowed by the horrors of war. He knew that he would never feel comfortable in Germany again. The term death lost every meaning for me, except when I was capable of applying it in conjunction with the term Nazi, Wygoda later recalled. Then, and only then, did death have a meaning for me, inasmuch as it helped to carry out an act of justice against the killers of innocent children. At times such thoughts frightened me. I wondered what it would be like after all this came to an end, when I again would be a free man in a peaceful world. But Wygoda did go on. In June 1946 he received an invitation to a ceremony in Milan. In the courtyard of a castle, Gen. Mark Clark awarded Wygoda a Bronze Star. Wygoda could not understand English yet, but as the general pinned the medal on his chest, he thought of an ancient Polish slogan: For our freedom and yours as well. That fall, Wygoda moved to the United States. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, where his aunt had settled before the war, Wygoda married Rae Raider, who had a five-year-old daughter, and the couple later had two children together, a boy and a girl. He started the Wygoda Building Corporation, a successful homebuilding company. But he never forgot where he came from. On Fridays, the family went to temple. And on his nightstand, until he died in 1982, Wygoda kept the pictures of Samuel and the girl from the Warsaw ghetto. Originally published in the March 2009 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. In mid-1941 Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, commander in chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy, predicted that if war broke out with the United States, I shall run wild considerably for the first six months or a year but I have utterly no confidence for the second and third years. He knew it wouldnt be enough to seize the American possessions of Guam, the Philippines, and Hawaii, or even a main land city like San Francisco. To make victory certain, he warned, we would have to march into Washington and dictate the terms of peace in the White House. These comments are quoted in nearly all histories of the Pacific war because they encapsulate the unlikelihood of any plausible scenario in which Japan could prevail against the military and economic might of the United Statesor undercut American will sufficiently to achieve a negotiated peace settlement. The difficulty of imagining a Japanese victory extends even to Rising Sun Victorious: The Alternate History of How the Japanese Won the Pacific War, a volume of essays edited by Peter G. Tsouras. Judging by its title, one would suppose that the 10 contributors to Rising Sun Victorious offer 10 distinct avenues to Japanese victory. But six postulate merely operational, not strategic, success. Japanese triumphs in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal, for example, provide only temporary respites before American shipyards and aircraft factories produce new armadas with which to resume the contest. And of course, nothing the Japanese could have done would have had any effect on the development of the atomic bomb. (One contributor notes that even if the United States had lacked bases from which B-29s could carry the bomb to Japan, it still could have relied upon a crash program to produce the Northrop XB-35 Flying Wing, a heavy bomber with a range of over 8,000 miles.) The four alternate histories that do lead to victory actually yield only compromise settlements with the United States. Of these, perhaps the most intriguing is the volumes final essayVictory Rides the Divine Wind: The Kamikaze and the Invasion of Kyushu, by D. M. Giangreco, a former editor at Military Review who has written extensively on American plans to invade Japanin which a military dis aster has forced the United States to conclude an armistice with Japan. What had gone so terribly wrong? In Giangrecos account, the abortive military coup by aggrieved Japanese staff officers on August 15, 1945, succeeds, anddespite the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as two other nuclear attacks on unnamed cities the Japanese military fights on. The Americans have little choice but to continue with Operation Olympic, their plan for the invasion of Kyushu, the southern most of the Japanese home islands. The invasion, scheduled for November 1, 1945, is postponed until December 10 after a major typhoon ravages the American fleet in October. (A typhoon packing 140 mph winds actually did occur, on October 9, 1945.) The typhoon strongly echoes the famous stormsdivine windsthat swept away two Mongol invasion fleets in 1274 and again in 1281, and creates a propaganda coup for the Japanese militarists that further cements their authority. When the 2,800-vessel American invasion fleet finally appears off the coast of Kyushu, it is beset by another typhoon of sorts. This one is composed of more than 12,000 Japanese Special Attack Corps air craft, manned by pilots with instructions to ram their bomb-laden planes directly into American vessels: the notorious kamikaze, or divine wind, craft, a reference to the infamous typhoons of centuries before. Historically, the first kamikaze attacks took place on October 25, 1944, as part of the Japanese defense of Leyte Island in the Philippines. During the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945, waves of over 2,000 kamikaze aircraft attacked the American fleet, sinking 34 Allied ships and damaging 288 others. Despite such losses, however, American naval planners believed that they had created effective countermeasures against suicide attacks, most notably through the use of destroyer picket screens that provided early warning of incoming kamikaze formations. In Giangrecos scenario, however, the kamikazes attacking at Kyushu, able to take off from airfields close to the fleet and emerge at low altitude with minimal warning time, prove devastatingly effective. And the scale of the attacks is far greater than American planners anticipated. Some 12,000 kamikaze aircraft are involved, overwhelming the defenders and sinking dozens of transport ships with a loss, in Giangrecos scenario, of 29,000 Americans, most of them ground troops. The aerial attacks are supplemented by suicide strikes from fast, explosive-laden motorboats that ram American vessels. These attacks disrupt the intricately planned amphibious assaults. Without proper resupply and reinforcements, the progress of the American divisions that do get ashore is badly delayed. As a result, in two weeks American casualties exceed 170,000 dead, wounded, and missing. An additional 40,000 casualties arise as a result of radiation sickness, an unintended consequence of the atomic bombs used to destroy Japanese units en route from northern Kyushu to the invasion sites on the southern part of the island. Nor do American problems end there. As Giangreco notes, the invasion of Kyushu was intended as a preliminary to Operation Coronet, an even larger invasion of Tokyos Kanto Plain on the island of Honshu, scheduled for March 1, 1946. But the six week delay in launching the Kyushu invasion would place Coronet directly in Japans annual monsoon season; that, coupled with American reversals at Kyushu, would have jeopardized construction of the 11 airfields needed to support the Honshu invasion. Moreover, the radiation casualties sustained on Kyushu would have forced a halt to plans for the use of tactical nuclear strikesone bomb for each American corps sectordirectly on the Coronet invasion beaches to eliminate the defenders. Operation Coronet, therefore, becomes impracticable. Giangreco bases his account on the historical fact that the Japanese had managed to pack Kyushu with 12,735 kamikaze air craft: more than twice the number American intelligence had anticipated. He also points out that amphibious invasions were complex, carefully choreographed affairs in which the substantial loss of transport and support ships would have created massive disruptions ashore. For example, the supply of whole blood and blood plasma for the Kyushu invasion was to have been concentrated on just five LST(H) vessels, one for each of the invasion beaches. The loss of any of these (in Giangrecos account, two are sunk) would have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of American wounded who might otherwise have survived. And as for the use of atomic bombs, Gen. George C. Marshall had advocated their use in support of the Kyushu invasion and the invasion of the Kanto Plain. Since American physicists badly underestimated the extent of radiation sickness caused by atomic explosions, it is likely that as many as 40,000 American troops might have fallen ill from bombs intended to destroy Japanese reinforcements. Nonetheless, in Giangrecos account the nuclear attacks succeed in bringing the Japanese to the conference table. Willing to endure the loss of cities, they cannot bring themselves to see their armyunable to put up an honorable fightvaporized by a rain of atomic bombs. The Americans have second thoughts of their own when it becomes clear that American casualties in a continued invasion would exceed the number of troops available to replace them. The Allies and Japan therefore agree upon a compromise peace settlement. Giangreco is not specific about the details, but it would surely have involved an unequivocal guarantee that the Japanese emperor would remain in power and, most likely, mean no military occupation of the Japanese home islands. It seems odd to include this scenario in a book ostensibly about Japanese victory, for the sequel to such a settlement would have been unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. In reality, the emperor remained on the throne anyway, and only American occupation saved Japan from famine, restored its shattered economy, and created a new political order that made the Land of the Rising Sun a land of peace and prosperity in the decades that followed. A divine wind that saved Japan from the humiliation of unconditional surrender would in fact have been an ill wind that brought only calamity. Originally published in the March 2009 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. Capt. John Ripley was an adviser with the 3rd Battalion of the Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps on March 30, 1972, when the North Vietnamese launched its Easter offensive with a sustained artillery barrage. There was no sleep that night, as word came NVA troops supported by some 200 tanks were headed south toward the bridge over the Cua Viet River just north of Dong Ha. In the morning the 3rd Battalion moved closer to the bridge to check the NVA onslaught. But it could not hold against the estimated 20,000 enemy soldiers. The bridge had to be blown, and Ripleywho had trained with explosives at the U.S. Army Ranger Schoolgot his chance on April 2, Easter Sunday. Under heavy fire he and fellow adviser Maj. Jim Smock dashed down the riverbank beneath the bridge, where engineers had stacked crates of TNT and satchel charges of C4 plastic explosive. A chain-link fence topped with razor wire pressed against the underside of the bridge. While Smock pulled down on the wire, Ripley slung two satchel charges over his back, climbed the fence, grabbed the bottom flanges of the downstream I-beam, swung his feet up and inched his way over the fence, badly lacerating his legs in the effort. With 90 feet to go to the first bridge pier, Ripley let his feet hang free and hand-walked down the I-beam, three stories above the river. Arriving at the pier, he heaved himself up into the channel between the first two I-beams and rested a moment. After positioning the satchel charges, he crawled facedown on elbows and knees atop the I-beam flanges back to the fence, where Smock manhandled two more satchel charges and two boxes of TNT over the razor wire. Ripley placed the boxes atop the flanges and inched backward on elbows and knees, dragging the 180-pound load back out to the pier, where he placed the charges. Knowing he would need to place charges in the four remaining channels, he dropped down, hung by his hands, then swung free and grabbed for the next upstream I-beam. Whenever Ripley swung into view beneath the I-beams, the NVA troops fired at him. Regardless, over the next two hours the Marine worked his way back and forth in the four remaining channels, placing some 500 pounds of explosives in all. When finished, he maneuvered back over the razor wire, dropped to the ground and caught his breath before clambering back out to rig the primer cord and detonators. But Smock and Ripley couldnt find the crimpers needed to attach the detonators to the primer cord. That left only one alternative. Ripley, researcher John Grider Miller wrote, had to bite down on the blasting caps to attach them to the fuzes. If he bit too low on the blasting cap, it could come loose; if he bit too high, it could blow his head apart. Ripley carefully crimped the detonators, then inched over the wire to hand-walk down the I-beam. Firing broke out immediately from the north bank. One low-angle tank shell bounced off the bridge and exploded on the south bank, setting up a vicious vibration that almost broke Ripleys grip. He muscled through to attach the detonators, light the fuze and inch his way back to the south bankalbeit at a faster clip. Meanwhile, Smock had found electrical detonators. A perfectionist, Ripley shimmied out one more time to set those as backup detonators, while Smock rigged an adjacent railroad trestle with TNT. Under covering fire from the Vietnamese Marines, Ripley and Smock then dashed back up the riverbank, playing out electrical cord as they went. Minutes later both spans blew. For his heroism at Dong Ha Bridge Ripley received the Navy Cross. He later became the first Marine inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame. Ripley died at 69 in 2008 and was buried with full military honors at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Hmmm! I guess it begins with knowing in advance what the turnout is going to be! After all you would not want to go to all that effort and lose anyway... 2 months ago With the recent surge of popularity in everything vintage, its no surprise that vinyl has made a major comeback. As millennials and generation z alike are tearing apart their parents attics to search for their original pressing of Led Zepplin II, Ballybofey doom outfit Graveyard Dirt have newly released their catalog on vinyl. Formed in 1994 by members Kieran OToole, Paul Leyden and Tony Barr, Graveyard Dirt are an outstanding example of the doom genre that never quite made it big. In a genre that is somewhat populated with bands that seem to lack a certain amount of musical individuality, Graveyard Dirt are far superior. What separates their music from the others is a talented ear for melody, and taut quality-driven songwriting - with catchy hooks that will have you humming to yourself long after. There is an immediate defining quality to their sound, beginning with their demo Of Romance & Fire. This was really just us trying to capture the three tracks on a shoestring budget with no recording experience. 6-7 hours in a local studio where the producer wasn't too aware of that style of music at all, says guitarist Kieran OToole. For a first recording as a newly formed unit with little to no experience, Of Romance and Fire has a professional and tight sound. Originally released in 1995, it is now available on 10 vinyl. Raw opener The Serenity of Night immediately grabs your attention, while songs The Funerals Essence and Embrace the Dark better encapsulate GDs trademark sound - with gloomy, crushing guitars mixed with thoughtful melodies. Apart from a slightly off-kilter sound in the vocal mix, it is an astonishing demo and secured the band with a German label at the time of release. Unfortunately, the deal fell through, and Graveyard Dirt disbanded thereafter. Fast forward ten years, the band joins forces again with new drummer Gary Sweeney to record what would have been their release for the German label. Using their own equipment to record the guitars, bass and vocals, and a local studio to record the drums, Shadows of Old Ghosts sounds crisp and more balanced in the mix. The EP highlights the bands influences in My Dying Bride and the brutality of Entombed. Opening track Rise...Fallen Skies is another exercise in atmospheric doom, resembling the crumbling ruins pictured on the cover of the EP. A Tearless Lament is the best of the bunch, with beautifully haunting melodies, a cracking vocal performance, and an outro 1986 Metallica could have penned. Finishing with brooding Sabbath-esque number Gathering Storm, the band makes their mark in the genre. Originally released in 2007, the EP has been re-released on 12 Vinyl and is well worth your while. After the release of Shadows of Old Ghosts the band secured a one album deal with Ashen Productions based in Austria. They released their first full length album For Grace and Damnation in 2010 and followed up with the EP My Scourge, My Plague in 2015. Sporadic rehearsal time has plagued the band in the past, causing long periods between releases and performances. However, 2018 will see a change in this, with plans to re-enter the studio to record another full length album. As a couple of our members have to travel considerable distances to rehearse we tend not to rehearse as often as we would like to...but that's always been the case with us. So this year I'd like to think we'll reverse that trend a bit, concentrate on new material and return to the studio. This recent re-emergence of vinyl has provided opportunity for bands like Graveyard Dirt to re-introduce their brand excellent Irish metal music to new audiences and bring new ears to the genre. Of Romance & Fire and Shadows of Old Ghosts are available on vinyl from Sentinel Records - www.sentinelrecords.com Advertisement It was a momentous occasion, as the lesser-known Ships triumphed in the Choice Music Prize leaving more established artists like James Vincent McMorrow and David Kitt (New Jackson) trailing in their wake. Meanwhile Chasing Abbey took Song of the Year It was a night of high drama at Vicar Street as the relatively unknown Ships snaffled the Choice Music Prize. While this year's list conspicuously lacked major names, there was still a sense of euphoria when Ships were announced as winners. The winning album is entitled Precession, and the hope is now that it will attract renewed attention and sales. The judging panel, made up of Irish music media professionals, deliberated at length tonight before choosing the winning album. Ships received a cheque for 10,000, a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) as well as a specially-commissioned award. Meanwhile, the winner of the RTE Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year was also announced with Chasing Abbey lifting the prize for their song That Good Thing. This award was decided by the public via the RTE and Choice Music Prize websites. The sold-out event in Vicar Street was hosted by RTE 2FMs Eoghan McDermott and was broadcast live on the station, on a specially extended Louise McSharry show. RTE2 will broadcast a one-hour TV highlights programme of the RTE Choice Music Prize featuring performances from the acts and interviews by Blathnaid Treacy on Sunday March 18th at 11pm. Advertisement To listen to the album, simply use the play below: The full shortlist for the RTE Choice Music Prize was: Come On Live Long - In The Still (self released) Marlene Enright - Placemats and Second Cuts (self released) Fangclub Fangclub (Universal) Lankum - Between the Earth and Sky (Rough Trade) James Vincent McMorrow - True Care (Faction Records) New Jackson - From Night to Night (All City) Otherkin OK (Rubyworks) Fionn Regan - The Meetings of the Waters (Abbey Records) Ships Precession (Ships Music) Talos - Wild Alee (Feel Good Lost) As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. 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If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Although the FCC recently repealed net neutrality on a national level, states are taking matters into the own hands, and while incumbent ISPs and the FCC are doing their best to prevent this, states like Washington don't seem particularly perturbed. _________________________ Guest post by Karl Bode of Techdirt In the wake of the FCC's net neutrality repeal, nearly half the states in the union are now in the process of passing new net neutrality rules. Some states are pushing for legislation that mirrors the discarded FCC rules, while others (including Montana) have signed executive orders banning states from doing business with ISPs that engage in anti-competitive net neutrality violations. Of course incumbent ISPs saw this coming, which is why both Verizon and Comcast successfully lobbied the FCC to include language in its repeal that tries to "preempt" state authority over ISPs entirely. But this effort to ban states from protecting consumers (not just from net neutrality violations) rests on untested legal ground, which is why some ISPs are also pushing for fake net neutrality laws they hope will preempt these state efforts. So far, states aren't taking the FCC's threats very seriously. Washington State for example became the first state in the union this week to pass net neutrality legislation (though Oregon is neck and neck). Washington's new law largely mirrors the discarded FCC rules by prohibiting the anti-competitive throttling and blocking of competitors, as well as "paid prioritization" deals that prevent ISPs from letting deep-pocketed content companies buy an unfair advantage over smaller companies and startups. Also like the FCC's rules, it carves out notable exemptions for "reasonable network management" as well as for the prioritization of legitimate services that may need it (medical, VoIP services). Amusingly, the bill's sponsor doesn't appear particularly flummoxed by FCC restrictions on what states can and can't do: "Just because the FCC claims it has the power to preempt state laws doesnt mean that it actually does, says (Drew) Hansen. I can claim that I have the power to manifest unicorns on the Washington State Capitol lawn. But if you look outside right now, there are no unicorns." ISPs have already started complaining that complying with an ocean of discordant state-level rules is hard on them, though that's something they might have wanted to give a little more thought to before lobbying to dismantle what were arguably (by international standards) pretty modest federal-level rules. Note that's not to say state-level protections will be perfect. Many politicians are just trying to score political brownie points, and in many instances the rules will only be as good as those willing to actually enforce them. Several of them also are a little shaky on how they define "reasonable" network management, a term ISP lobbyists have a long, proud history of trying to redefine to include pretty much anything. Still, these are all problems that could easily been avoided by actually listening to the public, the experts, and the data and leaving the federal rules alone. Writing About Music Sucks, But You Should Do It Anyway While bemoaning the challenges and downsides of writing about music as a career, Erica Hawkins here explains why it remains important and valuable to do so anyways. _________________________ Guest post by Erica Hawkins from CASH Music I'm seated in first class on a train from Paris to Zurich. The slight anxiety of navigating a new and strange place has faded, replaced instead by smaller embarrassments as the day went on and attempted interactions in another language were necessary; Was I rude for not saying s'il vous plait? Did I pronounce bonsoir correctly? I've read thirty pages into Joan Didions "The White Album" and her neurosis have convinced me of two things; one, I'm quite strange but not alone in my delusions and illusions, and two, I should write this very piece youre reading that I've been sitting on for three months. Blame the delay on life, procrastination, acute imposter syndrome, etc., but the thought of writing this had, until this very moment on this high-speed train, rendered me catatonic. More than likely because, as my pitch had outlined: music writing sucks. I had been warned about this drawback before I started. My friend, a freelance culture writer, shared with me her anxieties of waiting for pitch responses and paid invoices that would never come. She warned me of pangs of relief of being responded to by an editor, even if it was a rejection. But, naively, I jumped in, dealing with negative comments from internet trolls under articles I was proud of, chasing money Id worked hard to earn, spending hours of research culminating in interviews where artists couldnt be bothered to answer me with more than one word phrases, but those issues have paled in comparison to the ones being dealt with industry wide. Glossy mags have folded in favor of online editorials, online editorials have vanished from their virtual homes in favor of a pivot to video, while zines and alt-weeklies become artifacts of a not so distant past. Even the great city upon a hill Rolling Stone magazine has been sold. Ive watched as mainstays like LAWeekly have unceremoniously dropped their staff, and talented journalists I could only hope to one day match in prose lose their positions and struggle to get paid. So whats the point of even trying especially, and most notably, if like me youve only been writing about music for a little less than two years? I am not an expert in writing about music. I'm not on the staff of a prestigious magazine, nor am I Twitter verified or Wikipedia validated. I havent made a thirty under thirty list, nor will I ever. However, I do know the boredom and restlessness caused by doing things you dont care about. I also know the euphoric laced elation that comes in doing what lights you up. Before boarding the train, yesterday, there was a symbolic moment that stood out in my mind. At a wine tasting in a tiny pastel brick building near the Notre Dame a sommelier named Thiery, recalled the work of Moet Chandon, the monk who first stumbled upon the recipe for champagne. Wine making was his one task, and he was very good at this endeavor as you may also be if your to-do list included only a few bullet points. I realize there is something to be said about being monastic about music writing, forsaking all other occupations and distractions despite the risk might just be worth it. Shit, you may just make champagne. However, there are still other decent paths to good wine. Two weeks ago, I left my job of four years. I left for space and growth, and all the other reasons you give in an exit interview when you want to leave on good terms and avoid the confusing and often tangled truth of any thing youve done for longer than a year. This is the part where I tell you I've taken the leap to full-time freelance music writer, right? Wrong. I've taken on a full-time remote head of content role, one where I can still freelance while enjoying the perks of a regular paycheck. It may not be champagne, but its damn good wine. I chose a full time job over freelance because I did not want to burden my writing with the added task of having to pay my rent, student loans, a car payment and the expenses that comes with living. My writing has already been delegated the task of lighting me up, giving me purpose, and of course, stressing me the fuck out by way of recordings that needed to be transcribed, a pile of emails I cant seem to get to the bottom of, and even when Ive hit my stride, theres the looming presence of never-ending deadlines. Because, like I've said, music writing sucks. There have been times when I questioned if I can even call myself a music writer while not doing it full time (see: imposter syndrome). And, if I'm not doing it full time, am I any good? How can you know if you're truly good at something as strange as sharing your translation of something as intangible as music, because as Martin Mull not so eloquently put it, writing about music is like dancing about architecture. How do you know if youre succeeding? Maybe if you're paid well. Maybe if you receive an award. Maybe if your parents see it as a successful and viable career path. Or, and this is what I'm starting to think is most likely, maybe you will never know if you are good, but maybe that doesnt matter. Instead, you work to get better. You collaborate with editors who give you actionable feedback. You sincerely connect with your peers, confidants and mentors. You ask questions. You get your feelings hurt. You kill your darlings. You applaud the successes and laugh off the failures. You try not to fall into vices or crippling anxiety that wont let you write until youre on a train to Switzerland. Maybe you work in marketing or get paid to write a listicle on something that isnt music. You confidently ask for the money you deserve. You get anxious and take a break. You get manic and write too much. You get nervous and write too little. You wonder why you even write. You do it anyway. You realize that music writing sucks, but you do it anyway. I don't care how you do it. I don't care if you risk it all and move to New York to live in a flat that cost every penny you make, while working a sex hotline at night for money to spend on avocado toast. It doesnt matter if you decide to move west and nanny for a billionaire while continuing to send your work to an online publication. I don't care if you feel like a sellout. I do care that you pursue what you want out of life, and that you get to determine what youre willing to exchange for it. Poet Jack Gilbert once said, we must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world, and if you feel even slightly like I do, music writing is that gladness. So, lets be stubborn about it because maybe this isnt just about occupation, but what you choose to do with the little time you have on this chaotic sphere we call earth. As Lester Bangs once said, The real question is what to live for. And I can't answer it. Except another one of your records. And another chance for me to write. Art for art's sake, corny as that sounds. Writing about music sucks, but you should do it anyway. Share on: Big Announcement For BIC Scheduled For Friday Morning PITTSFIELD, Mass. Federal and state officials are expected to announce funding for the Berkshire Innovation Center on Friday. Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, Administration and Finance Secretary Michael Heffernan, and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal are planning to join local officials at 10:30 a.m. Friday for the announcement. The Massachusetts Life Science Center reportedly approved additional funding for the long-awaited project last month. The center is eyed to be a research and development facility with state of the art technology. The concept is to help local businesses expand into new markets through the testing and development with equipment it may not otherwise be able to afford on their. The project has quite a long history. It started years ago with a $6.5 million state grant to build an incubator. However, in 2013, a feasibility study changed the concept. Instead of being aimed for startup business, the innovation center became focused on supporting small existing applied manufacturing businesses. It also brought in educational organizations to address workforce challenges by allowing the students to train on the equipment, creating a pipeline of qualified candidates to work with those companies. As time went on, the costs increased. The Life Science Center later upped its commitment to $9.7 million for both construction and equipment. The city and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority pitched in to provide the "soft costs" of getting the new non-profit organized. When the project went to bid in 2015, however, the bids came in too high. BIC officials scaled back its design but couldn't make it work. And the project stalled with what was an estimated $3 million financial gap. BIC officials then cut its equipment budget, which ultimately will just cover increases in construction from 2015 until now. The City Council agreed to contribute another $1 million toward the construction. And the operational costs to keep the non-profit running was provided through another grant from the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority to the tune of $300,000. The BIC had also reached an agreement to switch the owner of the project from the city to the organization, a move eyed to save construction costs by avoiding the public procurement process. Those additional commitments came with a verbal agreement from the state to cover the remaining construction costs. The state kept its word and a few weeks ago local officials were told the commitments had been made formally. Since then, it has been a matter of crossing the Ts and dotting the Is. It is not clear exactly how much the state opted to increase the earmark by, but it is expected that the total grant will be more than $11 million. The project is expected to break ground this spring. The project has been one of the city's top priority for years. Officials see the project as a key piece to the redevelopment of the William Stanley Business Park. The Berkshire Innovation Center will be located on the park, near East and Woodlawn streets. North Adams to Try Again for Feasibility Study of Greylock School NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Greylock School fell out of the money literally last year but school officials will try again for a feasibility study to look into replacing or renovating the 60-year-old building. The School Committee on Tuesday authorized Superintendent Barbara Malkas to submit a statement of interest detailing the educational and building needs of the elementary school to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The City Council will also have to approve the submission prior to the April 6 deadline. "Having a statement of interest doesn't mean we'll have a project next year," Malkas explained. "But that we continue to explore the potential of having a project at Greylock Elementary." A statement of interest, or SOI, was submitted last year. It was the first time an SOI had been submitted since 2010, when the school was included in a study related to the closure of Conte Middle School. At the time, the city had sought a "two-school" solution by renovating both Conte and Greylock, but the MSBA opted for only renovating Conte. The $30 million Colegrove Park Elementary School opened in 2016. Malkas said MSBA officials came out last year to tour Greylock and interview herself, Principal Sandra Cote and then Mayor Richard Alcombright. "The screening-in process depends a lot of times on how much need your school has and how much money is available for screening into feasiblity," she said. "We were probably in the top 20 of consideration for an MSBA feasibility study but I believe they only funded for 15." The MSBA selects schools based on need, the political will of the communities involved and the amount of money available for grants. A cent of the 6.25 percent sales tax is used to fund the agency. More than 150 SOIs were submitted last year alone. Malkas said this year's SOI would identify the same two priorities: replacement, renovation and modernization or replacement and addition. The 55,000-square-foot school was built in 1953 with an addition in 1965, of its two boilers, one dates to 1965 and the other to 1992. The roof was replaced in 2003 but many other items are original or more than 20 years old, with the exception of the HVAC system that was upgraded in 2013. The building is not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and its exterior masonry walls are cracked and uninsulated. Last year's SOI referred to possible changes in grade configuration, which was ultimately dealt with by relocating Grade 7 to the high school to create a middle school at Drury. The district will be able to update the 2017 submission, Malkas said. "I will be working on that with [Facilities Manager] Matt Neville over the next month." Mayor Thomas Bernard asked if the MSBA had provided any insight on why the school was not selected last year and how it could improve. Malkas said she had spoken to officials there and it appeared largely that North Adams just fell outside the funding. "They look at many things, whether or not you're ready to enter into a feasibility ... is there the political will to support the process, what is the physical need of the building, what are the barriers for consideration," she said. "As we know in this area, we have seen very successful projects ... and projects get defeated through town votes. ... "As everyone knows who lived through the Colegrove Park Elementary School, it takes many years to get to that place where you're invited in to the feasibility program and many years down the road before you put a shovel in the dirt to start the project." Pittsfield ConCom Approves Plans For Former Itam PITTSFIELD, Mass. The new owners of the former Italian American Lodge have revised their plans to handle environmental concerns about its redevelopment. Eric Taylor purchased the Sons of Italy property for $1.1 million in January and is intent on transforming the aging building into a wedding destination. He received a building permit to renovate the facility and has been seeking approval to expand parking, build an addition, and install a patio area. That, however, took place in the wetlands buffer zone and needed Conservation Commission approval. Neighbors raised concerns about the impacts from the removal of dozens of trees, an extension of the building, additional paving, new docks, and decking would have on the area. The Conservation Commission had concerns with water runoff and stormwater management. And the Berkshire Environmental Action Team raised environmental concerns. On Thursday, engineer Jim Scalise of SK Design presented new plans that he hopes will mitigation those impacts. He said the new plan eliminates the need to cut trees in the buffer zone, the patio was relocated farther away from the waterfront, and a detailed stormwater management plan was presented. He said there is no longer a dock in this project, but he expects another application to come in the future for that. "It is a vast improvement from the original plans," said Commissioner Jonathan Lothrop. The plan does include blocking off a portion of Saddle Ball View, a small street connecting the property to the neighborhood. Those blocks will restrict vehicle access. But some residents felt that they will ultimately turn the street into a parking lot. Jane Winn, of BEAT, said she is happy that the trees won't be removed. But, she still has concerns about a lack of erosion controls. "At the site visit, it was depressing to see that the applicant has had vehicle traffic going up and down the hill behind the building causing extensive erosion with no erosion barriers and no apparent attempt to limit the erosion being caused by the traffic," Winn said. "In our opinion, this does not bode well for their attention to protecting the site from erosion." Winn called for the city to require an environmental monitor to keep an eye on the work, specifically when the stairs leading to the lake are removed. Winn also feels that the additional porch, building extension, and additional parking creates too much impervious area. "There is still a lot of impervious area going into the buffer zone," she said. The Conservation Commission approved it with an order of conditions. The overall plan for the site if for it to become a venue tied in with the Lake House Guest Cottages, which had been built in Lanesborough in 2015. Taylor plans to shuttle guests from the banquet hall and venue to the cottages. The Itam was built in 1973 and had been home to the Sons of Italy until it was put on the market last July. Enjoy more than a dozen different art shows featuring work by more than a dozen accomplished regional artists in Pittsfield's bustling Upstreet Cultural District during the and all month long! In most venues, artists will be present from 5-8 p.m. A free guided tour begins at 5 p.m. at the Intermodal Center @ BRTA, 1 Columbus Ave. Mary McGinnis, co-founder of First Fridays Artswalk, will bring you through the various exhibits! Williams Senior Chosen For Knight-Hennessy Scholarship WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Bingyi Wang, a senior at Williams College, has been selected as a recipient of the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship. The scholarship allows recipients to pursue graduate studies at Stanford University. Wang will be one of 100 scholars in the inaugural cohort. A physics major from Xuzhou, China, Wang is planning to use the scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in physics at Stanford. While at Williams, she participated in the Kusika dance ensemble, the Chinese Music Ensemble, and the Women and Gender Minorities in Physics group. "Williams has allowed me to see and imagine the infinite possibilities that can be created through the liberal arts lens and cross-disciplinary work," Wang said. "Knight-Hennessy incubates a multi-disciplinary and human-centric space that encourages creativity and collaborations. In the long term, I aspire to be a conscientious physicist, using science and technology to improve human lives and promote social changes." State, federal, local, business, and educational leaders all gathered for the Friday's announcement. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal. State Sen. Adam Hinds. State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier. The City Council chambers were standing room only. Mass Life Sciences Center CEO Travis McCready. PEDA Chairman Mick Callahan. BIC Chairman Stephen Boyd. Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash. PreviousNext Baker Delivers Funding For Pittsfield's Long-awaited Innovation Center Gov. Charlie Baker announced the funds Friday morning in Pittsfield. PITTSFIELD, Mass. It was in March 2008 when former Sen. Benjamin Downing and former state Rep. Christopher Speranzo secured $6.5 million to build what was then conceived to be an incubator building at the William Stanley Business Park, spurring the life science economy. "It is important that Western Massachusetts carve its own niche in the commonwealth's emerging life science industry," Downing said at the time. But now, both Downing and Speranzo are out of office. That 2008 earmark has floated through three different mayoral administrations, two governors, two congressmen, and many city councilors. But that desire to carve out a niche has not wavered. On Friday, Gov. Charlie Baker and other state and local officials announced the final piece of funding to make the research and development center a reality and a groundbreaking for the $13.7 million project is expected this fall. "We have accomplished an amazing collaborative effort with so many people who believe in our city, believe in our region. The William Stanley Business Park is going to change in not only what it looks like but in how it delivers for our advanced manufacturers here in Pittsfield and the Berkshires," Mayor Linda Tyer said. The center tackles some of the city's biggest economic needs. It provides support for small and medium-sized businesses by giving them a facility to use high-tech equipment the company may never be able to purchase on its own. A number of businesses have signed on to become members of the non-profit Berkshire Innovation Center, Inc. and their annual memberships give them access to cutting-edge equipment to test and develop new products. "The life sciences is a sector, is a culture, throughout the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is not just in Cambridge and Boston. But there are opportunities for economic development within this high tech cluster throughout the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts," said Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President and CEO Travis McCready. "If you discover here, you ought to be able to make it here." The 20,000 square-foot facility is mostly supported by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The city contributed $1 million from the General Electric Economic Development Fund and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority added $300,000. MassDevelopment, another state partner in the project, contributed an additional $400,000. The $13.7 million will cover construction, equipment, and soft costs associated with the organization. "It is definitely a milestone but it is not the finish line. It is not a victory lap. It is the start of the real work we need to do to build the center and continue with the mission of the Berkshire Innovation Center," said BIC Chairman Stephen Boyd. The second piece to the economic puzzle is workforce development. There has been a longstanding gap between the available jobs and the skills the workers in the county possess. The BIC includes a component in which education institutes, from the local high schools to state colleges to RPI, have all added to it. Those will use the center to develop programs that closely match what the employers in the region need. "This is an incredibly exciting day for the entire Berkshires. This is what we've been looking for, to create this shared R+D facility and to provide opportunities for so many people at some many different levels of the workforce to up their game, up their skill level, and to provide those connections to allow our businesses to grow," Berkshire Community College President Ellen Kennedy said. "We're really connected now with so many of the businesses and what their workforce skills needs are. We can develop short-term things, longer-term things, bringing different people to the table." Kennedy called Friday's announcement a "gamechanger" in matching the skills an employer wants with the skills a college graduate has. That is expected to help create a pipeline from high school or college into high paying, skilled jobs. "The opportunity to leap forward into the next generation of advanced manufacturing and life science, and to be able to build on a history and knowledge base and transform it into the next generation of jobs and products and companies, is a very real and significant one," Baker said. In advanced manufacturing, it has been estimated that 100,000 new jobs will be opening in the next decade. The sector has been cited as one of growth for the state of Massachusetts, but not all of the jobs are being filled right now. "There are 6 million jobs in American every single day the Department of Labor says goes unfilled. In New England, the smallest geographic region in the country, right now 18,000 precision manufacturing jobs go unfilled. Stunning when you look at the reality of what that means," U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said. Neal said the BIC project hits a "structural" issue with the economy when it comes to worker participation rate. He said those numbers continue to be low nationwide. "The best poverty program is still a good job. It is transformative," Neal said. Ever since General Electric left the city, many have said that manufacturing left with it. But in 2013, the UMass Donahue Institute published a study, funded by the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corp, which showed manufacturing remains a strong piece of the local economy. "Manufacturing remains a critical part of the economy of Berkshire County. Key strengths reside primarily in paper manufacturing, plastics and rubber products, printing, chemicals, minerals, fabricated metal, and machinery," the Berkshire Advanced Manufacturing Study reads. "In terms of total wages, manufacturing is the second largest industrial sector in the county. Despite shrinking over time, manufacturing remains a crucial part of the Berkshire County economy and the economic base of the state." The study did also cite a struggle to fill those positions, reading "one firm estimated that 40 percent of its staff would need to be replaced due to retirements or age by the year 2020, while another assessed that young workers cannot immediately fill the jobs of the pending retirees because of their largely inadequate training in STEM discipline." That report had emphasized the potential impact such a project would have to Tyer and what led her to make closing the funding a gap a priority in her administration. "What really convinced me was the Berkshire Advanced Manufacturing study, that showed there is a growing and thriving section of advanced manufacturing in the Berkshires. And it was the business leaders who said to me, we need a place where we can have access to cutting-edge equipment for research and development to design and engineer new products," Tyer said. "It is a powerful and growing sector of our economy." Tyer had taken on the project after being elected and was the third mayor to work on it. At the time she took office, there was an estimated $3 million funding gap. Tyer met with Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash multiple times after taking office and her administration looked to heighten the workforce development piece. "This is an investment in Pittsfield's future. It is an investment for the next generations of your sons and daughters who will find more opportunity and a reason to stay here," Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said. Mayor Linda Tyer picked up where two prior administrations left off on the project and now a groundbreaking is expected this year. Prior to Tyer taking over the project was former Mayor Daniel Bianchi. Bianchi inherited it from former Mayor James Ruberto. One of the first tasks Bianchi did when getting the earmark of $6.5 million was to hire Rod Jane, of the firm New England Expansion Strategies, head the project. Jane reviewed all of the literature and studies and ultimately determined that an "incubator" wouldn't necessarily the best for the Berkshires. Jane then led the development of the Innovation Center concept, one that focused on the small and medium businesses and education. He saw helping the existing businesses as a better way to build that economic cluster. "We are a long way from the finish line on this but this is going to access tremendous opportunities for the youngsters of Berkshire County, to really give them exposure to cutting edge technology and innovation. But it is also going to provide a lot of the businesses here in Berkshire County with access to technology that comes from places like RPI, the nanotechnology center, UMass Lowell, UMass Amherst and their expertise with polymer sciences. And it is going to be all under one roof," Bianchi said on Friday. The Massachusetts Life Science Center supported the new plan and upped its commitment to $9.7 million. The Berkshire Innovation Center was formed and a groundbreaking was set. The membership included the likes of Apex Resource Technologies, Synoco Plastics, Cavallero Plastics, Boyd Technologies, Intertech, Onyx Specialty Papers, and Berkshire Steel & Manufacturing, as well as many regional educational institutions such as State University of New York's College of Nanoscience, Albany (N.Y.) Medical College, MassMEDIC, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Lowell, Berkshire Community College, McCann Technical School, Berkshire Community College, and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. New equipment was ordered and stored at Taconic High School. The BIC started running training programs and workshops. And then in 2015, the bids for the project came in too high. The BIC cut the project down but still couldn't make the numbers work. "Every one of the members signed up with the project that would have already been up and running at this point. We originally thought about a 2017 ribbon cutting," Boyd said. Bianchi said, "it was very concerning that the funding wasn't what it should have been. So it is great to get that funding together now so this project can actually happen. It appears to be adequate amounts of capital support to make it a reality and to bring the technology that is required." But most of the members stuck with the project. Boyd and BIC staff repeatedly made trips to Boston, asking Ash and others to invest more into the project. He recalled meeting with Baker and Polito two years ago to talk about the project. Tyer repeatedly pitched they project to state officials. State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and state Sen. Adam Hinds made phones and met with officials. And that continual push worked. More than a year after the gap was identified, the state is now again upping its commitment to make the center a reality. "I think it speaks to the commitment of the region, to collaboration, to innovation, and the value of the equipment it has - the economy of scale it provides to the local manufacturers," Boyd said. With Friday's announcement, Boyd said the project is expected to break ground this fall and open a year later. He hopes that now the funding is all in place, even more, companies and educational institutions will be joining. "The Berkshire Innovation Center is real. It is here to stay and we want to bring more members into the fold," Boyd said. City Councilor Melissa Mazzeo has been a long time supporter of the project. She has stood firm on the position that the new comprehensive high school in Taconic and the Berkshire Innovation Center will be key turning points for the city of Pittsfield. "I'm absolutely thrilled. I'm thrilled for Berkshire County in general. I've been telling people when things don't look like they are going well for Pittsfield to hang tight, that Taconic and the Berkshire Innovation Center is going to be our turnaround," Mazzeo said. "We might have to wait a few years to get this up and running but we are going to see this come back for our future generations. Pittsfield is going to be on the map." Mazzeo credited the Tyer administration for seeing the value in the project and pushing for it. The 20,000 square-foot building will be at the William Stanley Business Park, near East Street. Farley-Bouvier said few of the officials at the Fridays announcement were there when the entire project started. But, that is what she means when she says "team Pittsfield." It isn't just who is there now working on the project, but who is going to continue to push for the city in the future, she said. "Team Pittsfield doesn't end today. This isn't the end of this story and certainly not at the end of this project. Team Pittsfield is the people who come afterward," Farley-Bouvier said. That's the kind of long-term vision she sees with the BIC. She said in all of the discussions about it, there was always an eye to make sure the project was done right for years to come. "What we really care about is our grandchildren. And that is what this project is. It is going to be good for them," Farley-Bouvier said. "We want to be able to have a strong economy for our grandchildren." That strong economy is also what officials hope for the future of the William Stanley Business Park. The BIC is eyed to help attract new companies to develop the industrial land formerly owned by General Electric. "The succession of that property has a rich history. And Pittsfield has a rich history of not only innovation, and our future is certainly bright there, but also in our workforce," PEDA Chairman Mick Callahan said. The business park has been overseen by PEDA and efforts have been ongoing for years to redevelop it. Only a few parcels have been developed so far and there is plenty of acreage left. "It will be stunning both outside and inside and will certainly be a catalyst for change for the park and attract more employers to be there," Polito said. The park is what is left of a massive piece of the city's history, from the day William Stanley moved here to start Stanley Electric, which later became GE and employed thousands. But the company left and left a void in the center of the city. "I love the fact that it is blossoming on the soil of the GE site because absent that next GE we know, the studies show, that it is the investments in those small and middle-sized companies, making sure they have everything they need in technology and training, it is the right strategy. It is the right industry and it is the right location," Hinds said. Baker said, "the part I find particularly poignant about this is that Berkshire County has a long and cherished and significant history in manufacturing." All involved know the work is far from over. But, Friday's announcement caused quite a lot of excitement among city, county, state, education, and federal officials who have eyed this coming to fruition for years. "We are extremely excited about the possibilities with this," Baker said, but, "for me, the real exciting day is going to be the day when this starts translating to real jobs, real opportunities, real new businesses." Among the numerous elected officials, school personnel, and business leaders present were North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard, former North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright, McCann Tech Superintendent James Brosnan, MCLA President James Birge, Pittsfield Schools Superintendent Jason McCandless, Sheriff Thomas Bowler, and City Councilors Peter White, Christopher Connell, Anthony Simonelli, Melissa Mazzeo, Kevin Morandi, Earl Persip, Donna Todd Rivers, Helen Moon, and John Krol. And a few hours after the ceremony on Friday, Downing sent out a tweet thanking those who helped bring the project to fruition. The King of Israeli Rock The Fellowship | March 9, 2018 Shalom Hanoch Age: 71 Known for: Known as the King of Israeli rock, Hanochs work has influenced modern Israeli music. About him: Born in the Holy Land in Kibbutz Msihmarot, Shalom Hanochs musical talent was obvious from an early age. The other members of the kibbutz were amazed at Shaloms talent, which was influenced by not just rock music, but classical, Russian folk music, gospel, and the blues. At the age of 12, Shalom received a jazz guitar, and began composing his own music, playing with the kibbutz band. After joining the IDF, Shalom wrote songs for the armys musical troupe. After his army service, Shalom began to perform in Tel Aviv. It was there that he met Arik Einstein, who was already a music star in Israel. Einstein asked Shalom to begin writing songs for him. Shaloms big break happened in 1968 when Einstein recorded an album, Mazal Gdi, solely comprised of songs written by Hanoch. Two years later, Shalom would join with Einstein and the band The Churchills to create a new Israeli musical sound, one that was influenced by the music they heard coming from England and America. Their album, Shablul, made up entirely of songs written by Shalom, included the well-known tune, Ma Ata Ose KsheAta Kam Baboker (What Do You Do When You Wake Up in the Morning), which you can hear in the above video. One innovation heard in this music was the use of popular language in the lyrics, instead of the official and formal language that had been heard in Israeli music up until then. In the early 1970s, Shalom traveled to London to record a solo album in English. While the album, titled Shalom, sold oout in Israel, it did not do as well internationally. Shalom returned to Israel in 1973, aware that writing in a language other than Hebrew did not suit him. After returning to the Holy Land, Shalom entertained IDF troops during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. And to this day, he continues to record and perform in his homeland, where he has certainly earned the title The King of Israeli Rock. Bibi Thanks Haley for Being a Tsunami of Fresh Air The Fellowship | March 9, 2018 Bibi Thanks Haley for Being a 'Tsunami of Fresh Air' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his American trip yesterday, visiting a United Nations exhibit on Jerusalem. Israel Hayoms Shlomo Cesana reports that Netanyahu met with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, and thanked her for her and her nations friendship: In response, Haley derided the anti-Israel bias in the U.N., saying Its amazing. I mean, really, it was just abusive before, and I think Ive told you that before. I mean, I feel bad for Danny [Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Danny Danon] and what hes had to put up with. It was abusive before. But its actually starting to get a little bit better, she continued. I mean, they dont want to get yelled at, right? So they just realized that. Chuckling, Netanyahu responded by saying so continue yelling, to which Haley replied its what I do. Netanyahu and Haley then discussed the threat posed by Iran. Netanyahu also criticized an inflammatory sign placed outside the U.N. exhibition, curated by Danon together with Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin and featuring photographs and archeological artifacts linking the people of Israel to Jerusalem. The sign contained the disclaimer that The content of this exhibit is solely the responsibility of the sponsors. The holding of the exhibit in U.N. premises does not imply endorsement by the United Nations. Please direct any queries to the organizers. Obviously the exhibit doesnt represent the U.N., Netanyahu said with contempt. It represents the truth This content is from: Primers The second instalment of this primer focuses on what banks still need to be fully prepared for cyber attacks Imperial Valley News Center Rewards for Justice - Reward Offer for Information on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Factions Key Leaders Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice Program is offering rewards for information leading to the identification or location of three key leaders associated with the terrorist organization Tehrike-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated factions. The Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on TTP leader Maulana Fazlullah, and up to $3 million each for information on Abdul Wali and Mangal Bagh. Maulana Fazlullah is the leader of the TTP, a terrorist organization that has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist acts against Pakistani and U.S. interests, including the failed attempt by Faisal Shahzad to detonate an explosive device in New York Citys Times Square on May 1, 2010. Under his leadership, the TTP has also claimed responsibility for the December 16, 2014, attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan in which gunmen killed 148 people, including 132 students. Fazlullah also is responsible for the June 2012, beheading of 17 Pakistani soldiers, and the October 9, 2012, shooting of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. In 2015, the Department designated Fazlullah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, which freezes all of his assets based in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons. Abdul Wali is the leader of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JUA), a militant faction affiliated with TTP. Under Walis leadership, JUA has staged multiple attacks in the region targeting civilians, religious minorities, military personnel, and law enforcement, and was responsible for the killing of two Pakistani employees of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar in early March 2016. Mangal Bagh is the leader of Lashkar-e-Islam, a militant faction affiliated with TTP. Under his leadership, LeI operatives have attacked NATO convoys. His group generates revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, and collection of taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In September 2007, the Government of Pakistan announced a reward offer of about $60,000 for the capture of, or information leading to the arrest of, Mangal Bagh. Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals. In addition to opposing the Pakistani military, one of TTPs stated goals is the expulsion of Coalition troops from Afghanistan. The group has demonstrated a close alliance with al-Qaida, and, since 2008, has also repeatedly publicly threatened to attack the U.S. homeland. More information about these reward offers is located on the Rewards for Justice website at www.rewardsforjustice.net . We encourage anyone with information on these individuals to contact the Rewards for Justice office via the website, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , phone (1-800-877-3927 in North America), or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C., 20520-0303, USA). Individuals may also contact the Regional Security Office at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. All information will be kept strictly confidential. The Rewards for Justice program is administered by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid in excess of $145 million to more than 90 people who provided actionable information that helped bring terrorists to justice or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide. Imperial Valley News Center AMAC calls for repeal of the Medicare Anti-Kickback Safe Harbor Statute Washington, DC - The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] has issued a call for its members and other concerned seniors to press their lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle, to repeal the Medicare Anti-Kickback Safe Harbor Statute. AMAC president Dan Weber argues that the law can permit criminal behavior by Group Purchasing Organizations [GPOs] for which seniors pay the consequences. And he promises that the association will call on members of Congress to investigate credible charges of abuse and seek repeal in face-to-face meetings. There is evidence that the laws intended purpose has been deliberately distorted. It was enacted purportedly to lower the costs of health care devices and medicines, particularly those critical to the health of seniors, by outlawing kickbacks. But instead of lowering costs, theres sufficient reason to believe the safe harbor statute is being abused. And, as a result, it has caused the prices of medical services and products to increase by tens of billions, if not hundreds of billions of dollars, over the past three decades, says Weber. Andrew Mangione, an AMAC vice president and an authority in the field of healthcare, recently exposed the dirty little secret that GPOs have been hiding in an opinion article he wrote for Townhall. The first hospital GPO was established more than a century ago and provided a valuable service by purchasing supplies in bulk for member institutions. It saved money for hospitals and their patients. Things changed drastically in 1987, according to Mangione, after Congress enacted a Medicare kickback safe harbor, which exempted GPOs from criminal prosecution for taking kickbacks from healthcare suppliers. The safe harbor was implemented in 1991 allowing vendors, not hospitals, to pay GPO administrative expenses. The GPOs mission abruptly changed from reducing medical supply costs for hospitals to essentially becoming an agent of vendors. The patient advocacy group Physicians Against Drug Shortages says what happened next is that GPOs no longer cared about saving hospitals money. Their goal now was to maximize fee (a.k.a kickback) revenue. And because GPO fees are based on a percentage of sales volume, the higher the price of hospital supplies, the more fees GPOs collect. These perverse incentives gave rise to a system in which vendors compete for exclusive GPO contracts based not on who can supply the best product at the best price, but on who can pay the highest fees. In effect, vendors buy market share from the GPOs for exclusive access to their member hospitals. The more they pay, the more market share they receive. As a result, many vendors favored by GPOs enjoy monopoly status. Weber says there has been little or no oversight by Congress of the safe harbor law. We should all be outraged and call for a serious and thorough investigation and demand accountability. Its been nearly 30 years since the law was put into effect and no one in authority has come forward to give it a thumbs-up, perhaps because it deserves a decisive thumbs-down. Its about time we learn the details. Hospital GPOs control more than $300 billion of spending on drugs and medical devices. At a time when medical costs are causing hardships for too many of our nations elderly citizens, is it too much to ask for a responsible audit of how that money is being spent? San Diego FBI Paralegal Specialist Lynn M. Morris Pleads Guilty to Theft of Nearly $160,000 in Government Funds San Diego, California - A paralegal specialist for the San Diego Division of the FBI pleaded guilty today to embezzling nearly $160,000 in government funds, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge James K. Cheng of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector Generals Los Angeles Field Division. Lynn M. Morris, 51, of San Diego, California, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement of government property. Morris will be sentenced on June 4 before U.S. District Court Judge Larry Alan Burns of the Southern District of California. According to admissions made in connection with her guilty plea, between July 2014 and November 2016, Morris embezzled approximately $159,821.90 that belonged to the United States and converted the funds for her own personal use. The funds were held in an account owned by the FBI San Diego Divisions Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU). From 2014 to 2016, Morris was a paralegal specialist and the designated coordinator for the AFU. Morris admitted that to convert government funds to her own use, she used her knowledge and position within the FBI to withdraw cash from the AFUs account and deposited portions of the stolen proceeds into her personal checking account. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Marco A. Palmieri and Jessica C. Harvey of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. courtesy of: San Diego Newscape Alabama Resident and Ringleader of Multi-Million Dollar Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Schemes Sentenced to Prison Washington, DC - A Phoenix City, Alabama, resident was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in masterminding multiple stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) schemes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Departments Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. of the Middle District of Alabama. William Anthony Gosha III, a/k/a Boo Boo, was convicted, following a jury trial in November 2017, of one count of conspiracy, 22 counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and 25 counts of aggravated identity theft. According to the evidence presented at trial and sentencing, between November 2010 and December 2013, Gosha ran a large-scale identity theft ring with his co-conspirators, Tracy Mitchell, Keshia Lanier, and Tamika Floyd, who were all previously convicted and sentenced to prison. Together they filed over 8,800 tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that sought more than $22 million in fraudulent refunds of which the IRS paid out approximately $9 million. In November 2010, Gosha stole IDs of inmates from the Alabama Department of Corrections and provided the IDs to Lanier who used the information to seek fraudulent tax refunds. Gosha and Lanier agreed to split the proceeds. Gosha also stole employee records from a company previously located in Columbus, Georgia. In 2012, Lanier needed an additional source of stolen IDs and approached Floyd, who worked at two Alabama state agencies in Opelika, Alabama: the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Resources. In both positions, Floyd had access to the personal identifying information of individuals, including teenagers. Lanier requested that Floyd primarily provide her with identities that belonged to sixteen and seventeen year-olds. Floyd agreed and provided thousands of names to Lanier and others at Laniers direction. After receiving the additional stolen IDs, Gosha recruited Mitchell and her family to help file the fraudulent tax returns. Mitchell worked at a hospital located at Fort Benning, Georgia, where she had access to the personal identification information of military personnel, including soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan. She stole soldiers IDs and used their information to file fraudulent returns. In order to electronically file the fraudulent returns, Gosha, Lanier, and their co-conspirators applied for several Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFIN) with the IRS in the names of sham tax preparation businesses. Gosha, Lanier, and their co-conspirators then used these EFINs to file the returns and obtain tax refund related bank products from various financial institutions, which provided them with blank check stock. Gosha and his co-conspirators initially printed out the fraudulently obtained refund checks using the blank check stock. However, the financial institutions halted Goshas and his co-conspirators ability to print checks. As a result, they recruited U.S. Postal employees who provided Gosha and others with addresses on their routes to which the fraudulent refund checks could be directly mailed. In exchange for cash, these postal employees intercepted the refund checks and provided them to Gosha, Lanier, Mitchell and others. Gosha also directed tax refunds to prepaid debit cards and had those cards sent to addresses he controlled. In addition, between January 2010 and December 2013, Gosha participated in a separate SIRF scheme with Pamela Smith and others, in which Gosha sold the IDs that he had stolen from the Alabama Department of Corrections to Smith and others. Smith and others used the IDs to file returns that sought approximately $4.8 million in fraudulent refunds of which the IRS paid out approximately $1.85 million. Smith also has been convicted and sentenced to prison for this conduct. At Goshas sentencing, the government offered victim impact statements from several individuals whose identities were stolen, and from companies and governmental agencies where the identity theft breaches occurred. An Alabama Department of Public Health representative noted, the identity theft was not only devastating financially, but it also had a chilling effect on the departments ability to serve the residents of the State of Alabama. A mother of a young U.S. Army soldier who was an identity theft victim described the consequences of the fraud on her and her family, stating: While [my son] was fighting for our country and all back home[,] I received a very disturbing phone call from [an] Agent [] from the IRS that my son[,] while at Ft. Benning training to defend our country[,] the land of the free[,] had his identity stolen and fraudulent tax returns were filed with his social security number. This news was devastating to think that my [] 19-year-old son[,] who was defending the very freedom this country stands [for] [,] was wronged by one of those people [he] was willing to die for. My whole family could not believe what was happening. We now had to worry about this terrible act by one of our own. As I tried my best to keep composed and handle all of the gruesome mounds of paperwork to get this straightened out with the IRS, [my son] was then denied his tax refund [as result of this scheme]. This created a financial hardship on [him]. We were too afraid to tell [him] while he was deployed because we did not want to worry him and we wanted him to focus only on getting home alive and not have to worry about such an atrocious act by someone who did not even know [him]. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. Chief District Court Judge Keith Watkins ordered Gosha to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $9,052,049. Prior to Goshas sentencing, thirty of his co-conspirators have been sentenced, including Keisha Lanier who received 15 years and Tracy Mitchell who received over 13 years. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Franklin commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General who investigated this case and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Gregory P. Bailey of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama, who prosecuted the case. Mississippi Juvenile Detention Officers Indicted for Multiple Assaults and Cover-Up Greenwood, Mississippi - The Department of Justice announced that an officer at the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center in Greenwood, Mississippi was charged with assaulting two juveniles in his custody. The indictment, which was returned on February 21, but unsealed today, alleges that Edward Gibson, 28, punched and threw an electric fan at one juvenile, and struck the other juvenile in the head and body. A separate indictment also unsealed today charged his supervisor, Dianne Williams, 60, with writing a false report to cover up one of the assaults. The indictment alleges that Williams falsely wrote that she had no knowledge of the assault, when in fact she was aware of it. The indictments were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore, United States Attorney William C. Lamar of the Northern District of Mississippi, and Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Field Division. If convicted, Gibson faces a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment for each excessive force charge. Williams faces up to 20 years imprisonment on the false report charge. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Jackson Division of the Federal Bureau Investigation, with the cooperation of the Leflore County Sheriffs Department and the Leflore County Detention Center. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Mims of the Northern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Secretary of State Tillerson's Meeting With Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa today, his first stop on his first visit to Africa as U.S. Secretary of State. The Secretary emphasized long-standing U.S. commitment to and partnership with the Ethiopian people. The Secretary thanked the Prime Minister for Ethiopias continued leadership on regional humanitarian and security issues, noting specifically Ethiopias role as a host of refugees and one of the most significant contributors to peacekeeping operations, and the role Ethiopia can play in the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to improve regional relations. The Secretary encouraged completing the democratic reforms to broaden political participation, particularly in light of the ongoing government transition. The Secretary also stressed the role of the private sector and the desire to see increasing numbers of U.S. firms invest in and export to Ethiopia, who bring with them a focus on transparency and training. The Secretary commended the Prime Minister for his commitment to Ethiopias future, demonstrated by his decision to step down, to facilitate a peaceful transition, and to make way for further reforms. Its the end of an era for Goldman Sachs, and perhaps for Wall Street too. Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein, one of the industrys great survivors, and the institutions longest-serving boss in nearly half a century, is reportedly preparing to step down after 12 years at the top. Born in the Bronx, where his father was a bakery truck driver turned post office mail sorter and his mother a receptionist, his was an unpromising background from which to ascend to the very top of one of the street of dreams most prestigious institutions. His personal drive carried him to Harvard, and then a career as a lawyer, before he changed tack and decided to give investment banking a try. Rejected by the big names, including Goldman, he found a job with a small trading firm that came to be bought by Goldman where it, and its staff, were seen as the poor relations. That didnt last, as Goldman, which made its name as an advisor, especially to companies that wanted help with resisting hostile takeover approaches, started to see the potential in casino capitalism and the returns that could be reaped from it. The trading business exploded and Blankfein the gambler, who had a fondness for Las Vegas casinos in his legal days, was swept all the way up to the top as a result, assisted by his skill as a salesman, and his ability as a manager of traders. The understanding of risk, knowing when to take it and when to draw back, was said to be one of his great skills. But Goldman Sachs ultimately took too much, as did many others during the financial crisis, and ended up getting bailed out with $10bn in funds from Americas Troubled Asset Relief Programme (TARP). It paid back the money within a year, and the US taxpayer even made a profit. But life became tougher for Blankfeins bank when it couldnt rely on large tranches of borrowed money to boost its returns. It also became a household name and had to deal with unprecedented public criticism thanks to the perception of it as an exemplar of the everything bad about Wall Street. A great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money, was how Matt Taibibi memorably characterised it in Rolling Stone magazine in an article that also highlighted just how prevalent alumni had become in government circles around the world. Despite Mr Blankfeins best efforts, including an attempt to rebrand it as a tech company, and putting money up to back womens businesses, it has never quite shaken that off. Mr Blankfein also took some heat over his eye-popping salaries, and no wonder. Just dont expect him to show any shame on Twitter or anywhere else. The chief executive of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, will step down as the investment banks chief executive by the end of the year, according to a report. Mr Blankfein, 63, has spent 12 years at the helm of one of the most prominent financial institutions in the world and is among the longest-serving bosses on Wall Street, having helped navigate Goldman through the 2007-08 financial crisis. The news came in a report by The Wall Street Journal, which citing people familiar with the matter said Mr Blankfein would retire ahead of or early in Goldmans 150th anniversary year in 2019. But later, the CEO appeared to dismiss the announcement in a tweet, comparing himself to Huckleberry Finn. Its the @WSJs announcement...not mine, he wrote on Twitter. I feel like Huck Finn listening to his own eulogy. Mr Blankfein has outlasted several calls for his departure, even as Goldman was publicly vilified and chastised in Washington for the banks role in the mortgage meltdown. He also remained CEO while receiving treatment for cancer. On his watch, the bank ended up paying $550m, one of the largest penalties ever paid by a Wall Street firm, to the federal government to settle claims that it had misled investors about subprime mortgages, a type of loan granted to individuals with poor credit scores. Goldman did not admit to wrongdoing. Mr Blankfein has worked to rehabilitate the company and its image, but it has still not regained its once dominant position on Wall Street. Goldman is not looking beyond presidents and co-chief operating officers Harvey Schwartz and David Solomon to replace him, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The two men were promoted to their current positions in December 2016. It follows a typical succession plan pattern at the Wall Street bank, which tends to name two or three people into co-head roles until one of them proves to be the right choice for further promotion World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Schwartz, 53, had been a co-head of trading for several years before being named chief financial officer in 2012. Mr Solomon, 56, had been a co-head of investment banking. Goldmans former chief operating officer, Gary Cohn, had waited in the wings for years to succeed Mr Blankfein as CEO. But he left the bank last year to join the Trump administration as Donald Trumps chief economic adviser. Mr Cohn announced this week that he is resigning from his White House post, without saying what he plans to do next. The last time the top job at Goldman opened up, in 2006, there was less suspense about who would assume the role of CEO, the Journal said. Mr Blankfein was sole successor-in-waiting to Hank Paulson, who left to become US Treasury Secretary. A departure by Mr Blankfein would conclude his 36-year career at Goldman. He is the son of a postal worker who grew up in a Brooklyn housing estate. In 1982, he quit his job as a tax lawyer and joined the banks commodities group as a gold salesman, proceeding to work his from the trading desk to the top and becoming a billionaire in the process. Last year, he used his first ever tweet to make a jab at Mr Trump, joining US corporate leaders in responding to the presidents decision to ditch the Paris climate accord. Mr Blankfein labelled the move a setback for the environment and for the USs leadership position in the world. Mr Trump has said leaving the accord would save money and jobs. He underwent chemotherapy for lymphoma more than two years ago and confirmed that he was cancer-free in October 2016. Mr Blankfein said during an interview last year that he wanted to leave Goldman stronger than it was when I found it. Reuters contributed to this report British parents give their children less help with their education than mothers and fathers in most other countries - including the United States and India, according to a new global study. Just one in 10 parents in the UK spend the equivalent of at least an hour a day assisting their child with activities that support them academically like reading or helping with homework. The study, which questioned more than 27,000 parents across 29 countries, found that UK parents were among those worst for spending at least seven hours a week helping their child. India had the highest proportion of parents spending at least seven hours a week the equivalent of at least an hour a day - helping their child at 62 per cent, followed by Vietnam (50 per cent). In the United States, 22 per cent of parents spent this amount of time helping their child academically, along with 25 per cent in Italy. On average, British parents spend 3.6 hours a week helping their youngster, the poll calculates. The survey, published by global education charity the Varkey Foundation, does conclude that UK parents are among the most positive about the quality of teaching their child receives at school. Almost nine out of 10 (87 per cent) UK parents rate the quality of teaching at their child's school as fairly or very good - the joint third highest of all countries, alongside Estonia, India and Finland. However, the study shows that parents in the UK are divided over education standards over the last decade - with 33 per cent saying they had become worse, 28 per cent saying they had got better and 27 per cent believing they were the same. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA Overall, UK parents are positive about state schools with 68 per cent saying the quality of the schools is fairly, or very good, compared to a global average across the 29 countries of 45 per cent. But the study did find that half of British parents with a child at a state school said they would be fairly or very likely to send their child to an independent school if they could afford it. Vikas Pota, chief executive of the Varkey Foundation, said: "It's worrying to see that British parents are spending so little time helping their child with their education - lagging behind almost every other country we surveyed. "The fact that Indian parents are almost six times more likely to spend an hour a day helping their child with their education than British parents is sobering." But he added: Despite the pressure on school budgets, it is heartening to see that British parents are among the most confident in the world about the quality of teaching in their child's school, even if they are slightly less confident in the education system in the UK as a whole." Additional reporting by PA In 1960 an old US coastguard told a curious reporter a tale he had heard some 14 years before on the Pacific island of Nikumaroro Not long after the island was first settled in 1938, said Floyd Kilts, a local man was walking by the shore: There in the brush about 5ft feet from the shoreline he saw a skeleton. What attracted him to it were the shoes. Womens shoes, American kind Was this, the old coastguard wondered, the key to what really happened to Amelia Earhart , the aviation pioneer who had disappeared in 1937 while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world? Even in 1960, the mystery was assuming mythical proportions. Some were suggesting that Earhart had actually been on a secret spying mission for US President Franklin Roosevelt; that she had survived and returned to the US to live under a false identity. This photograph was cited as evidence that Earhart had been captured by the Japanese (National Archives) In time, there would be speculation that Earhart had been captured by the Japanese, sometimes with the embellishment that she had been forced to become the voice of Tokyo Rose, taunting US servicemen with propaganda broadcasts during the Second World War. The official US government position remained that Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan had crashed into the Pacific Ocean and died at sea while trying to reach Howland Island. Now Kilts was suggesting the pair had died as castaways on what had then been an uninhabited, waterless Pacific atoll some 350 miles from their intended destination. Beside the body, he said, Was a cognac bottle with fresh water in it for drinking. Further down the beach ... A mans skull. But not too many listened to the old coastguard man. In the telling and retelling between 1938 and 1960, his tale had acquired impossible embellishments, the addition of Natives as superstitious as the devil [who] threw the gunnysack full of bones overboard, scared of the spirits. It was only much later that Earhart investigators realised there had indeed been weather-beaten bones found on Nikumaroro. But even then the document trail showed that the British colonial authorities had dismissed the possibility of them belonging to the aviator. They were from a long-dead elderly male of Polynesian race, snapped the maverick Gilbert Islands District medical officer Dr Lindsay Isaac. It may be definitely stated that the skeleton is that of a MALE, added Dr D W Hoodless, principal of the Central Medical School, Fiji, with considerably more authority, in 1941. Nikumaroro was uninhabited when Amelia Earhart was attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world (Reuters) Now, though, a startling new analysis of the bleached bones has been conducted albeit using historical photographs because some time after 1941 the skeletal fragments really were discarded, and not by stereotypically superstitious natives. Writing in the journal Forensic Anthropology, University of Tennessee professor Richard Jantz challenges Dr Hoodless certainty that the bones were from a man. In the 1940s, says Prof Jantz, forensic osteology - the study of bones - was still in its early stages, and therefore, for all his eminence, Dr Hoodless might have got things wrong. Prof Jantzs own analysis - using everything from skeletal measurements to computer modelling to the work of a historical seamstress who could estimate "the inseam length and waist circumference of Earhart's trousers" - has come to the opposite conclusion. From a forensic perspective, writes Prof Jantz, The most parsimonious scenario is that the bones are those of Amelia Earhart Until definitive evidence is presented that the remains are not those of Amelia Earhart, the most convincing argument is that they are hers. Old Kilts, it seems, was right after all: Amelia Earhart really did die as a castaway on Nikumaroro. And if the mystery really has been solved, it may allow the focus to shift once and for all on to something else: not how Amelia Earhart died, but how she lived. In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart earhart2.jpg In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart earhart3.jpg In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart earhart1.jpg In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart earhart4.jpg In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart arhart6.jpg In pictures: US aviator Amelia Earhart earhart5.jpg Yes, wrote Dorothy Cochrane, curator of the Aeronautics Department at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum last year. We do want to know what happened to her. Why? Because Amelia Earhart dared to be different. Long before she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, long before she tried to become the first woman to fly around the world, Earhart was defying what she later called the inheritance of age-old customs, which produced the corollary that women are bred to timidity. She did it with courage. Please know that I am aware of the hazards, she wrote to her husband George Putnam, in her last letter before her final voyage. [But] Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others. She also did it with style. After the New York Times hailed her 1932 Atlantic crossing with the headline, Mrs Putnam flies Atlantic in record time, she wrote to Arthur Hays Sulzberger, the newspapers publisher, politely asking to be known professionally, not by reference to her husband, but as Amelia Earhart. When the newspaper complied, she gave them a photo for the boardroom, and she signed it Amelia Earhart (Putnam) * * See New York Times. She may have enjoyed being named by the Fashion Designers of America as one of the 10 best dressed women in the US in 1934, but from the start Earhart delighted in defying the expectations placed on young women. As a child, she climbed trees, hunted rats with a .22 rifle and kept a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about accomplished women. She took a car mechanics course, and when aged 23, she was first taken up in a plane, as a passenger on a 10-minute air show joy ride in 1920: "As soon as I left the ground, I knew I myself had to fly." She paid for her flying lessons with jobs that included being a truck driver. Shortly after completing her first solo flight in 1921, Earhart bought a second-hand Kinner Airster biplane, painted it bright yellow and nicknamed it the Canary. The next year she flew the Canary up to 14,000 feet, the world altitude record at the time for female pilots. Then in 1923 she got her pilots licence from the Federation Aeronautique, the world governing body for aeronautics. She was the 16th woman in the world to have such a pilots licence. It was during her spell as a social worker helping poor immigrants in a settlement house in Boston in 1928 that Earhart was asked if she wanted to join an expedition that would make her the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. She leapt at the chance even though, on the 20 hour, 40 minute flight from Newfoundland to Wales with Wilmer Stultz and Lou Gordon she was not herself able to take the controls of the Fokker FVII aeroplane. The flight, however, gave her a first taste of international fame, and bought her into contact with the publicist George P. Putnam, (GPP), who became her manager and - eventually - her husband. He proposed six times before she said yes. And on the morning of 7 February 1931, their wedding day, she sent him a letter. Dear GPP, she told him, There are some things which should be writ before we are married. You must know again my reluctance to marry, my feeling that I shatter thereby chances in work which means most to me. Please let us not interfere with the others work or play I cannot guarantee to endure at all times the confinements of even an attractive cage. Fifteen months after her wedding, On 21 May 1932, she became the first woman to complete a solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic. Four hours into her 2,026-mile flight, Earhart revealed, I saw flames shooting from the exhaust pipe. I became uneasy, she admitted. It would have taken four hours to return, however, so I thought it would be safer to go ahead. Then she realised the fuel tank of her Lockheed Vega 5B monoplane was leaking. She flew on, with the exhaust manifold of her engine burned out and only tomato juice to keep her own energy levels up. Fourteen hours and 56 minutes after leaving Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, she said, After scaring most of the cows in the neighbourhood, I pulled up in a farmers back yard. Have you flown far? a farmhand asked. From America, she replied. Earhart prepares for her last known take-off in Lae, New Guinea, 2 July 1937 (EPA) Earhart returned home to a ticker tape parade in New York. Congress awarded her the first Distinguished Flying Cross to be given to a woman. Back in Britain, praising her achievement while perhaps also revealing the prejudice she had to overcome, the Manchester Guardian reported: She has succeeded in proving that the flight is not beyond the knowledge and the capacity for sustained endurance which a woman can acquire. Earhart herself felt she had proved that men and women were equal in jobs requiring intelligence, coordination, speed, coolness, and willpower. By that time, she had already become the founder president of the Ninety-Nines, a group of 99 women out of 285 licensed female pilots in the US who came together to provide mutual support and encouragement. The group still exists today, as an international organisation representing women flyers from 44 countries. In 1935 Earhart became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific from Honolulu to Oakland, California. The time, for sustenance on the 2,408-mile flight, she took a thermos of hot chocolate. The next year an Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research was created, which would raise the $80,000 needed to buy the Lockheed Electra 10E two-motor all-metal monoplane that was going to take her and Noonan around the world. The money was raised with the help of Purdue University, Indiana, and writing about her world circling project Earhart allowed herself a considerable digression one that revealed her as a pioneer of more than just aviation. Purdue, she wrote, was a forward-looking institution and not just because it was one of the few universities in the world to have its own landing field. It is co-educational, wrote Earhart. Of its 6,000 students approximately 1,000 are women. The problems and opportunities of these girls were quite as much my concern as aviation matters. Perhaps I have something of a chip on my shoulder when it comes to modern feminine education I have known girls who should be tinkering with mechanical things instead of making dresses. Earhart allowed herself to dream of young women learning in a catch-as-can machine-shop, where girls may tinker to their heart's content with motors, lathes, jigsaws Peering up into the innards of engines, and likely as not get oil in their hair. One of my favourite phobias, she wrote, Is that girls, especially those whose tastes arent routine, often dont get a fair break. The situation is not new. It has come down through the generations, an inheritance of age-old customs, which produced the corollary that women are bred to timidity. Those words were published posthumously, in Last Flight, a collection of diary entries and notes gathered together by her husband, who, as she hoped he would, had never tried to keep her in an attractive cage. Noonan and Earhart had just 7,000 miles left of their 29,000-mile circumnavigation when they took off from Lae, New Guinea, on 2 July 1937. Earhart disproved the age-old notion that 'women are bred to timidity' (Getty Images) (Getty) They were heading for Howland Island, 2,556 miles away, where after a flight of at least 18 hours, the US Coast Guard cutter Itasca would be waiting with fuel. Two other ships were positioned along the expected flight route, with orders to turn on every one of their lights, to act as markers. Howland is such a small spot in the Pacific that every aid to locating it must be available, Earhart had insisted. Hoping to arrive at around dawn, they took off with the forecast predicting fair weather. Instead they encountered cloud, which made it hard for Noonan to use his preferred technique of navigating by the stars. At 7:42am the crew of the Itasca picked up a radio message from Earhart: We must be on you, but we cannot see you. Fuel is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000 feet. The ship tried to reply. Earhart and Noonan seemed not to hear. At 8.43am, Earhart radioed the ship: We are running north and south. Then she and Noonan were heard no more. As she had told her husband, Amelia Earhart knew the risks, but she was damned if she was going to give in to what some might have sought to characterise as feminine timidity. She had effectively made a record of her attitude before her first transatlantic expedition in 1928, when she left what she called popping off letters, in case she never returned. Dearest Dad, read the popping off letter to her father. Hooray for the last grand adventure! I wish I had won, but it was worthwhile anyway. Nine years later, the grand adventure finally claimed her, but by then it could never destroy her legacy. Her bleached bones may have ended up on Nikumaroro, but Amelia Earhart survives in the memory of her deeds, and in words which even now have the power to inspire anyone, of whatever gender. The most difficult thing, she once said. Is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are still fighting for their lives in hospital following the "outrageous" nerve agent attack in Salisbury, the Home Secretary has revealed. Amber Rudd did not provide any new details about the poison used as she visited the scene before meeting with the police officer who was left seriously ill after tending to the victims. "I understand people's curiosity about all those questions, wanting to have answers and there will be a time to have those answers," said Ms Rudd. "In terms of further options, that will have to wait until we're absolutely clear what the consequences could be and what the actual source of this nerve agent has been." Mr Skripal, 66, and daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench in The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury at around 4.15pm on Sunday. They remain in a critical but stable condition in intensive care at Salisbury District Hospital. Serjeant Nick Bailey from Wiltshire Police is in a "serious but stable" condition at the same hospital after he went to the aid of Mr Skripal and his daughter. Eighteen other people have been treated following the attack. Asked about their condition, Ms Rudd said: "Still very serious for the two people who were indeed the subject of this outrageous attack and for the police officer, I understand it's still serious, although he's still conversing and engaging.'' Ms Rudd later made a private visit to Salisbury District Hospital and met with DS Bailey. Lorna Wilkinson, director of nursing at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, said in a statement: "In addition to the three inpatients receiving treatment, in line with Public Health England guidance which asked anyone who was in the area and concerned to come forward if feeling unwell, we have seen and assessed a number of people who did not require further treatment. "The expert advice is that there is no evidence to suggest a wider public health risk at this time. If anyone is concerned about their health or displaying symptoms which give any cause for concern, they should dial 111 or 999 depending on the severity of their symptoms. "We are very proud of our staff and we would like to use this opportunity to thank them for the professionalism and the way they have responded to this incident." Investigators believe Mr Skripal may have become a target after using his contacts in the intelligence community to carry out freelance work for private security firms. He was jailed in Russia for 13 years in 2006 for passing secrets to MI6 but moved to the UK in 2010 as part of a "spy swap". Specialist chemical and biological warfare units from the military are investigating the graves of Sergei Skripals wife and son after being deployed to Salisbury. The investigation into the nerve agent attack on the former Russian double agent and his daughter Yulia intensified as up to 200 military personnel from the Army, Royal Marines and RAF moved in. Counter-terror police, who are leading the probe, said they requested help to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury town centre as they have the necessary capability and expertise. Targets included Mr Skripals car, an ambulance, air-ambulance helicopter and police vehicle, which were covered by people wearing protective gear and driven away on military lorries. Officers wearing hazmat suits were seen placing a blue forensic tent over a memorial stone for the former spys son, Alexander, and nearby grave of his wife Liudmila. They were both thought to have died of natural illnesses but the cause of their deaths in 2017 and 2012 respectively have come under renewed focus following the brazen attempt on Mr Skripals life. Witnesses said investigators placed items from the graves in yellow barrels for hazardous materials, while taking others away in blue bags, potentially for further tests. A police tent covers the grave of Sergei Skripals son, Alexander, in Salisburys London Road Crematorium (EPA) The potential lethality of the nerve agent used against the Skripals is so severe that decontamination operations are taking longer than initially expected and may go on into next week. Those deployed include personnel from the Defence Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Centre and bomb disposal experts from the 29 Ordnance Group, as well as the Falcon Squadron of the Royal Tank Regiment, who use mobile laboratories for tests and decontamination. Specialist operations continued as Mr Skripal and his daughter remained in a very serious condition in intensive care, while a police officer also exposed to the nerve agent is conscious and talking from his hospital bed. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey was among the first officers sent to the bench where the pair were found unconscious on Sunday afternoon, and then onwards to Mr Skripals suburban home. Samples from the victims have already been tested by experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, a secretive military facility where nerve agents have been developed and tested over decades of controversial research. Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, said Fridays intervention built on the vital expertise and information already provided by military scientists. We have the right people with the right skills to assist with this crucial inquiry, he added. As the race to find out how Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned and who by the Home Secretary visited the scene where they were found on Friday morning and met DS Bailey in hospital. I understand people wanting to have answers [about the nerve agent and culprit], and there will be a time to have those answers, Amber Rudd said. Military personnel making their way to Salisbury city centre on Friday But the best way to get to them is to give the police the space they need to really go through the area carefully, to do their investigation and to make sure that they have all the support that they need. Ms Rudd is to chair an emergency meeting of the Governments Cobra committee at 3pm on Saturday to receive updates on the police case, Downing Street said. Officials have described the nerve agent used, which affected a total of 21 people, as very rare but investigators have not named the precise chemical used. They are looking at the possibility that Mr Skripal was targeted at his home, where sources told The Independent a package containing the nerve agent may have been delivered and opened in the presence of his daughter. Lord Blair, who was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner when Alexander Litvinenko was assassinated, said it was significant that DS Bailey had visited the property. Recommended Russian spy Sergei Skripal may have been poisoned at Salisbury home Mr Litvinenko, another former Russian spy who was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, was poisoned with polonium-210 ingested via a cup of tea at a London hotel. Lord Blair said the radioactive trail was dangerous but pretty clear, letting investigators trace the Russian agents who allegedly administered the substance to the plane they boarded back to Moscow. That was a reasonably fast activity, whereas this is going to be slower because they need, first of all, to find out how this was delivered, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Id hope [there is a trail in Salisbury] clearly what they are trying to find out at the moment is how the nerve agent was delivered and there obviously are some indications. The officer, and Im very sorry that he has been injured, has actually been to the house, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. Home Secretary Amber Rudd visits the scene of the nerve agent attack in Salibsury (Getty) So there may be some clues floating around in here. Forensic tests have also been carried out at a branch of the Zizzi restaurant chain and The Mill pub in Salisbury, where witnesses say Mr Skripal began to behave in an agitated manner following lunch with his daughter. They arrived in Salisbury for lunch at around 1.30pm on Sunday and were found unconscious on a bench at around 4.15pm under three hours later. A witness who saw the pair in The Mill said Mr Skripal was behaving erratically and shouting loudly at one point behaviour that could be linked to the onset of his symptoms. The pair were caught on CCTV walking down an alley near where they fell unconscious on a bench at 4.08pm on Sunday, minutes before emergency services were called. Freya Church, a 27-year-old local resident who saw them on the bench, said: She [Ms Skripal] was leaning on him, slumped. She looked passed out and he was looking up, doing these hand movements. His eyes were glazed. A passing doctor described Ms Skripal vomiting and fitting after losing control of her bodily functions. The woman moved the 33-year-old into the recovery position and opened her airway, as others tended to her father. All the symptoms are consistent with nerve agents, which vary in strength according to type, concentration and how they are administered. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA 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 Security officials say the specific chemical used would have been difficult to obtain and could only have come from a state run or state-licensed laboratory. Chemical weapons experts told The Independent the nerve agent could have been administered in a variety of ways, including in food or drink, or in the form of a spray or liquid. Dr Patricia Lewis, research director for International Security at Chatham House, said nerve agents act extremely rapidly if inhaled possibly killing people within minutes and more slowly if absorbed through the skin. You can impregnate them in liquid form into clothing and fabrics, she told The Independent. It looks like they were both exposed at exactly the same time, otherwise one of them would have been more alert and able to call the emergency services. Suspicion has turned to the Russian government, which jailed Mr Skripal for treason in 2006, or former spies he betrayed while working for MI6 during his time as a colonel in the GRU military intelligence service. Security officials say that 66-year-old Mr Skripal was no longer an active MI6 asset, but he may have become a target by attempting to freelance for private intelligence companies run by former spies. Ministers have declined to say who is believed to be responsible in the wake of high-level Cobra and National Security Council meetings, but threatened further sanctions against Russia if state involvement is found. The Russian government has vehemently denied involvement in the attack with foreign minister Sergey Lavrov saying: We havent heard a single fact, we only watch reportages on TV where our colleagues [British politicians] say with pathos, with serious faces, that if this was done by Russia then the response will be such that Russia will remember forever. This is dishonest, this is pure propaganda, pure fanning of hysterics and hysteria. Investigators probing the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter believe they may have been poisoned in his home, as the hunt for culprits continues. Sources told The Independent that the toxin could have been sent to Sergei Skripal in a package that he opened in the presence of his daughter Yulia, exposing them both. Lord Blair, who was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner when Alexander Litvinenko was assassinated, said a police officer who fell ill had visited the property in Salisbury. Mr Litvinenko, another former Russian spy who was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, was poisoned with polonium ingested via a cup of tea at a London hotel. Lord Blair said the radioactive trail was dangerous but pretty clear, letting investigators trace the Russian agents who allegedly administered the substance to the plane they boarded back to Moscow. That was a reasonably fast activity, whereas this is going to be slower because they need, first of all, to find out how this was delivered, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Id hope [there is a trail in Salisbury] - clearly what they are trying to find out at the moment is how the nerve agent was delivered and there obviously are some indications. Met Police say a police officer is in a critical condition after a 'nerve agent' was used against Sergei Skripal and his daighter The officer, and I'm very sorry that he has been injured, has actually been to the house, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasn't been affected at all. So there may be some clues floating around in here. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, hailed as a well-loved and massively dedicated officer, remains in intensive care but is conscious and talking in his hospital bed. The Skripals are in a very serious condition in intensive care, and it is not known whether they will recover from the attack. A total of 21 people received treatment of varying levels after being exposed to the unnamed nerve agent, police said, but did not elaborate on how they may have come into contact with it. Up to 180 military personnel have been deployed to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury town centre as they have the necessary capability and expertise, police said. The Independent understands that units from the Army, RAF and Navy are being deployed alongside experts in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) warfare. They will be visiting numerous scenes cordoned off around Salisbury, including the bench where Mr Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on Sunday, the former double agents home, his car and an ambulance station housing the vehicle that took them to hospital. Forensic tests have also been carried out at a branch of the Zizzi restaurant chain and The Mill pub in Salisbury, where witnesses say Mr Skripal began to behave in an agitated manner following lunch with his daughter. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey fell seriously ill after attending Mr Skripal's home (Wiltshire Police) Samples from the victims have already been tested by experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, a secretive military facility where nerve agents have been developed and tested over decades of controversial research. Authorities have not named the precise nerve agent used in the attack, but Amber Rudd described it as very rare, ruling out the well-known and easily manufactured chemical weapon sarin. The term is broad description for chemicals because they affect the nervous symptoms, with the most potent normally causing death by suffocation as respiratory muscles are paralysed. First developed as weapons by German chemists in the 1930s, the most-used types are sarin, tabun, soman, GF and VX, which was used to assassinate the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Malaysia last year. They are extremely toxic and have a rapid effect, but the speed varies on whether the chemical is a gas, aerosol or liquid, and is eaten or enters the body through inhalation or through the skin. If victims are exposed to a high concentration of nerve agent they can die within minutes, particularly if it is breathed in or ingested in food. Poisoning takes longer when the nerve agent enters the body through the skin, with the first symptoms not occurring until 20 to 30 minutes after initial exposure, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The speed of action also depends on the strength of the agent itself with VX typically being the most lethal, followed by soman, sarin and tabun. 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 Low doses cause minor poisoning, with symptoms including salivating, running noses, chest pressure, slurring and nausea. A higher dose can cause difficulty breathing, coughing, cramping, vomiting, convulsions, the loss of bodily functions, unconsciousness and muscular paralysis. The symptoms match witness descriptions of Mr Skripal and his daughter, who arrived in Salisbury for lunch at around 1.30pm on Sunday and were found unconscious on a bench at around 4.15pm almost three hours later. If they were exposed to the substance before leaving his home, it is likely that the effect was slowed by entering through the skin or a lower dosage. Freya Church, a 27-year-old local resident who saw the pair on the bench, said: She [Ms Skripal] was leaning on him, slumped. She looked passed out and he was looking up, doing these hand movements. His eyes were glazed. A passing doctor went to help Ms Skripal described her vomiting and fitting after losing control of her bodily functions. The woman, who asked not to be named, moved Ms Skripal into the recovery position and opened her airway, as others tended to her father. A witness who saw the pair a short time earlier in The Mill pub said Mr Skripal was behaving erratically and shouting loudly at one point - behaviour that could be linked to the onset of his symptoms. The nerve agent used would have been difficult to obtain and could have only been manufactured in a specialist laboratory, according to a Whitehall official with knowledge of the investigation. The substance would, it is claimed, have been relatively easy to make but the relative rarity of the material and the damage it can cause points towards the production taking place in state-controlled facilities and tracing it could point towards those who wanted Mr Skripal murdered. The inaugural Rupert Cornwell Prize for Journalism has been won by Rachel Savage, a freelancer who has recently been working in West Africa. The annual award is aimed at younger journalists towards the start of their careers, and Ms Savage, 27, greatly impressed the panel of judges with her proposal for a series of features from the frozen north of Canada. She will explore the challenges and opportunities facing First Nation Canadians at a time of rapid economic and environmental change. Ms Savage said: Indigenous Canadians stories are rarely heard, and I hope to go some way to correcting that deficit. Statistically, First Nations people are suffering. Sixty per cent of children on First Nation reservations live in poverty; aboriginal women are three times more likely to experience violence than other Canadian women; and youth suicide rates are six times higher. However, the story of the land where the trees end and the tundra begins is not a straightforward one of destitution and despair. I am looking forward to reporting on some of the countless examples of humanity, resilience and creativity. The 5,000 prize is supported by The Independent, and will be awarded by the Rupert Cornwell Trust. On behalf of the judges and the trust, Cornwells widow Susan Cornwell, US congressional correspondent for Reuters, praised Rachels originality and obvious passion for her trade. She plainly has a bright future ahead of her and I am particularly pleased that the prize is to go to someone who aspires to the kind of reportage for which Rupert was so admired. She is an extremely worthy winner, and from a strong field. We were all impressed by her, and she emerged as the consensus choice. Ms Savage has contributed to The Economist, Management Today, The Times and the Daily Telegraph, among others. In a competition which attracted a generally very high standard of entries, the judges also highly commended Lorenzo DAgostino, Lemma Shehadi and Sam Lovett for their proposals, all of which showed tremendous potential. The Rupert Cornwell Award was established in memory of the distinguished foreign correspondent and writer who died a year ago. It is designed to fund a suitable journalistic project in one of the broad regions Cornwell covered North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union. It also commemorates one of the great foreign correspondents of modern times. He embodied the spirit of the newly launched Independent in 1986, and he remained one of its the wisest and most eloquent voices until his death last year, aged 71, still writing for the title. From his earliest reports for the Financial Times from Rome to chronicling the fall of the USSR to his last pieces on the Trump phenomenon, he remained a source of inspiration for all of his colleagues, and now for a new generation of writers as well. Liam Fox has said it would be absurd for the UK to be hit by punishing trade tariffs on steel imports to the US, and vowed to seek an exemption from Donald Trump on a visit to Washington next week. The International Trade Secretary said Mr Trumps plan to impose sweeping tariffs on metal imports was the wrong way to deal with the problem of cheap overseas steel, as the move prompted fears of a transatlantic trade war. The President announced on Thursday that he had signed an executive order to slap tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, as part of efforts to protect American jobs and national security but he hinted that exemptions would be possible for allies such as Canada and Mexico. Recommended Donald Trump signs order imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium However, the trade body UK Steel warned the tariffs could have a profound and detrimental impact on the industry, while union leaders demanded action to protect British jobs and avoid a global trade war. Dr Fox, who will fly to Washington for talks next week, said the UK produces very high value steel, some of which cant be sourced in the United States and will simply push up the price of steel there. He told BBC Question Time: We also make steel for the American military programme, so its doubly absurd that we should then be caught on an investigation on national security. So our view is yes, we can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel, but this is the wrong way to go about it. Protectionism, tariffs, never really work. Asked if Britain could be exempt, he said: We will have to wait to see what the announcements are; we will have to wait to see if there is a time for negotiation. Thats why I am going to Washington next week. Surrounded by workers in the White House, Mr Trump confirmed the 25 per cent levy on steel imports and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium in response to an assault on our country from cheap overseas metal. He said the US will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security. UK Steels director Gareth Stace said the tariffs would have a profound and detrimental impact on the UK steel sector, which exported some 350,000 tonnes of products to the US in 2017, over 7 per cent of its total exports. The UK sector is in the midst of a fragile recovery following years of considerable turmoil, it would be utterly devastating if this were to be undermined, he added. But the industry also fears the indirect consequences of Mr Trumps actions, which could lead to cheap Chinese steel being dumped on European markets instead of sold to the US. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of steelworkers union Community, said: Donald Trumps short-sighted strategy will put jobs at risk on both sides of the Atlantic. It is now more important than ever that Theresa May and Liam Fox use every bit of influence they have left in America to protect the jobs of British steelworkers. The steel crisis cost our industry thousands of jobs, and the last thing we need now is a global trade war. 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 Downing Street dodged questions about whether the UK could be offered an exemption to the US tariffs as an EU member, or during the planned Brexit transition period due to last until the end of 2020 or whether an offer would be accepted. A spokesperson promised to robustly defend the UK steel industry, saying: Tariffs are not the right way to address the global problem of overcapacity. That requires a multilateral solution. Liam Fox is travelling to the US next week to get more detail. The important part of this process is to get that detail and then consider the next steps. But when pressed on whether EU rules could block the UK from benefiting from a bilateral exemption until after any Brexit transition, the spokesman said only: We want to work with our partners to consider the scope for exemptions. Obviously, we remain a full member of the EU, and thats why were going to work with our EU partners. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, whose South Wales constituency includes Port Talbot steelworks, said Ms May had let down British workers by failing to stand up to the US President. And Shadow Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner wrote Dr Fox, saying: For an entire week you have failed to come to the House of Commons to tell Parliament what representations you have made to the United States of the European Union to protect UK steel producers. Why? Do you not care that 32,000 skilled men and women who work in our steel sector are fearful for their jobs and their families future? They are waiting to hear some words of support from this Government for their industry. When will you do the decent thing and come to the House to made a statement? The EUs trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, said the bloc should be excluded from the measures and she would meet US trade representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss the situation on Saturday. Saudi Arabia has signed a provisional agreement with the British Government to buy 48 of the UKs Typhoon fighter jets. If finalised, the deal struck on the final day of the visit from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman would be a major boost for BAE Systems which employs some 35,000 people in Britain. But with the Saudi regime embroiled in a bloody bombing campaign in Yemen, which has killed large numbers of civilians and precipitated a humanitarian crisis, the deal will anger anti-war campaigners. Announcing the deal after a meeting with the Crown Prince, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said it had opened a new chapter in our two countries historic relationship. The cabinet minister went on: We have taken a vital step towards finalising another order for Typhoon jets that will increase security in the Middle East and boost British industry and jobs in our unrivalled aerospace sector. In October, BAE announced 1,400 job cuts in its aerospace division across five sites over the next three years, partly due to a slowdown in Typhoon production so the new deal, potentially worth some 10bn, will significantly boost the firms prospects. BAE CEO Charles Woodburn said the memorandum of intent is a step towards a full contract for the planes, with the company having signed a 5bn deal to provide 24 jets to Qatar in December. Devastation on the ground in Yemen displayed by International Rescue Committee in shocking video He added: We are committed to supporting the kingdom as it modernises the Saudi armed forces and develops key industrial capabilities critical to the delivery of Vision 2030. Vision 2030 is the country-wide reform programme that Prince Salman has been credited with pushing through, which has also seen his supporters hailing him as a social reformer who has, for example, empowered women to a degree not before seen in the kingdom. But activists point to the countrys bombing of Yemen as a sign that Saudi is not a country the UK should be dealing with. UK government statistics show that since the bombardment of Yemen began in 2015, the UK has already licensed 4.6bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia, including 2.7bn worth of licences for aircraft, helicopters and drones and a further 1.9bn worth for grenades, bombs, missiles and countermeasures. The new deal will see Saudi forces able to deploy the fighters seen as the most advanced swing-role combat aircraft currently available which have a top speech of more than 1,500mph and carry a formidable array of weapons for both ground and air combat. 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 Andrew Smith, of Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: If agreed, this shameful deal will be celebrated in the palaces of Riyadh and by the arms companies who will profit from it, but it will mean even greater destruction for the people of Yemen. For decades now, successive UK governments have enjoyed a toxic and damaging relationship with the Saudi regime. By rolling out the red carpet for the Crown Prince, Theresa May has shown how low she will sink to maintain it. A humanitarian disaster is now taking place in Yemen as a direct result of the Saudi-led bombing and blockade Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn According to the United Nations and other sources, from March 2015 to December 2017, between 9,000 and 14,000 people have been killed in Yemen, with more than 5,000 of them thought to be civilians. Giving a speech in Scotland today ahead of the announcement, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: We have demanded Theresa Mays Government uses the visit this week of Saudi Arabias ruler Mohammad bin Salman to halt British arms sales to Saudi Arabia, while its devastating bombing of Yemen continues and demand an immediate ceasefire. Heartbreaking moment Yemeni TV newsreader Mohammed al-Dhabyani announces his brother's death live on air A humanitarian disaster is now taking place in Yemen as a direct result of the Saudi-led bombing and blockade. Millions face starvation and hundreds of thousands of children have cholera while thousands of civilians have been killed. Saudi Arabia is the main player in a coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis in a campaign that has raged since 2015. Ahead of his visit, the Crown Prince signalled the importance of the UK-Saudi Arabia relationship to security, saying both countries would be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia. While Ms Mays spokesman has underlined that she raised our deep concerns at the humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Prime Minister has also been keen to boost business ties with the Gulf state, agreeing a joint goal to achieve 65bn of mutual trade and investment in coming years something Ms May has called a vote of confidence in Britain as it leaves the EU. The London Stock Exchange is also currently pushing for the Saudi Aramco oil company to be listed in the capital, in what has been described as the biggest flotation in history. The Crown Prince was treated to a private dinner with the Prime Minister at Chequers on Thursday night and has also met with the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge during his visit. Two supporters of US President Donald Trump were caught on video threatening to burn down a bookstore in Berkeley, California. Revolution Books posted the video on YouTube of the man and woman coming into the store and threatening employees. The man, wearing Mr Trumps signature, red Make America Great Again hat, called a staffer commie scum and said: were going to burn down your bookstore. They call themselves Western Chauvinists, and they're all Trump supporters, employee Reiko Redmonde told local news station KRON4. The video starts with the female presidential supporter asking the staffer: Im racist because I support our president? The staffer said, yes, she did think the woman was racist for supporting Mr Trump. The staffer then informed the couple they were being filmed and asked to "please leave" the shop to which the man responded: "This is America, f*** you! 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 man also said that the only customers who bought books there were "antifa pieces of s***," referring to the term for the growing anti-facist movement in the US. Standing outside the store, the man yelled at the staffer and others that they were "anti-American" and "anti-white racists". The store has been a target for alt-right groups, who support Mr Trump, for the last several months and the threats have gotten increasingly more violent. The threats reportedly began after former Breitbart News editor and right-wing activist Milo Yiannopoulos, was scheduled to speak at nearby University of California - Berkeley last year. They're about making America great again, which is about making America white again, the employee said. Rafaael Kadaris, another employee, called the all-volunteer bookshop the "political and intellectual centre for an actual revolution". A fierce dispute has arisen between Frida Kahlos relatives and the corporation which claims it possesses the rights to her image after a toy company announced the Frida doll. Mattel, a US multinational toy company, revealed a Barbie version of the late radical Mexican painter this week as part of an Inspiring Women series. Kahlos family allege the rights to the feminist icons image have been stolen and Mattel is not allowed to base a figurine on her. The family have also accused Mattel of distorting Kahlos appearance and disregarding the values the artist - who used her work to explore questions of postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society - stood for. (AP (AP) Mrs Mara Romeo, great-niece of Frida Kahlo, is the sole owner of the rights of the image of the illustrious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, the family said in a statement. But both Mattel, a firm with headquarters in California, and the Frida Kahlo Corporation have rejected the claims. Recommended How Frida Kahlo became a trinket for a Conservative leader Since Kahlo, the most popular and recognisable Mexican artist in the world, died in 1954 her image has been appropriated to generate a plethora of consumer products. Her face has been emblazoned on everything from lipstick to tequila to handbags. Ironically, Kahlo herself was a communist. She joined the Mexican Communist Party in 1927 where she met her husband and celebrated muralist Diego Rivera and was thrust headfirst into a tight-knit circle of activists and artists. 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 artist, who is famed for her self-portraits, was known for decorating her corsets with hammer and sickles. She was even laid to rest under a communist flag when she died. Critics have vented their frustrations about the fact the doll does not accurately represent Kahlos heavy eyebrows and have argued the costume fails to accurately depict the intricate, iconic Tehuana-style dresses Kahlo wore. They have also criticised its slim figure and the lack of any trace of the childhood polio or injuries caused by a bus crash that meant the artist was debilitated for lengthy periods of time. 'Self-Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser' from Hidden Frida Kahlo (Prestel) Mattel insisted the firm possessed the correct permission to produce the representation of Kahlo. Mattel has worked in close partnership with the Frida Kahlo Corporation, the owner of all rights related to the name and identity of Frida Kahlo, on the creation of this doll, a spokesperson told the BBC. In addition to the Frida Kahlo Corporation being an important part of the doll development process, we have their permission and a legally binding agreement to make a doll in the likeness of the great Frida Kahlo. Mattel also provided a statement from the Frida Kahlo Corporation in which it said it gained its rights to reproduce Kahlo's image from Kahlo's niece, Isolda Pinedo Kahlo. Kahlo, who is about to have a street in San Francisco renamed in her honour, has become an icon for political movements and minority groups such as the LGBT+ community, feminism, and the Chicanos in the wake of her death. Two SWAT officers in Southern Florida have been suspended from the tactical team for responding to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month. The two officers who were members of the Miramar police department and not the Broward County Sheriffs Department, which was in charge of the emergency response were reportedly near the school when they heard about the shooting and sprung into action. But, their departments department has decided that they can no longer be on the elite Swat force, since they did not receive prior approval from their superior officers, and presented a safety risk by showing up without being called for. Recommended Parkland high school students were not impressed by Betsy DeVos The union representing the two men does not agree. While it may have been a violation of policy to not notify their supervisors that they were going there, their intentions were brave and heroic, I think, Jeff Marano, the president of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Miramar police spokeswoman Tania Rues told that paper that the officers were Detective Jeffrey Gilbert, and Detective Carl Schlosser. One was in the area, she said, while it was not clear where the other was at the time. Florida shooting in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting in pictures Florida shooting in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP The Miramar police were not dispatched to the scene in an active capacity to respond to the Feb 14 attack that left 17 dead, but they were on stand by. They were never called up to help by the Broward County Sheriffs Department, though, and instead were involved with grief counseling and traffic direction. The decision not to send in more officers beyond those who were dispatched appears to have been according to the current consensus on how police forces should respond to mass shooting events. Past shootings have showed that, a massive police response can have certain unintended consequences that limit the response capacity including jamming up roads with police when other resources might need to be delivered to the area. Ms Rues referenced the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, as an example that shows that controlled, organised response is what is most effective. A Republican Senate candidate in Missouri says he has been locked out of his Facebook account for running an AR-15 giveaway. Republican Austin Petersen says he was blocked from his personal account after posting a campaign fundraiser video, in which promised to give away a semi-automatic rifle similar to that used in the school shooting in Parkland, Florida last month. Mr Petersen, a pro-Trump candidate running to unseat Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, said he sympathised with the families of the Parkland victims. But he added that the rifle was donated to his campaign by a supporter, and he was not in a position to pass up the free fundraising opportunity. Im an underdog with far fewer resources [than the other candidates,] who depends on grassroots support, like from the supporter who donated this to me, he said. The candidate added: Its been a very successful fundraiser for us, and ultimately I believe its the right thing to do. He also said the giveaway would reassure supporters that he remained a strong supporter of the second amendment despite recent, nationwide calls for stricter gun control laws. It sends a very powerful statement, when people are talking about restrictions on firearms, that I do support the right of people to keep and bear arms, he said. Florida shooting in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting in pictures Florida shooting in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP The video in question was posted on 6 March, less than three weeks after a gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 students and staff members with an AR-15. The video shows Mr Petersen seated in a leather chair in front of a large American flag, occasionally brandishing drawings of a semi-automatic rifle. The candidate warns viewers that their second amendment rights are in danger here in Missouri and nationwide and tells them they should be concerned. He also suggests eliminating gun-free zones at schools and allowing teachers to carry weapons proposals floated by President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association in the wake of the Parkland shooting. He then directs viewers to go to his campaign website, where they can enter to win an AR-15 of their own. Father of Florida victim: 'We, as a country, failed our children' Shortly after he posted the video, Mr Petersen said, he received a message from Facebook telling him one of his videos had been removed for violating their code of conduct. They also told him he would be barred from posting and messaging on his account for 30 days. Screenshots the candidate sent to The Independent appear to confirm this. He later said the video had been removed entirely. A Facebook spokesperson said the company's community standards prohibit attempts by private individuals to purchase, sell, or trade firearms. Advertising a rifle giveaway fell under that category, the spokesperson said. Mr Petersen's complaint comes as other right-wing figures claim they are being "purged" or "locked out" from social media accounts. YouTube, for example, conducted a sweep of suspicious accounts after the Parkland shooting, when conspiracy theories about the survivors spread rapidly on the platform. The sweep resulted in a number of far-right personalities being barred from their accounts, spawning the hashtag #YouTubePurge. Others railed against the #TwitterLockout, when the social media site temporarily suspended accounts it suspected of being bots. Some conservatives claimed they were unfairly targeted and lost hundreds of followers in the sweep. Mr Petersen is an outside candidate in the Missouri race, in which six Republicans are vying for the chance to compete against Ms McCaskill in the November general election. The GOP appears confident that a solid candidate can unseat Ms McCaskill a vulnerable Democrat in a state that Mr Trump won by 20 points. The frontrunner in the Republican primary is Josh Hawley, the current Missouri attorney general. The race has also attracted other, less likely candidates like Mr Petersen, as well as Courtland Sykes a Navy veteran who recently attracted media attention for calling feminists she devils. Mr Sykes later received the endorsement of Roy Moore, the former Alabama Senate candidate who lost his race amid reports that he had sexually abused teenage girls. A meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place by May, according to South Korean officials. The extraordinary turn of events follows months of rising tensions and nuclear posturing between the two countries. It will be the first face-to-face meeting to occur between a sitting US President and North Korean leader in history. Mr Trump said last May that he would be willing to meet with Mr Kim under the right circumstances but he insisted sanctions against the secretive communist state would stay intact. Since then the pair have traded insults and North Korea has launched a series of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. In September the country conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date. Now that the leaders have agreed to meet, the worlds attention will focus on whether the stalemate between the two nations can be resolved. Where will they meet? Mr Kim has not left North Korea since he took office so it is likely that officials will push for Mr Trump to go to Pyongyang. The US would undoubtedly prefer Washington. A reception in Europe or China could also be proposed, but unless the countries agree to a third-country location, which would likely be South Korea, experts see it as more likely that Mr Trump will fly to the North Korea capital. Mr Trump might be willing to do so, because it would fit the strong-willed, in-your-face type of leadership he tries to project, said Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification. 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 However the security situation in the North Korean capital might make a meeting there difficult. It is possible the leaders will meet in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea - in the Panmunjom DMZ border complex. South Koreas foreign minister said her government is consulting with the US on the planned summit between the leaders. What will they discuss? Mr Trump has been very clear from the beginning that he will not reward North Korea for talks and will only accept the permanent denuclearisation of the country, according to a White House spokesperson. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Mr Trump made the decision to meet with Mr Kim due to how forward-leaning he had been in his conversations with South Korea. Mr Tillerson said Mr Trump made the decision himself after determining the time was right for talks but not formal negotiations. South Koreas Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said if the summit does take place, it will ensure its a meaningful meeting with good outcome. When will it happen? It is unclear when the meeting will take place but Mr Tillerson said it will take some weeks to arrange the timing for their meeting. A summit between Mr Kim and South Koreas president in a Korean border village is planned at the end of April. It is believed Mr Trumps meeting with Kim would likely be held sometime in May. A national security official under former President Barack Obama said it is impossible for President Donald Trump to be ready by May to have a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Samantha Vinograd, former senior adviser for the National Security Council, said: "There is no way that President Trump can be ready, by May, to have a high stakes negotiation on denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, it's just impossible. The reclusive and mercurial Mr Kim had extended an invitation to meet, which Mr Trump accepted in a reversal of the publicly tense relations between the two. The proposed meeting in May would not the first time Pyongyang has participated in negotiations. China hosted a series of talks involving South Korea, Russia, Japan, and the US in early 2000s. During the Winter Olympics, Mr Kim's sister Kim Yo-Jong became the first member of the family to set foot in South Korea and meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. And, though Ms Vinograd said on CNN that this situation may be different, "that doesn't mean we should rush into a nuclear summit. She said Mr Trumps lack of political and diplomatic experience does not bode well for the administration rushing into a meeting like this. "Perhaps because he wants a [public relations] opportunity, perhaps because he's desperate to do a deal, Ms Vinograd posited about why Mr Trump would accept the invitation and set a target date so soon. Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised previous administrations and Mr Obamas strategic patience in foreign relations, particularly in his dealings with Mr Kims continued development of North Koreas nuclear weapons programme despite United Nations sanctions. 'Morning Joe' hosts on Trump-North Korea meeting: 'He can't even make a deal with a porn star' Ms Vinograd worried: You can't wing it. [Mr Kim] is going to be fully prepared. I think that he's playing to the president's ego and the president's weaknesses by flattering him. The announcement also came as a surprise to Mr Trumps own Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who just hours before the announcement said that the US was a long ways from negotiations. But, Mr Tillerson said the President made the decision to accept the invite himself, a move he said was a dramatic reversal in posture for North Korea. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Mr Trump is getting exactly what he wants with Mr Kim, having relayed to South Korea that Pyongyang had expressed a commitment to ending its nuclear programme, while also suggesting Mr Kim would suspend any nuclear or missile tests during any direct talks. 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 Vice President Mike Pence made it clear though that the US made zero concessions in order to get the invitation, which was a result of the US delegations trip to the Winter Olympics last month. Though Republicans in Congress also praised the diplomatic tactics of the US for getting the invitation and cited it as proof that sanctions against Pyongyang were working, not everyone was optimistic about the meeting. Democratic Senator Ed Markey said Mr Trump should treat it as the beginning of a long diplomatic process and his usual unscripted remarks and inflammatory tweets that could derail it. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, said the Republican president would need help from others in the US government when discussing such a complex issue face-to-face with Mr Kim. It will require the President to rely on the expertise within the State Department, the Intelligence Community, and throughout the government, and not simply on his own estimation of his skills as a deal maker. Mr Schiff said. Donald Trump has accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns invitation to meet, an extraordinary turn of events that followed months of rising tensions between the two nations. South Koreas National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong told reporters at the White House that North Korea expressed a willingness to refrain from testing missiles and nuclear weapons and said Mr Trump pledged to meet by May in an effort to achieve permanent denuclearisation. Mr Trump confirmed that he would accept Mr Kims invitation but said that sanctions would stay intact. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Mr Trump tweeted following Mr Chungs announcement. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! No sitting US president has ever met with a North Korean leader. Mr Trump said last May that he would be willing to meet with Mr Kim under the right circumstances. But that remark was followed by months of heightened tensions and flame-throwing between the two leaders. Now, after maximum pressure on Mr Kims regime, a senior administration official said, North Korea now appears ready for some kind of dialogue. But Mr Trump has been very clear from the beginning that he will not reward North Korea for talks, the official added, and will only accept the permanent denuclearisation of North Korea. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. Mr Chung said North Korea did not demand a precondition long cited by Pyongyang: a cessation of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, which it regularly denounces as provocations and rehearsals for an invasion. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the Unites States must continue, Mr Chung said. Mr Kims offer presents an opportunity for a breakthrough at a time when military officials have warned that North Koreas increasing military sophistication and its progress toward becoming a nuclear-armed state pose an urgent threat. Mounting belligerence from Pyongyang has loomed over Mr Trumps first year in office, testing the limits of international diplomacy and raising the spectre of nuclear conflict. North Korea has tested multiple ballistic missiles and threatened to annihilate its neighbours; Mr Trump and his surrogates have responded by saying theyre prepared to launch an overwhelming military response. North Korea Military Parade Show all 6 1 /6 North Korea Military Parade North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AFP/Getty Images North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AFP/Getty Images Rhetorical sparring between the two countries leaders escalated the standoff. After the President derisively nicknamed the North Korean leader Little Rocket Man and threatened to totally destroy North Korea during a speech to the United Nations, Mr Kim issued a rare direct response dismissing Mr Trump as a mentally deranged US dotard. But during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea cracked open a diplomatic window after North Korea sent athletes and representatives south of the demilitarised zone. South Korean envoys returned from a rare, post-Olympics visit to Pyongyang with a message that North Korea was willing to negotiate with the US around renouncing its nuclear arms programme. The President initially reacted to the overture with cautious optimism, hailing the first serious effort at progress in years but hedging against false hope. North Korea indicates it could give up nuclear weapons, according to the South I think that they are sincere, Mr Trump said at the White House earlier this week, noting that multiple rounds of sanctions imposed by the United Nations in recent months have been very, very strong and very biting. Mr Trumps embrace of meeting with Mr Kim appeared to contradict his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who earlier in the day called direct talks unlikely to take place soon. Were a long ways from negotiations, Mr Tillerson said during a news conference in Ethiopia, adding that we just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it. Even amid signs of a thaw, the US has continued to condemn North Korean aggression. Earlier this week the State Department announced new sanctions, saying North Korea had directed the assassination of Mr Kims half-brother used a banned chemical agent. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier while on a tour in Africa that were a long way from negotiations with North Korea. We just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it, he added. Republican Representative Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said North Koreas desire to talk with Mr Trump shows that sanctions are starting to work. The administration can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure, he added. Jeffrey Lewis, of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said that Mr Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Koreas weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal, Mr Lewis wrote on Twitter. The academic runs the Arms Control Wonk, a blog dedicated to arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation. One of the first women to accuse failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of pursuing her when she was a teenager has announced she is running for office, spurred by the power of the #MeToo movement. Deborah Gibson, a small business owner in Delray Beach, Florida, helped the Washington Post break the story of Mr Moores alleged abuse of underage girls last October. Now, she is using her new-found notoriety to propel her towards the state House. I think that the touch point of last autumn for me was, Ok, that's a point in history, but what are the action steps so that it isn't lost in the fray? So that it isn't a six-hour news cycle that we get tweeted out of? she told The Independent. Recommended Moore asks for legal fund donations after being accused of paedophilia For Ms Gibson, a talkative 54-year-old who still maintains traces of her native Alabama accent, the answer was clear: Get more women into office. Thats why shes mounting a bid to replace Republican Representative Bill Hager, who will reach his term limit in 2018 and encouraging other women to follow suit. "I absolutely encourage other women to run, she said. But I would say that the person running needs to have a pretty thick skin, because the media will see what you're made of." Roy Moore accuser Leigh Corfman says he 'seduced me' Ms Gibson knows the pressure of media scrutiny well. She was one of the first people to tell the Post that Mr Moore had pursued her as a teenager though she stipulated that the relationship was consensual, and never progressed past kissing. Other women, however, claimed Mr Moore had sexually abused them as minors. He has denied all allegations against him. When the allegations began straining Mr Moores campaign, Ms Gibson says she started receiving hate mail and even death threats from his supporters. She filed a police report in December claiming she had received messages threatening to get her, and warning she would get hers, according to the Palm Beach Post. Republican candidate Roy Moore told supporters his senate race was "not over" (Getty) But Ms Gibson was not deterred by the abuse for long. She now believes that many detractors of the Me Too movement which brought forth sexual abuse allegations against everyone from Mr Moore to film producer Harvey Weinstein dont understand what the moment is truly about. The accusers, she said, are not asking for all men to be fired or thrown out of office. "We're just asking to step into our equality, she said. [And] I thought, Well why don't I?" Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Womens March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Many women appear to be asking themselves similar questions. Rachel Crooks one of more than a dozen women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct is running for the state legislature in Ohio. She told Cosmopolitan she decided to run, in part, because she felt like her story had been ignored in the 2016 election. I think my voice should have been heard then, and I'll still fight for it to be heard now, she said. Mr Trump has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. Nearly 500 women have announced their intention to run for Congress this year, according to data compiled by Politico up from the 312 who filed to run in 2016.At least 47 women have declared their intent to run for the 17 available gubernatorial seats. This surge of new faces entering politics does not come without its missteps. Ms Gibson experienced her own growing pains when she switched her party registration from Republican to Democratic in February. Under Florida state law, candidates must be registered in a party for a full year before running in its primary. Ms Gibson has had to shift her strategy and run without a party affiliation, meaning she will skip the primaries and go straight to the general election in November. Despite these hiccups, she remains optimistic about getting more women to run. "If this is your heart for how you'll serve publicly, please step in, get engaged, she said. And if you make mistakes like I have, learn from them. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Americas top general in Europe is the latest official to say the US could be doing more to counter potential Russian cyberattacks. I don't believe there is an effective unification across the interagency, with the energy and the focus that we could attain, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mr Scaparrotti echoed prior warnings that Russia is flexing its muscle and seeking to project influence across Europe, describing a campaign of destabilisation intended to undercut America and its NATO allies. He said the US still lacked a comprehensive understanding of how Russian cyber efforts are structured, saying the current picture is not satisfactory to me, but pointed to movement in the right direction. I have had my cyber-operations centre reinforced substantially. Weve made good progress, he said, adding that he had also received the authorities that Ive asked for with respect to Russia. Intelligence officials have concluded that the Kremlin directed a sweeping effort to interfere in the 2016 election and have warned that Russia will seek to disrupt the 2018 midterm elections. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress that hostile actors viewed elections as opportunities to undermine democracy. But senior military officials have said the US has not fully marshalled its resources to confront potential Russian intrusions. 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 Last month, head of US Cyber Command Mike Rogers told the Senate that he had not received authorisation from Donald Trump or the Secretary of Defence to try and combat Russian cyberattacks at their source. In response to Mr Rogers statement, the White House said it was already engaged in planning to rebuff potential attacks. Intelligence officials have said Russian-backed hackers targeted numerous states voting infrastructure during the 2016 presidential campaign. Rod Rosenstein announces thirteen Russian nationals have been indicted in Mueller probe Special Counsel Robert Mueller - who is investigating potential Russian election meddling - has indicted 13 Russian nationals for what his indictment describes as an elaborate effort to foment division and undercut Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The indictment alleges they exploited social media sites, bolstering revelations by Twitter and Facebook representatives that Russian-linked operatives used their platforms to spread disinformation. A long lost Viking settlement that featured in sagas passed down over hundreds of years, may have been located on the east coast of Canada. Birgitta Wallace, an award-winning specialist in Norse archaeology and Viking evidence in the West, said she had uncovered evidence that the new site known as Hop meaning tidal lagoon is in the province of New Brunswick, on the country's east coast. If she is proved correct, it would be the second Viking settlement to be discovered in North America. Experts have known from Norse sagas that there was a settlement in North America of 11th-century Europeans, who grew wild grapes, ate salmon and made canoes out of animal hides. The first site uncovered is at L'Anse aux Meadows, a United Nations (UN) World Heritage site, on the northern tip of Newfoundland. Over the decades, academics have suggested possible locations where the remains of Hop might be found, including Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Maine, New England and New York. After studying Norse texts and using the description of the settlement from sagas of Viking voyages, together with archaeological findings at L'Anse aux Meadows and at Native American sites on Americas east coast, Ms Wallace now believes it was located in New Brunswick. I am placing Hop in the Miramichi-Chaleur Bay area, she said. New Brunswick, Canada, where the site is thought to be located (Google Maps) However, she said Hop may not be a single settlement. Instead she said the Vikings may have created multiple short-term settlements in the area, the locations varying from year to year. Tales of the Viking voyages were passed down orally through generations, and Hop may have referred to several seasonal settlements, Ms Wallace said. North-eastern New Brunswick is the only place that meets all the criteria in the sagas for Hop, she said, adding that it has wild grapes and salmon, coastal sandbanks and a population that used animal-hide canoes. New Brunswick is the northern limit of grapes, which are not native either to Prince Edward Island or Nova Scotia, said Ms Wallace. Sandbanks or barrier sandbars - are particularly dominant along the New Brunswick east coast and wild salmon was abundant there at the time, she said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Research shows they were not found at pre-Columbian Native American sites in Maine or New England, she added. Evidence of trees found at L'Anse aux Meadows also suggested the Vikings had set up camp, at least for a short time, in the New Brunswick area, she said. Animal skins were used in shipbuilding by the Mi'kmaq people, who lived in the Miramichi-Chaleur bay area. As the camp was probably used only for the summer, tools and bodies for burial are likely to have been returned to the Vikings home base, Greenland, so evidence may no longer exist, and the key areas may now be paved over, she said. A suicide bomber has blown himself up in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least seven people, according to officials. The attack was apparently intended to hit crowds gathered to commemorate the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a political leader from the mainly Shiite Hazara minority. One policeman and six civilians were killed, while another seven were wounded when the bomber was stopped at a security checkpoint, a deputy interior spokesperson said. Nasrat Rahimi said the bomber appeared to have intended to attack crowds gathered to remember Mazari, a Hazara political leader killed by the Taliban in 1995. A string of attacks on Shiite mosques and Hazara gatherings has been claimed by an affiliate of Isis, although many Afghan and Western security officials say they doubt the group works alone. Protesters demand better security in Kabul Show all 10 1 /10 Protesters demand better security in Kabul Protesters demand better security in Kabul A woman tries to stop police from firing on protesters during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Afghan security officials use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators as they protest against a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, 02 June 2017. At least 90 people were killed and more than 350 wounded in a suicide bomb attack near the foreign embassies in Kabul on 31 May. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul A policeman rests during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Protesters shout anti government slogans during a demonstration to protest against the lack of security in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Jun 2, 2017. Some 500 people are demonstrating in Kabul for better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed 90 people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Police forces run as protesters throw stones during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Protesters shout anti government slogans during a demonstration to protest against the lack of security in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Jun 2, 2017. Some 500 people are demonstrating in Kabul for better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed 90 people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Protesters throw stones toward security forces during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. ( AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Police forces run as protesters throw stones during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul Protesters throw stones toward security forces during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. AP Protesters demand better security in Kabul A boy walks past protesters during a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, June 2, 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators demanded better security in the Afghan capital in the wake of a powerful truck bomb attack that killed scores of people. AP In December, dozens of people were killed in a suicide attack on a Shiite cultural centre claimed by Isis and two months earlier two separate mosque attacks killed at least 72 people. The attack came less than two weeks after President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to join peace talks to end more than 16 years of the latest phase of Afghan war. Additional reporting by Reuters The United Nations human rights chief has said that Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, needs a psychiatric assessment after his government included a UN special rapporteur on a list of 600 people they want classed as terrorists. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a UN expert on the rights of indigenous peoples, was included on the list of alleged communist guerrillas. She was listed in a government petition, alongside others including a Catholic priest and a former congressman, that was recently submitted to a Manila court. In response, the UN high commissioner for human rights said it was time to take a stand in response to the Presidents latest controversial actions. Zeid Raad Al Hussein said: He needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination. This kind of comment is unacceptable. These attacks cannot go unanswered; the UN human rights council must take a position. Ms Tauli-Corpuz, who has been in the post since 2014, denounced the government, calling the complaint baseless, malicious and, irresponsible. Many human rights activists have jumped to condemn the Filipino leader, who recently started a campaign against communist rebels and has a history of taking controversial actions against those he considers criminals. The countrys justice ministry recently called for the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New Peoples Army to be declared terrorist organisations. The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 1 /9 The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On killing drug addicts These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, dont go into that, even if youre a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Message to China I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, Kill me AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Christmas message to law-breakers If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On sex life I was separated from my wife. Im not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On the drugs trade None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, kill him'" AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting the Pope We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Joke about rape I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first AFP/Getty The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA Now, branding individuals terrorists will allow the government to be able to monitor them more closely, track finances and curb access to resources, among other measures. After coming into power in 2016, Mr Duterte took steps to find a solution to a long-standing conflict, even putting leftist politicians in his cabinet. But since peace talks failed, he instead started a campaign against the groups. The petition claimed that rebels were trying to overthrow the government by using acts of terror to sow fear and panic. Carlos Conde, Philippines researcher with the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the petition was a virtual hit list. Mr Duterte has long been known for a range of controversial moves, comments and decisions. The International Criminal Court recently launched a preliminary investigation against him over his bloody war on drugs. It aims to work out if it can charge Mr Duterte for the deaths of thousands of Filipinos during the crackdown. Official figures state that around 4,000 of his countrymen were killed by police during the internationally criticised campaign. But activists believe the number of dead is actually much higher. Recommended Duterte instructs army to shoot him if he ever becomes dictator Mr Dutertes actions have been criticised by Human Rights Watch for alleged extra-judicial killings and he has often been condemned for making controversial, misogynistic or violent comments. He reportedly told soldiers to shoot female communist rebels in their genitals. He also recently advised people against using condoms as it is not satisfying, despite a surge in cases of HIV in his country. Additional reporting by Reuters President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un shocked Americans and Koreans alike on Thursday with their agreement to meet at a summit and discuss the denuclearisation of North Korea. Nobody, here or in Washington, had expected the revelation from South Koreas national security adviser Chung Eui-yong, who is in the US capital to brief the White House on his own visit to Pyongyang on Monday, when he was hosted to dinner by Mr Kim. The drama of a previous announcement that Mr Kim would meet his South Korean counterpart in late April for only the third-ever inter-Korean peace summit was trumped by Mr Chungs news and subsequent White House confirmation of a US-North Korea summit later in May. News of the impending summit reverberated through Korea in a surge of optimism and relief after months of non-stop escalation in threats, tests and sabre-rattling rhetoric. It raises the prospect of Mr Trump meeting a leader who he has scoffed at as little rocket man and whose country he has threatened to obliterate with fire and fury. North Korea has blasted Mr Trump as a "dotard" that is, an old man losing his faculties while calling the US an "evil aggressor". "It's exciting, big progress," said Chang Sung-eun, an office worker in Seoul. "Congratulations to Mr Moon!" "We did not expect anything like this so soon," said Park Sung-un, a "salaryman" in a large company here. "We cannot expect all problems to be solved in one talk, but this is progress." Analysts are still sceptical though as to whether the current wave of post-Olympic diplomacy will lead to any kind of permanent solution. US and South Korean military officers pointed out that North Korean physicists and engineers are nearing the point at which they can attach a small warhead to the tip of a long-range ballistic missile and even launch a nuclear-tipped missile from a submarine hidden beneath the surface of the ocean not far from the US west coast. "We have lots of threats, lots of things to get over," Kae Tae-woo, a military expert formerly with the Korea Institute of Defense Analyses, told The Independent. "There are two scenarios North Korea decides to give up its nukes, or there is dialogue but simultaneously they continue [developing] nuclear weapons." Some analysts now fear that President Moon, when he meets Mr Kim before the Trump-Kim summit, may be reluctant to make specific demands that might upset the North and throw off further dialogue. Mr Moon has nonetheless already passed on word to Mr Kim that he will not call off US-South Korean military exercises, postponed until after the Paralympics in Pyeongchang, and will insist that sanctions against North Korea remain in effect until the North actually goes through with denuclearisation. A spokesman for the American embassy also cautioned that Mr Trump had simply accepted Kim Jong-un's "invitation" but that there was no agenda for negotiations. The implication was that Mr Trump and Mr Kim needed to decide first just what they will talk about and how far they would go beyond pleasantries and formalities. Choi Jin-wook, a North Korea specialist formerly with the Korea Institute of National Unification, said he believed the two would "discuss something very important" reflecting regional rivalries. North Korea, he said, may want to cosy up to Washington as a foil against China, a country it has relied on for almost all its oil and much of its food while suffering under sanctions. The million dollar question is whether North Korea is really willing to denuclearize, and to what degree. Mr Kim has already said he will freeze missile and nuclear tests at least until meeting first Mr Moon and then Mr Trump, and that he will also not object too strongly to this spring's military exercises. He is not expected, however, simply to agree to close down the Yongbyon complex where the five-megawatt plutonium reactor is reported to be in operation. Nor will he dispose of the warheads that have already been produced there or are being produced with highly enriched uranium at other locations, some of which the Americans still have not discovered, even with the most advanced satellite technology. Christopher Hill, the US diplomat who spent years negotiating with the North Koreans in a fruitless effort to reach a viable deal, warned Mr Trump should not go into talks without some prior assurances. Hill raised two key questions: "Will North Korea agree to denuclearisation," or if not, to "monitoring" of its nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency? The US is unlikely to accept any long-term settlement that does not involve one or the other. A Spanish woman faces a possible six-year jail sentence after being accused of claiming her dead fathers pension, worth 130,000 (115,500) during a period of 21 years. Court documents state that the woman, from the province of Malaga in southern Spain, failed to inform the bank where the pension was paid when, some years after her mothers death, her father died in March 1995. Instead, until 2016 she allegedly continued claiming her fathers pension from the Spanish government department responsible for maritime sector workers, using a longstanding joint account she had opened with her parents. Recommended On the front line where drugs enter the EU According to local newspaper SUR, the local public prosecutors office has so far only been able to recover 217 from the womans current account. In a gesture of goodwill, the bank where the joint account was held has already returned a further 27,043 of the pension to the government department. In its provisional summary of the case, the state prosecution has criticised the bank for failing to check up on the death of the womans father, as is required under Spanish law. If convicted the woman is convicted of the fraud charges, she faces a prison sentence of six years as well as a possible fine of 4,320, as well as returning the pension in full. In a separate case in Malaga this week, a local court condemned a 50-year-old woman to 21 months in prison for using her dead grandfathers savings account book to appropriate his widowers pension of 90,500, over a period of more than a decade. The man in question died in November 2003, but the state social security services, which paid the pension, were only informed of his death in April 2016. In November last year, Spains police uncovered a nation-wide pension scam which had cost the states social security nearly 2m in claims for dead relatives. In one case, a woman in Madrid claimed her mothers pension for 31 years, totalling 173,170.43, using photocopies of her parents identity card or fake legal statements affirming she was still alive. Another woman told the police that emotionally she had not got over her mothers death and therefore believed she had the right to her pension. As a result of the police operation, a total of 19 people from 11 different provinces, mostly relatives of the deceased, were placed under investigation for fraud. Others involved in the same scam could not be accused, having already died themselves. A little boy suffering from leukaemia whose widower father was able to take a year off work to care for him thanks to colleagues generosity has returned to nursery school after being declared well enough to leave hospital. Julius Graf celebrated his fifth birthday by going home after weeks of life-saving chemotherapy. His father, Andreas, says he will forever be grateful to work colleagues who donated more than 3,000 hours of overtime so that he could stay off work to care for Julius just after the boy's mother died. Julius was just three years old when he was diagnosed with leukaemia early last year, and Mr Graf, 36, used all his annual leave from the design company where he worked to be at his sons hospital bedside. But when the boy was well enough to return to the family's home in Fronhausen, in Hessen, Germany, his mother suddenly died of heart disease. With no holiday allowance left, Mr Graf was worried he would lose his job as an assembly worker, and was struggling to cope with both his son's illness and his wifes death. But Pia Meier, the companys human resources manager, appealed to the factory's workers to donate their overtime - and all 650 signed up, even those who had never met Mr Graf. Within two weeks, at an average of five hours for each employee, they had raised 3,264.5 hours, which the company allowed him to take as paid leave. The total was equal to 81.6 weeks - or more than 18 months. Without this tremendous help, I would've been out of a job by now, Mr Graf said, adding that he would be eternally grateful to his colleagues and the company. Recalling when he was first told about colleagues generosity he said: At first I was speechless, could not say anything. I cried in front of friends and was completely overwhelmed. He has cooperated with media publicity about his case out of gratitude to colleagues, he said. Andreas Graf: 'At first I was speechless' (RTL Hessen) And he has since also been touched by offers from strangers to donate towards Juliuss care. Recently, an 89-year-old wanted to donate 20 euros. But we did not have the heart to accept that. That's overwhelming, he said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty His son will still have therapy until August, he said. He gets syringes every four weeks and also low-dose chemo-tablets. But Julius copes very well. We are on the right track, but that does not protect us from relapse. He must be cancer-free for five years to be cured. He goes to nursery more now, depending on how he is feeling, his father said. Ms Meier said she had also been overwhelmed by the response from staff, pointing out that not a single worker declined to donate. Mr Graf was able take more than a year off to take care of his son but has now gone back to working just four hours a day. An Iranian woman who publicly removed her veil in protest against the countrys mandatory hijab law has been sentenced to two years in prison, prosecutors have said. The woman, who has not been identified, reportedly took off her headscarf in Tehrans Enghelab Street to encourage corruption through the removal of the hijab in public. Tehrans prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, who announced the sentence, said she intended to appeal against the verdict, according to Mizan Online news agency. The woman was jailed on Wednesday for three months without parole and Mr Jafari-Dolatabadi said she was in need of medical treatment. But he criticised the suspension of the majority of her sentence and argued that she should serve the full term of her penalty. A number of women in Iran have been pictured in protesting the obligatory Islamic headscarf by publicly taking off their hijabs and waving them on sticks in recent months. Videos and photos shared widely on Facebook and Twitter have showed the women purportedly following the lead of a woman who was arrested for a similar demonstration in January. 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 31-year-old protester, known as the Girl of Enghelab Street, later identified as Vida Movahed, took off her headscarf on a street in the capital Tehran. She was detained for several weeks before being released from custody. Women in Iran have been forced to cover their hair since the 1979 revolution, although they are usually sentenced to far shorter terms of two months or less, and fined $25. More than 30 Iranian women have been arrested since the end of December for publicly removing their veils in defiance of the law. South-east Asia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: with golden sands, crystal-clear waters and lush green plant life, its no surprise this region attracts millions of tourists a year. But its popularity has come at a price, with overcrowding, coral damage and waste becoming increasingly common problems for the regions coastlines. A viral video of diver Rich Horner swimming through a sea of plastic pollution off the coast of Bali brought the issue to light once again recently, as did Thai officials decision to temporarily close the popular Maya beach (from Danny Boyles film The Beach) due to the damage tourism is having on the environment. Its the second Thai beach to be closed for this reason in less than two years. But undeveloped havens do still exist; here are 10 eco-friendly beaches found on South-east Asias shores. The beaches of Gili Air, Gili Islands, Indonesia A two-hour boat trip from the wildly popular island of Bali will bring you to the relaxing paradise of Gili Air, part of an Indonesian archipelago in the Indian Ocean called the Gili Islands. Motorised transport is forbidden on Gili Air, so you can only get around by foot, bike or horse-drawn carriage, making it the perfect location to while away the hours with no distractions. Gili Air is a two-hour boat trip from Bali (Sylke Rohrlach) Ngapali beach, Thandwe, Myanmar Ngapali beach has a number of community protection rules in place to safeguard its coastline, including strict bans on horse riding, jet skis and sand mining. Many of the beachs restaurants also support sustainable fishing practices, with whistleblowing policies in place to protect marine life. Ngapali beach bans horse riding, jet skis and sand mining (Tim McDonald) Air and noise pollution are kept to a minimum by having only electric mopeds available to hire. Sunset beach, Koh Kradan, Thailand With the majority of its land protected by Hat Chao Mai national park, Koh Kradan has a very limited amount of development, unlike Koh Phuket or Koh Phi Phi to the north of the island. At dusk, take a 15-minute walk from the main beach through a jungle to reach the secluded sands of Sunset beach; it lives up to its name, and is one of the best places to enjoy Thailands sunset. Koh Kradan remains relatively undeveloped (zeev bar) (ze'ev bar) Dat Tham beach, Can Dao, Vietnam With the likes of Da Nang, Na Trang and Mui Ne now packed with tourists, Dat Tham beach, protected by the Con Dao national park, is one of the few undeveloped stretches of sand left in Vietnam. Getting there requires some effort, with visitors clocking-in at the park office before beginning a four-mile hike to the beach. Once you reach the shore, however, you are met with a beautiful (and most likely completely secluded) crescent-shaped bay. The beaches of Isla de Gigantes, Philippines Isla de Gigantes is an island chain within the larger Western Visayas archipelago in the Philippines. Basic accommodation and limited amenities keep many tourists away from its smaller islands, which means its beaches are untouched and pristine. Juara beach, Tioman Island, Malaysia Tioman Island and its beaches are part of a nature reserve and as such are strictly safeguarded, along with the diverse wildlife. Several protected species of mammals, birds and reptiles can be found here, such as the frigate bird and soft-shell turtle. The island boasts plenty of sandy coastline to enjoy, but Juara beach is one of its most secluded and relaxing spots. Bottle beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand Take a trip to the quieter side of Koh Phangan (home to Thailands infamous Full Moon parties) and visit its lesser known Bottle beach on the north of the island. Bottle beach is on the quieter side of Koh Phangan (Tim McDonald) A steep and bumpy road down to the beach makes access by foot pretty limited, with many people opting to reach the beach by boat. The beaches of Kepayang Island, Belitung Home to an eco-resort and turtle sanctuary, environmentalism is something this island takes seriously, which is good news for its beaches. Colourful hard and soft coral can be explored off its shores, with coral protection projects in place. Iconic stone boulders and rows of coconut trees also give Kepayang Islands beaches plenty of character. Bacuit Bay, El Nido, Philippines Bacuit Bay is one of the beach locations for El Nido Resorts complex of luxury eco-resorts in the Philippines. The whole organisation is based around sustainability and eco-friendly tourism, including nature-based activities, green architecture and a special sewage treatment plan. Regular coastal clean-ups, marine monitoring and wildlife protection keep Bacuit Bay and its neighbouring beaches healthy and happy. Lalaji Bay, Long Island, The Andamans Though not technically in South-east Asia, Indias Andaman Islands are too geographically close to Thailand and too beautiful to miss out, with Lalaji Bay on the small but perfectly-formed Long Island offering tourists a slice of paradise. Lalaji bays waters attract manta rays (Tim McDonald) Those who want to pay it a visit must apply for a forest permit and embark on an hour-long trek. Despite being a lengthy trip, rewards are plentiful thereafter. The beachs warm waters are so pristine that large manta rays and tropical fish can be spotted swimming around the many mangrove trees that line the far end of its shores. Donald Trump declared while running for the presidency that he would be happy to sit down and have a hamburger with Kim Jong-un. He rounded on those deriding his naivety on international affairs with: What the hells wrong with speaking? And you know what? Its called opening a dialogue! But after getting to the White House, upon being urged to tone down talk of smiting North Korea with fire and fury the like of which the world has never seen, Trump scoffed that his predecessors have been talking to them for 25 years and have been made to look like fools! Sorry, but only one thing will work! I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with the Little Rocket Man! It should perhaps be unsurprising that Trump has made another volte face in keeping with the chaotic and unpredictable nature of his administration, but the news that he is now prepared to meet Kim Jong-un face to face, and as early as in two months time, is an extraordinary development. So who now has the upper hand after the trading of public insults and rocket-rattling between Trump and Kim Jong-un? The most immediate victor is the North Korean leader. He has succeeded in getting direct, bilateral talks, something successive US Presidents have rejected in the past as it would have been seen as rewarding Pyongyang for its bad behaviour and acknowledging equality of status. 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 No serving US President has ever met a North Korean leader. Bill Clinton attempted carrots and sticks in the form of sanction and aid; George W Bush just sticks with sanctions. Barack Obama got too fed up to offer either. Trump has, so far, offered sticks and tweets and confusing messages on carrots. Trump, however, professes supreme confidence in his own talent as dealmaker: as someone who can personally produce something, because of his personality, others cannot. He has, so far, signally failed in achieving anything internationally through his supposed magnetism, whether it be in the Middle East, coming to an understanding with China or renegotiating trade deals. This, however, is not a handicap to a narcissist and no doubt the US President will approach the talks with the belief that he can get what he wants from Kim Jong-un. It is his super-tough approach which has, he has claimed, brought about this result. In reality, Pyongyang has had to do little to get the talks. There was the well-orchestrated attendance to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, and now the offer of temporary suspension of missile and nuclear tests. They have certainly not agreed to abandon them in the future. There will be no further objections to this years joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington. But North Korea could not have stopped them taking place anyway. And South Koreas President Moon Jae-in can claim the lions share of credit for the summit. North Korea indicates it could give up nuclear weapons, according to the South The US and its allies in the region have been concerned that his attempts at reconciliation with his northern counterpart may begin to look like appeasement and further embolden Pyongyang. There was worry that Moons invitation to the North, to attend the Olympics and start inter-Korea talks, would be used by Kim Jong-un to drive a wedge between the South and the US and Japan. But Moon has managed to diffuse a growing row by quickly accepting Trumps demand that the US President should be credited for making the inter-Korea talks happen by his stern stance. There has been general welcome internationally to the meeting. The Chinese foreign ministry spoke of the need for all parties to maintain the momentum. In Moscow, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov hoped this would open a way for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan which faces a very real threat from Pyongyangs missiles stressed the need for keeping full pressure on North Korea until there are concrete steps towards denuclearisation. So Trump will get his chance after all to have a hamburger with Kim Jong-un and open a dialogue, although it remains far from certain that lasting peace and amity will break out as a result. At the recent Gridiron dinner with journalists, where the President traditionally displays wit in his speech, Trump talked of negotiating with North Koreas leader and observed: As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned well thats his problem, not mine. We will have to wait and see what plans Kim Jong-un makes for the historic encounter. There have been pugnacious words from the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, in response to the suggestion that Russians appear to consider the UK fair game when it comes to despatching other Russians they regard as enemies of the state. But what the extraordinary poisoning of Sergei Skripal really reveals about Russian-British relations is how unaccountable Russia has become. Russians and lets be frank, all fingers of suspicion are pointing east apparently act with impunity in the knowledge that they wont, and cant, be held to a reckoning. While Moscow adamantly denies any state involvement, to many in Britain it seems as if Russians effectively have a licence to kill on these shores. While the media in the UK relishes this most remarkable of real life spy dramas, the Russian state-run RIA news agency coincidentally let it be known just last week that Russia is considering withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This, at a stroke would confirm that the pretence of accountability is over. Apparently, say unnamed government sources in Moscow, too many cases before the European Court run counter to Russian interests. Even though the Duma vice speaker subsequently denied that ECHR withdrawal was on the agenda, he nonetheless queried the legitimacy of the courts decision-making. Russia does indeed have a shocking record at the Strasbourg Court. Case after case in Strasbourg testifies to the reality that human rights including the right to life are, at best, casually protected in Russia. If Russia does withdraw from the ECHR, it will be a seismic shift in global international relations. It will also be a disaster for the Russian victims of human rights violations, who at least have had Strasbourg to vindicate their rights up till now. The topical shenanigans involving spies are not why Moscow has queried the validity of the European Court. The ongoing violations found against Russia are also not new. For many years the Strasbourg Courts docket has been dominated by cases against Russia. 21 people treated as a result of poisoning of Sergei Skripal Why then, may Russia now be pursuing such an audacious anti-international human rights agenda that it would feel able to raise the question of ECHR membership? Why now do they seemingly feel able to give up on the charade of wanting to conform to the legal norms of a key part of the international community? Despite Boriss bellicosity, he and his fellow Brexiteers may share some of the responsibility for Russias new-found confidence in international relations. Russia and the UK, traditionally reluctant to engage in constructive diplomacy, have recently found themselves as cosy bedfellows in relation to the ECHR. The UKs frequently condescending attitude towards the Strasbourg Court has been taken by Russia as permission to hold the international rule of law in contempt as it relates to the adverse judgments of that Court. The UKs intransigence over the Courts finding that a blanket ban on prisoners voting rights violated the ECHR allowed Russia to take a similar position in relation to rulings on more serious human rights violations. The idea that self-respecting members of the international community would denounce international human rights treaties used to be unheard of. North Korea tried once in relation to the UNs main human rights treaty, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and was told they couldnt withdraw from membership. For many years, any diminution in international human rights protection was anathema. Why and how has this international consensus been splintered? UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA Well, there are several factors but not the least of them is Brexit. The EU has its own framework for safeguarding human rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which works alongside the ECHR, but the Charter provides far more extensive protection. Post Brexit, all EU law is to be retained, except the Charter. The UK is proposing to take the exceptional step of removing binding international human rights law from the jurisdiction. It doesnt matter that retained EU law cant work without Charter rights and that the deletion of those rights will mean the UK has significantly diminished human rights protection, the Charter is to go. And by taking this step, the UK has set a precedent that Russia can follow. How can the international community remonstrate with Russia when they sit idly by as the UK rips up and rejects a human rights agreement overseen by an international court that it committed to be bound by? But the UK is leaving the EU, some will cry. Why does that mean the UK will have flimsier human rights protection? When countries left Yugoslavia, they could not dilute their level of human rights protection as a result. The Prime Minister has been at pains to assert that we will have no lesser rights post-Brexit. Yet, the only way she can be sure of that is to make Charter rights part of retained EU law. Why doesnt she? And the UK is still bound by the ECHR, others will protest. Thats true for the time being. Lets not forget that the Prime Minister has already made her views on this subject clear. Its the ECHR we should be withdrawing from, she said in 2016, not the EU. And the Tory party manifesto in 2017 committed the UK to the ECHR only for the lifetime of this Parliament. Conservative peer, Lord Faulks, recently reiterated that it is for each government to determine its human rights obligations: no Parliament can bind its successor. All of this is music to Vladimir Putins ears. If the UK can tear up its commitments under the EU Charter, wilfully ignore decisions of the Strasbourg Court for years and threaten withdrawal from the ECHR at some point in the not too distant future, why shouldnt Russia? Undermining the universality and indivisibility of human rights threatens us all. If and when Russia withdraws from the ECHR its impact will be felt across the globe. Recently the outgoing UN human rights chief reminded us that it is violations of human rights that cause the chaos of conflict. Hes right. Russia may have ignored the rules set by the ECHR, but at least Russia is at present bound by them in principle. If it leaves, how else will the Russian state be held to account? Where else will victims whose rights have been trampled find redress? As we live the consequences of Russias unbridled impunity, we will hanker after the parochial spy dramas of the past. And those Brexiteers who want to divorce the UK from its binding and enforceable international human rights obligation may regret playing so fast and loose with the UKs framework for human rights protection. On a green hillside in Afrin in northern Syria, Arab militiamen allied to the Turkish army which invaded this Kurdish enclave seven weeks ago have captured a group of terrified looking Kurdish civilians. The unformed and heavily armed militiamen are shouting pigs, pimp and PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party] pigs all the while chanting Allah Akbar [God Is Great]. The Kurds, their hands raised in the air, are led away by the militiamen and their fate is unknown. There are many such videos and still photographs from Afrin taken by Kurds and members of the Turkish forces showing the shelling and bombing of houses, the mangled bodies of children killed by the explosions and others of Kurdish civilians being herded away. One horrific selfie taken by a militiamen shows him staring at the camera while over his left shoulder is a burned out civilian car in which sits the corpse of the driver, his white teeth thrown into relief because the rest of his body is burned black. If any of these images were coming out of Eastern Ghouta, they would be leading every television newscast and dominating the front pages. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, would be holding up pictures of dead and dying children. But because these events are happening in Afrin and not in Eastern Ghouta, in the same country but 200 miles apart, they are almost entirely ignored by both media and foreign politicians. Afrin is seeing the beginnings of a tragedy that could be every bit as bad or worse than anything witnessed in Eastern Ghouta today or East Aleppo in 2016. Coming upon pictures of children buried under broken concrete, one has to search for additional information to know if the deaths are of Kurds killed by the Turkish bombardment in northern Syria, or people in Eastern Ghouta slaughtered by the Syrian government at the same time in much the same way. The greatest difference between the two situations is that the atrocities in Damascus are publicised by the media across the world, while in the Kurdish case they are regarded as scarcely worth a mention. 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 Over the past week in Afrin, the siege of heavily populated areas has tightened and the death toll has risen 220 dead and 600 injured civilians according to the local Kurdish health authority. The suffering is likely to get a lot worse. The Turkish advance is speeding up, something the Kurds believe is happening because Turkey knows that international attention is focused exclusively on Eastern Ghouta. On Thursday, the Turkish forces announced that they had captured the large and strategically placed town of Jinderes, south-west of Afrin city. The latter is the largest urban centre in the enclave where most of the population driven from their villages in the countryside have taken refuge. Such is the chaos in Syria that nobody knows how many people are trapped in Afrin with the UN giving a figure of 323,000 and Kurdish leaders saying that it is closer to one million. Afrin is about three times larger in area than Eastern Ghouta before the latest Syrian government assault, but, as we have seen in other sieges in Syria and Iraq, civilian casualties go up as the besiegers press people into a smaller and smaller zones. The water-pumping station in Afrin City was hit in the last few days, reducing the availability of drinking water. As with Eastern Ghouta, there is a grizzly argument about whether or not the local inhabitants are free to leave Afrin or are being detained as human shields. Elham Ahmad, the co-president of the Syrian Democratic Council, which administers Kurdish-controlled areas and has just returned from Afrin, denied this and told me that people were free to leave. As in Eastern Ghouta, where are these poor people in Afrin to go to if they leave their homes? At best, they will end up in a refugee camp and taking to the road may not be the safest course as the captured Kurds shown in the video mentioned earlier learned to their cost. Afrin is some distance from the main Kurdish majority areas and the road there has to skirt Turkish army positions and pass through territory controlled by the Syrian government. Explosions as Turkey confirms airstrikes on Afrin, Syria Among reasons for Kurds in Afrin to stay where they are is the nature of the Turkish forces that invaded the city on 20 January. There are regular Turkish troops and special forces, but also as many as 25,000 fighters operating under the umbrella name of the Free Syrian Army. But evidence from the front line and from former FSA and Isis members suggests that many of these are battle-hardened Islamists who had previously fought with or alongside Isis and al-Qaeda. They detest the US-backed Kurds, who hold 25 per cent of Syria, as one of the main reasons for the Islamist defeat in the struggle for Syria. No Kurd who falls into their hands will be safe. The Kurds have an additional fear that they are about to become the victims of a campaign of ethnic cleansing under which they will be cleared out of Afrin wholly or in part. This enclave has traditionally been one of their core majority areas, but on the day after the invasion President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that 55 per cent of Afrin is Arab, 35 per cent are the Kurds. He added that Turkeys aim was to give Afrin back to its rightful owners. It is a threat that carries all the more menace because the Syrian war has already seen widespread sectarian and ethnic cleansing, though the expulsion of a particular ethnic group from Afrin would be larger than earlier examples. The departure of the Kurds would have the advantage from the Turkish point of view of establishing a powerful Sunni Arab bloc north of Aleppo which would be under its influence. The Kurds of Afrin could end up like the Greeks in Cyprus who fled or were driven from the northern part of the island by the Turkish invasion of 1974 and are still trying to return to their homes and lands 44 years later. I have been struck since 2011 by the unbalanced way in which the Syrian war has been reported by the media. Vast attention was given to the sufferings inflicted on the people of East Aleppo in 2016 under attack by Syrian government and Russian air strikes, but very little notice was taken of the almost complete destruction of Isis-held Raqqa, with massive civilian casualties, at the hands of the US-led coalition. I used to attribute such uneven coverage of the war to the greater skill and resources of the Syrian opposition in recording and publicising atrocities committed by the Syrian government and its allies. Isis had no interest in the fate of civilians under its control. But in Afrin there is no shortage of film of the suffering of civilians, but it simply is not widely broadcast or printed. In many respects, the role of the international media in the Syrian war has been as partial and misleading as the warring parties inside the country or their foreign sponsors without. A still from Paro, a short film produced by HP Studios to inspire school children to celebrate their differences and show how technology can reinvent and make life better. (YouTube screengrab) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services unveiled a new mission statement last month, striking out the phrase nation of immigrants. The removal of language recognizing this fact runs directly counter to our history and the very ethos of this nation. America is great because it is a nation of immigrants, said Suhag Shukla, Indian American executive director of the Hindu American Foundation. Above, a United States naturalization ceremony. (Getty Images) University of Texas at Arlington Prof. Purnendu Dasgupta has been honored with state and national awards. The Distinguished Texas Scientist Award is particularly special because I've spent all of my professional career in Texas," the Indian American scientist said. (The University of Texas at Arlington photo) Lithium & Battery Metals Conference The inaugural Lithium & Battery Metals Conference will bring together upstream and downstream battery metal interests. 21 22 Mar 2018 | Crown Perth OVERVIEW Battery technology has brought stability to renewables and made the electric vehicle dream a reality. The battery industry is seeing unprecedented demand as the global energy sector transitions into clean energy and electric vehicles disrupt the internal combustion engines conventional hold on the automotive industry. On the back of this paradigm shift, battery metals such as lithium and cobalt have seen a huge surge in prices, while copper, nickel, graphite and rare earths are buoyed by new markets to explore. With demand forecast to increase exponentially for the foreseeable future investors are rushing to get in on the ground floor. It is with this charged atmosphere that Informa Australia are pleased to announce the inaugural Lithium & Battery Metals Conference, to be held on the 21st 22nd March, 2018 at the Crown Perth Hotel, Western Australia. This conference shall bring together upstream and downstream battery metal interests; involving key discussions on market forecasts, current and upcoming projects, technological breakthroughs, and the future of Australias battery industry. Held alongside the 21st Global Iron Ore & Steel Forecast and the 19th Mineral Sands Conferences, this event marks a key industry gathering and a networking opportunity not to be missed. The family of Big Brother Naija housemate, Nina while appreciating Nigerians for their support revealed that she had never traveled out of their town before. According to a tweet on her sisters Twitter handle,@officialNinaIvy, Nina traveled to Lagos State for the first time during auditions for the reality show. The tweet reads, Nina is just a young girl who hasnt traveled out of our town before she entered #BBNaija house. Her first visit to Lagos State was during auditions; seeing the support you guys all over Nigeria and Africa are giving her now makes us cry as a family. Thank you very much. According to Channels TV, Ayo Fayose, Ekiti State Governor while addressing hundreds of women at an event to commemorate the 2018 International Womens Day yesterday, yet again said he will become Nigerias President in 2019. The Nigerian constitutions allows any Nigerian eligible to contest for an elective position do so without discrimination right?, so would you vote Ayo Fayose for president in 2019? According to Punch, Benue State Government has cancelled the planned mass burial for victims of Fulani herdsmen attack in Okpokwu. Although, Governor Samuel Ortom had made the announcement for the burial during his visit to Omusu Edimoga in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state, where the attack took place on Monday, March 5, 2018. The herdsmen were said to have invaded the community between 2pm and 3pm on the said day, following an earlier allegation that villagers had stolen some of their cattle. Twenty four persons including some children returning from school, were said to have been killed during the attack which left many people injured and several persons missing. Although no reason was given as regards the cancellation, Governor Samuel Ortom has announced earlier that President Muhammad Buhari will be visiting the state on Monday. Some Nigerians on Twitter had this to say; Perhaps he should have just included the burial of the dead, as part of the presidents, activity while he visits, since there will be no roads to be commissioned, besides its a condolence visit. the people of Banue should take their destiny in their hande Williams kane (@Williamskane4) March 9, 2018 Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc has been a part of the lives of Nigerians at home and abroad. Our global vision is to be a leading foods company in Africa providing high quality and affordable products in the most convenient ways to consumers through world class brands like Golden Penny Flour, Golden Penny Semovita, Goldenvita, Golden Pasta and Golden Noodles. The Companys flagship brand, Golden Penny, remains one of the best known and the preferred brands amongst bakers, confectioneries and consumers in Nigeria. Flour Mills of Nigeria Latest Job Recruitment (10 Positions) as follows; 1.) Digital and New Media Manager Click Here To View Details 2.) Category Manager Click Here To View Details 3.) Consumer Insight Manager Click Here To View Details 4.) National Sales Capability Manager Click Here To View Details 5.) Sales Development Officer- Redistribution Dealer Click Here To View Details 6.) Category Trade Marketing Officer Click Here To View Details 7.) Channel Sales Officer Modern Trade Click Here To View Details 8.) Area Sales Capacity Manager Click Here To View Details 9.) Strategic Buyer Click Here To View Details 10.) Legal Officer Click Here To View Details Application Closing Date: Not Specified. Blue sky thinking on the digital economy These proposals are expected to consist of a short-term/temporary measure, a turnover equalisation tax i.e. a tax assessed on turnover rather than profits. However, this shall not be levied on all digital services, but rather only on online advertising and on services provided by mediation platforms, i.e. platforms that arrange product deliveries or services between two market participants (e.g. Uber, Airbnb, Amazon Marketplace, etc.). If proprietary products or services are distributed via the internet, then they shall accordingly not be taxed. According to media reports, it is expected that companies will also only be subject to tax if their multinational consolidated turnover exceeds a total of 750 million ($924 million) per annum Furthermore, an additional threshold may be stipulated with regard to annual turnover from digital services within the EU subject to turnover equalisation tax. By all accounts, this will lie somewhere between 10 million and 20 million. The assessment basis for the tax shall be the gross revenue (before costs have been deducted) on all production and distribution levels (B2B/B2C). Both cross-border transactions (within the EU and with third countries) and domestic transactions shall be included. The tax rate is expected to be approximately 2%. The tax paid may be deducted from the assessment basis for foreign corporation tax as an expense. The EU Commission would reportedly also like to propose the concept of digital/virtual business premises as part of its plans to introduce a common assessment basis for corporation tax. To this end, the European Parliaments Economic Committee also decided to pursue such an approach on February 20 2018. Consequently, business premises shall be established if turnover exceeds 5 million per annum in a member state and, regarding the company and the relevant member state, if either: more than 1,000 registered users from the state have logged on in a month or visited the site; more than 1,000 customers resident in the state have made electronic agreements each month; or the volume of the data collected in the state amounts to more than ten per cent of the total data stored by the company. With regard to the distribution of consolidated profit, the EU Parliament is considering adding a fourth data factor to the three factors (turnover, payroll/employees and assets). Furthermore, the OECD is reportedly working on an interim report which is expected to be published on April 18 2018. A wide range of national states including Israel and Italy have already implemented similar proposals or are in the process of reviewing them. This article was prepared by WTS, the main sponsor of International Tax Review's Indirect Tax Forum, which will be held on March 22 - the day after these proposals are due to be released - in Amsterdam. Follow this link for more details. The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ. Share this article As she spoke, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds focused on the recent statistic that Iowa is the #1 state in the nation, a position she committed to maintain. She became governor in May 2017 after then governor Terry Branstad was appointed the United States Ambassador to China. This collection features the arguments in favor of and against the renaming of Catt Hall on Iowa State's campus, which was named in All people have the right to make fundamental decisions about their own bodies and health. Thats why we work with diverse local, regional and international partners toward the goal of reproductive justice: a world where all human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. Last year, there was a race among OEMs like Apple and Samsung to get their respective under-display fingerprint technology ready in time for their flagship phones. Things, however, did not pan out as planned and while Apple completely ditched Touch ID on the iPhone X, Samsung had to stick to using the traditional fingerprint scanner tech on the Galaxy Note 8. Even for the Galaxy S9, Samsung could not get the tech ready in time and had to use the same fingerprint scanner tech on the handset as its previous Galaxy devices. This was despite Vivo, a Chinese OEM, showing off a phone with under-display fingerprint scanner tech at CES 2018 a couple of months before Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S9 at MWC 2018. It was widely expected that Samsung would end up getting the under-display fingerprint scanner tech ready in time for the Galaxy Note 9. However, as per KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Samsung will not be using the tech on its next Note. This is not because the tech is not ready but because the solutions from Qualcomm and Samsungs LSI department are not able to meet the Korean companys technical requirements. Kuo says that under-display fingerprint scanners do not work properly with screen protectors and their performance is also affected in different environments. Despite this, Kuo is optimistic about the technology and says that it is important for full-screen designs on smartphones. And in spite of the increasing popularity of face unlock among OEMs, under-display fingerprint scanner will gain popularity eventually as face unlock is simply not as reliable as a fingerprint scanner. We recognize that under-display fingerprint recognition is key for full-screen designs, and we dont think that facial recognition can fully replace fingerprint recognition. For these reasons, we remain positive on this technology over the long term. Also, as under-display fingerprint recognition module has a unit price 4-6 times that of capacitive fingerprint recognition module (or higher), we think that once the former module goes into mass production, the contribution to suppliers sales and profits will be significant. Kuo sees Samsung being the leader of under-display fingerprint scanner technology, though he now expects the tech to be widely adopted by OEMs only in 2019. Our Take Given the issues with under-display fingerprint scanner technology, it is unlikely that we will see Apple introduce it on the 2018 iPhones. If anything, the company might consider introducing it on its 2019 iPhone lineup once the tech is more mature. But then, given Apples habit of ditching a popular tech for something new, the chances of even that happening look pretty slim. However, given that Android OEMs wont have access to a tech similar to Apples TrueDepth camera for at least the next couple of years, they dont have much of a choice but to use the under-display fingerprint scanner tech in their future devices. [Via MacRumors The release of HomePod has sparked quite a debate in online forums and among passionate Apple followers. It is about whether the HomePods excellent music quality makes up for its lack of smartness. Many people have dismissed the HomePod due to Siris limited integration with third-party services. Instead, they prefer the Google Home or Amazon Echo despite these speakers not delivering sound quality anywhere close to that of the HomePod. And lets not forget that the HomePod only works with iOS devices which instantly limits its potential userbase. Most people who have shared their HomePod experience online have noted how they have been blown away by its sound quality. Sure, Siri on the HomePod might not be smart but when you look at it as a speaker, the HomePod is definitely smart with many of its underlying features like a high-excursion woofer, seven tweeters, and custom mesh fabric for optimum acoustic performance being a technological breakthrough. Now, I definitely agree with the fact that Siri on the HomePod is simply not as good as Google Assistant on the Google Home or Alexa on Amazon Echo. However, the main question in my mind is that what do you use your smart speaker for that makes Siri on the HomePod inadequate? I use an Echo Dot hooked to a JBL Bluetooth speaker, and I only use it for streaming music 2-3 times a day. Alexa is good enough to understand my requests most of the time, though it definitely struggles to pick up my voice while the JBL speaker is blasting music at full volume. Apart from that, I use Alexa to check up on the weather and control the smart lights in my office. And sometimes, I use it to send a message to my friend, but thats about it. I can use Alexa to do a lot more like book an Uber, check my calendar appointments, order a Pizza but I find these skills to be severely limited or just too cumbersome to use. Other people I know using a smart speaker have a usage pattern similar to mine. I also have access to Google Assistant on my Pixel 2 XL where I frequently use it for setting alarms, creating reminders, calling my friends or family, controlling the smart lights, and playing music. Combining my usage pattern of Alexa and Google Assistant, there really is nothing that I cannot do with Siri on the HomePod. Siri does struggle to understand my Indian accent properly, but I am only talking about the Siri experience on the HomePod here which is currently only available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Theres no denying the fact that Siris voice recognition ability is simply not as good as that of Google Assistant and Alexa. And that it only works with Apple Music is a bummer as well for many but then Apples music library is pretty big so at least you cant complain about not finding the music you want to listen to. What about you? How and what makes you find Siri on the HomePod inadequate and less smart when compared to Google Assistant or Alexa? Is it the various restrictions placed by Apple? Or is it the poor voice recognition feature? Take part in our poll and let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment below. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. UCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden. "The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer Generation A 13 your chance to be the change President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev "uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN Joint statement Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining Google Ad The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT COVID19:77 new cases Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference Drop Charges Against Rights Defender Sashik Sultanyan The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia The European Union in Armenia calls all parties to contribute to a peaceful Election Day to celebrate democracy 22 ventilators to Armenia PACE to observe the early parliamentary elections in Armenia Gor Hovhannisyan informs (video) The Facebook active community continues to alert the various cases. Director of the Armenian Extreme club Gor Hovhannisyan warns: "This is our first affirmation. We checked the whole Shamakhyan section. All revealed violations and necessary information are fixed and will reach relevant bodies ". It should be noted that recently Nature Protection House has been established on the initiative of Gor Hovhannisyan and a number of other activists, aiming at conducting an independent monitoring of forests in the Tavush Region. "Today we drove about 35 km. We went to Bldan's Canyon, we went to the left to Matosavank and higher. Then we went to the Jukhtak and headed toward Papakh Kar and Margahovit, then down to Shamakhyan and returned home. We went through nearly one-fourth of the entire national park," he wrote. Aliyevs apologize to Armenians (video) Members of the Federation of Aliyev Union in France are in Armenia with representatives of the Armenian community of France. For many centuries Alievs, Armenians, Kurds and Greeks had the same fate, says President Aliyev Union Federation in France Erdal Kilicskaya. He regreted that they could not prevent the Armenian Genocide. Kilicskaya called on the Turkish government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. He also expressed his condolences for the murder of Hrant Dink and added that they also suffered as Armenians did. Erdal Kilicskaya underlined that the visit to Armenia would be continuous and the Armenian-Aliyev relations would gain momentum. "During our visit to the Universities, we realized that Armenians and Aliyevs do not know each other, so these visits and various programs of cooperation should be continued to strenthen the Armenian-Aliyev cooperation." To the question, whether the upcoming cooperation would only relate to the cultural sphere or would it also have political orientation, Aragats Akhoyan, President of the "Return" foundation, a member of the Armenian Parliamentary Assembly noted that the Aliyevs' visit was very important. "It is only a matter of struggle with Diaspora's potential to recognize the Armenian Genocide. And today, with the strongest people, if people living next to us are calling for a genocide, this is a good opportunity to unite everyone. This is a very good basis for the world to unite and to reach our desired goal. " Erdal Kilicskaya did not want to open the brackets but did not exclude that in the near future there would be cooperation both cultural and political spheres. To note, 2 million Aliyevs live in Europe, and over 15 million in Asia Minor. The European Council of Aliyevs has federations, with 270 cultural homes, in more than 14 countries with 270 federations. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Close Kylie Mohr covers the education and health beats. Mohr grew up in Washington and came to Wyoming via Georgetown. She loves seeing the starry night sky again. Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado. Block Mason, Carpenter & JCB Operator Jobs in Qatar Latest Great View Overseas Employment Promoter Labor Posts Qatar 2021 A reputed company located in Qatar required candidates for the posts of Block Mason, Carpenter, Steel Fixer, Helpers, LTV Drivers, HTV Bus Drivers, JCB Operators, Mobile Crane Operators and Telehandler Operators. How to Apply on Great View Overseas Employment Promoter Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted. 204th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko (video) Taras Shevchenko is the same for Ukrainians as Hovhannes Tumanyan for Armenians. Today is the 204th anniversary of the famous Ukrainian poet. Every year the Ukrainian community in Armenia gathers near the monument of Shevchenko, presenting his works. The head of the Ukrainian community in Armenia Anna Harutyunyan said: "Shevchenko connects everyone to the world of Ukrainians joining his creative work with his life. He is an example for all Ukrainians. " In the past, the Armenian community in Ukraine was quite large, about 400 people, but for various reasons they left Armenia. Now there are about 100 people in the community, but there are 50 active people. Taras Shevchenko's monument was built in 2013, but the official opening has not yet been realized. The community is waiting for Ukrainian guests to organize the official opening. Eleven countries including Japan, Australia, and Canada signed a trade agreement Thursday known as The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) [text, pdf]. The deal will span a market of nearly 500 million people, making it one of the worlds largest trade agreements. The CPTPP serves as an update to the Trans-Pacific Partnership [text], the 12-member original agreement which President Trump withdrew from a few days into his presidency last year. CPTPP countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Provisions include goods market access, such as agriculture, fish and seafood, forest products, and industrial goods, automotive and auto parts, access to financial services and investment, as well as biotech and labor rights, and environmental protection provisions. The revised agreement eliminates some requirements the U.S. had negotiated, such as intellectual property protection for pharmaceutical companies. This sweeping trade deal comes the same day that President Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel imports [JURIST report]. Judge Pablo Llarena of Spains Supreme Court [official website] denied [text, PDF, Spanish] on Friday the requested release of former president of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) Jordi Sanchez. The request was filed to allow Sanchez to attend the investiture debate in Parliament next week for the new leader of Catalonia. Sanchez has been in custody [JURIST report] since October over charges of rebellion and sedition based on his alleged role in using demonstrations to stop police from halting the unilateral independence referendum, that eventually was found to be unconstitutional [JURIST report]. Sanchez has been the hopeful candidate to replace the former President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont [profile]. In his 26-page opinion, Llarena based his decision on the risk of repeated behavior based on Sanchezs continued goal to achieve succession from Spain. He emphasized that these alleged crimes are clearly illegal and Sanchez didnt offer his voters the leadership he now calls for. The ANC has since responded [Twitter website] stating, Llarena denies freedom and permission for the Jordi Sanchez investiture. When a perversion of justice comes through the door, collective freedom jumps out of the window. Freedom! Catalonias Parliament is still expected to meet on Monday to vote in a new leader of the region. There may only be a few more weeks left of summer, but there's still time for New York City visitors to take in a "hot" Broadway show. Those traveling to the big apple will find themselves singing, dancing, laughing, and crying in their seats as they enjoy Broadway's biggest seasonal hits, including: SpongeBob SquarePants The Broadway Musical Its always warm in Bikini Bottombut maybe its getting a little too warm. When a nearby volcano threatens to erupt, the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom are thrown into a panic! Do they flee? Try to save their town? And how? The stakes have never been higher, the antics have never been crazier and the music has never been better as these beloved cartoon characters take the Broadway stage. Travelers need to grab tickets fast, though, as the show closes on September 16. Once On This Island Audiences are transported to the Caribbean in this captivating tale of Ti Moune, a young peasant girl on a journey to reunite with her loveno matter the cost. Caught up in the tension between the rigid social classes on her island and, unbeknownst to her, a bet between the gods of Love and Death, Ti Moune must prove that love is strong enough to do what seems impossiblebring worlds together. Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical might not actually be summery in the seasonal sense, but with more than 20 of Donna Summers hits, including Bad Girls, Love To Love You Baby, and Hot Stuff, its sure to be a good time. In this fiery new musical, no less than three actresses (Storm Lever, Ariana DeBose, and Tony Award winner LaChanze) take on different incarnations of the music icon, providing an inspiring and vivid look at the life of a legend. Photo by Jill Weinlein In the late 1800s, Hawaiians developed a fondness and admiration for their Queen Kapiolani. They appreciated her deep commitment to health, education, and well-being for the Hawaiian people. Her motto Strive for the Highest helped establish the Kapiolani Home for Girls and the Kapiolani Maternity Home, with her lasting legacy The Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. In the 1960s one of the first modernistic 19 story hotels was built across from the Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. It was named in honor of the Queen and soon became a favorite for visitors due to its location near Waikiki Beach, the Honolulu Zoo and Diamond Head. Then the luster of the Queen started to fade. ProspectHill Group and Hawaii hotel executive Patrick Fitzgerald recently acquired the property and invested $35 million dollars in renovations. With the help of Hawaiian designer Mary Philpotts of Philpotts Interiors, the hotel is now filled with Hawaiian colors, local art, comfortable furniture and engaging public spaces. It's modern, hip and a trendy vacation destination. Photo by Jill Weinlein Touring the hotel with Joy Shinobu Tomita, the Director of Sales and Marketing, I admired the large open-air lobby that fronts Kapiolani Park. In the reception and corridors, Waikikis Golden Age artwork is hung with classic posters from the Good Old Days of Waikiki. Each floor is decorated in vintage artwork of a different theme that includes airlines and cruise ships. As Queen Kapiolani helped the people of Oahu, the newly refurbished hotel is helping local artists by commissioning their wall-sized pieces and displaying them for guests to admire and appreciate. Upstairs on the second floor, the hotel educates guests about Hawaiian royals by displaying original portraits of the royals borrowed from the Honolulu Bishop Museum. The Green Room Gallery was created in honor of the famous Queen Kapiolani peacock gown she wore to the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria of England in 1887. To help maintain guests health, the Queen Kapiolani offer a new fitness center and Hans Hedemann Surf School and shop. On the third floor is an expansive 8,000-square-foot lanai offering a sparkling pool, lounge area and al fresco DECK restaurant perched above Kapiolani Park. This area offers one of Waikikis best views of Diamond Head. At sunset and early evening some of best musicians in the Hawaiian music scene perform as guests sip Mai Tai's on tap and enjoy a variety of Modern American dishes with a Hawaiian flair. Entering room #1816, I admired how light and bright this one bedroom with a kitchenette, large outdoor lanai, and two bathroom suite was overlooking Waikiki Beach to Diamond Head. Below is the Honolulu Zoo with a bird's eye view of the flamingo pond, elephant habitat and beautiful Hawaiian flowering trees. The hotel offers guest experiences throughout the week with Hawaiian Coffee tastings at the lobby Knot's Coffee Bar, visits to the nearby Farmers Market, surf lessons and art experiences. There is an Aloha Whip Confectionery and retail shops offering fun Hawaiian lifestyle art and gifts. Waikiki's Queen Kapiolani regains its luster offering beauty, health, wellness and an educational Hawaiian experience to all visiting Oahu. As part of the rebranding and renovations scheduled to be completed by September 2018, the hotel has identified KoKua Hawaii Foundation as its Community non-profit beneficiary. Established by Jack & Kim Johnson, the foundation provides educational experiences to Hawaiis youth to better understand the sustainability and how to be good stewards of the land. Guests can contribute $1 per day of their stay to support the environmental education programs in the local schools and communities. For reservations - https://www.queenkapiolani.com. Photo by Jill Weinlein The Queen Kapiolani Hotel is located near Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head and the Honolulu Zoo. Photo by Jill Weinlein The renovated rooms at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel offer a Hawaiian flair. A federal agency has said that five infants suffered serious injuries including a fractured skull, rib, and arm in the newborn unit of a Wisconsin hospital and the nurse who cared for them has been suspended. The Wisconsin State Journal said UnityPoint Health-Meriter hospital in Madison didn't respond to the suspected abuse until early last month when staff noticed two babies with bruises. An internal investigation revealed two similar cases last year and one from January. Quoting a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services report, the newspaper said the federal agency threatened to cancel its contract with the hospital. The agency told Meriter in a February 23th letter that the situation "is so serious that it constitutes an immediate threat to patient health safety." Meriter said it is cooperating with authorities and has implemented new safety measures. th. (Photo: VNA) Trade ministers of 11 countries participating in the trade pact, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, attended the event. Vietnam was represented by Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh. The ambitious deal came after the US pulled out the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement last year. The content of CP TPP was basically unchanged from the original TPP with 8,000 pages, except for the suspended implementation of 22 provisions mainly related to intellectual property. It sets high criteria in numerous fields, including labour, the environment, intellectual property, digital economy and cyber security. The official signing of the pact will facilitate the promotion of economic growth and job generation, poverty reduction, and improvement of peoples living conditions. With its commitment to market opening, CP TPP delivers a strong message against protectionism, while proving that an opening economy will benefit member nations, according to experts. The pact will create one of the worlds largest free trade blocs with a combined market of 499 million people and GDP of around USD10,100 billion, accounting for 13.5 percent of the global GDP. Vietnam made significant contributions to the pacts negotiations, especially at the APEC High Economic Leaders Week in Da Nang in November, 2017. The countrys efforts affirm its role in promoting free trade and economic integration in the Asia, America and Pacific Ocean. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared that the signing of the CP TPP is a commitment of global integration and a strong signal against protectionism pressure. Speaking at the signing ceremony, she expressed her delight over the birth of the free trade agreement which is billed as an ambitious and strategic multi-lateral cooperation deal in the context of globalisation. She spoke highly the role of Japan and Chile with the initiative to forge ahead with the agreement after the USs pullout in 2017. At a press conference held after the signing ceremony, Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz affirmed that the parties in the CP TPP hoped the pact will bring economic growth to every nation. Meanwhile, Japanese Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Toshimitsu Motegi noted that despite formidable challenges, CP TPP is a historic achievement that creates principles on trade freedom and fairness in the 21st century in Asia-Pacific. Member countries would still welcome the US back into the pact, he said, adding that the deal opens door to any country that wants to join and accepts all of its principles./. The Oath Now on HOOQ Marking HOOQs First Hollywood Original Series, The Oath, Tackles Tough Issues of Gang Culture and Corruption in The L.A. Police Force. HOOQ the largest Video On Demand service in South East Asia is proud to announce its first foray into Hollywood Originals with Crackles The Oath. Debuting with all 10 episodes on March 8, 2018 in the US, the series will be fully available on HOOQ 24 hours later. The Oath Now on HOOQ Chief Content Officer of HOOQ, Jennifer Batty said, This marks a truly significant milestone for HOOQ Originals. While we continue to blaze a trail for homegrown Asian content and talent, we are now proud to strengthen our offering and bring in the best original content that Hollywood has to offer. With established producers of gritty visual stories like Joe Halpin and Curtis 50 Cent Jackson on the team and not to mention hard hitters like Ryan Kwanten and Sean Bean, were confident that weve got a winner here. I cant wait for you all to see it! Set in Los Angeles, this hard-hitting crime drama dives deep into a world of gangs made up of those sworn to protect and defend. The Oath chooses to tread where most cop dramas dont, shedding light on corruption and police gang culture by examining secret societies that are nearly impossible to join. Only a select few make the cut but, once inside, members will do what they must to protect each other from enemies not only on the outside but also from within. Created by Joe Halpin (Hawaii Five-O, Secrets and Lies), the characters and relationships in The Oath are informed by his first-hand experience working as a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department deputy in South Central for 18 years, 12 of which was as an undercover officer. The Oath Now on HOOQ Chief Executive Officer of HOOQ, Peter Bithos said, At HOOQ, we have always dedicated ourselves to bringing our subscribers the best that Asia and Hollywood have to offer. With The Oath now joining our family of HOOQ Originals, were proud to continue bringing the kind of stories that our customers love and continue to expect from us. This is the first of many to come. The Oath stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Cory Hardrict(American Sniper, Gran Torino), Katrina Law (Training Day), Arlen Escarpeta (The Magicians), J.J Soria (Animal Kingdom, The Fosters) and Game Of Thrones alum, Sean Bean. The Oath Now on HOOQ Curtis 50 Cent Jackson (Power) and his G-Unit Film & Television Inc., Todd Hoffman and Dennis Kim of Storied Media Group, Anne Clements (StartUp) and Halpin are the producers. The series is directed by Jeff T. Thomas (Blindspot, Wayward Pines) and Luis Prieto (Kidnap, StartUp). The Oath is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. MORE ON HOOQ There is truly something for everybody this March on HOOQs TVOD service. Lovers of animated films can enjoy Pixars Coco and comic book fans can rejoice as HOOQ brings you the absolute best that the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universe has to offer with Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League. Those looking to make a trip to a galaxy far, far away can eagerly await the arrival of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and, finally, for the nostalgic lovers of 90s cinema, the highly successful Jumanj: Welcome To The Jungle would be a winning choice. Country Manager of HOOQ Philippines, Sheila Paul, said: It will be a very exciting month for movie buffs at HOOQ! We are very excited to bring these movies fresh from the cinema that the whole family will enjoy. Theyre perfect viewing on road trips this summer and when youre just chilling at home. Overview of Bang Long pagoda (Photo: vov.vn) This is an annual significant belief activity for overseas Vietnamese in Laos because it is an opportunity for them to meet and exchange, as well as look toward their origins in spiritual life. After the ceremony to pray for peace and safety of the nation and people, the participants set free animals, enjoyed vegetarian food and reviewed memories about the homeland. Bang Long Pagoda was built in 1942 and is the largest one of the overseas Vietnamese community in Laos. It usually organizes religious activities of Vietnamese people, helping to preserve the traditional culture of the nation./. 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 MEDFORD, Ore. A daytime burglar is now in custody after stealing a change of clothes, according to the Medford Police Department (MPD). The break-in happened at 8:30 a.m. this morning, March 8. A neighbor says that they spotted a man breaking in through the front window of a home on the 3500 block of Princeton Way in Medford. The neighbor called Medford Police. Police were able to reach the residence in a matter of minutes, before the suspect had a chance to make his exit. As police were deploying at the scene, the suspect came out through the front door of the home and immediately fled on foot. 29 year-old Andrew James was apprehended in the parking lot of Hillcrest Business Park, about a block away from the break-in. James was uncooperative and resisted arrest, according to the MPD. The homeowners say that they do not know the suspect. Investigators believe that James only stole clothing, which he put on before fleeing the scene. James also left belongings in the home. James is being held in the Jackson County Jail on charges of Burglary 1, Theft 2, and Criminal Mischief 2. His bail is set at $30,000. ASHLAND, Ore. UPDATE: After inquiring with the state Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding the current status of the Village at Valley View, officials replied on December 27 saying that the restrictions leveled against the facility had since been removed. As of July 2, 2018, the condition placed on Village at Valley Views license was removed," said Elisa Williams with DHS. "As of October 11, 2018, the facility was found in substantial compliance with state regulations for assisted living and residential care facilities. Williams said that there were multiple other complaints filed against the facility that had yet to be investigated, but it appears that some of those complaints may have occurred prior to the facility coming under new management in September and all complaints fall within the normal standards for complaints and investigations at any facility. The majority of complaints filed from Valley View over the past six months have regarded allegations of abuse between residents and not abuse by staff. (Updated 12/27/18 at 2:45 p.m.) INITIAL REPORT: An investigation by NewsWatch 12 reveals that state health officials are stepping in to make sure dementia patients are safe at an Ashland facility. The Village at Valley View opened on July 26, 2017, and the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) opened an investigation in December. They started interviewing current and former staff about neglect and the off-label use of medication that sedated patients. By February 2018, adult protective services brought in a consultant to evaluate and review the facility. NewsWatch12's Sionan Barrett submitted a public records request to DHS on February 8. On March 5, Barrett received the documents detailing the investigation. DHS found 24 serious violations of residents rights in the investigation, and concluded that the facility's, "non-compliance places residents at harm or risk for harm." READ: Description of Violations (PDF) The Village at Valley View was ordered to post a restriction of admissions sign inside and outside the facility entrances and exits. The state also ordered the facility not to accept any new residents while violations are being corrected. DHS officials said that only 5 percent of the facilities the agency oversees per year receive restrictions as severe as those leveled against Valley View. A former employee told NewsWatch 12: I saw residents that would write that they were scared to be alone on their whiteboard because they couldnt communicate any other way. The former employee wants to stay anonymous but spoke to NewsWatch 12 because she said families need to know whats happening inside the facility. Former employee: The medication errors, I feel they were serious to the point where it led to complications in some of the residents. During a regular inspection, DHS investigators found major concerns about the use of PLO Gel, an antipsychotic cream gel that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on dementia patients. DHS Spokesperson Ann McQueen: "We found instances during our survey or inspection process of residents who had significant weight loss who shouldve had a registered nurse assessment who didnt have those things and those things either did or have the potential to cause serious harm to a resident. PLO Gel in its cream form is usually found in Hospice settings to make people comfortable toward the end of their life. McQueen: Its a non-approved use, and antipsychotics in this vein are also considered 'black boxed.' Really they are not recommended for people with dementia-related behaviors, for this use. And theres a lot of research out there that indicates thats not the proper use for that. MORE: Read the Notice Of Violations (PDF) One of the owners of Village Valley View is John Chmelir; he does not have a direct role in patient care, but said his employees have not misused PLO Gel. Chmelir: The PLO Gel is only to be used on residents that have been prescribed its use. Its a pharmaceutical. Its a prescription drug, so you cant just get a tube of it and use it on other people. We have missed some of the documentation. Theres no question about that. And to the extent that if you dont have documentation saying you did this, then the only conclusion is that it wasnt done. Then thats how DHS has to interpret that. I get that they have a very hard job because theyre protecting some very vulnerable people so were just working hard to make their standard." When asked if residents at Valley View are being abused, Chmelir said, "I dont think so. Absolutely not. I will say that absolutely not. I think our care staff really does care about the residents, and I think we do the very best we can. Ashland Care Associates was fined $500 for neglect of care due to the inappropriate use of chemical restraint. Chmelir said the facility and staffers are taking DHS' concerns seriously and are taking the suggested steps to correct its actions. The DHS Aging and People with Disabilities Licensing division has an agreement with Village at Valley View that requires a Department-approved Registered Nurse (RN) consultant, not affiliated with the licensee, to be on-site for a minimum of two times each month a minimum of 16 hours per visit. That RN will submit a written report every two weeks to DHS to provide an evaluation of systems, procedures and practices reviewed, recommendations provided, staff training, and any other areas to note. READ: Order Imposing License Condition (PDF) DHS told NewsWatch12 that investigators are confident the facility will take the steps necessary to keep patients safe and comfortable. Anyone who is concerned about the care of their loved one(s) in any healthcare facility can contact DHS here. GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- Tyler Watson filed a lawsuit against Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods on March 5 because the store's would not let him buy a rifle because he is not 21. NewsWatch 12's Emma Balkenbush sat down with his attorney, Max Whittington, on Thursday to talk about the controversial lawsuit that's grabbing national attention. Cauble & Cauble & Selvig, LLP has had phones ringing off the hook since the lawsuit was filed. Both Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart recently announced they would not sell firearms to anyone under the age of 21. In Oregon, age is a part of the public accommodations law, which means stores cannot discriminate against someone because of their age. Tobacco, marijuana and alcohol are the exceptions to that law. When asked about a possible ploy for his client to get money, Whittington said that's not his end goal. "My client is definitely not looking for money in this case, in fact I wouldn't say it's likely that we'll get any money from it at all. What we're asking for is injunctive relief," Whittington said. He said that means his end goal is a court order telling both companies they have to stop using those policies in Oregon. Whittington said going up against two large corporations is going to be a challenge. "But I think the law's on our side, I think ultimately we'll be vindicated," Whittington said. When asked if his client would accept a settlement, Whittington replied, "What we'd accept is if they reversed their policy and stopped these discriminatory practices." He said he sees this going to summary judgment. "I don't think there's a lot of facts at issue, I think that the courts will agree with us that these practices are discriminatory and enjoin them," Whittington said. He also said he has not been reached out to by the NRA or any other groups about the lawsuit. "At this time we're not looking for any support from anyone. If this went to appeal or further litigation it's possible but not at this time," Whittington said. He said the bill that the Bureau of Labor and Industries plans to introduce to the Oregon State Legislature next session would not affect the case. The bill would change Oregon's current law to include firearms on the list of exemptions for Oregon's public accommodations law that says stores cannot discriminate against someone on the basis of age. GRANTS PASS, Ore. A 33-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to a life sentence with possibility of parole for the stabbing death of another man in March 2016. Jerald Wesley Eigenbrod, 78, was stabbed to death on March 11, 2016. Duane Eugene Bond Jr. was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Eigenbrods death. During the trial, attorneys claimed that Bond and his then-girlfriend had accused the victim of touching their daughter inappropriately. The attorneys argued that the couple went to confront Eigenbrod, and ended up in a fight. "First I want to say that Jerry was not innocent," Bond said at his sentencing. "He molested a 3-year-old little girl and he got what he had coming. 'Cattle die, kinsmen dieI too shall die myself, the same way. One thing that will never die are the valorous deeds of a dead man.'" Some sources attribute a form of the quote "Cattle die, kinsmen die..." to an old Norse proverb called the Havamal, but Bond did not give any indication of his motivations for the reference. Bond will now have to serve at least 28 years in prison. He received a 25-year minimum for the murder of Eigenbrod, plus an additional three years for weapons charges that he received while in jail. After 28 years, Bond will become eligible for parole, but he would still face probation for life. LINK: Read The Affidavit "Whoever appeals to the law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward. Whoever cannot take care of himself without that law is both. For the wounded man shall say to his assailant 'if I live, I will kill you, if I die you are forgiven,' such is the rule of honor," said Bond, apparently quoting lyrics from the song "Omerta," by the metal band Lamb of God. Bond was found guilty on Feb. 23, 2018 and was sentenced in Josephine County on Thursday morning. According to the affidavit, Eigenbrod was found with multiple stab wounds at his home on South Side Road in Grants Pass. Police said Bond was seen leaving the victims house, and returning several minutes later with a bloody knife in his hand. "Keep your head up and boots down," Bond said to his family as he was led from the courtroom. ASHLAND, Ore. -- The Oregon Chocolate Festival is welcoming chocolate lovers from around the region as it begins festivities this weekend at the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites. This year's kickoff event features a sold out social hour in the Stardust Lounge Friday night. Main events begin on Saturday, March 10th and run until Sunday March 11th. Each year the festival features dozens of chocolatiers from around the region, panelists, competitions, and of course all the chocolate you can eat! Other paid opportunities include a spa party, "Charlie's Chocolate 5k Run/Walk," and Chocolate Wine Maker's Dinner. Main events run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door. You can purchase a single day pass for $20 or a two-day pass for $30. Children 8 years of age and under are free. For a full list of events, click here. Alaina Lockhart, third from left, the federal parliamentary secretary for small business and tourism, hammed it up with Tourism Kelowna volunteers Thursday at the agencys booth at the B.C. Tourism Industry Conference at the Delta Grand hotel. The volunteers are, from left, Kathryn Parkhill, Ken Howard and Kelly Holberton. FILE -- In this Monday March 28, 2016 file photo, Brian Kelly, former Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency waits to testify before the Assembly Transportation Committee, in Sacramento, Calif. The rail authority on Friday , March 9, 2018, will release its latest business plan, the first since Kelly took over the bullet train project, which has been beset by delays and cost increases. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file) Erik Demaine, a 37-year-old MIT computer science professor, thinks the technology behind his self-folding printable robots could one day evolve into downloadable smartphones, biomedical devices that deliver cancer-killing drugs, and even gadgets that could take on any form. An origami robot is seen to scale in a hand in an undated still image made from video footage. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-MIT, *MANDATORY CREDIT* The RCMP and Central Okanagan School District say alleged threats at two local high schools are "not valid" comments that were taken out of context and fuelled fear. Construction of a new sewage outflow pipe in West Kelowna will get a lot more expensive if the area is found to contain Rocky Mountain ridged mussels, a species deemed to be at risk. Royal Canadian Navy Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, left, speaks with Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd during a change of command ceremony in Ottawa on June 23, 2016. The RCMP has charged Vice-Admiral Mark Norman with one count of breach of trust. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld The outside of the Vancouver Aquarium is pictured in Vancouver, B.C. Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. The Vancouver Aquarium has dropped its legal battle against a filmmaker whose documentary criticized its practices of keeping dolphins and whales in captivity. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward A judge in British Columbia is expected to release a decision this morning in a legal challenge of Canada's polygamy laws. Winston Blackmore, who was found guilty of practising polygamy in a fundamentalist religious community, speaks with reporters outside court in Cranbrook, B.C., Monday, July 24, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Former Knowledge House Inc. president and CEO Daniel Potter, left, speaks to reporters at the courthouse in Halifax on Friday, March 9, 2018. Potter and lawyer Blois Colpitts were found guilty Friday in a multi-million-dollar stock market fraud case. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Brett Bundale FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2010 file photo an American flag flutters in the wind on a nearby resident's home near a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle near where agent Brian Terry was killed, northwest of Nogales, Ariz. Francisco Cantu said he joined the Border Patrol at age 23 to get an on-the-ground education in international relations. Now 32, he says he didn't expect his new memoir examining some of the agency's uglier aspects would spark protests by far-left groups denouncing him for the work and forcing him to cancel some talks promoting the book. (Greg Bryan /Arizona Daily Star via AP, File) A soldier stands guard near the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Friday, March 9, 2018. A suicide bomber targeting Afghanistan's minority Hazaras blew himself up at a police checkpoint in western Kabul on Friday, killing nine people and wounding more than a dozen, officials said. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini) South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong, center, speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 8, 2018. Intelligence chief Suh Hoon is at left. President Donald Trump has accepted an offer of a summit from the North Korean leader and will meet with Kim Jong Un by May, a top South Korean official said Thursday, in a remarkable turnaround in relations between two historic adversaries. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) In this March 6, 2018, photo, former Vice President Joe Biden points at Conor Lamb, right, the Democratic candidate for the March 13 special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, during a rally at the Carpenter's Training Center in Collier, Pa. Fighting to stave off another special election embarrassment, the White House is strengthening its final-days offensive in western Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) WASHINGTON Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is taking the battle against the opioid crisis to the nations capital. Brown testified Thursday in Washington, D.C., in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The governor discussed Oregons statewide impacts and priorities when it comes to the crisis. She also addressed her recently passed legislation requiring a state agency to study barriers to effective treatment and recovery from addiction. RELATED: Former NBA player warns students about addiction Brown said its a big issue with broad consequences. If we can make meaningful change in prevention, treatment and recovery from substance abuse, we can create better lives for our families, Brown said. We can see more success for our students in schools. We would lift a burden off of our hospitals and our law enforcement and our prisons. The issue is personal for Brown, who shared the story of her stepsons battle against addiction. Brown said shes seen the damage opioids can cause and now is the time for action. ELECTION: 17 candidates file to run for governor in Oregon FLORENCE, Ore. -- A Mapleton woman has been found guilty of animal neglect after Lane County seized two horses in December. Heather Dollman was found guilty of all six counts and was fined $250 per count. She also has to pay $1400 in veterinary bills. In December, the county was tipped off that Dollman's horses "lacked sufficient food and necessary veterinary care" and that they weren't properly sheltered. READ MORE: Mapleton woman cited again for animal neglect The court decided that one of the horses, Pumpkin, will go to a new home through a rescue program. The other horse, Pepper, has to be put down because of its injuries. Dollman can keep her cats and dogs but can't get any other animals for five years. She was also found guilty of neglecting three horses and a dog in 2013. She used to be employed at the Oregon Coast Humane Society but has since been fired. PORTLAND, Ore. -- An Oregon kidnapping victim said texting 911 saved her life. The woman only wants to be known as Kinsey. She said she was standing outside of a 7-Eleven, when Douglas Braaten offered her a ride home. Kinsey said she didn't know the 61-year-old but got out into his vehicle anyway. Instead of taking her home, Kinsey said Braaten drove her to the Columbia River Gorge and sexually assaulted her. During the drive, she discretely texted 911 and got a response. When she got the chance, Kinsey said she called 911 and kept the phone out of sight. She believes dispatchers tracked the phone to find her location. "They opened the car door, told him to step out. Next thing I hear are handcuffs going on him." Braaten was arrested on charges of kidnapping and sex abuse. EUGENE, Ore. -- With recent robberies near the University of Oregon's campus, university police said student safety is a priority. After the robberies, UOPD sent out text message and email alerts to notify students. UO Police Chief Matthew Carmichael said they have been increasing their efforts to ensure students safety both on and off campus. Carmichael said he understands students will be on campus late at night, especially with finals and late night study sessions, so the department offers safety escorts 24/7 to make sure students get home safe. The department also recently started a fixed-route shuttle going around campus, to give students additional rides. Carmichael said starting Thursday, the shuttle will run every day. "What I want our students to know is that we are here as a resource for our students and these options for safe rides or getting around campus exist for them, and police officers or campus police are here to serve them," Carmichael said. "The biggest message is truly no UO student should walk alone, and my responsibility as the chief is to make sure that doesn't happen." Additionally, there are other student-led groups providing resources to students to make sure they get home safe. One of the groups is called Safe Ride. They provide free rides to students on and off campus. They have about 60 student workers and give rides throughout the week. Another student organization is the Designated Driver Shuttle, that provides a similar service. UOPD said between that shuttle, Safe Ride and the fixed-route campus shuttle, they give about 5,000 rides to students every month. "It is important because it empowers students to be able to come to campus when they want to if they need to study," Sariah Pasillas, a student worker with Safe Ride, said. "It empowers people to not be afraid because they have a ride to get back home. So I think that's why it's important." Pasillas said after the robberies, Safe Ride has seen an increase in students wanting rides. MASON CITY, Iowa The trial of Braedon Bowers has been pushed back. The 21-year-old is charged with 1st degree murder for the stabbing death of Wraymond Todd. Authorities say Todd was stabbed in the 300 block of West State Street in Mason City on May 30. He died several days later. Bowers had been scheduled to stand trial on May 21 but that has now been delayed until August 20. He remains in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $500,000 cash only bond. ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) released the following statement on Thursday morning: "Gun violence and firearm-related accidents kill more than 30,000 Americans each year. In Minnesota, there were more than 400 firearm-related deaths in 2016. The recent and relentless mass shootings, as well as the daily toll associated with gun violence and accidents, demand a response. The MMA considers gun violence a public health crisis and calls on policymakers at the state and national levels to step up and protect our health and safety. The MMA supports common-sense changes to gun laws that will promote safe and responsible gun ownership, including criminal background checks on all purchases and transfers/exchanges of firearms; enforcement of laws that will hold sellers accountable when they sell firearms to prohibited purchasers; investment in improved data collection, analysis, and research on firearm injury prevention; and, a renewal and strengthening of the assault weapons ban, including banning high-capacity magazines. The MMA also renews its call for improved access to and coverage of comprehensive mental health services. Most individuals with mental illness are not violent. It is important, however, to encourage and support the identification of individuals at risk for violence or self harm. Physicians and other health care providers also have a responsibility to talk to patients about responsible firearm ownership and safe storage in the home. Few threats to our health and safety can be eliminated, but failure to intervene in the face of this significant epidemic is not an option." The president-elect of the MMA says they do not wish to take away anyone's rights to own a gun, they would just like to see responsible and safe gun ownership. But one member of the community says he doesn't see the point in a ban because he believes that no matter what, people will find a way to purchase these weapons anyway. OSAGE, Iowa- After two bond referendums failed in Osage to help fund an expansion and update to Osage Schools, school officials have found other ways to fund the updates. Those with the school say they are going to utilize the PPEL fund which is funding available for very specific projects. They will also be using the SAVE fund which is a state wide local tax. Community members say they are excited about the current proposal especially because it wont raise taxes. Around here everything is getting updated and it's coming out of the tax payers, said Jason Quindt of Osage. Ive had concerns about that before, but if it isn't coming out of the tax payers pocket, that's fine with me. The school will be opening the project up for bids on March 15. OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) Police say a 16-year-old who took a loaded handgun into Ottumwa High School has been charged with a felony. The Ottumwa Courier reports that the school resource officer and a school administrator found the gun and a knife blade in the student's backpack Thursday morning. He was arrested and charged with carrying a weapon on school grounds. The Associated Press generally doesn't name juveniles accused of crimes. The school district says the boy showed the gun to another student, who then notified a teacher who alerted the resource officer. The officer and the administrator removed the boy from a classroom and then searched the backpack. His parents were notified. It's unclear why the boy was armed. ___ Information from: The Ottumwa Courier, http://www.ottumwacourier.com WASHINGTON (AP) Unswayed by Republican warnings of a trade war, President Donald Trump ordered steep new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. on Thursday, vowing to fight back against an assault on our country by foreign competitors. The president said he would exempt Canada and Mexico while negotiating for changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The new tariffs will take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely exempted to see if we can make the deal, Trump said. NAFTA talks are expected to resume early next month. The American aluminum and steel industry has been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices. Its really an assault on our country. Its been an assault, Trump said at the White House. He was joined by steel and aluminum workers holding white hard hats. American steel and aluminum workers have long been betrayed, but that betrayal is now over, Trump said. The former real estate developer said politicians had for years lamented the decline in the industries, but nobody was willing to take action. As he has indicated previously, Trump said he would levy tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum. But he said during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day that the penalties would have a right to go up or down depending on the country and Ill have a right to drop out countries or add countries. I just want fairness. President Donald Trump is suggesting that Australia and other countries may be exempted from steel and aluminum tariffs, along with Mexico and Canada. (March 8) Business leaders, meanwhile, have continued to sound the alarm about the potential economic fallout from tariffs, with the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce raising the specter of a global trade war. That scenario, Tom Donohue said, would endanger the economic momentum from the GOP tax cuts and Trumps rollback of regulations. We urge the administration to take this risk seriously, Donohue said. The president suggested in the meeting with his Cabinet that Australia and other countries might also be spared, a shift that could soften the international blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. Were going to be very fair, were going to be very flexible but were going to protect the American worker as I said I would do in my campaign, Trump said. People briefed on the plans ahead of the announcement said all countries affected by the tariffs would be invited to negotiate with the administration to be exempted from the tariffs if they can address the threat their exports pose to U.S. manufacturers. The exemptions for Canada and Mexico could be ended if talks to renegotiate NAFTA stall. The process of announcing the penalties has been the subject of an intense debate and chaotic exchanges within the White House, pitting hard-liners against free trade advocates such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn. The fight over tariffs comes amid intense turmoil in the West Wing, which has seen waves of departures and negative news stories that have left Trump increasingly isolated in the Oval Office, according to two senior officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. Congressional Republicans and business groups are bracing for the impact of the tariffs and the departure of Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who has opposed them. House Speaker Paul Ryan, appearing at a session with Home Depot employees in Atlanta, said ahead of Trumps announcement, Im just not a fan of broad-based, across-the-board tariffs. He pointed to the stores many products that rely on steel and aluminum. More than 100 House Republicans wrote Trump on Wednesday, asking him to reconsider the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences to the U.S. economy and workers. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican, said he plans to introduce legislation next week to nullify the tariffs though he has acknowledged that finding the votes to stop the presidents actions could be difficult. The president has said the tariffs are needed to reinforce lagging American steel and aluminum industries and protect national security. Jeff Mason, Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jung by May in response to Kims invitation to hold the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit, a South Korean envoy said, marking a potentially dramatic breakthrough in the North Korea nuclear standoff. Kim has committed to denuclearization and to suspending nuclear or missile tests, South Koreas National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on South Korean officials meeting with Kim on Monday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. She added: We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. A meeting between Kim and Trump, who have exchanged bellicose insults in the past year that have raised fear of war, would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of tests aimed at developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. I told him (Trump) that in our meeting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that hes committed to denuclearization, Chung said. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible, he said. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve denuclearization. Trumps aides have been wary of North Koreas diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments. Chung and National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon flew to Washington earlier on Thursday to explain North Koreas stance on possible future talks with Washington and the prospect of Pyongyang suspending nuclear tests if the security of the Norths government is assured. Earlier Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that though talks about talks might be possible with Pyongyang, denuclearization negotiations were likely a long way off. Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said in response to the announcement in Washington that North Korea must commit to abandoning nuclear development completely in order for meaningful talks to take place with Pyongyang. Reporting David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON and Christine Kim in SEOUL, additional reporting by Steve Holland in WASHINGTON, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and Aaron Maasho and Kumerra Gemechu in ADDIS ABABA; Editing by Will Dunham, James Dalgleish, Grant McCool VIENNA, March 9 (Reuters) - Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine will monitor the effects of new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and may not invest further in the United States until it has a clear picture of the situation, its chief executive said on Friday. "The United States remains attractive but it could be that there is a certain pause in our investment activity until the political conditions are calculable," Wolfgang Eder told ORF radio, without specifying what those investment were. Voestalpine operates 47 sites with an annual revenue of nearly one billion euros ($1.23 billion) in the United States. It opened a $1 billion sponge-iron plant in Texas in late 2016. Only a maximum of about 3 percent of current Voestalpine group sales could be affected by the U.S. tariffs, the group said earlier on Friday. ($1 = 0.8129 euros) (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle) Messaging: kirsti.knolle.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net )) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. BRUSSELS/SHANGHAI/TOKYO (Reuters) - From Japan and South Korea to Australia and Europe, officials lined up on Friday to seek exemptions from President Donald Trumps tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports, while Chinese producers called on Beijing to retaliate in kind. Tokyo and Brussels rejected any suggestion that their exports to the United States threatened its national security - Trumps justification for imposing the tariffs despite warnings at home and abroad that they could provoke a global trade war. Trump signed an order for the 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminum at the White House on Thursday to counter cheap imports, especially from China, which he described as an assault on our country. (For an interactive graphic on U.S. steel products imports click tmsnrt.rs/2oPeo1z) However, he said real friends of the United States could win waivers from the measures, which come into force after 15 days. In the event he exempted Canada and Mexico, fellow members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which he is trying to renegotiate. Brazil, which after Canada is the biggest steel supplier to the U.S. market, said it wanted to join the list. We will work to exclude Brazil from this measure, Acting Trade Minister Marcos Jorge told Reuters after meeting U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Argentina made a similar case. Japan, the United States top economic and military ally in Asia, was next in line. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that Japans steel and aluminum shipments posed no threat to U.S. national security. With Japan a major trade partner and international investor, Suga said that, on the contrary, they contributed greatly to employment and industry in the United States. Japans steel industry body also expressed concern. The European Union, the worlds biggest trade bloc, chimed in. Europe is certainly not a threat to American internal security so we expect to be excluded, European trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in Brussels. Malmstrom told reporters the EU was ready to complain to the World Trade Organization, and retaliate within 90 days. She will meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko in Brussels on Saturday when she will ask whether the EU is to be included in the tariffs. Other officials at the EU, by far the biggest trading partner of the United States by value, have warned it could take counter-measures including European tariffs on U.S. oranges, tobacco and bourbon. Some products under consideration are largely produced in constituencies controlled by Trumps Republican Party. Brussels has reminded Trump that tit-for-tat trade measures deepened the Great Depression in the 1930s and in the 2000s cost thousands of U.S. jobs when Washington imposed tariffs on European steel. European industry associations called on Malmstrom to react to the tariffs. The loss of exports to the U.S., combined with an expected massive import surge in the EU, could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the EU steel industry and related sectors, said Axel Eggert, head of steel association EUROFER. In Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cited Washingtons strong relationship with Australia, adding: There is no case for imposing tariffs on Australian steel. LEGITIMATE RIGHTS Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have risen since Trump took office last year. China accounts for only a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, but its rapid rise to produce half the worlds steel has helped create a global glut that has driven down prices. Beijing vowed to firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests. The tariffs would seriously impact the normal order of international trade, the Ministry of Commerce said. Chinas steel and metals associations urged the government to retaliate, citing imports from the United States ranging from stainless steel to coal, agricultural products and electronics. It was the most explicit threat yet from the country in the escalating trade row. The dispute has fueled concerns that soybeans, the United States most valuable export to China, might be caught up in the row after Beijing launched a probe into imports of U.S. sorghum, a grain used in animal feed and liquor. Within minutes of Trumps announcement, U.S. Republican Senator Jeff Flake, a critic of the president, said he would introduce a bill to nullify the tariffs. But that would probably require Congress to muster an extremely difficult two-thirds majority to override a Trump veto. Some Democrats praised the move. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said it was past time to defend our interests, our security and our workers in the global economy. South Korea, the third largest steel exporter to the United States and a strategic ally on the Korean peninsula, called for calm. We should prevent a trade war situation from excessive protectionism, in which the entire world harms each other, Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu told a meeting with steelmakers. While carrying a message to Washington to push forward a diplomatic breakthrough over North Korea, South Koreas national security office chief Chung Eui-yong requested U.S. officials to support Seouls request for a waiver, a presidential spokesman said. (GRAPHIC: How would Trumps tariff affect the cost of the Boeing 737? - tmsnrt.rs/2oPA3Xf) * Voestalpine says up to 3 pct of group sales affected * Thyssenkrupp supplies 400,000-500,000 tonnes/year to U.S. * Voestalpine shares down 1.6 pct, Thyssenkrupp up 0.8 pct (Recasts with German steel association, Thyssenkrupp) ZURICH/FRANKFURT, March 9 (Reuters) - New U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium imports will have a limited impact on two of Europe's top steelmakers, the companies said on Friday, while some shares slipped on the move to limit access to the world's second-largest steel market. U.S. President Donald Trump slapped import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium on Thursday, exempting Canada and Mexico and offering the possibility of excluding other allies. The European Union as a whole is the biggest exporter of steel to the United States, accounting for a fifth, or $6.8 billion, of U.S. steel imports, last year, according to figures from the German statistics office. Shares in Salzgitter , Germany's second-largest steelmaker, were down 2.3 percent. The group did not respond to requests for comments, but its CEO said on Thursday that markets were overestimating the impact of the tariffs on its business. Other European steelmakers include ArcelorMittal , the continent's biggest, whose shares were down 1.1 percent, while India's Tata Steel were down 5 percent. The U.S. represents around 10 percent of Tata Steel Europe's sales, an industry source told Reuters. "The extent to which other sales are affected by import restrictions is being thoroughly examined," Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine said in a statement. Responding to the tariffs, Germany's steel association called on the European Union to come up with effective countermeasures, warning Europe might be forced to absorb more volumes as a result. "A maximum of about 3 percent of current Voestalpine group sales can be affected by the U.S. tariffs and the economic risk remains very manageable even in extreme cases," Voestalpine said. Meanwhile, Thyssenkrupp , Germany's largest steelmaker, said it only supplied about 400,000-500,000 tonnes of steel a year to the U.S. market, or between 3.3-4.5 percent of total deliveries. Shares in Voestalpine were down 1.6 percent at 0959 GMT, while those of Thyssenkrupp were up 0.8 percent. German steel trader Kloeckner & Co could be one beneficiary of tighter supply in the United States, its Chief Executive Gisbert Ruehl said last week, pointing to the expectation that prices there could rise. Ruehl said his company received all its steel in the United States from local manufacturers, adding Kloeckner & Co was therefore not affected by the tariffs. (Reporting by Michael Shields, Christoph Steitz, Tom Kaeckenhoff and Maytaal Angel; Editing by Adrian Croft/Douglas Busvine/Alexander Smith) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World leaders welcomed prospects for a possible thaw in the long standoff over North Koreas nuclear weapons program on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to hold an unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump and Kim prompted jitters around the world last year as they exchanged bellicose insults over the Norths attempts to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States, which it has pursued in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. But tension eased around last months Winter Olympics in South Korea, laying the groundwork for what would be the first meeting between leaders from North Korea and the United States, and the biggest foreign policy gamble for Trump since he took office in January last year. A meeting is being planned, Trump said on Twitter after accepting an invitation to meet from Kim. There was no date or venue yet for the meeting although it could take place in May. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Trump in a phone call on Friday that he appreciates his desire to resolve the North Korea issue politically, Chinese state media said. Xi said he hopes the United States and North Korea start contacts and dialogue as soon as possible and strive to reach positive results, the report said. China is North Koreas largest trading partner and sole major ally, though overall trade has fallen in recent months as U.N. economic sanctions take effect. Trump has frequently tried to enlist Xis help to rein in Pyongyang. The head of South Koreas National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, speaking in Washington on Thursday after briefing Trump about a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim this week, said Trump had agreed to meet the North Korean leader by May in response to Kims invitation. Kim had committed to denuclearization and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, Chung said. The talks will take some weeks to arrange, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. A venue was not announced but neutral Switzerland, which often hosts summits, said it was ready to facilitate the meeting. INSULTS AND THREATS A meeting between Trump and Kim would be a major turnaround after a year in which North Korea has carried out a battery of missile tests that Washington sees as provocative and after a barrage of insults between the two leaders. U.S.-based experts say North Korea appeared to show last November that it has succeeded in developing a missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon anywhere in the United States. Trump has derided Kim as a maniac, referred to him as little rocket man and threatened in a speech last year to totally destroy North Korea, a country of 26 million people, if it attacked the United States or one of its allies. Kim responded by calling Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. Russia, which has joined years of on-again, off-again six-party talks, along with the United States, the two Koreas and Japan, aimed at ending the standoff, welcomed the new, positive signals. The Japanese government, however, remained cautious. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump, in a call on Thursday, promised to continue to enforce sanctions until Pyongyang took tangible steps ... toward denuclearization, the White House said in a statement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said news of the possible meeting gave reasons to be hopeful about Korea. Regarding North and South Korea and also the possibility of a meeting with the president of the United States, you can see that a cohesive international position, including sanctions, can lead to glimmers of hope, she said. Trump had said previously he was willing to meet Kim under the right circumstances but had indicated the time was not right for such talks. He mocked Tillerson in October for wasting his time trying to talk to North Korea. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that the United States had made zero concessions and had consistently increased the pressure on North Korea. DEAL MAKER A leading Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives said the Republican president would need help from others in the U.S. government if he is to go head-to-head with Kim over such a complex issue as nuclear weapons and geostrategy. It will require the President to rely on the expertise within the State Department, the Intelligence Community, and throughout the government, and not simply on his own estimation of his skills as a deal maker. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who led the pursuit of detente with North Korea during his countrys hosting of the Winter Olympics, said the summit would set a course for denuclearization, according to a presidential spokesman. Trump had agreed to meet Kim without any preconditions, another South Korean official said. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Trump said on Twitter on Thursday night. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Trumps aides have been wary of North Koreas diplomatic overtures because of its history of reneging on international commitments and the failure of efforts on disarmament by previous U.S. administrations. North and South Korea, where the United Sates stations 28,500 troops, are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a ceasefire, not a truce. Tensions over North Korea rose to their highest in years in 2017 and the Trump administration said all options were on the table, including military ones, in dealing with Pyongyang. Daniel Russel, until last April the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, the most senior U.S. diplomatic position for Asia, said he wanted to see detail and hear from North Korea on the plans for a meeting. Also remember that (North Korea) has for many years proposed that the president of the United States personally engage with North Koreas leaders as an equal - one nuclear power to another, he said. What is new isnt the proposal, its the response. Some U.S. officials and experts worry North Korea could buy time to build up and refine its nuclear arsenal if it drags out talks with Washington. Asian stock markets rose on the news of the planned meeting, with Japan's Nikkei .N225ending up 0.5 percent and South Korean stocks .KS11 more than 1 percent higher. (Adds China threat on coal, EU comment, steelmakers' shares) * Japan, EU deny their exports threaten U.S. national security * "We are an ally, not a threat" - European Commission * Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Australia also want waivers * Chinese steelmakers demand retaliation on coal * Trump calls cheap imports "an assault on our country" By Robin Emmott, Ruby Lian and Aaron Sheldrick BRUSSELS/SHANGHAI/TOKYO, March 9 (Reuters) - From Japan and South Korea to Australia and Europe, officials lined up on Friday to seek exemptions from President Donald Trump's tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminium imports, while Chinese producers called on Beijing to retaliate in kind. Tokyo and Brussels rejected any suggestion that their exports to the United States threatened its national security - Trump's justification for imposing the tariffs despite warnings at home and abroad that they could provoke a global trade war. "We are an ally, not a threat," European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said. China's metals industry issued the country's most explicit threat yet in the row, urging the government to retaliate by targeting U.S. coal - a sector that is central to Trump's political base and his election pledge to restore American industries and blue-collar jobs. Trump signed an order for the 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminium at the White House on Thursday to counter cheap imports, especially from China, which he described as "an assault on our country". However, he said "real friends" of the United States could win waivers from the measures, which come into force after 15 days. In the event he exempted Canada and Mexico. Brazil, which after Canada is the biggest steel supplier to the U.S. market, said it wanted to join the exemption list and Argentina made a similar case. Japan, the United States' top economic and military ally in Asia, was next in line. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that Japan's steel and aluminum shipments posed no threat to U.S. national security. With Japan a major trade partner and international investor, Suga said that, on the contrary, they contributed greatly to employment and industry in the United States. Japan's steel industry body also expressed concern. The European Union, the world's biggest trade bloc, chimed in. "Europe is certainly not a threat to American internal security so we expect to be excluded," European trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in Brussels. Malmstrom told reporters the EU was ready to complain to the World Trade Organization, and retaliate within 90 days. She will meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko in Brussels on Saturday when she will ask whether the EU is to be included in the tariffs. She won support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Shares in European steelmakers fell, although Germany's two biggest producers Thyssenkrupp and Salzgitter have insisted the impact on them will be limited. Other officials at the EU, by far the biggest trading partner of the United States by value, have warned it could take counter-measures including European tariffs on U.S. oranges, tobacco and bourbon. Some products under consideration are largely produced in constituencies controlled by Trump's Republican Party. Brussels has reminded Trump that tit-for-tat trade measures deepened the Great Depression in the 1930s and in the 2000s cost thousands of U.S. jobs when Washington imposed tariffs on European steel. European industry associations called on Malmstrom to react to the tariffs. "The loss of exports to the U.S., combined with an expected massive import surge in the EU, could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the EU steel industry and related sectors," said Axel Eggert, head of steel association EUROFER. In Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said there is no case for imposing tariffs on Australian steel. LEGITIMATE RIGHTS Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have risen since Trump took office last year. China accounts for only a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, but its rapid rise to produce half the world's steel has helped create a global glut that has driven down prices. Beijing vowed to "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests". Tariffs would "seriously impact the normal order of international trade," the Commerce Ministry said. China's steel and metals associations urged the government to retaliate, citing imports from the United States ranging from stainless steel to coal, agricultural products and electronics. Last year, China imported 3.2 million tonnes of U.S. coal, worth about $420 million and nearly five times the amount it took in 2016. Trump has championed coal exports as demand from power firms at home weakens. The dispute has fuelled concerns that soybeans, the United States' most valuable export to China, might be caught up in the row after Beijing launched an inquiry probe into imports of U.S. sorghum, a grain used in animal feed and liquor. South Korea, the third largest steel exporter to the United States and a strategic ally on the Korean peninsula, called for calm. "We should prevent a trade war situation from excessive protectionism, in which the entire world harms each other," Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu told a meeting with steelmakers. While carrying a message to Washington to push forward a diplomatic breakthrough over North Korea, South Korea's national security office chief Chung Eui-yong asked U.S. officials to support Seoul's request for a waiver, a presidential spokesman said. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHIC: U.S. steel products imports interactive How would Trumps tariff affect the cost of the Boeing 737? IMG ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Adam Jourdan, Wang Jing, Yuka Obayashi, Kaori Kaneko, Ami Miyazaki, Ju-Min Park, Hyunjoo Jin, Cynthia Kim, Robert-Jan Bartunek and Alissa de Carbonnel; writing by David Stamp; Editing by Toby Chopra) Messaging: aaron.sheldrick.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 84F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Installation view of Lee Jung-jin's "American Desert II" series at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon / Courtesy of MMCA By Kwon Mee-yoo These days, photography has become something ordinary and part of everyday life. People take photos of mundane subjects and scenes as a record of daily life. However, some artists still strive to discover the artistic potential in photography. Lee Jung-jin is one of them. At her solo exhibition "Jungjin Lee: Echo," held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Gwacheon, Lee unravels her work spanning over three decades, taken, developed and printed on "hanji" (traditional Korean mulberry paper) by the artist. Bartomeu Mari, director of the MMCA, introduced Lee as a pioneer who expanded the artistic potential of contemporary Korean photography by developing a unique visual language. "Her works are difficult to simply define as photography. Her works reveal traits of handicraft and painting. Boundaries are often blurred and possibilities are pushed to the extreme," Mari said at a press preview of the exhibit, Tuesday. Eleven analog photography series -- including "American Desert," "Wind" and "Pagoda" -- are on view at the exhibition, all without frames to maximize the unique texture of Lee's hanji photographic prints. "I have been dividing my time in Korea and the States for the past 30 years and mostly worked in the States. I am glad to communicate with Korean audiences with this exhibition," Lee said. The artist majored in craft from Hongik University, but her interest shifted to photography. She worked as a documentary photographer for two years in Korea before heading to New York University to study photography further. Lee experimented on various techniques of photography and discovered hanji for print. She applies sensitive emulsion on hanji and prints photos in a darkroom with her own hands. Such handicraft brings unique aspects to her photos. The exhibit is held in collaboration with Fotomuseum Winterthur, a photography specialty museum in Switzerland. Thomas Seelig, curator of Fotomuseum Winterthur, said Lee's works stand out in the world where people are surrounded by digital, flat and fluid images. "We are now searching for materiality and texture -- things created by hand. Important characteristics of Lee's works come from mistakes, unrefinement and all kinds of irregularities. While walking this exhibition, mind that all works have gone through the artist's hand to prepare," Seelig said. Lee Jung-jin's "American Desert I 92-17 / Courtesy of the artist Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon, second from left, speaks at a meeting to discuss the country's long-term policy plans in Seoul, Friday. The minister said he hasn't ruled out a supplementary budget to help create jobs for young people. / Yonhap By Yoon Ja-young The nation's finance minister said a supplementary budget and tax reform are among its tools to pull down the soaring youth unemployment rate. "The young population will grow by around 400,000 for the next three or four years as the echo boomer generation comes of age. If we don't solve the youth job problem, we may face catastrophic consequences," Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said at an economy-related ministers' meeting, Friday. The echo-boomer generation refers to children of the nation's second baby-boomers. Born between 1991 and 1996, they are now entering the job market after graduating from college. According to an estimate by Statistics Korea, those aged between 25 and 29, who usually seek jobs for the first time, will continue increasing steeply until 2021. The population of this age group will increase by 110,000 this year, and by 82,900 next year. It compares with 2015 when the annual increase stood at a mere 10,000. "From the early 1990s, the government eased birth control. The birth rate temporarily surged since then until the nation was hit by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis," explained Lee Ji-yeon, director in charge of population trends at Statistics Korea. The finance minister pointed out the government had presented measures to solve the youth job problem 21 times during the past decade. "Now it is time to make different efforts. We should approach the problem from different angles," Kim said, adding young people need more realistic support. "We should focus on creating jobs in the private sector as well as decent jobs. The various ministries should make joint efforts to form a virtuous circle, creating jobs through selective and concentrated investment." For this, he said the government does not rule out a supplementary budget or tax reform. "For job creation, we should consider all possible policy measures such as budget, tax, finance and deregulation," he said. Creating jobs for young people has been one of the priorities of the Moon Jae-in administration, but it is uncertain whether the number of jobs it wants will come from the private sector. While bullish exports are pulling up economic growth, the country's main export industries such as semiconductors and petrochemicals don't rely very much on human labor. Businesses are also cautious about hiring more workers as their labor costs have surged due to the steep minimum wage hike and the decrease in official working hours. The youth unemployment rate surged to a record-high 9.9 percent last year, and it took young jobseekers on average 11.6 months to land their first jobs after graduating from university. It means most young people remain unemployed for a year before they get a job. The finance ministry cited youth unemployment as a risk factor despite recovery in production and consumption. "Investment is continuing to grow thanks to bullish exports, and production and consumption are also rebounding," the ministry noted in the Green Book, its economic assessment report. "However, there remain external and internal risks such as the tough job market, including the rising youth unemployment rate, trade issues and the key rate hike in the United States." Industrial output increased 1.2 percent in January from the previous month, marking a steep rebound from the 0.5 percent decline of the previous month. Expansion of automobile and semiconductor production pulled the index up. Retail sales also surged 1.7 percent in January, which compares with a 2.6 percent dip last December. The government is scheduled to announce measures to create more jobs for young people at the meeting at which President Moon will preside next Thursday. Good evening. Today, I had the privilege of briefing President Trump on my recent visit to Pyongyang, North Korea. I'd like to thank President Trump, the Vice President and his wonderful national security team, including my close friend General McMaster. I explained to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture. I expressed President Moon Jae-in's personal gratitude for President Trump's leadership. I told President Trump that, in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. And he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The Republic of Korea, along with the United States, Japan, and our many partners around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Along with President Trump, we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. The Republic of Korea, the United States and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions. Thank you. (Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae) By Kim Jae-kyoung The United States should start talks with North Korea without "onerous preconditions" to build on the inter-Korean talks and make a real change, according to Kelsey Davenport, a North Korea expert at the Arms Control Association. "The talks between President Moon Jae-in's special envoy and Kim Jong-un are an important and welcome breakthrough," Davenport said in an interview. She recommends Washington and Seoul follow up on this positive meeting and explore this opportunity to engage in talks without preconditions. "It would be irresponsible for the Trump administration to walk away from this opening or push North Korea from the negotiating table by insisting on onerous preconditions or engaging in bellicose rhetoric," she said. "North Korea should also do its part by refraining from provocative actions, like additional long-range missile tests, while this opportunity for talks is explored." Davenport, director of Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, a Washington-based non-partisan think tank, called on U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid irresponsible rhetoric and show a consistent policy approach. News of U.S. President Donald Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is shown on NHK TV in Tokyo. / Yonhap By Oh Young-jin Anything related to North Korea especially something major should be taken not with a grain of salt but maybe with a spoonful. Apply that history-proven rule and the breaking news of Pyongyang's invitation for U.S. President Donald Trump to a meeting is not one to jump for joy at, as if it would lead to the elusive goal of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. True, it is a dramatic turnaround. As Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator in his early 30s, pushed for development of nuclear and long-range missiles, Trump, the leader of the world's most powerful nation, used colorful words, for instance, threatening to give "fire and fury" to the North. Then, speaking to the world at the United Nations, Trump vowed to "totally destroy" the Kim dynasty. Of course, he occasionally tried to be friendly, once offering to have a hamburger lunch with Kim, when the North was in downtime with its nuclear and missile testing. In his tweet, Trump mocked Kim as "Rocket Man" for the North's frequent missile tests. The North is a master wordsmith when it remonstrates against the U.S. After all, the two fought the 1950-1953 Korean War that ended in a truce, with U.S. troops remaining on the Korean Peninsula ever since. The North's biggest rhetorical counterpunch was a Shakespearean word, "dotard," which it used in reference to Trump, who is more than twice Kim's age. This war of words has made the chance of war palpable, with Trump sending not one but two aircraft carriers to the peninsula in a show of force. It is often said that two carriers are enough for the U.S. to wage war. The North has gone toe-to-toe with the U.S. by keeping its testing schedules despite Trump's threats. But what prompted Rocket Man to offer an invitation and the Dotard to take it? There can be many circumstances in play for the summit, making but only one fundamental and undeniable fact a meeting of their mutual interests. National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, left, briefs U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office in the White House in Washington, D.C, Friday, (KST) on his visit early this week to Pyongyang and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's offer to have talks with Trump over denuclearization. Trump accepted the offer and said he would meet Kim by May. / Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae Two leaders to discuss 'permenant denuclearization in historic summit' By Yi Whan-woo U.S. President Donald Trump accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's offer to meet to talk over denuclearization as soon as possible, according to South Korean and U.S. officials, Friday. National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's envoy to Pyongyang who is now visiting Washington, said Trump wants to see Kim by May to discuss the North's "permanent denuclearization." If the summit is realized, Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader. The rare agreement for a summit comes after a nuclear standoff between Washington and Pyongyang and the latter's abrupt shift from military provocations to peace overtures since January. "I told President Trump that, in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is committed to denuclearization," Chung said in a media briefing at the White House after briefing Trump and top U.S officials on the South Korean delegation's meeting with the North's young leader from Monday to Tuesday. "Kim pledged North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. And he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," the NSO chief said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." In a separate press briefing in Seoul, Cheong Wa Dae said Chung delivered Kim's message to Trump that "a big achievement may be possible if he meets and talks with President Trump." "Chung asked Trump not to miss this chance," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. In response, the White House said Trump's meeting with Kim would take place "at a place and time to be determined." Some diplomatic sources speculated the summit may be held in Pyongyang, while others said Kim may want to fly to Washington, D.C. But both Seoul and Washington took a cautious approach to the North's peace offensive and promised to continue sanctions on the country for a while, as skepticism lingers that Kim's olive branch is a mere strategy to loosen international sanctions to continue its nuclear development. Noting this, Chung said there may not be easing of sanctions until denuclearization is completed. "The Republic of Korea, the United States and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions." Trump tweeted shortly after meeting with Chung that "great progress" is being made. "Kim Jong-un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean representatives, not just a freeze," he tweeted. "Great progress is being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." President Moon anticipates talks for Pyongyang's denuclearization be "in full swing" once Trump and Kim meet. He said the planned U.S.-North Korea summit will be a "historic milestone" for peace on the peninsula and that Trump's leadership will "be praised by every international citizen." "Our government will take this opportunity very preciously," the presidential spokesman quoted Moon as saying. Cheong Wa Dae said presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok will lead a committee to prepare for an inter-Korean summit planned in late April at the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjeom. This will be the third inter-Korean summit following the 2000 and 2007 ones. It will also be the first cross-border summit on South Korean soil. Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe said he welcomes the surprise announcement of a summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders, hailing it as "the achievement of cooperation between Japan, the U.S, and South Korea to maintain great pressure." "There is no change in policy for Japan and the U.S.," he added. The Moon administration plans to brief all relevant parties, including Japan, China and Russia, on the envoys' meeting with Kim. Suh will visit Japan from Monday to Tuesday and brief Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono accordingly. Parents of disabled children kneel down in front of Gangseo-gu residents in western Seoul, who opposed the construction of a special education school in the district during a meeting that took place last September. The Korea Times file photo By Kim Hyun-bin Parents are outraged over the delay in the opening of two special ed schools in Seoul. The schools _ Seojin in Gangseo-gu and Narae in Gangnam-gu _ were to open next March but this has been postponed to September 2019. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said the delay was due to blueprint changes in construction, but many parents of disabled children believe the setback is politically motivated before the local elections in June. Seojin school sparked a national debate after a video clip featured parents of disabled children kneeling in front of their neighbors in western Seoul who opposed the construction. In the video, a mother, Jang Min-hee, 46, is seen kneeling in front of an angry crowd of Gangseo-gu residents who refused to give consent to the project. Since 2013, residents in the district have been in conflict after SMOE said it would open the school. The residents feared the school would affect property prices. Instead, they wanted a herbal medical hospital. SOME said expanding the school was also a reason for the delay and that it will have 22 classes, covering elementary to high school. Under the original plan, the school would have had only 16 classes covering just middle and high schools. Narae school, which is in a development restriction zone in southern Seoul, needed approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. But this took longer than expected, SMOE said. The parents also complained that they were not told of the postponement. "I was just counting the days for the construction to begin, but it has suddenly been postponed," a parent of a child with a disability said. "I believe the government did this on purpose due to the local election coming up in June." Another mother said: "SMOE did not intend to make us aware of the construction delay. I was informed of the postponement through a random visit to the office. If I had not visited, we would have been oblivious to the fact." Dongdaemun Gate, a heritage site in central Seoul, was briefly set on fire in an apparent arson attack, police said Friday. The fire in Heunginjimun, the gate's official name, was first reported at around 2 a.m., firefighters said. A witness reported seeing smoke coming out of the wall. The fire was put out in four minutes, causing soot on part of its wall with no serious damage or human casualties. Dongdaemun Gate is South Korea's Treasure No. 1. Police apprehended a 43-year-old suspect on site, identified only by his surname Chang. He did not appear to be intoxicated at the time of the apprehension, they added. He is undergoing questioning. Police believe the suspect illegally entered the fortress and lit the fire on a pile of paper boxes using a lighter in frustration out of personal grievances. He reportedly told police that he was angry he was denied an insurance claim for a traffic accident. They said they are working to determine his motive. (Yonhap) An Hee-jung speaks as he arrives at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office Friday. Former South Chungcheong Province Governor allegedly raped two female secretaries. Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin Former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung apologized Friday for rape allegations against him which rattled the entire country. "I apologize to the general public, the people of South Chungcheong Province," An said as he arrived at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office. He submitted himself Friday without being asked. "I am so sorry to my wife and kids. All the love and encouragement the general public gave me, I sincerely apologize." A crowd surrounded him as he spoke and some yelled at him. "What the hell are you doing? You shouldn't be doing that." His appearance comes as prosecutors have intensified their investigation into An, who resigned earlier this week amid a rape allegation. On Thursday, the prosecution searched an apartment building in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, where An's secretary claimed she was raped on Feb. 25. The prosecution said it retrieved a month's worth of CCTV footage showing An and the victim Kim arriving at the apartment. Local news outlets reported the apartment was owned by a construction company CEO who is a close friend of An's. The politician had been staying at the apartment during his business trips to Seoul since last October. Prosecutors also requested a travel ban on An from the Ministry of Justice. On Monday, Kim made the revelation in a TV interview that the former governor raped her four times and sexually harassed her during her eight months working in his office. Kim filed a complaint with the prosecution the following day. It was a huge blow to the politician who had been touted as a presidential candidate for 2022. The revelation was also a huge surprise to his supporters. A day after the revelation, one broke a window at his residence in outrage. On Thursday, An abruptly canceled a planned press conference where he was supposed to make a public apology and explanation of the allegations. An, 52, married with two sons, sent a text message to reporters two hours before the press conference stating he believes it is his duty to cooperate earnestly with the investigation. "I was planning to apologize to the general public, the people of South Chungcheong Province, before being summoned by prosecutors," An wrote in a text message. "I canceled the press conference because I thought it was my foremost duty to show up for questioning at the earliest possible date and sincerely cooperate with the investigation." On Wednesday another woman who worked at the Institute for Better Democracy, a political think tank established by An, confessed An raped and assaulted her three times in August 2016, December 2016, and January 2017. The latest victim said she could not refuse An as he was in an absolute position of power. She plans to hire lawyers to file a criminal complaint, as well. An was a potential presidential candidate from the liberal bloc as he was the runner-up to Moon Jae-in in the Democratic Party's primary ahead of last year's presidential election. The incident directed criticism onto the national government for not doing enough to protect female employees at public organizations. On Friday, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced it would begin special inspections of sexual misconduct in all 2,022 public entities. The previous day, the ministry announced a series of protective measures against workplace sex offenders, including sentencing up to 10 years in prison for convicted sex offenders _ currently, it's only up to five years. Jo Min-gi By Park Si-soo Veteran actor Jo Min-gi was found dead at an underground parking lot in Seoul in an apparent suicide, police said Friday. The tragedy took place three days ahead of his planned appearance at a police station to be questioned over #MeToo claims raised against him. Jo was one of the high-profile figures embroiled in a brewing sexual misconduct scandal, in which he was said to have sexually harassed female students he taught at Cheongju University. Police said Jo's wife found his body at around 4 p.m. The exact cause of his death was not known immediately. It's also not known if he left a note. The first #MeToo accusation against him was raised in mid-February, to which Jo played it down as "rumors." But as more alleged victims came forward, some with undeniable evidence such as "lewd" text messages he sent, he admitted to his misconduct, apologized and then promised to cooperate with police. Jo dropped out of a TV role early this month and his agency terminated its contract with him. President Moon Jae-in on Friday hailed the agreed-upon summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a "historic milestone" for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moon made the remark through his spokesman after Trump agreed to meet with the North's leader by May, accepting Kim's offer to meet as soon as possible. The envisioned meeting would be the first-ever between leaders of the two Cold War foes. "The May meeting will be recorded as a historic milestone that realized peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon said. "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet following an inter-Korean summit, complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be put on the right track in earnest." Moon also said he extends gratitude to Trump and Kim for their "courage and wisdom." "In particular, the leadership of President Trump, who gladly accepted Chairman Kim's invitation, will receive praise not only from people in the South and the North, but also from people around the world," Moon said. Moon said South Korea will try to make good use of this "opportunity that came like a miracle." (Yonhap) By Lee Min-hyung South Korea should maintain a "cautiously optimistic" stance with North Korea's rare signal for peace talks with the United States, as the decision apparently came amid stern international sanctions on the regime, experts said Friday. "It is too early for South Korea to discuss whether the arranged summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will help ease tension on the Korean Peninsula," said Lee Jin-gon, professor of political science at Kyung Hee University. "My view is that Kim offered the peace gesture to his U.S. counterpart as a last resort to overcome the regime's internal crisis." No one can guarantee that Kim Jong-un's promise for the regime's denuclearization is sincere, and chances are that Pyongyang can suddenly break the promise again, according to the expert. This could make all the months-long efforts South Korea has made to enhance inter-Korean relations futile, he said. "South Korea and the U.S. should thoroughly and clearly express their will to denuclearize the peninsula not to repeat a similar scenario of the past few decades," he said. "But it is true that President Moon Jae-in has contributed to alleviating inter-Korean tension and played a key role in arranging the Washington-Pyongyang summit." On Friday, Chung Eui-yong, head of South Korea's National Security Office, held a meeting with Trump. In an after-meeting press conference, Chung noted Trump agreed to meet Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. Hong Min, director at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the agreement for the meeting, in itself, shows that the two countries have shown strong signs of recovering ties. By Kim Ji-myung When Barbara Zitwer asked me the statistics on Korean thrillers and their translated English versions last week, I could not find answers through searching. Why? Because Korea's literary classification system does not have "thriller" as an independent category. Barbara heads a New York-based agency for literature and films. She has helped create many of the recent success stories for translated Korean novels in the global market. The astonishing news that "The Plotters" by novelist Kim Un-su was recently sold to Doubleday for a six-figure sum may signal the new discovery of Korean thrillers abroad. "The Plotters" set a new record at an enthusiastic global auction in the U.S. A European publisher at the auction called Kim "the Korean Henning Mankell," after the legendary Swedish crime writer. Mankell (1948-2015) was best known for his Kurt Wallander mysteries, which are global bestsellers. A more interesting story followed. Since December last year, Kim has been on a long-term research trip for his next novel an eight-month deep-sea fishing trip in the Pacific. Of course, the news has yet to reach the author. He will continue to be unreachable for a few months to come. Therefore, his agent Barbara will fly to Fiji to meet him and reveal the news when his boat enters a port. The translation of Korean literary works has been quite systematically pushed forward both by the public and private sector. There are websites where titles and authors of both the original Korean and English translation by year and by genre are well documented. However, the "thriller" has not been regarded as an independent section according to Korean literary tradition. In fact, a thriller has not been considered as a part of serious mainstream literature in Korea. On the other hand, there are considerable differences in classification, which make it impossible to compare statistics between countries. For example, the "thriller" in Korea belongs to "horror/thriller" stories at large book dealers, which is separate from science/SF, fantasy and mystery novels. The term, "novel" soseol in Korean ? includes all creative stories. By the length of the story, novels can be divided into a short story, long story, and a "conte." Things have changed over the past few decades. Thrillers, crime and horror stories, science fiction, gigantic disaster stories, and the like attract audiences especially when they are adapted and re-created as movies. Does this mean the time has come for the K-thrillers to emerge as a new powerful locomotive to drive the Korean cultural wave on the world market? If "the world is finally embracing Korean thrillers" and the Korean writers are "invigorating and pumping new life into the genre" as Barbara claims, it will mean another big leap forward for Korea's aspiration to present its literature worldwide. What makes Korean stories powerful and unique? To take some random examples, popular writer Kim Young-ha's bestselling thriller "Memoir of a Murderer" tells the story of the main character in a unique way in the form of a journal written in the first person. A 70-year old man had killed people for 30 years, but quit 25 years ago. The serial killer did not get caught and avoided any punishment, but now suffers from Alzheimer's disease. "Ghosts" by Kang Hee-jin and "The Bleaching" by Chang Kang-myong include murder/suicide incidents. "A" by Ha Seong-ran and "Ash and Red" by Pyeon Hye-young demonstrated the flexible narrative structure of a thriller. Lee Jung-myung's "The Investigation" explores the Korean experience of the Japanese occupation (1910-45) and impact of war with nuance and compassion. The book tells of Korea's past, but is relevant today. It's emotionally affecting, but not overly sentimental, earning its impact through character development. Many of the best commercial books are the result of collaboration between the writer and his or her agent, translator, editor, publisher, publicist, sales representative, bookseller, cover designer and all the other people who support and help a project be fully realized. Barbara has been involved with many Korean books that have seen international success. Of all these related elements, Korea's weakest link may be the agent, who plays the most multiple roles as Barbara defined: a good literary agent is like a writer's guide in the dark; a friend, an editor, a therapist, a mother, a business partner, a teacher, a soldier, a tinker and a spy. The writer (heritagekorea21@gmail. com) is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Corporate zombies' eating away national productivity The government decided Thursday to put a midsize shipbuilder under court receivership and give another shipbuilder one month to come up with a stringent self-help plan. Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is likely to go through liquidation as it is in a state of impaired capital and has no cash holdings. STX Offshore and Shipbuilding will be permitted to stay afloat if its management and labor union agree on a painful self-rescue scheme by April 8. Their creditors _ state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) _ won't inject any fresh funds into the ailing shipyards, in keeping with the Moon Jae-in administration's industrial restructuring principles. These moves, endorsed at an economic ministers' meeting, are in the right direction, if belated. Had the previous governments made the decisions several years ago, they could have saved up to 12 trillion won ($11.2 billion) in taxpayer money poured into the two bottomless jars. It was the price of delayed restructuring, as politicians and bureaucrats lost time wavering between economic principles and political considerations. Failures to restructure these "corporate zombies" weaken industrial competitiveness, even eroding the total productivity of the nation. Only positive and timely restructuring can instill vigor into the industrial ecosystem. Korean shipbuilders, which had dominated the world, fell victim to the global business slump in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The rapid pursuit by China and other emerging economies has aggravated the situation. Worse yet, shipbuilding may not be the only sector saddled with these problems. Other smokestack industries, including cars and steel, are highly likely to follow suit, also requiring urgent reforms. The Moon administration has made it a rule to take both financial and industrial factors into account in deciding the fate of ailing industries and companies. It is right in principle but is feared to serve as an excuse to put off crucial decisions. The recent moves themselves were far from pre-emptive but came after much hesitation. Such practices may likely reappear in politically sensitive times, such as the upcoming local elections. Without a bold and pre-emptive restructuring of uncompetitive sectors and firms, Korea Inc. can't revive itself even if the global economy recovers. By Jhoo Dong-chan The government is losing the initiative in talks with the ailing GM Korea's Detroit headquarters. The carmaker's second-largest shareholder, the Korea Development Bank (KDB), said it will start due diligence on the debt-ridden carmaker as soon as the state-run bank receives documents about the company's sales costs for its Korea operation, but Detroit has yet to respond to the bank's demand, taking a wait-and-see approach. "Detroit has yet to agree with the KDB in the disclosure of some documents. We will immediately launch an inspection as soon as the both sides reach an agreement," KDB Chairman Lee Dong-geol said during a press conference at the bank's head office in Seoul, Thursday. Growing hastiness and impatience are prevailing among working-level officials in the government and GM Korea. "It's obviously time is not on the government's side," said Kim Pil-soo, a professor of automotive studies at Daelim University. "Approximately 150,000 workers -- from GM Korea and its subcontractor employees -- are likely to lose their jobs when the carmaker's Gunsan plant shuts down operations within months. The nation's local elections take place three months later. The Moon Jae-in administration won't allow such damage to the job market. A deal with General Motors should be settled before the election." Taking into account subcontractors working for GM Korea, 500,000 workers will lose their jobs if General Motors decides to completely withdraw its operations here, according to sources. GM Korea is also calling for immediate due diligence and a financial injection into the company, a different stance from its Detroit headquarters. "GM Korea also does not have the luxury of time," a company official said. "It is an issue that determines the ultimate fate of the company. If we do not get financial support from the KDB soon, more people will lose their jobs." He claimed Detroit is also committed to reviving GM Korea, and has promised to fully cooperate with KDB's demands, but also failed to explain why the KDB-Detroit talks have yet to reach an agreement. However, optimists claim the U.S.-based carmaker plans to revive its Korea operations, after local media reported GM executive Barry Engle dispatched some GM Korea workers to GM's global conference held in Brazil. GM Brazil was expected to be shut down after suffering a nosedive in sales and the firing of 744 workers in 2009, a similar situation to GM Korea that recently announced the shutdown of its Gunsan plant. Following years of poor sales and mounting debt, Brazil's then-President Dilma Rousseff decided to offer various tax benefits while injecting financial support to GM Brazil in August 2014. Answering the Brazilian government's decision, Detroit also announced its plan to allocate a new car model while promising to invest a total of 3 trillion won ($2.9 billion) over the next five years in its Brazil operation. GM Brazil has since hit the bottom with Detroit's investments between 2014 and 2018. The carmaker's new car model Chevrolet Onix subcompact sedan was introduced into the market shortly after, and has since been the nation's best-selling subcompact sedan market. Kim is, however, skeptical about the media's claim. "The two countries are different in many ways. Market size is different, and production cost is also different. The government shouldn't overlook what happened in GM India," he said. "I believe the GM Korea crisis has reached a dead end. General Motors set an agreement between labor and management as a fundamental prerequisite for the company's revival. And union workers of GM Korea understand the government will eventually stand down in negotiations with General Motors and inject taxpayers' money to revive the carmaker because they just can't afford to lose GM Korea." He also claimed GM will never share sensitive information with the Korean government. "They know the Korean government will inject taxpayers' money sooner or later. There is no reason for them to provide such information to the government. The withdrawal is another option for General Motors. It's actually a very likeable option considering the recent progress," Kim said. GM, which owns 77 percent of GM Korea, said the remaining three plants would face the same fate unless its Korean operation becomes profitable. In 2017, GM Korea produced 520,000 vehicles at its car plants, which have a combined capacity of 910,000. It sold 524,547 vehicles last year, down 12 percent from 2016. GM Korea is estimated to have suffered losses of 900 billion won last year, bring its accumulated losses since 2014 to 3 trillion won. South Korean steel exports to the United States will take a big hit from Washington's move to slap heavy tariffs on imported steel, local industry sources said Friday. Defying threats of retaliatory measures from major economies, U.S. President Donald Trump signed orders imposing 25 percent tariffs on steel imports, excluding those from Canada and Mexico. The move will go into effect in 15 days. "We are worried about what will happen," an industry source said on customary condition of anonymity. "When the tariffs are in place, it will deal a harsh blow to local steelmakers' profitability and exports." Another source echoed his view. "It will surely come as a big burden to steelmakers already struggling to cope with high U.S. import duties levied on their exports," the source said. U.S. President Donald Trump holds a proclamation during a White House ceremony to establish tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, Thursday. / REUTERS-Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo The government will consider filing a petition with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States' decision to impose a high tariff on Korean steel imports. In an emergency meeting with executives from the local steel industry Friday, Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu called President Donald Trump's safeguard measures to levy a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports "unjust." Trump authorized the tariffs, arguing it was in the interests of national security as the imports are making an "assault on the U.S." The tariffs will be effective in 15 days. But the Trump administration will discuss possible exemptions with its allies. Paik called Trump's action "regrettable," in the face of Korea's constant requests to exempt local steel and pipes from U.S. trade protectionism over the past year. He said the ministry will continue to seek negotiations with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and it has expressed its concerns over the latest U.S. action against its trade partner. The steel import tariffs will not only affect the local industry, but also ongoing talks to partly revise the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), analysts said. Korea was the U.S.' third-largest steel importer last year. Local steelmakers have already been subjected to anti-dumping and other levies. This led them to decrease their share of exports to the U.S. to about 11 percent last year, from about 18 percent in 2014, according to trade data. Steel from POSCO is expected to be taxed as high as 90 percent following the Trump administration's 25 percent tariff. Its products have already been slapped with a 62 percent to 65 percent tariff. Tariffs on Hyundai Steel products will also rise from 38 percent to 62 percent. Those two steel giants, however, will be able to manage as they have diversified their export destinations. Small and medium steel companies will be in trouble as they rely heavily on the U.S. SeAH Steel shipped more than 70 percent of its products to the U.S., while several others, including Nexteel, exported up to 90 percent to the country. "POSCO and Hyundai Steel have only a moderate exposure to the U.S. market because they have either diversified their export markets or have a high reliance on the domestic market," said Sean Hwang, an analyst at Moody's Investor Service. "By contrast, (other) Korean steel producers have a relatively high exposure to exports, at around 45 percent of total steel production." The U.S. safeguard measures are forecast to reduce U.S. steel imports by more than 10 million tons a year, which will affect global supply and demand. "The U.S. tariff retaliation will hurt the global steel trade," said Park Sang-bong, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment. "This will badly affect Korea's steel exports." Hours before signing the tariff authorization, Trump tweeted: "We have to protect and build our steel and aluminum industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military." Analysts said this indicates Trump could be more flexible on his tariff plan for allies such as Korea. But its tariffs on steel could be used as leverage for the U.S. to gain the upper hand in KORUS FTA renegotiations, as well as on military cost-sharing. The U.S. has called for greater access to Korean car and steel markets. U.S. trade protectionism is expected to extend to other industries such as pharmaceuticals, intellectual property and agriculture. Mexico and Canada were exempted from the levy, as negotiations to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the U.S. are underway. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a 25 percent tariff on steel imports that is certain to add pressure on South Korean exports. Trump signed two proclamations -- one for steel and another for a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports -- to address what the administration has called a threat to national security. South Korea was the third largest exporter of steel products to the U.S. last year, after Canada and Brazil. The new action comes after the U.S. introduced safeguard measures against Korean washers and solar panels earlier this year. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days. Mexico and Canada were the only countries to be exempted as negotiations to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. are currently under way. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Rain. Thunderstorms possible...mainly in the afternoon. High near 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi answers questions on China's foreign policies and foreign relations at a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xin) BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the press Thursday morning on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. Wang briefed journalists from home and abroad on China's foreign policies and answered questions on a wide range of diplomatic issues. The following are the highlights of this news conference. Diplomatic agenda in 2018 First, Boao Forum for Asia annual conference will take place in Hainan this April, and focus on reform and opening-up. Second, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit will take place in Qingdao this June, and focus on revitalizing the Shanghai Spirit. Third, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit will take place in Beijing this September, and focus on the Belt and Road Initiative. Fourth, the First China International Import Expo will take place in Shanghai this November, and focus on further market opening. Head-of-state diplomacy President Xi's leadership and charisma has earned him and his country many good friends, among foreign leaders who represent a diverse range of cultures and social systems. Belt and Road Initiative Everything is in the open. There is no backroom deal, and every step is transparent. It would be high-standard and economically viable, beneficial to the world as well as to China. China-U.S. relations Despite elements of competition, China-U.S. ties are defined more by partnership, not rivalry. China has no need or intention to replace the United States' international role. Trade war is never the right solution, as it will harm both the initiator as well as the target country in a globalized world. In the event of a trade war, China will make a justified and necessary response. China-Russia relations The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is as stable as Mount Tai. "Sky is the limit" for bilateral cooperation. There is always room to make the relationship even better. China-EU relations China would always support European integration and had faith in Europe's future. China wants to partner with Europe to create a more stable world in what are uncertain times. China-Japan relations China is willing to work with Japan to restore the relationship to healthy and steady growth, as long as Japan "does not prevaricate, flip-flop or backpedal and instead accepts and welcomes China's development." China-ASEAN relations China will continue to put the cooperation with ASEAN high on its agenda of international cooperation this year. China looks to upgrade the strategic partnership and build a closer community of shared future with ASEAN. China-India relations The Chinese "dragon" and the Indian "elephant" must not fight but dance with each other. With political trust, not even the Himalayas can stop us from friendly exchanges. Without it, not even level land can bring us together. China-Africa relations Africa's concerns are China's concerns. Africa's priorities are China's priorities. As we work together for a community with a shared future for humanity, African brothers and sisters are welcome to get on board China's fast train of development. China-LAC relations Wang Yi cited a Chinese proverb: "Nothing not even mountains or oceans can separate those with a shared goal." South China Sea issue China has strong resolve and deep commitment to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. China's position is firm and consistent. Korean Peninsula issue All relevant sides, particularly the U.S. and the DPRK, should make contact and conduct dialogue as soon as possible based on the "dual-track approach," advance denuclearization of the peninsula and promote peace mechanisms. Here comes another moment of truth for the parties to demonstrate their seriousness about resolving the issue. We must not let the opportunity slip by. Helping settle regional flashpoints In helping to settle regional flashpoints, China has its do's and don'ts. China takes a peaceful, justifiable and constructive approach to help settle regional flashpoints. Refuting "China threat theory" As China grows, the China collapse theory has collapsed and become an international laughing stock. Meanwhile, the China threat theory with its various sensational versions is losing market. Refuting "Indo-Pacific" strategy Stoking a new Cold War is out of sync with the times and inciting bloc confrontation will find no market. Trade liberalization China is positive about any open, transparent and inclusive agreement that reinforces regional economic integration and the WTO-centered global free trade system. Xiongan New Area development China will promote the Xiongan New Area to the world this year. Consular protection The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on drafting legislation on consular protection and assistance. Public consultation will start after the two sessions. SCO summit The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Qingdao this year will be "a new milestone in the history of the SCO". Countries breaking so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan Adhering to the one-China principle and not having official ties with Taiwan have become a generally observed norm in international relations. It is a correct choice in line with the tide of history to establish diplomatic relations and carry out regular cooperation with the government of the People's Republic of China, the sole legal representative of the whole of China. Such a choice would best serve the long-term interest of these countries and their people. Of course this is the overriding trend and an unstoppable one. [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] An artist from China's Zhejiang province performs traditional Chinese puppet at Petra tourist center in Petra, Jordan, on March 8, 2018. The Department of Culture of China's eastern province of Zhejiang held on Thursday a culture festival in Jordan's world-famous heritage site Petra.(Xinhua/Lin Xiaowei) AMMAN, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Culture of China's eastern province of Zhejiang held on Thursday a culture festival as well as celebration for Chinese New Year in Jordan's world-famous heritage site Petra. The department held the event in cooperation with China's Ministry of Culture, the Chinese embassy in Jordan and the Petra Tourism Development Authority. At the event, artists from Zhejiang performed Chinese flute, folk songs, moulding clay figures as well as Chinese puppet dancing. A creative exhibition of traditional craft, with the theme of silk, porcelain and tea, was also displayed at the event, revealing a combination of Chinese culture and contemporary industrial designs. Jin Xingsheng, Director of the Department of Culture of Zhejiang Province, introduced several cultural heritages and archaeological sites in Zhejiang. He also reviewed the history of the province and key landmarks in the area, and highlighted the dynamic business activities in the province. The cultural festival, first of its kind in Jordan, seeks to convey joy to the Jordanians as well as tourists from all over the world, said Jin. Falah Abdullah al-Omoush, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Tourism Development Authority, voiced appreciation to China for holding such activities in Petra. "Such kind of cultural activities will greatly help build bridges between Jordan and China and will boost tourism exchange between the two sides," the Jordanian official said. "We are keen on attracting more Chinese tourists to Jordan and Petra in particular," he added. Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang said China was keen on boosting ties with Jordan in various areas, and that there is a great potential for increased cooperation in tourism between the two countries. Zhejiang Culture Festival is a brand project aimed at boosting culture exchange between China and other countries. It has been held in nations including the United States, Britain, France and Australia. 3 1 [ Editor: WPY ] The Ukrainian government is taking steps to remove Ukrainian products from under the U.S. sanctions for steel and aluminum products, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade - Ukraine's Trade Representative Natalia Mykolska has said. "We believe that Ukrainian products, which have been represented on the American market for a long time, do not pose any threat to U.S. national security. We are in constant dialogue with the U.S. government and keep in contact with Ukrainian producers about this matter," she wrote on her Facebook page on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that the United States would impose a 25% duties on steel imports and 10% duties on aluminum. The U.S. Department of Commerce concluded after an audit that imports of these metals threaten to impair U.S. national security. Trump has until April 11 to make a decision on steel and April 19 for aluminum. Ukrainian Prisoner Release Center head Volodymyr Ruban was detained at an entry-exit checkpoint in Donbas carrying weapons, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Heorhiy Tuka said on his Twitter page on Thursday evening. "Ruban was detained at the Mayorsk checkpoint. Posing as a displaced person, this "general" tried to smuggle a whole arsenal of weapons," Tuka said. On Thursday, militants opened fire on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine three times, as a result of which one serviceman died, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters reported. "The Russian-occupation troops continue to fire at the positions of the ATO forces and disrupt the agreements of the Trilateral Contact Group about the ceasefire," reads the report posted on the Facebook page on Friday morning. In the Luhansk sector, militants fired from grenade launchers and heavy machine guns at the defenders of Luhansk. In the Donetsk sector, Ukrainian fortifications near Avdiyivka were shelled from 82-mm mortars. Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has ordered Chief of Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak to take under his personal control the case of Volodymyr Ruban, head of the Ukrainian Prisoner Release Center "Officer Corps". "I am asking General Hrytsak to take under his personal control, I do not even ask, but order General Hrytsak to take under his personal control the investigation of this case," the head of state said at a meeting with the Security Service chief in Kyiv on Friday. The president noted that they were talking not about a simple act of illegal transfer of weapons, but that they will receive "irrefutable evidence of large-scale terrorist acts, which were being prepared in Ukraine and the network used for this." Poroshenko instructed law-enforcers to investigate this case in the shortest possible time. "There was a single goal to destabilize the society through large-scale terrorist attacks, and the evidence of this, at least this is what the head of the Security Service of Ukraine told me, is irrefutable, since we are talking about the stability of the state, about the protection of security in the Ukrainian capital," the president said. He noted that the available information confirms the correctness of the actions of the special services. As reported, on March 8, Head of the Prisoner Release Center Ruban was detained at the check-point in Donbas with an arsenal of weapons. He was bringing these weapons from the occupied territory to the government-controlled part of Donbas. According to the text of the suspicion note, Ruban is suspected of preparing armed attacks on the highest state officials, preparing a terrorist act with the use of weapons and explosions that could pose a threat to life and health of people. In addition, according to the note, Ruban planned "to use mortars, grenade launchers, small arms and explosive devices to carry out an armed attack on the residences of statesmen, political leaders, in particular: Petro Poroshenko, Arsen Avakov, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Oleksandr Turchynov and others with the purpose of their murder. " According to the note, Ruban decided to commit a terrorist act to assassinate the president of Ukraine and other top officials, as well as a large number of people in Kyiv to create a "state of chaos, destabilize the internal situation in the state, paint Ukraine to the world community as a state where there is virtually no government power; create conditions under which the forces involved in conducting the anti-terrorist operation will be moved from the Ukraine's east to Kyiv, which "will enable Russia to launch a full-scale offensive and introduce into the territory of Ukraine under the guise of armed 'peacekeeping forces' units of the Russian Armed Forces and illegal armed formations of terrorist organizations "DPR" and "LPR", to continue the military occupation of Ukraine. " Ruban is suspected of committing crimes under part 1 of Article 14, part 3 of Article 258 (preparation of a terrorist attack), part 1 of Article 263 (carrying, possession, acquisition, manufacturing, repair, transfer or sale of firearms, except hunting weapons), ammunition, explosives or explosive devices without statutory permission) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The Kyiv Shevchenkivsky District Court ruled tpp put Volodymyr Ruban, the head of the "Officers' Corps" Center for Prisoner Release, who was detained on Thursday at a checkpoint in Donbas with an arsenal of weapons, under arrest for two months as a pre-trial preventive measure. A relevant ruling was passed at a court sitting on Friday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported. Ruban himself refuses to comment on the court ruling. As reported, on March 8, Head of the Prisoner Release Center Ruban was detained at the check-point in Donbas with an arsenal of weapons. He was bringing these weapons from the occupied territory to the government-controlled part of Donbas. Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko commenting on what happened said that it was "not an accidental detention," and assured that "there will be no release." Ruban is suspected of committing crimes under part 1 of Article 14, part 3 of Article 258 (preparation of a terrorist attack), part 1 of Article 263 (carrying, possession, acquisition, manufacturing, repair, transfer or sale of firearms, except hunting weapons), ammunition, explosives or explosive devices without statutory permission) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Rome, March 9 - Around 15,000 people were at Cisterna di Latina's Collina dei Pini church and the square outside on Friday for the funeral of Alessia and Martina, two sisters aged eight and 14 who were shot dead by their father last week. The father, Carabinieri police officer Luigi Capasso, also took his own life and shot and critically injured his wife Antonietta Gargiulo, the mother of the murdered girls. Gargiulo is in intensive care and was not able to attend the girls' funeral. The priest presiding over the funeral was heckled during the service after calling for prayers for the father too. "Excuse me, but the family has forgiven (him)," the priest said. Brussels, March 9 - The Dutch government on Friday signed a contract to build a new permanent location for the European Medicines Agency (EMA), whose assignation to Amsterdam Italy and Milan are challenging. Deputy Interior Minister Raymond Knops signed the contract giving the Dura Vermeer company the 255-million-contract to complete the building by mid-November 2019 and maintain it for 20 years, sources said. Italy's appeal to try to get the EMA back for Milan is based on the fact that the temporary location for the agency is allegedly not ready. The EMA was assigned to Amsterdam in a tie-break lottery in November after the Dutch and Italian cities finished level in a vote by EU ministers. Milan, March 9 - Rightwing populist League leader Matteo Salvini said Friday Italy should either get a "political" government or return to the polls with a new bonus-laden electoral law to ensure a majority after Sunday's inconclusive vote. "Either there's a government or the word returns to the Italians", he said in Milan. "I would make tomorrow morning an election law that gives a bonus to the coalition or party that gets the most votes," he said. "I don't believe in technical, short-term governments to implement one or two reforms, which risk being at the service of Brussels". Brussels, March 9 - The EU is ready to take countermeasures against the announced US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports but hopes not to have to use them, European Commission VIce President Jyrki Katainen said Friday. The EU is also ready to take the US to the World Trade Organisation if the Trump administration goes ahead with them, he said. Rome, March 9 - Trade tariffs are "not the way to follow," Premier Paolo Gentiloni said in a phone conversation with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Friday. Gentiloni also stressed the importance of "continuing the dialogue with the United States" after the Trump administration announced import tariffs on steel and aluminium. "At the next European Council meeting," Gentiloni said, "we will assess a joint position to be assumed". The trial date for the People vs. Cindy Greatrex has been continued to June 27, according to sources connected to the case. It was originally scheduled to begin Monday, March 12 in San Diego Superior Court. La Jolla resident and longtime community volunteer Greatrex is accused of making out company checks from La Jolla Park & Recreation, Inc. payable to herself or cash, and cashing them into her personal accounts. According to court documents, the total loss was $67,935.86. Greatrex was president of La Jolla Park & Recreation, Inc. board in 2015, but stepped down in 2017 citing conflict with other board members. During the preliminary hearing in November, a key issue was determining the existence and legitimacy of the firm with which Greatrex said she entered into a contract and paid to write grants: American Field Consulting (AFC), and its representative Jon Freeman. AFC is reportedly based in Chicago. Greatrex said she gave more than $40,000 in cash to Freeman for these services over the course of a year (the remaining funds she is accused of stealing were reimbursements to herself for miscellaneous payments she made for services to La Jolla Rec Center). It may seem like a lot of money, but when you look at the millions of dollars available on the other end (from the grants), it isnt, Greatrex said at the preliminary hearing. A readiness hearing is scheduled for April 17, at which time a plea bargain could be negotiated or the case deemed ready for trial. Greatrex did not respond to La Jolla Lights request for comment. A student has been arrested off-campus in connection with a threat against La Jolla High School, according to the schools principal. The student has not been identified. According to a parent that called the Light, a student posted a threat on social media. The threat was brought to administrative attention on Thursday (March 8) and the school organized a lockdown drill the next morning. La Jolla High School Principal Chuck Podhorsky announced the arrest in a letter sent to parents Friday morning. The school has had the support of the San Diego Police and San Diego Unified Police today, Podhorsky wrote. I wanted to make you aware that the student who made the threat has been taken into custody (off campus). We will continue to have the support of officers throughout the day. Schools in San Diego County and across the nation have faced a spate of school threats since the Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead on Feb. 14. Fridays arrest marks at least the sixth that is related to a school threat in San Diego County in recent weeks. Roughly 1,500 students attend La Jolla High School, a 14-acre campus on Nautilus Street. The Security Service of Ukraine believes that the illegal actions of Head of the Center for the Release of Prisoners "Officer Corps" Volodymyr Ruban were coordinated from Russia. "Do you believe... that they did not have instructions from Moscow?... We do not believe in this," Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsah told journalists in Kyiv on Friday. Hrytsak said that on March 6, 2018, Ruban entered through the Mayorsk checkpoint the territory of Donbas temporary beyond Ukrainian government control. "The service has substantiated evidence that terrorists Zakharchenko and Timofeyev, nicknamed Tashkent, are involved in preparing a bloody terrorist attack in the Ukrainian capital with the use of weapons, including Russian weapons," he said. Speaking about the detention of Head of Prisoner Release Center Volodymyr Ruban in Donbas, Hrytsak said they had confiscated Kalashnikov assault rifles, Makarov pistols, grenades, silenced guns, mines, and cartridges from Ruban. In addition, the boxes with grenades had a packing letter from a 'DPR' military unit. According to him, mortars were to be used to shoot at people in downtown Kyiv, "which would result in thousands of dead... there would have been chaos." At the briefing, they played an audio recording, where the weapons carried by Ruban from the 'DPR' were listed. After the publication of audio and video materials related to Ruban's criminal activities, Hrytsak said: "This is only a small part of what can be made public ... This is not a frame-up... We will provide documentary evidence." At the same time, the SBU chief refused to give the names of those who may also be involved. "When we announce suspicion to the next defendants ... we will make the evidence public... He [Ruban] was a pawn in the hands of others," Hrytsak said. Representatives from 11 member countries, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam, signed the pact at a ceremony co-hosted by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz. The landmark Trans-Pacific trade agreement covers 30 chapters, and deals not only with traditional areas of international trade, such as goods, services, and investment, but also with newer issues, including e-commerce and State-owned enterprises. When it comes into force 60 days after being fully ratified by six of the 11 members, the pact will create the largest free-trade zone in the world, with a market encompassing nearly 500 million people and representing about 13.5% of the global gross domestic product. Chilean President Bachelet emphasised that CPTPP members would still welcome the US if it wished join the pact again, but Washington would have to accept the terms of the revised agreement. New Zealands Trade Minister David Parker said that the prospect of the US joining in the next couple of years was very unlikely and even if Washington expressed a willingness to join CPTPP, there was no guarantee that the members would lift all of their suspensions. In the case of the US joining the CPTPP, the concerned parties would have to grant concessions and be flexible in negotiations. Earlier on March 8, the Republic of Korea (ROK)s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it would decide on whether to join the CPTPP this year after considering its impact on the national economy and consulting with member states. The ROK has reached bilateral trade agreements with nine of the 11 member states of the CPTPP. Even if the CPTPP is effective, it would have a very limited impact on the Korean economy. Tesla Inc. investors should reject a plan to give Chief Executive Elon Musk an equity award valued at $2.6 billion, the worlds largest proxy advisory firm said, echoing the recommendation of its biggest rival. Even the far-reaching performance goals do not justify the extraordinary grant magnitude, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. said in a report, a copy of which was obtained Thursday by Bloomberg. Even when annualized, Musks pay opportunity would dwarf that of nearly every CEO at the largest and most profitable public companies. Glass Lewis & Co., the second-biggest proxy advisor, also urged shareholders vote against the plan at Teslas March 21 special meeting. The recommendations from the firms, whose customers include the worlds largest institutional investors, could be a hurdle for Teslas board, which cannot make the grant without majority shareholder approval. The advisory firms reports may not be enough to sway Teslas biggest investors, who rely on their own research and have bet big on Musk and his long-term vision. Advertisement Two of Teslas largest shareholders Baillie Gifford & Co. and T. Rowe Price Group Inc. indicated this week that they will vote in favor of the boards proposal. The proposed award, mirroring one Musk received in 2012, consists of 20.3 million stock options that will vest in 12 increments if market-value thresholds and other financial targets are met. Each tranche equals about 1% of Teslas outstanding shares. Skeptics have questioned whether more equity would motivate Musk, who already is a billionaire and owns about 20% of the Palo Alto, Calif., company. Supporters see the award as a way to ensure that Musks other ventures including Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, where hes also CEO wont take priority over Tesla. Musk, 46, and his brother Kimbal Musk, who is a Tesla director, wont vote their shares on the grant. Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical industrys enfant terrible, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison, putting an end to a saga that captivated and sometimes enraged Washington, Wall Street and the tabloids. The brash 34-year-old who gained notoriety for jacking up the price of a life-saving anti-infection drug 5,000% was convicted in August of lying to investors in his hedge funds and manipulating shares in Retrophin Inc., a biotech company he founded. Prosecutors sought a sentence of at least 15 years for the securities fraud. Shkreli, who once proclaimed you cant quell the Shkrel, asked for as little as a year. This case is not about Mr. Shkrelis self-cultivated public persona, U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn, N.Y., said Friday before handing down the sentence. His actions were extremely serious, she said, recounting how he boasted once of threatening an investor and his family. Pharma Bro lawyer says he sometimes wants to punch Martin Shkreli in the face Advertisement A remorseful Shkreli told the court he was embarrassed and ashamed, saying he got innocent people mixed up in his conduct. This is my fault, he said. Addressing his investors, he choked back tears to say, I am terribly sorry I lost your trust. You deserved far better. There is no conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli, he said. I took down Martin Shkreli with my shameful and disgraceful actions. Shkrelis downfall marks an ignominious end to what was once a promising career at the intersection of finance and pharma. The child of working-class immigrants from Albania and Croatia, Shkreli landed his first job as a 17-year-old college intern for Jim Cramer, the hedge fund manager and host of CNBCs Mad Money. He was soon recommending that investors short biotech shares, becoming so good at it that he found himself under the scrutiny of the Securities and Exchange Commission at 19. The agency found nothing amiss. He opened his first hedge fund at 23, then launched Retrophin five years later. In 2015, Shkreli infamously hiked by 5,000% the price of Daraprim, a life-saving drug for people with compromised immune systems. He has repeatedly maintained that his primary concern was company profit and investor returns. But detractors accused him of making the drug unaffordable to patients, many of them with HIV, while at the same time gouging insurance companies. Martin Shkrelis journey from pharma exec to inmate No. 87850-053 Less than a year later, the U.S. indicted him, accusing Shkreli of running his funds like Ponzi schemes. The evidence showed that Shkreli lied to investors over six years by hiding the collapse of one fund and the near-failure of a second and by claiming to manage more than $125 million, when the real figure was closer to $1.1 million. He also was convicted of a separate scheme to secretly control Retrophin shares but was cleared of stealing company assets. The Brooklyn prosecutors, whom Shkreli derided as the junior varsity, argued that Shkreli deserved a long prison term because he had told investors a staggering number of lies, making more than $40 million and using client money to keep his schemes afloat. Shkreli also illegally funneled client funds into Retrophin and used their money to pay personal debts, according to the U.S. While the case against Shkreli didnt involve the drama over soaring drug prices, during Fridays sentencing hearing, Matsumoto read some letters from people commenting on Shkrelis fate. She noted one written by a doctor who said he had lost a patient to septic shock because of the unavailablity of Daraprim. She added, though, that she didnt consider Shkrelis actions regarding the drug in sentencing, saying that its up to Congress to fix the problem of patient access to drugs. Advertisement The defense sought a lighter sentence, arguing that Shkreli made money for his investors and should be given the chance to quickly resume research into cures for childhood illnesses. Shkreli pledged to be honest if Matsumoto cut him a break. In a letter to the judge, he claimed to have learned his lesson, blaming his crimes on demons that haunted him: I was a fool. I should have known better. Matsumoto revoked Shkrelis bail in September, sending him to a Brooklyn jailhouse, where he has been since. She decided that he posed a danger to the community: Less than a month after his conviction, he offered in a Facebook post to give $5,000 to anyone who would grab a hair including the follicle from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her book tour. A prison consultant said in a memo submitted to the judge last month that the offer suggested Shkreli shouldnt be allowed to serve his term in a minimum-security facility. The judge also has ordered Shkreli to surrender $7.4 million in profits he made from his crimes. She also said any of his assets including a Picasso, $5 million in a personal trading account, a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album and shares in a drug company he once ran could be used to meet the forfeiture if he doesnt have enough available cash. Martin Shkreli burst on the scene as an enfant terrible, a securities savant who was working on Wall Street at 17, set up his own hedge fund at 23, and launched the biotech company Retrophin Inc. after teaching himself biology. Some may remember him as the trader who shorted drug companies after trash-talking them. Or the pharma executive who came under withering criticism for raising the price of a life-saving medication more than 5,000%. President Trump labeled him a spoiled brat, while the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called him a poster boy for drug company greed. Shkreli, 34, was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for securities fraud, including lying to investors in his hedge funds and illegally controlling Retrophin shares, by U.S. District Court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn. For Shkreli, the road to prison began on a gray December dawn in 2015 when FBI agents swooped in to his midtown Manhattan apartment and arrested him on securities fraud charges. News cameras clicked and rolled capturing Shkreli, in a gray hoodie but minus his usual smirk, on his perp walk that morning. Advertisement Despite proclaiming his innocence and vowing to be vindicated, Shkreli was convicted in August of defrauding investors in two hedge funds with his lies and the Retrophin share scam. He was acquitted of looting Retrophin. Shkreli emerged from court declaring his prosecution was a silly witch hunt. In a Facebook live stream the same evening, he predicted he wouldnt spend a day in prison. That was wishful thinking, even though some of Shkrelis victims didnt actually lose their investments, and made substantial profits in the end. Shkreli wound up in jail in September about a month after his fraud conviction, when he issued a bounty for a strand of former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons hair and the judge concluded he posed a threat. The judge said Shkreli actually cost his victims $10 million. The fact that he continues to remain unaware of the inappropriateness of his actions or words demonstrates that he may well be an ongoing danger or risk to the community, Matsumoto said in ordering Shkreli to remain behind bars while awaiting sentencing. Since then, the judge hadnt shown any inclination of going easy on Shkreli. On March 5, she ordered him to turn over to the government almost $7.4 million in profits made from his crimes. Thats what the government had asked for and far more than the $500,000 Shkreli proposed as the maximum appropriate penalty. The Shkreli saga has been fodder for New York tabloids, and followed closely by his fans and haters alike on the internet, whether via his inflammatory Twitter postings that eventually got him banned from the site or the live streams on Facebook and YouTube from his apartment. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) from the three years Shkreli spent in the spotlight. Shkreli faced criticism for hiking the price of Daraprim to $750 a tablet from $13.50 in 2015. He later said he probably should have charged even more: Advertisement In early 2016, Shkreli was called before Congress to explain his actions. He refused to cooperate: Once out of the committee meeting, Shkreli tweeted: Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government. His Twitter account has since been suspended. Advertisement Before, during and after his trial, Shkreli reveled in showing off online: Meet Martin Shkreli, internet star. Shkreli, who bought the only copy of a Wu-Tang Clan album for $2 million, got into a public feud with Ghostface Killah, one of the rap groups members. First Ghostface Killah challenged Shkreli in a video (warning: explicit language used). Then Shkreli responded with a TMZ video (warning: explicit language used). Following his conviction for securities fraud and conspiracy in August, Shkreli mocked his trial in a press conference outside the courthouse: Advertisement Back home, he streamed a chat with a New York Daily News reporter, complaining about fake news: After spending a few months behind bars, awaiting Fridays sentencing, Shkreli said in a letter that Jail has some redeeming qualities. Advertisement UPDATES: 11:05 a.m.: This article has been updated with Shkrelis sentencing. This article was originally published at 10:25 a.m. On 1st Street in Santa Ana not far from where authorities recently cleared a tent encampment along the Santa Ana River near Angel Stadium developer Caleb Roope wants to build nearly 1,000 apartments that will be affordable for low-income seniors and families. But, despite a renewed push from the state to tackle its affordable housing crisis, Roope, chief executive of Pacific Cos., isnt sure he can break ground on the two subsidized projects. The problem? The federal government. The $1.5-trillion tax cut President Trump signed into law last year slashed corporate tax rates and gave businesses more money to spend how they choose. Advertisement But in doing so, it indirectly cut the value of a crucial tax credit developers rely on to offer homes at rents that lower-income Americans can afford. As a result, developers such as Roope are receiving less money when they sell those credits, opening up gaping budget holes that are delaying, even killing, their projects. We had one fall through in Albuquerque, N.M. It was 216 units, Roope said. We also had another 184-unit project in Phoenix that suffered a similar fate. Roope hasnt yet lost a project in California. But in a state where land and construction costs are already high, the reduced value of the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit is a blow. Nearly 135,000 people are estimated to be homeless in California. Many of them lay their heads at night inside tents on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Even many of those who do have a home struggle. In 2016, 29% of renters, or 1.7 million households, spent more than half their gross income on housing costs, according to the latest analysis from Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies. That percentage is the highest in the country largely the result, economists say, of decades in which developers built too few market-rate homes relative to job and population growth. Affordable housing advocates also point to the 2011 elimination of Californias redevelopment agencies which contributed $1 billion annually to subsidized projects as a major contributor to homelessness and the larger affordability crisis. The state has taken some steps recently to make housing more affordable. Last year lawmakers eased some development restrictions and moved to fund more subsidized units through fees and an upcoming $4-billion bond measure on Novembers ballot. Advertisement In the last two years, Los Angeles County and city voters also agreed to raise their taxes to provide services and build homes for those now on the streets. But subsidized projects usually need a variety of government funding sources. The federal tax credit is one crucial piece. Developers dodged a bullet when the final version of the bill left intact a special bond required for many tax credit projects that had been proposed for elimination. But the new law still made the credits less valuable. Heres how it works: Government agencies award the credits to developers, which then sell them to big banks and other investors along with an equity share in their projects. The investors pay not only for the direct credit but also for the right to deduct depreciation and certain expenses as owners. Advertisement But with a lower federal tax rate, those owners now dont benefit as much from the write-offs and thus they arent willing to pay developers as much in order to keep rents low. A reduction in credit value is a big hit because nearly all below-market rental properties use the program, which pays for about 20% to 70% of development costs, said Peter Lawrence, a director at Novogradac & Co., a national accounting and consulting firm. To make up the difference, developers must scale back their projects, find savings elsewhere or ask for more funds from other government sources, likely reducing the number of units the new local investments can create. In all, Novogradac estimates 235,000 fewer affordable homes will be built nationwide over the next 10 years because of the new tax law. Matt Schwartz of the California Housing Partnership pegged the loss for California at as many as 75,000 units. Advertisement There is no way you are going to get any serious dent in the affordable rental housing challenges in the state without the low-income housing tax credit, Lawrence said. A rendering of Pacific Cos. proposed Santa Ana housing development for low-income families (Architects Orange ) For many affordable housing developers, budget shortfalls started right after the 2016 election. Thats when investors started paying less. They assumed soon-to-be-President Trump would sign into law corporate tax cuts approved by a Republican Congress. Advertisement Mark Stivers, executive director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, said the average price for a tax credit in 2017 dropped 11% from a year earlier. Compared with 2016, nearly 11,000 fewer low-income units were financed through the federal credit last year, according to a California Housing Partnership analysis of state data. Experts such as Stivers predict values will drop again this year, because for much of 2017 investors expected a 25% corporate tax rate, rather than the 21% level that became law. California and L.A. have come together to say we want to do something about this, said Alan Greenlee, executive director of the Southern California Assn. of Non-Profit Housing. Just as that happens, the federal government comes and pulls the rug out from under us. Advertisement The tax credit program has typically enjoyed bipartisan support. And two senators, Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), introduced a bill last March that would expand the federal program, with the hope of boosting housing production beyond any deficit created from tax cuts. Cantwell, in an interview, acknowledged its been an uphill battle to get the bill passed so far. In part thats because its a challenge to convince more of her colleagues that housing affordability is a national crisis we can do something about. We have to step up, she said. Cantwells office said she and Hatch were working to attach the expansion to any bill moving through the Senate. Advertisement Lawrence, of the affordable housing consulting group, said it is quite possible that such a bill would be a government-funding bill Congress must pass before March 23 to avoid another shutdown. In the meantime, Roope of Pacific Cos. and his development partner AMG and Associates are trying to figure out where they can find the funds to fill a $15-million budget gap for their senior and family developments along 1st Street. There are no guarantees we can move forward, Roope said. We are working our tail off to try and make sure these projects are feasible, and we are going to need all the help we can get. andrew.khouri@latimes.com Advertisement Follow me @khouriandrew on Twitter Earlier this year Jay Charles twice-a-month paycheck jumped by $65, a result of the new U.S. law that cuts taxes by almost $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Then he did the math. It turns out Charles, a 48-year-old software developer in Blythewood, S.C., may not get a tax cut at all. He and his wife dont have children and wont be able to benefit from an enhanced child tax credit and theyll be losing some benefits including unlimited state and local tax deductions. An online calculator showed Charles hell break even, and his wife, a professor who files separately, will probably see a tax increase. For many Americans, the most noticeable effect of the tax law so far is a jump in their take-home pay. After the law passed, the Internal Revenue Service issued new withholding tables, directing employers to adjust how much tax money they take from workers paychecks starting in February. Those withholding amounts are effectively a guess at what employees tax liabilities will be for 2018. Some taxpayers are finding the tables are a blunt tool. When 2018 taxes are due in April 2019, millions of Americans could find themselves owing the government far more than was withheld. Millions of others could find they paid too much in 2018, resulting in unusually large refunds. Advertisement Which category you fall in could come down to whether you have any dependents and how old they are, if you itemize deductions, and whether youre a two-income family. In the meantime, the tax withholding amounts could have political consequences. Control of Congress is at stake in Novembers elections, and the tax law is on track to become a top issue. Voters opinions may depend on whether they think theyre personally getting a fair share of benefits from the law President Trump signed in December. Withholding is based on W-4 forms, typically filled out by workers when they start a job and rarely adjusted afterward. After the tax overhaul made parts of the old W-4 obsolete, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued a new form on Feb. 28, and unveiled an online calculator to help workers get their withholding right. Workers wont be required to submit new W-4s, however, and many are unlikely to bother. This year its more critical than ever for all taxpayers to assess their personal situation, to make sure they have withholding at the right level, said Stephen Dombroski, senior payroll tax compliance manager at payroll company Paychex Inc. The taxpayers most likely to get a nasty surprise when filing taxes next year are those who have typically itemized on their returns and claimed large deductions. Thats especially true if those deductions were for state and local taxes, or SALT, which are limited to $10,000 by the law, or for unreimbursed employee expenses, which are eliminated entirely. The IRS also urges couples with two incomes, workers with multiple jobs, and taxpayers with lots of dependents to recheck their W-4s. The bottom line: The more complicated your situation, the more likely your withholding is out of whack, in positive or negative ways. Take, for example, a double-income couple with two teenagers living in California, one of the high-tax states where SALT deduction limits could throw off withholding calculations. They earn a combined $300,000 and deducted $29,000 in SALT, $16,000 in mortgage interest, and $7,000 in charitable contributions on their 2017 tax return. Advertisement Though this family gets hurt by the SALT limit, they benefit from changes to the alternative minimum tax, or AMT. Under the old withholding rules under which the family withheld a relatively high amount, claiming no personal allowances theyd still end up writing a check of almost $4,000 to the IRS each year, because they were hit by $6,500 in extra taxes from the AMT. In 2018, the new withholding tables should boost this familys take-home pay by $8,426, according to estimates by the Tax Institute at H&R Block a noticeable $702 more per month. They also no longer need to worry about the AMT, which was sharply limited, though not eliminated, by the new law. Their final bill next April, however, could vary widely based on a factor not reflected on their old W-4s and also unrelated to the SALT and AMT changes the age of their children. The former W-4 counted all dependents equally, reflecting a $4,050 personal exemption for every person on a tax return, from toddlers to college-age kids and elderly relatives. The tax revamp eliminated personal exemptions, so the new W-4 must make distinctions between children under the age of 17, who are eligible for an increased $2,000 tax credit, and other dependents who only get a $500 credit. Advertisement For withholding purposes, then, a child is worth four times the value of other dependents. The law also made the child tax credit available to more upper-income taxpayers. If the California familys children are 15 and 16 years old, H&R Block estimates, theyll get to April and find they owe the IRS $2,758, 30% less than last year. However, if their kids are 17 and 18 ineligible for the child tax credit theyll need to write a check for $5,773, almost 50% more than last year. Theyll even need to pay the IRS a small underpayment penalty of $15. Theres no evidence that the IRS new withholding tables boost paychecks overall by more than they should to reflect the new law. The IRS acknowledges, however, that for individual taxpayers, paychecks could end up being a poor guide to how theyll ultimately fare under the new law. For many taxpayers in more complex situations, meanwhile, the online calculator might not work. The IRS warns that self-employed taxpayers, people with capital gains and dividends, and others might need to wait for more guidance, expected from the agency in early spring. In the meantime, they may need to pay a tax advisor to determine their best withholding strategy for 2018. Advertisement When Charles realized his situation, he said, he adjusted his withholding to erase the boost to his paycheck. Hes not a fan of the new law, which he worries is going to spike the national debt. The windfall from the tax code changes, he said, is going to fall on a lot of wealthy people and corporations, and none of it is going to me. Billionaire investor Peter Thiel got a fresh victory in Washington: His data-mining start-up, Palantir Technologies Inc., has won a much-contested contract to provide battlefield intelligence software for the U.S. Army. Palantir will work with Raytheon Co. to replace the troubled Distributed Common Ground System. They beat out seven other proposals for a decadelong, $876-million contract, the Defense Department said Thursday. Terms of the partnership between Palantir and Raytheon werent disclosed, and the companies didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Thiel, the co-founder and chairman of Palantir, approved the companys move in 2016 to sue the Army over what it called an unfair bidding process. A judge found in Palantirs favor and ordered the Army to revamp the way it solicits bids for the Distributed Common Ground System. The U.S. Government Accountability Office determined that the Armys current system was over budget and underperforming. Since the election of President Trump, Thiel has gained significant influence in Washington. He was the most prominent supporter of Trump from Silicon Valley and contributed to his campaign. Thiel helped fill positions in the Trump administration with former staff, including Trae Stephens, a onetime Palantir employee. Although he recently told the New York Times that Trumps presidency had fallen short in some ways, Thiel said he has no regrets about supporting him. Advertisement In addition to the Army deal, San Jose-based Palantir has been making inroads elsewhere in the U.S. government. After the company made a similar legal challenge to the Navy, officials agreed to revamp its technology procurement process last year. Founded in 2004, Palantir is used by dozens of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to aggregate far-flung data, find patterns and present results in colorful, easy-to-interpret graphics. Its use by police in Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans and elsewhere has raised ethical concerns about the potential for unfairly targeting minorities. Alex Karp, who started the company with Thiel and serves as chief executive, said the 2,000-person company would turn its first-ever profit in 2017, based on performance early in the year. The company has declined to say whether it met that goal. Karp has also raised the possibility of an initial public offering or some other kind of transaction to let existing shareholders cash out. A research report from October suggested Palantir would struggle to retain the $20-billion valuation private investors had given it. The Times reported in December that Thiel plans to relocate his residence from Silicon Valley to his home in Hollywood, and move his Thiel Capital and Thiel Foundation organizations to a new headquarters in L.A., according to a person familiar with his plans. The term Northeast Los Angeles has come to encompass almost every neighborhood from Vermont Avenue to the Arroyo Seco and north of Sunset Boulevard, but one of the only neighborhoods with a bona fide historical (not to mention geographically accurate) claim to the designation is Montecito Heights. When the Spanish laid out the 4-leagues-square pueblo that would become Los Angeles, the remote northeast corner fell in a hilly, wooded area just east of the arroyo, which the Tongva people called the land of sometime water in recognition of the fact that the stream came and went with the rainy season. The steep, rugged terrain of the Monterey Hills which put the heights in Montecito Heights defeated early attempts to develop the area in the late 1880s, when close-in sections were subdivided with the aim of extending the popular streetcar suburb of Lincoln Heights to the west. What development there was kept mostly to the flats, where trolley lines were plentiful and the new commercial corridors along Mission Road and Huntington Drive were a short walk away. Advertisement In the 1910s, spurred on by the success of residential and resort developments in Mt. Washington, the Mutual Home Building Co. began to make plans for developing Montecito Heights in earnest. So inspired were they by Mt. Washingtons ability to appeal to home buyers that their plans copied many elements of that neighborhoods more famous features, all the way up to including a mountaintop resort served by a streetcar. None of their grandiose plans came to pass. Some homes were built on the few hillsides suitable for development using the construction technologies of the day, but for the next 40 years or so Montecito Heights retained vast stretches of wilderness. The advent of cantilever homes in the 1950s led to a growth spurt in Montecito Heights, as previously undevelopable hillside view tracts began to sprout houses on stilts. While the more famous practitioners of midcentury modern plied their trade in the Hollywood Hills, Montecito Heights especially along Monterey Drive became home to a number of designs from architects who were inspired by their work. Even after modern engineering allowed the conquest of the hillsides, some open and semi-wild spaces remain. On the site of a proposed but canceled housing development is the citys seventh largest park, the Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, where the verdant character of the original Northeast L.A. lives on. Sources: Mapzen, OpenStreetMap (@latimesgraphics ) Neighborhood highlights Those views: Many homes in Montecito Heights have stupendous views of the Arroyo Seco, downtown, the San Gabriel Valley and, on clear days, the Pacific Ocean. Explore history: Heritage Square, which preserves buildings from throughout L.A.s early development, is on the banks of the Arroyo Seco on the southern end of Montecito Heights. Advertisement Neighborhood challenge On the edge: With its somewhat remote location, Montecito Heights may not be a great choice for those who want to be in the thick of things. Expert insight Steven Kaster, an agent active in the community since 1984, said this is a critical time for Montecito Heights. Advertisement The city of Los Angeles is currently deciding how to allocate five parking lots, and community groups are pushing for everything from using the space for low-income housing to not utilizing the lots at all. Thats the foremost issue facing the community right now, Kaster said. These types of decisions, and how theyre handled, can either help Montecito Heights or destroy it. In addition, signs of gentrification are lurking. Kaster said the newfound interest in the community has brought in restaurants and businesses, but as home prices rise, Montecito Heights could be a much different place a few years down the road. Market snapshot Advertisement In the 90031 ZIP Code, based on eight sales, the median sales price for single-family homes in January was $620,000, up 30.5% year over year, according to CoreLogic. Report card All five public schools in Montecito Heights scored within the 700 range on the 2013 Academic Performance Index. Glen Alta Elementary scored the highest, at 752. Bushnell Way Elementary and Huntington Drive Elementary scored 738 and 730, respectively. Nearby Florence Nightingale Middle scored 756, and Abraham Lincoln Senior High, which sits just south of the boundaries, scored 693. Advertisement Times staff writer Jack Flemming contributed to this report. hotproperty@latimes.com MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY Mike Myers former home grooves onto the market in Hollywood Hills West Advertisement Singer Trini Lopezs Alexander-built home comes up for sale in Palm Springs Ex-Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh is ready to field offers for Newport Coast home Monsieur Mayonnaise Director Trevor Graham hopscotches around the globe following fellow director and raconteur Philippe Mora as Mora ferrets out the facts about his parents and their daring deeds in WWII Europe in this 2016 documentary. The film, replete with Moras original comic book art, ultimately uncovers the secret to Moras fathers curious Resistance moniker as well as his close connection to fellow Resistance fighter, Marcel Marceau. A Q&A with Mora will follow the screening. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, 100 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, (323) 651-3704. March 11, 4 p.m. Suggested donation, $10. https://lamoth.ticketleap.com The Fallen Idol A rare nitrate archive print of The Third Man director Carol Reeds lesser seen but marvelous 1948 thriller about an ambassadors childs attempt to protect the embassys butler (Ralph Richardson) from a murder charge. Script by Graham Greene based on his own story. American Cinematheque, Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 466-3456. March 16, 7:30 p.m. $13-$15. www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/ Seven Samurai Japanese director Akira Kurosawas 1954 masterpiece is a post-medieval tale about a desperate group of rural villagers that hire seven ronin to defend them and their crops from marauders. American Cinematheque, Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 260-1528. March 17, 7:30 p.m. $8-$12. www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/ Sci-Fi Weekend Laemmle Theatres annual celebration of vintage sci-fi offers up a slate of mostly mid-20th century gems, all of them celebrating their cinematic anniversaries. The War of the Worlds (1953), March 16, 7:30 p.m. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), March 17, 2:30 p.m.; The Fly (1958), March 17, 4:45 p.m. Planet of the Apes (1968), March 17, 7:30 p.m. The series concludes March 18 with Capricorn One (1978) and Soylent Green (1973). Ahrya Fine Arts, 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 478-3836. $10-13. www.laemmle.com Advertisement Heaven Can Wait Ernst Lubitschs 1943 comedy offers a twist on the Faustian fable when, upon his death, a recalcitrant rake (Don Ameche) tries talking his way into Hades. In flashback we see the wealthy young cad wile away his days chasing showgirls until he meets and marries his true love, the stunning Gene Tierney, and tries his hand at monogamy. A lighthearted comedy romp. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo, (310) 322-2592. March 16, 8:15 p.m.; March 17, 2:30 and 8:15 p.m. $8-$10. No credit cards. ------------ See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers calendar@latimes.com @LATimesMovies Every episode of the season of "Marvel's Jessica Jones" is directed by a woman (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Melissa Rosenberg had a modest goal: For the second season of her Netflix series Marvels Jessica Jones, which premiered Thursday, at least 50% of the directors would be female. But in conversations with Allie Goss, vice president of original series at Netflix, they established a new mandate: All 13 directors would be women. I've been on 25 years of shows, and nine times out of 10, those directing staffs are all white men, said the showrunner, whose long list of credits dates back to Party of Five. So why not all women? Had she simply turned to the usual industry gatekeepers typically agents with a tried-and-true Rolodex of names the task might have seemed daunting: You're always handed a list with all the white guys, Rosenberg said. Instead, she reached out to fellow showrunners, did a lot of Googling and quickly discovered that it was really not at all difficult to find 13 terrific female directors. RELATED: 'Jessica Jones' regroups for Season 2 L.A. Times Graphics The Netflix drama, which puts a feminist spin on the typically male-dominated superhero genre, is the latest television series to make the hiring of female directors a priority. For two seasons now, Ava DuVernay's "Queen Sugar" (OWN) has been directed entirely by women, while on shows as disparate as "The Deuce (HBO), Feud (FX), Jane the Virgin (CW), Transparent (Amazon) and The Handmaids Tale (Hulu), at least half of all episodes have been directed by women. While a recent study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that women directed only 7.3% of the top 100 movies in 2017, 21% of all episodes in the 2016-17 television season were directed by women, according to the Directors Guild of America, up from 17% the year before. TV may still be far from achieving gender parity, but it is trending that way; women also accounted for 32% of first-time episodic directors in 2016-17, an 8% increase from the year before. These gains coincide with a rising awareness of systemic discrimination and abuse within the business, and a growing willingness to speak out against Hollywoods power imbalance. (See Frances McDormands push for an inclusion rider onstage at last weeks Oscars.) MORE: From big screen to small and back again, these ladies have made the journey But they are also the result of changes within television specifically. Individual A-list producers like Rosenberg, DuVernay, Shonda Rhimes, Jill Soloway and Ryan Murphy, increasingly recruit women and people of color. Meanwhile, in response to media scrutiny, guild pressure and, perhaps more important, the success of the folks listed above, networks and studios are realizing the value of inclusive storytelling and investing in initiatives and mentorship programs. It took a while but were seeing this normalization that its not only OK to hire a female, its necessary. Gail Mancuso, director And of course, the sheer number of shows being produced in the age of Peak TV has led to greater demand for talent. I feel like the times are definitely changing, said Gail Mancuso, a two-time Emmy winner for her work on Modern Family. It took a while but were seeing this normalization that its not only OK to hire a female, its necessary." Gail Mancuso on the set for "Modern Family" in 2012. Peter "Hopper" Stone / ABC TV in the lead If awards are any indication, TV has long had the edge on film. Twenty-five years before Kathryn Bigelow became the first and so far, only woman to win a directing Oscar, Karen Arthur picked up an Emmy for directing Cagney & Lacey. Numerous women have since repeated the feat, including Reed Morano for her work last year on The Handmaids Tale. But for many years, women who wanted to direct were dependent on powerful producers and stars willing to buck tradition and give them a shot. Mancuso came up through the ranks as a script supervisor, eventually becoming an assistant director on Roseanne learning the ropes from male mentors: I say male because they were all male at the time, she said. When a directing slot became available during the fourth season, however, Mancuso approached the shows star, Roseanne Barr. I said, Hey, look, hes leaving and Id like to direct that spot. And she said, Well, go ahead. After I directed that episode, she whispered in my ear at curtain call: Im going to give you the whole next season. Jamie Babbit had similar support from a big female star; she was hired as a director in the fifth season of Alias after star Jennifer Garner voiced frustration that only six out of 105 episodes were directed by women. The producer I met with was like, Hey, I decided to meet with you because Jennifer Garner keeps complaining that were not hiring any women, Babbit recalled. And I thought, Good for her. Good for her for complaining. Her being persistent is the reason I got hired. MORE: Tips from directors for the next generation of women looking to break in Following escalating complaints about Hollywoods diversity problem and bolstered by reports detailing the consistently grim statistics, more recent progress has come thanks in part to the concerted efforts of influential showrunners like Rosenberg, an Emmy-nominated producer who wrote all five blockbuster Twilight movies. Two years ago, Ryan Murphy launched the Half Initiative with the goal of providing more opportunities for women and people of color behind the camera. DuVernay, an Oscar nominee and forceful advocate for industry change, has turned Queen Sugar into a launching pad for untapped talent. DeMane Davis had made two independent features before DuVernay hired her as a director on the second season of the family drama. The success of shows like Queen Sugar, she said, has not only altered the course of her career, its also forced the industry to break out of old habits. If you usually get a salad for lunch, the people around you are going to assume you want a salad for lunch, said Davis. You have to say, I want quinoa. Suddenly the whole world has opened up and the person next to you is like, Whats that? Now everyones eating quinoa. Getting star showrunners and executive producers on board is one thing. But in a fast-paced business with short turnover time and millions of dollars at stake, network and studio executives also have approval power. And they can often turn a string of yeses particularly for newcomers into a dead end. Now they really are responsive. They're saying, Give us lists of directors that you know. Bethany Rooney, TV director Bethany Rooney is a veteran TV director (NCIS) who got her first break on St. Elsewhere from producer Bruce Paltrow. As co-chair of the Directors Guild of Americas Diversity Task Force, shes spent years meeting with studios and networks to encourage them to do better. While Rooney said they once had a big chip on their shoulder, she has witnessed a huge attitudinal shift. Now they really are responsive. They're saying, Give us lists of directors that you know. Give us lists of people who've been through the program and we will hire them, she said. In 2014, the guild secured an industry first: an agreement that all the major TV studios would establish or maintain training programs for diverse directors. (Despite DGA efforts, the studios have not agreed to implement inclusion efforts on the film side.) NBC, for example, recently launched Female Forward to increase the pool of female directors in episodic television. Spearheaded by the networks then-President Jennifer Salke and Emmy-nominated director Lesli Linka Glatter (Mad Men, Homeland), the initiative allows 10 female directors to shadow a director on an NBC series and then direct at least one episode on her own. More than 1,000 women applied for its inaugural class. Were not trying to put men out of work, were just trying to make an extreme statement to turbocharge change, said Salke, who recently became head of Amazon Studios. MORE: Kerry Washington takes the director's chair on 'Scandal' Two years ago, a Variety report spotlighting the lack of diversity among TV directors found that only 5% of episodes at FX were directed by women, making FX dead last among top-tier cable, streaming and broadcast networks. Sobered by the statistics, Chief Executive John Landgraf wrote a letter to all the networks showrunners asking for help. Its not as if this is like the law of gravity and cannot be controlled, he said in an interview with The Times. This must clearly be a matter of will. By the end of 2017, women directed 37% of episodes. L.A. Times Graphics We have built a better meritocracy by doing this, and any of our competitors who want to compete with us better get their butts in gear, said Landgraf. Were going to find, promote, hire and enjoy the benefits of a deeper, broader and better talent pool. The sheer volume of television programming 4,500 episodes were produced in the 2016-17 season, according to the DGA has certainly created an unprecedented opportunity, and women directed 955 of those episodes, 253 more than in the previous season. Whereas the total number of episodes increased by 10% from the previous season, the total number of them directed by women increased by 36%, indicating that women are benefiting substantially more from Peak TV. The statistics also show how many qualified women there are who are ready and willing to step into that leadership position, said Karyn Kusama, who began directing TV after frustrating experiences on studio films. Its the question of giving them the chair to sit in and the set to command, and television just has more opportunities for that. The rise of female-driven narratives is also a factor, she said, citing her experience on the AMC tech drama, Halt and Catch Fire, which focused on two pioneering women in the 80s personal computing boom. My sense of closeness to them was part of why I kept going back and getting asked back, she said. For cast and crew, having women in a leadership position on set can also feel revelatory. The title role in Jessica Jones includes filming a lot of technical sex scenes and star Krysten Ritter says she feels more comfortable being very raw and vulnerable with a female director. Theres just a shorthand with another woman when youre talking about where youre going to put your leg so they can see this much of your butt, she said. "Jessica Jones" directors from left: Neasa Hardiman, Jennifer Getzinger, Jennifer Lynch and Uta Briesewitz. Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times Review: 'Jessica Jones' is back with second season Obstacles to progress Still, its hard to shatter a glass ceiling when the industry operates on a Must Have Experience loop. The biggest hurdle female filmmakers face is a reluctance to provide the so-called first credit in an episodic directing career. As simple and obvious as it may seem, part of the solution lies in eliminating what Jane the Virgin creator and showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman described as the Can a woman do this? filter. I have the opposite filter, she said. I apply the one that says: Of course women can women do everything. For Lisa Demaine, a longtime first assistant director whose credits include Seabiscuit and Westworld, its taken nearly three decades to land a directorial debut. Shell make her bow with an episode in the third season of Foxs Lucifer, which begins filming later this month. Over the course of four years, Demaine logged more than 100 meetings with studio and network executives, showrunners and executive producers. Despite positive feedback and early greenlights, none of the meetings resulted in an actual gig. They all say, yes!, they all say, we love you and youre amazing, said Demaine. But at the end of the day, they dont want to be your first. That Catch-22 is really, really big. If no one gives you the break, how do you get in the door? Women also still face a stereotypical view about the types of projects they are considered capable of directing. People decide youre going to do the softer material, youre going to do the romance, said Julie-Anne Robinson, whose credits include The Good Place and Scandal. Youre not going to [get] something like Vikings. I love shooting action. I just did an episode of Castle Rock, which is horror. But its a constant fight. Others spoke of the way women are lumped together, hearing things like, Oh, we had a woman, she wasnt so good. ALSO: Ava DuVernay doubles down on women directors for Queen Sugar: Meet the new crew If a guy comes and directs a bad episode of television, said Beth McCarthy-Miller whose credits include 30 Rock and Veep, theyre like, Oh, God, that guy kind of stinks. But hell keep getting hired. If a woman comes and directs a bad episode of television, theyre like, See, women cant direct. All of us. Its absurd. Television is currently in the throes of pilot season a time when experience and familiarity tend to win out. Even as their numbers increase, its only a small group of female directors who swim in the pilot season pool. Its the same group of six or seven experienced women directors who have opportunities to direct on 450 things, Salke said. There is a wealth of directors out there and a lot of the great ones are women. Jennifer Lynch, "Jessica Jones" director This year moved the needle. Last pilot season, four women were hired to direct 10 of the 70 broadcast pilots in 2017. This season, 18 women directed 23 of 75 broadcast pilots several are first-time pilot directors. As television has gained prestige, so too has the role of director, once viewed as a hired gun in a writers world. TVs creative renaissance has led to a rise in cinematic storytelling and inventive visuals and increasingly entire seasons of a series helmed by a single filmmaker. The trend began with men like Cary Fukunaga on True Detective and Steven Soderbergh on The Knick. But lately, women such as Mary Harron (Alias Grace), Pamela Adlon (Better Things) and Andrea Arnold (Season 2 of Big Little Lies) are also being viewed as auteurs. Still, for every Queen Sugar or Jessica Jones there are far more examples of shows like Game of Thrones or Kevin Can Wait where the women directors are scarce or non-existent. Martha Lauzen, a professor at San Diego State University who has been monitoring women in Hollywood for more than 20 years, said what were seeing today is a piecemeal approach. We have pockets of progress due to the individual efforts from people like Ava DuVernay or Ryan Murphy or whomever, Lauzen said. Thats great. But again, its a handful of individuals. We would need to see an industry-wide commitment to move the numbers significantly. In the end, said many of the women who spoke to The Times, the goal is for gender to be immaterial. There is a wealth of directors out there and a lot of the great ones are women, said Jessica Jones director Jennifer Lynch. But you don't walk up to Spielberg and say You are a great male film director. To read the article in Spanish, click here Support our journalism Already a subscriber? Thank you for your support. If you are not, please consider subscribing today. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. meredith.blake@latimes.com Follow me @MeredithBlake yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com Follow me @Villarrealy In the 12th period of review (POR 12), Fimex, which was the only compulsory respondent in the administrative review, was struck with a tariff of 25.39%. Therefore, the anti-dumping duty margin imposed on Fimex was also applied to the rest Vietnamese shrimp exporters. On March 8, VASEP said that the association, along with Fimex and all of its members, believe that the result was issued in error. For multiple years now, Vietnamese exporters have been evaluated during the administrative review process and none of them have received a dumping margin higher than a single-digit percentage rate, VASEP said, noting that Fimex was assessed in the 9th administrative review and received a rate of zero percent. Fimex found that a conversion factor from headless to head-on shrimp had been applied incorrectly. If the conversion rate had been applied correctly, the margin would be only 1.19%. VASEP called on the US Department of Commerce (DOC) to make a timely and fair adjustment for Fimex and other Vietnamese shrimp exporters. According to VASEP, though the preliminary conclusion has yet to take effect and the final conclusion could be different, it can still affect US importers and the shipment volume of Vietnamese shrimp to the country, particularly during the time pending the DOCs final decision. Vietnam saw a surge in shrimp exports to most markets in 2017, except for the US, which declined by 7% to US$659 million, according to VASEP. The association attributed the drop to the impacts of anti-dumping duties. When the artist Ventiko and I walked downstairs in the spacious Venice home she was visiting, Dexter was perched on a wraparound sofa that had been covered with pee pads. His long tail feathers cascaded gracefully to the floor. Dexters claws were painted a vibrant you might say peacock shade of blue. Ventikos toenails, as it happened, were the same color. Matchy, matchy, she said with a smile. She stood in front of the bird, cooing. He raised his face to her. She gently cupped her hands around his face and began rubbing them together, the way you do when youre trying to get warm. He loves when I do this, said Ventiko, a single-monikered conceptual artist and photographer whose thwarted flight from Newark to Los Angeles last month made headlines after United Airlines refused to let her bring Dexter aboard as a support animal, even after she purchased him a seat. Advertisement Their story set off a debate about emotional support animals: Where is the line? Who gets to draw it? I believe all pets provide emotional comfort and support, be they feathered or four-footed. I can understand an airline not wanting a passenger to bring aboard a 15-pound peacock with a yard-long feather train. And I can understand not wanting to check a beloved pet like a piece of luggage. But when I heard that Ventiko and Dexter had pulled up in Venice, the one question I wanted to answer was how a woman could develop such a deep emotional bond with a peacock. Like so many unconventional relationships, it started with an ad on Craigslist. :: In 2014, Ventiko was preparing an installation to coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach, an annual international art fair. Inspired by Umberto Ecos book On Beauty, she created a lush, living outdoor tableau with flora, fauna, three naked models including herself and a sex doll (because one of her sponsors, Real Doll, makes them). As she thought about the art crowds that flock to Miami every year, she decided to garnish her piece with birds. Canaries, she discovered, were expensive $40 each. Perusing Craigslist, she discovered an ad for Dexter, and a peahen named Etta. Two peafowl for $200. Advertisement I was like, Whaaaat? That just seemed like a better deal. The seller was an attorney in Jupiter, Fla., who was tired of people coming onto his lawn to look at the birds. He was paranoid it was a lawsuit waiting to happen, Ventiko said. She crated the pair and hauled them to her installation. When she opened the crate, they promptly took wing. My friend went after Etta, and I went after Dexter, who was flying into glass. I scooped him up, and was like, Oh my peacock, oh my darling, and he just, like, immediately wrapped around my neck and that was it. They were inseparable. He would perch on my arm, and he just really became the true embodiment of the stereotype of peacocks representing beauty and just loving attention. Advertisement When the installation came down, Ventiko, who lives in a loft in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, arranged to have the birds move in with an artist in North Port, Fla., a man with a yard and a good heart. Dexter and Etta mated, had four peachicks, then tragedy struck: Etta and the babies were eaten by a predator, and Dexter, in his grief, began to bite. The kind-hearted artist was going to leave him on the side of the road, near some other peacocks. Ventiko intervened. I felt a huge commitment to this animal, and I really wanted to do right by him. Dexter in the Venice sunshine. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times ) Advertisement She flew Dexter to Brooklyn, via Delta, in a dog kennel. She thought about buying some land for him in the Dominican Republic. Maybe she could create an artists residency and a community farm. Dexter would live out his life in tropical splendor, and Ventiko could come down and surf. But the Dominican Republican prohibits the importation of birds. A farming family in rural Long Island offered to take Dexter. He lasted a week and a half. He was calm only around Ventiko. No other human would do. I ask him all the time, Why are you in my life? I feel chosen. I am much calmer. I am much more responsible. I am much more thoughtful, and I really think I am a better person. When Dexter was refused a seat on the plane, Ventiko loaded him into a car with a friend and drove across the country to Venice Beach. Mostly, he sat on her lap. Advertisement During the trip, she photographed and filmed scenes for her current project, featuring two artists friends, both pregnant, in an exploration of patriarchy, future and past. Will Dexter be involved? Naturally, she replied. Peacocks represent infinity, and immortality, and all-knowingness. They are connected to god and holiness. There are lots of medieval paintings of peacocks on the roof of the manger. And they are the national bird of India. :: Ventiko and Dexter are back in Brooklyn, where they share a 950-square-foot loft with two rescue cats. She hopes to find a place with a yard soon. At the recommendation of the vet who cares for a famous trio of peacocks at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Ventiko puts a harness on Dexter and walks him every day. Advertisement Even in New York, a lady walking a peacock can cause a stir. When I take him out, people say, Oh my God, a peacock! And I say, No, it is not. You have got to stop with the acid! It is clearly a blue cat. From Ventikos Phos Hilaron: From the Masses Rise the Saints, an art action against the Trump administration. Ventiko turned 100 humans and 1 peacock into saints celebrating individuality, diversity and exalting difference. (Courtesy of the artist Ventiko ) robin.abcarian@latimes.com Advertisement Twitter: @AbcarianLAT The price of the California bullet train project jumped sharply Friday when the state rail authority announced that the cost of connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco would be $77.3 billion and could rise as high as $98.1 billion an uptick of at least $13 billion from estimates two years ago. The rail authority also said the earliest trains could operate on a partial system between San Francisco and Bakersfield would be 2029 four years later than the previous projection. The full system would not begin operating until 2033. The disclosures are contained in a 114-page business plan that was issued in draft form Friday by the rail authority before public hearings and formal submission to the Legislature in about 60 days. The new estimates will force Californias leadership to double down on its political and financial commitments if it wants to see the system completed, against a backdrop of rising costs, years of delays, strident litigation and backlashes in communities where homes, businesses, farms and environmental preserves will have to give up land to the rails right-of-way. Advertisement The rail authoritys previous business plan made the case that it had just enough money in hand to build an initial operating system that could carry passengers and generate revenues, which would potentially attract private investors to help finance completion of the system. The new business plan implicitly makes clear that higher costs and uncertain funding leave it short of that critical goal. The rail authority has wrestled with a more than $40-billion funding gap for the full system, which would increase further under the new cost estimates. It is still counting on the Legislature to amend the states greenhouse gas auction system so that the system could borrow against future fees through 2050, but even with that benefit the project faces a financial shortfall that only partnerships with the federal government and private investors could plug, said rail authority chief executive Brian Kelly. The new business plan is based on a wide range of uncertainties, Kelly said. Among the most challenging is the cost of about 36 miles of tunnels through mountainous Southern California, which could range anywhere from $26 billion to $45 billion, according to the report. These are the best estimates we have to date, Kelly said. The rail authority could reduce costs and risks, Kelly said, if there were greater certainty about future funding. In a best-case scenario, the business plan projects costs as low as $63.2 billion. Kelly said building a mega-project like the bullet train is not possible with a pay as you go approach. The initial reaction to the business plan was less than enthusiastic, even from Democrats who have long backed it as a way to revolutionize transportation in the state while reducing emissions. At first glance, the High Speed Rail project is still over budget and the funding to complete the program hasnt been identified, said Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, which will hold an oversight hearing on the plan on April 2. We still have no realistic way to pay for the project. Republicans were predictably harsher. Advertisement Initially a rathole, now a sinkhole, soon it will be an abyss in which more and more tax dollars are forever lost. I speak of the never-ending scam called High Speed Rail, said Sen. Andy Vidak (R-Hanford). A spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, who since the 1980s has championed high-speed rail, said the disclosures do not change the strong support he expressed in his recent State of the State address, when he said: I make no bones about it. I like trains and I like high-speed trains even better. The projection for completing the full Los Angeles-San Francisco system by 2033 assumes that somehow the project gets fully funded. Even then it is extremely ambitious given the engineering challenge of building across the San Gabriel and Tehachapi mountains and the developed stretch from Santa Clarita to downtown Los Angeles, as well as more than one mile under urban San Francisco all in just four years after the initial system starts operating. The biggest immediate driver of the cost increase has been in the Central Valley, where the rail authority is building 119 miles of track between Wasco and Madera. The authority disclosed in January that the cost of that work would jump to $10.6 billion from an original estimate of about $6 billion. Roy Hill, one of the senior consultants advising the state, told the rail authority board, The worst-case scenario has happened. Advertisement The business plan incorporates those cost increases, but it also has more money in contingency accounts for future setbacks and it includes more for future inflation, Kelly said. One of the top priorities now, Kelly said, is to fulfill the states obligations under $3.5 billion in grants that the Obama administration provided, which require that 119 miles of track be completed and all of the projects environmental clearances be obtained by 2022. The federal government could theoretically ask for its money back if those requirements are not met, officials close to the project say. The plan also appears to assume that the Central Valley increases are not predictive of what will happen along other segments. The plan projects it will cost $29.5 billion to build an initial operating segment from a station in San Francisco to Bakersfield, a longer starter system than the previous plan had at $21 billion. Apart from that $8.5 billion increase, the new plan has just $4.6 billion of other increases that would apply to the rest of the route, even though the four-year delay in completion will add inflationary costs. In its 2014 business plan, the rail authority optimistically projected it could begin carrying passengers in just seven years. But the warning signs of uncontrolled cost growth had already started mounting. The project issued its first construction contract in 2013, when it had almost no property and was experiencing trouble acquiring more. Advertisement Lawsuits, filed by counties, water agencies, farm bureaus and cities, did not stop the project, but caused delays and sharply drove up costs. The cost of environmental reviews jumped from a projected $388 million in 2010 to more than $1 billion. The rail authority found that nobody could be sure what was under the ground in Fresno, driving up the cost of relocating sewers, water lines, communications cables and electrical conduits by hundreds of millions of dollars. The disclosure about the higher costs comes nearly a decade after voters approved a $9-billion bond to build a bullet train system. The original idea was that the federal government would pay about a third of what was then an estimated $33-billion project, with private investors covering another third. Advertisement But those assumptions proved faulty on numerous counts. In later business plans the projected cost went to $43 billion, somewhere between $98 billion and $117 billion, down to $66 billion, and then to $64 billion in 2016. And the funding sources dried up. The federal government put in only $3.5 billion and Republicans have vowed not to add another penny. Private investors have said they would not commit any investment to the project without a guarantee that they cant lose money. The business plan devotes an entire chapter to reviewing its past mistakes and proposing solutions so that they are not repeated. For example, the rail authority says it will not issue future construction contracts until it has acquired all the land beforehand. Despite the challenges, supporters point to the 1,700 construction jobs it has created in the economically depressed Central Valley and the future environmental benefits of an electric transportation system that is supposed to haul millions of people. We now have a new plan with the right man in the right place at the right time for the right job, Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, said about Kelly. This project is critical to handle a California population that is growing toward 50 million. Advertisement Rail officials said they remain hopeful that the project will attract private money. In building the initial operating segment, the authority plans to make a 13-mile tunnel under the Pacheco Pass in the Diablo Range the last and most expensive piece, hoping that by then a public-private partnership can help finance it, officials said. ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @rvartabedian UPDATES: Advertisement 6:10 p.m.: This article was updated to note the new business plan says the project does not have all the needed funding to create an initial operating segment. 4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with political reaction. 1:30 p.m.: This article was updated to mention that the projected cost for the entire system could rise to $98.1 billion, according to the new business plan. This article was originally published at 11:35 a.m. In the late 1980s, Bill Pape was drawn here by the isolated beauty of the mountains and an intimacy that reminded him of a desert version of a small Midwestern town. The international line was a barbed-wire fence that cattle occasionally trampled. Pape, a 62-year-old retired aircraft mechanic, would ride his mountain bike along the border with Mexico. Sometimes he would come across a few people pulling up the wire before melting into the United States. Then the federal government started its aggressive, multi-pronged crackdown against illegal immigration known as Operation Gatekeeper. In San Diego, federal workers began to fortify 13 miles of a border barrier in the mid-1990s with two tiers of additional fencing, stretching from the Pacific to just east of the Otay Mesa port of entry. The fence then marched east. Immigrants and smugglers, of both humans and drugs, did the same. To stem the tide, a border barrier soon rose up from the desert chaparral along Jacumba Hot Springs. Part of it was crafted from steel airstrip landing mats left over from the Vietnam War. But when Pape looked over to the Mexican side, he could see men, women and children sometimes hundreds determined to find a way across. Food vendors, recognizing a good business opportunity, set up shop against the fence. They were just standing there, Pape recalled. Like at a bus station. Migrants Francisca Cielo and husband Efrain Tapia hold hands handcuffed along the border. A road sign at San Simeon warns motorists of the Highway 1 closure. Francisca Cielo and husband Efrain Tapia were found less than a mile from the road where they would have been picked up. Operation Gatekeeper dramatically slowed illegal crossings in the area. . But for residents in communities along the border, the crackdown came at a price. The regular visits many people in the town and its Mexican sister city, Jacume, used to make across the border ground to a halt. The decline of the American town, which had seen businesses shrivel up along Old Highway 80, continued. Now, when you go bury a friend who has passed away [in Jacume], you have to go all the way around to Tecate or Mexicali and back, said Dennis Ruth, a 45-year resident of Jacumba. What used to be 15 minutes before now takes three hours. Its changed everything. This town in extreme southeastern San Diego County offers a glimpse into the ever-changing nature of the U.S.-Mexico border as President Trump visits California. He will stop by the San Diego border next week to review several prototypes for his proposed southern wall. Operation Gatekeeper transformed communities from small, hardscrabble towns to cities propelling them toward ceaseless evolution and adaptation along the border in ways both subtle and obvious. Mark Reed, a retired Immigration and Naturalization Service district director who oversaw the launch of Operation Gatekeeper, said the fortification of the border had unintended effects. What we did is we took away safe passage and it became more difficult to get across. Instead of taking a bus to the border, it cost a lot of money and you paid a smuggler, he said. Instead of a single man making his way up, now you brought the whole family up and you stayed. That didnt work out too well for us. Now we really created a mess. Bill Pape peers through a border fence made of Vietnam-era steel airstrip landing mat near his home in Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times In early March, a 10-weeks-pregnant Francisca Cielo and her husband, Efrain Tapia, climbed a rocky hill just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, guided by the voice of a smuggler crackling over a beat-up Nokia cellphone. Fifteen days after leaving home, they wore strips of old blankets and rope around their shoes to disguise their tracks. The couple planned to make it to Old Highway 80. There, they hoped, someone would pick them up and take them to Los Angeles. A Border Patrol agent spotted them less than a mile from the road. Amid the desert scrub, surrounded by other agents, Cielo, 26, and Tapia, 37, stood shackled to each other at the wrists. We just want a better future. There is too much poverty in Mexico, she said. All the presidents are corrupt. The couples arrest was part of an increase in apprehensions in the last six months along this stretch of border. But the numbers were a shadow of the hundreds a day who once trekked across places like Jacumba Hot Springs before being pushed farther east toward Arizona. Pedestrians walk along U.S. Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. The facade of a crumbling home on U.S. Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. Left: Pedestrians walk along U.S. Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. Right: The facade of a crumbling home on U.S. Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. A Vietnam-era steel airstrip landing mat was erected as a border fence during Operation Gatekeeper in the 1990s in Jacumba Hot Springs. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Because natural barriers like hills kept it from running uninterrupted, the wall on the edge of Jacumba Hot Springs and Jacume was more effective against smuggling by vehicle than on foot. In this environment, there grew a demand for smugglers who could legally traverse the border. A 41-year-old contractor in Jacumba Hot Springs who gave his name only as John said he was a teenager when a classmates relative offered to pay him to make drug deliveries. It was hard to say no to $3,000 to $5,000 for an hour drive, he said. In 1995, John said, undercover agents arrested him on his way to San Diego. His vehicle was loaded with more than 100 pounds of marijuana and he ended up serving a year in prison. After getting out, John said, he was broke and wanted to get back on his feet. He quit drug smuggling to do human smuggling for a couple of years. He said many of his peers got into smuggling, including his younger brother and an older brother who was shot to death during a drug run. It was a bad way to grow up. None of us should have been exposed to that kind of lifestyle, he said. A visual survey of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Jacumba Hot Springs in eastern San Diego County. (Video by Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Operation Gatekeeper ultimately followed the illegal immigration traffic into Jacumba Hot Springs. Federal workers raised metal fences along sections of the border starting in 1995 mostly the Vietnam-era landing mats. The area also saw an influx of Border Patrol agents beefing up the force in the Jacumba area to 30 agents at first and then to 73 by late 1998. It wasnt until federal workers finished installing bollard fencing in 2008 that illegal immigration in that area really started to fall off, Border Patrol Community Liaison Agent Jason Bush said. Around the same time, federal officials posted 250 agents at the Boulevard Border Patrol Station, which oversees 500 square miles adjacent to the international border including Jacumba Hot Springs said Bush, who has been stationed in the area for a decade. U.S. Border Patrol agent Jason Bush peers across the Mexican border with powerful binoculars from a promontory in Jacumba Hot Springs. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times A 2006 Congressional Research Service analysis of the southern border found that the San Diego fence, combined with an increase in agents and other resources in the Border Patrols San Diego sector, proved effective in reducing the number of apprehensions made in that sector. But the analysis also found that the flow of illegal immigration adapted and shifted to more remote areas of the Arizona desert. Over a 12-year period from 1992 to 2004, apprehensions in the San Diego sector declined by 76%, while apprehensions in the Yuma sector increased by 591%. The rising sun is reflected in a dilapidated wooden storefront for sale on Old Hwy. 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. The crumbling facade of an abandoned building. Once a tourist destination because of its hot springs, Jacumba Hot Springs is mostly a strip of dilapidated buildings. An abandoned swimming pool on the outskirts of town in Jacumba Hot Springs. Once a tourist destination because of its hot springs, Jacumba Hot Springs is mostly a strip of dilapidated buildings along Old Highway 80. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Before the fence went up, Jacumba Hot Springs had two grocery stores, which also catered to Jacume residents who made the trip to buy things they could not get in the Mexican town. After the border crackdown, most Mexicans stopped coming, and the American town, with a population of about 500 people, could sustain only one tiny grocery store. Old Highway 80 the main drag that was once a transcontinental route from San Diego to Georgia is now flanked by a couple of dilapidated wooden storefronts without tenants. It was a departure from when Hollywoods early celebrities converged in town during the 1920s and 30s to escape the bustle of L.A. and relax in the hot springs. Susan Barry, a 75-year-old retired school principal, can see the border fence from her kitchen window. She said she used to visit students and their families on the Mexican side, including to attend girls quinceaneras. Illegal immigration has declined since the mid-1990s. But every so often, Barry said, shell come across torn pieces of rug that some of the people smuggled into the U.S. wrap around their shoes. The carpet shoes are meant to disguise their footprints. For Pape, the fence and more Border Patrol agents were necessary. It hasnt always made things easy, he said. Once, Pape said, a Border Patrol agent drew a gun on him after suspecting that he was a smuggler. A drone view of the rusty ribbon of border fence that separates the Mexico town of Jacume and Jacumba Hot Springs, seen in background. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times Way it used to be is that if you sat at the bar, there was a good chance you were sitting next to a smuggler; and then the Border Patrol assumed you were a smuggler. If you talked to friends who were smugglers, they assumed you were one too. So you were guilty by association, he said. We are all suspect in this town, so they keep an eye on anyone they see. But Pape said that over time the area got safer as things settled down. He thinks the extra surveillance and barriers along the border helped. But Pape doesnt have to look any farther than his girlfriend a 58-year-old immigrant from Mexico who is now a U.S. citizen to find someone to debate with over fences and walls and the border. Leticia Mejia was 11 years old when she crossed clandestinely in Jacumba in 1971 with her grandmother, who was escaping an abusive husband in Mexico. She still remembers the smuggler holding the barbed wire for her and her grandmother to pass. I just remember the guide walking us though the hills in Jacumba. We took a bus and ended up in San Diego, Mejia said. For me, it wasnt traumatizing. She still keeps the bus ticket from Jacumba to San Diego, still legible and almost in pristine condition, in an old wallet. That bus no longer goes through town, Pape said. Bill Pape looks to the south across the Mexican border from a mesa near his home in Jacumba Hot Springs, Calif. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times Though Pape and Mejia disagree on the border fence, they agree that the issue could be partly solved if the government made it easier for people to come legally and work in the U.S. Pape said these days he doesnt often run into people crossing the border illegally especially during the day. Sometimes at night hell see lights flash out in the valley. At times theyre headlights. Other times they seem to be from a flashlight, possibly from someone trying to make it to the U.S., or from a Border Patrol agent trying to stop them. When the sun rises, hell occasionally find the freshly discarded carpet shoes the tell-tale sign of someone on a journey north. cindy.carcamo@latimes.com Follow Cindy Carcamo on Twitter @thecindycarcamo Former President Obama and Michelle Obama are negotiating a potential programming agreement with Netflix Inc., according to media reports. The negotiations, first reported by the New York Times, are for original content that could focus on the topics that were important to the Obamas during their time in the White House, such as healthcare, nutrition and childrens health. Netflix and Eric Schultz, senior advisor to President Obama, declined to comment on the reports. President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire, Schultz said in a statement. Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories. Advertisement Its unclear what the Obamas would be paid for any potential project. Netflix is expected to spend a projected $7.5 billion to $8 billion on content this year, up from $6 billion in 2017. In early February, the Los Gatos, Calif., company announced a multimillion-dollar deal with TV producer Ryan Murphy, whose shows include American Horror Story and Glee. Last August, the streaming service snagged producer Shonda Rhimes, the woman behind Greys Anatomy and Scandal, from ABC. Netflix shares jumped Friday, climbing 4.6% to $331.44. jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com Twitter: @jaclyncosgrove UPDATES: 2:25 p.m.: This article was updated with Netflixs stock movement. Advertisement This article was originally published at 7:35 a.m. Federal prosecutors in San Diego announced Thursday they have indicted 75 people nationwide, including 40 in San Diego, in a massive drugs and money operation that interim U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman called the biggest money-laundering investigation ever in San Diego. The defendants laundered drug proceeds from the Sinaloa cartel for years, Braverman said at a news conference at the federal building in downtown San Diego announcing the wide-ranging operation. He said the network was responsible for laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug profits in the past three years. Investigators have seized $6 million in cash as a result of a three-year probe undertaken by a long roster of federal and local law enforcement under the FBIs Cross Border Violence Task Force, as well as hundreds of pounds of drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and marijuana. The alleged leader of the operation, 32-year-old Jose Roberto Lopez-Albarran, was arrested in San Diego on Feb. 9 and has been in custody ever since. He made an initial court appearance Thursday afternoon in federal court. Advertisement An additional 21 people who were named in a series of four related indictments handed down by a San Diego grand jury are also in custody, officials said. The balance of the 19 San Diego defendants are under indictment but remain fugitives. While the investigation was centered in San Diego and has the majority of defendants, Braverman said an additional 35 people were charged with having a role in the money laundering and drug sales in federal courts in Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas and Washington. At least 25 of those defendants were in custody as of Thursday. The leader of the organization was Lopez, who authorities said oversaw a large network of people dubbed money movers who shuttled huge amounts of cash around the country, picking up drug sale proceeds for eventual transfer to Mexico. The mover stashed the cash in hidden compartments of vehicles, or in cash-stuffed duffel bags, luggage, even shoe boxes. They picked up the cash in parking lots, hotels and restaurants in San Diego and other cities large and small Dayton, Ohio; Los Angeles; and Lexington, Ky. The cash was then deposited in banks using so-called funnel accounts. Such accounts, a tool of money-laundering criminal groups, are set up at U.S. banks that can receive deposits from multiple states. The money is deposited in chunks of less than $10,000 the threshold over which banks are required to file official reports with regulators. The money would then be wire transferred to Mexican bank accounts for bogus Mexican companies, which were actually businesses controlled by the organization. Another co-defendant, Manuel Reynoso Garcia, is accused of orchestrating the money-laundering activities. The 62-year-old Garcia was charged last month in federal court with money laundering conspiracy and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Court records show he was released on Jan. 31 on a $25,000 bond and ordered to remain on home detention and wear a GPS device to track his movements. The investigation involved undercover work by investigators from the District Attorneys office, sheriff and Chula Vista police to infiltrate the organization, Braverman said. Their work identified both the money movers and, through them, a network of drug trafficking cells across the country, according to authorities. Advertisement The organization used code words as well as WhatsApp, a messaging application, to communicate about the money movements and transfers. We have siphoned the cash and life out of a San Diego-based international money laundering organization with ties to the Sinaloa cartel, Braverman said. Moran writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Decades ago, the United States eagerly welcomed more than 1 million Mexican nationals across the border. Through an agreement between the U.S. and Mexican governments, the temporary workers, known as braceros, came under a program to help fill labor shortages during and after World War II. Almost 80 years after the Mexican guest worker program was implemented, and in the middle of a tense standoff between California and the Trump administration over illegal immigration, Los Angeles is honoring these workers with a 19-foot monument that will be the centerpiece of a new plaza near Olvera Street. Still days away from his first visit to California as president, Trump felt very much present. Advertisement It is great to see were establishing not only the bracero statue, but also the plaza to recognize diversity, to respect diversity in a time that were being attacked by our president, said Councilman Jose Huizar. When our president calls many of these Mexican immigrants thieves, rapists, murderers and says theyre not sending their best, let us remind him that many braceros came here and worked hard and built this country. The event came on the heels of the Trump administrations announcement that it would sue California over its sanctuary laws, the latest in rising tension between the state and the president. Trump has previously criticized California police as being soft on street gangs and suggested pulling federal immigration agents out of the state. Immigration officials have vowed more sweeps because of state and local sanctuary laws aimed at shielding those who are here illegally. The White House said the Justice Department is reviewing recent actions of Oaklands mayor, who alerted residents about upcoming sweeps. On Thursday, Huizar grew emotional as he recounted the story of the braceros, named for the Spanish word for arm, who left their families in Mexico to work in another country. He thought of his father, a former bracero who slept on a cot each night after picking tomatoes, grapes and strawberries across the Southwest. Wives and children of former braceros, as well as braceros themselves, turned out for the Thursday morning groundbreaking of the planned 7,000-square-foot plaza on the corner of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Spring Street downtown. Leobardo Villa Bravo, 83, holds his labor card from 1959 when he entered the U.S. in Texas as part of the bracero guest-worker program. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ) Huizar worked with the Binational Union of Former Braceros to find a place for the statue. It will feature a bracero taking a break from work and reflecting on the family he left in Mexico. On the braceros left side will be his wife and son, who is reaching out for his father. If theres ever a time to talk about immigrants and their lasting effects on who we are, its now, said the artist, Dan Medina, whose stepfather was a bracero. In todays climate, where divisive language is becoming more of a norm, artwork like this should remind each and every one of us that we are here because of who was here before us. Advertisement The plaza, which is being constructed as part of a $3.2-million streetscape and pedestrian improvement project along Cesar Chavez Avenue, will feature elements highlighting Native American, African American and immigrant cultures from many of L.A.s different communities. Construction is expected to begin in April. Ruben Frausto Serna left Zacatecas, Mexico, in 1956 for the bracero program at age 20. He spent about three months working in Colorado before heading to Yuba City, Calif., where he would fill more than 100 crates with tomatoes each day. He picked fruit in Lincoln and later harvested broccoli in Salinas. He followed in the footsteps of his uncles who came during World War II and would work 10- to 12-hour days in railways, factories and fields. Serna, 82, keeps a picture in his wallet of himself when he first came to the U.S. He said he was a bracero for a little more than four years. Advertisement Its historic that theyre recognizing us, said Serna, who became an American citizen in 1989. It seems like the president doesnt know our history like hes not well informed of World War II and the work we did here that we dedicated ourselves to working and progressing this country. Huizars office estimated that the program employed 4.5 million Mexican nationals from 1942 until it ended in 1964. But Philip Martin, a UC Davis professor emeritus and an expert in immigration and farm labor, believes the number could be lower. The same person could come back year after year, Martin said. No one knows exactly how many unique individuals participated 1.5 million is the best guess. While some braceros were contracted to work on the railroads and in other industries, the majority labored in agriculture. Contracts would range from one to six months, with many braceros returning several times. Advertisement The program was praised for providing a cheap and steady supply of laborers for the nations growers, but critics said that many of the workers lived in substandard conditions and that the program created unfair competition and depressed farmworkers wages. brittny.mejia@latimes.com Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia Ginette Rondeau says she wants the city to help the homeless people who live near her Olvera Street store, looking for food and sleeping on the sidewalks. But Rondeau and dozens of other vendors are critical of Mayor Eric Garcettis plan for a new temporary homeless shelter blocks from the tourist destination. More homeless people will come, hurting business for the merchants who sell ponchos, colorful dresses and trinkets to busloads of tourists and schoolchildren, Rondeau said. She questioned why El Pueblo de Los Angeles the historic area that houses Olvera Street was picked for the 60-person shelter, rather than another location popular with tourists. How come Chinatown isnt having this? Rondeau said. Or Little Tokyo? Advertisement The City Council is expected to approve Garcettis plan Friday to put trailers on a city-owned parking lot at Arcadia and Alameda streets for up to three years. In addition to beds, the trailers would offer toilets, showers, mental health services and other aid. If successful, the facility could be a model for shelters throughout the city, according to Garcettis office. The Olvera Street vendors are a small, vocal group, but their opposition shows the challenges city leaders face in persuading neighborhoods to accept new shelter and housing amid the homelessness crisis. At a contentious meeting Tuesday of merchants, representatives from Garcettis office and Councilman Jose Huizar, the vendors blamed homeless people who live around El Pueblo for the areas unsanitary bathrooms, drug use and theft. They also said individuals living at the proposed trailers would hang out at El Pueblo during the day. George Sherman, who has worked for 30 years as a vendor, told Huizar, Youre playing with our livelihood, with our only source of income to support our families. Garcetti representative Brian Buchner defended the plan, telling vendors it wouldnt bring more homeless people into the area, but would help get people off the street and into housing. El Pueblo was picked for the pilot program, he said, because of the high concentration of homeless people. The last homeless count tallied nearly 200 people in the area. Advertisement Sitting on a bench at El Pueblos plaza Thursday, Isabel Cruz scratched at her graying hair because she has lice, she said. Cruz, 59, is homeless and said she liked the proposed shelter plan. Its better than living on the streets, Cruz said, adding that she was robbed of two suitcases near El Pueblo this year. Officials say the proposal has the support of several local nonprofits. Still, responding to the vendors opposition, Huizar said Wednesday that the city would review the trailers at El Pueblo after six months. Its success is important if the city wants to add similar trailers in other neighborhoods, he said. Advertisement If this fails, if we dont do it right here and we slip again, its going to have huge consequences for the rest of the city and skid row, Huizar said. Officials say the trailers would cost about $2 million to build and $1.3 million to operate annually. dakota.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @dakotacdsmith Perla Morales-Luna clung to a young womans arm as Border Patrol agents tugged her away. The agents, one dressed in uniform, pulled her until she released her grip and shoved her into a U.S. Customs and Border Protection van waiting at the curb, her three daughters watching. Get in the car! someone yelled. Voices cried and screamed in the background. Moments later, the van drove off. Advertisement The dramatic scene unfolded in National City on Saturday during what federal authorities called a targeted operation to arrest a woman who allegedly has ties to a transnational smuggling organization and is suspected of being in the country illegally. But video of the encounter that spread across social media on Thursday alarmed immigrant rights activists, who questioned the aggressive detention tactics by federal authorities, who forcibly took her into custody in front of her family. Its really a grotesque way of detaining and enforcing immigration law, said Benjamin Prado, coordinator for the American Friends Service Committees San Diego U.S.-Mexico Border Program, a human rights group working with the Morales family. It is very quickly accelerating to a very tyrannical form of detention and arrest, snatching people up off the street. Border Patrol spokesman Theron Francisco said Morales was identified as an organizer for the smuggling operation, but he did not know details about her involvement. She is being held on suspicion of being in the country illegally. Morales is waiting to be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings, Francisco said. Its unclear if Morales will face criminal charges. That could suggest federal authorities are still investigating her alleged ties to the smuggling ring, or it could be a way for the agency to justify the tactics used in her arrest, said Niels Frenzen, director of the USC Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic. Prado said Morales was walking near her home with her three daughters when the arrest occurred. Now, her three daughters are being cared for by an uncle. A teacher of one of Morales daughters who posted the clips on Facebook did not return requests for comment. Advertisement Our biggest concern is the manner in which this raid took place, the violent manner in which they detained her and pushed her in, Prado said. The terror and trauma that is being imposed on the children, her daughters. Footage of the arrest emerged amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and California over immigration policies after the Justice Department this week filed a legal challenge to the states so-called sanctuary laws. While National City has stopped short of declaring itself a sanctuary for immigrants, the city just south of San Diego labeled itself a compassionate community that supported the passage of Senate Bill 54, which restricts local law enforcements cooperation with federal immigration authorities. One of the three state laws challenged by the Justice Department, SB 54 prohibits state and local police agencies from notifying federal officials in many cases when immigrants potentially subject to deportation are about to be released from custody. Advertisement Administration officials argued that the state measures not only hinder their ability to carry out federal law, but also put immigration agents and communities at risk. Saturdays arrest, Prado said, seems in line with that trend of targeting cities that are considered welcoming or sanctuary cities. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek About half a dozen protesters were arrested Friday in downtown Los Angeles after they blocked traffic as part of a demonstration against proposed street vending rules. Several hundred demonstrators took over Main Street near City Hall shortly after 10 a.m. to protest a vending proposal that they say favors businesses over local vendors. The group shouted Si se puede Yes we can and carried signs that read Opportunity, Dignity and Safety. Police detain a street vending protester who refused to leave after a dispersal order. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times ) Police arrested seven people who refused to leave after a dispersal order, LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera said. Advertisement The L.A. City Council is crafting new rules for the thousands of unlicensed street vendors who sell fruit, clothing and CDs on the citys sidewalks. As part of those rules, lawmakers are considering requiring vendors to get permission from neighboring properties to sell their goods. Brick-and-mortar businesses say they are worried about how legalizing vending will affect them, and they cite concerns about trash, blocked walkways and what they see as unfair competition from street vendors. About an hour before the arrests, a group of vendors many of them women and their supporters gathered outside City Hall to criticize the proposed business permission requirement. The demonstration was held a day after International Womens Day, and the organizers said women make up about 80% of the street vendors in Los Angeles. It is time to be bold, said Rosemarie Molina, an organizer with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. We must stand against the business veto, which would give private business owners the governing power over public space. dakota.smith@latimes.com Twitter: @dakotacdsmith Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, head of the Vietnamese delegation participating in the CPTPP signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile on the early morning of March 9 (Vietnamese time), made the affirmation in an interview granted to Vietnams press agencies on the fringes of the event. According to the minister, all member countries spoke highly of the quality of the new-generation free trade agreement, despite the absence of an economic power such as the United States. Sharing his view on the significance of participation in the CPTPP to Vietnam, the official said that as an independent and highly sovereign state in its foreign political and economic affairs, Vietnam has taken an important step in materialising its strategy of multilateralisation and diversification of cooperative relations by becoming a signatory to the CPTPP. In fact, considering the current global context of complicated developments, despite the main swing toward trade liberalisation, there are clear signs of growing protectionism and isolationism, which are hindering and adversely affecting the flow of globalisation. He stated that participation in the CPTPP is a demonstration of Vietnams continuous efforts to resolutely and consistently implement the Partys guidelines and strategies, and the States policies in facilitating proactive and extensive integration. It can be said that joining the CPTPP demonstrates a new level for Vietnam in the regional and international integration process. Especially, as a founding nation of the CPTPP, Vietnam has achieved many goals. Firstly, Vietnams foreign politics has confirmed its role in bilateral, multilateral, regional and international political forums, while affirming its position in the common global playing field. Secondly, when integrating into the CPTPP, in terms of institutions, Vietnam will have the conditions to complete a rule-of-law state and an economy with increasing competitiveness, on the basis of transparentisation, publicisation, and continiuous facilitation of trade activities following the principles of a market economy. Moreover, Vietnams CPTPP founding membership will allow the country to both protect and continue to maximise its interests during negotiations, when considering the admission of another nation to the agreement. Finally, the economic and trade benefits, closely associated with the long-term strategic benefits, will enable Vietnam to continue to take off at a new and higher level in the new markets, as well as in current potential markets. Also, the countrys growth engines over the coming decades will receive continuing care through the reformation of a series of fields, both legally and institutionally. Representatives from 11 member countries gather in Santiago, Chile, Thursday afternoon (local time) to sign the CPTPP trade pact. Discussing the difficulties faced in the CPTPP negotiation process, Minister Tran Tuan Anh revealed that right from the negotiation stages of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the precursor of the CPTPP, it was a very tense, complicated and prolonged process as the participating countries set so many requirements for the high standards of the agreement. When it seemed to reach an endpoint with the signing of the TPP, in early 2017, the US announced its decision to withdraw, throwing everyone into a new challenge. Fortunately, all of the 11 remaining members were determinted to reidentify the targets and the new equilibria points for countries when joining in the CPTPP. And in the short period of time since November 2017, following the conclustion of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting, and the TPP-11 ministerial meeting in the central coastal Vietnamese city of Da Nang with a declaration of continued determination for the CPTPP, all the 11 member nations have done their utmost in order to achieve the present results. Regarding Vietnams preparations for the implementation of the CPTPP, the official said that the Government will issue an action programme to clearly define the contents and tasks, in which the first and foremost task will be to review laws and adjust the States legal frameworks to implement the domestic legalisation of the CPTPPs integration commitments. Next, the announcement of the CPTPP signing and the dissemination of the CPTPP-related information will be carried out for all of the subjects of Vietnams international integration, with special attention paid to the role and responsibilities of state management agencies in the implmenetation process. The role of the business community in accessing the contents, requirements, opportunities, and challenges posed by the CPTPP, should also be highlighted, so that businesses can materialise them into action programmes for implementing their integration commmitments, while making effective use of opportunities and favourable conditions offered by the CPTPP, and implementing the restructuring needed to respond to and mitigate the adverse impacts of the Agreement. In addition, the minister stressed the need to form institutional mechanisms to facilitate, monitor and inspect the implementation of the CPTPP. Under the framework of the CPTPP, participating countries have agreed on the common mechanisms for encouraging and monitoring the implementation of the Agreement in each member nation. He also emphasised the importance of proactivity of each state management agency, especially the cabinet agencies, because the contents and tasks related to the implementation of the CPTPP require a deep and extensive engagement of each ministry and sector. Not only state agencies but also organisations in the political system must identify and fully understand the tasks and requirements set forth in organising the implementation of the CPTPP. A gunman and three hostages were found dead Friday evening at a Northern California veterans home, concluding a standoff that lasted for about eight hours, officials said. Shortly before 6 p.m., officers entered the room at the Yountville Veterans Home where the gunman had been holding the hostages. According to the California Highway Patrol, three women and a man believed to be the gunman were found dead. This is a tragic piece of news, one that we were really hoping we wouldnt have to come before the public to give, said Chris Childs, assistant chief of the CHPs Golden Gate Division. The Napa County Sheriff-Coroners Office identified the shooter as 36-year-old Albert Wong of Sacramento, who formerly was housed at the Pathway Home, a residential program within the Yountville facility. Wong served in the Army and was deployed in Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012, military officials said. Advertisement Authorities first responded to reports of shots fired about 10:20 Friday morning at the nations largest veterans care facility. A man with a rifle had walked into the Pathway Home building and taken several employees hostage, officials said. Chris Childs, assistant chief of the CHPs Golden Gate Division, speaks at a news conference after the standoff. (Stephen Lam / Getty Images ) The first Napa County sheriffs deputy to arrive exchanged gunfire with the gunman, who allowed some of the employees to leave before holing up in a room with three hostages. Childs said authorities credited the responding deputy for saving lives by eliminating the ability of the suspect to go out and find other victims. The deputy was not injured. Childs said authorities tried throughout the day to reach the gunman on his cellphone to no avail. Three hostage negotiators were at the scene, but the standoff dragged on throughout the day with no contact with the gunman or the hostages. California Sen. Bill Dodd told ABC7 that the gunman was a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who had served in the Middle East. He had been asked to leave the facility earlier in the week, the Press Democrat said. Authorities identified the victims as the homes executive director, Christine Loeber, 48; therapist Jen Golick, 42; and Jennifer Gonzales, 29, a psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Golicks father-in-law, Bob Golick, told the Associated Press that she had recently expelled Wong from the program. Advertisement These brave women were accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nations veterans, a representative of the Pathway Home said in a statement. Gov. Jerry Brown released a statement Friday evening expressing his condolences, along with his wifes. Anne and I are deeply saddened by the horrible violence at the Yountville Veterans Home, which tragically took the lives of three people dedicated to serving our veterans, he said. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones and the entire community of Yountville. According to scanner traffic, dispatchers told responding deputies that the suspect was wearing all black and was a former resident at the 600-acre facility. They reported he was armed with a semi-automatic rifle with a lot of ammo and possibly wearing body armor. Advertisement Deputies were told over the scanner that the gunman was with the hostages on the second floor of a building, where the nonprofit Pathway Home serves veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Deputies reported seeing movement out of the window of the room late afternoon. Hes in Madison Hall, Building G, the Pathway house, the dispatcher said. Units, be advised he does have a stash of bullets around his neck. Childs said a rental car driven by the gunman, parked near the building, drew a reaction from a bomb-sniffing dog. A SWAT team and an explosives unit cleared the car, and it was not believed to be a threat, he said. Advertisement According to the facilitys Master Plan, the Pathway Home is a mens residential recovery program for veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries. A staff of 18 serves an average of 40 veterans at the home, which operates on private donations and grants. According to a spokesman, about 840 veterans live on the grounds of the Yountville Veterans Home. The facility is just north of Napa, a destination for wine and tourism. (Joe Fox ) #BREAKING UPDATE: Active shooter reported at veterans home in Yountville. Shots reportedly fired near main dining hall. https://t.co/HUYTeBbxSF [Photo: @NapaRegister] pic.twitter.com/3JqLzkP2J1 NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) March 9, 2018 Advertisement A large number of ambulances have arrived at Yountville Veterans home. Driver not specific as to why. NOT Codee 3 #abc7now pic.twitter.com/ad443FsSOz Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) March 9, 2018 3 hostages taken, shots fired at Yountville Veterans Home https://t.co/GjhjG6x7AI KTVU (@KTVU) March 9, 2018 Police say that 15 to 20 shots were fired at the Yountville Veterans Center, where three people were taken hostage. https://t.co/PmEDdRErzO Video: @MarkIbanez2 pic.twitter.com/E5gCs0p7LN KTVU (@KTVU) March 9, 2018 joseph.serna@latimes.com Advertisement victoria.kim@latimes.com Staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report. UPDATES: 9:50 a.m.: This article was updated with information about the gunman having served in the Army. Advertisement March 10, 5:30 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Bob Golick. 10 p.m.: This article was updated to identify the gunman and the victims. 9:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Gov. Jerry Brown. 8:20 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from a CHP news conference. Advertisement 8 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the slayings. 6:40 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from a CHP news conference. 3:10 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the CHP and the Napa County sheriff. 1:55 p.m.: This article was updated with details from dispatch audio. Advertisement 12:55 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Napa County fire officials and background information about the facility. 12:05 p.m.: Updated with additional details, images. This article was originally posted at 11:30 a.m. March 9. In one corner, Little Rocket Man. In the other, the Deranged Dotard. After months of crude insults and bellicose threats, President Trumps quick acceptance of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns surprise invitation to meet in May has lowered nuclear tensions at least for now on the Korean peninsula. But the summit carries risks that will test Trumps unconventional political style and vaunted negotiating skills while putting Kim on the global stage at a level with the U.S. president, a North Korean goal for decades. While the White House took pains to insist that Trump made no concessions to get Kim to the table, squaring off face-to-face with Trump already marks a dramatic success for the ruthless and reclusive dictator. Advertisement Whether Trump will gain anything in return remains to be seen. He has decried the lengthy negotiations of the past that ultimately collapsed when, in the U.S. view, North Korea broke its promises. Given the personal nature of their insults, both men undoubtedly will use the summit to get the measure of each other, and try to decide who is better at bluffing. U.S. presidents have had mixed luck at that kind of high-stakes poker in recent decades, but Trump has made clear he views most of his predecessors as incompetent Few diplomats believe Kim will seriously consider relinquishing North Koreas nuclear weapons or the infrastructure to build them. And unlike in the earlier negotiations, Kim comes to the summit from a position of strength. He has all but developed a credible nuclear deterrent a proven nuclear weapons capability, an arsenal of several dozen warheads, and intercontinental ballistic missiles that ultimately can deliver them. Its significant that Kim agreed to freeze further tests while talks are underway. But he didnt offer to eliminate his weapons, or let international nuclear inspectors return to North Korea. The Trump administration said the president has also scored a victory because hes convinced that he can personally persuade Kim to move toward denuclearization where all others have failed. This is something [Trump has] had on his mind for quite some time, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Africa, where he is traveling this week. The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, offered a tougher line Friday than she had a day earlier. She rejected criticism that Trump had given a free pass to Kim, and suggested the summit might not actually happen. Advertisement The maximum-pressure campaign, were not letting up. Were not going to step back or make any changes to that, Sanders told reporters. Were going to continue in that effort. And were not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea. She added, Weve accepted the invitation to talk based on them following through with concrete actions on the promises that theyve made. Those include, she said, a promise to denuclearize, to stop nuclear and missile tests, and to accept U.S.-South Korean military exercises. U.S. officials concede they were caught off guard by the invitation, which Kim offered during a 4-hour meeting with visiting South Korean officials in Pyongyang early this week. Advertisement The South Koreans said Kim was candid about how badly U.S. and international sanctions were hurting North Koreas economy, leading to shortages of basic commodities and causing trade to plummet, according to people familiar with the conversation. Still, the presidents decision to accept the invitation was quintessential Trump: dramatic, stunning and announced so quickly that the two governments havent even selected a day or place to meet. Nor have U.S. diplomats and experts begun to prepare for a high-stakes presidential summit. Even those that dont involve nuclear weapons normally require massive inter-agency preparations and consultations with Congress and allies. Critics were quick to raise warning flags that the meeting could backfire if Trump, never known for his grasp of details, is unprepared. Advertisement I think it is really dangerous, said John Park, a North Korea specialist at Harvards Kennedy School of Government. It is one thing thinking you have a minefield map, and another to sprint through, he added. If the meeting goes badly, both leaders could give up on diplomacy and focus on more of the military options. Traditionally, a meeting with a U.S. president is a reward given to a negotiating partner who has made concessions, and the president goes in at the end as the closer. Trump has blown up most traditions since entering the White House, so perhaps its not surprising he would upend another. Still, in this case, he has acquiesced to see Kim with no concrete quid pro quo. Advertisement Even some of Trumps allies were nervous about sending the wrong message. North Korea must also know that while the United States and its partners are seeking to solve this crisis peacefully, we will not hesitate to defend the U.S. homeland, our troops in the region, and our treaty allies, with overwhelming military force, said Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, a Republican member of the Foreign Relations Committee. The military option must remain on the table, it must be robust, and [North Korea] must be made fully aware of the consequences of their actions. U.S. officials say they are painfully aware that Kim may try to get the better of Trump by secretly using drawn-out talks to buy time to upgrade his nuclear program, as North Korea has in the past, or blowing up negotiations with another missile launch or other provocative behavior. Advertisement Past denuclearization efforts have foundered on a combination of failures to secure verification and North Korean subterfuge, but have never gone so far in giving the Kim family the prestige or treating North Korea with the strategic weight that it has sought for decades, said Scott Snyder, a Korea expert at the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations. Just picking where to meet is fraught with potential conflicts. Although he attended school in Switzerland, Kim has not left North Korea since he rose to power in 2011. He may only be willing to go as far as the so-called truce village Panmunjom along the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea. Other options include Jeju Island, in the Korea Strait, which Seoul has called Peace Island; a city in a neutral country such as Mongolia; or one of the Chinese industrial cities along North Koreas northern border. Beijing also has been floated as a possible summit site, given how Trump repeatedly has praised Chinas help pressuring Kim. But Kim has resented that pressure and may not want to elevate Chinas importance in the relationship. Advertisement Trump spoke by phone Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a statement, the White House said the two leaders welcomed the prospect of dialogue between the United States and North Korea, and committed to maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization. Trump spoke late Thursday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a close partner in efforts to constrain North Korean aggression, the White House said. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter Advertisement UPDATES: 12:55 p.m. This story was updated with new details from the White House. This story originally posted at 12:10 p.m. President Trump has accepted an extraordinary invitation by North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un to meet this spring, White House and South Korean officials said Thursday, signaling a potential diplomatic breakthrough in long-stalled efforts to end the nuclear impasse on the Korean peninsula. Any face-to-face meeting, if it takes place, would be historic the first ever between the leaders of two longtime adversaries that fought one bitter war and have repeatedly threatened to fight another. Leaders of the two nations have never even shared a phone call. It would also be fraught with risk, given the unpredictable nature of North Koreas government and the nuclear stakes. Chung Eui-yong, South Koreas national security director, said in an unusual statement to reporters at the White House that the North Korean ruler had expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible and that Trump had agreed to do so. Advertisement It was unclear where the meeting would take place, and South Korean officials later said the meeting would be by the end of May. Kim has not left North Korea since taking power in 2011, and only a few foreign leaders have visited the country, which has struggled under multiple United Nations and other sanctions for its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Chung made the announcement after briefing Trumps top national security aides, including national security advisor H.R. McMaster, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan. Chung said he was delivering a message to the White House that the North Korean ruler had given him and Suh Hoon, chief of South Koreas National Intelligence Service, this week in Pyongyang, the Norths capital. White House aides denied reports that he had delivered a letter. The South Korean official said that Kim had agreed to refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests and that the North Koreans understood that the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises that are scheduled for this spring must continue. In the past, North Korea has relentlessly denounced those military exercises as a provocation and a pretext for a U.S. invasion, and responded with ballistic missile tests and other threats. The Pentagon had delayed this springs planned exercises so they wouldnt coincide with last months Winter Olympics in South Korea. Chung praised Trumps leadership, saying the presidents maximum-pressure policy, together with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture. South Korea, the U.S. and their allies remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, he said, adding that they would not repeat the mistakes of the past. Advertisement Several White House officials stood on the edge of the scrum of reporters as Chung spoke for 2 minutes by the White House driveway, illuminated by television lights on a bitterly cold winter night. Neither he nor the group of White House aides answered questions as they walked back into the West Wing after the brief announcement. It was difficult to recall another announcement of such potential significance being made at the White House but on the lawn and by a foreign official, not one of the presidents aides. A White House official said later that the fact that a South Korean official announced Trumps acceptance of Kims offer shows how closely we are coordinating this important topic with our ally South Korea. In a tweet, Trump later expressed cautious optimism. Advertisement Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! he wrote. White House aides scrambled to lower expectations even as they said Trump deserved credit for the meeting. President Trump has been very clear from the beginning that he is not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks. But he is willing to accept an invitation at this time to meet and to allow and really expects North Korea to put action to these words that were conveyed via the South Koreans, a senior administration official said. At this point, we arent really talking about negotiations, the official said. President Trump was elected in part because he is willing to take approaches very, very different from past approaches and past presidents that couldnt be better exemplified than in his North Korea policy, the official said. Advertisement The U.S. and its allies have tried since the early 1990s to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, but every set of negotiations ultimately failed. The chances for success this time appear at least as daunting. North Korea has successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile in September that appears capable of reaching the continental United States, and U.S. officials say it is fast closing in on the ability to put a nuclear warhead on it. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that Trump will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. Victor Cha, an academic and former National Security Council official who was briefly considered to be Trumps ambassador to South Korea, said details were still too unclear to know whether a rapprochement was possible. Advertisement The question becomes what [are] we putting on [the] table, he said via Twitter. Sanctions? Normalization? Peace treaty? Trump personally hinted at the news when he made his first appearance ever in the White House briefing room Thursday afternoon and told reporters to stay around for a major announcement on North Korea, one that clearly met his approval. Trump and Kim have traded crude insults Little Rocket Man versus a mentally deranged U.S. dotard and harsh threats over the last year, but Trump also said he would be honored to meet with Kim under the right circumstances. Ever since a five-member South Korean delegation returned Tuesday from meeting Kim in Pyongyang, those circumstances suddenly appeared in reach, although far from certain. Advertisement The South Koreans said that during their meetings on Monday and Tuesday, Kim had offered to freeze further nuclear or ballistic missile tests while talks proceed, and to denuclearize if he was convinced his country faced no military threat and his dynastic government was secure. In a sign of the fast-moving diplomacy, Kim will meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month in the third-ever meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea since their war ended in an uneasy cease-fire in 1953. Earlier this week, Trump voiced cautious optimism about talks with North Korea, saying he hoped the North Koreans were sincere in their offer to engage in talks. But he said hes prepared to go whichever path is necessary. Although the surprise proposal served to instantly reduce tension in Northeast Asia, Kim potentially has more to gain than Trump in the high-stakes diplomacy. Advertisement He can offer to suspend future nuclear tests, analysts say, because his nuclear program already has tested six devices and already produced an advanced thermonuclear weapon. Chungs announcement did not include an offer by Pyongyang to dismantle or destroy a part of its nuclear apparatus, which several analysts said would show a true commitment toward denuclearization, the U.S. goal. Talks also could buy Kim time, with the potential of alleviating punishing economic sanctions that have cut deeply into the countrys foreign reserves, while nothing in place truly curtails his nuclear ambitions. Another issue is how well prepared Trump could really become ahead of a meeting with Kim. The stakes may be higher than in any of his other meetings with world leaders, and Trump has never been keen to learn the details of vexing issues. Advertisement Some members of the administration urged caution, saying that multiple diplomatic attempts to curb North Koreas nuclear program since the early 1990s all have failed, and that Kims government may be seeking to get out of onerous sanctions or buy time to make a more advanced warhead. Were a long ways from negotiations, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Ethiopia, where he was on a five-nation tour of Africa, before Chungs announcement. Saying the Trump administration had to be very clear-eyed, he said the first step would be to have some kind of talks about talks to set the parameters of any negotiations. I dont know yet, until we are able to meet ourselves face-to-face with representatives of North Korea, whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations, Tillerson added. Advertisement The apparent thaw began on Jan. 1 when Kim offered to send a North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. Vice President Mike Pence, who headed the U.S. delegation to the Olympics, had planned a secret meeting in South Korea with Kims younger sister. But the North Koreans canceled the meeting after Pence said the U.S. was about to impose stiff new sanctions. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter Advertisement UPDATES: 5:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. 4:14 p.m.: This article was updated with details from the announcement at the White House. Advertisement This article was first posted at 3:45 p.m. Bones from Pacific island likely those of Amelia Earhart, researchers say Amelia Earhart Likely Died on Nikumaroro, Study Finds For the record: This article, which republished an article from 1999, should have been updated to say that the mystery of what happened to the Russian Czarevich Alexei was solved in 2009 by DNA testing, which showed the boy was killed with the rest of Czar Nicholas IIs family in 1918. I read the headlines with excitement, even awe, but also with a tinge of sadness and disappointment. It stands to reason many Amelia Earhart obsessives and they are legion felt the same way. After all, the mystery was in many ways the point. I first learned of Earhart aficionados in the fall of 1999. As the year 2000 approached, The Times was running a series of articles about memorable 20th century events. I was assigned Earhart. Advertisement Thats when I learned of the armies of researchers, professional and amateur, who spent untold hours trying to learn Earharts fate. I spoke to members of a nonprofit foundation called The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGHAR, which posted a disclaimer on it website: Warning: The Surgeon General has determined the Amelia Earhart Search Forum to be a potentially addictive activity. But now it appears the great chase is over. As many news outlets reported this week, an article in the journal Forensic Anthropology said advances in bone measurement indicated that bones found on Nikumaroro in 1940 are likely Earharts. Now seems a good time to revisit that story from 1999. In many ways, the Earhart obsession says more about the searchers than the searched. It was published on Oct. 19, 1999, and here it is: Amelia Earhart in 1937 before takeoff in Miami for an attempted round-the-world flight. (Associated Press ) Mystery of Earhart Endures, Captivates If Amelia Earhart had made it, the world would have hailed her as a hero. But by disappearing while trying to circumnavigate the globe, she became something much more enigmatic and enduring: a mystery. The mystery may never be solved, which is probably just as well. It would be a shame to rule out some disappearance theories, even the fanciful ones, because theyre so darned entertaining. Among them: The Japanese captured Earhart and used her Lockheed 10E Electra as a model for their fearsome fighter plane, the Zero. Earhart secretly slipped back into the United States and lived out her years under an assumed name. Advertisement Earhart was spying for the U.S. government. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew the Japanese had imprisoned her but kept quiet about it. Then, of course, theres the unromantic explanation: She ran out of gas. What is it about a mystery that intrigues us so? Is it the answer, or the question? Probably neither. The puzzling out of the question is the point, and it can lead to obsession. Our century has specialized in such obsessions, most of them cloaked in conspiracy theories. Did gunfire come from the grassy knoll? Did Princess Anastasia escape a Bolshevik firing squad? Did a spaceship crash near Roswell? The discovery of nine skeletons in 1991 and DNA testing finally solved the riddle of Anastasia--she perished with her family--so its conceivable that science will solve the riddle of Earhart as well. Physical evidence is called for here, because the eyewitness accounts of Earhart remain dubious at best. Advertisement One Saipanese woman claimed she saw it all: Japanese soldiers led Earhart into a pit, ripped off her blindfold and shot her. When asked years later if she could locate the grave, she replied, It is underneath the biggest breadfruit tree on the whole island. An excavation found no bones, only a 24-inch piece of black cloth the diggers guessed was the blindfold. The search continues. A nonprofit foundation called the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGHAR, has uncovered intriguing clues that suggest Earhart and her navigator, Frederick Noonan, landed at Nikumaroro, a small South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. Most tantalizing of all: fragments of a shoe--a heel, partial sole and brass shoelace eyelet--apparently from a womans blucher oxford, size 9. Photos of the time show Earhart wearing such a shoe. Earhart and Noonan left Miami on June 1, 1937, flying east along an equatorial route. The flight wouldnt be the first to circle the globe, but at 29,000 miles it would be the longest. They arrived in New Guinea on June 29 and headed for tiny Howland Island, 2,556 miles away, on July 2. Perhaps the Earhart mysterys appeal lies in its convenient ambiguity, for although some facts cant be proved true, they also cant be proved false. For example, TIGHAR found scraps of a planes aluminum skin on Nikumaroro. Analysis suggests its not from Earharts Electra. But can we be sure? Not yet. Advertisement This probably explains the tongue-in-cheek disclaimer on the TIGHAR Web site. Warning: The Surgeon General has determined the Amelia Earhart Search Forum to be a potentially addictive activity. For many people, the allure of the Earhart mystery is, quite simply, the mystery. For others, its the woman herself, known for her poise, courage and charming, forthright personality. In 1928 she became the first woman to fly cross the Atlantic, earning the nickname Lady Lindy, even though she was just a passenger. But four years later she herself flew the Atlantic solo. Her account of the flight in her aptly named autobiography, The Fun of It, was understated and wry: My own trans-Atlantic rations consisted of one can of tomato juice which I punctured and sipped through a straw. But the account also conveys her infectious determination. I chose to fly the Atlantic because I wanted to. It was, in a measure, a self-justification--a proving to me, and to anyone else interested, that a woman with adequate experience could do it. Advertisement Such talk inspired countless women. It still does. But not everyone wants Earhart or her plane found. More than one person has told Richard E. Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR: This should remain a mystery. Indeed, some Russian royalists probably were crushed to learn the fate of Anastasia. But mysteries have a way of spawning mysteries. Anastasia was found, but there was no sign of Alexei, her frail brother. Where is his body? And did he survive, as some people claim, only to be locked up in a Soviet insane asylum? Thats another question from our century of conspiracies. Advertisement steve.padilla@latimes.com Twitter: @StevePadilla2 Mississippi lawmakers on Thursday passed what may be the most restrictive abortion law in the nation a bill that prohibits women from obtaining an abortion more than 15 weeks after their last menstrual cycle. As women around the world staged protests and walkouts in support of International Womens Day, the states staunchly Republican House voted 75 to 34 in favor of the Gestational Age Act, after the Senate passed the measure on Tuesday. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, a vocal foe of abortion, has indicated that he will sign the bill into law. As I have repeatedly said, I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child, he tweeted Tuesday when the measure passed in the Senate. House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal. Advertisement No other state restricts abortions as early as 15 weeks. Mississippis current abortion law which bans most abortions at 20 weeks is already one of the most restrictive in the nation. The owner of the states only abortion clinic, the Jackson Womens Health Organization, has said she is mulling legal action. These groups are tossing anything and everything out there, anything that could start winding its way through the legal system because were in a very fragile place right now, Diane Derzis told Jacksons Clarion-Ledger newspaper after the Senate vote. Roe is clearly in danger and thats what theyre preparing for, she added, citing the landmark Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights. They hope by the time they get to the Supreme Court they will have changed the Supreme Court. Jameson Taylor, acting president of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank that helped lawmakers draft the bill, said the legislation would bring Mississippi in line with the majority of countries across the world that limit abortion after the first trimester. The bill is important, he said, because it takes another step in protecting maternal health and advancing the states interest in protecting pre-born life. Legal experts, however, say the bill is unlikely to withstand a court challenge. Under existing law, its patently unconstitutional, said Geoffrey Stone, a law professor at the University of Chicago. Its an effort to push the limits, but I cant imagine any court in a good-faith manner applying the existing doctrine and upholding this law. Advertisement As far back as the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that states cannot ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb on its own. While medical advancements have allowed fetuses to survive earlier potentially shifting the period in which abortion is legal 15 weeks would be a stretch, Stone said. Clearly, over the last 45 years the point of viability has moved forward in time, so that its no longer what it was then, Stone said. But its far beyond 15 weeks. But viability was not the only issue, Taylor said. The question of viability is no longer the preeminent question that the courts look at, he said. The question is, what kind of burden does this regulation place? Does this basically make some kind of rational sense? We believe that the 15-week limit certainly meets that standard because you have 75% of countries around the world that limit abortion after the first trimester. Advertisement Clearly, the courts thinking on this issue is evolving, as it should be, he added. Science is also evolving. GOP state Rep. Andy Gipson listens to Democratic Rep. Kathy Sykes during Mississippi House debate on the abortion bill. (Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press ) House Bill 1510 does not make exemptions for pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest. It allows two exceptions: cases of severe fetal abnormality, in which medical experts determine the fetus suffers a life-threatening physical condition that prevents it living outside the womb, or a medical emergency in which pregnancy threatens a womans life. Advertisement A raft of national abortion rights groups condemned the bill as placing an unreasonable burden on women, particularly lower-income women and their families. Thanks to this anti-choice bill and its backers, women in Mississippi are now one dangerous step closer to losing their constitutional right to access abortion, Adrienne Kimmell, NARAL Pro-Choice Americas vice president of communications and strategic research, said in a statement. Lets be clear about the real outcomes for women if abortion ban bills like H.B. 1510 are signed into law, she added. The number of abortions will not go down, and the number of deaths and injuries to women will rise. Jarvie is a special correspondent. Stillwater, Okla., teacher Alberto Morejon was sitting on his couch, watching TV news coverage of the teachers strike in West Virginia, when he thought: Something also needs to be done at home, where teachers have similarly low pay. Morejon wasnt a power player in the labor movement. But he created a Facebook group titled Oklahoma Teacher Walkout The Time Is Now! and tens of thousands of people joined within a few days. And in a sign of social medias influence on the labor unrest spreading among educators across the U.S., Morejon was with union leaders Thursday who presented a demand to Oklahoma legislators: Raise teachers pay by April 1, or teachers statewide will go on strike on April 2. Oklahoma educators have reached a breaking point, said Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Assn., which represents teachers across the state, and which unveiled its strike strategy at a televised news conference. Advertisement Believe me, we want to be in our classrooms, Priest said. We do not want to shut down schools and leave our classrooms to come to the Capitol. But we will. Today, were putting lawmakers on notice. Strike fever appears to be catching on among public-school workers in conservative states where lawmakers have curtailed the strength of public-sector unions. That might seem paradoxical. But as it turns out, weakened unions are not necessarily the same thing as weakened workers. As the Supreme Court mulls a ruling that might deal a blow to public-sector unions across the U.S., the teachers discontent has showcased a model for the kind of worker militancy that might await conservative policymakers hoping to weaken public-sector unions. In West Virginia and Oklahoma, many rank-and-file teachers have spoken of reaching a breaking point, where low pay has driven educators to abandon their classrooms and where raises get swallowed by rising insurance premiums and other expenses. Were coming out of recessionary times, and states have not built back up their funding. Its kind of a boiling point, said Katharine Strunk, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University. Theres a whole question around, how do teacher and unions express their voice? Oklahoma teachers rank 49th in the nation in pay, with average salaries of $45,276, according to the National Education Assn., a teachers union. West Virginia ranks 48th, and Mississippi ranks 50th. At Thursdays news conference, Mannford, Okla., pre-kindergarten teacher Kim Morris said that her budget-strapped school keeps the lights on for only part of the school day and keeps the temperature at 63 degrees to save on energy costs. Advertisement Weve come to the point where if the Legislature will not do its job, I will walk, Morris said. The teachers frustration, often voiced on Facebook, has at points driven them to bypass union leaders to push for more radical showdowns with the state lawmakers who control their pay. And teachers in other conservative states like Arizona and Kentucky are watching closely. The fact that this is coming up from below is enormously interesting, said Jon Shelton, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay who has studied teachers strikes. Were seeing this in red states, were seeing this in states where teachers dont have the right to collectively bargain. In recent months, many labor watchers issued warnings that the power of public-sector unions was about to take a major blow. Advertisement The Supreme Court appears poised to rule against the mandatory fees that some public-sector unions impose on all workers, whether they support unions or not. The loss of fees might hobble funding for those unions, who often support Democratic politicians. The constitutionality of those fees is being evaluated on free-speech grounds. But when the Supreme Court unanimously upheld such fees in 1977, its opinion spoke of the importance of such policies for maintaining labor peace between workers and their employers. Lawmakers crafted such policies in the early 20th century to regulate disputes that sometimes led to disruptive and even violent work stoppages, particularly in states such as West Virginia, where miners famously battled coal companies. Last month, many West Virginia teachers who also organized on Facebook hearkened back to the days of coal strikes as they wore the miners red bandannas and ignored state Supreme Court precedent that said public workers had no right to strike. Advertisement Every school across the state was shut down, forcing thousands of students to stay home. And state lawmakers discovered the downside of dealing with a decentralized worker uprising: When they tried to reach a deal with union leaders to bring the stoppage to an end, teachers voted to override their own leaders and to prolong the strike. Its impossible to fire or replace that many people in such a crucial part of peoples everyday lives, Shelton said. You cant fire 20,000 teachers, and you certainly cant arrest 20,000 teachers. Teachers unions are similarly limited in Oklahoma, and unrest is similarly spreading at the grass-roots level. On the Oklahoma Education Assn.s Facebook page, teachers publicly voiced their displeasure when the union originally posted a notice about a later walkout date. (The post was later deleted.) You are not listening to your members, one teacher posted. Im extremely disappointed in you all, a second added. Youre with us, or youre against us. Reconsider your position OEA, a third wrote. Advertisement One of the most vocal supporters of a teachers strike, Larry Cagle, 54, a high school teacher in Tulsa, isnt even a union member. It was apparent to me, very clear to me, when I got to Oklahoma that unions have lost the battle long ago and they werent effective, Cagle said, adding that he was in unions in Florida and New York. As my tenure within the school system here grew, it was clear there was a real big problem in education. Going outside of the traditional union structure, Cagle began organizing on his own, speaking with other teachers in Tulsa to push a more strident message to union leadership. We want a strike, Cagle said. Advertisement matt.pearce@latimes.com Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce. More national headlines Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Friday, March 9, and heres whats happening across California: TOP STORIES The small California border town of Jacumba Hot Springs got its border fence in the mid-1990s. And that barrier put a major dent in illegal immigration and drug smuggling. But it had another impact: The local business district was hit hard, because Mexicans could no longer come to town to shop. And residents said they lost their connection to the twin city on the other side of the border. Los Angeles Times Fact-checking Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions attack on California and immigration policies. Politifact Advertisement How California went from Proposition 187 to battling President Trump. Los Angeles Times San Diego is bracing for Trumps arrival, with some supporters of the president looking forward to it. Los Angeles Times Employers say they feel caught in the middle of the immigration battle between California and the federal government. New York Times Its federal law versus state law. Who are the lawbreakers? Los Angeles Times No charges for a former LAPD officer Prosecutors declined Thursday to criminally charge a former Los Angeles police officer in the fatal shooting of a man near the Venice boardwalk a decision that bucks an unprecedented call by Chief Charlie Beck to prosecute one of his own for a deadly on-duty shooting. Two years ago, Beck publicly said he believed Proctor should be criminally charged, marking the first time as chief he had suggested an officer be prosecuted in a fatal on-duty shooting. Los Angeles Times L.A. STORIES On Olvera Street: Merchants at L.A.s historic El Pueblo say Mayor Eric Garcettis plan to house homeless people nearby in trailers will drive away tourists and hurt their businesses. Los Angeles Times Advertisement And: More than half a century after the Mexican guestworker bracero program was implemented, and in the midst of a tense standoff between the state and the Trump administration over illegal immigration, Los Angeles is honoring braceros with a 19-foot statue that will be the centerpiece of a new plaza near Olvera Street. Los Angeles Times Who were the Eastside 13? They were 13 men secretly indicted by a grand jury on June 1, 1968, on conspiracy charges stemming from the East L.A. blowouts. The walkouts kicked off on March 5, 1968, when students began protesting at Garfield High School, and spread to other campuses to decry the shortcomings of public schools in Los Angeles barrios. The walkouts are viewed as a turning point in the political development of the nations Mexican American community. Los Angeles Times Reconciling the past: A former porn star is now a suburban mom in Irvine. Where have I seen you before? a few ask. Orange County Register Tying the rooms together: A new hotel in Hawthorne is built of modular rooms that workers are pulling together into one complex. Daily Breeze Advertisement CRIME AND COURTS Fraud case: Los Angeles police arrested one of their retired colleagues on Thursday on suspicion of workers compensation fraud while enrolled in a controversial program that pays veteran cops and firefighters their salary and pension simultaneously for up to five years. Los Angeles Times Too hot: Why San Franciscos famed hot cop is leaving the city. SFGate POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Advertisement Inside the White House: UC Irvine professor Peter Navarro is poised to move up in the Trump administration, which has some in Washington terrified. Axios Plus: How Navarro got President Trump to embrace tariffs. Wall Street Journal Speaking out: Trumps personal lawyer obtained a secret restraining order last week to block porn actress Stormy Daniels from speaking publicly about Trumps alleged extramarital affair with her, according to Daniels attorney. Los Angeles Times Plus: Does Daniels have a case? The New Yorker Advertisement Reprimanded: A legislative investigation found that state Sen. Bob Hertzberg on several occasions gave uninvited hugs that made people feel uncomfortable, but concluded that his hugging was not sexually motivated or, in most instances, unwanted. He received a letter of reprimand from the Senate Rules Committee. Los Angeles Times THE ENVIRONMENT At last: Why capturing two red foxes is such a big deal in California. Sacramento Bee New troubles: The shoreline along the San Francisco Bay is sinking faster than experts thought. San Francisco Chronicle Advertisement CALIFORNIA CULTURE Just asking: Did rich people not only ruin the wine industry but the Napa Valley as well? These bottles are social entrees of a sort, often representing a quick, handy makeover. The Atlantic Still a force: When Mark Hamill showed up in Hollywood on Thursday to cement his star on the Walk of Fame, the Force was with him along with a crowd of thousands. Though Los Angeles police dont always need to conduct traffic control or shut down streets in the tourist-saturated district for Walk of Fame star ceremonies, Hamill is different. Los Angeles Times Protest time: A group of workers from the Disneyland Resort waved signs, chanted and demonstrated outside Walt Disney Co.s shareholders meeting in Houston on Thursday, demanding the company provide a living wage. Los Angeles Times Advertisement Sign of the times: Univision Communications Chief Executive Randy Falco is stepping down after nearly eight years a move that underscores disarray within the nations largest Spanish-language media company. Los Angeles Times Yum: Are Cambodian noodles the next big L.A. food trend? Orange County Register And: Are the super-sized pupusas at a swap meet the best pupusas? L.A. Taco CALIFORNIA ALMANAC Advertisement Los Angeles area: partly cloudy and 73. San Diego: partly cloudy and 66. San Francisco area: partly cloudy and 61. Sacramento: partly cloudy and 69. More weather is here. AND FINALLY Todays California memory comes from David Hicks: It was April 1967, and a buddy and I were discharged from active duty on the East Coast. We had a month to return a rental car to San Francisco, free gas and a golden opportunity. Off we drove to Ft. Jackson in Columbia, S.C. to see my brother who had also been drafted. He would later be awarded a Silver Star equivalent unit citation by the Navy after only he and one other person in his Army unit survived an action to rescue some NVA-surrounded Marines. We filled our 67 Mustang rental with gas and headed to New Orleans, Dallas, Salt Lake City and Reno white with snow, so that you couldnt see any centerline markers. At last we arrived home in California, surrounded by spring green grasses as we crested a hill and beheld the sight of San Francisco Bay. Id never noticed how beautiful the Bay was before that day stunning! Advertisement 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. President Trump wisely decided not to start a trade war this week with two of the United States closest commercial partners, Canada and Mexico. At least not right away, that is. Unfortunately, he went ahead and picked an unwinnable fight with everybody else. Trump signed orders Thursday, imposing a 25% tariff on imported steel and a 10% tariff on imported aluminum, starting March 23 with a conditional exemption for our two neighbors. The point, according to the president, is to bring steel and aluminum jobs back to the United States by making foreign versions of the metals more expensive. Slapping stiff, across-the-board tariffs on imported steel and aluminum only invites the vast majority of our trading partners to retaliate. Advertisement Theres no question that U.S. production of steel and aluminum has declined over the years as it has surged in Asian countries, most notably China. According to the White House, the United States imports almost four times as much steel as it exports, and 90% of the new aluminum we use comes from outside the country. The fierce foreign competition has caused the companies that produce those metals here to shut plants, lay off workers and automate more of their operations. The issue is how to respond. And slapping stiff, across-the-board tariffs on imported steel and aluminum only invites the vast majority of our trading partners to retaliate against U.S. exports of goods and services. It also raises the price of U.S. goods made with imported aluminum or steel, as well as those that shift to (more expensive) domestic metals. Meanwhile, it does nothing to the price of foreign-made products, which wont pay the tariffs that U.S. producers will face. With that in mind, numerous American companies and trade groups have urged Trump to abandon the tariff scheme, saying it will hurt sales and kill jobs. Thats probably the most puzzling aspect of Trumps move. Even without a single retaliatory action by foreign governments, the tariffs are likely to cost more U.S. jobs at the companies that use aluminum and steel than they create at the companies producing the metals. Some administration officials have pooh-poohed this notion, arguing that these metals account for only a fraction of the cost of products like cars and beer cans. But if the cost were in fact negligible, no company using steel or aluminum would bother to switch from imported to domestic metals. The administration knows better thats why its imposing tariffs, to raise costs enough to prompt companies to switch from cheap imported to more costly domestic supplies. And inevitably, those costs will translate into lost sales and jobs. But thats just where the pain starts. The toll mounts as the rest of the world launches retaliatory tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers. Some potential targets have already been identified, including farm products, high-tech exports and blue jeans. Meanwhile, the chill that descends on trade with the United States will damage U.S. ports and shipping companies; according to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Almost 25% of the steel and aluminum imported [into] the United States comes through Californias ports, generating more than $4 billion in trade activity. Trump has characterized the tariffs as both the culmination of a campaign promise to help U.S. industries hobbled by foreign competition and as an effort to protect national security by preserving domestic supplies of indispensable metals. The U.S. defense industry isnt persuaded it argues that the tariffs will do more harm that good, raising the Pentagons costs and hurting U.S. exports. In truth, the Pentagon has been content for years to rely on steel and aluminum imported from allies most of whom would be hit by the new tariffs. Trump acknowledged this problem in his proclamation on the steel tariffs Thursday, declaring he would be willing to negotiate alternatives with countries with which we have a security relationship. Advertisement But Trumps preference for such transactional, country-by-country approaches is poorly suited to the challenge posed by Chinas overproduction of steel and aluminum. The situation demands a coordinated regional or even global response through bodies like the World Trade Organization. Instead, by inviting other countries to impose protectionist tariffs unilaterally on national security grounds, Trumps move threatens to make the WTO even less effective in enforcing a rules-based trading regime. An array of business and industry groups, analysts, economists and even Republican politicians urged Trump over the last week to abandon the tariff plan, to no avail. Evidently, the president is the sort of person who wont give up on a bad plan until he watches it fail. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook Here whats most important for the United States in any dealmaking with Kim Jong Un: to ensure that North Korea never uses its nuclear weapons. Thankfully, our overwhelming conventional and nuclear deterrent is a fail-safe if talks fail and a deal remains out of reach. At first blush, it is difficult not to treat President Trumps decision to meet Kim face to face as a potential breakthrough, given the absence of any diplomatic momentum in years past. Nuclear negotiations with the North Koreans have been dead since 2012, when Pyongyang reneged on an agreement to place a moratorium on its nuclear activity and ballistic missile tests. The multilateral six-party talks have been dormant for nine years. Any progress toward a diplomatic process is a significant development. The Trump administration should poke and prod the North Koreans to determine whether they are truly interested in denuclearization this time. In the real world, however, the frantic dialogue between North and South Korea since the Winter Olympics and the Trump-Kim summit now planned for May including Pyongyangs sudden eagerness to discuss denuclearization have more than a decent chance of fizzling before a comprehensive accord is reached. Advertisement The history of North Korean nuclear diplomacy is a roller coaster ride of lost hopes and misplaced expectations; just when world diplomats think they have arrived at an agreement, the Kim regime either violates the terms or balks at establishing verification mechanisms. More than 26 years ago, Kims grandfather signed a declaration pledging to eliminate the danger of nuclear war through the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. In 2005, Kims father did exactly the same thing. The bottom line is that we cant know for certain that Kim Jong Un is sincere in his offer to negotiate, let alone to strike a deal that would make denuclearization a reality. Trump has an obligation to tread these diplomatic waters carefully. However eager Kim is now to meet and possibly to negotiate, he will not abolish his nuclear weapons arsenal for free. The price could be any or all of the following: withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea and Japan, diplomatic normalization, termination of U.N. Security Council and unilateral U.S. sanctions, and severing of the U.S.-South Korea alliance. This is exactly why a deterrence and containment policy in so important for the United States. In the very likely event that talks fail, the Trump administration will still be able to manage the North Korean nuclear issue by relying on the bedrock principles that helped the U.S. win the Cold War. While a North Korea armed with nuclear weapons is far from the ideal from a nonproliferation perspective, Washington can still make the best of a complicated situation through a combination of pragmatic military-to-military communications with the North, steadfast support for the United States Asian alliances, greater burden-sharing within the U.S.-South Korea-Japan alliance and the unequivocal threat of a U.S. military response should Pyongyang be stupid or reckless enough to use its nuclear arsenal or to sell nuclear technology to other governments. Kim, notwithstanding his madman persona, has revealed himself to be a clever, ruthlessly pragmatic leader with concrete national security and prosperity goals. That gives the U.S. leverage. At the top of Kims list is regime preservation and the accumulation of power, the basic objectives of authoritarians and tyrants throughout the nuclear age. Kim is a lot like every other dictator who has possessed a nuclear capability, be it the Soviet Unions Joseph Stalin or the military officers who run Pakistans national security policy. They all want to maintain their perks, privileges and dominance while preventing a foreign invasion. As long as the U.S. does not launch a preventive military attack or attempt to forcefully change the regime in Pyongyang, Kim is no more likely to launch an out-of-the-blue, nuclear first strike as Chinas Mao Zedong was in the 1950s or Russias Vladimir Putin is today. He knows that any such action would be a death sentence. North Korea, after all, has been a nuclear state since 2006, and not once has the Kim family thought it in their interest to lob a nuclear missile toward U.S. troops in the region. The Trump administration should poke and prod the North Koreans to determine whether they are truly interested in denuclearization this time. Even if an agreement is farfetched, direct communication is critical to ensure that North Korea doesnt miscalculate, cross a red line or stumble into an accident. And if the South Koreans are right, and Kim wants to negotiate, it would be diplomatic malpractice for the White House not to participate. Advertisement But should those talks break down or get killed before they begin, Trump and the U.S. need not resort to the John Bolton option of preventive military force, which would guarantee a North Korean nuclear exchange and a catastrophic Armageddon in East Asia. Deterrence will hold, as it always has. Daniel R. DePetris is fellow at Defense Priorities and a Middle East and foreign policy analyst at Wikistrat Inc. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook The summer I turned 11, I accompanied my mother to Sri Lanka, where she was born. For her, this was no pleasure trip. It had a specific purpose, to get my fathers mother a visa so that she could join us in the United States. The process was long and complicated. Because my grandmother was elderly and could not go to the U.S. embassy in Colombo herself, my mother made the many trips there, waited in line in the hot sun, and spoke to embassy officials on her behalf. In the end, my grandmothers application was successful. She got her family reunification visa to join us. Except that she didnt want to come. What would I do there? she asked. Advertisement In the end, my grandmother made the hard choice to stay in her rural home in Sri Lanka, living out the end of her days there. President Trump tells us that a big, beautiful wall on the Mexican border is necessary to keep migrants out. His attorney general is attacking Californias efforts to shield those who are here from deportation. The president has told us plainly what underlies his policies: Too many immigrants, he has complained, come from shithole countries, and once they see the U.S., they never go back to their huts. Without a border wall, Trump wants us to believe, we would be invaded by hordes of poor people who would naturally prefer to be here, rather than wherever they come from. Ironically, tougher border security makes immigrants who are here without papers less likely to return home. And yet, absent calamities such as war and natural disasters, most people, like my grandmother, prefer to stay where they are. The fact that we measure emigration rates per 1,000 rather than per 100 illustrates this. In 2017, El Salvador, torn by gang violence, had what is considered a high estimated net migration rate: only eight people per 1,000. And when recent migration from Mexico to the U.S. was at its height, in the year 2000, 770,000 Mexicans came to the United States, fewer than eight out of 1,000. Those who migrate for better jobs do so not in pursuit of material wealth for themselves, but out of obligation to provide for their families and communities back home. Because they would prefer to stay home, many plan to work for a while in the U.S. or another country with good job opportunities, and then return home. Even in the early 20th century, when travel was arduous and expensive, records show that 60% of Italian immigrants to America ended up returning. Ironically, tougher border security makes immigrants who are here without papers less likely to return home. If going home means risking permanent separation from your U.S.-born family members, you are not likely to make the journey. According to sociologist Douglas Massey, the enhanced border security that accompanied immigration reforms of 1986, far from keeping undocumented workers out, led to the formation of a permanent community of undocumented immigrants. Some portion of immigrants will choose to stay in their new countries. The roots they put down are simply too deep. After telling themselves for decades that they would return to Sri Lanka to retire, my parents decided to stay in the U.S. They wanted to remain close to my sister and me and our young children. Advertisement In the presidents calculus, his vision of the American way of life is the only deciding factor. For him, my grandmothers house, lacking hot running water, a television and a car could never win out over the relative luxury of even the most modest American homes. But that was not the way my grandmother thought. The neighbors she had known all her life, the rhythm of her days, the church where she had attended daily Mass for decades, and the promise of growing old and eventually dying in her own village meant more to her than air conditioning and TV sets. The idea that without tough border security, we will be flooded by poor people who would gladly trade their homes for our standard of living is rooted in the assumption that people in other countries value material things more than their own communities. That assumption says more about us than it does about them. Tisha M. Rajendra is an associate professor of Christian ethics at Loyola University Chicago and the author of Migrants and Citizens: Justice as Responsibility in the Ethics of Immigration. She is a Public Voices Fellow with the OpEd Project. Advertisement Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. Negri Quintana expressed the wish during a meeting with President Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi on March 8. President Quang congratulated the ambassadors successful term of office in Vietnam and spoke highly of his significant contributions to promoting the traditional friendship between the two nations. The diplomat coordinated with Vietnamese relevant agencies to arrange many high-level visits between the two countries, notably Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Jerias State-level visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Week in Da Nang city in November 2017. The Vietnamese President also hailed the ambassadors efforts to develop bilateral economic, trade and investment relations. The signing of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and Chile has helped increase two-way trade rapidly, while the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which is scheduled to be signed in Chile on March 8, demonstrated the contributions of Vietnam, Chile and member countries in boosting global trade, he said. President Quang expressed his hope that the ambassador, in his new position, will continue making more contributions to the reinforcement and enhancement of friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and Chile. Negri Quintana said within the CPTPPs new cooperation framework, the future will belong to Asia with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) playing the core role and Vietnam being one of the most important links in the bloc. This will open up new potential for bilateral cooperation, he said, adding that Chile wants to push cooperative ties with Vietnam in all realms. Every four years voters hear that these midterm elections will be the most consequential in a generation. They usually greet the claim with healthy skepticism. But this time around its perfectly true. For there to be an effective check on the regressive and anti-democratic impulses of the Trump administration, Democrats will need to take back at least one chamber of Congress, and ideally both. Thanks to the dismal job President Trump and Republicans are doing, Democrats have reason to feel optimistic about our prospects this November. But we will need to offer American voters more than just anti-Trump anger. Democrats must present solutions to the millions of working families who feel left behind, and appeal to core values that are not reflected in the crude and bitter divisiveness displayed by Trump. The Democratic case to voters should focus on three essential priorities: an economy that works for everyone, an emphasis on family, and a return to fundamental decency. Advertisement The stock market may be riding high, and unemployment may be low, but Democrats shouldnt forget the painful lesson of 2016: The economy is not working for millions of Americans, many of whom live in the very parts of the country where Democrats need to compete. Were going to win so much, Trump promised Americans during his campaign, youre going to be so sick and tired of winning. But after more than a year under Trump, only the very wealthy appear to be winning, thanks to a tax bill skewed in their favor. Struggling Americans in the Rust Belt and elsewhere remain forgotten. It has long been said that America is a great country because America is a good country. The American economy is in the throes of a profound transformation. This upheaval was brought on by globalization, but it has been accelerated by automation, which is expected to have even broader implications for the American workforce. The automation revolution has only just begun. Low and middle-skill jobs that involve repetitive processes are no longer being moved to China, India or Mexico. Theyre being done in America by machines. If government does not come up with a smart plan to get ahead of the coming changes, the twin forces of globalization and automation will amplify the economic trends of the last quarter century, in which the rich got richer and everyone else fell further behind. Democrats need to show the American people that they can prosper, not with empty promises, but with training for the high-skilled jobs of the future. We should equip the American workforce with a first-rate education, healthcare they can take from company to company, and the opportunity to find meaningful and well-paying work in towns all across America. Economic hardships have put a strain on many families, but there are other challenges to family life that Democrats must address. Republicans held themselves up as the party of family values. But under Trump, they have forgotten what those values even are. For parents, there is no higher priority than protecting our kids, and that means making sure that they are safe when they go to school, not exposed to a gunman with a military style assault weapon. Family values means providing access to affordable healthcare. You cannot take care of your child if you cannot take care of yourself. It means keeping families together instead of separating them through deportation, helping your kids afford college rather than allowing them to graduate with crushing debt, and helping aging parents enjoy a secure retirement. Advertisement Trump campaigned as the chaos candidate, and now he is the chaos president. With his Twitter insults, he appeals to prejudice and sows division. He has remade the Republican Party in his own deeply flawed image. Democrats must represent a return to decency, even normalcy. It has long been said that America is a great country because America is a good country. If Democrats make it clear that we stand for what is good in America economic ingenuity, values and decency we will take back both the House and the Senate, and restore the vitality of our democracy. U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff represents Californias 28th district. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook Gavin Newsom releases ad that highlights his push to allow same-sex couples to marry By Phil Willon A new ad from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom features Phyllis Lyon, who with her partner, Del Martin, received the first marriage license after Newsom vowed to allow same-sex couples to marry when he was mayor of San Francisco in 2004. The current lieutenant governors push for marriage equality thrust him into the national spotlight and he has emphasized that effort to portray himself as a bold, progressive leader. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Failed California housing bill was not a bad idea, Gov. Jerry Brown says By Liam Dillon Gov. Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Earlier this month, high-profile housing legislation that would have allowed for four- to five-story apartments and condominiums near transit stops failed to advance in the state Legislature. But had it reached his desk, would Gov. Jerry Brown have signed it? Maybe. I think that was not a bad idea, Brown said of Senate Bill 827 at a meeting with business leaders from the Bay Area Council on Monday afternoon. The bill, written by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), attracted national attention and a maelstrom of opposition in part because it would have eliminated single-family zoning near transit stops in favor of apartments or condominiums. Brown said that a relative of his who lives in West Portal, a low-density neighborhood in San Francisco, told the governor he was horrified by the bill. Brown also lamented dramatically rising housing costs. He said he bought his first house in Los Angeles in 1973 for $75,000 at a time when his salary as secretary of state was $35,000. Now, he said, buying a house for a little over twice ones annual salary is virtually impossible anywhere in the state. FOR THE RECORD May 1, 9:32 a.m.: This post originally misstated the year Brown purchased his house as 1970. It was 1973. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print John Cox begins California barnstorm with the delivery of gas tax repeal signatures By Javier Panzar Gubernatorial candidate John Cox, left, and Assembly candidate Bill Essayli load boxes of signatures for the gas tax repeal initiative. (Francine Orr) GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox strolled up to the stack of 12 boxes in front of the Los Angeles County registrar-recorders offices in Norwalk on Monday and placed his hands on top of his partys hope for success in 2018. The boxes, stacked four across and three high, contained 211,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees. Cox says the effort has gathered more than 940,000 signatures from registered voters to put the measure on the ballot far more than the 585,407 signatures that are required. The aim: to bring out the partys base to the polls this November and help candidates in tough congressional and legislative races down the ticket. A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll in November found 54.2% of registered voters surveyed said they would repeal the tax and fee hike, but a survey a month earlier by another group said a majority would vote to keep the higher taxes. Cox was flanked by Bill Essayli, a former federal prosecutor who is challenging Democratic Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside in the June primary. Cervantes voted for the gas tax and Essayli plans to use that vote against her. He even launched his campaign at a 76 gas station in Norco. This is a central issue in my campaign, he said. Cox also submitted signatures in San Diego on Monday and is headed to Bakersfield, Fresno and Sacramento, as well as Shasta and Butte counties in coming days. We are going all across the state, Cox said. The whole state is paying this tax and the whole state wants it gone. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print All Californians would be able to serve on state boards even people in the U.S. illegally under new bill By Jazmine Ulloa Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State lawmakers on Monday introduced legislation that would allow all Californians to serve on state boards and commissions regardless of immigration status. Senate Bill 174, by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), comes as the state is locked in a broader legal battle with the Trump administration over state immigration laws and his call for mass deportations. Lawmakers point to what they say is the states own discriminatory history as their basis for introducing the legislation. The proposal would amend an 1872 provision that was first adopted to exclude Chinese immigrants and other transient aliens from holding appointed civil positions. At the time, antipathy toward the Chinese had been building in California, though, Chinese immigrants opened hundreds of businesses across the state and would play a critical role in building the transcontinental railroad. The Senate bill would delete the phrase transient aliens from the government code and make clear that any person, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, can hold an appointed civil office if they are at least 18 years old and a resident of the state. That would allow any Californian to serve on hundreds of boards and commissions that advice in an array of policy areas, including farm labor, history and employment development. Californias two million undocumented immigrants are a source of energy for our state, Lara said in a statement. It is shocking to read the words of fear and exclusion that are still in California law but belong in historys trash can. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Tony Mendozas fundraising dries up after resignation amid harassment inquiry By Patrick McGreevy Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). (Steve Yeater / Associated Press) Political contributions to Tony Mendoza, who resigned from the state Senate under pressure amid sexual harassment allegations, have nearly dried up. New documents he filed with the state in his bid to reclaim the seat he once held show that his support has eroded. As a result, five other candidates for the 32nd District senate seat in the June 5 election have raised more than Mendoza so far this year. With the June 5 election approaching, Mendoza has reported raising just $7,750 in cash from six supporters during the nearly four-month period from Jan. 1 to April 21. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, went on a leave of absence from the Senate Jan. 3 and resigned a month later under the threat of expulsion from colleagues. An investigation ordered by the Senate found a pattern of unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior based on testimony from six women. Mendoza has denied wrongdoing. Last year, Mendozas reelection campaign raised $412,600, or an average of about $34,000 per month, from more than 350 supporters. Most of Mendozas 2018 total was contributed by the political arm of the Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 on Jan. 22, a month before Mendoza resigned. Mendoza also reported that his campaign loaned $125,000 this year to his legal defense fund. That left him with $446,600 in his campaign account at the end of April. Mendoza is running against eight Democrats and two Republicans. Democrat Bob J. Archuleta, a Pico Rivera city councilman, raised the most, $210,000, during the period. On Monday, Mendoza suffered another setback when the State Legislative Womens Caucus endorsed Democrat Vicky Santana, a member of the Rio Hondo College Board. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newsom and Villaraigosa affairs coming to TV ads in California By Phil Willon An independent political committee backing Republican John Cox for governor released an ad blasting both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for their past sexual affairs. The California Deserves Better ad, which was first reported by Politico, criticizes Newsom for having an affair with a woman on his staff in 2005 while he served as mayor of San Francisco. It also goes after Villaraigosa for having an extramarital affair with a television reporter in 2007 while he was mayor of Los Angeles. The ad, which begins airing on Fox stations in the states top media markets Monday, links Newsom and Villaraigosa to the men accused of sexual impropriety in the #MeToo movement, including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and disgraced Today show veteran Matt Lauer. Powerful men are finally being held to account, punished for inappropriate sexual conduct with women over whom they exercise power, the ad begins. Newsom and Villaraigosa think the rules shouldnt apply to them. The independent campaign committee, called Restore Our Values, already has raised more than $100,000, said Leigh Teece of Emeryville in Northern California, co-founder of the group. Teece, the CEO of a nonprofit that helps line up students with professional mentors, said the campaign will actively support Cox. She called him a true conservative and noted that he supports cutting taxes and opposes Californias sanctuary state policy. John is a business person who has demonstrated integrity, Teece said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Was that Cisneros in the voicemail? Dispute is latest espisode of Democratic infighting in crowded primary races By Christine Mai-Duc Gil Cisneros speaks during a forum at Fullerton College in January. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) With less than five weeks to go before Californias primary, insults and accusations are flying with abandon in the most crowded races Democrats hope to ultimately win. The latest example of this is in the 39th Congressional District, where a half dozen Democrats are vying for a chance to replace Rep. Ed Royce, whos retiring. Its one of several California contests where Democratic leaders are already worried that divisions could ultimately split votes and shut Democrats out of key pickup opportunities. In that race, millionaires Gil Cisneros and Andy Thorburn are going negative about going negative. Cisneros was recently elevated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red to Blue program in hopes it would serve as a signal to Democratic activists and donors that his campaign was the most viable. But both Cisneros and Thorburn have poured millions into the race, which promises to be a knock down, drag out fight through June 5. At the center of the latest controversy is a voicemail, allegedly left by Cisneros on Thorburns home answering machine earlier this month. The recording, which the Thorburn campaign turned over to media outlet The Intercept, lasts less than 10 seconds. Hi Andy, its Gil Cisneros. Im gonna go negative on you, a mans voice is heard saying. Cisneros campaign manager Orrin Evans denied the candidate made the call, posting a cease and desist letter to The Intercept on Twitter. The letter, sent by a Cisneros campaign attorney, called the voicemail fabricated and demanded that the story be taken down, calling it defamatory. It gave the publication until 3 p.m. Friday to take down the story before they pursue all legal rights and remedies. An attorney for The Intercept, in a letter to Cisneros, said the publication confirmed with multiple sources familiar with Mr. Cisneros that his voice was on the recording, and that it stands by its reporting. Thorburns camp says it flatly rejects Cisneros denial, and that the timing of a negative website filled with unflattering background on Thorburn, released three days later, suggests it was him. Track the California races that could flip the House According to The Intercepts report, Cisneros campaign manager did not respond to initial inquiries about the voicemail, calling its questions ridiculous. In a follow-up statement Friday, Evans said called the episode a dirty, desperate trick by the Thorburn campaign and said they are readying to pursue legal action for defamation and false light against both him and the publication. It sounded like him to me! said Thorburns wife, Karen, in a statement released by the campaign. She was the one who first heard the voicemail, they said. Thorburn campaign manager Nancy Leeds called Cisneros threats Trump-like tactics and accused the candidate of trying to harass and intimidate anyone who stands in his way. Its not the first time candidates from the same party have clashed in the lead-up to the June 5 primary, and its all but certain to not be the last. Cisneros sued two of his opponents, Thorburn and Sam Jammal, over their ballot descriptions until they had to change them. Earlier this month, Democrat Bryan Caforio asked his opponent, Katie Hill, to sign a pledge rejecting the use of independent expenditure committees, entities that neither of them can legally coordinate with, in the race to unseat Rep. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster). Hill refused and called the attempt hollow and likened it to political theater, while Caforio accused her of empty campaign promises. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California Politics Podcast: The money raised in the race for governor hints at a race thats now red hot By John Myers With less than six weeks before election day, the cash raised in the California governors race mirrors the overall dynamics: one major front-runner and a heated race for second place. This weeks podcast episode offers a glimpse into those cash reports and how the Republican field seems more settled in a new statewide poll than the battle between Democrats. We also examine the reasons why a nationally talked-about housing bill in Sacramento was killed by the Democratic authors own allies. Im joined by Times staff writers Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. County politician sexually assaulted woman when she was 16, lawsuit claims By Dakota Smith A woman sued an unnamed politician in Los Angeles County on Friday, alleging the man sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager after he gave her an unusual-tasting drink. The politician, identified as John Doe, was in his early 40s and a public figure at the time of the 2007 assault, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The man is an elected official today and lives in Los Angeles, said attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing the woman identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe. Bloom declined to say what branch of government the man represents. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Villaraigosa touts his working-class upbringing, accomplishments as mayor in first TV ad By Phil Willon Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa released his first TV ad in the governors race Friday, touting his record and accomplishments as mayor of Los Angeles when up against the economic downturn during the recession. The 30-second television spot opens with a sweeping shot of Los Angeles and cuts to Villaraigosa sitting on a bus. In kindergarten, my sister and I took three buses to get to school. As mayor, I remembered that, Villaraigosa says into the camera. And despite the recession, we built more new schools and rail lines than any city in America, added 200,000 living wage jobs, built 20,000 units of affordable housing and nearly doubled graduation rates. Campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino said the ad will air statewide over the next week at a cost of approximately $1 million. The commercial will being airing Saturday. Two Democratic rivals in Californias race for governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang, also launched ads this week, signaling the biggest ramp-up of the campaign as the June 5 primary approaches. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican John Cox. One recent poll has Villaraigosa trailing both Cox and Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach. Chiang has been stuck in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. Last week, an independent expenditure group called Families and Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor, funded largely by a trio of wealthy charter school backers, launched a spot in support of the former mayor of Los Angeles. That ad campaign is focused on increasing Villaraigosas chances of coming in second in the June 5 primary and moving on to the general election. Villaraigosas ad, titled Three Buses, emphasizes the struggles he faced growing up in East Los Angeles and addresses one of his central campaign themes that hes the candidate best suited to help working-class Californians. I know how far a bus can take you, Villaraigosa says in the ad. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Dianne Feinstein wont participate in pre-primary debate By Sarah D. Wire (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call) California Sen. Dianne Feinstein will not participate in a proposed pre-primary debate because there are too many candidates in the race, her campaign spokesman said Thursday. Political activists with the group Indivisible Los Angeles said they had a venue and date May 5 reserved for a debate with four of the Senate candidates. But they said if Feinstein does not participate, it will be canceled. Feinstein faces 31 primary opponents in her bid for a fifth full term representing California in the Senate. Feinstein staffers initially said she had a prior commitment on May 5 in San Francisco. When organizers offered to let her campaign pick another date, her campaign said it wasnt fair for the group to invite only some of the candidates when there is such a big field, said Tudor Popescu, volunteer community organizer with Indivisible Los Angeles. The invited candidates, all Democrats, were Feinstein, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, political action committee director Alison Hartson and lawyer Pat Harris. They were selected based on fundraising and poll numbers. There are 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, nine independents and 2 third-party candidates running for Senate on the June ballot. Indivisible Los Angeles is still hoping Feinstein will pick another date, Popescu said. Feinstein spokesman Jeff Millman pointed to a San Francisco Chronicle endorsement of Feinstein, which indicates that she told the editorial board she would be willing to have a debate ahead of Novembers general election. Senator Feinstein looks forward to debating her opponent in the general election, Millman said in an email. Feinstein holds a substantial lead in both fundraising and in the polls. Front-runners in statewide races have routinely declined to debate their challengers, knowing that its free publicity for candidates who dont have the cash to increase their name recognition on their own. De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the state senator has done candidate forums before, but planned to attend the May 5 debate only if Feinstein did. We basically said well clear his calendar 100%, well clear his calendar if Feinstein shows up, Underland said. Wed love to make it happen, but we want her to be there. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement NRA, Olympic shooter sue California over its restrictions on ammunition sales By Patrick McGreevy Olympian Kim Rhode is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the NRA and its state affiliate against California. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The National Rifle Assn. and its state affiliate have filed a fourth lawsuit against California over its gun control laws, this time challenging new restrictions on the sale and transfer of ammunition. The NRA and the California Rifle and Pistol Assn. filed a challenge in federal court to a requirement that ammunition sales and transfers be conducted face to face with California firearms dealers or licensed vendors, ending purchases made directly from out-of-state sellers on the internet. The lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California also challenged a requirement starting next year for background checks for people buying ammunition. The lawsuit was filed in the name of Kim Rhode, a six-time Olympic medal-winning shooter, and others. It challenges Californias new ammunition sales restrictions as a violation of the 2nd Amendment and the commerce clause of the United States Constitution. Restrictions on ammunition purchases were included in Proposition 63, approved by voters in 2016, and in bills approved by the Legislature. As a result of these laws, millions of constitutionally protected ammunition transfers are banned in California, Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. Californias law-abiding gun owners are sick of being treated like criminals and the NRA is proud to assist in this fight. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for governor, defended his initiative and vowed to fight the NRA lawsuit. We wrote Proposition 63 on solid legal ground and principle: If youre a felon banned from possessing guns in California, then you should not be able to purchase the ammunition that makes a firearm deadly, Newsom said in a statement. California voters said loudly and clearly that guns and ammunition do not belong in the hands of dangerous individuals but once again, the NRA has prioritized gun industry profits over the lives of law-abiding Californians. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Republicans hope to ride a gas-tax repeal to victory By Patrick McGreevy In a Central Valley barn decked out in red, white and blue, dairyman and state Senate candidate Johnny Tacherra drew cheers from a crowd of fellow farmers when he said he opposes the California Legislatures hike on gas taxes and vehicle fees. I would not have voted for that. It is not the time to be voting on (raising) the gas tax, said Tacherra, a Republican running against Democratic Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who voted for the tax increase last year. Three hundred miles away the same week, a campaign mailer arrived at homes in Orange County from an Assembly candidate with a message blaring from the cover in bold type: Republican Greg Haskin tough enough to stand up to Jerry Brown and repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Treasurer John Chiang launches ad in governors race touting his record as a fiscal steward By Seema Mehta In his first television ad in the governors race, state Treasurer John Chiang touts his record on fiscal issues as California faced the recession. Some thought we were done, Chiang says in a voiceover in the 30-second spot he released Thursday, with images of him standing seriously at a lectern and complimentary headlines about his work as controller and treasurer. But I knew better. I made the tough calls. And brought California back from the brink of financial disaster because you trusted me to manage our economy. Chiangs campaign is spending about $500,000 to air the ad in Los Angeles and San Diego in coming days. That buy is dwarfed by seven-figure purchases for ads supporting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican businessman John Cox. Chiang has been mired in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. His ad, called Quiet Storm, tries to portray Chiang as a progressive who is effective and can move policy in Sacramento. Chiang points to his work challenging Wells Fargo before arguing that he could accomplish what doubters say is impossible to improve the states healthcare, housing and schools. I say, we got this, Chiang concludes. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Been ignoring the race for California governor? Thats OK, in some ways its just starting By Mark Z. Barabak On a recent trip to Iowa, Eric Garcetti the mayor of Los Angeles and a possible 2020 White House contestant raised eyebrows with a bit of exuberant outreach. Los Angeles and Iowa, Garcetti insisted, have a ton in common, and he didnt simply mean both are inhabited by carbon-based life forms needing oxygen to survive. Urban or rural, farmer or fashion plate, all of us harbor the same hopes and dreams, the mayor suggested, and if it wasnt a terribly original thought it also wasnt the most egregious sort of political pandering like, say, ordering that every home in Los Angeles be powered by Iowa-produced ethanol. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California voters should expect to decide on an $8.9-billion water bond in November By Liam Dillon (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A proposal to borrow $8.9 billion for improvements to Californias water quality systems and watersheds and protection of natural habitats is eligible for the statewide ballot in November, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced in a press release Wednesday. Padilla said the measure, which is backed by agricultural interests, had exceeded the 365,800 valid signatures it needed to qualify for the general election ballot. The bond measure will appear on the ballot unless proponents withdraw it by June 28, the release said. The bond is one of many voters could decide on in 2018. A $4-billion bond for parks and water infrastructure improvements will appear on the June 5 ballot. State lawmakers approved it last year. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print They came for Darrell Issa. They stayed with their inflatable chicken, blue wall and signs for political therapy By Christine Mai-Duc (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) A mother of two turned ringleader of the resistance and more than a hundred of her faithful followers gathered on Tuesday morning outside Rep. Darrell Issas office in a northern San Diego County suburb. Across the street was her foil, a wedding DJ in a red Make American Great Again cap, setting up hefty speakers for an upcoming war of words. For about 65 weeks the deep divide in America played out along this 100-yard stretch of road in Vista. Here, at 10 a.m. every Tuesday, passersby found signs, chants, songs and, if they were lucky, sometimes a 20-foot-tall inflatable chicken with a Trump-esque coif. Theyd also glimpse the state of the body politic in 2018, a time when shock has turned to anger and post-2016 calls for reconciliation have morphed into grudging acceptance that each side might be better off in their respective corners. Or in this case, their sides of the street. On Tuesday, the anti-Issa, anti-Trump contingent fought this particular battle for the last time, declaring it their final protest at the congressmans office. They said they planned to use their energy to knock on doors and get out the vote, with an occasional protest on the side. Their pro-Trump rivals vowed to show up wherever they do. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Efforts to regulate bail companies have some unlikely allies: bail agents By Jazmine Ulloa Jane Un, chief executive and founder of Abba Bail Bonds, works with a client. ( Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) In recent years, the seriousness and number of official complaints related to the bail industry in California have significantly increased while bail agents and bounty hunters face limited oversight, putting vulnerable communities at risk of fraud, embezzlement and other forms of victimization. This year, as Gov. Jerry Brown has pledged to work with lawmakers in a push to overhaul how courts assign defendants bail and to better regulate bail agencies, even some who profit from the court practice admit its time for regulation. These bail and bail-recovery agents could become unlikely allies, saying they advocate for change because theyve seen the system abuse the poor. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California voters: Get ready for an onslaught of television ads By Seema Mehta After a sleepy campaign, California voters are now being bombarded with television advertisements in the governors race, an onslaught that is expected to ramp up in coming weeks. The ads most frequently seen on television are those promoting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner in the race, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is trying to secure the second spot in the June primary. Newsoms campaign and an outside group backing Villaraigosa are spending seven figures weekly on these efforts, according to filings with the California secretary of states office and a media buyer who asked not to be identified in order to freely discuss the ads. Other gubernatorial candidates are expected to hit the airwaves soon, the media buyer said. State Treasurer John Chiang has reserved a half-million dollars in the coming days in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, and Villaraigosas campaign has requested availability in at least five of the states biggest TV markets. The GOP candidates in the race, who will be seeking the state Republican Partys endorsement at its convention next weekend, have been much less active. Businessman John Cox in recent weeks has been spending about $90,000 per week, but doubled that this week in Los Angeles and added small buys on KFI-AM radio and cable in markets including Fresno, Bakersfield and Salinas. State Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach, who has been scooping up Republican Party endorsements across the state, has yet to make a notable television or radio buy, though he and Cox have received some attention as commentators on Fox News. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Republicans ready to turn in signatures for ballot measure to repeal California gas-tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices last year. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Republican activists said Tuesday that they have collected at least 830,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees, more than enough to qualify the measure for the November ballot. The activists need 585,407 signatures of registered voters to qualify the ballot measure. Because signatures are still being processed and counted by the campaign, backers hope to have 900,000 by the time they begin turning them in to the counties on Friday, according to Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Council member and organizer of the drive. The breadth and depth of voter anger over the car and gas tax hikes is just amazing, said DeMaio, who hosts a radio talk show. We are seeing Democrats, independents and Republicans sign the petition and volunteering to carry the petition, people from all walks of life. The initiative targets a law approved in April 2017 by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown that is expected to raise $5.4 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and improvements to mass transit. The money comes from a recent 12-cents-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, a 20-cent increase in the diesel fuel excise tax and a new annual vehicle fee ranging from $25 for cars valued at under $5,000, to $175 for cars worth $60,000 or more. The petition drive raised more than $2 million with significant contributions from the California Republican Party and Republican members of Congress from California, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona and Mimi Walters of Irvine. Republicans hope the issue will help their candidates for office in this years election and hurt Democrats who support the higher taxes. I think this is going to put Democrats in real bad spot, DeMaio said. A spokesman for Brown declined to comment until the signatures are filed. DeMaio said there were approximately 20,000 volunteer petition circulators who brought in more than 250,000 signatures, with the rest collected by paid circulators who received $1 to $2.50 per signature. Its a pretty comfortable margin [of signatures] that we have been able to hit here, DeMaio said. Opposition will grow, he said, as more Californians get their annual vehicle registration notice. The repeal campaign hopes to raise $5 million for the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment, which would not only repeal the increase in the gas tax and vehicle fees but require future increases to be submitted to voters. We know that Gov. Brown and his cohorts are going to spend an amazing amount of money to mislead voters, DeMaio said. But I feel pretty confident that we will repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Rep. Duncan Hunter sets up trust to raise money for legal expenses amid ongoing criminal investigation By Morgan Cook Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has filed paperwork to establish a legal expense fund amid an ongoing federal criminal investigation into misused campaign cash. Hunter filed the required paperwork March 27, seeking a rarely granted Legal Expense Fund through which members of Congress under investigation or being sued in connection with doing their jobs or running for office can raise money for their legal expenses. Such funds are administered by an independent trustee and allow donors to give above the maximum amount they can contribute a candidates campaign. Hunter has spent more than $600,000 of campaign money on lawyers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Kamala Harris says she wont take corporate donations anymore By Sarah D. Wire (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) California Sen. Kamala Harris says she will no longer accept money from corporate political action committees. In an interview with WWPM-FMs The Breakfast Club, in New York that aired Monday, the senator said she wasnt expecting a question at a town hall this month about whether she would accept money for corporations or corporate lobbyists. At the time, Harris said it depends, but she said on Monday that she had reflected on the matter and changed her mind. Money has had such an outside influence on politics, and especially with the Supreme Court determining Citizens United, which basically means that big corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money influencing a campaign, right? Harris said. Were all supposed to have an equal vote, but money has now really tipped the balance between an individual having equal power in an election to a corporation. So Ive actually made a decision since I had that conversation that Im not going to accept corporate PAC checks. I just Im not. You can watch the video of the interview here. (Harris corporate money comments come about 30 minutes in.) Harris wouldnt be on the ballot for a second Senate term until 2022, though its widely believed that she is planning a presidential bid in 2020. Other potential 2020 presidential candidates, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have also ruled out taking corporate PAC money. Soon after Mondays show aired, Harris campaign sent out a fundraising request noting her new stance. As corporate PACs continue to corrupt our politics and twist Congress priorities at your expense, were going to focus on raising money from small-dollar, individual donors like you, the email says. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement With money tied up in court, California lawmakers try again with new plan to spend $2 billion on homeless housing By Liam Dillon A man sleeps on the sidewalk in front of the Union Rescue Mission in the skid row neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) A measure to spend $2 billion on housing homeless Californians could be on the November statewide ballot. State Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) is pushing the idea to deal with what he said was a burgeoning humanitarian crisis whose epicenter is here in California. De Leons new measure is a do-over for a 2016 plan passed by the Legislature to redirect $2 billion toward building homeless housing from a voter-approved 1% income tax surcharge on millionaires that funds mental health services. A Sacramento attorney sued over that decision, arguing that the move violated constitutional rules on approving loans without a public vote and that lawmakers shouldnt take money away from mental health treatment. The case remains active in Sacramento Superior Court and its unclear when, or if, the state will be able to spend the $2 billion. De Leons Senate Bill 1206 would put the $2-billion loan on the ballot in November, freeing up the money if voters approve the measure. De Leon said had he been able to predict the 2016 plan would end up in court, he would have sought a ballot measure at the time. We thought this was like apple pie and baseball and puppies, De Leon said. Who would oppose the idea of repurposing the dollars to build immediate housing as a permanent solution for homelessness? Obviously with a crystal ball, had I anticipated the litigation, I would have worked to place it on the ballot. De Leon noted that the 2016 plan had bipartisan supermajority support in the Legislature, something his new bill also will need to get on the ballot. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) is a coauthor of the plan. SB 1206 is scheduled for its first hearing in the Legislature on Wednesday. Should De Leons measure be approved, it will join a crowded list of housing issues before voters in November. Californians will decide on a separate $4-billion bond to help finance new low-income housing and home loans for veterans. De Leon said hes not worried those two measures will compete against each other because voters are aware of the scale of the states housing problems and the proposed homeless housing bond redirects existing dollars instead of raising taxes. Once [voters] know that the impact on their pocketbook is not existent, Im confident that theyll join me and my colleague John Moorlach in support of this measure, De Leon said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California lawmakers say too many former felons are being denied professional licenses By John Myers Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) along with supporters of bills to allow more former felons to receive professional licenses. (John Myers/Los Angeles Times) A trio of California Assembly members urged colleagues on Monday to pass legislation that would prohibit state commissions and agencies from rejecting a professional license for those who were once convicted of less serious crimes. We cant say we want to rehabilitate people, and then block them from getting the jobs that they need when theyre released, said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). That leads to more recidivism and to more crime. The bills, scheduled to be heard in Assembly committees Tuesday, would ban the use of arrest or conviction records as the reason for denying a professional license. The bill would not apply to Californians who served time for any of the offenses on the states list of violent crimes. The authors, all Democrats, said that a government-issued professional license is required for some 30% of all jobs in the state. Their bills would change the licensing process at the California departments of Consumer Affairs and Social Services and agencies that certify emergency medical technicians. The bills would block prior convictions from leading to the delay or denial of a license unless that crime is directly related to the profession the person intends to pursue. Two of the bills also specifically say convictions less than 5 years old could continue to play a role in licensing decisions. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that keeps private sector employers from inquiring about a job applicants conviction history prior to an offer of employment. Advocates joined the lawmakers at a press conference in Sacramento to point out that limits on awarding licenses should focus only on those whose prior criminal activity could pose a threat to consumers. Continuing to hold people back for crimes that are 6, 7, 8, 10, 20 years old does not actually make sense if youre looking at public safety, said Jael Myrick of the East Bay Community Law Center. One of the proposals, Assembly Bill 2293, seeks to make it easier for ex-felons to get a license allowing a job with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection the same agency that often uses prison inmates to battle blazes around the state. If a person is good enough to risk their life fighting fires for the state of California as an inmate, said Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), their previous actions should not prevent from having a job utilizing the skill set that they learned. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Assembly speaker rebukes building trades union after it targets Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia By John Myers ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) The decision by a politically powerful labor group to openly campaign against an embattled Los Angeles-area lawmaker drew a sharp rebuke on Friday from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. The Lakewood Democrat lashed out hours after the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California filed paperwork for a political action committee to defeat Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). Garcia, whos seeking her fourth term, took an unpaid leave of absence in February following allegations of sexual misconduct. She has denied the reports and an Assembly investigation remains underway. Rendon didnt criticize the labor group by name, insisting instead that the decision was driven by oil and gas industry interests. This is a thinly veiled attempt by Big Oil and polluters to intimidate me and my members. It is an affront to my speakership, Rendon said in a statement. We are proud of the work that the Assembly has done to increase jobs and wages while defending our environment. We will vigorously defend the members of our caucus from any ill-advised political attack. A statement from the labor group, which sparred with Garcia last year on her effort to link new climate change policies with a crackdown on air pollution, said it had decided to reverse past support for her. The Trades have thousands of hard working members in Garcias district, and we look forward to lifting up another Democrat in the 58th Assembly to better represent them and their families, said the statement. The political action committees campaign finance filing on Friday listed nonmonetary in kind contributions from Erin Lehane, a public affairs consultant aligned with the building labor group. Lehane said she had begun researching Garcia in November. In January, a former legislative staffer accused her of groping him in 2014. Lehane, who identified herself as a spokesperson for the labor groups political action committee, said on Friday that she believed Garcias hypocrisy threatened a movement that will dictate how much harassment and abuse my daughter will face in her work life. Garcia, who has been an outspoken advocate for women in the #MeToo movement, has complained that her political opponents helped fan the flames of the accusations. Through a campaign consultant, she declined to comment on Friday. Rendons critique came on the heels of a full-page ad in The Times on Friday, partly paid for by the Trades Council, that criticized well-funded ivory tower elites who push proposals that hurt the oil and gas industry. We are the real jobs that fuel the real California economy, read the advertisement. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Legal tiff breaks out over independent committees ad backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor By Phil Willon An attorney representing Gavin Newsoms campaign for governor is demanding that California television stations cease airing an ad by an independent political committee supporting his Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa. Attorney Thomas A. Willis, in a letter to the stations, said the ad is false and misleading and violates California law because it uses snippets of video footage from Villaraigosas own campaign ads. Willis called that illegal coordination between the campaign and PAC. Under California law, advertisements made by entities other than a candidate are presumed to be coordinated and thus not independent expenditures when the advertisement replicates, reproduces or disseminates substantial parts of a communication, including video footage, created and paid for by the candidate, the letter states. A representative for the independent expenditure committee Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor fired back. Attorney Brian T. Hildreth says those allegations have no merit and accused the Newsom campaign of being misleading. Hildreth sent a letter to the television stations in response, urging them to ignore the Newsom campaigns accusations. He said the Newsom camp appears to intentionally misrepresent the law and that the video use was permissible. He said only six seconds of video from Villaraigosas campaign ads was used, which is well within the legal limits. The independent committee is sponsored by the group California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The ad is airing on broadcast and cable stations statewide. The committees ad is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and as mayor of Los Angeles when there was a drop in crime. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Governors race snapshot: Californians are generally upbeat but not focused on the campaign By Mark Z. Barabak Armand Werden, a 29-year-old community college student who works the taps at Dust Bowl Brewery in Turlock, said the state is on the upswing. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) As California chooses a new governor one of just a handful in the last 40 years not named Jerry Brown the state seems to be enjoying something unusual in these tumultuous political times: a feeling of relative contentment. Not to say things are perfect. Still, more than 100 random interviews conducted over the length and breadth of the state from Redding in the north to Santee in the south, from the Pacific coastline to the edge of the Sierra Nevada found most saying things are looking up, at least so far as Californias direction is concerned. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Sierra Club backs Gavin Newsom for California governor By Phil Willon Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with members of the public following a debate at USC in January. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Sierra Club endorsed Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in the race for California governor, with officials in the established environmental group praising the Democrats record on climate change and clean energy. He has a proven record for leading on environmental protection, public health and clean energy, Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, said in a statement released by the Newsom campaign. He understands that we are feeling the effects of climate change and that California must reduce carbon emissions and reach 100% renewable energy to achieve our climate goals. Phillips said the Sierra Clubs extensive network of volunteers will campaign for Newsom as the June 5 primary approaches. Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune also praised the Democrat, saying he will protect California from Donald Trumps attacks on our clean air and water. The Sierra Club joins a series of other influential groups in California that have backed Newsom. The California Medical Assn., the powerful state doctors lobby, announced its endorsement of Newsom on Thursday. The California Nurses Assn. and the Service Employees International Union, one of the most powerful labor unions in the state, also support Newsom. Newsom is the races front-runner in polls and fundraising. A poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 26% of likely voters backed Newsom. John Cox, a Republican from Rancho Santa Fe, was favored by 15% of likely voters and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, by 13%. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias GOP House members are taking their challengers more seriously and the numbers show it By Christine Mai-Duc For much of last year, consultants and campaign managers for some of Californias most vulnerable Republican incumbents maintained a bullish tone on the prospect that the GOP would hold the House in this years midterms. The National Republican Congressional Committee insisted that longtime Republican incumbents in California had built up reputations as effective champions of local issues that would help them weather a flood of Democratic enthusiasm. Since then Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) have decided not to seek reelection and the NRCC has opened a West Coast headquarters in Orange County. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California officials say Pentagon has confirmed National Guard funding despite Trump threat By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The awkward dance between Gov. Jerry Brown and the federal government over the National Guard jerked back toward discord on Thursday, when Trump said he would refuse to pay for a new deployment of troops just hours after his administration said otherwise. And a few hours later, California officials said they had received written confirmation from the Pentagon that the mission would indeed be funded. Trump had earlier called Browns decision to approve 400 troops for a mission focused on combating transnational crime and drug smuggling a charade in a tweet. We need border security and action, not words! the president wrote. Governor Jerry Brown announced he will deploy up to 400 National Guard Troops to do nothing. The crime rate in California is high enough, and the Federal Government will not be paying for Governor Browns charade. We need border security and action, not words! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2018 A spokesman for Brown pointed to a tweet written Wednesday night by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, thanking the California governor for his efforts. Trump was meeting on Thursday with Nielsen at his Mar-a-Lago estate not long after his tweet was posted. A tweet later posted by the California National Guard said that almost three hours after Trumps comment, the state received written confirmation from the Pentagon to fund the mission as outlined by Brown the day before. In short, nothing has changed today, said a subsequent Guard tweet. Just spoke w @JerryBrownGov about deploying the @USNationalGuard in California. Final details are being worked out but we are looking forward to the support. Thank you Gov Brown! Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 19, 2018 Brown was the last of the nations border governors to respond to Trumps insistence earlier this month that National Guard troops were needed to assist with immigration-related duties at the U.S.-Mexico border. And he has consistently refused to allow California troops to engage in any mission related to federal immigration law. This will not be a mission to build a new wall, Brown wrote last week to Nielsen and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. Exactly what the California operations will cost remains unclear, as state officials have said it will depend on decisions made once the mission begins. The funds would not be transferred to the state, but instead would be paid directly by the Department of Defense. Trump has critiqued California several times over the past few days, often writing tweets that embrace the actions by some cities and counties to join his administrations lawsuit against the states sanctuary immigration law. He made similar comments to reporters on Thursday afternoon. If you look at whats happening in California with sanctuary cities people are really going the opposite way, Trump said. They dont want sanctuary cities. Theres a little bit of a revolution going on in California. 2:26 p.m.:This article was updated with additional information from the California National Guard and with remarks from Trump. This article was originally published at 9:51 a.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gay conversion therapy services would be banned under measure advancing in California By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The California Assembly voted Thursday to add gay conversion therapy to the states list of deceptive business practices, following a debate that focused on the personal experiences of several lawmakers and hinted at potential lawsuits to come. It is harmful and it is unnecessary, Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), the bills author and one of the Legislatures most vocal LGBTQ members, said of the practice. Low, who told Assembly members that he explored conversion therapy as a teenager and suffered depression over his sexual orientation, insisted that the bill would be limited to efforts that involve the exchange of money. Theres nothing wrong with me, he said in an emotional speech on the Assembly floor. Theres nothing that needs to be changed. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, has become the focal point of intense debate on social media. Some religious groups have said that such a law would be a violation of their constitutional rights, while advocates insist the provisions are narrow and theres no credible evidence that the services work. One key part of the debate centers on whether Assembly Bill 2943 would stretch beyond businesses that charge for these programs and extend to printed documents, even Bibles. An analysis by the Assembly Judiciary Committee says the bill would apply only to services that purport to change a persons sexual orientation and offered on a commercial basis, as well as the advertising and offering of such services. Lawmakers who spoke in support of AB 2943 also made clear that they believe those kinds of services have been discredited. This is fraudulent, it should not be occurring, said Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton). But you can still try to pray the gay away, if you like. Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who said the bill addresses a difficult issue, nonetheless said that its important to ensure laws dont tamper with religious freedom. We have to think about the legitimate experience of people who have gone through conversion therapy and said this was a good thing for them, Gallagher told his colleagues. California law already bans the use of conversion therapy by mental health professionals on those under age 18. Lows bill would expand the states efforts beyond minors. It would join a list of commercial activities deemed unfair or deceptive acts or practices and therefore banned under state law. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gavin Newsom gets backing from doctors group, despite differences over single-payer healthcare By Melanie Mason Gavin Newsom speaks at the California Democrats State Convention in San Diego on Feb. 24. (Kent Nishimura) Californias doctors are siding with Gavin Newsom in the governors race, even though they dont see eye-to-eye on a defining issue of the campaign: single-payer healthcare. The California Medical Assn., the state doctors lobby and a political heavyweight, announced its endorsement of the lieutenant governor on Thursday. Gavin is a lifelong champion for health care in California, and we know he will continue to fight for pragmatic solutions to our most crucial health care challenges, including working to achieve universal access and tackling our states physician shortage, CMA President Theodore M. Mazer said in a statement. Newsom has made his support for state-financed healthcare a centerpiece of his campaign, and he earned the early backing of the most ardent single-payer supporters, the state nurses union. The doctors, meanwhile, oppose the nurses bill, SB 562, which emerged as a flashpoint in the healthcare debate last year. The CMA said the bill would dismantle the healthcare marketplace and destabilize Californias economy. Newsom has said SB 562 should advance in the Legislature, but also said it has open-ended issues that still need to be addressed. The doctors group is also battling with another prominent Newsom endorser, the Service Employees International Union, over a new measure that would impose price caps on an array of medical services paid for by commercial health insurers in the state. The SEIU is a leading sponsor of the proposal; the doctors fiercely oppose it. Newsom and the physicians group have a history of political alignment. Newsom was the first statewide official to support Proposition 56, a 2016 tobacco tax pushed by the CMA that raised revenue in part to increase money for doctors who saw Medi-Cal patients. That year, the association also endorsed two initiatives championed by Newsom: Proposition 63, which imposed new gun control measures, and Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor hits the airwaves with first ad By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at the 2018 California Democratic Party Convention in San Diego in February.. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press) A well-financed independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosas bid to be Californias next governor released its first television ad Thursday, praising his record for working with Republicans and as a candidate for all of California. The ad, which is to air statewide on broadcast and cable stations, is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and mayor of Los Angeles, including on education and a drop in crime while he was at City Hall. To move California forward, we need to help more Californians get ahead, the ad says. Thats why Antonio Villaraigosa brought both parties together to balance the state budget with record investments in public schools and new career training programs. The independent expenditure committee behind the ad campaign, Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018, is sponsored by the California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The committee is spending seven figures per week on the ad buy, said Josh Pulliam, a political consultant for the committee. As mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa clashed with teachers unions, starting with his failed attempt to take political control of the Los Angeles Unified School District. His fight with those unions continued after he left office in 2013. Money has poured into the committee this month from wealthy charter schools supporters: Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, donated $7 million, and Los Angeles billionaire and philanthropist Eli Broad donated $1.5 million. On Wednesday, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan donated $1 million. The independent expenditure committee is expected to provide a boost to Villaraigosas campaign. Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has a major advantage in fundraising over all other candidates in the race and has received the backing of the California Teachers Assn. and other education unions. A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll also showed Villaraigosa lagging in third place in the race, trailing Newsom and Republican businessman John Cox. The candidates who finish in the top two in the June 5 primary will advance to the November general election, regardless of their party affiliation. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown says Trump administration will fund his National Guard mission without immigration duties By John Myers (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown formally mobilized 400 California National Guard members Wednesday for transnational crime-fighting duties, thus preventing any effort by President Trump to have the troops focus on immigration enforcement on the Mexican border. The governor announced that federal officials have agreed to fund the plan he announced last week a mission to combat criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers in locations around California, including near the border. The order Brown signed makes clear that the troops will not be allowed to perform a broader set of duties as envisioned by Trumps recent comments. California National Guard service members shall not engage in any direct law enforcement role nor enforce immigration laws, arrest people for immigration law violations, guard people taken into custody for alleged immigration violations, or support immigration law enforcement activities, the order read. The cost of the mission, a spokesman for Brown said, will be paid directly by the federal government. No initial estimate has been made, as the exact amount will depend on exactly how the troops will be used. Though the duties of California Guard members were outlined last week, the state had been waiting for an agreement by federal officials to pay for the operations. Since that time, the president has taken Brown and the state to task over its decision to avoid any immigration-related duties at the border. On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted, Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW! There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018 Looks like Jerry Brown and California are not looking for safety and security along their very porous Border. He cannot come to terms for the National Guard to patrol and protect the Border, Trump tweeted Tuesday. There was no immediate reaction from the White House to Browns announcement. On Tuesday, Brown told reporters in Washington that his plan was consistent with a safer border. That sounds to me like fighting crime, the governor said. Trying to catch some desperate mothers and children, or unaccompanied minors coming from Central America, that sounds like something else. The order Brown issued Wednesday after returning from a brief trip to talk climate change in Toronto and to speak to a national trade union and visit with reporters in Washington is set to expire at the end of September. It specifically says no Guard service member may participate in a mission that would exceed the mission scope and limitations related to transnational crime activity. It also says troops cannot help build any new border barrier. 5:27 p.m.: This article was updated with information related to the cost of the Guard mission and Browns trip to Washington. This article was originally published at 5:13 p.m. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement California bill aims to end practice that keeps workplace misconduct cases out of court By Melanie Mason A California bill would prohibit employers from requiring workers to use private arbitration to settle disputes, a practice that critics say shields improper workplace conduct from public view. The bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) would bar businesses from making employees, when they are hired, waive their future rights to take any harassment, discrimination or other claims to court. Arbitration can be a highly effective dispute resolution method when both parties can choose it freely, when both parties are equal, Gonzalez Fletcher said at a news conference on Wednesday. It is far less successful when the more powerful party forces the other to accept those terms, especially as a condition of employment. Forced arbitration has come under increasing scrutiny since the #MeToo movement, with high-profile figures such as former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson pointing to the practice as shielding workplace abusers from public disclosure because arbitration resolutions often include nondisclosure agreements. Last year, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to end mandatory arbitration in employment agreements. Gonzalez Fletcher said she was pursuing an unusual tool to draw attention to the issue a subpoena issued by the Legislature to compel testimony from a worker bound by a nondisclosure agreement as a result of arbitration. The Legislature has subpoena power but it is rarely used. The bills sponsors believe lawmakers last issued a subpoena in 2001 while investigating price manipulation by Enron. Gonzalez Fletcher said she has requested Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) to issue the subpoena to require Tara Zoumer, who sued the company WeWork in 2016 for overtime pay, to testify before the Assembly Judiciary Committee next week. Zoumers suit was moved to arbitration and resolved. She is now subject to a nondisclosure agreement and could face a financial penalty for speaking publicly about her case. A spokesman for Rendon said the subpoena request is under consideration. Business groups oppose the bill, AB 3080. The California Chamber of Commerce has dubbed it a job biller, claiming it would dramatically increase legal costs for businesses. Banning such agreements benefits the trial attorneys, not the employer or employee, the group said. The bill must first advance from the Assembly Labor Committee on Wednesday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At least 240 House lawmakers want a vote on immigration. California supporters say they arent ready to force one By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), flanked by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) and Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) speak about DACA legislation (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Rep. Jeff Denham says at least 240 of the 430 current House members have signed onto his resolution to hold votes on four immigration bills, and he hopes House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and President Trump are paying attention to the show of support. But, the Republican from Turlock and his allies said Wednesday that they are not yet willing to commit to forcing Ryans hand through a little-used procedural move called a discharge petition; they acknowledged theres no guarantee that all of 47 Republicans and 193 Democrats House co-signers will back them up if they try to force the issue. Im sure that it is something that will be discussed in the coming weeks. You should not need a discharge petition. When you can show the overwhelming majority of the House, the support of it, you should not need a discharge petition, but it is something we would talk about in the future, Denham said. It is far too early to talk about next steps. Ryan said last week that he opposes Denhams effort, saying its a waste of time for the House to vote on bills the president might veto. Denhams resolution would prompt debate and votes on four very different immigration bills: one favored by the Trump administration, one preferred by Democrats, one bipartisan proposal and another immigration bill of Ryans choice. Whichever got the most votes would move forward to the Senate. All four bills would help Dreamers to differing degrees and include varying levels of border security or immigration enforcement. For example, the Trump-backed bill would also dramatically reduce legal immigration, while the Democrats would only deal with legal status for Dreamers. Democrats say they dont expect the show of support will sway Ryan. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said Tuesday night she expects Ryan will have to be forced into allowing a vote. It doesnt matter how many signatures we get. We could have every signature, technically, except his, on the floor of the House and... if he doesnt want to, it doesnt happen, Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands), who gathered the Democratic co-sponsors for Denham, also wouldnt give a deadline for House leaders to act, but said the co-sponsors are only willing to wait weeks not months. We do want to give them an opportunity to bring up the rule and to use whatever process they want, Aguilar said. They do have options, but I think they need to understand that we have options too. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer endorses Kevin de Leon in his insurgent bid against Sen. Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta Tom Steyer, left, and California state Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). (Getty Images; Los Angeles Times) Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer is endorsing state Sen. Kevin de Leon in his insurgent challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and did not rule out funding an outside effort to boost De Leons chances. I think hes the kind of young progressive that reflects California and would be a very strong advocate for our state nationally, Steyer said in an interview on Tuesday, pointing to De Leons efforts on issues such as immigration, climate change and gun control while he was the state Senate leader. I know him well and hes a friend. We share a lot of values. Steyer, who flirted with running for the Senate seat, did not criticize Feinstein as he has in the past. Sen. Feinstein has been an outstanding public servant who has dedicated the bulk of her adult life to the service of our state and the country, he said. These are two strong, very good Democrats. I just believe Kevin is the true progressive and he reflects something we need representing California going forward. I have nothing bad to say about Dianne Feinstein. I have a lot of good to say about Kevin de Leon. De Leon faces enormous odds as he tries to oust Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, is well known to the states voters and has daunting leads in polls and fundraising. But De Leon has gained notable endorsements, most recently from the 2.1-million-member California Labor Federation last week. Campaign finance reports released this week show that Feinstein has more than $10 million in the bank, while De Leon has just more than $670,000. Feinstein, a multimillionaire and one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, has already lent her campaign $5 million and could easily write another check. But Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund manager, could write a larger one. He is among the largest Democratic donors in the nation and has already committed more than $50 million to push for the impeachment of President Trump and to register young voters. He was noncommittal when asked if he would fund an independent expenditure group on behalf of De Leon. I dont have any concrete plans for that, he said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Californias largest pension fund sends next years invoice to state government: $6.3 billion By John Myers The California Public Employees Retirement System building (Max Whittaker / Getty Images) As part of a shift toward less optimistic expectations for investment returns to pay for government worker pensions, board members of the California Public Employees Retirement System voted Tuesday to require an almost $6.3-billion payment from the state budget in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The action, which could receive final approval on Wednesday, reflects a gradually higher annual contribution to public employee pensions by the state and from local governments across California. In 2016, CalPERS approved a half-percentage point decrease in its official estimate of the long-term investment return on its $353.3-billion portfolio. That shift was designed to happen over several years, in hopes it would lessen the financial shock of shifting more of the costs onto government employers. The highest costs are also, in part, a reflection of increases in the size of the states payroll. The states CalPERS payment will be about $450 million more than the total paid in the current fiscal year and more than double what it was only a decade ago. CalPERS board members voted on Tuesdays staff proposal with little discussion, save for a question about the increase in contributions also required from workers hired after a pension overhaul that took effect in June. It seems like it will be a ding on peoples salaries, said Theresa Taylor, the chairwoman of CalPERS finance committee and a member of SEIU Local 1000, the union that represents some 96,000 state employees. The $6.299-billion payment required from Californias state government must now be factored into the budget crafted by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in late June. Brown had already assumed a similarly sized payment in his budget proposal unveiled in January. In February, a coalition representing city governments warned about the effects of rising pension costs under the expectations of less money from Wall Street investments. The report issued by the League of California Cities projected an average increase of more than 50% in annual pension payments made by the states largest cities over the next seven years. A CalPERS staff report notes that the net return on all of the funds investments for the fiscal year that ended in July was 11.2%. But expectations on profits over the next 30 years remain significantly more modest, and theres long been a robust debate about how to properly set those future expectations. The lower the rate of projected investment return, the larger the share of pension costs that must be covered by taxpayers and some employees. Overall, CalPERS officials believe the system has assets to cover 71% of its long-term obligations. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California warns legal pot sellers not to participate in unlicensed 4/20 events By Patrick McGreevy Marijuana on display at a dispensary in Los Angeles. ( (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images)) The state issued a warning Tuesday that businesses holding licenses to sell marijuana could face penalties if they participate in unlicensed temporary events away from their stores, including on Friday, April 20, which has become an annual celebration for counterculture groups. The warning was issued ahead of 4/20 by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control. Since Jan. 1, the bureau has issued more than 700 state licenses to sell marijuana for medical or recreational use. The bureau has issued 47 temporary event licenses to groups that are limited to holding the marijuana celebrations on county fairgrounds that have authorized such events with city approval. Any bureau licensee participating in an unlicensed cannabis event may be subject to disciplinary action, the warning said, adding that lawful participation by bureau licensees in any temporary cannabis event that allows sales and/or consumption is dependent upon issuance of the appropriate licenses from the bureau. While many Californians have been issued medical approval to sell or use marijuana, the law does not allow them to participate in unlicensed events, also referred to as Proposition 215 events after the ballot measure that legalized medical pot two decades ago in the state. Participation in such events may lead to civil penalties for unlicensed commercial cannabis activity, the warning said. Meanwhile, a survey of some 1,000 marijuana users that was released Tuesday by the firm LendEDU found that the average 4/20 participant plans to spend $71 on marijuana to celebrate the unofficial holiday, and about 35% of respondents are planning to take off work Friday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California police groups shift position on officer discipline records, now consider support for making some of them public By Liam Dillon Los Angeles Police Department recruits at a graduation ceremony in April (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Some major law enforcement groups signaled Tuesday they are willing to support making part of police officer disciplinary records public, a dramatic departure from their past positions. Local and national attention on police shootings and misconduct has led law enforcement organizations to reconsider their blanket opposition to proposals that would give public access to some internal disciplinary investigations of officers. Were going to be open to supporting efforts that would allow for some records to be released, said Ryan Sherman, a lobbyist with the Riverside Sheriffs Assn. Debate over secrecy provisions in officer disciplinary files came during a legislative hearing on Senate Bill 1421 from Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Skinners bill, which advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, would require public disclosure of all internal officer shooting investigations and confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. Currently, all police discipline information is confidential outside of a courtroom in California, which has some of the nations strictest standards against public disclosure. Unfortunately, the fact that we have such strict restrictions on any access to public records has affected certain communities trust towards our law enforcement, Skinner said during the hearing. Prior to Skinners effort, other have tried to loosen these rules, some of which date back 40 years. Most recently in 2016, a bid by then-Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) failed in a Senate committee. In debate two years ago, no major law enforcement groups indicated they would accept changes to state laws that would make individual internal investigations public, saying they were essential to protect officer privacy and safety. But Tuesday, Sherman and other lobbyists including those representing the states largest police labor organization, signaled they might be willing to entertain changes. They said they were negotiating with Skinner on the bills details. Law enforcement groups still have major concerns about SB 1421 as written. Ed Fishman, an attorney for the Police Officers Research Assn., told legislators that the bill would wrongfully expose police officers who acted within departmental policy to invasions of their privacy. It has unintended consequences that are extreme and will hurt the public, Fishman said. Tuesdays hearing featured testimony from many who have had relatives killed by police officers in recent years advocating for the bill. Senators on the Public Safety Committee also gave public rebukes to law enforcement lobbyists, criticizing them for a lack of diversity and insensitivity to concerns raised by communities of color. I think that you are completely and utterly out of touch with the realities of how those you are representing are perceived by major segments of California, said Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). You are not going to be able to continue to lobby your way out of it. The bill faces at least one more committee hearing in the Senate before reaching the floor. It will have to pass both houses of the Legislature by the end of August. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Newest member of the California Assembly arrives ready to work on criminal justice issues By John Myers Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove prepares for the oath of office from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon with her husband, Austin Dove. (California Assembly Democrats) Two weeks after winning a Los Angeles special election, the newest member of the California Assembly says she hopes to focus on reforms to the states criminal justice system during her time in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) took the oath of office on Monday, filling one of three vacant seats representing Los Angeles County in the lower house. The Democrat, a former community college trustee and legislative staffer, thanked her mentors in remarks from the Assembly rostrum. So many women, and in my life so many black women, have paid in giving me the kind of morals and integrity and grit that is required to fight on behalf of people that you know, and people that you dont know, she said. Kamlager-Dove won handily on April 3, receiving 70% of the votes cast in the 54th Assembly District which encompasses communities west of downtown Los Angeles, from Crenshaw to Culver City and as far north as Westwood. She will serve the remaining eight months of the term of former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who resigned last year citing health concerns. She has said she hopes to focus her attention on poverty issues and on reform of the states criminal justice system. I think we have an opportunity to really push the needle in terms of how we look at rehabilitation, how we look at incarceration, and how we look at changing the lives oftentimes of poor men and women of color, Kamalager-Dove said on Monday in a video released by Assembly Democrats. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Survivors of violent crime raise their voices in California to call for a new approach to criminal justice By Jazmine Ulloa Aaliyah Smith marches with her cousins. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Her father, uncle, a cousin and two older brothers. Those are some of the family members 16-year-old Aaliyah Smith has lost to gun violence. Then there are her friends. Jermaine Jackson Jr., 27, was shot and killed in 2016 while he painted over graffiti in San Francisco. Toriano Tito Adger, 18, was shot there a year later at a bus stop. He called Smith, who was nearby, and warned her to run. She made it inside a library moments before the crack of gunfire. Last week, Smith was among hundreds who gathered in Sacramento for annual National Crime Victims Rights Week events, where calls were issued for a new approach to criminal justice and public safety in California, one that puts survivors at the center of policy. But a debate is brewing over what that entails. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California expects $14 billion in tax payments this month By John Myers State workers handle income tax returns at the California Franchise Tax Board offices. (Laura Morton / For The Times) Gov. Jerry Browns proposed state budget is built on what taxpayers might find an audacious assumption: almost $14 billion in tax payments in the month of April, an average of $83 million collected per hour on every business day of the month. Most of that money will come from the taxes Californians pay in advance of Tuesday nights filing deadline for income tax returns. If history is any guide, the rate of payment could quadruple by weeks end. While tax rules have shifted some of the payment schedules to other months, April remains a vitally important month to the fiscal health of state government. The state controllers office reports more than 15% of all personal income tax revenues in 2017 were collected in April. In the recession years of a decade ago, tax revenue predictions were frequently off the mark by hundreds of millions of dollars. The last two state budgets have seen significant windfalls of personal income tax revenue, thanks in part both to an improving economy and to the continuation of a temporary surcharge on the wealthiest taxpayers extended by voters in 2016. In the budget plan he sent to lawmakers in January, Brown projected a $6.1-billion windfall and proposed using a sizable amount to top off Californias rainy-day fund ahead of schedule. The independent Legislative Analysts Office reports that through the end of last week, the months income tax tally stood at $3 billion, slightly ahead of projections. By the end of the current week, a single days total could be almost that large. Lawmakers began reviewing the governors $190.3-billion spending plan during the winter, but few decisions are made until they get a look at Aprils tax revenues. The governor will release a revised plan based on the new data next month; lawmakers are required to send him a completed budget no later than June 15. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Feinstein war chest tops $10 million while Kevin de Leon struggles to keep pace By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Dianne Feinstein widened her already-massive fundraising advantage in the run-up to Junes primary, raising twice as much in the first quarter than her strongest Senate challenger has sitting in the bank. Feinstein raised $1.3 million between January and March, bringing her war chest to just over $10 million as Californias U.S. Senate race begins in earnest, according Federal Election Commission reports. Former state Senate leader Kevin De Leon, the best known of the more than 30 people who will appear with Feinstein on the June primary ballot, raised just $575,991 in that same period, bringing his cash on hand to $672,331, according to his quarterly FEC report. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump has met his match, says Gov. Jerry Brown in promoting climate action on a quick trip to Canada By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown told a Canadian audience Monday that he believes President Trumps efforts to reverse course on climate change policy are a momentary deviation as others in the United States seek limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Thats very temporary, I can assure you, Brown said at a joint event in Toronto with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. The governors quick international trip, announced only late last week, comes as Wynnes Liberal Party faces a stiff challenge in Junes election from the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and its leader, Doug Ford. Critics of Wynnes party have called for Ontario to pull out of the Western Climate Initiative, a cooperative agreement between three Canadian provinces and California on efforts to limit greenhouse gases. Brown sought to link the efforts of Canadian conservatives with Republicans in the United States who oppose existing climate change programs. In contrast, he told the audience, several GOP lawmakers voted last summer to renew Californias cap-and-trade program. I would say to the conservatives of Canada, wake up and see what your friends in California are doing, he said. The Democrat took particular notice of Trumps efforts to shift away from climate change policies from the administration of former President Obama, as well as a push by the Environmental Protection Agency to cancel Californias strict limits on automobile emissions. If Trump tries to change that, well have litigation well beyond his term in office, Brown said while also noting Chinese government efforts to produce more low-emissions vehicles. Between California and China, Trump has met his match. What hes saying is not going to happen. Many of the governors remarks, though, were aimed at the tough political situation in which Wynne finds herself with seven weeks to go before Ontarios parliamentary elections. Dangers abound, but success is right in our hands, Brown said. So dont blow it! Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print California voters are getting to know the states attorney general through his aggressive stance challenging Trump By Patrick McGreevy Less than two months from his first statewide election, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has become adept not only at challenging President Trump but at using the bully pulpit of his office to raise his profile with voters. The aggressive effort may help boost the former Los Angeles congressmans chances at winning a full term in office this fall, almost two years after he was appointed to replace Sen. Kamala Harris in 2017. Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, Becerra took office as attorney general four days after Trumps inauguration. Thats afforded him an opportunity to get in front of Californians and potential voters on an array of issues including immigration, healthcare and the environment. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Gov. Jerry Brown forms commission for 2020 census outreach By Melanie Mason In an effort to make sure California has a strong showing in the next national census, Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday established a state commission to prepare outreach for the decennial count. It is vitally important for California to do everything it can to ensure that every Californian is counted in the upcoming census, Brown said in a prepared statement. The commissions formation comes on the heels of a Trump administration plan to ask about citizenship status as a part of the census. State officials fear that such a question, which has not been asked in a census since 1950, could chill participation among California residents. That could result in the state losing billions of dollars in federal funds and a seat in Congress. The 23-member panel, appointed largely by Brown as well as picks by legislative leaders, comes from private- and public-sector backgrounds, including civil rights groups, religious institutions and educational institutions. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Garcetti kicks off Iowa visit with 2020 on his mind and a hardhat on his head LA Mayor - and 2020 prospect - Eric Garcetti makes his Iowa debut at the Carpenters Union Training Center. Fearlessly flaunts the never be photographed in head gear/safety glasses rule. pic.twitter.com/14bUOPXMvF Mark Z. Barabak (@markzbarabak) April 13, 2018 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Asm. Rocky Chavez takes the lead in race to replace Issa, while Doug Applegate slips By Joshua Stewart A new poll shows that Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez has taken a clear lead over 15 other candidates running to replace Rep. Darrell Issa in Congress and has overtaken Democrat Doug Applegate, the previous frontrunner. In a SurveyUSA poll by 10News and The San Diego Union-Tribune, Chavez, R-Oceanside, has support of 16 percent of likely voters, putting him ahead of Applegate, a lawyer, who was favored by 12 percent of voters and is in second place. The top two vote-getters in June, regardless of party, will proceed to a November runoff election. Competing with Applegate for the No. 2 spot is Democrat Mike Levin, also a lawyer, with support of 9 percent of voters. Several other candidates were right at his heels. Democratic Businessman Paul Kerr and Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey, R-Dana Point, were tied for fourth at 8 percent each. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pro-Kevin de Leon group launches ad castigating Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta A group that is supporting Kevin de Leons bid for the U.S. Senate launched a blistering ad against Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday, questioning her progressive principles and tying her to President Trump. The ad buy from A Progressive California is minuscule $10,000 to air it in Los Angeles for one day on CNN and MSNBC during programming such as The Rachel Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper 360. The minute-long ad features news clips about Feinstein not getting the California Democratic Party endorsement earlier this year, as well as footage of Feinstein saying that Trump can be a good president and appearing to share a laugh with Trump. That moment actually came during a White House meeting in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting when the president suggested an assault weapons ban should be included in a bipartisan bill to expand gun background checks. It also features extensive clips of de Leons speech at the state partys convention. De Leon, who just ended his final term as leader of the state Senate, announced last year he would run against fellow Democrat Feinstein as she seeks her fifth full term. Feinsteins longtime political advisor dismissed the ad, noting the size of the buy. Its not really a buy, said Bill Carrick. Ten thousand dollars in cable in L.A. Poof, its gone. Still, he said he planned to have the campaigns lawyers review the ad to see if it violates campaign law that limits what outside groups like A Progressive California can do. Such groups cannot coordinate with campaigns or candidates, and are limited in how much their messages can support a candidate. Ann Ravel, the former chair of the Federal Election Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said if the ad was in a state race, she is certain that the state commission would open an investigation into potential coordination with de Leons campaign because of the messaging and the types of footage in the ad. But the bipartisan federal commission cant agree on how to enforce the federal regulations, she said. The problem is [outside groups] understand that given the lack of very strong enforcement at the federal level, theres the ability to stretch the law, she said. A spokeswoman for the FEC declined to comment. Dave Jacobson, a spokesman for A Progressive California, disputed the suggestion that the ad violated campaign law. This frivolous allegation shows that Sen. Feinstein is afraid of the public seeing an ad which showcases her own words, that Donald Trump can be a good president, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Dispute over money emerges in campaign to repeal Californias gas tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A proposed initiative to repeal hikes to Californias gas tax has been caught in the middle of a dispute involving Republican rivals in the governors race. Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican candidate for governor, decided in January to drop plans for his own initiative and said he would urge supporters to sign a separate petition being supported by several Republican members of Congress. Then last week, the committee Allen formed to finance his ballot measure reported a $300,000 contribution from PISF Inc., a Novato, Calif., real estate firm. Now, an organizer of the still active Give Voters a Voice committee is urging the Allen committee to immediately donate their funds in support of the ongoing signature gathering efforts. There is only one gas tax repeal measure currently in circulation and that is the measure sponsored by the Give Voters a Voice Committee, said Dave Gilliard, a consultant to the group. PISF Inc., he said, gave to repeal taxes a 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 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 Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 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 Donald Trumps lawyer used his Trump Organization email while negotiating a $130,000 payment of hush money to a porn actress who says she had an affair with the future president, her attorney said Friday. The use of Trump company email by the presidents personal attorney, Michael Cohen, raises the question of whether Trump was the source of the money paid in 2016 to porn star Stormy Daniels. Cohen, who says he used personal funds to facilitate the payment, has denied that the money came from the Trump Organization or the Trump campaign, leaving open the possibility that it came from Trump himself. Cohens use of Trump Organization email to arrange the payment appeared to heighten the possibility that the arrangement with Daniels ran afoul of the federal law requiring disclosure of campaign contributions. Advertisement Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, received the money in October 2016, just days before the presidential election in return for her promise to keep quiet about the extramarital affair that she says Trump had with her in 2006 and 2007. In complaints filed with the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission, the nonpartisan ethics group Common Cause alleges the hush money was meant to influence the election and thus needed to be disclosed as a campaign donation. The email shows conclusively that Mr. Cohen was operating in his capacity at the Trump Organization while negotiating the agreement and providing for the payment to Ms. Daniels, said Michael Avenatti, Daniels attorney. This included when communicating with his own bank. Cohens emails were first reported by NBC News. The first, dated Oct. 26, 2016, was sent to Cohens Trump Organization email address by Elizabeth Rappaport, assistant to Gary Farro, senior managing director at First Republic Bank. The funds have been deposited into your checking account, she wrote to Cohen. Cohen forwarded the email to his Gmail account, then sent it to Keith Davidson, who was Daniels attorney at the time. Michael Cohen in 2017. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press ) Advertisement At the White House on Friday, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked whether Trump remembered meeting Daniels in 2006 or speaking with Cohen about getting a restraining order last week in Los Angeles to force the adult film performer to honor her confidentiality agreement. Ive addressed this extensively, Sanders said. I dont have anything else to add. Federal law bars the use of corporate resources to facilitate campaign contributions. Michael Cohens use of a Trump Organization email account is evidence that the Trump Organization, through its employee-agent Michael Cohen, was facilitating the making of this contribution, said Paul S. Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause. What corporate resources were used? We dont know. Advertisement If Cohen used nothing other than the Trump Company email server, and if he was unpaid for his legal work on the Daniels confidentiality pact, there might be no violation of the law barring corporate campaign donations, Ryan said. Cohen and his lawyer, Lawrence Rosen, did not respond to emails seeking comment. In a statement to CNN, Cohen confirmed that he used Trump Organization email to arrange the payment to Daniels. Cohen also told CNN that he used money from his own home equity line to make the $130,000 payment. The CNN report did not say whether Cohen was reimbursed. Advertisement Preet Bharara, who was fired by Trump as Manhattan U.S. attorney last year, mocked Cohens explanation on Twitter. Sometimes my personal lawyer will just pay my mortgage off, he wrote. Without asking. Such a good guy. Im lucky. Cohen, who has long functioned as Trumps fixer, won a temporary restraining order from a private arbitrator last week to enforce the confidentiality agreement with Daniels. Daniels responded Tuesday by suing Trump in Los Angeles in an attempt to void the confidentiality deal, saying Cohen was trying to protect the president by muzzling her with a bogus arbitration proceeding. Advertisement michael.finnegan@latimes.com Twitter: @finneganLAT UPDATES: Advertisement 4:05 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Paul S. Ryan, Michael Cohen and Preet Bharara. This article was originally published at 2:55 p.m. Inside the White House, tensions had been building for months: President Trump felt hemmed in by aides trying to manage him, his confidantes said; he was angry and frustrated; sooner or later, something would blow. Over the past week, the explosions happened in fast and startling succession the departure of White House economic advisor Gary Cohn, taxes on imported steel and aluminum with no certainty about which nations they apply to, and, finally, the unprecedented announcement of a summit meeting with Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea. The moves had in common risk, unpredictability, a lack of careful preparation. In short, Trump is doing it his way. Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter Advertisement DONALD AND ROCKET MAN Theres no question that Trump considers the North Korean invitation to a summit meeting a personal triumph. Thursday afternoon, as Brian Bennett and Tracy Wilkinson reported, the president personally popped into the White House briefing room to tell reporters that a major announcement would be coming from the South Koreans. About an hour before the South Korean national security advisor, Chung Eui-yong, made that announcement, ABCs Jonathan Karl saw Trump briefly and asked him if the news would be about negotiations. Its almost beyond that, Trump told him. Hopefully, you will give me credit. Credit or blame, whichever history assigns, Trump surely will get: Virtually no one else in his administration even knew the announcement was coming, let alone was prepared for it. Just a few hours earlier, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was traveling in Africa, had told reporters, we are a long way from negotiations with the North Koreans. At the State Department and the White Houses National Security Council, the ranks of Korea experts have thinned with retirements and other departures. Trumps first choice as ambassador to Seoul, Victor Cha, a respected Korea expert, was derailed in late January after he disagreed with a policy that, at the time, appeared to be drifting toward a possible preemptive U.S. attack on North Korean nuclear sites. By contrast, the North Koreans appear, at least from the outside, to have followed a carefully plotted course in which they successfully tested nuclear warheads and the missiles that could deliver them and now will receive a one-on-one meeting with a U.S. president a goal the Kim dynasty has pursued for decades. Advertisement Nearly two decades ago, then-President Clinton and his aides pondered whether to meet with Kim Jong-Il, the father of the current North Korean leader. By then, they had negotiated with the North for more than five years, carefully building the foundations of a nuclear agreement. Clinton sent his secretary of State, Madeleine K. Albright, to Pyongyang. She was prepared to offer a summit meeting in exchange for Kim agreeing in advance to a deal on his missiles. Kim refused, saying he would negotiate a deal only directly with the president. The summit never happened. Now, Trump will try the process in reverse a summit first, with less than three months to prepare. He hopes he can have a breakthrough where others have failed; skeptics say hes being played by the North Koreans, who have given up nothing of value and are getting a summit meeting in return. Follow our Essential Washington blog and sign up for our breaking news alerts for updates. Advertisement TARIFFS? MAYBE, BUT ON WHOM? The same South Korean envoys who told Trump about Kims desire to meet also carried a request: Please exempt Korean steel exports from your newly announced tariffs. Given South Koreas key role in brokering the nuclear negotiations, theres a good chance Trump will agree. As Don Lee explained, the tariff order that Trump announced on Thursday looks less like an effort to preserve national security and more like an attempt to create a giant bargaining chip that the president can play around the world. Advertisement In theory, Trump plans to slap a tax of 25% on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum, moves that he said would bring back jobs to the U.S. steel industry. In practice, he announced that, at least for now, he would exempt imports from Canada, the largest exporter of steel to the U.S., and Mexico, the fourth largest. South Korea is No. 3 on the list. Together, those three countries accounted for 38% of U.S. steel imports in 2016, according to the governments International Trade Administration. If South Korea wins an exemption, can Japan, another key ally in the North Korea negotiations, be left out? Theyre No. 6 on the list. (Brazil and Turkey are the other two sources in the top five). China, which Trump often talks about as his chief target, is No. 11, and its direct exports to the U.S. have dropped sharply to just about 3% of U.S. imports. Steel-industry analysts say, however, that Chinese overproduction of metals accounts for much of the global surplus that has driven down prices. Advertisement Were going to be very flexible, Trump said a promise that will do little to reassure companies that rely on steel or aluminum to build cars, planes and a host of other products and who want to know what prices they will face. THE COMMON FACTOR HIS WAY What tariffs and the North Korea announcement have in common, in addition to an overlapping set of countries involved, is Trumps determination to do things his way, putting himself at the center of the negotiations, brushing aside the advice of his own experts and making enormous decisions on the fly. Until a few hours before the tariff announcement, White House officials remained uncertain about what Trump would say or even whether a decision would come at all on Thursday. As Christi Parsons wrote, the final word came only when Trump, himself, sent out a tweet that morning saying that he would hold an event in the afternoon. Advertisement As Lee noted, until mid-week, White House officials had been saying that specific carve-outs for individual countries were not planned because they would be too difficult to implement. Trump had justified the tariffs on national security grounds, but undermined that argument on Monday when he suggested he would use them as leverage in the NAFTA negotiations with Canada and Mexico. That statement could weaken the administrations legal case if the tariffs are challenged either in court or before the World Trade Organization. Many of the administrations top economic advisors as well as the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill opposed having tariffs, at all, seeing them as simply a tax increase that ultimately hurts business and consumers. Cohn and his allies had held tariffs off for months, but Trump finally insisted on getting the tariffs he has long asked for. That led to Cohns resignation earlier this week. Advertisement As Parsons explained, the rapidly changing, improvisational nature of policy making on the tariff issue closely resembled what Trump has done on immigration, guns and other issues in recent weeks. What sets Trumps White House apart, she wrote, is how much seems to happen on the fly, driven by a president who calls the shots with proud disregard for policy ramifications and process. The same sort of tension shows up in foreign policy where, Bennett wrote, the Pentagon and State Department have been slow-walking Trump policies that officials oppose. That has often left National Security advisor Gen. H.R. McMaster stuck in the middle. WAR OVER IMMIGRATION Advertisement While Trump veers from one issue to the next, some of his appointees have held to a steady and sometimes quite radical course. As Joe Tanfani wrote, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who has frequently drawn Trumps scorn, may have done more than any other appointee to push the conservative agenda that the president at least publicly espouses. The most recent example came this week when Sessions flew to Sacramento to announce that the Justice Department would sue California to block three state laws that Sessions said were designed to impede enforcement of federal immigration laws. As Evan Halper wrote, the suit drove tensions between the administration and the nations biggest state to a new high point. Advertisement Gov. Jerry Brown and other state leaders accused Sessions of going to war against California, as Jazmine Ulloa and Liam Dillon wrote. Beyond the politics, the legal issues differ with each of the three laws under challenge, as Maura Dolan explained. Many legal experts say the state may have its strongest case on the law that Sessions seems most upset by the state policy of not telling federal officials when immigrants being sought for deportation are released from custody after arrests for non-violent crimes. This is all a backdrop for Trumps visit to Southern California Tuesday. Well have full coverage from our teams in San Diego and Los Angeles. AND THE ENVIRONMENT Advertisement Sessions closest competitor in carrying out a conservative agenda is Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Halper examined Pruitts campaign to undo a major Obama administration plan aimed at protecting water quality. The EPA chief says the plan imposes too many burdensome regulations. Hes been flying around the country meeting with officials of regulated industries, mostly in private, with little opportunity for the public to weigh on, Halper reported. A SPEEDY TRIAL FOR MANAFORT Advertisement The federal court in Alexandria, Va., is famed among lawyers for the speed at which judges schedule trials. The rocket docket, lawyers call it. Former Trump campaign aide Paul Manafort got his first close-up experience of what that means when he was arraigned this week on charges brought by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. As Chris Megerian wrote, Manaforts lawyer, Kevin Downing, told U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III that his rosy glasses hope was for a trial date in November. You need to go back to the optometrist, the judge replied, and set a trial date for July 10. Advertisement Manafort faces a separate trial in September on other charges brought by Mueller in federal court in Washington, D.C. The special counsel offered to consolidate the two cases in Washington, but Manafort declined, apparently hoping for a more sympathetic jury in Virginia. Meantime, Manaforts fate has caused a sudden, sharp increase in the number of Washington lobbyists who have decided to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Until recently, many ignored the law, Megerian reported. NOT SO SPEEDY FOR DREAMERS As Brian Bennett wrote, congressional efforts to find a legislative compromise on immigration have ground to an almost complete halt. Advertisement Amid mutual finger pointing, both sides will wait to see who emerges stronger from this falls midterm elections. BUT QUICK WORK FOR BANKS By contrast to the immigration issue, a bill to reduce regulations on all but the largest banks is moving swiftly through Congress. As Jim Puzzanghera wrote, the measure has divided Democrats, with liberals opposed, but 17 members of the Senate Democratic caucus voting to move it forward. Advertisement Liberal members of Congress have denounced the bill, calling it a sellout to the financial industry. Moderates say its a reasonable, bipartisan compromise that will spur economic growth while still keeping key regulations in place. Whichever view is correct, the bill is likely to be one of the few major pieces of legislation that Congress will pass this year. LOGISTICS That wraps up this week. My colleague Christina Bellantoni will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics. Advertisement Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com. If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up. David.lauter@latimes.com @davidlauter More stressed-out Americans are seeking out spiritual retreats to decompress, unplug and reset, the Washington Post reports. Revenue for wellness tourism has increased by 14% in recent years, from $494.1 billion in 2013 to $563.2 billion in 2015. According to the Global Wellness Institute, thats twice as fast as overall tourism expenditures. Not everyone is able to access or afford to attend a spiritual retreat, but a growing body of research has found that a daily practice of mindfulness meditation at home can also help reduce anxiety and bolster good health, according to the Post. There are actual changes that take place in the brains of retreat participants, according to a study published in the journal Religion, Brain & Behavior. Preliminary test results studying 14 Christians who attended a weeklong retreat based on Jesuit teachings showed short-term impact on dopamine and serotonin functions, which are associated with positive emotions. Q. What are your thoughts on this trend? Do you believe spiritual retreats can provide long-lasting and meaningful benefits or does this seem more like a fad to you? Keep close to Natures heart ... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. John Muir The quest for inner peace is big business these days. Mindfulness in the form of meditation or prayer serves a positive purpose for many people. While assistance from clergy and other spiritual guides can be instructive, there are many ways to seek calm and contentment. As naturalist John Muir understood, enlivening the spirit within might be as simple as a taking quiet walk. We need not swell the bank accounts of self-help raconteurs to hear natures heart, which is so often drowned out by the din and clamor of modern life. David L. Hostetter, Ph.D. President Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills La Crescenta .. Prayer is positive thought. That is why it works, not because it achieves communication with any higher power. There is no magic or supernaturalism involved. Prayer is a form of mindfulness meditation and, in that capacity, affects the brain in positive ways to reduce stress and anxiety. This is being proven scientifically with numerous studies. Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk who holds a PhD in molecular genetics from the Pasteur Institute, and Sam Harris, a noted atheist and neuroscientist, are practitioners of mindfulness meditation and write extensively about its benefits. Many religious people will point to the success of these retreats as evidence of divine intervention, Cartesian dualism, or proof that their particular creation story is true. But specific doctrine or dogma is irrelevant, and directing prayer toward a specific deity or none at all makes no difference to the effectiveness of the meditative practice. Proficiency and effectiveness result purely from focus and commitment to the practice. However it is practiced, I think and hope mindfulness meditation is more than just a trend. Joshua Lewis Berg Humanist Celebrant Glendale .. Of course retreats have benefits! Retreats are amazing! Theyre wonderful! Everyone should do them! (Note that I call them retreats rather than spiritual retreats, since from my perspective, we religious folks were doing retreats long before the corporate world hijacked the term to use for their life-sucking weekends worth of team-building slogans and ropes courses.) Half the benefit of a retreat, of course, is the time itself slow time, time not spent working, driving or doing tourism things. My family used to go to a tech-free beach house for vacations, and the results of walking everywhere, napping on the sand and rock-hunting all day had similar results to a retreat. Not all retreats are created equal. The one cited in the study, based on Jesuit teachings, was probably both deeper and wider in spiritual content than your average mindfulness retreat. Ignatius of Loyola, 15th-century founder of the Jesuit order, is also considered the originator of the practice of retreats, and his 30-day model involves a deeply honest inventory of conscience which many current fad leaders would shudder to impose. As for long-lasting effects, its common for retreatants to refer to a mountaintop experience during their time away, and their return to daily life as coming down off the mountain. Its normal for the effects to wear off, which is why you should go on retreats often at least one full week, at least once a year, is a good rule of thumb. One bit of advice: If youre going to go on retreat, either go to a reputable monastery (Christian, Buddhist or otherwise), which charges a minimal amount and where people who have devoted their lives to this practice live, or do it yourself, with slow time and spiritual reading. Dont get sucked into the racket run by those who only want your money; go to the folks who genuinely care. The Rev. Amy Pringle St. Georges Episcopal Church La Canada Flintridge .. Call me a typical if it feels good, do it baby boomer, but the finding that enjoyable activity floods ones brain with happy juice is no big revelation. A devoutly religious person can have a similar result when she is enfolded in the warm embrace of belief. The modern twist is the large-scale commercialization of human happiness, of which wellness tourism is an example. Oh, sure, in a so-called primitive culture someone shown the right frog to lick and then guided safely through the resulting therapeutic trance might give the shaman a chicken or two, but we are talking now about a $500-billion-a-year industry. The Washington Post article reporting on the positive benefits of a meditation retreat to Ireland quotes a participant exulting that she no longer needs to go out drinking in bars until Im in a stupor. Ironic to go to Ireland of all places to learn this, and a shame she had no one in her life to suggest an insight so sensible. No operating heavy machinery of course, but lets hear it for the benefits of an occasional stupor. Drugs or alcohol are not even necessary. In fact, wake me when the impeachment proceedings start. Roberta Medford Atheist Montrose .. Its no shocker that spiritual retreats are lucrative, as human beings are spiritual creatures that generally indulge their material bodies to the starvation of their souls. When they actually focus on spiritual matters they find themselves centering and thinking deeper thoughts. Sometimes it takes an unfamiliar place with an unusual itinerary to stir us up and get us more balanced. Ive attended several retreats for the spiritual development of myself and kids, and of course the common experience strengthens our bond. Ive attended mens retreats that made us go deeper than men usually do, and returned to my regular life with greater depths of empathy and stronger resolve to pursue God. There have been denominational conferences which I attended having optional retreat days where various spiritual disciplines were explored, and I found some stimulating and others just weird. The just weird part I worry about when we broach this issue, because so many retreats are just about getting you away doing strange rituals. You may momentarily feel something inside for a change, but its often just a quick fix (like going for fast food rather than cooking your own meals) ending with the same regret. Daily spiritual practice is best, but retreating may be helpful. I often hear how meditation or doing certain physical postures, or reading poetry, ringing bells, lighting candles, etc. all contribute to changes in brain chemistry. Thats probably true and why churches have utilized these since the beginning, but mood-producing accouterments and meditative techniques will only stir up an appetite requiring the correct divine nourishment. Too often people replace God with spiritual stuff, activities that touch their inner being without addressing its purpose or destiny. Im not Christian, but Im spiritual many people say, which is little better than affirming Im alive. It doesnt say anything, since were all spiritual except maybe that they are more guilty of rejecting Christ because they are conscious of the spiritual realm yet satisfy themselves with only that awareness. Christianity is all about the whole person, body and spirit, because we believe both are meant to be everlasting. However, it doesnt matter how many retreats you attend if ultimately you reject the maker of your entire person. Cast you allegiance with God because there is none higher, and Dont be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28 NLT) Rev. Bryan A. Griem Tujunga Recently the city of Burbank sent out notices to residents who live on streets with permit parking. Those residents will, as of April, have to purchase permits to park in front of their homes. A few years ago, the Burbank Police encouraged residents on my block to sign a petition for permit parking signs. Most of the residents signed the petition in order to alleviate student problems on the street. Problems persist. There are seven residents on my block who park in front of their homes, so they would need to purchase permits. That equals $70 per year. If law/parking enforcement wrote one or two tickets per year (as rightly deserved), they could generate the income without need for the permits. A two-hour parking restriction is on my block weekdays. Parking enforcement rarely comes by unless residents request them for violations. The city seems disingenuous in promoting and urging neighborhoods to get permits when they dont have the ability or capacity to enforce them. The city will make money on residents across Burbank and we get nothing in return. The fees have the effect of discriminating against residents in favor of outsiders or commuters who use our streets. I encourage residents to attend the Tuesday night City Council meetings and protest this injustice. I have been contacted by the administrative staff from the city to explain the permitting process to me. I heard no valid reason for their mysterious administration fees. I was informed that our taxes do not cover parking enforcement. So, what do our taxes cover? Please speak up and ask the City Council to rescind these egregious parking fees. Jane Harrison Burbank -- It is Campership time. Since 1936, the Burbank Coordinating Council has sent hundreds of low-income, at risk and homeless children, ages 8 to 18, to a week of either day camp or resident camp each summer. Applications are available at schools, Burbank libraries, and on the website www.burbankcoordinatingcouncil.org. We have several ways to support the program. Campership Coffee is available online at verdugocoffee.com, and you may designate BCC as your charity on AmazonSmile. We are partnered with H&R Block so anyone can go to their offices and mention Burbank Coordinating Council as their charity. Even if it is for a second look, BCC gets $20 for campers. Also, schools and businesses are holding Coins for Campers contests to raise funds for the Campership program, with winners getting ice cream parties. Contact us and we will bring you a bottle to fill with coins, bills or checks to help the kids! Call (818) 216-9377 or email bcccamperships@aol.com. Or, you can donate directly to BCC through the website or mail to Burbank Coordinating Council, PO Box 10126, Burbank, CA 91510. With the way things are in the world around us, we need camp programs and experiences more than ever to help our children learn about how to become confident adults who live and work cooperatively and in leadership roles. They are truly our future. Helping children helps everyone. We all win! Janet Diel, President Burbank Coordinating Council -- I think it would be very beneficial for the members of our City Council, planning board and other city officials to take a trip over to look at and consider what is going on in Glendale. A ride on Pacific and Central avenues, Orange Street, Broadway and others should show them how overbuilt, congestive buildings are spoiling a fine city. The only people I feel will benefit from the Burbank IKEA land project are the developer, the contractor and IKEA. Do our officials really think this is what the citizens of Burbank want? After that trip to Glendale, maybe they can go to the Burbank Town Center and really look at it and see all the empty buildings and consider all the fine businesses that have left and they want to have more retail? It is time to rethink this project using common sense and logic and considering what is actually best for the city of Burbank. Nancy White Burbank -- Re: NRA should be outlawed, Mailbag, March 3. In case letter writer Molly Shore doesnt know it, the NRA consists of millions of voting taxpayers who want their 2nd Amendment rights protected from unreasonable people such as her. The funny thing about Shores letter is that you could substitute the NRA with the Teachers Union, or the UAW or SEIU or any other union. Just as union members do, NRA members vote and support politicians that protect their interests and withhold support when facing opposition, such as politicians that support gun control. Its just like members of the teachers union, UAW or SEIU that will not vote for a politician who doesnt support their cause. If the NRA is holding politicians or anyone hostage, then so is the teachers union, the UAW and SEIU. Since the shooting in Florida, it seems as though all the outrage is directed toward the NRA and select politicians instead of the shooter, who could have been stopped by existing laws and law enforcement, had they not been asleep on the job. Eric Dresser Burbank Costa Mesa council members will discuss the citys Integrated Pest Management plan which essentially guides local weed and pest-control strategies during a study session Tuesday. Among the topics that will likely be touched on is the use of glyphosate, a common herbicide and primary ingredient in the weed killer Roundup. The chemical has been the subject of debate in recent years as some agencies have labeled it a possible carcinogen. In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there was no evidence that glyphosate causes cancer an assessment that contradicted other conclusions from California regulators and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization. According to Costa Mesa staff, citywide use of glyphosate has decreased by roughly 85% since the 2013-14 fiscal year and has been replaced with organic materials and increased use of mulch, which can naturally prevent weeds from sprouting in planters and tree wells. Other Orange County cities have also reduced their application of synthetic pesticides in recent years. Irvine, for instance, prioritizes the use of organic compounds and manual or mechanical weeding on city property while San Juan Capistrano uses only organic materials to treat weeds in its parks. Huntington Beach is also testing organic pesticides on a portion of Central Park. Costa Mesa could pursue further eliminating the use of synthetic pesticides, but that would likely increase landscape maintenance costs, according to city staff. Tuesdays study session will start at 5 p.m. in City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. luke.money@latimes.com Twitter @LukeMMoney A portion of West Coast Highway in Newport Beach was closed for about four hours Thursday as authorities searched for the source of a gas leak, police said. Authorities closed the road between Dover Drive and Tustin Avenue in both directions shortly before 2 p.m. after someone reported smelling gas in the area. SoCalGas sent crews to find and repair the leak, which authorities think began when a line ruptured on a construction site in the 2200 block of West Coast Highway. The road reopened shortly after 6 p.m., authorities said. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN UPDATES: 8 a.m. March 9: This article was updated with the road open and information about the source of the leak. 6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with several lanes reopening. 5:30 p.m.: This article was updated with the highway remaining closed. This article was originally published at 4:30 p.m. Chairwoman Ngan congratulated Myanmar on its recent socio-economic achievements, voicing her belief that the country will succeed in promoting national reconciliation and harmony and improving its stature in the region and the world. She expressed her delight at the increasingly strengthened friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the Myanmar parliament, as seen in an official visit to Vietnam by Speaker of the Assembly of the Union Mahn Win Khaing Than in May 2017 and another trip to Myanmar by a high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese NA in September 2016. Deputy Speaker Aye Thar Aung highly valued Vietnamese peoples heroic struggle in the resistance wars to liberate the country in the past, as well as its achievements in social affairs, economy, political stability and external work at present. He said Vietnam is increasingly affirming its stature, and Myanmar wants to learn from Vietnams precious experience to develop the country. Vietnam and Myanmar boast traditional friendship and close cooperation, which were built by late President Ho Chi Minh and leader Aung San, and have been nurtured by generations of the countries leaders and people, he added. At the meeting, the two sides noted the wish to enhance cooperation in all aspects, between their Parties, parliaments, Governments, and peoples. In particular, they will increase delegation exchanges at all levels, between their parliamentarians as well as between parliamentary committees. Stressing the countries comprehensive cooperative partnership, set up in 2017, and many similarities, Chairwoman Ngan said Vietnam is ready to share development experience with Myanmar. She asked both sides to soon establish a defence policy dialogue mechanism at the deputy ministerial level, and continue to negotiate and accelerate the signing of cooperation deals in the agro-forestry-fishery, transport, and justice sectors. She also called on Myanmar to continue providing optimal conditions for Vietnamese firms in the banking, telecommunications and business sectors. For his part, Deputy Speaker Aye Thar Aung said Myanmar wants to attract more foreign investment. Its parliament has exerted efforts to make investment attraction policies and is working to remove obstacles to foreign investors, including Vietnamese businesses. Lauding bilateral cooperation at regional and international forums, especially in ASEAN and the United Nations, the host leader asked both sides to keep intensifying cooperation within the ASEAN framework and other international and regional forums while working together to use the Mekong River water in a sustainable and effective manner. She also expressed her hope that Myanmar will soon become a member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC). Michael Garcia, a 32-year fire service veteran, has been appointed Laguna Beach fire chief, city officials said Friday. Garcia started with the Long Beach Fire Department 28 years ago, holding various command staff positions, such as assistant, deputy and acting chief. I am honored in being selected to lead the Laguna Beach Fire Department and I am humbled in becoming a part of such a great city team, Garcia said in a statement. I couldnt ask for a better group of caring professionals and I look forward to working with them as we plan for the future while continuing to provide excellent and responsive service to the community. Garcia begins April 30. He will earn $192,000 a year. Acting Chief Tom Christopher, a division fire chief, will serve until Garcia starts. Garcia, who is married with three children, was selected from 37 applicants, officials said. He has a bachelors degree in vocational education from Cal State Long Beach. Garcia replaces Chief Jeff LaTendresse, who retired in August after serving in the position since 2012. Kirk Summers served as acting chief until Christopher took the helm. bradley.zint@latimes.com Twitter: @BradleyZint A former Orange Coast College student suspected of vandalism and violating a protective order that barred him from the Costa Mesa campus has filed a civil lawsuit against the college. Robert McDougals lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court on Monday, alleges negligence, emotional distress, assault, battery and false imprisonment on the part of the college and school officials. McDougal, a 22-year-old Costa Mesa resident who has been diagnosed with autism, started attending the community college in 2014 and was excelling academically, according to the lawsuit. In an August 2017 letter to OCC officials that was attached to the lawsuit, McDougals parents allege that the college, despite being told about his disability, failed to accommodate their son. The letter was part of a claim filed with the college that month that sought $5 million in damages. OCC was grossly negligent in handling this situation, the claim states. OCC harassed Robert and discriminated against him because of his disabilities. The damage to Roberts image and reputation is irreparable. An OCC representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The lawsuit, which names OCC, the Coast Community College District and several college employees, is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. College officials have said McDougals issues at the campus began in February 2017 when he started incessantly emailing his chemistry instructor asking to retake an exam with the help of a calculator. He had received a B on the exam without a calculator, a lower grade than he expected. The instructor, Amy Hellman, declined his request to retake the test, according to transcripts of emails filed in Superior Court last year. School officials have said on Feb. 27, 2017, he barged into the classroom while other students were present. Security officers escorted McDougal out of the building, but when they werent looking, he ran back inside and sprinted in circles around the classroom, according to a Costa Mesa police report. McDougals lawsuit presents a different version of events. It states that he was so upset and fixated on the fact the two questions could affect his grade that he impulsively dropped the class then immediately tried to get reinstated into the class. McDougals attorney, John Christl, wrote in court papers that Hellman sent McDougal an email saying she would allow him to complete the test questions and be reinstated into the class. However, when he showed up, he was told to wait outside until class was over. McDougal was confused when security walked him away from the building, according to the suit, and when the bell rang his sole focus was to get to Hellmans class to retake the two quiz questions and be reinstated into the class. He ran back to the class, got slammed to the ground and doused with pepper spray by a security officer, according to the lawsuit. Costa Mesa police, who ultimately arrested McDougal, have said he was pepper-sprayed after kicking security officers and yelling a racial slur at one of them. A restraining order barring McDougal from entering the campus or contacting Hellman was granted by Judge Michael McCartin in March 2017 at the behest of college officials. That same month, McDougal was suspended from all Coast Community College District facilities until March 2019, according to college officials. He was arrested again in March 2017 on suspicion of carving a swastika and the N-word into the hoods of two OCC security vehicles and slashing their tires. He was booked into Orange County Jail and later posted bail. Prosecutors allege McDougal returned to the campus several times over the next several months in violation of the protective order. McDougal is facing felony vandalism charges and misdemeanor charges of disturbing public school, remaining on campus without consent, resisting a public or peace officer, and disobeying a domestic relations court order in connection to the incidents, according to court records. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to appear in court in Westminster for a pretrial hearing on March 16. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Tails were wagging at Hope View Elementary School on Thursday. These dogs, however, were on their best behavior or at least trying to be. Five service-dogs-in-training and their handlers from the Guide Dogs of America Orange County chapter strolled around the Huntington Beach campus as part of an exercise socializing them to noisy environments and children. One of the dogs, an 8-month-old black Labrador named Luka, essentially has lived in Holly Sjogrens fifth-grade classroom since September during the day and at her home overnight. Sjogrens classroom is prepped for Luka, who has his own gated pen dubbed Lukas Lair. Luka, Hope Views unofficial mascot, started there as a pup and has grown much in the months since. He pretty much sleeps all day, Sjogren said. Hes a really good reader, though, joked Hope View Principal Paul Kraft. Not quite a fifth-grade level, but hes getting there. Hope View students sometimes get to play and interact with Luka as a reward for positive behavior. Throughout the morning, the five dogs and their handlers went onto the playground, and from classroom to classroom, showing the students the dogs, who may one day become guides for the blind. They undergo a 6-month training process for that task aka puppy college once theyre 18 months old, said Tammy New, area leader for Guide Dogs of America. Sjogren explained to the throngs of curious students how the dogs are learning to behave. Kinda like how you guys have to always practice your good behavior, she told the children. The students also learned how to pet a guide dog, but only with permission from the owner, as the dogs, who wear special vests, are working. New said dogs who sometimes dont make the cut to help the blind may find other jobs, such as with law enforcement or fire departments. Hope View is currently the only Ocean View School District campus to host a training service dog. bradley.zint@latimes.com Twitter: @BradleyZint A young soldier named Cliff Archer was home on leave in the Los Angeles area on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Archer, then in his early 20s, was quickly trained as a medic and soon boarded a tanker bound for Honolulu, where he and his unit awaited further orders. From there, he went to New Guinea, then to the Philippines and eventually to Negros Island, where Archer saw action in the lengthy Battle of the Visayas, which began in March 1945. Their mission was to take Hill 3155, later renamed Dolan Hill in tribute to 1st Lt. John W. Dolan, the first officer to be killed in the attack. Archer himself narrowly escaped death in one of the battles. Dads unit did a lot of mop-up action and island hopping during the last stages of the war. Negros was the fiercest fighting, wrote his son, Mike Archer, who now lives in the Seattle area, in a series of emails regarding his father, who died in 2002. This was one of the final battles of the Pacific Campaign, and the Negros Island troops received a visit from Gen. MacArthur. When the fighting was over, Cliff Archer returned home, went to work for Greyhound, met and married Lola Oswald and bought a house in Torrance on the G.I. Bill. Two little boys later, in 1952, the Archers purchased the Glendale Greyhound Station and found a place to live here in town. Two more children joined the family, and then they opened a travel agency in the lobby of the bus station. Later on, they purchased a home in northwest Glendale. But the war years were never far from her husbands mind, Lola Archer told me one afternoon at her home. He had been a very young man when he was drafted and spent four years, from age 21 to 25, in the Army. Four years which left him with nightmares. Now, they would call it PTSD, she added. Mike Archer recalled many dinnertime conversations about the war. He would get very animated about all of his experiences up through his Hawaii deployment, Mike Archer said. As soon as he started getting into actual battle scenarios, he would get very quiet, to the point where he simply stopped talking and just looked down at his hands in his lap. At that point, the children would get up quietly and start clearing the table. Sometimes Dad would just sit there for another minute or two, he added. Then, in 1976, some 30 years after the war was over, Cliff Archer decided to return to the scene of so many of his memories. And he wanted his wife to go with him. He was the first Army veteran to return to the hill, she said. The mayor of Silay City arranged for a local guide and, on the designated day, the couple climbed into an old Army weapons carrier left behind after the war. The worn-out floorboards had been replaced with wooden boards and more boards provided seating. We were accompanied by the guide and also an armed guard, she recalled. On the way up the hill, it was like a local bus that would pick up and discharge passengers. At the top of the hill, Archer and the two men walked around trying to get a feel for the place. They returned to have dinner with the mayor and learned of a Japanese officer, Kazuo Ishizuka, who had returned several times to pray for the souls of his fellow countrymen. Cliff Archer took the officers address home with him, and the two survivors exchanged letters for four years. They discovered they had fought in the same battles and that Ishizuka had suffered at least 13 wounds. He was one of the few officers that did not commit Harakiri, probably because he was too wounded to do so, Mike Archer said. Their correspondence led to another trip in 1980. The Japanese invited him and whoever was left of his unit to come help them dedicate a memorial to their fallen on Negros, his son added. This time, Lola Archer stayed behind in the village while the two men, who had fought so hard against each other, went up the hill together. There, at the top, at the scene of so many horrendous battles, they hoped to lay to rest the ghosts of their mutual past. Readers Write: An email arrived from Daniel Conover, who wrote that he enjoys your historical articles in the Glendale News-Press. Conover is seeking information about the Roads End Street neighborhood, the short continuation of East Los Feliz Road after it crosses Glendale Avenue. If anyone has any information to share, please contact me. KATHERINE YAMADA can be reached at katherineyamada@gmail.com or by mail at Verdugo Views, c/o Glendale News-Press, 202 W. First St., Second Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please include your name, address and phone number. A Los Angeles couple is behind bars after they were allegedly caught with a stolen car in Glendale, according to police. Sometime around noon Tuesday, an officer stopped a GMC Yukon driven by 38-year-old Roger Valenzuela in the 1500 block of East Colorado Street because it didnt have a front license plate and the windows were tinted, according to Tahnee Lightfoot, a spokeswoman with the Glendale Police Department. The officer discovered that Valenzuela was on parole and had a suspended license. Also, he was driving and not wearing a seat belt. Lightfoot said the stop occurred in the parking lot of a motel where Valenzuela might have been staying because his girlfriend, 27-year-old Wendy Rugelio, soon showed up at the scene. Police eventually learned the vehicle was reported stolen from a Wal-Mart parking lot in Nevada in late June. Officers also found fraudulent paperwork related to the car, including a fake change-of-ownership form. Both Rugelio and Valenzuela were arrested. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office charged each of them with one count of forgery, grand theft auto and identity theft. Valenzuela was given an additional charge of driving with a suspended license. andy.nguyen@latimes.com Twitter: @Andy_Truc Sara Cardine covers the city of Costa Mesa for the Daily Pilot. She comes from the La Canada Valley Sun, where she spent six years as the news reporter covering La Canada Flintridge and recently received a first-place Public Service Journalism award from the California News Publishers Assn. Shes also worked at the Pasadena Weekly, Stockton Record and Lodi-News Sentinel, which instilled in her a love for community news. (714) 966-4627 U by Uniworld last year positioned itself as a European river cruise brand aimed at millennials who want more time in port to go clubbing, dining and touring. Now U says its sailings are open to all, not just the 21- to 45-year-old crowd. Originally, U was very specific in defining its target market but has learned that the experience is less about a number and more about attracting a new generation of adult travelers to river cruising, Ellen Bettridge, chief executive, said in a statement. With a month to go before its first sailing, the company says thats all that will change on its sexy, stylish black ships called simply A and B. Each features a rooftop lounge, silent discos, DJs and overnights in popular cities such as Paris and Amsterdam. Some of the most adventurous travelers Ive met on ships have been 50-plus, Teresa Machan, cruise editor for Londons Telegraph newspaper, said in a story. [W]hos to say they dont appreciate hip decor, a laid-back vibe or want to eat avocados for breakfast? Advertisement U by Uniworld river cruise ships A and B are black. (U by Uniworld ) The lines Rolling on the Rhine is set to sail April 14 from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, Germany, stopping in five ports along the way. Prices for the eight-day itinerary have dropped 20%, according to the website, starting at $1,519 per person, based on double occupancy. Excursions (covered in the cruise cost) include an after-hours tour of Amsterdam, a cheese-tasting excursion, and a bicycle tour of Cologne. Future cruises feature itineraries on the Seine and Danube rivers. Info: U by Uniworld, (866) 784-5755, or contact a travel agent travel@latimes.com Twitter: @latimestravel In the continuing low-fares festival, you can fly round trip from LAX to New Delhi for $613, including all taxes and fares, on China Southern Airlines. The fare is subject to availability. It is for travel April 3 through May 2. The national capital of India is in the north-central part of the country. Travel would be in what is considered the summer season, where highs can top 100 and fall only into the 70s at night. Info: China Southern, (888) 338-8988 Advertisement Source: Airfarewatchdog travel@latimes.com @latimestravel Its the time of year when cherry trees bloom and draw thousands of visitors, from Georgia to Japan. Hundreds of cities and landmarks celebrate the delicate pink flowers with festivals and events. Here are four destinations best loved for their blooms. Washington, D.C. Despite the crazy noreaster winds that blew through in early March, buds on the famed cherry trees around the Tidal Basin and D.C.s nearby parks hung tough. They are on track for a peak bloom time between March 17 and 20. The trees history began in 1912 when the mayor of Tokyo sent a gift of 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees. Over the years, some have been added Lady Bird Johnson had an additional 3,800 planted in 1965 and some have been lost to the elements. Also, 10 other varieties have been added to the Yoshinos, which have a light pink to pinkish white color. The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place March 17 through April 15 with a parade and other special events. Info: National Cherry Blossom Festival Advertisement Georgia Macon claims the title Cherry Blossom Capital of the World. The 350,000 cherry trees dwarf the number of residents (92,000) in this Georgia town south of Atlanta. It all began in 1949 when local real estate agent William Fickling found a Yoshino cherry tree in his backyard. Since then, Fickling, and decades later, cherry-tree lover Carolyn Crayton, planted more and more trees and encouraged their neighbors to do likewise. That led to a massively pink party, the International Cherry Blossom Festival, which this year runs March 16 to 25. Peak bloom time is expected to be March 23; follow the self-guided Cherry Blossom Trail, which begins in downtown. Info: International Cherry Blossom Festival, (478) 330-7050 Canada Cherry blossoms are notoriously finicky. But when you have 54 different types, as Vancouver, British Columbia, does, something is bound to pop but not all at once. Predictions are for a late spring, which will coincide with the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival from April 3 to 29. But you can expect a rollout of blossoms too. Right now, the Whitcomb variety is blooming and another, called Accolades, will soon follow. Explore the citys 23 neighborhoods and roughly 40,000 trees many are gifts from Japan on bicycle or on foot, with a cherry blossom viewing map. And stay tuned to the Blooming Now website. Info: Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Japan In Japan, hanami or flower viewing is a cultural pursuit that dates back thousands of years. The tradition started with plum blossoms and then switched to cherry blossoms around the 8th century. Advertisement Japans weather service predicts cherry blossoms will start earlier than usual this spring. They pop early in the south (Okinawas already done) and then move northward. You can expect to see trees bloom in Tokyo and Kyoto by the end of March, but not until late April in Sapporo. Make a pilgrimage to see the 30,000 cherry trees on Mt. Yoshino, the trees namesake and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is not far from Osaka or Kyoto. Info: Japan National Tourism Organization travel@latimes.com Advertisement @latimestravel Heres a gallery of images of Pacific Coast Highway taken from similar spots in Pacific Palisades. The oldest image is from 1930. Enjoy, Scott Harrison Two photos of Pacific Coast Highway north of Santa Monica, taken from the same location. The left image is from 1961, the right from 1980. Los Angeles Times Both of these images were taken from a spot north of Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. These two images appeared in the July 13, 1980, Los Angeles Times with this caption: Shot from approximately the same location, these two photographs show the toll of erosion between 1961, left, and today. The same bend in the Pacific Coast Highway can be seen in the distance in both photos. But in the 19 intervening years, the earth has fallen away from beneath the patio. Bluffs have eroded to the point where it has been necessary to haul in dirt to create supporting slope below. The left image was taken on Feb. 4, 1961, by staff photographer Mary Frampton. The right image was taken on July 9, 1980, by staff photographer George Fry. March 3, 1971: Mrs. Carlos Tobaline and her contractor look down on Pacific Coast Highway after 35 feet of the Tobaline family tennis court went down the enbankment. Their Pacific Palisades neighbor's patio, backgound, also went down. Frank Q. Brown / Los Angeles Times This 1971 image by Frank Q. Brown was taken near the same location as the two images above. Two images taken 50 years apart of Pacific Coast Highway and Will Rogers State Beach. The left image is from 1930, the right image from 1980. Los Angeles Times Above is another two-photo combination published in the July 13, 1980, Los Angeles Times. The combined caption reported: These two photos, taken from nearly the same spot, show how Pacific Coast Highway has been shifted toward the sea between 1930, left, and today, thanks to the crumbling of large sections of bluffs. The building in the current photo is a lifeguard station at Will Rogers State Beach. The station stands approximately where an earlier building and tower stood in 1930. Beyond that, the current roadway swings far to the left of its 1930 path because of a large landslide in the late 1950s. The left photo was taken on June 22, 1930, by the Keystone photo agency. The right image was taken July 9, 1980, by Fry. On the left is a 1940 photo of Pacific Coast Highway north of Santa Monica. On the right is a 1957 image taken farther south from a bluff in Santa Monica. Los Angeles Times These final two images are from different locations. On the left is a 1940 image of Pacific Coast Highway in the Pacific Palisades area similar to the previous images. On the right is a July 4, 1957, image taken about a mile south. Staff photographer S. A. Hixon took the right image from Inspiration Point at Palisades Park in Santa Monica. See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here The deal was inked in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, by Director of the Vietnamese ministrys Department of Foreign Affairs of Localities Nguyen Hoang Long and Deputy Secretary of Victorias Department of Economic Development, Job, Transport and Resources Gonul Serbest. The agreement is expected to create conditions for enhancing connectivity and increasing support for effective cooperation between Vietnamese localities and Victoria in such areas as administration-to-administration ties, people-to-people exchange, trade, investment, education-training, science-technology, smart city building, agriculture, tourism, and services. During his stay, Director Long also attended and delivered a speech at a meeting on introducing the business environment in Vietnam. The event saw the presence of Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick, Australian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Karen Lanyon, and President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam Chau Ta. The Vietnamese delegation had working sessions with the agencies for external affairs of Victoria and Melbourne, the Business Council of Australia, and some Australian enterprises. They also visited the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and RMIT University. President Trump has repeatedly singled out China for the kind of unfair trade he aimed to curb Thursday when smacking tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. But in the fallout, China is the one emerging relatively unscathed. Trump gave a reprieve to Canada and Mexico, for now, and suggested allies such as Australia also may receive exemptions. Countries around the globe, including Japan and South Korea, scrambled to get on the list. Leaders loudly condemned the move, which threatens to explode into a trade war and rupture Americas most important alliances in Asia. This is not just about Japan, said Ken Onuki, director of general affairs at the Japan Aluminum Assn. Its a violation of free trade. Japans trade minister called the decision extremely regrettable, and South Korean officials said they might lodge a protest with the World Trade Organization. Advertisement China, the worlds largest producer of steel and aluminum, denounced the tariffs as an affront to the international trade order. The country will take effective measures and safeguard its rights based on the damage caused, the Ministry of Commerce said on its website. It probably wont feel much. China accounted for about 2.5% of U.S. steel imports last year, a result of previous restrictions. It exports a fraction of the aluminum the U.S. receives. It seems the U.S. administration keeps on shooting at the wrong target, Hong Kong-based analysts Alicia Garcia Herrero and Jianwei Xu said in a research note for Natixis, a French investment bank. Chinese officials routinely warn about the reciprocal damage of a trade war, but kept fairly quiet about the tariffs in the lead-up to Thursday. China views it as a welcome distraction, analysts say, from more biting tariffs on industries such as high-tech or semiconductors. Officials appear more anxious about the results of an American investigation into Chinas intellectual property practices. China is definitely happy to let the other countries fight this battle for them, said Andrew Polk, co-founder of Trivium/China, a Beijing-based research firm. The reaction to the tariffs couldnt have played into Chinas hands any better. The nations rapid industrial growth helped create a global glut that, American steelmakers attest, has driven down prices and hurt U.S. jobs. Trump believes China delivers more steel to the U.S. via a third-party country, a process known as transshipping. Its a big deal, he said at a news conference this week. But little evidence proves this actually boosts Chinas steel exports to the U.S. From the U.S. perspective, Korea appears to be like the gateway for the transshipment from China to U.S. markets, so we became one of the major targets, said Ahn Dukgeun, who researches international trade law at Seoul National University. That is not true. Advertisement South Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the U.S., after Canada and Brazil. Along with Mexico, they make up about half of the steel sent to America. Canada is the largest exporter of both steel and aluminum to the U.S. The tariffs 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum will take effect in two weeks. Trump invoked national security as his justification, a tactic that infuriated allies. The European Union has threatened to hit back with tariffs on bourbon, bluejeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles items from regions with more political support for Trump or Republican lawmakers. If you put tariffs against your allies, one wonders who youre enemies are, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi told reporters at a Thursday news conference. Advertisement Trump hinted that he might use tariff exemptions as a bargaining chip, particularly in negotiations with Mexico and Canada over the North American Free Trade Agreement. Neither of the two countries the largest U.S. trading partners after China took kindly to that notion. The trade negotiation will follow its course independently of this or any domestic policy measures, Mexicos Finance Ministry said in a statement. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland also emphasized the move would not impact Canadas decisions. Foreign trade officials in Brazil, one of Americas top steel exporters, said the country would take all necessary steps to preserve its interests. Trumps announcement came the same day as 11 nations, including Japan and Australia, signed a massive Pacific trade deal. The president withdrew the U.S. from it last year, a move some viewed as the dawn of a protectionist era in America politics. Advertisement Timing is especially significant for South Korea. The shocking Thursday evening announcement that Trump would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could give the American ally more leverage or put one of the most significant breakthroughs with the rogue state in jeopardy. South Korean officials played an instrumental role in organizing the meeting, and the U.S. will need the countrys help to make it successful. Government officials, at least until now, have sought to distance the two issues. Trade and security cant be separated, said Ahn, the Korean trade expert. The current government should try to link these two and increase its bargaining power. China also could stand to benefit. The communist nation is North Koreas only ally, and Beijing would make a logical spot for the meeting. Chinas Foreign Ministry on Friday welcomed the talks. Advertisement Analysts doubt the White House will ultimately abandon efforts to confront China on trade, especially with the resignation of Gary Cohn, Trumps top economic advisor, and the growing clout of Peter Navarro, a prominent administration critic of China. All the adults have left the White House, so there are a lot of uncertainties, said Li Wei, professor of economics at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing. Its going to be very messy. The U.S. administration in January issued tariffs on solar panels and washing machines in an effort to slash cheap imports from China and South Korea. China, in response, launched an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation weeks later into American imports of sorghum. The American Chamber of Commerce in China has warned that officials could respond against punitive American actions by targeting swathes of the U.S. that resonate with Trump, particularly agricultural areas in the Midwest. Experts point to soybeans, one of Americas top exports to China, as a possible target for retaliation. Leaders also could embrace tit-for-tat measures aimed at American companies that make sizable profits from the Chinese market (think Boeing and Apple). Advertisement Trade wars only hurt others and yourself, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Thursday before the announcement. But if the U.S. takes aim at China, he said, the country will make a justified and necessary response. Trumps move left many in China wondering what he hoped to achieve. A rabbit does not eat grass near his home, said Xu Bin, a professor at China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, referencing a Chinese saying. You do not attack your relatives, the people close to you. But Trump is doing the opposite. Special correspondents Kemeng Fan and Nicole Liu contributed from Beijing, Yuri Nagano from Tokyo, Kate Linthicum from Mexico City, and Jill Langlois from Sao Paulo. Advertisement Meyers is a special correspondent. Twitter: @jessicameyers ALSO Trump hoping to use his steel tariff plan as a global bargaining chip Advertisement President Trump accepts Kim Jong Uns invitation to meet, a first for U.S. and North Korea China will act if Trump hits out on trade, American business group warns Eliot Shen, project manager for a property developer in Taipei, has installed buffers under a new corkscrew-shaped, high-end apartment tower. The goal is to stop Taiwans frequent earthquakes from sending destructive energy upward into the building. The builders put lightweight, expanded polystyrene blocks under the 21-level tower as absorbers. Then they left empty space around the foundation so the base can shake in a strong magnitude-7 earthquake without affecting the structure above it. Shens employer, BES Engineering, uses a 2-foot-high building model in its offices to show visitors how the technology works as the actual tower nears completion this year. The model sits still as the ground a shelf jolts from side to side. We separate out the quake, said Shen, who is also special assistant to the firms CEO. When a quake comes, the building structural system wont be affected. Eliot Shen, project manager of the Tao Zhu Yi Yuan tower in Taipei. Ralph Jennings / For The Times Shen may be ahead of the curve. Countless cost-wary property owners in Taiwan have sidestepped quake safety over the decades despite numerous warnings and disasters. But after a deadly quake Feb. 6, the central government said it would require reviews of more than 34,000 existing structures and, for the first time, make their owners ensure safety. Officials had only recommended upgrades before. Taiwans Cabinet announced those measures last month, along with pledges to quicken disaster response times. Most of Taiwans 23 million people live in multilevel buildings like the four that partly collapsed in the Feb. 6 quake, fanning fears of more disasters. Builders say the islands mostly brick and concrete buildings risk collapsing in earthquakes because of soft soil and reliance on columns of rebar inside walls rather than steel I-beams for structural support. They cite particular risks to weak lower stories, which can bring down a high-rise if damaged. Many of Taiwans urban buildings are mixed commercial and residential, with larger ground-level floors sparing beams to maximize store and office space. In California, experts also worry about brittle concrete buildings and those with soft first floors used for parking, storefronts or hotel lobbies. Earthquakes are common in Taiwan and frequently cause severe damage, Prime Minister William Lai said at a Feb. 26 news conference. We hope people will help and cooperate. We cant let these things happen again. Retrofits will start with a quick screening this year of all structures that are more than nine floors high and move on to those as low as six stories by 2021, Interior Minister Yeh Jiunn-rong told the news conference. More than 99% of publicly owned structures are safe, according to Lai. Officials have goaded property owners in the past with findings such as a March 2016 study showing that areas of eight Taiwanese cities and counties were highly vulnerable to structural collapse in an earthquake because of their soil composition. Owners often fret over values of properties that are tagged as earthquake-prone. Construction codes also changed after 1999 for new structures. The Feb. 6 earthquake, which measured magnitude 6.4, killed 17 people under collapsed buildings in the eastern county of Hualien. A quake two years ago toppled a building and killed 116 people in a populous southern city. In 1999, Taiwan experienced its worst earthquake in recent memory, a magnitude 7.1 event that left 2,400 people dead. Japanese, left, and Taiwanese rescue workers look at the Yun Tsui building, which is leaning at a precarious angle, in the Taiwanese city of Hualien on Feb. 9 after the city was hit by an earthquake. Anthony Wallace / AFP/Getty Images Taiwan sits on an earthquake ring of fire that also touches Japan and California. The government will offer some building owners subsidies for safety appraisals, the interior minister said. As inspections unfold, the Cabinet will order local fire departments to inspect buildings for safety hazards such as any remodeling that has compromised support beams. Owners of apartments, stores and offices typically alter walls and floors to taste before moving in. To evacuate people faster during earthquakes, President Tsai Ing-wen called in a speech last month for a stronger anti-earthquake system. As part of that system, local governments should collect more information on who lives where and collect more peoples phone numbers so telecom providers can send text message alerts as early as possible, even while a longer-lasting quake is still shaking, Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung said. After the Feb. 6 quake, local rescue officials knew only who was registered as living in the damaged structures rather than who was actually in them. Registration does not require that people actually live where they register. The new building safety and disaster response measures will still fall short of making Taiwan earthquake-safe, some citizens and building industry experts fear. Taiwanese do not always see the urgency of earthquake safety, said Wei Yu-ting, a 26-year-old Taipei resident whos following the legal changes. California could be hit by an 8.2 mega-earthquake, and it would be catastrophic A lot of time the laws are there but the enforcement is inadequate, Wei said. The hardware comes along but the software lags. Taiwans rescue officials should rely more on satellites, drones and remote sensing to locate people quickly under the dense rubble of collapsed buildings, said Tsai Fu-an, a professor with the Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research at National Central University in Taiwan. A lot of Taiwans older buildings simply cannot be retrofitted, said Sampson Mar, a Taipei-based former member of the U.S. Green Building Council. Many were built a half-century ago, when the economy entered its major modern boom cycle and construction was quick and under-regulated. Those structures would need to be torn down, he said. Walls lack support, he said, while most structures in the Taipei basin of more than 6 million people are built on soft soil rather than bedrock. Its just lucky that more buildings dont come down, Mar said. In 2013, former Interior Minister Lee Hong-yuan warned that 4,000 structures could fall in a magnitude 6.3 quake, and the Pacific Rim sees many bigger ones. Before 1980, Taiwan was relatively poor, had few professional architects and lacked understanding of quake safety, local publisher and historian Yang Lian-fu said. Developers sometimes cut corners and use connections in local government to get permits instead of submitting to the rigorous reviews required overseas, Yang said. Officials at a Feb. 26 news conference to announce the tougher earthquake safety measures did not say how they would enforce compliance after changing the construction law. We know that for quite some time people didnt care about these regulations, said Jens Damm, associate professor in the Graduate Institute of Taiwan Studies at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan. Getting rich was a priority. ALSO Jennings is a special correspondent. No matter what else comes of it, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has scored a huge win with President Trumps agreement to sit down for a face-to-face meeting. For decades, North Korean officials have angled to meet with a high-level U.S. representative using all measures of persuasion, whining, wheedling, threatening and even hostage-taking. To secure a chance at that meeting with a sitting U.S. president, no less, amounts to success beyond their wildest dreams. From a propaganda standpoint, getting into the same room with Donald Trump would elevate the 34-year-old Kim, a pariah and terrorist in the eyes of much of the world, to the status of a world leader. This has been North Koreas long-standing objective to get the president of the United States to come, said Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They just got lucky with Trump. They have been monitoring him very closely. They saw him as a window of opportunity with a personality that likes to grab attention. Advertisement Proud and isolated, jealous of their capitalist cousin, South Korea, North Koreans have long yearned to be treated as a great power. Their nuclear program has been motivated not only by their desire to protect their system of government but by their hunger for respect on the world stage, analysts say. Trumps agreement announced Thursday to sit down with Kim is being compared by some observers to President Nixons meeting with Chinas Mao Tse-tung in 1972, which is flattering to North Korea. The North Koreans have always been waiting for the United States to treat them like China. The U.S. decision to improve relations with China showed Chinas centrality, said Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations. They want to matter strategically. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, not a treaty, and the United States has never had formal diplomatic relations with the Communist country. No sitting American president has met with a North Korean leader. But it was an ex-president, Jimmy Carter, who negotiated a 1994 pact known as the Agreed Framework that was going to provide energy assistance for North Korea in return for gradual denuclearization. In October 2000, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright traveled to Pyongyang to meet with Kim Jong Il, father of the current leader. The expectation was that her meeting would pave the way for a follow-up trip by President Clinton to take place after the November election but before the inauguration of a new president. The momentum was lost amid the confusion about hanging chads and eventually the presidency of George W. Bush. As a scant consolation prize to the North Koreans, Clinton did visit North Korea as an ex-president in 2009 to secure the release of American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who had been taken prisoner while reporting on the China-North Korea border. The North Koreans have used other arrested Americans effectively as hostages, trying to elicit visits and engagement from powerful Americans. Under the Bush administration, the Agreed Framework collapsed. The North Koreans reached out repeatedly to get a meeting with Bush. They failed to get any high-level negotiations going with the United States and were frustrated that the nuclear issue was relegated to six-nation talks led by China. Although Kims invitation to Trump and Trumps acceptance of the talks without preconditions came as a shock to much of the world dominating headlines amid the Russia investigation and Trumps alleged tangles with porn actress Stormy Daniels North Korea has been laying the groundwork for Trump from the moment he was elected. Advertisement Kim Jong Un is not some young, callow kid. He is a very shrewd character, said Robert Carlin, a former CIA analyst and negotiator, now a visiting scholar at Stanford University. I think the North Koreans have been on this course for months and months. With its Fourth of July test of an intercontinental missile capable of reaching the continental United States, and its powerful hydrogen bomb test in September, North Korea succeeded in getting Washingtons attention. Then in November, when Kim announced the country had completed the development of its nuclear arsenal, he signaled that he was ready to launch a new phase that included negotiations. The decision to participate in South Koreas Winter Olympics effectively co-opted Seoul a traditional U.S. ally in the role of an intermediary with its own prestige on the line to make the talks succeed. As though anticipating a diplomatic breakthrough, North Korea in 2016 named a seasoned negotiator, Ri Yong Ho, as foreign minister and just two weeks ago promoted another, Choe Son Hui, to a vice ministerial position. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been losing its experienced hands, most notably with the recent retirement of the State Departments top Korea specialist, Joseph Yun. Advertisement To the many North Korean analysts who were wringing their hands over a potentially catastrophic war, if not a nuclear Armageddon, the potential talks come as a relief. But any relief is balanced by the worry that Trump, inexperienced in diplomacy and anxious for a foreign policy win, will be no match for the surprisingly wily North Koreans. I think it is really dangerous, said John Park, a North Korea specialist at Harvards Kennedy School of Government. It is one thing thinking you have a minefield map, and another to sprint through, he added. If the meeting goes badly, both leaders could give up on diplomacy and focus on more of the military options. Some specialists on North Korea hailed the proposed summit as the first opportunity the United States will have to meet with the only person in that country who is capable of making a decision. Advertisement We have gotten ourselves into a box and the only way out is negotiations, said Leon V. Sigal, a North Korea specialist who has participated in back-channel talks with the North Koreans. Based on those talks, he says he believes the North Koreans are looking for a fundamental change in the nature of the relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, offered a tougher line Friday than she had a day earlier and suggested the summit might not actually happen. Were not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea, Sanders told reporters. Weve accepted the invitation to talk based on them following through with concrete actions on the promises that theyve made. Those include, she said, a promise to denuclearize, to stop nuclear and missile tests, and to accept U.S.-South Korean military exercises. Advertisement North Koreas 25 million people remain among the poorest and most isolated in Asia. Kim, who took over in 2011 after the death of his father, has embraced a strategy he calls byungjin, Korean for parallel, of developing nuclear weapons at the same time as building the economy. Although Kim has succeeded in improving the economy by allowing more market activity, he has been limited by economic sanctions and the lack of access to international financial institutions. Kim has agreed to freeze further nuclear and missile tests while talks are underway, but he hasnt offered to eliminate his nuclear weapons program, which he has referred to as a treasured sword. In repeated statements, the North Koreans have said they would give up their nuclear weapons only if the United States drops its hostile policy toward the country, which could include a demand for the withdrawal of thousands of U.S. troops from South Korea. Moreover, North Koreas nuclear program today is sufficiently advanced that even a freeze would leave the country with enough plutonium to make 10 nuclear warheads. Advertisement So far it is unclear where the proposed meeting between Trump and Kim would take place. One possibility would be for Trump to join with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit scheduled for late April in Panmunjom, the truce village located at the demilitarized zone separating the Koreas. Beijing also has been floated as a possible summit site, given how Trump repeatedly has praised Chinas help pressuring Kim. But Kim has resented that pressure and may not want to elevate Chinas importance in the relationship. Joshua Stanton, an attorney who helped draft the North Korean sanctions law, says that by all means Trump must avoid a trip to Pyongyang. That would show that Kim Jong Un is controlling the event and dictating terms to the president of the United States, Stanton said. Advertisement Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report. UPDATES: 4:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from analysts and the White House spokeswoman and background. This article was originally published at 11:25 a.m. Dozens of khaki-clad troops trained in chemical warfare were deployed on the streets of the usually sleepy English city of Salisbury on Friday as part of the investigation into the nerve-agent poisoning of a former Russian spy and his adult daughter. The sight of the soldiers, and forensic experts in bright yellow hazmat suits, added to the increasingly surreal scenes in a city best known for its towering medieval cathedral and its proximity to the ancient Stonehenge monument. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious on a bench near the River Avon in the city on Sunday. They remained in critical condition in a local hospital Friday, poisoned with what authorities say is a rare nerve agent. A police officer who helped investigate was in serious condition, and a total of 21 people have received medical treatment. Advertisement Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain and released by Moscow in 2010 as part of a spy swap. The 66-year-old former agent had been living quietly in Salisbury, 90 miles southwest of London. Counterterrorism detectives are leading a vast investigation. One line of inquiry is whether the two were poisoned at Skripals modest suburban house before going out for Sunday lunch and a visit to a pub. On Friday, police called in about 180 marines, soldiers and air force personnel with expertise in chemical weapons, decontamination and logistics to help with the probe and to remove vehicles that might be contaminated. Military vehicles arrived at Salisbury District Hospital, where the victims are being treated, to take away a police car. Authorities say there is no risk to the general public from the attack. Unlike radioactive poisons, nerve agents dissipate quickly. Members of the Falcon Squadron, Royal Tank Regiment, prepare to head to Salisbury, where a former Russian spy and his adult daughter were attacked with a nerve agent. (Cpl. Pete Brown / British Ministry of Defence / EPA/Shutterstock ) Detectives were retracing the Skripals movements as they try to discover how the toxin was administered and where it was manufactured. Authorities cordoned off Skripals house, a car, a restaurant, a pub and the cemetery where Skripals wife, Lyudmila, is buried and where there is also a memorial headstone for his son, Alexander. Lyudmila Skripal died of cancer in 2012. Alexander died last year at the age of 43. The cause is unclear: Some reports say he died in a car accident while on holiday in Russia, others that he died of liver failure. Advertisement At the graveyard, forensic officers in protective gear could be seen erecting a blue tent on Friday. Former London police chief Ian Blair said Friday that the police officer who is seriously ill had visited Skripals house suggesting the nerve agent may have been delivered there. Blair told BBC radio that Detective Sgt. Nick Bailey had actually been to the house, whereas there is a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. There may be some clues floating around in here. Highly toxic and banned in almost all countries, nerve agents require expertise to manufacture leading some to suspect that whoever poisoned Skripal had the backing of a state. Advertisement A well-equipped lab and a very experienced analytical chemist can do it, but its not the sort of thing a chancer doing kitchen-sink chemistry can get away with, chemical weapons expert Richard Guthrie said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow might be willing to help with the investigation, but expressed resentment at suggestions that the Kremlin was behind the attack. Were accused not only of this, but we are accused of everything that goes wrong on this planet, according to our Western partners, Lavrov said. If anyones interested in our assistance with the investigation, whether it be on the poisoning of some subjects of the United Kingdom, or rumors on the interference in the affairs of the United States during the election campaign, or anything else. If you really need help from Russia, then we will be ready to consider such a possibility, if we do have relevant data, he said, speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Advertisement Britain has vowed to take strong action against whoever was responsible for the brazen and reckless attack. British authorities say its too soon to lay blame, but suspicions have fallen on Russia. The assessment was given during a Hanoi policy event this morning on Empowering Rural Women for Vietnams Sustainable Development. The event was co-organised by the United Nations in Vietnam in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, (MOLISA) and the Vietnam National Committee for the Advancement of Women in commemoration of International Womens Day (March 8). In his opening remarks, Doan Mau Diep, Deputy Minister of MOLISA affirmed that the legal framework in Vietnam has been increasingly developed to enhance the empowerment of rural women in all areas. The National Target Programmes on Sustainable Poverty Reduction and Modern Rural Development have focused on vocational training for rural workers to help them escape from poverty and build prosperous families, while saying no to violence, and being advocates for womens welfare. Over the past 30 years, the country has achieved remarkable economic growth with a significant contribution from the agriculture sector. According to the General Statistics Office's 2016 report, although agriculture accounted for only 16.3% of Vietnam's GDP, 41.9% of the labour force are engaged in agricultural production. Women constitute a critical workforce in agricultural production, especially in rural areas, where 63.4% of working women are employed in agriculture sector, compared to 57.5% of working men. However, rural women still face numerous difficulties and challenges. They often work at low-quality, unstable jobs without sustainability, while having little access to social protection services. Their access to productive resources such as land, technology, and financial services is also very restricted. Delegates pose for a group photo at the event. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung) The policy dialogue discussed the current situation of rural women in terms of living conditions, work, employment, and social security in Vietnams process of achieving Sustainable Development Goals and realising its international commitments to promote gender equality and womens empowerment. Participants gave recommendations on empowering rural women in Vietnam. Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Vietnam suggested eliminating structural barriers and discrimination in laws and practises to ensure equal opportunities and results for women, transforming the lives of rural women and girls. UN Resident Coordinator to Vietnam, Kamal Malhotra, suggests eliminating structural barriers and discriminations in law and practises to ensure equal opportunities and results for women. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung) Experts also urged to place mainstream gender perspectives into national planning, decision making, and policy formulation and implementation. Local authorities were recommended to promote a favourable environment for rural women and girls to fully and actively participate in the decisions, policies, and institutions that affect their livelihoods, as well as supporting rural womens access to financing, sustainable energy and other technologies, information, and social protection. It is also necessary to strengthen the capacity of national statistical offices and other relevant institutions to collect, analyse, and disseminate gender statistics to support policies for rural women and girls and to monitor progress towards the SDGs. Issues and recommendations discussed at the policy event will be submitted for Viet Nams report at the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62), which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the US from March 12 to 23. Masamoto Kenichi, who is in charge of the OECD, spoke highly of the role of Southeast Asian nations in the worlds economic growth, saying that they are indispensible in the OECD structure to maintain effective, legal and interactive operation of an international organisation. Therefore, the OECD considered the regional nations its potential members, and initiated the Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) in 2014, he said, adding that the interest in the OECD among ASEAN nations is growing. Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, who led the Vietnamese delegation to the event, said ASEAN nations should continue giving priorities to boosting economic integration via bilateral and regional free trade agreements. The SEARP aims to support ASEAN nations economic reform and integration, has seen numerous positive outcomes. The OECD has shared its experience, knowledge and advised policies for ASEAN nations in investment, infrastructure, small- and medium-sized enterprises, education-training, among others, Son said. He suggested ASEAN countries improve their business environments to encourage the private sector to join in infrastructure development, while strengthening their digital connectivity, investing in human resources to take opportunities and benefits of the fourth industrial revolution. Son also called on ASEAN countries to enhance their cooperation to mitigate challenges facing skilled labourers shifting among them, promote gender equality, womens progress via facilitating their access to education, training, employment, and social resources. During the conference, themed Inclusive ASEAN, participants discussed challenges and opportunities posed during the economic integration and sustainable and inclusive development in Southeast Asia. The event highlighted the important role of SEARP in creating favourable conditions for ASEANs regional integration, supporting reform priorities in ASEAN member nations, and bringing them closer to the OECD. It also affirmed the strategic significance of connectivity between the OECD and ASEAN via SEARP and acknowledged the progresses SEARP has gained over the past tenure co-chaired by Japan and Indonesia. Thailand and the Republic of Korea will co-chair SEARP in the 2018-2021 term. The JCM aimed to review agenda and events of the 32nd ASEAN Summit scheduled for April 25-28 in the island state. Themed Resilient and Creative ASEAN, leaders of the bloc will review the construction of the ASEAN Community and devise supplementary measures for the process. Participants gave their feedback on the contents of documents of the 32nd ASEAN Summit, during which countries are due to adopt the Chairmans Statement, the Declaration on the Vision of ASEAN Leaders on a resilient and creative ASEAN, documents on definition of the establishment of ASEAN Smart Cities Network, and ASEAN Leaders Declaration on Cyber Security Cooperation. In order to further push forward the construction of the ASEAN Community, high-ranking leaders will raise ideas to improve the working efficiency of ASEAN cooperation apparatus, including enhancing the capacity of the ASEAN Secretariat, boosting regional linkage and connectivity, and effectively realising inter-sectoral and inter-pillar contents, and orientations to relations with external partners. The ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) was also held on March 7 to discuss regional and global matters. On the East Sea issue, countries agreed to maintain ASEANs principles, step up consultation with partners, as well as strengthen trust building among regional states. The meeting heard a report on the outcomes of the 23rd Meeting of the ASEAN- China Joint Working Group (JWG 23) on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) held in Nha Trang city in Vietnams central province of Khanh Hoa in late February. Deputy FM Dung, who is also head of the Vietnam ASEAN SOM, reiterated Vietnams commitment to actively, proactively and responsibly joining the construction of the ASEAN Community, adding that the blocs continued maintenance of solidarity and consensus on regional and global issues has contributed to peace and stability and reflected its central role in the region. Speaking highly of the outcomes of the JWG 23, Dung suggested that during the next negotiations, countries need to agree that the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) is an open document based on the principles of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other related documents between ASEAN and China. A former consultant to disgraced Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is suspended from practicing law in Pennsylvania, as a result of his own arrest in a pay-to-play corruption probe. James A. Hickey is temporarily suspended as an attorney, under an order Thursday by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. "There will be some type of additional disciplinary consideration of his license," said Hickey's attorney, Harrisburg-based Robert H. Davis Jr. Hickey has been cooperating with the state disciplinary process, Davis said. Hickey, 55, of Allentown, pleaded guilty last December to honest services wire fraud and mail fraud as part of a federal investigation into contract practices in Allentown and Reading. He faces sentencing scheduled May 8. Federal prosecutors recommend he be sentenced to 18 months in prison under a negotiated plea deal. Hickey was admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania Jan. 7, 1994. He owns the lobbying business Sovereign Enterprise and previously served as administration director under former Northampton County Executive Glenn Reibman. According to the state disciplinary order, Hickey "admits that the charges are serious" and believes it in the best interests of the public, the state bar and the court "to be immediately suspended at this time pending the conclusion of his criminal matter" and any related proceedings. That's according to the petition to temporarily suspend Hickey filed Feb. 14 by Pennsylvania Chief Disciplinary Counsel Paul J. Killion. Hickey was named in the indictments of both Pawlowski and Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer. Pawlowski was convicted March 1 of 47 counts for giving city contracts to law firms and businesses that gave him money for political campaigns. He retaliated against companies that refused to play along or didn't give sufficiently, prosecutors said. Pawlowski is appealing the conviction and has yet to be sentenced. He said Thursday he is resigning, effective at 5 p.m. Friday. Spencer is scheduled to face trial May 7 in his bribery and pay-to-play case, the Reading Eagle reports. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Bethlehem police investigating online threats this week targeting Northeast Middle School say they tracked them to two juveniles in a home in another state. "We believe based on what we know at this time, and there's some more investigation to occur, that the threats are not highly credible," police Chief Mark DiLuzio said Friday morning. "We don't anticipate any issues, but as a precaution ... we'll have units around the school today and at dismissal." Police were continuing to investigate possible charges against the juveniles, who are 10 to 12 years old and live in a state not contiguous to Pennsylvania, according to DiLuzio. Police believe the two suspects were responsible for the threats posted via social media Monday night and Thursday night, and that the intent to was disrupt operations at the Bethlehem Area School District facility. "The Bethlehem Police Department and the Bethlehem Area School District take all potential threats of any type against any school or student or staff member very seriously," DiLuzio and police Capt. Anthony Leardi said in a news release Friday morning. "The safety of your children and our schools are our first priority. "Any individual, either juvenile or adult in age, who makes or posts a potential threat of any type against any BASD school will be identified and criminal charges filed accordingly." Northeast Middle School alerted parents to the threatening posts in alerts issued Tuesday morning just before the start of school and Thursday evening. The district did not cancel classes, and police sent additional patrols to the school Tuesday and Friday. School Resource Officer Sam Elias has been speaking with students and staff about the incidents, police said. The threatening language seen Thursday night on Instagram referenced the threat made earlier in the week against the sixth-through-eighth-grade school, officials said. "Coming for ya northeast," Thursday's posting stated, adding a derogatory term, according to a screenshot shared with lehighvalleylive.com. "I couldn't on Tuesday cause opps were everywhere buh Tmr FRIDAY March 9th (sic)." The incidents came about three weeks after an expelled 19-year-old allegedly opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at a high school in Florida, killing 17 people. Threats against school are a serious crime, DiLuzio said. "We're going to identify them, arrest them and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," he said, adding that the threats cause a lot of stress to students and parents. "It's time some of these people start going to jail for a long time." Police asked anyone with information relative to this incident or any other incident involving a Bethlehem Area school to call city detectives at 610-865-7187. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: 2 out-of-state kids eyed as source of Bethlehem school threats Bethlehem police were using their cyber crimes unit to try to determine the source of a second threat this week against a middle school in the city, the superintendent of schools said. Parents of Northeast Middle School students were alerted in an automated call Thursday night to the threat seen earlier in the evening on the photo-sharing social media platform Instagram. "It's not really deemed to be credible at this time, but they're investigating," Bethlehem Area schools Superintendent Joseph Roy told lehighvalleylive.com. As with the previous threat, posted Monday night, Northeast is not canceling classes. An increased police presence is planned during the school day Friday, as was the case Tuesday, officials said. Investigators have asked anyone with information the social media threats to call police at 610-865-7187. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Andrew Doerfler | for lehighvalleylive.com Need a lift? If you're in the Lehigh Valley, you're not alone in catching a ride to these 10 spots. Uber, the popular ride-sharing service, shared a list of the most popular destinations in the region, according to its data from the last 12 months. They include transportation hubs, colleges and, yes, plenty of bars. Don't Edit lehighvalleylive.com file photo 10. Molly's Irish Grille & Sports Pub 4 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem It's no surprise that people might need a ride to this popular South Side nightlife hotspot. Molly's Irish toggles between a chill Irish pub-themed hangout and a bumping, clubby atmosphere on weekend evenings. The menu combines bar grub and Irish classics, but some are more interested in drink specials like the notorious "Tide Pod Challenge" shot that was censored from Facebook. Don't Edit Tony Iannitelli 9. Muhlenberg College 2400 W. Chew St., Allentown The other side of the college night life coin, perhaps? Students taking an Uber out for the night probably also need one to get back to campus. Muhlenberg's student body of roughly 2,200 apparently makes good use of the service. Don't Edit Sue Beyer | For lehighvalleylive.com 8. Northampton Community College 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township Students seem to be catching plenty of rides to Northampton Community College, the school that ranked the highest on this list. The local community college, the state's most affordable college for residents of Northampton County, has a main campus in Bethlehem Township, along with other locations in South Bethlehem, Pocono Township and Easton. Don't Edit (RELATED: The 17 most popular Lehigh Valley bars of 2017) Don't Edit Don't Edit 7. Allentown Bus Terminal 325 Hamilton St. Allentown There's no long-term parking at this terminal, so it makes sense that people are hailing Uber rides to catch their buses. Bus services like Greyhound, Trans-Bridge, Bieber and Susquehanna Trailways depart from this station. Don't Edit Bill Adams | lehighvalleylive.com file photo 6. The Broadway Social 217 Broadway, Bethlehem Another South Bethlehem nightlife destination, The Broadway Social is a hotspot for dancing and, sometimes, risque entertainment like "Magic Male XXL." The bar has plans to expand into the building next door. Don't Edit Steve Novak | lehighvalleylive.com file photo 5. Tally Ho Tavern 205 W. Fourth St., Bethlehem South Bethlehem must be crawling with Uber drivers. Yet another neighborhood watering hole, Tally Ho is popular among the Lehigh University set but, if its Uber popularity is any indication, the bar must have plenty of fans off-campus, too. Don't Edit lehighvalleylive.com file photo 4. Fegley's Bethlehem Brew Works 559 Main St., Bethlehem While the South Side bar scene owns the most spots on this list, the north-side brewpub Fegley's Bethlehem Brew Works tops them at number 4. Its placement won't come as a shock to those who read our list of the 17 most popular Lehigh Valley bars of 2017. Don't Edit Nick Falsone | lehighvalleylive.com file photo 3. Lehigh Valley Mall 250 Lehigh Valley Mall Drive, Whitehall While other local malls are struggling, The Lehigh Valley Mall remains a popular shopping destination year-round. Its open-air section, opened in 2007, features hot retailers like the Apple Store and J. Crew, along with popular restaurants like Bonefish Grill. Don't Edit Don't Edit lehighvalleylive.com file photo 2. Lehigh Valley International Airport 3311 Airport Road, Hanover Township, Lehigh County It might not be a major hub, but the Lehigh Valley International Airport offers 11 nonstop destinations. For those hoping to beat longterm parking fees, Uber has proven a suitable alternative. It earns a high spot on this list despite suspending service between June and September last year over a contract dispute. Don't Edit lehighvalleylive.com file photo 1. Sands Bethlehem Casino Resort 770 Sands Blvd., Bethlehem Sands has plentiful free parking, on-site accommodations and lots of bus arrivals but for locals looking for a fun night out (perhaps with a few adult beverages), a ride service app makes for a reliable trip to and from the casino. Sands Bethlehem, which just announced plans to be sold, tops the list of Uber destinations for the last year. Don't Edit Don't Edit Mapping the top destinations The Lehigh Valley's top 10 Uber destinations have been marked in the map above. Don't Edit Read more about the Lehigh Valley's top destinations Las Vegas Sands selling Bethlehem casino for $1.3 billion Where Lehigh Valley colleges rank on 2018 top 20 lists The 17 most popular Lehigh Valley restaurants of 2017 Zagat lists top 11 reasons to visit the Lehigh Valley Don't Edit Don't Edit Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook. Sparks flew at Northampton Community College on Friday... literally. The American Welding Society held it's 48 th annual welding contest for vocational-technical students in eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. The contest ran from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at NCC's Hartzell Advanced Technology Hall. The following schools participated: Bethlehem Area VTS, Carbon County VTS, Career Institute of Technology, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna, Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, Monroe Career & Technical Institute, Upper Bucks Area VTS, and Warren County Technical School. Scroll through the gallery above to see the students at work. When the power went out March 2 at Carmen Acosta's home in Phillipsburg during the first of two nor'easters days apart, she set about doing the right thing. A branch had fallen in her neighbor's yard in the first block of Summit Avenue, and it took out the service lines for three homes, she said. By last Saturday, Acosta had found an electrician who would replace the weatherhead and the line at her home, and on Monday she got permits from town for the work, she said. They were soon ready for the power company and she said she informed a representative. JCP&L promised her, the 63-year-old former New Yorker said, that the power would be back by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. It wasn't. The power company did come. But it only hooked up one of the three services, she said. The cold was getting to Carmen, who said she has serious health issues, and her 68-year-old husband Ivan. They took their 25-year-old granddaughter on Wednesday night to a hotel in Bethlehem that their daughters found for them. And 10 minutes into the stay, the power went out, she said. They had to go home. To the cold. She was frantic by Thursday, saying JCP&L would no longer transfer her to a supervisor when she called. Town Mayor Stephen Ellis got involved, calling a local JCP&L representative and by Thursday afternoon, Carmen and Ivan were a priority, he said. Utility spokesman Ron Morano said the family's power would be back on by Friday. Thursday night, they had a more successful hotel stay. As they returned home Friday morning, a JCP&L work crew was right behind them, she said. "I was prepared to chain myself to the truck" if they refused to do the work, she said, finally able to laugh about her circumstance. By early in the afternoon, the power was on, the former caseworker for the juvenile justice system in New York said. "We got our house back," she said. Finally "the terrible cold" of the past few days -- which she was fighting off with a kerosene heater loaned to her by a neighbor -- was gone. JCP&L, a FirstEnergy company, said Friday an additional 400 utility workers were arriving to help restore service by 11:30 p.m. Saturday to all customers without power since the March 2 storm. "JCP&L has more than 5,000 people dedicated to restoring service to customers as well as addressing safety hazards and road closures from the recent storm that dumped up to an additional 25 inches of snow in portions of JCP&L's service area," the utility said in a news release. Crews are working around the clock to restore service to customers impacted by the second storm as follows: Central New Jersey, by 11:30 p.m. Sunday, March 11. Northern New Jersey, by 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14. As of Friday morning, about 10,000 JCP&L customers remained without power from the original event, the company said, and every effort was being made to restore their service. JCP&L had already restored service to about 385,000 customers, with about 80,000 remaining without power across northern and central New Jersey. In Phillipsburg, Carmen and Ivan said they were priced out of Brooklyn -- where she was born and raised -- and had moved to Queens, but when Ivan retired from his city job and Carmen became disabled, they took a small annuity and went looking for a new hometown. Two and a half years ago, they put the money down on a home in Phillipsburg "for our retirement," she said. "Phillipsburg made it possible for us to own a home. This is heaven for us," she said. "And I didn't know Downtown Easton was so close. That's like an added bonus." They lost food in the refrigerator and in a freezer downstairs, but little else, she said. Her feet had turned blue under her boots, but that won't happen with the heat back on. They were walking through the house Friday afternoon not turning on lights long after the power was restored. They were so used to being in the dark, she said. But it was warming up inside and life was returning to normal. "It was like a nightmare to us" to not have power for a week and not get the immediate assistance they sought. But that's all in the past now, she said. "Oh, yes, we're very happy," she said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: A week without power in Phillipsburg Much like the decidedly eastern preference of Wednesday's snowstorm, there are far more homes and businesses without power in Hunterdon and Warren counties than there are in Northampton and Lehigh counties a week after the first lights dimmed and went dark. Two nor'easters are the cause, but a Hunterdon County assemblyman figures there's more blame to go around as to why so many have been without power for so long. "These prolonged outages have become the norm following severe storms," Republican Erik Peterson said Thursday night in a news release. "While very inconvenient, they also create a health crisis. When people don't have electricity, they don't have water or septic. It's one thing to deal with the cold, but without water or septic, houses become uninhabitable." Peterson said he "fully" supports Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's decision to "direct BPU (Bureau of Public Utilities) to investigate the storm response as JCP&L's response to the storm has been a failure as thousands of people in our district are still without power from the first storm." Today, my office had directed @NJBPU to conduct a full investigation into the preparation and response efforts of utility companies for the most recent storms. We will examine what went wrong and what we can do to make sure this does not happen again. pic.twitter.com/nH3EbJTZI0 Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 8, 2018 As of late Friday morning, 5,826 JCP&L customers in Hunterdon County were still in the dark, led by 927 in Lebanon Township. In Warren County, 2,357 were still out, paced by the rural communities of Knowlton Township at 477 and Blairstown Township at 477. Outages were nearly cut in half in the last day in Warren County, while nearly 2,700 were eliminated from the Hunterdon list. In Northampton County, there were 206 Met-Ed customers without power, led by Forks Township at 79. No PPL customers were out in Lehigh or Northampton counties, its outage site shows. With more than 76,000 customers without power in New Jersey, JCP&L President Jim Fakult explained where the 4,400 workers will focus. "Our number one priority is restoring those customers who have been without power the longest," he said Thursday night in a news release. "We have a huge contingent of utility crews working 16-hour shifts around the clock to accomplish this goal, and with fair weather predicted in the days ahead, we're confident we will get the job done." Wednesday's powerful storm that tore through New Jersey, dropping up to two feet of wet snow, added 117,000 customers to the list, the utility said. For much of that day, crews couldn't do repairs because the conditions were too dangerous. Many of the areas in northwestern New Jersey hit hard by Wednesday's storm also got nailed by the 60 mph-plus gusts of the nor'eastern last Friday, the utility explains. "JCP&L is putting every resource available to restore power to" the thousands who lost power in the "original event," the utility said. For those who didn't lose power the first time around, "JCP&L continues evaluating system damage to establish restoration estimates for customers affected by the second storm," the utility said. The company "will address any new outages based on its priority system that deals with the largest outages first." Wonder if the folks in Puerto Rico are laughing at the folks bitching that there power has been out a few days #JCPL Steve DiGuiseppe (@scubasteved) March 8, 2018 Once the power's back on, the probe will seek answers, Murphy, in one of his first big challenges as governor, said. Murphy, in a Tweet on Thursday, said the state "will examine what went wrong and what we can do to make sure this does not happen again." Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Finance CapitaWorld to launch revolutionary Smart Loan-Disintermediation Ecosystem Platform for MSME 09.03.2018 08:53:19 - CapitaWorld- a leading digital platform that automates the entire loan value chain has today rolled out the first version of their revolutionary Smart Loan-Disintermediation Ecosystem, a fully integrated lending system which will be beneficiaryfor MSMEsthereby creating a new source of credit for a large, thriving sector of the economy whose borrowing options are limited (live-PR.com) - Hyderabad, 9th March 2018: CapitaWorld- a leading digital platform that automates the entire loan value chain has today rolled out the first version of their revolutionary Smart Loan-Disintermediation Ecosystem, a fully integrated lending system which will be beneficiaryfor MSMEsthereby creating a new source of credit for a large, thriving sector of the economy whose borrowing options are limited. Similarly, this Ecosystem - Hyderabad, 9th March 2018: CapitaWorld- a leading digital platform that automates the entire loan value chain has today rolled out the first version of their revolutionary Smart Loan-Disintermediation Ecosystem, a fully integrated lending system which will be beneficiaryfor MSMEsthereby creating a new source of credit for a large, thriving sector of the economy whose borrowing options are limited.Similarly, this Ecosystem will be a game changer for Banks/NBFCs, using this Ecosystem they can easily enforce credit discipline across banks and reduce deviant behaviour by individuals. This initiative will be a conduit for reducingNon-performing Assets (NPA)as it works on data transparency, data analytics, artificial intelligence which does not have any human biasness. The Smart Loan - Disintermediation Ecosystem will help MSMEs to ease the entire lending process by reducing the turnaround time by 70%. It will reduce the processes that took months to days and from days to hours infact real time as well.It will help people raise funds from banks and NBFCs by filling up the One Form which the system maps and matches with fund providers using proprietary processes along with validations, authentication and scoring, creating a complete, scalable and robust recommendation system thereby saving 60% branch level cost and 80% paperwork.Thissystem will also use analytics to carry out verification and credit risk scoring and then match the borrower with multiple partner banks and NBFCs whose credit risk appetite match the borrowers profile. Jinand shah, Founder & Promoter, CapitaWorld speaking on the benefits said, We have developed an innovative way to compete in lending space for thousands of mid-sized players. There isnt any process which gives ease in your paperwork with transparency. CapitaWorld is offering the MSMESs with something newer and faster. It will be a direct connect for the MSMEs to get funded. Commenting on the initiative, Shailesh Haribhakti Chairman, NHBS Group said, It will be a new platform for MSMEs where they can easily do the lending process, with hassle-free manner. CapitaWorld has created the worlds first end to end connected and fully integrated system with due diligence features for the market. This platform will help MSMEs to save time & energy. Also present at the launch Mohan Tanksale, Ex IBA Chiefhighlighted, There are significant advantages for both borrowers and lenders by entering into this type of arrangement. For hundreds of thousands of mid-sized businesses looking to borrow, there arent many options that provide a smooth, transparent experience.We are happy to stateCapitaWorld initiative is a real boon for the Banks as it will help the bank to reach out to theses MSMEsacross every segment of the country. About CapitaWorld - CapitaWorld is a unique fund raising platform, which is created as a one stop solution for the financial requirements of not only MSMEs (Individual/ Businessman), but also for Banks & NBFCs along with their Channels. CapitaWorld has built an Artificial Intelligence platform, where people can raise funds in an automated fashion. The Team comprises of extremely experienced banking personnel along with young and dynamic Tech Savvy personnel thereby creating complete, scalable and robust recommendation system. All these complex but business effective systems work in collaboration with each other, forming and strengthening the backbone of the company. Formed in March 2015, CapitaWorld has a tie up with 30 banks and NBFCs. CapitaWorld has also been instrumental in launching Union Bank Home Loan across the country. The tie up with NHBS have enhanced the credibility of the platform wherein the loan documents are verified, validated & authenticated by the process of due diligence. will be a game changer for Banks/NBFCs, using this Ecosystem they can easily enforce credit discipline across banks and reduce deviant behaviour by individuals. This initiative will be a conduit for reducingNon-performing Assets (NPA)as it works on data transparency, data analytics, artificial intelligence which does not have any human biasness.The Smart Loan - Disintermediation Ecosystem will help MSMEs to ease the entire lending process by reducing the turnaround time by 70%. It will reduce the processes that took months to days and from days to hours infact real time as well.It will help people raise funds from banks and NBFCs by filling up the One Form which the system maps and matches with fund providers using proprietary processes along with validations, authentication and scoring, creating a complete, scalable and robust recommendation system thereby saving 60% branch level cost and 80% paperwork.Thissystem will also use analytics to carry out verification and credit risk scoring and then match the borrower with multiple partner banks and NBFCs whose credit risk appetite match the borrowers profile.Jinand shah, Founder & Promoter, CapitaWorld speaking on the benefits said, We have developed an innovative way to compete in lending space for thousands of mid-sized players. There isnt any process which gives ease in your paperwork with transparency. CapitaWorld is offering the MSMESs with something newer and faster. It will be a direct connect for the MSMEs to get funded.Commenting on the initiative, Shailesh Haribhakti Chairman, NHBS Group said, It will be a new platform for MSMEs where they can easily do the lending process, with hassle-free manner. CapitaWorld has created the worlds first end to end connected and fully integrated system with due diligence features for the market. This platform will help MSMEs to save time & energy.Also present at the launch Mohan Tanksale, Ex IBA Chiefhighlighted, There are significant advantages for both borrowers and lenders by entering into this type of arrangement. For hundreds of thousands of mid-sized businesses looking to borrow, there arent many options that provide a smooth, transparent experience.We are happy to stateCapitaWorld initiative is a real boon for the Banks as it will help the bank to reach out to theses MSMEsacross every segment of the country.About CapitaWorld -CapitaWorld is a unique fund raising platform, which is created as a one stop solution for the financial requirements of not only MSMEs (Individual/ Businessman), but also for Banks & NBFCs along with their Channels. CapitaWorld has built an Artificial Intelligence platform, where people can raise funds in an automated fashion. The Team comprises of extremely experienced banking personnel along with young and dynamic Tech Savvy personnel thereby creating complete, scalable and robust recommendation system. All these complex but business effective systems work in collaboration with each other, forming and strengthening the backbone of the company. Formed in March 2015, CapitaWorld has a tie up with 30 banks and NBFCs. CapitaWorld has also been instrumental in launching Union Bank Home Loan across the country. The tie up with NHBS have enhanced the credibility of the platform wherein the loan documents are verified, validated & authenticated by the process of due diligence. Contact information: Blue Lotus Communications 305,AmsriShamira Complex,Hyderabad Contact Person: brix south south head Phone: 040-65792800 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.bluelotuspr.com Author: Dayanand Gunti e-mail Web: http://www.bluelotuspr.com Phone: 040-65792800 09.03.2018 08:53:19 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese military officer on Thursday defended the proposed rise of China's annual defense budget against a new round of "China threat theory." Whether a country is a threat to others or not is not determined by its national strength and armed forces, but by the policy it adopts, said Lieutenant-General He Lei, deputy head of the Academy of Military Science of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). He made the remarks at a group interview on the sidelines of the annual session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC). "China has always followed the path of peaceful development and pursued a national defense policy that is in its nature defensive," said He, who is also a deputy to the NPC. Therefore, China's development does not pose a threat to any other country, said He, stressing that no matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion. In addition, it will never engage in "arms race" with any other country, said He. China plans to raise its defense budget by 8.1 percent to 1.11 trillion yuan (about 175 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, according to a budget report submitted to the NPC session on Monday. China's defense budget is objective, authentic, and transparent, said He, adding that the increase is legitimate and prudent. He explained that a large part of the increased spending is for upgrading equipment, supporting military reforms, and improving the training conditions and welfare of servicemen and women. Hyping up the "China threat theory" is an outdated trick aimed at inciting confrontation between China and its neighbors, said He. Stock Market News BAE Systems shares rise on news of possible Saudi Typhoon purchase 09-03-2018 15:36 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Friday broker round-up 09-03-2018 11:23 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News Friday newspaper round-up: Trump tariffs, Budget, Shell, Aviva accused 09-03-2018 06:46 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News FTSE 100 movers: Severn Trent boosted by upgrade, Aviva recovers 09-03-2018 14:05 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Stock Market News London pre-open: Stocks seen muted ahead of payrolls 09-03-2018 07:32 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk Outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn (L) listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 8, 2018. [Photo/Agencies] After a week of hints and uncertainty, President Donald Trump said Thursday he would announce tariffs on imported steel and aluminum but with temporary exemptions for Canada and Mexico as he seeks to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement. He suggested Australia and "other countries" might also be spared, a shift that could soften the international blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely exempted from the duties, according to people outside the White House who were briefed on the plans Thursday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the president's signing of the orders. "We're going to be very fair, we're going to be very flexible but we're going to protect the American worker as I said I would do in my campaign," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. The president reiterated that he would levy tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum but would "have a right to go up or down depending on the country and I'll have a right to drop out countries or add countries. I just want fairness."The president indicated Canada and Mexico's treatment would be connected to the ongoing NAFTA talks, which are expected to resume in early April. The people briefed on the plans said all countries affected by the tariffs would be invited to negotiate with the Trump administration to be exempted from the tariffs if they can address the threat their exports pose to U.S. manufacturers. The people said the exclusions for Canada and Mexico could be ended if talks to renegotiate NAFTA stall. The process of announcing the penalties has been the subject of an intense debate and chaotic exchanges within the White House, pitting hard-liners against free trade advocates such as outgoing economic adviser Gary Cohn aiming to add more flexibility for U.S. trading partners. The fight over tariffs comes amid intense turmoil in the West Wing, which has seen waves of departures and negative news stories that have left Trump increasingly isolated in the Oval Office, according to two senior officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking. Trump was still hearing last-minute pleas from opponents of the tariff plan, and White House officials said they couldn't predict how the day would shake out. Steel and aluminum workers were invited to the White House for the afternoon announcement with Trump. Congressional Republicans and business groups are bracing for the impact of the tariffs and the departure of Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who has opposed them. House Speaker Paul Ryan, appearing at a session with Home Depot employees in Atlanta, said ahead of Trump's announcement, "I'm just not a fan of broad-based, across-the-board tariffs." He pointed to the store's many products that rely on steel and aluminum. More than 100 House Republicans wrote Trump on Wednesday, asking him to reconsider "the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences" to the U.S. economy and workers. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican, said he plans to introduce legislation next week to nullify the tariffs though he has acknowledged that finding the votes to stop the president's actions could be difficult. Business leaders, meanwhile, continue to sound the alarm about the potential economic fallout from tariffs, with the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce raising the specter of a global trade war. That scenario, Tom Donohue said, would endanger the economic momentum from the GOP tax cuts and Trump's rollback of regulations. "We urge the administration to take this risk seriously," Donohue said. The president has said the tariffs are needed to reinforce lagging American steel and aluminum industries and protect national security. He has tried to use the tariffs as leverage in ongoing talks to renegotiate NAFTA, suggesting Canada and Mexico might be exempted from tariffs if they offer more favorable terms under the trade agreement. The diplomacy to be rolled out by President Xi Jinping as head of state this year will "write a whole new chapter" of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Domestic and foreign reporters vie for a chance to ask a question during a news conference with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.[Photo by Kuang Linhua/ China Daily] Xi will chair four major events to be hosted by China at home this year, Wang noted at a news conference on Thursday when asked about the kind of diplomacy conducted by the top Chinese leader. Diplomacy by heads of state is the highest form of international exchange, and it comes with strategic value that exchanges in other forms cannot replace, Wang said. This year China will host the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit and the first China International Import Expo. Xi will also attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa, the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Papua New Guinea and the G20 Summit in Argentina this year. Xi's diplomatic style shows his dedication to the welfare of Chinese people, as well as his sense of duty to China and the world, Wang said. Reviewing Xi's diplomatic footprints, Wang said the president has been personally involvedand has acted as the chief architectin planning and executing China's top-level diplomacy. Xi has visited 57 countries and received more than 110 foreign heads of state since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. Such diplomacy has deepened the world's understanding of China, boosted China's profile and influence and laid down a blueprint for the resolution of many global problems, Wang said. Xi's leadership and charisma have earned him and his country many friends among foreign leaders representing a diverse range of cultures and social systems, he added. The term "head-of-state diplomacy" was mentioned by Xi as he hosted visiting President Donald Trump of the United States in November. He noted that he and Trump agreed to maintain contact at the highest level as they strategically navigate bilateral ties. Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said head-of-state diplomacy allows political navigation to take place at a strategic height, and it boosts China's ties with other countries. Such top-level interaction has helped boost global governance by bringing China's wisdom into play as anti-globalization ideas are spreading and trade protectionism is on the rise, Ruan said. A draft amendment to the charter of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's political advisory body, was submitted for deliberation Thursday at the ongoing session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee. "New content includes the new important thinking, views, judgments, and measures proposed at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC)," said Zhang Qingli, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, when briefing political advisors on the revision. Major decisions and plans concerning the CPPCC's work made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core since the 18th CPC National Congress, as well as the CPPCC's achievements in theoretical, practical and institutional innovation are also planned to be added, he said. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has been incorporated into the guiding theories of the CPPCC. Scientific Outlook on Development has also been added, according to the draft amendment. The definition of the CPPCC's nature and tasks has been enriched. Expressions, such as "[the CPPCC] is an important component of China's governance system and an institutional arrangement unique to China," have been added, the draft read. In addition, the draft said a new paragraph on socialist consultative democracy has been added. "Consultative democracy is a model and strength unique to China's socialist democracy. The CPPCC is a major channel for socialist consultative democracy, and its committees are specialist consultative bodies," part of the paragraph read. Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and host of the presidium meeting of the session of the political advisory body, was present at Thursday's meeting. The CPPCC is an important organ for multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC. The current CPPCC charter was adopted in 1982 and has undergone three amendments in 1994, 2000, and 2004. The session, which opened on March 3, will run until March 15. Mee-Mann Chang, a Chinese professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.[File Photo: sxkx.gov.cn] Chinese scientist Mee-Mann Chang made the list of five laureates of the 2018 L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards, an initiative to promote greater gender equality in science, the UN agency said on Thursday in a communique. At a ceremony scheduled for March 22 at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "will recognize five leading women scientists and shine a spotlight on 15 talented young female scientists." This year, the organisers "have recognized five exceptional female scientists," among them Chang, a Chinese professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. She was nominated for "her pioneering work on fossil records leading to insights on how aquatic vertebrates adapted to life and land," UNESCO said in a statement. The other four laureates are Heather Zar from South Africa, Caroline Dean of Britain, Amy Austin from Argentina and Canada's Janet Rossant. "Each of the five laureates will receive a prize of 100,000 euros (124,170 U.S. dollars) and be honored for her contribution in the fields of medicine, palaeontology, molecular biology, ecology and developmental biology," it added. The five scientists were selected by an independent jury of 10 high-profile members of the international science community, chaired this year by Elizabeth Blackburn, laureate of the 2008 award and of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009. For almost 20 years, the L'Oreal Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO, has celebrated five exceptional female researchers every year and has been committed to promoting equality between women and men in science. Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region witnessed its GDP grow 10 percent in 2017 from a year ago, marking the 25th straight year of double-digit growth. Tibet's GDP reached 131.06 billion yuan ($20.5 billion) in 2017, and per-capita disposable income of its rural residents exceeded 10,000 yuan, said Qi Zhala, the region's Communist Party vice secretary and a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress, according to Economic Daily on Thursday. "Tibet has to handle relations between government investment and social investment," he said. The unity of the Chinese people and China's policies including many targeted policies are the reasons for Tibet's stable economic development, Xiong Kunxin, a professor at Tibet University in Lhasa told the Global Times on Thursday. In 2018, the Tibetan government set a GDP growth target of about 10 percent, with an 18 percent increase in fixed-asset investment, a more than 10 percent rise in urban per capita disposable income as well as 13 percent for rural, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Chinese experts on Wednesday expounded on the efforts and achievements in the cultural development of Tibet during an event on the sidelines of the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Xinhua reported. Improvement and support for Tibetan people's livelihoods and culture are applauded by the Tibetan people, Xiong said. "The Western media often hold a biased opinion when talking about the issue of China's human rights I suggest they come to visit and see Tibet with their own eyes." China likely to reduce reliance on wide capital support for growth: central bank governor BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China is likely to reduce reliance on wide capital support for economic growth as the country seeks high-quality development, China's central bank governor said Friday. Liquidity conditions might not necessarily become tight as China improves utilization efficiency of broad money supply, Zhou Xiaochuan, head of the People's Bank of China, told a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Financial risks in China's property market is controllable as the country has taken a string of prudential regulation policies, a central bank official said Friday. Banks' bad loan rate related with the property sector is lower than the overall bad loan rate, Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, told a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. Pan said housing loans have maintained stable growth, outpacing the overall credit growth in 2017 and January, which are enough to meet the housing market's demand. He added that the mortgage rate rose a little bit as a market-oriented move, but is still within a low range seen from the long term. China will urge commercial banks to take a differentiated approach in issuing housing loans to offer more support to home buyers, especially new urban residents, Pan said. The leverage growth in individual loan is a little fast and some radical property developers pose certain financial risks, which are being watched closely, he said. Luz Paniceres, 80 years old, was standing still yesterday afternoon in the middle of Palacio Valdes Street, the popular "Acerona" in Gijon. She was waiting to see the great feminist demonstration in Asturias, called for in the Jovellanos village, because "when I was young we did not own anything, not even a glass of water. And because we deserve it, we have always been discriminated against, and since we couldnt do anything about it, it can happen for those who come behind", she stated with the knowing gaze of a group of friends. Unknowingly, standing on the "Acerona", she witnessed a demonstration that the organizers described as "historical": more than 20,000 women on the street to reclaim their rights. The massive morning gatherings in the squares of the different town halls made it clear that the afternoon would be a purple tide to remember. But the forecasts of the most optimistic ones fell short: "We are more than 20,000 people demonstrating, this is already an overflow", shouted through the megaphone one of those in charge of cheering up the head of the gathering, which left Plaza del Humedal at seven o'clock in the evening and at half past eight, there were still demonstrators around. The human tide started moving under so many flags and banners as participants grouped under the umbrella of the 8M movement, organizer of the acts, and did not stop chanting for a moment the wage demands, against sexist violence, against sexism and against all kinds of discrimination against women in general. By then, the union representatives had qualified the call as a "success" without palliatives. The head of equality at CC OO, Ana Maria Rodriguez, predicted that the International Women's Day celebrated yesterday "will be a turning point in the fight for women's rights", and the deputy secretary general of UGT Asturias, Nerea Monroy, highlighted the follow-up of the strikes "that has been noticed in large companies such as Arcelor or Thyssen and also in stores that have closed throughout the day", setting "a precedent in the feminist movement" and launching "a clear message to the central Government to put in place measures that eradicate the wage gap, discrimination and gender violence". Sara Combarros described the demonstration as a "feminist overflow", and throughout the tour there was a memory for all. For those present and those absent, those who striked and those who could not, the youngest and the oldest, the hetero and the homosexual, the white and the black. After a long hour of marching, with the Plaza del Marques so crowded with people, with batucada, applauses and shouts, the minute of silence in memory of Paz Fernandez Borrego, the woman from Gijon murdered after disappearing in Navia, was especially emotional. After being quiet as a tomb, the silence exploded in a resounding "not even one less, we want us alive" that was followed by the songs of the Coru Internacional Matriarcal y Antifascista "Al Altu la Lleva". The climax came with the reading of the manifesto under the motto "Together we are more", to denounce budget cuts, patriarchal justice and repression. It took a long time to clear the area. And as they chanted, "then you will say we are five or six". A series of cheeky photos of a plus-size model gorging on sweet dumplings while wearing retro clothing is popular on the Chinese internet, as the country celebrates its traditional Lantern Festival, when these snacks are commonly eaten. The photos are self-portraits by a clothing designer specializing in the (somewhat niche!) area of Tang Dynasty-style clothes for larger women. They have received nearly 10,000 likes on Sina Weibo, Chinas equivalent of Twitter, and have been reposted by museums in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, home to the ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty. The woman in the fancy frock goes by the screen name Aoluojia. After creating a similar group of photos for Chinese New Year, she said she was surprised by their popularity. I hope these pictures can make people laugh during the festival. The original idea of the woman dressed in Han-style clothes eating sweet dumplings was to combine traditional culture and popular internet jokes, she told Beijing Youth Daily. Aoluojia, a 38-year-old mother, saw her weight rise to over 90 kilograms after giving birth early this year. She had the idea to redesign her clothing line for plus-size women, believing there were few companies serving this group. Now the dumpling photos have brought Aoluojias clothes to wide attention, she said she plans to produce more "Tang Dynasty Ladies" series for other Chinese holiday seasons. Dr. Peggy Lai learned a very valuable lesson when she began the preliminary work for her study on indoor air pollution in Uganda: listen to the research participants. Through the Awards & Grants Program, the American Lung Association awarded Dr. Lai a research grant to study how indoor microbes in rural Uganda change after the introduction of chickens, and how that can affect lung health. She also wanted to look at air pollutants in cooking spaces while she was measuring the indoor air quality. According to the World Health Organization, women who are exposed to high levels of indoor smoke (e.g., from cooking with wood or coal over an open flame) are twice as likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to women who cook with cleaner fuels. For her research, Dr. Lai spoke with residents of the Ugandan village, and they told her to also consider the pollution caused by lighting sources. In Mbarara where the study was conducted, there is limited electricity, and most families rely on other ways to power their lighting, including solar panels and kerosene-powered lamps (hurricane lamps and open wick lamps). To test the pollution caused by both cooking and lighting sources, Dr. Lai and her team measured particle pollution in outdoor cooking areas, indoor cooking areas (usually separated from the main home) and the indoor living areas. They recorded the pollution levels in these three areas during two different periods over a year. "When I later went to the field during that visit, I realized that in rural Uganda pretty much everyone cooks outside of their main home," Dr. Lai said. "Even the poorest prefer to cook outdoors if they can't afford a separate kitchen. But lighting choice was not uniform and was dictated by socioeconomic status." As predicted, the study showed that air pollution levels in the indoor cooking areas were incredibly high, sometimes 10 times more than the World Health Organization's recommended levels. Quite surprisingly, in homes that used kerosene lamps, the indoor pollution levels were also above recommended amounts. In homes using solar panels as their main lighting source, pollution levels met recommended standards. "Our study did not specifically look at health effects since it requires a different study design, which is why we are now applying for funding to study the health effects of this exposure," Dr. Lai said. "Since kerosene is similar in composition to jet fuel, it is reasonable to believe that breathing in kerosene combustion byproducts is bad for your lungs." Dr. Lai and her research team are compiling and analyzing the data with microbes from their primary study and plan to release those results at a later time. This article originally appeared in the American Lung Associations Advancing Research magazine. China will cut rates for mobile internet services by at least 30 percent before the end of 2018 through abolishing domestic data roaming fees, according to the work report delivered by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Monday morning at the opening of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature. Workers share their photos online via mobile phones on a lantern fair during the past Lantern Festival in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei province. (Photo from Peoples Daily) China will do more to speed up broadband and bring down internet rates, achieve high-speed broadband access in both urban and rural areas, and make free internet access available in more public areas, said Premier Li Keqiang. In addition, the country will, according to the report, significantly lower the rates of home broadband, and corporate broadband as well as dedicated internet access services. These steps will bring tangible benefits to people and businesses, and boost the development of a Digital China, the report added. We will lower the costs of mobile data packages by more than 30 percent by the end of this year, as lots of measures will be adopted to speed up broadband and bring down internet rates, Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology told Peoples Daily during an interview on the sidelines of the session. He explained that apart from abolishing domestic data roaming fees, the unit price of mobile data will also be reduced. Millions of Chinese households have already benefited from the multiple measures implemented in the past three years to speed up broadband and cut service rates. China is home to the most fiber and mobile broadband users in the world, said Miao, adding that 70 percent of Chinas home broadband users now have a bandwidth of over 50M, and the number of Chinas 4G network users is close to 1 billion. As part of efforts to lower internet fees, the country has sped up broadband while maintaining original charges, adopted rollover data services and abolished the long-distance and roaming charges of voice calls, according to Miao. To be specific, the unit price for broadband services and mobile communications has dropped by 90 percent and 83.5 percent, respectively, the minister added. Miao pledged that the ministry will step up efforts to fulfill the missions. Apart from lowering the costs of mobile data packages by 30 percent, the ministry will also encourage the reduction of rates of home broadband, corporate broadband and dedicated internet access services, he elaborated. But from 1840, with the influx of English settlers, Maori were pushed from their lands and assimilation began. Colonial laws were passed banning what are known as tohunga, or Maori experts, and children were caned for speaking Maori at school. By the 1970s, the moko had all but died out. Only a few female elders carried it, and elsewhere facial tattoos had negative connotations; adopted by disaffected urban Maori, they became associated with gangs and crime. Things started to change in the 1980s, with a push to revive Maori language and culture, and in recent years there has been a revival in the ancient practice among both elders and young Maori women. Ta moko artist Pip Hartley, 33, is one of a new generation of Maori who are carrying the art form forward. When she was 18 she started traveling to remote regions of the country to learn the ancient art, before opening her Auckland tattoo studio, Karanga Ink, this year. The moko process is intensely personal, Pip tells Broadly. "I prefer to draw straight onto the person, because it's an exchange of wairua, or energy. It's working with the contours of their body and translating their story, and for a lot of people it's a transformative experience. Every time they see it, it's a reminder of what they've achieved, and that their tupuna [ancestors] have their back." When a woman is ready to receive her moko kauae, there is an internal calling, Pip says. "It's definitely them representing their culture and making a commitment to it, and having a closer connection to their ancestors. There are people who might look at it with one eyebrow up, not understanding it, but I think that is something these wahine [women] are ready forto feel confident within themselves. I can't wait to get mine." For weaver Jude Hoani, receiving her moko last year was about defining who she is. "I've got one of those faces that can fit in many cultures," she tells Broadly, "and for me it was about making a statement about who I am in relation to this country. I'd been thinking about it for the past 20 years." I'd been thinking about it for the past 20 years. Jude (below) first broached the subject with her late husband. "He said, 'I don't want you to have it done.' I said 'Well, it's not your business, and you're not part of the decision-making process at all, and you need to understand that." Her cousin, renowned ta moko artist Gordon Toi, would tease Jude, telling her: "I've got a seat for you on my table." When Jude's older brother died of kidney failure, her decision was made. "We were very, very close. Around that time, Gordon just sort of reappeared in my life, and I said, 'Well, I'm ready to get on your table.' " With the opening of the 13th National Peoples Congress (NPC) on Monday, Shen Jilan, an 89-year-old woman from rural Shanxi province in north China, has created a record by serving as a deputy in all 13 terms of the NPC, China's top legislative body. Shen Jilan (2nd left) visits local villagers on February 11 to collect public opinions as a reference to make proposals for the upcoming 13th National Peoples Congress. (Pho-to by Yang Junfeng from Peoples Daily) Shen, who was elected to a deputy to the 1st NPC in 1954, is the only person receiving this honor in the 64-year history of the NPC. The NPC is the highest organ of state power in China. Delegates all over the country convene in Beijing every March to propose bills, approve the amendments or enaction of laws, and every five years vote for state leaders. Shen, an amiable rural woman always in simple clothes, showed her talents when rural agricultural cooperatives were set up around the country to encourage collective farm-ing after the nation was founded in 1949. Owing to some backward traditional ideas, a majority of women were reluctant to do the farm work. Shen took the lead to join the local cooperative, and also encouraged other women to do the same by door-to-door visits. As a result, they fulfilled tasks, improved farming techniques and greatly raised productivity. Shens story, becoming a sensation at that time after being covered by Peoples Daily, promoted the constitutionalization of the equal rights of men and women in 1954. Over the past six decades, the female representative has been awarded the title of National Model Worker for many times and received by Chinese top leaders. She also introduced Chinas achievements in womens liberation to foreign friends during her visits abroad. Shen Jilan participates in the forestation campaign in September, 1981 at Xigou Village in Shanxi province. (File photo) Im still a farmer, replied Shen when local administration suggested her to relocate to the urban areas for a better livelihood. She insisted on living in the countryside, and each year she would make proposals related to farmers at the NPC meetings. With joint efforts, the town she lives in has shaken off poverty like many other villages in China, and her fellow villagers are all leading a well-off life. The 13-time female delegate is also a reflection of the rising political status of Chinese women. A total of 742 female delegates have been elected to the ongoing 13th NPC, accounting for 24.9 percent of the total representatives. The number has hit a historic high. This content is from: Patents The EMEA Awards Dinner was held at The Savoy in London on March 8, and recognised the best intellectual property firms in 25 countries and by region Thiruvananthapuram: With the approval of prominent Trade Unions the state government has decided to end Nookukooli from May 1 onwards. The decision was taken at a meeting headed by the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The meeting called by the Chief Minister was attended by Labour Minister TP Ramakrishnan and state leaders of national trade union organisations. The unions unanimously decided to back the government in the move to abolish Nookukooli. Hanoi: A street vendor in Vietnam appears to be above his competition. He's none other a cute 3-year-old cat and his owner Le Quoc Phong calls him Dog. The merchant duo has been spotted in a local market quite few times. Like a true businessman, Dog is always well dressed, looking stylish during the working hours. 'Dog loves ice cream, traveling and sleeping, his owner said. He also has a lot of girlfriends in the country. Le Quoc Phong gave his pet such a peculiar name because it usually breathes and acts like a pup. However, his images are making headlines not only in Vietnam, but in Thailand and China as well. Talking about his adorable costumes, his owner revealed that 'Dog' is very co-operative while wearing dress. Hyderabad: Balapur police on last day arrested four Rohingyas including a woman, for fraudulently obtaining identification documents including Aadhaar, Electoral Photo identity card and driving licence. The police said that the refugees had managed to obtain the identity documents with the help of a few brokers in the city. The arrested have been remanded to the judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the center's response on a plea of Rohingyas seeking education and healthcare on the lines of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who are given such facilities in Tamil Nadu. China doesnt want trade war, but will respond if necessary: spokesman China does not want a trade war with the US, but will not sit idle and watch if any US moves hurt China's interests, a senior Chinese diplomat told a recent press conference. Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), answers questions during a press conference on the NPC session in Beijing, March 4, 2018. (Photo by Weng Qiyu from Peoples Daily Online) The statement by Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, came amidst rising concerns over trade tensions between the worlds two largest economies after US President Donald Trump announced a plan to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trade ties between China and the US are essentially mutually beneficial, but there would be certain frictions given the huge bilateral trade, Zhang pointed out, adding that China-US trade surpassed $580 billion last year. The best way to address frictions is to open up markets further, expand the pie of cooperation, and work together to find solutions acceptable to both sides through dialogue and consultation, the spokesperson added. Given the differences in social systems, history, culture and development stages, it's normal for China and the US to hold different ideas on certain agenda, but such differences or frictions do not necessarily lead to confrontation, he stressed. If policies are made based on mistaken judgments or assumptions, it will damage bilateral ties and bring about consequences that neither country wants to see, Zhang added, saying that it's imperative for the two parties to perceive each other's strategic intentions in an objective and accurate way and keep the direction of bilateral ties on track. Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong also stressed that China does not want a trade war with the US, saying that no one will emerge a winner in a trade war. China and the US are consulting each other in this regard, said Li, also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). China hopes that both sides could obey international rules, especially that of the World Trade Organization (WTO), he noted. Ahead of the 8 March International Working Women's Day strike, Lucha de Clases published this article explaining that the struggle for women's liberation is also a fight against capitalism, which entrenches gender inequality. The article calls for a general strike and unified action by men and women workers to overthrow the chauvenistic capitalist system. The incredible success of the women's strike has changed the entire situation in Spain, as Jorge Martin explains; and such unified struggle against exploitation and oppression must be adopted going forward. Article originally published 7 March. On 8 March, International Working Women's Day, we will have a day of struggle, in which millions of women from all over the world will go out to the streets to demand their rights. For the first time in Spain, different unions have called a one-day general strike, with the aim of combating gender inequality in the workplace and sexism. Minority unions like CGT and SAT, together with the feminist movement, have called a 24-hour general strike. Furthermore, the larger unions like CCOO and UGT, have joined by calling for partial stoppages of two hours per shift. Demonstrations and rallies have also been called in all cities and it is expected that, as in previous years, these will be massive labour movement mobilizations. Women workers, the most exploited sector of our class There are many reasons for these mobilizations. Although in the last several decades democratic improvements and fundamental rights have been achieved, women workers continue to suffer a double oppression: as women and as workers. As Marxists, we are against any type of oppression and therefore, we support those demands that advance the emancipation of women. Even today, the wages of women are lower than those of our male colleagues: on average by 23 percent. This figure is exacerbated if we take into account that women have shorter working hours: 24 percent of women workers do not work full time, compared to 7.8 percent of male workers. Feminized sectors of the economy, like telemarketing, tend to be the most precarious / Image: Flickr, Jimmy Hilario This fact not only condemns us to a situation of inequality in the present, it also has future consequences, since when women have reduced working hours and lower incomes, they will have lower pensions when they reach retirement age. This is something that we can verify with current data. The average pension of women in Spain is 718.23 a month, for men it is 1,140.4. Women also make up 76.55 percent of non-contributory pensions: those received by pensioners who have not been able to meet the minimum contribution years. We must bear in mind that women workers encounter multiple obstacles to accessing a job. If we look at unemployment statistics, 58 percent of the unemployed people are women, the remaining 42 percent are men. If they are hired, women encounter many prejudices, especially if they are of childbearing age and particularly in certain industries that have traditionally been occupied by men. This occurs in a generalized manner, except in the feminized sectors of the economy tend to be the most precarious. Examples of this are telemarketing and in nursing. The situation has also been highlighted by recent struggles by the Kellys (floor maids), who have lately begun to organise for their rights. In Spain 65 are murdered by men each year and more than 1,200 rapes are reported / Image: Kali L. Gradishar The difficulties of women entering the labor market; coupled with the wage gap and precarious employment, in many cases condemn women to economic dependence on men, which places them in a most unfavorable situation within the family unit. When a person does not produce in the capitalist system, they are considered a social burden; this generates a series of tensions and pressures, which introduce a huge amount of distortions in relationships. The most extreme expression of the tensions generated by capitalism within the family is male chauvinist violence. In Spain, over the last decade, on average 65 women have been murdered by men each year and more than 1,200 rapes are reported: this means a rape every 8 hours. This violence is sustained through the cultural and moral influence of patriarchal society, which still survives and is reinforced in the capitalist system. This is where the right of property extends to conjugal life where the woman is considered the property of the man. A struggle only of women? The struggle for equality is not only a matter of gender, it is also a matter of class. Here, our natural ally is the working class man and not the bourgeois woman. The latter are separated from our demands when there is talk of unemployment or a strike in the workplace, as the leader of Citizens, Ines Arrimadas, and the ministers of the PP government have made clear in relation to 8 March this year. They are defenders of the system from which they derive their privileges and they themselves, in the business or political sphere, carry out actions that oppress us. Bourgeois women like Ines Arrimadas ultimately serve the ruling class / Image: Ministerio de la Presidencia. Gobierno de Espana Bourgeois women do not hesitate to use working class women to get a greater share of power in the business and political sphere, but when we go further and demand wage improvements in our workplaces or the socialization of domestic work, they do not hesitate to take off the mask and defend the safeguard of the established order that oppresses us and rewards them in turn. Therefore, we do not share the position of the so-called Feminist Coordination to exclude male workers and male social activists, both from the tasks of organization and participation in the 8 March strike and mobilizations. As Marxists, we argue that the best way to combat the prejudices that many men of our class still have towards women's struggle for equality is to incorporate them into our struggle and make them aware of our problems. And that can only be done by fighting side by side. Fighting for our emancipation as women of the working class must be linked to our emancipation as a social class. Women should not fight to have the same precarious conditions as our male comrades. Women and men must fight to end the precariousness of working and social conditions for all. In the same way that it is not possible to overthrow capitalism without incorporating women into the struggle, we will not be able to overthrow patriarchy by leaving our male comrades behind. Only if we unite male and female workers will we be able to accomplish the struggle for equal pay / Image: Elvert Barnes In the concrete, we see how demands as equal pay for equal work are also demands that concern male workers. Workers hired by subcontractors or multi-service companies have lower wages than colleagues in their parent company. Also in privatized services, such as education or health, professionals have lower salaries in the private sector than in the public. Only if we unite male and female workers will we be able to accomplish the historical struggle for equal pay for work of equal value. Nor do we want to get rid of the burden of domestic work to unload it onto our partners. We must fight together for the socialization of these tasks, so that the conditions are given so that both women and men of the working class can reconcile our personal and professional lives. No to a symbolic strike In order to organise the working class as a whole we need a real general strike, in which the trade union organizations unite and raise a common struggle of female and male workers. The call issued by the main unions consists of partial, two-hour strikes by women, while the rest of the smaller union organizations call for a 24-hour strike. Both leave the decision by men on whether to participate to their own individual choice. All this creates a series of weaknesses that hinder the success of the movement. A symbolic women's strike is not enough / Image: Lucha de Clases In the shop steward committees, information is lacking on the part of the union leaders, which in many workplaces means mass meetings are not being organised. This prevents female and male workers from having enough information and support from their union organizations. In practice, this means leaving the workers alone when it comes to participating in the strike. We run the risk that this strike day will be merely symbolic, something that these trade union leaders take for granted: especially the CCOO and UGT, who seem to have been dragged by the rest of union and social organizations into supporting this call. This is something that undoubtedly weighs not only on the preparations for the strike, but will also play a role on 8 March, since it does not seem likely we can count on a deployment of union forces that can guarantee a real general strike. We need a real general strike, in which the trade union organizations unite and raise a common struggle of female and male workers / Image: Rachel librarian It is not a symbolic strike that we need. We need a real, united 24-hour strike with the largest deployment of union forces. Only in this way can we put the system in check and place ourselves in a better position to achieve, not only our emancipation as women, but also as a class. Nadia Garcia is a union delegate of the SAT in Adecco-Procavi (Marchena, Seville), Aura Orbe is a health worker affiliated with CCOO-Sevilla. This article was originally published in Spanish on Lucha de Clases. Trump agrees to meet DPRK's Kim by May, tweets about "great progress" WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at Kim's invitation, "to achieve permanent denuclearization", a visiting South Korean envoy said here on Thursday. Trump could be the first sitting U.S. president to meet the DPRK's top leader, which observers say would be a big step toward resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Kim has said the DPRK "will refrain from any further nuclear or missile test," Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's top national security adviser, told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on the outcome of a South Korean delegation's meeting with Kim earlier this week. Kim was also committed to denuclearization of the DPRK, Chung added. "He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue," said Chung, who arrived in Washington Thursday with South Korean National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon. The White House has announced that routine U.S. military exercises with allies in Asia will continue. The next U.S.-South Korean drill is expected in April. Signs of further detente on the Korean Peninsula were detected as Kim made a tension-easing gesture during the high-level South Korean delegation's two-day visit to Pyongyang. For the first time since he assumed power, Kim personally hosted a dinner for the delegation. "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said. "Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," the envoy added. He said Seoul and Washington are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. Trump posted a tweet soon. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea (DPRK) during this period of time," the tweet said. He added: "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump "will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined." "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea (DPRK). In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," Sanders added. Washington has been pushing forward its "maximum pressure" campaign against Pyongyang mainly through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Experts say the strategy may not achieve its expected results but could further escalate tensions. U.S. lawmakers appeared to be cautiously optimistic about the dramatic easing of tension between Washington and Pyongyang. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement that the United States now has "the best hope in decades to resolve this threat peacefully." Edward Royce, a Republican Congressman and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: "We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce." On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the United States and the DPRK to hold talks sooner rather than later. He also called for resolving the legitimate security concerns of all sides including the DPRK on an equal footing. SPRINGFIELD -- Owner Federico Mendiola was careful Thursday to warn a visitor to knock the snow off his shoes before coming into the new Frontera Grill restaurant at 1411 Boston Road. "Get rid of winter," he said. "Because you are about to walk into Mexico." Or at least a place that smells, tastes and even looks like Mexico. The wood carvings? The colorful tiles? The chairs with their woven bases and stretched cowhide? The brightly painted ceramic light fixtures? All of it from Tlaquepaque, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where craftspeople keep Mexican folk art alive. "Mucho dinero," Mendiola joked. "But you know the people from Springfield and surrounding areas will love it. We have been waiting for a long time." And the food? "We make everything from scratch," Mendiola said."We make our own sauces. We don't have sauces in a bottle that were made in some warehouse." And all the fruit juice in the drinks is fresh. Mendiola already has a Frontera Grill in Chicopee. Most of the 50 employees at the Springfield location came from Chicopee. "We wanted to give our customers the best experience," he said. "We want to give it that old western style from old Mexico." Mendiola said the spot at the corner of Boston Road and Parker Street is perfect. It's near the city's colleges, its main shopping corridor and Indian Orchard. The band Mariachi Mexico Antiguo played the opening. Mendiola said he plans to bring them back every Thursday afternoon. They play Wednesdays at the Chicopee restaurant. The restaurant building housed a Ruby Tuesday until the chain closed it in August 2016. Landlords Basser-Kaufman in Woodmere, New York, marketed the real estae for years, but executives there said about a year ago that Ruby Tuesday was still paying rent. An 80-year-old tenant in an Andover apartment building died after firefighters removed him from his apartment as they battled a two-alarm fire in the building, the Boston Globe reported. Andover Fire Department officials said the victim was found unresponsive in his apartment at 30 Railroad St. just before 11 a.m., the Essex District Attorney's Office said. The man was transported to Lawrence General Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The residents in the 157-unit building were moved to unaffected parts of the building to shelter in place as firefighters extinguished the blaze. Investigators said the fire started on the fourth floor of the building and remains under investigation. While many in Massachusetts may not have welcomed the wet, sticky snow this week, the furry red pandas at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston most certainly did. The zoo's Facebook page shared a video of a red panda frolicking around in the snow in the "Children's Zoo" section in an effort to advertise discounted $5 admission on Thursday. The animals resemble something closer to a raccoon or fox than the recognizable giant panda. But like its relative, the red panda is a bamboo-eating creature who tends to be shy and solitary. The zoo says the red panda is typically found in cool, temperate forests in the Himalayas between Nepal to southwest China. Its population is listed as endangered and vulnerable due to hunting and habitat destruction. Part of the Franklin Park Zoo's mission includes inspiring others to support protection and conservation efforts. More than 100 different animals are kept at the zoo, which is located near Boston's Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods. It looks like Bill Cosby will not be getting a Father's Day card from his TV daughter Lisa Bonet. Bonet, who played Denise Huxtable for seven years on "The Cosby Show" and its spin-off "A Different World," recently offered an unflattering portrait of her TV dad, who has been accused of sexually assaulting or harassing more than 50 women during his career. In her first interview since the scandal broke, Bonet told the fashion website Net-A-Porter she always sensed a negative vibe from her co-star. "There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions, but... There was just energy," Bonet said. "And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed." Bonet, who was 16 when she was hired to co-star on the NBC sitcom, said that had she known about incidents of sexual assault, she would not have kept quiet. "If I had anything more to reveal then it would have happened a long time ago," she said. "That's my nature. The truth will set you free." Bonet was fired from "The Cosby Show" in April 1991 because of "creative differences." There were reports Cosby was unhappy with Bonet's appearance in the R-rated film "Angel Heart" and a topless pictorial. Also, her real-life pregnancy in 1988 posed challenges since her college-aged character was unmarried. Cosby, 80, of Shelburne is set to return to a Pennsylvania court next month for a retrial on charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand in 2004. "I don't need to say, 'I told you so'," said Bonet of Cosby's current situation. "I just leave all that to karma and justice and what will be." Bonet, the 50-year-old mother of three, is married to "Aquaman" actor Jason Momoa. She was previously wed to musician Lenny Kravitz. CHICOPEE -- Richard Koske sits at a restaurant not far from the Roman Catholic parish where he has worked as a janitor and handyman for 15 years. It seems a suitable role for a devout man who traces many of his 62 years of memories back to the Catholic church -- for better or for worse. A longtime South Hadley Falls resident, Koske and four siblings were students of Catholic schools growing up. But he and the church remain at odds over the discipline of a once-trusted pastor who sexually assaulted him once when Koske was an adult -- reflecting a hangover of sorts more than a decade after an international clergy abuse scandal enveloped the church. Massachusetts was ground zero for that calamity. Catholic upbringing wasn't always easy for Koske. He recalls being harangued by nuns for being left-handed, and being beaten with yardsticks in a coat closet for bringing a brown bag lunch without permission or forgetting a teacher's name. Koske was nonetheless comforted by and in awe of the church and its principles his whole young life. This led him to the Rev. Eugene Honan as a teenager. Honan was a charismatic new parish priest at St. Patrick's in South Hadley Falls in the 1970s. Honan was a military guy, a former athlete who was plain-spoken, even boisterous, and commanded a room. "He was the new guy on the block. He was really on fire with his homilies and that," Koske said during a recent interview at Munich Haus in Chicopee. "He'd always say: 'Koske, I'm going to find you a good Catholic woman!'" But that never happened. Koske said Honan did much more to thwart his relationships and mar his view of the church. Honan sexually assaulted him in the 1990s, according to him and a church official who confirmed Koske's claim was found credible by a review board. Honan could not be reached for comment for this story. A father twice married and divorced, Koske in 2006 reported to the diocese that Honan assaulted him in the mid- to late-1990s when he was an on-call fix-it guy for the priest. Koske said the priest plied him with liquor; he suspects he was also drugged. "The last thing I remember was I was lying on a bed and he was opening a dresser drawer, then I was out like a light," Koske said. "Then I woke up and my shirt's all undone and my pants are around my knees, and I said, 'Oh s---, what happened here?'" Koske said he scrambled out of the rectory of the former St. Mary's Church in downtown Northampton and went home. Honan later called and demanded to know where he had gone. Koske returned to the rectory and Honan said, "Koske, you wanted that to happen as much as I did," according to Koske. To which Koske replied: "Father Gene, you're a sick man." Koske initially asked a diocesan counselor not to act on his complaint, according to records provided to The Republican. Koske returned to the diocese to tell the full story in 2011, the documents show. He brought his claim to the diocesan review board and ultimately received a settlement check for $20,000 in 2013 -- plus many years of therapy paid for by the church, Koske said. However, he and his daughter became angry when they began to spot Honan at various parishes performing priestly duties in the years that followed. Under the "Dallas Norms" drafted by the Roman Catholic Church at the peak of the clergy abuse scandal, it has become customary to strip abusive priests of their faculties. In the most severe cases, abusive priests were defrocked by the Vatican. Mark Dupont, spokesman for the Springfield diocese, said that after the review board found Koske's complaint to be credible, Honan was stripped of of some duties and was kicked out of the rectory where he was staying after his retirement in 2010. However, since the complaint was over abuse that occurred when Koske was an adult, church law was murkier on the topic at the time, Dupont said in a lengthy statement. "Then-diocesan Bishop Timothy McDonnell, recognizing that Rev. Honan was already out of regular full time ministry by virtue of his retirement, withdrew his priestly faculties outside the diocese and allowed only supervised ministry when he was in the diocese. Bishop McDonnell also ordered Rev. Honan to vacate the rectory where he had taken up residence when he retired," the statement read, in part. "Bishop McDonnell's decision was based on Church guidance at the time this matter was being reviewed which treated misconduct against adults differently than with minors," Dupont said. "Last year the Review Board brought up this matter with Bishop (Mitchell) Rozanski who in turn agreed to meet with the victim and a family member. After that meeting Bishop summoned Rev. Honan and told him he was re-considering this matter. (Rozanski) subsequently has informed him that he will no longer have any priestly faculties in the diocese or elsewhere," the statement concluded. Dupont said the diocese also referred the matter to the Northwestern district attorney's office in 2011, since it may fall within the statute of limitations since a change in the law in the wake of the clergy abuse scandal. First Assistant District Attorney Steven Gagne declined to discuss a potential investigation. "We typically do not comment on whether or not a particular person was investigated for possible criminal conduct, as doing so could tarnish a person's reputation, regardless of whether the allegations were founded or not," Gagne said. For his part, Koske has aligned himself with Olan Horne, a vocal adversary of the church and an equally vocal advocate for victims. Koske sought Horne's help after becoming dissatisfied with the diocese's seeming lack of initial vigor to bar Honan from priestly benefits and publicly disclose the abuse. In fact, Honan in 2014 received the Monsignor Timothy J. Leary award as a graduate of and faculty member at the former Holyoke Catholic High School, and is in its Hall of Fame. A parish bulletin in 2017 also celebrated Honan's 50th anniversary as a priest. The recognition made The Republican. The continual honors have stoked Horne's anger and ratcheted up Koske's bewilderment. "This is the filthiest garbage can," said Horne, never one to mince words. Koske said he still holds his faith precious. "Christ was crucified by his own people. I feel like I'm being crucified by my own people. It's not Christ. It's his workers," Koske said. In response, Dupont said the lack of full disclosure initially was a product of a dearth of guidance in adult abuse cases. "The diocese must accept responsibility for this unfortunate circumstance, which stands in stark contrast to our efforts to hold those who have abused accountable for their actions as well as to reach out with compassion to all victims of abuse and continue our efforts to prevent a repeat of past failures. When we do fall short, we try to learn from our mistakes," he said. Dupont added that while the Holyoke Catholic organization would not have known of Honan's disciplinary history, Honan should have declined any public honors. To date, Honan's name does not appear on the public list the diocese publishes of former priests who have been tarnished by credible allegations of abuse. Once again, it is because Koske was not a minor at the time of the incident, Dupont said. In a cruel twist of irony, Koske notes that Honan was once among a minority of local priests involved in abuse victim outreach. "Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing," Koske said. BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes the positive news on direct dialogue released by the United States and the DPRK, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday. It is reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at Kim's invitation. Spokesperson Geng Shuang said it is a step in the right direction for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and China fully commends and supports the efforts made by the parties concerned to solve the issue through dialogue and consultation. To return the peninsula to peace and stability and the nuclear issue to the track of dialogue, these initial steps must be followed up with corresponding and concerted efforts by the parties, Geng said. He repeated the call by Foreign Minister Wang Yi that peace must be earned and opportunities must be seized. "We hope that all parties will demonstrate political courage and make a political decision to expeditiously carry out all necessary and useful engagements, both bilateral and multilateral, and to do their best to restart dialogue and negotiation for the peaceful settlement of the peninsula nuclear issue," Geng said. "China will continue to make unremitting efforts toward this outcome," the spokesperson said. EASTHAMPTON -- All nine members of the City Council have declared their support for a new prekindergarten through eighth-grade school. "Our role as is not merely to legislate, but to be leaders in the community," said at-large Councilor Owen Zaret as he read his resolution aloud Wednesday night. Zaret said three downtown elementary schools and the 1970s-era White Brook Middle School are "unhealthy for our children, and not compatible with 21st-century teaching and learning." He said "an investment in a school building today is an investment in the future of the city." Each councilor, in a roll-call vote, registered their "wholehearted support" for the school project, promised to educate residents on the financial impact, and pledged to "provide positive support of the ballot process." Zaret last month opined that city councilors should take a public stand on the matter of new school construction. "The question is not can we support the ballot initiative, it is how we can support the ballot initiative," he wrote. Voters will go to the polls May 22 to consider major project borrowing. Officials have said the school could cost as much as $109 million, and that state reimbursement could take that number down to $59 million. The new school would be built at 122 Park St., the site of White Brook Middle School, which would be torn down. Councilor Daniel Rist delivered words of praise for the local School Building Committee, which has been meeting since 2015 with project architects and managers. He also took aim at unnamed parties who have alleged that local officials may be trying to hide the project's true costs. "There is no conspiracy, and nothing is being hidden from view," said Rist. Rist said school boosters may need to do a better job distributing primary-source information -- "and I'm not sure Facebook is the answer" -- but that he bristles at any suggestion proponents are trying to spin the facts. A ballot committee called Building Easthampton's Future has been formed and is raising money to fund its own operations, according to the group's Facebook page. Former Mayor Michael Tautznik has leveled criticism on social media. He noted that the building committee failed to videotape their meetings for more than two years. He said not all documents have been posted online for public review. He said he wants to see the source numbers used to create project cost estimates. Tautznik said two alternatives involving the major rehabilitation of White Brook Middle School were rejected too early. He said the options could have lowered costs, revived a now-shuttered swimming pool and retained an auditorium. Rist said that horse is already out of the barn, and that he is ready to defend the decisions made by project managers, architects, and the building committee. Several councilors said they acknowledge the project will mean financial hardship, and said it is incumbent upon city officials to find creative ways to help the most economically vulnerable as the community foots the bill for a new school. Earlier in the week, developer David Boyle and Easthampton Savings Bank Vice President Thomas Brown appeared at a subcommittee meeting to express their support for the council resolution. Both men are on the School Building Committee. "The world is changing and accelerating fast," said Boyle. "The haves and have-nots are growing wider. Education is the only defense that the common person has." Boyle said Easthampton has "kicked the can down the road" for too long, and that a declaration of support from the council "will be immeasurable" as boosters take their case to the community. NORTHAMPTON - Pioneer Valley Tibetans will come together in Northampton this weekend to commemorate the nation's 1959 uprising against China. The event will take place at the First Churches of Northampton on Saturday. The day's events will include a fast and prayer vigil. Organized by the Tibetan Community of Western Massachusetts and the University of Massachusetts Students for a Free Tibet, the event reflects on the 1959 uprising in which Tibetans revolted against Chinese rule in Lhasa. The uprising resulted in the deaths of thousands of Tibetans. The event will also reflect on the many Tibetans who have died by self-immolation out of protest against Chinese oppression, said Thondup Tsering, an Amherst resident and organizer for the event. The prayer vigil will bring awareness to the fact that "for more than half a century Tibetans have suffered immensely under Chinese rule," Tsering said, by phone Thursday. Mayor David Narkewicz will be present and will read a statement, Tsering said. Additionally, the Tibetan flag is to be erected in the city's downtown area and will be flown for 59 days to commemorate the 59 years since the rebellion, Tsering said. The event will last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The First Churches of Northampton is located at 129 Main Street. SPRINGFIELD- In honor of Women's History Month and International Women's Day, Bay Path University presented its second annual On The Move forum Thursday at CityStage in downtown Springfield. The event, presented in partnership with the Professional Women's Chamber, The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, the Pan African Historical Museum USA and Enchanted Circle Theater, began with a tabletop expo, which was followed by an hour-long forum and a networking session. On the Move explored the timeline of women's history and the women's rights movement through an interactive presentation, sparking community conversations about gaps and gains in that history. During the forum, organizers honored Cynthia Simison, managing editor at The Republican. The forum's theme, "Know the Past, Chart the Future," used literature and philosophy to engage the audience in exploring the status of women regarding race, ethnicity, culture, age, sexual orientation, and the progress made since the first federally-funded women's conference in 1977, the first and only national women's conference to be sponsored by the federal government. See photos from the event above and for more information, visit the official website here. SPRINGFIELD - In what is being projected as a lean budget season, the heads of the police and fire departments on Thursday each proposed 8.3 percent funding increase in fiscal 2019, or a combined $5.4 million. Police Commissioner John Barbieri and Fire Commissioner Bernard J. Calvi each presented their respective funding proposals on Thursday during a budget hearing conducted by Mayor Domenic Sarno. Barbieri is seeking a $3.6 million increase from the police department's $44.2 million budget, while Calvi is seeking to add $1.8 million to the Fire Department's $21.6 million budget. Sarno said he has asked city departments to prepare budgets that reflect a 2-percent cut in funding. But he also said police and fire, as the city's primary emergency services, represent special cases. He also pointed with pride, both during the meeting and in interviews with the press afterward, to his record of never having laid off a police officer or firefighter in his time as mayor. The city is looking at a deficit heading into fiscal 2019 of $12 million to $14 million, according to Springfield Chief Administrative and Financial Officer Timothy J. Plante. That amount is smaller than in previous years but still represents a significant shortfall, he said. Plante said that over the last few years, the city has made a concerted effort to increase funding for emergency services after years of stagnated and even reduced budgets. It would be difficult after reinvesting in personnel and equipment to reverse direction, he said. The police and fire departments saw respective increases of 4.5 percent and 5.7 percent in the current budget from fiscal 2017. The hearings are conducted by the mayor early in the budget deliberation process prior to the start of the fiscal year on July 1. Department heads submit their requests and offer a rationale for them to the mayor. Sarno will then compile them all into his city budget proposal and submit it to the City Council for approval. The council by city charter can cut funding from the mayor's budget but not add to it. The council last year endorsed Sarno's $628.8 million fiscal 2018 budget without making any cuts. Prior to the start of Thursday's presentations by Barbieri and Calvi, Sarno said he was interested to hear how their respective requests would aid the department, and in turn affect city residents. "The bean counters are going to look at the bottom line; To me, the narrative is extremely important. How does it affect 'the street'?" Barbieri said the biggest chunk of his funding request is for salaries. It counts for 593.5 full time positions, including 510 police officers. Many of the salaries for new officers to replace vacancies caused by retirements. The department in recent years has seen longtime officers retire "at an unprecedented rate," Barbieri said. "We're not getting police officers to stay until they are 65 years old anymore." The funding request includes the cost of conducting a police academy for 24 new recruits. Outside of personnel, it also contains requests in funding to cover a 300-vehicle fleet, 200 department cellphones, 150 mobile laptops for cruisers and the costs associated with having nine K-9 units. It also proposes 10 new police vehicles to replace cruisers that are too old. The department is also planning to open a police substation and a series of kiosks in the downtown area to increase police visibility downtown. There is also funding for training, both for new recruits in the academy, and mandatory in-service training for veteran officers. "The key to improving police performance is training. Training, training, training," he said. Cutting the budget by 2 percent would mean a reduction of $4.5 million. This would result in no new hires, which coupled with expected retirements, would create vacancies in that would affect police coverage, both in the neighborhoods and downtown, at a time when the opening of MGM Springfield is expected to bring thousands to the city daily. He also spoke of going online with a planned real-time intelligence and communication center, that would be tasked with detecting trends and patterns and relying that information to officers on the street. He is also seeking to hire a full-time program coordinator for the department's Hub and Core Initiative, an early-intervention program where police would work with various social service agencies to help people in need. Like the police department, Calvi said most of the fire department budget - 92 percent -- is for personnel. The department has 268 full-time positions. A 2-percent reduction would have to come out of personnel, specifically 34 firefighter positions and one inspector, he said. The fire department handled 16,000 calls for service last year. It has 8 engine companies, 4 ladder companies, one rescue squad, and two district chiefs. Like the police department, the Fire Department is seeing a lot of retirements - 12 this year and two more pending, and 12 more next year. Calvi said he would like to hire 24 new firefighters over the next two years to fill some of those vacancies, but that has been limited by civil service rules, available openings in the state fire academy and an overall decline in the number of people willing to be firefighters, he said. The department sent six recruits to the fire academy but only one graduated, which set back the department's hiring, he said. He said that the last he heard, 170 people from Springfield have signed up to take the upcoming civil service exam for an entry-level firefighter. To have a proper field of candidates to make it through the written and physical portions of the exam, and then the academy, Calvi said the city needs to see three times as many applicants. "We can't get people through the bodies through the door fast enough." His budget proposal calls for hiring 5 additional firefighters beyond filling of vacancies. The additional firefighters would reduce the amount the department has to spend on overtime, he said. He also proposes funding for the regular replacement of the turnout gear for firefighters. The protective suits that firefighters wear into fires cost $2,700 each and need to be replaced every 10 years. He also proposed funding to pay for the lease of an additional fire truck. The city for the past few years has leased three replacement trucks while it staggers the purchase of new trucks. Calvi would like to expand the number of leases to four. The city years ago purchased several vehicles at the same time, which Calvi said was probably not the best idea. "The problem with that is you have three or four trucks that grow old at the same time." The department has 13 engines. Seven have been replaced over the past 10 years, and the remaining six are between 18 and 22 years old. On a dark Tuesday evening last month, in the glass-fronted cafeteria of Springfield's Elias Brookings school, dozens of children in karate gis and white, yellow and orange belts kicked and stepped forward in unison. It was a regular meeting of "The School of the Noble Warrior," a combination martial arts club and mentoring program targeted at Springfield's youth. And watching over the proceedings was its sensei, Ahmad Sharif - a Springfield police officer, martial artist and native of Springfield's Mason Square neighborhood. "We have parents saying 'I don't know what to do with my kid.' Send them to me, I'll take care of them," said Sharif. "It's a wonderful thing. It opens up a lot of doors for them." The program has been a way of offering structure, training and guidance to his city's young people, he said. But the going has not always been easy, with the program shuffling from venue to venue and some costs coming directly out of his pocket due to a lack of resources. Sharif began training his son and some of his friends in his basement in 2005, he said. The program expanded, and when it formally launched in 2007 began attracting a dedicated group of students, largely from Springfield's Old Hill and Mason Square neighborhoods. But it remained low-profile, and Sharif had difficulty finding the program a permanent home, he said. Local community centers would not host it due to liability concerns, and the program eventually moved into the Homer Street School before moving to Elias Brookings two years ago. "Consistency, resources, funding, getting space - it's tough," Sharif said. "This is something we kind of did underground. A lot of people don't hear about it." Terry Powe, the principal of the Elias Brookings School, said she has been impressed by Sharif's efforts to reach out to families and get them involved in the program. "I think the project is great," Powe said. "It's bringing the community together and keeping kids safe. Giving them something to do so they're not on the streets." The program has also won praise from Sharif's colleagues in the police department. The Springfield Patrolman's Union intends on financially supporting it this year, union president Joe Gentile said in a statement. "Officer Sharif is one of several Springfield Police Officers who spend their own time and own money working with the children and teenagers in our community to ensure they have a place to go and are placed on the right path to success," Gentile said. " '364 Gives,' the charitable arm of the Springfield Patrolman's Union, has designated Officer Sharif's Noble Warrior Martial Arts Academy as one of the programs we will be donating to in 2018." For Sharif, much of his identity - his 19-year career as a police patrolman, his family, his martial arts - is linked to his personal connections to Springfield. Sharif grew up on Hancock Street in Mason Square as the son of a Vietnam veteran, he said. His father trained both him and his brothers in martial arts and the value of public service, and his brothers ended up in the military and law enforcement, he said. Sharif initially considered becoming a school teacher and taught as a substitute before deciding to join the Springfield Police Department. "I didn't feel that I could make the impact I could do in the field of law enforcement," Sharif said. "I wanted to give back. I was trying to find my niche in giving back to the community in which I was born and raised." Since joining the force in 1998, Sharif has stayed a street-level patrolman. It is a position that allows him to use the credibility granted by his neighborhood ties, he said. "It helps me connect. It helps with the trust factor," Sharif said. "If I'm giving advice, they know it's not because I'm trying to enforce, so to speak. It's because I have their best interests I mind." The School of the Noble Warrior has not received funding from the city or the police department -- but it has received support from officers who have volunteered as mentors, Sharif said. And students who have stuck with the program now work as instructors, including Sharif's son Ahmad, an All-State wrestler for Putnam High School. "After we're all done, blood sweat and tears, rolling on the mat, they're giving the kids advice," Sharif said. In addition to his other identities, Sharif is also a cancer survivor, following a bout with colon cancer several years ago. "Officer Sharif is a true survivor and a wonderful role model in the community," Police Commissioner John Barbieri said in a statement. "What often goes unrecognized is the incredible work in the community Springfield Police Officers perform when they are off-duty. Officer Sharif has built this program without ever asking for help and the results have a direct benefit to the entire city." Sharif's son and his friend Jaron Brown, who also participated in the program back in 2005, said it has been a valuable experience for both themselves and the younger students. "It's very beneficial for the kids because it keeps them out of trouble," the younger Ahmad Sharif said. "It's good for them because it helps them lead by example when they go back to school." Yerilis Rivera, a Central High School senior and ROTC member, was leading a group of elementary schoolers through kicking drills that night. She learned of the program after her brothers began attending sessions, and said it has benefitted both her physical fitness and leadership skills. "I had no idea this existed at all. It took my brothers getting in trouble to find it," Rivera said. It's been such a great experience, seriously. The kids love it ." The program is a true family affair; Sharif said anyone interested in signing their kids up should contact his mother Mable Sharif, a community liaison for Baystate Health who assists with the program's administration. WESTFIELD - College acceptance season is in full swing and students at Westfield High School are receiving letters from some impressive universities. Senior Kristen Stawasz received early acceptance to Harvard University last month. "It was unbelievable," she said. "I applied just to see what would happen - I didn't have high expectations." Harvard had other plans. "I got a call on my cellphone from a number in Cambridge and I almost didn't answer it," Stawasz said. It was a Harvard admissions counselor calling to say she was accepted. Stawasz said she freaked out. "I called my mom right away," she recalled. Stawasz' mother Lisa said she wasn't sure what was happening when Kristen called because she was screaming and crying. Lisa said she thought something was wrong at first, but was thrilled when she heard the news. Stawasz plans to major in physics and take the astrophysics track. However, she isn't ruling out other options. "One of the things I loved about Harvard is that you get to take so many exploratory classes," she said. "The curriculum allows for discovery into different fields." Stawasz discovered an affinity for astrophysics in middle school. "I went to space camp in seventh grade and I fell in love," she said. "From there it took off." Stawasz isn't focused on one area of interest. In addition to her love of physics and space, she also writes poetry, dances competitively, draws, is a drum major in the WHS band, enjoys acting with the drama club, and works at Six Flags. WHS guidance counselor Megan Stopa said WHS students are doing well with college acceptance this year and one student, Zachary Medeiros, was recently accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy. Stopa has been a counselor for 17 years and said Stawasz is the first student accepted to Harvard during her tenure. "She has really put in the work," said Stopa. "In middle school she was doing high school work. She takes college and AP courses and courses online. She has gone above and beyond in her activities and taken on leadership roles." Stopa said WHS has increased its support of students seeking college education. The past two years Stopa organized a college application and scholarship event for seniors where, in one week, several colleges come to WHS and students can apply right there. Many are accepted on the spot and also receive scholarships. "This past year we had Westfield State University, Bay Path, Western New England University, Holyoke Community College, American International College, The Elms, Springfield College and Springfield Technical Community College," said Stopa. Stopa said $460,000 in scholarships were awarded to 29 WHS students. "Some of them are renewable, which brings it to $1.4 million over four years," she said. "It was a really great week and next year we're going to bring in more schools." Smoke started to rise above the head of Worcester Fire Lt. Christopher Kelly as he tried to help direct a man on how to lift his mother to the window of their home and safely down to the ground, away from the growing flames. After several attempts to save the 85-year-old woman, Kelly had to make the heart-wrenching decision to convince the man to leave his mother there, until firefighters could get inside, and lower himself out the window and down to safety. Kelly was trying to make sure both mother and son could survive the fire. But Kelly wasn't even on duty. He was, in fact, getting ready to report for duty on Ladder Co. 7 just before 7 a.m. when he saw the flames spitting out of his neighbor's home at 3 Green Farms Road. "He realized there was a fire behind his house. So he ran down the hill, and as he got to the house, someone came around and said, 'they're in the bedroom, they're in the bedroom,'" Fire Chief Michael Lavoie recalled on Friday. Kelly had to convince the man to go out the window. "He said, you've got to go. You have to go. You're going to die in here," Lavoie said. The man got out and fire trucks started to arrive. That response on Monday was the second time an off-duty Worcester firefighter has run to a burning building in the past two weeks, actions that city officials are calling heroic. "If you talk to these guys, they are not heroes. They were simply doing their job," Lavoie said. "But their actions were heroic. I will go with that. Their actions definitely were heroic." Fire Lt. Timothy Ridick on the evening of Feb. 28 was serving as an attendant for the Worcester Fire Department at the wake for retired firefighter Gerald Vuona. Ridick, parking his car on Hamilton Street, heard a sound he instantly knew: The ring of a smoke alarm. It was coming from a nearby triple-decker. As he got closer to 92 Hamilton St., Ridick could see flames and smoke bursting out of a second floor window. He was wearing his dress uniform, but Ridick ran inside anyway, crawling under a layer of smoke to find the occupants of the apartment. "He crawled into the second floor, yelling, 'Is anybody in here? Is anybody in here?'" Lavoie said. "Meanwhile, he's on the phone trying to call 911. So he was multi-tasking." Ridick saw one or two pairs of legs in the smoke. The people were disoriented, the layer of smoke growing around them. "They got down on the floor and they crawled out," Lavoie said. "Those people probably wouldn't have made it if they stayed in there much longer." Ridick climbed another set of stairs and helped guide other residents out of their apartments and down to safety. Ridick stayed a short time to brief incoming firefighters on the conditions of the blaze. Then he quietly left. "It's a good story along with a bad story," Lavoie said. Despite the firefighters' efforts, the woman from the Green Farms Road fire was pronounced dead at the hospital Monday. She was the 10th person to die in a fire in Massachusetts this year. Gear two of the firefighters were wearing when they pulled the victim out of the house is completely ruined from being exposed to heat that was somewhere between 600 and 800 degrees, Lavoie said. Testing will be done to determine the exact temperature. "We're trained to the point that we know our limitations. Without gear, and stuff like that, we can get to a certain point," Lavoie said. "Like on Hamilton Street, he got to that point, and he made those rescues without putting himself in danger. The one on Green Farms Road, he knew he couldn't get into that house without gear." Worcester has nearly 400 firefighters. And typically, when civilians go to honor them for heroic actions, firefighters try to go on with their work without the fanfare. "Knowing that they care enough to put their own lives at risk for the safety of citizens, even when they're off duty, is just phenomenal and it goes to show the character of the men and women of the Worcester Fire Department," Lavoie said. "We care." Twenty years ago, Laurence Kanter, then a curator with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was visiting Worcester Art Museum when he saw something that surprised him. A little panel that once adorned an altarpiece hung on a wall at the museum. Kanter looked closely. It was attributed to Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor Lorenzo di Credi. But as Kanter examined the artwork, what he saw was the work of a young Leonardo da Vinci. Kanter told then-museum director James Welu. Thus began two decades of study that would take researchers from the Worcester museum's conservation laboratory to The Louvre in Paris. On March 10, that painting, "Miracle of San Donato," will go back on exhibit in Worcester. It will still carry di Credi's name on the attribution but will include one more -- Leonardo da Vinci. "It's extremely exciting," says Rita Albertson, chief conservator at Worcester Art Museum. "This is huge. Anytime you are talking about Leonardo there's a lot of interest -- and a lot of controversy." Albertson, who has spent years studying the work in collaboration with Kanter, now chief curator at Yale University Art Gallery, says extensive research shows the painting was created by da Vinci with additional work by di Credi. Worcester Art Museum had been sitting for decades on an early example of da Vinci's work. Ironically, the painting had been originally credited to da Vinci when it was discovered in 1933 and sold to patrons of Worcester Art Museum. It was afterward attributed solely to di Credi, erasing what Albertson says was da Vinci's role in creating the painting. "It's extremely exciting. This is huge," Albertson said. "Anytime you are talking about Leonardo there's a lot of interest. A lot of controversy. There will be people who disagree with us." "The Mystery of Worcester's Leonardo" will open at Worcester Art Museum March 10 and run through June 3. It will, for the first time since the 19th century, bring together the "Miracle of San Donato" with another painting that sits in The Lourve -- "Annunciation." Both panels were part of the same altar. Like Worcester's painting, "Annunciation" had sometimes been attributed to da Vinci, but the research completed on the two paintings, Albertson says, shows da Vinci most certainly created them, but they were finished by di Credi. Both artists were students in Andrea del Verrocchio's workshop, where the works for the altar were created. "When we first started to look into the layer structure into these two little panels, what we saw was very surprising," Albertson said. "We believe that they also took place over a period of time. By the time the altarpiece was delivered, Leonardo was gone, Verrocchio was away and we believe it was di Credi who completed the commission." The two paintings will be joined by a third, also titled "Annunciation" but clearly attributed to di Credi, allowing viewers to compare. "One of the things we're trying to encourage people to do is to look carefully," Albertson said. "To try to imagine what it would be like to have the kind of vision that someone would have before the modern vision. Our eyes are very different than those of the Renaissance. They were trying to translate what they were seeing in the natural world. Our vision is very greatly shaped by our media, by movies, by advertisements. We tend to look at things very quickly. We encourage people to slow down." Welu is now director emeritus of Worcester Art Museum. "Naturally, I was delighted when Larry Kanter thought that certain parts of the painting could have been painted only by Leonardo," Welu said. "For the past two decades, the painting has been under study in our conservation lab, and now, as it goes back on view, we will have the opportunity to see it next to the painting from the Louvre, a similar size panel which it originally accompanied. That's exciting!" Any school lunch policy that requires perfectly good food to be thrown out is a bad policy. So is any policy that paints a scarlet letter on children for financial situations that are not of their doing. When children in one community are given hot lunch but others in a neighboring community get a cheese sandwich while their hot lunch gets tossed away, that's not right, either. Student meal debt is on the rise in Massachusetts, and the usual arguments accompany it. Parents who pay in timely fashion resent being expected to subsidize those they think can afford to pay but don't. On the other side are parents who really don't have the money. This stress is compounded by the agony of knowing that not only will their children be denied a balanced lunch their classmates are eating, but that everybody will know it and kids can be cruel. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts needs to get more involved with this growing problem. Some communities, including Springfield, have stepped up by guaranteeing a hot lunch for all children. That helps their nutrition, physical and emotional health and their education. Simply put, it's just a case of doing the right thing. But policies vary by community, and for as much as local school systems must be allowed local control, this is different. This is not a typical education issue. It's about what kids are eating and whether an in-school social class system is encouraged by supplying lunch to some kids but not others. The reason good food is thrown away, according to cafeteria workers, is that health regulations require them to throw out any food touched by a student. If a student with an account in debt takes a lunch and reaches the cashier, that hot meal is tossed and replaced with a cold meal. In a state known for innovation, technology and intellectual brilliance, is it not possible to come up with a serving system that avoids that? What everyone should agree on is this: this circumstance is almost never the fault of the child. If kids are using their hot lunch money in snack machines, which appears to be true in some cases, there must be a system to stop that from happening, too. A better policy would require much more uniformity across the state than exists now. If people think children of financially poorer families are not scarred by being handed a cheese sandwich while kids in front and behind them in line are getting balanced hot lunches, they don't know kids and what peer pressure can create. Defenders of the current system say it's fiscally prudent and fair. It is also unhealthy and heartless. In a state that prides itself as a leader in public education, every kid should have the right to lunch. Not providing it means making children pay for problems they did not create, which will lead to bigger problems down the road. No system that allows this sequence to flourish can be defended as the best solution. The state has to get involved, because we have to do better than this. By Christopher Carlozzi For Massachusetts small businesses, 2018 is shaping up to be a potentially devastating year. A coalition backed by big-labor is making a strong push for both a $15 minimum wage along with mandatory paid family and medical leave. If these costly policies fail to be enacted through the legislative process, proponents are asking Massachusetts voters to saddle small businesses with these unaffordable, job-killing mandates. While these initiatives may seem popular, when you take a closer look, there is hard evidence to show there can be a boomerang effect. It's incumbent upon lawmakers and perhaps the voters to consider the unintended consequences of such policies. Seattle, an early adopter of a $15 minimum wage, released a study in 2017 after that city's incremental increase to $13 per hour. It found that nine months after the second tier of wage hikes, about 5,000 low-wage jobs disappeared, the number of hours worked by low-wage workers dropped by 3.5 million hours, and their wages dropped by $6-million. And, as entry-level and unskilled jobs disappear, it makes it especially difficult for young people and those lacking work experience to enter the workforce. A 2018 report on the decreasing number of teens in the workforce by George Washington University's Mercatus Center, shows higher minimum wages significantly contribute to higher teen unemployment. The research determined higher minimum wages meant fewer job opportunities for young workers. Since Massachusetts is one of only two states with time-and-a-half pay on Sundays, a $15 minimum wage means $22.50/hour wage for retail shops. This disproportionately high wage would almost ensure no shop would schedule teens or unskilled workers for a Sunday shift. Small businesses are also gravely concerned by the attempt to enact a new mandated benefit allowing workers up to 16 weeks of paid family leave and up to 26 weeks of paid medical leave. The leave would be funded by both employers and with the workers. That means less money in a worker's paycheck and less money available for employers to hire and grow their businesses. The small, handful of states with mandatory leave programs are all entirely funded by the worker (except Washington state). While proponents of leave proposals claim widespread support from the general public, how many workers are aware they will see a reduction in their take-home pay? How many workers would rather have a larger paycheck over another new state-run program they may never utilize? Massachusetts is already a high-cost state for small business with highest-in-the-nation energy costs, taxes, double-digit health insurance premium increases, mandated paid sick leave, and a new MassHealth assessment. Increased labor costs mean hard choices for small business owners. Jobs can be eliminated, hours cut, and remaining employees asked to take on more duties. The latest Seattle study appears to confirm those were the choices employers were forced to make to keep their doors open. This is no time to discourage job growth as Massachusetts small businesses continue to struggle and darkened storefronts become more prevalent on Main Streets across the Commonwealth. Christopher Carlozzi is state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents 6,000 small and independent businesses in Massachusetts. Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday filed a $610 million economic development bill. The bill includes a potpourri of initiatives meant to encourage local economic development projects, help coastal communities, and incentiveize business hiring. The bill would also create a permanent sales tax holiday in Massachusetts. "This bill seeks to grow the economy for all regions of the Commonwealth by providing support for small businesses, continuing the successful MassWorks program for Massachusetts' downtowns and main streets, and purchasing more equipment to expand and improve workforce skills training," Baker said in a statement. Baker was expected to announce the bill at a Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce event Friday afternoon. The bill still has to be approved by the House and Senate, in what is likely to be a lengthy process. Lawmakers often use economic development bills as a way of earmarking their own favored projects. The biggest chunk of money in Baker's proposal - authorization to borrow $300 million - would go to the MassWorks Infrastrucure program. MassWorks was started under former Gov. Deval Patrick and gives grants to cities and towns for public infrastructure that promotes economic development. The Legislature passed a similar sized appropriation in 2016. The bill proposes $100 million to help coastal communities, split between the Seaport Economic Council and a line item for saltwater dredging in coastal communities. An additional $100 million would be allocated for a new regional development program, in which the state would partner with cities and towns on large-scale projects that have the potential to create large numbers of jobs and have a regional impact. The manufacturing industry would also get a boost under the bill. Manufacturing is a rapidly changing field, and companies often say they have open positions, but cannot find skilled workers. A 2016 bill created the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative, which allocates state money to match federal funding for advanced manufacturing initiatives that bring together researchers, universities, labs and companies. Baker's proposed bill would put another $25 million into these efforts. The bill would also provide $75 million in grants to expand career technical education programs that train adults for high-demand jobs, such as manufacturing and information technology. It would create a new apprenticeship tax credit of up to $4,800 for employers who hire and train new workers in healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology. The bill would make permanent the state's sales tax holiday. Lawmakers have passed a sales tax holiday weekend every year since 2004 with the exception of 2009 and 2017. Businesses have pushed to make the holiday permanent, since it drives business. But lawmakers have said they want to reconsider it each year, depending on the state's fiscal situation. A ballot question currently slated for consideration on the 2018 ballot would make the sales tax holiday permanent, in addition to permanently lowering the state sales tax. Baker's bill would also include a little less than $14 million for programs that help small businesses. It would allow online fantasy gaming to continue beyond a current deadline of July 31, 2018. It would give more flexibility to local housing authorities. James Chisholm, a spokesman for the fantasy sports company DraftKings, said, "The Governor's bill is another positive step for the innovation economy in Massachusetts. DraftKings recently announced plans to expand our presence and create more jobs in Massachusetts, and we thank Governor Baker for including this provision so we can continue that momentum." Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash said the bill is an extension of the state administration's partnerships with legislators and municipal officials. "These leaders have joined our efforts to support broad economic development, from public housing investment and downtown revitalization, to cutting edge research and development that leads to the commercialization of the innovations that result, to building upon our incredibly talented workforce," Ash said in a statement. This story was updated with a comment from Chisholm. Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz on Friday endorsed Josh Zakim for Secretary of State. Zakim, a Boston city councilor, is challenging incumbent Bill Galvin, who has held the job since 1994. Both Zakim and Galvin are Democrats. Narkewicz said Zakim will bring "innovative leadership" to the office and praised Zakim's focus on removing barriers to voting. Zakim supports allowing same-day voter registration and increasing access to early voting. "With the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress doing everything in their power to restrict voting rights and keep people away from the polls, Josh's focus about removing barriers to the ballot box is crucial," Narkewicz said in a statement. Zakim said Narkewicz "has helped Northampton emerge as a regional and statewide leader economically, socially and culturally." "His fresh ideas have greatly benefited Northampton, and I look forward to having his help throughout this campaign," Zakim said. Public grants for historic preservation may be given to religious institutions, but only under certain strict conditions, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Friday. "In light of the history of the anti-aid amendment, a grant of public funds to an active church warrants careful scrutiny," Chief Justice Ralph Gants wrote for a majority the court. The case, George Caplan v. Town of Acton, was about whether public grants for historic preservation can be given to a house of worship. The Massachusetts Constitution contains an "anti-aid" amendment, which prohibits the use of public money to aid a church or religious institution. The anti-aid amendment was adopted in the 1800s and revised in the early 1900s in response to the Colonial practice, which had continued, of providing state aid to the Congregational Church. The case, which was decided by the court in a 5-1 opinion, has implications for the financing of church renovation projects around Massachusetts. The opinion ran for 77 pages, including a concurring opinion and Justice Elspeth Cypher's dissent. The court ruled that government is not barred from giving grants to religious institutions. But each grant must pass a three-part test: whether the purpose of the grant is to aid the church, whether the grant substantially aids the church, and whether the grant "avoids the risks of the political and economic abuses that prompted the passage of the anti-aid amendment." In this case, the town of Acton gave two historic preservation grants totaling $100,000 to the Acton Congregational Church under the state's Community Preservation Act. The grants were to create a master plan for preserving the church and two historic houses it owns, and to restore the church's stained glass windows, which have religious imagery. The church is an active church, in a building constructed in 1846. A group of town taxpayers filed suit, arguing that taxpayer money cannot be given to a church because of the anti-aid amendment. A Middlesex County Superior Court judge denied the taxpayers' motion for an injunction to prevent the town from giving the grants. The Supreme Judicial Court agreed to review the case. The SJC ruled that there is no blanket ban on grant funding of religious institutions - and such a ban may actually violate the right to freedom of religion. But each grant must be carefully scrutinized with regard to its purpose, effects and the risks that prompted the anti-aid amendment. Those risks include infringing on someone's right not to be taxed to support another religion; undermining the independence of a religious institution; and dividing the public over religion. The SJC ruled that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in challenging the stained glass grant, and ordered the lower court to put in place an injunction to prevent the town from distributing the money. The decision notes that the money would be used to renovate the main church building and the windows, which contain religious imagery. "For town residents who do not subscribe to the church's beliefs, the grants present a risk that their liberty of conscience will be infringed, especially where their tax dollars are spent to preserve the church's worship space and its stained glass windows," Gants writes. Gants writes that the grants would also place restrictions on the church's future renovations and would risk dividing the community over whether money should be going to a church as opposed to other public priorities. The court ruled that more discovery is needed with regards to the master plan grant, to determine whether the purpose is to aid this particular church. Litigation will continue on both of the grants in the Superior Court. Nina Pickering-Cook, an attorney for the town of Acton, said the town is "thrilled" that the court found that historic preservation grants can be given to churches. But, she said, the town is concerned that the SJC has "set that bar very high" in terms of the condition under which a grant can be given. She said the decision may have "a chilling effect" on the willingness of town or state agencies to fund projects. "I think that...depending on the type of grant and the use of that grant, that public entities will hesitate to provide public funding to religious institutions," Pickering-Cook said. Eric Rothschild, senior litigation attorney at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the taxpayers are "very happy" with the court's ruling. "We think this protects everybody's liberty of conscience and freedom of religion by not allowing that funding," Rothschild said. Rothschild said going forward, it will be harder for government agencies to justify giving grants to houses of worship in cases when the money will go the core worship space, as opposed to an ancillary property. He said towns will have to take the court's ruling into consideration to avoid giving a grant that favors one religion and violates the religious freedom of other members of the community. Justice Scott Kafker, joined by Justice Frank Gaziano, wrote a concurring opinion discussing how the court's ruling conforms with the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment treatment of religious freedom. Cypher, in her dissent, said she agrees that public grants are not categorically barred from going to religious institutions. But she believes that applying stricter scrutiny to religious grants is not appropriate under the anti-aid amendment. She said the Middlesex County judge applied the law correctly in finding in favor of the town. "Historic churches and meeting houses are, like secular historic buildings, an indispensable part of our historic landscape, and warrant the same degree of preservation," Cypher wrote. SPRINGFIELD -- U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren urged Springfield-area constituents Friday to remain politically engaged and continue pressing lawmakers on issues, stressing that the last year has demonstrated how such activism can influence decisions in Washington. Warren, during an "Open House" event at Springfield Technical Community College's Scibelli Hall, lauded constituents who have marched for certain causes, called their legislators or otherwise made their voices heard on an array of issues. She encouraged the more than 300 attendees who crowded the STCC auditorium to continue holding politicians accountable and not get discouraged by what she cast as Republican-led efforts to chip away at core democratic issues. The senator took specific issue with what she called President Donald Trump and GOP leaders' "attacks" on voting rights, the independent judiciary and the free press. Although Warren said she's worried about the future of these "foundational pieces in democracy," she offered that recent grassroots-level organizing and protests should give Americans hope. The Democrat said she's "fundamentally optimistic" that voters will continue to keep Trump and Republican leaders in check, as they have on issues like health care. She, for example, argued that voter opposition and protests helped crush GOP-led efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Warren further pointed to the impact student-led protests have had on the national gun control debate. "For me, that's the deal. This is why my heart is filled with hope," she said. "I get it. The Republicans, Donald Trump -- they're just hacking away. They're trying to keep people from voting, they're trying to own the judiciary, they're trying to shut down a free and independent press. "But, at the very same moment all across this country, people are raising their voices. People are standing up and saying 'I will be heard.' And I've got to tell you, it is an exciting time to be in this fight, because when I go down to Washington and fight, I know I'm not alone." Stressing that "it's so important to keep the heat up," Warren called on constituents to continue fighting for issues important to them. The senator, who is up for re-election this fall, however, urged Democrats against focusing too much on 2020 with so much at stake in this year's mid-term elections. "We have so little to fight with ... we have got to stay in these fights right now: 2018 needs to be our focus," she said. "We've got to take back the House and the Senate." Aside from urging Western Massachusetts residents to remain politically active, Warren touted her work in Washington and fielded questions on issues ranging from the federal recovery efforts in Puerto Rico to banking industry regulations before Congress. The senator's re-election campaign organized the stop, which came nearly two weeks after she traveled to Holyoke for a fundraiser and Holden, where she held her 20th Massachusetts town hall in 12 months. She will hold another town hall event in Weymouth Saturday. Several Republicans have announced bids to unseat Warren in 2018, including: Beth Lindstrom, a former aide to Mitt Romney and manager of Scott Brown's 2010 Senate bid; John Kingston, a Winchester businessman; State Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman; Allen Rodney Waters, of Mashpee, Darius Mitchell, of Lowell, and Heidi Wellman, of Braintree. Shiva Ayyadurai, an entrepreneur who filed to run as Republican, meanwhile, announced in November that he would cut ties with the GOP and run as an independent. SPRINGFIELD -- Although U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, lauded reports that the United States will pursue diplomatic talks with North Korea, the Massachusetts Democrat raised concerns Friday about the Trump administration's ability to navigate such negotiations. Warren, after an "Open House" at Springfield Technical Community College, told reporters she's "glad to see" the Trump administration embrace a diplomatic approach to ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program -- an area in which she argued there is no military-only solution. The Democrat, who has been an outspoken critic of the president, however, said she's concerned about how effective the potential talks between Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un could be, particularly given the State Department staffing shortages. She further appeared to question Trump's ability to handle negotiations with the country. "These are really complex negotiations that have a whole lot of layers to them," the senator said. "And, I'm very concerned, because right now, the State Department is not at full force. We have no ambassador to South Korea, the major diplomats that work in the region, that know the economy, that know the history, that know the military objectives just aren't there." "I'm very worried that Donald Trump will go into these negotiations and Kim Jong-un will simply take advantage of him," Warren added. Contending that the Kim family has long sought a meeting with a U.S. president, the senator further argued that the U.S. "ought to be darn sure that we know what it is they're willing to negotiate with -- what they're willing to give up" before any potential meeting. Warren's remarks came one day after South Korean officials announced that Trump has agreed to meet with Kim by May. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, however, stressed Friday that any such talks with North Korea will not be negotiations. "The conditions are not right for negotiations, but we've been saying for some time we are open to talks," he said. "President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim Jong-un when conditions were right and the time was right." Trump reportedly discussed the potential meeting in a Friday call with China's President Xi Jinping, saying he hopes Kim "might choose a brighter path for North Korea's future," according to White House officials. Following the second powerful nor'easter within a week in Massachusetts, many communities remain in the dark. Heavy snow and wind resulted in downed power lines across the state, and officials say the fixes could take days. "Utilities report this will be a multi-day restoration effort," the Mass. Emergency Management Agency reported in a tweet. "Those without power should stay with friends, family, at hotels or a nearby shelter." On Thursday morning, shortly after the peak of the storm, MEMA reported more than 350,000 customers without power in Massachusetts. Following utility restorations throughout the day, around 170,000 Massachusetts customers remained without power Friday morning. In several communities, including West Newbury, North Andover, Boxford and Groton, National Grid reported more than 75 percent of its customers still had no electricity Friday morning. According to MEMA, Middlesex County and Essex County had the highest number of power outages on Friday, and all other outage reports came entirely from the eastern part of the state. Snow totals varied vastly across the state, from nearly three feet of snow in parts of the Berkshires to less than 6 inches in many coastal places. Oceanfront communities reported minor coastal flooding during the storm, though the impacts were not comparable to the nor'easter on Friday, March 2. That nor'easter, which heavily flooded southeastern coastal communities, also left hundreds of thousands in the dark. At its peak, MEMA reported more than 450,000 customers without power statewide on March 2. While this week's storm was less severe, officials noted many towns were vulnerable to damage due to the occurrence of back-to-back nor'easters. While the first storm brought mainly rain, the second system carried pasty, wet snow and wind gusts up to 40-60 mph, which knocked down tree limbs and electric lines in the eastern part of the state. The National Weather Service warns another storm system is possible in Massachusetts on Sunday, March 11, but cautions that it is still too early for an accurate forecast. Wednesday's original storm forecast changed significantly throughout the week, which experts attributed to fluctuating and oftentimes unpredictable March weather. Lets Improve Missoulas Reserve Street If so, please list your business here in Comments https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=442557812844118&id=308831669550067 and follow this post in the days ahead. A billboard on Reserve St. will soon carry this message along with logos of supporting businesses, starting with our first committed sponsor, Big Sky Commerce, Inc.! https://www.facebook.com/bigskycommerce/?fref=mentions Sunil Bholah a participe au debat sur le projet de loi presente en deuxieme lecture par le Ministre des TIC, lors de la seance parlementaire du 3 Mai 2019. Madame la Presidente, Permettez-moi de feliciter mon collegue, le Ministre Sawmynaden qui a introduit ce projet de loi. Ce texte de loi vise a abroger la Mauritius Research Council Act de 1992 pour ensuite etablir le Mauritius Research and Innovation Council. Cest un fait : La science, la technologie et linnovation peuvent jouer un role moteur dans lamelioration de la productivite et la croissance economique. Pour creer les conditions favorables pour stimuler la recherche et linnovation, il faut quil y ait des efforts resolus qui sont consentis par le gouvernement. Et cest justement dans ce but que mon collegue Ministre vient aujourdhui presenter ce texte de loi qui vise a repenser tous les aspects qui sont lies a la recherche et a linnovation. Car figurez-vous, cree en 1992, le MRC merite une reorganisation, avec de nouvelles attributions et un mandat bien plus elargi pour repondre aux defis majeurs. Madame la Presidente, Le monde est en pleine mutation. Le pays fait face a des changements rapides et profonds avec des enjeux sociaux, environnementaux, et economiques, tout a fait inedits. Face a ces transformations, il devient necessaire dinvestir massivement dans la formation, la recherche et linnovation. Et lintermediaire qui est utilise pour promouvoir les piliers susmentionnes, dans ce cas, le MRC, doit se reinventer et son fonctionnement doit etre a la hauteur de nos aspirations. Madame la Presidente, Les Mauriciens attendent beaucoup, eux aussi, de leurs universites, de leurs ecoles et de leurs centres de recherche, pour proteger, developper et transmettre leur capital de connaissances et aussi pour soutenir leconomie. Dailleurs, notre avenir depend de nos savoirs. Le Gouvernement veut donner a la recherche et a linnovation une place essentielle dans le redressement du pays. Nos ambitions sont multiples. Il sagit a la fois : delever le niveau general de connaissances ; de renforcer les synergies ; de batir un ecosysteme qui favorise la creation de nouvelles entreprises ou qui permet a celles existantes de se reinventer ; de gerer nos ressources dune maniere plus efficace ; de creer une societe innovante et inclusive qui sadapte aux changements ; et de rehausser la qualite de vie de nos citoyens. En somme, nous voulons offrir a notre pays de belles opportunites de reussite a travers la recherche et linnovation. Nous sommes en bonne voie car en sus du National Innovation Framework 2018-2030 lance par le Ministere de la Technologie, de la Communication et de lInnovation, il est essentiel davoir une instance avant-gardiste comme le Mauritius Research and Innovation Council pour realiser les mesures preconisees dans ce plan daction. Madame la Presidente, Lactuelle loi, la MRC Act de 1992 ne contient aucun chapitre sur lentrepreneuriat. De ce fait, je pense que le projet de loi, le MRIC Bill fait desormais la part belle a linnovation et a lentrepreneuriat. Ce sont deux piliers qui sont etroitement lies. Je vais dabord elaborer certains aspects concernant linnovation avant den venir a lentrepreneuriat. Madam Speaker, In November last year, the African Union Commission launched the African Scientific, Research and Innovation Council in Nigeria. This council is a platform for promoting dialogue and voice of the scientific community and allows scientists, research and other key stakeholders to be involved in the science, technology and innovation programmes of the continent. The council is in line with the implementation of Africas transformative Agenda 2063, out of which a major component is the AUs Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024. This strategy rests on 4 pillars, namely: building and upgrading research infrastructures, enhancing professional and technical competencies, promoting entrepreneurship and innovation; and providing an enabling environment for research and innovation. While going through the MRIC bill, I have realised and it is worth mentioning that Mauritius is fully committed to the transformation of the African Continent. In a conference in Beijing last year, the World Banks Vice President for Africa, Mr Makhtar Diop told an old joke in economics which I would like to share here. An economist was walking down the street with a friend and the latter sees a $20 bill. The economists friend turns to him and says, Look, a $20 bill! The economist keeps walking, saying, Thats impossible. If there were a $20 bill on the ground, someone would have picked it up. In other words, economists tend to believe that if there is a profitable investment opportunity, then someone will take advantage of it. Not driving the economy towards innovation is like a massive lost opportunity as innovation has the potential to spur investment which can drive economic growth. Therefore, we note that a lot of emphasis is being laid on innovation in the MRIC bill brought before this House. Clause 4 of the bill which concerns the 5 objects of the Council provides clear-cut aims which I believe are of utmost importance to transform the country. Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity not a threat as rightly pointed out by Steve Jobs, the American business magnate. And for innovations to take place, research should be undertaken. The Government is of view that Mauritius needs a stronger, more dynamic and sustainable research and innovation industry that is important to its economy and the society. Broadening the functions of the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council will provide an appropriate platform for scientists, academics, researchers, funding agencies, the private sector, civil society, and entrepreneurs, amongst others, to thrive. Madam Speaker, I will now touch upon some points pertaining to clause 5(g) where it is mentioned I quote adopt a strong business to drive entrepreneurship and growth to facilitate start-ups and assist innovators to launch, build and grow successful businesses with the participation of the private sector. Right now, across the developing world, there are not enough jobs for the young people coming out of school, regardless of the quality of the education. According to the World Bank, low and middle-income countries around the world will need 520 million new jobs for youth coming out of school by 2030, and the current estimates are that 460 million will be created. This implies that 60 million young people might be left without formal jobs. So, new jobs need to be created. Currently, a lot of job is being generated through the creation of start-ups. And one way to create more jobs is through innovation. Innovation is simply introducing a change of some kind that adds new value. When it comes to innovation, it is about ideas, not just commercial outcomes. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is more commercially driven. It typically refers to a person who has a drive to build or make something that delivers commercial benefits to them, while also adding value to the broader world. Entrepreneurship leverages innovation to create value. Madam Speaker, To create a successful innovation economy, we need both the capability to create new value and the ability to take that value into the business environment and commercialize it. Every day, innovative technologies are introduced that provide significant value to society. However, if they are not backed by entrepreneurial talent or awareness, those innovations will never achieve their commercial potential. This is why focus must be laid on the intersection. This Bill before this House goes specifically in that direction by bringing together both innovators and entrepreneurs. I must add that the provisions of the MRIC Bill are fully compatible with the actions initiated by my Ministry and SME Mauritius Ltd in the context of the implementation of the 10- Year SME Master Plan. The focus of the Master-Plan is to accelerate SME innovation and growth. In fact one of the six thrusts of the Master Plan is to improve design and value addition by supporting SMEs in research and development, innovation and brand identity to move into niche markets. Hence, we are targeting the transformation of SMEs into sustainable and value creation entities. Added to the desire for collaboration with innovation labs, the present Bill will clearly establish bases for the development of linkages, so necessary for cross fertilization of ideas and cluster development crucial to the development of SMEs in our country. Madam Speaker, By dint of our geography and demography, Mauritius as a market has its limitations. Therefore, international visibility and competitivity is key to the development and sustainable growth of our SMEs. Start-Ups, by the very nature of their activity, are more susceptible to global competition as they need to keep pace with the quick technological evolution. This can be a daunting task for any young entrepreneur. Clause 5 (k), subsection 3 specifies that the Council will engage in a process of internationalisation to connect with research and innovation hubs; and attract aspiring entrepreneurs globally. This is a reassurance for our SMEs and Start-Ups so that they can safely thrive in a globalised context. During recent years, we have witnessed an increase of entrepreneurial activities in the field of agri-business, hyproponics projects and poultry farming, as testified by the amount of loans being allocated to SMEs in the above mentioned categories. I hope with the coming into operation of the council, there will be a disruptive trend so that we can have SMEs in new emerging sectors. I note with satisfaction that the MRIC also aims to attract aspiring entrepreneurs globally. Allow me to quote one specific observation from the 10-Year SME Master Plan with regard to enticing foreign entrepreneurs to choose Mauritius for their business activities. These SMEs can act as powerful levers to transform the domestic SME ecosystem and uplift the innovativeness and competitiveness of Mauritian SMEs through emulation and cooperation.- Unquote. On this note, I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister who has brought forward the Business Facilitation Act and for having come up with numerous budgetary measures. These steps have allowed Mauritius to consolidate and to accentuate its lead as number one in Africa for the Ease of Doing Business and to progress five places worldwide to take the 20th place among 190 countries according to the World Banks Doing Business 2019 Report. It is heartening therefore to note that the present MRIC bill sets the basis for collaboration and building on collective synergy to promote internationalisation in the interest of the SME sector and the country. While we expect to welcome new players, new innovators and new entrepreneurs, I also believe that research and innovation should emerge from existing businesses as well. Many business leaders agree that innovation is critical to their companys long-term success and that through innovative practices they will have comparative advantages. However, they do not have the strategies in place to get the results they want and they feel lost at times. The fear of failure and lack of support often prevent them to tread new paths. Hence, I believe that the MRIC Bill is an appropriate framework which aims at establishing the appropriate conditions to support businesses to implement innovative processes and products. Madam Speaker, Let me now turn to Clause 5(a) which specifies that the Council shall develop every 5 years, a national strategy for research and development and innovation. We are in fact operating in a globalised world increasingly in need of knowledge and technologies to overcome societal and economic challenges. The Strategy paper will highlight areas in which the country should focus its investment and at the same time, it will ensure coherence between policies, priorities, and action. As opposed to the MRC Act 1992 which makes provision for the establishment of a General Fund, the new MRIC Bill has a new element with regard to the creation of a National Research and Innovation Fund as stated in Clause 13. The fact that this Fund will serve the public as well as the private sector research initiatives, grants much scope to our public bodies to step up and integrate a culture of research to drive and accompany efforts of the private sector. Such a Fund will be a definite risk mitigator for SMEs as well which are often hesitant to take the plunge in research and innovation-based business activities by themselves. The fund will also serve as pull factor for our Diaspora to inject their know-how into establishing start-ups in Mauritius, thus fostering an innovative business eco-system enabling knowledge and skills transfer and consequentially leading to a multiplication of start-ups, and other collaborative and innovative business and facilitation models. Another positive step enunciated in the MRIC Bill is at Clause 16, which makes provision for the person or company creating a product, service or process to himself/ herself being entitled to holding the Intellectual Property Rights despite being funded by the resources of the Council. This demonstrates the commitment of the Government to acknowledge, to value and to reward the intellect and researches of our local expertise and capabilities. Madam Speaker, Through the presentation of the MRIC Bill, this Government proves once again that it is all set to implement actions which are Game Changer for the nation and for the betterment of the population. We are gathered here, in this august Assembly to set the ball rolling for the adoption of the MRIC Bill which I think is part of our unwavering efforts to create strong and functional science, technology, research and innovation systems for tackling our development challenges and deliver on the rising aspirations of our citizens. We will recall that in November last year, Mauritius hosted the World Artificial Intelligence (AI) Show and World Blockchain Summit. The AI Show featured humanoid robot, Sophia, developed by Hong Kong-based Company Hanson Robotics, and named the United Nations Development Programmes first ever non-human Innovation Champion. With the necessary bases being set to create a new generation of technopreneurs, backed by the new MRIC, I sincerely hope that one day Mauritius will be able to develop its own humanoid robot. Nothing is worse than missing an opportunity which could have changed our lives. This is what the reorganised Council will aim to achieve: creating opportunities which make a difference. Thank you for your attention. To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry. Disclaimer Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. 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On Sunday the House of Representatives approved amendments to the law governing the Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA), giving a green light to private sector companies to build, manage, operate and maintain the railway network. The amendments give the ERA the right to establish joint-venture companies that can be listed on the stock market. Parliamentary Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal described the move as a crucial step in relieving the problems huge debts, outdated operating systems and dilapidated locomotives crippling the ERA. He stressed, however, that the changes did not amount to privatisation of the railway network and were fully in line with Article 32 of the constitution which allows the private sector to operate public utilities for up to 15 years at a time. The approval of the amendments came days after a deadly train collision in Beheira governorate left 12 dead and tens of injured. Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek has ordered an examination of the trains black boxes in an attempt to determine the cause of the crash. A committee of experts in engineering and railways from several institutions, including the Armed Forces Engineering Authority and the State Railway Authority, has been formed to investigate the incident. Initial investigations suggest the crash was caused when a mistake in track changes led to a passenger train being on the same track as a cargo train. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has charged Ibrahim Mahlab, the presidential aide for mega-projects, to form a committee to review the status of the railway network and develop it. Between 2004 and 2016, 13,539 train accidents occurred on the network according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). In 2016 alone, 1,249 accidents were reported. Egypts railways need massive upgrading. According to Hani Sobhi, professor of railway engineering at Ain Shams University, safety on Egyptian trains has been compromised by the systematic failure to maintain equipment. Osama Okail, professor of road and railway engineering at Ain Shams University, claims the entire domestic railway network is moribund and needs to be radically upgraded. Eighty-five per cent of the network still uses mechanical signalling systems. Signals at crossings still depend on the telephone. Ninety per cent of engines still run on diesel. The sector is long overdue an overhaul. Modern electrical signals need to be put in place and diesel engines should be replaced with electric ones, says Okail. Addressing MPs following last weeks accident Minister of Transport Hisham Arafat said: The real problem is not the engines or carriages but signals and infrastructure. Eighty five per cent of the signalling system depends on employees. Some 98 per cent of train accidents in the last 30 years were caused by the outdated signalling system, claimed Arafat. He added that upgrading the network would cost $1 million a kilometre. The network has remained all but unchanged since the 1950s. From 1950 until today the length of the network has been the same 5,200km. It used to carry 440 train journeys per day, transporting 10 to 12 million passengers annually. In 1970 the same network had 490 trips a day, carrying 22 to 25 million passengers. Now there are 922 train journeys timetabled daily, and 350 million passengers use the network in the course of the year, Arafat said. Egypts railway network is among the worlds oldest. It transports 500 million passengers annually, an average of 1.4 million passengers each day, according to ERA. According to Arafat, LE55 billion has been allocated for the development of Egypts railway infrastructure in a five-year overhaul programme. In addition, a new high speed line is being constructed linking the ports of Ain Sokhna and Alexandria at a cost of $4 billion. The idea of allowing the private sector a role in running the railways was first mooted in August when a train crash in Alexandria left 42 people dead. At the time Arafat said there was an urgent need for new legislation to allow the private sector to participate in upgrading rail services. The ERA is expected to do everything, from operating, constructing and investing in the rail network to ensuring it is maintained. It is overstretched and overworked. We need to introduce the private sector to the industry, Arafat said in a televised interview in August. Last year the ERA entered into a deal with US-based General Electric to supply 100 new locomotives and refurbish 81 old engines. The $575 million deal includes a 15-year technical support contract and training programmes for more than 275 engineers and technicians. *This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Related Germany deports 100 Egyptians for visa violations Egypt's ambassador to Germany has denied media reports that a hundred Egyptians were deported to Cairo over violations of residency requirements, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. According to Ambassador Badr Abdel-Ati, only nine Egyptians were deported from Germany on Thursday for violations of residency requirements. "The nine Egyptians were deported after several months of coordination with the Egyptian embassy in Berlin and the Egyptian consulates in Frankfurt and Hamburg, as well the Egyptian authorities back in Cairo, to issue them travel documents," he said in his statement. On Wednesday, Reuters quoted anonymous officials at Cairo International Airport as saying that a flight had landed in Cairo carrying 100 Egyptian deportees, adding that it was the first time for Germany to deport such numbers to Cairo. Abdel-Ati added that if that flight from Cairo to Frankfurt that had on board a hundred passengers, then the majority were from the technical, media and security support teams, insisting that Egyptian deportees were not more than nine. Short link: The failure of the Russian-sponsored Sochi Conference on the Syrian conflict held on 30 January was not expected by the Russians, and in response Moscow escalated the fighting in areas including Idlib, Afrin and Eastern Ghouta, where it threatened to repeat the destruction witnessed in Aleppo in late 2016. The Syrian opposition has accused Russia of taking revenge for the failure of the Sochi Conference by widening the circle of death and destruction. Russia has advised the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the Iran-backed militias supporting it to continue bombing Eastern Ghouta, lived in by some 400,000 people, in order to expand its control on the ground even at the expense of displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Irans use of drones against Israeli forces on 16 February means the possibility of an Iranian-Israeli confrontation on Syrian territory has not been eliminated. Meanwhile, Turkeys Operation Olive Branch, designed to take control of the northern Syrian town of Afrin and expel the Kurdish militias from it, means further military operations by Russias allies. The US is not sitting on the fence, however, and it has been working to derail Russian hopes including by bombing the Syrian Hemeim Airbase, used by Russian forces, using unidentified drones and damaging several Russian planes. US Coalition planes also bombed the forces that attacked the Conoco gas plant in northeastern Syria, killing more than 200 mercenaries hired by the Russian Wagner Group security company. Opposition factions also shot down a Russian fighter jet in northern Syria using anti-aircraft missiles. Russia has stepped up its military operations as a result, intending to retaliate against the opposition and its supporters. Moscow has changed its tactics in Syria often, but it has not changed its overall strategy, and it continues to support the Syrian regime, maintain an ad hoc alliance with Iran and fight the Syrian opposition groups. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime has been besieging Eastern Ghouta for the past four years because it sees it as a threat, this opposition-held suburb of the capital Damascus being only seven kilometres away from the countrys presidential complex. Forces based in Eastern Ghouta could threaten the seat of power if they attacked regime forces in Damascus, which is why the regime is using maximum force to take control of it irrespective of the human cost. It has been displacing local residents, as has been the case in several areas surrounding Damascus, in order to redraw the demographic map around the capital. It wants to surround the city with Shiite and Alawite communities believed to be sympathetic to the regime, explaining why the regime has stepped up its ongoing battles. However, Eastern Ghouta has been difficult to defeat despite the Russian air strikes because this area outside Damascus is caught up in the tactical and strategic calculations of other countries and because the conflict in Syria is much more than a local war. Iran continues to focus on a military resolution to the conflict, and it shares the regimes views. It has never claimed it supports a political solution, and it has even rejected all the UN Resolutions on the conflict, including the important UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 2015. Iran accepted the role of guarantor in the de-escalation zones in Syria in order to align itself with Russia, but it has not abided by any de-escalation agreement. Most Iranian fighters are Arab, Afghan and Pakistani Shiites, and this means that Iran is not deterred by losses or international protestations that it is responsible for many Syrian deaths. Tehran may feel the US is happy with its control over eastern Syria and not interested in the rest of the country, with Turkey notably occupied in fighting the Kurdish enclave on its borders. Iran is therefore forging ahead with its military solution whatever the cost, and the escalation continues. Turkey also wants a slice of Syria, which is why it launched its assault on Afrin, under the control of Kurdish militias that Ankara views as terrorists, in January this year. The operation was sanctioned by Russia without US objections, giving the green light to Turkey to continue its military actions. The battle of Eastern Ghouta is Russias way of restoring its prestige after the political failure at Sochi, and it also wants to show Washington, which has declared areas east of the Euphrates River to be under US protection, that the western bank is Russias. For the Syrian regime, the attack on Eastern Ghouta is an opportunity to protect the capital and expel the last vestiges of the opposition from near Damascus, replacing it with loyalists and Iran-backed militias from Lebanon and Afghanistan. For Iran, it is a means of expanding its influence around Damascus, especially since this area borders the Sayeda Zeinab district, which is under Irans control and includes fortified military bases. For Turkey, the attack on Afrin is an opportunity to annihilate the Kurdish militias that it says are the Syrian wing of the Turkish Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), proscribed by Ankara. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura that the US rejects the Sochi Conference and any track outside the UN-backed Geneva negotiations. The US flexed its muscles when it killed Russian combatants earlier this year, and it has refused to compromise with Moscow. The escalation in the Syrian conflict since the beginning of the year indicates it is intensifying, meaning more fighting between the US, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Israel and others directly or through these countries proxies. The fighting will have little impact on the political front, since US-Russian relations are already strained due to choosing the military rather than the political option. It thus seems likely that the players will continue to escalate the fighting beyond Eastern Ghouta, Idlib and Afrin, striking fear into the hearts of the Syrian population. *This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The announcement by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on 23 February that the US will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, which coincides with the anniversary of the Nakba, fanned the rage further of Palestinian and Arab masses. Palestinians assert that Trumps administration has become a hurdle to peace and its latest decision is a provocation that threatens the identity and existence of Palestinians, and is a direct and intended offense to the Arab nation. They believe any unilateral action that does not abide by international law will defeat any efforts to reach a settlement in the region, create a negative and harmful atmosphere and prevent peace. The Arab League said that relocating the embassy on the anniversary of the Nakba is another wrong decision that will extinguish the last hopes for peace and coexistence between the Palestinians and Israel. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul-Gheit said in a statement: The US decision reveals its complete bias towards Israel and lack of wise perspective of the nature and history of the 70-year conflict. US officials said relocation will take place on the 70th anniversary of the creation of Israel with staff transferred to a modern building in the Arnona neighbourhood where the US consulate is currently located. The State Departments Website stated the consulate will continue operating independently, and that the temporary embassy at Arnona will include an office for the ambassador and a small staff. Meanwhile, Washington has started looking for a permanent location at which to build an embassy, which is a long-term project. The status of Jerusalem is one of the biggest hurdles in reaching peace. Palestinians insist on East Jerusalem as their capital while the international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over all of Jerusalem. On Fridays, Palestinian demonstrators in the West Bank and along the Gaza Strip border continue to protest Trumps decision, which resulted in several deaths and hundreds injured by Israeli army. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised the date of relocation as a great day for the people of Israel and hoped Trump would come in person for the occasion. While meeting Trump in the White House Monday, Netanyahu said: Our people will remember you as the first president to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and Trump responded that he is looking into attending the opening. He added: If the Palestinians do not return to the negotiating table there will be no peace. Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee, said choosing the Nakba anniversary to relocate the embassy is a provocation to Arab and Muslims and crushes the two-state option. In a brief statement, Erekat said Trumps administration has truly become part of the problem and cannot be part of the solution. The decision shows that the US administration has excluded itself as the sponsor of the peace process. Hamas warned that the US move will blow up the region in the face of Israeli occupation. The group issued a statement noted: Moving the embassy will not give the occupation legitimacy or change the reality in Jerusalem The decision is a clear violation of international law and contradicts all international records on Jerusalem. On 15 May, Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and refugee camps commemorate the Nakba of 1948 when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes, villages and towns to neighbouring Arab countries. Israelis, on the other hand, celebrate independence day. Two days after the US decision, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said his country will also relocate its embassy to Jerusalem in May. Morales, who has many conservative Christian supporters, told the annual meeting of AIPAC in Washington that, I would like to thank President Trump for leading the way his brave decision encouraged us to do the right thing. He added that relocating the embassy is a true indicator of Guatemalas support of the people of Israel. Guatemala, which receives large sums of US aid, was among a handful of countries that supported Trumps December decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In a statement after its weekly meeting in Ramallah, the Palestinian consensus government strongly objected to Moraless announcement and called for Arab action against Guatemala. Meanwhile, Fatah led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Arab countries to apply Arab League resolutions to sever ties with any country that relocates its embassy to Jerusalem. In light of Palestinian action to confront the USs decision and anticipated announcement on the deal of the century on the conflict with Israel, sources told the press that Abbas decided during Saturdays Fatah meeting to appoint his deputy Mahmoud Al-Aloul as head of the group if Abbas is absent from the scene. According to local media, Abbas said the deal of the century is due soon, stating: This may be my last session with you; no one knows when their end will come. If they want to announce the deal, they can do whatever they want, but nothing will happen unless we agree. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: I will not end my life with treason; Fatahs son does not compromise, sell or hand off. The fundamentals are fundamentals and cannot be altered. Analysts believe the coming months will be difficult for Abbas, especially as two key events draw near that not only threaten the identity of Jerusalem but the foundation of the Palestinian cause. Namely, the deal of the century sponsored by Trump, and relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem on the anniversary of the Nakba. Meanwhile, the PLOs Executive Committee met Wednesday to discuss the Palestinian National Council (PNC) meeting and agenda. PNC Chairman Salim Al-Zaanoun said preparations are underway for the PNC to meet no later than 5 May, and the date will be decided at the Executive Committees meeting. Zaanoun told Palestinian Radio that the PNC will have an ordinary meeting since Hamas and Islamic Jihad have not yet responded to an invitation to attend and explain their positions on joining the PNC. He said an invitation will be sent out again after a date is chosen. The PNC is the highest authority for the Palestinian people wherever they are located. It decides the PLOs policies and agenda, similar to a parliament. It was created in 1948, was renewed in 1964, and includes 765 members representing all factions (except for Hamas and Jihad), associations, unions and independents. Hamas and Jihad object to holding a session before the PNC is restructured to represent all factions. The last time the PNC met was in 1996, and there was a follow-up in Ramallah in 2009. *This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The United States hopes that the International Coalition it assembled to fight the Islamic State (IS) group in 2014 will help it make its way back to Iraq and even to keep long-term access to military bases in the country. That seems not about to happen. Pro-Iran Shia groups that increasingly act as a dominant power and an arm of the state are challenging the US across Iraq and are pushing Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi to send the US forces home. The US started to send troops to Iraq in June 2014 in order to assist dozens of US military advisers based in Baghdad in helping the Iraqi military in the fight against the IS militants. Washington has since quietly sent thousands of additional troops to Iraq and Syria to work under the International Coalition it set up to fight IS. The build-up has raised scepticism about the US involvement in Iraq and Syria and the US strategy in the Middle East. As Iraqis prepare to go to the polls in May, the presence of the US troops in the country has become a campaign issue, with pro-Iran politicians and militia leaders escalating demands for a US troop withdrawal. On 2 March, Iraqs 328-member parliament voted to press Al-Abadi to draw up a clear timetable to kick out foreign troops from Iraq. The vote, sponsored by lawmakers from the ruling Shia bloc in parliament, was backed by all but a handful of the 177 lawmakers present. However, Saad Al-Hadithi, a spokesman for Al-Abadi, said that Iraq still needed the US troops in its fight against IS, especially in training and other logistical affairs. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the US-led Coalition, has sought to reassure allies that the US will not be making a premature departure. He tweeted that the coalitions presence in Iraq will be conditions-based, proportional to the need, and in coordination with the Iraqi government. The backlash against the US was inflamed by reports that US military chiefs want to keep the option of using up to four bases around Iraq. The four bases the US army is interested in are said to be the Baghdad International Airport and three others in western and southern Iraq where US special forces are currently based. The US newspaper the New York Times quoted US officials as saying that they were looking at developing a continued military relationship with the new Iraqi government when it emerges after the elections. The US administration is trying to convince the Iraqi government that the US presence might only involve long-term access to bases rather than a permanent operational deployment, the paper said. Meanwhile, thousands of Coalition forces remain in Iraq and Syria even after IS has lost 98 per cent of the territory in the two countries it once controlled as part of its self-declared caliphate. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has disclosed that more NATO troops are heading to Iraq to participate in the organisations programme for training Iraqi ground forces and police. Canada and Singapore said last week that they were also considering sending more troops to Iraq this year as part of the International Coalition to deal with terrorism. The controversy over the US military presence in Iraq and Washingtons weapons supplies to Baghdad started last month when the Pentagon demanded that the Iraqi army take over several US-made M-1 tanks that were transferred to the Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militias. The Pentagon complained that the tanks had been deployed by the militias against Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq that Washington considers US allies. Washington also threatened to withhold future arms shipments to Iraq, and US manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems has reportedly suspended its maintenance operations in the country. The US magazine Foreign Policy quoted one maintenance contractor as saying that the Iraqi army could not maintain its tanks without American help and that as many as half of Iraqs M1s await repairs. Washington has also voiced concerns over reports that Baghdad has recently expressed an interest in purchasing Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile defence systems. Iraq has reportedly been seeking the long-range air-defence systems that are capable of destroying aircraft and cruise and ballistic missiles in order to protect its territory from aerial threats. Last month, Russian media outlets reported that the first batch of Russian-made T-90 tanks had arrived in Basra in southern Iraq. They said that more of the advanced tanks were on their way to Iraq. The US has indicated that it could retaliate against Iraq with sanctions under US law. The Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA, imposes sanctions on countries that purchase weapons from Moscow. The bickering over US troops and weapons supplies, however, has underlined much bigger issues, primarily the future of the US relationship with Iraq and Washingtons entire Middle East strategy. The US says it wants to maintain a military presence in Iraq until the Iraqi security forces are strong enough to prevent IS terrorists from re-emerging as a serious threat. US military officials say they want to shift the focus from enabling the Iraqi militarys combat operations to maintaining gains as IS militants return to guerrilla warfare. They say that the Trump administration should avoid a repeat of the mistakes of its predecessor when it withdrew US forces from Iraq in 2010 only for these to be pulled back onto the battlefield when IS seized about one third of Iraq in 2014. But speculation remains that the Trump administration, which is setting itself up as anti-Iran, wants to keep a strong political, diplomatic and military presence in Iraq in order to repel Irans increasing influence in the country. As far as the Iraqis themselves are concerned, opinion seems to be sharply divided. Al-Abadi has said that his government wants the US-led Coalition to stay on in the country for now, but his Shia political rivals are using the continued presence of the foreign troops to undermine him. Some powerful Shia militias backed by Iran have threatened to attack the US forces if they remain in Iraq. Many Iraqi Sunnis seem to be supportive of the idea of having US troops in Iraq to maintain the equilibrium with Irans influence in the country. Some Sunni politicians have been pushing for US troops to police their provinces during the upcoming elections in order to stave off possible interference from Shia militias. Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the parliamentary session on the US presence. They said the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq does not have military capabilities strong enough to face a powerful enemy like IS and that it needs the US troops to help. Given the divisions and the staunch opposition from the Shia militias, the US ambition to keep large numbers of troops in Iraq seems to be overstated. While the US administration hopes that Al-Abadi will hold onto his post after the polls in May in order to help it keep a strong military presence in Iraq, the Iran-backed Shia groups in the country that are expected to join the new parliament are determined to ask the US troops to leave. The wrangling has raised the stakes that the US bases in Iraq could become the targets for terrorist attacks. Some militia leaders have threatened that US troops could face a dark night or hell if they remain in Iraq after the elections. At its core, this is a debate over whether the United States can handle a situation in which its troops are trapped in a quagmire with local militias that have political support, or whether it should keep its promise to leave the country as soon as possible after the liberation of the Iraqi cities from IS. The problem is that too many parties to this conflict have an interest in keeping up the charade, and this makes the stakes for US plans in Iraq and for its whole Middle East strategy all the more enormous. *This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The forthcoming elections in Iraq furnish a portrait of an Arab country that has no equivalent in most of the countrys Arab neighbours, which are plagued by instability and disintegration. To both the government and the Iraqi electorate, these elections mean above all progress towards a redefinition of the political terrain in the country after the liberation of those parts that had been occupied by the Islamic State (IS) group, especially the Mosul Province, and the end of the Iraqi Kurdish dream to establish an independent state in the north. Judging by what is visible so far, the post-election terrain will establish a pluralist order within a predominantly Shia frame-of-reference, while acknowledging two major realities. The first is the existence of other ethnic and religious political forces, such as Sunni Arabs, Sunni and non-Sunni Kurds, Turkmen and other minorities such as the Yazidis, some of them enjoying constitutional safeguards. The latter mean that these groups must be represented in the Iraqi parliament and/or in the government hierarchy, as the Iraqi president must be a Kurd, the speaker of the parliament a Sunni Arab, and the prime minister a Shia. The recognition of this plurality should bolster the unity and stability of the Iraqi state. The second reality likely to emerge after the elections is that there will no longer be a wall between the Iraqi political groups that precludes alliances based on political outlooks rather than ethnic and religious affiliations. Acknowledging this will encourage the political forces to work together and forge coalitions to promote policies that should enhance the ability of the new governmental system in Iraq to mature. This system began to take shape 15 years ago with the creation of the Iraqi Governing Council under the supervision of US administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer. The Islamic Daawa Party, founded in 1957, became the chief incubator of the Iraqi Shia political movements and the generator of the political alignments that have had the greatest influence in shaping the political map in Iraq since the beginning of the constitutional era following the fall of former president Saddam Hussein in the 2003 US-led invasion. However, closer inspection of the Shia political map reveals significant intersections, especially in the light of the growing strength of the independently-minded Sadrist Movement, the emergent Badr Organisation as a political and military entity headed by Hadi Al-Amiri, and the continued influence of the party that now calls itself the Hikma (Wisdom) Movement after the dissolution of the Supreme Islamic Council headed by Ammar Al-Hakim. The Sunni Arab community in Iraq has sustained its relative strength despite major losses during recent years. Many of these were the product of IS control of a large number of predominantly Sunni districts in the Sunni heartland of the country, where Sunni Arab political organisations had their primary grassroots bases. This part of the Iraqi political map will likely see major challenges in the forthcoming parliamentary elections due to various factors. First, the resettlement of displaced persons returning to their homes, especially in the Mosul and Saladin Provinces, will affect the elections and impact on campaigning efforts and the ability to forge a cohesive platform that can persuade voters to vote for representatives of the Sunni Arab political organisations. Second, the fragmentation of the infrastructure of this community will lead the Sunni Arab community to dissolve into disparate and highly fluid electoral blocs, in contrast to the Shia political community in which the Islamic Daawa Party serves as the organisational backbone and the Shia frame-of-reference as a unifying ideological safeguard against fragmentation. Third, the trend that Sunni Arab political figures and blocs have joined Shia-led political coalitions, such as Khaled Al-Obeidi (and his bloc) joining the coalition led by Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi, will continue, and the Shia electoral blocs are likely to continue to open their doors to Sunni Arab political leaders. Fourth, Iraqi public opinion has been negatively affected by Saudi Arabias regional ambitions, especially in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain, and this will have an impact on Sunni Arab electoral prospects in the forthcoming Iraqi elections. While Riyadh has attempted to build bridges through diplomatic, commercial and political channels with Baghdad, Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada Al-Sadrs visit to Riyadh last year was a failure and Saudi bridge-building with Iraq is floundering. Public opinion in Iraq is focused on the countrys reconstruction and development in the areas liberated from IS and in the country as a whole, while purging it of political, financial and bureaucratic corruption. The latter has been placed at the forefront of the elections by the Sadrist Movement, and these issues are likely to play an important role in how voters cast their ballots, even if political allegiances will remain the primary determinant of voting patterns. The Iraqi elections also affect and are affected by the regional situation. In view of the conditions in the region, the fact that Iraq has held elections regularly since the drafting of the post-2003 constitution is a sign of stability despite the hardships the country has faced. This year the elections will be held on time in spite of difficulties, showing the determination of all the political groups to uphold the political order and give it the strength to succeed. The elections should also give new impetus to the countrys political development, enabling Iraq to play a more active role in the region. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry, and the government as a whole, will be better positioned to draw up a new Iraqi foreign policy towards the rest of the Arab world. There is also the question of the future of Iraqi-Iranian relations during the next five years at least. These have evolved rapidly into deeper, broader and more diverse areas since 2003, and economic cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad has notably expanded with the movement of goods, capital and persons between the two countries serving the welfare of both. The Iranian political leadership regards Iraq as its Arab depth in the countrys foreign policy, and Tehran believes that the success of its foreign policy depends on there being a major Arab component within the Iranian sphere of influence. This component is Iraq. The Iranian regimes quest for influence in the Arab world began after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 through the Palestinian cause and the establishment of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Al-Quds Force. This recruited fighters from all the Arab countries, allowing it to build an extensive network, especially among the Ansar Allah (Houthi) Movement in Yemen and Hizbullah in Lebanon. The influence of this is clearly apparent in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestine today. Iran also established the Badr Brigade from Iraqis who had fled the Saddam regime to Iran. When US forces entered Iraq in 2003, the Iraqi-Iranian border collapsed, enabling Badr Brigade fighters to flow into Iraq and take part in the purges of the former ruling Baathist Party leaders as well as of military officers who had taken part in Saddams earlier war against Iran. The Badr Brigade eventually evolved into the Badr Organisation, which is now participating in the political process in Iraq. It also serves as the backbone for the Hashd Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces). All the Arab governments are aware of the close relations that exist between Iran and Iraq. The forthcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq are also likely to increase Baghdads activity in the Gulf, especially vis-a-vis Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. The increased political stability in Iraq after the elections, especially in the light of the liberation of Iraqi territory from IS and the normalisation of relations with Iraqi Kurdistan, should give Iraqs foreign more scope and flexibility. The question of the Gulfs contribution to Iraqs reconstruction and development will be a major issue in Iraqi-Gulf dialogue over the next few years. *This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the LOreal Foundation have announced on Friday that they are preparing to honour several international female scientists in their 2018 For Women In Science and International Rising Talents awards programs. Fifteen female scientists, including three from Jordan, UAE and Tunisia, will be recognized in the International Rising Talents program, where as five will be selected for the For Women in Science program. Others to be awarded in the Rising Talents program hail from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. The ceremony will be held on March 22nd in Paris. The five winners who have been selected from South Africa, China, United Kingdom, Canada and Argentina will receive a prize of 100,000, and will be honoured for their contributions in the fields of "medicine, palaeontology, molecular biology, ecology and developmental biology," the statement by the awards said. This year's For Women In Science awards marks the event's 20th anniversary. Both foundations have honoured five female scientists each year with the award, with the view that "there are many eminent women scientists, and raising their profile is vital to promoting greater gender equality in science." Only 28% of the world's scientists are women, while only 3% of Nobel Prize recipients in science have been women, according to the For Women In Science awards. Short link: Metropolitan News-Enterprise Friday, March 9, 2018 Page 1 Suspended Attorney Philip Layfield Charged With Mail Fraud By a MetNews Staff Writer Philip Layfieldwho was suspended from law practice by the State Bar of California after he failed to show up for his Jan. 24 disciplinary hearingwas arrested in New Jersey and is facing trial in federal court here on a charge of mail fraud. The single count is in connection with his pocketing settlement funds belonging to Josephine Nguyen, who was a client of the erstwhile law firm of Layfield & Barrett. She was to receive 60 percent of a $3.9 million settlement of her personal injury claim, amounting to $2,315,000. According to State Bar charges, Layfield willfully and intentionally misappropriated at least $2,314,942.20 ($2,315,000-$57.85) of Nguyens share. However, Mark E. Speidel, a special agent in the Department of Homeland Security, said in an affidavit is support of an arrest warrant that she was given an advance of $25,000. Essex County Dept of Corrections This occurred, according to his recitation of facts, at a time Layfield and his staff were coming up with bogus excuses in response to her repeated inquiries as to why she had not received payment. It was the sending of the check, apparently to pacify Nguyen to facilitate the continued withholding of funds from her, that forms the basis of the mail fraud charge. According to the Feb. 23 criminal complaint, signed by Speidel: Beginning in or about February 2016, and continuing to the present, in Orange County, California, within the Central District of California, defendant PHILIP JAMES LAYFIELD, also known as Philip Samuel Pesin, knowingly and with intent to defraud, devised, participated in, and executed a scheme to defraud J.N. as to material matters and to obtain money and property from J.N. by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, and for the purpose of executing and attempting to execute the above-described scheme to defraud, on or about March 9, 2016, caused a check (representing a partial, de minimus payment of funds owed to J.N.) to be placed in an authorized depository for mail matter to be sent and delivered by the United States Postal Service or a private or commercial interstate carrier, according to the directions thereon. Speidel related in his affidavit a comment by Nguyens present lawyer, Michael Artinian, that he saw no justification for Layfield filing a personal injury action in the case, explaining: He believed that the only reason LAYFIELD filed the lawsuit was to increase LAYFIELDs fee from 33 1/3% to 40% because, among other things, the lawsuit was filed approximately two weeks before the mediation and the case settled for a large amount as the result of a very short single mediation session. The complaint was filed in Orange Superior Court on July 25, 2016, alleging personal injuries incurred when Nguyen was struck by a motor vehicle while crossing a street on Feb. 24 of that year. Layfield, who fled to Costa Rica in June of last year, was in the United States for two days in October, returning to Costa Rica, and came back to the U.S. Feb. 19, according to Speidels affidavit. It says the attorney intended take a return flight to Costa Rica from Newark. He was arrested Feb. 26 and taken that day before Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion of the District of New Jersey who appointed the federal public defender to represent him. On March 2, Mannion denied bail, in light of the prospect of flight, and ordered a transfer to the Central District of California. In all, Layfield stole more than $3.4 million from clients, according to State Bar charges. There had been confusion as to Layfields whereabouts. The State Bar website lists for him an address in Utah, while the State Bar Court sent papers to him at an address in Miami, which he used on his answer to the notice of charges. The Miami address, Speidel noted in his affidavit, is merely a mail drop, though Layfield had portrayed it to clients as that of an office of Layfield & Barrett. Copyright 2018, Metropolitan News Company A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Friday, killing at least seven people in an attack apparently intended to hit crowds gathered to commemorate a political leader from the mainly Shia Hazara minority, officials said. One policeman and six civilians were killed and seven civilians wounded when the bomber was stopped at a security checkpoint, said Nasrat Rahimi, a deputy interior ministry spokesman. He said the bomber appeared to have intended to attack crowds gathered for the anniversary celebrations of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a Hazara political leader killed by the Taliban in 1995. A string of attacks on Shia mosques and Hazara gatherings has been claimed by an affiliate of Islamic State group, although many Afghan and Western security officials say they doubt the group works alone. In December, dozens of people were killed in a suicide attack on a Shia cultural centre claimed by Islamic State group and two months earlier two separate mosque attacks killed at least 72 people. The attack came less than two weeks after President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to join peace talks to end more than 16 years of the latest phase of Afghan war. Short link: The European Union expects to be excluded from US steel and aluminium tariffs but will go to the World Trade Organization to impose its own measures if Washington presses ahead, EU officials said on Friday. US President Donald Trump set import tariffs on Thursday of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium but exempted Canada and Mexico and offered the possibility of excluding other allies, backtracking from an earlier stance. The EU's trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom will meet with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Brussels on Saturday but the EU executive said the talks would not solve all the problems. Striking a defiant tone, European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen called Trump's speech protectionist, saying it remained unclear how a potential exclusion process would work. "To my ears it sounded very protectionist: economy without competition," Katainen told reporters. "We have to chose whether we want rules-based trade ... or whether we want the rule of force, the rule of the strongest, which we have now seen." EU officials said that while they shared US concerns about overcapacity in the steel sector, tariffs were not the answer, and stressed Europe's historic ties to the United States. "We are an ally, not a threat," Katainen said. The officials said all EU countries, including Britain which is leaving the EU, were behind the Commission, which handles trade issues for the 28 governments. 90 Days European Commissioner Malmstrom, who coordinates policy for the 28-nation EU, the world's biggest trading bloc, said she stood ready to go to the WTO, the international trade arbiter, to impose the bloc's own safeguards within 90 days. "We have been very clear that (the US decision) is not in compliance with the WTO," she said. "We will have to protect our industry with rebalancing measures, safeguards." Safeguards are temporary tariffs. Under WTO rules, the EU can retaliate in a proportionate manner if they do not receive compensation for new trade restrictions within 90 days. European industry associations called on Malmstrom to respond if the EU was subjected to the tariffs, saying they would hit the steel and aluminium sectors hard. "The loss of exports to the US, combined with an expected massive import surge in the EU, could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the EU steel industry and related sectors," said Axel Eggert, head of steel association EUROFER. Aluminium producers' association European Aluminium called for an "immediate" implementation of measures if necessary. Short link: Islamic State (IS) militants claimed a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday which killed at least seven people in a crowd gathered to commemorate a political leader from the mainly Shia Hazara minority. The group gave no evidence for its claim, which it published online via its Amaq news agency. Short link: U.S. allies seeking to avoid the steel and aluminum tariffs approved by President Donald Trump might be asked to step up their financial commitments to NATO. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNBC in an interview Friday that the president will consider national security in determining exemptions from tariffs, and noted that Trump wants to be sure that NATO gets more funding from European allies. Trump has previously criticized some European countries for not contributing enough. Trump drew on rarely-used national security grounds to place a 25 percent tax on steel imports and 10 percent tax on imported aluminum. Only Canada and Mexico both partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement being renegotiated were excluded from the tariffs. Short link: On Thursday, around a hundred people, children and parents, gathered in the main lobby of the Hanager Arts Centre in Zamalek, anxiously awaiting the start of this years Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children. The waiting audience was treated first to a silent, but engaging, performance by a Dutch modern dance troupe, their movements drawing in young ones and adults alike. It took the audience a while to realise that this was a performance, but what followed was enthusiastic participation. A good portion of the audience were young ones with Downs syndrome, and their laughter and participation were contagious to the rest. The performance was movement only, no music, but the smiling dancers managed nonetheless to engage enthusiastic young audience members into joining in. After the exciting performance came the story-telling. Festival director Ahmed El Ghawy and his colleagues told their rapt audience a story that answered the question: why is the sea salty? Many of the adults themselves didnt know the answer. The story goes that a rich, just king once had a magic mill that made his wishes come true. One day, a thief disguised himself as one of the palace guards and sneaked into the kings bedroom, finding the mill and clapping his hands three times to make it obey his commands. The narrative goes that a rich, just king had a magic mill that allowed him to get any wish he desired. No one knew where it was or how it worked. Until one day a thief was able to disguise as one of the guards and went into the palace and realised it was in the kings bedroom and it functions by clapping the hand three times in a row. The thief returned later and stole the magic mill. When he ate and drank he discovered that his food lacked salt. He clapped his hands asking for salt. True enough the mill started producing salt. He ate and then fell asleep, yet the mill kept producing salt. The thief had not learned how to make the mill stop. In a panic, he threw the mill into the sea, and it ended up in the bottom of the sea. The legend continues that the mill is, even now, still producing salt. The story-tellers then sang Why is the sea laughing? to the music by El-Sheikh Emam, and the audience, in high spirits, sang along. The festivals founder and artistic director Mohamed El-Ghawy said that one of the team had told the same story in an event at a school. One of the children in the audience had fallen asleep, and when he had finished his tale, the story-teller apologised to the teacher for not being able to engage the child in question. The teacher responded that the child had been unable to sleep for three weeks due to constant nightmares, and that his falling asleep in class must have meant that he felt safe and secure. Feeling safe and secure is the ultimate goal for everyone, and that is one of the important messages of the festival. Although in theory meant for children, the adults present were also enraptured by the skill of the story-tellers, and shrugged off their status as grownups to engage happily in the activities. The 8th Hakawy International Arts Festival continues until 13 March (check the full programme here ) and there will be many more opportunities for adults and children alike to discover the power of the arts. Ahram Online and Al-Ahram Weekly are media sponsors of this year's festival. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Short link: Think tanks are an important feature of the decision-making process in many countries of the world, especially in the more developed and democratic ones. Most of the worlds most influential think tanks can be found in the democratic countries, where governmental and non-governmental actors often allocate large resources to these institutions. Think tanks in the worlds mature democracies are usually either linked to state institutions, political parties, private interest groups or academic institutions. They produce research that informs the policy-making process or that seeks to promote the ideas of a particular interest group or political party by influencing the media and public opinion. In the US context, where most of the worlds think tanks are found, think tanks occupy a prominent place in policy-making circles and often play a visible role in promoting certain domestic and foreign policies. Government-funded think tanks in the US include institutions such as the United States Institute of Peace and the Congressional Research Centre, which both rely primarily on direct government funding. Other think thanks such as the Carnegie, Brookings and American Enterprise and Heritage Foundations rely on private funding and are associated with particular political currents and ideologies. For example, the American Enterprise Institute played an important role in formulating and promoting the foreign-policy orientations of former US president George W Bush, and many of the people associated with it later occupied prominent positions in the Bush administration. More recently, foreign funding has become a feature of the US think tank community, with institutions such as the Brookings and Middle East Institute receiving generous funding from Gulf countries such as Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia with the aim of producing research that supports the interests of these countries. Other types of US think thanks, such as the RAND Corporation, the Cato Institute and the Euro-Asia Foundation, act as profit-oriented institutions that produce research based on commissions from private companies and groups. Thus, in the US context we find a diversity of think tanks associated with various governmental and non-governmental institutions. These usually have access to significant financial resources, qualified personnel, and the institutional capacity needed to affect the public debate and the policy-making process and are thus an essential feature of the American political system. Looking at the Egyptian context, we find that think tanks in the modern sense of the word first appeared with the creation of the National Institute for Sociological and Criminal Research in 1956 and the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in 1968. The creation of the Al-Ahram Centre was particularly significant because it was linked to a desire to make more informed foreign-policy decisions after the defeat of 1967 in the war with Israel and to rely on experts rather than those close to the regime in the making of these decisions. It was also linked with the realisation that research and knowledge are important in foreign policy and in warfare. The primary mandate of the Al-Ahram Centre upon its establishment was to provide in-depth knowledge about Israeli society and the Arab-Israeli conflict to Egyptian decision-makers. In later years, its mission expanded to include the study of other regional and international issues. Starting in the 1980s with the production of the first Arab Strategic Report, domestic issues also became a fundamental part of the mandate of the Centre. In the late 1980s and 1990s, other think tanks associated with governmental and non-governmental institutions began to appear in Egypt. In 1986, the Information and Decision Support Centre was created to advise the office of the prime minister, and this played an important role in producing research that supports government policies, especially under the former Ahmed Nazif government. In the 1990s, the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies and the Economic Research Forum were created with funding from businessmen associated with the former ruling National Democratic Party and international financial institutions with the aim of promoting liberal and market-oriented economic policies. These centres produced research that sought to shift public policies and public opinion in this direction. Other think tanks tied to civil society and advocacy groups were also created during this period. The Ibn Khaldoun Centre and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies have produced studies and reports that have promoted human rights and political liberalisation. They have relied primarily on foreign funding from Western democracies that have sought to promote democratic values in Egypt and across the globe. On the regional level, think tanks were also created to promote various political agendas. In 1975, the Centre for Arab Unity Studies was created to promote the values of Arab unity and socialism. The Arab Thought Forum was created in the 1981 with the aim of promoting reform in the Arab world. More recently, the Brookings Institute in Doha and the Carnegie Centre in Beirut were created to support various regional and international foreign-policy agendas. A common feature of all these think tanks, including government-supported think tanks such as the Al-Ahram Centre and the Information and Decision Support Centre, is that they are often forced to rely on foreign and regional rather than on local funding. Governments in Egypt and in the Arab region in general do not have sufficient appreciation of the importance of think tanks, and they have failed to allocate sufficient resources to support these important institutions. Similarly, non-governmental actors are often unable to secure private funding to finance think tanks. As a result, foreign funding has been the only available alternative for think tanks in Egypt and across the region, and this has rendered them vulnerable to the fluctuations and uncertainty of this type of funding. Another important challenge facing think tanks in Egypt and the region more generally has been the difficulty of finding suitably qualified researchers due to often low quality of higher-education standards across the region. Investing in higher education and sending local researchers abroad for training and graduate studies would be an important way of strengthening think tanks and enabling them to effectively support the policy-making process. Finally, decision-makers in Egypt and the Arab world do not always rely on the input of local think tanks and resort instead to international institutions and foreign consulting companies in making important reforms and decisions, and this can lead to distorting domestic interests and priorities. The writer is a senior researcher at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: The rhetoric of the Egyptian state and its institutions focuses on Egypts battle against terrorism, the troops, brigades and battalions on the ground fighting armed combatants targeting the countrys security and stability inside, and on the borders, and in the precious land of Sinai. Despite sweeping mass support for Operation Sinai 2018, some media expressions, campaigns and rumours try to distort this support and distract public opinion with marginal issues. This has hindered decisions and measures regarding freedoms and how they are impacted in times of war, which is common practice in democracies everywhere. The state reiterates that we are in a real war situation but no one explains the role of individual citizens and institutions and measures that are required in times of war. The state only gives the army orders to go to battle, but civilian society is given no directions, and catastrophically the media has no idea of its role in times of war and peace. This makes measures seem alien to the general mood and the challenges facing the state, due to the media and politicians focusing on the sacrifices of martyred soldiers and their families. They believe this is enough for the audience to understand their role and measures by the authorities, but experience shows that declaring war must be accompanied with clear statements regarding a timeline when it starts and when it ends. There are no set rules for these extraordinary measures, so each country can decide according to circumstance. The objective truth is citizens in democratic countries facing challenges or war accept measures that take away public freedoms as an exception to the rule due to emergency circumstances facing the country. Professor Geoffrey R Stone, Edward H Levi Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, believes freedoms are the first victims of war, and democracy in the US experienced limitations on freedoms during war since its birth and throughout all its wars at home and abroad. In 1798, less than 10 years after adopting the Bill of Rights, the US was embroiled in the Quasi War between France and Britain which led to divisions between the Federalists who supported Britain and Republicans who sided with France. Since the Federalists were in power at the time, the government of president John Adams took several defensive measures that hurled the US into an undeclared state of war with France. The Republicans strongly opposed and the Federalists accused them of treason. Adams declared Republicans will sink the glory of our country, and prostrate her liberties at the feet of France, and Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition acts in 1798. The Alien Act gave the president the power to deport non-citizens viewed as a threat to the peace and safety of the US, and did not give non-citizens the right to speak, submit evidence or legal recourse to defend themselves. Effectively, this law banned any criticism of the government, Congress and the president with the intent to disparage or slander. The law was forcefully applied but only against Republican supporters, while public prosecutors sued all major Republican newspapers and most Republicans who were sharp critics of Adams government. During the American Civil War, the state faced the most serious threat when loyalties were deeply fractured. Military and political lines constantly shifted and opportunities for espionage and sabotage became easy, while 600,000 died in battle. Under such circumstances, with strong and sometimes violent opposition to the war, draft and Emancipation Proclamation, president Abraham Lincoln was forced to strike a balance between conflicting military necessities and individual liberties. Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus eight times (the writ of habeas corpus allows the court to decide if a person is imprisoned unlawfully, and is a constitutional right that cannot be suspended unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion of public safety). The most radical of these suspensions allowed the military to arrest all persons guilty of any acts of treason, which led to the extrajudicial arrest of more than 38,000 civilians without legal review of their arrests. Civil liberties during World War I were even more disconcerting in many aspects, when the US joined the war in April 1917. There was strong opposition to the war and the draft, with many declaring the US goal is not to make the world safe for democracy but to protect the investments of the wealthy. President Woodrow Wilson lost patience with the opposition and warned that treason must be crushed out and that treason is not a subject for discussion. He also declared that dissidents have sacrificed their rights to civil liberties. In November 1917, US attorney-general Thomas Watt Gregory warned those who interfered with the war effort: May God have mercy on them, for they can expect none from an outraged people and an avenging government. The same is true during the time between the two world wars, as well as all other US wars. Society accepts diminished freedoms, criticises this in retrospect and corrects course after the war is over. There is no simple recipe for balancing extraordinary measures and liberties at times of war, and I am not writing this article to justify or attack such measures. Rather, to establish a historical reality confirming that states automatically resort to these measures to confront extraordinary threats, and society must accept them. Also, to establish the fact that societies accept these measures when there is a threat to societys democracy, stability, safety and freedoms. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: GRAND RAPIDS, MI - President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum was met with apprehension by West Michigan manufacturers, many of whom use that steel and aluminum to make their furniture, automotive parts and beer. While Trump's decision to exempt Canada and Mexico may offer them some relief, the tariffs will raise the price of cars and trucks and office furniture, said Paul Isely, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. "The short run effect of this is that it's going to increase the cost of automobiles and automotive parts," said Isely. He estimated a car will cost between $250 and $500 more as a result of the tariffs. "That has the potential to put a drag on Michigan's economy over the short run," he said. At Founders Brewing, chief production officer Brad Stevenson said the tariffs will affect how much they pay for aluminum cans and steel kegs. "Aluminum is of more immediate concern," said Stevenson, whose company employs 400 in West Michigan and about 100 in Detroit. Founders is the state's largest beer maker and among the 12 largest craft brewers in the United States. Founders, which produced 460,500 barrels of beer last year, sells about half of its beer in aluminum cans and about a quarter of its beer in steel kegs, Stevenson said. Talk of tariffs has already driven up the price of aluminum for its can makers since last April. Although they have locked in their aluminum prices for the short term, the tariffs are bound to make it more expensive in the future, he said. While the tariffs will raise their costs, Stevenson said beer makers are unable to pass those costs along to consumers. "It just takes money out of other ventures, more people, more expansion," he said. Isely said the tariffs could have a secondary negative effect over the longer term in West Michigan. West Michigan's farmers and food processors could suffer if foreign countries impose retaliatory tariffs on food products that are exported to other countries, Isely said. That may shift their consumers to buying food products produced by other trading partners. "We'll be watching carefully over the next weeks to see if that's the place where other countries choose to throw in tariffs." Steelcase Inc., the Grand Rapids-based office furniture maker, said the tariffs will have an effect on some of its products that rely on imported steel that is not available domestically. "While we do purchase the vast majority of our raw steel domestically, there is some material we require not available through U.S. suppliers," said Steelcase spokeswoman Katie Woodruff. "As a result, the company is likely to experience a negative financial impact on our raw material spending." Woodruff said Steelcase is hoping to win an exclusion from tariffs for a type of steel used in its PolyVision product, which uses a ceramic-coated steel to make white boards. Brian Long, director of Grand Valley State University's Institute for Supply Management, said Trump's exemption for Canada - the largest exporter of steel to the U.S. - will blunt the impact on West Michigan manufacturers. But the tariffs will raise prices and most manufacturers are not going to be able to pass those costs on to their customers, he said. Tom Reardon, executive director of the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA), said his Grand Rapids-based trade group has argued against tariffs on steel and aluminum. "Taxing goods and materials coming into the U.S. will likely result in retaliatory actions from other countries," Reardon said in a recent letter to the White House. "We believe that diplomacy and trade negotiations are a preferable course of action to resolve trade imbalances as opposed to the implementation of tariffs." U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Grand Rapids, also opposed the tariffs on his Twitter account Wednesday, calling it "among the most egregious of taxes." Patrimony claims by countries seeking the return of their cultural property from North American and European museums, private collectors and antiquity dealers have accelerated since the 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the complementary International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (Unidroit) Convention of 1995. Disputed antiquities originate in artefact-rich source nations and dubiously end up in economically wealthier market nations. Most countries can be categorised as either a source or a market nation, and this divide represents the two opposing stances which frame the repatriation debate. The cultural nationalism of source nations prioritises the link between historical objects and national identity. Nationalists are protective of their cultural heritage and outraged by its plundering, firmly believing antiquities should return to, and remain in, their countries of origin. Meanwhile, cultural internationalists advocate the universality of art, conveniently subscribing to a more fluid notion of ownership. Antiquities belong wherever the market distributes them, they say, because the world forms a global community that shares all cultural property. Applied to Egypt, a similar dichotomy exists in the form of Egyptian Pharaonism versus Western Egyptomania. The influence of our ancient civilisation has been far-reaching and is now to be seen throughout the worlds popular culture, fashion and architecture from the Eye of Horus used as the logo for the TV network CBS in the US and the obelisk-shaped Washington Monument in Washington DC to the glass pyramid that serves as the entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris, Cleopatra bob hairstyles and shendyt Scottish kilts. It would be exhausting to decry each instance of such usage and unrealistic to expect the world not to be fascinated by what is fascinating. As a result, we tend rightly to regard these acts of imitation as nods of appreciation. However, taking inspiration from our history is one thing and taking its tangible remains and claiming ownership over them is an entirely different matter. The assumption that only Western museums can look after antiquities is patronising and false. At the British Museum in London in 1937, for example, the sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, the so-called Elgin Marbles, were cleaned with harsh copper chisels and carborundum stone, damaging the 2,400-year-old patina on the figures and changing their form. The famous Rosetta Stone from Egypt, also in the British Museum, has darkened because of decades of exposure to polluted London air in the museums foyer. It was only moved to its current protective case in 1999. Market nations argue that they are more capable of safeguarding cultural treasures against turmoil, but is anywhere in the world truly immune to unrest? The January 2011 protests in Cairos Tahrir Square are sometimes cited as evidence of the danger of keeping priceless artefacts in the neighbouring Egyptian Museum, but what about Londons 1990 poll tax riots which saw Trafalgar Square in the centre of the capital descend into anarchy and during which no civilians stepped up to protect the neighbouring British National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery? Arguing in favour of keeping the famous bust of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti in the Neues Museum in Berlin in Germany, and lacking the gift of foresight, historian Arthur Weigall in 1927 said that Berlin is a city perhaps less liable to a destructive upheaval than is the Egyptian capital. Luckily, the bust survived the bombings of World War II in a bunker, only to be taken out once again with the rebuilding of post-war Germany. Adapting the bust as a mascot of sorts, Germany then claimed that it was integral to its cultural patrimony and new national character. Its claim of ownership of the bust has always been deeply problematic, however, as it is akin to sneaking a valuable, personal and prized possession out of someones home, taking it to your house, holding onto it despite the real owners appeals, attesting that it is really more yours because it has seen you through dark times, and later celebrating that supposed ownership in a centennial event marked by stubborn delusion. It should go without saying that this cannot be genuine ownership and that cultural appropriation cannot absolve property theft. The real issue for market nation museums is what would become of their collections and tourism revenues if they opened the floodgates by beginning to take repatriation claims seriously and returned key disputed artefacts to their countries of origin. Their reluctance to do so does little to refute accusations of lingering colonial elitism. As antiquities lawyer Tess Davis points out, colonialism is alive and well in the art world. So-called leaders in the field still justify retaining plunder in order to fill their universal museums where patrons can view encyclopaedic collections from all over the world. A noble idea, in theory, but in practice, a western luxury. The citizens of New York, London, and Paris may benefit, but those of Phnom Penh? Never. The universal museums of these urban hubs claim that they are better positioned than source nation museums to serve world audiences, to which US Getty Trust President James Cuno has responded that any museum that argues for cosmopolitanism and cultural diversity has the obligation to encourage that access everywhere. There is no reason to believe that people elsewhere are not curious about the world. Questions regarding the rightful ownership of high-profile cultural objects tend to lead to drawn out, politicised struggles that are fraught with emotion because they are, in essence, conflicts over identity. Public awareness of cultural property and the ethics of acquisition has increased, challenging contemporary museums to right their historical wrongs. The act of restitution is in a sense awaited as eagerly as the artefact itself by the source nations because it is an overdue gesture of respect and social justice. The rationale behind many repatriation claims is based on the notion that restoring an artefact to its original setting will help the source country reattribute positive feelings to it in its cultural memory while allowing us all to gain a deeper understanding of it in its intended context. In a book on Nefertiti published in January this year, British Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley muses that in the Cairo Museum, alongside the golden treasures of Tutankhamun and the silver treasures of Tanis, Nefertitis aura would surely diminish. How can an Egyptian queens aura possibly wither in Egypt and flourish in Germany? Does an artefact have to be a museums only notable attraction in order for it to stand out? And why are we still being punished for our cultural wealth? The writer is founding director of the Egypt Diaspora Initiative. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: CHELSEA, MI - Two people were hospitalized after a T-bone crash along M-52 near Chelsea Thursday, March 8. Firefighters were dispatched at 8:46 p.m. Thursday to a report of a two-vehicle crash on M-52, just south of l-94, said Chelsea Fire Captain Chris Smyth. Authorities found one person pinned in a vehicle upon arrival and worked for 13 minutes before the person was extricated, Smyth said. One person was transported in critical condition, while another was taken in stable condition to the University of Michigan Hospital, said Matt Rose, spokesman for Huron Valley Ambulance. Slippery road conditions appeared to play a part in the T-bone crash, Smyth said. Further details were not immediately available. Michigan State Police also assisted at the scene. ANN ARBOR, MI - A new concierge medical care pilot being launched by Michigan Medicine with the intention of enhancing patient access to primary care physicians has drawn criticism from faculty, who claim it's been used to "jump the line" and has contributed to discrimination against the underserved. The Victors Care concierge medicine program, which currently is accepting enrollees, is a direct primary care program that charges an annual membership fee in exchange for enhanced access and time with their primary care physician. Physicians in concierge medicine practices limit the number of patients they accept to 20 percent of the number accepted in a traditional primary care practice, according to Michigan Medicine, making it possible to devote more time and attention to each patient. A Jan. 29 letter from Michigan Medicine faculty to UM Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Marschall Runge and Executive Vice Dean for Medical Affairs David Spahlinger detailed concerns about the rollout for Victors Care, asking that it "stop recruiting our patients to this program and advertising it as providing much better care than all the rest of our primary care clinics." "As primary care physicians, we struggle on a daily basis to get our patients in to see specialists and to get critical testing," the letter states. "Instead of addressing this critical barrier for all patients at Michigan Medicine, the implication is that Victors Care will now allow those who pay to jump the line. Some of our specialist colleagues have told us they fear being pressured to fit Victors Care patients ahead of others as they were not asked how they felt about having Victors Care." Michigan Medicine Spokesperson Mary Masson said the Victors Care pilot was developed after requests from patients for a service similar to what exists at institutions across the country, including Massachusetts General Hospital and the Mayo Clinic's Medallion Program. "We're committed to ethical, accessible care for all our patients and whatever programs we put in place should not diminish that in any way," Masson said in a statement. "This will not adversely affect the access of other patients to our outstanding health care system." Michigan Medicine is offering founding memberships in the Victors Care program for $2,700 per year - or $225 a month - for anyone who becomes a member on or before June 30. After that, memberships will increase to $3,600 per year - $300 a month - with all founding membership discounts expiring on July 1, 2019. Faculty raised additional concerns that the "quality care" label provided through Victors Care implies that regular primary care physicians do not give quality care, with "many" physicians noting the program will "cherry-pick" patients who are more likely to be in good health, the letter noted. That could worsen quality measures for physicians outside of the Victors Care program, leaving them with a cohort of "sicker, poorer patients," the group wrote. "Taking a physician from regular practice and reducing their patient load to 400 patients will mean that those other 1000-2000 patients will now be moved to the rest of us to assume their care, reducing access to care for all," the letter states. Runge addressed the idea of "jumping the line" during a recent faculty ethics panel forum on Feb. 28, noting that Victors Care is about creating more opportunities for access to healthcare. "What we're trying to create is a system that provides a way to access our healthcare, not bump anybody out of the way," Runge said. According to Michigan Medicine, patients in the Victors Care program are provided with their private doctor's cellphone number and email address and can schedule same or next day appointments without waiting. The membership fee covers all primary care services provided by Victors Care. There are no copays or deductibles charged for these primary care services. The primary care physician in a concierge medicine practice does not bill insurance for services rendered. The patient, however, still carries insurance for medical care outside the scope of primary care. Users are required to pay the Victors Care annual fee even if they do not use their services throughout the year, according to Michigan Medicine. Insurance does not cover any part of the membership fee, which is paid directly by patients. Those with Medicare can join the program, but just like private insurance, no part of the fee can be submitted to Medicare for reimbursement. Patients with an HMO are not being accepted at this time, Michigan Medicine indicated. UM Associate Professor of Neurology Kevin Kerber said many faculty at Michigan Medicine were surprised to learn of the program, and that he first learned about it after receiving an invitation in the mail to attend a dinner to learn more about joining Victors Care as a patient. "My understanding is that even the primary care physicians here did not know about the program until it was being launched," Kerber said. Kerber said while he was in favor of UM hosting the ethics panel, he was surprised the panel did not include a primary care physician, leaving those who attended with more questions than clarity about Victors Care. "I am very uncertain as to how this program works to achieve better care since we do not perceive a healthcare problem for people able to pay additional money out of pocket for this type of access," Kerber said. "I think most people believe the challenge is for people not able to pay extra money for healthcare." Overall, Masson said Victors Care is just one of a number of ways Michigan Medicine is seeking to improve access to and efficiency of the care it provides. "Others include use of e-visits when appropriate, opening a new facility in west Ann Arbor and the planned opening of another, in Brighton this fall, which will significantly expand our capacity and access," Masson said. Masson acknowledged that some faculty have raised concerns about the pilot program. "We've listened to them and are working together to come up with solutions that are mutually satisfactory for the benefit of our patients," she said. According to Crain's Detroit Business, the Victors Care program is expected to serve about 1,500 patients. Note: The article previously noted a number of physicians offering primary care through Victors Care that was incorrect. That number has been removed for clarity. YPSILANTI, MI - Police are searching for a missing Washtenaw County man who may be in danger. Matthew Urban, 26, dropped off a relative about 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 in the 2000 block of Washtenaw Avenue in Ypsilanti and didn't return home, according to a news release from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. Urban hasn't been seen at his workplace and has made no use of his phone, social media or financial accounts, police say. He is described as a 5-foot-9 white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing brown cargo pants, brown hiking boots, a green parka and carrying a gray/black nylon messenger bag, police say. Urban was last seen driving a silver 2012 Dodge Caravan. The Michigan license plate reads: BHM459. Any information should be directed to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office at 734-994-2911. Residents can also call the confidential tip line at 734-973-7711 or Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 1-800-SPEAK UP. YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI - The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office wants to make it clear - if you're stopped by police, or if you're looking to report a crime, they won't ask about immigration status. The issue isn't political, but a public safety concern, said Derrick Jackson, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office director of community engagement, during the office's Community Education Series hosted through the Ypsilanti District Library on Wednesday, March 8. "If the undocumented community is fearful of local law enforcement, then they are less likely to report crimes and if they are less likely to report crime, then whether we're documented citizens, not citizens, illegal - whatever you want to use - then we are all more likely to be victimized," he said. The sheriff's office has met with other leaders of police agencies in the county in recent years to make sure they were on the same page, said sheriff's officials Wednesday. The immigration policy, as Jackson spelled out for a crowd of about 30 people, has always been in place, but is regularly reviewed and updated as necessary, Undersheriff Mark Ptaszek said at the gathering. Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton did not attend the event Wednesday, but has previously stated that enforcement of immigration law is not the role of local authorities. He's also signed several amicus briefs on the issue, one in support of Chicago in its legal fight against standards set by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to get a Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants. Jackson said, specifically, the agency won't ask about immigration: When someone reports a crime When someone is the victim of a crime When you are a witness to a crime When you are pulled over When you are a passenger of a car that is pulled over When you are suspected of a crime When you are arrested He also said that no one will be pulled over or profiled on suspicion of being in the country without documentation. The policy is in line with resolutions passed by the Washtenaw County commissioners last year and similar to Ann Arbor's ordinance on the topic. Immigration session Posted by Washtenaw Sheriff on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 An immigration enforcement policy and practice work group - made up of representatives from local agencies and representatives of the immigrant community - weighed in on the issue, Jackson said. If it's believed a sheriff's deputy violated the policy, a complaint can be filed with the department. Residents at the Wednesday forum were eager to learn exact details on the department's interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Jackson said the sheriff's office won't impede federal immigration agents, but also won't help them unless asked for help with specific public safety concerns. It's a complex issue with caveats, he said. He said the department "as a general rule" does not allocate resources or time to immigration enforcement. Chris Opila, a first-year law student at University of Michigan, noted that the language used meant there are exceptions. Opila said the language raised a question of transparency in the policy and exhibited "tension." Jackson told Opila there are times when the department is asked to aid ICE for public safety reasons and, in those situations, resources and times are used. Jackson repeated several times that the department does not participate in immigration enforcement and is not involved with related programs. He said ICE isn't required to alert local authorities when they operate in their jurisdiction, but sheriff's officials have worked on communication with ICE agents in hopes of a heads up. Commander of Police Services Marlene Radzik said she has been alerted to operations by ICE, but would not have a way to know if the department has been alerted to all ICE enforcement activities in the jurisdiction. Sheriff's deputies may respond to an ICE enforcement effort to keep the peace, with a marked vehicle - as opposed to unmarked ICE vehicles - to show that a law enforcement effort is taking place, and to connect with community members at the scene, Jackson said. He also noted that through a recently implemented program, Handle With Care, police would alert schools to children witnessing traumatic incidents, including but not limited to arrests. Michael White of Ypsilanti Township, who said he is running for county commissioner, said it raises a question of whether the county can enact a policy of sending resources to the scene of an ICE enforcement effort automatically. "These are families," he said. Radzik said the sheriff's department is also taking further steps to connect with the immigrant population - no matter their legal status. The department has done a meet-and-greet with Jewish Family Services, and has also developed options for roadside communications. Should a deputy pull over an individual that doesn't speak English well, deputies have cards with symbols and Spanish words to communicate. If that doesn't work, dispatchers can patch through a translator. That information came as a relief to county resident Julia Jenista, who teaches English as a second language. She said national headlines and conflict can cause worry and a ripple effect throughout the immigrant community, no matter their legal status. "We get a lot of people that are nervous to leave their home," she said. "... Something flairs in the news, they may not come to class the next day." Jenista said she wants to pass the information from the Wednesday session to her students and make sure they know they are safe to contact police. The assurance that questions of legal status won't be asked also extends to the county jail, said Commander of Corrections Eric Kunath. When someone is admitted, they may be asked their address and citizenship to foreign nations - as some require notification of consulates - but they won't be asked their legal status in the country, Kunath said. ICE may learn someone is in jail through fingerprinting done when booking an individual, but the department also has policies in place to handle an ICE detainer request. Sheriff Clayton has taken the stance previously and officials reiterated Wednesday that the department generally will only hold someone for ICE if there is a judicial order that they do so or a public safety concern. Kunath recalled two incidents recently in which ICE asked the department to hold individuals as a public safety concern. In one instance, an individual was accused of luring someone out of their home to be robbed, assaulted and considerably injured by two other people. In another, someone being held on Wednesday had a criminal history for retail fraud, driving with license suspended and a misdemeanor drug case. The sheriff's office held the individual in the first instance and turned them over to ICE - they requested a judicial order but did not receive one - but denied the request in the second instance, as they did not consider the individual a public safety threat, Kunath said. "Not only did we deny the request, we won't even tell ICE when we release the person because that in and of itself is some level of holding the person," he said. Sheriff's officials said the greatest takeaway when talking to the immigrant community is they hope anyone, no matter their legal status, will come forward to police if a crime occurs. "We just want to stress that were here try to make everybody feel comfortable that they can come to us because a lot of immigrants are victims of crime because they're afraid to make a police report and they're afraid that if they're undocumented that we are going to take action," Radzik " ... Our role as local law enforcement is to enforce state and local laws and just be a welcoming community." BAY CITY, MI -- An Albion trucker is going to be spending the next two decades in a federal prison for coaxing a little girl into sending him nude photos of herself. U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington on Thursday, March 8, sentenced Garret L. Hawkey, 61, to 20 years in prison. Once he's served his time, Hawkey will on supervised release for an additional five years. Ludington exceeded sentencing guidelines, which ranged from 15 to 17.5 years. However, the charge Hawkey pleaded guilty to, that of sexual exploitation of children, is a 30-year felony. When Hawkey pleaded in December, prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges of receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and transport of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. When he pleaded, Hawkey admitted that on Oct. 2, 2016, he used the instant messaging app KIK Messenger to communicate with an 8-year-old Port Austin girl. He persuaded her to send photos and videos of herself engaging in sexual behavior. The next day, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating several users of KIK Interactive Inc. after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That organization had received a complaint from the father of Hawkey's victim, who reported numerous KIK users trying to entice his daughter into sending them lewd images. Investigators examined the girl's cellphone, finding nude images of herself and chats between herself and other KIK users, according to an affidavit authored by Arkin G. Fout, a special agent of the Department of Homeland Security currently assigned to the agency's Cyber Crimes and Child Exploitation Group in Detroit. One such chat featured the girl interacting with Hawkey, his KIK user names being "lonleytrucker69" and "NASCAR lonely." Investigators determined the names belonged to Hawkey after subpoenaing Internet services providers and learning the names' IP addresses were registered to his home. HSI agents on May 17 executed a search warrant on Hawkey's home and interviewed his wife, who said she had once caught him looking at what appeared to be the nude image of a 10-year-old on the Internet. Authorities stopped Hawkey at a truck stop in Rochelle, Illinois. He admitted to them he had child porn on his Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cellphone and allowed investigators to examine the device, Fout wrote in his affidavit. Investigators found numerous images of nude prepubescent girls on the phone and arrested Hawkey. "Hawkey also admitted to having asked for nude pictures from underage girls in the past, but claimed that he was 'joking,'" Fout's affidavit states. Hawkey also said he had specifically chatted with the 8-year-old girl. First-term Monroe County District Judge Jarod M. Calkins is accused of paying for violent sex with multiple prostitutes over an eight-month period between October 2015 and June 2016, according to Attorney General Bill Schuette's office. Calkins, 41, was identified by state police, who were conducting a prostitution sting and investigation at a motel in Monroe County's Monroe Township. He is charged with four counts of misdemeanor hiring women for prostitution and the most serious count, transporting a person for the purposes of prostitution, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Calkins arranged transportation multiple victims using the ride-sharing company Uber, and sometimes gave them rides in his own vehicle before paying for sex, investigators say. Charging documents provided by Schuette's office indicate the judge identified himself as "Michael Collins" and offered to be a "sugar daddy" on social media. A sugar-daddy relationship usually involves a man providing gifts or cash in exchange for sex. The court filings go into explicit detail, outlining allegations of sometimes violent sexual encounters between the judge and at least four women. Police say the judge had an interest in sadomasochism, and that he bound, gagged, beat and choked the prostitutes during encounters detailed in the court filing. One of the women told police she was treated like "a slave." MLive has requested a mugshot from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and is awaiting response. Calkins, a University of Toledo graduate, was elected to the bench in 2014. "Public officials must be held to a higher standard, and I will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that we hold accountable anyone who violates the public trust," said Schuette in a statement. View charging documents (Warning: explicit content): Drinking water in Macomb County's New Baltimore and Mount Clemens has tested positive for contamination, according to notices issued by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality this week. The contamination, currently at levels that aren't believed to pose any significant danger, is related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or PFCs, described as the MDEQ as "a suite of chemicals historically used in thousands of applications throughout the industrial, food, and textile industries." Letters notifying the communities of the presence of PFAS were issued on March 2, describing the results of water tests conducted on groundwater and treated drinking water in January. "I want to assure the residents of the city that their water is safe to drink and that a boil water advisory has not been issued as there is no need" New Baltimore Mayor John Dupray said in a statement issued Friday. "I will be attending a meeting with the MDEQ early next week to discuss this issue in greater detail. We strive to provide the highest quality water possible and will continue to do so." The exact source of the contamination was unknown, but believed to have originated in Lake St. Clair. Ira Township in St. Clair County has also been notified of the presence of PFAS in its drinking water. The localities are near Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which has been testing for PFAS contamination related to past use of AFFF firefighting foam. PFAS was detected in 2017 surface water samples from the Clinton River near the base. See the individual test results for the respective communities below: New Baltimore Mount Clemens Ira Township Gov. Rick Snyder in December announced the state would devote $23.2 million to combating PFAS contamination. There are currently no established acceptable levels or regulatory limits for PFAS in drinking water. "This lack of scientifically based, decision making criteria presents challenges for public water utilities that detect these chemicals in their water supply," says the MDEQ. "Scientists have found PFOA and PFOS in the blood of nearly all the people they tested, but these studies show that the levels of PFOA and PFOS in blood have been decreasing. "While consumer products and food are a large source of exposure to these chemicals for most people, drinking water can be an additional source in the small percentage of communities where these chemicals have contaminated water supplies." Other Michigan municipal systems with confirmed PFAS detections include Plainfield Township, the Saginaw-Midland Corp., Huron Shores Regional Water Authority (HSRWA) system in Tawas, Ann Arbor, Grayling and the village of Sparta. According to Centers for Disease Control, "PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil." Possible health risks, as cited by the CDC, include: ROCKFORD, MI -- The father of a Rockford man washed into the sea Monday by a large wave says he's still hopeful of finding his son. Brad Brussow, reached by text late Thursday, March 8, said he's been told there's a chance his son might have survived. Brussow said he met a man Thursday with a dive team who offered to check caves along the beach as part of the search. Brussow said the man is searching for free. He was grateful for the many locals who have donated time to search. Jonathan Brussow, a 2016 Rockford High School graduate, was on vacation on Eleuthera Island and was near the Glass Window Bridge about 7 a.m. Monday, March 5 when a "rogue" wave swept him and another man off their feet. Jonathan Brussow was washed into the sea. The other person managed to cling to a rock and pull himself to safety. Brad Brussow flew to the Eleuthera and has been involved in the search. Friends of the family have established a GoFundMe page to raise money to aid in the search and also to offer a reward for anyone who finds Jonathan Brussow alive. According to the page organizer, locals are using drones in the search but the area is so dense with shrubs and rock that foot searches are more effective. Jonathan Brussow's sister posted a message on Facebook about noon Friday that said searchers were combing an eight-mile stretch of beach. Alli Brussow said officials with the U.S. Coast Guard believe he likely is on land and not in the sea. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- After two rounds of searching, the Grand Rapids Public Library has a new director. John McNaughton was selected by the Board of Library Commissioners to replace former Director Marcia Warner, who retired in December. "As someone who is fiercely committed to the idea that libraries can be a driver for social change by providing places and services to advance equity, literacy, and community engagement, I am excited to build on the strong foundation the Grand Rapids Public Library has already put in place," McNaughton said in a statement. McNaughton is the director of the Romeo District Library in Washington Township, a position he has held since 2014. He will begin his new role in Grand Rapids in mid-April. The library director position carries a starting salary of $117,279. McNaughton will be tasked with drafting a new strategic plan to lead the library through the next five years - and to direct the organization on how to spend the revenue from the 20-year tax Grand Rapids voters just approved. McNaughton was the alternate candidate in the library board's second round of searching for a new director. In October 2017 the library board was considering three finalists identified by Bradbury Miller Associates: GRPL Assistant Library Director Marla Ehlers and two external candidates: Mary Ellen Icaza and Charles Pace. But the library's six-member board was divided between Ehlers and Pace -- and so the board decided to re-initiate the search. That led to a new crop of candidates in February: Jeremy Andrykowski, formerly the deputy director of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library in Arlington Heights, Illinois; Matthew Hortt, city librarian for the city of Santa Clarita Public Libraries in Santa Clarita, California; Tonya Kennon, director of Riverside Public Library in Riverside, California; and Sarah Sugden, director of the Waterville Public Library in Waterville, Maine. Kennon and Hortt both withdrew their candidacy in February, and the board decided to interview McNaughton, the alternate. Ultimately the board unanimously voted for McNaughton. "The board is confident that John will build upon the great work of Marcia Warner, including easy access to information, superior customer service, and a deep commitment to serving all the residents of Grand Rapids," said James Botts, president of the Board of Library Commissioners, in a statement. This will be the third and largest library director position for McNaughton. His first job as a library director was at the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library in the Upper Peninsula. McNaughton has a master's degree in library and information science from Wayne State University, and a bachelor's degree in English from Northern Michigan University. On 1 March, the One State Foundation was launched. A Palestinian-Israeli initiative with an agenda to broaden debate and ultimately support for a one state solution, the foundation voices an idea and a movement whose ideas I have frequently advanced in this column. It holds, firstly, that the current situation in Palestine and Israel is untenable; secondly, that the negotiating process that emanated from the Madrid Conference and Oslo Accords on the basis of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has reached a dead end; thirdly, that this obstructs the realisation of the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples; fourthly, that the time has come to rethink the question in its entirety; and, fifthly, that the new thinking has to reflect the realities on the ground and, above all, the reality that after more than 70 years since the UN resolution to partition Palestine and more than 50 years since the Israeli occupation of the whole of Palestine, a form of political, economic and security unity already exists. The one state solution is far from new, although previous versions of it have been rejected out of hand. The Israelis dismissed the concept of a single, unified secular democratic state, which the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) began to advocate in the 1960s. The Palestinians have long resisted the Israeli concept of the single state, which is the current de facto version: occupation with apartheid discrimination between Israelis and Palestinians. In spite of the mutual rejection of extreme forms of the single state, there is a growing awareness of a reality of mutual dependency in economic, security affairs and a single economic market. This realisation has led to the growth of a movement among both Palestinians and Israelis who feel that the one state solution is better than the moribund political process, or that it is time to deal with reality constructively and to translate it politically. The One State Foundation, founded by a small group of Palestinians and Israelis, believes that the one-state project stands a chance. The press release announcing the foundation notes, for example, that recent opinion polls have indicated that there is already significant support for such a solution in both communities, varying between 30 to 40 per cent. This is, indeed, significant, even if the approval comes with conditions. There is also considerable literature, by both Israelis and Palestinians, that includes calls for a one-state solution. Here are a few titles: Ali Abunimah, One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse; Ofra Yeshua-Lyth, Politically Incorrect: Why a Jewish State Is a Bad Idea; Ariella Azoulay and Adi Ophir, The One-State Condition: Occupation and Democracy in Israel/Palestine (The term one-state condition refers to the realities generated by the wars and occupations in 1948 and 1967); Cherine Hussein, The Re-Emergence of the Single State Solution in Palestine/Israel: Countering an Illusion (the author refers to Edward Saids beliefs on the subject in the course of examining why the Oslo process failed so miserably); and Joel Koven, Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine (which approaches the subject from an Israeli perspective that holds that the ongoing occupation in Palestine strips Zionism of its ideological exceptionalism). The One State Foundations inaugural statement reaffirms much of the substance in the abovementioned literature. However, it inclines towards the political side of the subject in that it seeks to transform the idea into a growing conviction in the Palestinian and Israeli environments by promoting the essential liberal beliefs in full equality in constitutional rights and economic opportunities and the need to end occupation, oppression, discrimination and apartheid. Accordingly, it calls for the recognition and repair of past and present injustice and wrongdoings, including the acknowledgement of the Palestinian Nakba and the implementation of UN Resolution 194 on the right of return or reparation for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, which, by extension, would end the resistance. If the new organisation does not signify that the idea has taken root and gained prominence, it does indicate that the idea has gone beyond the phase of opinion polls or uncommitted acknowledgement on the part of politicians such as Saeb Erekat, or political writers and analysts such as Yossi Alpher, Hussein Agha and Ahmad Khalidi. The new phase involves bringing the idea into the public space in a systematic way and taking it beyond its primary environment among liberal Jewish communities abroad (in the US and The Netherlands) and Palestinian communities inside Israel and abroad. Israeli Arabs are an important component of this phenomenon. They are the ones who held out against the odds inside Israel, who actively engaged in Israeli political processes and who reject and refuse to be part of a two-state solution in which they could become victims of territorial and/or population exchanges. The idea is still in its organisational infancy and the obstacles ahead are enormous. The majority of opinion on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides opposes it and fears a move towards a single state that would not occur on a basis of a reasonable level of military or political parity. The Palestinians would always suspect that the one state idea is a camouflage for an attempt to legitimise the status quo. The majority of Israeli opinion, which has drifted to the extreme right, sees no reason to grant equality to a people they regard as unequal to them. Majority and minority opinions aside, a vast industry has emerged around politicians, writers, analysts and opinion makers whose livelihoods have derived from the two-state solution and its complexities for the past quarter of a century. This group extends beyond Palestine and Israel to the international community and its venerable organisations, committees and experts. To them it makes no difference how often the two-state solution receives a death certificate. No sooner do negotiations start again than they return to the same formula that had just been proclaimed dead. However, the problem goes deeper than those who live off the two-state solution. In spite of the growth of mutual dependency, up to now it is utilitarian in nature, teeming with mistrust and hatred, and infused with the belief that time and power balances will eventually work towards this or that sides favour. The Palestinians, who have grown even more attached to their land because circumstances abroad are forbidding, or immigration is impossible, believe that demographics are in their favour. In spite of the many obstacles, they also feel that they are part of a vast Arab sphere that will eventually awaken and grow strong. The Israelis, for their part, are proud of what they have achieved since the establishment of the Israeli state and its success in taking in diaspora Jews. They see their advantages in their technological advancement, their numerous Western links and an influence that makes US presidents and presidential candidates strive to outdo one another to prove their loyalty and love for Israel. The feeling that another day of conflict will bring ultimate victory continues to prevail among both sides. Attitudes such as the foregoing remain part and parcel of the Palestinian/Arab-Israeli conflict. Not only do they resist the realities that have given rise to need for mutual coexistence, they resist the aspirations of the younger generations who aspire to a different type of future than that which is offered by the present, a present that was once the future for their parents and grandparents. Most likely, these younger generations will form the space in which the One State Foundation will weave the first threads of a network that will struggle to address a long list of difficult problems at a time when the conflict is ongoing and, frequently, bloody. The writer is chairman of the board, CEO, and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- County officials this week reviewed a plan, developed over the course of the last year, to address troubling lead levels among children in some local neighborhoods. Titled "Ending Child Lead Exposure in Kent County," the report examines the scope and cause of the problem in Kent County, explores current and alternate models to address it and makes a lengthy list of recommendations to local officials. The 61-page document was presented in its final version to the Board of Commissioners on Thursday, March 8. The report was created after a year of work by the Kent County Lead Task Force, which held its first meeting in January 2017. Read: Kent County Lead Task Force Report (Final) "I am encouraged by the work of this task force and the recommendations they have given this Board," Kent County Board Chairman Jim Saalfeld said in a statement. "The recommendations are specific, attainable and timely. If we can eliminate the cause of lead poisoning from the homes where our children live and play, Kent County can be a model of prevention and remediation for other communities." That task force, which held its final meeting on Jan. 17, 2018, was created after state reports showed Kent County, and certain sections within the county, had disproportionate numbers of young children testing positive for elevated blood-lead levels. A 2016 report from Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services showed about 6 percent of Kent County children 6 years old and younger -- 611 of the 9,784 tested -- had blood tests registering 5 or more micrograms of lead per deciliter, a level above which health officials consider elevated. Only five counties and one city in Michigan (Detroit) saw 5 percent or more of its children tested exhibit elevated lead levels in that report. Perhaps even more disturbing, the 49507 ZIP code -- which includes much of southeast Grand Rapids-- saw 188 of 1,329 children tested with elevated blood levels in 2015. The resulting percentage, 14.1 percent, was the highest in the state and the number represented a 40 percent increase from 2014. More recent tests conducted in the same ZIP code in 2016 showed the problem might be getting worse, with 207 children under the age of 6 (15.3 percent of those tested) having elevated lead levels. Elevated lead levels can also be found among children in Grand Rapids ZIP codes 49504 and 49503, in which elevated levels were found in 99 and 92 children, respectively. Those amount to 12.6 percent and 10.4 percent of children tested. Unlike Flint, where the water supply was to blame for increased lead exposure, Kent County's problem is primarily tied to the lead paint found in many older homes. Four out of five homes in Grand Rapids -- and nearly three out of five countywide -- were built prior to 1978, the year lead was banned in paint. During the course of its review of the issue, the task force heard from specialists in housing, healthcare and child care, as well as community leaders from areas hardest hit by lead. The group also heard from Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who has worked closely with Flint officials in the wake of the city's water crisis. "We wanted to be sure to hear from a variety of experts who have years of experience in dealing with lead poisoning," task force Chairwoman and Kent County Commissioner Emily Brieve said in a statement. "Their knowledge and expertise were critical as we formed our recommendations." The report makes three recommendations of action to the Board of Commissioners, including a suggestion to task the Kent County Community Health Advisory Committee with working toward accomplishing a longer list of goals under four categories: Public education The report proposes a "comprehensive public education campaign" to inform both home buyers and renters how to reduce the risk of lead exposure, mitigate exposure impacts and access relief resources. Individual objectives include outreach to educators, rental property owners, refugee resettlement agencies, churches, community organizations, medical providers, building permit officials and hardware stores. Policy Objectives under the policy section focus on working with various government units and organizations to model ordinances and pursue regulatory strategies to both prevent and address lead hazards. Individual recommendations include advocating for more funding from different sources, exploring existing ordinances tied to the inspections of rental properties and studying whether landlords are providing required educational materials and disclosures to their renters. Risk identification and elimination The report states officials should explore all opportunities to make funds available for lead risk assessment and home improvement to eliminate lead exposure. Specific objectives include training government employees, education of contractors and landlords, partnership with landlords and the creation of a publicly accessible data bank where residents can report things like soil lead levels, water quality, childhood lead levels and home assessment data. The report also recommends the Kent County Land Bank remediate properties to the same standards used by the city's Lead Control Hazard Program. Healthcare The recommendations focus on working with medical providers, insurers and parents to ensure children are tested for lead, more complete information is collected and prevention and remediation resources are readily available. Specifically, the report states medical providers should be encouraged to test all children 9-12 months and 24-36 months of age. The task force recommended the county's Community Health Advisory Committee develop its plans for fulfilling the report's recommendations by the end of June, then monitor progress on each and provide a yearly community update. Grand Rapids Third Ward City Commissioner Senita Lenear, who served on the task force, called the report a "starting point for something greater." "We know there is a lot more work to be done, because the community deserves lead-free homes to live in, which is why the members of the Task Force are committed to seeing the recommendations through to completion," Lenear said in a statement. A summary of the task force's findings and recommendations was boiled down to a brief presentation given at community meetings held on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Summary: Presentation given at community meetings Two out of every three children in Kent County with elevated blood-lead levels live in the city ZIP codes of 49507, 49504 or 49503. African American children were lead-poisoned at twice the rate of white children in Grand Rapids in 2015, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data. Lead poisoning can cause permanent, irreversible damage to many organs, including the heart, brain, and liver. It is also linked to lower IQs, hyperactivity and aggressive behavior. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that nearly half a million children in the US have elevated blood lead levels. Paint flakes and peels, and when improperly scraped or sanded off, dangerous lead dust can be created. That flaking, peeling lead paint and dust - ingested or breathed in - can be dangerous to anyone, though especially toxic to babies, children and pregnant women. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Kent County leaders have agreed to sell three valuable downtown riverfront parcels to make way for additional city park land. County leaders announced the sale Thursday, March 8 and described the transaction as a three-way public partnership. The county property involves 1.28 acres along the east side of the Grand River just north of I-196. Kent County officials say the city has a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to pay for 75 percent of the cost to acquire nearly four riverfront acres. The entire project involves the county's 1.28 acres and 2.4 additional acres owned by Michigan State University and the city. The county is selling property at 511, 519 and 525 Monroe Ave. NW to the city for $3.3 million. Another parcel also owned by the county, a parking lot across the street at 520 Monroe Ave. NW, is being sold to MSU for $1.65 million. The land will be used by MSU as an expansion to its "Innovation Park" where the MSU Grand Rapids Research Center now sits at the northeast corner of Michigan and Monroe avenues. In another deal, county leaders are buying city property at 601 and 617 Ottawa Ave. NW for $1.33 million. The property will be used for parking purposes to replace the spaces at 520 Monroe Ave. NW. "This is more than a property sale, it is an investment in the future of Kent County," Board of Commissioners Chair Jim Saalfeld said in a release. "This Board feels the uses proposed here are beneficial to the entire community, and this series of transactions support the future vision of all three public entities. This is yet another example of the West Michigan collaboration that keeps our region thriving." GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- As the water levels continues to recede after near-record flooding across portions of Michigan, state agencies are offering help and warning against scams aimed at those who were hit hardest. Several rivers crested at near-historic levels, with most in Kent County cresting just below the high-water mark set during the historic 2013 floods. The Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Lansing areas and much of Southwest Michigan saw high water close roads and parks, displace homeowners and strand motorists. Water levels crested near the end of February, and have been receding ever since. As many roads and parks are reopened, residents are also assessing the damage done during the flooding. The state government and consumer watchdogs are cautioning those hit by flooding to be wary of repair scams and unlicensed contractors. Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs website includes online databases that state officials encourage consumers to consult before hiring a contractor. Residential Builders and Maintenance and Alteration Contractors are licensed by the state's Bureau of Professional Licensing. Licensed contractors can be searched online or by calling 517-373-8068. Consumers can also access an online database of actions taken by LARA against residential builders. Electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors are licensed by the state's Bureau of Construction Codes. Their licenses can also be verified online or calling 517-241-9316. Though local states of emergency were declared in several Michigan communities, there has been no such declaration at the state or federal level. But there are still resources available for victims of the 2018 flooding. Individuals and property owners impacted by flooding are encouraged to contact their insurance company. Low-income residents may be eligible for up to $1,500 for home repairs from the State Emergency Relief program, according to a press release from Lt. Gov. Brian Calley. Eligible residents can apply online or by contacting their local Michigan Department of Health and Human Services office. Some local organizations have formed flood relief funds, including one fundraising campaign launched in Kalamazoo with two $10,000 contributions from the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. The American Red Cross distributed flood-relief supplies in many areas and were on hand to help those in need of immediate shelter. Two helpful phone numbers for those still in need of help: American Red Cross: 616-456-8661 Heart of West Michigan United Way's 24-hour hotline: 2-1-1 A few more tips from state officials for residents to keep in mind while rebuilding and cleaning up their properties: SAULT STE. MARIE, MI - One person is dead after a crash in Michigan's Upper Peninsula near Sault Ste. Marie. According to the Michigan State Police, the fatal collision occurred around 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 when a vehicle traveling southbound on Mackinaw Trail in Chippewa County's Soo Township crossed over the center line and into the path of a northbound pickup truck. Both drivers were transported to War Memorial Hospital where the driver of the southbound vehicle, 20-year-old Joseph Henry Bowen of Brimley, was pronounced dead from injuries he sustained in the crash. The other driver involved, 36-year-old Mark McLeod of Sault Ste. Marie, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Soo EMS and Fire and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police assisted Michigan State Police troopers at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. This is at least the second fatal crash that occurred on Thursday involving someone crossing the center line and striking another vehicle. A similar incident occurred in Mackinac County on U.S. 2. LANSING, MI - Michigan lawmakers are considering legislation that would institute work requirements for Michiganders who receive Medicaid, a federal health care program for low-income people. Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, introduced Senate Bill 897 on Thursday. It would require able-bodied adults who receive Medicaid to work, go to school or pursue education for 30 hours per week to be eligible for Medicaid. "Work is one of the best things you can do for your own health and your family's health," Shirkey said, and this legislation would provide that opportunity and encouragement. This is an idea Shirkey has had for a long time - in fact, he tried to get it into the state's Healthy Michigan Medicaid expansion that passed in 2013. But to implement it Michigan would need a waiver from the federal government - something the previous administration under President Barack Obama was not open to. The President Donald Trump administration recently opened the door to such proposals, and Arkansas, Kentucky and Indiana have gotten waivers. Shirkey's bill would ask Michigan to apply for a waiver by July 1, 2018. Under the Obama administration, Michigan and other states expanded Medicaid, opening it up to people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2018 that's an income of $16,753 for one person or $34,638 for a family of four. Healthy Michigan now insures 672,731 people, according to the Michigan Department for Health and Human Services. Michigan Medicaid currently does not have work requirements in place, said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Public Information Officer Lynn Sutfin, and hasn't tried instituting them in the past. The state would need to obtain a federal waiver to put them in place. Asked if putting work requirements in place would undo or hinder the progress Michigan has made in getting more people insured through Healthy Michigan, Sutfin said "We will be reviewing the legislation to determine its potential impacts." It's not clear if Gov. Rick Snyder, an enthusiastic proponent of Healthy Michigan, would support putting work requirements in place. A spokesperson for the governor on Thursday said the governor had not reviewed the proposal yet and it would be premature to comment. One group opposing the changes is the Michigan League for Public Policy, which put out a report this week indicating Medicaid work requirements don't work. It's not clear the waivers are legal, the league argued, because the law Medicaid is organized under doesn't allow the Health and Human Services Secretary to impose new eligibility criteria. The report also pointed to a University of Michigan study indicating 48.8 percent of Healthy Michigan recipients are employed. And 27.6 percent were out of work, due to things like poor health, being retired, being a student or being a homemaker. "Too often we see politicians burdening Michiganders in need with harsh requirements and confusing red tape," said Michigan League Public Policy CEO Gilda Jacobs. "It would be more productive for Michigan lawmakers to invest in job training and continued support for Medicaid and other assistance programs, without which many Michiganders would lose access to valuable health coverage that allows them to work and provide for their families. Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint, hadn't yet seen Shirkey's bill Thursday morning, but said he had different priorities in terms of getting people to work. "I think we should be encouraging people to work. I don't think these programs were not meant to be lifetime assistance, they're meant to be helping to empower people," Ananich said. But before implementing a work requirement, he'd like to see the state address common barriers like childcare and transportation. Similar proposals are pending in the House, including one from Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, House Bill 5317. It would require able-bodied adults to work in order to receive Medicaid through Healthy Michigan. He said Medicaid was meant to be there for people who were unable to work or as a temporary measure for able-bodied adults. "I think most people would agree that it's in the best interest of the able-bodied Medicaid recipient not to remain dependent on a taxpayer funded government program," Glenn said. The proposals in the House and Senate haven't yet gone through the committee process. They would need to pass both chambers and be signed by Gov. Rick Snyder to become law. JACKSON, MI - Continuing efforts against discrimination, Mayor Derek Dobies has a homework assignment for Jacksonians. Starting a Book of the Year tradition in Jackson, Dobies wants community residents to read "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," by Michelle Alexander. He plans to host community events later this year to discuss the book, with hopes of bringing Alexander and other experts in for the discussion. The New York Times best seller was published in 2010, dissecting how discrimination takes a different, institutionalized form in the United States today. "It is perfectly legal to discriminate against convicted criminals in nearly all the ways in which it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans," Dobies said in the press release. "Once labeled a felon, even for a minor drug crime, the old forms of discrimination are suddenly legal again." With recent allegations surfacing against Jackson County Sheriff Steven Rand, Dobies said this dialogue is particularly important to have as a community. A federal lawsuit alleges Rand is a "multifaceted bigot" who has insulted blacks, women, Hispanics and other groups. "It's been kind of eye-opening for me as a white male to listen to some of those stories and hear people reflect on what's been said as 'unsurprising' and 'business as usual,'" Dobies said. "This dialogue is timely and necessary for us to have, considering we're a prison city with a top elected law enforcement official that made the comments that he's made." Officials from Jackson County and the city of Jackson have sent formal letters to Gov. Rick Snyder, asking him to remove Rand, an elected official, from office. The Attorney General's office has said it is reviewing the situation and will make a recommendation to Snyder. Only Snyder or a recall could remove Rand, unless he resigns. Both Dobies and Dancy toured the Vocational Village at Jackson's Parnall Correctional Facility on Friday morning. "Unfortunately, Jim Crow continues to exist today - just veiled through a different institution - a different system. It's time we talked earnestly about this problem in our community," Councilman Freddie Dancy said in the release. "This book is timely considering what so many of us have known is going on behind the scenes in the sheriff's office." This isn't the first step the city has taken in 2018 to address discrimination in the city. All city employees were mandated to take a Bridges out of Poverty training, to better understand generational poverty in Jackson, Dobies said. Later this year, employees will take a training on racial equality, Dobies added. "Part of figuring out solutions to the problem is to first create understanding and awareness of the problem within the city itself," Dobies said. The Jackson District Library has roughly 20 copies of the book across its branches, Dobies said, as well as digital copies and audiobooks. (Update: I-94 reopened just before 1 p.m., after crash cleanup) GRASS LAKE TWP., MI - Westbound I-94 is closed between Race Road at exit 147 and Mount Hope Road at exit 150, due to a multiple-vehicle pileup due to whiteout conditions, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The highway closed around 10:22 a.m. on Friday, March 9, per a tweet from MDOT. Westbound I-94 will remain closed as crews sort the wreckage, Jackson County Undersheriff Christopher Kuhl said. An estimated 35 to 45 vehicles were involved, he said. Several people involved in the crash --but not injured -- were taken to the Jackson County Health Department to meet up with family members, Kuhl said. Three people with moderate injuries were taken to Henry Ford Allegiance Health, Kuhl said. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but it is believed a semitrailer that jack-knifed started the pileup after hitting a snow squall, Kuhl said. Ian MacDonald drove one of the vehicles involved in the crash. The Grand Blanc native said whiteout conditions started about three miles before the incident. "I probably slid for, if I were to guess, at least 400 feet," MacDonald said. "I had an RV in front of me. So I'm like, 'Do I choose the RV or the guardrail? So I chose the guardrail. So I rode the guardrail all the way down until the car stopped." Many vehicles moved to the right lane and put hazard lights on before the crash. "I thought I was good at 10 mph," MacDonald said. "When your foot is on the brake and the car's still going, there's nothing you can do." Units from the Michigan State Police, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety are responding to the incident, according to the sheriff's office. "Reports of multiple collisions with numerous vehicles and semi's involved," a Facebook message said from the sheriff's office. "Both east & west Bound are stopped completely. Please find alternate routes and avoid the area." Eastbound lanes were congested all the way back to exit 142, per MDOT, although there was no incident in the eastbound lanes. Sounds like that crash on WB I-94 at Race Road Exit 147 is pretty significant, involving multiple vehicles due to whiteout conditions. Avoid the area and plan an alternate route. Michigan DOT (@MichiganDOT) March 9, 2018 Anybody involved in the incident should call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 517-768-7901 to complete crash reports. (UPDATED: 3:33 p.m., March 9) GRASS LAKE TWP. MI - A 38- to 42-car pileup that shut down westbound I-94 has been cleared by rescue crews and the highway has been reopened. Westbound I-94 between Mount Hope and Race roads was reopened at about 12:54 p.m., March 9, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. WB I-94 at Race Rd Exit 147 Update: Incident Clear Jackson County MDOT-Lansing/Jackson (@MDOT_LanJxn) March 9, 2018 The highway closed around 10:22 a.m. on Friday, per a tweet from MDOT. An estimated 35 to 45 vehicles were involved Jackson County Undersheriff Christopher Kuhl said. I-94 Pileup 3/9/18 Huge 40-50 pileup on Westbound I-94 near Race Road exit in Jackson County. Posted by MLive.com on Friday, March 9, 2018 Six ambulances from both Jackson and Washtenaw Counties assisted with the pileup, taking three people to Henry Ford Allegiance Heath for treatment, according to a statement from Matthew Rose, public information officer for Emergent Health Partners. All three patients are in stable condition, Rose said. Those who were not injured, but whose vehicles were wrecked in the pileup, were taken to the Jackson County Health Department to meet up with family members, Kuhl said. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but it is believed a semitrailer that jack-knifed after hitting a snow squall started the pileup, Kuhl said. "It appears the initial crash was caused by a car in the passing lane that lost control and then all the chain reaction crashes behind it," Kuhl said. The Jackosn County Sheriff's Office would like the thank The Jackson Transportation Authority for providing busses to get stranded motorist off the freeway. Eastbound I-94 lanes were congested back to exit 142, per MDOT, although there was no incident in the eastbound lanes. Anybody involved in the pileup should call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 517-768-7901 to complete crash reports. The Michigan State Police, Blackman-Leoin Township Public Saftety, Grass Lake Fire, Henrietta Fire and the Jackson County Department of Transportation assited at the scene. KALAMAZOO, MI -- An assessment submitted to the state shows floods caused $2.5 million in damage to property in Kalamazoo County. A historic crest of the Kalamazoo River flooded homes with several feet of water, damaging vehicles, water heaters and furnaces at the end of February. The river was a foot higher than it was when severe floods hit the county a decade ago, but property damage is less than a quarter of 2008's flooding. During the 2008 flood, damage to public infrastructure, mostly road and bridge washouts, and to homes from flooding was estimated to exceed $11 million. In the city of Kalamazoo, 10 businesses, 466 homes were flooded, and 10 major street intersections were flooded. A local state of emergency was declared for Kalamazoo County after the 2008 flood, but damage was not severe enough to qualify for a state or federal assistance. READ MORE: Check out all of MLive's state-wide flood coverage Kalamazoo County did not spend enough to be eligible for financial relief, so a state of emergency was not declared this time. A declaration would not have leveraged funds that would help homeowners. The county damage assessment surveyed homes in the cities of Kalamazoo and Galesburg, Comstock Township and Kalamazoo Township. Sheriff Rick Fuller was unable to say how many homes were looked at. The assessment will join others from throughout the state if Gov. Rick Snyder requests aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Fuller said FEMA is aware of the flooding in lower Michigan, but is dealing with other flood situations across the country. Homeowners who habitually deal with invasive waters are among Kalamazoo County's most economically challenged residents. During a Wednesday city of Kalamazoo meeting on relief efforts, residents expressed frustration that help isn't coming sooner. "The organization is not omnipresent," Fuller said. "(FEMA) is aware of the situation here, but is focused on harder hit areas. I fully recognize that anybody that is living in this situation doesn't want to hear that ... They need to hopefully understand that whatever relief may be coming takes time." Friday, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley announced that low-income residents affected by flooding may be eligible for emergency relief from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Applicants must be the owner or purchaser of the home and meet other eligibility requirements to qualify. To apply, visit www.michigan.gov/mibridges or contact a local MDHHS office. Most of the damage comes from several feet of standing water. Personal property was destroyed or swept away in floodwater while furnaces, water heaters and other home appliances were damaged. The Kalamazoo River has receded below flood stage and is at its normal height, but some residents are still pumping water from their homes. Others are dealing with no heat or hot water while temperatures are around freezing during the night. "I would like to see a team start getting (flooded) basements pumped out,' Fuller said. "(Multiple groups) are trying to come up with a solution to help get water out of their properties. This needs to be done now." Kalamazoo County is looking at adding flood warnings to a new alert system unveiled last year. Kalamazoo Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain said staff are looking at ways to warn homeowners before flooding is at the doorstep. A joint press conference held on Feb. 22, days before the Kalamazoo River crested, provided information to the public, but some residents said more can be done. Fuller said this won't be a golden solution. A variety of alerts are sent through things like local media, text alerts and the National Weather Service, but don't reach everyone. Thursday, an unnamed group of residents sent a formal letter to dozens of county officials, outlining possible solutions for limiting or impact of flooding. The "Crosstown Flood Coalition of Kalamazoo Michigan" did not respond to a request for comment. "The city of Kalamazoo has an obligation to serve and protect its citizens," the letter reads. "We are concerned that the flooding issues will affect the reputation that has been enhanced by community efforts such as the Kalamazoo Promise and the Foundation for Excellence." Chamberlain said the group is composed of business-owners near Crosstown Parkway and Burdick Street, usually among the first places to flood in the city of Kalamazoo. The city hasn't met with the group yet, but Chamberlain said its working to schedule a date. The coalition is concerned that ongoing flooding is diminishing the appeal of the city of Kalamazoo and putting its citizens at risk, it said in the letter, which listed a variety of negative effects from floods. The letter offered a few possible preventative measures. Gryphon Place's 211 line is still the best place to receive help, officials said. Residents said the help line was not as responsive as they would like, but it's a one-stop place to receive financial assistance when it is made available. United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation created a $20,000 relief fund this week. The public can add tax-deductible donations to the fund through United Way. Fund dollars will go to local agencies working directly with individuals and families needing help in the wake of February's historic flooding in Kalamazoo, according to the United Way. Agencies leading flood relief efforts that wish to seek financial support through the Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund can contact the United Way at (269) 343-2524. United Way is accepting tax-deductible contributions for the Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund. Those who want to make a gift can donate online at www.changethestory.org, but be sure to enter "Kalamazoo Flood Relief Fund" in the line labeled "affiliation." Donors can also mail or drop off a check made out to "United Way BCKR" at 709 S. Westnedge Ave. in Kalamazoo. Organizations looking for support through the fund can apply online. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The attorney for Quinn James, who is charged with sexually assaulting a Kentwood teen later found dead, said prosecutors urged potential witnesses to turn on his client. Attorney Jonathan Schildgen said Friday, March 9, that witnesses have been told that a homicide suspect is in custody, and that police have video of Quinn in a rental car dumping the victim's body in Kalamazoo. "So I want to know, is there video of Mr. James dumping that body? They've also told witnesses in this case they have the murderer. In custody." He said in court that witnesses have been told that a man in jail has implicated James and his fiancee. "If those things are true, he should be charged and allowed to defend himself. If they're not true, it's disturbing, and the most basic form of due-process violation I can think of," he said. He said lawyers, unlike police investigating crimes, cannot lie to witnesses. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said Schildgen's allegations have "absolutely no basis." Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Kellee Koncki declined to comment when asked outside the courtroom if anyone had been charged in the killing. Prosecutors asked that James, 42, who waived his right to a probable-cause hearing in Kentwood District Court on sex-assault charges, and was awaiting trial in Kent County Circuit Court, have his case remanded for the hearing. With Mujey Dumbuya, 16, dead, the only witness to the alleged sex assaults is her boyfriend, Daquarius Daymont Bibbs, 17. He told police he witnessed James repeatedly sexually assault the girl while he held her hand. Bibbs is on house arrest, with a GPS tether, after he was named as a material witness last week in an effort to ensure his testimony. Prosecutors say concerns about his safety should lessen if his testimony is put on the court record. James allegedly tried to discourage his testimony in letters sent from jail under another inmate's name. "We're concerned about (Bibbs') safety given what happened to the victim," Becker said. "Preserving his testimony is paramount." Becker noted that Bibbs is under court jurisdiction through the end of the month for an earlier trial date. The trial has been pushed back to June. Circuit Judge George Quist said that remanding the case to District Court did not prejudice James' rights. Prosecutors say James raped Dumbuya last year while she was dating Bibbs, who lived with James and his fiancee, Tiara Burnett, 26, who is also Bibbs' aunt. She is charged with perjury during an investigative subpoeana and free on $50,000 bond. While Dumbuya did not testify before she was killed, her statements to police could be used if prosecutors can show by a preponderance of evidence that James killed her to silence her. Dumbuya disappeared Jan. 24. She did not get on the bus to take her to East Kentwood High School. Her body turned up in Kalamazoo, along North Prairie Avenue, three days later. James had been free on $100,000 on the sex-assault case when the killing happened, but he was soon locked up on $500,000 bond after Kent County prosecutors charged him in an alleged 2014 sex assault of another young woman. Dumbuya and Bibbs conversed on Facebook before they met in person in late July. He was present when James allegedly raped the teen, prosecutors say. James is facing four charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a 15-year felony, but if convicted as a fourth-offense habitual offender, he faces at least 25 years in prison. Prosecutors had offered to drop the 25-year minimum if James pleaded guilty to three of the four charges involving Dumbuya. Outside the courtroom, Schildgen said many speculate his client must have killed Dumbuya because he had a motive but said he hasn't seen any evidence implicating his client. He thinks his client will only get a fair shake at trial. He criticized prosecutors, and said that a "gaggle" of them have shown up at hearings. "I'm not afraid of them. I'm not intimidated. I'm pissed at them." In almost all the countries I know of, the middle classes are a crucial actor, a central block of the society, and one that has been little studied. Academics seem to prefer to study the two extremes of the ruling class and the marginalised classes. Opinion polls are often the only way to gain some insight into what is happening in the middle classes. I do not know if we should explain this trend in terms of ideological bias, the difficulty of the subject and its complexity, or by the fact that the middle classes are often quiet. In some Western states today, they are one of the main losers of the globalisation process. Egypts middle classes were one of the main winners of the 1952 Revolution and one of the main losers for now of the economic reforms of 2016. Their purchasing power has been dropping, and many can no longer afford to pay for one of their favourite items, namely foreign education. Nevertheless, they remain a key player in society. While the regime is frightened by a possible revolution of the hungry, it tends to forget that the middle classes launched the 25 January Revolution and in 2013 engineered the demise of former president Mohamed Morsi. We should bear two important facts in mind: first, that the middle classes were weak before 1952 and that their rise has been the direct and indirect result of the policies of former presidents Gamal Abdel-Nasser, Anwar Al-Sadat and Hosni Mubarak; and second, that since Sadats policies of economic openness, pursued and consolidated by Mubarak, more and more members of the middle classes have been less and less dependent on the state either for their income, their education, their knowledge or their ways of thinking. My colleague the commentator Sherif Younis considers this growing independence of many segments of the middle classes to be one of the main factors explaining the 25 January Revolution. He thinks that many of them were growing increasingly fed up with the authoritarian state, especially as it was increasingly unable to deliver anything meaningful. In an article published in the daily Al-Ahram on 25 January this year, commentator Gamal Abdel-Gawwad wrote something similar, arguing that it was those who had had problems with the nationalist ideology promoted by the state who had launched the 25 January Revolution, naming the liberals, the leftists and the Islamists (mainly the Muslim Brothers), among them. The nationalists had been weakened by many factors. Abdel-Gawwad does not dwell on them, but those that could be mentioned include the crisis of the state, perceptions of corruption, a lack of results, sharp divisions over privatisation, and the rise of former president Mubaraks son Gamal Mubarak. He says that the nationalist forces then recovered and launched the 30 June Revolution removing Morsi in 2013. It might be added that important segments of the liberals and the left realised at this time that the Muslim Brothers were planning to rule alone and were developing a very dangerous project in order to do so. As a result, these segments forged an alliance with the nationalists. The Muslim Brothers underestimated the strength of Egyptian nationalism and did not address concerns related to their foreign policy. An increasing number of Egyptians realised that the two agendas, the nationalist and the Islamist, were divided by unbridgeable differences. It is therefore tempting to construct an opposition between the middle classes that depend on the state and are nationalists and statists and those that depend on the private sector and adhere to a different credo. But things, of course, are more complicated. First, we should draw a distinction between crucial state institutions and others that are less important. It is true that in the presidency, the army, the police, the justice system, the Irrigation Ministry and the media, statist nationalists make up the great majority. However, in other state institutions, including the Foreign Ministry, things are more complicated. Second, it is tempting to develop some hypotheses about those who were educated in what Egyptians call foreign language schools, which provide a curriculum that is much more Westernised than that in others. You often hear observers, including some foreign scholars, saying that such people do not really know how things are done in Egypt as a result of their education, including how the state works. All they know is that Egypt is not up to normal, read Western, standards. There are arguments defending and attacking such sweeping judgements. What is clear is that key institutions in the state have complex relations with such people. The crucial institutions need these people, especially those who have studied abroad, to lead the various ministries that handle the economy, finance, the public sector, foreign affairs, and so on. The leaders of the key state institutions have complex relations with those who have studied abroad: either they despise them, especially if they say nasty things about the states modus operandi, or they are fond of them, especially if they are competent technocrats able to smooth relations with a potentially hostile West. There is also another group that combines the two mindsets. It is possible to be the son of a provincial family, lead Friday prayers, and be an economic liberal devoted to privatisation and yet also know how the state works. This is just an introduction. In a following article I intend to sum up what two leading Egyptian sociologists, Ahmed Moussa Badawi and Abdel-Baset Abdel-Moeti, have had to say about the Egyptian middle classes and how they have drawn distinctions between its different segments and understood their history. The writer is a professor of international relations at the College de France and a visiting professor at Cairo University. *This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: KALAMAZOO, MI - Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop opened today in downtown Kalamazoo. The business, part of a California-based group of franchise shops that describe themselves as "one-stop shops for all of your soda pop and candy cravings," is owned and operated here by Tom and Heather Holmer, of Kalamazoo. The store at 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall is in the former location of the Plata y Oro jewelry store, utilizing 1,300 square feet of space renovated to include fixtures of wood and displays that give it a vintage look. "Rocket Fizz is a retro candy and soda pop shop," Tom Holmer said. "We have far more than just that. But our sodas are our primary thing. We have about 500 varieties of soda. "We have our own taffy here (with) roughly 102 varieties available. But along with that, we've got toys and tins and gag gifts and rubber masks and you name it, we've got a little bit of everything." That includes hundreds of colorful concert posters, movie posters, small toys and tin signs, as well as candies and bottled soda pops from all over the United States and some from abroad. "It's all about fun," Heather Holmer said. "People downtown want to come down here and have a good time and we hope to help people do that." The candy will include old-time treats such as Mary Janes, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bottle Caps and Nik-L-Nips (wax bottles). But items that were "penny" candy through the 1970s, now sell at higher prices. The Holmers said individuals pieces, such as taffy, sell for 10 to 15 cents each, depending on the bulk. Customers can fill Cellophane bags with candy that sell for $7.99 per bag of, at a larger size, $9.99. "We've got our candy bars. It's not just inexpensive candy," Tom Holmer said. "There is gourmet candy here. There are some high-end chocolate bars that are here. We're going to have European and Japanese candy, imported directly here. So that's what's going to make it kind of interesting, the constant changing variety. The Holmers expected to have the business up and going last June in the 100 block of East Michigan Avenue, but those plans were forestalled and changed. The business is one of more than 90 franchise locations that are part of a concept that got its start in 2007 in Camarillo, Calif. Early last year, Novi became home to the first Rockett Fizz location in Michigan. Another was opened last year in suburban Grand Rapids. Business hours at the Kalamazoo store are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The business will employ five people, including the Holmers, they said. THREE RIVERS, MI -- Three separate potential threats toward Three Rivers High School led school district leaders to cancel classes for Friday. Three Rivers Schools Interim Superintendent Rob Kuhlman, in a message posted to the district web site and Facebook page, said three different tips came into an OK2SAY tip line late Thursday, March 8. One of the tips led police to speak with a Three Rivers High School student. That person was released to parents. Kuhlman said the other two tips were more vague. "As a district we take all threats seriously. As a result we are closing school on Friday, March 9th. Three Rivers School administration will continue to work closely with the Three Rivers Police Department to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff," he wrote. FREELAND, MI -- The Diocese of Saginaw now says the Freeland priest accused of sexually assaulting a teen and a man was once concerned about "rumors" and had been investigated on suspicions of sexual abuse. The announcement March 8 comes a week after diocese officials previously stated that, "to the best of their knowledge," 71-year-old Rev. Robert DeLand Jr. was not investigated nor accused before of "priestly misconduct." In the statement, diocese officials say DeLand was investigated in 2005 after a woman asked whether her brother, who committed suicide in 1993, was sexually abused by DeLand in the 1970s. The sexual abuse probe was handled by an "independent professional investigator," and the suspicions were later deemed unfounded by the Rev. Robert Carlson, who was bishop of Saginaw at the time, the Diocesan Review Board and the family of the man, according to the statement. The "clarification" that DeLand was once investigated for misconduct allegations comes after Bishop Joseph Cistone ordered a thorough review of his file, according to the statement. The examination of DeLand's file turned up no "evidence" of previous allegations made by a victim or "someone with direct knowledge of sexual abuse of a minor," according the diocese statement. Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Mark Gaertner characterized the statement as "confusing." "On the one hand, you're saying there hasn't been any allegations of prior bad acts, but then in the same breath you're saying there had been an investigation," Gaertner said. DeLand, a longtime area priest, was charged Monday, Feb. 26, with three felonies on accusations he sexually assaulted a 21-year-old man and 17-year-old boy in his Saginaw Township condominium. Since his arrest, nearly half a dozen more people have told investigators stories of alleged sexual abuse, attempted or otherwise, at the hands of DeLand, Tittabawassee Township Police Detective Brian Berg previously said. Some of the allegations date back to the 1970s. DeLand was once concerned about "rumors" he said were damaging to his reputation, according to the diocese statement. In 1992, he wrote the Bishop of Saginaw at the time, saying he takes issues with certain "rumors" and denies wrongdoing, the diocese stated. The letter was contained in his file, according to the diocese. The diocese did not return calls for comment to clarify the substance of the rumors. Allegations involving church officials Among the tips pouring into the Tittabawassee Police Department are allegations of sexual abuse by other area clergymen, Berg previously said. If the allegations are verified, an official investigation will launch, the detective said. The Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday the formation of a special investigative team to coordinate and investigate allegations of abuse involving officials within the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. The diocese includes the counties of Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Midland, Gratiot, Tuscola, Huron and Sanilac Gaertner said the investigation will not dwell on rumors. "We are going to follow the evidence and go where it leads us," he said. Members of the team, which involves multiple local, state and federal agencies, have not yet reached out to the church for information. "They have pledged to be cooperative with law enforcement," Gaertner said. "We fully expect them to honor their word." A key point in forming the team, Gaertner said, was to centralize the tip-gathering process and ensure an organized process in conducting follow-ups. Those with information on alleged abuse occurring in Saginaw Township can call Detective Scott Jackson at 989-791-7226, while those with information on alleged abuse occurring in Tittabawassee Township can call Detective Brian Berg at 989-695-9623. Anyone with information on alleged abuse occurring in other areas of Saginaw County or in surrounding counties can call Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Chris Siegert at 989-495-5555. Tips also can be sent to abusetips@saginawcounty.com. Gaertner encouraged the public to share tips, no matter how insignificant they might seem. "The vast majority of major drug busts start from the smallest tips," he said, as an example. The Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office has victim advocates available who can help people through the process and share with them their rights as a victim. "We don't want silent victims to feel that there's nowhere to turn to," Gaertner said. DeLand's next court appearance is March 12 for a pre-examination conference. After DeLand was charged, the diocese placed him on administrative leave and forbade him from working or posing as a priest until the criminal case concludes. He remains released from custody on GPS tether. Because he's court-ordered to have no contact with anyone under 21, he is prohibited from going on school properties and attending church functions. ELKHART, IN -- A 28-year-old Indiana man was sentenced Thursday to 130 years in prison for killing two brothers from Saginaw. James Ross Jr. was given two consecutive prison terms of 65 years on Thursday, March 8, after he was found guilty by jury of murder in the deaths of 29-year-old Antonio McClain and 25-year-old Anthony McClain, according to the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office. The McClain brothers were Saginaw natives living in Elkhart, Indiana, when they crossed paths with Ross the afternoon of Sept. 20. Prosecutors say Ross, armed with a handgun, went to a multi-family residence in the city of Elkhart and began arguing with a woman tenant about who could be on the property. "Ross told the female resident that if he saw certain people on her property, he would kill them," according to the prosecutor's office. Antonio McClain, who was on the property, overheard the argument and intervened on the woman's behalf, prosecutors say. His brother, Anthony McClain, arrived to his apartment at the residence to see Ross and Antonio arguing. Ross refused to leave the property. He eventually pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Antonio McClain, prosecutors say. When the McClain brothers attempted to retreat, prosecutors say Ross shot them both in the face at close range, killing them instantly. "But for Ross bullying and intimidating the residents at 413 State Street while armed with a loaded handgun, there would have been no argument, no shooting," a statement from the prosecutor's office read. "That but for Ross' refusal to leave the property, there would have been no reason for Ross to escalate the situation which resulted in him killing the McClain brothers." Prosecutors said Ross' attorney tried to present the double homicide as self-defense. While scientists and researchers have a slightly better idea where and when China's free-falling 8.5-ton space station will crash into Earth, it is still surrounded by uncertainty. In its latest report, the Aerospace Corporation identified northern China, central Italy, northern Spain, the Middle East, New Zealand, Tasmania, South America, southern Africa and northern states in the U.S. as regions with higher chances. An Aerospace graphic shows that parts of southern Lower Michigan fall into the regions listed with the highest probability of debris landing. Aerospace, funded by the U.S., reports that the Tiangong-1 space station is expected to enter Earth's atmosphere around April 3. The corporation works in two-weeks of error -- one before and one after April 3 -- in its latest estimation. CNBC notes that the European Space Agency has penciled in between March 24 and April 19 as its prediction of re-entry. So, the two aren't that far off from each other's prediction. "There is a chance that a small amount of Tiangong-1 debris may survive reentry and impact the ground," Aerospace reports. "Should this happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometers in size and centered along a point on the Earth that the station passes over." In the Aerospace graphic below, it notes that the yellow represents regions that have a higher probability of debris landing, green labeled areas have a small chance and those in blue have zero probability of debris landing: As noted, a majority of the spacecraft is expected to burn up upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere, but some chunks weighing as much as 220 pounds could hit the surface. Predicting where any debris could hit is next to impossible, according to Harvard University astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell. McDowell tweeted on Wednesday, March 7 that "confusion remains widespread" in predicting Tiangong-1's reentry location, and date and time. Reference: here is an illustration of Tiangong-1 by the manufacturer CAST pic.twitter.com/ElrbndsWY4 Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 7, 2018 "Remember that a 1 hour error in our guessed reentry time corresponds to an 27000 km (17000 mile) error in the reentry position," he said in a tweet. "And currently our estimate has a 2 week uncertainty." That's right, an error of one-hour in predicting the time of the space station's re-entry into our atmosphere could cause a 17,000-mile difference in where it was predicted to enter. Orbit of Tiangong-1 as of 2018 March 7 @ 00:00:00.000 UTC. The Apogee (highest point in the orbit) = 255 km while the Perigee (lowest point in the orbit) = 233 km. For reference, the International Space Station is in a 400 km circular orbit. The Guardian reports in a previous report that several space crafts or space stations have come crashing through the atmosphere to Earth without killing or injuring anyone in the past. TIME notes that Tiangong-1 is small when it comes to space stations, and that NASA made its own uncontrolled space station entry back into Earth in 1979 with its much larger 77-ton NASA SkyLab. Tiangong-1, known as the "Heavenly Palace," originally launched in September 2011 and was viewed as a major step for the space agency in its quest to build a space station by 2020. NASA says that when it was active Tiangong-1 largely served as a demonstration of the "vital docking technology required for a future space station." WASHINGTON -- Statistics released Friday by the Labor Department show that February was the best month for hiring new workers since July 2016. According to the Associated Press, the hiring surge resulted in the unemployment rate being unchanged at 4.1 percent. The AP reports that the increase in workers being hired may be tied in part to confidence from business owners that President Donald Trump's recently passed tax plan will result in continued growth for businesses. The plan has also resulted in consumers having more after-tax income in their paychecks. While the hiring increases are a good sign, wage growth did not increase as those fell from January to 2.6 percent year-over-year. On the flip side of this news, the AP also reports that economists believe President Trump's decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum might affect the job market. Up to 145,000 jobs could be lost even those industries will likely add workers. Businesses that use the metals, such as automakers, packaged food companies and companies that make industrial machinery could all see job losses as a result. LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Detroit Tigers made their first significant round of cuts this spring, optioning five pitchers to minor-league camp. Right-handers Artie Lewicki and Zac Reininger were formally optioned to Triple-A Toledo; right-handers Gerson Moreno and Spencer Turnbull to Double-A Erie; and left-hander Gregory Soto to Class A (Advanced) Lakeland. All five pitchers remain on the 40-man roster. The cuts leave 52 players in camp and should make it easier for the Tigers to dole out innings in the final weeks of camp. Lewicki, 25, made three appearances and one start this spring. He went 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in his Major League debut last September after a strong season in Toledo. An eighth-round draft pick out of Virginia in 2014, Lewicki is likely to end up in the Mud Hens' rotation again in 2018. Reininger, 25, was an eighth-round pick in 2013 and got his first taste of the big leagues last September. He went 3-2 with a 2.54 over three levels in 2017, striking out 60 in 63 2/3 innings. Moreno, a 22-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, was added to the 40-man roster this winter after pitching well in Lakeland in 2017. He struggled with control upon reaching Erie, which is where he'll start his 2018 campaign. Turnbull, 25, was a second-round pick in 2014 out of Alabama. He was also added to the 40-man this winter after a strong season in Lakeland. He pitched twice in relief this spring. Soto, a 23-year-old Dominican, jumped up prospect lists by going 12-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 2017. He spent most of the year at Class A West Michigan but ended with five strong starts in Lakeland, which is where he'll begin 2018. Of the five pitchers, Reininger was probably the only one with a serious shot of breaking camp with the big-league club. As a hard-throwing reliever, he could have been a wild card candidate in the wide-open bullpen. Lewicki could land in Detroit at some point this year as a spot starter or long reliever out of the bullpen. Earlier in camp, the Tigers optioned second baseman Dawel Lugo and reassigned pitchers Victor Alcantara, Paul Voelker and Alex Faedo. They also released left-hander Travis Wood after he underwent season-ending knee surgery. [March 09, 2018] Flashbay's First Ever Attendance at Exhibitor Live 2018 in Las Vegas MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Flashbay, the world leader in customised promotional technology products made its first ever attendance at Exhibitor Live, the Conference for Trade Show and Corporate Event Marketing. The show took place in Las Vegas from 26th - 28th February and is North America's largest exhibition for tradeshow event products and services. Over 6,000 people attended the event. Flashbay is an internationally renowned company with offices spanning 5 countries and 4 continents, with a US office situated in Mountain View, California. Flashbay's presence in the United States has grown year on year since its formation in 2008 and is trusted by over 10,000 organisations. The feedback from visitors outlined the need for promotional products that were new and different, and Flashbay didn't fail to deliver. Buyers were incredibly excited at the extensive range of high-quality promotional items that Flashbay had to offer, in particular the inductive chargers, wireless headphoes and Bluetooth speakers. Flashbay welcomed a number of high-profile attendees to the stand, from Indeed.com, NY University, Ametek, JP Morgan, and many other enterprise buyers. There was a large interest in gift sets and headphones as promotional gifts for business executives. Many buyers were keen to schedule orders for global marketing events. "We are delighted that so many people were approaching the stand enquiring about our new products, and even asking for our Sales Account Managers by name. It really illustrates the close relationship we have with our clients, our outstanding customer service, and the trust that businesses have in our products," says Janet Abke, President of Flashbay North America. CEO Steve Webster said, "The Exhibitor Live 2018 Event was an exciting buying opportunity for all who attended. Flashbay delivered an impressive range of innovative technology that is creatively customized for any business." A hugely successful first year attendance by Flashbay at the Exhibitor Live Event. Flashbay would like to thank everyone that attended. About Flashbay: Flashbay is the World's No.1 business-to-business (B2B) supplier of logo branded Promotional Technology products. From the smallest schools to the largest multinationals, we offer an attractive range of designs within our Memory, Power and Audio categories, offering unbeatable prices coupled with fast and efficient service. Our product lines include Flash Drives, Power Banks, Speakers, Headphones and a host of related technology products and accessories which allow our customers the unparalleled ability to promote their brands with confidence on the global stage. www.flashbay.com Contact: Natalie Murray Email: n.murray@flashbay.com [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\broadband-stimulus's Homepage ] blackdovfx/iStock/Thinkstock(MONTESANTO, Wash.) -- A bright burst of light illuminated the horizon over western Washington state Wednesday night, followed by a loud boom that shook the ground, according to several reports, leaving both residents and officials puzzled. Local officials in Grays Harbor County received hundreds of calls about the incident, the cause of which remains a mystery. The county's Division of Emergency Management said it contacted the National Weather Service in Seattle, which said there was not a severe weather event in the area at the time of the reported "ground shaking, loud boom and flash of light in the sky." The Washington State Duty Officer also contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the Western Air Defense Sector, but both said they did not have any problems on their end. "There was no earthquake. There are no reports of explosions or crashes on the ground," the Grays Harbor County's Division of Emergency Management said in a statement Wednesday night. "We will continue our investigation of the incident." A surveillance camera situated outside a home in Grays Harbor County captured the flash on black-and-white footage as it lit up the night sky. Grays Harbor County Sheriff Rick Scott said he saw "a huge flash of what appeared to be orange light" while he was driving, but he didn't hear the boom or feel the ground shaking. "Whatever it was, was a huge, huge burst of bright light," Scott told ABC's Seattle affiliate KOMO. "It took up the entire horizon." The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for additional comment Thursday. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. March 08, 2018 Poisioned British-Russian Double-Agent Has Links To Clinton Campaign On Sunday a former British-Russian double agent and his daughter were seriously injured in a mysterious incident in Salisbury, England. The British government says that both were hurt due to "exposure to a nerve agent". Speculative media reports talk of Sarin and VX, two deadly nerve-agents used in military chemical weapons. Anonymous officials strongly hint that 'Russia did it'. New reports though point to a deep connection between the case and the anti-Trump/anti-Russia propaganda drive run by the Obama administration and the Hillary Clinton election campaign. Sergei Skripal once was a colonel in a Russian military intelligence service. In the early 1990s he was recruited by the MI6 agent Pablo Miller. He continued to spy for the Brits after his 1999 retirement. The Russian FSB claims that the British MI6 paid him $100,000 for his service. At that time a Russian officer would only make a few hundred bucks per month. Skripal was finally uncovered in 2004 and two years later convicted for spying for Britain. He was sentenced to 18 years and in 2010 he and other agents ware exchanged in a large spy swap between the United States and Russia. Skripal was granted refuge in Britain and has since lived openly under his own name in Salisbury. His wife and his son died over the last years of natural causes. The only near relative he has left is his daughter who continued to live in Russia. Last week his daughter flew to Britain and met him in Salisbury. On Sunday they went to a pub and a restaurant. At some point they were poisoned or poisoned themselves. They collapsed on a public bench and are now in intensive care. A policeman on the scene was also seriously effected. Authorities have declined to name the substance to which the pair is suspected to have been exposed, but: Local media had on Monday reported the substance found at the scene to be similar to fentanyl: a lethally strong opioid available even on Salisbury's soporific streets. The British government is hinting at Russian involvement: The attempted murder of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, using a nerve agent was a "brazen and reckless" act, [home secretary] Amber Rudd has said. Mr Skripal and his daughter are still critically ill after being found collapsed on a bench in Salisbury city centre on Sunday. ... Ms Rudd told MPs it was an "outrageous crime", adding that the government would "act without hesitation as the facts become clearer". She refused to speculate on whether the Russian state might have been involved in the attack, saying the police investigation should be based on "facts, not rumour". While the British government is preparing the facts as it needs them, let us ask the ever important question of motive. It was not Russian vengeance for Skripal's earlier spying. He had been in Russian jails for four years and lived openly in Salisbury for eight. There was plenty of time to off him. Russia certainly does not need any more anti-Russian propaganda in "western" media. If a Russian service would want to kill someone it would do so without making such noise. The former British ambassador Craig Murray suspects a different motive and culprit: Craig Murray @CraigMurrayOrg - 10:21 AM - 8 Mar 2018 Russophobia is extremely profitable to the armaments, security and spying industries and Russophobia reinforces intellectually challenged voters in their Tory loyalty. Ramping Russophobia is the most convincing motive for the Skripal attack. Ambassador Murray also points out that Salisbury, where the incident took place, is just 8 miles away from Porton Down, a chemical weapon test site run by the British government. As the BBC noted in a report about the place: ... chemical agents such as VX and mustard gas are still manufactured on site ... I believe that Craig Murray is wrong. Russophobia can be stoked without attempting to publicly kill a retired spy and his daughter. More likely motives can be found in the tight connection to another important affair. The British Telegraph reports today: A security consultant who has worked for the company that compiled the controversial dossier on Donald Trump was close to the Russian double agent poisoned last weekend, it has been claimed. The consultant, who The Telegraph is declining to identify, lived close to Col Skripal and is understood to have known him for some time. ... The Telegraph understands that Col Skripal moved to Salisbury in 2010 in a spy swap and became close to a security consultant employed by Christopher Steele, who compiled the Trump dossier. The British security consultant, according to a LinkedIn social network account that was removed from the internet in the past few days, is also based in Salisbury. On the same LinkedIn account, the man listed consultancy work with Orbis Business Intelligence, according to reports. Meduza named the man the Telegraph declines to identify as: Pablo Miller, who at the time was posing as Antonio Alvarez de Hidalgo and working in Britains embassy in Tallinn. Russias Federal Security Service says Miller was actually an undercover MI6 agent tasked with recruiting Russians. Orbis is Christopher Steele's company which was paid by the Clinton campaign to make up or find 'dirt' about Trump. Sergei Skripal was an agent Steele himself was likely involved with: Steele had spent more than twenty years in M.I.6, most of it focussing on Russia. For three years, in the nineties, he spied in Moscow under diplomatic cover. Between 2006 and 2009, he ran the services Russia desk, at its headquarters, in London. He was fluent in Russian, and widely considered to be an expert on the country. Steele was an MI6 undercover agent in Moscow around the time when Skripal was recruited and handed over Russian secrets to the MI6. He also ran the MI6 Russia desk so anything about Skripal will have passed through him. It is very likely that they personally knew each other. Pablo Miller, who worked for Steele's private company, lived in the same town as Skripal and they seems to have been friends since Miller had recruited him. Miller or someone else attempted to cover up the connection to Steele by editing his LinkedIn entry. Here are some question: Did Skripal help Steele to make up the "dossier" about Trump? Were Skripal's old connections used to contact other people in Russia to ask about Trump dirt? Did Skripal threaten to talk about this? If there is a connection between the dossier and Skripal, which seems very likely to me, then there are a number of people and organizations with potential motives to kill him. Lots of shady folks and officials on both sides of the Atlantic were involved in creating and running the anti-Trump/anti-Russia campaign. There are several investigations and some very dirty laundry might one day come to light. Removing Skripal while putting the blame on Russia looks like a convenient way to get rid of a potential witness. Update: Steele's company issued a weak denial of Skripal's involvement in the dossier: Sources close to Orbis, the business intelligence firm run by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele, who was behind a dossier of compromising allegations against Donald Trump, said Mr Skripal did not contribute to the file. But they could not say whether Mr Skripal was involved in different investigations into the US President for other interested parties. The most curious point in the affair though is the visit of the daughter. She had just come from Moscow to visit her lonely father when both were poisoned in a rather sensational way. There must be some reason why she was involved in this. Did she have a bad message for him? Did they both decide that suicide was the only way out? Was locally bought Fentanyl involved as the local press had reported? or Was the lonely old man Sergej Skripal preparing to go back to his homeland Russia? Did he offer a some kind of "gift" as apology to the Russian government that his trusted daughter would take to Moscow? Did someone find out and stop the transfer? The above questions are all highly speculative. But the connection between Steele and Skripal is way too deep to be irrelevant here. It certainly deserves more digging. Unfortunately it is likely that the British government, and its U.S. cousin, will come up with some "blame Russia" story for the gullible people and leave it at that. That story will involve some "brazen and reckless" Russian plot and an "outrageous" attempt by Putin himself to publicly kill a friend of Britain with some with highly dangerous weapon of mass destruction. This will then be used to throw up new tensions, to put more sanctions on Russia and to sell more weapons. That official story though is unlikely to be the true one. --- h/t to commenter yoffa for providing the Meduza link. Posted by b on March 8, 2018 at 21:04 UTC | Permalink Comments Take that boyfriends, husbands, relatives and anyone else who's publicly shamed you for having a full blown in-depth one-way conversation with your dog. As it turns out, talking to something that doesn't talk back to you is a completely natural part of the human experience. What's more, you can actually gain a tonne of psychological benefits from doing so. Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago, told Quartz that talking to animals is actually a sign of intelligence. He explained: Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. At Morningstar, we're fans of companies that have carved out economic moats thanks to the unassailable competitive advantages they possess. These competitive advantages can be derived from various sources such as intangible assets, switching costs, network effect, cost advantage, and efficient scale. We expect narrow-moat companies to generate excess returns on invested capital for at least the next decade; for wide-moat companies, that stretches to least 20 years. But that doesn't mean that no-moat stocks aren't worth investing in. Some companies--such as automakers--are in industries that aren't moat-friendly. Others, meanwhile, are in the process of trying to build moats. 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. A single mother of two turned entrepreneur is bringing a little taste of her home in Puerto Rico to Central Florida with her very own store. Dorimar Mercado created Kissimmee's Coqui Snacks Her store offers tastes of Puerto Rico Mercado wants to teach her daughter confidence, independence "It's like I say, every day is International Womens Day, because we're always working so hard," said businesswoman Dorimar Mercado. When you visit Mercado at Coqui Snacks, you'd think you're visiting the island of Puerto Rico. In reality, it's a hidden gem in Kissimmee, where Mercado is serving up tastes from the island. "Families that live here that bring in their family members from Puerto Rico to let them know it's okay, you still have the flavors from Puerto Rico," Mercado said. Mercado opened her store nine years ago as a single mom during the economic recession of 2009. "I said 'ok, now even more than ever, I have to work harder,'" Mercado said. When you visit Coqui Snacks, you'd think you're visiting the island of Puerto Rico. (Paula Machado, staff) She started snacks that are essentially a popsicle in a cup. "We started with like six flavors and now we're up to 20," Mercado said. And now, people keep coming back. "Because I miss the island ... and the food is great!" said customer Nicolas Castano on why he visists Coqui Snacks. For Mercado, the success of her very own business means a lot -- it teaches her daugher about confidence and independence. "The fact that they see their mom having her own business, working, making it on her own, to me is empowering," she said. March 8 is International Women's Day. The United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day in 1975. Sanford Police arrested a man accused of shooting 19-year-old Ja'vonte Washington at Seminole Towne Center Mall Monday night. Lewis Thomas Boone is facing charges after allegedly shooting Washington in the parking lot outside Burlington Coat Factory at the mall. Police say an argument escalated, and Washington allegedly reached to grab a firearm from the trunk of his vehicle and shot Washington. During the investigation, authorities found that both Washington and Boone know each other. No further details were released regarding Boones arrest. SOUTHINGTON A bill before the state legislature would require school contractors to notify education officials when employees are arrested. State Rep. Liz Linehan, a Democrat representing Cheshire, Southington and Wallingford, proposed the legislation following the arrest of a Southington bus driver on charges of sexually assaulting a girl over an eight-year period. The New Britain Transportation driver, Wolcott resident Joseph Addona, was charged with first-degree sexual assault in December. According to police the girl was a family acquaintance and not a student. Attorney Ioannis Kaloidis, who represents Addona, told the Republican-American the allegations are "completely false and unfounded" and that his client will be vindicated in court. Addona had resigned from the bus company a month before his arrest, according to Peter Agostini, president and CEO of New Britain Transportation. Linehan said the Southington school district was never notified of the arrest. That the Board of Education was never informed that a school bus driver was arrested for sexual abuse is terrifying to every parent of young children, she said. Firing the individual isnt the end of it the school district needs to be promptly notified so they in turn can notify the parents and conduct a full investigation. Brian Goralski, Southington education board chairman, said hes in favor of the bill. He didnt discuss details of the arrest, but said it was handled responsibly and effectively by school staff. I believe that employer should have communicated with us better than they did, Goralski said. Agostini said the bus company was the last to know Addona was arrested since he had left the company a month earlier. According to the legislation, any company contracted by the schools must notify the district when an employee who is in direct contact with students is arrested. The company is to include the charges and a description of the incident if possible. It doesnt include any penalties for non-compliance. The bill, HB 5334, is before the General Assemblys education committee. Southington school superintendent Tim Connellan submitted testimony in support of the legislation. Linehan said the bus company should have contacted the school district when officials knew Addona was under investigation. Police notified New Britain transportation. At that point New Britain Transportation should have notified Southington public schools, she said. Agostini said his company did know of the investigation, but could not have provided Southington schools with much information since police hadnt released the charges. We tried to pull this information as much as we could but it wasnt readily available, he said. While Agostini supports the bill, he said there are fairness issues involved with reporting investigations into employees that havent been arrested. Youre innocent until proven guilty, Agostini said. State Rep. John Fusco, a Republican representing Southington, said he understood the bills intent but also wanted to uphold due process before reporting claims that may affect an individuals employment. jbuchanan@record-journal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ SOUTHINGTON A lunch, dinner and pizza restaurant plans to replace the former Formaggios Apizza on Meriden Avenue. Mike Truss, a chef, and his wife Meeghan Truss are renovating the building at 1244 Meriden Ave. They plan to open Craft Kitchen, a restaurant specializing in local, fresh and scratch-made dishes. Specialties will include fresh pastas, house cured and smoked meats, hand stretched mozzarella, hand tossed brick oven specialty pizza and of course legendary catering, Mike Truss said. Its the second recent attempt to reopen the restaurant. Late last year, Brad Brandon, a Burlington resident, said hed take over the restaurant from Norine Derocco who also owns Goldroc Diner in West Hartford. Shed owned Formaggios but said last year that shes looking to focus on other businesses. Derocco couldnt be reached for comment Thursday. Brandon planned to change the name to The Twisted Oak as part of a larger rebranding of the restaurant. Formaggio was open for four years, winning awards for its pizza before Brandon made an offer to Derocco for the business. Chef Ace Memetti had planned to be the chef at The Twisted Oak. According to the town Building Department, no plans were submitted under The Twisted Oak name and permits never granted. Mike Truss said a deal between Brandon and Derocco fell through. Plans for Craft Kitchen are under review by building officials. Mike Truss said his grandfather ran the Truss Farm on Pine Street. Mike Truss, who studied culinary arts, has worked as a chef in Boston and California before returning to Connecticut. Hes looking to put a field fresh spin on his dishes. Mike Truss ran Napoli Cafe in Plantsville. jbuchanan@record-journal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ SOUTHINGTON The Hartford HealthCare building on Queen Street is filling with doctors as the company adds services to the building completed late last year. Healthcare officials said the medical building, just south of the Queen Street exit off Interstate 84, offers specialty care, primary care and rehabilitation. Its the latest addition for Hartford HealthCare, which owns the Bradley campus of the Hospital of Central Connecticut and opened a GoHealth urgent care location late last year just south of the new medical building. James Shimer, central region business and planning director, said doctors started moving into the building in November. The 50,000 square-foot building isnt full and was built to allow growth. He said new services will be added based on community needs. The first floor houses the healthy aging center, while the second floor features neurologists. The third floor has primary care and a rehabilitation center. Services related to aging are in demand and will continue to be, according to Gary Havican, central region president for Hartford HealthCare. More and more care is outpatient and those services should be placed where theyre easy to reach. Healthcare should follow retail, Havican said, and Queen Street provided easy access. Where theres a Starbucks, where theres a Dunkin Donuts, thats where you should put healthcare, he said. Town and healthcare officials began meeting in 2016 after public opposition to the removal of services from Bradley Hospital. Hartford HealthCare leaders said theyre committed to keeping Southingtons hospital open. Bonnie Sica, a founder of the Community Committee to Save Bradley, said Hartford HealthCare listened to local residents and is sticking by its word to maintain the hospital. Shes glad that the group is adding specialty medical services in town, particularly neurology. This is going to be the focus for Connecticut, Sica said. Were going to be the neuro-center. Victoria Triano, a Town Councilor, was pleased with the new medical building. The level of expertise and the quality of care that I think is going to be happening there is one that will really benefit the entire community, she said. Triano was glad that it included a healthy aging center. I think thats very, very good for our seniors, she said. jbuchanan@record-journal.com 203-317-2230 Twitter: @JBuchananRJ WALLINGFORD Some high school students still plan to participate in the national school walkout next week despite administrators announcing students would be disciplined for participating. I want to stand with the kids in Parkland, Sheehan High School student Ryan Busillo said. I feel like what they said is very important to me...I feel that we should respect their wishes. Busillo and Sheehan classmate Peter Borzillo, both freshmen, are rallying classmates to participate in the national school walkout Wedesnday at 10 a.m. to honor the victims and survivors of the Florida school shooting and lobby lawmakers to pass stricter gun laws. Administrators from central office and both high schools sent a letter to families this week saying the district wouldnt endorse the protest and that students would face disciplinary consequences for participating. Instead, they and a group of about 50 to 60 students compromised alternative activities including a moment of silence inside the school and a letter campaign that will let students write letters to lawmakers. A teacher-guided meditation will be offered as well as a peer support center where student can gather to discuss recent events, the letter said. School officials explained they believe the plan is safer and less disruptive. "We're very proud of our students, and we see this as an opportunity for them to have ownership in the day and step up and continue to respond in a mature manner," Superintendent of Schools Salvatore Menzo said this week about the meeting with students, which lasted about two hours. Borzillo and Busillo contacted the Record-Journal this week. A lot of us are really fed up with the administration and the fact that they're taking control of this and not letting us having our voice, said Borzillo. He said a lot of kids felt the need to take a stand. Students first approached administrators last month about endorsing the walkout following the shooting in Parkland, Florida. Busillo and Borzillo werent a part of the meeting. Id like to think that they tried to come in with an open mind, but from the beginning I was thinking that they weren't going to be supportive of a walkout, Busillo said. Its in their nature to want to keep everything regimented and everybody safe. Busillo recognized administrators were put in a difficult position trying to balance the opinions of different groups, but wishes the district didnt announce students would be punished for walking out. Menzo said administrators didnt tell students at the meeting that they couldnt walkout and allowed the group to come up with alternatives on their own. According to the student handbook, participating in any unauthorized walk out from or sit-in within a classroom or school building is grounds for suspension. Menzo said Thursday that he is hopeful that all students take part in (the alternative activities), and as a result, we would not have to impose any forms of disciplinary consequences. William Fish, a Hartford-based first amendment lawyer, said past court decisions have established that schools can discipline students for a free speech expression if it disrupts the school day. He added schools cant levy harsher discipline because of the political nature of the action. Wallingfords student handbook also states that being absent from school and/or class when such absence is unauthorized is grounds for suspension, but Fish said courts would consider the track record of how schools discipline students for being absent. If theyve never suspended someone for the first time that theyve missed class, and all of a sudden 20 people do it as part of a protest and they get suspended thats not right, Fish said. Borzillo and Busillo said they are willing to face suspension to send a message to lawmakers to pass stricter gun laws, and they are encouraging others to do the same. One of the reasons Im doing this is not only have I felt let down by the adults, but Ive also felt almost desensitized to (school shootings), Borzillo said. Theres been a lot of school shootings since Sandy Hook and I feel like it doesnt even feel as hurtful as it should anymore. mzabierek@record-journal.com 203-317-2279 Twitter: @MatthewZabierek Jayanthi Pawar By Express News Service CHENNAI: A 19-year-old college student was allegedly killed by a man who slit her throat in broad daylight hardly a few meters away from her college on Friday. M Ashwini, a first year B Com student had left the Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research at West KK Nagar around 2.45 pm and was headed to a nearby bus stop. Eyewitnesses said as she was walking in the narrow Loganathan Street when Alagesan (26), against whom Ashwini's family had already filed a police complaint, intercepted her and picked up a quarrel. "As they were quarrelling, he took out a knife and slit her throat. Subsequently, he poured kerosene on himself and tried to set himself on fire. But the people nearby caught him" said a senior police officer. The students who were walking out of the college and the shopkeepers nearby were taken by shock. "We immediately informed the ambulance, but it did not come for more than 15 minutes. So two college students took her on the motorbike to a nearby private hospital," said Mohan, a second-year student of the college, who was at the spot. But the doctors at the private hospital had said that Ashwini already succumbed to the injuries. Alagesan was thrashed by the mob and had suffered severe injuries on the face. The police admitted him to a hospital later. 26-year-old Alagesan who was nabbed by the local public after he stabbed Aswini. (Photo | Special Arrangement) Ashwini, who had lost her father a few years ago, was living with her mother, Shankari, who works as a domestic maid, and her brother Abinesh, an ITI student. Alagesan was also residing in the same locality at Maduravoyal and was supplying water cans in the area and occasionally works for the corporation as a contract worker. "Last month, he had forcefully entered the house and tried to tie thali to Ashwini. But the family members said they stopped him and Ashwini's mother filed a complaint at the Maduravoyal police station on February 16. In the police station, Alagesan promised not to disturb her again. Since the family was not ready to pursue the complaint and only wanted police to warn him, he was not arrested," said a police officer privy to the case. A NewsMinute report stated that the complaint mentioned that the two were in a relationship but Aswini ended it after she realised "he was not a good person". Saraswathi, Ashwini's aunt, said Ashwini was not attending college since then and was staying in her house at Jafferkhanpet. "Today is only the second day she is attending the college after the incident," she said. "I spoke to her last this morning when she was leaving to college. Now, how will I go home and see all her things. She is innocent and I told her several times to be careful," said Shankari, who was waiting at the mortuary of Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital to collect her daughter's body. Police sources said Alagesan had claimed himself to be Ashwini's husband since he had tied 'thali' to her and it was Ashwini's family that opposed to their relationship. Soon after the incident, the students at the college urged the police to deploy more police personnel near the college at least when the college closes. The duppata wet with blood at the spot where M Aswini was killed near Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research at KK Nagar on Friday in Chennai. (EPS | P Jawahar) Similar incidents in recent times: 2017: April 1: A 22-year-old youth John Mathew allegedly hammered a girl to death and subsequently committed suicide by hanging from a tree at Mamallapuram. Investigations revealed that the girl had decided to end the relationship which made him upset and hence took the extreme step. April 21: Durga, was crushed to death by her lover using a stone at Poompuhar in Nagapattinam district The accused Madhanraj, a fisherman from Naagai district, surrendered before the Mayiladuthurai police and confessed to the murder. May 8 : Angered by her refusal to accompany him, 28- year-old S Ilayaraja working as a fireman allegedly killed a 47-year-old government school teacher R Nivedha by ramming his car on a bike on which she was riding pillion at Anna Nagar. The woman died while she was being rushed to the hospital. Two days later, Ilayaraja allegedly committed suicide in the Puzhal Central Prison. August 8: A Plus Two student who survived an acid attack during her class X exams was attacked again at Kokkupatti, near Nilakottai (Dindigul). The victim, was sleeping at her sisters house her stalker poured acid on her forehead and escaped. Nov 13: A 21-year-old IT engineer was doused with fuel and burnt alive at her home in Adambakkam by her former classmate after she reportedly rejected his proposal of marriage. The victim S Indhujas mother, Renuka, and sister, Nivedha, who rushed to her rescue, suffered severe burns and a few days later Renuka also succumbed to injures. M. Akash was arrested. 2018: Feb 16: A minor girl was torched by a 22-year-old spurned suitor, at Achampatti near Thirumangalam,in Madurai. February 20: a second-year postgraduate student was allegedly stabbed six times in broad daylight at Anna Nagar Tower Park, by a disgruntled lover. The assailant, identified as N Rajesh (23), an electrical engineer had subsequently hurt himself also with the knife he was carrying. (With online desk inputs) By PTI AGARTALA: Biplab Kumar Deb today took oath as chief minister of Tripura, assuming the charge of the first BJP government in the state after ending 25-year rule of the Left Front. Governor Tathagata Roy also administered the oath of office to BJP leader Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief N C Debbarma. Agartala: Jishnu Dev Burman takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of #Tripura pic.twitter.com/BQ7VTDv96N ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) is an ally of the BJP in the northeastern state. The swearing-in ceremony held at the Assam Rifles ground was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) besides others also attended the function. Outgoing Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar also attended the event. Giant posters bearing images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah were dominating the landscape in Agartala. From the airport to the venue, BJP flags lined up both sides of the street, as party workers wearing saffron celebrated in the streets. Security was heightened in the capital city as Prime Minister Modi and other dignitaries attended the ceremony. From airport to guest houses, personnel of Tripura Police, Tripura State Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force kept a tight vigil. Special commandos from Delhi were also on the job. Chief ministers of various states streamed in to attend the function, hailing the victory of the party, which decimated 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI (M)-led Left Front government in the northeastern state. "A 100-ft-long stage was erected for the big function. This is a big day for us as it marks a political transition for the state.The victory has been made possible by the development work of Modiji that has inspired our workers in Tripura to work for a change," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told PTI here. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the rise of the BJP in Tripura also shows the "fall of the Left" in the country. #WATCH Agartala: Former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar and PM Narendra Modi meet at swearing ceremony of Biplab Deb and others pic.twitter.com/89QtBYkeVm ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 "Red has been replaced (with saffron) in Tripura. Left is losing its ideology in the country and its support base is eroding. The new government firmed here is an endorsement of the vision of Modiji and the popularity that he enjoys," he said. "I have come from one end of the country to the other for the ceremony, passing by many BJP states. Change will happen more as we progress ahead," he added. The sprawling Assam Rifles ground hosted the grand swearing-in function. Earlier in the month, the BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) scripted history in the assembly election 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. The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies. M S Thanaraj By Express News Service TIRUCHY: Tension was rife on the premises of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital till Thursday evening as relatives of Usha and cadre from various parties and activists refused to accept her body after postmortem and demanded that traffic inspector Kamaraj, who allegedly kicked the bike leading to the death of the pregnant woman, be booked for murder. Earlier in the day, the victims husband Raja along with lawyers tried to submit a petition to the Judicial magistrate explaining the incident. But the magistrate told them she could not accept the petition and that it should be routed through the Principal District Judge. Following this, he returned to the GH. The protest was called off in the evening following an assurance given by the district administration that appropriate action would be initiated against Kamaraj, and also the immediate release of two Class XI students arrested for stone pelting in the aftermath of the incidents on Wednesday night. Officials also reportedly gave an assurance to the protesters that police would not oppose when all the 25 persons arrested for Wednesdays violence apply for bail. Following this, Ushas family accepted the body by 5.15 pm. It was taken to her mothers house at KK Nagar in the city. Cremation would take place on Friday. Usha died after inspector Kamaraj allegedly kicked the bike on which the couple was travelling. The inspector chased the couple for around 5 km from Thuvakudi ti Thiruverambur after they reportedly did not stop during an inspection. The death triggered a spontaneous protest and over 3000 people blocked the Tiruchy-Thanjavur National Highway for over three hours. With the crowd turning restive and pelting stones, police resorted to lathi charge. Around 27 protesters including two Class XI students were arrested and booked under Tamil Nadu Public Property Damage Act(TNPPD Act) for allegedly damaging vehicles. Five protestors and 15 cops were reportedly injured in the melee. Meanwhile, inspector Kamaraj was taken into custody and booked under IPC sections 304 (ii) and 336. He was then produced before the judicial magistrate in Tiruchy court and lodged in the central prison on Thursday morning. Subsequently, he was placed under suspension. On the final day of the Countess of Wessexs visit to Malta, the Countess attended a working meeting with nine entrepreneurs from the JAYE Malta programme held at the Residence of the British High Commissioner. The Countess spent time with the NextGen of entrepreneurs discussing their ideas for the future and sharing invaluable insight into solving some of todays most pressing issues. Then, the Countess visited the Fort St Elmo Museum in Malta. (The Countess wore a midi dress by Victoria Beckham ) From masks to vaccine policies, what to know about Newport Co. schools Wedding Whirlwind At Castle Hill earlier this week, globally lauded wedding and entertainment leader David Tutera, with more than 30 years of industry experience, brought his talents to Newport for industry professionals.... Welcome Boaters Walk the docks and view a spectacular display of new sailboats and powerboats, some making their first-ever debut in the U.S. at the Newport International Boat Show, Sept. 16-19. On... Schools to Hire Two Spanish Translators The Newport School Committee approved on Sept. 14 the hiring of two additional Spanish language translators, at a cost of $75,000, which will be paid by federal funds allocated to... End of Eviction Moratorium Puts Tenants at Risk During the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic, a federal eviction moratorium allowed hundreds of thousands of people to remain in their homes. But that safety net will end on Oct.... Champaign, IL (61820) Today Scattered thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to showers and a possible thunderstorm overnight. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 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). Coca Cola, the popular drink, which is already in short supply, is likely to disappear from the shelves in the next few weeks, thanks to the foreign currency shortage which has hamstrung the operations of several Zimbabwean companies. Delta Corporation anticipates a dwindling supply of its Coke product on the domestic market in the coming weeks due to a crippling shortage of foreign currency required to import key manufacturing ingredients, a senior company official said. Already, the impact of the Coke shortage on the local market is being felt, with the product not readily available in some retail outlets. Delta company secretary Alex Makamure told the Zimbabwe Independent the shortage, experienced from late January into February 2018, has been caused by a breakdown of the canning line. The brewer however forecasts a shortage of a range of other canned products, due to forex shortages. We note that we had some challenges in supplying the market with canned product (Coke) from late January into February 2018 when the canning line was undergoing some repairs. There would be shortages of some brands in that package at the moment, Makamure said. Other than that, we are supplying the full range of brands in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and returnable glass. We, however, anticipate some challenge in supplying product in the coming weeks as we have encountered constraints in accessing foreign currency to cover imported raw materials. A range of key raw materials used to manufacture soft drinks are in short supply, including carbon dioxide, preservatives and probiotic bacteria. We will be updating the market at the appropriate time if the ongoing engagements with value chain partners do not yield positive results, Makamure said.We have accumulated a backlog in paying foreign suppliers.This gives rise to a supply and demand mismatch of brands and packs.He said the entire portfolio of beverages in the last few months had surged.Deltanow a subsidiary of the worlds largest brewer Anheusur-Busch InBev SA/NV and a rival of Coca-Colain November 2016 announced that it was struggling to pay international creditors and shareholders an estimated US$30 million as the southern African country grappled with an acute foreign currency shortage.Makamure said the brewer, which has grown exponentially over the past decade after injecting an estimated US$43 million towards setting up new bottling lines, was struggling to pay suppliers due to the acute foreign currency shortage.In the long term, the availability of Coke on the local market hinges on the ultimate decision by The Coca Cola Company (TCCC), which announced two years ago that it was considering terminating its bottling franchise with Delta after Anheusur-Busch InBev SA/NV snapped a major stake held by SAB Miller Plc in the local brewer.Anheusur-Busch InBev SA/NV is the major bottling firm of Pepsi soda drink, a direct rival of Coke.Coke, which has also has a footprint in Zimbabwe, was concocted in 1826 by John Pemberton in Atlanta, United States. A century later, Coke continues to spin billions of dollars.The products wide global appeal, distinct taste and popular contour bottle packaging has endured for over a century now, with many people in Zimbabwe erroneously identifying any other soda drink as synonymous with Coke.Between 1826 and now, the ownership and shareholding of Coca-Cola has changed hands from Pemberton, Asa Griggs Candler to Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway investment vehicle, now the biggest shareholder in the conglomerate.Over the years, Coke has extended its presence to every country in the world but two.It is only in Cuba and North Korea where Coca-Cola is not established as a business, due to long-standing economic sanctions slapped on those countries by the US.In Zimbabwe, Coca-Colas flagship products, including Coke, are widely packaged and distributed by Delta Corporation.Mutare Bottling Company, owned by Econet Wireless, is the only other bottler of Coca-Cola products, although its capacity is not as vast as that of Delta.Sources say Anheusur-Busch InBev SA/NV, which does not bottle soda drinks in Europe and Africa, intends to only focus on the beer business unit in Delta while it may dispose of its soft drink assets.AB InBev is a key Pepsi Beverages bottler in Latin America while SABMiller dominated Cokes bottling in Africa.Apart from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo being global rivals, investment analysts project that one of the key goals of the ever-acquisitive Anheusur-Busch InBev SA/NV is to eventually take over Coke. Whether it ever happens or not, one thing is certain: Coke remains a formidable product. Zimbabwe Independent THE United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the United States are closely watching the Zimbabwean governments relations with North Korea after Harare sent a military delegation to the secretive Asian state last month. North Korea is under a comprehensive and open-ended UN arms embargo that prohibits the export of weapons to and import of weapons from the country. Military co-operation with Pyongyang is strictly prohibited. In June 2006, the UN Security Council established an embargo on exports of major arms to and imports from North Korea. In June 2009, Security Council Resolution 1874 widened the embargo to all arms, except for the export of small arms and light weapons to the country. In 2015, the Security Council expanded the embargo to include all small arms and light weapons. The compulsory UN restrictions have been extended to ban virtually all North Korean exports, including all coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, textiles, seafood, heavy machinery, electrical equipment and agricultural products. According to information obtained from Rodang Sinmun, a North Korean newspaper that is the official voice of the central committee of the Workers Party of Korea, the Zimbabwe military delegation led by Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Marshall Elson Moyo, arrived in North Korea on February 6 to attend the 70th founding anniversary of the North Korean Peoples Army (KPA). The visit came just five months after the UN Panel of Experts wrote a letter to Zimbabwe government officials demanding to know the operations of North Koreas Mansudae Overseas Project (MOP) Group of Companies, as stated in a UN report dated September 5 2017. Foreign Affairs secretary Joey Bimha told the Zimbabwe Independent the government was investigating the matter, but the latest visit has raised further eyebrows, diplomatic sources say. Moyos delegation, which was made up of senior officers from the Zimbabwe National Army and AFZ, attended a reception hosted by the Ministry of the Peoples Armed Forces in honour of the military attache corps on February 6. North Korea army General Pak Yong Sik, minister of the Peoples Armed Forces, generals and officers of the KPA also attended. The delegation also visited Kumsusan Palace of the Sun where they paid tribute to President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il on February 7. The team visited Mangyongdae, the birthplace of President Kim Il Sung and were briefed on the revolutionary history of Kim Il Sung. They toured Mangyongdae Revolutionary School, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum and the Sci-Tech Complex. The North Korea media reports also state that Kim Jong Un was presented a gift from the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Phillip Valerio Sibanda which was conveyed through Pak Yong Sik, by Moyo. Sources said the UN and US are curious to establish the nature of the visit in view of UNSC Resolutions on sanctions against North Korea. The UN has been tightening screws on North Korea over its ballistic and nuclear tests. In a statement on North Korea released on Tuesday, US Vice-President Mike Pence said the US and its allies were not backtracking on putting pressure on North Korea. Whichever direction talks with North Korea go, we will be firm in our resolve. The United States and our allies remain committed to applying maximum pressure on the Kim regime to end their nuclear programme. All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible, verifiable and concrete steps toward denuclearisation, Pence said. David McGuire, a public affairs officer at the US embassy in Harare, said although his country was encouraging countries to comply with the UNSC resolutions he was not sure what the delegation was doing in North Korea. We as the US have been increasing sanctions pressure on North Korea and we have been encouraging countries around the world, in conjunction with the UN Security Council resolutions, to comply with the resolutions, McGuire said. Asked whether the Zimbabweans militarys visit to North Korea is the kind of engagement the US wants to stop, he said: I am not sure because I do not know what the delegation was doing there. Certainly, we do have questions on any kind of delegation that visits North Korea, especially wanting to know the nature of the business, what they will be doing. Zimbabwe Independent GOVERNMENT has gazetted the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill which seeks to strengthen the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe by giving it autonomy to effectively combat the vice. The Bill is also meant to ensure Zimbabwe complies with 40 recommendations by the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group where Harare was found to be wanting. Promulgation of the proposed law is consistent with Government under President Mnangagwas thrust to ensure zero tolerance for corruption, as it moves to quickly turn around fortunes of the economy. Clause 4 of the Bill, set up by the Financial Intelligence Unit, formerly under the Bank Use Promotion and Suppression of Money Laundering Unit under Bank Use Promotion Act, will continue in operation, but elevate its head to director-general from a director. The unit shall be deemed to be in the administrative establishment of the RBZ having the following special features, namely that, (a) it shall be headed by a Director-General appointed by the Governor of the RBZ in consultation with the Minister (of Finance), (b) it shall consist of such other members of staff as may be necessary for the performance of its functions, who shall be appointed by the Director-General, reads the Bill. The budget of the unit (i) shall be approved by the Board of the Reserve Bank, (ii) be managed by the Director-General independently of the Reserve Bank, but be subject to internal audit by the Reserve Bank and be audited by the auditors of the Reserve Bank. The Bill also spells out the conditions under which the DG shall leave office and his qualifications, among other pertinent issues. Except as provided for in section 6B (2), the unit shall have operational independence from the Reserve Bank and shall not in the performance of its functions under the Act, be subject to the direction and control of the Minister or any other person or authority, reads section 6A (f) of the Bill. The functions of the unit are also spelt out in the Bill. Subject to this Act, the function of the unit shall be (a) to receive suspicious transactions reports, cash transactions reports and other financial data from financial institutions, designated non-financial businesses or professions or from any other sources, reads the Bill. Other functions include monitoring and ensuring compliance with the Act by competent supervisory authorities, financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses or professions. The Minister, after consultation with the advisory committee may in writing give the Director-General directions with regard to policy to be adopted by the unit in the performance of its functions, reads the Bill. The proposed law empowers the unit to have access to information from any financial institution, designated non-financial business or profession or law enforcement agency. The Bill will amend section 27 of the National Prosecuting Authority (Chapter 7:20) section six of the Criminal Matters (Mutual Assistance Act) (Chapter 9:06) section 87 of the Deeds Registries Act (Chapter 20:05) section 210 of the Customs and Exercise Act (Chapter 23:05). It will also amend section 5 of the Income Tax Act Chapter 23:06) section 34A of the Revenue Authority Act (Chapter 23:11), section 360 of the Companies Act (Chapter 24:03) and the Bank Use Promotion Act (Chapter 24:24.). Herald DOMESTIC and security staff at former President Robert Mugabes private residence in Borrowdale, Harare, were on Wednesday reportedly taken to Josiah Magama Army Barracks and quizzed by military officers to disclose who visited the veteran politician. Reports from South African news outlets said the workers were collected from Mugabes Blue Roof mansion in the morning for questioning. Former First Lady Grace Mugabe was said to be unsure of whether to remain at the house after Mugabe flew to South Africa on a private visit earlier. Sources said an unknown number of workers were interrogated for more than 10 hours by military officers, who wanted to know who visited the former leader and what discussions they held. Some of the workers also confirmed the raid, but could not give further details. NewsDay understands they were released in the evening after Grace became restive. The interrogations were centred on who visits the former President, how they (workers) spend the day and if the ex-President discusses politics, a source said. Basically, they wanted to know the thinking of the old man and his plans. The questioning comes in the wake of revelations that Mugabe was linked to newly-formed opposition National Patriotic Front led by former Cabinet minister Ambrose Mutinhiri. The party is believed to be a grouping of members of the vanquished G40 faction. Mnangagwa has responded by threatening to investigate Mugabes links to Mutinhiri and take appropriate action. He said this while addressing a Zanu PF youth meeting on Wednesday, which was punctuated by derogatory slogans against the former leader. Zimbabwe Defence Forces spokesperson, Overson Mugwisi was yesterday said to be in a meeting, while his Zimbabwe National Army counterpart, Alphios Makotore requested written questions. Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said: I have no information on what you are asking, kindly get in touch with the office of the President and Cabinet [chief secretary] Meshack Sibanda. They are the ones who are in touch with the former Presidents office or family. No one has brought that to my attention. Sibanda was not reachable for comment. The director of State residences, Douglas Tapfuma, said he was unaware of the development. I serve one master, His Excellency the President Cde ED Mnangagwa not the former President. I am sorry I know nothing, he said. Mnangagwas administration has been restive since Mugabe started speaking about events leading to his ouster and has been engaging political players. Mugabes residence is manned by the police and military intelligence officers, with details of all visitors recorded. The military is also concerned with business executives visiting Mugabe and reportedly wants to understand what the ex-leader discusses with them. Newsday Get the news faster. Tap to install our app. Access Newser even faster. Click here to install our app on your desktop. (Newser) Over 4 million boxes of iodine tablets have begun arriving in pharmacies across Belgium as the country prepares for a possible emergency involving one of its seven aging nuclear reactors, AFP reports. According to CNN, iodine tablets, which help with radiation buildup in the thyroid gland, will be provided free to all Belgium residents. Young people and pregnant women especially are encouraged to pick up a box. The distribution of iodine, first announced two years ago, is joined by evacuation plans, a website informing people what to do in case of an emergency, and an emergency text system. A spokesperson for Belgium's national crisis center says "citizens must also prepare to help themselves the day something happens." story continues below Belgium's nuclear plants are starting to crack and leak, and there was also a recent incident of sabotage that remains unsolved. The aging reactors are such a concern that Belgium's neighbors are starting to act. Last year, a German city near the border distributed free iodine pills to half a million residents. Belgium's interior minister Jan Jambon says "there is no specific risk" from the plants at the moment, but they want to "properly inform" the public. A representative for the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control adds: "The new emergency plan has not been issued in response to any perceived threats and does not indicate an increase in the risks associated with nuclear power plants in Belgium." (Read more Belgium stories.) (Newser) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is "running a perfect presidential campaign," one political consultant tells Politico. The New York Democrat backedthrough endorsements and donationsseven women running for office in Texas and saw all seven of them move on during the state's primaries Tuesday. Lillian Salerno, MJ Hegar, Gina Ortiz Jones, Laura Moser, and Elizabeth Fletcher will all move on to runoff elections in May having finished first or second in their contests. Meanwhile, Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia appear set to become Texas' first Latina representatives in Congress after winning their primaries outright in majority-Democratic districts. The Gillibrand-backed Garcia easily beat opponent Tahir Javed, who was backed by Sen. Chuck Schumer, with 63% of the vote. story continues below Tuesday's wins in Texas help Gillibrand extend her influence beyond New York and boost her national profile. Democratic political consultant Hank Sheinkopf says that could pay off for her in 2020. "When you want to run for president, you need lots of friends, he says. You dont need them in your home state, you need them in other states." Gillibrand's Off The Sidelines PAC has backed more than 50 female candidates nationwide. Read the full story here. (Read more Kirsten Gillibrand stories.) (Newser) In a startling development, North Korea says it will halt its nuclear weapons program and Kim Jong Un will meet with President Trump in the coming months, the Washington Post reports. "[Kim] expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible, Chung Eui-yong told reporters Thursday at the White House. President Trump said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May. The South Korean national security adviser was part of a delegation that arrived at the White House on Thursday to deliver a letter from Kim directly to Trump, according to CNN. Chung had led a delegation that met with Kim in Pyongyang on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. That meeting left South Korea feeling hopeful about a diplomatic solution to the ongoing nuclear crisis with North Korea. story continues below There's no information about where the meeting between Trump and Kim will take place, but it will be the first face-to-face meeting between a sitting US president and the leader of North Korea. In fact, no sitting president has even held a phone call with the North Korean leader. Chung gave Trump credit for the breakthrough. I explained to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure strategy ... brought us to this juncture, Chung said. But analysts are split on whether Kim is agreeing to halt his nuclear program and meet with Trump because sanctions are working and he fears a US attack or because he now sees the countries as equal nuclear powers. Kim will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next monthonly the third-ever meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea since 1953. (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) Mississippi has passed an abortion bill believed to be the nation's most restrictiveand state Attorney General Jim Hood says he expects an "immediate and expensive legal challenge." House Bill 1510 bans abortion after 15 weeks following a woman's last menstrual period, down from 20 weeks under the previous law, AFP reports. The bill makes no exceptions for incest or rape, but exemptions will be allowed in the case of severe fetal abnormalities or a pregnancy that threatens the mother's life. The bill passed the state House 75-34 on Thursdaywhich was International Women's Day. story continues below The bill passed the state Senate earlier this week and will now go to the desk of Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who has signaled that he will sign it. "I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child," he tweeted Tuesday. Hood says he knows other bans on abortion after 15 weeks have been struck down, and experts expect the same to happen to this bill, the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports. "Under existing law, it's patently unconstitutional," University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey Stone tells the Los Angeles Times. "It's an effort to push the limits, but I can't imagine any court in a good-faith manner applying the existing doctrine and upholding this law." (In 2014, a court rejected a law that would have closed the state's only abortion clinic.) (Newser) The White House has confirmed news that stunned Korea-watchers late Thursday: President Trump is planning to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of May, in a location yet to be determined. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that the meeting was made possible by a "dramatic" change in posture from the North Korean leader, the AP reports. He said Trump decided to accept the invitation after Kim displayed a surprisingly "forward-leaning" attitude in talks with a South Korean delegation. Tillerson said it will take "some weeks" to arrange a date for the meeting. In other coverage: Location TBD. No location for the meeting has been set, though Mar-a-Lago is probably a long shot, the Guardian reports. Experts say that while there's a chance Kim could visit Washington or Trump could visit Pyongyang, more neutral potential venues include China, South Korea, or the DMZ. story continues below A "real challenge" for diplomats. Analysts say it's going to be tough for the State Department to assemble a team that can support the historic summit. "The State Department has hemorrhaged Korean linguists and former negotiators," and North Korea "will send people with 30 years of experience," Douglas H. Paal at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace tells the Washington Post. "This is a real challenge." Analysts say it's going to be tough for the State Department to assemble a team that can support the historic summit. "The State Department has hemorrhaged Korean linguists and former negotiators," and North Korea "will send people with 30 years of experience," Douglas H. Paal at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace tells the Washington Post. "This is a real challenge." Trump optimism. Trump sounded optimistic about the meeting Thursday night. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," he tweeted. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" Trump sounded optimistic about the meeting Thursday night. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," he tweeted. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" Talks, not negotiations. A senior administration official tells the Los Angeles Times that at this point, "we're not really talking about negotiations." Trump "has been very clear from the beginning that he is not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks," the official says. "But he is willing to accept an invitation at this time to meet and to allowand really expectsNorth Korea to put action to these words that were conveyed via the South Koreans." "Like a miracle." South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said news of the meeting "came like a miracle," the BBC reports. "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet following an inter-Korean summit, complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be put on the right track in earnest," he said. South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said news of the meeting "came like a miracle," the BBC reports. "If President Trump and Chairman Kim meet following an inter-Korean summit, complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be put on the right track in earnest," he said. Is Trump being played? Analysts say the summit is a massive gambleone that risks legitimizing one of the world's worst human-rights abusers. "We got nothing for it. And Kim will never give up his nukes," Obama administration Asia adviser Evan S. Medeiros tells the New York Times. "Kim played Moon and is now playing Trump." Analysts say the summit is a massive gambleone that risks legitimizing one of the world's worst human-rights abusers. "We got nothing for it. And Kim will never give up his nukes," Obama administration Asia adviser Evan S. Medeiros tells the New York Times. "Kim played Moon and is now playing Trump." Other high-level meetings. Trump is set to become the first sitting president to meet a North Korean leader, though Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton visited North Korea after their presidencies ended, with Carter meeting then-leader Kim Il Sung in 1994, the AP reports. Dennis Rodman, another American to have visited North Korea, congratulated Trump late Thursday, adding: "Please send my regards to Marshal Kim Jong Un and his family." "Diving right in." Critics warn that there's little chance the US can be ready in a matter of weeks to have a high-stakes meeting on denuclearization, the New York Daily News reports. "Summits normally come at the end of a long series of negotiations at lower levels in which lots of devils in the details r hammered out," tweeted Robert Kelly at Pusan National University. "Trump, always the publicity-seeker, is just diving right in." Critics warn that there's little chance the US can be ready in a matter of weeks to have a high-stakes meeting on denuclearization, the New York Daily News reports. "Summits normally come at the end of a long series of negotiations at lower levels in which lots of devils in the details r hammered out," tweeted Robert Kelly at Pusan National University. "Trump, always the publicity-seeker, is just diving right in." International reaction. News of the meeting was welcomed in Beijing and Moscow, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling it a "step in the right direction." South Koreans also welcomed the news, with some saying Moon should win the Nobel Peace Prize for laying the groundwork, Reuters reports. News of the meeting was welcomed in Beijing and Moscow, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling it a "step in the right direction." South Koreans also welcomed the news, with some saying Moon should win the Nobel Peace Prize for laying the groundwork, Reuters reports. "Dotard meets Rocket Man." The New York Times looks at some of the most "colorful" exchanges between Kim and Trump in the tense year leading up to the breakthrough. (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) Some international disputes have strange consequences: This one has the potential to make millions of people late for appointments across Europe. It seems that clocks in 25 nations from Poland to Turkey are running up to six minutes slow because of enmity between Serbia and Kosovo, reports the BBC. The clocksonly those on the power grid, which are governed by the power system's frequency, are affected, meaning smartphones are finehave been slowly losing time since January because a power plant went down for repairs in Kosovo, explains the New York Times. The plant is connected to the larger European power grid, but its absence shouldn't have been a problem. Serbia is supposed to step in and make up the difference for its former province, but it failed to do so, for reasons way more complicated than gigawatt hours. story continues below The two nations continue to have a host of disputes stemming from their war in the late 1990s and Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008. The power grid is one of the sore spots, and a spokesperson for the organization that runs Europe's power grid blamed "misbehavior of both countries" for the dispute. That organization, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, announced this week it had brokered a short-term deal to resolve the issue, though "it will take some time to get the system back to normal," per Reuters. What's more, "there are some ongoing conflicts that urgently need to be resolved so that we never face such a situation again. This might be one of them: Serbia still does not recognize Kosovo. Both were once part of Yugoslavia. (Florida has some of its own issues with the keeping of time.) (Newser) The clocks go forward once again on Sundayand in Florida, they don't ever want to change them back again. The "Sunshine Protection Bill, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent in the state, passed the state Senate Tuesday with just two votes against it, CNN reports. It passed the state House 103-11 last month, and now goes to Gov. Rick Scott, whose office tells NPR that he will "review that bill." Fellow sunshine-rich states Hawaii and Arizona are already exempt from the time change, but since Florida is technically trying to exempt itself from standard time, not DST, the change may require the approval of Congress. story continues below State Sen. Greg Staube told the Miami Herald earlier this year that he has had lots of support from the public since introducing the bill. "I've heard from mayors across the state that its going to save them money because they dont have to light their softball fields at night, he said. I cant tell you how many people have come up to me who have said even my high school age kid, its hard to get him up in the morning when we fall back the clocks. This is the latest of many attempts by states and regions to do away with DST. Massachusetts is looking into taking two states with it in a switch to another time zone. (Read more Florida stories.) (Newser) A top UN aid official appealed to the Syrian government and its Russian backers for a cessation of hostilities in eastern Ghouta on Thursday when a second convoy with desperately needed aid was postponed after government forces split the enclave in two, creating an evolving, unpredictable situation on the ground. Jan Egeland says it is "impossible" to deliver aid to the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus amid the current fighting, which he describes as the worst ever. "I'm very worried for a repeat of very many of the bad things we saw in the final days of the battle of Aleppo but to some extent this is worse," he tells the AP. story continues below "It is impossible to cross into the frontline and to go in to help desperate civilians, women, and children that we know are on the starvation point," Egeland says. The government, determined to wrest the eastern Ghouta suburbs from rebel control after seven years of war, has intensified the shelling and bombardment to clear the way for its troops to advance on the ground. Doctors and rescue workers say at least 90 people were killed in "insane" violence early Thursday, including suspected chemical attacks, the Guardian reports. "To all of those outside Ghouta, living in peace and comfort ... I wish to tell you that children, women, the elderly and infants are all dying today in full view of the world," one rescue worker says. (Read more Syria stories.) (Newser) After the Pearl Harbor attack, Anthony Acevedo was determined to defend his homelandwhich meant returning to it. Acevedo was born in 1924 in California to Mexican parents who were deported 13 years later; he and his siblings went to Mexico, too, and he re-entered the US at age 17 to join the Army. In October 1944, Acevedo found himself a medic in Europe. Just a few months later, at the Battle of the Bulge, he was captured, and began a journal that would end up being hugely significant, one that's coming back into view in the wake of Acevedo's Feb. 11 death at age 93. Acevedo was one of 350 "undesirables," US soldiers that included Jews and were sent to the slave labor camp at Buchenwald known as Berga in February 1945, reports CNN. story continues below Half the soldiers sent there didn't make it out alive, and Acevedo journaled every US death he observed, as well as horrors experienced there, including his own: being made to fill the bullet holes left in the heads of dead soldiers with wax to mask the shootings. He told CNN in 2008 that dandelion leaves were a "gourmet meal" compared to their normal rations: soup cooked from rats and cats, and bread made from sawdust, ground glass, and barley. The Press-Enterprise reports he weighed just 87 pounds by April 1945. CNN notes that the US didn't recognize the ordeal of the soldiers kept at Berga until Acevedo went public with his story in 2008. Acevedo donated his diary, which he concealed in his pants and wrote using ink mixed with urine or snow, to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2010. (The museum just took a stand against Aung San Suu Kyi.) (Newser) Hundreds of families received troubling news this week after an unprecedented "malfunction" at a Cleveland egg-freezing facility. Although the staff at University Hospitals Fertility Center hasn't yet figured out exactly how it happened, what's known is that the temperature in one section of a long-term storage tank filled with liquid nitrogen rose to unacceptable levels, meaning it's now unclear whether the 2,100 or so eggs and embryos kept there (some since the '80s, per the Washington Post) are still viable, says Patricia DePompei, president of two UH hospitals. It's only clear if an egg or embryo is damaged after it's been thawed and implanted. "Obviously the situation that occurred here is devastating for the families involved, and it's devastating for ... our staff," DePompei tells NBC News. About 700 patients were affected, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer. story continues below DePompei notes the temperature spike took place sometime between Saturday afternoon, when staff left for the day, and early Sunday. The site where the egg- and embryo-holding tanks are stored features an alarm system, and the alarm was said to be going off when staff arrived Sunday morning. University Hospitals says it won't destroy the eggs and embryos, though whether patients will get their money back isn't yet clear. Per a University Hospitals statement cited by News 5 Cleveland, the facility has "initiated contact with all of our patients," and a call center has been set up so patients can set up meetings with doctors. An American Society for Reproductive Medicine rep says nothing like this has ever happened at a US fertility clinic. (Read more freezing eggs stories.) (Newser) Last Saturday, Laura Wolf stopped off at a Waffle House in her neck of the woods in Texas for a meal, and what she witnessed thereand what she did afterwardended up changing the life of a teen Waffle House employee. Per KHOU, Wolf happened upon the La Marque restaurant on a morning when 18-year-old Evoni Williams, a recent high school graduate, was working one of her shifts, trying to scrape together funds to pay for college. As Wolf explains in a Facebook post, accompanied by a photo of the incident, she overheard an elderly customer sitting at the counter and tethered to an oxygen tank tell Williams that "his hands don't work too good." It was then, "without hesitation," that Williams took the plate from the struggling customer, IDed as 78-year-old Adrien Charpentier, and started to cut his meat. That's when Wolf snapped the photo, which has since gone viral on social media. story continues below "This may seem small but to him, I'm sure it was huge," Wolf wrote of Charpentier, who Williams tells KTRK is a regular but hadn't been in until that day after a recent hospital stay. Since Wolf posted her photo, it's been shared more than 46,000 times and received more than 55,000 votes on Reddit, per the Houston Chronicle. And when Texas Southern University got wind of it, the college had a surprise for Williams: a $16,000 scholarship, which she plans to put toward a business management degree. Per KTRK, La Marque's mayor honored Williams on Thursday, with the guest of honor noting she was thrown by all the attention. "It just came from the heart," she says. As for Charpentier, he's enjoying the publicity as well, joking with KHOU that "they got a fancy picture of my suspenders in the back." (Something similar happened at a Chicago McDonald's a few years back.) (Newser) President Trump's surprise announcement of a meeting in May with North Korea's Kim Jong Un has led to all kinds of speculation about how things might unfold, and one piece getting attention is by Victor Cha, a former National Security Council director. In the New York Times, he lays out two possibilities of what Trump might offer. One is "incremental" assistance and the lifting of sanctions if Kim agrees to freeze and eventually dismantle his nuclear and long-range ballistic missile programs. But Cha thinks Trump might be more tempted by a "big bang" ideadenuclearization in exchange for a peace treaty and diplomatic normalization of relations. Cha lays out both scenarios and warns that a disastrous meeting could actually "take us closer to war." Other views and developments: Like he planned it? The meeting is "a stunning vindication of the presidents strategy," writes Robert Charles at Fox News. He credits Trump's "engaged, creative and blunt approach" for securing the meeting. A denuclearized Korean peninsula is a long shot, but if Trump pulls it off, he would secure global stature on par with Ronald Reagan, writes Charles. "Donald Does It Again!" declared a headline at Drudge. The meeting is "a stunning vindication of the presidents strategy," writes Robert Charles at Fox News. He credits Trump's "engaged, creative and blunt approach" for securing the meeting. A denuclearized Korean peninsula is a long shot, but if Trump pulls it off, he would secure global stature on par with Ronald Reagan, writes Charles. "Donald Does It Again!" declared a headline at Drudge. Those insults: Trump has referred to Kim as "little rocket man" and "short and fat," while Kim has called Trump a "mentally deranged US dotard." Relive the slams via USA Today. story continues below A fear: At the Atlantic, Thomas Wright fears Trump will take a deal that Steve Bannon once floated publicly: The US withdraws its troops if the North agrees to freeze (but not dismantle) its nuclear program and allow inspections. This would "legitimize" the North's existing arsenal and "signal that the United States cares little for its friends and is only concerned about direct threats to the homeland." Wright sees this as a "disaster" for the US. At the Atlantic, Thomas Wright fears Trump will take a deal that Steve Bannon once floated publicly: The US withdraws its troops if the North agrees to freeze (but not dismantle) its nuclear program and allow inspections. This would "legitimize" the North's existing arsenal and "signal that the United States cares little for its friends and is only concerned about direct threats to the homeland." Wright sees this as a "disaster" for the US. It's a trap: One common sentiment is that Trump is walking into a trap, the idea being that North Korea has no plans to scrap its nukes but will use the summit to earn legitimacy for its regime's methods. Sure, it's possible Trump comes out of all this with a Nobel Peace Prize, writes Tom Nichols at USA Today, but it's far more likely "that this will all end in diplomatic disaster." One common sentiment is that Trump is walking into a trap, the idea being that North Korea has no plans to scrap its nukes but will use the summit to earn legitimacy for its regime's methods. Sure, it's possible Trump comes out of all this with a Nobel Peace Prize, writes Tom Nichols at USA Today, but it's far more likely "that this will all end in diplomatic disaster." Kim's gain: Another analysis by Anna Fifield at the Washington Post amplifies the legitimacy angle, saying it is what Kim craves the most. "He wants to be treated as an equal by the global superpower, and a photo opportunity with the most powerful leader in the free world would go a long way to helping him achieve that." Another analysis by Anna Fifield at the Washington Post amplifies the legitimacy angle, saying it is what Kim craves the most. "He wants to be treated as an equal by the global superpower, and a photo opportunity with the most powerful leader in the free world would go a long way to helping him achieve that." Thumbs up from Rodman: The American who might know Kim the best is on board. "Well done, President Trump," he tells the Washington Post. The former NBA star praised the decision to take the "historical meeting" and asked Trump to pass along his "regards to Marshall Kim Jong Un and his family." The American who might know Kim the best is on board. "Well done, President Trump," he tells the Washington Post. The former NBA star praised the decision to take the "historical meeting" and asked Trump to pass along his "regards to Marshall Kim Jong Un and his family." Big picture: An analysis at 38 North floats the possibility that this is "the beginning of the end of the post-1990 world order." If so, that means lots of fundamentals need reassessment, including "the US presence on the Korean peninsula, the status of Taiwan, and in a more distant future, the possible prospect of a Korean unification with Chinese backing," writes Ruediger Frank. An analysis at 38 North floats the possibility that this is "the beginning of the end of the post-1990 world order." If so, that means lots of fundamentals need reassessment, including "the US presence on the Korean peninsula, the status of Taiwan, and in a more distant future, the possible prospect of a Korean unification with Chinese backing," writes Ruediger Frank. China's hand? A story at the Korea Herald wonders whether China played a role in leading Kim to the table. One professor thinks Beijing let it be clear that it can no longer protect the North given its "nuclear and missile provocations." A story at the Korea Herald wonders whether China played a role in leading Kim to the table. One professor thinks Beijing let it be clear that it can no longer protect the North given its "nuclear and missile provocations." Another theory: Philip Williams of Australia's ABC is skeptical of huge breakthroughs at the summit, but he holds out hope that Trump's "unconventional style yields unconventional results." Maybe Trump has rattled Pyongyang enough that they don't want to risk a military confrontation, he writes. (Read more President Trump stories.) (Newser) You'd think any old region would do for a bitcoin mining business: Just set up a computer, solve a bunch of sophisticated math puzzles, and start raking in that sweet virtual currency. But as Paul Roberts' deep dive on Politico notes, that kind of computer power can require "an inordinate amount of electricity," and the Mid-Columbia Basin area along the Columbia River in Washington state is uniquely positioned to provide that kind of juice, thanks to five hydroelectric dams. Not to mention it boasts ample space for the tens of thousands of servers that can be found on single sites spitting out mining calculations, as well as for the systems needed to keep those servers cool enough to function. With the recent spike in bitcoin pricingRoberts notes a single coin's value rose in 2017 from $1,000 to $19,000there are now makeshift mining facilities scattered across the area to capitalize on the boom, set up in everything from revamped warehouses and industrial sites to backyard sheds. story continues below However, the basin area, which some predict will host 15% to 30% of all bitcoin mining worldwide by the end of 2018, isn't without its share of boomtown "tensions." That includes lawsuits, bankruptcies, and even "an intensifying guerilla warfare" between local utility teams and the "shadowy army of bootleg miners" who drain the area's electrical grids dry. Roberts talks with some of the basin's top miners, including David Carlson, who Roberts deems "the face of the Mid-Columbia Basin crypto boom." Carlson had some early failures, but he soon realized finding a cheap place to mine in the US, as others had done in China, Iceland, and Venezuela, was the key to success. He's now settled in for the long haul in the basin, but others aren't so sure they can take the volatility anymore. "The risk and reward is getting pretty great," says prospector Lauren Miehe. "And I'm not sure I want to be on the front line of that battle." More on how this stretch of land became the US bitcoin-mining capital here. (Read more Longform stories.) (Newser) Dean Heller doesn't exactly have the safest seat in the US Senate, and he might not even make it to the midterms if he doesn't beat GOPer Danny Tarkanian in the Nevada primaries in June, per the Hill. But in audio obtained by Politico from a Las Vegas event last week, Heller seems to be clinging to one prospect as a glimmer of hope: the stepping down of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. "Kennedy is going to retire around sometime early summer," Heller said during a Q&A with the J. Reuben Clark Law Society on Friday. "Which I'm hoping will get our base a little motivated because right now they're not very motivated. But I think a new Supreme Court justice will get them motivated." story continues below Who Heller thinks would make the short list to replace Kennedy: Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who hasn't commented yet on Heller's take. The Hill notes Kennedy, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, is seen as the "most pivotal justice on the Supreme Court"; his stepping down would give President Trump another opening for a conservative justice. Not everyone is buying Heller's prediction, though. In an Above the Law post, Elie Mystal calls it an "epic example of wishcasting," noting Heller has offered "no evidence" on Kennedy's retirement. He notes that the fact that Kennedy has already put in place his clerks for the 2018-2019 term, while "not a guarantee," is "more evidence that he's staying than anything Dean Heller has in the opposite direction." (Read more Anthony Kennedy stories.) (Newser) It turns out Martin Shkreli was a little off when he predicted he would only spend a few months in a "Club Fed" prison. The New York Daily News reports the "Pharma Bro," "international villain," and "most hated person in America" was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud Friday. The 34-year-old Shkreli will get credit for the six months he's already served after having his bail revoked in September for offering $5,000 for a sample of Hillary Clinton's hair, according to the Washington Post. Shkreli was found guilty in August of defrauding investors in his hedge fund. But it was hiking the price of an HIV drug by 5,000% that first garnered him headlines. Since then he's been kicked off Twitter for threatening a journalist, been the subject of a satirical musical, fought with rappers, and called federal prosecutors "imbeciles." story continues below Prior to his sentencing, a crying Shkreli, who one excused juror called "the face of corporate greed in America," begged Judge Kiyo Matsumoto for "your honor's mercy," ABC News reports. "The only person to blame for me being here is me," he said. "There is no government conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions." However, Shkreli's defense lawyer said he "shouldn't be sentenced simply for being Martin Shkreli," admitting "there are times I want to punch him in the face." Shkreli's seven-year sentence is about the midpoint between what the defense and prosecution was asking for. Earlier this week, Matsumoto ordered Shkreli to forfeit $7.36 million, allowing prosecutors to go after the sole copy of a Wu-Tang Clan album for which Shkreli reportedly paid millions. (Read more Martin Shkreli stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here Members of the Fairbanks community gather in front of the Noel Wien Public Library on Wednesday afternoon to speak out against continued steps forward to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil development. 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. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday rejected the claims of foul play on the dramatic death of Bollywood actress Sridevi. Talking about the same, Raveesh Kumar, the MEA spokesperson clarified that if there was anything suspicious, it would have come out by now. "As far as I know, the paperwork from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government had been were handed over to us and on the basis of that the mortal remains were brought to India. Had there been something suspicious, it would have come out by now," Raveesh Kumar was quoted at a regular press briefing on Friday. As far as I know, the paperwork from UAE govt were handed over to us and on the basis of that the mortal remains were brought to India. Had there been something suspicious, it would have come out by now: Raveesh Kumar, MEA Spokesperson on #Sridevi pic.twitter.com/PVeAJSxxra ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Also Read: Priyanka Chopra pens emotional eulogy on Sridevi, says 'She Was My Childhood' On February 24, legendary actress Sridevi breathed her last due to accidental drowning in bathtub after suffering a dizzying spell. According to forensic report, the diva lost her control under the influence of alcohol and fell into the bathtub. She was attending her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding in Dubai along with husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi Kapoor. The Chandni actress was given a state funeral on February 28, with her body wrapped in the tricolour and a gun salute by the Mumbai Police. The sudden demise of the actress has left the entire country into grave shock and fans are still finding it hard to get over the same. Also Read: Oscars 2018 | Sridevi, Shashi Kapoor remembered with musical tribute For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Biplab Kumar Deb was sworn in as the tenth chief minister of Tripura on Friday. The oath taking ceremony of the newly elected BJP govt took place at the Assam Rifles ground in Agartala. The event was a historic one in the political landscape of the North East state as for the first time BJP is forming the government in the Left bastion. PM Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in the northeastern region attended the ceremony. In order to protest "large-scale violence" in Tripura after the Assembly elections, the Left Front leaders will boycott the swearing-in of the BJP-led government. However, outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar and elected leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) are expected to attend the event. The BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance romped home to power in the state last week, bringing an end to the 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front. The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, dethroning the CPI(M) which won only in 17 Assembly constituencies. Here are the live updates # PM Modi reaches Agartala ahead of swearing in ceremony #Security beefed up in Agartala ahead of swearing in ceremony #Shivraj Singh Chouhan to attend the oath taking the ceremony # Amit Shah visits Maa Tripura Sundari temple ahead of swearing-in #A Host of top BJPA leaders and functionaries to attend the ceremony For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a case of sheer abuse of power, a BJP leader in Tamil Nadu slapped and thrashed a farmer leader P Ayyakannu outside premises of Sri Subramania Swamy Temple in Chennai. In a video tweeted by ANI, district Secretary of the BJP's women's wing Nellaiyammal is seen slapping Farmer leader who was allegedly distributing pamphlets criticising Narendra Modi-led Central government. In the video, while some people are seen trying to intervene, the BJP leader goes more aggressive and shows her slipper to the farmer leader. #WATCH: Heated argument ensued between District Secretary of the BJP's women's wing Nellaiyammal and Tamil Nadu Farmer leader P Ayyakannu outside premises of Sri Subramania Swamy Temple in Thiruchendur when the latter was allegedly distributing pamphlets criticising Central govt. pic.twitter.com/Ze8FJu5FN0 a ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Farmers across the country are angry with Modi government over a range of issues. Tamil Nadu is suffering the worst drought in last 140 years and the peasants from the state are demanding a drought relief package from Centre. Farmers in BJP ruled Maharashtra are also staging a protest march againstA government's "anti-farmer" policies. They are demanding complete farm loan waiver andA implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Bengaluru Police on Friday claimed a major breakthrough in the sensational murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. They have claimed to make their first arrest in connection to the murder of the Kannad journalist. A special investigation team (SIT) of Karnataka Police formed to investigate and book the culprits of Gauri Lankesh murder case officially arrested KT Naveen Kumar. SIT investigation officer M N Anucheth confirmed the development to Naveen Kumar. He was detained by the Karnataka Police from Bengaluru city bus stand on February 18 under Arms Act for illegal possession of a revolver and 15 rounds of bullet. According to reliable sources in the Bengaluru Police, Naveen Kumar, in his mid-30s, is a resident of Mandya district in the state and is associated with the Hindu Yuva Sena. Also read : Sanathan Sanstha denies any role in Gauri Lankesh killing Sources added, he is not directly involved in the shootout but played a small but significant role in Lankeshs killing. He is not one of the main accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, added the officer. Gauri Lankesh, a senior journalist and editor of Lankesh Patrike a weekly newspaper, was a right-wing ideology critic. Unknown motorcycle-borne criminals shot her dead on September 5 evening last year in front of her residence. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India and France are expected to hold extensive deliberations to further deepen the already close bilateral defence cooperation including co-development of major military platforms during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit. Sources said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her French counterpart Florence Parly are also likely to have detailed discussions on specific projects including on the Scorpene submarine programme for the Indian Navy. Defence cooperation is also likely to figure prominently during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Macron tomorrow. The sources said a key point of discussion is likely to be the Scorpene submarine programme as the French side has been exploring additional orders for French defence major Naval Group (formerly DCNC). India's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. is currently building six Scorpene class submarines under Project 75 in partnership with French Naval Group. India has also started the process to acquire another six submarines under project P-75 (I). Also Read: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says India retaliating in equal measures to Pakistan's actions along LoC Four foreign ship-builders have emerged as the main contenders for the project to build six advanced stealth submarines at a cost of around Rs. 60,000 crore under the strategic partnership model. The sources said Ms Parly has also communicated to the Indian defence minister that the Naval Group has responded favourably to the Request For Information (RFI) (under Strategic Partnership Model) for the new P-75(I) programme. Naval Group, Russia's Rosoboronexport Rubin Design Bureau, Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Sweden's Saab group have responded to the government's request for proposal (RFI) for the project. The project P-75 (I) will be a follow-on for Project 75. A total of six submarines are to be built under the Project-75 (I) programme. The project is seen as critical to counter the rapid expansion of China's submarine fleet. The Navy has been pressing the government for clearing the project. Under the SP model, select private firms will be engaged to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities. Also Read: China increases defence budget for 2018 by 8.1 per cent to whopping USD 175 billion Ms Parly is also likely to push for a follow up order of additional Rafale fighter jets after delivery of 36 jets under a Rs 58,000 crore deal finalised in 2016.The two ministers are also likely to deliberate on a range of other possible co-development initiatives, the sources said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India gave a befitting reply to Pakistan's human rights exploitation allegation at the former in the United Nation Human Rights Council by saying that "terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights". In a Right of Reply filed at the 37 Session of the UN Human Rights Council, New Delhi reminded Islamabad about the state of human rights within its own borders and said that Pakistan has been using the argument of human rights as a shield to mask its territorial ambitions. "There is also a reference to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. There is none to cross-border terrorism. Terrorism is the most fundamental violation of human rights and we overlook its egregiousness at our own peril," said Raj Kumar Chander, the Indian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN offices and other international organisations in Geneva. Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad Al Hussein in his annual report and an oral update made a comment on human rights developments in Kashmir at the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Hussein said: "With respect to Kashmir, on both sides of the Line of Control, regrettably unconditional access continues to be refused to my office, and I will report on this issue at greater length in June." For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Chennai: A 19-year-old girl was stabbed to death in front of her college in Chennais KK Nagar on Friday afternoon. Her attacker was nabbed by people who witnessed the crime. The deceased has been identified a M Aswini, a first year Bachelors of Commerce student. While, her attacker has been identified as Alagesan, 26. Chennai Police said, Aswini was rushed to the nearest private hospital for medical attention but she was declared brought dead by the doctors of the hospital. The accused was nabbed by a passerby. He has also suffered injuries as he was roughed up by the locals who nabbed him before he was taken in police custody, said Police. The Chennai Police is yet to verify the reasons behind the broad daylight murder. However, few officers of the Chennai Police believe Alagesan stabbed Aswini possibly after she denied his proposal for marriage or friendship. Also read | Haryana: Woman's body found stuffed in suitcase in Rewari A police officer said, In the course of our investigation we have learnt that Aswini and Alagesan were not known to each other. One of the victims close friends told us that Alagesan was not a student of the college were Aswini studied and they have never sighted both talking to each other, added the officer. The officer further added that they seeked called details of the victim and the accused to verify if both were known to each other or not. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has been rated as the world number one among airports handling more than 40 million passengers per annum in a survey by the Airports Council International (ACI). Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been ranked as the Worlds Best Airport for customer experience. ACI is a trade association of 1,953-member airports across 176 countries. As part of its survey on Airport Service Quality, views of passengers on 34 key performance indicators are measured. Nearly 74 per cent of the world?s top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR-led consortium, has been adjudged as the best among those airports that fall in the highest category -- over 40 million passengers per annum. The airport also recently joined the 60-million club and recorded 63.5 million passengers in 2017. It has surpassed Changi, Incheon and Bangkok airports in terms of passenger growth and is now the 7th busiest airport in Asia and among the top 20 busiest airport across the world, according to a press statement issued by GMR. "The award demonstrates DIAL's strong focus on operations efficiencies and resilient approach towards service delivery," said DIAL CEO I Prabhakara Rao. Mumbai airport operator, GVK-run Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), also welcomed the honour. In 2007, when we had taken over the complete operations of the airport, the ASQ score was 3.53 and in 10 years we have got it to hover around 4.99 out of a maximum 5. It is a testimony to the quality service provided during 2017 to over forty-six million travellers by the thirty thousand odd airport community members," said GVK Reddy, Founder and Chairman, GVK. The ASQ Awards ceremony will be held during the inaugural ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit, to be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada from 10-13 September 2018, hosted by Halifax International Airport Authority. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Congress attacking the BJP over Rafale fighter jet deal on Friday accused the PM Modi-led government of compromising national security and paying more money on the aircraft than Qatar and Egypt. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad talking to media on Friday said, BJP-led government is compromising national security. They are paying more money to buy the jets than Qatar and Egypt. He also questioned the intent and motive of the Modi government. The very purpose of signing an Inter-Governmental Agreement with France was defeated because India is paying more price for the jets than Egypt and Qatar, added Azad. The senior Congress leader also questioned, Is it correct that per aircraft pricing of Rafale as per bid dated 12.12.2012 during UPA-Congress government was Rs 526.1 crore as against present government purchase price of Rs 1,670.70? Also read | Rafale Deal: Seeking technology transfer would not have been cost-effective, says Nirmala Sitharaman Further attacking the BJP, Azad asked, Why was prior approval of Cabinet Committee on Security not taken before announcing the purchase of 26 aircrafts on April 10,2015? Congress president Rahul Gandhi had being terming the Rafale deal as biggest corruption issue of the country. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bhopal: A retired Air Force officer and his wife were found dead with slit throats in their residence in Madhya Pradeshs Bhopal on Friday. Madhya Pradesh Police identified the retired IAF officer as G K Nair, 70, and his wife Gomti, 68. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dharmendra Choudhary told the media that maid of the house alerted their neighbours after the elderly couple did not respond to the calling bell. Bhopal Police said, residence of Narmada Green Valley forced peeped through the keyhole and to their shock they found the duo lying in pool of blood. A senior officer part of the investigation team added that the duo were attacked with a sharp weapon. No valuables and household goods were stolen. We suspect it a case of revenge and old enmity, added the officer. Also read | Haryana: Woman's body found stuffed in suitcase in Rewari The state police has also announced Rs 20000 award for giving any clues for the murder. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kabul: An Afghan official says the Taliban launched a deadly assault on an army outpost in a remote region of northern Takhar province, killing 10 local policemen and wounding nine. Provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said today that a large number of Taliban fighters assaulted the outpost overnight. He says the members of the local police were ambushed and killed while on their way to the outpost to assist the Afghan soldiers in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. The soldiers suffered no casualties. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault late yesterday and the police slayings. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report couldn't be independently confirmed because of the area's remoteness. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: The US on Friday announced a USD 5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which has carried out several deadly attacks, including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which over 150 people, mostly students, were killed. The announcement by the State Department came a day after Fazlullah's son was reported killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan. In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the assassination of Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafzai for promoting girls' right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP, it said. Malala was seriously injured in the attack and had to be shifted to the UK for specialised treatment. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Under its rewards for justice programme, the US also announced a USD 3 million reward for information each on Abdul Wali of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Lashkar-e-Islam leader Mangal Bagh. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a terrorist organisation that split away from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while Lashkar-e-Islam is based in Pakistan's Khyber Tribal Agency. The announcement came as Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua held meetings with officials of the Trump administration, including the White House and the State Department. The State Department said the TTP was a terrorist organisation based in the tribal areas of eastern Afghanistan. It has historically maintained close ties with al-Qaeda. Also Read: 10 policemen killed as Taliban assault outpost in Takhar province Since being appointed by the group's central Shura Council in November 2013, Fazlullah has organised and directed several TTP attacks in Pakistan and has publicly blamed the US for military operations against the group. In December 2014, Fazlullah's operatives carried out the most lethal terrorist attack in Pakistan's history when they killed 151 people, including more than 130 children, during an attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. Abdul Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Under Wali's leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in the Punjab Province and has claimed multiple suicide bombings and other attacks throughout Pakistan. US govt announces rewards on 3 Pakistani terrorists. A state dept release says $5 million reward for information leading to the identification or location of TTP Chief Maulana Fazlullah, $3 million each for Abdul Wali of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Mangal Bagh of Lashkar-e-Islam: Reuters ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 In March 2016, JuA conducted a suicide bombing at a public park in Lahore that killed 75 people and injured 340 others. In August 2015, JuA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Punjab that killed Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada and 18 of his supporters. Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was born in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan and is believed to be in his late 30s. He is a former journalist and poet and has studied at a number of madrasas in Karachi. According to the State Department, Mangal Bagh and his group earns revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, raids on NATO convoys and taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Also Read: Donald Trump hardens stand on India, China; pitches for 'mirror tax' on imports Bagh has led Lashkar-e-Islam since 2006 and has routinely shifted alliances to protect illicit revenue streams while enforcing an extreme version of Deobandi Islam in the areas of eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan that he controls, particularly Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. Born in Khyber Agency in Pakistan, he is believed to be in his mid-40s. Bagh is a member of the Afridi tribe. He studied at a madrasa for several years and later fought alongside militant groups in Afghanistan. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Cincinnati, OH (45221) Today Rain. High around 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 66F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. From the presidents wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, came yesterday words of comfort for the distraught parents of all abducted schoolgirls. Mrs.... From the presidents wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, came yesterday words of comfort for the distraught parents of all abducted schoolgirls. Mrs. Buhari said she shared in their sorrow and agony.She said she shared the agony of especially parents of the abducted Chibok and Dapchi school girls.She spoke in Abuja while delivering a speech she titled: Leave Our Daughters Alone, to mark the 2018 International Women`s Day.As a mother, I share (in) the sorrow and agony which the parents are going through up to this moment.I am aware of the efforts being made for the release of the remaining Chibok girls as well as the recently (abducted) Dapchi girls.It is my sincere hope that the efforts will yield positive results.The wife of the President said that the abductions had further exposed the long-standing evil perpetrated against women in the society.Mrs. Buhari called on stakeholders, especially the media, to stand against the disturbing issue.It is a disturbing issue for which we must put heads together, pray, speak out, show concern and ensure that the situation comes an end.She called on Nigerians, especially the media, to join the campaign against all forms of abduction and maltreatment of the Nigerian woman.Mrs Buhari said it was unfortunate that celebration of the 2018 International Womens Day came with pains and agony following the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls.She also expressed concern over the use of young girls by insurgents to carry out suicide bombing.She, however, congratulated Nigerian women for successfully marking the Day and prayed for greater opportunities for the Nigerian woman.The wife of the President also prayed for women to have equal opportunities in governance as their male counterparts.The wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, said the 2018 event came in a very happy and worst situation, considering the progress made by Nigerian team at the winter Olympic as well as the abduction of the Dapchi girls.Mrs Osinbajo also called for equal opportunity to the women.The United Nations set aside March 8, of every year to mark the International Womens Day.The event was organised by the National Centre for Women Development in collaboration with the wife of the President. In what came as a surprise, Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi state, ordered the arrest of government officials from two warring communities ... In what came as a surprise, Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi state, ordered the arrest of government officials from two warring communities in Ikwo local government area of the state, on Thursday. Umahi gave the order in Abakaliki, the state capital, during an enlarged security meeting convened on the communal clash between Ekpomaka and Inyimegu communities of the area. The governor said he had information that those whose arrest he ordered were involved in the crisis affecting the area. The governor, who was livid with rage, asked Tituts Lamorde, commissioner of police in the state, to arrest Fidelis Okpata, his deputy chief of staff, traditional rulers and government officials present at the meeting. He also ordered the arrest of those who were not present at the meeting including Frederick Udogu, chairman of Abakaliki Capital Territory Development Board, and Eso Udogu, ccoordinator of Ikwo South Development Centre. Umahi directed Cletus Ofoke, commissioner for justice, to obtain a court order to detain them. They should remain in detention until they sign an undertaking that no further life would be lost or property destroyed in both communities, he said. I dont mind losing all the votes from the areas but I will not keep quiet and watch people die unnecessarily and properties destroyed due to irrelevant issues. He ordered his aide-de-camp to lock all the doors of the state executive council chamber to prevent the affected persons from leaving the chambers. The defence headquarters says the comment of Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, on the possibility of a military coup is derogatory.... The defence headquarters says the comment of Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, on the possibility of a military coup is derogatory. In a statement on Thursday, John Agim, defence spokesman, asked the public to disregard the apprehensionof the lawmaker. While commenting on the floor of the senate on Wednesday, Ekweremadu said: The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over, let us not joke with our democracy that is the issue. Ekweremadu said this in response to the attack on some of his colleagues and actions which the upper legislative chamber consider undemocratic. But Agim said though Ekweremadus comment may be sincere, it had the capacity to cast a shadow of doubt on the militarys loyalty to the president. The spokesman reminded the public that in line with reforms to usher-in democracy in 1999, the government had taken measures to professionalise the armed forces by retiring politically-inclined officers from service, to meet the demands of an emerging democracy. He said the current set of officers are apolitical. In the light of this; the defence headquarters wish to state clearly that, the Nigerian military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance, the statement read. This was done to avoid indoctrination of other officers in the military in order to enable the democratic government commence a re-professionalisation process of the armed forces. Shortly, after the transition from a military to a democratically elected government in 1999, officers of the armed forces of Nigeria, who were quasi-political, were honourably eased out of service.This was done to avoid indoctrination of other officers in the military in order to enable the democratic government commence a re-professionalisation process of the armed forces. President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated that the priority of his administration was mainly to secure the country, ensure a viably econ... President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated that the priority of his administration was mainly to secure the country, ensure a viably economy and rid the country of corruption. President Buhari who stated this Thursday when he received a delegation from King Salman of Saudi Arabia at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said his administration was mindful of the three-pronged promises made to Nigerians before the 2015 elections.He said Nigerians in the areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency were in the best position to provide correct assessments of the changes that have taken place since he assumed office in 2015, assuring that he remained undeterred and focused on securing the lives and properties of all Nigerians According to him, From the very time we came until now, we have been able to do our best, and we remain focused on delivering on our promises.President Buhari in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu told the Saudi Arabian delegation that the priority of his administration had so far been on securing the country, buoying the economy and curbing corruption so that Nigerians would start benefitting from the rich natural and human resources of the country.He expressed appreciation to the King Salman Aid and Relief Centre, and the Saudi Development Fund for providing relief materials, worth 10 million dollars, to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East. In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Dan-Ali said the delegation from Saudi Arabia had already visited the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters and taken a tour of IDP camps in Maiduguri as part of their schedule.The Leader of the Saudi Arabian delegation from King Salman, Nasser Bin Mutlaq, said the visit and the donation of materials was an extension of the good relations both countries had shared over the years. He said, We are directed to offer materials and food for the displaced persons in the North East worth 10 million dollars. We have had a field visit to the places and seen the humanitarian situation ourselves. The apex socio-political body of the Igbo, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said it will consult widely before taking any decision on the 2019 elections.The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Mr. Chuks Ibegbu, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the associations position on the forthcoming elections would be based on the views of Ndigbo.Ohanaeze Ndigbo will consult widely before taking any decision on 2019.The apex Igbo body will not take any decision on 2019 without subjecting it to the opinion, views, inputs and contributions from a wide spectrum of Igbo society, Ibegbu said.However, the Ohanaeze spokesman stressed that the bodys major concern at the moment was the restructuring of Nigeria.He said, Our main concern now is the restructuring of Nigeria in sync with other progressive groups and individuals in Nigeria. Once Nigeria is restructured, other things will fall in place.We want a level-playing ground for all sections of Nigeria; we want justice, equity and fair play. We want a Nigeria in which the bountiful talents of Ndigbo and other Nigerians will be fully realised. The nation as it is presently constituted kills initiative, Ibegbu added.Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to first disarm Fulani herdsmen before ordering licensed gun owners to submit them to the police.Ibegbu, who stated Ohanaezes demand in the statement in Enugu, faulted the IGs directive that all licensed gun owners should submit the firearms to the police.Without disarming the armed Fulani herdsmen, it will be inappropriate to tell licensed gun owners to submit them in the face of terror and attacks on innocent citizens in all parts of the country, especially in the Middle Belt and the South.Also reacting to the IGs directive, a pan-Igbo group, Igbo Peoples Congress, described it as a grand design to expose innocent Nigerians to massacre by armed Fulani herdsmen who ought to be disarmed first before any such order is given.The spokesman for the group, Mr. Okey Colbert, expressed regrets over what he described as the unfortunate reduction of the killings in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states to a mathematical contest of the number of casualty by President Muhammadu Buhari.Maybe if his own children were butchered by hoodlums, he would know how other victims of the Fulani herdsmen terror feel too, he noted. Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, on Thursday in Abuja said no penny will be spent by the Nigerian Government t... Dr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, on Thursday in Abuja said no penny will be spent by the Nigerian Government to revive Ajaokuta Steel Company.Fayemi said this while addressing newsmen on a Vote of No Confidence passed on him by the House of Representatives recently.He said that government would not spend a dime to put Ajaokuta steel to use but would rather concession it to a capable company with good history of competence and financial buoyancy, among others virtues.About eight billion dollars had been sunk into the steel mill by previous administrations.Fayemi said a technical audit of the steel company is ongoing and would be completed in the next six weeks.He said after completion of the technical audit of the steel company, the ministry would declare it open for concession and only a competent bidder would be allowed to operate the company.The position of the government is clear on Ajaokuta; that only a company that is verifiable, competent, financially buoyant will Ajaokuta be concessionned to after the technical audit is completed.The rumour going on that Ajaokuta is at 98 per cent completion is not true; that is why the technical audit is going on to ascertain its level of completion and other information needed, he said.On the vote of no confidence passed on him and his minister of state, he described it as an attack on their personalities and it was unacceptable.He said that since himself and the minister of state assumed office till date, they had appeared at the National Assembly four times three at different House committee levels on the Ajaokuta steel situation.He said what led to the attack was an invitation sent to them to appear before the House on the Ajaokuta issue and they replied that they were currently indisposed but another date should be given to them to appear.He said instead of the house to understand with them, it raised vote of no confidence and the news went viral.As if that was not enough, the Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave another news conference and passed a vote of no confidence on us in Lagos and that also went viral in the dailies.According to him, we have made it clear to the house on what to do before we concession the steel plant in which the technical audit is on-going.The minister said that most of the allegations made against him and the minister of state and the ministrys officials were not only unfounded but malicious.He said while the House members reserved the right to discuss and pass resolutions on national issues, he took serious exception to a member of the House going outside the hallowed chambers to make spurious allegations against public servants.Members of the House of Representatives had passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi.The members described their non-appearance as a contempt to the House and executive recklessness.(NAN) The Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the state new land use charge as exploitative, saying it ha... The Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the state new land use charge as exploitative, saying it has no human face.The state chairman of the party, Mr Moshood Salvador gave the description while speaking at the party s General Assembly in Lagos on Thursday.He said the new charge was an attempt to impoverish residents.Salvador said residents had had enough of hikes in charges and fees by the state government ,describing them as excessive.Just recently, the Lagos State government introduced a new land use charge which requires that Lagosians pay more on their property.Defending the new charge, the Commissioner for Information ,Mr Bamgbetan and his Finance counterpart yesterday granted a press interview and said the the new charge accommodates both the the tenement rate and the neighborhood improvement levy.They said the amount is payable by real estate property owners in the is charged based on the market value of the property multiplied by 40 per cent, multiplied by the applicable rate, he said.Salvador said the new charge was a justifiable reason to vote out the APC for PDP in the state in the 2019 elections.He said the PDP was the only party that meant well for the well-being of residents.Salvador however said the only way to ensure the PDP takes over government to deliver good governance was for the residents to obtain their Permanent Voter Card and vote the party.The party chairman said said the assembly was organised to show how serious the party was for the 2019 general elections.Salvador said he was impressed by the turnout of party members, saying it reflected his promise to grow the membership of party in leaps and bounds in the state.I made a promise to attract one million members to the party. People thought I was joking. What we have seen today is a reflection that our party is growing.This is just our first major assembly. And you can see the crowd. By the time we have the next one. I am sure the crowd will be more than this; this is what we are talking about. This is the new spirit in PDP. he said.Salvador urged party members to work in unison for the progress of the party to further strengthen it.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prominent members present at the assembly included the governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Mr Jimi Agbaje, and a member of the party s Board of Trusteee(BOT),Mrs Aduke Maina.NAN reports the chairmanship candidate of the KOWA party in the last council polls in the state, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour defected to the party with his supporters at the event.Meanwhile at the same time the party assembly was holding, some chieftains and members in East Senatorial District met in Ikorodu to express their reservation to Salvadors leadership.They demanded that he should vacate the office based on what they called failureto honour and implement the 65/35 sharing agreement for offices in favour of the Makarfi group as reached sometime ago.Among chieftains at the Ikorodu meeting were former Deputy Chairman of state chapter, Prince Ola Apena; former organising secretary for the party, Prince Abayomi Kuye;Chief Kehinde Koku, Chief Aderibigbe Shitta, ,Prince Niyi Aborishade and Chief Babatunde Agbaje.The Ikorodu PDP chairman, Mr Adebisi Osoba, told NAN at the meeting :Our percentage is higher than the other group, I believe with our figure,we will conquer the other faction. (NAN) The Senate on Thursday began an investigation into the alleged plot by some members to sack Senator Bukola Saraki as President. A Peopl... The Senate on Thursday began an investigation into the alleged plot by some members to sack Senator Bukola Saraki as President.A Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker, Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi-Central), who raised the alarm through a point of order at the plenary on Wednesday, alleged that the senators were also mobilising civil society organisations and trade groups to protest against Sarakis leadership.Ogba said, I rise this morning to bring to the notice of the Senate that there is a plan by some people in this Senate, maybe under the leadership of my distinguished colleague, particularly Senator Abdullahi Adamu. You will remember that in January, Senator (Isa) Misau made the comment here that there was a plan to remove the Senate President, and in fact the leadership.Now, I have reliable information that some people are already planning to destabilise this Senate, including the Senates leadership by organising demonstrations, of which money is already exchanging hands.I believe that all of us are leaders in this country and anybody who seeks anything that can destabilise this country, the Senate should avoid it.Ogba urged aggrieved senators to present their grievances on the floor of the Senate, rather than go outside the chamber and start mobilising civil organisations and market women to hold demonstrations against the leadership of the Senate.He added, I want this matter to be investigated properly. I have evidence to show what I am saying. There is a telephone discussion between Senator Abdullahi Adamu and some other people. This is a very serious issue. When Senator Misau raised it in January, we didnt take it as anything. We must have to stand up to look into this. If we treat this with the wave of hand, when it eventually happens, I would say that I already said it.Ogba asked that he be allowed to lay his documentary evidence before the Senate.The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, asked Ogba to do so, after which he referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, with the mandate to report back in two weeks.Reacting to the allegation in a telephone conversation with journalists, Adamu said he was not in Abuja but a colleague had drawn his attention to what happened on the floor of the Senate today.He said, It is amusing but very saddening at the same time. I am not in any way after Saraki. Saraki is like a son to me. I had every right to contest the Senate President seat three years ago when the 8th Senate was inaugurated but I never did because I wasnt interested. It is therefore not logical for anyone to say Im interested in the seat now, and will be planning to destabilise the Senate. To achieve what? For what purpose? It is not right for anyone to make such unfounded insinuations.We are almost three years in office, the election year is drawing nearer and I think anyone thinking of upstaging the leadership of the Senate for any reason will only be fighting a losing battle because it is not what should naturally occupy the mind of any serious-minded lawmaker now.I am not in any way afraid of anyone who thinks Ive offended him. I have the neck to carry my cross, but no one should cook up lies just to discredit me or any senator for that matter.The former Governor of Nasarawa State stated that he was ready to appear before the Senate panel if summoned on the matter.If Im asked to appear before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, I will come out clean because whoever raises the allegations will have to come out and present incontrovertible facts to prove the allegations. Then, names of other so-called collaborators will be made known; they will be confronted, evidence of such a meeting will be produced; those accused will be asked to defend themselves, and recommendations will be made by the committee based on facts presented to it, he said.Adamu added, As for me, let me repeat that Im not in any way after Saraki. I cant be after Saraki and I wont do anything to upstage the leadership as being claimed because its a fruitless venture. But if I believe strongly in a cause, I stand by it. If Ive offended anyone by my strong stance on some issues in the Senate in accordance with my conviction, I stand by it anytime. But the issue of trying to cause disaffection in the Senate is no issue at all.Adoption of the report by the Senate and House of Representatives Conference Committee on the amendment to the Electoral Act had caused a sharp division in the ranks of the APC caucus. The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, is at the centre of an alarming allegation ... Writing on Facebook, Temitope Aduroja recounted the dilemma of a struggling family in Minna, Niger State and the friction that emerged over the alleged payment necessary to meet Daddy GO.The students of Redeemer Secondary School in Minna were told to pay N15,000 each to be able to see Pastor Adeboye and receive his handshake, Aduroja wrote, explaining that the respected Pastor is due to be at an event in Abuja on Sunday 11th March 2018.Clearly disgruntled, the whistle-blower added that this information came from a work colleague who had three children in that particular school and was unwilling to pay such a fee.His wife remained adamant that he must pay the money because his children must see Pastor Adeboye for the first time in their lives and receive his handshake and blessings, Aduroja continued.It took the combined effort of a local Redeemed Pastor and his grandmother to finally bring settlement to the heated squabble which almost resulted in physical combat.After serious pleading and begging from the pastor and family members, the husband agreed to pay for a child, the wife for the second child while the grandmother agreed to pay for the third child, he explained.Aduroja proceeded to ponder on the craziness exhibited by Nigerian woman in the name of religion, as well as express scepticism on the actual impact of this handshake excursion.Must we continue to waste money on something that doesn't mean much in the name of religion or a pastor, he whimsically concluded.The post drew heated response, many rising to Adeboyes defence and stating the school was simply taking students on an excursion and such amount was to cater for the journeys costs. Others, however, corroborated the allegation.Oyeyemi Ganiat wrote, That's how they always do. My children are attending Redeemer School here in Agege, Lagos. They will tell you Baba Adeboye is doing his birthday every March and that all children must pay N5,000 to be able to go and celebrate.Akintayo Taiwo went deeper to suggest such behaviour stemmed from the unhealthy quest for position and power within the Redeemed Church.In RCCG, promotion from Parish pastor to Area Pastor to Zonal Pastor to Provincial Pastor depends on your weekly remittance to the church Headquarters in Lagos. The more tithes and offerings - and other godly and ungodly charges you are able to remit to the Church - the faster your promotion, he alleged.We may say that Baba Adeboye doesn't know about this but he is definitely culpable because he accepts the money coming from all these Parishes without questioning the source, Taiwo opined.No matter how fast church growth is in Nigeria, as long as the Church makes money the centre of the gospel, morality will continue to decrease among believers, the commentator brazenly ended.RCCG has yet to make any official statement on the matter. Another major air disaster was on Tuesday, averted when an Arik plane made an emergency landing in Ghana after smoke was detected in the cabin.The incident involved a fully-loaded Ghana-bound Dash 8 NextGen propeller aircraft with registration number, W3304 Stephen.It was gathered that no sooner than 35 minutes after the plane took off from the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos for Accra, Ghanaian capital than smoke started coming out from the cabin.One of the passengers onboard the aircraft disclosed that there was confusion in the plane as air hostesses were busy scampering around, opening the cabins and the lavatories to check if they could trace the source of the smoke without success.According to the thankful passenger, While that continued, the oxygen masks that were always being advertised during the safety demo prior to take-off couldnt be released instead we were handed tissue papers (otherwise called serviets) to use to cover our noses to minimize and filter out possible carbon monoxide inhalation.About 5 minutes after, precisely with 15 minutes of flight time remaining, the pilot came on the public address system to inform us that they have smoke coming into the cabin and that they dont know the source and that they have declared emergency.To the glory of God, the flight successfully landed by 8.15pm (7.15pm Accra time) to the waiting of several fire service trucks at Kotoko International airport, Accra.We were evacuated into a waiting bus with instruction to leave everything behind in the cabin. Sadly there was no Arik official to address us neither was there any manner of first aid attention given to the passengers to manage stress and possible elevated blood pressures, the passenger lamented.Confirming the incident via a statement, the airline said no-one was hurt during the incident.The statement reads: Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin 81 miles from Accra.The captain of the flight briefed the passengers accordingly assuring them that the aircraft was under control and safe for landing in Accra.The aircraft, a Dash 8 Q400, landed safely in Accra without further incident and all passengers disembarked normally.The aircraft is currently parked in Acrra and our team of engineers are conducting comprehensive inspections on the aircraft to ascertain the cause of the smoke, after which the aircraft will be flown without passengers to a maintenance facility for rectification and testing.The relevant aviation authorities in Ghana and Nigeria have been briefed appropriately on the incident.The incident occured barely on month after emergency exit door fell off a Dana Air jet as it landed in Abuja after flying in from Lagos.In another averted disaster, an Atlanta-bound Delta airlines jet was forced to return to Lagos after a fire was detected in one of its engines with passengers using emergency slides to evacuate the plane, officials said.Meanwhile, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has commenced investigation into how Dana Air plane overshot the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport. President Donald Trump has agreed to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in Americas high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea.Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a US president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May.Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim, who, he said expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible.Trump hailed great progress in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program.Meeting being planned! he tweeted. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time.Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached.News of the summit is the latest step in a quickening diplomatic detente that has seen North and South Korea exchange envoys.Pyongyang also sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics in the South, which Seoul had dubbed the Peace Games and which saw the two countries marching under a unified flag.The thaw came after a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war.Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him little rocket man and Kim returned the favor by describing Trump as mentally deranged and a dotard.The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on opposite sides of a bloody war in the 1950s.In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the worlds most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. Paradigm shift Pyongyangs decades-long race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States has proved a problem for successive administrations.Trumps strategy has been to ramp up sanctions, tighten the diplomatic screws and regularly threaten military force.The White House said in a statement that strategy of maximum pressure would stay in place, for now.We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.But the prospect of a top-level meeting is a paradigm shift.North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who have rebuffed the idea as an effort to achieve strategic parity that does not exist.Pyongyang now seems to have achieved its goal, while only agreeing to a temporary suspension of nuclear tests.It is a gambit fraught with risk for Trump. On multiple occasions, Kims father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time, easing sanctions and dividing South Korea from its allies.However his decision also carries historic echoes of Richard Nixons visit to communist China or Barack Obamas overture to Cuba, both of which offered the hope of better ties. The establishment of a new regulatory agency, the Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission, as captured in the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, will not lead to the mass retrenchment of workers in three agencies that are currently under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.According to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, fears of a possible mass sacking when the three affected agencies are collapsed into one entity should be dismissed, as the government has no such a plan.In the PIGB, the NPRC will take over the functions of the Petroleum Inspectorate, the Department of Petroleum Resources and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.The PIGB has been passed by the National Assembly and will become law as soon as it is assented to by the President.Kachikwu also called for a fully independent petroleum industry regulator, adding that proper funding must be given to the NPRC once it commenced operations in order to enable it deliver its mandate as a regulatory commission.The minister spoke in Abuja on Thursday at an event organised by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter in partnership with Media Initiative on Transparency in Extractive Industries on Understanding the Petroleum Sector Reforms proposed by the PIGB.Kachikwu, who was represented by his Senior Technical Assistant, Upstream and Gas, Adeniji Adegbite, said, One key thing that we must understand with respect to the PIGB is that we need a very good regulator that is fully independent and is insulated from all forms of interference.Having a very good regulator is key and is at the same time dangerous if it does not have competent people to manage it. And when we say competent people, that does not mean we envisage or plan to lay off workers as it is being said in some quarters. That is not the plan.The minister explained that rather than lay off workers, employees in the affected agencies would be reorganised and their skills enhanced. If you did not stop believing, here, at long last, is your reward. A long-rumored "Sopranos" prequel has been given the green light, Deadline reports. "The Many Saints of Newark," a screenplay from "Sopranos" creator David Chase, has been picked up by New Line Cinema, the report says. The story is reportedly set in 1960s Newark, around the time of the Newark riots. Chase, who grew up in Clifton and North Caldwell, co-wrote the script with "Sopranos" collaborator Lawrence Konner. Talk of a prequel has been in the air since not long after the HBO series, which premiered in 1999, ended with an abrupt cut to black in 2007. Though series star James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano, died in 2013, the report says some "Sopranos" regulars will show up in the film. In 2014, Chase, now 72, spoke to the Associated Press about a potential prequel. "Even if I did it, it wouldn't be 'The Sopranos' that was on the air -- obviously at least one person is gone that we would need," he said, referring to Gandolfini. "There are a couple of eras that would be interesting for me to talk about, about Newark, New Jersey. One would be (the) late '60s, early '70s, about all the racial animosity, or the beginning, the really true beginning of the flood of drugs." "The Sopranos" was largely set in northern New Jersey and often filmed there. The state's streets, businesses and highways functioned as familiar signposts in the acclaimed drama. In addition to Chase, series stars including Gandolfini, who grew up in Park Ridge, often had local ties. Chase, who will serve as a producer on the film and will help pick a director, has often said that he based Tony Soprano's fraught relationship with his mother, Livia Soprano, on his relationship with his own mother. It remains to be seen who from the Soprano family will show up in the prequel (presumably played by much younger actors). The actress who played Livia, Nancy Marchand, died in 2000, early in the show's run. Junior Soprano, Tony's uncle, was played by Dominic Chianese, who is now 87. Tony's father, Giovanni Francis "Johnny Boy" Soprano, died before the series began and was occasionally depicted in flashbacks. In the flashbacks (see clip below), which were already partially set during the Newark riots, Bobby Boriello played a young Tony, Laurie Williams played young Livia, Joseph Siravo played Johnny Boy and Juliet Fox played young Janice Soprano, Tony's sister. (Aida Turturro played her as an adult.) Caution: Clip contains explicit language and violence On Twitter, "Sopranos" fans reacted to the news, with some elated, making guesses as to which characters might be included, and others of the opinion that a good thing should be left well enough alone. Some said they had mixed feelings about a "Sopranos" story that would not feature Gandolfini. Here's what I gather will be an unpopular opinion: THE SOPRANOS is a flawless masterpiece that needs no extensions of any kind, be they prequel or sequel, and it should be left well enough alone. Sorry if this offends. -- Scott Wampler (@ScottWamplerBMD) March 8, 2018 David Chase actually waited for me to finally binge and fall madly in love with The Sopranos before announcing his prequel. Make no mistake, this gift is for me. But I'll share it with you, I guess. -- Gianni Damaia (@gianni_damaia) March 8, 2018 My day was going great but got even better when I just saw this new about the Sopranos coming back in movie form. -- Chase N. Cashe (@ChaseNCashe) March 8, 2018 Oh my The Sopranos prequel movie set in the 60s. Does that mean that tony is in his early teens or twentys? I would love to see that. -- B.J. Aqua XXII (@BrianAquaa) March 8, 2018 BRUH, I just read the sopranos are getting a prequel, got dumb excited, then realized James Gandolfini won't be in it. RIP. -- YUNG ANCiENT (@COCA_BLU) March 8, 2018 We all want to know if @StevieVanZandt is involved in The Sopranos prequel movie...or at least with the soundtrack? Please tell me Silvio have they pulled you back in? -- Mark Bowie (@MarkBowie_1986) March 8, 2018 Don't know how I feel about a The Sopranos prequel movie. I don't really want to see The Sopranos without Gandolfini. -- Brad Glasgow (@Brad_Glasgow) March 8, 2018 Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. JERSEY CITY -- Disgust, shock and anger were the reactions of adults picking up children at dismissal time today at a Jersey City school where a teacher was recently charged with molesting four boys inside a classroom. "It's crazy," said a woman picking up her 11-year-old niece today at School 7 where Sean Lora, 42, of Bayonne, taught before his arrest Wednesday on charges he molested the boys between the ages of 11 to 13 years old and showed pornography to at least one. "If he did it, he deserves to stay where he is jail," the woman said while standing outside the Laidlaw Avenue school. "It's kids. How can you be fooling around with kids?" She said a lot of students at the school are nervous because they have seen the news reports on Lora's arrest. A man picking his 13-year-old brother said "I was shocked when I saw it. I showed his picture to my little brother to see if he had him as a teacher. Luckily he said 'no.' I hope they keep him in (jail)." A woman picking up her 12-year-old son simply said, "I'm disgusted." Lora is charged with criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of two 11-year-olds, a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old for allegedly touching their genitals through their clothing, according to the criminal complaint. Lora, who taught English as a second language, is also charged with a second count of endangering the welfare of the 13-year-old boy for allegedly showing him pornography, according to the complaint. On Tuesday, the principal of School 7 in the Jersey City Heights called the Hudson County Prosecutor's Special Victim's Unit after the 12-year-old and one of the 11-year-olds told a teacher that Lora had shown the 13-year-old pornography while touching the boy at his desk that day, the complaint said. The principal told SVU detectives there were seven students in the classroom at the time and all were still at the school. When investigators spoke to the students, the three other alleged victims said Lora had done similar things to them, the complaint says. Lora was arrested Wednesday and made his first appearance on the charges yesterday. The state has moved to detain him through the course of his prosecution and a detention hearing is set for Tuesday. All of the charges against Lora are second-degree offenses, which carry a possible prison term of five to 10 years in upon conviction. A woman picking up her 13-year-old daughter said "Thank God my daughter didn't have class with him. That was my first question. It's very sad." A few parents said they had not heard about the arrest. JERSEY CITY Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise signed an executive order ending its relationship with FedEx over the company's policy on shipping guns. The order came during DeGise's annual state of the county address on Thursday evening during which he urged county officials to follow a "meat and potatoes" budget to fund a new courthouse and announced the new High Tech High School would be named after retiring superintendent Frank Gargiulo. DeGise said Hudson County has spent more than $60,000 shipping through FedEx over the last three years and will now use a new carrier because the company allows for guns and ammunition to be shipped "without reasonable restrictions." "They have continued to refuse even after the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida, last month," DeGise said. "When it comes to gun safety, it's time for everyone to pick a side in this fight." FedEx has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks after a list was leaked of gun manufacturers and businesses who were given a cheaper, less secure shipping option. DeGise delivered his annual speech the day after Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Union City Mayor Brian Stack announced they would not back DeGise for re-election in 2019. The surprise announcement has led to local elected officials pledging allegiance to the current county executive or saying they support Fulop's and Stack's effort to oust him. DeGise, first elected in 2002, opened his speech by telling a packed freeholder chambers he wanted to "make a couple of references to the events of yesterday." He then paused and began talking about the nor'easter that slammed the region Wednesday. Jersey City Councilmen Rich Boggiano and Michael Yun -- who have announced their intent to support DeGise's fifth term -- sat in the front row in the chambers between Hudson County Superior Court Judge Peter Bariso and Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari. DeGise told the freeholders the needs of all 12 municipalities need to be met before "wish list" items can be granted, citing a costly new courthouse (construction is expected to begin by 2021). The property and master planning of the new building alone will cost more than $40 million, but DeGise said the project is overdue. "Our long-patient judiciary has waited long enough," he said. The tone of this year's address was significantly lighter than his speech in 2017, when DeGise defended his decision to continue the county's controversial participation with the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) program commonly referred to as 287(g). The county terminated that agreement last week. DeGise ended his address tonight by stressing the importance of commitment and unity between elected officials within the county, a clear jab at the turf war Fulop and Stack launched 15 months before the 2019 Democratic primary. "Let's work together, rookies and veterans alike in this government, to make Hudson County stronger in the days ahead," he said. Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. Perhaps the most unsurprising move the Jets will make during the offseason is releasing defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. NJ Advance Media had documented Wilkerson's problems with punctuality this season (and last season) prior to his release. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweeted Thursday that perhaps part of Wilkerson's problems could be a result of alcohol, after hearing that the Linden, N.J. native was preparing to make a free agent visit to the New Orleans Saints. Wilkerson is getting some terrible advice. The last place he should be near given his issues with alcohol is Bourbon Street/French Quarter. Who is advising this guy? https://t.co/gy1pQTXBZ3 Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) March 8, 2018 Mehta doubled down on the Tweet Friday morning on WFAN's "Boomer and Gio" show. Per WFAN: (Mehta) said it was a "stretch" to say he was calling Wilkerson an alcoholic, but that it was common knowledge around the Jets' facility that Wilkerson has "issues with alcohol," even saying that drinking might have been to blame for him missing a practice a couple of years ago. "He has had issues with alcohol and drinking in the past," Mehta said. "That doesn't necessarily mean you're an alcoholic. "It's not personal. I just know how people in the building, people close to him in his life feel about him." That insinuation did not sit well with Wilkerson's mom, Ka'idah, who called into WFAN after Mehta finished his appearance. Per WFAN: "Where's your proof, Manish, that Muhammad is an alcoholic?" the Linden, New Jersey, resident said. "Like, really. You always say all these things. I can't tell you, Boomer, how I'm just livid. I'm just livid with him. Like, why do you keep saying these things about my son?" When asked if Wilkerson has trouble with alcohol, his mother said, "Absolutely not. "He goes out just like everybody else," Ka'idah said. "Yes, he's been late. ... He's never had a DWI. He's never admitted to be an alcoholic. Do I think he has a problem with alcohol? No, I don't. "He (Mehta) always has something negative to say about Muhammad," she added. "You called him a fat slob. You say he's out of shape. You said all these things. ... What's your problem with Muhammad?" You can listen to Wilkerson's mom's call here: Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Payton Guion | NJ Advance Media Hundreds of people came out to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on a chilly Newark evening in January to learn how they might be able to get a piece of New Jersey's recreational marijuana industry. No bill has been passed, so there is no recreational marijuana industry in New Jersey. Still, many attendees of the New Jersey Cannabis Symposium had green in their eyes as they heard about a new industry, one that offers more ways to make money than just from growing and selling marijuana. This NJ Advance Media reporter recently went to Oregon and Washington to get a sense of different parts of the industry opportunities. According to a 2017 report from Leafly, Washington and Oregon had 22,952 and 11,295 full-time cannabis jobs, respectively. Should New Jersey legalize recreational marijuana, thousands of jobs would follow, likely generating more than $1 billion in economic activity. Here are some of those opportunities, starting with the obvious: Don't Edit Payton Guion | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Growing Cultivation is the foundation of the marijuana industry. After all, it's tough to sell or tax weed if it's not being grown. But these typically aren't like when your college roommate grew a couple of plants in a closet. As marijuana industries mature, grows become increasingly sophisticated. At House of Cultivar, a grow operation in Seattle, room after room of cannabis is grown using state of the art technology designed to cultivate the highest quality marijuana. On a recent tour, Matthew Gaboury, one of the company's founders, showed off the 20,000 square feet of marijuana canopy at House of Cultivar. "We have 300 active strains," he said, talking about the different types of weed he grows. "With 25 strains growing at any one time." Don't Edit Selling After the marijuana is grown, it gets dried, cured and packaged before being sent to retailers, where customers can get their hands on the product. New Jersey has five medical marijuana dispensaries. Should state lawmakers approve recreational weed, that number would spike. Oregon, for example, has 523 licensed marijuana retailers, according to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which regulates the state's cannabis industry. Dispensaries sell a variety of products, including marijuana buds, concentrates, edibles, lotions and drinks, among others. At Farma, a dispensary in Portland, a budtender -- yes, that's what the dispensary employees are called -- sold this reporter a tin of cannabis-infused mints. Don't Edit Processing After marijuana is harvested, but before it ends up on dispensary shelves, the plant is often stripped of its oil, which is then used to make a variety of products. Those include concentrate, hash, wax and distillate. The oils are stripped using chemicals like carbon dioxide or ethanol. A common way to see processed marijuana in dispensaries is in concentrate cartridges, which are connected to a battery that vaporizes the concentrate when a person inhales using a mouthpiece. Who acts as the processor depends on the state. At House of Cultivar in Seattle, they process marijuana in house. But Moto Perpetuo, a farm in western Oregon, partners with a processing company that makes the oil used in Moto Perpetuo's cartridges. Don't Edit Cooking Cannabis oil is also crucial in edibles. Jill Trinchero, founder and CEO of She Don't Know, an Oregon edibles company, makes a few different marijuana-infused snacks, but her flagship product is a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. Trinchero began in her personal kitchen, but now bakes her cannabis confections in a shared kitchen she owns and rents out to other edible makers. Don't Edit Don't Edit Aristide Economopoulos Packaging So you thought the only way to make money in marijuana was to grow or sell the plant? Time to reconsider. Now comes the sizable part of the industry that never actually touches the plant. At Farma in Portland or Have a Heart in Seattle, or any other the other dispensaries this reporter has ever entered, the products come in clean packaging with some sort of branded label. Nicholas Kovacevich, CEO of Kush Bottles, one of the prominent packaging companies serving the cannabis industry, said the business is about more than just providing jars to display buds in. Kush Bottles also sells grinders, vaporizers batteries and chargers, among other products. In 2014, the company made $1.4 million. Last year, Kush Bottles raked in $18.8 million in revenue, Kovacevich said. He projects the company will make $9 million just in the first quarter of 2018. Don't Edit Insurance As wildfires ravaged California last fall, cannabis growers in the state were sweating more than the average business owner. Since federal law prohibits marijuana, traditional insurance companies don't cover cannabis crops, meaning anything lost in the blazes would remain so for most of the farmers. But at CannaCon, a marijuana industry convention held in Seattle last month, smaller insurers had booths advertising coverage specifically geared toward the industry. As the marijuana industry matures, areas that underserve the industry, namely banking and insurance, are expected to become more widely available. Don't Edit Security Garden State Dispensary, one of New Jersey's medical marijuana outposts, employs retired law enforcement officers to keep watch during business hours. It's also required to have controlled access between the lobby and where the marijuana is actually sold. Moto Perpetuo, the Oregon farm, has 47 cameras with eyes all over its farm and the owners say that's still not enough for state regulators. The combination of a product that has long been sold on the black market and businesses that operate almost entirely in cash means security is a top priority in the cannabis industry. Don't Edit Delivery When Gov. Phil Murphy ordered a review of New Jersey's medical marijuana program in January, he said he was open to allowing the dispensaries to deliver marijuana to patients. Most of Oregon's recreational dispensaries offer delivery services. Youve got home delivery in a lot of states right now," said Aaron Epstein, general manager of Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge. "One of the things that we see is that there is really two ways of handling it. One being third party delivery companies...or doing it internally." Could cannabis delivery one day resemble food delivery? Don't Edit Frederic J. Brown | AFP Consumption lounge Around 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night in mid-February, the NW Cannabis Club in Portland was relaxed. Less than two dozen people sat spread around a cozy, if shabby, lounge area on the top floor. A handful of people, who had a dog with them, sat at one table, sharing a bong. Downstairs there weren't any people, but there were more sunken couches, table games and community smoking contraptions. A scant amount of crumbled marijuana was scattered on a bar top next to a pack of rolling papers. Twenty dollars buys a lifetime membership to the cannabis club and members need only pay $5 per visit to come inside and smoke their marijuana. Legally. Most states that have legalized marijuana require that it be consumed in a private residence. Smoking in public still solicits a citation. Oregon has gotten around this by allowing social consumption lounges, though they haven't proliferated. Denver just issued its first license allowing a social use coffee shop, the Denver Post reported. Customers will be allowed to vape (vaporize marijuana) and eat edibles, but they won't be allowed to smoke. New Jersey state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, has floated the idea of "consumption zones" where people could consume marijuana. Don't Edit Don't Edit Investing Those who want in on the marijuana industry but aren't feeling entrepreneurial can still get a piece by investing in the stock of marijuana companies. Bloomberg reported this week that Nasdaq has listed its first cannabis stock: Cronos Group Inc. Other cannabis companies have their stock listed on other, lesser-known exchanges, including the company Medicine Man Technology. Medicine Man CEO Brett Roper said the industry thought there was no chance the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the stock market, would allow cannabis companies to be listed. But then it did. "We on the sideline said theres no way in hell this is going through," Roper said. "Quietly and surprisingly the SEC said cannabis was legal in the public marketplace. We all scratched our heads and said 'what the hell just happened?'" Don't Edit The list goes on The arms of the marijuana industry listed above do not comprise an exhaustive list of ways to make money in cannabis. Just in the growing process alone there are countless other options: Lighting, soil, chemicals and filtration, to name a few. Industry insiders figure New Jersey could generate more than $1 billion in cannabis revenue if recreational marijuana were to become legal in the state. Many experts say that number is conservative. Recreational bills have been introduced in both the state Senate and Assembly, but it's unclear if they have the momentum to advance. Gov. Murphy has said he would sign a bill legalizing marijuana. Don't Edit So how much money can you make? The amount of money that can be made in the legal cannabis market is huge. Bridget Hill-Zayat, a cannabis attorney with the Hoban Law Group in Philadelphia, told state lawmakers on Monday that the recreational cannabis industry in the United States is already worth $10 billion per year. It grows with every state that goes recreational. Still, reliable income estimates for the above jobs are hard to come by, experts say. They change drastically depending on the state and the specific laws. Plenty of cultivators and dispensaries have either had to sell their licenses or go out of business in states like Oregon and Washington, while companies like Kush Bottles rake in millions every year. Don't Edit Info on NJ Cannabis Insider Don't Edit Links Don't Edit Don't Edit Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Find NJ.com on Facebook. An off-duty New Jersey State Trooper used a tree branch and a T-shirt to save an auto accident victim's life this week. Trooper Kenneth Minnes was traveling on the Atlantic City Expressway in Gloucester Township around 2:30 p.m. on Monday when he came upon an overturned, small truck that had run off the road and struck several trees, police said. Another motorist had already stopped to assist the two occupants of the smoking vehicle and Minnes helped move them away from the truck before it was consumed in flames. When Minnes noticed the passenger, a 25-year-old man, was bleeding heavily from an arm wound, he grabbed a T-shirt and a piece of tree branch to fashion a makeshift tourniquet, he explained during an interview Friday afternoon. This stemmed the blood loss until EMTs arrived. The occupants were airlifted from the scene. Both remain at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. Minnes has been checking with hospital staff to see how they are doing. "I've been calling them every day," he said. "Both of them are in bad shape." The passenger was in stable condition as of Friday. The accident was so bad, police couldn't initially determine the make of the vehicle, State Police spokesman Lt. Ted Schafer said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. "Despite just graduating the State Police Academy last year, Trooper Minnes displayed the poise of a veteran and his decisive actions helped save the victims' lives," the New Jersey State Police said in a post on the agency's Facebook page. Minnes, 27, who is stationed at the Port Norris barracks, said he learned first aid during his nine years with the Coast Guard -- he's in the reserves now -- and credited his police training with helping him handle the stressful, time-intensive situation at the accident scene. He was traveling with his girlfriend on the way to a vet appointment for her cat when they came upon the crash. Minnes praised his girlfriend for contacting 911 and providing critical details to responders. "My girlfriend was awesome," he said proudly. Family, friends and colleagues have praised him for how he handled the emergency. "I'm anxious to tell my dad. He's on vacation right now," Minnes said. "I haven't been in contact with him yet." Troopers receive tourniquet training in the academy, Schafer explained, noting that personnel have used tourniquets in the past. In some cases, they've even used the Sam Browne belts on their uniforms -- that belt running diagonally across the chest -- to make a tourniquet. "You take what you've got and you make it work," Schafer said. Off-Duty Trooper uses Makeshift Tourniquet to Save Crash Victim Go to FB to read about his life saving efforts!https://t.co/ydq1qvRgMK pic.twitter.com/N6xvB9i1q2 NJSP - State Police (@NJSP) March 9, 2018 Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Authorities in Ocean County announced Friday they dismantled a "sophisticated" drug ring that had tentacles in seven different New Jersey counties and New York and led to 28 arrests, the seizure of more than 90,000 doses of heroin and 191 pounds of cocaine, and $850,000 in cash. The widespread operation, dubbed "Operation Heading Back," began in April and involved 30 state, county and local law enforcement agencies. It was announced at a press conference at the Ocean County administration building in Toms River. Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato, who called this the biggest drug bust in the county in 30 years, said the investigation spawned from a drug transaction in Lakewood and continued to move north. One of the busts, he said, led to the seizure of 8 kilos of cocaine and a loaded AK-47. Prosecutors have been working feverishly to keep the suspect arrested in that raid, Rasheed Sanders of East Orange, behind bars after a judge initially ruled at his pre-trial detention hearing that he could be released with high-level monitoring. A new detention hearing for Sanders is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m. after prosecutors filed additional charges against him. The bust also led to the seizure of 20 firearms, including 18 handguns, and the dismantling of nine drug-producing facilities in Bloomfield, Jackson, Parlin, Paterson, Piscataway (4) and Plainfield. It also included the seizure of 27 vehicles, including a 2014 Jaguar XKR valued at $80,000. Coronato said the ring was a "sophistic drug network," where the dealers were "true business dealers" who were able to broker deals to maximize profits. "They would go in and negotiate with different drug dealers to get the better price and to get the quantity and when they could get the quantity," Coronato explained. "So one time they would go to one drug dealer for their cocaine, if they didn't get a good enough price, they would go to the other drug dealer to get a better price on the cocaine." The bust couldn't have happened, Coronato said, without the help of its federal partners through the Drug Enforcement Administration's Ocean/Monmouth High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. First Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said "effects like this criminal organization are not just felt in Ocean County" but "through the state and beyond." "By partnering together, as you see here today, we can increase our impact and make our streets safer and make our state safer," Davenport said. Coronato said "Ocean County, unfortunately, has been designated as Ground Zero for the opioid epidemic in New Jersey. "When I first became prosecutor," he continued, "it became really known to me that this is something we need to attack and that we certainly need to address." Ocean County, which was one of the first counties in the state to begin equipping its first responders with Narcan as part of a pilot program administered under Gov. Chris Christie, has reduced its drug overdose deaths by 25 percent from 2016 to 2017, Coronato said. When asked why Ocean County is considered "Ground Zero" for the opioid epidemic, he said authorities continue to do studies to determine why. "We're trying to track back why Ocean County is the epicenter," he explained. "It is a bedroom community. With opiates, it all starts with pills. And the fact is, as a result of healthcare and access to pills, for whatever reason the residents of Ocean County have access to it. "Bottom line is, when you can't get the pills anymore, it ends up going to heroin and other drugs. But I'm not so sure we can clearly determine why Ocean County." Coronato's term as prosecutor is up on March 22. He was nominated by Christie, a Republican, and it remains to be seen whether he will be reappointed with a new Democratic governor in office. Among those arrested and charged with distributing drugs and weapons offenses were Jihad Anderson, 38, of Brick; Laquan Anderson,33, of Parlin; Lorenzo Balmer of Piscataway; Reynard Bronson, 34, of Newark; Sean Crosby, 35, of Lakewood; Gregory Delarosa, 38, of Jersey City; Bernard Mendez, of Lakewood; Robert Randolph, 36, Howell; Christopher Romero, 28, Lakewood; Byron Simpson, 46, of Plainfield. (A complete list of those arrested and their mugshots can be found in the photo gallery above) Three suspects remain at large, Coronato said. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a tent fire that claimed the life of an Ocean Township man. Police and firefighters responded to a tent fire on Seneca Boulevard in Waretown shortly before 3 a.m. on Friday. Once the fire was out, the body of a 51-year-old man was discovered inside, police said in a news release. The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Arson Unit, the Sheriff's Department CSI unit and the Fire Marshal were called to the scene to determine the cause of the fire. A release from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said that the fire started outside of the tent and may have been caused by "improper use of a space heater," close to combustibles. The fire was ruled accidental. Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook. President Trump's top economic adviser, who stuck around as he failed to condemn torch-wielding neo-Nazis, has finally resigned over what he views as an existential threat: a ruinous trade war. Even Gary Cohn has his limits. Trump's plan to impose stiff levies on imported steel and aluminum, confirmed today, could create a major crisis with our closest allies and have other unintended and disastrous consequences, like the 1930 tariff hikes that deepened the Great Depression. Regardless of whether this saves some steelworker jobs, as Trump promised in swing states, it could trigger many more job losses elsewhere - when more American cars get built in Mexico, for example, where steel comes in without a levy. It could boost China's steel industry, which won't be affected by our tariffs, while inspiring retaliation from European allies who are among our biggest suppliers, and aren't at all reassured that this would be implemented in a "very loving way." Even if Trump permanently exempts Canada and Mexico, other U.S. allies will still get hit. Their tariffs may actually be increased. They've already vowed to retaliate with "loving" levies of their own - on American blue jeans and bourbon, or where it really hurts, agriculture. Then we would seek revenge. And so on. Where does it end? The other big danger is the justification Trump is using for his tariffs: that our national security is threatened by these foreign imports; that in a time of real war, other countries might refuse to sell us steel, for instance. In the World Trade Organization, created to set rules for international commerce, this standard is used only sparingly, and in dire circumstances. Last year, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cited national security to justify their economic boycott of Qatar, over what they say is its support of terrorism. Qatar didn't force a showdown. Given that our biggest suppliers of foreign steel are close allies, Trump's rationale is not likely to fly. It will probably be challenged in the WTO, as it should, because what's to stop others from parroting this nonsense to justify their own tariffs? Can India place a tariff on American wheat, on the basis that it would need food to fight a war? And if Trump's response to a loss is to withdraw from the WTO - as he has threatened - we are at enormous risk of this escalating out of control. We would hand leadership of the world trading system to China. Our shipments could be slapped with higher tariffs around the world, leading to fewer sales and American job losses. Already, Trump seems to be laying the groundwork for this with a Fox News style attack on the international organization. "The WTO has been a disaster for this country," he said this week. "It has been great for China and terrible for the United States." His warped reasoning - that because the U.S. has trade imbalances with certain countries, they must be "cheating" us - misses a great deal, too. What about our enormous federal deficit, decaying infrastructure and higher labor costs, which all contribute? And does this mean we are cheating Britain and Brazil, with whom we have surpluses? Overall, America buys more goods from abroad than foreigners buy from us, but dominates in service industries, like technology. And even those who think reducing our trade deficit will create American jobs say there are better ways to do this than a perilous trade war. The best? Shrinking our federal budget deficit, which Trump just inflated by a trillion dollars over 10 years with his tax cuts tilted toward the wealthy. When he tweets, "trade wars are good, and easy to win," he's wrong on both counts. Maybe that's why his top economic adviser is leaving - because, like America, Gary Cohn is "sick and tired of winning." Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. William Paterson University has filled the top job on campus. The school announced Thursday it chose Richard J. Helldobler, the interim president of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, as the institution's eighth president. The appointment ends the college's nationwide search for a new leader after its current president, Kathleen Waldron, is retiring at the end of the year amid tension and controversy. "My visit to William Paterson certainly proved it is a very special place, and I am sure my admiration for the institution will only deepen as we get to know each other better, and together continue the great work currently taking place at the University," Helldobler said in a statement. Helldobler will inherit the position in July. Waldron, who has headed the school since 2010, announced last August she was retiring, citing her age as a reason. Her decision followed a tumultuous period at the school during which its faculty senate passed a vote of no confidence in Waldron, saying she failed to bring improvements to the school. Helldobler previously served as vice president for academic affairs at Shepherd University in West Virginia from 2009 to 2012. He worked from 1990 to 2009 at California University in Pennsylvania where he served in various positions. "Dr. Helldobler's career has been committed to public higher education and to the academic and personal achievements of students," said Fred Gruel, chair of the school's Board of Trsutees. "As we learned from his visit with us, he has a strong background as an academician, having served as a faculty member, dean, academic vice president, and president, and we are delighted that he will be bringing his expertise and leadership to William Paterson University." Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. WASHINGTON -- A leading congressional opponent of the Gateway project is citing former Gov. Chris Christie's earlier decision to kill a separate Hudson River train tunnel in urging his colleagues to cut off federal funds. U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., noted Christie's actions in a Wall Street Journal op-ed opposing federal funding for Gateway, which includes a new train tunnel under the Hudson River and a new Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River. Christie killed the Access to the Region's Core, or ARC, tunnel in October 2010, saying he was worried that New Jersey would get saddled with big cost overruns. That new tunnel originally was scheduled to open this year. Budd also mentioned Christie's action last September when the congressman led the unsuccessful effort to strip $900 million earmarked for Gateway from a House bill funding the government through Sept. 30, 2018. He plans to try again if Gateway is included in the final spending bill. "For federal taxpayers, the shifty details of Gateway's history add insult to the program's injurious costs," Budd said in the Journal article. "Mr. Christie took the estimated $3 billion in fees collected to finance the project and diverted them into the state highway trust fund -- a bit of budgetary sleight-of-hand that helped him avoid raising New Jersey's gasoline tax before his 2013 re-election bid." Christie, a Republican, later approved a 23-cent per gallon increase in the gas tax. A spokesman for Christie did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Christie last year defended pulling the plug on the ARC Tunnel, saying the deal "stunk" for New Jersey taxpayers because New York wouldn't have paid its "fair share" and the line would have ended at Macy's basement, making it difficult for commuters to get to other lines. "I have absolutely no regrets about that decision, and over the course of time that decision will be proved to be right," Christie said last April. U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., called Christie's earlier action on ARC "a significant mistake." "We're years behind and billions of dollars in economic productivity behind for the state because of that decision," Gottheimer said. Budd said in separate statements Thursday that President Donald Trump was "absolutely right" to oppose federal funding for Gateway and applauded his reported threat to veto the spending bill if money for the train tunnels are included. "President Trump is absolutely right to fight this world-class boondoggle," Budd said. "The $900 million earmark for this project in the House transportation bill is more money down the drain in an area where subway and rail construction costs are the highest in the world." U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told a House Transportation Committee hearing earlier this week that the administration opposed a project in which New Jersey and New York would pay less than 5 percent of the costs. But the original funding agreement had the federal and state governments each paying 50 percent of the costs, though New Jersey and New York had hoped to help pay their share through a federal railroad loan program, paying the money back over 35 years. Budd's home state of North Carolina received $1.41 from Washington for every $1 paid in federal taxes in 2015, according to the State University of New York's Rockefeller Institute of Government. New Jersey received just 74 cents per $1 in federal taxes paid, lowest among the 50 states, and New York ranked 49th with 81 cents. Budd's effort last September drew support from a majority of House Republicans. They first voted to spend billions to help Texas and Louisiana recover from Hurricane Harvey before opposing funding that would allow the existing Hudson River tunnels to be closed so Hurricane Sandy damage could be repaired. The need to fix the damage grows more urgent, and Christie's decision on ARC delayed efforts to build new tunnels, Gottheimer said. "You can't get back time," Gottheimer said. "We are facing a shot clock and we don't have much time left on that clock." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump has threatened to shut down the government rather than fund the Gateway Tunnel project, according to a published report. Trump said he would veto legislation funding the government through Sept. 30 if it included money for a new tunnel linking New Jersey and Manhattan, according to Politico, which cited multiple sources. Without a spending bill in place by March 23, federal agencies would be forced to close their doors for the third time under the Trump administration. Trump's threat accelerated his efforts to kill the project, which he initially appeared to endorse at a White House meeting with New Jersey and New York officials last September. Trump, a Republican, earlier pressured U.S. House Republicans to drop a $900 million allocation for Gateway, which involves building a new tunnel under the Hudson River for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains and replacing the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The White House Office of Management and Budget, which weighs in on major pieces of legislation, has yet to issue an official policy statement. Gov. Phil Murphy, calling the project "a national economic imperative" and "a national security imperative," told reporters in West Trenton on Thursday that he expected the money to be there in the end. "I'm still an optimist," said Murphy, a Democrat. "I still believe when something is so compelling with such broad-based support, it gets done. I assume there must be some other drama behind the curtain." State Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman Dan Benson, D-Mercer, sharply criticized the president for opposing the tunnel project. "It's beyond belief that the chief executive of the United States would risk both the national economy and our homeland security for any reason, let alone pure partisan politics," Benson said. The money so far remains in the spending bill finding the government through Sept. 30, according to Matt Hadro, a spokesman for Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao claimed at a House Transportation Committee hearing Tuesday that New Jersey and New York were paying less than 5 percent of the project's cost, even though the original deal struck with President Barack Obama's administration called for the states and federal government to each pay half. Transportation Department documents reflected the 50-50 split. The states, though, hoped to cover part of their share through a federal loan program and pay back the money owed over 35 years. Once the new train tunnel is built, the existing tubes can be closed temporarily to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. While objecting to the $900 million to fix Hurricane Sandy damage, Trump supported billions for repairs in southern states hit by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria last year. Residents of those states also got special tax breaks denied to victims of Sandy. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. A 14-year-old student at East St. John High School in Reserve has been arrested and booked with felony terrorizing after authorities say he threatened to "shoot up the school." Authorities say the boy was immediately removed from campus by the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office. The incident was reported Tuesday (March 6) while the student was in class, according to a statement from the school system and Sheriff's Office. According to the Sheriff's Office, investigators learned that a teacher and a group of other students say they saw the boy make a hand gesture to mimic a gun and point it at another student. He then reportedly told the teacher that he was going to "shoot up the school," according to the Sheriff's Office. The boy was released into the custody of his mother while awaiting a court date. Reported threats of violence targeting schools have increased in the metro New Orleans area after the Feb. 14 high school shooting in Florida in which 17 people were killed. Several students have been arrested in connection with threats locally, though officials have said nearly all of those threats were not credible. The East St. John arrest came a day after school and law enforcement officials held a community meeting to address the increase in threats. Sheriff Mike Tregre said parents should talk with their children about the recent school shootings, and also remind them not to share or spread rumors of threats on social media. "If they see something of concern, they should bring it to the attention of an adult," Tregre said in a news release. "Also, making comments about bringing guns to school or shooting someone, even in a joking manner, could result in criminal charges for the student." Sam Maddry can still remember the first time he saw Henry Dunaway, a skinny kid with crazy hair, almost like a "honeycomb monster," sitting on the steps of a Baton Rouge home. At first, he did not think much of Dunaway. A bit older and more seasoned than the rest of the crowd, Maddry had seen many young people toting guitars ebb and flow through Baton Rouge. But when Maddry heard Dunaway play his guitar, his view changed completely. "Henry was really good, sitting there strumming on the corner of Ivanhoe and State," said Maddry of their old stomping grounds near LSU. "He became more than just another kid to me." The two became fast friends and longtime roommates, spending hours bonding over their shared "offbeat" sense of humor and love of music. Yet, on Thursday (March 8), the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office confirmed what Maddry and other friends and family feared. The charred body found behind a vacant former Winn-Dixie in Gentilly Woods on an unseasonably warm Feb. 23 morning was that of 28-year-old Dunaway. Police have jailed David Klein, 52, on a charge of second-degree murder in the case, saying he lit Dunaway on fire during an argument. Dunaway clung to his music until the day of his death. At the scene in the 4600 block of Chef Menteur Highway, the owner of Fuel Zone, a gas station neighboring the old grocery store, remembers Dunaway playing an acoustic guitar for tips behind his store in the days leading up to the fire. "Henry always had a classic acoustic on him," said Wendy Corbello, who dated Dunaway on-and-off for years, at one point getting engaged. "His main motivation in playing music was to reach people in the way that music reached him when he was struggling." Music and family (a flexible term for Dunaway, who often called his close friends his cousins or siblings) were his anchor through a rocky life. His childhood was spent between his father's home in Baton Rouge and his mother's in Katy, Texas. In New Orleans, he often bounced between friends' residences. Dunaway struggled with mental illness through his teenage and adult years, and his mother said he once told her multiple doctors had diagnosed him with schizophrenia. "He developed coping skills to calm what he called delusions," said his mother, Gretchen Dunaway. "Music and drugs and eventually alcohol helped him cope." Years of instability at home led Dunaway to develop "a self-reliance and a need to always do things on his own," according to his mother, Gretchen Dunaway. 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 A sprawling network of friends urged him to get help for his addictions, but he could never fully get clean. "He was so loved, and still that wasn't enough for him to shake the demons," Gretchen Dunaway said. Corbello, who also struggled with addiction, often worked with Dunaway's mother to try to reach him in his darkest moments, but they weren't successful. "Everyone has their own reason for why they can't commit to getting clean. I felt like he just wasn't ready. Life threw a lot at him to handle," Corbello explained. Gretchen Dunaway hopes her son's death will not end as a senseless murder, but as a wake up call for those trying to tackle mental illness and substance abuse on their own. "I am praying I know it will mean something," she said. "People who need help with addiction or mental problems should reach out and will not be ashamed or afraid." When word spread of Henry's death, former classmates, bandmates and friends flocked to social media to share their condolences, posting photos of him strumming an acoustic or videos of songs he used to play. "What makes it so hard now is that a lot of the songs were sad. And they are even sadder now," Maddry said, referring to both covered and original songs Dunaway posted on YouTube. "You know what, though?" Maddry continued, a smile in his tone. "In general, Henry was just so god---- funny and talented. Looking back, he affected every day of my life for the better." Dunaway's family, biological and not, will hold a service in his memory next week. They have not finalized plans, but Maddry has already booked tickets from California to pay tribute to the unsuspecting "honeycomb monster" he encountered over a decade ago in Baton Rouge. A GoFundMe account has been started in Dunaway's name to help pay for funeral expenses. A New Orleans man who had pleaded guilty to murdering a federal witness in 2014 while part of a "robbery gang" was sentenced Thursday (March 8) to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Louisiana. Gregory Denson, 54, was the leader of a robbery and home invasion ring that operated in the New Orleans area in 2014, according to prosecutors. Eight co-conspirators were charged with various other crimes in connection with the ring. "As the leader of this robbery gang, Denson had other members of his gang break into the residences of numerous known drug dealers and, through force and intimidation, including the use of firearms, rob them of drugs and drug trafficking proceeds," a news release states. Denson also killed Ellery Boyd, who prosecutors said was a former member of Denson's robbery gang. Boyd was killed in May 2014, just a few days after he got out of jail after confessing to one of the burglaries, authorities said. Authorities said Denson feared Boyd had cooperated with police in the case. His body was found floating in the Industrial Canal near the Florida Avenue bridge. Denson pleaded guilty in federal court on Dec. 1 to murder of a federal witness, Hobbs Act conspiracy, multiple Hobbs Act robberies, and obstruction of official proceedings. Hobbs Act charges refer to robbery or extortion crimes that affect interstate or foreign commerce. A 63-year-old woman was killed Thursday night (March 9) in a vehicle wreck on Louisiana 45 in Marrero, according to Louisiana State Police Troop B. Dale Martin of Marrero was sitting in the passenger seat of a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado traveling northbound around 7 p.m. Thursday when another vehicle traveling southbound veered into the lane and hit the SUV. Roger Martin, 68, was driving the Silverado. State police identified the driver of the other vehicle as 70-year-old Hilda Armstead. Armstead was driving a 2005 Toyota Camry. All three were wearing seat belts and were taken to University Medical Center for treatment. Armstead and Roger Martin were treated for moderate injuries, but Dale Martin was pronounced dead at the hospital. State police are still examining why Armstead veered into the northbound lane, though investigators said they do not suspect impairment. Criminal charges are pending, police said. State police encourage all drivers to make good decisions behind the wheel, including wearing a seat belt, driving sober and paying full attention to the road and other drivers. After learning that a gunman was shooting up a Parkland, Fla., school on Feb. 14, two members of the Miramar Police Department SWAT team rushed to help. They had been training in Coral Springs, about three miles from where 17 people were being killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, but they failed to tell their commander they were leaving and had not been asked to help by Parkland area officers. Now they've been suspended from the SWAT team, the Miami Herald reports. They remain on active police duty but not on the special weapons and tactics squad. The lead agency at the school shooting, the Broward County Sheriff's Office, has been criticized because four of its deputies, among the first on the scene, did not immediately charge inside to confront the gunman. But the Miramar officers might not have helped matters, either, police consultant Pat Franklin told the Herald. "This is not their area. This is not their jurisdiction," Franklin said. "You don't want to let those guys loose into something that's chaotic where they might take inappropriate action. It is prudent to have them stand down unless there is a plan." Environmental groups have ramped up their opposition to the Bayou Bridge Pipeline with a series of trainings that put more eyes on the controversial project. More than 70 activists have been trained to look for possible permit violations and to document Energy Transfer Partners' operations at several sites along the route of the 163-mile pipeline. Six "Water Protector" trainings have been held in Baton Rouge, St. James Parish and other locations. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade is leading the trainings. Its director, Anne Rolfes, said the state has given the pipeline project "flaccid" oversight. "Our state has severe problems enforcing any kind of laws," she said. "So we're out on the route noting and documenting any violations and damage we see." More training sessions are planned despite a recent legal victory for the Bucket Brigade and other pipeline opponents. On Feb. 23, U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick issued a preliminary injunction blocking construction of the pipeline across the Atchafalaya Basin, home to a vast, environmentally-sensitive swamp and marshland in south-central Louisiana. The injunction was requested by several groups, including Atchafalaya Basinkeeper and Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-West. They contend the pipeline will harm ancient cypress forests and disrupt water flow through the swamp. Texas-based Energy Transfer is appealing as construction continues outside the basin. As planned, the pipeline would run from St. James Parish to Lake Charles. The company has called police to remove activists who they say have trespassed on the route. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "We were grateful to local law enforcement that they were able to quickly and peacefully remove those who were trespassing on the landowner's private property," Energy Transfer said in a statement. The project, the company says, is "the safest, most environmentally-friendly" means of transporting oil. The Water Protectors effort is patterned after strategies used to protest Energy Transfer's Dakota Access Pipeline, which would link oil fields in North Dakota to a terminal in Illinois. The Bayou Bridge Pipeline would eventually link with Dakota Access. Activist pipeline monitors are paying close attention to construction pits, which can cause chemical drainage if filled with rain. They're also noting state designations on the license plates of pipeline workers. Energy Transfer has touted the project as a job-creator for Louisiana residents, but Bucket Brigade contends that many plates are from outside the state. Also on the Water Protectors' watch list are potential construction encroachments into prohibited conservation areas and disruptions to the small communities along the pipeline route. "A lot of ordinary people in the state feel concerned about the oil industry," Rolfes said. "But they say 'Oh, what can I do?' Well, this is something they can do." Tristan Baurick covers Louisiana's coastal environment for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: tbaurick@nola.com * Twitter: @tristanbaurick * Facebook: Tristan Baurick and Louisiana Coastal Watch. Officials with several federal agencies and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation have begun monitoring the environmental effects of opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway to lower water levels on the Mississippi River by moving part of its flow into Lake Pontchartrain. The spillway was opened Thursday (March 8) by the Army Corps of Engineers and is expected to remain open for about three weeks. Those effects could include algae blooms caused by the combination of fertilizer and other nutrients carried by the river interacting with sunlight over the next few weeks. In the past, such blooms have included blue-green algae, which is toxic to humans and pets. Large algae blooms also can cause low-oxygen dead zones at some locations on the lake bottom. When the algae dies, it sinks to the bottom and decomposes, which uses up oxygen. The lake foundation also will be monitoring how the addition of the river's freshwater reduces the salinity in the lake and as far east as Mississippi Sound over the next few weeks, and the effect of that change on fisheries and oysters, said John Lopez, director of the foundation's coastal sustainability program. Lopez said the combination of a comparatively brief opening period and the fact that it's occurring early in the year should limit the effect of the freshwater flow from the river on the lake's environment. "During the last few openings, we haven't seen any major blooms in the lake," Lopez said of the algae threat. "But I think there has been evidence of blooms during recent openings in Mississippi Sound and Biloxi Marsh." If the opening only lasts two to three weeks, by July, the lake's salinity should be back to normal and the effects on fish should be limited, Lopez said. The lake foundation has an ongoing monitoring program for the lake, which will continue during the opening. It posts water quality data to its website weekly and also publishes Hydrocoast Maps every two weeks which will illustrate the effects of the spillway opening as it progresses. The maps show how salinity levels differ throughout the basin, which includes all water bodies east of the river; changes in habitat; rainfall; various water quality measure; and a variety of biological information, including oyster fleet survey results. The Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the spillway, has arranged for a team from the U.S. Geological Survey to collect water quality samples at four locations in the basin. The sampling will be conducted in the spillway at the Airline Highway bridge, at Crossover #2 of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway near the North Shore, at the causeway's Crossover #7 near the south shore, and in eastern Lake Pontchartrain north of Point aux Herbes, near U.S. 11. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The USGS officials will be monitoring for nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus; major ions like carbon, potassium, magnesium and sodium; Triazine herbicides; suspended solids and chlorophyll. The researchers also will be collecting phytoplankton samples, if algae blooms occur. A team from the corps' Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg will be stationed in the spillway to find and capture endangered pallid sturgeon that may float in through the spillway. The fish will eventually be relocated to the river. "Shortly after closure of the structure, field crews will begin sampling for Pallid sturgeon using an electroshocking boat, gill nets, and seines," says a corps monitoring plan summary prepared for this year's opening. "These three gears were the most effective in capturing sturgeon previously. All sturgeon will be floy tagged (external tag with a unique number), weighed, and measured. Blood samples will be taken from Pallid aturgeon to determine gender and reproductive status. Pallid sturgeon will be released back into the Mississippi River." The team also will capture shovelnose sturgeon, which are listed as threatened because they look so much like the Pallid sturgeon. Some of the shovelnose sturgeon will be returned to the river. But 25 of the fish will be tagged with sonic transmitters that will allow researchers to follow their movements through the spillway and into the lake. The information gained will be used for a biological assessment of the spillway's impacts. Researchers also will attempt to capture and tag 25 Asian carp, an invasive species that has established itself in the Mississippi and is posing a threat to the Great Lakes. The researchers will deploy remote receivers in the floodway and at the entrance to Lake Pontchartrain to monitor the movements of both fish species. Part of this project will be aimed at determining the tolerance of the shovelnose species to saltwater as a means of determining how pallid sturgeon disperse during spillway openings. The Asian carp will be studied to determine age, gender and reproductive condition, part of establishing a baseline for future risk analysis for their establishment in coastal rivers, the corps plan said. Participating in the corps biological monitoring plan are the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The Louisiana wildlife agency has a long history of sampling in Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Borgne and the Mississippi Sound. The USGS and the corps also are collecting discharge measurements in the river before, during and after the opening, both upstream and downstream of the spillway, and daily discharge measurements in the spillway at the Airline Highway bridge. The longterm effects of the state's plan to unleash the Mississippi River into its coastal marshes are often the focus of studies and discussion. But more needs to be done to understand how the planned diversions will impact commercial fishing in the first five years of the projects, according to Louisiana fishers. On Tuesday, Louisiana fishery workers took part in a survey about the state's plan to build two river diversions in Plaquemines Parish. They were asked questions about how they think the state should address the impacts the diversions will have on the state's fisheries. Between 80 to 90 self-identified Louisiana fisheries workers answered each question with remote clickers. The meeting took place at the Louisiana Fisheries Forward Summit at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. More than 500 people registered for the one-day seafood expo, which included food processing and welding demonstrations. About 40 percent of those surveyed said they do business in Barataria Bay, where water and sediment from the state's biggest planned diversion will flood into. As designed, the Mid-Barataria sediment diversion would allow as much as 75,000 cubic feet per second of Mississippi River sediment and water to flow through a controlled opening in the West Bank levee near Myrtle Grove. The goal of the project is to send sediment from the river into the marshes of Barataria Bay to reduce land loss rates and sustain wetlands damaged by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report. More than 80 percent of those surveyed said that focussing on the first one to five years of the project would be the best way to understand the short-term ecological and economic impacts of the diversion. But nearly all of the agency and academic discussions about river diversions have focused on the longterm impacts of the project, said Rex Caffey, a professor at the Center for Natural Resource Economics and Policy and marine extension director for the Louisiana Sea Grant and Louisiana State University AgCenter. Several reports from experts have called on the state to do more research into the short-term impacts of the diversions on the state's commercial fisheries. "Fishermen are often vilified for raising concerns about the potential impacts," Caffey wrote in an email. "But such concerns are only rational and should be expected." Of those surveyed Tuesday, 98 percent said that it was "very important" to address short-term impacts of the diversions on fisheries. The question was followed by commentary from a panel of industry representatives. The panel included a representative from the state's Crab Task Force, Shrimp Task Force, Oyster Task Force and two representatives from the Finfish Task Force. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Industry panelists said that the first one to five years are of concern because of the lifecycle of the species that drive their industries. Establishing a profitable oyster crop takes about three to five years, said Dan Coulon, a member of the Oyster Task Force. But the lifecycle of crabs, which involves migration into and out of the bays, requires fishers to look at conditions from month-to-month, said Brittany Breaux, who sits on the Crab Task Force. How the diverted river water would change salinity in the bays was the biggest concern among fishers, according to the survey results. That concern was followed by the flow rate of the diversions and the time of year when the diversions would be opened. Freshwater from the diversions could kill oysters and drive shrimp, crabs and fish further out into the Gulf of Mexico, panelists said. Many commercial fishers do not have boats large enough to chase species deeper into the Gulf. About 30 percent of those surveyed said that they should be financially compensated for negative impacts to their businesses. Only 8 percent said re-training was a valid way to address negative impacts of the diversions. Learning the skills necessary to change careers would be difficult for many fishers, especially those who are older, said Acy Cooper, Jr., a member of the Shrimp Task Force. "I'm 60 years old," he said. "Where do I find another job?" Brian Lezina, with the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and Patrick Banks, with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, listened and took notes as fishers voiced their concerns Tuesday. Banks said fishers can no longer question whether the Mid-Barataria diversion is going to happen. "It's coming," he said. The Trump administration agreed to speed up permitting for the $1 billion project in January. But an environmental review of the project will still be required. A man in the midst of a three-state crime spree that included a purse snatching in Slidell is being sought by authorities in Mississippi, the Biloxi Sun-Herald reported. The Hancock County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man suspected of stealing a 2004 Dodge Ram truck in Diamondhead on Thursday morning (March 8), the newspaper reported. That theft happened after he wrecked a Camry -- which he stole on March 3 in Chambers County, Texas -- near the Giterdone gas station in Diamondhead Wednesday night while being chased by police, the newspaper reported, citing Chief Deputy Don Bass as its source. The chase began after man allegedly stole a woman's purse from a Walmart parking lot in Slidell as she was loading groceries into her vehicle, the newspaper reported. Slidell police chased him to the state line, where Hancock deputies picked up the pursuit. After ditching the Camry in Diamondhead, the man disappeared into a wooded area to elude police, the Sun-Herald reported. He later stole the truck from a donut shop on East Aloha Drive in Diamondhead, authorities said. A 10-year-old student at Clearwood Junior High School near Slidell was arrested Thursday (March 8), accused of walking through the hallway with other students and yelling "school shooting day," the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office reported. The same student is accused of telling another student on the school bus to "get his mom's gun and shoot people," the Sheriff's Office reported in a news release. Shortly before 9 a.m., deputies went to Clearwood Junior High, 130 Clearwood Drive, to investigate the school bus incident. While at the school, the investigators discovered that the student was involved in a separate incident in the hallway at the school when he loudly stated "school shooting day, school shooting day," according to the news release. After investigating both incidents, deputies booked the 10-year-old boy on two counts of terrorizing. He was transported the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center. The Clearwood student is the seventh student to be arrested in connection with incidents involving a St. Tammany Parish public or private school in the past 10 days. Another student was issued a summons. Most of the students were booked with terrorizing. The arrests come as school and law enforcement authorities across the region deal with threats and rumors of school violence in the wake of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Florida high school in which 17 people died. "The safety of our schools and your children is of the utmost importance to us," Sheriff Randy Smith said. "We will continue to work with our schools to investigate any and all threats on our schools and to the students who attend them. I am asking to parents to sit down with your children, regardless of how old or young, and explain to them the seriousness of making comments like these." A St. Tammany Parish fifth grader has been named a finalist in the state Students of the Year competition. Zoe Dieringer, a student at Lancaster Elementary School in Madisonville, will be among the students who gather April 11 at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge for the awards ceremony and announcement of the state's students of the year. "We are extremely proud of Zoe, and we are excited to have her represent St. Tammany as a finalist in the state competition," St. Tammany Parish schools Superintendent Trey Folse said. "She is a smart, talented and well-rounded student who has many accomplishments both at school and in the community." The Students of the Year competition is coordinated by the state Department of Education. A student in fifth, eighth and 12th grades is chosen each year. Dieringer is among seven fifth-graders vying for the honor. She has a 4.0 grade point average, tutors other students, has served on the Student Council, plays flute in the band and is a member of the Nutritional Advisory Club. Dieringer, a member of the Hammond Ballet Youth Ensemble, has been invited to attend the American Ballet Theatre Youth Dancer Summer Workshop in New York City. She hopes to become a professional dancer, as well as an astrophysicist and author, the school district said. CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James and Nike are taking it way back for the third release as part of its #LeBronWatch campaign. The promotion brings James' game-worn sneakers to market right after the Cavs star debuts them. The latest pair is inspired by Nike's popular ACG Mowabb sneakers from 1991. The LeBron 15 Mowabb features James' logo along with a cool blend of the 1991 sneakers and elements of James' signature show. The pair will cost you $200 (or more), if you can find them. 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. The crowd of TV series shooting in New Orleans is about to get even more crowded. Two new pilot projects -- one from ABC and the other from CBS and Warner Bros' CW network -- as well as an Amazon miniseries are setting up shop in town this spring, according to the city's film office. Amazon-Sky's "Zero, Zero, Zero," which is set to start shooting March 18, is based on the 2013 book of the same name by Italian novelist Roberto Saviano ("Gamorrah") and is set in the world of international cocaine trafficking. The book's wordy but telling subtitle: "Look at Cocaine and All You See is Powder. Look Through Cocaine and You See the World." Andrea Riseborough is in talks to join the cast of the show, which will be directed by Stefano Sollima, according to Deadline. ABC's "For Love," the pilot for which is scheduled to start shooting Monday (March 12), is a supernatural romance that Variety describes as "an epic love triangle set against a grounded, secret world of magic in present-day New Orleans." The series begins when its protagonist gets a call from her fiance -- who died five years prior. No "For Love" casting details have been announced, although Michael Cooney ("Jack Frost," "Spark") will reportedly write, in addition to executive-producing with Kim Moses. Meanwhile, the CW pilot "Skinny Dip" is set to start shooting March 21. It will be based on the Carl Hiassen novel of the same name, about a woman who teams up with an ex-cop to get a measure of revenge against her cheating, murderous husband. Ben Aldridge ("Reign") and Matt Barr ("Valor") are among the cast, according to Deadline. Mark Buckland is lined up to direct. No budget detail on any of the three new projects were available, as none have yet filed paperwork with the state film office. They bring the number of TV projects shooting or preparing to shoot in New Orleans to ten. The others are: BEIJING, March 7 (ChinaMil) China on Tuesday refuted Japan's "China Security Report 2018" as irresponsible and untenable, and urged Japan to view Chinas domestic and foreign policies objectively and rationally. Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks on Tuesday night in a written statement in response to the "China Security Report 2018" published recently by Japans National Institute for Defense Studies, which, taking the China-US relations as the theme, assessed the development of China's military strength and commented on China's policies towards the US and on the South China Sea and other hot issues. Spokesperson Wu said that China will unswervingly pursue the road of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening up, and China is always a builder of the world peace, a contributor to the global development and an upholder of the international order. The related report of the think tank of Japans Ministry of Defense made improper comments on Chinese military's modernization construction and China's relations with other countries. Those comments are irresponsible and untenable, Wu stressed. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty. We hope that Japan can view Chinas domestic and foreign policies objectively and rationally, meet China halfway and effectively implement the will to improve China-Japan relations with policies and actions, Wu added. While US talk of a trade war was being condemned by the EU and Canada, President Donald Trump returned to Twitter on Wednesday to demand that China reduce the current trade deficit between the two countries. "China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States," he tweeted, while noting "our relationship with China has been a very good one." Later he sent another tweet saying "The U.S. is acting swiftly on Intellectual Property theft. We cannot allow this to happen as it has for many years" without naming China. US trade protectionism has become the No.1 hot spot in the world, even stealing the thunder of the North Korean nuclear crisis. The US may be the first country to have clamored for war against the entire world, although the battlefield is the economy. January's US trade deficit with China and the rest of the world continued to expand. Trump is worried. But his anxiety is useless. The natural law of economics cannot be reset at his whim. It is also not up to the Chinese government to decide which Chinese company can export its products to the US and which cannot. Be it the Chinese government, Chinese economic circles or Chinese public opinion, no one believes that the larger the China trade surplus, the better the Chinese economy. They all think that seeking a trade balance while keeping a proper surplus conforms more to China's interests. Trump demanded China come up with a plan to reduce its surplus. China cannot do it alone and the US should coordinate with Beijing in expanding China's procurement in the US while decreasing restrictions on the export of high-tech products to China. High technology is the US advantage. But Washington worries China will master its technologies and then boost its own manufacturing. The US therefore often tries to sell cheap goods to China, which are, however, little appreciated. After all, Trump cannot expect the Communist Party of China to mobilize all members and their families to eat US beef, US soybean oil or use American cosmetics. China should face trade friction with the US in a calm manner. Meanwhile, it must retaliate against US tariffs that forcibly interfere with Sino-US trade and violate World Trade Organization rules. China must show it won't be bullied. Beijing must never consider stabilizing relations with Washington by compromising on trade. We would only become increasingly passive. China and the US must resolve the issue through cooperation and both sides should try. If the US cannot adjust its own industrial structure to reduce its trade deficit and orders the world to follow its words, China and the rest of the world will have no choice but to meet the challenge head-on. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT Editor's Note: The annual two sessions are on in Beijing and China's diplomacy is one of the leading topics attracting global attention. How will China's diplomacy progress in 2018? What Chinese-US relations will develop and whether a bilateral trade war is unavoidable? Global Times (GT) reporter Luan Xuan talked with Jia Qingguo (Jia), a member of the National Committee of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, on these issues. Jia also served as dean of School of International Studies at Peking University and a member of international advisory committee at The Charhar Institute. GT: Some Westerners believe China will put more efforts into diplomacy and act more proactively in 2018. What are your views on this? Jia: I think China will still focus on domestic affairs in the near future. China faces massive developmental challenges such as advancing supply-side structural reforms, protecting the environment, poverty reduction, developing education and reducing income inequality. China has a lot of work to do on the domestic front, which will be the major concern of the Chinese government. With a growing economy, increasing overall strength, and expanding overseas interests, China would be willing to play a bigger role on the international stage. However, the West mainly sees China's influence with prejudice, highlighting the "China threat" theory and worrying that China will challenge the world order. Actually, China will contribute to maintaining the international order and advancing global governance and work to make the international order fairer and more equitable to bring benefit to the world. GT: Considering the current international situation, what are going to be the highlights of China's diplomacy in 2018? Jia: China will seek more cooperation on the Belt and Road initiative. It hopes not only to cooperate with countries that are in need of infrastructure building, but also those who can co-finance with China on relevant projects. It is a win-win cooperation and more countries are expected to participate in the initiative. Currently, the world faces many problems, especially the challenge to the global order, such as protectionism. China needs to work with countries which favor free and open trade, to protect the current international trade system. On climate change, Beijing will cooperate with other countries to implement the Paris climate agreement. It will also work with other countries on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Beijing will increase its participation in global governance and protect the international order. GT: China and the US are two big powers and their relationship draws worldwide attention. How do you see the bilateral relationship in 2018? Jia: Chinese-US relations face many challenges this year. Some Americans deem China as a threat and advocate a tougher stance against it. Some see China as an economic rival, calling for harsher ways to balance bilateral trade. There are also some US politicians playing the Taiwan card. Facing the challenges, both governments should maintain channels of communication and coordinate. Recently, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Liu He, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the General Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs, both visited the US, showing China's efforts for better bilateral relations. I hope the Trump government could be practical in dealing with bilateral ties. GT: As US President Donald Trump adopts an aggressive trade policy, is a trade war between China and the US unavoidable in 2018? What preparations should China make to deal with this? Jia: I think nothing is unavoidable. China will make more efforts to communicate and coordinate with the US to deal with problems which can be resolved and dealt with. Common interests take precedence over differences and conflicting objectives. As two big powers, China and the US need to maintain the global order to protect their national interests and cooperate with others to minimize costs. Both nations hope to take advantage of the other's massive resources to maintain the global order. From this perspective, Beijing and Washington have many common interests. Chinese-US trade ties benefit both. Although China's exports to the US have far outweighed US' exports to China, Washington needs to consider the issue more deeply. China's exports to the US are not only the products China makes but includes those from the whole world. Many of China's exports to the US are products that China imports from other countries first, including the US, and then processes them. The profits that China derives from these products are small in proportion. China's exports to the US are inexpensive and Americans can enjoy their quality. The US should not only focus on the trade deficit, but consider these hidden factors. US has trade imbalance with many countries, including China. It is not the right time for the Trump administration to take a strong stance on trade, which also damages American interests. GT: Some think tanks and Western politicians hype up China's "sharp power" and alleged Chinese infiltration. They argue that China is exporting its development model to the outside world. What do you think of this? Jia: Some Westerners harbor strong prejudice against China, looking at everything Beijing does in other countries as vicious. Through Confucius Institutes, China wants to promote Chinese culture and make other countries to better understand China. But biased Westerners see the Confucius Institutes as China's way of spreading its cultural influence. Beijing should introspect its actions. Cultural communication is good only as a non-governmental activity. The government should encourage non-governmental organizations to play a bigger role in propelling cultural communications with other countries. As for the arguments that China wants to advocate its development model to the world, I think it needs further clarification. General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping mentioned in his report to the 19th national congress of the CPC that China's successful experience "offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence." Whether the Chinese model fits others should be for those countries to consider. China advocates that every country make its own strategies in accordance with its own situations and needs, neither copying Western or Chinese models. Foreign language, culture and communication training should be bolstered for border staff to strengthen and safeguard the Chinese frontier and coastal regions, military deputies to the 13th National People's Congress said on Thursday. Training in the languages of neighboring countries and ethnic minorities should be enhanced under flexible plans to improve the border forces' working capabilities, said Bao Lin, a border defense battalion commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China Military Online reported Thursday. Border and coastal defense forces still struggle with international communication issues, Bao warned. They include a shortage of interpreters to meet neighboring countries' representatives and language barriers in stating facts in some disputed regions. The PLA Army Academy of Border and Coastal Defense should shoulder the responsibility of cultivating talent for border defense, said Hou Shengliang, head of its teaching and research section. Bao called for education in border defense history, policies and geography so that border defense personnel could not only win battles but also be better at knowing, communicating and managing border issues. China's vast frontier and coastal defense areas generate complicated situations that require staff of rich knowledge and outstanding capabilities, China Military Online reported Thursday, citing Xu Zhongfa, commander of a border troop company in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region and a deputy to the 13th NPC. Border and coastal areas are usually undeveloped, Bao noted. Beijing's response was favorable policies that plough finance and materials into those areas. These policies might also be used by the military to upgrade their border defense and management capability, he suggested. Mechanisms to attract, retain and motivate talent on the border and in the coastal forces should be forged and crafted, Bao said, including special policies for solving family difficulties in the more remote regions. About 400 students graduated from a five-month-training program in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on February 1 and will be sent to grass-roots units of frontier defense, China Military Online reported. "We cannot depend solely on the passion of those young people," said Li Daguang, a professor at the PLA National Defense University. "More policies and measures should be introduced and issued to provide favorable conditions for frontier staff, and let them work and stay at the frontier out of their willing choice." The African Development Bank (AfDB) and its East and North African governors have stressed the need for urgent measures to match the continents growing population and youth unemployment, which they likened to a ticking time bomb. In a March 7 AfDB statement, the governors who had met for a two-day consultation described the continents growing young population as a potential growth engine for the world. The good news is that the solution is within our reach and will require investments, Akinwumi Adesina, the AfDB president, is quoted as saying at the banks headquarters in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. Governors also discussed a strategy for closing Africas $170 billion infrastructure investment gap. To bridge the gap, ensure inclusive growth, and create employment for the continents population, the meeting endorsed the AfDB-led African Investment Forum and described it as a timely opportunity to catalyse investments into projects and attract social impact financing to Africa. According the statement, Tanzanias minister for Finance and Planning, Isdor Mpango, called for closer involvement of the private sector in financing development on the continent. The AfDB is well positioned to advise and assist governments and the private sector to come up with bankable projects, Mpango said, calling for direct resources to provide budget support and investment opportunities. Through the African Investment Forum, scheduled for November 7-9, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the AfDB and its partners intend to showcase bankable projects, attract financing, and provide platforms for investing across Africa. The forum will bring together the AfDB and other global multilateral financial institutions to de-risk investments at scale. A uniqueness of the African Investment Forum is that there will be no speeches. The only speeches will be transactions, said President Adesina. Rwandas minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Claver Gatete said: The AfDB has already discussed the concept of the African Investment Forum with us. The Rwandan government takes this Forum very seriously. Jobs will come from industrialisation. The new approach using the African Investment Forum to de-risk the sector and attract investors is the way to go, said Kiplagat Rotich, Kenyan Finance minister. Statistics indicate that 13 per cent of the worlds population is estimated to live in sub-Saharan Africa today. The number is projected to more than double by 2050. Four billion (or 36 per cent of the worlds population) could live in the region by 2100, according to the UN Population Division. Africa is projected to have over 840 million youth by 2050 with the continent having the youngest population on earth. According to Adesina, We have 12 years left to the SDGs. It is an alarm bell because if Africa does not achieve the SDGs, the world wont achieve them. The AfDB deepened her disbursements to the highest levels ever last year and we are leveraging more resources for Africa. Algerias Finance minister Abderahmane Raouia said Africas biggest challenge today is job creation. It is a stake of stability and a lever to pull economic growth upwards. We must offer job opportunities for young people to convince them to stay here on the continent," Raouia said. Despite the growing population, AfDB believed the prospects for 2018-2020 are bright, with 50.3 million people benefitting from improved access to transport compared to 14 million in 2017. Also, more than 35 million people are expected to benefit from new or improved electricity connections, in contrast to 4.4 million delivered in 2017. nangonzi@observer.ug African tradition has the common notion that boys have a birthright to inherit their fathers property. This form of discrimination against girls is being demystified as some but few girls are proving they can comfortably step in daddies footsteps. As the world this week commemorates the International Womens day, JEFF MBANGA looks at some of the women who are keeping their fathers legacies alive by running their businesses. ANGELLA KATATUMBA Angella Katatumba is commonly known for her music career and charity work. But when her father Boney Katumba died in February 2017, Angella Katatumba had to step in daddys shoes. Boney Katatumba was one of the early flamboyant businessmen, who, during the eighties, bought a small fleet of aeroplanes for his tour and travel company. His business empire had hotels, a school and different properties, among others. He was also the honorary consul of Pakistan. Although he had two wives and a number of sons, it is Angella Katatumba who has been thrown at the helm of some of his businesses. She now coordinates some of his businesses and is also the acting honorary consul of Pakistan in Uganda. BARBARA MULWANA As one of the most prominent local entrepreneurs of his time, James Mulwana was arguably unrivalled. That is on the premise that Mulwana, with limited education, rose from being a nightclub bouncer to a newspaper vendor right up to founding a company that became one of the biggest producers of milk products, Jesa Mixed Farm. Barbara Mulwana He then went on to head the board of directors of key blue chip companies such as Standard Chartered Bank Uganda and British American Tobacco Uganda, among others. Upon his death in January 2013, the question of whether Mulwanas business empire would survive became somewhat common. Mulwana had the business acumen of putting his daughter, Barbara Mulwana, at the top of one of his companies. According to a company profile, Barbara has been executive director of Nice House of Plastics since 1991. It was a wise choice by the late Mulwana. Five years after his death, Mulwanas legacy lives on, partly through the work of his daughter, Barbara. Barbara Mulwana was in May last year elected the first female chairperson of the Uganda Manufacturers Association, a body her late father co-founded and was chairman. A qualified electrical engineer, Barbara is also the acting honorary consul of Thailand in Uganda, which his father was at the time of his death. THEMI NAKIBUUKA SEBALU If you mentioned the five top law firms in Uganda today, chances are that Sebalu & Lule Advocates would be on the list. Paulo Sebalu was one of the founders of the law firm. Together with his friend Godfrey Lule, the two managed to grow their clientele to include huge corporations such as NSSF, Bank of Uganda, just to mention a few. By the time he died in late 2013, Sebalu, it is said, had only one daughter Themi Nakibuuka Sebalu. His wealth included Muyenga Country Club and a number of properties. However, Muyenga Club has been at the centre of a dispute, where legislator and owner of Super FM radio, Peter Sematimba, a nephew to Sebalu, claims ownership. To resolve this dispute, Themi Nakibuuka sued Peter Sematimba. Both the trial court and the court of appeal ruled in Sematimbas favour. However, undeterred, Nakibuuka appealed the courts decisions in the Supreme court, which stripped Sematimba of powers to manage the late Sebalus estate. As the only child, Nakibuuka has been left with the mantle of protecting the assets of one of the most prominent lawyers in Uganda. GERTRUDE WAMALA When a number of prominent artistes did covers of some of Philly Bongole Lutaayas hit songs, the temptation to replicate other legends music was high. Uganda has had few musicians whose works live long after they have died. Elly Wamala was one of those musicians. To stop other artistes from making money off Elly Wamalas sweat and creativity, the family, with one of his daughters, Gertrude Wamala, a partner at Sebalu & Lule Advocates, placed a copyright on his works. It is this legal cover that Gertrude Wamala has placed over her fathers works that Elly Wamalas music is bound to live on for ages. MARIA JUSTINE TULINA When it comes to men who founded schools that have withstood the test of time, the late Professor Lawrence Mukiibi was among the best. St Lawrence Academy Schools and Colleges, which he founded more than two decades ago, have expanded to include eight campuses, on top of having a university. Mukiibi was an astute businessman but he has also had a weakness of siring many children, if the allegations of the numerous women who turned up with his children at his funeral are to be believed. And yet, with all the children that he had, it is his daughter Maria Justine Tulina who is now in charge of the schools. Tulina was elected the chairperson of the board of trustees of St Lawrence University, a position that her late father held. Tulina has the big task of ensuring that St Lawrence remains relevant in an increasingly competitive space. Lameck Kigozi The Police Flying Squad is hunting for 14 suspects who escaped from a cell at Kyotera police station on Wednesday night. The escape was noticed during the early morning cell check on Thursday, according to the deputy regional police commander Lameck Kigozi. The suspects reportedly burrowed a hole through one of the cell's walls to create an escape route. Godfrey Babaranda, the officer-in-charge of the station and Musa Kayongo, the district police commander had reportedly decided to conceal information about the escape. The escapees are identified by only one name; Katamba, Sserwadda, Matovu, Mayombwe, Lubega, Serunjogi, Kazibwe, Kasozi, Ashim, Mugabi, Mbabazi, Nsereko, Wasswa and Mutaawe. The station diary indicates that the suspects had been arrested between February 3, and March 6 in connection with crimes such as abduction, defilement and theft, among others. A junior officer at the station said that the suspects were to be presented before court today, Friday, to face their respective charges. Although he attributes the incident to lack of enough security personnel and weak structures, he suspects that the escape was aided by an officer on duty. This is the second escape since October 2017 when Yasin Mayanja, the deputy chief administrative officer, escaped from the same cell. Mayanja had been arrested and detained on allegations of abuse of office and corruption. He was denied bond and locked in a cell only to find him missing the following day. Police have been tracking him in vain. Other police, prison escapes There have been several attempts to escape from lawful custody since 2010. In April 2010, at least one inmate was killed and 10 others injured as they tried to escape from Masaka government prison. In March 2013, 10 inmates escaped from Kalisizo government prison in Rakai district. They were John Mirembe, Wycliffe Mamaggwa, Jacob Kalyango, Abdul Lusiba, Fred Yubu, Bob Vincent Ssemakula, Bosco Ssepuuya, Damiano Ssemanda, Moses Mukasa and Vincent Ssenyondo. In the same year, Pastor William Muwanguzi of the "Kiwedde" fame attempted to escape from Kalisizo prison where he had been remanded for impersonating a Catholic priest with intent to extort money from residents in Rakai district. He was re-arrested and charged with attempted escape. But in September 2015, Muwanguzi escaped from Mutukula prison and went to Tanzania. He was traced in Zimbabwe where he was arrested a deported. In December 2014- six inmates escaped from Kyanamukaka prison. They include John Ssali, Charles Ssentongo, and Peter Mugerwa, Bosco Ssebunya, Mike Kasozi and another. In the same year, eight suspects escaped from Lyantonde police cell. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins a panel discussion with deputies from Shandong Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Sheng Jiapeng) BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday the rural vitalization strategy is the leading agenda for government work on agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents. Local authorities should have a profound understanding of the strategy's importance and necessity and implement it earnestly, Xi said as he joined a panel discussion with deputies from east China's Shandong Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. The quality of a moderately prosperous society and socialist modernization is determined by agricultural competitiveness, rural environment, and rural incomes, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xi urged local authorities to reenergize rural industries, increase incomes of rural residents, alleviate poverty, and enrich rural life. He pointed out that national food security should be ensured, agricultural structure optimized, and establishment of a modern rural industry system quickened. China should push forward talent vitalization in rural areas, form a virtuous circle comprising of professionals, land, capital and industries, Xi said. Stressing cultural vitalization in rural areas, Xi said ideological and moral education as well as public cultural services should be strengthened in the countryside. The president underlined ecological vitalization and green development in rural areas. The three-year action plan to improve the rural living environment must be implemented, while the ongoing "toilet revolution" will be carried forward. He highlighted better governance and strengthened leadership of the CPC in rural regions to establish a modern administrative system for the rural society. The rural vitalization strategy should be carried out step by step, and "vanity projects" should be completely eradicated, he said. Xi asked authorities to respect the wishes of rural residents and turn their desire for a better life into a force driving rural vitalization, protecting their fundamental interests and bringing them common prosperity. Xi also stressed the strategic importance of the ocean in China's pursuit of high-quality development, urging progress in the construction of world-class sea ports, a modern maritime industry system, and a green and sustainable marine ecological environment to push for the building of maritime power. Li Keqiang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also joined NPC deputies in panel discussions Thursday. Attending the discussion with deputies from Liaoning Province, Li urged the northeastern province to carry out policies made by the CPC Central Committee and State Council that aim at reviving old industrial bases in northeast China, maintain the favorable momentum of economic growth through reform and opening-up, and work for a comprehensive revival of the province. Joining deputies from east China's Anhui Province, Wang instructed the province to achieve high-quality growth under a new vision of development, fuel economic growth by innovation, forestall and defuse major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation, and prevent and control pollution. Speaking to deputies from Shanxi Province, Zhao stressed that the campaign against corruption and undesirable work practices will not ease off nor halt, promising not only to hunt down "tigers," high-ranking corrupt officials, but also swat "flies", the low-ranking ones, and to step up actions against corruption occurring on the people's doorsteps. Joining deputies from Fujian Province, Han called for the efforts to speed up industrial restructuring, achieve high-quality development, improve people's livelihood, and protect the environment. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins a panel discussion with deputies from Shandong Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Sheng Jiapeng) Yuya Yamada, a hula hoop street performer from Tokyo, Japan, recently managed to set a new Guinness record after successfully spinning a 5.14 m (16 ft 10 in) aluminium hoop using only his torso. Also known as Hoop Man Yu-Ya in his native country, Yamada is famous for his hula hoop tricks. He can spin a hula hoop while running, spin it vertically using both his head and his backside and can also spin dozens of them at the same time. The guy has incredible coordination, which basically allows him to keep the hoops spinning with virtually every part of his body, but for his latest world record attempt, he needed a completely different approach. Photo: Guinness World Records Spinning a 5.14 m hula hoop with only your torso is completely different than doing it with a regular size one. Instead of rocking your waist back and forth, you have to get it spinning using your hands and then literally run and spin inside the giant hoop while it is moving to keep the momentum going. It may look silly, but theres actually a very precise art to it and the timing has to be just right. Yamada had broken the world record for largest hula hoop spun once before, when he managed to spin a 4.93 m hoop, but he later lost his title to serial record-breaker Ashrita Furman, who spun a 5.04 m one. In November of last year, Japans Hoop Man decided it was time to win it back. He traveled to Yokohama for the official attempt, and easily spun a 5.14 m more than the required three times, setting a new world record right on Guinness World Records Day. I felt the pressure of achieving this Guinness World Records attempt in Japan on this special day, Yuya Yamada told Guinness. I had to set a new record with all the other attempts taking place worldwide. This attempt has constantly been on my mind for the last few months and I was hoping for a good result, so I am pleased, but also just so relieved to be a new record holder! Briz Media Group, formerly named dbray Media, has formed Connectors, a network of influencers in the communications and marketing industries. The executives are tasked with bringing innovative ideas, thinking and guidance to BMG and its clients. The Connectors roster includes Buzzfeed president Greg Coleman; EURO RSCB executive Chairman and CEO Ron Berger; C2 Ventures founder Chris Cunningham; Aurelie Guerrieri, founder & CEO of Akila One; ActionIQ CEO Marc Parrish; David Honig, VP strategy, corporate partnerships at Dynamic Signal; and Andrew Budkofsky, CRO at Digital Trends. Weber Shandwick and content company SellersEaston Media announced they will donate 10 percent of proceeds from their VoiceUp video series to Vital Voices, a non-profit organization that empowers women leaders. The VoiceUp video series features female executives describing how they found their voices and how they use those voices to lead today. Founded in 1999, Vital Voices has partnered with leaders from more than 144 countries to advance economic opportunity, increase political and public leadership, and end violence against women. Programs led by the organization in strategic planning, business, advocacy and communications help women build critical skills. Version 2.0 Communications released the final installment in its Women Mean Business infographic series, which has explored the state of female entrepreneurs in some of the countrys hottest cities for startups, including Boston, New York and San Francisco. The new entries focus on the overall U.S. market, London and the U.K., and Austin, TX. In addition to listing women-owned companies in each location, the infographics look at such issues as the rate of employment growth for women-led businesses (27 percent over the last 20 years), the fastest-growing women-led businesses and which Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs. To see all of the entries in the series, go to https://www.v2comms.com/our-work/women-mean-business/ Joe Heck People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has enlisted former Congressman Joe Heck (R-NV) to lobby in support of the Best Practices Act, which phases out the use of animals in live combat trauma training over a five-year period. Heck, a physician and retired Army Reserve brigadier general, lost to Democrat Catherine Cortez in the 2016 race for Harry Reid's Senate seat. The Reserves last deployed Heck in 2008 when he commanded an emergency room in a combat hospital outside Baghdad. Heck launched RedRock Government Relations, as part of Las Vegas-based RedRock Strategies, a year ago. Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson (D), Pennsylvania Representative Tom Marino (R) and Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D) are pushing the Best Practice Act to require the military to replace animals with medical technology to trauma courses. They contend artificial simulators better mimic human anatomy than animals, provide superior training, save taxpayer money and are more humane. Washington D.C.-based public affairs, communication and political advisory shop Sanitas International will represent the Republic of Bulgarias Ministry of Tourism for strategic communications and stakeholder outreach efforts in the United States. Sanitas will initiate a stateside strategic communications and public affairs program in a bid to attract foreign investment and boost tourism in the eastern European nation. The work will include coordinated meetings between U S. government officials, third parties, think tanks and media, according to Foreign Agents Registration Act documents filed in March. Sanitas performs the work on behalf of Glanz, Inc., which represents Bulgarias Ministry of Tourism. Sanitas founding partner Christopher Harvin, who held senior advisory roles in the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, signed the agreement. report from CNN. Hickman also faces preliminary charges of assault, with a judge issuing a warrant for his arrest on one count each of assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury, and communicating threats on Thursday. The altercation took place on August 25, 2017, but the body cam footage was released in late February. The video shows Hickman and an officer in training stopping Johnnie Jermaine Rush for allegedly jaywalking. After words are exchanged, Rush attempts to flee on foot when Hickman tries to arrest him. (He) thinks its funny, Hickman can be heard saying during the chase. You know whats funny is youre gonna get fu**ed up hardcore. The officers end up catching Rush and as he is restrained on the ground, Hickman proceeds to punch him in the head several times, as well as shoots him with a stun gun and chokes him. I beat the s**t out of his head, Hickman says later to another officer. Not gonna lie about that. The FBI has launched an investigation into the incident. Since then, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer has apologized to Rush in a statement on behalf of the City Council. Source: CNN Source: voacambodia.com Cambodia and China increased military cooperation after Phnom Penh canceled its joint military exercises with the United States in the aftermath of a diplomatic fallout over the dissolution of Cambodias main opposition party. PHNOM PENH The Cambodian military is to hold joint military exercises with their Chinese counterparts focusing on counter-terrorism and humanitarian operations, according to Cambodias defense ministry. A statement from the Ministry of National Defense said the Golden Dragon exercises would take place in Kampong Speu province between March 15 and March 30 and would be the second joint military exercises with China in recent months. The ministry warned authorities in Kampong Speu not to be surprised by the explosions and the mobilization of military equipment in the area, or the use of live ammunition, and imposed a no-fly zone. Cambodia and China increased military cooperation after Phnom Penh canceled its joint military exercises with the United States in the aftermath of a diplomatic fallout over the dissolution of Cambodias main opposition party. Gen. Chhum Socheat, defense spokesman, said more than 200 military personnel would take part in the exercise, alongside some 200 Chinese officers. Cambodia and China launched their first ever joint military exercises in 2016. Disclaimer: This article was originally produced and published by voacambodia.com. View the original article at voacambodia.com. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed companion proclamations slapping 25 percent tariffs on steel coming into the country and 10 percent tariffs on imported aluminum. The across-the-board taxes are to go into effect in 15 days. Amid fears that his action would ignite a trade war, Trump declared the dumping of steel and aluminum in the United States as "an assault on our country," suggesting foreign producers relocate their facilities to America. "If you don't want to pay tax, bring your plant to the USA," he said. Trump was flanked in the Roosevelt Room by workers from those metals industries, some with hard hats in hand, as he signed the documents. Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and Trade and Industrial Policy Director Peter Navarro were also among those in the room. After an outcry from lawmakers, some industry executives and foreign governments, Canada and Mexico are being given specific exemptions from the tariffs for an indefinite period while negotiations continue on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "We're giving Canada and Mexico sufficient time to address these issues at the request of the governments, but it's not open-ended," said a senior U.S. administration official. "The focus is on the broader security relationship, where we can address ensuring national security and eliminate any impairment whatsoever." Other countries which are considered allies of the United States such as Australia will also be given "satisfactory alternative means to address the threat" the Trump administration perceives to American steel and aluminum manufacturers, the official said. "This is not a softening of our position in any way whatsoever," insisted the administration official in a call with reporters that was conducted on the condition of not being named. Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Thursday told U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Scott Swift in Seoul that the U.S. can keep its strategic weapons at home during the upcoming annual joint drills. The gaffe, later glossed as a joke by the ministry, came during a meeting with the commander in Seoul. The joint military drills were originally scheduled to take place in February, but were postponed until after the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang. U.S. media cited Pentagon officials on Thursday as saying the drills will begin on April 1 and last until May. Song told Swift, who is scheduled to retire in May, "An inter-Korean summit is scheduled to take place at the end of April, while the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises will continue, so I hope you will remain in your position until then. You don't have to deploy extended deterrence assets like nuclear submarines to the Korean Peninsula." Song was referring to B-1B strategic bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear attack submarines that have been deployed recently every time North Korea launched a fresh provocation. Korea and the U.S. on Thursday started talks in Hawaii about cost-sharing for the upkeep of the U.S. Forces Korea. Korea paid W950.7 billion last year (US$1=W1,073). But U.S. President Donald Trump has blustered that America's allies are not paying enough. The U.S. reportedly wants Korea to pay about US$1 billion from next year. Chang Won-sam from the Foreign Ministry led Seoul's delegation to the talks, which also includes officials from the Defense Ministry. The U.S. delegation consisted of Timothy Betts, a deputy assistant at the State Department, and other officials from the departments of State and Defense. Oregon manufacturers expressed relief this week when President Donald Trump said he will exempt - at least for now - Canada and Mexico from steel aluminum tariffs he imposed Thursday. The narrowing of wider tariffs Trump last week announced he would impose preserves an important source of raw materials for Oregon factories. Oregon steelworkers said they are encouraged by the tariffs, which they hope will preserve jobs. But uncertainty remained about exactly how the Trump administration will administer the new tariffs and how other countries will react. "We're one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation," said Sandra McDonough, chief executive of the Portland Business Alliance. She said there's no outcry over the direct effects of Thursday's tariff implementation but a good deal of concern about the prospect of other countries responding with their own tariffs. Forty percent of Oregon agricultural products are sold to other countries, according to McDonough. And she said products made in Oregon factories, like the Boeing plant in Gresham, depend on sales to customers around the world. "If our ability to sell aircraft worldwide is impacted," she said, "that hurts jobs in Gresham." In signing the trade sanctions Thursday, Trump said American jobs have been under "assault" from aggressive foreign trade practices. He said the tariffs will help preserve steel and aluminum jobs. "It does affect our members, said Tim Davis, vice president of United Steelworkers Local 8378 in McMinnville. He said about 300 union members work at the Cascade Steel plant there, recycling scrap metal, cars and parts into rebar, wire and similar products. The McMinnville plant laid off 84 members last year because of steel getting dumped into California, according to Davis. He said he hopes the tariffs will shore up the market for products from Cascade Steel, a division of Schnitzer Steel Industries. "With these tariffs, I think it'll level the playing field," Davis said. "I've got to applaud President Trump. Overall, though, far more Americans work in industries that benefit from low steel and aluminum prices than those actually producing those metals. That's especially true in Oregon. An analysis the Brookings Institution performed for MarketWatch found the state has more than 63,000 workers in industries that use steel and aluminum - 50 times more than those who actually make steel and aluminum. Evraz North American employs hundreds at a rolling mill and steel pipe mill in Portland. The Russian company Thursday said it supports Trump's effort to combat dumped and subsidized steel into the U.S. and is grateful the president excluded Canada. The company said it wants slab - rectangular steel used to make coils and plates - exempted from the tariffs, too. Evraz said steel rolling mills, including its Portland site, "rely on annual imports of approximately 6 million tons of slab to bridge the shortfall in domestic slab production capacity." Other Oregon manufacturers declined to comment on the tariffs. Some said they didn't want to alarm potential customers or were still studying the tariffs' implications. Earlier in the week, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, broke with Trump and decried the president's use of a national security rationale for imposing the tariffs. He didn't respond to an inquiry on the more narrow tariffs Trump issued, which exempt Canada and Mexico while negotiations continue over the future of the NAFTA trade pact. Democrats, though, said Trump's tariffs create additional uncertainty. Sen. Ron Wyden, who said last week that steel tariffs were overdue, said the details of Thursday's order created additional uncertainty around dealing with China. Sen. Jeff Merkley said Trump's plans "seem to be more about creating a talking point for the President than putting in place a thought-out strategy to grow American jobs and the American economy." Merkley he said he will soon propose his own trade bill. Mark Johnson, chief executive of Oregon Business & Industry, said his members are still trying to understand the tariffs' full implications. Generally, though, he said Oregon businesses would "not be in favor of anything that would drive up the cost of their raw materials and dry up their markets for exports," Johnson said. "It's kind of a no-brainer." This article has been updated with comment from the United Steelworkers. -- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699 A Milwaukie man and his dog were killed after getting hit by an SUV in Gladstone on Wednesday. Cory Philpott, 54, was walking his dog across Oregon 99E near Southeast Hull Avenue around 8:55 p.m. when they were hit by a southbound black 2001 Acura MDX, according to Oregon State Police. Driver Brady Lauderdale, 32, of Tualatin remained at the scene. Philpott was taken to OHSU Hospital, where he later died, state police said. His dog died at the crash scene. The case remains under police investigation. No citations or arrests have been announced. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey On so many issues, the opinion piece is a slam dunk. The cruelty or sell-out is obvious. The negligence is malicious. I can't wait to choose sides. This isn't one of those columns. One of the main reasons Portland is so vulnerable to a catastrophic earthquake is that at least 1,600 buildings in the city have no steel reinforcements in their walls. These monuments of unreinforced masonry include Voodoo Doughnut, Jake's Grill, the otherwise Cheerful Tortoise, the University Club, and more than 80 churches and schools. When the ground begins to shake, they are potential death traps, especially the multi-story buildings where the floor joists are not secured to the walls. The earth only needs to move several inches for those floors to detach and plummet. "What happens in a violent earthquake is the floors all pancake," says Walt McMonies, a real-estate lawyer at Lane Powell. "(A stack of) pancakes with squished people and personal possessions in between." By the Bureau of Emergency Management's count, Portland has more unreinforced masonry buildings (URMs) than any city on the West Coast. In April, City Council will consider mandatory seismic refits for those buildings, with construction completed some time in the next 25 years. On the basis of public safety, this mandate would seem a no-brainer, especially in gathering spots like Keller Auditorium, Union Station, Crystal Ballroom and the city's schools. Yet seismic refits are perilously expensive. How do small-business owners pay for them in the 90-year-old buildings along Hawthorne Boulevard or in St. Johns and Multnomah Village? Given that the URMs include 7,000 residential units, where do we find rooms for the displaced in the frantic local housing market while apartment complexes are brought up to speed? And if our fair city is so fired up about the dangers of unreinforced masonry, why has it never bothered to refit two prominent entries on its URM registry, the Matt Dishman and Mt. Scott Park community centers? Pippa Arend is one of the co-founders of p:ear, a nonprofit that mentors homeless youth downtown. She also owns the 12-unit Weist Apartments on Northwest 23rd. "I feel uniquely in the crosshairs" of the mandate, Arend says, "being an advocate for homelessness, owning a building, and being an artist who cares about artists' housing and space." The Weist, a three-story Colonial Revival, was built in 1905. Arend used an inheritance from her grandparents to buy the building for $1.1 million in 1994, and lives on the top floor. Complying with current city code - which requires bracing the parapets and attaching the walls to a re-sheathed roof - would cost $175,000, Arend estimates: "I can write that into the business plan. I can afford it." But if the city also demands that she bolt floors to wall, Arend told the council, "My building will be effectively totaled." Demolished long before the quake strikes. "The mandate is draconian, an over-reach," Arend says. "Even if there's a 30-year timeline, I can't raise the money - $1 million plus - and I couldn't afford the debt load. "I'm fighting for my home and my retirement. And if I'm damaged, it's not just me, but my kids at p.ear." McMonies has a different take. He owns three URMs, including the Trinity Place Apartments, parked several blocks east of The Weist. He initiated a seismic upgrade of that 36-unit complex in 2009, inspired by the fearsome cost of earthquake insurance and the looming mandate. "I'm the owner who has actually done this, and I was able to do it without putting myself into bankruptcy," McMonies says. His cost? $1.1 million. "We managed to do what opponents think is impossible, which is to retrofit the building with people in place. We did it incrementally, out of cash flow." But McMonies acknowledges the "relatively low cost" - $25 per square foot - is "deceptive." Because the building's floors did not require strengthening, he didn't need to demolish partitioning or pay relocation costs for his tenants. Had that been necessary, McMonies estimates the seismic refit at Trinity Place would have cost at least $3 million. Therein is the Council's dilemma. Safety for the people who live in these buildings, or walk in their shadow, is paramount ... but the bill for seismic retrofits is often prohibitive. Ask Oregon legislators, who decided they couldn't afford the $337 million "quake-proofing" of the state Capitol. The Bureau of Emergency Management wants Council to mandate bolting walls to floors for the 1,332 Class 3 buildings on the URM list. Jonna Papaefthimiou, a bureau planning manager, noted, however, "We don't expect to move this forward without financial support for property owners." The source of that financing? Property tax exemptions? Another round of urban renewal? The infrastructure czar in the White House? No one knows. Nor is anyone sure who will champion this mandate on the Council, now that Steve Novick and Charlie Hales are gone. Arend and McMonies, to be sure, will remain in the thick of the contentious City Hall debate. "As long as they give me a bulletproof vest, I'm happy to testify," McMonies says. "That and the witness protection program." -- Steve Duin stephen.b.duin@gmail.com The head of the state-run Korea Development Bank on Thursday ruled out a bailout for ailing GM Korea without substantial investment from GM headquarters. The government has been conducting due diligence on GM Korea to determine if the U.S. automaker is justified in shutting down its assembly plant in Gunsan amid demands for massive financial infusions. Lee Dong-geol told reporters at KDB headquarters that GM Korea's losses are "the responsibility of GM headquarters." GM is asking KDB to take part in a plan to recapitalize the automaker equivalent to its 17.02 percent stake in GM Korea. The KDB chief said he agreed with Barry Engle, GM's head of overseas operations, that KDB will consider support after taking a look at the results of the government's due diligence study and a self-rescue plan proposed by GM headquarters to save the Korean unit. Meanwhile, Engle returned to Seoul on Wednesday for further meetings with KDB executives to discuss the duration and scope of the due diligence and with union representatives to discuss wage cuts. By Tim Nesbitt Yesterday offered another "be careful what you campaign for" moment at the Trump White House. What Trump and Republicans learned from their attempt to repeal Obamacare, Trump and trade-weary Democrats are learning again from his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports: It's easy to campaign for do-overs, but it's much harder to undo big policies that have become embedded in our economy without triggering a cascade of unforeseen consequences. The parallels here are instructive. Obamacare, despite its flaws, expanded health coverage to tens of millions of previously uninsured Americans. Repeal was a great battle cry for the Republican base but a self-defeating strategy for the electorate at large. So Republicans had to settle for excising the individual mandate while leaving the coverage expansions in place. Reality trumped campaign trash talk. Now it's tariffs, with a new set of troubling realities and competing constituencies. Trump threatened double-digit tariffs on goods from China and Mexico while campaigning in 2016, to full-throated approval at his rallies and head shaking in corporate boardrooms. But, as with so many of Trump's campaign promises, his more knowledgeable supporters viewed his statements as more taunts than truths. The truth is clearer now. Trump's tariffs, even with the modified reach that he announced yesterday, are a roll of loaded dice. Their effects on jobs in the larger U.S. economy are expected to range from mildly harmful to recession-inducing, depending on the response of our trading partners. But, apart from the risks involved, a more considered attempt to right the wrongs of the global trading system would recognize that tariffs are neither the major problem nor the practical solution for what has unbalanced the economy for many American workers. Yes, unfair trade is a big part of the problem, facilitated by corporate trade agreements. Starting with NAFTA, these agreements have been managed to benefit global business plans, promote the flow of capital across borders and do little to protect home-country jobs and environmental standards. But simply raising tariffs won't correct these problems. Leo Gerard, president of the steelworkers union, gets this. He doesn't advocate tariffs for their own sake. He prefers using targeted tariffs to penalize bad actors, like China, that fail to abide by the limited provisions that our trade agreements set for the fair production and free exchange of goods. But, when interviewed by National Public Radio earlier this week, Gerard did what other Trump fixers do. He praised the president for taking action and then cautioned that there are better ways to shape the policies that Trump had just announced. To their credit, Gerard and others more attuned to the realities of global trade convinced the President to limit the reach of his tariffs, excluding Canada and Mexico, and to use this exclusion as a stick to force a rewrite of NAFTA. That's more sensible, but it puts more pressure on Canada than Mexico, where low-wage competition and environmental degradation are the larger issue for U.S. workers. Meanwhile, the effects of Trump's tariffs beyond North America could be daunting. Australia has been invited to seek its own special exemption, but our allies in Europe will refuse to be supplicants at Trump's trade tower. Brazil may take aim at Trump's favorite commodity, U.S. coal. And it appears that China will take advantage of markets elsewhere. This is what happens with broad sweeping policies of this kind. They can end up hurting one's friends and creating new allies for one's foes. So here we go. Trump governs as he campaigned, careening from one policy mashup to another, while the fixers come in behind him to clean up his messes. Campaign rhetoric is no substitute for smart governance. That was proven with the wrangle over Obamacare, where more sensible politics averted real damage to our health care system. But rhetoric appears to be ascendant over reality on the trade front now. And, at some point, this febrile governing-by-tweet-and-taunt will unleash a cascade of consequences for our jobs and our economy that even the fixers can't fix. -- Tim Nesbitt is a public policy consultant and former president of the Oregon AFL-CIO. He can be reached at nesbitt.columns@gmail.com. LONG BEACH, Calif. A man who was shot by police after he threatened to blow up a federal building in Southern California has died. Long Beach police say Donald McFarlane of Oregon ranted and waved a handgun Wednesday during a two-hour standoff that prompted the lockdown of nearby City Hall. Negotiators spoke with McFarlane as he stood by a white van but police say officers opened fire after he pointed a gun at them. The 53-year-old McFarlane died at a hospital. Police say the gun turned out to be a pellet gun. No explosives were found in his van. Investigators are trying to determine a motive for the confrontation. -- The Associated Press A Clark County man arrested on suspicion of sexual assault earlier this week is now accused of first-degree kidnapping, records show. Douglas L. Braaten (MCSO) Douglas L. Braaten, 61, is suspected of offering a ride to a woman in Portland, taking her to the Columbia River Gorge and sexually assaulting her, court records show. He's also accused of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and first-degree sex abuse. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that Braaten, a La Center resident, was accused of prostitution and unlawful sexual penetration. Court records show that prosecutors didn't file prostitution charges in the case. A sheriff's office spokesman declined to comment on the agency's investigation until it's complete. The woman was eating at a Portland 7-Eleven on Tuesday night when Braaten honked at her and offered her a ride, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. She initially declined but eventually accepted, the court document says, and she asked him to drop her off somewhere in Portland. He passed the place she wanted to be dropped off, looped around and passed it a second time, the affidavit says. He started heading east on Interstate 84, and the woman got scared and texted 911. She reported she was being kidnapped, and she was able to provide the direction of the car. Braaten drove to the Bridal Veil exit and into a parking lot, according to the document. The woman said she felt threatened. Braaten said he was going to have sex with her, the document says. She said they started to fight, the affidavit states. He pulled her pants down and touched her inappropriately, according to the affidavit. The woman saw police lights go by and kicked the car horn, the affidavit states. Authorities arrived and took Braaten into custody. They took the woman to a hospital for treatment and a sexual assault kit. Braaten and the woman didn't know one another, the affidavit says. He's being held in the Multnomah County Inverness Jail and is next set to appear in court March 15, records show. Braaten is a registered sex offender in Washington, according to records. Jim Ryan jryan@oregonian.com 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Spring doesn't officially start until Tuesday, March 20, but with forecasts showing temperatures climbing close to 70 degrees in the next few days, it feels like it's already here. With the changing of seasons comes the changing of clocks and the subtraction of an hour of sleep from your nightly schedule. Sunday began the onset of Daylight Saving Time, that biannual occurrence when we reset our timekeeping devices to give ourselves an hour more of sunshine in the evening rather than the morning. What it means for you is that when you woke up on Sunday morning you needed to roll that clock forward an hour. While it might seem like a drag to lose that precious hour of slumber, there is a bright sunny silver lining. Sunset on Saturday night occurred at 6:10 p.m., but on Sunday you'll get another hour of daylight to bask in the warm temps with sunset happening at 7:11 p.m. The original idea to move the clocks around to maximize daylight during summer was first thought up by an entomologist in New Zealand named George Hudson in 1895. Hudson had grown frustrated by how few hours of sunlight there were for the studying of bugs. He officially proposed the idea of Daylight Saving Time and was roundly rejected by the Wellington Philosophical Society. An English architect, William Willet proposed the idea to Parliament in a decade later in 1907 and he, too, was shot down. In 1916, the German Empire became the first to use something similar to what we now call Daylight Saving Time during World War I as a way to conserve fuel. Within weeks, the idea had spread to the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, and Australia. The U.S. followed suit roughly two years later, though it wouldn't become official policy until 1973, when President Richard Nixon signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, which mandated Daylight Saving Time across the country. Up to that point, some states and regions had opted out of the practice. Daylight Saving Time officially began at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Clocks will shift back on Nov. 4. -- Kale Williams kwilliams@oregonian.com 503-294-4048 Police in Salem shot a person Thursday whom authorities say is linked to a criminal investigation. The shooting occurred in the 5500 block of State Street and the person shot sustained at least one gunshot wound, according to Salem police Lt. Dave Okada. He said a Salem police officer was involved in the shooting. No law enforcement officers were injured in the shooting. The wounded person's condition hasn't been released by police. Further details on the incident also have not yet been released by police. Oregon State Police Sgt. Jeff Proulx said the call that led to the shooting began a little before 4 p.m. He declined to provide any other details in the shooting, citing an ongoing state police investigation. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey Critics call them "dummies" that epitomize racial insensitivity. The prosecutor's office calls them "body form trial displays." They're three headless plastic torsos hanging from a metal coat rack in a Multnomah County courtroom. Each one displays the shirt and pants worn by three African American defendants accused in a fatal shooting. Each set of clothes has a photo attached showing the defendants. Critics say prosecutors shouldnt be using the display during the ongoing jury trial, given the nation's hateful history of lynchings. Some have taken to social media after civil rights attorney Juan Chavez tweeted commentary and a photograph of the prop. Call me new fashioned, but trying three African American men in the United States while three dummies with each of their pictures and clothes are hanging right next to the jury box all trial seems like bad form, Chavez wrote. That has prompted similar responses. Disgusting, tweeted Teressa Raiford, founder of the Don't Shoot PDX movement and a member of Black Lives Matter. Why on earth would someone at the DAs office think this was okay? tweeted Bobbin Singh, executive director of the Oregon Justice Resource Center, a non-profit that advocates for criminal justice reform. The imagery is too much. Singh told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Thursday that the display evokes the imagery of past lynchings and sends a subliminal message to people of color that they're still not as valuable as white people. It just demonstrates that theres so much work to be done, Singh said. So much education to be done. Prosecutors Glen Banfield and Eric Zimmerman have used the display during the two-week trial of Marcellus Ramon Allen, who faces life in prison with a 25-year minimum if found guilty of murder. Closing arguments in the courtroom of Judge Jerry Hodson are expected Friday. Allen's two co-defendants -- Tracey Christopher Lomax and Xabian Robert Riley -- will be tried at later dates. In 2014, a jury found all three men guilty in the case, but the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed the convictions, prompting new trials for each. Banfield, who is African American, said prosecutors needed the courtroom display to show the clothes that each of three defendants allegedly changed into on the night of the May 2012 killing of Kenny Ray Henry Jr. Three witnesses so far have testified about the clothing and have been able to look at and reference the clothing because of the display, Banfield said. Larry Matasar, a criminal defense attorney not associated with the case, said if that's the case, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office should start using full-body, free-standing mannequins -- the kind displayed in store windows. "There are so many other types of mannequins they could have used that don't have this type of racist connotation," Matasar said. "There is no place for this kind of display in the USA, and especially not in an Oregon courtroom, given our terrible racist history." Kirsten Snowden, a chief deputy district attorney, said her office just learned of the criticism and hasn't had a chance yet to discuss future use of the display and any possible replacement options. "It is certainly never our intention to be racially insensitive," Snowden said. If were being racially insensitive, we want to know that. Snowden said prosecutors in several trials have used the display to show off the clothing of defendants, irrespective of race or gender. She said her office currently doesn't have full-body, free-standing mannequins. -- Aimee Green For 50 minutes Thursday, a group of judges considered the case of a man who stripped naked outside the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, played violin beside the engraving of a Thomas Jefferson quote and then sat for hours on the ground before his arrest. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal peppered lawyers for Matthew Mglej and the city of Portland with questions about what Oregon law allows when it comes to protesting nude and exactly what message Mglej was trying to send. Mglej's lawyer Matthew Gordon argued that Portland police wrongfully arrested his client on May 23, 2014, because the city's indecent exposure ordinance protects nudity intended as a symbolic "communicative act'' or protest. He cited a 1985 Oregon Court of Appeals case in support. Mglej was charged with violating the city ordinance that forbids people from exposing their genitalia in public and in the presence of the opposite sex. State prosecutors later dismissed the charges. Mglej then took the city to federal court, but a trial judge dismissed Mglej's claims against the city, leading to his appeal. "Is it really your position if you're intending to communicate something, you may stand naked in the public square in Portland, even as children walk by ?'' Circuit Judge Andrew D. Hurwitz asked. He continued to press: "Every nude protest in the world is now OK in Oregon'' under the state Constitution? And what exactly was Mglej trying to communicate, another judge asked. If the officers didn't understand his message, did that make a difference? What Mglej did wasn't a "mindless act'' but a "considered, deliberate thoughtful protest,'' his lawyer said. The city ordinance protects public nudity intended as a protest, he added. "He removed his suit and laid it out in a symbolic straw man metaphor to convey a message of transparency in government,'' Gordon noted. "He brought his violin with him as a symbol of American patriotism.'' Circuit Judge N. Ray Smith interrupted. "Your client didn't communicate a message at all. What message did he communicate?'' Smith asked. "He communicated a message about transparency,'' Gordon repeated. "Just because he took off his clothes?'' Smith asked. Attorney Julia Glick, representing the city of Portland, urged the judges to view the video of Mglej's actions to understand the full context. "In some cases, sending the video is not a good idea,'' quipped Hurwitz, drawing chuckles from the public gallery in the normally staid Pioneer Courthouse courtroom in downtown Portland. Glick argued that the Portland officers had no idea what Mglej was protesting because he refused to tell them. They had probable cause to arrest Mglej for violating the city ordinance against indecent exposure, and if even if they didn't, should be granted immunity because their actions were reasonable after having consulted a deputy city attorney, she said. "A person's reason for engaging in punishable conduct does not transform that conduct into allowed speech,'' Glick said. Judge Raymond C. Fisher veered from his colleagues, saying it didn't matter that Mglej's message wasn't readily apparent. The court didn't need to parse, nor should it attempt to interpret what Mglej's exact message was, he said. "It was clear he was communicating in some way,'' Fisher said. "The fact that the audience couldn't figure out exactly what he was doing doesn't take it from the realm of a communicative act.'' Hurwitz acknowledged, "Instead of trying to engage in public indecency, isn't it clear he's trying to say something. ... God knows what?'' The message of the protest must be embodied in the display of nudity, the city attorney argued. "Is it against the law in the city of Portland and the state of Oregon to engage in a nude protest on the street?'' Hurwitz pressed. "Yes and no, it would depend on the message of what the nudity is,'' Glick responded. Hurwitz continued, asking if Mglej's nudity would have been legal if he had said he was protesting children starving in Africa. "Let's assume he made it clear that the message he intended to give out was a worthy one. Would they then have probable cause to arrest him?'' Hurwitz asked. At the scene, Mglej told officers he was protesting and picked up his iPad, showing police the Oregon Court of Appeals case, City of Portland v. Gatewood, indicating case law allows for public nudity intended as a symbolic act, Gordon told the court. "I can't understand Gatewood,'' Hurwitz said. "Should the police officers understand?'' The appeals panel will now take the appeal under advisement and issue a ruling later. -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Portland police on Friday identified the two officers involved in a shootout with a suspected burglar near Providence Park stadium that ended in a hourslong standoff. Officers Joseph Webber and Darrell Shaw will remain on paid administrative leave until the completion of an investigation into the incident, which occurred in the Goose Hollow neighborhood, and a grand jury reviews the case, the Portland Police Bureau said. Webber has served 13 years with the bureau, police said. Shaw is a 24-year veteran of the force. At least one of the officers discharged a weapon, and the suspect, a woman, returned fire on the 800 block of Southwest King Avenue around 3:25 a.m. Thursday, police said. The woman later hunkered down beneath a porch and it took several hours for police to detain her. The woman, whom police have not identified, remains in a hospital recovering from an injury and has not been booked on charges, authorities said. She is expected to survive. Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed reporting. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh skavanaugh@oregonian.com 503-294-7632 II @shanedkavanaugh Have you ever wondered if a journalism career is right for you? Find out at our annual High School Journalism Institute, hosted July 21 to 28. Promising students from Oregon and southwest Washington will spend one week reporting, writing and taking photos alongside professional reporters, editors and photographers. The all-expenses-paid program is a collaboration among The Oregonian/OregonLive, Oregon State University and other Oregon media organizations. Since it started more than 20 years ago, the program has worked with hundreds of talented young students. Students will produce articles, photos and multimedia that is published online at OregonLive.com/teens and in an annual newspaper, The Pride. The program grants free college credit upon completion and gives students an opportunity to discover what college life is like. Students stay in campus residence halls, eat in dining halls and enjoy nightly activities such as bowling and movies. Students who attend an Oregon or Southwest Washington school in grades 9 to 12 in the 2017-18 academic year are eligible to apply. At the High School Journalism Institute, our goal is to increase diversity in media by inspiring the next generation of journalists. Applicants must: have a linguistic or cultural background different from those that predominate in Oregon's secondary school system, or be from a low-income household, or be from a household with an educational attainment level of a high school diploma or less, or have a documented disability, or attend a high school without a newspaper or journalism program. DOWNLOAD YOUR APPLICATION TODAY. The deadline to send applications has been extended to Tuesday, May 29. Completed applications may be emailed to myoung@oregonian.com or mailed to Molly Young, The Oregonian, 1500 S.W. First Ave. Ste. 400, Portland, OR 97201. -- Molly Young A Tigard police officer who has previously gone to an alcohol diversion program was arrested Saturday on suspicion of drunken driving. Ron Wommack was stopped by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office around 11:40 p.m. near Southwest Barber Street and Yosemite Street while riding his motorcycle off duty, said Sgt. Brian Jensen, a sheriff's office spokesman. Wommack, 46, was later arrested and booked into the Clackamas County Jail on an accusation of driving under the influence of intoxicants. He was released on bail the next day, according to jail records. Wommack's blood-alcohol content was 0.19 percent during his arrest, a little more than twice the legal limit, Jensen said. Wommack is on paid administrative leave, said Jim Wolf, a Tigard police spokesman. He has been with the agency for 18 years and is currently assigned as a transit officer. Wommack was cited for driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving in June 2011 after crashing his motorcycle in Sherwood while off duty. No one else was involved in the crash, and Wommack was flown to a hospital for treatment. His blood-alcohol content at the time was about 0.24 percent. He was placed on leave after the arrest and returned to patrolling in a squad car the next month, Wolf said at the time. The officer pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of intoxicants in August 2011 and was allowed to enter a one-year diversion program, Oregon court records show. His driver's license was suspended for 90 days that September. The DUII charge was dismissed in September 2012 after he completed the program. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office slapped former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung with a travel ban on Thursday. A day earlier, prosecutors raided a building in Mapo, Seoul where he allegedly raped his secretary Kim Ji-eun. The building contained the offices of a think tank launched by An, where he stayed whenever he visited Seoul. An's belongings had been spirited out several hours before the raid. But CCTV footage reportedly shows An entering the building at night on Feb. 24 and Kim entering in the early morning on Feb. 25 and leaving a few hours later. On Thursday, An at the last minute canceled a press conference where he was to have spoken about rape allegations from women who worked for him. Two hours before the press conference, an aide sent a message to reporters saying An canceled as he thought he should cooperate with the investigation first. "I was going to apologize to the whole nation and the people of South Chungcheong Province before being questioned by prosecutors," the message read. "I urge prosecutors to summon me as soon as possible." Curly acquired the skills through deep learning like Google's AlphaGo program, studying 16,000 shots that took place in 1,321 matches over the last three years. A robot capable of sweeping has yet to be developed, so one robot served as the skip or captain while the second served as the stone thrower against three human athletes in two ends. It was the first-ever match between humans and machines in the sport. The robots, collectively named Curly, were developed by a consortium of eight domestic research institutes and robotics firms including Korea University, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology and NT Robot. The skip robot identified the locations of stones with two cameras mounted on its head and gave instructions to the thrower robot. They took much longer than humans in executing each move. Still, Curly is currently skilled enough to compete against high-school curlers and displays 65-percent accuracy in the draw and 80-percent accuracy in takeout. The shot success rate of national squads is more than 85 percent. Curly made several exceptional takeout moves but also frequent errors when may stones covered the playing area towards the end of the ends, and the humans beat Curly 3-0. But Curly beat humans 1-0 in an unofficial match held earlier. One athlete who competed against Curly said, "I was surprised by the variety of shots thrown by the robots." Sull Sang-hoon at Korea University who led the development, said, "Unlike baduk or go, which is played on designated spots, curling entails many variables such as collisions between stones and the quality of ice, so it is difficult to compare AlphaGo and Curly. But by developing AI technology involving the communication between robots, we may find new applications to reduce risks with self-driving cars." Defense Minister Song Young-moo said in a meeting with U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Scott Swift in Seoul on Thursday that the U.S. can keep its strategic weapons at home during this year's annual joint military drills. "You don't have to deploy extended deterrence assets like nuclear submarines to the Korean Peninsula," Song told Swift. Swift appeared taken aback and responded by saying, "We will be ready." But Song said it again and the awkwardness deepened. After a great deal of hoo-ha among the press, the Defense Ministry said Song was "joking" and only meant to express hopes that Swift will not have to deploy strategic weapons to deal with North Korea until he retires in May because now dialogue is in the offing. A high-ranking Defense Ministry official said, "The scale of this year's joint military exercises will be the same as previous years" but swiftly added, "But that doesn't mean the same number of strategic U.S. assets will converge on the Korean Peninsula as seen last year." Seoul seems to hope to reduce the number of American B-1B and B-52 bombers and nuclear submarines taking part in this year's joint exercise, or at least to talk them away, because North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is wary of those weapons, which are capable of executing long-range, precision strikes on targets in the North and constitute the core of the South Korean and U.S. military deterrence. This so-called "extended deterrence" involves mobilizing the U.S. strategic bombers and nuclear-attack submarines when a North Korean nuclear strike against South Korea is imminent, and South Korea has no choice but to depend on it because it does not have nuclear weapons of its own. Kim may appear to be extending an olive branch, but the North has resorted to the same tactics over the last 25 years to buy more time to develop and perfect its nuclear arsenal. Yet again the government here is trying to reduce the impact of annual joint military drills at a time when there are no assurances whatsoever that North Korea is sincerely interested in dialogue. Kim has already said he will not take issue with the annual joint military drills as long as they are "on a similar scale as in previous years," but the South Korean defense minister seems to be falling over himself to make things even nicer for him. That is even more worrying now that the National Intelligence Agency, whose job it is to spy on North Korea, has taken on the task of spearheading inter-Korean talks. Is there anyone left in the government who is interested in maintaining a defense posture against possible North Korean aggression? To get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, it is necessary for the U.S. and South Korea to cooperate on maximizing pressure on the North. Kim probably only told Seoul's special envoy that he "understands" the need for joint South Korea-U.S. military drills because he feels the pressure of this military posture. North Korea has not taken a single step toward dismantling its nuclear weapons program, but the government is acting as if everlasting peace was already well underway. Even as Song was committing his gaffe, U.S. media were quoting Defense Ministry officials here as saying Seoul and Washington agreed to resume "large-scale joint military exercises." It makes one wonder if the two allies are communicating with each other at all. Dialogue with North Korea is necessary, but that should be the job of the Unification and Foreign ministries. The NIS should keep monitoring North Korean activities, and the Defense Ministry must remain vigilant. That is the only way to gain the upper hand in negotiations with North Korea. But who will defend the nation if every branch of government is bending over backwards to accommodate the enemy? Actor Jo Min-ki was found dead in an apparent suicide in the underground garage of his apartment complex in Seoul on Friday afternoon, police said. He was 53. His wife found him around 4 p.m., unconscious and with a rope around his neck. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead an hour later. Kerala imposes stringent lockdown in areas where COVID spread rampant The stringent lockdown restrictions would be in force in areas where the weekly infection population ratio (WIPR) is above 10 and the affected places would be notified by the district disaster management authority. Poland and Lithuania are strategic partners, say both countries' PMs PAP/Rafa Guz Poland and Lithuania are strategic partners due to their historical ties, location and an array of shared interests, Polish and Lithuanian PMs, Mateusz Morawiecki and Saulius Skvernelis, said in Vilnius on Friday. Apart from PM Skvernelis, PM Morawiecki also talked to President Dalia Grybauskaite. Later in the day the Polish head of government attended a regional get-together with his Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian counterparts. At a joint press conference with Morawiecki, Skvernelis said that Poland "is a particularly important partner" for Lithuania. "We share common historical experience and a range of common challenges and interests," he added. PM Morawiecki stressed Lithuania's strategic importance for Poland "due to our historical ties, but also due to Lithuania's geographical location, defence issues, our shared history regarding Russia, later the Soviet Union, and now Russia again." Both countries carry out joint projects that include the alignment of both countries power and gas systems, and increase trade through mutual investments and improved infrastructural links, PM Morawiecki went on to say. Turning to the EU agenda, the Polish PM stressed that both countries had "very similar needs" as regards the next EU budget. Morawiecki thanked Lithuania for supporting Poland in its dispute with the European Union, stressing that both countries understand the problems of the post-communist system transformation. This is because Poland and Lithuania experienced Soviet domination in the past, according to Morawiecki. "Lithuania understands this perfectly well as a country which used to be a Soviet republic," PM Morawiecki observed. "We have a range of common topics in the area of European co-operation. I would like to thank the Republic of Lithuania for its support in some disputes in which we are involved today," he said. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, launched its rule of law procedure against Poland in 2016 and recently triggered the Article 7 procedure of the EU Treaty which may ultimately end in sanctions against Warsaw, but all EU member states would have to agree to the penalty. According to Morawiecki, the disputes "boil down to how people understand the post-communist system transformation." The two PMs also discussed stronger co-operation in youth exchange and education. "We have also talked about the situation of Poles, Lithuanian citizens, here in Lithuania, how their situation could be improved," Morawiecki said. Skvernelis said national issues required "proper attention from the governments of both countries." It is in the interest of both Poland and Lithuania to foster "open dialogue and amicable solutions" to national minority issues. The Lithuanian prime minister also expressed hope that the Friday meeting would give a new momentum to bilateral relations. Skvernelis stressed that Poland is the third biggest trade partner and the second biggest export market for Lithuania. Before the press conference, Morawiecki and Skvernelis took part in a ceremony of signing a memorandum between the Polish and Lithuanian ministries responsible for energy. The document concerns co-operation between sea ports and launching a ferry connection between Poland's western port of Szczecin and Lithuania's Klaipeda. (PAP) jd/mf/ FPAC Applauds Canadian Government on Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership "Growing exports will create more middle class jobs in the over 600 forest dependent communities across Canada and help the forest sector diversify its markets." Derek Nighbor, CEO, Forest Products Association of Canada. March 8, 2018 - Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) applauds the Canadian government, and in particular Minister Champagne, on the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. This agreement will benefit the Canadian forest products industry by eliminating tariffs, as well as providing clear provisions to help settle disputes and avoid unfair blocking of imports because of concerns about issues such as insects or other contaminants. For example, forest products from Canada now face: 31% tariff to Vietnam for certain kinds of wood, going down to 0% starting Year 1 and up to 27% for paper, which will be at 0% by Year 4. 40% tariff to Malaysia for plywood and up to 25% for paper, down to 0% by Year 6. 10% tariff to Japan for wood products, going down as low as 5% in Year 1 and 0% as early as Year 11. The CPTPP will increase Canadian forest products access to key global markets, says CEO of FPAC, Derek Nighbor. Growing exports will create more middle class jobs in the over 600 forest dependent communities across Canada and help the forest sector diversify its markets. Between 2012 and 2016 Canadian forest products, exports to the remaining members of TPP grew 18% to over $2 billion, with exports to Vietnam, New Zealand and Mexico growing the most by 312%, 90% and 44%, respectively. FPAC believes that with the elimination of tariffs and strengthening trade relations between countries, Canadian forest products exports will grow even more. The sector is working hard to diversify its markets, especially beyond the United States who have enacted unfounded protectionist measures against our industry; and we encourage the government to continue with its efforts to extend freer trade and increase our country's competitiveness, says Nighbor. Canada needs to be part of the first 6 countries to ratify the CPTPP in order to ensure we have first access to these growing markets. FPAC urges the speedy ratification by governments of this 21st-century deal. FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $69-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 2 per cent of Canada's GDP. To learn more, please visit: www.fpac.ca SOURCE: Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) Graphic Packaging's Michael Doss Named Executive Papermaker of the Year Michael Doss, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graphic Packaging Holding Company. March 8, 2018 - PaperAge announced that Mike Doss, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graphic Packaging Holding Company is the recipient of PaperAge's 31st annual "Executive Papermaker of the Year" award. An exclusive interview with Mr. Doss will be published in the March/April 2018 issue of PaperAge magazine. In October of 2017, Doss announced the forming of a new partnership comprised of Graphic Packaging's existing businesses and International Paper's North America Consumer Packaging business, whereas Graphic Packaging would own 79.5 percent of the partnership and will be the sole operator, while IP would own 20.5 percent of the partnership. The combination was completed on Jan. 1, 2018. "We are very enthusiastic about the platform for future growth created by this combination and expect the transaction will significantly increase our mill production and converting scale," said Doss. The combination meaningfully increases our exposure to the growing foodservice market, provides significant runway to realize synergies, and will drive strong financial results." IP's business includes two SBS mills located in Augusta, Georgia and Texarkana, Texas with annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons of SBS, three converting facilities in the U.S. and one in the U.K., with the capacity to convert 250,000 tons of SBS paperboard into over 24 billion units of paper-based cups and cylindrical containers. Also in 2017, Graphic Packaging closed the acquisitions of three folding carton producers: Carton Craft (USA), Norgraft (Spain), and Seydaco (Canada). The deals follow Graphic Packaging's acquisition strategy to grow its folding carton volume in attractive geographies and end-markets, improve its cost position, and increase its mill to converting plant integration levels over time. PaperAge selects its Executive Papermaker of the Year based on corporate vision, strategic objectives and strong leadership both within the individual's company and in the paper industry as a whole. The award has been an industry tradition since 1988. Bio - Michael Doss Michael P. Doss (June 1966) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Graphic Packaging Holding Company. Prior to January 1, 2016, Doss held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer from May 20, 2015 through December 31, 2015, and Chief Operating Officer from January 1, 2014 until May 19, 2015. Prior to these positions, he served as the Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations of Graphic Packaging Holding Company. Prior to this, Mr. Doss held the position of Senior Vice President, Consumer Packaging Division. Prior to March 2008, Doss served as Senior Vice President, Consumer Products Packaging of Graphic Packaging Corporation since September 2006. From July 2000 until September 2006, he was the Vice President of Operations, Universal Packaging Division. Doss was Director of Web Systems for the Universal Packaging Division prior to his promotion to Vice President of Operations. Since joining Graphic Packaging International Corporation in 1990, Doss has held positions of increasing management responsibility, including plant manager at the Gordonsville, Tennessee and Wausau, Wisconsin plants. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Marketing and a Master of Business Administration in Finance, both from Western Michigan University. He is also a graduate of Harvard University's General Manager Program. About Graphic Packaging Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a leading provider of paper-based packaging solutions for a wide variety of products to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer product companies. The company operates on a global basis, is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and paper-based foodservice products in the United States, and holds leading market positions in solid bleached sulfate paperboard, coated unbleached kraft paperboard and coated-recycled paperboard. To learn more about Graphic Packaging, please visit: www.graphicpkg.com . About PaperAge Originally founded in 1884 as a paper industry news publication titled, United States Paper Maker, PaperAge today has evolved into the premier publication for paper industry professionals around the world. To learn more please visit: www.paperage.com . SOURCE: PaperAge Suzano and Fibria Confirm Negotiations, but No Deal has been Reached "The involved parties are yet analyzing the eventual possibilities to enable the transaction. However, there is no definition of terms and conditions for the conclusion of an eventual transaction." Fibria. March 9 2018 Brazilian pulp and paper producer Suzano and Brazilian market pulp producer Fibria today issued separate statements related to speculative news reports saying the two are close to merging. Both companies confirmed that negotiations about a potential deal have taken place and are ongoing, but no definite terms or agreements have been reached. The companies warned that there is no guarantee an agreement will be reached and confirmed with their controlling shareholders that up to this point there is no definition on the potential deal. In a written statement, Fibria said, In addition to the information disclosed to the market on February 19, 2018, in response to the Letter 211/2018-SAE of B3 S.A. Brasil, Bolsa e Balcao, the controlling shareholders of Fibria; Votorantim S.A. and BNDES Participacoes S.A. BNDESPAR, hereby inform that we are keeping discussions with Suzano and its controlling shareholders, aiming to evaluate a possible business involving Fibria and Suzano. "The involved parties are yet analyzing the eventual possibilities to enable the transaction. However, there is no definition of terms and conditions for the conclusion of an eventual transaction. "Fibria's controlling shareholders affirm that, despite the negotiation, there is no certainty that such business will materialize. Aware of our responsibility under the applicable law and regulation, we reinforce our commitment to timely communicate any material development of this matter, if any." Fibria noted that it is not part of such negotiations and does not have any additional information. Suzano said that in case an agreement is reached, it will disclose the deal according to the applicable regulations. SOURCE: Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. and Fibria Celulose S.A. Kristen Roupenian, author of the viral New Yorker short story Cat Person, has a movie deal with A24, the company behind such films as Moonlight and Lady Bird. Cat Person, told in an unflinchingly honest and creepily relatable way, the story of a college girl who meets an older boy; ends up having terrible sex with the boy; the boy thinks he's in love with her; she's repulsed by him and breaks things off. It was widely acclaimed upon publication in December and skyrocketed to be the site's most-read fiction story of 2017. A24 were fans of Roupenian's story, and upon learning she had a script at large they worked to find it, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "What the execs found was a shrewd character study where mystery and deep-seated scares blended in such a way that the company saw an opportunity to make a horror movie that could also be culturally relevant," they write. "The plan is to fast-track the script to production." The film is titled Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, and while it is a horror film, details about its actual plot are still being kept under wraps. A24 has become involved with scripts at various stages of development beforethe move shows them joining the process earlier than most of their previous projects. Image via Getty In complete contrast to its contemporaries (read: Disney and Pixar), almost all of Hayao Miyazaki's films have centered on adolescent girls fighting through a male dominated world to get what they want. From rescuing the guy, finding independence, to just being an overall badass, Miyazaki's ability to infuse hidden messages of environmentalism and women's rights into films that are meant for children is likely the exact thing that continues to draw those same now-adults to it, 10 years later. In my mind Hayao Miyazaki has always been the greatest animator of his time. Spirited Away changed my life in every imaginable way. Raised by a single mother in a house that was predominantly matriarchal, Studio Ghibli for me was a reflection of how I saw the women in my house and in my life: women that were fighting (and winning) daily battles, both internal and external, as well as thriving despite circumstances. Miyazaki reinforced to middle school me that I should not take any shit, and taught me how. Related | Jordan Peele Is the First Black Winner of Best Original Screenplay In 90 percent of Ghibli films, romantic love is never the driving plot of the story. That is not to say Miyazaki shies away from the idea of romantic love, nor does he promote the problematic trope that depicts romantic love as a kind kryptonite for strong female leads. Rather, his films always keep a balanced and very much real life depiction of male and female interaction. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind defeats the stereotype that romance is the problem-solver for all female struggles, eclipsing the idea that women must be saved by any kind of knight in shining armor without being preachy. "I've become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue," Miyazaki says. "Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live if I'm able to, then perhaps I'll be closer to portraying a true expression of love." The first Miyazaki film I ever saw, Spirited Away, was a jello mold for most of my childhood and one of my first memorable adolescent nostalgia checkpoints. From elementary through high school (and yes college) watching this film was a right of passage. Anyone who came over my house was forced to watch this on DVD, as I watched them react to every single scene, making sure they laughed and cried at the right parts (the price to pay when watching a film with any Pisces, ever). Unlike Disney, many of Miyazaki's films don't center around an all-evil villain. The antagonist is only singled out once they've identified themselves as a threat to the heroine's own sense of independence. Never are they stomped out with violence or death, rather internal reflection and self-betterment from the heroine. Such is true in the case of the relationship between Chihiro and No Face in Spirited Away. Miyazaki explains the heroine must operate in an environment where "the good and bad dwell together." "She manages not because she has destroyed the 'evil,'" he explains, "because she has acquired the ability to survive." Related | Lena Dunham Reveals Donald Glover Felt Tokenized On 'Girls' At 13 years old, Kiki, the central character in Kiki's Delivery Service, tells her parents that she's going out to become a witch at midnight. With no plan, and now, no parents, she still leaves in full confidence that somehow, she'll make it work. The film speaks to the fear of transition in all of us: whether it's moving to college, graduating and entering the workforce, or starting anywhere new, we all have fear the unknown. A heroine who has zero traces of self-doubt sure is an ideal figure to watch. Watching Disney and Miyazaki films during the same developmental period, I experienced a simultaneous internal re-wiring of all of the classic damsel-in-distress narratives that shaped us when we were young. Miyazaki was the only one to subtly probe gender binaries and representation: the men were no longer the warriors...women were. In Howl's Moving Castle, though Sophie and Howl are romantically linked, Sophie saves and rescues Howl at the movie's climax. Again, her love doesn't come in the form of a savior, nor is it a focal point. Miyazaki is one of the first animators to write stories about women of color in which there is no tragic trope preset, no man to swoop in or give an ultimatum. He recently announced he will retire for the 5th time after the release of his last film, How Do You Live?, but for a man whose work has impacted a whole generation of women across the globe, there is never any retirement. Image via Youtube Adam Rippon and Reese Witherspoon are each other's biggest fansor don't you remember the Twitter exchange of early February that reshaped the narrative of humanity? See below: WHEN YOURE RIGHT, YOURE RIGHT, @RWitherspoon Also!! Quick movie idea for you: You (played by you) tweet me in the middle of the night at the Olympics and I (played by me) die immediately. Thoughts? https://t.co/2p9b11QxEl Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 8, 2018 WHEN YOURE RIGHT, YOURE RIGHT, @RWitherspoon Also!! Quick movie idea for you: You (played by you) tweet me in the middle of the night at the Olympics and I (played by me) die immediately. Thoughts? https://t.co/2p9b11QxEl Adam Rippon (@Adaripp) February 8, 2018 Well, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night, the two leaders of the gay community finally joined forces and met in real life. It was the most joyful, fun, and happy six minutes of our young lives thus far. And so, for your benefit, we've highlighted a few of our favorite moments: First of all, Reese's sleeves: Then, of course, there's Adam showing us the consequences of one of the buttons on his shirt falling off: And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Reese quoting Adam's 'Glamazon bitch' tweet word for word wit her right hand in the air: Adam's face demonstrating what he looks like after recovering from a fall on the ice: And Reese's: Here's the full interview darling: Image via YouTube The short virtual reality film BattleScar is close to Rosario Dawson's heart, not because of the creative process itself, but rather because the film functions as a time machine. As a New York native, the film's dedication to punk invokes a deep nostalgia for the actress' Lower East Side youth. Its 3D rendered fire escapes, walls full of Patti Smith references, and stacks of freshly stapled DIY zines all hearken back to the energy of Dawson's childhood. Set in NYC's late '70s punk scene, BattleScar marks the first installment of a three-part series created by illustrators Nico Casavecchia and Martin Allais. The nine-minute VR film is completely voiced by Dawson and centers on 16-year-old Puerto Rican runaway Lupe, who ends up getting arrested for vagrancy. Upon her arrest, she finds a kindred spirit in her cellmate and fellow runaway Debbie, who is actively plugged into the thriving Bowery punk scene. From there, the two begin a friendship and hedge plans to start a band, despite the fact that Lupe's musical experience is limited to her childhood church. While the VR experience is too short to lay out an extensive plot, both the physical and cultural design of BattleScar successfully transport viewers to the world of CBGB and a booming DIY literary scene. Since Dawson was born during the tail-end of this movement, she vividly remembers witnessing the energetic aftermath of the LES punk scene as a child. So, understandably, narrating this project brought up complex feelings about what defines New York culturally or, perhaps more accurately, what used to define NYC. PAPER sat down with Dawson to discuss her experience working on BattleScar, her thoughts on VR as a medium, and what punk means to her on a personal level. What's your personal relationship with the punk scene in NY? I grew up in the LES, so the punk squatter culture informed my whole childhood. To look at it from the perspective of a teenager, as opposed to growing up there, was so amazing. The music took me back to when my uncle was in this band, underground music, and trying to get into digital. It was just such an incredible time; people were playing saxophones on their fire escapes and the neighborhood was just bursting with energy and culture. I miss that. Would you say the LES feels a lot different now? It's a very different experience now in NY. I had a hard time sleeping then, because there was always something going on. That's part of why I loved playing these hyped up characters in BattleScar. I was transported to this touchstone of memory that I miss, I have a hard time really explaining, it was a really dangerous and remarkable time. Some people will say, "I remember when I walked through Times Square to watch this movie and there were all these junkies and you felt like you survived something." Some of my strongest memories to this day are because of the danger element. People came from all over the world to be a part of it. Even as a little kid I totally didn't know it was going to be this remarkable of an experience. I wanna go back in. I wanna plug back in, it's so nice to know that we can use this kind of technology. Because of the immersive nature, do you think VR will foster greater cultural exchange? People are using it to go into refugee camps. It's being used to experience other cultures and realities which I think is really cool. When I was at Refinery 29's "29 Rooms" event in LA, there were these women who made this virtual reality experience of a hair salon. It was called the "NeuroSpeculative AfroFeminism," and it was really powerful and truly visually stimulating. Everything about the experience, the colors, the architecture, illustrated a new empowering interpretation of the future. A lot of our future landscapes and body shapes are envisioned by this white dominant male gaze, and this was really modern and really cool. Most of the comic book and VR world is very male dominated, and then you have these women and there's this different energy. Would you say VR, much like the punk scene, presents an opportunity to counter mainstream dialogue? I think there's a huge opportunity there. There are so many people and artists exposing young minds black, white, brown, and female to coding and robotics. I'm excited for that. I really hope there are other perspectives beyond the same patriarchal viewpoint. Because it's such a new medium, you're creating whole worlds. It's kind of like gaming, you don't necessarily have to go through the same studios or systems that have unfortunately left out a lot of voices. It's this new space with burgeoning voices. Like with the punk thing, there's this explosion of creativity. We're in a new century; that's one thing I think about all the time. What are you hoping viewers take away from BattleScar? For me personally, it was a nostalgia for that time. It was about taking things on, and playing, and risking things. It sounds cliche, but people are so stuck on our phones and our technology. It's easy to just skim through what everyone else is doing without really jumping in. Jumping in is what I remember about the punk scene; people would bring a little money and come to NY. They didn't have enough money to pay rent, they were just going to try to figure that out. Rather than just watching a movie, or scrolling through something on your phone, you have to pontificate and be present. I really like that aspect of VR; you have to physically participate. While BattleScar might be a fictional story, people lived that experience. People are still living that experience, it was a real moment in time to get to. You couldn't just turn it off, you wanted to go see music with your friends, you wanted to go on a motorcycle ride, you wanted to experience something scary. I knew about that life. When you experience the feeling of being in someone's energy for real, exploring something new, it's contagious. It's addictive, you can't pull it off when you're back in the real world and in your real life. It's a challenge to get people in there. There's that one moment in the film where Debbie is like, "Let's feel the air from the train," and I think that sums it up. BattleScar , produced by Atlas V and 1stAveMachine, will have its NYC premiere April 20th at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. The next two episodes are projected to be finished by the end of the year. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Foxconn Industrial Internet, a unit of the world's biggest contract manufacturer whose products include Apple's iPhones, was put on the fast track for securing the nod by China's securities regulator to raise capital through an initial public offering. The unit of Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry has been approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission to raise US$4.3 billion in an IPO, according to a notice by the regulator. Foxconn filed its stock-sale application on February 1. The offer would be China's biggest stock sale since the 30.6 billion yuan IPO by Guotai Junan Securities three years ago, putting it on path to become the largest technology company by market value on the mainland, with 500 billion yuan in market capitalization expected after the listing, analysts said. The Foxconn unit intends to offer about 1.8 billion shares, or 10 per cent of its capital, using the proceeds from its IPO to fund eight new projects including cloud computing, building a data center, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) projects and expansions into so-called intelligent manufacturing, according to its stock sale prospectus. Its net income rose 43.8 per cent last year to 15.87 billion yuan. Ivan Li, an asset manager with hedge fund group Loyal Wealth Management stated for the Chinese report that "Foxconn will be the new darling of Chinese investors since it is supported by the government." The speedy approval of Foxconn's application underscores the priority China is giving to technology companies, in the competition with Hong Kong as Asia's hub for fund raising. Shanghai overtook Hong Kong last year in initial fund raising for the first time. Foxconn isn't the only technology company that's being courted to raise capital on the mainland. Other companies in the pipeline include China's dominant ride-sharing company Didi-Chuxing (which Apple invested in back 2016). Others noted are the Meituan-Dianping, China's biggest on-demand internet service provider, and Ant Financial Services Group, which is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holdings. No date was given as to when Foxconn's IPO will be made public. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Ongoing Harassment: Wife of Iranian-Canadian Who Died in Iran's Evin Prison "Banned" From Leaving Country 03/08/18 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran Lives of Seyed-Emami Family Thrown Into Chaos and Terror The late Kavous Seyed-Emami with his wife Maryman Mombeini in an undated photo March 8, 2018-The Iranian government should immediately allow the wife of Iranian-Canadian academic and environmentalist Kavous Seyed-Emami to leave Iran as she wishes and stop intimidating and harassing the Seyed-Emami family, said the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). In the early hours of March 8, 2018, the Seyed-Emami family-mother and two sons-were en route to Vancouver, Canada, from Tehran when the mother, Maryman Mombeini, was prevented from boarding the plane at the Imam Khomeini International Airport. Her passport was also briefly confiscated. Instead of harassing and intimidating the families of people who have died in state custody, Iranian officials should allow an independent, UN-led investigation into the cause of death of Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian citizen, said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of CHRI. As a country with leverage on Iran, Canada should lead that call, added Ghaemi. Chrystia Freeland, Canadas minister of foreign affairs, said she was outraged to learn that Mombeini had been barred from leaving Iran with her sons. We demand that, as a Canadian, she be given the freedom to return home, tweeted Freeland on March 7. To date, the Canadian government has not called on Iran to allow an independent investigation into Seyed-Emamis death. Before Mombeini was told her husband had died in Evin Prison, she was interrogated for hours and forced to sign a statement saying she would not speak to the press, said Ghaemi. This level of cruelty against a grieving widow is hard to fathom. In a statement sent to CHRI on March 7, Ramin Seyed-Emami said his familys lives had been thrown into chaos and terror since they were informed on February 9 that Kavous Seyed-Emami had died in his cell in Tehrans Evin Prison. After being constantly harassed and threatened our family has decided, for the sake of our own safety, to leave Iran and head to Vancouver where we can start a new peaceful life, he said. Ramin Seyed-Emami added that his mother had been repeatedly hospitalized due to panic attacks and that he and his brother were under constant surveillance. The authorities told our lawyers to tell the brothers to shut up or well shut them up, the government agents bumped into me and said theyre watching me, he said. I truly believe that the only reason the rest of us havent been taken away is because we spoke out and refused to stay silent, added Ramin Seyed-Emami. Kavous Seyed-Emami, a US-educated sociologist and managing director of the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation, was arrested on January 24, 2018, along with several current and former staff members of the NGO. Iranian officials have accused him of espionage and said he committed suicide in the bathroom of his cell two weeks after his arrest, but no evidence has been provided for the charges and the family was pressured to immediately bury him before an independent autopsy could be carried out. Ramin Seyed-Emami said that he was given a video of his fathers last hours alive in his cell but the moment of his death was not recorded. The Seyed-Emami family and UN human rights experts have called for an independent investigation. At least four detainees have died in state custody in Iran between January and March of this year. All of the cases except one were described as suicides by officials. In none of the cases have independent investigations or autopsies been carried out. Just this year, Irans former intelligence minister admitted that the authorities were at fault for the death of another Iranian-Canadian, Zahra Kazemi, in Evin Prison in 2003, said Ghaemi. If countries with leverage on Iran are silent now, we may see another 15 years pass by before the facts around Seyed-Emamis tragic death are finally revealed, said Ghaemi. A NOBLE LIFE: Tribute to Dr Farhang Mehr 03/08/18 By Cyrus Kadivar Dr Farhang Mehr: 11 December 1923 - 4 March 2018 The recent passing away of Dr Farhang Mehr on 4 March 2018 brought to an end a vibrant, tumultuous and productive life that spanned 94 years. Born in Tehran on 11 December 1923, he had been raised by his parents as a Zoroastrian. From an early age he had been a top student at the Firooz Bahram High School where he had also dabbled in music developing an interest in playing the violin and learning ballroom dancing. An educated man with Iranian degrees in engineering, law, economics and political science he had also received several Western degrees in England and America. Like many of his generation he had partaken in the rapid modernization of his ancient and proud country. A leading and prominent Zoroastrian he pursued a technocratic career: serving as deputy prime-minister in the early years of the government of Amir Abbas Hoveyda and holding key positions in oil, finance and education. But it is his role as Chancellor of Pahlavi University, built on the American educational model, in the final years of the Iranian monarchy that he will be forever remembered. In his heyday this cheerful, elegantly dressed and urbane man who sported a bow-tie, a frizzy moustache and rim-glasses, had turned Pahlavi University (with the close cooperation of the University of Pennsylvania) into an international educational centre. Built on a hill, the main grounds of the university enjoyed a sprawling and pleasant campus with trees and rose bushes, lecture halls, a theatre, dormitories and state-of-the art facilities. Noted for the medical, nursing, veterinary, agriculture and liberal arts departments, high calibre Iranian and Western faculty, and co-ed student body, the university was ranked number one in the whole of Iran. For his good work the Shah awarded Dr Mehr with two of his nations highest medals, a rare honour for a non-Muslim Iranian. On the eve of the cataclysmic events that was about to hit Iran, Pahlavi University had achieved national and international status with many graduates looking forward to a bright future. Dr Farhang Mehr was already in his eighth year as Chancellor when nationwide political unrest and anti-shah violence in the streets spilled over to the University. During the troubles Dr Mehr did his best to intercede on behalf of leftist students arrested by the security forces only to watch in horror as Islamic radicals - men in beards and women in black chadors - disrupted classes, burned books, chanted slogans and threw bricks at windows. On 16 January 1979, after months of violence and mass protests against his rule, the Shah who had ruled Iran for 37 years finally abandoned power and left his battered kingdom. A month later, Ayatollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of the revolution, came back from Paris exile and swept away the last pillars of the Pahlavi dynasty. After the collapse of the Imperial Army and the victory of the Islamic forces, hundreds of former officials connected to the Shah were arrested and executed. These events and the death threats against Dr Mehr was enough for his devoted wife of sixteen years Parichehre, to beg him to go into hiding. One day Dr Mehr simply vanished from Shiraz with the revolutionary authorities issuing a warrant for his immediate arrest. Moving from one safe house to another in Tehran, Dr Mehr finally made his escape. It was later in exile that he revealed his daring flight to my father when we met him at our apartment in France. Aided by Kurdish smugglers, wearing a beard, carrying fake papers and riding on a horse, Dr Mehr had crossed over the Iranian border into Turkey to freedom. From Istanbul he had flown to Paris. The one time proud chancellor was now, like many other Iranian exiles walking the streets of foreign capitals, a refugee, a downcast figure. Unable to return to Iran where certain death awaited him, Dr Mehr eventually immigrated to the USA where in 1981 he was reunited with his wife and three children: Mehrdad, Mehran and Mitra. They too had been forced to escape through the harrowing mountains. Before leaving Dr Mehrs wife had hurriedly buried all the family valuables in a hole she dug in the backyard. To their dismay they later learned that their house had been confiscated by the Islamic revolutionary court and sold. Sadly, the new owners razed it to build a high-rise apartment. The Mehr family often joked that one day someone will dig up the grounds and discover a treasure. It wasn't until the mid-1980s while I was finishing my studies at Villanova University, that I met Dr Mehr at a seminar on the Middle East. Nothing had changed in him physically along with his signature looks. As a leading Professor of International Relations at Boston University he was in his element talking about the country he had left behind and the bloody and disastrous Iran-Iraq war. It was after the talk that I had introduced myself and although now a few years older than the young man he had known during my schooldays in Shiraz, we retired to the cafeteria for drinks. My parents had known Dr Mehr and his wife during their time in Iran and his children had attended my international community school. The man before me had taken me into his confidence, showing interest in my studies in political science and offering his advice. Later that afternoon I had spent a few good hours talking and reminiscing with Dr Mehr, quizzing him about the Shah and the fate of so many of his colleagues either killed like Hoveyda or driven underground or out of Iran by the fanatical mullahs. Although his life had been turned upside down, he was thankful to be alive. Yet his sorrow over what had happened to our homeland was etched on his face like the faces of so many other patriotic and professional Iranians uprooted by history and part of the Persian Diaspora. I never saw Dr Farhang Mehr again but a year after his retirement as a Professor Emeritus he told his story in a book called Triumph over Discrimination. Written by Laylah M. Alphonse and published in 2000 the account only confirmed Dr Mehr's life-one of surmounting adversity. Rebuilding his life in America, Dr Mehr never forgot his past or ancestral roots. Decades after the revolution, the reformist President Khatami, invited him back to Iran to attend a congress on Zoroastrianism. In a famous moment Dr Mehr, always immaculately dressed, eloquently asked the president of the Islamic republic to amend several discriminatory laws against the 25,000 Zoroastrians living in Iran. Khatami promised to look into it and praised Dr Mehr as one of the countrys eminent scholars and learned men. It was the last time Dr Mehr set foot in his homeland. A modern, liberal and secular man, he continued to write in scholarly journals, gave lectures and travelled the world speaking about his religious faith and spreading its peaceful creed of truth and goodness. Over the long years away from his birthplace he appeared on numerous television and radio programs. News of his death in Southern California has plunged his family and friends into mourning. However, the memory of his services to Iran and his Zoroastrian community lives on. Cyrus Kadivar, Author of Farewell Shiraz: An Iranian memoir of Revolution and Exile. London, United Kingdom Supreme Leader Khamenei Claims Iran's 'Enemies' Behind Anti-Hijab Protests 03/09/18 Source: RFE/RL Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has accused foreign "enemies" of funding recent protests over the compulsory hijab. Khamenei's remarks in a March 8 speech were his most extensive public comments on a series of peaceful acts of protest in which dozens of women have removed their head scarves in public and waved them on sticks. "As a result, some girls were deceived and removed their veil here and there," Khamenei said. Khamenei dismissed the protests as a "small issue," but added: "What I find worrying is that some of the elite are now questioning the mandatory hijab." He said that some of the country's "journalists, intellectuals, and clerics" may be "unknowingly" following "the path of the enemy." Earlier this year, Iranian authorities announced they had detained 29 women who had removed their head scarves as part of a campaign against the country's mandatory Islamic dress code. The dress code, which requires women to cover their hair and body in public, became compulsory following the 1979 revolution that ended the largely secular rule of the Western-backed shah and set up a political system dominated by a clerical establishment. Women who challenge the rule face harassment, fines and prison terms. This week, prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that a woman who removed her head scarf in public has been sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to "encourage corruption through the removal of the hijab in public." Khamenei defended the dress code, asserting that the hijab provides women with "immunity." Based on reporting by IRNA, Khamenei.ir, and AFP Seyed-Emami Family: Iran is "Trying to Prevent Us From Rebuilding Our Lives" 03/09/18 Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran Upon arriving in Vancouver, Canada, on March 8, 2018, the sons of Kavous Seyed-Emami-the Iranian-Canadian academic who died in Tehrans Evin Prison last month-issued a statement about the chaotic ordeal they have suffered at the hands of the Iranian Judiciary and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since their father was pronounced dead on February 9. Ramin and Mehran Seyed-Emami In addition to harassing the remaining family members, the authorities today prevented Kavous Seyed-Emamis wife from traveling to Canada with her sons. The passport of Maryman Mombeini was confiscated at Tehrans Imam Khomeini International Airport before she could board the Vancouver-bound plane with her sons. To separate my mother from her two sons at such a time is cruel and inhumane. Today is International Womens Day, where we should be honoring women and mothers, wrote Ramin and Mehran Seyed-Emami in the statement obtained by by the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). The brothers added that their lives have been thrown into chaos and terror since their family was told Kavous Seyed-Emami committed suicide in his cells bathroom. The family and UN human rights experts have called for an independent investigation into Seyed-Emamis case. Ramin Seyed-Emami at Vancouver airport. His father, an Iranian-Canadian professor, died suspiciously in a Tehran prison in January. His mother has now been blocked from leaving Iran. pic.twitter.com/3UBRYc7DpC Sunny Dhillon (@TheSunnyDhillon) March 8, 2018 In a statement issued today, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the Canadian government calls on the Government of Iran to immediately give Maryam Mombeini, a Canadian citizen, the freedom to return home. We will continue to demand answers from the Government of Iran on the circumstances surrounding the detention and death of Mr. Seyed-Emami, added the statement. Kavous Seyed-Emami #KavousSeyedEmami Read the full statement below. On behalf of the Seyed Emami family, we would like to thank everyone who has stood by us during these difficult times. To be at the receiving end of so much kindness and love is overwhelming and a testament to what our father stood for. To lose a father who was so kind and caring, under such heart-wrenching circumstances, would have been impossible to endure without such support. Instead of being able to grieve the loss of our father in peace, we have been forced to endure constant threats and harassment by the Iranian authorities. During the early hours of March 8, our mother was also banned from leaving the country just before we boarded our flight to Vancouver, Canada. They are trying to prevent us from rebuilding our lives together. Needless to say, the emotional damage and distress weve endured are beyond comprehension. To separate my mother from her two sons at such a time is cruel and inhumane. Today is International Womens Day, where we should be honouring women and mothers. The authorities have also confiscated our mothers Iranian passport to intimidate us into being silent about our fathers case. But we will not be silenced, and we will share our story with the hope that fellow Iranians and Canadians speak up, too. We are very grateful for the support we have received from Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and hope that it will be the first step towards Canada putting serious pressure on the Iranian government to immediately allow our mother to travel and be with us as soon as possible. We would also like to thank other Canadian officials, especially from Global Affairs Canada and also Willowdale MP Ali Ehsasi, who kept the line of communication open with us at all times during this nightmare. This chaotic ordeal-starting with our fathers unexpected arrest, the raiding of our home, and our fathers subsequent death, followed by smear campaigns, harassment and threats-has only been intensified now that the authorities have not allowed our mom to leave the country. We hope that the Iranian authorities inexcusable treatment of its innocent citizens will result in diplomatic and international consequences to show the responsible parties in the Iranian government that this behavior by security agencies and the judiciary is unacceptable. My fathers death will not be in vain. The least my brother and I can do is speak up to reveal Kavous Seyed-Emamis story-of a kind father, a loving husband, and respected Sociology professor of 27 years. He loved his country and should have never been arrested in the first place. I know he would be proud of us now. We have chosen to speak up. We have chosen love over fear. 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. I repeat, Rwanda is no hype! Rwanda is no hype! Some of you have seen it too. Tell them. Whiles we have been talking plenty and having needless arguments, they have been growing. And remember they had a devastating war to deal with. After 61 years of absolute freedom and peace; 1. We still have no idea how to manage sanitation 2. Seeing beggars and hawkers on our streets feel like normal 3. When you are in a trotro and you protest whenever the driver jumps red, drives on the kerb, or uses unauthorised and dangerous roads, you seem to be the abnormal one 4. We have 10,000 people in charge of security yet we handle security and it's attendant matters like we are still in 1624. 5. We still build narrow, opened drains in 2018 6. We build roads and then need to patch them up after 4 months - there are probably more patching companies than road contractors in Ghana 7. Our motorcyclists feel they are exempt from traffic regulations - the traffic lights were not made for them. 8. In the name of mourning, a section of us can break every common sense and traffic regulation and drive in unauthorised convoys as fast as race cars - just to go bury someone who is in no hurry to go anywhere. 9. People are comfortable throwing rubbish out of moving vehicles. Worse, people get out of their homes and dump rubbish into the gutters in front of their homes and somehow will blame everyone but themselves for the rain water that gushes into their bedrooms during rainfall. 10. We will threaten government with votes for daring to stop a few selfish folks who want to degrade our land and pollute our waters in their quest to make money for themselves 11. We demand monies from politicians and office holders and somehow get surprised that they loot our monies to maintain the lifestyles that we have pushed them in to. 12. We find it ok to frustrate investors and business people using bogus, bureaucratic processes to forestall their intentions But, we can grow out of this. We can be like Rwanda. Heck, we can be better than Rwanda. But we need to change. We need to change that psyche we have and our way of seeing things. We can't grow and change if we continue to do the same old things again and again. Let's change chale. That starts with us. You. Me. Us. Together. Source: Kwame Gyan/facebook 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 police at Kaneshie, Accra, have apprehended a young man for allegedly luring ladies and having sex with them under the pretext of securing them jobs at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). Ekow Aggrey, 23, according to the police, after sleeping with the ladies, steals their valuables, including mobile phones, and escapes. He was however, arrested after two of his victims, aged 19 and 20 years, reported the matter to the police. Briefing DAILY GUIDE, the Kaneshie District police commander, Superintendent Francis Somian, said in December last year, Aggrey became friends with one of the victims identified as Mercy Abena Asare, 22 and unemployed, through Facebook. In one of their chats, Aggrey told Mercy that he had a link at the Kotoka International Airport and that he could assist her get a job there. According to Supt Somian, after promising the lady the job, the suspect then lured her to a hotel in Accra and had sexual intercourse with her, after which he stole the victims mobile phone and bolted. The victim, he related, later called Aggrey several times on his phone but there was no answer. Using Mercys Facebook account on his mobile phone, Aggrey impersonated as Mercy and promised three of her (Mercys) friends, jobs at KIA. He then asked one of them with Facebook name Adomah Appiah, to meet him near Mr Biggs Restaurant, near the Nkrumah Interchange in Accra. He asked the victim to bring along her Curriculum Vitae and GH300 for the job recruitment processes. At the Nkrumah Interchange, Aggrey told Adomah that he was going to take the CV and the money and asked Adomah to go and buy him some water. He bolted with her bag containing an iPhone, GH700 and an iPad. Adomah then went to Mercys house to attack her for sending someone to steal her bag and phone. Mercy then told Adomah that somebody had stolen her phone and so the two came to the station to report the matter. Aggrey, the police officer said, used the same modus operandi to have sex with two other friends of Mercy identified on Facebook as Zinabu and Precious stole their valuables and escaped. Not satisfied, he sent a message to Valentina Amuzu, another friend of Mercys, but Mercy had told her friends about her stolen mobile phone and the nefarious activities of Aggrey. On February 14, 2018, the suspect was lured by Amuzu to meet her at Abossey Okai, a suburb of Accra, and was apprehended by the police when he honoured the invitation. Upon interrogation, Aggrey admitted the office, according to the commander. Source: Daily Guide 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 My attention has been drawn to news circulating on social media and other media portals which has my name tagged in with the caption "Kofi Boakye released guns to NDC criminals on orders" I would like to use this medium to state categorically clear and clear all the ambiguity in the minds of everyone that, I (Kwame Baffoe Abronye DC) have not made any such statement or whatsoever. I would however encourage the entire citizenry and the media to disregard, brush - off and discount the said apocryphal statement captured by the news portals. Furthermore, all who listened or have listened to my audio will bear witness with me that, the reportage circulating on social media is entirely contrary to the facts of my exact audio and as a matter of necessity, it must be deemed as a cooked - up story and more importantly a mendacious and distorted reportage. I would therefore like to once again emphasis that, in the audio, I was only making reference to certain guns which were seized by the Kofi Boakye (Ashanti Regional police commander) as he then was. Subsequently, the guns were reportedly migrated to Accra upon the instructions and orders of the top police command. It must be noted that, as at the time the guns were seized, Kofi Boakye was not at the National headquarters of the police command. I was thereby demanding for the current where about of those allegedly seized ammunitions by the then regional Commander. I further requested for the where about of ammunitions which were also seized in the volta region prior to the 2016 general elections. It could be established therefore at this point that, the heavily counterfactual reportage should be disdained and overlooked. Thank You Kwame Baffoe Abronye DC NPP Regional Youth Organizer (B/A) Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Leader and Founder of Glorious Word and Power Ministries International, Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah says some detractors and saboteurs of state are scheming to assassinate the President, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah who stopped short of mentioning names, warned those habouring such intentions to desist from it or he will be forced to expose them. The renowned man of God, who disclosed on Okay FM's programme "Ade Akye Abia" in an interview, added that the creation of the office of the Special Prosecutor is the reason for this diabolical plan. "God has revealed to me that some people who are not happy about the creation of the Special Prosecutor's office by the president HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are planning to assassinate him . . . They are planning to use any means possible necessary, either through poisoning or accident, but I am warning them to stop else I will put out their names", he warned. In February this year, Mr. Martin Amidu who was appointed by the president to occupy the office of the special prosecutor, was sworn in at the Flagstaff House in the presence of the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Attorney General and other government officials after he had been vetted by the Appointments Committee of parliament and unanimously approved by same. At his swearing-in, President Akufo-Addo, whose adrenaline to fight corruption is very high, reminded him (Amidu) of the high expectations of the citizenry. The Ghanaian people expect the office of the special prosecutor to rise to the challenge and to the occasion, and collaborate with other existing law enforcement agencies to fight relentlessly and help eliminate corruption in our public life. We expect the special prosecutor to discharge his duties vigorously with courage without fear or favour, ill will or malice, in accordance with the rule of law, the President added. Prophet Owusu Bempah, who does not shy away from controversies, believed the president is doing a yeoman's job in running the country's affairs and deserves the support of all Ghanaians in his fight against corruption. "We cannot have some people who will want to destabilize the country or undermine its development for their own selfish and parochial interest", he added. The renowned Man of God also dismissed reports that he had recently tagged the ruling party, the New Patriotic Party as corrupt. "I have never said that the NPP government is corrupt. I remember granting an interview on Okay FM on a number of issues but I never described the NPP government as corrupt", he added. Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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 York Symphony Orchestra has planned for a year-long trip around the world of music, and their next concert will take them to Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic Celebration concert on March 10 is their next stop on the "season-long world tour," said conductor Lawrence Golan. The concert will be held in York's Appell Center, and will feature soloist Jerry O'Sullivan on the uilleann pipes -- a traditional Irish instrument dating back to the mid-18th century. Unlike its more famous cousin, the Highland pipes of Scotland, the uilleann pipes aren't powered by the performer blowing into them. Instead, they operate via using a small bellows attached to the instrument. "We found that Jerry O'Sullivan is the go-to guy for Irish bagpipes," Golan said. "There's a film called 'Far and Away' that starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, with music by the king of film composers, John Williams. When they needed a piper for that film, they called Jerry O'Sullivan." O'Sullivan's resume also includes session work for recording artists, including an appearance on a Grammy Award-winning Celtic album from the Boston Pops Orchestra, in addition to a career as a soloist. He inherited his love of Irish music from his family, some of whom were first-generation immigrants. "My dad came to New York [from Ireland] in the '50s, and my mom's family came in the mid-1920s," O'Sullivan said. "My grandfather was from the west of Ireland, County Mayo. This was the music of his youth, traditional Irish dance music. He'd play LPs, and we were very close, I was his little buddy. And I'd sit with him and listen to the records." After listening to recordings of the uilleann pipe, O'Sullivan finally came to own one on a visit to Ireland, where he discovered a retired police officer living down the road from his family made the instruments by hand. The Celtic Celebration concert will feature Mendhelssons' Scottish Symphony, inspired by the composer's visit to Scotland, as well as "The Brendan Voyage" by Irish composer Sean Davey. The latter work is inspired by the tale of St. Brendan the Voyager, who supposedly sailed from Ireland to the New World in a leather boat, 900 years before Columbus. "Each movement depicts a different part of the journey - Iceland, Newfoundland, Labrador," Golan said. "In general, the pipes depict the boat, and the orchestra depicts the environment along the way." "It's very interesting what Sean Davey was doing," O'Sullivan said. "I think he was ahead of his time, really -- a lot of variety. It's sort of two sides of the culture. The folk music is very old, tied in with the Irish Gaelic language, and then you had the music of the Anglo-Irish families. And frequently there was a synthesis. They're both wonderful, different flavors." "They can expect a wonderful balance between standard classical music, and something new and fresh and exciting that they've never heard before," Golan said. "I think it's a wonderful balance between the two, and they can expect to see the best of both worlds." Tickets for the Celtic Celebration concert range from $5-$45. For more info, visit the York Symphony Orchestra website. One employee at Advanced Cooling Technologies, a Lancaster technology company was injured after an explosion Friday morning, according to an LNP report. Lancaster city fire Captain Jason Greer told the newspaper that the employee was going through a routine process with a blast furnace machine when the explosion happened and a glass tube on the machine fragmented and caused moderate to severe lacerations to the employee who was transported to Lancaster General Hospital. Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc. is a thermal management solutions company located at 1046 New Holland Ave. Some voters in Dauphin County will be casting their ballots in a new location, and others may see a few upgrades to their current polling places. It's all part of a settlement agreement reached between the U.S. Department of Justice and the county to make their polling places compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some of these upgrades will be simple fixes, Dauphin County Director of Elections Jerry Feaser said. Others, however, will require changing the polling place all together, and not everyone is happy about it. Cumberland County reached a similar agreement recently to fix what officials there called "minor issues" with 36 of 52 surveyed polling places Feaser said a similar survey was done in 2015 in Dauphin County. It involved 52 of the county's 150 polling places, and 50 of them were found to be out of ADA compliance, but he added 34 of those could be fixed with temporary solutions on Election Day. "Some of these are as simple as putting an orange cone in front of a water fountain," Feaser said. Other simple fixes include portable ramps, floor mats and rearranging the furniture. "Some are going to be a little more challenging," he added. There are still 16 locations that need to be addressed by either paying for ADA-compliant upgrades or finding new polling places -- a process has already started. On Wednesday, the county's election board voted to merge the First and Second precincts of Steelton's Second Ward into a single polling place. They did the same thing with the First and Second precincts of the Third Ward. All Second Ward voters will now cast their ballots at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 221 S. 2nd St., Steelton, and Third Ward voters will go to the Steelton Volunteer Fire Company, 184 N. Front St., Steelton, on Election Day. Feaser said this not only eliminated two sites that were found to have issues in the DOJ survey, but it made sense due to a low voter turnout with 68 people in one of those precincts, and a difficulty finding poll works in another. The Prince of Peace and St. John's Lutheran churches will no longer be polling places in Steelton. Last month, the board voted to move Derry Township's Second Precinct from the All Saints Episcopal Church, 310 Elm Ave., to the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Ave. Those voters will be notified by mail of the change, and the county's website has been updated with the changes, as well. The board was also going to move the Harrisburg First Ward First Precinct in the Shipoke neighborhood from the Comfort Inn to the UPMC Pinnacle Health/Life Team Facility on Paxton Street, but several voters showed up to oppose this move. Mary Beth Follett, president of the Shipoke Neighborhood Association, told the board that the Comfort Inn is the ideal location because most voters in the precinct can walk there. A move would put the polling place across a busy street and in an inconvenient location, she said. But Feaser said options for polling places are limited there, and that is the best location he could find for Shipoke voting. But the board agreed to put off the change until after the May primary to allow him to explore other options. The Comfort Inn, which he noted has been a good partner with the county, was out of compliance with the DOJ's survey, but they also serve alcohol - a violation of the state election code, Feaser said. The county has until March 31, 2020 to bring the cited polling places into compliance, according to the agreement. There hasn't been a significant cost for the county beyond informing voters of the moves - which usually comes to about $1,000 per voting district. But Feaser said the county will soon bring on a contractor to help determine which would be the better option -- moving polling places or upgrading them. Wanted Poster for David Bell Harrisburg police along with the U.S. marshals task force arrested a fugitive Thursday night wanted for murder in Arkansas who had been hiding in Harrisburg since February. Pennsylvania State Police also helped in the arrest of David Bell, 27, about 8 p.m. in the 1900 block of Boas Street in Allison Hill. Bell was wanted out of North Little Rock in connection with the Jan. 26 shooting death of Zechariah Jones, 33, in his home. Police got information that Bell may be hiding out in the capital city and officers surrounded the home Thursday night. Other officers knocked on the door and were let inside by the residents. Officers confronted a man who matched the appearance of Bell, but he denied his identity. Police arrested him without incident and found a bullet-resistant vest among his belongings in the bedroom where he was staying. The people hosting him did not know he was wanted, said Police Chief Thomas Carter. They thought he was homeless and were trying to help him. No gun was recovered from the home. Bell was booked into the Dauphin County Jail, where he will await extradition to Arkansas. Bell was the last of three suspects to be arrested in connection with the home invasion robbery and killing of Jones. All three were charged with capital murder, aggravated robbery and theft of property. They were considered "armed and dangerous." The other two suspects were arrested within a week of the crime. Jones' relatives told reporters in Arkansas they believed the killers knew Jones and took advantage of him after figuring out he had some money. "They took advantage of his kindness," Jones' aunt told the television station KATV." They came in strictly to rob him, they knew that he had some money because he had helped them." The aunt, Dene-Wyatts, also said Jones' fiancee begged for the killers to spare her life and the lives of her two children, ages 3 and 7, in the terrifying crime. Carter said he was glad police could peacefully arrest Bell. He said the city's Street Crimes Unit worked with state police and the marshals task force to ensure everything went smoothly. The marshals task force served a warrant in the city in January that ended with two officers wounded and the death of a deputy marshal after a man inside the home shot at them. The marshals task force, comprised of two deputies, and a collection of local officers, served 25 warrants in Harrisburg during the last fiscal year, according to a spokeswoman. A 40-year-old Cumberland County man is accused of taking several items from a Cumberland County business during a burglary last month. Carlisle police say Martin Alexander Strom is responsible for the Feb. 13 burglary of Fabric Center on the first block of Pomfret Street. The business owner reported a laptop, cash, checkbooks and a debit card had been stolen. Police said several checks were cashed at Santander bank using the stolen debit card. Several suspects were identified, including Strom, who is accused of stealing about $3,500. Strom faces 29 felony counts and two misdemeanor counts stemming from the burglary, forgery and theft. He is being held at Cumberland County Prison on $50,000 bail and is schedule for a preliminary hearing March 14. Harrisburg-based Hamilton Health Center plans to open a satellite center near Newport in Perry County in May, serving an area where many people have long lacked easy access to medical and dental care. The center also will provide access to medications that can help people overcome addiction to heroin and opioid painkillers, and case managers to assist them along the road of recovery. The services will be housed at 46 Red Hill Court in Howe Township in a commercial strip that contains a pharmacy and several other health care businesses. The location is about 30 miles from Harrisburg in a rural county that has no local hospital and has long faced a shortage of health care providers. The staff at the new center will include a physician and nurse practitioner. Most of the staff has been hired, said Jeannine Peterson, the executive director of Hamilton. "All but one of the staff are residents of Perry County," she said. The site will also provide dental care, but the service isn't expected to be in place until fall, Peterson said. Plans further call for Hamilton to eventually partner with a provider that will offer mental health care at the location, Peterson said. Hamilton is a federally-qualified health center which receives support from the government. While it takes all forms of health insurance, many of its clients are covered by Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for people with lower incomes. The addiction services are an extension of those offered by Hamilton in Harrisburg as one of Pennsylvania's 45 "Centers for Excellence." The centers were created in response to the opioid addiction crisis. They offer a team of professionals who work with people trying to recover from addiction, helping them navigate the drug treatment system and also connecting them to services in areas such as employment and housing if needed. The people who are addicted get their actual treatment from outside providers. However, the Hamilton doctors, including the one in Perry, are qualified to prescribe medications including buprenorphine and Vivitrol. Those medications can quell the craving and withdrawal from opioids, and when combined with counseling, are considered the best evidence-supported treatment for opioid addiction. Another goal of the centers is to make sure people trying to recover from addiction get whatever medical care they need. With the opening of the Perry facility, people from the area will be able to being the process of getting help there, obtain medication and meet with their caseworker. Renovations at the Perry County site are in the final stage. Hamilton raised $450,000 to cover the cost of renovations and early operation costs as the facility builds a patients base. Much of the money came from grants from organizations including the Perry County Health Care Coalition, the Cumberland County-based Partnership for Better Health and several private businesses. Perry County has long scored low on assorted health indicators, especially residents with lower incomes and limited access to transportation. Hamilton opted to locate a facility there after being approached by the non-profit Perry County Health Care Coalition. Saying police had probable cause to arrest him, a state appeals court Friday overturned a jury's $1 million damage award to a man who was acquitted of homicide by vehicle charges in the death of a Philadelphia cop. The ruling by the Commonwealth Court panel comes nearly two years after the Philadelphia jury sided with Kareem Alleyne in his wrongful prosecution lawsuit against three city police officers. Alleyne contended the trio falsely accused him of deliberately killing Officer Mark Brady in a car-bicycle accident in July 2012. As Judge P. Kevin Brobson noted in the state court opinion, Brady was riding a bicycle on a dark rainy night when he collided with Alleyne's car, which then ran over him. Alleyne was charged with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter, but was found not guilty by a Philadelphia County judge during his criminal trial in June 2014. Weeks after his acquittal, Alleyne filed his lawsuit against Detectives George Pirrone and James Pitts and Lieutenant Philip Riehl. Alleyne claimed the officers had no real evidence against him and that he was targeted for prosecution simply because they knew he and Brady had a history of personal disputes. That friction arose because Alleyne was dating the mother of Brady's children, court filings state. In voiding the $1 million verdict, Brobson found Alleyne's history with Brady, Alleyne's own statement that he accelerated his car when he spotted Brady on the bicycle, plus evidence that Alleyne made no evasive maneuver before the crash "support a reasonable suspicion that Alleyne committed a crime." Police and prosecutors therefore had legal grounds to at least charge him, Brobson concluded. "The law does not require that every flawed investigation or failure to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt be vindicated by a subsequent lawsuit," he wrote. "Civil liability does not flow automatically from a weak criminal case." A Philadelphia area psychiatrist, a Blair County pediatrician and her paramour face charges in two separate opioid prescription writing schemes, according to a news release from the office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Dr. Bruce Lief, 77, of Wayne, is accused of illegally prescribing nearly 25,000 oxycodone, OxyContin, methadone and other pills to at least four patients. Dr. Rebecca Lee Delbaggio, 46, is accused of writing oxycodone and Xanax prescriptions Andrew C. Smithmyer, 26, of Altoona, who is also charged. Shapiro said in the news release that his office is working to combat illegal diversions of prescription drugs on multiple fronts. That led to 72 percent more arrests of those who illegally diverted prescriptions last year and led to charges against 216 people. Shapiro's statement also pointed to the tip received by a that led to police investigating Lief's suspicious prescription activity. That pharmacist at Whitemarsh Pharmacy in Whitemarsh Township, discovered that the opioid prescription written by Lief was intended for a person living in a nursing home. She later found that nursing home staff administered the medication. The patient's son or a daughter-in-law regularly filled the prescription, which caused the pharmacist to look into the matter initially, according to the news release. When she called Lief to ask about the prescription, he wouldn't straightforwardly discuss the matter, officials said. The pharmacist subsequently noted the patient's file so that staff wouldn't fill the prescription. Lief was later questioned by investigators and claimed he ran a pain management practice in addition to his psychiatric practice. Lief told authorities he was prescribing opioids to the son of the Whitemarsh pharmacy patient, whose file triggered the suspicion. When staff at the nursing home where the patient lived asked about the excess prescriptions, the man moved out of the nursing home, officials said. In another interview, Lief admitted he wasn't certified to practice pain management, but said he was competent enough to prescribe pain medications. One of Lief's pain management patients visited his practice while authorities were present and paid $240 cash for a prior visit, according to the news release. That's when Lief told investigators his pain management clients paid in cash and he admitted to prescribing an "excessive amount of opioids" because he needed the money to pay bills, officials said. Records showed that Lief didn't physically examine patients or require them to be present when he wrote the prescriptions, according to the attorney general's office. Delbaggio similarly did not review medical records, perform a medical examination or check the state's drug monitoring program before writing Smithmyer prescriptions for 780 pills. Additionally, Smithmyer was not a patient at her pediatric practice, officials said. When interviewed by authorities, Delbaggio told investigators she knew Smithmyer was a heroin addict. She confided with a colleague she purchased a car for Smithmyer and had given him more than $50,000 during their relationship. Officials said she wrote the prescriptions so that Smithmyer could sell them and pay her back. Lief faces 12 felony counts for illegally prescribing the opioid pills. Delbaggio faces 15 felony and 18 misdemeanor counts for illegally prescribing the pills. Smithmyer faces 15 felony counts for receiving the controlled substances illegally prescribed by Delbaggio. All are free on unsecured bail and are scheduled for preliminary hearings later this month. "These illegal diversions are driving this terrible epidemic," Shapiro said in a statement. "We're doing whatever it takes across our Commonwealth to attack this problem in doctors' offices, medical offices - and anywhere anyone is illegally diverting prescription drugs. Thanks to strong law enforcement collaboration, these doctors will face justice." By Jack Schneider and David Menefee-Libey The Gates Foundation is regrouping after its latest school improvement disappointment, but it's not bowing out of the education reform business. As the philanthropic powerhouse led by Bill and Melinda Gates explained in their latest annual letter to the public, it ended its effort to overhaul teacher evaluation systems after determining that these efforts were failing to generate intended results. "We haven't seen the large impact we had hoped for," the Microsoft founder and his wife wrote in the note they published in February. Bill Gates, speaking at the 2009 'Get Schooled' conference his foundation co-sponsored. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong It's a familiar storyline. Again and again, policymakers and philanthropists have teamed up to reform public education, only to find that their bold projects have fallen short. Like other educational policy scholars, we have observed this pattern for years. And we have identified a few reasons why school reform efforts so persistently get lackluster results, despite consistent bipartisan support and roughly US$4 billion a year in philanthropic funding derived from some of the nation's biggest fortunes. Shiny objectives The Gates Foundation (which is a strategic partner of The Conversation US and provides funding for The Conversation internationally) poured at least $700 million into upgrading teacher evaluation systems between 2008 and 2013, before quietly pulling the plug. The move echoed a similar about-face that occurred decade ago, when the funder acknowledged that the $2 billion it had spent on making America's large high schools smaller hadn't achieved the desired results. But Gates is hardly the only major philanthropist to come up short. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan spent $100 million of their own money to improve the Newark school system, in an effort that attracted another $100 million from other donors. Their goal in New Jersey, according to journalist Dale Russakoff, was to "develop a model for saving public education in all of urban America." The results, chronicled in Russakoff's 2016 book "The Prize," were mixed at best. Though some education scholars have detected improvements in Newark, and test scores have edged up since the experiment, it generally failed to meet the funders' lofty goals. Leaders in government have also been active in the school reform game. Ever since 1983, when the Reagan administration published its "A Nation at Risk" report bemoaning the quality of American public education, politicians have rallied public support for plans to overhaul the nation's education system. Over the past quarter century, they have backed the creation of curricular standards and high-stakes standardized tests. And they have championed privately operated charter schools as a replacement for traditional public schools, along with vouchers and other subsidies to defray the cost of private school tuition. Along the way, reformers - those in government and the philanthropic world alike - have made big promises that American voters have often found irresistible, even though these grandiose proposals have tended to fall short. Not wavering Many other billionaires support education reform efforts, including the families of homebuilder and insurance mogul Eli Broad, late Walmart founder Sam Walton and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Individually, their projects have differed. While Gates has favored small schools and teacher evaluation, Broad's foundation has emphasized charter schools and training school superintendents. Collectively, however, they have sought to transform the way schools look and operate. All have encountered setbacks. Still, the larger ethos of reform hasn't changed, and none of these billionaires appear to be wavering in their efforts. For their part, lawmakers have been equally committed to large-scale reform. From George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind to Barack Obama's Race to the Top and the Every Student Succeeds Act that he signed into law in 2015, the federal government has taken a highly interventionist approach to education policy. Educators, scholars and policymakers now almost universally regard No Child Left Behind as a washout. And many critiques of Obama-era reform efforts have been equally blistering. But the core approach to federal education policy has not markedly changed. The chief reason that all this activity has produced so little change, in our view, is that the movement's populist politics encourage reformers to make promises beyond what they can reasonably expect to deliver. The result, then, is a cycle of searing critique, sweeping proposal, disappointment and new proposal. Indeed, the Gates Foundation announced in October 2017 that it would carry on with its education reform efforts, putting $1.7 billion into new strategies to bolster K-12 education. Betsy DeVos, shaking hands at a school choice rally a few weeks before she became education secretary in 2017. AP Photo/Maria Danilova Cookie cutters Beyond this dysfunctional cycle, the other big reason the school reform movement has consistently come up short has to do with an approach that is both too narrow and too generic. Ever since 1966, when Johns Hopkins University sociologist James S. Coleman determined in his government-commissioned report that low-income children of color benefit from learning in integrated settings, most education researchers have agreed that economic inequality and social injustice are among the most powerful drivers of educational achievement gaps. What students achieve in a school, in other words, reflects their living conditions outside its walls. Yet rather than addressing the daunting issues like persistent poverty that shape children's lives and interfere with their learning, education reformers have largely embraced a management consultant approach. That is, they seek systems-oriented solutions that can be assessed through bottom-line indicators. This approach fails to address the core problems shaping student achievement at a time when researchers like Sean Reardon at Stanford University find that income levels are more correlated with academic achievement than ever and the gap between rich students and less affluent kids is growing. At the same time, reformers have tried to enact change at the largest possible scale. To work everywhere, however, education reforms must be suitable for all schools, regardless of their particular circumstances. This cookie-cutter approach ignores educational research. Scholars consistently find that schools don't work that way. We believe, as others do, that successful schools are thriving ecosystems adapted to local circumstances. One-size-fits-all reform programs simply can't have a deep impact in all schools and in every community. Unfortunately for the Gates Foundation and their allies, successful K-12 reform probably requires abandoning this one-size-fits-all approach. That, however, is unlikely to happen. "We've learned a lot about what works in education, but the challenge has been to replicate the successes widely," Bill and Melinda Gates wrote in their letter. Entrepreneurial outsiders Perhaps this flawed approach to education reform has survived year after year of disappointing results because policy leaders, donors and politicians tend not to challenge each other on the premise that the ideal of school reform requires a sweeping overhaul - even though they may disagree about the best route. Additionally, many leading reformers generally subscribe to the ethos of educational entrepreneurism. They consider visionary leadership as essential, even when leaders have scant relevant professional experience. That was the case with DeVos before she became President Donald Trump's education secretary and it seems to be true of Laurene Powell Jobs. The widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, a supporter of the Democratic Party who worked on Wall Street before starting a family, is now out to revamp American high schools. As outsiders operating within a complex system, however, reformers often fail take the messy real-world experiences of U.S. schools into account. The Conversation Finally, the reformers see . Rather than second-guess their approach when their plans come up short, they may just believe that they placed the wrong bet. As a result, the constant blare of pitches and promises continues. And it's possible that none of them will ever measure up. Jack Schneider is an assistant professor education at the College of the Holy Cross. David Menefee-Libey is a professor of politics and the coordinator of the Program in Public Policy Analysis at Pomona College. They wrote this piece for The Conversation, where it first appeared. When you think of St. Patrick's Day parades, what springs to mind? Perhaps a surge of green, a peal of bagpipes, a procession of community groups, local businesses, politicos, fire engines and participants of all ages. A festive occasion for the whole community. But that wasn't always the case. Fallout shelters sparked controversy in central Pennsylvania during Cold War: 5 facts In late 19th-century Harrisburg, these parades were seen as unnecessary, obnoxious, even un-American, according to newspaper articles at the time. But after Irish groups stopped holding the St. Patrick's Day parade in the 1870s, Harrisburg residents' perceptions of the holiday evolved. The holiday started to appeal to residents of non-Irish ethnicities and merchants, and St. Patrick's Day became a commercial holiday comparable to Valentine's Day. Here are five facts about St. Patrick's Day in Harrisburg in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 1. St. Patrick's Day parades were viewed as un-American. St. Patrick's Day parades annoyed the Harrisburg Telegraph newspaper. It wasn't that the parades were too rowdy. How could they be when Roman Catholic temperance groups were marching in the 1876 and 1877 parades? And it wasn't because the Telegraph opposed the celebration of St. Patrick's Day. It didn't mind festivities celebrated privately or in churches. The parades annoyed the newspaper because they were importing foreign feuds, against Irish Protestants and the English, to America. "(Public) parades, with banners and music, calculated to stir up passions and resentments, which have no relations whatever to our nationality, are not only out of place, but so much out of order as to be an offense to our laws and a disturbance to the public peace," a Telegraph editorial stated in 1880. It made no sense for Irish immigrants to bring the "baleful influence" of a land stricken with bitter conflict to their adopted country, the Telegraph argued in another editorial that year. Doing so was "an antagonism of American interests." More from Joe McClure: The Ku Klux Klan in central Pennsylvania: 5 facts 6 must-read books about central Pennsylvania 5 must-read books about Harrisburg MLK's assassination helped bring Harrisburg's race problems to the surface What messages did the Harrisburg of 1960 send to the future? 2. Irish groups stopped holding St. Patrick's Day parades in 1878. Fortunately for the Telegraph, Harrisburg Irish groups held the last St. Patrick's Day parade of the era in 1877. They didn't conduct a parade in 1878 because the holiday fell on a Sunday, and lousy weather prevented a procession in 1879. But in 1880, they had another reason to forgo a parade: charity. A famine struck Ireland in 1879, so Irish groups in Harrisburg donated the money they would have spent on a parade to aid those suffering in their mother country. The suggestion to forgo a parade and instead send the money to Ireland was made two years before in a letter to the editor of the Harrisburg Independent, but it had a different purpose: funding an Irish rebellion. Tensions between England and Russia provided an opportunity for Ireland, according to the letter, which was signed "A Soldier of the Irish Republic." "Let the many patriotic Irishmen of Harrisburg take action," the letter urged. "Let them call a meeting and form themselves into an organized body, and I am sure they will meet with success - not only from the Irish people here, but from our American friends who would like to see (Ireland) what God willed she should be - great, glorious and free." At any rate, Harrisburg would not see another St. Patrick's Day parade for a long time. In recent times, the parade resumed in 1986. But that doesn't mean the day went unobserved. 3. St. Patrick's Day caught on among non-Irish. Each year on St. Patrick's Day in Harrisburg, solemn high Mass would be celebrated at St. Patrick's temporary cathedral in the morning. Irish-American groups such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians would also meet. In the evening, an Irish-themed lecture was given, usually by a priest. And, of course, Irish-Americans wore green. But at some point, wearing green on St. Patrick's Day caught on among residents who were not of Irish extraction. An 1893 Telegraph article about the holiday noted that black, German and Italian Harrisburg residents also donned sprigs of shamrock. According to a Harrisburg Independent article from 1900, the holiday was so popular that one couldn't conclude a person was Irish just because they were sporting a shamrock. 4. St. Patrick's Day became big business. In time, Harrisburg merchants started selling St. Patrick's Day accessories. One reporter described city shop windows in 1904 as "riotous in the emerald." The products ranged from the botanical ("genuine Irish shamrock" and green carnations), the musical (phonograph records of Irish songs), the festive (hats, pipes, shamrock-shaped napkins, boxes shaped like potatoes), the ironic (travel bags labeled with Irish cities) and the libationary (whiskey). Newspaper society pages exploded with St. Patrick's Day socials, activities and instructions for throwing a party. With so many gifts given and postcards mailed, St. Patrick's Day resembled other holidays. "(T)he giving of presents on this day almost assumed a Christmas or Valentine Day aspect," the Telegraph reported in 1903. 5. Commercialism signaled a growing acceptance of Irish-Americans. The growing commercialism associated with St. Patrick's Day showed that Irish-Americans were gaining acceptance. This was best symbolized in a front-page cartoon in The (Harrisburg) Star-Independent on March 16, 1912. The illustration, titled "The Irish-American," showed a grinning Uncle Sam wearing a leprechaun top hat and smoking a clay pipe with shamrocks adorning his clothing. Even the Telegraph, once hostile to St. Patrick's Day celebrations, now embraced them, saying in a 1909 editorial: "America has done much for the Irish, it is true; but it is no less true that the Irish have done much for America." Joe McClure is an embedded editor for PennLive/The Patriot-News. Email him at jmcclure@advancelocal.com, and follow him on Twitter: @jmcclure59. A publisher, a trail developer, a photographer and a host to thousands of Appalachian Trail hikers are the eighth class of Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame honorees. They will be inducted in the Appalachian Trail Museum Society's annual banquet on Friday, May 4, at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs. The publisher There was no one publication that spoke to the needs of backpackers until Bill Kemsley, of Taos, New Mexico, started "Backpacker Magazine" in 1973. At Backpacker, he published numerous articles and editorials on the Appalachian Trail. Bill Kemsley He lobbied, held meetings and testified before various hearings in Washington to pass HR8803 in 1978, providing $90 million for land acquisitions to permanently preserve the Appalachian Trail. He later co-founded the American Hiking Society. As the national voice for America's hikers, the American Hiking Society promotes and protects foot trails, their surrounding natural areas and the hiking experience. Kemsley also wrote books like "The Backpacker & Hikers Handbook," "The Whole Hikers Handbook" and "Backpacking Equipment." The trail developer Elizabeth Levers, of New York City, was known as the "Mother of the AT" in New York State. She played a key role in the early land acquisition planning for the trail in New York as well as setting the standard for trail management for that region. Elizabeth Levers She devoted her energies seven days a week to the AT after her retirement from an administrative post at Columbia University. Lever's disgust over the trashed conditions of Harriman Park shelters inspired the creation of Litter Day in 1965. Among her many trail-related roles, she served as president of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and director of the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy). The photographer George Masa, a photographer in Asheville, NC early in the 20th century, captured nature scenes that were instrumental in building support for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. An immigrant from Japan who arrived in the U.S. in 1914, Masa also laid out much of the route for the AT on the land that was eventually incorporated into the park. George Masa He was a founder and early leader of the Carolina Mountain Club and famously responsible for the club's motto, "More walk, less talk." Masa's photographs of Mount Oglethorpe contributed to its selection as the initial southern terminus of the AT. While Masa did not live to see the creation of the park or the completion of the AT, he is remembered in the naming of Masa Knob, near Charlie's Bunion. The trail host After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1988, Robert Peoples, of Hampton, Tennessee, decided to devote his life to hiking trails. He initially helped to maintain the Long Trail in Vermont, a portion of which is also the AT. Robert Peoples Then, in 1994, Bob and his late wife Pat purchased a cabin adjacent to the AT. near Hampton, and founded the legendary Kincora Hostel. Thousands of section and thru-hikers have received Bob's hospitality there. Each year, immediately after the Trail Days festival in Damascus, Virginia, Bob leads the Hard Core Crew, comprised of the current year's class of thru-hikers. For a couple of weeks, Bob and his crew take on the most difficult and challenging trail maintenance tasks on the AT, before they resume their adventure on the trail. Peoples is perhaps the AT's greatest living ambassador, inspiring young people who have experienced the Trail to give back afterwards. Seven classes have previously been elected to the AT Hall of Fame. The Charter Class, elected in 2011, comprised Myron Avery, Gene Espy, Ed Garvey, Benton MacKaye, Arthur Perkins and Earl Shaffer. Members of the 2012 class were Emma Gatewood, David A. Richie, J. Frank Schairer, Jean Stephenson and William Adams Welch. The 2013 Class was Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell and Everett Stone. The 2014 Class was A. Rufus Morgan, Charles R. Rinaldi, Clarence S. Stein and Pamela Underhill. The 2015 Class was Nestell K. Anderson, Margaret C. Drummond, Stanley A. Murray and Raymond H. Torrey. In 2016, Maurice J. Forrester, Jr., Horace Kephart, Larry Luxenberg and Henry Arch Nichols were inducted. The 2017 Class was Harlean James, Charles Parry, Mildred Norman Ryder and Matilda Wood. For more information about the banquet, visit https://2018athalloffamebanquet.eventbrite.com. For more about the Appalachian Trail: Lights on an internet switch are lit up in an office in Ottawa, on February 10, 2011. Two of Canada's biggest internet service providers are preparing to increase their subscriber prices.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld PC Ontario Leadership candidate Doug Ford speaks with journalists at the TVO studios in Toronto on Thursday, February 15, 2018. One of the candidates vying to seize the reins of Ontario's Opposition alleged Thursday that party "elites" were handpicking those who would be able to cast a ballot in the leadership election. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young National flags representing Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. are lit by stage lights at the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, renegotiations, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. The Conference Board of Canada is predicting a 0.5 per cent decline in the country's economy resulting in the loss of about 85,000 jobs within a year if the North American Free Trade Agreement is terminated. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Marco Ugarte Celebrity businessman and former Tory leadership hopeful Kevin O'Leary has been ordered to pay legal fees to a philanthropic organization that is suing him. Kevin O'Leary addresses a news conference in Toronto, Wednesday, April 26, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Ontario PC leadership candidates Tanya Granic Allen, Caroline Mulroney, Christine Elliott and Doug Ford pose for a photo after participating in a debate in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. Ontario's Progressive Conservative party is giving members even more time to sign up to cast their vote for a new leader.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang NATO's top military officer says the alliance is looking to boost its presence and ability to control the North Atlantic thanks to increased Russian activity in the region and climate change. Chairman of NATO Military Committee Gen. Petr Pavel speaks to the Canadian Press during an interview at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa on Friday, March 9, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick FILE - In this Oct. 13, 2017 file photo, former President Barack Obama, right, and former first lady Michelle Obama arrive for the first session of the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago. Barack Obama and Netflix reportedly are negotiating a deal for the former president and his wife, Michelle, to produce shows exclusively for the streaming service. The proposed deal was reported Friday, March 9, 2018, by The New York Times, which cited people familiar with the discussions who were not identified. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File) CORRECTS DAY TO FRIDAY INSTEAD OF THURSDAY - Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act in the governor's office at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, March 9, 2018. Scott is flanked by the victims' parents Jennifer Montalto, left, Ryan Petty, second from left, Andrew Pollack, right, and his son Hunter Pollack, second from right. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser) Art patron Erika Hoffmann stands in front of sculptures as the tours the Albertinum in Dresden, eastern Germany, Friday, March 9, 2018. The sculptures are among the 1200 works of the Hoffmann collection which were donated to the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden. (Oliver Killig/dpa via AP) FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2007 file photo, Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. A nonprofit watchdog group has asked the Justice Department and Office of Government Ethics to investigate whether a secret payment to Daniels made prior to the 2016 presidential election violated federal law because Donald Trump did not list it on his financial disclosure forms. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 file photo, light tributes are seen during a silent protest in memory of murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kusnirova, seen in photo, in Bratislava, Slovakia. In the wake of an unprecedented slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee, Slovakia turned in just few days from what seemed to be a stable European Union country into chaos. In a speech last month, President Andrej Kiska talked about his country as Ausuccessful, proud and self-confident.Au He used different words on Sunday, March 4 to say that Slovakia faces a "serious political crisis" that was triggered by the shooting deaths of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova.(AP Photo/Bundas Engler, file) Perryville football coach Brent Roth is already trying to erase the game from his memory. It is probably for a good reason, too.Perryville struggled to do anything well as Park Hills Central handed The Pirates finally put together what Perryville softball coach Lilly Pecaut called a complete game.Everything came together as Perryville got the offense and pitching to come away with The Perryville boys soccer team was able to show its resiliency in multiple ways as it got back into the win column. The Pirates bounced back from a lopsided loss to Notre Dame the week before, to St. Vincent makes Valle Catholic play in loss St. Vincent football coach Tim Schumer didnt want his team to look at the scoreboard following the game. The score may have said that the Valle Catholic Warriors won in a lopsided game, but Indians take advantage of miscues to claim first victory St. Vincent found itself down two scores midway through the third quarter, and despite the deficit, coach Tim Schumer was calm.The game was not over at that point, you have to play four Rushing attack leads Pirates to win over Owls The Perryville football team is quickly turning into a M.A.S.H. unit. With several players already nursing injuries from the previous week, they also threw in other players who were in quarantine. Click Here For Our Local Sports Page A Petersburg man in his second round of proceedings with the borough assembly has been approved to build a Scow Bay boat ramp that he will pay for. John Murgas, a boat hauler and owner of Island Ventures LLC, was green-lit by the assembly on Monday to lease tidelands and construct a temporary boat ramp at the Scow Bay Turnaround. The Petersburg Harbor Board, Planning Commission and Economic Development Council all recommended the assembly approve a lease for Murgas. The purpose of the ramp is to launch and haul boats when there are prevailing southerly winds and waves, Murgas says. It's... Oil edges up Friday as U.S. President Trump set to meet North Korea's Kim By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE Petroleumworld 03 09 2018 Crude oil futures rose on Friday as Asian stock markets gained on news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The two will likely meet by May and Kim has pledged to refrain from further nuclear or missile tests, South Korea's national security chief said late on Thursday after briefing White House officials on talks between Seoul and Pyongyang. The White House said Trump would accept the invitation at a place and time to be determined. The news lifted Asian stocks markets, and pulled crude oil futures along with them, traders said. Brent crude futures were at $63.79 per barrel at 0625 GMT, up 18 cents, or 0.3 percent, from their previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $60.25 a barrel, up 13 cents, or 0.23 percent. Despite these increases, Brent and WTI are on course for weekly declines of almost 1 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Traders said the weakness is due to soaring output from the United States, which has risen by 23 percent since the middle of 2016, to 10.37 million barrels per day (bpd). The market continues to struggle to shake off an excess supply... (boosted) by increased supply from a growing U.S. shale patch, ANZ Bank said on Friday. Thanks largely to shale drilling, the United States now produces more crude than top exporter Saudi Arabia. Only Russia pumps more, at almost 11 million bpd. It seems only a matter of time before the U.S. becomes the biggest oil producer in the world. The main question which keeps investors busy is when exactly this will be reached, Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at Dutch bank ABN Amro, said in a note to investors. Unlike Middle East producers, where output is largely dictated by state-owned oil companies, U.S. producers drill and sell purely based on economics. If prices remain at current levels or rise further, U.S. drillers are profitable and will raise output; if prices stumble, U.S. production will fall. The correlation between the U.S. oil production and the oil prices will remain considerable, van Cleef said. As much as production, oil prices will also depend on demand. Here, there are signs of a slowdown, although much of this could be seasonal as the Northern Hemisphere winter ends. Iran's crude and condensate exports are set to fall by 21 percent in March, compared with the previous month, to 1.94 million bpd, according to a source with knowledge of the tanker schedules. That is the lowest since March 2016. Compared to a year ago, March liftings from Iran will be down 26 percent. Guyana's government making feeble attempts to defend ExxonMobil contract Jagdeo By Kaieter News GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 03 09 2018 Stating that government is fully responsible for the poorly-negotiated contract with ExxonMobil and its partners, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday highlighted the feeble attempts being made to defend the contract which has been roundly criticized by many. Speaking at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo pointed to the recent comments by Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin who according to observers, belittled the gold sector's contribution to the country while seeking to compare revenue earnings from oil. Our Government did not do a good job at representing us. We are very disappointed with the poor quality of the negotiations that they adopted. We have since seen some feeble attempts to defend the contract; the latest of which was done by the Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin, Jagdeo stated. ExxonMobil first started exploration for oil under the People's Progressive Party (PPP) administration and was granted a contract in 1999. Jagdeo stated that ExxonMobil has the right to make money on their investments, but since it is Guyana's resources, the bulk of the benefits must flow to Guyanese. This scenario, he explained, would equate to a fair deal. They are not coming here because they love Guyana or any of us. They are coming here because they see a good investment opportunity and therefore they will not come here unless they get a chance to make money on their investment. Every investor should be allowed to do that. That is how you attract foreign investment. At the same time, the bulk of these resources must lead to the upliftment of our people, Guyanese, Jagdeo said. The Opposition Leader was asked about criticisms of his party's silence; Jagdeo noted that the PPP shed light on the bad negotiations by the government which led to the country losing billions in potential revenue. We are not silent on it by any standard, Jagdeo noted. He stated that the party believes in the sanctity of contracts, but the government has to first decide whether it wants to renegotiate the contract. Despite the outpouring of criticisms, the government has shut down calls to renegotiate the contract, pointing out that they are currently satisfied with its provisions. We pushed for the renegotiations and they say we are trying to destroy the climate for investments in Guyana by not respecting the sanctity of the contract. I am hoping that our Government will sit with ExxonMobil and talk about it, Jagdeo stated. Story from Kaieter News Kaieteurnewsonline.com 03 09 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels Environmentalist Arjoon to ExxonMobil: Remove the If, May and Can, Guyanese want commitment in writing By Kaieter News GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 03 09 2018 Environmentalist Annette Arjoon has called ExxonMobil out on the evasive language it used in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) it submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Guyana. Arjoon recently delivered a presentation on the likely environmental impacts of oil production. This was at an oil and gas seminar held by the Private Sector Commission (PSC). Arjoon touched on the devastating effects that an oil spill can have on Guyana. She also pointed out that there seems to be no adequate preparedness for such an eventuality. As she spoke, Arjoon acknowledged the presence of ExxonMobil's Senior Director, Kimberly Brasington at the forum. Arjoon said, I am thankful that Kimberly is in the room, thank you for not running away. We often speak about fit for purpose. Let us ensure that the oil response plan from your company is fit for purpose and is tailored to the local conditions of Shell Beach (the area in Region One most likely to be affected in the event of an oil spill.) Arjoon continued, When I looked at the Environmental Impact Assessment, which was in my opinion rushed, for the Liza Phase One, I saw the very vague terminology. ExxonMobil spoke of what may be carried out or can be carried out. Arjoon said that she wishes for ExxonMobil to do away with that sort of language that avoids commitment. She said, I want to see what will be carried out. I want to hear we will do that So I will ask, Kimberly, that your company looks at updating the response plan to deal with these deficiencies. Arjoon said that even with all the deficiencies in the EIA submitted by ExxonMobil, it is further saddening that Guyana does not even have a national contingency oil plan. Imagine two years ago when Sargassum washed up on our shores and we couldn't do anything about it. We lost so much income as fishermen struggled to get the Sargassum off of their nets. Are we prepared to deal with an oil spill? Arjoon also noted that just recently, a mysterious substance washed up behind the Marriott, and the nation is yet to hear what it is or where it came from. She then asked again, Are we ready for an oil spill? The environmentalist said that Guyana needs a mechanism for immediate release of technical and financial resources to mitigate effects of oil spills. She said that in that regard an environmental fund can be useful. Arjoon said that in the absence of all that is needed, Guyana should reconsider its rate of production. Companies should not be determining extraction rates for us. We need to ensure that the development of our oil and gas industry does not outstrip the capacity of our institutions. I know that you (ExxonMobil) have shareholders' interest to look after, and I know that it works well for you when institutional capacities are not as robust as they ought to be, but l think that you are capable of committing to real environmental stewardship and ensuring that we look at this reality here. If we cannot even identify a little pollution behind Marriott, are we ready to produce 500,000 barrels of oil per day? Story from Kaieter News Kaieteurnewsonline.com 03 09 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels ExxonMobil Guyana's plans pegged at US$40 per barrel, 20 projects offshore in Guyana By Demerara Waves GEORGETOWN Petroleumworld 03 09 2018 ExxonMobil plans 20 oil exploration projects offshore Guyana, using a projected cost of US$40 per barrel, company officials said Wednesday. The corporation's Vice President Neil Chapman said his company has found 3.2 barrels of oil equivalents and is gearing up to drill 20 more wells in the Stabroek Block. We also have considerable additional potential in this region. We have identified twenty additional prospects, he told a four-hour long analyst meeting Chapman added that ExxonMobil plans to drill four exploration wells- including additional drilling on Ranger and Turbot- in 2018. He declined to say exactly how much it would cost to drill any of the additional wells out of respect to the country and to the partners but I reinforce this very attractive at forty dollars a barrel. At a forecast price of US$40 per barrel by 2050, the company official stressed that the discoveries of the high quality crude strengthened the company's financial position. By any stretch of the imagination, Guyana is a major discovery and those discoveries are continuing. That's really good news for everybody involved; primarily it's really good news for the country of Guyana- the main beneficiary of this is going to be the country of Guyana but also it's good news for the partners as well and we are a leading player and leading operator, he said. The company said its most recent discovery of oil in commercial quantities at Pacora has pushed the projected oil production from offshore Guyana at 500,000 barrels. Latest estimates are that there are 3.2 barrels of oil equivalent. Company officials said Wednesday that they planned to deploy three Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels to store the oil when production begins in 2020. One of the FPSOs will cater for 120,000 barrels per day from the Liza-1 well; another 220,000 barrels per day also from Liza; and with development of the Payara and Pacora wells that would push production to more than 500,000 barrels per day. It's one thing to discover and it's another thing to get the oil out of the ground and into the market quickly. We will have the first oil out of Guyana less than five years after the first discovery and that's some four years ahead of the industry average for a play like this, Chapman said. Ranger and Pacora discoveries are yet to be quantified. Meanwhile, the ExxonMobil official justified the need for that company to operate many wells in one area instead of at different locations. This importance of contiguous acreage. That is key for capital efficiency, that is key to get this product to the market quickly. It allows you to drill longer laterals, it allows you to have smaller service footprint and of course it allows you to be more efficient. Imagine the challenge if you got this checkerboard of acreage you got to work around and through these people and you got to get agreements for pipelines. Don't estimate it, it is tough, it is hard work to do that. If you have contiguous acreage to do that, it's much easier, said the ExxonMobil Vice President. The Guyana government has been accused of facilitating an illegality by awarding 600 instead of 60 oil blocks in the Stabroek Block to ExxonMobil. Under the revised 2016 Production Sharing Agreement, Guyana is entitled to half of the profit oil- 12.5 percent- of the overall revenue, while 75 percent goes towards ExxonMobil recouping its cost of investment in exploration and production. Trinidad's AV Drilling CEO, Haniff Nazim Baksh arrested By TT Newsday PORT SPAIN Petroleumworld 03 09 2018 Haniff Nazim Baksh, the CEO of AV Oil and Gas, was arrested at his San Francique, Penal home yesterday by police from the Professional Standards Bureau, after several months of investigation. Baksh, 63, was taken by officers led by ASP Joseph Chandol and Sgt Brian Daniel to the San Fernando Police Station, where he was charged with obstruction of justice. He is due to appear before a San Fernando magistrate today. Police sources said after Baksh and his son-in law Cpl Billy Ramsundar were detained in connection with an assault on a Guardian photographer, a witness made a report to the Professional Standards Bureau and this led to an investigation. Police got statements from the witness and others and also viewed footage from a surveillance camera. The matter was referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which on Wednesday gave instructions to lay the charge against Baksh. Yesterday Baksh was allowed to speak with his attorney Michael Rooplal and arrangements made to secure bail. On November 10, Baksh and his son-in-law appeared before a Siparia magistrate charged with assaulting Guardian Media Ltd photographer Kristian De Silva. According to the charge read out in court, on September 15, at Nazim Avenue in San Francique, Baksh assaulted De Silva, occasioning actual bodily harm, and on the same day, unlawfully and maliciously damaged his eyeglasses, valued at $2,400. Baskh was on $80,000 bail before his arrest yesterday. Petrobras to invest 137 mln reais in Presidente Bernardez refinery in Sao Paulo By Reuters SAO PAULO Petroleumworld 03 09 2018 Brazil's state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro said on Thursday that it will invest 137 million reais ($42 million) this year in the Presidente Bernardes refinery in the industrial hub of Cubatao, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of metropolitan Sao Paulo. The money will go toward improving operation efficiency in the unit and is part of the company's overall 2018-2022 investment plans, Petrobras said in a statement. The refinery has the capacity to process 27 million liters of petroleum per day, which is 8 percent of Brazil's overall refining output. $1 = 3.2586 reais Reporting by Jose Roberto Gomes; editing by Diane Craft from Reuters. reuters.com / 03 08 2018 Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved. We welcome the use of Petroleumworld (PW) stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors. Internet web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated. Petroleumworld welcomes your feedback and comments, share your thoughts on this article, your feedback is important to us! We invite all our readers to share with us their views and comments about this article. Write to editor@petroleumworld.com By using this link, you agree to allow PW to publish your comments on our letters page. Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixels Weavers Way is one of the longest-running of Philadelphia-area food co-ops, launched in 1973 when neighbors in West Mount Airy formed a produce-buying club in a church basement. Soon after, they opened a store at Carpenter and Greene Streets and expanded to Chestnut Hill in 2010. In October, Weavers Way opened its third store, in Ambler, Montgomery County, and now counts nearly 7,000 families as members. The Ambler deal fell into place through fortuitous timing. A Bottom Dollar store in the borough's downtown had closed. "As a start-up, we didn't have resources or credibility to put a bid on the building," said Kathleen Casey, who headed a neighborhood group wishing to open a co-op store. "We wanted to prevent another grocer from coming in." Casey and her fellow members approached Weavers Way, and about two years later, the neighbors got their wish. The store, at 217 E. Butler Ave., is larger than the Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill stores combined. It includes a large prepared-foods section and butcher and fish counters. Prices are about the same as the chains, but much more of the fresh inventory is local. Last week, general manager Jon Roesser and I sat down to chat about the business. Why Ambler? We made a business decision a few years ago that we felt it was in the co-op's best long-term interest for us to grow. We're also a pretty mission-driven organization. We wanted to grow the cooperative economy in Philadelphia. For us, it made sense to expand to a community where it was within close proximity to our existing membership. I'm sure a place like Haddonfield or Lansdowne would make an excellent co-op community; but it's not close to where we're at. Ambler is really just the next trade area over from where we historically have been. For us, it worked out well, because the market data showed that Ambler was a good place to expand. We already had this core group of members that we knew was going to support the store. Why not just pop up co-ops everywhere? When we expanded to Chestnut Hill in 2010, it was five-plus years before we could contemplate expanding again. I would assume it would probably be a similar time frame this go-round, too. It's not like we have venture capitalists backing us up with millions and millions of dollars to expand our business. Our expansion is grass roots. It comes from members saying, 'Hey, I want something like this in my community.' With the Ambler store, our [total] anticipated [annual] sales are about $30 million. We own a few buildings. We own some trucks. We own our inventory. We've got an awful lot of equipment, which is expensive. If we were to expand, one of our primary sources of funding expansion is the members themselves, through member loans. For this store, we raised $1.5 million from members. That's mostly small loans under $10,000. We have traditional financing, too. We have a bank loan for the equipment and all that. Do you run the same kind of razor-thin margin that big supermarkets do? We don't operate the co-op for profit. If we have profit, I wouldn't know what to do with it. Profit goes back to the members in the form of a patronage rebate. We're not going to have a profit this year. You don't open up a big store like this and turn a profit. When we budget, we budget for around 1 percent return on sales. If we get that, that goes back to the members. In the theoretical sense, what should happen is we should charge our customers the exact amount of money we need to generate the revenue we need to cover our costs. The end of a theoretical year, the balance is zero. We spent exactly as much money as we took in. Now, that would be irresponsible to budget for that sort of thing. So we budget to have a surplus. In most years, we do. Not in an expansion year like this. Tell me about the challenges of Weavers Way. Is it competition, is it public awareness? For starters, we have the same challenges as any other grocery store. The grocery industry is ferociously competitive. There's lots of places people can spend their money on food. In that respect, we're no different than anybody else. We have to exist in the free market, like all the other folks out there selling you groceries. The grocery industry is now also dealing with the evolution of online grocery retailing, what Amazon is doing, in terms of offering grocery to its customers through their online platform. That's disrupting the industry. But that's not unique to us; we're all dealing with that. We face a few challenges because of our model. If you're not familiar with it, it throws people off. People don't know that they're allowed to shop at Weavers Way. We get this all the time, at all three of our stores. People come in and the first thing, they look around and say, 'Am I allowed to shop here?' And it drives me crazy. A lot of people aren't familiar with co-ops, and they think about membership the way you think of membership at a Costco. I have to be a member to shop at Costco. Membership just means that you are part-owner of the organization. It doesn't mean that you can't shop if you're not a member. I tell some folks, if you're only going to shop here from time to time, for convenience purposes, then shop as a nonmember. Why do you think people shop here? Very broadly speaking, customers fall into three buckets. The first is our true believers. The true believers are the folks that really embraced the cooperative model and a democratically controlled organization. They're interested in supporting local, in a hyper type of way. They are very deliberate in terms of where they spend their money. They tend to be supportive of local mom-and-pops. They tend to be supportive of co-ops. They tend to have their money with a credit union, all that stuff. True believers, they spend most of their food dollars at the co-op. At the other extreme are convenience shoppers. They're really spending the preponderance of their food dollars someplace else. They really only come to the co-op when they need a quart of milk or a loaf of bread or some eggs or whatever. In the middle is what we would call the mid-level shoppers. They're splitting their tickets. They shop at the Terminal. They shop at farmers' markets. They go to Acme. They're really doing shopping all over the place. They go to Costco. They probably go to Whole Foods. Mid-level shoppers are the lion's share of all grocery shoppers. They're all important to us. A board above the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange shows the closing number for the Dow Jones industrial average. Read more Indexing pioneer Vanguard Group may be stock pickers' last hope. Investors are increasingly turning their stock picking over to computers. So-called smart beta exchange-traded funds track indexes that replicate traditional styles of active management such as value, quality, and momentum. Investors handed $184 billion to smart beta ETFs from 2015 to 2017 while pulling $308 billion from equity mutual funds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. It's not surprising. Smart beta ETFs are cheaper, and investors are skeptical that human stock pickers can beat the bots by more than the difference in fees. According to Morningstar data, the average expense ratio for smart beta ETFs is 0.47 percent a year, and the asset-weighted average expense ratio which accounts for the size of the ETFs is just 0.26 percent. That compares with 1.13 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, for actively managed mutual funds. Vanguard, however, is changing the calculation. It recently rolled out actively managed ETFs with fees that are comparable to those of smart beta funds. Vanguard's U.S. Value Factor ETF, for example, charges 0.13 percent a year, compared with 0.06 percent for Vanguard's smart beta Value ETF. That's a big deal because the stock pickers behind the U.S. Value Factor ETF don't have to overcome a daunting fee hurdle to compete. But that doesn't mean the funds are interchangeable. Even though they are both "value" funds, the U.S. Value Factor ETF gives investors more exposure to the value style than the smart beta Value ETF. That's an important difference. One way to gauge a fund's exposure to a given style, or factor, is to look at the stocks it holds. Bloomberg ranks stocks based on various factors. Value, for example, uses metrics such as price-to-book ratio, and growth uses measures such as earnings growth. Stocks are ranked on a scale of negative 3 to positive 3 for each factor. A value score of 1 means that a stock is cheaper than roughly 84 percent of stocks or, in technical terms, 1 standard deviation cheaper than the average stock. Here's how it works in real life. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price-to-book ratio is 49 percent lower than that of the S&P 500, so it's likely to rank high for value. At the same time, the growth of JPMorgan's earnings per share has lagged that of the S&P 500 by 3.5 percentage points over the last five years, so it's likely to rank low for growth. By contrast, Facebook Inc.'s rankings on value and growth are likely to be just the opposite. With those factor scores, a weighted-average score can be calculated for any fund. The numbers are instructive. Vanguard's U.S. Value Factor ETF has a value score of 0.99, according to Bloomberg data. By contrast, its smart beta Value ETF has a score of 0.31, or far less value exposure. Value investing has historically delivered higher returns and volatility than the broad market. Because of its higher exposure to value, the U.S. Value Factor ETF is likely to deliver a bumpier ride and possibly higher returns over time. All else equal, it's also likely to beat the smart beta fund when value outperforms and lag when value underperforms. Those are crucial insights. Consider the Zevenbergen Genea Fund. Its institutional share class was the best performing U.S. large-cap growth mutual fund over the last year through Tuesday, according to Morningstar, with a total return of 66.3 percent. That compares with a return of 25.9 percent for the Russell 1000 Growth index. It's not a coincidence. Growth outpaced the market over the last year, so more exposure to growth helped boost returns. Zevenbergen's institutional share class has a whopping growth score of 2.25, compared with just 0.42 for the growth index. Inversely, funds with less exposure to growth paid a price. The Fairholme Fund was the worst performing U.S. large-cap value mutual fund over the last year. It returned a negative 9.4 percent through Tuesday, compared with 7.8 percent for the Russell 1000 Value Index. Part of the reason is that Fairholme is lighter on growth than the value index. It has a growth score of negative 1.46, compared with a negative 0.52 for the index. Investors have become smarter about fees. It's only a matter of time before they're smarter about the factor exposures in funds. And I suspect that smart beta ETFs will soon allow them to choose not only among styles, but also the amount of exposure to those styles. The question then will be whether stock pickers can beat a bot armed with comparable factors. With fees out of the way, Vanguard's stock pickers are set to offer the first clues. Nir Kaissar is a Bloomberg Gadfly columnist covering the markets. He is the founder of Unison Advisors, an asset management firm. He has worked as a lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell and a consultant at Ernst & Young. American Keg Company in Pottstown is the last company in the U.S. to fashion beer kegs out of American stainless steel. Tariffs imposed by the president are unlikely to help it stay in business. Read more The only company in the United States making beer kegs fashioned from American steel is struggling to survive. The president's newly signed levies on imported steel are unlikely to help. The American Keg Co. of Pottstown its prices undercut by kegs imported from China, France and Germany slashed its workforce by a third earlier this year. Only 20 people now work where 30 were once employed. "The cost of an imported keg just barely covers the raw materials on one of ours," said CEO Paul Czachor. "It's very difficult to compete." So when President Trump suddenly announced 25 percent tariffs on imported steel, many at American Keg thought it would help level the playing field. Now the CEO thinks otherwise. Trump signed an order Thursday imposing sweeping new levies on steel and aluminum produced outside the nation's borders. He exempted steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico from the new tax. "Tariffs will inadvertently drive the price of American steel higher," said Czachor. "Within a year, we might have to raise our prices so our kegs cost 30 percent more than an import. That puts the whole business in jeopardy." This will be a pivotal year for American Keg, which Czachor said is losing between $50,000 and $100,000 every month. But if the price of imported steel is inflated with a de facto tax, shouldn't that make American-made products more competitive? No. And the reason is counterintuitive, said Czachor. He believes the cost of American steel will rise while "American businesses will suffer," he said. "If there were no tariffs, that would keep the domestic steel prices lower," Czachor said. "We understand the administration is trying to solve a problem, but it is not holistically getting addressed." The newly enacted taxes will not apply to finished steel products produced outside the U.S., Czachor said. And that's where he sees the real trouble. Imported kegs, tools, and heavy equipment are not subject to the new tariffs. "Downstream imported products, made outside of the U.S., that use a lot of steel, will still be priced cheaply," he said. "If the Chinese make lockers for a high school, people can import them with no tariff. The imported kegs will still come in using low-cost steel." Czachor is correct, said Matt Gold, an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University and a former deputy assistant U.S. trade representative. "The new steel tariffs apply to the metal in raw or unfinished forms, like rolled steel or steel plates or tubes," Gold said. "It does not apply to finished products made of steel, like steel beer kegs or steel door hinges." And when the price of imported steel rises, "the price of American steel on the U.S. market will rise," mirroring the cost of the imported product and raising costs for firms that use that steel, said Gold. American Keg supplies a large portion of the 7,000 craft brewers, wineries, and cider makers nationwide. The company counts Cape May Brewing, Sly Fox, and Levante Brewing among its regional customers. A standard American half-keg sells for about $115, he said. An import runs closer to $95. "Our customers love the fact that our kegs are American-made, produced by American workers and built from American steel," Czachor said. "But they're only willing to pay so much of a premium." Ryan Krill, CEO of Cape May Brewing, said he valued American Keg's customer service and story. "We try to source local," Krill said. "We're not trying to beat out the absolute last penny. They're easy to work with and very competitive in their pricing." Bob Pease, president and CEO of the national Brewers Association, said its 6,000 members prefer to buy American. "There's a preference within the craft-brewing community to support independent American business. That ethos is there for sure," said the Boulder, Colo.-based Pease. "That said, you've got to meet payroll before you support social responsibility. If someone can get a product for a cheaper price, many people will do that." If American Keg can build more of a market, Czachor said, he would love to hire back the 10 workers laid off this year. Czachor would endorse tariffs the tool he is complaining about if they were more targeted and complete. "We're going to need the administration to impose tariffs on downstream steel products," he said. "We would put our engineers and production employees up against anyone in the world, but you have to have a level field. "We need tariffs on imported kegs." Rapper Meek Mill was arrested for a parole violation by an officer who reportedly was on a District Attorneys Office list of bad cops. Read more Reverend Al Sharpton and Meek Mill's mother, Kathy Williams, are among a list of panelists for an upcoming event that will examine the Philly rapper's ongoing case and call for criminal justice system reform. REFORM: Bringing Injustice to Light will take place at the University of Pennsylvania's Irvine Auditorium (3401 Spruce St.) on Tuesday, March 13 at 4 p.m. The event is presented by Justice League NYC and various student organizations from Penn, Temple University, and Drexel University. Those who cannot make it to the event can stream it via Tidal. Organizers hope the event will "inspire attendees to positively push for nationwide reform" of the criminal justice system. In addition to Sharpton who visited Mill in prison last year and Williams, the event will feature panels from Equal Justice Initiative director and activist Bryan Stevenson, rapper Mysonne Linen, Penn professor Marie Gottschalk, and attorney David Rudovsky. Mill's attorney Joe Tacopina, along with Williams, will give updates about the rapper and his case. Organizers also expect members of the Philadelphia Eagles and 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin to appear at the event as spectators. Mill, 30, is currently serving a two-to-four-year prison sentence at SCI Chester in Delaware County in connection with probation violations stemming from a 2007 arrest on gun and drug charges. In that arrest, Mill was booked by Philadelphia Narcotics Field Unit officer Reginald V. Graham, who also testified against the rapper in court. As the Inquirer recently reported, Graham's name was included on a list of about two-dozen potentially tainted police officers kept by the District Attorney's office as a way to prevent them from testifying in court. Federal authorities investigated Graham for "several alleged acts of corruption" in Nov. 2013, the Inquirer reported this week. Graham retired before his hearing. "The release of the so-called 'Do Not Testify' listwhich includes Mill's arresting officer, Reginald Grahamsupports everything in the motions filed by Mill and others wrongfully arrested by Officer Graham for post-conviction relief," Tacopina said via a release. "We are hopeful that this is the final step in the process to get Mill and the other defendants released on bail and to have their convictions overturned." When last we saw Tony-winning, Emmy-winning, Oscar-winning Dame Helen Mirren, 72, she was drinking tequila on the red carpet and riding a Jet Ski at the Academy Awards. That leads to an obvious question: Would she have jumped on the ski if she hadn't been drinking tequila? "I only had one little shot," said Mirren. "I did it because I promised to do it. I'd said I would." TAG END { date: 03/08/18 } And how long did it take to plan the stunt? "Seconds," she said. "Literally a last minute. They asked me to do it and I said, 'Sure.' It was stand here, go there, and then it was over." More planning went in to her next appearance on the show, sharing the stage with Jane Fonda to present the award for best actor. Mirren talked about their shared 50 years in front of the camera and the changes they've seen along the way, leading to today's #MeToo and Time's Up movements. "I think for an awful lot of women, this is something we've been waiting for for a long time, the Time's Up movement. I say it's about time. Why didn't this happen 30 years ago? That doesn't mean I'm not joyful that it's happening now. I am. But I'm aware that the work of effecting change is still in front of us. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out," Mirren said. The signs are encouraging. Mirren, although she is officially a dame commander of the Order of the British Empire, is of working-class origins and is most interested in the way nonfamous women working stiffs have made strides on film sets. "You have to understand, when I started making movies, I was often the only woman on the set. On a big movie, you can see 150 people running around. That's a lot of jobs. And lately I've been seeing more and more women in the technical jobs, and it's great. These are jobs that pay well and, until recently, they've been reserved for men. I had a female boom operator on one recent job. That requires amazing upper body strength, and this woman was solid," Mirren said. She made Collateral Beauty with Will Smith and was pleased to see (still a rarity) a female cinematographer, Maryse Alberti. "All of her camera crew were women. When you see things like that happen, it means a great deal. Because it puts an end to outdated ideas. You can no longer say women can't do it, because they are doing it," said Mirren. As an actress, Mirren has been doing it, and doing it well, since the late 1960s, alternating among stage, film, and television winning a Tony for The Audience, Emmys for Prime Suspect and other roles, and an Oscar for The Queen. Her latest is the independent drama The Leisure Seeker, the story of Ella and John Spencer (Mirren and Donald Sutherland) taking a final road trip Sutherland's character is succumbing to dementia, and Ella wants them to have one final adventure, even if her husband is only flickeringly aware of what is happening. Ella is a Southern woman whose trip takes her past Charleston, S.C., on her way to the Florida Keys. It's linguistic and geographical territory Mirren knows well she and her husband, director Taylor Hackford, had a home in New Orleans for many years and still return to the city regularly. They once rented a van and drove from Natchez, Miss., to Charleston, looking for antique furniture. She loved the experience, and it's one of the reasons she fell for The Leisure Seeker script. "It was a great little road, just the two of us and the dog, staying in little towns, in bed-and-breakfasts. We filled up the van with furniture and filled ourselves up on great Southern cooking. Fried chicken, black-eyed peas, and collard greens," which Dame Helen split into two posh syllables coll and ard. A great actress can make even vegetables sound dignified. "Road trips are such an American thing. Ingrained in the American character is being able to comprehend these vast spaces that the country occupies. It's what most impressed me when I first came to this country," said Mirren, who took a passenger train from the East Coast to the West Coast on her way to her first Hollywood auditions some 30 years ago. "The vastness of those spaces, it completely amazed me, and still does." She got over her European bias against cheap "petrol" once she saw how important automotive transportation is for many Americans. She also began to understand why we love our cars so much it's part of why she was keen to take a role in a recent Fast and Furious sequel, the Fate of the Furious, playing Jason Statham's East End mum. That was great fun, said Mirren, who said she enjoys herself on film sets more than she used to. "Film sets used to intimidate me. Not least because there were so few women on set. The feeling was, you have few friends there. They can be quite intimidating, but that's changed for me. I love it. I do," she said. "I've always had a passion for it, and you have to, because when you're starting out, you don't get paid very much. You have to have a huge passion for it, a curiosity about it and excitement about it. You have to want to be there at 4 a.m., when it's below zero, and I still do." Mac Grieb, 17, of Brielle, N.J., faced a third open-heart surgery. Instead, he opted for an experimental procedure at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, getting a new heart valve implanted through a vein in his groin. Read more Two times before his first birthday, Mac Grieb had his chest cracked open for heart surgery, and physicians warned his parents he would someday need to go through the grueling process again. Instead, last year at age 16, the New Jersey youth underwent an experimental procedure that allowed him to go home the next day. At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, cardiologists inserted a catheter through a vein in the teenager's groin up into his heart, implanting an artificial valve to regulate the blood flow to his lungs. Mac was born with a cluster of heart abnormalities called tetralogy of Fallot, the same condition that was diagnosed last year in the infant son of talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel. Most children with this and other congenital heart defects live well into adulthood, thanks to a variety of surgeries developed decades ago. Many also go on to develop complications, ranging from subtle developmental delays to complex circulatory problems that can require follow-up procedures. Physicians are increasingly coming up with strategies to help delay or even avoid surgery, such as the valve implant that Mac received. But some patients especially older ones never got the message that they need to keep careful tabs on their heart health, said Paula Miller, senior education manager at the Philadelphia-based Adult Congenital Heart Association. "We hear from people who thought they were fixed, or cured, and never had to go back to the doctor," she said. Not Mac. By age 16, he had so much experience with the medical system that he knew to speak up when something did not seem right. Out of it Mac was born with VACTERL association, a genetic syndrome that can include abnormalities in as many as six bodily systems, denoted by the letters in its name: vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheal-esophageal, renal (the kidney), and limbs. Mac had issues with all of these except the A. In addition to the two open-heart surgeries during infancy, he had surgery to correct problems with his stomach and spinal cord, among other procedures. He was born with just one kidney and is missing a bone in one forearm. So when he started to feel short of breath two years ago, he told his mom right away. "I felt winded and exhausted," he said. "Kind of out of it." They saw a physician near their home in Brielle, N.J., who recommended an appointment at CHOP. Victoria Vetter, a pediatric cardiologist at the Philadelphia hospital, detected an abnormal heart rhythm and performed a corrective procedure called an ablation. But there was more: An MRI revealed that Mac's right ventricle was enlarged a frequent consequence for those with tetralogy of Fallot, and for some patients with other congenital heart defects. Such patients are born with a narrow (or even nonexistent) connection between the heart's right ventricle and the pulmonary artery the vessel that delivers "blue" blood from the heart to the lungs to be enriched with oxygen the body needs to function. That is one of four hallmarks of the disorder, hence the prefix tetra-, from the Greek for four. (Fallot is the name of the French physician who described it.) Surgeons typically enlarge this connection during infancy, improving blood flow to the lungs. But because the valve inside this vital passageway still does not work well, some of the blue blood flows backward into the heart a condition that over time can stretch and enlarge the right ventricle to the point where it is no longer able to pump properly. Tricky timing Traditionally, that development has meant open-heart surgery to implant a new valve. But the timing is tricky, said Matthew J. Gillespie, an interventional cardiologist who treated Mac at CHOP. If the surgery is done in time, the right ventricle returns to its normal size. Yet if heart failure begins to set in, it may be too late. As in older patients with heart failure, the term does not mean the heart stops pumping, but that it becomes too weak to keep up with the demands of circulation. "It's a conundrum," Gillespie said. "If you wait till the point where people are really having severe symptoms, or you start to see the function of the heart is going downhill, there's a good chance they won't get the benefit of having the new valve." Yet the prospect of another open-heart surgery may be an unwelcome surprise to a patient who does not feel especially bad, said Gillespie, associate director of CHOP's cardiac catheterization lab. Mac and his family had a new option: the experimental Harmony valve, an hourglass-shaped implant made with a metal frame and tissue from a pig heart, inserted via catheter through a vein. Gillespie told the Griebs he had helped conduct a study of the valve in sheep, funded by the hospital and private donors, and another study of 21 human patients, funded by the device maker Medtronic. Early results were promising. The family needed little convincing. "We were so ecstatic that we could possibly not have to go through another open-heart surgery," said Stacy Grieb, Mac's mom. "We were all in." In April 2017, Mac became the first patient at CHOP to get the Harmony valve. The procedure took just two hours, and the teenager was home the next day. An avid drummer, he was soon back playing along with the music of Led Zeppelin and other classic bands. Mac felt pretty good that summer, then really started to notice an improvement in the fall at school, in gym class. "I was running around with my buddies," he recalled. "I noticed I was running at the same pace as they were. They were out of breath, but I wasn't." Continuing care Tetralogy of Fallot is among the most common congenital heart defects, occurring in 2,500 U.S. babies born each year. Other heart defects can lead to complications later in life as well. Abnormal heart rhythms are a common consequence of infant surgery, and patients also are more likely to suffer hearing loss. One disorder, called single-ventricle disease, can lead to scarring in the liver and abnormal flow in the lymphatic system, which can be treated with a catheterization. Such findings illustrate the need for ongoing surveillance, said Miller, of the Adult Congenital Heart Association. A pediatric nurse by training, Miller also knows the importance of her advice personally. She, like Mac and Billy Kimmel, was born with tetralogy of Fallot. Now 67, she had two corrective surgeries in childhood, and needed a valve replacement as an adult. But in her late 40s, she was seen by a general cardiologist who knew little about treating adults who had survived infant heart surgery. "You're lucky to be alive," the doctor told her in 1999, Miller recalled. "There's nothing more we can do." Instead, she went online and found the patient association for which she now works. The group helped her find a specialist, and she had surgery in 2004 to get a new pulmonary valve. Gillespie, the CHOP cardiologist, thinks someday all such valve replacements will be implanted via catheter, as Mac's was. He predicted that will happen for Billy Kimmel, the son of the talk-show host assuming the device is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a few years. In short: conditions that once could mean a shortened life expectancy often can be managed, Gillespie and Miller say. Look no further than another famous tetralogy of Fallot patient, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White. On his ABC talk show, Kimmel asked White about his experience with the disease, and jokingly worried that his son would become a snowboarder. "That is a side effect, yes," White replied. No treatment for that one. Yet. Charlie and Francie Emerick rest after a rousing family croquet game at daughter Jerilyns home in Portland, Ore., in May 2016. They died less than a year later. Read more On the last morning of their lives, Charlie and Francie Emerick held hands. The Portland, Ore., couple, married for 66 years and both terminally ill, died together in their bed on April 20, 2017, after taking lethal doses of medication obtained under the state's Death With Dignity law. Francie, 88, went first, within 15 minutes, a testament to the state of her badly weakened heart. Charlie, 87, a respected ear, nose and throat physician, died an hour later, ending a long struggle that included prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease diagnosed in 2012. "They had no regrets, no unfinished business," said Sher Safran, 62, one of the pair's three grown daughters. "It felt like their time, and it meant so much to know they were together." In the two decades since Oregon became the first state to legalize medical aid-in-dying, more than 1,300 people have died there after obtaining lethal prescriptions. The Emericks were among 143 people to do so in 2017, and they appear to be the only couple to ever take the drugs together, at the same time, officials said. The pair, early members of the 1980s-era Hemlock Society, had supported the choice for years, and, when their illnesses worsened, they were grateful to have the option for themselves, family members said. "This had always been their intention," said daughter Jerilyn Marler, 66, who was the couple's primary caretaker in recent years. "If there was a way they could manage their own deaths, they would do it." Before they died, the Emericks agreed to allow Safran and her husband, Rob Safran, 62, founders of the Share Wisdom TV Network, of Kirkland, Wash., to record their final days and hours. At first, the video was intended just for family, but then Safran asked her parents for permission to share it publicly. "I think it can help change the way people think about dying," she said. The result is "Living & Dying: A Love Story," a 45-minute documentary that details the background of the Emericks' final decision and their resolve in carrying it out. Shot mostly with handheld smartphones, the video captures the intimate moments of the couple's preparations in their last week of life. Charlie Emerick was a former medical missionary in India and chief of ENT at a Portland-area Kaiser Permanente hospital. (Kaiser Health News is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.) He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2012, after dealing with symptoms of the disease for years. He suffered from prostate cancer and heart problems and learned in early 2017 that he had six months or less to live. In the documentary, he described his thoughts as he pondered whether to use aid-in-dying. "You keep going, Charlie, you're going to get worse and worse and worse," he explained to Sher Safran, in a quavering voice. "The other can't be worse than this." Francie Emerick, who handled marketing and public relations for the hospital in India, appears vital and articulate in the video. Her daughters, however, say that her energy was fleeting and that it masked years of decline following multiple heart attacks and cancer. In the video, Francie acknowledged that she could have survived a bit longer than her husband. But, she said, she didn't want to. "Charlie and I have a rather unique relationship in that we have done and been so much to each other for 70 years," she said. The pair carefully followed the specifics of the law, which requires examinations by two different doctors to determine a prognosis of six months or less to live, multiple confirmations of intent and the ability of patients to ingest the lethal drugs themselves. The process takes a minimum of 15 days. "We do want it to be legal," Francie said. The video traces the arc of the couple's lives. The Emericks met as college students in Nebraska, married on April 4, 1951, and spent years in the 1960s as medical missionaries in Miraj, India. Dr. Emerick's career took them to Southern California and then to Washington state, to India and ultimately to Oregon, all while raising three girls. In 2004, they moved into an apartment in a retirement community in Portland. That's where the Emericks died on a cloudy Thursday last spring, six days after a family celebration that included their children and grandchildren and, at Francie's request, root beer floats. The gathering was happy, but bittersweet, family members said. "There were moments that they expressed great sadness at the goodbye that was coming," Marler recalled. The Emericks sought help from Linda Jensen, a veteran team leader with End of Life Choices Oregon, a nonprofit agency that supports people seeking to use the state's Death With Dignity law. "They were pretty well informed," said Jensen, who has assisted with dozens of deaths in 13 years. "What they wanted to understand was what a planned death really looks like." The video includes a meeting between Jensen and the Emericks two days before they died. It would be nothing like dying on TV, she told them. "You do not lose control of your bowel or bladder. You do not gasp for breath," she explained. Instead, she said, they would simply go to sleep. The Emericks went over the plan: no breakfast, just pills to calm their stomachs at 9 a.m., followed by the lethal drugs an hour later. Safran and Marler appear calm and determined as they help finalize their parents' arrangements. "There was a lot of grieving ahead of time because we knew it was coming," Marler said. Some members of the family disagreed with the couple's decision, but the Emericks were determined. "You two have never wavered?" Safran asked her mom. "We have not," Francie replied. The video captured details of the final morning: Charlie saluting the camera farewell as he's wheeled down the hall, Safran's tearful last hug from her mother, Charlie and Francie clasping hands after they swallow the drugs. "It just takes such a huge amount of internal strength and self-knowing to face that choice, to make that choice and then bring along all the people that love you and are going to miss you," Jensen said. There was no funeral after the deaths. The Emericks had donated their bodies for research through a program at the Oregon Health & Science University and any remains wouldn't typically be returned for two or three years, a spokeswoman said. In the interim, the video has become comforting and precious to the family, said Safran. "It's very lovely, just to hear their voices," she said. The documentary also serves a larger purpose: helping others to understand how aid-in-dying works, she said. Carol Knowles, 70, was a member of Francie Emerick's book club. The Emericks didn't tell other residents about their plans. Knowles said she was surprised when they died the same day until she saw the documentary. "I thought it was brave and beautiful," she said. "You could see the care with which Charlie and Francie had made that decision." Another member of the group expressed concern, however, saying her religion prohibited any efforts to hasten death. Knowles said she plans to take the documentary to the retirement center's social worker before showing it more widely. "We want to do it in a way that will not scare them or make them feel uncomfortable," she said. Stephen Drake, research analyst for the disability rights group Not Dead Yet, had serious reservations about making the video public. He worried that presenting aid-in-dying in a positive light "changes the expectations; this romanticizes the idea of not just suicide, but a double suicide," Drake said. Safran said she expects strong reactions including criticism for chronicling her parents' final days. But she said the documentary honors the Emericks' belief that, if possible, everyone should have a say in when and how they die. "We have a faith that says life is not to be worshipped," Francie said. "It's the quality of life that counts." The Eagles continued reshaping their roster Friday by agreeing to trade wide receiver Torrey Smith to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Daryl Worley, league sources confirmed. The move will give the Eagles much-needed salary cap savings and adds another young cornerback to their depth chart. It was the second trade top executive Howie Roseman made this week, although the deals cannot become official until the new league year begins on Wednesday. ESPN first reported the news. Smith, 29, started 14 games for the Eagles last season, but was not expected to be on the roster in 2018 because of a $5 million salary. He totaled 36 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season, and he was on the receiving end of a 41-yard touchdown on a flea flicker in the NFC championship game. Smith was also a valued member of the locker room. But the way the Eagles structured Smith's contract when signing him last March allowed them to move on from him this offseason because the second and third years of the deal were team options. Worley, 23, is a Philadelphia native and Penn Charter alum who was a third-round pick out of West Virginia in 2016. He started 25 games for the Panthers during the past two seasons, including 14 last year. Worley finished with two interceptions and 10 pass deflections. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Worley will make $865,724 in 2018 and adds another young cornerback to a crowded Eagles depth chart. The Eagles already have Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones, and Rasul Douglas on rookie contracts, giving the team a surplus they've seldom enjoyed at the position in recent years. It also provides the team the flexibility to trade a cornerback this offseason, if needed, or experiment with a cornerback such as Worley at safety. Worley could become the first Philadelphia native to play for the Eagles since Kyle Eckel in 2008. By moving Smith, the Eagles will open both $5 million in salary space and 65 percent of the offensive snaps at wide receiver. Mack Hollins, the 2017 fourth-round pick, would be the front-runner to replace Smith as the starting outside receiver. Nelson Agholor, who is the No. 2 wide receiver even though he plays the slot, could also take more work on the outside. The Eagles might draft a wide receiver, too. They selected Shelton Gibson in the fifth round last season as a potential deep threat, which was also Smith's best asset for the Eagles. Smith became the second wide receiver the Eagles agreed to trade this week. They will also send Marcus Johnson to Seattle in the package for defensive end Michael Bennett. And those moves were only appetizers for what's coming next week when the league year begins. Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this report. Students evacuate their high school in Parkland, Fla. on the day a gunman killed 17 people at the school. Read more Threats made to school districts throughout the region are increasing at an alarming pace a disturbing trend with a complex foundation that includes copycat crimes, more reporting, and the delicate task of dealing with immature students who simply make bad decisions. It's not just happening here. Across the nation, school districts and law enforcement officials are responding to more threats that have teachers, students, and parents on edge. Just days ago, police in Stafford, Ocean County, announced the arrests of nine intermediate school students who they said talked of "becoming active shooters." Taken into custody were 11- and 12-year-old boys. In a Facebook post, Stafford Police Chief Thomas Dellane and School Superintendent George Chidiac said there would be "zero tolerance" for threats of violence in the schools and announced: "All reports will be fully investigated, and all threats will be prosecuted to the fullest extent." In York County, a 13-year-old girl was charged last month with making terroristic threats after police said she was overheard saying, "Don't come to school tomorrow," and that "the person" would be there all week. The remarks were taken so seriously that the school closed for three days. Police said the girl showed investigators how she made threats using social media. The rise in reported threats has roiled school officials across the region. "We certainly do see spikes like this after incidents such as those in Florida, but this is the most pronounced spike we have seen," said Ryan Tarkowski, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Police. Since the Valentine's Day massacre in Parkland, Fla., Pennsylvania police have tracked more than 75 school threats. Not every incident was a real threat, but police and administrators are sending clear messages that regardless of whether students are joking or serious they will be held accountable for what they say. "We would much rather have a report and it turns out to be nothing rather than not having a report and it turns out to be a tragedy," Tarkowski said, adding that school threats have always carried a high level of urgency to investigate. As a result, students are facing criminal charges, schools have been put on lockdown, and in the extreme measure, classes have been canceled. Steve Baker, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, said parents and school faculty are "understandably are on edge. It [Parkland] was a horrible incident and it raises many concerns." Children and teachers, Baker said, must be in a safe environment. In Gloucester County, Delsea Superintendent Piera Gravenor recalled being in South Florida for vacation when the students were killed at Stoneman Douglas High School. It was horrifying, she said, and it felt too close to home. Late last month, police arrived at Delsea Regional High School to investigate reports that two students had talked about shooting up the school. They told authorities they were only joking, but both were charged with making terroristic threats. Gravenor said at the time that she would rather be cautious than fail to act in a serious situation. Just days later, the school district closed after two emails were sent to teachers, threatening shootings at two nearby schools. While the threats were under investigation, elementary schools in Franklin and Elk Townships closed for the day, as did the shared middle and high schools that are operated by the Delsea district. A 10-year-old student was later charged with sending out the threatening messages. The Educators School Safety Network, a nonprofit organization that gives educators a voice in keeping schools safe, created a live tracker of school incidents and threats. Typically, the group reports 10 threats a day across the nation. More than 800 incidents have been reported nationwide since Parkland, with more than 70 on some days, the group said. "The uptick we've seen since Parkland is very troubling," said Amanda Koinger, director of operations for the organization. The group uses Google alerts to aggregate incidents reported in the media. Even before the Parkland carnage, she said, the number of threats was increasing. "We're on a scary upward trajectory." In the 2016-17 school year, the organization reported more than 2,220 threats against schools. Koinger said there are significantly more reported threats than are included in that count. Neither law enforcement nor school officials compiles national statistics, she said. In its ranking, the group identifies New Jersey as a state of high concern and Pennsylvania as one of moderate concern. Across the nation, the group identified 15 threats in which students were found to have been collecting guns and ammunition, but authorities were able to thwart their plans. The vast majority of threats are not real, she said. Nevertheless, she said, "we have to get kids to start to understand that this is not something you joke around about." She urged schools to offer training for teachers and students on how to deal with threats and violence and said educators should be proactive in identifying troubled students to address problems up front rather than being reactive. "Today, in every American classroom, every teacher has a kid who they are concerned about," Koinger said. "They have to learn how to assess. It's about prevention." On Thursday, President Trump (left) announced he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right). Read more Well, that's one way to shift the attention from payoffs to porn stars and potential trade wars. I refer, natch, to President Trump's stunning announcement Thursday that he'd accept Kim Jong Un's snap invitation for direct talks over North Korea's nuclear program which may be held within two months. Gone (for now) are the mutual threats and insults that had the world worrying whether Trump would unleash a preemptive war on the Korean Peninsula. The president deserves credit for the tough sanctions policy that pushed Kim to shift gears. But Trump's disdain for expertise, and conviction that he is all-knowing, make him supremely vulnerable to Kim's manipulations. Trump's tweets already show his slim grasp of North Korea's wiles and intentions. So, when (or if) Trump and Kim meet, we can expect a great photo op of two men with impressive hairdos. More than that, if the president's ego trumps acumen, the summit won't end well. The main problem is not that the summit is being convened too quickly. If Trump had a capable team that he listened to, and if he set clear, attainable goals, he could manage the risk. At minimum, the two leaders could take each other's measure and probe each other's positions. Unfortunately, Trump disdains expertise and his Korea bench is depleted. A high-level summit would ordinarily be carefully prepared, with a special emissary doing advance work. Instead, the U.S. point person on North Korea, special envoy Joseph Yun, just announced his retirement (as have many top State Department officials) and has not been replaced. The administration has yet to nominate an ambassador to South Korea, having inexplicably nixed a terrific choice, Victor Cha. The Senate has yet to confirm the top diplomat handling East Asia. Trump didn't even bother to give his own secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, a heads up about the summit. Only hours before the announcement, Tillerson was dismissing the likelihood of talks. (Trump publicly chastised Tillerson in the past for talking about diplomacy with Pyongyang.) Who in Asia can take Tillerson seriously when the president humiliates him so carelessly? Not Kim. Clearly all this is irrelevant to Trump. When asked by Fox News in November about vacancies at the State Department, the president famously retorted: "I'm the only one that matters, because when it comes to it, that's what the policy is going to be." With his unshakable belief in his omniscience, the president may ignore preparation. This would be hugely risky, says the Brookings Institution's Robert Einhorn, a key negotiator with North Korea in the Clinton administration. "This can't be a free-flowing encounter. You can't go in and wing it," says Einhorn. "The North Koreans will have thought this through, will have a game plan. Trump doesn't know any of the details." Trump's lack of grasp was clear when he tweet-bragged Thursday that Kim "talked about denuclearization" with the South Koreans, "not just a freeze." The president was referring to the U.S. demand that North Korea must completely denuclearize, not just freeze its program at current levels, which would leave it with dozens of weapons and delivery systems. However, South Korean officials told the New York Times that Kim is proposing the same formula that scotched previous negotiations: In return for supposed denuclearization, Kim wants U.S. forces removed from South Korea and an end to the U.S. nuclear shield that protects South Korea and Japan. Such a proposal is a nonstarter. Ending the U.S.-South Korean alliance would leave the peninsula vulnerable to Pyongyang's military. Especially since North Korea has lied before about dismantling its nukes. So it will be vital that Trump enter the summit with a realistic grasp of its prospects and limitations. If Trump were a normal president, one might assume he would aim for a limited outcome: Take the measure of Kim, exchange views, put down certain markers and probe exactly what Kim means when he says he will denuclearize if North Korea's security is guaranteed. Then Trump could judge whether or not complete denuclearization is a realistic U.S. goal. Serious negotiations might follow. But Trump is not a normal president. He thinks diplomacy means going mano a mano with autocrats. Never mind that he has been played by Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping, both of whom have his number. And Trump has made clear he doesn't want drawn-out talks with Pyongyang. Yet he has failed to demonstrate whether in trade, in Israeli-Palestinian peace, in Syria, or elsewhere that he has mastered the art of making international deals. So, at best when Trump and Kim meet, we can expect a great photo op. At worst, Trump may be flattered into giving away leverage for nothing. Or the talks might deteriorate into new insults. If we are really lucky, the president might wise up, listen to his briefers, and jump-start serious negotiations. Sadly, that seems about as likely as Trump giving up his tweets. A coffin located on 16th Street near Lehigh Avenue is intended to be a violence deterrent for neighborhood kids. Read more There is a casket sitting on a street in North Philly. No, I'm not making this up. It's an actual coffin. At first, when I saw a photo of it on Reddit.com, I thought a resident had placed it there to reserve a parking spot. But after I drove to 16th Street near Lehigh Avenue on Monday to check it out, I discovered that the casket had been put there for a reason that will make more sense in a minute. After I parked my car, I looked around and saw some boys goofing around outside a bodega on a trash-strewn street. They were behaving like it was perfectly normal to have a casket sitting there. I called out to a passerby, "Hey, whose casket is that?" He pointed to another man heading our way. His name is Eric "DJ Pak Man" Battice, manager of the Express Urself Urban Crisis Response Center across from the coffin on 16th Street. He told me the casket was for crime prevention efforts and had been there for four years. Four years! How does a coffin occupy a space on a public roadway, in all kinds of weather, for four years? "We're just trying to make sure that nobody ends up right here," Battice said. "That's our main goal. That's our main focus." He lifted the lid for me to see inside. No dead body. Just dirty blankets and a soiled towel. It's on wheels, which allows anti-violence activists from Express Urself to move it to various neighborhoods to try to scare youngsters into understanding the finality of death. A few days later, I reached out to Terry Starks, the founder of the center. "Do you have a hearse to transport it?" I asked. "No, we push it," replied Starks, formerly with Philadelphia CeaseFire. "There's nothing more real than a casket coming down the street." The Philadelphia Streets Department confirmed that the coffin has been a part of the neighborhood for years. It's something of a landmark. Parents take their kids to see it. It's the site of prayer vigils. Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas posted a photo of it on his Instagram account on Feb. 22. Last year, Quadir Qualls of Nicetown announced that he would spend 40 days lying in it in memory of his brother, who had been murdered more than a decade before. Starks said Qualls probably stayed in it for about five days before abandoning the effort. I give him props because I wouldn't have lasted 15 minutes. Back then, Qualls told 6ABC that his goal was "just to let [youth] know that before they make that decision to kill somebody, that they should think about the importance of living." The coffin is the third one Starks has owned. He said the first was donated back in 2014 by Janet Powell-Daily, the former funeral director of Powell Mortuary Services, who last year was sentenced to three months in prison followed by 20 months of house arrest after neighbors discovered three rotting corpses in her garage. That first casket mysteriously disappeared shortly after it arrived. Another funeral home later donated a wooden one, which Starks exchanged for a metal silver coffin. After it rusted, Starks got neighborhood kids to paint the top a shiny gold and the bottom black. It's weather beaten from sitting out in the elements. The signs that had served as backdrops and read "ALL LIVES MATTER" and "I WANT TO LIVE" have since blown down. Refuse has collected underneath the coffin. After the weather warms up, Starks plans to once again wheel the coffin around to various neighborhoods. As he pointed out, "Sometimes you have to reach people at a level that they understand." And there's nothing not to understand about a casket. Concho wants to gallop. I can tell. He's a horse, after all, a headstrong one, and rippling green hills spread in every direction. Every so often, a break in the clouds reveals the barren summit of Mauna Kea to the south. But galloping is still a little ways outside my skill set, so with a twinge of guilt I pull the reins to keep my mount at a slow trot. He makes his disappointment clear with a snort and a toss of his head. The slower pace does make it easier to soak in the landscape of the 300-acre Dahana Ranch in the upcountry of Hawaii's Big Island. Rocky outcroppings add a touch of Scottish cragginess to vivid, green slopes. The air is cool at 3,000 feet, and the sporadic kiss of rain makes the flashes of sun seem all the brighter. Longhorn cows linger near the ranch buildings where our four-person group saddled up an hour ago. Our guide, wrangler Jackie Henning, is young and enthusiastic, revealing her Chicago roots by peppering her instructions with "y'know." After making sure each of us can operate the equine equivalent of brakes, gas, and steering wheel, she leads us south toward the volcano. Every time we pass from one pasture into another, Henning says, we need to make our horses face the gate as she opens and closes it without dismounting. "We want to teach them patience," she says. This "advanced ride" isn't a yawn-inducing, single-file trail plod. We are free to pick our own route, staying in sight, and if we want, to push our horses to a canter or gallop terrain and talent permitting. Ann Potter she and childhood sweetheart Herschel Shermis reconnected 40 years later and picked up right where they left off is clearly the most comfortable at high speeds. He wanted to show her his favorite spots on her first visit to the Big Island, and riding at Dahana Ranch was on his must-do list. They were traveling for a week "the shortest week of our lives," she says. You could almost see the hearts in their eyes. "Getting back together with Hersh makes me feel young again," she says. "Riding over gorgeous terrain, with the wind in my hair, only enhances that." ******* The term Wild West usually conjures up images of places with names such as Deadwood and Cheyenne, not Hilo or Waimea. But decades before cowboys roamed the American heartland, paniolos Hawaiian cowboys were herding cattle through the forests and across the beaches of Hawaii. In 1793, explorer George Vancouver arrived at Kawaihae, Hawaii, with a gift for King Kamehameha I: six longhorn cows and a bull. Horses followed soon after. Wild cattle proliferated wildly throughout the islands a royal decree made killing them punishable by death tearing up taro patches and goring civilians. In the 1830s, King Kamehamea III brought over a handful of cowboys from Spanish Mexico to teach locals how to herd on horseback. The result was the paniolo. (The word is a Hawaiianized version of espanol.) Paniolos adapted Mexican techniques and gear to their island home. Rawhide lassos, for example, don't rot in the damp climate as do the manila ones used on the mainland. They roped 1,000-pound wild bulls in dense forests, often leaving the animals tied to trees until they exhausted themselves. At night, they stayed in remote line camps and bathed in furos, the small, fire-heated hot tubs adapted from Japanese baths. The final step was uniquely Hawaiian: herding cattle into the surf and onto waiting ships. Sharks claimed the occasional unlucky animal. Royals and well-connected foreigners earned huge profits selling pipikaula (salted and dried beef) to whaling ships and hide and tallow to tanneries abroad. Eventually, production shifted to beef for local markets. By 1900, ranches covered nearly a third of Hawaii, especially on the Big Island and Maui. At one point, the Big Island boasted the largest ranch under individual ownership in the United States: the 225,000-acre Parker Ranch, started with a two-acre land grant from King Kamehameha I in 1816. Although Hawaii's cattle heyday is past, paniolos still work on a handful of ranches, and their lifestyle left an indelible mark on the islands' landscape and culture especially in the preservation of the Hawaiian language, which they spoke almost exclusively. The Big Island still claims the most cows and grazing land in Hawaii, with 75,000 animals on 700,000 acres. At the Dahana Ranch, the Nakoa family and some two dozen horses keep watch over a herd of about 150 crossbred Brahman cattle. Ku'uipo Nakoa, 26, is of the fourth generation of her family to work here. After two tours in Afghanistan she returned to the ranch, much to the delight of her father, Harry. "He was like, 'It's in your blood,' " she said. Being home is helping her recover from a back injury sustained when an improvised explosive device went off. "When I first got back, I couldn't even stand up straight," she said. "But within two weeks, I was feeling totally better." She is working, slowly, toward being able to ride again. ******* "I love the open range," says our guide Henning. "The horses are so happy here." After an hour, we're at the far end of a wide, winding loop around the ranch property. It's time to turn from mauka (heading inland) to makai (toward the coast). The sun and clouds have settled into a stalemate: five minutes each, alternating. For extended periods of time, the only sounds are the breeze and the squeak of leather saddles. Soon, we're looking over the edge of a steep slope lined with volcanic boulders. At Henning's instruction, we let our horses pick their own way down. I ride maybe once a year, so this is near the edge of my comfort level. Other ranches offer a range of rides for would-be paniolos of all levels. For novices, Paniolo Adventures has an hour-long "city slicker" ride on the 11,000-acre Ponoholo Ranch, at the foot of the Kohala Mountains at the north end of the Big Island. Experienced riders can get their gallop on during a four-hour Wrangler Open Range Ride. Those of us who fall somewhere in between can choose between morning or afternoon excursions, or even catch sunset from 3,000 feet. On the southwest side of Maui, the Triple L Ranch takes visitors on ranch tours to check the cattle for anywhere from 90 minutes to more than six hours. Routes range from rocky beaches to ancient lava flows on Haleakala Crater, with guides pointing out archaeological sites along the way. The tour includes a ridiculously good lunch at Billy's Burgers, a food truck serving grass-fed beef right off the ranch. For a more typically romantic Maui experience, Lahaina Stables does a sunset ride into the foothills of Launiupoko Valley, complete with champagne and chocolate-dipped fruit. Come at the right time and you can catch an island-style rodeo, where cowboys wear leis and old paniolos gather to "talk story," or share tales of days past. There's the Pana'ewa Stampede in Hilo in mid-February, with bull riding and barrel racing. Western Week in Honokaa, in late May, features line dancing, a paniolo parade, and a Portuguese bean soup and sweetbread contest, among many other events. The Parker Ranch, still the ninth-largest cow-calf operation in the United States, hosts a rodeo and horse races over the Fourth of July weekend. Come for the Cowboys Got Talent show, stay for Hula Mama's Funnel Cakes and Aunty Peaches Onolicious Poi Balls. ******* Even when the ranch buildings come back into sight, there's no rush to finish. "Let's not head straight back," Henning says. "Don't want to make the horses barn-sour," or overeager to get back. We pass a fenced pasture with a half-dozen retired horses. They're swaybacked and potbellied but clearly content. Bubba the pig lounges in a pen near the barn, all hair and tusks. Henning's horse is skittish around the 400-pound hog. "C'mon, he's friendly," she admonishes him as he steps nervously. At the barn, we're greeted by a pair of fat, fuzzy Australian shepherd puppies and three or four Jack Russells who are moving so fast that it's hard to tell how many. Shermis and Potter are both glowing. His plan clearly worked. Julian Smith is a writer based in Portland, Ore. His website is juliansmith.com. If You Go Dahana Ranch 47-4841 Old Mamalahoa Hwy. at Dahana Ranch Road, Waimea, Hawaii (Big Island) 808-885-0057 or dahanaranch.com There are daily 90-minute rides for adults ($90) and children 11 and younger ($80). Advanced rides range farther, faster, and longer (two hours), for experienced riders 8 and up ($135). Call for details about "range station rides" that involve herding Brahman cattle between pastures. Paniolo Adventures Mile 13.2 Kohala Mountain Road, N. Kohala, Hawaii (Big Island) 808-889-5354 or panioloadventures.com Explore the Kohala Range on 2.5-hour morning and afternoon Paniolo Rides ($99) or 90-minute sunset rides ($89) with views of the ocean, coastline, and volcanoes. Hour-long "city slicker" rides ($69) are geared toward beginners, and four-hour open range rides offer an opportunity to trot and canter for experienced riders 12 and older. Triple L Ranch 15900 Piilani Hwy., Kula, Hawaii (Maui) 808-280-7070 or triplelranchmaui.com The self-proclaimed "last free-range frontier" on Maui runs five tours a week for groups of up to four riders. Half- and full-day ranch tours include catered lunch and optional swimming and snorkeling. Rides range from $135 to $160. Lahaina Stables 700 Punakea Loop, Lahaina, Hawaii (Maui) 808-667-2222 or mauihorse.com The only company that offers trail rides in the Kauaula and Launiupoko Valleys, Laihana Stables on west Maui accommodates riders of every level. Morning rides ($135) focus on history. Lunch rides ($179) and sunset rides ($189) are also offered. Pana'ewa Stampede Rodeo Hilo, Hawaii (Big Island) 808-937-1004 or hawaiirodeostampede.com Three-day festival in mid-February. Parker Ranch Fourth of July Rodeo and Horse Races 66-1304 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kamuela, Hawaii (Big Island) 808-885-2302 or parkerranch.com Paniolos from various ranches compete in races and roping events. Western Week Multiple locations, Honokaa, Hawaii (Big Island) honokaawesternweek.org Five days of events during the last week in May, from line dancing to history talks, lead up to a paniolo parade and block party on Friday and the Hawaii Saddle Club Scholarship Rodeo over the weekend. Information: gohawaii.com and paniolopreservation.org One of the most luxurious lodges in Alaska, and one of the most remote anywhere, has just opened on a rocky glacier outcropping, or nunatak, smack in the middle of Denali National Park. From its wraparound windows, the resort's guests a maximum of 10 at a time, in five bedrooms can watch the aurora borealis dance around the sky or survey an endless horizon of jagged peaks blanketed in untouched snow. The only thing between them and the nearest summit is a sheer vertical rock wall that's more than a mile high. It took more than a decade to secure the final permits to build Sheldon Chalet. Construction took three additional years. To get there from Anchorage and getting there can be a journey in itself you'll drive two hours to the tiny and charming town of Talkeetna and then fly by helicopter for an hour to Don Sheldon Amphitheater, a 35-square-mile valley carved by glacial ice in the shadow of North America's tallest mountain. Robert Sheldon built the Chalet with the help of his wife, Marne, and sister Kate. The Sheldons' father, Don a trailblazing Alaskan pilot died when Robert was 4: "I only have a couple of memories with my father, and the earliest one was taking off from the village strip in Talkeetna on a very small airplane, zooming through the puffy white clouds." Don Sheldon came from a farming family in Ohio, but his son says he "wanted to go for the easier life of hunting and trapping in Alaska. He very quickly learned that, in Alaska, you could fly an hour or walk a week." He'd eventually survey the region with photographer and cartographer Brad Washburn, a contemporary of Ansel Adams. This meant identifying places where planes could land amid the jagged peaks, building landing strips, and even developing specialized aircraft for the job. "All the flying that happens around Denali National Park today can be traced back to his efforts," Marne Sheldon said. "It's what has allowed for present-day tourism in Alaska." When Don Sheldon died in 1975, the governments of Alaska and the United States named not just a mountain after him but the 35-square-mile amphitheater filled with dozens of peaks. The primary landing strip in Denali National Park built by the elder Sheldon to facilitate explorations with Washburn is a half-mile from Sheldon Chalet. "That's the provenance of the interest in this area," explained Marne Sheldon, who ran point on logistics as the hotel took shape. Everything from the drawer pulls to the heating system had to be flown to that landing strip. The family's long history in the area explains how the Sheldons earned commercial rights in such a protected place. Back in the 1950s, well before Denali was a national park, the family acquired five acres of land under the Homestead Act; it included the glacial outcropping that would be called Sheldon Nunatak. Don Sheldon and wife Roberta started with a basic operation for passionate mountaineers and explorers. Don had bigger plans but died before he could execute them. Everything the younger Sheldons knew of their parents' onetime aspirations came from a National Geographic television clip from the '70s in which he referenced a broader vision for tourism on the nunatak, as well as a prototype travel brochure for Mountain House #1. "We were sorting through a warehouse full of stuff in Talkeetna after Roberta died in 2014," Marne Sheldon recalled, "when I came across an odd roll of paper." Inside were decades-old blueprints for a hexagonal structure on Sheldon Nunatak: Mountain House #1. Sheldon Chalet, at 6,000 feet elevation, is an upgraded vision of that. (Nightly rates from $2,300 per person include accommodations, food and beverages, and helicopter transfers.) The helicopter ride takes arriving guests through narrow slots in the surrounding canyons. "One of my favorite things is seeing people's faces when they land," Marne Sheldon said. "Their brains can't quite comprehend what their eyes are seeing." Inside is a living room called the Commons, anchored by a special Finnish fireplace that doubles as a high-efficiency, clean-combustion heating system. A family-style dining space is built around a beautiful birchwood table handcrafted in Talkeetna. The rooms are sparsely designed, with faux fur throws and panoramic views, to keep guests' focus squarely on the beauty outdoors. The Sheldons want the property to be carbon-neutral and believe they're close to accomplishing this, thanks to solar panels and a runoff-powered water supply. "It's simple but elegant," Marne Sheldon said. "Pretty much everything was challenging" when it came to building the state's first luxury highland lodge. "The simple things in life, like running water, are actually quite luxurious when you're 6,000 feet up on a glacier," she said. The lodge has only three bathrooms to serve the five guest rooms. During aurora season, mid-September through early March, days are spent "flightseeing" around the national park, snowshoeing, ski touring, and visiting remote hot springs. (You can also build an igloo.) During "Adventure Season," from early March through mid-July, additional thrills include rappelling, glacier trekking, visiting a mastodon boneyard and fishing. Evenings can include warm-ups in the rooftop sauna, stargazing sessions, and elegant meals by Alaskan chef Dave Thorne. "My mom and dad were people worth remembering, but their desire for this property had nothing to do with their own legacy. They just wanted other people to experience this place that's majestic beyond anything else on the planet," Robert Sheldon said. "Alaska has been in a recession for four years, but tourism is a bright spot. Hopefully, this shows that we can still do great things for the state of Alaska." Information: sheldonchalet.com Kareem Alleyne, 35, was acquitted in 2014 of vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter after a judge said there was not enough evidence to show he had killed Officer Marc Brady in a car-bike crash. A civil jury in 2016 ruled that Alleyne should be awarded $1 million, but an appellate court has overturned that decision. Read more A Philadelphia jury erred in 2016 when it awarded $1 million to a man charged and later acquitted of killing a police officer in a car-bike crash outside the East Mount Airy home of their mutual love interest, according to a Commonwealth Court ruling released Friday. In an opinion written by Judge P. Kevin Brobson, the court said the homicide officers involved in the investigation Detectives George Pirrone and James Pitts, and Lt. Philip Riehl had not violated Kareem Alleyne's rights when he was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and related counts in the death of Officer Marc Brady in 2012. Police initially said Alleyne and Brady had "bad blood" over the fact that Alleyne had begun dating the mother of Brady's children. The judge in Alleyne's criminal trial eventually tossed all counts against him for insufficient evidence, but Brobson wrote that the officers had enough probable cause to arrest Alleyne, and had not conspired or acted maliciously to ensure he was prosecuted accusations that formed the basis of his civil suit against the officers. "Civil liability," the appellate court wrote, "does not flow automatically from a weak criminal case." James Funt, one of Alleyne's attorneys, said he was "very disappointed" in the decision, adding: "We believe it is totally contrary to the record, and we intend that there will be a full and vigorous appeal to the [state] Supreme Court." A spokesman for the city's Law Department declined to comment. Alleyne, a former bank teller, was accused in July 2012 of intentionally driving his car one night into Brady, who was riding a bicycle outside the East Mount Airy home of Romara Glenn, Alleyne's girlfriend and the mother of six of Brady's children. Brady, 32, was pronounced dead shortly afterward at Einstein Medical Center. Alleyne was arrested the day after the collision. A judge dismissed all charges against Alleyne in the middle of his 2014 criminal trial. Alleyne then sued the men who investigated him and argued that they had improperly bolstered their case by overlooking or downplaying evidence about their deceased colleague that might have tainted his reputation. "They had made up their minds," one of his lawyers, Lori Mach, said during Alleyne's 2016 civil trial. "They had decided before [completing] their investigation" to charge him. But Brobson, in his opinion, wrote that the officers and the District Attorney's Office had sufficient probable cause to arrest Alleyne, and that the evidence Alleyne said was withheld or downplayed during the investigation would not have changed that. What's more, the court said, some of the evidence Alleyne believed would have been helpful to him including Internal Affairs reports accusing Brady of harassing him could have been interpreted as giving Alleyne a motive to target and harm his romantic rival, thus adding to the list of factors providing probable cause. Funt disagreed with that interpretation of the case, saying the detectives intentionally "omitted critical information from the District Attorney's Office. That's malicious prosecution." Alleyne, in a brief interview Friday, said he had not yet learned of the court's decision and did not want to comment. Because the city had filed an appeal over the civil case, he had not been paid any of the $1 million the jury voted to award him. Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Judge P. Kevin Brobson. This product image released by Barbie shows the Frida Kahlo doll (center) flanked by dolls in the image of pilot Amelia Earhart (left) and mathematician Katherine Johnson. Read more A new line of Barbies released this week to honor International Women's Day was meant to recast popular images of female role models. But one of those newly unveiled dolls that of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo has kick-started a dispute over who gets to use her image in the first place. In interviews with Mexican media outlets, as well as the BBC, Kahlo's great-grandniece insists she is the sole owner of the rights to Kahlo's image. That contradicts the stance of the Florida-based Frida Kahlo Corp., which says it bought the rights to Kahlo's image from another relative 13 years ago. The corporation worked on the new doll with Mattel, whose brands include Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price. "We're talking about a woman that was so ahead of her time and transcended the generations, and we will do anything to bring that message to the world," said Beatriz Alvarado, a spokeswoman for the Frida Kahlo Corp. "The collaboration with Barbie was in that sense." A family statement given to the BBC said that Kahlo's great-grandniece, Mara de Anda Romeo, was the "sole owner of the rights of the image." The family has also called for a more authentic redesign of the doll. In a pivot away from Barbie's iconic, bleach-blonde roots, the company has marketed new dolls under the hashtag #MoreRoleModels, including those modeled after film director Ava Duvernay and ballerina Misty Copeland. While many embraced the nod to a female, Latina painter who often explored issues of race and gender in her work, others questioned what Kahlo a communist and feminist would have thought about being immortalized in Barbie plastic. Alvarado said the Frida Kahlo Corp.bought the rights to Kahlo's image from Kahlo's niece, Isolda Pinedo Kahlo, in 2005, and that other family members had long been aware of the deal. Alvarado declined to comment on how much the deal cost the corporation, which licenses rights to a variety of products from tequila to Converse shoes to educate the public on Kahlo's story. Dressed in a billowing blue, red, and black dress with a fringe shawl and floral headpiece, the Frida Kahlo Barbie sells for $29.99. But Kahlo's signature facial hair, critics quickly noted, was missing from her stick-thin incarnation. "The Frida Kahlo Barbie doesn't have a unibrow and in a shocking turn of events Barbie wants to add feminism to its brand while still aggressively adhering to western beauty standards," wrote one Twitter user. "I can't help but feel that it would've been even more impactful to see the artist depicted in a way that was more true to herself not to mention her own self-portraits," wrote an editor at Teen Vogue. In a statement, Mattel said the company worked in close partnership with, and secured permission from, the Frida Kahlo Corp. to create the doll. The Frida Kahlo Barbie went on sale along with two other historical doll figures: Katherine Johnson, a pioneering African American mathematician whose calculations for NASA helped drive the first American-manned venture into space, and Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Other Barbies unveiled this week and modeled off contemporary female figures are one-of-a-kind and not available for purchase. They include Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim, Australian conservationist Bindi Irwin, and American filmmaker Patty Jenkins. A champion windsurfer, a chef, and a journalist also joined the roster of new dolls. The doll "is a very important reminder than I can be anything I want to be, that I can be my own muse," Alvarado said. Whether the actual Frida Kahlo would have found her muse in Barbie form will never be known. She died five years before the first Barbie appeared on shelves in 1959. At New Jerseys first hearing on legal pot this year, held in the statehouse, Colorado state Rep. Dan Pabon testifies about how legalization worked in his state. Read more When New Jersey State Sen. Nicholas Scutari introduced a 62-page bill and primer on how to legalize marijuana almost one year ago, he chuckled when asked if it had a prayer of passing. The legal sale of recreational marijuana had not yet begun in any other East Coast state, and yes, Chris Christie, the Republican governor at the time, had threatened a veto. The bill, Scutari insisted, would give lawmakers time to digest and debate the issue so that a palatable package would be "ready for the next governor." Gov. Murphy, a Democrat who promised on the campaign trail that he would give legal pot the green light, is now in his third month in office. But no legalization bill has landed on his desk. None has even made it to the floor for debate, despite a Democratic majority in the Legislature and pledges from party leaders that this would be a priority. "Many lawmakers are still undecided," Scutari, a Democrat from Union County, said last week. In January, he predicted legalization would be approved by the spring, possibly the summer at the latest. But now he says it might take a little longer. "Politicians are not known as a courageous bunch, and it's a topic people want to get comfortable with. After 90 years of indoctrination that this is a bad substance, we have to turn people around, educate them," said Scutari, a municipal prosecutor who two years ago led a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers to Colorado, the first state in the nation to legalize, to see for themselves how it was working. Nine states and Washington, D.C., have approved recreational marijuana, and New Jersey was expected to be in the next wave, behind Massachusetts. But some New Jersey lawmakers are suggesting alternatives, and legal pot may not be a certainty after all, at least for now. Last September, a Quinnipiac University poll showed that 59 percent of New Jersey residents supported legal pot, while a Rutgers-Eagleton poll conducted in November pegged the number at 53 percent. Then, last month, a Fairleigh Dickinson survey found support had dropped to 42 percent. "We're starting with a blank slate, looking at all the options," Assemblyman Joe Danielsen, a Democrat, said last week as he convened the first hearing on legalization at the New Jersey statehouse this year. Danielsen is "Switzerland, very neutral" on the topic, said Wayne Dibofsky, his chief of staff. As the chairman of the obscure Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee, Danielsen invited more than two dozen speakers to testify for and against legalization during a five-hour, standing-room-only session. He plans to hold three more hearings across the state this time to gather public input over the next three months. Meanwhile, at least 15 competing marijuana bills, each with a different flavor and vision, have been proposed in the Assembly, signaling a lack of consensus. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who had cosponsored Scutari's bill, broke away last month and introduced his own plan. It's very similar to Scutari's proposal, but it would allow people to grow marijuana plants at home, a rallying point for marijuana activists and medical-marijuana patients who say that provision will make cannabis more affordable and accessible. Scutari and Gusciora, a Democrat from Mercer County, had pioneered the state's medical-marijuana program, which was adopted eight years ago. But they spent years holding hearings and building a consensus among lawmakers before the program was finally approved. Pennsylvania launched its own program a few weeks ago as dispensaries opened. Some New Jersey lawmakers now say they prefer expanding and improving the medical-marijuana program rather than legalizing cannabis outright. Currently, only patients with one of a dozen or more conditions qualify to use marijuana, with a doctor's consent. A special panel last year recommended that chronic pain and a variety of other ailments be added to the list. Under most legalization plans, adults 21 and over would be able to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis for recreational or medical use. The purchases would be taxed. Murphy has said he expects this could generate about $300 million in state revenue each year. Last month, Sen. Ron Rice Sr., a Democrat who leads the black caucus, proposed an alternative to legalization. He introduced a bill to decriminalize marijuana that is, treat possession of small amounts like a traffic ticket, with a civil fine. He invited representatives of an anti-legalization group, New Jersey Responsible Approaches to Marijuana Policy, to speak at his news conference when he unveiled the plan. Rice said that one of the arguments for legalization is that minorities are disproportionately arrested and jailed for marijuana possession. His bill would address that problem without risking an increase in drug addiction that legalization could spark, he said. "Expectations were high that Murphy would get this done quickly," said Jay Lassiter, a marijuana activist from Cherry Hill and former statehouse lobbyist who has watched the issue closely. But Lassiter said lawmakers have split into factions and legalization may now be delayed many more months. Legal pot has also become a hot topic at community meetings, churches, town councils, and civil rights gatherings as people come to grips with how it could impact their lives. The Ocean and the Monmouth County freeholder boards recently passed resolutions opposing recreational pot. Likewise, local officials in Point Pleasant and Berkeley, at the Shore, voted to ban dispensaries. Other towns, including Asbury Park and Jersey City, have taken a position in support of legalization. Last week, the NAACP in Gloucester County sponsored a meeting and discussion titled "Marijuana Legalization, Faith, Facts and Fiction" that drew about 150 people to a Woodbury church. "As New Jersey considers marijuana legalization, it is vitally important that the faith community weighs in. The history, the effects and the devastation marijuana prohibition has had on community of color is undeniable," the announcement said. The hearing held by Danielsen's Assembly committee to gather input from South Jersey residents will be Saturday, April 21, at 9 a.m. at Rowan University. Danielsen said that after the committee weighs the testimony it already took and after listening to comments from the public, the Assembly will be ready to take a closer look at the various proposals to legalize marijuana. Staff writer Melanie Burney contributed to this article. A house for sale in Delran. The town is among the municipalities that have not yet settled their affordable-housing requirements. Read more A judge in Mercer County on Thursday ordered two affluent New Jersey towns to plan for more low- and middle-income housing within their boundaries, a long-anticipated ruling some say might force municipalities statewide to build more affordable housing. In her decision, Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson endorsed a methodology that concluded that the state should add 155,000 affordable housing units by 2025. The number is less than housing advocates sought, but more than towns wanted. "Lower-income households are not going to be excluded in the way that lots of wealthy towns hope to," said Kevin Walsh, executive director of the Fair Share Housing Center, a Cherry Hill-based nonprofit that advocates for affordable housing and is a party to the case. Princeton and its neighbor West Windsor are among the state's wealthier enclaves with median household income at $167,000 in West Windsor and $118,000 in Princeton, according to census data. Jacobson determined that Princeton should have 753 new affordable units more than double what the town contended, according to Fair Share and that West Windsor was responsible for 1,500, also far higher than its own calculations. While her decision only applies to the two Mercer County towns, other municipalities have been awaiting the ruling as they grapple with how much affordable housing they must provide under the New Jersey Supreme Court's longstanding Mount Laurel cases. The cases have required communities to accommodate housing that lower- and middle-income households can afford. But calculating how much housing each municipality is required to provide whether by zoning, redeveloping existing housing or building new units has been a battle. After years of failure by the state to enforce the housing requirements, the state Supreme Court in 2015 directed municipalities that hadn't met their obligations to submit plans for doing so to county-level Superior Courts. Since then, 190 municipalities have reached settlements, according to the Fair Share Housing Center. But more than 100 others haven't resolved their obligations which weren't specifically defined by the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling, or another ruling last year that found towns still had to meet housing needs that accrued during the 16 years the state wasn't enforcing the requirements. Jacobson's decision was 217 pages and followed a 40-day trial last year with conflicting expert testimony projecting New Jersey's future population and housing needs. It could spur other towns to settle, Walsh said, although other trials may also be held. Frank Marshall, staff attorney for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, said Thursday the league was still reviewing the decision. The housing center, which disagreed with some of Jacobson's findings, could appeal the decision, as could Princeton or West Windsor. In response to the order, the towns must submit plans for meeting the obligations, according to Fair Share. West Windsor Mayor Hemant Marathe said Thursday that he needed to talk to council members, but said he was "a little puzzled" by the decision. He said an expert appointed by the court determined West Windsor's affordable housing obligation was only 1,000 units 500 fewer than her order specified. Fair Share had argued the township owed 1,900 units. "It makes a laughingstock of the expert," Marathe said. He said there was "not that much demand" for housing in West Windsor, which Marathe said has about 10,000 homes. "That's why the common man is fed up with this whole political process and both parties. They are just divorced from reality," Marathe said. Even before the snow started falling Wednesday on the Rockwellian main street of Narberth, on the quaint, been-there-forever hardware store called Ricklin's, Jed Riddell had sold the last of his snow shovels. By the time the storm finished beating up on the village and environs, he was just about out of rock salt. "Winter has always been a crap shoot in this business," said Riddell, whose roots at Ricklin's go back nearly all of his 67 years, to when his father bought the place in 1960. By then, the store was almost a half-century old. Now, with March's third nor'easter in little more than a week possibly bearing down on the region, Riddell should be merrily restocking for the next stampede. Instead, the shelves have been allowed to empty, hurried along by deep, last-ditch discounts. Come April 28, Ricklin's itself will be gone. Retail, Riddell said simply, "is brutal." The home-supply industry happens to be booming, but look behind those numbers and you will find they are plumped by the big boxes and online distributing giants not independent hardware stores, many of which have gone the way of just about everything Mom and Pop held dear. Less than a year ago, Ricklin's sister store, Suburban Hardware in Bryn Mawr, closed. So now, another one bites the sawdust, and for its customers, who are legion and spread throughout the Main Line and parts of Philadelphia, the thought of losing this old haunt is wrenching. The store sent out postcards last week announcing the closing, plus an everything-must-go sale. Ever since, a steady influx of mourners has been passing through to pay respects, score deals, walk the narrow aisles, and hear the wood floors creak one last time. Pete Tyson, a Narberth native who now lives in New Jersey, made a special trip "just to see ya." "It's finally time?" he asked. Riddell was sure of it. He started working there for his dad when he was 23 and has owned the business since the late 1980s. Within the last few years, he has had two heart attacks. "It's time to hold my wife's hand for a while," he said. "It's time to go. I'm ready to retire." He added, "I am deeply complimented by the outpouring of support, though. We've done our best." He said he will miss his customers or at least 90 percent of them. A dubious distinction Riddell said he tried to sell the whole hardware business a few years ago, but no one wanted to buy it. So in 2016, he and his partner, Charley Waters, sold the two buildings that make up Ricklin's for nearly $1.3 million to an investment partnership. They paid rent for a while but chose to let the lease run out, he said, having decided he was too tired to continue. Of Riddell's three sons, none showed an interest in taking up the family business. "They weren't raised to be a little me," he said. The closing of Ricklin's will cast 16 employees out of work. It already has thrown an untold number of customers into a panic. Riddell can name few "classic" hardware stores remaining on the Main Line, DYI havens where a homeowner can run for not only the right toilet flapper but guidance on installing it, where problems are sometimes solved without a cent being spent. A woman approached Riddell last week, attempting to rally a coalition of neighbors to buy Ricklin's. But the property owners didn't seem interested, according to Riddell. "They have other plans," he said, for the corner of Haverford and Essex Avenues, a prime location directly across from the SEPTA Regional Rail stop. With that, a chapter will close on 105 years of Narberth history, one that began with Hyman Ricklin pushing a cart of tools door-to-door. In 1913, he opened a bricks-and-mortar store, which eventually passed into his children's hands. They sold the enterprise to Riddell's father, Ed, and the twin Barone brothers, Mario and Kelly, in 1960. At one point, the partners had an empire of five hardware stores; that was whittled down to two, including Suburban Hardware, in the 1980s. Along the way, Ricklin's picked up a dubious honor. The original two-story store burned down in 1939 and was replaced the following year with the current one-story structure. After a series of garages in the back were involved in another blaze in 1959, the space was rebuilt as a free-standing extension of the store. "So Ricklin's had the two biggest fires in Narberth's history," Riddell said. Struggle to stand out Downtown Narberth is a Christmas-card town, set on a one-way street lined with colorful shops that are undergoing a transition. The owners of the most prominent outposts are aging, the hallmarks of previous generations fading away Ricklin's among them. Ed Ridgway, president of the Narberth Business Association, said the overall health of Haverford Avenue is strong. One major property, which had housed the family-owned Mapes 5 & 10 since the 1960s, is being renovated into three smaller storefronts. The landlord, Ridgway said, has renters for all three shops. "That's going to be the only empty storefront on Haverford, since Ricklin's isn't empty yet," he said. "On Haverford, we have a really good success rate of renting those out. When they come up, they go really fast." Mayor Andrea Deutsch, proprietor of Spot's the Place for Paws for the last 15 years, said the changeover doesn't worry her. "I think it's the ebb and flow of time," she said. "You have to love retail, and it's not what it used to be. Online shopping, and big-box shopping, there's competition that wasn't around 30 years ago. But you have to find a way to make yourself stand out in the crowd." For Jed Riddell, that struggle was draining. "Buying a retail store is like buying a job," he said. "You can never leave it." Jack Styczynski, 32, an urgent care doctor living in Philadelphia for the last two years, stands near the new Rail Park construction, not far from his Poplar neighborhood. Hes not going anywhere soon. Read more No, Philadelphia's millennial transplants haven't run off to the suburbs just yet. Researchers have been curious about what's happening to the young people who moved to the city from 2005 to 2016 a 41 percent hike, bigger than that experienced by any of the 10 other largest U.S. metropolises. Has the influx slowed? Have the suburbs gained as people pair, have kids, and think about schools? When JLL, a local real estate research firm, analyzed the migration of 18- to 34-year-olds, it found that most of the key demographic's growth occurred between 2008 and 2010, but not much since. And there's no evidence that the suburbs are gaining on the city. The two most popular suburban counties for millennials were Delaware and Montgomery. Delaware County's millennial growth rate from 2005 to 2016 was 28.5 percent, while Montgomery County's was 20 percent. Both jurisdictions trail Philadelphia and have overall growth rates that have stagnated in recent years. Studies of the city's millennials have warned that the boom is fragile. In 2014, half of the young people polled by the Pew Charitable Trusts predicted that they'd be gone in 10 years, citing concerns about jobs, schools, crime and safety. But while locals routinely acknowledge (and even celebrate) that Philly has its haters, the city continues to enjoy popularity with new arrivals. The national growth rate for 18- to 34-year-olds was 15.9 percent between 2005 and 2016; Philadelphia's rate is 2.6 times that number. "We are far outweighing our perceived millennial attraction," said Lauren Gilchrist, JLL's director of research for Philadelphia. It's not that the suburbs are bad, Jack Styczynski explained during a leisurely visit to ReAnimator Coffee in Kensington on Thursday. Styczynski, 32, grew up in Troy, N.Y., but made the move from Boston to Philly for a medical residency four years ago. He hasn't left since. "I like being able to walk out on a beautiful Thursday and wander into Fishtown or Center City," said Styczynski, who lives in the neighborhood north of the Callowhill lofts that residents call Poplar. "It's nice having everything at your fingertips." In unofficial surveys conducted at a couple Philadelphia coffee shops, millennial transplants touted the city's walkability, affordability and growing restaurant scene. Newer arrivals also praised Philly's abundance of parks. Some who've made Philadelphia home did not expect to stay. Lawrence Watling moved from his native Long Island to attend Temple University. "I always had New York in the back of my mind," said Watling, 24, a COO of a local music agency. "I'm a New York boy, New York sports, the hustle and bustle and all that." He landed a job as an international marketing assistant for Atlantic Records and moved to New York for the position. He stayed for four months. His love for Philly hadn't really let go. "It's been a good mindset shift," the University City resident explained, "because Philly isn't temporary. It's my home now." Gilchrist said enhanced economic activity has allowed Philly to retain more new graduates from local universities. She also pointed to rising fuel prices to explain why young people may prefer carless commutes. "You see a bit of a sea change with millennials with where they want to spend their money," she said. The house with the picket fence? Not so hot these days. "Millennials," she said, "want to spend their money on experiences." Mary Garten grew up in Dobbs Ferry, a suburb of New York City, but she now lives in Port Richmond. As a restaurant worker, she isn't sure she will be able to become a homeowner. If that happens, it will be in the city, she predicted. "It doesn't feel as insular and atomized [here] as the suburbs. I like to be where the people are, you know?" Philadelphia began to experience population growth in the late 2000s, reversing population declines that had persisted for more than five decades. College-educated millennials have been a key driver of urban revival, but population research reveals a more complex picture. Even with young people falling for urban living, many American cities have still seen overall population loss, and Philadelphia owes much of its population growth to immigrants and newly born residents. Millennials are a generation often defined as those born from the early 1980s to late 1990s. Rather than tracking a generation, JLL's research follows an age group. The thirtysomethings first captured in 2005 have aged out of the bracket, as younger teens have aged into it. The boom has plateaued and some researchers have interpreted this as a sign of reaching "peak millennial," with numbers of young people bound inevitably to go down from here. Gilchrist said it's still too soon to call. Many younger members of the demographic are still in school, making it too early to predict their long-term housing preferences. "I think it's possible that we've reached peak millennial," Gilchrist said. "Just because we've reached the peak doesn't mean we've gone over a cliff because the numbers are holding constant at this point." Many local transplants said they might consider leaving the city limits in the future, whether it's for work, or to raise kids outside of the city. Watling said that he and his girlfriend have thought of it, but "we haven't remotely put a time stamp on it because we love living in the city so much." Freddie Ramirez, the CEO of Pan-American Mental Health Services, was kicked off the ballot last year in the 197th District race. Hes running for the seat again this year. Read more When Democrat Frederick Ramirez ran for the Pennsylvania House in a special election last year, he was removed from the ballot when a judge found that he didn't live in the 197th District, as he claimed. One reason: He didn't flush his toilet enough. That didn't scare him from politics, however. Ramirez, CEO of Pan-American Mental Health Services, has filed paperwork to run for the same seat in 2018. A piece of evidence used in the 2017 case was that Ramirez had only been billed for using 95 gallons of water from March to January the amount of H2O needed to flush a toilet less than twice a month. Linda Kerns, the then-attorney for the city Republican Party who filed the complaint against Ramirez last year, called him "a candidate who cavalierly dismisses the law of this commonwealth to the detriment of the voters in order to advance his own interests." Gregory Harvey, a Democratic elections lawyer representing Ramirez, said on Thursday that his client last year "relied upon a lawyer provided to him by the Democratic City Committee, which means he did not receive competent representation." He added, "Dr. Ramirez not only lives in the 197th Legislative District, but he also provides desperately needed mental health services to that community. We anticipate no difficulty in establishing conclusively that his legal domicile is in the district." Adam Bonin, Ramirez's former attorney, said he "worked aggressively with Dr. Ramirez to defend him." He said he represented Ramirez on behalf of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, not the City Committee. "Like Dr. Ramirez, I was deeply disappointed" by the judge's decision, said Bonin, whose clients have included Democratic candidates for Congress and governor. Ramirez listed as his address this time the same Hunting Park home where he allegedly didn't live last year. Though he owns the property, Ramirez has acknowledged that he has spent three or four days a week elsewhere, at his girlfriend's apartment in Bucks County as well as at a Roxborough apartment to spend time with his daughter. The ruling against Ramirez in 2017 left the city's Democratic Party in an embarrassing position: No Democrat ended up being on the ballot in the special election to replace Democratic State Rep. Leslie Acosta, who resigned months after pleading guilty to a federal felony charge, even though 85 percent of voters in the district are registered Democrats. Despite that obstacle, a Democrat won the race: State Rep. Emilio Vazquez. He is running for reelection. Another candidate, former City Council aide Danilo Burgos, also is trying to unseat him. If Ramirez's residency is challenged again this year, we'll keep you posted on what everyone is dying to know: whether Ramirez is flushing his toilet more often these days. Various experts have described the Pennsylvania congressional map drawn in 2011 as a partisan gerrymander drawn to benefit Republicans. Test after test found that the map was an extreme outlier, and in all three elections held under the map, in 2012, 2014, and 2016, Republicans won the same 13 out of 18 U.S. House seats. The same 13 out of 18 seats, even as statewide votes split equally between Democrats and Republicans, even as Pennsylvania went for former President Barack Obama and then President Trump, former Gov. Tom Corbett and then Gov. Wolf, voted for U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and also Pat Toomey. A group of Democratic voters, led by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, sued over the map last year, saying it violated the state constitution by discriminating against Democrats. In January, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed, overturning the map and ultimately imposing its own. That decision set off a nasty political and legal fight and has upended politics across the state, drawing attention from across the country. Here's a full collection of our coverage of the case. We'll update it as new stories are published. Looking for your district? Here's how to see which district you live in and the candidates running to represent you. Voters sue over the Pennsylvania congressional map June 15, 2017 The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania files a state lawsuit over the map, calling gerrymandering "one of the greatest threats to American democracy." October 2017 Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pelligrini says in a hearing that the case would not be decided before the 2018 elections if it goes through the normal process: "I can tell you it isn't going to happen." On Oct. 16, he orders a stay in the suit. Lawyers for the plaintiffs ask the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to exercise a rarely used power to step in and fast-track the case. Nov. 9, 2017 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agrees to take over and expedite the case, saying it "involves issues of immediate public importance." The court ordered the Commonwealth Court to hear a trial in the case, then submit findings of fact and conclusions of law to the high court by the end of the year. A one-week trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 11 before Judge P. Kevin Brobson in Harrisburg. Nov. 16, 2017 Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) tries to move to lawsuit to federal court, but his House counterpart, House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) apparently disagrees. After a flurry of activity that day, the suit is returned to state court. The trial Dec. 11, 2017 On the first day of trial in Harrisburg, University of Michigan political science professor Jowei Chen testifies for the plaintiffs that the 2011 map was more skewed toward Republicans than hundreds of maps that his computer software drew using politically neutral redistricting criteria. By comparing the actual map to the computer-drawn ones, Chen says, he determined that the partisan skew of the 2011 map was an "extreme statistical outlier." Dec. 12, 2017 West Chester University political science professor John J. Kennedy takes a different approach, testifying as an expert witness for the plaintiffs that the 2011 map also divides "communities of interest" that could and should have been kept together. Rather than using a quantitative approach to measuring the map, Kennedy walks through multiple districts' boundaries to show how the map combined some unrelated communities while splitting other groups. Dec. 13-15 The trial continues. Dec. 29, 2017 Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson recommends the state Supreme Court uphold the congressional map. In his recommended findings of fact and conclusions of law, he says the plaintiffs' experts were credible but the plaintiffs had not created a "judicially manageable standard" for the court to decide whether the map crossed the line. "Petitioners, however, have failed to meet their burden of proving that the 2011 Plan, as a piece of legislation, clearly, plainly, and palpably violates the Pennsylvania Constitution," he wrote. "For the judiciary, this should be the end of the inquiry." Map overturned Jan. 17, 2018 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court hears oral argument in the case and appears open to the idea that the congressional map is illegally gerrymandered. Jan. 22, 2018 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court throws out the 2011 map, blocking its use in the 2018 midterm and general elections. The court gives the state legislature until Feb. 9 to submit a new map to Gov. Wolf, who has until Feb. 15 to approve it. If that does not happen, the court says, it will draw its own map by Feb. 19. While it says a full opinion will be released later, it tells the legislature that a new map should be composed of districts that are compact and contiguous, of equal population, and split as few counties and towns as possible. As the news ripples across the state and country, Republican lawmakers immediately vow to challenge the court. Jan. 23, 2018 Pennsylvania's top two Republican state lawmakers ask the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to stay its own order, a step they must take before going to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jan. 25, 2018 The lawmakers, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) and House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny), ask the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and block the state Supreme Court order. In their request for a stay, the Republicans say the state court is taking power from the state legislature, overstepping its bounds under the U.S. Constitution. Jan. 31, 2018 As the political and legal fight grows increasingly nasty, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) tells the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that he will not hand over any data that would help the court draw its own lines. "In light of the unconstitutionality of the Court's Orders and the Court's plain intent to usurp the General Assembly's constitutionally delegated role of drafting Pennsylvania's congressional districting plan, Sen. Scarnati will not be turning over any data identified in the Court's Orders," his lawyers wrote. Feb. 2, 2018 Republican lawmakers open a new line of attack on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which they have already accused of partisanship. They accuse Justice David Wecht of bias based on comments he made on the campaign trail and also question whether Justice Christine Donohue was biased as well. Wecht should be disqualified from the case, they say. Feb. 5, 2018 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. rejects the Republican lawmakers' request for a stay without comment. He does not refer the issue to the whole court. The lawmakers say they will keep fighting, and a rank-and-file Republican lawmaker circulates a memo seeking cosponsors to join an attempt to impeach the Democratic justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Feb. 7, 2018 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court releases its opinion explaining its ruling. The 2011 map violated the state constitution's guarantee that "elections shall be free and equal," Justice Debra McCloskey Todd writes for the majority: "An election corrupted by extensive, sophisticated gerrymandering and partisan dilution of votes is not 'free and equal.'" Republican lawmakers criticize the opinion, do not rule out other legal attempts at fighting it, and say it is unlikely the legislature can draw and pass a new map before the Feb. 9 deadline in two days. Feb. 8, 2018 As it becomes clear that the state legislature will not draw and pass a new map in time for the court's Feb. 9 deadline, top Republican lawmakers say they are working on their own map that they will submit directly to Gov. Wolf. Feb. 9, 2018 Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) and House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) submit a map directly to Gov. Wolf. Democratic lawmakers urge Wolf to reject the map, saying they were kept entirely out of the process. Democrats and experts begin analyzing the map and immediately criticize it as a partisan gerrymander, saying it looks cleaner than the previous map but remains unfairly skewed toward Republicans. Feb. 13, 2018 Wolf rejects the map, saying it remains a partisan gerrymander. He reached his conclusion in part based on an analysis done by Moon Duchin, a Tufts University math professor he hired. Wolf says he hopes the state legislature will submit a new map to him by Feb. 15, but participants in the case also begin preparing their own map proposals to submit directly to the court. Feb. 15, 2018 Participants in the case, including Wolf, House Democrats, and Senate Democrats, submit their proposals directly to the court. The court will now select a map or draw its own. New map Feb. 19, 2018 The Pennsylvania Supreme Court releases its map, drawn with the help of Stanford University law professor Nathaniel Persily. One thing is certain: Republican lawmakers are not going to stop fighting. The new map immediately upends politics in the state, including making Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello's district more unfavorable for him. As Scarnati and Turzai (R., Allegheny) prepare to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and block the map, the National Republican Congressional Committee says a group of national and state Republicans is preparing a second, separate federal challenge. (The NAACP and good-government group Common Cause also contemplate challenging the map, on civil rights grounds, but they ultimately decide not to.) Feb. 20, 2018 President Trump weighs in, saying he hopes Republicans fight the map "all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary." Feb. 21, 2018 Top Republican state lawmakers file an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the nation's highest court to take up the case and block the new congressional map. They make essentially the same argument as before: The U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures the power to run elections, and the state court usurped that power by drawing its own map. Feb. 22, 2018 Making that same argument, a group of eight of the state's Republican congressmen and two state senate leaders file a federal lawsuit in Harrisburg, asking the court to block the map. (One incumbent Republican, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, does not join in the Republican challenges. "Gerrymandering attacks the bedrock right of every American to fair representation," he says.) Meanwhile, as questions swirl about the possibility of trying to impeach state Supreme Court justices, experts said it would be difficult and should not be done. Feb. 23, 2018 The panel of federal judges assigned to the lawsuit filed by Republican congressmen and state senate leaders declines to immediately block the map but fast-tracks the schedule to hear the case. Feb. 24, 2018 President Trump weighs in again. Feb. 28, 2018 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asks for responses to the Republican lawmakers' request for a stay, giving the participants in the case a chance to comment and allowing for "friend of the court" briefs from outside parties. March 1, 2018 In the lawsuit brought by Republican congressmen and state senators, the federal judges allow the voters in the initial case to step in to defend the map but do not allow the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania or the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to intervene in the case. A hearing is scheduled for March 9. March 2, 2018 Gov. Wolf moves to dismiss the federal lawsuit that seeks to block the map, as does the group of Democratic voters who brought the original case. Wolf's legal team adds Neal Katyal, a former acting U.S. solicitor general who has argued multiple cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. March 5, 2018 Gov. Wolf, Democratic Lt. Gov. Mike Stack, and the Democratic voters who brought the original suit argue in court filings that the U.S. Supreme Court should not intervene to block the new congressional map. In one twist, former Pa. Gov. and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh files an amicus brief in support of Republicans' ask for a stay, putting him in opposition to his son David Thornburgh, the head of Philadelphia good-government group Committee of 70. March 9, 2018 At a hearing in the federal lawsuit that seeks to block the map, a panel of judges question lawyers on whether the court can and should intervene, what effects that could have, and whether to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to take action first. The judges do not make any immediate decisions but say they will do so soon. March 16, 2018 With the deadline for filing to run just four days away, some congressional candidates hold out hope that a court will block the new congressional map, allowing them to revert to the old one. But with that deadline looming, they move forward with filing their papers to run in the newly drawn districts. March 19, 2018 The panel of federal judges rejects the Republican lawmakers' challenge to the congressional map, dismissing the lawsuit. The judges say the lawmakers do not have the proper standing. Within hours, the U.S. Supreme Court rejects top Republican lawmakers' request that the court steps in to block the map. With the two rejections, no challenges remain, clearing the way for the map to be used in the 2018 elections. March 20, 2018 One Republican state representative introduces resolutions to impeach four Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices for their rulings in the gerrymandering case. The measures, which have support from a small group of Republicans, receive a sharp rebuke from House Democrats. Meanwhile, nearly 100 candidates file to run for congress by the 5 p.m. deadline, with 59 Democrats and 35 Republicans running for the 18 seats. March 22, 2018 Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Saylor, who was elected as a Republican and dissented from the majority in the case, says he is "very concerned" about the effort to impeach his four colleagues. A key Republican, House Majority Leader Dave Reed, is resistant to the impeachment effort, saying he disagrees with the court's decision but "disagreement over the outcome of any particular case should not be grounds for impeachment." All eyes on redistricting reform legislation March 27, 2018 A group of state senators and, separately, two state representatives renew discussions about proposals to have an independent citizen commission, rather than state lawmakers, set congressional and legislative district boundaries. Advocates hope to change the redistricting process, but the timeline to do so is tight.. April 11, 2018 A bill advocates had helped craft, HB722, is amended in the House State Government Committee, where it remains without a set date for proceeding. The original bill would create a commission of citizens; the new version would make a six-legislator panel with a Senate Republican, Senate Democrat, House Republican, House Democrat, and one member each elected by the entirety of each chamber. Advocates criticize the move and shift their focus to other legislation, as well as to possible ways to revert the bill to its original form. April 19, 2018 The U.S. Supreme Court grants House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) an extension for filing an appeal in the gerrymandering case. While the court had denied the Republicans' request for emergency intervention, the lawmakers had not filed their actual appeal. They have until June 21 to file a request. Experts said it was unlikely the U.S. Supreme Court would take up the case and, if it did, it is almost certain any court actions would not impact the 2018 general election. May 22, 2018 The Senate State Government Committee amends SB22, a bill crafted with activists that would create a citizens' commission for redistricting. While the original would have had commissioners chosen at random, state Sen. Mike Folmer (R., Lebanon) says he "simply cannot in good conscience" allow for random selection because it would mean lawmakers abdicate their responsibility. As amended, legislative leaders and the governor would nominate the commissioners. Some activists are upset at the changes, which they said took them by surprise and represent a fundamental change to the proposal. While Fair Districts PA stands by the bill, other groups are more reserved and even critical. Fourteen groups announce their opposition to the bill. "So much for compromise.," writes columnist John Baer. "So much for unity." June 5, 2018 House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R., Indiana) introduces a redistricting reform bill that would create a citizens' commission to draw political maps. While previous redistricting bills have been sent to the House State Government Committee, where they stalled, Reed asks House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) to send the bill to the House Rules Committee, which Reed chairs. Turzai agrees. June 7, 2018 Other redistricting reform bills are also sent to the House Rules Committee. June 12, 2018 Senators propose and vote on amendments to SB22. Among the amendments is one proposed by Sen. Ryan Aument (R., Lancaster) to create regional districts for electing state appellate court judges, including the Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices. Activists and Democrats decry the move, claiming it was retaliation for the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the congressional maps. Aument and other Republicans say the proposal, which like redistricting reform would go before voters for approval or rejection, is meant to ensure "geographic diversity" in the judicial system. The amendment passes 31-18, with all 16 Democrats and State Sens. Mike Folmer (R., Lebanon) and John Rafferty (R., Montgomery) voting against the change. June 13, 2018 The Pennsylvania Senate passes SB22 with the judicial districting amendment proposal attached to it. Two Democratic state senators, Andrew Dinniman of Chester County and Lisa Boscola of Lehigh County, vote for the bill, which passes 35-14. June 14, 2018 Senate Democrats send a letter to House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) asking him to refer redistricting reform bill SB22 to the House Rules Committee and strip the judicial districting amendment. While redistricting bills had previously been sent to the House State Government Committee and stalled or, in one case, been gutted, bills have recently been sent to Rules. House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R., Indiana) chairs the Rules Committee and has himself introduced redistricting reform legislation. June 18, 2018 The U.S. Supreme Court returns two major partisan gerrymandering cases to lower courts on procedural grounds, punting on what could have been blockbuster decisions. June 20, 2018 The House Rules Committee advances a half dozen redistricting bills to the floor without debate. Multiple amendments are expected. June 21, 2018 Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) and House Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) appeal the gerrymandering case to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the state Supreme Court inappropriately took legislative powers when it overturned the congressional map. "We believe the voters of Pennsylvania deserve an answer as to whether the state Supreme Court overstepped its authority. We believe it did," the pair say in a statement. June 25, 2018 The state House leaves for the foreseeable future. While technically lawmakers can still be recalled, activists see this as the end of their attempts to pass a constitutional amendment with redistricting reform by the 2021 map-drawing cycle. Lawyer Jason Torchinsky (second from left),presents state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (center), who has worked with House Speaker Mike Turzai (left) to argue that a new congressional map is illegal and the old one should be kept. Gov. Wolf (right) has fought to keep the new map in place, and the map has drawn attention from former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (bottom right), who runs a national Democratic redistricting group backed by former President Barack Obama (right-center). Major cases are currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court (background). Read more When the legal armies met for the first time in Harrisburg to fight over Pennsylvania's congressional map, the challengers asked the judge to move quickly. They wanted the map overturned before the 2018 elections. The other side, led by top Republican lawmakers, implored the court to wait; this had to be done properly. Both sides came armed with previous cases. But the precedents were muddy. "What I'm saying is they were inconsistent," said Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pelligrini. Jason Torchinsky, a lawyer for the Republicans, shot back: "Welcome to redistricting law." "OK," the judge responded. "You know the problem with redistricting law? Nobody really gets good at it because they only do it once every 10 years." But expertise has been building. Gerrymandering litigation has escalated, with multiple maps under challenge and major cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court; lawyers such as Torchinsky have become a legal fire brigade as maps have been declared unconstitutional in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Torchinsky and others are in Harrisburg once again Friday, arguing over a federal lawsuit that seeks to block the new congressional map and reuse the old one for the 2018 elections. Meanwhile, the wait continues as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. considers a similar request from top Republican state lawmakers. Torchinsky, a partner in Holtzman Vogel Josefiak Torchinsky PLLC, a go-to firm for Republicans across the country, has defended GOP-drawn maps or filed briefs in support of them in several gerrymandering cases, including in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, and North Carolina. He's represented Republican state lawmakers, Congress members, the Republican National Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee. His involvement in so many cases shouldn't be surprising, Torchinsky said in an interview Thursday. "In a narrow area of law," he said, "there's only a handful of people who do this nationwide." As litigation has heated up, Torchinsky's clients and other Republican lawmakers have formed a de facto support network, using legal tactics from a shared playbook and filing legal briefs in one another's cases. "There's no question that if you sort of look behind the curtain a bit, you can see that redistricting is a national effort by the parties," said Michael Li, a redistricting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. Republicans are the ones defending maps now because it was the GOP that organized in 2010 to flip state legislatures and control the map-making in several states, Li said. But he noted that Democrats are also guilty of gerrymandering when they get the chances, and likely would have done so in 2010 if they had been in control of those statehouses. The GOP is scrambling, Li said, because of anxieties about what might happen in 2018. "As the electoral tide seems to be moving against them nationally, these gerrymanders become all that more important," he said. "And they seem to be coordinating to sort of defend them, and that makes sense. If you think your house is on fire, you call some of your friends to try to put the fire out." How we got here And that fire brigade certainly has been busy. In October, when Judge Pellegrini complained of inconsistencies in some of the previous cases, the U.S. Supreme Court had just heard arguments in a blockbuster partisan gerrymandering case over Wisconsin's state legislative lines. The high court had not yet picked up a case over Maryland's congressional map. North Carolina's congressional map hadn't yet been overturned by a federal court. The group of Democratic voters suing over Pennsylvania's congressional map hadn't yet succeeded. All that would come to fruition within a few months. In Pennsylvania, the state Supreme Court would draw national attention including President Trump's by throwing out the map, imposing a new one, and upending politics across the state. Gerrymandering challenges are cyclical, as the judge noted, popping up regularly with each decade's redistricting of the congressional maps following the Census. But the ones accusing mapmakers of partisan gerrymandering had limited success previously. In a 2004 Pennsylvania gerrymandering case, Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said that the courts could have a role if some tests for measuring it could be developed. That prompted a scramble to pitch ideas to the court. The Gill v. Whitford Wisconsin case currently before the high court incorporates some of the tests developed in the wake of that ruling, as did the Pennsylvania case. Armed with those tests and various legal arguments and evidence, new cases began finding traction. The Wisconsin case was the first time in decades in which a partisan gerrymandering challenge had succeeded, and the North Carolina case was the first time a federal court struck down a congressional map on partisan gerrymandering grounds. "What we're seeing is Democrats reacting to the fact that they have a demographic problem, which is that their voters tend to live too closely together, and they're looking to the courts to solve their demographic problem," Torchinsky said. He said that the clustering in urban areas hurts Democrats' ability to win state legislative and congressional seats. In Pennsylvania, the state Supreme Court took over the case, fast-tracking it before overturning the map and ultimately drawing its own. That ruling could become a model for other state courts, experts said, because the court ruled that extreme partisan gerrymandering violated the state constitution's guarantee that "elections shall be free and equal" and 25 other states have constitutions with similar "free and equal" or "free and open" elections clauses. Pennsylvania redistricting fight Pennsylvania's top two Republican lawmakers, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Mike Turzai, are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene to block the new map. (A similar earlier request was denied.) They have accused the state high court of partisanship and have tried to get a justice disqualified, alleging bias. Many of the maneuvers parallel those used in other cases. Justin Levitt, a law professor and associate dean at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said the playbook for defending the maps has three main components. "First off, stall," he said. Getting to use a gerrymandered map for one more election means another two years of favorable numbers for your party, he said, and increases the incumbency advantage that much more. "It is always too soon, too late, too disruptive, too insert-the-blank to do anything for the next election, no matter when it is. You see this argument over and over." "The second tactic is 'redistricting is inherently political and we have a body to deal with inherently political stuff, and that's the legislature,' " Levitt said. "Attack number three is: Anybody who drew the line is an improper entity to draw the line," he said. "They didn't give us a good enough chance. If there was something wrong with the first iteration, we ought to have a longer chance, a better chance to fix it." "Obviously, you've seen all these things in Pennsylvania," Levitt said. "You've seen all these things everywhere else, too." The national support network It makes sense that some lawyers get called on over and over, experts said. As Torchinsky said, redistricting is a specialized area. And the workings of the GOP support network are evident in some of the friend of the court briefs. For example, the Senate President Pro Tempore and House Speaker in North Carolina, both Republicans, filed one such brief in support of Scarnati and Turzai, their Pennsylvania counterparts. The U.S. Supreme Court, the North Carolina Republicans said, should stay the Pennsylvania high court ruling. The new congressional districts in southeastern Pennsylvania under the map imposed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Read more HARRISBURG A panel of federal judges, asked by GOP lawmakers to block the new Pennsylvania congressional map, on Friday questioned whether it should wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to act on a similar request and if blocking the map would further disrupt an already tumultuous election cycle. The three judges Chief U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Judge Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and District Judge Jerome B. Simandle for the District of New Jersey were equally aggressive Friday in questioning both sides in the case during four hours of testimony. They said they would release a decision soon. A group of eight congressmen and two state Senate leaders, all Republicans, are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop implementation of the congressional map imposed last month by the state high court, arguing that the court stole power that the Constitution gives to state lawmakers. "The U.S. Constitution assigns responsibility for redistricting to the legislature," Jason Torchinsky, a lawyer for the Republicans, said at the hearing. The justices of the state high court, he said, "don't get to act as legislators" by creating criteria for how congressional district lines should be drawn and then creating their own map. Torchinsky and other lawyers for the Republicans argued that the federal judges should reinstate the previous map for the 2018 elections, including the primaries in May and the general election in November. That would mean holding another election cycle under the 2011 map that was discarded in January, with the state Supreme Court ruling it was a partisan gerrymander drawn to favor Republicans in violation of the state constitution. At the core of their arguments, Republicans say, is that the state court overstepped its bounds. The new map's defenders, including Gov. Wolf's administration and the Democratic voters who brought the original state lawsuit, contend that the federal courts have no power to step into a state constitutional issue. Beyond those basic arguments, Republicans have contended that the new map has created a chaotic environment that has confused congressional candidates and voters. The judges appeared at first to be sympathetic to that idea, with Conner referring to "a kind of the chaos" that a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice said would ensue after a new map was drawn. But then the judges flipped that around: Might a return to the previous map actually create more chaos? "Do we make the confusion better by issuing an order that says you're back to the old map?" Jordan asked. The judges also appeared concerned about the timeline of events, since the Pennsylvania Supreme Court did not release a full opinion explaining its ruling until Feb. 7, two days before the deadline it imposed on the state legislature to draw a new map. The judges noted that the full opinion contained more information that would guide the drawing of a map, questioning whether that meant the legislature in effect only had two days to draw a map rather than 18. They also raised the question of another challenge currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, in which the state's two top Republican state lawmakers are asking it to block the map. Both challenges make similar legal arguments, the judges noted, and the U.S. Supreme Court is considering other gerrymandering cases this term. One option, the judges said, is to wait for the Supreme Court. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. is expected to issue a decision at any time as to whether the high court will take up the case and block the map, or reject the request and leave the map in place. Gov. Tom Wolf received $1 million last year from Fairness PA. The PACs contributor include doctors and lawyers who own pharmacies. Read more Gov. Wolf has dozens of political action committees helping to fund his reelection, but one PAC towered above them all last year. Fairness PA, based in Center City, poured $1 million into Wolf's campaign coffer during the second half of 2017 twice the total from any other committee for the year. When Democrat Wolf disclosed his biggest campaign donor in a required January filing, the low-profile PAC got brief mentions in the Harrisburg press as being funded by labor unions, teachers, Philadelphia-area lawyers, and prominent Democratic donors. A closer analysis shows that Fairness PA has also become a channel for doctors and lawyers who own pharmacies to put their campaign contributions to use. Their donations are coming in as lawmakers debate a bill that could put an end to the controversial practice of pharmacies billing insurers for unproven pain creams that can cost $4,000 a tube or more. The Republican-backed legislation would create a list of drugs, known as a formulary, covered under the state workers' compensation program, similar to the lists used by standard health insurance plans, Medicare, and Medicaid to manage costs. The latest version of the bill was introduced in October after an Inquirer and Daily News investigation found that workers' comp lawyers and pain-management doctors have sent clients and patients to pharmacies in which they have an ownership interest, then billed their employers' insurance providers for the expensive compounded creams. Legal and medical ethicists say the ownership structures can raise serious conflicts of interests. Five pharmacies and a consulting business affiliated with Insight Medical Partners, a Conshohocken firm that operates area pharmacies, contributed $125,000 to Fairness PA last year. Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano the large workers' comp law firm that started its own pharmacy, Workers First, in 2016 gave $87,000 to Fairness PA, in addition to $13,400 contributed by its lawyers and other employees. (In December, the state Board of Pharmacy received an application to transfer 72 percent of Workers First to four new owners. None of the Pond Lehocky partners appear as listed owners under the proposed new ownership structure. That application, however, is still pending as of April 19, 2018.) Fairness PA also received $42,000 last year from Pond Lehocky's political action committee, Pennsylvanians for Injured Workers, whose donors include doctors from the Insight network and doctors with ownership stakes in the Workers First pharmacy. Attorney Sam Pond has been leading the opposition to legislation to create a workers' comp drug formulary. Wolf shares that position. His spokesman, J.J. Abbott, said the proposed bill would go far beyond curbing the overprescription of opioids, potentially making it more difficult for injured workers to get necessary medical treatment. "We believe an injured worker's access to benefits and treatment deemed reasonable and appropriate by their doctor could be negatively hindered and delayed by the proposed legislation," Abbott said. "State government does not and should not interfere with the relationship between a doctor and patient." Fairness PA was created by local trial lawyers in 2015, primarily to support candidates running for the state Supreme Court that year. One of its early contributors, personal-injury lawyer Shanin Specter, told the Inquirer and Daily News in 2015 that he gave to the PAC because direct donations to justices could be grounds for recusal. The committee spent just $100,000 in 2015. In 2016, it spent $585,000. Last year, that number increased to just over $1 million, due in part to the influx of money from pharmacy interests. Almost all the money went to Wolf, who faces a tough reelection battle this year. Pennsylvania is among those few states that impose no limit on campaign contributions from individuals. Fairness PA's treasurer, Adam Bonin, declined to say who solicits contributions for the PAC and who decides how the money is spent. He could not recall who named it but said it is not focused on any specific piece of legislation. "Fairness PA is a statewide coalition of business leaders, labor organizations, progressive organizations, professionals, and other individuals committed to electing Democrats across Pennsylvania to executive, legislative, and judicial offices," Bonin said. "We make our decisions by consensus." Wolf's campaign spokesman, Jeffrey Sheridan, described it similarly: "Fairness PA is a statewide political action committee comprised of hardworking Pennsylvanians, including progressive organizations and business, legal, community, and labor leaders." Several Fairness PA donors contacted by the Inquirer and Daily News declined to comment on the contributions or did not return messages. Larry Cohan, chairman of the Philadelphia trial lawyers' PAC, Committee for a Better Tomorrow, said the organization contributed $25,000 to Fairness PA last year because "their objectives were consistent with ours." Cohan said the contribution was not tied to any specific issue. "There's probably no progressive group that supports Democrats that hasn't been addressing the complex issues relating to the workers' comp legislation," Cohan said. "I'm sure that group, along with others, cares very much about how those laws are developed." In July, Wolf attended a dinner at Del Frisco's steak house in Center City sponsored by Insight Medical Partners. An invitation to the event called it an "exclusive dinner discussion" with Wolf. The RSVP was to Rishin Patel, a doctor and CEO of Insight Medical Partners. Patel and doctors and pharmacies affiliated with Insight Medical Partners are being sued by Liberty Mutual Insurance and other insurance firms for prescribing $3.7 million in allegedly fraudulent pain creams. The suit says the creams, which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, cost between $5,000 and $8,000 a tube. Sheridan has previously said the Del Frisco's meeting was not a fund-raiser, but declined to elaborate. He said last week that the new financial support from doctor-owned pharmacies through Fairness PA has no bearing on the governor's opposition to the drug formulary bill and that "any insinuation or claim that Governor Wolf's position was not related to policy is completely ludicrous." Jeff Jubelirer, a spokesman for Patel and the Insight group, declined to comment on their political contributions. Fairness PA last year gave money to only one other officeholder, State Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky, a Democrat from Delaware County. She received $5,000. Krueger-Braneky is strongly opposed to the drug formulary bill and spoke out against it at a January committee meeting. "This language has been problematic," Krueger-Braneky said of the bill, raising concerns that it could make it more difficult for police, firefighters, and paramedics to obtain antiretroviral drugs if they are exposed to blood from someone who is HIV positive. Krueger-Braneky's spokesman, Joe Corrigan, said last week that she opposed the legislation because "politicians in Harrisburg shouldn't be able to tell doctors and pharmacists what they can prescribe first responders and other workers who have been hurt on the job." The bill passed the Senate in October, but was defeated last month in the House with a 98-98 tie. It could be voted on again this month. The Republican senators who introduced the legislation said in their legislative memo that it would address opioid abuse and end the "ethically questionable" practice of law firms and doctors profiting off medicines prescribed to their clients and patients. Sam Pond, whose email to doctors outlined such an arrangement, did not return a request for comment. Democrats are united in opposition to the bill, which they describe as overly broad because it covers all drugs and treatments for injured workers, not just opioids. "Governor Wolf has made tackling the opioid epidemic his top priority and continually urges the General Assembly to enact helpful legislation, but conflating these workers' compensation bills with the opioid crisis is misleading and opportunistic," Abbott said. Abbott said he could not say whether Wolf would veto the bill if it is passed by the General Assembly. Staff writer Dylan Purcell contributed to this article. This article was updated to reflect a December application to the state Pharmacy Board to change the listed owners of Workers First Pharmacy. A man cleans the snow off of his car on the 800 block of Walnut Street during a winter storm, in Philadelphia, Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Read more With that pockmarked meringue of snow and ice holding its own against the March sun, computer models are confident that yet another coastal storm will take shape Sunday into Monday. As of Saturday morning and for this particular threat that is a huge caveat the odds are more favorable for snow south of and east of the city. But the National Weather Service in Mount Holly sees a 10 percent shot of a 6-inch snowfall in Philadelphia, and the numerical forecast models suggested a 100 percent chance of uncertainty. "I don't think the models are cohesive here," wrote Walt Drag, a lead forecaster. The weather service has cautioned that forecast confidence was "low," calling the storm "too close for comfort." It noted that the forecast models have tended to bring storms farther north in their later runs. This particular threat has a number of moving parts, and a key piece of energy from the Pacific did not arrive until Friday morning, said Evan Duffey, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. It has a long way to pass through land-based observation network. Weather-balloon data is critical for the calculations by the various computer models. "Some storms, we have more confidence than others," said Duffey. "This is one of those situations, there's just not enough agreement." Duffey details might not come into focus until Saturday night if then. As we learned with the last two assaults, details can be elusive even as a storm is maturing. Computer models suffer from a fundamental problem: The atmosphere, extending from the Earth's surface to the boundaries of space, is an ever-restless subjectt. Observation gaps abound, which makes it impossible to predict precisely how it is going to behave. "It's an imperfect science," said Duffey. "We can't measure every molecule." In the end, numerical weather prediction is a prodigous math problem, and nature gets to correct the papers. Rarely does it give a perfect score. And as Gary Szatkowski, former chief meteorologist at the NWS regional office in Mount Holly, said on Twitter about the potential of a storm: "Worth watching but wouldn't be adjusting any plans at this point in time." In the 1960s, after some prodding from Ralph Nader, government regulators began a major push for safer cars. Which made University of Chicago economist Sam Peltzman wonder just how much safer these innovations made us. Specifically, he wondered about what economists call "moral hazard" our tendency to take more risks when we're insulated from the costs of that risk-taking. In 1975, Peltzman published an article innocuously titled "The Effects of Automobile Safety Regulation." His conclusion, however, was explosive: "Data imply some saving of auto occupants' lives at the expense of more pedestrian deaths and more nonfatal accidents." Less fearful of accidents, drivers were piloting their vehicles more recklessly, substantially reducing the lifesaving benefits of the regulation. Economist Gordon Tullock suggested that if regulators really wanted people to drive more safely, they'd require automakers to mount a spike in the middle of each steering wheel, pointed toward the driver's chest. The "Peltzman Effect" doesn't mean, however, that auto safety is useless. Drivers may be a little more reckless, but there's still been a steady decline in deaths per 100 million miles of driving. In 1965, that number was 5.3. It is now 1.2. But it seems there may be one area where the Peltzman Effect not only exists but is large enough to completely erase the benefits of a safety measure: opiate use. A chemical called naloxone acts as an "opioid antagonist" which is to say it reverses the drug's effects on the body. It can thus save people who have overdosed. As opioid usage has worsened in the United States, more jurisdictions have acted to increase access to naloxone. Not only first responders but also friends, family, and even librarians have started to administer it. These state laws were passed at different times, giving researchers Jennifer Doleac and Anita Mukherjee a sort of natural experiment: They could look at what happened to overdoses in areas that liberalized naloxone access and compare the trends there with places that hadn't changed their laws. Their results are grim, to say the least: "We find that broadening naloxone access led to more opioid-related emergency room visits and more opioid-related theft, with no reduction in opioid-related mortality." You can never assume that the results of one study, however well done, are correct. But these results look pretty robust. If they hold up, they would mean that naloxone is not saving lives; all we're doing is spending a lot of money on naloxone to generate some increase in crime. It makes a certain amount of sense that the Peltzman Effect would show up particularly strongly in drug users; after all, drugs hijack the brain's reward system, redirecting it toward drug-seeking even at high personal risk. Drug users, one would think, would be highly likely to recalibrate their risk-taking so that the risk of death remains constant, while the frequency and potency of drug use increases. The coldly logical response to this would seem to be to discontinue naloxone use. But there's something repulsive about that conclusion, and Doleac and Mukherjee can't bring themselves to go there. "Our findings do not necessarily imply that we should stop making naloxone available to individuals suffering from opioid addiction," they write, "or those who are at risk of overdose. They do imply that the public health community should acknowledge and prepare for the behavioral effects we find here." Sally Satel echoes Doleac and Mukherjee, both on the moral hazard of naloxone and on whether access to it should continue. Satel, a psychiatrist who is also a drug policy scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, says the paper's findings reinforce what she has heard from patients: "Patients occasionally tell me that having naloxone on hand has served as insurance against overdose. So, in some instances, it enhances risk-taking." "That said," she emphasizes, "we must use it to save people in the immediate term." So how can public policy prepare for those "behavioral effects" found by Doleac and Mukherjee? Satel suggests we look at civil commitment for patients who overdose multiple times in a short period. But she also notes that civil commitment can't work without good treatment options and in a lot of places, those aren't available. Which brings us back to something that's easy to forget about the Peltzman Effect: It can be used to argue as much for more regulation as for less. Insurance companies, after all, have been fighting moral hazard for centuries, which is why they reward people who install burglar alarms or fill in their swimming pools (or punish people who don't do those things). And so, too, can the government for example, by aggressively ticketing speeders, passing tougher drunken driving laws, or using a combination of carrots and sticks to help addicts get clean. There are better policy responses to moral hazard than mounting a spike on the steering wheel or depriving addicts of a second chance at life. Megan McArdle is a Washington Post columnist and the author of "The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success." @asymmetricinfo The nominating committee for Philadelphia's new school board is scheduled Monday to recommend a list of its first members to Mayor Kenney. The board will replace the state-appointed School Reform Commission. Unfortunately, that may come with Kenney and City Council President Darrell L. Clarke engaged in an argument that could affect how much independence school board members will have. At the urging of Kenney, Clarke, and countless others, the SRC voted in November to dissolve. Only the SRC had the authority to abolish itself, under the state law creating it in 2001. It will continue to exist until the new board officially takes over. That's scheduled to happen July 1, after the new board becomes operational. Several loose ends remain to be tied; including changing the city's Home Rule Charter in a referendum that is planned to coincide with the May 15 primary election. The needed legislation for the referendum has been sitting in limbo ever since it was passed by a Council committee two months ago. That delay may grow even longer if Kenney and Clarke don't end their argument over how to dismiss bad school board members. The school board legislation says it will be appointed by the mayor with the "advice and consent" of Council. Clarke also wants Council to play a role in any board member's dismissal by requiring their removal only for cause, not merely at the pleasure of the mayor. But Kenney says sharing dismissal authority would deprive the public of the direct accountability he promised in asking the SRC to end its life. The debate seems to take for granted that a school board member will have to be fired. Maybe that's a given in Philadelphia. But that view does get to the root of the Kenney-Clarke argument, which is politics. They are vying over how much control the mayor and Council will have over each school board member. The mayor and the Council president have been working so well together that this tiff comes somewhat unexpected. But no matter the outcome, the big loser will be Philadelphia's children if school board members have to constantly look over their shoulders to see what someone in City Hall wants. Anyone willing to work under those circumstances shouldn't be on the board. That's why the nominating committee's choices must be closely scrutinized. Kenney shouldn't appoint anyone who would be afraid to oppose him, or Clark, to protect the best interests of schoolchildren. In retrospect, perhaps it would have been good to limit members of the new board to one six-year term; they now can serve up to three four-year terms. That might alleviate implied or real political pressure on board members. This complicated issue is a preview of what the new school board will have to grapple with constantly, and sometimes resolve imperfectly all the while continuing to work together. That's a good lesson for Kenney and Clarke to heed. This is an important moment for Philadelphia. After years of derision by legislators from other counties who scoffed at the city's ability to manage its schools, the city is getting a chance to prove them wrong. The next step is for Kenney and Clarke to settle their differences and finish the process for a charter change. Philadelphia has a long and troubled history of elected officials being conflicted between their official duties and lucrative side interests. Sometimes, those conflicts are obvious and criminal. For example, former District Attorney Seth Williams was sent to federal prison on a bribery charge. Before him, former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah was packed off to prison for bribery. City Council members, state representatives and senators the list of Philadelphia politicians who found disgrace through greed is extensive. And then there's former Sheriff John Green, who is currently standing trial in federal court, accused of trading big-payday contracts to a businessman in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and loans. But sometimes those potential conflicts are legal and yet still raise eyebrows, if not questions. For example, Green's successor, Sheriff Jewell Williams, made $34,000 last year as a political consultant for three judicial campaigns. That's perfectly legal. But since one of the sheriff's jobs is to protect judges in courtrooms, this side job is troublesome and not just for the implications of the sheriff's interaction with judges who might have paid him to help them get elected. There's also the ones Williams has to interact with who might have beaten his clients. Politicians run for office promising honest and efficient public service. But when they take on a side job, they raise the question: Whom do they really serve the taxpayers who fund their salaries or the clients who supplement it? The sheriff's consulting salary was less that a quarter of the $129,760 that he earns in his public post but also fairly close to what the U.S. census reports as the median income for a household in the city, $39,770. Williams isn't alone is supplementing a healthy six-figure taxpayer-fed salary with additional income. Statements filed last May of financial interests for 2016 show that City Councilman Bobby Henon continues to work for the union that launched his political career, Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. This is especially troubling since it is clear federal investigators are probing Henon and his union. Councilmen Brian O'Neill and Derek Green both have side jobs at Center City law firms. Councilman Allan Domb still owns his vast real estate firm with, at last count, ownership in 89 different properties. Councilman Al Taubenberger also has a side gig with a real estate company. Again, they are all acting legally, but the potential for conflicts or the appearances of conflicts is still troubling. As we've suggested before, voters should have a say in whether local elected officials can supplement their pay with side jobs. That might happen if a member of Council where salaries range from $129,760 to $162,862 would introduce language to bar full-time local elected officials from profiting from side jobs. Such legislation would require public hearings, where elected officials wishing to continue the current practice could go on record to defend it. Anyone opposed to the practice could also sign up to make a public comment. We're betting that the taxpayers opposed to side gigs would far outnumber the politicians cashing in. On February 28, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced Senate Joint Resolution 54, a resolution that seeks to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabias war in Yemen. Even before the resolution was introduced, the Department of Defense responded with the extraordinary claim that Congress lacked the legal authority to override the Presidents determination as Commander in Chief and end the United States involvement in the conflict. The Defense Department has treated Congressional silence as a blank check to wage war wherever and whenever it wants. It is bad enough the extent to which the Defense Department has treated Congressional silence as a blank check to wage war wherever and whenever it wants. The Pentagons claim that Congress lacks the power to limit U.S. involvement in the Yemeni civil war is an even more serious encroachment on Congresss constitutional authority over the military. In March of 2015, a coalition of nine Arab governments, led by Saudi Arabia, began a bombing campaign in Yemen. The Saudi airstrikes were aimed at restoring to power the internationally recognized government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who had been deposed by an armed rebel group known as the Houthis. Since 2015, the United States has been refueling Saudi planes in mid-air before their bombing runs into Yemen. As of last October, the military reported that the U.S. had provided over 80 million pounds of fuel, and refueled over 10,400 in the Horn of Africa region. (This total includes support for U.S. and allied counterterrorism operations as well as the Saudi coalitions war in Yemen. The number of airstrikes by the Saudi coalition is orders of magnitude higher than the number of reported U.S. counterterrorism strikes, so refueling for Saudi planes for operations in Yemen likely constitutes a large share of the total). The war has killed thousands of civilians and contributed to epidemics and widespread food shortages. Congress has never voted to authorize the U.S.s involvement in the Saudi war against the Houthis, as the House of Representatives recognized in a resolution that passed last fall. Lee, Murphy, and Sanders argue that this makes the conflict unlawful under the War Powers Resolution, a 1973 law designed to limit the executive branchs ability to wage war without specific Congressional approval. The War Powers Resolution, passed over President Nixons veto, requires the President to notify Congress in writing whenever the U.S. military is introducedinto hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances. It requires troops to be removed within 60 days unless Congress votes to authorize the deployment with either a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force. Lee, Murphy, and Sanders have a strong argument that the United States involvement in the Yemeni civil war falls within the War Powers Resolutions criteria of introduction of the United States Armed Forces into hostilities, including assignment of members of such armed forces to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular or irregular military forces of any foreign country or government, although the executive branch has generally interpreted the War Powers Resolution more narrowly. But the Defense Departments letter goes beyond defending the legality of U.S. aid to the Saudi coalition under current law. It also claims that [e]ven if enacted into law, the Joint Resolution would not achieve its apparent purpose of restricting U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition, because that support does not constitute hostilities. This ignores the text of the draft resolution, which explicitly states that the United States current actions in support of the coalition in Yemen fall within the definition of hostilities. If it became law, it would remove any ambiguity about whether the War Powers Resolutions definition applies, and the Defense Department would have no basis to ignore it. DoD also claims in a footnote that: Because the President has directed U.S. troops to support the [Saudi] operations pursuant to his authority under Article II, and because the limited operation does not implicated [sic] Congresss constitutional authority to Declare War, the draft resolution would raise serious constitutional claims to the extent it seeks to override the Presidents determination as Commander In Chief. The argument that the Commander In Chief clause of the Constitution overrides all of Congresss war powers recalls one of the arguments that John Yoo made in his infamous 2002 Office of Legal Counsel memo authorizing the CIAs torture program. Yoo argued that it would be unconstitutional for Congress to encroach on the Presidents complete authority over the conduct of war by banning torture. Like the Yoo memo, the Defense Departments letter simply ignores inconvenient Supreme Court decisions as well as the text of Article I of the Constitution. Article I gives Congress the power not only to declare war, but also to provide for the common defense, raise and support armies, provide and maintain a navy, make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces, and make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. The draft resolution may not pass the Senate, let alone passing both houses with sufficient support to overcome a likely Presidential veto. But even supporters of the U.S.s involvement in Yemens civil war should strongly reject the Defense Departments claims that it can disregard laws passed by Congress by interpreting them into meaninglessness, or that it is unconstitutional for Congress to limit the United States involvement in wars overseas. In celebration of International Women's Day, law enforcement agencies across the country are showing support for female officers through photos and videos posted online. The Chicago Police Department issued a challenge to pose like Rosie the Riveter on Facebook and included photos that people submitted in a post on the agency's Facebook page. The Orange County (CA) Sheriff's Department used the symbol of Rosie the Riveter in its video to recognize the women of its agency. The Chandler (AZ) Police Department also posted a video on Facebook to recognize its female officers. In recognition of International Women's Day 2018, the Spirit Lake (ID) Police Department posted a video to show support for "ALL of the courageous women who are a part of the thin blue line." Hungary Mol North Sea asset may have a buyer Portfolio Save article Share Hungarian Premier Oil is interested in increasing its 50% interest in the Catcher North Sea oil field that produced first oil in December, CEO Tony Durrant told Reuters on Thursday, after the news agency reported - citing banking sources - that Hungarys Mol is planning to sell its 20% stake in the oil field. "Ten years ago, I was a reporter living in Washington, D.C. covering Congress," says Catharine Richert, of Rochesters Minnesota Public Radio. "It was a glamorous and exciting time to live and work there. But the job could be boring and professionally unsatisfying there was a lot of standing outside closed door meetings on Capitol Hill to ask questions that were rarely answered. "So, in 2009, I followed my now husband to Rochester, where he had just started his residency at Mayo, and where I soon landed a job covering politics for Minnesota Public Radio. "Fast forward a decade, and we have three kids, no pets and no plans to leave. Covering Rochesters transformation has been the most challenging and interesting episode of my career. I cant think of a better time to be a reporter in this city." Please tell us about your style. Preppy late 1950s meets my long-lost bohemian soul, the one that once wanted to follow the Grateful Dead when not surfing in Hawaii. It represents a marriage of different periods of my life. When I was a teenager growing up in North Carolina, I made a lot of my clothes and shopped at thrift stores for late 1960s, early 1970s vintage wear. In buttoned-up Washington, I had to wear a suit most days for work. I fell in love with high-waisted A-line skirts, trim capri pants and pointy flats. In my 30s, I enjoy both these styles in equal measure. How has your style changed? I buy fewer items, but what I do buy is high quality. Also, I have many, many, many pairs of boots. Since moving here, Ive come to appreciate down vests, Sorel snow boots and Swedish wooden clogs in a way that I never thought I would. As the mother of three, including a new baby, your thoughts on maternity wear? Maternity wear is awful, and maybe someone can make a lot of money solving this problem. So, throughout all three pregnancies, I didnt spend much or think too much about maternity clothes. I bought a few items or borrowed clothes from friends and dressed them up with great shoes and accessories. And on style for mothers of younger children generally? Theres this enduring myth that mothers cant or dont deserve beautiful and sometimes impractical clothes. Its like the less thought we put into our clothes, the harder we must be working at motherhood. To be sure, leggings and sweatshirts are practical choices for parenting! But that doesnt mean we cant have a colorful and varied wardrobe that highlights who we are as people, not just as mothers. And ditch the diaper bag for a sturdy Duluth Pack. Your wardrobe essentials? This is cliche, but they really are my little black dresses. I have one by French brand Cacharel that Ive worn to work, to events and to funerals. Its moved with me all over the country and still looks as good today as it did 12 years ago when I bought it. For work, it is my black ponte dress from Boden, which I also have in hunter green because the cut fits so well. And Id be remiss if I didnt mention my denim jacket. Do you have a priceless sentimental piece? My engagement ring, which was worn by my paternal grandmother and then my mother. Anything surprising about your wardrobe? My fur coat! Im not really a fur coat person, but I inherited it from my stepmother. I wear it once a year around the holidays and love every second of it. My husband doesnt understand why I have more than one winter coat. The same rules I have about multiple pairs of boots apply to winter coats. For the record, I have three. Parting thoughts? Dress your age, but have fun doing it. A glorious television experience, the acclaimed 2017 documentary "Jane" (8 p.m., National Geographic) makes its broadcast debut. Directed by Brett Morgen ("Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck") and featuring a soaring score by Philip Glass, "Jane" offers viewers an elegant and straightforward profile of a remarkable woman, renowned primatologist Jane Goodall. Beneath the films beautiful surface, its a rather remarkable combination of elements, a documentary within a documentary. In 1957, a young Goodall was sent by groundbreaking paleontologist Louis Leakey to observe chimpanzee behavior as part of his overall study of early man. She had no degree in the field or scientific background. Her lack of academic preconceptions combined with her innate curiosity is why Leakey thought she was right for the job. Embedding herself among the primates, she would document their community and social interactions, discovering behavior very similar to their human cousins. Three years later she was joined by Dutch filmmaker Hugo van Lawick, sent by National Geographic to document her fieldwork. "Jane" combines van Lawicks hours of recordings with new footage of the African wild and contemporary voiceover by Goodall. The pair would fall in love, have a son and part as friends while Goodall continued her study of chimp behavior. "Jane" juxtaposes their marital bliss, jungle sojourn, family joys and breakup with the story of an aging chimpanzee mother and her troubled son. Its hard to keep from getting misty as death claims individual "characters" or to not be disturbed when a fracture in the primate community sparks a "war" every bit as savage as a human conflict. "Jane" offers a remarkably intimate portrait of a legend in her youth. It also is staggering in its beauty and represents a modern filmmakers homage to a documentary master. Hugo van Lawick died in 2002 and is considered one of the great nature photographers and filmmakers of all time. For those keeping score, tonight marks the first head-to-head competition between the rebooted "American Idol" (7 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) and "The Voice" (7 p.m., NBC, TV-PG), featuring a new judge, Kelly Clarkson, the popular winner of the first season of "Idol." TONIGHTS OTHER HIGHLIGHTS By 1910, the Schuster Brewing Companya sprawling five-story brewhouse surrounded by numerous outbuildings at the corner of First Avenue and Fourth Street Southwestwas producing 10 million bottles of beer and tonic per year and shipping it to two dozen states. The brewery, one of the citys largest businesses, employed 50 peopleroughly the same number as the Mayo Clinic. "The Mayos and this malt tonic," read one Rochester postcard from the era, "are the only attractionsboth famous." Just over a decade later, after 50 years in operation, the brewery would be closed, displaced by Prohibition and home brewers. THE ORIGINS In 1847, at the age of 12, Henry Schuster emigrated with his family from Germany to Wisconsin. In 1862, Henry and his wife Josephine, both in their mid-20s, moved to Rochester. A blacksmith by trade, Schuster made enough money to buy a share in the citys Joest Brewery, founded in the mid-to-late 1850s. By 1866, he was working in the brewery, which produced nearly 500 barrels of lager that yearan amount that cemented its place as the largest of three Rochester breweries that year. In 1870, he bought out his partners share in the brewery, and renames it the Union Brewery (which will eventually be renamed the Schuster Brewing Company). A year later, his brewery burned down. Schuster immediately began construction on a new, $5,000, three-story building that measured 40 feet by 40 feet. While the previous building had been made of wood, Schusters new brewery, according to an 1871 article in the Rochester Post, included a 40-by-50-foot single-story, solid brick structure (with 80,000 bricks from Whitcomb Brothers of Rochester) housing furnaces to boil the product. Schuster took to brewing easily. He also became a prominent member of the community. The brewery hosted meetings of the mens chorus as well as the Personal Liberty Club. He served as library trustee and city alderman. "You wouldnt think a brewer of that era would necessarily be a civic leader, but he was," says Chris Boes, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic who has combined two of his favorite thingshis love of beer and history of medicineinto one passion. He has spent the last few years researching and presenting talks on the Schuster family history. THE SONS TAKE OVER When Henry Schuster died in 1885, his funeral processionwhich traveled down Broadway and made its way to Oakwood Cemeteryincluded a city band and members of the fire department marching behind his hearse. His sons, Henry Jr. and Fred, both of whom had previously worked in the Schuster Brewing Company, took over. Both were in their early twenties. They continued the German tradition of brewing bock beers for spring release, and steadily expanded the brewery. The 1887 release of their new beer, in fact, was heralded in the Rochester Post. "The Union Brewery celebrated their bock beer season last Saturday by a procession consisting of their delivery wagon fitted up in good style with a patriotic platform draped with national colors. The equipage was drawn by four black horses It was a parade to delight the hearts of the thirsty." And while Schuster Sr. had preferred to produce "good, German beer," Boes says the sons also saw a money-making opportunity in the patent medicine market. In the last few years of the 1800s, Fred Schuster developed a malt and hop tonic for sale at drugstores. Schuster Brewerys Pure Malt and Hop Tonic was said to contain four percent alcohol and "(give) great strength to nursing mother and her baby." In the early 1900s, lack of advertising oversight meant just about anything could go on a label. The "low-ish" alcohol content meant the drink "would have been like gold at pharmacies," Boes says. "[Their tonic] was pronounced by the medical fraternity of Olmsted County to be par excellence," according to a 1897 Rochester Post story. "It is used at Saint Marys Hospital and is regarded as having no superior." By the early 1900s, the tonic was more frequently advertised than the companys beer, and was regularly shipped to the West Coast. By 1908, the brewery was reporting sales of 10 million bottles. "They and their equipment were up to date," says Doug Hoverson, a history teacher at Saint Thomas Academy and the author of Land of Amber Waters: A History of Brewing in Minnesota. "Back when the only option was a lager beer, making sure that your equipment and product was good was the main thing." While the Schuster Brewing Company wasnt the biggest name in Minnesota brewing, they were part of a "second tier" of area breweries, according to Hoverson. The Schuster Brewing Company legacy, he says, has more to do with quality and building a reputation for its owners than impact on todays beer scene. While it may have been outclassed in reach and size by the big breweries in the Twin Cities, St. Louis and Milwaukee, Schusters annual capacity of 30,000-50,000 barrels in the 1900s made it one of the areas largest breweries. By 1910, their operation had grown to that sprawling five-story brewhouse. It didnt last. BEGINNING OF THE END The United States entered World War I in early 1917, and German breweries were affected almost immediately. The Schusters labels previously included the phrase "Genuine old-fashioned German lager." They changed that after World War I started, Boes says. It later became "Americanized old-fashioned German lager." Then, finally, "Old, favorite lager beer." The war effort also made conserving grain, fuel, and manpower attractive, Hoverson adds. Many of Minnesotas brewers, though, circulated in their own ethnic German circles and didnt pay attention to the national warning signs that Prohibition could happen. "Iowa had gone dry a few years earlier," he says. "But I think that most brewers didnt think the nation would be so crazy as to vote for national Prohibition." The nation did, though, and the country went dry on January 17, 1920. Prohibition hit the brewery hard. The Schusters tried to make "near beer" for the first two years, but an old newspaper quote sums up those attempts neatly: "Whoever called it near beer was a damn poor judge of distance." On Jan. 1, 1922, the Schuster Brewing Companys doors closed. Fred Schuster blamed home kitchens for making beer with low alcohol content, with which the near-beer manufacturers couldnt compete. Their reputation, however, remained strong. "Much of what they did was similar to what other brewers then and since did, but they really built a reputation for their brewery and themselves," Hoverson says. "I think, had they been willing to come back, they would have been able to do so." WHAT REMAINS OF THE PAST? "What is left of the Schuster brewery?" asks Boes. "Nothing. They tore it down." The brewery was located across from Peoples Food Co-op today. You know the street that ends in a parking lot? Thats where it was. The Schuster brothers houses were both torn down as well. But if you look around town, there are still a few remnants of the Schuster family history. Above the entrance to Forager Brewery is an enlarged postcard of the Schuster Brewing Company building. The craft brewery is doing its best to pull from Rochesters history, says Foragers head brewer and co-founder Austin Jevne. In the spring of 2016, after attending one of Boes lectures, Jevne developed the "Schuster Special," an amber, Vienna-style lager styled after Schusters products. He asked for recipes. Unfortunately, those "must have died with the founders," Boes says. "Its going to have a little more flavor than your traditional American lager," Jevne says. "Its going to have a malty backbone, but still finish crisp." Recreating pre-Prohibition brewing conditions is tricky, though. The Schusters used Wisconsin hops and softer water, and would have aged the lager in an oak barrel, using a direct heat system. Jevne made do with Vienna malt and German hops, reverse osmosis water, and a modern, electric heating system. Malt grains were also less processed in the 1900s, and would have taken a long time to break down. The hops would also have been full-cone, not pelletized, which would have meant a more floral taste. A new batch of the Schuster special will begin brewing this month, give or take. Itll be released in May, when the barrels are "crisp, clear, and ready to be served." "For us, it was a very successful attempt at a pre-Prohibition ale," Jevne says. "But I wish I had a time machine, so I could go back and understand exactly what the flavor would have been in the Schusters time." Boes sees the Schusters experimental attitudes reflected in the current craft brewing scene. If you go to the four main breweries in Rochester (Kinney Creek Brewery, LTS Brewery, Grand Rounds Brew Pub, and Forager), "they have multiple beers on tap," Boes says. "Some, more than others, are very experimental." Boes also found the last piece of property owned by the Schustersthe 326-328 block on South Broadway, now a private residencementioned in Henry Schuster Sr.s last will and testament. Its the square building with green windows and orange-red trim, between Fagan Studios and the Patterson Dahlberg building. "If you were looking for something that still exists that had the Schusters name on it, thats it," he says. But theres one more bit of history with the Schusters name on it in Rochester: Fred Schusters grandson, Dan Schuster, who lives in town with his wife, Delone. Dan was born in 1930, nearly a decade after the brewery closed. He knew his grandparents, Fred and Roxie, of course, and has several newspaper articles about the citys "oldest business man." "I was a kid, and I spent quite a bit of time with Grandpa and Grandma Schuster, across from the Piggly Wiggly there, and thats about it," he says. "The fact that the beer was there early on was not a factor, really." They talked about the brewery, he remembers, but he was five or so and never paid much attention. "Dad remembered when they shipped all their cooling tanks from the big brewery equipment up to Canada toI think it was Molsons," he says. "He remembers the train coming here and picking it up." Two generations out, there are few traces of the brewing lineage left in the Schuster family. Dan worked for 33 years at IBM, and his father was in administration at Mayo. His mother was a concert pianist. Dan did have some pieces of history to pass down to his children. Hes purchased two or three beer barrels from collectors to give to his kids, and Delone said they made prints of a drawing of the brewery to give to both of their sons. "Theyre still around in the area, you know, artifacts of the brewery, and when they pop up, we go and look at them," Dan Schuster says. "Its kind of ancient history." Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. At times during our history, Congress has exercised that power with a vengeance. For example, in the late 1800s, William McKinley made his legislative name writing tariff legislation. To be sure, tariffs have foreign policy implications and can even affect national security. Thus, its not unreasonable that the executive wants some control over tariff policy. But tariffs are mainly about favoring particular industries and workers, often at the expense of other industries, workers, and consumers. So it was natural that Congress wanted to use its Constitutional power in this area. Whats unnatural, and I think unhealthy, is that Congress basically ceded that power to the president. Jay Cost tells the story: [FDR] encouraged Congress to transfer authority on trade matters (as well as most regulatory matters!) to him. This time, the legislature agreed. It was as if Congress threw up its hands in exasperation and said to the president, We cannot handle our authority responsibly. Please take it off our hands, for we will screw things up and lose reelection. So more and more over the past 80 years, authority over tariffs, as well as over all manner of properly legislative functions, has migrated to the executive branch, away from the legislative even in instances (such as this aluminum-and-steel case) where there is no compelling or immediate foreign-policy mandate. Trumps move is purely a play for aggrieved industrial workers, who should, in the constitutional schema, look to Congress and not the president for redress of their grievances. The Trump administration has argued that the tariffs he intends to impose are needed for our national security. George Will makes mincemeat of that claim: Never mind that the Cato Institutes Colin Grabow notes that defense-related products require only 3 percent and 10 percent of domestic steel and aluminum production, respectively. Or that six of the top 10 nations that export steel to the U.S. (military competitor and potential adversary China is not among the top 10) have mutual defense agreements with the U.S. Or that aluminum and steel for military uses will be more expensive so, effectively, the administration is cutting the defense budget. Catos Dan Ikenson says its argument seems to be that an abundance of low-priced raw materials from a diversity of sources somehow threatens national security. Sen. Mike Lee wants Congress to reclaim tariff authority from the president. He has proposed legislation, the Global Trade Accountability Act, that would require congressional approval in the form of an up-or-down vote on all significant tariffs. But modern Congresses are even more feckless than the ones that gave tariff authority away. In the case of Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum, Republicans lack the spine to rally in sufficient number against the president. And those Democrats who think the tariffs are bad policy there are many who probably dont will be content to see if they hurt the economy, and thus Republican electoral prospects. Thus, I agree with Theodore Kupfer that its probably fanciful to believe that Congress will play its constitutional role in this matter. It is the burden of Jane Mayers 15,000-word New Yorker profile of Christopher Steele to keep hope alive in the veracity of his dossier. To do so, Mayer whips up the ardor of a smitten teenager in the flush of first love. One can almost feel Mayers hormones raging. Given the comic book portrait of Steele as the mighty would-be savior of the republic, the thing should have been titled Man of Steele. Despite the interminable length of her profile, Mayer gives short shrift to the dossier itself. It is seen as though a glass darkly. If readers want to have any chance of understanding the story here, they have to review it with their own eyes. I am embedding the documents below once again so that readers can do so. From the time I first read the dossier documents as posted by BuzzFeed in January 2017, assuming that the documents are what they purport to be, they struck me as Russian disinformation. They were filled up with the best dope that the friends of Vladimir Putin could supply to their man in London for their own purposes. Consider that the dossier was bought and paid for by the Clinton presidential campaign through the campaigns general counsel at the Perkins Coie law firm, which contracted Fusion GPS, which contracted former British MI-6 officer Christopher Steele at Orbis Business Intelligence, Ltd. Why the cutouts? One might get the impression that the dossier was not to be traced to the Clinton campaign. Steele was supposed to produce opposition research in the style of an intelligence operation. Drawing on his professional background, he called in (or called up he hasnt been to Russia since 2009) the friends of Vladimir Putin to deliver the goods on Donald Trump. Steeles alphabetized sources include: Source A (a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure), Source B (a former top level intelligence officer still active in the Kremlin), Source C (a senior Russian financial official), Source D (a close associate of Trump who had organized and managed his recent trips to Moscow), Source E (an ethnic Russian and close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump), Source F (a female staffer at the Moscow Ritz-Carlton hotel, who was co-opted into the network by an Orbis ethnic Russian operative), and Source G (a senior Kremlin official). Steele reported that the friends of Vladimir Putin apprised him of Russias efforts to intervene on behalf of Donald Trump in the presidential campaign. Why, you might ask, would the friends of Vladimir Putin entrust Christopher Steele with the goods on Russias alleged efforts to intervene on behalf of Donald Trump in the presidential campaign? I have not seen a good answer to that question and Mayer doesnt really offer one other than that everybody loves Christopher Steele like she does. And of course there are obvious reasons why knowledgable Russians would not deliver true intelligence to Steele. As Eric Felten puts it in the excellent Weekly Standard article A doozy of a dossier: Given the relative trivialities that can get one beaten to death in a Russian prison, these senior officials would seem to have exhibited an extraordinarily cavalier attitude toward their own health and well-being. The word disinformation appears once in Mayers profile. Here is the full paragraph in which it appears (emphasis added): The election was over, but Steele kept trying to alert American authorities. Later that November, he authorized a trusted mentorSir Andrew Wood, a former British Ambassador to Moscowto inform Senator John McCain of the existence of his dossier. Wood, an unpaid informal adviser to Orbis, and Steele agreed that McCain, the hawkish chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, should know what was going on. Wood told me, It was simply a matter of duty. Steele had gone to him before the election for counsel. Theyd discussed the possibility that Steeles sources in Russia were wrong, or spreading disinformation, but concluded that none of them had a motive to lie; moreover, they had taken considerable risks to themselves to get the truth out. I sensed he was distinctly alarmed, Wood told me. I dont doubt his good faith at all. Its absurd for anyone to suggest he was engaged in political tricks. This is simply idiotic. It is not serious. It is a joke. For serious considerations of the dossier as disinformation, I recommend retired CIA station chief Daniel Hoffmans Wall Street Journal column The Steele dossier fits the Kremlin playbook and Edward Jay Epsteins City Journal column A question of motive. Ed also responded to my request for comment by email in the Power Line post Disinformation, Democrat style: Edward Jay Epstein comments. The Trump Russia Dossier as Released By Buzzfeed by Grant Stern on Scribd So President Trumps bellicosity towards North Korea hasnt led to nuclear war, after all. Instead, from all that appears, it has led to the negotiating table and face-to-face talks between the president and Kim Jong Un. But is that a good place for the U.S. to be? And will it lead to a denuclearized North Korea? Lets keep in mind that North Korea has benefited significantly from past talks with the U.S. The negotiating table has always been a good place for the North Koreans to be. And it will be an even better place this time in at least this sense the Dear Leader will be seated with the U.S. President as an equal partner in the talks. North Koreas consistent and successful strategy has been to advance its nuclear program, negotiate concessions in exchange for promises, break the promises or find loopholes in them, and advance its nuclear program some more. Now, that, apparently, it has the ability to strike parts of the U.S., the North Koreans may be willing to take a timeout from further testing in exchange for economic concessions. But it seems highly unlikely that it will denuclearize and rather unlikely that it wont cheat on portions of what it agrees to. So the answer to my second question will negotiations lead to a denuclearized North Korea is, almost surely, no. That doesnt mean the negotiating table is a bad place for the U.S. to be. One advantage of being there is that it gives President Trump a chance to size up (no pun intended) our adversary, the guy he likes to call Little Rocket Man. Another is that we placate our South Korean allies who, understandably, want to see the U.S. go the extra mile here. Theres also a China angle, but Im not smart enough to figure that one out. The potential disadvantage lies, of course, in what we may agree to do. If we agree to boost the North Korean economy, either with aid or simply by lifting sanctions, the effect may be the prolongation of the regime. What we likely get in exchange, no further advancement of the nuclear program for now (assuming North Korea keeps its promises) isnt much of a concession if North Korea can already strike the U.S. Why would such a deal be better than the Iran deal? Given that North Korea is further along than Iran on the nuclear front, Im not sure it would even be as good. One more angle occurs to me. Ive never thought that North Korea would launch a nuclear first strike. The Cold War era deterrence model fits well here. Ive long been concerned, however, about the North Koreans providing nuclear technology to those who might well use it against us or our friends. If we can negotiate arrangements that effectively address this prospect, we will have gained something important. But this part of a potential deal seems like the most difficult aspect to verify and enforce. Stanford University has denied the College Republicans request for a new logo on T-shirts because it shows an altered version of the American flag. Stanford said it does not approve the use of the American (or other flag) on product also featuring our trademarks (including the Stanford name). Jennifer Kabbany of NROs College Fix consulted Stanfords lengthy trademark guide on the universitys website. Using a word search, she found no mention of flags. Stanford apparently has not responded to a request by Fox News for clarification. Why does Stanford object to American flag-like images on products featuring its name? What has it got against our flag. To be fair, Stanford isnt discriminating against our flag. Stanford says its policy applies to the flags of other countries, as well. This isnt much of defense, though. If a college bans the display of the American flag on campus, as some colleges have done, we shouldnt be mollified if it also bans the display of flags from other countries. Instead, we should view the ban as unpatriotic. For Americans, the American flag is not the equivalent of, say, Bulgarias, Nigerias, or South Koreas. The Stanford case is a little different. The University isnt banning the American flag from campus (as far as I know), but rather its use to promote an organization on material that also uses the Stanford name. However, a more generous policy would not favor Republicans. Democrats could use the flag too. Stanford said it would approve a red/white/blue themed product such as the one featured on the College Republicans website. But the College Republicans dont want to use the old logo, and Stanford shouldnt be dictating how, artistically, they go about promoting themselves. VODAFONE EMPOWERS SAKHI WITH NEW FEATURES ( Read 13394 Times) 09 Mar 18 Share | Print This Page Vodafone Sakhi users can now send an Emergency Alert with their location up to 10 mobile phones in case of an emergency. Vodafone to felicitate all the Women customers visiting the Vodafone stores in UP West & Uttarakhand on 8th March UP West, March 08th, 2018: To celebrate International Womens Day, Vodafone, one of Indias leading telecommunications service providers, adds an innovative feature of Emergency Alert with Vodafone Sakhi offer. This new addition will further strengthen the Sakhi offer with an Emergency Alert feature allowing users to send their current location to maximum 10 registered contacts .To activate emergency alert dial *124*0# toll free. Announcing this innovative feature to commemorate International Womens Day, Dilip Kumar Ganta Business Head, Vodafone UP West Circle, said In our constant endeavor to help solve customer needs, we had launched sakhi around a year back. With this new feature of Emergency Alert, Vodafone Sakhi customers can now easily alert their selected contacts by simply giving a missed call. At vodafone we want women to use their mobile as a tool of empowerment & safety. We are proud that today 4 lac+ women consumers are associated with this product & happily availing this exclusive service. We are confident this Industry First initiative of Emergency Alert will make our women folks more secure & confident. As a token of gratitude to all the women consumers on Womens Day, celebrations have also been planned, at all the Vodafone Stores across all key locations in UP West & Uttarakhand. Women consumers visiting the facilities will be felicitated with Surprise Vodafone goodies. Source : This Article/News is also avaliable in following categories : Business News Your Comments ! Share Your Openion According to the new market research report " Aircraft Wire and Cable Market b y Type (Harness, Wire, Cable), Application (Power Transfer, Data Transfer, Flight Control System, Avionics, Lighting), Fit (Linefit, Retrofit), Aircraft Type (Civil, Military), and R egion - Global Forecast to 2022 " , published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to grow from USD 695.2 million in 2017 to USD 926.4 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 5.91% between 2017 and 2022. Increased number of orders for new aircraft across the globe, modernization of existing aircraft, and rise in demand for more electric aircraft and the glass cockpit concept are the major factors driving the aircraft wire and cable market. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 83 Tables and 39 Figures spread through 139 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Wire and Cable Market - Global Forecast to 2022" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aircraft-wire-and-cable-market-105042386.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Based on type, the aircraft wire segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Based on type, the aircraft wire segment of the aircraft wire and cable market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of the aircraft wire segment can be attributed to the increasing demand for new aircraft, thus, increasing the demand for aircraft wires and cables. Based on application, the lighting segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on application, the lighting segment of the aircraft wire and cable market is estimated to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the replacement/retrofitting of wires and cables used for cabin lighting, and interior and exterior lighting of an aircraft. Wires and cables are used to transfer the energy required to power up high-intensity lights, lamps, beacons, etc. Ask for PDF Brochure : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=105042386 The linefit segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The linefit segment of the aircraft wire and cable market is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as compared to the retrofit segment during the forecast period. The higher growth rate of the linefit segment can be attributed to the increase in aircraft orders as well as deliveries, economic growth across regions, and a rise in the air passenger traffic. Based on aircraft type, the civil aircraft segment is estimated to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period Based on aircraft type, the civil aircraft segment is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as compared to the military aircraft segment during the forecast period. The civil aircraft segment has witnessed significant growth in the past few years due to the increasing air traffic and the rise in the disposable income of the middle-class population across the globe. According to the Boeing Global Market Outlook, 2017, 29,350 single-aisle airplane orders are expected to be delivered by 2036 worldwide. Moreover, there has been an increase in the procurement of Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) globally. The Asia Pacific of the aircraft wire and cable market is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. The aircraft wire and cable market in the Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The aviation industry is growing at a significant rate due to increasing air passenger traffic and improving economic conditions of the region. The growth in air passenger traffic has resulted in an increased demand for new lightweight and fuel-efficient aircraft from the region. In addition, emerging aircraft manufacturers in China, Japan, and India are expected to fuel the demand for aircraft wires and cables during the forecast period. Major companies profiled in the aircraft wire and cable market report are TE Connectivity (Switzerland), Amphenol (US), Rockwell Collins (US), AMETEK (US), Radiall (France), Carlisle Companies (US), Pic Wire & Cable (US), W.L. Gore & Associates (US), A.E.Petsche (US), and Leviton (US), among others. Know more about the Aircraft Wire and Cable Market https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aircraft-wire-and-cable-market-105042386.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our [email protected] http://mnmblog.org/market-research/aerospace-defence Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MUMBAI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DEVI Coffee - India's Leading Artisan Coffee Brand Elevates Customer Experience Sussegado Coffee India Pvt. Ltd. (http://www.sussegadocoffee.com ), curator and promoter of India's leading gourmet coffee brand, DEVI Coffee, announced today that it has closed its SIS (shop-in-ship) coffee counters in all Godrej Natures Basket outlets. The move comes following a 20-month long period, where the company pioneered and explored various forms of 'Live Coffee Counters'. After an extremely successful pilot with excellent customer response, in an effort to take this offering to the next level and maximize reach, the company has decided to make its unique offering of its extensive range of specialty and gourmet coffees available via its online shopping portal - http://www.devicoffee.com. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652300/DEVI_Coffee_Logo.jpg ) "We have learned a lot about gourmet coffee retail these past three years. Having been able to interact with customers daily, allowed us to develop a unique approach by which to bring the widest selection of freshly roasted gourmet coffees directly to the customer," said Laszlo Kadar, Co-Founder and Roast Master at Sussegado Coffee India. He continued, "Our online portal is live at http://www.devicoffee.com where we offer the largest selection of India's finest gourmet coffees, freshly roasted and ground as per individual orders and shipped directly to the customers. This enables our customers to order from the comfort of their home, at the click of a button. To further improve the customer experience, we offer free shipping on all orders of Rs. 900 or more." Based in Goa, India, Sussegado specializes in sourcing and roasting gourmet, specialty and artisan coffees. Since the release of the DEVI line in 2015, DEVI Coffee has grown to dominate retail shelves at gourmet stores and has become the preferred choice of coffee for many luxury hotels and restaurants across India. DEVI Coffee is exported to USA, Asia and Europe. "We have seen a rapid growth in the demand for DEVI Coffee, and our order books are filled with new roll outs at five star hotels and boutique cafes," said Devika Dutt, Co-Founder and Director at Sussegado Coffee India. All DEVI Coffees are roasted at its central roasting unit in Goa to ensure consistent high quality. The company prides itself in its unique roasting technique and its focus on being a dedicated specialty coffee manufacturer. DEVI has a range of unique flavoured and barrel-aged coffees, all completely natural. DEVI products are crafted using the finest grade and quality of Indian shade grown coffees. The company has worked closely with plantations and farmers across all coffee growing regions in India, over several years, to source quality green beans that are grown in harmony with nature using socially responsible and environmentally friendly farming methods. About Sussegado Coffee India Pvt. Ltd.: Sussegado Coffee India Pvt. Ltd. is a specialty coffee roasting company based in Goa. The company markets premium and gourmet coffees under its brand DEVI across India and export markets. For more information contact: [email protected] and/or [email protected] Media Contact: Devika Dutt [email protected] +91-9011379804 Sussegado Coffee India Pvt. Ltd. SOURCE Sussegado Coffee India Pvt. Ltd. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 192 Tables and 47 Figures spread through 263 Pages and in-depth TOC on "eHealth Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/ehealth-market-11513143.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Factors driving market growth include the regulatory mandates and government initiatives for the implementation of eHealth solutions; growing mHealth, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring markets; and increasing need to curtail the escalating healthcare costs. In addition, the emerging market in China, India, and Australia; rising shift towards patient-centric healthcare delivery; and growing use of eHealth solutions in outpatient care facilities are further increasing the demand for eHealth solutions and services By products and services, the eHealth solutions segment dominated the eHealth Market in 2017 On the basis of products and services, the eHealth Market is segmented into eHealth solutions and eHealth services. In 2017, the eHealth solutions segment accounted for the largest share of the eHealth Market. The eHealth solutions segment will continue to dominate the eHealth Market, mainly due to the high demand of eHealth solutions due to the benefit of improved patient safety and patient care, stringent regulations, increasing government initiatives supporting the growth of these solutions, and the need to improve the efficiency of healthcare services by reducing medical errors. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=11513143 By end user, healthcare consumers are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on end user, the global eHealth Market is segmented into healthcare providers, healthcare payers, healthcare consumers, pharmacies, and other end users. Healthcare consumers are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth in this end-user segment can be attributed to the factors such as the increasing number of people requiring remote patient monitoring, rising demand for personalized care, and high penetration of digital technologies in the healthcare industry. North America dominated the market in 2017 In 2017, North America dominated the global eHealth Market. The large share of this regional segment can be attributed to the region's favorable regulatory scenario, the high adoption of eHealth solutions to curtail soaring healthcare costs, regulatory requirements regarding patient safety, and the presence of a large number of healthcare IT companies. The key players in the eHealth Market are GE Healthcare (US), Cerner (US), McKesson (US), Allscripts (US), Philips (Netherlands), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), athenahealth (US), Epic Systems (US), IBM (US), Optum (US), Medtronic (Ireland), and Cisco (US). Know more about the Data Fusion Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/ehealth-market-11513143.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets BANGALORE and MUMBAI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing everything that humankind has experienced before, from the way one lives, works and relates to one another. As Artificial intelligence ameliorates human life, it is also becoming an integral part of everyday applications. Exito Media Concepts Pvt. Ltd. has come up with the event of AI Connect to help the companies gain insights needed to develop strategies for deploying AI in their enterprise. It will help organizations explore the opportunities to harness the power of the disruptive AI technologies. From voice controlled assistance to self-driven cars in development, AI is the brains behind every computer software. Artificial Intelligence in Indian Market is quick becoming the cynosure in solving some of the most crucial problems faced by the enterprises as well as customers. From augmenting profitability to improving employee productivity, artificial intelligence has become the yardstick for new era businesses and Exito aims to enhance corporates' understanding of how AI is impacting their industry and help them create opportunities for growth by adopting AI technologies. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652289/Exito_Artificial_Intelligence_Connect_2018.jpg ) Artificial Intelligence Connect-2018 is India's fastest growing technology conference bringing together the most intriguing innovators and world technology leaders at one single platform. AI Connect is the platform realizing the potential of artificial intelligence and the positive impact it will have on the businesses. The summit will bring together top CXOs, business intelligence, data leaders and quintessential AI pioneers from around the globe. As India's foremost event in this spectrum, AI Connect brings together the technology leaders and top policy makers to explore how AI is transforming business operations, reworking business strategy and devising new approach for growth. Backed by enlightening panel discussions, keynotes designed specifically to help stakeholders gain insights into application of AI, this initiative provides the perfect window to harness the power of AI's disruptive technology to enrich organizational growth. AI Connect 2018 will be hosted in Mumbai, India on 19th April, 2018. The conference is expected to host 120+ leaders from across India. Over the one-day conference, AI Connect will facilitate one to one meetings between technology leaders and solution seekers, speed networking exercises, informative panel discussions and key note presentations accentuating pivotal topics such as 'Blockchains for Artificial Intelligence', 'Digital transformation catapulted by AI & Machine Learning', 'Chatbots-Building neural conversational agents' among others. The eminent line of speakers include Mr. Jesse Damiani (CEO, Galatea, San Francisco, California), Johnson Poh (Head of Data Science & Principal Data Scientist, DBS Bank, Singapore), Mr. Jaspreet Bindra (Senior VP Digital transformation/Chief Digital Officer, Mahindra Group), Mr. Syed Atif Umar (Senior VP - Data Science, Citi Bank), Mr. Ankur Narang (Senior Vice President-Technology & Decision Sciences, Yatra Online Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. Deepak Sharma (Chief Digital Officer-Kotak Mahindra Bank), Mr. Manish Gupta (Director-Machine Learning Data Science), Mr. Saeer Jain (Director - Digital Strategy & Customer Engagement), Mr. Avik Sarkar (Head - Data Analytics Cell, NITI Ayog) among others, will share their profound knowledge on the specifics which molds the industry. AI Connect is designed to discuss the latest trends in industry by bringing together technology leaders and quintessential tech innovators from around the globe at one single platform. About Exito Media Concepts Pvt. Ltd.: Exito is a business solutions company. They construct tailor-made solutions and contexts by designing platforms facilitating new business opportunities and business solutions. They use the innovative alliance of human connect and business needs through research on the market requirements and trends to create congresses, forums, exhibitions and conferences in order to inform global markets and be the meeting point for the buyers and sellers. Having established high levels of trust with their partner organizations, they are on a mission to design sharpest business relation platforms. For more information about AI Connect 2018 Visit- http://www.artificialintelligenceconnect.com Media Contact: Anurag Sengupta [email protected] Ph.: +91-80-4952 2392 SOURCE Exito Media Concepts Private Limited PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report by Allied Market Research, titled, Portable Printer Market by Technology (Inkjet, Thermal, and Impact) and Industry Verticals (Healthcare, Retail, Telecom, Transportation & Logistics, and Others): Global Opportunities Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023, the portable printer market was valued at $844.19 million in 2016, and is projected to reach at $1,643.40 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2017 to 2023. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ) A printer is a peripheral device that accepts input in the form of text or graphics through a digitally connected device and generates printed document for the user. Printers vary in shape, size, speed, and cost. The portable printer is a kind of handy printer that can be easily moved and provides mobility to the user. Request for Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4545 In 2016, thermal technology segment dominated the portable printer market in technology type segment, in terms of revenue. Moreover, transportation & logistics segment witnessed significant growth, due to increase in demand for mobility and on-demand printing facility. Asia-Pacific was the highest revenue contributor to the portable printer market in 2016, accounting for around 35.23% share, owing to surge in demand for mobility for printing across industry verticals and rapid digitization has contributed to the growth of the portable printer market in this region. Furthermore, increase in adoption of BYOD policy across industry verticals, drives the market across the country. The report features a competitive scenario of the portable printer market and provides a comprehensive analysis of key growth strategies adopted by major players. The key players profiled in the study are Bixolon Co. Ltd, Brother Industries Ltd., Canon Inc., Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Honeywell International Inc., Polaroid Corporation, Printek LLC, Toshiba Tec Corporation, and ZEBRA Technologies. These players have adopted competitive strategies such as innovation, new product development, and market expansion to boost the growth of the market. For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4545 Key Findings of the Portable Printer Market: The thermal technology printer market segment accounted for the highest share of the global portable printer market in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2017 to 2023. Transportation & logistics segment generated the highest revenue, accounting for $310.78 million in 2016. in 2016. The telecom segment across the industry vertical is expected to dominate the market, in terms of market share, during the forecast period. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: Shriram Dighe 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1855550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652331/Iryo_Walk_With_Me.jpg ) All across the world, patients currently have little or no control in regards to how they interact with their medical records. A patient may have to see multiple specialists, forcing them to carry around copies of their records as they travel from one healthcare provider to the next. Additionally, the majority of medical data is scattered across different institutions and amongst different healthcare providers - all struggling with a lack of interoperability. Doctors have no option but to work with incomplete medical histories which ultimately hinders the level of care provided. By giving ownership of the medical record to the patient and using a consistent medical standard known as openEHR, Iryo is poised to redefine the value of medical data across the industry. Iryo is partnering with an NGO called Walk With Me to provide the IT infrastructure needed to improve the quality of healthcare provided within camps managed by the organisation which are spread throughout the Middle East. Iryo will enable patients and their families to securely store their medical records within their own mobile devices. The dynamic nature of conflict zones prove the need for patients to have the ability to carry their medical histories with them. The Iryo platform will be deployed in refugee camps located throughout the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, soon followed by other countries including Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Djibouti. The Slovenian startup is striving towards making medical records a bearer instrument, which are independent of identity and always controlled by the holder, in this case, the patient. Access to medical data will be facilitated by the use of a blockchain and modern encryption protocols. About Iryo: Iryo (https://iryo.io) is a Slovenian blockchain startup creating a globally participatory healthcare network with an improved user experience for patients, healthcare workers, managers and researchers. By adopting openEHR medical standards and being open-source, Iryo is solving the issue of interoperability in healthcare from the ground up. For more information, all interested parties can visit iryo.io or message [email protected] . Contact: Domen Savic, CMO (+38631432028), [email protected] SOURCE Iryo The report " Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market by Steel Type (Carbon, Alloy, and Stainless), Treatment (Quenching & Tempering, Normalizing, and Stress Relieving), Application (Construction, Energy, Industrial Machinery), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" published by MarketsandMarkets, the Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market size is estimated to grow from USD 102.36 Billion in 2017 to USD 121.77 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 3.53%. The market is projected to witness significant growth in the next few years, because of the increase in demand for new constructions across the world, resulting from rapid urbanization and industrialization. Large-scale investments in industrial and infrastructural sectors, rise in construction activities in emerging economies, and development of innovative products in the construction market are some of the key factors driving the growth of the Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 163 Tables and 46 Figures spread through 194 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/heat-treated-steel-plates-market-150119337.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report Carbon steel segment, by type, to gain maximum traction The carbon steel segment dominated the market in 2016, and is projected to be the fastest-growing application in the next five years, as a result of its economical price, easy availability, and wide application areas. The core material is highly preferred in the construction industry. The carbon steel plates have found wide applications in manufacturing and construction industries. In manufacturing settings, carbon steel plates serve as a base material for component construction, whereas in case of construction, these plates are utilized in bridges, commercial & municipal buildings, and ships. Get PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=150119337 The quenching & tempering segment to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period The quenching & tempering segment dominated the market in 2016, and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR in the next five years, compared to other heat treatment methods. This growth is attributed to its property to increase the steel plate's hardness and strength. This treatment, when used in carbon steel plates, minimizes their brittleness. Construction to be the largest market for heat-treated steel plates, by value The construction segment dominated the market in 2016, and this trend is projected to remain the same in the next five years, as a result of the rapid urbanization and demand for better quality bridges and buildings. The demand for heat-treated steel plates is expected to be driven by the growing construction, industrial machinery, and energy & power applications. In construction applications, carbon steel is used in the construction of buildings, bridges, ports, dams, factories, and other engineering structures. Asia Pacific dominated the market for heat-treated steel plates in 2016 The dominance of the Asia Pacific region can be attributed to the increasing demand for steel in building & construction, rising income levels, and the growing middle-class in this region. It is one of the key markets for heat-treated steel plate manufacturers, as the region is witnessing high growth in the construction industry. The market in this region is also growing rapidly due to the presence of numerous leading players. The major players in the Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market in Asia Pacific include POSCO (South Korea), TATA Steel (India), Baosteel (China), JFE Holdings (Japan), Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (Japan), and Essar Steel (India). China is estimated to contribute a major market share to the Asia Pacific Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market. The large market share is supported by the demand from end-use industries such as shipbuilding, construction, energy, and automotive. Know more about Heat-Treated Steel Plates Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/heat-treated-steel-plates-market-150119337.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets ALBANY, New York, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The global matting agents market was valued around US$ 540 Mn in 2016 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 5% from 2017 to 2025, according to a new report by Transparency Market Research titled "Matting Agents Market- Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2017 - 2025". Matting agents, when added to paints and coatings, help control the gloss of the surface to which it is applied. Matting agents are fine particles that are dispersed in the paints and coatings formulations in such a way that they scatter the light falling on the surface, in the desired defined manner. This helps achieve a matt finish or reduce the gloss of the surface to which they are applied. Matting agents are of three types, viz., silica, wax, and thermoplastic. These are majorly employed in the coating formulations of various coatings including architectural coatings, industrial coatings, wood coatings, leather coatings, metal coatings and other coatings. Increasing demand for wood and coil coatings to drive the market for matting agents Increasing demand for wood and coil coatings, which are the major applications of matting agents is in-turn driving the demand for matting agents. Another factor driving the matting agents market is the increasing demand for matting agents in the industrial and architectural coatings. Matting agents provide a surface with a matt finish and soft-feel. Matting agents also improve slip, mar resistance, and surface properties of the material on which they are applied. According to a recent study by the California State University, the perceived value of a product in the mind of the consumer increases due to the haptic effects or soft-feel of the product, due to which matting agents are gaining popularity in applications where low glare is desired. Furthermore, matting agents improve the slip, scuff, and rub resistance in architectural coatings, which are highly desirable in architectural coatings. Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=40469 Thus, the demand for matting agents in industrial and architectural coatings segments is rising consistently, in order to improve the surface properties and achieve the desired finish on the surface of the products, on which the coatings containing matting agents are applied. However, increasing demand for UV cure coatings is a major restraint for matting agents market. The preference of the end-users of coatings is shifting towards the UV cure coatings due to its benefits over its counter parts. Matting agents pose several issues when it comes to compatibility with UV cure coatings, thus making it relatively difficult to add matting agents to UV cure coatings. Addition of matting agents to UV cure coatings also leads to reduced efficiency of matting agents due to less curing time. Thus, the increasing demand for UV cure coatings is a threat to the matting agents, unless a matting agent technology compatible with UV cure coatings is developed. Diatomaceous earth is gaining importance as a base material for matting agents, with the help of which the producers are developing a low cost eco-friendly matting agent, in line with the stringent government norms. This provides an opportunity for the existing as well as new players to penetrate the highly consolidated matting agents market. Abundant and uniform geographic distribution of silica ensures abundant supply of raw material for silica matting agents Based on product type, silica matting agents is the major segment in matting agents market and it is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period in terms of value and volume. Silica is a major raw material that is used for making matting agents. Precipitated silica and fumed silica are the two major processed silica, which are utilized to manufacture mating agents. Silica have very high efficiency in terms of matting power. View in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/40469 Emphasis of government authorities on low VOC emissions driving the demand for water based matting agents segment Water-based matting agents are eco-friendly matting agents that are utilized in paints & coatings applications. Solvent-based matting agents possess significantly higher levels of organic solvents. These type of solvents are responsible for the strong odor when applied to surfaces. Water-based matting agents are gaining importance especially in North America and Europe, due to less emission of volatile organic compounds. Water-based matting agents are anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period. In terms of application, wood coatings segment held a major portion of the matting agents market in 2016, and is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period. Growth of automotive industry and furniture industry in Asia Pacific anticipated to drive the market for matting agents in the region In terms of revenue and volume, Asia Pacific held the largest share of more than 25% of the global matting agents market in 2016. Asia Pacific is experiencing major economic and infrastructural development in developing countries such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. This can be attributed to the rapid industrialization in the region. Consequently, end-user industries of coil and wood coatings, such as construction, automotive, and furniture industries are witnessing significant expansion in the region. The automotive industry in Asia Pacific is expanding at a faster pace, as compared to other regions. Furthermore, the demand for infrastructure has also risen significantly due to the rising population in the region. This put together, is driving the demand for matting agents in the region Request sample of this Premium Research Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=40469 Consolidated market for matting agents with the top few players accounting for more than 70% of the market The global matting agents market is an organized market. Some of the major players include Evonik Industries Ag, W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn, PPG Industries, Inc., Huntsman International LLC, Axalta Coatings Systems Ltd., The Lubrizol Corporation, and Akzo Nobel N.V. The matting agents market has been experiencing continuous product and technology developments by the market players. Also, the market players are engaging in capacity expansion of their matting agent product portfolio. Market giant, W.R. Grace & Co.-Conn., launched a new product, named 'Syloid A', a matting agent to be utilized in high-performance, low-gloss paints for the architectural market in December 2015. On January 7, 2016, PPG Industries, Inc. announced the expansion of the production capacity of its precipitated silica plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S., which is anticipated to increase the company's production capacity of silica and related products by 10,000 tons/year Ask for Discount on Premium Research Report (US$ 5795) With Complete TOC: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=40469 Matting Agents Market: By product type Silica Thermoplastic Wax-based Matting Agents Market: By technology Water-based Solvent-based Others Matting Agents Market: By application Industrial Coatings Metal Paper Plastic Printing Inks Others Wood Coatings Leather Coatings Architectural Coatings Others Popular Research Reports by TMR: TPU Films Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/tpu-films-market.html Industrial Rubber Products Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/industrial-rubber-products.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's 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, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. Contact Transparency Market Research State Tower 90 State Street Suite 700 Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Research Blog: http://www.editiontruth.com/ SOURCE Transparency Market Research SUZHOU, China and SANTA CLARA, California, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd, the leader in data center optics, today announced availability of industry's first 400G QSFP-DD FR4 optical transceiver at OFC 2018 in San Diego, California, USA. In addition, InnoLight introduced several new part numbers of its family of industry's leading 400G OSFP and QSFP-DD optical transceivers. With the insatiable demand for higher bandwidth of hyper-scale data centers, 400G optical transceivers are urgently needed to lower bandwidth cost. OSFP and QSFP-DD are the desired 400G solutions for next generation cloud networks. To support this rapid growth, InnoLight has introduced a line of 400G QSFP-DD and OSFP optics: QSFP-DD SR8 QSFP-DD AOC QSFP-DD DR4 QSFP-DD FR4 OSFP SR8 OSFP AOC OSFP 2x FR4 OSFP LR8 InnoLight will conduct live demos of 400G QSFP-DD FR4, 400G QSFP-DD SR8, 400G OSFP LR8, 400G OSFP 2x FR4, 400G OSFP SR8 and 100G QSFP28 Single Lambda FR1 optical transceivers at its booth in OFC. "Both OSFP and QSFP-DD have been adopted as the next generation 400G optics for cloud networks. Each solution has its advantages and target applications. Depending upon the cloud operator's network architecture, either QSFP-DD or OSFP offers the most cost effective solutions for 400G data center network connectivity. InnoLight, with its advanced R&D capability and strong technology partnerships, is proud to bring both form factors to the market simultaneously. 400G QSFP-DD excels in backward compatibility with 100G/200G QSFP28/56. 400G OSFP stands out in enabling upward migration to 800G. InnoLight is aggressively driving adoption of both 400G form factors to deliver the best price performance optics in the industry," said Osa Mok, Chief Marketing Officer of InnoLight Technology. About InnoLight InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd designs, builds and markets high-speed optical transceivers that enable rapid bandwidth expansion of next generation cloud networks. It is headquartered in Suzhou, China with offices in Beijing, Shenzhen, Taiwan and California USA. InnoLight's solutions offer superior technical performance, compelling value proposition, and time to market advantages that are critical for the sustaining growth of cloud data centers. Media Contacts InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd Sunny Wei, 86-512-8666-9288 Osa Mok, 1-408-216-8889 [email protected] www.innolight.com Related Links http://www.innolight.com SOURCE InnoLight Technology (Suzhou) Ltd PUNE, India, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Indian Government's recent decision to make NEET entrance exams mandatory for Indian students who wish to study MBBS in foreign medical institutes has invited mixed reactions from the industry. While it works towards addressing several petitions moved by medical aspirants, it has also presented problems for the students already pursuing medical courses abroad. In support of the medical students studying abroad, Dr. Tushar Vinod Deoras, a Pune-based education and career consultant and C.M.D of Astute Career Counselling Academy, voiced his concern on the challenges this move would face. Dr. Deoras also requests that NEET exams should be only mandatory for new students going abroad and once students clear it, it should be valid for three years for international admissions. He also states that students pursuing BS course abroad like in USA and Philippines should be exempted for giving NEET as they are already out of the country. He further proposes that Medical Council of India (MCI) should issue Conditional Eligibility certificate for students opting for BS+MD program in USA, Philippines, Caribbean Island and many other countries having USA-based education while leaving country for BS course only with a rider to get admitted for MD program. Dr. Tushar Vinod Deoras, C.M.D., Astute Academy, says, "I believe 'Quality Education is Fundamental Right of Every Student', thereby counsel students for quality education in India and internationally. We welcome this move by Ministry of Health as it will help create better doctors. However, making NEET exam mandatory for students who have already spent 1 to 3 years in International universities will put tremendous pressure on students as they need to come back to India and clear NEET exams." He further adds, "With the recent order, the Ministry exempted students currently studying medicine in International universities if they have taken 'Eligibility Certificate' from Medical Council of India. MCI does not provide the Eligibility Certificate to students flying to USA, Germany and Philippines but provides the Eligibility Certificate for students flying to China, Russia, Ukraine, etc. Since MCI does not issue Eligibility Certificate for BS course despite being admitted in BS+MD course, students need to take Eligibility Certificate after completion of BS course only i.e. after spending 4 years of BS in USA or 2 years in Philippines. It's a major cause of concern as USA, Germany and other countries following US education system provide quality education and this might affect the academic scenario for the future doctors of our country." About Astute Career Counselling Academy Astute Career Counselling Academy, headed by Dr. Tushar Vinod Deoras, is a group of educationists across globe guiding the students for career choices for more than 25 years. Astute Academy's Vision is to empower students with best of Career Choices matching the Skills, Ability and Personality. Astute Academy has 100% Success Rate in admission in Prestigious International Universities with Funding. Astute Academy's experienced counsellors & mentors help in career choices in India, USA, Germany, Philippines, Barbados, Europe, Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK, Singapore, Switzerland, Dubai, etc. and has its presence in more than 20 countries. Astute Academy's Unique Psychometric Analysis help student identify Career matching Skills, Ability & Personality. Dr. Tushar Vinod Deoras, International Career Counsellor Astute Career Counselling Academy 6th Floor, Amit Shrephal, Next to Federal Bank, Off Balgandharv Chowk, Ghole Road, Shivajinagar Pune 411005 India Ph: India: +91-9371014548, USA : +1-315-226-7967 Skype: AstuteAcademy WhatsApp: +91-9371014548 [email protected] Useful Links: website: http://www.AstuteAcademy.com Awards: http://www.astuteacademy.com/page/astute-awards Youtube Videos: http://www.AstutePromo.com Media Contact: Manjula Nair [email protected] +91-9158755455 CEO/Founder RealBuzZone SOURCE Astute Career Counselling Academy According to a new market research report " Public Safety Analytics Market by Component (Solution and Service), Analytics Type (Predictive, Prescriptive, and Descriptive), Application, Deployment Mode (On-premises and hosted), Industry Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022 " , published by MarketsandMarkets, the Public Safety Analytics Market expected to grow from USD 5.22 Billion in 2017 to USD 11.29 Billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.7% during the forecast period. The Public Safety Analytics Market has gained traction due to the rise in the criminal activities and terrorist attacks across border controls and needs to safeguard the public from various physical threats. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 74 market data Tables and 45 Figures spread through 146 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Public Safety Analytics Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/public-safety-analytics-market-47603559.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report The person of interest screening application segment is expected to play a key role in the Public Safety Analytics Market. The person of interest screening segment is expected to play a key role to change the Public Safety Analytics Market landscape and grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This application helps public safety agencies and government agencies in criminal investigations to identify the convict of an offense. In addition, it has one of the most advanced features for public safety and has been deployed in various public infrastructures, such as airports, train stations, government and public buildings, and border control, resulting in a high growth rate. The hosted deployment mode segment is expected to be the fastest-growing deployment mode in the Public Safety Analytics Market In the Public Safety Analytics Market, the hosted deployment mode segment is expected to be the fastest-growing segment, as it offers organizations with increased scalability, speed, round the clock services, and improved management capabilities. In addition, these hosted services offer the pay-per-use pricing model. Moreover, such hosted or cloud-based public safety analytics solution and services are available in accordance with the customer's demand, wherein enterprises could start, stop, or modify any service as per their requirement. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=47603559 North America is expected to have the largest market size in the Public Safety Analytics Market. North America is expected to have the largest market size in the Public Safety Analytics Market, due to the presence of a large number of public safety solution providers and early adoption trends in the developed countries in the region. Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period, owing to factors, such as growth in need to meet the demand for the general public to ensure safety and security from potential crimes and disasters and rise in investment in the smart city initiatives. Furthermore, the market in regions, such as the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America is expected to grow due to the surge in technological proliferation across industry verticals, such as public transportation security, law enforcement and intelligence agency, border control, critical infrastructure security. The major vendors in the Public Safety Analytics Market include Hexagon (Sweden), IBM (US), Cisco (US), NEC (Japan), SAP (Germany), Esri (US), SAS (US), Nice Systems (Israel), Splunk (US), Verint Systems (US), Hitachi Vantara (US), and Haystax (US). Know more about Public Safety Analytics Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/public-safety-analytics-market-47603559.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/telecom-it Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MUMBAI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rolta India Limited (Rolta), a leading provider of innovative IP-led IT solutions today announced that it has recently been awarded various large contracts worth Rs. 365 crores in total by large and prestigious organisations from varied industries to fulfil their ambitions for Digital Transformation. Digital transformation has emerged as the #1 driver for sweeping change in the world around us. A deluge of digital data is created in our hyper-connected world with the proliferation of intelligent devices and IoT. Rolta's strategy and investments in developing intellectual property (IP) targeted at this growing demand has ensured that the Company's solutions remain differentiated and paving the way to address these large opportunities. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121023/570667 ) One of India's largest energy conglomerate, a dominant power major with presence in the entire value chain of the power generation recently contracted Rolta for their ambitious program to establish and manage their next generation paperless office as part of the Digital India initiative. This ambitious program leverages Rolta's BI & Big Data Analytics IP-portfolio, to design and establish an enterprise content and knowledge management system encompassing both business as well as engineering data, migration of their existing data, integration and rule-based business process automation along with mobility. In the Telecom sector, Rolta recently won a large project for a state-of-the-art network management and analytics system for a Fibre Optic Network spanning over 57,000 Kms. Rolta was selected as part of a consortium, to provide and seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art Geospatial Analytical capabilities with network and inventory management to facilitate network planning, preventive maintenance, fault analysis and reporting. In the Transportation segment, a premier Shipping Transport Agency in India selected Rolta to drive their digital transformation for all their organizational functions related to shipping, operations & maintenance and governance while also providing deep cross-functional analytical insights and decision support by leveraging Rolta OneView. Under the ambitious Smart Cities Program of Government India, Rolta was awarded a contract as a consortium partner to transform one of the oldest living city in India into a 'Smart City'. Rolta is responsible for the implementation of its field proven Command & Control Center combined with Rolta OneView - Smart City Operations Intelligence Suite which provides powerful IoT integration with Spatial Fusion. This powerful combination will enable a 360-degree view of critical assets and processes, to help instil best practices and accelerate process improvement across areas such as - Smart City Operations, Smart Transportation, Smart Energy, Smart Lighting, Water and Waste Management etc. While in the Safe City arena, Rolta recently won a state-wide Dial 112 and Geo Social Intelligence system. Following these recent wins for Rolta in India, Mr. K. K. Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, said, "By bringing together a rare combination of rich industry specific domain expertise, deep IT skills, extensive Big Data Analytics and geospatial knowhow with world-class Rolta-IP led solutions, we are able to address large Digital Transformation programs which provide transformative business outcomes." About Rolta: Rolta is a leading provider of innovative IP-led IT solutions for many vertical segments, including Federal and State Governments, Utilities, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, and Healthcare. Rolta is recognized for its extensive portfolio of solutions based on field-proven Rolta IP tailored for Indian Defence and Homeland Security. By uniquely combining its expertise in the IT, Engineering and Geospatial domains, Rolta develops State-of-the-Art Digital Solutions incorporating rich Rolta IP in the areas of Cloud, Mobility, IoT, BI and Big Data Analytics. Rolta is a multinational organization headquartered in India and the Company's shares have been publicly traded for more than 25 years in India. For additional information please visit http://www.rolta.com. Media Contact: Dr. Sohrab Bhot [email protected] +91(22)2926-6666 Executive Director - Business Operations Rolta India Ltd SOURCE Rolta India Limited SURAT, India, March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- During the presentation ceremony of the ECGC Indian Exporters Excellence Awards 2017, leading Indian diamond manufacturer and exporter, Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. (SRK), was presented the 'ECGC Indian Exporters' Excellence Awards 2017', in the category of 'Most Socially Responsible Exporter'. Mr. Govind Dholakia, Founder and Chairman, SRK, received the award from Shri Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, at a glittering event held on 6th March, 2018 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/651832/SRK_Exports_Award.jpg ) The platform, Indian Exporters' Excellence Awards 2017, was launched by Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd. (ECGC), to felicitate the leading exporters for their exemplary performance across parameters. ECGC is a leader in the export credit insurance and therefore has taken leadership initiative to confer the awards on the exporters. This award function was followed by the launch of a publication titled 'Empowering Exports- The Journey of an Indian Export Credit Agency'. SRK, a company with over four decades of contribution to the diamond industry, was recognised for its social contribution in exports of the Indian economy, its efficient customer service, commitment to high quality product and ethical business practice. As a leading exporter, SRK exports most of its production to its global customers. Since its incorporation, SRK has been at the forefront in social welfare activities in all parts of the nation. SRK truly justifies one of its objectives of 'Giving Back to Society' through numerous philanthropic activities. For the company, this award marks an important milestone in its growth. The company noted that: 'Success at SRK, India's leading diamond manufacturing company, is not just about financial profits. It is a single harmonious entity encompassing organizational progress, customer satisfaction, patron's goodwill and overall national, environmental and social well-being'. Out of more than 20,000 exporters availing services of ECGC, 1560 were shortlisted and sent to a jury panel comprising of industry experts who decided 34 award winners in 13 different categories. About SRK Exports For more than 50 years, our company Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. (SRK), founded by Shri Govind Dholakia in 1964, has witnessed the transformation from the impoverished and regressive India into the prosperous and powerful India. Our group has current business of more than 1 billion USD having employed more than 6,000 persons. SRK Group is the active member of diamond and jewellery industry in India. We have dedicated our existence creating an umbrella where ethics, principles and people play the most important role. Transparency and integrity is always cherished and celebrated at SRK. We have invested time in helping everyone around; well before most of Indian companies could understand the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, by giving and sharing. For more details, visit: https://srk.one/ . Media Contact: Shantanu Pawar [email protected] +91-8866800776 Project Manager Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. SOURCE SRK Exports (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 66 Tables and 40 Figures spread through 139 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Wealth Management Platform Market" https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/wealth-management-platform-market-125425147.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report The constant rise in the High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) is expected to be one of the key factors in driving the growth of the Wealth Management Platform Market. Moreover, the robo advisory model is expected to gain traction in the overall wealth management market, due to the increasing digitalization that facilitates process automation. These new technologies provide comprehensive technical infrastructure solutions and offer numerous benefits, such as risk management, cost-effectiveness, workflow automation, and data protection. This, in turn, is helping attract various end-users, such as banks, investment management firms, trading and exchange firms, and brokerage firms that demand for critical wealth management solutions. The trading and exchange firms end-user industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The trading and exchange firms offer wealth management services for capital markets and risk management. The HNWIs and enterprise groups are the major customers for the trading and exchange firms. The firms offer online trading services to their customers for conveniently processing the wealth management tasks. This end-user industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR, owing to the increased inclination of customers toward trading and exchange to improve their financial gains. Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=125425147 Robo advisory model is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The robo advisory model is expected to gain traction during the forecast period, as it has emerged as an effective low-cost alternative for retail investors and it has better benefits than that of the human advisory segment, such as low-cost fee structure, ease of use, low minimum investments, and diversified services. North America is expected to hold the largest market share, while APAC is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period North America is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the developed economies, such as the US and Canada, which are emphasizing over innovating the existing solutions. North America is expected to contribute a major share of the rising mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and other business deals. Hence, data security and secured sharing solutions are in great demand in this region. On the other hand, Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The rapid expansion of domestic enterprises as well as the higher development of infrastructure are expected to drive the growth of the Wealth Management Platform Market in APAC. The major vendors offering wealth management platform solutions and services include SS&C (US), Fiserv (US), FIS (US), Profile Software (UK), Broadridge (US), InvestEdge (US), Temenos (Switzerland), Finantix (Italy), SEI Investments Company (US), Comarch (Poland), Objectway (Italy), Dorsum (Hungary). These players have incorporated various strategies to expand their global presence, thus increasing their market shares. Partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, product upgrades, and expansions are some of the major strategies embraced by these players. Know more about the Wealth Management Platform Market: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/wealth-management-platform-market-125425147.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/telecom-it Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets SOURCE MarketsandMarkets NEW DELHI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Click India, a Website Designing Company In India was awarded as the Best Web Developer Organization of the Year at Global Business Award 2017 , held in New Delhi, 23rd December 2017. The award function was graced by the Bollywood Diva 'Huma Qureshi', who gave away the award to the vanquisher in their respective fields. Global Business Award Function is aimed at eulogizing and appreciating the high-fliers and go-getters. It's a platform, where professionals from the different categories, nominate their business profile for Reward & Recognition. While addressing the jamboree, the chief guest of the day echoed the audience that awards are a must for everyone, be it an individual or an organization. Getting an award symbolizes the respect of the winner that infuses confidence and determination to grow further in the domain. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gunjan Singh, CEO, and Founder of Web Click India said, "Receiving such great honor were the results of the tireless efforts our entire team has made. We are absolutely grateful to be notable among so many top-tier agencies and indebted to Global Business Award for recognizing and appreciating our great work, in the web designing, development, and promotion realm. The year was great for the company, as we have been also certified by SiliconIndia's Startup City Magazine as One of the 10 Best Startup's in Website Development - 2017." Mr. Gunjan Singh further added, "I have learned a lot of new things in my 3+year journey. There are so many obstacles I have overcome to be in the position where I am today. Winning the trust of clients is not a cakewalk, especially, when you are a newcomer in the domain. Though, as a key planner in the web designing space, I believed that hurdles are significant because they make life interesting and meaningful. As the Director at Web Click India, I always explore all the avenues before planning and going ahead. Our Web Designing, Development and SEO Services are client-focused, which help us make our virtue in today's cut-throat competition." Web Click India's track-record in an evolving marketplace aids them to recognize unforeseen business possibilities. They have successfully served 1,000+ clients from different corners of the world, including Dubai, Sudan, Hong Kong, USA, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, to name a few. With a positive and powerful presence worldwide, Web Click India is one of the fastest growing names in the Ecommerce Website Designing Industry. About Web Click India Web Click India was founded by Mr. Gunjan Singh on December 20, 2014, is a Website Development Company In India. The company renders Web Designing, Development, SEO/SMO, Ecommerce Website, B2B and B2C Portal Development, Mobile App Development, and strategic planning to small as well as large organizations. They have access to all the new ages tools and technologies to serve their client's best possible experience in their domain. Their main aim is to serve a fair chance to do business from a newcomer to a well-established company all and make their presence in today's growing digital era. For more information, visit: https://www.webclickindia.com Media Contact: Mr. Gunjan Singh Director and CEO Web Click India 8A/2, 3rd Floor, Plot No. 1A, DLF Industrial Area, Moti Nagar, New Delhi-110015, India Email: [email protected] Mobile: +91-8750587506 (Call / WhatsApp) Skype: webclickindia Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webclickdelhindia/ Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/webclickindia20 Connect on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+WebClickIndiaNewDelhi/ SOURCE Web Click India If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Melbourne, March 5 : The victims of Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican's financial chief who has been accused with paedophilia and numerous other historical sexual offences, will testify in court for the first time this week, authorities said on Monday. The cardinal, 76, arrived at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday accompanied by several police officers, reports CNN. The first two weeks of this month's committal are expected to hear solely from the accusers in a closed court. The remaining two weeks will be dedicated to the cross-examination of at least 40 other witnesses. Cardinal Pell is required to attend the court each day of the four-week long committal hearing. He stood down from his post as Vatican treasurer in June last year to fight the case in his home country of Australia after being charged by Victoria state police. Cardinal Pell strongly denies all the allegations against him, and his criminal defence lawyer, Robert Richter has already informed the court he will officially be pleading not guilty. The accusers will give evidence by videolink from a remote location, CNN reported. They will be cross-examined by Richter, who is well known in Australia for his lengthy and forensic questioning of witnesses. The trial is the first time such a senior figure in the Holy See has faced criminal charges. Seoul, March 6 : South Korea and North Korea have agreed to hold a summit of their leaders in April, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's top security adviser said on Tuesday after a rare trip to Pyongyang. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also agreed to hold "candid" talks with the US about the denuclearisation issue of the Korean peninsula and normalise the countries' bilateral ties, Chung Eui-yong told a press briefing. The inter-Korean summit between Moon and Kim will be held at the joint security area of Panmunjeom. The announcement, which was not widely expected, followed Chung's two-day trip to Pyongyang as Moon's special envoy, Yonhap news agency reported. While in Pyongyang, Chung and four other South Korean envoys held an unprecedented meeting with the reclusive North Korean leader. "The South and the North have agreed to set up a hotline between their leaders to allow close consultations and a reduction of military tension, while also agreeing to hold the first phone conversation before the third South-North summit," Chung said. North Korea also restated its commitment to rid itself of nuclear weapons, according to Chung. "Chairman Kim said the denuclearisation issue may be discussed as an agenda for the North-US dialogue," he told reporters. "What we must especially pay attention to is the fact that (he) has clearly stated that the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula was an instruction of his predecessor and that there has been no change to such an instruction." From the onset of his two-day trip to North Korea, Chung said his mission included persuading the North to resume its dialogue with the US, which the South Korean President earlier called a "prerequisite to restarting international negotiations on ending the North's nuclear ambition". Both Washington and Pyongyang had expressed their willingness to talk, but the US had remained rather sceptical of the North's intentions in improving its ties with the South, saying US-North Korea dialogue would only be held under the right conditions. The North Korean leader assumed power after his father, Jong-il, died in late 2011. Chung said the North also promised to suspend all military provocations, including nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, as long the US-North Korea talks progress. "In addition, the North promised not to use not only nuclear weapons but also conventional weapons against the South," he added. North Korea has staged 10 ballistic missile launches since Moon took office in May 2017. It also conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test so far in September. The recent rapprochement between the two Koreas followed the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue to discuss the North's participation in the Winter Olympic Games. The talks were the first of their kind in more than two years. Washington, March 7 : A leading US military academic has called on the Donald Trump Administration to step up and "keep the momentum going" with talks that could de-nuclearise the Korean Peninsula. "This is a major breakthrough," Lyle Goldstein of the US Naval War College told Xinhua on Tuesday as he mentioned North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's pledge to immediately freeze missile and nuclear weapons testing during the proposed talks with the US and South Korea. South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong hammered out the talks and a summit next month between the two Koreas during a four-hour dinner with Kim, his wife and other senior North Korean officials. The top national security adviser for South Korean President Moon Jae-in led a 10-member special delegation to visit Pyongyang for two days from Monday. Both sides agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit talks in late April. The first and second inter-Korean summit meetings were held in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007 respectively. Goldstein urged US officials to address North Korea's "security needs", not to exclude a "symbolic withdrawal of some US troops," as a move that might bring both sides closer to detente. "You must give in order to receive," Goldstein said, citing the recent Iran talks failing because Tehran perceived it was getting nothing in return. Goldstein also said the involvement of China and Russia might help the challenging negotiations that lie ahead, criticizing Japan's seeming lack of interest. South Korea and North Korea also agreed to set up a hotline between the leaders to ease military tensions and closely coordinate. The first talks through the hotline will be held before the summit scheduled for late April. Kolkata, March 7 : India pacer Mohammed Shami on Wednesday denied allegations of torturing his wife Hasain Jahan and having extramarital affairs. "Hi I'm Mohammad Shami. Ye jitna bhi news hamara personal life ke bare may chal raha hai, ye sab sarasar jhut hai, ye koi bahut bada humare khilap sajish hai or ye mujhe badnam karne or mera game kharab karne ka kosis ki ja rahi hai (I deny all that is going on regarding my personal life. This is a conspiracy against me and it is being done to hamper my game)," Shami tweeted. His wife Hasin Jahan posted screenshots of Shami's alleged WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger conversations with multiple women on her Facebook account. She also uploaded photos and phone numbers of the women. Hasin Jahan alleged that Shami, 27, and members of his family had even tried to kill her. "Everyone in their family used to torture me. His mother and brother used to abuse me. The tortures continued till 2-3 a.m. in the morning. They even wanted to kill me," she alleged. "He even abused me and started beating me. All this continued after he returned from South Africa. He has been doing this for quite some time now and now I have had enough," she said. "I gave him enough time (to rectify himself) and tried to calm myself down but instead of accepting his own mistakes, he used to vent his anger on me and even threaten me, asking to keep mum for my own goodwill," she added. Jahan's lawyer Zakir Hussain said she was still hoping Shami would change before taking any legal action. "She is giving it some time. So we will wait a bit before taking any legal action," Hussain told IANS over phone. Shami is currently playing in the Deodhar Trophy for India A. The 27-year-old was a vital cog in India's historic victory in Johannesburg, returning with a five-wicket haul. Kochi, March 07 : A single bench of the Kerala high court on Wednesday ordered a probe by the central bureau of investigation into the murder of youth congress worker S P Shuhaib. The order came on a petition filed by Shuhaibs parents seeking a probe by the central agency into their sons murder. Considering the petition, Justice Kemal Pasha expressed reservations about the probe thus far conducted by the state police. The court ordered a probe by the CBI saying that the conspiracy angle behind the case, including the possible involvement of any top CPI(M) leaders, could be ferreted out only through a probe by the central agency. Justice Kemal Pasha expressed concern at the manner in which the state police had conducted the probe saying that certain developments had given the impression that its investigation was staged. Mr. Pasha took exception especially to the delay by the police in recovering the weapons used for the murder and the manner in which it was later recovered just one day before the court was to hear the petition by Shuhaibs parents. The verdict proved to be an embarrassment of sorts for the ruling dispensation given that it came just hours after chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan ruled out ordering a CBI probe into the murder case, reiterating that the state police investigation was going in the right direction. The court assigned the case to the Thiruvananthapuram branch of the CBI. Responding to the verdict, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters that the CPI(M) did not fear a probe by the CBI since it had nothing to hide. On the critical remarks made by the court against the state government, Mr. Balakrishnan said that it was for the state government to examine the remarks and take a call on whether it should take legal recourse to have the critical remarks expunged. Congress working committee member A K Antony welcomed the verdict, saying that it would pave the way for ending the political murders in Kannur district. The court verdict was a huge setback suffered by the CPI(M) on account of its arrogance, he added. Seoul, March 8 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in's envoys who had visited North Korea earlier this week, left for Washington on Thursday to explain the outcome of their visit. Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office, has quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as saying that Pyongyang was willing to suspend all its military provocations, including ballistic missile tests, as long as US-North Korea dialogue was in progress, reports Yonhap News Agency. Suh Hoon, the chief of South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service is also accompanying Chung on the trip. Chung will directly explain the outcome of his Pyongyang trip to the highest U.S. officials during his three-day visit to Washington, according to an official from the presidential office. He is expected to meet US National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The two envoys will also visit China, Japan and Russia to inform them of the outcome of their North Korea trip. Both Washington and Pyongyang have expressed their willingness to talk, but the US is still seen to be sceptical about the North's intentions. Following the two-day trip by the special envoys to North Korea, US President Donald Trump said the North appeared to be "sincere". Beijing, March 8 : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said that China and India should be "free of mental inhibition" and build mutual trust, which is a "precious commodity" in their ties. Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the Chinese parliament session, Wang said that both countries, which nearly came to war over a two-month military stand-off along their border last year, should replace suspicion with trust. Sounding positive on bilateral ties in the coming year, the minister said: "The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other." Sino-India ties took a nosedive after their militaries faced-off each other in their worst stand-off at Doklam in the Sikkim section of their boundary. China's opposition to a UN ban on Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar and India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group has also tested their relationship. "Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to grow. In the process, China has both upheld its legitimate rights and interests and taken care to preserve the relationship. "Chinese and Indian leaders have developed a strategic vision for the future of our relations. The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other," Wang said. He emphasised that mutual trust was a key factor between India and China. "China and India must do everything to empathise with and support each other and avoid mutual suspicion and attrition. "In this, mutual trust is the most precious commodity in China-India relations. With political trust, not even Himalayas can stop from friendly exchanges. Without it, even level land cannot bring us together," Wang said. "Let me put this to our Indian friends, our shared understanding far outstrips our differences and our far outweigh our frictions. China is willing and ready to inherit and forward traditional friendship and be a friend and partner of the Indian people." "I hope the two sides will be free of the mental inhibition and meet each other halfway. Let us replace suspicion with trust, manage differences with dialogue and build a future with cooperation," the Foreign Minister added. After resolving the Doklam crisis last year, both countries have attempted to repair their relationships and have shown willingness to engage in more dialogue. Last month, India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale quietly visited Beijing and met Wang and China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi. The visit by the former ambassador to China was seen as a key development in the ties. Gokhale is understood to have set the tone for more talks between both countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in China in June. L0os Angeles, March 9 : Five-time Grammy Award winner Mariah Carey says she doesnt care about them. "In the music business, if you care about the Grammys and submitting your stuff before a certain time frame, you want a single out in the summer," Carey said in an interview with V Magazine. "And then you want to have a record (out) before the Grammys (consideration) deadline, which has changed. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," she said, referencing the iconic line from the film "Gone With the Wind", reports people.com. She further said: "I mean, I have five Grammys. That's cute. There's people that have been doing this half the time that have twice as many. "I won two Grammys the first year I started, but after that, (the Grammys) are like, 'We don't go with the people that are selling a lot of records and are popular; we're gonna go the opposite way'. "So, I got screwed out of certain years. I wasn't bitter about it. I was just like, okay, well, I guess I'm not standing here barefoot onstage singing and trying to go a certain way. I'm just me." The "We belong together" hitmaker said that while the music industry is a business, she considers herself an artiste. "I consider myself more of a musician first than a business person, I don't necessarily think of things that way; it's music first," she said. United Nations, March 9 : India has expressed its support for the Afghanistan government's offer to the Taliban to participate in a peace process without preconditionsdespiteAthe group's "irreconcilable" nature, and called for international backing for Kabul's reconciliation efforts. "These efforts of the Afghan Government calling on the armed groups to cease violence and join the national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all Afghans, including women, children and the minorities deserve our full support," India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin told the Security Council on Thursday. He described the Afghan government's "new call for peace" as "a concrete approach to the Taliban to join the mainstream" that was made "despite the fact that armed groups have identified themselves and demonstrated to all of us that they are the irreconcilables." At the same time he called for "a robust response" to violence from "the armed opposition". The irreconcilable guns need to be silenced," he added. On February 28, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered a wide-ranging peace package to the Taliban at an international conference in Kabul. The peace offer included a ceasefire, inputs from the Taliban on a peace process, elections in which the Taliban could participate, and the release of prisoners. Akbaruddin, however, warned that supporters of terrorists in Afghanistan have not been deterred "despite the international community efforts" to promote peace. Without mentioning Pakistan by name, he said that the international community must address the challenges faced by Afghanistan and the region from cross border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries. "There are still those who provide sanctuaries to support the dark agendas of terrorist organiations" like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, he said. "If we are to preserve the achievements of Afghan women and girls, the international community must continue to extend its full support to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process," Akbaruddin said at the meeting held on International Women's Day. It was presided over by Sigrid Kaag, the Netherlands Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Minister. With the participation of Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Deputy Chairperson of the Afghanistan High Peace Council Habibi Sarabi and several women diplomats, the session had a special emphasis on women and girls in Afghanistan. Currently only two countries have women permanent representatives on the Council -- Nikki Haley of the United States and Joanna Wronecka of Poland - and some countries designated other women diplomats to participate in the Council meeting in keeping with the spirit of the day. Akbaruddin spoke of the efforts of the Indian government and Indian Non-Governmental Organisations to help Afghan women and girls. Many projects financed by the $2 billion aid that India has contributed to Afghanistan have been in sectors like education, health and community development that benefit women, he said. During the last three years about 5,000 Afghan women have received higher education scholarships to study in India, he said. The Barefoot College in Tiloniya, Rajasthan, has trained several rural women from Afghanistan in solar electrification, he said. Vocational training centers have been set up across Afghanistan and 150 women received training in India to be trainers and more than 3,000 women have been trained in Afghanbistan, he added. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in) Washingron, March 9 : US President Donald Trump's former campaign chief Paul Manafort on Thursday pleaded not guilty to several charges, including bank fraud and filing false tax returns, in a Virginia court. Mueller filed the charges as part of his investigation into presumed Russian interference in the 2016 elections, potential obstruction of justice and Manafort's alleged financial crimes, Efe reported. This is the second formal indictment Manafort has received so far in the investigation headed by Mueller, whom the former campaign chief sued in early 2018 along with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. So far, Trump has categorically denied any alleged coordination or collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin to harm his electoral rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, whom he - to the surprise of virtually everyone - defeated for the presidency last November. The indictment against Manafort, 68, comes as a result of Mueller's investigation into the links between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the presidential election, but it is not related to Manafort's activities between May and August 2016 as the mogul's campaign chairman. Manafort has to resign from the campaign after it was discovered that he had hidden from US authorities a payment of $12.7 million that he received for advising former pro-Moscow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. However, legal adviser Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign adviser and friend of Managort, in February pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the US and giving false testimony to federal authorities. Due to his admission of guilt, Gates can become a key witness for investigators eyeing the potential links between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Ankara, March 9 : Turkey on Thursday launched a new manhunt for 121 people suspected of links to an outlawed network that was responsible for masterminding a coup bid in 2016. Operations were launched simultaneously in 29 provinces and 33 suspects have been detained so far under arrest warrants issued by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul, Xinhua quoted local media reports as saying. Among the captured are Fatmanur Gulen, the niece of Fethullah Gulen, leader of the Gulen network who is living in the US, and Belkis Nur Tetik, the sister-in-law of Adil Oksuz, an alleged mastermind of the failed coup. Turkey blames the Gulen network for the putsch in July 2016 that left 250 people dead and nearly 2,200 others injured, and has been pushing for Gulen's extradition. More than 150,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from their posts while over 55,000 others were arrested in the ongoing investigation. Washington, March 9 : US President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un saying that he would do so in May, officials said. According to South Korean officials in Washington, Kim had proposed meet with Trump and offered to suspend his nuclear and ballistic missile programmes to begin negotiations, Efe reported. The head of South Korea's National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, who led Seoul's delegation to Washington, delivered to Trump a letter handed to him on Monday by Kim during their meeting in Pyongyang. Washington, March 9 : US President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, saying that he would do so by May, officials said. According to South Korean officials in Washington, to start the talks with Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un offered the suspension of his nuclear and ballistic missile programme, Efe reported. South Korean representatives in Washington led by Chung Eui-yong, head of National Security Office, delivered to Trump a letter which Kim had handed to him on Monday during their meeting in Pyongyang. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," Chung Eui-yong said. "Along with President Trump," the South Korean envoy added, "we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to prove the possibility of a peaceful resolution." Chung also said that South Korea, the US and the rest of the allies will maintain diplomatic and economic "pressure" until North Korea "matches its words with concrete actions." Before coming to Washington on Thursday, Chung Eui-yong had been in Pyongyang on Monday to meet with Kim, who "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." The North Korean leader also "pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," and said that he "is committed to denuclearization." Kim Jong-un and Chung Eui-yong also agreed the holding of a meeting between the North Korean leader and the South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the border between the two Koreas in April. Washington, March 9 : US President Donald Trump has defied opposition from the Republican party and protests from global allies as he signed orders imposing stiff and sweeping new tariffs on imported steel (25 per cent) and aluminium (10 per cent), media reports said. "The actions we are taking today are not a matter of choice; they are a matter of necessity for our security," Trump said in a ceremony at the White House on Thursday evening where he officially authorised the tariffs, which will go into effect in 15 days. Thursday's move comes after a week of furious lobbying and a burst of last-minute internal debates and confusion, reports The New York Times. For now, Trump agreed to exempt, Canada and Mexico and held out the possibility of later excluding allies like Australia. Flanked by a handful of steel and aluminium workers, Trump presented the move as a way to rebuild vital industries decimated by foreign competition. "Our factories were left to rot and to rust all over the place; thriving communities turned into ghost towns... That betrayal is now over," The New York Times quoted the President as saying. "This is not merely an economic disaster, but it's a security disaster we want to build our ships, we want to build our planes... with steel and aluminium from our country. "We're finally taking action to correct this long overdue problem. Today I'm defending America's national security by placing tariffs on foreign imports of steel and aluminium," he added. Trump is imposing the tariffs using a rarely employed trade provision known as Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, claiming a national security rationale for protecting the domestic steel and aluminium industries, reports CNN. The President's move is expected to be questioned and countered, and could further put the US at odds with the international community. Coming on the same day that 11 US allies -- but not the US -- sign a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement, the move on tariffs only underscores Trump's embrace of the protectionist policies he believes helped him win the presidency. He also faced continued criticism from his Republican party, most notably House Speaker Paul Ryan who continued to lament Trump's move. "I am pleased that the President has listened to those who share my concerns and included an exemption for some American allies, but it should go further. We will continue to urge the administration to narrow this policy so that it is focused only on those countries and practices that violate trade law," CNN quoted Ryan as saying on Thursday night. "Our economy and our national security are strengthened by fostering free trade with our allies and promoting the rule of law." The US is the largest steel importer in the world and the order could hit South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Brazil the hardest. In 2002, former President George W. Bush had imposed steel tariffs of up to 30 per cent, The New York Times reported. But facing an adverse ruling by the World Trade Organization and retaliation by trading partners, he lifted them 15 months before the end of the planned three-year duration. Studies found that more jobs were lost than saved and Republican leaders vowed not to repeat the experiment. Thiruvananthapuram, March 09 : CPI(M) MLA A N Shamseer has accused Kerala high court judge Kemal Pasha, who order a CBI probe into the murder of youth congress activist S P Shuhaib the other day, of being prejudiced and playing to the gallery. He hit out at the Kerala high court judge during a panel discussion on the court ordering a CBI probe into Shuhaibs murder on a news channel on Wednesday evening. Taking exception to the judges decision to order a CBI probe into the murder, Shamseer said that judges should not pronounce verdicts on the basis of news reports. The court did not even bother to hear the arguments made by the counsel for the state government, he added. Ordering a CBI probe, Justice Kemal Pasha had pulled up the state police expressing displeasure over the manner in which the investigation was being conducted. Shamseer also alleged that a conspiracy was on behind the scenes between the congress and the BJP to put the CPI(M) in the dock, even though the high court verdict came on a petition filed by the slain youth congress activists parents seeking a CBI probe. The congress was joining hands with the BJP to take on the CPI(M). This was why a CBI probe was ordered into a case in which six accused had already been arrested by the state police, he alleged. To buttress his charge of a conspiracy between the congress and the BJP, he alleged that congress leader K Sudhakaran met BJP national president Amit Shah in Chennai. New Delhi : Title: Santro: The Car That Built a Company; Author: B.V.R. Subbu; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 254; Price: Rs 599 "Manufacturing a car is a simple business, really," author B.V.R. Subbu states in the prologue to his book "Santro: The Car That Built a Company" which looks at how the "Sunshine Car" played a pivotal role in the making of automobile major Hyundai Motors India in a market monopolised by Maruti. "You take some metal, add three parts of engineering, one part of artistry, stir up a lot of passion, and proceed to craft it with care. You pour in the requisite magic with come deft word-smithy, and for garnish you add a little bit of luck. Then you serve it up with humility (albeit tinged with come flourish) and, if you've done it right, chances are you'll end up with an object of desire that dazzles at first glance and then grows into a longing." However, here Subbu adds that it can be a double-edged sword that can either leave you making a lot of money or losing the shirt off your back. But at the same time he ends the first para of the prologue with this: "And, yet, there is no business like the car business." To make the reader understand the business styles of the Korean chaebols, he spices up the prologue with a joke narrated to him by someone which goes like this: "What would executives of the Korean chaebols do if they accidentally ran into a bear while walking in a forest? The Hyundai executives would, without hesitation, pick up the nearest club and attack the bear; the (now-defunct) Daewoo guys would immediately call their chairman for instructions; the Samsung chaps would convene a meeting to consider next steps in front of the bear; and the LG group would wait for Samsung's response, and then do the same." The book looks into the birth and the global success of Hyundai Motor India's debut production, conceptualised and designed for India, that went on to set the record for the quickest small car brand to go from zero to one million units sold. Today, the Santro is available in markets as diverse as Algeria and Zimbabwe, Western Europe and North America and has achieved profitability for Hyundai at an unprecedented speed as a made-in-India automobile. Subbu, who started his career with Tata Motors, joined the freshly minted Hyundai Motor India in 1997 as Director (Sales & Marketing) and later took on the role of President. He writes the book from an insider's perspective but with brutal honesty, giving credit where it is due and scathingly critical of those he believe need to be criticised. For example, throughout the book, he is critical of Maruti, its business and technology practices. He mentions one particular bad experience he personally had at a Maruti dealership when looking to buy a Maruti 800 car. At the same time, he keeps it quite evident throughout that he retains a soft corner for his former company, Tata Motors. The book is divided into eight chapters and each chapter has a Mao Zedong quote on war with the chapter titles too having war connotations. Not surprising, given that the author is a masters degree holder in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, known as a bastion of Left ideology. Though the book is on the Santro, Subbu traces the history of the automobile industry in India and the challenges it faced in a socialist economy. As for the Hyundai story, he has good words for the Tamil Nadu government for all the support and relief in terms of government regulations and tax from the company's groundbreaking ceremony at Irrungattukottai near Chennai in December 1996 -- and onward. The Santro's global commercial launch was held in September 1998. One highlight of how Hyundai believes the customer is the king is the way the company put its vendors on a high pedestal expecting them to stick to the company's core values. Subbu's take on marketing, advertising and media relations makes for equally interesting reading. In dealing with the media, he did not resort to any PR agency but decided to deal with journalists directly. He would personally take journalists' calls and not only talk about his own company but also help with tips on the automobile industry in general and the trends surrounding it. As for advertising strategy, he writes of how Hyundai's chose the then new-in-India Saatchi & Saatchi to engage in a combative campaign. Hyundai was among the first companies in India to pitch its products directly against those of rival companies, a rather new trend in Indian advertising then. To put it in perspective, remember "Pepsi - Nothing official about it"? A heart-warming part of the book is how Hyundai chose Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador and how the company and the Bollywood superstar stuck to the commitments they had made to each other. "Santro: The Car That Built a Company" is an insider's take on corporate India, replete with rivalries, conspiracies, corruption and cultural differences between Koreans and Indians. It makes for a perfect case study for Indian business schools if not already made one. (Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in) London, March 9 : The investigation into the attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal has widened, as police sealed off the graves of his wife and son and confirmed that a total of 21 people had been treated as a result of the incident. Nick Bailey, a police officer who was exposed to the nerve agent used on the Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, remained in a serious but stable condition, reports the Guardian. Skripal, 66, was convicted of passing secrets to the British intelligence service MI6, but was given refuge in the UK in 2010 as part of a "spy swap". He and Yulia had visited the Bishop's Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury on Sunday before they were found collapsed on a bench near the Maltings shopping centre. UK counter-terrorism officers has confirmed that a nerve agent was used in the poisoning and have started investigations to uncover the source. A source familiar with the investigation told the BBC that it was likely to be rarer than the Sarin gas thought to have been used in Syria and in an attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. It was not even VX - the nerve agent used to kill the half brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Malaysia last year, the source added. The use of a nerve toxin, usually only held in state military stockpiles, is being seen as a key indicator of possible Kremlin involvement, the Guardian reported. On Thursday, the Russian embassy in London sent a tweet, saying of Skripal: "He was actually a British spy, working for MI6." Moscow has repeatedly denied it has anything to do with the attack A similar incident took place in 2006 when an FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in with a radioactive cup of tea. A public inquiry a decade later ruled the Kremlin had ordered the hit. New Delhi, March 9 : The logjam in Lok Sabha continued for the fifth consecutive day on Friday, amid continuing protests by the opposition over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other issues. The protests started soon after the House met for the day, and amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 12 p.m., within five minutes after it assembled. At 12 p.m., when the House reassembled, members from different parties again approached the Speaker's podium, holding placards and raising slogans. Congress members were questioning Nirav Modi's escape, while the Telugu Desam party (TDP) MPs demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Members from the AIADMK meanwhile sought the creation of a board to manage the waters of Cauvery river. Amid the din, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day. Mumbai, March 9 : The Bengali community lives across the globe and Bangla is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but the market for its cinema has not been nurtured properly, says National Award winning filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. Chowdhury, best known for "Antaheen" and "Pink", believes the screen density needs to be increased in small towns of West Bengal. "I agree with the fact that every story has its certain reach, but a good distribution system can make a difference. Bengali is the sixth most spoken language in the world, and our neighbouring country Bangladesh has a huge potential market, along with other international markets where Bengalis are living. "Unfortunately, the Bengali film market has not been nurtured properly yet," the filmmaker told IANS on the sidelines of the Ficci Frames 2018 here. "Yes, it is true that Hindi has a larger reach within the country, but if we look at the European countries, whether it is Hindi or Bengali, for them, it is an Indian film. Therefore, we Bengali filmmakers should have a proper agent who can position our films in the right market. Though the film and cultural exchanges are happening between us and Bangladesh, it is yet to happen on a much larger scale," he added. Coming from an ad film background, Chowdhury made his debut in the Hindi film industry in 2016 with the much-celebrated film "Pink". While his past Bengali movies "Anuranan" and "Antaheen" were critically acclaimed and won National Awards, it took a Hindi film for Chowdhury to earn fame. But he shrugged it off. "I really do not look at this negatively. In that film ('Pink'), Amitabh Bachchan was one of the key actors. The mileage that he can bring to a film, who else can? And because of the same reason, the film got a good market and distribution," he said of the movie, which highlighted how a girl's "No" means "No". Asked if language creates a barrier in making regional films reach people, and if dubbing is a potential solution to that, Chowdhury said: "See, we make a film with a certain nuance, and if you are dubbing it in a different language, certain elements get lost in translation. Therefore, I neither watch nor encourage dubbed films. Subtitling is a good option." Citing an example of his debut film "Anuranan", he said: "If you compared the Hindi dubbed version of the film with its original Bengali one, you can find the difference. That is precisely the reason why we should watch the film with subtitles. We do the same thing when we are watching a Korean or an Iranian film." With the advent of digital platforms, the footfalls at theatres are going down while films are reaching people through laptops, iPads and smartphones. According to the filmmaker, screen density and well-maintained theatre halls are the two most important elements that should be taken into consideration. "I come from Asansol, a small town in West Bengal. When my relatives went to watch my first film 'Anuranan', they came back from the theatre before the film finished because there were rats running under the seats and bad smell was coming from washroom. "If the authorityies are not maintaining the existing theatre halls or increasing the screen numbers considering our population, how can we expect people to come to the theatre," he questioned. (Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in ) Kabul, March 9 : At least four people were killed on Friday in a suicide attack in western Kabul near where thousands of members of the Shia Hazara minority had gathered. "So far we have received four dead and 13 injured ones... Numbers could rise," Afghan Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Majroh told EFE news. Leipzig (Germany), March 9 : RB Leipzig defeated Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-1 after Bruma and Timo Werner provided the goals in the first leg of the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League here. Leipzig scored two second-half goals to seal the deal while the Russian outfit scored a crucial away goal through Domenico Criscito on Thursday evening, keeping the visitors' hopes alive for the second leg, reports Xinhua news agency. Leipzig grabbed the reins from the start but remained wasteful in front of goal in the first half as Emil Forsberg rattled the woodwork following a free kick before Timo Werner pulled wide from promising range before the break. Zenit focused on their defensive work and tried to keep the hosts at a distance. However, the visitors posed no threat in the first 45 minutes. After the restart, Leipzig started where they left off and pressed forward as Werner's back-heel at the edge of the box allowed Bruma to slot home to open the scoring. With the narrow lead, Leipzig gained momentum and piled on the pressure. The hosts' efforts paid off in the 77th minute when Naby Keita's build up play and pass allowed Werner to slot home from an acute angle. It seemed Ralph Hasenhuettl's men would take a 2-0 victory but Zenit reduced the deficit out of the blue through Domenico Criscito, who curled a free kick over the wall into the top left corner to make it 2-1. Zenit's away goal might be a costly one, as the visitors keep the tie open for the second leg in Saint Petersburg next week. Damascus, March 9 : Over 1,000 people have been killed and 4,800 others injured in Syria's rebel-held area of Eastern Ghouta in just two weeks, MSF or Doctors Without Borders announced on Friday. The group said the numbers, dating from the start of the renewed Syrian government assault on February 18 until March 4, were an "underestimate" and do not include the data of all MSF-supported medical facilities or facilities not supported by it, reports CNN. MSF's toll was last updated on Sunday. Monitoring groups have reported scores killed daily this week as activists reported "apocalyptic" scenes in the streets of Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of capital Damascus. Fifteen out of 20 MSF-supported facilities have been shelled or bombed in the continuing government offensive, according to the NGO. "MSF urgently repeats its call for an immediate ceasefire to be implemented and for medical supplies to be allowed into the besieged area to treat the sick and wounded," CNN quoted the organisation as saying. Reports of malnourishment were also rampant and many of Eastern Ghouta's residents were living in poorly equipped basements for some respite from nearly incessant shelling. On Wednesday alone, 90 people were killed in strikes across Eastern Ghouta, according to the Syrian American Medical Society. The UN Security Council and Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued calls for a pause in fighting to allow civilians to leave, but both were ignored. Rebel fighters in Eastern Ghouta and Syrian government forces have accused each other of breaking the truce. Sydney, March 9 : Australian researchers have developed a drone capable of measuring a person's breathing and heart rate from 60 metres away, an advance that may help during humanitarian crises. The researchers led by Javaan Chahl from the University of South Australia (UniSA), showed that the drone was able to measure a subject's heart beat by using a camera to sense the top a person's head pulsing by approximately one millimeter with each beat, reports Xinhua news agency. "Basically in a disaster, unfortunately you have to prioritise who's living, who's dead and perhaps who's dying, and this might allow a drone to map a scene and establish the general condition of people," Chahl told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "The same software could do facial recognition, measure their heart rate after climbing up some stairs in the subway, and you could do that for 100,000 people a day," Chahl said. The drones were created in conjunction with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to be deployed during humanitarian crises. However, Chahl said that the device could also be used for bad things like spying or weaponisation. "If we can start doing these things, so can somebody who has a bad agenda," Chahl said. "Somebody could take their data and do something with it, you could try to sell them something, you could deny them insurance, you could tell their employer." Manila, March 9 : The UN and the Philippine government have come to blows over the treatment of human rights investigators, with a top UN official saying that the countrys President Rodrigo Duterte needs "psychiatric evaluation", the media reported on Friday. The Philippine government angered the UN after one of its human rights investigators was included on a list of 600 people declared to be communist terrorists, reports the Guardian. In a petition filed in a Manila court last month, the department of justice listed more than 600 people it wanted to be categorised as rebels for "using acts of terror" to undermine the government. Among them was the UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, for allegedly being a senior member of the Maoist rebel group. The petition, made public on Friday, would give the government power to closely monitor the movements and limit the resources of anyone on the list. Tauli-Corpuz denounced the government for labelling her as a terrorist and putting her life at risk, calling the allegations "baseless, malicious and irresponsible". The UN said the accusations were an act of retaliation for Tauli-Corpuz's recent criticism of the attacks on and killings of indigenous Lumad people in the Philippines, reports the Guardian. It said the claims violated the UN convention on human rights. Condemning the actions of Duterte's government, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said: "He needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination. This kind of comment is unacceptable.These attacks cannot go unanswered, the UN human rights council must take a position." His concerns were echoed by Michel Forst, the UN's special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. "The attack against the special rapporteur is taking place in the context of widespread extrajudicial executions and ongoing attacks against voices who are critical of the current government, including human rights defenders." Duterte has been at odds with the UN. Last year, Duterte called the organisation "stupid" and "shit" and threatened to leave over its condemnation of his bloody war on drugs. New Delhi, March 9 : As the investors' confidence is on a rise in India, the companies must have a policy to manage unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) to prevent insider trading, says a report. "Companies must have a policy to manage UPSI and the risks emanating from its leakage. These policies should provide guidance in the form of procedures (to implement the policy) and should be audited on a periodic basis," said Suveer Khanna, Partner-Forensic Services at KPMG in India. Industry chamber ASSOCHAM and KPMG in India on Friday launched a paper titled "The 'Insider' threat -- Safeguarding UPSI". "Due to the dynamic business scenario, the information flow of confidential data has become very fluid and in such an environment, data is frequently in transit. Companies should look at implementing good practices such as investing in the right technology to avoid data leakage," said Sudesh Anand Shetty, Partner-Forensic Services, KPMG in India. The report also suggested a few things that would help the companies keep its reputation intact by guarding against insider trading. It recommended investments in right technology, right processes and in people. The equities market regulator -- Securities and Exchange Board of India -- has framed regulations such as SEBI Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulations (PIT), 2015, to combat the menace of trading in securities with the unfair advantage of having access to UPSI which when published could impact the price of securities in the market, it said. The paper said Red flags identified, if any, from audits should be documented and steps must be taken to mitigate the risks. A company has multiple applications installed with various data sources generating large and varied datasets. UPSI typically would consist of information which is confidential or is not public knowledge, which when disclosed to the public is likely to materially impact the performance of the company's stocks, it said. This report comes only a couple of days after the SEBI had directed Tata Motors to conduct an inquiry into the leakage of unpublished price sensitive information relating to financials prior to their official announcement in the stock exchanges. The SEBI order comes after it probed the leakage of Tata Motors financial numbers for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 on Whatsapp groups ahead of its filing with the stock exchanges. The report said 'insider trading' is an undesirable practice that breaches the fundamental principle of 'information symmetry' and tends to distort the market by creating unfair advantage in favour of those who profit on the basis of UPSI. The report said securing UPSI and ensuring that the data does not fall in wrong hands is critical for a company to ensure continued investor confidence, preserving its own reputation and goodwill in the market. Srinagar, March 9 : An Indian soldier was injured on Friday in Pakistani firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district. Defence sources said the Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing on the LoC in Uri sector. The injured soldier was shifted to a hospital. "Our troops retaliated strongly and effectively," an official said. The LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. New Delhi, March 9 : The CBI on Friday sought further six-day custody of Karti Chidambaram to interrogate him for allegedly receiving kickbacks in getting foreign investment clearances to private companies when his father P. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a special court here that the CBI had recovered a lot of documents proving that the senior Congress leader's son had direct links with Advantage Strategic. The firm allegedly received lakhs of rupees from Aircel and INX Media for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approvals. Mehta said the CBI raided an earlier unknown office of Advantage Strategic in Chennai on Wednesday and Thursday and "recovered a lot of documents proving Karti Chidambaram was directly associated with it. "So we need six more days of police custody." Defence lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi opposed the CBI plea, mocking at the agency for it failure to locate the registered office address of Advantage Strategic in Kumbukkan Road in Chennai. "For one year, the CBI cannot find the registered office. Anyone can Google about it. It is tragic as well as comic for me." Mehta countered Singhvi and said some documents had been shifted from the Chennai office location. The CBI raided the location on a tip off on March 7 and 8 and several documents were recovered, he said. Singhvi said the CBI needed to rest its demand for extending the custody of his client on solid grounds. "You have no bonafide reason. It is a 10-year old case, documents cannot be changed, witnessed can be changed." The CBI has alleged that Karti received kickbacks in the clearance of foreign investment worth Rs 305 crore for INX Media -- owned by jailed media executives Peter and Indrani Mukherjea. It said it has a recorded statement of Indrani Mukherjea accusing Karti Chidambaram of demanding and receiving a bribe to get the FIPB clearance. Karti Chidambaram was confronted with Indrani Mukherjea in Mumbai last week. On Friday, the CBI moved two more applications, seeking court permission to confront Karti Chidambaram with his Chartered Accountant Bhaskar Raman. The second is to allow the CBI bring the Mukherjeas to Delhi from Mumbai and identify the places where they met Kartik Chidambaram. Singhvi also told the court that Karti's blood pressure levels were fluctuating as he was not allowed to sleep as four guards keep playing cards till 2.30 a.m. each night. "On March 7, his blood pressure was 140/90 while on March 8 it was 150/100." The court reserved its order on extending judicial custody till 4.30 p.m. New Delhi, March 9 : Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Prakash Jarwal, arrested for allegedly assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash last month. The court observed that during the course of arguments on the bail plea, a trust deficit between the members of legislative assembly and the bureaucrats was evident to the hilt. "To see that no unforeseen incident occurs in future and also to maintain transparency, the Government of NCT of Delhi would be well advised to get the meetings inter-se the legislators and the bureaucrats videographed," Justice Mukta Gupta said while granting bail to Jarwal. The court also asked Jarwal to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of the like amount. The court said: "In view of the discussion aforesaid, the nature of allegations, the sentence provided for the offences invoked if convicted after trial and the fact that there is no likelihood of the petitioner fleeing away from justice, this court deems it fit to grant bail to the petitioner (Jarwal)." The court, however, imposed condition that if Jarwal, himself or through someone else, intimidates or harasses or obstructs the lawful activity of the complainant, the police would be entitled to seek cancellation of the bail. The court directed him not to tamper with the evidence or intimidate or approach any of the witnesses. The court also noted that this was the third FIR against Jarwal for assault on a public servant and said in case he indulges in any such illegal act in future, the bail granted to the accused would be liable to be cancelled. Besides, the court directed the legislator not to leave the country without prior permission. On February 19, the Chief Secretary alleged that he was beaten up by AAP legislators Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the CM's residence, where the top bureaucrat had been called for an emergency meeting. Shimla, March 9 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday presented a revenue deficit budget of Rs 41,440 crore for the next fiscal with focus on strengthening the agriculture and horticulture sectors by promising to double the income of farmers by 2022. The Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, announced launching of 28 schemes with emphasis on education, women's empowerment, job creation and tourism. The total budget expenditure estimated for 2018-19 is Rs 41,440 crore, of which the estimated expenditure on salaries is Rs 11,263 crore and pensions Rs 5,893 crore. The estimated interest payments would be Rs 4,260 crore and loan payments are expected to be Rs 3,184 crore, apart from Rs 448 crore on other loans and Rs 2,741 crore on maintenance, said Thakur in his maiden budget speech in Hindi which lasted over two-and-half hours. As per the budget estimates, the total revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 30,400 crore and the total revenue expenditure is estimated to be Rs 33,568 crore with a revenue deficit of Rs 3,168 crore. The expected receipts in capital account of the government are Rs 6,540 crore, apart from Rs 1,225 crore in public account, including provident fund. The capital expenditure, including loan repayments, is estimated to be Rs 7,872 crore. The fiscal deficit for 2018-19 is likely to be Rs 7,821 crore. The Chief Minister also announced a book donation scheme for government schools. "The students spend a lot of money on purchase of new text books. At the same time the students once pass a class throw the books. Now I propose that in all government schools, the day immediately after the completion of the exams will be marked as Book Donation Day," he said. That day students will hand over the books they don't need, helping the students reduce their expense on purchase of books. Reducing the load of school bags, Thakur said the government would declare one day every month as bag-free day in all schools and that will be fully devoted to co-curricular activities. To redress grievances at doorsteps, the Chief Minister announced that all ministers would regularly organise 'Jan Manch', or public forums, in remote areas of every district to solve the problems of the people. He announced levy of a cess of Re 1 per bottle of liquor to meet the operational expenditure of an ambulance service. This will fetch around Rs 8 crore per annum. In the hill state, which is also facing the impact of climate change, a Climate Change Adaptation Demonstration Project in two districts under the Climate Change Adaptation programme would be launched. A Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment will also be carried out, covering 7,000 villages in 1,200 panchayats in the Beas river basin in Kullu, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra districts. Allahabad, March 9 : State Congress chief Raj Babbar on Friday accused Sawajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for bungling a joint opposition front against the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha bypolls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief, speaking to the media here on the sidelines of his whirlwind campaign trail, said his party right from the onset of the poll exercise wanted to join hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the SP, but due to the stubborn attitude of the former Chief Minister, this could not materialise. The actor-turned-politician said: "We would have been better placed and snatched both the seats from the incumbent BJP had we come together and fielded joint-opposition candidates. But it has not happened because of Akhilesh Yadav." The BSP, too, he said did not initially show interest in the efforts of the Congress to bring everyone on one platform against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Babbar also claimed that to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 General Elections, all secular parties will have to come together and fight unitedly, "otherwise defeating the BJP would not be easy". The BSP, burying its 25-year-old bitter rivalry with the SP, has extended its support to the SP nominees on both seats but the Congress is going it alone. Both the seats are crucial for the ruling BJP as they were formerly held by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Gorakhpur) and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya (Phulpur). The Congress and SP had fought the 2017 state assembly elections in an alliance but to disastrous results. While the SP was voted out of power and its tally slipped to 47 from 224 in the 2017 assembly polls, the Congress could win only seven seats. New Delhi, March 9 : Critically acclaimed filmmaker Jahnu Barua's drama "Ajeyo" will open the second edition of 'Matter of Right(s)', a two-day film festival by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) here on March 13. "Ajeyo" depicts the story of an honest, ideal revolutionary youth who fought against the social evils in rural Assam during the Indian freedom movement. It was adjudged the Best Feature Film in Assamese at the 61st National Film Awards. It is one of the specially curated and critically acclaimed Indian and international films, including documentaries, to be showcased at the event. There will be a special focus on the Pacific Islands, and the films will provide an insight into the lives of people in this geography and look at issues such as child abuse, witchcraft and superstition, and revenge. The festival marks the 25th anniversary in India of CHRI, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit, international non-governmental organisation, which works in the field of human rights in the countries of the commonwealth. To honour Nelson Mandela, the revolutionary South African anti-apartheid leader, the festival will showcase Discovery Channel's "Nelson Mandela" to commemorate his centenary. Other films to be screened will focus on themes like police brutality, the rights of convicts, children born in prison and civil and political rights. Malati Rao's "Behind Bars" on children born in prison, and Amitabh Parashar's "The Eyes of Darkness", inspired by the Bhagalpur blindings. "Visual media leaves a lasting impact. We believe that films cut across a range of human emotions, provoking questions and encouraging reflection on critical issues of rights, and so CHRI came out with this idea of organising a film festival on human rights. We plan to make it an annual event so that people, especially the youth, could be sensitised about human rights," Sanjoy Hazarika, International Director, CHRI, said in a statement. Their first festival, in March 2017, showcased films and documentaries that focused on child labour, migration, tribal rights, police excesses, violence against women and minorities. Agartala, March 9 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday congratulated Biplab Kumar Deb after his swearing-in as the new Chief Minister of Tripura, an official said. "The Bangladesh Prime Minister talked to Deb on phone from Dhaka and congratulated him and his Council of Ministers," the official posted in the Chief Minister's Secretariat said. The 48-year-old BJP leader Deb's ancestral home still exists in Chandpur in Chittagong division in southeast Bangladesh. Deb has a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh background. Hasina, who visited Tripura on a two-day tour in January 2011, told Deb that her government would maintain good relations with his government to promote mutual interests. The Bangladesh Prime Minister helped the northeastern state during the earlier Left Front government's tenure in transporting heavy machinery for a power project and food grains through her country's territory. New Delhi, March 9 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron during the four-day visit of the foreign dignitary that begins later on Friday. Though the meeting does not figure in the Ministry of External Affairs' detailed itinerary for Macron's visit, Gandhi's office confirmed to IANS that a meeting is scheduled for Sunday. Political circles in the capital are speculating whether the controversial Rafale fighter aircraft deal will figure in their discussions -- and whether Macron will seek to clear the Congress President's misgivings about it. The Congress has been attacking the Narendra Modi government over its decision to scrap the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-negotiated deal for 126 Dassault-built Rafale fighter jets and instead buy just 36 of them in fly-away condition. The party, which has raised the matter in Parliament as well as outside, has alleged that the Modi government is buying the aircraft at a highly inflated price, compared to the one negotiated by the UPA. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to reveal the price of the 36-aircraft deal citing a "secrecy clause" in the agreement signed with the French government. Since his elevation as President of the largest opposition party in Parliament, Gandhi has been meeting visiting heads of state and government. Since December, he has met Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He was away in Italy during the visit of Vietnam President Tran Dai Quang, who met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He, however, did not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. Singapore, March 9 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and discussed issues concerning both countries. "I had a cordial meeting with the PM of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong. Our discussions covered a wide range of topics concerning our countries," the Congress leader said. Gandhi was accompanied by Sam Pitroda and Milind Deora. Gandhi also met the city state's Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam earlier. Bengaluru, March 9 : A 37-year-old man was arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh six months ago, police said. "Naveen Kumar has been arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case and evidence collected so far confirm he is an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder," SIT Investigation Officer M.N. Anucheth told IANS here. The accused hails from Birur town in Chikmagalur district, about 250km west from here. Kumar was taken into custody by the SIT on March 2 for questioning after he was booked by the Crime Branch on February 19 under the Arms Act for illegal possession of 15 bullets of a revolver. A city court on Friday extended Kumar's police custody till March 15. "In the interest of protecting witnesses and further investigation, we cannot reveal his role in the Gauri Lankesh case at this juncture," Anucheth said. The court will on March 12 pronounce its order on whether the accused is to undergo narco test. "Based on certain clues provided by him, the SIT took him into custody for further questioning and investigation," Anucheth had said earlier. Lankesh, 55, the Editor of "Lankesh Patrike", was shot dead outside her residence in the city's southwestern suburb by unidentified assailants on September 5 last year. Of the seven bullets fired, three hit Lankesh -- two in the chest and one in the forehead. The state government had set up the SIT to probe the killing. In September last year, the state had announced Rs 10-lakh reward to anyone providing clues/information that could lead to the killers of Lankesh. New Delhi, March 9 : US-based thermal power plant solutions provider Ljungstrom on Friday announced the start of opeartions at its new air preheater facility in Chennai for manufacturing air preheaters and gas-gas heaters. Located at the Mahindra World City in Chennai, the Ljungstrom India's state-of-the-art plant has a manufacturing capacity of 16,000 tonnes per annum, a company release said here. "The new facility will be the leading heating element manufacturer in the region catering to increasing demand for heating equipment in India," it said. "The facility will produce Baskets with Ljungstrom's latest profile of heating elements like DNF+, DNF and DUN8, which offer most efficient heat recovery and superior cleanability." Commenting on the new facility spread over 12,000 square meters, Ljungstrom President Dave Breckinridge said in a statement: "We are committed to bring genuine advanced heat exchanger technology to India to support the existing power plant installed base with efficiency and environmental upgrades using proven Ljungstrom solutions." Last December, Ljungstrom announced it had won a contract to supply air preheaters and gas-gas heaters to two coal-fired power plants in Uttar Pradesh with total capacity of 2,640 MW, the critical equipment for which is being manufactured in the Chennai factory. Mumbai, March 9 : There is no spirit of accommodation towards the opposition under the Modi government and Parliament worked in a much more positive way when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Friday. "The present situation is such that there is no accommodative spirit... It is our right, it is right of opposition. We worked very well when Prime Minister Vajpayee was there," Gandhi said. She was answering a query at the India Today conclave about the disruptions by the opposition in Parliament. Gandhi, who earlier delivered a speech, alleged that her party was being sidelined by the government and was not being allowed to speak on the multi-crore PNB fraud. "When you have a genuine issue to discuss, you follow all the procedure, (but) we are just sidelined. We are not allowed to discuss. At times we have agreed to the suggestions of the government... "The last two-three days we wanted to discuss the (PNB bank) fraud. It is an issue which is agitating people. We are simply not being allowed to speak," she said. Answering another query, Gandhi said her party had raised slogans during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech during the reply on the motion of thanks to the President's address as her party leader was prevented from speaking the previous day. Asked how the present acrimony will end, she said: "It cannot be fixed with the way the present government is running Parliament. "It is impossible because they are not willing to allow us to speak. What is Parliament for? I am aware that people at large are constantly angry with the Congress because they feel we are shouting, making noise. But there is a very serious reason for it. Parliamentary rules are not followed." She said now BJP allies including the TDP, the TRS and the Shiv Sena were also going near the Speaker's podium and shouting slogans. "Unless something major happens, I don't see much improvement in the situation." Gandhi said Vajpayee had great respect for parliamentary procedure. "And the then speaker was what a speaker ought to be. You got to hear both sides," she said. Asked about her views on Modi as a person, Gandhi said she did not know him. "I don't know him. I don't know the person. We see him in Parliament or occasionally at functions but I can't say I know him," she said. She said the Congress was also in opposition during the Vajpayee government. "We were bitter opponents. But we functioned well. Of course there were disagreements at times but on whole it was much more positive way. There was give and take, there were compromises when it came to debate." Referring to CAG reports on alleged Gujarat State Petroleum Corp scam, she said her party was not allowed to speak on the issue in Parliament. Amaravati, March 9 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday asserted that the alliance with the BJP had fetched nothing for the TDP in the 2014 elections. At a meeting with party leaders here and in his regular teleconference with party MPs, Naidu took stock of the situation after the TDP quit the Modi government on Thursday after accusing it of failing to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh. On Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignations by central ministers P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y.S. Chowdary. Naidu is said to have pointed out that the Telugu Desam Party had polled a good percentage of votes when it contested alone in the local bodies elections in 2014. The same percentage was retained in the Assembly and General elections a few months later when it went to polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TDP MPs informed Naidu that many parties in Parliament supported the TDP's decision to pull out of the Modi government. Several ministers and leaders in the state also told him that 98 per cent of the people in the state were appreciative of the "timely and right" decision. Naidu formed a team involving senior leaders to follow the political developments at the national level. Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu, Kala Venkat Rao, S. Chandramohan Reddy, Ch Kutumba Rao and others are part of the team. In Delhi, TDP Lok Sabha member J.C. Diwakar Reddy told the media that the TDP's 'talaq' (divorce) with the BJP was over. "When a wife and husband separate, they continue to interact with each other about the future of their children. It is their responsibility. Our meetings with BJP hereafter are like that," he said. Ranchi, March 9 : Three Maoist guerrillas were arrested in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district on Friday, police said. The three owing allegiance to Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC) were arrested during a raid in Bendi forest on a tip-off. One AK-56 assault rifle, a pistol, magazines of AK-56 rifle and pistol ammunition, eight mobile phones, and a walkie-talkie were among the items seized from them. Police said more than 400 cartridges were seized in Gumla district in an unrelated case. Maoists are active in 18 of the 24 districts in the state. New Delhi, March 9 : The number of wilful defaulters, who did not repay their loans to state-run banks, increased by 1.66 per cent to 9,063 during the first nine months (April-December) of the current fiscal, Parliament was informed on Friday. The amount involved on this count for public sector banks (PSBs) is over Rs 1.10 lakh crore, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. "The amount involved for PSBs is reported as Rs 1,10,050 crore," he said. "The total number of wilful defaulters is 9,063, which represents a marginal increase of 1.66 per cent during the first nine months of the current financial year." This is according to data reported by PSBs, while there are provisions for penal measures and criminal action against wilful defaulters as per the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shukla added. Moreover, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued regulations barring companies with wilful defaulters "as promoters/directors from accessing capital markets to raise funds", he said. "Amendment has (also) been effected to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, for barring wilful defaulters from participating in the resolution process." "As per the data from PSBs as on 31.12.2017, they have registered 2,108 FIRs against wilful defaulters, filed 8,462 suits for recovery from wilful defaulters and initiated action under the SARFAESI Act, 2002 in respect of 6,962 cases of wilful defaulters," he added. The SARFAESI Act, 2002 (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002) allows banks and other financial institutions to auction residential or commercial properties to recover loans. The Minister's statement comes in the wake of the Rs 12,600-crore fraud on the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) by accused diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, reported by the public lender last month. Thiruvananthapuram, March 9 : With only three days left for filing of nominations for one vacancy in the Rajya Sabha from Kerala, the ruling LDF on Friday offered the seat to Janata Dal-United led by media baron M.P. Veerendra Kumar. The Left Democratic Front, led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist, took a decision to offer the seat to Kumar, a friend-turned-foe-turned-friend, at a meeting here. Speaking to the media here, Kumar said: "We thank the LDF for considering our request to be included as an LDF ally. Our party's parliamentary board will decide on the candidate." The last date for filing nomination is March 12. Kumar and his party remained part of the LDF till 2009, but shifted to the UDF camp after he was denied his Lok Sabha seat of Kozhikode. Kumar's party nominee was given a Cabinet post when the Oommen Chandy government assumed office in 2011. His JD-U ended its alliance with the Congress-led United Democratic Front as well in December 2017. Earlier, Kumar was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2016 on a UDF ticket. Kumar lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls by over one lakh votes and since then he was unhappy with the UDF too. However, the UDF kept him happy by offering him a Rajya Sabha seat. The JD-U leader suffered a jolt when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to support the NDA, forcing him to bid goodbye along with Sharad Yadav. At present, the JD-U has no legislator in the Kerala Assembly. Chennai, March 9 : Farmer leader Ayyakannu said on Friday that he has decided to lodge a compliant against a woman member of the BJP and a couple of other party leaders for slapping him at Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu. "I am on a 100-day padayatra spreading the ill-effects of genetically modified seeds. Yesterday we were in Tiruchendur. After praying to Lord Muruga at the Tiruchendur temple, we started distributing pamphlets outside," Ayyakannu told IANS over phone. Tiruchendur is around 640 km from here in Tuticorin district. He said suddenly a woman rushed towards him and other farmers and told them not to distribute the pamphlets, resulting in an argument. "In a polite way I asked her why I should not distribute the pamphlets to the public, that too outside the temple," Ayyakannu said. "Suddenly she slapped me. I restrained the people who were with me saying that the police may file a case and put us in jail," the 78-year-old farmer leader said. The video of the woman slapping Ayyakannu went viral. According to Ayyakannu, the woman member of the Bharatiya Janata Party "is just an arrow and the archer is different". He said he planned to file a police complaint against the BJP woman leader and two of her party colleagues. On the other hand, the BJP said it was Ayyakannu who assaulted the lady and called her names. New Delhi/Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (Kheri), March 9 : A ferocious tiger, which recently killed a woman in Pilibhit forest of Uttar Pradesh, has been successfully rehabilitated to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. Being seen as a landmark in conservation efforts, this is only the second such achievement in Terai region -- and among the few across the country. The forest communities in the Terai region are the most vulnerable to fatal attacks from the big cats. As many as five deaths in just over two months of 2018 have caused panic among residents in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve area. The region, infamous for highest number of man-animal conflict, had witnessed 21 tragic deaths in 2017. In the present case, the feline was tranquilised the day after it killed a 22-year-old woman -- thought to be the latest in a series of similar incidents. The tiger had take refuge in agricultural field just near the village where it killed its last victim. It was intercepted and sedated by a five member team in a daunting operation. The team comprising experts from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), state forest department and WWF, used a JCB machine, two tractors and a offroader to corner the ferocious feline. Prior to its release, it was closely observed in confinement for three days. The tiger has now been radio-collared to help foresters monitor its movements and analyse its hunting behavior to ensure it does not wander off, officials told IANS. It has now been learnt that although the tiger killed the woman "out of hunger", it did not eat the carcass. "Therefore, the tiger is not a man-eater, it has no deformity which makes it the most suitable for rehabilitation," Dr Mayukh Chatterjee, Head of WTI's Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation division, told IANS. According to the officials, the tiger has been relocated in Belrayan Range of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, about a 100 kms away from the Pilibhit region. Its new abode, officials say, was choosen carefully so that the area has less tiger density, and high prey-base. "In high tiger density region, there are possibilities that the young tiger may be dominated and pushed out by other felines," Chatterjee said. In the last similar incident, a conflict-tiger wondered over 200 kms from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve to the outskirts of Lucknow city and was rehabilitated in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in 2014. "Its a rare opportunity and a matter of pride for us. We again have an opportunity to understand the behaviour of a rehabilitated tiger. Dudhwa is one of the safest reserves for tigers and now, after 2014 case; its also emerging as a rehabilitation heaven," Mahaveer Koujalagi, Deputy Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, told IANS. Just on the outskirts of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve are agricultural fields where the local residents cultivate sugarcane. While tigers see these sugarcane fields with rich prey-base as an extension of their natural habitat, it also leads to negative man-animal conflict -- the death of the woman on March 5 being the latest example. In 2017, total 21 people were killed by at least five different tigers in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. One such tiger was declared man-eater in February 2017 and sent to Lucknow Zoo. According to records, 33 people were killed by tigers in 2013-14, while 28 were killed in 2014-15 throughout the country. India is home to 70 per cent of the world's free-ranging tigers, estimated at 2,226 in 2014, of which at least 640 dwell outside tiger reserves. (Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in) New Delhi, March 9 : The first week of the resumed Budget Session of Parliament was a complete washout as it failed to transact any business again on Friday due to the standoff between the government, some of its allies and the opposition over a range of issues including demand of special status to Andhra Pradesh, the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and Cauvery water dispute. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha witnessed deadlock that began from the start of the second part of the session on March 5 over the manner in which a debate should be held on the Rs 12,600 crore PNB fraud and other issues like demand of special status to Andhra Pradesh. The logjam in Lok Sabha continued for the fifth consecutive day on Friday amid continuing protests by the opposition and its allies. The protests started soon after the House met for the day, and amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till noon, within five minutes after it assembled. At noon when the House reassembled, members from different parties again moved towards the Speaker's podium, holding placards and raising slogans. Congress members were questioning Nirav Modi's escape, while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress MPs demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Members from the AIADMK, meanwhile, sought the creation of a board to manage the waters of Cauvery river. Amid the din, Mahajan adjourned the House for the day. The scene was no different in the Rajya Sabha. The Upper House continued to witness uproarious scenes over various issues including the TDP demand for special status and the PNB fraud, forcing the Chair to adjourn it for the day. As soon as the house reassembled at 2.30 p.m. after an adjournment, Congress, TDP and AIADMK members trooped near the Chairman's podium and started sloganeering. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien urged the protesting members to allow him to conduct private members' business but the agitating members remained on their feet. Congress member Pramod Tiwary was heard saying something about the Punjab National Bank fraud and demanding the Centre's response on the issue. TDP members held placards in support of their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh while AIADMK members from Tamil Nadu raked up the Cauvery water issue. Amid the sloganeering, Kurien adjourned the house till Monday morning. Earlier, agitating members forced Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 2.30 p.m. As soon as Naidu called for Zero Hour after laying of papers, the TDP and AIADMK members were on their feet. They trooped near the Chairman's podium and started shouting. Naidu urged them to return to their seats, and said a week has already been wasted due to the protests. But the agitating members did not relent. Amid the chaos, the Chairman adjourned the house till 2.30 p.m. The second part of the budget session of Parliament began on March 5 after a month-long recess and will conclude on April 6. The first part of the budget session was held from January 29 to February 9. On Wednesday Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to end the impasse by holding a meeting of leaders of various parties to find a solution but it failed as the opposition parties rejected the government's proposal to hold a discussion on the PNB fraud under Rule 193 which does not entail voting. On Thursday, on the occasion of International Women's Day, the Rajya Sabha functioned for a brief period when women members urged the government to pass the Women's Reservation Bill. Now, both the Houses will meet on Monday. Meanwhile, the BJP has issued a whip to its members asking them to remain present in both Houses from March 13 to March 15 in view of plans to get passed some of the bills including on OBCs, tracking fugitive economic offenders and Triple Talaq. In the Lok Sabha, the government intends to bring The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017, The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017. In the Rajya Sabha, the government intends to bring The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017. OBC Bill, Economic Offenders Bill 2018 and Triple Talaq Bill also remain the main focus of the government during this session. Hyderabad, March 9 : Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, which forecasts market of 1,000 commercial jets for the Asia Pacific region in the 150 seats segment in the coming 20 years, says India would need smaller aircraft to meet its traffic demand. Presenting an alternative to the six major overcrowded airports of the country, Cesar Pereira vice-president Asia Pacific, Embraer said on the sidelines of the Wings India 2018 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Friday that bringing in more wide-bodied jets would not solve the problem. Embraer which is known for its swanky private aircraft is eyeing 70-180 seater jet space, suitable for the "Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik" (UDAN) routes in India. "There must be small aircraft making point-to-point flights avoiding these six hubs, which already take 60 per cent of the traffic," he said. Cesar said Air India, Vistara, Indigo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways have shown keen interest in its E-175 Jets. However, Embraer hopes that the 50 aircraft order by the grounded sub-regional airline from coastal Andhra Pradesh, Air Costa, is still valid. Cesar is hopeful that the airliner will recover soon. Unlike other BRICS countries, India is the only country that does not have a regional fleet, Cesar added. Mumbai, March 9 : UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the BJP had succeeded in wrongly convincing people that the Congress was "a Muslim party" and the more public focus on its leaders visiting temples was to perhaps to counter that perception. "BJP has managed to... I don't say brainwash... that's a bit of a rude word... But it has managed to convince, to persuade people that the Congress is a Muslim party," said Gandhi when asked about Congress President Rahul Gandhi's temple visits in Gujarat and if her party was looking at something called soft Hindutva. "Now, I ask... in my party, the great majority is Hindu... and different sections of ... but yes, there are Muslims. So, I fail to understand this branding us as a sort of Muslim party," she added during an interactive session at an India Today conclave here. Gandhi furhter said: "We have always been to temples. When I used to travel with Rajiv (Gandhi), whereever we went there was always at least one major important temple which we would visit. But we never made a show of it. It was quite natural." She also stressed that Rahul Gandhi had gone to temples earlier too. Asked if it was a deliberate deliberate thrust in that direction, she said: "I don't think so." Asked if her party thought the BJP can't monopolise the whole Hindutva movement, she replied: "Maybe... there is a bit of this because we have been pushed into a corner on that... you know... And so, perhaps rather than going to a temple quietly, then maybe yes... a little more of public focus on that." New Delhi, March 9 : Maritime security and counter-terrorism will be high on the agenda among a number of other bilateral issues when French President Emmanuel Macron comes on a four-day visit to India starting Friday during the course of which he will also co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Macron will hold a bilateral summit here on Saturday that will aim at further deepening the Strategic Partnership that the two countries share. Following the meeting, a number of agreements across multiple sectors are expected to be signed. Briefing the media here on Friday, K. Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary (Europe West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that though civil nuclear, space and defence cooperation have been the tripod of the India-France partnership, "in recent years, we have seen greater convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy". "Maritime security in the Indian Ocean region is a very important area where we are working together with France," Naidu said. He said that there has been increasing convergence in this area and "we hope to take it forward". According to French sources here, though France is not against the recently revived quad of India, the US, Japan and Australia that seeks to work for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, Paris would rather like to work with New Delhi bilaterally in the Indian Ocean region given that there are around two million French citizens in its territories in the region. "Counter-terrorism is an area where we already have a dialogue," Naidu said in his briefing. The fight against terrorism and the security challenges the two countries face form an important aspect of the Strategic Partnership and these are expected to come up in Saturday's discussions. Naidu also said that the two countries have a very rich economic partnership with around 1,000 French companies operating in India and having invested close to $7 billion. "We have a number of French R&D institutions in India working in very high tech areas," he said. "This is an engagement that is going to grow in the coming years." Stating that bilateral trade stands close to $11 billion, he said: "It is a very evenly balanced engagement. We don't have any major areas of concern when it comes to trade. We don't have any conflict (of interest)." During the presidential visit, an India-France CEOs Forum will also be held which will be attended by around 40 CEOs each from both sides. According to Naidu, the French Development Agency (ADF) has made substantial investments in India, particularly in the Kochi, Nagpur and Bengaluru metro rail systems. "At the same time, you will see that France is increasingly with this country in a number of areas, particularly the renewable energy sector. This will see a far, much more expansion in the coming days," he said. Stating that India and France share a deep engagement in the area of space for over 50 years now, he said: "We would now like to take this to a new level. Hopefully you will get to see that at the end of this visit." He said that overall the bilateral engagement is "very good" across all sectors whether it be political, economic, cultural sphere, or people-to-people exchanges. "We have a very large Indian community in France and in French territories. In France itself, people of Indian community number a little over 100,000," Naidu said. He also said that there are five parliamentarians of Indian origin in France and four of them participated in the PIO parliamentarians conference held last January in New Delhi. On Sunday, Modi and Macron will co-chair the founding conference of the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) which was launched by Modi and then French President Francois Hollande during the Paris climate summit in 2015. The ISA is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach. It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The interim secretariat of the ISA was inaugurated by Modi and Hollande in Gurugram on January 25, 2016. According to Naidu, till Thursday, 60 countries have signed the framework agreement of the ISA and 30 have submitted the instruments of ratification. Sunday's conference will be attended by 23 of those who have submitted the instruments of ratification and 24 of those who have signed the framework agreement. During the course of his stay in India, Macron will also visit Agra and Varanasi and have a town hall interaction with students in New Delhi. During his visit to Varanasi, he will inaugurate a 75 MW solar plant built by Engie Solar at Mirzapur. Panaji, March 9 : Nearly 25 per cent of the women rescued from commercial sexual exploitation in Goa are from massage parlours, an NGO said on Friday, and added that Nepali and Thai women top the list of foreign women rescued from such parlours, which promote cross massages. Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Arun Pandey, who heads Anyay Rahit Zindagi, an NGO operating in the area of human trafficking in Goa for decades, also said that the government should formulate a law against cross massages. "From 2010 to 2017, 683 women were rescued from commercial sexual exploitation in Goa. Out of this, 171 were rescued from massage parlours," he said. Pandey's comment comes two days after state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the state government was planning a crackdown on cross massage parlours -- where men give massage to women and women to men -- because it has the potential to promote sex trade. Goa is one of the top beach tourism destinations in the country and the state also has more than 300 registered spas and massage parlours across the tourism-friendly coastal belt and major towns. Pandey also released statistics which showed that in the last eight years, 134 women of foreign nationalities were rescued from massage parlours, out of which 20 were from Nepal and 17 hailed from Thailand. He also said that 32 women rescued during the same period were from Manipur. New Delhi, March 9 : A day after a court in Pakistan ordered that the country's Election Commission hear the case for registration of the political party of Hafiz Saeed ahead of elections this year, India on Friday expressed shock and said that it was an attempt by the Pakistani establishment to mainstream the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind. "I think it is a very shocking development which completely exposes Pakistan's duplicity in taking action against terrorists and terror groups which are operating from Pakistani soil," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his weekly media briefing here. "He is a UN-proscribed terrorist. He is the prime organiser of Mumbai terror attacks. He has blood on his hands of not only innocent Indian citizens, but from many other countries across the world," Kumar said. The Islamabad High Court on Thursday set aside the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision to reject the application of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah's political front Milli Muslim League for registration as a political party. The decision came just days after another Pakistani court extended a stay against the possible arrest of Saeed till April 4. Stating that Saeed was also responsible for unleashing acts of terror on people in other neighbouring countries as well apart from India, Kumar said: "Pakistan is mandated under UN law to take action against Hafiz Saeed. But instead, I think, the developments which we see coming out of Pakistan, it seems that this is an attempt by the Pakistani establishment to mainstream him, to mainstream his system as a political party." He said that "it is a way of shielding what he used to do earlier, the activities he was engaged in". "But I think the true face of Hafiz Saeed and the true face of Pakistan is for all to see. Not only India, but the international community feels that the action which should be taken against Hafiz Saeed has not been taken," the spokesperson said. New Delhi, March 9 : India on Friday welcomed North Korea's offer to hold talks with the US and Washington's positive response in this regard and said it hoped that will pave the way for lasting peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula. "We have noted the comments of the senior official of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) regarding DPRK's (Democratic People's Republic of Korea or North Korea) proposal to hold talks with the US and the positive response from the US," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told the media here. "We welcome these developments. India supports all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy," Kumar said. US President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, saying that he would do so by May, officials said. According to South Korean officials in Washington, to start the talks with Donald Trump, Kim Jong-un offered the suspension of his nuclear and ballistic missile programme. South Korean representatives in Washington led by Chung Eui-yong, head of National Security Office, delivered to Trump a letter which Kim had handed to him on Monday during their meeting in Pyongyang. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation," Chung Eui-yong said. Kumar said that India hoped that "such engagement will help in reducing tensions and pave the way for lasting peace and reconciliation in the Korean peninsula". "As we have said before, we also believe that any solution to the issues in Korean peninsula must take into account and address concerns about the proliferation linkages of DPRK's nuclear and missile programme," he added. Mumbai, March 9 : Alleging that fear and intimidation were the order of the day under the Modi government, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday asserted that the Congress and its allies will not let Prime Minister Narendra Modi get another term in office in 2019. She said that the promise of "achhe din" will work against the Modi government in the same manner as 'India Shining' campaign did against the Vajpayee government in 2004. She alleged that freedom of the people was "under systematic and sustained assault" and there was a long-in-the-making project to refashion the very idea of India. Delivering the keynote address at the India Today Conclave 2018 here, the former Congress President said all this was being done by attempts to rewrite history, "falsifying facts and slandering nation builders and fanning prejudice and bigotry". Answering a question about the possibility of the BJP and the NDA coming back to power in 2019, Gandhi shot back: "No we are going to come back. We are not going to let them come back." To another query about bitterly-opposed parties coming together to take on the BJP which is seen as a colossus and unbeatable singly by anyone, she said "it is a difficult task. If all of us think of the larger picture, if we really think and care for the country, then we should sink local differences which really deal with state politics". On her dinner invitation to opposition leaders next week, she said: "We try to have regular meetings with like-minded parties to see if we can work together. We have worked together in the past. In Parliament, specially in the Rajya Sabha, there is a certain amount of coordination. Yes, I do that." In her speech, Gandhi said that provocative statements from the ruling establishment were neither random nor accidental but "part of a dangerous design". "Fear and intimidation are the order of the day. Alternative voices are being silenced - literally, in far too many cases, through violence, even murder. The freedom to think for oneself, to differ and disagree, to eat according to one's choice, to meet or marry according to one's wishes - all this and more - is under attack," she said. "Today we are being presented with an alternative and indeed regressive vision of who we were as a people, what we are and what we should be. This re-imagination is based on a distorted perception of our history and it is a fatally flawed view of what will secure our future." She referred to frequent disruptions in Parliament and said it worked much better during the first NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Gandhi said the Congress may have a President outside of the Nehru-Gandhi family in the future. She accused the BJP of wrongly creating an impression that the Congress was a "Muslim party" and said public attention to temple visits of party chief Rahul Gandhi was aimed at countering that perception. The former Congress chief talked of her role in bringing like-minded opposition parties together against the ruling BJP and said while it was easy to do so at national level, the parties face a lot of pressure from their local units. In her speech, Gandhi made unrelenting attacks on the Modi government which has completed almost four years in office. "Our society, our freedom all are now under systematic and sustained assault. Make no mistake about it. This is a well thought out project long in the making to refashion the very idea of India," Gandhi said. "Vigilante mobs and private armies have been let loose with state patronage." She said callous remarks were being made about changing the Constitution that "point to a deliberate attempt to subvert the very essence of India". The Congress leader said religious tensions were being fuelled and there was shocking insensitivity to atrocities on Dalits and women. "Our society is being polarised with an eye to winning election"," she said. "Our very social DNA is being re-engineered. The resulting churn will unleash pent up frustration, resentment and anger, with devastating consequences. Individuals can mesmerise for a while but our Republic needs impartial and robust institutions." "Was India really a giant black hole" before the BJP-led government came to power in 2014, she asked. "Did India's march to progress, prosperity and greatness begin only four years ago? Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people?" She said parliamentary majority was being interpreted as a license to stifle debate and bulldoze legislation. "Political opponents are being targeted through the misuse of investigative agencies. The judiciary is in turmoil. Civil society is being silenced. Universities and students are being strait-jacketed. Much of the media is being coerced away from its proper watchdog role - which is surely to expose mis-governance, scams and frauds." Noting that the noise of politics is the music of democracy, she said these were being muffled. "The pretext is to make India a 10-trillion dollar economy. Yes, of course, we need to move fast but fast - F, A, S, T -- cannot stand for First Act, Second Think." Asking if maximum governance means "minimum truth", she said "all of a sudden we are told that seven and a half million jobs were created in 2017. "This claim has, of course, been widely debunked, but does that make a difference? No, it doesn't, because as soon as one myth is demolished, another takes its place." Gandhi, who stepped back as party chief in December, said people need to see things as they are and not be taken in by skilful repackaging and lavish marketing. New Delhi, March 9 : The CISF plans to deploy an aircraft-centric model of security at small airports across the country, CISF Additional Director General M.A. Ganpathy said on Friday. Ganpathy, who is incharge of airport security, said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) would take charge of security of small airports for a short period as per the new model. "The CISF will take over the security aspect at small airports for around two hours prior to plane arrival. During this period, its officials will frisk passengers and perform other security procedures." The CISF team deputed for security at such airports would be relieved of duty after the plane departure, said Ganpathy, adding that further security of these airports would be handed over to police or other security agencies. According to him, the new model will help reduce the number of CISF personnel assigned security duty by over 3,000, and small airport operators will not incur huge expenses on security apparatuses. The CISF officer said the proposal on the new security model was suggested to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in keeping with the government's low-cost flying scheme "Udan" for regional connectivity. The 1.5-lakh strong paramilitary force, which is mandated to guards 59 civil airports across the country, is said to be struggling to get cleared dues of over Rs 750 crore in security fee pending with various airport operators, of which about Rs 737 crore is pending with DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) that operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport here. "On the instructions of the Civil Aviation Ministry, the CISF will look into the records of DIAL to resolve the long-pending issue. While the total dues from all the airports has touched nearly Rs 750 crore, the amount pending against DIAL is Rs 737 crore," Ganpathy said. On the CISF's manpower issues at the airports, Ganpathy said the strength augmentation proposal was pending in the Home Ministry. "Right now, yes, it (schedule of personnel) is tight, the shifts have to be extended and it is not an ideal situation. But despite that, we are managing it very well," the officer said. Asked about further easing and slashing of security clearance time for air travellers, Ganpathy said the Civil Aviation Ministry was working on a "digi yatra" project, with the help of biometric identity like Aadhaar, to reduce the time taken by a passenger to travel from the departure gate of the airport to the aircraft. According to the officer, the CISF had done away with the hand-baggage tags for passengers at 37 airports. More airports would be brought under this new security regime by the end of 2018. Talking of reports of mobile power banks posing security threat at the airports, Ganpathy said the problem was with the "locally made" gadgets as they look like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during X-ray screening because of clay used in their manufacture. He said the CISF has also detected over 1,445 kg gold, 536 kg silver and Rs 16.61 crore in cash in 2017 from 58 airports across the country. The seized items were handed over to airport intelligence and Income Tax authorities. The official said the CISF has also provided security consultancy to 28 big schools since the murder of a student inside Ryan International School in Gurugram last year. Some of the prominent schools which sought consultancy from CISF include The Doon School (Dehradun), Birla High School (Kolkata), St Xavier's Kolkata, Scindia School Gwalior, Poddar World School (Gujarat, Jaipur, Nagpur and Mumbai) and Silver Oak International School at Bengaluru. Four schools have even submitted the consultancy fee. Bengaluru, March 9 : Karnataka Lokayukta Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty, who was stabbed multiple times by a complainant on Wednesday afternoon, is recovering and will stay in the hospital for another week, a senior doctor from the hospital said on Friday. "Justice Shetty has been operated upon for his stab wounds and is recovering. He is likely to be kept in the hospital for another week," chief cardiac surgeon at Mallya Hospital Divakar Bhat told IANS here. Shetty, 73, was stabbed by a 33-year-old complainant, Tejraj Sharma, on Wednesday afternoon and was rushed to Mallya Hospital in the city centre. The attacker was immediately nabbed by police. "A police team led by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) N. Satheesh Kumar is probing the incident of attack on Justice Shetty. I am expecting the report soon," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy tweeted on Friday. Sharma, a furniture supplier from Tumakuru, about 70 km northwest from here, had filed a complaint with the anti-graft official about a local government office, according to the police. "He was allegedly unhappy that his complaint was not being heard. This could have been the motive for the attack," city Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had earlier said. A few days before the incident took place, Shetty had advised the accused not to "squabble" in the Lokayukta office, the Home Minister said. After the attack, the Home Minister on Thursday had suspended the Deputy Commissioner of Police Yogesh for "lapse in security". Shetty was earlier a judge in the Karnataka High Court and had also practised in the Supreme Court. He had taken charge as the state's ombudsman in January 2017. New Delhi, March 9 : The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement on Friday recognised a terminally ill patient's right to refuse medical treatment through an advance medical directive or a living will. Here are court laid down rules relating to the procedure for its execution. *What is advance medical directive or living will?It is a medical power of attorney that allows an individual to appoint a trusted person to take health care decisions when the patient is not able to take such decisions. The trusted person is allowed to interpret the patient's decisions based on their mutual knowledge and understanding. The trusted person can decide on the patient's behalf how long the medical treatment should continue when the patient in unconscious or in a coma state is not in a position to decide. *Who is allowed to execute or draw up the will? According to the Supreme Court rules, it can be executed only by an adult who is of a sound and healthy state of mind and in a position to communicate, relate and comprehend the purpose and consequences of executing the document. It must be voluntarily executed and should have characteristics of an informed consent given without any undue influence or constraint. It shall be stated clearly as to when medical treatment may be withdrawn or no specific medical treatment shall be given which will only have the effect of delaying the process of death that may otherwise cause the patient pain, anguish and suffering and further put him or her in a state of indignity. In order to overcome the difficulty faced in case of patients who are unable to express their wishes at the time of taking the decision, the concept of advance medical directives emerged in various countries. *What should the will speak about?It should indicate the decision relating to the circumstances in which withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment can be resorted to. Be in specific terms and the instructions must be absolutely clear and unambiguous. Mention that the executor may revoke the instructions/authority at any time. Disclose that the executor has understood the consequences of executing such a document. Specify the name of a guardian or close relative who, in the event of the executor becoming incapable of taking decision at the relevant time, will be authorized to give consent to refuse or withdraw medical treatment in a manner consistent with the advance directive. In the event that there is more than one valid living will, none of which have been revoked, the most recently signed advance directive will be considered as the last expression of the patient's wishes and will be given effect to. *How should the will be recorded, preserved?The document should be signed by the executor in the presence of two attesting witnesses, preferably independent, and counter-signed the jurisdictional Judicial Magistrate of First Class (JMFC) so designated by the concerned district judge. The JMFC shall preserve one copy of the document in his office, keep another in digital format, forward one copy of the document to the registry of the jurisdictional district court, inform the immediate family members of the executor. A copy be handed over to the competent officer of the local body. A copy of the directive be handed over to the family physician, if any. *When and by whom can it be given effect to?In the event the executor becomes terminally ill and is undergoing prolonged medical treatment with no hope of recovery and cure of the ailment, the treating physician, when made aware about the advance directive, shall ascertain the genuineness and authenticity thereof from the jurisdictional JMFC before acting upon the same. The document should be given effect to only after being fully satisfied that the executor is terminally ill and is undergoing prolonged treatment or is surviving on life support and that the illness of the executor is incurable or there is no hope of him/her being cured. The physician or hospital where the executor has been admitted for medical treatment shall constitute a medical board that shall visit the patient and form an opinion whether to certify or not to certify carrying out the instructions of withdrawal or refusal of further medical treatment. The Chairman of the board nominated by the collector, that is, the Chief District Medical Officer, shall convey the decision of the board to the jurisdictional JMFC before giving effect to the decision to withdraw the medical treatment administered to the patient. The JMFC shall visit the patient at the earliest and, after examining all aspects, authorise the implementation of the decision of the board. It will be open to the executor to revoke the document at any stage before it is acted upon and implemented. What if the board refuses the permission? If permission to withdraw medical treatment is refused by the Medical Board, it would be open to the patient or his family members or even the treating doctor or the hospital staff to approach the high court and its chief justice will have to constitute a division bench to decide upon case. Hyderabad, March 9 : Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Friday said the divestment process of state-owned air carrier Air India was very much on track in terms of the timeline. The Ministry is keen to transfer the airline to the private sector by the end of this calendar year, he said. "Our timelines are very clear. Our goal is to award it by the end of June and to have the whole transaction closed and done of the transfer of airline to the private sector by end of this calendar year," Sinha told the media on the sidelines of WINGS India 2018 at Begumpet Airport here. He attributed the delays in the expression of interest (EoI) processes to several important issues that the Ministry had to sort out besides obtaining approval from the Alternative Mechanism, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. On Thursday, Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey said there would be clarity in two weeks on the expression of interest. Sinha, however, refused to divulge the details of the percentage of stake sale or the quantum of money to be raised through the divestment. He also chose not to comment on the interest shown by some foreign airlines to participate in the bidding. On the safety concerns over the new engines of Pratt & Whitney in the A320 aircraft, Sinha said the Ministry was working closely with safety regulators around the world to decide on the best course of action for the engine. Sinha was all praise for his senior minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju who quit the government on Thursday. "We will very much miss the honourable minister. He was a tremendous source of inspiration, guidance and leadership for us. And we in the Ministry of Civil Aviation have benefited greatly from his leadership," he said. Shillong, March 9 : Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Friday visited Balat, a border town in Meghalaya where he set up a camp for Bangladeshi youths taking part in the Liberation War in 1971. Hamid is on a five-day visit to India. He will visit New Delhi to attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit on March 11. "My visit to Balat was an emotional experience. The Liberation War of Bangladesh was a tough and difficult time," Hamid told journalists recalling how the Bangladesh Liberation Force (Mukti Bahini) camped in Meghalaya in places near the Indo-Bangla border, around Shillong and Tura. President Hamid interacted with the villagers at Balat market and recollected his past as a sub-sector commander of the Mujib Bahini, Peter S. Dkhar, the District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills, told IANS. Hamid established a youth reception camp at Balat for Bangladeshi youths and acted as President of the camp at that time. Balat a border town near the India-Bangladesh border, 74 km by road from Meghalaya's capital Shillong. The Bangladeshi President was flown in an Indian Air Force helicopter from Assam. Upon his arrival in Shillong, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma received him and he was accorded a red carpet welcome. In Shillong, Hamid visited the Brookside and Jit Bhumi in Rilbong where Rabindranath Tagore stayed. He said that India-Bangladesh relations were deep-rooted and India had always helped Bangladesh in difficult times. "India provided food and shelter to the Mukti Bahinis helped in the war of Liberation," Hamid said. Chief Minister Sangma, who called on Hamid, sought improved business trade relations between Meghalaya and Bangladesh in the interest of the people residing across the border. Agartala, March 9 : Renowned physician Dilip Das will be the Speaker of the new Tripura assembly and senior lawyer Arun Chandra Bhowmik will be his deputy, an official said here on Friday. Das and Bhowmik as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominees were elected to the state assembly for the first time from Barjala (in western Tripura) and Belonia (in southern Tripura) assembly constituencies, respectively. A senior official of the state Parliamentary Affairs Department said Governor Tathagata Roy would constitute the 12th Tripura assembly before the new members took oath. Das and Bhowmik will replace CPI-M's Ramendra Chandra Debnath and Pabitra Kar, respectively. In the outgoing House, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front had 51 members while the BJP had six (who resigned from the Congress in 2016 and joined the BJP last year via Trinamool Congress) and the Congress, once main opposition party in Tripura, had just two. One seat of the outgoing house was vacant after then Congress legislator Ratan Lal Nath was expelled under the anti-defection law. Nath joined the BJP and in the February 18 polls was re-elected to the House from Mohanpur assembly constituency and on Friday became a minister. In the assembly polls, the BJP secured 35 seats in the 60-member Assembly and the IPFT, a tribal-based party, bagged eight. The CPI-M got 16 seats while the Left Front partners -- Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party -- besides the Congress drew a blank. In the Charilam assembly constituency (reserved for tribals) election could not be held on February 18 after the death of the CPI-M candidate and would now be held on Monday. New Delhi, March 9 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said here on Friday that he would go on a hunger strike if the issue of the ongoing sealing drive in the national capital is not resolved by March 31. "If the sealing issue is not resolved before March 31 then I will sit on hunger strike. We all will together put pressure on the central government," Kejriwal said, while addressing a group of traders at Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi. The Chief Minister said he had met many traders and spoken to them about the issue. "A change is necessary in the master plan, many laws need to be changed. The proposed amendments made by the DDA were rejected by the Supreme Court. Ordinance is the only possible solution to the sealing drive," he said. Kejriwal said that on Saturday he would write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to inquire into the ongoing sealing. The Chief Minister also said he would meet Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri next week on the issue. He said the AAP government will also pass a resolution in the Delhi Assembly's budget session, which is set to start from March 16, urging the Central government to bring an ordinance to stop the sealing drive. The sealing drive is being carried out by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes, and it is being implemented by the three BJP-led Municipal Corporations of Delhi. Jaipur, March 9 : The Rajasthan Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a bill that provides for the death sentence to those convicted of raping girls aged 12 years or below. Once the bill is passed into law, Rajasthan will become only the second such state, after Madhya Pradesh, where rapists of girls of 12 years or below will face the gallows. Presenting the bill in the House, state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said rape with girls less than 12 years is such a heinous crime, which makes the life of the victim a hell. "To ensure there is safety in the society and female folk are guarded against such heinous crimes, it is necessary to impose a heavy penalty." The Minister said through the bill, the government aims to add two new clauses to the existing laws. Provision of death sentence or rigorous imprisonment has been made if an accused commits rape with girls under 12 years of age by adding Section 376-AA to the Indian Penal Code, 1860. "In case of rigorous imprisonment, it will not be less than 14 years and can be extended up to life imprisonment." Similarly, another Section 376-DD has been added, through which every person of a group would be considered guilty of crime if gang rape with a girl below the age of 12 years is reported, he added. Kataria said: "We are lucky to have witnessed the initiation of this progressive law in the state. Through this law, we have tried to convey the message to the public and the people of the state that death sentence can also be given for rape with minor girl." The state government had been preparing to bring this bill soon after the Madhya Pradesh government introduced a similar bill in December last year. The Home Minister had earlier said that various departments of the state government are studying the bill passed by the MP government to prepare the draft. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has also hinted at bringing a similar law in his state given the increase in the number of rape cases there. New Delhi, March 9 : The high-powered group set up by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) following the Rs 12,600 crore fraud on state-run PNB, with a mandate to suggest remedial measures in the banking system, has not yet received the required documents and information from the bank, ICAI said on Friday. The group had written to various Punjab National Bank officials, including the Chairman of its Audit Committee, to provide relevant information on the case. "The high-powered group appointed by the ICAI is awaiting the required documents and information from the PNB officials to find out the systemic loopholes... it is worthwhile to mention that the group recommendations are dependent on the availability of documents and information," an ICAI statement said here. "Ordinarily, concurrent audit in a bank is carried out by an independent firm of chartered accountants. As per the current system of appointment of auditors in PNB, internal and concurrent audit was carried out by the PNB officials," the statement said. Though government agencies are trying to identify the culprits, it prima facie appears that the fraud was committed due to collusion of many persons inside and outside the system, the statement added. The ICAI has also written to various investigating agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India, requesting for details of their investigations in the matter. Following the PNB fraud by accused diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said last month that the Indian industry, in collusion with chartered accountants, had for years been employing various ways like creating shell companies to "round-trip" money into the country. Kolkata, March 9 : Left Front Chairman Biman Bose on Friday flayed the Congress high command for "unilaterally announcing" their nominee in the coming Rajya Sabha election in West Bengal, while the two parties were still discussing fielding a common candidate. Bose claimed that the Left Front was forced to name CPI-M leader Rabin Deb as their candidate for the fifth Rajya Sabha seat in the state. "Discussion was on between the Left Front and Congress regarding nominating a common candidate for the Rajya Sabha election in West Bengal. But the Congress High-command unilaterally announced their candidate from Delhi, before a conclusion could be reached," Bose alleged. "It was discussed that either an educationalist or someone associated with social welfare, would be chosen, but under the present circumstances, the Left Front was forced to nominate Robin Deb who has equally good acceptance within the party as well as in other segments of the society," he said. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her party's support to Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the state and announced the names of four Trinamool candidates -- Subhasish Chakraborty, Abir Biswas, Santunu Sen, and Nadimul Haque for the Rajya Sabha polls. Elections to the five Rajya Sabha seats from the state became necessary as the terms of Kunal Ghosh, Bibek Gupta and Nadimul Haque of the TMC and Tapan Sen of CPI-M will end on April 2. Mukul Roy, who defected to BJP from the state ruling party last year, had already resigned from the upper house of Parliament. New Delhi, March 9 : The Centre on Friday filed a plea in the Supreme Court to seek quashing of an FIR in which Major Aditya Kumar was named by Jammu and Kashmir Police in civilian killings. On March 5, the apex court had restrained the police from carrying out any investigation in pursuance to the FIR following the death of three civilians as the Army dispersed a stone-pelting mob in Shopian district. The apex court direction had come on a plea by Lt Col Karamveer Singh -- a serving officer and father of Major Aditya Kumar -- seeking the quashing of the FIR. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal had told the court that mere filing of the complaint against an Army personnel serving in the disturbed area without the prior sanction of the central government was barred under Section 7 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). He had cited top court judgments of 2006 and 2014 in support of his contention that without the Centre's sanction, even a complaint against a serving Army officer operating in disturbed area was prohibited under the law. The state government had opposed the plea, saying that the registration of the FIR and even filing of charge sheet did not amount to taking cognisance of the offence and thus no prior permission of the Centre was required. The government had said Major Kumar has not even been named as an accused in the FIR. The petitioner-father contended that the registration of the FIR and the consequent proceedings would adversely impact the morale of the armed forces fighting militancy in trouble-torn state. Major Kumar and other soldiers of 10 Garhwal Rifles have been accused of opening fire on the stone-pelting mob that attacked an Army convoy near Ganowpora village on January 27. The firing resulted in the death of three persons. "The manner in which the lodging of the FIR has been portrayed and projected by the political leadership and administrative higher-ups of the state, it reflects the extremely hostile atmosphere in the state," reads the petition filed by the Major's father. It said that Major Kumar was wrongly and arbitrarily named as the incident relates to an Army convoy on bona fide military duty in an area under the AFSPA which was isolated by an "unruly and deranged" stone-pelting mob. He said the intention of Major Kumar was to save Army personnel and property, and the fire was inflicted only to impair and provide a safe escape. "The unruly mob was requested to disperse and not to obstruct military persons in the performance of their duties and not to damage government property.... The unruly behaviour of the unlawful assembly reached its peak when they got hold of a Junior Commissioned Officer and was in the process of lynching him to death. "It was at this moment that warning shots were fired... which as per the said terms of engagement is the last resort to be taken," the father had said in the plea. Thiruvananthapuram, March 09 : The congress-led opposition UDF on Friday came down on the CPI(M)-led LDF government over the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) leaving the light metro projects proposed for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Moving a notice for an adjournment motion in the state assembly over the issue, congress legislator K Muraleedharan alleged that the government made deft manoeuvres to push out the DMRC from the light metro project. Muraleedharan also charged the government with insulting DMRC principal advisor E Sreedharan by turning down his many requests for an audience with the chief minister. With the departure of E Sreedharan from the project, the light metro would never become a reality, he said, addressing chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala stated that it would be a crime against the state to exclude the DMRC from the light metro project. Sreedharan promised to make the light metro run but it was not the light metro that ran but Sreedharan himself, Chennithala quipped. Responding to the notice for adjournment motion, the chief minister denied that the state government insulted E Sreedharan, adding that the DMRC prinicipal adviser was denied an audience with him for want of time. Mr. Vijayan also rejected suggestions that the state government would abandon the light metro project. On the DMRC pulling out of the project, the chief minister said that the only disagreement the government had with Sreedharan was regarding going ahead with preparatory works before the centre approving the DPR. The state government was loath to accept Sreedharans suggestion that the government go ahead with the preparatory works for the light metro without waiting for the central governments approval for the reworked the DPR, Mr. Vijayan told the assembly. Metro Man E Sreedharan had on Thursday told a presser that the DMRC was pulling out of the light metro project owing to the state governments failure to ink the turnkey consultancy agreement with the DMRC for carrying out preparatory works for the light metro project despite 14 months having elapsed since it was awarded the project. Media reports had indicated that the state government had deferred signing the pact with the DMRC so as to carry out a feasibility study on the project in light of the reworked detailed project report (DPR) based on the new Metro Policy causing the project cost to go up by Rs. 700 crore. New Delhi, March 10 : Governor-General of Australia Sir Peter Cosgrove will arive arrive here on Saturday on a five-day visit to India, during which he will attend the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on Sunday, the Australian High Commission here said in statement on Friday. "Australia congratulates India and France on their leadership in establishing the ISA," Australia's High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu said in the statement. "As one of the 26 founding members of the ISA, Australia is looking forward to sharing its expertise in solar technologies and research globally. Australia's participation adds a new dimension to the already thriving Australia-India relationship," she said. On Sunday, Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-chair the founding conference of the India-initiated ISA which was launched by Modi and then French President Francois Hollande during the Paris climate summit in 2015. The ISA is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach. It is open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Till Thursday, 60 countries had signed the framework agreement of the ISA and 30 submitted the instruments of ratification. Sunday's conference will be attended by 23 of those who have submitted the instruments of ratification and 24 of those who have signed the framework agreement. According to the High Commission statement, during the conference, Cosgrove will meet Modi and Macron. It said that as part of a broader bilateral visit after the conference, the Governor-General will meet with business leaders in New Delhi and Chennai, address educational institutions with Australian links, view an Australian-funded aid project in Nizamuddin Basti, officially open an ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) centenary exhibition, and visit an Indian Coast Guard vessel which is playing a role in enhancing regional security. Washington, March 10 : The US Secretary of State said on Friday that it would take a few weeks to arrange a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "Now it's a question of agreeing on the timing of the first meeting between the two of them, and that will take some weeks before we get all that worked out," Efe quoted Rex Tillerson as saying. Tillerson said Trump himself had made the decision to meet with Kim despite their well-publicized trading of insults in recent months, adding that he was not surprised in the least and that his boss had had the matter "on his mind for quite some time." On Thursday at the White House, the head of South Korea's National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong, delivered Trump a message that he had received from Kim during a high-level meeting in Pyongyang. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," Chung, who headed up a South Korean delegation to Washington, said. In an offer aimed at kick starting the negotiations, Kim has pledged to freeze ballistic missile tests and embark upon a denuclearization process provided his regime is given security guarantees, the South Koreans said. Tillerson said on Friday that he was surprised at the North Korean leader's initiative in proposing the meeting and at his being so "forward-leaning" earlier this week during his first-ever direct talks with a South Korean delegation. Bengaluru, March 10 : In a first of its kind meeting to conserve the unique and endangered species of sloth bears in India, Wildlife SOS hosted the first international sloth bear expert team meeting at the Sloth Bear Conservation and Rescue Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka, an official said on Friday. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Sloth Bear Expert Team meeting brought together sloth bear conservationists, scientists and field researchers from across the world who are working on sloth bear conservation and protection, the Wildlife SOS official said. Sloth bear (melursus ursinus) is one of the four unique species of Ursids which are found in the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear population in the wild is severely threatened due to habitat loss, poaching and retaliatory killing resulting in human bear conflict. The two-day conference -- hosted by Wildlife SOS in partnership with the IUCN Sloth Bear Expert Team -- was an initiative by IUCN and the Bear Specialist Group established by Species Survival Commission (SSC) to achieve scientific conservation solutions to preserve the sloth bear population in its range. The Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre run by Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department has rescued and rehabilitated over a hundred sloth bears rescued from poachers, human-bear conflicts and also from the "Dancing Bear" trade. Wildlife SOS has successfully released several rescued bears back in the wild. Those attending the meet included Dr. Barbara Durrant from Institute of Conservation Research in California, USA, and former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Karnataka Forest Department, B.K. Singh who interacted with the delegates. The co-chairs of the IUCN Sloth Bear Expert Team released a compendium of 20 years of Bear Research Publications by Wildlife SOS. Seoul, March 10 : South Korean actor Jo Min-ki, who had been accused of sexually assaulting at least eight women and was due to be questioned by police next week, was found dead in the basement of his residence here on Friday. The allegations against the actor emerged in February from his students at a university where he taught drama, BBC reported. Jo mainly appeared in several TV shows and films. The actor in a statement on February 27 apologised to his accusers. "Everything is my fault, and I am the one to blame. I am deeply sorry to all the victims for the pain I've caused, and from here on out, I will not avoid the social and legal consequences of my mistakes," the actor had said. Jo made his theatre debut in 1982 and won a string of awards for TV performances in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2010, Jo joined Cheongju University's drama department but after the allegations of raping and harassing students surfaced last month, he was fired. The allegations amid the #MeToo movement led the editors of TV drama "Children of the Small God" replace Jo by Lee Jae Yong. Jo is one of the many high-profile personalities in the South Korea who has been accused of sexual misconduct in the recent weeks amid the growing #MeToo movement. Sister ships M/V Coral I and Coral II The Galapagos Islands are an ideal playground for wildlife and for Globetrotters in search of it. Nature-loving Goway Travel Globetrotters are set to save in 2018 as the company offers to cover flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are an ideal playground for wildlife and for Globetrotters in search of it. Blue footed boobies, frigate birds, and albatrosses are just a few of the native residents, and those are just the birds on land. The underwater viewing opportunities are just as abundant. Nowhere else on earth can travelers see wild penguins swimming alongside tropical fish. Goway is bringing the Galapagos Islands closer than ever with a new offer, paying for return airfare from the mainland of Ecuador to the Galapagos, valued at $450US / $585CA per person. This offer is available to passengers booked on select Galapagos Cruises on the M/V Legend and M/V Coral I and II. Eligible 2018 departure dates for the Legend are available from April to December, while departure dates for the Coral I and Coral II range from June to November. One of the larger vessels in the Galapagos, the Legend is the perfect vessel for individuals, groups and families, with lots of space and many activities for the kids, including a kids center. With three different decks, the Legend offers a great variety of comfortable and spacious social areas without losing its sense of intimacy. Its fantastic open decks allow you to admire the flora and fauna, enjoy a BBQ at night, or take some sun at the pool and bar areas. The Coral I and Coral II are a gorgeous pair of comfortable twin yachts, offering relaxation areas distributed on three decks, with both open and interior spaces. This allows passengers to have an intimate expedition experience without ever getting that sense of cabin fever. With capacity for 36 (Coral I), and 20 (Coral II) guests respectively, comfort is guaranteed. The Galapagos is a year-round destination, but March offers perhaps the best wildlife viewing opportunities of the year, since water levels are at their highest and land temperatures are an ideal, reaching the high 20s C/high 80s F. Wildlife viewing in the Galapagos is unrivalled. Globetrotters may find themselves coming nose to nose with seals, walking among dozing blue footed boobies, watching albatrosses in the middle of their mating dance, and snorkeling with sea turtles, penguins, parrot fish, sting rays, and sharks, all without the animals showing the slightest trace of fear. Its all part of what defines the Galapagos as a once in a lifetime trip. Since 1970, Goway has been providing unforgettable travel experiences to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central & South America, Idyllic Island destinations and Europe. Today, Goway is recognized as one of North America's leading travel companies for individuals, families and groups to select exotic destinations around the globe. Goway has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Manila, and Sydney, Australia. For reservations and information, visit http://www.goway.com, or call 1-800-387-8850. In an age when unwanted pregnancies, mass shootings, domestic violence, suicide, harassment, and rape are all too common, six-time author Tim Patten explores the theory that masculinity and the virtues it instills may be the answer to these cultural pitfalls. Released on Jan. 4, 2018, Masculinity is Our Future has been met with astonishing support from women, who call the book: An intriguing topic that will evoke debate as well as change thoughts and opinion thanks to Pattens studies. An eye-opening, gripping book that should not be missed by anybody. A poignant, enlightening and gripping book I have no choice but to award this stunning piece of nonfiction Five Stars thanks to its incredible themes and eye-opening nature! Based on years of study, hard data and cutting-edge research, Masculinity is Our Future breaks down societal perceptions that masculinity is inherently toxic, or places one gender above another. Instead, Patten argues, masculine virtues are poised to free the world from authoritarian gender politics while promoting equality. After seeing so much in the mainstream media that vilifies any mention of masculinity, I wondered if there really was a disease of manliness, Patten said. I embraced the possibility and embarked on a three-year journey of research and writing. What Ive come to learn is that this book opens up the inner sanctum of the masculine realm, something most women have never experienced. One five-star reviewer on Amazon put it this way: This book must be read by both men and women alike! While the title may bring a thought to mind of a man sparking a fire by saying men should be superior to women, which is hardly the case! The idea and concept of masculinity is completely distorted and has been taken out of context that we have seen a major shift in how men and fathers are viewed in general! Another states, Patten does a fantastic job at making the reader consider things from a perspective that doesnt allow the thoughts to be offensive. This book brings to light the many benefits of healthy masculinity to not only the individual but to society as a whole. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07934S3DF Masculinity is Our Future is available on Amazon in e-book and hardcopy format. D. J. Cotten, a seventy-three-year-old man who holds a degree in criminal justice and is interested in psychology, has completed his new book The Life and Times of Sgt. Joseph Thomas "Tom" Biway, USMC: a riveting story about a man who may be fully dedicated to the Marine Corps and the Washington government, but has a narcissistic behavior. Author Cotten introduces Sergeant Biway as someone brave: Everyone was stunned to see this. He first threw in a hand grenade upon approaching the nest, killing most of the Chinese and wounding all but one. As Biway pointed his rifle at the one soldier still standing and prepared to shoot, the gun suddenly jammed, whereupon Biway threw the gun down, leaped upon the Chinese soldier with his bare hands, and began to twist his neck until it broke. The other Marines leaped out of their foxholes too and took over the Chinese position. All but one admired the courage of this one sergeant. This day truly belonged to Sergeant Biway. Later that day, Major Fred Murdock, fifty-three, met with Biway and bestowed the Bronze Star upon him for action above and beyond the call of duty. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, D. J. Cottens new book is an extraordinary story about Sergeant Biways lack of remorse for the unnecessary killings that he has done throughout his military service and suspension. He also lacks fear as he mistreats the men under his command, leading people to find evidence of his misconduct and watch over his every move. Readers who wish to experience this enlightening work can purchase The Life and Times of Sgt. Joseph Thomas "Tom" Biway, USMC at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time-consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. LATTICE80 will leverage on its database of 10,000 FinTech startups and communities in new branches to build the worlds largest FinTech community Global Fintech Hub LATTICE80 reveals their Initial Coin Offering (ICO) to launch KAYA Network to connect FinTech & Blockchain Startups globally. LATTICE80, backed by Marvelstone Group, opened the worlds largest FinTech hub in Singapore back in late 2016. Plans include building on its experience with the first branch which has since been closed to launch in several locations in Europe and Asia in 2018. Joe Seunghyun Cho, Founding CEO of LATTICE80 and Chairman of Marvelstone Group, said: The idea is all about connectivity and we believe that with the launch of KAYA Network, we will be able to create more synergies for FinTech & Blockchain startups globally. KAYA tokens will be offered through its own ICO and it will be used for services from LATTICE80 and startups in its ecosystem. LATTICE80 will leverage on its database of 10,000 FinTech startups and communities in new branches to build the worlds largest FinTech community. Sang Min Kim, Adviser to LATTICE80, said: It is good to be part of a progressive team that seeks to build an ecosystem to support innovation within the finance industry. Given the significance that these developments and changes may bring, the regulators role is becoming ever more important to help the industry to adopt innovation properly. Sang Min Kim recently joined LATTICE80 as an adviser. He was the youngest senator in the ruling party, Liberty Korea Party, during the last presidency. As a member of National Policy Committee, he oversaw regulatory bodies and also spearheaded the Committee for Financial Innovation. -- About LATTICE80 LATTICE80 is a Global Fintech Hub building an ecosystem for fintech startups, corporates/financial institutions, governments, and the public to collaborate, learn, and co-create. LATTICE80 opened the Worlds largest Fintech hub in Singapore in Nov 2016 and is planning to open several branches in Europe and Asia in 2018. The project is backed by Marvelstone Group. A tax whistleblower represented by Philadelphia-based law firm McEldrew Young received a $1.1 million whistleblower award from the Internal Revenue Service. The information provided by the IRS whistleblower involved the inappropriate use of an overseas corporate structure to avoid paying U.S. taxes.Our client provided the U.S. Government with valuable information about a taxpayer avoiding payment of millions of dollars in taxes through acts that would have been difficult to detect without inside information," said Eric L. Young, a McEldrew Young Partner and the head of McEldrew Youngs whistleblower practice. The identity of the whistleblower, a former employee of the taxpayer, has not been disclosed to the public or the taxpayer. The IRS whistleblower program permits individuals providing tips to remain confidential to the maximum extent allowed by the law. For information provided by an eligible whistleblower under Internal Revenue Code section 7623(b), the IRS offers a mandatory monetary reward of between 15 to 30 percent of the collected proceeds from tax noncompliance disputes exceeding $2 million. This section of the IRS whistleblower program was authorized by the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 and supplemented the prior discretionary award program at the IRS. McEldrew Young represents whistleblower clients under the IRS whistleblower program, the False Claims Act, the SEC and CFTC whistleblower programs, and the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act. A client of Eric L. Young also received the first IRS whistleblower reward under section 7623(b). It is exciting to witness firsthand the increased publicprivate cooperation against wrongdoing from the successful expansion of whistleblower reward programs in the United States over the past decade, said McEldrew Young Partner, Brandon J. Lauria. We thank the hardworking employees of the Internal Revenue Service who investigated our clients information and took action against the perpetrator, as well as the efforts of Senator Charles Grassley to create and improve the IRS whistleblower program. Since 2007, information submitted by whistleblowers has assisted the IRS in collecting $3.6 billion in revenue and the IRS has approved more than $499 million in monetary awards to whistleblowers. ABOUT McELDREW YOUNG McEldrew Young represents whistleblowers throughout the United States and abroad reporting corporate wrongdoing to the U.S. Government through rewards programs. The firm is led by Eric L. Young and James J. McEldrew, III. McEldrew is a trial attorney and Past President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Young is a whistleblower attorney with a distinguished track record of success in whistleblower cases. He has represented clients in cases against some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, in addition to having secured the firstever whistleblower reward paid by the IRS Whistleblower Office in 2011. To learn more about McEldrew Young, visit http://www.mceldrewyoung.com. For additional information or questions about the IRS whistleblower program, please contact Eric L. Young at (215) 3675151 or eyoung(at)mceldrewyoung(dot)com. The allure of 'Trance ReBorn' is described by the tracks title. Holding an ideal balance of soaring highs and heartstrings-tugging harmonies coupled with propulsive beats, the record is made for peak-time. Thumping. Pulsating. Sweeping. The music of mainstage electronic dance music DJ and producer, Andrew Rayel, never fails to spark feelings of glee. Teaming-up once again with fellow trance music producer, David Gravell, Rayel takes part in a collaboration certain to delight lovers of melody the world over. Andrew Rayel & David Gravells Trance ReBorn (inHarmony Music) is out now. The allure of Trance ReBorn is described by the tracks title. Holding an ideal balance of soaring highs and heartstrings-tugging harmonies coupled with propulsive beats, the record is made for peak-time. The duo of Rayel and Gravell have no qualms about melting hearts with their composition and they attack the dancefloor with the same gusto they exhibit when performing live. Rayels signature acoustic piano-playing marks the intro, signaling that something distinct is about to occur. Like celestial rays of light, demonstrative chords and angelic backing vocals enter the picture. Eventually, synthesizers come to take over the melody where before there was only a piano. The duo go heavy n high into the lead melody, one thats become emblematic of these two musicians. Sensations build as if under the lid of a pressure-cooker, until.boom! A roaring 4/4 beat tumbles down like a mountain of boulders, abolishing everything mild in its path. Trance music-lovers will crave the beat so badly that this mammoth tune will seem like a quenching drink to parched lips. Satisfaction at last! Andrew Rayel has by now become accustomed to performing on the mainstage of the worlds biggest music festivals and his abundantly hearty sets are packed with optimistic vibes and positive energy. Because Trance ReBorn is so good, trance music-lovers wont want it to end. The Extended Mix has a more noticeably progressive coloring on the intro with a fat 4/4 beat that builds to manic energy rather quickly. A heavier, whomping bassline will have fans screaming, Yes! The Extended Mix feels far denser and more substantial than the Original Mix as Rayel and Gravell push the acoustic piano to nearly a minute-and-a-half into the track. Trance ReBorn is quite simply, grand. About inHarmony Music Launched in September, 2017, inHarmony Music is the record label headed by Andrew Rayel and distributed by Armada Music. As label chief and head of A&R for inHarmony Music, Rayel is the key decision-maker when it comes to signing new artists and music. Fulfilling a lifelong dream while on his never-ending career quest, Rayel is now able to do for new artists what Armin van Buuren did for Rayel years ago. The circle is complete and there will be an abundant supply of lovingly curated new music ahead. Listen to Andrew Rayel & David Gravells Trance ReBorn, here: https://IHM012.lnk.to/TRFYH100A For information on Andrew Rayel, Mark Sixma, Fatum, MaRLo, Maro Music (Marek Walaszek), Paul Damixie, NativeOrigin303, NKRIOT, Brussels Airlines (proud partner of Tomorrowland), Alex Ariete, Zander and Traveler, and artists like Armin van Buuren, contact EMILY TAN Media Relations (U.S.), +1(917) 318-3758, EmilyEmilyTan(at)aol(dot)com. Follow EMILY TAN Media Relations on Twitter @EmilyEmilyTan and LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-tan/4/342/70b. The crypto-economy...has the power to permanently and positively change the face of global finance and regulation. However, this change must happen in a safe, compliant and trustworthy manner. Our partnership with Payment21 is a huge step in the right direction - Pawel Kuskowski, CEO, Coinfirm Payment21, a Swiss-based Bitcoin processor which provides AML-compliant cryptocurrency transactions, has partnered with the blockchain RegTech leader Coinfirm. The blockchain agnostic Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform provides banking grade blockchain analysis solutions to ensure AML-compliance of cryptocurrency transactions. Coinfirm's regulatory technology helps streamline and automate compliance processes for blockchain based transactions and aims to be the global standard for Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) risk management, and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) regulation on cryptocurrency, enabling a high level of transparency for the blockchain ecosystem. Pawel Kuskowski, CEO of Coinfirm, states: We believe the crypto-economy is here to stay, and that it has the power to permanently and positively change the face of global finance and regulation. However, this change must happen in a safe, compliant and trustworthy manner. Our partnership with Payment21 is a huge step in the right direction. Coinfirms platform uses proprietary algorithms and big data analysis to provide actionable data on blockchain transactions and parties. With the help of Coinfirm, Payment21 is in the position to perform automated AML-assessments, both when onboarding clients and when monitoring transactions in real-time. Coinfirm provides AML-risk reports and actionable results within a few seconds. The C-score model allows Payment21 to automatically decide which transactions should be approved and which should be rejected. Our partnership with Coinfirm supports us in enhancing our boarding process and on-going transaction monitoring procedures, by including blockchain analysis tools for increased AML-compliance, added Bernhard Kaufmann, General Manager at Payment21.com. This collaboration underscores our strategy of bridging the gap between digital currency and traditional financial services. The award-winning Bitcoin cashier system of Payment21 provides collection and exchange services to e-commerce merchants, multinational corporations, and financial intermediaries around the globe. The service offerings have a focus on regulated businesses with a need for effective compliance procedures. Payment21.com offers added value to enterprise-level businesses, by meeting the specific regulatory requirements of auditors, government agencies, and financial institutions. About Confirm Coinfirm is a leading regulatory technology company with an objective to secure the safe adoption and use of blockchain technology, by deploying the Coinfirm AML/KYC Platform. The Coinfirm Platform has already serviced major cryptocurrency entities, financial institutions, and dozens of ICOs and builds a safe environment for the future of the blockchain ecosystem. To see how Coinfirms platform works, visit https://www.coinfirm.io. About Payment21 Payment21.com represents Fintech for the 21st century. The Swiss-based operator is an innovation-intermediary, moving forward with the concept of encouraging digital currency as a global medium of exchange. Moving Media GmbH is the owner of the Payment21-brand, and is a registered financial intermediary providing AML-compliant cryptocurrency transactions. For more information visit https://payment21.com. E.M.M.A. International Consulting Group, Inc., a global leader in FDA compliance consulting, is attending Life Sciences Pennsylvania (LSPA)s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. LSPAs annual event will host approximately 1,200 attendees this year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Industry leaders in the life sciences from across the state of Pennsylvania will meet and network at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. We are excited to participate in Life Sciences Pennsylvanias Annual Meeting, Dr. Carmine Jabri, CEO of E.M.M.A. International said. LSPA is a great organization that offers its members strategic connections in public policy. Our presence at this event is to plant our flag deeper in the life sciences community in Pennsylvania. Janet Bloom, E.M.M.A. Internationals Sales and Marketing Specialist, will be representing E.M.M.A. International at the event. ### For more information about E.M.M.A. Internationals events, visit their website at http://www.emmainternational.com or follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. About E.M.M.A. International E.M.M.A. International Consulting Group, Inc. is a global leader in management consulting services, with headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI, as well as offices in FL & PA. We focus on quality, regulatory, and compliance services for the Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Device industries. E.M.M.A. International has services available to satisfy all of your quality and compliance needs. We exclusively offer QualiPro, an EQMS, through our partnership with Saphir Consult. John Kling II, DDS active member of the Give Back a Smile Program through the AACD is restoring a young womans smile that was affected by domestic violence. After submitting a Proclamation to Mayor Allison Silberberg The Alexandria Mayor has proclaimed March 4-10, 2018 NO MORE Week in Alexandria, VA. NO MORE Week is a NATIONAL week of grassroots activation, aimed at raising awareness and support for ending domestic violence and sexual assault. A NO MORE event has been organized and the information is listed below. This NO MORE Campaign has been launched to encourage everyone individuals and organizations alike to give, talk and activate to unify domestic violence and sexual assault and make these issues a priority year-round. John Kling II, DDS an active member of the Give Back a Smile Program through the AACD is restoring a young womans smile that was affected by domestic violence. Please come hear her story and join the Mayor of Alexandria Wednesday March 7, 2018 at 1pm at the Alexandria NOVA campus. Local Dentist DR. JOHN KLING Restoring Smile of Domestic Violence Survivor Dr. John Kling, a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), is working to restore the smile and life of a domestic violence survivor who has suffered life-altering dental injuries. Through the AACD Charitable Foundations Give Back a Smile (GBAS) program, volunteer dentists like Dr. John Kling donate their time and skills to restoring survivors self-esteem, physical and emotional health by giving them a new smile. Many survivors have lost teeth or experienced other dental problems result from intimate partner violence. More than 5 million people are affected by domestic violence each year in the U.S. Since its inception, Give Back a Smile has restored more than 1,500 smiles. Through a $5 million dollar investment, Novant Health will provide loan guarantees to its diverse suppliers to enhance the financial health of small, diverse businesses in the communities we serve, said Fred M. Hargett, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Novant Health. Novant Health and M&F Bank today announced the joint development of the Diverse Supplier Community Reinvestment Program (DSCRP), a loan program designed to provide working capital to small business owners located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, who currently are part of Novant Healths supplier network. The process is streamlined and features a full online application process, expedited review by senior commercial lenders and a dedicated underwriting team. The two North Carolina companies came together to create this program to address a real need. Historically, small, diverse businesses have experienced more difficulties in obtaining adequate working capital to compete as suppliers for large companies. However, small businesses employ nearly 50 percent of the workforce in the private sector, and tend to employ diverse workforces. Through a $5 million dollar investment, Novant Health will provide loan guarantees to its diverse suppliers to enhance the financial health of small, diverse businesses in the communities we serve, said Fred M. Hargett, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Novant Health. Our support of this loan program is consistent with our mission and values to improve the health of our communities, one person at a time and represents our dedication to one of our core values diversity and inclusion. The program also is in keeping with M&F Banks support of small-and minority-owned businesses. Founded to serve those who historically had been underserved by the banking industry, M&F Bank has a long track record of helping small businesses obtain and maintain working capital. James Sills, president and CEO of M&F Bank, said The DSCRP serves our mission as a community bank very well, and satisfies our credit risk criteria. It offers the potential of a very positive impact in all the communities served by M&F and by Novant Health. The program officially launched on March 5 and additional information can be found at http://www.novanthealth.org/supplierdiversity. About Novant Health Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Named in 2016 by Beckers Hospital Review as one of the nations 150 best places to work in healthcare, Novant Health network consists of more than 1,500 physicians and over 26,000 employees that provide care at over 470 locations, including 14 medical centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the health system serves more than 4.4 million patients annually and in 2016 provided more than $725.5 million in community benefit, including financial assistance and services. Diversity MBA has recognized the organization as one of the 50 best places for women and managers of diverse background to work and SK&A ranks Novant Health among the top 25 integrated health systems in the nation. In 2017, the magazine Hospitals & Health Networks also recognized Novant Health as one of the countrys Most Wired Hospitals. Novant Health provides care in Virginia under the joint operating company, Novant Health UVA Health System. For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook. About M&F Bank M&F Bank is a state-chartered commercial bank founded in 1907, and has operated continuously since 1908. M&F Bank is one of the few NC banks designated by the United States Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Its vision is to be the preferred community bank in its markets. M&F Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of M&F Bancorp, Inc., which has $268.4 million in assets as of September 30, 2017. M&F Bancorps common stock is quoted in the over-the-counter market through the OTC Pink Sheet under the symbol MFBP. For additional information, contact M&F Bancorp Corporate Headquarters, 2634 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham, NC at (919) 687-7800 or visit http://www.mfbonline.com TBH.BlackDoctor.org These individuals have reached the highest levels in their careers, despite challenges, and BlackDoctor.org is honored to celebrate their success. Their trailblazing work ensures that everyone has access to quality healthcare. BlackDoctor.org (BDO), the leading online health destination for African Americans, and The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health announce the highly-anticipated list of distinguished honorees for the 5th Annual Top Blacks in Healthcare Awards Gala. This celebration of Black excellence will take place on Thursday, April 26, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC. The awards gala, hosted by radio and television legend Donnie Simpson, will honor 15 individuals who have made outstanding contributions to medicine and health. These highly esteemed and accomplished individuals not only maintain a demanding work/life balance, but they are also progressively moving their communities forward. These individuals have reached the highest levels in their careers, despite challenges, and BlackDoctor.org is honored to celebrate their success. Their trailblazing work ensures that everyone has access to quality healthcare, said Reggie Ware, President and CEO of BlackDoctor.org Delivering the 2018 keynote address is Dr. William H. Carson, President and CEO of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (Otsuka), a leading healthcare company developing innovative solutions for patients and care providers. Otsukas commitment to innovation in healthcare comes in many forms, with a focus on mental health reinforced by their recent FDA approval for the first digital medicine along with an emerging portfolio in digital health, oncology, and renal disease. BlackDoctor.org salutes this extraordinary list of Black healthcare professionals named as the BlackDoctor.org Top Blacks in Healthcare 2018 award recipients: Keith L. Black, MD; Chair, Department of Neurosurgery; Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute; Director, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Brain Tumor Center; Professor, Neurosurgery Ruth and Lawrence Harvey Chair in Neuroscience, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Otis W. Brawley, MD, MACP; Chief Medical & Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President, American Cancer Society; Professor of Hematology, Oncology, Medicine and Epidemiology, Emory University Doris Browne, MD, MPH; President, National Medical Association William H. Carson, MD; President & Chief Executive Officer, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (Otsuka) Craig Emmitt Cole, MD; Assistant Professor- Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Dyscrasia Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Julius B. Dixon; Commercial Business Director, Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. Quita Highsmith; Head, Alliance & Advocacy Relations, Genentech Keith Hopps; Director, CNS Marketing, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Doxie Jordan; Vice President, Area Commercial Lead, Novo Nordisk Inc. Conrod Kelly; Executive Director, US Marketing Lead, Diabetes Franchise, Merck LaQuandra S. Nesbitt, MD, MPH; Director, D.C. Department of Health Lisa A. Newman, MD, MPH; Director - Breast Oncology Program, Director - International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes, Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Henry Ford Health System Coleman K. Obasaju, MD, PhD; Senior Medical Director-Oncology, Eli Lilly and Company Rukeyser S. Thompson, PhD; Global Hair Care Section Head Research & Development (R&D), Procter & Gamble (P&G) Brian Williams, RPh; Head of U.S. Marketing-Cardiovascular Franchise, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Award recipients will be featured on the BlackDoctor.org website, its Facebook page with more than 2 million followers - and other related media. Currently, BlackDoctor.org has a total monthly audience reach of more than 40 million visitors. Editor, Bryana Holcomb, stated, Today, more than ever, we must tap into our personal and collective power to create the changes we need in healthcare and beyond. Celebrating our honorees and sharing their incredible accomplishments will inspire our readers to keep pushing toward their own personal greatness. For sponsorship and ticket information, contact Candace Brandon, Candace(at)blackdoctor(dot)org or at 312-222-1205. # # # About BlackDoctor.org BlackDoctor.org (BDO) is the worlds most comprehensive online health resource for Black consumers. With a monthly total audience reach of 40 million, BDO is the leading producer of targeted, culturally, and clinically accurate health and editorial content on African Americans. BDO also boasts the largest online database of Black physicians and dentists as part of its free doctor search tool, and a medical expert panel including many of the most respected and accomplished experts in their field. Learn more about BlackDoctor.org at http://www.BlackDoctor.org and follow us on Twitter @BlackDoctor and Facebook at facebook.com/BlackDoctor.org. About Milken Institute School of Public Health Milken Institute School of Public Health is committed to excellence in scholarship to advance the health of the populations of our local, national, and global communities. Our mission is to provide the best public health educational experience incorporating our core values of scholarship and leadership, scientific rigor and policy analysis, and training to foster the next generation of thought leaders, practitioners, policy makers and scientists who will transform public health worldwide especially for underserved and poor populations. Curve Dental, developers of cloud-based dental management software, announced the company is well prepared to assist dental practices who must transition from the Umbie dental management system due to the developers decision to cease operations. Curve Dentals unique implementation process and industry-leading customer service could provide a much smoother transition from Umbie to Curve Dentals management system. Over the course of 12 years of cloud-only software development experience, weve perfected the process of helping move a practice from one management system to another, said Ian Zipursky, President of Curve Dental. We make sure every step of the transition is clearly defined and documented. From the data conversion process to training, we make sure the practice clearly understands dates, expectations, and responsibilities. Curve Dentals training program is unique to the industry. We dont bother our customers by flying a trainer to their practice, Mr. Zipursky says. Rather, we divide the training curriculum into portions that are easy for the team to understand and quickly master remotely. Our training processes result in much better retention rates with minimum impact on the practices schedule and production. Curve Dental is also a better fit for practices already using Umbie as a management solution. Dental professionals familiar with Umbie will find similarities with Curve Dental, Mr. Zipursky says. For example, the billing processes in Umbie and Curve Dental have a similar feel, which makes it easier for the practice to learn Curve Dental, which saves time. If a practice is being forced to change their management system from Umbie, theyll find Curve Dental to be the best fit in terms of learning a new system, customer service, and reliabiltiy. Dental practices may also be impressed by Curve Dentals customer service. According to research conducted in February 2018, Curve Dental received more 5-star customer review ratings on Google and Software Advice than any other system. Weve earned more 5-star customer reviews because we rush to take our customers calls, hustle to get them back to their patients, and keep them connected to their data better than any other system with a 99.95% uptime rating. These numbers make it clear were number one in customer service, says Mr. Zipursky. Dental practices using the Umbie dental software can learn more at http://go.curvedental.com/umbie-special-savings-20180306. About Curve Dental Founded in 2005, Curve Dental provides web-based dental software and related services to dental practices within the United States and Canada. The company is privately-held, with offices in Orem, Utah and Calgary, Alberta. The company strives to make dental software less about computers and more about the user experience. Their creative thinking can be seen in the design of their software, thats easy to use and built only for the web. Dentists can call 888-910-4376 or visit http://www.curvedental.com to learn more. By providing real-time alerts, as well as historical data, operators can now make informed decisions on how to optimize their operations."- Ray Wooge, Business Development Director of eConnect eConnect, Inc., a Las Vegas-based software company which provides hospitality and gaming companies with a platform for actionable information, reinforced by video, will demonstrate their latest Analytics Technology at ARN 2018. The ARN Revenue Conference & Exhibition features the largest gathering of airport decision-makers and concession executives for any show throughout the year. eConnects analytical tools collect data from multiple sources to provide resort and restaurant operators with critical information for Loss Prevention and Operations Optimization. eConnects newly released eCounter application analyzes lines and wait times allowing operators to better manage their staff and improve customer experience. This is particularly important in environments such as airport concessions and food courts where speed of service is paramount. Our clients have thousands of customers coming through daily. Quick and efficient service creates opportunity to capture as much revenue as possible, commented Ray Wooge, Business Development Director of eConnect. By providing real-time alerts, as well as historical data, operators can now make informed decisions on how to optimize their operations. eConnect will be exhibiting at ARN March 12-15, 2018 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, FL. About eConnect eConnect is a cutting-edge technology company that helps improve business performance through data and video intelligence. The company seamlessly integrates digital video surveillance with transactional data from point-of-sale (POS), casino systems, people counting and other data sources to quickly and directly improve profitability, efficiency and the guest experience. eConnect offers measurable ROI within months of system deployment. The software tools are world-renowned for their ability to discover previously unknown problems, thereby reducing eliminating sources of loss and correcting operational problems. For more information, visit http://www.econnectglobal.com. Sarah A. Kyriakedes, Esq. Tinnelly Law Group, PC, one of the top California HOA law firms, is proud to announce the addition of attorney Sarah A. Kyriakedes, Esq. to the firm. Mrs. Kyriakedes received her undergraduate education from Ohio University. She graduated summa cum laude from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a Minor in Political Science. She obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was awarded the Stanley M. Chesley & Hon. Susan J. Dlott Award in Litigation for receiving the highest G.P.A. in litigation-related courses. Mrs. Kyriakedes was also awarded First Place at the 15th Annual Herbert J. Wechsler National Criminal Law Moot Court Competition, during her tenure on the Moot Court Honor Board. Mrs. Kyriakedes was also an active member of the Trial Practice Competition Team throughout her three years of law school. Prior to joining the California HOA law firm, Mrs. Kyriakedes was employed as an Assistant District Attorney in Charlotte, North Carolina for three years. Upon moving to California, she worked at a firm where she litigated white-collar criminal defense cases and administrative licensing matters. In both positions, Mrs. Kyriakedes gained extensive litigation and trial experience. "We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to our team of exceptional attorneys, says Managing Shareholder, Steven J. Tinnelly. In addition to her litigation prowess, her energy and personable approach to the practice of law is directly aligned with our firms culture. We know she will be a tremendous asset to our firm and our growing family of HOA clients throughout California." About Tinnelly Law Group Tinnelly Law Group, PC is recognized by the community association industry as one of the top California HOA law firms. Since the firms founding in 1989, 100% of its efforts have been dedicated to representing HOAs and providing them with sensible and cost-effective solutions to their diverse legal problems. It counsels hundreds of HOAs throughout California through legal issues related to corporate governance, enforcement, maintenance, insurance, litigation and transactional matters. Tinnelly Law Group recently launched FindHOALaw, a robust resource for HOA law and legal information. Its substantial volume of content and easy-to-use interface help users better understand the unique body of law governing HOAs in California. Tinnelly Law Group also provides its clients with access to comprehensive assessment collection services through the use of its affiliate, Alterra Assessment Recovery. Tinnelly Law Group has offices in Orange County, San Diego, Riverside County, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Member CAI and CACM. We have experienced tremendous growth since we launched in 2015. With more households across the US and abroad switching to organic, we believe our brand speaks to a core desire of our customers. New Barn, Inc. today announced the initial closing of $3.75MM in Series-A financing. The round was led by New Food SPV, an investment company created by New Barn CEO and Chairman Ted Robb, who also personally invested in the round along with individual backers. Founded in 2015, New Barn has quickly grown to become the leading branded organic refrigerated almondmilk range in the natural channel (US) . The company makes and markets Organic almondmilks, as well as a unique non-dairy frozen dessert lineup called AlmondCreme, to thousands of natural, specialty and conventional retailers nationwide. The company's Barista Almondmilk is the current breakout item, giving pro and home baristas for the first time a non-dairy milk that performs like dairy, and giving consumers a luscious drinking experience hot or cold. The blend is served at Allegro Coffee bars in Whole Foods Market and a number of specialty coffee shops nationwide. "We have experienced tremendous growth since we launched in 2015," Robb said. "Customers are falling in love with our brand and our steadfast commitment to making clean, delicious organic products. With more households across the US and abroad switching to organic, we believe our brand speaks to a core desire of our customers." The funding will allow New Barn to continue rapid growth of its core alternative dairy lineup, as well as launch a pipeline of innovative plant-based products in multiple categories. The company is focused on creating products that are simple, clean label, family friendly, and certified organic. "We are really excited about what is to come in 2018," Robb said. "We have a fantastic team, exciting ideas, and will be stepping out in a big way. We also have an incredible group of committed investors, who share our values. I am thrilled that this investment will allow us to continue building momentum in the coming year." New Barn is exhibiting at EXPO West (booth #8206), March 8-11, in Anaheim, California. Armory Securities, LLC served as financial advisor to the company. Blue Moon Advisors In many ways, they have helped us to close critical gaps, provide deeper value and achieve key revenue goals for us, our clients and our partners. Blue Moon Consortium, Inc., doing business as Blue Moon Advisors, proudly announced its 2017 Advisor of the Year at its 2nd Annual holiday event in December 2017. Leslie Bocskor, President of Electrum Partners, was named the new advisor. Known for his booming Greetings and Salutations, welcoming remarks when he speaks, Mr. Bocskor exudes joy and positivity into any room he enters, just like he did at the event. Mr. Bocskor was selected as Advisor of the Year due to his uncanny ability to attract both interest in and clients for Blue Moon. In 2017, Mr. Bocskor sourced more than 20 clients to Blue Moon, three of which accomplished a 925+ Capital Readiness Score. This score is part of the Capital Readiness Report, a due diligence tool that helps predict the ultimate success of a venture. A 925 score (out of 1,000) and above has shown historically to have a higher likelihood of success. Mr. Bocskor was sincerely appreciative of Blue Moons services, helping Electrum receive a high score. As a partner in the Blue Moon network, we have been able to gain valuable insight for ourselves into our clients and for our clients, into their businesses, and in turn we have been able to successfully raise more capital, at more favorable valuations, and much more quickly than before thanks to Blue Moon Advisors and the capital readiness report process, said Mr. Bocskor. In many ways, they have helped us to close critical gaps, provide deeper value and achieve key revenue goals for us, our clients and our partners. About the Awards Annually, the Blue Moon Advisors Board of Directors, Board of Advisors and Executive Team review all Blue Moon Advisor referrals, Strategic Partner activity and the results of the companies and their entrepreneurs that lead them. The awards are broken down into three main categories: (1) Blue Moon Advisor of the Year; (2) Strategic Partner of the Year; and (3) Entrepreneur of the Year. Blue Moon Advisor of the Year is defined as the Advisor with the most successful qualified referrals that results in high CRR Scores, that complete the Blue Moon process and become funded. Strategic Partners of the Year are those Partners that refer the most successful companies and also source the most capital for those enterprises. Entrepreneur of the Year is the business owner that earns the highest CRR Score, completes the Blue Moon financial packaging process, becomes funded, launches and grows their enterprise most successfully. About Blue Moon Advisors Blue Moon Advisors is a business finance consulting firm that serves high net worth individuals, family offices, private equity funds and venture capitalists in support of financing early stage, growth, Nano to small-cap companies. The Company provides three primary products: (1) The Capital Readiness Report, a due diligence tool; (2) Business finance documents packaging (The Blue Moon Book); (3) The Management Virtual Portal (MVP). Blue Moon Advisors is most known for its objective and subjective software system that analysis business opportunities. The Capital Readiness Report, or CRR, is a process that has proven more than 75% effective in predicting the ultimate success of a venture during its seed, startup, and growth stages. Developed by Blue Moon Advisors during nine years of research closely tracking approximately 300 companies seeking capital, the CRR is a deliverable diligence tool for entrepreneurs and capital providers. For further questions or to schedule an interview with Tony Drexel Smith, contact: Karl Rader, Communications Director; Phone: (702) 378-7032; Email: info(at)bluemoonadvisors.com Life is my adventure. Join me as I journey across America in the spirit of unity, health, and healing. From April 1st to October 1st, 2018, I will walk 7 hours a day for 166 days, spreading the sunshine from within -Sheryl Lynn Walking with America (WWA) is Sheryl Lynns mission of walking from Key West, FL to San Francisco, CA, all while encouraging others to take their health and happiness into their own hands. Starting on April 1st, Sheryl will embark on a 6-month journey across the United States igniting participation, laughter, and fun by hosting Healthy Happy Hour (H3) events, getting communities up and out to walk with her, and engaging with youth organizations to inspire healthy lifestyles. Along her route, she will visit 26 cities, decked out in yellow and pushing her stroller Bobbie. In each city Sheryl and her partners will organize an H3 event. Whether its a few friends in a park, cafe, cookout or a walk along the highway; H3 offers space and time to enjoy being together, create a small community, unplug, and walk together. As a cornerstone of the WWA campaign, the numerous benefits of walking have been well-researched and documented by numerous doctors and health professionals. Heidi Simon, Partnerships & Communications Director at AmericaWalks.org, explains these benefits, saying: Walking improves individual health and wellness, strengthens economies, and provides opportunities to access school, work, and play. It's also a great way to connect with friends and families, explore your community, and have fun while staying physically active. Physical benefits include increased circulation, lower cholesterol, sharper mental alertness, and improved mood, while social and economic benefits of choosing to walk more can include positive social connections with those around you, and even safer, more cost-efficient neighborhoods. At its core, WWA is about creating healthier, happier individuals through personal accountability, empowerment, and community. Sheryls feel-good community of walkers offers a message of support and a call to action, unlocking happiness and health one step at a time--and even better, sharing it with those around you. Life is my adventure. Join me as I journey across America in the spirit of unity, health, and healing. From April 1st to October 1st, 2018, I will walk 7 hours a day for 166 days, spreading the sunshine from within, says Sheryl Lynn. To keep up with the Walking with America journey, visit http://www.walkingwithamerica.com and follow us on social media. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkingwithamerica Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkingwithamerica LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryllynn/ For a peek at the destination cities for the Walking With America tour, please view the list below. Key West, FL - Sun, April 1st Miami, FL - Sun, April 8th Parkland, FL - Tues, April 10th West Palm Beach, FL - Thurs, April 12th Jacksonville, FL - Wed, April 25th Macon, GA - Sun, May 6th Atlanta, GA - Thurs, May 10th Chattanooga, TN - Tues, May 15th Nashville, TN - Mon, May 21st St. Louis, MO - Tues, June 5th Springfield, MO - Sat, June 16th Kansas City, MO - Sat, June 23rd Topeka, KS - Tues, June 26th Denver, CO - Wed, July 18th Vail, CO - Wed, July 25th Glenwood Springs, CO - Sat, July 28th Grand Junction, CO - Thurs, Aug 2nd St. George, UT - Wed, Aug 22nd Littlefield, AZ - Fri, Aug 24th Las Vegas, NV - Tues, Aug 28th Bishop, CA - Mon, Sept 10th South Lake Tahoe, CA - Thurs, Sept 20th Placerville, CA - Sat, Sept 22nd Sacramento, CA - Mon, Sept 24th Sonoma, CA - Thurs, Sept 27th Sausalito, CA - Sat, Sept 29th San Francisco, CA - Mon, Oct 1st Sheryl Lynn is available for interviews upon request. Butcher Block Steaks "We knew that spectacular steak cuts could be found right here in Texas." Dean Fearing SUMMARY --Fearings announces a new addition to its best-selling Bold Flavors/No Borders menu --Per Chef Dean Fearing, Weve wanted to add a steak menu foreverbut weve never wanted to be locked into sourcing from big out-of-state feed lots. We knew that spectacular steak cuts could be found at A Bar N Ranch, right here in Texas. --The result is a new Butcher Block Menu of Texas Wagyu/Texas Angus steaks, grilled over live-fire mesquite and offering unparalleled flavor, richness and marbling. Steak-lovers sides and salads are also available. --The new offering is among seven different menus now available at Fearings. Permanent options include the regular Bold Flavors/No Borders Dinner and Lunch menus, plus Butcher Block, Vegetarian, Simply Prepared, Sunday Brunch and Rattlesnake Bar menus. After two years of sourcing the best Texas steaks available a collection of cuts strictly from Texas, Fearings has introduced the ultimate addition for lovers of steak and salad, and steak and great sides. Now offered as a supplement to its regular menus, the restaurants new Butcher Block Menu was quietly introduced a few weeks, ago, so that guest preferences for cuts and sides could be tracked and measured. The final favorites have become a permanent addition to the restaurants regular Bold Flavors/No Borders cuisine and will provide Fearings diners with new access to the world of ultra-premium Texas steaks. Weve wanted to add a steak menu forever, honestly, because so many business travelers and local diners love a great steak with a salad or sides. But weve never wanted to be locked into sourcing from big out-of-state feed lots, when we knew that spectacular steak cuts could be found right here in Texas, said Dean Fearing, chef/owner. All three of the new Butcher Block Menu steaks come from longtime Fearings partner A Bar N Ranch, which is headquartered in in Sherman, Texas and operates ranches in both Sherman and Celina. A Bar N is known for its buttery, richly marbled Texas Wagyu beef, genetically derived and grown from Japans prized Tajima line of cattle. A Bar N cattle are cross-raised with the ultimate combination of Texas Wagyu and Texas Angus genetics, building even further flavor into the three new steaks now available at Fearings: Wagyu Ribeye, Prime Strip Loin, and Prime-Plus Petit Filet Mignon. Theres more to the flavor story, though. As Fearing explains, Our new A Bar N Butcher Block selections are grilled over live-fire mesquite, rather than being broiled. Using mesquite is how steaks used to be prepared, and were going back to this authentic Texas method to really capture the amazing taste of this meat. Researching premium Texas ranches was a multi-year priority for Chef Fearing as he built the test menu, becoming the first customer of A Bar N Ranch four years ago. The final version features the most popular selection which was tested: A Bar N filet mignon. In a further nod to local heritage, one of the menus four optional sauces is a sweetly savory West Texas Mop, while salad options feature Marfa, Texas tomatoes in the menus Gem Wedge, and a Southwestern Caesar showcasing local red chili dressing. Im incredibly excited about this added menu, said Fearing. With the addition of Butcher Block, there really is something for everyone at the restaurant, from the regular Bold Flavors/No Borders Fearings menu to our recently introduced Vegetarian menu, our existing Simply Prepared basics that can be ordered individually, and a Sunday Brunch menu that offers the best-priced Whole Enchilada in town. Add to this our new Rattlesnake Bar food menu and creative cocktails which are so popular at Happy Hour, and we are incredibly excited about what our restaurant future holds. About Fearings Restaurant Fearings has been named North Americas #1 hotel restaurant by Zagat Survey, one of the worlds top ten restaurants by Hotels Magazine, new restaurant of the year by Esquire and one of the nations top 100 restaurants by the users of OpenTable.com. Presenting award-winning Bold Flavors, No Borders cuisine and more in seven distinct dining settings including the popular Rattlesnake Bar and Deans Kitchen, Fearings Restaurant is the creation of beloved Texas chef Dean Fearing, author of The Texas Food Bible, one of the fathers of Texas regional cuisine and a founding member of popular all-chefs band, the Barbwires, and of the Dallas-based Lost Coyote Band. Also home to one of the citys most popular Happy Hours and an equally well-attended Sunday Brunch, Fearings recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, unveiled acclaimed Vegetarian and Simply Prepared menus, and launched a new slate of highly visual cocktails that innovate, entertain and tell a story. For further details, visit the website at http://www.fearingsrestaurant.com or connect online at https://twitter.com/fearingsdallas, https://www.instagram.com/fearingsdallas or https://www.facebook.com/FearingsRestaurant. #fearingsdallas #deanfearing #fearingsrestaurant Today, Offerwise has announced the launch of the Offerwise Owls Hispanic Scholarship Program focused on supporting Hispanic students in pursuing their college education goals. Offerwise is a research and sampling firm specializing in the U.S. Hispanic and Latin America markets. Since 2011, nearly 2.8 million Hispanics have joined Offerwises QueOpinas.com survey community to share their opinions with corporations nationwide. During this time, it has paid over $1.2 million in cash to survey takers to reward them for helping influence the products and services of tomorrow. CEO, Andrew Lissak, stated In appreciation of helping us grow the largest Hispanic research panel in our industry, we are giving back to the community by launching the Offerwise Owls Hispanic Scholarship Program. I look forward to congratulating the 4 lucky high school students who will become our first Offerwise Owls and awarding them their scholarships to further their education. In 2018, four Hispanic scholarship recipients will receive $2,500 to contribute toward tuition or school fees at an accredited institution. To qualify, students must be a high school senior, be at least one quarter Hispanic/Latino and be an undergraduate student in the fall of 2018. Applications will be accepted through April 5, 2018. Students can apply at http://www.offerwiseowls.com/ About Offerwise: Founded in 2001, Offerwise is a research and sampling firm specializing in the U.S. Hispanic and Latin America markets. It's home to the largest and most representative online US Hispanic panel and fastest growing Latin American panel in the industry. Its proprietary in-house recruitment method ensures the quality its clients demand. Sharon Kleyne, creator of Water Life Science and the founder and research director of Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science in Grants Pass, Oregon, is lobbying for a series of new international initiatives aimed at better understanding and solving the global crisis of over-evaporation of body water and earths water vapor in the atmosphere. Kleyne, also the host of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water, Global Climate Change and Your Health sponsored by Natures Tears EyeMist on VoiceAmerica, teaches that earth faces an ever-worsening water-and-dryness crisis that threatens all forms of life. Fresh water on the planet is diminishing, Kleyne said, as the result of excessive water evaporation. This evaporation process damages human health as a result of dehydration. As eyes and skin dry out, people suffer dry eye disease, cataracts, glaucoma, melanoma, allergies, rashes and many other afflictions. Kleyne contends that apathy about education is largely to blame for the worlds water crisis. Kleyene points out that if politicians and businesses made a greater commitment to new water education and research leading to new water technology, then the crisis would be quickly diminished. Kleyne asks that grade school, middle school and high school teachers throughout the land pledge at least 3 semester hours each term to in-depth discussions of the history, present and future, of water and water vapor evaporation. Kleyne pledges Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Sciences support as well. That support may include printed reports and scientific findings covering evaporation of earths and the bodys water vapor and the need to regularly supplement them with tissue culture grade pure water. Kleyne also said that staff and Bio-Logic Aqua Research Water Life Science colleaguesresearchers and scientistswould be available to make personal appearances at schools to mentor and talk about water technology and water research with faculty and students. For those who might persist in maintaining an apathetic attitude, Kleyne cites one chilling statistic. If one needs more convincing to become better educated about water, says Kleyne, I ask one to consider this: in the past twenty years, diarrhea caused by unsanitary water has killed more children than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II. Take a moment to digest that fact. Kleyne believes that two things must happen to turn our global water and dryness crisis around. First, she says, we must develop new water technology to reduce the amount of fresh groundwater that runs out to sea. This immense quantity of water would be put to better use as drinking water and irrigation water. Second, Kleyne continues, we must create international, national and regional water plans that suggest and monitor pricing and offer beneficial water use and availability for everyone. Kleyne, whose research in water vapor evaporation and supplementation of the bodys water vapor is globally respected and admired by physicians, scientists, teachers and researchers, believes that the children of the world can and will save us from a terrifying water disaster of epic proportions. We are water, Kleyne says. Each of us is a walking, breathing sponge. We cannot live without water; without the water vapor in the air, the breath of life. Without drinking water, humanity will not survive. Follow the children, Kleyne says. Children are so curious and enthusiastic, especially when someone takes the time to mentor them. Lets give children a chance, with better education, to lead us to new water policies and water sanity. This webinar breaks down U.S. patent laws into the nuts and bolts and discusses the types of inventions that can receive protection, as well as the extent of U.S. patent protection. Intellectual property (IP) laws in the US have undergone fundamental changes over the past several years. For example, in 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) overhauled the American patent system in a way that had not been accomplished since 1952. Moreover, the Supreme Court decided several cases that, among other things, created a tougher environment for inventors/patent applicants and expanded the scope of trademark protection to marks that were likely to be previously rejected. In 2016, The Defend Trade Secrets Act created new federal laws that allow an owner of a trade secret to sue in federal court when its trade secrets have been misappropriated. And new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, have scholars and legislators rethinking the scope of copyright protection and debating additional reforms that have the potential for even more change. In an increasingly competitive commercial environment, entrepreneurs and managers must understand how these changes to our patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright laws may potentially impact US businesses. The Financial Poise INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY- 101 webinar series seeks to both educate you on current laws and prepare you to take full advantage of the changes that lie ahead. Please join some of the leading attorneys in the World, as they discussin plain English for the non-expertthe basics of U.S. IP laws and the changing landscape as it affects US businesses. The second episode of the series is "Nuts & Bolts of Patents," and airs on March 14th at 2:00 PM CST (Register Here). The series features Host Cory Spence of Spence P.C. He is joined by Jeffrey M. Drake of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C., Eugene Goryunov of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Kal Shah of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, and David P. Swenson of Larkin Hoffman, to discuss U.S. patent laws. Thomas Edison. Henry Ford. Steve Jobs. These three household names revolutionized modern society through the protections afforded to their intellectual property by U.S. patent laws. This webinar breaks down U.S. patent laws into the nuts and bolts. It discusses the types of inventions that can receive protection, as well as the extent of U.S. patent protection. The INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY-101 Series is produced by Financial Poise. Future episodes in the series include Nuts & Bolts of Copyrights airing on April 11th, Nuts & Bolts of Trademarks, airing on May 16th, and "Leveraging & Protecting Trade Secrets in the 21st Century," airing on June 13th. Each episode airs at 2:00 PM CST. All episodes will be available live through West LegalEdCenter and then on-demand following the live premiere. As with every Financial Poise Webinar, each episode is delivered in Plain English understandable to investors, business owners, and executives without much background in these areas, yet is also valuable to attorneys, accountants, and other seasoned professionals. And, as with every Financial Poise Webinar, each episode brings you into engaging, sometimes humorous, conversations designed to entertain as it teaches. Each episode in the series is designed to be viewed independently of the other episodes, so that participants will enhance their knowledge of this area whether they attend one, some, or all episodes. About Financial Poise Financial Poise has one mission: to provide reliable plain English business, financial and legal education to investors, private business owners and executives, and their respective trusted advisors. Financial Poise content is created by seasoned, respected experts who are invited to join our Faculty only after being recommended by current Faculty Members. Our editorial staff then works to make sure that all content is easily digestible. Financial Poise is a meritocracy; nobody can buy her way onto the Financial Poise Faculty. Start learning today at https://www.financialpoise.com/ Just as schools allow students to bring and wear hats and gloves on the playground to protect against the cold, all schools should allow sunscreen to protect students from the sun." The Indiana Academy of Dermatology (IAD), with a grant from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA), helped successfully pass legislation to ensure students are protected from the dangers of UV rays while at school. Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill, making Indiana the first state in 2018 to help better protect children through access to sunscreen at school. The legislation known as SUNucate was introduced by Senator Liz Brown and is designed to eliminate barriers that prohibit students from possessing and using over-the-counter sunscreen in school. Sunscreen often falls under broad reaching medication bans that require a physicians note or prescription to utilize in school. Just as schools allow students to bring and wear hats and gloves on the playground to protect against the cold, all schools should allow sunscreen to protect students from the sun, said IAD President and ASADA member Carrie Davis, MD. Sun-safe practices are a public health concern, and SUNucate encourages the use of sunscreen for Hoosier students to generate lasting sun-safe practices. The need for such legislation arose after concerns were raised by dermatologists and reports in the national media about students being required to bring a note or prescription from a physician in order to possess or use sunscreen, which is classified as an over-the-counter drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Force both believe that children should have access to sunscreen and other sun-protective measures in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Instilling sun-safe behaviors in children is key in reducing the risk of skin cancer, said ASDSA President Lisa Donofrio, MD. By allowing students to have sunscreen in school, Indiana is working to mitigate the risks of sun exposure during outdoor activities, such as recess and field days. ASDSA developed the model legislation, and IAD worked with multiple groups in Indiana such as the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, the Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Indiana State Medical Association to pass this important law. To learn more about SUNucate, visit asdsa.asds.net/SUNucate. # # # About ASDSA With a membership of 6,400+ physicians, ASDSA is a 501(c) (6) association, dedicated to advocacy on behalf of dermatologic surgeons and their patients. For more information, visit http://asdsa.asds.net. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ASDSAdvocacy Become a Facebook fan: facebook.com/ASDSAdvocacy Grace Bay Beach, located on the Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales, has just been named the Worlds best beach by TripAdvisors 2018 Travelers Choice Awards. Grace Bay Beach, located on the Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales, has just been named the Worlds best beach by TripAdvisors 2018 Travelers Choice Awards. This announcement came as no surprise to Blair MacPherson, broker and co-owner of RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks & Caicos Islands. With crystal clear turquoise waters, powdery white sand beaches, and shimmering coral reefs just offshore, weve long known that Grace Bay is a world class beach. But its also great to be recognized as such in the media, says MacPherson, who has lived and worked in Turks and Caicos for over 15 years. This isnt the first time Grace Bay Beach has been designated by TripAdvisor as the worlds best beach- it was first recognized in 2016. In 2013, TripAdvisor even named Grace Bay as the number one beach in the Caribbean and the number two beach in the world. Grace Bay Beach has received many other accolades as well. For 2017, CNN put Grace Bay Beach in the #3 spot in its list of top 100 beaches in the world. In 2012, About.com awarded Grace Bay Beach first place status for worldwide beaches in its Readers Choice Awards. And as far back as 2005, the World Travel Award (the international travel industrys recognition program) proclaimed Grace Bay as the Worlds Best Beach. Grace Bay Beach is surrounded by the third largest barrier reef in the world, and the natural environment there remains virtually untouched, MacPherson says. It is truly an idyllic settingfor a vacation destination, or to live in year-round if you are fortunate enough to be able to do so. With the word out about Grace Bay Beach, MacPherson expects the number of visitors to increase in the area in the years ahead, as well as more demand for vacation housing and continuing opportunities for real estate investment. He encourages anyone interested in Turks and Caicos real estate to contact him. MacPherson can be reached by phone at 1-800-941-0465 or 1-649-432-5677, or by email at blair@blairmacpherson.com. RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks & Caicos Islands specializes in luxury Turks and Caicos real estate sales, and is a member of the Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association (TCREA). BeneCard PBF, a purely transparent PBM, has achieved another year of outperforming industry trend numbers. While prescription drug costs continue to rise at a rate of 30 to 40% higher than medical rates, primarily due to specialty drugs, BeneCard PBFs clinically focused, ethical and purely transparent approach to pharmacy benefits management continues to reduce costs for plan sponsors. A 2017 trend of 0.83% further validates the business model that BeneCard PBF has pioneered in the PBM space. BeneCard PBF historically delivers industry-leading trend. In 2016, BeneCard PBFs prescription drug trend was just 1.05%, including specialty pharmacy. Meanwhile, according to Segal Consultings Rx Trend Report, the industry experienced an annual average increase of 8.1%. Similarly in 2015, BeneCard PBF maintained lower drug spending with a trend of only 5.51% while the industry was hit with an 11.1% rise. Not only is this national PBM outperforming the industry, but the margins in plan sponsor savings are widening. BeneCard PBFs approach centers on proactive, innovative clinical protocols and 24/7/365 customer care. These measures help contain costs, reduce trend and improve member health outcomes. To support BeneCard PBFs self-reported outcomes, Vydahl LLC was engaged to provide third-party validation of the companys clinical savings outcomes. Their analysis confirms that BeneCard PBF has outperformed other PBMs in the market. Click here to view Vydahls assessment. Our trend numbers are consistently below the industry average. We are particularly pleased that weve been able to contain prescription costs while continuing to effectively improve health outcomes and eliminate dangerous and inappropriate care, reports Michael Perry, BeneCard PBF President. I credit our proactive clinical focus throughout the company, as well as our U.S. based, high-touch service that is available around-the-clock, for driving these significant savings. About BeneCard PBF Through proactive clinical programs, including pharmacogenetics and functional medicine, BeneCard PBF enhances patient outcomes while lowering prescription drug costs. With offices in Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, BeneCard PBF administers fixed-rate and self-funded prescription benefit programs. The company offers innovative solutions to control costs while providing the highest quality service available in prescription benefit management. For more information, please visit benecardpbf.com. Top Temecula Dentistry Practice Its very important to me that we give back to the community that supports us. Everyones health should be a priority but sometimes, financial restraints make it difficult. So were stepping in to ensure that our neighbors are taken care of. Dr. Guy Nash, Dr. Jeremy Sewell, and the team at Nash Dental Care are proud to announce the return of their Free Dental Care Day. On March 18th, from 9 AM until 4 PM, the dentists, hygienists, and staff will lend their expertise and compassion to the downtrodden and less fortunate of Temecula and the surrounding areas. This event has become an annual tradition this California community eagerly awaits! This year, registration for Free Dental Care Day will take place on-site, the day of the event. If prior years are any indication of how the event this year will proceed, lines will be long, so coming early is recommended. Treatment is restricted to either one cleaning, one extraction, or one filling. If patients are wanting more than one procedure, they must get back in line following the conclusion of their first treatment. All patients must be at least 18 years of age. The doctors overseeing the procedures on Sunday will be Dr. Guy Nash, Dr. Jeremy Sewell, and Dr. Jose Garcia. Individuals who do not have dental insurance or have fallen on hard times can have work done that otherwise would likely have been neglected. Its very important to me that we give back to the community that supports us. Everyones health should be a priority but sometimes, financial restraints make it difficult. So were stepping in to ensure that our neighbors are taken care of, Dr. Nash said. This day is just as rewarding for us as it is for patients. Its a pleasure to be able to do this, Dr. Sewell said. For questions regarding Free Dental Care Day with Nash Dental Care, please call (951) 699-0700 or visit nashdentalcare.com to find out more about the practice. About Nash Dental Care: Nash Dental Care is a full-service dentistry practice located in Temecula, California that houses Dr. Jeremy Sewell and Dr. Guy Nash, the leading cosmetic dentist in the valley. Nash Dental Cares philosophy is that preventative dental care is essential for a lifetime of healthy teeth and disease prevention. Their specialties include: cosmetic dentistry, family dentistry, crowns, dentures, dental implants, Invisalign, the Pinhole Surgical Technique, porcelain veneers, Six Month Smile, root canals, and sedation dentistry for apprehensive patients. They also offer several financing options, including their Quality Dental Plan which offers free exams, free teeth cleanings, free teeth whitening, free x-rays, and discounts on all dental procedures for one low, annual fee. GOvation mobile travel app Ovation will be sponsoring the event Expo at Booth #212 and demoing the proprietary GOvation mobile app. Ovation Corporate Travel will once again be sponsoring the SAP Concur Fusion annual conference. Ovation will be attending and sponsoring a booth at the upcoming SAP Concur Fusion annual conference at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. The event brings together SAP Concur Travel and Expense clients, partners and staff in order to connect and collaborate. Ovation will be sponsoring the event Expo at Booth #212 and demoing the proprietary GOvation mobile app throughout the Expo. GOvation is part of Ovations integrated technology suite, OTECH, offering the best in class products to meet the needs of travelers, travel arrangers and travel managers. With GOvation, travelers access the following features: Itineraries and invoices Click to contact their Ovation travel consultant Book a trip Real-time flight notifications Mobile check-in Boarding notifications Calendar sync and share trips Travel policy guidelines Customized client content Weather forecasts, currency converter, destination advice, directions, traffic delays and more Ovation will also be giving away an Amazon Echo Show during the event. To learn more about SAP Concur Fusion, visit https://fusion.concur.com/. About Ovation Corporate Travel Ovation Corporate Travel is an independently owned, $1.1 billion travel management company with experienced travel consultants in more than 30 locations throughout the United States. Ovation is proud to provide global travel management through our affiliation with BCD Travel, the 4th largest travel management firm in the world. Our network operates in 100+ countries, ensuring in-country local service excellence for multinational corporate clients. Ovation's mission is to provide outstanding service, significant cost savings and comprehensive, convenient travel solutions to professional travel managers, administrators and business travelers. SAP Concur Preferred Partner Logo.jpgOvation is recognized as one of only 20+ preferred partners by SAP Concur. Being a preferred partner demonstrates our unique partnership with SAP Concur and provides our clients with front line access to SAP Concurs enhanced service offerings and unveiled technological products. Photo Credit: Marcus Kauffman / Oregon Dept. of Forestry If we're talking about wood in building construction, we should be talking about forestry, and we are. The world continues to urbanize and cities are building up, not out. And as those taller buildings rise, designers are looking at wood again rather than automatically choosing concrete and steel. City planners, architects, builders, and forestry experts can credit climate change, carbon footprint considerations, and a host of new mass timber products for rearranging the deck chairs in the construction world. As the International Mass Timber Conference rolls into the Portland Convention Center, March 2022, for its third annual event, the ambitious agenda examines the new face of mass timber construction, offering attendees unparalleled knowledge and networking opportunities. The conference is co-produced by Forest Business Network in cooperation with the wood design experts at WoodWorksWood Products Council. Sessions covering safety and durability, new manufacturing technologies, and design aspects will be offered, as well as presentations on actual projects. Embedded in many of the discussions is the ongoing topic of responsibly sourcing wood within the broader context of forest health. If we're talking about wood in building construction, we should be talking about forestry, and we are," said Craig Rawlings, CEO of Forest Business Network. With 19 countries represented and nearly 1,000 attendees registered so far, the conference features an exhibition hall with over 60 international companies and a presentation lineup of over 70 experts, some from countries with a longer history of using mass timber products in urban construction. The speakers lineup includes technical experts versed in construction techniques, manufacturing methods, adhesive advancements, the safety aspects of cross laminated timber (CLT), and numerous other perspectives on engineered wood products. CLT is really a beautiful material," said conference panelist Mike Bradley, a building contractor from Spokane, Washington. I love wood, its patterns and its knots. Its natural, its warm and its just better than drywall. As a builder, I like the economy of it too. Experienced in commercial construction and CLT building techniques, Bradley notes that CLT buildings go up faster than stick-built structures, require less engineering than concrete and steel, and often feature longer life spans than traditional construction methods. Such advantages are especially appealing for low-income housing, school buildings, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings. The five-story commercial building is the real sweet spot for CLT, Bradley added. The Spokane builder will do a wrap-up panel focused on mass timber messaging and engagement along with several mass timber stakeholders, including Nicole Miller, managing director of the Biomimicry Institute and Mark Wishnie, director of forestry and wood products at The Nature Conservancy. The final conference panel also features another CLT expert, Thomas Robinson, a noted Portland-based architect, who won the USDAs award for the Tall Wood Building Competition with his firm's design of the Framework building. The 12-story wooden building, soon to be built in Portlands trendy Pearl District, features CLT and other engineered wood as key components. The new Pearl office building, not far from the conference venue, illustrates well an environmental advantage that is turning more builders, designers and planners on to engineered wood. According to the Journal of Sustainable Forestry, substituting wood for other materials used in buildings could prevent 14 to 31 percent of global carbon emissions if wood is sourced responsibly and forests are replanted. Given the glut of small diameter trees choking many western forests and the ever increasing risk of wildfires, the idea of turning so-called waste wood into strong-as-steel building materials seems to be gaining traction. Event sponsors include Katerra, the Premier Sponsor, and Hexion, the Gold Sponsor. Other major sponsors are D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations, Think Wood, Freres Lumber Co. Mass Plywood Panels, Seagate Structures USA, SmartLam, Sansin, Sterling, TallWood Design Institute, Stiles Machinery, and Oregon Forest Resources Institute. See the International Mass Timber Conference website for an agenda, a list of speakers and attendees, and registration details. About Forest Business Network (FBN) FBN is a top-tier consultancy, event marketer, and news and information source in the forest products sector. The FBN website is a go-to news resource for industry professionals. FBNs president and CEO, Craig Rawlings, is a nationally recognized expert in under-utilized timber and biomass. About WoodWorksWood Products Council WoodWorks provides free one-on-one project assistance as well as education and resources related to the code-compliant design of non-residential and multi-family wood buildings. WoodWorks technical experts offer support from design through construction on a wide range of building types, including mid-rise/multi-residential, educational, commercial, corporate, institutional and public. Queens Divorce and Family Law Attorney Bruce Feinstein, Esq. Properly handling a divorce while children are young and adaptable is better than waiting until children grow up and leave home to get a divorce. Deciding to file for divorce is never easy, and it can be especially devastating on families with children. Managing divorce with children can be tricky, but recent studies in psychology emphasize that waiting for the kids sake is one of the worst things unhappy married couples can do for their childrens mental wellbeing. Bruce Feinstein, Esq., an experience family law attorney recently took a look at when parents should and shouldnt file for divorce and the impacts the decision will have on the family as a whole. Mr. Feinstein largely discusses the myth that waiting for the childrens sake is the right decision when it comes to when to file for a divorce as a parent. Citing college counselors and the law offices experiences with families with college students, Mr. Feinstein expresses his concern for the detrimental effect waiting until children leave the nest to file for divorce. Freshmen college students who are just leaving home for the first time rely on at-home stability more in their first year of college than they do throughout most of their early teenage years, explains Mr. Feinstein. Because theyre already dealing with the increased worries and stresses of adulthood, adding on the worry and stress of managing their parents divorce can be overwhelming for new college students. Another key issue with waiting to file for divorce, Mr. Feinstein argues, is that parents who stay married despite an unhappy marriage tend to foster tension and conflicts in their home, often placing the children right in the middle of the stress, and as a result, they grow up with no stability. On the other hand, parents could provide separate, happy homes by properly managing the divorce when children are young and having frank and open conversations with them about the changes theyre experiencing. Properly handling a divorce while children are young and adaptable is better than waiting until children grow up and leave home to get a divorce, Mr. Feinstein explains; managing to provide one (or two) stable homes is far more beneficial to a childs wellbeing than living in the constant stress of one unhappy, shared home. For parents with children, choosing when to get divorced is never an easy decision, but it comes down to realizing whats best for the wellbeing of both spouses and their children, even if it means having to adjust to the changes of marriage at a young age. If both spouses have tried their best to save the marriage but have determined that the marriage is unsalvageable, its better to deal with it when it arises than delay the inevitable and unintentionally cause more harm to children entering their first year of college. The Law Offices of Bruce Feinstein has nearly two decades of experience in divorce and family law, helping clients and families resolve their issues and move forward with their lives. If youre thinking of getting married or divorced and want more information, visit feinsteindivorcelaw.com or call (718) 475 -6039 to reach the New York office. Janet Louie, proprietor and master practitioner at Golden Phoenix Feng Shui in San Francisco, CA, has announced that her firm will offer workshops in beginning level Feng Shui and other Chinese metaphysical disciplines in Burlingame, CA. This will be ongoing every two months for 2018. Check the Golden Phoenix website (http://www.goldenphoenix-fengshui.com) for specific dates, time, and fee information, along with detailed course descriptions. The new course offerings are part of a broader outreach by Mrs. Louie to a local and national audience of people interested in enriching their lives through the ancient wisdom of Chinese Astrology and Metaphysics. As part of this outreach, Mrs. Louie recently appeared on San Francisco public radio station KALW to discuss the Chinese Astrology for the New Year of the Dog. She was also a guest speaker at the well- attended Grow Rich with BaZi live conference held in Singapore in 2017. These appearances are in harmony with the numerous lectures and classes that shes presented across the Bay Area in recent years. Janet Louie is an expert in several Chinese Metaphysical disciplines. With her extensive knowledge in Classical Feng Shui, she has helped many clients with their problems. Classical Feng Shui seeks to maximize a persons health, success, and personal happiness through the careful evaluation of landform and environmental features surrounding a home or business property. She is also a practitioner and teacher of Ze Ri, a method of date prediction that determines the optimum date for an event, undertaking or procedure; BaZi, a system of astrology that unveils a persons destiny code based on the year, month, day, and time of birth; and BaZhai (8 mansions) a simple, popular system of Feng Shui used in Asia. She further consults on health and safety for home and business with respect to environmental factors such as electromagnetic field exposure, and is available for private one-on-one consultations with individuals and companies. Golden Phoenix Feng Shui is a licensed reseller of online training programs produced by Joey Yap, a world-renowned expert in Feng Shui and Chinese metaphysics. Mr. Yap has brought success to countless people from all walks of life, ranging from prominent world figures to business leaders. He is the bestselling author of over 162 books in the field and is a recognized Master of Classical Feng Shui and Chinese astrology. Mr. Yaps intensive home study courses, available online, enable the student to understand and apply these complex disciplines through a results-oriented, real-world approach. Details about the Joey Yap online training programs can be found at the Golden Phoenix website resource page: http://www.goldenphoenix-fengshui.com/resources. Here the visitor will see a full listing of online home study courses, including such popular titles as Real Feng Shui, Grow Rich with Bazi, and Feng Shui Excursion. All courses can be purchased directly through the Golden Phoenix Feng Shui website. Mrs. Louie is the editor of The Firebird, a free monthly newsletter on Chinese Metaphysics. In addition to news and reviews, readers of The Firebird can find out more about courses offered by Mrs. Louie or Joey Yap. Subscription sign-up is available on the Golden Phoenix Feng Shui website. For Janet Louie, the timing is ideal to take her services to a wider audience. Im really dedicating myself to bringing these disciplines to the general public because we live in troubled times filled with doubt and worry. I know that the ancient wisdom governing Classical Feng Shui, BaZi, and other areas of Chinese Metaphysics can guide people to make the right decisions in life. It can also bring comfort, order, peace, and confidence to their lives. For thousands of years, these disciplines have helped people succeed in their lives, and my mission is to bring that success to the general public. That is why Im doing this outreach to the broader community now, said Mrs. Louie. Golden Phoenix Feng Shui can be contacted at (415) 260-3873, and via email: janet(at)goldenphoenix-fengshui(dot)com From procurement to customizable supply chain service programs and the vigorous quality resources that underlie them, Smith is geared to support customers in the Asia-Pacific market and around the world. Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces its upcoming exhibition at Electronica China 2018, a leading electronics industry gathering held yearly in Shanghai. Smith representatives will be on-hand in booth 5452 to demonstrate the procurement, supply chain support, and inventory management capabilities the company offers partners around the world and the localized service Smith delivers to those in the evolving Asian marketplace with the backing of 7 Asia-Pacific-based offices. Electronica is one of the foremost spaces for electronics industry experts to share their knowledge, said Margo Evans, Smiths Vice President of Marketing. Electronica offers a platform to network with our regional customer base and explore new ways to increase support. Electronica China provides a unique opportunity to highlight Smiths flexible solutions. From procurement to customizable supply chain service programs and the vigorous quality resources that underlie them, Smith is geared to support customers in the Asia-Pacific market and around the world, said Choon Byun, Smiths president of the companys APAC region. We look forward to showcasing this at Electronica China. WHAT: Electronica China 2018 WHEN: Wednesday, March 14, 2018 Friday, March 16, 2018 WHERE: Smith Exhibition Showcase Hall E5, Booth 5452 Shanghai New International Expo Centre China, 2345 No. 2345 Longyang Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 201204, China About Smith Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 16 cities around the world, from Silicon Valley to Seoul, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 different languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, with global annual sales in excess of $1 billion. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. With testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam, Smiths processes focus on critical issues, from quality management to counterfeit prevention and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time inventory and logistics visibility anywhere in the world. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number 11 among all global distributors. Smiths Intelligent Distribution model adapts to ever-changing demands by providing reliable global electronics sourcing and logistics, regardless of distribution channel or locale. For more information, please visit https://www.smithweb.com, or, to reach a Smith representative 24 hours a day, please call +1 713.430.3000. ### For more information, contact: Margo Evans Smith, VP of Marketing +1 713.430.3966 mevans(at)nfsmith(dot)com Much of Beijings international business and tech advancement is centralized in this district, so were excited to explore the potential for supporting new market segments and customers. Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces the relocation of its Beijing sales office. The new location will provide Smith a base of operations and room for expansion in one of Beijings major business and tech centers. The new office is located in Chaoyang District, an area whose proximity to the local airport has helped it become one of the major business centers of Beijing, leading to a strong presence of multinational companies and local, China-headquartered companies alike. Beijing itself is a hotbed for emerging tech and artificial intelligence in China, hosting a majority of the countrys AI research facilities and a high population of artificial intelligence enterprises. Much of Beijings international business and tech advancement is centralized in this district, so were excited to explore the potential for supporting new market segments and customers, said Edan Eun, General Manager of the Beijing office. This location will also help us to better support our existing local customers and will definitely give Smith more room for future growth. The new office is located at: Floor 6 C, Tower A, Gateway Plaza, No. 18 Xiaguangli, East 3rd Ring North Road, Chaoyang District 100096 Beijing PRC Tel: +86 10.5697.1515 About Smith Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 16 cities around the world, from Silicon Valley to Seoul, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 different languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, with global annual sales in excess of $1 billion. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. With testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam, Smiths processes focus on critical issues, from quality management to counterfeit prevention and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time inventory and logistics visibility anywhere in the world. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number 11 among all global distributors. Smiths Intelligent Distribution model adapts to ever-changing demands by providing reliable global electronics sourcing and logistics, regardless of distribution channel or locale. For more information, please visit https://www.smithweb.com, or, to reach a Smith representative 24 hours a day, please call +1 713.430.3000. ### For more information, contact: Margo Evans Smith, VP of Marketing +1 713.430.3966 mevans(at)nfsmith(dot)com Johnson Family Dental in Newbury Park It was a natural fit for Johnson Family Dental to expand our services in this community. We see big opportunity to fill a gap in available general and specialty dental care in Newbury Park and look forward to making it easier for area residents to get the care they need Smile Brands Inc. together with its affiliate Johnson Family Dental announced today the acquisition of Newbury Park Dental Studio at 1620 Newbury Road, in Newbury Park, CA. Johnson Family Dental provides comprehensive general and specialty dental care plus orthodontics at locations throughout Central California. The rapidly growing group has six convenient locations serving residents of Santa Barbara, Solvang, Ventura, Camarillo, Port Hueneme and now Newbury Park. Founded in 1963, Dr. Steven Johnson purchased the practice in 2001 and has expanded locations and services to meet the needs of the communities they serve. The population of Newbury Park has grown by nearly 25% over the past 15 years and access to convenient, high quality dental care has not kept pace, notes Dr. Steve Johnson. It was a natural fit for Johnson Family Dental to expand our services in this community. We see big opportunity to fill a gap in available general and specialty dental care in Newbury Park and look forward to making it easier for area residents to get the care they need. Dr. Bang Phan will remain with the practice and will be joined by Dr. Mondana Arami who has recently sold her practice in Northern California to move to the area. Both Dr. Arami and Dr. Phan are top rated dentists who bring years of experience to this office. The practice will be rebranded Johnson Family Dental, and area residents will enjoy expanded weekday and flexible financing options that will make it easier for local patients to get the care they need. Smile Brands launched their partnership with Johnson Family Dental in June, 2017 to provide business support services; including, purchasing, payroll, billing, real estate, marketing and more. By partnering with Smile Brands, affiliated groups can accelerate their growth through add-on acquisitions, new locations and by leveraging the combined scale and operational expertise of Smile Brands and their supported groups. Steve Bilt, CEO of Smile Brands, stated, Were excited to be helping Johnson Family Dental expand to meet the needs of the community. Their team reflects everything we look for in a partner; commitment to clinical quality, entrepreneurial spirit and a great patient-focused culture. About Johnson Family Dental Johnson Family Dental is a rapidly growing group dental practice based in Santa Barbara, California. Since 1963, Johnson Family Dental has been delivering quality care to Central California residents. With six convenient locations, Johnson Family Dental provides comprehensive general, specialty and orthodontic care in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Solvang, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, and Newbury Park. Driven by their belief that a smile can change your life, the Johnson Family Dental team is committed to delivering gentle and compassionate care at an excellent value. Johnson Family Dental relies on Smile Brands to provide world-class business support services so they can focus on delivering highly personalized patient care. Learn more at johnsonfamilydental.com. About Smile Brands Based in Irvine California, Smile Brands Inc. is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. Smile Brands Inc. provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long term agreements with affiliate dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands supports 350+ Bright Now! Dental, Monarch Dental, Castle Dental, A+ Dental Care, OneSmile Dental, and Johnson Family Dental offices in 15 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors (Gryphon), a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit http://www.smilebrands.com. GetDismissed.com, Californias traffic ticket experts, have just released their new book titled GetDismissed: The Sequel. Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Drive In California Again," to rave reviews. The book is a follow-up to their successful 2015 release GetDismissed: No Brainwork Required, Its That Simple." The authors of the original GetDismissed book, Steven F. Miller and Alexis C. Vega, are back at it again, updating their original book to include new trade secrets, the best roadmap of options on how to fight a traffic ticket, and a whole lot more. The authors accomplish this by breaking down the California traffic ticket system in simple terms. All the information about this process and system are fully disclosed in detail in their new book. Theyve even updated their popular California traffic ticket fighting web and mobile application to accompany the book. Immediately after being released, "GetDismissed: The Sequel" garnered critical acclaim and earned the Best of Los Angeles Award for "Best Traffic Ticket Book -- 2018." "GetDismissed got 4 different tickets of mine cleared, from no seat belt to speeding, they have your documents ready quick and are just a phone call away. I even referred a friend and got their ticket dismissed." Randy Rangel - Los Angeles, CA "I had never gotten a traffic ticket so the whole process seemed overwhelming. I purchased 'GetDismissed: The Sequel' and thought I would try my luck. I just got my ticket dismissed from court!! I would definitely recommend using their services and reading this book. It's also nice to know you can call them anytime and talk to real people! Thank you!!" Ben Seymore - Pleasanton, CA "GetDismissed: The Sequel helped me get almost $500 back for a street light camera ticket that was not justified! Thank you GetDismissed, and just in time for the holidays!" Sandy Attanasio - Los Angeles, CA The Best of Los Angeles Award community was formed three years ago and consists of over 3,800 professional members living and working in Southern California. It celebrates the best people, places and things in Los Angeles with a slogan No Ads. No B.S. Only the Best. (https://www.facebook.com/BestofLosAngelesAwards/) The mission of the community is to celebrate the best of Los Angeles, and allow its community members to connect with other members who share the highest standards of quality and integrity, said community spokeswoman Aurora DeRose. "I am honored to receive this award from the Best of Los Angeles," says Steven Miller. "I worked very hard on the book and I am happy it is delivering results for people." To learn more about "Get Dismissed: The Sequel", please visit its Amazon page or its website. Center for Autism and Related Disorders today announced it will host a series of events at this year's CalABA Annual Western Regional Conference on Behavior Analysis in Santa Clara, California. Taking place at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara and Santa Clara Convention Center, CARD will be on hand to participate in the conference as well as provide attendees with the opportunity to eat snacks, enjoy cocktails and win prizes. "The CalABA Annual Conference is always a great opportunity for those of us in the behavioral health community to get together to share findings, learn from our peers and put our heads together for our shared goal of advancing the sciences of behavior anyalsis," said Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA-D, founder and executive director of CARD. "As a thank you to those involved, we have put together an exciting set of events for our colleagues to take a break from their hard work and have some fun." The events are as follows: FRIDAY, MARCH 9 12:00pm - Purse giveaway raffle at Booth 517, Santa Clara Convention Center Must be at the booth at time of drawing to receive prize. 4:00pm - iPad giveaway raffle at Booth 517, Santa Clara Convention Center Must be at the booth at time of drawing to receive prize. 7:00-10:00pm - Red Carpet and Reinforcement Reception at Exhibit Hall BC, Santa Clara Convention Center Join us at our VIP booth and enjoy falafel, espresso and candy. SATURDAY, MARCH 10 12:00pm - Gift card giveaway raffle at Booth 517, Santa Clara Convention Center Must be at the booth at time of drawing to receive prize. 4:00pm - Purse giveaway raffle at Booth 517, Santa Clara Convention Center Must be at the booth at time of drawing to receive prize. 7:00-9:00pm - BCBA Happy Hour at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara Grand Ballroom Join us for a free open bar, hors d'oeuvres, raffle prizes (including jewelry) and our exclusive CARD shirts designed by B.F. Skinner. For more information on the CalABA Conference, visit https://calaba.org. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD, with one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls diagnosed. These 2014 figures represent a 30 percent increase since 2008. As the prevalence of ASD has increased, services for individuals with ASD have not always kept pace with demand. As a result, families affected by ASD may encounter challenges when trying to access quality treatment. The increase in autism diagnoses and the lack of resources available to families in many communities leave parents struggling to access the services that are crucial to their childs development. CARD strives to meet the growing need for services by continuously opening new centers throughout the country to provide top-quality ABA therapy across all populations. As a result of its unprecedented growth, CARD is hiring entry-level and experienced clinicians and administrative staff at many of its locations. To explore a rewarding career in the field of autism treatment, visit http://www.centerforautismjobs.com. About Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) CARD treats individuals of all ages who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at treatment centers around the globe. CARD was founded in 1990 by leading autism expert and clinical psychologist Doreen Granpeesheh, PhD, BCBA-D. CARD treats individuals with ASD using the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), which is empirically proven to be the most effective method for treating individuals with ASD and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Surgeon General. For more information, visit http://www.centerforautism.com or call (855) 345-2273. The former Grimaldis, restaurant and bar located at 123 Bay Avenue, Highlands, New Jersey, has been sold according to Barry Bielat of Bielat Santore & Company, Allenhurst, New Jersey, the broker for the sale. Prior to Hurricane Sandy, the location was the home of Grimaldis Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria; in fact, the coal-fired brick oven is one of the only items that survived Sandy. Patsy Grimaldi, the founder of Grimaldi's Pizzeria, learned to make pizza at age ten at Patsy's Pizzeria, his uncle Patsy Lancieri's restaurant in Italian Harlem in 1941. Decades later, Grimaldi decided to go into business for himself and originally planned to his own restaurant in Manhattan. However, Grimaldi believed coal-fired brick ovens produced the best pizza and new coal ovens were illegal in Manhattan. As a result, Grimaldi opened Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York in 1990. In the late 1990s, Patsy Grimaldi retired, selling the Grimaldi's name and franchise. Highlands, New Jersey was one of those franchise locations. Unfortunately, like many other businesses in the Highlands, Grimaldis never recovered after Superstorm Sandy. The building sat empty for several years. Red Bank, New Jersey real estate developer, Northeast Professional Planning, Group purchased the land, building and liquor license. The developer intends to fully remodel the facility, which includes two residential apartments on the second floor. Following extensive renovations, NPPG will lease out the 5,106 square foot restaurant and bar and the two residential apartments. Anticipated completion date is May 1, 2018. The entire Borough of Highlands has been in a rebuilding mode since Sandy. Harborside at Hudsons Ferry, the name given to the 49-unit townhouse complex by the developing company Pulte Homes of New Jersey, has delivered a facelift to the section of Highlands near the entrance to the Henry Hudson Trail. Homes in that area are currently listed between $600,000 and more than $1 million, according to Pulte. Sandy Hook Bay Marina had been completed restored including the addition of a full-service waterfront restaurant, Bay Pointe Inn. Dozens of homes are being elevated and restored, and many of the commercial buildings on Bay Avenue have also been regenerated. The Seastreak Ferry, providing direct passenger service to and from New York City, continues to bring hundreds of people into Highlands every day. Mark this writers words; within the next 12-18 months, Highlands will become the next hot spot at the Jersey Shore. About Bielat Santore & Company Bielat Santore & Company is an established commercial real estate firm. The companys expertise lies chiefly within the restaurant and hospitality industry, specializing in the sale of restaurants and other food and beverage real estate businesses. Since 1978, the principals of Bielat Santore & Company, Barry Bielat and Richard Santore, have sold more restaurants and similar type properties in New Jersey than any other real estate company. Furthermore, the firm has secured in excess of $500,000,000 in financing to facilitate these transactions. Visit the companys website, http://www.123bsc.com for the latest in new listings, property searches, available land, market data, financing trends, RSS feeds, press releases and more. She supported her late husband in his criminal ways, took part in night and scary robbery operations with him until he was slain in 1997. Bernard Thuo Matheri alias Rasta gave Kenyan police tough time during his era, but his death did not give them any respite either. Mary Wanjiru took up the button, became more fearful, terrorized and robbed Kenyans with her gang members until she was arrested in 1999 after a botched KSh 196 million robbery in Meru. She was prosecuted and jailed for 35 years, but the jail term was subsequently reduced to seven years, then to four years and she was finally released from prison after serving eleven years. About 20 years since her arrest, Mary Wanjiru who was born in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County and now a Pastor at Jehovah Shalom Ministries in Kitengela recalled her criminal days in an interview with Tuko TV. She said her first robbery operation was one she embarked on with her late husband at a supermarket where he held the workers and everybody hostage with his gun, while she collected all the monies. Armed robber-tuned pastor reveals how she and husband committed crimes She said: "We went back home and he told me, 'I like you, I love how you have carried out your work, since then, he would teach me how to handle a gun, he showed me tactics on how to manage the gun." Revealing how they succeeded in their robberies, Mary said they worked with insiders at any targeted company or location. The 2018 New Venture Competition, held in March, and partly sponsored by SheaMoisture, a subsidiary of Sundial Brands, aims at helping young, inventive and African-oriented ventures, and recognizing organizations providing private entrepreneurship as a means of introducing Africas contributions to the entire world. Nokware, founded by Tutuwa Ahwoi, from Ghana and Thato Tau, from Botswana, was adjudged the Sundial Brands winner out of ten finalists invited to pitch their business in front of approximately 700 attendees and a panel of experienced judges. Launched officially in September 2017, Nokware features a range of skincare products that are natural, sourced locally in Ghana and packaged sustainably. It makes innovative use of resources such as calabashes, raffia, and other local materials to package its skincare products in an attractive manner that highlights Ghanas natural resources and goes toward preventing environmental waste. Expressing her excitement for their win, founder, Tutuwa Ahwoi remarked We are so happy to be awarded the Sundial Brands Prize and honored for the chance to have met and interacted with so many amazing Africans both here and on the African continent who are doing big things. Nokware beauty soap product comes in four (4) variants namely, the Original African Black Soap, Neem Oil Black Soap, Activated Charcoal Black Soap and Shea, and Baobab Oil Black Soap. It also recently introduced body butter ranges which come in Almond and Avocado, Olive and Coconut, Ginger and Moringa and Mocha Body Butter. He was speaking at a sanitation forum organised in Accra on Friday, March 9, 2018. He said that When you look on the streets now, everywhere is clean, everywhere is neat. He explained: I said neat because you have not moved to other African countries. When you move to The Gambia and other places and you come back to Accra, you think that Accra is the new London. Sometimes do the benchmarking with other countries that you have visited." He agreed that even though we are not there yet, we are doing well. I have visited some countries and I think we are doing well. Mr Adda said Zoomlion had failed to ensure that the waste in the environment is collected and disposed of properly. Dr Agyapong [CEO of Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies], Im sorry to disappoint you herefinding solid waste everywhere I feel really disappointed and if you were to ask me why this thing is so, I will put the blame squarely on Zoomlion. Zoomlion, to me, is the cause of it. He said that Zoomlion is not living up to expectation. In his view, the company is responsible for the sweeping, collection, transportation and disposal of waste daily without leaving huge piles of rubbish all over the city. But his assessment shows that the performance of Zoomlion in that regard has not been satisfactory. This is an assertion by a former Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur. Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, Amissah-Arthur said the government must assess the various assistance and do away with those that are too small that we are able to do ourselves. READ ALSO: Police begins investigating the death of Ofori Panyin SHS student I saw last week that there is a very creative teacher who had drawn the window [of MS Word] and was showing how a computer looks like. I heard that Microsoft has offered to provide him with a computer and so on So culturally what are we saying, we accept it? Ghana Beyond Aid, but we are accepting a Microsoft computer. There are many ways we should be able to say that no, this one is too small, that we are able to do it ourselves. We [can] give the school some four computers.One for the teacher and for the children to also learn But we accept the thing from Microsoft, but we are also going through the period of Ghana Beyond Aid, so when is aid not aid? he asked. It is good to have a policy, but you must also have a time-frame. That after 10 years, even if someone offers to pay for AIDS medicine, because we dont have money, we will reject it because we have to pay on our own, he said. Microsoft also offered 33-year-old Richard Appiah Akoto, the opportunity to undertake a free professional development program. Many Ghanaians have welcomed the decision by Microsoft to donate to the school. However, Amissah-Arthur said the government must be able to supply a computer because of its Ghana beyond aid mantra. This was disclosed by the Deputy Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Bright Wireku-Brobbey. He said the Ministry is in the process of drafting the Maternity Protection Bill which, if assented, would enable nursing mothers have two additional weeks to cater for the new born babies. Mr. Wireku-Brobbey said once the Bill is ready, it will be sent to Parliament for the official maternity leave of nursing mothers to be changed to 14 weeks. It is Maternity Protection Bill and per ILO Convention 103 which Ghana is a signatory tothat convention stipulates a minimum of 14 weeks. So if you look at the way we have three months it means we are behind that convention which was passed in 2000, he said whiles speaking at an event to commemorate the International Womens Day. We have 12 weeks. But then we are advocating that in the new Bill which we are seeking to produce we will go to 14 weeks to begin with. READ ALSO: In Ivory Coast The Minister further expressed hope that the Maternity Protection Bill will soon become laws in the nearest future, adding that there is more room for improvement. Kofi Adda, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central said this at a sanitation forum organised in Accra on Friday. He remarked, "Dr Agyapong [CEO of Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies], Im sorry to disappoint you herefinding solid waste everywhere I feel really disappointed and if you were to ask me why this thing is so, I will put the blame squarely on Zoomlion. Zoomlion, to me, is the cause of it. The Minister has been under a barrage of criticism by a section of Ghanaians in regards to the sanitation situation in the country. Many have called for his portfolio to be scrapped as they have seen little or no impact so far of his ministry's work. However, in his defence, Koffi Adda has said his Ministry in on top of the filth issues but the results have been slow in showing because of their lack of staff. The President left Ghana on Thursday, March 8, 2017, after receiving an invitation from the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron. The summit will be held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, with about 25 Heads of State and Government officials, expected to be present. Key among the issues to be discussed is solar energy production and sustainability, as well as how to make it affordable for all countries. The summit is aimed at achieving the common goals of increasing the use of solar energy in meeting the energy needs of ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner. Also, the New Delhi Declaration is expected to be signed a move geared towards prioritizing solar energy and ensuring power for all. Shop Owners Near Akufo-Addos Nima Residence Asked To Vacate President Akufo-Addo is expected to also take advantage of the summit to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over other key matters of bilateral trade. A statement signed by Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, said the President will return from the trip on Monday, 12th March, 2018. "They are planning to use any means possible necessary, either through poisoning or accident, but I am warning them to stop else I will put out their names", he threatened. Rev. Owusu Bempah has in the past prophesied a lot about Nana Addo before he won the 2016 general elections. Nana Addo created a Special Prosecutor's office in December as part of a major campaign promise during the elections which he nominated Martin Amidu to head. The office is to root out corruption in the public sector and among public office holders and Owusu Bempah believes some corrupt officials are not happy about this. According to Bloomberg, the stock gain from the speculation that the company would become part of the telecom business of its billionaire founder, Manuel Villars. Golden Haven, Inc. (HVN) was incorporated on November 16, 1982, and is mainly engaged in the development and sale of memorial or graveyard lots across the Philippines. This rush for the company stock has also led to increase in the companys valuation to more than 22 times its worth six months ago (213 billion pesos ($4.09 billion)). Nigerian market also played a key role in the positive results for the year. MTN Nigeria accounted for 27.2% of the groups revenue 2017 and the telecos largest market. Also, there are currently 52.3 million MTN subscribers in Nigeria as at December 2017. The company also stated that there is progress on its listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). This is one the settlement terms agreed to before the $5.1 billion fine by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2015 was reduced to $1 billion. MTN Nigeria was fined $5.1 billion by NCC for failing to disconnect improperly registered sim cards. This action greatly affected the companys finances in 2015 and 2016. However, the 2017 financial results showed the company has actually addressed the situation. Smoke in the cabin of a Nigerian plane heading to Ghana forced an emergency landing about 80 miles from Accra. Officials of the airline made this known on Friday, March 9, 2018 in a statement. Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when (an) unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin, the statement said. The incident, according to the statement, occurred 80 miles (130 kilometres) from the Ghanaian capital but the plane landed safely in Accra without further incident. The emergency landing by the Arik flight comes as the latest in a string of incidents involving the Nigerian aviation sector since January 1, 2018. On January 25, 2018, hundreds of passengers were stranded at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on account of a chartered aircraft that broke down on the runway. The aircraft had skidded off runway forcing planes that were due for landing to return to where they departed from and prevented take-off from Abuja. On February 7, 2018, an emergency exit door fell off a plane owned by another local airline, Dana Air, as it landed in the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja after flying in from Lagos. About six days later, an Atlanta-bound Delta airlines jet was forced to return to Lagos after a fire was detected in one of its engines with passengers using emergency slides to evacuate the plane. On February 17, 2018 an Air Peace plane had to delay landing in Akure, Ondo state because cows had strayed onto the runway. This announcement was made by Boris Johnson, UK foreign secretary, via a statement to House of Common on Thursday, March 8. The provision of this assistance is in line with the Governments security and stability objectives in West Africa. FCO officials carry out regular reviews of our programmes in Nigeria to ensure funding is directed only to approved recipients, Johnson said in the letter. Statistics from the UKs Ministry of Justice show that there are 320 Nigerian prisoners in UK jails - 3% of the UKs foreign prisoner population, as at 2016. The planned prison building is a 112-bed wing which would be attached to the KiriKiri maximum security prison in Apapa, Lagos. It will be funded by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund Migration Returns Fund. In January 2016, Nigerian and British governments signed prisoners' transfer agreement, and this move is part of the terms of the deal. More so, this agreement is in compliant with the United Nations' standard minimum rules for prisoners. Thanks to this surprising act of generosity, attendees of Destiny Church received five vehicles, free of charge, after Sunday service on March 4, 2018. In an interview with The Christian Post, the lead Pastor Stephen Chandler of the church, founded in 2011, explains the reasons for the giveaway. He says the cars were the churchs way of celebrating its move into a permanent worship space, having previously been using a school gymnasium. One of our founding values as a church is that We Are Outrageously Generous, and we strive to live that out in everything we do, said Chandler. We wanted to mark the celebration with an act of generosity that overshadowed the great blessing of the building we received. Acts 20:35 says that it is better to give than to receive and that has truly turned out to be the case. The senior pastor further explains the giveaway which he says was meant to let our community know that we at Destiny Church loved them and more importantly, that God loved them. The greatest satisfaction at the end of each service was watching people leave, and them realizing that whether they won a car or not, there truly were no strings attached. We did not want anything from them, simply to demonstrate love towards them. If through this day people were able to hear that Gods love for them was not too good to be true, then we believe it was an overwhelming success. On using tithe to buy cars Pastor Chandler said that the vehicles were bought at a used car dealership with ten percent of the money donated to the Church through tithing. He explains: Because generosity has always been a focus at Destiny Church, from our inception, we adopted the practice to set aside ten percent of all that we receive. These funds are for the purpose of generosity, missions, benevolence, and outreach and have been used over the years to plant churches both internationally and domestically, partner with great non-profit organizations, help those in need locally, and generally share the love of Christ outside of our walls. Part of this years generosity budget was used to purchase these vehicles. Four members and a family in need received a Chevy Cruze, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Ford Escape and a Dodge Journey through a raffle system. Over 2,000 tickets were given away. Reactions The giveaway has received mixed reactions. Critics say the church is trying to get new members by bribing them with materialistic things. It a stretch. But I mean, if thats what it takes nowadays in the new age, you gotta come up with some kind of gimmick or incentive or whatever, said Angella Cole, a nurse who works in Baltimore. Its a good way to get peoples attention. Should they do this every week? I doubt it. However, fellow senior pastor, David Anderson of a nearby church says it is a wonderful thing to do for a grand opening. I respect Pastor Chandler and the innovative ministry they have built, he adds. This is the question on everyones mind as the National Peoples Congress prepares to meet on Sunday, March 11, 2018, to eliminate term limits. If this happens, President Xi Jinping, who assumed office in March 2013, will stay in power beyond 2023. Christians in China under President Xi Reportedly, this is all part of the presidents national campaign launched in March 2013. During his speech on Chinas religious policy in April 2016, the New York Times reported that the president told Chinese Communist Party leaders that they must resolutely guard against overseas infiltrations via religious means. ALSO READ: 50 countries where your faith in God could kill you A special report titled; The Battle for Chinas Spirit: Religious Revival, Repression, and Resistance under Xi Jinping, covers what has been done to guard against overseas infiltrations. Published Feb. 2017, Freedom House scholar, Sarah Cook writes, By mid-2016, crosses had been removed from the rooftops or facades of least 1,500 churches, and over 20 churches had been demolished. It remains somewhat unclear what party leaders mean by Sinicization in practice, but some superficial changes have been observed. One of them involves localizing the architecture of churches, in effect reducing their public visibility. Under Xi new legal mechanisms have codified previously informal restrictions. Crackdowns on unregistered and even state-sanctioned places of worship and religious leaders have increased, with several clerics receiving long prison terms. Constraints on childrens ability to participate in religious life have multiplied. Benedict Rogers, East Asia team leader for Christian Solidarity Worldwide adds: Under President Xi, the overall level of religious freedom in the country has decreased. This downward trend fits into a broader pattern of increasing human rights abuses under President Xi, accompanied by and manifested through a shrinking space for civil society, a heightened sensitivity to perceived challenges to Party rule, and the introduction of legislation that curtails civil and political rights in the name of national security. He disclosed that each of the CBT centres was designed with a 250 capacity, adding that seven centres were set up in Maiduguri and one in Biu. Gutti listed some of the centres to include Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, National Open University (NOUN) and Nasara Computers. The JAMB official added that adequate arrangements and effective security measures had been put in place to facilitate smooth conduct of the examination, which commenced on Friday, March 9, According to him, the board had conducted a mock examination to test equipment and prepare the students for the final examination. The mock examination was conducted successfully, reports from other centres in the country indicated promising outcome, he said. Aliyu told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola that the examination commenced atabout 4 p.m. and would last for two and half hours. The coordinator said examination started successfully in five centres in the state, one centre in Mubi and four centres in Yola. He explained that the centres were: Federal University of Technology Mubi; Federal College of Education, Yola; American University of Nigeria, Yola; Aliyu Mustapha College Yola and Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola. On Internet service and other challenges, he said so far there was no any case of poor network or missed candidate data. The office has been under locks for over a year despite several court orders asking the Police to vacate the property. The House of Representatives, had through its committee on public petitions, urged the Police to comply with court orders and the advice of the attorney-general of the federation. Led by its national commandant, Dickson Akoh, Charly Boy and other members of the corps were prevented from accessing the building on Thursday, March 8, 2018. Reacting to this development, Charly Boy described the action of the Police as "act of injustice", vowing to stand firm against it. This is our country, we would have no place to call our own or go to, if we allow our system to erode. We won't allow the IGP or anyone to give the youths reasons to resorting to self-help or anarchy," Charly Boy said. On his part, Akoh asked his men to retire home while waiting for the response of the IGP. Akoh said the office was rented for 3 years with N13.8m annual rent, adding that, the Police had already vandalised the premises and looted some valuables, as at the time they visited the office on Thursday. President Buhari rejects Peace Corps bill President Muhammadu Buhari had withheld assent to the Peace Corps bill. His wife, Funmilayo, who is described as a trader according to Vanguard News, has alleged abandonment. The woman who lives in Meiran, claimed that her husband neglected his family between the year 2010 and 2014. This proved to be the catalyst inspiring a desire for divorce. My husband has not set his eyes on his three children since June 30, 2014. He refused to pay their school fees. "They no longer go to school because I do not have money to send them to school. "He sold our car and gave the money to the woman he impregnated. He has refused to take care of the children and I. "Please separate us because I no longer love him," says Funmilayo while addressing the court. Aranse submitted a different view explaining why he sought a relationship with another woman. He however refused to agree with an opinion describing him as an adulterer. I did not commit adultery except the woman I impregnated, the respondent offered a comment while addressing the issue. According to reports, a court president ordered him to pay a sum of N15,000 monthly for the welfare of three children nursed with Funmilayo. Aranse is expected to make this payment to the court until it is able to reach a decision. Bedridden woman, 75 seeks divorce from husband who stopped servicing her Marcella Mukami, a 75-year-old Kenyan woman has asked a court to dissolve her marriage to her husband Peter Kinyugo, over claims that he hasn't been giving her enough attention. According to reports, Kinyugo prefers to stay with his second wife ignoring the bedridden complainant who also accused the defendant of adultery despite participating in the traditional marriage that welcomed a union between him and an unnamed woman. You are accusing your husband of failing to provide services to you; do you still need those services now?Waiganjo Gichuki a lawyer to the defendant asked Mukami. When my husband married my co-wife we lived happily under one roof, we had allocated duties to cook and household chores, but it is because my husband is such a clever man that I did not raise an objection, He (Kinyugo) also forced me to participate in the traditional marriage to his second wife," Mukami told the court. ALSO READ: Mom checks into hospital to prevent son from marrying divorcee On Monday, March 5, 2018, the deceased made to go to school after having a belly-filling breakfast at the residence of his grandparents, but unfortunately did not make it for his daily learning. He reportedly died on his way to school in Ogolonto, Ikorodu. But we didnt know that was the last time we will see him, Oyesanya told Vanguard News in tears. She was described as one who hasn't come to terms with the death of the pupil who wore an excited mood before leaving home for his school of learning. "And on that fateful day, he left home to school. But I was alerted of the incident that happened by someone who told me to find out if Ezekiel was safe. Immediately I started calling his teacher, but she refused to pick my call. "I thought they were on assembly ground so I called the school director who also didnt pick my calls. At that moment, I knew there was a problem. "I was confused and my husband also called to inform me to proceed to his school. On my way, someone told me that Ezekiel had been rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital. "When I got to the hospital premises, I was told to identify the lifeless body of Ezekiel; at that moment, I knew I had lost our dear child. I couldnt believe my eyes that the child I fed at exactly 7:15am had become a corpse for me to pick at exactly 9:45am, she said amidst tears. We are only two in this house, my husband and I. Since we are getting old and all our children are grown up, we thought it will be nice to have a small child that can keep us company. So we contacted a lady in our community to help us find someone to stay with us. "They eventually helped us to get Ezekiel from the Northern part of the country; that was around August last year. "Our initial plan was to enroll him in school by October this year but due to the fact that it was late to do so, we decided to enroll him in January this year, a decision I now regret. "He was 15 years when they brought him to us, and they told us that he was in JSS3 in Kaduna State before he came to Lagos. But when we took him to school, they told us that he should start from Primary Four," says Oyesanya who thinks the BRT driver cut short her grandson's dreams. How death of Daniel Ezekiel occurred An eyewitness, Mr. Akin Adeolu, mentioned that the sad event occurred around 07:45 AM, a time when school children make their way down to school. Reports gathered stated that the deceased, Daniel Ezekiel, 16, had made to cross the road when the vehicle hit him, severing his head upon impact. This happened at Ogolonto bus-stop, says Vanguard. It appeared to be a sad error by the victim who reportedly mistimed his run. The fear of experiencing mob justice encouraged the BRT driver to make a run for it. We have commenced initial investigation into the ugly incident to determine the cause for further action. However, we commiserate with the family and colleagues of the deceased, God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss," a statement by Primero Transport, the owner of the BRT buses reads. The incident occurred on Thursday, March 8, 2018, while the victim was walking on a railway in Ikeja, Lagos. Sounds of warning offered by observers had failed to alert Debbie who seemed fully engrossed in her operation of a mobile phone. "We lost the corps member just now. I heard the neurosurgeon and the orthopaedic doctors said they would conduct further investigations on her. But regrettably we lost her," announces Prince Mohammed Momoh, who is the state coordinator of the NYSC. It was gathered that the deceased was most likely listening to loud music which prevented her from observing an approaching train. Pupil's head cut off by BRT In Ikorodu, Lagos, a school pupil has been killed after a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), crushed him to death. His head was cut off as a result. The incident was recorded on Monday, March 5, 2018, according to Vanguard News who revealed that the accident led to a gridlock of traffic. An eyewitness, Mr. Akin Adeolu, mentioned that the sad event occurred around 07:45 AM, a time when school children make their way down to school. Reports gathered stated that the deceased, Daniel Ezekiel, 16, had made to cross the road when the vehicle hit him, severing his head upon impact. This happened at Ogolonto bus-stop, says Vanguard. "From Allah we and to him we shall return. My son passed away. He fell inside a well. I seek your prayers upon him," writes Bakiyawa who added numerous pictures of the deceased in the post. His grief bears a similar reflection to a government official in Katsina who killed his child by accident. Toddler freezes to death while father slept A toddler named Wynter Parker who went out wandering in the cold has reportedly froze to death while her father was asleep. This happened on Friday, February 2, 2018, in Akron, Ohio. The police who confirmed her death in a chat with People News, have commenced investigation in a bid to find out if her death can be tied to irresponsible parenting. Her distraught mother, Dashanda Parker took to a GoFundMe page to express the devastating loss. Dashanda described losing her child was synonymous to losing your breath and never catching it again. Today, Im filled with deep sorrow, grief, complete emptiness and pure agony. While Wynter and her dad slept peacefully, Wynter being the growing, curious, ambitious toddler that she is awoke from her nap without disturbing Dad and left our home. No one was aware that she was outside in the snowfall, in freezing temperatures with life slipping away from her, dying, the sad mom wrote. A 911 operative reportedly offered emergency instruction to Dashanda who found her late daughter lying unresponsive on a porch but it proved too late. The celebration was created to mark and honour the struggle for womens rights, one which has been defined to a large extent by civil disobedience. In most of those cases, women raised their voices, marched through streets to make it clear that the veil had been lifted from their eyes and they wanted more than had been given to them. Here are 5 such instances where women protested and changed the course of history. 1. Aba Women's Riots of 1929 Our first instance comes from home where in 1929, thousands of Igbo women from Bende and surrounding villages travelled to Oloko to protest local warrant chiefs who had oppressed them and limited their roles. The womens protest in Oloko spread to other parts of Igboland and lasted a period of four weeks. At the end of the protests, many laws were adjusted and women were allowed into service in the Native Courts. 2. The Women's March on Versailles of 1929 It was a tense period in France at the end of the 18th Century. The revolution was gaining momentum at a time when food was scarce and expensive. Aggrieved, women from Paris gathered in the citys square and marched on Versailles where the king seated. By the time they were done, the King had moved back to Paris to make sure he was not cut off from the peoples needs. ALSO READ: Why our women deserve to be celebrated everyday 3. That time black women in Apartheid South Africa marched on Pretoria When it became known that the government of Apartheid South Africa wanted to create pass laws to limit the movement of black people, 20,000 black women marched on Pretoria in protest. Although they did not meet the Prime Minister, they stood silent for 30 minutes before breaking into song. The protests continued after, one of them was descended into the infamous Sharpeville massacre. The pass laws were repealed in 1986. The anniversary of the March is now Womens Day in South Africa. 4. Polands women overthrow a proposed abortion ban in October 2016 In 2016, Polands politicians announced plans to ban abortions and place a prison sentence of up to five years for breaking the proposed law. On the 3rd of October, thousands of women went on strike, dressed in black and gathered in the capital Warsaw. Their protests pushed the parliament to overturn the proposal. 5. Iceland's Women's Strike of 1975 Members of these tribes have maintained keeping traditions long left behind by the rest of the world and want nothing to do with civilisation. ALSO READ: 5 most extreme tribal body modifications 1. The Sentinelese The Sentinelese are the indigenous people of North Sentinel Island in the Andaman Islands of India. One of the Andamanese people, they resist contact with the outside world. They are among the last people to remain virtually untouched and uncontacted by modern civilization. A National Geographic team was forced to turn back after the lead team member got an arrow through his thigh, and two local guides were killed. 2. Mashco-Piro tribe, Peru Through the jungles of Peru, a tour group found itself face to face with members of an unknown tribe. Everything was captured. The tribe tried to communicate with the tourists but since the tribesmen didnt know either Spanish or English, they soon gave up and left them where theyd found them. After inspecting the tape Peruvian authorities realized that the tour group had stumbled upon one of the few remaining tribes unknown to anthropologists. Scientists had known about their existence and had been searching for them for years without success. 3. The Suma People The Suma tribe of Ethiopia avoided all Western contact for years. The Suma lived in groups of a few hundred and carried on with their humble cattle ranching for centuries while colonization, World Wars, and struggles for independence were going on all around them. The first people to hold a conversation with the Surma people were a few Russian doctors in the 1980s, thought by the tribesmen to be walking dead because of their skin colour. 4. The Amazon Tribes The Brazilian government has been trying to find out how many people live in the isolated Amazon regions, for reasons of population control. In 2007, a routine low-flying photo operation suddenly came under fire by arrows shot from the bows of a previously unknown tribe. ALSO READ: 7 unusual cultures around the world And then in 2011, a satellite sweep managed to find a few specks in a corner of the jungle no one thought was habitable: it turns out that the specks were people. 5. The New Guinea Tribes The estate which is located in Mokwa, Niger state would be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, March 15, 2018. In a statement made available to , media officer of the company, Tola Samuel, said the estate, at peak production, would provide employment for about 10,000 people yearly. The statement said the farm would impact 50,000 people indirectly, including 3,000 small scale out growers who would be cultivating sugarcane to feed the mill. At full capacity, the estate is expected to produce one million tons of sugarcane which roughly translates into 100,000 metric tons of sugar yearly, it read. Enclosed within a 35-kilometer dyke, the production facility area is 15,100 hectares, with a cane area that features a maximum output of 10,000 hectares. The dyke provides flood protection from the River Niger. Over N1 billion was invested in the state-of-the-art irrigation system that will ensure the efficient cultivation of sugar cane, with infrastructure that includes drain pumps, pump stations, and a power grid. The project illustrates the desire to reduce sugar importation, save billions in foreign exchange, boost local capacity, and reduce unemployment by putting thousands of Nigerians to work, it read. According to Vanguard, Ekweremadu posted the revelation on his Twitter timeline. He said With 2019 around the corner, Arms are being imported by Politicians. I remind them that this is the only Country we have, if we destroy it there will be no where else for us to go. The Deputy Senate President also called on government to ensure that schools are well established and must ensure access to schools for everyone. Education can never be cheap. Any cheap education will yield cheap results, he added. Who says army cannot take over The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeweremadu recently said that there is a tendency that the military can still take over power in Nigeria. According to the Deputy Senate President, democracy is receding in Nigeria. The Deputy Senate President has been an advocate of a single-term presidency of five or six years for Nigeria. In a statement signed by Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to state governor, Samuel Ortom, on Friday, March 9, 2018, the burial will no longer take place this week as the governor had earlier announced during a visit to the village after the tragedy. According to Akase, the victims will now be buried on Thursday, March 15, but it won't be a mass burial event by the government. The statement read, "There wouldn't be mass burial of victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks in Okpokwu. A church service, followed by burial of the victims, will take place on Thursday, next week at Okpokwu." The herdsmen had attacked the community between 2 pm and 3 pm on March 5, after accusing the youths in the community of attacking them and stealing their cows. The attack left at least 24 dead, including schoolchildren, with many others left injured. The bodies of 73 men, women and children were buried at a mass burial ceremony organised by the state government on January 11 after several attacks by cattle herders. Buhari visits Benue next week Even though the reason for the cancellation was not disclosed, it might have something to do with the imminent visit of President Muhammadu Buhari who is currently visiting states troubled by violent killings in recent times. Uba who recently decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been enmeshed in several court cases in recent times. This time, the court approved an order seeking to compel the attorney general of the federation and the inspector general of police to arrest and prosecute Senator Uba over allegation of certificate forgery. Justice Binta Nyako who delivered the ruling also granted the exparte application before the court filed by the civil society organisation through its lawyer, Amobi Nzelu. The organisation said it is important for the court to compel the AGF, IGP to exercise its constitutional powers under S174(1) of the 1999 constitution by commencing the proceedings against Uba. In an affidavit in support of the motion on notice, deposed to, by one Ikechukwu Godswill, the deponent said that on April 24, 2017, the law firm of Anthony Agbolahor wrote a letter to the IGP on behalf of Victor Uwajeh, regarding the alleged fake West African Examination Council Certificate of the Senator. Godswill said based on the directive, the office of the DIG, wrote a letter to the registrar of WAEC to confirm the authenticity of the certificate. "That the West African Examination Council responded to the said letter wherein it stated clearly that the certificate was not issued from their office. The said response from West African examination Council is attached and marked exhibit D. "That based on the said response from the Registrar of the West African Examination Council, the deputy inspector general of police Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (CIID) through the office of the Senate President, requesting senator Emmanuel Nnammdi Ubah a.k.a Andy Ubah to see him for interview on the 31th of August 2017. The said letter is attached and marked exhibit E. "That the said interview never held due to the intervening circumstances arising from the letter written by the 1st respondent to the Deputy Inspector General of Police force criminal intelligence and investigating department on the matter," the affadavit said. In the originating summons, the Guild also sought judicial review of the taxes and levies paid to AMAC. The Guild argued that under the law, local governments can only collect tenement rates. AMACs lawyer, Mr Yakubu Haruna, on his part, urged the court to dismiss the suit, as it lacked merit. Justice Charles Agbaza, after listening to the submissions of counsel, struck out the case for failure to follow due process. The judge said there were irregularities in the process, because the rules of court were not strictly followed in filing the originating summons. The judge said that the plaintiffs lawyer did not issue a pre-action notice to the respondent before filing the matter as required. According to Agbaza, there ought to be a month pre-action notice to the respondent before filing the matter, which the plaintiff did not do but quickly rushed to the court. The judge also struck out the matter on the ground that the plaintiff included its claims in the originating summon, adding that, that was not in line with the rules of court. The distressed parents marched in company of Coalition of Civil Society for the Girl Child and Women, wearing black shirts with inscription, "We are Dapchi People". The march was planned around the celebration of International Women's Day on Thursday, and the demonstrators urged the lawmakers to investigate the abduction of the students, and take steps towards safeguarding the girl child in Nigeria. 45-year-old Yahaya Tarbutu, one of the parents of two of the abducted girls, expressed his pain at the abduction and told the government to do more to get the girls back. He said, "Each time my wife looks upon the bed our daughters lie at night, she breaks down in tears and weep profusely. Nobody in my entire household has experienced joy since the girls went missing. Happiness has deserted my home. "Today makes it 17 days that our daughters have been taken away from us in Dapchi, and we do not know how many days more they will be spending in captivity. "We are not here to condemn the Federal Government and our security agencies, but to tell them that they need to do more to make sure our daughters are released." Speaking on behalf of Coalition of Civil Society for the Girl Child and Women, Ariyo Dare-Atoye said Nigerian leaders need to do more to protect women in the country. He said, "We are asking the National Assembly, to show leadership by urgently convening a special stake holders summit to address the plight of women and the girl child, mostly in zones and areas prone to attacks. "The National Assembly is also urged to conduct a powerful investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding how over a hundred girls were kidnapped without them being spotted or meeting any security check points. "We have decided to use the occasion of the 2018 International Women's Day to further call for national reawakening and global action in support of the girl child and women in Nigeria." Attack on all-girls school Boko Haram militants invaded Government Girls Science and Technical Secondary School in Dapchi, Bursari local government area of Yobe on Monday, February 19, 2018, and abducted 110 schoolgirls. According to accounts by residents, the terrorists invaded the town around 7 pm in over 18 gun trucks mounted with high caliber weapons. Madaki, under cross examination by Dokpesis counsel, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), said that:Dokpesi was paid for doing nothing, for rendering no service. The witness said that the N2.1 billion, under investigation, was funds from the office of the National Security Adviser. According to him, all the funds in the account of the National Security Adviser are for national security. The witness, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) said that he was part of the team that was appointed by the commission to investigate funds meant for national security that were allegedly diverted. He told the court that the funds were allegedly diverted even by those who they were not entrusted to. When Agabi sought to know what evidence he had of the diversion, the witness said: the funds were found in their accounts when they had no reason to take it. This is because they could not account for any contract they executed for such payments. Justice John Tsoho adjourned the matter until April 13 for continuation of cross examination of the witness. There were also harsh words for trade unions in general. El-rufai called them selfish. Trade Unions have never served the country well. They have been selfish and everything is about their narrow interests. In general, in Nigeria, trade unions have been a danger to our progress and I think they should be curtailed. The mistake we made as a country was placing trade unions in the Exclusive Legislative List. If the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has an issue with the federal government, then the State universities will go on strike too. In Kaduna, I warned the Kaduna State University, that if you ever go on strike again because of somebody else, I think we need to do some things. "First, take labour matters out of the Exclusive List because many of us are victims of agreements reached with ASUU by the federal government. The States were never part of such agreements. Secondly, is the issue of minimum wage. Except we set a very low minimum wage, there will continue to be issues especially with States that do not have wide tax net. You cannot set the same minimum wage for Lagos and Jigawa. Hippocratic Oath Elrufai also said Nigerian doctors are the only ones who go on strike. Also, we must apply the labour laws strictly. No work, no pay, because there has to be a trade dispute before anything strike. That is what the law says. I think the health unions have been the most irresponsible because only an irresponsible doctor will abandon his patients even after swearing to the Hippocratic Oath. I think Nigerian doctors are the only ones on the planet that go on strike. We have submitted our report on true federalism and it will be taken to the National Assembly. We hope the National Assembly will stop dealing with inanities and deal with the real issues, he said. In November of 2017, Elrufai sacked 22,000 teachers who couldn't pass a basic competency test. President Buhari was in Plateau stateon a two day visit, where he promised to beef up security during a town hall meeting on Thursday. Channels Television reports that two lives were lost during the attacks and the other three people died in the hospital. Herdsmen madness has gone too far Buhari had earlier condemned the killing of 29 people by herdsmen in Nkiedonwhro Village, Plateau State, saying that the madness of the group has gone too far. ASP Terna Tyopev, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Jos. According to him, the incident that occurred on Thursday night left scores severely injured and many properties destroyed. Yesterday, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked and killed four Irigwe persons at Dantanko and a Fulaniman at Nzharuvo communities in Miango district of Bassa local government. The deceased persons are identified as Emmanuel Joseph, Christopher Joseph, Peace Joseph, Henry Audu and Samuel Isah. The corpse of Samuel Isah has since been buried, but that of the remaining four are deposited at the Jos University Teaching Hospitals (JUTH) mortuary, he said. The PPRO explained that those injured, including a four-year old child were receiving treatment at Enos hospital, Miango. Adeolu said this in interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. The medical practitioner advised against wearing clothes made from silk, nylon and polyester because they trapped heat in them. According to him, such materials are for use during the cold season as they trap in heat and keep the body warm. He said the best clothes for hot weather are those in bright colours and loose fitted asdark colours absolve and trap heat in the body. Shorter clothes are also better options; men can opt for short sleeve clothing, while women wear short dresses. This can be used outside the official working environment. Adeolu advised the public to make effort toward adjusting to the choices as it would help to prevent heat-related health complications. She said the university would provide more opportunities for young people to acquire tertiary education in the region. She commended Nigerian Army initiative for the school and promised to give necessary support for the actualisation of the university. The leader of the university implementation committee told the minister that the teams visit was to solicit her support and cooperation of the Federal Executive Council. Faskari said that the proposed university to be located in Biu, Borno, would offer admission to both military and civilians. Boko Haram terrorist groups on Feb. 19 adopted 110 girls in Dapchi community, Yola, since then, they have not yet been rescued. On April 14, 2014, 276 girls were abducted in Chibok community in Borno and 82 girls have been released. Mrs Chioma Osuji, the Policy Adviser of the coalition urged the government to step up measures that would lead to the rescue of both the remaining Chibok girls and recently abducted Dapchi girls. According to her, girls are becoming endangered in the society because if they are not raped, abducted and given out to marriage at tender age, they will be given out as house helps. It is sad to note that education has received low priority attention both at national and states levels over the years. We are worried because as concerned citizens, the attacks on girls in schools in the North East will cripple the successes we have recorded in championing the cause for the education of the girl child. And if this is not urgently addressed, in few years to come, it might endanger girls/women participation and representation in our democratic processes. We are therefore seizing this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to urgently come up with concrete measures to address the incessant challenges in the education sector. On the issue of education financing, Osuji said that no meaningful sustainable development would be achieved without investment in the education sector. She, however, called on states government yet to access the Universal Basic Education Fund to do so to address basic education needs. She said that over N70 billion was lying fallow at the CBN, while calling on states government to urgently meet up the criteria of putting their own counterpart funds to address basic needs in their states. Mr Kabiru Aliyu, the National Moderator of the coalition, urged stakeholders in the sector to bring back the lost glory of education while also stressing the need to work on structures that would lead to development. Aliyu also called on the Federal Government to come up with measures that would liquidate UBEC funds not accessed by states government to other states that need educational attention. He therefore said that education policies should be revisited and rewritten to better advance the course of education in the country. Mrs Sarah Makka-Ugbabe, the Country Director, One Campaign, appealed to the government to ensure transparency and accountability of education budgeting. She also called on the citizens and the media to always have a responsibility of keeping the government responsible to their promises. Also, Crystal Ikanih-Musa, the Country Representative, Malala Fund, said the abduction of Dapchi girls spoke volume of the level of education in the country; saying this must be addressed. She appealed to the government to fast track the presidential ascent of its recommitment for Sustainable Development Goal 4, thereby ensuring all children were guaranteed 12 years free education. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among those who joined the president to observe the prayer were the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Alhaji Ahmed RufaI and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura. The President had earlier on Friday in Jos inaugurated the Plateau State Tractor Ownership Scheme as part of activities to mark the end of his working visit to the state. The scheme has a tripartite arrangement, in which the beneficiaries would pay 60 per cent of the total cost while state and local governments would pay 30 and 10 per cent balance respectively. The tractors were supplied at the cost of N1.4 million each. Also, in the course of his two-day official visit to the state, President Buhari had on Thursday at a Town Hall meeting inaugurated the Plateau State Roadmap to Peace, and congratulated the Gov. Simon Lalong for uniting the people of the state. He restated his commitment to arrest the cycle of violence that had engulfed some parts of the country. ALSO READ:President Buhari seeks partnership with Ghana to fight corruption He said: I wish to encourage your Excellency to continue with the good work you are doing, and I wholeheartedly congratulate you for uniting the people of Plateau State. I am indeed quite impressed with gains and successes recorded in the area of conflict management and peace-building, which has returned this state to the path of relative peace. Let me express the Federal Governments commitment to support and assist the Peace Building Agency in its effort to arrest the vicious cycle of violence and lay the foundation for sustainable peace in our country. NAN observed that among the inaugurated projects by President Buhari during the visit were the Mararaba JamaaSecretariat British American Way, the Miango-Rafiki road, and the Secretariat junction flyover bridge Spokesman of the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that 10 others were injured in the accident, which occurred on Friday morning. Kazeeem said 19 vehicles, including a motorcycle, were involved in the incident, which took place between Karu and Nyanya bridges at 9:30 a.m. According to him, the dead comprised three males and one female, while nine of the injured are males. He said the accident was caused by brake failure, loss of concentration and speed violation. Witnesses had earlier told NAN that trouble started when the motorcycle rider brushed one of the cars, which was being driven by the dead female. The woman came out of her car and held the motorcycle rider, that he must fix the vehicle. During the argument, a trailer (long truck), descending the slope on top speed, lost control and rammed into other vehicles held in a traffic buildup at the scene. The woman, motorcycle rider and the soldier who was there to make peace, died instantly after they were crushed by the trailer, a witness who identified himself as Osita, said. This week,transcripts of an interview starringSenator Shehu Sani (who represents Kaduna Central in the upper legislative chamber) found its way into cyberspace. In that interview, Sani said a Nigerian Senator is handed N13.5million monthly as running costwhatever that means. This 'running cost' is of course separate from their basic salary and constituency allowances (N200million for each senator). Sani justified the jumbo pay by saying Senators have to take care of the needs of so many people in a poor society. We live in an underdeveloped society with a lot of poverty, misery and wants. What people want is for you to address those basic fundamental issues that affect their lives, he said. If we can be done with that, it would be okay. Now, you are talking of bogus salaries and bogus allowances there are three steps you need to consider the first has to do with the fact when you represent the people, expectations arise from your immediate and the larger constituencies. This article is not about whether the amount of money given to 109 senators and 360 House of Reps members is outrageous. Nah, there are several other articles to help you with that sorta thing. This is not a day to be angry. This is about helping you become a senator in Nigeria so you can look forward to your own big pay day. It's called national cake for a reason--everyone should have a fair share when it's their turn. This piece is about starting you on your journey to becoming a Nigerian lawmaker or senator. You are welcome. 1. Ride on Okada before election During electioneering season, ditch your sleek cars for commercial bike rides (Okada). This works five stars. Ask Senator Ben Bruce who represents Bayelsa East in the senate. Hopping on Okada makes your constituents actually believe that you are one of them. And while at it, dont forget to take pictures of you on Okadas and have them splashed across all your social media pages. Dont forget to eat Amala, Ponmo, Boli and roast maize on the streets while at it. 2. Join an establishment political party You wont become a Nigerian senator by joining a mushroom political party, trust me. At the moment, you can only become a Nigerian senator by joining the APC or PDP. You can also consider joining forces with APGA if you reside in the Southeast. If you think you are going to be a lawmaker from KOWA or ANN, you really are on a long thing. 3. Be very active on social media Yeah, you have to start tweeting and facebooking a lot in readiness for campaign season. Call your tweets fancy names like 'commonsense' or 'nuggets'. Have a Facebook fan page with your picture splashed across the whole place. Something like Friends of Ogidigbodigbo or Ogidigbodigbo fans page would be a decent place to start. Also, you must begin to have an opinion on every subject matter in the countryfrom Evans the kidnapper to the cost of imported rice. When you become senator, you will need to keep tweeting and facebooking even though you would remain mute during plenary. When you become senator, Twitter and Facebook would be your avenues to proffer ideas and solutions because you would be silent when with your colleagues at the national assembly. Twitter will become your national assembly chamber. 4. Perfect your dancing and singing skills If your dancing skills are as rusty as mine, you need to enrol for dancing classes. Seriously. There are days when youll need to dance or sing during plenary just to rub it in the faces of your political detractors or haters. And when you do win the election, you may need a break-dance or two to write yourself into urban folklore or virality. Ask Senators Dino Melaye and Ademola Adeleke 5. You dont have to be smart to become a senator Nah, not at all. In fact, the dumber you are, the better your chances of emerging senator. A third class from Uni? Perfect. A pass degree? Fantastic. All through plenary, you'd need to say the darndest things to make your legislative days memorable Besides, if you are a first class or second class upper material, your constituents would say you speak too much grammar or are too sophisticated to represent them and wont vote you into the national assembly. Be a loudmouth--an unrefined, dumb loudmouth. 6. Learn how to dodge questions and say little When you become a senator, you would be asked how much you earn and stuff like that. Your job is not to say a thing. Learning how to dodge questions will serve you very well in the senate. Learn how to be evasive and to get really angry when folks ask how much you take home. Be an artful dodger. 7. Become an area boy You see, lawmaking is serious business. It is also brute force. There are days when you would need to fight for the legislative mace with other lawmakers or when you would have to physically beat up another lawmaker just to earn your fat wardrobe and furniture allowances. Now is the time to hit the gym and become a real thug. Because you will need those abs and muscles during plenary, trust me. ***** Congratulations, you can now go ahead and pick that senatorial form. You are well on your way to becoming a very rich Nigerian senator. Ekweremadu was reacting to Senator Ahmed Ogembes story of how Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello allegedly organised thugs to disrupt an empowerment program he had put together for his constituents. Ekweremadu then went on to aim darts at Bello But he didnt stop there. He hinted at a military takeover if things continued this way. Coup A portion of what Ekweremadu said is reproduced below: So today I am advising the Governor again, that road he is travelling will not lead him to anywhere. Ultimately, these people he is seeing here will be back here and he will leave office. If he doesnt stop, there is no how he will come back in 2019, never, no he will not. God will show him that he is a God of justice and this is a message to all those people who have caused all kinds of problems in Nigeria at different levels. The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy ....that is the issue. The house of a senator was destroyed in Kaduna State, we are talking about Kwankwaso who was stopped from going to his State where he ruled for eight years. In Kaduna, Shehu Sani cannot organise a meeting and we are about a democracy? The international community needs to know this because they helped us install democracy. Pathetic Who says army cannot takeover? Seriously? From Nigerias Deputy Senate President? One of the most powerful men in our nascent democracy? Pathetic. I was still trying to unpack the , Thursday night, when a press statement from the army hit my mailbox. Army responds For the umpteenth time, the army swore it will respect Nigerias democracyand remain professional. As it should be. The statement from Defence Headquarters reads in parts: "The statement in the true sense has the capacity to denigrate the Nigerian Military in every ramification including its loyalty to the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the confidence of the general public to defend Nigerias democracy. "In the light of this; the Defence Headquarters wish to state clearly that the Nigerian Military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance. "In this regard, it is worthy to remind the general public about some key measures among others that guaranteed the present sustainable status of politically unambitious members of the Armed Forces: Shortly, after the transition from a military to a democratically elected government in 1999, officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who were quasi-political, were honourably eased out of service. "This was done to avoid indoctrination of other officers in the Military in order to enable the democratic government commence a re-professionalisation process of the Armed Forces. "The process commenced in collaboration with international organisations such as the United States Armed Forces and the British Military. "By 2009, from the basic military training institutions through units and formation reorientation programmes to top management workshops and seminars for the military, it became clear that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has been re-professionalised to be totally subordinate to political leadership and democracy in the Country. "Defence Headquarters hereby assures the international community, Nigerias democratic institutions and the general public, of its unalloyed loyalty to the President Commander in Chief, provision of all necessary support for the sustenance of our democracy and carrying out our constitutional roles. "Therefore, the apprehension by the Deputy President of the Senate should be totally disregarded". Irresponsible But Ekweremadu really should know better. And he should be ashamed that soldiers are the ones now educating him on what it means to keep a democratic experiment running--in spite of its many flaws. Ekweremadu is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the democracy we practise today. A recent unconfirmed report has linked his name to property spread across the world. He is living large and taking home millions of naira monthly as a ranking lawmaker and presiding officer. The last thing he should be doing is subtly inviting soldiers to come rescue our democracy. I always tell people who care to listen that all the military interventions of the past should be blamed for the crumbling of our institutions, eroding of values and the elevation of corruption into an art form. For each time the military intervened; citing noble and altruistic reasons, they only succeeded in rolling back the gains this nation was making. Those who say the worst democracy is better than the best military regime are right on the money. Yes, our democracy remains imperfect, but it is still a work in progress. Well keep tinkering with it until we get it right someday. And it is probably because of the likes of Ekweremadu--with their light fingered propensity--that we aren't there yet. It is irresponsible of Ekweremadu to insinuate that soldiersgiven the damage they have caused this countrycould make a return under whatever guise. It was a most unfortunate thing to say. By the grace of God, my candidature will not only drive PDP away, we will ensure that we defeat the incumbent and his nominee, he said. Ojudu said his decision to run for the gubernatorial race was not by accident but a result of wide consultations with respectable men and women, including opinion leaders in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ojudu, who described himself as having penchant for winning elections, said he defeated current governor, Ayo Fayose to become a Senator and promised to repeat same feat if given another chance. He, therefore, enjoined leaders of the party in the state to provide a level-playing ground for all the aspirants so as to enable the best candidate emerge. He said it was his plan to use the position of a governor, if elected, to take Ekiti to where it was supposed to be. I am going into the governorship race as a call to serve and not to acquire wealth. God has been so kind to me in all my ways and I think the best way to appreciate God is to serve my people with all my vigour. My mission is simple but critical to the growth and development of Ekiti, and that is to make Ekiti work for all as well as taking back its pride. It is my plan to take the jobless off the streets, re-focuse the civil servants who are the engine room of government. The Ado-Ekiti born politician promised to turn Ekiti State into one of the major producers of rice if he realised his ambition of ruling the state. Ojudu promised to also use his wide influence to attract investors, aside from establishing cottage industries. He said that with this jobless people both men and women including school leavers could be engaged. He added that industrialization of Ekiti would be his priority to make the state less dependent on allocation from the Federation Account. He promised to use his experience as a media manager to run an efficient government in which workers would be well taken care of. According to him, a situation in which the current administration in the state owed workers arrears of salaries and allowances after receiving its due allocation from the Federation Account will not arise. Ojudu advised the leadership of the party to conduct a credible primary election among the partys aspirants in line with the famed integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari. Responding, the state APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, said the party would conduct a free, fair and credible primary election to elect the flag bearer among the aspirants. Awe who spoke through the State Deputy Chairman, Mrs Kemisola Olaleye, described the PDP as a party that must be defeated in the state. He said it was only through that the state could enjoy good governance that the APC was ready to offer. But, in a statement, Senator Adamu said he was not against Saraki in any way. A colleague called me and drew my attention to what happened on the floor of the senate today. It is amusing but very saddening at the same time, the statement read. I am not in any way after Saraki. Saraki is like a son to me. I had the right to contest for the senate president seat three years ago when the 8th senate was inaugurated, but I never did because I wasnt interested. It is therefore, not logical for anyone to say Im interested in the seat now, and will be planning to destabilise the senate. To achieve what? For what purpose? It is not right for anyone to make such unfounded insinuations. We are almost three years in office, the election year is drawing nearer, and I think anyone thinking of upstaging the leadership of the senate for any reason will only be fighting a lost battle because it is not what should naturally occupy the mind of any serious-minded lawmaker. Senator Adamu challenged those who levelled the allegations against him to provide facts to prove the allegations. I cant be after Saraki, and I wont do anything to upstage the leadership as being claimed because its a fruitless venture. But if I believe strongly in a cause, I stand by it. If Ive offended anyone by my strong stand on some issues in the senate, it is in accordance with my conviction. I stand by it anytime. But talking of trying to cause disaffection in the senate is not an issue at all. Whatever we do in this world, we must be ready to bear our cross. Im ready to bear mine. Anyone who knows me will say clearly that Im not plotting to remove Saraki. Let them look for another thing to say, he added. Senators jumbo pay Meanwhile, a recent revelation by Shehu Sani, may have given life to the allegation that Nigerian Senators are heavily paid for performing their duty of lawmaking. But judges at the International Criminal Court disagreed. Presiding judge Howard Morrison said the purpose of reparations "is to repair the harm that was inflicted on the victims" and where possible to try restore things to where they were before. "That this amount may be high is simply a result of the extent of the harm caused by the crimes for which the person was convicted," Morrison added. In its first-ever reparations, the ICC in March 2017 awarded a symbolic $250 each to 297 people caught up in the brutal attack by Katanga's militia on Bogoro village in Ituri province. It also awarded collective compensation for projects to help victims with housing, education and "income-generating activities" as well as counselling. Katanga is now behind bars in the Democratic Republic of Congo completing a 12-year sentence handed down by the ICC in 2014 on five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the attack. He was convicted of supplying weapons to his militia, which went on the rampage in Bogoro, shooting and hacking to death with machetes some 200 people, out of a small close-knit community of about 800 people. The ICC's judges assessed the total damage caused by the attack at some $3.7 million (three million euros). But they also ruled that Katanga, despite being penniless, was "personally liable" for a million dollars in damages. Katanga's lawyers had appealed against the award, saying it was excessive, and did not reflect his role in the event. But Morrison said Thursday "the attack was particularly intense" and it was "not unreasonable" for the trial judges "to presume that psychological harm was experienced by the inhabitants of Bogoro resulting from the loss of their family members, near or distant." The appeals judges also ruled that five children, born after the attack, who had applied for compensation must have their claims re-assessed after they were initially turned down. Two further appeals In a separate appeal Thursday, the ICC judges also mostly confirmed damages awarded against Malian jihadist Ahmad Al-Faqi Al-Mahdi. Mahdi was sentenced in September 2016 to nine years in jail after pleading guilty to destroying the fabled shrines at Timbuktu. The ICC judges found in August that he was liable for 2.7 million euros in personal damages for the destruction of the site, committed as jihadists swept across northern Mali in 2012. But the appeals court slightly amended the wording, to allow individual victims to appeal if their application for compensation is rejected, and to allow victims to keep their identities secret from Mahdi. He also argued that "such measures against allied countries, who respect international trade rules, would not be effective in fighting unfair practises" and said the European Union would respond in a "clear and proportionate manner to all practises that are unfair or contrary to international trade rules". On Thursday, Trump defied warnings from US allies in announcing tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium. He said they would not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions. The dueling websites and their conflicting occupancy information are the latest twist in the oft-bizarre battle between President Donald Trumps family business and the majority owner of the Panama City property, who has spent months trying to oust the Trumps as both the managers and the branders of the hotel. On Monday, the majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, declared victory and a worker pried the silver T-R-U-M-P name from the property, even as the Trump Organization described the move as legally improper and disputed that it had permanently lost control. By Thursday, a statement was released that said the hotel had a new name, Bahia Grand Panama; a new website; and even new social media accounts. The statement, sent from Public Relations, declared, As of today, the former Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama is no longer managed by or affiliated with Trump brand. Dont tell that to the Trumps, who continue to make their case in various legal venues. In a statement, the Trump Organizations chief legal officer, Alan Garten, noted that the management contract mandates that all disputes be resolved through binding arbitration and that Trump Hotels has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Mr. Fintiklis. Fintikliss actions Thursday, Garten said, constitute an abuse of process and represent another attempt by him to misuse the Panamanian courts in an effort to circumvent arbitration. We look forward to litigating this matter in the forum agreed upon by the parties where we are confident we will prevail, Garten said. Amid the legal wrangling, the Trump Organizations website and social media for the property continued to exist, with no sign of the struggle. But when a reporter tried to book a room, the Trump website replete with information on accommodations, dining options and the health club responded as if the hotel was filled: We apologize. There are no available rooms for your requested stay. Please check your dates and try again. Over at thebahiagrand.com, a message greeted guests: Welcome to the Bahia Grand Panama, the only luxury hotel directly on the open waters of the majestic gulf of Panama City with one exciting change were under new management. Even though the name was not unveiled until Thursday, the hotel owners seemed to have had it picked out for more than a month. The new website was registered on Jan. 30, according to records from the cyberforensics company DomainTools. The bare-bones website does not detail where guests can eat or drink on the property. But one thing is clear: The book now tab shows availability. In fact, the fight between the Trumps and Fintiklis has centered on the hotels occupancy rates. Fintiklis has claimed that profit has plummeted as the hotel sat virtually empty. The Trump Organization disputes that claim and argues that the hotel continues to outperform the market by a wide margin as the broader Panamanian hotel business has struggled. The dispute exploded last month when Fintiklis appeared at the hotel with an entourage and sought to fire several Trump-employed staff members. The Trump employees stood their ground. Then, on Monday, Fintiklis arrived with a contingent of court officials and police officers and a Panamanian court order authorizing a change of administration. He declared victory. The Trumps pushed back. The Panamanian court order, the Trumps argued, merely authorized the appointment of a temporary, third party administrator to oversee the management of the property while the underlying dispute is being litigated. That nuance did not prevent Fintiklis, a Cypriot citizen, from heading to the baby grand piano in the lobby to play and sing Accordeon, a popular Greek song about the fight against fascism. The piano is not featured on either website. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. In a rare message to the four, the lawmaker has told them to stay together ahead of the 2022 General Elections, lest their split would serve to benefit Jubilee Party. This comes after news that the coalitions affiliate members each presented their preferred 2022 presidential candidates, further confirming the alliances looming split. The Wiper point-man has warned that any attempts by the opposition coalition chiefs to separate will easily hand over the leadership to Jubilee Party for a third term. The lawmaker has, however, also advised the embattled coalition to re-organise themselves in advance and settle on their preferred presidential candidate in time. Fooled On Wednesday, ANC Secretary General Barack Muluka exposed a plan in which ODM leader Musalia Raila Odinga alleged fooled the three other principals to miss the controversial swearing in fete at Uhuru Park on January 30. Mr Barrack Muluka, the ANC secretary-general, claimed that Mr Odinga threw his colleagues into a spin when he appeared alone at Uhuru Park despite an agreement to meet at one of the principals houses before the event. Mr Muluka sensationally claimed that Mr Odinga had asked his three fellow principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula to switch off their phones and wait for his call using a Nigerian number. The call, Mr Muluka claimed, took long to come, and when it did it failed to answer the questions the trio asked. The principals were not foolish, and they did not switch off their phones. When one of them called, and put Raila on speaker, he said I am marooned and he was asked by who? And he said, these people. Back-To-School Wish List Monday was the first day of classes for everyone attending NYC public schools for the 2021-2022 school year. Many parents are happy about it, some... Letters to the Editor 34th Anniversary Party To The Editor: Hello allI hope everyone had a great end to the summer and are looking forward to the fall. As... Opinion Ryan Bridge: The Govt's COVID-19 messaging is all over the shop - do lockdowns stop when enough Kiwis are vaccinated? On March 3 the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund announced that national train operator Trainose, which was bought by FS Group last year, had submitted the only binding offer for a 100% stake in rolling stock maintenance business EESSTY. Greeces privatisation agency said the evaluation process would begin immediately. ARGENTINA: Infrastructure authority Trenes Argentinos Infraestructura has awarded contracts to undertake Phase 3 of the track renewals programme on the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network. Property details: 0.5 acres of Fully Wooded land in S.W. Tennessee!Located in safe gated community with 4 lakes!Saulsbury, Tennessee, 38067 Cash Sale, No Reserve! CC accepted! Assessed $2,600, but you decide the price! 3 DAY ONLY AUCTION! Bid Now, so you don't miss this opportunity!$295 Processing FeeMore details and information below PROPERTY DESCRIPTION:1092 and 1093 Edgewood Dr., Saulsbury, TN 38067 Hardeman County, Tennessee Parcel ID / Tax ID : CWL Lot 1092/1093 / 169O H 21.00 & 169O H 22.00Type Of Property:... Price: $ 810 Seller State of Residence: California Property Address: Edgewood Drive State/Province: Tennessee City: Saulsbury Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential Zip/Postal Code: 38067 Location: 380**, Saulsbury, Tennessee You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 38067 Property details: LAND FOR SALE SHELTER COVE, CALIFORNIA Would you like to own property in stunning Humboldt County? Does residential ocean view land in Shelter Cove interest you? Here is your opportunity to purchase a well situated lot for a fraction of market value. The property itself has paved road access along Blueridge Road and measures approximately 12,632 square feet. Please feel free to drive out and visit the property for yourself prior to bidding. Well situated land in this area of Californa is general... Price: $ 3,540 Seller State of Residence: Wisconsin State/Province: California Zip/Postal Code: 95589 City: Shelter Cove Zoning: Residential Vacant Land Type: Residential Vacant Land Location: 532**, Milwaukee, Wisconsin You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Residential Vacant Land Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Photos by Mark Saint If we could indulge our vehicular interests in the same manner we do our firearms, then it wouldnt take long to amass a fleet thatd rival our childhood Hot Wheels collection. With our daily drivers, though, we can usually only afford to buy one that can accomplish a variety of tasks. With each survival-oriented vehicle we cover in this publication, the point is to give you, dear reader, some inspiration to start thinking about what would best suit your individual needs and budget if you could only pick one. Some people, however, arent limited to just one. Youll probably recall the name Survivor Truck if youre a regular reader of RECOIL. We previously covered owner Jim DeLoziers first two iterations of said vehicle in Issues 8 and 22. The first one being an 80 Chevy C70 thatd damn near rival an MRAP; the second being a Cummins-diesel-powered Ford Excursion. Each has its own unique story and purpose. Jims created yet another that now encompasses all three major U.S. automakers. Why? What could he possibly do with all these trucks? We asked Jim the same questions, to which he answered, Whatever I want. Lets back up a little and revisit Jims initial intentions. While living in California, Jim couldnt help but cogitate on what sort of vehicle would enable him to go a long distance with a lot of gear if SHTF. There was no way to do that with what he had at the time. So if he had to get 500 miles away from the Golden State with family and supplies, Survivor Truck 1 became the solution to that problem. Now that he no longer resides in the land of background checks to buy ammo, the next obstacle was how to make the first version smaller and still get a safe distance with enough people and gear to make escape practical. Survivor Truck 2 took care of just that. Now, the question became, what could he drive on a daily basis instead of just having a vehicle for an emergency and also be a bit more mainstream for his clients? Answer a kitted-out 14 Ram. Yes, its a Dodge, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles changed the truck line name to Ram as of 2010. I was looking at new trucks and wanted something I could drive everyday that was light, small, and efficient, DeLozier says. The Ram was the best value. A Ford or Chevy with the same payload wouldve cost me $10K more, and $15K more for a Toyota. The Ram came with a bumper-to-bumper lifetime warranty for an extra $2,400, an eight-speed electronic HD transmission, and a 5.7L Hemi. Before its loaded down I can get 22 mpg highway, and around 17 to 18 around town. Being as hard on trucks as he is, Jim felt the performance combined with the warranty was nothing to sneeze at. Next came the ancillaries. Jim added a Rancho Shocks leveling kit in front with stiffer shocks in the rear, as well as Hellwig self-leveling airbags and antisway bar, and a VIAIR tank and compressors. Then came the need to outfit the bed to hold more gear. Jim reached out to Steve Ellis at Urban Garage and gave him a rough sketch of what he was looking for. Ellis welded up a bed rack to support the Cascadia Vehicle Tents Mt. Rainier 3+ person tent. Jim then designed mounts for lights, cameras, RotopaX fuel cans, fire extinguisher, and GoLights. The fuel can mounts wrap vertically around the cans, making them very secure and completely supporting the weight, providing a platform for a 360-degree pan/tilt GoLight searchlights on each side that are controlled by two joysticks. Jim also added a beveled scene light on each side and created recessed areas for bed lighting, both provided by Whelen. The rear lighting, flood lighting, and RDS lightbar in the front were provided by Rigid Industries and the emergency lighting and adjustable-beam lightbar are from Fenix and are controlled by two Switch Pros eight-switch control modules. The bumpers come from Iron Cross Automotive with LED bumper lights and a Warn Winch, shackles, and Spydura synthetic cable. The trucks exterior was shod in LineX for durability. For electronics, three Odyssey Extreme AGM batteries are charged and controlled through a Blue Sea ML Remote Battery Switch automatic charge relay and 200-amp circuit breaker for each feed, with fuses and relays on each appliance for total protection of the system. The C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) system consists of a Panasonic VG-Z1 Toughpad mounted in a Havis docking station and four full-time cameras (IR, thermal, PTZ) in BASH (Ballistic Anti-Shock Housings) from Dotworkz. Cameras and monitor by VDO are powered through a solid-state computer, MoFi 4G/LTE router MobileMark antenna. All of this is integrated with his other vehicles via a Silvus Technologies tactical mesh network configured by Brent Kinnaman at K-Tac Communications in San Diego. There is also a Cobra Electronics CB radio and 2,400-watt power inverter, two-way radio hard mount, and portable HAM radio. We think its safe to say Jim isnt building mall crawlers and has something thatll enable him to face sh*t head on if things get hairy. If youre in the market to create your own survival vehicle, feel free to reach out to Jim via his websites for consultation. At this point hes on track to be the Q Branch of tactical trucks, so theres a good chance he can point you in the right direction if youre not sure where to start and want to turn your daily into a bug-out vehicle. Its probably only a matter of time before were reporting on yet another addition to his armada of vehicles. Anyone want to take bets on an Aston Martin with revolving plates? Were not ruling it out. Survivor Truck 3 2014 Ram 1500 44 Crew Cab 5.7L Hemi Eight-speed electronic www.survivortruck.com www.onestopsurvival.com Wheels Make: RBP Model: 94 R Black, 179 URL: rollingbigpower.com Tires Make: Cooper Model: Discoverer STT Pro, 33-inch URL: us.coopertire.com Bumpers Make: Iron Cross Automotive Model: Ram 1500 URL: www.ironcrossautomotive.com Accessory Lights Make: Golight Model: 34 URL: golight.com Lightbar (Bottom) Make: Rigid Industries Model: RDS URL: www.rigidindustries.com Accessory Lights Make: Rigid Industries Model: 22 URL: www.rigidindustries.com Lightbar (Top) Make: Fenix Model: 52-inch AI-5217 speed-sensing adjustable beam (spot/flood) with strobe and manual controls URL: www.fenixlight.com Saw Make: Broco Model: Mini Breaching Saw URL: www.broco-rankin.com Backpack Make: 5.11 Tactical Model: Rush72 URL: www.511tactical.com Extrication Kit Make: One Stop Survival Model: Extreme Rescue and Extrication Kit URL: www.onestopsurvival.com Onboard Air System Make: VIAIR Model: Dual 444C OBA URL: www.viaircorp.com Rifle Make: Springfield Armory Model: M1A in Sage EBR chassis URL: www.springfield-armory.com Rifle Make: Remington Model: 700 / McRee chassis URL: www.remington.com Pistol Make: Heckler & Koch Model: VP9 Tactical URL: www.hk-usa.com Misc. Drawer Contents Three custom AR-15s, Haley Stretegic Disruptive Environments chest rigs, Watershed Bags, Chinook Medical EPMK 1 medical kit, Strider Knives machete, three Glock 41s, Kestrel Ballistic Weather Meter and DROP unit, Leupold LTO Tracker handheld thermal tool Shotgun Make: Remington Model: VangComp Custom 870 URL: www.remington.com Storage Make: Decked Model: Dodge Ram 1500 URL: www.decked.com Spare Tire Carrier Make: Wilco Offroad Model: Hitchgate URL: www.wilcooffroad.com Seat Cover Make: Wet Okole Model: Dodge Ram URL: www.wetokole.com Experts argue that the top two players in each category will receive funding sooner or later, but for laggards, the market is still challenging. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com In the last few weeks, several start-ups raised money: Zomato, Swiggy, BigBasket, and Zoomcar were among the prominent names. Has the funding cycle turned for start-ups? The big deals may suggest so, but they dont reflect the full story. While the outlook is positive, theres hardly any sign of angel activity returning. According to a top executive of a venture capital firm, the pace of investment is picking up after the slowdown in 2016 and a large part of 2017. Most of the discount and high-burn behaviour of the companies was rationalised during 2016 and 2017 and the surviving companies have made good progress in the last two years, which is resulting in a good number of Series C, Series B, and Pre-Series B deals, he said. The executive attributed the low deal flow on the seed side to a ripple effect of 2015, when many companies started and then died. On top of that, imposition of angel tax, too, has reduced angel investments in the last six to eight months, analysts pointed out. Ankur Warikoo, founder, Nearbuy (earlier Groupon India) that was bought by Paytm, said the past two years were a cleansing period, when funding dried up and only those that had either built scale or had positive unit economics survived. This year, these will be rewarded. There was never a dearth of capital. With the cleansing, these opportunities are much clearer. But, Dhruv Agarwala, chief executive officer of PropTiger, which acquired rival Housing.com, does not think there is a funding cycle turnaround yet. The issue is that barring Alibaba/Ant Financial, Naspers/Tencent, and SoftBank, there are really no other investors writing large cheques, he said. Among the recent deals, Zomato, Swiggy, and BigBasket have been funded by the Alibaba Group and Tencent, while Zoomcar has raised money from Mahindra & Mahindra, which has a strategic intent. Experts argue that the top two players in each category will receive funding sooner or later, but for laggards, the market is still challenging. Anybody whos not No. 1 or 2 will find it difficult to raise late-stage capital unless the froth returns, which is not imminent, according to analysts. So, while there is a spurt in late-stage deals for category leaders or challengers, deal activity has slowed down in early stage, while the crunch continues in Series A/B/C. In fact, after the hype in 2015, investors are taking more time to close deals. According to a study last year, the average age of start-ups raising angel funding in 2015-16 was 1.8 years, which increased to 3.8 years in 2017. Also, only 24 per cent of the start-ups that raised money in 2016 were generating revenues; in 2017, 88 per cent of the start-ups that raised money were generating revenues. It is a vicious cycle. A slowdown in angel or seed stage deals means fewer companies getting to Series A, says Ashish Sharma, CEO at Temasek-backed InnoVen Capital. A virtuous cycle works the other way, like in 2015, when there was excess liquidity. Theres one more trend: VCs are doing more follow-on rounds in investee companies. While VC firms have dry powder of $5 billion to $7 billion, many VCs are doing follow-on rounds in companies they have invested earlier -- if they are bullish, they are investing in proportion to their share and even leading the Series B rounds in these companies. There is enough supply of capital, but there is a flight to quality. "How many start-ups raising Series A/B/C money are able to achieve what they promise? "The say-to-do ratio has to be a lot higher, said Sharma. In any case, not all companies raising Series A will get Series B, and not all raising Series B capital will be able to raise a Series C round. Theres much learning from all this. Suresh Narasimha, founder, CoCreate Ventures, said, We now know it takes a lot of money to build venture scale business and we have the metrics to spot the winners. Series A will see lesser companies, higher valuations, and higher fund infusions, he pointed out. This could result in a rush of consolidation across the sector. I am seeing higher dollar invested per angel, but lesser angels per syndication, and definitely more stringent control and terms. "We will see more active investors than what we have seen earlier, said Narasimha. Sandeep Murthy, partner at venture capital firm Lightbox, believes the true potential of the investment opportunity in India will be realised with the emergence of large super-consolidators who will drive the M&A (mergers and acquisitions) market. In the US and China, we saw that four companies play the role of aggregators in each market. "These four players in each market (Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple in the US; Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi in China) all come from the same four verticals -- search, e-commerce, social networking, and devices. In India, the US and Chinese players will be vying for dominance in these verticals along with well-funded Indian start-ups like Flipkart, Hike, and traditional Indian companies such as Reliance, M&M, and Tata Group, according to Murthy. This trend is already playing out, with a few strategic deals announced this year, and there are more in the pipeline. I think M&A transactions between bricks and clicks will be quite a rage, said Sushanto Mitra, founder & CEO, Lead Angels. M&A transactions will generate exits for early-stage investors that could trigger a turnaround for early-stage deals by the last quarter of this calendar, he added. Kalanick said the fund would focus on large-scale job creation through investments in real estate, e-commerce and upcoming innovations from India and China. Travis Kalanick, founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) of Uber, is looking to back innovative technology-start-ups in India and China through his newly launched fund 10100, pronounced as ten-one-hundred. Kalanick said the fund would focus on large-scale job creation through investments in real estate, e-commerce and upcoming innovations from India and China. He will also route his philanthropic efforts through the fund besides the for-profit investments. The overarching theme will be about large-scale job creation, with investments in real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovation in China and India. "Our non-profit efforts will initially focus on education and the future of cities, the statement, which Kalanick tweeted, said. The announcement comes around two months after SoftBank began the process of lapping up Uber shares in the secondary market at a $48 billion valuation. Kalanick is said to have offered to sell nearly half of his shareholding in Uber. He ended up selling 39 per cent of it for $1.4 billion. While he was the CEO of Uber, Kalanick was extremely bullish on India. He had said the company had a real chance of replacing car ownership with ride hailing in India. It was on his watch that Uber got into a multi-million dollar war, over customers and drivers, with its rival Ola. Kalanicks decision to focus on backing innovation in India comes at a time when a dark cloud has been cast over Ubers future in the country. While Ubers current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company continued to be committed to India, a merger with Ola brokered by SoftBank is rumoured to be on the cards. Experts say that a deal to sell Ubers India unit to Ola looks all the more imminent after the company has apparently agreed to sell its Southeast-Asia business to rival Grab. In return, it will receive a 20 per cent stake in the combined entity. The US company has already sold its China business to rival Didi and Russian business to rival Yandex Cabs. The revelation that Kalanick had turned a blind eye to former Uber Asia-Pacific president Eric Alexander obtaining medical records of a 26-year-old woman, who had been raped by an Uber driver in Delhi sent shockwaves through the company and its board. Global media reported that Alexander had discussed the theory that the rape was a setup by rival Ola with Kalanick and Emil Michael, who was the chief business officer at Uber, then. The news prompted the board to send a letter to terminate the employment of Michael and asked Kalanick to take a three-month leave of absence from which he did not return. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters A century-old company -- that started as an infrastructure provider for large religious gatherings like the Kumbh Mela -- has expanded its role to keeping the premises of such gatherings litter-free. Sneha Bhattacharjee reports. IMAGE: From cleaning, lighting to all civil work related to the mega religious event, Lallooji & Sons was in charge at the Mahamastakabhisheka of the Gomateshwara statue in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka in February. Photograph: Abishek N Chinnappa/Reuters In India, litter, garbage and other means of causing pollution are synonymous with any mass gathering, especially if it is a mega festival. Setting off crackers during Diwali which leaves roads and public places littered with debris, what to say of the pollution caused by smoke, garbage produced after and during Durga Puja celebrations and the innumerable small festivals and ceremonies taking place in every locality... India hosts so many festivals, a Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is needed every day. In the circumstances, people who try to ensure a hygienic temple premise, litter-free organisation of festivals, seem like manna from heaven. One such century-old organisation is Lallooji & Sons. Incorporated in 1920, and headquartered in Lucknow, LSJ has been at the forefront of organising the Kumbh Mela as well as the Magh Mela. Micro-managing the event, right from the structural management of the tents and stay area, to the cleanliness and maintenance of hygiene inside the premises, LSJ has evolved from just being an infrastructure company to an event management firm. "We began by providing just the basic infrastructure facilities for organising festivals on a large scale," says one of its founding partners, Suneel Kumar Agarwal, adding "with time, we realised that was not enough and we needed to expand our reach." This year, LSJ added one more mega festival to its responsibilities -- the Mahamastakabhishek held at Shravanabelagola, Karnataka, that attracted lakhs of visitors from across the country. Considering the scale of the festival, it was also expected to generate tonnes of garbage and filth. No one municipal corporation has the capacity to address this order of garbage clearance. So this time, the government decided to keep the event as clean and sacred as the place. From cleaning, lighting to all the other civil work related to the event, over 350 people were hired from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for the task at Shravanabelagola. For this, LSJ set up temporary townships across 13 cities and towns, and involved housekeeping staff from all these 13 places. With over 700 large bins placed across the town to collect the waste, experts were hired for taking up the task of ensuring safe and convenient disposal of the collected waste. Does such a large-scale work pose a challenge for LSJ? Not really, says Agarwal. "We have been doing this work for nearly 100 years. The workspace and area might change but not the quality and effort we put in," he adds. "Everything is systematic and streamlined. We just allot the work taking everybody into account from across the country," says Agarwal. Accountability is what makes LSJ stand out. From the Rann Utsav in Gujarat to tourism and educational expos and fairs across the country, LSJ has made its presence felt with the help of high-class infrastructure that includes German-aluminium hangers, octonorm, hanger superstructures as well as its dedicated workforce that is based across India. So, what has indeed changed from the way festivals were organised before and now? "Not much," says Agarwal. "We still have to bid for tenders against small-scale competitors. It is just that we now not just provide infrastructure at the event, but are wholly involved in organising it right from scratch." While keeping a big event place neat and clean, especially when VVIPs and religious leaders are visiting, is a challenge, Agarwal feels it is their years of experience in handling mega events that makes them sail through smoothly. 'Through an old train ticket, a ubiquitous red and black pencil, his promotion letter to me, my plane ticket to Bangalore and Thomas House -- five objects and institutions -- my memories of his fine life, will linger.' R Gopalakrishnan remembers T Thomas. T Thomas, the legendary chairman of Hindustan Unilever, passed away on March 2, aged 90. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com There are innumerable stories from all sorts of people, who had career encounters with TT. The fact is that anyone who interacted with TT experienced some sort of a transformational effect. The transformation sometimes dawned on the person years later. Most people felt enhanced by the interaction and transformation, though a few also felt singed. The fit way to honor TT is neither to repeat oft-told stories, nor to mechanically chronicle his myriad accomplishments -- at HLL and Unilever, at Glaxo and Lafarge, at Cathedral and John Connon School and at Mother Theresa's Asha Daan -- but rather to share the texture of his relationships through remnants of a bygone period. IMAGE: There are innumerable stories, from all sorts of people, who had unique career encounters with Mr Thomas. Photograph: Kind courtesy Hindustan Unilever Memories of associations have a texture to them. Since they are products of the human brain, they are notoriously malleable. They take different forms at different times. Memories sit at the delicate intersection of episodes, places and emotions. But an object or an institution is a real thing, a physical thing, something which holds within its gnarled remnants some truth or emotion of an association. It is through objects and institutions that tangible, lively and reliable memories can be reconstructed. A rail ticket from Amritsar to Delhi. I held an old card ticket to travel by AC First Class from Amritsar to Delhi by the Frontier Mail. So did TT. He had travelled with me for three days during my branch sales management stint -- by road from Chandigarh to Amritsar -- intently watching how I dealt with distributors and market developments. At 9.30 pm, while we both sat in the coupe en route back to Delhi, he asked me, "So I want you to come to Mumbai and assist me with corporate communications." "Sir, you must be joking, what is corporate communications anyway?" I stuttered. He nailed me to the upper berth with a steely stare, "The Chairman of HLL does not joke with BSMs at 9.30 in the night." I stored the train ticket as a keepsake and started to plan my return to Mumbai. In hindsight, the train ticket symbolises to me the extent of trouble and care HLL took to groom talent. A red and black pencil with an eraser to shape an institution. TT was a copious user of these instruments of communication. He drafted and redrafted his speeches, improving the crispness and focus with his precise point of advocacy. HLL's case came up before the MRTP (the then Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices) commission for setting up a chemical factory. In a rare display of corporate chutzpah, he did not rely on solicitors and counsels, he argued the HLL case personally -- and succeeded. He wrote notes to the finance minister, the industries minister, Opposition members of Parliament and to anybody who mattered to argue that making soap from Indian forest seed oils was a very high quality technological development compared to the easier global method of making soap from animal fats. It saved the country foreign exchange. He authored a new word, PTG, standing for Processed Tri Glycerides, to demonstrate the sophistication (=relevant for India) of the chemical process. He met (then prime minister) Indira Gandhi to argue that control of prices on soaps was counterproductive. He was persistent and indefatigable. The red and black pencil and eraser played a quiet role in his successful advocacy. Occasionally, the output of his pencil and eraser failed his brilliant mind, for example, when I went to (the then) food minister, A C George with his note on Vanaspati price control. Alas, it was too late and George said, "Tell him I am sorry." Signed promotion letter from TT. From the musty files in my cardboard box, I pull out a sepia-tinted copy of a letter dated 1st July, 1977, addressed to me and signed by Chairman T Thomas. He must have signed many such letters to many people, but for me, my letter was, and is, special -- I had been promoted to 'Grade I manager' in the company. For days before the event, his able assistant, Amy Kharas, would call to check that I was not travelling, and to warn that somewhere between 3 pm and 5 pm, I may be called by the chairman. She had this smirk, "But I cannot tell you why." By the time of the appointed hour and date, I had knotted my tie several times, combed my hair with many combs and wiped my sweaty palms on numerous handkerchiefs kept in my pocket for the purpose. Those were the days -- innocent anticipation, the joy of surprise, the overwhelming feeling of elation -- all of these, and more, are the emotional sauces in which I (and many other wannabe HLL managers) sauteed our modest accomplishments and braised our future hopes. When I met him, he enquired whether I had had enough money on my recent trip to Unilever, did someone host me for lunch or dinner, and did I feel welcome? These then stayed as memories in my brain. A plane ticket to Bangalore. Just two years ago, he sat at seat 1B and I at 1C, we were both travelling to Bangalore on separate missions. With a benign nod, he asked me to sit next to him. I had observed his recent loss of memory as he would fail to recall conversations from the last few days. To my great surprise, for the 90 minutes that the journey lasted, he recounted for me his entire life from the village in Kerala, his poor economic status and every material incident that he felt he could share -- crystal clear recounting of incidents. He added the story of his arranged marriage to Susy Eapen, who initially rejected him for some small remark, but which he made up for -- by drafting a letter with his black and red pencil and eraser! Thomas House. He came from the deep belief that if you think of the right thing to do, God will show you the way to execute it. There was a struggle for several years to expand the facilities and curriculum of the Cathedral and John Connon School because suitable premises were not available, contiguous to the present school. Finally, one property seemed promising, things fell into place, and around his 90th birthday, the school decided to memorialise his contributions by naming the new building 'Thomas House'. IMAGE: Cathedral and John Connon School recently acquired Kodak House on D N Road, south Mumbai, for Rs 75 crores (Rs 750 million). It will be named Thomas House in Mr Thomas' memory when it opens. Mr Thomas is seen here at a Cathedral school meeting. Photograph: Kind courtesy cathedral-school.com And so, through an old train ticket, a ubiquitous red and black pencil, his promotion letter to me, my plane ticket to Bangalore and Thomas House -- five objects and institutions -- my memories of his fine life, will linger. TT, Rest in Peace in the Lord's arms. R Gopalakrishnan is the former vice chairman, HLL, and former director, Tata Sons. 'The muscularity of the last three years didn't bring any dividends and if anything, Chinese attitudes only hardened,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar. IMAGE: Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, February 23, 2018, is believed to have propelled India-China relations away from the direction of recent confrontation. Photograph: PTI Photo The government's advisory to senior officials to stay away from the functions commemorating the Dalai Lama's 60th year in exile has generated much excitement. The trend of opinion is that there has been a shift in India's China policy. But the GoI adopted a similar stance 10 years ago when the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's exile was observed. South Block has very good institutional memory -- and it had better be, since Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale used to be the head of the East Asia Division in the MEA 10 years ago. That the GOI decision is the correct one is not in doubt. India stands to gain nothing by annoying China on an issue that falls squarely within the domain of its domestic affairs. Indeed, China has taken note of the GOI advisory. The Global Times commented that it signified 'a subtle hint that India wanted to improve ties with Beijing' and is a 'welcome step by New Delhi.' The commentary underscored: 'The year 2018 is important for China and India after their relations were severely strained last year by multiple disputes including more than two months of standoff at Doklam. Neither of the two Asian powers wants to see this happen again. They need to enhance communication and properly manage their disputes, a situation in which Tibet is a critical issue.' Sadly, those Indians who rush to criticise the GoI seem pretty unhappy that New Delhi is jettisoning the 'muscularity' that was in evidence through the past three year period. Why they should feel so crestfallen at the thought of India-China tensions easing is beyond comprehension. Whose interests are they serving -- Taiwan's? Japan's? Or, America's? The muscularity didn't bring any dividends and if anything, Chinese attitudes only hardened. In the final analysis, it merely created the raison detre for India to jettison its strategic autonomy and join the US bandwagon. But then, we got nothing out of the US either -- except some seductive rhetoric now and then pampering our vanity. Basically, the US has been fueling India-China tensions to sell more weapons to India and to legitimise its fifth column among our elite, from a long-term perspective. Logically, therefore, a need arises today to explore how India's China policy can be productive and can serve national interests. Generally speaking, rivalry arises within a peer group, but in this case, China happens to have an economy over five times the size of India's. Our mantra has been that India will eventually 'overtake' China -- circa 2050. But in the long run, we are all dead, aren't we? Daydreaming is a recipe for inertia. We should live in the present and be realistic. The big question is how we can make use of China's rise. After all, there must be something we can learn out of the developmental experience of a country, which brilliantly succeeded in lifting 37,000 people above the poverty level every day in the past five years! China lifted 68.5 million people out of poverty in these past five years and intends to reduce the poor rural population by over 10 million this year. A good beginning will be that there is high-level Indian participation in the upcoming Boao Forum for Asia annual conference scheduled for April 8-11 in Hainan province in China. This is a far more consequential event from the Indian perspective than the Davos meet. In an informal setting, meaningful discussions become possible. Forbes magazine carried an interesting article recently, entitled 'Why India's Act East Needs China -- And China's Go West Needs India.' The point is, despite Doklam, despite the Dalai Lama or the border dispute and despite the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or other differences, China has consistently commended Modi's reform agenda. 'Emboldened by the BJP victory, the upper castes feel they must assert themselves and regain dominance over the rural power structure.' IMAGE: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, left, and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati Realpolitik can make political parties do the unthinkable, and that is what the BJP has forced upon the two arch rivals of UP politics. The coming together of Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav for the March 11 by-election in Uttar Pradesh marks a big shift in the politics of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party, two bitter enemies in UP politics. Twenty-three years after the BSP-SP alliance ended bitterly, the two parties have come together to counter the BJP in the Lok Sabha by-election in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. The Gorakhpur seat was represented by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from 1998 to 2017. Phulpur, represented once by Jawaharlal Nehru, was won by Keshav Prasad Maurya, now UP's deputy CM by a record margin in 2014. "Akhilesh and Mayawati head major parties and will have to play a lead role in collecting all the anti-BJP forces," Dr Prashant Trivedi of the Lucknow-based Giri Institute of Social Studies, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. "I expect Akhilesh to take the major lead in forming an organic coalition. However authoritarian and temperamental Mayawati may be, she has to mend her ways and that's why they are coming together." Considering the bitter history the BSP and SP share (including the infamous 1995 attack in a Lucknow guesthouse where SP goons allegedly targeted Mayawati), what compulsions have brought these arch rivals together? The compulsions began from the last assembly election in UP. The BJP had fought the election on the slogan of non Yadav OBCs (Other Backward Classes) and non Jatav SCs (Scheduled Castes). The end result was that neither the non Yadav OBCs nor the non Jatav SCs gained, the entire gain went to the so-called upper castes. The representation of the upper castes in the UP assembly is at a record high. It is unprecedented in the last 20 or 30 years. This also reflects in the construct of the present government, the choice of ministers, appointments of officers and the policies of the government. OBCs and SCs are marginalised from the UP government after an election which was fought in their name, What changes on the ground forced these leaders to take this step? There has been pressure from the grassroot; cases of atrocities against Dalits have taken place which has put pressure on the BSP leadership. This pressure from below has made these leaders realise that they should combine to counter the hegemony of the upper castes which is reflected in the politics of the BJP. It is not only about MLAs/MPs and government, it is also about everyday life. Life in the rural areas has changed after the BJP came to power. OBCs and SCs used to have some say in the grassroot, rural, politics during the BSP or SP governments. Now they are being pressurised by the so-called upper castes. Emboldened by the BJP victory, the upper castes feel that since they have come to power after a long time, they must assert themselves and regain dominance over the rural power structure. This is reflected all over, but I am not sure if this is being conveyed by the media. The BSP-SP leadership is facing pressure from its people below to combine and counter the BJP's hegemony. It proves that there are no permanent enemies in politics, but it is not going to be an easy coalition, is it? The SP-BSP are coming together with a lot of precaution. The two parties have been rivals and because of the different agrarian relationships, BSP and SP supporters haven't had good relations. There have been plenty of clashes between OBCs and SCs. These parties will have to overcome these challenges. The threat of upper caste dominance being felt by its cadres has brought these two coalitions together. It is not only the coming together of two political parties, but two large coalitions going to the village, mohalla, taluka levels. The existing situation is ripe for that. What in the current political situation makes this an opportune time for the SP-BSP to come together? There are similarities with the post-1992 Babri Masjid demolition situation. The same kind of situation is prevailing in UP today -- the sort of aggressive Hindutva mobilisation. So the environment is very similar to 1993 when the two coalitions came together. That's why they are negotiating a path together, a lot of bargaining will take place. Slowly and steadily they are proceeding in that direction. It is not just about two religious communities, it is also about the hegemony of the upper caste in the everyday life of Dalits and OBCs. Does this show a shift in Mayawati's politics? She has been pushed to the wall after being reduced to just 19 seats in the UP assembly. Mayawati is responding to the prevailing situation. She has nominated a BSP cadre to the Rajya Sabha when all were expecting she would nominate herself. This conveys the message that the cadre of the party will be given due recognition. She has taken a very intelligent step by nominating another person. This will give her time to build and rectify her image and organisation. If she corrects her past mistakes, becomes accessible, interacts with her cadres, it won't be difficult for her to win back her constituency. In this kind of political situation her constituency is also facing an existential threat because Muslims and Dalits are at the receiving end. How has SP politics changed after its defeat a year ago? It is playing the lead role among political parties against the BJP in these by-polls. The SP has to play an effective Opposition. As of now, I am disappointed with the SP as the Opposition party. It is almost a year since the new government was formed and there has hardly been any struggle on the street which was a characteristic of the SP. SP cadres used to take to the streets and come out against government policies, whichever government it was. Under Akhilesh, they have not taken the position they should have. Akhilesh should learn how to do Opposition politics from his father. Mulayam Singh Yadav had a long innings as Opposition leader in UP before he became chief minister. What kind of partners will these two diverse leaders espousing diverse politics make? In the last election when the Congress and SP formed a coalition there were differences and a sense of one upmanship. The Congress would have advised Rahul against sharing the dais with a state leader, but in finality Akhilesh and Rahul (Gandhi) acted maturely, and things didn't become public. I expect Akhilesh to take the major lead in forming an organic coalition. However authoritarian and temperamental Mayawati may be, she has to mend her ways and that's why they are coming together. They both head major parties and will have to play a lead role in collecting all the anti-BJP forces. Akhilesh may have other weaknesses, but he is good at taking people along. Will this cooperation extend to the Lok Sabha election? There are two currents and counter currents running in Indian politics of our time. One, people are facing economic hardships across India post demonetisation and GST. Even hardcore BJP supporters, small and informal traders, are facing acute economic hardship, but at the same time in election after election they are voting for the same political party. This is happening because the BJP and RSS propaganda machinery has somehow presented Hindu nationalism as real nationalism. Indian nationalism that had united India for the last 70 years has been replaced by Hindu nationalism, led by the upper castes or Manuwadi ideology. These two currents are running across each other. Governance and election results are totally separated at this point. Human beings have the right to die with dignity. Thats what the Supreme Court said on Friday while accepting living wills for terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. However, what is passive euthanasia? What is a living will? Heres all you need to know on the issue. 1) What is passive euthanasia? Passive euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. The top court had, in 2011, recognised passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaugs case by which it had permitted the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision. 2) What is a living will? Living will is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally ill or no longer able to express informed consent. It is a concept associated with passive euthanasia. In a living will, you can outline whether or not you want your life to be artificially prolonged in the event of a devastating illness or injury. 3) Is the government opposed to passive euthanasia? Although the government has no problem with practising passive euthanasia as devised under the Aruna Shanbaug verdict, it has opposed living will in principle. The government has argued that consent expressed in the Living Wills could not be considered as informed, because the persons who opt for it may not be aware of future medical developments, which can later lead to betterment in the condition of the terminally ill patient today. The government has also expressed reservations, stating what if the person who has made a living will decides to withdraw such a will when he is no more in a condition to give consent. 4) Which countries allow euthanasia? In April 2002, the Netherlands became the first country to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide. Belgium too passed a law in 2002 legalising euthanasia, becoming the second country in the world to do so. In the United States, doctors are allowed to prescribe lethal doses of medicine to terminally ill patients in five states. Euthanasia, however, is illegal. In Germany and Switzerland, active assisted suicide -- ie, a doctor prescribing and handing over a lethal drug -- is illegal. But German and Swiss laws do allow assisted suicide in certain circumstances. Image used for representational purposes. Photograph: Reuters. A special court on Friday gave the Central Bureau of Investigation three more days for custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram in the INX Media corruption case, while the Delhi high court granted him relief, restraining the Enforcement Directorate from arresting him in a related money laundering case till March 20. Though the beleaguered son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram got a breather in the money laundering case, special judge Sunil Rana remanded him in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to Karti. The trial court order came hours after a high court bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta granted Karti interim protection from arrest till March 20. The high court asked the ED to satisfy it on the issue of its powers to arrest an accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the next date of hearing. The high court order failed to effectively bring any relief to Karti, who has been in CBI custody for the last nine days for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28. The trial court asked the CBI to produce Karti before it on March 12, and the agency still has the liberty to seek his remand for three more days as the law provides for custodial interrogation of an accused for 15 days for certain offences. The special judge posted the hearing on Karti's bail plea on March 15. The outcome of Karti's bail plea assumes significance as the high court has said that if he is granted the relief by the special judge, ED will not take any coercive steps against him till March 20, when it will hear the matter. Making it clear that the trial court shall pass orders without getting influenced by the high court's directions today, the bench said certain conditions be imposed on Karti like asking him to appear before the ED, as and when called by the investigating officer, and cooperate in the probe. He shall also be directed not to leave the country and surrender his passport, it said. Unperturbed with the high court's order, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is appearing for both the CBI and the ED in the case, told the trial court that Karti's custodial interrogation by the CBI was needed to confront him with the recovery of fresh incriminating documents. He said Karti also needed to be confronted with his chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, who was arrested by the ED and today remanded in judicial custody till March 22. Mehta claimed Karti was maintaining "a false stand" that he was not connected to Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd, but the new documents seized during the raid showed that it belonged to him or his family members. "The CBI has been able to give sufficient ground and justified reason to show that it is possible to uphold the contention of the CBI that for the purpose of further and complete investigation further custody of the accused is necessary to ensure continuity and to speed up investigation to secure the evidence, which may be useful at the trial or to arrive at the truth," the special judge said. Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister. The CBI had initially alleged that Karti received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for the FIPB clearance. It, however, later revised the figure to 1 million USD (about Rs 6 crore 50 lakh at current exchange rate and Rs 4 crore 50 lakh in 2007). The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former Director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17. P Chidambaram was present during the proceedings, both in the high court and the trial court, while his wife Nalini, also a senior advocate, was there in the trial court. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo The proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were virtually washed out for the entire week, as the Lok Sabha was on Friday adjourned for the day soon after it met and the Rajya Sabha in the afternoon following unabated protests by the opposition parties and ruling National Democratic Alliance allies the Telugu Desam Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam over various issues. IMAGE: TDP MP & Former Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju with Party MPs protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue at Parliament House demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh during the second phase of the budget session in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo Lok Sabha This was the first week of the second leg of the budget session of Parliament, in which the Finance Bill 2018 and Demands for Grants are slated to be passed. The Lok Sabha proceedings were washed out for the fifth straight day as members of several parties including TDP and AIADMK, continued their protests over various issues. While opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress were up in arms against the government over the Rs 12,700 crore fraud at the country's second largest PSU lender Punjab National Bank, Andhra Pradesh parties -- TDP and YSR Congress -- continued to press for special status to be granted to the state. Disappointed over thecCentre not granting the status, the TDP had on Thursday pulled out its two ministers -- Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdary -- from the Narendra Modi-led government. However, the party continues to be an NDA ally. While the AIADMK was demanding setting up of the Cauvery Board to settle water disputes with neighbouring states, few others were seen holding placards of Dravidian movement founder Thanthai Periyar, whose statue was defaced recently in Tamil Nadu. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi pressed for increased quota of Telangana. When the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan welcomed a parliamentary delegation from South Korea. Tributes were also paid to former members Prabodh Panda, Shyama Singh and Bhanu Kumar Shastri who died recently. Soon thereafter, the members of various parties trooped into the well carrying placards and raising slogans, prompting the speaker to remark that after a minute of silence, the House was again witnessing din. Members from he AIADMK, the TDP and the YSR Congress were in the well holding placards. Raju, senior TDP leader who had quit as the civil aviation minister, was also seen standing in the well with his party colleagues demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Like others, he too was wearing a stole depicting his party's colour. While one TDP MP was holding an idol, another had donned a colourful traditional headgear. Amid the din, the speaker adjourned the proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned for nearly 50 minutes when the Question Hour was in progress till noon. At noon, the noisy protests continued and the House was adjourned for the day soon after the listed papers were laid. Rajya Sabha Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha too, where the proceedings were disrupted again today as members of several parties stormed the well over various issues including India's biggest bank scam and special package for Andhra Pradesh, no sooner were the listed papers laid. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not wait long enough and adjourned the proceedings till 1430 hours. "One week has gone waste. This is no good. This is sad," he commented before adjourning the proceedings. Before the House saw its first adjournment, Naidu announced the nomination of Janata Dal-United member Kahkashan Parveen on the panel of presiding officers to conduct the proceedings of the House, making her the first woman to be included in the panel in the recent times. The historic move came a day after the International Women's Day when the members had expressed concern that there was no woman member in this panel, which was agreed to by the chairman. Referring to this, Naidu said that in deference to the wishes of members expressed on the occasion of International Women's Day yesterday, he is nominating Parveen on the panel with effect from April 3. According to the Upper House rules, the chairman nominates from amongst the members up to six vice-chairmen or presiding officers who chair the proceedings in absence of the chairman and the deputy chairman. Parveen would replace Basawaraj Patil, whose term expires on April 2, Naidu said, adding that she has been a mayor and the chairperson of the Bihar Mahila Aayog. Naidu, who is also vice-president of India, is the chairman of Rajya Sabha, while P J Kurien of Congress is the deputy chairman. The panel of vice-chairmen or presiding officers includes Satyanarayan Jatiya (BJP), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), T K Rangarajan (CPI-M), Bhubaneswar Kalita (Congress), Basawaraj Patil (BJP) and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (Trinamool Congress). When senior Congress member Viplove Thakur who had demanded the inclusion of a woman in the presiding officer's panel yesterday, rose to thank him, Naidu, in a lighter vein, said he wanted to nominate Thakur, but she would have lost her voice in the panel. "Viplove, in our language, means revolution," he said. Naidu's native language is Telugu. When the Upper House reassembled at 1430 hours and took up the Private Members' Business, Congress MP Pramod Tewari tried to raise a point of order on the issue of the banking scam. However, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien disallowed him from doing so and asked him to persuade his protesting party colleagues to return to their seats from the well. However, members of the Congress, TDP and AIADMK continued to be in the Well raising slogans. This prompted Kurien to adjourn the House for the day. Today being Friday, Private members' business was listed in the afternoon. There was no official bill listed in the business for the day. Sri Lankan troops guarded mosques and facilitated Friday prayers as authorities stepped up security in the violence-hit Muslim neighbourhoods in Kandy district after four days of riots that have left at least two people dead. IMAGE: Muslim men pray at a ground in Digana central district of Kandy, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Several homes, businesses and mosques in the hilly Kandy district have been damaged in anti-Muslim riots, since Monday. The violence erupted after the death of a Buddhist Sinhalese man last week. To rein in communal violence, a state of emergency has been imposed by President Maithripala Sirisena's government. A large number of Muslim-owned businesses in the island nation remained shut in protest against attacks by mainly Buddhist Sinhalese, but some shops in the Muslim neighbourhood opened on Friday. Army personnel and police constables patrolled outside mosques in Kandy where prayers were offered in open grounds in many places because mosques had been burnt or vandalised. About 3,000 police, 2,500 army personnel and 750 special task forces have been deployed in Kandy to bring the situation under control. "There were no incidents during the Friday prayers," a police official said, adding that investigators had stepped up the search for those who took part in the violence. At least 140 people, including the main suspect, have been arrested and brought to Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. Authorities have also blocked internet access across the district and disrupted Facebook and messaging platforms after police said they were used to instigate communal violence. Police said the situation had largely been peaceful during the day, however, curfew would be re-imposed in the district. "The curfew would be re-imposed in the Kandy district, except in the Kandy Municipality areas, from 8 pm today till 5 am tomorrow," Police spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. All schools remained close after the communal violence erupted. However, the Central Province Education Ministry today said that schools will reopen on Monday. On Thursday night, during the curfew, rioters tried to attack Muslim sites, but swift intervention by the army prevented arson. There were, however, incidents of stone pelting at Muslim sites elsewhere in the island. IMAGE: Muslim men pray as police officers stand guard. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Fresh violence erupted on Thursday in Muslim neighbourhoods in the Indian Ocean island nation's hilly central district. In the capital Colombo too, Muslim-owned businesses remained shut. Troops guarded mosques in the city while extra deployments were made to strengthen security and maintain peace. Meanwhile, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Kandy on Friday and held talks with religious leaders, including leading Buddhist monk. Rajapaksha urged both the Sinhalese and Muslim communities to live peacefully and accused the government of failing in its duties in controlling the situation. On Thursday, the police arrested 81 people, including the main suspect, for inciting violence against Muslims. The arrests came after the police came under increasing public criticism over its alleged inaction to prevent violence in spite of the imposition of curfew. Under attack for alleged police inaction, President Sirisena also replaced Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the law and order minister. Wickremesinghe had also announced that compensations would be paid to the victims affected by the violence. The communal violence has also hit the the tourism industry, as a number of foreign cancelled their visits. According to media reports, around 80 tourists have cancelled their bookings made at one of the top three travel companies in Sri Lanka, which could possibly amount to a loss of 800 nights. The Kandy region is about 115 kilometres from Colombo. It is popular tourist as well as Buddhist pilgrimage destination. The Sinhalese Buddhists are about 75 per cent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population while Muslims are 10 per cent of the population. Tensions between Muslim groups and the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community in the country have escalated since the end of the civil war in May 2009. In 2014, violence directed against Muslim minority groups broke out in the southwestern town of Aluthgama, following a rally by hardline Buddhist nationalist monks, resulting in the death of at least three Muslims. On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic -- the 269.06-metre-long iconic British luxury passenger liner with 2,224 passengers and crew -- sank, killing over 1,500 people and in course becoming one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th century. A 106 years later, rare and never-seen-before Titanic memorabilia will go on display at The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, Cornwall as part of the Titanic Stories to examine tales of survivors, victims and descendants of the catastrophe. And fans of the Oscar award-winning 1997 movie Titanic will also be in for a treat as props from the movie will also be exhibited. All photographs: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Lauren Hogan looks at lifebelt from the Titanic, one of only a couple which remains in existence, that was given by a survivor to a waiter working on the rescue ship Carpathia. The new exhibition runs until January 2019. A pocket watch belonging to Cornishman John Chapman, who drowned along with his wife Sarah who refused to get into a lifeboat without him. A scouts whistle belonging to Titanic steward Cecil Fitzpatrick. For those who have forgotten, the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. This exquisite clock, found on the Carpathia rescue ship, will also be on show for visitors during the fascinating exhibition. A facing slip belonging to postal clerk Oscar Woody (left) who was on board the ship when it made its fateful journey. A wallet belonging to Mauritz Adahal (left), whose body was found in the water. The wallet was returned to Adahals family after horrendous incident. A full-size replica lifeboat from the Titanic, giving visitors insight into the final moments of those fleeing the sinking ship. Publicity posters from the White Star Line shipping company, founded in 1850, which built the Titanic. A man looks at two of Kate Winslets dresses which she wore in her role as Rose in James Camerons 1997 blockbuster film, and is being displayed as part of the new Titanic Stories exhibition. Souvenirs available at the Titanic Stories exhibition on display at the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall. Six months after the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, Karnataka police on Friday arrested a man said to be linked with a right-wing radical group for his suspected involvement in the sensational killing. The special investigation team, probing the murder, said it arrested alleged gunrunner K T Naveen Kumar, who was taken into police custody on March 2 for interrogation in connection with the case. This is the first arrest in the case after the 55-year old Lankesh, known as an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Bengaluru on September 5 last year. "He (Naveen Kumar) has been arrested. He is an accused (in the case)," Deputy Commissioner of Police M N Anucheth, the investigating officer in the case, said. Police said Kumar, in his 30s, was suspected to be linked with a fringe right-wing radical group. Initially, he was arrested on February 19 on charges of illegally possessing five bullets. A case under the Arms Act was then registered against him and he was remanded to judicial custody by a court. Subsequently after interrogation, he was taken into eight-days custody by the SIT for suspected links in the Lankesh murder case. The arrest comes two days after state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the SIT would soon clear the air whether the police have picked up the right person in the case. Kumar's family has maintained that he was innocent and in no way connected to the case. The state government, which constituted the SIT headed by Inspector General of Police-Intelligence B K Singh, had announced Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone giving clues about the perpetrators of the crime. The killing of the journalist had drawn widespread condemnation and the Siddaramaiah government had come under flak for not making any headway in nabbing the culprits. A row has erupted over a video in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi reportedly "dodged" a question by an economist about lower per-capita income of the country whenever his family was in power. The controversial interaction took place on Thursday when Rahul began taking questions from the audience during an event organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. "With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff," said the Congress, on its Twitter handle while referring to the economist's question. However, Prasenjit K Basu, the economist who asked the question, claimed the Congress edited the video of the event and put out an unedited version which purportedly showed Rahul did not take the question. In the video Basu asked, "Why is it that during the years that your family ruled India, Indias per capita income was growing less than the world average? And yet, in the years since your family relinquished the prime ministership of India, Indias per capita income has grown substantially faster than the world average." The video then cuts to another member of the audience praising the Congress. "I am a great admirer of you great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru and I think all the good things wherever India is today is because of the Indian Congress Party. And even in the Constitution your party has very successfully put the values of the Congress party into the Constitution." In his response to both, Rahul Gandhi says, You are both going to extremes. I mean give me something in the middle. I mean he (Basu) is saying I am the cause of every single problem. And you (second speaker) is saying I am the cause of every single solution. I mean, this is crazy. "This conversation shows you the polarisation. That gentleman (Basu) thinks that nothing has ever been done by the Congress party. This gentleman (second speaker) thinks that everything has been done by the Congress party. Let me tell you what the truth is. Indias success is hugely because of Indias people. However, anybody in this room who thinks that the Congress is not part of that success needs to write a new book," Rahul said. I am a person who has been taught to love my opponents and people who might dislike me. So I have absolutely no animosity towards somebody who says I have achieved nothing. I respect even your opinion to be able to say that in this room I am proud to sit in a room and have a gentleman say this to me. Mr. Narendra Modi would never do that. You would never have the ability to say what you said to me in front of Mr. Narendra Modi. I am absolutely brazenly proud of that, Gandhi added. At the end of the video, Gandhi even invites Basu for a hug. Basu, however, contested the Congress's version of the events. Replying to Congress's tweet, Basu said, "This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapores courts!" Reacting to the development, Bharatiya Janata Party's Narasimha Rao said, "You have inherited the mantle as a dynast. So, you will be asked questions of your family's poor track record in office and its 'poverty perpetuating model' for promoting political interests. Post 2004, I'm glad you are admitting your role in scam-ridden governance." With inputs from PTI Photograph: Kind Courtesy @OfficeOfRG/Twitter The US president lauded the announcement on Twitter, writing Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Lalit K Jha/PTI reports IMAGE: Trump will meet North Korea's Kim Jong-un after having spent the past year making belligerent statements about each other, with the US president mocking Kim as Little Rocket Man and pledging to totally destroy North Korea and Kim calling the American president a dotard and a lunatic and threatening to send nuclear bombs to Washington, DC. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images United States President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by May, a top South Korean official announced on Friday even as the White House said the two leaders would meet at a place and time to be determined. South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong, who led his countrys delegation to Pyongyang for talks with the North Korean leaders, made the announcement at the White House hours after he briefed Trump and his national security team. Reading from a prepared statement, Chung said the North Korean leader has expressed his eagerness to meet with President Trump as soon as possible. Chung attributed the North Korean turnaround to Trumps leadership and his maximum pressure policy together with international solidarity. In his meeting with the North Korean leader, Chung said Trump is committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible, he said. IMAGE: South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong, Cho Yoon-je, the South Korean Ambassador to the US and National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon, make an announcement about North Korea and the Trump administration outside of the West Wing at the White House in Washington, DC. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters President Trump appreciated the briefing, and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation. The Republic of Korea, along with the United States, Japan, and our many partners around the world, remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, Chung said. Along with Trump, we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution, he said. The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions, the South Korean national security adviser said. Reacting to the announcement White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong un at a place and time to be determined. She added that the sanctions on the reclusive nation must remain. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain, Sanders said. According to a senior administration official, Trump may meet the North Korean leader in couple of months. Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Kims desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work. We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce. Remember, North Korean regimes have repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time, he said. North Korea uses this to advance its nuclear and missile programs. Weve got to break this cycle. The United States and South Korea must stand shoulder-to-shoulder in applying the sustained pressure needed to peacefully end this threat. And Beijing must do its part, Royce said. Discontentment of allies may not look serious now, but the BJP needs to develop a better mechanism to deal with the allies ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019. The Telugu Desam Party is fuming. The Shiv Sena has long been a thorn in the flesh. The People's Democratic Party in Kashmir is often at loggerheads, and Akalis too are sulking. Such open show of discontent by allies should have rung loud alarm bells in the Bharatiya Janata Party, but the ruling party is far from looking jittery. Many BJP leaders who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity are of the belief that some of its trusted allies have become sullen because the BJP has grown from strength to strength across the nation, often at the cost of its partners like the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. But the BJP is also secure in the knowledge that most of its allies are unlikely to quit the ruling National Democratic Alliance despite their tantrums. Even the TDP, the most disgruntled of the bunch, went only so far. While TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced the withdrawal of his two ministers from the central government, the party did not sever ties with the NDA. It was a separation, not a divorce, as some called it. Political observers, however, caution the BJP against complacency. Manindra Nath Thakur, an associate professor at Centre for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that the discontentment of allies may not look serious now, but the BJP needs to develop a better mechanism to deal with the allies ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019. "I have a feeling that in 2019 the BJP will not get the kind of majority it has now, and it does not need an analyst to suggest so. BJP's highest strength is now and they will definitely need alliances in 2019. So to make them (allies) unhappy is not the way to go," he said. The Shiv Sena, which long enjoyed an ideological brother status in the BJP family, has already sounded the bugle of rebellion by announcing its intention to fight the Lok Sabha elections independently. Sanjay Raut, a party leader, said that TDP's decision -- ostensibly over the centre's refusal to give Andhra special status -- was expected. He predicted that anger of more allies will spill out in the coming days and they will walk out of the NDA. Earlier, when the ties between the TDP and the BJP soured, Naresh Gujaral of the Shiromani Akali Dal had advised the bigger party to not ride roughshod over its allies and to follow the coalition dharma' practised by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who headed the first NDA government. But times have changed. The allies do not have the free rein they had under Vajpayee when the BJP depended on their support for survival, unlike now when it enjoys a majority on its own. A BJP leader said Naidu as the NDA convener during the Vajpayee government enjoyed a lot of clout and was in a position to dictate terms to the BJP. Now he is just another ally and the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief Amit Shah would not go out of the way placate any ally, he said. As a BJP leader put it, unlike the political and executive flexibility the allies enjoyed in the first NDA government, now there is more accountability and stricter control. This is also cause of some heartburn, he said. The BJP leadership believes that as long as the party remains electorally strong and controls the levers of government at the centre and in states, its allies will stick around. The TDP's decision to remain a part of the NDA and not shut the door on the BJP is driven by this as it would not like to burn its bridges with a party which may come back to power in 2019, BJP sources said. Andhra BJP chief K Hari Babu said a separation would also help his party expand its reach in a state where it has always been a marginal player. In Maharashtra, the Sena would like to renegotiate the terms of its alliance with the BJP as it was always the big brother in their ties before being pushed far behind in the 2014 assembly polls. Pointing out that the Sena remains part of the governments at the centre and in the state, a top BJP leader mocked the small party's decision to part ways in 2019, saying it was like an angry wife threatening her husband that she would leave him one year later. A BJP ally which did walk out on it and joined hands with its rival is Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, who announced a tie-up with Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar. With Janata Dal-United president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar now in the NDA, BJP leaders said there was little more they could offer to Manjhi as division of seats in the Lok Sabha polls among its existing allies will be a hard task. However, political watchers believe brewing discontent among allies may come back to haunt the BJP if its performance in the next Lok Sabha polls falls short of expectations. They pointed that it needs to sweep a state like Bihar if it has to come near to a repeat of its performance in the last polls. And loss of allies, however minor, to a strong opposition like the RJD may harm it. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP chief Amit Shah pose for a photograph at the Parliament during the second phase of the budget session in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Delhi on Friday night on a four-day India visit and was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture. IMAGE: Putting protocol aside, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recieves French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at AFS Palam in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. "Welcome to India, President @EmmanuelMacron! Your visit will add great strength to the strategic partnership between India and France. I look forward to our talks tomorrow," Modi tweeted after receiving Macron at the airport. During the visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, sources said. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean region will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and Prime Minister Modi during delegation-level talks on Saturday. "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. IMAGE: PM Modi welcomes the French President with a warm hug. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. The bilateral trade between India and France for the period from April 2016 to March 2017 was USD 10.95 billion. France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 6.09 billion from April 2000 to October 2017. After holding delegation-level talks with Modi, Macron will take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different institutions are expected to participate. On the same day, he will also take part in a Knowledge Summit which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On March 11, President Macron will attend the International Solar Alliance Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India. The ISA Summit, expected to be attended by several heads of the states and governments, is likely to focus on concrete projects. On the same day, he will also visit Taj Mahal in Agra. President Macron will also visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, on March 12. He, along with Modi, will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. On Sunday, March 11, the National People's Congress, China's parliament, will vote to keep Xi Jinping in power for as long as he wants. 'The American fear of the Chinese military is overblown. The countries that should be concerned are China's neighbours,' Jeffrey Wasserstrom tells Rahul Jacob. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Ahead of China's widely scrutinised reshuffle of its senior leadership, Jeffrey Wasserstrom was asked by CNN to name the five most powerful people in China. Such lists, much beloved of Time and Forbes, seem nowhere more silly than in China, akin to judging a foreign language film blindfolded. Indeed, over the past few years, the inner workings of the Communist party have become even more impenetrable as President Xi Jinping has pursued an often anarchic anti-corruption campaign. With his characteristic directness, Wasserstrom, a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine and the author of eminently readable books on modern China, declined to play along, telling CNN that the five people to watch were 'Xi, Xi, Xi, Xi and Xi.' Even though the comment was made a fortnight before the new standing committee of the politburo was revealed, Wasserstrom's proved to be the most prescient summation of the 19th party congress well before Xi, 64, made an epic three-and-a-half hour speech and strode the stage on October 24 with the six other members of the standing committee, none of whom seem destined to succeed him. The elevation of 'Xi Jinping thought' to a place in the Chinese constitution codified his position as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao. The subject of Wasserstrom's lunch-time talk -- increased censorship in China -- at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong was likely set months in advance. The ensuing discussion seemed less substantial and topical than a talk by a leading Sinologist ought to have been in early November. Wasserstrom's gifts as a historian with a keen antenna for everyday life still provided revealing insights. He recalled how when he "introduced two people in Beijing in the 1990s, they immediately told a joke about Li Peng (the unpopular premier of China through much of the nineties)" that involved an IQ measuring machine and the size of Li's head. Few would have the courage to do so openly today. He explained how China has three geographies of censorship. Hong Kong, because of an international covenant that governed its return to China in 1997, is the freest. Political controls in Xinjiang and Tibet are the most severe; owning a book by or about the Dalai Lama in Tibet is likely to get one punished. In the rest of China, the State, with enthusiastic help from technology giants Tencent and Alibaba, is exerting extraordinary electronic surveillance. By 2020, the party will create a social score of each citizen's online behaviour that may be used to deny outbound visas or promotions, according to a recent article in Wired magazine. All this underlines the irony that little more than a decade ago people predicted that "the Internet would transform China. We should keep in mind the unpredictability of the world", observes Wasserstrom. Wasserstrom and I ate our lunch -- rubbery chicken in teriyaki sauce for me, sea bass for him -- about ten feet away from each other. He was sitting on a stage at a table for club committee members. After lunch was over, I arranged to meet Wasserstrom for tea at the Fringe Club next door. We made our way down a narrow iron staircase to a cafe in a vault that a hundred years ago was used to store ice. I first asked him about what seemed a conscious effort at the party congress not to signal the anointing of a successor to President Xi, who will complete a second term in 2022. Wasserstrom replied that the convention of a successor being telegraphed well in advance is relatively recent. Deng Xiaoping, the father of China's economic reforms, dispensed with two potential successors deemed too liberal before settling on Jiang Zemin, who served as party general secretary for more than a decade and was followed by Hu Jintao for 10 years. What has made Xi's reign different is a relentless mowing down not only of opponents, but also of those seen as potential successors. Sun Zhengcai, hitherto the youngest pPolitburo member at 54, was stripped of all his titles just a month before the party congress. (Investigators accused Sun of corruption, but also of being 'lazy and inactive and severely bureaucratic,' a startling indictment for anyone accustomed to Lutyens' Delhi's inertia.) "Basically, we don't know (what comes next). Xi is a black box," he says, but as the conversation turns to the arrest of prominent human rights lawyers in China and a throttling of the historically more liberal press in Guangdong, the province just across the border that I covered for three years until 2013, his tone turns sombre. He is troubled by the erosion of political freedoms in Hong Kong, which under the terms of its return to China in 1997 enjoys a separate judiciary and government until 2047. In a controversial case, the Hong Kong government, believed to have been prodded by Beijing, pushed for the retrial of the leader of the massive democracy Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong in 2014, who was sentenced to six months in jail, just months before he turned 21. Hong Kong's highest court intervened in late October to grant him and the other leaders bail. Wasserstrom sees this latest twist as a positive reinforcement of Hong Kong's special freedoms. "I can't think of any other Communist country where a court can operate (independently) in this way." Unlike in the first decade after the handover, however, when China itself appeared to be becoming more liberal and Hong Kong was still crucial to China's development, he now sees the flow of controls and ideas moving the other way. When Wasserstrom, 56, first travelled to Hong Kong as a Berkeley student in 1987, it seemed "a complete departure from China, like West Berlin. Now, the worry is Hong Kong could be like West Berlin if it had been absorbed by East Germany." This generally optimistic and very readable historian memorably characterised Communist China as more resembling Aldous Huxley's Brave New World -- a mostly satisfied population distracted by entrepreneurial opportunities and the neon advertising docudrama of its futuristic cities -- rather than the Orwellian nightmare of 1984. He recounts being in an Internet cafe in Beijing in 1999 on the anniversary of the anti-imperialist May 4 movement led by students in 1919. Wasserstrom noticed he was the only one checking the Internet for messages about the anniversary. The youngsters around him were playing video games. Circa 2017, he is more gloomy. "I don't see anything to point to that is hopeful at the moment," Wasserstrom says of Xi's crackdown on the limited political freedoms Chinese enjoyed and the tendency by the international community to give him a "free pass" on human rights issues. He is distressed that there was "such limited criticism of the first Nobel Peace prize winner (Liu Xiaobo who died in July) dying in captivity since the Nazi era." He also sees Xi as more militaristic than his predecessors. "The American fear of the Chinese military is overblown. The countries that should be concerned are China's neighbours." I ask if that includes India, my tea-cup rattling a little with the standoff at Doklam a recent memory. But, he means China's neighbours in the South China Sea. Wasserstrom is struck by the manner in which history is being used in contemporary China. As in India, hyper-nationalism now trumps economic ideology. (Wolf Warrior 2, a blindingly violent film about a covert Chinese rescue mission in Africa that defeats mercenaries led by an American, was a huge hit this summer.) "The Communist party needs to have stories to tell: 'Under our watch China became more respected and its territories got larger'," Wasserstrom says. "The party today talks about its guerrilla fighters against the Japanese, not about organising factory protests." Wasserstrom's sunny Californian demeanour notwithstanding, the turn in our conversation made the cafe feel about as chilly as an ice vault as we depart. Armenia: Founding Parliament political movement; including history, objectives, leadership, and recruitment; incidents of violence involving members; treatment of members by authorities (2013-2015) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 14 September 2015 Citation / Document Symbol ARM105280.E Related Document(s) Armenie : information sur le mouvement politique Founding Parliament, y compris son histoire, ses objectifs, ses dirigeants et ses methodes de recrutement; les incidents de violence impliquant ses membres; le traitement reserve a ses membres par les autorites (2013-2015) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Armenia: Founding Parliament political movement; including history, objectives, leadership, and recruitment; incidents of violence involving members; treatment of members by authorities (2013-2015), 14 September 2015, ARM105280.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5aa242347.html [accessed 20 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1. Overview Caucasian Knot, an Internet news source on current events in the Caucasus (Caucasian Knot 22 June 2009), states that the "Founding Parliament" (FP) movement was formerly known as the "Pre-Parliament" movement (ibid. 29 Apr. 2015). According to Armenian web-based news source Tert.am, the Pre-Parliament group announced its plan to create a "Founding Parliament" in December 2013, as part of the next stage in the group's aim of achieving a step-by-step change in government in Armenia (Tert.am 13 Dec 2013). The Civil Society Institute (CSI), a Yerevan-based NGO that promotes a "free and democratic society in Armenia," and is the Armenian member of the International Federation for Human Rights (Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme, FIDH), reports that the FP was established in January 2015 by the "'Pre-Parliament's political movement" (CSI 15 Apr. 2015). The FP's stated goal is to "initiate" a political process with the aim of establishing a state with a new management system capable of pursuing "national goals and tasks" (FP n.d.a.). The FP is calling for a change in government structure so that it is not led by one individual, but by collegial leading group known as the FP (FP 10 Mar. 2014.). Media sources report that the FP is a political opposition group campaigning for "'regime change'" in Armenia (Armenia Liberty 2 Feb. 2015; ArmeniaNow 20 Apr. 2015). Armenia Liberty, the Armenian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reports that the FP has accused Armenia's President, Serzh Sarkisian, of "corruption and misrule" (9 Apr. 2015). ArmeniaNow, a weekly website published by the NGO New Times Journalism Training Center located in Yerevan (ArmeniaNow n.d.), reports that the FP considers the current regime to be "'antinational'" (ibid. 20 Apr. 2015). Sources have also described FP as a "radical" opposition group (ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015; Armenia Liberty 2 Feb. 2015). 1.1 Objectives The FP website, preparliament.com, includes a webpage about the group's program, titled, "Comprehensive Proposal to Direct the Movement to a Successful Conclusion," published in December 2013, which states that their objective is "[t]he nonviolent removal of the current regime and the creation of a qualitatively new type of government in Armenia" (FP 6 Dec. 2013). A copy of this document (Attachment 1), which explains the FP's proposed steps to removal of the "current regime" and to create a new government, is attached to this Response (FP 6 Dec. 2013). A press statement from the pre-parliamentary secretariat published on the FP website, preparliament.com, states that the Pre-Parliament has developed a pan-Armenian movement program aimed at the liberation of the Republic of Armenia (Artsakh included) from the neo-colonial dependency and the construction of New Quality Armenian State. That program particularly rejects any political struggle within the operating government system through participating in the elections in accordance with its rules, because the elections have turned into a criminal mechanism for the reproduction of the criminal administration. Instead of that alternative elections are provided for to create the basic governmental body the Founding Parliament of the New Quality Armenian State, which will obtain legitimacy and authority through concluding person-by-person agreements with citizens and will become a body expressing the will of the people. The new political elite core of the future, driven by national interests of Armenia, will be formed in the Founding Parliament and around it in parallel. And when the turned-into-parasite state government system is removed by means of the people's imposed will, the Founding Parliament as well as its formed Transitional government will be grafted into the state government system and will change its content and character. The completion of the Founding Parliament is a vital guarantee for the formation and the development of New Quality Armenian State. (FP 17 Dec. 2013) ArmeniaNow reports that in April 2015 the FP published its declaration on "'Forming and Developing the Armenian State" (ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015). The same source notes that in an interview with ArmeniaNow, the FP's temporary coordinator said that after "removing the regime," the group plans on submitting "a draft Constitution to be approved in a referendum, after which, if they get sufficient votes, will undertake to implement preterm nationwide and local elections" (ibid.). Furthermore, the coordinator explained that if they do not obtain sufficient votes, then the elections will be held under the current Constitution (ibid.). According to the coordinator, "'[t]he citizens who sign contracts with us commit themselves to accepting ideas of the Founding Parliament, while the Founding Parliament assumes the obligation to building a State of a new quality'" (ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015). The coordinator explained that the FP "'is going to create a new State,'" and that it is not preparing for the next general elections, since the group's philosophy is to "'find a system solution outside the current system'" (ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015). Armenia Liberty reports that the FP has conducted a protest campaign aimed at forcing President Serz Sarkisian to resign (Armenia Liberty 30 Mar. 2015). Sources state that the FP has failed to draw large crowds (Armenia Liberty 2 Feb. 2015; ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015). Armenia Liberty states that the FP is not represented in the National Assembly (Armenia Liberty 2 Feb. 2015). 1.2 Leadership and Recruitment Sources report that: Zhirair Sefilyan [Zhirayr Selfilian, Jirair Selfiyan, Jirayr Sefilian] is the leader of the FP (Caucasian Knot 29 Apr. 2015; Armenia Liberty 2 Feb. 2015); Varuzhan [Varoujan] Avetisyan is the Deputy Chairman (Caucasian Knot 29 Apr. 2015; CSI 15 Apr. 2015); and, Garegin Chukaszyan is the Chairman (Caucasian Knot 29 Apr. 2015; Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015). The FP website, preparliament.com, published a press statement called "Criteria for Selection of Candidates to the Founding Parliament of New Quality Armenian State," which provides information on the "eligibility criteria for MP candidates of the Founding Parliament having 65 members" (FP 17 Dec. 2013). A copy of this webpage is attached to this Response (Attachment 2). Sources report that in 2013, the FP indicated that the Founding Parliament will have 65 members (FP 17 Dec 2013; Tert.am 13 Dec. 2013), and that the group had not "ruled out the possibility of simultaneous cooperation with other political forces and civic unions" (ibid.). The website of the FP, preparliament.com, lists 22 "Members of Pre-Parliament" (FP n.d.b.). The website also lists 5 members of the "Pre-Parliament Secretariat," including Jirayr Sefilian (ibid.). Armenia Liberty reports that "none of Armenia's leading opposition parties represented in the Parliament has decided to join the campaign" of the FP for "'regime change'" (30 Mar. 2015). Further information on recruitment, as well as the number of members and supporters of the FP, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. Incidents of Violence Involving the Founding Parliament Group Sources report that in late November 2014, several cars [between four (ArmInfo 27 Nov. 2014) to seven cars (Armenia Liberty 28 Nov. 2014; FP 4 Dec. 2014)] belonging to FP members were burnt in Yerevan (ArmInfo 27 Nov. 2014; Armenia Liberty 28 Nov. 2014). Armenia Liberty reports that Armenia's Investigative Committee, "a separate law-enforcement body", opened a criminal case, but no arrests were made (Armenia Liberty 28 Nov. 2014). Armenia Liberty later reported in early February 2015 that no one had yet been arrested or prosecuted for the car arson attacks (ibid. 2 Feb. 2015). Sources report that in November 2014, Gevorg Safarian, a member of the FP, was attacked in Yerevan (Transitions Online 12 Dec. 2014; Armenia Liberty 28 Nov. 2014) by unknown individuals, hours after he attended a demonstration held by dozens of members of FP outside of the police headquarters about recent arson attacks on FP cars (ibid.). Armenia Liberty reports that Safarian alleged that the attack was a "political action" against him and FP (ibid.). Safarian was hit several times, required stitches on his head, and suffered a concussion (ibid.). While in the hospital, Safarian was questioned by the police, but "no formal criminal proceedings" were launched at the time of reporting (ibid.). Sources report that in late June 2015, demonstrations occurred in Yerevan against electricity price hikes and police used water cannons to disperse protestors (Amnesty International 23 June 2015; ArmInfo 25 June 2015). Sources report that 237 people were arrested during the protests (Amnesty International 23 June 2015; Freedom House 24 June 2015) which Amnesty International described as "mostly peaceful" and which began 19 June, including participation by thousands of people (Amnesty International 23 June 2015). Sources further report that international organizations and foreign diplomatic missions have criticized the police's response (Freedom House 24 June 2015; ArmInfo 25 June 2015). Freedom House reports that "at least 18 people were injured" when police "violently dispersed protesters" (24 June 2015). Without providing details on the extent to which FP participated in these demonstrations, ArmInfo, a news agency covering Armenia, reports that FP released a statement calling for people to join the protests (ArmInfo 25 June 2015). Caucasian Knot reports that in March 2015, a member of the FP initiative was stabbed by an unidentified assailant at an "anti-government rally" in Gyumri, organized by FP under the slogan "the 100th anniversary of the [Armenian] genocide without regime," and which "called for a coup d'Etat in Armenia" (30 Mar. 2015). Armenia Liberty similarly reports that in March 2015, an FP activist was stabbed by a "government loyalist" at an opposition movement in Gyumri and that he required surgery (30 Mar. 2015). Sources report that police did not react when a group of people opposed to the rally heckled the FP demonstration and that police did not intervene until eggs were thrown by the hecklers and during the ensuing clash, the FP member was stabbed (Armenia Liberty 30 Mar. 2015; Caucasian Knot 30 Mar. 2015). Armenia Liberty reports that FP leaders "blamed police inactivity for the violence" and claimed authorities were responsible for the "'provocation'" (30 Mar. 2015). 3. Treatment of Members by Authorities Armenia Liberty reports that, in regards to the November 2014 attack on one of their members, FP leaders "claimed that the Armenian authorities are bullying its members in an effort to stifle its ongoing campaign for regime change" (28 Nov. 2014). According to FP, between April 2013 and 19 October 2014, "over 100 FP members and supporters of the Pre-Parliament were taken to the police station" during various political and civic activities (FP 12 Apr. 2015). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Armenia Liberty reports that in January 2015, while traveling to the region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a motorcade of cars as part of its campaign for "'regime change'," dozens of FP members were prevented from entering the territory (Armenia Liberty 2 Feb. 2015). Karabakh security forces "stopped and attacked" the 30 cars carrying FP activists and "more than a dozen oppositionists, including FP leader Zhirayr Sefilian, were injured in the violent crackdown" (ibid.). Armenia Liberty reports that a 12 minute video taken by one of the activists at the time of the attack shows policemen punching and kicking FP members who were sitting in their cars (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3.1 Events Related to a 24 April 2015 Demonstration Planned by FP Sources report that the FP was planning a protest on 24 April 2015, the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide (ArmeniaNow 20 Apr. 2015; Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; Armenia Liberty 9 Apr. 2015). Sources further report that on 7 April 2015, the Yerevan police arrested five members of the FP ahead of their 24 April 2015 planned protest in Yerevan (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; Armenia Liberty 9 Apr. 2015; ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015) including the group's chairman Garegin Chukaszyan and founding member Jirair Sefilyan (ibid.; Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015). Sources report that the FP had applied for and was granted permission to hold the rally (Human Rights Watch 1 May 2015; FP 12 Apr. 2015; ArmeniaNow 20 Apr. 2015). Sources report that the FP members were charged with planning a mass disturbance (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; ArmeniaNow 14 Apr. 2015; CSI and FIDH 19 May 2015, 2) and "preparation to commit a crime" (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015). The authorities claimed that the FP members were plotting to instigate violence in Yerevan during the 24 April ceremonies marking the 100-year anniversary of the Armenian genocide (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; Armenia Liberty 9 Apr. 2015). Sources further note that police searched their homes and FP office (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; Tert.am 7 Apr. 2015) and that they seized batons and knives (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; Armenia Liberty 9 Apr. 2015) as well as "a stun gun and a publicly available Founding Parliament pamphlet" (Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015). According to Armenia Liberty, authorities also seized a hand grenade, and claimed the objects were to be used to "'inflict corporal injuries' during riots" (9 Apr. 2015). Human Rights Watch "expressed concern that Founding Parliament members were being targeted for their peaceful political beliefs" in the case of these five arrests (27 Apr. 2015). Tert.am reports that the search and arrests were conducted with force, and that "the representative of the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) and the coordinator's lawyers were not able to enquire about the legal grounds for the search" (Tert.am 7 Apr. 2015). CSI released a statement on 15 April 2015 "expressing its concern that [the] law enforcement bodies had not provided convincing grounds for [the] detention" of the five FP members (15 Apr. 2015). Sources report that the five activists were released on 4 May 2015 (CSI and FIDH 19 May 2015, 2; Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015; ArmInfo 2 July 2015), pending the investigation into the charges (CSI and FIDH 19 May 2015; Human Rights Watch 6 May 2015). Human Rights Watch states that the five activists were held for "almost a month of pretrial custody" (ibid.). Caucasia Knot reports that during a protest organized by FP in April 2015, approximately 200 FP members attended the demonstration over the arrests of several members ahead of a demonstration planned for 24 April 2015 (10 Apr. 2015). 3.2 Other Instances in 2015 FP reports on its website, preparliament.com, that on 15 January 2015, FP deputies and supporters of the FP were "present" during a clash between police and demonstrators at a protest in Gyumeri, and according to the FP, after the clashes police took its members to the station for five hours (FP 12 Apr. 2015). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Sources report that on 20 August 2015, at a demonstration outside of the presidential palace, the police detained FP member Gevorg Safaryan [Safarian] (Hetq 20 Aug. 2015; Armenia Liberty 26 Aug. 2015) for throwing eggs at the palace (ibid.). Armenia Liberty reports that the following day Safaryan was laid off from his job as a security guard at a private school (ibid.). Safaryan stated that he believed that his dismissal was due to political reasons; however his employer denied any political motive, stating the layoff was part of cuts to 16 jobs due to "'structural changes'" at the school (ibid.). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Amnesty International. 23 June 2015. "Armenia: Investigate Alleged Police Abuses After Protesters Doused With Water Cannon and Arrested." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] Armenia Liberty. 26 August 2015. Hovannes Movsisian. "Opposition Activists Loses Job After Protest." [Accessed 13 Sept. 2015] Armenia Liberty. 30 March 2015. "Opposition Activist Stabbed at Gyumri Rally." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Armenia Liberty. 2 February 2015. "Karabakh Leaders Condemned for Violence Against Armenian Opposition Group." [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015] Armenia Liberty. 28 November 2014. Karlen Aslanian. "Injured Activist Blames Government for Assault." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Armenia Liberty. 9 April 2015. Hovannes Movsisian. "Arrested Oppositionists Formally Charged." [Accessed 13 Sept. 2015] ArmeniaNow. 20 April 2015. "Founding Parliament: Demanding 'Isolation' of Activists Calling for April 24 Rally 'Nonsense'. " [Accesed 1 Sept. 2015] Armenia Liberty. 14 April 2015. Gayane Mkrtchyan. "Founding Parliament's 'Declaration': Embattled Group Seeks to Establish 'New State'." [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015] Armenia Liberty. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] ArmInfo. 2 July 2015. Nana Martirosyan. "Founding Parliament Says its Members Suffering Political Persecution." (Factiva). ArmInfo. 25 June 2015. Nana Martirosyan. "Founding Parliament Movement Calls on Regions and Artsakh to Join Demonstrations in Yerevan." (Factiva). ArmInfo. 27 November 2014. Tatevik Shahunyan. "Cars of Four Oppositionists Burnt in Yerevan." Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Caucasian Knot. 29 April 2015. Armine Martirosyan. "Founding Parliament Holds March Demanding to Release its Activists." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Caucasian Knot. 10 April 2015. Armine Martirosyan and Tigran Petrosyan. "Armenian Opposition Claims Political Nature of Arrests of Members of Founding Parliament." [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015] Caucasian Knot. 8 April 2015. Tigran Petrosyan. "Supporters of Arrested Oppositionists Hold Rally in Yerevan." [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015] Caucasian Knot. 30 March 2015. "Member of 'Pre-Parliament' Stabbed During Rally in Gyumri." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Caucasian Knot. 22 June 2009. "About Us." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] Civil Society Institute (CSI). 15 April 2015. "Law Enforcement Bodies Have not Presented Convincing Grounds for Detention." [Acccessed 8 Sept. 2015] Civil Society Institute (CSI) and La Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'Homme (FIDH). 19 May 2015. EU-Armenia: Seeking a More Efficient Support to Justice Sector Reform. [Accessed 17 Aug. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). 12 April 2015. "Violence Against Deputies of the Founding Parliament and Participants of 'The Centennial Without This Regime' Moveme." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). 4 December 2014. "Condemn Violent Repression of Peaceful Demonstrations in Armenia." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). 10 March 2014. "Pre-Parliament is Preparing the Birth of the Distinctive Government's Nuclei." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). 17 December 2013. "Criteria for Selection of Candidates to the Founding Parliament of New Quality Armenian State." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). 6 December 2013. "A Comprehensive Proposal to Direct the Movement to a Successful Conclusion." [Accessed 9 Sept. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). N.d.a. "Manifest." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Founding Parliament (FP). N.d.b. "Members." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] Freedom House. 24 June 2015. "Armenia Uses Force to Disperse Protests." [Accessed 2 Sept. 2015] Hetq Online. 20 August 2015. "Yerevan Police Detain Gevorg Safaryan, Reports Founding Parliament." [Accessed 31 Aug. 2015] Human Rights Watch. 6 May 2015. "Armenia: Opposition Activists Released." [Accessed 17 Aug. 2015] Human Rights Watch. 1 May 2015. "Letter to the Prosecutor General of Armenia." [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015] Tert.am. 7 April 2015. "Arrests of Founding Parliament Members Political Persecution - Human Rights Activists." [Accessed 26 Aug. 2015] Tert.am. 13 December 2013. "Pre-Parliament's Next Step is to Create Founding Parliament, Says Activist." [Accessed 1 Sept. 2015] Transitions Online. 12 December 2014. Arevik Sahakyan. "Armenian Human Rights Defenders Predict Harsher Environment." [Accessed 8 Sept. 2015] Additional Sources Consulted Internet sites, including: Armenia Investigative Committee; Armenian Helsinki Committee; ecoi.net; Factiva; Jamestown Foundation; Minority Rights Group International; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; Political Handbook of the World; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; United Nations Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, RefWorld; United States Department of State. Attachments 1. Founding Parliament (FP). 6 December 2013. "A Comprehensive Proposal to Direct the Movement to a Successful Conclusion." [Accessed 9 Sept. 2015] 2. Founding Parliament (FP). 17 December 2013. "Criteria for Selection of Candidates to the Founding Parliament of new Quality Armenian State." [Accessed 9 Sept. 2015] Ethiopia: Information on Eritrean nationals residing in Ethiopia, including residency rights, freedom of movement and access to education, employment and social services; residency documents issued to Eritrean nationals residing in Ethiopia, including appearance, security features, and requirements and procedures for renewal (2015-January 2017) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 27 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ETH105722.E Related Document(s) Ethiopie : information sur les ressortissants erythreens vivant en Ethiopie, y compris les droits de residence, la liberte de mouvement et l'acces a l'education, a l'emploi et aux services sociaux; les documents de residence delivres aux ressortissants erythreens vivant en Ethiopie, y compris l'apparence de ces documents et leurs caracteristiques de securite, ainsi que les exigences et la marche a suivre en vue de leur renouvellement (2015-janvier 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Information on Eritrean nationals residing in Ethiopia, including residency rights, freedom of movement and access to education, employment and social services; residency documents issued to Eritrean nationals residing in Ethiopia, including appearance, security features, and requirements and procedures for renewal (2015-January 2017), 27 January 2017, ETH105722.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5aa243cc7.html [accessed 20 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1. Background An April 2009 report entitled Discrimination in Access to Nationality, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council by the Open Society Justice Initiative, a program of the Open Society Institute (OSI) [1], states that "[s]ince the independence of Eritrea, and in particular since the 1998-2000 war, many tens of thousands of people of Eritrean origin have been trapped in a stateless limbo" in Ethiopia (OSI Apr. 2009, para. 2). An article on Eritrean identity in Ethiopia published by Migrant-Rights.org, "an advocacy organization that aims to advance the rights of migrant workers in the Middle East" (Migrant-Rights.org n.d.), states that [t]he long and complex history of Eritrean and Ethiopian relations has resulted in a state of confusion regarding national identity for several thousands of people. Individuals seen as traitors, such as those who voluntarily qualified to vote for Eritrean independence in 1993 or those who were involved in Eritrean Community Associations, were denied Ethiopian citizenship. (ibid. 15 Jul. 2011) The OSI report explains that of the approximately 150,000 people of Eritrean descent living in Ethiopia in April 2009, [m]ost are not considered Ethiopian citizens, because they voted in the referendum on the independence of Eritrea that was held in 1993having no idea at the time that this would jeopardize their Ethiopian citizenship. Ethiopia has consistently insisted that Ethiopians who registered to vote in the referendum acquired Eritrean nationality and thus lost their Ethiopian citizenship. Eritrea, however, does not recognize these people as Eritrean citizens. They are thus de jure stateless. (OSI Apr. 2009, para. 9) Similarly, Migrant-Rights.org adds that at the time of the referendum, the Eritrean administration was only a "provisional" government and thus not capable of issuing legal documents such as passports, only identity cards. Therefore many of these cases fell under the definition of "stateless", that is, they were not formally recognized as either nationality. (Migrant-Rights.org 15 Jul. 2011) The same source further adds that, [a]fter Eritrea's attack on Ethiopia in May of 1998, individuals of Eritrean ties residing in Ethiopia were issued with yellow "alien" identification booklets. These individuals were again denied their Ethiopian citizenship and were not issued with legal Eritrean documents, as they were seen as enemies of the state [by Eritrea]. This resulted in tens of thousands of cases of denationalized citizens. To add to the confusion, those Eritrean nationals who left Ethiopia were issued with an Ethiopian alien passport which did not show evidence of Eritrean origins. (ibid.) 2. Nationality and Access to Citizenship According to the OSI Statement, the Proclamation to Provide Foreign Nationals of Ethiopian Origin with Certain Rights to be Exercised in their Country of Origin of 2002, explicitly excludes people who 'forfeited Ethiopian nationality and acquired Eritrean nationality'. This proviso thus excludes most people of Eritrean origin in Ethiopia who are considered Eritrean nationals by the Ethiopian government. (OSI Apr. 2009, para.10) Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. A country of origin information report on Ethiopia prepared by the Dutch Council for Refugees, an NGO which offers support for refugees during their asylum procedure, provides information and advice to refugee lawyers, and information on refugee policy to Members of Parliament in the Netherlands (Dutch Council for Refugees n.d.), explains that: [t]he nationality rights of people of Eritrean descent are determined in the 2003 Proclamation on Ethiopian Nationality (378/2003) [the nationality law] and the 2004 Directive Issued to Determine the Residence Status of Eritrean Nationals Residing in Ethiopia. (ibid. 18 May 2016, 52) Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Article 22 of the 2003 Proclamation on Ethiopian Nationality states the following: Re-Admission to Ethiopian Nationality A person who was an Ethiopian national and who has acquired foreign nationality by law shall be readmitted to Ethiopian nationality if he: returns to domicile in Ethiopia; renounces his foreign nationality; and applies to the Authority for re-admission. (Ethiopia 2003) However, the OSI report states that [w]hile a stateless person of Eritrean origin may in theory naturalize under the Ethiopian Nationality Proclamation of 2003, in practice this is very difficult since the person is obliged to show that she has been released from her previous nationality (which is impossible since Eritrea, the state of which they are assumed by Ethiopia to have nationality, will not issue proof of non-citizenship) or that she is stateless (which is equally impossible since Ethiopia considers her an Eritrean national by virtue of having registered for the 1993 referendum, rather than on the basis of documentation). (OSI Apr. 2009, para. 11) Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Sources also note that the 2003 Proclamation on Ethiopian Nationality does not provide for the acquisition of Ethiopian nationality for stateless children born in Ethiopia (OSI Apr. 2009, para. 5; CRAI 23 Dec. 2003). The UK Country Information and Guidance Report on people of mixed Eritrean and Ethiopian nationality residing in Ethiopia, further states that the 2004 Directive Issued to Determine the Residence Status of Eritrean Nationals Residing in Ethiopia, issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "was intended to address the status of persons of Eritrean origin who continued to live in Ethiopia following the independence of Eritrea" (UK 31 Aug. 2016, para. 4.21). The Directive, which is attached to this Response (Attachment 1), indicates that: 4. Issues of Nationality 4.1. A person having an Eritrean passport or any document conferring Eritrean nationality or a person serving the Eritrean Government in a sector reserved exclusively for Eritrean nationals is considered as having Eritrean nationality. 4.2. A person of Eritrean origin who has not opted for Eritrean nationality shall be deemed as having decided to maintain his or her Ethiopian nationality and his or her Ethiopian nationality shall be guaranteed. 4.3. An Eritrean registered in accordance with this Directive and who desires to regain his or her Ethiopian nationality may be readmitted to his or her Ethiopian nationality based on Article 22 of the new Nationality Proclamation. (Ethiopia 2004a) Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3. Freedom of Movement Article 32 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia reads that "[a]ny Ethiopian or foreign national lawfully in Ethiopia has, within the national territory, the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence, as well as the freedom to leave the country at any time he wishes to" (Ethiopia 1995). However, the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015 states that "[a]lthough the law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, the government restricted some of these rights" (US 13 Apr. 2016, 17). Further and corroborating information on freedom of movement as it relates to Eritrean nationals in Ethiopia could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 4. Access to Education, Employment and Social Services Part three of the 2004 Directive Issued to Determine the Residence Status of Eritrean Nationals Residing in Ethiopia entitled "The Residence Status of Eritrean [sic] Residing in Ethiopia" provides the following information: 8. Ownership Of Immovable Property And The Right To Use The Property 8.1. The right to own a house and immovable property shall remain guaranteed. 8.2. The right to use the agricultural land, for a person resident in a rural area, shall be respected. 9. Conditions for Work 9.1. For Government employment, he or she shall be treated in accordance with the law applicable for any foreign national. 9.2. He or she has the right to engage in a private employment without being required to have a work permit. However, he or she is not permitted to engage in private employment that may be connected with security. 10. Social Services The right to use educational and health services shall be afforded in the same manner as the nationals of the country. 11. Service Charges The permanent residence permit holders shall be treated in the same manner as the nationals of the country with respect to charges for different services. (Ethiopia 2004a) However, according to the OSI report, [d]ue to their legal status [Eritrean nationals in Ethiopia] suffer deprivation of a range of fundamental human rights, including those linked to citizenship (i.e., political participation through voting or holding office) and those which are not (i.e., access to employment and education). (OSI Apr. 2009, para. 9) Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. For information on the treatment of Eritrean asylum seekers and refugees in Ethiopia, including their freedom of movement, please refer to Response to Information Request ZZZ105147 of April 2015. 5. Residency and Travel Documents Issued to Eritrean Nationals The 2004 Directive Issued to Determine the Residence Status of Eritrean Nationals Residing in Ethiopia states the following: 6. Residence Permit and Travel Document 6.1. An Eritrean person residing in Ethiopia will be granted permanent residence permit in accordance with the Immigration Proclamation. 6.2. Having the permanent residence permit, if he or she is unable to obtain a travel document from his or her country, he or she may be issued a foreigner passport for the purpose of travel. 7. Cancellation of Residence Permit 7.1. Residence permit may be cancelled for the following reasons: Where the residence permit was acquired by submitting fraudulent information; Where the bearer of the residence permit is found to be an undesirable foreigner. 7.2. In addition to the reasons mentioned under Article 7.1., if he or she resided continuously for more than a year outside Ethiopia. 7.3. Returning Residence Permit An Eritrean who has been issued a residence permit and who leaves Ethiopia permanently shall return the residence permit to the Authority. (Ethiopia 2004a) Further details concerning the registration of foreigners and the issuance of residence permits can be found in Part Five of the Council of Ministers Regulations on Immigration, Regulations No. 114/2004 (Ethiopia 2004b). The Regulations are attached to this Response (Attachment 2). Article 7 of the Regulations also states that "[a]n alien passport shall be issued to a resident foreigner who is unable to obtain his national travel document or who is stateless" (ibid.). The same source adds that applications for the issuance of an Alien Passport shall be done through the Security, Immigration and Refugee Affairs Authority (ibid., art. 22 (3)). Information on the requirements and procedures for Eritrean nationals residing in Ethiopia to obtain and renew resident and travel documents could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 5.1 Appearance and Security Features Information on the appearance and security features of the Alien Passport, including images of the document, as found on the website of the Public Register of Authentic Travel and Identity Documents Online (PRADO) of the European Union is attached to this Response (Attachment 3). Information on the appearance and biometric details of the Ethiopian permanent resident ID card, including images of the document, as found on Keesing's Reference Systems website is attached to this response (Attachment 4). Information on the security features of the permanent resident ID card from the same source is also attached to this Response (Attachment 5). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] The Open Society Justice initiative, an operational program of OSI, describes itself as pursuing "law reform activities grounded in the protection of human rights, and contribut[ing] to the development of legal capacity for open societies worldwide" (OSI Apr. 2009, 6). References Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative (CRAI). 23 December 2016. "Proclamation No.378/2003 on Ethiopian Nationality." [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Dutch Council for Refugees. 18 May 2016. Country of Origin Information Report Ethiopia. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Dutch Council for Refugees. N.d. "Dutch Council for Refugees." [Accessed: 19 Jan. 2017] Ethiopia. 2004a. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Directive Issued to Determine the Residence Status of Eritrean Nationals Residing in Ethiopia. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Ethiopia. 2004b. Council of Ministers Regulations on Immigration, Regulation No. 114/2004. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Ethiopia. 2003. A Proclamation on Ethiopian Nationality, Proclamation No. 378/2003. [Accessed: 19 Jan. 2017] Ethiopia. 1995. A Proclamation to Pronounce the Coming Into Effect of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Proclamation No. 1/1995. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Migrant-Rights.org. 15 July 2011. Zoe Peck. "Challenges To Establish Eritrean Identity." [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Migrant-Rights.org. N.d. "About." [Accessed: 18 Jan. 2017] Open Society Institute (OSI). April 2009. Discrimination in Access to Nationality Statement. Submitted by the Open Society Justice Initiative for Consideration by the United Nations Human Rights Council at its Sixth Session, on the Occasion of its Universal Periodic Review of Ethiopia November 30 December 11, 2009. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] United Kingdom (UK). 31 August 2016. Home Office. "Ethiopia: People Of Mixed Eritrean/Ethiopian Nationality." Country Information and Guidance Report. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] United States (US). 13 April 2016. "Ethiopia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015. [Accessed: 17 Jan. 2017] Additional Sources Consulted Publications: Citizenship Law in Africa; Struggles for Citizenship in Africa. Oral sources: Ethiopia Embassy in Ottawa, Embassy in Washington, DC; Forum for Social Studies; Human Rights Council Ethiopia; Lecturer, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; Research Fellow, University of Leeds. Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Asylum Research Consultancy; Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Refugee Review Tribunal; Austrian Red Cross; ecoi.net; Ethiopia Ethiopian Government Portal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice; Ethiopian Diaspora Community Web Portal; Ethiopian Legal Brief; Ethioservices; Factiva; Freedom House; Germany Federal Office for Migration and Asylum; Human Rights Watch; International Labour Organization NATLEX; International Refugee Rights Initiative; IRIN; Minority Rights International; Right to Remain; UN Refworld, UNHCR; Vital Events Registration Agency. Attachments Iraq: Information on the appearance of passports, including whether there have been any changes since 2009, including the placement of fields on biometric data page; whether passports issued in the Kurdistan region differ in appearance compared to those issued in Baghdad (2009-July 2017) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 13 July 2017 Citation / Document Symbol IRQ105844.E Related Document(s) Iraq : information sur l'aspect des passeports, y compris information indiquant si des changements ont ete apportes depuis 2009, notamment en ce qui concerne l'emplacement des champs sur la page de donnees biometriques; information indiquant si l'aspect des passeports delivres dans la region du Kurdistan differe de celui des passeports delivres a Bagdad (2009-juillet 2017) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iraq: Information on the appearance of passports, including whether there have been any changes since 2009, including the placement of fields on biometric data page; whether passports issued in the Kurdistan region differ in appearance compared to those issued in Baghdad (2009-July 2017), 13 July 2017, IRQ105844.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5aa247f47.html [accessed 20 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 1. G-Series Passports According to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, the Directorate of Passports of Iraq stopped issuing the G-series passport (also called passport electronic edition (G) or passport edition (G)) in 2009 (Iraq n.d.a). In contrast, according to a 2015 report titled Iraq: Travel Documents and Other Identity Documents, produced by the Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre (Landinfo), "in autumn 2014, a document expert at a Western embassy in Amman informed Landinfo (meeting in Amman, November 2014) that the Iraqi authorities were still issuing G-series passports" (Norway 16 Dec. 2015, 7). For further information on the G-series passports, see Response to Information Request IRQ103919 of December 2011. 2. A-Series Passports Without providing further details, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website states that the A-series passport (also called passport edition (A) or (A) series passport), which started to be issued in 2009, is "considered as a completion of the [G-series passport] but not a substitution for it" (Iraq n.d.a). According to the 2015 Landinfo report, the A-series passport, which is a "further improved edition" of the G-series, was first introduced on 1 October 2009 (Norway 16 Dec. 2015, 7). Without providing further details, information posted on the website of the embassy of Iraq in London indicates that, as instructed by the Directorate of Passports of Iraq, a new process for the A-series passport application would begin on 1 February 2010 (Iraq n.d.b). According to a 10 October 2013 press release published by Giesecke & Devrient GmbH (G&D), a Germany-based company specializing in identity management products and solutions (G&D 10 Oct. 2013), the government of Iraq contracted G&D to provide machine-readable passports starting in late 2013 (G&D 10 Oct. 2013). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Information on any differences between the 2009 and 2013 A-series passports could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2.1 Passports in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a legal counsel from an Erbil-based law firm that provides legal services in areas such as visa, residency, and immigration affairs, stated that Iraqi passports are issued by one central entity which is the Iraqi Directorate General of Nationality. All passport authorities through the country are organizational offices connected with the central issuance authority that is in Baghdad. (Legal Counsel 25 June 2017) A 2013 article published on Iraqi News, a private, English-language, and Bahrain-based Iraqi online newspaper (Iraqi News n.d), states that the "Passports Directorate of Erbil province announced that the Federal Government decided to issue an electronic passport for Iraqi people throughout Iraq and Kurdistan Region" (Iraqi News 24 Nov. 2013). According to the same source, the Director of Erbil Passports Directorate, as quoted by the Kurdistan Regional Government, states that the issuance of electronic passports will begin in 2015, with priority given to the replacement of passports that are either filled-up or lost (Iraqi News 24 Nov. 2013). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3. Appearance and Security Features The legal counsel stated that the G-series passport is completely different from the A-series one (Legal Counsel 25 June 2017). Images of the information page, including biometric data fields, of a G-series Iraqi passport issued in 2008 and an A-series Iraqi passport issued in 2015, which were provided to the Research Directorate by the Legal Counsel in Erbil, are attached to this Response. In its 2015 report, Landinfo provides the following information: A-series passports differ from G-series passports in that they contain text in Arabic, Kurdish and English. There is also a difference on the page containing personal data -- G-series passports have a field for the passport holder's signature or fingerprints, while in A-series passports, this field has been replaced by a bar code. The page containing biometric data is laminated, as it was in the G-series. The passport holder's signature is on page 3 in the passport. A-series passports have 48 pages and are valid for eight years. The passport number is perforated through the bottom of each page starting from page 3. Pages 4-48 are visa pages. All A-series passports are personal. Children must have their own passport. (Norway 16 Dec. 2015, 7) The 2013 Iraqi News article reports that an electronic chip storing the passport holder's information would be located in the front cover of the new passports and it "will be impossible to be forged" (Iraqi News 24 Nov. 2013). According to the 2013 G&D press release, the "[s]ecurity measures incorporated into the printing mean that the Iraqi passports are highly resistant to forgery" (G&D 10 Oct. 2013). G&D provides "[a]ll components of the machine-readable HIGHSEC passports" while Papierfabrik Louisenthal, its subsidiary, supplies "the security paper complete with cylinder mold watermark" (G&D 10 Oct. 2013). The same source further states that the passports are printed in an offset and intaglio printing process and come with security features such as G&D's Printed and Embossed Anti-Copy Key (PEAK). Fine lines in carefully selected shades are embossed to produce a three-dimensional, optically variable image. This shows different information and colors depending on the viewing angle. (G&D 10 Oct. 2013) Further and corroborating information on the physical characteristics of Iraqi passports, including security features, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. For further information on fraudulent documents in Iraq, including passports, see Response to Information Request IRQ105418 of February 2016. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Giesecke & Devrient GmbH (G&D). 10 October 2013. "Giesecke & Devrient Contracted to Supply Passports to Iraq." [Accessed 17 May 2017] Iraq. N.d.a. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Passport Issuance." [Accessed 3 May 2017] Iraq. N.d.b. Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in London. "Latest News." [Accessed 29 June 2017] Iraqi News. 24 November 2013. Layla Mohammed. "Iraqis to Be Issued Electronic Passports in 2015." [Accessed 3 May 2017] Iraqi News. N.d. "About Iraqi News." [Accessed 29 June 2017] Legal Counsel, Erbil. 25 June 2017. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. Norway. 16 December 2015. Landinfo. Iraq: Travel Documents and Other Identity Documents. [Accessed 17 May 2017] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH; Iraq Embassy in Ottawa, Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Representative of the KRG Liaison Office in Washington, DC. Internet sites, including: Agencia EFE; Al Jazeera; Amnesty International; Article 19; BBC; CBC; China News Services; Deutsche Welle; The Economist; European Union Public Register of Authentic Travel and Identity Documents Online; Le Figaro; Financial Times; Forbes; France 24; Freedom House; The Globe and Mail; The Guardian; Human Rights Foundation; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; International Federation for Human Rights; Iraq Embassy in Ottawa, Consulate in Montreal; Iraq 123 News; Iraq Business News; Iraqi Daily Journal; Iraqi Reporter; Jane's Intelligence Review; Keesing Document Checker; Middle East Media Research Institute; Migration Policy Institute; Le Monde; The National Post; The New York Times; Open Society Foundations; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries; Radio France internationale; Reporters sans frontieres; Reuters; RT News; Transparency International; UN Refworld; US Central Intelligence Agency, Department of State; The Washington Post; Xinhua News Agency. Attachment Iraq. N.d. Copies of a G-series Iraqi passport issued in 2008 and an A-series Iraqi passports issued in 2015. Sent to the Research Directorate by a Law Counsel in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, 25 June 2017. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Spokane Valley, WA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/09/2018 --Established in the year 1999, Inland Home Improvements, Inc. is one of the most well-known companies located in Spokane Valley, Washington that provide windows, doors, siding and roofs, fences and decks installation and repair services. The company aims to offer the best quality services to the customers so that they can stay satisfied. 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The agents of this independent insurance agency can also be reached at their toll-free number on 800-288-6128. About ISU-Bright Agency ISU-Bright Agency is a family owned and operated independent insurance agency which serves the residents of Madison, Columbus, North Vernon, Indiana, Seymour and the adjoining areas. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell to around 1,600 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but concerns have grown further over a surge in infections after the Chuse... Sheffield Magistrates Court TWO people who used disabled parking blue badges illegally to park for free have been branded anti-social. Rotherham Borough Council took the two a man and a woman to Sheffield Magistrates' Court after catching them out in the town. Paula Elomari (45), of Lyminster Avenue in Moorgate, was found guilty in her absence on Tuesday, February 27, after the court was told that she used her grandmothers blue badge to park in a designated disabled parking bay on Wellgate last June. Her grandmother was not with her at the time. Elomari was fined 200, as well as being ordered to pay 200 costs and a 30 victim surcharge. Ahmet Binici (48), of Piper Court in Sheffield, pleaded guilty by post when charged with using his ex-wifes blue badge to park in a disabled parking bay on College Street, Rotherham, last July. His ex-wife was on a flight heading abroad whilst the badge was in use. He was fined 150 with 150 costs and a 30 victim surcharge. Damien Wilson, Rotherham Councils strategic director for regeneration and environment, said: These are yet more examples of this extremely anti-social crime. Not only were the badges displayed fraudulently but the vehicles were parked in designated disabled parking bays, denying genuinely disabled people the opportunity to park there. The council will not tolerate such activities and we will take legal action whenever it is in the public interest to do so. A YORKSHIRE-based fraudster who conned a foreign farmer and left him stranded in the UK is on the run from police. David Lukac (25, pictured) and 36-year-old partner-in-crime Juraj Szajko were sentenced on Wednesday for what a judge heard was a sophisticated 18,000 cross-border swindle committed in July, 2016. Sjajko was handed a two-year suspended jail term after he admitted fraud on Wednesday at Carlisle Crown Court, but Lukac, of Broad Street, Parkgate, failed to attend and was sentenced to 30 months in prison in his absence after being convicted of fraud after a trial. Prosecutor Mr Neil Ronan said Slovakian-based farmer Martin Hrvinik had initially spoken online with Szajko, who vowed to source him the right tractor for the right price in England. Mr Hrvinik received photos of a vehicle he was told cost 16,500, despite its real value being 30,000. The farmer flew to England on a one-way ticket, before meeting Szajko and Lukac who drove him to the rural Ravenstonedale area of South Cumbria. He believed a sale had been agreed but in fact the money he transferred through a bank was destined for Lukacs partners account. The two tricksters drove Mr Hrvinik back to the dealership but then fled, leaving him tractor-less and stranded. He was eventually returned home thanks to help from the police and the Slovakian Embassy. After the hearing, a Cumbria police spokesman said police were keen to hear from anyone who knew Lukacs whereabouts. Anybody with information should contact Cumbria police on 999 or by email to 101@cumbria.police.uk. A young anti-fracking protestor at Woodsetts 172088-3 THE company which wanted to create a 2,800-metre vertical well on farmland in Woodsetts has said it is disappointed that the plan has been thrown out. Councillors voted unanimously to reject the proposal on Dinnington Road on environmental and highway safety grounds yesterday (March 8) after a two-hour planning debate. Members of protest group Woodsetts Against Fracking and local residents voiced their views at the packed meeting, and there have been hundreds of written objections to the project. Planning officers had recommended refusal. Now Ineos Shale have said the firm is saddened at the decision which could have national ramifications. The application had been for a drill to test what was below the surface at Woodsetts rather than for the extraction of shale gas so-called fracking which would have required another planning application. Planning officers admitted at the meeting that the application could not be rejected on highways or visual amenity grounds, particularly since it was a temporary project which would last five years but was rejected on environmental grounds as officers deemed there to be have a lack of research into the impact on wildlife and ancient woodlands. Councillors added their own highways safety objections to the reasons for refusal following concerns about dozens of HGVs going along the roads at Woodsetts each day. A spokesman for Ineos Shale said: "The application allows for the drilling of a single vertical core bore well to gain scientific knowledge of what is below the surface, which has been agreed by many councils many times in the past to support the coal industry. This is no different. It is important to note that a completely separate application must be made for the extraction of gas. The company spokesman said Ineos Shale believed it had carried out the right amount of ecological mitigation. It said that shale gas is a resource that is of strategic importance to the UK and issues of energy security always have to be factored in". The company said that the recent spate of bad weather had left the country on the brink of running out of gas and that there was a security argument to make Britain less reliant on countries such as Russia or the Middle East for supplies of fuel. One of the protestors arguments was that Ineos Shale would use any shale gas extracted in the future to make plastics rather than offer it as a fuel supply for homes and factories. But Ineos Shale said that people had ignored the economic arguments when refusing the application. The spokesman said: Rotherham relies on manufacturing jobs at places such as at Liberty Steel, but these are not secured or created without investment and there is precious little investment in the North of England in manufacturing at the moment. Recent figures on jobs and investment estimate that the shale industry is expected to bring in 33 billion of investment into England alone over the next two decades. Furthermore, shale gas offers the potential to bring down energy prices. High energy costs are badly affecting businesses up and down the country and was one of the reasons cited in the recent near closure of Liberty. The resources beneath our feet can be used to create jobs, heat our homes, go a long way towards self-sufficiency and improve our balance of payments and the environment all at the same time. Tony Drabble of Parkgate with a photograph of his sailor grandfather John Oultram and his certificate of discharge. 180295-2 THE tale of his great grandad being thrown off the Titanic for fighting before it sailed was always seen as family folklore by Tony Drabble. But now he believes he has proof the incident involving relative and former seaman John Oultram in Belfast 106 years ago really did happen. And Tony (54), from Parkgate, said: We wouldnt even be here if he not had that scrap and stayed on board! The story goes that John got into a fight before the passenger liner left Ireland, where it was built, for the trip of 570 nautical miles to Southampton, where its fateful journey began on April 2, 1912. The ship had undergone sea trials, including an emergency stop, on the Irish Sea in the days before departing for England from Belfast. Tony and sister Fay have found Johns discharge certificate from serving on the Panama, which places him in Belfast in 1911. I always knew the story about him fighting on the Titanic and before it sailed, said Tony. Mum always told me not to back down from a fight because it saved his life. But we thought it was just a rumour, just a story that had gone round in the family. We dismissed it until now. Me and my sister were going through an old photo album and found a discharge document that shows John was a sailor in Belfast ten months before the Titanic sailed. Basically, we believe this is the proof that the story was actually true. My sister had never even heard the story before, so it was all new to her. It was brilliant to find this paper because its such a great story. We think its got to be true. Johns apparent near miss on the Titanic was followed by fighting of another kind a few years later on the Somme. Tony said: He was a tank driver in the First World War. We found lots of documents which are from over 100 years ago. We knew that he went on to be a tank fighter with the Machine Gun Corps and a Royal Engineer. Among the other things we have are postcards he sent from the Somme. Flanked by steel and aluminum industry workers, President Donald Trump signed proclamations Thursday imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump announced last week that he planned to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. In remarks at a signing ceremony, Trump argued unfair trade practices and industrial policies of other countries pose a threat to U.S. national security. The president noted the U.S. would be open to modifying or removing the tariffs on certain countries if they can agree on alternate means to resolve trade inequities. At a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, Trump suggested that countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Australia could be exempt from the tariffs. "We're going to be very flexible," Trump said. "At the same time, we have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years." The exemptions for Canada and Mexico would depend on the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trump said. Trump also noted that the U.S. has a "very close relationship" and a trade surplus with Australia, which he called a "long-term partner." Earlier this month, Commerce Department investigations concluded that the quantities and circumstances of steel and aluminum imports "threaten to impair the national security." The investigations into the impact of steel and aluminum imports on national security were carried out under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross subsequently recommended that Trump impose quotas or tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to remove the threatened impairment to national security. The announcement of the tariffs raised concerns about retaliation by U.S. trade partners such as the European Union and China sparking a global trade war. The decision to impose the tariffs led to a dispute among White House officials and has also drawn criticism from some Republican lawmakers. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Canadians stocks edged higher Thursday after President Donald Trump stressed that the U.S. would be "very flexible" on steel and aluminum tariffs. Trump suggested during a Cabinet meeting that countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Australia could be exempt from the tariffs. "We're going to be very flexible," Trump said. "At the same time, we have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years." The exemptions for Canada and Mexico would depend on the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trump said. The TSX Composite Index was down 62.31 points to 15,537.92. Financials and gold stocks were weaker, but tech and consumer stocks provided support. April WTI oil was down $1.03, or 1.7%, to settle at $60.12/bbl, the lowest in three weeks. WestJet (WJA.TO) CEO Gregg Saretsky is retiring, replaced by Ed Sims, the company's executive vice president of commercial, effective immediately. Shares dropped 4 percent. Machine parts maker Linamar (LIN.TO) said net earnings for 2017 came in at $549.4 million compared to $522.5 million a year earlier, on strong sales. Shares jumped 8.7 percent. CN Rail (CNR.TO) was downgraded at Bank of America after the resignation of its CEO. Shares were downgraded to Neutral to Underperform with a price target lowered from $84 to $72. CN Rail shaes rose 1 percent. In economic news, Canada's housing starts were 225,276 units in February 2018, compared to 224,572 units in January 2018, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). "The national trend in housing starts has been very stable since November 2017, masking offsetting trends for multi-unit and single-detached dwellings," said Bob Dugan, CMHC's chief economist. "Multi-unit starts have trended higher in recent months in most major urban centres while single-detached starts have trended lower." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis French Geoscience company CGG (CGG) reported Friday that its fourth-quarter shareholder's net loss was $76.9 million, narrower than last year's loss of $279.1 million. Loss per share was $1.67, compared to loss of $6.06 a year ago. In euro terms, loss per share was 1.36 euros, compared to loss of 5.51 euros a year ago. Group operating income was positive at $17.5 million, compared to loss of $70.1 million last year. EBITDA, a key earnings metric, was up 34 percent from last year to $134.1 million. Group EBITDAs margin improved to 33.5 percent from 30.4 percent last year. Group Revenue went up 22 percent to $400.7 million from last year's $328.3 million, thanks to a high level of land equipment sales and the good positioning of multi-client data library in the strategic basins offshore Brazil and the North Sea. The company emerged from Chapter 11 in the US on February 21, 2018. Jean-Georges Malcor, CGG CEO, said, "...This level of revenue led to positive quarterly operating income for the first time in eight quarters. After a decline in earnings over the last three years, we recorded a 10% increase in revenue and a 14% growth in EBITDA for the full year 2017, demonstrating the effectiveness and success of our industrial Transformation Plan, particularly the sharp reduction in our cost base." Looking ahead for fiscal 2018, the company expects revenue to be up at about $1.5 billion plus or minus 5% in a stabilized and still uncertain market, compared to last year's $1.32 billion. EBITDA margin would be within 35% to 40% range. Separately, CGG announced the cooptation of three new board members, including Colette Lewiner, Mario Ruscev and Philippe Salle. The board indicated its intention to nominate Philippe Salle as Chairman of the Board of Directors to replace Remi Dorval whose term of office will expire at the end of the Annual General Meeting to be held on April 26. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Bitcoin tumbled below $9,000 on Friday as a series of events rattled the cryptocurrency market this week. Crypto traders were concerned as watchdogs in the US and Japan took stern measures to check excessive speculation and a massive sale of Bitcoin by the trustee of the now-defunct Mt Gox also made traders worry about a crash in the price of Bitcoin. Plus, the news that the popular crypto exchange Binance faced a large-scale hack, which it was able to thwart, also damped sentiment, causing prices of Bitcoin and others such as Ethereum, Ripple and Litecoin to fall. Here is a wrap up of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain world over the last 24 hours. Widespread Crackdown On Japan's Crypto Exchanges Japan's financial regulator has made a widespread crackdown on the country's cryptocurrency exchanges to step up consumer protection in the wake of $530 million theft of digital money from Tokyo-based Coincheck. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) on Thursday ordered seven trading platforms to improve their system security measures and submit a written improvement plan by March 22. The exchanges are Tech Bureau, GMO Coin, Mister Exchange, Bicrements, Coincheck, FSHO and Bit Station. FSA also handed month-long suspension to two exchanges - FSHO and Bit Station - after discovering that their internal control systems were lacking, including adequate measures to counter money laundering and terrorism financing. Read more... Sierra Leone Presidential Election First In World To Use Blockchain A Switzerland-based startup employed blockchain to help track the Sierra Leone presidential poll held on Wednesday, apparently the first time in the world that the underlying cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin was used in an election. The voting technology company Agora, which describes itself as a Swiss lab and foundation for digital democracy, announced the move on Twitter on Thursday. The blockchain delivered results two hours before the official count, Agora announced on Twitter. "This is the first time in history that blockchain has been used in government elections," the company said. Read more... SWIFT Says Blockchain Tech Needs To Progress Further Before Using In Mainstream The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication or SWIFT said it has completed blockchain proof of concept or PoC test, which showed that distributed ledger technology or DLT, or the blockchain technology, requires further progress before using in the mainstream. The blockchain PoC was to address Nostro account reconciliation issues between the accounts of 34 banks. Blockchain or distributed ledger technology is a decentralized and encrypted ledger, which is the base for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The provider of secure financial messaging service, which is owned by about 11,000 banks, noted that the initiative was one of the most extensive blockchain proofs of concept powered by Hyperledger Fabric 1.0 executed in the industry so far. Read more... IBM Says 400 Projects On Its Blockchain Platform Technology giant IBM told investors that it currently serves over 63 customers across financial services, supply chains, Internet of Things, risk management, digital rights management and healthcare, who are running 400 projects on its blockchain platform. The customers include 25 global trading companies, 14 food companies and retailers, 14 global payments, and finance companies. Some of them are Maersk, Dupont, Walmart, Nestle, Unilever, Visa, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC. This was revealed by IBM Chairman President and CEO Ginni Rometty at its 2018 investor briefing. Read more... Comcast Funds Blockchain Startup Telecommunications conglomerate Comcast is expanding its investment in blockchain technology by funding a startup that provides easy deployment, connection and management of nodes. The company led a $3.275 million serial-seed funding round for Blockdaemon. Other contributors were venture capital firms such as Boldstart, IBM-backed Mstate, Plug and Play, and angel investors including Bitfury seed investor Meagan Jones, Sam Lessin and Jeff Fagnan from Accomplice. Read more... Carrefour Launches Europe's First Food Blockchain French retailer Carrefour Group has launched Europe's first food blockchain and plans to extend the technology to eight more product lines before the end of 2018. The move is part of the retailer's implementation of the five-year Carrefour 2022 transformation plan that was announced in late January by the new CEO Alexandre Bompard, who took over in mid-July. Europe's largest retailer noted that the blockchain technology is currently in use for free-range Carrefour Quality Line Auvergne chickens. This will be later introduced to eight more animal and vegetable product lines, such as eggs, cheese, milk, oranges, tomatoes, salmon and ground beef steak. Read more... Two Cryptocurrency Billionaires In Forbes Richest List Forbes Magazine has featured two crypto-currency billionaires for the first time in its list of the world's richest. Chris Larsen, the richest man in crypto, and Changpeng Zhao, the owner of the crypto exchange Binance, have found place among 259 newcomers in Forbes' 2018 World's Billionaires list. Larsen is ranked 14th with a net worth of $4.6 billion, while Zhao's net worth is estimated to be $1.4 billion. Forbes found 259 new billionaires over the past year as surging have pushed the number to a record-high of 2,208. The newcomers' 'lucky products' range from cryptocurrency to animal style In-N-Out burgers to Hatchimals kids toys. Read more... New Jersey Issues Cease-and-Desist To Bitcoiin ICO New Jersey has issued a cease-and-desist order to an initial coin offering (ICO) by cryptocurrency investment company Bitcoiin. In an order issued on Wednesday, the New Jersey Bureau of Securities alleged that Bitcoiin is selling unregistered securities to investors of the US state. Bitcoiin is engaging in fraud in connection with the offer for sale of securities, the cease-and-desist order says. It noted that other than stating that Bitcoiin's executive offices are located in Asia and providing a contact name of "John Williams," no additional contact information is available. Read more... Taiwanese Airline To Accept Cryptocurrencies For Flight Tickets Taiwanese airline company FAT Taiwan Inc., the parent company of Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT), announced recently that it would start accepting payments in encrypted digital currencies such as bitcoin for the purchase air tickets and related services. FAT will become the first airline operator in Taiwan to accept cryptocurrencies. Passengers will be able to use encrypted digital currency to enjoy more than 20,000 domestic and foreign flights and related travel products provided by Far East Airlines for a more convenient and preferential transaction experience. The Taipei, Taiwan-based airline flies to many destinations including Siem Reap, Chengdu, Guilin, Haikou, Hefei, Nanning, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Yichang, Zhengzhou, Kaosiung, Kinmen, Magong, Taipei and Da Nang. Read more... Australian Meteorology Staff Investigated Over Crypto Mining Two employees of Australian Bureau of Meteorology are being investigated by the police for allegedly using the bureau's powerful computers to mine cryptocurrencies, ABC News reported. As per the report, the employees allegedly ran an elaborate operation using the bureau's computers. The investigation is continuing, but they are yet to be charged. At least one of these employees has since gone on leave. Read more... Current Prices As of 6.28 am ET on Friday, Bitcoin was down 12.91 percent at $8,726.56 and Ethereum was lower by 12.21 percent at $675.08 on Coinbase. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Forex News Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fell sharply this week as were spooked by a bevy of concerns that included the stern measures adopted by regulators, a massive sale of Bitcoin, and an attempted large-scale hack at a popular crypto exchange. The price of the virtual currency dropped below $9,000 in afternoon trade in Asia. The biggest cryptocurrency has fallen more than 20 percent this week, causing worry for those who "HODL", implying holding on to Bitcoin than selling it. Earlier this week, the US Securities and Exchange Commission asked exchanges trading digital currencies to register with the agency. The regulator also said that an entity seeking to operate as an alternative trading system is also subject to regulatory requirements, including registering with the SEC as a broker-dealer and becoming a member of a self-regulatory organization. Bitcoin, which was trading around $11,000, fell below $10,000 following this. In Japan, the Financial Services Agency on Thursday ordered seven trading platforms to improve their system security measures and submit a written improvement plan by March 22. The exchanges are Tech Bureau, GMO Coin, Mister Exchange, Bicrements, Coincheck, FSHO and Bit Station. Further, activity at two exchanges SHO and Bit Station were suspended for a month after it was discovered that their internal control systems were lacking adequate measures to counter money laundering and terrorism financing. The Japanese watchdog has been talking tough on regulating the cryptocurrency exchanges after the $530 million theft of digital money from Tokyo-based Coincheck, which is not registered with the FSA. Still in Japan, Nobuaki Kobayashi, a Tokyo attorney who is the bankruptcy trustee for the now-defunct Mt. Gox crypto exchange and known as a "Bitcoin whale", said on Wednesday that he sold about $400 million worth of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash since late September. The Bitcoins Kobayashi sold came from the hoard left behind when Mt. Gox collapsed in February 2014 owing to theft that went unnoticed for several years. The exchange was the biggest at the time, handling around 70 percent of all Bitcoin about a year earlier. The sale happened as Kobayashi raised cash to distribute among Mt. Gox's creditors. The lawyer still has $1.9 billion worth of tokens and will consider selling those too. Adding to the dampened sentiment was the news that the popular crypto exchange Binance faced "a large scale phishing and stealing attempt" on Wednesday, which it was able to thwart by the next day. "All funds are safe and no funds have been stolen," the exchange said on Thursday. However, it admitted that it will not be able to reverse some trades involved. As of 8.55 am ET on Friday, Bitcoin was down 9.48 percent at $8,943.35 and Ethereum was lower by 7.81 percent at $694.16 on Coinbase. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Following the news of a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump praised the "great progress" being made in a post on Twitter on Thursday. Trump noted that Kim talked with South Korean representatives about denuclearization rather than just freezing North Korea's nuclear program. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time," Trump tweeted. He added, "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" The tweet from Trump comes as White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the president has accepted an invitation to meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined. "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea," Sanders said. "In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." The news of the planned meeting was first revealed by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong, who said the two leaders would meet by May. The meeting between Trump and Kim would be the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. A statement from Vice President Mike Pence said North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization is evidence that Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working. "The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions and, in close coordination with our allies, we have consistently increased the pressure on the Kim regime," Pence said. He added, "Our resolve is undeterred and our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program." The news of the planned meeting between Trump and Kim came as a surprise after the two leaders spent the past year trading insults. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News A human rights violation complaint has been filed against Air Canada by the union representing the airline's flight attendants, alleging "systemic discrimination and harassment" of its members. The Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees or CUPE said it decided to file a human rights complaint after reports of inappropriate behavior were not dealt with appropriately by Air Canada. CUPE represents 8,500 flight attendants at Air Canada mainline and Rouge. "Our complaint states that Air Canada, through its policies, procedures and practices, fosters harassment and discrimination in the workplace, and this must stop now," said CUPE's Air Canada Component Vice-President Beth Mahan. CUPE's Air Canada Component has alleged that Air Canada's policies on uniforms and makeup, including 'modelling' of uniforms, are discriminatory towards female flight attendants on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and race. Further, the complaint accuses the airline's new onboard service managers or OBSMs, who perform in-flight assessments of flight attendants categorized as service directors, of causing fear and intimidation in the workplace. The union alleges that many OBSMs have made sexist, racist and homophobic remarks to and about service directors and flight attendants. They are also alleged to have engaged in "inappropriate behaviour" towards flight attendants of both sexes. According to the complaint, many OBSM evaluations have resulted in service directors being demoted. CUPE's Air Canada Component said it has asked the Canadian Human Rights Commission to order an overall review of Air Canada's policies, procedures and practices in relation to harassment, and to eliminate the OBSM program. In January, WestJet Airline Ltd. (WJA.TO) filed an appeal after the Supreme Court of British Columbia refused to throw out a proposed class action lawsuit against the Canadian airline that involves claims of workplace sexual harassment. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Netflix Inc. is reportedly in advanced talks with former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to produce an exclusive series of shows. According to a report in NY Times, Obama is in advanced negotiations with Netflix to produce a series of high-profile shows that will provide him a global platform after his departure from the White House. The shows would not be Obama's direct response to President Trump administration policies. But, the report says that the Obamas had talked about producing shows that highlight inspirational stories. "President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire," Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to the former president, told the newspaper. "Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories." No financial details of the proposed deal has been disclosed and the number of episodes and the formats for the shows have not been decided as well. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News (Agencia CMA Latam) - Colombia expressed its concern to the United States regarding the duties imposed by President Donald Trump on steel and aluminum imports. On a state visit to Washington DC, the Finance Minister, Mauricio Cardenas, and the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Maria Lorena Gutierrez, said that they will request to the U.S. an exemption from the new import duties on aluminum (10%) and steel (25%) adopted by the American government. Cardenas and Gutierrez stressed that they would request that the exemption is granted in the shortest time possible. The new duties, which will take effect in 15 days, should exclude some countries, such as Canada and Mexico, for which tariffs are conditional upon the conclusion of the renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Earlier, the Argentinean government also said that it would request an exemption from the new duties. by Agencia CMA Latam For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. Dear Editor, I would very much like to see Samoa Airways successful. But the reality of it is, is that it was doomed to fail right from the get go based on the lack of preparations for the long haul. Having a business venture that requires a solid footing in financing is the key element in weighing the ups and downs of the business cycle in the Airline Industry. As we all know that the Airline industry is a very competitive business that only the survival of the fittest can survive in any unfavorable conditions. As I mentioned earlier when the Airline first started that it needs to have an Initial Public Offering to raise enough funds to secure the financial health of the company for the long run. In that way, it will not rely on the government for funding. If you sell 25 million shares at US $10.00 a share, you will get 250 million in equity to start out with which is very conservative for such an undertaking because youre looking at two to three years before you see any return of investments. You can always have the listing in any stock market around the world for those that want a piece of equity in an emerging market that is pose to grow exponentially in the next 20 years. The advertisement of the company should include a one stop shop experience that includes air fare, hotel accommodations, rental cars etc. And by the way, the government needs to stay away from running the business and create an independent investment arm or a partnership with the local investors and the private sector to steer the venture to a smooth and profitable future. I hope its not too late to reconsider such plan to move the Airline to the next chapter in the hotelier and the Tourist Industry. Good luck! Leituala Roger B. Dear Editor, Re: Alienation of customary lands fears dismissed (Samoa Observer 24/02/2018) But Samuel replied: Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15.22). That is a relevant message from the Scripture Mr. Editor for all of us Samoans while we are still dealing with the same old issue about our customary lands at this part of the journey in the beginning of this year. That same message is a great reminder for Teleiai Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo Seumanutafa (Executive Director of the Samoa Law Reform Commission), the Attorney General Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff and Prime Minister Tuilaepa in relation to the L.T.R.A 2008, the C.L.A.C 2013 (Customary Land Advisory Commission Act 2013) and our customary lands. There are two sides of the truth about the L.T.R.A 2008 and the C.L.A.C 2013. The first side is that the L.T.R.A 2008 and the C.L.A.C 2013, they were both originated from the A.D.B (Asian Development Bank) but not from the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa. The second one is that the L.T.R.A 2008 is not about freehold lands only. The findings of the C.R.P (Complaints Review Panel) of the A.D.B provide us the truth that all activities that have been conducted and performed by our government and A.D.B for the L.T.R.A 2008 were all about customary lands. That means, Prime Minister Tuilaepa and Teleiai Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo Seumanutafa, they have put money before the people of Samoa. They have chosen to put money first and put people last. They have chosen to obey the A.D.B (Asian Development Bank) because of money. When the findings of the C.R.P (Complaints Review Panel) of the A.D.B exposed the truth as mentioned above, the Prime Minister and Teleiai Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo Seumanutafa denied it. According to Teleiai Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo Seumanutafa, Governments seek the best way forward for the development of their own countries, she said. Samoa has taken a leap of faith through the leasing and mortgaging of customary land leases. Samoa has done so with the utmost respect and ultimate caution to its existing laws and the supreme law, the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa. As customary land is a measina Samoa; such a move requires boldness in leadership, governance with a clear vision, and faith in the populations that one day, the populations will see to it that All laws are made for the benefit of the people they are to regulate. What she says above is not about freehold lands. They are about customary lands and what she says about customary lands is not what the Constitution says about customary lands. The instruction in Article 102 of the Constitution forbids the person known as [any person] to make any alienation and disposition of customary lands. Article 102 It shall not be lawful or competent for any person to make any alienation or disposition of customary land or of any interest in customary land, whether by way of sale, mortgage or otherwise howsoever, nor shall customary land or any interest therein be capable of being taken in execution or be assets for the payment of the debts of any person on his decease or insolvency: The word [any person] is referring to all Samoans. If Samoa wants to make any alienation or disposition of customary lands then all things must go through the person known as [any person] but not through A.D.B or money or transaction or land. Not only that but also, Samoans need to follow another instruction in Article 109 in order to allow [any person] to make any alienation of customary lands. Furthermore, according to Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo She noted that prior to 2008, a series of consultations were undertaken on the Land Titles Registration Bill 2006, 2007 until 2008 and enactment. The consultation was led by a Cabinet appointed Commission headed by late Rev. Oka Fauolo. They were carried out with the Samoa Law Society, the Judiciary, the relevant Government Ministries, the private sector and the public. I have some questions Mr. Editor for Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo about consultations because she was not specific about consultations. 1) If L.T.R.A 2008 is only about freehold land (4% of lands in Samoa) then why touch customary lands? Why did she talk about customary lands and Article 102 of the Constitution that is about customary lands if L.T.R.A 2008 is about freehold land? Article 102 is not about freehold lands. If L.T.R.A 2008 is about freehold only then why did they make plans to develop customary lands instead of freehold lands? Why did they waste so much time to carry out consultations on customary lands (81% of lands in Samoa) if L.T.R.A 2008 is about freehold land? 2) If L.T.R.A 2008 is only about a 4% of land (freehold land) then why did the government spend almost ten years to establish L.T.R.A 2008? More than 50% of Customary lands in the village of Puipaa were taken by Germany by force have already became as freehold land and is currently owned by the current Attorney General and his family. Are there any economic developments according to L.T.R.A 2008 for those freehold lands? What about all other freehold lands in Samoa? Did the late Rev. Oka Fauolo and the government team that worked with Oka Fauolo consult the Attorney Generals family and owners of other freehold lands according to L.T.R.A 2008? 3) If consultations that have already taken place were all about leasing of customary lands then why? The leasing out of customary lands is already allowed by the Constitution of Samoa so there is no point of those consultations? In other words, there is no need for them to carry out any consultations for leasing of customary lands because leasing is already permitted. Consultations can only be carried out through Public Referendum for selling and for mortgaging of customary lands because both selling and mortgaging are prohibited in the Constitution of Samoa. 4) If consultations that have already taken were all about mortgage of lease over customary lands then Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo must show us an evidence of a Constitutional Amendment according to Article 109 of the Constitution of Samoa in order to allow mortgages on customary lands? Consultations for customary lands can only be carried out on the basis of sale and mortgage if Samoa wants its customary lands to be sold and mortgaged. Because there were consultations, so where is the evidence of an approval from the Public referendum if Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo was referring to public consultations as Public Referendum? Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo must show us an evidence of an approval from the Public referendum and an evidence of an approval of the two third (2/3rd) majority of Parliament? 5) If there is no evidence at all then what is the reason and the purpose of consultations that they have already done about our customary lands? 6) If there is no evidence at all then why did they allow mortgages on customary lands in L.T.R.A 2008 and C.L.A.C 2013? 7) If there is no evidence, is that the meaning of what she said about the interpretation of laws - In interpreting laws, the first point of reference for the courts and any user of any law, is the law itself. What does it say, or not say (silent) on the issue? I will continue this tomorrow. Nanai Malonuu Lealaiauloto Nofoaiga Vailima Breweries breakthrough in terms of exports to the United States market was officially launched at Orator Hotel on Wednesday night. Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi congratulated Samoa Breweries. Tonight we have come together to launch The Taste of Samoa Vailima beer, the first of many export shipments on its way to the West Coast of the U.S.A. and will become available in Hawaii, California and Washington States, thanks to the supply and distribution agreement between Samoa Breweries Limited and U.S. based importation and distribution company, Foredrinks L.L.C., Tuilaepa said. He recalled 40 years ago, the government of Samoa, in partnership with Brauhause of Germany and local Samoan shareholders, provided strategic capital investment and technical expertise to build a brewery and launch Samoas very own beer Vailima. Samoa Breweries Limited is now ranked as one of Samoas largest exporters. This investment also provides the platform for import substitution and employment creation for the people of Samoa. Aside from manufacturing and packaging Vailima beer products, the company is also an authorised Coca Cola bottler providing Samoa with a global iconic carbonated soft drinks brand Coca Cola since the early 1980s. I look forward to future developments with this exciting venture, which I am confident, will prosper and continue to ensure the financial stability to the Samoan families. International Sales Manager Alcohol & Coffee of the Coca Cola Amatil, Heath Baker said a dream has now come to reality. About two and a half years ago I came to Samoa to help the Samoa Breweries team with their strategic direction for the future, Mr. Baker said. I knew very little about this country, its culture people or the brands, just a palagi who was keen to learn and wanted to help. I stand here now immensely proud of what we as a team have accomplished, in fact team work is probably like every family, we have all played our roles. We are truly humbled tonight as we sit here and pass on the custodianship of our baby, Vailima to our new friend and our new partners, Mauala King and the O.D.O.M. Corporation. Entering into a market like the United States of America is not something you can do overnight and in fact it is nearly 12 months to the date when George and I first met you, Mauala, and I am very happy that we sit here now with the plans you have. We know that we start with a focus on ensuring that every time a bottle of Vailima is opened, the Taste of Samoa, that piece of home comes back into the heart and minds of its people. Foredrinks L.L.C. representative in Samoa, Mauala King said they look forward to working together with Samoa Beverages in the future. Paradise Beverages General Manager, Mike Spencer, who spoke on behalf of Vailima Brewery, said Paradise Beverages and Coca Cola Amatil - Alcohol & Coffee thank the government for being part of the special event and their support in exporting Vailima to the U.S.A. This year, Vailima Brewery celebrates its 40th anniversary, Mike said. We started out back in 1978 supplying Vailima beer to the local Samoan market. Overtime, we started to penetrate the international markets and we currently export to a number of countries including American Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. The main strategy here is to take Samoan beer to the Samoans. He believes the opportunity that Samoa has now in the U.S.A. could boost international sales and if sales projection are realised, it will result in further capital expenditure and more jobs at Vailima Brewery. This is not about standing up in the U.S.A. market to compete with the Coronas and the Budweisers of the world. This is about taking a piece of home to our Samoan people residing in the Western Seaboard of the U.S.A. and Hawaii. We at Paradise Beverages are extremely proud of this accomplishment and Vailima will now rightfully be added to the growing list of our world class brands entering international markets such as Fiji Bitter, Fiji Gold, Vonu and the Rum Co. of Fiji. Mr. King, thank you for your belief in us and we are looking forward to expanding our relationship with you and our footprint in the United States. Samoa Breweries Limited has continued to provide employment to people over the past 40 years. After the honeymoon phase, the reality of running a fully-fledged international airline in such a cut throat industry has started to kick in for Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaois administration. And by the sound of things, the picture is not pretty at all. What with huge overhead costs, low bums-on-seat numbers and a whole lot of other financial challenges, Samoa Airways was never going to be an instant success. But then we knew that and we warned that the Government was taking a huge risk. And as weve said before, this could be Prime Minister Tuilaepas most brilliant move or it could be the final straw that breaks the camels back. As proud Samoans, we sincerely hope the latter is not the case. Thats because whatever happens to Samoa Airways, the consequences will always fall on the shoulders of taxpayers. Which means more taxes, suffering and more debt. The truth is that running an international airline in this day and age is not something you enter into blindly. Folks, if it was difficult back in the days of Polynesian Airlines which nearly bankrupted this country, it would be even more challenging now given the demands and dynamics of todays competitive business world. But dont say the government had not been warned. Sadly and although its early days yet from what weve been told, things are looking rather grim. Which is why we find the denial by the Minister of Samoa Airways, Lautafi Fio Purcell, rather surprising. Earlier this week in a story titled Minister denies Airline loss claims, the Minister flatly rejected claims that the airline was already running at a loss. Several sources including people from within the Government have told us what is happening. Although they could not put a figure to the loss, they claim that it is substantial and growing every month. Now when the Samoa Observer contacted the Minister for a comment, he quickly rubbished the reports. That is not true, he said. Where did you get your figures from? Thats not true. Its irrelevant where the figures come from. Whats more important is if they are true or not. So lets wait and see then, shall we? But you dont need to be super intelligent to know whats going on. One can easily find out from going to Faleolo Airport to wait for friends and relatives. Many of them will tell you how empty the flights have been. In some cases, there are only one or two people in the business class. In some cases, none at all. What that means is that they point to the fact that the load numbers have been quite low. And for an airline that is reportedly paying US$500,000 (T$1.25 million) a fortnight to lease the aircraft, it is a disaster in the making. Now let me tell you something else. Why the Government is secretive about some of the costs for a publically-owned airline baffles the mind. Last year, the Government had repeatedly refused to confirm or deny reports about what it was paying to Icelandic Air. These are commercial secrets, it cannot be revealed, he said. These things are commercial contracts, and if you inquire with any airline companies, they will never allow that to be known. Told that its a Government-owned airline; Tuilaepa again intervened and said when the accounts are available thats the time you will know. Well thats a long time away but okay. As proud Samoans who want Samoa Airways to succeed, lets hope that by then they turn things around. But its going to be hard. Extremely difficult. Stay tuned! Have a wonderful weekend Samoa, God bless! Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, is looking at a regulation to remove defacto couples working within the Police Force. Last year, 20 Police Officers were laid off after Tuilaepa cracked down on instances of conflict of interests in the Force. Tuilaepa said this was part of the reforms since hed moved the Ministry of Police under his portfolio. Tuilaepa said he was not happy that this issue had been allowed by the former Commissioners to continue. He told the Samoa Observer the ultimatum is not limited to the defacto relationships. They will also look at the Police Officers who have children with other Police officers. They will all be affected because we will not continue down this same path," he said. Tuilaepa commended the Police Service for taking action immediately. Again, more than 20 officers were affected and have been let go, but there is one more issue at hand which targets Police Officers who are impregnated by other Police Officers. We have given the Police the option to sort out those issues internally, but in the meantime I am working on amending the regulation reflecting that if the officers have children together and in some officers case, they live together, they will be removed. I know very well these couples will claim that they are not obligated, however I have already moved to assure these regulations are legalised, said Tuialepa. As reported earlier, Tuilaepa said couples cannot work together under any circumstances. They knew what was going on right under their noses and they allowed it. This is a standing policy all over the world, a wife cannot work with her husband, he said. Tuilaepa said it would have been a different story if it was a family business. He said this should not happen in any Ministry of Government, adding: What will happen is that they will not heed the policies of the Ministry, but do what benefits them as a family. Local fashion designers are heading to Auckland, New Zealand, this weekend to participate in the Inaugural Skycity Pasifika Parade Fashion show. Cecilia Keil of Cecilias Fashion House, Dane Fabricious of D.M.F. and Natalya Ah Him from Pele Creations, will be showcasing their designs alongside other Pacific fashion designers such as Mena and TAV Pacific. Speaking to the Weekend Observer, Keil said its very important for our local designers to take part in these types of international events to boost Samoas fashion industry. Its great to be involved in these events, Keil said. The best thing about these events is we create links and get more exposure thats the most important thing. The designers get recognised by getting their name out there. Its great for your portfolio to have all events that you have participated in and have been invited to. Its all about marketing. The parade will take place in the heart of Auckland city and will be a part of the Pasifika Day celebrations in New Zealand. While the designers do not have to follow any particular theme, Keil will be showcasing garments that are inspired around the theme of climate change. One of her feature dresses, Drowning Paradise, tells a story of how rising sea levels affects the smaller islands because of climate change. There is no theme, but Im always trying to promote awareness of climate change and how its affecting us with carbon emissions and sea level rise, so some of my collection will be representations of that through colours I see as symbolic of those things. Keil believes now is the time for Samoan designers to capitalise on the worlds growing interest in Pacific culture and art by getting more international exposure. Yes definitely more interest, particularly Samoa, and we are doing well in everything and you have to strive for the top in the fashion world just like sports. You have to keep moving up by playing with good teams and its the same with designers, you cant just stay here in Samoa, youve got to get out because when you are exposed to that level, you come back thinking you need to do better last time. You cant go backwards; you have to keep moving forward. Keil hopes to build on the connections that she has made at such international fashion events in order to help develop Samoas fashion sector. It also helps to connect with groups like Sewtech Fashion Academy, which is the school in New Zealand for sewing, and Ive turned up and asked them for help in doing workshops in Samoa because we are getting orders but we couldnt supply because we dont have the manpower here and the professionalism or standard, she said. The level of sewing is very important, when youre selling overseas. We have a lot of sewers here in Samoa but we need to train and teach them how to do it so we can market and sell overseas. Thats why its important that we bring people from overseas to train our people on how to do a finishing, properly like labeling a garment. In July, the designer says she hopes to again select some local designers for the Pacific International Runway event to be held mid-year, and she hopes that one day Samoa will become a fashion hub of the Pacific. Thats the dream. I want to see Samoa being a fashion hub in the future for the Pacific and we can invite Fiji, cook islands and Tonga, New Zealand and Australia and lots of designers have spoken to me and they want to come and support and participate. To attend fashion events is a costly event and while Keil as a partner and representative of Samoa for the Pacific International Runway can take up to five designers to such a big event, the fees can be a barrier. Last year, I was invited to participate in New York from Oxford fashion studios. They have invited us and other designers from the Pacific International Runway to participate during the New York and London and Paris fashion week because they have other fashion shows going on at the same time. We thank our sponsors from the public sector and private sector for making it possible for us three designers to make the event and helping us create pathways to overseas markets and get Samoan made designs out there. Without our sponsors, we wouldnt be able to go to these types of events, the Pacific International Runway costs between AUD $1,500 (T$2,998) and AUD$2,000 (T$3,997) and half price by coming under me. The Inaugural Skycity Pasifika Fashion Parade will take place on March 17th in Auckland City. Two Avele College students charged in relation to an attack on one of the schools teachers two weeks ago will appear before Court on 22 March 2018. The pair, who were expelled from school for bad behaviour, face charges of being armed with a dangerous weapon and throwing stones. This was confirmed by Police Spokesperson, Auapaau Logoitino. They were also called before their Village Council on Monday. A family member, who spoke to Samoa Observer on the condition of anonymity, explained the incident erupted as a result of the pair rebelling against actions that were allegedly carried out by the teacher. It is alleged one of the pair received a beating from the teacher involved because of his uniform while the other student was because of his hair cut. The two students told the Village Council they were embarrassed when they were scolded by the teacher in front of other students during the school assembly. It is alleged one of the students was punched in the face by the teacher and landed on the ground. They told the Village Council that the teacher had cut the other students hair during the assembly. The teacher mocked the other students haircut. According to the student, the teacher said watch the hair it looks like the hair of someone who was getting a haircut and suddenly got up and started running. Following this incident, the students caught up with the teacher and attacked him, which involved the throwing of stones. When the stone missed the teachers head, the teacher chased the students and caught one of them. This was when one of the students was beaten. And since the matter is now in the hands of Police, the village has advised and encouraged the children to stay away from trouble. According to the family member, this means the village has played its part and will now leave it to the Court to decide what the students fate will be. Luck brought a New Zealand family to Samoa. Charmain and Barry had bought a house in New Zealand and to their surprise; they received a six days trip to Samoa. Even if we hadnt got this trip to Samoa, we already have been planning to come to this beautiful country, Charmain said. The couple and their one and a half year old son, Lennax, arrived in Samoa on Saturday and they are staying at the Taumeasina Island Resort. They did not have the opportunity to choose the country for this trip, but it was on their travel plans to visit Samoa anyway. They have been to other islands in the Pacific before such as Tahiti and they really enjoyed it there. In comparison to the other islands they visited, Samoas landscape is very different. Here it is very hilly, lush and green, very beautiful, Charmain told the Dear Tourist team. In Tahiti, there was very minimal agriculture, no plantation of any type, that was something that really surprised me, explained Barry. Not only is the landscape different, Samoas village settings as well is something unique. Barry said: The villages look different with the houses, sweet and small. The villages on this Island represent the simple life, the culture and the difference between each village is huge. The people here are relaxed, pretty easy going and very friendly, added Charmain. This is absolutely what she expected from Samoa because the way Samoa was being advertised as a holiday destination in New Zealand formed her expectations of this country. It is all about smiling, happy and very friendly people. The highlight was the trip we did to To Sua Ocean Trench, said Barry. We have been as well to the market, visited Apia and a couple of churches, Charmain shared her impression. Religion is very important here. What does make me wonder is that there are many beautiful churches, which obviously cost a lot of money to make. And we see there are obviously people, who live very, very poorly, and have to work really hard. It is just a very different lifestyle to New Zealand. The service and hospitality they experienced in Samoa have been one of kindness. It was a good place to celebrate the International Womens Day, says Charmain. They will definitely return to Samoa to enjoy this beautiful landscape and the helpful, friendly and hospitable culture they experienced here. Hopefully the next time their visit will be longer. We are already looking forward to come back here later, when Lennax is older and can do more things like some of the great sport activities around this beautiful island. Maybe we will stay here again or somewhere else. It was their first trip to the islands, but definitely not the last time for this family. Samoa, for Haley Clifton, is an unforgettable destination. Haley is from Sydney, Australia, and shes in Samoa with her daughter, Layla and her mother, Kelly. Theyve been here for three days and they noted the simple lifestyle of the Samoan people, which amplifies the importance of culture, especially respect. People are just really nice. They are very appreciative with what they have and the people make you feel so important, Haley told the Dear Tourist team. The people never complain with having less and being here brings us back to reality and teaches us to appreciate what really matters. Back home as Australians, we just work and go home and the next day it is the same thing. We are just basically busy all the time and you have to do it since there are so many things that need to be done, she said. Haley mentioned the hospitality shown to them by the Taumeasina Island Resort staff exceeded their expectations. As a tourist we felt really welcomed, everybody was very friendly. The staff were very friendly, from the girls who were cleaning the rooms, they were very hospitable and accommodating, also the people who were serving us. Like for breakfast the staff went out of their way to help us, it was self-service, but instead they still did everything for us. We werent aware that there was food outside but they came and offered to help us get food. Samoa is more than a place of relaxation for Haley. Her partner is Samoan and theyre separated, but shes here to celebrate Laylas fifth birthday and for her to understand that she carries a Samoan bloodline. Despite not being able to see her father more often, she wants her daughter to explore her fathers homeland. My daughter is half Samoan, which is why we came to Samoa, it was kind of like a present for her. Everything that happened in the past it does not change the fact that Layla is Samoan, it is not her fault and I know she will grow up and will know it. As a mother, Kelly says this is a good break from all the busyness. The highlight of their trip so far was the Faafafine show, which was entertaining. Haley is also a big fan of Samoan food especially taro, pork bun, palusami and chopsuey. Before they depart, they look forward to going to the Papaseea Sliding Rocks and the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. Climate change continues to be a great threat to coastal ecosystems, livelihoods and infrastructure of coastal communities. In Moataa village, the impacts of climate change are very real. Earlier this week, Conservation International and the Samoa Conservation Society in partnership with the Chiefs of Moataa, the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility and the Office of the New Zealand High Commission to Samoa, hosted a site visit for the New Zealand Government Pacific Mission 2018. A statement from Conservation International said the visit was to highlight the direct impacts of climate change on villagers of Moataa due to the vulnerability of a walkway that links the coastal side of their village to the inland side. Among the high-level N.Z. delegation was their Minister of Climate Change, James Shaw, who saw first-hand the impact of sea level rise to the walkway through the mangrove area. Mr. Shaw reflected on the value of mangroves to buffer the impacts of flooding, and the importance of proper infrastructure to ensure resilience against sea level rise and other threats as a result of climate change. The submersion of the bridge affects access to schools, services, employment and village activities. Village representative and paramount Chief, Asi Tuiataga Blakelock spoke about the mangrove and impact climate change has had on their village. Asi also thanked Conservation International, Samoa Conservation Society and the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility, including New Zealand, for funding the construction of a new walkway for the village. The visit demonstrated partnerships, the strength of community based management and more importantly that climate change continues to pose an increasing threat to the village of Moataa. Conservation International works across the Pacific to strengthen community resilience against climate change. WASHINGTON (AP) The White House said Friday the U.S. push to isolate North Korea compelled the reclusive nation to reach out for presidential-level talks, validating the Trump administration's hard-line strategy of economic penalties and bellicose barbs. No time and place has yet been set for what would be a historic meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. No sitting U.S. president has ever met with a North Korean leader. South Korean officials, briefing Trump at the White House on Thursday about their recent meeting with Kim in Pyongyang, relayed that the North Korean leader expressed a commitment to denuclearization, a top demand of Trump and U.S. allies. Kim also pledged to halt nuclear and missile testing, after conducting a string of such tests during Trump's first year in office, the South Koreans said, and expressed an eagerness to meet Trump. They said Trump agreed to meet Kim by May, and the White House later confirmed the president's decision. "North Korea's desire to meet to discuss denuclearization - while suspending all ballistic missile and nuclear testing - is evidence that President Trump's strategy to isolate the Kim regime is working," Vice President Mike Pence, who has visited the region, said Friday in a written statement. Pence said the North Koreans are coming to the table despite receiving "zero concessions" from the U.S., which has, with its allies, consistently increased the pressure on Kim through economic sanctions and other means. "Our resolve is undeterred and our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent, and verifiable steps to end their nuclear program," Pence said, echoing Trump. White House legislative affairs director Marc Short said Trump had discussed his decision with a "handful" of lawmakers, but wouldn't reveal names. Short said the administration was cautious about the meeting, but Congress was responding with "excitement and encouragement." "They feel like for a long time that relationships there have been headed in a dire direction," Short told reporters at the White House on Friday. "We're obviously cautious on this, but we do believe that the president had a sea change when he came into office in the way he was going to deal with North Korea. "We hope this bears fruit, but we're going to be cautious about it," Short said. A meeting between the leaders would have been an unthinkable suggestion just a few months ago, when the insults between them were at their peak. Trump was a "senile dotard" and the North was snapping off regular weapons tests in its quest for a viable nuclear arsenal that can threaten the U.S. mainland. Liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who some believe has maneuvered the two leaders to this position, declared Friday in South Korea that the planned summit will be a "historical milestone" that will put the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula "really on track." But there's also considerable skepticism. North Korea has made a habit of reaching out, after raising fears during previous crises, with offers of dialogue meant to win aid and concessions. Some speculate that the North is trying to peel Washington away from its ally Seoul, weaken crippling sanctions and buy time for nuclear development. It has also, from the U.S. point of view, repeatedly cheated on past nuclear deals. And now the North has landed a face-to-face meeting with the leader of the world's most powerful country, a nation that North Korea has long sought to draw into talks. The North wants a peace treaty to end the technically still-active Korean War and drive out all U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, removing what it says is a hostile encirclement of its territory by Washington and Seoul. Trump's hastily reached decision to accept the meeting sent White House staff scrambling. Earlier Thursday, South Korean national security director Chung Eui-yong had briefed U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster and other agency representatives in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, according to White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Once McMaster heard what was on the table, the group went to the Oval Office to brief Trump. After Trump decided he would meet with Kim, he stuck his head into the White House press briefing room to alert reporters to an upcoming "major statement" on North Korea by South Korea. Hours later, at a hastily arranged appearance on the White House driveway at night, Chung told reporters that Kim had "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible" and that "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization." "Great progress being made," Trump tweeted after the announcement. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday in Djibouti that Trump decided for himself to meet with Kim, and that it resulted from a sharp change in the North Korean leader's stance. "What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way. It was a surprise to us that he was so forward-leaning," Tillerson said. He said it would take "some weeks" before the timing for the meeting is worked out. North Korea still produces propaganda declaring its continued dedication to its nuclear program. Washington remains publicly dedicated to annual war games with the South that the North claims are rehearsals for an invasion, and to keeping 28,500 troops in South Korea and 50,000 in Japan, largely as a deterrent to North Korean aggression. The military exercises are to resume next month after they were postponed because of the Winter Olympics in the South. North Korea appeared to confirm the summit plans. A senior North Korean diplomat at the United Nations in New York, Pak Song Il, told The Washington Post in an email that the invitation was the result of Kim's "broad minded and resolute decision" to contribute to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have previously been overseen by lower-level experts, and have often bogged down, even when so-called "breakthroughs" have been made in the details. Friday's announcement followed weeks of softening ties between the Koreas, orchestrated by Moon, and culminating in a visit by Kim's sister to the South to observe the Olympics in Pyeongchang and then Chung's trip to meet with Kim in Pyongyang. Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from its pursuit of a working long-range nuclear-tipped missile. He's oscillated between threats and insults directed at Kim that have fueled fears of war, and more conciliatory rhetoric. The historic announcement comes during a period of unparalleled tumult in the Trump's West Wing, with the president's policy agenda stalled and morale sinking as staff departures proliferate and disrupt efforts to instill more discipline and order. It took less than 24 hours for Sempra Energy to put the finishing touches on the largest deal in the San Diego-based energy giants 20-year history. Its official, said Sempra CEO Debra Reed Friday morning after the company announced it had completed customary closing conditions to obtain 80 percent indirect ownership interest in Oncor, the largest utility in Texas. On Thursday, the final regulatory hurdle in the massive $9.45 billion deal was approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas in a unanimous 3-0 vote. Last month, the acquisition was OKd by a federal bankruptcy court. Under the terms of the deal, Oncor will remain based in Dallas, keep its name and the companys board of directors will maintain its independence. Advertisement We are thrilled at Oncor that we got this transaction completed, said Allen Nye, Oncors new CEO in a brief telephone interview Friday. We are excited about being part of the Sempra family going forward and we think it will provide great opportunities for both companies. A regulated electric transmission and distribution service provider, Oncor maintains some 134,000 miles of lines and delivers power to about 3.5 million homes and businesses. Sempra already has assets in Texas, including plans with partners to build a liquefied natural gas facility in Port Arthur, and the Oncor acquisition greatly expands the companys footprint in the massive energy market in the Lone Star State. Sempra executives expect the transaction to become an immediate money-maker an accretion of roughly 20 cents per share is anticipated in the first year. Among investment opportunities that appear promising, Reed mentioned wind energy, battery storage and electric vehicle infrastructure. Texas has done so many things right and I think that gives us some great opportunities with integrating technologies to further enhance the grid and further enhance opportunities for customers, Reed said. The acquisition has an enterprise value of about $18.8 billion, including debt. Sempra has received financing commitments from RBC Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley to help fund the deal. Advertisement Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski Q: Is it right for the U.S. government to conduct a security review of Broadcoms proposal to buy Qualcomm? Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Technology has become a vital weapon in cybersecurity, aggression and corporate warfare. It cannot fall into the hands of the enemy. Technology, such as the Qualcomm G5 chip, is also essential to future corporate growth and expansion of new industries not even contemplated yet. Our federal government needs to protect us from any mergers that would allow new American technological developments to fall into the hands of rogue countries that will unfairly control its dissemination. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research Advertisement YES: Qualcomm is a highly innovative company composed of very smart engineering scientists and is a leader in next-generation wireless technologies. Broadcom is a corporate raider with history of reducing long-term R&D investment focusing on short-term profitability. The hostile takeover would likely weaken Qualcomms long-term competitiveness in telecommunications technologies and standard setting, allowing Chinese companies to take over as dominant players of next generation 5G networks. With critical intellectual properties at stake, the security review certainly seems warranted. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: CFIUS (the federal interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) has a responsibility to examine transactions like this takeover bid to determine their impact on national security. CFIUS has noted national security concerns arising from a potential weakening of Qualcomms technological leadership and the disruption of the supply of products to the US government. CFIUSs order to delay Qualcomms shareholder meeting until it could conduct a review was appropriate since the potential outcomes from the meeting would have been difficult to reverse. Gina Champion-Cain, American National Investments YES: Beyond the standard antitrust issues inherent in mega-deals, this merger would effectively put core technology in hands of a Singapore company. If the administration deems purchasing steel and aluminum from our allies a national security threat, then selling our control of semiconductor technology to a foreign corporation would seem to require a far greater level of scrutiny. Why the Committee on Foreign Investment waited so long to intervene is an interesting question. Alan Gin, University of San Diego YES: There is legitimate concern about the impact of a foreign entity acquiring Qualcomm and its work on 5G technology. Although Broadcom is planning on increasing its presence in the U.S. and said that it wont sell national security assets to foreign entities, there are worries that the takeover will slow the work on 5G. Broadcom has historically spent less than Qualcomm on R&D. Losing the 5G race to China would hurt the U.S. both security-wise and economically. James Hamilton, UC San Diego Advertisement YES: Qualcomm is the leading U.S. company developing 5G, the next generation of wireless technology. This will play a fundamental role in communications infrastructure over the next decade. Even if Broadcom does not plan to sell Qualcomms stake directly to Chinese companies, Broadcom owners would be less likely to maintain the investments necessary to keep the U.S. at the front of this arms race. I am thankful that CFIUS is stepping in here. Gary London, London Group of Realty Advisors YES: A little scrutiny is a good thing for San Diegans who have benefited from Qualcomm. The prospect of being torn apart and sold piecemeal would be a huge civic loss. Qualcomm was born and raised in San Diego. From startup to gargantuan, it represents for San Diego what other city builder companies represent to their respective cities. Look at Seattles Boeing (and later Microsoft then Amazon). Starting from scratch and growing, these type of companies entwine themselves into everything about our town, from spinoffs to education to charity, from traffic to housing demand. If sold, the skeletal remains may stay, but the embedded contribution to our community is likely to fade. In terms of strict economics, Qualcomm represents a primer on what ought to remain our main regional focus: building companies and clusters from the ground up. Norm Miller, University of San Diego DONT KNOW: I assume this is standard protocol for large companies with technology we depend on ubiquitously or that is used in defense-related technologies. I would think that antitrust reviews would also be normal for companies of this size. But if the reviews are being done for political reasons, based on Qualcomms request, then that is wrong. Id prefer to assume good intentions on everyones part. Advertisement Jamie Moraga, IntelliSolutions YES: Qualcomm is one of the leading high-tech research and development companies in the world, especially in the field of wireless communications and the new 5G technology. Their national defense work is critical for our national security, so its necessary for the U.S. government to conduct a security review of the Broadcom proposal, as Broadcom is a foreign-controlled entity. Qualcomms intellectual property and their 5G technology expertise must be protected. Austin Neudecker, Rev He is not participating this week. Advertisement Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates YES: Qualcomms technology and its impact on 5G wireless Internet is significant. Its primary competitor in the race to 5G is the Chinese firm, Huawei. This technology is paramount to U.S. interests as Chinas track record in attempting to steal military and technology secrets is well documented. Further, Qualcomm does classified work for the U.S. and China is known to coerce the transfer of intellectual property. How would Broadcom manage Qualcomms technology? We dont know. Lynn Reaser, Point Loma Nazarene University YES: If national security is truly at risk, a review of the acquisition is appropriate.CFIUS is apparently concerned that the 5G technology that Qualcomm is developing could become dominated by China. Qualcomms contracts with the government, including consulting on cybersecurity, could also could be issues. While a review may be warranted, the U.S. must be careful not to become involved in setting industrial policy and blocking the flow of capital. Advertisement John Sarkisian, SKLZ YES: With the advent of 5G technology and IOT (Internet of Things) connectivity, an acquisition of Qualcomm ,the leading provider of chip technology, should raise the concern of the U.S. government and justify their review of the proposed transaction. If Qualcomm completes the acquisition of NXP Semiconductors, the potential for Broadcom to then acquire Qualcomm seems to create an issue of scale and concentration that raises both antitrust and U.S. security concerns. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Healt YES: While I dont know what kind of work is being performed by Qualcomm for our government, the fact that the Pentagon is supporting a CFIUS review of the transaction suggests it is of a vital and perhaps confidential nature. The government should have a say in sharing sensitive technology with other countries, and given CFIUS has raised questions in the past about Broadcoms close ties with China, this potential transaction should undergo careful scrutiny. Advertisement Have an idea for an EconoMeter question? Email me at roger.showley@sduniontribune.com Business Advertisement roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley From the saltwater pool on the 18th floor of East Villages Alexan ALX, the latest luxury apartment to open downtown, it seems like all of San Diego is at your feet. Views stretch from the San Diego-Coronado Bridge to the Cabrillo National Monument and Tijuana. Amenities include an outside sanctuary with a two-story artificial waterfall and comforts that you might expect at a four-star hotel, such as a business meeting room and an expansive lounge with a 12-foot-by-12-foot wall of TVs. Rent prices reflect the amenities starting at $2,015 a month for a 520-square-foot studio. Alexan is just one of the more than 2,000 new apartments opening this year in San Diego County, most of which are high-end and downtown. Trends follow past years as luxury complexes cater to pets, install high-tech gyms and zero-edge pools typically found at resorts in an effort to outdo each other. Advertisement Experts say developers are looking for a specific renter the affluent millennial and most market projections show it is working. The average rent for the new apartments this year is around $2,489 a month. Thats about $868 more a month than the average San Diego County rent, said real estate tracker CoStar. Russ Valone, CEO of MarketPointe Realty Advisors, said the market has proven it can handle high rents but its unclear for how long. You can continue to ask for high rents, he said. Will we get them? I dont know. What is unique this year is not that most new construction is high-end, but that there are so many luxury projects. Apartment construction tends to yo-yo even in high demand years because of labor shortages, weather, financing and other factors but it is looking like 2018 will be big for new units. Local real estate tracker MarketPointe Realty Advisors said 861 new apartments came out last year compared to 765 in 2016. Those numbers are a far cry from the 3,825 projects unveiled in 2015 and 2,100 in 2014. With new apartment complexes come major changes to neighborhoods. Most of the new complexes are in East Village and Little Italy, where former commercial areas and two-to-three story buildings have been easy to knock down and replace compared to other parts of the city. Eighty percent of all new apartments coming out in San Diego County this year are in the city, said Marcus & Millichap. Advertisement Growing pains are most evident in East Village, which has a large homeless population and is a frequent complaint of residents. Driving can also be difficult in the area because homeless people often walk in front of cars without looking and new parks, like the one in front of Pinnacle on the Park, has become a hangout for transients. Alec Schiffer, managing director of Alexan ALX developer Trammel Crow Residential, said being in an urban environment means a homeless presence but it has become better since construction started. We anticipate that the situation will continually improve as the neighborhood evolves, he said, and new residents and business populate the area. The amenity rush To compete for renters, developers have allocated much of the space in complexes toward amenities even though that space could be used for more housing units. Advertisement In Oceanside, Ryan Companies is building a new apartment building directly across from one they completed in 2016. Pierside South will be completed in October with 110 units, many with ocean views. Now under construction, the property will include a gym, dog run, office areas, lounge on the top floor, yoga studio and storage units on each floor. The younger workforce looks for these features, said Garrett Faller, project manager at Pierside. The amenities are the selling point. Unlike its first apartment building on the property that was wood frame, Pierside South will be built with steel. Although more expensive, it makes future alterations to the building easier. Advertisement This is the pool area and view on the 18th of the Alexan ALX luxury apartments at 14th and K Streets on Friday in Downtown San Diego, California. | (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Other new buildings have also doubled down on amenities. Vici in Little Italy, likely opening around late spring or early summer, features a yoga deck, gym, rooftop spa, bicycle and maintenance repair room, pet spa, vehicle charging station and concierge services. Vicis website features a sleek marketing video in which animated people do yoga on the roof while birds chirp and residents walk around Little Italy on a gorgeous day. Related: New apartments opening in 2018 Advertisement At Shift in East Village, which opens this month, the 21-story building makes use of its height with a sundeck and rooftop pool almost mandatory at new apartments. It goes a step further with a sky lounge, an enclosed gathering place for on the top floor protected from the elements. Other amenities include a sky terrace on the seventh floor, dog park, charging stations for electric vehicles, 24-hour gym and co-working space. Also a selling point for transforming East Village, Shift will include 19,000 square feet of ground floor retail. In the shadow of the yellow Pinnacle on the Park building, Shift will likely become a landmark for those in downtown with its tallest tower accented by bright burgundy that should be seen for miles. Real estate consultant Gary London said developers know the market opportunity is in rentals and attracting the right renter is key. Advertisement They are appealing to a select group of affluent millennials, he said. The coming condo boom? There are about 250 new condos coming out this year, but most developers avoid constructing them because of strict liability laws. Many of the new apartment buildings opening this year are built well enough that they could be converted to condos very easily especially those with steel construction that are easier to modify. Conversions pretty much stopped after the housing boom and frequent litigation over construction defects made condos less profitable for developers. Condos are subject to strict defect legislation over a 10-year period. So, after 10 years could all these high-end apartments become condos and avoid a barrage of lawsuits? Advertisement Theres no clear answer because of a lack of history on the subject, said attorney Paul Robinson of the San Diego firm of Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley. He said a strict reading of the condo defect law Senate Bill 800 could be interpreted to mean apartment conversions after a decade do not fall under it. But, Robinson said California judges are prone to siding with consumers and might decide the 10-year clock on defects starts the day the apartment switches to a condo. Its not an easy answer, he said. Theres never been a case law on this. Advertisement Also, he said any defects of the converted condo would need to be disclosed to the buyer or it would be fraud. The seller could still face a breach of contract if a defect is found even if they were not aware of it at the time of the sale. Even though the legal possibilities might not make it worth it for condo conversion, Gary London said at least the high-end apartments today could make a conversion easier. If you build it really good today, London said, then 10 years from now youre not going to have to put in hard costs or construction costs to make it condo-eligible. Garrett Fuller, project manager at Pierside in Oceanside, described new construction last week. (Phillip Molnar/San Diego Union-Tribune ) Advertisement Business Advertisement phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar ALSO Last years housing market broke records PHOTO: The Lake San Marcos Kiwanis Club will hold a 106th birthday party for Dorothy Coleman from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 3 at St. Marks Country Club in Lake San Marcos. Pictured are volunteers at the clubs recent pancake breakfast with Coleman (seated center), who is known for her piano playing at the clubs weekly meetings. The pancake breakfast raised more than $18,000 for scholarships for area students. To RSVP for the birthday party, email patcoleman2@yahoo.com. Visit lsmkiwanis.org. More community news CARLSBAD Soloist film to be screened at center Advertisement The Carlsbad Senior Center will screen the drama/biopic The Soloist, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, at 1 p.m. Thursday at 799 Pine Ave. Admission is free and seating is first come, first served. Call (760) 602-4650. Challah-making event open to community Congregation Bnai Tikvah will celebrate Shabbat Across America with a hands-on Challah-making event at 7 p.m. Friday at 2510 Gateway Road. Challah is a traditional twisted egg bread eaten on the Sabbath. Participants will take their dough home to bake and enjoy with their families. Sponsored by the National Jewish Outreach Program, the event will feature Rabbi Ben Leinow and Cantor Larry Kornit. A donation of $10 includes all supplies and ingredients. The program is open to the community. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for donation to the Interfaith Community Services program. Call (858) 472-0303 or (760) 650-2262. DNA pilot program to begin Saturday The DNA Group of North San Diego County Genealogical Society will offer a special pilot program, Beginners Guide to DNA, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Georgina Cole Library, 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive. Attendees will learn genetic/genealogy vocabulary, what DNA is, how DNA can be used in genealogy research, and DNA testing options. Email vicepresident@nsdcgs.org or call (951) 567-3322. ENCINITAS Pilates mat classes held on Thursdays Advertisement The Encinitas Community Center is offering Pilates mat classes for ages 14 through adult from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, March 8 through April 19, at 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive. The instructor for the class is Sandra Schroeder. Call (760) 943-2260 or visit encinitasparksandrec.com. FALLBROOK Jewelry designer to give presentation Advertisement The Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society will present international award-winning jewelry designer Larisa Zolotova as its guest speaker at 7 p.m. Thursday at the FGMS building, 123 W. Alvarado St. Zolotova will share how she turned a hobby into a passionate, life-changing career. Zolotova will share examples of her work and will explain the process she uses to create her jewelry. Free parking is available across from the building. Light refreshments will be served and an opportunity drawing will be held. Call (760) 728-1130 or visit fgms.org. NORTH COUNTY Middle East conflict topic of program Del Mar Seacoast Republican Women Federated invites the community to enjoy an evening of Politics and Wine from 6 to 8 p.m. March 15 at the Del Mar Country Club, 6001 Club House Drive, Rancho Santa Fe. The Rev. Pakrad Berjekian will be the featured speaker and will present the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the point of view of a Christian minority. The lecture will utilize historical facts and documents pertaining to Christian minorities past and present. The intention is to present an unbiased and pure assessment to the conflict, while advocating for a peaceful solution. Berjekian spent 35 years in Jerusalem in various leadership positions within the Armenian Christian community and serves as the priest of St. John Garabed Armenian Church of San Diego. Wine and hors doeuvres will be served. Cost is $25 donation. Reservations are required as names are submitted to the clubs gate. Call (858) 481-8904, email tminasian@sbcglobal.net or visit delmarseacoastrwf.org. Advertisement Italian club offers student scholarships The North County Italian Association is offering $1,000 scholarships to deserving high school seniors of Italian descent. This is a nonprofit that promotes an appreciation and understanding of the Italian culture and heritage through civic and social events. The deadline to submit applications is Friday. Visit northcountyitalian association.org. OCEANSIDE Quilters to meet for presentation, workshop Advertisement The El Camino Quilters will host Ann Shaw for a presentation on the Debates About the Art versus Craft of Quilts at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the groups new meeting place, the QLN Conference Center, 1938 Avenida Del Oro. She will also address the aesthetics and processes of quiltmaking. Doors open at 9 a.m. Guest fee for the meeting is $10. Parking is limited, so carpools are encouraged. Shaw will also hold a workshop Friday on Flowers of the Gorge or Pieced Pets. Visit elcaminoquilters.com. JANELLE WERTHMANN & LINDA MCINTOSH U-T northcounty@sduniontribune.com Two long-term San Marcos City Council members are vying to replace Mayor Jim Desmond, who will reach his term limit in November and is running for county supervisor. Chris Orlando, who has served as a council member for 12 years, and Rebecca Jones, who has sat on the council for 11 years and now serves as vice mayor, are both competing for the mayoral seat. In San Marcos, we have never had a woman serving as mayor, Jones said. I feel very empowered knowing that I could, indeed, be elected this year as the first woman representing San Marcos as mayor. The San Marcos mayoral position is elected at large, while the council seats will be decided for the first time by voting districts. While the mayor has a single vote on the council, both candidates said the position holds additional responsibility for shepherding issues to the table and forging relationships with other governing bodies. Advertisement I think the mayor plays a really key role in setting the tone at the council meetings, and a real practical role in helping to set the agenda, Orlando said. So I think as mayor, my first and only perspective will be, are the residents being fairly heard. Jones said the mayor acts as a regional voice on North County transportation and business issues, and helps craft decisions that cross jurisdictions. You cant just look at San Marcos as one small city, Jones said. You have to look at other cities to get things done, as far as (the state Route 78 Corridor,) and our local road money, as well. San Marcos Councilwoman Rebecca Jones (Courtesy of Rebecca Jones ) Jones, 50, was first appointed to the council in 2007 to fill Desmonds seat when he was elected mayor. She ran and won the position in 2008, 2012 and 2016. She is chairwoman of the North County Transit District board, and has served on the San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors, the League of California Cities, and the North County Dispatch Joint Power Authority Jones, who was born in the Bay Area and moved to San Diego as an infant, grew up in El Cajon and Ramona and attended Grossmont Community College before gaining her real estate license. She first moved to San Marcos in 1987, settled there permanently in 2000, and raised her children, now 17 and 21, in the community. I love watching things grow in the city, said Jones, who lives in the Coronado Hills neighborhood. Advertisement She became involved in local politics as an activist, fighting a proposed concrete plant, and lobbying to move the planned location of Casa de Amparo, a home for abused children, from a residential neighborhood to Twin Oaks Valley. That paved the way for her later role in elected office. I decided, what a great way to shape the community, rather than fighting things, to be part of the solution, she said. Jones said one of her top priorities as mayor would be keeping a tight reign on city finances, including pension obligations, and seeking new business opportunities for the city, which has a real estate portfolio as part of its revenue stream. We are a public agency, but we also have an entrepreneurial mindset, and we need to explore options that will keep us afloat for the good of the community, she said. Advertisement Public safety, particularly for children, is also a top concern, she said, citing her role in introducing ordinances to restrict tobacco sales to San Marcos youth and to outlaw the sale of the synthetic drugs spice and bath salts. She is also focused on traffic, and is promoting a plan to use transportation sequencing technology to move cars more efficiently on the citys streets. Jones has received endorsements from Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, Vista Mayor Judy Ritter, the Deputy Sheriffs Association Political Action Committee and the Lincoln Club of San Diego County. Shes been a great advocate for public safety in San Marcos as well as the North County region, said Sheriffs Lt. Dave Schaller. San Marcos Councilman Chris Orlando (Courtesy of Chris Orlando ) Advertisement Orlando, 48, has served on the San Marcos City Council for 12 years, and has served on the board of directors for SANDAG and NCTD. He holds a bachelors degree from UC Santa Barbara, and an MBA from George Washington University. With a background in corporate communications, he co-founded a financial technology firm in 2013. A resident of San Marcos for 16 years, he lives in San Elijo with his wife and two children, ages 15 and 18. I would say, first and foremost, that San Marcos is a great place to live, to retire and to go to school, he said. And my No. 1 goal is to keep it that way. Orlando said he decided to run for mayor after hearing residents concerns about issues related to the citys growth. Advertisement For more than a year, residents have been raising concerns about crowding in the schools and school capacity, he said. Same concerns around traffic. It was clear to me that those concerns were not being actively addressed in a real way. In 2016, he voted against San Marcos Highlands, a 189-home development in the northern part of the city, citing concerns about school crowding and traffic on Las Posas Road. In January, he cast the sole no vote on a 220-home Brookfield project planned for the intersection of Twin Oaks Valley Road and Village Drive, near Cal State San Marcos. Resident Michelle Winstead, who has served on the Parent Teacher Organization and school site council at San Elijo Elementary School, said she supports Orlando for mayor, saying he has acted to limit development in the city until infrastructure needed to support it is in place. I know we can continue to count on Chris as mayor to serve the people of San Marcos with a strong voice in all facets, including smart and sustainable growth, fiscal responsibility, and a long-term vision for the city, Winstead said. Advertisement deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan Poway schools created a real-time school-safety hotline following last months mass school shooting in Parkland Fla., which left 17 students and teachers dead. Escondido High School ran active-shooter drills on campus. North County schools are revisiting their safety plans, conducting training and reaching out to parents to prevent similar tragedies and to make sure that schools are prepared for the worst-case scenario. School shootings are both rare and catastrophic, forcing educators to walk a fine line between preparation and paranoia. The chances of your child dying in an attack on their school is one in 3 million, said Bob Mueller, executive director student services and programs for the San Diego County Office of Education. Its highly unlikely, but its absolutely certain it will happen somewhere. We shouldnt live in fear that its going to happen, but we need to take reasonable action to be ready. Advertisement On Tuesday, Poway city and school officials hosted a forum in Rancho Penasquitos to let families know of the systems in place to protect children in the case of a school assault. The event covered strategies for preventing school attacks, as well as nuts and bolts details about how the schools would respond to a threat. Officials also announced a new tip-line for school threats or incidents. The line, 1-844-PUSD-TIP (844-787-3847), will be constantly monitored by officials with the San Diego Police Department and San Diego County Sheriffs Department, Paik said. We had an older tip-line, but this one goes directly to law enforcement, she said. This is much more immediate, much more effective at reaching the right people. Thats key, because school shooters typically announce their intentions, District Attorney Summer Stephan told about 500 concerned parents and community members at the event. In 93 percent of school shootings, they said something, and told someone, what they planned on doing, she said. In 70 percent of cases, they told two people. For anyone who finds themselves the unwitting confidant of such plans, she said, Its a moral responsibility to tell someone. Safety preparations also include projects in the works long before the Florida shooting, such as fencing, security cameras, gated entries and other site security measures. They also involve new approaches to active shooter scenarios, based on a system developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, known as options based response or run, hide, fight. That strategy trains teachers and students to seek the safest way off campus, or into hiding, in the event of a school shooting. And it prepares them to defend themselves in the worst-case scenario, by taking action to disarm or incapacitate a shooter. The San Diego County Office of Education has rolled out an options-based plan, developed in partnership with regional law enforcement. Advertisement Its better than just having one tool in your toolbox, said Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter, president of the San Diego County Police Chiefs & Sheriffs Association, which has endorsed the strategy. Now, we have many tools. The run, hide, fight approach calls on staff, and in some cases students, to quickly assess the situation and choose the safest response. If the shooter is on the opposite side of campus, or the students are already outdoors at lunch or recess, evacuating the area and fleeing to a safer location may be the best choice, officials said. If theyre not sure they can get away safely, they should use lockdown procedures to hide in classrooms. Barricading doors and blocking windows make lockdown locations harder targets. If those strategies fall short, the plan covers potential confrontation with a school shooter. Advertisement If there is a body of students in a classroom and the assailant makes their way into the room, then they should consider some type of defense, Carter said. That could be barricading the door or defending themselves. Even having something to throw at somebody could be a defense. Were trying to say, dont be a victim. Have a plan. In Escondido Union High School District, students and staff at Escondido High practiced active shooter drills the week after the Florida shooting, while Orange Glen High had just run the drills a week earlier. They went ahead and went through the run, hide, fight protocol with the kids, said Rich Watkins, director of Pupil Services and Interventions for the Escondido Union High School District. We made it clear to them that we want them to be prepared if there was a worst-case scenario with an armed intruder, and that our staff are committed to student safety. Escondido Union School District, which includes the citys elementary schools, has also trained staff in the method, and is considering how to introduce it to students. Advertisement Middle school students could probably handle a different type of training than third- or fourth-graders, said Superintendent Luis Rankins-Ibarra. So we dont traumatize students, we handled it in an age-appropriate way. Vista Unified School District has also adopted the method and is training administrators and then staff on the protocol. Unlike Escondido, however, Vista schools wont train students to run, hide or fight, out of concern that the drills themselves could be troubling or traumatic. The thought right now is if we train all the adults well to run through that checklist in the first four of five seconds they hear gunshots, they can direct those kids, said Jeff Geyer, safety and environmental manager for the district. Security gate at L.R. Green Elementary School in Escondido (Charlie Neuman ) Advertisement Districts have also updated their infrastructure to make schools safer. In Escondido, school officials have built fencing to enclose elementary schools that were previously open to the public, and installed gated entries to control the flow of visitors. Vista schools have also added fences, reconfigured school grounds to create single points of entry, and installed cameras to monitor the sites, Geyer said. As San Diego County schools faced a wave of copycat threats in the weeks after the Florida shooting, officials have worked hand in hand with police and sheriffs deputies to sort out credible threats from the hoaxes. Through the past few weeks, our district has forged an even closer relationship with local law enforcement, said San Marcos Unified School District Superintendent Melissa Hunt. Im meeting with our sheriff and fire chief next week. So its really taking stock of where we are and how we can improve. School officials also stressed the need to prevent school threats before they happen. Carlsbad Unified School District Superintendent Ben Churchill said administrators recently met with representatives from Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit that provides preventative training programs for students, staff, and parents. Advertisement At the Rancho Penasquitos event, Stephan told families that 95 percent of school shooters were students at the campus they targeted, so awareness and vigilance is the best defense against school violence. Someone is a parent of that kid, she said. Someone is a teacher of that kid. Someone is a friend or knows that kid. So we cant feel that we are not in control, because we are. Parents at the Poway Unified School District forum said they were impressed. I thought it was very thorough and addressed a lot of questions that were on our minds, said Jennifer Dettloff-Carter, whose children attend Westview High School and Black Mountain Middle School in Poway. One of the best things they brought up is the communications about threats, as well as preventative measures. Advertisement For educators who have spent their careers studying how to help students learn, being thrust into the front lines of public safety is an unexpected but essential responsibility. The fact that were having to drill about this is really a sad state of affairs, Rankins-Ibarra said. I never thought this would happen in my career. But the fact is, we have to. Advertisement deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan The sixth edition of La Jolla Playhouses DNA New Work Series rolls out this month with four new works that are set to receive staged readings. The DNA series has proved a fruitful new-play incubator: Among the works it has helped birth are the musical Miss You Like Hell, which opens an off-Broadway production at New Yorks renowned Public Theater this month. Heres the lineup for this latest incarnation of DNA, running March 22-25 in the Playhouses Rao and Padma Makeneni Play Development Center: The DNA New Work Series is one of many play development initiatives at the Playhouse, including the Page To Stage Play Development Program, as well as artist residencies and commissions. All projects in the DNA New Work Series take place with no scenic, costume or staging elements, and actors will have scripts in hand. The various creative teams will be available for interviews for feature coverage; however, in order to preserve the developmental nature of the program, DNA Series presentations are not open to review. Advertisement Weatherman, lyrics by David Clement; music by David Clement with Rob Bailey; book by Kate Moira Ryan and Doug Wright. (7:30 p.m. March 22): Playhouse artistic chief (and Come From Away Tony Award-winner) Christopher Ashley directs this new musical; co-writer Wright is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behind the Playhouse-bred I Am My Own Wife, among other works. The Playhouses plot summary: Diana went to Bryn Mawr and grew up with all the trappings of a privileged life. But in 1968, war is raging and sides must be taken. Seduced by a charismatic revolutionary, Diana gets sucked into the life and ideology of the Weathermen, her commitment growing even as peaceful protests give way to days of rage and deadly violence. Inspired by the true story of the Weather Underground and featuring a dynamic original score, Weatherman re-examines a moment of radical political extremism that feels unmistakably and urgently contemporary. 3 Farids, by Ramiz Monsef. (7:30 p.m. March 23): Pirronne Yousefzadeh directs the actor-playwright and hip-hop artist Monsefs new comedy. Three actors Farid, Fareed and Faread audition for the role of a Middle Eastern terrorist (named Farid) in a schlocky action movie. But even before the cameras start rolling, the three Farids find themselves plunged into a dystopian Hollywood machine that threatens to subsume their identities entirely. Ramiz Monsefs new play is a wildly theatrical and savagely satirical comedy about the roles were forced to play, and the twisted way we create and consume popular culture in America. The Luckiest, by Melissa Ross (7:30 p.m. March 24): Playhouse associate artistic chief Jaime Castaneda directs the drama by Ross, whose play Nice Girl was a New York Times critics pick in its off-Broadway staging. Advertisement Peter is Lissettes chosen family. Cheryl is Lissettes mom. They both have very strong and conflicting opinions about how she should get her life together. But when an out-of-nowhere shock of tragic news explodes her world into pieces, Lissette is forced to figure out how to listen to both and neither as she fights for agency over her future. Funny, moving and keenly observed, The Luckiest interrogates our need for ownership over the way we want to live and die. The Coast Starlight, by Keith Bunin (2 p.m. March 25): The Playhouse commissioned this piece by Bunin, whom local playgoers might remember for Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir, his site-specific piece that the Playhouse staged at Hillcrests Martinis Above Fourth as part of the theaters Without Walls series. Ashley again directs. California is a state of new beginnings. Its also the place where people running from something finally run out of land. For six strangers aboard the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle, California is 1,000 miles of train tracks on which theyll be forced to reckon with the choices theyve made and try to chart a possible path forward. Advertisement Keith Bunins new commission for La Jolla Playhouse is a smart, comic and compassionate play about our capacity for invention (and reinvention) when life goes off the rails. Tickets for the DNA series are free, but reservations are required. Call (858) 550-1010 or go to lajollaplayhouse.org. Advertisement jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @jimhebert A Marine convicted in 2016 for sending a nude picture to someone he thought was an underage girl must register as a sex offender in New Jersey, a military appellate court has ruled. The Marine had tried to invalidate his court-martial plea agreement because his defense attorney failed to properly instruct him about New Jerseys law. Megans Law requires military personnel convicted of sex crimes to register within days days of returning to New Jersey. A Marine convicted of a sex crime in California must register as a special offender when he returns home to New Jersey, a military appellate court has ruled. A unanimous decision last week by the United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals reaffirmed the court-martial conviction of Lance Cpl. Dakota S. Toth and ordered the Marine stationed at Twentynine Palms to comply with New Jerseys Megans Law when he leaves the service. On Oct. 13, 2016, Toth was convicted there by a military judge of attempted sexual abuse of a child and sentenced to eight months confinement and a bad conduct discharge, although a pretrial plea deal capped the jail time at six months. While assigned to Marine Corps Communication Electronics School, Toth had used the social media application Kik to sent pictures of his genitalia to a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Questions about whether he would have to register as a sex offender when he returned home to New Jersey sparked his appeal. Advertisement His defense attorney told the military judge that he spoke with the district attorney and public defender in New Jerseys Middlesex County and learned that Toth would probably not have to register, according to court filings. The judge then told Toth that state laws can change and he might need to register there in the future and asked if he still wanted to plead guilty, and Toth said that he did. New Jersey authorities later told Toth that he would need to register as an offender. Toth appealed, contending that his defense counsel was ineffective and that plea was involuntary because it was given without full knowledge of what he would have to do when he got home. Writing on behalf of the appellate tribunal, Navy judge Cmdr. Marcus N. Fulton reasoned that Toth was armed with enough information about the potential of registering as a New Jersey sex offender to make a voluntary plea. As for Toths argument that he was burdened with an ineffective attorney, Fulton ruled that the counsels work was adequate and that the defendant received a fair trial. Talking to the district attorney and public defender in Middlesex County, New Jersey, is a reasonable way to learn about registration requirements, Fulton wrote. We cannot explain why there is a discrepancy if in fact there is one between what the (defense lawyer) was told and what the appellant was told upon his release. We are certain, however, that the appellant was informed that registration was a possible consequence of his guilty plea. Toth, 22, did not respond to telephone or social media messages from The San Diego Union-Tribune, and attempts to reach him by email were unsuccessful. According to Training Command spokesman Capt. Joshua J. Pena, Toth has been transferred from Twentynine Palms to Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, Virginia. Officials there declined to answer questions from the Union-Tribune and it remains unclear whether he remains on active duty in the Marines or has been placed on unpaid leave and assigned to the inactive reserve until his appeals end. The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces has yet to docket an appeal of Fultons opinion. Advertisement Its also unclear whether Toth already has registered as a sex offender in New Jersey. By law, a convict must register within 10 days of returning there from the military. Toths name does not appear on the states online sex offender registry and representatives of the New Jersey State Police and Attorney General did not return messages. The online list only features convicts deemed to be a high risk of offending again, plus some tagged as moderate risk but they appear online only under special circumstances. Information about all other moderate risk convicts is shared with law enforcement agencies, schools, licensed day care centers, summer camps and several types of community organizations. Advertisement Data about low risk offenders goes only to police departments. Since the beginning of the year, nine Marines have been convicted at court-martial for sexual offenses, including trafficking in child pornography and molesting children. Three were stationed at Camp Pendleton. Advertisement Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com Peter Navarro once was a little-known economics professor who very much wanted to be an elected official in San Diego. He ran for mayor, county supervisor, Congress and City Council. At various points, he became a Democrat, registered as a nonpartisan, joined the GOP, re-registered as nonpartisan, and then turned to the Democratic Party again. Its not surprising people were uncertain about his politics. When a San Diego City Council member in 1991 called him a liberal, Navarro shot back that he was a conservative Republican. These shifts sometimes came in conjunction with running for a particular office. With the help of his wealthy mother, he gave large personal contributions to at least one of his campaigns. Advertisement None of that worked. Despite careening and failing politically, Navarro has risen to the zenith in another realm, as an economist. Perhaps its fitting that he has done so in an area where he has been consistent for years: international trade. Hes long been a hardliner and is especially known for his contention that China is violating fair trade practices and must be dealt with harshly. Those views also have been one of the few policy constants of another man known for careening politically: Donald Trump, who has criticized U.S. trade agreements for decades. Navarro, who couldnt advance out of a special election San Diego City Council primary, now has the presidents ear and is the driving force behind Trumps policy to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which has sent shock waves through the world economy. While local politics may not have been Navarros forte though he came close to becoming mayor and supervisor his academic, intellectual and economic prowess is undeniable, even if his positions are hotly disputed across the spectrum. Harvard doesnt give Ph.D.s out to just anyone. The former UC Irvine professor who also taught at UC San Diego and the University of San Diego took a curious path from being someone who couldnt get over the top at the most local level of government to setting worldwide economic policy. There were plenty of zigs and zags. A Democrat in Massachusetts and a nonpartisan upon moving to California, Navarro registered as a Republican in 1989. He switched to nonpartisan again in 1991, the year before he ran for mayor in a field that was certain to include some local Republican heavyweights. He then rejoined the Democratic Party in 1994 he said for good while running in a supervisorial district dominated by Democrats. Some local party leaders welcomed him, others not so much. Advertisement Mary Ellen Gregg, then a member of the Democratic county executive, said at the time: Im not sure what Peter Navarro believes and Im not sure how long hes going to be a Democrat. Two years later he ran against Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray in a congressional swing district. Im proud to be carrying the Clinton-Gore banner, Navarro said in a speech at the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Later that year in San Diego, first lady Hillary Clinton campaigned for Navarro. Let that sink in for a moment. Advertisement In his convention speech, Navarro espoused what could be considered liberal doctrine, at least on the environmental front. We must not give in to those who would weaken our clean air and clean water regulations that are so important to the people in my district, he said. Too bad hes not advising Trump on environmental policy, assuming he still believes that. Navarros launching pad into San Diego politics was as leader of an organization called Prevent Los Angelization Now! in the early 1990s. The group was dedicated to preserving the quality of life here by restricting development. Advertisement It was the latest incarnation of the growth/no-growth struggles that have been a hallmark of San Diegos politics since the geraniums vs. smokestacks battle a century ago. PLAN! is long gone and its efforts to control growth via the ballot failed. But the underlying desire to improve and protect quality of life remains, as it always has. In San Diego and elsewhere today communities resist higher-density housing and the congestion that comes with it, even though proponents say such development, at least in theory, can lower the sky-high prices of homes. Politically, Navarro had a lot going for him. Not only was he promoting a longtime populist position in San Diego, he had good looks some compared him to a young Robert Redford intelligence, and a charming way, even if he showed sharp edges at times. Shortly after Navarro came on the San Diego political scene, he was a force to be reckoned with, and one who was viewed as a threat by powerful interests. He made developers the evil enemy. Hence, the development industry, the allied business establishment and the Republican Party apparatus went into overdrive to keep him out of office, especially when he ran for mayor. He finished first in the primary, but lost to then-Supervisor Susan Golding in the runoff. Advertisement Whatever the reasons for his electoral shortcomings, Navarros stature as an economist grew. Hes a prolific author with more than a dozen books and more than 100 articles in a sweeping array of journals. But his insistence that tariffs are a remedy for trade imbalances is far from a consensus view. He is criticized by economists on the left and the right especially free-trade Republicans. Wikipedia calls him a heterodox economist one whose thought and methodologies are outside the mainstream. Trump brought Navarro onto his campaign in 2016 as an adviser and, once elected, named him director of the White House National Trade Council, a new executive branch office. Advertisement Navarro had pretty much been in the background, and some Washington analysts suggested he was out of favor. If so, not any more. Navarro has become one of the most influential, and controversial, people in the nation, perhaps the world, on economic policy. He appears to have won an internal battle, as Trumps top economic adviser, Gary Cohen, resigned because he could not abide tariffs. It was Navarros economic point of view and expertise that brought him to this place, certainly not his political efforts in San Diego. Who knows where he would be if he had not been edged out by Golding in 1992. Navarro wondered himself in his 1998 book San Diego Confidential. Advertisement Whether riding a wave in Ocean Beach or hitting a five iron off the fairway at Torrey Pines or just lying in bed, I cant help sometimes but think about what might have been had I won not just for my own future, but for my little town that I love, he wrote. Amid all the bigness that is now Peter Navarro, there is this one small irony: The guy who honed his political chops attacking developers now works for one of the best-known real estate developers in the world. Home Depot will pay more than $27.8 million including $18 million in fines and costs for illegally tossing out hazardous material and private customer information without first rendering it unreadable, state and local officials said Thursday. The amount is part of a settlement the company reached with 11 prosecutorial agencies throughout the state, including the District Attorneys Office in San Diego County. The civil complaint, filed in Alameda County, alleged that more than 300 Home Depot stores and distribution centers in California routinely sent hazardous waste to local landfills not permitted to receive such waste, and were also throwing documents with sensitive customer information into store trash bins, which could have potentially exposed the data to identity thieves. The violations date from 2013 to 2015, when representatives from the state Department of Justice, district attorneys offices throughout the state and the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office teamed with investigators and environmental regulators to inspect the trash bins used by Home Depot stores. Advertisement They went to 31 stores and inspected a total of 45 trash compactors. Every compactor contained some sort of hazardous waste, including pesticides, aerosols, paint and colorants, solvents, adhesives, batteries, mercury-containing fluorescent bulbs, electronic waste, key shavings or other toxic, ignitable and corrosive materials, according to the district attorneys office. Several of the trash compactors also contained records with private customer information, including names, addresses, phone numbers or email addresses. Authorities said that once Home Depot learned of the investigation, the company cooperated and put more resources toward compliance, including making dozens of assessments of compactor waste. The company also put in lockboxes for consumer records, to make sure that the documents were properly managed. As part of the settlement, Home Depot will also employ hazardous waste managers who will ensure proper handling of waste. They will also do daily store inspections. The amount Home Depot will pay includes $18.5 million in fines and costs. Another $2.5 million will go to what the San Diego County District Attorneys Office said will fund supplemental environmental projects furthering consumer protection and environmental enforcement in California. The company will also spend at least $6.8 million toward compliance measures. Advertisement All 23 Home Depot stores in San Diego County are subject to the terms of the settlement, the District Attorneys Office said. Advertisement teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com (760) 529-4945 Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT Tieray Jones took the witness stand in San Diego Superior Court Thursday to refute a charge that he murdered stepson Jahi Turner in 2002, saying, theres no way he would strike the boy. Theres no way I can be in such a rage or frustrated enough to strike my son, Jones said. His testimony came in the third week of his trial on the murder charge. A charge of felony child abuse leading to death was dismissed last week. He could face life in prison if convicted. Jahis body was never found after he disappeared. Advertisement Tieray Jones (Courtsey Fox 5 ) Jones called 911 on April 23, 2002, to report him missing. He told San Diego police hed walked the child to a park in Golden Hill, left him playing for 15 minutes, then returned and the boy was gone. Police mounted massive efforts to search for the 2-year-old. When they learned from neighbors that Jones had dumped large trash bags into the apartment complex trash bins, officers spent days raking through garbage at Miramar landfill. They came up empty. By 2004 then-District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced that there was not enough evidence to charge anyone in Jahis disappearance. Then Jones was arrested in 2016 and charged in the case, with police saying they had new evidence. Jones has remained in jail awaiting trial, which opened Feb. 15. Since then, prosecutors called witnesses who had been in the park at the time Jones said he was there with the boy, and they testified that they did not see the pair. Jones now ex-wife, Tameka Jones, also testified that police had her call him in 2015 and ask what happened with Jahi. In that conversation, recorded by investigators, Jones stammered and did not give a clear answer. Defense attorney Courtney Cutter called character witnesses who spoke of Jones love for Jahi and other children he fathered by different women. Advertisement She called Jones to the stand late Thursday morning and asked him about entries he made in a journal, meant to be read by his wife when she returned from deployment on a Navy ship. Prosecutors had fastened on journal notes about Jahi wetting the bed he shared with Jones, and getting a bump on his head from some unspecified incident. Other entries described Joness failed efforts to use a bank debit card his wife had left him. Cutter, though, took Jones through entries in which he described his love for his wife. He said he admired her for her focus, of staying in school and joining the Navy, while he had led a different, wilder life. Advertisement Tameka said I could be better, Jones testified. Cutter asked, Did you believe her? Jones answered, Absolutely. He said he had an outstanding warrant from his hometown in Maryland, and worried that if he was jailed a long time, his wife might not wait for him. She had brought Jahi to San Diego from Maryland, where her mother had cared for him, shortly before deploying, leaving the boy in Jones care. Jones said he wanted to be a male figure that Jahi could look up to, and give him a safe home. He also said he wanted to give Jahi his last name. Advertisement In journal entries dated April 23, Jones called his wife to tell her Jahi had fallen and had a bump on his head. He testified that he saw their two cats run into the bedroom, heard a crashing noise, and walked over to ask Jahi if he was OK. He said the boy was standing by the bed, then crawled up on it. Later, he said, Jahi wasnt talking or walking much. Cutter asked if he thought Jahi was sick or injured. Jones said he thought the boy was homesick in his new surroundings. Advertisement If I thought he was sick, no way I wouldnt have tried to remedy whatever was wrong, Jones said. His testimony was expected to continue Friday. Advertisement pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard For two days, the parents of 6-year-old Max Shacknai believed that Rebecca Zahau had saved his life after he was severely injured in a fall. Jonah Shacknai and his ex-wife Dina Shacknai spent hours at Rady Childrens Hospital at Maxs bedside, where he lay in a medically induced coma. In a videotaped deposition, Dina Shacknai recalled that after their sons July 11, 2011 injury, her ex-husband told her, you should get down on your knees and thank (Zahau) for saving Maxs life. I said, of course Im grateful to her, because she gave him CPR. The boys condition worsened, however, and he died later that week. Advertisement The tape was played in San Diego Superior Court Thursday as part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Jonah Shacknais brother, Adam Shacknai, who is accused of killing Zahau two days after the little boys accident. 1 / 15 Adam Shacknai and his attorneys, Dan Webb (left) and Krista M. Enns watched the video deposition of Dina Shacknai taken on January 11, 2018 as it is played in court during the civil trial for the wrongful death of Rebecca Zahau in San Diego Superior Court. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 15 Judge Katherine Bacal listens to the cross examine from defense attorney, Dan Webb to Suzanna Ryan. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 15 Adam Shacknai (right) sits next to his attorney, Dan Webb as a video is played of Rebecca Zahaus younger sister Xena Zahau taken during her January 22, 2015 deposition. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 15 A video is played in court of Rebecca Zahaus younger sister Xena Zahaus taken during her January 22, 2015 deposition. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 15 Adam Shacknai (right) sits next to his attorney, Dan Webb as a video is played of Rebecca Zahaus younger sister Xena Zahau taken during her January 22, 2015 deposition. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 15 Suzanna Ryan sits on the witness stand before being asked to point on the bedroom floor plan as to where key pieces of evidence (paint brush and door) were discovered. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 15 Suzanna Ryan points on the bedroom floor plan as to where key pieces of evidence (paint brush and door) were discovered. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 15 Dan Webb, attorney for Adam Shacknai, points out that Adam Shacknais DNA was excluded from the rope that was tied around Rebecca Zahaus ankles. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 15 Dan Webb, defense attorney for Adam Shacknai reviews his notes during the video playback of Dina Shacknais deposition taken on January 11, 2018. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 15 A copy of the video deposition of Dina Shacknai taken on January 11, 2018 is played in court during civil trial for the wrongful death of Rebecca Zahau in San Diego Superior Court. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 15 Adam Shacknai and his attorneys, Dan Webb (left) and Krista M. Enns watched the video deposition of Dina Shacknai taken on January 11, 2018 as it is played in court during the civil trial for the wrongful death of Rebecca Zahau in San Diego Superior Court. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 15 Keith Greer, attorney for the plaintiff watched the video playback of Dina Shacknais deposition taken on January 11, 2018. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 15 Keith Greer, attorney for plaintiff Mary Zahau-Loehner (left), reviews his notes as the video playback of Dina Shacknais deposition taken on January 11, 2018 is played in court for the jury. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 15 Adam Shacknai (right) sits next to his attorney, Dan Webb (left) on day-six in the civil trial for the wrongful death of Rebecca Zahau in San Diego Superior Court. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 15 Adam Shacknai (right) sits next to his attorney, Dan Webb as a video is played of Rebecca Zahaus younger sister Xena Zahau taken during her January 22, 2015 deposition. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) Zahaus mother and sister allege in the lawsuit that Adam Shacknai may have sexually assaulted Zahau, strangled her, then tried to make her death look like a suicide by hanging her off the balcony of a Coronado mansion. She was nude, gagged and bound with ropes on her wrists and ankles. The former Spreckels mansion was then owned by Jonah Shacknai. He, his children and Zahau were staying there for part of the summer in 2011. County authorities ruled Zahaus death a suicide, but her family contends it was murder. Adam Shacknais lawyers say his fingerprints and DNA were not found on Zahau or in the room from which she was hanging. He is expected to testify next week, plaintiffs attorney C. Keith Greer said. Greer questioned Dina Shacknai for the sworn deposition last month. She said she married Jonah Shacknai in 2002 and had Max in 2005. The couple divorced in 2008. Her husband had a son and daughter from a previous marriage. Advertisement She said in 2010 she met Zahau, who then was dating Jonah Shacknai, a millionaire pharmaceuticals company executive. She described Zahau as gracious, polite and in good physical shape. Zahau showed her family photos and talked about having gone to a Bible college. A second taped deposition was shown to jurors, of Zahaus sister, Xena, who was 13 when Max suffered his fall. She said she stepped out of a shower at the Coronado mansion and heard Zahau screaming for her. She dressed, ran downstairs and saw Zahau kneeling on the floor, with Max lying with his head in her lap, unconscious. A crystal chandelier that had been hanging above, in the foyer, was broken on the floor. The boys scooter lay nearby and their pet dog, Ocean, was running around. Zahau yelled for Xena to call 911. Xena spent a few moments looking for Zahaus cellphone and got a 911 operator in Coronado. Jurors listened to a tape of the 911 call, in which Xena inadvertently confuses the dispatcher into thinking her sister had fallen and their mother was doing CPR. Advertisement Medics and police soon arrived and Max was taken to the hospital, unconscious. He died six days later. The death was ruled an accident. Dina Shacknai, in her deposition, said her ex-husband told her the boy had suffered a heart attack and fell over the second-floor banister. She said doctors were initially hopeful about Maxs prognosis. I didnt realize how serious the injury was, she said. Im thinking hed be out (of the hospital) next week. Advertisement Sheriffs homicide investigators and the county Medical Examiners Office suggested that, after Zahau got a voice message from Jonah Shacknai that the child was in bad condition, she became distraught over the possibility she had not saved him. As the only adult home at the time, she may have felt guilt and fear that she would not be forgiven for not taking better care of Max. The trial will not be in session Friday but is expected to continue on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement pauline.repard@sduniontribune Twitter: @pdrepard An attorney for the family of Rebecca Zahau, the Arizona woman who was found hanging at the Coronado Spreckels mansion in July, has filed requests with the county District Attorneys Office and state Attorney Generals Office asking for independent investigations into the death. Rebecca Zahau ( / Photo courtesy of Michael Trier) Investigators from the Sheriffs Department and Medical Examiners Office ruled the death a suicide, but Zahaus family continues to suspect foul play. Seattle-based attorney Anne Bremner said Tuesday that she had asked the attorney general to look at the case previously but was told to first try to get the investigation reopened by sheriffs officials. Since the Sheriffs Department declined, Bremner submitted the request again to state and local prosecutors, she said. Advertisement Bremner would not say what kind of new information or evidence was included with the latest requests. An attorney general spokeswoman said Tuesday that they hadnt yet received the request. A private pathologist hired by the family to conduct a second autopsy last year has raised questions about Zahaus injuries, her bindings and the analysis of DNA and blood samples. Zahau, 32, was found hanging nude and bound at the hands and feet from a balcony on July 13. The oceanfront home belonged to her boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai, CEO of Arizona-based Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. Investigators said Zahau was distressed about critical injuries suffered by Shacknais 6-year-old son, Max, who fell from a second-story staircase days earlier. Zahau had been baby-sitting Max that day. He later died. They said no forensic evidence pointed to foul play in Zahaus hanging. Shacknai has already asked the attorney general for an independent review of the sheriffs findings. His request cited confidence in the investigation, but he hoped another opinion would put minds at ease. His request was denied. The family of Rebecca Zahau, whose hanging death at her boyfriends Coronado mansion was determined to be a suicide, filed a $10 million federal wrongful death lawsuit on Friday claiming she was murdered. Rebecca Zahau ( / Handout photo) The lawsuit names Adam Shacknai and Dina Shacknai, brother and ex-wife of Zahaus Arizona millionaire boyfriend Jonah Shacknai, as well as Dina Shacknais twin sister, Nina Romano, as defendants. Jonah Shacknai is not named in the suit. The suit was filed by Zahaus mother, Pari Zahau, and sister, Mary Zahau-Loehner, in San Diego federal court a day before the two-year anniversary of Zahaus July 13, 2011, death. Advertisement It alleges that Adam Shacknai, Dina Shacknai and Nina Romano participated in some manner in the planning, implementation, execution and subsequent concealment of the scheme to murder Zahau. The claim does not provide any specific evidence against the three. They were never named as suspects by sheriffs investigators. Adam Shacknai, of Tennessee, was staying in a guesthouse at his brothers historic Spreckels mansion at the time of Zahaus death. Dina Shacknai, of Arizona, was staying in a separate vacation home a few blocks away, and Nina Romano had flown in from Sacramento to be with her sister. The lawsuit states that while each defendant might not have had a hand in Zahaus strangulation death, they threatened her and had a duty to warn her against a scheme to harm her. The suit alleges assault, battery, negligence and wrongful death. The suit says the family represents Zahaus estate, and that her father, Robert Zahau, passed away on Tuesday. Contacted by email, Mary Zahau-Loehner, of Missouri, said their fathers funeral was held Saturday and she asked that U-T San Diego give us a few days before they would comment on the lawsuit. Adam Shacknai told police he found the nude body of Zahau, 32, hanging by a rope from a second-story balcony at his brothers vacation home on Ocean Boulevard, and cut her down. Her hands were bound behind her back, her feet were bound, and a T-shirt was wrapped around her lower face. Investigators announced seven weeks later that they had concluded her death was a suicide. Advertisement A possible motive, they said, was Zahaus distress over the fact that she had been the only adult in the house two days earlier when Jonah and Dina Shacknais 6-year-old son Max fell from an inside staircase and suffered massive injuries. He died several days later. Zahaus younger sister also was in the house, and both told police they didnt see the boys fall. Nina Romano told CBS 8 in a 2011 interview that the night before Zahaus death, she knocked on the mansion door and got no answer. She also was quoted as saying she texted Zahau to ask more details about Maxs fall, but got no reply. The suicide ruling outraged Zahaus family, who hired attorneys and forensics experts to pressure authorities into further investigation. Sheriff Bill Gore said then that if more evidence surfaced, they would investigate it. Attempts on Saturday to reach Adam Shacknai, Dina Shacknai and Nina Romano were not successful. Advertisement Sheriffs spokeswoman Jan Caldwell emailed a statement that the Medical Examiners Office ruled the death a suicide after an exhaustive and thorough investigation was conducted by the Sheriffs Department and Coronado Police Department. The Zahau family lawsuit states that the defendants threatened to cause immediate physical harm to Rebecca by threatening to stalk, attack, choke, gag, bound and hang her at the mansion. The suit continues, saying it reasonably appeared to Rebecca, prior to her death, that defendants were about to carry out their threat. No details were given to explain how Zahau was threatened. Advertisement Zahau had been living for about two years with Jonah Shacknai, founder of Medicis Pharmaceuticals Corp., an Arizona biotech company. The remodeled Spreckels mansion was sold last month for $9 million to the owner of a private aircraft company in Utah.. The mother of Max Shacknai, the 6-year-old who died in July 2011 at his fathers Coronado mansion, will address the Coronado City Council Tuesday in an effort to get the Police Department to reopen its investigation into her sons death. Max Shacknai Dina Shacknai insists that her privately funded investigation shows that Maxs death was not accidental, as authorities ruled, but the result of an assault. Police investigators and the countys Medical Examiners Office have reviewed the conclusions reached by experts Shacknai hired and have refused to change their opinion that the boys death was a tragic accident. Advertisement Shacknai said she has prepared booklets filled with information she will be distributing to the council members and other city officials. Im hoping to provide this information to people who might not otherwise know it, she said Monday. Maybe others can look at it. Maybe the Sheriffs Department can look at it. Because in totality, something is not adding up. I taught Max that you can trust police, that the police were the good guys, that they protect us and kept us safe. But in a situation like this, Im not quite sure whats driving how theyve handled this case. Its shocking. Max was in the care of his fathers girlfriend, 32-year-old Rebecca Zahau, on July 11, 2011, when police say the boy fell over a second-floor banister at the historic Spreckels mansion. His father, Arizona pharmaceuticals tycoon Jonah Shacknai, owned the house. Investigators said Max may have been running and tripped. They said he grabbed a crystal chandelier, hit his back on the banister and fell to the floor. Zahau was the only adult home at the time. Two days after the fall, Zahaus nude body was found hanging outside the mansion from a second-story balcony. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound. Sheriffs investigators and the medical examiner concluded Zahau committed suicide, and said she likely became distraught when told Max was not expected to live. He died on July 16. Her family doubts the suicide conclusion. A representative for Jonah Shacknai said Monday he did not want to comment on his ex-wifes efforts. The mother of 6-year-old Max Shacknai, who died a year ago after a fall at the historic Spreckels mansion in Coronado, said Monday that the Coronado police report about how her son fell is wrong. Max Shacknai ( / AP) Dina Shacknai, who held a news conference in Phoenix on the one-year anniversary of the boys death, would not elaborate as to what was inaccurate but said the findings of a private investigation that she had done differ from those of the police. She is seeking a meeting with police officials and said her mission is to get to the complete truth regarding the loss of her child. Advertisement Police Chief Lou Scanlon said the department received a fax Monday asking for the meeting. It did not detail any specific concerns about his departments investigation of Maxs fall, he said. We would be perfectly happy to meet with them, Scanlon said. Barring any new information that Shacknai and her private investigators have uncovered, the department stands by the conclusion that this was a terrible tragic accident, Scanlon said. Max, whose pharmaceutical tycoon father Jonah Shacknai owned the oceanfront mansion, was in the care of his fathers girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, on July 11 when the boy plunged over a second-floor banister and landed face-first onto the carpeted concrete floor, according to the Coronado police report. Investigators said the boy had a history of playing in the hallway and on the stairs and may have been running when he tripped, possibly on a ball or the family dog. The momentum sent him over the rail and he grabbed a crystal chandelier, hit his back on the bannister, and plummeted to the floor, according to police. Zahau, 32, who was in a bathroom at the time and was the only adult home, found the gravely injured child moments later. Her 13-year-old sister called 911. No one else was at the home at the time. The county medical examiner concluded that Max suffered broken bones in his face as well as a severe injury to his neck and spinal cord that interfered with his heart rate and breathing. He died July 16 at Rady Childrens Hospital. Two days after Maxs fall, Zahaus nude body was found hanging outside the mansion from a second-story balcony. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound. Advertisement Sheriffs investigators and the medical examiner concluded the death was a suicide and said that Zahau became distraught when told the boy was not expected to live. Her family has never accepted those findings and maintains that Zahau was the victim of foul play. Dina Shacknais allegations about flaws in the Coronado Police Departments investigation of her sons death were made as she announced the formation of Maxies H.O.U.S.E. a nonprofit foundation she said is establishing to educate the public, parents, caregivers and lawmakers about the need to ensure the safety and well-being of a child in blended families. The foundation will have a national resource center and offer information to families of children living in more than one home. She was staying at a Coronado home near her ex-husbands mansion when Max fell. Shacknai said she hoped to keep others from experiencing such a horrific searing loss. Advertisement She told Phoenix Magazine, in an interview due out this week, that she and her ex-husband agreed that Max would not be left alone with Zahau. U-T TV Dina Shacknai 09-19-12 Returning to the city that she said was her sons favorite place to be, Dina Shacknai made an emotional appeal Tuesday to the Coronado City Council to conduct its own review of the investigation into the 6-year-olds death last year at the beachfront Spreckels mansion owned by her ex-husband. Dina Shacknai, mother of 6-year-old Max, who died last year, talked to the media after speaking to the Coronado City Council. She asked for police to reopen the investigation into her sons death. Max Shacknai Advertisement Shacknai, who lives in Arizona but has a vacation home in Coronado, appeared before the council during the public comments session, during which members of the public can address council members for three minutes. Her voice sometimes choking with tears, she told the council that the death of her son, Max, was due to an assault rather than an accident as Coronado police and the county Medical Examiners Office have determined a claim she has previously made. Shacknai hired two independent experts to review evidence in the case, and they found several inconsistencies with the scenario presented by police, which was that Max may have been running and tripped when he fell over a second-story banister and then grabbed a crystal chandelier. He died on July 16, 2011. The only adult in the house at the time was 32-year-old Rebececa Zahau, Jonah Shacknais girlfriend. Her 13-year-old sister also was there. Two days after the fall, Zahau was found bound and hanging from a balcony at the mansion. Authorities concluded she committed suicide after learning that Max was not expected to survive. Her family continues to challenge that finding. After the City Council meeting, Shacknai said she also feels for Zahaus family, and she understands they are looking for answers just as she is. She said it was possible that other people might have been in the house the day of Maxs fall, but she did not name anyone. Advertisement Shacknai said the police and medical examiner have ignored scientific evidence that her experts presented that showed Max was not tall enough to be propelled over the banister. She also questioned why he had no scratches or abrasions on his hands if he grabbed the chandelier. Shacknai hired Dr. Robert T. Bove Jr., an expert in injury biomechanics from Philadelphia, and Dr. Judy Melinek, a board-certified forensic pathologist from San Francisco, to review the evidence in Maxs case. Bove presented their findings in late July at a meeting with Coronado police officials. Afterward, Shacknai received a two-paragraph letter from police that they stood by their conclusion that the death was a tragic accident. Advertisement The Police Department issued a statement Tuesday reiterating that conclusion and saying Shacknais documents did not provide any new evidence. Shacknai said she will continue to seek justice for Maxie. She said she talked last week with Sheriff Bill Gore, who told her he would look at the reports of her experts. She also is scheduled to be on the Dr. Phil show Friday, as is Zahaus family, though not on the same stage, she said. She also formed Maxies House, a nonprofit to serve as the voice of children living in separate homes. She has a website, maxshacknai.com, where people can sign a petition urging that the death investigation be reopened. Advertisement Jonah Shacknai, who made millions in the pharmaceuticals industry, said through a spokesman this week he had no comment on his ex-wifes efforts. The mother of a 6-year-old boy who suffered fatal injuries after falling in a stairwell at his fathers Coronado mansion last year is suing the county to obtain photos and documents related to her sons autopsy and death investigation. Max Shacknai Dina Shacknai, who lives in Arizona but has a summer home in Coronado, filed the lawsuit March 22 in San Diego Superior Court against the county and Dr. Glenn Wagner, the countys chief medical examiner. She is not seeking monetary damages. According to the complaint, the county initially denied Shacknais request for the photos and documents last month, explaining that she would need to obtain a court order authorizing their release. Advertisement Shacknai has filed a motion seeking the court order and filed the lawsuit to help facilitate the motion, according to court records. The complaint notes that assuming that the defendants will not object to the motion, (Shacknai) will dismiss this lawsuit. The boy, Max, was found July 11 at the bottom of a grand staircase after an accidental fall at the historic Spreckels mansion then owned by his father, Arizona millionaire Jonah Shacknai. Max died at a hospital July 16. Shacknais girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau, was in the home at the time with her 13-year-old sister. Two days later, Zahaus nude body was found hanging from a second-story balcony at the mansion with her hands tied behind her back. Sheriffs homicide detectives investigated the case, but after a seven-week investigation authorities announced their determination that Zahaus death was a suicide. A year after a 6-year-old boy died from a fall at the historic Spreckels mansion in Coronado, the boys mother is speaking out about the unanswered questions which plague her mind to this day. Max Shacknai ( / AP) In an interview with Phoenix Magazine, due out Thursday, Dina Shacknai said its been hard to stay quiet about the death of Max, who fell while in the care of his fathers girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau. Authorities said Zahau was so distraught about the fall that she committed suicide days later. My first wish is to have him back. My second wish is to have Rebecca Zahau back... to ask her what happened, she told the magazine, according to media reports. Its still my job to find out what really happened to him, isnt it? Advertisement Authorities said Max accidentally fell from a second-floor staircase in his fathers Ocean Avenue home on July 11, 2011. Zahau, 32, who was dating Jonah Shacknai, a multimillionaire Arizona pharmaceutical executive, was found bound and naked hanging from the mansions backyard balcony on July 13, 2011. Max died at a hospital a few days later. According to media reports, Dina Shacknai told the magazine she and her ex-husband had agreed to not leave Max alone with Zahau. She also said they agreed Zahau would not attend school functions nor take Max across state lines. Dina Shacknai was staying in a home only a few blocks away from the mansion last summer at the time of the tragedies. She is expected to hold a news conference in Phoenix on Monday to announce the formation of a foundation in Maxs name called Maxies House, reported KFMB-Channel 8. Meanwhile, Zahaus family continues to suspect foul play in her death. The state Attorney Generals Office has not yet responded to their request for an independent review of the case. A private pathologist hired to conduct a second autopsy on Rebecca Zahau announced Tuesday on the Dr. Phil show that the results in her hanging death at a Coronado mansion were inconclusive. He urged the case be reopened to address serious questions he contends remain unanswered. Rebecca Zahaus sister, Mary, and her husband, Doug, left, with Dr. Phil McGraw on Monday. CBS Television Distribution / Photo by Ron Jaffe ( / CBS Television Distribution) Rebecca Zahau ( / Handout photo) Dr. Cyril Wechts findings were released during the second day of discussions on the television talk show in which Zahaus family and experts they hired criticized the official investigation into her bizarre death. Advertisement In an interview after Tuesdays episode, Sheriff Bill Gore defended his departments conclusion of suicide and said experts and the familys attorney were presenting half-truths to support their belief that Zahau was murdered. Theyre selectively releasing things without telling the whole story and changing the facts they do know, Gore said. Zahau, 32, was discovered July 13 hanging nude, bound at the wrists and ankles, from a balcony of the historic Spreckels mansion. The home is owned by her boyfriend, Jonah Shacknai, founder and CEO of Arizona-based Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. Shacknais brother, Adam, who was staying in the guesthouse, told authorities he cut her down and called 911. The Medical Examiners Office listed her cause of death as asphyxiation from hanging. Wecht, who gave his findings to the family on the show via satellite, said he could not say with scientific certainty that Zahaus death was a homicide and not a suicide. But he accused San Diego County investigators of rushing to judgment. He suggested the manner of death be changed to undetermined and the case be reopened. I strongly lean toward this being a homicide, something dealing with foul play, Wecht said. The totality of the circumstances and the mystery surrounded the death helped form his opinion, he said. Authorities concluded Zahau was probably upset over news that Shacknais 6-year-old son, Max, was unlikely to survive injuries he sustained from an accidental fall at the home two days earlier. She had been baby-sitting the boy at the time. Wecht, who performed the second autopsy at his facility in Pittsburgh, questioned why Zahaus neck wasnt broken in the 9-foot drop. He also focused on four small hemorrhages on the right side of Zahaus scalp. Advertisement Wecht surmised she may have been bludgeoned by a smooth, rounded object that didnt break the skin but might have caused unconsciousness. Dr. Jonathan Lucas, a San Diego County deputy medical examiner who performed the initial autopsy, has called those wounds relatively minor. He said they could have been caused by her head striking the building after she fell from the balcony. Dr. Phil McGraw stressed the value of Wechts expert opinion, citing the 17,000 or so autopsies Wecht says he has done throughout his career. Wecht has been called upon by the media before to offer his analysis in the sensational deaths of celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and President John F. Kennedy. He also weighed in on the O.J. Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey cases. Advertisement In Pennsylvania, Wecht resigned from his second of two terms as Allegheny County Coroner in 2006 after he was indicted on 84 counts of using his public office for private gain. Prosecutors later dropped more than half of the charges, and the ensuing trial ended with a hung jury. A judge dropped the remaining counts. Wecht has said he conducts about 360 autopsies each year, and about a dozen are second autopsies. Gore said his invitation to look at any new evidence unearthed in the case remains open. He said he was disappointed the family and their attorney, Anne Bremner, chose to air results from the second autopsy on TV rather than forward them to authorities. Is that something a family and attorney sincere in wanting to get to the truth of the information would do, or is it someone seeking publicity for their own gains at the expense of a family? the sheriff said. Advertisement Bremner said on Mondays episode that she plans to ask the state attorney general to investigate the case. The agency earlier declined a similar request by Shacknai, who said through a spokesman on Tuesday that he did not want to comment on the Dr Phil findings. Our position is were very confident in our results, and if someone wanted to look at it, thats fine, Gore said. Sheriffs officials also took issue with Bremners criticism on Mondays show that authorities overlooked or ignored certain clues that may point to foul play. Gore said all of the evidence was analyzed. The blood Bremner said was found in the shower was actually on the floor of a bathroom and determined to be related to Zahaus menstrual cycle, the sheriff said. Advertisement Panties found in the guesthouse garbage were determined to belong to either Shacknais daughter or one of her friends, who had been staying there. And the suspicious use of Zahaus computer in the home about 3 a.m. which was around the time Zahau was believed to have killed herself was an automatic computer update. I approached this in the beginning thinking it was a homicide, Gore said. I held out to the clear end. He said it wasnt until Zahaus toxicology results were revealed the last piece of evidence to come through in the case showing she was not drugged or under the influence, that he became convinced it was a suicide. The family of Rebecca Zahau, whose nude body was found hanged at a historic Coronado mansion, can pursue their wrongful death lawsuit claiming she was murdered, a judge ruled Wednesday. The lawsuit alleges that the ex-wife and brother of Zahaus millionaire boyfriend conspired to batter Zahau, then cover up her death. The defendants have denied the claim, calling it a sham pleading setting out facts that are implausible. Zahau was living with Arizona pharmaceuticals tycoon Jonah Shacknai, who owned the Spreckels mansion in Coronado. Shacknais brother, Adam, told authorities he found her body hanging by a rope from a second-story outside balcony on July 13, 2011. Advertisement The county Medical Examiners Office ruled her death a suicide, citing her distress over the life-threatening injuries Shacknais 6-year-old son, Max, suffered in a fall days earlier while under her care. The boy died later that week. Adam was at a guesthouse on the mansion grounds. Shacknais ex-wife, Dina, was staying at her home nearby, and her twin sister, Nina Romano was with her. Zahaus mother and sister have rejected the suicide finding. They filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in 2013. The suit was initially dismissed, but U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan ruled on Wednesday that an amended complaint alleged sufficient facts to state a claim of wrongful death based on a conspiracy to batter. The suit alleges Dina struck Zahau on the back of the head four times with a blunt object, and Adam carried her into the house, where the three stripped off Zahaus clothes and bound and gagged her. Adam is alleged to have tossed her off the balcony and, at Dinas instructions, painted the odd message, She saved him. Can you save her on the door. Whelan denied the defendants motion to dismiss the suit, saying he must look at the allegations in a light most favorable to the plaintiffs. Rebecca Zahau ( / Handout photo) Attorneys for the family of Rebecca Zahau, the 32-year-old woman who was found hanging naked and bound nearly two years ago at the Spreckels mansion in Coronado, announced Wednesday that they are seeking a court-ordered release of evidence in her controversial death and are looking for the publics contributions to help fund the effort. In a news conference downtown, Los Angeles attorneys David Fleck and Marty Rudoy, along with Zahaus younger sister Snowem, said they believe there was no evidence to support the investigations finding that Zahau committed suicide. They believe Zahau was murdered, although they declined to say who they suspect in the killing. The lawsuit against the county, filed Wednesday in San Diego Superior Court, seeks all investigative records and forensic evidence seized in the investigation, as well the items seized under a search warrant. Advertisement While the Sheriffs Department has already turned over files to the family, the seized property under the warrants cannot be released without a court order, Rudoy said. Rebecca Zahau presser with Debbi Baker The suit also seeks two photos that are missing from the investigative file, as well as an original recording of the 911 call made the morning Zahau was found. The copy of the call provided to the attorneys contained an eight-second gap, Rudoy said. The lawyer said the additional evidence, the call and the photos might prove important and could lead to a reopening of the case or to a lawsuit. The attorneys are also seeking the investigation materials into the death of 6-year-old Max Shacknai, whose fall at the mansion two days prior is what investigators said led to Zahaus death. We think the two deaths are intrinsically related, in that had nothing happened to Max, then nobody wouldve done anything to Rebecca, and she would still be here with us and we wouldnt need to be here today, Rudoy said. The attorney said they particularly want to see what Zahau said to investigators the day of Maxs fall. The attorneys said that they are not accusing the Sheriffs Department with a cover-up, but instead believe evidence was overlooked in a rush to judgment. We think the investigation was terminated too quickly, Rudoy said. Advertisement Zahau was found hanging from a second-story balcony of the oceanfront home she shared with millionaire boyfriend Jonah Shacknai on the morning of July 13, 2011. After a seven-weeks long investigation, sheriffs and medical examiner investigators determined that Zahau killed herself two days after finding out Shacknais son Max was not going to survive. The boy fell over a second story railing while under Zahaus watch and died from his injuries a few days later. Zahau had a T-shirt in her mouth, her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound together with red rope. The words She saved him, can you save her were written in black paint on a bedroom door. Only her DNA was found on the rope and her fingerprints were found on the guest bed where the rope had been tied, as well as on the knives used to cut the rope and on the tube of paint used to write the message, investigators found. Her footprints alone were found outside on the balcony. Advertisement Zahau attorneys said her killer may have worn gloves and could have possibly killed her somewhere other than the room near the balcony. The Sheriffs Department produced a video that showed how Zahau could have tied the rope around her hands, left the binding loose until she put her free hand into the bindings and pulled it taut. Her fingers were still clutching the end of the rope, investigators said. Investigators concluded that Shacknai left a message for Zahau at 12:48 a.m. that morning to tell her that Max, who had been hospitalized for two days after his fall, was not expected to survive. The boy died July 16 at Rady Childrens Hospital. The investigation found that Zahau did not have drugs or alcohol in her system, that she had no defensive wounds and that there was no evidence that anyone else had been present in the room at the time. Advertisement The Medical Examiners Office listed her cause of death as asphyxiation from hanging. Zahaus family never accepted the findings and had the body exhumed for a second autopsy. The results of that examination were announced on a two-part episode of the Dr. Phil television talk show on which the family appeared with an attorney. The pathologist, who was paid by donors to the family, said his findings were inconclusive but that he leaned toward calling the case a homicide, citing Zahaus injuries and the bindings of her hands and feet. Homicide Lt. Glenn Giannantonio said Wednesday that the department thoroughly investigated the case and stands by its conclusion. We looked at every bit of evidence, Giannantonio said. Advertisement He said investigators would only consider reopening the case if there was some actual evidence brought forth to indicate that was warranted. Were not going to open the case on speculation or public opinion or somebody holding a news conference, Giannantonio said. The state Attorney Generals Office was asked to review the case and declined. Shacknai, who is the founder of Arizona-based Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp., has since put up the oceanfront mansion for sale. The asking price for the 27-room spread, which was built in 1907 for sugar magnate John D. Spreckels, was $16.9 million as of March. Advertisement The Zahau attorneys have launched a crowd-sourcing campaign at Indiegogo.com to help raise money to pay for investigators and experts as well as their fees. They hope to raise about $435,000, the attorneys said. Zahaus sister Snowem, who asked that her last name not be used, said her family just wants justice for Rebecca. When the Mormon Battalion marched into San Diego on Jan. 29, 1847, residents were not overjoyed. People were afraid of them, said Michael Hemingway, director of the Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town. Heres this American army coming in. And they had been told by others that these were religious zealots, terrible people. Members of the battalion won over locals, though, by digging wells, building a courthouse and making other improvements to Old Town. This 171-year-old story will be recalled Saturday in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. A 10 a.m. parade around the parks plaza by re-enactors will be followed by a short program. Period activities, from a Dutch oven cook-off to a childrens crafts workshop, will continue through 3 p.m. Advertisement At the nearby Mormon Battalion Historic Site, 2510 Juan St., free tours will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The battalions 2,000-mile journey to San Diego is one of the longest marches in U.S. history. During the Mexican-American War, 500 Midwesterners were asked to reinforce the U.S. Amy of the West in California. In July 1846, 496 men, 36 women and 43 children virtually all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints departed Council Bluffs, Iowa. During the six-month trek west, sickness and accidents caused the deaths of 27. That winter, most of the women and children took shelter in Pueblo, Colo. Lt. Philip St. George Cooke led the rest, 335 men and four women, to San Diego. By the time they got out here, the fighting was done, said Hemingway, who is a church elder. They were here more to secure the territory. Without their original mission, historian Iris Engstrand wrote in San Diego: Californias Cornerstone, they found jobs in Old Town: They made a whitewash and used it to brighten up the houses. They also built a bakery, fiored bricks, build log pumps, dug wells, did blacksmithing, and repaired carts. Many Battalion members would return to family in Iowa, and some joined Brigham Youngs trek to the Great Salt Lake. But, Hemingway said, the departing Mormons were fondly remembered in Old Town. The people wanted them to stay, he said. New Zealanders call their seat of power the Beehive, a sparkle of Kiwi humor for a spiraling concrete building that looks exactly as it sounds. On the ninth floor, the countrys leader greets visitors in an unassuming office with posters of women in wartime and a view of the Wellington harbor. Im Jacinda, she says, extending her hand. The calm belies a movie-worthy first 100 days for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who in October, at 37, became the worlds youngest female leader. Ardern took control after jumping into the race seven weeks before the vote. She formed a coalition government of rivals, akin to Bernie Sanders sharing power with Ted Cruz. Then, in January, Ardern announced her pregnancy which means later this year shell become the only elected world leader besides the late Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to give birth in office. Advertisement She rose to power on a platform of positivity and optimism, more in line with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau than President Trump. Its not just her age or pregnancy that has sparked the rush of adulation known as Jacindamania. Its her message. Ardern offers a vision of hope for liberal democracy in a region where those values face a resurgent threat and Americas role is shrinking. Its about us ultimately being responsive, said she in an interview with The Times. Seeing what change is bringing and acknowledging the needs there are and doing something about it. Ardern begins her tenure at a precarious time for the Asia Pacific region, and the world. China New Zealands largest trading partner just announced it would abolish term limits, setting up President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely and wield greater control. Strongman leaders in the Philippines and Cambodia threaten to unravel fledgling democracies. Trump has pulled the U.S. out of a global climate change agreement and the massive trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. When Trump met Ardern at a summit in Vietnam last November, he noted that her surprise win caused a lot of upset in her country. She chuckled and replied: No one marched when I was elected. Ardern has helped craft a new version of the trade deal. She trumpets the need to combat climate change and is reinforcing the countrys commitment to reduce nuclear weapons internationally, even as Trump calls for the U.S. to build more. (New Zealand is a nuclear-free zone by law and Ardern recently reinstated a Cabinet post focused on disarmament.) We feel quite proud that she is leading us, in comparison to the rest of the world, said Ruby Topzand, 22, a communications student at Massey Universitys Wellington campus. Shes the rebellion. Ardern wasnt even supposed to be in the election at least not this one. Advertisement Last March, she took over as deputy leader of the Labor Party. By July, its head, Andrew Little, announced his resignation amid record-low poll ratings. That left Ardern to dive in mid-race and duke out a victory for Labor against the conservative, longtime incumbent National Party. Arderns slogan sprang from one of her social media sign-offs: Lets do this. Neither side won enough seats for a majority government, so the decision about the countrys future came down to the grouchy, anti-immigration leader of the New Zealand First Party, Winston Peters. (He became deputy prime minister and foreign minister as part of the deal.) Ardern told reporters she celebrated her win by heading back to her Wellington studio apartment and eating a pot of noodles. Ardern, whose partner is fishing show host Clarke Gayford, discovered she was pregnant six days before learning she would become New Zealands third female prime minister. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford announce her pregnancy to reporters on Jan. 19, 2018, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Hannah Peters / Getty Images ) Advertisement I certainly didnt set out to necessarily do any of these things in this order, said Ardern, flashing one of her wide, trademark smiles. But Im determined that people see that the trade-offs that women have been asked to make in the past dont have to be. Her new role has drawn global attention to this former British colony: a congratulatory letter from Hillary Clinton, a Vogue photo shoot, an Australian interviewer who wanted to discuss her babys conception. (She had said earlier that the pregnancy was unexpected; the couple thought they would need medical help to conceive.) In one way, Im lucky because I didnt have a choice, Ardern told The Times. We didnt sit at home and say, Who is going to quit their job? Ardern announced her condition on Twitter, saying Gayford would be the first man of fishing & stay at home dad. Advertisement A Scotch lover, Ardern used to have a nose piercing and occasionally DJs. She won fans worldwide when, during the campaign, a radio show host asked if she planned on having children. Ardern said she could respond, but pointed a finger at him. For other women, it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace, she said. People started crafting tote bags and internet memes. Jacindamania had begun. Shes captured the imagination of a lot of women out there who might have political ambitions, said Jennifer Curtin, a University of Auckland professor who researches women in politics. I wouldnt like to say Trump and Brexit gave her a halo, but her relentless positivity was able to give her more traction. New Zealand with a population under 5 million and incredible natural beauty is often cast as paradise at the bottom of the world. The post office conducts a national Secret Santa gift exchange. Airport signs tell travelers to relax. Even the sheep look happy. Advertisement But Ardern faces a less serene reality. Housing prices rank among the highest in the world. Homelessness is the worst among developed countries. Signs on farmhouses warn against child abuse. Ardern named inequality and child poverty as priorities for her administration. Last month, she became the countrys first prime minister to march in a gay pride parade. But she must also find common ground with a coalition diametrically opposed to her on many issues. As one of her first dealmaking moves, Ardern outlined a plan to ban foreign homebuyers. Peters, her right-leaning deputy, said it meant New Zealand was no longer for sale. She said it followed through on a promise to lower spiking property prices and equalize opportunity. We have a real duty and responsibility to make sure that everyone has their basic needs met, she said in an interview. Because when you have your basic needs met, thats when you can really find your own path and fulfill your potential. Advertisement Not all embrace her progressive politics even in Morrinsville, the North Island dairy farm town where Ardern spent much of her childhood. The main street is filled with cow sculptures and old timey shops like the Golden Kiwi, a fish and chips takeaway where Ardern worked as a teenager. Cow sculptures fill the main street of Morrinsville, the dairy farm town where New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spent much of her childhood. (Jeff Kearns / For The Times ) Some people have asked me if Im a radical, Ardern said in her 2008 introductory speech to Parliament. My answer to that is simple. Im from Morrinsville. Arderns father worked as a police officer, her mother as a school cafeteria employee. She grew up in the Mormon church, although, vexed by its conservative beliefs on sexuality and feminism, she left it in her early 20s. Advertisement She was very socially aware of the plight of many New Zealanders and also people around the world, said John Inger, the principal of Arderns high school. She still visits. Ardern founded an Amnesty International group there, he said, and led a successful campaign to allow women to wear pants instead of skirts. She rocked public speaking competitions. In 1998, Arderns high school classmates voted her most likely to become prime minister. She studied politics and public relations at a nearby college and spent a semester at Arizona State University, where she watched America grapple with the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Arderns path to politics went through New York; she volunteered for a workers rights campaign and assisted in a soup kitchen. She served as a researcher for former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and a policy advisor for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair before entering the New Zealand Parliament in 2008. She was 28. Advertisement My passion for social justice came from what I saw, she said in her introductory speech. My love of politics came when I realized that it was key to changing what I saw. Conservatives label her allure stardust. Ardern, to some, is not a refreshing breath of sincerity and openness Ive probably been an over-sharer but an untested, dangerously naive social democrat driven by idealism. She ignores them. Its just for us to do our bit, regardless of what anyone else is doing, she said, before returning to her desk and the day that awaited. I hope all the international community finds the path to make its contribution. That doesnt change our duty. Advertisement ALSO Australia and U.S. work to repair relationship after early Trump thrashing At Japans suicide cliffs, hes walked more than 600 people back from the edge Upset over a U.S. missile defense system, China hits South Korea where it hurts in the wallet Advertisement Meyers is a special correspondent. Twitter: @jessicameyers ALSO China proposes to scrap presidential term limit, clearing way for Xi Jinping to stay in power Advertisement A look at Chinas pervasive attempt to exert its influence around the world Australia and U.S. work to repair relationship after early Trump thrashing A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit by Melody Godinez against labor leader Mickey Kasparian. Godinez accused Kasparian of sexual assault. Kasparian denies all of the allegations The settlement means that all three recent lawsuits against Kasparian have reached a conclusion. The terms of each of the agreements are private. Politically influential labor leader Mickey Kasparian and a woman who accused him of sexual assault have reached a confidential settlement to a lawsuit. Kasparian and the plaintiff, Melody Godinez, reached an agreement on Feb. 20, according to court records. The details of the settlement have not been made public. The conclusion of this case brings a close to the last of three recent lawsuits against Kasparian and the union he leads, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135. Kasparian has categorically denied all the allegations in all of the lawsuits against him. Neither Kasparian nor his lawyer responded to requests for comment. Dan Gilleon, the lawyer who represented Godinez as well as two other women who sued Kasparian, said he could not comment about the terms of the settlements. He said that even though their cases are over, the women still want others to speak out against sexual misconduct. Advertisement I can say that although my clients settled their cases, they remain supporters of the #metoo movement and want other women being abused by powerful men to use their experiences as motivation to speak out too, Gilleon said in an email. A county government employee who is active in San Diegos organized labor communities, Godinez sued Kasparian in Superior Court in December and accused him of sexual assault. In her complaint and during a deposition in an earlier lawsuit, Godinez said Kasparian pinned her to the sofa in his Mission Valley office, that he groped her on four occasions, and that tried to get her to participate in group sex. I felt like I was being raped, Godinez said in the deposition, referring to the alleged assault in Kasparians office. In a statement released shortly after Godinez sued, Kasparian said that Godinez had previously threatened him. The absolute truth here is that Ms. Godinez has been repeatedly inappropriate in the past and has also threatened revenge against me personally, he said. The settlement follows agreements in two earlier lawsuits against Kasparian. Isabel Vasquez, a former Local 135 employee, sued the labor leader in late 2016, accusing him of pressuring her into a sexual relationship starting shortly after she was hired by the union in 2001 until she retired in in 2016. That case was settled privately in January. Sandy Naranjo also sued Kasparian in late 2016, accusing him of firing her in retaliation for a stance her husbands rival union took on a political issue. A settlement in that lawsuit was also reached in January. Advertisement Twitter: @jptstewart joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com Advertisement (619) 293-1841 A La Jolla High School student was arrested Friday on suspicion of threatening to carry out a shooting on campus, police officials said. The 15-year-old boy is accused of making two threats, one of which was made verbally, the other on social media. A fellow classmate reported the verbal threat to administrators at the high school on Wednesday. In response, San Diego Unified School District police investigated the report and determined the threat was not credible. The high schools administration sent a letter to parents about the matter on Thursday afternoon. Advertisement That caused a conversation at home with students and their parents, said Sgt. Dan Palkovic of the school district police department. Within hours late Thursday afternoon, the San Diego Police Department received calls from parents who shared additional information, which ultimately led police to uncover enough evidence to arrest the student Friday. Officials declined to elaborate on the evidence. The teen, who had been suspended from school for two days, was taken into custody at his home and later booked into Juvenile Hall. Police searched his home and did not locate any guns. Police officials praised the collaboration between law enforcement, administrators, students and parents that led to the arrest. This is absolutely an example of how See something, Say something is supposed to work, San Diego Unified police Chief Michael Marquez said in a statement. Students warned administrators a threat had been made, and school leaders notified all parents of this report. Multiple parents then spoke with their students and uncovered potential evidence of a threat. In the end, it was this evidence which allowed police to take swift action this morning. Schools in San Diego County and across the nation have faced a spate of school threats since the Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead on Feb. 14. Fridays arrest marks at least the sixth that is related to a school threat in San Diego County in recent weeks. Advertisement Roughly 1,500 students attend La Jolla High School, a 14-acre campus on Nautilus Street. A lockdown drill planned for 9 a.m. Friday was canceled in response to the reported threats. Advertisement Breaking News Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com Phone: (619) 293-1876 Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez Advertisement UPDATES: 2:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. 1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. The article was originally published at 11:25 a.m. Federal prosecutors in San Diego announced Thursday they have indicted 75 people nationwide, including 40 in San Diego, in a massive drugs and money operation that interim U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman called the biggest money laundering investigation ever in San Diego. The defendants laundered drug proceeds from the Sinaloa cartel for years, Braverman said at a news conference at the federal building in downtown San Diego announcing the wide-ranging operation. He said the network was responsible for laundering tens of millions of dollars in drug profits in the past three years. Investigators have seized $6 million in cash as a result of a three-year probe undertaken by a long roster of federal and local law enforcement under the FBIs Cross Border Violence Task Force, as well as hundreds of pounds of drugs like methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and marijuana. The leader of the operation, 32-year-old Jose Roberto Lopez-Albarran, was arrested in San Diego on Feb. 9 and has been in custody ever since. He made an initial court appearance Thursday afternoon in federal court. Advertisement Another 21 people who were named in a series of four related indictments handed down by a San Diego grand jury are also in custody, officials said. The balance of the 19 San Diego defendants are under indictment but remain fugitives. While the investigation was centered in San Diego and has the majority of defendants, Braverman said another 35 people were charged for their role in the money laundering and drug sales in federal courts in Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas and Washington. At least 25 of those defendants were in custody as of Thursday. The leader of the organization was Lopez, who authorities said oversaw a large network of people dubbed money movers who shuttled huge amounts of cash around the country, picking up drug sale proceeds for eventual transfer to Mexico. The mover stashed the cash in hidden compartments of vehicles, or in cash-stuffed duffel bags, luggage, even shoe boxes. They picked up the cash in parking lots, hotels and restaurants in San Diego and other cities large and small Dayton, Ohio, Los Angeles, and Lexington, Ky. The cash was then deposited in banks using so-called funnel accounts. Such accounts, a tool of money-laundering criminal groups, are set up at U.S. banks that can receive deposits from multiple states. The money is deposited in chunks of less than $10,000 the threshold over which banks are required to file official reports with regulators. The money would then be wire transferred to Mexican bank accounts for bogus Mexican companies, which were actually businesses controlled by the organization. Another co-defendant, Manuel Reynoso Garcia, orchestrated the money-laundering activities. The 62-year-old Garcia was charged last month in federal court here with money laundering conspiracy and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Court records show he was released on Jan. 31 on a $25,000 bond and ordered to remain on home detention and wear a GPS device to track his movements. The investigation involved undercover work by investigators from the District Attorneys office, sheriff and Chula Vista police to infiltrate the organization, Braverman said. Their work identified both the money movers and, through them, a network of drug trafficking cells across the country, according to authorities. Advertisement The organization used code words as well as WhatsApp, a messaging application, to communicate about the money movements and transfers. We have siphoned the cash and life out of a San Diego-based international money laundering organization with ties to the Sinaloa cartel, Braverman said. Advertisement Twitter: @gregmoran greg.moran@sduniontribune.com The conventional wisdom is that communities having a tough time economically were the ones who embraced President Donald Trumps policies. What if we have that backwards and instead, embracing policies like those Trump champions is what impoverishes communities? Trump recently tweeted about how easy it is to win a trade war. Congress is debating immigration, walls, trade and tariffs. This is important to understand. One of the simplest differences between economies that thrive or languish is how open they are. For all the talk of how Trumps policies hurt the poor and help the rich, it is remarkable how poorly he did in more affluent areas. Of the top 10 richest states, he lost in nine. Of the 10 poorest states, he won in eight. What characterizes the more affluent states? How open and integrated they are. By percentage of vote, West Virginia gave Trump his second biggest margin of victory. California gave him his second biggest margin of defeat. They illustrate the contrast between communities looking for protection from or connection to the rest of the world, the difference between states that embrace his policies and those that reject it. Advertisement Ranked by average household income, California is seventh in the country and West Virginia is 49th, a difference of more than $33,000. West Virginians life expectancy is 49th in the nation and Californians is fourth, a difference of 5.5 years. In 1950 California had 10.7 million people and now has 38.7 million. In 1950 West Virginia had 2 million people and now has 1.8 million. West Virginia could not create enough jobs to maintain its population while California is nearly 4 times as large. In his book Everybody Lies, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz found that Californians had the highest probability of success and West Virginians the lowest. The data suggests that living in a county with a big city, a university and lots of immigrants gives you the best odds of success. Success follows from exposure to other people, ideas and cultures. California is the state with the highest percentage of foreign-born residents (26 percent) and West Virginia is the state with the lowest (1.6 percent). In the 10 states where Trump won by his largest margin, immigrants are only 4.2 percent of the population. In the 10 states where he lost by the most, immigrants are 20.7 percent. Republicans are half as likely as Democrats to say that colleges and universities have a positive effect on the way things are going in the country. Advertisement One popular theory is that economic distress made people more susceptible to Trumps politics. Maybe we have that causation reversed. If you protect your children from the new and often challenging ideas that flow from universities, the odd cultures and practices of immigrants, and the close proximity to the many different lifestyles that one finds in a city, your child will grow up with fewer economic opportunities. Successful communities dont protect their people from the rest of the world. They connect them to it. Trumps belief in a national rather than global economy is at odds with Californians experience. Without a global market, Hollywood would just be a local playhouse. Without a global market, the World Wide Web would just be a local area network. The 100 most valuable companies in the world are worth about $21.2 trillion. Californias share is $4.3 trillion and no other country comes close to California in its ability to create valuable companies. Advertisement One key to this is immigrants. Imagine California without Silicon Valley, Silicon Valley without Apple the worlds most valuable company and Apple without Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs father was an immigrant from Syria, one of the seven countries whose people Trump has tried to ban. Had Trumps ban been in effect in the 1950s, the creative force behind the Mac, iPhone and Pixar would have never been born. Immigrants are more likely to start businesses. Forty percent of Silicon Valleys successful startups have immigrant co-founders. Advertisement North Koreans are shut off from the rest of the world, unable to freely migrate or exchange goods, services and ideas with people outside of the country, the opposite of South Korea. Since 1960 South Koreas exports as a percentage of GDP have grown from 2.6 percent to about 50 percent. The contrast could not be more stark: North Koreas per capita GDP is 4 percent of South Koreas. In two weeks, a South Korean creates as much value as a North Korean will in a year. A closed economy is an impoverished economy. The U.S. is not destined to lead the world forever. The ancient Greece of Pythagoras, Socrates and Aristotle that gave the West democracy, theater, philosophy and math only lasted a couple of centuries. We may have had our run and if the country chooses to follow West Virginias quest for protection instead of Californias for connection, the U.S. could become as relevant to defining the future as modern Greece is rather than ancient Greece was. Davison, who lives in San Diego County, helps teams within Fortune 500 firms and startups to accelerate product development. He is the author of The Fourth Economy: Inventing Western Civilization. Southern California Edisons decision to store all 3.55 million pounds of radioactive nuclear waste from the closed San Onofre nuclear plant at the facility site along the north San Diego County coast, between the beautiful Pacific Ocean and busy Interstate 5, is concerning to many local governments and the millions of people who live within 50 miles. While the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission blessed the plan, it is far from ideal. This danger is why The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board and so many residents and organizations from the 35 states storing nuclear waste now have urged Congress to revive a plan first approved in 1987 to open a large nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Unfortunately, Congress appears unlikely to agree to a Trump administration request to provide $120 million in funding to get Yucca Mountain back on track, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. The news about nuclear storage isnt all bad. The NRC is considering a proposal from New Jersey-based Holtec International to build a smaller nuclear waste storage site in remote southeastern New Mexico that could accommodate San Onofres waste by 2021. The obstacles are formidable. But the project has this going for it: Its been embraced by local government leaders who see it as potential economic pillar. Thats a crucial contrast with how Nevada officials feel about the Yucca plan. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Advertisement Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion GOPs acceptance of Trump is hypocritical Re Porn star Stormy Daniels sues Trump, says hush agreement is null (March 7): If President Obama were being sued by a porn star, let alone all the other stuff Donald Trump has done, can you just imagine what the Republicans would be doing? They would be like a bunch of baying hounds looking for blood. I am so tired of this. If their lips are moving, they are lying. Susan Rundles Advertisement Bonita When has a president been this bad? Does anyone alive recall such turmoil within a presidential administration, not just in such a short time, but over four to eight years? Donald Trump is like a dysfunctional parent. A suggestion to the people who do your headlines: You might want to save Trump clashes with and then fill in the blank each day/week. What an embarrassment! And how many years/decades will it take to undo all that he is doing? Tom Harpley San Diego Advertisement Our standard for the presidency is very low It should be apparent to all that President Trump got elected because the morality bar to become president was so low. Actors, business men, teachers, and many more have zero tolerance for sexual abuse. President Trump has President Clinton to thank for making the Office of the Presidency R rated. President Clinton got impeached, not for low morals, but for lying about them. If the Justice Department uses the Clinton Emails case of no charges because there was no intent, President Trump should be just fine. It is apparent President Trump has little knowledge of the laws he is being investigated for so it follows he cannot have intent. What a country. Richard Schauer Advertisement San Diego Congress loses its credibility covering for Trump Congress reflects us. If its members are bought and sold, so are we. Consider evangelical Christians, who sold souls and twisted brains to believe Trump is whats needed, forgetting the biblical passage about false prophets. They believe one who lies more than anyone anybody has ever known, from Thats not my voice, to imagining self as hero: I would have rushed in. In the Vietnam era, Trump said women are potential landmines due to the AIDS epidemic: Dating is like being in Vietnam. Advertisement Upset Congress cant work it out? When was the last time any of us brought up issues with friends/family members of different political views, to understand theirs and convey our best argument? Im heartened by young people. They should not have to wait to vote, be in Congress, become president to have a safer, freer-from-hate country. We adults must call/show up at Congress offices, hold sit-ins, protest in marches (March 24), until we have a more perfect union andpromote the general welfare. Cheryl Martin Ede San Diego Advertisement Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below. Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Lots of reduced sentence gags and jokes about using the loo this week, but our favorite caption came from Mary Rhoades. Congratulations, Mary! She will receive Steve Breens signed original in the mail. Thanks to all those who participated. Next weeks cartoon is below. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. Good luck! Winner They really are serious about shrinking the prison population. Mary Rhoades, San Diego Finalists I told you I couldnt reach the pedal of the getaway car. Ed Dunbar, Carlsbad you I couldnt reach the pedal of the getaway car. Maybe Ill grow to like a place like this. Riga Moore, San Marcos Not even Elves on the Shelf are above the law. Matthew Agostinelli, online submission Im just doing a little time. Jim Casale, San Marcos How did petty theft end up in a cell with grand larceny? Jean Cleaves, Cardiff They got me for petite larceny. Christopher Wood, Escondido I cant believe I got 25 years to life. Im just a small-time criminal. Paul Caesar, Chula Vista My worst fear has come true ... the big house. Christine Hatch, San Diego I can walk outta here any time I want. John Dischinger, Spring Valley I would have gotten away with it, but their cat had me pinned in a corner. Kevin Hippensteel, Santee You dont mind taking the top bunk, do ya? Michael Nusso, Escondido I have an escape plan. ... Im flushing myself at midnight. Ron Schuh, Carlsbad Why me? They usually just arrest the ventriloquist. Howard Crabree, Coronado I always get in trouble for little things. Matthew Thomas, Fallbrook You cant imagine how humiliating it is for an Irish leprechaun to have to wear orange. Jim Dela Rosa, Bay Park Did you call mom? I called last time. Sherry Brown, National City K-12 I didnt pay for groceries because I was short on cash. Emily Beneventi, sixth grade, Dana Middle School I guess everything really is bigger in Texas. Aadya Nayak, seventh grade, Mesa Verde Middle School bigger in Texas. You must have committed a crime bigger than me. Audry Weishaar, sixth grade, Muirlands Middle School Flush me to freedom! Logan MacLean, sixth grade, Muirlands Middle School Next weeks cartoon Advertisement (Steve Breen ) To enter, email entries to cartooncontest@sduniontribune.com by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Please remember to limit your submissions to three and keep em brief. View last weeks winners. La voz del trade en las Americas Is it time to put an end to hugs between coworkers in the work place? The answer is yes for one California state senator who has been told to stop hugging people. The mandate was given to Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, after an investigation found that his hugs for which he was well known among colleagues made more than one female coworker and one male sergeant-at-arms uncomfortable. The Senate Rules Committee found his hugs were not intended to be sexual and are not always unwelcome, but it told him to stop the greetings, which have earned him the nicknames Hugsberg and Huggy Bear, according to The Associated Press. Hertzberg was under investigation for four complaints about the behavior dating back to 2010. The senator released a letter to friends and colleagues on Thursday apologizing to anyone who felt his hugs had been unwelcome. All my life, a hug has been my way of greeting friends and colleagues a gesture of warmth and kindness and a reflection of my exuberance, the letter says. I understand that I cannot control how a hug is received, and that no everyone has the ability to speak up about unwelcome behavior. It is my responsibility to be mindful of this. Three California lawmakers have resigned over allegations of sexual misconduct in recent months and, in February, the Los Angeles Times reported that the there are more ongoing investigations in the Capitol than at any time in recent history. Employers and employees in many industries have been zeroing in on the subject of sexual misconduct and worker interactions in the wake of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and the many men and women who have since been accused of misconduct and lost their jobs over it. Check out some of the think pieces that have been written recently over the issue of hugging. The Wall Street Journal: Is It OK for Your Boss to Hug Your Intern? The issue of hugging coworkers has been discussed in earnest on Twitter where some people recounted positive stories of hugging or being hugged by coworkers, and others reported unpleasant experiences. For others, the question remains. What are your thoughts about hugs in the work place? Send us a tweet to @sdutideas and we may add your opinion to this page. Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @abbyhamblin Online: To read the indictment against Robert Fred Smith, go to uniontrib.com/more/documents. U.S. officials have tracked down a La Mesa native living in Malta and hauled him into federal court in San Diego on allegations that he polluted San Diego Bay with concrete, scrap metal, plastic and other waste in 2006. Robert Fred Smith was one of 20 fugitives on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of scofflaws, EPA officials said yesterday. They accuse him of dumping materials from the renovation of a large fishing vessel into the harbor at the B Street Pier as part of a conspiracy to avoid disposal costs. Smith, 45, and the boat's owner, Joseph Anthony O'Connor, 58, then allegedly lied to Coast Guard inspectors who had received tips about nighttime dumping at the 150-foot F/V Maru, according to court documents. In 2007, federal officials filed a six-count indictment against Smith, O'Connor and Britannia Shipping Ltd., a Nevada-based company incorporated by O'Connor. The two men were out of the country when the charges were filed. Interpol, an international police organization, issued wanted notices for O'Connor and Smith last year. O'Connor was born in Ireland and apparently was living with Smith in the Mediterranean Sea island country of Malta. A new extradition treaty between the United States and Malta took effect July 1, opening the door for authorities to arrest O'Connor and Smith. Based on a tip sent to the EPA fugitives Web site, U.S. federal agents confirmed O'Connor's whereabouts and arrested him in July. He is in custody and going through the extradition process. Smith surrendered to authorities in Malta after O'Connor's arrest, according to the EPA. His first court appearance took place Monday in U.S. District Court in San Diego. As outlined in the 2007 indictment, the government is charging Smith and O'Connor with unlawful discharge of pollutants and plastics, conspiracy, and making false statements. EPA officials haven't specified what penalties the federal government is seeking for Smith, who pleaded not guilty Monday. A lawyer for Smith declined to comment. The EPA launched its fugitives Web site Dec. 10 with 23 highlighted suspects. The site includes photos of the accused, summaries of their reported violations and information on each fugitive's last known whereabouts. It also accepts anonymous tips. The alleged crimes include smuggling ozone-depleting substances, illegally disposing of hazardous waste, and discharging contaminants into air and water. Five suspects have been arrested or surrendered since December. For more information about the Environmental Protection Agency's list of top environmental fugitives, go to epa.gov/fugitives. Vie 09 de marzo de 2018 As part of its tourism promotion strategy, the Mayor's Office of the Metropolitan District of Quito, through the Secretariat of Productive Development and Competitiveness and the Metropolitan Public Company of Quito Turismo has implemented a new digital platform that articulates digital and promotional tools. They are integrated, a renewed website 3.0 with detailed information on tourist attractions and essential routes of the city, by the mobile application to carry Quito or plan trips to the capital of Ecuador, from your pocket. Both under the renewed city brand, which is composed of sober, avant-garde elements for the positioning of the tourist reference that is Quito in the region. Actions catapult the city to become a Smart City that accompanies the traveler before, during and after his visit, helping him to make decisions for a better enjoyment and satisfaction during his stay. Renewed tourist brand A new logo that identifies the personality and attributes that distinguish Quito, the new brand will place it as a destination of excellence and preference for the traveler. For the construction of this brand, we considered the results of a market study carried out on more than 1500 tourists in 2017, which reflects how they see the capital city and what elements characterize it: on the one hand the mountains where it is located, with its icon stylized as an ascending arrow. And on the other hand, the geo-reference icon or digital location, associated with the "Q" in blue typography, which gives a rise to an innovative and minimalist logo. The blue chromatic is taken from the intense tone of the Quito sky and next to the Andes denotes the presence of nature in its surroundings. Its stylization symbolizes the way of the city, the constant transformation and updating. The letter O with the degree symbol (O ) represents the location in the middle of the world and the letter Q fused with the geolocation symbol, represents your destination, the place where you start a trip, an adventure, a discovery, that's why the phrase "Your story begins in Quito", the place where the story of each visitor begins when they arrive to Ecuador. The logo also defines four axes in which it opens its tourist spectrum: nature, gastronomy, culture and adventure, with its respective chromatic. This new brand defines a new stage in the tourism of the city. 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. The deal announced in August last year makes Total the second largest operator in the North Sea with an output of 500,000 barrels per day by 2020. Maersk will receive $4.95bn worth in shares in Total, while the French oil company will assume $2.5bn in debt from Maersk Oil. With the completion of the Maersk Oil transaction, we have taken a significant step in our strategy to focus AP Moller - Maersk on container shipping, ports and logistics, said Soren Skou, ceo of AP Moller Maersk. Total is aiming to generate more than $400m in synergies given the overlaps of the two businesses. We are committed to preserve and further develop Maersk Oils heritage by relying on the strong competencies of its teams. Our regional hub for North Sea activities is now headquartered in Copenhagen, said Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and ceo of Total. The Unlisted Securities Exchange (USX) is pleased to retain its exemption conditions following a review by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, (MBIE). One of the conditions of the exemption as set out in the Financial Markets Conduct (Unlisted) Market Regulations 2015 was that the conditions of USXs exemption be subject to review two years after the granting of the exemption. USX had sought relief from the condition that issuers be able to enter into a listing agreement with USX without providing audited financial statements, provided that the issuer undertakes to provide such audited financial statements by the end of the financial year. The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Hon Kris Faafoi determined not to provide such relief as MBIEs advice was that the current condition provides investors with important information, recognising that other disclosure requirements (like continuous disclosure) do not apply. MBIE will continue to monitor USX through the annual reports provided by USX to the Minister to assess whether or not changes to the conditions of the exemption need to be contemplated. Bevan Wallace, Chair of Efficient Market Services Limited, operator of USX, advised that he was pleased that after the extensive review the Minister had determined that that no additional conditions were considered necessary. The relief from the condition that all issuers provide audited accounts was sought to allow issuers that had filed Product Disclosure Statements or met crowdfunding disclosure requirements be able to list immediately. While disappointed that the Minister determined not to grant such relief Mr Wallace noted that the absence of such relief generally only resulted in the deferral of a listing. Mr Wallace observed that the review endorsed business as usual and affirmed USXs position in New Zealands capital market landscape. The Unlisted Securities Exchange is not a licensed financial product market. USX is a financial product market that operates pursuant to an exemption from subpart 7 of Part 5 of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (the Act). USX is currently used by 14 Issuers for quotation of 15 securities with a combined market capitalization of $2.7b. In the year to 31 January 2018 Unlisted facilitated 1,023 trades representing 15.6m shares with a combined value of $39.75m. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 20th September 2021 Morning Report General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Equifax Affirms General Finance BB- Rating 17th September 2021 Morning Report NZ Automotive Investments Limited (NZX: NZA) Proposed Sell Down by NZA Founder to Improve Liquidity 16th September 2021 Morning Report 15th September 2021 Morning Report Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Announces Further Kiwifruit Acquisition Briscoe Group Limited (NZX: BGP) Half Year Results Announcement 14th September 2021 Morning Report Stride Property Ltd & Stride Investment Management Ltd (NZX: SPG) Office Fund Established and Conditional Acquisition Industry groups representing a wide swathe of New Zealand's exports have welcomed the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership as a counter to US moves to protect its industries with import tariffs. The 11 countries' combined economies make up 13.5 percent of world gross domestic product worth US$10 trillion. The US withdrew from the earlier incarnation of the agreement shortly after US President Donald Trump was elected. Fears of a global trade war were stoked after Trump announced plans to impose US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, prompting China to vow 'an appropriate response'. ExportNZ executive director Catherine Beard said in the context of the US protectionist move and the threats of global trade wars, the CPTPP is an exemplar of countries working together for open and free trade. "One thing the US actions have done is get the rest the world to focus on the benefits of trade, and the CPTPP is a concrete example of everyone moving forward together," she said. Alongside the CPTPP, New Zealand signed agreements to exclude compulsory investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) with Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam and Australia, the source of 80 percent of investment from the CPTPP nations into New Zealand. A further two countries, Canada and Chile, have joined New Zealand in a declaration that they will use investor-state dispute settlement responsibly. "This is a fair deal for New Zealand, Minister for Trade David Parker said in a statement. It gives our exporters new opportunities in key markets like Japan, it preserves the unique status of the Treaty of Waitangi, and it protects the governments right to regulate in the public interest." New Zealand Winegrowers also said the deal sents the correct signal. "Coming at a time of rising global trade tensions, New Zealand Winegrowers regards the signing of CPTPP as a welcome affirmation that strong, clear global rules on trade are necessary to underpin the standard of living that New Zealanders have come to expect," it said in a statement. New Zealand has also joined Canada and Chile in issuing a joint declaration on fostering progressive and inclusive trade. Mike Chapman, chief executive of Horticulture New Zealand, who is in Chile for the signing, was upbeat about Japan in particular. "For the first time, New Zealand will gain preferential access to Japan, the worlds third-largest economy," he said. "Kiwifruit from Chile has had the advantage in Japan until now, so this is really good news for New Zealand horticulture." "Apple tariffs will also be eliminated over 11 years and this will put us on a level playing field with Australia, which already has preferential access to Japan," Chapman said. According to Chapman, the deal could add between $1.2 billion and $4 billion to the economy. Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson also said most significant benefit for the kiwifruit is in Japan, where New Zealand kiwifruit growers paid over $26 million in tariffs last season. "This tariff relief will means savings for our growers and benefits for Japanese consumers by supporting our competitiveness against other fruit in market, said Mathieson. Japan has been one of Zespris top markets for volume and value over two decades and annual sales volumes to Japan are expected to increase around 25 percent over the next five years. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 20th September 2021 Morning Report General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Equifax Affirms General Finance BB- Rating 17th September 2021 Morning Report NZ Automotive Investments Limited (NZX: NZA) Proposed Sell Down by NZA Founder to Improve Liquidity 16th September 2021 Morning Report 15th September 2021 Morning Report Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Announces Further Kiwifruit Acquisition Briscoe Group Limited (NZX: BGP) Half Year Results Announcement 14th September 2021 Morning Report Stride Property Ltd & Stride Investment Management Ltd (NZX: SPG) Office Fund Established and Conditional Acquisition Finance Minister Grant Robertson wants to draw on the experience of the country's investment community to find new ways to fund major infrastructure, which will exceed the government's ability to foot the bill. Speaking at an annual Auckland Chamber of Commerce-Massey University event, Robertson continued his charm offensive to the business community, reiterating his plan to deliver the country's first "wellbeing" budget in May, which will introduce a broader set of measures on which to be judged. Key to the government's plan is a $42 billion capital spending programme, spearheaded by the Kiwibuild project, to address New Zealand's long-running "failure to make big long-term investments". Robertson has already pledged to repay debt at a slower pace than his predecessor to help pay for those programmes, but he and Housing and Transport Minister Phil Twyford are actively looking for new ways to finance new infrastructure that it simply won't be able to deliver on its own. Those arrangements include public-private partnerships, special purpose vehicles such as Crown Infrastructure Partners, and capturing the value of those major investments, he said. "We need to have a range of innovative finance mechanisms and want to work with the investment community on how to develop those," Robertson said. "That's the only way we can create a sustainable future." The Labour-led administration has already adopted a regional fuel tax to help pay for Auckland's transport infrastructure, such as the City Rail Link. At last year's Infrastructure New Zealand building nations symposium, visiting KPMG global infrastructure executive Stephen Beatty said policymakers need to weigh up whether the taxpayer or users should foot the bill, and that a shift in mindset was needed to view those spending programmes as assets rather than liabilities. Robertson today gave few clues on the upcoming budget, although he reiterated health, education and housing as three priority areas. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: 20th September 2021 Morning Report General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Equifax Affirms General Finance BB- Rating 17th September 2021 Morning Report NZ Automotive Investments Limited (NZX: NZA) Proposed Sell Down by NZA Founder to Improve Liquidity 16th September 2021 Morning Report 15th September 2021 Morning Report Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) Announces Further Kiwifruit Acquisition Briscoe Group Limited (NZX: BGP) Half Year Results Announcement 14th September 2021 Morning Report Stride Property Ltd & Stride Investment Management Ltd (NZX: SPG) Office Fund Established and Conditional Acquisition School buses were rolling along West Virginia highways Wednesday morning as students headed back to school after a nine-day work stoppage that covered all 55 counties. Teachers and service personnel had been on strike across the Mountain State since Feb. 22, as they sought a pay increase and a fix for PEIA, the states health insurance program. Margaret Tice, a teacher at Jefferson High School, was in Charleston when the vote passed. It was exciting and emotional to be at the Capitol for the culmination of this historic movement, Tice said. As the announcement was made, we were cheering and crying and hugging strangers. The deal reached included a 5 percent pay increase, which Gov. Jim Justice had agreed to in initial meetings with teachers during the strike, as well as the creation of a task force to address issues with PEIA. The deal also put in place a freeze on the current insurance for the next 16 months to avoid the excessive increases planned by the insurance company. All other state employees also received a 5 percent increase. Justice, who signed the bill into law as union representatives and members of the joint committee looked on, said, We have reached a deal. Gov. Jim Justice proposed a 5 percent raise to teachers last week, a move that was approved by the House of Delegates. However, the Senate refused to pass the bill, instead recommending a 4 percent increase. State legislators formed a conference committee and those members reached a deal, which they put before the House and Senate early in the week, to approve a 5 percent increase. The House of Delegates voted 99-0 to reaffirm their earlier vote and the Senate followed suit, landing a bill for the Governors signature Tuesday afternoon. Justice commented that he hopes that the deal would foster a new attitude toward West Virginia schools. Our voices need to be heard today, that we are making an investment, he told those in attendance Wednesday. Tice said she appreciated those involved in the work stoppage. Ive never been more proud of my profession as we stood up, not for a few more dollars in our paychecks, but for the future of state and our students, she said. This is a step in making education a priority in West Virginia and in getting more qualified teachers to fill those unfilled positions. New Street United Methodist Church opened its doors Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to serve a hot lunch to kids who werent receiving meals due to the teacher work stoppage. The menu was spaghetti, bread, applesauce and dessert, and lunch was available to any child (or adult) who could get to the church. Church members donated items or money, and volunteers prepared the meals. Paul Gerrard, a church volunteer, provided a variety of snacks for the kids to take home, such as apples, raisins, packaged cookies and crackers. This is about the kids, Gerrard said. It doesnt matter which side of the issue youre on; this is a way to help kids who might be hungry. Andrea Corum, who organized the lunch, said had heard about restaurants in Charles Town and Ranson offering meals to kids, but hadnt heard of any meals for the kids in Shepherdstown. This is a wonderful thing they are doing, said Shepherdstown Middle School guidance counselor Amy Chrisman. One of the big things weve found for our students is that they are in need of meals. Chrisman said the bags of food provided weekly by Caring Cupboard, a program started by some Shepherdstown churches, has continued despite the teachers strike. The bags were sent to the Shepherd University Wellness Center for families to pick up. However, many families live well outside of town limits and dont have transportation, or parents work during the day and cant pick up the food. We tried to get word out to them we posted on Facebook. I, myself and a couple of other teachers drove out to those developments to deliver bags of food, Chrisman said. A lot of families have it (food bags) budgeted into their plans for the week. We really didnt want the kids to go without. Its not the fault of the children when they dont have enough food. New Street United Methodist had planned to continue with the meals as long as necessary, but kids were able to return to school Wednesday. Those wishing to contribute a donation to help offset students outstanding food bills, call Jefferson County Child Nutrition Coordinator at 304-728-9201, or email jinny.demastes@k12.wv.us. Contributions can be made to students in Shepherdstown by contacting the schools directly. This is not just a need because were not at work, Chrisman continued. This is ongoing each week at our schools. People dont think of Shepherdstown as being an area where kids are hungry, but it is Im hoping this movement continues and we can continue to feed the kids. A letter from the Indian Bullion Jewellers Association dated 26th July 2014 warning the Reserve Bank is being circulated in the media. Various outlets have suggested that the IBJA warned the RBI of anomalies with the 80:20 scheme. A prompt action from the RBI, according to several news-outlets, would have led to an early-check on the PNB crisis. Could Rajan who forecast American crisis prevent the PNB scam by acting on IBJA's warning on 80:20 Gold scheme? The India Bullion Jewellers Association, an association found in 1919, wrote a stern latter to the then RBI governor- Raghuram Rajan explaining an anomaly in a Gold trading scheme. The trading scheme called 80:20 was implemented barely five days before the Manmohan Singh led-UPA government's last day. In the letter (images published by moneycontrol.com), the association alleged the gold scheme as one that encouraged gold hoarding, artificially inflated prices, and gave preferential treatment to 13 firms. The IBJA made its case by suggesting that the tweaked policy led to a surge in Gold, besides shady import practices. The result is a whopping Rs 12600 crore scam in the Punjab National Bank. Additionally, the 80:20 Gold Scheme also gobbled up the good-will enjoyed by the Gold, Diamond and Banking industries. This at a time, when nationalised banks were already facing a debt-crisis. What is the 80:20 Scheme: The 80:20 scheme was launched in August 2013 with the intention of curbing rising gold imports. After crude oil, Gold remains the costliest drain on the government's import bills. According to the scheme, jewellers in the country could sell 80% of their imported consignments, and export the remainder 20% as Gold jewelry. The CAG published a report claiming that the scheme resulted in a loss of Rs 1 lakh crore. Prior to the 80:20 scheme the RBI relaxed norms for 13 star trading houses (companies who have huge export numbers). These firms accounted for as much as 40% of India's total gold imports in 2014. Until September 2014, only state trading houses and state-owned entities were allowed to import yellow metal. A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has reportedly sought details from the Revenue Department and any alleged link with the PNB fraud. The IBJA's Letter: The IBJA accused the UPA government of yielding cronies by tweaking the 80:20 scheme days prior to its demittance. The RBI according to the association, side-stepped nationalised banks, by allowing star exporters to import gold up to two tonnes at one time, even for those who were not in the business of bullijon and gold jewellery. The IBJA blamed that the 13 star trading firms used a circuit in trading, thereby resulting in a loss for the exchequer, and also resulting in a surge in Gold prices. The IBJA in its letter says that India is an exporter of hand crafted gold jewellery, a high labour intensive industry. It took anything between 15 to 90 days to process jewellery before export. "But those with a different motive would procure gold, convert it into crude pendants or bangles or chains with the help of machines any quantity overnight and export into to Dubai the next day. In Dubai, it directly goes to a refinery for converting into gold bar and sold within 24 hours. The loss incurred in this operation is more than compensated by the trading in domestic gold," read the letter. An image of the letter written by IBJA. Image Credit: Moneycontrol.com Important observations from IBJA: Gold Bullion before the 80:20 scheme could be imported only by state trading entities. Bullion dealers in a bid to make cash sales, lobbied for the scheme. They used various media outlets in order to pitch for a new policy. Import duty does not impact exports. Gold jewellers importing Gold for exports get duty drawbacks on them. Exports declined in 2014. The Gulf which was a major buyer from India, saw a decline owing to ISIS attacks on Iraq. Jewellers who participated in the 20:80 scheme used inflated balance sheets and defaulted by duping banks. Their acts impacted the gold jewellery. The IBJA letter signed by its President Mohit Kamboj concludes by stating, "in national interest it is imperative upon the authorities concerned to make a prudent appraisal of the effects of the circular no. 133 dated 21-05-14 and check the loopholes before it is too late". Did Rajan miss warning? The IBJA blames the UPA government saying, "it is very clear that the outgoing government made some vested interest more equals among equals." By writing a letter addressed to the Governor of the RBI, the IBJA believed that things could have been averted as early as 2014. Raghuram Rajan served as the governor until September 2016. But, the 80:20 gold policy continued for a couple of months until the Finance Ministry knocked off the policy (November 2014). Would it be wise to assume that this man could have prevented the 80:20 and therefore the PNB crisis? Another question that bothers is, how could this man who predicted the 2009 American crisis fail to spot something amiss with the 80:20 gold scheme? Both questions do not limit the credibility of the sage professor, but beg to restore for the RBI's autonomous character- is the RBI's role only to bring up reports on the Indian economy? In the case of the 80:20 scheme it may be easier to blame the governor, but the RBI alone may not be held responsible for the Gold import scheme. Bureaucrats serving with the Finance Ministry, Commerce Ministry, and establishments such as Excise and Customs department that have more or less the same vision as that of the RBI. Shouldn't they be blamed and scrutinzed too? Also read: What makes Rajan believe that some of his actions will not be popular. 5 ways Raghuram Rajan could have saved the economy The lawyers of Karti Chidambaram mentioned the matter before Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and got it listed for hearing on Friday. New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, on Thursday moved Delhi High Court seeking quashing of summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the INX Media money laundering case. The division bench of Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice I.S. Mehta will hear the case of Karti Chidambaram, who is currently in custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the INX Media case. The move came after the Supreme Court on Thursday permitted Karti Chidambaram to withdraw his petition challenging the issuance of summons by the ED and approach the Delhi High Court. During the day, the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asked the acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court to constitute a bench that will hear and deal with the prayer for interim relief on Friday. The top court in its order noted that Karti Chidambaram will move the high court during the course of the day (Thursday). Karti Chidambaram is being investigated for allegedly receiving money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister in UPA government. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Karti Chidambaram, decided to withdraw the plea from the apex court against the ED after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea for interim protection from arrest as it would set a wrong precedent since 50 similar pleas involving "ordinary criminals" are pending before the court. Both Sibal and Singhvi told the court that they were apprehending that Karti Chidambaram would be picked up by the ED after release from the CBI custody. They said matter relates to same transaction and the CBI has already fully investigated Karti Chidambaram. The court was told that the ED could not act in the matter in the absence of an FIR or a complaint. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said passive euthanasia and advance living will are permissible. The bench, also comprising justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan also laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. Pinky Virani, who had filed a petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of Aruna Shanbaug, the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital nurse who was raped and rendered comatose for 40 years, lauded the judgment, and said credit for the court's order goes to Shanbaug. Aruna Shanbaug, the young nurse who was raped and gagged with a dog chain that left her in a coma for 42 years and made her the face of a debate on euthanasia in India, died on Monday May 18, 2015, bringing to an end one of the most tragic journeys of a victim of sexual assault. Aruna, 66, probably one of the longest living comatose patients, was on ventilator support in the ICU of KEM Hospital after she suffered a serious bout of pneumonia last week. Aruna, whose dream of nursing the infirm and the ailing back to health had died young on November 27, 1973, when she was sexually assaulted, battered and strangled by ward boy Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki, could not survive the infection and died early Monday morning. She had also suffered grave injuries to her spine, while the stifling cut off oxygen supply to her brain, rendering her to a vegetative state for life. Sohanlal was caught and convicted, and served two concurrent seven-year sentences for assault and robbery, but neither for rape nor sexual molestation, nor for the alleged offence of unnatural sex. Aruna, who was ever since be confined to a hospital bed, occupied a room attached to ward No.4 on the ground floor of KEM Hospital and the hearts of the staff and nurses there who foiled an attempt by the citys municipal body to evict her in the 1980s. As the KEM nurses toiled to keep her alive, a journalist Pinki Virani moved the Supreme Court with a euthanasia plea to rid Aruna of unremitting agony. On January 24, 2011, the Supreme Court set up a medical panel to examine her. The committee concluded that Aruna met most of the criteria of being in a permanently vegetative state. While turning down the plea of mercy killing on March 7, 2011, the apex court, however, allowed passive euthanasia of withdrawing life support to patients in permanently vegetative state. It rejected outright active euthanasia of ending life through administration of lethal substances. Refusing to grant permission for mercy killing of Aruna, the court had laid down a set of tough guidelines under which passive euthanasia can be legalised through a high court-monitored mechanism. Passive euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. The top court had, in 2011, recognised passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaugs case by which it had permitted the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision. Living will is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment to be administered when he or she is terminally ill or no longer able to express informed consent. It is a concept associated with passive euthanasia. In a living will, you can outline whether or not you want your life to be artificially prolonged in the event of a devastating illness or injury. Although the government has no problem with practising passive euthanasia as devised under the Aruna Shanbaug verdict, it has opposed living will in principle. The government has argued that consent expressed in the Living Wills could not be considered as informed, because the persons who opt for it may not be aware of future medical developments, which can later lead to betterment in the condition of the terminally ill patient today. The government has also expressed reservations, stating what if the person who has made a living will decides to withdraw such a will when he is no more in a condition to give consent. One defendant is accused of fatally stabbing two young children, including his infant daughter, another is charged with sexually torturing and killing a toddler, and yet another defendant allegedly shot and killed his pregnant girlfriend. All told, a dozen defendants await trial in state Supreme Court, St. George, on murder charges. Freedom or lifetime prison sentences are on the line. Some cases are already on the trial calendar and will be heard by judge or jury in the upcoming weeks and months. Others are in their early stages. Here is a peek at the cases: Nicholas Woodman/Staten Island Advance Babysitter accused of torturing, sexually abusing toddler Jury selection in the trial of Gloria Fields, the babysitter accused of sexually abusing and fatally torturing a 17-month-old boy two years ago in her Concord home, is scheduled to start on March 27. Prosecutors allege Fields, 33, attacked the defenseless toddler over the course of three days - Friday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 - before he died. According to testimony at a pretrial hearing last year, the defendant voluntarily admitted her guilt, which included sticking a six-inch Crayola pencil up the victim's rectum, as detectives confronted her with the results of their ongoing investigation. Fields, who had been using heroin and smoking marijuana while the child was in her care, also slammed his face onto the floor while he was strapped into his stroller, and struck him on the head numerous times, according to court documents. Attorney Mario F. Gallucci represents Fields, seen in police custody in this February 2016 photo. Don't Edit Bill Lyons/Staten Island Advance Michael Sykes to be retried in little girls' slayings in hotel In November, a jury convicted Michael Sykes, 27, of second-degree murder for killing his girlfriend Rebecca Cutler on Feb. 10, 2016, inside the Ramada Inn hotel in Willowbrook. However, the panel had deadlocked on charges accusing Sykes of slaying two of the victim's little girls, Ziana Cutler, 1, and Maliyah Sykes, 4 months, and of severely wounding their sister, Miracle Cutler, then 2. Maliyah Sykes was the daughter of Michael Sykes and Rebecca Cutler, 26. The other two girls were Cutler's children with another man. Sykes, 27, a Brooklyn resident, will be retried on first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges with respect to the girls. State Supreme Court Mario F. Mattei has placed the case on the trial calendar for March 12. However, the trial will likely be adjourned then since defense lawyer Mario F. Gallucci will be engaged in another first-degree murder trial. The defendant, seen in this October 2017 photo, faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. Sykes is currently serving a sentence of 26 and one-third years to life for killing Rebecca Cutler and stealing her cell phone on the day before he slew her. Don't Edit NYPD photo Alleged double-murderer may claim insanity Anthony Morales, 51, is accused of gunning down Idelle Rivera, 47, and her son, Anthony Rivera, 21, on March 24, 2016, outside their Roxbury Street home in Mariners Harbor. Idelle Rivera was shot once in the head, while her son was hit with three bullets in the head. Jose Ramirez, then 22 and a friend of the younger Rivera, was shot nine times about the body. Authorities were exploring the possibility that a dispute over an auto sparked the shooting. Morales was captured on March 28, 2016, in Pennsylvania where he had fled. Cops shot him 10 times after he reached toward his waist and brandished a gun, police told reporters. Matthew Zuntag, Morales' lawyer, has said he may present an insanity defense when the case goes to trial. A date has not been set. Morales is scheduled to return to state Supreme Court, St. George on March 15. Don't Edit Shane DiMaio/Staten Island Advance Accused in bizarre killing of wife In one of the most bizarre incidents in recent memory, Anthony Lopez is accused of strangling his wife to death on May 20, 2016, then wheeling her lifeless body on a metal dolly down a Mariners Harbor street. Prosecutors allege Lopez, then 31, slew Obiamaka (Obie) Aduba, 26, put the body on the dolly and began pushing it along the street around 7:10 a.m. in a bid to conceal the corpse. The corpse was wrapped in a sheet, police said. A witness told the Advance the body was "dangling off the cart," and Lopez had allegedly piled various items on top to try to camouflage it. The witness described seeing a plastic bag, a suitcase, rope and blanket. Authorities have not publicly commented on a possible motive. Lopez was nabbed the next day in East Harlem after a manhunt involving helicopter and dogs. Lopez, seen in this May 2016 photo, is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on March 19 for a conference. A trial date has not been set. Don't Edit Argument leads to fatal shooting, say cops Donald Bracey will get his wish and go to trial at the end of this month. Jury selection in his murder trial is scheduled to start on March 27 in state Supreme Court, St. George. Bracey, 31, who previously rejected an offer to plead guilty to manslaughter, is accused of gunning down Tanoon Quoquoi on Dec. 26, 2016, in Stapleton. Bracey and two other men had initially gotten into an altercation with the 31-year-old victim in which they assaulted him, said authorities. Bracey returned about 20 minutes later with a gun and shot Quoquoi in the torso near the intersection of Broad and Canal streets at about 12:50 p.m., prosecutors allege. Quoquoi was slain just blocks from his home. Kevin McKernan is Bracey's lawyer. Don't Edit Don't Edit Man accused of slaying pregnant girlfriend Keith Jackson is accused of slaying Bridget Shenk, his pregnant girlfriend, inside their Elm Park home on Dec. 21, four days before Christmas, last year. A police spokeswoman said the fatal incident was set in motion when Jackson, then 42, and Shenk, 35, became embroiled in a dispute in the hallway outside their second-floor apartment. The disagreement escalated, and Jackson allegedly shot Shenk once in the chest. Jackson remained on the scene, and a .40-caliber handgun was recovered nearby, said police. The victim's mother, Dorothy McLeod, told WPIX11 her daughter was three months pregnant. Jackson is scheduled to appear at a March 27 conference in state Supreme Court, St. George. A trial date has not been set. Matthew Zuntag represents Jackson. Don't Edit Amanda Steen/Staten Island Advance Mom accused of neglect in 7-months-old son's death In November, a grand jury indicted Anwar Jawad on murder and other charges, accusing the 25-year-old mother of neglecting her 7-month-old son to the point that he died from malnutrition and dehydration. Anwar Jawad "evince(ed) a depraved indifference" to Dameen Mohammed's life and "recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of serious physical injury and death" to the boy, thereby causing his death between Dec. 1, 2016, and January 2017, the indictment alleges. The defendant was arrested on Oct. 25, about six weeks after the city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner had declared the child's death a homicide on Sept. 14. Dameen, who lived with his mom on Elie Court in New Springville had been declared dead at NYU Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn on Jan. 7 of last year. Jawad is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on March 14 for a conference. A trial date has not been set. Online state court records list Arthur Aidala as her attorney. Don't Edit Bill Lyons/Staten Island Advance Fatal stabbing near St. George Ferry Terminal Repeat felon Leonard Evans fatally stabbed Midland Beach resident German (Ricco) Pagan, 30, last summer near the St. George Ferry Terminal, prosecutors allege. Authorities allege Evans, 49, stabbed Pagan multiple times as the result of a dispute sometime between 10:40 p.m. on Aug. 3 and 1:45 a.m. on Aug. 4. Pagan's lifeless body was found on a park bench between Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George and the ferry terminal about 2 a.m. on Aug. 4, said police. Pagan had just moved back to Staten Island from Texas with the hope of building a relationship with his 2-year-old daughter, relatives said. Evans, seen in this August 2016 photo, is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on March 21 for a pretrial hearing. A trial date has not been set. Mark J. Fonte is his lawyer. Don't Edit Ex-con charged in case where victim tried desperately to flee Ex-convict Gregory Garvin, 31, was arrested in January, 10 months after Keith (Shakka) Keita was slain on an Elm Park street, just blocks from the victim's home. Police said Keita, the father of two grown children, was shot multiple times in the torso near the intersection of Morningstar Road and Kalver Place at 8:46 p.m. on March 31, 2017. A surveillance video obtained from a nearby business appears to show Keita running from two people before he is hit by a dark SUV near Kalver and Morningstar moments before the fatal shooting. A murder charge accuses Garvin of intentionally causing another person's death. He's also charged with criminal facilitation, which alleges he engaged in conduct that gave another person "the means and opportunity" to commit a crime such as murder. That person is not named. Garvin is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on April 16 for a conference. Kevin McKernan is his lawyer. Don't Edit Mira Wassef/Staten Island Advance Teen charged in fatal shooting of 19-year-old Davon Tramun, then 18, slayed Tairiq Matthews in front of the grocery store near 487 Vanderbilt Ave. in Stapleton on June 30 of last year, authorities allege. The victim, 19, was struck in the head. According to a source, Tramun fired from outside a nearby nail salon at around 6:37 p.m. Authorities have not commented on a possible motive; however, a source told the Advance there was no dispute prior to the shooting. Shawnell Matthews, the victim's mom, told the Advance her son was a jokester and a talented boxer with a big heart. Tramun, seen in this July 2017 photo, is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on April 9 when a trial date may be set. Eugene Lamb is his lawyer. Don't Edit Don't Edit Shane DiMaio/Staten Island Advance Repeat offender fatally stabbed woman in broad daylight, say officials Repeat offender Dantey Moore, is accused of brutally knifing Geetha Howie, a 63-year-old grandmother, to death in West Brighton on Nov. 27 of last year. Prosecutors allege Moore walked up to Howie, a lab technician, around 2:14 p.m. on the corner of Bement Avenue and Bement Court and, without provocation, stabbed her multiple times in the face and torso. Moore, then 27, also slashed a Good Samaritan on the arm. Afterward, he dropped the knife and cradled Howie, according to witnesses. Police described Moore, a West Brighton resident, as "emotionally disturbed" at the time of the incident. Moore, seen in this November 2017 photo in police custody, is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on March 23 for a conference. No trial date has been set. Maria Guastella represents him. Don't Edit Shane DiMaio/Staten Island Advance Victim gunned down in parked SUV Ex-convict and alleged gang member Carlos Perez is accused of fatally shooting Ivan Valentin on Dec. 2, 2017, in the defendant's Mariners Harbor community. Police said Valentin, 40, was sitting inside a Dodge Durango parked outside 10 Holland Ave. when he was shot on the left side of the head at about 10 p.m. Residents said the victim had been living inside the SUV. A police report said the 40-year-old defendant is affiliated with the Latin Kings street gang and knew Valentin. Perez is scheduled to appear in state Supreme Court, St. George, on March 16 for a conference. A trial date has not been set. Attorney Kevin McKernan represents Perez. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Manhattan man arranged to have a Staten Island gas station owner killed and robbed so he could finance his murder hits on two teenage neighbors, authorities allege. Joel Rosquette, 50, of Washington Heights, allegedly hired a hit man, who was really an undercover FBI agent, to execute the three people because he didn't enjoy his noisy neighbors across the hall, according to the federal indictment. Rosquette was arrested Tuesday after federal investigators foiled his plot, they say. He was charged with three counts of murder-for-hire and faces 30 years in prison. "In the end, he was fooled by the merits of his own plan," said FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney, Jr. Authorities allege the defendant's original plan was to have the superintendent of his building on Audubon Avenue murdered because he wouldn't let the other tenants evict the rowdy residents. Rosquette said the super had an affair with a woman who lived in that apartment, and he was convinced they were dealing drugs, according to the federal complaint. "They party all night long and this and that,'' Rosquette said in a wiretap in the complaint. "Now...because the super looks out, like that apartment is uncovered under the umbrella of the super. Other tenants, and there's units in the building tried to shut the apartment down, have them evicted or get rid of the super, but nothing." Last summer, Rosquette allegedly agreed to pay an acquaintance $10,000 for the job, but warned him that it would take him months to pay it off because he had just lost his job as a tour bus driver. The acquaintance, however, was an FBI informant. "Let me tell you something Rick (Rosquette) once I get the ball rolling . . . I wanna make sure, you sure you wanna do this," the informant asked in the complaint. "Oh Absolutely, for the longest," Rosquette replied. In February, the defendant told his friend that he still wanted to do business, but was having financial difficulty. The informant then suggests the hit man's price may not be as high and arranged a meeting between the two, authorities said. "There's a delay but it will be done," Rosquette said in the complaint. Rosquette allegedly told the informant and the undercover FBI agent posing as the hit man that instead of killing the superintendent, he now wanted to have the two teenagers, believed to be 16 and 17, who lived in the noisy apartment, murdered, said the complaint. Authorities allege that during the meeting, Rosquette proposed the hit man kill the Staten Island gas station owner and steal the cash in the station so he could pay for all three murders. The defendant claimed he was once friends with the station owner, and that he had made him angry. "Rage is rage,'' Rosquette is quoted in court papers saying. "When you have rage you do things . . . Rage in the heart. When you have that, it's personal." A few weeks ago, the feds claim the defendant, the informant and the undercover hit man went to the gas station to conduct surveillance because Rosquette wanted to take pictures and see where the security cameras were. Last Thursday, the hit man sent Roquette a pic of the gas station owner asking if that was him, and he replied, "Bingo!!!!!!!! Outstanding," said the filing. The hitman then told the defendant that he would be killing the owner within the next few days and that he would tell him when it's done. On Tuesday, Rosquette was told the mission was complete and met the hit man in Manhattan. The undercover agent was wearing a wire and told the defendant that he had killed the owner and stole approximately $12,000 from the station, according to the complaint. Rosquette then asked the agent to drive him to his bank so he could withdraw his last $75 to give to the agent for killing the Staten Island man, the feds claim. The location of the gas station and the identity of its owner is unknown. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The American Red Cross needs Staten Island volunteers to help install free smoke alarms on Saturday, March 24, to residents at high risk for fires. The Sound the Alarm program, run in cooperation with the FDNY and the FDNY Foundation, is part of a national program aiming to install 100,000 free smoke alarms in just 16 days in communities across the nation. "We're not just giving them away, we're installing them,'' said Michael de Vulpillieres, communications officer for the American Red Cross in Greater New York. "We want to make sure they're not in someone's drawer, or in someone's closet.'' In the past year, the American Red Cross has installed 1,476 smoke alarms on Staten Island, de Vulpillieres said, adding: "We install tens of thousands across our region every year.'' The Red Cross asks interested volunteers to sign up at SoundTheAlarm.org. They will then be advised of the location of a staging area, where they will meet and be trained that day. Online training will also be available to volunteers, de Vulpillieres said. Volunteers will then will be paired up with teams and fan out across the Island, installing the devices. An educator will accompany each installation team and will devise an escape plan for each family, offering evacuation tips, de Vulpillieres said. "We want to ensure the family is able to get out of their home in less than two minutes,'' he said. "Last year, the Red Cross responded to 70 fires on Staten Island and assisted nearly 170 people from fires alone,'' Devulpillieres said. Anyone who needs a free smoke alarm installed should call 877-RED-CROSS or visit redcross.org. Smoke alarm installations can be scheduled any Thursday, in addition to being installed during the March 24 event, de Vulpillieres explained. "Last year, we installed our one millionth free smoke alarm nationally,'' he said. "Across the country, we have more than 300 verified lives saved.'' The Red Cross also reminds everyone that Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. this Sunday, and that they should turn their clocks ahead an hour and test the batteries in their smoke alarms. To that end, The FDNY Fire Safety Education Team will be distributing batteries and fire safety literature from noon to 4 p.m. at the Staten Island Mall in New Springville on Friday, and at Target, 2900 Veterans Road West, Charleston, on Saturday. Having smoke alarms in a home cuts the risk of death from a fire in half, according to the Red Cross. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Assemblyman Ron Castorina (R-South Shore) will run to be judge of Staten Island Surrogate's Court and will not run for re-election to the Assembly, and will step down as chairman of the Staten Island GOP this month, the lawmaker told the Advance. In making the announcement that he will not seek re-election for his Assembly seat this year, the GOP chairman said that he wanted to give candidates time to mount potential campaigns. "I have a great passion for the law and I have a great passion of the work that the Surrogate Court does," Castorina said. "I want the public to have an opportunity to vet whoever it is that's going to run for the office and have an extended opportunity to have them campaign and raise money and do all the things that they would need to do," said Castorina. "It certainly makes sense from the vantage point of the public that I wouldn't wait and curtail the time that the Assembly race would have." After stepping down as chair, Castorina will seek an endorsement from the Staten Island GOP for his Surrogate's Court candidacy. As a lawyer, Castorina sued the state to get Governor Andrew Cuomo to set a special election for Staten Island's congressional seat in 2015. And in 2016 Castorina, along with Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn), sued to stop New York City from destroying data from its NYCID program. "I've used the office as a bully pulpit to make sure that our issues were heard," Castorina said. "But I've always been a lawyer and the law has always been my passion." Castorina has been practicing law since 2006 and opened his practice, Castorina Law, in 2007. His practice handles estate planning, drafting wills and trusts. Anthony Catalano, a career prosecutor and Staten Island's public administrator, is the only Democrat currently running for Surrogate as a Democrat. Assemblyman Matthew Titone, a North Shore Democrat, told the Advance that he's seriously considering running for the judgeship this year as well and will make a decision in the next few weeks. "As a life long Islander and professional, I have dedicated myself to the service of Staten Island," Titone told the Advance. "Continuing that service as Staten Island's surrogate would be a true honor both professionally and personally. "I am looking very closely at the seat, but have not made a final decision," Titone said. Staten Island Borough President James Oddo put months of speculation to rest recently when he announced that he won't run for surrogate and will remain at Borough Hall through his second term. Richmond County Surrogate's Court oversees the validity of wills and the distribution of estate assets according to terms of a will. Surrogate Robert Gigante, turning 70 this year, is required by law to retire at the end of 2018. ASSEMBLY, CHAIR FOR GOP RACE TO COME Castorina's decision will trigger a race in the 62nd Assembly district. The last candidate to run for the seat other than Castorina, was civic leader Janine Materna, who lost to Castorina in a September 2016 primary election. The Staten Island GOP will also look to elect a new chairperson. The body elected Castorina in May 2017, three months after former chair John Antoniello stepped down. Former Family Court Judge Ralph Porzio; Matthew Mahoney, an ex-Bloomberg and Giuliani staffer, and Frank Santarpia, senior adviser to Borough President James Oddo, were all reported to be interested in the position last year. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island man will spend up to six years in a Pennsylvania prison for trying to steal from a woman's car and threatening to stab her outside a K-Mart store, said the Wayne County (Pa.) district attorney. Eugene Bluemke broke into a car parked in a K-Mart parking lot in Texas Township in the northern Pococo Mountains area on Aug. 21 of last year, said District Attorney Patrick Robinson in a news release. The woman who owned the vehicle wrestled Bluemke, 50, out of it, whereupon he threated to cut her with a knife, Robinson said. Bluemke did not display a knife, the D.A. added. The defendant also tried to steal a laptop charger, said Robinson. Robinson pleaded guilty in Wayne County Court to terroristic threats and theft from a motor vehicle, the D.A. said. He was sentenced to 22 months to six years in prison. "Mr. Bluemke is a menace to society," said Robinson. "He has been convicted 21 times in four different states. At least three of his prior convictions were for activities similar to his actions in the K-Mart parking lot. He richly deserves his sentence." Associated Press (Editor's note: This is part of "The United States of Weed," a series on the movement to legalize marijuana for recreational use in New Jersey, and the potential impact it could have on Staten Island. Click here for additional stories in the project.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A lot has changed in the last 22 years. It all started with California legalizing medical marijuana in 1996. Now, New Jersey is considering legislation that could make it the 10th state to OK recreational marijuana use. To see how we got from there to here, flip through the interactive timeline below. Don't Edit China calls for 'political courage' as Trump, Kim prepare to meet Beijing, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 China on Friday welcomed the historic announcement of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, urging them to show "political courage" in pursuing the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "We welcome this positive signal by the US and North Korea in having direct dialogue," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing, adding that "the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is moving in the right direction." "We hope that all parties can demonstrate political courage and make the right political decisions," he said. During a visit to the White House on Thursday, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a US president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Under pressure from Trump, Beijing has backed a series of United Nations sanctions against North Korea, sending relations between the Cold War-era allies to a new low. For its part, China has long pushed for the US to meet North Korea, saying the two sides need to iron out their disagreements face to face. The thaw came after a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded to many like the growing drumbeat of war. Chung went to Washington after making a trip to Pyongyang, where he met Kim, who, he said "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible". Asked if China might host the summit, spokesman Shuang demurred, saying "our role in easing the tensions is indispensable." After visiting Washington, Chung will head to China and Russia. China rejects Sweden's 'groundless' accusations over detained publisher Beijing, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 China on Friday rejected "groundless" accusations by Sweden over detained book publisher Gui Minhai after Stockholm demanded medical access to the Swedish citizen. Chinese-born Gui was arrested on a train to Beijing in January while travelling with two Swedish diplomats -- the second time he has vanished into Chinese custody in murky circumstances. Sweden has called for his release and on Thursday Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom denounced Beijing's refusal to allow a Swedish doctor to visit the Hong Kong-based bookseller. "China's action is unacceptable and violates previous promises that our citizens would have the opportunity to consult a Swedish doctor," said Wallstrom. In response, China said Gui was in a "good physical state" and that authorities had already arranged a check-up for Gui. "He expressed that at present he doesn't wish to see a Swedish doctor," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. "We've already expressed his wishes to the Swedish side, and hope that the Swedish side can respect them. As for the groundless accusations from the Swedish side, the Chinese side will not accept that," he added. Gui was seized while travelling to Beijing from the eastern city of Ningbo on the way to see a Swedish specialist over fears he had the neurological disease ALS. Gui -- one of five Hong Kong-based booksellers known for publishing gossipy titles about Chinese political leaders -- first disappeared in 2015 and resurfaced in mainland China. No public explanation for this arrest has been given by Chinese authorities. He was on holiday in Thailand at the time of his first arrest and eventually surfaced at an undisclosed location in China, confessing to involvement in a fatal traffic accident and smuggling illegal books into the mainland. Chinese authorities declared they had released him in October 2017 but his daughter Angela Gui, 23, told AFP that he was under "loose house arrest" in Ningbo. The Chinese Embassy in Sweden said last month that Gui is now being held in a detention centre in the city. Page Content The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) which falls under the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT), recently attended the ANATO Tradeshow in Bogota, Columbia together with Anguilla. This show is one of the largest tourism tradeshows in South America. St. Maarten shared a booth with Anguilla as part of the partnership in marketing the destination to the tourism travel trade. Though updates are being sent to a lot of the destination partners in the Latin market, it is imperative that St. Maarten remains visible even if only on a small scale, STB pointed out. One of STBs main agenda points were to meet with Copa airlines regarding the return of flights to St. Maarten. We are happy to announce that during the meeting with Copa Representatives and a visit from the Sales Vice President, it has been decided that Copa will resume flights to St. Maarten as of June 2 this year. The flights will commence with two flights and then up to four flights. The new Sales Vice President wants that by the end of next year, to have daily flights to St. Maarten, STB said on Wednesday. All of the tour operators are anxious for St. Maarten to re-open and flights with Copa Airlines to resume. They understand our situation, but at the same time are looking forward to a new St. Maarten and new products on the Island. Both destinations intend on making this a reality. The tour operators were very glad that we were present at ANATO and they are looking forward towards further updates and a continued relationship. Now it is up to us to do our part to make this happen, STB concluded. PHOTO CUTLINE: (group picture) From left to right: Danielle Roman of InterAmerican, Mrs. Shellya Webster, Anguillas new Corporate Manager, Deepak Sharma, William Bell from the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, Mr. Christophe Didier, Copas new Sales Vice President, Mrs. Donna Banks, President of Anguilla Tourism Board, Ms. Raquel Enchandi, Mr. Diego Bermudez from and Mr. Colwayne Pickering, Anguilla Tourist Board, New Marketing Officer. Communications and conflict resolution scholar Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob of Dickinson College will visit Skidmore March 2123 to deliver a public lecture and meet with students and faculty. His lecture, titled "Owning God: Religious Identity, Imagined Belongings and Terrorism in a Radically Interconnected World," will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in Gannet Auditorium of Palamountain Hall, followed by a Q&A session and reception. "In this presentation," Jacob writes, "I connect the concept of religious identity to transcendental regimes of meaning and imagined belongings. I argue that terrorism cannot be understood without first understanding the normative influence of religious identity." Jacob is a visiting international scholar in international studies and political science whose teaching and research interest is located at the intersection between communications, conflicts and peacebuilding in Nigeria, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prior to his appointment at Dickinson he was chair of the Communications & Multimedia Design Program and interim dean in the School of Arts & Science at the American University of Nigeria. He is a strong advocate of the integrative and applied teaching and learning methods. Jacob has led the implementation of international projects to support peacebuilding in Nigeria, including working with journalists, editors and others to facilitate a more nuanced coverage of the Boko Haram insurgency. He is the author of Convincing Rebel Fighters to Disarm: UN Information Operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DeGruyter 2017). Jacob earned his Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. He has held a visiting position at New York University's Center on International Cooperation, where he initiated the research project on religious identity and violent extremism. Leading up to his lecture, Jacob will meet with faculty, students and the community to discuss his work. Jacob's visit is sponsored by the following offices, departments and programs: Civic Engagement, Dean of the Faculty, Gender Studies, Intergroup Relations, International Affairs, International Student Union, Management and Business, Media and Film Studies, Political Science, Religious Studies, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity and World Languages and Literatures. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. 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The ASDC consists of hub partners Nevis, Anguilla, French St. Martin, St. Barths, Saba, St. Eustatius and Tortola with the aim of jointly securing and maximizing air service to the various islands with St. Maarten as hub. Nevis has been advocating the reactivation of the group. As Greg Phillips put it: The ASDC some eight distinct countries trying to fill airplanes headed to all the different islands. For his part, Hyman shared updates about the SXM Airport post-Irma recovery plans with the Nevisian authorities. This included the various phases of recovery, rebuilding, and operations. He revealed that air service to SXM Airport has now been restored to the 70% level post, Hurricane Irma. Attending the meeting also was WINAIRs Marketing Manager, Helena de Bekker who disclosed that the airline experienced a significant decline in flights post-Irma. She announced WINAIRs new route map and discussed the airlines flawless safety record. WINAIR provides airlift to many travelers who depend on it for service to St. Maarten. Also at the meeting were John Hanley, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Nevis, Oral Brandy, general manager of Nevis Airport and Seaport Authority and Daron Sutton, Nevis acting airport manager. PHILIPSBURG:--- What some may deem just another group joining the bandwagon, for the members of the St. Maarten Guyanese Association (SMGA) it will be the perfect opportunity to get involved for the first time in this years Carnival, the biggest cultural event on the island. Since its formation, SMGA has been very community-minded, especially after the passing of Hurricane Irma. When perishable and none perishable items were sent by the Government of Guyana, SMGA did not circulate the relief items among its membership only but shared with people who were not affiliated with the association. Now in its own meaningful way, the non-profit group intends to make an impact. SMGA made this fact known at a special meeting for troupe leaders hosted by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) at its head office above the WIB Bank on the ATh Illidge Road on Wednesday evening. Before outlining the purpose of the important meeting, SCDF Parade Coordinator, Gina Illidge took the opportunity to welcome seasoned troupe leaders and bid a special welcome to those who will be participating in the Grand Parade set for April 30 for the very first time. SMGA will be teaming up with fellow Guyanese Randolph Scott, aka 'Scientist', who is no stranger to the Carnival scene. As recent as 2017, Scotty, as he is called, won the title in the Best Float category. This year, he will not only be concentrating on his showpiece, but will also be lending technical assistance to SMGA. SMGA will not be disclosing what can be expected, however, it wants all to know that the associations troupe will be maintaining the same theme as the 'Scientist'. SMGA is also extending an invitation to any Guyanese who would like to be involved to call 554-5031, 550- 3689, or 520-6287 to get information on how they can join in the fun. PHILIPSBURG:--- Lenovo and Antek IT Solutions donated a small, but powerful server to Foundation Catholic Education. When Anteks Leo Ligthart and Lenovos Mike Abplanalp met with management and IT department of Foundation Catholic Education earlier this year they were told the story of the damage to the Sister Marie Laurence school with hurricane Irma, and the subsequent looting of the computer systems that survived the storm. And that there was a need for a temporarily server until the school will be rebuild. Mike right away pledged to donate a suitable system. After Antek received it they prepared it for use as a server, and it was handed over to Romigio Gumbs of the IT Department of Foundation Catholic Education, who will take care of the installation and setup of the network. WILLEMSTAD:--- While on Curacao, Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin received a presentation on the Integrity Bureau of Curacao. The presentation outlined its structure, the functioning of the organization and the laws that govern its operations. The SOAB, Prosecutors Office, and the General Audit Chamber are a few of the entities that partner and are involved in the overall functioning of the Integrity Bureau. The Integrity Bureau of Curacao focuses on preventative measures, bringing awareness to Civil Servants, taking a bottom up approach and it also has an investigative role. Following the political transition to Country status on 10-10-10 the Government of Sint Maarten was busy with establishing its own Integrity Bureau on Sint Maarten but this has been amended to the newly approved Integrity Chamber. As the Government of Sint Maarten is preparing for the implementation of the Integrity Chamber and the other islands are working on their own forms of integrity institutions it is of the utmost importance to explore how all efforts can be collaborated to possibly establish one Integrity entity. This will need further consultations with the Prime Ministers of Curacao and Aruba, thus further talks are expected to take place on Monday. In another meeting, Prime Minister Romeo Marlin met with Curacaos Minister of Finance Kenneth Gijsbertha to discuss cooperation on the Central Bank level. The objective was to explore the possibilities of having the Central Bank provide lower rates for loans via the local banks on Sint Maarten so that businesses in general can continue the rebuilding process in light of the insurance payment delays. The success of such an initiative is crucial for businesses on Sint Maarten, the Minister of Finance Gijsbertha will discuss this with the board of the Central Bank and will be visiting Sint Maarten to further discuss these possibilities, additional to the discussions will be the appointment of a Sint Maarten Director of Central Bank and the appointment of a new President of the Central Bank will also be on the agenda. 127-million-year-old baby bird fossil sheds light on avian evolution by Staff Writers Manchester UK (SPX) Mar 07, 2018 The tiny fossil of a prehistoric baby bird is helping scientists understand how early avians came into the world in the Age of Dinosaurs. The fossil, which dates back to the Mesozoic Era (250-65 million years ago), is a chick from a group of prehistoric birds called, Enantiornithes. Made up of a nearly complete skeleton, the specimen is amongst the smallest known Mesozoic avian fossils ever discovered. It measures less than five centimetres - smaller than the little finger on an average human hand - and would have weighed just three ounces when it was alive. What makes this fossil so important and unique is the fact it died not long after its birth. This is a critical stage in a bird's skeletal formation. That means this bird's extremely short life has given researchers a rare chance to analyse the species' bone structure and development. Studying and analysing ossification - the process of bone development - can explain a lot about a young bird's life the researchers say. It can help them understand everything from whether it could fly or if it needed to stay with its parents after hatching or could survive on its own. The lead author of the study, Fabien Knoll, from The University of Manchester's Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life (ICAL), School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the ARAID--Dinopolis in Spain explains: 'The evolutionary diversification of birds has resulted in a wide range of hatchling developmental strategies and important differences in their growth rates. By analysing bone development we can look at a whole host of evolutionary traits.' With the fossil being so small the team used synchrotron radiation to picture the tiny specimen at a 'submicron' level, observing the bones' microstructures in extreme detail. Knoll said: 'New technologies are offering palaeontologists unprecedented capacities to investigate provocative fossils. Here we made the most of state-of-the-art facilities worldwide including three different synchrotrons in France, the UK and the United States.' The researchers found the baby bird's sternum (breastplate bone) was still largely made of cartilage and had not yet developed into hard, solid bone when it died, meaning it wouldn't have been able to fly. The patterns of ossification observed in this and the other few very young enantiornithine birds known to date also suggest that the developmental strategies of this particular group of ancient avians may have been more diverse than previously thought. However, the team say that its lack of bone development doesn't necessarily mean the hatchling was over reliant on its parents for care and feeding, a trait known as being 'altricial'. Modern day species like love birds are highly dependent on their parents when born. Others, like chickens, are highly independent, which is known as 'precocial'. Although, this is not a black-and-white issue, but rather a spectrum, hence the difficulty in clarifying the developmental strategies of long gone bird species. Luis Chiappe, from the LA Museum of Natural History and study's co-author added: 'This new discovery, together with others from around the world, allows us to peek into the world of ancient birds that lived during the age of dinosaurs. It is amazing to realise how many of the features we see among living birds had already been developed more than 100 million years ago.' Research Report: 'A diminutive perinate European Enantiornithes reveals an asynchronous ossification pattern in early birds' Related Links University of Manchester Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com Thanks for being there; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5+ Billed Monthly Option 1 : $5.00 USD - monthly Option 2 : $10.00 USD - monthly Option 3 : $15.00 USD - monthly Option 4 : $20.00 USD - monthly Option 5 : $25.00 USD - monthly Option 6 : $50.00 USD - monthly Option 7 : $100.00 USD - monthly paypal only SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal Odense, Denmark (SPX) Mar 05, 2018 US veterans join forces for gun reform Washington, March 8 (AFP) Mar 08, 2018 Dave Baril has served in the US Marine Corps for over 18 years, deployed twice to Iraq, and is a gun owner. But after a teenager killed 17 people in Florida last month -- the deadliest school shooting to hit the country in over five years -- he took his personal AR-15 rifle to a local police station and turned it in for destruction. Baril is one of a group of US military veterans calling for tighter firearms regulations in an effort to reduce gun violence in America, bringing their knowledge of weapons and war -- and accompanying credibility -- to the contentious debate. Shootings at a Las Vegas concert last year and at the Parkland, Florida high school "really woke me up the most," he said. The 42-year-old said he is "all for the 2nd Amendment" to the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms. "But that doesn't mean that... we should all be driving around in tanks just because... the military has tanks," he said. And without changes to current gun laws, Baril believes the current pattern of mass shootings will continue -- or get worse. "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result," he said. Both the Las Vegas and Parkland shootings were carried out with AR-15-style rifles, which are similar to military-issue M4s but lack a burst-fire mode. "If I'm gonna say that... we shouldn't have these things out there, I can't have one myself and say, 'Well, I'm special,'" said Baril. So he decided to turn in his rifle. - 'Amplifying' survivors' voices - After the Parkland shooting, Baril started the Twitter hashtag #VetsForGunReform and asked a few other veterans if it was something they would support. They said yes, and it has since taken off, becoming a rallying point for like-minded veterans on social media. "This has really coalesced the group, and the reach that it's gotten has been incredible," Kyleanne Hunter, one of the primary Vets for Gun Reform organizers, said of the hashtag. "Right now, we're just sort of a little bit of a ragtag group of volunteers who also all have other jobs, and so we're getting this going as we can," said Hunter, a former Cobra helicopter pilot who served in the Marines for nearly 12 years, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and is a gun owner. "What we really want to focus on right now is amplifying the voices of these students who are driving the movement," she said, referring to survivors of the Parkland shooting, some of whom have become prominent advocates for tighter firearms laws. "We volunteered to go into harm's way, they didn't, and they shouldn't have to experience this," said Hunter. She and fellow veterans aim to be "a voice of reason" in the debate on gun regulations and "bridge the gap between the left and the right," she said. "We're keeping a close eye on the policy debates that are happening right now and being very deliberate as to how we want to proceed." Pete Lucier, who served in the Marines from 2008 to 2013, deployed to Afghanistan and was a marksmanship instructor, said he was once a "pretty strong believer" in the idea of a "good guy with a gun" countering those who would do harm in the US. Gun violence in America played a role in changing his views, but so did his time at war. "Seeing the chaos of a real combat environment and the difficulties involved in gunplay and in real combat hedged a lot of my views about what was possible with a gun," said Lucier. He no longer owns a gun but still shoots periodically, and said that veterans' knowledge of firearms is something important they bring to the conversation. "A lot of us come from homes or backgrounds where we appreciate firearms. We don't necessarily villainize or demonize people who own guns. We understand guns," Lucier said. "Our identity as veterans... informs our position," he said. "But it's not in any way trying to be a shield from criticism or... represent veterans as a monolith." - 'They didn't sign up' - For Dennis Magnasco, who served in the US Army from 2006 to 2015, deployed to Afghanistan and is a gun owner, the shooting in Las Vegas -- where the gunman used a "bump stock" device to drastically increase the rate at which he could rain bullets down on concert-goers -- encouraged him to speak out. "I saw the video of the shooting. When I heard the fire from that rifle with the bump stock on it, it sounded very similar to a machine gun. It sounded like combat," he said. "I had this feeling of just, this isn't right, we've gotta make some changes." As a medic in an infantry unit, Magnasco treated a wide variety of injuries, which is "something that I carry with me, and something that I remember." "When I think about middle school students and high school students in the United States seeing these types of injuries in their schools to their friends, they didn't sign up for that," he said. "That shouldn't be the way things are." Fight against Islamic State evolves following battlefield wins London, March 8 (AFP) Mar 08, 2018 The fight against the Islamic State group is now more focused on stabilising captured areas and identifying returning foreign jihadis following the capture of Mosul and Raqqa, officials in the US-led coalition fighting the network said Thursday. In the last year the Islamic State has lost a swathe of territory in Syria and Iraq that it had captured in 2014 and infamously then declared its "caliphate". Iraqi forces backed by airstrikes from the global coalition expelled the group from Mosul last summer, while Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of Raqqa in neighbouring Syria in October. "Despite crushing the so-called caliphate and exposing Daesh (the Islamic State group) ideology for the lie it is, we mustn't let up in our pursuit of these apocalyptic terrorists," said Ryan Dillon, an American colonel and spokesman for the coalition, in London. He pointed to four "high value" Islamic State leaders who had been "eliminated" recently as evidence that "we have and we will keep the pressure on." However, in Iraq the coalition has already adjusted from supporting the country's security forces in major combat operations to "stability operations", according to Dillon. "We will tailor our support based on Iraqi requirements, with a particular emphasis on holding and securing liberated areas," he said. Meanwhile in Syria, it remains focused on removing the group from its remaining territory but is also now supporting the SDF "in pursuing and targeting foreign terrorist fighters attempting to escape through neighbouring countries," the colonel added. That effort to prevent foreign fighters who travelled to the region from returning to the West to carry out attacks is now critical, Terry Wolff, Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for the coalition, told reporters. "The foreign terrorist fighter flow is really of great concern," he said. Wolff added the coalition was trying to build global mechanisms for constantly assessing and updating the situation with returning fighters. "We have tried... to encourage nations, and now obligate nations, to share information, to share biometrics information on foreign terrorist fighters," he said, referencing UN Security Council resolutions on the issue. Wolff added the plan had extended to trying to put in place "watchlists that get shared internationally." "That is the future of the global fight," the envoy said. "The future of the coalition is trying to share -- radically share -- information and intelligence in a way that makes sense." FARC withdrawing from Colombian presidential race Bogota, March 8 (AFP) Mar 08, 2018 Colombia's FARC said Thursday it is pulling out of the country's presidential race after its candidate, 59-year-old ex-guerrilla leader Rodrigo "Timochenko" Londono, suffered a heart attack. Ivan Marquez, a senate candidate and senior member of the political party formed by the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels, told reporters that party members decided not to field a candidate after Londono underwent open heart surgery on Wednesday. Since the peace deal struck with the government of outgoing President Juan Manuel Santos in late 2016, the FARC gave up its half-century armed struggle and became a political party keeping the same acronym. Colombia's presidential election is scheduled for May 27, with a possible runoff vote set for mid-June. Surveys showed that Londono -- candidate for the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force -- had just one percent voter support. Marquez however said his party is not dropping out of the legislative elections set for Sunday. Under the peace accord the former rebels are guaranteed at least 10 of the 268 congressional seats up for grabs in the March 11 election. They can gain more, but they must campaign for them. - Conservative ahead in polls - Londono suffered a heart attack last week at the end of his daily exercise routine. He has had serious health scares before: in 2015 he had a heart attack in Cuba while negotiating the peace deal, and in July 2017 he suffered a minor stroke. Doctors this week also found that Londono suffers from "a chronic pulmonary disease," as well as arterial brain blockage. "His recovery will take several weeks," FARC Senate candidate Carlos Antonio Lozada said. The ex-rebel leader however is undergoing a "satisfactory" recovery from heart surgery, Marquez said. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said FARC's withdrawal was "understandable." "It is understandable, among other things because open heart surgery -- which I am very happy went well -- is a major procedure," he said. Marquez did not say who -- if anyone -- the FARC could support in the presidential election. An endorsement could be a kiss of death, given the FARC's abysmal approval rating due to crimes committed during the long internal conflict. Marquez reiterated his party's call for a "government of transition" that would guarantee the implementation of the peace agreement. "Not participating directly in the presidential race does not mean that we will refrain from voicing our opinion of the other candidates," Marquez said. Londono's vice-presidential candidate, Imelda Daza, said that since the peace agreement was signed more than 50 ex-rebels or ex-rebel relatives have been murdered. Under the peace accord, the FARC -- once the most powerful rebel army in Latin America -- disarmed its 7,000 fighters in order to join the legal political process, agreed to confess to wartime crimes and pay reparations to victims. This infuriates many Colombians, in particular the right wing, which is vowing to win the presidential election and amend the peace deal. Current polls show conservative Ivan Duque of the Centro Democratico party leading the presidential race. His party is led by former president Alvaro Uribe, a fierce opponent of the FARC peace deal. Duque is followed by leftist Gustavo Petro, and former Medellin mayor Sergio Fajardo. Full text of S. Korean statement on Trump-Kim meeting Washington, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 Top South Korean official Chung Eui-yong announced Thursday that North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump will meet by May to secure a deal to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula. Here is the full text of the statement by Seoul's national security advisor, delivered in an extraordinary appearance on the White House driveway: "Today I had the privilege of briefing President Trump on my recent visit to North Korea. I'd like to thank President Trump, the vice president and his wonderful national security team including my close friend General McMaster. "I explained to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure policy together with international solidarity brought us to this juncture. I expressed President Moon Jae-in's personal gratitude for President Trump's leadership. "I told President Trump that in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. "He understands that the routine joint military exercise between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue and he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. "President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. "The Republic of Korea, the United States and our many partners around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. "Along with President Trump we are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. "The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches his words with concrete actions. Thank you." Trump and Kim to hold historic meeting Washington, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in America's high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea. Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong earlier announced the first ever meeting between a US president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim personally. According to the South Korean official, the reclusive young leader "expressed his eagerness to meet president Trump as soon as possible." Trump confirmed he had agreed to meet Kim -- hailing "great progress" in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear program. "Meeting being planned!" Trump tweeted. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." The news came almost out of the blue, after a period of extreme tension and bellicose rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war. Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him "little rocket man" and Kim returned the favor by describing Trump as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard." The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. - Paradigm shift - Pyongyang's recent race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States prompted Trump to embark on a campaign of sanctions, diplomatic pressure and the threat of military force. The White House said that strategy of "maximum pressure" would stay in place, for now. "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." But the prospect of a top-level meeting is nothing short of a paradigm shift. North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who have rebuffed the notion as an effort to achieve strategic parity that does not exist. Pyongyang now seems to have achieved its goal, while only agreeing to a temporary suspension of nuclear tests. It is a gambit fraught with risk for Trump. On multiple occasions, Kim's father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time, easing sanctions and dividing South Korea from its allies. However his decision also carries historic echoes of Richard Nixon's visit to communist China or Barack Obama's overture to Cuba, both of which offered the hope of better ties. - Opening or trap? - The table was set for the announcement on Tuesday when South Korea shocked the world by announcing that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed." The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang. Seoul also announced the two Koreas would hold a historic summit in the Demilitarized Zone next month -- and that the North's leader Kim Jong Un was ready to halt provocative missile and nuclear tests and sit down with its old enemies. Trump had welcomed the offer as "very positive" and refused to rule out a meeting with Kim. "We have come a long way at least rhetorically with North Korea," Trump said. However his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he was "quite skeptical" and Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization." In the past North Korea has indicated that security guarantees mean US forces leave the Korean peninsula and break a mutual defense treaty with the South. Although Trump's response was positive, his administration followed it up with another sharp rebuke when it declared that it had formally concluded Kim's regime had last year murdered his half-brother in a Malaysian airport with the banned VX nerve agent. Trump also sounded a note of warning, signaling the threat of military action remains on the table should talks fail to make headway, and his administration said it would press ahead with potentially provocative joint war games with South Korea. The United States says Pyongyang is testing -- and will soon complete -- an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuke to the continental United States. That ominous technological breakthrough would put cities like Los Angeles and even New York in striking distance of a hostile regime, something that is unthinkable to many in the West Wing. US and North Korea: foes face-to-face after decades of tension Washington, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 Following a historic announcement at the White House, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are poised for a face-to-face meeting. Since the end of the Korean War, the countries' relations have been marked by high tensions and periodic, but short-lived, thaws. Here is a recap of their troubled history: - A divided Korean peninsula - In 1945 Japan's defeat in World War II ends its occupation of Korea. The peninsula is divided along the 38th parallel between the Soviet-backed regime of Kim Il-Sung in the North and a South under US protection. In June 1950 North Korea, later assisted by China, invades the South. A coalition led by the United States retakes Seoul. In July 1953, an armistice -- not a full-fledged peace treaty -- is signed and Washington imposes sanctions on Pyongyang. - Pueblo spy ship crisis - In January 1968, the spy ship USS Pueblo is captured by North Korea. After 11 months, its 83 crew members are released. According to Pyongyang, the ship violated its territorial waters, a charge the United States denies. In 1969, North Korea shoots down a US reconnaissance aircraft. - Contacts - In June 1994, former US president Jimmy Carter makes an unprecedented visit to North Korea. In October, three months after the death of Kim Il-Sung and his succession by his son Kim Jong-Il, Pyongyang and Washington sign a bilateral agreement. North Korea commits to freeze and dismantle its military nuclear program in exchange for the construction of civilian reactors. In 1999, a year after its first test of a long-range ballistic missile, Kim Jong-Il declares a moratorium on missile tests and Washington eases sanctions. In October 2000, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright meets Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang. - Axis of Evil - In January 2002, US president George W. Bush labels North Korea, Iran and Iraq an "axis of evil." In October, Washington accuses Pyongyang of conducting a secret uranium enrichment program in violation of the 1994 agreement. In August 2004, North Korea declares it is impossible to participate in a new nuclear program with the United States, attacking Bush as a "tyrant" worse than Hitler and a "political imbecile." In 2006, Pyongyang conducts its first nuclear test. - Off the US blacklist - In October 2008, the United States withdraws North Korea from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism in return for controls on all of its nuclear installations. Pyongyang had been on the blacklist since 1988 due to its suspected involvement in the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987 that killed 115 people. - American detainees - In January 2016, American student Otto Wambier is arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster. He dies in June 2017, one week after being returned home to the US in a coma. Numerous Americans have been held for years before being repatriated. Three are currently detained there. - Trump vs Kim - On January 2, 2017, then US President-elect Donald Trump says North Korea will never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching US territory. In July, North Korea conducts two intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Kim declares: "The entire US territory is now within our ICBM range." On August 8, Trump threatens "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continues to threaten the United States. On August 29, Pyongyang test fires a ballistic missile over Japan. The US president says, "Talking is not the answer," although his defense secretary does not rule out diplomacy. September 3, North Korea carries out its sixth nuclear test, announcing a "perfect test" of a hydrogen bomb that it claims can be mounted on a missile. - War of words - On September 21, Washington unveils tougher sanctions to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program. The announcement comes on the heels of Trump's maiden speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he nicknames Kim "Rocket Man" and declares him to be on a "suicide mission." A day later on September 22, Kim brands Trump "mentally deranged" and a "dotard", and warns he will pay dearly for his threats to destroy North Korea. As 2017 closes, Kim boasts his missile arsenal can hit any city on the US mainland. On January 3, 2018, Trump raises eyebrows as he responds to Kim's New Year warning that he has a "nuclear button" on his desk. "I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!", he writes. Pyongyang brands his outburst "the spasm of a lunatic" and the "bark of a rabid dog." On February 25, North Korea slams what Trump describes as the "heaviest sanctions ever" as an "act of war." Meanwhile, North Korean general Kim Yong Chol arrives in the South for the Winter Olympics closing ceremony -- also attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka -- part of North Korea's Olympic Games charm offensive. - A historic invitation - On March 8, 2018, in a remarkable announcement at the White House, South Korean national security advisor Chung Eui-yong says Kim has invited US Trump to meet by May, and will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." The White House says Trump has accepted the invitation, but does not set a date or locations for the talks, and adds that sanctions against North Korea will stay in place. Trump and Kim to hold historic meeting Washington, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 President Donald Trump has agreed to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in America's high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea. Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a US president and a North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim who, he said, "expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." Trump hailed "great progress" in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program. "Meeting being planned!" he tweeted. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." News of the summit, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in said was "like a miracle", is the latest step in a quickening detente. North and South Korea exchanged envoys as Pyongyang sent a delegation to the South's Winter Olympics, which Seoul had dubbed the "Peace Games". The thaw came after a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war. Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him "little rocket man". Kim returned the favor by describing Trump as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard." The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on opposite sides of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. - Paradigm shift - Pyongyang's long race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States has proved a problem for successive US administrations. Trump's strategy has been to ramp up sanctions, tighten the diplomatic screws and regularly threaten military force. The White House said in a statement that its strategy of "maximum pressure" would stay in place, for now. "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." But the prospect of a top-level meeting is a paradigm shift. North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who have rebuffed the idea as an effort to achieve strategic parity that does not exist. Pyongyang now seems to have achieved its goal, while only agreeing to a temporary suspension of nuclear tests. It is a gambit fraught with risk for Trump. On multiple occasions, Kim's father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time, easing sanctions and dividing South Korea from its allies. However, Trump's decision also carries historic echoes of Richard Nixon's visit to communist China or Barack Obama's overture to Cuba, both of which offered the hope of better ties. - Opening or trap? - The table was set for the announcement on Tuesday when South Korea announced the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed." In the past North Korea has indicated that security guarantees mean the departure of US forces from the Korean peninsula and the end of a mutual defense treaty with the South. The North was open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang. Trump welcomed the move as "very positive", though Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization." Japan, a key regional ally, hailed the Thursday summit announcement which it said was "on the premise of denuclearisation", but added there would be no let up in the diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang. Russia said talk of a meeting was "a step in the right direction", while China welcomed a "positive signal by the US and North Korea". South Korea's Moon was ebullient. "The May meeting will be recorded as a historic milestone that realized peace on the Korean Peninsula," he said. But analysts were damning, saying a US-North Korea summit was a win for Kim. "It essentially provides him equal status with the US president and strengthens his bid to have North Korea be recognized as a de facto nuclear power," said Evan Medeiros, of the Eurasia Group think tank, and a former Asia advisor to Barack Obama. It "will not lead to North Korea's denuclearization. Instead, it will enhance the stature and legitimacy of Kim's regime, give him more time to develop his nuclear weapons arsenal, and enable him to more effectively seek sanctions relief." Jeffrey Lewis, who heads the respected East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies, said Trump was dancing to Kim's tune. "This is literally how the North Korean film 'The Country I Saw' ends," he wrote on Twitter. "An American President visits Pyongyang, compelled by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs." "Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Korea's weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal." Colombia to hold legislative vote free from guerrilla threat Bogota, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 For the first time in half a decade, Colombia will elect a new congress Sunday without the threat of leftist rebels who traditionally marred such voting with violence. The former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, are now a political party fielding candidates under a 2016 peace accord that ended Latin America's longest and most potent insurgency. A smaller rebel group, the National Liberation Army, is observing a truce on Sunday. The government of President Juan Manuel Santos, whose term ends on August 7, is trying to reach a similar peace accord with those guerrillas -- but talks have been suspended because attacks have resumed. Abstention is usually around 60 percent in Colombia, but the elections will still be crucial for the future of the peace process and the survival of the left. And they could also set the stage for the return of right-wing politicians who could allude to the economic crisis in neighboring socialist-ruled Venezuela as a scare tactic. Members of the right have also called to amend the peace accord reached with the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, as the FARC now calls itself, using the same Spanish acronym. - Rough start - The former rebels come into the election as a leftist force that still must confess to wartime atrocities and pay reparations to victims. The peace accord, which established a special system of justice for wartime abuses and is due to take effect this year, guarantees the FARC at least 10 of the 280 seats in congress. But the FARC still have to take part in the election, and none of the public opinion polls carried out shows it capable of winning more than those 10 seats. "Even though they will probably not achieve the result they hope for, what is at stake for the FARC is positioning and the possibility of establishing itself with an eye to what really interests it politically: elections" for mayor and governor in 2020, said Carlos Arias Orjuela, a political consultant at Externado University. What is more, the FARC suffered a setback Thursday with word that its leader Rodrigo "Timochenko" Londono will not run in the presidential election in May as previously planned because he suffered a heart attack. - Eyes on the presidential vote - Sunday's legislative elections kick off an election season that will see a successor to Santos chosen on May 27. Leftist and conservative coalitions will pick their candidates in internal party proceedings. An ex-guerrilla and former mayor, Gustavo Petro, is heavily favored to be the leftist candidate while Ivan Duque is the favorite for the right, and has the support of senator and former president Alvaro Uribe. Both men are doing well in pre-election polls. But the conservative Uribe could end up being the big winner: he could not only hold on to his seat Sunday but also end up leading the conservatives in the legislature. - Return of hardwing conservatives - After eight years with a government and legislature that produced the peace accord with the communist guerrillas, on Sunday hardline conservatives who oppose the agreement could win an absolute majority in congress. The outgoing Santos led the Social Party of National Unity, a center-right grouping that was the country's largest. But it fell into disrepute because of corruption scandals, and is not even fielding a presidential candidate in May. Its decline is likely to benefit more right-leaning conservatives in the legislative vote. The Colombian left comes into the vote fragmented and shunning any notion of alliance with the FARC. Its goal is basically to win enough votes to keep its head above water as a minority party in congress. - Corruption and ill repute - Colombia is deeply divided by the peace accord with the FARC, and Congress today is the worst viewed institution in the country, with a disapproval rating of 84 percent in a Gallup poll carried out in December. Authorities are investigating dozens of lawmakers for suspected corruption, and 11 have lost their seats or are in jail. The most high profile cases involve alleged shady dealings with the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which waged a vast campaign of bribery in 12 countries as a way to win juicy contracts. Prosecutors here estimate the company paid out $27.7 million in bribes in Colombia. And 80 of the 2,730 candidates in Sunday's voting are suspected of embezzling government money or of having links to politicians convicted of being tied to far-rightwing paramilitary groups, activists say. North Korea talks gamble hands US diplomatic challenge Washington, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 By agreeing to a meeting between their leaders, the United States has already handed North Korea a long-sought diplomatic victory. But could President Donald Trump's arguably reckless gamble open a path to resolving Washington's most dangerous foreign policy challenge? Thursday's decision, which took the entire US foreign policy community by surprise, certainly shook up expectations. Now, if Trump wants to ensure North Korea's peaceful disarmament, an extraordinary series of things will have to fall into place. Washington has long insisted that it wants nothing short of the "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." Given the rapid progress in enrichment and weapons technology that Kim Jong Un's regime has made in recent years, that implies the North accepting a stern international inspection regime. - Dense diplomatic agenda - And, given that Washington and Pyongyang have no diplomatic relations and are technically only enjoying a truce in a war that began in 1950, it would also suggest the need for a peace treaty. This in turn would mean the United States implicitly or explicitly recognizing Kim's maverick authoritarian regime, which has said it will not give up nuclear arms if it feels under US threat. That is quite a diplomatic agenda. "We've got to be properly prepared and we cannot underestimate Kim Jong Un. He's evolving into a strategic thinker, into a man with an end game," said veteran US politician and diplomat Bill Richardson. "What we don't want to do is get trapped in a situation, a high-level negotiation where we're not prepared, where we don't have our best negotiators forward," Richardson, a North Korea expert, told CNN. Perhaps the only comparable negotiation in recent history would be the one that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and to Tehran opening up its nuclear program to international monitors. But this was the fruit of 14 years of preliminary -- sometimes covert -- diplomacy followed by 20 months of intense negotiations involving senior diplomats from Iran and six world powers. Trump's first meeting with Kim, if South Korean officials are to be believed, will come before the end of May -- less than 12 weeks away -- and Washington may not be ready. - 'Maximum pressure' - For some of Trump's hawkish sympathizers in Washington, like Mark Dubowitz of the think tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, even the Iran talks outcome is a warning sign. "The administration has to test this with a high bar to see whether North Korea is serious. If they are playing us, we should unleash maximum pressure," he said. "The challenge is that the North Korea regime is a global champion, along with the Iranian regime, in playing us as fools." Presumably, even if it was not consulted on Trump's impulse decision, the State Department would be involved in preparing a US negotiating strategy for the eventual summit. But as late as Thursday afternoon, just two hours before Trump breathlessly warned White House reporters to expect a South Korean announcement, America's diplomats were in the dark. Asked at 3:00 pm about the prospects for a meeting, a spokeswoman said: "We are not going to schedule talks about talks or any kind of chat or anything like that at this point." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in Ethiopia when the news broke. Earlier in the day he too had played down hopes South Korea's outreach to the North would lead to a breakthrough. If Trump or Tillerson had decided to consult serving US experts on the situation before the decision to talk was made, it's not immediately clear who they would have spoken to. The United States special representative on North Korean policy, Joseph Yun, retired at the end of last week and no-one has yet been nominated to replace him. Washington's contacts with Pyongyang are limited, but last year Yun successfully negotiated the return of a US prisoner, college student Otto Warmbier, from a northern jail. He was a strong advocate for diplomatic engagement -- rather than threats of war -- in dealing with North Korea, but will not now be involved in what once seemed improbable talks. Yun's boss in the State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs is respected China specialist Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton. Thornton is still "Acting" because she has yet to be confirmed in the job -- having been belatedly nominated after months of bitter wrangling over appointments between State and the White House. - 'Brink of war' - Trump took his historic decision after meeting on Thursday in the White House with South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong to hear second-hand about Kim's invitation to talks. But America's ability to evaluate South Korea's strategy and advice may be hampered by the administration's failure to appoint an ambassador to Seoul, 13 months after taking office. Until late last year, Korea expert Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was strongly rumored to be the leading candidate for the ambassadorship. This was not to be, but he nevertheless had advice and a warning for the administration Friday in a column in the New York Times. "While the unpredictability of a meeting between these two unconventional leaders provides unique opportunities," he wrote, "its failure could also push the two countries to the brink of war." dc/ec N.Korean minister 'to visit Sweden' ahead of Trump-Kim talks Stockholm, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 North Korea's foreign minister will visit Sweden soon, local media reported Friday, after US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un agreed to meet to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests. Ri Yong Ho is expected to meet Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom "in the near future", diplomatic sources told the daily Dagens Nyheter, without specifying what they would discuss. Contacted by AFP, the Swedish foreign ministry refused to comment. The report comes after Trump floored his own advisors when he agreed to accept an offer to meet nuclear-armed dictator Kim before the end of May. One issue to be resolved is where those talks will take place. Sweden's embassy in Pyongyang represents US, Canadian and Australian diplomatic interests in North Korea and plays a key role in liaising diplomatic talks. Trump thanked Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven for Stockholm's efforts to negotiate the release of US student Otto Warmbier, who was arrested for stealing propaganda material during a 2016 trip to Pyongyang and later died when he returned to his country. Washington has long insisted that it will not allow Pyongyang to continue building and testing a nuclear arsenal. Kim's regime boasts it is now capable of delivering thermonuclear warheads to US cities. Four Mali troops killed by landmine: military sources Bamako, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 Four Mali soldiers were killed on Friday when their vehicle ran over a road mine in the central town of Dialloube as they returned from an operation against jihadists, military sources told AFP. "Returning from a successful military operation against the jihadists' main base in Dialloube, where ten terrorists were neutralised, an army vehicle drove over a mine, killing four soldiers," said a military source at the defence ministry. A foreign military source confirmed the deaths, adding that two other soldiers were seriously injured. Jihadists have ramped up their activities in central Mali in recent months, targeting domestic and foreign forces in violence once confined to the restive north. Four UN peacekeepers were killed and four were wounded last week when a mine exploded under their vehicle in central Mali. During a visit to the region earlier this week Mali's Prime Minister Boubeye Maiga assured that ramped up military operations were beginning to bear fruit. Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013. In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But the jihadists remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless. Bir Lahlou (Liberated Territories), March 8, 2018 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, received Thursday in Bir-Lahlou, Mrs. Clara Margarita Pulido Escandell, who presented her credentials, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The Cuban ambassador transmitted to the president of the Republic the greetings of Cuban President, Raul Castro. The Cuban Ambassador confirmed, in a statement to the press, that the presentation of her credentials reflects "the level of cooperation and solidarity with the just struggle of the Saharawi people". (SPS) 062/SPS/TRA Responding to the speed with which this parasite can hit, the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is again providing an invaluable forecasting tool on its website. An interactive map with a traffic light system of warnings is provided alongside practice advice for assessing on-farm risk at www.scops.org.uk/nematodirus. Hannah Vineer of the University of Bristol developed the online tool. She says: We could be in for a high risk season, if this late cold snap is followed by a rapid increase in temperature. Such conditions will cause the Nematodirus battus parasite to hatch in large numbers, posing a massive threat to lambs aged around four to six weeks. Predicting when outbreaks might happen at a local level is becoming increasingly difficult, due to variation in spring temperatures from year to year. Farmers can no longer rely on a standard timetable of treatments to avoid disease, hence the important role of this easy-to-use forecast. Sheep farmers, vets and advisers can all use it to assess regional and local risk. Utah's oldest continuously operational synagogue reaches 100-year milestone OGDEN Community members and congregants last week celebrated the 100-year anniversary of Congregation Brith Sholem, Utahs oldest continuously operational synagogue, during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The building, located at 2750 Grant Ave., was established as a sanctuary for worship in 1921 and has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places since 1985. The golden milestone was marked by a series of interior and exterior upgrades completed throughout the summer. Herb Pressman, a member of the congregation, first suggested refurbishing the building in ... LAWLESS Left-wing California mayor helped illegal aliens with sex, robbery convictions evade certain capture by ICE agents As I write this, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is dropping a hammer on the state of California. And frankly, its about time. After warning Gov. Jerry Brown and fellow Democrats who run the single-party state for months their sanctuary policies that protect illegal aliens from deportation were going to land them in legal hot water, the AG was in the state to announce that the Justice Department was filing suit. California, we have a problem, Sessions said, addressing an annual conference organized by California Peace Officers Association. A series of actions and events have occurred here that directly and adversely impacts the work of our federal officers. Last fall, Democrats voted in favor of turning the entire state into a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. Brown, acting on the advice of some law enforcement groups in the state, made some modifications to the legislation that were slightly less accommodating to the open-borders crowd, but he nevertheless signed the legislation, and Californias sanctuary state status became official Jan. 1. But since then state and local officials have become illegal immigrant zealots, even going so far as to tip off non-citizen aliens less than 24 hours before Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were to begin round-up operations. For example, the mayor of Oakland has actively has been actively seeking to help illegal aliens avoid apprehension by ICE, Sessions said during his address. Its true. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf last week tipped her community off after she learned of confidential information regarding the raid. As bad as her obstruction of justice was the DoJ is looking into that, by the way she went even further and insisted that ICE agents performing their sworn duty were racists. Thats not hyperbole; she really means it. And thats disgusting. (Related: Report: Justice Dept. reviewing possibility of charges against Oakland mayor who TIPPED OFF illegal aliens to ICE raid.) According to Fox News, Schaafs warning to northern California illegal aliens likely led to hundreds of them escaping, including those with violent and sex-related convictions. Schaaf claimed that she issued the warning to protect illegal aliens and her community; what a joke, except that nobodys laughing especially ICE agents and a number of California law enforcement officials. Or Jeff Sessions. As Fox News noted, the ICE raids netted 232 arrests of illegal aliens in the San Francisco Bay area, of which, officials with the immigration enforcement agency said, 180 were either convicted criminals, had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the country and had come back illegally. The arrests included 115 who had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors. But according to acting ICE Director Thomas Homan, who was furious at Schaaf, as many as 800 illegal aliens who were on ICE agents lists managed to escape. What she did is no better than a gang lookout yelling Police! when a police cruiser comes in the neighborhood, except that she did it to an entire community. This is beyond the pale, he told Fox & Friends last week. This is a whole new low, to intentionally warn criminals that law enforcement is coming, he added. One of those who Schaaf helped escape is a Mexican national whod been convicted for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, as well as a conviction for drunk driving; hed been deported in 2003. Another had a conviction for sodomizing a drugged victim in 2012 as well as a DUI this year. These are some of the people that Schaaf helped to escape. She should be held liable to the fullest extent of federal law, and I hope they throw the book at her. Meantime, Sessions has made it clear the Trump administration has run out of patience with California officials. It couldnt have come too soon. Let the legal games begin. J.D. Heyes is also editor-in-chief of The National Sentinel. Sources include: FoxNews.com TheNationalSentinel.com DailyCaller.com How is this not racism? Texas university students launch No Whites Allowed magazine A group of anti-white blacks and browns, as well as a few self-hating whites, have reportedly launched an openly racist magazine at the University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA), the title of which couldnt be clearer in its intent: No Whites Allowed (NWA). According to Campus Reform, the magazine was launched at a local eatery named La Botanica that describes itself as Texas first vegan restaurant with a full bar and performance and event menu. The launch party dubbed itself with the following descriptor on Facebook: Thursday at La Botanic from 8-11pm there will be the NWA Zine release party! This zine specifically features and promotes black and brown lgbtqa creatives. We hope to showcase our talent and create an open space for our voices to be heard. As to why this group of fake victims feels as though it needs to exclude white people from its publication, it added: [F]or a very long time, black and brown people, especially those who are queer, have been told that they dont have a space. That they dont have a voice or a say. With this we would like to create a space. As to be expected, many self-respecting whites and other non-racists have questioned NWAs blatant racism, which is utterly hypocritical considering that the whole point of the magazine is supposed to be about combating racism. In response, a student named Kayla Ramey had this to say in a comment posted to Facebook: I keep having to make this point but Ill try it one last time so everyone clearly understands. The name of the zine is No Whites Allowed. Its a zine for QPOC (queer people of color) and by QPOC. (While) white people are welcome to come to the event, the main goal is to celebrate and empower people that society routinely ignores and rejects. Support from white people and heterosexual people is appreciated but is not necessary for the success of this event, she added, capping off her condescending racism with, inclusion is not inherently good, and exclusion is not inherently bad. What would happen if a student group at UTSA started a No Blacks or Browns Allowed magazine? On Facebook, on individual named Thor Menslage was quick to rebut Rameys racist, anti-white position. He pointed out using actual logic the fact that fighting perceived racism with more racism makes no sense, and that it still represents racism. But another individual by the name of Katie Gee was quick to scoff that the idea of equality represents more heterosexual white supremacist patriarchy trying to write the narrative. In other words, the publishers behind NWA believe that white people are not to be treated with dignity, honor, or respect by anyone. And if white people attempt to stand up for themselves and merely be treated the same as everyone else, then that automatically represents an imposition of white supremacy by straight, white males. That UTSA would even tolerate this says a lot about the schools position on the matter. While UTSA Chief Communications Officer, Joe Izbrand, told Campus Reform that flyers promoting the event had not been approved and were immediately removed once discovered, there does not appear to be any punishment or consequences coming for the students involved. Had a group of UTSA students decided to publish a magazine entitled No Blacks or Browns Allowed, arguing that white people are more marginalized than ever due to political correctness, you can be sure that it would have been immediately shut down, and every student involved expelled. But because the people behind NWA are black and brown, and gender-confused, this represents the holy grail of the protected class that can basically do whatever it wants while facing zero repercussions. See RaceWar.news for more coverage of the left-wing race wars in America. Sources for this article include: CampusReform.org NaturalNews.com ABSTRACT Background: Gilbert syndrome (GS) is characterized by an elevated serum bilirubin due to a polymorphism in Uridine Diphosphate Glucuronosyl Transferase (UGT1A1) gene. Several studies have found high prevalence of Gilbert Syndrome in some Asian countries but still havent explored in Bangladesh. Aim of this study was to determine the allele frequencies of two different variants of UGT1A1 polymorphisms (UGT1A1 6 and UGT1A1 28) among Bangladeshi population. Materials and method: Total 150 unrelated volunteer from outpatient unit of the Central Hospital Limited, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka were enrolled in this study. Peripheral blood was obtained from each subject and DNA extraction was done by Genomic DNA Isolation Kit. Polymorphisms of UGT1A1*6 (c.211G>A) was genotyped using the TaqMan Assay-on-Demand SNP Typing System and UGT1A1*28 (c.-53_-52TA) promoter repeat number polymorphism was determined by PCR method on an ABI PRISM 3130 Genetic Analyzer. Results: 57.3% of the study participants were male, mean age of them was 4.05 years. Minor allele frequency (MAF) was 0.442 (44.2%) for UGT1A1*28 and 0.047 (4.7%) for UGT1A1*6. Conclusion: This is the first ever study conducted among Bangladeshi population to identify the Gilbert syndrome and found very high prevalence. Drugs those who are conjugated by UGT1A1 may lead to worse adverse event due to UGT1A1 polymorphism. Infants having decreased UGT1A1 enzyme activity develop neonatal jaundice and its further complication like Kernicterus. Higher incidence of Gilbert syndrome among Bangladeshi might be the alert for the clinicians treating neonatal jaundice. Keywords: Gilbert Syndrome, Uridine Diphosphate Glucuronosyl Transferase (UGT1A1), Hyperbilirubinemia, Bangladesh 1. Introduction Gilbert syndrome (GS) is defined as a fluctuating or discrete elevation of unconjugated serum bilirubin where hemolysis, liver disease or other causes are excluded. Among the general population, Gilbert syndrome is the main cause of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia [1] . A. Gilbert [2] described this syndrome as a imple familial jaundice. Thereafter, Meulengracht described Gilbert syndrome as icterus intermittens juvenilis [3] , as it is benign and intermittent episodic in character. In Gilbert syndrome, the mild jaundice occurs as a result of inherited unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, the most common human metabolic disorders which is caused by polymorphisms in UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1 (UGT1A1). UGT is a member of super family of enzymes which catalyzes the glucuronidation of many substrates (both exo and endogenous) and UGT1A1 is also the isozyme that is able to conjugate bilirubin, the endogenous yellow pigment which comes from haeme catabolism [4] . Till to date, more than one hundred variants have been found in the UGT1A1 gene, among them UGT1A1*28, UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A1*27 are associated with the phenotype of Gilbert syndrome [3] [4] [5] . Out of those 3 variants, UGT1A1*28, UGT1A1*6 have been found to be commonly associated in Asian population [6] . The UGT1 gene expresses 9 functional UGT1A proteins, and UGT1A1 is the major protein that catalyzes the glucuronidation [7] . Variants of the UGT1A1 gene polymorphism results in the absence or reduction of UGT1A1 activity which may lead to unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. The UGT1A1*28 polymorphism occurs as insertion of a thymine-adenine (TA) dinucleotide in the TATAA box of the promoter region and it results in genotype of A(TA)7TAA and A(TA)8TAA, the mutant variety which is opposite of the A(TA)6TAA the wild variety [8] [9] . UGT1A1*28 polymorphism is classified depending on the number of TA repeats in 2 alleles: 1) TA6/TA6 (wild type), 2) TA6/TA7 (heterozygous mutant), or 3) TA7/TA7 (homozygous mutant). The TA6/TA7 or TA7/TA7 mutants are associated with decreased enzyme activity and, which may account for increased irinotecan related toxicity [10] . UGT1A1 28 has been reported to cause approximately 70 per cent reduction of UGT1A enzyme activity [10] UGT1A1 28 has severe toxicities with irinotecan which is an anti-cancer drug compared to wild type UGT1A1 1 or heterozygous UGT1A1 28. There is ethnic variability in UGT1A1*28 polymorphism. The prevalence of homozygous TA7/TA7 was significantly higher among African (12% - 27%) and in Caucasian (5% - 15%) but it is lower (1.2% - 5%) in South-east Asian (1.2% - 5%) and Pacific region [11] [12] [13] [14] . The UGT1A1 gene TA7 variant is associated with increased bilirubin levels in normal individual [4] , or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency [15] , or in -thalassemia minor (heterozygous) [16] , and it is also associated with neonatal jaundice in G6PD deficiency [17] and hereditary spherocytosis [18] . Genotyping of polymorphisms in UGT1A1 gene is an important step to determine the etiology of free hyperbilirubinemia. Till now, distribution of Gilbert Syndrome (GS) from Bangladesh has not been reported. Therefore, we aimed to determine the genetic profile (prevalence of polymorphisms of UGT1A1) which causes the Gilbert syndrome among Bangladeshi population. 2. Materials and Methods A total of 150 apparently healthy Bangladeshi children presented with minor diseases such as colds, diarrhea, or other minor illnesses were enrolled over a one-year period between January 2013 and December 2013 from the outpatient department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Central Hospital Limited, Dhaka, Bangladesh. We explained the objectives of the study to the legal guardians. After obtaining written informed consent from all participants, venous blood sample was obtained in Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) tubes from each subject. After collection, blood sample were shifted to the University of Tsukuba, Japan and then genetic analysis was performed in the genetic lab of the University of Tsukuba. This study was approved by the ethical review committees of BSMMU, Central Hospital Limited, and the University of Tsukuba Hospital. 3. DNA Extraction and Genotyping DNA was extracted using Genomic DNA Isolation Kit (QiAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit, Qiagen, Vealo, Netherlands) from 0.5 to 2 ml peripheral blood following the manufacturers instructions. Polymorphisms ofUGT1A1*6 (c.211G > A) was genotyped using the TaqMan Assay-on-Demand SNP Typing System (Applied Bio Systems, Foster City, CA, USA) following the manufacturers instructions. PCR was performed on a 384-well format with 5 ng of DNA each, and automatic allele calling was performed using ABI PRISM 7900HT data collection and analysis software, version 2.2.2 (Applied Biosystems). UGT1A1*28 (c.-53_-52TA) promoter repeat number polymorphism was determined by PCR method on an ABI PRISM 3130 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Descriptive statistics were performed by using SPSS statistics version 21.0 (IBM Corporation, NY, USA) and data were expressed as number, percentage, mean and standard deviation. 4. Results Table 1 shows that among the 150 study children, 86 (57.3%) were male and rest of them were female. Age of the study participants was 4.03 2.05 (mean SD) years. Weight and height of the study participants was 15.86 5.88 kg (mean SD) and 101.80 16.50 cm (mean SD) respectively. Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) of the study participants was 15.35 2.62 (mean SD). Out of 150 blood sample, all samples were successfully genotyped for UGT1A1*6 and 149 were genotyped for UGT1A1*28. Table 2 shows that minor allele frequency of UGT1A1*28 are: wild/wild is 31.33% (47), wild/mutant is 48% (72), mutant/mutant 20% (30) and this table also shows that majority of minor allele frequency of UGT1A1*6 is wild/wild (94.66%), few of them is wild/mutant (4.66%) and only 1 is mutant/mutant. Overall minor allele frequency (MAF) were 0.442(44.2%) for UGT1A1*28 and 0.047(4.7%) for UGT1A1*6. Table 3 shows the comparison of allele frequencies of UGT1A1*28 & UGT1A1*6 in different ethnicity and found UGT1A1*28 is very high among Bangladeshi population in compare to other ethnicity but low in UGT1A1*6 in compare to other Asian population. Table 1. Characteristics of the study participants. Table 2. Frequency of minor allele. Table 3. Comparison of Allele frequencies of UGT1A1*28 & UGT1A1*6 in other ethnicity. UGT1A1*28 & *6 in other ethnicity; *Li Minmin et al. 2014, Agrawal SK et al. 2009; MAF data of Caucasian was collected from NCBI dbSNP database. 5. Discussion This is the first ever study where we evaluated the frequency of the main genetic determinant of Gilbert Syndrome (UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*6) among Bangladeshi population. Our result confirms that UGT1A1*28 polymorphism is a highly frequent condition among Bangladeshi population. Previously it was believed that, this is not a disease of Bangladeshi population, thats why there was no interest to conduct research on Gilbert syndrome among Bangladeshi population. We believe this finding will completely change the perception level of clinician as well as researcher in Bangladesh. Now a day it is evident that there is an inter-individual and interethnic variation in glucuronidation [19] . There is a wide range of diversification among UGT family. This is best explained by the UGT1A1 gene, which is responsible for over 50 genetic lesions [20] . It has been reported that, among Caucasian the frequency of the UGT1A1*28 variant allele is 30% - 45%. Among African and Indian populations, the distribution is twice that of the 10% - 20% reported in East Asian populations [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] . In Uzbekistan, the incidence of UGT1A1*28 homozygotes was 9.3%, which was higher than that in the Japanese population was studied previously [26] . Other published reports shown that, UGT1A1*28 homozygotes is high in distribution in Europe (5% - 14.8%), Africa (5.9% - 17.9%), and India (12.8% - 19.3 %); and less frequent in Japan and East Asia and (0% - 5.9 %) [27] - [36] . Individuals with Gilbert syndrome have reduced UGT activity due to UGT1A1gene polymorphism. This reduced UGT activity causes jaundice under the conditions such as illness, physical exertion or fasting. Study among Malaysian population concluded that Gilbert syndrome is associated with a homozygous (TA7) in Malaysian population. They found the levels of serum bilirubin in GS patients from 20 M to 90 M [37] . Due to decreased UGT1A1 enzyme activity, neonates with this syndrome have higher risk to develop neonatal jaundice results in further complications like Kernicterus and irreversible brain damage. In a recent study, higher polymorphism of the UGT1A1gene was found to be significantly associated with hyperbilirubinemia among North Indian neonates [38] . Another study concludes that, UGT1A1polymorphism is a risk factor for severe neonatal unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia among Malaysian population [39] . Moreover, UGT1A1*28 allele is associated with reduced levels of enzyme. Therefore modification of dosage of irinotecan should be done on the basis of patients UGT1A1 genotyping. Thereby, adverse effects of this drug can be avoided to some extent. The FDA in USA approved an amendment of the label for Camptosar (irinotecan hydrochloride) which is invariably used as chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of colon cancer, which includes the warning to reduce the starting dose of irinotecan for UGT1A1*28 homozygous patients. For East Asian individuals, requires both UGT1A1*6 and UGT1A1*28 genotyping, since there is no linkage disequilibrium between the two polymorphisms [40] . 6. Conclusion Our study found the evidence of very high prevalence of UGT1A1 polymorphism among Bangladeshi population. This newly discovered result might be the alert for the clinicians treating neonatal jaundice at children hospital in Bangladesh. It is well known that most of the children with Kernicterus have no underlying etiological identity to explain the hyperbilirubinemia. In fact, preventing a case of Kernicterus might be one of the most valuable strategies in all healthcare settings, resulting in a healthy baby rather than a child with a life-time of debilitating neurodevelopment handicaps. UGT1A1 polymorphism also has an implication in case of treatment of cancer. We recommend genotyping of UGT1A1 prior to management of neonatal jaundice as well as before treating by irinotecan chemotherapy as patients with UGT1A1 polymorphism having more adverse effects of this chemotherapeutic agent. Furthermore, study regarding the correlation between prevalence of polymorphism and hyperbilirubinemia is an urgent need. Acknowledgements We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to the University of Tsukuba, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Central Hospital for their support. We would also like to thanks to the study participants for their voluntary contribution to this study. This work was supported by a grant from the Grant of National Center for Child Health and Development (25-2), Japan. We dedicate this article to the National Professor of Pediatrics, Bangladesh Dr. MR Khan. Cite this paper Zaman, S., Fukushima, H., Suzuki, R., Hawlader, M.D.H., Yoshimatsu, S., Kanai, Y., Ahsan, G.U. and Fukushima, T. (2018) Prevalence of Gilbert Syndrome in Bangladesh. Open Journal of Blood Diseases, 8, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbd.2018.81001 References TO VIEW MORE NEWS STORY, PLEASE CLICK ON NEWS TAB ON MAIN MENU BAR 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 (507) Could you talk a bit more about some of your research? As an interdisciplinary researcher, Beatrices research portfolio is sizable in terms of project diversity. When asked to discuss her research in more detail, she decided to highlight two areas of current research she is particularly excited about. Following the money for the sake of the biosphere In the first project, Beatrice is closely collaborating with centre associate professor Victor Galaz, and aims to link the biosphere and the financial sector. Its clear that the financial sector, and how we invest money, is affecting the environment, says Beatrice. Currently, much of this type of environment-economy research tends to focus on impact investments, projects that aim to create environmental benefits in addition to financial return, and carbon emissions reductions. While these initiatives are important, Beatrice and her colleagues are examining the path less walked: We need to make sure we are bolstering the resilience of some of the key elements on our planet, that can help sustain, particularly the climate, explains Beatrice. Using Earth systems science, Beatrice and her colleagues are looking at so called tipping elements of the Earths climate system and linking these to the investors. Tipping elements are regions of critical importance for planetary and climate stability, such as the Amazon or Arctic sea ice. Our interest is linking the financial sector to these tipping elements, examining how they are investing now, and how investments could be done differently to bolster the resilience and help stabilize the climate, rather than undermine it, she adds. Understanding fisheries value chains Together with various PhD and Master students at SRC and elsewhere, Beatrice has been examining fishery value chains. In other words, the means through which a fish gets from the ocean, to the market, to the plate. By understanding fishery value chains, Beatrice believes that market-based mechanisms could help complement fishery regulations for more sustainable fishery practices and fish stocks. Together with her students, and in collaboration with business NGO Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, she is investigating market-based ways to change behaviour from retailers to fishers. In doing so, she hopes they can answer the questions: How market-based initiatives, such as Fishery Improvement Projects, can be a governance tool for promoting sustainable fisheries around the world? her work is uncovering how they are working, and what strategies are being employed in various types of fisheries. Who is a woman that inspires you in your work? I have been thinking about this questionand I couldnt come up with a single person, because there are lots of women that inspire me all the time, says Beatrice. However, there were a few that she explicitly highlighted: Frances Westley is the J.W. McConnell chair in social innovation at the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience at Waterloo University in Canada. She is also the chair of Stockholm Resilience Centres Board. She has inspired many people here at the centre - both through the content of her work, and the legacy in her thinking around institutional entrepreneurship and agency, which I use in my work. But also as a mentor in thinking about how to be a women scientist in a fairly male dominated world. Brigette Baptiste is the director of the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute in Columbia. She is a leading expert on environmental issues and biodiversity in Columbia. Embodies whats possible, and how change is possible in many different ways. That was something I realized when I saw here at the Resilience 2017 conference. It was very inspirational, and she is someone Im watching from afar. Beatrice also wanted to highlight women around her in her every day in life, such as her female PhD students and research assistants, for their dedication, innovative thinking and hard work. They are amazingly brilliant, and do a lot of good work, without which I couldnt function, for which they inspire me. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. The Countrywide Country Store in Bearley remains open for business after the company went into administration. THE Countrywide Country Store in Bearley remains open for business despite the company going into administration. The store on Snitterfield Road is one of 48 across England and Wales that sell farming, equestrian, harvesting and agricultural supplies. The company employs approximately 735 people and has its headquarters in Evesham, but is now in the hands of administrators from KPMG. Earlier this week it was announced that Prezzo on Wood Street in Stratford-upon-Avon town centre and New Look on Bridge Street will close later this year after both companies announced restructure plans. The Maplin store on Birmingham Road remains open for now despite the company also going into administration. KPMG said Countrywide Farmers plc, which runs the Countrywide Country stores, sold its LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) business to DCC Flogas on 1st March, with over 60 employees transferring to the new company. The company had also identified a purchaser for the retail business, but that was subject to Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) clearance and earlier this week it was announced that the CMA would be investigating the proposals further, forcing the company into administration. David Pike, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, said: Following the recent CMA announcement, the proposed retail transaction cannot proceed. "Unfortunately, given the significant trading difficulties and cash flow pressures, this has led the directors to consider their options and take the difficult decision to place the company into administration. It is our intention to seek a purchaser for the business in whole or part and we have appointed Hilco Capital to assist in running the stores whilst we explore and develop available options. We encourage anyone who has an interest to contact us immediately. Olly Murphy. WILMCOTE trainer Olly Murphy has been dealt a blow with the news that Hunters Call has been ruled out of the Randox Health County Hurdle at Cheltenham next Friday after suffering a setback. Formerly trained in Ireland, the eight-year-old made a successful debut for Murphy when he won the lucrative Racing Welfare Handicap Hurdle at Ascot in December. He was the 8-1 joint-favourite for the County Hurdle alongside the Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite, but Murphy said on his Betfair blog: "Unfortunately Hunters Call has some heat in his foot today and as far as Cheltenham is concerned we have lost the race against time. "We will now aim him at the Scottish Champion Hurdle or one of the main Irish festivals in Fairyhouse or Punchestown. "It's a blow for us here as he was in great form and we were look forward to him running in County Hurdle." Ralf Jacob is the President of Verizon Media Platform, bringing more than 20 years of technical and executive management experience to the organization. Prior to his current role, Ralf served as chief revenue officer and then as president for Verizon Digital Media Services. He initially joined the company through Verizons acquisition of upLynk, an online video platform specializing in the simplification of a broadcasters workflow, where he was the CEO and Co-Founder. Prior to launching upLynk, Ralf was Vice President of Digital Media for Deluxe Digital Studios. He has also served as Senior Vice President of Engineering & Operations for Move Networks, Vice President of Engineering for Knowledge Universe and Vice President of Engineering for iXL. Ralf graduated from Fachhochschule Wiesbaden, Germany with bachelors degrees in marketing and computer science. It isn't often a person can experience time in two places at almost the same moment, as if sideways instead of backward or forward. That happened recently when I had the opportunity to participate in a weeklong mission trip to Panama. Panama is a unique area with its own vacation attractions including white and black sand beaches perfect for swimming, surfing or time to imagine beach music and a classic writer in front of his keyboard. It has bicycle races through amazing mountains and valleys. There are cafes that feel like you're invited into a family dining room, and prices cheaper than a dime store novel. It also has incredible disparity between the fortunate and those struggling to keep a roof over their head and food in the cupboard. Some areas have entire communities that look like salvage construction, homes apparently built with discarded tin and wood. Additionally, there are populations virtually untouched by the 21st century, deliberately. It is a region where a church can hold an inner city event and only a few hours away launch a boat ride to an indigenous population. The Nazarene Church has what is called a "Work and Witness" program. Essentially, it involves sharing what you believe and applying sweat equity when needed. This particular journey involved partnering with churches in Panama and a group of young people called Maxima Mision. The young people had a level of excitement that was contagious, a contagion they labeled team shirts: "Contagious." We nine people from Colorado (and Nebraska) were there to assist Maxima Mision and the local churches. The events including giving gift boxes to children from Samaritan's Purse Imagine having a movie night in the front lawn of a home that drew more than 200 children and parents. Local police stopped to check in on the situation, probably stayed longer than they needed. Imagine the Jesus Film, a film based on the Biblical book of Luke, translated into Spanish and into Kuna, an indigenous people scattered across several islands in Panama. Imagine getting into a boat and the cargo included four extra five-gallon gas cans for the round trip boat ride. It isn't as easy as crossing Lake McConnahy. Imagine the humility of feeling like you're in a new National Geographic film, meeting people whose only access to people outside of their own is by boat, a people who still dress in colorful yet simple wear defining who is married or eligible to be married, gold nose rings and public utilities that are basic at best. Most of the homes are built of branches and thatch roofs. It is likely sufficient for a tropical climate. Imagine hearing from a teen about a desire to journey further into the outback of Panama, to where the boundary between Panama and Columbia is a little subjective, an estimated eight-hour boat ride. We didn't take the eight-hour boat ride, but we did visit three different Kuna villages. We met people who are anxious to build or expand their churches. We spent time with children who we suspected had little or no exposure to even the simplest past times like coloring books. Even the mothers were excited to design their own artwork. The voyages to the islands required two boats. All said we probably had 25-30 people involved in the Kuna village visits. The one boat is a dugout canoe with an outboard motor mounted on it. The boat has earned its time, reminiscent of a "Frankenstein bicycle" I had, assembled with varied leftover parts. In this case, the teens were in a boat patched with strips of tin and with holes in the bow and the stern enough to cause faith or condemnation from anyone who enters it. The Maxima Mision group were seen baling water most of the way across the lake. But they came back the next day for an even further island. It is an experience that provides a reality check when a young pastor and his wife live in the back of a church with visions of constructing a pastoral training center, when another young couple will take a public bus several miles across the city for an outreach opportunity while their home is accessible by a 30-inch easement between fences. Shanty-towns, squatter villages if you will, are common in the countryside and near Panama City. High rise poverty is sometimes side-by-side with hotels and tourist shopping centers, big money casinos and the glitz and glamor that comes with them. I was asked if I would go to Panama again for the same reason. Tentatively, the answer is yes. I say tentatively because each trip has its own dynamics, own challenges and logistics. Given the opportunity, yes I would. This unexpected adventure is proof that one person can make a difference: a relationship lead to an invitation to an island which lead to an effort to purchase a new boat which lead to more relationships with the Kuna people. One conversation lead to three new or expanding churches and the apparent need for a second boat. With staff reductions related to the Bass Pro absorption of Cabelas, the Sidney School District is bracing for a related loss of students. In the school boards work session Tuesday, Supt. Jay Ehler reported the District is down 53 students since the start of the school year. We know that we will have a significant number leaving this spring and summer so we will continue to have discussions based around appropriate staffing and making cost effective decisions regarding facilities, Ehler said. The State of Nebraska supports public schools through a formula comparing costs to revenue, including local tax revenue and grants. The State supports school districts with a formula based on the difference between local revenue and the actual cost of operation, and the average number of students in attendance during the school year. Ehler said the District has lost 93 students over the last two years. In Tuesdays work session, the board discussed how to keep the District fiscally sound in consideration of anticipated changes. It was reported that State Aid certification was announced and Sidney Schools will receive $205,670 less for the 2018-2019 school year than this year. In an effort to address the shortfall, the District will be absorbing several positions through attrition; positions held by staff retiring or resigning will not be filled. The board did decide Tuesday to provide a slight salary increase to classified staff and administrators. Increases are being kept to a minimum because of the uncertainties the community is facing. With the positions being absorbed, payroll will actually decrease next year, according to Ehler, in an effort to be prepared for lower student count. The board also discussed adding additional agricultural education classes, computer classes, Spanish as an elementary exploratory class for all students and possibly a 1 to 1 Chromebook Initiative. The Chromebook Initiative will be discussed at the regular board meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12. The Sidney schools will be undergoing the AQUESTT Nebraska School Accountability System this year. Sidney is currently listed as a great school. We will go through the process again this year of student accountability testing and also completing an Evidence Based Analysis for the District and each individual school, Ehler told the board. The board also discussed the boards goals and objectives. This years goals and objectives include Continue to provide quality technology access for teachers and students; Focus on positive and effective relationships with Sidneys business community and parents; Continue to focus on and find ways to improve fiscal responsibility without jeopardizing quality instruction; Continue with leading edge trends in education, identify gaps and implement improvements where necessary; and Develop a 3-5 year financial plan. Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) will meet constituents of the Third District during a mobile office on Monday, March 12, in Bridgeport to discuss issues such as tax reform, trade, immigration, and infrastructure. A mobile office allows constituents to meet directly with Congressman Smith about federal issues and take advantage of the services available through his office. Smith, who has offices in Grand Island and Scottsbluff, will hold the mobile office in Bridgeport at the Commissioners Room in the Morrill County Courhouse from 9-10 a.m. For additional information, contact Smiths Scottsbluff office at (308) 633-6333. The Gibraltar government has expressed its delight at the result of Brexit meetings between chief minister Fabian Picardo and deputy chief minister Dr Joseph Garcia in London this week. The agreements have been the result of intense discussions since the EU referendum in June 2016. The British government has guaranteed that financial services and online gaming firms in Gibraltar will have continued market access into the UK after Brexit. This will reassure the business community on the Rock and will help to encourage growth in both sectors. Although the UK has guaranteed this access until 2020, it has committed to work closely with the Gibraltar government to design a replacement framework beyond that date. On on-line gaming, the UK has provided an assurance that gambling operators based in Gibraltar will continue to access the UK market after Brexit in the same way they do now - and the UK and Gibraltar are working towards agreement of an MOU which will enable closer working and collaboration between gambling regulators in both places. The UK has also provided an assurance that after Brexit, British citizens resident in Gibraltar will continue to be eligible for higher education Home fee status at English institutions (both during the implementation period and afterwards) subject to there being a reciprocal arrangement for English students studying at Higher Education institutions in Gibraltar. On Health, the United Kingdom has agreed to maintain the current reciprocal arrangement between the UK and Gibraltar. This means that Gibraltar can continue to refer an unlimited number of patients to the UK for free elective treatment. The agreements this week also covered transport, the environment and fishing. The government statement said that: Gibraltar and the UK have also agreed to recognise the importance of enhancing our liaison on all of the environmental and fisheries implications of EU exit that are relevant to Gibraltar, whether by sharing information as openly as we can, by providing specialist expertise across a range of policy areas to support Gibraltar with its own preparations, or by considering with Gibraltar where its interests might be promoted in future through regional or international agreements. Finally, on transport, the UK has expressed its commitment to work closely with Gibraltar towards arrangements that support Gibraltar's prosperity after Brexit. There was a definite feminine focus in Gibraltar to mark International Women's Day, especially as a woman was appointed Acting Chief Minister for the first time while chief minister Fabian Picardo and deputy chief minister Dr Joseph Garcia were in London for Brexit talks. Fittingly, Samantha Sacramento, who is the only female government minister in Gibraltar, is the minister of Equality. Announcing that she would be at the helm while he and Dr Garcia were away, Mr Picardo tweeted Today, Gibraltar has a woman chief minister acting in my absence. Soon, I hope we will have a woman chief minister full stop. In a statement issued for International Women's Day, Ms Sacramento said we must consider the challenges that still lie ahead for women and how we can each contribute to a more inclusive and gender equal society. Yesterday morning the Gibraltar Women's Association held an event in the city centre in conjunction with the Gibraltar Samaritans, and the Tower of Homage was lit up at night with the 'Girls in Tech' logo to mark Gibraltar's all-girl team's success in reaching the finals of the CyberCenturion competition. She still remembers those days when she looked after her baby and cooked at the same time as if it were yesterday. Francisca Luque was only 15 when she got married and since then she has worked alongside her husband, Abilio Arteaga. Together, they opened Casa Abilio in Alora, which they have just handed down to their children. It's very hard work. It can be up to 20 hours at a time, there are no holidays, and then there is work to do at home because we don't stop when we leave the restaurant, she says. Now, looking back, she realises the sacrifices they made, but they are proud of their legacy. Their son Abilio learned the trade almost as soon as he was born. / SALVADOR SALAS The kitchen was like his first school, as it was for other chefs whose names may be more familiar, such as Joan Roca, Dani Garcia and David Munoz. Many of them discovered cookery thanks to their mothers, who traditionally toiled over a hot stove and from whom they learned the skills that have made them famous. But what about the women? There must be hundreds of successful female chefs but their names don't spring to mind because few women are well-known in the field of gastronomy. They are in the minority at conferences and competitions, in photo sessions, on the stage, at the peak of haute cuisine... According to the Michelin Guide, only ten per cent of stars have been awarded to restaurants where women do the cooking. The percentage rises to 30 per cent in the Bib Gourmand category (restaurants with the best price-quality ratio recommended by the guide), but that is still a minority. Association It was for this reason that Guadalupe Montejo decided to grab the frying pan by the handle and set up 'Amuco', the association of female chefs in Andalucia. She wanted to give visibility to women in this sector. She now does this not only via the association, but also through the international organisation 'Eurotoques'. Irene Garrido Head chef, KGB: We ought to feel proud that the great chefs talk about learning everything from their mothers and their grandmothers" There are a lot of women in this sector, but if they don't give us the opportunity we will still be stuck in the background, warns Guadalupe, who believes men have too much ego and women lack security. Reyna Traverso (of the Nina Bonita restaurant) agrees: We have to show ourselves more. Those who have persevered and become known have given everything of themselves. In and out of the home, in fact. / SALVADOR SALAS I know a lot of women who have decided not to have children so they could progress in their profession, says Guadalupe, who began the uphill struggle when she was dismissed by a company, Paradores Nacionales, when she was pregnant. She took them to court. They appealed but eventually the Supreme Court upheld the sentence in her favour and the company had to give her the job back. Nowadays she works in the Gibralfaro Parador, but she still believes that in general there is a lack of equality. That, however, can depend on the company. Puri Vallejo, sous chef at Esca Catering, says that in terms of working hours, she cannot complain and recognises that the business has smoothed the way for her at work and at home. For Lourdes Munoz, it all comes down to education. She now runs the Events section of the Dani Garcia group, but has also worked front of house. She honed her skills in the Basque Country with Martin Berasategui and with Dani Garcia at Tragabuches. I was pregnant when Calima opened, she says, but she was able to combine work and motherhood by taking her baby to work with her. So did her husband, who is in the same profession. Change Things have begun to change. So much so, that in 2017 women occupied 52 per cent of jobs in the food and drink sector, according to the National Union of Statistics (INE), and 53.5 per cent in bars and restaurants, other than in administration or breakfast service, where many are employed. Yolanda Hernandez Sabor a Malaga, Benahavis: My family thought it would be too hard for a female; they see us as more fragile than men Women nowadays are not only gaining ground in this field, but are climbing the ladder. For example, Meme Rodriguez (executive chef at the Hotel Benabola), Cristina Socorro, maitre d' of the Hotel Molina Lario (the first woman to hold the post), Abril Chamorro (head chef at Dani Garcia Restaurante), Maria Aguilar (maitre d' of El Lago) and Eleni Manousou (executive chef at Nobu Marbella, the first one in the group). Those are just some examples, because the list could be endless. It wasn't easy to arrange to bring them together for this article to mark International Women's Day, but it wasn't difficult to find them, nor did it take much effort: the names quickly came to mind. Of course, this is 2018. A few years ago it would have been a different story. Are you here to learn how to cook for your husband? is just one of the questions Yolanda Hernandez has been asked. She says doors have been closed to her because she was a woman. I have been training students for 16 years and things nowadays are nothing like they were when I started. Sometimes there was only one girl, says Yolanda, who is the head of cookery at the Sabor a Malaga catering college in Benahavis. Even her own family tried to discourage her. Why? They thought it would be too hard for a female; they see us as more fragile than men, she says. If you want something you have to fight for it, have confidence in yourself and not take any obstacle personally, says Cristina Socorro, and she knows what she is talking about. She has spent more than half her life in this business, and admits that it was hard at the start. She has become used to being in a minority. She now leads an equal team. People have sometimes assumed that a woman can't be the boss, but it didn't put her off. You have to believe in yourself, and that's all there is to it, she says. Guadalupe Montejo's feelings are very clear. It's a matter of attitude. You mustn't be afraid. You have to take action, not just get used to something. It's not a case of showing that you are strong, it is a matter of showing your worth, that you have skills, you are professional, independently of whether you are male or female. Has she had to face sexist comments and discrimination? Yes, but you learn from everything, and you realise that these things make you stronger, she says. Cristina Canovas agrees. She now runs the kitchen at Palodu, together with Diego Aguilar, but her career path hasn't been easy either and, despite her youth, she has faced difficult situations. At one point I didn't even want to go to work, she says, recalling her time at a hotel, when she was the only woman on the team and was made to wash the dishes. Little by little, though, things began to improve and her time at restaurants such as Tickets opened her eyes to a new reality. Now we are starting to gain ground and make a name for ourselves, says Merche Caballero, the professional and personal partner of Michelin-starred Benito Gomez (Bardal). She runs Tragata, their other business. When she started she was surrounded by men, but now women are in the majority in the kitchen and the restaurant. Many of her female colleagues feel the same. Lourdes Luque, whose partner Jose Carlos Garcia is another Michelin-starred chef, says she gets on well with the other women front of house, but she doesn't think there should be any distinction: I appreciate people's experience and professionalism, not whether they are male or female, she says. It's not a question of sex, but of personality, says Belen Ramirez, who runs the Refectorium del Campanario with her sister, Curry. Belen, who feels privileged to be the daughter of Jose Ramirez (winner of the Andalusian Academy of Gastronomy prize 2018), has known the world of restaurants since childhood. At Refectorium there always used to be more men on the staff, but now we're about half and half, says Curry, sounding satisfied at what they have achieved. There is still a lot to do to achieve total equality, warns Cati Schiff, whose surname is also very well-known in Malaga gastronomy. She inherited her vocation from her father Paul - the first chef in Andalucia to be awarded a Michelin star - and she spent the years when Marbella was blossoming in terms of gastronomy with La Hacienda restaurant. She has travelled, training in France, Belgium and Barcelona, has grown professionally among men and has no doubts about herself: Attitude is fundamental. I have never thought I wasn't as good as they were, she says. Lourdes Munoz says women have no need to think that. Her long professional experience has led her to conclude that nothing comes down to gender, nor should parity be forced. In her opinion, it is more a question of attitude and aptitude. I don't care whether, at a meeting of ten people, five of us are women. I believe things should be more natural and depend on worth, not on gender, she says, stressing that in the Dani Garcia group she is not the only woman to hold a responsible position; the team includes press officer Raquel Macias , head chef Abril Chamorro and Rais Estevez, head pastry chef at DG Restaurante. I have always been treated equally, and they respect me as the boss, she says, with a smile. Like Rais Estevez, she knows that if your work is good, it shouldn't make any difference whether you are a man or a woman, although, despite her youth, she has noticed some changes. When she was studying, girls were in the minority. What happened, then? How did this change come about? You have to show that you are strong and productive, and that in itself is hard, stressful work which requires many hours, says Eleni Manousou. Through pure consistency and passion, this young Greek cook has become the first executive chef at the Nobu group. Now, working at Nobu Marbella, she is optimistic: For many years, this has been a man's world but now it is becoming a woman's world as well. We are starting to see the equality and respect we deserve, she says. In fact in many cases nowadays women are in the majority. A visit to Palodu, Arte de Cozina or Messina, for example, is evidence of that. Due to certain circumstances, Charo Carmona surrounded herself with women when she set up her restaurant in Antequera. Today, with a Sol award in the Repsol Guide, she has the same philosophy: They work very well and I like being with them, so why should I change that? she says. Pia Ninci feels the same. Front of house at the Michelin-starred Messina restaurant, all the staff are women. I like the fact that we are known for that, says this vivacious Argentinian. Rather than a marketing strategy, she believes in a personal touch. However, some people are still surprised to find all-women teams. They ask about the chef, and are taken aback when a woman comes out to greet them. Vanessa Benisty, who is the niece of the late Albert Benisty, a legendary name in the gastronomy of Malaga, says society needs to become more mentally in favour of equality. Although it is hard to believe, many women in this sector still experience sexist behaviour occasionally. They have made me feel that, professionally, I am worth less than a man, says Meme Rodriguez who, like Reyna Traverso and Puri Vallejo, still comes across situations in which she is treated differently. Then there is the comment overheard by Marta Galdeano at a wine tasting: Do women understand wine nowadays, then? When it is pointed out that this woman is a sommelier and runs La Solana restaurant with the same passion as she did her career as a mountain engineer, their eyes glazed over and their ears went deaf again. Cristina Dominguez (Calendula) has lost count of the times she has been referred to as the girl, and Puri Morillo (Pasteleria Daza), will never forget being ordered to make cold desserts and salads because that used to be a woman's role. Nor was that the only time she has been treated as inferior. We are no different to men. There is no reason to distinguish between chefs and cooks, or treat us like Barbie dolls, as they do in the Pastry Queen trophy, says this runner-up in the competition to find the Best Artisan Pastry Chef in Spain. Society doesn't exactly help us to progress, says Puri Vallejo. Yes, there are barriers, but the same as there are in any other profession, says Mayte Carreno. Few people can talk about women and gastronomy as she can. She is from Malaga, is the commercial director of the Michelin Guide and knows what it is like to work shoulder to shoulder with men. For her, it has never been a handicap, nor for Maria Schaller (Aire): I have always been valued as a professional, not as a woman, she says. It is no longer a man's world. That's in the past. It's often us women who put walls up. These days, if someone wants to do something, they do it, says Charo Carmona. Irene Garrido, head chef at KGB, agrees and says she has always been supported by male colleagues. We ought to feel proud that the great chefs talk about learning everything from their mothers and their grandmothers, she says. They have always been there, are still there today and will always be there in future. How much does wood influence the maturing process of wine? The generally accepted view is that it gives a better taste, permits the slow oxidisation and assists malolactic fermentation that produces a smoother finish. French oak is the most expensive, and best for more delicate grape varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. American oak costs less, so the prudent winemaker usually elects a mixture of both. A good barrel, the optimum use of which is four years (but is usually extended to double that time) comes from an 80-year old tree from which only two barrels can be made, and needs between one and two years to be made ready to receive wine. Although it depends on production levels in any particular bodega, the average added cost of a good oak barrel is round 2.5 euros per bottle. There are less expensive alternatives, mainly the use of oak chips introduced into stainless steel tanks in which the wine is maturing. Another method is placing oak planks inside old barrels to 'revitalise' them, but the use of oak sawdust is banned in most countries. These methods were developed in 'new world' winemaking countries such as Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina and the USA, to name a few. In Europe an irrational war against what is often considered to be unethical methods has been waged for years. Traditional winemakers would like all producers to be compelled to use oak barrels, but where is the sense in this if we are talking about economically priced 'barrel-aged' reds or 'barrel-fermented chardonnays'? I am unaware of any blind tasting that has identified the difference between oak barrel-aged reds and the same wine aged using oak chips. In fact there is a strong argument for the latter, as the maturing process can be fine-tuned by using more or less added oak, whereas once the young wine is put into an oak barrel, all that can be done is hope for a successful outcome. Anyway, as long as the wine tastes okay and suits our pocket, are we really worried how the oaky flavour is induced? The ITB travel fair started in Berlin on Wednesday and runs until this Sunday, 11 March. The exhibition is one of the biggest in the world for the travel trade and each year provides an opportunity to focus on the German visitor market to Andalucia, including Malaga and the Costa del Sol. Tourists from Germany are the second biggest visitor group to southern Spain after the British. Predictions from delegates representing local destinations on the first two days of the fair were of a rise in the number of German visitors for this coming season. Those attending were urging caution however, now that rival destinations to Spain, including Turkey, Greece and Egypt, are enjoying a recovery in demand after a recent slump driven by economic uncertainty and potential unrest from terrorism. These eastern Mediterranean competitors have traditionally attracted a lot of Germans. Head of the Andalusian regional government's tourism promotion arm, Susana Ibanez, said that Andalucia hoped to gain 7.4 per cent more German visitors in 2018. Speaking from Andalucia's large's stand in the exhibition hall, she said that the region had an extraordinary positioning in Germany and a mix of products and segments that perfectly meet the very demanding requirements. She explained that German customers are increasingly looking for more experiences that let them immerse themselves in the culture of a destination, adding that it was important to recognise the work being done locally to diversify the tourism offer away from the main focus on sun and sand. German customers are increasingly looking for experiences to immerse themselves in the culture Representing Tourism Costa del Sol, Malaga province's tourist board, Elias Bendodo said that he was aiming to build more loyalty from the German clients who are looking for quality above price, saying that there will be increased investment in attending trade fairs and online advertising this year. Other resorts were wooing the customers in Berlin, including Torremolinos whose mayor emphasised the efforts being made to attract a new generation of visitors. Around 30 people, including volunteers and representatives from charities and the Axarquia hospital, attended a presentation given by British Consul in Malaga, Charmaine Arbouin and Neil Hesketh, from Support in Spain, at the Axarquia hospital in Torre del Mar on Wednesday. The focus of the presentation, which was given in Spanish, was to inform organisations supporting British residents in the area about a new website launched by the Consulate and the University of Birmingham. Support in Spain (www.supportinspain.info) is aimed at people over 50 who may need advice following a sudden change in personal circumstances, or on where to get information and help with caring for family members or friends with disabilities. It includes links to organisations working in the Axarquia, as well as elsewhere on the Costa del Sol, and is in English and Spanish. Neil Hesketh from Support in Spain gave a virtual tour of the website and representatives from Lux Mundi Torre del Mar, Red Cross Axarquia and Granada-based palliative care charity, Acompalia, gave feedback on the importance of such a tool. One of the main themes was the difficulties faced by foreign people who do not speak Spanish but depend on public heath and social services as they get older, as well as understanding the differences between organisations back home and in Spain. It's a sure sign that an event is going to be a success if your 17-year-old neighbour leaves their house on Saturday morning dressed as a Ghostbuster, with their dad carrying a proton pack. They don't celebrate Carnival, nor any costume-based festival, but young people are hugely excited by Freakcon, the International Malaga Convention of Comic, TV Series and Videogames, which proved hugely successful, with over 20,000 visitors over last weekend. The attendance exceeded the expectations of the organisers, who had expected around 18,000. Cities like Madrid and Barcelona have had festivals like this for years, and have established themselves as 'freaky' capitals. It's encouraging that Malaga is embracing the trend. 'Freaky' is used with the best meaning of the word, the way that the fans of the popular subculture, who filled the Palacio de Ferias and Congresos of the city, would use it. However, the event cannot compare with the two festivals already mentioned, the International Comic Fair of Barcelona, which will host its 36th edition this year, and Heroes Comic Con Madrid, which is supported by several large businesses. It would be unfair to make comparisons between the events, because Freakcon would lose, but what is incredibly impressive is the event's intentions and the path that it has taken. It looks set to have an excellent future, given that it is on a well-established path to becoming an essential event on the comic lover's calendar. Freakcon has a bright future alongside other national conventions The actor Spencer Wilding, who was the man underneath the Darth Vader mask in 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story', was met by hundreds of fans from the 501st Legion and HoloRed Estelar fan groups, who were dressed as characters from the franchise. Kristian Nairn, the Northern Irish actor who played Hodor in Game of Thrones, was met with rapturous applause when he came out on stage, and he later showcased his other talent by performing an upbeat DJ set. Russian company, Innovation and Technology in Livestock, has announced that it is exporting live goats to Russia to develop the goat's cheese market there. While Russia prohibited imports of European Union food products three years ago, the ruling does not apply to live animals. The company has said that it has already taken five Murciano-Granadino goats to Russia and 140 more are currently on their way. They added that they plan to export between 2,000 and 3,000 more by the end of this year, including the Malaga goat, also known as Cabrama. As well as live goat imports, the company is also planning to take semen from goats in Andalucia with a view to artificially reproducing the animals in Russia. Malaga will host the worldwide presentation of the new cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, the latest launched by Royal Caribbean. It is the world's largest and the company is due to officially unveil the ship to international travel agents and partners in the port of Malaga on 27 March, where it arrives from the shipyard in France on its way to start its maiden voyage four days later. It is due to be in the port from 6am to 10pm. The ship, due to sail from Barcelona afterwards over seven nights on its maiden trip, promises to be even more impressive than the other giant ships owned by Royal Caribbean. The vessel will have innovative leisure facilities, such as the highest slide on a ship, at ten stories high, a surfing simulator, a zipwire, an escape room and a Bionic Bar, staffed by robotic bartenders. There will also be a duplex family suite with its own cinema room and a Lego wall from floor to ceiling. With the arrival of Symphony of the Seas from the shipyard STX France, Malaga will become the only city in the world that has welcomed all four of the Oasis class mega ships owned by Royal Caribbean. The vessel is five times the size of the Titanic by volume, at 362 metres long, and has a weight of 227,000 tons. It has the capacity to accommodate 6,780 passengers and 2,175 crew members across its 16 decks. The presentation in Malaga will be attended by, among others, Paulino Plata Canovas, president of the Malaga port authority; Francisco de la Torre Prados, mayor of Malaga; Elias Bendodo, president of the Diputacion provincial authority and Belen Wanguemert, head of Royal Caribbean in Europe. The company, that also owns the world's second largest boat, Harmony of the Seas, said that they intend to create a new level of holiday adventure and offer the best escape for families of all types . A man in a disturbed state of mind voluntarily handed in his firearms to the Local Police in Malaga on Monday. He intended to use his arsenal to defend himself from threats, including from NASA, who he was sure had been watching him. The alarm was raised at 10pm and a call alerted the Local Police to a man acting aggressively in a residence in the city's Plaza Miraflores.The caller had heard the man saying I'm going to kill all of them, from inside. The Local Police responded to the situation in force and also called in the support of a specialist firearms team. They were able to contact the 35-year-old man in the building, who came outside and told police that NASA were watching him and had hacked his computer. He also said that he was constantly watched via a lamppost. The police concluded that he was suffering from a mental illness and arranged for medical attention. Heavy rain over the past week and a half may not have been welcomed by holidaymakers, but has certainly gone some way to allaying fears of a possible drought this summer. Since 28 February levels have risen by over 60 cubic hectometres in the province's reservoirs, following last weekend's string of amber and yellow weather warnings followed by more intermittent rain over the last few days. The downpours provided a welcome relief to the area's farmers as well as authorities fearing that drought restrictions would need to be brought in over the summer after the province's reservoirs started to approach critical levels. However, experts have now said that the water that has been added in the last two weeks is the equivalent of a year's worth for the city Malaga, or six months for the whole Costa del Sol area. As a result, new drought restrictions, which were set to be put in place in April, will not go ahead after the week's rain reversed some of the effects of the previous five years, in which rainfall has been below the long-term average. The current restrictions placed on farmers will also be reconsidered. Healthier reservoir levels Over the last week the reservoirs have filled to over 250 cubic hectometres. As often happens in periods of sustained rain, it was the mountains of Ronda on the border between Malaga and Cadiz provinces that saw the heaviest rainfall. At Pujerra in the Genal valley, 251 millimetres of rain fell over last weekend. Serious incidents The harsh weather conditions led to several incidents in Malaga province, especially in the Axarquia and the western Costa del Sol. In Estepona, a couple and their baby had to be rescued after they became trapped in their vehicle at a flooded crossing. Meanwhile Jorge de Amuedo had a particularly close shave after he and his car became trapped in the raging waters of the normally empty Rio Seco. Fortunately, he was aided by his neighbours, who rescued him using ropes. His Mercedes GLK was not so lucky. Western Costa update One of the main beneficiaries of the rain has been La Concepcion reservoir, a relatively small reservoir behind Marbella that serves the municipalities of the western Costa del Sol from Torremolinos to Manilva. Local public water provider, Acosol, has said it is pleased that the reservoir is now back up to over 70 per cent of its capacity, however the company's head has been explaining this week that it cannot be complacent. Manuel Cardena recalled that the capacity of La Concepcion is quite small and, once it gets full, it is forced to let water run off into the sea, even if there is a shortage in other Costa areas. He said that Acosol still has a deal in place with the Campo de Gibraltar water company to bring in extra water to the western Costa where needed and may look at a similar deal with Malaga city. Commenting on the lack of connectivity between the province's reservoirs, he said that logically it has to be possible to pump water from where there is a surplus to where their is a deficit. He also explained that the desalination plant in Marbella, that also supports the local water supply, will be updated from next autumn to reduce costs. On Friday the Spanish weather agency Aemet issued a yellow weather warning for rain on the Costa del Sol and in the Guadalhorce area on Saturday morning. Public prosecutors in the forthcoming trial of a man accused of a horrific fatal shooting on Mijas Costa allegedly linked to drugs are calling for a judge to hand out the harshest sentence available under Spanish law because of the severity of the crime. The prosecution will ask for a revisable permanent life sentence, a relatively new sentence which means the accused, if found guilty in the jury trial in Malaga, will be jailed until death. A judge will only able to carry out restricted periodic reviews. This is the first time in Malaga province that the sentence, which was only brought into law in March 2015, has been called for. The case in question refers to the death from point-blank gunshot wounds of Irish national Gary Hutch on Mijas Costa in September 2015. Hutch was attacked and chased by an armed man through the Angel de Miraflores development on Mijas Costa before the assailant caught and killed him, escaping in a waiting BMW X-3. Up to fifteen shots were fired. The stolen car was later found and the attacker had tried to burn it. Police intelligence led to the arrest of another Irish national resident on the Costa del Sol, identified as James Q. Investigators say that the shooting was down to rivalry between criminal gangs linked to drugs and operating internationally that has led to several other deaths. Prosecutors say that James Q was working for one of the gangs and had a luxury lifestyle in Spain that was not in keeping with his declared earnings. The permanent life sentence is meant to be used in especially horrific crimes, for example child murder or organised crime assassinations. Opposition MPs are currently calling for it to be revoked and so far it has only be asked for some four times in Spain, for example against a man that killed his daughters with a chainsaw, a Brazilian man who killed his relatives and a man who brutally raped and killed a woman in a Seville park. Yesterday, 8 March, International Women's Day, saw some of the biggest demonstrations and rallies in recent years in Spain. Women all over the country had been called to join a feminist strike, with the main unions supporting a two-hour stoppage and others calling a 24-hour strike. According to trade unions, more than five million workers went on strike across the country calling for equality, without which, as many banners read in demonstrations throughout the day, there can be no freedom. Malaga city centre on Thursday. / FERNANDO GONZALEZ The strike is a turning point in the feminist campaign for equality, said the secretary general of the UGT union, Pepe Alvarez, at the demonstration on Thursday morning in Madrid's Cibeles square. His counterpart in the country's other main union CCOO, Unai Sordo, described the day as historic as this was an unprecedented strike. Otherwise invisible domestic workers were encouraged to hang aprons on balconies for two hours In the province of Malaga the strike was noted most among public sector workers, especially in education and healthcare. There was little activity, save protest rallies, on the university campus, while stoppages were held on the PTA (technology park) and the Palacio de Justicia (court building). Similar protests took place on the steps of hospitals and domestic workers were encouraged to hang aprons on their balconies for two hours as a sign that they had stopped working. Meanwhile demonstrators gathered in the centres of cities and towns around the country. The rally organised in Malaga's Plaza de la Constitucion on Thursday morning attracted thousands more than expected. The spectator stand being set up for the Holy Week processions, which fills most of the central square, was the scene of an incident when a group of women climbed onto the steps. There were tense moments when they were removed from the stands by Local Police officers for safety reasons. Slogans chanted included: resistance, sexism is also terrorism, or fighting is the only way, as more and more women joined the march. Some city buses were forced to turn around after demonstrators sat in the road near the Marques de Larios monument. This was only a prelude, however, to the main protest march which started in the city centre on Thursday evening. Similar rallies took place in towns around the province. In Coin 300 people gathered in the Plaza de la Alameda where a manifesto was read in favour of equality. In Torremolinos female municipal workers gathered outside the town hall while a similar stoppage took place outside the Casa de la Cultura in Arroyo de la Miel. In Marbella, a crowd of around 400 people gathered in the Plaza de los Naranjos in a festive atmosphere. The mayor Angeles Munoz said she had cleared her agenda for two hours out of respect for the women who wanted to draw attention to their fight for equality. The area around El Chorro has always had an exceptional environmental importance, as those who have lived near its gorges and mountains and others who have studied its flora and fauna can confirm, and its bird life is especially interesting. Nowadays different institutions take action to preserve and protect this diversity, but that has not always been the case. For example lammergeiers (bearded vultures) and other species were especially coveted by naturalists from abroad, especially the British, who considered plundering their nests to be the only means of conservation. Today there are no lammergeiers to be seen around the Caminito del Rey, but what happened to their eggs at El Chorro? To understand what happened, we need to look back at the 19th century, a time when numerous British people, such as soldier William Willoughby Cole Verner, decided to study the natural environments in different countries. Verner, in particular, spent a great deal of his life in southern Spain, collating information for his numerous works, which included 'My life among wild birds in Spain' (1905). This passionate conservationist took many British people and those of other nationalities to plunder live birds and eggs, and in many cases they were assisted by local experts. It has not been proven that this continual activity during decades was the cause of the disappearance of several species at El Chorro, but it is highly probable that they were linked. Saturnino Moreno, who has recently retired as the head of the Malaga regional government's environmental programmes, says lammergeier eggs are on display in at least 13 museums around the world. One of them, taken from the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge (below the Caminito del Rey) is at the Alexandre Koening museum in Germany. There is another example from El Chorro in the same museum, which was collected in January 1889. Maintaining diversity Visitors to the National Museum in London will find another lammergeier egg, which was picked up in the Sierra de Cornicabra, behind the Mesas de Villaverde at El Chorro. Moreno points out that local people used to help the experts who wanted to reach the nests, which was surprising considering that the explorers believed the only way of conserving the species was to remove them from the area, because they didn't think the locals were capable of looking after them. This paradox is the reason that lammergeiers no longer fly over the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes gorge (the last reference to one was in 1921, by the Duke of Medinaceli, a keen hunter, in his memoirs). It is likely that this solitary bird will never return to what used to be its home. The Catalan parliament will meet on Monday, 12 March, to formally debate for the first time since last December's elections who should be the next president of the regional government. Last Thursday, 1 March, the ousted ex-president, Carles Puigdemont, announced that he was stepping aside to try to unlock the political deadlock. Puigdemont, although leader of Junts per Catalunya, the largest group of separatist regional MPs, is in self-imposed exile in Belgium and faces arrest if he returns to Spain for his part in the alleged rebellion linked to last October's declaration of Catalan independence. Jodi Sanchez in October. / EFE Who is Jordi Sanchez? The candidate to be new president of Catalonia hasn't been seen since last October when he was refused bail as part of the inquiry into the illegal declaration of independence. Sanchez, 53, took over as leader of the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), a civic movement working for Catalan independence, in 2015. As such, he was a key voice urging regional MPs to declare independence last year. Investigators say that Sanchez, as well as Jordi Cuixart of the Omnium Cultural group, were behind violent protests in Barcelona to disrupt police searches of offices in September. Sanchez no longer leads ANC but recently stood as a regional MP, despite being in jail. The wearing of a yellow ribbon in support of the two Jordis and other detainees has even caused controversy in Britain, where Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has been crticised by the FA for displaying the symbol. In one of his now familiar video messages, he said that he was stepping aside in favour of Jordi Sanchez as candidate to be Catalan president. Sanchez, (see panel), was number two for Junts per Catalunya on the electoral list in the December election, and therefore the natural choice as alternative to be president. However Sanchez is currently held in jail outside Madrid as part of the same ongoing rebellion and sedition investigation. While Puigdemont went to Belgium, Sanchez was one of the leaders of the Catalan nationalist movement that stayed in Spain and was arrested for fear that he might continue to offend. Top courts rule on legality Technically Sanchez is in a better position to be candidate for the regional presidency than Puigdemont, as he is still in Spain and, as he is only in jail as a preventative measure and hasn't been tried, is still entitled to be a Catalan MP. On Tuesday, Sanchez asked to be released to attend the debate and vote next Monday, saying his continued detention was affecting his human rights and interfering with the running of the Catalan government, which still has some of its autonomous powers suspended by Madrid. The Constitutional Court quickly said no to the request and the Supreme Court is due to give its separate decision on the request on Monday, the same day that Sanchez is due in Barcelona. Radical separatist party, CUP, has said it won't support a Sanchez candidacy as he has recently promised a judge to work for independence within the law. Its votes are needed for the investiture, and on Thursday the other separatist parties presented a radical plan for government to CUP in an effort to get it to change its mind ahead of Monday. Spain continues its march towards becoming a more innovative country. In 2017 the number of new patent registration applications from Spain to the European Patent Office (EPO) grew by 7.6%, some way above the European average of 2.6%. Spain was one of the fastest growing countries looking to safeguard its fresh ideas and inventions, exceeded only by Austria and Denmark in rate of growth. The total 1,676 applications is a Spanish record, according to a report in newspaper ABC. The largest number of applications from Spain came from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (43), the Tecnalia Research & Innovation Foundation (27), Esteve Laboratories (26), Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona (26), Telefonica (26) and Repsol (24). Overall, the EPO received 166,000 applications from around the world in 2017, some 3.9% more on 2016, with a 16.6% increase from China. Catalonia led the way The category with the highest number of Spanish requests was in organic fine chemistry, with a 51.6% increase, followed by electronic machinery, equipment, energy (up 76.6%) and pharmaceutical products. By Spanish region, Catalonia led the rankings with 37.6% of the total, followed by Madrid (19.3%) and the Basque Country (12.6%). In terms of patents, 2017 has been a positive year for Europe, said EPO president Benoit Battistelli. European companies made more requests to register patents than ever before. Spain is still a long way behind the top three European countries, Switzerland, France and Germany, in number of applications. It is an 18th century mansion and it stands on a corner in the Plaza de Las Flores, in the town centre. It is known as the Casa de Las Tejerinas because it was once owned by sisters Carmen and Francisca Tejerina. In the 20th century it was visited by several important figures in literature, such as Gonzalo Torrente Ballester, who described the building and the life of the sisters who owned it in his 'Cuadernos de La Romana'. Francisca donated the building to the Charity Hospital, but it was abandoned during the 1960s. The local authority later took it over and used it for different purposes; first of all it became a professional training centre, with classrooms and offices, and then it was a library and cultural building and also housed the local radio and TV stations. Jose Maria Guerrero, the councillor for Heritage, says the works carried out to accommodate these facilities resulted in the building losing its essence; it looked more like an office building than a historic monument. The present council restored the building in 2011 and for five years it housed the art collection of comedian Angel Garo, which included drawings by Lorca, Alberti and Walt Disney and imagery created by different artists. The Casa de las Tejerinas has now become an art museum known as MAD (Museo de Arte de la Diputacion) and is the second in Malaga province to display works owned by the provincial government (the first is in Antequera). Works have been carried out to make it accessible to people with reduced mobility; in fact, the most expensive part of the project was the installation of a lift in one of the patios, giving access to the exhibition rooms on the upper floor. Among the building's most interesting features are the colonnaded central patio, the impressive main entrance with a balcony above, and the arcaded tower on the top level. Jose Maria Guerrero says the MAD is a major step forward for Estepona in terms of culture as well as providing a connection with the Diputacion's art collection. There will be a permanent display (renewed every two years) and as the exhibition only contains paintings, there is plenty of space for book presentations, talks, theatre performances and conferences. If a museum only has one collection, it ends up being a storeroom for art and people will visit it once or maybe two times, but they won't come back again, says the councillor, who explains that the aim of the MAD is to have a powerful permanent exhibition plus temporary displays and cultural events. At the moment, visitors can see works produced during the last 18 years by a group of artists, many of them fromAndalucia, such as Dadi Dreucol, Enrique Brinkmann, Chema Lumbreras and Jose Carlos Casado (Malaga); Santiago Idanez (Jaen), Chema Cobo (Tarifa), and Miki Leal (Seville). Other artists include Judas Arrieta, (Guipuzcoa) and Andres Buforn(Aragon). Altogether the MAD contains 49 works of art out of the more than 2,500 which the provincial government has collected over the years through donations or acquisitions. The Casa de las Tejerinas may have changed its appearance over time, depending on the use to which it has been put, but its soul and spirit have always remained the same. Syracuse, NY -- A DeWitt man accused of murdering his neighbor over drugs has spent stints in jail before for three sex offenses -- one involving an 8-year-old girl, according to public records. Lester Shaffer, 37, of Midler Meadows Trailer Park, was arraigned today on a first-degree murder charge after police said he stabbed Lyle "Bubba" Lyons Jr. to death in December over drugs. Shaffer faces the harshest murder charge under law because he's accused of killing Lyons during the course of a robbery. He could be sent to prison without any chance of parole if convicted. Shaffer and his girlfriend, Ashley Rodriguez, were found trying to sell drugs suspected to have been taken from Lyons' home, police said. Lyons was discovered dead after his family expressed concern that he hadn't been heard from in nearly two days, police said. Shaffer has previously been convicted of sex crimes on three separate occasions, according to the state's sex offender registry. Two of those convictions came in 2015 and he was sentenced to a year in jail. In those cases, he's accused of forcibly touching 17-year-old girls in 2012 and 2014, according to records. The third came in 1998, when he was convicted of sex abuse for having "deviate sexual intercourse" with an 8-year-old girl. For that, he was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 4 1/2 years on probation, records show. Shaffer has been a registered sex offender for many years and is rated Level 3 -- meaning he is considered the highest risk of re-offending. ITHACA, N.Y. -- Police are searching for two suspects after a man was shot early Friday morning in an Ithaca home. A woman called 911 at 1:38 a.m. and told dispatchers a man had been shot inside a home in the 400 block of Lake Avenue, said the Ithaca Police Department. The woman reported the wounded man was conscious, police said, and two men had fled from the scene. "This does not appear to be a random incident," said Lt. John Jolly. "However, the investigation is ongoing." Officers rushed to the Lake Avenue home and found the injured man. After speaking to witnesses, officers gathered evidence and a description of the suspects, police said. The injured man was transported by Bangs Ambulance to a hospital. He is in stable condition, police said. Here's how police described the suspects: Suspect one Suspect two Ithaca police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call (607) 272-3245 or submit a tip through the department's website. Stand-up comedian, New York Times bestselling author and talk show host Chelsea Handler is coming to Syracuse University to take part in a New York Times conversation series on April 5. "Get with the Times: Fearlessly Forward" is a live-event series that brings vital issues to students across college campuses. Megan Twohey, one of the New York Times journalists who broke the story about the sexual harassment allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, will moderate the event at Syracuse University, which will be broadcast live to watch parties on more than 50 college campuses around the country. Handler announced in October that she was leaving her Netflix talk show "Chelsea" in order to become more politically active. In a statement on Twitter regarding her departure from the talk-show circuit, she wrote, "Like so many across the country, the past presidential election and the countless events that have unfolded since have galvanized me. From the national level down to the grassroots, it's clear our decisions at the ballot box next year will mark a defining moment for our nation." Handler hosted the popular late-night show "Chelsea Lately" on E! from 2007 until 2014. The author of five bestselling books, Handler was honored by Glamour magazine in 2011 as one of its Women of the Year. She is also active with the organization EMILY'S List, a committee that helps women get elected into office. Last year, Tony Award-winning actor and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. participated in the "Get with the Times" series at UCLA with New York Times reporter Yamiche Alcindor. Handler's speech at Syracuse University is for students and staff only and will not be open to the public. Save SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- City Hall is trying to improve the design and character of Syracuse by rethinking one of its most bureaucratic tools: zoning. A group of policy wonks has spent nearly three years updating Syracuse's archaic maze of zoning ordinances, a taxonomy first created in 1922. It's one of the most complex, tedious and thankless issues on the agenda for city officials -- an overhaul whose full effects won't likely be felt for a generation. The ReZone Syracuse project began in 2015 under former Mayor Stephanie Miner. In short, it's an effort to clarify, modernize and standardize the rules for how, where and what people can build in the city. That includes everyone from major developers to your neighbor who wants to erect a fence. Today, Mayor Ben Walsh, who was part of the plan's original advisory committee, will release the consolidated draft plan for ReZone. It's the latest step on the way toward adoption. Walsh's administration hopes to have the plan approved by the Common Council before the end of the year. The new zoning rules, in that case, would be in place in time for the reconstruction of Interstate 81. In a meeting with the syracuse.com editorial board Thursday, Walsh acknowledged that zoning isn't an easy topic for the average person to get excited about. But he said ReZone will be critical to improving quality of life in city neighborhoods. "Whether it's a corner store going in down the street from you or a building going up...if we don't get it right, it has long-lasting implications on our community," he said. ReZone Syracuse will update, simplify and codify the city's zoning ordinances, which haven't had a complete overhaul since 1967. It also aims to streamline the process for project approval -- a notoriously sluggish process that can be vexing for businesses and property owners. For example, if you wanted to add a pool or deck to your home, the city would offer clear graphics and guidelines on where and what you can build. Those aren't available now, and usually require consultation with city officials. For developers, it means taking the guess work out of what can and can't be built in a given area. Many projects now require a special zoning board's approval, since they aren't explicitly allowed for in the city's original ordinances. Things like microbreweries or doggy daycare, for example, weren't a part of urban life when the zoning rules were written. They're commonplace in today's cities, but if you want to open one here, you need to jump through hoops. The new ordinances would establish clear permissions for those kinds of businesses. ReZone also pares the number of zoning districts from 30 to 15 and provides a clear, precise map showing each district. "You're going to get more vibrant neighborhoods," said Zoning Administrator Heather Lamendola. "We're trying to make sure we don't have design that isn't up to our standards, because right now we have nothing." You won't notice any differences in the city right away. In fact, it will probably take decades before the impact of the zoning plan becomes widely evident, according to City Planner Owen Kerney. There are, however, some immediate impacts, such as improving the permitting process. The new zoning laws will have a major impact on new construction along the Interstate 81 corridor, once demolition on the highway begins. No matter the chosen alternative for replacing the viaduct, development is imminent along its route. The city wants that corridor to share attractive design elements and enhance the character of the area. Kerney said better zoning could also encourage development in under-utilized areas along I-81. He pointed to property just east of I-81 between Erie Boulevard and East Genesee Street. The area was housing until the 1940s. Now, it's mostly vacant land. "We've got an area between the business engines of Central New York...that's largely undeveloped and ripe for redevelopment and investment, but is still zoned residential," he said. "This is incongruent." The new ReZone plan will need approval from the Common Council, which will likely take up the issue in the fall. Kerney said the council has been involved in the process at every step. A final plan is expected this summer from City Hall. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Next week, city officials will host a public meeting about efforts to overhaul zoning ordinances. The meeting comes three days after officials released a 270-page draft report on those efforts, dubbed "ReZone Syracuse." The sweeping plan updates and clarifies Syracuse's archaic zoning rules. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 12 at the City Hall Commons Atrium, 201 E. Washington St. There will be additional meetings in neighborhoods throughout the month. Owen Kerney, assistant director for city planning, said Thursday the city has hosted upwards of 80 public hearings over the last two years about the ReZone project. Officials Friday released their consolidated draft plan for the new zoning laws. You can read the entire report at syrgov.net. The Syracuse March for Our Lives will begin at noon on March 24 at the Everson Museum of Art. UPDATE: Hundreds expected downtown Saturday at Syracuse March For Our Lives The shots fired in Parkland, Fla. were heard in school hallways around the country. In response, a group of Syracuse students are spearheading a local march in solidarity with the survivors. On Valentine's Day, 17 students and staff members walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and did not return home. A 19-year-old former student was arrested and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder enacted with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle. Phylicia Latorre, a 17-year-old junior at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, watched as students from Parkland began speaking out in the media asking for stricter gun control laws. When she saw that Syracuse didn't have an organized affiliation with the Parkland students' movement, she texted her friends to help her start a local march. The result of her text: March for Our Lives Syracuse will take place at on March 24 at the Everson Museum of Art, to coincide with the national march planned in Washington, D.C. The Facebook event page created by Latorre and her friends exploded within days, receiving far more attention than the students envisioned. Originally, the group submitted a permit application for the event with an anticipated maximum of about 200 attendees. To their surprise, the Facebook page quickly gathered over 2,500 marked as interested in the march. Local organizations offered their perspectives and assistance as the students re-applied for the permits for the demonstration, built the program for the event and spread the word. The mayor's office has been working with the students to secure the proper permits. Latorre described the march her group is planning as "a way for student to show solidarity all across the country. "It's about knowing you have this voice and you can speak out and you can change things," she said. "We're just trying to give students a voice because they're the ones being affected by this," said fellow student organizer Aishwarya Varakantam. A younger generation takes on gun violence The young women planning the community event are all 16 or 17 years old. While some voices within the national conversation about gun control claim that young, non-voting Americans cannot have informed opinions on the matter, the local students see their youth as their right to speak out. "I find it disrespectful to the Parkland survivors because they experienced this trauma firsthand. For someone to debunk their voice and not listen to what they have to say- I don't understand how someone can act that way," said group member Sydney Schulman. "I hope that people see us as an extension of them- we're behind them." Rachel Krul added: "Adults now-a-days didn't have to grow up in a time where lockdown drills were a thing in elementary schools. As kids and teenagers who directly experience that, to say that that we don't know anything the effects of these shootings is a little patronizing and an attempt to silence us." "With social media, what wouldn't we know? We're so connected," said Latorre. While the CBA students made their thoughts on gun control clear, their opinions aren't the focus of the rally. Rather, their objective is to create a space for honest and direct conversation between people with whatever beliefs they may hold. "We want to make sure all different voices are being heard, and that our movement is as intersectional as possible and includes urban populations, rural, suburban, and includes all kids and families" said Schulman. Students to speak at march Before opening the mic to anyone in attendance, a few keynote speakers will address the crowd. All of them will be students. The organizers have something to say regarding almost every angle of the national debate on gun control. They talked age restrictions, the general gun problem in Syracuse, the legality of bump stocks, checks on guns already purchased, the president's Tweets, lockdown drill policies and more. In particular, the students have a lot to say about the idea of arming teachers. "If I was in a classroom and knew the teacher had a gun in the classroom, I would altogether feel like the environment is unsafe," said Jessa Davidson. Latorre said that a teacher's job is difficult enough without having the responsibility of physically defending students with a weapon. Also, schools don't have the resources to buy guns. "Education is already so underfunded in this country. I think it's a little ludicrous to expect that we'll simply find that money or take that money from another area to train and arm teachers" agreed Krul. The young women from CBA also expressed concern over the widespread notion that mental health and gun violence are closely intertwined. Krul said that while mental health resources are underfunded and misunderstood, the issue is used as a scapegoat after mass violence. She said she finds it disrespectful that mental health is only brought to national attention in the context of mass shootings. "Something needs to be done, and now" The student activists say they think about these issues because they have to; for them, the looming fear of gun violence is real. Latorre said that people her age commonly think through what their course of action would be during an active shooter situation. During drills, she thinks endlessly about the "what ifs." What if she were in the bathroom during a shooting? What if by hiding from one window, she is visible through another? "There's no number of precautions you can make to be fully safe," agreed Schulman. "The only way is to prevent guns." In the days since the Parkland shooting, threats of mass shootings have increased across the country. In Central New York alone, authorities have responded to threats at more than 10 schools since the Parkland shooting. For current students, the fear of gun violence is something they grew up with. They are the generation that as children, saw the Sandy Hook shooting unfold on television. The young women from CBA said they are frustrated that since then, there has been little improvement to gun safety in the U.S. According to Schulman, the March For Our Lives campaign should not be about partisan politics - it's about keeping children from dying. "This is a movement for people. Not for conservatives or liberals," Krul added. The rest of the group agreed. "Something needs to be done, and now," said Schulman. "Basic human rights are not a hot button issue," she said. Save Save Save Save Save New York should join 37 other states and the District of Columbia that have instituted early voting. The Legislature should do it this year, so that it can be tested in the 2019 off-year election and fully operational by the 2020 presidential election. Early voting is among the policy initiatives contained in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed 2018-19 state budget. Cuomo budgeted $7 million to help pay for counties to open one polling site for every 50,000 voters. The governor is calling for polling places to be open for 12 days before Election Day, including weekend hours; some legislative proposals call for fewer days of early voting. The number of days is less important than the concept. Stretching out voting over one or two weeks gives voters the ability to fit a trip to the polling place around their work, school and family obligations. Now, if you are stuck at school or work on Election Day and can't get to the polls on time, you are disenfranchised. Early voting also would reduce Election Day lines at polling places; give poll workers more time to sort out voter registration errors; and reduce the impact that bad weather on Election Day can have on voter turnout. Increasing voter participation is what early voting is all about. Only 57 percent of eligible New York voters cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential election - the eighth-worst turnout in the nation. The numbers are even more dismal for off-year and primary elections. We believe voting is a right and an obligation of citizenship. Simply giving voters more time will encourage more of them to vote. The more people participating in elections, the better for our democracy. We would urge New York to go even farther, and move to all-mail elections, as Washington State, Oregon and Colorado have done. But we know such a huge leap would not happen quickly or easily. Early voting can be achieved right now. Let's achieve it. Here are two more proposals we support that have been kicking around Albany for years. Cuomo included them in his budget, which may raise their chances of passing: Child Victims Act: Justice for sex abuse survivors The current statute of limitations gives survivors of child sexual abuse five years from the time they turn 18 to bring a criminal complaint; civil lawsuits must be brought within three years of age 18. Abuse survivors often do not come to terms with the trauma until much later than that. Cuomo's version of the Child Victims Act - tougher than the bill he supported last year - would allow criminal prosecution anytime of a sexually related felony that was committed against a child under age 18. It would extend the statute of limitations for civil claims to 50 years from the date of the offense. The legislation also would open a one-year window to allow past victims who were shut out by the statute of limitations to sue. They would still have to prove their claims to a judge. Opponents of the Child Victims Act - among them the Catholic Church, Orthodox Jewish groups and the Boy Scouts of America - have lobbied hard against it, fearing a flood of lawsuits. Catholic dioceses in New York City, Syracuse and Buffalo initiated compensation programs for victims of pedophile priests, which critics see as an effort to limit their liability. The opposition of these groups prevents all sexual abuse survivors -- not just those harmed by priests or scout leaders -- from seeking justice. It's time to give survivors their day in court. Secure Choice: An easy way to save for retirement Everybody knows we're not saving enough for retirement. Research by AARP has shown that you're 15 times more likely to save if it's through an automatic payroll deduction. Yet some 3.5 million New Yorkers working in the private sector don't have access to an automatic retirement savings plan, such as a 401(k). Legislation contained in the governor's budget would create a Secure Choice Savings Program for retirement savings. Employers would have the option of joining it on behalf of their employees. The only cost to the business would be adding a line to the pay stub. The cost to the state would be negligible. A private financial services company would be chosen to administer the retirement plan, similar to how the state's 529 college savings plan works. The more people save for retirement, the less taxpayers will have to support them in their old age. Giving workers an easy, cheap, automatic way to save for retirement sounds like a no-brainer to us. Syracuse.com editorials Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Stephen Cvengros and Marie Morelli. To respond to this editorial: Post a comment below, or submit a letter or commentary to . Read our If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion leader, at Washington -- Former President Barack Obama is in talks with Netflix to produce a series of shows for streaming service, according to The New York Times. The Times described the discussions as "advanced," but said terms of the deal are not yet final. Obama and his wife Michelle would both be involved. The exact number of episodes and the format of the shows has also not been finalized. The content would be exclusive to Netflix, which has nearly 118 million subscribers worldwide. The Times said Obama does not plan to use the Netflix shows to directly challenge President Donald Trump or conservatives. But the platform would give Obama an unfiltered method of communication with the public. The Obamas have discussed shows that highlight inspirational stories. Other ideas include discussions moderated by Obama on topics that were major parts of his presidency, such as health care, voting rights, immigration, foreign policy and climate change. Shows could also feature Michelle Obama on topics she pushed in the White House, including nutrition. The Obamas could also lend their brand and endorsement to Netflix documentaries or fictional shows that align with their beliefs and values, the Times said. A Netflix spokesman declined to comment, according to NPR. Netflix has 55 million subscribers in the U.S. The Times reported that Apple and Amazon have also talked with the Obamas about content deals. Obama has close ties to Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer. His wife is an activist who served as Obama's ambassador to the Bahamas. Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, was close to Obama while he was president and attended two state dinners. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112 Howie Hawkins, the Green Party leader from Syracuse who has run for public office without a victory 21 times, said Thursday he's leaning toward a 22nd campaign this year. This time, Hawkins said, he will likely make a bid for New York governor. It would be his third consecutive attempt to defeat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who won in 2010 and 2014. Hawkins, 65, said New York Green Party leaders approached him in January, encouraging him to run for governor. He said he's trying to assemble a campaign team and could announce in late March or early April. "I'm getting the pieces together," Hawkins told syracuse.com on Thursday. "At this point, I'm still a few weeks away. But likely I will announce to seek the Green nomination." Hawkins most recently campaigned as the Green Party candidate for Syracuse mayor last year. Of the five candidates on the ballot, he finished third with 4 percent of the vote. Hawkins received more than 50,000 votes in both of his campaigns for governor, the minimum needed to keep the Green Party on the ballot for state and local races for the past eight years. Hawkins said one difference this year will likely be the amount of time he can spend campaigning across the state. He retired last month from his longtime job at UPS in East Syracuse, where he has worked a night shift since the early 1990s. "This time I'll be able to campaign full-time instead of having to go to work every night," Hawkins said. In addition to his two previous campaigns for governor, Hawkins has run for U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, Syracuse mayor, Syracuse Common Council and city auditor. Hawkins said the Green Party goal in the governor's race is to make sure the party has a ballot line for the next four years, providing a foundation for other Green candidates. The election also serves as a chance to promote the party platform and push candidates like Cuomo to adopt some of the Green issues, Hawkins said. In the last two campaigns for governor, Hawkins pushed for a living wage for workers, a ban on fracking and a millionaires' tax - all positions that Cuomo later adopted as part of his platform. In the 2014 election for governor, Hawkins received 184,419 votes, or about 5 percent of the statewide vote. It was enough to push the Green Party onto the fourth line of the New York ballot, surpassing the Independence and Working Families parties. Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 WASHINGTON -- Lockheed Martin said Friday it will likely add a significant number of jobs to its plant in suburban Syracuse after reaching a deal on a joint venture to supply Germany with an air and missile defense system worth about $4.9 billion. The Lockheed plant at Electronics Park in Salina will engineer and manufacture the surveillance radar for the Medium Extended Air Defense System, or MEADS, that Germany plans to deploy over the next 15 years. Lockheed Martin and European defense firm MBDA Deutschland announced a new joint venture this week that will produce the new air and missile defense system for Germany. The German system, TLVS, will incorporate MEADS, developed in partnership by the United States, Germany and Italy, into new defenses that will replace Germany's aging Patriot missile defense system. Initial plans call for Germany to buy a minimum of eight new systems to replace 12 Patriot units, but details must still be negotiated in a contract expected to be signed by the end of the year, Lockheed Martin officials said. Germany set aside about 4 billion euros ($4.9 billion) for the program after deciding in 2015 to proceed with MEADS, rather than Raytheon's Patriot system, for its future air and missile defense. Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Cheryl Amerine said Friday she could not provide an estimate on the number of new jobs that will be linked to the program at Lockheed Martin's plant in Salina until the final contract is negotiated. But she said the Salina plant is expected to have a "significant workshare" on a surveillance radar that is engineered, developed and manufactured at the Electronics Park complex. The local plant employs about 1,600 people. Amerine said demand for the MEADS radar is expected to grow as other NATO allies modernize their air and missile defenses. "Right now, we are only talking about the German contract," Amerine said. "With Germany as the launch customer for this system, we anticipate that other countries will want this needed capability in the future as well." MEADS provided the single largest radar contract in the history of Lockheed's plant in Salina. The plant received a $625 million share of MEADS development work over nine years. All told, the United States, Germany and Italy invested more than $4 billion developing the system over the course of more than a decade. A key component of the system is the MEADS surveillance radar developed by Lockheed in Salina. The radar can search 360-degrees for incoming missiles, planes and drones, and be hauled around on the back of a truck. Germany's selection of MEADS is significant because it will be the first nation to deploy the missile defense system. Germany is also NATO's lead country for missile defense and helps influence how allies upgrade their defenses. The United States decided not to fully deploy MEADS after initial development delays and cost overruns. But Army officials have said they would like to use some parts of the anti-missile system in future defense programs. As part of Lockheed's joint venture with MBDA, work on the German system will be led from an office in Schrobenhausen, Germany. The companies said related operations in the United States will be based in Syracuse, Dallas and Huntsville, Ala. Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 The following was submitted by Lizz Allers on behalf of CNY Arts: CNY Arts invites students from Central New York high schools and community theater groups to participate in the 2018 Michael Harms Theater Festival. The event will be held April 21, 2018, at Cayuga Community College in Auburn. The annual celebration of youths in theater is a combination of musical and dramatic theater performances, feedback from professional theater educators and professionally-led workshops for both young performers and behind the scenes artists and crew. Schools wishing to participate can register online at weare.cnyarts.org/programs/Michael-harms-theater-festival. Individual students may also register to attend workshops if their school is not attending the festival. Three awards are being offered through the festival this year: Michael Harms Memorial Scholarship for graduating seniors The Redhouse Theatrical Institute scholarship The USITT Technical Theatre Award Student's school need not be registered for the festival in order for them to apply. The Michael Harms Theater festival was created by CNY Arts in 1976 to foster greater interest in theater work by students and teachers in secondary schools. The program has gained wide recognition in the region as a theater experience of great educational value as well as a fun and creative day for students. Students participate in skill-building workshops such as improvisation, auditioning, costume design, and choreography. Theater educators include: Rose Bonczek from Brooklyn College, Maria Marrero from Syracuse University, and Jon Wilson from Syracuse Stage. They will provide constructive feedback on the student performances, followed by an award ceremony to recognize the theatrical achievements of the students. Broome County officials are demanding a New York City agency to stop sending its homeless to the Binghamton area. New York City's Human Resources Administration has been relocating homeless people through a Special One Time Assistance program (SOTA) that provides a year's rent up front. However, local municipalities are forced to pick up the rest of their living expenses. Broome County Executive Jason Garnar held a press conference Thursday. He said the process is illegal and needs to stop immediately. "New York City is avoiding their responsibility to provide these people assistance and transferring their government responsibilities right here to Broome County taxpayers," Garnar said. "One year rent is paid up front by New York City, then New York City abandons them and they now become the responsibility of Broome County." The Broome County Department of Social Services have identified five cases where New York City transferred its responsibilities by paying a local landlord one year's rent in advance. DSS discovered the situation when the families arrived to apply for SNAP food stamps, Medicaid, and utility benefits, all of which they're now legally entitled to. Broome's Deputy County Attorney Howard Schultz believes it's happening throughout Upstate New York. Schultz is asking New York City officials to cease the SOTA program, compensate Broome for the additional benefit costs, and take the families back. "These families should have never been basically excommunicated from New York City," said Schultz. "New York City has a homeless problem. Broome County, and every county to some degree, has a homeless problem. Broome County takes its homeless problem seriously and not cynically like New York City does." Schultz said he expects answers from New York City officials by early next week. NEW YORK CITY -- As the seventh week of the New York corruption trial comes to a close, jurors have not yet reached a verdict. The jury of seven women and five men has spent about 31 hours over six days deliberating the bribery charges against former top governor's aide Joseph Percoco and Syracuse businessmen Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi. Three jurors earlier this week asked to be let off the case, but after a snow day Wednesday, the jurors came back with questions, requests for transcripts and even an occasional smile. Today, the jurors' questions revolved around the part of the trial that does not involve the Syracuse defendants. Jurors asked to hear read-backs of transcripts pertaining to the alleged Competitive Power Ventures bribery scheme. Percoco is accused of accepting bribe money from an energy company executive, through a "low-show" job for his wife in the company's education outreach program. In a separate alleged scheme, Cor Development executives Aiello and Gerardi are accused of paying bribes to Percoco in exchange for favors in state government. The jury will resume its deliberations Monday at 9 a.m. Syracuse.com is covering the trial from Manhattan. Check back for updates. Read our continuing coverage of the trial Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 A 44-year-old Ohio man was arrested by the Secret Service near the White House late Thursday after he assaulted a police officer and resisted arrest, authorities said. Peter S. Theado of Elyria, Ohio, was also charged with threats to do bodily harm and destruction of property. According to a D.C. police report, around 8:40 p.m., Theado was near the East Executive Avenue entrance of the White House grounds and demanded to get inside. When he was told he wasn't allowed in, he "became agitated and punched an officer in the head with a closed fist," the report said. Officers fought with him, and he was taken into custody, police said. While in custody, he threatened one of the officers. Theado was taken to a hospital for injuries he sustained during the fight, police said. He was treated and released into police custody. Operations at the White House were not affected, according to the Secret Service. This is the third incident outside the White House this year. In 2017, there were more than a dozen incidents that included bomb scares, breaches and incidents outside the White House security fence. Last week, a 26-year-old Alabama resident fatally shot himself outside the White House. And a Tennessee woman was arrested and charged February 23 after officials said she tried to drive her vehicle through a White House barricade. The woman, who had stopped taking psychiatric medication, believed her fiance and four children were being housed in the executive mansion, according to a government evaluation and court documents. Syracuse, N.Y. -- A third nor'easter in 10 days could strike the East Coast early next week, but early indications are that it won't have much impact on Upstate New York. Most computer model forecasts show the storm will be far enough south to avoid a major hit like the two storms over the past week. "At this time, we feel there is a better than 50/50 percent chance the worst of the storm will stay to the south and east of New York City," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek. The storm track could shift farther west as it moves across the Southeast and toward the Carolinas over the weekend. If that happens, snow could fall farther inland as it moves up the New England coast Monday and Tuesday. "There continue to be some model runs that bring the storm close enough to strike a glancing blow," said the National Weather Service's Albany office. That could bring some light to moderate snow for the Hudson Valley, the weather service said. The storm could also generate some lake effect snow in Central and Western New York. It could park off the Maine coast, as today's storm is doing, and send counter-clockwise winds across the Great Lakes to produce some lake effect snow through Wednesday. Like the last two storms that went through, this one is also likely to keep cold air locked in over Upstate New York for much of next week. Most of Upstate won't see 40 degrees until about Friday. Stay tuned to our weather page for updates, as this forecast could change as the storm approaches. Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251 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 ... LR ties up with Hanseaticsoft Lloyds Register has teamed up with Hamburg-based maritime software provider, Hanseaticsoft. Hanseaticsofts cloud-based shipmanagement software, cloud fleet manager,has been developed to bring efficiency to shipping companies process management, delivering teamwork worldwide, digitalisation of vessel audits in real-time on tablet or smartphone and intuitive handling of all applications. The shipping sector is subject to complex process management with numerous tasks arising both onshore and on board vessels with multiple team involvement. Shipping companies are often confronted with the problem that information doesnt exist uniformly or is incomplete. This leads to even simple information processes taking up a lot of valuable time. Employees of shipping companies, external agencies and seafarers need to work in an inter-connected way to exchange data in real-time enabling the management of all processes efficiently and reliably, LR said. By offering a single, web-based source of information for all employees, as well as the seafarers and external partners, cloud fleet manager not only ensures that everybody can work on reliable and consistent data but also extra work like the requesting and forwarding of information can be drastically reduced. The software suite comprises more than 25 applications, among others - purchase, inspections & audits, schedule & agents, crewing, charter, risk assessment and maintenance. The system centralises data and makes it available for all involved parties in their browser, regardless of time or location. The interface of the cloud-based solution is designed to be easy-to-use and can be handled intuitively by every employee. Distinctive icons and colour coding support the design and help to flag urgent actions and to set priorities. Alexander Buchmann, Hanseaticsoft managing director, said: The cloud is being embraced by some of the worlds leading shipping companies who are taking advantage of increasingly affordable and accessible cloud platforms to implement smarter, faster and more effective processes. Having up-to-date and reliable information available in real time supports better decision making, helps companies reduce costs, increases the return on investment and drives economies of scale from a single ship to the fleet. Often for the first time, shipping company employees, external agencies and crews at sea can work collaboratively and share up-to-date, critical business information and manage all their processes in an efficient, accurate and reliable way. The technological revolution within the shipping industry is already underway for these early adopters. Its expected that more companies will follow their lead over the next few years in a bid to gain competitive edge and ensure their long-term survival and profitability, he said. David Barrow, LRs director, innovation, marketing and sales, marine and offshore, said: We will be working closely with Hanseaticsoft this year to support our clients on their digital journey. Hanseaticsoft is one of the major players in the industry offering innovative technology solutions and fresh perspectives that significantly improve business performance and we are pleased to be able to offer their services to our clients. Graphene, also known as the wonder material, shows yet another sign of innovation. Scientists were able to turn it into a new kind of superconductor by putting two graphene layers on top of one another to conduct electrons. The best part? Zero resistance. Electricity with no resistance could be a groundbreaking turning point for the landscape of electronics. If it's somehow possible to consume less energy to move electric charge, electronics could perform more efficiently and be less expensive to run. This saves energy costs and might even help researchers come up with better quantum computers. Conducting Electrons With Zero Resistance So how was this possible? Well, according to a group of researchers from MIT, Harvard, and Japan's National Institute for Materials Sciences, it's all because of a slight twist. The incredible thing about this slight twist is that the researchers stumbled upon it by accident. "It was a very unexpected discovery, having worked with graphene for a long time," said Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, an MIT scientist, noting that what they had created has "very similar characteristics to high-temperature superconductors that remain to be understood." They were actually exploring what an orientation known as the "magic angle" 1.1 degrees would do to graphene. There are theories suggesting that offsetting atoms in layers of 2D material would cause interesting electron behavior but scientists had no idea what "interesting" in this sense meant. The researchers put two sheets of graphene, applied a small electric field, and they realized it had become a superconductor. They tried other experiments to see if they would get the same results. They did. Graphene continued to exhibit these properties in other experiments. "We have produced all of this in different devices and measured it with collaborators. This is something in which we're very confident," said Jarillo-Herrero. Magic Angle Here's what's happening: In each sheet of graphene, the carbon atoms are found at each corner of a tessellation of hexagon. When two layers are stacked on top of one another and one is slowly twisted, the hexagons form patterns called Moire. This small twist is the so-called magic angle, and it fools the system into thinking that each unit hexagon is far larger. Take a look at the video below to see how this works: Initially, the system was similar to a Mott insulator, but by adding an electric field, it became a superconductor. The researchers published a couple of papers on the subject in Nature. This graphene-based superconductor doesn't follow the rules of typical superconductors. Physicists have long been studying about non-typical superconductors, most of them hoping to finally discover a system that can move electric charge without consuming so much energy. Not only did the researchers achieve superconductivity, but they might have also reached p-wave state, a tremendously powerful form of it. The study might be crucial in the development of a superconductor that's able to function in room temperature, as most of them only work under near-absolute zero temperatures, which is costly and highly impractical for large-scale use. This study might be the first step in heading toward a brand-new direction. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. For the past two decades, scientists believed that adults are capable of creating hundreds of new brain cells or neurons per day. However, recent evidence challenges this long-standing theory by suggesting that neurogenesis stops by age 13. In a controversial new study, a team led by University of California San Francisco's Arturo Alvarez-Buylla spent five years collecting brain tissue samples from a total of 59 donors. They were either obtained from the deceased or from epileptic patients who underwent brain surgery. The donors also came from different age groups. Some tissues belonged to fetuses, while others were from seniors between 60 and 77 years of age. Using fluorescent antibodies, the team labeled specific proteins in brain cells at various stages of maturity. Then with a specialized electron microscope, they searched for the presence of young or immature neurons in each sample. Neurogenesis In Hippocampus Slows Down After Birth Based on their observations, scientists discovered that human brains are abundant with progenitor and neural stem cells in early childhood. At birth, an individual has around 1,618 immature neurons in every millimeter of brain tissue. Surprisingly, these cells did not go on to multiply and develop into a layer made of NSCs. From ages one to seven, neurogenesis dropped significantly by 23-fold. Production then stopped completely upon reaching adulthood. Among all the samples studied, the oldest brain tissue that still contained a few immature brain cells belonged to a 13-year-old donor. In contrast, none were found in an 18-year-old's. Gerd Kempermann, co-author of the study and neuroscientist at Germany's Technical University of Dresden, cautions that their findings are not so conclusive. It is entirely possible that samples from older donors have new neurons which were undetected because of the fluorescent antibodies' limitations. Alvarez-Buylla's team only began tagging the samples obtained from deceased donors within 48 hours since the time of death. How soon the brain tissues were processed affected not only the quality of the tissue but also the marker's accuracy. Despite this, the study's lead author stands strongly by the results. "We have done our homework and studied many samples of different ages," says Alvarez-Buylla in a report. The team's findings have been published March 7 in the International Journal of Science: Nature. Adult Neurogenesis Proposed In The 1960s, Not A New Theory Joseph Altman, a biologist, proposed the theory of adult neurogenesis in the 1960s. It states that the human adult brain manufactures new brain cells in the dentate gyrus, a subregion of the hippocampus that is critical for memory. Unfortunately, Altman was not able to conduct further investigation to prove his theory because of all the disbelief it received. The scientific community only accepted his theory in the 1990s when technology allowed the artificial simulation of neurons. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Ozaukee County, Wisconsin for allegedly discriminating against a former nurse assistant by failing to accommodate her religious beliefs. Evidently, the woman was forced to get a flu shot otherwise she would be terminated from her employment. Religious Exemption Ms. Barnell Williams was a nursing assistant at the County-owned Lasata Care Center nursing home when she was faced with a difficult choice. A lawsuit filed by the United States Justice Department against the County states that in the fall of 2016, Williams was advised to get a mandatory flu shot for her job but declined, citing her religious beliefs, and she almost lost her job for it. At the time, Lasata required its employees to get the vaccine, but would exempt those who could provide a letter from a clergy leader to support their request and they would simply have to wear a mask when dealing with patients during the flu season. As it happens, Williams was not a part of any church or organized religion, so despite her strongly held belief, her request for an exemption was denied and she was evidently told that failure to comply with the mandatory vaccination would result in her "voluntary resignation." Further, during the meeting with the Center's highest ranking official, she was allegedly told that if she does not comply, she could "consider this your last day." Williams attempted to write her own explanation letter as to her objection to the vaccination and was even prepared to have friends and family members attest to her sincerity regarding her faith, but she was told that only a letter from a clergy member would be accepted as a verification of her religious stand. Eventually, Williams agreed to take the flu shot so as not to lose her employment. Violation Of Title VII According to the lawsuit, Ozaukee County discriminated against Williams and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, or national origin. By the simple act of only permitting employees with the clergy letter to forgo the mandatory flu shot, they have failed to provide religious accommodation and hence, violated Title VII. The lawsuit states that Williams' former employer discriminated against her and as such must recompense her for her pain and suffering, including the undue hardship they placed on her by requiring a letter before considering to accommodate her religious beliefs. "When employees' religious principles conflict with work rules, they should not have to choose between practicing their religion and keeping their jobs if a reasonable accommodation can be made without undue hardship to the employer," said Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, John Gore. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Purely on a design standpoint, the Samsung Galaxy S9 isn't a drastic change from last year's Galaxy S8, but that's more a fault of the limited number of directions smartphone design can go rather than creative cul-de-sac from the South Korean electronics company. Even still, there's no denying that the Galaxy S9 in itself is a pretty spectacular phone. Just look at the reviews. Sure, it's not a grand step above its predecessor, but for many consumers who upgrade annually, this will be their next phone. Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S8 One can argue that the Galaxy S9 is a phone that corrects some of the mistakes of the Galaxy S8, particularly the fingerprint sensor placement, which is now below the camera instead of beside it. But the most interesting feature of this new phone is its camera. The Galaxy S9 has a sensor with a variable aperture, meaning it can change its aperture on the fly to allow more light in, as photographers would on DSLRs. At f/1.5, both the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus have the widest aperture on a phone thus far, beating the LG V30's f/1.6 opening. Galaxy S9 Specs On the specs department, the phone gets a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip, up to 6 GB of RAM depending on the model, and up to 256 GB of onboard storage. This is a phone every Android fan will most certainly love. Oh, and it's even got a headphone jack, which is a rarity these days. With everything above in mind, is the Galaxy S9 worth an upgrade for users who already have an S8? How about those looking to replace their clunky old phones? Should they spend a fortune for a Galaxy S9 or look for a discounted Galaxy S8 instead? Check out some review excerpts from several critics below: Wired: "If you're on last year's Galaxy S8 or an iPhone 8, you're not going to get a whole lot out of this phone. But if you're struggling along on something significantly older, the S9 will feel like a huge upgrade." The Verge: "Owners of the S8 probably don't need to upgrade this go-around the differences aren't great enough to warrant splurging on the S9 but if you're using a Galaxy S7 or any other phone from two years ago, the S9 is a significant step up in every respect." CNET: "The Galaxy S9 is a nice incremental upgrade, but its low-light camera isn't a game changer and some new features fall far behind the iPhone X. S8 owners can skip, but it's a good upgrade from older Androids." TechRadar: "The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a great phone, but one that hasn't really kicked on from the Galaxy S8, bringing a very similar design and screen to 2017's version. The improved biometrics were sorely needed, and the camera is a leap forward, but the amazing low light capabilities have resulted in sacrifices elsewhere. A top, top phone, but the S9 Plus outshines it." BGR: "Samsung's new Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are impressive phones, to say the least. They pack a tremendous amount of power into a wonderfully elegant design, even though that design is a spitting image of last year's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ ... It's certainly not as exciting as seeing a flagship phone launch with a brand new design, but the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are still two of the most stunning smartphones in the world. If Apple can get away with reusing its iPhone 6 design for four consecutive years, Samsung can't really be faulted for reusing its Galaxy S8 design a second time." The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are launching in March 16. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. PNG quake toll rises above 100 as PM warns of long recovery Sydney, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 The death toll from an earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea last month has topped 100 with thousands injured, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said Friday, warning it will take years for the region to recover. The Pacific nation's mountainous interior was struck by a 7.5-magnitude tremor on February 26, triggering landslides that blocked roads, caused power outages and cut off villages. Communities have also been rattled by strong aftershocks, sparking fears among disenchanted and suspicious residents that the shaking was somehow caused by oil and gas operations in the area. "Tragically, the Highlands earthquake has already claimed the lives of an estimated more than 100 Papua New Guineans, with many more still missing and thousands of people injured," O'Neill said. The premier has visited the devastated region and said his government and aid agencies were focused on delivering clean water, food and shelter to victims, and restoring electricity and communications. "There will be no quick fix, the damage from this disaster will take months and years to be repaired," he said. "The social damage to our communities is large, and this earthquake will be the source of sadness and sorrow for generations to come," the prime minister added, describing the plight of one woman who lost six relatives including children. "This is a story of tragedy and loss that is repeated in village after village throughout the disaster area." The remote Southern Highlands region is home to the impoverished country's biggest-ever development -- the US$19 billion PNG LNG project operated by US energy giant ExxonMobil. Traumatised villagers are suspicious of the plant's operators and fearful they might have been using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and destabilised the rock structure underneath, the Post-Courier reported this week. Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping large quantities of water and chemicals at high pressure deep into the Earth to fracture rock to stimulate the flow of natural gas or oil. "I don't want the project to resume its operation until the company is cleared of suspicion of any responsibility," Hela province's governor Philip Undialu told the newspaper. O'Neill said while there was no evidence that energy developments in the Southern Highlands and Hela provinces had anything to do with the quake, he had asked the Australian government to conduct an independent review. He told the Post-Courier that he went to Hela's capital Tari on Wednesday and "they wanted an independent review and report on what is happening". Canberra said in a statement to AFP that Geoscience Australia -- the government agency that monitors and analyses earthquakes -- would look into the causes of the tremor. "The Australian government, through Geoscience Australia, has agreed to the PNG government's request to provide advice on the scientific basis of the earthquake and seismic activity in the region," a foreign affairs spokeswoman said. ExxonMobil said Monday it expected its project to be offline for up to eight weeks to repair the quake-hit facilities. PNG's growth is heavily dependent on its natural resources, and O'Neill has said the shutdown of the plant would have a "huge impact on the economy". grk/mp/kaf 11 killed in minibus blaze in Guinea-Bissau Bissau, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 Eleven people died when a minibus became trapped in a forest fire in rural Guinea-Bissau, police and doctors said on Friday. The accident happened on Thursday night, after the overcrowded vehicle left the village of Konkoli, near the capital Bissau, on an 80-kilometer (50-mile) trip to a market in Bissora. "The driver tried to go down a track in a forest which was on fire. There was no visibility because of the smoke and fire," a police official said. "(...) The passengers were trapped and died of suffocation." Police recovered nine bodies, and two people who were injured later died, the official said. Nine others are being treated for injuries. The toll was confirmed by sources at the local hospital. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. At this time of the year, farmers in Guinea-Bissau often set fire to harvest stubble to eliminate weeds, and the blaze can spread from fields to the bush. On January 5, a head-on collision west of Bissau between an overladen minibus and a truck hauling bricks left 18 dead and 14 injured. Hundreds trapped as flooding hits northern Albania Tirana, March 9 (AFP) Mar 09, 2018 The military has been deployed in northern Albania to help hundreds of people trapped by floods following heavy rainfall, authorities said on Friday. More than 9,230 hectares (22,800 acres) of agricultural land is underwater in the Shkodra region, including villages where the only means of transport is by boat, the defence ministry said. Army personnel are evacuating residents and securing food supplies in the affected areas, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, Tirana. The torrential rain in recent days has caused landslides damaging dozens of homes and flooding roads, said the transport ministry. The rain has also forced the Albanian authorities to release excess water from a hydroelectric plant, which has added to the flooding in northern areas of the country. Weather forecasters say the rain is likely to ease from Saturday. The East Baton Rouge Housing Authority has put together a search committee and expects to hire a consulting firm to help find their next director. +7 Baton Rouge Housing Authority votes 'no' on director's contract renewal in fiery meeting A divided East Baton Rouge Housing Authority Board voted Friday against renewing the contract for longtime Executive Director Richard Murray a Housing Authority board members voted late last year against renewing a contract for longtime director Richard Murray. They credited Murray with bringing stability to the agency, but said they were frustrated with him pocketing $52,000 in overpayments and missing an application deadline for a major grant. Murray said he never noticed the overpayments, which amounted to $1,000 extra per paycheck over two years. He paid back the money to the Housing Authority after board members caught the error. Housing Authority board chairwoman Dianna Payton said they hope to find a replacement for Murray by September. He is remaining in his role until his contract runs out in October. Payton said they hope to spend no more than $20,000 on a search firm with experience finding housing executives. Search committee members include: Louisiana Housing Corporations Keith Cunningham; Baton Rouge Chief Administrative Officer Darryl Gissel; HUD consultant Al Gensler; Redevelopment Authority head Chris Tyson; Mid city Development Alliances Sam Sanders; Councilwoman Donna Collins-Lewis; and Housing Authority board members Al Barron and Chris Odinet. Payton will also chair the committee. An appointed judge will determine whether state Judge Don Johnson can continue to hear a lawsuit filed by the head of the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging, whose mother also sits on the bench of the 19th Judicial District Court. Council on Aging Executive Director Tasha Clark-Amar filed a defamation lawsuit last year against the family of a former client of the agency, Helen Plummer. After Plummer died, her family learned that Clark-Amar had been named executor and trustee of the woman's estate. Her will called for the Council on Aging head to collect more than $100,000 over 20 years in her role managing the estate. +2 Council on Aging head Tasha Clark-Amar wants new judge to oversee her defamation case East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Executive Director Tasha Clark-Amar asked Monday that a new judge be assigned to oversee her defamation case Plummer's family said they had never heard of Clark-Amar before and that it was wrong for her to enter into an arrangement where she was receiving steep payments from a former clients estate. Clark-Amar removed herself as trustee, but fired back at the family by suing them, saying their statements caused damage to her reputation. The defamation lawsuit was originally assigned to Clark-Amars own mother, state Judge Janice Clark. Clark then recused herself, as did every other judge in the 19th Judicial District except Johnson. He has since presided over multiple hearings in the case. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up But Clark-Amars attorney filed a motion Feb. 26 eight months after Johnson took over the case asking Johnson to also recuse himself. The attorney, Charlotte McDaniel McGehee, brought up a criminal case that involved the son of former Baton Rouge state Judge Kay Bates. For that matter, the Louisiana Supreme Court ordered in 2013 that all 19th JDC judges recuse themselves and the court appointed a retired judge to preside. Thomas Lockwood, the attorney newly representing Plummers family in the case, sent Johnson a letter Feb. 27 that said he believed Johnson would fairly and honestly adjudicate the case and that there was no need for a recusal. Johnson filed an order March 2 that became publicly available Friday that called for an ad hoc judge to hear Clark-Amars motion for Johnson to recuse himself from the defamation suit. He asked that his order be sent to the state Supreme Court and 19th JDC Chief Judge William Morvant. In a similar recent case in New Orleans, an ad hoc judge ruled Feb. 23 that there was no need for the entire Orleans Parish Criminal District Court bench to recuse themselves from a case involving New Orleans Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell. Cantrells father-in-law is a magistrate judge at the Criminal District Court. Advocate staff file photo by PATRICK DENNIS -- Traffic inches along on heavily traveled Essen Lane between Perkins and I-10 in April. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is on the left side in this view looking toward I-10. East Baton Rouge's top prosecutor released details Friday about a March 2017 incident in which a sheriff's deputy and a suspect were both killed, calling the shooting of the civilian "wholly justified." District Attorney Hillar Moore III explained the sequence of events that led to the deaths of East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputy Lt. Shawn Anderson and suspect Brandon Wiley an encounter that began as an attempt to take Wiley into custody in a rape investigation but quickly escalated. +2 New report on BR deputy killing: Why Anderson went to salon, more on man there On Monday, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office released an affidavit of probable cause, detailing new information on what reportedly Anderson, who was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant posthumously, was called by a sheriff's detective around 10:40 p.m. on March 18, 2017, to assist with an investigation of accusations that Wiley, 30, had raped a 15-year-old girl. Detective Lt. Eric Strickland, identified Friday by Sheriff's spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks, had found Wiley's vehicle at his place of employment, the Classic Cuts hair salon on O'Neal Lane and called for assistance. Anderson quickly responded that he could join Strickland, according to radio calls between the men. When they arrived at the scene, the deputies found Wiley tattooing a juvenile and asked him to step outside to speak with them, Moore said. Moore said after Wiley agreed to speak to the deputies, he began packing up his tattoo supplies, while Strickland moved to call another detective for further support drafting a search warrant. +3 Sgt. Shawn Anderson: What we know about life of slain East Baton Rouge deputy East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy Shawn Anderson, who was slain late Saturday night while conducting an investigation at a barbershop o Meanwhile, Anderson searched the salon for any other dangers, then patted Wiley down. At that point, the detective spotted a weapon holstered on Wiley and shouted 'gun' to alert Anderson, Moore said. At this point, Moore said, Wiley "removed his Glock 23, 40-caliber pistol and brought the gun forward and upward," according to his final report on the investigation. Anderson, in response, tried to immobilize Wiley's arm with the weapon, at which time a physical encounter between the two men ensued over the gun. Wiley then fired three rounds in "close proximity" to Anderson, striking him twice, one shot mortally wounding him, Moore said. Anderson fell to the ground. Wiley then fired a fourth shot in the direction of the Strickland and the juvenile, missing them both, Moore said. The detective returned fire at Wiley, striking him three times, forcing him to fall to the ground, Moore said. Trying to locate Wiley's weapon, Strickland got on top of Wiley, holstered his weapon and searched for the gun underneath Wiley, Moore said. However, Wiley grabbed the detective's arm, so Strickland unholstered his gun and fired again at Wiley, Moore said. The detective then took Anderson's handcuffs and shackled Wiley. Moore's depiction of the incident is based on the investigation of the incident by State Police, which mainly focused on forensic and ballistic evidence and Strickland's statements. The incident was not caught on any video, Moore said. The juvenile inside at the time of the shooting was not facing the incident, only hearing it. In her 911 call, the girl told a dispatcher she didn't see the shootings. "I was facing the other direction," the unidentified juvenile said, sounding frantic. "I just heard it." Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Baton Rouge firefighters who responded to the scene, heard Wiley say "he could not breathe, his handcuffs were too tight, and the whole incident was captured on camera," according to Moore's report. However, the camera investigators found had been set for motion notification, not recording, and had no storage, Moore said. Anderson was pronounced dead at the hospital; Wiley died days later. Strickland and the juvenile were not injured in the incident. BR man involved in shooting death of sheriff's deputy dies from injuries, LSP says Brandon Wiley, the man involved in the shooting death of East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy Sgt. Shawn Anderson, died Tuesday evening, S Moore said State Police Crime Lab investigators were able to match the fatal ammunition to the gun from which it fired to determine who fired which shots. Both weapons used were 40-caliber pistols, however Strickland's was a Glock 22 instead of 23. Moore said the ammunition used was the same brand, but a different type. "It's pretty clear that Mr. Wiley's weapon was the one who shot and killed Shawn Anderson," Moore said. "And (Strickland) killed Mr. Wiley. ... The detective had no choice but to protect himself under these circumstances." Anderson never drew, or fired, his weapon, Moore said. The weapon Wiley used was not stolen, Moore said, though he did not know how he obtained it. Wiley was not legally allowed to possess a firearm because he is a convicted felon. He had a significant criminal rap sheet, including being convicted of aggravated battery, inciting a felony and felon in possession of a firearm. Neither Anderson nor the detective were wearing bulletproof vests, though based on the location of Anderson's fatal wound close to his armpit a vest would not have protected him, Moore said. Moore said in the front pocket of Wiley's shirt that evening, investigators found a printed out document titled 'Suicide by Cop,' calling that "somewhat unusual." He said Wiley's family told him their relative had a history of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as PTSD from an incident while incarcerated. However, Moore said none of those illnesses are documented and it has "nothing to do with the deputy's actions that night." However, Wiley's sister-in-law Labrittany Woods-Selders said the entire night seems out of character. "Brandon wouldn't hurt anybody," Woods-Selders said Friday. "Brandon was getting his life together, he had a daughter on the way, he had just graduated, he was trying to get his business off the ground." She called the justified shooting ruling from Moore "bulls***, that doesn't sound like Brandon at all." Moore said he understands the family is upset, but "the facts are what they are." Woods-Selders said Wiley has two children, one who was born a month after he was killed. She said she knows Wiley shouldn't have had a gun, but he had it to protect their family because they lived in a bad area. "I understand that Brandon has a past, but everyone deserves a second chance," Woods-Selders said. "He was taken too quick from us." Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday put off for two months selecting an architect to design a new school on 20 acres of vacant property near Jefferson Terrace Elementary. The board was set Thursday to pick GraceHebert Architects of Baton Rouge to begin designing a K-8 school at a location known as Jefferson Home Sites. The new school, which could cost as much as $32.9 million and would be two stories tall, would replace 60-year-old Jefferson Terrace Elementary and expand it into middle school grades. Middle school? K-8? Pre-K-12? School Board weighing decision on new school in Baton Rouge The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board agreed Thursday to begin looking for an architect to build a new school on 20 acres of vacant propert The School Board on Thursday applied the brakes. The board agreed to delay until its May 3 meeting considering selecting GraceHebert for the job. Between now and then, the board plans to settle on whether kindergarten-to-eighth grade is best grade configuration for the new school, which is not set to open until August 2020. We have heard the school described in community meetings as a K-8 (school), but the board hasnt decided that, said board member Evelyn Ware-Jackson. I have nothing against it being a K-8, Ware-Jackson added. Im just thinking about the process. The process she and other board members questioned was the failure to get approval to change the grade configuration of the school to a K-8. In 2008, when voters renewed a 1-cent sales tax earmarked for education, they approved building either a middle school on the property or a pre-K to 12 magnet school. A component of the sales tax is that a special citizen-led Oversight Committee that meets twice a year has to sign off on any substantial changes in named construction projects like this one. Superintendent Warren Drake said hes fine with the delay. He noted that on Oct. 2, 2017, he told the Oversight Committee informally that he was looking to change the grade configuration of the Jefferson Home Sites school to a K-8 and the chairman expressed no problem with the idea. But he said hes happy to go back and get formal approval. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Board member Jill Dyason said from now on she wants the board to vote before things are brought to the Oversight Committee. We usually doesnt just skip the board and go to Oversight, Dyason observed. +3 Residents weigh in on EBR school system plans for 20 vacant acres in Jefferson Terrace Vacant for decades, 20 acres in Jefferson Terrace subdivision may soon become something other than a grassy field but what that might be is Drake noted that a K-8 design was the most popular of several possible options when school officials held a community forum on Oct. 10, 2017, at Jefferson Terrace Elementary that attracted about 100 people. Seventy percent of the respondents at the community forum responded that they wanted a K-8. That is why it was recommended that way, Drake said. Drake said theres enough room on that property to potentially to add a high school on the grounds in the future. The 20 acres in question are behind the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana offices off Bluebonnet Boulevard and about three blocks from the elementary school at 9902 Cal Road. Both the Cal Road property and the 20 acres were donated to the school system decades ago when the subdivision was built, but only the elementary school was constructed. That school currently educates about 450 students from preschool to fifth grade. With enough perspective, its easy to find the Bonnet Carre floodgates even without knowing exactly where to look; just see where beige tumbles into emerald. From above, the sand-colored Mississippi rolls across the floodplain into the dark green Lake Pontchartrain. For conservationists, its a reminder of all the sediment being shunted off into the lake that could be used to rebuild Louisianas coast. +4 With high water rolling down the river, Army Corps begins opening Bonnet Carre Spillway Bre Parra stood alongside the Bonnet Carre Spillway on Thursday, her toddler nursing a bottle in his stroller and her older daughter darting a Members of Restore the Mississippi River Delta flew journalists over south Louisiana Friday to emphasize their point. The plume of the silty Mississippi is visible from a low-flying sea plane. Can't see video below? Click here. John Lopez, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundations coastal sustainability director, points out another area of contrasting colors the east and west bank of the Mississippi about 40 miles downstream of New Orleans. Here, by the Mardi Gras Pass, the east bank levee was torn out in 1926, Lopez explains. From above, the water looks full of coffee grounds which is actually the sediment that will rebuild the wetlands. Where the river and the marshes mingle, verdant new land is forming. The other bank looks sickly in comparison full of open water where much of the land is just the tops of spoil banks left over when oil and gas companies dug navigational canals through the wetlands. Gone are the marshes and oyster beds, Lopez points out. +14 Photos: From the sky, you see more than just water flowing across Bonnet Carre spillway Environmentalists chartered a plane Friday to fly over the Bonnet Carre spillway to show journalists just how much sediment flows across the s All the ports and plants on the west bank mean that breaking down the levee is inconceivable in the way that worked on the other side of the river nearly a hundred years ago. But the sediment flowing across the Bonnet Carre is reason to be optimistic, Lopez said; it shows there is land-building potential in the Mississippi, if only it can be harnassed. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Thats why the Restore group is taking the chance to remind policy makers to shepherd through the mid-Barataria diversion canal and other coastal projects. Were in the broad business of trying to hurry this stuff up. We understand these things do take time, and we want them done right, but we dont want them to take a day longer than necessary, said Steve, Cochran, the Environmental Defense Fund administrator who directs the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition. Mid-Barataria would redirect part of the Mississippi through the west bank wetlands south of New Orleans to rebuild the coast. However, it requires the blessing of several groups including the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior. Officially, permitting is scheduled to take through 2022, and construction will likely last another four or five years, Cochran said. In the waning days of the Obama administration, the federal government put the project on the fast track, and the Trump administration has vowed to complete federal permits by the end of next year. But the conservation groups are still making noise to make sure the regulators keep those promises. In the past, federal agencies reviewed projects one at a time, but Cochran wants them all to consider Mid-Barataria simultaneously so the project doesnt get held up. Its important to move quickly, because even once the canal is built, it will take five to ten years for it to operate at full capacity. Throwing open the gates right away would shock the wetlands and kill the plants and animals that coastal scientists are trying to preserve, said Natalie Peyronnin, the Environmental Defense Funds director of science policy for the Mississippi River delta. We definitely need to accelerate the (permitting) schedule. Were up against a fight against time, she said. The canal will offer some new options, like flooding the wetlands during the winter instead of waiting for spring. When plants and animals are more dormant, they may be better able to tolerate an influx of fresh river water, which could speed up restoration, Peyronnin said. While the emphasis is on mid-Barataria, the environmental groups are also interested in building the mid-Breton diversion on the east bank upstream of the Mardi Gras Pass to rebuild wetlands on that side of the river where the levee still exists. There is precedent for this type of work, Lopez said. As far back as 1992, diversions have been dug to refresh areas like Caenervon, where wetlands were cleared to grow sugarcane and watermelons. Canals were dug there and around Davis Pond to capture the Mississippi River primarily to reintroduce fresh water, but sediment made its way into the areas too and helped rebuild areas that had converted to open water, Lopez said. Now, with a focus on sediment, he hopes to redirect part of the river into the marshes beyond the west bank via Mid-Barataria. French-Russian modernist painter Marc Chagall is considered among the most significant artists of the 20th century. A work by the revered painter will be auctioned in New Orleans on March 18, and if the pre-auction estimates are on target, Chagalls Le Bouquet dAmour will command up to $1.2 million. The painting depicts a couple in an embrace, a table with a bowl of fruit, rooftops and small buildings, and a sun or moon. In the center is an enormous bouquet of flowers. A rich blue color dominates the canvas, which measure roughly 18 inches wide and 23 inches tall without its handsome gold frame. Chagall used gouache, crayon, pastel, oil and collage on paper laid down on canvas to create the work sometime between the 1940s and the 1960s, according to Nicole Casi, fine art specialist at the New Orleans Auction Galleries, where the work is to be sold. I fell in love with his work 'The Green Violinist' when I was 10 the composition, the colors, the figures floating in the sky, she said. Chagall lived almost to 100, but he never lost that component of wonder and magic in his art. Chagall was born Moishe Shagal in Belarus in 1885, one of nine children of a Jewish worker in a herring factory. He moved to St. Petersburg to study art in 1906, then to Paris in 1910. By 1915, he was back in Belarus to marry Bella Rosenfeld, his muse for the next 30 years. Although they barely got out of Europe before the Nazis took France, the couple made it to the United States in 1941. When Bella died of a viral infection in 1944, Chagall was crushed. Bella was his inspiration, and their love was a constant theme in his paintings, Casi said. Chagall lived through two world wars, the Russian revolution, and lost his country, his village and Bella. So he was compelled to paint from memory to bear witness and to memorialize them. Le Bouquet dAmour combines several themes that are omnipresent in Chagalls works. Theres a couple theyre getting engaged or getting married or embracing theyre together. There are rooftops memories of his village. There is also often a bouquet of flowers, blooming from the wellspring of love between the man and the woman, Casi said. He revisited these themes over and over for decades. The artwork first entered the public realm when a private collector put it up for auction in Geneva. From there, it traveled to William A. Findlay in Chicago before Sotheby's in New York, New York (2007). Most recently, it was auctioned by Shapiro Auction, New York, in 2015. Sometimes collectors decide to change their collections to have a different focus. Sometimes theres another painting they want but they need to sell something to pay for it, said Taylor Eichenwald of the auction houses public relations office. But a lot of the time, its an estate situation. Most heirs unless theyre collectors themselves would rather have the money than the artwork. Who's the seller? The auctioneers aren't saying. Everyone is committed to preserving the privacy of clients who consign work, and everyone in the industry works hard to develop the kind of trust and rapport with clients that can lead to a consignment like this one, Eichenwald said. Of late, Chagalls star has risen to new heights, as demonstrated by the November 2017 sale at auction of Les Amoureux at Sothebys New York that commanded $28 million. In 2004, value of all auction annual sales of Chagall works amounted to $10 million; by 2017, the number has risen to $122 million. Le Bouquet dAmour is on view at New Orleans Auction Galleries, 333 St. Joseph St. Call (504) 566-1849 or email info@neworleansauction.com. Theres an evening reception (offering cocktails and hors doeuvres) on Thursday, March 15, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bre Parra stood alongside the Bonnet Carre Spillway on Thursday, her toddler nursing a bottle in his stroller and her older daughter darting among the few hundred people gathered there. Parra and three other parents from her Paradis-Houma home schooling group brought a total of 12 children to watch workers begin to open the spillway, a massive 1930s structure that remains a key part of the federal government's efforts to manage the might of the Mississippi River. "My family is from Wisconsin and Iowa" along the upper part of the river, Parra said. "We have seen up there what the river can do." This was Parra's first time to see the spillway opened, and she planned to tell her Midwestern relatives. "This is what we can do to relieve the pressure," she said. Relieving pressure is exactly what the federal officials began to do Thursday by opening eight of the spillway's 350 bays, diverting some of the rising river's water into Lake Pontchartrain a few miles away. As the volume of water moving downriver increases, more gates will be opened, said David Ramirez, a water management official with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the spillway. The Corps also controls other flood-protection structures along the lower Mississippi River, including the Morganza Spillway near Baton Rouge and the Old River Control Structure in central Louisiana, where the Red River flows into the Mississippi. Currently, the river is flowing at a rate of just above 1.25 million cubic feet per second, which is the threshold to trigger the opening of the spillway, Ramirez said. That volume is deemed to be the maximum that the levees in New Orleans can safely withstand. Current forecasts show the river, left to itself, would crest at about 1.4 million cubic feet per second. Such a flow would lead to the opening of between 150 and 175 bays. The Corps currently expects to have bays opened for about 20 days, Ramirez said, though he cautioned that is always subject to change. Thursday's opening as it is every time the spillway is called into service was a spectator event, attended by not just Corps officers but also local officials and hundreds of spectators. One of those was Emmet Cedotal, a 67-year old retired boilermaker who lives in Bucktown. "I come every year to see it," he said, stubbing out a cigarette. Cedotal was there when the Corps opened the spillway in 2011 and 2016. He missed the 2008 opening. Cedotal was keeping a keen eye on the area just below the spillway structure where, he said, one can often see fish many times invasive carp jumping after being sucked through into the spillway. 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 "We'll come out and watch when they open more gates," he said. Even though the spillway was officially opened Thursday, about 8,000 cubic feet of water per second already was leaking through the structure, according to Col. Mike Clancy of the Corps. Thursday's eight gates will increase that amount by about 5,000 cubic feet per second, he said. Out in the spillway, two Corps airboats idled as the "needles" long wooden timbers were pulled out one by one. The crews in those boats were there to watch for any pallid sturgeon, an endangered fish that lives in the river. If any sturgeon fall through the spillway, the crews will attempt to capture, measure and tag them before releasing them back into the river. The sturgeon watchers are just a part of an extensive environmental monitoring effort that ramps up when the bays are opened. Agencies will carefully watch as the river's sediment-laden fresh water spills into the lake, pushing out the brackish water and bringing an injection of new nutrients into the system. Those nutrients provide fresh breeding grounds for algae, which can deplete the oxygen levels in the lake and kill fish. Past openings have shown that the freshwater displaces the saltwater after just a couple of weeks. But once the spillway is closed, the lake "returns to normal" after a few months, said John Lopez of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. Officials will also watch freshwater rivers and bayous around the lake for signs of carp or other invasive species, he said. This year's opening is not the earliest the spillway has ever been opened, but it is early, Clancy said. "Typically, April or May is the high river period," he said. Heavy rains in the Ohio River valley could mean that the river will stay high for a long period this year, but officials at this time do not believe that it will be necessary to open the Morganza Spillway northwest of Baton Rouge, which has been opened only twice, in 1973 and 2011. This is the fourth time the Bonnet Carre has been opened since 2008. It was opened only eight times between 1931 and 2007, but four times from 1973 until 1983. The spillway is part of the broader system that helps govern the flow of the Mississippi River south of Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi, said Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser, the commanding officer of the Mississippi Valley Division, which oversees the entire system. Kaiser said the system helps protect 4.5 million people and agricultural land that produces $51 billion in crops every year. Walter Dunbar, a retired shipbuilder, said he had interrupted his normal fishing trip to watch the spillway's opening. "It's an experience to see," he said. "It's not an everyday event." An attorney for the woman accused of biting a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputy Thursday and fleeing from officers with her children in the car said she has been suffering from mental illness. "This is an example of why mental health treatment in Louisiana needs to be seen as a priority," Stavros Panagoulopoulos, an attorney for 47-year-old Deborah Jackson, said Friday. Panagoulopoulos credited police for taking Jackson into custody without hurting her or her children, saying they "averted a tragedy." But he said authorities now need to focus on getting her the resources she needs rather than simply throwing the book at her. "People with mental health issues need to be helped, not persecuted or harassed," he said. The chaotic sequence of events involving Jackson's family lasted about four hours, beginning about 2 a.m. when her husband sent deputies to her home in Metairie because he was worried she was having a psychotic episode. Jackson fled in a car as soon as she saw the approaching deputies. They later caught up with her and her children, ages 4, 6 and 13, who were also in the car. But she bit one deputy who got near her and sped off, authorities said. The deputies briefly chased her but then halted the pursuit out of fear for the children's safety. 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 Eventually, deputies were told that a person other than their mother had taken Jackson's two younger children to a hospital. Sheriff Joe Lopinto said the 6-year-old had been told to throw the 4-year-old out of the car and to get out as well. The 13-year-old was still in the car when deputies caught up with the vehicle again near Jefferson Highway and Riverdale Drive. The woman ultimately rammed two deputies' cars before being boxed in and arrested on a slew of criminal counts, including cruelty to a juvenile, child desertion, aggravated flight from an officer, aggravated criminal damage to property, battery on a police officer and resisting police. Neither Jackson, the 13-year-old nor the deputies whose vehicles were struck were injured. It wasn't clear whether the younger children were taken to the hospital because they were hurt, but they didn't appear to have serious injuries. Jackson remained behind bars Friday afternoon. Her bail hadn't been set. Her attorney didn't elaborate on what mental illnesses Jackson may be battling. He also declined to say where her children ended up after her arrest, citing privacy concerns. if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... In an interview on the Coca-Cola website last month, Jorge Garduno - the president of Coca-Cola's Japanese business unit - explained that the company is planning to 'experiment' with alcoholic drinks. "We're also going to experiment with a product in a category known in Japan as Chu-Hi. This is a canned drink that includes alcohol," Garduno said. "We haven't experimented in the low alcohol category before, but it's an example of how we continue to explore opportunities outside our core areas," Garduno added. The brand new product will be an alcoholic 'Chu-Hi' drink - which is a canned drink containing alcohol. The alcoholic content is usually quite low, with the ABV hovering between three and eight percent. It will be launched in Japan. But fingers crossed that if it does well, they might roll it out to other countries!! McAllen, Texas has become an unexpected culinary incubator in southern Texas- melding traditional Tex Mex & Mexican cuisine with a Texan twist on the farm to table dining experience... This post was created in partnership with Visit McAllen. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website . When I traveled to to the city of McAllen in the southern tip of Texas last November, I expected to find some amazing local Tex Mex & Mexican restaurants. After all, McAllen is located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, just a short 10 minute drive from the Mexican border. And while I did sample some amazing traditional Tex Mex fare during my stay, I was truly surprised by the number of restaurants in this city that had embraced the farm to table concept in new, exciting, & delicious ways. I was introduced to a bodega that proudly cures it's own meats. To a restaurant & bar in the New American style of dining that prides itself on it's cocktails inspired by locally sourced ingredients. To a wine bar & bistro that is redefining fine dining in the Rio Grande Valley area by bringing the freshness of the valley to each and every one of their dishes. The local food scene of McAllen, Texas definitely far surpasses the expectations that you may have of a just north of the border Texan city. This bustling metropolis, which attracts about 18 million visitors each year, has become somewhat of a culinary incubator- melding traditional Tex Mex & Mexican cuisine with a Texan twist on the farm to table dining experience... Bodega Tavern & Kitchen - 2901 North 1oth Street - 2901 North 1oth Street My first impression of Bodgea Tavern & Kitchen as we walked through the door was that it was clean & crisp with a bright & laid back atmosphere. Wood grained tables are set against a back drop of white brick walls & black shelving. My eyes wandered from the well stocked bar towards the back of the room where a huge glass window proudly displayed a small room where several cuts of meat were hanging to cure (pictured above). This was definitely a first for me! Not that I hadn't dined at a restaurant that prided itself on it's house cured meats before, but that they were so prominently on display in the dining area. In fact, Bodega houses the only meat curing room south of San Antonio! But before diving right into the kitchen side of Bodega, we decided to sample a few tasty libations from the tavern side of the restaurant... ;) Bodega's Tavern offers a full selection of boozy cocktails as well as a decent beer & wine selection and daily drink specials. (Try anything with prickly pear. The brilliantly colored cocktail in the background is one of their daily special martinis made with prickly pear.) After seeing the curing room in Bodega, I had no doubts about what I would be ordering for lunch- The Grinder paired with a side of their beet fries (picture above, left). House cured salami, Mortadella, Tasso ham, & chicken liver pate are layered onto a fresh roll with Texas jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, & an olive oil vinaigrette. After seeing the B-a-n-a-n-a-s Cheesecake on their dessert menu (admit it- you all are singing a little Gwen Stefani right now!), I knew I had to save a little room for dessert. Can I just say that this is probably one of the best cheesecakes I have ever tasted?? It was like bananas fosters & the most dreamiest cheesecake got together & had a baby. Bodega Tavern & Kitchen offers a homemade dessert selection that changes daily. But heed my words, you all- if see the B-a-n-a-n-a-s Cheesecake on their dessert menu, do not pass go- ORDER IT. Il Forno a Legna - 3817 North 10th Street, #5 - 3817 North 10th Street, #5 One of my most unexpected discoveries while dining out in McAllen was enjoying an authentic Italian dining experience at Il Forno a Legna. I was actually quite surprised to see that one of my first stops after landing in this southern Texas city would be dinner at an Italian restaurant founded by Pietro Senes, an Italian immigrant from Sorso, Sardegna Italy! (Yes, I was still quite under the most uninformed impression that I would be treated to mostly tacos, Tex Mex, & chilaquiles for most of my visit to McAllen. ;) ) Il Forno has brought traditional Italian cuisine with a modern twist to McAllen & the Rio Grande Valley area. After browsing their well curated wine menu, we decided to start our meal with a bottle of Nozzole Chianti Classico & an order of their Calamari Fritti. The calamari was lightly seasoned & fried and cooked perfectly. For my main course, I couldn't resist the Seafood Cioppino Style (pictured above). It is a gorgeous stew brimming with chunks of tender fish, mussels, clams, shrimp, & calamari in a flavorful tomato based broth. For dessert, we decided to sample two authentic Italian favorites- their homemade Tiramisu & their Zeppole al Forno (pictured above). I am always a sucker for a good tiramisu, but the zeppoles were definitely my favorite. They are the Italian version of a doughnut- light & airy, dusted in powdered sugar & drizzled with a white chocolate ganache & chocolate sauce. SALT- New American Table - 210 North Main Street - 210 North Main Street The seed for the concept that would become SALT- New American Table was planted in Chef Larry Delgado's mind during his stint as a migrant worker picking fresh produce from the fields. If you have ever had the experience & pleasure of tasting a freshly picked fruit or vegetable, then you can certainly understand the inspiration behind Chef Delgado's dream to locally source the ingredients for his culinary creations at SALT. Taking inspiration from fresh ingredients sourced mainly from the nearby Rio Grande Valley, SALT has definitely elevated happy hour to a whole other level of creativeness. My favorites are the Lavender (pictured above, left) & the Carrot Colada (pictured above, right). The Lavender is a bright & crisp combination of gin, St. Germain, lavender syrup, fresh orange & Meyer lemon, garnished with a lavender sugar/salt rim & a fresh sprig of lavender. The Carrot Colada is just pure genius- white rum, freshly pressed carrot juice, coconut water, fresh orange, & coconut sugar with a toasted coconut rim. You really can't go wrong with any of SALT's Sips. house. wine. & bistro. - 1117 U.S. 83 Business - 1117 U.S. 83 Business Located just one mile from SALT is it's sister restaurant, house. wine. & bistro. Imagine fine dining without the pretentiousness with a cozy wine bar to boot, and you have house. wine. & bistro. Lounge on a comfy couch and sip on a glass of wine from their huge selection of vintages displayed on the walls. Or grab a table and enjoy a delicious, locally sourced lunch or dinner. We started our meal with an order of their flavorful Garlic Lime Shrimp- perfectly cooked Texas Gulf shrimp tossed in a garlic lime buerre blanc served alongside grilled focaccia bread. The McAllen Burger (pictured above, left) is must-order. A juicy burger is topped with pepper jack cheese and sauteed mushrooms & onions on a golden ciabatta bun. The burger is served with a side of their pommes frites- a tasty mixture of seasoned french fries & sweet potato fries topped with garlic butter & Parmesan cheese. Their dessert selections change seasonally, but don't pass up the Apple Hand Pie with homemade cheddar ice cream (pictured above, right) if it is on the menu! ;) - 3400 North 10th Street & 4800 South 23rd Street, Suite 5 Okay, I couldn't leave McAllen without getting my hands on some authentic Mexican food. And it doesn't get much more authentic than Delia's Tamales. Delia's has been a fixture in McAllen for almost 30 years now and for very good reason- she makes the best homemade tamales in the Rio Grande Valley! :) Offering 18 different varieties of tasty tamales , stopping in at one of two Delia's locations is a definite must-do when in McAllen. Have you visited McAllen, Texas before? What is your favorite local spot to eat at while in McAllen? For more information & to start planning your foodie adventure to McAllen, Texas soon, be sure to visit the Visit McAllen website! Planning your trip to McAllen & looking for a home away from home? Traveling to Texas soon? Then you might also like these travel posts... Want to follow along with all my foodie travel adventures? Then be sure to follow me on Instagram! :) On a silent, dimly lit stage, Spanish pianist and composer David Gomez walked while playing a melodica a small blow-organ that looks like a toy. It has been 18 years since his last visit to Indonesia and he was back to perform his concert, 1 Piano & 200 Candles, at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta playhouse in Central Jakarta. After reaching the piano, Gomez put down the melodica and continued playing on the piano that was waiting for him on the stage. The piano was surrounded by hundreds of candles, serving as the only source of light on the stage. The candles were something inspired by Gomezs time in the Netherlands, and the intimate feeling they radiate. I always played piano with that atmosphere and I really liked that. I hate the spotlight. Its a very simple reason, he told The Jakarta Post afterward. After a short welcome speech, in which Gomez joked about the length of the performance, he played six of his own songs on the piano. These included Ignacio, a song inspired by a friend that battled and eventually beat an alcohol addiction. Other songs have more pragmatic titles, like Distance and The Lighthouse, dedicated to, respectively, distant love and a lighthouse. After this first set of songs, Gomez whipped out an accordion from the side of the stage, one that belonged to his mother. I know women always say that no man can do two things at the same time, right? Then today is the first day! Gomez pronounces confidently to the audience, who were audibly amused by his bravado. That same audience also pulled out quite a number of mobile phones to record Gomez when he started playing the accordion and the piano at the same time, after he jokingly asked for the technicians to start playing a CD recording to help him out. Gomez likes to break up his songs with a bit of humor to relax the minds of the audience, which he says is only done well with smiling. My pieces are very melancholic, they are not happy. So thats the mix. Im happy, but I play sad pieces, he laughs. After putting the accordion down, Gomez was joined on stage by Avel Hirose, chello lecturer at the Institute Kesenian Jakarta. Together they played three songs, My Piano, The Traveller and Idem. The artists played well together, which might be why the audience was a bit too eager to applaud in the second song, disturbing an intended lull in the music. After Avel left the stage, Gomez played several more songs, including My Father, in which he picked up the accordion again. For his second-to-last song, Sixteen Years Old, he invited a 16-year-old member of the audience on stage; she dutifully watched over his shoulder while he played. During the performance, Gomez made several puns in regard to the length of the play. Even though the audience would not have mind the concert lasting a little longer, he announced his last song, Summer End, which is very good for Indonesia because its always summer and it never ends. For this last song, he picked up the melodica again. Gomez finished his very entertaining concert as he has started it, leaving the piano and walking off of the stage, playing the small instrument. After the final note fell, the audience rose for a standing ovation. The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post Traveling is more than just a hobby for Dian Erra Kumalasari, who is now globetrotting to introduce Indonesias woven fabric to the world while supporting marginal communities who earn a living from traditional weaving. A newcomer to the fashion business, she proudly introduces her ready-to-wear work, under the brand Oerip Batik, to various countries like the United States, Belgium, Holland, the Czech Republic and recently Italy. While many other designers offer glamorous couture lines, Dian mainly showcases her works in the spirit of backpackers. Supported by a small team in her workshop in Bekasi, West Java, the designer, who started her venture in fashion in 2008 before targeting the international market in 2015, prefers to collaborate with her established European distributors and Indonesians abroad to introduce her designs. Read also: Natural-dyed batik businesses flourishing in Yogyakarta At her Milan show late in February, Dian featured 16 designs focusing on East Nusa Tenggaras Sumba and Lembata traditional woven fabric in her effort to promote the festival of three mountains in Lembata, Flores, slated for November. The show also served as her private mission of humanity to help residents of Wakaibubak traditional village, a woven fabric center in West Sumba, to get back on their feet after their village was razed by fire last October. I hope my fashion events in Europe will popularize Sumbas traditional woven fabric and increase the appreciation of various fabrics of ancestral legacy in the archipelago. Ive committed to set aside my sale proceeds to be donated to the local community, she said in Milan. Her designs are outlandishly colorful and asymmetrical, apparently running counter to all standards of the fashion world as well as traditional materials application. Through her creations, she has won the Indonesian Womenpreneur Award for Best Costume Design: Hip Hop in Los Angeles, the US, in 2015. The 2005 chemical engineering graduate of Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java, enjoys good sales in the Indonesian market. She said her daily sales could reach at least 50 items of clothing ranging in price from Rp 300,000 (US$21) to Rp 3 million. Dians designs always present a combination of three types of Indonesian traditional fabrics aimed to show people that Indonesia has many types of fabrics and is characterized by Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). In Milan, her show was opened with an Indonesian traditional dance with a modern twist performed by two performers from Madaloka Dance Studio, depicting two girls weaving and processing fabric. Among her mesmerized audience was Daniela, 60, who came all the way from Ravenna, located 296 kilometers from Milan. Ive come here from Ravenna because I love Indonesia and its culture. Its indeed interesting to watch the clothing and cultural background of Indonesia presented here, and I appreciate the designer, who has succeeded in producing such gorgeous work from the fabrics, she said. She understands that the biggest challenge in making dresses by using traditional woven fabric is that every piece contains a tale and philosophy filled in personally by its weaver. I respect the craftwork very much so that in creating clothes I have to compromise with the valued stories of the craftspeople, Daniela said. Dians strategy to retain the traditional fabrics pattern is by creating universal designs in a one-size-fits-all shape. This also facilitates her business deals because her international buyers mostly shop online. As all items are one-size-fits-all, I can reach all consumers, and buyers have greater freedom to choose, she said. Since every fabric contains a meaningful pattern, Dian cuts it herself, saying her seamstresses did not have the confidence to do it. I do the material cutting myself. Before my next European tour, Ive already cut the fabric and equipped my dressmakers with drawings and instructions so that my production wont be halted while Im away, she said. During her show in Milan, Dian collaborated with Heru Mataya, the founder of the Indonesia Umbrella Festival, with models coming from the Indonesian community in Milan and greater areas. They were also carrying Indonesian traditional umbrellas crafted from tie-dyed batik, checkered fabric, classic batik, striped woven fabrics and others. The new Frida Kahlo Barbie raised eyebrows, and indeed unibrows, from the moment it was announced. Now the late Mexican artist's family alleges the rights to her image have been stolen, and accuses toymaker Mattel of misrepresenting her appearance and ignoring what she stood for. Mattel announced on Wednesday that Kahlo, a painter known for her searingly intimate portraits as well as her defiantly unplucked eyebrows, would be included in its newest collection of Barbie dolls. It was perhaps an unlikely choice for the maker of the famously buxom blonde doll, given that Kahlo was known for upending gender norms and traditional ideas about how women should look and act. Released just ahead of International Women's Day, the "Inspiring Women" collection includes dolls based on Kahlo, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, African-American mathematician Katherine Johnson and other historic figures. Read also: Barbie dolls will now look like the sheroes we look up to But Kahlo's family soon issued a statement objecting to the doll. "Mrs Mara Romeo, great-niece of Frida Kahlo, is the sole owner of the rights of the image of the illustrious Mexican painter Frida Kahlo," it said. "The company Mattel does not have the proper authorization to use the image of Frida Kahlo," it added, threatening to take "necessary measures" against the California-based toymaker. However, an American company called the Frida Kahlo Corporation insisted it was the legitimate owner of the rights. "Mattel has worked in close partnership with the Frida Kahlo Corporation, the owner of all rights related to the name and identity of Frida Kahlo, on the creation of this doll," it said in a statement. Romeo's lawyer Pablo Sangri said the dispute arose after the family established the Frida Kahlo Corporation in 2005, in partnership with another company called Casablanca Distributors. The latter has violated their now-expired contract by failing to inform Kahlo's relatives about the uses of her "brand," he told AFP. And the contract never granted the Corporation rights to Kahlo's image in the first place, only "certain uses of her name," he said. "The Frida Kahlo Corporation doesn't hold, never held and will never hold the rights to Frida's image." Read also: Mattel Indonesia to introduce batik-wearing Barbie Pop icon But the problem goes deeper than just a dispute over image rights, said Romeo, the granddaughter of Kahlo's sister Cristina. Kahlo was known for her assertive embrace of her Mexican identity and her unabashed, unmanicured femininity. "I would have liked the doll to have traits more like Frida's, not this doll with light-colored eyes. I would have liked her to have a unibrow, for her clothes to be made by Mexican artisans," she told AFP. "It should be a doll that represents everything my aunt represented, her strength. It should be a Frida that represents Mexico." With her slender face and almond eyes -- topped by just the slightest hint of hair between her brows -- the Frida Kahlo Barbie looks only vaguely like the real-life Frida. In recent years, Kahlo's image has been stamped onto an explosion of consumer products: nail polish, bags, shoes, coffee mugs and much, much more. Her instantly recognizable look -- unibrow, thick black braids, flowery, hand-embroidered Mexican "tehuana" dresses -- and the boldness with which she wore it have turned her into a pop icon. But Romeo said the companies behind such products are making them without the family's permission, and violating Kahlo's legacy in the process. "These products don't mesh with what Frida was. They should contribute something to the world," she said. Kahlo (1907-1954), the wife of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, is today considered one of the great painters of the 20th century, particularly for her self-portraits, often brimming with pain and isolation. An Indonesian subsidiary of a Thai coal mining company operating in East Kalimantan has been fined Rp 2 billion (US$145,000) for dumping nearly 4,000 tons of hazardous coal waste on an open dump, which is considered illegal in Indonesia. In a ruling dated Dec. 6, 2017, the Tenggarong District Court in East Kalimantan found PT Indominco Mandiri -- a subsidiary of coal producer Indo Tambangraya Megah (ITM) that is controlled by Banpu Group Thailand -- guilty of illegally dumping two types of waste, fly ash and bottom ash, which were produced at the firm's coal power plant. Fly ash is a powdery material made by burning ground coal, while bottom ash is formed at the bottom of a coal furnace. The Environment and Forestry Ministry has categorized fly ash and bottom ash as hazardous toxic waste. If not managed, the two can pollute waterways, ground water, drinking water and the air. Indominco had a temporary waste disposal site for fly ash and bottom ash produced by its power plant in Santan subdistrict, Kutai Kartanegara regency, according to the ruling. But due to overcapacity, the company dumped the waste at an illegal open dump inside the firm's power plant area, the court found. Indominco did not increase the capacity of the temporary waste disposal site and the amount of machines to produce paving blocks, which use coal waste as a material, even though the amount of waste generated from its mining activity and power plant had increased, the court found. In a statement released on Thursday, NGO Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) criticized the ruling for not sentencing the directors of Indominco to jail. Articles 60, 104 and 116 of the 2009 Environment Protection and Management Law state that a person who illegally dumps waste faces two years in jail and a maximum fine of Rp 3 billion. Jatam national coordinator Merah Johansyah said the court should have revoked Indominco's mining business permit. The open dump had caused several environmental problems in the surrounding area, according to locals quoted in Jatam's statement. "Weve had of enough of pollution in the Santan River. Please don't add to our problems by polluting the air and the ground water as well," said Romiansyah, a Santan resident. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Fri, March 9, 2018 05:31 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c90efe7 1 National press-freedom Free North Sumatra Police have arrested the chief editor of local online media outlet sorotdaerah.com, Lindung Silaban, for publishing allegedly false articles about North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw. Lindung was arrested in Medan, North Sumatra, on Tuesday night. The owner of the media outlet, Jon Roi Tua Purba, was also arrested but was released not long afterwards. The local news website was shut down and is currently inaccessible. The news articles he published are hoaxes and defamatory, Paulus said. The articles in question reported that Paulus had received a bribe from a businessman named Mujianto. The businessman is currently a suspect in a fraud case. The articles are not based on facts, Paulus claimed. Lindung was now facing charges under Article 27 of Law No 19/2016 on information and technology, North Sumatra Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Rina Sari Ginting told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. The North Sumatra Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Indonesian Journalist Union (PWI) have released a statement condemning the arrest. We condemn the polices repressive action of arresting journalists and shutting down the news website. The act violates Law no 40/1999 on press freedom, North Sumatra PWI head Hermansjah said. (gis/swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 05:45 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c90f87e 1 National KPK Free National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Syafruddin has revealed three high-ranking officers whose names were nominated for the post of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) law enforcement deputy. The deputy chief, however, only mentioned current positions of the high-ranking officers and did not specify their names. [There is] the West Nusa Tenggara Police chief, the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department [Bareskrim] operational bureau head and an officer currently assigned in the State Land Agency, Syafruddin said in Jakarta on Thursday. Syafruddin denied speculation that said current KPK investigation director Brig. Gen. Aris Budiman was among the submitted names for the next law enforcement deputy. According to several reports, he would return to the force soon for a promotion. Aris, a high-ranking police officer seconded to the antigraft body, is currently under an internal ethics investigation for attending a hearing with the House of Representatives Special Inquiry Committee without the consent of KPK commissioners in August last year. The National Police and the Attorney Generals Office have reportedly submitted 13 names to be considered for the KPK law enforcement deputy post, as well as investigation director. The previous law enforcement deputy, Insp. Gen. Heru Winarko, was inaugurated as the new head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) on Mar. 1. (swd) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Indonesia Fri, March 9 2018 Hong Kong authorities have freed two Indonesian comedians who were arrested for violating the regions immigration law. Yudo Prasetyo and Deni Afriandi, better known by their stage names Cak Yudo and Cak Percil, were previously found guilty by a Hong Kong court of being in the island territory on tourist visas while staging a commercial performance. On Wednesday, however, Yudo and Deni who had been detained since Feb. 4 were released after Hong Kongs Shatin Court sentenced them to six weeks in jail with an 18-month probation period. I am thankful that the judges seriously considered the attention and assistance from the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Hong Kong, as well as the letter I wrote on behalf of the Indonesian government, said the Indonesian consul general in Hong Kong, Tri Tharyat, in a press statement on Wednesday. Tri a... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali Fri, March 9, 2018 10:50 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c918b03 1 National International-Women-Day,international-womens-day,bali,Australia Free Australian Consul General to Bali Helena Studdert hosted a high tea on Thursday to celebrate International Womens Day and welcomed more than 90 Balinese and Australian guests to the event. The event was part of the Australian Consulate Generals efforts to support womens social, economic, cultural and political empowerment, particularly in Bali and West Nusa Tenggara. All women deserve the right to live free from violence, to control their bodies, go to school, participate fully in political processes and earn equal pay for equal work, free from harassment, said Studdert. This years International Womens Day, themed "Leave No Woman Behind", aims to promote the important roles women can play in humanitarian and disaster mitigation planning and response measures. Strengthening partnership: Australian Consul General to Bali Helena Studdert welcomes guests of a high tea on Thursday to celebrate International Womens Day. (Courtesy of MAMPU/File) Studdert said gender equality and womens empowerment was a key part of Australias foreign policy, economic diplomacy and aid work. Gender equality is central to economic and human development. It helps to address the root causes of instability and conflict, drives economic growth, reduces poverty and builds resilience, she said. She added that one of the joint programs being implemented nationwide was the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Gender Equality ad Women's Empowerment (MAMPU). This US$113 million commitment over five years from 2016 to 2020 aims to increase women's access to jobs and reduce workplace discrimination. It also aims to improve women's access to government programs for social protection as well as conditions for women's overseas labor migration, while strengthening women's leadership for better health and reproductive rights and in addressing violence against women. The program works with more than 2,400 partners across 27 provinces in Indonesia and supports over 14,000 women. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Fri, March 9, 2018 12:22 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c91bd54 1 National police,bandung,Bandung-Police,Taman-Safari,Taman-Safari-Indonesia,orangutan Free Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr. Hendro Pandowo has said the police were investigating a case of suspected animal abuse in which a visitor to Bandung Zoo reportedly tossed a lighted cigarette into an orangutan's enclosure. The man, who apparently tossed a lighted cigarette toward a Bornean orangutan called Ozon, had fulfilled the polices summons, Hendro said on Thursday. He added that the suspect could be charged with violating Article 302 on animal abuse in the Criminal Code, which carried a maximum sentence of three months. The suspect could also face a nine-month imprisonment if the animal became seriously ill or died as a result of the abuse. He has not been arrested, said Hendro, citing prevailing laws that it was up to the police whether to arrest a suspect for a violation that carries a sentence of less than five years. The case came to light in the wake of a viral video showing Ozon puffing on the cigarette, and was covered in international media. Animal abuse cases involving visitors abusing zoo animals have recently caught the public eye. In November 2017, a young man was caught on video giving alcohol to animals at Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) in Bogor, West Java. The man, identified as Philips Bondi, was taped by a relative, Alyssa Dwi Fitri Amanda, giving red wine to a deer and a hippopotamus at the popular safari park. Philips publicly apologized for his behavior and declare that he would care for animals as part of his penitence. Philips and Alyssa also promised not to repeat their mistake, and not to release recordings without the park's consent. I deeply regret what I did to the animals at the TSI. I seek forgiveness from the TSI, the people of Indonesia and the international community for my mistake, Bondi said in a press conference in December last year. (ebf) Theresia Sufa from Bogor contributed to this story. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 13:44 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c922f25 1 City Tanah-Abang,road-closure,police Free The Jakarta administration has prepared supporting data on the controversial closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, which was brought to the Jakarta Polices headquarters on Friday following the latters decision to launch a probe into the matter. The Jakarta Transportation Agency will bring the results of a survey carried out by the Jakarta Communications, Information and Statistics Agency from December, when the road was first closed, to the end of February, according to agency head Andri Yansyah. The survey, he added, proved the closure did not have a negative impact on those affected by it. We are ready. We will definitely follow all the legal process, he said as quoted by tempo.co. The Jakarta Polices special crimes unit planned to question transportation agency officials following a report made on Feb. 22 by Jack Boyd Lapian, secretary-general of the Cyber Indonesia community. Jack argued in the report that the city administrations decision to close Jl. Jatibaru Raya to accommodate street vendors contravened a prevailing regulation on the capitals roads. Head of the city administrations statistics unit, Linda, said that more than 50 percent of the 500 respondents surveyed comprising street vendors, residents and commuters conceded that they were not disturbed by the closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya. She declined to reveal additional data collected in the survey, but promised to distribute its full results on Friday afternoon. (vny) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Fri, March 9, 2018 22:20 1290 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c935096 1 National abortion,crime,health,Jambi Free The Jambi District Court sentenced Trisna Utami, an obstetric gynecology specialist, to one year in jail for performing an abortion. At a hearing on Thursday, the judge panel also ordered Trisna to pay a Rp 50 million (US$3,500) fine or face an additional two months in jail. The judge panel led by Ledis Mariana Bakara handed Wulandari, a midwife who helped Trisna perform abortions, a similar sentence. The judge said both defendants were proven to have intentionally conducted abortion practices. They were found guilty of violating Article 75 (2) of Law No.36/2009 on health. Meanwhile, three other defendants, cleaning service officer Sri Wiyati and two patients seeking abortions -- Sely Puspita Sari and Melinda -- received a lighter sentence. They were all sentenced to 10 months in jail. The case came to the publics attention last year when the Jambi Police uncovered an illegal abortion scheme at the Puri Medika birth clinic on Jl. Griya Aur Duri, Jambi. The police received information from local residents who reported that they found seven graves suspected to be the burial sites of aborted babies in two locations. Four graves were found in the backyard of Trisnas house in Penyengat Rendah subdistrict, while three others were discovered at the Putri Ayu public cemetery in Telanaipura district, Jambi. The clinic was reported to have provided illegal abortions since 2009 with a service fee ranging from Rp 10 million (US$727) to Rp 15 million each. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Elly Burhaini Faizal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 21:29 1290 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c9340f7 1 National WHO,WHO-SEARO,TB,Tuberculosis,Delhi-summit,End-TB-Summit,India,Health-Minister-Nila-Moeloek Free Country leaders are set to meet in New Delhi for an End Tuberculosis (TB) Summit, which will begin on March 13, to review ongoing efforts and accelerate action to reach the 2030 End TB goal. Hosted by Indias Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership, the 2018 End TB Summit will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and addressed by WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Indias Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda and Stop TB Partnership chair Aaron Motsoaledi. WHO South-East Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Stop TB Partnership executive director Lucica Ditiu and Global Fund executive director Peter Sands will be among the prominent health leaders to attend the meeting. Health Minister Nila F.Moeloek is among health ministers set to participate. TB was responsible for 1.7 million deaths in 2016, although most cases were curable. Over 10 million people contract TB every year. According to WHO, the South-East Asia region, home to one-fourth of the global population, also contains a disproportionately high 46 percent of TB disease cases recorded worldwide. The Delhi End TB Summit builds on the Delhi Call to Action adopted by member countries of WHO SEARO in March 2017 and the WHO Global Ministerial Conference Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era: A Multisectoral Response, held in Moscow in November last year. The summit next week will set the stage for the September 2018 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. For the first time TB will be discussed in the UN General Assembly at the head of state level. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9 2018 The Central Jakarta Polices women corps (Polwan) will have the additional task of monitoring students spending time at shopping malls during and after school to prevent crimes against children. The program, dubbed Polwan Sahabat Remaja (Policewomen are a Friend to Teenagers) also aims at encouraging students to go straight home after school. Insp. Rasilin Nur Afriani from the Central Jakarta Polices narcotics unit said the first operation would be conducted at Gajah Mada Mall in Gambir. We found that students like to hang out there after school instead of going home. They say they only want to hang out, but they dont tell their parents about their plans. We tell them to be careful and not to trust strangers, Rasilin said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Wednesday. She added that criminals lure children by giving them presents or food a... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 14:30 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c925001 4 Business OSS-online-single-submission,APRIL,2018,launching,Jokowi Free The government claims it will have the best online single submission (OSS) system in the world to help the ease the process of obtaining business licenses. The OSS Indonesia system, which is expected to launch in April, will be equipped with comprehensive information on investments, according to Edi Putra, head of a special task force operating under the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister. Other countries OSS systems only deal with investment. We will include information about licenses, facilities and complaints, he said, as quoted by tempo.co, adding that OSS Indonesia would also deal with licenses for small businesses. Edi said the OSS in China, for example, only served online applications for export permits, while Taiwans OSS only focused on economic activities in certain areas. [Indonesias] OSS serves both investments in special economic zones and other areas, Edi said, adding that several ministries already had their own systems that will be integrated into OSS Indonesia. The Communications and Information Ministry, for example, has an application system called SiCantik, while the Transportation Ministry operates the National Single Windows (NSW) for aviation businesses. Ellen Setiadi, the Office of the Coordinating Economic Ministers undersecretary for industry and commerce coordination, conceded that each ministry had its own investment regulations and online systems. The government is currently working to synchronize them, she said. We will deal with the issue, Ellen added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 15:21 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c92710b 4 Business Kadin,SMEs,taxation,comments Free The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has lauded President Joko Jokowi Widodos move to reduce the annual income tax rate for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from 1 percent to 0.5 percent. The decision, which was made during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, had been a direct response to Kadins proposal, according to Kadin chairman Rosan Perkasa Roeslani. This is very positive. We welcome to governments response to our proposal, which we had made on a number of occasions, Rosan said during Food Security Summit 4 as reported by kompas.com. He said the tax cut would boost the growth of SMEs. During the Cabinet meeting, President Jokowi initially proposed a 0.25 percent tax rate for SMEs, but Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati argued that the figure was too low. Under Government Regulation (PP) No. 46/2013, SMEs with a turnover threshold of Rp. 4.8 billion (US$348,480) annually were required to pay 1 percent income tax. Directorate General of Taxation spokesman Hestu Yoga Saksama said the government would immediately revise related regulations following Jokowis decision. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java Fri, March 9, 2018 19:20 1290 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c93164c 1 National orangutan,bandung,Bandung-zoo,animal-abuse,smoking-orangutan,Bornean-orangutan Free A 27-year-old man who has been named a suspect of animal abuse says he is ready to face the consequences of his alleged crime. DJ, who sells fried fish dumpling for a living in the West Java city of Cimahi, turned himself in to police on Thursday after video footage went viral in social media showing a Bornean orangutan called Ozon smoke a cigarette tossed by a visitor at Bandung Zoo. Accompanied by his wife and their child, DJ went to Bandung Zoo on Friday to apologize. (Read also: Bandung Police investigate 'smoking orangutan' animal abuse case) DJ, who had visited the zoo with his wife and child on Sunday, said he had had no intention to hurt any animal there. When I arrived at the orangutan cage, [Ozon] was smoking a cigarette. Not long after that, he finished smoking. When I approached him, he held up his hand toward me. I spontaneously lit a cigarette and tossed it to him, without thinking about the impact of what I was doing, DJ told journalists at the Bandung Police in West Java on Friday. West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Agung Budi Maryoto confirmed that DJ had been named a suspect of animal abuse based on Article 302 of the Criminal Code. He might face a three-month prison term. He claimed he had done it just for fun, said Agung. DJ said he wished to apologize to all the people of Indonesia, especially Bandung residents. He can pay for his mistake by voluntarily working as a zoo educator here, suggested Bandung Zoo communication and marketing official Sulhan Syafii. (ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 11:09 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c919465 4 Business Indonesia,tax-holiday,tax-allowance,regulation,revision Free The government is making a stringent effort to simplify the process for investors to obtain tax allowances and tax holidays, assuring that an upcoming regulation would be simpler and offer more certainty. We are preparing a new regulation that will be simpler, no lengthy red tape anymore, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said on Thursday in Jakarta as reported by tempo.co. The new regulation would contain specific provisions for each industry, but in general, investors would be required to establish greenfield industries, opening business in special economic zones, said Darmin. Industries that were eligible for the tax holiday would be determined by the Indonesian Standard of Industrial Classification (KBLI), Darmin said, adding that the tax holiday was zero percent. So for those who intend to apply [for the tax holiday], we will not discuss the industry, but refer directly to the KBLI [...], he said. The incentive would be awarded once an investor had obtained a KBLI number. Separately, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government would use a variety of tax instruments to encourage economic growth, including tax allowances and tax holidays for income tax deductions. Sri Mulyani said the government was reevaluating the procedure for granting tax incentives because very few businesspeople were interested in applying for the facility. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 16:40 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c92b47c 1 City Tanah-Abang,road-closure,police Free Jakarta Transportation Agency deputy head Sigit Wijatmoko visited Jakarta Police headquarters on Friday to meet a summons issued in relation to a report filed by Cyber Indonesia that claimed the closure of a road in Tanah Abang had contravened prevailing regulations. Sigit, who arrived at 9:48 a.m. for questioning, was accompanied by the agencys traffic management division head, Ferdinand Ginting. Sigit refused to speak to the press prior to the questioning session, but confirmed that he would be investigated as a witness. We will be examined as witnesses, Sigit said in a short message as reported by tribunnews.com. In addition to the officials, the police will also question expert witnesses. Police previously questioned on Monday Jack Boyd Lapian from Cyber Indonesia in relation to the filed report. (vny) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura Fri, March 9 2018 On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, dozens of mama-mama (Papuan women) sang and danced to express their gratitude for the new market they had been longing to have for years. They are female vegetable sellers who have been struggling for a decent traditional market in Jayapura, Papua, for the last 14 years. On Wednesday, Jayapura Mayor Benhur Tommy Mano officially opened the market, called Pasar Mama-Mama, coinciding with Jayapura citys 108th anniversary.... Colombia Rebel Ends Presidential Campaign BOGOTA, Colombia The candidate put forward by Colombias largest rebel group suddenly quit the presidential race Thursday, citing poor health, a month after the groups political party suspended campaign events because of violent attacks.The candidate, Rodrigo Londono, the former rebel commander known widely by his alias Timochenko, was exiting the race after undergoing heart surgery on Wednesday, party officials said. The group said no one would take his place.The news marked a setback not only for the former rebels, but for the peace process itself. The rebels rebirth as a party competing for votes had been considered a central pillar.The principal premise of the peace deal is that the rebels participated in politics, said Alvaro Villarraga, an analyst at the Democratic Culture Foundation, a Bogota-based group that promotes the rule of law. That they didnt choose another candidate sends a message on how difficult this campaign had gotten.The guerrillas refashioned themselves as a political party late last year, keeping their acronym, FARC, but changing the name to the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force. They fielded a host of candidates for this years elections for the legislature and the presidency that which included some of the most feared guerrilla leaders among their ranks.The campaigning did not go well. Mr. Londono was attacked by protesters who pelted his motorcade with rocks, on one occasion doing severe damage to his vehicle. A prominent Senate candidate, Luciano Marin, known by his nom de guerre, Ivan Marquez, was forced to cancel campaign events after they were mobbed.The tensions forced FARC to suspend its campaigning last month, declaring it unsafe. The former rebels blamed right-wing parties, while others in Colombia argued that the group was simply confronting an angry electorate victimized for years by FARCs kidnappings and deadly attacks. Just a tiny percentage of Colombians say they would consider voting for them.On Thursday, Felix Antonio Munoz, a former FARC commander who is running for the Senate, said the atmosphere remained unsafe for the group. We need to generate new conditions that guarantee that political participation is inclusive, he told reporters gathered in the city of Armenia on Thursday.While the group has a diminished profile on the campaign trail, it will still have a presence in the Colombian legislature no matter how the election goes. Under the peace deal, the former guerrillas were guaranteed five seats in the Senate and five in the House of Representatives.But the attacks on the campaign trail and the departure of their presidential candidate still left many commentators concerned.Nothing has gone well for the party, said Leon Valencia, a Colombian political analyst and former rebel who in the 1990s left the National Liberation Army, another guerrilla group. The implementation of the peace accords going ahead will depend on their presence and political influence in the country and this is in question.Mr. Londonos campaign, while always a long shot, had gotten off a positive start. In January, he began his bid in a downtrodden Bogota neighborhood, where a large crowd greeted him waving flags bearing the groups new logo, a red rose. He pledged to work on behalf of Colombias poor and fight corruption in government.May the voice of those below, those millions and millions of poor who never were counted, may they be listened to, he said.But the health of Mr. Londono, who is 59 and spent years in the jungle as a rebel commander and long suffered from heart problems, was in decline. Last week he was hospitalized after chest pains that began while he was exercising, the group said.On Wednesday night, Mr. Londono underwent heart surgery and was also being treated for lung problems and an obstructed cerebral artery. The hospital which treated him, the Shaio Clinic in Bogota, said he had left the surgery as doctors expected and cited no complications. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 14:16 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c924572 1 National police,National-Police,Polri,Tito-Karnavian,Bareskrim Free National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has issued a notice ordering the reassignment of three high-ranking officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), kompas.com reported. Signed on Thursday, the letter stated that Bareskrims special economic crime director, Brig. Gen. Agung Setya, would serve as a high-ranking officer at the National Polices Security Intelligence Agency assigned to the State Intelligence Agency (BIN). Meanwhile, Bareskrim special crimes director Brig. Gen. Rudy Heriyanto is set to step into Agungs former post. Cybercrime director Brig. Gen. Fadil Imran was initially ordered to replace Rudy, but the position eventually went to Sr. Comr. Albertus Rachmad Wibowo. Other reassignments include that of South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Mardiaz Kusin Dwihananto, who will step down to serve as coordinator for the police chiefs personal assistants. Meanwhile, Sr. Comr. Indra Jafar has been assigned to replace Mardiaz. National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul said the changes were needed to reinvigorate the law-enforcement agencys personnel structure. Some officers need to be replaced due to retirement. This is needed to optimize [the National Polices] performance, Martinus told journalists. (gis/ebf) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bak Se-hwan (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) Seoul Fri, March 9, 2018 16:35 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c92a678 2 World #USA,#NorthKorea,#SouthKorea,#NorthKoreaNuclear,#PeaceTalks,#KimJongUn,#DonaldTrump,#Donald-Trump,#Panmunjeom Free North Korean leader Kim Jong-un invited US President Donald Trump for talks and Trump has agreed. So the question is: Where will they meet for the talks that could mark a potential breakthrough in the standoff surrounding the North's nuclear program? Kims invitation arrived Thursday at the US White House delivered by South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong in a stunning development following months of mutual bellicose rhetoric. Chung led a special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit North Korea to meet Kim on Monday, where the two rival Koreas also agreed to separately hold a summit in late April in Panmunjeom, at the Peace House on the Souths side, according to Chung. Washington is not likely to be an option, Cho Han-bum, senior researcher of the Korea Institute for National Unification said when asked what a possible location would be for holding talks between Kim and Trump. It is hard to say that Kim has consolidated his power yet, and it would not be easy for Kim to leave Pyongyang amid enhanced sanctions. The Panmunjom truce village or Jeju will be the most likely for peace talks. Jeju Island is a symbol of peace as it was designated as the Island of World Peace by the South, and most importantly, the island is a convenient place to move from one place to another by both parties, the researcher told The Korea Herald. The US leaders unconventional foreign policy style makes Pyongyang yet another possible place for holding talks, according to Kim Yeon-chul, unification professor at Inje University. Trump might make a surprise move by agreeing to visit Pyongyang (as part of breakthroughs), Kim said. On Thursday, Trump tweeted about Great progress being made and a Meeting being planned, adding that sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. The White House also confirmed that Trump is ready to meet Kim by May, although an exact time and location are yet to be determined. Topics : This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 17:35 1290 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c92d59a 1 City Tanah-Abang,road-closure,plan,survey Free Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno plans to announce the results of a survey on the closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, on Friday afternoon. They survey has been conducted since the closure of the road to accommodate around 400 street vendors in December last year. Give me ten to 15 minutes this afternoon to make a presentation on the surveys results, Sandiaga said on Friday. He said previously that the closure of the road, which has sparked controversy among those affected including public minivan drivers, was temporary. The administration is set to announce a more extensive plan on the arrangement of the area, which is home to the biggest textile market in Southeast Asia. After getting insights from relevant parties [we will launch the bigger plan], Sandiaga said. The administration, under the instruction of Governor Anies Baswedan, closed Jl. Jatibaru Raya in December last year. Article 128 of Law. 22/2009 on traffic and land transportation regulates that the administration is required to get a permit from the police before closing any roads, but Anies did not do so. A recommendation letter sent to Anies from the police calling for the reopening of the road was ignored. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 15:40 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c928098 1 City Tanah-Abang,road-closure Free The decision to close a road in the busy Tanah Abang market district in Central Jakarta could serve as a pretext for further decisions as the policy did not have a legal basis, an expert said on Friday. Public Policy expert Trubus Rahardiansyah said that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan should have issued a gubernatorial decree that specifically ruled on the arrangement in Tanah Abang, home to the largest textile market in Southeast Asia, before closing Jl. Jatibaru Raya to accommodate hundreds of street vendors. Street vendors in other parts of the city will demand the same. [Anies] should issue a gubernatorial decree on Tanah Abang to avoid the creation of a domino effect Trubus said, highlighting that vendors in other locations like Melawai business district in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, had insisted on occupying sidewalks after seeing their fellow vendors in Tanah Abang receive special treatment. However, the Trisakti University expert also said such a gubernatorial decree, or other regulations on the closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya, could be challenged at the Supreme Court because it would violate prevailing regulations on public order and roads. The decree is likely to be revoked by the Supreme Court because it violates prevailing regulations. I think the governor has already calculated for such a possibility, which is why he did not issue the decree. Anies, however, in this case had not abused his power as Law No. 30/2014 on government administration gives him such discretion. Trubus explained that the law also stated that a regional leader could not be criminalized over such a policy. The governor is protected by the law, he added. Anies has yet to issue a legal basis for the closure of Jl. Jatibaru Raya since it began in December last year. When The Jakarta Post asked Jakarta Transportation Agency deputy head Sigit Wijatmoko about the legal basis for the road's closure, he said the policy had been carried out in accordance with Law No. 22/2009 on traffic and land transportation. [The road closure] is permitted by the law, Sigit said, quoting Article 127 of the law, which stipulates that roads can be used for purposes other than their intended function in the public's interest. However, Article 128 of the law states that the administration should first gain a permit from the police. The Jakarta Police have several times directed the administration to reopen the road. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Fri, March 9 2018 Lembang in northern Bandung, West Java, is a popular place to visit for those who crave mountain scenery and cool weather. Lembang also offers unique culinary experiences that are not to be missed, including at The Bale Restaurant. Located in Lembangs Mulberry Hill area, The Bale offers an all-inclusive culinary tourism package, centered on healthy food. Visitors can harvest their own vegetables on its 1,120-square meter farm, which is managed in cooperation with dozens of local farmers. At present we have 12 types of vegetables, The Bale Restaurant director Heni Smith said at the launch of the eatery last we... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 22:07 1290 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c93500b 1 National vandalism Free Hendardi, the chairman of the SETARA Institute, an NGO focused on advocacy and research on democracy and human rights, has condemned an attack on St. Zakharia Catholic Chapel in Ogan Ilir, East Palembang, South Sumatra. This is a real attack on Indonesia's diversity, he said in a press release made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday. Hendardi said the attack posed a challenge for members of the majority to ensure harmony in society. The latest demographic data indicates that residents in Ogan Ilir regency are 99.6 percent Muslim. This is a test for the Muslim majority to respond to intolerance, discrimination, persecution and violence against a minority, he said. Hendardi called for residents of Ogan Ilir to work together to make social healing possible. The state apparatus will work on the case, yes. But members of society should also be involved in building social resilience, so that such barbaric attacks that wound our diversity wont happen again, he said. The newly renovated St. Zakharia Catholic Chapel in Rantau Alay, Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, was vandalized by an unidentified group on Thursday morning. The chapel, which belongs to the Seberang Ulu parish, is located in Mekar Sari hamlet. Eyewitnesses said the attackers damaged the chapels walls, benches and statues. They also attempted to set it on fire. (gis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 13:16 1291 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c921987 1 City drug-trafficking,drug-abuse,West-Jakarta Free West Jakarta had become the country's center of drug trafficking, with three abusers arrested per day this year, the local police have said. In the first two months of 2018, the police had arrested 235 suspects in 226 drug cases, said West Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Hengki Haryadi. On average, we arrest at least three suspects a day, he said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com, adding that police investigators were trying to obtain more in-depth information to eradicate the drug trade in the area. West Jakarta Mayor Anas Efendi said the municipality's high population density and prevalence of nightclubs were two key causes of the thriving drug trade. The drugs are delivered to West Jakarta by road from various places and also through seaports from North Jakarta, Anas said. A lot of people have inadequate knowledge [about the danger of drugs], he added. (vla) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Fri, March 9, 2018 20:24 1290 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c93369c 1 National Yogyakarta,face-veil,women-rights,international-womens-day,International-Women-Day,human-rights-activists,human-rights,human-rights-abuse Free To celebrate this years International Womens Day, female rights advocacy groups joined with the Yogyakarta Womens Struggle Committee (KPP) to stage a rally on Thursday to call for the fulfillment of womens rights and the freedom to wear clothing of their choice, including face veils. We condemn a current ban on female students wearing face veils, KPP Yogyakarta spokesperson Linda Sugondo said during a rally at Titik Nol (Zero Point) Monument in Yogyakarta on Thursday. Face veils worn by some Muslim women have become a hot topic for debate after Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University (UIN Suka) in Yogyakarta registered student candidates who wore face veils and gave them counseling sessions. If after receiving the counseling sessions they insisted on wearing face veils, the university asked them to move to other universities. In a democracy, every individual has the right to choose the way they wear clothes or express themselves, said Linda. For equal rights: Activists protest a university regulation that prohibits female students from wearing face veils during a rally to celebrate 2018 International Womens Day at Titik Nol (Zero Point) Monument in Yogyakarta on March 8. (JP/Bambang Muryanto) Although in many cases the wearing of face veils is considered an attempt to control women's bodies, Linda believed that wearing a face veil was a choice all people should respect. Its the right of every woman to choose. Wearing a face veil or not is not a solution. The most important thing is that the state provides prosperity for its people, said Linda. Separately, UIN Sukas School of Dakwah (religious proselytization) and Communication deputy dean Abdur Rozaki said that historically, face veils were used as a tool to discriminate against women and control their bodies. (ebf) That's debatable when we consider that the polygamous marriages were never registered as civil marriages, only religious ones. So one could argue that whatever their religious laws said, they were technically not married under Canadian law. Add to that that fornication is not a criminal offence either. So if he's not civilly married, then what law is he breaking? There was mention of the age of the wives, but that has to do with child molestation, not polygamy. I'm not saying I agree with polygamy. As I mentioned in the OP, I very much oppose it. I'm just looking at it from a pragmatic standpoint though. In the case of freely consensual adults, if they legally contract a marriage in a different jurisdiction, however harmful polygamy may be to society, how does forcibly breaking that marriage fix the damage done? It would seem to me that that just causes even more damage. How does incarcerating a person for polygamy improve the situation? That's why I think the best solution would be for Canada to simply disallow the contracting of a polygamous marriage in Canada and to refuse to recognize any such marriage illegally contracted in Canada (which would be punishment enough) and then just recognize any polygamous marriage legally contracted abroad. I know it leaves a loophole, but it at least discourages it without wasting excessive taxpayer dollars on it. Few filmmakers have been so prolific and radically respected as French writer-director Jean-Luc Godard. Despite his prime being the French New Wave era of the late 50s/early 60s, his influence spans to the work of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and several others citing the auteur as an all-time great. Getting to grips with Godards work takes time; with everything he produces bearing his own signature and recurring relevant themes. He is arguably the most autobiographical of auteurs, as a critic-turned-filmmaker commenting on social decay in the hands of capitalism, whilst employing aesthetics that subvert conventions of classical cinema. Here are five Jean-Luc Godard films that are essential to watch: 1. A Bout De Souffle aka Breathless (1960) Its easier to appreciate what Godard was trying to achieve if you start with his most celebrated first feature debut. Breathless illustrates a doomed romance between Jean Sebergs American newspaper vendor and Jean-Paul Belmondos mobster archetype. It's filled with jump-cuts and homages to both Humphrey Bogart and B movies from Monogram Pictures. The composition subverts screen convention whilst establishing Paris as immaterial through the rejection of establishing shots and exposition. 2. Bande a part aka Band of Outsiders (1964) Sounding familiar? Possibly since Tarantino named his production company (A Band Apart) directly after this film and Godards influence. Band of Outsiders reimagines the gangster film as two wannabe crooks enlist Anna Karina to assist in committing a robbery. The trio make possibly the worst criminals, but it is exactly this construct that makes them all the more endearing. The set also features some of Godards most iconic scenes, including the race through the Louvre and the classic Madison dance sequence. 3. Le Mepris aka Contempt (1963) Contempt is, simply put, a movie about movies. It shows off Godards ability to comment on the film world and the process of filmmaking itself far more than other of his works. Through its vibrancy, Raoul Coutards cinematography contributes a degree of sumptuousness - perfect for a movie starring the famously iconic Brigitte Bardot. The narrative centres on Fritz Lang, who plays himself, directing a new version of The Odyssey; ultimately resulting in complications between art, commercialism, and love. 4. Pierrot le Fou (1965) Edging closer to the end of the French New Wave, Pierrot le Fou see Godards continued effort making movies about criminals and romance, only with advances. Complete with leading the audience to suspend their disbelief through fourth-wall breaks, Jean-Paul Belmondo plays a man fed up with his bourgeois lifestyle. The film is saturated with a dark tone, with gangsters leaving a trail of corpses as Belmondo and Karina become lovers on the run. 5. Alphaville (1965) Visually, Alphaville is a noir-style detective story with a far-future dystopia becoming a substitute for the streets of Paris. Alphaville is a place run by a higher order which has outlawed matters such as love, poetry, and art; allowing the film to take on a narrative of recovering these concepts when Lemmy (Eddie Constantine) falls in love with a programmer. Bristol Vice Chancellor Hugh Brady has expressed concern over proposed reform to staff pensions in a letter to UUK chief executive and says his Uni has now reconsidered their position on a number of key issues. After listening to the strong views and concerns held by his staff and students, Professor Brady says Bristol is now willing to take more risk, make additional contributions to pensions and "continue with defined benefits that will be financially sustainable". In the letter which was sent today - March 9th - Professor Brady tells chief executive Alistair Jarvis he shares in the frustration of many staff and students: that progress towards a sustainable outcome appears to be no closer. Professor Brady goes on to outline proposals which he feels could be helpful to finding a way forward and says that progress is a "matter of urgency". Suggesting an independent panel of pension experts should be brought in to help with the situation, he writes: the University would like UUK to work urgently with UCU to establish an independent panel of pensions experts from both within and outside of the sector. We believe an independent panel is important for a range of reasons to bring fresh thinking to this complex situation, to provide greater clarity to staff about the financial position of their pension scheme and the personal implications for them of the options that are brought to the table. Professor Brady says he will also be lobbying the Government to address the "unfair" difference in current sector pension schemes, whereby some are backed by Government but others like the USS - the private pension scheme for universities - are not. The Vice Chancellor has listend to concerns raised by his staff who will be affected by the pension scheme changes - UCU estimates members will be 200,000 worse of in retirement - as well as also speaking with students. Earlier this week Bristol students staged a three-day occupation of Professor Brady's office in protest of their view the university was lacking in support of its staff in the pensions dispute. The occupation ended after the Vice Chancellor held meetings with the students, agreeing to make several concessions regarding his position, including writing a letter to UUK. Read the full letter letter here. Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page Which moment from a comic this week caught your interest? Moment and Indie Moment of the Month for Febuary have begun! Vote now or forever hold your peace!!! Your WINNER for MOMENT OF THE WEEK 2/28/18: Cassandra floors Damian to the ground in front of amused Tim. - Detective Comics #975 This thread will contain SPOILERS!!! And lots of them. If you haven't read this week's comics yet, go read them before continuing into this thread, or risk being spoiled! PLEASE NOTE!!!!!! ]Remember to include the title and issue number of the comic you are nominating. Otherwise I will be forced to disqualify your nomination, and nobody wants that! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rules: 1. Each nomination must be a moment in a comic released the week of the thread. This does not include weekly previews, trade paperbacks, or back issue digests. For new comics check out Midtown Comics release dates. 2. Everyone can make ONE nomination. You can either nominate a moment yourself or second/third/fourth/fifth an already existing nomination. However, second/third/fourth/fifth will not count per nominating and thus earn entry above in Top Nominations. You want in that list you must nominate something. 3. It must be an actual moment involving the actions or statements of a comic character in an issue. No "This writer returns to the series", "this artist draws this character", "the book is better", etc. 4. If you want to change your nomination, there are a few factors involved: ---> A) No one can have seconded your nom. ---> B) If it is clear for you to change your nom, you must edit your original post or the new post will be disqualified as being a double nomination. ---> C) You can change your second, third, etc. by editing your original post before the nomination period ends. Moments on the poll do not have to be seconded. If there is room in the poll, moments that were nominated but not seconded will be added based on the order they were nominated. 6. Again, please be specific on the comic title, issue number and moment. Also be clear that you are actually nominating or seconding something ... statements such as "Yeah, that was a cool moment" aren't clear. You must nominate a single moment in the comic and can't nominate the whole issue. Once more, if you dont include the issue and number the moment will not be included. 7. The thread for nominations will go up on Wednesday (new comic day) at 11:00 PM (Central) or when Zechs arrives later that night and posts in the previous week thread announcing voting is closed. The nominations will go until 2:00 PM (Central Time) Sunday Afternoon, or whenever Zechs arrives and will post in the thread stating, Its over. and will start the poll. If a new comic day falls on a holiday week in American, then the thread will be made for that day (be it Tuesday or Thursday). Regardless, nominations will STILL conclude on Saturday deadline. 8. Please be civil when commenting on other people's nominations. But feel free to discuss them in this thread. 9. In case there is debate on WHEN exactly a title came out, http://www.midtowncomics.com or the official websites of said publishers (be it Marvel, DC, Darkhorse, etc.) will be the final word on the quarrel. 10. Any nominations not following the above rules will be disqualified. Unless of course if Zechs, who is feeling sad for the person who missed the rule and might give them time to provide the correction. Then he will pester bk into putting the nomination in the poll. Of course this wouldnt be a problem if Zechs wasnt granted the glorious powers of a moderator, which one day such power will be Zechs, oh yes they will his. 11. If at five nominations are not made, Zechs will choose some, but they will all count as one nomination, not multiple thus making sure balance is preserved. 12. AKA the Rulk rule. If several moments are tied past the deadline of 11:00 PM (Central Time) Wednesday (or holiday date when new comics arrive in the US) or when Zechs arrives that night, then voting will continue on in sudden death for eight more hours, until one is decided. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. If one isnt still decided, then Zechs will provide the deciding vote, regardless if he has voted already. So if that isn't enough reason to get a ton of votes on that additional day than you're just dooming yourself to give Zechs another vote. 13. AKA the Hobgoblin rule. Roderick Kingsley Hobgoblin moments when winning for three days straight automatically win the poll. No last day or second voting changes it to troll the ruler of this thread. Only ONE can rule as the Moment of the Week! Top Ten Nominators of All Time... 1.) GLX- (449 Nominations) 2.) Zechs- (441 Nominations) 3.) e_galston- (202 Nominations) 4.) Johnny Smith (174 Nominations) IvCNuB4 - (174 Nominations) 5.) Kravis (145 Nominations) 6.) Stephen Day- (126 Nominations) 7.) blcdude (109 Nominations) 8.) rdrsfn82- (102 Nominations) 9.) fieldy RICHARDS- (93 Nominations) 10.) 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Dont be shocked that the player leading the Public Opinions Week 5 list of top area high school football performers is kicker Andrew Czech. Posted Thursday, March 8, 2018 8:26 am On the final day of the legislative session, lawmakers approved a last-minute supplemental budget deal that funnels roughly $1 billion to K-12 public education and a $400 million one-time reduction in state property taxes. For theentire 60-day legislative session, lawmakers had two issues looming over them stemming from the over $7 billion K-12 education funding reform package they passed last summer to meet the state Supreme Courts 2012 McCleary ruling that the state fully fund Washingtons public school system. One issue was a November 2017 follow-up mandate from the court that lawmakers speed up funding for public school staff salariesto the tune of $1 billionand the other was constituent backlash to the statewide property tax increase they passed last year. But with an optimistic revenue forecast from state economists released last month projecting over $1 billion in additional unforeseen revenue flowing into government coffers over the next four years, lawmakers began angling for using the money to both meet the most recent court ruling and cut taxes. The budget, which was unveiled in the early evening on March 7 by House and Senate Democrats, includes not only the $1 billion to K-12 public education for school staff salaries, but also $306 million for mental health and $116 million to help low-income students pay for college tuition. Additionally, the budget agreement sets aside close to $150 million for in-contempt-of-court fines lawmakers incurred by both the state Supreme Court following the McCleary ruling and a federal court after a 2015 mandate that the state improve mental health services, known as the Trueblood case. We comply with our court obligation, we fully fund our K-12 responsibilities we invest a lot more money in mental health in general, said Senate Democratic budget writer Sen. Christine Rolfes, DBainbridge Island at a March 7 press conference. Additionally, Democrats are rallying around the Senates proposal for reducing property taxes. Their plan, SB 6614, would lower state property taxes one-time from $2.70 per $1,000 in assessed value to $2.40 in 2019. The reduction would be funded by redirecting excess tax revenue that would otherwise flow into the states Budget Stabilization Account or rainy day fund, which is intended to buffer the state in economic downturns. Two weeks prior, House and Senate Democrats unveiled conflicting budget proposals: the Senate wanted to meet the most recent McCleary mandate while using the excess tax revenue to reduce property taxes, while House budget writers effectively ignored the court mandate and wanted to pass a capital gains tax to pay for future property tax cuts. However, House Democrats have since reversed their position. Everything that is in this proposal is agreed to, said House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Timm Ormsby, DSpokane, at the March 8 press conference. Ormsby said that House Democrats dropped the push for a capital gains tax because it would have been a difficult path, he said. Our number one priority was to get done on time, Ormsby added. While Democrats may be in agreement, Republicans were salty about both the budget proposal and the proposed property tax reduction. At the March 7 press conference, Senate Republican budget-lead Sen. John Braun, RCentralia, said that the Democrats budget features a tremendous amount of spending and that it could have been more disciplined. At the March 8 floor vote on the budget, Republicans were unanimous in their opposition to the budget proposal. This budget relies on a diversionary raid on the rainy day fund, said Sen. Sharon Brown, RKennewick. Sen. Doug Ericksen, RFerndale, said that the legislature has to recommit itself to fiscal sanity. Democrats argued that the budget is balanced and will clear the Legislature of its legal obligations. Sen. David Frockt, DSeattle, said at the March 8 floor vote that the fact that the budget meets the most recent McCleary mandate and pays the Trueblood court fines is enough to call it terrific, adding that those cases have been roiling this body for the past few years. The budget passed the House 54-44 and along party lines in the Senate 25-24. As for the Democrats proposed property tax reduction, Republicans are also largely uniformly opposed. Senate Republicans argued that the plan will drain state reserves and is a way for Democrats to get around rule in the state constitution that withdrawals from the rainy day fund require a 60-percent majority vote in the Legislature, rather than a simple majority. Braun called the maneuver an accounting gimmick. Fundamentally, this is a constitutional issue, he said on the Senate floor on March 7. I think that this will ultimately be seen as a unconscionable breach of the public trust. Republicans also pointed to a March 7 statement from state Treasurer Duane Davidson who said that the Senates attempt to divert funds from the rainy day fund sets a dangerous precedent. Choosing to not save today when were experiencing extraordinary revenue growth guarantees that our budget problems will be much greater when the next recession hits, Davidson said in the statement. Democrats countered that state reserves will still be substantial after the diversion, and that providing property tax relief should be the immediate priority. We are cutting property taxes. We are doing a $400 million property tax relief for residents of Washington state, said Sen. Mark Mullet, DIssaquah, on March 7. Taking $400 million before it goes into the rainy day fund does not put the state at risk. Sen. Reuven Carlyle, DSeattle, called the property tax reduction a extraordinary accomplishment. SB 6614 passed the Senate on March 7 along party lines 25-23 with one excused. Posted Thursday, March 8, 2018 7:55 am Four key bills targeting sexual harassment passed both chambers and were waiting to be signed by the Washington State governor before the end of session March. 8. SB 6313, sponsored by Senator Karen Keiser, D-Kent, makes an employment contract void if it requires an employee to waive the right to pursue legal action if she or he faces discrimination in the workplace. A similar bill, SB 5996, also sponsored by Keiser, makes an employment contract void if it requires an employee to waive the right to pursue legal action if she or he faces sexual harassment or sexual assault in the workplace. Both bills passed both chambers unanimously in February. Another bill provides discrimination protections for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault andeasily passed both chambers by wide margins. HB 2661, sponsored by Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, makes it unlawful for an employer to fire employee or discriminate in hiring based on victimization of sexual assault or domestic violence. It also mandates employers to provide reasonable safety accommodation if a victim requests it. The bill closes a loophole in the law and provides a way for survivors to seek legal remedy if discriminated against based on their status. Lawmakers even ventured into the realm of gunrights as it relates to domestic violence passing SB 6298, sponsored by Senator Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, by wide margins in both chambers. The bill makes domestic violence harassment a crime for which someone can lose their rights to a firearm. The bill passed with strongbipartisan support because it is narrowly tailored to apply only to people convicted of serious domestic violence and harassment crimes. This all comes in response to the national Me Too movement. Recently, a new movement emerged as the next step. The Times Up movement starts with a letter written to Hollywood actors by the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, an organization comprised of current and former farmworker women. We want survivors of sexual harassment, everywhere, to be heard, to be believed, and to know that accountability is possible, the letter states. The letter also calls for survivors to have access to justice and support for the wrongdoing they endured, a significant increase of women in leadership roles, and equal pay in the face of systematic imbalance of power. Washington State has taken its own steps to address equal pay. HB 1506, which modified the Equal Pay Act of 1943, passed both chambers of the legislature Thursday, March 1. The bill provides legal remedies for discrimination in wages and compensation and prohibits employers from requiring employees to not discuss wages with each other. The Washington State legislature has faced criticism for sexual harassment this session. The NW News Network, The News Tribune, and The Olympian interviewed eight women earlier this year who accused Washington State Representative David Sawyer, D-Tacoma of inappropriate behavior and in a some cases, harassment. Sawyer is currently prohibited from working with his staff during a House official review of his conduct. The state legislature also faced a lawsuit by a multitude of newspapers in the state for not disclosing records about accusations of sexual harassment. That lawsuit lead to a Washington State Supreme Court ruling agreeing that lawmakers in the state are subject to public records. Lawmakers then introduced a bill, SB 6617, sponsored by Senator Sharon Nelson, D-Maury Island, that would essentially exempt themselves from the Public Records Act with few exceptions. Governor Jay Inslee vetoed the bill on March, 1. Sexual assault and harassment allegations against management at the Department of Fish and Wildlife came to light in January. A former manager is awaiting sentencing for a conviction on rape and burglary charges. At the hearing in the Senate hearing in January for SB 6313 and SB 5992, Barbara Baker, commissioner for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said these measures would respond to sexual harassment in ways that change workplace culture. Its not a partisan issue, Baker said at the hearing. We have a real problem. People are finally talking about it, and this is a good start. Posted Thursday, March 8, 2018 7:56 am Sexual assault is the most heinous crime against another person short of murder. Sexual assault inflicts humiliation, degradation, and terror on victims. - Washington State Legislative declaration, 2007 One could hear a pin drop between the phrases in their stories. Nine women testified, many fighting tears, but breaking the silence. Most people think that a rape ends after the physical assault does, survivor Megan Freney said. Im here today because that is not the case. Getting raped was not the hardest part. It was each step after that got progressively harder. Freney and eight other women testified for a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations for felony sex crimes in the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Feb. 19 this session. She was able to prosecute her case after fighting for two years, but recognizes that not everyone gets that chance. Thats why Im here today, she said. To fight for the women who come after me so that they have the chance to make the decision when theyre ready. Like Lisa Flotlin, who testified she was 16 when a high school teacher pressured her into a sexual relationship. Due to the statute of limitations, my abuser would never face charges, Flotlin said. This was the most devastating day of my life. It had taken me eightyears to come up with the courage not only to share my story but to finally force my abuser to be held responsible. To this day I am crushed that I ruined my chances at legal action by not arriving at this emotional state sooner. Christina-Marie Wright was in sixth grade when her teacher inappropriately touched her and her best friends. We told, but it did not stop, she said. The school and the stateOffice of the Superintendent of Public Instruction conductedan investigation, she said, that found the teacher hadabused other children as well. Ultimately, she said, no action was taken. Even then the system failed. We had no legal advocates and we werent offered services. After 32 years, she said, the teacherstill lives in her home town, and still works with children. I was four years old when one man made a decision that would alter the way I would see the world for the rest of my life, survivor Jana Peterson said. She endured sexualabuse as a child, and later,domestic violence in hermarriage, and another sexual attack. I pray to persevere for the sake of my girls but this lifelong sentence in prison conditions are finally ravaging my body and my ability to sustain my own existence, she said. I can tell you that pedofilia is the rotten ground that plants the seeds of noxious weeds that you as lawmakers fight every day; addiction, mental health, homelessness, domestic violence. I was eight and I didnt understand what was happening, but I knew it wasnt right, Dinah Griffey said. Her mother had just escaped a violent marriage before marrying Dinahs stepfather. He was a convicted child molester but convinced Dinahs mother that he was wrongly accused. He gave Dinah alcohol, she woke up to touching, and later found holes drilled in the ceiling above the shower, she said. I wasnt safe at home and I didnt know how to stop it, she said. I was afraid no one would believe me. She grew rebellious when her attempts to reach out for help were not effective. When she reached out to the police, they told her the statute of limitations would not allow her to prosecute. She missed the deadline by days. Laws in place are supposed to protect children in cases like these butthey all failed her. Her stepfather is no longer alive, but his effect on her life lives on. As survivors we live with this every day, Dinah said. It doesnt go away just because theres an expiration date. Statutes of limitations In 2015, Dinah Griffeys husband, Representative Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, sponsored legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations for felony sex crimes including rape and child molestation. After four years, the bill got further than it ever had, passing the house with a 90-8 vote, and making it to a hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee. When Dan and I first met, he saved me from the person that was hurting me, Dinah said fighting back tears, a waver in her voice. Dan was the first person I was able to open up to. I will never forget that, and I wont forget this. Chair of the Senate Law and Justice committee, Senator Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, previously said he would not hear the bill in his committee if it passes the House. Human beings deserve to go on with their lives, he said. We have statutes of limitation in every area of the law with the exception of murder. I think that special status is appropriate in cases of murder. High school teacher Leah Griffin read what Sen. Pedersen said in this reporters previous news story. That quote punched me in the gut, she said. As a survivor I never get to move on with my life. Im dealing with this forever. To make a comment about a rapist moving on is so incredibly missing the point. The bill passed the House to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex crimes altogether, but the Senate would only consider a significantly-changed version that would eliminate the statute of limitations for felony sex offenses for victims 12 and under at the time of the crime. It was a compromise I didnt want to make, but if were going to start this righteous policy going forward, this is the class of people that should be protected first, Rep. Griffey said. At least 14 states have no statute of limitations for children under 15 to 16 years old, according to a state-by-state comparison from the National Center for Victims of Crime. The study also states that eight states do not have any statute of limitations for prosecuting felony sexual assault. David Ward, an attorney with Legal Voice, a womens and LGBTQ rights law center in Seattle, said the most common thing hes heard from survivors is that the language of the law needs to be centered around them, not the perpetrators. That can lead to a culture in which a victims testimony is questioned. It is so common in our culture and is sometimes reflected in our law, he said, adding that there is no evidence to support claims that victims oftenlie about sexual assault. The current statute of limitations for sex crimes dates back to the 1970s and Washington state representatives have been fighting to change the statute for years. Former Representative John Ahern, R-Spokane, introduced a bill to extend the statute of limitations for child victims in 2007. He tried again in 2011 but to no avail. In 2013, former Representative Jeff Holy, R-Spokane, picked up where Rep. Ahern left off, sponsoring a bill that forms current law. Under this bill which passed in 2013, victims of sex crimes as children have 10 years after the crime or until their 30th birthday to report and prosecute. Evidence goes unprocessed Sexual assault kits, also called rape kits, consist of evidence collected during a medical exam following a sexual assault. After evidence is collected, the kits have to be processed througha DNA database of past perpetrators. If the kits are never processed, there is no chance for a victim to prosecute with evidence of a sexual assault. Washington state has a backlog of roughly 10,000 untested sexual assault kits, according to the Washington State Patrols response to a public records request. In 2015, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs surveyed law enforcement across the state and found a backlog of an estimated 6,000 untested kits. The number of backlogged kits were underestimated because some law enforcement agencies in the state did not provide data for the original survey in 2015. The oldest case on record at the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory in Seattle goes back to 1992. A law passed in 2015 required law enforcement to submit a request for laboratory analysis within 30 days of receiving a rape kit. This applies to new kits but didnt mandate any action on the backlogged kits. The 2015 law also created a 20-member Sexual Assault Forensics Examinerstask force meant to study the best practices for supporting survivors. The taskforce is co-chaired by Representative Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, along with Representative Gina McCabe, R-Goldendale. The revelation that there are10,000 backlogged kits resulted from the task forces recommendation and progress report to lawmakers in 2017. In 2017, the US Department of Justice also awarded the Washington State Attorney General $3 million to process rape kits, investigate, and prosecute cases as a part of its Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. A bill sponsored by Rep. Orwall, HB 2353, would have required those backlogged kits prior to 2015to be submitted for lab testing, but the billdied without a vote this session. Rep. Griffey offered an amendment to the House-proposed operating budget to provide $2.5 million to test the backlog of more than 10,000 untested kits, and Rep. McCabe added an amendment to extend the sexual assault task force for another year. This work is too vitally important to stop, Rep. McCabe said emphasizing the need to continue the task force. Senator Ann Rivers, R-Vancouver, chair of Senate healthcare committee, said she is working with Senator Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, the majority lead budget writer, and Senator John Braun, R-Centralia, the minority budget writer, to urge them to accept the Houses requests for funding in those areas. I dont know anyone who hasnt been touched by this in some way, Sen. Rivers said. This is bipartisanship at its very best in Olympia. But other aspects of the state budget were filled with political contention this session and Rep. Griffey and Representative Michelle Caldier, R-Port Orchard, scolded lawmakers for not doing enough to support survivors. A bill by Rep. Caldier that would ensure rape victims get timely notice of the availability of rape kit exams at hospitals, died on March 2. Shoving this legislation aside this year is an affront to all survivors, dozens of whom traveled to the Capitol to tell their stories and courageously advocate for change, Rep. Caldier and Rep. Griffey wrote in a prepared statement. In Olympia, we talk a big game about standing up for the most vulnerable among us. Yet when it comes to something as important as helping sexual assault victims, we always seem to fall short. Thats unacceptable. Too few qualified sexual assault nurses As of 2016, a total of 74 hospitals throughout Washington employed sexual assault nurse examiners but they are not equally distributed across the state, according toa report from the Washington State Department of Commerce. Eight rural counties do not have a nurse examineron staff, the report adds. The report also finds only one Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner training programin the state, the one at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Nurses do not receive consistent support from hospital administrators, the study says. This may include gaps in shift or on-call coverage, lack of consultation and case review, or inadequate case compensation. Rep. McCabes HB 2102 passed this session. It requires the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy to determine best practices for training sexual assault nurse examiners and making those nurses available at hospitals throughout the state. The bill suggests finding ways for each hospital district to hire and train sexual assault nurse examiners, including more training centers, implementing a course in nursing schools across the state, and even telemedicine. Jessica Johnson is the executive director of Safety, Advocacy, Growth Empowerment, or SAGE in Wenatchee. The hospital there has a qualified nurse but the city is far from many outlying communities. For example, the trip from Bridgeport to SAGE in Wenatchee is about a two-hour drive. Johnson said shes heard from victims who have been redirected to hospitals hours away because their local hospital does not have a nurse certified to do the examination. This happened to high school teacher Leah Griffin, who was turned away from a hospital in 2014 after an assault because they didnt have a qualified nurse on staff. She traveled to another hospital hours later and underwent six-hours of testing. Rep. McCabe also said these tests are complex and have a risk of re-victimizing someone or failing to provide effective evidence if done incorrectly. The kits have to be sent to the Washington State Patrol and sometimes outsourced to other lab facilities for testing. And even then, the examination kits could go untested for years. Victims often bear the burden of proof Despite evidence of injury and a toxicology report from the sexual assault examination showing she had been drugged, prosecutors would not take Griffins case because she could not prove her abuser knew he raped her. She said the requirement that a lack of consent was clearly expressed by words or actions puts the burden of proof on the victim. It is an uphill battle all the way through from the point of the assault, all the way through a court case, Rep. Orwall said at a work session for the task force last year. Rep. Orwall introduced a bill, HB 2465, this session to change the definition of rape in the third degree. Under the current statute, the definition of rape in the third degree is sexual intercourse to which the victim did not consent and the lack of consent is clearly expressed, or where there is a threat of harm. The bill would have removed the requirement for evidence that the victim clearly expressed their lack of consent, but didnt make it past the Senate. Too often the focus is on whether or not the survivor resisted enough, Priya Walia, an attorney at Legal Voice said. This bill shifts the burden from the rape survivor having to prove that they resisted enough and rightly putting it on whether there was actual consent. Having trained victim advocates and first responders who understand the neurobiology of trauma is critical to prevent re-victimization, Andrea Piper-Wentland, executive director of the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, said in the work session last year. That deeper understanding, she said, can dismantle a notion that the victim should have fought back more. When the brain reacts to a stressful response, it sends signals to the body to fight, flee, or freeze, according to research from Janine DAnniballe, Ph.D., director of Access, Emergency, and Community Services at Mental Health Partners in Boulder, Colorado. Tonic immobility is a response to a stressful or dangerous situation in which a victim cannot move the research states; this happens in nearly half of all rapes. On average, 90 percent of victims experience re-victimization in their interactions with law enforcement when they report the crime, research from Rebecca Campbell, professor of psychology, Michigan State University, shows. When people do decide to report and speak up, if its not a positive experience, it wont happen again, Tasha Smith, executive director of the Pierce County Sexual Assault Center said. Thats a challenge for us. We can do a lot better with understanding and seeing things through a trauma lens. Sex crimes go unreported Sexual assault is vastly underreported. Only about 36 percent of crimes are reported and of those reported, 12 percent result in arrest and six out of 1,000 result in charges, Piper-Wentland said at a work group last year. Difficulties getting to a hospital with a qualified nurse,the invasive nature of the examination itself, and a distrust in the prosecuting process afterward can deter a victim from continuing with the process, Rep. McCabe said. As a public high school teacher, Griffin is a mandated reporter by the state. Until the reporting system isnt as traumatizing as the assault, its unreasonable to expect people to come forward right away, she said. While challenging for all victims, the stigma can have a huge impact on male victims of sexual assault for many reasons, she said. Bystander intervention training in middle school and high school can help adolescents find their voices and assist in a safe transition to college life, Smith said. All of these laws work together to create a system of reporting, Griffin said of a variety of bills focused on sexual assault survivors. It takes time, especially for the adolescent, Rep. Griffey said. Even for my wife who has been very open with this. She felt confined. Absolutely confined thinking that her monster, her stepfather, would injure her family if she came forward. We just have to acknowledge that the power the victimizer has over the victims is long reaching and we need to be respectful of that. After fighting for four years, Rep. Griffeys bill to eliminate the statute of limitations was scheduled on the Senate floor calendar. But the bill died without a vote in the Senate. I will fight to the bitter end until the gavel strikes and its gone, Rep. Griffey said in response to Senate inaction. He plans to re-introduce the bill every year until it passes. What breaks my heart is having the survivors testify one more time, he said. For help call the RAINN National Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member in your area. For more specific help at Washington Sexual Assault Centers visit the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs at http://www.wcsap.org/find-help Posted Thursday, March 8, 2018 8:25 am In a last-minute effort lawmakers, cops, and community activists reached a deal on lowering the legal standard for prosecuting officers who kill in the line of duty. The bill, HB 3003, is a product of a surprise agreement between law enforcement representatives and the backers of I-940, a pending ballot initiative that would reform Washingtons police use-of-deadly-force laws. HB 3003 would alter I-940 in the event it passes to make it more palatable to law enforcement. Washington state has long held a high legal bar for prosecuting police officers that kill in the line of duty. Statute dictates that officers must be proven to have acted in malice and without good faith to be prosecuted,a standard which critics argue is almost impossible to prove. A 2015 analysis from The Seattle Times found that while 213 people were killed by police between 2005 and 2014, only one officer was ever charged. Last year, a group called De-Escalate Washington gathered enough signatures to put I-940 on the November ballot. The initiative would amend state law to lower the standard for prosecuting cops who use deadly force. It would also require that all law enforcement officers in the state receive training on mental health and violence de-escalation and mandate that police officers provide first aid to injured suspects. HB 3003, which is sponsored by Rep. Roger Goodman, DSeattle, and Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano Island, would alter I-940s changes to state law by requiring an objective good faith test of officers who kill to protect them from criminal prosecution by considering what another reasonable officer would have done under the same circumstances. The bill would only go into effect upon passage of the ballot initiative. At a March 7 Senate Law and Justice Committee meeting on the bill, Goodman said that the bill would be perfecting the initiative. We have worked very hard to bring together law enforcement and the community to resolve what is really part of a national discussion: police use of force, he said. At the meeting, Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, said that a lengthy and negative initiative campaign will not serve to build community trust between law enforcement and communities and that he supports the bill. We truly appreciate the willingness of the initiative backers to engage in discussion and to listen, he added. The theme of our campaign has been building bridges between communities and police and we believe this bill reflects that process, said Heather Villanueva of De-Escalate Washington, adding that the bill strengthens and clarifies I-940. Were going to save lives, she said. The House approved HB 3003 73-25 on March 7 and the Senate passed it on March 8the last day of the legislative session25-24 along party lines. Prior to its passage in the Senate on March 8, several Republicans questioned whether it is legal to pass the bill and argued that the Legislature isnt allowed to amend a ballot initiative. This bill clearly amends an initiative, said Sen. Michael Baumgartner, RSpokane. Sen. Phil Fortunato, RAuburn, said that while he supports the bills intent, he couldnt vote for it because it was changing laws that dont exist yet. We are amending something in the future that hasnt happened yet, he said. Sen. Mike Padden, RSpokane Valley, proposed an amendment that would have placed the changes in HB 3003 on the November ballot as its own initiative that would compete with I-940, but his amendment was voted down along party lines by the ruling Democratic majority. Prior to the bills passage, Democratic senators praised it as good policy on the divisive issue of police and their use of deadly force. It supports the people in our community, it supports law enforcement, and it is excellent policy, said Sen. Manka Dhingra, DKirkland. Some Senate Republicans slammed the bill as an attack on law enforcement. We need to stand up against this and make very clear that we support the people in law enforcement of this state, said Sen. Doug Ericksen, RFerndale. Posted Thursday, March 8, 2018 7:51 am The fate of the states fish farming industry is in jeopardy following the Legislatures passage of a bill that would prohibit new, renewed or extended leases on marine net pen farms that raise nonnative fish. The legislation passed the Senate on March 2 and is headed to Gov. Jay Inslees desk, where it awaits his signature before becoming law. Inslee has said on multiple occasions that he is in support of banning marine net pen facilities that use Atlantic salmon. House Bill 2957, sponsored by Rep. Kristine Lytton, D-Anacortes, came in response to a 2017 incident near Cypress Island, in which hundreds of thousands of Atlantic salmon escaped from a net pen facility operated by Canadian company Cooke Aquaculture. A joint investigation between the Departments of Ecology, Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife found Cooke responsible for the incident based on a lack of maintenance, and the company was fined $332,000. Although a companion bill by Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, had already passed the Senate last month before dying in a House committee, HB 2957 saw a contentious debate on the Senate floor. Washingtonians will no longer accept this risky industry in our state waters, Ranker said in a press release. We have invested far too much in the restoration of our Salish Sea. But dissenters on the Senate floor warned that the legislation would kill a way of life that has thrived in the state for decades. In learning to do things better, we havent ever just erased an entire industry from this state, said Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy. I think it is unconscionable. Senators Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, and Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, both voted yes on Rankers bill when it came through the Senate, but said they changed their minds and worried about the precedent it set. I personally wont eat farm-raised fish, but does that mean we should ban it? Ericksen asked. Baumgartner, who lives in eastern Washington, far from aquaculture of any kind, said he was concerned about kicking out an industry as punishment, and referenced a 2017 sewage spill in Seattle, which he said did not receive the same type of criticism. Another kind of precedent at play for bill opponents related to Cookes Canadian base. At HB 2957s public hearing, Cooke Vice President of Public Relations Joel Richardson said that salmon releases had occurred before in Washington state, under the watch of American companies. Richardson said that the state had not sought to punish these companies, and that the escapes were not deemed dangerous to the environment. He added that the Legislature was in violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, which compels local governments to treat international corporations as if they were domestic. Richardson said that Cookes investment in Washington state totals $76 million and warned that the company would seek litigation against the state to recoup that loss under NAFTAs legal provisions. What Im worried about is the precedents were setting with this, said Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, in the Senate floor debate. Were talking about companies out of our country that would be held to a different standard. Under the new legislation, the options for maintaining aquaculture in Washington state involve using native salmon stocks, or moving facilities onto land. Inland salmon farms have recently opened in British Columbia and Florida, with two more planned to be built in Maine. Washington also has salmon farms that raise native stocks like coho and steelhead, but such fish pose threats to local populations when raised in marine net pens, according to Ken Warheit, director of fish-health and the genetics lab for Fish and Wildlife. Warheit said that if farmed native salmon escape, they would be able to breed with wild populations, while Atlantic salmon have not demonstrated the same ability. Dan Swecker, executive director of the Washington Fish Growers Association, said Atlantic species of salmon are better suited for farming because they have been in prevalent worldwide use for decades. He said they get fat and they eat, more so than native stocks. Swecker added that inland farming could be made possible with the perfection of recirculating aquaculture systems, which are currently used in the state for juvenile salmon but are not yet cost-effective for raising adult fish. The Fish Growers Association will do everything it can to keep Cooke around, Swecker said, but he also said Cooke may face too much political resistance to succeed in Washington state. It is too soon to tell what the companys future in Washington will look like, according to Richardson, who said in an interview that a move to inland farming is unlikely, but nothing can yet be ruled out. At this point in time were reviewing all the options, he said. We are committed to working in Washington. By Lauren Miller millerla@grinnell.edu On Thursday, March 1, the education departments student educational policy committee (SEPC) sponsored a Black educators panel to communicate the experiences of Black professors at Grinnell College, a predominately white institution. The event was planned as part of Black History Month, and SEPC students reached out to Black professors across departments to represent the panel. We were really intentional about getting professors from different disciplines, said SEPC member Jherron Sutton 18. Not only did professor representation span across disciplines, but student attendance did as well. It was really nice to see students in the sciences, because we wanted to make sure they felt represented in the panel since there arent that many Black students in the sciences, Sutton said. After the panel participants answered several questions prepared by the SEPC, the panel allowed for questions from the audience. The focus of the discussion was mostly on the identities of the professors, and how their Blackness influenced their careers and their roles in academia and how they see themselves, according to SEPC member Christian Clark 18. It was everything, said Stephanie Jones, education, who participated on the panel. Its easy to assume all Black professors are the same but though we share a common Blackness, everyone has a different take on how they see themselves. Black professors span across all academic divisions, Jones pointed out. It was important for people to see we exist, and we exist across all divisions. As for the role of Black educators in particular, Jones described how Professor Kesho Scott, sociology, spoke about the role of being an advocate for students of color on campus. We sit at tables you may not necessarily have access to. Jones also highlighted the importance of this being a student-led initiative, after a group of SEPC students reached out to Black professors to participate on the panel. Looking forward, Jones said Im excited to participate in any way possible, in regard to the potential of another panel in the future. The event was meaningful to many groups on campus, yet perhaps felt most imminently by one group in particular. The people who immediately asked the questions were Black women, the most feedback Ive heard has been from Black women. For Black women in general, this event was really impactful, said SEPC member Ashley Jackson 18. The education SEPC is planning more events this semester. We are just working to make education and this school so much more inclusive and so much more representative of the students here, especially in the education department, Clark said. The current education SEPC will be graduating in 2018, and the new SEPC students will have a solid framework to work from. It means a lot for us to set the groundwork. We refuse to go back, Jackson said. By Maxwell Fenton fentonma@grinnell.edu Voter turnout dropped substantially in 2018s Student Government Association (SGA) executive elections. In the executive race this year, roughly 700 students voted for presidential candidates Myles Becker and Dylan Welch, both 19. This number is substantially lower than that of the 2017 executive elections, in which 811 students cast ballots for the presidential candidates, or 2016, in which 976 students did. This election turnout has prompted discussion about the relationship between SGA and the Grinnell student body. SGA President-elect Becker argued that the lower participation rate is intertwined with the perception of SGA on campus. Post-election, looking back at the voter turnout, for as vigorously as everyone campaigned, the fact that we had a significantly smaller turnout than we did the previous two years, was also kind of indicative of the general consensus on SGA, Becker said. Welch, All Campus Events Committee (ACE) co-chair and Beckers opponent in the past election, believes that the decline in turnout is largely a matter of timing and representation. I think part of it was probably the timing of the election. The executive panel was the same night as Ocean Vuong (a popular Writers@Grinnell event). ISO elections are going on at the same time. The fact that it happened on a Friday, people are kind of checking out. Half of the candidates were white men, they werent necessarily seeing themselves in who was being offered to the student body as candidates for executives, Welch said. OCCO Senator Quinn Ercolani believes the inherent business of life at the College has a direct relationship with student participation in elections and in SGA as a whole. The student body is comprised of a bunch of very, very busy people. People dont have the time to show up to Campus Council. SGA does a decent job in my opinion of trying to present itself to the student body and what it does, but it has a very hard time getting input from the student body, Ercolani said. Current SGA President Summer White provided a number of possibilities to help explain lower participation in student government. One could be just general distrust in government or organizations, another could be lack of awareness to be involved and make your voice heard, despite many efforts to do so, White said. But White did not discount the possibility that politics-as-usual is an explanation for lower participation this election season. Another reason is that people are content with the way things are, so they dont feel the need to run for office if they like and believe that the candidates are very well qualified and can do the job well, White said. Ercolani argues that the perception of SGA on campus is rooted in its restraints as an organization. Its a control of expectations. SGA has the ability to do a lot of things, but SGA also doesnt have the ability to do a lot of things. Whether it be constraints constitutionally on what SGA cabinet members can and cant do, or administrative struggle, or the fact that SGAs budget doesnt allow for some things. A lot of the perception that SGA being indifferent comes from the base limitations on SGAs authority. The question of SGAs effectiveness at handling student concerns directly relates to its perception in the student body. Many candidates this election cycle acknowledged SGA is not the typical campus organization that students go to when they have a problem. As Ive become more involved in SGA, it has seemed more to me like Im hearing about concerns students have through avenues that arent directed towards SGA. Its hard to try to gauge if thats just because of new positions Ive taken on, or if this current SGA is doing more poorly than previous SGAs, Welch said. On the subject of outreach, White believes SGA has a lot to offer to students, and that not all students take advantage of that opportunity to advance whatever they want their experience to be like at Grinnell. Welch argues that the onus of outreach lies on SGA rather than the students. Outreach probably plays a large role, because if students dont know what we can do for them, or that we will do X, Y or Z for them, then thats our fault for not making that clear to the student body, Welch said. Discussions about the relationship between SGA, the student body and participation are not new. On the campaign trail, many candidates argued that SGA is not the organization students go to in the event they face trouble on campus and as a result, students prefer to take other avenues to manifest change on campus. Welch made increasing approachability a focal point of his campaign. I think its because people dont think SGA will listen to what they have to say or dont think SGA will do anything about it. I think the general approachability of SGA leadership is always something we could be improving on, we always need to be open to discussions with students and not sitting back and hoping students will come to us. We need to be proactive, he said. Becker also argued that the lack of a uniting major issue on campus drove down participation rates. Theres been less campus conversation about things. With the change in alcohol policy in previous years, and concern that might lead towards punitive measures towards students, mental health has been a big conversation. Its kind of difficult when students are less passionate about current events on campus. White noted the limited amount of time SGA administrations have to implement policy change. Looking to the future, White said, I would advise [Becker] and others to consistently reflect on whats the most important thing to be addressing at that time, and to plan ahead so theyre able to accomplish what they want to there are so many ways to go about improving the community and little time, so you have to do what you can in the time that you have. But whatever the proposed solutions, low participation remains a consistent problem for SGA that the incoming administration would like to tackle head-on. Looking to the future, Becker sees increased community engagement as a curative for low participation in SGA. Finding ways to improve campus, making Campus Council more central, more accessible, more easy to get to and if people dont want that solution to be solved, then its not my job to force that on them, but making it as easy as possible to get them involved and showing them some of the enjoyable and fun aspects of SGA is going to be our goal, Becker said. By Zoe Fruchter fruchter@grinnell.edu Last March 6 and 7, Canadian-Iowan artist Tara Shukla offered Grinnell community members a rare look at her artistic process by hosting Drawing and Conversation, a part of the events centered around Faulconer Gallerys exhibit Making Life Visible, which runs through June 10. Shuklas drawings are intricate and life-like. The works she contributed to Making Life Visible depict larger-than-life bones in delicate yet forceful detail. My drawings are simple but they have a long process, they take a long time to do. And thats a part of the viewing experience, understanding that someone made these by hand this is a way of highlighting that. Even though I make things that are finished objects they imply a process, so its nice for people to see the process, Shukla said, in reference to allowing visitors to observe her work. Shukla is originally from Canada, where she earned both her bachelor and master of fine arts degrees. She has shown her work throughout Canada, including solo exhibitions in Kingston, Montreal and Toronto. She moved to the U.S. to teach at a small liberal arts school in Colorado and then came to Grinnell. In Iowa, Shukla has held solo exhibitions at the Des Moines Botanical Center and University of Iowa hospitals. Her works inclusion in Making Life Visible marks Shuklas third show at Grinnell, following Animas in 2008 at the Grinnell Community Art Gallery and Intimate Nature in Grinnell Colleges Smith Gallery. Making Life Visible is the product of collaboration between Leslie Wright, director of the Faulconer Gallery, and Professor Jackie Brown, biology. The show aims to explore how the visual image functions in both fine art and biology, and the intersections between the two disciplines. I was asked to participate in this exhibit because my work uses the format and syntax of scientific illustration. It isnt scientific illustration but it asks the question: what is the role of observation in art and what is the project of observation, of trying to find truth and what does that mean, Shukla said. Shukla reflected on the process of being observed as both fun and enlightening. I was here on community day so I had a lot of kids come in, and that was really fun because they wanted to know what all the materials were and how I used them, Shukla said, gesturing to a container filled with charcoal pencils and smudging sticks. She also noted that a wide variety of community members had come to see her draw including students, retired college teachers and even her friends. They know Im always drawing but they dont know what Im doing so that was fun, Shukla added with a laugh. By Ben Mikek mikekben@grinnell.edu On March 10, the Grinnell Symphony Orchestra, directed by Visiting Director of Orchestras Jaemi Loeb will perform its first concert of the spring semester. Loeb, who is leading the orchestra during the 2017-2018 academic year while regular director Professor Eric McIntyre is on sabbatical, will direct three pieces. Each piece has distinct musical, emotional and historical differences from the other two pieces. The concert will begin with Charles Griffes Poem, featuring a flute solo by Kirsten Gillis 18, who won the annual concerto competition to place this composition on the program. Ive been playing this piece for over a year now, Gillis said. The orchestra has three or four months to learn it and play it, and that can be hard because [the] orchestra has so much less time. Poem communicates varying emotions. [Poem] definitely does have this somber feel to it, but theres also really fun and uplifting parts of it, Gillis said. The beginning is very pensive I feel like its thinking about whats going to happen and then all of a sudden you get hit with this fast stuff and it gets really fun. Poem will be followed on stage by an innovative modern composition, Richard Fords Bolts of Melody. This piece crosses the boundaries of art forms, musically referencing the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Loeb, who knows the composer who conducted the world premiere of the piece in 2011, has directed Bolts of Melody before. The piece contains quotations from [Emily Dickinsons] poems, and some sort of exploration of the concept of finishing a workwhat does it mean to be finished? Loeb said. Thats a thing that poets, writers, composers, painters, all kinds of artists really struggle with. To me thats really fascinating because as a performer, thats not so much an issue; its finished when you walk out on stage and do it. After this reflection on completion, the orchestra will close the concert with Prokofievs Lieutenant Kije, originally composed as a film score in 1934. Its kind of like celebration music. It kind of sounds as if we were playing for some kind of wedding, said Mayu Sakae 20, a violinist. The piece, which maintains notes of humor from its cinematic origins, has deep historic roots. Lieutenant Kije from this standpoint sounds very Russian. In [Prokofievs] day, there were some naysayers about how Russian his music was, Loeb said. He had fled the Soviet Union, and in doing this movie score, he had high hopes of getting into everyones good graces. The concert, then, will attempt to unite three pieces from very different times and styles. Regardless, members noted teamwork helped the concert become reality. Its really a group effort. When everyone does it together, its just really awesome, said Marie Spychala 18, who plays the flute. The concert will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. According to Sakae, there should be one simple takeaway. [The audience should leave feeling] encouraged or happy, she said. I guess it comes back to the positive attitude. By Rachel Eber eberrach@grinnell.edu On Thursday, March 8, the Grinnell League of Women Voters hosted their third annual International Womens Day celebration. This year, the event was co-sponsored by S.H.E. Counts and took place at Hotel Grinnell. The idea of celebrating International Womens Day in Grinnell came to Terese Grant, co-president of Grinnells League of Women Voters chapter, when she was first introduced to the holiday while teaching in China and Ukraine. In other places in the world, [International Womens Day] is kind of a big deal, Grant said, adding that in many countries women are given special recognition, gifts and sometimes even the day off. In Ukraine, Grant recounted, the teachers received boxes of chocolates. Upon her return to the United States, Grant thought, well, why dont we do it here? S.H.E. Counts, the events co-sponsor, is an organization whose mission is to support girls and women in Grinnell, specifically girls whose parents never attended college. S.H.E. is an acronym for supporting, helping and empowering, which is exactly what S.H.E. Counts aims to do. The organization partners with first-generation Grinnell College students, who help the younger girls with math, introduce them to the possibility of attending college and support them in making that possibility a reality. The proceeds from the International Womens Day event supported the S.H.E. Counts Endowment Fund, which the foundation uses to provide a $500 yearly scholarship for a first-generation Grinnell high school girl to attend college. The first year that the League of Women Voters hosted this event, they focused on celebrating the women of Grinnell. Last year, they focused on celebrating the future generation of women. This years theme was Press for Progress, and columnist Rekha Basu of the Des Moines Register was the keynote speaker. In an email to The S&B before the event, Basu noted that the talk offered an opportunity to build upon the themes of her book, Finding Her Voice. The book is a compilation of Basus articles on women in the Midwest who have shared their stories about facing adversity or injustice. In a larger way, those stories illustrate that womens ongoing struggle for equal rights is not just a problem in other countries like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, but right here in America, and in Iowa, she wrote. Patriarchy and good old boy systems endure in spite of all the progress women have made. The process of sharing their stories, Basu noted, empowers these women. Basus concern for gender equality began at an early age. Both her parents worked in the UN, advocating for human rights, and her mother was particularly involved in the international womens rights movement. Growing up reading Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, Basu became aware of the slew of injustices women face including pay inequity, sexual violenceand discrimination while also noticing how sexism affected her personally. Like most girls, I think, I had to overcome a certain lack of confidence and feelings of being an imposter when I succeeded at something, Basu wrote. According to Basu, International Womens Day has not traditionally been observed in the United States due to its socialist origins and its affiliation with the labor movement. However, both Basu and Grant agree that the holiday is extremely relevant to the modern political climate of the U.S., particularly in the context of the growing #MeToo movement. To Grant, celebrating International Womens Day is about recognizing how far women have come, while also recognizing that we still have a long way to go in the fight for equality. Basu, like Grant, hopes to illustrate the importance of celebrating International Womens Day in Grinnell. I hope women will come away with a sense of how interconnected our fates as women are and the importance of global sisterhood. Mostly, I hope every woman will feel encouraged to use her voice to speak her truth and help build a more equitable, more just and more humane society. By Chloe Wray wraychlo@grinnell.edu On Saturday, March 3, State Senator Tim Kapucian, Republican, and Representative Dave Maxwell, also Republican, visited Grinnells First Presbyterian Church for the second of three Legislative Coffees. The next forum will be held on Saturday, April 7 at 9 a.m. in the same location. Susan Ferrari, director of corporate, foundation and government relations at the College, was present at the most recent Legislative Coffee, and reiterated a question about abortion bills asked in February by Janet Carl, former state representative and a writing instructor at the College. At the February session, Kapucian stated that he would not support bills that ban abortions after too short an amount of time for many women to even know whether they are pregnant. On Wednesday, Feb. 28, however, Kapucian voted for a bill that would ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, and in cases of rape and incest. Ferrari claimed in her question that at six weeks, most people do not know they are pregnant, a notion supported by the American Pregnancy Association. Kapucian responded that he is against abortion. Maxwell expressed slightly different sentiments. I do not believe in abortion myself, but at the same time I am 70-some years old and it is not my place to be a bedroom-spector and try to control the social mores that we have in society, he said. I dont think we can slam the door on everyone. After the forum, Ferrari explained her reason for asking a question similar to the one that Carl asked last month. To be honest I think its kind of nice just to have him on the record continually saying that hes uncomfortable voting for these things and still voting for them, Ferrari said. I appreciate that Representative Maxwell, while he personally has reservations about reproductive rights for women, has been willing to recognize that this is a womans personal decision and that they need to be able to make it for themselves, and I value his voting record there. Just as Ferrari asked a question to which she already seemed to know the answer, Andrew Dunham, owner of the Grinnell Heritage Farmer, did not so much pose a question as offer a concern. Dunham shared his experience of seeking out mental health services for family members in Iowa, only to find that resources are severely lacking. I was mostly just wanting to put out there how bad Iowas mental health system is, Dunham said of his question. He mentioned that many politicians claim to aim for bringing services back into the community, but said that he knows from experience that there are no community options in Grinnell and that families seeking mental health resources must travel to Des Moines or Iowa City. Dunham elaborated on the economic burden that a lack of mental health services can place on a community, when police forces often must use their resources to aid those who should have received mental health help sooner. I actually met privately with Dave Maxwell about two weeks ago and he gave us almost two hours of his time, and just listened to what we had to say, and threw out some ideas and he wrote a lot of notes, Dunham said, adding that he appreciated the responsiveness of the representative. I think that theyll do what they can if they can, but at the state level, every day we dont do something, were going backwards. [The mental health crisis is] worse than the Des Moines Register makes it out to be, and theyve done a lot of exposes on [it]. A question from another community member during the forum addressed the role of prisons in the mental health crisis. Weve been using our prisons as mental health hospitals, Kapucian said in response. According to Maxwell, the issue of prison reform has been brought up before. It was suggested by a community member that if inmates with unfair or disproportionate sentences were to be released, significant savings could be made in the prison system. Many other questions focused on the state budget. Weve heard from mental health, weve heard from back fill, weve heard from the prison system. I cant understand why youre talking about cutting more taxes [when] all these needs are present. I know youve mentioned several things that would bring the revenue up a little much, but not as much as youre talking about cutting, so please take a look at that, said community member Margery Graves. I agree, we cant continue to keep cutting, we have to start reinvesting in some of those areas, Kapucian said, noting that the senate will begin to look more closely at the budget in the coming months. That further consideration will no doubt come up at the next Legislative Coffee, which is to be held on Saturday, April 7 at 9 a.m. at Grinnells First Presbyterian Church. By Nana Okamoto okamoton@grinnell.edu Located in the heart of downtown Grinnell, Saints Rest is a cozy hangout for coffee enthusiasts from the College and the greater Grinnell community. When entering the doors, coffee lovers are welcomed with the aroma of fresh coffee and pastries, along with the hearty voice of Sam Cox, the current owner of Saints Rest, standing behind the counter. Recent patrons of Saints Rest might be surprised to know that this was not always the case. Cox is the second owner of Saints Rest. She has been a coffee lover all her life and grew up dunking donuts in coffee with her grandfather. Although originally from Louisiana, Cox grew up and graduated from high school in Grinnell. Later, she worked in real estate and had various jobs in retail in Iowa and frequented Saints Rest as a devoted customer. She quickly hit it off with Jeff Phelps, the first owner of Saints Rest and a Grinnell graduate of 71. Just as Cox is not the first owner of Saints Rest, Saints Rest is not the first coffee shop owned by Cox. Sadly, this is my second coffee shop, Cox said. She started her first coffee shop in the Williamsburg Outlets of Iowa, under the guidance of Phelps. My first coffee shop failed, miserably. I just started too big, so my advice to anyone and everyone that wants to open a business is that you start it on the smallest scale possible and grow it. However, Coxs experience with her first coffee shop made her a good candidate to be Phelps successor. Phelps began thinking about selling Saints Rest in 2012 and, after some careful thought, Cox acquired her second coffee shop in 2013. She saw the value in Saints Rest as a business and made the leap to buy it, even though Phelps was selling at a price higher than a bank would value it. When asked about her reasons for buying, Cox answered, I love Saints Rest. I love the location, I love the building, I love the clientele. And to be quite honest, I love Jeff. After becoming the second owner of Saints Rest, Cox made some changes. She created a casual seating area with couches, started baking homemade baked goods in the kitchen instead of relying on outside suppliers and shifted the focus to specialty drinks, featuring the flavor of the month. She changed the name from Saints Rest Coffee Shop and Art Gallery to Saints Rest Coffee House and redesigned the logo. I really wanted it to be so that when you were driving by or walking by, you could see a coffee cup and be like, thats a coffee shop, Cox said. Learning from her past mistakes, Cox is letting her business grow slowly. She recently opened a second location near Grinnell Mutual. For more information on the expansion, see the Dec. 1, 2017 issue of The S&B. As for future endeavors, Cox said, I am always and forever wanting a drive-through. Like, more than life itself. She believes that despite the risk of taking away customers from the other locations, she can profit by targeting the daily commuters. Cox also remarked on the stress of managing her own business. Owning a small business is not as glamorous as it seems, she said. I think we all have grandiose ideas of being our own boss and running the show and doing what we want and taking off when we want and working when we want. Thats just not accurate and I think you have to realize that it is a lot of sweat and toil and strife. Nevertheless, Cox repeatedly expressed gratitude and appreciation for her customers. I would never just walk away from [Saints Rest], Cox said. I hope that someday Im going to grow it to a level that [is] what I deem as really successful. Until then, Cox will be maintaining the friendly atmosphere of Saints Rest and keeping her customers caffeinated. Job Title: Deputy Finance Manager Organisation: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Duty Station: Uganda Reports to: Finance Manager About US: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting relief and development work in over 93 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. Job Summary: The Deputy Finance Manager will provide overall management of sub-grants, trainings in program and financial management, offer support to local implementing partners on sub-grant management and assist in reviewing sub-grants agreements. S/he will ensure compliance to regulations, accepted accounting practices and manage partner cash advances and liquidations. The position will build the partners capacity to ensure improved compliance with donor requirements and to manage the grant. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Grants Management & Compliance Serve as the partner point of contact on grant management and compliance issues. Assist with the preparation of standard grant agreements for partners and maintain individual partner files. Ensure the maintenance of all files, records and documents relating to the project. Coordinate the development and implementation of grant management capacity building activities such as trainings at partner level. Regularly monitor all local partners capacity in meeting grant reporting and compliance regulations, report the findings to the Finance Manager and initiate corrective measures. Supervise the financial monitoring of sub recipients and approve Monitoring Visit Reports. Assist in coordination of meetings/trainings related to grant reporting and compliance Regularly monitor the capacity of grants and compliance officers to monitor and comply with regulations and initiate steps to improve the same. Budgeting Lead preparation of proposal budgets. Review partners budgets and provide comments/recommend approval by Finance and Compliance Director. Monitor partner budgets and expenses at least on a monthly basis and compare actual expenditure against cash forecast to ensure adequate cash holding partner level. Assist the Finance Manager to build the capacity of Finance Officers-Grants to support partners on budgeting Partners Financial Support Ensure that the Finance Officers provide direct technical support in all aspects of finance for Partners. Regularly monitor and assess each partners ability to accurately record and post all financial transactions and provide feedback to Finance Offices and partners. Advise on GAAP and basic accounting records to be maintained at partners. Identify partners training needs, and recommend to the Finance Manager training curriculum to address the needs. Internal Control Assessments and Site Visits Conduct together with Finance Officers partner financial management assessment using CRS Internal Control and Monitoring/ information gathering tools, as required. Regularly visit the partner to monitor the performance of Finance Officers and partner and provide support. Internal Control Improvement Plan Schedule, track and ensure completion of assessments of all sub-recipients as per SRFM policy Ensure all assessments and partner documents on posted on Gateway Ensure sub-recipients complete an ICIP and submit it to CRS before/by due date Conduct review and work with SR to revise ICIP as necessary Ensure monitoring to subs are done as per timetable which is prepared based on SRFM Provide targeted and customized follow-up support and assistance to 3-4 priority subs in order to implement and complete ICIP. Provide follow-up support and assistance to other subs as requested. Financial management: Ensure that advances to partners are liquidated in a timely manner. Render support in the review of liquidation reports and partner advances within the sub-grant budgets ensuring that all liquidations are processed according to grant and CRS guidelines. Ensure that all project assets with partners are verified and reconciled on a regular basis. Maintain and track sub-recipient agreements and amendments, obligated amounts and update grant files. Consolidate quarterly cash forecasts from partners and submit to the Finance and Compliance Director. Staff management: Lead, direct, mentor and coach Finance Officer -Grants. Assist in setting annual finance and compliance targets and ensure that specific tasks are built in every compliance staff performance plan, (what is the expectation exactly) Motivate, develop, coach and appraise subordinate staff in accordance with CRS Performance Management System (PMS) and Catholic Social Teachings (CST) Review and recommend updating of Finance Officer -Grants (Is this very relevant for this position. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Deputy Finance Manager job placement should preferably hold a Bachelors Degree in Finance, Administration or Accounting, MBA preferred. A minimum of five years experience working with a large NGO, of which three years managing sub-grants especially USG. Sound coordination skills and a demonstrated ability to multi-task. Strong personnel management, administrative and financial skills. Ability to review and analyze partner budgets. Strong diplomatic skills and proven ability to work in a multi-partner program. Proven experience in building, strengthening and sustaining management and financial capacity. Excellent English language oral and written communication skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication and negotiation sills. Fluent written and spoken English. Extremely flexible, and have the ability to cope with stressful situations. Ability to maintain performance expectations and strong working relationships. Past experience with and enthusiasm for on the job training. Computer literacy skills i.e. Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet) required. Desire to work effectively in a team, oriented environment. Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff): These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results. Serves with Integrity Models Stewardship Cultivates Constructive Relationships Promotes Learning Emergency Competencies: Each staff member working in emergencies is expected to use the following competencies to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results. Communicates strategically under pressure Manages stress and complexity Actively promotes safety and security Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs How to Apply: All candidates should email a cover letter and updated CV only to ug_recruitment@crs.org NB: Large files and/or scans of documents will lead to rejection of your application All applications that do not contain this exact subject line will be rejected and not read In the subject line of the email, copy and paste DEPUTYFINANCE MANAGER MOROTO Deadline: 19th March 2018 Organisation: Namakera Mining Company Limited Duty Station: Uganda About US: Namakera Mining Company Limited is a mining company located in Eastern Uganda near the towns of Mbale and Tororo, approx. 190 km from the Uganda capital, Kampala and close to the border with Kenya. The Namekara Vermiculite deposit is hosted in the Bukusu Complex, one of a number of Carbonatites in the Uganda/Kenya border area and the only one known to host commercially viable vermiculite. Namekara is the registered holder of Mining License ML 4651, upon which it operates the Namakera Vermiculite Mine and conducts exploration activities on the Busumbu Phosphate Project. Namekara is also the registered holder of Exploration License EL 1534 that covers the majority of the Bukusu Complex and which is also considered prospective for vermiculite, phosphate, copper, iron, zircon and rare earths mineralisation. Job Summary: The Diesel Mechanic will support the mine located in Manafwa District, Eastern Uganda. Key Duties and Responsibilities: The incumbent will be required among other things, to achieve the following; Maintain Plant Mobile Equipment. All effective repairs and maintenance of company fleet vehicles / trucks and equipment reporting to the workshop supervisor. Identifying and solving mechanical problems (fault finding) maintaining high work standards at all times. Repairing, and servicing dump and road trucks, wheel loaders, bulldozers, excavators and truck mounted concrete mixers, etc. Attending to breakdowns and major overhauls at various sites Maintain a safe work environment Maintain housekeeping and safety on machines Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the Diesel Mechanic should have the following attributes and qualifications; The ideal candidate for the DieselMechanic should have the following attributes and qualifications; Trade tested Diesel Mechanic qualification. Five years of experience in hydraulic systems Previous experience working in a similar environment preferred. Basic knowledge of electrical and pneumatics. Bi lingual of which English is one language spoken and written. Person must be physically fit to perform physically demanding work. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their applications together with copies of relevant certificates and CVs to; The Human Resource Superintendent, Namekara Site Manafwa Email to: vacancies@namekara.com NB: Any active canvassing will automatically disqualify candidates. Deadline: 16th March 2018 Job Title: Health Financing Advisor Organization: People Performance Group (PPG) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports to: Deputy Country Director, Community Health Partnerships About US: People Performance Group (PPG) is a Human Resource Company based in Uganda. We pride our self in providing Professional Client Centered HR Solutions tailored to our clients demands and needs. They are recruiting for a client, group of development agencies working in economic, social and cultural development. It is one of the largest manufacturers of generic ethical pharmaceuticals in the East African Region with a reputation for providing quality products at an affordable price. To improve accessibility to affordable and quality health care products in the Region by focusing on; critical therapeutic segments, reliable and consistent service to customers and local manufacturing of newer more effective molecules. Our client is a key partner to the Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development and the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Uganda. They work to reinvent how to improve the lives of the under-served. They think big, but operate lean and nimble. They train community health workers to bring health services and products life-saving to peoples doorsteps through modern technology. Job Summary: The Health Financing Advisor will advise on long-term sustainable financing options and offer technical assistance including articulating community health financing issues, analyzing options and identifying solutions. You will also advise the MOH on how best to contract with NGOs, academic institutions and other entities involved in health financing. Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The applicant must hold a Masters degree in Economics, Public Health or other related area. At least five years of related experience in health economics or health financing Worked with the Ministry of Health in Uganda Excellent interpersonal communication skills Analytical skills How to Apply: All candidates should send an updated CV and cover letter with three professional referees to the address or email below. All applications should be marked: People Performance Group Job title. E-mail that exceed 2MB will not be considered. Address: People Performance Group Plot 8 Kitante Close P.O. Box 12405, Kampala. Email to: application@ppg.co.ug Deadline: 16th March 2018 Job Title: Driver Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Position No.: 10028864 Vacancy Notice: 008/2018 Reports to: Administrative Assistant Duty Station: Uganda Post Grade: GL2 About UNHCR: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Job Summary: The Driver is mainly responsible for up keep and maintenance of the assigned UNHCR vehicle(s) as per technical guidance and specifications established by the organisation. The incumbent will be required to follow strict instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor. While the basic function of a driver is to drive the official vehicles of UNHCR, he/she may be called upon to perform minor maintenance and repair of UNHCR vehicles. The incumbent has regular contacts with staff within UNHCR office and with service providers outside UNHCR involving a limited exchange of information The Driver is mainly responsible for up keepand maintenance of the assigned UNHCR vehicle(s) as per technical guidance andspecifications established by the organisation. The incumbent will be requiredto follow strict instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor.While the basic function of a driver is to drive the official vehicles ofUNHCR, he/she may be called upon to perform minor maintenance and repair ofUNHCR vehicles. The incumbent has regular contacts with staff within UNHCRoffice and with service providers outside UNHCR involving a limited exchange ofinformation . Key Duties and Responsibilities: Drive UNHCR vehicles for the transport of authorized passengers and delivery and collection of mail, documents, UNHCR pouch and other items. Meet official personnel at the airport and facilitate immigration and customs formalities as required. Carry out the day-to-day maintenance of the assigned vehicles; check oil, water, battery, brakes, tyres, etc. and ensure that the assigned UNHCR vehicles are road worthy and maintained up to the established security standards. Conduct minor repairs and arrange for other repairs and ensure that the vehicle is kept clean. required by rules and regulations are taken in case of involvement in accident Ensure that the stepsrequired by rules and regulations are taken in case of involvement inaccident . Log official trips, daily mileage, gas consumption, oil changes, greasing, etc. Perform any other related duties as required by the Administrative/Finance Associate Key Performance Indicators: Assigned UNHCR vehicles are properly maintained and equipped as per technical guidance and specifications established by the Organisation. Local traffic rules and regulations are strictly observed. Instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor and security focal point are strictly followed by the Driver and the passengers during the journey Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the United Nations UNHCR Driver job vacancy should have completed Primary Education or equivalent technical or commercial school. At least two years of previous job experience relevant to the function. Driving licence, knowledge of driving rules and regulations and skills in minor vehicle repair. Good knowledge of English and local language i.e. Runyakitara Good mechanical skills are desired Ability to work in remote areas. How to Apply: All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions after reviewing the job details. Deadline: 12th March 2018 find us on our facebook page For more of the latest jobs, please visit http://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline The U.S. Navy has begun five weeks of submarine training and testing off Alaskas north coast that will include breaching the massive underwater vessels through Arctic sea ice. The exercises, which also include the collection of scientific data, are dubbed Ice Exercise 2018, or ICEX18, and are scheduled every other year. Rear Adm. James Pitts, commander of the Undersea Warfare Development Center, said in an announcement that the Navy builds experience with every ICEX. We are constantly testing new tactics, techniques and procedures under the ice and this exercise allows us to do so on a larger scale and alongside our U.K., joint and academic partners, he said. Two U.S. and one British submarine will participate. The cost is estimated at $8.3 million, said Navy spokesman Corey Barker, but final figures for travel, contracts and other expenses will not be known until after the exercise. The Navy will set up a temporary camp on ice in the Beaufort Sea about 150 to 175 miles (242 to 282 kilometers) miles north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Barker said gear for the camp started coming in over the weekend by air drop. The camp will have portable tents that can house and support more than 50 people and will serve as a temporary command center for under-ice navigation, torpedo exercises and research. The Navy named the camp Ice Camp Skate in honor of the USS Skate, the first submarine to surface through open-water surrounded by ice in 1958 and the first submarine to surface through ice at the North Pole in March 1959. The U.S. submarines participating are the Seawolf-class fast attack submarine USS Connecticut from Bangor, Washington, and the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford from Groton, Connecticut. The British Royal Navys Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Trenchant also will be on hand. The vessels will conduct multiple Arctic transits, a North Pole surfacing, scientific data collection and other training, the Navy said. The exercise required approval for possible unintentional disruptions to marine mammal activities such as feeding, nursing and breeding. In its application to the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Navy said it will install portable tracking equipment for submarine training and testing near the ice camp. As part of the exercises, eight hydrophones that detect sound waves under water will be lowered on cables from sea ice to 98 feet (30 meters). The last Arctic exercise by the U.S. Submarine Force was conducted in 2016. A crack in sea ice through the command center camp forced its early evacuation. (AP) (VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) An American family celebrated the recent Bar Mitzvah of their son with a trip to Israel. They decided to share their joy with the soldiers of Nachal Chareidi Netzach Yehuda, bringing music, meat and other food items to the base, for a party that was enjoyed by the family and soldiers alike. These IDF Soldiers are part of the Chareidi Unit 941, stationed in the Northern Shomron. They are on currently on . Just about all of the soldiers are married and have at least 4 children at home. They have been there since two weeks before Purim. (Nat Golden YWN) SAN FRANCISCO, March 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Thursday, March 8, 2018, Dolby Laboratories celebrated International Womens Day with its second annual luncheon. Photo credit: Genevieve Shiffrar. DLB-G Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e264c97-f739-47b3-9cd5-45fbd3e6cbbc http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ddd25896-b6c0-4342-a121-fd37b2bb3625 Media Contact Gentry Bennett Gentry.Bennett@dolby.com 415-645-5361 Air pollution is right at the top of ministers' agendas right now. And it seems curbing car use - particularly that powered by diesel engines - is the desired way of trimming emissions. But a new study estimates that the UK is already ahead of most of our neighbours, with the vehicles we drive being less toxic than 17 other countries in Europe. Of 25 countries reviewed, the Czech Republic's motoring was found to be the most noxious, followed by Poland and Estonia. Noxious nations: A new study has ranked 25 European countries in order of how toxic their vehicles are - and the UK is among the cleanest of them all Somewhat surprising considering the diesel backlash and toxin taxes currently being issued, British drivers emerged as some of the greenest in Europe. The UK secured a spot in the top 10 cleanest nations beating rivals such as France and Germany. And with the British government intent on introducing a ban on the sale of all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040, the UK could soon soar up the rankings if motorists look to jump ship to low-emissions cars in the interim period. Back in January, the Committee for Climate Change warned ministers that three in every five vehicles purchased in 12 years' time will need to be low-emissions models if the Government is serious about meeting legally-binding carbon targets. Just 3.3 per cent of all new cars registered in 2017 were electric or hybrids, though industry insiders remain confident we will meet the CCC's 2030 deadline. While just three in 100 new cars sold in the UK last year were alternative fuel models, according to the SMMT, industry insiders say the country is 'already on course' to meet the target for three-fifths of new vehicles to be electric by 2030. Chargemaster, the UKs largest provider of electric vehicle chargers, estimates that there will be one million electric cars in the UK by the end of 2022, accounting for around 10 per cent of all new registrations, with enough public chargers to cope with the rising number of plug-in cars. The Committee for Climate Change warned ministers that more drivers needed to switch to electric cars for the UK to hit emissions targets for 2030 The analysis took into account numerous factors, including the number of alternative fuel vehicles registered in each country, the average car age, the number of motors per 1,000 people and ambient air pollution levels How was the toxicity of each nation's cars calculated? The Eco Experts - a UK energy-saving comparison site - cross-referenced a whole host of data, including the percentage of alternative fuel cars registered in each country, average vehicle age, the number of cars per 1,000 people, and ambient air pollution. Once all those factors were taken into account, countries were ranked in order of who is deemed as having the most toxic motorists. Europe's most toxic drivers 1. Czech Republic 2. Poland 3. Estonia 4. Croatia 5. Slovakia 6. Slovenia 7. Spain 8. Romania 9. Austria 10. Hungary 11. Luxembourg 12. Latvia 13. Italy 14. Lithuania 15. Belgium 16. France 17. Germany 18. United Kingdom 19. Greece 20. Portugal 21. Netherlands 22. Denmark 23. Finland 24. Ireland 25. Sweden Source: The Eco Experts The Czech Republic was found to have the highest toxicity of all 25 European nations reviewed in the study At the dirtier end of the scale, the Czech Republic, which has one of the highest recorded air pollution levels in the continent, was named as the European nation with the most polluting drivers of all the 25 countries assessed. The main reason for this was the high volume of old, poor quality cars still being used by Czech drivers. The Eco Experts found that the average age of cars in the country is just over 14 years. In comparison the average UK vehicle is just eight years, the report said. The Czech Republic is also one of the slowest countries to adopt alternative fuel vehicles, according to the comparison site. Just 0.7 per cent of the Czech registered cars are hybrid or electric, which is nearly 22 times less than the number seen in neighbouring Poland - which appears in second in the toxic standings followed by Estonia. In fact, the list of top five worst offenders is completely populated by Eastern European nations, with Croatia and Slovakia also featuring to make it the most toxic region on the continent in terms of passenger vehicles. Sweden ranked in first place overall for having Europes greenest motorists, though it would have undoubtedly been beaten by Norway had it been included, which set a record for half the market share on new models sold last year being electric. Fran Whittaker-Wood from The Eco Experts said,: 'Road transport is one of the biggest sources of air pollution and although our research shows that poor quality vehicles is the biggest contributing factor to toxic driving emissions, the reality is that most people cant afford to replace their cars with sustainable alternatives because they are just too expensive. 'If governments are serious about cutting driver pollution levels then more needs to be done to make these cars affordable to everyone.' Never mind watching future electric cars being unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this week. I was among the first to drive one Jaguars Tesla challenger, the I-Pace. I took it out on a slippery track a short distance from the show hall and its great fun. Its stylish, but would fit well in any family driveway. Im not sure why I was surprised, but it drives like a Jaguar, too, though running entirely on electric power, it lacks the traditional roar. But it still feels taut and fast. Future classic: The I-Pace drives like a Jaguar though running entirely on electric power, it lacks the traditional roar And it accelerates like lightning, hitting 60 mph from rest in just 4.5 seconds. But I wasnt just going in straight lines. I was throwing it around in the rain with abandon on an automotive assault course of tight turns and even a stint on a skid pan, as well as doing a fair few manoeuvres of my own. Its sure-footed and fun with a top speed of 124 mph. Yet it still promises a range of 298 miles or just enough battery charge to drive from London to Newcastle on one overnight charge. Ray tried out the I-Pace on a slippery track a short distance from the show hall at the Geneva Motor Show Quick: The I-Pace hits 60 mph from rest in just 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 124 mph Priced from 58,995 to 76,995, which includes a taxpayer subsidy of 4,500, its available to order now in four trim levels: S, SE, HSE and a top of the range First Edition launch model. Deliveries are set for July, when the first models also reach showrooms. But customers can order and configure their cars online now at jaguar.co.uk Two Jaguar-designed electric motors one at each axle develop a total of 400 bhp thats about four Ford Fiestas. Coming soon: The electric Jag is priced from 58,995 to 76,995, which includes a taxpayer subsidy of 4,500, with deliveries set for July Credentials: Jaguar says owners will be able to achieve an 80 per cent charge in 85 minutes Providing the power is a high-tech 90kWh lithium-ion battery that sits centrally and low between the axles, to give perfect 50:50 weight distribution. Jaguar says owners will be able to achieve an 80 per cent charge in 85 minutes using a 50kW DC charger. A 30-minute charge will give a range of about 80 miles. A fast charge will power the battery to 80 per cent capacity in just 45 minutes. Home charging overnight achieves 80 per cent power in just over ten hours, while a full charge will take 12.9 hours. Jaguar has pipped Audi, and a host of other rivals, to the post. Nimble: Jaguar has pipped Audi, and a host of other rivals, to the post VOLVO XC40 IS CAR OF THE YEAR Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson with the European Car of the Year award for the XC40 SUV Volvos new XC40 SUV, which I road tested recently, is a deserving winner of this years prestigious European Car of the Year award, which was announced on the eve of the Geneva Motor show and collected by the Swedish car firms chief executive Hakan Samuelsson. In a Eurovision-style tallying of points for the industrys Oscars it beat six other shortlisted cars: Alfa Romeos Stelvio, the Audi A8, BMW 5-series, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger, and Seat Ibiza. Toyota unveils new British-built Auris Toyota took the wraps of its new Auris hybrid hatchback (above) which, along with petrol versions, will be built at the Japanese giants plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire, ready for sale in the first quarter of next year. Brexit boost: The new Auris hybrid hatchback, along with petrol versions, will be built at the Japanese giants plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire But it also delivered a shock by announcing the death knell for diesel. Toyota will end sales of all diesel cars in Britain and Europe by the end of this decade and plans to boost petrol-electric hybrids in their place. Last year 45 per cent of Toyota UK sales were hybrid and fewer than 7 per cent were diesel, plummeting to 4.5 per cent in January. Two-door Range Rover is three times the price The new two-door 165 mph Range Rover SV Coupe from Jaguar Land Rovers special vehicle operations division in Ryton, Coventry, has half the number of doors and costs three times the price of a standard Range Rover a hefty 240,000. Most expensive Range Rover yet: Just 999 of these limited edition Range Rover SV Coupes will be built, each once costing at least 240,000 Production is limited to 999 vehicles, all hand-built. Rest to 62 mph takes 5.3 seconds from the 557bhp, 5-litre supercharged V8 engine. Two more eye-catchers from rival camps pleased the crowds in Geneva Audis new A6 and BMWs prototype M8 Gran Coupe due in 2019. Audis new A6 also debuted at the 88th edition of the Geneva Motor Show this week When you give money to a fund manager, you expect them to use expert knowledge to grow your nest egg. But what if you paid them big fees only to find they simply copied the FTSE 100 index? These are known as 'closet trackers' and it is thought there are at least 84 of them on offer, according to the City watchdog. They are called this because they operate in the same way as a robot-controlled tracker fund: they move up and down with the benchmark by choosing many of the same stocks. But the big difference is these funds often don't tell you they are doing this, yet they charge as much as ten times more than a tracker would to do the same job. Once charges have been deducted from your pot, you will be much worse off than if you had invested in a cheap tracker. For example, in five years the tracker fund L&G UK Index Trust returned 35.1 per cent versus 39.2 per cent for the FTSE All Share it is designed to mimic. Lindsell Train UK Equity, a fund where the manager seeks to beat the index, has returned 79 per cent in five years. Scottish Widows UK Growth, on the other hand, claims it aims to beat the same index but has returned just 28.5 per cent in five years. This is because it charges 1.46 per cent, against 0.56 per cent for the L&G tracker. The Financial Conduct Authority says the problem is that many closet trackers are misleading savers with their advertising. So far, asset managers have had to pay 34million in compensation to misled savers. Megan Butler, the watchdog's supervision chief, said: 'We want customers to have confidence that, when they buy a fund, they know it will do what it says on the tin.' Experts are urging savers to review their funds after the FCA's findings. And while the City watchdog has refused to reveal the funds it identified, there are ways you can tell a closet tracker from a fund genuinely trying to beat its index. The first thing to do is to get hold of your fund's factsheet. You can get these for free by visiting the asset manager's website. 'Closet trackers' operate in the same way as a robot-controlled tracker funds The most important information to look for are the top ten holdings, the index it measures itself against and the annual performance figures. Compare the top ten stock picks with those of its benchmark index. If about seven or eight are the same, then it is a sign that your manager is not taking many bets over and above the index. But that alone is not enough evidence to determine whether or not you are in a closet tracker. Adrian Lowcock, of investment firm Architas, said: 'Some managers might not make big bets that vary from the index, so that is not a guarantee that you are in a closet tracker. Even in this case, you could be in a fund that outperforms the index because of the way the manager has allocated the money.' However, checking the fund's performance against its index can help weed out rip-off closet trackers. Check the annual returns against those of the index. If your fund is returning slightly below that of the index, it is a bad sign. It is easier to plot both on a graph so you can see the fund following the index up and down. Data firms such as FE Trustnet have free tools that let you do that. All you do is pick the index and the fund you want to chart. Finally, check how many companies your fund is invested in. If it is 60 to 70 or more then it is usually an indicator that your fund is set up to mimic an index. This information can usually be found on the fund factsheet as well. A Scottish Widows spokesman said: 'The fund is actively managed and holds a broad range of stocks, which target a consistent, modest level of outperformance, rather than a highly focused portfolio that may perform in a more volatile manner. It is designed to outperform the FTSE All Share index with a low tracking error.' Royal Bank of Scotland has pulled out of the worlds biggest property event even though it is the biggest real estate lender in the UK. The taxpayer-backed bank and its private wealth division Coutts are not sending staff to Mipim, an annual champagne-soaked jamboree in Cannes in the South of France. The four-day extravaganza starts on Tuesday but has been mired in allegations of sexism, drunkenness and prostitution. Hostesses pose on a Russian stand during the 21st edition of the international MIPIM property trade show in Cannes, France in 2009 It is as well known for its parties on yachts and hotel rooms as it is for the billions of pounds worth of deals discussed and done there. Events such as Mipim are under increased scrutiny following a Financial Times expose of the all-male Presidents Club charity gala in January, where hostesses were allegedly groped and harassed at the Dorchester in London. Many attendees at the event were property tycoons, or worked for property companies, putting the industry firmly in the spotlight. Critics say the male-dominated industry is one of the most unreconstructed corners of the business world, where sexism flourishes. Mipim organisers are reminding delegates of its code of conduct, and it said: Under no circumstances does Mipim register prostitutes. RBS, more than 70 per cent-owned by the taxpayer following its bailout in the financial crisis, has reviewed spending on overseas conferences. A bank spokesman said: Following a reassessment of attendance, the bank has taken the decision that we will not attend Mipim. However 6,500 UK delegates will still attend next weeks event. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES GREENWICH, Conn., March 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iron Compass LLC and Iron Compass GP, LLC, on behalf of themselves and funds they manage, Iron Compass Partners LP and Iron Compass North Partners LP (collectively, Iron Compass) have announced that they intend to solicit proxies for use at the upcoming annual meeting (the Meeting) of shareholders of DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. (DIRTT or the Company). The solicitation will be to WITHHOLD votes for the election of nominees (Company Nominees) to be proposed by the Company for election at the Meeting to the Companys Board of Directors (the Board of Directors). Once the Company has formally called and issued a notice of the Meeting and its management information circular for the Meeting (the Management Circular), Iron Compass expects to issue a supplement to or amendment and restatement of its Circular (see below) containing additional information concerning its solicitation and reasons for seeking to WITHHOLD votes for the election of the Company Nominees to the Board of Directors. Although at this time no determination has been made, Iron Compass may also decide to put forward at the Meeting its own nominees for election to the Board of Directors. Iron Compass will make this determination based upon the Company Nominees to be proposed by the Company for election at the Meeting. At this time, the identity of the Company Nominees is unknown to Iron Compass. Disclaimers Iron Compass has not sought or obtained consent from any third party to the use herein of previously published information. Any such information should not be viewed as indicating the support of such third party for the views expressed herein. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters addressed in these materials are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties. You should be aware that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Iron Compass does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information. Information in Support of Public Broadcast Solicitation Iron Compass is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations to make this public broadcast solicitation. The following information is provided in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. This solicitation is being made by Iron Compass, and not by or on behalf of the management of DIRTT. The address of the Company is 7303 30th Street E., Calgary, Alberta, T2C 1N6. Iron Compass has filed an information circular (the Information Circular) containing the information required by Form 51-102F5 Information Circular in respect of its solicitation, which is available on DIRTT's company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Proxies for the Meeting may be solicited by mail, telephone, email or other electronic means as well as by newspaper or other media advertising, and in person by partners, directors, officers and employees of Iron Compass, who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, Iron Compass may solicit proxies in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including through press releases, speeches or publications, and by any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws. Iron Compass may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on behalf of Iron Compass. All costs incurred for the solicitation will be borne by Iron Compass. At this time, Iron Compass has not entered into an agreement with a proxy agent. Iron Compass is not requesting that DIRTT shareholders submit a proxy at this time. Once Iron Compass has commenced a formal solicitation of proxies, a registered holder of common shares of DIRTT that gives a proxy may revoke it: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the form of proxy, or as otherwise provided in the Management Circular, once made available to shareholders; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder's attorney authorized in writing, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of DIRTT at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting is to be held; (ii) with the chairman of the Meeting prior to its commencement on the day of the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting; or (c) in any other manner permitted by law. A non-registered holder of common shares of DIRTT will be entitled to revoke a form of proxy or voting instruction form given to an intermediary at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. To the knowledge of Iron Compass, neither Iron Compass nor any of its partners, directors or officers, or any associates or affiliates of the foregoing, or their respective associates or affiliates, has: (i) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of DIRTT's most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or would materially affect DIRTT or any of its subsidiaries; or (ii) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter currently known to be acted upon at the Meeting other than the election of directors. For more info contact IRON COMPASS LLC at (203) 309-5445 MBABANE It will be raining money. Approximately E350 million will be paid out to companies, estates and 235 households to give way for the proposed E17 billion Rail Link to connect between Lothair (South Africa) and Sidvokodvo. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport in the annual performance report dated February 2018 reported that the rail link would require the 146 kilometre (km) 122 hectares of Title Deed Land (TDL) and 590 hectares of Swazi Nation Land (SNL) for the railway line servitude. Under the Railway Department, the ministry reported that there were two types of land acquisitions being undertaken, each requiring different approaches and strategies. It was stated that a total of eight land parcels had been affected under TDL and in principle agreements had been reached with at least six of them. According to a valuation exercise undertaken in 2015, total compensation costs are estimated at E15 million, reads the report in part. The companies to be paid out include Old Mutual, Tisuka TakaNgwane and Montigny Investments. Others under the TDL land acquisition include; the De Souza family, Mndzebele family, estate late Obed Dlamini and Roy Fanourakis. It was, however, mentioned that Montigny was to be compensated for tree plantations only as the land owned by Tibiyo TakaNgwane who had informed the project that His Majesty King gave his consent to the use of the land for project purposes. It was also mentioned that a total of 235 households were affected on SNL of which 57 would have affected structures relocated within existing households which were evaluated and compensation values determined for each affected structure (house, pit latrines, kraal, chicken coup and fences among other things). The ministry disclosed that progress achieved on SNL included finalising the list of affected households for purposes of issuing a government gazette. The total compensation cost is estimated at E320 million, it was projected. Further, it was disclosed that the grave allocation service provider, Mbabane Burial Society, had presented their completion report which had been accepted by Swaziland Railway. The service provider also submitted their final account of E1.5 million which was being processed. Sir, Many people have questioned why they need to pay for a television licence and why the sudden fuss about television licences. I will attempt to provide a brief answer in the hope that a lot of people will be enlightened. A TV licence is not a service contract between a licencee and the Swaziland Television Authority (STVA). The payment of TV licence fees is a statutory (legal) requirement in terms of an Act of Parliament, specifically Section 22 of the Swaziland Television Authority Act of 1983. The Act does not confer any rights on a licencee to make demands from the STVA for better or improved quality. For one to receive television signal, they have to access the electromagnetic frequencies. The electromagnetic spectrum (broadcasting frequencies) through which all TV and radio signals are transmitted and received is regarded as a national asset. Access to broadcasting frequencies is therefore one of the major reasons why one pays for his/her television licence. Broadcasters pay by way of a radio or television broadcasting licence for the right of using this resource to broadcast programmes to their viewers. TV viewers, in turn, need a television licence for being in possession of a device (a TV set) that enables them to access those frequencies in order to receive broadcast programmes. Therefore, the television licence fee is a levy imposed by the kingdom, not STVA, on access to Swazilands broadcasting frequencies. In the same way that a vehicle licence grants a motorcar owner access to the countrys road network, a TV licence authorises the use of a television set to access the broadcasting frequencies. Payment of TV licence fees does not constitute offer by STVA and acceptance by the licence holder in a commercial sense. The only effect that the issuing of a licence has is to legalise the use of a TV set by a licence holder. The Act does not allow licence holders to withhold payment until and unless STVA delivers TV programmes or other services to their satisfaction. It is therefore a criminal offence in terms of Section 22 of the Act; it is a criminal offence for one to be in possession of a television set without a licence. TV licence is paid not only in Swaziland but in some developed countries such as the United Kingdom, German, Austria, Denmark, Japan , France, Singapore just to mention but a few. In Africa, countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, just to mention but a few have television licence fees payment. Only one country, Nigeria has never had a law on television licence. The Act is therefore not an eerie and / or barbaric law as most would like to think. It is not only peculiar to Swaziland as demonstrated above. Lastly, A TV licence is not a service/or product of some kind, which is meant to be purchased by consumers on the basis of its offering better value than similar competing products. Like a vehicle licence or a liquor or a gun licence it is nothing more and nothing less than an official authorisation in this case, the right to have in ones possession and/or use of a television set. Neither is the licence fee payment for the Swazi TVs programmes, nor is there any exemption or discount because of dissatisfaction with the language dispensation or programmes on television, or on any other grounds whatsoever. Therefore, the requirement for one to pay for a TV licence has nothing to do with the content one watches. As already stated, the licence payment is not a service contract between the licensee and STVA. It is a statutory obligation. One pays for TV because he/she is in possession of a television set or a gadget capable of transmitting television signal. Modicai Donga TV Licence Project Manager MBABANE Preliminary statements from Members of Parliament (MPs) are that Finance Minister Martin Dlamini will be on his own when he proposes the increase in Graded Tax. These are some of the submissions made by MPs on Wednesday during the budget debate as they stated that there was no way they would allow the implementation of Graded Tax from E18 to E60 for the unemployed, especially because the very same minister had said it would be scrapped. MPs are expected to soon debate the amendment to the Grade Tax Act and proposed increase in user fees, once they are done with passing the budget. Members of the public reacted with shock to this publications report on Tuesday that Graded Tax would not be removed but could go as high as E1 250 for people who earn around E33 000 a month. Mntfongwaneni MP Mjuluko Dlamini asked Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo if the Graded Tax issue had even been discussed with the minister by the Finance Committee. He said there was no way they would even entertain it. Manzini North MP Jan Sithole said government was barely able to pay the elderly E400, but now it had the audacity to implement a change in Graded Tax. Meanwhile, the Finance minister said the money had to come from somewhere. Dlamini said government was not in the business of making profits and wondered where the MPs thought the money would come from. He said government had no choice but to collect some of the money from taxes. The proposed increase in user fees, which are yet to be discussed by the legislators, include increase in civil registration services, liquor licences, trading licences fees and drivers licence fees among others. Others have already been implement such as the hike in travel documents and passport fees. LOBAMBA - Unlike in previous sittings where he would throw his colleagues in stitches of laughter when making his submissions, MP Johane Shongwe was close to tears yesterday. This was during the debate of the portfolio committee of the Ministry of Education and Training where Shongwe became emotional as he described the frustration of students from the Swaziland Christian University (SCU) who completed their courses eight months ago but have not been offered the opportunity to graduate. As he began his debate, Shongwe made it known that he was at pains because he was raising something that he had talked about countless times. He stated that it was disappointing that His Majesty King Mswati III had emphasised on the need to open more universities yet government did not treat equally those that are in existence. When the SCU was opened, I was there and have watched it being treated differently from other institutions. Right now there are students who have not graduated, it has been eight months now. Why cant government come out and tell the nation the truth on what really is the problem? It is clear that there is more to it than meets the eye, he said. Shongwe said it was obvious that the issue that existed was no longer in the hands of the ministry and threatened that he had had enough and was ready to go and report it to His Majesty King Mswati III. As a Swazi who cares about all citizens, it is time to take this issue to the next level. I mean it, I will do this very soon. Enough is enough, he said. Shongwe said there was enough evidence to prove that something serious was wrong at the institution and made reference to the fact that about 176 first year students have still not been granted scholarships by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. He quoted different verses in the Bible which emphasise on the need to forgive those who have done wrong saying the same should apply to the institution. What sin did the SCU commit that cannot be forgiven? If there is something that they did I believe the time has come for government to engage them and forgive because the students and their parents are frustrated by what is happening, he said. After he had finished his debate, Shongwe packed the few documents he was carrying and left the House, something which did not go down well the Minister of Education and Training, Phineas Magagula who stood up to complain to the chairperson of the portfolio committee. Magagula said it was not fair to allow Shongwe to leave without listening to his response to the issue that he had just raised. TORONTO, March 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evio Beauty Group Ltd.s conscious lifestyle portfolio is thrilled to announce its green cosmetics line, Evelyn Ionas inclusion in Sephoras 2018 Accelerate program, making it the only Canadian beauty company in Sephoras 2018 cohort. This milestone moment is a testament to how far Evio Beauty Group and its inaugural line of beauty products - Evelyn Iona - have come. The news follows the announcement of Evio Beauty Group entering into a commercial partnership with BreakWater Venture Capital in January 2018. In addition, Evelyn Iona celebrated the consumer success of its Green Tea Primer that pre-sold over 150,000 units in Q4 2017 followed by its formal partnership and investment from a global manufacturing partner. Sephora is a leader in global prestige retail, teaching and inspiring clients to play in a world of beauty. Sephora choosing Evelyn Iona, and its founder Brandi Leifso, as part of its female founders community, combines the vision and passion of Evelyn Iona with the exciting future of the beauty industry. Sephora Accelerate is dedicated to building a community of innovative female founders in beauty. This years cohort was selected from hundreds of female founders across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, France, Switzerland and China. This year, the retailer selected 13 new Sephora Accelerate Cohort members working across three categories: Merchandising, Technology and Sustainability. The program equips female-founded companies with the necessary skills to create a successful business while learning from beauty mentors and seasoned entrepreneurs. Evelyn Iona is proud to be part of a community of thriving female entrepreneurs. The program includes an intensive Bootcamp Week and elite mentorship program in San Francisco, California, that will elevate and enhance the Evelyn Iona brand with relationship building at the heart of it all. Even in the beauty industry, where most customers are women, female founders are still underrepresented, said Corrie Conrad, head of social impact at Sephora. Were thrilled to welcome these 13 diverse and inspirational female beauty business CEOs and founders into the 2018 Cohort. Each one of these women represent immense talent, intelligence and innovative thinking within their respective fields, and what better way to celebrate their induction into the Accelerate program than an introduction on International Womens Day, said Conrad. Im extremely excited to join an ecosystem of support, and connect with other female founders, entrepreneurs, and mentors, says Brandi Leifso, founder of Evelyn Iona. Sephora is a leader in offering female founders support, insight, and access to take our business to the next level and help design the future of beauty. Leifso will have the added benefit of being mentored by beauty industry leaders like Pamela Baxter, former CEO and President of Christian Dior Couture (LVMH Group). Leifso started Evelyn Iona when she was living in a womens shelter after an adverse relationship led her to seek help. Leifsos determination while living in the shelter led to the creation of a brand that stood for something, with a standard to support women. Its an incredible feeling to have this opportunity. One that I would never have dreamed of when starting Evelyn Iona Cosmetics from humble roots, said Leifso. Evelyn Iona's mission is to create a standard of living that promotes kindness without compromising quality. $1 from every Evelyn Iona product sold goes to womens organizations. Evelyn Iona is beauty on your own terms with a conscious heart behind it. The Sephora Accelerate program will strengthen why Evio does what it does. ABOUT EVIO BEAUTY GROUP LTD. Evio Beauty Group Ltd. is a portfolio of conscious lifestyle brands. Evio was created with a mission of building community through products that women use every single day. Amongst the growing Evio Portfolio of conscious brands is Evelyn Iona Cosmetics, a line of green products that fill the gap of hard-to-find colour cosmetics that are good for your skin, planet and your community. Additionally, Evio Community an online platform of curated content engages conversation on beauty, cannabis, fashion, feminism, wellness & entrepreneurship. Launching in the Fall of 2018: Cannabis-infused skincare with a focus on education and squishing stigmas. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SHARC International Systems Inc. (CSE:SHRC) (FSE:IWIA) (OTCQB:INTWF) ("SHARC" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that Environmental Technology Solutions Pty Ltd. (ETS) has received its first purchase order for one PIRANHA wastewater heat recovery system. On October 26, 2017, the Company announced a strategic Licensing Agreement (Agreement) with ETS of Australia, for the commercialization of its PIRANHA and SHARC wastewater heat recovery systems in Australia and New Zealand. The Licensing Agreement gives SHARC a platform to launch its products throughout Australasia and to strengthen its first mover advantage in all parts of the world. Pursuant to the Agreement, SHARC received this initial purchase order from ETS. The order is intended to supply one of Australias largest hotel operators, Meriton Property Services Pty Ltd (Meriton Suites), with one PIRANHA wastewater heat recovery system that will provide immediate and long-term economic and environmental savings. About Meriton Suites Meriton Suites is owned & operated by Meriton Property Services Pty Ltd and has 17 establishments and a total of 4,469 suites, making it Australias largest owner of hotel rooms. Known for their exceptional living spaces and amenities, Meriton Suites delivers a world-class experience to their guests. Hotel staff and guests demand a significant amount of hot water and most of that energy is lost down the drain. With the installation of their first PIRANHA wastewater heat exchange system, Meriton Suites is recognizing guest preferences for eco-friendliness, while substantially decreasing energy costs within their hotels daily operations. Further information about Meriton Suites is available on their website at www.meritonsuites.com.au Following Octobers announcement of our Licensing Agreement with ETS, receiving the first purchase order from ETS marks an important milestone in our sales and deployment strategy to strengthen our first to market advantage in all parts of the world, said Lynn Mueller, CEO of SHARC. We are very pleased to be working with Australias top environmental solutions company, ETS, and look forward to many more sales in 2018. We are extremely excited, not only to be the holder of the license in Australia and New Zealand for this unique technology but to be involved with the team at SHARC International Systems, said Philip Mitchell, Director ETS. This order represents a significant milestone for the SHARC technology in this market. Meriton Suites are the largest apartment builders and owners in Australia so the sale of this system will be a catalyst for future sales. We have no doubt that this will be the first of many, many systems that will be installed here. About Environmental Technology Solutions ETS is a solutions provider in the fields of energy efficiency and sustainability. We pride ourselves on our ability to harness real collaboration and leading-edge technologies in delivering outcomes for our clients. Our goal is to make change in the way people produce and consume energy such that the legacy we leave is a planet that will sustainably support the human race for future generations. ETS licenses, designs, manufactures, and supplies complete systems and unique technology solutions: Combined Heat and Power, Waste Heat Recovery, Waste-to-energy as well as hybrid systems and renewable technologies. ETS are also specialists in a complete range of emissions treatment devices and solutions. Our product is to allow our clients to concentrate on their core business while we make that business more efficient, sustainable, kinder to the environment and profitable as a result. At ETS we strive to embody the Triple Bottom Line in everything we do. Further information about ETS is available on their website at www.etsprojects.com.au About Sharc International Systems Sharc International Systems Inc. is a world leader in thermal heat recovery. SHARC systems recycle thermal energy from wastewater, generating one of the most energy efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water preheating for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. SHARC is publicly traded in Canada (CSE:SHRC), the United States (OTC:INTWF) and Germany (Frankfurt:IWIA). Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.sharcenergy.com or under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Lynn Mueller Lynn Mueller Chairman and Chief Executive Officer FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Ray Crowley Telephone: 604 788 1091 Email: ray.crowley@sharcenergy.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. 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 may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. BERLIN, Germany and DENVER, Colo., March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cortado Mobile Solutions today announces a new version of its enterprise mobility solution, Cortado Server 9.0. The latest version comes with numerous security and productivity improvements. The solution now supports macOS as well as Windows systems and opens its productivity apps to other MDM manufacturers. In light of the EUs new general data protection regulation (GDPR) and similar regulations around the world, the management of mobile devices plays a central role in data privacy. It is often thought that mobile devices are potential sources of danger, however they also lay the foundation for new, far more flexible and above all, cost-saving business processes. That is why it is Cortados goal to continue to seamlessly combine productivity and security. Cortado Server 9.0 combines MDM, MAM and MCM functions to offer a range of important, customer-based requirements have been implemented, such as: Management of macOS computers, including printing and file access In addition to iPhones and iPads, users can now manage all macOS computers through Cortado Server. Beyond central management, this latest version also manages printer assignments and enables easy access to the companys file server via the web app whether users are on the go or in the workplace. Samsung Knox support and extended Android Enterprise support With the support of Samsung Knox, Cortado offers an alternative to Android Enterprise, whose support is even better facilitated by Cortado with this release. For Android Enterprise, the work-managed device solution set for COBO scenarios (Company Owned, Business Only) is now also supported. Enhanced features for iOS 11 iOS 11 was supported from day one, but now users can access the extended features, as the iOS app has been fully updated. Feature enhancements for virtual data rooms Cortado Server 9.0 further enhances Cortados highly secure, on-premises virtual data rooms. Within these virtual data rooms, users can easily and securely share and edit files, even with external employees. In addition to all these new features, Cortado Server 9,0 complements other MDM systems with additional productivity features. The Cortado apps can now be managed either by Cortado Server itself or by other MDM systems, such as MobileIron or AirWatch. We live in a dynamic market environment and dont want to place artificial barriers in the way of our customers, said Sven Huschke, CEO at Cortado Mobile Solutions. If you want to offer your employees mobile productivity, you can do so completely with our mobility solution. Companies that already have an MDM in place, such as MobileIron or AirWatch, can leverage our file access or mobile printing solutions to significantly increase their productivity. Discover more at: https://www.cortado.com/en/version-9/ This press release and images can be found at: https://press.cortado.com Cortado Mobile Solutions Cortado Mobile Solutions GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cortado Holding AG, and is responsible for all operations relating to the enterprise mobility solution Cortado Corporate Server. The unique enterprise mobility solution offers the perfect balance between security for the organization, easy manageability for the IT department and maximum flexibility for users. The on-premises software includes all the tools required for successful enterprise mobility; mobile device management, mobile application management and mobile content management, and can be fully integrated into the Windows backend. IT administrators continue to work with their known systems, Active Directory groups and Windows privileges, and users can access network drives, SharePoint and intranet pages directly from their mobile devices. Cortado Mobile Solutions follows the philosophy that working natively delivers the highest levels of user acceptance. So Cortados enterprise mobility solution fully supports native app management and instead of focusing on separate storage when it comes to file sharing, enables a direct connection to the corporate network. The result is a significant increase in productivity for mobile employees, improved collaboration among teams as well as convenient management for the IT department. Cortados enterprise mobility solution is developed and tested at its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Also, experts in offices in the United States, UK, Australia, Japan, and Brazil, highly qualified consultants at our Berlin location as well as a trained, worldwide network of channel partners provide presence and support to local customers throughout the world. Press Contacts: Headquarters: Silke Kluckert Public Relations Manager Phone: +49.30.394931-66, E-mail: press@cortado.com In North America: VisiTech for Cortado Mobile Solutions Kendra Westerkamp Phone: +1-303-752-3552 E-mail: CT@visitechpr.com Apple is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following links: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eaa26e88-94a0-41a6-bc7d-603441454f13 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26d2032d-7f69-4912-9a76-91553709c66e http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bb093910-05f1-4c12-a4c0-492e90660a89 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/faaa76e3-d573-4dd6-923a-e865cd72fa79 IRVING, Texas, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- La Quinta Holdings Inc. (the "Company" or La Quinta) (NYSE:LQ) announced today that the Company has established a record date of March 19, 2018, and a meeting date of April 26, 2018, for a special meeting of its stockholders to, among other things, consider and vote on a proposal to approve the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement) with Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, a Delaware corporation (Wyndham Worldwide) and WHG BB Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide, pursuant to which, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Wyndham Worldwide has agreed to acquire La Quintas franchising and management business (the Merger). As previously announced, La Quinta has agreed that it will effect, prior to the consummation of the Merger and subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and related agreements, a separation of La Quintas real estate assets and certain related assets and liabilities, which will be conveyed to CorePoint Lodging Inc. (CorePoint), a newly formed subsidiary of La Quinta, followed by a pro rata distribution to La Quinta stockholders of common stock representing 100% of the interest in CorePoint (the Spin-Off). After the Spin-Off is completed, CorePoint will be a separate, publicly held company that will own La Quintas real estate assets and certain related assets and liabilities. La Quintas stockholders of record at the close of business on March 19, 2018, will be entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting. Additional information concerning the proposed Merger and the special meeting will be included in the definitive proxy statement that will be mailed to La Quintas stockholders of record as of such date. La Quinta also announced today that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the HSR Act), in connection with the Merger, has expired. Expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the Merger. La Quinta continues to expect the Merger and the Spin-Off to close in the second quarter of 2018, subject to approval by La Quintas stockholders and the satisfaction of certain other closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend for these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws relating to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed merger, separation and spin-off, as well as other statements representing managements beliefs about, future events, transactions, strategies, operations and financial results, including, without limitation, our expectations with respect to the costs and other anticipated financial impacts of the spin-off and merger; future financial and operating results of CorePoint Lodging Inc. (CorePoint) and La Quinta Holdings Inc. (La Quinta); the ability of La Quinta, CorePoint and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (Wyndham Worldwide) to complete the contemplated financing transactions and reorganizations in connection with the merger and the spin-off; La Quintas plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations and services; required approvals to complete the merger and the spin-off by our stockholders and by governmental regulatory authorities, and the timing and conditions for such approvals; the stock price of CorePoint following the consummation of the transactions; the stock price of La Quinta prior to the consummation of the transactions; and the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the proposed merger and the spin-off. Such forward-looking statements often contain words such as assume, will, anticipate, believe, predict, project, potential, contemplate, plan, forecast, estimate, expect, intend, is targeting, may, should, would, could, goal, seek, hope, aim, continue and other similar words or expressions or the negative thereof or other variations thereon. Forward-looking statements are made based upon managements current expectations and beliefs and are not guarantees of future performance. Such forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such statements. Our actual business, financial condition or results of operations may differ materially from those suggested by forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties which include, among others, those risks and uncertainties described in any of our filings with the SEC. You are urged to carefully consider all such factors. Although it is believed that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable and are expressed in good faith, such expectations may not prove to be correct and persons reading this communication are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only to expectations as of the date of this communication. We do not undertake or plan to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in plans, assumptions, estimates or projections, or other circumstances occurring after the date of this communication, even if such results, changes or circumstances make it clear that any forward-looking information will not be realized. If we make any future public statements or disclosures which modify or impact any of the forward-looking statements contained in or accompanying this communication, such statements or disclosures will be deemed to modify or supersede such statements in this communication. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. This communication relates to a proposed acquisition of La Quinta by Wyndham Worldwide. In connection with this proposed acquisition, La Quinta may file one or more proxy statements or other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other document La Quinta may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF LA QUINTA ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Any definitive proxy statement(s) (if and when available) will be mailed to stockholders of La Quinta. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by La Quinta through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by La Quinta will be available free of charge on La Quintas internet website at www.lq.com or upon written request to: Secretary, La Quinta Holdings Inc., 909 Hidden Ridge, Suite 600, Irving, TX 75038, or by telephone at (214) 492-6600. Participants in Solicitation La Quinta, its directors and certain of its executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in such solicitation in connection with the proposed merger will be set forth in the proxy statement if and when it is filed with the SEC. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of La Quinta in connection with the proposed merger is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on March 1, 2018, its proxy statement for its 2017 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 7, 2017, and its Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on March 8, 2018. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. La Quinta Holdings Inc. 909 Hidden Ridge, Suite 600 Irving, Texas 75038 Tel. 214-492-6600 www.lq.com About La Quinta Holdings Inc. La Quinta Holdings Inc. (LQ) is a leading owner, operator and franchisor of select-service hotels primarily serving the upper-midscale and midscale segments. The Companys owned and franchised portfolio consists of approximately 900 properties representing over 87,500 rooms located in 48 states in the U.S., and in Canada, Mexico, Honduras and Colombia. These properties operate under the La Quinta Inn & Suites, La Quinta Inn and LQ Hotel brands. La Quintas team is committed to providing guests with a refreshing and engaging experience. For more information, please visit: www.LQ.com. From time to time, La Quinta may use its website as a distribution channel of material company information. Financial and other important information regarding the Company is routinely accessible through and posted on its website at www.lq.com/investorrelations. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about La Quinta when you enroll your email address by visiting the Email Alerts section at www.lq.com/investorrelations. Investor Inquiries: Kristin Hays Investor Relations 214-492-6786 investor.relations@laquinta.com Media Contacts: Teresa Ferguson Public Relations 214-492-6937 investor.relations@laquinta.com NEW YORK, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via CannabisNewsWire CannabisNewsWire ("CNW"), a multifaceted financial news and publishing company, today announces the publication of an editorial featuring Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTCQB:CHOOF), a client of CNW focused on channeling the spirit of Hawaii in the Okanagan and building culture around its high-grade handcrafted cannabis brand. To view the full publication, titled Acquisitions and Growth Expand in Canadian Cannabis Market, visit: http://nnw.fm/4z9IJ One of the new companies looking to stake a claim in the recreational market is Choom Holdings, Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTCQB:CHOOF). Choom is based in British Columbia, though its hip, modern brand has been designed around the tropical, relaxed ambiance of Hawaii. The companys name, Choom, and style invoke Hawaiian culture, in particular easy days on the beach and in the countryside enjoying a casual atmosphere that connects with relaxation, which fittingly is one of the main appeals of cannabis. The companys name, Choom, which means to smoke marijuana comes from a slang word used by a fun-loving group of friends (including former U.S. President Barack Obama) who grew up together in Hawaii during the 1970s. This relaxed, friendly and informal approach to selling cannabis is designed to tap into a younger market with socially liberal values and disposal income to spare, and differs radically from the marketing focus of medical marijuana companies. The look and feel more closely resembles a food or alcoholic beverage brand, evoking warm feelings instead of healing/medicinal properties, which are the focus of established brands. In short, its exactly the sort of approach the recreational cannabis industry will need. Moving forward, the advantage in the legal cannabis sector seems likely to go to companies such as Choom, which are able to innovate with their branding, creating appealing lifestyle choices. Strict limitations on advertising cannabis will prevent the big medical marijuana players from using their financial clout to dominate the market through saturation advertising, which will create a space for young brands such Choom to grow via agile, modern techniques where traditional approaches arent an option. About Choom Channeling the spirit of Hawaii in the Okanagan, high-grade handcrafted strains by Choom are all about cultivating good times and good friends. Choom was inspired by the Choom Gang; a group of buddies in Honolulu during the 1970s. Now, after four decades, Choom is bringing the spirit of Hawaii to the Okanagan. The company is planting its flag in the rapidly growing legal cannabis industry in Canada with its own brand of high-grade handcrafted herb. For more information, visit the companys website at www.Choom.ca. About CannabisNewsWire (CNW) CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is a specialized information service that (1) aggregates cannabis news, (2) provides CannabisNewsBreaks that quickly updates investors in the space, (3) enhances corporate press releases, (4) helps companies with distribution and optimization of social media, and (5) delivers comprehensive corporate communication solutions. CNW is uniquely positioned in the cannabis market with a strong team of journalists and writers who can help private and public companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public through our ever-growing dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. CNW is bringing unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the cannabis industry. For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. CNW Contact: CannabisNewsWire (CNW) Denver, Colorado www.CannabisNewsWire.com 303.498.7722 Office Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net During the formation of Hydetown Volunteer Fire Department, volunteers received assistance, and a fire truck from Centerville VFD. [March 08, 2018] PrescribeWellness Partners With Venebio to Help Local Pharmacies Address the Opioid Epidemic PrescribeWellness, the cloud-based services company that inspires collaboration for better health, today announced that it has partnered with life sciences research consultancy Venebio Group to leverage the company's new prescription opioid risk assessment tool, Venebio Opioid Advisor (VOA). PrescribeWellness and Venebio are working together to fight a crisis that is ravaging the U.S.: opioid abuse is currently the leading cause of death in people under 50, in both urban and rural areas. With network reach of over 200 million lives, PrescribeWellness is uniquely positioned to arm the most accessible healthcare professionals in our communities-pharmacists-with VOA, the only validated tool able to predict the likelihood of a life-threatening opioid overdose from a prescription opioid with 90-percent accuracy. PrescibeWellness' pharmacy network includes more than 4,000 small towns across America; in many of those communities pharmacists are the only available healthcare professionals, positioning them alone on the front lines. Equipping pharmacists with VOA will increase their ability to identify high-risk patients, prompting life-saving interventions. By empowering pharmacists, PrescribeWellness and Venebio are fighting the opioid epidemic at the point of attack. "Our pharmacies, armed with Venebio Opioid Advisor, can save lives ad help mitigate the ongoing opioid epidemic in our country," said Al Babbington, CEO of PrescribeWellness. "According to the CDC, 46 people die every day in the U.S. from a prescription opioid overdose. Community pharmacists across the country are on the front lines of this issue while working hard to help their patients manage prescriptions. VOA will help them 'go beyond the fill' to keep their patients safe and healthy." "Pharmacists see opioid-using patients far more often than their physicians do, making them uniquely positioned to intervene and help prevent overdoses with these high-risk patients," said Lenn Murrelle, MSPH, Ph.D., president and CEO of Venebio. "We are convinced VOA will help PrescribeWellness deliver better service to their customers while improving healthcare outcomes." Mindy Smith, Vice President of Pharmacy Practice Innovation at PrescribeWellness, added, "Community pharmacists are medication experts and the most accessible healthcare providers in the country. We are excited to work with Venebio to add VOA to our technology suite, which helps community pharmacists play a pivotal role in the fight against the opioid epidemic." PrescribeWellness pharmacies will use this predictive healthcare algorithm in conjunction with the core PrescribeWellness technology suite to deliver advanced opioid user education and medication therapy management. About PrescribeWellness PrescribeWellness inspires collaboration for better health across America by connecting patients to locally owned community pharmacies. Its proprietary cloud-based platform empowers pharmacists to provide more effective preventive healthcare services, which improve medication adherence, chronic disease management, transitions in care and population health. With data integration and behavioral science at the foundation, PrescribeWellness software solutions position the pharmacist at the center of community healthcare prevention. Inc. 5000 named PrescribeWellness one of America's Fastest Growing Privately-Held Companies for the past two years. For more information, please visit www.prescribewellness.com. About Venebio Group Venebio is a research consultancy that provides cost-effective, custom solutions for complex life sciences problems. By integrating the expertise of a global network of scientists in a broad range of biomedical fields, Venebio delivers comprehensive project management and problem-solving in genetic and molecular epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance, personalized medicine, bioinformatics, biomarker discovery and epidemiologic literature reviews and analysis. Learn more at www.venebio.com and voa.venebio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180308006429/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 08, 2018] Web Click India Awarded as Best Web Developer Organization of the Year in Global Business Award 2017 NEW DELHI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Web Click India, a Website Designing Company In India was awarded as the Best Web Developer Organization of the Year at Global Business Award 2017 , held in New Delhi, 23rd December 2017. The award function was graced by the Bollywood Diva 'Huma Qureshi', who gave away the award to the vanquisher in their respective fields. Global Business Award Function is aimed at eulogizing and appreciating the high-fliers and go-getters. It's a platform, where professionals from the different categories, nominate their business profile for Reward & Recognition. While addressing the jamboree, the chief guest of the day echoed the audience that awards are a must for everyone, be it an individual or an organization. Getting an award symbolizes the respect of the winner that infuses confidence and determination to grow further in the domain. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gunjan Singh, CEO, and Founder of Web Click India said, "Receiving such great honor were the results of the tireless efforts our entire team has made. We are absolutely grateful to be notable among so many top-tier agencies and indebted to Global Business Award for recognizing and appreciating our great work, in the web designing, development, and promotion realm. The year was great for the company, as we have been also certified by SiliconIndia's Startup City Magazine as One of the 10 Best Startup's in Website Development - 2017." Mr. Gunjan Singh further added, "I have learned lot of new things in my 3+year journey. There are so many obstacles I have overcome to be in the position where I am today. Winning the trust of clients is not a cakewalk, especially, when you are a newcomer in the domain. Though, as a key planner in the web designing space, I believed that hurdles are significant because they make life interesting and meaningful. As the Director at Web Click India, I always explore all the avenues before planning and going ahead. Our Web Designing, Development and SEO Services are client-focused, which help us make our virtue in today's cut-throat competition." Web Click India's track-record in an evolving marketplace aids them to recognize unforeseen business possibilities. They have successfully served 1,000+ clients from different corners of the world, including Dubai, Sudan, Hong Kong, USA, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, to name a few. With a positive and powerful presence worldwide, Web Click India is one of the fastest growing names in the Ecommerce Website Designing Industry. About Web Click India Web Click India was founded by Mr. Gunjan Singh on December 20, 2014, is a Website Development Company In India. The company renders Web Designing, Development, SEO/SMO, Ecommerce Website, B2B and B2C Portal Development, Mobile App Development, and strategic planning to small as well as large organizations. They have access to all the new ages tools and technologies to serve their client's best possible experience in their domain. Their main aim is to serve a fair chance to do business from a newcomer to a well-established company all and make their presence in today's growing digital era. For more information, visit: https://www.webclickindia.com Media Contact: Mr. Gunjan Singh Director and CEO Web Click India 8A/2, 3rd Floor, Plot No. 1A, DLF Industrial Area, Moti Nagar, New Delhi-110015, India Email: support@webclickindia.com Mobile: +91-8750587506 (Call / WhatsApp) Skype: webclickindia Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webclickdelhindia/ Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/webclickindia20 Connect on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+WebClickIndiaNewDelhi/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] Huntkey Releases Its Cubic Power Outlets at AWE 2018 SHANGHAI, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, a global leading provider of power solutions, officially releases its cubic power outlets - the Magic Outlet intended for US market at AWE 2018, one of the world's three biggest exhibitions in appliances and electronics industries. The Magic Outlet is colored with white and gray outside, featuring one US standard plug on one side, and one AC socket on the other five, which allows the users to simultaneously charge 5 devices. It is created smaller but with high-end components inside, without compromising quality to offer the users an unprecedented charging experience. Modular & Portable Design The Magic Outlet is modular and portable, measuring 2.6 inches long, 2.6 inches wide and 2.65 inches high for easy carry. Owing to its special design, the Magic Outlet can be mounted together like building block for increased functionality. It is one of the best choices for travelers who love to travel as light as possible. Unbelievably Safe Equipped with a 380J surge protector, the Magic Outlet is capable of keeping the charging devices protected from voltage fluctuations, surges and spikes. It is integrated with one 15A fuse that can safeguard the charging devices from short circuit or over current damages. In addition, it is built with one integral copper bar inside to enhance conductivity and avoid heat buildup to ensure product safety. Superior Quality Body case of the Magic Outlet is made from flame-retardant and environment-friendly material - ABS, an opaque thermoplastic characterized by resistance to chemicals, heat and impacts. Moreover, the Magic Outlet has been strictly tested to meet the US quality standard - the ETL isted Mark, one of the key proofs of product compliance to the US published industry standards. Availability The Magic Outlet has already been listed on Amazon US. For more product information please visit: https://www.amazon.com/Huntkey-Expanding-Adapter-Protector-Overload/dp/B0060QN0SC/ref=sr_1_6?m=A96RLKIOAYZVY&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1520557846&sr=1-6 Huntkey Magic Outlet: https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cubic-outlet-huntkey01.jpg https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/magic-outlet-02.jpg https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SMC-005-03.jpg https://en.huntkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SMC-005-06.jpg About AWE Appliance & Electronics World Expo is organized by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association (CHEAA). Relying on China's household appliance industry with global attention and the stably-developed household appliance consumer market, AWE has become one of the world's 3 biggest exhibitions in this area. Based on Asian and global markets, AWE will become an industrial event leading the trends of international household appliances. About Huntkey Huntkey Group, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA) and a member of The China Power Supply Society (CPSS). With branch companies in the USA, Japan and other areas, and cooperating factories in Brazil, Argentina, India and other countries, Huntkey has specialized in the development, design, and manufacturing of PC power supplies, industrial power supplies, surge protectors, adapters and chargers for many years. With its own technologies and manufacturing strength, Huntkey has served Lenovo, Huawei, Haier, DELL, ZTE, Bestbuy and many other large enterprises for years, and has received unanimous recognition and trust from many customers. Contact: Homer Tel.: +86-89606545 Email: caihuamu@huntkey.net View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huntkey-releases-its-cubic-power-outlets-at-awe-2018-300611423.html SOURCE Huntkey [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] Seven States that Haven't Recovered from the Recession, According to CareerBuilder CHICAGO and ATLANTA, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The last recession in the U.S. more than 10 years ago lasted only two years, but its impact on the U.S. workforce is still being felt. While the country as a whole boasts 6,692,837 more jobs in 2017 than in 2007, some states still haven't fully recovered, and many of the occupations that are growing require workers to get additional training and/or education to fill them. "While we have been seeing job growth in nearly every state since the recession ended, some states have recovered faster than others. Still, even in areas where job growth has lagged, there are occupations and industries that are growing," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "Companies looking to hire in those regions should expand their search to workers with transferrable skills in other, less recovered local industries. There are competitive advantages to be had by tapping new talent pools and investing in reskilling and training workers." The study is based on data from Emsi, CareerBuilder's labor market analysis arm that aggregates information from multiple national and local employment resources. The following are seven states that had fewer jobs in 2017 than they did in 2007: Alabama : 62,637 fewer jobs 3 percent in 2017 than in 2007 62,637 fewer jobs 3 percent in 2017 than in 2007 West Virginia : 33,428 fewer jobs 4 percent in 2017 than in 2007 33,428 fewer jobs 4 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Mississippi : 26,666 fewer jobs 2 percent in 2017 than in 2007 26,666 fewer jobs 2 percent in 2017 than in 2007 New Mexico : 23,422 fewer jobs 2 percent in 2017 than in 2007 23,422 fewer jobs 2 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Connecticut : 19,781 fewer jobs 1 percent in 2017 than in 2007 19,781 fewer jobs 1 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Wyoming : 13,257 fewer jobs 4 percent in 2017 than in 2007 13,257 fewer jobs 4 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Illinois : 11,682 fewer jobs 0.2 percent in 2017 than in 2007 States That Have Grown the Most Since 2007 Of the 40 states that had more jobs in 2017 than theydid in 2007, 14 have outpaced the overall national job growth rate. The seven states with the largest net increase in jobs since 2007 are: Texas : 1,699,505 more jobs 15 percent in 2017 than in 2007 1,699,505 more jobs 15 percent in 2017 than in 2007 California : 1,239,911 more jobs 7 percent in 2017 than in 2007 1,239,911 more jobs 7 percent in 2017 than in 2007 New York : 597,961 more jobs 6 percent in 2017 than in 2007 597,961 more jobs 6 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Florida : 455,134 more jobs 5 percent in 2017 than in 2007 455,134 more jobs 5 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Washington : 300,885 more jobs 9 percent in 2017 than in 2007 300,885 more jobs 9 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Colorado : 293,160 more jobs 11 percent in 2017 than in 2007 293,160 more jobs 11 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Massachusetts : 288,446 more jobs 8 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Occupations That Have Grown the Most Since 2007 Nationally The recession had wide ranging effects, and no corner of the workforce was completely unaffected. Still, while the country overall has 4 percent more jobs than it did in 2007, some occupations have fared considerably better. The following occupations have not only seen some of the highest 2007-2017 growth rates nationally, but they've also grown in each of the states that haven't fully recovered: Registered nurses: 397,315 more jobs 16 percent in 2017 than in 2007 397,315 more jobs 16 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Waiters and waitresses: 328,431 more jobs 14 percent in 2017 than in 2007 328,431 more jobs 14 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Home health aides: 296,952 more jobs 46 percent in 2017 than in 2007 296,952 more jobs 46 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Nursing assistants: 163,770 more jobs 12 percent in 2017 than in 2007 163,770 more jobs 12 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Postsecondary teachers: 151,047 more jobs 11 percent in 2017 than in 2007 151,047 more jobs 11 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Landscaping and grounds keeping workers: 110,037 more jobs 9 percent in 2017 than in 2007 110,037 more jobs 9 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Medical secretaries: 95,649 more jobs 20 percent in 2017 than in 2007 95,649 more jobs 20 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Web developers: 47,073 more jobs 38 percent in 2017 than in 2007 47,073 more jobs 38 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Veterinary technologists and technicians: 25,033 more jobs 32 percent in 2017 than in 2007 25,033 more jobs 32 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Genetic counselors: 709 more jobs 31 percent in 2017 than in 2007 709 more jobs 31 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Health technologists and technicians, all other: 30,583 more jobs 30 percent in 2017 than in 2007 30,583 more jobs 30 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Hearing aid specialists: 1,582 more jobs 28 percent in 2017 than in 2007 1,582 more jobs 28 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Operations research analysts: 24,742 more jobs 27 percent in 2017 than in 2007 24,742 more jobs 27 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Mental health counselors: 34,996 more jobs 27 percent in 2017 than in 2007 34,996 more jobs 27 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Athletic trainers: 5,438 more jobs 26 percent in 2017 than in 2007 5,438 more jobs 26 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Healthcare social workers: 35,980 more jobs 26 percent in 2017 than in 2007 35,980 more jobs 26 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Meeting, convention, and event planners: 22,601 more jobs 24 percent in 2017 than in 2007 22,601 more jobs 24 percent in 2017 than in 2007 Computer systems analysts: 106,992 more jobs 22 percent in 2017 than in 2007 About CareerBuilder CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC and operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com. Media Contact Michael Erwin Phone: 773.527.3637 michael.erwin@careerbuilder.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seven-states-that-havent-recovered-from-the-recession-according-to-careerbuilder-300609755.html SOURCE CareerBuilder [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] SF Express to Officially Launch Service Stations in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Kuching, Sarawak SABAH, Malaysia, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On 3 March 2018, China based express delivery firm SF Express officially announced its physical presence in the two main cities in East Malaysia: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Kuching, Sarawak. The opening ceremony was held at Suria Sabah, one of the most popular shopping malls in Kota Kinabalu. Yang Berhormat Datuk Pang Yuk Ming, the Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah, and Yang Berbahagia, Tuan Madrim Tasan, Deputy Director of Custom Sabah, GST Division attended the ceremony. With development of the internet industry, more and more people now prefer to shop online. According to certain sources, over 50% of the population in Malaysia now shops online. In order to promote the e-commerce industry in Malaysia, in 2018, the government will invest 4 million MYR tohelp e-commerce enterprises with their marketing efforts. Also, with the Belt and Road Initiative in China, the cross-border e-commerce industry in Malaysia is expected to grow at a higher rate. Malaysia is a country with an abundant supply of natural resources and unique products. East Malaysia in particular attracts many tourists every year, who visit and purchase local products. "E-commerce is trending nowadays, and logistics plays a crucial role for e-commerce companies. Additionally, the number of tourists has been increasing exponentially over the years, and a significant portion of these tourists are from China. This is a good time for SF Express to enter east Malaysia," said Y.B. Datuk Pang Yuk Ming during SF Express's Kota Kinabalu opening ceremony. "We have been looking at opportunities in East Malaysia and have been working towards entering the market and providing more logistics options to local residents for quite some time," said Jason Lee, the General Manager of SF Express Malaysia. According to him, SF Express plans to continue to expand their coverage of more cities throughout East Malaysia. About SF Express SF Express was established in Shunde, Guangdong Province in 1993. It provides professional logistics solutions for customers. On December 12th, 2016, China Securities Regulatory Commission approved SF Holdings (SZSE002352) to be officially listed on 24th Feb, 2017. As the branch of SF Express in Malaysia, SF Global Express (M) Sdn Bhd has been established since 2011, HQ located at PJ, Selangor, providing customers with domestic and international express services from all area of Malaysia, to more than 50 international destinations, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Brunei, and more. You may find details about SF Express Malaysia service stations here: http://www.sf-express.com/my/en/dynamic_function/store/SF_Service_points/index.html Stay tuned with SF lasted news by following us at: WeChat: SF-b2c Facebook: #sfexpressglobal LinkedIn: S.F. EXPRESS Instagram: s.f.express Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180309/2076317-1-a Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180309/2076317-1-b SOURCE SF Express Co., Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] OWC Presents Music and Education Events With the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus During SXSW WOODSTOCK, Ill., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OWC, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, is proud to partner with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus for two days of interactive experiences during the SXSW Conference and Festival. The happenings will take place on March 14 - 15 at The Belmont* in Austin. On March 14th OWC and the Lennon Bus will host two events. Emo Nite LA will present the Lennon Bus at SXSW Day Party from 12:30-3:30pm, featuring sing-alongs and giveaways, along with snacks and specials (open to the public, free admission, 21+). At 7:00pm that evening, SXSW badgeholders will be welcomed at The Belmont to experience RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, featuring Stone Mecca and Pussy Riot. SXSW attendees can add this show to their schedule here: Lennon Bus OWC SXSW Belmont Showcase. On Thursday, March 15th the Lennon Bus will host a Come Together for Education event with the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). Held at The Belmont in Austin, from 12:30-3:30pm, the afternoon will include presentations and a panel discussion entiled: Imagine: Fostering Sustained Social and Emotional Development Through Multimedia, Music and the Arts, along with a presentation of Come Together The Curriculum, by Nearpod. The event will also include performances by Texas teacher/performer Possessed by Paul James, and pop-rock trio Hanson. This free event is open to the public, but an RSVP is required. About the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit state-of-the-art mobile recording studio dedicated to providing students of all ages with free hands-on opportunities to make music and produce video projects. The Lennon Bus travels across the U.S. and Canada year-round, providing free tours and workshops at schools, retailers, festivals, and at major industry conferences. Learn more. About OWC Having served the Apple community worldwide since 1988, OWC has become the reliable manufacturer and upgrade provider of choice for Apple and PC enthusiasts with its extensive catalog of accessories, storage, and memory upgrades for nearly every Mac made in the last decade. Recognized for award-winning customer service, OWC provides extensive U.S.-based technical support for Mac and PC users around the world and comprehensive step-by-step installation and support videos. Get social: follow OWC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 2018 Other World Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple and Mac are the trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Intel and Thunderbolt are trademarks of Intel Corporation registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. "Lennon" and "John Lennon" are trademarks of Yoko Ono Lennon. All artwork Yoko Ono Lennon. Licensed exclusively through Bag One Arts, Inc. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their respective owners. *The Belmont is located at 305 W. 6th Street, Austin, Texas. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/owc-presents-music-and-education-events-with-the-john-lennon-educational-tour-bus-during-sxsw-300611205.html SOURCE OWC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] Flashbay's First Ever Attendance at Exhibitor Live 2018 in Las Vegas MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Flashbay, the world leader in customised promotional technology products made its first ever attendance at Exhibitor Live, the Conference for Trade Show and Corporate Event Marketing. The show took place in Las Vegas from 26th - 28th February and is North America's largest exhibition for tradeshow event products and services. Over 6,000 people attended the event. Flashbay is an internationally renowned company with offices spanning 5 countries and 4 continents, with a US office situated in Mountain View, California. Flashbay's presence in the United States has grown year on year since its formation in 2008 and is trusted by over 10,000 organisations. The feedback from visitors outlined the need for promotional products that were new and different, and Flashbay didn't fail to deliver. Buyers were incredibly excited at the extensive range of high-quality promotional items that Flashbay had to offer, in particular the inductive chargers, wireless headphoes and Bluetooth speakers. Flashbay welcomed a number of high-profile attendees to the stand, from Indeed.com, NY University, Ametek, JP Morgan, and many other enterprise buyers. There was a large interest in gift sets and headphones as promotional gifts for business executives. Many buyers were keen to schedule orders for global marketing events. "We are delighted that so many people were approaching the stand enquiring about our new products, and even asking for our Sales Account Managers by name. It really illustrates the close relationship we have with our clients, our outstanding customer service, and the trust that businesses have in our products," says Janet Abke, President of Flashbay North America. CEO Steve Webster said, "The Exhibitor Live 2018 Event was an exciting buying opportunity for all who attended. Flashbay delivered an impressive range of innovative technology that is creatively customized for any business." A hugely successful first year attendance by Flashbay at the Exhibitor Live Event. Flashbay would like to thank everyone that attended. About Flashbay: Flashbay is the World's No.1 business-to-business (B2B) supplier of logo branded Promotional Technology products. From the smallest schools to the largest multinationals, we offer an attractive range of designs within our Memory, Power and Audio categories, offering unbeatable prices coupled with fast and efficient service. Our product lines include Flash Drives, Power Banks, Speakers, Headphones and a host of related technology products and accessories which allow our customers the unparalleled ability to promote their brands with confidence on the global stage. www.flashbay.com Contact: Natalie Murray Email: n.murray@flashbay.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] La Crosse Technology Introduces La Crosse View App for Innovative Weather Monitoring at IHHS 2018 LA CROSSE, Wis., March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- La Crosse Technology, a world leader in time and weather instruments, is excited to introduce a new, fresh feature to their line of personal weather stationsconnectivity, at this year's International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. By integrating Wi-Fi into their personal weather stations, consumers can view their own backyard weather through the La Crosse View App. When connected, the station streams additional weather data provided by the National Weather Service (NWS) featuring daily forecasts, rainfall, wind data and severe weather alerts including thunderstorms, tornados, and prevailing winds. Allan McCormick president and CEO of La Crosse Technology said: "As the world becomes a smaller place and users demand a more connected environment, we knew it was time to take our weather stations to the next level." According to Santiago Perdomo, product development manager "We decided to give our users the ability to see all of their home and backyard information anytime, and anywhere. Through research and testing, we found our users' needs and expectations to create an intuitive experience with endless possibilities a necessary goal of this project. As such, this system can be customized to any user's needs to provide a feeing of comfort and reduce stress while they are away from home." The La Crosse View App with the connected personal weather station has innovative features: Anywhere Monitoring Weather Alerts Personalized and Customizable Shareable Data NWS Data NIST Time and Date La Crosse Technology products are available at leading mass, consumer electronics, outdoor retail, hardware and home centers, department stores, online and in specialty catalogs across North America. About La Crosse Technology Founded in 1983, La Crosse Technology is a privately held, multi-national company with a small-town philosophy of providing its customers with high-quality, innovative products and superior customer service. An industry leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced-technology weather instruments, monitoring systems, wall clocks, atomic clocks (calibrated daily to the atomic time standard of the National Institute of Standards and Technology) and other measuring devices, La Crosse Technology has operation centers in Europe, the United States and the Asia Pacific Region. For additional information on La Crosse Technology products and services, please visit http://www.lacrossetechnology.com. Interested in learning more about the history and story of La Crosse Technology? Please visit http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/our-story/. Sue Thompson Marketing and Sales La Crosse Technology 608.785.7924 press@lacrossetechnology.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/la-crosse-technology-introduces-la-crosse-view-app-for-innovative-weather-monitoring-at-ihhs-2018-300610866.html SOURCE La Crosse Technology [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [March 09, 2018] Pax8 Honored with XChange XCellence Awards at 2018 XChange Solution Provider Conference DENVER, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cloud Distributor Wins Best in Show at Three Consecutive Channel Company Conferences Pax8, the leader in cloud distribution, today announced that it has been recognized with 2018 XCellence Awards for Best in Show and Best Solutions Track at this year's XChange Solution Provider conference, hosted by The Channel Company at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is an honor to be selected for two of the top awards at XChange by leading solution providers in the IT channel, said Ryan Walsh, chief channel officer at Pax8. This is the third Channel Company-sponsored conference in a row where Pax8 has earned the industrys top award, Best in Show. These awards exemplify the IT channels confidence in the way Pax8 is redefining distribution by simplifying cloud technology. Pax8 was selected for these awards by leading solution providers attending the XChange Solution Provider conference in appreciation for its innovative products, services, and partner programs. This award celebrates Pax8s extraordinary commitment to solution provider engagement and channel success. Technology vendors that participate in XChange are dedicated to engaging partners and finding innovative solutions and business strategies that boost channel productivity and positively impact the bottom line, said Bill Jones, senior vice president and general manager, events, The Channel Company. Through these awards, Pax8 has demonstrated a special commitment to delivering alue and simplifying complex technologies for solution providers. We congratulate Pax8 and thank all the recipients of 2018 XCellence Awards for their valuable contributions to a robust and flourishing channel. The Channel Companys annual XChange Solution Provider conference, held this year in Orlando, FL from March 4-6, provides attendees with valuable insight and actionable advice on the strategies needed to adapt and succeed in todays marketplace. Attendees learn from leading channel experts, who present the latest technologies, programs and business models that are transforming the channel landscape. To view the full list of 2018 XChange XCellence Award winners, click here. To learn more about Pax8, please contact the cloud solutions advisors at (855) 884-PAX8, email info@pax8.com, or visit www.pax8.com. About Pax8 Pax8 is the leader in cloud distribution. As a born in the cloud company, Pax8 empowers managed service providers (MSPs) to capitalize on the $1 trillion cloud opportunity. Through billing, provisioning, automation, industry-leading PSA integrations, and pre-and-post sales support, Pax8 simplifies cloud buying, improves operational efficiency, and lowers customer acquisition cost. Pax8 is a proven, award-winning disruptor in the market, earning accolades like NexGens Best in Show two years in a row, Biggest Buzz at IT Nation, CRNs Coolest Cloud Vendor, Best in Show at XChange two years in a row, HTGs Rookie of the Year, and more. If you want to be successful with cloud, you want to work with Pax8. Get started today at www.pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. Learn more at www.thechannelco.com. The Channel Company logo is a trademark of The Channel Company, LLC (registration pending). All rights reserved. Media Contact Amanda Lee ARL Strategic Communications for Pax8 (727) 272-0781 Amanda.Lee@arlpr.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/455690b2-a10e-4222-b777-ae4578d68643 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BETHESDA, Md., March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:HST) (the Company) has learned that certain affiliates of MacKenzie Capital Management, LP (Purchaser) made an unsolicited mini tender offer for up to 200,000 operating partnership units (OP Units) of Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. (Host L.P.) at a price of $16.30 per OP Unit less cash distributions made by Host L.P. after January 31, 2018 (the MacKenzie Offer). This follows several earlier mini tender offers by the Purchaser launched in 2016 and 2017. Neither the Company nor Host L.P. are in any way associated with the MacKenzie Offer, and holders of OP Units are under no obligation to take any action with respect to the MacKenzie Offer. Mini-tender offers seek less than 5 percent of a companys outstanding equity. This allows the offering company to avoid many of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) disclosure and procedural requirements for tender offers. The SECs guidance to investors on mini tender offers is available at www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/minitend.htm. This guidance advises that mini-tender offers have been increasingly used to catch investors off guard and that investors may end up selling their securities at below-market prices. After careful evaluation of the MacKenzie Offer, the Company and Host L.P. recommend that the holders of OP Units reject this unsolicited offer. In making this recommendation, the Company primarily considered that the offer price in the MacKenzie Offer is below the $18.54 per share closing stock price of the Companys common stock on March 7, 2018. Although there is no trading market for the OP Units themselves, at any time holders of OP Units may request that the Company redeem their OP Units and the Company, in its discretion, may either redeem the OP Units for cash or, in the alternative, issue 1.021494 shares of the Companys common stock in exchange for each OP Unit, which shares may then be sold. Based on the closing price of the Companys common stock on March 7, 2018 of $18.54, an OP Unitholder would receive shares with a market value of approximately $18.94 compared to the cash MacKenzie Offer of $16.30. The Purchaser has made many similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for equity of other companies and five earlier unsolicited mini-tender offers to holders of Host L.P. units at a similar discount to current market value. Like its other offers, this offer puts individual investors at risk because they may not realize they are selling their OP Units at a discount. The Company urges investors to get current quotes for the Companys common stock for which their OP Units may be redeemed, consult their financial advisors and exercise caution with respect to the MacKenzie Offer. The Company recommends that OP Unitholders who have not responded to the Purchasers offer take no action. The Company encourages brokers and dealers, as well as other market participants, to review the SECs letter regarding broker-dealer mini-tender offer dissemination and disclosure at: http://www.sec.gov/divisions/marketreg/minitenders/sia072401.htm. Holders of OP Units should consult with their personal financial advisor or other legal, tax or investment professional(s) regarding any questions they may have. The Company requests that a copy of this press release be included with all distributions of materials related to the MacKenzie Offer. About Host Hotels & Resorts Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is an S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company and is the largest lodging real estate investment trust and one of the largest owners of luxury and upper-upscale hotels. The Company currently owns 87 properties in the United States and 6 properties internationally totaling approximately 52,000 rooms. The Company also holds non-controlling interests in seven domestic and international joint ventures. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation and aggressive asset management, the Company partners with premium brands such as Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Westin, Sheraton, W, St. Regis, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Hyatt, Fairmont, Hilton, Swissotel, ibis and Novotel as well as independent brands in the operation of properties in over 50 major markets worldwide. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.hosthotels.com. * This press release contains registered trademarks that are the exclusive property of their respective owners. None of the owners of these trademarks has any responsibility or liability for any information contained in this press release. Bret D.S. McLeod Senior Vice President 240.744.5216 Gee Lingberg Vice President 240.744.5275 [March 09, 2018] AFGE stands in solidarity with striking CWA communications workers WASHINGTON, March 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal and D.C. government workers, stands in solidarity with the 1,400 members of the Communications Workers of America who have gone on strike at Frontier Communications in West Virginia and Ashburn, Va. "These brave and dedicated union members are standing up for the work that they do and the services they provide to homes and businesses throughout West Virginia," AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. "AFGE stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters t CWA and all workers who are demanding basic rights, protections, and job support." Since Frontier acquired Verizon's landlines in West Virginia in 2010, the company has cut more than 500 middle-class jobs in the state. Informal complaints to the West Virginia Public Service Commission have risen 69 percent between 2014 and 2017. "The CWA strikers are fighting to keep good-paying jobs in the state and for Frontier to start investing in West Virginia's future," said Dan Doyle, national vice president for AFGE's 4th District, which includes West Virginia and Virginia. "Unfortunately, Frontier is not confronting the issue head on by negotiating with these hardworking employees. I encourage Frontier to come to the table in good faith to work out a deal, and preserve these good paying jobs that are so needed in our community." AFGE has more than 3,000 dues-paying members in West Virginia and nearly 14,000 in Virginia. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia. For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/afge-stands-in-solidarity-with-striking-cwa-communications-workers-300611623.html SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 09.03.2018: Borregaard ASA ("Borregaard", OSE ticker: BRG) Reference is made to the stock exchange notice of 16 February 2018 where Borregaard announced the intent to repurchase up to 300,000 of its outstanding common stock. Borregaard has today purchased 20,000 own shares through broker at an average price of NOK 74.1047 per share. After this transaction Borregaard holds a total of 474,764 own shares, representing 0.48% of total shares outstanding. By this transaction, Borregaard has completed its share repurchase programme by repurchasing 300,000 shares of its outstanding common stock. Contact Lotte Kvinlaug, Investor Relations Officer, +47 922 86 909 This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The Khan Pro would be a great gaming headset for about $20 less. Priced at $100, its plastic construction and average performance are out-shined by competing models. Not that Roccat's "Hi-Res Audio" solution looks or feels cheap. There are simply better options out there at its current price point. If a company like Roccat wants to win over hearts and minds with a $100 headset, then its product needs to be better than the usual gamer forum recommendations, which are cheaper now than ever before. Can the "competitive, high-resolution" Khan Pro earn our recommendation? Let's start with its specs and dig in from there. In addition to the actual headset, Roccat's package includes a quick-start guide and Y-adapter, which combines the two 3.5mm connectors (headphone-in and mic-out) in a multi-purpose jack for use with mobile devices. However, Roccat should have implemented this solution the other way around, putting a single plug at the end of a shorter ~1.5m cable with an extension and an I/O adapter, rather than using a ~1.8m cable with two jacks (plus adapter) to start with. For mobile use, you're going to have to figure out what to do with all of the extra cable, particularly if you're in workout gear without any pockets. What Is High-Res Audio, Anyway? First things first: this is not really a high-resolution audio solution, even though the implication is certainly no coincidence. Years ago, Sony was the first company to use this term for one of its record players. The JAS (Japan Audio Society), as the leading organization behind this label, requires that analog devices achieve a "speaker and headphone performance of 40 kHz or above" in order to qualify. Beyond that, the JAS does not list any requirements concerning actual reproduction quality. In short, the only hard criteria is that the upper end of the frequency range must be twice that of conventional transducers, except that there are no real limits to tolerances either. So, what sounds good remains up to each company: "Listening evaluation process is added and final decision as Hi-Res Audio product to be proved according to each company's sound evaluation standard." As always, in the end it is up to us to listen, measure, check, and judge objectively. Look & Feel At first glance, the graphite-gray headset (also available in white or black) leaves a good impression. It's hard to find anything wrong with it visually. You only figure out everything is plastic once you turn the Khan Pro over in your hands. Apart from the headband, which has spring steel inside, metal is entirely missing from the body. And in light of the $100 price tag, that's a pretty bold decision. Microphone The rotating microphone arm, on the other hand, is a clever design implemented as a flat band with memory functionality. When the arm is folded up, a very useful automatic mute feature is activated. Not only can you feel the switch engaging, but it's also audible as well. We also like the lack of RGB lightning. Not everyone shares our opinion on the matter, but we've found that vivid colors are conceptually cooler at first. Over time, they can be harder to bear. Roccat has us convinced that simple elegance can be convincing indeed. We only wish the company used beefier materials. There are certainly worse-built headsets out there though, and you might even get used to the all-plastic design eventually. Comfort Adjustable in three axes, the Khan Pro simply fits the way it should. Roccat's dual-hinge implementation isn't novel by any stretch. But why reinvent the wheel if you have tested and proven solutions that work well? Adaptation to smaller or larger head sizes is easy to achieve. However, given the choice of materials, we unfortunately cannot estimate how well this headset will hold up. To start, avoid exposure to UV radiation as much as possible. The headband is sufficiently padded on the inside and does not apply unwelcome pressure, even after long periods of use. It's only a shame that the material used to cover this area does not appear to match Roccat's premium price tag. Similarly, the material used in the ear pads has a bad habit of collapsing, creating folds that may affect your ability to achieve a perfect seal. If you're particularly unlucky, both ear pieces may end up with a different fit, the result of which can be acoustically noticeable. Functionality & Interface The small volume control performs its function just as we'd expect. Although the wheel is positioned intuitively enough, you may find it difficult to reach. Worse, synchronization at the beginning of the potentiometer's range is somewhat inaccurate. In our sample, that means one of the channels comes on before the other. There are no screws on the ear pieces. Therefore, it seems impossible to open them without using force. We chose to forego a look inside and avoid damaging our sample. But based on the way the cover is laid out, the driver appears to be positioned asymmetrically and tilted slightly towards the ear. Measurements & Sound-Check To read about our test methodology in depth, please check out How We Test Gaming Headsets, particularly page 6 where we detail the measurements we take. We start with a measurement of the microphone's frequency range. For this test, we use a calibrated mic (for reference) in our purpose-built measuring room. This allows us to take comparative measurements and generate a curve that comes close enough for what we're trying to do (even if it isn't the most ideal method for testing Roccat's mic). So, while the limitations of our equipment don't allow us to calculate the microphone's exact frequency response, we do have a reasonable approximation to confirm our subjective impression. There is a measurable low-cut below ~100 Hz that is also easy to hear. This is important because the microphone is inherently a bit bass-heavy. Thus, rumbling sounds should not be much of an issue. Speech intelligibility is good, and the overall output level is sufficiently high. Nevertheless, you might want to adjust your sound card's settings to slightly boost its level. All sibilants (hissing sounds) are well-executed, since the high frequencies are not overly dominant. The sound leans toward a warm timbre due to strong upper bass and the audible presence of lower mid-range. Headphone Measurement The original curve doesn't look bad, except for one or two dents. Even at the upper and lower bounds of the frequency range, we still find the output to be at sufficient levels. With that said, we abstained from any attempt to measure Roccat's claimed 40 kHz ceiling. Given our semi-professional equipment, the results just wouldn't be reliable. Then again, since we don't have many bats in our audience, you probably aren't missing out on anything exciting. It's safe to say that the 40 kHz specification is more theoretical in nature (though a great marketing fantasy). A kink in the lower mid-range at about 325 Hz is not exactly a disaster. It appears to be the result of a bass boost (mechanical manipulation) through targeted tuning of the resonating body. Typically, this type of boost provokes a depression of the next higher frequency range as a consequence. Further, at ~3.6 kHz we notice a small hole attributable to the driver's properties. Of course, human ears just so happen to be sensitive to that particular frequency range. This more or less balances itself out subjectively, though you can use a software equalizer to fine-tune more precisely. Our own tweaks bring the lowest bass down a bit by reducing its level. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it's not. In return for our small sacrifice, level stability improves enormously. There's less observable distortion in the resulting chart, along with cleaner peaks. Subjective Audio Experience - Original versus Optimization Now let's subjectively test the original tuning compared to the results of our manual equalizer adjustment. We began by running the headset for two days straight at a source with decent sound levels to make sure it is properly broken in. Bass Reproduction We test the lowest bass in the sub-contra octave (16.4 Hz to 32.7 Hz) with a recording of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor (19 and 25 Hz), as well as the festival overture composed in 1880 by Tchaikovsky (10 Hz and 12.5 Hz). The same applies to the lower ranges of the contra octave (32.7 to 65.4 Hz). The large bass drum, usually tuned to ~55 to 60 Hz, is used to complete this evaluation. By default, the bass is as dark as can be. But after our correction, the bass is audibly subdued (yet still noticeable). The new settings make everything sound more differentiated and clear without a loss of pressure. Granted, from about 30 Hz down, the reproduction gets a bit thin. This doesn't actually hurt the result, though. The contra octave is still covered in its entirety, pleasing those of us who enjoy powerful bass. Reproduction of the large bass drum is sufficiently clear, with level stability appropriate for this price segment. The transient response is also acceptable. Ultimately, bass is definitely not one of the Khan Pro's weak points, either in stock form or after our optimizations. Upper bass, up to 150 Hz, contains the male voice's fundamental speech frequency. Thus, it has a strong influence on the lifelike reproduction of male vocals. This range sounds reasonably-balanced right out of the box, though it can get overly exaggerated. The reproduction of male vocals is almost too rich, though instruments sound quite natural. All in all, good resolution makes it easier to identify and locate non-dominant sound sources. Mid-Range The lower mid-range (sometimes called "fundamental range") spans from ~150 to 400 Hz. Together with the upper bass, this range plays an important role in producing the subjectively perceived warmth and fullness of sound. This is also where the fundamental range of female vocals can be found. The reproduction of female vocals is spot-on. In stock form, voices and instruments are more neutral, leaning a bit towards cooler-sounding reproduction. Frequencies leading up to 500 Hz sound a lot better with our optimized profile, since it almost completely eliminates the nasty dent at 325 Hz. Our tuning makes the Khan Pro sound warmer and more pleasant in this range. If you're a music-lover, you'll want to use them. Gamers won't care as much; the default setup works just as well. The upper mid-range, from 400 Hz to about 2 kHz, contains the 1 kHz point that's used as a reference for many measurements. Unfortunately, this is often very noticeable, especially with cheaper devices, as manufacturers tend to overemphasize it a bit. This frequency range also plays a significant role in gaming, and its balanced reproduction contributes significantly to good spatial resolution. With the Khan Pro's weaknesses behind us, we have more to be optimistic about. Instruments deliver the nuances we require of them, and resolution is good. Details shine through and the sound stage is ideal. From a purely subjective point of view, music fans can expect the orchestra to be positioned wide enough, even if some quieter sources cannot always be placed accurately. These probably aren't the headphones you'd want for this purpose exclusively. Gamers, on the other hand, should be unconcerned. Your experience won't be affected; we're just being nit-picky. High-Frequency Range Between 2 kHz and 3.5 kHz is where the human ear is most sensitive, especially since the lower levels of this range are responsible for the human voice's overtone reproduction. This frequency range is crucial to the recognition of a voice or an instrument. Thus, in this context, it also relates to the respective tone color, or timbre. Our improved profile makes everything in this range sound more natural, even if Roccat's stock settings already sounded pretty good. In both implementations, in-game sound localization seems fairly accurate. The result could always be better, of course. But there are worse-performing headsets selling alongside the Khan Pro. All things considered, then, our observations are quite acceptable. The mid-high range (3.5 to 6 kHz) determines the success or failure of speech reproduction as a whole, since sibilant sounds (like the letter "s" and hiss sounds) fall into it. The upper trebles range up to about 10 kHz, where we pass into the territory of super-high frequencies. High and super-high frequencies are dominant, without question. However, the reproduction does not sound metallic or sharp, which would lead to overemphasized sibilants and air noises. Instead, the sound is more or less neutral. Roccat's specified frequency response from 20 Hz to 44 kHz seems realistic, at least up to about 20 kHz. The Khan Pro ends up being a little too bass-heavy for our tastes, even if that's what gamers seem to be into these days. Conclusion A $100 price tag is overly ambitious, given the Khan Pro's construction and measured performance. We see this headset more in the $80 category, and if it was selling in that range, it might have even earned a recommendation. To be a player up where the Khan Pro is priced, it really needs to be built from higher-quality materials. By no means is this to say that Roccat's offering looks or feels cheap, because it doesn't. But similar to the food being served in a high-end restaurant, sufficient quality isn't good enough. You also expect an attention to detail that goes above and beyond. This is where the Khan Pro comes up short. Though the issues are minor, we cannot overlook the price... We can only advise Roccat to take a step back, consider the market's realities, and make some adjustments based on competing solutions. MORE: Best Deals MORE: Best PC Builds No one was hurt last weekend, but this summer the Kansas City Police Department will be reaching out to families through its department social worker, Gina English. "It's not a matter of the Plaza," English said. "It's that they went to the movies or they went with their friends. Metro wide, we could start finding more about what is available to have safe and welcoming environments to hang out." English says the city is looking for more ways to offer safe places for kids to have fun after hours on the weekends. Finally, today, check a a tried and true #TBT talking point in regard to local violence that we've all heard before and genuinely hope works out this time . . . (It won't)Money line . . .You decide . . . Missouri Legislature Might Still Consider Funding New UMKC Conservatory Building The Missouri Legislature might once again consider funding for a proposed downtown campus of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. The legislature approved $48 million in state funding last year, but it was vetoed by Governor Eric Greitens in June. . . . But here's some local incentive and hype touted among the local civic elite in order to keep the pressure on the Guv now embroiled in an ongoing scandal. Take a look: OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Some neighbors near 95th and Mission in Overland Park, Kansas, are waging a war of words with yard signs promoting different political viewpoints. The first sign to go up reads: Black Lives Matter, Women's Rights are Human Rights, No Human is Illegal, Science is Real, Love is Love, and Kindness is Everything. McTavish Marches Into Weekend 6 Free (Or Almost Free) Things To Do In Kansas City This Weekend What is truly free? Lunch? Hardly. Love? In theory. Certainly, a great deal of advice is free, if you don't count the price to be paid for following the lousy kind. Here's my gratis guidance: Do something more or less free this weekend - because you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a lot of fun. Dangerous Local Apt. Life Kansas City mother, child injured after sheet rock falls of apartment ceiling A mother and child were hospitalized after a piece of sheet rock fell off the ceiling of their apartment room. It happened just before 11 p.m. Thursday at a Kansas City apartment complex located in the 1600 block of Ella Fitzgerald Lane. They were transported to area hospitals as a precaution. Help This Dude After Beat Down KCPD asking for help to find assault victim The Kansas City Police Department is asking for help to find a man who may have been assaulted on Thursday. Police said that incident happened in the 4300 block of E. 12th Street. The male victim, and the female who accompanied him, both left the scene before police could arrive. Flash Of Good Luck TEXTHERE Kansas and Missouri Walmart workers get $22.6M in bonuses Employees at Walmart stores on both sides of the state line found a bit more in the paychecks Thursday. The retail giant announced that more than 890,000 of its store associates would be receiving cash bonuses, funded mostly by the tax cut passed by Congress last year. Fight Against Local Hateration Widow of man killed in alleged hate crime spreads message of unity Sunayana Dumala is focused on tomorrow. Friday, her late husband, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, would have turned 34. "I'm still taking it by day," Dumala. "It will be emotional." Kuchibhotla, an Indian immigrant, was killed in an alleged hate crime in February 2017. Kansas City Concert Line-Up Paramore, Foster The People headed to Kansas City this summer Award-winning band Paramore is headed to Kansas City this summer. Right now we're running just a bit behind butinspire this mid-morning check-in and most of the important news links for right now.Take a peek:is the song of the day and this is thefor the morning . . . KANSAS CITY COUNTED ITS 23RD HOMICIDE THIS MORNING WHICH PUTS US AHEAD OF LAST YEAR'S HORRIFIC SPIKE IN MURDER!!! At this date on the calendar there were only 22 murders for a total of 150 in 2017 - A horrific number and a level of deadly violence that KCMO had not endured since the 90s. The movement advocating extreme limitations on the 2nd Amendment is taking hold in Kansas City.This call to action was inspired by a tragic school shooting massacre in Parkland, Florida which claimed the lives of 17 people and sparked a national conversation.Locally, Mayor Sly & many members of the city council have offered their support and personal appearances for student walkouts asis reaching the tipping point. The "March For Our Lives" social media event has garneredeager to take to the streets to limit local gun rights.Meanwhile . . .Perspective . . .A large percentage of the victims killed in Kansas City are murdered by way of guns obtained illegally so it's unclear if more gun regulation will prove effective.Meanwhile, critics of local marchers seem to resent this middle-class, mostly white anti-gun uprising that's part of the Midterm 2018 election conversation while the sordid topic of rising KCMO homicide counts focused in the urban core has been mostly dismissed or only given cursory attention by local politicos, MSM and partisan activists.You decide . . . LIVE: Officer Morton procession to Clinton KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Area law enforcement agencies are gathering this morning to honor fallen Clinton, Mo. Officer Christopher Ryan Morton. A procession is running from the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office in Kansas City to the funeral home in Clinton. Local media is following this memorial event after the 2nd Clinton, MO officer killed in the past 7-months is transported. Here's more on the story: The Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens has announced that in the coming June, in the context of its contemporary art program, it will be hosting an exhibition featuring the work of George Condo. George Condo at Cycladic will be the first solo exhibition introducing the American artists work in Greece. The exhibition will include paintings, sketches and sculptures spanning the 40-year career of this exceptional artist, who along with Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Jeff Koons was an important contributing factor in the revival of representational painting in 1980s America. Condo continues to enjoy acclaim as one of the foremost American sculptors and representational painters to this day. Running from June 8 to October and curated by Atalanti Martinou, George Condo at Cycladic will not be a chronology of the artists work so much as means to highlight some of his works that are most closely related to the Museums central notion of the human figure. 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: Tilemahos Efthimiadis License: CC-BY-SA Source: int.ert.gr Greece is one of the top destinations in the world for culinary tourism BRADENTON, FL All Greek opened in February and is dedicated to serving authentic Greek food. Importing cheese, yogurt, and even meats directly from Greece, helps ensure that customers get the full experience of authentic Greek food. Located at 4816 14th Street West in Bradenton, the restaurant is owned by Brandon Kern who opened it with consultant Spyros Marinos- originally from Ioannina, Greece. As reported in the Bradenton Herald, Marinos said its his job to ensure that as many ingredients as possible come from his home country, and hes diligent about using brands and products that are popular in Greece. The quality of our products is the best you can get in America, he said, the Herald reported. The gyros at All Greek are also authentic and unlike other restaurants in that the meat is shredded and layered. Kern told the Herald, Its all hand-layered. Most people make it condensed and they get the long strips. Ours are layer by layer, so for the beef and lamb, its beef, lamb, beef, lamb and we layer it all the way up. The marinade is from Marinos own traditional recipe, Marinos noted in the Herald report. Also on the menu are Greek salads, other sandwiches, and crepes, as well as foods with an American twist foods. One example is our Greek cheesesteak. Everyone knows that a regular Philly cheesesteak comes with steak, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Were doing the exact same thing, but were using our beef and lamb, Kern said, the Herald reported. Marinos noted that the restaurant takes care to keep the prices reasonable for their authentic dishes from $6.99 to $13.50 for the most expensive items on the menu, the gyro platters. What isnt imported directly from Greece is from local farmers markets, like the fresh produce used daily at All Greek, Kern told the Herald. The focus right now is on building up the customer base for the restaurant which is why the restaurant has not yet expanded the menu to include a wider variety of options. Weekly Wednesday specials are scheduled to begin on March 14 with a buy one, get one free with the purchase of a beverage promotion. Kern and Marinos continue to promote the restaurant, even on Mondays when All Greek is closed, they are working on getting the word out, the Herald reported, adding that daily YouTube videos highlighting the authentic menu are planned. A lot of customers are liking the food, Kern said, the Herald reported. Weve had a lot of repeat customers. Were just kind of hidden off in the corner a little bit, so were trying to get people aware to come in. Customers can order food online for delivery or pick-up through the All Greek website: www.allgreek.menu. All Greeks hours: TuesdaySaturday 11 AM-9 PM and Sunday 11 AM-8 PM. More information is available online at: www.allgreek.menu or by phone: 941-751-4733. 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 Source: thenationalherald.com CAPE MAY, New Jersey, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lunds Fisheries is pleased to announce that starting next week at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, the firm will offer Fair Trade CertifiedTM scallops to its customers. The independent certification group Fair Trade USA has granted Lunds provisional approval to sell scallops using its Fair Trade label. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery is the first in the United States to be Fair Trade Certified, and Lunds is the fourth seller to offer Fair Trade Certified scallops. Lunds was audited by independent third party certifier SCS Global Services earlier this year. Lunds is currently working to complete the process and earn final certification. Ethically and sustainably harvested seafood is increasingly demanded by consumers. It is the right thing for the environment, and the right thing for people. Our scallops are at the forefront of that effort, said Wayne Reichle, President of Lunds Fisheries. We are proud to sell a product thats as good for our fishermen as it is for the consumer. The Fair Trade designation ensures that products sold under its label meet the highest standards for environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and fair labor practices. Seafood that is Fair Trade Certified lets consumers know that the product they are purchasing comes from a responsible supplier of sustainable products. "We are excited to welcome Lunds Fisheries to the Fair Trade family of certified suppliers as they expand their commitment to sustainability by bringing the benefits of Fair Trade certification to the fishermen and processing workers who are an integral part of their success," said Julie Kuchepatov, Seafood Director at Fair Trade USA. The Fair Trade Certified label for Lunds is the latest signal to consumers that U.S.-caught scallops are ethically and sustainably harvested. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery has been previously certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The Fair Trade designation is part of Lunds Fisheries commitment to meeting the seafood industrys most stringent standards for environmental and social responsibility. About Lunds Fisheries Since 1954, the Lunds Fisheries brand and products have inspired trust and confidence worldwide. With locations on both the east and west coasts of the United States, we are able to offer our customers a wide range of high-quality fresh and frozen seafood products produced by our company-owned fishing vessels and the many independent vessels we deal with. Lund's is a leader in cooperative fisheries research and management to ensure we have a long-term sustainable supply of products for our customers. We believe that fisheries must be managed based on sound science and work hard to be sure our resources are available for generations to come. Never satisfied or complacent about setting a standard, our team works continuously to improve and raise the quality of our products for the benefit of our customers. About Fair Trade USA Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable livelihoods for farmers, fishermen, and workers, protects fragile ecosystems, and builds strong, transparent supply chains through independent, third-party certification. Its trusted Fair Trade Certified label signifies that rigorous standards have been met in the production, trade and promotion of Fair Trade products from over 80 countries across the globe. Recognized as a leading social venture by the Clinton Global Initiative, the Skoll Foundation and Ashoka, Fair Trade USA also provides critical capacity-building programs at origin, and educates consumers about the power of their purchase. Visit www.FairTradeCertified.org for more information. About SCS Global Services SCS is a global leader in third-party quality, environmental and sustainability verication, certication, auditing, testing, and standards development, and a leader in fishery certification worldwide. Through auditing, certification, testing, life cycle assessment, training and strategic consulting services, SCS empowers organizations to affirm and communicate their sustainability success stories. SCS is a chartered benet corporation, reecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. Attachment: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/40a31c0f-a798-4916-9eb8-97e1899b0dff In order to increase arrivals to 36 million and revenues to 20 billion euros by 2021, Greece needs investments worth 6 billion euros a year Tourist arrivals could reach 40 million in Greece if the goal of extending the tourist season from five months to nine was actually achieved. This was pointed out by Greek Confederation president (SETE) President Yiannis Retsos in an interview to Bloomberg. While having almost 30 million tourists from May to September is a huge number, it could reach 40 million in a nine-month period if the tourism season were extended, Retsos said and added. The bet now is to enrich the tourism product and have added value that will attract not necessarily more, but richer tourists, so we can have more receipts. In order to increase arrivals to 36 million and revenues to 20 billion euros by 2021, Greece needs investments worth 6 billion euros a year, the head of SETE noted and pointed out that while this is a large number, there is foreign interest to invest. Bloomberg underlined that "tourism is Greeces biggest industry, with arrivals rising 10 percent in 2017 from the previous year to 27.2 million and generating revenue of just over 14.5 billion euros ($18 billion), according to Bank of Greece data. Travel and tourism contributed 32.8 billion euros to Greek economic output in 2016, accounting for 18.6 percent of Greek gross domestic product that year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. The London-based body expects that figure to rise to 23.8 percent of Greek output in 2027." Read full article 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 Source: bloomberg.com Former New York Observer Editors Launch Cryptocurrency News Site Two seasoned business editors have launched a news site offering fresh insight and analysis into the red-hot cryptocurrency markets and blockchain technologies. Modern Consensus (http://www.modernconsensus.com) is the brainchild of Ken Kurson, who was editor in chief of the legendary New York Observer from 2013 to 2017. There are massive gaps in reporting on cryptocurrency and blockchain news, said Kurson. Readers are looking for intelligent, focused, and engaging reporting of the blockchain and cryptocurrency space not just the technology but the people behind the technology and Modern Consensus will provide exactly that. Lawrence Lewitinn, who recently served as the Observers deputy editor and business & technology senior editor, is the editor in chief of Modern Consensus. Were on the cusp of a radical shift in how the world defines and accounts for financial interactions, said Lewitinn. Thats the very fabric of society and culture everywhere. Yet coverage has been relegated to a few niche sites and a handful of reporters here and there at the larger news organizations. The sites name is taken from the consensus mechanism that many blockchains use to verify transactions. Joining Kurson and Lewitinn are General Manager Kevin Sanders, who will handle all business elements of the site including ad sales, and contributing reporter Dylan Love, who was previously a tech reporter for International Business Times, The Daily Dot, and Business Insider. Im approaching 10 years in technology and cryptocurrency reporting, said Love. Im thrilled to be shining a spotlight on this contentious, dramatic arena. Ken Kurson led the transformation of the Observer to become a digitally focused, national outlet growing from 1.1 million monthly unique users to 6 million and increasing monthly page views from 3 million to 20 million. An accomplished author, Kurson wrote the money coverage for Esquire magazine for 17 years, including his story in 2013 about bitcoin, which was an early mention of the currency in the mainstream media and the very first mention of ripple in the mainstream media. Kurson serves on the board of directors of Ripple. He was also the founder of Green Magazine, a personal finance site, which he and partner John Packel sold to publicly traded Bankrate.com for a seven-figure exit. Before his stint at the Observer, Lawrence Lewitinn was a writer and producer with Yahoo Finance and CNBC. He spent two decades on Wall Street before reporting on it. Lewitinn managed the Asian and European markets desk for quantitative-oriented hedge fund MQS Asset Management. He began his career as a foreign exchange trader with then-fledgling Millennium Partners, LP (today Millennium Management, LLC), now one of the largest hedge funds in the world. For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Judge Rules Cryptocurrencies Are Commodities, Can Be Regulated as Such One U.S. judge has declared that cryptocurrencies can be regulated as commodities. While the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodities Futures Trading Commission hold hearings and debate just how to properly regulate these new digital assets such as bitcoin, Ripple and others, U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein in Brooklyn took a stand and made his views known. The federal regulators, as well as Congress, have not passed any policy or laws to policy this new marketplace. Virtual currencies like bitcoin can be regulated as commodities by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Period. According to Reuters who reported the story first, said the CFTC had standing to bring a fraud lawsuit against New York resident Patrick McDonnell and his company Coin Drop Markets, allowing the case to go forward. Weinstein also entered a preliminary injunction barring McDonnell and Coin Drop Markets from engaging in commodity transactions. McDonnell, who is representing himself, declined to comment on the decision. The CFTC, which is tasked with regulating commodity, futures and derivatives markets, first determined that virtual currencies, also known as cryptocurrencies, are commodities in 2015. Weinstein upheld that determination on Tuesday, saying it was supported by the plain meaning of the word commodity and that the CFTC had broad leeway to interpret the federal law regulating commodities. In its lawsuit, announced in January, the CFTC said that since about January 2017, McDonnell and his company fraudulently offered customers virtual currency trading advice. For more information on related topics, visit the following channels: Q&A: 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Q: What goes through your mind two decades after 9/11? A: As the world observes the 20th anniversary of 9/11, its notable that an entire ... St. Louis, MO, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, reported today that the company finished 2017 with its sixth consecutive year of record net sales. In 2017, net sales totaled $6.6 billion, a 3.9 percent increase compared to the previous year. The companys income before provision for income taxes increased 9.2 percent; however, net income for 2017 decreased to $71.6 million, as a consequence of the tax reform legislation that took effect late last year. Despite this short-term impact, Graybar anticipates the tax reform legislation will reduce its effective tax rate, improve liquidity and provide opportunities to grow the business through both organic initiatives and acquisitions moving forward. I am proud of our strong performance in 2017 and grateful to our employees for their dedication to serving our customers, said Graybars Chairman, President and CEO Kathleen M. Mazzarella. Through consistent execution of our strategic plan, we have achieved several years of sustained growth and profitability. As we look to the future, we will pursue our vision of leadership in digital innovation by building the culture and capabilities to reimagine the value of distribution and transform the supply chain for the future. We believe this will work to our customers advantage today and create new opportunities to enhance Graybars long-term performance. Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of nearly 290 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR. ### Attachment: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82cb8e61-b6bb-4be4-a858-c176a8923bb1 English French Press release Suresnes - March 9, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. Fromageries Bel Annual Financial Information 2017 Results Sales grow 14%, primarily as a result of the MOM ( Mont-Blanc Materne) group acquisition Net profit declines 15.6% against a backdrop of rising dairy raw material prices Balance sheet remains strong Meeting March 8, 2018, the Board of Directors approved the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Board was informed that the statutory auditors had completed their audit of the consolidated financial statements and that their report was forthcoming. Key figures (millions of euros) 2017 2016 % change Sales 3,346 2,936 +14.0% Operating income 215 298 -27.9% Net financial result (37) 2 Income tax gain (expense) 8 (83) Consolidated net profit - Group share 180 213 -15.6% The entry of the MOM (Mont-Blanc Materne) Group into the scope of consolidation in 2017 had a positive13.8% impact on sales growth, while foreign exchange fluctuations negatively impacted sales growth to the tune of 2.1%. Excluding those impacts, consolidated sales increased 2.3% organically for the 2017 financial year. Bel Group sales were particularly hard hit in countries of the Middle East and Greater Africa region, which has been durably affected by economic and political instability, and declining consumer purchasing power. In Europe, and the Middle East and Greater Africa region, selling prices were raised moderately, although not enough to offset the strong increase in dairy raw material prices. The Group nevertheless decided to continue backing its brands with significant advertising and promotional spending to boost its market share and develop its new territories. Operating income for the year was also negatively impacted by highly unfavorable exchange rates and declined 27.9%, versus the 2016 financial year. Net financial expense totaled 37 million, reflecting both the higher cost of net financial debt following the MOM acquisition in December 2016, and the negative foreign exchange impact in 2017, versus the positive impact recorded in 2016. The Bel Group reported a 8-million income tax gain for the 2017 financial year, compared to income tax expense of 83 million in the prior year. The result stems from the positive impact of anticipated cuts in corporate tax rates in the various countries where the Group operates, in particular in France and the United States. In 2017, consolidated net profit, Group share, came to 180 million, down 15.6% versus the 213 million recorded in 2016. On April 18, 2017, the Group successfully completed a 500-million bond placement with a coupon of 1.50% and maturing in April 2024. The proceeds from the issue were earmarked to cover Fromageries Bel's general needs and potentially to refinance a share of existing debt. The issue also extended the average maturity of the company's financing and further diversifies Bel's funding sources. In addition, on December 21, 2017, the Group signed a rider to extend the maturity of its 520 million multi-currency revolving credit facility and, on that occasion, decided to include environmental and social impact criteria. At December 31, 2017, the Group had two untapped credit lines totaling 820 million. The Group's balance sheet remained robust. At December 31, 2017, total equity came to 1,714 million, compared with 1,667 million a year earlier. Net financial debt amounted to 632 million at the end of year. Dividends On March 8, 2018, the Board of Directors voted to propose a dividend of 7.00 per share, with an ex-dividend date on May 18 and payable as of May 22, 2018. The dividend is subject to the approval of the Annual General Meeting scheduled for Monday May 14, 2018. Outlook for 2018 In 2018, a high degree of uncertainty continues to hover over regions where the Group holds significant market positions, such as in the Near and Middle East. The economic situation in those areas of unrest remains very difficult, clouding the visibility of the months ahead. In mature markets, particularly Europe, the start to 2018 has been marked by tough sales bargaining, with selling price increases in the retail space too weak to offset our spending to improve dairy industry prices. This trend was observed despite commitments made during the EGA (Etats Generaux de l'Alimentation) Agricultural Summit, which took place in France in the second half of 2017. Bel signed an unprecedented agreement with its main French dairy producers, offering them contractual, longer-term outlook and visibility, as well as a significant price increase for dairy farmers, in exchange for concrete commitments to develop a more sustainable dairy industry. The Group believes that building a responsible industry model for all the players in the value chain, from the farmer to the consumer, is a necessity. The Group will continue its efforts to further enhance industrial productivity and to carefully manage its resources to ensure the financing of its growth. In all its territories, Bel expects to continue growing and winning market share, particularly in regions where the market for healthy snacks is developing. Bel will continue to follow its aggressive strategy to advance its positions around the world by building on the vitality of its brands and the talent of its teams. Bel's financial performance indicators The Group uses non-IFRS financial performance indicators internally and for its external communication. These non-IFRS indicators are defined below: Organic growth corresponds to reported sales growth, excluding impacts from foreign exchange fluctuations and changes in the scope of consolidation, i.e. on a constant structure and exchange rate basis. The organic growth rate is calculated by applying the exchange rate for the prior year period to the current year period. Net financial debt is described in note 4.14 to the consolidated financial statements. It consists of long- and short-term borrowings, long- and short-term liabilities related to assets held under finance lease, current used banking facilities, and cash and cash equivalents. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such trend and/or target information should in no way be regarded as earnings forecast data or performance indicators of any kind. This information is by nature subject to risks and uncertainties that may be beyond the Company's control. A detailed description of these risks and uncertainties is provided in the Company's Registration Document, available at www.groupe-bel.com as of March 29, 2018. More comprehensive information about the Bel Group can be found in the "Regulatory Information" section of the www.groupe-bel.com website. sanjiv@tribunemail.com Hyderabad: With domestic air passenger traffic growing steadily, India would require 1,750 new passenger and cargo aircraft over the next 20 years to meet the rising demand. The country would require 1,320 single aisle and 430 wide-body aircraft valued at $255 billion in order to cater to an exponential rise in both passenger and freight traffic, Airbus said. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of Wings India 2018, the air show at Begumpet airport here, Joost Van Der Heijden, VP (Marketing), Airbus, said by 2036 every Indian will take four times as many flights as today. As a result, the traffic serving the Indian market is forecast to grow 8.1% per year over the next 20 years, almost twice as the world average of 4.4%, he said. TNS DENVER, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8, the leader in cloud distribution, today announced that it has been recognized with 2018 XCellence Awards for Best in Show and Best Solutions Track at this year's XChange Solution Provider conference, hosted by The Channel Company at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is an honor to be selected for two of the top awards at XChange by leading solution providers in the IT channel, said Ryan Walsh, chief channel officer at Pax8. This is the third Channel Company-sponsored conference in a row where Pax8 has earned the industrys top award, Best in Show. These awards exemplify the IT channels confidence in the way Pax8 is redefining distribution by simplifying cloud technology. Pax8 was selected for these awards by leading solution providers attending the XChange Solution Provider conference in appreciation for its innovative products, services, and partner programs. This award celebrates Pax8s extraordinary commitment to solution provider engagement and channel success. Technology vendors that participate in XChange are dedicated to engaging partners and finding innovative solutions and business strategies that boost channel productivity and positively impact the bottom line, said Bill Jones, senior vice president and general manager, events, The Channel Company. Through these awards, Pax8 has demonstrated a special commitment to delivering value and simplifying complex technologies for solution providers. We congratulate Pax8 and thank all the recipients of 2018 XCellence Awards for their valuable contributions to a robust and flourishing channel. The Channel Companys annual XChange Solution Provider conference, held this year in Orlando, FL from March 4-6, provides attendees with valuable insight and actionable advice on the strategies needed to adapt and succeed in todays marketplace. Attendees learn from leading channel experts, who present the latest technologies, programs and business models that are transforming the channel landscape. To view the full list of 2018 XChange XCellence Award winners, click here. To learn more about Pax8, please contact the cloud solutions advisors at (855) 884-PAX8, email info@pax8.com, or visit www.pax8.com. About Pax8 Pax8 is the leader in cloud distribution. As a born in the cloud company, Pax8 empowers managed service providers (MSPs) to capitalize on the $1 trillion cloud opportunity. Through billing, provisioning, automation, industry-leading PSA integrations, and pre-and-post sales support, Pax8 simplifies cloud buying, improves operational efficiency, and lowers customer acquisition cost. Pax8 is a proven, award-winning disruptor in the market, earning accolades like NexGens Best in Show two years in a row, Biggest Buzz at IT Nation, CRNs Coolest Cloud Vendor, Best in Show at XChange two years in a row, HTGs Rookie of the Year, and more. If you want to be successful with cloud, you want to work with Pax8. Get started today at www.pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. Learn more at www.thechannelco.com. The Channel Company logo is a trademark of The Channel Company, LLC (registration pending). All rights reserved. Media Contact Amanda Lee ARL Strategic Communications for Pax8 (727) 272-0781 Amanda.Lee@arlpr.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/455690b2-a10e-4222-b777-ae4578d68643 sanjiv@tribunemail.com Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 9 The Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) has sent a memorandum to the Central government requesting to raise import duty on soya, rapeseed and sunflower oils on the lines of palm oil duty. According to the association, with the proposed move, the domestic farmers would not be deprived of their rightful remunerative price of their produce and it will encourage more farmers to diversify into oilseeds. Recently, the government raised duty on crude palm oil from 30% to 44% as well as refined palmolein and palm oil from 40% to 54%. Atul Chaturvedi, president, SEA, said: Though we welcome the increase in duties on palm oil, we are surprised at singling out only palm oil for the hike. The duty hike on palm oil will encourage the import of other oils such as rapeseed, sunflower and soyabean and this will be detrimental to the interests of domestic farmers. This is unfair and may defeat the objective of doubling farmers income by raising domestic values of all oils. With mustard crop getting harvested, our farmers will feel cheated if import duties on soya, sunflower and rapeseed oil are not increased in the same proportion as palm oil. According to solvent extractors, the hike in duties on imported oils will ensure that farmers are able to get MSP for oilseeds or else they will lose interest in oilseed cultivation and our import dependence will rise. The countrys dependence on edible oils has reached almost 70%. The hike in duty will boost the acreage and production of oilseeds in the ensuing kharif season, said Chaturvedi. The association said it would be difficult to encourage farmers to grow more oilseeds if duties on these oils are not raised. According to farmers organisation, the prices of several oilseeds, including groundnut and soyabean, had tumbled below MSP levels owing to cheaper imports of edible oils. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 9 A delegation of students from Israel arrived in Chandigarh today and had an interactive programme with the city unit of the BJP and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). The BJYM said the delegation came to India on the initiative of the Prime Ministers Office. Later, the delegation of teachers and students of architecture from Israel explored the city. They were taken to the Haryana Assembly and the Punjab Assembly. Cabinet Minister of Haryana Ram Bilas Sharma welcomed the delegation at the Haryana Assembly. Agriculture Minister of Haryana Om Prakash Dhankar and Health Minister Anil Vij were also present. The delegation was also taken to the library where BJP city president Sanjay tendon explained about how Chandigarh came into existence. Besides, they were apprised about the Constitution of India. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 9 The Centre for Constitution and Public Policy (CCPP), University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, in association with Nottingham Trent University, UK, hosted an international seminar on Impact of Media on Social, Political and Economic Fabric of Democracy. Prof BT Kaul, Chairperson, Delhi Judicial Academy, who was the keynote speaker, covered a wide range of subjects influenced by media in a democracy. He quoted decisions of the Supreme Court in protecting the freedom of press and vocal journalism. His extensive expertise as an academician displayed his prowess over the subject. Kanwar Sandhu, renowned journalist and MLA, Kharar, was the chief guest. He spoke about the freedom required for press and media in a democratic country. As an expert in this field, with experience in both print and online media, he shared both negative and positive aspects of the media in various institutions. Prof Rattan Singh, Director, UILS, welcomed guests while Dr Shruti Bedi, convener of the event, introduced the theme of the seminar. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Panchkula, March 9 It seems that snatchers have no fear of law enforcing agencies in Panchkula district as a 63-year-old woman from Sector 19 became a latest victim of a chain snatching incident. On Wednesday, two women were targeted by snatchers in Kalka and Pinjore. In the latest snatching incident,Vijay Lakshmi, was sitting outside her house in Sector 19 when snatchers targeted her in broad daylight. They snatched her 30-gram gold chain, valued approximately Rs 90,000. The incident took place at 1.15 pm. The impact was so strong that victim also fell down and her right hand was injured. As per the CCTV footage, which was obtained by the police from a neighbouring house, two youths, who were wearing helmets, were involved in the crime. Pendant recovered The snatchers grabbed her face and then snatched her gold chain. In the attempt, a pendant fell down, which was later recovered. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered by the Panchkula police. ASP Panchkula Anshu Singla visited the spot and began the probe. There has been no arrest so far. Number found fake A person in the neighbourhood recorded the registration number of the bike but it was found fake. Three more snatchings in city Chandigarh: There is no let-up in snatching incidents as three more snatching incidents have been reported from the city. Mythili Bhusnurmath Mythili Bhusnurmath Economist and former central banker Throughout the democratic world, elected governments have responded much the same way to instances of large-scale white collar crime: with new (hasty?) legislation to minimise, if not eliminate, the scope for recurrence of such crimes. Unfortunately, in their desire to be seen as doing something, often without much concern for the results, very little really changes on the ground. The public, however, is hoodwinked into believing that authorities have taken prompt action and some of their anger is deflected. Till the next crime surfaces! Seen in this light, the Union Cabinet's approval of the Fugitive Economic Offenders' (FEO) Bill, 2017, covering economic offences with a value of Rs 100 crore or more, is very much a piece with the host of laws passed by the US in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers crisis. Or the UK's response (as many as 80 pieces of legislation were passed!) to the collapse of Northern Rock and other blue chip banking names in the early days of the global financial crisis of 2008. Our laws lack teeth But there is a key difference. In the western world, laws have teeth, so fugitives, typically, fear the consequences. In contrast, many of our laws, while excellent on paper, are quite ineffective in practice. Take the FEO Bill as it stands today. The Bill seeks to deter white collar crime by making it easier to attach the assets of economic offenders who flee the country to escape the long arm of the law. But we already have a multitude of laws such as PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), SARFAESI (Securisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest) Act, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code etc, to deal with white collar crime. So why do need another law? Because the proposed law differs from existing laws in one crucial respect: it allows confiscation of assets of alleged fugitive economic offenders before (emphasis added) conviction. Worse, it disentitles the fugitive economic offender from any recourse under civil law. In contrast, existing laws allow confiscation only after (emphasis added) conviction (which can take years). Confiscation, moreover, is limited to the proceeds of the crime for which the conviction has been secured (by which time the value of the assets could have greatly eroded). Flaws in fugitive Bill It runs afoul of right to access to justice: Prima facie, these 'novel' provisions in the proposed Bill seem a great way of ensuring better and faster recovery. But they run afoul of one of the basic freedoms granted under the Constitution: No individual can be penalised without being convicted and no one can be denied access to justice; a principle that has been upheld many times by the courts, with the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in its landmark ruling of July 2016 clearly ruling that access to justice is 'a facet of right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.' In practice, therefore, the Bill is unlikely to pass judicial scrutiny. It is based on a presumption of guilt, ie on the premise of 'guilty-till-proved-innocent' as against the basic premise in common law of 'innocent-until-proved-guilty'. Catch in attachment of assets: Moreover, under the Bill, all assets, whether or not they have been offered as security for the loan, can be attached. The rationale, presumably, is to ensure enough assets are attached and sold while they have economic value; unlike at present, when the asset often becomes worthless by the time the case meanders to an end through our labyrinthian court processes. But does that make it a good Bill? Not quite! Apart from the question of violation of Fundamental Rights, it goes against the raison de etre of modern joint stock companies, the concept of limited liability. Unlike proprietorships and partnerships, the distinguishing feature of a joint stock company and indeed its USP (unique selling proposition) is that it enables disparate investors to come together and pool their risk capital. But with a caveat: the clear understanding that in case the venture goes belly-up, for whatever reason, apart from any assets that might be held in the company's name, their loss will be limited to their share capital. Indeed the very concept of 'promoter' is itself uniquely Indian and does not find resonance in developed countries. Take the case of a company like Unilever; does it have a promoter? No! The shareholding is diversified and widely-held. By doing away with this fine distinction and treating the assets of 'promoter' shareholders as distinct from other shareholders, the Bill strikes at the very root of one of the biggest innovations of modern capitalism and is, again, likely to be tested in a court of law. In addition, it is likely to act as a dampener on investment at a time when desperately-needed animal spirits are sadly lacking. Despite these flaws, the Bill is likely to have an easy passage in the Lower House, thanks to the BJP enjoying a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. Indeed, given the public outrage over the Punjab National Bank fraud involving Nirav Modi and related companies, it may be passed without much demur in the Upper House as well. This is unfortunate. Poor drafting combined with our tardy reputation in implementation means the Bill is unlikely to make any dent on white collar crime and, instead, meet the fate of many of our well-intended, but inadequately thought-through, statutes. laxmi@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 8 Around 98 per cent of voters in a referendum by JNU Students Union (JNUSU) opposing the varsitys newly introduced compulsory 75 per cent attendance policy has left the students body in a celebratory mood. The referendum saw a huge turnout with 98.47 per cent students of the total 4,450 participants rejecting the mandatory attendance for the varsitys all programmes from the ongoing winter session. At loggerheads with the administration over issues, including mess fee hike, the compulsory attendance and drastic seat cuts in reserved category at MPhil-PhD levels, the JNUSU sees it as its "moral victory". In the latest development today, JNU Dean Prof Umesh Kadam has once again justified the administration's mess fee hike with effect March 8 issuing a notification in which it maintained the revision was made after a long gap in a meeting of the Inter Hall Administration. The JNUSU held a referendum in which it asked students to vote yes for voluntary attendance and continuous evaluation. Over 98 per cent students have voted yes, which is a verdict against compulsory attendance. This is a huge moral victory for JNUSU, said JNUSU office-bearers. The referendum was held in two phases yesterday between 9 am and 2 pm in front of School of Languages and School of International Studies and from 4 pm and 8 pm at Ganga Dhaba, Godavari Dhaba, Sabarmati Dhaba, Mahi-Mandavi Lawns, Brahmaputra and Damodar hostels on the varsity campus. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Ottawa, March 9 Jaspal Atwal has apologised for the "embarrassment" he caused to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and India by attending an event during his visit to Mumbai and asserted that he no longer supported the Sikh independence movement. The controversy surrounding Atwal erupted last month after he was photographed with Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire and other senior officials at the event in Mumbai as part of Trudeau's first state visit to India. He was also invited to the dinner reception at the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner in Delhi during Trudeau's week-long visit. The invitation was later withdrawn. Atwal, 62, was a Sikh separatist active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation when he was convicted for attempting to murder Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in Vancouver in 1986. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail. He was released on parole in the early 1990s. After several days of silence, Atwal finally addressed the situation at his lawyer's office in Vancouver yesterday. Reading from a prepared statement, he said he was "shocked and devastated" when controversy exploded over his attendance at the event. "I had assumed there would be no problem. No one at any point indicated there would be any issue," said Atwal. "I am sorry for the embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and family and friends," Atwal was quoted as saying by the Star.com. Atwal said he has "nothing but regret and remorse" for his role in the 1986 attack on Sidhu, adding he is no longer a supporter of the Sikh independence movement. "I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India," he was quoted as saying by CBC News. "I have nothing but regret and remorse for my actions and the suffering I caused to the victim. What I did was described as an act of terror by the judge who dealt with this matter. I accept full responsibility. I do not disagree with the court's conclusions," he said. According to the Vancouver Sun, Atwal was also charged but acquitted in the 1985 beating of Ujjal Dosanjh, a vocal opponent of Sikh extremism who later became British Columbia premier and a federal Cabinet minister. Meanwhile, Indian-origin Liberal MP Randeep Sarai said in a statement that he was responsible for the invitation to Atwal. Atwal told reporters that he was travelling to India this year, and asked Sarai if he could attend an event with Canadian politicians during Trudeau's visit. "I was eventually provided invitation by the Canadian ambassador and attended a reception," Atwal said. He also said that he has associated with politicians from Canada's three major political parties. Atwal's lawyer, Rishi Gill, did not allow reporters to ask his client questions during yesterday's press conference, the Star.com reported. Atwal never illegally entered India and has visited a number of times since his release from prison, Gill said. Gill said Atwal went through the "proper channels" to get an invitation to the event, adding those who feign ignorance about his criminal past are being disingenuous. "He was a political embarrassment to the prime minister, that's obviously accepted ... but let's make sure this is on the record Mr. Atwal presents absolutely no security threat to this country or any other country," Gill added. Atwal said this was not his first visit to India since his release from custody, adding he travelled to his homeland twice in 2017 and received a visa from the Indian government without trouble. "At all times I visited India lawfully and with the full permission of the Indian government," he claimed. Opposition parties in Ottawa have also demanded an explanation after reports emerged that an unnamed Canadian official blamed factions in the Indian government for Atwal's presence at the event a claim that Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer called "a conspiracy theory that is unsupported by any proof," the report said. Sarai has also apologised for inviting Atwal and has resigned as the Liberal Party's Pacific caucus chair. PTI shalender@tribune.com In a world full of surprises, the news about the Presidents of the US and North Korea agreeing to a first-ever meeting should rank as one of the biggest diplomatic breakthroughs. A bigger surprise is the US has accomplished this seemingly impossible feat of getting the North Koreans to drop their guard during the regime of Donald Trump who seemed to have upped the ante and brought the world close to a nuclear Armageddon by threatening to evaporate the little rocket man. The spotlight will now be on the manoeuvres by Trump and Kim Jong-un in the run-up to the meeting, but the credit should go to the South Koreans who fittingly enough broke the news about the proposed meeting between the two leaders. Talks, however, are only the beginning of an extremely long haul to end the nuclear impasse on the Korean peninsula. The North Koreans have unpleasant memories of how a similar initiative ended in recriminations because a US President did not honour the promises made by his predecessor. Trumps track record in this respect does not inspire much confidence: he has walked away from several international agreements such as the climate deal and TPP. But more ominously for the North Koreans, he is in no mood to honour the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal. In this US-created miasma of distrust, it is anybodys guess whether the talks will progress beyond the perfunctory joint photo-op of Trump and Kim, if it ever takes places. Besides Trumps temperamental disposition and the completely different worldviews of North Korea and the US, the absence of China and Russia from the mix also raises scepticism. It is doubtful if North Korea will abandon these traditional underwriters of its security for rapprochement with a country that, till the other day, was campaigning for the application of military force. But the saving grace is that the world has capitalised on the opening provided by the Winter Olympics in South Korea. In todays troubled world, even the simple act of separating the belligerents should be considered an accomplishment. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Karnal, March 9 The police have arrested four persons, including a final-year student of BAMS, with 452 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.5 crore here. Initial inquiry revealed that the drug was procured from Madhya Pradesh and it was to be supplied in Ambala and Kurukshetra and Patiala district of Punjab. Talking to mediapersons today, SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said the accused, all residents of the district, had been identified as Kishor Kumar and Rajinder Pal of Kohand village, Kartar Singh of Munak village and Vijay of Alipur village and a final-year student of BAMS at the PGIMS in Rohtak. The SP said that it was a big achievement for the police. The Ambala and the Karnal police had information that some persons were travelling in a Swift Dzire car with drugs and they were on the way towards Ambala from Delhi. The police of both the districts increased surveillance on the national highway late last night. However, a team of the CIA-2 of the Karnal police comprising Inspector Jaspal Dhillon, SIs Dalbir Singh and Rakesh Kumar, ASIs Salinder Kumar and Singhraj, head constables Ravinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Bhinder Singh managed to apprehend the accused from the New Grain Market near the National Highway-44 in the wee hours today, he said. editorial@tribune.com Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 9 Though Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu today proposed a record Budget amounting to a whopping Rs1,15,198.29 crore for 2018-19, raising resources is going to be a Herculean task for the government in the pre-election year. With revenue receipts pegged at Rs76,933.02 crore (Budget estimates), Manohar Lal Khattar government would have to rely on grants-in-aid from the Central government, borrowings from different agencies and other uncertain resources to fill the gap of Rs38,265.27 crore between Budget estimates and total receipts. With the states debt liability estimated at Rs1,61,159 crore, the state government would have to use discretion to go in for more borrowings as this would stretch the states financial resources. In fact, more borrowings would push the state towards the vicious circle of debt servicing and more borrowings. Capt Abhimanyu, however, claimed that fiscal key parameters, especially gross state domestic product (GSDP), gross state value added (GSVA), revenue receipts to GSDP ratio, capital expenditure and per capita income making were showing an upward graph. Besides, the increasing trend of revenue deficit has been reversed, fiscal deficit kept within limits and the break-up of contribution of different segments points to the trends that bear the mark of a developing and maturing economy, he claimed. Allaying the fears of revenue shortfall, Capt Abhimanyu claimed that revenue receipts were pegged at 11.52 per cent of the GSDP in 2017-18 (Rs6.08 lakh crore) compared toRs 9.34 per cent in 2014-15 (Rs4.36 lakh crore). This indicated a robust tax collection regime which had become lethargic during the 10-year rule of the Congress, which led to a notional loss of nearly Rs50,000 crore to the state exchequer, Capt Abhimanyu asserted. Debt mounting Haryana may well be heading towards a debt trap, with the states debt liability ballooning to nearly Rs 1.61 lakh crore in the 2018-19 Budget estimates compared to Rs 1.41 lakh crore in the 2017-18 revised estimates. The debt has consistently gone up over the years Rs 50,664 crore in 2012-13, Rs 60,300 crore in 2013-14, Rs 70,931 crore in 2014-15, Rs 1.01 lakh crore in 2015-16 and Rs 1.24 lakh crore in 2016-17. Capt Abhimanyu claimed that states economy was in the pink of health and the borrowings were within the prescribed limits under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act. CII gives thumbs up Nishant Arya, chairman, CII Haryana State Council, has applauded Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu for a presenting a progressive Budget which, he said, is holistic in character. The reduction on VAT on the sale of natural gas from 12.5 per cent to 6 per cent will be a relief for manufacturing industries, he said. Rs 29,000-cr investment More than Rs 29,000 crore of investment was received during the tenure of BJP government even as a new policy to promote agri-business and food processing will be rolled out. The investment has generated jobs for 2,03,359 persons in private industrial enterprises, the Finance Minister said. Govt proposes 20 ITIs Skill Development and Industrial Training Minister Vipul Goel on Friday said that during 2018-19, the state government has proposed to establish 20 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). He was speaking to the media after the presentation of Budget 2018-19. Opposition view The Budget is directionless and will increase debt burden. Revenue deficit has increased from 0.97% of the GSDP in 2013-14 to 2.92% now. Debt that stood at Rs 60,300 crore during the Congress government in 2013-14 has increased to Rs 1.61 crore Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Former Chief Minister It is a baseless Budget. The Finance Minister has neglected all sectors be it agriculture, public health, education or rural development. The Budget shows the BJP government has driven the state to a debt trap from where it will be difficult to revive Abhay Singh Chautala, Leader of Opposition The Budget lacks vision, fails to give the economy direction, and has badly let down the people, especially farmers. No steps have been proposed to pull the farm sector out of financial distress and make the state dismount the Rs 1.61-lakh-crore mound of debt Kiran Choudhry, Congress Legislative Party Leader The Budget is anti-people. The government has again disappointed the people as it neither announced programme for the youth and farmers nor it lowered VAT on fuel. In fact, it has increased VAT on petrol from 21% to 26.25% and on diesel from 9.24% to 17.22% Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress spokesman Davis, West Virginia, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Fish and Wildlife Service is taking quotes from small businesses to provide a floating canoe and kayak launch on the Blackwater River in West Virginia. The last day a business can submit a quote is March 20, 2018. For assistance meeting this deadline with proper registrations and a strong offer, small businesses may use third-party government registration firm, US Federal Contractor Registration. The specifications for the dock are found on the federal business opportunity solicitation. On the solicitation businesses will see that this commercial grade installation needs to contain a dock that is a one piece design, free of foam, made of polyethylene and adhere to ADA guidelines. The dock should be at least 15' x 13', with a maximum size of 20' x 20'. This solicitation also states that businesses may submit further questions about the specifications up until March 16 to Contracting Officer Ryna Russell (ryna_russell@fws.gov). Contracting Officer Russell will be unable to assist with specific contractor requirements such as registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is the mandatory registration that all federal contractors must complete before making offers to perform any work for the government. This system can be tricky to handle, especially when trying to meet a deadline and put a quote together. For assistance with all of these matters, US Federal Contractor Registration is standing by to provide. US Federal Contractor Registration (USFCR) is the worlds largest third-party government registration firm. They are specially in tune with the needs of small businesses. They have helped thousands of entities translate their capabilities into the U.S. Governments language and systems with the Simplified Acquisition Program, bid training and proposal writing services. They not only register companies on their behalf in SAM, but also have pioneered the Advanced Procurement Portal (APP). APP shows active and historical federal business opportunity information in the same place, simplifying market research. Active federal buyers and vendors are not only cataloged in APP, but also are also using the system, creating a powerful network. Businesses who partner with USFCR will be able dedicate their complete effort toward their performance on a contract, rather than the acquisition of it. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Mandi, March 9 Hoteliers gave a mixed response to the state budget. The government today allocated Rs 50 crore for the development of new tourist destinations in various parts of the state. The announcement has come in as a relief for Kullu hoteliers. Anup Thakur, former president, Hoteliers Association, Kullu-Manali, said the government should take over the tourism sector for its growth, and not hand it over to some private giant. Recently, the luxury road transport business in the state was captured by the Indo-Canadian Transport Company, reportedly owned by the Badals. This has affected entrepreneurs. Gajender Thakur, president, Hoteliers Association, Kullu-Manali, said: We hail the decision of the state government to develop new tourist destinations and religious tourist circuits. But the need of the hour is better roads. Rural tourism too needs to be promoted. Then there are horticulture and health sectors which generate jobs. Mandi MP Ramswaroop Sharma and the local BJP unit hailed the budget. The MP said the government had tried to focus on each sector to benefit the people of the state. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Jalandhar: A free ENT, head and neck surgery camp will be held at New Ruby Hospital from March 11 to 15. The camp is being organised by Osborne Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (USA). Registered patients will undergo free surgeries. The camp is being organised in association with Rotary Club Jalandhar West, Dr KSG Memorial Charitable Society Regd and IMA Jalandhar. Dr SPS Grover said surgeries related to skin cancer, sinus problem, tonsillectomy, tongue and lip cancer, oral cancer resection, lipoma and cyst removal will be held. TNS World Kidney Day Jalandhar:On the occasion of World Kidney Day, Patel Hospital organised a free urology and kidney health check-up camp and awareness programme at the Department of Advanced Renal Sciences (Urology and Nephrology). As many as 200 patients got benefited at the camp.TNS editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu today pitched for investments and greater tourism in the state in front of the domestic and international audience. Speaking at Ambassadors Meet Kashmir: The Way Forward organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Drabu said the region would have to be developed on the slogan of Peace, Harmony and Development which was also the motto of the industry chamber. While Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was slated to attend the event, the ministers in the state government present at the venue said she had got late and would not be able to come. Drabu said, J&K is not at all a conflict state nor it is a political issue. It ought to be looked as a society-related issue by communities. Drabu sought the industrys support in taking out the Kashmir valley from isolation as the issue of J&K in terms of its economic uplift could be resolved not with government-to-government interactions but with an interface between citizens. Drabu said J&K required its voice to be heard at the platforms provided by the industry. He asked India Inc and the diplomatic community to include Kashmir in their investment itinerary and urged the ambassadors, high commissioners, including other diplomats, to visit Kashmir with their families to see the prevailing changes for themselves on the ground. Visit Kashmir with family: FM to diplomats Haseeb Drabu asked India Inc and the diplomatic community to include Kashmir in their investment itinerary and urged the ambassadors, high commissioners, including other diplomats, to visit Kashmir with their families to see the prevailing changes for themselves on the ground. gspannu7@gmail.com Srinagar, March 9 Pakistani troops on Friday violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir and a soldier was injured in their unprovoked firing, a defence spokesman said. The spokesman said the injured soldier was evacuated to Armys 92 Base Hospital in Badamibagh cantonment here for treatment. Indian Army has retaliated to the unprovoked firing appropriately, he said. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Srinagar, March 9 Authorities on Friday imposed restrictions in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir to prevent violent protests post the Friday prayers against the killing of six people, including two militants, in a shootout with Army on March 3. Sporadic protests have been reported from the south Kashmir district since last Sunday when six people were killed in a shootout involving Army and militants. Restrictions have been imposed in Shopian as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order, a police official said. He said the restrictions were imposed to curb any violent protests in view of large gatherings that assembled for Friday congregational prayers. While the Army has claimed that the youth killed during last Sundays shootout in Shopians Pahnoo area were militants and their overground workers, the police, on the other hand, said they were investigating the incident. PTI editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, March 9 An Army jawan was injured along the Line of Control (LoC) in a ceasefire violation in the Uri sector in Baramulla district, the Army said today. Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said Pakistan violated the ceasefire this morning, which was retaliated appropriately. Unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Uri sector this morning in which one soldier was injured. He was taken to Armys 92 base hospital in Srinagar, he said, adding our troops retaliated appropriately. Sources said the Pakistan army fired at Indian posts in the Churnada sector, some 120 km from Srinagar, this morning. The Pakistan army fired at our posts around 4 am and we responded to it. The exchange of fire continued for a brief time, the sources said. This is the first exchange of fire along the LoC in the Kashmir region in the past nearly two weeks. On February 24, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy artillery in the Uri sector first time after the ceasefire agreement in 2003 that triggered a panic in the entire sector. The exchange of heavy fire triggered migration of over 100 families along the LoC from Balkote, Silikote, Tilawari and Churnada villages. However, these families returned home last Friday. Apart from the Uri sector, ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place in the Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district last month. BSF Constable Sunil Murmu of the 124 Battalion was killed at Tangdhar by a sniper from across on February 22. Pak: LoC situation deteriorating Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday said the situation on the Line of Control and working boundary with India has been rapidly deteriorating since 2017. Responding to a query in the National Assembly, he alleged India had committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the working boundary since January in which 18 civilians had been killed. PTI singhking99@yahoo.com Manpriya Singh The first-ever World Punjabi Conference was held in 1980 in London an endeavour to bring the Punjabi diaspora together on one platform and brainstorm, discuss and debate with all the right intention. At the time it was a novel, ahead of its time initiative. Little did anyone know that just four years down the line, things would be hit by a string of circumstances. As unforeseen as unfortunate. After the fourth World Punjab Conference, which was held in Delhi, militancy hit one and all severely, and it could not continue, says HS Hanspal, former MP and chairman of the World Punjabi Conference; which explains why the fifth edition of the initiative was held only after a gap of a decade and more in 1997 in Milwaukee. As for the second and the third conferences, they were held in Canada and Bangkok. Time to reconvene But what has got the association and all its members excited is the fact that the 6th edition of the World Punjabi Conference is being held right in the heart of Punjab, in Chandigarh. The idea is to get together and discuss whats ailing the community and region; whats holding us back, the issues, the concerns and of course how to progress and grow, shares Padma Shri Dr Surjit Patar, who is also the keynote speaker at the conference. Thousands of delegates from hundreds of countries are expected to make their presence felt at the event. With its theme as PunjabiatPresent and Future, among other things, the conference aims at practical and sustainable solutions to problems rather than tall claims. For instance, if we ask the government to do things like hire more Punjabi teachers, then they cite the problem of lack of funds and things never reach anywhere, Hanspal shakes his head and adds, So wed rather look at things like more and more signboards in Punjabi. If down south McDonalds can write their name in the regional language, why not here in Punjab? There is a lot ailing the region today, right from the plight of farmers to the state of youth; heres hoping for a practical solution to every thing. manpriya@trubunemail.com (Will commence today at Law Auditorium, PU) editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Ludhiana, March 9 A local hospital today introduced robot-assisted kidney stone removal claiming it to be the first one in the state. The Department of Urology, Deep Hospital, brought in the robot assisted kidney stone surgery. The Commissioner of Police, RN Dhoke, was present during the launch of the surgery at the hospital. Director, Urology and Kidney Transplant, Dr Anand Sehgal, who has been conferred award of excellence, became the first urologist in the North India to perform robotic surgery on Avicenna Roboflex (an innovative robotic solution for flexible uretero renoscopy). This technique has an advantage of maximum precision in stone dusting with laser. Managing Director, Deep Hospital, Dr Baldeep Singh, said, Now, big stones can be removed with ease with the help of this technique. The robot deletes vibratory effects from hands of surgeon while performing prolonged surgery. Strategic head, Deep Hospital, Dr Samarpan, said, This machine has been brought at the hospital for demonstration purpose and to access feasibility of this technique, besides see its cost effectiveness. The hospital is planning to start full-fledged robotic surgery in near future. amansharma@tribunemail.com Suresh Dharur Tribune News Service Amaravati (AP), March 9 The alliance with the BJP has not benefitted the Telugu Desam Party electorally nor has it helped in getting adequate funds for Andhra Pradesh to tide over post-bifurcation crisis, the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Friday. A day after pulling out his party representatives from the Union cabinet over denial of Special Category status to the state, Naidu held a meeting with his cabinet colleagues, senior party leaders and advisers at his residence here to take stock of the political impact of his decision. The next logical step for the TDP supremo is to exit the NDA. We have not gained anything additionally by aligning with the BJP in the 2014 general elections. Before striking an alliance with BJP, we had already swept local bodies polls held prior to 2014 elections. There was no additional gain for us because of BJP, the party sources quoted Naidu as telling his colleagues. He pointed out that his party had joined the NDA in the hope of getting justice for AP which had lost out heavily due to hasty and unscientific division done by the previous UPA government. We waited patiently for the Centre to undo the damage and ensure justice for the state. We wanted them to fulfil the promises made in the bifurcation act and handhold the state to overcome the difficult times, the Chief Minister said. The state ministers and senior leaders told Naidu that the people in the state were overwhelmingly in support of the ruling partys decision to pull out of the NDA government. The meeting decided to constitute a committee, comprising senior party leaders and advisors, to formulate future course of action. It also deliberated on measures to ensure uninterrupted flow of central funds for key projects in the state in the light of break-up between the two allies. shalender@tribune.com Jaipur, March 9 The Rajasthan Assembly today passed a Bill carrying an amendment to the IPC with a provision of capital punishment for those found guilty of raping girls up to 12 years of age. Defending The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018, after a three-hour debate, Home Minister GC Kataria said a new Section 376-AA had been added to the IPC. Under the provisions, those raping girls up to 12 years of age would be punished with death or rigorous imprisonment not less than 14 years and extendable up to life imprisonment. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In case of a gang-rape, each person shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be punished with death or rigorous imprisonment. Rajasthan is the second state after Madhya Pradesh to pass such a Bill. The Bill will now be sent for assent of the President. OC BELIZE CITY, Belize, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADVFN Crypto NewsWire via NetworkWire -- CryptoSecure.com (through its Service Operator Crypto Investor, Inc.) advises that the CryptoSecure hackproof SafeWindow is now available. As from today for a limited period CryptoSecure in conjunction with its ICO is offering a seven-day free trial of the SafeWindow security product. Using CryptoSecure SafeWindow makes your computing environment, your IP address and geolocation invisible to everyone including hackers. SafeWindow protects your security, as well as your privacy. SafeWindow creates a virtual computer on the user computer screen, and on the users tablet or smart device on which a virtual secure keyboard is created. These virtual existences are only there for the duration of the cryptocurrency activity or transaction. 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To participate in the CryptoSecure ICO: https://cryptosecure.com/ See Featured Campaigns at: https://www.kickico.com For further information: See: https://CryptoSecure.com Email: info@cryptoinvestorinc.com or Darcy Johnston: darcy@cryptoinvestorinc.com Chris Nichols: info@keycapitalgroup.com rchopra@tribunemail.com Chennai, March 9 Twenty-three kg of gold allegedly being smuggled into India from Sri Lanka by four people in specially designed waist pouches was seized by DRI officials, according to an official statement issued on Friday. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials intercepted four passengers when they arrived at the Egmore Railway Station by the Rameswaram-Chennai Sethu express here on Thursday, it said. During questioning, the passengers admitted that they had gold bars concealed around their waist in specially designed pouches, the DRI statement said. They were carrying 123 gold bars weighing 23.1 kg. The value of the bars is about Rs 7 crore, it said. The passengers admitted that the gold bars had been smuggled into India from Sri Lanka, and that the gold bars had been given to them by certain people based in Ramanathapuram with instructions to deliver at Chennai for a commission, the statement said. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 Armed forces personnel getting killed or injured while being deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China will now be covered under what is classified as liberalised family pension. This provides for 100 per cent of last-paid emoluments as pension to the family of the dead soldier. Normally, family pension provides for 30 per cent of the last-paid emoluments. The 3.488-km LAC runs along an east-west axis along the Himalayan ridgeline and is the de facto border with China. India has committed almost 1.7 lakh troops to the area. Liberalised family pension has been in existence for Army personnel working on the LoC/International Border (IB) with Pakistan. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had promised to extend the liberalised family pension to LAC; a formal order was awaited and the Ministry of Defence issued it on March 7. The order amends the pension policy of February 2011. The amendment says: Accidental death/injury sustained due to natural calamities such as flood, avalanches, landslides, cyclone, fire and lightning or drowning in river while performing operational duties/movement in action against enemy forces and armed hostilities in operational area to include deployment on international border or Line of Control or Line of Actual Control. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, March 9 French President Emmanuel Macron arrived here on Friday night on a four-day India visit and was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture. Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. During the visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, sources here said. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean region will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and Prime Minister Modi during delegation-level talks tomorrow. "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. After holding delegation-level talks with Modi tomorrow, Macron will take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different levels and institutions are expected to participate. On the same day, he will also take part in a Knowledge Summit which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On March 11, President Macron will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India. The ISA Summit, expected to be attended by several heads of the states and governments, is likely to focus on concrete projects. On the same day, he will also visit Taj Mahal in Agra. President Macron will also visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, on March 12. He, along with Modi, will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 After much furore over the presence of a Sikh extremist in the Canadian delegation during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's state visit, India has done a climbdown in an embarrassing admission. New Delhi today said there was nothing illegal in Jaspal Atwal's entry into India, his third visit since last year ."Jaspal Atwal has travelled to India on a valid visa. This was not his first visit to India. He has visited India on earlier occasions since January 2017," said Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson. Read: Atwal apologises for embarrassing Canadian PM Trudeau in India Just ahead of Trudeau's formal talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, photographs reported by Canadian media showed Trudeau's wife Sophie and Infrastructure Minister Amarjit Sohi with convicted extremist Jaspal Atwal at an official event hosted in Mumbai for the visiting dignitaries. A Sikh separatist and active member of banned ISYF (International Sikh Youth Federation), Atwal was convicted for an assassination attempt on Punjab minister Malkiat Sidhu who was visiting Vancouver in 1986. However, as reported by The Tribune, Home Ministry sources had said that Atwal had been reformed and taken off the immigration blacklist three years ago. "The Government of India has a conscious policy of outreach to the Indian diaspora, including misguided elements who in the past may have harboured anti-India sentiments which they have since renounced. There are well established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travellers which have been followed in this case as well," added Raveesh Kumar today. After the controversy erupted, Atwal's invitation for a dinner at Canada House in Delhi in honour of the Trudeaus was rescinded. The controversy followed Trudeau even after his return back home. Faced with opposition attacks in Canadian parliament, Trudeau backed his official, reportedly his National Security Adviser, who had blamed India for the protocol fiasco over Atwal's presence in the Canadian delegation. India had then responded strongly with Raveesh Kumar saying, "Let me categorically state that the Government of India, including the security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or the invitation issued to him for the Canadian High Commissioner's reception in New Delhi. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and unacceptable." shalender@tribune.com New Delhi, March 9 The Congress today attacked the BJP for paying a much higher price for Rafale fighter jets than some other countries had paid around the same time India signed the major defence purchase deal in 2016. Citing the Dassault Aviations Annual Report, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Randeep Surjewala and former MoS Defence Jitender Singh said Dassault sold 48 jets to Qatar and Egypt in 2015 at the price of Rs 1,319 crore a jet and then 11 months later sold the same jet to India for Rs 1,670 crore a jet. The price differential on every jet purchased by India is Rs 351 crore. Why did India pay an extra Rs 12,630 crore for 36 Rafale jets, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Azad asked today. The Congress asked the government why it junked the deal signed by the UPA which had negotiated the price of one Rafale jet at Rs 526 crore in December 2012. The Congress further accused PM Narendra Modi of violating the mandatory defence procurement procedure by unilaterally announcing on April 10, 2015 the purchase of 36 Rafale jets. Why were the requirements of price discovery through contract negotiation committee and price negotiation committees not followed? asked Surjewala. The Congress also questioned Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for citing emergency to purchase 36 jets off the shelf when none has been delivered even 35 months after the deal. TNS rchopra@tribunemail.com Indore, March 9 Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive here on a private visit on Sunday, a senior police official said on Friday. Clinton will be in the city for a couple of days and she may visit nearby tourist places between March 11 and 13, Indore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harinarayanchari Mishra said. During the 2016 US presidential elections, Clinton, who was the Democratic presidential nominee, was defeated by Republican rival Donald Trump. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com United Nations, March 9 India has supported the recent move of the unity government in Afghanistan for peace talks with the Taliban, saying the irreconcilable guns in the war-torn country need to be silenced. At the 2nd Kabul Process Conference on February 28, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to participate in peace talks to save the country while offering security and incentives like passports to insurgents who take part in the negotiations. Ghani had said a ceasefire must be agreed on and the Taliban should be declared a political group. The Afghan Governments willingness for peace is despite the fact that armed groups have identified themselves and demonstrated to all of us that they are the irreconcilables, Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin told the UN Security Council during an open debate on Afghanistan. These efforts of the Afghan government calling on the armed groups to cease violence and join the national peace and reconciliation process that would protect the rights of all the citizens, including women, children and the minorities, deserves the full support, he said on Thursday. Akbaruddin, however, said it should be clear to the armed opposition that there would be no tolerance for those who continued violence. Any violence needs a robust response. The irreconcilable guns need to be silenced, he said. He said India had invested over USD 2 billion in Afghanistan since 2002 in reconstruction and development of the country. A strong focus of our work has been on nearly 550 High Impact Community Development Projects which run across areas such as education, health, agriculture and irrigation, power and energy, he added. All these have a direct bearing on the improvement of lives of all Afghans, including girls and women, specially so for projects in education and health care sectors, the top Indian diplomat said. Welcoming the focus of the Security Council on linkages between extremism, terrorism, drug production and illegal exploitation of natural resources of Afghanistan, he said the increase in cultivation of poppy in areas under the control of the Taliban and the outfits involvement in virtually all aspects of the opium trade suggested that it was akin to a drug cartel. We hope that the Council will better utilise the range of tools available to it to deal with these trans-national networks of drugs, terrorism and crime, he said. Akbaruddin said that despite the international communitys efforts, those supporting the terrorists affecting Afghanistan had not been deterred. There are still those who provide sanctuaries to support the dark agendas of terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, LeT and JeM. Indeed the challenges posed by cross-border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries to Afghanistan and to our region must be addressed, Akbaruddin said. A resurgent Taliban has been blamed for much of the uptick in violence in Afghanistan since the US and NATO forces ended their combat missions in 2014. A Taliban attacker killed over 100 people and injured more than 230 others after driving an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city on January 27. The Taliban claimed the responsibility of the attack. A week before the ambulance attack, militants stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing 22 people, including 14 foreigners. PTI gspannu7@gmail.com New Delhi, March 9 Karti Chidamabaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, would be subjected to further custodial interrogation for three days by the CBI in connection with the INX Media corruption case. A court here on Friday extended his police custody till March 12 during which he will be confronted with his chartered accountant. Karti was produced after the expiry of his three-day police remand before special judge Sunil Rana who posted the hearing on his bail plea on March 15. The court allowed the CBI to confront Karti with his CA S Bhaskararaman who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 16 and has been sent to judicial custody till March 22. With todays order, CBI will have Kartis continuous custody since his arrest on February 28. The agency still has the option of keeping him in custody for three more days under the law which mandates 15 days of police custody, subject to a court order. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Kartis custodial interrogation was necessary as new incriminating materials have been found against him. He said a CD has been recovered from the office of Advantage Strategies Pvt Ltd in Chennai in connection with the case which needed to be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for examination, adding that he would have to be confronted with the new incriminating materials found. However, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is a party colleague of P Chidambaram, opposed any further custodial interrogation of Karti. Its tragic for me (Karti). They have no new reason for my remand. They are inventing one. CBI has to justify remand every day and every minute, Singhvi said on behalf of Karti. It is a ten-year-old case and all the documents are available with them and they need my custody to harass me, Kartis counsel said. Before commencing the proceedings on Karti, the court extended the judicial custody of his CA, S Bhaskararaman, till March 22. PTI monicakchauhan@gmail.com Mumbai, March 9 Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Friday said she chose Manmohan Singh as the prime minister in 2004 as she was aware of her limitations and knew that he was a better candidate. She was speaking at the India Today Conclave here. "I knew my limitations. I knew Manmohan Singh would be a better prime minister than me," Gandhi said. The former Congress president was responding to a question on why she chose not to become the prime minister even after leading the UPA to power in 2004. Gandhi, who is a MP from Rae Bareli, also said that she would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the same constituency if her party decides so. "Whatever decision the party takes," she said when asked whether she would contest the polls from Rae Bareli. Gandhi, 71, who was Congress president for 19 years, was replaced by her son Rahul last year after internal party elections. In a deeply introspective speech, the UPA chairperson spoke on a wide range of topics, including her children, her own shortcomings and the role of democracy in India, the first time she has opened up since relinquishing the party president post. On whether she advises her son, Gandhi said she tries not to volunteer. "He knows his responsibilities. I am there if he needs me. I try not to volunteer. He wants to revitalise the party by bringing in new faces along with senior leaders. "He wants a balance of young and the seniors. It is not an easy task. But he has made it clear that he values seniors' role and contributions in the party," she said Gandhi also felt the Congress needs to develop a new style of connecting with people at the organisational level. "We also need to look at a way of how we project our programmes and policies," she said. She was also candid in saying that she now found more time for herself after demitting the post of Congress president which she held for 19 years. "I have more time for myself... To read and watch movies. I am also tiding up old papers of my mother-in-law (Indira Gandhi) and husband (Rajiv Gandhi). I will digitalise them. The papers are letters written by my mother-in-law to her son (Rajiv) and his replies. They are of sentimental value for me," she said. Reacting on criticism of Rahul not being in the country during counting of votes in northeastern states, she said the Congress president went to see his grandmother in Italy for three days after he had done his rounds of electioneering. On the political role for her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, she said till now Priyanka has restricted herself to managing Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies during elections. "At the moment, she is pre-occupied with her children. It is up to her and one never knows the future," Gandhi said. Speaking on the Congress' loss to the BJP-led NDA in 2014, she said besides "other issues", the UPA government faced anti-incumbency for being in power for two terms. "We were out-marketed. We could not compete with how Narendra Modi (prime minister) ran his campaign," the UPA chairperson admitted. On Modi, she said," I don't know him as a person. During (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time, we were bitter opponents. But still we functioned well." Asked what advice she would give to the prime minister, Gandhi quipped," I wouldn't dare to advise him. There are many people around him to do so." She also said that she was optimistic that her party would bounce back in 2019. "We are not going to let BJP/NDA win," Gandhi said. On the Congress' preparedness for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, she said she was not fond of slogans and empty promises. "Don't lie to the people and promise what you can't implement," she said in an apparent barb at Prime Minister Modi. She also rejected that the Congress was taking up "soft Hindutva" approach. "Our opponents have branded us as a Muslim party. We have been visiting temples earlier too, but never made a show of it, "she said responding to a question on Rahul's temple visits during the Gujarat polls. On the arrest of Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Sonia Gandhi said she wasn't aware of the details of the case. "One of the means of getting at political opponents by this government is starting cases against them," she charged. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 India and France would seek to deepen their strategic partnership -- among the first ones that the French signed with any country in 1998 -- when PM Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron hold formal talks on Saturday. Modi visited Paris soon after Macrons surprise election victory in June last year. Macron who arrives late this evening with First Lady Brigitte, will also be inaugurating the International Solar Alliance founding conference and visit Taj Mahal on Sunday. He will then travel to Uttar Pradesh to inaugurate a solar project in Mirzapur, tour the handicrafts trade facilitation centre in BHU and take a boat ride along Assi Ghat with Modi before being hosted for a private lunch in Varanasi by the PM. We see lot of convergence of views on range of international issues. Civil nuclear, space and defence have been traditional tripods in ties. But new ares of cooperation are in maritime security, counter terrorism and renewable energy, said Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary in MEA (Ministry of External Affairs). Around a dozen agreements are expected to be signed on Saturday when the two leaders hold restricted and delegation level talks, including on Indian Ocean security, higher education, smart cities, agro technology as well as solar energy. France with two million citizens, territory and military as well as naval bases in the Indian Ocean has been long engaged with India in the region. Asked if France wants to join the Quadrilateral security dialogue revived between US, India, Australia and Japan, French sources said their focus at the moment is bilateral. We are not opposed to idea of working in a multilateral framework. But our cooperation is mostly bilateral because we are a part of the ocean like India, said a French diplomat adding France is not closing doors to any cooperation. Counter-terrorism will be another key area of discussion with both countries facing major threats. France was a co-sponsor of the recent motion at FATF (Financial Action Task Force) to greylist Pakistan for terror financing as well as the Security Council motion last year to proscribe terrorist Masood Azhar, that was vetoed by China. Amid political controversies surrounding purchase of 36 rafale jets, acquisition of more aircraft by India is also likely to figure in bilateral discussions. Defending the deal signed by his predecessor, Macron told India Today new channel just ahead of his visit that the negotiation was a win-win approach and a very good agreement. Macron will be interacting with around 350 academics and young students from IITs, IIMs, top universities, polytechnics in a town hall style meeting at Bikaner House Saturday evening. Santa Clara, Calif., March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After more than four years as chief executive officer of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Sanjay Jha will hand over the companys top position to Dr. Thomas Caulfield, senior vice president and general manager and a highly-respected industry veteran. Caulfield joined GF in 2014 following a successful career with an impressive track record of results spanning engineering, management, operational leadership and global executive experience with leading technology companies including 17 years at IBM in a variety of senior leadership roles. During his tenure at GF, he successfully built and ramped the companys new 14nm production facility in upstate New York, the most advanced foundry facility and one of the largest public-private partnerships in the United States. Over the past 4 years, GF has established itself as the industrys second-largest pure-play foundry company. In 2015, the company acquired IBMs microelectronics business, bringing a team of more than 1,000 technologists and a portfolio of 16,000 patents. GF successfully leveraged these capabilities to build the New York facility and to accelerate development of 7nm. The company has also pioneered differentiated FDX technology, which provides customers with a low-power, efficient solution for the Internet of Things and expanded its leadership position in RF which enables connected intelligence. In 2017, the company announced its strategic partnership with Chengdu, China, and broke ground on a world-scale 300mm fab, which is set to begin operations next year. It has been an incredible four years, said Jha. We have transformed GF into a trusted, reliable foundry for our global customer base. The acquisition of IBMs microelectronics business has allowed us to independently develop leading-edge technology including 7nm, as well as expand our leadership positions in differentiated businesses such as RF, ASICS and the FDX platform. Tom Caulfield is the right person to build on this record of success and strengthen GFs position as a leading foundry partner to the semiconductor industry. I am honored to be given this chance to lead GF at such an exciting time at the company and in our industry, said Caulfield, incoming CEO of GF. With exciting new customers coming into the market, we have the unique technology portfolio and executional track record to reset the competitive playing field in the rapidly-growing foundry segment. And we will continue to change the industry that is changing the world. GF is a strategic asset for the global semiconductor industry and our shareholder. We will continue to invest to differentiate and grow the business and further consolidate the industry through partnerships, in a way that allows us to better serve our customers, said Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, Chairman of the GF Board of Directors. Sanjay delivered on strategic milestones which set the company on the right path and we would like to thank him for his significant contributions. Tom, with his 25-year track-record of operational excellence and delivering for customers, will take the company to the next level of success. Jha intends to work closely with the companys shareholder, Mubadala Investment Company, to explore the development and build out of potential future systems businesses. ABOUT GF GLOBALFOUNDRIES is a leading full-service semiconductor foundry providing a unique combination of design, development, and fabrication services to some of the worlds most inspired technology companies. With a global manufacturing footprint spanning three continents, GF makes possible the technologies and systems that transform industries and give customers the power to shape their markets. GF is owned by Mubadala Investment Company. For more information, visit http://www.globalfoundries.com. Attachment: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/86d2a587-0c53-4459-b515-de1ab6acf3df amansharma@tribunemail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 A five-judge Constitution Bench which recognised right to die with dignity as a part of fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, laid down a set of detailed guidelines for an individual to execute a living will. The 538-page verdict clearly states as to who can execute an Advance Directive and how and what all should be there in it. It also prescribes a proper procedure for recording and preservation of a living will. When and by whom can it be given effect to; what is to be done if permission is refused by the Medical Board and the procedure for revocation or inapplicability of Advance Directive have also been dealt with in detail in the verdict. The person making a living will has to be an adult of sane mind and execute it without any coercion or inducement or compulsion and after having full knowledge or information. Such a document has to be executed before a First Class Judicial Magistrate in front of witnesses. It shall clearly state as to when medical treatment may be withdrawn or no specific medical treatment shall be given which will only have the effect of delaying the process of death that may otherwise cause him/her pain, anguish and suffering and further put him/her in a state of indignity, the bench noted. It should specify the name of a guardian or close relative who, in the event of the executor becoming incapable of taking decision at the relevant time, will be authorised to give consent to refuse or withdraw medical treatment in a manner consistent with the Advance Directive. Apart from the issue of living will in the form of an Advance Directive, the judgment prescribes appropriate procedure to deal with cases of terminally-ill patients where there were no Advance Directives, saying, the said class of persons cannot be alienated. In cases where there is no Advance Directive, the procedure and safeguards are to be same as applied to cases where Advance Directives are in existence and in addition there to, the bench said and went on to add certain additional requirements. It said in such cases the physician may inform the hospital which, in turn, shall constitute a Hospital Medical Board which shall discuss with the family physician and the family members and record the minutes of the discussion in writing. During the discussion, the family members shall be apprised of the pros and cons of withdrawal or refusal of further medical treatment to the patient and if they give consent in writing, then the Hospital Medical Board may certify the course of action to be taken. Their decision will be regarded as a preliminary opinion, it said. In the event the Hospital Medical Board certifies the option of withdrawal or refusal of further medical treatment, the hospital shall immediately inform the jurisdictional Collector who shall constitute a Medical Board comprising the Chief District Medical Officer as the Chairman and three experts from the fields of general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, psychiatry or oncology with experience in critical care and with at least 20-year overall standing in the medical profession. The Medical Board constituted by the Collector shall visit the hospital; physically examine the patient and after studying the medical papers and take a decision. If it approves withdrawal of life support, intimation shall be given by the Chairman of the Collector nominated Medical Board to the JMFC and the family members of the patient, the top court said. Again, the Magistrate shall visit the patient at the earliest and verify the medical reports, examine the condition of the patient, discuss with the family members of the patient and, if satisfied in all respects, may endorse the decision of the Collector nominated Medical Board to withdraw or refuse further medical treatment to the terminally ill patient, it said. The Bench said, There may be cases where the Board may not take a decision to the effect of withdrawing medical treatment of the patient on the Collector nominated Medical Board may not concur with the opinion of the hospital Medical Board. In such a situation, the nominee of the patient or the family member or the treating doctor or the hospital staff can seek permission from the High Court to withdraw life support. The High Court may constitute an independent Committee to depute three doctors from the fields of general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, psychiatry or oncology with experience in critical care and with overall standing in the medical profession of at least 20 years after consulting the competent medical practitioners. It shall also afford an opportunity to the State counsel. The High Court in such cases shall render its decision at the earliest since such matters cannot brook any delay. Needless to say, the High Court shall ascribe reasons specifically keeping in mind the principle of "best interests of the patient", the top court said. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court on Friday recognised right to die with dignity and allowed an individual to issue an advance directive in the form of a living will authorising someone to withdraw his/her life support, if he/she went into a vegetative state because of an incurable and irreversible medical condition. A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra -- which laid down a set of guidelines for the purpose -- said life support can be withdrawn only after a medical board approved it. The Bench, including justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, said right to die with dignity was a facet of right life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Read: SC lays down detailed guidelines for living will When I made 'Guzaarish' on euthanasia, there was hue and cry, says Bhansali The apex court, which had in 2011 legalised passive euthanasia, said its directives will remain in force until the government brought a proper legislation on the issue. But active euthanasia -- which involves administering some medicines to end life -- still remains illegal in India. While reserving its verdict on living will on October 11, the Bench had said a person's advance directive to withdraw medical support to let him/her die with dignity should take effect only after a medical board affirmed that the patients condition was incurable and irreversible. A living will is a document executed by an individual in full possession of his/her decision-making capacity, without any duress, enunciating the condition of ill health in which he/she would not like to prolong life by artificial support. In such a situation, persons duly authorised by the patient should be allowed to arrange for termination of his/her life in terms of an advance directive in the living will by withdrawing artificial life support system. Vipul Mudgal of Common Cause welcomed the verdict. "It's wonderful it's very good," he said, adding "It will end exploitation of innocent patients and their family members by unscrupulous hospitals." It had said a certificate from a statutory medical board that a patient's condition was beyond cure and irreversible would take care of apprehensions of relatives and doctors about withdrawing life support. In its petition filed in 2005, Common Cause, an NGO, had contended that right to die with dignity was included in the right to live with dignity guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The government had said legalising living will would amount to waiving of the fundamental right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution. The government had opposed to the concept of living will as a principle of public policy, saying it was the state's primary obligation to sustain life and not to legalise his/her wish to die. The concept of living will was prone to misuse, it had contended. The Centre had said it was vetting a draft law allowing passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia was the law of the land after the top courts 2011 ruling in the Aruna Shanbaug case, it had said. But the government was in principle opposed to allowing people to make a living will as it may be misused in the case of elderly people who are treated line burden by many", the Centre had said. shalender@tribune.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 Both Houses of Parliament remained disrupted for the fifth consecutive day today. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw repeated adjournments over Nirav Modis bank scam, Cauvery water sharing and special status to Andhra Pradesh, among others. In Lok Sabha, members from the Telugu Desam Party, which on Wednesday withdrew its ministers from the NDA alliance, held placards asking the BJP to fulfil its obligations to grant special status to Andhra. Among other protesters, the Telangana Rashtriya Samiti wanted the Constitution to be amended to allow states to increase quota of reservation. Ashok Gajapati Raju (TDP), who had resigned yesterday as Civil Aviation Minister, was seen standing in the Well with his party colleagues demanding special status for Andhra. Congress members did not enter the Well but were seen holding placards, demanding the arrest of tainted businessman Nirav Modi. The protest started the minute Speaker Sumitra Mahajan finished welcoming a parliamentary delegation from South Korea. The Speaker first adjourned the House till noon and thereafter for the entire day. The LS has not transacted business during this week. This was the first week of Parliaments second leg of the Budget session, in which the Finance Bill 2018 and Demands for Grants are needed to be passed. The RS was also disrupted on Friday, as Opposition members stormed the Well over various issues. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the proceedings, saying: One week has gone waste...This is not good. editorial@tribune.com Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, March 9 The venue of the launch of the farm loan waiver schemes second phase on March 14 has been changed from Shahkot to Nakodar amid protests against the ruling Congress by AAP and Left leaders over the sand mafias presence in the bypoll-bound constituency. Earlier this week, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had posted pictures of illegal mining along the Sutlej. A part of the area falls in Shahkot segment. The Opposition parties allege that contractors, with the support of a former Congress minister and his aide, are excavating sand in areas outside the boundaries of the four approved sites. The legal quarries are in Shole, Burrewal, Chak Bahmanian and Khurlapur villages, but mining activity is also in progress in Akbarpur Kalan, Bangiwal, Khere and Baluki villages. Led by former Leader of the Opposition HS Phoolka, we have been holding protests at the illegal sites, but the administration is not taking action, said Amarjit Singh Thind, who had contested on the AAP ticket from Shahkot last year. Meanwhile, former MLA Jagbir Brar has begun overseeing arrangements at the new venue. Additional Chief Secretaries DP Reddy and Vishwajeet Khanna today visited Nakodar, where loan waiver certificates will be given to around 40,000 farmers by the CM. A byelection is due in Shahkot following the recent demise of Akali MLA Ajit Singh Kohar. Shahkot SDM Navneet K Bal claimed that no illegal mining was taking place in the area under her jurisdiction. Recently, there have been complaints from Mehatpur area, which is not part of my subdivision, she added. Regarding the change of venue, she said, There are no suitable sites for the purpose in Shahkot. The approach roads are also very narrow. AAP, Left up in arms editorial@tribune.com Smita Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 9 After a furore over the presence of a Sikh extremist in the Canadian delegation during Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus state visit, India has climbed down with an embarrassing admission. New Delhi today said that there was nothing illegal in Jaspal Atwals entry into India, his third visit since January 2017. Jaspal Atwal has travelled to India on a valid visa. He has visited India on earlier occasions since January 2017, said Raveesh Kumar, the MEA spokesperson. Just ahead of Trudeaus formal talks with PM Modi, photographs in the Canadian media showed Trudeaus wife Sophie and Infrastructure Minister Amarjit Sohi with convicted extremist Jaspal Atwal at an official event hosted in Mumbai for the visiting dignitaries. A Sikh separatist and active member of the banned ISYF (International Sikh Youth Federation), Atwal was convicted for an assassination attempt on Punjab minister Malkiat Sindhu who was visiting Vancouver in 1986. However as reported by The Tribune, Home Ministry sources had said that Atwal had been reformed and taken off the immigration blacklist three years ago. The Government of India has a conscious policy of outreach to the Indian Diaspora, including misguided elements who in the past may have harboured anti-India sentiments which they have since renounced. There are well-established procedures for grant of visa to foreign travellers which have been followed in this case as well, added Raveesh Kumar today. After the controversy erupted, Atwals invitation for a dinner at Canada House in Delhi in honour of the Trudeaus was rescinded. I apologise Ottawa: Convicted Sikh militant Jaspal Atwal (62) has apologised for the embarrassment he caused to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and India by attending an event during his visit to Mumbai and asserted that he no longer supported the Sikh independence movement. Atwal said he was shocked and devastated by the controversy. I am sorry for the embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and family and friends, Atwal was quoted as saying by Star.com. He said he had nothing but regret and remorse for his role in the 1986 attack. PTI editorial@tribune.com Gagandeep Sharma Tribune News Service Bathinda, March 9 Tension gripped Koir Singhwala village today as residents and members of the Satkar Committee came face to face after the former held a bhog ceremony of an akhand path at a religious place there. The police have booked six persons, Kuldeep Singh, Harpreet Singh, Jagtaar Singh, Harwinder Singh, Gollu Singh and Resham Singh, all resident of Koir Singhwala village, under Sections 295, 506, 120-B and 149 of the IPC on the statement of Gurchet Singh, member of the Satkar Committe, but the situation continues to remain tense. Earlier, members of the Satkar Committee held a protest outside the Dayalpura police station seeking action against the organisers of the akhand path while alleging that they didnt follow the maryada. However, when the police booked six persons, the villagers protested outside the police station. Heavy police force was deployed at the village. Members of the Satkar Committee, led by Sukhjeet Singh Khosa, reached the Dayalpura police station last night and spent the whole night outside it. Khosa alleged that the organisers didnt follow the maryada while holding the akhand path and sought action against them. When the police booked six persons today, they ended their protest. However, the villagers started the protest while seeking cancellation of the case against the six persons. Sukhdev Singh, president of the gurdwara management committee, sarpanch Mander Singh and others today wrote a letter to SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal stating that they followed the maryada, but some people were creating problems without any reason. SSP Naveen Singla said the police were deployed at Dayalpura and further action would be taken as per the law. amansharma@tribunemail.com Ludhiana, March 9 Noted economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday stressed on stopping free power and reduce subsidy on fertiliser over the next five years. "We need to consider quantity rationing of water usage by stopping free electricity and curb the subsidy on fertiliser over five years," said Ahluwalia, who was also a former Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. He was delivering his talk on "Challenges in Agriculture: Some Policy Options" at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today. Ahluwalia emphasised on the need to have an educated and informed electorate so that government leaders could be held accountable for relevant targets. He also pointed out the absence of a risk mitigating system in agriculture that which was one of the chief reasons of farm distress. While stressing on the need for pro-farmer policies, Ahluwalia recalled the period from 2004 to 2011 when the country reported increase in farm income and biggest decline in poverty. "The factors responsible were better land productivity, supportive prices for farmers, boom in construction investment and increase in farm product prices," he said. Ahluwalia further stressed on the need to diversify from cereals to horticultural crops and setting of transformational targets to capture these changes over a period of 10 years. "Diversification to maize can be an important change for Punjab as also dairy if the CM's objective of getting out of paddy is to be achieved," he observed. While suggesting the development of integrated value chains as a part of the 'plough to plate' approach, Ahluwalia appealed for conviction on the part of the policy makers towards eliminating policy constraints. He highlighted the imminent need for judicious use of water which he said can be achieved by having public sector pumps responsible for quantity rationing. Voicing his concern in the field of research, the economist said, "we need to think about institution structures and vested interests in the system that deny flexibility to the academia to do ground breaking research." He called for shift in attitude and more clarity towards the requirement of GM crops. - PTI singhking99@yahoo.com Seoul/Washington, March 9 US President Donald Trump said he was prepared to meet North Koreas Kim Jong Un in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between leaders from the two countries and could mark a breakthrough in a standoff over the Norths nuclear weapons. Kim had committed to denuclearisation and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, South Koreas National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong told reporters at the White House on Thursday after briefing Trump on a meeting South Korean officials held with Kim earlier this week. Kim and Trump have engaged in an increasingly bellicose exchange of insults over the Norths nuclear and missile programmes, which it pursues in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, before an easing of tension coinciding with last months Winter Olympics in the South. A meeting is being planned, Trump said on Twitter after speaking to Chung, setting up what would be his biggest foreign policy gamble since taking office in January 2017. Chung said Trump agreed to meet by May in response to Kims invitation. A senior US official said later it could happen in a matter of a couple of months, with the exact timing and place still to be determined. Both Russia and China, who joined years of on-again, off-again six-party talks, along with the United States, the two Koreas and Japan, aimed at ending the standoff, welcomed the new, positive signals after months of deteriorating relations between North Korea and the US Trump has derided the North Korean leader as a maniac, referred to him as little rocket man and threatened in a speech to the United Nations last year to totally destroy Kims country of 26 million people if it attacked the US or one of its allies. Kim responded by calling the US President a mentally deranged US dotard. South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who led the pursuit of detente with North Korea during his countrys hosting of the Winter Olympics, said the summit would set a course for denuclearisation, according to a presidential spokesman. Trump had agreed to meet Kim without any preconditions, another South Korean official said. Reuters Road to peace Signs of a thaw emerged this year, with North and South Korea resuming talks and North Korea attending the Winter Olympics. During the Pyongyang talks this week, the two Koreas agreed on a summit in late April, their first since 2007 Japan, however, remained cautious. Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Trump, in a call on Thursday, vowed to continue to enforce sanctions until Pyongyang took tangible steps ... toward denuclearisation, the White House said in a statement Sanctions will stay Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!. Donald Trump, US President. A positive development: EU We believe President Trumps readiness to accept Kim Jong Uns invitation to a summit meeting by May also represents a positive development. Maja Kocijancic, EU spokeswoman IAEA eyes concrete progress The IAEA is closely following the recent developments related to the nuclear programme of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. We hope that these developments will lead to concrete progress regarding the DPRK nuclear issue. IAEA singhking99@yahoo.com Kabul, March 9 A suicide bomber blew himself up in a Shia area of Kabul today, killing at least nine persons, officials said, as militants dial up pressure on the war-weary Afghan capital. The third suicide attack in the city in a fortnight comes as the Taliban face growing pressure to take up the Afghan governments recent offer of peace talks to end a more than 16-year insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. Islamic State claimed the attack, which happened near a high-profile gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a prominent former leader of the mainly Shia Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban. The event was attended by some of the countrys top politicians, including Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and his deputy Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior Hazara figure. AFP singhking99@yahoo.com Islamabad, March 9 A special Pakistani tribunal has ordered the government to arrest former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and confiscate all his properties as it heard the high treason case against the proclaimed offender for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007. The 74-year-old former president was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges. A three-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi held its first hearing in the case in eight months. During the hearing, the interior ministry submitted in the court a report on Musharrafs properties, stating four of the seven properties are owned by the former president, The Nation reported. Prosecutor Akram Sheikh asked the court to order Musharrafs arrest and his production. Musharraf, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016, was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. PTI Villers-les-Nancy, 8 March 2018 - 6:30 p.m. (CET) PRESS RELEASE Pharmagest Group enters Italy with the acquisition of market leader Pharmagest Group, pursuing its European expansion, enters Italy. Acquisition of a 60% majority stake in MACROSOFT Holding's capital. The Italian leader in IT equipment and services for pharmacy wholesalers-distributors. Macrosoft recently rolled out an innovative software solution for Italian pharmacies. Creation of Pharmagest Italia , the new subsidiary of the Pharmacy Europe Division. Objective: equip 20% of the Italian pharmacy market within five years . An acquisition in line with the Group's strategy for building a dedicated global ecosystem at the European level. ***** MACROSOFT: Italy's leading supplier of IT solutions for pharmacy wholesalers-distributors Created in 1985, Macrosoft has operations in three sites: Macerata (near Ancona - Eastern Italy), Bologna (Northern Italy) and Anagni (near Rome). Macrosoft is the Italian leader in IT equipment and services for pharmacy wholesalers-distributors. The company is notably the developer of a specific protocol for communications between pharmacies and wholesalers-distributors which is now the market standard for software companies operating in Italy. In a country counting around 50 wholesalers-distributors, Macrosoft's market share currently exceeds 50%. Macrosoft has 40 employees in Italy and in 2017 it had sales of 5.2 million for Earnings before Tax (EBT) of 1 million, and 10 million in cash. SOPHIA: a high-performance and innovative pharmacy software solution To achieve full integration and be offer comprehensive service, Macrosoft recently decided to make available its offering to pharmacies via an innovative pharmacy management application: Sophia. By offering direct integration with the pharmacist' application, Macrosoft was able to create a completely unique offering in Italy specifically adapted to the Italian market. PHARMAGEST ITALIA: building market share with Italian pharmacies To develop this offering across Italy, Macrosoft has decided draw on the resources of the Pharmagest Group. The new entity, a subsidiary of the Pharmacy Division - Europe Solutions, will be named Pharmagest Italia. Denis SUPPLISSON, Deputy CEO of Pharmagest Group in charge of the Pharmacy Division - Europe Solutions, will oversee Pharmagest Italia. Mario MARIANI, Macrosoft's current Chair-CEO will continue to oversee the executive management. The composition of Pharmagest Italia' Board of Directors is as follows: Chair-CEO: Mario MARIANI Director: Thierry CHAPUSOT Director: Dominique PAUTRAT Director: Denis SUPPLISSON Director: Roberto MARIANI Pharmagest Group will contribute its expertise and experience in marketing IT solutions for pharmacies and support Pharmagest Italia in creating a network of agencies capable of adapting to the scalability of its economic model. A shared vision for a patient-centered healthcare system Pharmagest Group and Macrosoft share a common vision for providing patient-centered solutions. This vision reflects a growing need by Italian pharmacies as they move towards a patient-centred approach by expanding their expertise to cover a broader range of peripheral services in order to better address patient needs. A market with strong growth potential With a number of inhabitants per pharmacy above the European average - one pharmacy for every 3,383 inhabitants - in 2018 Italy counted 19,000 pharmacies. Italian pharmacies are largely equipped by three companies and are characterized by an aging installed base insufficiently adapted to the major transformations of the Italian healthcare sector. Pharmagest Italia's plan for deployment covers both the number of its products as well as its range, with the goal of equipping nearly 20% of Italian pharmacies within five years. Denis SUPPLISSON, Director of the Pharmacy Division - Europe Solutions of Pharmagest Group and Dominique PAUTRAT, Chief Executive Officer of Pharmagest Group explain that "This acquisition represents a genuine growth opportunity for Pharmagest Group in an environment where the development of pharmacy chains will be accompanied by the opening up of their capital. Our approach in Italy is rather original and anticipated in the market for IT solutions for pharmacy digitization and management. With the patient-centered product range, the prospects are very promising. The synergies between Macrosoft's historic business as a market leader for innovative IT solutions for wholesalers-distributors and its new IT specialty business for pharmacies will facilitate Pharmagest Italia's strong development." Mario MARIANI, Chair-CEO of Pharmagest Italia and Roberto MARIANI, Director of Technology Development added: "By leveraging its reputation as an expert and innovative partner based on the strength of its ideas, people and the technology it develops, Macrosoft is developing a unique solution for all its customers. In recent years, the challenges facing our healthcare system have undergone rapid and profound changes. With Pharmagest Group, our respective expertise will be combined to create added value and new opportunities for all Italian pharmacies based on our common patient-centered vision and a completely innovative approach" *** Financial calendar: Publication of 2017 annual results and presentation to analysts and investors in Paris, Tuesday, 3 April 2018. About PHARMAGEST Group : PHARMAGEST Group is the French pharmacy information technology leader, with a market share of more than 41% and more than 900 employees. The Group's strategy is based on a core business of improving healthcare through information technology innovation and developing two priority areas: 1/ Services and technologies for healthcare professionals, with a focus on assisting pharmacies in patient medication compliance; and 2/ technologies for improving the efficacy of healthcare systems. To roll out this strategy, PHARMAGEST Group has developed specialised businesses, including pharmacy IT, e-Health solutions, solutions for healthcare professionals, solutions for pharmaceutical laboratories, connected health devices and apps, and a sales financing marketplace. These businesses are divided into four Divisions: Solutions for Pharmacy Division - Europe; Solutions for Health and Social Care Facilities; Solutions for e-Health; and Fintech. Listed on Euronext Paris(TM) - Compartment B Indices: CAC SMALL and CAC All-Tradable par inclusion Eligible for the Long-Only Deferred Settlement Service (SRD) ISIN: FR 0012882389 - Reuters: PHA.PA - Bloomberg: - PMGI FP For all the latest news go to www.pharmagest.com gspannu7@gmail.com Kabul, March 9 A suicide bomber blew himself up in a Shiite area of Kabul on Friday, killing at least nine people, officials said, as militants dial up pressure on the war-weary Afghan capital. The third suicide attack in the city in a fortnight comes as the Taliban face growing pressure to take up the Afghan governments recent offer of peace talks to end a more than 16-year insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which happened near a high-profile gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazaria prominent former leader of the mainly Shiite Hazara ethnic community who was killed by the Taliban. The event was attended by some of the countrys top politicians, including Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and his deputy Mohammad Mohaqiq, a senior Hazara figure. The Sunni Islamic State group typically targets Shiites who it regards as apostates. The death toll has gone up to nine, Deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding 18 others were wounded. Among the dead were two policemen, he said. The rest were civilians. Officials said the attacker was on foot. Afghan officials gave a wide range of figures for the number of casualties: a security source told AFP 13 people were killed and more than 30 wounded. But Kabul police chief Mohammad Daud Amin told Tolo News that five people were killed and 22 others wounded. Amin said the bomber detonated his explosive device at a checkpoint after being identified by police. The bomber failed to get inside to target the gathering, he said. Kazim Ali, who was at the gathering, told AFP the force of the explosion shattered the windows of the mosque. We were inside the mosque when a loud explosion took place. Security forces didnt allow us to move afterwards, he said. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at an international conference in Kabul last week unveiled a plan to open talks with the Taliban, including eventually recognising them as a political party. In return, Ghani said the militants should officially recognise the Afghan government and constitution, a perennial sticking point in past attempts at dialogue. AFP rchopra@tribunemail.com Kabul, March 9 An Afghan official says the Taliban launched a deadly assault on an army outpost in a remote region of northern Takhar province, killing 10 local policemen and wounding nine. Provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said on Friday that a large number of Taliban fighters assaulted the outpost overnight. He says the members of the local police were ambushed and killed while on their way to the outpost to assist the Afghan soldiers in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. The soldiers suffered no casualties. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault late on Thursday and the police slayings. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report couldnt be independently confirmed because of the areas remoteness. AP singhking99@yahoo.com Washington, March 9 The US today announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan which has carried out several deadly attacks, including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which over 150 persons were killed. The announcement by the State Department came a day after Fazlullahs son was reported killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan. In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the assassination of Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafzai for promoting girls right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP, it said. Malala Yousafzai was seriously injured in the attack and had to be shifted to the UK for specialised treatment. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Under its rewards for justice programme, the US also announced a $3 million reward for information each on Abdul Wali of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Lashkar-e-Islam leader Mangal Bagh. PTI Fresh off runs in Arizona and California, Waymo says it is ready to begin autonomous truck tests in Atlanta's heavy urban traffic conditions. Photo: Waymo Autonomous vehicle developer Waymo announced it will begin a pilot program in Atlanta, Georgia, testing self-driving trucks carrying freight bound for Google data centers. According to the company, Atlanta is one of the biggest logistics hubs in the country, making it a natural home for Googles logistical operations and the perfect environment for the next phase of testing Waymos self-driving trucks. Waymo is Googles autonomous vehicle controls division. This pilot, in partnership with Googles logistics team, will allow Waymo to further develop its autonomous truck technology and integrate it into the operations of shippers and carriers, as well as the network of factories, distribution centers, ports and terminals those carriers serve. The company says the pilot program will be conducted with highly trained drivers in the truck cabs to monitor systems and take control if needed. Waymo notes it has been conducting road tests of self-driving trucks in California and Arizona, and says its vehicle control software is now learning to drive big rigs in much the same way a human driver would after years of driving passenger cars. The company notes that while the overall principles are the same, things such as braking, turning, and blind spots are different with a fully loaded truck and trailer. In a recent blog post outlining its new pilot program attributed to the Waymo Team, the company noted that, Waymos self-driving technology is not only experienced, but adaptable. Our self-driving trucks use the same suite of custom-built sensors that power our self-driving minivan. They benefit from the same advanced self-driving software that has enabled our cars to go fully driverless in Arizona. And our engineers and AI experts are leveraging the same 5 million miles weve already self-driven on public roads, plus the 5 billion miles weve driven in simulation. In short, our near-decade of experience with passenger vehicles has given us a head start in trucking. Waymo has not yet released details on the length of the routes the trucks will take or what types of cargo will be hauled. Originally posted on Automotive Fleet Of all the social justice movements in the world, the Tibetan cause has come to be known for its non-violent nature. In fact, its so famous for this that the leader of the Tibetans who is His Holiness the Dalai Lama has won a Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy of non-violence and refusal to engage in violent methods. Also, the Tibetan people who are famously Buddhist, theoretically abhor violence and killing. So that is why the image of a Tibetan self-immolating is incongruous with what we have come to expect of the community. Yet in recent years, there has been an increasing number of Tibetans expressing their desperation through self-immolations. As of 2018, over 150 Tibetans have chosen to take their own lives in the name of Tibet and it troubles me that there doesnt seem to be an end to this. Why? Because the Tibetans who have taken their own lives claim they are doing so to draw peoples attention to the topic of Tibet, since there has not been any progress with the so-called Tibetan cause for the last 60 years. Out of desperation and lacking any other method to express themselves, they have had to resort to this. Knowing their reasons for self-immolation, the logical conclusion is that there wont be an end to these acts of self-harm any time soon because nothing has changed in the Tibetan political landscape. The Tibetan leadership continues to criticise China, as they have done for 60 years. Likewise, as the Chinese have also done for 60 years, they continue to ignore the Tibetans and instead, befriend every other nation in the world. In this way, as time goes on, the Tibetan leadership is finding they have fewer and fewer supporters. Nevertheless, one of the most disturbing aspects of the self-immolations is besides the fact that people are taking their own lives, the Tibetan leadership continues to stay silent and not speak out to discourage such acts of self-harm. And when they do speak out, its half-hearted, not strong or firm. It is almost as though they condone and support these acts through their silence. Although the Tibetan leadership are silent however, other people ARE choosing to speak, for example Reuters, a news agency with an international reputation of providing accurate and timely articles. Their latest article brings much-needed attention to this issue. I thank Reuters from the bottom of my heart for sharing my message, one that I hope will cross many boundaries and platforms to reach all sectors of our global society. Reuters unbiased reporting has earned them a well-deserved reputation amongst the media and their sharing of this message is a testament to their journalistic integrity and their intent and reliability to spread news and awareness governing all walks of life. I dont ordinarily comment on political matters but for me, the topic of self-immolations is not a political matter. As a Tibetan Buddhist monk, when I observe other people taking their own lives, whatever their reasons, I have to do my best to say something to discourage it. Tibet is majority Buddhist therefore we believe in karma, which is the law of cause and effect. Whatever actions we commit, some are inherently negative while others are inherently positive, whatever the motivation might be. Killing oneself is considered to carry the same negative karma as destroying the life of someone else. It is heavily frowned upon and discouraged within Buddhism to take ones own life. One should preserve ones life as well as the lives of others, including that of animals. Therefore, the Tibetan leadership as well as high profile religious figures within Tibetan Buddhism should really produce information, pamphlets, websites and videos to educate the Tibetan populace to not harm themselves or take their lives using Buddhist principles as this will appeal to them. I would, in all humility, request His Holiness the Dalai Lama to speak much more firmly and strongly in asking Tibetans not to destroy their own lives and to achieve their cause through peaceful means. So please forgive me if I have said anything to offend you as it was not my intention. I humbly request the Tibetan leadership and governments around the world to end needless suffering. Please be more compassionate. Please open your hearts. Please use love, compassion and wisdom to heal conflicts and make the world a better place. We can find more positive ways of making change in society. We must all educate people on this strongly and stop all acts of self-harm which cause more suffering on top of what people already face in life. I offer my heartfelt and deepest prayers for all those who have self-immolated for a cause they strongly believe in. I send my heartfelt prayers, tears and anguish along with condolences to their families and friends. With folded hands, Tsem Rinpoche Additional thoughts by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche As a Buddhist monk, self-immolation goes against all of my training. Monks of the Tibetan tradition hold 253 vows, but one of the four cardinal vows which monks of ALL traditions hold is to refrain from killing. Once a monk breaks their cardinal vow by taking a life, they are no longer a monk. So that is how important the vow of no killing is. This is not my rule or something I made up, but it is something the Buddha prescribed to his followers and it has been followed for centuries. This rule of not killing does not only apply to monks; it applies to all sentient beings. So our Buddhist training teaches us that all life is precious and if we have the merits to gain a human rebirth, it is especially precious. As humans, we have the faculties and physical adaptations to learn, study and practise the Dharma to gain attainments. So on this basis, hearing about self-immolations always troubles me, regardless of however good a persons reasons may be. Of course I can appreciate how someone can be so dedicated, that they would be willing to give up their lives for a cause they truly believe in. However, theres no escaping the truth that dying in this way is extremely painful and prolonged, and very violent to look at. It leaves such a huge imprint on people who witness it, and also on the victims family members. I realise that it shows the individuals conviction in his/her beliefs, which is a level of dedication I can relate to because I feel the same way about my Dorje Shugden practice, which I will always be loyal to. However, the loss of Tibetan lives deeply saddens me, not just because someone is taking their own life but because their deaths are TOTALLY preventable. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), who are the Tibetan leadership in Dharamsala can definitely stop the self-immolations. It would be so easy for them but sadly, they are not attempting to prevent these deaths and the painful truth is that they do not want to. It seems that self-immolations serve a purpose for the Tibetan leadership, which is to show that their people are suffering and desperate in order to gain more support for their cause of whatever they would like to do with Tibet. I understand the purpose but sometimes the ends do not justify the means. So I always wonder exactly WHY the Tibetan leadership stays quiet or very weak in speaking up to stop this. And I guess it is because the CTA feels that with each death, it will add pressure to others to continue donating to them, which means more foreign financial aid that the CTA can take advantage of. Again, this is not something made up but has been proven by reputable newspapers such as the UK-based Guardian who investigated and exposed the monetary issue. So for me, I see that the CTA will give up their people and their future, and exploit a persons death for the sake of short-term financial gains. In allowing the self-immolations to continue, it actually reflects that the leadership are not doing enough to make progress in their political aspirations, because then our people would not be pushed to take such desperate measures. After more than half a century, so little has been accomplished that our people are now forced to take their lives. There are some simple but effective ways that the Tibetan leadership can quickly stop these self-immolations: 1. The Tibetan leadership can send out a memo to all the Tibetan settlements in India denouncing self-immolations These memos should strongly discourage self-immolations among the 120,000 Tibetans living in India and Nepal. Pamphlets, brochures and books should be distributed within India, Nepal, inside Tibet and all over the world in three languages (English, Chinese and Tibetan). In these materials, the Tibetan leadership can get the head lamas and abbots of the various sects and religious denominations in Tibet to denounce the practice of self-immolation because Tibetans tend to listen to spiritual leaders. This is not an initiative that is beyond their capabilities. In the past, they have done this against Dorje Shugden practitioners, even publishing ENTIRE WEBSITES against them. Surely Tibetan lives lost through self-immolation are a much more important issue that the Tibetan leadership should concern themselves with and to do their best to stop rather than a religious practice such as Dorje Shugden. Most recently, they gathered the 11 abbots of the main monasteries, to film videos against Dorje Shugden. So since they can publish materials against Dorje Shugden and spend vast amounts of money for this, why not do the same for self-immolations that are more serious in nature? I find it very questionable that they allow the various monastic abbots and leading lamas to remain silent on the matter of Tibetans taking their own lives, but force them to speak up against another persons religious practice. Regardless of your religious practice or choice of faith, taking a human life (including your own) should NEVER BE PRAISED and we should always do everything necessary to PREVENT IT. 2. The Tibetan leadership can impose fines or punishments on the families of Tibetans who self-immolate. If potential self-immolators know their relatives will be interrogated and perhaps even kicked out of the monasteries, they will be more cautious about self-immolating. The family unit in Tibetan society is still quite strong so familial pressure will definitely have influence. The Tibetan leadership can even make people swear oaths in front of Palden Lhamo thangkas (the State Protectress of Tibet) that they will not self-immolate. There is already a precedent for all of this. Families of Dorje Shugden practitioners were interrogated; in some cases, they even had their homes stoned, to increase the psychological pressure on their families so that they would in turn pressure their relatives to give up the practice. Monks and nuns were threatened with expulsion if they refused to give up Dorje Shugden. Expulsion is actually enforced homelessness because these monks and nuns have nowhere else to go, especially the senior or older ones who have spent their whole lives in the monastery. So the inevitable expulsion of hundreds of monks who refused to give up their Dorje Shugden practice led to the establishment of monasteries like Serpom and Shar Gaden in South India. Similarly, monks and nuns were forced to swear out of their practice in front of a Setrap thangka (which, ironically, I had the honour to sponsor before the ban came about). So how come the Tibetan leadership does not go to a similar extent for self-immolations, which involves someone taking their own life, but they will expend so much time, energy and resources on someones private and personal religious choices? Video: Monks forced to swear against Dorje Shugdens practice (Part 1) Or view the video on the server at: https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/GadenMonksSwearOut001.mp4 Video: Monks forced to swear against Dorje Shugdens practice (Part 2) Or view the video on the server at: https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/GadenMonksSwearOut002.mp4 3. The Tibetan leadership can enshrine it in the Tibetan constitution that it is illegal to self-immolate By doing so, self-immolators are anti-Tibetan and are breaking Tibetan law. Again, the same was done to members of the Dorje Shugden faith, to discourage people from maintaining their practice. By making Dorje Shugden illegal, the Tibetan leadership also opened the doors for people to direct violence and criticism against Dorje Shugden practitioners to force them to give up the practice, which they justified as being in defence of the Tibetan constitution. So if the Tibetan leadership were really serious about stopping self-immolations, this is another method they can consider since they have already enforced it against their own Tibetan people in the past. 4. The fastest method of stopping the self-immolations is for His Holiness the Dalai Lama to denounce the practice This can be done at every public speech and appearance he makes, and in every interview he gives, to highlight how bad the karma is. In fact, it is extremely appropriate for such a renowned monk as His Holiness the Dalai Lama to talk about the karmic consequences of killing oneself. How it breaks samaya with him if they disobey his requests not to take their own lives. How it will disappoint him if they disobey his requests. How the families of self-immolators will not be allowed to attend the Dalai Lamas teachings. His Holiness should also tell public Tibetan institutions like Tibetan government departments, Tibetan hospitals and Tibetan schools in India and Nepal to not allow families of self-immolators to use their facilities in order to discourage people from self-immolating. Most Tibetans will not want to bring hardship onto their families and therefore will think twice before harming themselves. This is not done to turn self-immolators into some kind of criminal or to say they are bad. But this should be done in order to save Tibetan lives and it should be reiterated time and time again. After all, the majority of Tibetans will listen to His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he says this very strongly. In fact, the very same has been done to Dorje Shugden people for the last 20 years Dorje Shugden practitioners are not allowed to hold positions in the Tibetan civil service, like the Department of Health. Children of Shugden practitioners are bullied and expelled from Tibetan schools. Tibetan hospitals refuse to serve Dorje Shugden practitioners. And this is still happening now in the majority of Tibetan institutions in India and Nepal. How strongly the exile Tibetan leadership acts in response to the rising number of self-immolations will reflect how much they wish to save and preserve the lives of their Tibetan people. Based on the history of persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners, we can see unequivocally that the Tibetan leadership can and will act strongly, firmly and even harshly when they really want to accomplish something i.e. stamp out the practice of Dorje Shugden, regardless of the potential backlash and negative reputation. Since the Tibetan leadership is able to take such strong actions when they set their minds to it, they should take even stronger measures to bring an end to the Tibetan self-immolations because there can be nothing more important than to save the lives of the Tibetan refugees who have given up so much, including their homeland, to follow the Dalai Lama into exile. The four ideas I have outlined above have all been committed against Dorje Shugden people continuously for the last 20 years. It is systematic, enforced segregation and institutionalised discrimination against Dorje Shugden practitioners, to try and force them to give up the practice. So my question is, why have the Tibetan leadership stayed silent against self-immolations, and stayed silent in discouraging this horrible self-harm? I really wish so much that His Holiness the Dalai Lama would say something against these self-immolations. By requesting His Holiness involvement in such a matter, I dont mean any disrespect to him but already our Tibetan population is so small and with every death, we have one less person as a carrier for our beautiful tradition and rich culture. I wish so much His Holiness would say something because the Tibetan leadership have been silent so far. And in their silence, they have essentially condoned or approved of people committing suicide. And that is the sad truth of self-immolation which we cannot deny or ignoreit is basically suicide with a specific goal or purpose in mind. Not only has the Tibetan leadership remained silent or failed to discourage these self-immolations strongly, but they have even made memorials, plaques and statues in Dharamsala to commemorate the self-immolators as heroes. They want to encourage people to feel PRIDE in these deaths and therefore ENCOURAGE EVEN MORE PEOPLE to engage in the same activities. Yes, these men and women are heroes, but their actions should not be encouraged. We should never encourage death or killing or suicide. Think for yourself. What could possibly compel ANYBODY to stay silent when they see 152 people dying in such a horrific manner? Because it serves the Tibetan leaderships selfish purposes. It is okay for Tibetans to harm themselves, because it makes the Tibetan leadership look politically correct, and the Tibetan people look like victims, to foster sympathy and therefore gain more financial aid. This truly is disturbing and frankly (I am sorry) despicable. Our Tibetan people are not pawns and should not be used as political pawns in someone elses games. I am very passionate about my Dorje Shugden practice as it has brought me and the people with whom I have shared his practice vast amounts of benefit. In our short lives, we are overwhelmed with obstacles, difficulties and disappointments, and so it is nice to have some tangible hope in the form of Dorje Shugden. Because his positive practice is being suppressed by the Tibetan leadership, I have been speaking out about this. Some people may think that I am trying to exploit the self-immolation issue by bringing up Dorje Shugden within this context but that is not my aim. My aim is to give a comparison of what the Tibetan leadership is capable of doing and the extreme measures they can employ if they really want to. The extreme, brutal and shocking methods they have employed to ban the Dorje Shugden practice should stop and the effort should be consistently, strongly and whole-heartedly applied towards self-immolations instead. I am all for the peace, prosperity and happiness of the Tibetan people as always. As to how this can be achieved is not within my capacity, but it is primarily up to the Chinese leadership to have meetings with the Tibetan leadership combined with the correct motivation. The Tibetan leadership should reach out and extend an olive branch to Chinas growing powerful leaders. I pray that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will speak against this and discourage self-immolations amongst his people whom I know he loves very much. I pray that the Tibetan leadership soon realises that by allowing self-immolations to go on, no political progress is actually made and they are wasting their peoples lives. That they must do whatever is necessary to discourage these deaths, not just by telling them self-immolations are bad, but also by becoming better leaders themselves. In fact, this is the most important item on Tibets agenda for the Tibetan leaders in exile to stop Tibetan self-immolations and save Tibetan lives. They should think of new and creative ways to accomplish their political aspirations without further loss of lives. And I pray that the people who engaged in these acts take good rebirths in a place where there is Dharma free from politics. May no one else ever feel as desperate and bereft of hope as they have. Sarva mangalam, Tsem Rinpoche Addendum Central Tibetan Administrations Website Below is a screenshot of Tibet.net, which is the Tibetan leaderships website. In it, they have a section with information about Dorje Shugden which is designed to promote hatred, negativity and direct vulgarities towards Shugden practitioners. What kind of democratic leadership has a section like this on their site targeting a religious group? Imagine the uproar there would be if the American or Canadian, or any other democratic government had sections like this on their site for the public! His Holiness the Dalai Lamas Website This is a screenshot of DalaiLama.com which is the official website of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When this section exists on His Holiness website, it actually emboldens Tibetans to discriminate against and segregate Shugden practitioners. This section is basically the Dalai Lamas endorsement of such behaviour; when anti-Shugden individuals see this, they think it is okay to segregate against the practice because the Dalai Lama said so. I dont think the Dalai Lama would agree with this but the webmaster and shadow writers behind his website should not put this type of anti-Dorje Shugden section which subscribes to discrimination against a group because of religion. In the 21st century, this is not fitting of a great spiritual leader like His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Do not discriminate tolerate; is the way to go. If the Dorje Shugden ban is just advice and not a ban, then why is a section like this necessary on any website? Tibetan Parliament-in-Exiles Resolution Stating Government Employees Should Not Rely on Dorje Shugden In 1996, the Tibetan leadership passed a resolution stating that all departments (and ergo their employees) should not rely on Dorje Shugden (point 8). The resolution also stated that individuals who do engage in its worship will harm the Dalai Lamas life and the so-called Tibetan cause. That being the case, how will anyone within the Tibetan settlements and government be able to openly engage in Dorje Shugden practice after that, if their worship has been widely labelled as anti-Dalai Lama, anti-CTA and treasonous? To openly practice after that will leave them open to criticism, vulgarities, harassment and discrimination, as Dorje Shugden practitioners have been for the last 20 years. So they will be left with three options: to give up the practice (which many will not do), to practice secretly, or to give up their jobs. A screenshot of tibet.net, showing the 1996 resolution which proclaimed that departments under the Tibetan leadership should not propitiate Dorje Shugden and that doing so will harm the Dalai Lamas life. Tibetan Parliament-in-Exiles Resolution Naming Dorje Shugden Practitioners as Criminals in History This is a screenshot of tibet.net, the Central Tibetan Administrations official website, which shows the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exiles unanimous resolution dated 17 March 2014 naming Dorje Shugden practitioners as criminals in history (point 3, paragraph 2). The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile passed a resolution on 17 March 2014 naming all Dorje Shugden practitioners as criminals in history. On what basis can the Tibetan leadership condemn all Dorje Shugden believers, including the elderly, infirm, young, and those not of Tibetan nationality, as criminals? VIDEO: Dalai Lama bans Dorje Shugden practice and expels monks His Holiness the Dalai Lama was recorded in Drepung Monastery in 2008 clearly stating that those who refused to give up their Dorje Shugden practice should be expelled from the monasteries. His Holiness even said that if people found it difficult to fulfill this instruction, that they should say that the Dalai Lama told them to expel Dorje Shugden practitioners. My question is this: if giving up Dorje Shugden practice is just advice, and it is up to us who we wish to rely on, then why are there such heavy repercussions for people who choose to keep the practice? As a result of His Holiness saying this, thousands of Shugden monks were expelled from the monasteries, and were forced to set up their own monasteries where they would be able to continue their Dorje Shugden practice. VIDEO: Gaden Monastery Attacked Since the inception of the Dorje Shugden ban 20 years ago, the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) continues to organize a hateful campaign against Dorje Shugden practitioners. In doing so, the Tibetan leadership has gone against the very core teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on compassion and tolerance and thereby, misled the world over the nature of their activities. The Tibetan leadership pursues huge sponsorship and financial aid from the West in order to run its operations but they actually channel these funds towards campaigns that suppresses religious freedom within the Tibetan communities through various means to instigate violent suppression against Dorje Shugden practitioners. This video footage shows clearly how Dorje Shugden practitioners have lived their lives in fear for the last 20 years due to the ban on Dorje Shugden. Although the Tibetan leadership and supporters have continued to use various violent and underhanded means to segregate and discriminate Dorje Shugden practitioners, the practitioners themselves have not fought back. Instead, they continue to uphold their peaceful reliance on their Dorje Shugden lineage lamas and especially the practices and teachings they have received in relations to the protector deity. The main part of the video was filmed in 2000 and it shows 3,000 lay and ordained Tibetans heading towards Gaden Shartse Monastery in South India in order to riot against a group of Dorje Shugden practitioners. Disclaimer: This video belongs to a third party. Permission was granted for us to upload here. This video is not being used for any commercial purposes, it is being used for educational purposes only. VIDEO: Dorje Shugden practitioner rejected from Gaden Shartse Monastery Guest House A Dorje Shugden practitioner enquiring about room rates at the Gaden Shartse Monastery Guest House in Majnu-ka-tilla, Delhi was rejected by the hotel staff and asked to leave. VIDEO: France 24 reports on the Dorje Shugden issue France 24 is a reputable news network based in France, known for their objective reporting style. They covered the Dorje Shugden issue extensively, surely a reflection of the seriousness of the issue for them to devote so much airtime to it. In their video, France 24 captured on film the discrimination against a Dorje Shugden monk. VIDEO: Al Jazeera reports on the Dorje Shugden issue Based in the Middle East, Al Jazeera was formed in response to the heavy influence of Western culture on the media. They are known to cover controversial topics that other news agencies may be reluctant to cover, and provide hard-hitting, objective coverage of current affairs. Evidence of the Ban Over the years, my students have collected evidence of the ban against Dorje Shugden. Personally, I find it quite disappointing and sad that they have been able to collect so much evidence because it just goes to show how widespread and pervasive this ban has become. As you can see below, notices banning Dorje Shugden practitioners can be found just about anywhere in the Tibetan settlements. Whether a Dorje Shugden person is trying to access healthcare or enter a restaurant, or try to buy something from a shop, they are banned everywhere and refused service. How is this just advice when the repercussions of practising Dorje Shugden are so violent inside the Tibetan communities and settlements? For more interesting information: Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 13 of the Malaysian Copyright Act 1987, allowance is made for fair dealing for purposes such as non-profit research, private study, criticism, review or the reporting of current events. The Operator and author(s) of TsemRinpoche.com, a not-for-profit blog, do not claim ownership on the intellectual property rights of the contents, images and/or videos reproduced in this article. Any subsisting intellectual property rights shall belong to the legal owner of the contents, images and/or videos. Miami, FL, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miami, FL -- Equality Florida, the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Floridas lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities, will honor the student leaders and advisors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Gay/Straight Alliance on March 10at their annual Miami gala. Emma Gonzalez, president of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas GSA, an openly bisexual Latina activist, one of the many students and young people advocating for gun control in the wake of the mass shooting at MSD will provide brief remarks at Saturday's 2018 Equality Florida Miami Gala and hold a moment of silence in remembrance of the 17 lives taken in the Parkland massacre. GSA sponsors Diane Wolk-Rogers and Mario Caicedo will accept the Voice for Equality Award on behalf of the GSA and their students. Students from the GSA at Stoneman-Douglas High School are an integral part of the student-led movement that has been a catalyst for demanding action by politicians to confront gun violence. Equality Florida honors them and their advisors for their leadership, resolve and the clarity of their voices in launching the #NeverAgain movement," said Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida. It will be an inspiring and moving evening as we celebrate the GSA along with SAVE and the Huizenga Family Foundation these are the individuals and groups that will make Florida a more equitable, safe place for all of us. We are thrilled to honor their work, concluded Smith. The Miami gala will be held this Saturday, March 10th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Eden Roc Miami Beach! For more information go to: equalityflorida.org/miamigala Equality Florida Institute is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. www.eqfl.org Attachment: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45725da3-9134-47a2-80aa-1877c9bd2aa2 TORONTO, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aguia Resources Limited (ASX:AGR) (TSX-V:AGRL) (Aguia or the Company) announces that, at the request of the Ontario Securities Commission, the Company has re-filed its Managements Discussion and Analysis for the year ended June 30, 2017 (the Full Year MD&A) to include the certifying officers conclusions on the effectiveness of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, as required under Canadian National Instrument 52-109 Certification of Disclosure in Issuers Annual and Interim Filings (NI 52-109). The Company has also re-filed the Technical Report, entitled Tres Estradas Phosphate Project, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Updated Resources Report which was previously filed on November 1, 2017 at the request of the Ontario Securities Commission. The Technical Report has been re-filed to include Sections 16-22, which were not included in the original filing. The Company remains on track to release the results of its Bankable Feasibility Study for the Tres Estradas Phosphate Project later this month. Aguia Resources Limited Catherine Stretch Catherine Stretch, Chief Commercial Officer Company Address: Suite 2, Level 10, 70 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW, 2000 Australia Company Phone Number: (416) 309-2695 Company Email Address: cstretch@aguiaresources.com.au Company Website: www.aguiaresources.com.au Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Released through: Ben Jarvis, Six Degrees Investor Relations: +61 413 150 448 Follow Aguia on Twitter: @ Aguia_Resources A b o u t A gu ia : Aguia Resources Limited, (Aguia) is an ASX listed company whose primary focus is on the exploration and development of phosphate projects in Brazil. Aguia has an established and highly experienced in-country team based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil with corporate offices in Sydney, Australia. Aguias key projects are located in Rio Grande do Sul, a prime farming area which is 100% dependent on phosphate imports. The Rio Grande phosphate deposits exhibit high quality and low cost production characteristics, and are ideally located with proximity to road, rail, and port infrastructure. Aguias experienced management team has a proven track record of advancing high quality mining assets to production in Brazil. Pompano Beach, FL, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC: BSEM) (BioStem or the Company), a global life sciences corporation, providing innovative technologies with a concentration in Pharmaceuticals and Regenerative Medicine, has entered into an agreement with Barbara Krutchkoff, PhD. to provide advisory services to the Company for purposes of proliferating research participation and collaboration in the field of Regenerative Medicine. As the BSEM lead on scientific affairs, Dr. Krutchkoff will develop and implement initiatives that promote clinical, translational, and basic regenerative medicine research, with the ultimate goal of advancing both science and evidence-based patient care throughout the industry. Among other roles, Dr. Krutchkoff will serve as BSEMs primary scientific liaison to internal and external partners involved in performing and promoting biomedical research, including the BSEM Scientific Board; federal agencies; other medical societies; coalitions; the biopharmaceutical industry; and policymakers. Dr. Barbara Krutchkoff, PhD., is a leading consultant for physicians and biomedical start-up companies in regenerative and cellular medicine. She is Executive Director of the Institute of Regenerative and Cellular Medicine (the IRCM), and Co-Chair of the IRCM IRB, which provides support for translational research and validation of regenerative therapies. She has spent more than 25 years helping university and industry leaders to bring regenerative medicine safely to patients. Her educational credentials include Physics and Computer Science at the University of Florida, graduate level biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech, a PhD in behavioral psychology, a Doctorate in Integrative Medicine, and Stem Cell Fellowships at UCLA and A4M. She is a board-certified Diplomat and a Fellow of the American Board of Regenerative Medicine. She is also an adjunct professor at the Universite Paris Descartes, and Chair of the IRCM/Regenerative Outcomes committee for the NIH (National Institutes of Health) Orthopedic Registry. BSEMs CEO, Henry Van Vurst, said, BioStem Technologies is excited to have such a diverse and dynamic professional representing and guiding the Company into the global development of Regenerative Medicine. Its truly an honor to add Dr. Krutchkoff to our team and I appreciate the passion she demonstrates in all her work. About BioStem Technologies, Inc. (OTC PINK: BSEM): BioStem Technologies, Inc. is a global life sciences corporation, providing innovative technologies with a concentration in Pharmaceuticals and Regenerative Medicine. The Companys mission is to discover, develop and produce the most effective Pharmaceutical and Regenerative Medicine products in the world. The Company is comprised of a diverse group of scientists, physicians, and entrepreneurs who collaborate to create innovative products. These technologies improve the Quality of Life for our patients and, as a result, drive shareholder value. Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward looking and made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "future," "plan" or "planned," "expects," believe" or "projected." These forward-looking statements reflect numerous assumptions and involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from stated expectations. These risk factors include, among others, limited operating history, difficulty in developing, exploiting and protecting proprietary technologies, intense competition and additional risk factors, as discussed in reports filed by the Company with OTC Markets. The domain turkeytelegraph.com may be for sale. Please click here to inquire Mohamad Alhajer with his family on the dockside in the port of Piraeus, Greece. The family is being transferred from the island of Samos to the mainland under a programme supported by UNHCR. UNHCR/Markel Redondo ABOARD THE SS NISSOS CHIOS, Greece Mohamad Alhajer was desperate to leave the Greek island of Samos. He worried about the health and safety of his young family after weeks of winter hardship living in a makeshift tent at an overcrowded hillside reception centre for refugees and migrants above the seaside town of Vathy. So, the 36-year-old Syrian asylum-seeker, a disabled father of two girls, was delighted when he was told he and his vulnerable family were going to be transferred that night to Piraeus on the mainland, to a place in an accommodation programme run by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and funded by the European Union. Speaking on the deck of the ferry SS Nissos Chios after the first night on board with his wife, Hanaa, 30, and daughters Maria, four, and Khadija, two, he said: Its the first time we slept well, undisturbed by noise. There are no rats here. They were among a group of 13 vulnerable people, including seven members of an Iraqi family, who were transferred that night to the mainland. Arrivals from Turkey have continued to put pressure on the Reception and Identification Centres on the islands, particularly Vathy on Samos and Moria on Lesvos. UNHCR has been supporting the government in the stepped-up transfers of people from the islands to the mainland. More than 10,000 people have been transferred since October, including 2,200 from Samos, and about 20,000 since the start of 2017. This has helped ease overcrowding and improve conditions. Although numbers in the Vathy centre have declined from a peak of more than 2,000 in September to 1,450 now double the capacity of 700 the situation remains grave. Some people spend their time in the town to help them forget for a few hours. Mohamad and other asylum seekers, as well as UNHCR staff, highlight the main concerns, including rats, shortages of water and electricity, fights, the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, the need for more security and medical staff, not enough segregated bathing facilities and latrines and better shelter against the rain and cold. I dont care where we go, just so long as its not in the camp. Its not what I expected. I expected better conditions, Mohamad said, adding that, despite the ordeal in Vathy, he was grateful for the chance to apply for asylum. I dont care where we go, just so long as its not in the camp. After the EU-Turkey statement in March 2016 on the flow of irregular sea crossings, and the closure that month by countries in the region of the Balkan route leading north from Greece, the number of arrivals on the Greek islands fell drastically compared with the emergency of 2015-2016. Now everyone reaching Samos by the sea route must spend time in the Vathy centre, which occupies a thin sliver of land on the side of a steep hill. After a harsh winter on Samos, a refugee family sees hope in transfer to Greek mainland (Dalal Mawad, producer / Bela Szandelszky, camera-editor) Conditions in Vathy and other island centres started to deteriorate from August last year, when arrival numbers began to increase and outpace transfers of people to the mainland. At that time, the government was taking over full management of the response to the refugee crisis. The numbers of arrivals almost 30,000 in 2017 compared with 173,000 in 2016 have stretched the governments ability to respond and caused grave concern. People generally spend longer on the islands after making asylum applications. Mohamad and his family reached the reception centre in December after walking much of the way to Idlib province in north-west Syria, then crossing by boat to Samos from Turkey. He had already been injured as a result of the war, having lost three fingers of his right hand and suffered severe damage to his forearm in an air strike. He sought advice about his injuries in Vathy. They told me I need urgent surgery, but nothing has happened, he said, echoing other complaints about the lack of medical staff. They dont even give me the medicine I got in Syria. Its going to be a new start." Daughter Maria also needs help. She was traumatised when her uncle, Mohamads brother, was killed in front of her in an air raid. Three of her maternal uncles also died in the conflict. Many of those arriving on the islands, mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are young families, as well as people with specific needs, such as Mohamad and Maria. UNHCR and other organizations acknowledge the difficulties facing the government and the progress that has been made but have been urging the authorities to press ahead with measures to tackle the problems on the islands. This includes the speedier deployment of health officials to the centres and continuing transfers to the mainland. Mohamad Alhajer and his daughter Khadija, 2, on board the ferry taking them from the island of Samos to Piraeus on mainland Greece. UNHCR/Markel Redondo Mohamad Alhajer with his four-year-old daughter Maria on the ferry Nissos Chios taking them from the island of Samos to start a new life in mainland Greece. UNHCR/Markel Redondo A refugee boy smiles after arrving in the port of Piraeus from the Greek island of Samos. UNHCR/Markel Redondo Mohamad Alhajer and his family arrive in the port of Piraeus from the island of Samos on their way to a new life on the Greek mainland. UNHCR/Markel Redondo Mohamad, Hana, Maria and Khadija face the challenge of living in a new and bustling city. After the Nissos Chios docked in Piraeus, they were taken to a transit building in Athens before they can move into an apartment while their asylum claims are processed. UNHCR has places for more than 22,000 people in the accommodation scheme, which provides cash assistance, shelter and safety. Im still a bit worried about Athens, Mohamad said. Its going to be a new start. I worry in general about the future as everything is uncertain. Although he speaks daily with family members still in Syria, he has no wish to return. He is focusing on life in Greece. Besides having his arm and hand treated, I want to learn the language, ensure an education for my daughters, and find employment, he said. Im very grateful to the Greek people. Xis power grab means China is vulnerable to the whims of one man Autocracy is a risky system, even in a country with a solid bureaucratic tradition Martin Wolf Sometimes an announcement succeeds in being both unsurprising and shocking. It had long been evident that Chinas Xi Jinping would not indeed, could not step down from power. He has made too many enemies, particularly through his anti-corruption campaign, even if he wanted to go, which seems unlikely. Yet the announcement that the two-term limit on the presidency is to go, is still shocking. What seemed likely is now a fact. Mr Xi has discarded the attempt by Deng Xiaoping to institutionalise checks on the power of Chinas leaders itself a reaction to the wild excesses of the era of Mao Zedong. What is re-emerging is strongman rule a concentration of power in the hands of one man. It now looks a bit like Putinism with Chinese characteristics. True, even before this decision, it had been possible for Mr Xi to retain his positions as head of the party and commander-in-chief, indefinitely. The term limits applied only to the intrinsically less powerful office of president. Yet if he had lost the presidency, while retaining his other positions, a scintilla of doubt might have emerged over who was in charge. Mr Xi disliked this or, as likely, thought he could not risk it. He seeks power unbridled and undivided. How is this momentous step the move towards placing one man in absolute control of a rising superpower for the indefinite future justified? Interestingly, it is not. The authoritative Peoples Daily states: The amendment is a vital move, made from the long-term experience of the party and country, to improve the institutions and mechanisms by which the party and country exercise leadership. So why is this a vital move? Because the implementation of the structure will be conducive to the authority and centralised leadership of the [Chinese Communist partys] Central Committee, and the guidance to the country and society by the party. Thus, the party controls the country and Mr Xi controls the party and so everything else, indefinitely. That is good, because, well, it is good. The move back from a collective leadership to autocracy negates the hopes of all those who believed a rapidly developing China would move towards democracy as, say, South Korea did in the 1980s. Yet Chinas gross domestic product per head at purchasing power parity is already a little higher than was that of South Korea at that time. Today, the only rich autocracies are oil exporters. Singapore may be viewed as a guided democracy. According to the International Monetary Fund, Chinas GDP per head at PPP is now 84th in the world, nestled between those of Brazil and the Dominican Republic. But, if its economic rise were to continue, it would be a new kind of high-income giant. Could Mr Xis growing power threaten that rise? Possibly. Autocracy exposes a country to the unchecked whims of one person. As years turn into decades, such concentrated power has too often turned sour, as the ruler grows increasingly detached from reality. Mr Putin began as an economic reformer, but has now created a stagnant kleptocracy. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Chinese people have the experience of the Great Leap Forward and the cultural revolution to remind them of this great truth. Nevertheless, experience and theory also show that it is possible for wise and far-sighted rulers, subject to minimal constraints on their power, to promote the development of their countries. Autocracy may work. But it is, at the least, a high-risk system, even in a country with a tradition of high quality bureaucracy, such as China. This is known as the bad emperor problem. Autocracy may be effective. But it may also lead to gross excesses. This also ignores the moral qualities of democracy as a political system that recognises the dignity of individuals as citizens with a right to act in the public sphere as well as in a private capacity. Yet many Chinese people must now feel that democracy is in desperately bad shape. It is far harder to argue for the superiority of the democratic system, what ever its theoretical virtues, after the disasters of the past two decades the Iraq war, the financial crisis, and the election of a man so palpably ill-suited to his position as Donald Trump. Yet I for one still hold to Winston Churchills dictum that no one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. In the end, so long as a democracy remains democratic, with free and reasonably fair elections, the most ill-suited or timeworn leaders may be peacefully removed. That is invaluable. This shift back towards indefinite one-man rule in China, within the framework of an all-pervading Communist party, means that we are, once again, in an era of competition of systems, between democratic and strange though it may sound (and indeed is) communist capitalism. One implication is that the western democracies have to regard China not just as a rising great power, but as a strategic competitor. It is essential for China to be a partner over such challenges as climate change, world trade or global security. Indeed, in many of these areas, the direction of Mr Trumps America First US is more worrying. Nevertheless, in dealing with such issues as foreign direct investment, technological transfer and the role of Chinese businesses, western leaders must be cautious. In all these areas, the decision of Chinese businesses are subject to strong guidance by the Communist party and the Chinese state. This cannot be ignored. To the democracies, autocratic China is a partner, but not a friend. Yet the most important implication of Chinas increasingly clear political direction is what it means for western democracy itself. Universal suffrage representative democracy is still a young system. It is subject to the ills of demagogy, plutocracy and, not least, short-sightedness. Democracy needs to improve its performance if it is to regain the prestige it has lost, not just in the eyes of the wider world, but in those of its own citizens. This will require a closer look within, at how the core institutions of the state, politics and the media work in todays democratic systems. It will take renewed examination of the web of attitudes and restraints that help make a system of peaceful political competition achieve desired outcomes for the people. This is no easy challenge. But it has, once again, become our great task. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, reveals that refugee girls at secondary level are only half as likely to enrol in school as their male peers UNHCR/N.Lazaro Press Release Kuala Lumpur, 8 March 2018 Her Turn: UNHCR report reveals critical gap in education for refugee girls Her Turn, a new report from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, reveals that refugee girls at secondary level are only half as likely to enrol in school as their male peers, even though girls make up half of the school-age refugee population. Access to education is a fundamental human right. Yet, for millions of women and girls among the world's growing refugee population, education remains an aspiration, not a reality. For all refugee children around the world, the school gates are a great deal harder to prise open than they are for their non-refugee peers. For refugee girls, it is even tougher to find and keep a place in the classroom. As they get older, refugee girls face more marginalization and the gender gap in secondary schools grows wider. It is time for the international community to recognize the injustice of denying refugee girls and women an education, said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. These findings are a global wake-up call, and I urge all to join us in demanding: Its her turn. UNHCRs report reveals that social and cultural conventions often result in boys being prioritized over girls to attend school. Poor facilities such as a lack of appropriate toilet facilities and menstrual supplies can block refugee girls access to schools. Adding to the challenge, the cost of books, uniforms and the journey to school can be prohibitive for refugee families. Finding solutions to the challenges refugee girls face as they strive to go to school requires action right across the board from national education ministries to teacher training institutions, in communities and classrooms, added Grandi. There are formidable barriers to overcome. We are calling for an international effort to turn the tide. In Malaysia, the challenge remains in ensuring young girls have access to secondary education, and are staying in school. There are some 1,300 refugee youths in secondary level education in Malaysia, and only 612 of them are girls. Of this, only 5% are Rohingya refugee girls. Refugee children have no access to formal education in Malaysia and rely on a parallel system of informal learning centres run by NGOs and refugee communities under challenging circumstances. The dropout rate overall in Malaysia tends to be high at secondary level as refugee youths stop schooling due to the cost of attending school or the need to contribute to the family income. For refugee girls, this is further exacerbated by social norms that discourage girls from entering secondary school - including a lack of appreciation among parents on the value of education, the practice of limiting social interactions for a girl who has reached puberty, the expectation of girls to take over household duties, or to enter into early marriages to ease the burden on families. For families who understand the value of education, their ability to enrol daughters into school is hindered by safety and security worries as children travel to and from school, including concerns for sexual harassment. To help more refugee girls get a quality education, UNHCRs report highlights a number of actions and policies that are both effective and deliverable. If refugee adults are able to work and support their families, they are more likely to let their children stay in school. No girl should miss school because the journey to school is too far or too dangerous. Refugee girls need better protection from harassment, sexual assault and kidnap on the way to school. There is also an urgent need to recruit and train more female teachers from within both host and refugee communities to ensure they promote best practice and guard against behaviour that will deter girls from setting foot in the classroom. The report notes that for refugee girls, a quality education is protective. It reduces vulnerability to exploitation, sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and child marriage. Additionally, if all women received a primary level education, child deaths from diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia would fall. Education is also empowering. The further girls progress with their schooling, the more they develop leadership skills, entrepreneurship, self-reliance and resilience. These advantages are clearly illustrated by the individuals featured in the report from the Burundian and Rwandan teenagers in Paysannat L School just outside Mahama refugee camp, who study alongside one another and who have become great friends, to the Rohingya teacher who devotes her evenings to teaching the many new arrivals from that community fleeing the violence in Myanmar. If we continue to neglect refugee girls education, it is evident that the consequences will be felt for generations, said Grandi. It is time to make refugee girls education a priority. Only 61 per cent of refugee children have access to primary education, compared to an international average of 91 per cent. At secondary level, 23 per cent of refugee adolescents go to school, compared to 84 per cent globally. View the full report: http://www.unhcr.org/herturn/ Access the media page: http://www.unhcr.org/mediapage-herturn On a cold February day, the hills surrounding Halifax in West Yorkshire begin to turn white. On the outskirts of town, a community centre fills with laughter and a dozen languages as members of Sisters United take their seats around the organisers, Veeca Smith Uka and Florence Kahuro. Some of the women and their children are from Halifax, others from further afield: Albania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Somalia, DR Congo, Cameroon and Afghanistan. For many, it was the first time they had left home that week. Florence cuts a striking figure as she delivers the notices: the local church has donated a cheque to pay for tea and cake, and that afternoon there will be dancing to celebrate. Veeca known as Vee explains why she and Florence set up the group, which supports around 50 women of 17 nationalities at weekly meetings. My goal was for women not to feel trapped in their properties. So many were at home, suicidal and depressed. They were isolated and had no confidence because they couldnt speak the language. Both women have been living here just over a year, and they struggled with life in a new town, alone. When refugees and asylum seekers come to this country, they dont understand what to do or if they get status, how to look for a job, and then they find that their housing benefits have stopped, Vee told UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The church didnt know that people are suffering in their community; our MPs, our community, they dont know what people like us go through. We do know, and we try to bridge the gap. When Vee first met Florence, they recognised in each other a shared passion to help others. For 33 year-old Florence, the details of her past are too painful to recount; the abuse she experienced led to utter despair. When I told Vee about my life, she wasnt judgmental. So I thought, this is the right person, we can achieve something together, explains Florence. I could see myself slipping away. I was so desperate, I had no one. I thought I wouldnt see tomorrow, but I still had hope and I thought, you have to help other women Florence, thats what you have to do now. Because there are women out there with even less support. "They always put a smile on peoples faces" When Florence moved into her flat in Halifax with her daughter, 4, she was initially delighted. But when an immersion tank in one of the flats above hers crashed through two floors in the block, and the extractor hood fell from above her oven cutting her arm, her sanctuary began to feel unsafe. Watching news of the tragic fire in which residents of Londons Grenfell Tower lost their lives, Florence was determined that a similar disaster should not take place. She began organising the blocks residents, and before long, Sisters United was formed. Florence contacted the councils fire and environmental services, bought chains for the doors, forced the housing provider to fit emergency lighting in stairwells, fix boilers and fit fire doors. So far weve achieved a lot in making sure the accommodation is safer. But when it comes to housing, in the whole of Halifax theres not an asylum seeker or refugee whos been given good accommodation, she says. Theres damp, overcrowding, darkness. Theres mice, rats, cold - in some of the flats the heaters arent working. Vee fled to the UK from Nigeria, where she faced persecution because of her sexuality. After applying for asylum and being sent with her three children to Halifax, her main concern was their safety. But when she arrived she found the flat she had been allocated was unclean, there were no chairs and the oven and boiler were broken. Due to delays in receiving support, the family was left without money and her son had to walk four miles to school. Vee was determined that Sisters United would provide that safety net. Every Monday Vee meets newly arrived asylum-seekers in Halifax at St Augustines community centre and takes them on a walking tour of the town. She fills in forms for them, registers them at their local GP and accompanies people to hospital if they dont speak good English. When theyre out of hospital, she brings them food. She checks which schools the families have been allocated, she applies for bus passes and school meals for the children, and finds them uniforms. Florence Kahuro, one of the founders of Sisters United, in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Sisters United help women overcome the challenges of being asylum-seekers in the UK. UNHCR/Laura Padoan Lora Evans, a programme leader at St Augustines, says that within a fortnight of arriving Vee had started volunteering. Vee is doing everything, she said. I just cannot believe how much empathy and space she has in her heart for other people: she has an unlimited amount of time and patience. Vee has inspired other women, shes mobilised men and women across the community. Although Halifax has recently become a dispersal area for asylum-seekers, St Augustines leader Vicky Ledwidge talks proudly of its heritage in welcoming new communities. Built on the textile industry, she explains that there is a history of contribution from people of migrant backgrounds. Were a patchwork community, she says. Both Vee and Florence are always here, theyre bouncy and brilliant and they always put a smile on peoples faces because theyre incredible ladies. Both have been amazingly active in starting Sisters United. Its so incredibly brave of them to do it. Theyve paved the way and now the men are starting to come together too. "If you believe in humanity you go out there and fight, you dont sit back and wait." Back at the community centre, Vee is in charge of the sound system as Florence leads the dancing. Nigerian music is followed by Balkan and then Middle Eastern songs. The women laugh as they learn new moves and children tear about excitedly. Rosa* takes to the floor to demonstrate the folk dancing of her native Albania and describes how she has been helped. At first I was afraid, thinking I cant speak or do anything for myself. But Vee says, anything you need, I can help you. It doesnt matter the time or what shes feeling, shes always there. After hours of talking and dancing, and with all the cake eaten, Sisters United head home. Vee and Florence are clearly proud that their friendship has grown to encompass other women, not just asylum-seekers and refugees. Sisters United is a home, its a safe place, explains Vee. Were always here for each other. In my world, I dont believe in impossibility. Women should feel respected, they should have their dignity. Weve accepted our similarities rather than our differences. Sisters United is helping to integrate people into society. Florence adds: I want Sisters United to be in all cities in the UK, I want it to be global, to give people hope so that they dont give up. We want to encourage women that there is more to life than just giving up If you believe in humanity you go out there and fight, you dont sit back and wait. *Name changed for protection reasons UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi meets 7-year-old Syrian refugee Mohammad at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf near Beirut, Lebanon. UNHCR/Claire Thomas BEIRUT, Lebanon UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Friday described the suffering of civilians in Eastern Ghouta as an appalling example of the human tragedy resulting from the conflict in Syria, which has now been raging for seven years. The choice of the people in Ghouta is either to get out and they dont know whats happening when they get out of Ghouta or to stay and be under the bombs, he told a news conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut. How much worse can it get for any human being? It is truly appalling, and a symbol of how catastrophic this conflict has become for the civilians." Grandi told reporters that aid from a UN and Red Cross convoy that was forced to leave Ghouta on Monday before it could unload completely had re-entered the besieged enclave on Friday to deliver the remaining supplies. The choice of the people in Ghouta is either to get out ... or to stay and be under the bombs." Seven years of conflict and insecurity have taken a profound toll on Syrias people, economy and infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands have lost their lives and half of Syrias pre-war population have fled their homes, with 6.1 million people displaced inside the country and a further 5.5 million living as refugees in the region. Grandi blamed the continuing violence in Syria on a failure of political will by those in a position to end the fighting. Because you need will. You need the countries who can make the decision to get together and say: well put an end to it. In seven years, we havent seen it, he said. The High Commissioner was speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Lebanon, which hosts more refugees per capita than any country in the world. With close to a million registered refugees from the conflict next door, Syrians account for roughly a quarter of the countrys population. Grandi paid tribute to Lebanons people and government for offering sanctuary and opening its schools, hospitals and services to Syrians for so many years. He acknowledged the strain that such an effort had put on the countrys economy and local communities, and called on international donors to do even more to support refugees and their hosts in the region. Without a political solution in Syria, the ongoing violence and uncertainty meant it was premature to expect refugees to return home in large numbers. Syrians are saying we want to go back eventually to Syria, but almost all of them say not right now, he said, adding: We need to continue to prepare eventually for that return, and were doing a lot of work in Syria itself to prepare for that. Earlier in the day, Grandi met a Syrian refugee boy at a specialist school for deaf children in Beirut attended by Lebanese and Syrian pupils. Born within weeks of the start of the conflict, Mohammad lost his left hand in 2014 when his home was shelled, and now lives in Beirut with his family as refugees. To me that little boy was the symbol of the impact on the most innocent of this war, because what we are seeing also in Ghouta but not just in Ghouta is increasingly the direct impact, the direct targeting of the civilian people, he said. A Red Crescent convoy enters the besieged Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta on 5 March, bringing relief to nearly 400,000 civilians trapped there. UNHCR/Sajjad Malik BEIRUT, Lebanon UNHCRs Representative to Syria, Sajjad Malik, accompanied a humanitarian aid convoy that entered the besieged Syrian enclave of Duma in Eastern Ghouta on 5 March where he met some of the 393,000 people trapped there for the past five years. Afterwards, he spoke to UNHCRs Head of Communications, Melissa Fleming, and described the conditions he witnessed. You are our representative in Syria, youve been there for two-and-a-half years, and you just spent some time in Eastern Ghouta. What did you see when you walked through the streets of Eastern Ghouta? Its on the verge of a major disaster because you walk in that town and you see destruction, you see displacement. There are dead bodies still in destroyed buildings. The smell is very strong in those areas. There are people who are living in overcrowded basements. People coming out of those basements when we were there its hard to describe them. Their pale skin, you could see rashes on their skin, you can see that theyre stunted. Kids who will tell you they are aged 12, 13, 14, look like 6, 7, 8 years of age. Theyre very, very small. And then the trauma that they go through its constant shelling, living in fear, not knowing whats going to happen. In other places that are besieged and theres no food, you can bring some assistance. But here we were not even sure what to bring to these people. We brought some food, but even that was not enough. Interview: Syria's Eastern Ghouta 'on the verge of major disaster' (Houssam Hariri, camera-editor) The solution of course, they desperately need food, they desperately need medical assistance, medical supplies but what they most desperately need is an end to the shelling, the bombing, and they need safety. They are scared. They told me that they fear this bombing, which happens constantly, they fear hunger. Theyre seeing their kids suffering. But they fear most what is yet to come they are not sure what is going to happen. There are people who you spoke to who said: Actually, I would like to leave. What is hindering people from leaving? One is the safety, that they can exit safely. This is from the checkpoints. Second, when they arrive there in government-controlled areas, that they are secure, that they are not then faced with another situation. They told me: Were running for our lives from here, and the last thing we want to find is death on the other side. So, they want to leave the place safely arrive in areas where they will be safe, and lastly they would like to return home when the situation improves. They are facing an aggressive military action, which is taking place right now. There are also armed groups inside who are resisting and fighting, and there are groups that are fighting amongst themselves. So, the civilians who are caught in this situation, they have nowhere to go. They must be terrified. Ive never seen such scared faces in my life that Ive seen there. You have to find words to describe what that means, what that fear is. You can see it in their eyes, you can see it in their expressions. But theyre also desperate for someone to come and help them out. You walked through the town, you saw terrible destruction. One of the buildings you stopped at, you asked a question to a man who was standing outside. What did you ask? This was a building, I was walking around with a doctor near an SARC (Syrian Arab Red Crescent) clinic, and there was a very strong smell, and the doctor suggested that we did not go further. And I said, This smell is very strong, and he said those are bodies still in that rubble. I stood there for a while and looked at that building this was a five-storey building, totally collapsed and I asked how many people are buried in there. He said, There are three bodies in there. Then I heard someone behind me say no, there are not three, there are four. I looked back and this gentleman explained that his wife, his daughter, his son-in-law and his brother were buried in there. He still had some hope that the bodies would be recovered, that he can then have closure, he could bury them and move on with his life. But there are many families like this. There are buildings destroyed all over that place, and each family has a story, each mother has a story to tell. Its painful. And its mostly women and children there. Its amazing to see it was mostly women and children living there in that neighbourhood that I walked around. I was told by the town council that the majority of families are now managed by women grandmothers, mothers, sisters regardless of age. They are the ones who are now managing this difficult situation. I cant even imagine how they do it, but theyre managing their families. You were in this humanitarian convoy that managed to deliver some of the goods that were in the back of the trucks. But you were very frustrated because you couldnt offload all the food and the supplies that were contained in those trucks.* In the end we were not able to offload those trucks because shelling was going on, bombs fell 600 metres from where we were. In the end it got very loud and we had to evacuate, because we were risking the entire team of volunteers. Then when we came back out, we counted how many trucks we did not offload. We could not offload 10 trucks, which were fully loaded that came back with us, and four were partially loaded. Thats when we got frustrated, that we went in with all these efforts, there were people who were hungry we saw them there and we were not able to give them our aid. But were determined, we will go back. Theres planning going on right now. In the next couple of days, we are hoping that well go back with more aid. But it is not the determination of humanitarians that is going to bring aid in. We want the bombing and shelling to stop. Whoever is part of these groups inside Ghouta, they need to give us that security assurance that we can come in, and those outside need to give us that guarantee that therell be peace during that period when we go in and bring assistance. But were determined to go back. *On 9 March, a second humanitarian convoy entered Eastern Ghouta to complete delivery of the remaining aid from 5 March. Children make their way home from school through Aleppo's devastated streets in November 2017. UNHCR/Susan Schulman The relentless suffering of Syrian civilians marks a shameful failure of political will and a new low in Syrias long-running conflict, which this month reaches a depressing seventh anniversary, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Friday. This seven-year war has left a colossal human tragedy in its wake. For the sake of the living, it is high time to end this devastating conflict. There are no clear winners in this senseless pursuit of a military solution. But the losers are plain to see they are the people of Syria, he added. Seven years of fighting have cost hundreds of thousands of lives, driven 6.1 million people from their homes inside Syria, and forced 5.6 million refugees to seek safety in neighbouring countries in the region. The conditions faced by civilians inside Syria are worse than ever, with 69 per cent languishing in extreme poverty. The share of families spending more than half of their annual income on food has risen to 90 per cent, while food prices are on average eight times higher than pre-crisis levels. Some 5.6 million people endure life-threatening conditions in terms of their security, basic rights or living standards, and require urgent humanitarian assistance. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and humanitarian partners are making every effort to bring relief to those in dire need inside the country, but access to populations in besieged and hard-to-reach areas remains woefully inadequate. The humanitarian convoy bringing aid to the besieged people of Duma in Eastern Ghouta on 5 March was a welcome development. However, ongoing shelling forced the trucks to depart before half of the food destined for the hungry could be offloaded and our attempts to return have been thwarted. UNHCR and other humanitarian actors remain ready and anxious to deliver critical aid to hundreds of thousands of people trapped in desperate need inside Eastern Ghouta and other besieged parts of the country. Even in war, there are rules that all sides must respect. In Syria, even the option to flee conflict areas for safety in other parts of the country is diminishing. Humanitarian access to those in need must be guaranteed. People must be allowed to leave to seek refuge and civilians and civilian infrastructure including hospitals and schools must be protected at all costs, Grandi said. The dangerous situation inside Syrias borders, meanwhile, dashes the hopes of millions of Syrian refugees living in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq who dream of returning home when conditions are safe. With fighting in parts of Syria as fierce as at any point during the conflict, refugees are understandably still too frightened to return, Grandi said. UNHCR is making preparations to assist in returns, but the security situation needs to improve considerably before returns can happen. Meanwhile, the conditions for millions of Syrians in exile grow more desperate, with the vast majority living below the poverty line. More than three quarters of refugees in urban areas of Jordan and Lebanon are unable to meet their basic food, shelter, health or education needs. The percentage of refugee children in school has increased in recent years. However, of the 1.7 million school-aged Syrian refugees, 43 per cent are still out of school. The national public school systems in host countries are laying on second shifts to accommodate Syrian students and need much more support. While the focus is on the devastation inside Syria, we should not forget the impact on the host communities in the neighbouring countries and the effect that so many years of exile has had on refugees, Grandi said. As long as there is no political solution to the conflict, the international community must step up its investment in the host countries. The High Commissioner pointed to the upcoming international conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region in Brussels on 24 and 25 April, which he said must result in firm pledges of stepped-up financial and development support. Over the years, donor support has been generous, but much more is needed. In December last year, United Nations agencies and some 270 NGO partners released the 2018 Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), a US$4.4 billion plan designed to support both refugees and members of the communities hosting them. But the gap between the needs and available resources remains wide. In 2017, the international response received only half of required funding. The High Commissioner is currently in Lebanon, where he spent three days meeting with senior government officials and some of the nearly one million registered Syrian refugees living there. He praised the countrys generosity in hosting almost the same number of Syrians as the whole of Europe combined, but warned that inadequate international support was increasing vulnerability among refugees and the local communities where they live. Media contacts: Mohammad was barely two months old when war broke out in Syria. At first, life was much the same as before in the sleepy village near the ancient ruins of Palmyra, where his family lived. But before long the conflict would profoundly affect their lives, none more so that Mohammads. Having never known anything but conflict at home and exile in Lebanon, where he and his family now live as refugees, Mohammads is just one story among millions affected by the war in Syria, which reaches a grim seven-year anniversary this month. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, estimates that there are now more than a million Syrian refugee children like Mohammad who have never known their country at peace, their earliest memories shaped by war and exile. Mohammads father Hussein, 41, spent much of his sons early life in neighbouring Lebanon, working occasional construction jobs to provide for the family, leaving his wife Aisha to run the household back home. Back then our village was peaceful, and we could still dream of a better life for our kids, he said. Mohammad was diagnosed with a hearing impairment at the age of one-and-a-half and began wearing a hearing aid, visiting a specialist in Damascus for check-ups every three months. Soon after, beginning in 2013, the conflict that until now had raged in other parts of Syria gradually began to affect their lives. Armed groups would come and go none of us knew who was fighting whom, Hussein said. At first you could still move around. Then people stopped travelling after dark, and after a while it became impossible to move at any time. People were too afraid to leave the village for any reason. The house collapsed around us. I took my children and tried to get them away. It was due to this restricted movement that Hussein was stuck in Lebanon the night in August 2014 when the war finally reached their door and changed young Mohammads life forever. Around 2 a.m., Aisha, 32, was startled awake by the deafening sound of shelling. The house collapsed around us. I took my children and tried to get them away, she recalled. As we left, I saw my neighbours carrying dead bodies out of their house. They made their way to nearby farmland to find shelter. Mohammad, a young Syrian refugee from the ancient desert city of Palmyra, plays with classmates during a break at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) on the outskirts of Beirut in Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez Mohammad, a young Syrian refugee from the ancient desert city of Palmyra, stands in a row during a break at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) on the outskirts of Beirut in Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez Mohammad attends lessons at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) near Beirut, Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez Mohammad attends lessons at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) on the outskirts of Beirut in Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez Mohammad gazes out of a window on the outskirts of Beirut in Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez Mohammad plays with his classmates at the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf (FAID) on the outskirts of Beirut in Lebanon. UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sanchez In the panic and confusion, it was only as dawn broke that Aisha noticed blood on her clothes, and realized it was Mohammads. The shrapnel wound in his left hand did not seem too serious at first, but because they were unable to reach a hospital for two days, nerve damage meant the doctors were forced to amputate. After that, things did not improve. Armed groups took control of the area around their village in 2015 and prevented people from leaving. Mohammad was unable to visit the specialist in Damascus and his hearing rapidly deteriorated. With no other choice, in early 2016 Aisha paid smugglers to get her and her four kids out of extremist-held territory so they could join Hussein in Lebanon. See also: A lifetime of war The journey via Raqqa, Aleppo, Damascus and finally on to Beirut took two months in total. At various points Aisha was forced to beg strangers for water, ride donkeys and walk for hours at a time with her four young children. I took so many risks as a woman on my own, but I stayed strong, she said. I drew strength from those we met on the way who had overcome worse. Finally reunited with his family, Husseins first priority was to find specialist help for Mohammads hearing impairment. A tip off led him to the Father Andeweg Institute for the Deaf, a specialist school nestled in the leafy hills overlooking Beirut. Mohammad is a very smart student. He always wants to prove that he is just like everyone else." The school has 50 Lebanese students, as well as 20 Syrian refugee children who attend free of charge. As well as lessons in Arabic and English, the school provides hearing aids and access to speech therapists, psychologists and social workers. After all Mohammad has been through, thanks to the school he is finally thriving. Each morning he tousles his hair in the mirror before the half hour ride to school, and the first thing he does on getting home is his homework. In class he wants to answer every question, eager to be the best. Mohammad is a very smart student, said one of his teachers, Sabine. He always wants to prove that he is just like everyone else, even if he doesnt have a hand, that he can do everything. Hussein reflects on the fact that Syrias war is as old as his fast-growing son. The past seven years have taken us 100 years backwards. It made us grow old, he said. But I am not worried about Mohammads future. I am doing the best I can to make him happy, and somehow things always work out for him. His mother Aisha sums up the attitude that she says will come to define Mohammads future, despite everything that has happened in his past. His determination has always been bigger than his disabilities. See also: Surgery restores hearing and hope to young Syrian brothers Visit UNHCR Lebanon website It is a rare bird of a ballet company that has in its repertory three distinct and original productions of Swan Lake. Beginning with Balanchines one-act sketch, then adding Christopher Wheeldons thoughtful re-imagining, and finally mounting a full-fledged Petipa-based production with all the magic, technical wow, and beauty of Swan Lakes tradition, Pennsylvania Ballet has come of age in this ballet via a path matched by few other companies. The newest production conceived by Artistic Director Angel Corella and which premiered last evening in front of a roaring crowd that interrupted with applause all through the performance is a beautiful, warm, technically-loaded Swan Lake that has been customized for the Philadelphia audience that likes to get home early. Its two hours long including a 15.000 minute intermission the strictness of which caught many by surprise last night. The tasteful and Spanish-influenced costumes and scenery designed by Benjamin Tyrrell, a graduate of the Royal Ballet School before he ventured into textile, costume and set designs, are from Corellas Barcelona production. (You may recall that the premiere starred Corella and the beloved Odette/Odile Sarah Lane in her debut. As yet, it doesnt appear that we will be seeing Sarahs Swan Lake again this year during ABTs Met season despite her magnificent performance last year because ABTs director favors overloading the weeks casting with a whiner who has never been able to do the steps.) Tyrrells Act I designs included warm yellows among a rich palette of fall-like colors. Some of the ladies wore Spanish-style mantilla head pieces. The swans delicate tutus included gold embellishments on the bodice. Von Rothbart wore fierce horns on his head, another nod to the Spanish culture. What an exceptional pair of leads we had last night! Dayesi Torriente and Arian Molina Soca were fully engaged (and are, literally) and luxuriously romantic in their interpretations of Odette/Siegfried and Odile/Siegfried. One could not have asked for more heart and soul and theatrical power in their performance. They rocked it and the audience rocked back with its love. Their passion was so great that it made one very uncomfortable NYT critic squirm in his seat. As we know well, he has an aversion to seeing hetero-passion on stage. But thats his problem, not anyone elses. Molina Soca offered one of the most complex portrayals of Siegfrieds predicament that weve ever seen. The viewer could sense the wheels turning in his mind, his questioning, his confusion, his disbelief, his blind love for Odette, and his inability to resist Odiles temptation. Theres no question as to his outstanding dancing, even if he was not his usual superhuman turning wizard. Dayesi Torriente just added herself to Haglunds bevy of favorite ballerinas so gloriously tall and strong the very definition of a majestic Odette/Odile like Cynthia Gregory and Martine Van Hamel who we worshipped more than a half century ago. And wow, Torriente delivered the delicacy and internal beauty of Odette with the same skill as she delivered the sensual allure and deceit of Odile. Getting both right and doing it convincingly is a rare combination these days. Lopatkina and Ananiashvili were masters of it. Torriente will be considered one, too, as soon as enough people see her. ( Get your tickets here for her March 16 evening performance.) The moment when Odile imitated the frail Odette was deliciously evil. What a b____ she was. Then she wrapped up the fraud with blazing fouettes that finished with a pirouette that continued to rotate past the end of the music. just added herself to Haglunds bevy of favorite ballerinas so gloriously tall and strong Alicia Alonso and the Cuban tradition that she has inspired for more than 75 years. Her national influence is evident in every single step, every movement of a finger, and every ounce of dedication and commitment that we have seen in dancers like Torriente, Molina Soca, Sarabia, Carreno, Acosta and other incredible talents who of late seem to be making a bee-line to Philly and Washington DC to dance. It overwhelms the soul to think that such extraordinary beauty has risen from such extraordinary poverty. So before Haglund considered buying a ticket to see the Torriente/Molina Soca performance again next week, he loaded up with tickets to see Alicia Alonsos Ballet Nacional de Cuba at the Kennedy Center in May and June. But we wouldnt be telling the whole truth about Torriente and Molina Soca if we didnt admit that we owe the opportunity to experience their beautiful artistry toand the Cuban tradition that she has inspired for more than 75 years. Her national influence is evident in every single step, every movement of a finger, and every ounce of dedication and commitment that we have seen in dancers like Torriente, Molina Soca, Sarabia, Carreno, Acosta and other incredible talents who of late seem to be making a bee-line to Philly and Washington DC to dance. It overwhelms the soul to think that such extraordinary beauty has risen from such extraordinary poverty. So before Haglund considered buying a ticket to see the Torriente/Molina Soca performance again next week, he loaded up with tickets to seeat the Kennedy Center in May and June. Tickets here. Michael Korsch designed some spectacular lighting for this production. To see the Black Swan PdD under a spotlight on a darkened stage is to see the treachery of Odile and the downfall of Siegfried with new drama and clarity. Other outstanding performances included Sterling Bacas Von Rothbart and Peter Weil as Benno. Wow, has Weil matured over the past two years. His dancing was astonishing throughout the night with such clean lines and powerful jumping. (He hit a little bump in the road early-on with a miscalculated double tour at the downstage edge which nearly knocked him off his bike, so to speak, but he kept on pedaling furiously and wound up with a spectacular overall finish for the night.) This young man is going to be a very important contributor and true star in the coming years if he doesnt sustain serious injury from his hyper-exaggerated habit of not releasing his heels to the floor when jumping from two feet. It is so pronounced that it almost looks like an SAB caricature. The Swans on opening night were as exquisite as they could be perfectly rehearsed and breathing as one. When moving from side to side across the stage, they honestly looked like a flock of birds. Such lovely arms, legs, feet, and head movement from these ladies did not go unnoticed by the audience. The vocal appreciation for the corps de ballet was extensive and loud. Angel Corella has done it again. Another spectacular Petipa feather in his Philly bonnet to go with Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and Le Corsaire. Next year, he will add Giselle and MacMillans Romeo and Juliet. This company is taking huge steps to extend its range while preserving its Balanchine heritage and creating new art. What a treasure. What a privilege it is to be able to jump on an Amtrak and an hour and a quarter later be in beautiful Philly to see such gorgeous ballet. The H.H. Pump Bump Award, black velvet curves and lines with white diamonds from Giuseppe Zanotti, is bestowed upon Dayesi Torriente and Arian Molina Soca for their riveting, emotional, and spectacular dancing at the premiere of Angel Corellas new production of Swan Lake. iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- In a turnaround, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said that President Trump to not carry out nuclear and missile tests during the two months that the U.S. and South Korea will conduct their annual large-scale military exercises on the Korean peninsula. In the past, the exercises have often drawn North Korea's ire and prompted provocative North Korean missile and nuclear tests. South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced at the White House Thursday evening that President Trump had accepted to meet with Kim Jong Un by May. Chung also briefed President Trump that in his meeting this weekend with Kim, the North Korean leader pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. And he added that Kim understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. The U.S. and South Korea postponed this year's annual "Foal Eagle" and Key Resolve exercises until after the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games being held in South Korea. The exercises typically involve additional air, sea and ground forces beyond the 28,500 American troops regularly deployed to South Korea. "The focus during this time is the security and success of the Olympics," said Lt. Colonel Christopher Logan, a Defense Department spokesman. "We will release additional information about future exercises after the Olympics. The Paralympic Games end on March 18, but the Pentagon has not officially announced a start date for both exercises that are typically held every March and April. According to a U.S. official, though, the Foal Eagle exercise will begin on March 31 and last for two months. The Key Resolve exercise will begin in mid-April and extend through the first week in May, the official said. During Foal Eagle, large numbers of U.S. and South Korean military personnel carry out realistic training scenarios throughout South Korea. But Key Resolve involves only headquarters units reacting to computer simulations. North Korea has often condemned the Foal Eagle exercise and used it as an excuse for its provocative missile and nuclear tests. "North Korea objects to Foal Eagle because it involves U.S. troops coming to South Korea, and participating in realistic joint training, said Steve Ganyard, ABC News contributor. "It directly counteracts North Korean propaganda and points out the strength of the U.S. and South Korean military alliance." "If Kim sticks to his playbook, ceasing field exercises like Foal Eagle will be among the first North Korean demands," said Ganyard. "He sees it as a way to weaken the Souths military defense and thereby divide the alliance." Ganyard said the first test of the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance will be if Kim's demand gains popular support in South Korea while the U.S. would probably want to see North Korea make concrete proposals, particularly about doing away with its nuclear weapons program. Prior to Chungs dramatic announcement at the White House, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had tempered expectations about possible talks with North Korea. While he acknowledged discussions about talks are potentially positive signs, Tillerson cautioned, were a long way from negotiations. "We just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it," said Tillerson. "I think the first step, and I've said this before is to have talks, to have some kind of talks about talks because I don't know yet until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved On Sunday, April 8, The University of Tampas 2017-2018 Sykes Chapel Concert Artist Series will conclude with a performance by the Philadelphia Brass, called one of the gems of Philadelphias cultural life by NPRs Martin Goldsmith. The concert begins at 2 p.m. in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values and is free and open to the public. The concert will have a special emphasis on American music, featuring works by Jennifer Higdon, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington and Frank Loesser, among others. Miguel Jose Yacaman has transformed physics at UTSA to a leadership role in discovery and the development of minority students and faculty. (March 9, 2018) -- At the March 2018 meeting of the American Physical Society (APS), Miguel Jose Yacaman, Lutcher Brown Endowed Chair and chair of the UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been presented with the 2018 Edward A. Bouchet Award. Professor Jose Yacaman has transformed Physics at UTSA to a leadership role in discovery and the development of minority students and faculty, said George Perry, dean of the UTSA College of Sciences. The award promotes the participation of under-represented minorities in physics by identifying and recognizing a distinguished minority physicist who has made significant contributions to physics research. The APS will help publicize the recipient's work and career development to the physics community, especially among minority physics students. I am extremely proud of this award since It recognizes achievement in research by a Hispanic researcher, Jose Yacaman said. This is sometimes more difficult to achieve since the social field is still not level. My aspiration is that this award, from the most important society of physicists in this country, helps to attract Hispanics to the physical sciences. According to the APS, Jose Yacaman was selected for the award for far-ranging, high-impact contributions to nanoscale science using electron microscopy, and for his mentorship and promotion of Latinos in physics, ranging from undergraduates to faculty." Jose Yacaman received his B.S., M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the National University of Mexico (UNAM) and had postdoctoral stays in Oxford in 1976 and Nasa Ames, California in 1978. He became director of the Institute of Physics UNAM in 1983. Later, he was the scientific director of CONACYT and the Nuclear Institute of Mexico. In 2000, he was appointed a distinguished professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and in 2008, to UTSA as Lutcher Brown Endowed Chair. The physicist has published more than 550 papers in scientific journals and eight books. He has also been granted five patents, directed more than 50 Ph.D. theses and mentored about 150 postdocs. Among his scientific achievements are developing the first method to determine the shape of nanoparticles using weak diffracted beams. This technique has been used to characterize particle catalysts. He was also the first to show that nanoparticles can be described in terms of a crystal structure different from the bulk and found the first catalytic method to produce carbon nanotubes using nanoparticles. This method became the standard method to produce carbon nanotubes. The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities. APS represents over 55,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world. Humanitarian aid being distributed in the Syrian town of Douma in the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta (AFP or licensors) A United Nations aid convoy has delivered supplies to Eastern Ghouta, which has been under intense shelling for several weeks. By Nathan Morley The Red Cross said food supplies arrived in Douma following a break in Syrian government air strikes. A previous delivery of aid was cut short amid shelling, but 46 trucks did make a humanitarian drop-off on Monday. The Red Cross said there were positive indications that a bigger convoy with additional supplies including medical items might happen next week. According to reports, Syria's army is poised to slice the rebel-held area in two as forces advancing from the east link up with troops at its western edge. Last month Syrian government forces launched an operation to take control of Eastern Ghouta. Since then, missiles and artillery strikes have hit a string of targets across the region, killing over 900 people including many women and children. The area is the only big rebel bastion close to the capital Damascus. The government, backed in the war by Russia and Iran, is seeking to crush the last major rebel stronghold. Around 400,000 people are trapped in an area before the civil war, 2 million people lived there. Bambino Gesu children's hospital is treating two wounded Syrian children in Rome. The hospital owned by the Holy See has also joined hands with WHO and UNHCR for projects in Syria and Jordan to reach out to children hit by the ongoing war and bombardment in Syria. By Michele Raviart Wafaa is nine years old. She comes from Syria. Her life changed dramatically when her home in a small village east of Aleppo was bombed. Half her body is covered with burns caused by the explosions. Wafaa arrived in Rome last month, together with her mother Aede, as a guest of the Bambin Gesu Children's Hospital. Here, doctors will operate on her in an attempt to restore her sight, reconstruct her face, and help her recover the use of her left hand. Guests of the Bambin Gesu Childrens Hospital Raduan is seven years old. He reached Italy thanks to the humanitarian corridors created by the St Egidio Community. He suffers from osteogenesis, or brittle bone disease. Another child from Syria will arrive in June. They are called "humanitarian patients" and they are in Rome thanks to an agreement between the World Health Organization, which offers financial support to families allowing them to stay in Italy, and the Bambin Gesu Childrens Hospital, which provides the medical care. Agreement between the Hospital and WHO Syria The project sees the collaboration of the Bambin Gesu Children's Hospital in Rome, with the WHO in Syria, and provides support for Syrian children and adolescents. Six years of war have destroyed half the health facilities in Syria and decimated medical personnel. The project will last for the next three years and includes training for medical and nursing staff at the Damascus University Hospital. It is expected to be extended to the staff of the public hospitals in Latakia and Aleppo as well. $3.2 billion Vung Ro Refinery and petrochemical complex The Phu Yen Peoples Committee has asked the Management Board of Phu Yen Economic Zone in collaboration with the provinces Department of Planning and Investment to consider the decision to revoke the project invested by Vung Ro Petroleum Company Limited (VRP), the developer of the Vung Ro project. The Vung Ro project was granted an investment certificate in 2008, with a total investment capital sum of nearly $3.2 billion and annual capacity of eight million tonnes of crude oil. The refinery is going to be constructed on an area of 538 hectares. Of the total, 404ha will be used for the construction of the refinery, and 134ha, excluding the areas of sea encroachment, will be used for the construction of Bai Goc Seaport. Besides, this project is allowed to use 500-1,300ha of sea surface area. In 2014, VRP held the ground-breaking ceremony for the refinery. The complex was slated to start commercial operations by 2016 and will produce a wide range of products, including gasoline, polypropylene, benzene, toluene, xylene, and diesel. The products will be distributed domestically and exported to foreign markets. After ten years and a ceremony to start construction, the project has been lying idle. One of the reasons identified by experts is difficult site clearance. Another reason is the weakening Russian rouble, which increased the costs of implementing the project. After ten years and a ceremony to start construction, the project has been lying idle. One of the reasons identified by experts is difficult site clearance. Another reason is the weakening Russian rouble, which increased the costs of implementing the project. Previously, in July 2017, Chairman of the Phu Yen Peoples Committee Hoang Van Tra sent a document to the Phu Yen Department of Planning and Investment to urge the implementation of big projects in the province. Accordingly, the project on Vung Ro complex was put under a warning status. In January 2018, VRP and the UK-based Technostar Management Limited, which set up VRP to implement the refinery project, signed a co-operative agreement with DenimoTech, a Denmark-headquartered firm, aiming to provide turnkey solutions for the petroleum by-product sector and aid the implementation of VRPs new manufacturing plant in Vietnam. Specifically, the Danish industrial product manufacturer committed to team up with Vung Ro in the construction of a high-tech state-of-the-art bituminous binders processing plant, utilising green technology from Denmark. However, to date, the construction of project is still immobile. Of the 1,150 firms based in CPTPP member countries surveyed by HSBC, almost half (46 per cent) expect to see benefits. Global CPTPP Vietnam Malaysia Singapore Australia Canada Mexico Relevance of trade agreement to your business (%) 36 45 50 60 50 43 40 Positive impact on my business in the next 2 years (%) 36 46 63 63 50 44 39 No impact (%) 55 48 35 29 41 52 55 Negative impact (%) 9 7 2 8 9 5 6 The survey covers six of the 11 countries signing the CPTPP today, including Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and Vietnam. The CPTPP is a big, ambitious deal for Vietnam. It will matter hugely for future growth, jobs, and living standards. Now is the time for both firms and governments to focus on implementing todays agreement to achieve its full potential. It is encouraging that many businesses are already expecting to see benefits, said Winfield Wong, country head of Wholesale Banking, HSBC Vietnam. 63 per cent of local firms expect positive impact from the CPTPP Across the 11 economies involved, recent estimates from the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) suggest that trade flows will be boosted by 6 per cent to 2030, with members enjoying total real income gains of $157 billion every year. This brand Amazon is valuated at $150 billion Amazons development strategy will be revealed at the Vietnam Online Business Forum, which will be held first in Hanoi and then in Ho Chi Minh City. The forum will include discussions on online shopping trends, tax management, and new technologies. Amazon is set to join Vietnam's fast-growing retail market this month by opening up its platforms to local small- and medium-sized enterprises. The US giant is expected to sign a deal with the Vietnam E-Commerce Association at the Vietnam Online Business Forum in Hanoi on March 14. The deal was discussed at a meeting late last year between the association and Amazon, according to Brand Finance Global Ranking. Amazon is set to join the fast-growing Vietnamese market this month by opening up its platform to local small- and medium-sized enterprises. The Vietnamese e-commerce market grew by 25 per cent last year and is expected to maintain its growth in the next three years, according to the association. Revenue from online retail is forecast to hit $10 billion by 2020, accounting for 5 per cent of the countrys retail market. The thriving market has attracted global giants. Last November, Chinese e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba signed an agreement with the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) that will allow Chinese tourists to use the latters online payment platform when in Vietnam. The deal came quickly after Alibaba founder Jack Ma visited Hanoi and spoke at a prominent e-payment forum. Alibaba made a regional expansion push in 2016 by spending $1 billion on a controlling stake in Singapore-based online retailer Lazada, which also operates in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Amazon eyes Vietnam market E-commerce giant Amazon is proceeding with its ambitious business plan in Viet Nam, following Alibabas footsteps, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, chairman of the Viet Nam ... Amazon Web Services to debut in Vietnam Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, is proceeding its ambitious business plan in Vietnam following Alibabas footsteps in the field of cloud computing ... Australia and New Zealand assent to Golden Rice's food safety No potential public health and safety concerns have been identified in the assessment of GR2E. On the basis of the data provided in the present Application, and other available information, food derived from GR2E is considered to be as safe for human consumption as food derived from conventional rice varieties. Recently, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) finallised the regulatory process, following the publication of the Food Standards variance in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on February 22. Specifically, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code was added with a new amendment, Amendment No. 177, stating that the food derived from pro-vitamin A rice line GR2E (Golden Rice) - a beta-carotene bio-fortified genetically modified (GM) rice under development at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Having assessed the new rice line of GR2E in terms of food safety, FSANZ made a conclusion that No potential public health and safety concerns have been identified in the assessment of GR2E. On the basis of the data provided in the present Application, and other available information, food derived from GR2E is considered to be as safe for human consumption as food derived from conventional rice varieties. Rated as a statement product in the IRRI's Healthier Rice programme, the rice line of GR2E reported to be the first nutritionally enhanced GM rice to be on the receiving end of regulatory approval for food usage. Likewise, heathier and nutrious rice varieties were claimed to possess lots of potentials to be chosen by the people as due to the rapid growth in rice production and consumption in South Asia and Southeast Asia. To date, rice varieties which could offer more micronutrients such as zinc, iron and beta-carotene were under the development stage at IRRI, which in turn could much likely minimise nutrient deficiencies. Statistically, nutrient deficiencies such as vitamin deficiency were actively hurting the the physical health of millions of children and pregnant women across the world. Genetically developed with numerous resemblances with ordinarily-consumed rice varieties, the rice line of GR2E was stated to be a rich source of beta-carotene which could be transferred into the required amount of vitamin A for the human body thanks to the GM process, giving the rice its golden colour. From March 8 to 11, Bulgaria Rose Festival scheduled to be held in West Lake Water Park, inviting people sharing an adoration for Bulgarian roses, especially those who previously stayed and studied in the Southeast European country. Over the four days of the event, numerous mini--events were announced to take place such as Bulgarian traditional costume fashion show, "Kiss of rose" - the most romantic kiss in the presence of Bulgarian roses, the vote of "Best Rose", the rose dance and "Queen of Rose". Bulgaria Rose Festival is one of the most popular festivals in Bulgaria Bulgarian fresh roses came in all sizes and colours, casting the observers' mind back to the endless fields of fresh roses in Kazanlak, Bulgaria In Bulgaria, roses bloom in around 25 days each year, from mid-May to mid-June Blossomed Bulgarian roses must be hand-picked in early morning to preserve the natural fragrance and colour The embassy of Bulgaria partnered with the Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI) imported over 1000 Bulgarian rose plants of more than 100 types of roses, which currently are being painstakingly taken care of in order to be displayed at the festival A mini-contest of rose painting at the rose-themed Festival Aside from the presentation of Bulgarian culture, the festival also showcased rose-extracted products such as rose wine, Bulgarian "liquid gold" - rose essential oil, rose toner and rose tea. Roses came in all shades and colours: golden, magenta, violet, white, red,... A showcase of HCMC Ao Dai festival At the event, President of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Women's Union Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich, said the HCMC Ao Dai festival has become a significant cultural and tourism event, promoting the citys tourism as well as honouring the traditional dress. The talk was held to help female consuls general, and spouses of consuls general in HCMC gain understanding about the history and development of Ao dai, thus contributing to cultural exchanges between Vietnam and other countries in the world. Si Hoang, an Ao dai designer, said it was his honour to make Ao Dai for spouses of the nations leaders, adding that his design was once worn by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at an important event of her nation in 2012. He said caution and subtlety are needed in making Ao Dai for diplomatic events, so that they can bring the best out of the wearers while demonstrating the beauty of the Vietnamese traditional costume. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, vice president of the Vietnam Peace Committee, said the dress shows the beauty of women as well as the traditional culture of Vietnamese people. The veteran diplomat, who initiated the Vietnam Culture Week in Europe, usually wears Ao Dai to international events. K. Srikar Reddy, Indian Consul General in HCMC highlighted the similarity between Vietnamese Ao Dai and the Indian Saree, and expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Ao Dai will be introduced to Indian people. Participants enjoyed several collections of Ao Dai designed by Si Hoang during the event. Professor Nguyen Mai Professor Nguyen Mai, chairman of Vietnams Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises and former vice chairman of the State Committee for Cooperation and Investment (now the Ministry of Planning and Investment), shares some insights with VIR. The establishment of the committee to manage state capital in enterprises has been an important event, drawing special attention from many economic experts. The super-committee will manage a huge capital and asset volume, worth about $250 billion, currently held by many large economic groups and corporations. However, the question here is how the committee can operate effectively. The main function of the committee The committee is in charge of representing ownership of enterprises whose charter capital is wholly held by the state, state capital in joint stock enterprises, and limited liability companies with at least two members, under the law. The committee is responsible to the government for effectiveness in the use of state capital and assets in enterprises. It is supervised by the government, the National Assembly, and law-protecting agencies. The establishment of the committee will free up a number of specialised ministries from performing the function of being a managing body of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). As such, these ministries will be able to do a better job in exercising the function of state management across all types of enterprises such as SOEs, domestic private enterprises, and foreign ones by creating the best business or investment policies and climate for enterprises to grow. The present time is critical for domestic enterprises to grow stronger, with a government target of one million local enterprises by 2020. The committee will be entitled to exercise ownership rights in enterprises, as well as rearrange, renew, and improve effectiveness in the use of state capital in enterprises. However, it must show respect to enterprises rights to do business and be responsible to their parent companies for business results via proper mechanisms, so that the committees operations can go smoothly and enable enterprises to do better business and contribute more to the state coffers. The establishment of the committee will free up a number of ministries from performing ownership functions , photo Le Toan How to operate effectively? At present, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is compiling a governmental decree on the functions, duties, rights, and organisational structure of the committee. There are three main points of focus that can determine the committees operations, namely an organisational structure with a well-arranged and well-performing apparatus, highly-qualified staff, and a modern information system. The design of the committees organisational structure and apparatus must be simple and ensure efficiency. It is necessary to have clear regulations on the functions and duties of each unit within the committee, so that the units can co-operate smoothly with one another in performing duties, making the whole committee operate effectively. Moreover, the staff working for the committee must meet the requirements of each type of work, and requirements about moral and expertise standards, foreign languages, and experience. Before being selected for the committee, they must undergo thorough tests organised by a council whose members are experts. This will help the committee have not only good leadership, but also good employees. The committee should first develop a code of conduct for state officers under standards of a facilitating and action-oriented government. The committee should also have frequent training courses for its staff. Anyone in the committee who fails to meet standards must be removed. What is more, it is crucial that the committee be equipped with a state-of-the-art information system, which can help deal with a huge volume of complex information, and also help to make timely and exact investment- and business-related decisions. All machines and equipment in the committee must be connected online with other ministries, state agencies, and enterprises as well. Experiences in Vietnam have shown that when a new agency is established, its initial organisational structure is often simple. Later on, however, the agencys apparatus often swells because it has to receive many unqualified people whose relatives are state officials. This has often made the agencies operate ineffectively. Hopefully such a negative situation will not happen in the committee. How to solve outstanding issues? The committees members operate in many different sectors and geographical areas. They are also different in capacity and governance. They also include some groups and corporations that have been performing well, such as Vietnam Airlines, and Petrolimex. However, there are also many enterprises that are bogged down in difficulties, losses, and even debts, because they have conducted non-core investment, which has made big dents in the state coffers. Leaders of many enterprises have even been imprisoned. Thus, in order for the committee to operate effectively, the government would need to tackle the outstanding issues of enterprises hit with difficulty before allowing the committee to manage their capital. Specifically, the government should assign ministries which are the managing bodies of enterprises to review all outstanding issues, including: 1) where solutions to enterprises issues have been approved by the government, these solutions must be implemented by the ministries effectively; 2) ministries must introduce measures to solve enterprises outstanding issues, and these measures must also then be submitted to the government for approval and then implemented by the ministries; and 3) ministries must localise enterprises unresolved issues, so that during its operation, the committee can gradually establish proper solutions. The establishment of the committee, which is an organisation exclusively in charge of managing huge state capital in enterprises, is a previously unheard-of event in Vietnam. Thus the committee will surely face certain difficulties, such as the establishment of apparatus, recruitment of staff, construction of operational mechanisms, and installation of technical equipment. However, it is clear that when a new organisation is established, it will have many advantages. For example, it will not have to follow obsolete ways of thinking, with lazy staff and a stagnant apparatus, because everyone in the committee is quite new. If the organisations leadership has a new way of thinking, with a strategic vision, they can develop the committee well, meeting all requirements of the country and peoples expectations in the new socio-economic development context. Nguyen Hoang Anh, chairman of the committee, has advanced six groups of solutions for the committee to implement in 2018. He stressed, It is necessary to renew and improve the way enterprises are received into the committee. In order to adequately perform corporate governance, and effectively use, protect, develop, and maximise the value of state capital, the committee will need to have a team of qualified staff, and a good organisational apparatus, with firm guidelines from the government, close supervision of the whole political system, and a harmonious combination of relevant ministries and agencies. It is hoped that Anhs first message will be effectively implemented, so that the committee will make great contributions to enhancing effectiveness in business and the usage of state capital. This is particularly important in the existing context of Vietnam pursuing a target of successfully developed regional-level economic groups, which are expected to become global firms in the future. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and 11 nations are in the CPTPP signing ceremony He told reporters on the sidelines of the CPTPP signing ceremony that took place on March 8 in Santiago, Chile that the CPTPP membership shows Vietnams determination to resolutely implement the Partys strategy and the States policies on undertaking proactive, intensive and extensive international integration. The minister said as one of the founders of the TPP and CPTPP, Vietnam achieved many purposes. In external politics, Vietnam affirmed its role in bilateral and multilateral political forums in the region and the world. The country will have chances to refine a State of the rule of law and an increasingly competitive economy on the basis of goods transparency and trade facilitation in accordance with the principles of a market-driven economy. As the founding country of CPTPP, Vietnam is able to protect and maximise its interests when considering other countries admission to the deal. Economic and trade benefits tied with long-term strategic interests will make it easier for Vietnam to take off in new and promising markets. Further attention will be paid to growth momentums in the next decades via legal and institutional reform in non-traditional fields. Asked about challenges in the negotiations, Anh said it is a tense, complicated and prolonging process as member countries tabled many requests for the deal. Following the USs withdrawal and the conclusion of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting and the 11th TPP Ministerial Meeting in Da Nang, 11 countries did their best to achieve today results. As regards Vietnams preparations for CPTPP implementation, Anh said the government will issue an action plan to specify tasks, especially reviewing and adjusting legal frameworks to match its commitments to the pact. Later, the country will disseminate the deals contents to the public, with attention given to the role and responsibility of State management agencies and the business community. He stressed the need to establish mechanisms to hasten, oversee, and inspect CPTPP implementation, adding that political organisations must also grasp requirements in the process. The minister affirmed that member states highly valued the quality of the new-generation free trade deal. Alex Crane, general director of Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam The negotiations are closed out and by doing this, the partners have set standard stating clearly that the pacific nations are open for business, led by a resurgent Japan, softened by Canada and without the US. Yes, CPTPP, is in a lesser form than the original TPP without the US, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia however it is successful in integrating and creating a trade bloc that could offer some balance to Chinas growing influence in the region. The key to this is that the door is still open for others with Thailand, Taiwan and the UK previously declaring an interest in joining and if the US is to change its stance by the next election cycle, it is anticipated that Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines shall follow suit. Canada has successfully included more progressive elements, such as guarantees on labor, gender, indigenous people and the environment. These were serious concerns for opponents of the original TPP and the strength of Canada negations has brought about a more palatable agreement. The block itself has removed provisions allowing investors to sue governments which is a welcome step for those who did not wish to see corporations gaining leverage over sovereign nations. There are still sticking issues with respect to Vietnams labour rights, the Japanese auto industry and Canada cultural goods, but these shall be dealt with separately in November by way of side agreement. A report published by the Eurasia Group with respect to TPP suggested that GDP in Vietnam will be boosted by 11 per cent and exports by 28 per cent by 2025 as companies move their manufacturing bases to the country to take advantage of the low wages. There will be compression on these estimates, however the outlook is still very positive and again places Vietnam firmly into the targets for global investors and manufacturers. Increase in investors and developers looking to the corporate real estate market (CRE) with respect to light and heavy industry. Exporters will benefit from the trade liberalization, domestic private firms will be able to tap into global value chains and it has the potential to accelerate domestic reforms. All factors combine to show an increase in foreign direct investment of which CRE will absorb a healthy proportion. Stephen Wyatt, country manager at JLL Vietnam After the disappointment of the US pulling out of the original TPP, the signing of the CPTPP is a major boost and we believe will have a positive impact on the Vietnam economy and a further step forward towards integration into the international community. As with the original TPP agreement, this agreement will take time to take effect and each country will need to ratify, however, once in the agreement is in place, Vietnam stands to benefit, even without the inclusion of the US. Signing of the CPTPP should provide both foreign and domestic investors more confidence, as the country will develop a more mature legal structure in line with international legislation. We expect foreign investors will see this as a very positive step forward for the country and we fully expect more investors to consider Vietnam within their investment strategy. We will see significant increase in our business over the coming years as the CPTPP comes into effect. As JLL is a truly global business, we operate in all the countries that are participating in the CPTPP. This means that we are already in communication with our colleagues in these countries and working on a strategy of how to connect companies and clients. We are already assisting a number of new companies moving into Vietnam that will be setting up operations, mainly in the manufacturing sector and we expect this activity to increase as and when the CPTPP comes into effect. Neil MacGregor, managing director Savills Vietnam Savills believe that the CPTPP can bring significant opportunities to Vietnam, although it would certainly be advantageous to have the US as an additional signatory. The agreement will strengthen trading relations with many of Vietnams key partners, as well as offering significant additional benefits. We are particularly interested in the impact of the agreement upon the long term stable growth of the industrial real estate sector in Vietnam, with manufacturing representing Vietnams key growth engine. Increased transparency and government support will certainly assist the industrial sector to grow and add additional momentum to other areas of the economy. Sustainable development of the manufacturing sector will support the continued growth of the middle class, allowing for more even distribution of wealth and supporting demand for the residential, hospitality and retail real estate sectors, as well as industrial and logistics. Kenneth Atkinson, executive chairman of Grant Thornton Vietnam Of course before we get too excited about the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) we must remember that this Agreement still needs to ratified by the Governments of each of the 11 member countries. Only when ratified by 6 countries will the Agreement come into effect. The opportunities are of course driven by the fact that trade between the member countries will be the agreement to reduce tariffs on goods and services traded between member countries, and although the size of the market is greatly reduced from that of the TPP because of the withdrawal of the USA the market created by the member countries still accounts for approximately 13.5 per cent of global trade. The initial beneficiaries are likely to be those companies engaged in manufacturing in Vietnams traditional export sectors, such as garments and footwear plus seafood expirters and those companies and sectors not currently trading with the member countries but basically any industry that will benefit from tariff reductions is likely to benefit in the longer term. The Agreement does contain provisions on environmental and social safeguards and whilst some of these are likely to pose a challenge to Vietnamese companies in the short term they will deliver longer term benefits. The other major challenge is for Vietnamese SMEs being able to become part of the global supply chain. I believe the benefits are the same for both domestic and foreign investors and largely revolve around the potential opening of new markets and the standardised trade procedures included in the Agreement, especially those provisions concerning the rules of origin. As a professional service firm I do not think and expect there to be any direct impact on our business however it will benefit many of our clients and also should have a positive impact on new Foreign Direct Investment which should have an indirect impact on the growth of our business. Ross McCullough, president of UPS Asia-Pacific Region UPS congratulates all the countries signing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). It will significantly contribute to the development of the Asia-Pacific, create opportunities for firms to break open new markets, and attract potential clients. The CPTPP would remove cross-border transaction barriers, create a modern e-commerce platform, and form standard principles to become an important precedent for regional trade. When the CPTPP is signed, UPS will support every business to learn of the benefits of the agreement and take the opportunity to enhance their competitiveness over the globe. Pham Hong Hai, CEO of HSBC Vietnam Today the CPTPP has been signed in Chile, showing the fruit of great efforts by the 11 countries around the Pacific Rim. I highly appreciate the resilience of the members for their continuous dialogues to reach the necessary agreements leading to the signing of the deal today, especially after the biggest partner, the US, withdrew from the TPP in January 2017. The CPTPP not only embraces trade but also investment, intellectual property, and other principles, therefore it is really a comprehensive deal and is much more progressive than the previous TPP. For me, the signing of the CPTPP is a milestone for the global economy, especially as protectionism is rising. Without the US, Vietnams benefits may be less than in the TPP. For example, GDP will only move up by 1.32 per cent instead of 6.7 per cent and exports will increase by 4 per cent instead of 15 per cent. However, in general, industries like garment and textiles, leather footwear, and especially labour-intensive businesses will benefit a great deal. Vietnam will be able to take advantage of increased access to member markets, especially those on the other side of the Pacific like Canada and Mexico. This is amplified by the fact that some other countries and markets are expressing good will to take part in the deal, including Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, which will triple the benefits for all members, bringing in roughly $500 billion per year. As a global bank operating at 3,700 offices in 67 countries and territories, HSBC has access to 90 per cent of the world trade, processing more than $1 million trade turnover every minute. HSBC welcomes the opportunities brought by the CPTPP. Being present at 9 of the 11 member countries (and all 5 nations that now want to take part in the CPTPP), HSBC commits to working closely with clients in Vietnam, connecting them with potential partners in these markets, and providing optimised financial solutions that support individual and corporate customers to realise their potentials. We wish to contribute to building a strong banking industry and large local corporates in Vietnam to enhance integration and create a highly competitive international market to take advantage of all the opportunities that the CPTPP brings about. Matthias Duhn, LL.M, general director of Viet Diligence Legal Ltd. It is unfortunate that the United States of America withdrew from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as without the US, the CPTPPs member economies now only make up about 13.5 per cent of the global GDP, instead of the circa 27 per cent under the original TPP. However, signing the CPTPP will still advance and improve the Vietnamese economy significantly: specifically, the agreement will boost the export of goods in sectors such as the garment and textiles, footwear, food processing, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, fisheries, and electronics. The CPTPPs changed or delayed terms also present a rather good opportunity for Vietnam, as it leaves the Government more time to comply with all conditions. However, the CPTPP also presents a lot of challenges for Vietnam as the agremeents least developed member country: the Vietnamese economy is still not prepared, and the supporting industries are rather weak. The flexibility of Vietnamese enterprises is still not up to modern market economy standards. Specifically, the increasing competition from goods imported from other member countries of the CPTPP will be a challenge. While Vietnamese enterprises are currently still protected by high tariffs, demands for zero-tariff rates will increase from CPTPP members in the future. Despite the challenges, the CPTPP will urge Vietnam to continue tackling issues it is already working on, such as administrative reforms, corruption, transparency, reduction of the influence of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), and the further work towards legal and factual market-economy status. Although adjusting the regulatory and administrative framework is difficult and costly, Vietnams commitments under the CPTPP should therefore be regarded as a good external force to improve the Vietnamese economy towards more efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness. Fire-fighters try to control the fire at Duyen Hai 3 coal-fired thermal power station expansion project Firefighters were sent to the site five minutes after the incident started. The fire was brought under control by 12.45pm. There are no reports of casualties. The Duyen Hai 3 thermal power plant extension project at Duyen Hai thermal power complex located in Dan Thanh commune, Duyen Hai district, includes a 600 megawatts power unit. The unit was scheduled to start operation in 2018, supplying approximately 3.9 billion kWh to southern provinces and cities. In 2014, Sumitomo Corporation received an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to construct a supercritical power station in the 688MW Duyen Hai 3 coal-fired thermal power station expansion project of Power Generation Corporation 1, a power subsidiary of state-run utility Vietnam Electricity. Fire-fighters try to control the fire at Duyen Hai 3 coal-fired thermal power station expansion project Duyen Hai 3 is one of four power projects developed at Duyen Hai Power Centre with a combined generation capacity of 4,348MW as outlined in the nations power development master plan between 2011 and 2020 with vision towards 2030. The centre occupies a total area of 879 hectares. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Lotte vice chairman Hwang Kag-Gyu Lee Kwang Young, CEO of Lotte Asset Development, also attended this meeting. According to Hwang Kag-Gyu, Lotte wishes to have continued investment and support for the businesses that are being carried out in Vietnam. In the future, Lotte will be a company that grows with Vietnam through investing in various business sectors, creating jobs and staging social contribution activities. In the future, Lotte will be a company that grows with Vietnam through investing in various business sectors, creating jobs and staging social contribution activities, said Hwang at the reception. Lotte has been active in Vietnamese food and restaurant business since the 1990s, and with its core businesses like distribution, services, and construction have continued to increase presence in Vietnam. The group is currently pursuing two large-scale projects. The first is the Eco-Smart City, a large-scale complex with a department store, shopping mall, hotel, offices, and apartments in the Thu Thiem Urban Development Area, a developing area of Ho Chi Minh City. In Hanoi, the group is also actively implementing its Lotte Mall Hanoia complex of apartments, offices, hotel, trade centre, and cinema. Meanwhile, Lotte Center Hanoi, a large-scale complex opened in 2014, has become a landmark in Hanoi, raising Lotte's image. Lotte Group is currently pursuing two large-scale projects Currently, there are 16 Lotte affiliated companies in Vietnam, including Lotte Confectionery, Lotte Department Store, Lotte Mart, Lotte GRS, Lotte Cinema, Lotte Asset Development, Lotte Hotel, and Lotte Duty Free, with 11,000 executives. Lotte is highly valued for its growth potential in Vietnam and looks forward to continue investing in the future. Phoenix Legendthe next gem in Halong Bay Phoenix Legend Halong Bay Villas and Hotel is situated at the heart of the "economic triangle" (Hanoi-Haiphong-Halong), with quick access to surrounding cities to the south and north through several highways. In addition, the hotel and villa complex is perched 86 metres above the sea level, overlooking the spectacular landscape of the bay. The balanced coordination of Oriental architecture and modern and trendy design patterns results in an exceedingly sophisticated ambiance. Salvador Perez Arroyo, the representative of SDesign, the business in charge of the complex's architectural design, highlighted that the two towers of the complex were strongly inspired by the mental image of the Oriental phoenix motif, and the two buildings were constructed as the two wings of the majestic beast taking off towards the East Sea." Salvador went on to explain the design concept by saying, "Underneath the two wings are 26 villas, representing 26 phoenix eggs, surrounded by Japanese cherry flowers. The complex not only carries an avant-garde vibe, but is also functional and resonates with the inner artist in visitors soul." Lauded as one of the most promising projects in the high-end real estate market in Halong Bay, Phoenix Legend Halong Bay Villas and Hotel shall be the first complex to offer exquisite experiences for residents of the complex as well as tourists staying at the hotel area of the complex once its construction is completed, including access to wine cellars, cigar rooms, art galleries, rooftop bars, and five-star restaurant chains. Nguyen Quy Tuan, head of project development at AccorHotels, noted that "As a world cultural heritage, Ha Long Bay needs an iconic project to match world real estate developments and the country's cultural depth. The Phoenix Legend is expected to be not only a top-class real estate resort complex, but also a heart-and-soul addition to the bay, created by people who truly love the location." As planned, the complex will be available for sale in late June 2018. Additionally, the hotel and villa construction are anticipated to be completed to be ready to welcome the first residents and guests in the third quarter of 2019. Phoenix Legend, Halong Bay's next five-star complex The hotel and villa complex offers a breathtaking view on the bay The phoenix-inspired project was lauded as one of the most promising high-end real estate projects in the bay area President Tran Dai Quang congratulated the Ambassador on the fulfillment of his working term in Vietnam as a contribution to the development of bilateral relations He affirmed that Vietnam will never forget Chile's support in the past, noting that close ties will help strengthen the relationship between the two nations. The Chilean diplomat coordinated with Vietnamese relevant agencies to arrange numerous high-level visits between the two countries, notably Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Jerias State-level visit to Vietnam and attendance at the 25th APEC Economic Leaders Week in central Danang city in November 2017. The signing of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and Chile has helped increase two-way trade rapidly, while the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has demonstrated the contributions of Vietnam, Chile and member countries in boosting global trade, the Vietnamese State leader said. President Quang said he hopes that the ambassador, in his new position, will continue making greater contributions to reinforcing friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and Chile. In reply, the outgoing Chilelan Ambassador said the host of the APEC Year 2019, Chile wants Vietnam to share its experience in organising the APEC Year after the Southeast Asian country had successfully held the similar event in 2017. Negri Quintana said within the CPTPPs new cooperation framework, the future will belong to Asia with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) playing the crucial role and Vietnam being one of the most important links in the bloc. This will open up new potential for bilateral cooperation, he said, adding that Chile desires to step up ties with Vietnam in multiple fields. He also promised to continue serving as a bridge for further positive contributions to boosting Vietnam-Chile ties. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents a gift to Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana. He said the ambassador made efforts to the organisation of high-level visits between the two countries, especially the State visit to Vietnam by President Michelle Bachelet Jeria in November 2017. The leader hailed the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Chile on March 8, describing it as an important outcome of drastic negotiations and discussions of the pact members, which included the proactive role played by Vietnam and Chile. The signing of the CPTPP and the sound traditional ties will open up opportunities for broader co-operation in economics, trade and investment and promote partnership in culture, education and other fields between Vietnam and Chile, he said. He wished the diplomat to gain success in his new post and continue contributing to the growing ties between the two countries. Ambassador Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana thanked the PM and Vietnamese agencies for helping him accomplish his tasks and boosting the bilateral relations. He pledged that in any future positions, he will spare no effort for the two countries relations and expressed his belief that the bilateral ties and collaboration at multilateral forums will be developed. He expected that the two countries will work harder to increase their two-way trade value, which stood at over $1 billion, and step up their ties in other fields. He agreed with the Prime Ministers view on the importance of the signing of CPTPP, saying the event will help accelerate co-operation between the two countries. He said he wants Vietnam to cooperate and share with Chile its experience in the successful organization of the APEC 2017 as his country will host the APEC Year 2019. Earlier on the day, the ambassador was received by President Tran Dai Quang. The location where the underground Terminal C9 is supposed to be constructed near Hoan Kiem Lake. (dantri.com.vn) The exhibition, which opens on Friday, will run at Ho Guom cultural information centre, located at No 2 Le Thai To Street in Hoan Kiem district. The MRB said the public feedback would be taken into consideration and the design revised, if necessary, before submitting to the competent agency for approval. Comments will be recorded on the spot or through other methods such as via email or online survey. In accordance with the approved plan, Hanois urban rail route No 2 spans 11.5 kilometer (km) long, including an 8.5 km section underground running beneath the Old Quarter. It runs through five districts: Bac Tu Liem, Tay Ho, Cau Giay, Ba inh and Hoan Kiem, with three aboveground terminals and seven underground ones. The underground Terminal C9 is designed with four entrances and exits. The first is located on the premise of the Hanoi Power Corporation, and the second on the front of the Northern Power Corporation. The third entrance is situated next to Hoan Kiem Lake and the last is behind the monument honouring Vietnamese soldiers who were killed in the first French Indochina War. Representatives from MRB said the urban rail route No 2 has been calculated to connect with lines 1 and 3 very well, the Voice of Vietnam reported. Specifically, Terminal C8 of rail route No 2 at Hang au street will receive and act as a transit point for passengers with rail route No 1, Ngoc Hoi-Nhu Quynh. Terminal C10 on Hang Bai Street area will connect to rail route No 3 Nhon-Hoang Mai. As the one in the middle, terminal C9 will connect to all three urban rail routes. Therefore, terminal C9 must be located on inh Tien Hoang Street to ensure the distance between the terminal and the other two terminals is within 1km, in order for people to easily access all three routes. Late last year, the design of the Terminal C9 was discussed at the meeting between Hanoi Peoples Committee and scientists, historians and architects. Local experts and architects have expressed concern over the design, saying the construction of the station will affect the architectural beauty as well as the open space of the lake. The project has total investment capital of VND34.68 trillion ($1.5 billion), sourced from Japans Official Development Assistance and matching funds from the Vietnamese government. The National Target Programme of Rural Water and Sanitation has helped more than five million people in Viet Nam have access to clean water since 2015. At the event, the Swedish delegation to Vietnam International Water Week 2018 briefed on their experiences and showed their willingness to collaborate with Vietnam in water resources protection and climate change resistance. Technological innovations were suggested as the most sustainable way to tackle environmental issues. According to the ambassador, smart solutions helped Sweden grow the economy while reducing greenhouse emissions in 2017. Vietnam is among Swedens targets in terms of governance and management of water resources for sustainable development as part of a global programme by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The programme aims to minimise the impacts of climate change and secure livelihoods for vulnerable groups, according to Jakob Granit, the agencys director general. He also touched upon Source-to-Sea (S2S), a comprehensive approach concerning policy, planning and decision making that considers the entire social, ecological and economic system from source to sea for sustainable development. The approach encourages the stronger engagement of civil society organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders in actions for the environment. Civil engagement in water resources protection should be encouraged by CSOs, suggested Birgitta Liss Lymer from Stockholm International Water Institute. The Stockholm Water Prize initiated by the organisation has become a hub for environmental innovations which welcomed the participation of the Vietnamese team in 2012. Therefore, she expressed high hopes for more intensive engagement by Viet Nam in water perseveration in the near future. Both of our countries are moving from a period of water abundance to more water scarcity as a result of climate change. It is necessary to improve the management of water demand through pricing as Viet Nam has the lowest price on water in ASEAN to promote water use efficiency and water re-use, she said. On March 4, under the framework of Viet Nam International Water Week, Tran Quy Kien, deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment, had a meeting with the Swedish delegation led by Ronnas. On the occasion, Kien showed his desire to accelerate the strategic partnerships with Swedish agencies in effectively implementing environmental protection activities. It is estimated that in 2018, there are about 4.5 million Vietnamese people suffering shortages of clean water. Tap water access in the context of rapid population growth is one of the crucial issues discussed during the international water week from March 4 to 8. Chu Thi Binh and her three saving accounts Chu Thi Binh has hired two lawyers to advise and protect her legitimate rights and interests. She said that it has been one year since the case was discovered and referred to the investigation agency (C44). C44 has confirmed that VND245 billion ($10.8 million) was appropriated by Le Nguyen Hung, former deputy director of an Eximbank branch, in collaboration with some officers. Earlier in February 2018, upon the maturity date of the VND49 billion savings account, she contacted the bank to withdraw the money, but Eximbank said that her money had disappeared from the system. She checked all three saving accounts and Eximbank informed her that VND245 billion ($10.8 million) has disappeared. On March 6, 2018, Chu Thi Binh met leaders of the bank to find solutions, but the sides came to no solution. She asked the bank to repay her in full, but Eximbank did not approve, bidding her to wait for the conclusions of the court trial. The bank only offered VND14.8 billion ($650,000) as advance compensation, which Binh declined, along with the draft arrangement. We hope that Eximbank would listen to the opinions from various sides and the conclusions of the investigation agency to soon minimise the consequences, which hurts the banks prestige every day the case goes on. We hope that Eximbank would listen to the opinions from various sides and the conclusions of the investigation agency to soon minimise the consequences, which hurts the banks prestige every day the case goes on, said her lawyer. Eximbanks Board of Management and Board of Directors have tried to evade responsibility and offered a small compensation in advance to calm me down. In my opinion, this is not a good solution. I ask Eximbanks Board of Management and Board of Directors to reconsider their stance and pay back the original amount of VND245 billion ($10.8 million). The bank should not delay anymore, Binh stated. Assets of King of Shrimp family reduce sharply after Eximbank scandal The capitalisation of Minh Phu Seafood Corporation (MPC) decreased by VND1.1 trillion ($48.7 million) after information that VND245 billion ($10.8 million) was appropriated from Chu ... Eximbank offers $650,000 compensation in advance to swindled customer After a meeting with Eximbank, Chu Thi Binh, who lost VND245 billion ($10.8 million), will check the arrangement carefully before receiving VND14.8 billion ($0.65 million) ... More than 400 companies worldwide including those from Viet Nam are participating in IFFS-2018. - Photo straitstimes.com Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Singapore Tran Thu Quynh described the event as a good opportunity for Vietnamese furniture firms, including those from craft villages, to explore new business strategies in the context of the interior industrys focus on distinguished and environment-friendly products. Le Thi Thuan, director of the Qua Thuan Handicraft Manufacturing and Trading Company, which is participating at the fair for the third time, said the event would help local furniture producers to promote their products and seek potential international and regional trade partners. More than 400 companies worldwide are participating in IFFS-2018. The fair will conclude on Sunday. Viet Nams export of wood and wooden products has increased by 12.3 per cent per year for the past seven years and is predicted to grow even faster in the next three years, according to the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa). Currently, Viet Nam is the largest exporter of wood and wooden products among ASEAN countries, the second largest in Asia and the fifth largest in the world. The countrys export value of wooden products is likely to reach US$8.5-8.7 billion this year, Hawa predicts. Women protest in Buenos Aires on International Women's Day. (Photo: AFP/Juan Mabromata) "A beautiful woman is one who marches" said one of the many placards held above the densely packed, slow-moving crowds of demonstrators in the Argentine capital. "We have to make a lot of noise. Over here, we have to be everything, not just women. This day should be a national holiday," said nurse Claudia Morales, accompanied by her two teenage daughters, as the throngs neared Congress. Other women held babies in their arms or pushed strollers, while teenage girls held banners reading "My mum taught me to fight." The overall aim of the march was to protest violence against women, in a country of 42 million which logged 292 murders of women in 2017 - a number that places Argentina at the lower end of the scale when it comes to "femicide" compared to other Latin American countries. But this year, it also gained strength as a show of support for a bill to legalise abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Terminations are currently only permitted in cases of rape or if a woman's health is in danger. Argentina became a regional leader in combating violence against women when the "Not one more" movement enjoyed a surge of support in 2015. Since then, activism has spread across the country. In Mexico, where an average of 7.5 women are killed every day, thousands of protesters were expected to march later Thursday to the iconic Angel statue in the center of the capital. "DELIBERATE SLAUGHTER" "It's difficult to talk about it," said Paula, a mother of five, recounting a decade of physical abuse at the hands of her former partner. "I have been through all the legal proceedings." "I went to the police when he hit my daughter, who was nine at the time and who is his daughter too. But lawsuits need to be paid for. I have five kids with him, two of them have disabilities," said the activist, a slight woman who speaks in a slow, deliberate manner. "He was the first man who hit me, and the last," said Paula firmly. "He is now in prison, and the trial begins in June." There were also some men in the march, though not many. One of them, Gustavo Melmann, was the father of Natalia, whose murder in 2001 was one of the first femicides to really shock the country. He insisted that "this deliberate slaughter must end." Three other men marched in what they called "masks of shame for what the patriarchy has done." DECRIMINALISE ABORTION The decriminalisation of abortion was another rallying cry for a march that took place in El Salvador, which has some of the harshest punishments for abortion in the world. At the front of the march was Teodora Vasquez, who in February was released after almost 11 years in jail for aggravated murder, following a stillbirth. She denied the charges against her. "Abortion must be decriminalised because many women facing medical obstetric emergencies are accused of crimes and put in jail where they languish unjustly," said Vasquez. In Honduras, feminist groups demanded justice for environmental activist Berta Caceres, who was murdered two years ago in her home after years of death threats. Nine people have been detained in that murder investigation, including Roberto Castillo, a former military intelligence officer who had graduated from the US military academy at West Point, and who was detained as he tried to leave the country last week. Castillo, who is charged with being the "intellectual author" of the murder, was the president of an energy company building a dam that Caceres was lobbying against. Maria Grazia puts handicraft as the heart of her feminist cause Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 InDigital.TV C'est Non, Non, Non et Non! announced the sweater that opened the Dior show, while the walls outside and in the temporary space were covered with semi-graffiti: magazines, all from the same year, torn, or scribbled with messages. "Unfair to the mini skirt!" was a daub painted beside the picture of a Dior store. Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 InDigital.TV Maria Grazia Chiuri's show was all about 1968, the year of the "Youthquake", as the fashion editor Diana Vreeland named it, following rioting students in Paris and an explosion of unrest throughout Europe. "The young generation changed the world, so the references we are using at the back and all around the show were an important moment in fashion," said Maria Grazia. "Couture houses either adapted or closed. It was the beginning of pret-a-porter and the time of Miss Dior." But for Maria Grazia, who has dedicated previous shows to the strength of women and made that her cause, the revolution 50 years ago was not just about sowing the seeds of student power, female power, black power and gay power. It was a period when there was a new belief in handicraft - and that was at the heart of the Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 show. Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 InDigital.TV "I'm trying to speak about feminine craftsmanship, and other works like knitwear and embroidery," she said. "Patchwork is like another kind of print. I had 60 days to research the authenticity of lace, embroidery and patchwork, paint, craftsmanship, even fake fur made from wool.'' The designer's enthusiasm was infectious - on and off the runway. As the models walked out in their tailored jackets and kilt skirts, it became clear as they moved that the bottom halves were in the lightest of chiffon; while a sweater with a "ban the bomb" sign was teamed with a skirt of heavier wool. This hard/soft idea worked well and was an introduction to craftsmanship that was sharp and tough - not the hazy, hippie-de-luxe look that flowered in Woodstock in 1969. The show became a balance between masculine uniforms, typical of the arrival of the trouser suit in the 1960s, and decorative craftsmanship. ''I don't know that it is hippie," said the designer. "We speak about freedom, about rebellion, and there are many references. The checks come from Mr Dior's years; we made chemises that came from Marc Bohan [a later Dior designer, from 1960 to 1989]. There is even a "unisex" outfit. You can mix them together. I think luxury brands should be timeless. Some things come from the past and some from the present." Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 InDigital.TV With a section halfway through featuring bold, tailored coats and jackets to contrast with the colourful patchworks and embroideries, this was the most convincing show Maria Grazia has done in the female empowerment category. For Pietro Beccari, Dior's new CEO, so many easy and appealing (dare we say "ordinary"?) clothes must have been a godsend. There is one caveat: it was Yves Saint Laurent which became the rebellious brand, raising the ire of straight-laced women, while Dior, once a shocker with its New Look skirts, was by 1968 a stable, sober house. Its clients were probably concerned about the 1968 riots rather than likely to join in. Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 InDigital.TV But today, with the demand for power for women, particularly in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein affair and the #MeToo campaign, Maria Grazia, with her grown-up daughter at her side, made a good shot with this collection for modern women. Christian Dior Autumn/Winter 2018 InDigital.TV I just hope the forthright designer didn't see eager members of the audience after the show climb the battleground of torn magazines, power women and demonstration slogans - as they posed for selfies. Ferragamo and Roberto Cavalli are both asking designers to reboot their fashion brands Salvatore Ferragamo (left) and Roberto Cavalli (right) for Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital Ferragamo: From the feet up Paul Andrew's mood board for Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 @SuzyMenkesVogue Backstage at Ferragamo, Paul Andrew had a mood board that ignited the clothing collection he designed for the first time. This was for the Autumn/Winter 2018 show, which now dressed the models from toe to top - extending his previous, and successful, role to rev up a house that was founded as 'shoe maker to the stars'. Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital It was a smart idea for Andrew to take a look back to the early Salvatore years from the 1930s onward, using Hollywood stars such as Katharine Hepburn and Rita Hayworth as inspiration. He added the Duchess of Devonshire - perhaps in honour of his own British origins. Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital "I am obsessed with the series The Crown - that was the starting point of the collection," said the designer, referring to the Netflix royal story. Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital The ghostly presence of past women of character was felt in bold coats that might have come right out of a stately English castle, a steamer to America - or a film version of either. At their best, these generously cut pieces looked like something appropriate for today, while the menswear designed by Guillaume Meilland was stylish and sharp. Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital Andrew scored strongly in colour, using the same painterly shades that appeared on folded paper inside the invitation and on the dividing walls of the presentation space. The designer got the shoes spot on, from the daffodil-yellow ostrich-leather boots that opened the show to the olive-green ones or another pair with the gilded square heel that Andrew created based on an archival style. Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital Ferragamo was - and is - known as a giant of shoes. Now that Andrew has brought them up to date over the last two years, he has created a post-millennium vision of what the founder did and which the current generation has been able to understand. The brand's problem has been its inability to follow Gucci or Prada into producing clothes as definitive as the footwear and handbags. Putting both genders together on the runway proved that Andrew understood the current melding of female with male. And if the show had been cut by half, it would have looked more dynamic. But it is a big ask to turn a footwear creator into a fashion designer in a single show. Andrew has the knowledge, the modern attitude - and certainly an appreciation of workmanship and colour - to give Ferragamo, in due time, a wider reach. Salvatore Ferragamo's Design Director of menswear, Guillaume Meilland takes a bow alongside Creative Director Paul Andrew at the Autumn/Winter 2018 show in Milan Indigital Paul Surridge rekindles the Roberto Cavalli flame The first whizz-bang look at the Roberto Cavalli collection was a leopard-print jacket over a short curvy dress that clung to the thighs. It proved - as much as ankle-length or mid-calf coats for both sexes - that designer Paul Surridge is a great tailor. Roberto Cavalli Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital But finding the elements of the original, but now retired designer, that will work in a post-Weinstein world is more of a challenge. The previous plush fur coats in painterly colours that were stock items would be questionable today, even if these Milan shows have not yet been heckled and booed by angry anti-fur demonstrators, as in other cities. Roberto Cavalli Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital But most of all, the out-there sexiness of Italy's Berlusconi years, when Cavalli thrived, is being challenged across the world. Women hitting their stride in high boots leaving a fleshy gap at the sides does not seem a good fit with the current mood. A dress with its fabric gouged out to reveal the navel and thighs seemed even less appropriate for Autumn/Winter 2018. Roberto Cavalli Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital Yet Surridge has one big advantage: he is a powerful tailor. That may have been more obvious in the men's outfits in the collection, but the confident rigour of those masculine lines was adopted also for a women's cropped leather jacket or a camel coat that wrapped the body above a bias-cut skirt to create a wavy hemline. All this outerwear had the confident dash of the original Cavalli spirit, with a purposeful, modern vision. Roberto Cavalli Autumn/Winter 2018 Indigital The succession question is such a major subject in the current fashion world, with houses from New York to Paris to here in Milan searching for an answer. This new Cavalli collection could perhaps have been presented in a way that focused on Surridge's tailoring talent - for example an opening of 10 perfectly made suits for both sexes. But the cruel truth is this: Roberto Cavalli's vision, powerful as it once was, is not a good fit with attitudes of and to women in these times. The current designer needs to take a deep breath and think about a change, perhaps in the style of presentation as much as content, to make the brand seem relevant to now. The Marysville City Council recently approved the purchase of a 2018 pursuit-rated Chevrolet Tahoe for $33,219 for the police department. This is part of our annual replacement cycle that we began about four years ago for replacement of patrol vehicles, said Tom Konik, chief of the citys public safety department, addressing the council at its regular meeting Feb. 26. Hank Graff Chevrolet, of Davison, underbid the state of Michigans bidding cooperative by $779. Thats where weve purchased our last four vehicles, said Konik. Theyre out in Lapeer, the most local dealer, and weve had good service from them in the past. Mayor Dan Damman expressed pride that the police department had fully implemented a regular rotation cycle to replace its vehicles. After the Great Recession in 2008, the department was forced to drive patrol cars beyond their effective life expectancies and replace them only on a near-emergency basis. That tells us that were getting back to where we should be with this rotation, Damman said. So thank you, chief. Its noted here that were replacing a 2008 utility vehicle with 82,500 miles, said Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Hayman. What happens to that vehicle? The department assesses how to get the maximum value from its retired vehicles, Konik said. Sometimes, they are auctioned. Actually, this vehicle is going to be rotated in as a backup vehicle for city hall staff, said Konik. The Chevy Tahoe Im sure weve talked about this thats the preferred vehicle for your department? asked Hayman. Correct, said Konik. The total fleet now is Tahoes. Weve found that (in addition to) the extra safety and space it affords officers, the cost of ownership over sedans with reduced maintenance costs and increased resale value is far cheaper for the city, as well. The vehicle has a segment-leading 120.7 cubic feet of interior room and 112.1 cubic feet of cargo space, General Motors website states. The vehicle is powered by a 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine with direct injection, variable valve timing, active fuel management and an aluminum block. New features on the 2018 model include the Chevrolet MyLink radio with an 8-inch diagonal color touchscreen, a 4.2-inch diagonal multi-colored driver information center and a tire-fill alert. Two-wheel drive over four-wheel drive you want the two-wheel? asked Damman. Yes, said Konik. Council member Greg Badley made the motion to purchase the vehicle, supported by member Dan Shirkey. The final vote was 4-0. Members Dave Barber, Rita Hendricks and Paul Wessel were absent. Jim Bloch is a freelance writer. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Armen Sarkissian, Armenias newly elected president, will no longer have the authority to grant special residency status to foreign citizens. Armenias parliament today passed a bill that would hand over that authority to the prime minister. The bill would also strip the president of the power to grant amnesty to prisoners and issue state awards. Armen Sarkissian, elected by the parliament as the countrys next president, officially takes office on April 9. Photo: President-elect Armen Sarkissian Minister for Equality Launches Mentorship Programme for Women The Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento MP, at a reception to commemorate the achievements of women on International Womens Day yesterday evening, announced a mentorship programme for women in Gibraltar. This is one of the strands developed by the Ministry for Equality with a view to promoting the advancement of women and reducing the earnings gap that exists between men and women in Gibraltar. The aim of the mentorship programme is to actively involve people who want to work with women who wish to aspire to certain professions, so that they can be supported in achieving their goals and career development. Minster Sacramento said: Mentorship has been demonstrated to be an effective method in achieving meaningful progress. I am proud to launch this initiative and get the community actively involved, and I invite all those who can open doors to others to join the scheme. The process will be formally announced in May and I very much look forward to working with everyone who has expressed a desire to become mentors. Harrison Ford talking about Carrie Fisher at Mark Hamills Walk of Fame Ceremony pic.twitter.com/bFc6MkTlOm / ENDGAME TODAY (@tolkienianjedi) March 8, 2018 After getting a few friendly digs in at Mark Hamill while presenting him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Harrison Ford took a moment to honor the late anchor of their iconic Star Wars gang. When thinking about today I was really sorry that we dont have the other member of our trio here to celebrate with us, said Ford, but I feel her presence. True to form, Hamill was brimming with enthusiasm about the honor (I havent been speechless since Force Awakens, said Hamill), and honorary Jedis Kelly Marie Tran and Billie Lourd were both present to help dedicate his new star. After the grand proclamations and a history-making crossover event, this episode felt like alittlebitofaletdown. (I said that quickly so Shonda wouldnt hear me.) Do you want Annalise staring down the Supreme Court, collapsing on the floor in the bathroom, snapping her fingers, and sending Michaela to the archives or do you want Laurels forehead veins popping out all over the place? Im tired of Laurel and I hope she finds closure so we never have to hear from her damn story lines again. Unfortunately, this episode is very DID YOU KILL WES? TELL ME! heavy, even though we do get one tender scene between Jimmy Smits and Annalise. Lets work our way there, shall we? The episode starts eight months ago with Wes. Oh, Christ. He heads out to a diner to meet with Laurels mom and this is where he records the conversation that he hid on that flash drive. Laurels mom offers him $100,000 to break up with Laurel. I mean I love my boyfriend, but I got bills. Back in the present, Laurel is arguing with Bonnie because she wants Bonnie to ask the DA if he knows anything about Wess death. What kind of DA would just straight-up be like, Oh yes, heres who killed a person and I knew about it but Ill tell you because of reasons. They argue about who should go to Annalise and tell her, but Bonnie knows that Annalise has bigger issues to deal with. The Gang wants to celebrate Annalises possible victory and Oliver and Connors upcoming wedding, but Annalise gets annoyed at their youthful exuberance and blurts out that Simon is awake. They dont know if he can talk yet or if his memory has been impacted. Bonnie arrives with more information: Nate has a connection with a detective on Simons case and Jimmy Smits is alive. Its a very emotional day for Annalise and the Gang. As if things couldnt get more tense in Annalises sad apartment, Oliver gets a call that Simon wants to see him. Everyone freaks out and wonders if Simon is trying to catch Oliver in a lie. Four seconds ago, you were asking if he could talk. I dont think hes springing a trap on anybody. Michaela is more worried if Oliver will trigger Simons memory. See, thats a reasonable fear. When Oliver heads to the hospital, all he asks is if Simon really came out that night. Everyone is a little relieved because Simon might believe their story, but Connor points out that it might just be his computer rebooting. Prepare to hear this phrase about 15 more times. Annalise sends them all home to rest for the night. Theres nothing they can do now. Laurel goes to confront her mother and IM SO READY FOR THIS TO BE OVER. I know Wes is supposed to be some sort of emotional heart of the show but I could not care less who killed this dude. Was it time? Was it a failed experiment? Was it an anvil? Did an anvil kill Wes? At this point, Id accept it just to get over this. Anyway, back in the past, Laurels mom tells Wes that all Laurel does is try to fix people and when she cant figure out how, she just throws people away. In the present, Laurel screams, STOP LYING! at her mom 72 times. While the whole gang (except for Laurel) hangs out, Michaela is texting Marcus and Connor sees it happening. He takes her into the bathroom and tells her that shes got to tell Asher that she cheated. Thats the worst idea. Just live with the lie and die with your secret after being eaten alive inside. Unfortunately, Michaela has to dash off to be interviewed by the police. The police know that Michaela and Simon used to fight all the time and someone saw them arguing at the party before Simon was shot. Michaela does her best Annalise/Olivia Pope impression where she delivers an impossibly fast putdown and says shes going to leave. Connor is worried that the computer is booting back up and Michaela has the bright idea to deliver Oliver to Simon. Annalise decides that the best use of their time would be to get Oliver to convince Simon to hire Annalise as his lawyer. Oliver visits Simon and tells him that he likes him and the first thing you do when you like someone is to tell them to retain counsel. Unfortunately, Simon already has a lawyer and its Teagan. Annalise spots Teagans plan to try to protect Jorge Castillo. Laurel remembers that her last interaction with Wes was a fight over Frank. Blah blah blah. Laurel goes to see Frank to ask him why Wes didnt tell her he met with her mother. Frank gets a notification that someone has been messing with Bonnies car. He cant find any obvious signs of tampering. They debate who is going to tell Annalise about Laurels rampage about her mother. Annalise is poking around the hospital when she finds Jimmy Smitss room. She tries to sneak away, but he sees her. Jimmy Smits is excited about Annalises case, but she tells him that he doesnt have to tell her things to make her feel better. He tells her that shes not responsible for him being in the hospital. He tells her that he wanted to die and thats why he overdosed. She said that shes the weak one, but he tells her that even after everything life has thrown at her, shes still trying to fight. They both admit they have feelings and I want them to be together so bad, but Jimmy Smits rolls over in his bed and tells Annalise to go. She breaks down in the hallway crying. I cant relate, but I relate. Before she can break down too much, Nate calls and tells Annalise that Simon remembers Laurel was at the party. Michaela goes to pick up Asher and tell him everyone is already furious because he was gushing about her to Connor and Oliver and they exchanged a look. Asher put it all together. This is another story line Im ready to be done with. Mostly because Asher says obvi out loud unironically. Annalise tells Laurel to hide out and not speak to the police until shes ready to deal with Simon. She hatches a plan where Oliver will slip into Simons hospital room while Michaela distracts Teagan, and then Oliver will put a phone to Simons head and convince him to say hes got the Anteres files so he can apply for a visa as a whistleblower. Its time for Frank to pick up Laurel, but shes missing. She heads to Denvers office and says shes got proof of her father illegally contributing to his campaign, and shell even turn herself in for stealing the files and bringing the gun Simon used to shoot himself if she can find out who killed Wes. She gets her moms phone records. The plot thickens. She goes to see her mom and demands to know exactly what she did. Frank tells Annalise whats going on with Laurel and her mother. Bonnie calls from her car and says that Denver has the drive and hes playing both sides. Im not completely clear on what the other side is, but hes playing both sides. Also, she calls on her car phone so you know something bad is going to happen in that car. Laurel confronts her mother and realizes that she only wanted Wes killed because he would have interfered with the public opening and her mother wouldnt have made a killing. Oh. Poor choice of words. Her mother called Jorge who put the hit out. There. We settled it! Before we can realize the true magnitude of what happened, Nate calls Annalise and tells her there was a car accident and they need the coroner. Again? Again! Just after Stephen Colbert filmed his Late Show monologue Friday night, some news broke: Kim Jong-un proposed a meeting with President Donald Trump, and Trump agreed. We have some very late-breaking news that I think I should probably do from here, Colbert said. Instead of sitting behind his desk as usual, he returned to the stage to deliver an addendum. Because we would have done this in the monologue if we had known. It literally happened while we were doing the show. It took Colbert a few tries to deliver the just-written zingers, but thats okay! A meeting between the United States and North Korea can only mean one thing, Colbert concluded: Dennis Rodman is going to get the Nobel Peace Prize. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, filed suit against Trump this week alleging he hadn't signed a nondisclosure agreement that would have prevented her from discussing their alleged sexual affair. On Wednesday, Sanders told reporters that the arbitration was won "in the President's favor." The statement is an admission that the nondisclosure agreement exists, and that it directly involves the President. It is the first time the White House has admitted the President was involved in any way with Daniels. "POTUS is very unhappy," the source said. "Sarah gave the Stormy Daniels storyline steroids yesterday." This week's developments are the latest installment in a continuing controversy for the White House involving Daniels, and a distraction from Trump's attempted rollout of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Just weeks before the 2016 election,Trump's legal counsel Michael Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 of his own money, which he admitted to in February. Cohen has said the President "vehemently denies" any sexual encounter between the two. The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. Decatur Police told WAAY 31, a 6-year-old child was hit by a vehicle around 3:00 p.m. Thursday. Supervisor of Operations and Safety Dwight Satterfield with Decatur City Schools told WAAY 31, the child was a first grader Julian Harris Elementary and was flown to UAB Hospital. The accident happened off campus in a nearby neighborhood, said Satterfield. He added a school bus passed by the accident and an employee aid stayed and provided assistance until first responders arrived. According to authorities, the child was hit at the intersection of Gaslight Place and Brookline Ave. in Decatur. A witness to the accident told WAAY 31 the child was a boy who was standing in the gutter waiting to cross the road when they were hit. That same witness also told WAAY 31 the driver of the car got out right away to check on the child. "She was making him get up and walk and he couldn't walk. He was just dragging. She was dragging him and she kept saying 'get up and walk.' I was telling her to stop. He couldn't walk. I mean, she just ran over his legs," said witness Teresa Mckean There is no more information at this time. Decatur Police corrected the child's age from a 7-year-old to a 6-year-old. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A man elected to serve as a district Attorney in Alabama has been sentenced to six months in jail for perjury. Charles Todd Henderson never took office as the Jefferson County District Attorney after being elected in 2016. He was indicted on the perjury charge and suspended before he could take office. The Birmingham News reports that Henderson, who was convicted in October, was sentenced Thursday. Prosecutors said Henderson lied in a 2016 divorce case. Questions touched on his role as the legal advocate for a child in the case, and whether he had a romantic relationship with the mother. The attorney general's office said he lied about the relationship, concealing a conflict of interest when he was supposed to be a neutral guardian for the child. ___ 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.) 3/8/2018 5:43:15 PM (GMT -6:00) Police investigating newspaper thefts from a person's home in southeast Decatur ending up arresting their suspect on a more serious charge. Police said they determined William Mathis Harville, 46, was stealing the newspapers and when they went to speak with him, discovered he had a pistol and several other firearms. Harville has been arrested and convicted on multiple domestic violence charges, police said, and he is not allowed to possess a pistol. Harville was arrested on a charge of illegally possessing a pistol Thursday. Because of his criminal history, police consulted Morgan County Circuit Court Judge Steven Haddock, who set Harville's bond at $10,000. Harville was still in jail Friday afternoon, according to online jail records. ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher has wrongly argued that the actions of foreign officials as she tried to renounce her UK citizenship shouldn't stop her from sitting in Parliament, the Coalition government has told the High Court. Senator Gallagher has argued she took all reasonable steps to renounce her British citizenship before the 2016 election. Labor senator Katy Gallagher. Credit:Andrew Meares The Attorney-General in a submission on Friday launched an attack on her arguments this week to the court, saying in reply that she had ignored section 44 of the constitution, which has seen several parliamentarians found ineligible to sit and caused havoc for both major and crossbench parties last year. In the last submission to the court before a hearing on Wednesday, the government said Senator Gallagher had treated findings that helped keep Queensland Liberal National Party senator Matt Canavan in parliament last year as the rule rather than the exception. The royal commission into financial misconduct has decided to protect the identity of one or more National Australia Bank whistleblowers ahead of its first round of public hearings into home loans. The first topic listed for Tuesday's hearing is NAB's problems with fraudulent home loan applications submitted via its "introducer" scheme - where people outside the bank collected a commission for referring a customer. Problems with National Australia Bank's "introducer" scheme will be one of the areas probed by the royal commission. NAB last year revealed 20 bankers had been sacked or had left over the issue, and another 32 were disciplined for failing to follow its rules when writing home loans. It is expected that more details about the misconduct, and how the bank responded, will be revealed next week. On Friday, a ruling by commissioner Kenneth Hayne added a snippet of new information, referring to "one or more whistleblowers" who were included in documents handed over by the bank. Malcolm Turnbull wants institutions and charities to be shamed if they refuse to join the national redress scheme for child sex abuse survivors. Thousands of survivors are set to gain access to compensation after Victoria and NSW signed on to the federal government's $3.8 billion scheme. The Prime Minister on Friday hailed the two states for opting in and urged others to follow their lead. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday, flanked by premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Daniel Andrews. Credit:Nick Moir If they don't, he said, they will be "judged very harshly." Donald Trump is "surprisingly" good at foreign policy, according to former prime minister Paul Keating, who says the United States was directionless under the previous three administrations. Mr Keating on Friday said he had not expected Mr Trump to have "such a pragmatic" foreign policy on China and Russia, and he urged the President to continue down the path he was on. "America has gone on for 24 years without a strategy," Mr Keating told a business conference in Sydney, during which he criticised Barack Obama's timidity and "lack of policy ambition" in office. Former prime minister Paul Keating Credit:Jim Rice "Trump has, surprisingly - and I hope he maintains this - put his hand up for the right policy." Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has vowed to use the powers of high office to publicly shame any institutions that fail to sign up to the federal governments planned $3.8 billion redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse. But several states are still standing in the way of the national project, accusing the Turnbull government of dodging questions about the detail, despite NSW and Victoria officially joining the scheme on Friday. In response, the major churches in those states promised to make good on their long-standing support for a national scheme, signalling they will sign up as soon as legislation is published. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday, flanked by premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Daniel Andrews. Credit:Nick Moir The federal scheme requires the states to sign on before state-based institutions can follow suit. But several Labor states reacted angrily to Friday's announcement, even though Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews endorsed the current proposal as "proper, fair and balanced". At least Grounds can console himself with the fact that he is in good company. Plenty of other confidantes have been removed from the inner circle since what can now be considered ground zero for Packers current personal and professional turmoil: October 2016. This was the month when Packer broke up with Carey and Crown employees were detained in China. It triggered a complete upheaval of his personal life and corporate kingdom. Packer has been as unmerciful with the purge of his confidantes as he was with the abandonment of his global ambitions, which included the sale of Crowns Macau interests and junking the casino operators latest plan to conquer Las Vegas. Loading The end of Packers flirtation with Hollywood has seen him cut ties with his former movie pal, Brett Ratner, and sell his investment in RatPac at a considerable loss. The trouble in China led to the removal last year of another investment banker friend, Rob Rankin. He was Crown Resorts' chairman and chief executive of Packer's private company, Consolidated Press Holdings. Packer has made no secret of the fact he was unhappy with Rankin's performance. Former Crown chief executive Rowen Craigie was also given his marching orders after Crown became embroiled in its self-inflicted China crisis and an underperforming Australian casino business. Personal friendships were also discarded in the furious reinvention of Packer's newly simplified, and healthier, life. This included his old school chum Matthew "Ched" Csidei, who was overseeing the build of Packers new superyacht - also named Arctic P - which has been hit by expensive delays. His relationship with another close friend, former Nine boss David Gyngell, never recovered from that famous Bondi brawl. Packer's relationship with former Nine boss David Gyngell never recovered from that famous Bondi brawl. Credit:Andrew Quilty And it is safe to say that Packers love affair with Israel and its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cooled since revelations of lavish gift-giving led the Israeli police to recommend that Netanyahu be charged with corruption. There was no suggestion of wrongdoing by Packer and he does not face any charges, but it must have been a nervous time. While Packer was known to have bunkered down at his Argentinian polo farm Ellerstina after the China and Carey blow-ups, the word is he also spent a lot of time on the Arctic P in Mexico. It was moored off the resort town of Cabo San Lucas with more than a hint that the countrys lax extradition treaties were as much of an attraction as the beaches and nightlife. It is safe to say Packers love affair with Israel and its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cooled since revelations of the lavish gift-giving led Israeli police to recommend that Netanyahu be charged with corruption. Credit:AP Inheritance fight Also on the outer is his big sister, Gretel Packer. Their relationship has become strained following the split of their fathers inheritance. Gretel has emerged as a billionaire in her own right, and has taken ownership of the Arctic P, but James made no bones about the financial stress he was put under as a result of the financial carve-up, which forced CPH to take on more debt. The financial consolidation needed to ease his nerves has seen the billionaire rely on a small group who have served the family since Kerry Packer was in charge. This includes former Sydney Morning Herald publisher John (JA) Alexander, who is now executive chairman of Crown Resorts. Alexander's job is to ruthlessly cut the fat from Crown's operations, much like he did with the Packers' media empire nearly two decades ago. Gretel Packer is also on the outer. Another Packer veteran, corporate lawyer Guy Jalland is now in charge at CPH. Guy is smart and loyal and an asset to any business he is involved in, Packer said last year after appointing Jalland to the chief executive role at CPH, replacing Rankin. Behind the scenes, James relies on former Labor power broker Mark Arbib. And the last key player in Packers inner circle is a personal one. His old school chum Ben Tilley is the person who has been at Packer's side in recent months as he flitted between his homes in Buenos Aires, Aspen Colorado and Los Angeles. Despite the fact that Packer's fortunes are now completely tied to his casino operations in Australia, including the $2 billion Sydney casino at Barangaroo, there are no plans to return home. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) SCCP meeting was held under the theme of Creating Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing a Digital Future from 27 February to 1 March 2018 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The meeting was chaired by Mr. James Kombuk Bire, the Commissioner for Trade and Corporate Service of PNG Customs Service (CS). The Meeting was attended by delegates from 17 Customs Administrations of APEC economies: Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Chile; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States of America and Viet Nam, and by representatives from the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the chair of the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI). Mr. Ray Paul, the Chief Commissioner of PNGCS welcomed all member economies and gave an outline of the core role and responsibility of Customs administrations as a whole; the importance of embracing technology; working in collaboration as a way forward; and adapting beneficial smart practices to Customs related matters. He further encouraged all participants to work collaboratively to ensure delivery of the relevant outcomes at the end of the meeting. The agenda of the SCCP covered comprehensive subjects such as the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation, supply chain connectivity framework, Single Window, information technology and risk management, intellectual property rights, and Cross-Border E-Commerce. The WCO contributed to the discussions and specifically presented the outcomes of the first Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Conference, co-organized by the WCO and China Customs, and the current work of the WCO Working Group on the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation and WCO Mercator Programme. The SCCP, that reports to the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI), was established in 1994 as a forum aiming to accomplish its goals of securing trade facilitation, trade security and related enforcement matters. The 2nd and next APEC SCCP meeting will be held in August 2018 in PNG, and there will be also a workshop in September in San Pedro, Chile to discuss the subject, Challenges and Opportunities of Regional Customs-Transit. Friends of Land Between the Lakes to hold clean up project Saturday Loading... There's an art to restoration, and Bristol Old Vic embodies it. Its refurbished gold-gilt Georgian auditorium is, at once, old and new. Its shape showcases its original form. There's an exposed, grey brick wall the theatre's first frontage and a paint job that shows off an old crack like a scar. The theatre itself is a new-minted antique: oddly old-fashioned yet in the finest of fettle. Rory Mullarkey's translation of The Cherry Orchard feels exactly the same. The first British playwright to work from the Russian since Michael Frayn, 40 years ago, Mullarkey's managed to both preserve Chekhov's tone and to refresh it. Characters call one another by their proper Russian names, each a vocal gymnastics routine of its own, yet they also tell one another to "keep your mouth shut." The language flips from florid to forthright line by line. It's a bit like seeing double: Chekhov's play and Mullarkey's translation, two things in one. Theatre does that duality is in its very DNA and Michael Boyd's elegant, minimalist production makes the most of it. It lives both here and now, and there and then, in our world and in Chekhov's. Mullarkey draws out an abrupt old-school stage comedy the whole thing begins with a squeaking shoe that finds something of the Chuckle Brothers buried in Chekhov, but Tom Piper's daredevil bare-stage design, which seats the audience onstage, has the theatre itself stand for the Ranevsky country home. Characters in period dress touch its walls fondly and admire its fittings, so when Simon Coates' fuddy Gayev toasts the old bookshelf, he could just as well be cheering the building itself. Both things connect us to our cultural past. Mullarkey's translation drives at just that the huge social changes overhauling old norms, both in 19th Century Russia and in our world, today. By casting black and mixed-race actors as Chekhov's serfs, Boyd ties the emancipation of Russian peasants in 1861 to contemporary class shifts rooted in race. He shows us black men and women revelling in their rise as an old, white moneyed class feels the weight of its wane. So Julius D'Silva's dishevelled doctor scrabbles around clearing his debts in black-tie, while Hayden McLean's stand-offish Yasha grandly smokes cigars and swigs champagne. Jude Owusu's self-made, social-climbing Lopakhin gets it just right a good man who grates. His tweed suit is too slick; his yellow shoes, too bright. Presenting his plan to save the estate, he holds himself like a hero the Indiana Jones of middle-management and he won't let it go, every bit as insistent as a flashy Foxtons employee. To the refined Ranevskys, it's all a bit brash, and when he buys the estate on which his ancestors slaved, his pride turns to something a little like spite. As Madame Ranyevskaya, Kirsty Bushell is revelatory not the usual frivolous, airheaded whoopsy, unwilling or unable to see the seriousness of her situation, but rather all too aware she's caught in a bind. She gives money away not on a whim, but out of real empathy for those worse off than she was. Tragically, she can't afford it, but nor does she care, stricken by grief. Between scenes, her young dead son stalks the stage at one point soaked through as if freshly drowned. Every so often, Bushell catches sight of him and shivers or stops in her tracks. There's strong support all around her, as you'd expect from a champion of ensemble acting like Boyd. New Bristol Old Vic grads, Rosy McEwen and Verity Blyth are brilliant as the Ranevsky daughters, one austere, the other abandoned. Jack Monaghan brings a clownish, fumbling quality to the servant mockingly called Captain Catastrophe and Japanese actor Togo Igawa instils a kind of ancient dignity to the doddery old Firs. Beautifully judged and lovingly restored, let's hope these Russophiles, Mullarkey and Boyd, do the whole Chekhov set. The Cherry Orchard runs at the Bristol Old Vic until 7 April, then at Manchester Royal Exchange from 19 April to 19 May. 72ND ANNUAL TRYON BLOCKHOUSE STEEPLECHASE COMING IN APRIL SET FOR SATURDAY APRIL 14 The 72nd annual Tryon Block House Races are set for Saturday, April 14. For decades, founding organization Tryon Riding & Hunt Club produced this action-packed, equestrian competition that continues to draw thousands of spectators to the largest tailgate party in Polk County, N.C. Now under the management of the Tryon International Equestrian Center at Tryon Resort, the races are being held for the second year at its new, A-rated course in Columbus, N.C., just minutes from Tryon Resort. Tailgating spots and VIP hospitality tickets for the 2018 Tryon Block House Races will go on sale March 12 on www.tryon.com. Generations later, more than 9,000 spectators turned out for the 2017 event, which featured an expanded lineup of races, growing from 17 entries the previous year to 40, and prize money that more than doubled to $175,000. Attendees can expect their favorite contests to launch the day including the hat contest, tailgate contest, and the infamous "Go to Heck Pants" contest. For Mark Bellissimo - Managing Partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners that owns and operates Tryon International Equestrian Center and is the partner organization for the Tryon Block House Races - this historic steeplechase originally attracted his family to the Polk County, N.C. area and is a critical event to grow for the region. "I am incredibly fond of this historic steeplechase and its legacy to equestrian sport in this region and beyond," said Bellissimo. "I am pleased that we can leverage our resources to enhance the race experience for both the horseman and the spectator. I am certain the Tryon Block House Races will continue to grow and become one of the most sought-after opportunities for both athletes and spectators." The event is expected to continue to grow at its new venue, and 2017 "Go to Heck Pants" contest winner, Beau Harling agrees. At the 2017 event, Harling stated: "This is my 17th year at the Block House Races, although my family has been coming for 60 years, and this new venue is gorgeous," said Harling. "With the stage and the vendors now and the kids' area, this event is gonna grow and considering this is just the first year, y'all have done a heck of a job. People better buy their tickets fast for next year because in three years, this event will be a sell-out." Tryon Riding & Hunt Club President Andrew Brannon, who is a third-generation member of his family to hold the executive position, is looking forward to the 72nd Tryon Block House Races. "The Tryon Riding and Hunt Club is looking forward to another successful milestone in the history of the steeplechase meet series. We appreciate the partnership with the Tryon Resort and putting on another great event for our members and the community at large," said Brannon. In addition to the hat, tailgate and "Go to Heck Pants" contests, attendees can enjoy an appearance from the Tryon Hounds, live music and a variety of vendors. Tryon Equestrian Partners Roger and Jennifer Smith will serve as the Honorary Race Chairmen. For tailgate parking passes or tickets to the VIP Legends Hospitality Tent, visit www.tryon.com. Tickets will remain on sale until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 14, and the gates will open at 9:00 a.m. at the new facility located at 6881 South N.C. Hwy 9 in Columbus, N.C. Pre-Race Kickoff Event The 72nd annual Tryon Block House Races weekend begins with a pre-race kickoff event onsite at the steeplechase venue inside the Legends VIP Tent. The evening includes the traditional Tryon Riding & Hunt Club live auction of original artwork for the club's annual steeplechase poster. Guests can also enjoy an Argentine Asado buffet dinner, live music, dancing and cash bar. The event is from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.tryon.com. Plan A Tryon Resort Getaway Make this year's steeplechase a weekend to remember, and make it a weekend getaway with Tryon Resort. Tryon Resort offers a variety lodging options to accommodate any size group including one-bedroom "Tiny House" cottages, a 50-room inn, three and five-bedroom riverside cabins and RV spaces with full hook-ups. For lodging reservations, visit www.tryon.com or call 828-863-1000. More Info For more info on the Tryon Block House Races and Tryon International Equestrian Center, visit www.tryon.com. ONE STUDENT IDENTIFIED: TWO WEST HIGH STUDENTS CHARGED WITH THREATS Gordon Kaster Martin, age 17 of Hendersonville, as well as a 16-year-old student, were each charged with Communicating a Threat of Mass Violence at an Educational Facility. Both students are being charged as adults and both received a $4,000.00 secured bond. Henderson County Public Schools said oa Friday afternoon that two West Henderson High students were arrested and charged with communicating a threat of mass violence at an education facility. Reportedly, school administrators, in coordination with the School Resource Deputy, "immediately responded to and investigated the reported threat". Consequently, the school administrators were able to identify the students who made the threat, and the safety of students and the school was maintained at all times. School officials say that additional information regarding this incident is protected by student confidentiality laws. "The safety of our students and the school has, and continues to be, maintained at all times," according to county school officials. Just days ago, a student from West Henderson High School was charged with communicating threats against two Rugby Middle School students. Arrest warrants say the 17-year-old sent messages to two females, saying he would bring an AK-47 to Rugby Middle on Monday, March 5, 2018. A 14-year old juvenile is also facing threat charges. Embed from Getty Images By virtue of his four goals and two assists, Liverpools Mohamed Salah has been named Premier League Player of the Month for February. Salah currently has 26 league goals (in 41 appearances) to his name in what is proving to be a watershed season for the Egyptian forward. Pretty incontrovertible. Salah has now taken the Player of the Month plaudits twice this season (the first time being November), a feat only matched by one other player: Tottenhams Harry Kane (September and December). The understanding of addiction as a brain disease has been a central organizing principle within the research agendas of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Promotion of the brain disease paradigm stirred controversies over its scientific legitimacy and contentions and counter-contentions over its effects on addiction-related stigma, but it exerted unquestioned influence on public and professional conceptions of addiction and approaches to the treatment of addiction in the United States. Interesting variations in the conceptualization of addiction as a brain disease occurred contemporaneously in other countries. The challenge across cultural contexts has been to integrate recent research on the neurobiology of addiction to create more dynamic biopsychosocial models of treatment and recovery support. One of the most innovative examples of such integration can be found within the Islamic Republic of Irans Congress 60 recovery community. Encompassing more than 57,000 active members across 58 branches in Iran, Congress 60 combines a medication-assisted transition into recovery with an extensive menu of psychosocial supports. The rationale for medication support and the unique scheme of such support (the DST method) has been outlined by Congress 60 Founder Hossein Dezhakam in what he christened the X Theory. I recently had the opportunity to interview Mr. Dezhakam about the X Theory and the DST method and how they are integrated within the larger culture of support within the Congress 60 recovery community. This interview is highly recommended for those exploring such integration in diverse cultural settings, including in the United States, and for those interested in variations in the clinical application of the brain disease model of addiction in non-Western countries. For decades in the U.S., addiction treatments, with and without medication support, have existed as warring factions fueled by debates producing far more heat than light. Such either/or polarization defies the fact that many people in medication-assisted treatment could greatly benefit from an expanded menu of long-term recovery support services and that recovery outcomes within traditional abstinence-based programs could be elevated by recognition of the potential role medications can play for some patients in recovery initiation and/or maintenance. Congress 60 provides a template of how medication support and psychosocial support can be fully integrated within a vibrant recovery culture. It was election night 2008 and this reviewer, aged 21, found himself by strange fortune seated opposite the retired President of the Illinois Senate chatting about history as the former oft-present-voting member of that body was elected President of the United States. The next day at my office, his marvelous wife presented me with a gift from him, the boxed-set two volume William Manchester biography of Winston Churchill. Ive since read through those first two volumes at least three times and eagerly awaited the release of the third and final volume only a few short years ago. No one else has been able to capture the essence of the most essential man of the twentieth century more fully than has Manchester. Like a good cigar, this is not a brief diversion. It gives one the chance to savor WSC, to know him, to appreciate his character, his courage, his humor, his brilliance, his flaws. Nor however should it be brief to appreciate him deeply and fully. The first volume deals with the beginning of Winstons life until the beginning of his wilderness years in 1932. While Winston began life as the son of a rising political star Lord Randolph Churchill, that star was beginning to fade. His adolescence and early adulthood would be the story of grappling with diminishing fortunes as his father lost first his career, and then his mind to syphilis, and ultimately succumbed to the disease. His mother didnt give him the time of day until he became interesting. His early career path was shaped by his fathers low estimation of his abilities which landed him at the British Military Academy at Sandhurst, where he at last began to thrive. "For years I thought my father, with his experience and flair, had discerned in me the qualities of military genius. But I was told later that he had only come to the conclusion that I was not clever enough to go to the Bar." His prodigious memory was already in evidence however as he won a prize at age thirteen for memorizing all 1,200 lines of Macaulays Lays of Ancient Rome. Sixty years later he would still recite it with relish to his guests at Chartwell. Thus out spake brave Horatius The Captain of the Gate To Every Man Upon this Earth Death cometh soon or late And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds For the ashes of his fathers And the temples of his gods As he began his military service in India as a subaltern, he began also his self-education in earnest. He sent requests for hundreds of books for his mother to send, from Gibbon and Macaulay, from whom he would draw his style as an orator, to the parliamentary reports of Hansard from which he lovingly mastered the idiosyncrasies of the House of Commons which became his home for sixty years. Using his mothers influence among the highest circles back home WSC got all the choice military assignments; from being at the last cavalry charge of the British Empire at Omdurman, the jungles of Cuba just before the United States went to war with Spain, India, and to South Africa where the Boer War was then raging. He also negotiated a unique arrangement where he remained in service while also being contracted as a war correspondent (and the highest paid correspondent in the empire at that!). His quest for glory continued in South Africa where he displayed extreme courage under fire during a train attack. He salvaged the situation for his men, yet was himself captured. Before long, he escaped out of the Boer POW camp and a nationwide manhunt ensued for his re-capture. When the train he was hidden aboard crossed out of Boer territory, in scene fit for a movie, he shot his pistols out of the train in jubilation for being at last free! Churchill finding himself a celebrity at home for his heroism and daring in South Africa won a seat at last in the House of Commons. His dream to serve alongside his father in that house would remain a forlorn hope. Churchill wanted nothing more than to redeem his memory, in his maiden speech to the house of commons, I am very glad the house has allowed me, after an interval of fifteen years, to raise the tattered flag I found lying on a stricken field. His star catapulted to various cabinet posts until he was First Lord of the Admiralty as Europe descended into war in 1914. War, which used to be cruel and magnificent, has now become cruel and squalid. The true tragedy of the wars severity was the almost total absence of any imagination among entente commanders. Winston was a rare exception to this dismal state of affairs. He conceived the idea of the tank, and concocted a stratagem to seize the Dardanelles, Constantinople and knock Turkey out of the war. The Turks were utterly unprepared for this attack, but the British commander on the ground fearing losses hesitated. The window of opportunity closed, surprise was squandered, the bold venture failed, and its failure was flung at Winston without ceasing for the rest of his life. Winston, his fortunes shattered, did not long despair, after being sacked from the war cabinet, he joined his countrymen in the trenches of France. He faced the bullets and shells and grime along with them. Before long, his services were again required in Whitehall and he was recalled to the cabinet once more, serving as Minister of Munitions for the remainder of the war. The next decade saw a continued ascendency for WSC rising to Chancellor of the Exchequer, but failing in his quest for the premiership. He was a chief negotiator for the crown in the formation of the free Irish state and after earlier setting a price on Michael Collins head, the two became friends. He attempted and failed to strangle the Bolshevik experiment in its cradle. Brought Britain back to the gold standard. And finally alienated much of his party by correctly predicting the religious violence that would result from Indian Independence. Through it all he wrote more than Shakespeare did his entire life, learned to fly an airplane, took up bricklaying, painting, married, and sired five children. In his early years Winston faced the hazards of fortune at every stage. In his personal life he lost a child. In his finances he was always only a half step ahead of his creditors. He grew up with parents who ignored him and then had his father taken from him in a cruel way as his mental faculties, for which he was famed, disintegrated before his eyes. In most of his early speeches Winston was shouted down and constantly interrupted by suffragettes, trade unionists, separatists and Bolsheviks. He repeatedly reached the pinnacle only to be publicly disgraced. Yet the defining characteristic was that one trait that made all the others possible, courage. In a furnace of trial he grew to rely on courage and dogged persistence as his lodestars, and it was these traits that one day saved the western world. Mallory says she's been going to the Nation of Islam's Savior's Day meetings for decades, so the criticism of her attendance was unexpected. In the news source NewsOne , she wrote: Planned Parenthood of the Northwest disinvited Mallory from keynoting their spring fundraiser next month, they said Friday. CHICAGO - It cost between $20 and $100 to hear Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan annual speech denouncing "Satanic Jews" and other anti-Semitic rants at the Chicago WinTrust Arena last month. One person - a Women's March and Black Lives Matter leader - Tamika Mallory is being reprimanded by associates for attending Savior's Day with the Nation of Islam. I didnt expect my presence at Saviours Day to lead anyone to question my beliefs, especially considering that I have been going to this event regularly for over 30 years. I first went with my parents when I was just a little girl, and would begin attending on my own after my sons father was murdered nearly 17 years ago. In that most difficult period of my life, it was the women of the Nation of Islam who supported me and I have always held them close to my heart for that reason. It was all about unity and gathering with like-minded people to build coalitions, she said. It isn't just Planned Parenthood that's upset with Mallory. Her fans are voicing concerns: Farrakhan and Nation of Islam officials have been accused of repeatedly using anti-Semitic and homophobic rhetoric. "It's the wicked Jews, the false Jews, that are promoting lesbianism, homosexuality. It's the wicked Jews, false Jews, that make it a crime for you to preach the word of God, then they call you homophobic!" Farrakhan said in a speech. A photo of Barack Obama and Louis Farrakhan together in Chicago was found and released recently: Close Get email notifications on Lisa Neff daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. Whenever Lisa Neff posts new content, you'll get an email delivered to your inbox with a link. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Trump administrations trade policy took another abrupt turn last week with a spontaneous announcement to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. The tariff declarations represent the latest in a line of aggressive trade policy changes, beginning with the removal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the renegotiation of NAFTA. In a country as large and economically diverse as the United States, these macro policy shocks have local consequences and, once again, Americas local and state economic officials are asking how this latest trade policy shift will influence their own economies. At least three scenarios are possible for U.S. regional and state economies. The argument in favor of the tariffs is that they are a counterweight against foreign producers of aluminum and steel that have flooded the U.S. market, putting American companies at a disadvantage. And for those metro areas and states that concentrate steel and aluminum production, this may represent a welcome relief. Possible harm to Wisconsin brewers Leinenkuel's worries that Trump's tariff could increase the cost of aluminum cans, making the brewer's products too expensive. However, the decision may put regions and states at an economic disadvantage, in at least two additional ways. The first mechanism is via retaliatory tariffs from other countries on key American export industries. While it is unclear whether other countries will respond with their own retaliatory measures, Canada, China, and the European Union (EU) have signaled that they will respond by increasing tariffs on American-made products, potentially curbing exports. It is still too early to tell whether Trumps move will result in a larger scale trade war, but changing the export competitiveness in particular products and industries will come to ground differently based on the unique export strengths of cities, regions, and states. The EU has already identified three iconic American productsbourbon, blue jeans, and motorcycles. Interestingly all implicate the states of key congressional leaders. The second mechanism is through the ripple effects of higher prices for steel and aluminum imports, two critical inputs for industries as diverse as auto manufacturing, brewing, and construction. Using U.S. Census Bureau data on imports, we can examine how higher tariffs on aluminum and steel will implicate state economies that rely on those materials to support their key industries. In 2017, imports of steel and aluminum goods covered within the scope of the U.S. Commerce Departments Section 232 investigation totaled nearly $48 billion, or about 2 percent of total U.S. imports. Steel imports were a little over $29 billion while aluminum flows were about $19 billion. Threat to state's cranberry producers Wisconsin cranberry producers fear reprisals from the European Union. When measured by total volume, the nations largest states dominate steel and aluminum imports. Texas, California, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York all import more than $2 billion annually in steel and aluminum products, together accounting for 60 percent of the nations total. Aside from Texas, California, and Louisiana, these states concentrate in the Northeast and Midwests Rust Belt. Given the large size of their economies, disruptions to trade in these states have significant potential to influence national economic growth and key industry sectors like automotive manufacturing, chemicals, and oil and gas production. However, some states production relies more on steel and aluminum, measured by the share of those products that account for total imports. The figure below ranks states based on this metric. The states that rely most on steel and aluminum imports as a share of their total import base cut an interesting economic geography. In Missouri, Louisiana, Connecticut, and Maryland, aluminum and steel imports account for at least 5 percent of total state imports, double the share of the nations 2 percent total. Louisiana presents a particularly notable example. Oil and gas drillers and petrochemical producers in that state rely on imported steel and aluminum to support their operations. The Port of New Orleans imported2.48 million tons of steel in 2017, accounting for 30 percent of its tonnage. Marylands imports are also disproportionately weighted towards aluminum and steel. As the Baltimore Sun reported, Maryland manufacturers of steel products are concerned that they will be put at a disadvantage, both due to higher input costs and by potentially limiting their access to important export markets should retaliatory measures be put in place. The impact of these tariffs on the U.S economy would be the strongest if Trumps Monday tweet signals the inclusion of NAFTA. Canada and Mexico supply together 32 percent of U.S aluminum and steel imports. Canada alone accounts for one-fourth of U.S imports in these commodities. The inclusion of NAFTA in the tariffs would be particularly hard for state economies most dependent on Canada and Mexico. Michigan, for instance, relies on NAFTA for more than 70 percent of its steel and aluminum products. These imports support the states automotive and metalworking clusters, which together employ 230,000 workers. But even if Canada and Mexico were spared, the tariffs would still apply to other strategic partners of individual U.S states. Illinois, the nations second largest importer of steel products, imports 41 percent of its steel from Brazil. Illinois also imports 29 percent of its aluminum from China, as aluminum is increasingly used as a substitute for steel in the U.S auto industry. These proposed tariffs are unlikely to achieve their intended goals of pressuring trade partners suspected of creating market distortions from subsidies and dumping. Instead, they are increasing uncertainty over the coherence of Americas trade strategy and antagonizing its trade partners. At minimum, these tariffs will disrupt those firms, industries, regions, and states that rely on steel and aluminum imports, which at this point is still a relatively small segment of U.S. trade. However, if trade partners respond with their own retaliatory tariffs on a broader set of export industries, exposure to the latest Trump trade shock will spread. Details on volume and concentration of steel and aluminum imports by state available in this appendix. See also: Leinenkugel's worries Trump tariff could cost jobs Wisconsin cranberries on European Union target list for retaliation tariffs Author Max David Bouchhet, Senior research assistant Metropolitan Policy Program Joseph Parilla, Fellow - Metropolitan Policy Program 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! HOLLAND PATENT -- The Oneida County Sheriff's Office arrested a 14-year old following a threat made on social media against Holland Patent Middle School. Authorities have not releasing the identity of the teen and have not said whether the juvenile is a student at Holland Patent. The juvenile is charged with making a terroristic threat, which is a class D felony. Holland Patent discussed the threat at its regularly scheduled school board meeting Wednesday, but no one spoke up with concerns. The superintendent says students told staff about the threat. Law enforcement determined there was no credible threat or danger to staff and students. The superintendent says he has recieved phone calls and emails with concerns about the incident. He says the district is moving forward in the safest manner possible. "Anytime a safety concern is brought to us, we don't take it lightly," Superintendent Jason Evangelist said. "We take it to the fullest extent of investigation and then work through that process to help make determinations working wth law enforcement, and moving forward to show that we are safe for our students and for our faculty and staff and our community." This is the second incident involving a social media threat in the Holland Patent School District in the past week. Emergency protocols were taken during both threats. Law enforcement says despite an arrest being made they will continue to look into the threat. SAUQUOIT, NY-- The family of a local 2-year-old, who went through a liver transplant, is giving back to other children going through the same procedure. Gavin Jerzak likes to play with his sister Grace, cuddle with his mom and learn about animals. But a year ago he was fighting to stay alive, because of a rare liver condition he was diagnosed with called biliary atresia. "He had a feeding tube because his body couldn't absorb the nutrients," said Dana Jerzak, Gavin's mother. "He had broken bones, he broke his wrist when he tried to crawl, broke his femur when he tried to walk. "It was crazy everyday was medicines two, three times a day, a bottle every three hours until transplant." With some help from Facebook Dana Jerzak eventually found someone who could be a match. "I was friends with the woman who lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana through [a liver transplant Facebook group] and she had messaged me," she said. "She had said there's a woman a local woman in Baton Rouge who's grandson just passed away and she went onto Facebook. The woman alerted Dana that the grandmother of the child who had died had posted a message "asking if there were any babies who needed organs," she said. "So she knew that we are waiting for 13 months, so she tagged our name in the post and the grandmother actually contacted me." The two exchanged messages and the grandmother asked where Gavin was being treated. "They basically put Gavin's name on the liver and shipped it to Boston." Soon after Jerzak family received a call during winter storm Stella, that a liver was ready for Gavin. A trip that usually takes the family 4 hours to drive, took 6 in a half. The family thought it was a coincidence that Gavin received a liver transplant soon after those Facebook messages. But in June they found out it was the same family. The 17-month-old donor had died by drowning, his name was Gabriel. The Jerzak's have a picture of Gabriel on their mantel and they talk about him to their two children. "He's a part of the family," she said. "I feel like I have three kids, as crazy as that sounds it's weird because I've never been through anything like this before. It feels like I'm taking care of three kids I feel like I have to continue on for her son." The family is approaching the one year anniversary of Gavin's transplant, which is March 16. "He has no real liver issues," she said. "He had a biopsy when he was just two months out just to make sure that everything was okay, because his numbers were fluctuating but other than that just the common cold. He's been doing fantastic." After Gavin received his transplant the hospital gave him a special blanket for organ recipients. The gift inspired the family to collect blankets to provide some sense of comfort to other patients going through similar procedures. "He still loves his blanket to this day and so we're just trying to get back trying to make another child smile," she said. "We just want to give a little bit of comfort to another child that was a need." The family is collecting new blankets to donate to the transplant unit at Boston Children's Hospital until Friday, April 20, at the following locations: New Hartford Public Library, on 2 Library Lane, New Hartford Monday and Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m. The Dunham Public Library on 76 Main St. in Whitesboro Monday-Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Reilly's Dairy on 9553 Pinnacle Road in Sauquoit Monday-Friday, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. If you have any question contact Dana by calling 315-525-4796 New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is warning New Yorkers about a new phone scam in the Syracuse area. Schneiderman says New Yorkers have been receiving calls from scammers who threaten to harm their family members if they dont pay a ransom. New Yorkers who receive these scam phone calls should report them to New York State Police at 1-800-GIVETIP. In recent days, the Attorney Generals Office has received several reports in the Syracuse-area that people have received calls from someone falsely claiming the call recipients relative has been in an accident that caused injury, and the scammer claims theyve taken the relative from the scene of the accident to a nearby house. The scammer then demands money, claiming the injured relative doesnt have insurance to pay the medical bills. Schneiderman says the scammer will then try to scare the phone call recipient into cooperating by claiming to be a drug dealer or gang member. In at least one instance, a woman could be heard crying in the background of the call. In some instances the scammer will reference the phone call recipients name and sometimes their address. Schneiderman says the calls appear to be coming from a Syracuse number, and the scammer references Syracuse streets for the site of the alleged accident. The scammer has also tried to arrange for a payment on Fayette Street in Syracuse. When phone call recipients did not cooperate, Schneiderman says the scammer has threatened to shoot the persons relatives. None of the people who received these calls paid any money to the caller, and none of their relatives were actually involved in an accident or harmed. Schneiderman says these kind of scams are designed to trick consumers into paying money to free someone they love from potential harm. To avoid falling victim to this type of scam, Schneiderman offers the following tips: - If the caller is a stranger, be alert. Be aware that this type of extortion scam depends on fear. The scammer knows they need to work quickly to obtain your money because you may try to take steps, even while on the phone with the scammer, to figure out if your relative is in actual danger. Scammers will try to keep you on the line. - Never give out personal information to a stranger on the phone. - Never wire money through Western Union, MoneyGram, or any other wire service to a stranger. - Never purchase gift or money cards for the purpose of providing the gift card numbers to someone else. - Immediately contact the police if you get a call like the one described here. Congresswoman Claudia Tenneys has announced a telephone town hall and mobile office hours for next week within the 22nd Congressional District. A telephone town hall has been scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 14. During the town hall constituents will have the opportunity to speak with Tenney and ask her questions. If youd like to sign up for the telephone town hall, you can sign up online here. You can also sign up by calling Tenneys New Hartford district office at 315-732-0713, her Binghamton office by calling 607-723-3581, or her Washington, D.C. office by calling 202-225-3665. During the mobile office hours next week, staff from Tenneys New Hartford and Binghamton offices will be available to meet with constituents and provide assistance for issues theyre facing with federal agencies. Mobile office hours help us bring the wide range of constituent services our office offers to communities across the 22nd District to increase accessibility and give constituents an opportunity to meet directly with experienced casework staff, Tenney said in a news release. If you are having trouble with a federal agency, from problems with Social Security and Medicare benefits to obtaining a passport or questions about the Veterans Administration, our office is here to ensure you get the answers you need. The mobile office hours for next week include: Cortland (Cortland County) Tuesday, March 13: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cortland City Hall Mayors Conference Room 25 Court St, Cortland, NY 13045 Lisle (Broome County) Tuesday, March 13: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Lisle Town Clerks Office 9234 NY-79, Lisle, NY 13797 Tuesday March 13, 1 PM- 3 PM Sherrill (Oneida County) Thursday, March 15: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sherrill City Office 377 Sherrill Road, Sherrill, NY 13461 Frankfort (Herkimer County) Thursday, March 15: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Frankfort Town Hall 201 Third Ave., Frankfort, New York 13340 EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) A southwestern Indiana magistrate has dismissed a reckless homicide charge in the death of a man who was injured in a so-called play fight. Vanderburgh County prosecutors had asked that the charge against 27-year-old Daniel Cundiff of Evansville be dropped after his friend's death was deemed "more accidental in nature than reckless." The Evansville Courier & Press reports that a magistrate dismissed the charge Tuesday. Sixty-year-old Larry Stephenson died months after he suffered spinal fractures and paralysis in the fight. Court documents show Stephenson and friends were visiting Cundiff's home in November 2016. Stephenson, who was intoxicated, initiated a play fight with Cundiff outside. The men were wrestling when Cundiff picked up Stephenson, then slipped and dropped him. Stephenson suffered head and neck injuries. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) A staff member at Amelia Earhart Elementary School has been arrested after a Lafayette Police Department investigation. According to LPD, 46-year-old Joe Kimerer was arrested around 10 a.m. Friday morning at his home. He faces 13 felony charges including vicarious sexual gratification (Level 4 Felony), child exploitation with intent to satisfy sex desires (Level 5 Felony), child solicitation (Level 5 Felony) and inappropriate communication with a child. Related: Amelia Earhart Elementary staff member under investigation The Lafayette Police Department Detective Division, along with Lafayette Police School Resource Officers, Tippecanoe County Prosecutors Office High Tech Crimes Unit, and Lafayette School Corporation officials, initiated a child abuse investigation involving an Amelia Earhart school teacher on February 27. The complaint centered on reports of suspicious activity involving child exploitation and child solicitation. The investigation found multiple male victims ranging in ages 12 13 years old with many of the alleged incidents occurred inside the school, during school hours. In a released statement, Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Les Huddle said: "On Tuesday, February 27, 2018 it was brought to the attention of the Lafayette School Corporation administration that Earhart 4th grade teacher Mr. Joe Kimerer may have been acting in an inappropriate manner with school-age children. The Department of Child Services and the Lafayette Police Department were immediately contacted and the teacher was removed from the classroom and school the same day and assigned to his home. Building access was revoked and the teacher has not been back at Earhart since that day. An investigation was launched by the authorities which has resulted in the arrest of Mr. Kimerer today. Simultaneously, the district began its own investigation and is currently engaged in an employment termination process with the teacher. We understand that these allegations will be very troubling to anyone who might have an association with Mr. Kimerer. The allegations are of the utmost gravity in that they implicate unprofessional conduct by a teacher towards a student. While this report is alarming, we want every parent and student to know that we will continue to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students at Earhart Elementary and for all schools within the Lafayette School Corporation." In a previous story, Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Les Huddle told WLFI a staff member was on administrative leave. The staff member was not identified. Huddle sent out a letter to parents several weeks ago. The letter says, "The staff member has been reassigned to home during the investigation and will not be back at Earhart until all allegations and issues are resolved. The Lafayette School Corporation considers the safety of children it's top priority. " The investigation is on-going and police ask anyone with further information or further victims related to this incident contact the Lafayette Police Department Detective Division at (765) 807-1250. WLFI will continue to follow the story and will have more information, including a reaction from Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Les Huddle on News 18 at 5 and 6. BROWNSBURG, Ind. (AP) Hundreds of police officers from around the country are expected to attend the funeral of the central Indiana sheriff's deputy who was fatally shot last week. The funeral for Boone County sheriff's Deputy Jacob Pickett is scheduled to take place Friday at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, the Indianapolis suburb where Pickett grew up. A procession following the funeral will take Interstate 65 to Lebanon, where it will stop at the Boone County sheriff's office. The procession route then will take I-65 south to Zionsville and then on U.S. 421 to Indianapolis, where Pickett will be buried at Crown Hill Cemetery. The 34-year-old married father of two was shot during a foot chase in Lebanon. A 21-year-old man faces murder charges in Pickett's death. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI) - Hundreds gathered Thursday for a viewing for the Boone County deputy killed in the line of duty. People from all over the state came to say a final farewell to Deputy Jacob Pickett. "He was an amazing man, a great father, husband and officer," said dispatcher Lydia Edwards. Deputy Jacob Pickett with the Boone County Sheriff's Office was shot and killed in the line of duty last Friday while assisting the Lebanon Police Department. "I was the lead dispatcher on the pursuit," said Edwards. Edwards said Pickett's death has left a hole in their community. "We lost one of our boys and that's a hard pill to swallow," said Edwards. Edwards and hundreds of people came to pay their respects at Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery during Pickett's visitation Thursday. "It's a blur. One of the things we've been taught over the years is when it gets bad is to go into what I call automatic mode," said Communications Administrator Art Naekel. Pickett leaves behind his wife and children. He also leaves behind his K-9 partner, Brik. "They were inseparable," said Deputy Ken Conley. "They were a great pair. They could go anywhere together. They knew what each other's reactions were going to be." "Last Friday when we brought [Brik] down to the hospital to see Jake, he knew right then," said Deputy Rob Watson. "You could just tell he was lost. He was looking for dad." Pickett will be remembered as a loving father and husband. He'll be known for loving his job. Those close to him said they'll never forget his positive, upbeat outlook on life. "If you were having a bad day, he would change it," said Conley. "If he was having a bad day, it didn't matter." Deptuy Jacob Pickett's funeral will be Friday starting at 11 a.m. It will be at Connection Point Church in Brownsburg. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - President Trump has moved forward with import tariffs on steel and aluminum. A Purdue University economist said the tariffs would do more harm than good in Indiana. Steel and aluminum industries would benefit. However, other manufacturers, especially in the automotive industry, could be negatively impacted. President Trump signed proclamations for a 25-percent tariff on steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum Thursday. "What that does is it raises the prices for any domestic producer of steel and domestic producer of aluminum," said Wally Tyner, an agricultural economist at Purdue Univeristy. Tyner said one would think that would be a good for Hoosiers. However, he said think again. "We have GM, Honda, Toyota, Cummins, Rolls Royce, Caterpillar. All of these companies use steel and aluminum, so their costs go up, their sales go down. When their sales go down, what happens to jobs in those industries? They go down," said Tyner. Tyner is also concerned about retaliation, especially from China. "If they put a tariff on soy beans, that means that Indiana farmers would suffer," said Tyner. He said Indiana has four of the top 10 exporting communities in the country. That includes Lafayette, Kokomo, Columbus and Elkhart. "So, if there's any retaliation, those four communities are all going to be hit." Tyner said there would certainly be a ripple effect. "In Indiana, we just go the good news that we can buy beer on Sundays. Now, that beer is going to cost more because it comes in aluminum cans." The tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. Canada and Mexico are exempt from the tariffs if a new North American Free Trade Agreement can be reached. 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 White House report highlights nuclear achievements 09 March 2018 Share On the same day the US Senate passed a bill to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear reactors, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) highlighted nuclear energy developments as the greatest achievements of the Trump administration to date in the area of energy dominance. Energy Secretary Rick Perry applauds President Trump at the Unleashing American Energy event in June 2017 (Image: Simon Edelman/DOE) The OSTP advises the US President on science and technology, supports the President's agenda, and ensures the effective coordination of science and technology efforts across the US Executive Branch. Topics on which OSTP currently advises developing policies include: advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, biotechnology, cybersecurity, digital economy, disaster preparedness, healthcare, infectious diseases, information technology, medicine, nanotechnology, nuclear energy, ocean science, quantum information sciences, space and aeronautics, and telecommunications. In Science and Technology Highlights in the First Year of the Trump Administration, published on 7 March, the OSTP said it had over the past year led "coordinated Administration efforts to promote emerging technologies, empower Americans to innovate, and defend American technologies abroad". It said the administration's request for USD151.2 billion for federal R&D investment in the 2018 budget - a 2% increase on 2016 - demonstrated Trump's commitment to the importance of federal scientific investigation. The report highlights three achievements in its section on Energy Dominance - all connected to nuclear innovation. These are: the "complete review" of US nuclear energy policy called for by Trump during the Unleashing American Energy event in June; the 13 November announcement by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that contractors to US national laboratories may use Agreements for Commercialising Technology to facilitate new strategic partnerships with national laboratories; and the resumption of domestic nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory's Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). The facility, which is used to test nuclear fuels and materials under extreme conditions, had not operated since being shut down in 1994. Bipartisan support for advanced reactors The Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA) was passed by the US Senate on the same day that the OSTP published its report. The bipartisan legislation would facilitate public-private partnerships between private-sector nuclear energy innovators and government researchers to develop advanced nuclear reactors. The act would open the research capabilities of the DOE's national laboratories to private companies, allowing the testing and demonstration of privately funded reactor concepts. The act authorises the development of a versatile reactor-based source of fast neutrons needed to test advanced reactors, fuels and related materials. It also authorises the creation of a National Reactor Innovation Center to enable the construction of experimental reactors and provides for the sharing of technical information and expertise between the DOE and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which could help to accelerate NRC licensing of advanced designs. Nuclear Energy Institute president and CEO Maria Korsnick said the bill's passage in the Senate was a "welcome and timely reminder" of the bipartisan support for innovative technologies in the US Congress. "Its provisions, once enacted into law, will go a long way to ensure the United States remains at the forefront of civilian nuclear capability," she said. The measure will now be sent for consideration to the House of Representatives. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics MP praises Salvation Armys first housing project for veterans This article is old - Published: Friday, Mar 9th, 2018 A project which provides accommodation and support for veterans in Wrexham has been praised by MP Ian Lucas after he visited and spoke to service users. The Salvation Army project, Ty Dewr, provides accommodation for up to 12 veterans at a time who are either at risk or are experiencing homelessness. It is the organisations first service specifically designed to provide accommodation for veterans. Meaning Brave House, the facility opened on Bryn Estyn in early 2016 following a 2.26m grant to help convert and build apartments for military personnel. MP Ian Lucas, said: I was very pleased to visit Ty Dewr and I thought that the service provided was very good indeed. It was notable that one of the staff members had used the service himself it shows the impact that a project like this can have. During my visit, I discussed the situation around homelessness in Wrexham as a whole with staff. I was interested to hear their views and I agree that a housing first approach, such as the one being used by The Salvation Army at Ty Dewr, is a very important part of tackling housing provision for people experiencing homelessness. Ive worked alongside The Salvation Army on a series of projects in Wrexham helping people experiencing homelessness and I am sure I will continue to do so in the future. The Salvation Army believe that providing a bed alone cannot break the cycle of homelessness. There are a range of activities available to service users at Ty Dewr, including an allotment for growing food, cooking lessons as well as fitness sessions. The focus is on life skills for moving forward into civilian life. Gill Corp, Service Manager, at Ty Dewr, said: It was wonderful to meet our local MP and to introduce him to our service users, many of whom are facing challenges. Weve been running Ty Dewr for eight months and in that space of time we have been working with service users to help them achieve their goals, whatever they may be. We work with individuals to support them and, as a result weve witnessed some wonderfully positive outcomes. The Salvation Army works with a number of organisations to support veterans at Ty Dewr including Combat Stress, The Royal British Legion, Change Step, SAAFA (the Armed Forces charity), Care After Combat, Wrexham County Borough Council and First Choice Housing who own Ty Dewr. Top pic: Ian Lucas, Dan Davies (service user), Rob Long (Salvation Army Regional Manager for Homelessness services), Scott Jones (Support Worker), Gill Corp (Service Manager), and Paul Mcarthur Wrexham man to be sentenced for involvement in 37m copycat website fraud This article is old - Published: Friday, Mar 9th, 2018 Six people have been sentenced this week to a total of more than 35 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding UK consumers out of over 37 million in one of the largest UK online crime cases. They operated a number of copycat websites, impersonating official government services to sell passports, driving licences and other key documents for vastly inflated prices. The convictions and sentences follow one of the biggest investigations undertaken by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team. The convictions and sentences were handed down following two trials one in July 2017 and the other this month. The convictions and sentences relating to the July 2017 trial can only be reported now due reporting restrictions which were in place. The July 2017 trial resulted in the following sentences: Liam Hincks (aged 28 of St Albans Heights, Tanyfron, Wrexham) pleaded guilty before the trial began and was sentenced to 3 years. Peter Hall (age 47 of Homestead Road, Medstead, Alton, Hampshire) was sentenced to 8 years and 8 months in prison. Mr Hall also received a further 1 year and 4 months in relation to a previous suspended sentence following a conviction for fraud. Claire Hall (age 41 of Homestead Road, Medstead, Alton, Hampshire) was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Syed Bilal Zaidi (aged 35 formerly of Broad Street, Arlesford, Hampshire) was sentenced to 6 years in prison in his absence and his whereabouts are currently unknown. Collette Ferrow (aged 50 of Longmead, Liss, Hampshire) was sentenced to 4 years in prison The March 2018 trial (which ended this week) resulted in the followed sentences: Liam Hincks (aged 28 of St Albans Heights, Tanyfron, Wrexham) pleaded guilty before the trial began and will be sentenced at a later date. Peter Hall (age 47 of Homestead Road, Medstead, Alton, Hampshire) was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was also disqualified as company director for 10 years. Kerry Mills (age 49 of Hillsborough Park, Camberley, Surrey) was sentenced to 5 years in prison. She was also disqualified as a company director for 8 years. The July 2017 trial heard how the defendants set up copycat websites through the company Tadservices Limited between January 2011 and November 2014. These sites mimicked official websites run by eleven government agencies and departments and manipulated search engine results to appear more genuine. They knowingly misled hundreds of thousands of consumers into paying more than they needed for a number of government services including new or replacement passports, visas, birth and death certificates, driving licences, driving tests, car tax discs and the London Congestion Charge. The criminals also set up websites that mimicked the American, Turkish, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Sri Lankan official visa sites where travellers could apply and pay for electronic visas to visit those countries. In all cases the sites offered little or no additional value to consumers using them. It is believed that in addition to UK consumers Indian, Turkish and US citizens were also defrauded. The illegal profits funded a glamorous lifestyle for the defendants, with extravagant spending on expensive cars and luxury holidays. At one stage Claire Hall was preparing to buy a house for a cash payment of 1,400,000 when the authorities intervened. The Halls were arrested on 27 June 2014 as part of an investigation by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, who together with police raided properties across Hampshire. The eCrime Team seized items including computers and mobile phones. The second trial (March 2018) heard how the five defendants established a series of copycat websites through the companies Online Forms Limited and AE Online Services Limited in 2014 and 2015. These copycat websites mimicked a range of the visa application websites of a range on countries including the United States, India, Turkey, Bahrain and Sri Lanka. Lord Toby Harris, Chair of National Trading Standards, said: These convictions represent an important milestone in the fight against online fraud. This was a huge fraud and a very large number of people lost money as a result of the malicious actions of these criminals. Our eCrime team operating with finite resources has worked tirelessly to bring these criminals to justice and Im delighted that their efforts have led to these historic convictions. I would urge members of the public to report any copycat websites they spot to the Citizens Advice consumer service by calling 03454 04 05 06. Mike Andrews from the National Trading Standards eCrime Team said: This was a crime motivated by greed. This group defrauded people so they could enjoy a luxury lifestyle. They showed no regard for the unnecessary costs they imposed on their victims I would say they treated them with contempt. I would urge people to always use the GOV.UK website when looking to apply for any kind of government service such as a passport, driving licence or EHIC card. Search engines may seem the easiest route but searching using the GOV.UK website is the safest way of ensuring you do not fall victim to a copycat website. In handing down his sentences in March 2018 His Honour Judge Sean Morris said: The internet is now the most frequently used marketplace. It is full of busy people in a rush who dont have time. Its a tool used by everyone for buying train tickets, holidays, cars, visas and it involves millions of mouse clicks a day. There is a lot of money to be made by dishonest people out of the honest people who dont have time to check that a site is an official government service. Those who deceive in this way should expect to go to prison for a long time. Claire Hall (age 41 of Homestead Road, Medstead, Alton, Hampshire) and Andrew Baker (age 46 of Gascoigne Lane, Ropley, Hampshire) both stood trial as part of the March 2018 trial but were found not guilty. PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE This is the third part of a three-part article. The first part was posted on March 7, the second part on March 8. Candidates from a military-intelligence background are seeking the Democratic Party nomination in 40 percent of the congressional districts targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2018 elections. They make up the largest single occupational group running in the Democratic primaries. If the Democratic military-intelligence candidates won all 44 of the districts in which they are runningwhich is theoretically possible, if very unlikelythey would constitute, as a bloc, ten percent of the membership of the House of Representatives. From the State Department to Capitol Hill The final category of military-intelligence candidates consists of veterans of the US State Department during the Obama years, most of them former aides to Hillary Clinton. These are among the best financed and most publicized of the likely Democratic nominees. In the event of a Democratic wave in November, most would find themselves with seats in Congress. Tom Malinowski, a former congressional aide and Clinton administration official, headed the Washington office of Human Rights Watch for 13 years before joining the Obama administration under Secretary of State John Kerry as assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor. He is seeking the Democratic nomination in New Jerseys 7th Congressional District against incumbent Republican Leonard Lance. Lauren Baer was a legal adviser to both Secretaries Clinton and Kerry, as well as US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. She is now seeking the Democratic nomination in the 18th District of Florida, where her principal opponent is Pam Keith, a former judge advocate general in the US Navy and now legal counsel to Florida Power & Light. Both women push additional buttons for identity politics, as Baer is openly gay and Keith is African-American. Nancy Soderberg is a longtime US foreign policy figure going back to the Clinton administration, first at the National Security Council, then as deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs, then as an alternate US representative at the UN Security Council with the rank of ambassador. She has spent much of her time since then heading private overseas operations like the International Crisis Group, while playing a prominent role in the Florida Democratic Party. She is effectively unchallenged for the Democratic nomination in Floridas 6th Congressional District (Daytona Beach), where the incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis is running for governor. Edward Meier was a senior adviser to the State Department. According to his campaign website, he was responsible for coordinating the military-to-civilian transition in Iraqensuring our diplomats and aid workers would be safe and secure after the withdrawal of US troops. In this role, he traveled to Iraq on multiple official trips working closely with the US military and the Iraqi government. He went on to be director of policy outreach for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Meier fell short Tuesday in his bid for the Democratic nomination in the 32nd District of Texas, finishing fourth out of five Democrats running against incumbent Republican Pete Sessions in a suburban Dallas district Clinton carried over Donald Trump, even though he spent the most money. Sara Jacobs is another State Department official turned Clinton campaign aide, working on conflict zones in East and West Africa, particularly the campaign against Boko Haram in Nigeria, and helping to spearhead President Obamas efforts to improve governance in the security sector of our counterterrorism partners, according to her campaign website. She was a foreign policy adviser to the Clinton campaign and is now seeking the Democratic nomination in Californias 49th District, where incumbent Darrell Issa is retiring. Jacobs is the best-financed Democrat in the race, as befits the granddaughter of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, but at age 29 she would be the youngest congresswoman ever, and she has been snubbed in favor of several more experienced rivals by recent Democratic Party caucuses. One of her opponents is Douglas Applegate, a career Marine Corps judge advocate general with combat tours in Fallujah, Baghdad and Ramadi, who narrowly lost the 2016 race to Issa. Talley Sergent, yet another State Department official turned Clinton campaign aide, is running in West Virginias 2nd Congressional District, which includes Charleston, against two-term incumbent Republican Alex Mooney. A former aide to Senator Jay Rockefeller, Sergent worked on slavery and sex trafficking at the State Department, then managed Clintons disastrous campaign in West Virginia before becoming a public relations executive for The Coca-Cola Co. Challenging her for the Democratic nomination is Aaron Scheinberg, West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran, deployed first as a platoon leader in the 4th Infantry Division, then as a civil affairs officer in Haswah, Iraq. Scheinberg is now executive director of The Mission Continues, a nonprofit promoting the employment of veterans, whose board of directors includes such figures as Michele Flournoy, Pentagon undersecretary in the Obama administration; Meghan OSullivan, Iraq director for the National Security Council under George W. Bush; and retired General Ray S. Odierno, former commander of US forces in Iraq. Jessica Morse was Iraq country coordinator for the State Department in the course of over a decade as a national security strategist, according to her website. She worked for the US Agency for International Development, a longtime CIA front, then as adviser to the US Pacific Command, where she strengthened the US-India defense relationship and worked to counter terrorist threats in South Asia. Her opponent for the Democratic nomination in the 4th District of California, to face Republican incumbent Tom McClintock, is another former State Department officer, Regina Bateson, who was a vice-consul in Guatemala and studied terrorist travel and border security, according to her campaign website. A stealth candidateand some celebrities The American corporate media has been slow to comment on the extraordinary influx of military and intelligence officers into the Democratic Partys 2018 congressional campaign. The media prefers to cover the campaign from the standpoint of secondary characteristics, focusing on the great number of women running for office, mainly as Democrats, supposedly in response to Trumps misogyny. An exception to this pattern was the article February 8 by the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call, under the headline, Active-Duty Candidates Can RunBut Can They Campaign? The article profiled a Tennessee Democratic congressional candidate, Matt Reel, who was called up from his reserve status for a five-month deployment with the 20th Special Forces Group (Green Berets). According to the article, Even Matt Reels staff doesnt know where hes deployed. Reel announced his campaign for the 7th District seat shortly after incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn announced that she was leaving the House of Representatives to run for the US Senate seat from Tennessee currently held by Bob Corker, who is retiring. Because of the late announcements, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not yet targeted the district and Reel is not included in the figures cited earlier in this article. The unusual situation for Reel is that, under Pentagon rules, he cannot direct his own campaign while he is on active duty. His aides and supporters can continue to campaign, but he is barred from communicating with them in any way. Reel is not even allowed to tell them where he is, since the military deployment is covert. This truly dark horse" candidate left his campaign having shot a few commercials and other video material, and will return a month or so before the August 2 primary. Reel is one more example of a candidate from the black ops section of the military running as a Democrat. In his case, the two cannot be separated: he has been a Democratic Party functionary and a Green Beret since completing college. A former chief of staff to Alabama Representative Terri Sewell, his most recent position was deputy staff director for the Democrats on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. While Reel is considered an extreme long-shot as a candidate, running in a district won by the Republicans in 2016 by a 3-1 margin, the DCCC is heavily promoting a number of career military candidates, most of them women, as star recruits for the most competitive districts in 2018, those where a switch from Republican to Democratic control is most likely. These candidates have access to funding far beyond what would be expected for first-time candidates without huge personal resources. Running in the 31st District of Texas is Mary Jennings Hegar, a helicopter pilot and certified military celebrityAngelina Jolie is cast to play her in a biographical film based on her memoir, Shoot Like a Girl: One Womans Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front. Hegar came to prominence through a lawsuit against the Pentagon policy of barring women from combat. Opposing her for the nomination to face incumbent Republican John Carter is Kent Lester, a West Point graduate and career military officer who retired as a lieutenant colonel after deployments to Panama and Bosnia, among other locations. In Virginias 2nd District, which encompasses the Norfolk-Hampton Roads area with its complex of naval bases and shipyards, the DCCC has promoted Elaine Luria, one of the first Navy women to serve as an officer on a nuclear-powered ship, as its favored candidate under the Red-to-Blue program. Luria has deployed six times to the Middle East and Western Pacific as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer. She was second-in-command of a guided missile cruiser and commanded assault craft supporting a Marine Corps deployment. Other military candidates who had already raked in more than one million dollars in campaign funds in 2017, the year before the election, and have been widely publicized in local media in their districts, include: Mikie Sherrill, a career Navy helicopter pilot, with ten years active service in Europe and the Middle East, now a federal prosecutor. She reported raising $1,230,000 by December 31, 2017 for her campaign for the Democratic nomination in New Jerseys 11th Congressional District, where incumbent Republican Rodney Freylingheusen is retiring. Chrissy Houlahan, a former US Air Force captain, has raised $1,228,000 for her campaign in Pennsylvanias 6th Congressional District, against incumbent Republican Ryan Costello. Amy McGrath, a career Marine fighter pilot with 89 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, has raised $1,133,000 for her campaign in Kentuckys 6th Congressional District against incumbent Republican Andy Barr. Some political conclusions There is growing popular hostility to the Trump administration, but within the political straitjacket of the two-party system, it is trapped without any genuine outlet. In November 2016, faced with the choice of equally repugnant ruling class figuresHillary Clinton, the longtime stooge of Wall Street and the Pentagon, and Donald Trump, the corrupt billionaire from the financial underworld of real estate swindling and casino gamblingmillions refused to vote. But disappointment and anger over the bankrupt, right-wing policies of the Obama administration led a sufficient number of working people to vote for Trump, particularly in devastated industrial states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, that he could eke out an Electoral College victory despite losing the popular vote. The 2018 elections could well see a similar process, but in reverse. Angered by the tax cuts for the wealthy and big business, the gutting of social programs like Medicaid and food stamps, the attacks on immigrants and democratic rights more generally, and Trumps threats of military violence and even nuclear war, millions of working people, however reluctantly, will go to the polls to cast their ballots for the official opposition, the Democratic Party, which does not actually oppose Trump at all. It is by no means certain that the Democrats will win control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm election on November 6. But the details presented in this report demonstrate that a Democratic victory would in no sense represent a shift to the left in capitalist politics. In a sense, the Democratic Partys promotion of a large number of military-intelligence candidates for competitive districts represents an insurance policy for the US ruling elite. In the event of a major swing to the Democrats, the House of Representatives will receive an influx of new members drawn primarily from the national security apparatus, trusted servants of American imperialism. Parenthetically, it should be noted that there would be no comparable influx of Bernie Sanders supporters or other left-talking candidates in the event of a Democratic landslide. Only five of the 221 candidates reviewed in this study had links to Sanders or billed themselves as progressive. None is likely to win the primary, let alone the general election. When the dust clears after November 6, 2018, there will almost certainly be more former CIA agents in the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives than former Sanders activists. It is the military-intelligence operatives who constitute the spine of the Democratic Party, not the Sanders Our Revolution group. This is a devastating verdict on the claims of the Vermont senator, backed by various pseudo-left groups, that it is possible to reform the Democratic Party and push it to the left. The preponderance of national security operatives in the Democratic primaries sheds additional light on the nature of the Obama administration. Far from representing a resurgence of liberal reformism, as apologists for the Democrats like the International Socialist Organization claimed at the time of his election, Obamas eight years in office marked the further ascendancy of the military-intelligence apparatus within the Democratic Party. This is demonstrated by the subsequent role of his top personnel. Among the former Obama civilian officials who are running in the Democratic primaries for seats in the House of Representatives, 16 served in the State Department, Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security or National Security Council, while only five served in domestic agencies. One of those, Haley Stevens, was chief of staff for the Obama auto industry task force, which imposed 50 percent wage cuts on newly hired auto workers. Among the five, only Stevens is considered a likely winner in the primary. The Democratic Party has always been a party of the American capitalist class, and that means, from the dawn of the 20th century on, it has been a party of imperialism and imperialist war, whatever the occasional peace noises made by its candidates for the purpose of diverting and derailing mass antiwar sentiment among the American people. For more than a century, a major political task of the Marxist movement in the United States has been to combat illusions in the Democratic Party, particularly those engendered by its comparatively brief periods of reformist politics, under President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s, and again during the Kennedy-Johnson years of the 1960s. The struggle against the Democratic Party, as well as the Republicans, remains the main focus of the effort to establish the political independence of the working class. But the 2018 campaign represents something qualitatively different. Neither party offers any credible prospect of significant social reform. Both offer right-wing nostrums, laced with militarism, while seeking to split the working class along the lines of race, gender and national origin. The campaign takes place in the wake of more than a year of unrelenting focus by the Democrats on the anti-Russian campaign, a narrative claiming that Trumps victory in the presidential election was the result of Russian interference and that Trump is, for all practical purposes, a Russian stooge in the White House. Not a shred of evidence has been provided either of Russian interference or of collusion with Russia on the part of the Trump campaign. Nor is there any suggestion that there was any significant element of fraud in either the vote or its tabulation by local and state governments. But the Democratic Party has deliberately sought to whip up and appeal to the most right-wing, McCarthyite, chauvinist sentiments. It denounces Trump not for his right-wing policies, his immigrant baiting, his consorting with fascists and white supremacists, or his tax cut bonanza for the wealthy, but because he is allegedly insufficiently committed to confronting Russia militarily in the Middle East, Central Asia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe and the Baltic. Clinton ran in 2016 as the favored candidate of the military-intelligence apparatus, amassing hundreds of endorsements by retired generals, admirals and spymasters, and criticizing Trump as unqualified to be the commander-in-chief. This political orientation has developed and deepened in 2018. The Democratic Party is running in the congressional elections not only as the party that takes a tougher line on Russia, but as the party that enlists as its candidates and representatives those who have been directly responsible for waging war, both overt and covert, on behalf of American imperialism. It is seeking to be not only the party for the Pentagon and CIA, but the party of the Pentagon and CIA. This is not merely a result of the political psychology or even the career paths of those who make up the upper echelon of the Democratic Party. It has a social and class character. The Democratic Party has long abandoned even a limited role as a party pledging social reforms in the interests of working people as a whole, in favor of the promotion of privileges for sections of the upper-middle class, doled out on the basis of identity politics. The Democratic Party proposes a certain redistribution of wealth and power within the most privileged layer of the population, while leaving the essential social structure unchanged, with society divided between the super-rich at the top, a privileged upper-middle class, perhaps ten percent or less, and below them, the vast majority of working people, whose conditions of life continue to deteriorate as the economic recovery from the 2008 Wall Street crash approaches its tenth year. The upper-middle-class layer that provides the mass base of the Democratic Party has moved drastically to the right over the past four decades, enriched by the stock market boom, consciously hostile to the working class, and enthusiastically supportive of the military-intelligence apparatus which, in the final analysis, guarantees its own social position against potential threats, both foreign and domestic. It is this social evolution that now finds expression on the surface of capitalist politics, in the rise of the military-intelligence faction to the leadership of the Democratic Party. Last month, Benyamin Netanyahus right-wing Likud-led coalition government sent the first seven Eritrean asylum seekers who refused to be deported to Rwanda to be detained indefinitely in Saharonim prison in the Negev desert. Around 750 of the 1,000 asylum seekers detained at the adjacent Holot Open Detention Centre, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, began a hunger strike in support of the seven, refusing food and water for several days. The government, in an unprecedented deportation operation, has begun serving notices on 600 male African asylum seekers a month. They have 60 days to choose between deportation back to their home country or a so-called safe country, assumed to be Rwanda or Uganda, with a cash inducement of $3,500, or face indefinite imprisonment in Saharonim. Some of the asylum seekers could be deported in early April, during the Passover holiday, which celebrates the biblical story of the Hebrews flight from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. There are around 40,000 African migrants and asylum seekers in Israel, mostly fleeing civil strife and repression, according to data from the Interior Ministry. The number has fallen from 60,000 four years ago, following deportations and practices aimed at forcing refugees to leave voluntarily. About 72 percent are from Eritrea, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has declared a country in humanitarian crisis, and 20 percent from Sudan, which has seen ongoing strife in the Darfur region in western Sudan, since 2003. Most arrived between 2006 and 2012, before Israel built the notorious fence across the Sinai desert to prevent them entering Israel. Israel, despite being a signatory to the International Refugee Convention of 1951, refuses to grant refugee status to those who flee persecution. Of the 15,613 requests for asylum, just 11 have been granted refugee status. Last December, the Israeli parliament, which designates asylum seekers as infiltrators, approved an Infiltrators Bill mandating the closure of the Holot detention centrewith the 1,000 Africans detained there required to leave Israel by April or face indefinite imprisonmentthe forced deportation of Eritreans and Sudanese starting in Marchand increased restrictions on them. This comes on top of harsh financial restrictions aimed at making life in Israel unaffordable to African asylum seekers and getting them to leave voluntarily. In September, the High Court ruled that employers had to pay a 20 percent tax on African migrant wages, as they did for other short-term foreign workers like Filipino caretakers or Thai agricultural workers. It followed a requirement in May for employers to deposit 16 percent of African workers pay into a closed account only to be released when he or she left Israel. The workers themselves must put 20 percent of their wage packet into this fund, drastically reducing their already meagre pay. In January, Netanyahu announced that Israel was seeking to get at least 600 Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers to leave the country each month, making a total of 7,200 a year, and 20,000 by 2020. Safe countries would be paid around $5,000 to take them. According to Israels Population, Immigration and Border Authority, there are 92,000 foreigners, mainly from the former Soviet Union, living illegally in Israel, without threats of deportation or imprisonment. They are referred to as tourists not infiltrators. The government even amended the Law of Return in 1970 to widen the definition of a Jew to enable Russian immigration to Israel. However, it took until 1975 before Israel recognised the right of Jews from Ethiopia to immigrate to Israel, many of whom to this day experience racist discrimination and poverty. Thousands within Israel and beyond have protested against Israels plans to deport African asylum seekers. Twenty thousand demonstrators came from all over Israel at the end of February to the Central Bus Station in south Tel Aviv, home to many asylum seekers, migrants and poor Israelis. The location meant the demonstration had a very different character than those normally held in downtown Tel Aviv. Togod Omer, an asylum seeker from Darfur, Sudan, who spoke at the rally said, When we came, they gave us a one-way ticket to the new Central Bus Station. We are all victims in this story, both the asylum seekers and the veteran Israelis, referring to those living in Tel Avivs poor southern neighbourhoods. Were all living here together and they are always trying to get us to hate one another. Speaker after speaker said they would rather go to prison than be deported, saying at least they would be fed in prison. This is a reference to the experiences of deportees in Rwanda and Uganda, where they had their documents confiscated and are reportedly living on the streets, without work and barely surviving. Some have even been arrested for not having the right papers. Gabi Doron, an Israeli who had lived in south Tel Aviv for 30 years, said, Its nice to see black and white faces demonstrating together. Dror Sadot of Israels Hotline for Migrants and Refugees, which provides legal aid and other support to asylum seekers and migrants, told the World Socialist Web Site, It is outrageous what the government is doing to people asking for asylum. This is amid the worlds biggest refugee crisis. Israel is throwing away all its legal obligations to asylum seekers. It has granted just 11 asylum seekers refugee status. She said that other NGOs were coming forward to help and oppose the government. The US-based Anti-Defamation League and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Societies (HIAS) appealed to Netanyahu to drop his plans, stressing that some migrants leaving Israel had drowned at sea en route to Europe, or had been tortured by traffickers. The semi-official Jewish Agency has joined a growing number of Jewish organisations, mainly in the US, that have called on the government to abandon its plans to deport the asylum seekers. Its governors published a resolution following a three-day meeting, asking the Israeli government to grant legal status to just 500 African asylum seekers who arrived in the country years ago as unaccompanied minors. Given that they were housed, fed and educated in youth villages run by the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Education, the resolution said, Therefore, it is right that they be granted legal status. It called on the government to ensure that every migrant has an opportunity to apply for asylum and receive transparent due process in the examination of their application. Israels official Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, while rejecting any equating of the plight of African migrants with the plight of the Jews during the Holocaust, said that the issue requires as much compassion, empathy and mercy that can possibly be marshalled. The experiences of the Jewish people over the ages underscore this commitment. None of the major parties, except Meretz, have opposed the deportations. Many legislators of the Zionist Union, of which the Labour Party is a member, supported the new law. Most politicians,if not actively supporting the measures, have remained largely silent, demonstrating the depth of support within the ruling class for anti-democratic forms of rule. The authorisation of a regime of mass indefinite detention, as is now being carried out in both Israel and its chief ally, the US, is an existential threat to workers of all national origins, regardless of immigration status, and will inevitably be used against Israeli workers as well. Negotiations between the union for Jersey City public school teachers and the board of education are continuing to drag on following a vote by teachers in late February to strike if they cannot reach a contract settlement. The contract for the citys approximately 4,000 teachers expired in August 2017, and they have been working without a contract ever since. Teachers say that the cost of health benefits has consumed an ever-larger part of their paychecks, and some worry that they may no longer be able to afford to live in Jersey City. At a special meeting in January, Mike Greco, a special education teacher, told the school board, Im making less than I was five years ago. Under terms of a 2011 state law called Chapter 78, teachers are seeking to reduce the amount of money they are required to contribute toward health benefits. The school board is resisting their demand. Sudhan Thomas, president of the Jersey City Board of Education (JCBOE), was elected with JCEAs (Jersey City Education Association) backing on the grounds that he was supposedly pro-worker. However, in an interview with the Jersey Journal, Thomas emphasized the realities of the 201718 budget and its central role in everything. We are currently spending close to $100 million annually on health care costs and are working on a robust, comprehensive, affordable health care plan that will benefit the 4,000 employees of the JCBOE and importantly cut our health insurance operating costs significantly, Thomas continued. His comments signal an intention to place still more of the burden of health care costs on teachers shoulders. Chapter 78 established that teachers would pay a percentage of their health insurance costs that would increase during an initial four-year period. Teacher contributions range from 3 percent to 35 percent of their salaries. The end of the initial four-year period in Jersey City prompted the teachers to seek relief from mounting costs. One of the laws backers, Republican State Senator Declan J. OScanlon Jr., has exhorted the JCBOE not to cave in to the teachers. Everyone should very publicly be saying, we are not negotiating health benefits, not one iota, not one inch, he said in an interview with the Jersey Journal. Once thats gone, it doesnt come back, and if you have health benefit costs that go up disproportionally going forward, that all falls on the taxpayers. Under Chapter 78, the cost of teachers health benefits has gone up enormously. Since the school year that began in fall 2010, teachers contributions have risen an incredible 475 percent from $4.2 million to $19.9 million. This increase results from the citys efforts to, in Thomass words, cut our health insurance operating costs significantly. Such cost-cutting will only continue. Ron Greco, president of JCEA, did not respond to a request for comment by the World Socialist Web Site Teacher Newsletter. In February Greco issued a statement accusing the JCBOE of procrastination and delay. In the statement, Greco said, Our educators want to take the JCBOE at their word that they want to settle a fair contract at the table. We want nothing more than to get back to work under a contract that respects the expertise of our members and the need for affordable health care. The union and the board continue to meet in negotiations. Teachers have protested and held rallies outside of their schools in the morning, before classes. In an attempt to curb free speech and intimidate the workers, police gave $54 tickets to several drivers who honked their horns in solidarity. As justification, they cited residents supposed complaints about the noise. A teacher was among those ticketed. Even a police officer reportedly was scolded by his superiors for honking as he drove past a protest. If someone drives by the teachers and just honks their horn in support and moves on, then of course the city doesnt issue tickets, said Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione, a spokesperson for Jersey City. But the citys actions have belied its words. Officials placed electronic signs reading, Please do not honk, near two schools. Such actions flagrantly disregard court rulings in states such as Michigan and Washington that honking can be considered protected free speech. The last time Jersey Citys teachers struck was in 1998. By mid-morning on the first day of the strike, the district was forced to close high schools when students became unruly. After four days, about 75 percent of elementary students were no longer attending school. Teachers returned to work after five days under a court order. The Jersey City teachers struggle occurs in the context of increasing anger and frustration among teachers in the United States and abroad. In a dramatic move, more than 30,000 teachers and state workers in West Virginia struck over wages and health benefits in opposition to their unions. In Illinois, graduate student workers began a strike on February 26 over pay increases and tuition waivers. Oklahoma teachers are on the verge of a strike, and teachers in Kentucky are angry at the underfunding of their pensions. University lecturers in the United Kingdom have protested cuts to their pensions, and lecturers in Kenya have shut down the public university system there. The entire policy of the JCEA is to subordinate the struggle of teachers to maneuvers with right-wing Democratic Party politicians. Indeed, the JCEA helped to install a school board president who is attempting to extract concessions from the teachers. As the recent teacher rebellion in West Virginia demonstrated, to wage a serious struggle workers must act independently and in opposition to the unions and the Democrats. The Socialist Equality Party and the WSWS Teacher Newsletter took up the fight for teachers to form rank-and-file committees that would direct a struggle for basic health care rights and better wages by expanding their strike to other workers in the state, particularly striking Frontier Communications workers, and to youth and students. Ultimately, the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia were able to engineer a return to work under terms of a rotten agreement that failed to address any of these issues. The agreement proposes to pay for the raises of the teachers by slashing funding to Medicaid. Jersey City teachers must study the development of the teachers strike in West Virginia closely. Only by a complete break with the trade unions and the Democratic Party in coordinated action with other public- and private-sector workers in New Jersey can Jersey City teachers defend their rights. The author also recommends: The West Virginia teachers strike and the rebellion against the trade unions [6 March 2018] West Virginia teachers unions ram through sell-out deal to end strike [7 March 2018] A back-room stitch-up by Labours National Executive Committee (NEC) to anoint the partys new general secretary has been thrown into turmoil by competition between two nominally left candidates. Far from marking a breach in the bureaucratic apparatus, however, the contest between two supporters of leader Jeremy Corbyn underscores the anti-democratic, right-wing character of Labour as it prepares for potential government. Former Labour General Secretary Iain Nicol resigned in February after seven years in the post. Nicol played a key role on behalf of the Labour right, and its backers in the ruling elite, in trying to prevent Corbyn standing in the second leadership election in 2016going to the courts to prevent more than 100,000 of his supporters from voting. Nicols announcement came shortly after the pro-Corbyn Momentum pressure group won three posts on the NEC. Headed by Momentum founder Jon Lansman, the slateincluding Yasmine Dar and Rachel Grahamwon a combined total of almost 200,000 votes. Many new and returning Labour members have responded enthusiastically to Corbyns declared aim of building a social movement against austerity and militarism. Having won two leadership contests, the result has given Corbyn a significant majority on the 39-member NEC taken together with the vote of sympathetic trade unions. But as the World Socialist Web Site warned at the time, Now that Corbyn is so clearly in control, any failure to take a stand against the right will expose before millions of workers the real character of his leadershipa means of suppressing a mobilisation of the working class, rather than leading one. The last weeks have confirmed this warning. Jennie Formby, regional secretary for the union Unite in the South East region was intended as a shoo-in for the general secretary post. Formbys anointing was to be sold as further proof of left-wing consolidation. Unite is the main financial backer of Labour, and Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey is considered a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn (Formby is McCluskeys former partner). In addition to three members on the NEC, Labours Treasurer, Diana Holland, is Unites assistant general secretary. Andrew Murray, McCluskeys chief of staff, was recently seconded to work for Corbyns office on a part-time basis. Corbyns own chief of staff, Karie Murphy, is another close associate of McCluskey. But contrary to the pseudo-left groups claims that the unions provide the working class base of Labour, historically the trade unions have been the critical bedrock for the partys hostility to socialism. This is not changed one iota by the fact that sections of the union bureaucracy are currently backing Corbyn. It is a key political component of its efforts to suppress the class struggle through holding out the possibility of a future left Labour government. Unite, together with the entire trade union bureaucracy, has presided over almost a decade of savage spending cuts that have seen tens of thousands of workers lose their jobs and pensions, producing a historic reversal in living standards, without lifting a finger. In supporting Corbyns efforts to rescue the Labour Party from complete annihilation, the same unions hope to preserve the fiction of opposition while politically and organisationally disarming the working class. Formbys professed feminism, like her declared support for the Palestinians, provides a pseudo-progressive garb for her role in helping police both Unite and Labours membership on behalf of the bureaucracy. She has been a member of Labours NEC for seven years and a former political director of Unite. That Formby was to be anointed through backroom manoeuvres refutes all the pretensions that Labour has been reborn as a grassroots movement. It is this that forced Lansman to announce his own candidacy. Momentum was established to try and save British Labour from the same fate as its counterparts in Greece, Spain, France and now Germany. Mobilising young people behind Corbyns bid for leadership, Lansman claimed Momentum would sweep away the old machine politics and democratise Labour based on left wing policies. Lansman was a longstanding supporter of Tony Benn, the former Labour MP and one-time Cabinet minister. Benn spent the last 35 years or so of his life, until his death in 2014, claiming to be seeking the socialist rejuvenation of Labour, even as it completed its transformation into a right-wing bourgeois party under Tony Blair. Like his mentor, Lansmans loyalty is to the Labour Party, the main political instrument of capitalist state rule in Britain, not the working class and socialism. That is why, as soon as Corbyns re-election was secured, Lansman liquidated Momentums structures and threw out anyone who was, or had been, a member of another organisation. Justified on the grounds of preventing a take-over by extremists or Trotskyists, the purge was Lansmans pledge of loyalty to the Labour apparatus. In a secret recording made by the Observer in March last year, Lansman explained that Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell had personally asked him [Lansman] to exclude members of the Socialist Party [the successor to the Militant Tendency] from Momentum owing to the embarrassment they were causing. In the same recording, Lansman said he had rewritten Momentum rules to ensure the backing of Unite, which he boasted was preparing to affiliate to Momentum. Almost two years on from his first leadership win, Corbyn has yet to take any action against the Labour right. It is no accident that Nicols was allowed to resign, rather than being thrown out in disgrace, and is said to be in line for some form of honours. The overwhelming bulk of Labour MPs and Labour councillors remain committed to austerity, militarism and war, and wherever they are in positions of control, such as in Haringey, north London, they are not only imposing Tory cuts but implementing measures of their own. Lansman has been trying to conceal this record by pushing for support for Labours Democracy Review, which he claimed represents a turning point in Labours history that will enable the partys hugely expanded membership to become a mass movement. Such assertions are at odds with the NECs anointment of its chosen successor for general secretary, which Lansman reportedly faced difficulties in getting Momentum members to accept. He announced that his candidacy was a means to open up the contest and reassure party members that they are trusted, listened to and empowered. Lansman is styling himself as a unity candidate both in touch with the membership and able to work with all the different unions that sit on the NEC. Corbyn and the Labour Party are having no truck with such pretensions. They are preparing for government under conditions in which the dysfunctional and deeply divided Conservative administration is increasingly seen as unable to defend the interests of British imperialism. In his keynote speech last week, in which he committed Labour to forging a close post-Brexit relationship that safeguards access to the Single European Market, Corbyn sought to convince the ruling elite that the party could be trusted with government. Both Corbyn and McDonnell have called on Lansman to withdraw from the contest. At the weekend, the left Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, of which Corbyn and Lansman are both members, passed a resolution supporting Formby and stating, In the interest of Left unity we urge that no other candidate in support of Jeremy Corbyns progressive politics stands against her. The motion asserted, It would take seconds for that news to reach the ears of hostile presswho would have a propaganda open goal to claim that Momentums take-over of the Labour Party was complete Labours focus should be on a smooth, straightforward process that does not distract from the impending local elections [in May]. The Labour Representation Committee has also endorsed Formby, stating that it is perturbed to hear of a bid by Jon Lansman to be candidate for the same post. This would be a huge mistake on his part and we urge him to withdraw. Congressional Democratic leaders issued their policy proposals for the 2018 midterm election campaign Wednesday, effectively embracing the bulk of the tax cuts for big business and the wealthy enacted by the Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in December. None of the policy proposals will actually be submitted as legislation, since Republicans control the agenda of both the House and Senate. That means the Democrats were free to propose anything they pleased, not limiting their program to what could plausibly pass this year. Therefore it is all the more revealing that the Democrats are proposing to retain nearly all the tax breaks for the wealthy that they denounced verbally while they were being passed late last year. In particular, the Democrats propose to set the corporate income tax rate at 25 percent, up slightly from the 21 percent set by the Republicans, but well below the 35 percent rate that prevailed until December. In effect, the Democrats are proposing to retain 10 percent of the 14 percent cut enacted by the Republicans, more than two-thirds of the bonanza for corporate America. The Democrats would restore the estate tax to what it was before December, applying to estates over $5.6 million rather than $11.2 million, but there would be no increase in the tax rate. They would also restore the top rate for the highest income households to 39.6 percent rather than the current 37 percent. Many other tax changes incorporated in the huge tax cut bill, largely written by corporate lobbyists, would not be repealed by a Democratic Congress, including the lower taxes for business partnerships and S corporations, as well as the tax holiday for giant companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and General Electric, which can repatriate hundreds of billions in profits held overseas to avoid taxes while paying only a nominal rate. This olive branch to the wealthy follows the vote by a large number of Senate Democrats to loosen the weak regulations on major banks enacted after the 2008 Wall Street crash. The bill, drafted by Republicans with considerable input from Democrats, would raise the threshold for bank oversight provisions under the 2010 Dodd-Frank law from $50 billion in assets to $250 billion, effectively exempting several dozen banks from even limited supervision. While press accounts describe these financial institutions as midsize, they include such giants as American Express, Ally Financial, Barclays, SunTrust and BB&T. These would now be exempted from annual stress testing by the Federal Reserve and regulation under the too big to fail provisions of Dodd-Frank. A group of right-wing Democrats, including Mark Warner of Virginia (a tech multi-millionaire), Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, have been in protracted talks with Republican Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, culminating in an agreement Wednesday on 200 pages of detailed legislative text. When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought the bank deregulation bill to the Senate floor Tuesday for a procedural vote, 17 Democrats joined with all the Republicans to support it. The vote was 67-32, the first time that a contested measure has received unanimous Republican support and significant Democratic support since Trump entered the White House. Senator Jon Tester of Montana, one of the right-wing Democrats who is up for re-election in November, denied that fear of Republican attacks was a factor: This election has nothing to do with this; we were working on this five years ago. This has everything to do with access to capital and making sure rural America remains strong moving forward. He praised McConnell, saying: I think everybody wins on this. I think Mitch McConnell can go back and say, See, the Senate is functioning. According to figures tabulated by the Center for Responsive Politics, Tester, Donnelly and Heitkamp are the top three Senate recipients of campaign contributions from commercial banks in this election cycle. While they moan and groan about the supposed privations of community banks, they are really doing the bidding of financial giants just below the level of the Wall Street super-banks like Citibank and JP Morgan Chase. Only 15 financial institutions will remain subject to the most stringent of regulations under Dodd-Frank, although these regulations are more of an annoyance than a constraint to rampant speculation and financial manipulation. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer voted against the bill but supported the Democrats who backed it, saying, People will have to make their own judgment whether the community-bank-positive parts outweigh the others. Top diplomats of the South Korean government, sent to Washington to brief the Trump administration on the outcome of talks with North Korea, gave an unscheduled press briefing Thursday evening US time. South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-yong, flanked by two other officials, delivered a short statement. Chung began by heaping sycophantic praise on US President Donald Trump, declaring that his maximum pressure policy had brought us to this juncture. The maximum pressure policy has been the imposition of the harshest-ever economic sanctions against North Korea, combined with threats to totally destroy the poverty-stricken country if its regime does not accept to the complete and verifiable dismantling of its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs. According to the South Korean negotiators who took part in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other leading figures of his regime, North Korea is prepared to concede to US demands. Chung Eui-yong told the press briefing that Kim assured them he is committed to denuclearisation. Furthermore, North Korea will refrain from any nuclear or missile tests. Pyongyang also understands, Chung declared, that the massive joint US and South Korean military exercises scheduled to take place next month must continue. Kim, he said, expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. Before any statement by the White House itself, Chung announced that President Trump agreed to meet Kim Jong-un by May, to achieve denuclearisation. He concluded that a diplomatic process would continue to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution, but that pressure on North Korea would continue until it matches words with concrete action. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the South Korean statement. She said: He [Trump] will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un, at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. Thus far, North Korea has not issued any confirmation that it has agreed to denuclearisation, halt weapons testing or even talk with Trump and US officials. The decades-long perspective of the Pyongyang regime, however, has been to try to ensure its own survival and preserve the wealth of its elite by reaching an accommodation with US imperialism and the South Korean ruling class. In 1994, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ending the substantial subsidies provided by Moscow to North Korea, Pyongyang struck an Agreed Framework with the Clinton administration. Under its terms, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear reactor that was capable of producing weapons grade material, in exchange for US assistance to construct light energy-generating reactors, the lifting of economic sanctions and the normalisation of diplomatic relations. Formally, North Korea and the US are still at war, as no peace treaty was signed at the end of the 19501953 Korean conflict. Over the following years, the US repeatedly delayed meeting its side of the agreement, especially after 1998 when the South Korean government began actively pursuing its Sunshine Policy. The aim of the Sunshine Policy was economic integration with North Korea, in which the Pyongyang regime would remain intact and serve as the police-state apparatus for South Korean corporations moving into the North to exploit an ultra-cheap, brutally repressed workforce. The policy was accompanied by ambitious plans to develop transport and energy corridors that would link East Asia with the European Union. It was taken for granted that such an arrangement would ultimately lead to the removal of American military forces from the Korean Peninsula, and far closer economic and political relations between South Korea, Japan and China. Powerful factions in the both the US and South Korean establishments opposed such a prospect and worked tirelessly to block improved relations with North Korea. In January 2002, the Bush administration blew up the agreement by labelling North Korea as part of its axis of evil. A year later, North Korea withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in response to provocative US claims that it was secretly enriching uranium. In 2006, it carried out its first test of a nuclear weapon. Quagmired by its illegal invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration sought a deal with China and North Korea in 2007 to dismantle North Koreas nuclear facilities and allow UN inspections, in return for yet more US promises to normalise relations. Pyongyang adhered to the pact but the Bush administration provocatively demanded more intrusive inspections, effectively terminating the agreement in 2009. Under Kim Jong-un, the North Korean regime is attempting to leverage its alleged development of a small number of nuclear weapons to once again appeal to Washington for a rapprochement. The announcement of talks suggests the Trump administration is prepared to consider the possibility. A factor in North Koreas reported overtures is immense pressure from China, its only nominal ally. The Beijing regime has largely collaborated with Washington to ramp up and enforce the harsh economic sanctions that are strangling North Korea. China has historically viewed North Korea as a valuable buffer state between its border and the US forces in South Korea. But the Beijing regime is deeply alarmed that Japan has seized on Pyongyangs weapons program as a pretext to remilitarise, and also fears that the Trump administration will follow through on its threats to attack North Korea. Apart from Beijings concerns about the economic and political fall-out of a war in East Asia, the outcome would most likely be a US-backed South Korean military occupation of North Korea. Chinas preference would be a settlement along the general lines of the Sunshine Policy. The Trump administrations acceptance of the talks offer will have been influenced, to some extent, by the open opposition in sections of the US establishment to launching a war on North Korea. Military figures have warned that it would be most savage conflict since World War II, potentially claiming millions of lives. Economists have warned it could trigger global recession and stock market turmoil if it impacted heavily on South Korea and Japan, two of the main manufacturing exporters in the world. Strategically, attacking North Korea was lambasted recently by US analyst Ely Ratner, in testimony to the US Congress, as an unnecessary war of choicelike the invasion of Iraq. It would, he asserted, only divert the US from preparing for wars of necessity arising from competition with China and other rivals for global hegemony. Whatever the immediate outcome of the foreshadowed talks, if they proceed, the Korean Peninsula will remain a flashpoint in the deepening conflict between the US and China, with the great power intrigues over the fate of North Korea continuing to heighten the danger of world war. On Wednesday, Republican Governor Jim Justice, West Virginia Democrats and Republicans, the unions, and the corporate media all celebrated shutting down the nine-day strike of 33,000 school workers that sparked a wave of opposition among teachers across the country and won international support. The unions forced the teachers back to work Wednesday after presenting the deal as a fait accompli without even letting them vote. The result was substantially the same as the deal teachers rejected last Tuesday: a five percent wage increase with no guarantee on the strikes main demand, funding the Public Employees Insurance Agency. Adding insult to injury, Republican legislators have announced that the raise would be paid for with cuts to social programs upon which West Virginia workers rely. It is critical for workers to understand and consciously assimilate the lessons of the strike, including the role of the trade unions and the Democratic Party in containing opposition and preventing it from developing into a broader political mobilization of the entire working class. A key auxiliary role was played by a raft of organizations that function as factions of the Democratic Party. Groups such as the International Socialist Organization (ISO), the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Socialist Alternative and others present themselves as socialists, but in fact represent privileged upper-middle-class layers in and around the Democratic Party and the union apparatus. Both the ISO and Jacobin (edited by DSA national committee member Bhaskar Sunkara) joined the political establishment in praising the deal announced this week as a victory. On its Facebook page, Jacobin posted a cover of the chief publication of the West Virginia bourgeoisie, the Charleston Gazette-Mail, which announced, Teachers win. Jacobin ran an article praising the deal titled What the teachers won. The International Socialist Organization posted on Facebook that the West Virginia teachers won their strike. On Wednesday, they published an article titled The teachers united couldnt be defeated. Their efforts to present the unions sellout as a victory are aimed at quelling discontent and saving face for the unions and the Democrats who, working with Republicans, orchestrated the deal. This is consistent with their role from the beginning of the strike. Jacobin and the ISO first ignored the West Virginia teachers altogether for weeks. Although the teachers in several counties first held a one-day strike on February 2, and walkouts spread the following week, neither Jacobin nor the ISOs Socialist Worker paid any attention. These walkouts were organized and initiated by teachers themselves, not by the West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia (AFT-WV). As the movement for a broader struggle spread, the unions called a limited two-day statewide strike on February 22-23 with the aim of letting off steam as they carried out discussions with Justice and state Democrats. At this point, the pseudo-left scrambled into action. On February 22, the ISO wrote its first article on the teachers struggle. Jacobin did not comment until February 27, the day that the unions announced their first agreement with Justice to end the strike (which was rejected by teachers). (By contrast, the WSWS wrote 18 articles on the West Virginia teachers fight between February 1 and 26.) The pseudo-left realized they had a rebellion on their hands and that the trade unions needed left cover to shut down the strike. In its February 27 article, the ISO credited union leaders for leading massive demonstrations the week before. The ISO claimed it was the union leaderships decision to continue the walkouts and praised the fact that union leaders are bargaining for a 5 percent increase over the next five years, amounting to almost $10,000 in raises. The ISO lied by asserting the union wants a permanent funding source for all PEIA-related concerns, a claim that was exposed that day when the unions proposed a deal to end the strike that included nothing of the sort. Jacobins first article, Saving West Virginia, also on February 27, noted with shock the extent of the teachers rebellion and concluded by praising some Democratic politicians representing an emerging left-populist current within the electorate. Jacobin urged workers to turn their frustration into votes for Democratic candidates: It remains to be seen whether the teachers and public employees struggle, as a grassroots movement, will sustain itself beyond the strike to take political power in 2018 and beyond. When the unions announced a deal on the evening of February 27, it encountered immediate opposition from teachers. Jacobin and the ISO, however, rushed to proclaim victory. Jacobin and the DSA posted on Facebook that strikes get the goods, sharing a picture praising Governor Justices initial back-to-work order and empty promise for a five percent wage increase for teachers, a three percent increase for state employees, and a cooling off day. Jacobin and the ISO responded to this rebellion against the unions by working to rebuild their authority. On March 3, Jacobin wrote that the strike is actively making the teachers unions more democratic. Incredibly, it tried to claim that the lack of PEIA funding in the union-backed deal was not necessarily a bad thing because there is an election between now and 2019 If the deal passes the Senate, it will be up to the rank and file to organize for November and ensure that the 2019 legislature is more receptive to working-class demands. In other wordsvote for the Democratic Party. The ISO advanced a parallel argument in its March 5 article, Inside the West Virginia teachers rebellion, doing its part to repair the battered authority of the Democrats and unions. The ISO explained that union officials and some Democratic Party politicians have played importantalbeit contradictoryroles in the strike. Both Jacobin and the ISO lavished praise on Democratic state senator Richard Ojeda, whose pro-war, anti-immigrant, pro-Trump bona fides the WSWS detailed here. In reality, there is nothing contradictory about the role played by the West Virginia Democrats or teachers unions, which have sought to bring the strike to an end since its initiation. The Democrats, who have controlled the state for much of the past four decades with the support of the unions, are to blame for underfunding PEIA and keeping teachers wages among the lowest in the country. But according to the ISO, the relationship between union officials and the rank-and-file is strained but far from broken. Most teachers continue to believe that the union officials are on their side. Having sought to channel opposition into the trade unions and the Democratic Party, the ISO and Jacobin were then called into action by the March 5 announcement of a deal. Neither organization raised any opposition to the fact that teachers had no opportunity to see the contractlet alone vote on itbefore it was rammed through the legislature and signed by the governor. Jacobin tried to sell the deal by citing a Jacobin correspondent and union organizer who said, Im excited, Im thrilled, I feel like my life wont ever be the same againand what a lot of people have already forgotten is how much we have already won. This comment is revealingwhile the union is thrilled, the teachers are discontentedthey have already forgotten that their betrayal is really a victory. The Jacobin article alludes to opposition among teachers. Jacobins Eric Blanc says, Confusion arose about whether paltry raises would be tied to social spending cuts. One of those interviewed cites rumors about this, but Blanc tells teachers and impoverished workers not to worrythe bill itself is not tied to any such cuts. An interviewee adds, That will happen after we go back to school. As for the lack of any protection for PEIA, a union bureaucrat tells Jacobin that people are still very skeptical, encouraging teachers to calm down because the task force workers rejected the first time is required to meet by March 15 and there are going to be literally thousands of eyes watching everything they do. The ISO also tried to sell the deal, writing in Socialist Worker on March 7 that the deal was a resounding victory on wages, despite the fact that the one-time, five percent wage increase will be gobbled up by increases to healthcare costs. The ISO said the strikes success stemmed from the fact that it forced the billionaire Governor Justice (the richest man in the state) to realize which side he needed to be on. The ISO urged teachers to unite with other workers to stop the politicians from slashing budgets for social programsthe very programs that will be slashed as a result of what they claim is a resounding victory! The role played by the ISO and Jacobin over the course of the strike shows the class character of these organizations. The teachers rebellion shows that the working class is increasingly coming into conflict with the official institutions, including the Democratic Party, the trade unions, and the state. But at precisely this moment, the ISO and Jacobin come to the unions and Democratic Partys defense, portraying them as heroes of a victory when in fact they betrayed the strike. These organizations have nothing to do with the struggles of the working class. They were taken by surprise at the resolve of teachers, and only when the strike got out of control did they descend on West Virginia to sound the death knell and explain to teachers why they should go back to work. They praised two sellout deals and encouraged workers to transform their anger into votes for Democratic candidates in 2018. The ISO and Jacobin have nothing to do with socialism or even with left-wing politics. They are fighting to defend the status quo and to advance the interests of a privileged section of the wealthiest 10 percent of American society, which sees the trade unions as a necessary bulwark against the growth of social opposition. Protests and demands for strike action by teachers and other school employees are spreading throughout the United States in the aftermath of the nine-day walkout by 33,000 West Virginia educators and public school workers. Teacher struggles are erupting in Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky and other states, along with Jersey City, New Jersey. Later this month, 30,000 school service employees will vote for strike authorization in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second largest school system, serving 734,641 students. The state affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) betrayed and shut down the strike of West Virginia teachers after cutting a deal with billionaire Governor Jim Justice on Tuesday. The bill passed by the state legislature and signed by Justice does nothing to address strikers main demand: to fully fund the states public employee medical insurance program and end impossibly high out-of-pocket expenses. To add insult to injury, the meager five percent raise for teachers will be funded through deep cuts in social programs. The West Virginia strike exposed the unbridgeable gulf between the teachers and the unions. The struggle began as a series of one-day strikes organized independently of the unions in the southern coal counties, which spread to all 55 counties. The unions called a two-day statewide walkout on February 2223 and then were forced to extend it before suddenly announcing an agreement with Justice and ordering teachers back to work on March 1. But rank-and-file teachers rebelled and voted to defy union leaders and continue the strike. This came as a shock to the governor and state legislators, with Republican state senate leader Mitch Carmichael calling the movement more like an uprising. The unions shut down the strike just as it was gaining momentum and inspiring other sections of workers to walk out, including 1,400 Frontier Communications workers in West Virginia and Virginia. With the Janus vs. AFSCME case before the US Supreme Courtwhich could end the collection of agency fees from workers who opt out of the unionsthe AFT and NEA were eager to demonstrate to the ruling class their role in suppressing the class struggle. In a comment cited in the Washington Post yesterday, AFT President Randi Weingarten warned the Supreme Court justices that weakening the unions would lead to more activism and political action like what happened in West Virginia. Collective bargaining exists as a way for workers and employers to peacefully solve labor relations, said Weingarten, whose annual salary is half a million dollars. In West Virginia, where the collective bargaining structure does not exist, thousands of teachers mobilized and took on the governor and legislature for their failure to provide teachers with the economic dignity and voice they deserveand that kind of activism will be multiplied and magnified across the country if collective bargaining is struck down. In other words, the unions are crucial in preventing the growth of the class struggle. Weingarten was elaborating on statements made by a union lawyer in oral arguments before the Supreme Court in the Janus case: Union security is the tradeoff for no strikes. In an opinion piece, also in the Washington Post, Shaun Richman, a former organizing director for the AFT, wrote that the removal of agency fees would imperil the no-strike clauses unions sign with employers in exchange for legal recognition. The combination of exclusive union representation, mandatory agency fees, no-strike clauses and management rights are the foundation of our peculiar labor relations system, Richman wrote. Knock one part out, as the Janus plaintiffs aim to do with agency fees, and the whole system can fall apart. Employers will not like the chaos that this will bring, Richman warned, saying workers would engage in wildcat strikes, and look to more left-wing and militant organizations. The unions and the Democratic Party are terrified of the growth of the class struggle, among teachers and other sections of the working class, which is threatening to break free of their control. Oklahoma teachers have spent a lot of time looking at West Virginia, Jonathan, a teacher from Oklahoma City, told the World Socialist Web Site, Absolutely, our struggle is of national importance. On Thursday morning, hundreds of teachers in central Kentucky rallied in front of public schools to protest the state legislatures proposed cuts to retirement benefits, which would slash annual cost-of-living raises by 33 percent for retired teachers, who do not qualify for Social Security benefits. Teachers are discussing a statewide strike to oppose the measure Late last month, 4,000 teachers in Jersey City, New Jersey voted to strike if no agreement for a new contract is reached with the school district. Teachers want a sharp reduction in out-of-pocket health care costs. Though their contract expired in August 2017, the Jersey City Education Association has kept teachers at work despite the insistence by the school board that it will continue to shift the cost on health care onto the backs of educators. In Arizona, thousands of teachers showed up to work wearing red to protest low pay. Noah Karvelis, one of the protest organizers and a music teacher in the Littleton Elementary School District, created a closed Facebook group over the weekend called Arizona Teachers United, which grew to more than 11,000 members as of Tuesday evening. The teachers in West Virginia and other states are rebelling against the decades of labor-management collusion masquerading as collective bargaining. Far from advancing the interests of teachers and other school workers, the AFT and NEA have colluded with Democratic and Republican administrations to impose austerity on behalf of wealthy bondholders and other corporate interests. Both unions endorsed and collaborated with Obamas corporate-backed school reform agenda, which diverted funds to charter schools and other for-profit business, while wages were cut, and the cost of health care and pensions was shifted from state and local governments onto the backs of workers. They are doing the same with the Trump administration. The more the working class comes forward, the more violent and determined will be the efforts of the unions to suppress its struggles, and the more apparent will be the need for workers to form independent, rank-and-file committees to coordinate their struggles. US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium, to come into force in 15 days time. More than 85 years since the signing of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act that helped intensify the Great Depression around the world, the US ruling elite, facing the breakdown of the post-war order, is once again turning to protectionism, the antechamber of world war. Not only China, but the EU and other US allies have vowed to retaliate, threatening a descent into open trade war that can only hasten the rise of great power military conflict. Canada and Mexico have both been exempted from the provisions during negotiations on the revision of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in order to pressure the two countries into bowing to US demands. In his remarks to the proclamation signing ceremony yesterday, Trump said the US was going to hold off on imposing tariffs on the two countries due to the unique nature of our relationship with Canada and Mexico to see whether we can make a deal on NAFTA. But he warned that if there was no deal then were going to terminate NAFTA and were going to start all over again. If a deal were made then there would be no tariffs imposed on them. In announcing the tariffs, Trump was flanked by union officials and representatives endorsing his actions. These included officials from the United Steel Workers union, whose head Leo Gerard has vocally endorsed Trumps trade war measures, arguing they are necessary to preserve Americas steel and aluminum industries Trumps remarks at the proclamation signing ceremony were in line with the bellicose themes of his 2016 campaign and his inauguration address. Today Im defending Americas national security by placing tariffs on foreign imports of steel and aluminium, he said. The announcement of the proclamation came after a week of conflict in the White House following the announcement of the plan on March 1. The head of Trumps National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, resigned this week over his opposition to the measures, losing out to the economic nationalist America First proponents led by Peter Navarro, the director the White House National Trade Council. Navarro is known as a strident critic of the trade policies of both Germany and China. Besides the threat hanging over Canada and Mexico on the NAFTA talks, the proclamation announcement sets up conditions where, in order to be exempted from the tariffs, countries will have to go cap-in-hand and plead with the US. Japan and Australia may be able to secure concessions but they are unlikely to be extended to South Korea, a major steel exporter, because of the administrations view that it functions as a conduit for Chinese steel. We have to protect and build our steel and aluminium industries, while at the same time showing great flexibility and co-operation towards those that are our real friends, Trump said at the signing ceremony. One of the features of Trumps remarks, both following a cabinet meeting earlier in the day in which he criticised Germany for not contributing fairly to NATO, and at the signing, was hostility to Europe, signifying a widening rift in Trans-Atlantic relations. He said many of the countries that have been the worst on trade and military were countries that are our allies or liked to call themselves that. Following the initial March 1 announcement of the tariffs, when the European Union raised the prospect that it could impose retaliatory measures, Trump responded in a tweet last Saturday: 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 pour into the US. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. At a press conference held in Frankfurt yesterday, European Central Bank president Mario Draghi took issue with the Trump measures. What strikes me is whatever convictions you have about trade, we are convinced that disputes should be discussed and resolved in a multilateral framework. Unilateral decisions are dangerous. There is a certain worry or concern about the state of international relations, because if you put tariffs on your allies, one wonders who your enemies are, he said. Hostility towards Europe was also expressed in remarks by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in comments to the Fox Business Network on Wednesday in which he responded to criticism that the tariffs, introduced under national security provisions of a piece of 1962 US legislation, breached World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. Our WTO agreement, just like all of our free trade agreements, has a specific carve-out for national security. I think it takes some nerve for the European Union to define for us whats our national security, he said. Interviewed on CNBC following the proclamation, Ross was asked about possible administration plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on European cars if there was retaliation in response to the steel and aluminium measures. Ross refused to discuss specifics, but said there are lots of things we are considering. Criticism of the Trump measures has also been voiced from within the Republican Party, but from the standpoint that tariffs and other measures should be directed towards China and not impact on US allies. In the wake of the issuing of a letter by 107 House Republicans opposing Trumps measures on Wednesday, the Republican speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, issued statement opposing Trumps proclamation. He said he disagreed with the action, fearing its unintended consequences. While he was pleased that the president had included an exemption for some US allies, it should go further. We will continue to urge the administration to narrow this policy so that it is focused only on those countries that violate trade law, he wrote, specifically citing bad practices by nations like China. The Chinese response so far has been relatively muted with officials only issuing general warnings about a response and pointing to the dangers of abandoning the rules of the global trading system. Speaking to reporters during the annual session of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, said any action aimed at Beijing would bring a justified and necessary response, while warning of a rise of protectionism that would damage the global economy and the US as well. A trade war is never the right solution, he said. The outcome will only be harmful to everyone. The key question for China will be the outcome of measures being considered by the Trump administration under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act to take action over Chinese practices with regard to hi-tech and intellectual property regarded as detrimental to US interests. A significant indication of what the response will be was provided by intervention of the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) which issued a public letter this week warning against the proposed takeover of the San Diego-based tech company Qualcomm by the Singapore-based firm, Broadcom, citing national security grounds. Qualcomm is one of the largest makers of computer chips for the iPhone and Android devices and is involved in research for the development of a 5G network. CFIUS claimed the Broadcom takeover would reduce Qualcomms long-term technological competitiveness and would significantly impact US national security and leave an opening for China to expand its influence on 5G-standard setting. The citing of national security concernsthe principle invoked by Trump with regard to steel and aluminiumpoints to the fact that the developing trade war set in motion by the US is tied inextricably to the rise of militarism and the growing danger of war. As the toll of Ankaras invasion of the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin rises, along with popular anger over growing poverty, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has further escalated its police-state crackdown. Last Friday, the Turkish police detained an additional 154 people, including 16 navy officers, 66 teachers and 72 unionists over alleged links to the July 15, 2016 attempted coup that was defeated by a mass movement, in which more than 240 people were killed by putschists. This came a day after a prosecutor in the Istanbul 13th Criminal Court demanded 13-year prison sentences for executives and employees of the broadcaster Hayatin Sesi (Voice of Life), accused of successively propagating for terrorist organizations. According to the indictment, the defendants made propaganda for the Islamic State (IS), the Kurdish separatist Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), because they broadcast scenes of bomb attacks in Ankara and Istanbul in 2016. On February 28, the Istanbul 26th Criminal Court imposed an additional jail term of five years and 11 months against the prominent journalist Ahmet Altan for making propaganda for a terror organization and insulting the president, stemming from an article he wrote for a news website years ago. The court punished Altan because of his description of Ankaras Trench Operations against the PKK two years ago, during which 14,048 special army and police forces largely destroyed the Kurdish-populated towns of Sur, Silopi, Cizre and Nusaybin, killed at least 1,300 Kurds and forcing more than 90,000 people, or 22 percent of the population, to leave their towns. Having attended the hearing via video conference from prison, Altan gave a strong answer to the accusation that he depicted the PKK as being innocent, when he wrote about children digging trenches to fight Turkish soldiers. You are trying me for saying that 13- or 14-year-old Kurdish children who clashed with soldiers in the Sur district [of Diyarbakr] are children. I wont ask you what I should call them, he said. The verdict was denounced in an open letter signed by 38 Nobel laureates, including Kazuo Ishiguro and J.M. Coetzee, published by Britains Guardian. Addressed to the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the open letter reiterated the warning made by the Council of Europe commissioner for Human Rights on February 15, 2017 that The space for democratic debate in Turkey has shrunk alarmingly following increased judicial harassment of a large strata of society, including journalists, members of parliament, academics and ordinary citizens, and government action which has reduced pluralism and led to self-censorship. In an essay published by the New York Times on the same day, Ahmet Altan wrote, We will spend the rest of our lives alone in a cell that is three meters long and three meters wide. We will be taken out to see sunlight for one hour a day. We will never be pardoned and we will die in a prison cell. On February 16, Altan, his brother, Mehmet Altan, a self-described Marxist-liberal professor of economics and former newspaper editor and four other journalists were given aggravated life sentences for alleged links to the movement led by the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, and accusations that they had been behind a failed coup attempt in July 2016. The sentencing came on the same day another Turkish court ordered the release of Deniz Yucel, as a result of bargaining between Berlin and Ankara. The German-Turkish journalist spent over a year in pre-trial detention without an indictment, According to the Stockholm Center for Freedom, in Turkey there are more than 200 journalists held behind bars, while more than 2,500 journalists have lost their jobs following a media purge in which the government closed hundreds of magazines, newspapers and radio stations under the state of emergency declared after the failed 2016 coup attempt. Under this continuing state of emergency, more than 110,000 public employees have been dismissed, and hundreds of media outlets, associations, trade unions, foundations, private hospitals and educational establishments have been shut down by governmental decrees. Meanwhile, at least 50,000 people with opinions differentor even contraryto those of the ruling AKP have been arrested and remain in prison over stereotyped accusations of being a member of, or propagating for, this or that terrorist organization. This also includes members of parliament. Enis Berberoglu, a deputy from the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) was formerly sentenced by a court to 25 years imprisonment for providing the daily Cumhuriyet a video of weapons supplied by Turkish intelligence to Syrian rebel groups. The main target, however, is the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP). On Thursday, a Turkish court sentenced HDP deputy Dilek Ocalan to two years and six months in prison because of her speech at a funeral. On Wednesday, a provincial court in Antep upheld the decision by a lower court that sentenced HDP deputy Selma Irmak to 10 years in prison for being a member of a terrorist organization and making terrorist propaganda. Meanwhile, following the approval of the sentences in criminal proceedings against them, on Tuesday, HDP deputies Ahmet Yldrm and Ibrahim Ayhan lost their parliamentary seats. Ayhan was sentenced to one year and two months in prison for insulting the president, and Ayhan to one year and three months for spreading terrorist propaganda on social media accounts. So far, nine members of the HDP have been stripped of their parliamentary status. The HDP now has 50 seats in the Turkish parliament, down from the 59 it gained in the last elections on November 1, 2016, with 10 deputies in prison. Thousands of lower-level local Kurdish politicians are behind bars. Arrest warrants have been issued for dozens of people who opposed the Afrin invasion and who are accused of insulting officials, inciting hatred and enmity among people, insulting the president, overtly humiliating the Turkish people, government and the military organization and promoting terrorist organizations. Hundreds of others have already been arrested. In the largely Kurdish-populated southeast, the Turkish government took control in 89 municipalities won by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), HDPs sister party in the region, and suspended their democratically elected co-mayors on the basis of claimed suspicion of terrorism offenses, with at least 70 of them jailed. In late January, 11 members of the Turkish Medical Associations (TTBs) central council were detained because they issued a statement, titled War is a Matter of Public Health, opposing the war. More than 170 intellectuals, including former ministers, MPs, journalists, actors and representatives of non-governmental organisations, signed a letter to members of parliament calling for an end to the Afrin operation and for resolution of existing problems through dialogue. The witch-hunt against the TTB began immediately after Erdogan accused the association of treason and denounced them as terrorist lovers in his speech at the Extended Provincial Chairs Meeting at the AKP Headquarters on January 29. Believe me, they are not intellectuals at all, they are a gang of slaves. They are the servants of imperialism, he said. Underlying the escalation in the crackdown on the opposition is the growing fear of the Turkish ruling elite that mounting unrest over conditions within the working class could merge with the opposition to the Syrian war and Turkeys invasion. SNYDER Phi Theta Kappa will recognize Western Texas Colleges Dr. Barb Beebe and 34 other college presidents with Shirley B. Gordon Awards of Distinction during PTK Catalyst 2018, the Societys annual national convention, in Kansas City, Missouri, April 19-21, 2018. In addition, the Texas Region of Phi Theta Kappa will induct Beebe into the Phi Theta Kappa Texas Hall of Honor for College Administrators during the 2018 Phi Theta Kappa Texas Region Awards Banquet and Gala on Saturday, March 10, 2018, in Houston. What a privilege it is to be inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor for College Administrators for the Texas Region of Phi Theta Kappa! I wholeheartedly support all student scholars who participate in Phi Theta Kappa, and especially those in our Psi Zeta Chapter, said Beebe. Phi Theta Kappa is the largest international honors society of community colleges and academic programs in American higher education. Phi Theta Kappas mission is two-fold: recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and; provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellowship programming. Students from Psi Zeta, the WTC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, nominated Beebe for the Gordon Award and as an inductee for the Phi Theta Kappa Texas Hall of Honor for College Administrators. Shes a really good president, said Stephanie Stephens, WTCs Psi Zeta chapter president. Were glad she won. It means a lot that she cares for the students, the faculty, and the College. She has a big heart. As a student at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Beebe received an invitation to join the honors society when she was a sophomore. She earned her Associate of Arts degree at Berkshire and her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Vermont College. Beebe received her M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in Management and Business Administration and earned a Ph.D. in Education with a Postsecondary and Adult Education specialization from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Western Texas College Board of Trustees chose Beebe as College President in 2012. The Board recently extended her contract through the 2019-2020 school year. The Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction honors college presidents who have demonstrated outstanding effort toward promoting the goals of Phi Theta Kappa. The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, longtime chair of the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors and president emeritus of Highline College n Washington. Membership in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society guarantees students access to benefits that will recognize their outstanding academic accomplishments and provide them with the competitive edge that helps ensure future success. Members must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher to remain in good standing. CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A national movement made its way to the Wabash Valley. On Thursday, Faith in Indiana held a vigil on the steps of the Clay County Jail ICE Detention Center. They were there to show their support for the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" or DACA program. It allows young illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. The program was set to expire in early March, but it's been temporarily extended. Attendees say they're fighting to keep immigrant families together. "They have not committed a crime. They are not criminals, and we should not be spending our resources on tearing families apart," Carolyn Higginbotham said, Opposers of DACA say the country needs to focus on securing the U.S. borders. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indianas governor has asked legislators to approve a $5 million boost for a state grant program aimed at helping improve school security. Gov. Eric Holcombs office released a letter Friday seeking the money for the Indiana Secured Safety Grant Program, which was started in 2013 after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. It currently has a $9 million annual budget to help schools buy safety equipment or hire police officers. The letter said the most recent round of grant applications requested $3.5 million more than was available for the states 289 public school districts and some 80 charter schools. The new funding request comes as Indiana schools have seen dozens of copycat threats since the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people. Legislative leaders said approval for moving the money from the $2 billion in state reserves can be done before the legislative session ends on Wednesday. I think it is money well spent, whatever it requires to harden our schools, to protect our kids, Republican Senate leader David Long said. Well leave it to the experts to decide how best to do that. Lawmakers allocated $10 million for the first two years of the school security grants, but that funding was slashed in 2015 to $3.5 million a year under then-Gov. Mike Pence. He later added several million back. Holcombs letter also said he was directing the state homeland security and education departments to prepare additional school security recommendations by Aug. 1. Lawmakers are planning to establish a legislative study committee on school safety to meet over the summer and fall and have asked the state Department of Education to audit each schools safety plan. Long said Thursday that he believed additional school security funding could be included in the next two-year state budget that the General Assembly will write during its 2019 session. I think thats going to be a priority not just this summer, but for next years budget, he said. Hopefully, well have a much better idea of what its going to cost by then. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has accepted an offer of a summit from the North Korean leader and will meet with Kim Jong Un by May, a top South Korean official said Thursday, in a remarkable turnaround in relations between two historic adversaries. The South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, told reporters of the planned meeting outside the White House, after briefing Trump and other top U.S. officials about a rare meeting with Kim in the North Korean capital on Monday. No serving American president has ever met with a North Korean leader. The U.S. and North Korea do not even have formal diplomatic relations. The two nations remain in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. Seoul had already publicized that North Korea had offered talks with the United States on denuclearization and normalizing ties, providing a diplomatic opening after a year of escalating tensions over the Norths nuclear and missile tests. The rival Koreas also agreed to hold a leadership summit in late April. He (Kim) expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible, Chung said. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. South Korean delegates are at the White House briefing officials on the outcome of their pathfinding meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (March 8) Chung did not say where Trump would meet with Kim. Trump took office vowing to stop North Korea from attaining a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. mainland. Hes oscillated between threats and insults directed at Kim, and more conciliatory rhetoric. His more bellicose talk, and Kims nuclear and missile tests, have fueled fears of war. Trump, who has ramped up economic sanctions on North Korea to force it to negotiate on giving up its nukes, has threatened the pariah nation with fire and fury if its threats against the U.S. and its allies continued. He has derided Kim by referring to him as Little Rocket Man. After Kim repeated threats against the U.S. in a New Years address and mentioned the nuclear button on his office desk, Trump responded by tweeting that he has a nuclear button, too, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works! ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Zeke Miller, Catherine Lucey, Ken Thomas and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Two judges were remembered Thursday afternoon during a special ceremony. Magistrate Judge Denise LaRue and District Judge Larry McKinney served the division of the Southern District of Indiana with distinction. Family, former staff, and active and senior judges attended the service. Judge McKinney was also instrumental in establishing the federal courthouse on Ohio Street in Terre Haute. The Terre Haute Bar Association hosted the event. Both judges died last year. GRENADA, Miss. (WTVA) -- Charges have been filed against a Grenada County man who was shot by a deputy during a weekend chase in parts of Webster and Grenada County. Webster County Sheriff Tim Mitchell says Robert Salley, 44, of Gore Springs landed his vehicle in a ditch during a high speed chase. When his deputies went to arrest him, Mitchell says Salley attempted to run over then and that's when the deputy opened fire. Salley suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder following the Saturday incident. He says Salley managed to drive to his mother's home and was found hiding underneath a truck. He was treated for the injury and released to Grenada County authorities who carried him to jail. Mitchell says the pursuit started when Salley drove through a checkpoint on Old Walthall Road. He says Mitchell is charged with felony fleeing and is currently free on bond. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is looking into the incident. The deputy has been placed on restricted duty while the investigation is underway. Attorney Carlos Moore says he is representing Salley and questions the need for a deputy to use his weapon in the incident. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi bill to make most abortions illegal after 15 weeks of pregnancy is now awaiting the governor's expected signature, a step likely to trigger a tough legal challenge against what would become the nation's most restrictive abortion law. Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Legislature sent the bill on Thursday to GOP Gov. Phil Bryant. House Bill 1510 would make abortion illegal in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which would be the earliest cutoff in the nation. The House voted 75-34 for the bill on Thursday, two days after Senate passage. Because of paperwork, the bill won't reach Bryant's desk until next week. Already, the state's only abortion provider has pledged to sue, and Mississippi's attorney general said he expected a vigorous legal battle ahead. "We are protecting more women, we are protecting more children," said House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson, a Braxton Republican. "By 15 weeks, you have a child in the womb who has a heartbeat, who for all practical purposes has taken on the form of a person." Under the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion, states were permitted to restrict abortions after viability the point when the fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving under normal conditions outside the uterus. The ruling offered no legal definition of viability, saying it could range between 24 and 28 weeks into a pregnancy. The Mississippi measure "seems like a pretty simple bill designed to test the viability line that the Supreme Court has drawn," said David Forte, a law professor at Ohio's Cleveland State University. Abortion-rights-groups immediately denounced the bill, saying it is not legally or medically sound. "We certainly think this bill is unconstitutional," said Katherine Klein, equality advocacy coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. "The 15-week marker has no bearing in science. It's just completely unfounded and a court has never upheld anything under the 20-week viability marker." She predicted a court challenge will result in a costly loss for the Mississippi law. Anti-abortion groups applauded the measure. "We're thrilled that Mississippi lawmakers are taking a step to protect the basic right to life, as well as protecting maternal health," said Jameson Taylor, acting president of the conservative Mississippi Center for Public Policy. The center helped craft the bill. House Bill 1510 includes two exceptions: if the fetus has a health problem that would prevent it from surviving outside the womb at full term, or if the pregnant woman's life or a "major bodily function" is threatened by the pregnancy. Pregnancies as a result of rape and incest are not exempt. It's unclear if a 15-week ban will move forward elsewhere. A bill has been filed for Louisiana's upcoming legislative session. Gipson said lawmakers in Texas, Georgia, and "some Midwestern states" are exploring the idea. An appeals court in 2015 struck down efforts in North Dakota to ban most abortions after six weeks, when a fetus develops a detectable heartbeat, and in Arkansas after 12 weeks. Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood said Thursday that he expected legal challenges and he noted that less-restrictive measures banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy have been struck down in other states. The U.S. Senate earlier this year rejected such a ban nationwide when supporters couldn't reach a 60-vote supermajority to act. Mississippi's 20-week ban has never been legally challenged, in part because the state's only abortion clinic, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, doesn't perform abortions that late in pregnancy. According to state Department of Health statistics, 85 percent of abortions in Mississippi took place before 12 weeks in 2016. Diane Derzis, who owns the clinic, has said it provides abortions as late as 18 weeks after pregnancy. Most of Mississippi's 2,500 abortions in 2015 took place at the clinic. Before the bill was passed, Derzis said she would sue. She did not respond to text or telephone messages seeking comment Thursday. Taylor said the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian conservative legal advocacy group, was among those that vetted the bill's language. The Arizona-based alliance didn't respond to questions. Senior counsel Kevin Theriot said in a statement that the alliance "supports states' important and legitimate efforts to protect the health and safety of women and children." Forte and University of Chicago Law Professor Geoffrey Stone said they believe the chances the Supreme Court will consider a major abortion case are slim as long as the current justices remain, though a case could ascend quickly on an emergency appeal of a lower court ruling. Mississippi lawmakers may be hoping that one of the justices more favorable to abortion rights, such as Anthony Kennedy or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will have stepped down by the time the state's case reaches the Supreme Court. Kennedy, for example, has twice in the past 26 years been part of a 5-4 majority upholding abortion rights. "If Anthony Kennedy has already stepped down, this would make perfect sense," Stone said. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi man accused of killing eight people, including relatives, acquaintances and a deputy sheriff, was indicted Thursday. Willie Cory Godbolt, 35, of Bogue Chitto, was indicted on four counts of capital murder, which could carry the death penalty; four counts of murder and one of attempted murder, each of which is punishable by up to life in prison; two counts of kidnapping; and one count of armed robbery. Godbolt's defense attorney did not immediately return calls Thursday to The Associated Press. Godbolt is scheduled to appear in court Monday to answer the charges. Godbolt has been jailed without bond since his arrest May 28, hours after the killings in and around the south Mississippi city of Brookhaven, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Jackson. Deputy William Durr responded to a disturbance call May 27 at the home of Godbolt's in-laws in the Brookhaven suburb of Bogue Chitto. Durr, who was 36, was killed there, along with Godbolt's mother-in-law Barbara Mitchell, 55; Mitchell's sister, Brenda May, 53; and May's daughter, Tocarra May, 35. Two cousins 11-year-old Austin Edwards and 18-year-old Jordan Blackwell were killed at a second home. A husband and wife, Ferral Burage, 45, and Shelia Burage, 46, were killed at a third home. Moments after he was arrested, a handcuffed Godbolt told a reporter from The Clarion-Ledger, on video, that someone in the first house called law enforcement while he was talking to his wife and in-laws about his wish to take his children home. "My pain wasn't designed for him. He was just there," Godbolt said of the deputy. Mississippi law defines capital murder as a killing committed along with another felony, such as burglary. People can also be charged with capital murder in the killing of a law enforcement officer. One of the capital murder charges against Godbolt was in the killing of Durr. Three were in killings committed at the same time as alleged burglaries of two of the homes. BROOKS COUNTY, Ga. (WTXL) - New details are being revealed about the stand-off in Brooks County last week that ended in flames. According to a press release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Brooks County Sheriffs deputies and officers with the Department of Community Supervision were attempting to serve warrants on Timothy Smothers Jr. on March 2. They were trying to serve three different warrants: A felony entering auto warrant, a violation of probation warrant and a search warrant for items stolen in a burglary. When officers spoke with residents of the home, they learned Smothers was inside but would not come out. That's when they called the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office SWAT Team to help with the arrest. When SWAT arrived, they tried to negotiate with Smothers, who remained uncooperative and unresponsive. OC chemicals (oleoresin capsicum, which is used in pepper spray) were then thrown inside the residence in an attempt to force Smothers out. While deploying the OC, a fire started inside the mobile home. While the home was still burning, SWAT members and Brooks firefighters entered the home and removed Smothers' body which was found in the bathroom. They discovered he had a gunshot wound in his chest area and transported him to South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta where he later died. When GBI agents later searched the home, they found a pistol previously reported as stolen. The pistol was found in the same area of the home where Smothers' body was recovered from earlier. One spent shell casing and a bullet were also located in the bathroom area where it was determined Smothers was hiding. The gun was the same one Brooks County investigators were trying to find in their search warrant. An autopsy performed at the GBI Crime Lab located a single press contact gunshot wound to the chest on Smothers. So far, the investigation shows that no law enforcement shot their firearms at Smothers, nor did he shoot at law enforcement. This case is active and ongoing. BROOKS COUNTY, Ga. (WTXL) - Officials have confirmed a Georgia man died after a standoff led to a house fire in Brooks County Friday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says 31-year-old Timothy Smothers died at South Georgia Medical Center. His father tells WTXL his son was shot and killed when he refused to turn himself over to deputies who had a warrant for his arrest. "My brother went in and identified him. I couldn't do it. I was devastated," said Timothy Smothers, Sr. "That boy wasn't all there mentally. He didn't think just right but he was a good boy." GBI officials say an autopsy will be performed Monday at their crime lab in Macon. Agents are still conducting interviews with public safety officers and witnesses. They expect to release more information Monday. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Student housing at Florida A&M University is set to get a face-lift. The University's Board of Trustees approved the first phase of a multi-million dollar project to provide better options on campus. FAMU plans to add residence halls at the current site of a parking lot on the southwest corner of MLK Junior Boulevard and Osceola Street. The facilities will replace 500 beds and add 200 more. The university also has plans to demolish four dorms that are part of what's called the "Pentaplex." The vision for that space could include green space or potential parking. Officials say the upgrade to on-campus housing is necessary. "Our housing inventory is in pretty old buildings, and we want to make sure that we offer our students state-of-the-art facilities just like other universities in the country offer," said Sameer Kapileshwari, FAMU Associate Vice President of Facilities. "So, that's basically what we are trying to do over here." The university is looking into different financing options to fund the project. The goal is to complete this first phase by the end of 2020. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Florida State University hosted the 5th Annual Women in Leadership Conference. Professional women who have found business, academic, and educational success shared how they overcame challenges in their industries. Students were able to learn firsthand how to thrive in the business world. Workshops included building your personal brand, finding your voice, networking, negotiating salaries, as well as developing leadership skills and financial planning. PARKLAND, Fla. (The News Service) - Governor Rick Scott will meet Friday with the families of victims of last month's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, raising expectations that he will sign into law a sweeping school-safety measure that sparked push-back from people on both ends of the gun-control spectrum. Late Wednesday, the Florida House of Representatives voted 67-to-50 to approve legislation to spend $400 million on mental health screening and services and school hardening. Additionally, the measure will raise the age from 18 to 21 and impose a three-day waiting period for the purchase of rifles. The most controversial part of the measure allows specially trained teachers and staff members to bring guns to schools. State representative Jared Moskowitz, a graduate of Stoneman Douglas High School, says the advocacy of the parents and the timing of the shooting are the reasons the bill passed. "Because we were in session, and being in session in an election year, those two forces combined and something had to happen," said Moskowitz. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Scott said the opinion of the parents was among the most important things for him to consider as he decides what to do about the bill. "I'm going to review the bill line by line," said Scott. "The group that I am going to be talking to, the group that I care the most about right now because it impacted them so much, is the families." The families of all 17 of the victims of the Parkland shooting have encouraged Scott to sign the legislation. VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Several South Georgia counties have been recognized as some of the top "Great American Defense Community Regions" in the nation. Lowndes, Berrien, Cook, and Lanier were all the counties selected as a region that shows the top support to military defenses. The ADC program was created to acknowledge the overall support that communities and regions provide to service members and military families. Communities are chosen through a competitive nomination process. "As a Great American Defense Community, we are one of five throughout the United States for this year. And certainly it's a prestigious award, and a prestigious honor to be selected, said Nick Lacey, Co-Chair of S. Georgia Military Affairs Council. "We compete with a whole host of bigger communities throughout the United States." Subjects vary from community building, educational and employment opportunities, to family support. The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce will be hosting events all next week to celebrate the recognition. It starts with a proclamation outside the courthouse in downtown Valdosta on Monday, Mar. 12. THERMOPOLIS The Alliance for Historic Wyoming (AHW), along with the Hot Springs County Museum will be celebrating historic Carnegie libraries around Wyoming with a traveling exhibit and tour this Saturday. THERMOPOLIS The Alliance for Historic Wyoming (AHW), along with the Hot Springs County Museum will be celebrating historic Carnegie libraries around Wyoming with a traveling exhibit and tour this Saturday. Built in 1917, the Carnegie Library in Thermopolis, located at 328 Arapahoe Street, is one of 16 Carnegie library buildings built in Wyoming, financed by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. At... Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 13:28:13|Editor: Song Lifang 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, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced late Monday in a televised speech that his country has established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In the nationally televised address, Varela stressed the historic ties between the two countries, a relationship that goes back more than 160 years. The move "is also a recognition of the Chinese-Panamanian community, which has played an important role in the economic and social development of Panama, taking part in all of our country's economic, political and social activities, and some even coming to occupy important posts in the Panamanian government," said Varela. The first group of Chinese immigrants, he noted, arrived in Panama in 1854 to work on the construction of the trans-isthmus railway, which served as the main international cargo route until the Panama Canal was built. The two countries made history again when the Chinese cargo carrier Cosco Shipping Panama became the first vessel to pass through the newly expanded Panama Canal on June 26, 2016, said Varela. China is now the second largest client of the Panama Canal. The Panamanian president also underscored China's role in leading efforts to boost global integration and opportunities for growth in today's world. China set up an office of commercial development in Panama in 1996. Since then, the two countries have maintained cooperation in various fields. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established after Panama cut its ties with China's Taiwan. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-08 17:00:43|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- China has strong resolve and deep commitment to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday. "China's position is firm and consistent," Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress. China follows a responsible approach to the South China Sea issue, taking into account interests of the Chinese people, historical facts, regional peace and the international rule of law, he said. Wang said there is a golden opportunity as China and ASEAN countries all agreed to develop a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to preserve its hard-won tranquility. "China and ASEAN countries are willing and able to draft regional rules on our own, rules which will meet our region's imperatives and be adhered to by all," he said. However, Wang said there are also challenges in the South China Sea. "Some outside forces are not happy with the prevailing calm, and try to stir up trouble and muddle the waters. Their frequent show of force with fully-armed aircraft and naval vessels is the most destabilizing factor in the region," he said. According to Wang, China will work with ASEAN countries to seize the opportunity, broaden cooperation, prevent interference, and overcome challenges in the year ahead. "Cherishing what we have achieved together, China and ASEAN countries will speed up COC consultation, explore a mechanism of cooperation among the coastal states and promote peace and cooperation in the South China Sea," he said. Related: Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 6, 2018 shows Kim Jong Un (3rd L), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), posing for a group photo with the members of South Korean delegation. (Xinhua/KCNA) WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- As talks between Pyongyang and Seoul start to yield results, experts on Wednesday urged the White House not to rock the boat. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) made a tension-easing gesture earlier this week during a two-day visit by a high-level South Korean delegation to Pyongyang. The DPRK showed willingness to talk "candidly" with the United States on issues including denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and normalization of ties with Washington. It also agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit in late April. "Seoul's immediate objective is to buy time and create the conditions necessary to bring Washington and Pyongyang together," noted Scott A. Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies at Council on Foreign Relations (CFR),a New York-based think tank. CFR President Richard Haas said that it is time for Washington to step up to the plate to further de-escalate tension in the region. "The United States needs to decide what it would offer North Korea (the DPRK), ie, security assurances, adjustments to U.S.-South Korea exercises, reduced economic sanctions," Haas said. "We need to get (U.S.) professionals there to talk about talks," Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Xinhua. File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a press conference with visiting Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven (not in the photo) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, March 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) However, so far little concrete change has been detected on the Trump administration's policy on the DPRK. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence kept a harsh tone in a statement released on Tuesday, saying a "maximum pressure" strategy against Pyongyang to seek an end to its nuclear program will continue. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department said no "play-by-play" will be provided about the U.S. response to the Pyongyang meeting before they are briefed by Seoul. Two senior South Korean officials who met with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un left for Washington on Thursday to brief U.S. officials on the outcome of their meeting. The White House has announced that routine U.S. military exercises with allies in the region would resume, casting cloud on the current situation. The next U.S.-South Korean drill is expected in April. An armored helicopter prepare to land on the ground during the annual joint military exercise Foal Eagle between South Korea and the United States in Pocheon, northeast of Seoul, March 25, 2015. (Xinhua/Seongbin Kang) If U.S. President Donald Trump has indeed decided to require "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization" of the DPRK before "meaningful dialogue" can occur, it is safe to say such dialogue will never happen under this administration, said Bonnie Kristian, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. "The Trump administration should support our ally's interest in negotiations, not undermine it," Kristian added. CHICAGO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. fast food giant McDonald's turned its iconic golden arches upside down to look like a "W" Thursday to mark International Women's Day. "Today, we proudly celebrate the International Women's Day," read a banner on its website, with a big flipped W in honor of women, from its original logo M. The upside-down logo appeared on its website and social media accounts. According to the Illinois-headquartered fast food chain, six out of 10 managers in its U.S. restaurants are women. The company also highlighted some female managers' stories on its website, adding that "without women, there would be no McDonald's." Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 01:43:17|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses an observance of International Women's Day under the theme "Time Is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women's lives" at UN headquarters in New York, March 8, 2018. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for action to empower women and girls on the occasion of International Women's Day. (Xinhua/UN Photo/Manuel Elias) UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for action to empower women and girls on the occasion of International Women's Day. "Everywhere, women are saying 'The Time is Now.' Time for equality and opportunity, respect and equal representation. Time for an end to violence. Around the world, women and girls are calling out the abusive behavior and discriminatory attitudes they face everywhere and all the time. They are insisting on lasting change," Guterres told an event at UN Headquarters to mark International Women's Day. "This is what women and girls want. And that is what I want. And it is what every sensible man and boy should want," he said. Gender equality is a fundamental human right and there is no better path to a more peaceful and prosperous world than the empowerment of women and girls, said the UN chief. "Power is at the heart of the matter. As we still live in a male-dominated world with male-dominated culture and until power is fairly shared, the world will remain out of balance." There is overwhelming evidence that investing in women is the most effective way to lift communities, companies and countries. Women's participation makes peace agreements stronger, societies more resilient and economies more vigorous, he said. "Gender equality is the unfinished business of our time. And so the time is now to change it," said Guterres. Significant advances have taken place since the first International Women's Day in 1976, he said. But structural barriers remain: unpaid care work, unequal pay, harmful stereotypes, discrimination and violence. He pledged his determination to achieve gender parity throughout the United Nations. For the first time ever, gender parity has become reality in the senior UN management team -- the top level of this organization, he said, adding that the world body is very close to reach gender equality among leaders of UN country teams around the world. He reiterated his commitment to zero tolerance of sexual harassment. "I am improving reporting and accountability and trying to establish confidence, empower people who experience or witness harassment to come forward and seek justice." NAIROBI, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is considering giving tax incentives to attract funding for research, an official said Thursday. Micheni Ntiba, Principal Secretary for University Research, said through the National Research Fund (NRF), the government intends to give tax incentives to attract funding from the private sector, philanthropists and development partners. "We plan to give tax waivers, award schemes and recognitions to attract partners into funding research activities in the country," Ntiba told a forum in Nairobi. He however noted that due to competing demands from other sectors to the national Treasury, it is unlikely to meet the 2-percent research funding from the gross domestic product (GDP) as planned. He also said the government is exploring the possibility of introducing contract research, where private sector player's funds target research in addressing an issue for the industry. The PS observed that failures in attracting additional research funding may become disastrous to the country as key development commitments such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may not be achieved as planned. Russian President Vladimir Putin wishes a happy holiday to Russian women on International Women's Day. (Kremlin Photo) MOSCOW, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke highly of women's contributions in his greetings on International Women's Day, the Kremlin said Thursday. "Only women can create a welcoming atmosphere at work and at home, take care of our homes and children every day and be a moral example to them," he said. "We know that a woman's heart is the most loyal, her forgiveness the most powerful. And we know that a mother's love is truly boundless," the president said. International Women's Day is an official holiday in Russia. All Russian people can have a four-day leave this year. BRUSSELS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) said on Thursday it has pre-emptively closed the Verbist Group's meat processing plant and cold store VEVIBA in Bastogne,south Belgium, following a case of fraud on meat labels. Meanwhile, the food safety watchdog has checked all establishments of the Verbist Group in Belgium. Investigators found a problem in a slaughterhouse in Bastogne where some labels on frozen meat were removed and replaced by others with more recent dates. "This can potentially be a risk, especially for people who consume raw meat, although for well-cooked meat the risk is lower," Philippe Houdart, former spokesperson of FASFC, was quoted by local media as saying in a press release. Two products have been identified as potentially risky for consumers: minced meat as well as cow tails sold to other companies. They are being withdrawn at once from the Belgian market. However, the FASFC could not clearly determine how much the meat processed in VEVIBA's slaughterhouse has already reached Belgian stores and supermarkets across the country. "Today, for precaution reasons, mass retailers have withdrawn all the VEVIBA products they have received, with the exception of some products deemed risk-free", said the FASFC. The FASFC will continue to keep the public informed as progress is made on this issue, and takes necessary measures to inform and protect consumers. Delhaize and Colruyt, two large Belgian supermarket chains, have announced that they suspend all collaboration with VEVIBA. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 05:09:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy for Afghanistan on Thursday urged the Taliban to engage in peace talks with the government since the latter has offered talks without preconditions. Afghanistan successfully hosted the second conference of the Kabul Process, at which all participants have endorsed the call for direct talks between the government and the Taliban without preconditions, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, told the Security Council. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has laid out a path for negotiations with a series of concrete proposals to create space for the opening of talks, said Yamamoto. "The offer of negotiation is on the table. It is now incumbent upon the Taliban to come forward with an offer of their own and start direct talks with the government to put an end to the suffering of the Afghan people." The Taliban's argument that they will not talk to the Afghan government because the conflict is not between Afghan parties misrepresents the reality that tens of thousands of Afghan people are killed and maimed every year in direct confrontations between the Taliban and the government forces, he said. Yamamoto stressed the importance of national unity. "National unity provides the only basis for the continuation of international support for Afghanistan, and for the implementation of effective reforms." "When looking at the recent domestic political developments, I am compelled to express my concern about some actions which could deepen divisions in society," he said. Yamamoto warns that parliamentary elections might be delayed beyond the current July 2018 date despite progress on voter registration preparations. But the elections could still be held within this year as long as preparations are not delayed and voter registration begins on schedule in April, he said. NEW YORK, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Awarding winning film Ballad From Tibet by Chinese director Zhang Wei is scheduled to premiere in New York City on Saturday, March 10. The film, which tells the story of four visually impaired kids from China's Tibet Autonomous Region embarking on an odyssey for their dreams, will be presented at the Bronx Library Center on Saturday, at Mid-Manhattan Library on Sunday, at Lehman College and Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on Tuesday, and at the Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday. This screening is part of the 10th Annual ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest festival of its kind promoting awareness and inclusion through the stories and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. Based on a true story, Ballad from Tibet is about the four Tibetan kids -- Thupten, Sonam, Kelsang and Droma -- achieving their dreams against all odds. Thupten is a 10-year-old boy partially sighted in one eye and blind in the other. His doctor says that there is a chance he could completely lose his sight, but there is an operation that could offer a 50 percent chance of saving his vision. His teacher is adamant that he should have the operation right away, but Thupten is afraid and wants to see the world before his life is plunged into total darkness. Along with his three friends who also suffer from blindness, Thupten embarks on an exciting adventure. Together they decide to go to Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province, a city more than 3,700 km away from Tibetan regional capital Lhasa. They choose Shenzhen because Kelsang, the youngest of the four children, measures the distance with his arm on the map and realizes that it is merely a forearm away. During the trip Thupten is to serve as the group's leader because, despite his ailing sight, he is the only one among them who can see anything at all. The reason for the children's decision to go to Shenzhen is their love of music. They are all talented and want to sing their hearts out in front of national audience by participating in a Shenzhen-based reality show. The foursome's trip is indeed fun, but also turns out to be dangerous as well. Luckily, help is on hand along the way in the form of a nomad family, a shepherd, a motorcycle club, and a TV producer's assistant. The film is in fact inspired by a true story. In 2010, a group of nine Tibetan children sang on the stage of the reality show China's Got Talent, which was broadcast nationwide. Aged 10 to 13, all of them were students from the school for blind children in Lhasa, earning a rousing applause from the four judges and studio audience alike with their pure and youthful voices. Ballad From Tibet has won the award for Best Children's Feature at the 13th China International Children's Film Festival in November 2017, and earned nominations at 17 different international children's film festivals in Germany, Canada, Japan, Greece, Australia and India. ROME, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Women played a key role in the making of post-war Italy but much still needs to be done to achieve gender equality, Italian President Sergio Mattarella said during a ceremony commemorating International Women's Day, which is celebrated around the world on March 8. "There are still barriers to overcome, gaps to be filled," said Mattarella, including "hateful discrimination" against women in the workplace, gender pay gaps, and the fact that male employment outstrips female employment by 20 percent. Mattarella also took aim at the "unacceptable reality" of "sexual harassment and physical and moral violence in the workplace as well as at the home". Italian women first obtained the right to vote in 1946, right after World War II. They were first allowed to become judges and diplomats in 1963, and it wasn't until 1999 that they were admitted into the armed forces, the president of the republic said. Mattarella made a point of sending a greeting to 106-year-old Luisa Zappitelli, "who turned out to vote (in the general election) last Sunday as she has done for the past 72 years -- she is an example to us all." He then listed a number of female politicians who introduced key reforms, such as protections for working mothers (1950) and making it illegal to fire women just because they got married (1963). Italy's national health service became a reality in 1978 thanks to the country's first female government minister, Tina Anselmi, who pulled bickering political parties together to make this happen, said Mattarella. Anselmi was an example of "placing the interests of the country and its citizens first," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 06:59:41|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday opened a special exhibit about the history of Jerusalem at the United Nations headquarters in New York, but the UN seemed to distance itself from the display. The exhibit, "3,000 Years of History: Jews in Jerusalem," was initiated by the Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon and MK Zeev Elkin, Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage and Environmental Protection, and includes what the organizers say "archaeological artifacts related to the Jewish presence in Jerusalem over the millennia." Visitors could easily find a sign at the entrance of the exhibit, which reads: "The content of this exhibit is solely the responsibility of the sponsors. The holding of the exhibit in UN premises does not imply endorsement of the United Nations. Please direct any queries to the organizers." The exhibit traces Jews in Jerusalem back to centuries before the Christian era. Netanyahu said that "there is a long history that is being cherished by us and by friends of the Jewish people, and the friends of truth; it is being denied by those who seek to erase the history of our people, our connection to our land, and our connection to our eternal capital Jerusalem." Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Sunday for a five-day visit to the United States, and met with President Donald Trump on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 07:26:11|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Photo taken on March 8, 2018 shows the scene of a plenary meeting of deputies from Hunan Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China. The meeting was opened to media. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 07:04:42|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BOGOTA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's FARC announced Thursday that it would not contest the upcoming presidential elections in May, given the state of health of its leader and presidential candidate. FARC, or the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, is a political party spun out of the former guerrilla movement. In a statement, the FARC said that its candidate, Rodrigo Londono Echeverri, alias "Timochenko," underwent open-heart surgery on Wednesday. The group said that Timochenko would need several weeks to recover and would not be in fit state to run a campaign. "Circumstances... about our candidate's recovery process, after receiving surgery yesterday, combined with those already discussed about the characteristics about an electoral participation, has led us to cancel our presidential aspiration," said the FARC. The recently formed party after the FARC guerrilla group signed a peace deal with the government also called on the public to turn out and vote for FARC candidates in legislative elections on March 11. "We invite (the people) to vote on Sunday, March 11, for our lists for the Senate and the Chamber," read the statement. The group also reiterated its willingness to continue fighting for unity and reconciliation in Colombia. "We express our willingness to dialogue with all political sectors in order to build bridges to make the perspective of a great national convergence into a reality," it sustained. "The common people will count on Congress...to work tirelessly for the proposals of democratic peace with social justice." The FARC also called for the end of all politically motivated violence. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 07:09:44|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year, till March 17, 2019. The renewed mandate of UNAMA is in support of Afghanistan's full assumption of leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas, reads Resolution 2405. It sets out the priorities for UNAMA and the special representative of the UN secretary-general for Afghanistan: to support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process; to support the organization of future Afghan elections, including the parliamentary elections in 2018 and the presidential elections in 2019; to promote more coherent international support to the Afghan government's development and governance priorities; to support regional cooperation; to promote human rights. The resolution particularly calls for efforts to secure the rights of women and girls and to ensure that women and girls are protected from violence and abuse, including from sexual and gender-based violence. The resolution reaffirms support for regional security and economic cooperation, including measures to facilitate regional connectivity, trade and transit, such as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, and the Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project. ZAGREB, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Croatian police have seized 100 kg of cocaine in one of the most complex operations of this kind in the country's history, Croatian news agency HINA reported on Thursday. The cocaine was seized in the seaport Rijeka in the Adriatic Sea, where the drug was hidden in a shipping container with 20 tonnes of mixed metal waste. According to Croatian police who have busted the drug smuggling ring, 100 kg of cocaine was bought in Panama for 300,000 euros (around 370,000 U.S. dollars), and it was meant to be sold in European Union through Croatia. In order to hide their operations, the smugglers used companies based in Croatia and organized the arrival of containers with low-value goods, from South America to Europe. Police have reported on its website that so far eight people have been arrested, six Croats, one Spanish national and another national from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands (dual nationality). Croatian Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic, said on Thursday in Brussels that this was one of the most complex such actions in the history of Croatian police and seven countries participated in it. Along with Croatian police, the police from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Panama were also involved, as well as American agency DEA and Europol. According to the Croatian Interior Ministry, about 150 kg of marijuana and 69,000 boxes of smuggled cigarettes have been seized earlier within the same police operation. The estimated market price of the seized drug is between 21,000 euros and 33,000 euros per kg. BRUSSELS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU)'s Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom on Thursday night said the EU should be excluded from the new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. She made the remarks in a tweet after U.S. President Donald Trump signed proclamations on imposing a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10-percent on aluminum amid global dissent. "The EU is a close ally of the US and we continue to be of the view that the EU should be excluded from these measures," Malmstrom tweeted. The EU's top trade representative said she would seek clarification from the United States on the issue "in the days to come", adding, "Looking forward to meeting USTR (United States Trade Representative) Lighthizer in Brussels on Sat (Saturday) to discuss." The EU commissioners on Wednesday gave the political endorsement to a proposal aiming to counter the possible U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, saying the EU stands ready to react proportionately and fully in line with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules once the U.S. measures affect EU's interest. On the hit list of the bloc's countermeasures were said to be flagship U.S. products, including steel, peanut butter, bourbon whiskeys and denim jeans. "Protectionism cannot be the answer, it never is," Malmstrom told a Wednesday press conference, however, adding that the EU, as a U.S. security partner, still hoped that it could be excluded from the U.S. tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a press conference with visiting Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven (not in the photo) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, March 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum amid mounting dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world. The United States will impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10-percent on aluminum, Trump said at an event at the White House, noting a strong steel and aluminum industry is "vital to our national security." The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "We're going to hold off the tariff on those two countries, to see whether or not we're able to make the deal on NAFTA," Trump said. Trump signaled that all other countries also have opportunities to be exempt from the tariffs by negotiations with the United States. "If the same goals can be accomplished by other means, America will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations, as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security," he said. While Trump argued that new tariffs would boost American steel and aluminum production, economists and business groups have warned that such tariffs could backfire and ultimately hurt the overall U.S. economy. Past experience has shown that such tariffs will likely raise costs for American consumers, hurt American downstream industries that use metals, and cost thousands of jobs in other manufacturing and services sectors. A recent study by the Trade Partnership, a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm, also estimated that Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum would result in a net loss of 146,000 U.S. jobs after accounting for positive impacts on U.S. steel and aluminum producers. "I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement shortly after Trump's announcement of the tariffs, urging the administration to narrow its policy. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch expressed similar concerns about the proposed tariffs, saying "this is a tax hike on American manufacturers, workers and consumers." "Slapping aluminum and steel imports with tariffs of this magnitude is misguided. It undermines the benefits that the new tax law provides and runs counter to our goal of advancing pro-growth trade policies that will keep America competitive in the 21st century global economy," Hatch said in a statement. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 08:28:17|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close Children play in the inflatable park "Art-Zoo" during the media preview held in Singapore's Float at Marina Bay on March 8, 2018. "Art-Zoo" will be held at the Float at Marina Bay from March 9 to April 1. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey) CANBERRA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Health professionals have called for a rural community in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) to be subjected to a five-year alcohol ban. The NT government has imposed an emergency two-week alcohol restriction on Tennant Creek, almost 1,000 km south of Darwin, after a spike in alcohol-fuelled violence which resulted in the death of a man and the alleged rape of a two-year-old girl. Roel Codron, a doctor in Tennant Creek, said that in his time in the town it had become commonplace to treat drunk pregnant women, people who had attempted suicide while intoxicated, children with fetal alcohol syndrome and people injured in alcohol-fuelled incidents. "The problems of Tennant Creek are based on alcohol, and the easy availability is causing problems right from pregnancy until death," Codron told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Friday. "My solution is that we have to stand together and say 'enough is enough'." "We need to allow the town to recover, and so we need a five-year moratorium on alcohol." "I would like to see both entrances to Tennant Creek policed 24 hours a day, and in that way the town can take a stand to say that we are a dry community." Earlier in March, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner unveiled a "five-point action plan" to counter alcohol abuse in the outback. "Key actions" of the plan included improving child protection, domestic and family and youth services, including additional funding for those services. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 08:56:38|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close UN peacekeepers take part in a Multinational Peace Support Operations Exercise on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh, March 8, 2018. The three-week Multinational Peace Support Operations Exercise runs from Feb. 26 to March 12, 2018, with the participation of 780 peacekeepers from 40 countries. Codenamed "SHANTI DOOT 4", the exercise is aimed at building capacity of the armed forces of troops contributing countries in the UN peace operations and providing them with an opportunity to share natural cultural values. It is jointly organized by the U.S. Pacific Command, a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, and U.S. Africa Command as well as Bangladesh as the host nation. (Xinhua) Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 09:10:12|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday expressed "firm opposition" to the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, saying the move will seriously undermine normal international trade order. The statement came after the U.S. President Donald Trump signed proclamations to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum amid mounting dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 09:15:13|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government reacted Thursday "with great concern" to the U.S. decision to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from all countries except Canada and Mexico. "These measures will cause severe damage to Brazilian exports and will have a significant negative impact on bilateral flows, which have been broadly favorable to the United States for the last 10 years," said a joint statement from the foreign ministry and the ministry of industry, foreign trade and services. Brazil would take "all necessary actions, in the bilateral and multilateral spheres, to preserve its rights and interests," the statement said. It added that these tariffs were incompatible with U.S. obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10-percent on aluminum, which will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. A strong steel and aluminum industry is "vital to our national security," Trump said at the White House. Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes and Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Marcos Jorge said in the statement that they had sought to avoid such measures being applied to Brazilian exports, "clarifying to the American government ... that Brazilian products do not cause any threat to the commercial or security interests to the United States." The statement also pointed out the inter-connectivity between industries of both countries, saying that 80 percent of Brazilian steel exports are semi-finished products used as materials by the North American steel industry, and Brazil is the largest importer of carbon steel, composed of iron and carbon, from the United States. Brazil's National Confederation of Industry estimates these tariffs will cause 3.15 billion U.S. dollars of losses to the Brazilian industry annually. TRIPOLI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Thursday set a March 17 deadline for nationals from neighboring African countries to leave southern Libya in order to curb the erupting violence there, warning else they would be removed by force. A statement issued by the army led by General Khalifa Haftar set March 17 as "the deadline for their departure from the Libyan territory", saying, "After this date, they will be removed by force using all possible means, both land and air." "The General Command of the Armed Forces of Libya calls on African brothers from neighboring countries not to be dragged behind the lawless militias and be exploited to destabilize the south," it said. The army also called on tribal elders and leaders in southern Libya to stop social support for all those who "help in any way protect or house African nationals, leading to destabilization of southern Libya." It made the appeal after fighting between rival tribes in southern Libya reportedly caused casualties and displaced hundreds of people. Recent tribal clashes in the city of Sabha, located some 800 km southwest of capital Tripoli, have killed 10 civilians and injured 30 others, the local medical center said. People from Chad, Niger and Sudan have been accused of involvement in the conflicts in Sabha. Hamed Al-Khiali, head of the municipal council of Sabha, said last month that the local airport was occupied by "an armed group that has nothing to do with Libya," carrying flags of other African countries. Recently in Tripoli, the UN-backed government announced measures to support its forces in Sabha to fight the so-called "mercenaries". HAVANA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Cuba has welcomed more than one million international visitors so far this year, an official said. Janet Ayala, communications director of the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, confirmed the figure on her Facebook account, saying the number was obtained from various travel agencies. She described the figure as "positive in the midst of pressure and adverse situations," including damage caused by Hurricane Irma. In 2017, Cuba received its first million foreign visitors on March 5, three days earlier than this year. Tourism is the island's second largest source of revenue and is seen as an economic engine to drive other sectors. Last year, Cuba received 4.7 million visitors, and the goal for 2018 is five million. Tourists from Canada account for the largest portion, followed by Britain, France and Spain. The Cuban government is launching an investment program to open 90,000 rooms in state-owned hotels by 2020. Liu Li and the children she sponsored. (Photo provided by Liu Li) BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese legislator Liu Li relaxes at the end of a busy day by soaking her feet, a simple habit which reminds her of the days when she worked as a foot masseuse. Liu has never concealed her humble beginning of working as a migrant worker. In fact, the 38-year-old feels privileged to speak for the 286-million-strong group at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, which opened earlier this week in Beijing. "We must provide migrant workers with equal opportunities to achieve their dreams in the cities," she said, adding "the well-being of farmers and the development of rural areas must not be overlooked in the process of urbanization." Liu is one of the 742 female deputies to the 13th NPC working hard on Women's Day, which falls on March 8 and usually coincides with the country's two biggest annual political meetings. "THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FOOT MASSEUSE IN CHINA" Liu Li. (Xinhua/Zhang Ziyun) Liu has a rags to riches story that has touched hearts across the country, not because of how much money she earned but how much she gave away. Unlike philanthropists who lavish money on charities, Liu donated from her meager migrant worker income to sponsor poor children to return to school. Born in a poor rural family in east China's Anhui Province, Liu quit primary school at the age of 14 and worked to support the schooling of her four siblings, a common practice at that time in rural China. Leaving home penniless, she worked as a waitress and then a nanny before finding the job as an apprentice in a foot massage center in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province. It was hard work, causing blisters and enlarged knuckles on her hands. But she loved it, as she felt the job was similar to her childhood dream of working as a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Although she received little formal education, she yearned to learn more. She developed the habit of reading at least two pages a day. Liu Li offers free massage service in a local nursing home. (Photo provided by Liu Li) "I always find her reading in her office when I leave after night shifts," said Zhang Ning, a young masseuse. "I have loved reading since I was a child," Liu said. "I remember my mom always scolded me for forgetting to turn off the kerosene lamp at night." This explains why the keen learner wanted to help poor students. In 2000, Liu began to donate a sixth of her 36,000-yuan (about 5,600 U.S. dollars) annual income to some 50 children living in remote villages, giving them a chance to realize the college dream she never achieved. Her goodwill made her a national celebrity. She was called "the most beautiful foot masseuse in China" and eventually earned the public's trust to become a spokesperson for the migrant workers and the rural population in China's top legislature body. In 2012, Liu was elected a deputy to the local legislature in Xiamen and became an NPC deputy in 2013. Her name was once again on the NPC deputy list in February 2018. Unlike legislators in the West who make a career of politics, NPC deputies work part-time and many of them are ordinary citizens from all walks of life, including farmers, factory workers, craftsmen, and even street cleaners. A LAWMAKER Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 10:30:36|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at the invitation of Kim, a visiting South Korean envoy said here on Thursday. Kim has said the DPRK "will refrain from any further nuclear or missile test," Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's top national security adviser, told reporters at the White House. Kim was also committed to the denuclearization of the DPRK, said Chung, who arrived in Washington Thursday to brief Trump on the outcome of a South Korean delegation's meeting with Kim earlier this week. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the United States looks forward to the denuclearization of the DPRK, but will retain all sanctions and maximum pressure against Pyongyang. The place and time of the meeting will be determined, Sanders added. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the United States and the DPRK to hold talks sooner rather than later. He also called for resolving the legitimate security concerns of all sides including the DPRK on an equal footing. Signs of further detente on the Korean Peninsula have been detected as the DPRK made a tension-easing gesture during the two-day visit by the high-level South Korean delegation. Kim, for the first time since he assumed power, personally hosted a dinner for the South Korean delegation. The DPRK showed willingness to talk "candidly" with the United States on issues including denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and normalization of ties with Washington. It also agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit in late April. YANGON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein has called for building good relationship between employers and employees for solving labor dispute rather than resorting to settlement by using force, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Friday. To ensure development of the private sector and foreign investment promotion, employers and employees need to build such good relationship, U Phyo Min Thein made the remarks at a meeting between Vice President U Myint Swe and entrepreneurs in Yangon. "The Yangon region government has solved many problems between employers and employees. Unless the problems and disputes are dealt with immediately, they can create chaos and instability," he said. Reporting on some labor strikes in some industrial zones, representatives of two industry-related associations said the strikes were creating economic and social chaos with laborers even threatening co-workers, who did not join them, with physical violence, adding that it can harm productivity, delay shipments and result in the suspension of purchase orders. The associations called for prompt government action in line with the existing laws, asking the government to issue a directive on the employment contract for it to be made adaptable to the work environment in line with the laws. Labor disputes mostly happen in foreign-owned factories in Myanmar with the absence of labor union organizations there rather than domestic ones. TRIPOLI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Thursday set a March 17 deadline for nationals from neighboring African countries in southern Libya to leave in order to curb the erupting violence there, warning else they would be removed by force. The information office of the army led by General Khalifa Haftar said in a statement that "The General Command of the Armed Forces of Libya calls on African brothers from neighboring countries not to be dragged behind the lawless militias and be exploited to destabilize the south." March 17 is "the deadline for their departure from the Libyan territory. After the date, they will be removed by force," said the statement. The army also called on tribal elders and leaders in southern Libya to "stop social support for all those who help in any way protect or house African nationals, leading to destabilization of southern Libya." It made the appeal after fighting between rival tribes in southern Libya reportedly caused casualties and displaced hundreds of people. Recent tribal clashes in the city of Sabha, located some 800 km southwest of capital Tripoli, have killed 10 civilians and injured 30 others, the Sabha medical center said. Immigrants from such neighboring countries as Chad and Niger have been accused of involvement in the tribal conflicts in Sabha. Hamed Al-Khiali, head of the municipal council of Sabha, said last month that the local airport was occupied by "an armed group that has nothing to do with Libya." The armed group carried the flags of African countries, Al-khiali added. Recently in Tripoli, the UN-backed government announced measures to support its forces in Sabha to fight the so-called "mercenaries." CANBERRA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- An Australian cattle empire has been put up for sale with the final price expected to go close to 1 billion Australian dollars (778 million U.S. dollars). The Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) owns 16 cattle stations in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia (WA) covering 55,000 square kilometers, a land mass bigger than Switzerland (41,300 square kilometers). Terra Firma, an English private equity firm, bought the company's founder, late Australian billionaire Kerry Packer, out of the business in 2009 for an estimated 425 million Australian dollars (331 million U.S. dollars). Despite significant foreign interest in the business, Consolidated Pastoral Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Troy Setter said that Australian buyers would have the opportunity to participate in the bidding process. "We have spent a lot of time and effort planning the process to make sure that Australian buyers are given every opportunity to participate," Setter told Fairfax Media on Friday. Since Terra Firma's takeover, Setter said the firm had invested 50 million Australian dollars (38.9 million U.S. dollars) in the business to increase its carrying capacity by more than 50,000 head of cattle. "We have increased productivity through the development of land including watering holes and fencing as well as the application of technology and genetics," he said. "There is a great opportunity for the next owner to invest and drive more value through the development of CPC's stations. We have an additional 3.1 million hectares of land that could be developed." In 2016, the 101,000-square kilometer S Kidman and Company cattle empire was sold to a consortium made up of Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart and Chinese real estate giant Shanghai CRED for 386.5 million Australian dollars (301 million U.S. dollars). Despite covering more land, Kidman had carrying capacity for only 185,000 cattle compared to CPC's 400,000. In addition to the 16 Australian stations, CPC also owns an 80 percent stake in two Indonesian feedlots. The sale will be overseen by Goldman Sachs with any potential foreign buyers requiring approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) before the sale can be finalized. Shen Jilan poses for a photo during the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2016. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) Donning an ordinary blue suit and newly dyed hair, 89-year-old Shen Jilan is here in Beijing to serve as a deputy to the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. Shen, the longest-serving lawmaker in China, has served for all 13 terms of the NPC, ever since it was established in 1954. During this session, she is among 742 female deputies out of a total of 2,980 lawmakers elected nationwide. "Nowadays, women hold up half the sky. They can do all kinds of jobs like men can," said Shen. Born in Pingshun County in north China's Shanxi Province in 1929, Shen Jilan moved to Xigou Village in the same county after marriage. While in her 20s, she became an icon for leading other women in her village to learn farming techniques. In the 1950s, she won equal pay for equal work for village women who did farm work. Her reputation as a leader in the liberation of women earned her the opportunity to attend the second World Women's Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1953. A year later, Shen, who was 25 at the time, was elected a deputy to the first National People's Congress. "There were about 1,200 deputies to the first NPC session," she recalled. "Women accounted for only 147. I just could not help being excited as the session went on." To get to the capital, she left the village on the back of a donkey, then traveled by truck and finally train. She likes to recount the four-day trek in interviews. But thanks to today's high-speed trains, she can arrive in Beijing in the morning and return home in the afternoon. "It's so fast. This is China speed," she said. In the past half-century, the village of Xigou has also undergone major changes at "China speed." As the deputy party secretary of the village, Shen led villagers in planting nearly 1,333 hectares of forest, 20 hectares of orchards and 30,000 walnut trees. "The environment has improved and rural tourism is heating up," Shen said. She has made several proposals to the NPC to improve environmental protection in rural areas. Shen always reiterates that she is a farmer and she speaks for farmers. Many of the proposals she has made have borne fruit. In 2016, the average annual net income in Xigou reached nearly 8,000 yuan (around 1,265 U.S. dollars). "We have enough food and clothing, and we have moved to new houses and enjoy medical care. I could not imagine all these hard-earned achievements in the past," said Shen. Even now that she's in her 80s, Shen is still energetic. She watches the evening news and pay home visits in the village before attending the annual session of the NPC. She said her motion this year will focus on poverty reduction. "The countryside develops slower than the city, but it never stops making progress," said Shen. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 11:35:47|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday expressed "firm opposition" to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, saying the move will seriously undermine international trade order. The statement came after the U.S. President Donald Trump signed proclamations to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum amid mounting dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world. The tariffs, 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The tarrifs were based on national security grounds, but the majority of steel and aluminum was for civilian use, said Wang Hejun, a senior official at China's Ministry of Commerce. Abuse of the clauses on national security would damage the World Trade Organization and other multilateral trade system, Wang said. China will take measures to defend its legitimate rights and interests, he said China urged the United States to respect the multilateral trade system and revoke the policy as soon as possible, Wang said. A separate statement released Friday morning by the China Iron and Steel Association said the move not only damaged the iron and steel industry across the world, but damaged the interests of consumers, especially American consumers. Iron and steel trade has been the sector worst-hit by China-U.S. trade frictions. Before the Trump administration's Section-232 investigation, dozens of anti-dumping and countervailing measures had been imposed on almost all iron and steel products, with some tariffs already almost prohibitively high. The association called on the government to take firm counter-measures against imports from the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 11:50:51|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Financial risks in China's property market is controllable as the country has taken a string of prudential regulation policies, a central bank official said Friday. Banks' bad loan rate related with the property sector is lower than the overall bad loan rate, Pan Gongsheng, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, told a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. Pan said housing loans have maintained stable growth, outpacing the overall credit growth in 2017 and January, which are enough to meet the housing market's demand. He added that the mortgage rate rose a little bit as a market-oriented move, but is still within a low range seen from the long term. China will urge commercial banks to take a differentiated approach in issuing housing loans to offer more support to home buyers, especially new urban residents, Pan said. The leverage growth in individual loan is a little fast and some radical property developers pose certain financial risks, which are being watched closely, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 12:20:55|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close SYDNEY, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese businesses and residents in Papua New Guinea have donated about 770,000 U.S. dollars in cash and emergency supplies to help victims of a major quake that hit the country's Southern Highlands less than two weeks ago, according to the Chinese embassy in the country. Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill accepted the aid in the capital earlier this week. Chinese embassy charge d'affaires Yao Ming said on the occasion that Chinese aid will continue, reflecting the close business and community links between both sides. O'Neill expressed gratitude for the Chinese contributions that will help the people of Papua New Guinea deal with the recent disaster. The 7.5-magnitude tremor that hit southwest of the Mendi highland area on Feb. 25 has left more than 30 people dead, with aid agencies reporting about 150,000 people in urgent need of relief supplies. Landslides and damaged infrastructure continue to hamper emergency efforts. Meanwhile, a series of aftershocks hit the country, with the latest quake of 6.8-magnitude recorded at 20 km east-northeast of the Taron area at 1739 GMT on Thursday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 13:09:37|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at the invitation of Kim "to achieve permanent denuclearization", a visiting South Korean envoy said here on Thursday. Trump could be the first sitting U.S. president to meet the DPRK's top leader, which observers say would be a big step forward to resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Kim has said the DPRK "will refrain from any further nuclear or missile test," Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's top national security adviser, told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on the outcome of a South Korean delegation's meeting with Kim earlier this week. Kim was also committed to denuclearization of the DPRK, Chung added. "He (Kim) understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue," said Chung, who arrived in Washington Thursday with South Korean National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon. The White House has announced that routine U.S. military exercises with allies in Asia will continue. The next U.S.-South Korean drill is expected in April. Signs of further detente on the Korean Peninsula were detected as Kim made a tension-easing gesture during the the high-level South Korean delegation's two-day visit to Pyongyang. For the first time since he assumed power, Kim personally hosted a dinner for the delegation. "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said in Washington. "Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," the South Korean envoy added. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump "will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined." "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea (DPRK). In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," Sanders added. Washington has been pushing forward its "maximum pressure" campaign against Pyongyang mainly through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Experts say the strategy may not achieve its expected results but could further escalate tensions. During the visit of the South Korean delegation, the DPRK showed willingness to talk "candidly" with the United States on issues including denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and normalization of ties with Washington. It also agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit in late April. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the United States and the DPRK to hold talks sooner rather than later. He also called for resolving the legitimate security concerns of all sides including the DPRK on an equal footing. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 13:09:38|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Liu Chang BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Almost five years ago during his visit to Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered for the first time before an international audience the notion of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Over the years, whether it was during his overseas visits or at key international gatherings in China, Xi has on many occasions shared with the wider world his visionary and detailed elaborations of the proposal, and has won credible recognition both at home and overseas. At the ongoing annual session of China's top legislative body, the notion is expected to be inscribed into the Constitution, showing the country's serious pledge to join every nation in their search for a better world. In February last year, the notion was incorporated in a UN resolution for the first time. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said his organization would join China in realizing the goal of building such a community which, according to Xi's own description, is an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. To convince the world that the proposal is not an empty promise, Beijing has in recent years tried to reach out to countries worldwide, the developing and the underdeveloped ones in particular, where it has helped build highways and railroads, tunnels and bridges, as well as schools and hospitals under the Belt and Road Initiative and other programs that aim to lend wings for local economies to take off. China has also tried to demonstrate its commitment by signing the landmark Paris climate accord in a bid to perform its obligations to help turn around global warming. Also, the very logic for the growing global consensus on China's proposition is that it has been developed based on Xi's penetrating analysis of what's going on around the world. In his speech at the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland, last January, Xi noted that mankind is in a era of "major development as well as profound transformations and change," adding that it is also a time of "numerous challenges and increasing risks." Around the world, globalization, powered by the miraculous power of technological progression and breathtaking industrial capacity, has helped create unprecedented wealth in the world. People have never lived such long, productive and healthy lives and countries all over the globe have never been more connected to each other. Yet globalization is facing serious accusations in the West. Isolationists in some wealthy Western nations blame it for shifting away manufacturing jobs, widening wealth gaps and creating social inequality. In their eyes, backtracking is their new way forward. Washington seems to be tilting increasingly toward unilateralism and protectionism on the world stage. It has grown more accustomed to imposing punitive duties than fulfilling its own duties as a major global power. Across the Atlantic, the future of the European Union (EU) is left further in doubt. Italy's latest election results have suggested the continent still has fertile soil for populism. The country's Eurosceptic surge could throw leaders in Brussels, Berlin, Paris, as well as other pro-EU capitals a harder fight to hold the bloc together as Brexit has already been quite an ordeal for them. While the Western world seems to be turning its back on the wider community of nations, other pressing problems are calling for concerted global efforts, like sustaining a more robust global economic recovery, saving the deteriorating environment, countering the worsening climate situation, and combating raging terrorism. China's idea to bring all countries together is so far the most rational approach to handle these trans-border problems and to ultimately build a better world, for it seeks to put common interests ahead of self-interests. Over the centuries, the world has seen itself bend toward a community of nations, where the weal and woe of one country impacts several others. It means that here on Earth, the only possible way to build a better home is to share both benefits and burdens together. In that case, China's proposal is indeed worth trying. BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum amid mounting dissent from business groups and trading partners around the world. The United States will impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum, Trump said at an event at the White House, adding that a strong steel and aluminum industry was "vital to our national security." The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "We're going to hold off the tariff on those two countries, to see whether or not we're able to make the deal on NAFTA," Trump said. Trump signaled that all other countries also have opportunities to be exempt from the tariffs by negotiations with the United States. "If the same goals can be accomplished by other means, America will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations, as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security," he said. While Trump said that new tariffs would boost American steel and aluminum production, economists and business groups warned that they could backfire and ultimately hurt the overall U.S. economy. China on Friday expressed "firm opposition" to the move, with a Ministry of Commerce (MOC) official saying the decision would "have a huge impact on normal international trade order." "The steel and aluminum products imported by the United States are middle- and low-end products for civil use, which by no means hurt U.S. national security," Wang Hejun, head of the MOC trade remedy and investigation bureau, said in a statement. "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," Wang added. In Germany, the economic engine of the European Union -- the United States' biggest trade partner by volume -- the German Steel Federation warned of "drastic consequences" to the German and European steel industry. Hans Juergen Kerkhoff, president of the federation, was quoted by German news agency DPA as saying that Trump's decision threatens to divert a large amount of steel and cause a spiral of protectionism. He urged quick decisions to cope with the situation. Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, reacted to the U.S. decision "with great concern" on Thursday, warning the measures will severely damage Brazilian exports and hurt business flows with the United States. "These measures will cause severe damage to Brazilian exports and will have a significantly negative impact on bilateral flows, which have been broadly favorable to the United States for the last 10 years," said a joint statement from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services. Brazil would take "all necessary actions, in the bilateral and multilateral spheres, to preserve its rights and interests," the statement said. It added that these tariffs were incompatible with U.S. obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Brazil's National Confederation of Industry estimates these tariffs will cause the Brazilian industry an annual loss of 3.15 billion U.S. dollars. Trump imposed the tariffs by invoking the little-known Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act from 1962, saying steel imports are hurting U.S. national security. Critics, however, questioned the threat and said the measures contradict WTO rules. Elaborating on a new trade approach, the White House suggested in a document sent to the U.S. Congress on Feb. 28 that it could ignore certain rulings by the WTO and unilaterally impose tariffs on countries it sees as conducting unfair trade practices. In February when Trump made his intentions public, Matt Gold, an international trade law expert at Fordham University in New York City, told CNN that "such a flagrant violation of the (WTO) rules" will not only "open the door for tit-for-tat responses from other countries" but also "shake the foundation of the whole global trading system." A recent study by Trade Partnership, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, also estimated that Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum would result in a net loss of 146,000 U.S. jobs after accounting for positive impacts on U.S. steel and aluminum producers. "I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences," House Speaker Paul Ryan said shortly after Trump's announcement of the tariffs. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch expressed similar concerns about the proposed tariffs, saying, "This is a tax hike on American manufacturers, workers and consumers." "Slapping aluminum and steel imports with tariffs of this magnitude is misguided. It undermines the benefits that the new tax law provides and runs counter to our goal of advancing pro-growth trade policies that will keep America competitive in the 21st century global economy," Hatch said in a statement. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 13:54:45|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close TOKYO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Friday that the United States' decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports could affect Japan-U.S. economic relations. In a statement, Kono said the decision by the United States was "regrettable" and that the measure "will have a major influence on the economic and cooperative relations between the U.S. and Japan both in alliance and even the world economy." Kono said Japan will thoroughly investigate the possible impact the new tariffs will have on Japanese companies and how the tariffs will stand up to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Following this, Kono said Japan will consider how it will respond to the levies henceforth. Japan's top government spokesman, meanwhile, said on Friday that Tokyo would continue to ask Washington to exempt it from the newly-unveiled plan to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminum. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press briefing on Friday that Japan's steel and aluminum exports posed no risk to U.S. national security and had helped boost industry and employment in the United States. Trump said that Mexico and Canada would be exempted from the tariffs and intimated that some of the United States' key allies may also be exempted. But concerns are rife among economists that Trump's move could trigger a global trade war, with the European Union, for example, saying the single bloc will hike levies on U.S. imports by way of retaliation if Trump pressed ahead with his tariff policy. Other countries have voiced similar retaliatory measures. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 13:59:50|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at Kim's invitation, "to achieve permanent denuclearization", a visiting South Korean envoy said here on Thursday. Trump could be the first sitting U.S. president to meet the DPRK's top leader, which observers say would be a big step toward resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Kim has said the DPRK "will refrain from any further nuclear or missile test," Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's top national security adviser, told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on the outcome of a South Korean delegation's meeting with Kim earlier this week. Kim was also committed to denuclearization of the DPRK, Chung added. "He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue," said Chung, who arrived in Washington Thursday with South Korean National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon. The White House has announced that routine U.S. military exercises with allies in Asia will continue. The next U.S.-South Korean drill is expected in April. Signs of further detente on the Korean Peninsula were detected as Kim made a tension-easing gesture during the high-level South Korean delegation's two-day visit to Pyongyang. For the first time since he assumed power, Kim personally hosted a dinner for the delegation. "He expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible," Chung said. "Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," the envoy added. He said Seoul and Washington are optimistic about continuing a diplomatic process to test the possibility of a peaceful resolution. Trump posted a tweet soon. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea (DPRK) during this period of time," the tweet said. He added: "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump "will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined." "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea (DPRK). In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain," Sanders added. Washington has been pushing forward its "maximum pressure" campaign against Pyongyang mainly through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Experts say the strategy may not achieve its expected results but could further escalate tensions. U.S. lawmakers appeared to be cautiously optimistic about the dramatic easing of tension between Washington and Pyongyang. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement that the United States now has "the best hope in decades to resolve this threat peacefully." Edward Royce, a Republican Congressman and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: "We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce." On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the United States and the DPRK to hold talks sooner rather than later. He also called for resolving the legitimate security concerns of all sides including the DPRK on an equal footing. TOKYO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday praised the shift in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s position after U.S. President Donald Trump was invited by Pyongyang to meet top leader Kim Jong Un. Abe said following a phone call with Trump on Friday that he was now planning to meet Trump in April ahead of the U.S. president's potential meeting with the DPRK top leader. In a press briefing after his conversation with Trump, Abe also hailed the "change" in the DPRK's stance, saying that the shift was evident in its decision to "begin dialogue on the basis that it will denuclearize." The Japanese leader said the result was due to the continued efforts of regional stakeholders and the international community. Abe said he will continue to work closely with Trump towards resolving a number of issues pertaining to the DPRK. Japan's top government spokesperson, meanwhile, said that the DPRK is moving in a positive direction. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the DPRK proposing talks with Trump showed that moves towards denuclearization could be happening. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the United States and the DPRK to hold talks sooner rather than later. He also called for resolving the legitimate security concerns of all sides including the DPRK on an equal footing. TALUQAN, Afghanistan, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Ten personnel of local police were killed and nine others injured in an ambush by Taliban militants in Khawja Ghar district of Afghanistan's northern Takhar province on Friday, provincial police spokesman Abdul Khalil Asir said. "Taliban militants ambushed a patrol team of local police in Pul-e-Momin area of Khawja Ghar district in the wee hours of Friday killing 10 personnel and injuring nine others," Asir told Xinhua. The militants have also received casualties, the official said without providing more details. Taliban militants have intensified activities in the northern Takhar and neighboring Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces as government forces mounted pressure in winter to shrink militants' operational abilities ahead of spring. SEOUL, March 9 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday that the agreed summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States will become a "historic milestone" for peace on the Korean Peninsula. U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un by May at the invitation of Kim "to achieve permanent denuclearization." Moon said through his spokesman that the summit will be recorded as a historic milestone in the future, which created peace on the peninsula, according to the Blue House. "If U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean (DPRK) leader Kim Jong Un meet after the South-North summit, the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will go into a full orbit," said Moon. Chung Eui-yong, top security adviser for Moon, met Trump in Washington to brief the U.S. president on his visit to Pyongyang earlier this week. Chung said in a statement that he told Trump about Kim's eagerness to meet the U.S. president as soon as possible, and Trump told Chung that he would meet the DPRK leader by May to achieve permanent denuclearization. The two Koreas already agreed to hold a summit in late April at Peace House, a South Korean building in the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles the two Koreas. If held as agreed upon, Kim will become the first DPRK leader who sets foot on the South Korean territory. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 14:30:01|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Letting the public feel fairness and justice in every judicial case is the goal of courts across China, a work report of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Friday. From 2013 to 2017, the SPC handled 82,383 cases and concluded 79,692 cases, 60.6 percent and 58.8 percent, respectively, higher than those in the previous five years, according to the report available to the media. The report will be delivered by Chief Justice Zhou Qiang at a plenary meeting of the on-going first session of the 13th National People's Congress Friday afternoon. During the 2013-2017 period, courts at local levels handled nearly 89 million cases and concluded nearly 86 million cases, involving over 20 trillion yuan (3.15 trillion U.S. dollars), the report said. People's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security have been improved through judicial services, it said. HAVANA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Cuba Thursday condemned a program by a local dissident group as a "destabilizing maneuver" backed by Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), to affect the parliamentary elections on March 11. "This time these organizations pretended to stage a show that would affect the normal process of Cuba's general elections next weekend with the pretext of handing out an alleged award," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The dissident group, the Latin American Youth Network for Democracy, is led by Rosa Maria Paya, daughter of Oswaldo Paya, a staunch critic of the Cuban Revolution who died in 2012. On Thursday it presented the annual human rights award this year to the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA). IDEA includes 37 former presidents from Latin America and Europe, all of whom oppose the Cuban Government and other left-oriented countries in the region. Former Colombian President Andres Pastrana and former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga went to Cuba Wednesday to receive the award but were denied entry and deported. "This act is part of the imperialist offensive against the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, in which the U.S. Government has brought back the 'Monroe Doctrine', and has provoked a setback in bilateral relations with Cuba," the Cuban Foreign Ministry said. Neither Almagro, nor the former Latin Aerican leaders or the dissident organization is interested in the well-being of Cubans. They only aim to disrupt Cuba's constitutional order, the statement said. Almagro was the recipient of the award last year but was refused a visa to Havana. He tried to accompany Pastrana and Quiroga this time, but was denied entry again. Cuba accuses Rosa Maria Paya and her organization, which it calls illegal, of sponsoring the annual event with other foreign institutions financed by the Washington-promoted National Endowment for Democracy. Cuba was suspended from the OAS in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, and has declined to return despite being readmitted in 2009. Since Cuba's suspension, the only OAS secretary general to visit the island was Jose Miguel Insulza, who attended a Latin American summit in Havana in 2014. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 15:05:06|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Chief Justice Zhou Qiang delivers a work report of the Supreme People's Court at the second plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's court system has concluded graft cases involving 101 former officials at the provincial and ministerial level or above over the past five years, a work report of the Supreme People's Court said Friday. Courts at various levels concluded 195,000 graft cases from 2013 to 2017, implicating 263,000 people, said the report to be delivered by Chief Justice Zhou Qiang at a plenary meeting of the annual session of the National People's Congress. A total of 13,000 people were convicted of offering bribes, the report said. The case of Yang Xiuzhu, who was number one on the list of China's top 100 fugitives in an Interpol Red Notice, was heard during the period, it said. Yang, former vice mayor of Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, fled China in 2003 and returned and surrendered herself in November 2016. She was sentenced to eight years in jail for embezzlement and taking bribes in October 2017. PHNOM PENH, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request for the release on bail of former opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was arrested in September last year over treason charges, according to a court's verdict. "The Supreme Court denies bail for Kem Sokha, and upholds the decision of the Appeal Court to continue detaining him," Supreme Court Judge Khim Pon pronounced the verdict after a three-hour bail hearing. A lawyer team for Sokha was present at the hearing, as Sokha, being detained at the Trapaing Thlong Prison in eastern Tboung Khmum province, was not taken to the court for the hearing. The bail denial came four days after the Phnom Penh Municipal Court extended a further six-month detention of Sokha after having placed him in a pre-trial detention for six months. Sokha, 64, former president of the now-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was arrested on Sept. 3 last year and charged with treason for conspiring with a foreign power in an attempt to overthrow the government. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. On Nov. 16 last year, his CNRP was dissolved by the Supreme Court and 118 senior party members were banned from joining politics for five years. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 15:15:07|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Chief Justice Zhou Qiang delivers a work report of the Supreme People's Court at the second plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 31,527 prisoners were granted amnesty across China in the past five years, a work report of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Friday. Chinese courts have strengthened efforts to protect human rights in judicial practices, according to the report delivered by Chief Justice Zhou Qiang at a plenary meeting of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress. Death penalty decisions were strictly reviewed to make sure that death sentences only apply to an extremely small number of criminals for extremely severe offenses, it said. The report noted that the SPC has worked with the Ministry of Justice to enhance the legal aid system. Cases involving minors have seen declines for five consecutive years, according to the report. A total of 2.67 billion yuan (420 million U.S. dollars) of judicial subsidies have been granted to victims who failed to get compensations to help them continue their life, it said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 16:11:24|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Qiaojin Shuangmei (1st L, front) attends the opening meeting of the first session of the 13th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2018. Qiaojin Shuangmei, a deputy to China's 13th National People's Congress (NPC), comes from Yi Autonomous County of Mabian in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Famed for her outstanding needlework at the age of 18, Qiaojin Shuangmei has devoted most of her time to protect and pass on the embroidery of ethnic minority group Yi, which is a national intangible cultural heritage. Her biggest dream is to help Yi women get rid of poverty with exquisite traditional embroidery. In 2015, she created the first embroidery cooperative in Mabian with other four women who together led local women to make hand-embroidered craftworks and clothes. So far, the cooperative has succeeded in recruiting 168 embroiderers, each of whom can annually earn more than 8,000 yuan (about 1,261 US dollars) with their craftswomanship. While running the cooperative, Qiaojin is also engaging in Yi embroidery lessons at local elementary schools. As a newly-elected deputy to China's top legislature National People's Congress, Qiaojin came to this year's NPC with a proposal to promote Yi embroidery and focus on the training of excellent embroiderers in the hope of better preservation and development of the inheritance. (Xinhua/Wang Jianhua) Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 15:40:12|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close by Victoria Arguello BUENOS AIRES, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Member countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) negotiating a trade pact with the European Union (EU) should seek a "complementary" agreement marked by "balanced ties," Argentine economist Jorge Marchini said Thursday. The development gap between the South American countries and the EU member states could otherwise prove to be a great disadvantage to the Mercosur bloc, warned the vice president of the Foundation for Latin American Integration (FILA). "Both are important blocs, but with very different levels of development. The asymmetries could deepen with this accord," Marchini said. "There are already examples of this type of accord between central and peripheral economies that have deepened imbalances," said Marchini, who also teaches at the University of Buenos Aires. "In Latin American countries, our productive matrix is very limited, tending to concentrate on primary products with low added value," said Marchini. With the accord promising a greater market access for each other, Mercosur-EU trade would likely see Mercosur members export agricultural goods or raw materials while importing manufactured products, unless specific policies were put in place, he said. Bilateral negotiations have been going on for nearly 20 years due in large part to obstacles in the automobile sector. The EU has asked for a rapid reduction in import tariffs, sparking protests from auto parts makers, especially in Brazil and Argentina, said the Argentine economist. A final accord would result in other sectors having an even more significant impact, such as services, intellectual property rights and public-sector purchases, said Marchini. For example, a stricter protection of intellectual property rights might generate monopolies and in the case of pharmaceutical industry, lead to substantial price increases for medications and limit the growth of the local generic drug industry. The bilateral trade deal would carry numerous risks, said Marchini, including possible bankruptcy of Mercosur companies and marginalization of South America's small farmers. Marchini complained that the secret way by which the negotiations were conducted has made many risks unclear. "It's inconceivable that while it has been under negotiations for 19 years, the talks are not only secret, but also marked by a lack of transparency," said Marchini. "There are no impact studies that we know of. We don't know how it is going to impact each sector. What will happen in the wine, textile or automobile markets? It seems they are working on intuition or under pressure or want to wrap up an agreement quickly," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 15:55:17|Editor: pengying Video Player Close HOUSTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A senior leader of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) on Thursday called for international cooperation to improve the reliability and efficiency of the power grid. At the annual energy conference CERAWeek organized by business company IHS Markit in Houston, Texas, SGCC's Executive Vice President Wang Min said that one way of making a breakthrough is to "encourage international cooperation or creative teamwork," so that researchers can share ideas and exchange information. As a super-large state-owned enterprise, the SGCC is responsible for constructing and operating power grids with a mission to provide a safer, cleaner, and more economical and sustainable power supply, which is crucial to China's energy security and economic lifeline. Wang added that ABB, a multinational corporation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, and a pioneering technology leader in electrification products and power grids, is a long-term partner of the Chinese company. Both of them have made a lot of efforts in technical cooperation. Claudio Facchin, head of the Power Grids division at ABB, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the CERAWeek that the market is big in China and it demands innovation. "The technology that we have been developing in China, together with State Grid (Corporation of China), is now being deployed in other countries," Facchin said. ABB has been involved in the development of China's power grid for many years. "Every three years or so, the power grid advances to a new level in China," he said, adding that the development of China's power grid is being used as a launching point for other nations. CERAWeek, which kicked off Monday in Houston, is an energy meeting featuring prominent speakers from the energy, technology and financial sectors. This year's meeting has attracted over 3,000 guests from over 50 countries and regions. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 16:03:30|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close The second plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) MANILA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Friday it has secured 190 million U.S. dollars in total funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for its climate change projects in Cambodia, Mongolia, and Tajikistan, shoring up the bank's efforts to increase its climate financing for the Asia and Pacific region. "ADB has an ambitious plan to provide annual climate financing of 6 billion U.S. dollars by 2020 from its own resources," said Bambang Susantono, ADB vice-president for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development. "The funding from GCF will complement this effort and help our developing member countries address the effects of climate change and meet their commitments under the Paris climate agreement," Susantono added. In 2017, the Manila-based ADB delivered over 4.5 billion U.S. dollars in climate finance from its own resources, of which 3.6 billion U.S. dollars was for mitigation and 930 million U.S. dollars for adaptation, and mobilized an additional 696 million U.S. dollars from external sources. The ADB said the new funding, comprised of 85 million U.S. dollars in grants and 105 million U.S. dollars in concessional loans, was approved during the 19th meeting of the GCF board on February 27 to March 1 in Songdo, South Korea. In Cambodia,the GCF will provide 30 million U.S. dollars in grant and 10 million U.S. dollars in loan to complement ADB's loan of 90 million U.S. dollars to help develop climate-friendly agribusiness value chains. "GCF funds will be used for enhancing the resilience and productivity of target crops, rehabilitating production and post-harvest infrastructure to climate resilient condition, and for reducing the carbon footprint along the value chains by promoting solar and bioenergy," the ADB said. In Mongolia, the GCF funding of 50 million U.S. dollars in grant and 95 million U.S. dollars in loan will supplement the 399 million U.S. dollars from ADB and other partners to provide Ulaanbaatar's peri-urban areas (ger areas) with 100 hectares of eco-districts that are low carbon, climate resilient, and livable and 10,000 green housing units that are energy efficient, affordable, and utilize renewable energy. In Tajikistan, a GCF grant of 5 million U.S. dollars, combined with an equivalent grant from ADB, will support capacity building of the national weather forecasting entity, the State Agency for Hydrometeorology, to produce timely and accurate forecasting of climate-related extreme weather events. The first GCF board meeting of 2018 approved 23 projects, valued together at 1 billion U.S. dollars of GCF funding. ADB is one of 59 entities accredited to the GCF that can channel GCF resources to projects and programmes in developing countries. GCF, based in Songdo, South Korea, is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. It was established in 2010 by 194 governments. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 16:15:26|Editor: Liangyu Video Player Close Chief Justice Zhou Qiang delivers a work report of the Supreme People's Court at the second plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Qiang, China's chief justice, delivered a work report of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Friday at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress. Following are highlights of his report: WORK FOR 2013-2017 -- The SPC heard about 82,383 cases and closed about 79,692 ones, up 60.6 percent and 58.8 percent over the previous five-year period respectively. -- Local courts nationwide heard about 88.97 million cases and closed 85.98 million ones, up 58.6 percent and 55.6 percent over the previous five years respectively. -- A total of 6.07 million suspects were convicted in the first trials of 5.49 million criminal cases. -- A total of 195,000 graft cases including bribery and embezzlement were concluded, involing 101 officials at and above ministerial level. -- A total of 42,000 criminal cases including offenses related to food and drug safety were concluded. -- Chinese courts reopened trials of 6,747 criminal cases and rectified the sentences. -- A total of 2,943 suspects prosecuted by the state were acquited. -- A total of 31,527 convicts were granted amnesty. -- Chinese courts tried 683,000 cases of intellectual property rights. -- Chinese courts heard 1,383 public interest litigation cases for environmental damage lodged by prosecutors, and another 252 such cases filed by non-governmental organizations. -- A total of 85 judges died of fatigue or assaults on duty. -- The SPC punished its 53 staff members for violating Party disciplinary rules and law. -- A total of 3,338 staff members at local courts nationwide were caught misusing their power, 531 of whom were prosecuted. -- A total of 1,762 leading officials of courts were held accountable for poor leadership. PLAN FOR 2018 -- The SPC will launch a large-scale education campaign of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the spirit of the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress. -- The SPC will step up crackdown upon infiltrative, subversive and separatist activities, terrorism, organized crimes, porns, gambling, drugs, human trafficking, pyramid schemes, illegal fundraising, and graft. -- The SPC will create a better legal environment for economic development and enhance protection of property rights. -- The SPC will provide better judicial service for ordinary people, respect lawyers' right to exercise their duties, and make sure the execution of court orders. -- The SPC will continue pushing forward judicial reforms. -- The SPC will further enhance transparency of court proceedings and legal documents. -- The SPC will discipline judges and court staff more strictly and uphold a zero tolerance policy on corruption. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 16:15:26|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Shi Xiaomeng BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A 3,000-km corridor, which starts from China's Kashgar in the west and ends at Pakistan's Gwadar, is transforming Pakistan's energy sector. A power project planned under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has cut 13-14 hours of daily power outages in 2013 to zero in 70 percent areas in Pakistan. It has also helped the South Asian country achieve 5.3-percent economic growth in 2017, the highest in last 10 years. CONTRIBUTING TO GLOBAL PUBLIC GOODS The CPEC, a flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, aims to promote economic cooperation between Pakistan and China. Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the initiative aims to create greater trade, infrastructure and people-to-people links between Asia, Europe, Africa and beyond by reviving and expanding the ancient Silk Road routes. The modern version comprises an overland Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It is a global public good that follows international rules, an international cooperation platform that follows market principles, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's national legislature. Wang also said China will work on both hardware connectivity of infrastructure and software connectivity of policy, regulation and standards. It would be high-standard and economically viable, beneficial to the world as well as to China, Wang added. So far, the initiative has gained support from more than 100 countries and international organizations, and more than 80 of them have signed cooperation agreements with China. According to China's Ministry of Commerce, Chinese companies have built 75 zones for economic and trade cooperation in 24 countries along the Belt and Road routes, contributing more than 2.21 billion U.S. dollars in tax revenue and creating almost 209,000 local jobs. Chinese enterprises made a non-financial direct investment of 14.36 billion dollars in 59 countries along the Belt and Road in 2017. Moreover, 7,217 overseas projects were signed by Chinese enterprises with 61 countries along the Belt and Road, the value of the newly-signed contracts amounting to 144.32 billion dollars. CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES British International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the Belt and Road Initiative holds significant commercial potential for his country, particularly in sustainable infrastructure, financial and legal services, innovation, technology and public health. "More broadly, if well implemented, the Belt and Road Initiative could help support development and global economic growth across Asia and beyond," he added. With the initiative gaining more recognition globally, Western banks are rushing in for a piece of the pie. British and U.S. banks, including Citigroup, HSBC and Standard Chartered, have been trying to seize the opportunities created by the initiative. According to Financial Times, the big banks have held conferences on the initiative, appointed senior bankers to champion their role in it, and set up committees to coordinate their approaches across different business activities. Standard Chartered has made the initiative a key part of its strategy to achieve its target of an above 10 percent return on equity. The bank has won 20 financing deals linked to the initiative over the past four years. These include a 515-million-dollar project financing for a power plant in Zambia, a 200-million-dollar loan for a Bangladesh electricity plant, and a 42-million-dollar export credit facility for a gas terminal in Sri Lanka. SEEKING SHARED BENEFITS "The Belt and Road Initiative seeks mutual benefits and sustainable cooperation, rather than predatory exploration," Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said. This is being recognized by other countries. Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela said his country seeks to be part of the initiative. Panama is proposing the construction of a railroad between it and other Central American countries, with a 450-km track to its northern neighbor Costa Rica as the first step. "We hope to get Chinese companies and Chinese technology to complete the entire project between 2022 and 2026. A railway connecting Central America could help to increase the flow of goods arriving from East Asia in Panama City," Varela said. Wee Ka Siong, a minister in Malaysia's Prime Minister's Department, said China's growing influence could become a positive energy to bring greater prosperity to other countries and build a community with a shared future for humanity. (Xinhua reporters Lin Hao in Kuala Lumpur, Deng Qian, Gu Zhenqiu, Jin Jing, and Zhang Jiawei in London also contributed to the report) KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium will not affect Malaysian industry players and economy significantly due to their minimal exposure, analysts here said Friday. In a report released on Friday, UOB Kayhian analyst Abdul Hadi Manaf said the total U.S. steel imports, which is about 8 percent of the total steel imported globally in 2016, should be easily absorbed by firm steel demand and also supported by massive capacity cut undertaken by China. "We are of the view that excess steel supply from U.S. import may not be fully diverted into Asia after taking into consideration the logistics cost for the U.S.' top steel suppliers such as Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Russia," he said. Besides, China is also committed to cutting steel capacity by 30 million tonnes in 2018, which should help to cushion the impact of excess steel supply. From January to September last year, the U.S. imported 26.9 million tonnes of steel. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed the order to impose duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium. Affin Hwang Investment Bank chief economist Alan Tan also agreed the tariffs are not expected to affect Malaysian trades due to the limited exposure. According to Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia's steel and aluminium exports to the U.S. last year only accounted for 0.2 percent of the total trades. Tan also believed Malaysia's diversified export structure is able to support the country's economy amid the U.S. protectionism threat. Malaysia's total exports in 2017 stood at 935.4 billion ringgit (239 billion U.S. dollars). Singapore was the country's largest importer, accounting for 14.5 percent shares, followed by China (13.5 percent) and the U.S. (9.48 percent). Tan, however, opined that the biggest risk is the retaliation from other major economies against the U.S. tariffs. "If this happens, it may lead to a full-blown trade war between major economies. This will have a more significant impact on Malaysian economy," he told Xinhua. At the moment, Tan believed the trade duties are still limited to selective products. "I don't expect it (trade war) to happen soon, although the U.S. may target on other imported products going forward," he added. Earlier in January, Trump announced it would impose as much as 50 percent tariffs on imported washing machines and up to 30 percent tariffs on imported solar panels. While a complete halt in Malaysia's photovoltaic exports to the U.S. is unlikely, the tariffs may erode Malaysia's market share or margins and discourage relocation of foreign photovoltaic firms to Malaysia, CIMB Research's economist Michelle Chia said in her earlier report, Malaysia is the world's largest photovoltaic exporter to the U.S., with a market share of 30 percent of U.S. photovoltaic imports. Its photovoltaic exports to the U.S. accounted for 1.1 percent of Malaysia's total exports in 2016, according to the report. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 16:55:40|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a press conference with visiting Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven (not in the photo) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, March 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen) WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's newly enacted tariffs on steel and aluminum will likely prompt retaliation by trade partners and legal challenges at the World Trade Organization (WTO), putting the rule-based global trade system at risk, trade experts have said. POTENTIAL BACKLASH Despite mounting dissensions amid trading partners around the world, Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum, vowing to protect the U.S. steel and aluminum industry in the name of national security. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico, pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "We're going to hold off the tariff on those two countries, to see whether or not we're able to make the deal on NAFTA," Trump said. While Trump argued that new tariffs would boost American steel and aluminum production, a centerpiece of Trump's 2016 campaign promise, trade experts and economists warned that such tariffs could backfire and ultimately hurt the U.S. economy. Past experience has shown that such tariffs will likely raise costs for American consumers, hurt American downstream industries that use metals, and cost thousands of jobs in other manufacturing and services sectors. "I hope that someone in the White House has read the history book," European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom said on Wednesday, referring to the negative consequences from a 2002 decision by the U.S. administration to impose safeguard tariffs on steel imports. That decision caused about 200,000 American job losses and was successfully challenged by a number of countries at the WTO, according to Clark Packard, trade policy counsel at the Washington-based think tank R Street Institute. A recent study by the Trade Partnership, a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm, estimated that Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum would result in a net loss of 146,000 U.S. jobs after accounting for positive impacts on U.S. steel and aluminum producers. "I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement shortly after Trump's announcement of the tariffs, urging the administration to narrow its policy. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch expressed similar concerns about the proposed tariffs, saying "this is a tax hike on American manufacturers, workers and consumers." "Slapping aluminum and steel imports with tariffs of this magnitude is misguided. It undermines the benefits that the new tax law provides and runs counter to our goal of advancing pro-growth trade policies that will keep America competitive in the 21st century global economy," Hatch said in a statement. RISE OF TRADE TENSIONS Major Asian countries on Friday reacted sharply to the U.S. decision on steel and aluminum tariffs, raising the prospect of escalating trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners. China said it firmly opposed such tariffs and the U.S. move would seriously undermine the international trade order. South Korea said it may file a complaint with the WTO, while Japan said the U.S. measures could "make a significant impact" on the economic and cooperative relationship between the two countries. Malmstrom said Thursday night that the EU should be excluded from these tariffs and she would seek clarification from the United States on the issue "in the days to come." The EU has prepared a list of U.S. products, including agricultural products and consumer goods, to "rebalance" any economic damages the bloc suffers if the United States does not exclude it from the proposed tariffs, said Malmstrom. "I think it's important to wait and see how this develops. If the tariffs are instituted, then countries are likely to retaliate and appeal to the WTO," Howard Shatz, a senior economist at the RAND Corporation, told Xinhua. U.S. officials and farmers have expressed concerns about potential retaliation against American agricultural exports. In an open letter to Trump on Wednesday, all six congressional lawmakers from the U.S. agricultural state of Iowa warned that the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum "could set into motion a chain of retaliatory measures, hurting Iowans from the family farm to the family-owned manufacturing plant." "As farmers have already faced several years of low commodity prices, any hit to demand would be devastating to their financial situations," the letter said. UNDERMINING GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM While U.S. trade partners can challenge the U.S. action at the WTO, the settlement, whether it favors America's trade partners or not, could push the WTO into a lose-lose situation, undermining the global trade system, said Chad Bown, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. If the United States loses the case, it might react by ignoring the legal ruling, undermining the WTO, or withdrawing from the WTO, he said. If the country wins the case, it will open the door for all countries to invoke the national security exception to justify broad-based import restrictions, Bown added. "When we lose that moral high ground, we started opening up that Pandora's box, or when we provide the WTO as the adjudicator of what's in our national security, it's a very dangerous situation," said Michael Froman, former U.S. trade representative in the (Barack) Obama administration, warning that's a way of "bringing the WTO to a moment of crisis." Wang Hejun, a senior official at China's Ministry of Commerce, also said abuse of the clauses on the national security exception by the United States would damage the WTO, urging Washington to respect the multilateral trade system and revoke the policy as soon as possible. "The root cause of the problem in the steel and aluminum sector is global overcapacity ... this can only be addressed by cooperation, getting to the source of the problem and working together," said Malmstrom. "What is clear is that turning inward is not the answer. Protectionism cannot be the answer, it never is," she added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 16:55:41|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers, political advisors and the general public have voiced firm support for the draft revision to the country's Constitution, which is under deliberation and discussion at the ongoing national legislative and political advisory sessions. They agreed that the anticipated revision accords with the times, the demands of the country's development and the aspirations of both the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people. "The revision is right on time," said Zheng Changzhong, a political science professor at Fudan University, noting that he agreed with the draft. "It is a historic move and is inevitable." Adding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Constitution as a guiding theory of the country is in line with the underlying logic of the development of the political system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said. Zhang Si'en, a farmer from central China's Henan Province, has been paying close attention to media coverage on the draft revision since it was submitted to the first session of 13th National People's Congress (NPC) for deliberation on Monday. "As a farmer who has started my own business, I'm quite impressed by the improving legal and business environment in past years," Zhang said. "Revising the Constitution to make it align with our country's development is in the fundamental interest of us commoners." The draft amendment is scheduled to be put to vote on March 11. If adopted, it will be the Constitution's first amendment in 14 years. NPC deputy Wang Hongxiang hailed the revision as "a milestone for advancing law-based governance in the new era." "Improving the Chinese socialist system of laws, at the heart of which is the Constitution, is a prerequisite for law-based governance in every dimension," said Wang. Gao Jie, a political advisor at the ongoing session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was impressed by the planned revisions concerning the Party's leadership, the Chinese President's term of office, granting more cities legislative power, and the patriotic united front. "These anticipated revisions are a top-down plan that will ensure the Party and the country's sound governance and lasting security," Gao said. For Hu Hong, an undergraduate in law at Huazhong Agricultural University, the constitutional revision gave him a weighty sense of mission. "Advancing law-based governance is a long and arduous historic task. The amendment makes young people like me keenly aware of our glorious mission and heavy responsibility," Hu said. Zhao Yanquan, another NPC deputy and a navy officer, said, "All military officers and soldiers should take the lead in observing and safeguarding the Constitution and make efforts to strengthen the role of rule of law in enhancing national defense and military capabilities." The People's Republic of China enacted its first Constitution in 1954. The current Constitution was adopted in 1982 and amended in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 17:05:44|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz (6th L) and delegates from other countries attend a signing ceremony in Santiago, Chile, on March 8, 2018. Ministers from 11 countries gathered in Chile's capital on Thursday to sign the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). (Xinhua/Jorge Villegas) SANTIAGO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Ministers from 11 countries gathered in Chile's capital on Thursday to sign the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The pact is also known as the TPP 11, since it evolved from the initial 12-member Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that fell apart after the United States withdrew from it in January 2017. At the signing ceremony, Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz praised the agreement as a tool for promoting free trade and economic integration. "We are going to send a clear message to ... the rest of the world, with clear signs of commitment to the liberalization of trade, regional integration, and the creation of jobs and development ... " said Munoz. Ministers from the other 10 signatory states were also present, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The CPTPP reaffirms these countries' opposition to protectionism and support for the free flow of goods, services and investment toward global growth, Munoz said. The United States was one of the proponents of the TPP under former President Barack Obama, but his successor Donald Trump pulled the country out of the treaty when he took office as part of a push to put in place more protectionist measures to bolster domestic manufacturing and production. The CPTPP preserves the core of the TPP, but suspends some 20 provisions, many having to do with controversial intellectual property rights. MANILA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Heavy fighting between government troops and some 50 militants in the southern Philippines has resulted in the deaths of 12 militants, a military spokesman said on Friday. Army Capt. Arvin Encinas said the clash broke out around 6 a.m. on Thursday in Lower Salbu, a village in Date Saudi Ampatuan town in Magunindanao province. He said 23 other rebels belonging to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and a soldier have also been wounded in the clash. "Available fire support were launched to support the engaged troops against an estimated 50 BIFF bandits under Commander Peni of Karialan faction," Encinas said in a statement. "Our soldiers have been vigilantly guarding the entire Central Mindanao in order to constrict the firefight in specific engagement areas and continue to pursue the remnants of the terror group," Encinas said. The military said the BIFF has about 200 to 300 members, mostly disgruntled former members of the larger insurgent group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, who signed a peace agreement with the government in 2014. The BIFF is among the several groups in Mindanao that pledged allegiance with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria a few years ago. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 17:25:52|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close DAMASCUS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 13 truckloads of aid started entering the rebel-held Douma district in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside Friday, Red Cross spokesperson told Xinhua. The 13 truckloads are part of the 46 trucks that entered Douma a few days before but couldn't be unloaded at the time due to the situation on ground, Inji Sedky, the spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. Activists said the 13 truckloads had to leave Douma due to government shelling, while the government says the rebels shelling hindered the full offload of the remaining trucks before they prepared again to enter Douma on Friday. Meanwhile, Sedky said the 13 trucks included 2,400 food parcels and 3,240 wheat flour bags. The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation in that region, where activists said over 800 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta. The Syrian army has captured 52 percent of Eastern Ghouta in recent days, as part of an ongoing wide-scale offensive to dislodge the rebels from that key area on the eastern rim of Damascus. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 17:30:53|Editor: pengying Video Player Close COLOMBO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka exceeded 200,000 in February, a 19.3 percent growth compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a strong rise from China, statistics from the Sri Lanka Tourism Ministry showed here Friday. China emerged as the leading market followed by India and the United Kingdom. A total of 35,929 tourists arrived from China in February, a 42.3 percent increase from the same period of last year. India recorded over 32,000 tourists while over 23,000 arrived from the United Kingdom. So far this year, 474,542 tourists have visited Sri Lanka, a 13.8 percent growth compared to last year. Region wise, Europe continued to be the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with a 52 percent growth followed by Asia and Pacific with a 41 growth, America recorded a 5 percent growth and Middle East recorded a 2 percent growth. China has been one of the leading markets for Sri Lanka with over 268,000 Chinese tourists visiting Sri Lanka last year. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said the country hoped to attract at least 1 million tourists from China per year by 2020 as China was a strong market for Sri Lanka. Overall Sri Lanka received more than 2.3 million tourists last year, the highest ever recorded in history. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 17:45:57|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes the positive news on direct dialogue released by the United States and the DPRK, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday. It is reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at Kim's invitation. Spokesperson Geng Shuang said it is a step in the right direction for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and China fully commends and supports the efforts made by the parties concerned to solve the issue through dialogue and consultation. To return the peninsula to peace and stability and the nuclear issue to the track of dialogue, these initial steps must be followed up with corresponding and concerted efforts by the parties, Geng said. He repeated the call by Foreign Minister Wang Yi that peace must be earned and opportunities must be seized. "We hope that all parties will demonstrate political courage and make a political decision to expeditiously carry out all necessary and useful engagements, both bilateral and multilateral, and to do their best to restart dialogue and negotiation for the peaceful settlement of the peninsula nuclear issue," Geng said. "China will continue to make unremitting efforts toward this outcome," the spokesperson said. COLOMBO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Security was heightened throughout Sri Lanka on Friday to maintain law and order after deadly communal clashes erupted in the central Kandy region earlier this week, killing three and injuring several others. Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera told Xinhua that tight security remained in place for the fifth consecutive day in Kandy and security would remain across the district for the coming few days. Gunasekera said additional security had also been deployed outside mosques and temples throughout the island on Friday, in order to avoid further clashes in other parts of the island. He added that although a curfew had been lifted in Kandy on Friday morning, the curfew may be reimposed on Friday evening under the orders of Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara. "This will just be as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. However things are returning to normal and there have been no major incidents reported within the past 48 hours," he said. So far, at least 110 people have been arrested after deadly communal clashes broke out in Kandy on Sunday evening, damaging several shops, businesses, homes, temples and mosques. Police said among those arrested was the main suspect who was arrested on Thursday morning along with nine others. Police also held search operations in several areas in Kandy on Thursday night and said it had recovered more than 20 petrol bombs. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, the first since the country ended a 30 year civil war in May 2009. In a nation-wide address, he appealed for calm and peace and warned of "stern action" against anyone spreading violence and rumors with the intention of provoking communal violence. The latest clashes were triggered last Sunday evening after a 41-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after being attacked by a group of people on Feb 22. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 18:01:01|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean official dropped a bombshell Thursday with the announcement that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Pyongyang will refrain from nuclear or missile tests. Despite the current detente between the two Koreas, especially during the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, a meeting in the near future between the top leaders of the United States and the DPRK had seemed unlikely, given the remarkable coldness between American and DPRK representatives in the South Korean ski resort. Pyongyang's recent pronouncement that it would not accept any precondition for direct dialogue with Washington also made people think that a DPRK-U.S. dialogue, if it ever happened, would not come soon. The agreed Trump-Kim meeting is therefore a notable progress regarding the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and deserves applause from everyone, especially after the tit-for-tat vicious cycle as Washington and Pyongyang repeatedly traded threats that raised the specter of a nuclear war in the region last year. However, if history is any guide, on the heels of every positive development, there are always disturbances to dash the hope of a smooth path toward a peaceful solution. Washington and Pyongyang, the two parties at the crux of the issue, need to take concrete actions to make the planned dialogue a reality and a success, so as to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis at an early date, in joint efforts with other parties to the issue. They have to at least set aside their long-running animosity and distrust toward each other, refrain from provocations that run the risk of aborting the agreed dialogue, and be prepared for bold compromises. The current detente between the two Koreas has good reasons. Apart from the political will on both sides, it is also nurtured by factors such as Pyongyang's suspension of nuclear and missile activities and the suspension of U.S.-South Korea war games during the Winter Olympics. To sustain the momentum on the peninsula, the parties should heed China's proposal of suspension-for-suspension and follow the "dual-track approach" to the issue. China has suggested the DPRK suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale U.S.-South Korea military drills. The dual-track approach suggests denuclearizing the peninsula while establishing a peace mechanism. To quote Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, here comes another "moment of truth" for the parties to demonstrate their seriousness about resolving the issue. As Wang said, "We must not let the opportunity slip by." China, as a key party to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, will as always continue to make ceaseless efforts toward denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula. Related: Trump agrees to meet DPRK's Kim by May, tweets about "great progress" Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 18:01:03|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close Israeli officers guard air defense systems during the "Juniper Cobra 18" military exercise at the Hatzor Air Force base in Israel, March 8, 2018. Nearly 5,000 Israeli and U.S. soldiers have been training shoulder to shoulder since Sunday for a simulated missile attack on Israel. The military exercise, dubbed "Juniper Cobra 18," is a biennial event that has been held nine times since 2001 by the Israeli military and the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). (Xinhua/Guo Yu) by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 5,000 Israeli and U.S. soldiers have been training shoulder to shoulder since Sunday for a simulated missile attack on Israel. The military exercise, dubbed "Juniper Cobra 18," is a biennial event that has been held nine times since 2001 by the Israeli military and the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). It is being conducted mostly in the Hatzor Air Force base in southern Israel. "We will train and practice together, shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in real time," said Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, chief of the Israeli Air Defense Command. For Israel, the threat of missiles is constant. In every recent conflict, Israeli cities and citizens were targeted by a range of rockets. Hezbollah, a militant organization based in Lebanon which borders Israel to the south, is believed to possess more than 100,000 missiles that have the ability to strike anywhere in the Jewish state. Israeli defense officials believe the missiles to be used in the next conflict will be more precise than ever before. In the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, over 4,000 rockets were fired by the militant organization in the month-long armed conflict. In Israel's southern border, the militant Hamas organization which controls the Gaza Strip also poses a huge threat by its thousands of rockets with various ranges. During the 2014 war on Gaza, missiles fired into Israel reached central cities at a high frequency unknown before. Last month, an Israeli air defense system shot down an Iranian drone which entered its airspace from Syria. For years, the Jewish state has thus made missile air defense a priority, with billions of U.S. dollars being spent on research and development of interception systems. With U.S. funding and support, the country has developed several systems such as the Arrow, Iron Dome, Patriot and David's Sling, all of which are being used in the drill together with American systems. David's Sling is meant to target medium and long-range missiles. It has been operational for almost a year but is used in the drill for the first time. "We will practice very complex scenarios that are very relevant in this dynamic environment we are part of. It will be a multi-directional threat, from south, north and east," said Haimovich. On top of the list of possible war scenarios in Israel is a massive ballistic missile attack coming simultaneously from more than one border. The drill is a display of the multi-layered defense mechanism in place, while officers at the drill did not mention a specific threat. "We need to be ready for all the spectrum," Haimovich told reporters. "The other side will use salvos, more accurate rockets and it will be a multi-directional threat. Those are our assumptions." "It will be a difficult mission that requires a precise, integrated effort," said U.S. Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, the senior American officer at the Juniper Cobra 18 exercise. Coordination is key, not only between the forces, but also the systems. The choice on which system to use against which threat needs to be made in seconds. During the drill, participating U.S.-Israeli forces will deploy various available air defense systems. They also conduct computer simulations. For U.S. Army Maj. Mary Thornton, it is the third time she has been taking part in the drill. "The U.S. military is here working on our partnership. We are training together for readiness operations and making sure that we are prepared in case we get the call to continue and support our Israeli air defense forces," Thornton told Xinhua. During the Gulf War in 1991, the U.S. deployed then new Patriot missile defense battery on Israeli shores when the country became the target of Iraqi scud missiles, a testament to a deep partnership between the two countries despite not a huge success. "There's no question about the commitment. We're here right now driven by that commitment and we'll continue to be driven by that commitment for the foreseeable future," said U.S. Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark. Clark told reporters that American troops would be ready to deploy "fighting forces" to Israel within 72 hours in the event of a war. The drill, expected to last until the end of the month, will conclude with a live-fire exercise using both American and Israeli air defense systems. LOS ANGELES, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A professor in the U.S. state of California has been put on leave for the next two weeks for telling a Chinese American couple to "go back to your home country," awaiting a decision from the Coast Community College District. Tarin Olson, a professor and counselor at Golden West College, has been identified as the one who made the alleged racist comment in video clips posted on Facebook by Tony Kao on March 1. In the video, Olson was heard telling Kao, a Long Beach resident, "Go back to your home country," while Kao was taking a walk with his wife and daughter. When Kao confronted Olson about the comments, she replied, "You need to go back to your country." In less than one week, the video has gone viral. Over half a million people have viewed the two short clips. "We are very aware the community has deep concerns, and we're not going to let this die," said Letitia Clark, a spokeswoman for the Coast Community College District. "We're looking at past interactions with students and staff to see if it relates to the comments made on the video," Clark added. Kao said he was born and raised in the United States. "The comments of this professor have gone too far, and are discriminatory," Daniel Deng, a local attorney, told Xinhua. "America is a country of immigrants. Except for native Americans, everybody is an immigrant." "Chinese Americans shall not tolerate racial discrimination, and shall fight for our rights and dignity," said Deng. Golden West College is a community college in Huntington Beach, 40 miles (about 64 km) southwest of Los Angeles. NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta held talks with opposition leader Raila Odinga in Nairobi on Friday and agreed to resolve their long-standing differences. The two who addressed a joint news conference said the Friday's meeting marked a new beginning for Kenya. "Starting today my brother (Odinga) and I have agreed that we will start a process of bringing our people together," Kenyatta told a news conference in Nairobi. The two said they resolved to work together to unite and develop the East African nation, which has been divided along tribal lines following the August 2017 general elections. "We shall bring a process of bringing our people together, and find out what really divides our nation," the president added. He promised to release a more detailed statement later Friday. SAN FRANCISCO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Early thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure increased the incidence and severity of lung cancer in mice, which suggests potential risks to human health, the U.S. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) said Thursday. THS is a kind of toxic residue that lingers on indoor surfaces and in dust long after a cigarette has been extinguished, which was already regarded as a health hazard nearly 10 years ago. Scientists at Berkeley Lab have determined in their latest follow-up study that early THS exposure increases the lung cancer risk in mice following their new experiment on a cohort of 24 mice. The mice were housed with scraps of fabric impregnated with THS from the age of four to seven weeks, receiving a dose of an estimated 77 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. Experiment results showed that these mice were found to have an increased incidence of lung cancer, larger tumors and a greater number of tumors, compared with 19 control mice. The latest study is follow-up research done by a team led by Antoine Snijders, Jian-Hua Mao and Bo Hang of Berkeley Lab in 2017, which first reported that brief exposure to THS is associated with low body weight and immune changes in juvenile mice. Field studies in the United States and China have confirmed that the presence of THS in indoor environments is widespread, and traditional cleaning methods are not effective for removing it. Exposure to THS can occur via inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin, according to the study. "THS causes hidden risks of tobacco smoking. You cannot see it, but you can smell it," said Hang, a staff scientist in the Biological Systems and Engineering Division at Berkeley Lab. Hang, who studied at Nanjing Medical University in eastern China in the 1980s, told Xinhua on Thursday that young children were most likely to suffer from thirdhand smoke. "Young kids who crawl and put objects in their mouths are more likely to come in contact with contaminated surfaces, and are therefore the most vulnerable to thirdhand smoke's harmful effects," said the Chinese American scientist. He also said the study of his team on the harmful effects of secondhand smoking played a vital role in prompting California state to pass legislation in 2014 banning smoking at all home-based baby-sitting centers, which was a historic milestone. The most significant progress made in the study of THS is that the long-term effects of THS are determined to be linked to human cancers, Mao, a geneticist senior staff scientist at Berkeley Lab, told Xinhua. The study is the latest in several THS-related Berkeley Lab discoveries, and is part of an ongoing collaboration between Berkeley Lab and the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine to study the impact of early exposure to thirdhand smoke in mice. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 18:41:10|Editor: pengying Video Player Close ZHENGZHOU, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have found a gene that can help grow bigger grains of corn to raise yields. The gene, named urb2, is crucial in the growth of grains, according to the research by Henan Agricultural University and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The result of the research can help increase corn yields and lay a foundation for related studies in breeding, said Tang Jihua, head of the research team. The research results were published in the journal New Phytologist. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 18:51:12|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A new style of interview is quickly gaining popularity at China's ongoing annual political meetings, known as the "Two Sessions." In a move to provide journalists with more chances to interview participants, this year's meeting introduced "passage interviews" featuring a wide range of deputies and political advisors. The live-broadcast group interviews take place on a passageway leading toward the main hall of the Great Hall of the People, which was previously limited to ministers' interviews only. Since the first passage interview held on March 3 ahead of the opening meeting of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), three such interviews had been arranged as of Friday. In addition to growing competition between reporters, the interviews are also drawing an increasing number of deputies and political advisors. Reporters must arrive at least one hour ahead of the forecasted start time to secure a front row position in the designated area. Dozens of deputies and political advisors attending the Friday meeting also stood nearby watching the interview. Ten deputies including Beijing Deputy Mayor Zhang Gong and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun answered questions from the press. They shared insights on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China's manufacturing sector, and judicial reform. The interview lasted over 40 minutes before the final group of interviewees and those watching were called on to take their seats in the main hall. More passage interviews have been arranged for the following week, according to the event's press center. ISLAMABAD, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday reopened an important border crossing with Afghanistan after nearly three years in a bid to boost trade between the two countries, officials said. The Ghulam Khan border, the third major crossing point with Afghanistan in North Waziristan tribal region, was closed in June 2014 after the security forces launched a major operation against the Pakistani Taliban and foreign militants in North Waziristan. An official in the region told Xinhua by the phone that the border was reopened for trial run of the new system equipped with bio-metric identification system. Local traders welcomed reopening of the border and hoped that the move will increase cross-border activities in the region and also across the country. The reopening was earlier planned on March 7, but was postponed to ensure more facilities for the traders and cross-border movement of the people. Pakistan had introduced passport and visa system for those entering Pakistan in 2016 via Torkham, the biggest crossing between the two countries. Officials say same system will be introduced at Chaman, the second largest point, and other notified crossings. Four trucks, carrying mostly cement, entered Afghanistan from the Pakistani side through the re-opened crossing. Officials and traders gathered at the border point to see off the trucks, a correspondent in the area told Xinhua by the phone. Pakistani officials had informed the Afghan authorities and traders as well as Pakistani traders in North Waziristan for the trial run of the border reopening. Officials say the Ghulam Khan border point, which will have modern facilities, could become the biggest trade route as containers bringing Afghan transit goods from Karachi port would use this crossing instead of Torkham. Pakistan and Afghanistan have a transit agreement, which was signed in 1960s and revised in 2010, to allow landlocked Afghanistan imports through Karachi port. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 19:46:22|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Economic and commercial counselor of Chinese embassy in Laos Wang Qihui (L, front) and General Director of the Office of Lao Health Ministry Nao Boutta (R, front) attend a signing ceremony in Vientiane, Laos, on March 9, 2018. Laos and China on Friday held a signing ceremony for an agreement on the implementation of the China-aided Mahosot hospital project here. (Xinhua/Liu Ailun) VIENTIANE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Laos and China on Friday held a signing ceremony for an agreement on the implementation of the China-aided Mahosot hospital project here. Economic and commercial counselor of Chinese embassy in Laos Wang Qihui and General Director of the Office of Lao Health Ministry Nao Boutta signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese and Lao governments, respectively. "I hope this project will help the Lao government offer the modernized medical service to the people, so that it will not be necessary for the Lao people to be treated in neighboring countries," Deputy Health Minister Phouthone Meuangpak said at the ceremony. "Mahosot hospital project is the most important in the two countries' cooperation in the health sector. China will provide the most modern equipment for this project," said Wang Qihui. "I believe that through the cooperation, both sides will make this project a success and provide the medical services to the Lao people in the near future." During his state visit to Laos in November 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the foundation-laying ceremony for the China-built hospital in the Lao capital along with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit. The health project with Chinese assistance includes the expansion of the existing Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane and the building of new medical facilities in the hospital, a new 600-bed large-scale general hospital, with a construction area of approximately 54,000 square meters. As a landmark project in China-Laos cooperation in public welfare, the new hospital is expected to be put into use in 2021. DHAKA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Shanti Doot 4 (Ambassador of Peace 4), a multinational United Nations peacekeeping exercise, is currently underway in Bangladesh with some 1,300 participants from dozens of countries. The exercise, which was launched on Feb. 26 and will last until March 12, is aimed at providing pre-deployment training to UN partner countries in preparation for real-world peacekeeping operations, Bangladeshi military said. The opening ceremony for Exercise Shanti Doot was held on Feb. 26 at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) at Rajendrapur Cantonment on the outskirts of capital Dhaka. At the invitation of BIPSOT, local and foreign journalists observed the exercise Thursday. Bangladesh previously hosted the exercise in 2002, 2008 and 2012. The exercise has been covering three broad aspects - Field Training Event (FTE), Staff Training Event (STE) and Critical Enabler Capability Enhancement (2CE). About 1,300 participants from 32 countries, including China, are participating in the exercise, Major General Md Enayet Ullah told the media. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 19:51:24|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday joined global condemnation of the U.S. decision to impose heavy tariffs on steel and aluminum. U.S. President Donald Trump formally signed off on 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum Thursday, with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico, saying exemptions could be made for other countries through negotiations. China will defend its rights and interests after assessing any damage caused by the tariffs, Wang Hejun, a Ministry of Commerce official, said on the ministry website. Calling the move protectionism disguised as national security, Wang urged the United States to respect the multilateral trade system and revoke the policy. China Iron and Steel Association called on the government to take firm counter-measures on imports from the United States, including stainless steel, galvanized sheets, seamless tube, coal, farm produce and consumer electronics. The U.S. move not only damages the iron and steel industry across the world, but damages the interests of consumers, especially American consumers, the industry group said on its website. China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association also issued similar comments, urging the government to take counter-measures on imports of U.S. products ranging from aluminum scrap, coal, farm produce to high-end consumer goods. Shares of China's steel and aluminum producers tumbled Friday, with Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. down 3 percent to 9.1 yuan (1.4 U.S. dollars) while Liuzhou Iron and Steel Co. fell 2.3 percent to 7.13 yuan. The broad impact of the tariffs on the Chinese economy will be limited because steel and aluminum account for a small proportion of exports to the United States, and exports have become a less important driver of growth in recent years, with the contribution of net exports to growth falling to 9.1 percent in 2017. According to Ding Shuang, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank, China's steel and aluminum exports to the United States accounted for less than 0.2 percent of its total exports in 2017 and the impact of the tariffs would be insignificant. The U.S. administration has made trade deficit reduction a priority, but its protectionist measures have drawn widespread opposition from both U.S. business groups and trade partners. Last year, China's trade surplus with the United States expanded 13 percent to 1.87 trillion yuan, with exports to the United States up 14.5 percent and imports up 17.3 percent, according to data from China's customs. Stephen Roach, former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the firm's chief economist, said raising tariffs shows the U.S. administration's fixation on trade imbalances with its partners, including China. Lacking domestic savings and wanting to consume and grow, America must import surplus savings from abroad while running massive current-account and trade deficits to attract foreign capital, he said in a recent article. "Going after China, or any other country, without addressing the root cause of low saving is like squeezing one end of a water balloon: the water simply sloshes to the other end," he said. Ding Shuang projected that "a grand bargain" will be reached between China and the United States with limited damage to bilateral trade. Trade friction may intensify as Trump seeks trade remedies under the Section 301, raising fears of a widespread trade war, Ding said. However, "this is very likely a tactic of the Trump administration to win the biggest possible concessions." Ding said China is likely to file World Trade Organization complaints while taking counter-measures against the U.S. farm produces, vehicles and aircraft. RABAT, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Mali have signed five cooperation agreements to boost bilateral cooperation, local media reported on Friday. Signed at a ceremony co-chaired by Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani and his Malian counterpart Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga late on Thursday in the capital in Rabat, these agreements cover various areas of cooperation. Three agreements concern transport area, including an agreement on international road transport of passengers and goods, one on the recognition of driving licenses and a third on logistics. In the area of employment, a protocol was signed to boost cooperation on education and vocational training. The fifth agreement was on technical cooperation in the field of water development. These agreements came during an ongoing visit of a large Malian delegation led by Prime Minister Maiga to Morocco. ADDIS ABABA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has underlined the need to promote his country's trade and economic cooperation with Africa, which he said is lagging behind the political interaction Russia has with the continent. Sergey made the remarks during a joint press conference after the meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Friday at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The two sides have discussed regional and international issues including on peace and security, trade and investment, education and training. "We have paid a particular emphasis on the trade and economic cooperation which is somewhat lagging behind our political interaction; we have agreed to more actively promote the dialogue in terms of cooperation in energy, in high-tech, and to also actively promote direct contact within our business circles," he said. With regard to peace and security, the two sides have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crimes, and drug trafficking. They have also dwelt upon the situations particularly in Libya, the Sahel region, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes, with Russia promising to provide continued support to AU's efforts in resolving conflicts on the African continent. Sergey is the third foreign official to visit AU this week, following the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of UAE, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, and the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday. All the three have expressed interests to promote cooperation with Africa in various fields. WELLINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand and Australia on Friday jointly released an updated Joint Statement on Closer Defense Relations, said New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark after meeting with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Wellington for the annual Defense Ministers' Meeting. "New Zealand and Australia have a very close defense relationship," Mark said, adding this is currently on display in Papua New Guinea where New Zealand and Australian Defense personnel are working hard to deliver aid to the earthquake-stricken highlands, and "in all the deployments around the world where we stand side by side." Friday's meeting was "a great opportunity to discuss shared security concerns, and to explore ways to work better together," Mark said. "The statement acknowledges our mutual commitment to working side-by-side effectively and efficiently for our shared security interests, and sets out the guiding principles that underline our partnership," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 20:06:34|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BRUSSELS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's technology giant Huawei ranks the first in patent applications in 2017 on the European Patent Office (EPO)'s patent-filing list, the office said in its latest reporting. With 2,398 patent applications in 2017, Huawei became the first Chinese firm that tops the EPO ranking in the office's history, followed by Siemens with 2,220 and LG with 2,056, the office said Wednesday. "We highly value our intellectual property and feel that patents registration is one important measurement of our international competitiveness," Huawei Senior Vice President Song Liuping told China Daily earlier this week. Huawei also contributed greatly to the 16.6-percent growth in patent application in Europe which Chinese companies saw last year. The increase made China rank the fifth among applicant nations. The EPO is a Munich-based institution which is not an EU entity but covers 38 countries. It aims to provide innovation support and has focused on improving its efficiency in order to process patent demands for several years. Huawei is a leading global information and communication technology (ICT) corporation located in Shenzhen, China, which provides innovated ICT solutions for businesses and government institutions as well as smartphones. Wang Yaping receives an interview before the opening meeting of the first session of the 13th NPC in Beijing on March 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) Astronaut Wang Yaping is in the spotlight again, but this time not for space travel. Instead, she debuted in a new role -- lawmaker -- at the annual session of China's national legislature. With her signature ponytail, a neat military uniform and a wide smile, Wang, together with another nine deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), met the press for the first "passage interview" arranged for the opening day of the annual political meeting on Monday. On the path leading toward the main hall of the Great Hall of the People, Wang described her experience of giving a televised science lesson to Chinese students in 2013 as "an unforgettable moment." Wang Yaping (C) receives training of giving televised science lesson in 2013. (Xinhua/Zhu Jiutong) Wang's appearance at the political session has attracted extensive media coverage. Some netizens praised Wang for her devotion and perseverance. Some called her a "space heroine" and referred to a poem by Chairman Mao to depict her as a female soldier who loves "to face the powder and not to powder the face." Wang Yaping (Xinhua/Qin Xian'an) As China's second female astronaut to enter space, Wang was elected from the country's armed forces as one of 2,980 deputies to China's 13th NPC. Before that, China's first female astronaut in space, Liu Yang, served for a five-year term as a deputy to the 12th NPC. During the ongoing first session of the 13th NPC, Wang, along with other deputies elected from all walks of life, will elect state officials, review the government work report and discuss the Constitution revision. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Wang said that she and other astronauts are preparing for work on the space station, as China plans to build a permanent manned space station by 2022. Wang Yaping became a well-known figure in June 2013 after travelling for 15 days on the Shenzhou-10 spacecraft with two male crewmates, Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang. The screenshot shows Wang Yaping waving to people after going out of the re-entry capsule of China's Shenzhou-10 spacecraft following its successful landing at the main landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on June 26, 2013. (Xinhua file photo) In one of the highlights of the mission, Wang delivered China's first televised science lecture to an audience of over 60 million schoolchildren and teachers across China. The lecture on basic physics principles lasted for 40 minutes and ignited the space dreams of millions of Chinese students. Teacher and former NASA astronaut Barbara Morgan wrote a letter to Wang to express her pride and joy upon hearing the news. Wang joined the Taikonaut Corps of the People's Liberation Army as part of China's second group of astronauts in 2010. The corps recruited its first group of 14 male astronauts in 1998 when it was founded. During the past 20 years, 11 Chinese astronauts have completed six manned spaceflights, conducted over 100 experiments and orbited the earth for a total of 68 days and nights. Wang Yaping (C) talks with children during an event on the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference in Beijing on June 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) Born with a love for challenge, Wang recalled that she felt no fear returning from space. "I just felt an overwhelming sense of achievement. I had fulfilled my dream," she said. She can trace her bravery back to her childhood experience in a quiet village in east China's Shandong Province, where she developed a love for running. "I always ran for the challenge and for the great joy after running over hills and across fields," she said, recalling her childhood. Wang continued her path of bravery and was enrolled in 1997 as a pilot at an Air Force flight academy, where she tasted the excitement of sending a plane into dive for the first time during training. Looking toward the future, Wang said that if she has the chance to land on the moon, she would like to dress like Chang'e, the moon goddess in a Chinese fairy tale, with a pet rabbit in her arms. SAN FRANCISCO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The world's leading e-commerce, technology and social media companies are joining forces in a global effort to stop wildlife traffickers from trading endangered species, a wildlife protection organization said Thursday. The first-ever Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online said it is bringing together companies worldwide in partnership with wildlife experts at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in a bid to reduce wildlife trafficking online by 80 percent by 2020. The Coalition said 21 tech firms from North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa will join forces with Google and WWF to render online platforms and apps inoperable for wildlife traffickers to trade endangered species. Those companies pledged to develop and implement policies and solutions to help end wildlife trafficking online, it said. The founding members of the Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online include China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, top search engine company Baidu, and Tencent, a leading Internet company based in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Other founding members of the Coalition are top U.S. tech giants, such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Ebay. "Bringing these industry giants together is the best shot at systematically closing the open web to wildlife traffickers," said Crawford Allan, senior director of wildlife crime & TRAFFIC at WWF. Those firms are uniting to ensure an Internet where traffickers have nowhere left to turn, he said. The annual value of wildlife crime globally is as much as 20 billion U.S. dollars, according to the United Nations (UN) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. More than 20,000 African elephants are illegally killed each year for their tusks, and nearly three rhinos are poached each day in South Africa alone for their horns, said the Coalition. "Google is proud to partner with WWF as a founding member of this Coalition, and to join other companies in working to protect endangered species from illegal wildlife trade online," said David Graff, senior director of Trust and Safety Global Product Policy at Google. An Israeli "Iron Dome" anti-rocket system (R) and an U.S. "Patriot" missile defence system (L) are exposed during a joint Israeli-U.S. military exercise "Juniper Cobra" at the Hatzor Airforce Base on March 8, 2018. (AFP photo) JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 5,000 Israeli and U.S. soldiers have been training shoulder to shoulder since Sunday for a simulated missile attack on Israel. The military exercise, dubbed "Juniper Cobra 18," is a biennial event that has been held nine times since 2001 by the Israeli military and the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM). It is being conducted mostly in the Hatzor Air Force base in southern Israel. "We will train and practice together, shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in real time," said Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, chief of the Israeli Air Defense Command. For Israel, the threat of missiles is constant. In every recent conflict, Israeli cities and citizens were targeted by a range of rockets. Hezbollah, a militant organization based in Lebanon which borders Israel to the south, is believed to possess more than 100,000 missiles that have the ability to strike anywhere in the Jewish state. Israeli defense officials believe the missiles to be used in the next conflict will be more precise than ever before. In the last war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, over 4,000 rockets were fired by the militant organization in the month-long armed conflict. In Israel's southern border, the militant Hamas organization which controls the Gaza Strip also poses a huge threat by its thousands of rockets with various ranges. During the 2014 war on Gaza, missiles fired into Israel reached central cities at a high frequency unknown before. Last month, an Israeli air defense system shot down an Iranian drone which entered its airspace from Syria. For years, the Jewish state has thus made missile air defense a priority, with billions of U.S. dollars being spent on research and development of interception systems. With U.S. funding and support, the country has developed several systems such as the Arrow, Iron Dome, Patriot and David's Sling, all of which are being used in the drill together with American systems. David's Sling is meant to target medium and long-range missiles. It has been operational for almost a year but is used in the drill for the first time. "We will practice very complex scenarios that are very relevant in this dynamic environment we are part of. It will be a multi-directional threat, from south, north and east," said Haimovich. On top of the list of possible war scenarios in Israel is a massive ballistic missile attack coming simultaneously from more than one border. The drill is a display of the multi-layered defense mechanism in place, while officers at the drill did not mention a specific threat. "We need to be ready for all the spectrum," Haimovich told reporters. "The other side will use salvos, more accurate rockets and it will be a multi-directional threat. Those are our assumptions." "It will be a difficult mission that requires a precise, integrated effort," said U.S. Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, the senior American officer at the Juniper Cobra 18 exercise. Coordination is key, not only between the forces, but also the systems. The choice on which system to use against which threat needs to be made in seconds. During the drill, participating U.S.-Israeli forces will deploy various available air defense systems. They also conduct computer simulations. For U.S. Army Maj. Mary Thornton, it is the third time she has been taking part in the drill. "The U.S. military is here working on our partnership. We are training together for readiness operations and making sure that we are prepared in case we get the call to continue and support our Israeli air defense forces," Thornton told Xinhua. During the Gulf War in 1991, the U.S. deployed then new Patriot missile defense battery on Israeli shores when the country became the target of Iraqi scud missiles, a testament to a deep partnership between the two countries despite not a huge success. "There's no question about the commitment. We're here right now driven by that commitment and we'll continue to be driven by that commitment for the foreseeable future," said U.S. Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark. Clark told reporters that American troops would be ready to deploy "fighting forces" to Israel within 72 hours in the event of a war. The drill, expected to last until the end of the month, will conclude with a live-fire exercise using both American and Israeli air defense systems. JUBA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's media regulator on Friday suspended the operations of the UN-aided Radio Miraya FM. An official of the South Sudan Media Authority told reporters in Juba that the radio station operated by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was suspended as it failed to obtain a valid broadcasting license. Elijah Alier Kuai, managing director of the South Sudan Media Authority, said the government has asked the country's communications authority to withdraw the radio's frequency effective March 9. Alier said the decision was taken after a two-week registration deadline elapsed. "The Media Authority has suspended the operations of Radio Miraya 101 FM for persistent non-compliance and refusal to be regulated under the media laws in the Republic of South Sudan," Alier said. Alier said Radio Miraya journalists will not be allowed to cover stories until the suspension is lifted. He denied criticism that the suspension amounts to media censorship. "The Radio Miraya should operate legally as a media house in South Sudan. Even though they are under the UN, they have to be regulated," he added. However, a spokesperson for the UN mission denied the shutdown, saying the UN-operated radio is operating as talks between the world body and government continue. "The United Nations Mission in South Sudan is in discussions with the government. Radio Miraya is continuing to broadcast across the country," Francesca Mold, the spokesperson for UNMISS told Xinhua. PARIS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The European Union member states should forge "collective" response to have "efficient" action against U.S. President Donald Trump's new duties on imported steel and aluminum, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday. "We'll discuss with our European partners the situation, the consequences that (new tariffs) could lead to and the measures decided by all the European countries," Le Maire said. "Our answer can only be collective if we want it efficient," he added. The French minister said he would meet steel companies operating in France next Monday in Brussels to assess U.S. decisions impact on their businesses and discuss measures they ask for. On Thursday, Trump formally signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10-percent tariff on aluminum, amid mounting opposition from business groups and trading partners around the world. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Expressing regrets over the Washington announcement, Le Maire recalled "a trade war between the United States and the rest of the world will only make losers." In a separate statement, the country's Foreign Ministry stressed "In the European Union, trade policy is a common policy," adding that Paris was backing the European Commission's action related to the new tariffs. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 21:16:52|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Banners are seen in front of the Capitol during a rally against Money Politics in Washington D.C., the United States , in the file photo taken on April 17, 2016. A New York Times bestseller has kept public attention high for weeks in the United States by exploring what are killing the U.S. democracy, indicating a popular reflection on the flaws of Western-style democracies. Political analysts across the Atlantic have all been alerted by the lower efficiency and ballooning chaos in governance as highlighted by government shutdowns in the United States, near paralyzed consensus-building for policy making in Europe, as well as voters' mounting dissatisfaction toward political elites, among others. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) by Xinhua writer Qu Junya BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A New York Times bestseller has kept public attention high for weeks in the United States by exploring what are killing the U.S. democracy, indicating a popular reflection on the flaws of Western-style democracies. Political analysts across the Atlantic have all been alerted by the lower efficiency and ballooning chaos in governance as highlighted by government shutdowns in the United States, near paralyzed consensus-building for policy making in Europe, as well as voters' mounting dissatisfaction toward political elites, among others. EXTREME POLITICAL POLARIZATION The bestseller "How Democracies Die" published in January attributes the waning U.S. democracy in large part to an "extreme polarization" in the country's bipartisan politics. "The problem is that extreme polarization can kill democracies," as were the cases in Europe in the 1930s and in South America in the 1960s and 1970s, Steven Levitsky, the book's co-author and a political scientist at Harvard University, told a symposium recently held at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He said polarization has turned U.S. Republicans and Democrats against each other, who have gone so far as to break two basic norms that work as "soft guardrails of democracy," which help prevent healthy partisan competition from "spiraling into the kind of partisan fight to the death." The first norm "mutual toleration" means "we do not treat our rivals as enemies, as existential threats," said Levitsky. "The second norm is what we call 'institutional forbearance' ... Forbearance means refraining from exercising one's legal right." "When politics is so intensely polarized that each side views victory by the other side as intolerable, as beyond the pale, democracy is in trouble," he noted. The U.S. scholar said the two norms have been unraveling in the United States with early signs seen in the 1990s, with government shutdowns, the routinization of filibuster, and the U.S. Senate's outright refusal to allow then President Barack Obama to fill the Supreme Court vacancy in 2016 in a move unprecedented since 1866, among others. Sourabh Gupta, resident senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies, told Xinhua in an interview that he believes the divisions and paralysis within U.S. politics could become more profound. "The government shutdown is emblematic of both the fractured state of American politics and the paranoid style of American politics," he said. "Consensus on the role and direction of government is nowhere in sight. And the paranoid style of politicking will make consensus-building even harder." Gupta added that the unbalanced U.S. economic growth would worsen the existing inequalities in Americans' financial conditions, and "polarize and fracture American politics even more." MONEY POLITICS William Jones, Washington Bureau chief for the news magazine Executive Intelligence Review, thinks money politics has eroded the U.S. democracy and disappointed voters in terms of seeking common welfare. "The American people were not happy with politics as usual. They felt that the political elites in Washington ... are not representing their interests," he told Xinhua in an interview, blaming this mainly on the political donation mechanism in the election system, which enables interest groups to hijack government policies. Jones said the campaigns of the elected U.S. officials are paid for by large corporations, banks and interest groups, who then have a hold over them when they get into office, adding that "it's really a subversion of the notion of democracy." "It (the system) has failed the American people," and this is why that in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections many voted for Donald Trump, an outsider to America's political establishment, he said. "People are rejecting the system itself," the U.S. expert said while urging changes. "The system itself has become so corrupt ... there's gotta be a realization that there is a crisis and that things have to change." Jones also noticed a similar "tremendous demoralization" over the democratic system in Europe. "You see this in the growth of Europe, in all these, the right wing parties that are coming in." STRUCTURAL FAILURE Voters' dissatisfaction with the political establishment has contributed to derailing Britain out of the European Union in June 2016 and blocking constitutional amendments in an Italian referendum in December 2016. Italian geopolitics expert Fabrizio Franciosi called the referendum result a testimony to a loss of public confidence as well as another case to exemplify the historical lesson that excessive democracy is to kill democracy. Pialuisa Bianco, editor in chief of the Italian magazine on world affairs Longitute, said the Western-style democratic system has come to a crucial turning point where people's disappointments have amounted to calls for big changes. She said she believes Western democracies are suffering a structural failure, which is highlighted by repeated failures to deliver on campaign pledges as well as a detachment of political elites from grassroots. Unrealistic campaign promises and money politics have helped make the existing Western election system almost an empty shell but to increase election cost and public distrust, Julio Rios, an expert with the Spanish think tank the Galician Institute of Analysis and International Documentation, told Xinhua in a recent interview. He also noted that the difficulty in building consensus for policy making between the executive and legislative bodies is among the many challenges facing Western democracies. That means a lack of competency to translate public demands into effective policies, a basic to sustaining the democratic system, not to mention making long-term national development plans, said Rios. Regarding the "dysfunctional" political process in the United States, political scientist Francis Fukuyama has blamed it partly on ideological polarization in the federal governance structure, which makes the U.S. democratic system of checks and balances a vetocracy. "The decision system has become too porous -- too democratic -- for its own good, giving too many actors the means to stifle adjustments in public policy," he said. (Xinhua reporters Sun Ding in Washington, Yang Shilong, Li Feihu, Hu Yousong in Washington, Feng Junwei in Madrid, Wang Xingqiao in Rome also contributed to the story.) Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 21:36:57|Editor: pengying Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech entrepreneur Lei Jun said Friday that China's manufacturing industry needs both hard power and soft power to support its overall development. The founder of Xiaomi was among 10 deputies introduced at the second passage interview at the ongoing session of the National People' s Congress(NPC). Lei listed innovation, quality, design, and Internet Plus as the four pillars supporting the growth of the sector. He said innovation including core technology breakthroughs and obtaining a technical discourse was the most important methods for development. Quality is also very important as only by improving the quality of Chinese-made goods, can China's manufacturing sector change its old image, he said. Besides hard power, Lei said soft power such as improving product designs and user experiences are equally important, saying "customers now only buy products which they think are good-looking." He suggested China improve its own design abilities and cultivate more designers to build up Chinese brands worldwide. Lei also attached importance to Internet Plus saying it has helped Xiaomi to grow. After just seven years, the tech firm's income reached 100 billion yuan (about 15.7 billion U.S. dollars) last year. According to the government work report delivered at the ongoing session of the NPC, China will launch an initiative to shore up weaknesses in major equipment manufacturing amid efforts to become a global manufacturing giant. China will work toward meeting the highest international standards, encourage workmanship, and ignite a revolution in the quality of Chinese-made goods. ULAN BATOR, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolia Mining 2018 International Mining and Oil Expo will be held here during April 4-6, with the aim to introduce technology advancement and attract investors, organizers said on Friday. Over 120 exhibitors from regular participating nations, including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Germany and Canada, will introduce the latest technology and equipment for the mining industry during the eighth edition of the exhibition, the organizers said. Mongolia's policy in the mining sector with regards to the relevant laws and infrastructure projects will also be conveyed to investors during this event. HARARE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe, one of the most densely mined countries in the world, said Friday it is seeking 122 million U.S. dollars to clear all anti-personnel mines that were planted by Rhodesian forces during the 1970s war of liberation. Although the country's land mine clearance started in earnest in 1982, only two years after independence, Zimbabwe is still grappling with the challenge of land mines due to shortage of funding. Zimbabwe Mine Action Center said Zimbabwe was one of the most densely mined countries in the world with an estimated 2,500 mines per kilometer frontage. To ensure a coordinated approach and speed up the clearance, the country's vice president Constantino Chiwenga on Friday launched an eight-year Zimbabwe national mine action strategic plan. The plan, running from 2018-2025, aims to mobilize local and international support to ensure the country is land mine free by 2025. After becoming a state party to the anti-personnel landmine ban convention in 1999, Zimbabwe failed to meet the deadline to clear all land mines within 10 years, and has sought five extensions of varying duration. The country was granted the current and fifth extension period running from 2018-2025 during the 16th meeting of state parties in Vienna in December 2017. The colonial Rhodesian army laid the mine fields along the northern and eastern borders of Zimbabwe to prevent infiltration of freedom fighters into the country from neighboring Mozambique and Zambia. The land mines have caused deaths and injuries over the years, while rendering vast tracts of high-priority land unutilized. Chiwenga said without adequate funding support, Zimbabwe will not meet its goal on land mine clearance which by nature is very expensive, dangerous and slow. "May I therefore, appeal to donor agencies already funding demining in Zimbabwe to consider increasing the funding. A boost in funding will enhance the demining operations by increasing the number of teams hence expedite the completion of the program," he said. There are currently four accredited international demining organizations working in Zimbabwe since 2012. MANILA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- More than half of Filipino adults surveyed favor legalization of divorce for "irreconcilably separated couples," an independent poll released on Friday said. A nationwide survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted Dec. 8 to Dec. 16 last year asked 1,200 Filipinos by face-to-face interviews to respond to the statement, "Married couples who have already separated and cannot reconcile anymore should be allowed to divorce so that they can get legally married again." "53 percent agreed, 30 percent strongly and 23 percent somewhat, and almost 32 percent disagreed. 15 percent were undecided on the matter," the SWS said in a statement. The SWS said this gives a net agreement score of +21, classified by SWS as moderately strong. In the surveys, it said 50 percent of the respondents are men, and 50 percent are women. The Philippines is the only country in the world other than the Vatican that still outlaws divorce. The Family Code of the Philippines currently provides two ways for couples to separate - legal separation and annulment. However, the legal separation will not sever the marital bond and the annulment will take a long time and cost a large amount of money. As of 2017, the SWS said an average 33 percent of the men are married, 7 percent have live-in partners, 7 percent have never married, and 3 percent are singles who are either widowed or separated. Among women, it said 29 percent are married, 9 percent are singles who are either widowed or separated, 8 percent have live-in partners, and 4 percent have never married. Support for the legalization of divorce used to be split when SWS first surveyed it in 2005, 43 percent agreed, 12 percent were undecided, and 45 percent disagreed. "The same question was asked for the second time six years after in 2011 and obtained moderately strong support. When it was asked for the third time three years after in 2014, it went to very strong and stayed at moderately strong up to 2017," the SWS said. Last month the House Committee on Population and Family Relations submitted a divorce bill that would legalize divorce in the Philippines. Under the bill, married couples may end their marriage for several reasons, including abuse, infidelity, and irreconcilable differences. Lawmakers have been trying to legalize divorce in the Philippines for almost three decades but to no avail. The Catholic Church in the Philippines has long opposed any laws that allow divorce, calling them "anti-marriage and anti-family." Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 22:22:07|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, joins a panel discussion with the deputies from Hubei Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leaders Friday joined deputies in panel discussions at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, the national legislature, highlighting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The leaders included Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Joining deputies from Hubei Province, Li stressed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Li said all deputies have shown great consistency in their recognition for and agreement with the draft constitutional revision, which is under deliberation at the session, and have expressed their great trust in the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core. Joining deputies from Shanghai, Wang stressed full implementation of Xi's thought, adherence to the new vision for development, and deepened supply-side structural reform, with a focus on developing real economy. Reform and opening up are the most powerful engines for economic and social development, said Wang, who called for practical measures to ensure the First China International Import Expo, slated for November in Shanghai, is a success. During the discussion with deputies from Henan Province, Han stressed the need to fully understand the new historic juncture in China's development, that is, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era. Han called on people to conform with the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, while encouraging Henan to upgrade its industrial structure, pursue innovation-driven development and new types of urbanization, and improve its fundamental capabilities. The legislative session, which opened on March 5, is scheduled to run till March 20. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 22:52:27|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Photo taken on March 9, 2018 shows the scene of a plenary meeting of deputies from the Taiwan delegation at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China. The meeting was opened to media. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai) by Mahmoud Darwesh, Nawas Derraji TRIPOLI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The continuous violence in southern Libya between rival tribes is fuelled by foreign intervention seeking domination in the oil-rich region, analysts said. Ali Mesbah, head of the Higher Council of Fezzan (southern region) tribes, refers to foreign intervention as the most significant factor that contributes to the unrest of southern Libya, particularly the oasis city of Sabha. "There is an international struggle for influence in the south, where Western and Arab countries seek to establish a foothold in the important region, which has serious implications for Libya's national security," Mesbah told Xinhua. For instance, according to Hamed Al-Khiali, head of the municipal council of Sabha, the local airport in Sabha was occupied by "an armed group that has nothing to do with Libya, carrying flags of African countries." The Higher Council of Fezzan tribes, which consists of southern tribal elders and leaders, is the social umbrella that handles social and tribal peace reconciliation agreements between the cities of southern Libya. Recent tribal clashes in Sabha, some 800 km southwest of the capital Tripoli, have killed 10 civilians and injured 30 others, according to local hospitals. But efforts are being made to strike a cease-fire in the Libyan city. A delegation of southern tribes are preparing to meet with the fighting parties once they agree to stop clashes, Mesbah said. There will likely be a cease-fire within the next 24 hours if everything goes according to arrangements, he added. For Ismail Sharif, a lawmaker in the eastern-based parliament House of Representatives, the ongoing conflict has been fed in recent years for "suspicious purposes" as it has no historical background. "The south is an active arena for settling accounts between regional and international parties. Certain countries are trying to transfer their problems and failure of their governments by feeding the conflict in the south," Sharif told Xinhua. The conflicting parties in Libya have been used to serve the different purposes of international forces "because of the lack of trust among the social components," he noted. When asked about the suspected escalation between Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and army commander Khalifa Haftar, the lawmaker ruled out any potential clash between them. "There could be a gesture to unify the armed forces, and the evidence is the progress achieved by the Cairo meetings on the unification of the army," Sharif explained, adding that Sabha could be the first city in the south where the two parties will cooperate to establish security. The UN-backed government recently announced a series of measures to support its forces in Sabha to fight what it called "mercenaries." Before that, Haftar's armed forces had launched a military campaign for "preserving security in the south" by sending military reinforcements to Brak Shati area near Sabha. On Thursday, the army ordered nationals from neighboring African countries in southern Libya to leave before March 17, warning they would be removed by force after the deadline. Concerns about a military escalation in the south cannot be ignored, which could be linked to intentions to disrupt the upcoming elections, said political analyst Abdullah Al-Rayes. "It is no secret that there are foreign parties cooperating with Libya at home that seek to thwart the elections and end the transitional period to harm the social fabric of Libya and push the country to the brink of bankruptcy and poverty," Al-Rayes told Xinhua. "Some parties are trying to abort the democratic maturity that is expected to take the Libyans to a new stage of state-building, economic reform and army-building," he added. The UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame has proposed an action plan to end Libya's political division, which includes holding parliamentary and presidential elections by the end of 2018. The Higher Commission of Elections recently said more than 2.4 million people have registered for the upcoming elections, which is more than 50 percent of eligible voters in the country. RIGA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Latvian banks have been left with "very little time" to get rid of their high-risk clients and comply with anti-money laundering rules, Latvian Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola warned in an interview with public television Friday. If some of the commercial banks fail to take action, they may face the same fate as Latvia's third largest bank ABLV, which is winding up operations after a damning report by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which has accused the Latvian bank of running money laundering schemes and obstructing regulatory enforcement. The finance minister said in the televised interview that there are around ten commercial banks in Latvia with a large share of nonresident clients and consequently higher number of risky clients, including the so-called shell companies. Any of these banks risks drawing increased attention of supervisory authorities, Reizniece-Ozola said. The banks have very little time to overhaul their business and cut the share of their high-risk clients, she warned. If Latvia fails to demonstrate in a short period of time that it is not able not only to detect but also to prevent financial crime, the U.S. can take action not only against particular commercial banks but the Latvian state. This means that the oversight of the Latvian financial system has to be stepped up as well. "We have systemic shortcomings," Reizniece-Ozola admitted, explaining that she does not mean only the banking regulator, the Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC), but also the Corruption Prevention Bureau, the Office for Prevention of Laundering of Proceeds Derived from Criminal Activity, and other law enforcement authorities. The minister emphasized that Latvia has to prove the "whole system's ability to work" and crack down on financial crime. "Substantial change is needed. I do not want us to be seen as a grey zone laundering money in the European Union's periphery," Reizniece-Ozola said. In a report released on Feb. 13, FinCEN said that the ABLV Bank had orchestrated money-laundering schemes and that the bank's management "used bribery to influence Latvian officials when challenging enforcement actions and perceived threats to their high-risk business". FinCEN proposed sanctioning ABLV by banning the bank from opening or maintaining correspondent accounts in the U.S. or altogether blocking the bank from the U.S. financial system. After the FinCEN report, ABLV Bank started experiencing difficulties as clients withdrew large amounts of money from the bank in a short period of time and the regulator banned the bank from performing any payment transactions. At the end of February, ABLV shareholders decided to wind up the bank. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 22:47:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close XI'AN, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The spring farming period is the busiest time of the year for Shi Yixian, 52, a crop seed dealer in Henan Province, one of the largest agricultural bases in China.H "My seed quality is very good. Many customers will return to my store for a second year," said Shi, who started his business nearly 30 years ago. Shi said his sales method has completely changed in recent years. Seeds were previously sold to farmers by weight, but now they are sold by the number of seeds. The change came with China's agricultural supply side reform, which has encouraged farmers to pursue intensive farming with a higher use of input, such as capital and labor per unit land area. "Farmers did not pay too much attention to seed quality. They just bought a bag of seeds and planted them on the land," said Shi. "The germination rate of poor quality crop seeds was as low as 60 to 70 percent, leading to a low output." But now most farmers prefer to choose seeds based on size and shape, as well as strong disease resistance, according to Shi. A tomato seed developed by Shaanxi Jinpeng Seedling Company is among the most popular products at Shi's store. He has done business with the company for 18 years. One of the largest tomato breeding companies in China, Jinpeng was established in 2002 in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The company moved to the Yangling Demonstration Zone, one of China's leading crop seed R&D bases, in 2010 when the company started to sell by the seed. "We generally package 1,000 seeds in a box weighing between 3 and 4 grams," said Li Yongning, head of Jinpeng's R&D office in Yangling. "The price ranges from 200 yuan to 350 yuan (32 to 55 U.S. dollars) per package, depending on their quality." "Instead of planting several seeds of poor quality in one hole, one high-quality seed per hole leads to a better germination rate -- as high as 95 percent," said Li. The rising demand for high-yield crops has also spurred agricultural companies to increase R&D investment in high-quality seeds. Jinpeng invests as much as 6 million yuan each year to develop new seeds, accounting for a quarter of the company's annual sales revenue, said Li. "We prefer to buy famous seed brands that have higher germination rates and stronger disease resistance," said Ke Xiliang, a wheat farmer in Shaanxi. "Good-quality seeds are the guarantee of good agricultural products, which can be sold at a better price in the market." Chinese farmers are accelerating their exploration of intensive farming, said Dong Yongli, director of the R&D center of Shaanxi Weilong Agricultural Science and Technology Company. "This exploration will bring bright prospects for modern agricultural development in China," said Dong. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 22:47:16|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close The second plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's judicial and procuratorial organs have maintained high pressure against graft, as the numbers of both investigated public servants and convicted high-ranking officials set records. At a plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Friday, Chief Justice Zhou Qiang and Procurator-General Cao Jianming delivered work reports on the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) respectively, highlighting the anti-graft campaign progress over the past five years. Procurators investigated 254,419 people for suspected involvement in duty-related crimes from 2013 to 2017, up 16.4 percent compared with the previous five years, Cao said in the SPP report. Losses of over 55.3 billion yuan (8.7 billion U.S. dollars) were recovered from the concluded cases, he said. Among the investigated, 120 are former officials at the provincial and ministerial level or above. Prosecution proceedings were launched against 105 of them, said Cao. Graft cases involving 101 former officials at the provincial and ministerial level or above were concluded from 2013 to 2017, Zhou said in the SPC report. Chinese courts concluded 195,000 graft cases during the period, implicating 263,000 individuals. A total of 13,000 people were convicted of offering bribes, the report read. The case of Yang Xiuzhu, who was number one on the list of China's top 100 fugitives in an Interpol Red Notice, was heard during the period, said the chief justice. Yang, former vice mayor of Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, fled China in 2003 and surrendered to police in November 2016. She was sentenced to eight years in jail for embezzlement and taking bribes in October 2017. Chinese courts also investigated and punished 3,338 court staff members for abusing judicial and enforcement power. Cases involving 531 of them were transferred to the judicial organ. "Drawing a profound lesson from the case of Xi Xiaoming, we resolutely punished judicial corruption with zero-tolerance," Zhou said. Xi Xiaoming, former SPC vice president, was sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes worth over 100 million yuan in 2017. Since the 18th CPC National Congress held in November 2012, China has intensified measures to prevent and fight corruption, including disciplinary inspections and supervisory reform. Supervisory commissions at the provincial, prefectural and county levels have been formed to supervise all who exercise public power. The national supervisory commission is also expected to be established at the ongoing first session of the 13th NPC. Zhang Weiguo, an NPC deputy, said the record high number of convictions, including cases of those former high-ranking officials, have shown China's zero-tolerance for graft. "Judging from the anti-corruption achievements over the past five years, I am confident that we can secure an overwhelming victory against graft under the leadership of the CPC," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 22:57:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close ANKARA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's military has surrounded Syria's Afrin and is ready to enter the city "at any moment," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. "We have besieged Afrin. We can enter Afrin at any moment," Erdogan said as Turkish forces were just 6 km away from the city of Afrin. "Turkey will make sure the east of the Euphrates to the Iraqi border is cleansed of any terrorist group after operations in Syria," he said. A total of 3,171 terrorists have been neutralized in Afrin since the start of Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria, according to the Turkish president. Turkey's foreign minister said Thursday Turkish forces would complete the Afrin offensive by May and would carry out a joint operation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in Iraq with Baghdad. Turkey launched the operation on Jan. 20 to clear the People's Protection Units (YPG) , which Ankara considers a terror group affiliated to the PKK, from northwestern Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 22:57:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GENEVA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- There has been a marked increase in violent attacks on health care in Syria with 67 reported in the first two months of 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday. In February, a total of 43 incidents of violence against health care facilities, services and workers were reported, of which 39 were verified by external monitors and 4 are still being verified, said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier at a regular UN media briefing here. Citing figures released by the health cluster based in Gaziantep, Turkey, Lindmeier said those figures compared to 31 incidents in January, of which 28 were verified. He said WHO calls on all parties in Syria to immediately halt attacks on medical and humanitarian personnel, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities. "Every attack on health represents a loss that shatters families and communities and ripples through health systems," said Lindmeier. "Health workers and health facilities are not a target. It has to stop," he said, noting that medical facilities and medical personnel have special protection under International Humanitarian Law. In all, the 67 verified attacks on health facilities and workers in the first two months of this year amount to more than 50 percent of verified attacks in all of 2017, which totaled 112. Of February's verified incidents, 28 were in eastern Ghouta near Damascus, 10 in Idleb and 1 in Homs, said the WHO. The attacks targeted 20 hospitals, 16 health facilities, two ambulance stations and one medical supplies warehouse. These attacks resulted in the deaths of 19 people, among them four health workers. The attacks also left 28 people injured, 7 of them medical staff and their impact was "devastating." "In February, we can estimate that these attacks disrupted 15,000 medical consultations of people in desperate need of care and nearly 1,500 surgeries, many of which could have been life-saving," said Lindmeier. He said the calculation is based on the average services provided each month at the affected facilities. U.S. President Donald Trump gives out pens he used to sign presidential proclamations placing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to workers from the steel and aluminum industries at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS) WASHINGTON, March 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's newly enacted tariffs on steel and aluminum will likely prompt retaliation by trade partners and legal challenges at the World Trade Organization (WTO), putting the rule-based global trade system at risk, trade experts have said. POTENTIAL BACKLASH Despite mounting dissensions amid trading partners around the world, Trump on Thursday formally signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum, vowing to protect the U.S. steel and aluminum industry in the name of national security. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico, pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). "We're going to hold off the tariff on those two countries, to see whether or not we're able to make the deal on NAFTA," Trump said. While Trump argued that new tariffs would boost American steel and aluminum production, a centerpiece of Trump's 2016 campaign promise, trade experts and economists warned that such tariffs could backfire and ultimately hurt the U.S. economy. Past experience has shown that such tariffs will likely raise costs for American consumers, hurt American downstream industries that use metals, and cost thousands of jobs in other manufacturing and services sectors. "I hope that someone in the White House has read the history book," European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom said on Wednesday, referring to the negative consequences from a 2002 decision by the U.S. administration to impose safeguard tariffs on steel imports. That decision caused about 200,000 American job losses and was successfully challenged by a number of countries at the WTO, according to Clark Packard, trade policy counsel at the Washington-based think tank R Street Institute. In this file photo taken on April 12, 2016, a worker agitates molten steel during the smelting and casting process at the Saint-Gobain PAM factory in France. (Xinhua/AFP) A recent study by the Trade Partnership, a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm, estimated that Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum would result in a net loss of 146,000 U.S. jobs after accounting for positive impacts on U.S. steel and aluminum producers. "I disagree with this action and fear its unintended consequences," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement shortly after Trump's announcement of the tariffs, urging the administration to narrow its policy. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch expressed similar concerns about the proposed tariffs, saying "this is a tax hike on American manufacturers, workers and consumers." "Slapping aluminum and steel imports with tariffs of this magnitude is misguided. It undermines the benefits that the new tax law provides and runs counter to our goal of advancing pro-growth trade policies that will keep America competitive in the 21st century global economy," Hatch said in a statement. RISE OF TRADE TENSIONS Major Asian countries on Friday reacted sharply to the U.S. decision on steel and aluminum tariffs, raising the prospect of escalating trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners. China said it firmly opposed such tariffs and the U.S. move would seriously undermine the international trade order. South Korea said it may file a complaint with the WTO, while Japan said the U.S. measures could "make a significant impact" on the economic and cooperative relationship between the two countries. An Afghan man works at a local aluminum factory in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Rahman Safi) Malmstrom said Thursday night that the EU should be excluded from these tariffs and she would seek clarification from the United States on the issue "in the days to come." The EU has prepared a list of U.S. products, including agricultural products and consumer goods, to "rebalance" any economic damages the bloc suffers if the United States does not exclude it from the proposed tariffs, said Malmstrom. "I think it's important to wait and see how this develops. If the tariffs are instituted, then countries are likely to retaliate and appeal to the WTO," Howard Shatz, a senior economist at the RAND Corporation, told Xinhua. U.S. officials and farmers have expressed concerns about potential retaliation against American agricultural exports. In an open letter to Trump on Wednesday, all six congressional lawmakers from the U.S. agricultural state of Iowa warned that the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum "could set into motion a chain of retaliatory measures, hurting Iowans from the family farm to the family-owned manufacturing plant." "As farmers have already faced several years of low commodity prices, any hit to demand would be devastating to their financial situations," the letter said. UNDERMINING GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM While U.S. trade partners can challenge the U.S. action at the WTO, the settlement, whether it favors America's trade partners or not, could push the WTO into a lose-lose situation, undermining the global trade system, said Chad Bown, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. In this file photo taken on June 01, 2016, an Indian truck driver talks into his phone as he waits to offload steel pipes at an industrial area in Mumbai. (Xinhua/AFP) If the United States loses the case, it might react by ignoring the legal ruling, undermining the WTO, or withdrawing from the WTO, he said. If the country wins the case, it will open the door for all countries to invoke the national security exception to justify broad-based import restrictions, Bown added. "When we lose that moral high ground, we started opening up that Pandora's box, or when we provide the WTO as the adjudicator of what's in our national security, it's a very dangerous situation," said Michael Froman, former U.S. trade representative in the (Barack) Obama administration, warning that's a way of "bringing the WTO to a moment of crisis." Wang Hejun, a senior official at China's Ministry of Commerce, also said abuse of the clauses on the national security exception by the United States would damage the WTO, urging Washington to respect the multilateral trade system and revoke the policy as soon as possible. "The root cause of the problem in the steel and aluminum sector is global overcapacity ... this can only be addressed by cooperation, getting to the source of the problem and working together," said Malmstrom. "What is clear is that turning inward is not the answer. Protectionism cannot be the answer, it never is," she added. MONROVIA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Liberian authorities on Friday confirmed three more deaths from Lassa fever, a disease endemic in several west African countries. The deaths were recorded from the counties of Montserrado and Nimba, the ministry of health said. Liberia has confirmed a total of 12 deaths so far, out of a total of 28 cases of Lassa fever since the beginning of the year. Tolbert Nyenswah, head of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, told reporters that county's health teams have embarked on contact tracing on both healthcare workers and community members who came in contact with the deceased during their symptomatic period. Nyenswah said a total of 134 contacts have been identified and are currently being traced. Only three counties have been affected by Lassa fever in Liberia, which has a total of 15 counties. Humans usually become infected with the Lassa virus from exposure to urine or feces of infected mastomys rats. Other than common preventive measures such as washing hands regularly, the World Health Organization has recommended keeping cats. MOSCOW, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and five others injured after a minibus crashed into a truck in Russia's far eastern region of Yakutia on Friday. The minibus was carrying 12 people when it hit a truck that parked on a federal highway, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a source in the local emergency service. "At first, there were only nine people injured. Unfortunately, four of them died," the source said. The cause of the accident is being investigated. ISLAMABAD, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Taliban on Friday confirmed that a U.S. strike in Afghanistan's border region has killed son of the group's chief Maulvi Fazalullah. Pakistani intelligence officials had earlier said that an U.S. pilotless aircraft fired missiles on a camp of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province and killed 21 militants. "An American drone struck a religious school along the Pak-Afghan border on March 7, 2018," said a Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) statement that was emailed to the local media. The statement said the attack killed Abdullah, 17-year son of the TTP chief and 20 other students and teachers. Pakistani intelligence officials said on Thursday that the U.S. drone fired two missiles on the militants of in Shaltan area of Kunar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday morning. Senior TTP commander Yasin was also among those killed. He was the teacher of the suicide bombers, according to a Taliban source. They said the drone struck the camp of suicide bombers when they were busy in physical training in the rugged mountainous region, bordering Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region. Pakistani officials have long been saying that members of the TTP and other Pakistani groups have fled to Afghanistan following major military operations in the country's tribal regions and Swat Valley in the northwest. Intelligence officials said that those killed in Wednesday's strike belonged to different areas of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. BRUSSELS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The European Union is ready to take the United States to the World Trade Organization (WTO) court if the U.S. imposes higher steel and aluminum import tariffs, European Commission vice-president Jyrki Katainen said here Friday. "We are looking at the option to be excluded from those higher tariffs. We also will continue our preparatory work on potential re-balancing measures, hoping that we are not forced to use them," Katainen told a news conference in Brussels. "... if the worst scenario happens, we are ready to take the U.S. to the WTO court. We are discussing with other allies, other partners to do it together," the EC vice-president said. U.S. President Donald Trump signed proclamations on steel and aluminum tariffs amid global dissent on Thursday. With this move, the United States will impose a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum imports. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days with initial exemptions for Canada and Mexico pending the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The EU has said it has prepared a list of products including orange juice, bourbon, cranberries, peanut butter etc, on which it will impose reciprocal tariffs if needed. "We expect that the whole EU is treated as a trading block which we are. All the countries are in a similar position. We cannot accept that the EU is divided into different categories," he added. EC trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, and their Japanese counterpart are scheduled to hold a trilateral meeting on Saturday in Brussels. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 23:32:29|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close People carry the body of Mohammed Ja'barai during his funeral in the West Bank city of Hebron, on March 9, 2018. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in an e-mailed press statement that Mohamed Ja'barai, 24, was shot by Israeli soldiers in the chest during clashes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and died later in hospital Friday. (Xinhua/Mamoun Wazwaz) RAMALLAH, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man died of his wounds suffered during clashes with Israeli soldiers on Friday afternoon in the West Bank, local medics said. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in an e-mailed press statement that Mohamed Ja'barai, 24, was shot by Israeli soldiers in the chest during clashes in the the southern West Bank city of Hebron and died later in hospital. Clashes broke out Friday afternoon in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli soldiers, after calls made by various Palestinian factions. Medics in the two regions said 10 Palestinians were injured, while dozens were treated in the field for inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers to disperse young stone throwers. The demonstrations have been organized every Friday since U.S. President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and decided to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed holy city on Dec. 6. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 23:42:32|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Zhou Xiaochuan, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), answers questions at a press conference on financial reform and development on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 9, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xin) BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- It has been ten years since a global financial crisis swept the world's major economies. While a global recovery is finally underway, the world's second largest economy is staying alert against systemic financial risks. As one of China's "three tough battles" for the next three years, forestalling systemic risks is being heatedly discussed by the country's lawmakers and political advisors at the ongoing annual legislative and political advisory sessions. China will deepen institutional reform in the financial sector and improve its financial regulatory system to defuse financial risks, they said. Institutional reform in the financial sector is underway, and deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) will discuss deepening reform in financial institutions in the following days, said Zhou Xiaochuan, China's central bank governor, on the sidelines of the NPC session. The central bank will play an important role in financial supervision in China, Zhou said, adding that loopholes in the financial regulatory system need to be closed, flaws in regulations need to be corrected and all risks that have already appeared need to be handled immediately, so as to maintain the health of the financial system. He added that the central bank would take the lead in coordination among supervision institutions. "China has entered a stage of stabilizing the leverage ratio and is gradually reducing it," Zhou said, noting that China is likely to reduce reliance on wide capital support for economic growth as the country seeks high-quality development. China's Finance Minister Xiao Jie said earlier this week that he is confident of fully forestalling systemic risks. The country's debt-to-GDP ratio had decreased to 36.2 percent by the end of 2017 from 36.7 percent in 2016, far below the international alert line of 60 percent, according to Xiao. The ratio is also relatively low compared with the levels of major economies and emerging countries, the minister said, who expects "no significant change" in the ratio in the coming years. The Chinese government has placed high attention on the management of government debt and is firm in cracking down on irregularities in financing activities, he said. Nearly 100 people were held responsible for misconduct and irregularities related to local government debt in 2017. The banking regulators imposed a fine of 52.5 million yuan on 19 banking institutions over a pledge loan fraud case in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, and 295 million yuan on 12 banks over a bill fraud case in northwest China's Gansu Province, the China Banking Regulatory Commission announced in January and February. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday expressed strong confidence in the nation's economy and its ability to prevent systemic risks. The country will strengthen coordination in financial regulation, improve regulation over shadow banking, internet finance, and financial holding companies, and further improve financial regulation, Li said, stressing that all forms of borrowing and debt underwriting that violate the law and regulations are strictly prohibited. Chen Jing, an NPC deputy from Shanghai, said he would make a suggestion focusing on deepening reform in the financial sector. He also called for more cooperation between financial supervision institutions, public security departments, procuratorates, courts, and local governments to strengthen cooperation in forestalling financial risks. Deputy Zhang Zhaoan, who is also vice president of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, suggested that more regulatory technology should be applied in government financial regulation. Technology like machine learning, big data, and cloud computing could be very helpful for the government and financial institutions in updating regulatory measures, said Zhang. HELSINKI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Moroccan man, accused of killing two and injuring eight others in Turku, Finland in August last year, was in normal mental condition when committing the crimes, local media reported on Friday. Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) concluded that Abderrahman Bouanane, the 23-year-old suspect of the alleged terror attack, should be criminally responsible for his actions, said the media reports. THL submitted its appraisal to the Southwest Finland District Court on Tuesday. The court ordered the psychiatric assessment last October, saying that the accused had requested the evaluation. In early February, Finnish police revealed details of its investigation, concluding that Bouanane had acted alone. At the end of last month, Finnish prosecutors announced the charges for Bouanane, saying that he would be charged on two counts of murder with terrorist intent and eight counts of attempted murder with terrorist intent. Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported that a preliminary hearing will take place on March 20. Jussi Tapani, professor of criminal law at the University of Turku, told Yle that the prosecutors might demand the most severe punishment for the accused. "In practice, this means requiring a life sentence for punishment," said Tapani. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-09 23:52:37|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to a face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) "at a place and time yet to be determined," said the White House in a statement Thursday. Trump could be the first sitting U.S. president to meet the DPRK's top leader, which observers say would be a big step toward resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. However, analysts say that the final settlement of the nuclear issue has a long way to go, as risks and uncertainties still linger on the Korean Peninsula. POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT NOT BEYOND EXPECTATION The White House's announcement came in response to an invitation relayed by South Korea's top national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, who briefed Trump and other U.S. officials on Chung's recent meeting with Kim in Pyongyang. Chung said in a statement that he told Trump about Kim's eagerness to meet the U.S. president as soon as possible, and Trump told Chung that he would meet the DPRK leader before May. Kim also agreed to refrain from conducting further nuclear or missile tests during this period, Chung added. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, while confirming Trump's acceptance of Kim's invitation, emphasized that "all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain" in the meantime. Signs of a thaw on the Korean Peninsula emerged earlier this year since working-level talks between the two Koreas were held at the truce village of Panmunjom and the DPRK participated in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In addition, the two Koreas agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit in late April. Observers say the recent positive momentum on the Korean Peninsula is not beyond expectation. During the Olympics, the DPRK suspended missile tests, while at the same time, the United States and South Korea postponed their joint military drill till April. China's suspension-for-suspension proposal has proven to be a right prescription for the problem in creating the basic conditions needed for improving inter-Korea relations. The DPRK has reason to believe that it's the right time to actively resolve the issue as the South Korean government has recently mediated between the DPRK and the United States, and the U.S. side will face mid-term elections soon, said Kim Yong Hyun, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. Analysts say the DPRK's passing of an "olive branch" to the United States reveals its intention to relieve its isolation in the international community and to ease domestic economic difficulties caused by sanctions. Although the United States has not given up military measures to solve the issue, peaceful means of dialogue remain the top option, said Gao Haorong, a researcher at the Center for World Studies of Xinhua News Agency. "On the one hand, the U.S. sanctions and pressure policies cannot play an effective role till now so they need to find another solution. One the other hand, the DPRK has basically met the U.S. requirements for dialogue, that is, to express the willingness of denuclearization," Gao said. UNCERTAINTIES REMAIN Uncertainties remain whether the leaders of the DPRK and the United States can finally meet each other in May. Analysts say that the two sides need to initiate working-level consultations at first. If their positions are too divergent to see eye to eye, the face-to-face meeting may not be held as scheduled. "If real negotiations result in verifiable arrangements aimed at the elimination of nuclear weapons programs in the DPRK and an end to the further development of long-range ballistic missiles, the principle source of tensions and hostility between the DPRK and the United States and the rest of the world will also be eliminated," said Robert Callucci, chief U.S. negotiator with the DPRK during the nuclear crisis of 1994. Zheng Jiyong, director of the Center for Korean Studies at China's Fudan University, said that even though the planned DPRK-U.S. direct dialogue can ease the tension on the Korean Peninsula, it is only the first step toward the final solution of the nuclear issue. The core issue of nuclear abandonment remains a daunting task. Despite the uncertainties, the United States should seize its diplomatic initiative to engage in dialogue with the DPRK in a clear and direct manner to reduce the possibility of misjudgment, said the Brookings Institution's Ryan Hass, a former security advisor under the Obama administration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 00:07:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Bayern Munich and Joshua Kimmich have agreed on a contract extension, the German record champions confirmed in a statement via the club's official homepage on Friday. Kimmich extended his contract, stipulated until June 2020, ahead of schedule as the all-rounder has penned a three-year extension to stay with the Bundesliga giants until summer 2023. "Joshua has become a key player of our team for the past two and a half years. Therefore, we are very happy that we were able to bind him in the long term," Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. The 23-year-old Germany international joined the "Bavarians" from Leipzig in July 2015 to make 109 competitive encounters. He provided 13 goals and 11 assists since his arrival. "I am very happy to extend my contract so early. This shows that the club and those responsible trust me and see me as an important element for the long-term success of Bayern. That makes me proud," Kimmich said. Since wearing Bayern's jersey, Kimmich lifted the German double in 2016 and the Bundesliga title in 2017. His performances in the Bundesliga earned him a spot in Germany's national team where he scored three goals in 25 caps. Bayern Munich sit currently atop the standings of the Bundesliga standings with a 20-point advantage to runner up Schalke. The front-runners clash with relegation threatened Hamburg at the 26th round in Bundesliga on Saturday. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 00:07:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close Beirut, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Friday urged the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Henrietta Fore to address the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon "in a bid to alleviate their sufferings." "The Syrian children who were born in Lebanon since the beginning of the Syrian war back in 2011 are now seven years old. They are living in difficult health, social, and educational conditions, despite the care that Lebanon provides to them and their families," Aoun told Fore according to the National News Agency (NNA). The Lebanese state has suffered heavy losses in educational and social infrastructure, which has negatively affected state allocations in service of Lebanese children, not to mention the post-graduation sufferings of the Lebanese youth who suffer unemployment due to the high number of Syrian workers in the Lebanese job market, the president said. The president said the United Nations and its organizations should take into account the dangers that might affect neighboring countries when addressing the crises of other countries. Fore for her part hailed the Lebanese efforts to host Syrian refugees. "The Lebanese are worthy of international support. UNICEF will be a strong voice in support of Lebanon and will make sure to defend its rights," Fore said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 00:12:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian aid convoys left the Syria's Eastern Ghouta area on Friday afternoon after delivering the aid shipment, the Red Cross spokesperson told Xinhua. The 13 truckloads of aid that entered the rebel-held Douma district in the Eastern Ghouta countryside east of Damascus have unloaded the shipment, according to Inji Sedky, the spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The trucks included 2,400 food parcels and 3,240 wheat flour bags. The 13 truckloads are part of the former 46 trucks that entered Douma a few days before but couldn't be unloaded at the time due to the situation on the ground, Sedky said. At the time, activists said the 13 truckloads had to leave Douma due to government shelling, while the government said the rebels shelling hindered the full offload of the remaining trucks before they prepared again to enter Douma on Friday. Meanwhile, the state TV in Syria said the rebels in Eastern Ghouta on Friday fired at the humanitarian corridor in the Wafidin area in northeastern Damascus, the same corridor the humanitarian convoy took to enter into Douma, while opposition activists said the Syrian shelling targeted Douma as the aid convoys were entering. Also, the TV said that rebels and their families are expected to leave Eastern Ghouta through the Wafidin corridor, without giving further details. The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation in that region, where activists said over 800 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta. The Syrian army has captured 52 percent of Eastern Ghouta in recent days, as part of an ongoing wide-scale offensive to dislodge the rebels from that key area on the eastern rim of Damascus. Suspected Taliban militants stand handcuffed in Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2017. Afghan security personnel captured 13 suspected Taliban militants during an operation in Nangarhar province, a local official said. (Xinhua/Rahman Safi) UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy for Afghanistan on Thursday urged the Taliban to engage in peace talks with the government since the latter has offered talks without preconditions. Afghanistan successfully hosted the second conference of the Kabul Process, at which all participants have endorsed the call for direct talks between the government and the Taliban without preconditions, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, told the Security Council. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has laid out a path for negotiations with a series of concrete proposals to create space for the opening of talks, said Yamamoto. "The offer of negotiation is on the table. It is now incumbent upon the Taliban to come forward with an offer of their own and start direct talks with the government to put an end to the suffering of the Afghan people." Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2017 shows Afghan security force members at the site of Talibanattack in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. Up to nine police personnel were killed as Taliban militants stormed security checkpoints in Khashik and Shahbaz neighborhoods outside Ghazni city, the capital of eastern Ghazni province, spokesman for provincial government Arif Nuri said. (Xinhua/Stringer) The Taliban's argument that they will not talk to the Afghan government because the conflict is not between Afghan parties misrepresents the reality that tens of thousands of Afghan people are killed and maimed every year in direct confrontations between the Taliban and the government forces, he said. Yamamoto stressed the importance of national unity. "National unity provides the only basis for the continuation of international support for Afghanistan, and for the implementation of effective reforms." Suspected Talibanmilitants stand handcuffed in Jalalabad city, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2017. Afghan security personnel captured 13 suspected Taliban militants during an operation in Nangarhar province, a local official said. (Xinhua/Rahman Safi) "When looking at the recent domestic political developments, I am compelled to express my concern about some actions which could deepen divisions in society," he said. Yamamoto warns that parliamentary elections might be delayed beyond the current July 2018 date despite progress on voter registration preparations. But the elections could still be held within this year as long as preparations are not delayed and voter registration begins on schedule in April, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 00:17:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on Friday discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral relations via phone. Speaking by telephone, Xi told Trump that he appreciates the U.S. president's desire to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue politically, hoping that the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will start dialogue as soon as possible and strive for positive results. Xi added that he hopes all parties concerned will show goodwill and avoid doing anything which might affect or interfere with the improving situation on the peninsula, calling on them to maintain the positive momentum on the Korean Peninsula issue. Xi also told Trump that China and the United States should focus on cooperation, control differences, promote win-win economic cooperation, and push for new advancement of bilateral relations in the new year. WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The planned meeting between the leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) raised likelihood to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, a positive signal welcomed by the parties concerned, while some experts still remain cautious about the prospect. The White House confirmed Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the DPRK, in a couple of months at the invitation of Kim. Kim, in an earlier meeting with a South Korean delegation to Pyongyang, has also pledged the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and to suspend nuclear or missile test, said visiting South Korean envoy Chung Eui-yong at the White House. PLEDGE OF DENUCLEARIZATION Kim said the DPRK "will refrain from any further nuclear or missile test," Chung, South Korea's top national security adviser, told reporters at the White House after briefing Trump on the outcome of his meeting with Kim. Kim was also committed to the denuclearization, Chung added. In his speech, Chung said "he (Kim) expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." "Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," the South Korean envoy added. The White House later confirmed that Trump has accepted the invitation to meet with the DPRK's leader in "a couple of months." Trump himself expressed optimism about the message from Pyongyang. "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" he tweeted. Washington has been pushing forward its "maximum pressure" campaign against Pyongyang mainly through economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Chung also noted that Kim said he "understands that the routine joint -military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue." Signs of further detente on the Korean Peninsula have been detected as the DPRK made a tension-easing gesture during the two-day visit by the high-level South Korean delegation. Kim, for the first time since he assumed power, personally hosted a dinner for the South Korean delegation. POSITIVE SIGNAL China welcomed the positive news on direct dialogue released by the United States and the DPRK, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Friday. Geng said it is a step in the right direction for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and China fully commends and supports the efforts made by the parties concerned to solve the issue through dialogue and consultation. To return the peninsula to peace and stability and the nuclear issue to the track of dialogue, these initial steps must be followed up with corresponding and concerted efforts by the parties, Geng said. China's suspension-for-suspension proposal has proven to be a right prescription for the problem in creating the basic conditions needed for improving inter-Korea relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said earlier. Moscow also welcomed the possible meeting as it is needed for the settlement of the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday. "It shouldn't end up with a talk only, but pave the way to a comprehensive political dialogue aimed at the settlement of nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula based on the principles approved at the six-party talks and in the UN Security Council," Lavrov said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday that the agreed-upon summit between Trump and Kim will become a "historic milestone" for peace on the Korean Peninsula. "The two leaders' meeting following the inter-Korean summit will put the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula finally on track and will be remembered as a historic milestone which will contribute to achieving peace on the peninsula in the future," said Moon. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday also hailed the "change" in the DPRK's stance, saying that the shift was evident in its decision to "begin dialogue on the basis that it will denuclearize." BETTER TO TALK If the arrangement goes smoothly, Trump will be the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a DPRK leader. Given the past history of the talks between Washington and Pyongyang as well as the exchanges of words of insults between Trump and Kim over the past year, hope has been raised about the planned meeting amid caution or even skepticism. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham believed that the United States now has "the best hope in decades to resolve this threat peacefully." "Expectations should be low and history demonstrates that skepticism and careful diplomatic work are necessary, but it is better to be talking about peace than recklessly ramping up for a war," tweeted Senator Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat. Senator Edward Markey reminded Trump that the meeting will just be "the beginning of talks between the nations, not a conclusion." "The president must abandon his penchant for unscripted remarks and bombastic rhetoric to avoid derailing this significant opportunity for progress," said the long-standing nuclear-disarmament advocate in a statement. "And if the talks between the two leaders do not go well, it is not an excuse to justify military action for a situation that has no military solution," Markey added. Daniel Morgan, a U.S. Army fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank, said the U.S. military is a "war-ready force," but the optimal U.S. strategy with regard to Pyongyang would emphasize diplomacy and the long-term goal of denuclearization. ADDIS ABABA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia on Friday expressed its strong support for Africa's aspiration to get more representation at the United Nations Security Council. "The most important priority is to expand the representation of the developing region of the world, Africa included," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who met with African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, in Addis Ababa. "Russia consistently assumed that there is a need to reform the Security Council," Lavrov said in a joint press conference with Mahamat at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. Lavrov said Russia is "willing to consider any option" to raise the representation of developing countries at the Security Council, noting that the developed countries are not under-represented at the council. Russia does not think it possible to expand the UN Security Council "if this package does not include the issue of the African representations too," he said. Lavrov said Africa's representation will introduce an additional value to the UN Security Council's reform agenda. In 2005, Africa established a united position on UN reform, calling for the inclusion of two permanent and five non-permanent seats for African countries on the UN Security Council and extension of veto powers (should they remain) to new permanent members. ADDIS ABABA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia and Russia agreed on Friday to boost cooperation in nuclear energy during a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Speaking to local and international media, Lavrov said Russia will assist Ethiopia's nuclear energy ambitions as part of efforts to strengthen political, economic and cultural ties between the two nations. "Right now, talks are ongoing on establishing a nuclear research center based on already existing Russian-designed research reactors," he said. "The work is progressing in a good pace and there are no significant delays," Lavrov said. "It's also going to be accelerated even further once the necessary intergovernmental agreements that need to be signed are ratified." Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu, for his part, said Ethiopia sees development of nuclear energy as part of its energy security plan. "We agreed and we're proceeding to work on nuclear energy for peaceful purpose," he said. Ethiopia is undertaking an ambitious energy development project to increase its installed electricity capacity from the current 4,200 MW to 37,000 MW by 2037 through development of hydro, geothermal, nuclear, solar and wind energy projects. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 00:42:47|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with King Felipe VI of Spain on Friday to mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In his message, Xi pointed out the traditional friendship between China and Spain, saying that the two sides have always respected each other's core interests and major concerns. Since the establishment of China-Spain diplomatic ties 45 years ago, political mutual trust between the two countries have deepened continuously and mutually beneficial cooperation yielded fruitful results. Xi noted that China attaches great importance to developing its relations with Spain and would like to take the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as a new start to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. He hoped both sides would join hands to push for closer high-level contact, promote practical cooperation at multiple levels, and deepen the traditional friendship to further benefit the two countries and peoples. In his message, the Spanish king extended sincere congratulations and best wishes to the Chinese people. He added that Spain is willing to make joint efforts with China to push for continuous development of friendly cooperative relations between the two countries. Also on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy exchanged congratulations on the event. MOGADISHU, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's newly established telecom regulator on Friday took full control of the country's top-level internet domain (dotSO). The National Communications Authority (NCA) took control of the domain from the Somali National Information Center (SONIC) and Cloudy Registry, who ran the operations and the management of the domain Registry. "Effective immediately SONIC will become a functional unit within the NCA and its technical operations personnel will report to the NCA management," the minister of Posts and Telecommunication Technology Abdi Ashur Hassan said in a statement. "This is an important milestone for the ICT industry in Somalia and another achievement for the ministry on the heels of the passage of the Communication Law and the establishment of the regulatory authority," he added. The NCA has inked a deal with Cloud Registry, which provides registry and hosting services to the DotSO Domain. The agreement establishes a contractual relationship between the NCA and Cloud Registry. "DotSO is a national asset and the 2017 Communication Law charges the NCA with its stewardship," Abdi Sheik Ahmed, NCA general manager, said, adding that the domain will be managed in the interest of the public and the internet community. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 01:07:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) was flat on Friday as the Kenyan president and opposition met to break a political stalemate. President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga addressed a joint press conference on Friday, saying they would work to unite the country. Turnover stood at 9.8 million U.S. dollars on a volume of 30 million shares, from 9.9 million dollars on a volume of 29 million shares on Thursday. The NSE 20 Share Index rose marginally to 3,720.21, from Thursday's 3,719.86, while the NSE All Share Index (NASI) stood at 180.60 points, down from 181.27. The NSE 25 index fell to 4609.43, from 4,614.33. Safaricom moved 18.7 million shares to end as the top traded stock, followed by Cooperative Bank, Barclays Bank, Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank, which moved around 2.1 million, 2 million, 1.4 million, and 986,900 shares respectively. Market capitalization, which measures shareholders' wealth, was also unmoved, staying at 26.2 billion dollars. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 01:27:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close GENEVA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the UN said they had delivered urgently-needed aid in Syria on Friday despite ongoing fighting extremely close to the humanitarian convoy. ICRC, SARC and UN teams in Eastern Ghouta delivered 2,400 food parcels that can sustain 12,000 people for one month, as well as 3,248 bags of flour, the ICRC said in a statement. The delivery was part of a convoy that could not be fully unloaded on March 5 due to the security situation, said the Red Cross. "We were taken aback by the fighting that broke out, despite guarantees from the parties involved in this conflict that humanitarians could enter Douma, in Eastern Ghouta," said Robert Mardini, ICRC's regional director for the Near and Middle East. He said that as more aid is needed in the coming days, it is critical that such assurances be renewed and respected in the future. "Aid workers should not have to risk their lives to deliver assistance. The security of humanitarian workers, as well as that of civilians, must be guaranteed at all times," said Mardini. Separately UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Friday that the relentless suffering of Syrian civilians "marks a shameful failure of political will and a new low in Syria's long-running conflict" He noted that this month the conflict marks "a depressing seventh anniversary." Grandi said, "This seven-year war has left a colossal human tragedy in its wake. For the sake of the living, it is high time to end this devastating conflict. There are no clear winners in this senseless pursuit of a military solution. But the losers are plain to see -- they are the people of Syria." UNHCR said seven years of fighting have cost hundreds of thousands of lives, driven 6.1 million people from their homes inside Syria, and forced 5.6 million refugees to seek safety in neighboring countries in the region. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 01:38:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on Friday discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral relations via phone. The phone conversation came after Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at Kim's invitation "to achieve permanent denuclearization," according to Chung Eui-yong, South Korea's top national security adviser, who had briefed Trump on the outcome of a South Korean delegation's meeting with Kim earlier this week. KOREAN PENINSULA ISSUE Speaking by telephone, Xi told Trump that he appreciates the U.S. president's desire to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue politically, hoping that the United States and the DPRK will start dialogue as soon as possible and strive for positive results. Xi added that he hopes all parties concerned will show goodwill and avoid doing anything which might affect or interfere with the improving situation on the peninsula, calling on them to maintain the positive momentum on the Korean Peninsula issue. Xi also told Trump that China and the United States should focus on cooperation, control differences, promote win-win economic cooperation, and push for new advancement of bilateral relations in the new year. Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Trump said the nuclear issue has shown positive development recently, adding that a high-level meeting between the United States and the DPRK meets the interests of all parties, hoping for an eventually peaceful solution to the nuclear issue. It has been proved that President Xi is right to insist on a dialogue between the United States and the DPRK, Trump said, adding that the U.S. side highly appreciates and values China's significant role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China over the issue, Trump said. Xi pointed out that China remains persistent in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks. At present, the positive changes in the situation on the Korean Peninsula are conducive to putting the denuclearization process back on the right track of settlement through dialogue, which is also in line with the direction set by UN Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK, Xi said. "I believe that as long as all parties adhere to the general direction of political and diplomatic settlement, we will surely push forward the Korean Peninsula issue in the direction that the international community has been looking forward to," Xi said. CHINA-U.S. TIES The two heads of state also exchanged views on China-U.S. ties. Xi said he has been in close contact with Trump since the beginning of this year and they both agreed that the two sides should seize every minute to promote wide-range cooperation and dialogue to maintain a healthy and stable development prospects for China-U.S. relations. Xi hoped that with the joint efforts and on the basis of mutual respect and benefit, China and the United States will focus on cooperation, control differences, promote win-win economic cooperation, and push for new advancement of bilateral relations in the new year. Trump congratulated China on the successful holding of the annual political meetings, known as the "Two Sessions" -- the first session of the 13th National People's Congress and the first session of the National Committee of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Trump said maintaining close ties between the two leaders is very important for the development of U.S.-China relations. The U.S. side attaches great importance to bilateral relations and cooperation, and is willing to make joint efforts with China to push forward U.S.-China ties. Xi thanked Trump's wishes and pointed out that the successful holding of the two annual sessions will provide an active impetus for the development of China, as well as its relations with other countries including the United States. SPRING THAW ON PENINSULA Signs of a thaw on the Korean Peninsula emerged earlier this year since working-level talks between the two Koreas were held at the truce village of Panmunjom and the DPRK participated in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In addition, the two Koreas agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit in late April. During the Olympics, the DPRK suspended missile tests, while the United States and South Korea postponed their joint military drill till April. China's suspension-for-suspension proposal has proven to be a right prescription for the problem in creating the basic conditions needed for improving inter-Korea relations. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday through his spokesman that the summit will be recorded as a historic milestone in the future, which created peace on the peninsula, according to the Blue House. If Trump and Kim meet after the South-North summit, "the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will go into a full orbit," said Moon. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 01:38:01|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli central bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation with New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), said a statement issued by the Bank of Israel (BOI) Thursday. The MoU enhances cooperation between the BOI and the DFS, including exchange of information and assistance on supervisory matters, said the statement. The statement added that the agreement sets out a process for the transfer of information between the supervisory authorities. The agreement also sets out cooperation and information sharing on suspicions of money laundering or terrorism financing, noted the statement. "The Israeli economy, including the banking system, is greatly affected by the global economy, and it is very important to maintain international professional dialogue and cooperation," said Hedva Ber, supervisor of banks at the BOI. "We derive great benefit from our close working relationships with major supervisory authorities around the world, and we view the professional esteem for the Banking Supervision Department in Israel as an important asset," said Ber. "As one of the most dynamic and interconnected financial capitals of the world, New York serves consumers and regulated entities best when it is working and sharing regulatory knowledge with fellow supervisory authorities," said Maria T. Vullo, financial services superintendent at the DFS. "Sustained success in global banking depends on international collaboration and effective supervision to safeguard our financial markets," said Vullo. This MoU comes in addition to previous memoranda between the BOI and supervisory authorities around the world in recent years, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the United States, and the Reserve Bank of India, said the statement. JUBA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN senior relief official in South Sudan on Friday called for urgent action to help avert a worsening food crisis in the world's youngest nation. Alain Noudehou, the UN humanitarian coordinator, said although a famine was stopped due to intensive humanitarian intervention, the situation remains fragile, with about 85 percent of the population predicted to reach crisis and emergency food insecurity conditions by the end of April. "Due to seasonal time pressure, we need early funding now to reach millions of people with multi-sectoral assistance during the dry season through road transport and prepositioning of life-saving aid supplies," Noudehou said in a statement issued in Juba. "These same activities will be many times more costly if done by air transport during the rainy season," Noudehou added. He was speaking after leading a high-level delegation of donors, heads of humanitarian agencies and partners to Leer, in the Unity region of South Sudan, to see first-hand the plight of the 90,000 people living in the area. The delegation met with the governor of Leer, community leaders and aid agencies operating in the region. Leer was one of two counties affected by famine in 2017. According to the UN, at least 4.3 million people have been displaced, including more than 1.8 million who are internally displaced and about 2.5 million who are in neighboring countries. "Once again, I strongly urge all parties to the conflict to stop the fighting and to ensure that humanitarian agencies are given free, safe and unhindered access to all areas of South Sudan, and for all bureaucratic impediments to be removed," said Noudehou. A recent report analyzing food security in the conflict-affected country projected that more than seven million people -- almost two-thirds of the population of South Sudan -- could become severely food insecure between May and July without sustained humanitarian assistance and access. Civilians across South Sudan are continuing to suffer from hunger, disease and displacement with the conflict now in its fifth year. VILNIUS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Three Baltic States and Poland are set to increase their cooperation in the area of common energy, infrastructure projects and strengthening of defense capacities, the prime ministers of the four countries stated on Friday. The Baltic Council of Ministers, an institution of trilateral intergovernmental cooperation established in 1994, took place in the Lithuanian capital on Friday with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. "I am delighted with the close cooperation between the Baltic States and Poland. We are happy to have achieved a breakthrough in many fields," Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis told reporters at a joint press conference. The prime ministers focused on joint regional energy projects such as the LitPol energy link, the Baltic gas connection with Poland and Rail Baltica project. "We try to develop joint energy projects which lead to synchronization of power system and increase of trade in terms of gas transport," Morawiecki said. Lithuania is a "strategic partner" for Poland, he underscored. "Synchronization with continental European networks is a great example of the consistent cooperation between our countries," Skvernelis added. Latvia's Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis and Estonian Prime Minister Juris Ratas also took part in the meeting which was the third meeting of Baltic prime ministers in less than a year. The heads of government discussed the challenges of combining positions on the EU's new multiannual financial framework and regional security issues. NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Kenya on Friday evening for a three-day official visit amid tight security in the capital, Nairobi, and its environs. Tillerson is expected to hold several meetings in the country, including meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta on topics such as trade, global terrorism and emerging issues after the 2017 general elections. "In Kenya, Secretary Tillerson will meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta and other government officials. Tillerson will focus on continued support for the democratic process in Kenya, refugee issues, and press freedom," the U.S. embassy said in a brief statement issued before the top diplomat's arrival in Nairobi. Tillerson's Africa visit includes Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Nigeria. On Wednesday, he flew to Ethiopia at the start of his first diplomatic trip to the continent. LONDON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday published his strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, and the misogynistic attitudes that allow these crimes to continue in the British capital, as he promises a record 44 million British pounds (61.03 million U.S. dollars) investment up to 2020. The mayor urged Londoners "to call out sexist and misogynistic attitudes" in his efforts to tackle crimes such as rape, harassment and female genital mutilation (FGM). More funding will be made available for programs including a new Stalking Threat Assessment Center and a project to rehabilitate perpetrators. An extra 13 million British pounds will go into sexual violence services. Domestic violence services will get a boost of five million pounds, some 6.93 million U.S. dollars. The mayor's new wide-ranging strategy follows the biggest in-depth consultation with survivors as well as Londoners, police and partners. It includes measures to tackle rape, sexual assault, FGM, trafficking, controlling behavior, forced marriages, stalking, harassment and misogyny, building on the recent international #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns. Latest crime figures showed that on average, 11 women and girls are raped or sexually assaulted in each of the British capital's 32 boroughs every single week, while domestic abuse accounts for a tenth of all crimes reported to the Metropolitan police. "My new strategy puts forward a comprehensive package of measures to intervene and prevent violence against women and girls, to tackle dangerous individuals who pose a risk in our communities, and to improve services for victims who have already suffered so much," said the mayor. The new plan for a safer city for women and girls includes prevention, tackling perpetrators and protection of victims. The prevention efforts cover a wide-ranging program to improve safety in public spaces at all times of day and night including a new Women's Night Safety Charter, partnership to tackle unwanted sexual behavior on the transport network and a new campaign to tackle attitudes of everyday sexism and misogyny. Efforts will be also made to work with partners across London to gain accreditation to the UN Women's Safer Cities and Safe Public Spaces initiative. Work will be done to encourage positive attitudes, behaviors and healthy relationships amongst children and young people with specialist advocates in schools and pupil referral units, Safer Schools Officers and a whole school prevention pilot in Croydon, a borough in south London. Efforts will be made to support a Good Work Standard to address the #MeToo phenomenon and ensure abuse is not tolerated in the workplace. On tackling perpetrators, four million pounds (about 5.54 million U.S. dollars) will be earmarked for programs to tackle stalking. Efforts will be made to work with police and criminal justice partners to ensure the most effective handling of dangerous individuals, including more than three million pounds, or 4.16 million U.S. dollars, to expand the rehabilitative Drive project, which provides additional support to help reform the behavior of perpetrators. People are being urged to call on the government to create a register for perpetrators of domestic abuse and violence, and for tougher sentences for image-based offenses such as "upskirting" and "revenge porn". On protection and support for victims, 200,000 pounds, some 277,350 dollars, to support London Councils Harmful Practices program for training nurses, midwives and social workers to recognize abuses such as FGM and intervene. A complete review of adherence is needed to the Victims' Code of Practice, a new online portal for victims of crime, and a study into rape cases from a victim's perspective. "The safety of all Londoners is my first priority and as a proud feminist I find it simply unacceptable that any woman or girl in our city should experience these devastating crimes," the mayor said. "As we mark 100 years since the first women were entitled to vote and in the week of International Women's Day, it is time for every Londoner to call out sexist and misogynistic attitudes wherever they encounter them -- in the workplace, at school, on the streets or on public transport." "I want every woman and girl to be safe and to feel safe wherever they are in our great city -- and will use all the levers available to us at City Hall to make this a reality," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 01:58:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close By Burak Akinci ANKARA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkey is aiming to contain the terrorist threat at its southern borders with an integrated military strategy, signaling a joint operation with the Iraqi government against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq after completing a major offensive in Syria, Turkish analysts said. "Ankara said many months ago that it will make everything in its power to eliminate the terrorist threat at its borders and is now doing it, so an incursion in Iraq after Syria will not come as a big surprise," Oytun Orhan, a researcher at the Ankara-based think tank ORSAM, told Xinhua. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that the military campaign in Afrin, an enclave in northern Syria, against a Kurdish militia alongside Syrian rebels, will end by May and, additionally, that Ankara and Bagdad will then conduct a joint operation against the PKK. "There is still plenty of time until May and Afrin city center are now encircled by Turkish troops who captured Thursday the strategic town of Jandairis. So Turkey will be capable then to stretch its military muscles towards northern Iraq," pointed out Orhan, a specialist of the Middle East. Jandairis is about 15 km away from central Afrin, the last major Kurdish outpost. AFRIN CENTER MAIN TARGET The capture of Afrin city will accomplish the mission announced by the Turkish leadership. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that once Turkish troops capture Afrin, they would advance to Manbij, a Kurdish-held city further east where U.S. special troops are stationed, and from there to the Iraqi border. But it seems now that the Manbij option has been overtaken by a joint operation in Iraq, in order apparently to avoid a clash between Turkey and U.S., the two largest armies of NATO while both countries are engaged in a tension diffusing diplomacy. Officials from both countries held on Thursday a first meeting in Washington in line with decisions taken during a make-or-break visit in December in Ankara of State Secretary Rex Tillerson to form mechanisms to discuss festering contentious issues. The Turkish military's offensive in the Kurdish enclave of Afrin was launched in January and continues to rage, with U.S.-backed People's Protection Units (YPG) forces in eastern Syria saying on Tuesday that they had decided to pull back from fronts against the Islamic State (IS) to battle Turkey in Afrin. The YPG is seen as Syrian affiliate to the PKK, which has been waging a bloodied insurgency for Kurdish self-rule inside Turkey since 1984. While the PKK is listed as a terrorist movement by Washington, the YPG isn't, allowing the American administration to arm the YPG, leading to a major crisis in Turkish-U.S. relations. Erdogan, who rejected international warnings to refrain from a military operation in Syria prior to the ongoing incursion, also insisted that Turkey is not invading Syria, as claimed by some western countries and media, stating that the goal of the mission is merely to neutralize the existentialist threat that the YPG fighters pose at her border. "Now that strategically Turkey is on the verge of dealing a fatal blow to YPG in Afrin, rather than risk a grave confrontation with U.S. troops in eastern Syria. Turkey would choose the option to deal with the PKK terrorists in the Iraqi side of the border," said Serkan Demirtas, Hurriyet Daily News Ankara representative. He added that the Iraqi phase is in complementary to Ankara's strategic ambitions to deal with the PKK/YPG threat as a whole. JOINT OPERATION AFTER IRAQI ELECTIONS Cavusoglu said that the joint campaign against the PKK would begin after Iraq's upcoming national elections, scheduled for May 12. When asked what would happen if the Afrin operation is not completed by that date, the Turkish top diplomat replied that Turkey, "is capable of conducting two operations at the same time," reflecting the self-confidence the Syria incursion gave to Ankara which is actually more powerful on the regional front. "Now that Jandaris has fallen, Turkish special forces will begin to encircle Afrin center," insisted Abdullah Agar, an expert on security affairs, pointing out that without tackling the PKK in Iraq subsequently, Turkey could not reduce the security threat to which it is confronted. "All connections of the YPG to the Turkish border have been cut and a new phase of Operation Olive Branch has now begun," he said, quoted by the Sabah Daily. The foreign minister gave no further details, but some signals of a cooperation between Ankara and Bagdad are very much there: Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar visited last week Bagdad to discuss military strategy. "We would like to boost our relations and collaborate over the war against terrorism and border security," Akar told reporters in the Iraqi capital. According to Oytun Orhan, Turkey has put the diplomatic machine in motion months ago and has seemingly convinced the Iraqi central government on the necessity of hitting PKK hideouts in northern Iraq, inside the Kurdistan autonomous region (KRG). "It will not possibly terminate the terrorist threat, but it will surely minimize and contain it, to the levels of before the Syrian war," said Orhan. Turkey's goal is indeed to weaken the Kurdish self-rule imposed to this multicultural ethnic region of northern Syria under the green light of Russia, the Syrian regime's main military ally, who would want that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad return to Afrin, once the Turkish army withdraws from the enclave, argued this expert. The PKK has a substantial presence in northern Iraq, including in the mountainous Qandil region along the Turkish and Iranian borders and also in Sincar region. Its fighters, which number in thousands, are engaged in a decades-long insurgency against the government of Turkey. Turkish Air Force launches frequent raids against PKK camps in Iraq and the plans for a joint offensive follows a Turkish-Iraqi rapprochement stemming from both countries' strong opposition to a referendum organized last year in the KRG that resulted in a yes vote for separation from Bagdad. Turkish Prime minister Binali Yildirim confirmed on Friday that "close cooperation" has been engaged with the Bagdad administration in regards to combating the PKK on Iraqi soil and indicated that a joint operation was in the works. "The PKK is a common threat to the region." Turkey has since the early 1990's organized several small or big cross-border ground operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, justifying it by international right of "hot pursuit" after rebels attacked military targets inside Turkey from their Iraqi bases. NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Scientists on Friday called on African governments to develop laws to safeguard the development and management of green growth in the continent. Nichols Ozor, executive director of African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), noted that green growth has a potential impact toward the improvement of economies of most African countries. "This potential is unlikely to be tapped in the absence of laws that are capable of protecting the new sub sector," Ozor said during a workshop on Governing Inclusive Green Economy in Africa. Ozor observed that green growth has significant potential for delivering inclusive economic development in the continent hence the need to put in place policies and strategies to harness the potential. "The laws will help guard and also create awareness on the dynamics of this potentially paradigm-shifting phenomenon that is helping reduce the effects of climate change globally," he added. Ozor called on the governments to create an interdisciplinary approach to identify and help create awareness in creating sustainable growth. Scientists said many African countries have started to embrace the concept of green growth, prompted by a combination of factors, including national circumstances and the encouragement of international development partners. According to scientists, countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa have sketched ambitious plans to jump to green, sustainable economies. Chukwumerije Okereke, professor of environment and development at the University of Reading in Britain, said green growth can help not only globally but all developing countries in Africa by enhancing livelihood of the people. "There is need to form partnerships to come up with innovative research agenda for the continent," he added. Okereke said that governments must start developing policies, generate academic literature and engage the private sector. "Governments must begin to tap funds from development partners and international bodies to fund green growth activities in the continent in an organized manner," he said. CHICAGO, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago has charged a suburban man with federal drug offenses for allegedly conspiring to import a fentanyl analogue into the Chicago area. The indictment said that Sanchez Lackland, 35, shipped methoxyacetyl fentanyl through the U.S. mail to approximately 19 Chicago-area addresses from China last autumn. In December, U.S. law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at his home and seized quantities of heroin, methoxyacetyl fentanyl and acryl fentanyl, as well as a loaded revolver and approximately 300,000 U.S. dollars in cash, said a statement dated March 8 from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern District of Illinois. The indictment also charged Lackland with firearm offenses. Fentanyl can be used as a pain-killer. However, overdose and abuse caused by the opioid have surged and become a serious problem in the United States. China attaches importance to international cooperation on illegal drugs, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang last October. He added that China had listed 23 kinds of fentanyl substance as controlled drugs, more than the number listed in UN anti-drug conventions. In November and December 2017, Chinese police uncovered one underground fentanyl factory and detained 19 suspected traffickers in several provinces. China's Ministry of Public Security later confirmed that they acted on leads both from the U.S. authorities and the police in south China's Guangdong Province. RABAT, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Ghanaian national was arrested at Mohammed V International Airport in the Moroccan city of Casablanca for attempting to smuggle 4.1 kg of cocaine, Morocco's police said in a statement on Friday. The drug was hidden in the backpack of the 41-year-old suspect, who arrived from Sao Paulo in Brazil, the statement added. The suspect was remanded in custody to complete the investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor's, it noted. Morocco has seized a record 2.84 tons of cocaine in 2017, 1.5 tons more than the amount seized in 2016. TRIPOLI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A suicide attack on Friday hit a military checkpoint on the outskirts of the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya, some 160 km east of the city of Benghazi, wounding three soldiers. "A terrorist blew himself up targeting the checkpoint south of the city, injuring three members of the 152 Infantry Battalion," the information office of the army's Ajdabiya Operations Chamber said in a statement. The attack was carried out with a four-wheel drive vehicle, the statement said. Social media circulated images of the attacked checkpoint, where a nearby military building and large number of military vehicles were destroyed. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. However, the attack is likely to be carried out by Islamic State affiliates, who claimed responsibility for similar attacks previously. DAR ES SALAAM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli warned on Friday that punitive steps will be taken against anyone who tries to take part in illegal demonstrations planned for next month in the east African nation. "I will never allow my government's economic reforms to be derailed by street protests," Magufuli told a public rally at his home district of Chato in western Tanzania, where he was on vacation. "Some people have failed to engage in legitimate politics. They would like to see street protests everyday," he said. "Let them demonstrate and they will know who I am." "I took an oath to ensure that our country remains peaceful... We want to build a strong economy for all Tanzanians and we are on the right track. "Let us be patient. Tanzania will become a land of honey." Magufuli introduced a series of economic reform measures after taking office in November 2015, including spearheading an aggressive anti-corruption drive, war on tax evasion and drug trafficking. The president also cut wasteful government spending and overhauled fiscal and regulatory regimes to ensure that Tanzanians benefit more from the country's vast natural resources, including minerals and natural gas. Magufuli said the wide-ranging reforms being implemented by his government are already starting to yield some positive results. "Good things are coming. We are moving forward. They (opposition parties) should let us implement CCM's election manifesto and judge us after five years," Magufuli said, using the acronmym of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party. Nsato Marijani, commissioner of operations and training in the Tanzania Police Force, also warned that the security forces are on high alert against any would-be street protests being organized via social media platforms such as Telegram. An activist based in the United States, Mange Kimambi, has called for nationwide anti-government demonstrations on April 26 to protest against what she described as the closing up of democratic space and human rights abuses in Tanzania. NAIROBI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday held talks with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and assured him of Washington's commitment to Kenya on trade and security, a statement said. Tillerson, who arrived in Nairobi on Friday afternoon as part of his tour of Africa, said the U.S. is interested in widening its investment in Kenya and strengthening trade relations between the two countries. "There is no question about U.S. commitment to Kenya on trade and security," he said, according to a statement issued after the meeting from Kenyatta's office. Tillerson said the U.S. is eager to engage Kenya in helping its Big Four -- food security, universal health care, decent housing and manufacturing -- efforts, especially on relevant investments. "The U.S. is glad to see Kenya building investor confidence because that will help in the growth of the economy," Tillerson said. The Big Four agenda include increasing manufacturing contribution to the economy from 9 percent to 15 percent, achieving universal access to health insurance, achieving food security status and building 500,000 new homes. Tillerson said Washington looks forward to seeing successful implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) because it offers a big market in which the U.S. wants to engage. He also welcomed the impending direct flights between the U.S. and Kenya, urging Kenya to maintain the security framework it has established to make the initiative a success. Kenyatta, for his part, said during the meeting that the solid friendship and cooperation that continues to deepen, only serves to encourage Kenya to strengthen its resolve to work together with the U.S. toward an even brighter future, the statement said. He said he is keen to see an increasing footprint of U.S. companies and businesses that have chosen to establish their regional bases in Kenya. "Leading U.S. multinationals... have opened their regional offices in Kenya; thereby providing themselves with the best platform to access the vast African market," Kenyatta said. Kenyatta expressed optimism that with direct flights between Kenya and the U.S. starting this October, there will be an "exponential increase" in the number of American tourists, business people and students, taking advantage of world-renowned tourism products and growing trade and investment opportunities in Kenya. The Kenyan leader said the long-standing mutually enhanced security and military collaboration between Kenya and the U.S. has played a big role in counter-terrorism, especially in the fight against al-Shabaab in Somalia. He said the security situation is still dependent on AMISOM and Somalia partners, and that the planned UN/AU withdrawal of AMISOM by 2020 needs to be carefully reviewed. AMISOM stands for African Union Mission in Somalia, an active regional peace support mission set up by the AU with the support of the United Nations. "Kenya calls on the U.S. to strongly consider the proposal made to have a surge operation in Jubba Valley region, which was made almost three years ago, in order to root out al-Shabab," Kenyatta said. On South Sudan, the Kenyan leader said that his country, together with other regional partners, has remained fully engaged in finding a lasting solution. Tillerson praised Kenyatta for reaching out to opposition leader Raila Odinga, saying that was a major milestone in consolidating national unity. "I am cheering for success of Kenya," Tillerson said, noting that the two leaders' meeting will "make positive contribution" to efforts of healing Kenya's post-election tension. Earlier on Friday, Kenyatta and Odinga agreed to establish a joint office to thrash out political issues that will lead to reforms. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 03:43:25|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close DAMASCUS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A total of 13 rebels on Friday left rebel-held areas in the Syrian capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside toward a government-run crossing point to be evacuated to an unknown destination, state TV reported. The 13 rebels reached the humanitarian crossing in the Wafidin area in northeastern Damascus on Friday evening and were inspected before they got on a bus that will transport them to an unknown destination, which is more likely to be rebel-held areas in Idlib province in northwestern Syria. The presenter of the TV said some of the rebels who surrendered to be transported to Idlib are under 18 years old. More batches are expected to leave in the near future, the TV said. The small group's evacuation marks the first departure of rebels from Eastern Ghouta since the Russian-backed daily humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta went into effect on Feb. 27 following the adoption of the UN Security Resolution 2401, which was endorsed on Feb. 24 and called for a 30-day-long humanitarian ceasefire. It also comes two days after the Russian military had offered the rebels in Eastern Ghouta a safe passage out, setting out a proposal to let the rebels surrender their last major stronghold on the eastern rim of Damascus. ADDIS ABABA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) and Russia have vowed to further strengthen their partnership in pursuing the shared goals of global peace, security, stability and development. This came on Friday during a meeting between Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission, and Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia, at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The two officials have exchanged views on issues such as conflicts and crisis situations on the African continent, according to a joint communique issued on Friday. The two sides agreed to intensify cooperation in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime through exchange of experience, information and capacity-building. They will also step up collaboration in such areas as education, science and technology, including the establishment of partnerships between the Pan-African University Institutes and Russian universities and other academic institutions, scholarships and training in science and mathematics, space science and the peaceful applications of nuclear sciences and technology. The two sides agreed to convene an annual high-level dialogue to be held alternately in Addis Ababa and Moscow. The AU commission chairperson and the Russian foreign minister underscored the importance and leading role of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and the AU, as instruments to address the multifaceted and interconnected challenges confronting the international community. Lavrov reaffirmed that the Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, will continue its constant support of AU, its initiatives and peacekeeping efforts aimed at resolving crises and conflict situations in Africa, the communique said. While welcoming Russia's support to AU's positions in the Security Council, the chairperson of the AU Commission underlined the need for the UN to take the steps required to ensure the sustainable and predictable financing of African-led peace support operations undertaken with the consent of the Security Council. He has also underlined the urgency for adequate support for the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and for the G5 Sahel Joint Force. The Russian side reiterated its readiness to share with the relevant AU institutions, notably the African Center on the Study and Research on Terrorism, its list of foreign terrorists so that it could be availed to AU member states, to further assist them in the fight against terrorism, according to the communique. Lavrov also conveyed Russia's wish to be granted an observer status with the AU Mechanism for Police Cooperation, according to AU. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 04:08:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was encouraged by the planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), his spokesman said on Friday. "The secretary-general is encouraged by the announcement of an agreement between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to hold a summit meeting by May," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, said in a statement. "He commends the leadership and vision of all concerned and reiterates his support for all efforts towards peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions," said Dujarric. The White House confirmed Thursday that Trump has agreed to meet Kim in a couple of months at the invitation of the DPRK top leader. KIGALI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The design for the cross-border Isaka-Kigali standard gauge railway has been changed from previously agreed diesel-powered trains to electric locomotives, Rwanda and Tanzania transport ministers announced here on Friday. Rwandan Minister of State in charge of Transport Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye and Tanzania's Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Makame M. Mbarawa announced this at a press conference in the Rwandan capital. The announcement came after the signing a new agreement for the implementation phase of the railway project supposed to connect Rwanda, the landlocked east African country, to the Dar es Salaam port of Tanzania. The change in design was informed by the need to reduce the time taken and cost of transportation of passengers and goods between Dar es Salaam and Kigali. Mbarawa said a previous study provided that the cargo train would travel at a speed of 80 km an hour and the passenger train 120 km an hour, but after the switch to electric locomotive, the speed of the cargo train will reach 120 km an hour and the speed of the passenger train 160 km an hour. The two governments will review the feasibility study within one month, Mbarawa said. After reviewing the feasibility study, tenders will be open to the public, which might go up to July, he said. "We believe that the foundation stone of this project will be laid at least in October," said the minister. The Isaka-Kigali railway project was launched on Jan. 20 in Dar es Salaam by Rwanda's infrastructure minister James Musoni and Mbarawa. The standard gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Kigali is estimated to cost 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, according to initial studies. Tanzania will foot a bill worth 1.3 billion dollars while Rwanda will raise 1.2 billion dollars, officials said. The two countries will raise the funds through different financing models, according to Mbarawa. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-10 04:18:36|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close HOUSTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China has built an international platform for energy cooperation which benefits the economic development of the participating countries, the International Energy Forum chief has told Xinhua at CERAWeek, an annual energy meeting in Houston. Energy cooperation is a unique way for the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative to achieve economic growth and energy security at the same time, said Xiansheng Sun, secretary general of the IEF in an exclusive interview with Xinhua. "The cooperation can also help substantially improve the living standards of those countries, create large volume of jobs and train professionals," Sun added. He said he believed that the Belt and Road Initiative closely connects with the global energy governance. "Building a community of shared future in the field of energy is the common interest for all the participating countries," he noted. Looking into the future, Sun believed the IEF provided a feasible platform for all members to share information, build trust and address common challenges, such as sustainable development, climate change and energy security. "People to people exchange is vital for the implementation and promotion of energy projects in different countries. With the help of IEF, China has more opportunities to communicate with Belt and Road related countries to further carry forward energy projects that are beneficial for all," Sun commented. Talking about energy security of China, Sun argued that China should emphasize international cooperation and energy efficiency at the same time. Since 68 percent of the oil and more than 39 percent of the natural gas used in China nowadays are imported, the ability to be self-reliant will be hard to achieve, Sun said. The international cooperation comes through the state-run companies and private companies that have an investment in China, as well as other companies worldwide, the secretary general said. Sun said big changes in the energy industry have emerged with substantial contributions that shale oil and gas bring to the market. America's increased oil production, in large part shale oil, has brought big changes to the industry. These changes have enabled China to reduce its imports from the Middle East in favor of the shale oil, Sun said. "The production center moves to the west and the consumer center moves to the east," the secretary general said. Another factor that can help China ensure its energy security is improved energy efficiency. If China can reduce its energy consumption by about 50 percent it would move close to Germany in energy efficiency, Sun said. "That's a real big number. Of course, it's a long way to go for China, including paying efforts in awareness of energy efficiency and some other education, for example, urging people not to choose big house or big car." The 72-member IEF is a neutral facilitator of informal, open, informed and continuing global energy dialogue. Accounting for around 90 percent of global supply and demand for oil and gas, it aims to foster greater mutual understanding and awareness of common energy interests among its members. CERAWeek is an annual energy meeting held by the London-based information company IHS Markit featuring prominent speakers from energy, technology and financial sectors. This year's meeting, which kicked off Monday in Houston, was attended by more than 3,000 guests from over 50 countries and regions. NEW YORK, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Martin Shkreli, former CEO of a U.S. drug company, was sentenced on Friday to seven years and a fine of 75,000 U.S. dollars for defrauding investors. During his sentencing in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Shkreli, 34, broke into tears and pleaded with U.S. District judge Kiyo Matsumoto for leniency. "I look back and I'm embarrassed and ashamed," said Shkreli, who was found guilty by a jury in August of unrelated securities fraud charges brought against him in December 2015. He also apologized to his investors. "I lost your trust," he said. "There's no conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions." His sentence was less than half the minimum 15-year term asked for by prosecutors but much longer than the 12-18 months Shkreli's lawyers had sought. Judge Matsumoto has already ordered Shkreli to forfeit nearly 7.4 million dollars to the federal government. Shkreli, who became infamously known as "Pharma Bro" in 2015 for raising the price of the life-saving anti-parasite drug Daraprim by more than 5,000 percent, has been in jail since September last year. HARARE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Britain will next week host a high-level investment forum on Zimbabwe, the African country's state news agency New Ziana reported Friday. Dubbed "Zimdaba London 2018," the conference, which will be attended by key economic ministers from Zimbabwe, has been over-subscribed by fund managers, New Ziana said. The conference will run from March 15 to 16. Under its "Zimbabwe is open for business" mantra, the new Zimbabwean administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been seeking to ratchet foreign investment. In the past two decades, Zimbabwe had seen a dearth in foreign direct investment, becoming one of the least recipients in the region due to policy discord and strained relations with the West. Some of the top Zimbabwe government officials expected to attend the London conference are Ozias Hove from the Office of the President and Cabinet; deputy minister of finance and economic development Terence Mukupe; Industry, commerce and enterprise development minister Mike Bimha; Mines and mining development minister Winston Chitando; and Simon Khaya Moyo, the minister of energy and power development. Officials from the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, Zimbabwe Investment Authority and the Zimbabwe Special Economic Zones Authority will also be present, New Ziana said. HELSINKI, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Finland's Central Bureau of Investigation announced Friday that two key suspects had been caught over the country's largest fake police fraud. One was caught in Stockholm and the other was caught on a Swedish ferry on his way to Finland, the police said. The case was investigated in cooperation with Finnish banks and the Swedish police. The suspects were estimated to have cheated elderly people out of 250,000 to 400,000 euros (307,612 to 492,180 U.S. dollars). The police believe this to be the largest case associated with fake police frauds in Finland. According to the police, the suspects had several assistants in Finland who received and transferred the money. The main suspects had committed similar crimes in the past. They were imprisoned last Christmas, but were later released and subject to a travel ban. However, both violated the ban and returned to Sweden at the turn of the year. The Central Bureau of Investigation noted that fake police crimes had dramatically increased in Finland in the past year, with nearly 1,000 criminal notices related to such cases received by the police. "Frauds have been done aggressively and are mostly directed to the elderly," said Kai Kakela, detective chief inspector at the Central Finland Police Department. RABAT, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Malian Prime Minister Soumyelou Boubeye Maiga on Friday lauded Morocco's help to counter extremism and promote moderate Islam in his country. During his visit to the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams (religious preachers) in the Moroccan capital Rabat, Maiga thanked the North African kingdom for providing training to some 500 Malian Imams over the last few years. He said that the Institute has provided quality training to Malian Imams and equipped them with the necessary tools to contribute to the spread of the true teachings of Islam in Mali according to a renewed methodology. Opened in 2015, the religious training center aims to play a leading role in fighting religious radicalism via instilling the values of moderate form of Islam in the next generation of Muslim religious leaders from across the region and the world. He recalled that Morocco remains the first destination for the training of Malian preachers, stressing the need to further cement bilateral cooperation and exchange of experiences to tackle the dangerous threats of religious extremism on the foundations of societies and states. OTTAWA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday appointed Brenda Lucki to head the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the first permanent female commissioner of the force. Lucki, who has been with the force for 31 years, will take over as the chief of the RCMP in April, Trudeau told a televised ceremony at the RCMP Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. The RCMP, which has about 20,000 uniformed members and provides policing in eight of Canada's 10 provinces, has been dogged in recent years by accusations of discrimination and sexual assault. In her first public remarks as the incoming RCMP chief, Lucki outlined her vision for a more diverse RCMP. The RCMP has been without a permanent commissioner since Commissoner Bob Paulson retired in June 2017. Lucki has been the commanding officer of the RCMP depot division in Saskatchewan, Canada since October 2016. The depot division is responsible for training new cadets. Lucki joined the RCMP in 1986 and has served in various divisions, including serving in the former Yugoslavia. She also trained police for the United Nations civilian police mission in Haiti, and has experience in undercover operations and drug units. She has an arts degree from the University of Alberta and has received a number of awards, including being named a Member of the Governor General's Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2013 for her work on improving RCMP relations with First Nations people in Manitoba. LONDON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A failure by the European Union to do more to engage hesitant and frustrated pro-Europeans risks leading to voter volatility and greater support for populist parties, an expert on European politics at London-based Chatham House said Friday. Georgina Wright was commenting amidst a changing political landscape which has seen the leaders of both Britain and Germany weakened politically, and the more recently uncertainty fed by changes in the make-up of the Italian parliament. British prime minister's plan for a snap general election last year to boost her power at 10 Downing Street backfired when her Conservative party lost its majority in the House of Commons. Across the channel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel turned to a coalition between her Christian Democratic Union Party with the center-left Social Democrats, with commentators saying it was out of desperation after talks on a three-way alliance with two smaller parties collapsed last November. In Italy, the leaders of two anti-establishment parties, the Five Star Movement and the anti-illegal migrant League party, are setting their sights on power after Italians backed populist politicians in last weekend's general election. Wright, whose research interests include Britain's relationship with the EU and the future of the EU, has given evidence to select committees in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. In an exclusive interview, Wright gave her views on what the impact could be of the current political line-up in three of the EU's major member states. "I think recent elections point to important divides within EU countries: between political elites and the public, among members of the public, and between political elites themselves. These divides raise important questions for government priorities, as well as for the EU," said Wright. She said she believes the political instability comes from a breakdown in the traditional left-right balance that has characterized the European political landscape. "Voters no longer believe that these parties are able to deliver, with many embracing populist and even extreme right-wing/left-wing parties. This sends a strong message to political elites in member states, as well as officials in Brussels, public opinion matters, and that their concerns must be addressed." Wright added: "These structural changes are leading to a more fractured political scene with pulls toward the center and/or to more extreme sides of the political spectrum. "For many voters, traditional left-wing and right-wing parties are failing to deliver economic prosperity, which is why they look to candidates who are promising a new outlook for their country's future. "The success of populist parties/extreme parties has yet to be fully understood. Most of them have, so far, been in opposition, although Italy could see a new government coalition formed with the populist party cinque stelle." She said on Brexit, "May's election result fuelled fears this would make it harder to achieve consensus on how to move forward. But the prime minister's speech last Friday shows that there an agreement of sorts has been reached within her Cabinet. This signals that, for now, her position as prime minister is intact. "If negotiations with the EU were to break down, May would be forced to resign. But at the moment, this seems unlikely as both sides (Britain and the EU27) want these negotiations to succeed," said Wright. She said the coalition talks in Germany did led to France taking a more prominent role in the EU, and pushing its own ambitious reform agenda, particularly for the Eurozone. "But a recent statement on the EMU published by the governments of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden show that the future of the EU will not be determined by France and Germany alone. For Brexit, the presence of coalition governments in EU countries doesn't make a difference. "The EU27 have remained surprisingly united and are firm that all negotiations are to be led by the Commission (EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier's Task Force 50), not member states. "They have also made clear that they want a good deal with the UK, but that this deal should not undermine the integrity of the single market." Wright said despite the traditional structure of political power weakening in most European countries, the checks and balances on power have remained intact. "But I do think this forces national governments, and in particular the EU, to pause and think about the drivers that are fuelling distrust. A recent analysis by Chatham House, which is based on a panEuropean survey of 10 European countries, shows that there is exists a plethora of attitudes to the EU. "Yet, the smallest groups (federalists and EU rejecters) dominate political debates on the EU's future. The EU must do more to engage other groups -- Hesitant Europeans, Frustrated Pro-Europeans -- as well as better understand their concerns and expectations. Failing to do so may lead to greater voter volatility and greater support for populist parties, who in the minds of many, are not afraid to address those concerns head on, for example around immigration and identity," Wright warned. HOUSTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Although China and the United States are at different stages of development, there is huge potential for the two countries to cooperate in technology and innovation, Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin said Friday. Addressing the opening ceremony of the 2018 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, Li said the United States has been playing a leading role in science and technology for so long, while China is still at a stage of building up a moderately prosperous society in all respects. "But China has a huge market and great potential. We are complementary in many fields, and can achieve win-win cooperation," he said. He suggested that the two countries should build regional innovative partnership, adding that some projects between China and the U.S. states of Texas and Georgia have been discussed. More communication and cooperation in the field of innovation should be explored, Li said. "China and the U.S. have different culture and system. We have very good reason to believe that the two sides can be inspired by each other. We should break the cold-war mentality if we want to deepen our communication," he emphasized. Making good use of existing innovation cooperation mechanisms is also vital for both sides, Li said, adding that the annual China-U.S. Innovation and Investment Summit is one of the good examples that the two sides can make good use of. The third China-U.S. Innovation and Investment Summit will be held in two months, where hundreds of Chinese investors will meet their American counterparts for in-depth discussion and cooperation. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest (SXSW) is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. OTTAWA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Vice-Admiral Mark Norman was charged by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Friday with breach of trust for allegedly leaking government secrets. The charge against Norman was laid Friday in an Ottawa court. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 10. Court documents showed the RCMP was investigating him on suspicion of having leaked cabinet secrets to a Quebec shipyard in November 2015 over fears the new Liberal government would cancel a key shipbuilding project. Norman was suspended as the military's second-in-command without explanation in January 2017, but he was not relieved from his post as vice chief of the defence staff. His lawyer, Marie Henein, released a statement after the charge was announced Friday, calling it a "sad day for an extraordinary Canadian" and the entire investigation a waste of taxpayer dollars. Henein said Norman would fight the allegation in court. Background on Robert Perales Robert Perales began with the Granger Police Department in 1996 as a police officer and was appointed chief in 2000. He retired from the department in August 2017 in the wake of his May 2017 conviction in Yakima County District Court for false swearing. In a separation agreement with the city, Perales received $58,112 in accumulated sick, vacation and compensation pay. This information has been updated to correct the year Perales was convicted and retired. WATERSMEET A 55-year-old Wisconsin man died Wednesday after falling through the ice on Thousand Island Lake in Watersmeet Township, according to a Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Police press release. Tommy Handrick, 55, of Minocqua, reportedly broke through the ice while driving a Skid-steer loader machine on the frozen lake. Tribal police and other agencies responded to the 911 call. The Land O Lakes Fire Department assisted in removing Handrick from the water. Aspirus Medivac transported him to Eagle River, Wis., Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Gogebic County Sheriffs Department and Wakefield State Police also assisted LVD Tribal Police. Handrick owned Lakeland Landscaping. News Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) returned from deployment to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, March 7. Tucson successfully completed a six-month Western Pacific deployment while conducting operations in support of national security. This deployment was the first for more than 40 percent of Tucson's crew. "I've learned that staying calm and organizing what you are going to do is a very important part of being a Submariner," said Electronics Technician (Nuclear) 3rd Class Jack Sheldon, from Tucson, Arizona. "If you are calm, you can walk through what needs to happen and keep others calm in the process." During the deployment, 28 officers and Sailors earned their submarine warfare qualification "dolphins" and 21 Sailors advanced in rank. "I am extremely proud of the crew and their commitment to our mission and our nation," said Cmdr. Chad Hardt, commanding officer of Tucson and a native of Aiken, South Carolina. "They demonstrated absolute professionalism, dedication and resolve while executing the full spectrum of forward deployed submarine operations." While deployed, Tucson conducted port calls in Tokyo, as well as Chinhae, South Korea. "We had a very successful port call to Chinhae," said Lt. Garret Allen, from Wimberley, Texas. "The crew enjoyed some outstanding liberty and it gave us the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea." Upon returning to Pearl Harbor, Master Chief Electronics Technician (Navigation) Juan Gonzalez, from Houston, and Tucson's chief of the boat, commended the crew for their hard work and dedication to completing a successful deployment. "In my 26 years in the Navy, it never ceases to amaze me how young Sailors can band together and thrive as a whole to complete difficult missions and tasks," said Gonzalez. "This has been a demanding deployment, and to see the hard work of this great crew culminate in a successful deployment makes me proud to be part of such an outstanding team." Tucson is the second ship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name of the Arizona city. It is the 59th Los Angeles-class attack submarine and the 20th of the improved Los Angeles-class attack submarine to be built. Twelve vertical-launch missile tubes for Tomahawk cruise missiles provide Tucson with great offensive capability. Retractable bow planes give the ship increased maneuverability and under ice surfacing potential. Border News San Luis, Arizona - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two U.S. Citizens over the weekend in separate failed smuggling attempts at Arizonas Port of San Luis. Officers referred a 21-year-old male for an additional search of his Ford sedan as he attempted to re-enter the U.S. from Mexico on Friday evening. A CBP canine alert led officers to discover more than 54 pounds of cocaine, worth more than $614,000. In the second incident, officers referred a 18-year-old male for further inspection of his Honda sedan when he attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico on Saturday afternoon. A CBP canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect, prompting further search of the vehicle. Officers found almost 34 pounds of methamphetamine in a non-factory compartment directly above the gas tank with an estimated value of $102,000. CBP officers seized the vehicles and drugs. The subjects were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - The Yuma Police Department is continuing our efforts to raise money for the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics by kicking off another Tip-A-Cop event. The event will be held at Buffalo Wild Wings, 1317 S. Yuma Palms Pkwy, on Monday, March 19, 2018 from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. The Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities. LETR helps bring awareness to Special Olympics and obtain donations for the athletes. The money and awareness we raise will help the athletes grow and continue to have opportunities to make new friends, learn new skills and discover their independence while participating in the many events Special Olympics offers. For many athletes, The Special Olympics is a path to empowerment, self-esteem, competence, acceptance, joy and friendship, which is a unique opportunity these athletes with intellectual disabilities may not gain anywhere else. The Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities training and competition in 30 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. The Special Olympics currently serve over 2.5 million people in more than 200 programs in 165 countries. Yuma Police Department employees and other law enforcement officers will be at the restaurant as celebrity waiters and to receive TIPS for Special Olympics. Your donation is tax deductible. Please join us at Buffalo Wild Wings, meet your local law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes. Yuma News Yuma, Arizona - The Yuma County Library District, in collaboration with Western Area Council of Governments (WACOG), will host Everyone is Special on Saturday, March 24th. Children of all ages are invited to join WACOG Head Start teachers at Yuma County Libraries at 10:00 a.m. for a family storytime and craft! There is no charge to attend. Main Library, 2951 S 21st Drive Foothills Library, 13326 E South Frontage Road Heritage Library, 350 Third Avenue San Luis Library, 1075 N 6th Avenue Somerton Library, 240 Canal Street Wellton Library, 28790 San Jose Avenue For more information, call Youth Services at (928) 373-6468. Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs 07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0) Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na... DAR ES SALAAM, March 5 (Xinhua) -- A senior Tanzanian government official has 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 on Sunday 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. Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-08 18:21:03|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday that the Taiwan authorities should return to the 1992 Consensus as soon as possible. "The key to unlocking the cross-Strait stalemate lies in recognizing the 1992 Consensus and acknowledging that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China," said Wang at a press conference at the annual session of the National People's Congress. "This correct move will create a bright future for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations." "Adhering to the one-China principle and not having official ties with Taiwan have become a generally observed norm in international relations," he said. "It is a correct choice in line with the tide of history to establish diplomatic relations and carry out regular cooperation with the government of the People's Republic of China, the sole legal representative of the whole of China. "Such a choice would best serve the long-term interest of these countries and their people. Of course this is the overriding trend and an unstoppable one," he said. Related: WELLINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- You never thought riding a bike could earn you some real money, until now. A small business in New Zealand is paying its employees if they bike to work, in a bid to help protect the environment and boost employees' fitness. Make Collective, a creative and advertising agency, is offering 5 New Zealand dollars (3.65 U.S. dollars) per day for its staff to cycle to work, and the money could be doubled if they keep it up for six months, local media reported. The plan was launched last week, and employees will be paid with a cash bonus at the end of each year. "My gut instinct is that it could be something really good for the workplace. I know for myself I show up feeling a lot more energized, my blood is already flowing," company owner Tim Chesney was quoted by local news website Stuff as saying. The company's developer Elliot Gilmore said it had been "hard" for him to change his commute habit. "Recovering (from exercising) once I get to work is the hardest part," he said, while noting that it's good for his health. Some employees have been hesitating to join the project due to a lack of shower facilities in the office, and Chesney said they are working on possible solutions. BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Magistrate Court granted a 5-day custody of main accused in journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder, KT Naveen Kumar. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been given the custody for the probe. The 37-year-old had told the cops during interrogation that he paid Rs 1000 for each bullet for the murder which was sourced from Uttar Pradesh. Kumar, who hails from Birur town in Chikkamagaluru district, was arrested on February 18 by the SIT of Karnataka Police after he was identified with the help of CCTV footage. Lankesh was shot dead by unknown by assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5 last year. She was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid known for "anti-establishment" views. The sensational murder of the journalist had sparked an outrage across the country and triggered several protests across the country and especially in prominent parts of Karnataka. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had termed the killing of Gauri Lankesh "an onslaught on humanity" and said that his government would ensure that the culprits were brought to justice. The government is "honest" in its efforts to find those behind the killing and bring them to justice, Siddaramaiah had told the Legislative Assembly. "It is a cruel death... It is an onslaught on humanity," Siddaramaiah said during the obituary reference to Lankesh in the House. "We have still not been able to nab those who killed her. A SIT has been formed to nab them," he said. Informing the Assembly that killers of rationalist MM Kalburgi were also yet to be found, the CM said, "The government and investigating team are honest in their efforts to nab the culprits." The Karnataka government later formed a 21-member SIT, led by Inspector General of Police B K Singh, to investigate the case. New Delhi: Japan has plans to recruit around two lakh IT professionals from India to support the country's burgeoning IT infrastructure. Shigeki Maeda, the Executive Vice President at Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), said this while giving his keynote address at the India-Japan Business Partnership Seminar. The event was jointly organised by Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce and JETRO. "Japan will open up its doors to about two lakh IT professionals from India, and issue green cards to settle down in Japan and support the country's rapidly expanding IT infrastructure, he said. Maeda said that Japan also has a target of roping in 8 lakh of Indias IT professionals to live and settle in the country by 2030. Currently there are around 9,20,000 IT professionals in the country and there is an immediate demand for more than 2,00,000 IT professionals from India which is likely to further swell to 8,00,000 professionals by 2030," he said. This piece of information will certainly come as a relief for lakhs of Indian IT sector employees who are already reeling under pressure amidst Trump administration's announcement on new policy that makes very tough the procedure of issuing H-1B visas. Japan had last year initiated a move to expedite permanent residency for highly skilled foreign professionals as they can apply for a green card as soon as after a year. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said here on Friday that he would go on a hunger strike if the issue of the ongoing sealing drive in the national capital is not resolved by March 31. "If the sealing issue is not resolved before March 31 then I will sit on hunger strike. We all will together put pressure on the central government," Kejriwal said, while addressing a group of traders at Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi. The Chief Minister said he had met many traders and spoken to them about the issue. "A change is necessary in the master plan, many laws need to be changed. The proposed amendments made by the DDA were rejected by the Supreme Court. Ordinance is the only possible solution to the sealing drive," he said. Kejriwal said that on Saturday he would write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to inquire into the ongoing sealing. The Chief Minister also said he would meet Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri next week on the issue. He said the AAP government will also pass a resolution in the Delhi Assembly's budget session, which is set to start from March 16, urging the Central government to bring an ordinance to stop the sealing drive. The sealing drive is being carried out by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes, and it is being implemented by the three BJP-led Municipal Corporations of Delhi. New Delhi: Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu presented the Haryana Budget 2018 in the state assembly. The finance minister proposed a Budget of Rs 1,15,198 crore for Haryana while no new tax proposal was announced his budget speech. Also Read: Himachal Pradesh Budget 2018-19 Here are the highlights of the Haryana Budget 2018-19 Mumbai: The Maharashtra Budget 2018-19 will be presented on March 9 by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. This will be the fourth budget of the finance minister. Maharashtra's economy is expected to grow by 7.3 percent in 2017-18 over the previous year, the Economic Survey tabled in the state Legislature Thursday said. The Survey report was tabled in the Legislative Assembly by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, while in the Legislative Council it was presented by Minister of State for Finance Deepak Kesarkar. The growth of 7.3 percent (in 2017-18) is against the 10 percent growth projected during 2016-17, the survey said. During 2016-17, the agriculture production was higher on account of good rains. However, during 2017-18 the agriculture and allied sector is expected to register (-) 8.3 percent due to less rains (84.3 percent of normal rains) as compared to last year. Last year's economic survey had said that the agriculture sector was expected to grow by 12.5 percent. This year's report says that in 2016-17, the agriculture production was higher on account of good rains (94.9 percent of normal rains). The production of pulses, cereals, oilseeds and cotton is expected to decrease, while the production of sugarcane is expected to go up, it said. The month-long budget session of the Maharashtra legislature that began from February 26, will have 22 working days and nine holidays. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council met at the Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai yesterday afternoon to discuss budget procedures. With PTI Inputs New Delhi: Remember the cigarette-smoking chimpanzee at a North Korean zoo who became an instant attraction due to the habit? Well, now, an orangutan is making headlines for the same reasons. The ape, a 22-year-old male, who is a resident of an Indonesian zoo, was recorded on Sunday picking up a cigarette butt that was flicked into its zoo enclosure by a visitor and then puffing away on it like a pro. The images of the Bornean orangutan named Ozon at the zoo in Bandung, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Jakarta, promptly went viral. This is not the first that a zoo orangutan has been caught sneaking a smoke in Indonesia, which has an abysmal record of animal protection and one of the world's highest smoking rates. A Bandung zoo spokesman on Wednesday said that while the incident was regrettable, it has a staff to guard the animal enclosures. But the officer responsible may have been in the bathroom at the time, he added. "There's actually a sign at the location which says visitors are not allowed to give food and cigarettes to the animals," said spokesman Sulhan, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Animal activists condemned the visitor's actions but said it highlighted the poor state of Indonesia's zoos. "Weak control by zoo management also needs to be addressed," said Marison Guciano, founder of the Indonesia Animal Welfare Society. "But the root of the problem is that we do not have animal welfare standards at zoos. Almost all zoos are in poor condition... from the cages and feeding needs to the animals' health." Last year, activists demanded the closure of Bandung zoo after skeletal sun bears were pictured begging for food from visitors and eating their own dung. Check out the video below: (Video courtesy: Marison Guciano/Facebook) (With AFP inputs) New Delhi: As if defacing and destroying statues of historical figures was not dastardly enough, miscreants have now begun targeting idols of gods. A shocking incident of a statue of Lord Hanuman being targeted in Uttar Pradesh's Balia has shocked as well as infuriated locals here. The statue of Lord Hanuman in a farm in Kharuav village was found damaged on Wednesday night by locals. A poster was stuck on the idol. The local police administration was informed about the incident by village sarpanch (chief) and a case was filed against unknown persons. The local administration has promised a proper investigation to identify and arrest the culprits. Meanwhile, locals in the area are angered by the act of vandalism as the statue was revered by many here. It was reportedly placed in the farm close to a decade ago after the owner of the land - Suresh Singh - had found a dead monkey in his fields. Since, the idol held a special place in the hearts of locals and was revered by many. A plan to put a new idol is now being considered but locals do not want the crime committed to go unpunished. There has been a spike in incidents of statues and idols being targeted with reports from across the country pointing to growing intolerance and increasing vandalism. There have been multiple incidents of statues being vandalised in various parts of the country. It started with the demolition of a statue of Vladimir Lenin with the help of a bulldozer in Tripura after Left Fronts debacle in the state Assembly elections. Another statue of Lenin was vandalised despite directives from the Centre. Following this, a statue of Dravidian ideologue Periyar EV Ramasamy was damaged in Tirupattur in Tamil Nadu. Two persons one from BJP and the other from CPI were arrested in connection with the incident. And this continued with the vandalism of a statue of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee in Jadavpur University in West Bengal and Dr BR Ambedkars statue in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Even Mahatma Gandhi was not spared and one his statues in Taliparamba in Kannur district of Kerala was defaced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already issued a strong condemnation of all such incidents of vandalism. He has spoken to Home Minister Rajnath Singh for strict action against the guilty. NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to leave no stone unturned in its bid to retain power at the Centre in the next Lok Sabha elections scheduled in 2019. To ensure a firm grip on a large chunk of voters, the party is planning to connect with women across the country. As per the plan, whenever PM Modi visits any state, he will make sure that he interacts with women in the area to gauge their mood. The plan will be executed beginning with PM Modis visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on March 12. He will visit the city with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a four-day visit to India from March 9 to 12. During his visit, he will meet women from different areas of his constituency to take feedback for the work done for them after he came to power. Thousands of women - including weavers, students and those running small businesses - will assemble at Direka Ground in Varanasi to meet him. Ecstatic at the opportunity, several women plan to put forth the problems they face in front of the PM. Appreciating the work done by the Centre, the women who will meet PM Modi have said that they will convey it to him that they will be able to perform better if they get more employment opportunities and a safer environment. After this interaction with the women in Varanasi, the BJP will restrategise on what it needs to do ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Experts view this as a measure to win the support of women across the country. Political analyst Ravi Prakash claimed that in the Indian society, it is a belief that only men have a role in making the decision on who to vote for and the women accept their decision. "In such a scenario, this step by the PM will have a bearing on the votes that these women cast. Muslim women voting for the BJP in the last elections is a proof of the power in their hands," he quips. Meanwhile, opposition parties are calling these meetings a political stunt. The Congress has claimed that the PM never cares about the women except during elections and they are treated merely as a vote bank politics. At a time when Congress has been talking of demonetisation, implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) and growing unemployment in the country as a report card of the Centre, this step by the BJP may once again turn the political discussion on its head. New Delhi: The Centre on Friday filed a plea in the Supreme Court to seek quashing of an FIR in which Major Aditya Kumar was named by Jammu and Kashmir Police in civilian killings. On March 5, the apex court had restrained the police from carrying out any investigation in pursuance to the FIR following the death of three civilians as the Army dispersed a stone-pelting mob in Shopian district. The apex court direction had come on a plea by Lt Col Karamveer Singh - a serving officer and father of Major Aditya Kumar - seeking the quashing of the FIR. Attorney General KK Venugopal had told the court that mere filing of the complaint against an Army personnel serving in the disturbed area without the prior sanction of the central government was barred under Section 7 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). He had cited top court judgments of 2006 and 2014 in support of his contention that without the Centre's sanction, even a complaint against a serving Army officer operating in disturbed area was prohibited under the law. The state government had opposed the plea, saying that the registration of the FIR and even filing of charge sheet did not amount to taking cognisance of the offence and thus no prior permission of the Centre was required. The government had said Major Kumar has not even been named as an accused in the FIR. The petitioner-father contended that the registration of the FIR and the consequent proceedings would adversely impact the morale of the armed forces fighting militancy in trouble-torn state. Major Kumar and other soldiers of 10 Garhwal Rifles have been accused of opening fire on the stone-pelting mob that attacked an Army convoy near Ganowpora village on January 27. The firing resulted in the death of three persons. "The manner in which the lodging of the FIR has been portrayed and projected by the political leadership and administrative higher-ups of the state, it reflects the extremely hostile atmosphere in the state," reads the petition filed by the Major's father. It said that Major Kumar was wrongly and arbitrarily named as the incident relates to an Army convoy on bona fide military duty in an area under the AFSPA which was isolated by an "unruly and deranged" stone-pelting mob. He said the intention of Major Kumar was to save Army personnel and property, and the fire was inflicted only to impair and provide a safe escape. "The unruly mob was requested to disperse and not to obstruct military persons in the performance of their duties and not to damage government property... The unruly behaviour of the unlawful assembly reached its peak when they got hold of a Junior Commissioned Officer and was in the process of lynching him to death. "It was at this moment that warning shots were fired... which as per the said terms of engagement is the last resort to be taken," the father had said in the plea. New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday arrived in the national capital on a four-day India visit. He was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture. Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. He will hold delegation-level talks with PM Modi on Saturday and will also take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different levels and institutions are expected to participate. Macron will take part in a Knowledge Summit too on Friday which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On March 11, 2018, he will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India and then visit Taj Mahal in Agra. On March 12, President Macron will visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of PM Modi. They will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur. Meanwhile, during French President's visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, PTI quoted sources as saying. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean region will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and PM Modi during delegation-level talks on Saturday. "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade, as per reports. (With PTI inputs) GENEVA: India on Thursday hit back hard at Pakistan highlighting the human rights violations at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The tough response was delivered by India's youngest diplomat Mini Devi Kumam in Geneva. Second Secretary in India's Permanent Mission at UNHRC, Mini was born on 1 April, 1980. She is part of the Meiti community and studied in government schools in Manipur. Lashing out at the neighbour on Thursday, Mini said it had become a habit of Pakistan to misuse the UNHRC platform to make misleading references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. __ India's Right of Reply at the UN #HRC37 in response to the statement by Pakistan. "The real problem in the State of Jammu & Kashmir is terrorism, which has received constant sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control" pic.twitter.com/UDB4e6m757 - India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) March 8, 2018 "This Council should be mindful that the dubious concern for human rights is coming from a country, which has systematically abused and violated the human rights of the people in Baluchistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir," Kumam said at the 37th Session of UNHRC. She also said that "Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights". Mini's reponse at the UNHRC brings back memories of another young Indian diplomat Eenam Gambhir who gave a befitting reply at the UN General Assembly session describing the neighbouring nation as 'terroristan'. Eenam, a 2005-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is India's First Secretary of the Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Kumam urged the UNHRC to call on Pakistan to end cross border infiltration after Pakistan levelled allegations of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. "Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights," she said. The Indian representative also told the UNHRC that Pakistan was committing the grossest violation of human rights by exporting terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir. "Terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights. The real problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control," Kumam asserted. NEW DELHI: Hitting back at Pakistan's allegations, India highlighted the human rights violations by the neighbour nation at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Thursday. "There is also a reference to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. There is none to cross-border terrorism. Terrorism is the most fundamental violation of human rights and we overlook its egregiousness at our own peril," said Raj Kumar Chander, the Indian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN offices and other international organisations in Geneva. Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad Al Hussein in his annual report and an oral update made a comment on human rights developments in Kashmir at the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Hussein said: "With respect to Kashmir, on both sides of the Line of Control, regrettably unconditional access continues to be refused to my office, and I will report on this issue at greater length in June." The UNHRC chief also said that he was "increasingly disturbed by discrimination and violence directed at minorities, including Dalits and other Scheduled Castes, and religious minorities such as Muslims in India. In a Right of Reply filed at the UN Human Rights Council, New Delhi said, We find that the update does not reflect the situation in India adequately. Selective and tendentious statements on human rights issues only serve to undermine the credibility of this approach. Here's the complete statement released by India: Mr. President, We thank the High Commissioner for Human Rights for presentation of his oral update and annual report. We find that the update does not reflect the situation in India adequately. Selective and tendentious statements on human rights issues only serve to undermine the credibility of this approach. Mr. President, the Indian Constitution prohibits the State from discrimination of any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of these. Along with being the worlds largest democracy, Indian polity also weaves in immense diversity with respect for tolerance and mutual understanding. An independent judiciary, free and vibrant media and a vocal civil society are all active in this regard within the legal framework of the State. National and state level commissions are monitoring compliance with human rights. Mr. President, there is also a reference to the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir. There is none to cross-border terrorism. Terrorism is the most fundamental violation of human rights and we overlook its egregiousness at our own peril. Mr. President, My Government has been pursuing welfare of all its citizens with schematic interventions in a systemic approach. The moto of "SabkaSath, SabkaVikas, i.e. all together and development for all is a commitment to our people. Therefore, any assessment of India should factor in its unique national circumstances and be based on the objective realities that point to a comprehensive effort to substantially raise the level of standard of living of all its citizens. Mr. President, the OHCHR, which is the global voice of equality and non-discrimination and for all human rights for all, completes 25 years of its existence in December this year. The High Commissioner has called for it to be equipped and assisted to respond to several emerging human rights challenges. The 25thanniversary presents us with an appropriate opportunity to review two and a half decades of its functioning and suggest ways to make it more representative, credible and effective in meeting the new challenges. Thank you,Mr. President. New Delhi: A court here on Friday extended by three more days the CBI custody of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram in connection with its ongoing probe into the INX Media money laundering case. The custody was given after the CBI said it had found "new incriminating documents" to prove that Karti Chidambaram got kickbacks to get foreign investment clearance for INX Media when his father was the Union Finance Minister. The next hearing in the case is on March 15. The court today extended Karti's police custody till March 12 during which he will be confronted with his chartered accountant. The CBI will now confront Karti with his CA S Bhaskararaman who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 16 and has been sent to judicial custody till March 22. With today's order, CBI will have Karti's continuous custody since his arrest on February 28. The agency still has the option of keeping him in custody for three more days under the law which mandates 15 days of police custody, subject to a court order. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said Karti's custodial interrogation was necessary as "new incriminating materials" have been found against him. He said a CD has been recovered from the office of Advantage Strategies Pvt Ltd in Chennai in connection with the case which needed to be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for examination, adding that he would have to be confronted with the new "incriminating" materials found. However, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is a party colleague of P Chidambaram, opposed any further custodial interrogation of Karti. "It's tragic for me (Karti). They have no new reason for my remand. They are inventing one. CBI has to justify remand every day and every minute," Singhvi said on behalf of Karti. It is a ten-year-old case and all the documents are available with them and "they need my custody to harass me", Karti's counsel said. Before commencing the proceedings on Karti, the court extended the judicial custody of his CA, S Bhaskararaman, till March 22. (With PTI Inputs) New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday moved a plea seeking custody of former Union Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram's Chartered Accountant AS Bhaskararaman for a joint interrogation of the two accused in connection with INX Media money laundering case. According to ANI, the CBI filed another application seeking the court's permission to produce Indrani and Peter Mukerjea for confronting them will all accused in the case. The CBI also pleaded the court to give its permission for identification of some more locations in Delhi in connection with the case. In a related development, the Delhi High Court Friday granted interim relief to Karti Chidambaram in connection with the INX media money laundering case. The court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) not to arrest till March 20, the next date of hearing. Karti had approached the Delhi High Court on Thursday after the apex court refused to grant him interim relief from the Enforcement Directorate action against him. The high court also issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate and Centre on Karti's plea. Karti is accused of receiving kickbacks a decade back to clear foreign investment into INX Media group, using the influence of his father P. Chidambaram, who was then the Union finance minister. He was arrested on February 28 from Chennai by the CBI and later sent to the probe agency's custody. (With ANI inputs) A group of friends in Bihar's Darbhanga meticulously planned and killed a man who was allegedly in an illicit relationship with the wife of one of them. Darbhanga police claimed that one of men involved in the crime befriended the victim identified as Aman on Facebook to execute the plan to eliminate him. Aman was a student living in Darbhanga and his burnt body was found on February 12. Initially his body remained unidentified and police had almost given up on the case. Preliminary investigation seemed to indicate that the murder was carried out by a professional killer. But finally a mobile number helped police in cracking the case. According to police, Aman was reportedly in a relationship with a girl but she got married to one Jitendra Singh alias Azad. However, the two kept on meeting and were soon in an illicit relationship. When Jitendra got to know about the same, he decided to kill Aman and roped in two of his friends living in Mumbai - Sunil Kumar and Balram Singh - to carry out the crime. Jitendra asked Sunil to send a Facebook friend request to Aman. Once Aman accepted the friend request, Sunil started to chat with him on a regular basis. Once Aman and Sunil become close friends, Jitendra asked his friends to reach Darbhanga. He also sent the flight tickets for Sunil and Balram. The trio then went to a crematorium to finalise the area to carry out the crime. Jitendra gave a huge amount of money and a car to Sunil to entertain Aman, who was happy to meet his Facebook friend in person. But Sunil was also careful not to take his mobile phone with him during his meetings with Aman. He always left the mobile at home to avoid suspicion. On the day of the murder, Jitendra went to the crematorium on a motorcycle while Sunil, Balram and one more accomplice Vinod met Aman. The four of them drank liquor, ate pizza and then took Aman to the crematorium. Aman was almost unconscious after drinking a lot. Balram injected a sleep inducing drug into Aman. Sunil then took out a pistol and fired at Aman but the weapon jammed. Jitendra took out a plastic rope and strangulated Aman. They then stripped Aman naked and poured petrol on his body and set it on fire. To mislead police, they also left a love letter in the name of an unknown girl. Locals informed the police about the burnt body next morning but the body remained unidentified for the next six days. Aman's mobile phone was taken by police officers for investigation and they also checked his social media account which led them to Sunil. Initially there was no proof of Sunil's involvement in the crime and he was let off. But Sunil's mobile call details revealed that he was in touch with Jitendra. The mobile location details also showed that both of them were present near the spot where the body was found. Sunil was interrogated again and he revealed the entire plan. Police then arrested Sunil, Balram and Vinod, and also recovered the weapons involved in killing Aman. Jitendra is still on the run. Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted France to supplant Britain as New Delhi`s partner of choice in Europe, as he embarked on a four-day tour of India. Macron, a pro-business centrist who swept to power last year, has been beating the drum for France as a new, modernised "startup nation" on the world stage, while he pushes ahead with a wide-ranging programme of reforms at home. He has also used Britain`s decision to leave the European Union to pitch France as an investment destination at the heart of the European single market. "Your historical partner in Europe was the UK, and I want France to become the new partner," Macron told India Today in an interview published on its website. "I want France to become the reference partner of the 21st century." The 40-year-old president, who is travelling with a delegation of French companies that includes EDF , Dassault Aviation , Schneider Electric and Suez , will also inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie in Uttar Pradesh. "I think India has to operate much more with Europe and the European Union as a whole. I want France to be its entry point," Macron said. "I want your creativity, your entrepreneurship, your young people to be much more present in France. Much more known and recognised. And I want to see the same from the French side." India was the third-largest source of foreign direct investment into Britain in 2015, contributing to its position as Europe`s top destination for foreign direct investment, according to official British figures. By comparison, India was only the 30th largest investor in France, according to 2013 Bank of France figures. Among recent wins for France is India`s purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault in 2016. It beat out the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built by a European consortium that includes Britain`s BAE Systems. But talks to sell six new-generation EPR nuclear reactors built by state utility EDF and Areva have dragged on. NEW DELHI: Announcing a landmark judgment allowing passive euthanasia, the Supreme Court on Friday said that a person can make an advance "living will" authorising the withdrawal of all life support system if the person is in a stage of irreversible terminal illness. While allowing a person to make a living will, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, put strict conditions in place for executing the will. What is a living will? A living will is a document which a person can make in advance in case they are having a deteriorating health or are terminally ill. Such persons can choose not to remain in a vegetative state with life support system if they go into a state when it will not be possible for them to express their wishes. The document could then be presented to a hospital or medical board for appropriate action to be taken if the health of the said person worsens. Through the document, the patient can give explicit instructions in advance about the medical treatment which needs to be given to him/her if in a terminally ill state or when they are no longer able to express informed consent. The court said that the living will needs to be made by a person in his normal state of health and mind. It has also laid down guidelines on who would execute the will and how nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. It added that life support can only be removed after the statutory medical board declares patient to be incurable. The order was passed by a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. The CJI said that other members of the five-judge Constitution bench have concurred on the guidelines and directives passed by it. It was observed in court that when a medical expert suggests that a person afflicted with a terminal disease has no hope for recovery, he should be given the right to refuse being put on life support system to not prolong the agony of the patient. New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. He arrived in India on Friday along with his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. Warm welcome to President of France, @EmmanuelMacron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron on their first State visit to India. Deviating from protocol, PM @narendramodi received President Macron at the airport. pic.twitter.com/fkddtYfHlB Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 9, 2018 During the visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, PTI quoted sources as saying. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean region will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and PM Modi during delegation-level talks on Saturday. "France has particularly supported India's perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy," K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. "In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level," Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. (With PTI inputs) Washington: A signed vintage photo of Mahatma Gandhi, walking alongside Madan Mohan Malaviya, was auctioned for USD 41,806 in the United States. Signed in fountain pen, "M K Gandhi," the rare photo was taken after the second session of India's Round Table Conference in London in September 1931, according to Boston-based RR Auction. As the delegate acting on behalf of the Indian National Congress, Gandhi attended the second session of the British-organised round table conference, a three-part conference series held in London from 1930 to 1932, with the aim of discussing the ongoing constitutional reforms in India, a media release said. Malaviya, who had formerly been president of the Congress and played a significant role in the Gandhi-led non-cooperation movement, joined him as a representative advocating for a free India. The photo dates to a period in which Gandhi, suffering from pain in his right thumb, opted to write with his left hand, a temporary inconvenience that lasted from August 8-December 19, 1931, according to RR Auction. "The autographed photo of Gandhi presents him as he is doing his life's work," said Bobby Livingston, executive VP at RR Auction. "We are not surprised that this giant of the 20th century still resonates today," he added. At the auction, Karl Marx's letter requesting copies of his 'Revelations' from a noted radical editor sold for USD 53,509. The Leo Tolstoy letter written in 1903 offering editorial advice sold for USD 21,450. Claud Monet letter describing the intensity of his artistic process fetched USD 21,128. The Wolfgang Pauli letter written in 1949 to an eminent American physicist sold for USD 14,700 while Jean-Paul Sartre portion of a handwritten draft for his autobiographical work Les Motes sold for USD 12,105, according to PR Auction. The Fine Autographs and Artifacts auction began on February 17 and concluded on March 7. New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday ruled out any kind of foul play regarding the death of 54-year-old actor Sridevi in Dubai. "As far as I know, the paperwork from UAE govt were handed over to us and on the basis of that, the mortal remains were brought to India. Had there been something suspicious, it would have come out by now," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. Sridevi died on February 24, 2018, in Dubai and her body was brought back to India on February 27, 2018, after the Dubai authorities determined that she had accidentally drowned in her hotel bathtub. She was given a state funeral on February 28, 2018, with her body wrapped in the tricolour and a gun salute by the Mumbai Police. Sridevi's body was taken to the Celebration Club at 9 am by her family members. Inside the hall, her family, including brothers-in-law Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor, stood in a corner. Jahnvi and Khushi were standing a little behind them. Her funeral procession was the biggest Mumbai had seen for a Bollywood star since Rajesh Khanna in 2012 and perhaps the biggest for a woman actor. There was a sea of people as far as the eye could see. The funeral procession took about two hours to cover the seven-kilometre distance from Lokhandwala to the crematorium. The last rites were conducted by her filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor as her family and close friends from the industry and outside packed into the Vile Parle Seva Samaj crematorium. The actor's body was draped in a red kanjivaram sari with a bindi on her forehead. Ceremonial gunshots rang out and the pyre was lit. Sridevi, Indian cinema's first woman superstar who straddled the parallel worlds of southern films and Bollywood, became an actor when she was only four years old. Three hundred films later, the doe-eyed star is still remembered for her comic timing, vivacity and her quicksilver expressions. NEW DELHI: In a landmark judgement on Friday, the Supreme Court allowed passive euthanasia after stating that human beings have the right to die with dignity. While many hailed the verdict, calling it monumental, there were some who felt otherwise. Elderly couple Narayan Lavate, 87, and Iravati Lavate, 78, were among those who were not happy with the decision. We're not fully satisfied with SC's judgement. People above the age of 75 should be given this right. They can verify the details of these people from the police and doctors. Government should come up with a policy, said the couple. How sexual assault victim Aruna Shanbaug's case started the national debate on euthanasia Earlier in January 2018, the Lavate couple wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, requesting to approve their plea for active euthanasia. The couple wrote that they have led a satisfactory life together after being married for 68 years and do not wish to live anymore. Active euthanasia or assisted suicide is something that the Lavate couple began contemplating upon since the much-highlighted case of KEM nurse Aruna Shanbaug. The Lavate's are members of Switzerland-based Dignitas which helps in physian-assisted deaths. While Iravati previously managed to get her passport renewed, Narayan did not and the couple could not travel abroad. Residents of a chawl in Grant Road, both Iravati and Narayan now say that they have lived a complete life and do not wish for medical ailments to 'spoil their memories together.' They add that they are unsure how either would live if the other passes away. Also read: Active euthanasia vs passive euthanasia: What's the difference? Euthanasia is of two kinds - active and passive. Passive euthanasia allows halting and removing artificial life-support machines, medicines and food which only prolong life for patients in vegetative state. On the other hand, active euthanasia - which is still not allowed in India and in most parts of the world - is the act of injecting lethal substances into patients in vegetative state. It is widely considered as an intentional act of causing death in patients and has raised moral questions and ignited debates worldwide. New Delhi: At a time when major political parties are gearing up for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi has accused BJP of trying to show all of India's progress has only been since PM Narendra Modi assumed office. Speaking at an event in the capital, Sonia said BJP is trying to project that it alone is responsible for the progress the country has made. "Was India really a giant black hole before 26th May 2014? Did India march to progress, prosperity and greatness just four years ago? Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people?" she said before going onto attack a number of policies and initiatives taken out by the current dispensation in power. "Our judiciary is in turmoil. RTI was brought to bring transparency, but today that law is in cold storage, and Aadhaar is being turned into an intrusive instrument of control." Sonia's verbal attack comes at a time when she also has plans of reaching out to leaders of opposition parties through a dinner-discussion scheduled for some time next week. It also comes at a time when Congress is attempting to highlight the government's flaws and BJP is trying to create a roadmap leading up to the 2019 elections. A day earlier, on Thursday, Congress President attacked Modi government for 'faulty policies' in Jammu and Kashmir and over the recent PNB scam. It was the same day that reports emerged of PM Modi inviting all BJP MPs to party headquarters to take suggestions and create a firm plan for upcoming elections. While Congress attempts to stage a comeback in upcoming elections, BJP remains bolstered by its recent successes in North-East India - counting on it to create a momentum. New Delhi: Terming reports of vandalism in Tripura's Belonia as incorrect, BJP's Ram Madhav said on Friday that the statue of Lenin here was not vandalised but removed by people who had placed it. A video showing a statue of Vladimir Lenin at Belonia College Square being razed to the ground by a bulldozer made headlines across the country - especially as it reportedly happened just a day after CPM's Manik Sarkar resigned to make way for a BJP government in the state. The BJP had decimated the CPI-M in Tripura - one of the last remaining Left bastions, ousting the party from power after 25 long years. While many criticised the incident, Ram Madhav says it was incorrect to term it as vandalism. "No statue has been broken in Tripura. This is false information. Some people had put a statue on a private land and then removed it. It is not vandalism," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Madhav also returned fire at those who criticised BJP and RSS for the incident in Tripura - especially West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had said global leaders must be respected. "Vandalism is happening in West Bengal," accused Ram Madhav. "Mamata ji should worry about her state first before worrying about what is happening in the rest of the country." Tripura mein koi murti todhi nahi gayi hai.Yeh dushprachar ho raha hai.Ek private property mein, jinhone murti lagayi unhone hatayi hai.Vandalism nahi hua hai.Vandalism Bengal mein ho raha hai.Mamata ji apne rajya ki chinta karein, desh ki chinta baad mein karein: Ram Madhav, BJP pic.twitter.com/QVSn3tFZcT ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Nonetheless, incidents of statue vandalism has seen a spike in recent days with icons like Periyar, Dr BR Ambedkar and even Mahatma Gandhi being targeted. Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemning such dastardly acts, even statues of gods have begun being targeted by miscreants. San Francisco: Tainted Uber co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick has revealed plans to launch a new investment fund that will focus on large-scale job creation in India and China. In a tweet, Kalanick said the fund, called the "10100 Fund", will look into investment areas like real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovations. "The over-arching theme will be about large-scale job creation, with investments in real estate, e-commerce and emerging innovations in China and India. Our non-profit efforts will initially focus on education and the future of cities," Kalanick tweeted late on Wednesday. According to media reports, Kalanick will likely invest in startups that have between 10 and 100 employees -- the magic growth stage for startups. Kalanick was forced out as the company`s CEO in July over a number of controversies and mis-steps, including allegations of widespread sexual harassment against women in the company. Susan Fowler, a former site reliability engineer, levelled numerous allegations of sexism against her former superiors in a blog post. This led to further allegation from other employees, prompting Uber to conduct internal investigations. Kalanick still remains on the company`s board of directors. Kalanick co-founded Uber in 2009 and made the ride-hailing app one of the world`s most valuable companies. In his 2016 trip to India as Uber CEO, Kalanick had urged ex-servicemen in India to avail entrepreneurship opportunities with the company as driver partners. Kalanick also felicitated some drivers for their extraordinary service to the country. SRINAGAR: Reaching out to Kashmiri Pandits, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said they are an integral part of the state. "The state is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and one day, they will come back to their real home," National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah said. He had made a similar statement in the past too, however, he opposed the idea of creating a separate homeland for them in the Valley. "Let me tell you that they have to return to Kashmir. Kashmir is incomplete till they return. They are part of this state and we will bring them back. I do not accept this homeland (for Pandits). They have to live with Muslims here and Muslims will protect them," he had said last year. His party has passed resolutions on several issues, including one on the return of Kashmiri Pandits. "The tragic exodus of our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters is a dark chapter in the history of J&K and remains a source of pain and agony for every conscientious citizen of the state," he had said adding that their dignified return and rehabilitation remains unfulfilled. "While the stakeholders might differ on the features of the return and rehabilitation initiative, there is overwhelming unanimity over the need to take all possible steps to facilitate their return with utmost honour and dignity, the resolution read. Jabalpur: Another instance of statue vandalism or defacing has cropped up. This time from Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur. A white statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was smeared with red colour on Friday morning. Taking note of the offence, local administration and police have initiated the preliminary investigation. Several incidents of statue vandalism has been reported from various parts of the country in the last one week. Two statues of Vladimir Lenin was demolished by a mob in Tripura last week one razed by mob, another at Sabroom Motor Stand in Agartala and another by a bulldozer at Belonia College Square in a Tripura town. On Friday, BJP leader Ram Madhav said that the statue of Lenin here was not vandalised but removed by people who had placed it. m. "No statue has been broken in Tripura. This is false information. Some people had put a statue on a private land and then removed it. It is not vandalism," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Following the vandalism of the idols of Communist icon, a statue of Dravidian ideologue Periyar EV Ramasamy was damaged in Tirupattur in Tamil Nadu. This was followed by defacing statues of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee in Jadavpur University in West Bengal, Dr BR Ambedkar in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and Mahatma Gandhi in Taliparamba in Kannur district of Kerala was defaced. As if destroying statues of leaders was not enough, miscreants targeted a statue of Lord Hanuman in Kharuav village in Uttar Pradesh's Balia. A poster was stuck on the idol. With spikes in incidents of statue vandalism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned all such incidents and spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh for strict action against the guilty. "Incidents of toppling of statues have been reported from certain parts of the country. MHA has taken serious notes of such incidents of vandalism. PM also spoke to Home Minister in this regard and has expressed his strong disapproval of such incidents," the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday. Reacting to the issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, Some may support Lenin, some may support Ho Chi Minh, some may support Karl Marx, some may support Syama Prasad Mookerjee. One may not agree with them but no one should show disrespect or destroy the statues." With agency inputs Nagpur: A crucial triennial meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began on Friday to chalk out its agenda and course of action for the next three years. As per reports, the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha is expected to elect the next Sarkaryawah (general secretary), the executive head of the organisation who looks after its day-to-day activities, on March 10. Pujya SarSanghchalak Dr.Mohanji Bhagwat and and Sarkaryavah Sri Bhaiyyaji Joshi offered flowers to Bharat Mata's moorthi to formally inaugurate the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha 2018 at #Nagpur. #ABPS pic.twitter.com/c6uP6aoBWZ RSS (@RSSorg) March 9, 2018 Bhaiyyaji Joshi is currently the Sarkaryawah which is effectively the number two after Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat. He was unanimously re-elected as the RSS general secretary for a third time in March 2015. Joshi was re-elected by 1,400 delegates from across the country at the all-India Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS, the highest decision-making body of the Sangh, at its meeting in Nagpur. The RSS elects its only general secretary every three years at the all-important meeting of its delegates from its branches across the country. Reports say that Joshi has expressed his desire to be relieved from his post. Speculation is rife that Saha-Sarkaryavah (joint general secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale may be elevated to the rank of Sarkaryavah. Addressing a press conference on March 8, 2018, RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya had said that elected representatives will take part in the election of 'Sarkaryawah'. "The main focus of the meeting will be on charting out the course of action and efforts to be made for the next three years," he had said. Vaidya, the publicity in-charge of the organisation, had added that around 1,500 delegates are expected to attend the meeting. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a PIL for a probe into the recent death of veteran Bollywood actor Sridevi, saying the authorities in India and Dubai have already looked into the incident. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar dismissed the petition which had claimed that the actor's death was a matter of national interest. The plea was moved by Uttar Pradesh native Sunil Singh who claims to have acted in and directed a few movies and runs cinemas and visual-effect studios. He has said in his petition that he was in Dubai on a family vacation from February 20 to February 26 when he came to know of Sridevi's death. The actor had died on February 24 due to accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub. The petitioner has alleged that on enquiries made by him from the hotel staff, officials of the hospital where the 54-year-old actor was taken and others associated with the matter, he had reeived information which was contrary to what was reported in the media. Due to this, he had filed the petition for a probe into her death, it said. New Delhi: Upcoming actor Janhvi Kapoor, who turned 21 two days ago, has returned to the sets of her debut film 'Dhadak'. Janhvi lost her mother Sridevi just 10 days ahead of her birthday, but was brave enough to step out of her house to spend her day at an old age home. According to a report published in Mumbai Mirror, the young girl resumed shooting on Thursday morning, with co-star Ishaan Khatter at Bandras Carter Road. Although the reports suggested that Janhvi might take a break following her mother's untimely death, the debutante agreed to resume shooting to complete the film before the release date. Check out the picture from the sets of 'Dhadak': "Janhvi and Ishaan will be shooting in Bandra for the next couple of days where they will film some romantic scenes. In the coming week, the duo will head to Kolkata to begin work on the story post-interval, when the lovers elope. They have completed the shoot of the first half which kicked off last December and was shot across Rajasthan and on a set in Mumbai where parts of the state were recreated, a source was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror. Director Shashank Khaitan, too confirmed the news to the tabloid, Yes, we have resumed the shoot, rumours of the team taking a break are untrue. We have started off in Mumbai and are looking forward to the Kolkata schedule." 'Dhadak' is the official Hindi adaptation of the critically acclaimed Marathi runaway film, Sairat. The original film featured Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru as the leads. Janhvis parents, Sridevi and filmmaker Boney Kapoor, had accompanied her to Udaipur for her first day of the shoot last December. In fact, Sridevi was also slated to do a film titled 'Shiddat' produced under the banner of Dharma Productions. On Thursday, a part of Sridevi's ashes were immersed in the holy Ganges in Haridwar by her husband Boney Kapoor. He was accompanied by brother Anil Kapoor, Sridevi's close friend Manish Malhotra and politician Amar Singh. New Delhi: Bollywood's one of the finest talents, actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been summoned by Thane police in relation to the Call Detail Record (CDR) case. The Crime Branch had summoned the actor, his wife and lawyer for further investigations which first came to light in January this year. PTI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Abhishek Trimukhi as telling media persons that the three had been called after some of the arrested accused had told police that an advocate had obtained CDRs of the actor's wife from private detectives. "Three arrested accused, Prasad Palekar, Ajinkya Nagargoje and Jigar Makhwana informed the police that an advocate had obtained the CDRs of Nawazuddin Siddiqui's wife from private detectives. Hence to verify the same, we have summoned them," Trimukhi said. The CDR racket was unearthed on January 24 when police, acting on a tip-off, nabbed four private detectives from Kalwa in the district. The four, whom the police identified as Makesh Pandian (42), Prashant Palekar (49), Jigar Makwana (35) and Samresh Jha (32) alias Pratik Mohpal, had at the time revealed the name of renowned woman detective Rajani Pandit who too was subsequently arrested. Since then, Trimukhi said, 11 persons had been arrested in the scam which involved the illegal procurement and sale of CDRs of private individuals. Reportedly, as per statements by some of the accused, Nawazuddin had allegedly acquired CDRs of his wife's phone through an advocate by hiring a private sleuth to keep an eye on her contacts and whereabouts. (With Agency inputs) New York: Hollywood star Robert De Niro surprised Anupam Kher by hosting a surprise birthday dinner for the veteran Indian actor. Anupam, who turned 63 on March 7, was shooting for the pilot episode of an international television series for NBC, when his 'Silver Linings Playbook' co-star De Niro surprised him by hosting a private dinner for him at his residence, read a statement. Anupam shared a video of himself along with De Niro, and thanked him and his wife Grace Hightower for making his 63rd birthday special. "Thank you Grace and Mr. Robert De Niro for making my birthday the biggest highlight of my entire life. Thank you for the surprise dinner for me at your home. Thank you for singing "Happy Birthday" song for me. Thank you for my ultimate," he captioned the image. 'Silver Linings Playbook', a romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O Russell, released in 2012. The film also had Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles in supporting roles. New Delhi: Actor-turned-columnist-cum-producer Twinkle Khanna took to Twitter on Friday to share a throwback picture of her late superstar father Rajesh Khanna. She captioned the photo writing, "A friend found this from the archives and is now making a print for me- some gifts are priceless." Check out her tweet: A friend found this from the archives and is now making a print for me- some gifts are priceless pic.twitter.com/as2mYzwP4D Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) March 9, 2018 In the photo, the legendary actor is seen standing at a beach with a bunch of balloons. The picture appears to have been taken during the shooting of 1971 blockbuster 'Anand' that also starred Amitabh Bachchan. The photo of Rajesh Khanna is definitely priceless for millions of his fans. Twinkle has always been vocal about how her father, fondly known as Kaka, had been influential in her acting career. It is to be noted that the 43-year-old actress shares her birthday with her father. Last year in December, Twinkle had shared a beautiful rare old black and white picture of hers with daddy. Happy Birthday Dad pic.twitter.com/I4ZEscR2vv Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) December 29, 2017 The thespian breathed his last in 2012 and left us all teary-eyed with the sad departure. The noted actor was hailed as the 'first superstar' of Indian cinema. The kind of stardom and fan frenzy he saw in that golden era, none could even fathom. Jaipur: In a significant development, the Rajasthan State Assembly on Friday cleared an amendment bill for death penalty for the culprits in the rape cases involving girls below 12 years of age. With this Rajasthan has become the second state after Madhya Pradesh to pass the bill. The Rajasthan government had on Tuesday tabled the bill to award death penalty to those found guilty of raping girls below 12 years of age. The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018, seeks to add section 376-AA in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which will be defined as: Punishment for rape on a woman up to twelve years of age. Whoever commits rape on a woman up to twelve years of age shall be punished with death, or rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than fourteen years but which may extend to imprisonment for life which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that persons natural life, and shall also be liable to fine. A similar provision, 376-DD, was added for gang-rape. In the Statement of Objects and Reasons for bringing in the Bill, the Rajasthan government said, It has come to the notice of the State Government that the offence relating to child rape and child gang-rape are taking place every now and then. Such crimes are heinous and turn the life of the victim into hell. The statement added, It is the prime duty of the society and the State to protect its offspring against all odds and give them an environment conducive for their mental and physical development. Therefore, such offences need to be dealt with an iron hand. The State Government is of the considered view that to protect the girl child up to twelve years of age from such heinous crimes, a deterrent punishment which may extend to the death of the offender should be provided for. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, in a reply to the Budget debate in the Assembly in February, had announced that the state government will bring in more stringent punishment including capital punishment, for rape of girls below 12 years. In December last year, Madhya Pradesh had become the first state to pass such a Bill. Last month, Haryana cabinet too gave its nod to similar amendments in IPC. Chennai: The Madras High Court has issued a notice to the censor board on a PIL seeking removal of a scene, which allegedly denigrates women, from a recently released Tamil film. A bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose issued a notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and JSB Film Studio, the producer of the film "Merlin" which released on February 23. The bench posted the PIL to March 16 for further hearing. Praveena Charumathi Sampathkumar, in her public interest litigation, contended that a dialogue in the scene insulted women and sought a direction to the CBFC for removing it. The woman said she was shocked to find such a dialogue in the 'U' certificate film, written and directed by Keera, adding that it amounted to showing disrespect to women. Her counsel submitted that the Cinematography Act has laid down elaborate guidelines under which women characters in any form should not be degraded and denigrated. Beijing: Chinas first space station is expected to come crashing down to Earth within weeks, but scientists have not been able to predict where the 8.5-tonne module will hit, a media report said on Tuesday. The US-funded Aerospace Corporation estimates Tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere during the first week of April. The European Space Agency says the module will come down between March 24 and April 19, the Guardian report said. In 2016, China admitted that it had lost control of Tiangong-1 and would be unable to perform a controlled re-entry. Aerospace in a statement said that there was "a chance that a small amount of debris" from the module will survive re-entry and hit the Earth. "If this should happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometres in size," said Aerospace, a research organisation that advises government and private enterprise on space flight. It warned that the space station might be carrying a highly toxic and corrosive fuel called hydrazine on board. The statement said the module is expected to re-enter somewhere between 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south latitudes. The chances of re-entry were slightly higher in northern China, the Middle East, central Italy, northern Spain and the northern states of the US, New Zealand, Tasmania, parts of South America and southern Africa. However, Aerospace insisted the chance of debris hitting anyone living in these nations was tiny. The Tiangong-1 or Heavenly Palace lab was launched in 2011 and described as a "potent political symbol" of China, reports the Guardian. It was used for both manned and unmanned missions and visited by China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang, in 2012. In 1991 the Soviet Union's 20-tonne Salyut 7 space station crashed to Earth while still docked to another 20-tonne spacecraft called Cosmos 1686. They broke up over Argentina, scattering debris over the town of Capitan Bermudez. Nasa's 77-tonne Skylab space station came hurtling to Earth in an almost completely uncontrolled descent in 1979, with some large pieces landing outside Perth in Western Australia. Chennai: In a horrific incident, a college student was stabbed outside her college in Chennai on Friday. The attacker was caught and handed over to the police. As per a report in The Hindu, the BCom student was taken to a private hospital. However, she died there later. The incident took place in Chennai's KK Nagar when a youth said to be named Azhagesan, stabbed the girl with a serrated knife. The public caught the accused and handed him over to the police. As per reports, the police is investigating the matter and ascertaining the motive of the crime. On the other hand, The News Minute said that the girl, student of Meenakshi College, had filed a complaint against Azhagesan and after this, he was arrested by the police. Later, he was given bail. The incident comes nearly two years after the case of Swathi, a young engineer working in software giant Infosys, who was murdered at Nungambakkam railway station on June 24, 2016. She was found dead with cut injuries on her face and neck at around 6.30 am the platform. A 22-year-old accused, identified as P Ramkumar, who used to stalk Infosys techie Swathi, was arrested for the murder. Mumbai: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday alleged that the defacing of Dravidian icon Periyar's statue in Tamil Nadu was done to divert attention from pressing issues like Cauvery water sharing dispute with Karnataka. The veteran actor made this remark while speaking to a TV channel during which he also stated that he entered politics to challenge and change the "crass" and "mediocre" politics of Tamil Nadu. The Tamil film legend had recently floated a new political party - 'Makkal Needhi Maiam' putting to rest all speculations about his entry into the murky world of politics. Hassan also categorically denied that he was anti-BJP, but said that he opposed extremism and anything that brings people hardships. "I am anti-everything that goes wrong for the people. As for extremism, Hindu extremism exists, read the Tamil papers," he said. Talking about the vandalism of Periyar's statue in Vellore, Hassan said that it was ''an act of extremism'' and "a diversionary tactic'' to take people's attention away from more pressing issues such as sharing Cauvery water". Asked why did he start a new party when he could have strengthened an existing, established outfit with an army of cadres, Haasan replied in his characteristic poetic manner. "What will I do if I am hungry and what is available is rotten food," he asked, asserting that he had no other option but to launch a new party in Tamil Nadu where mediocrity was standard and "rubbish" acceptable. "I am challenging the status quo. Mediocrity is set as a standard...rubbish becomes acceptable. This has been the state of Tamil politics for nearly half a century," he added. However, he does not rule out the possibility of aligning with other political parties in future. He said the decision to join politics was not taken overnight but he had been a politician for nearly 30 years now. "But I thought electoral politics was not for me. Things have changed now," he said. He said his political philosophy is based on his learning from Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and Periyar. "Dialogue from Gandhiji and the anger against caste from Ambedkar and Periyar." Haasan also touched upon his relationship with actor Sridevi, who died last month at the age of 54. "It's like we came from the same house...we were like siblings. She had a bag of tricks that she picked up from various masters and she used it," he said about her co-star in several Tamil and Hindi films. (With IANS inputs) New Delhi: Flipkart's payments platform, PhonePe has lashed out at rival Paytm alleging that the latter's claims about leadership in Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions were "unidimensional and misleading". In a blogpost, PhonePe said while Paytm "seems to be leading the market" in terms of number of transactions, the average value of such transactions is much lower at Rs 40 compared to its own ATV (average transaction value) of Rs 1,800. PhonePe clarified that data around Paytm's ATV and Average Transactions per Customer (ATPC) was not available. However, based on the 21 million money transfer transactions made by Paytm customers to PhonePe users, the Bengaluru-based company had found that 40,000 unique consumers had done over 500 transactions each in February bringing the average transaction for Paytm to less than Rs 40. When contacted, a Paytm spokesperson declined to comment. Interestingly, Paytm had earlier this week issued a statement claiming leadership position on the UPI platform. PhonePe alleged that Paytm?s transaction volumes are "clearly influenced by significant per-transaction cashback incentives that appeal to a very small population". It further said that its calculations reflect that broad-based adoption of UPI has not happened on Paytm and that transaction numbers for customers do not reflect typical UPI use cases. "For these combination of reasons, we believe that Paytm?s claim that they are the largest on UPI is both uni-dimensional and misleading," it said in the blog titled 'All that Glitters is not Gold'. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma had recently alleged that payments body National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) had been arm-twisted by social media giant, Facebook to give preferential treatment to messaging app WhatsApp for the launch of peer-to-peer payments based on UPI on the platform. New Delhi: Indian television's two most talked about faces, Kapil Sharma and Sunil Grover gave us several LOL moments when they were together on the former's comedy show. But good things ended too soon. After the infamous mid-air brawl between the duo, Sunil left 'The Kapil Sharma Show' followed by a few other co-actors. The two clarified their stand about the issue on various occasions, but fans were left disappointed and wanted to see the two great comedians join forces again. Kapil's show took a brief sabbatical as the actor had a film 'Firangi' lined up for release and also his health took a backseat. However, these are things of the past and the actor-comedian is now all geared up for his new show titled 'Family Time With Kapil Sharma'. Rumour mills worked extra time and soon buzz started doing the rounds that Sunil might be seen on the show. However, just to break your hearts, Dr Mashoor Gulati is not joining forces with Kapil Sharma, for now at least. According to Times Now report, Sunil during an interaction said, No, I am not in the show nor have I received an invitation for it. Sunil ruled the small screens with his various avatars on Kapil's show. From Gutthi to Rinku Bhabhi and finally Dr Mashoor Gulatithe fans showered him with immense love and respect. We so wish to see them together one more time! Washington: The United States Administration of President Donald Trump on Friday announced rewards leading to the arrest of three Pakistani terrorists. According to the State Department, a US 5 million reward was announced for information leading to the identification or location of TTP Chief Maulana Fazlullah, USD 3 million each for Abdul Wali of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Mangal Bagh of Lashkar-e-Islam. US govt announces rewards on 3 Pakistani terrorists. A state dept release says $5 million reward for information leading to the identification or location of TTP Chief Maulana Fazlullah, $3 million each for Abdul Wali of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Mangal Bagh of Lashkar-e-Islam: Reuters ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2018 Fazlullah is the chief of the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which is believed to have carried out several deadly attacks, including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which over 150 people, mostly students, were killed. The announcement by the State Department came a day after Fazlullah's son was reported killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a terrorist organisation that split away from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while Lashkar-e-Islam is based in Pakistan's Khyber Tribal Agency. The announcement came as Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua held meetings with officials of the Trump administration, including the White House and the State Department. The State Department said the TTP was a terrorist organisation based in the tribal areas of eastern Afghanistan. It has historically maintained close ties with al-Qaeda. Since being appointed by the group's central Shura Council in November 2013, Fazlullah has organised and directed several TTP attacks in Pakistan and has publicly blamed the US for military operations against the group. In December 2014, Fazlullah's operatives carried out the most lethal terrorist attack in Pakistan's history when they killed 151 people, including more than 130 children, during an attack on Army Public School in Peshawar. In 2012, Fazlullah ordered the failed assassination of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai for promoting girls' right to education and publicly criticized Fazlullah and the TTP, the State Department said. Abdul Wali reportedly operates from Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kunar Provinces. Under Wali's leadership, JuA has been one of the most operationally active TTP networks in the Punjab Province and has claimed multiple suicide bombings and other attacks throughout Pakistan. In March 2016, JuA conducted a suicide bombing at a public park in Lahore that killed 75 people and injured 340 others. In August 2015, JuA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Punjab that killed Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada and 18 of his supporters. Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was born in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan and is believed to be in his late 30s. He is a former journalist and poet and has studied at a number of madrasas in Karachi. According to the State Department, Mangal Bagh and his group earns revenue from drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping, raids on NATO convoys and taxes on transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bagh has led Lashkar-e-Islam since 2006 and has routinely shifted alliances to protect illicit revenue streams while enforcing an extreme version of Deobandi Islam in the areas of eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan that he controls, particularly Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. Born in Khyber Agency in Pakistan, he is believed to be in his mid-40s. Bagh is a member of the Afridi tribe. He studied at a madrasa for several years and later fought alongside militant groups in Afghanistan. (With PTI inputs) Following a historic announcement at the White House, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are poised for a face-to-face meeting. Since the end of the Korean War, the countries` relations have been marked by high tensions and periodic, but short-lived, thaws. Here is a recap of their troubled history: In 1945 Japan`s defeat in World War II ends its occupation of Korea. The peninsula is divided along the 38th parallel between the Soviet-backed regime of Kim Il-Sung in the North and a South under US protection. In June 1950 North Korea, later assisted by China, invades the South. A coalition led by the United States retakes Seoul. In July 1953, an armistice -- not a full-fledged peace treaty -- is signed and Washington imposes sanctions on Pyongyang.In January 1968, the spy ship USS Pueblo is captured by North Korea. After 11 months, its 83 crew members are released. According to Pyongyang, the ship violated its territorial waters, a charge the United States denies. In 1969, North Korea shoots down a US reconnaissance aircraft.In June 1994, former US president Jimmy Carter makes an unprecedented visit to North Korea. In October, three months after the death of Kim Il-Sung and his succession by his son Kim Jong-Il, Pyongyang and Washington sign a bilateral agreement. North Korea commits to freeze and dismantle its military nuclear program in exchange for the construction of civilian reactors. In 1999, a year after its first test of a long-range ballistic missile, Kim Jong-Il declares a moratorium on missile tests and Washington eases sanctions. In October 2000, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright meets Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang.In January 2002, US president George W. Bush labels North Korea, Iran and Iraq an "axis of evil." In October, Washington accuses Pyongyang of conducting a secret uranium enrichment program in violation of the 1994 agreement. In August 2004, North Korea declares it is impossible to participate in a new nuclear program with the United States, attacking Bush as a "tyrant" worse than Hitler and a "political imbecile." In 2006, Pyongyang conducts its first nuclear test.In October 2008, the United States withdraws North Korea from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism in return for controls on all of its nuclear installations. Pyongyang had been on the blacklist since 1988 due to its suspected involvement in the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987 that killed 115 people. In January 2016, American student Otto Wambier is arrested and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster. He dies in June 2017, one week after being returned home to the US in a coma. Numerous Americans have been held for years before being repatriated. Three are currently detained there.On January 2, 2017, then US President-elect Donald Trump says North Korea will never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching US territory. In July, North Korea conducts two intercontinental ballistic missile tests. Kim declares: "The entire US territory is now within our ICBM range." On August 8, Trump threatens "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continues to threaten the United States. On August 29, Pyongyang test fires a ballistic missile over Japan. The US president says, "Talking is not the answer," although his defense secretary does not rule out diplomacy. September 3, North Korea carries out its sixth nuclear test, announcing a "perfect test" of a hydrogen bomb that it claims can be mounted on a missile.On September 21, Washington unveils tougher sanctions to curb North Korea`s nuclear and ballistic missile program. The announcement comes on the heels of Trump`s maiden speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he nicknames Kim "Rocket Man" and declares him to be on a "suicide mission." A day later on September 22, Kim brands Trump "mentally deranged" and a "dotard", and warns he will pay dearly for his threats to destroy North Korea. As 2017 closes, Kim boasts his missile arsenal can hit any city on the US mainland. On January 3, 2018, Trump raises eyebrows as he responds to Kim`s New Year warning that he has a "nuclear button" on his desk. "I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!", he writes. Pyongyang brands his outburst "the spasm of a lunatic" and the "bark of a rabid dog." On February 25, North Korea slams what Trump describes as the "heaviest sanctions ever" as an "act of war." Meanwhile, North Korean general Kim Yong Chol arrives in the South for the Winter Olympics closing ceremony -- also attended by Trump`s daughter Ivanka -- part of North Korea`s Olympic Games charm offensive. On March 8, 2018, in a remarkable announcement at the White House, South Korean national security advisor Chung Eui-yong says Kim has invited US Trump to meet by May, and will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests." The White House says Trump has accepted the invitation, but does not set a date or locations for the talks, and adds that sanctions against North Korea will stay in place. NEW DELHI: For the first time in its history, the iconic 'M' logo of the famous McDonald's chain was turned upside down on Thursday to honour women on International Women's Day. The 'golden arches' logo was turned upside down at several locations across the United States. It was started by a McDonald's in Lynwood in California, where a woman who owns the outlet flipped its 'M' at the sign in front of the restaurant to celebrate women everywhere. By Thursday, all McDonald's social media profiles, including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, displayed the logo upside-down. "Today, we flip our Golden Arches to celebrate the women who have chosen McDonald's to be a part of their story, like the Williams family. In the U.S. were proud to share that 6 out of 10 restaurant managers are women," McD said on Twitter. Today, we flip our Golden Arches to celebrate the women who have chosen McDonald's to be a part of their story, like the Williams family. In the U.S. were proud to share that 6 out of 10 restaurant managers are women. https://t.co/6z88OhjXpO pic.twitter.com/hXfOi3wWQf McDonald's (@McDonalds) March 8, 2018 In a statement, McDonald's said that the move was intended to honour women and their "the extraordinary accomplishments". More than 62 percent of McDonald's employees are women. Customers also saw the flipped logo on packaging and crew member's hats and shirts, the company said in a statement. "The golden "M" will be flipped into a golden "W" in "celebration of women everywhere. McDonald's takes pride in diversity and proud to share the same today," McDonald's spokesperson Lauren Altmin said. Social media hailed the unique initiative of McDonald's. The @McDonalds owned by Patricia Williams and daughters in Lynwood, Ca., is only one in the U.S. with a flipped "M" sign, in celebration of #InternationalWomensDay. Lynwood Mayor @JL_Solache was joined by his "Kid Mayor" Katelynn Ramirez,12 in a #selfie with the sign. pic.twitter.com/eg0VgRTrnq Jay L. Clendenin _ (@jaylclendenin) March 8, 2018 Respect to McDonald's for changing their iconic M arch upside down for Wumbo __ pic.twitter.com/a4FyNwJmFG Mexican Rug Dealer (@MikeElChingon) March 8, 2018 Various international organisations including whiskey brand "Johnnie Walker" is also set to donate dollar 1 to organisations extending support to women. Islamabad: Continuing its crackdown against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan government has now seized properties linked to his banned outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its charity arm Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FiF) in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Punjab province. According to The Express Tribune, at 148 properties linked to JuD chief were seized in Punjab province. Interior Secretary Arshad Mirza told the Senate Committee on Interior on Thursday that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) had confiscated three immovable assets of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and FIF, including hospitals and dispensaries. The meeting was presided over by Senator Rehman Malik, the report said. Mirza further informed the committee that Pakistan Red Crescent, a humanitarian organisation, had been asked to take over seven ambulances associated with the two organisations. Senate Committee on Interior had earlier sought to know from the Ministry of Interior and Foreign Affairs on what measures the government had taken in view of Pakistan's placement on 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Mirza told the panel that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the JuD and the FIF were on the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) sanction list as per its resolution number 1267. Therefore, Pakistan was supposed to impose sanctions against the three outfits, he said. The Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) was also amended through a presidential order for taking action against the three organisations that had been declared proscribed by the UNSC, he added. Mirza also told the panel members that a checklist was prepared and circulated among the stakeholders after proper consultation for taking action against the JuD and the FIF. The action against the proscribed organisations was taken at the behest of Finance Ministry, which was the lead agency, he said. Among other measures, Mirza said the passports of the persons associated with these outfits were also cancelled, a move that had barred them from flying abroad. Moreover, their weapons' licenses had also been cancelled and they had been stopped from raising funds as well, he added. Mirza said a meeting would be held next week in the Finance Ministry in which representatives of the Financial Action Task Force would also participate. During this meeting, he said a reporting mechanism would be designed to satisfy the FATF demands regarding these organisations. In a FATF meeting in Paris, he said, Pakistan was given three months to satisfy it with regard to measures taken by the country against the organisations declared proscribed by the UNSC. Besides having international obligations Pakistan also had some internal obligations, the official said. However, senators in the parliamentary panel strongly criticised the policy of the successive governments on countering terrorism and radicalisation and urged the government that it was time to look inward and do more for a respectable standing in the comity of nations. Senator Shahi Syed said Pakistan got a bad name for fighting the CIA-sponsored jihad. He said it was incumbent on Ulema-e-Haq (the true scholars) to confess that a mistake had been committed in the past. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry said that matters needed to be reviewed if the international community was not ready to buy Pakistan's narrative even as the country massively suffered during the war against terror. "You can't fool the world. It's better to get along with the rest of the world," Chaudhry stated. Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said Pakistan committed mistakes one after the other in the first and second round of the war in Afghanistan. He said no proscribed organisation should be allowed to work with a different name. (With PTI inputs) Beijing: A drunk passenger in China launched a violent attack on a bus driver. The reason was only that the driver asked the passenger to buy a ticket. The man was arrested later. The video of the attack has gone viral. It shows the man in brown jacket slapping and biting the driver on the face. The incident occurred when the driver pulled over the bus. The driver had marks on his cheek and started was bleeding from the mouth. He was hospitalised for treatment. The incident happened on route number 102 bus in Xi'an of Shaanxi Province on March 7, 2018, as per media reports. "There were three men boarding the bus when I stopped at the north gate of Xingqinggong Park around 3 pm. They got on without tapping their cards," Zhang, the driver was quoted as saying by Mail Online. Zhang pulled over at the next stop and when he reminded the accused and his friends to pay with their cards, the man started slapping the driver. Another passenger who tried to settle the matter was also attacked. In the surveillance camera footage, reports say, Zhang is seen not retaliating when the drunk man slaps him on the face. Then the attacker is seen biting Zhang on the side of the cheek. The man was arrested, along with his friend. Another friend fled from the scene before the police arrived. District of Columbia: US President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in America`s high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea. Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong earlier announced the first-ever meeting between a US president and North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim personally. According to the South Korean official, the reclusive young leader "expressed his eagerness to meet president Trump as soon as possible." Trump confirmed he had agreed to meet Kim -- hailing "great progress" in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear program. "Meeting being planned!" Trump tweeted. "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." "Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached." Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2018 The news came almost out of the blue, after a period of extreme tension and bellicose rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war. Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him "little rocket man" and Kim returned the favor by describing Trump as "mentally deranged" and a "dotard." The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the world`s most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. Pyongyang`s recent race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States prompted Trump to embark on a campaign of sanctions, diplomatic pressure and the threat of military force. The White House said that strategy of "maximum pressure" would stay in place, for now. (Also read: Of dotard and rabid dogs - a quick recap of vehement US-North Korea relations) "We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." But the prospect of a top-level meeting is nothing short of a paradigm shift. North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who have rebuffed the notion as an effort to achieve strategic parity that does not exist. Pyongyang now seems to have achieved its goal, while only agreeing to a temporary suspension of nuclear tests. It is a gambit fraught with risk for Trump. On multiple occasions, Kim`s father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time, easing sanctions and dividing South Korea from its allies. However his decision also carries historic echoes of Richard Nixon`s visit to communist China or Barack Obama`s overture to Cuba, both of which offered the hope of better ties.The table was set for the announcement on Tuesday when South Korea shocked the world by announcing that the North had stated there was "no reason" to hold on to its nuclear weapons "if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed." The North is open to "frank" talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang. Seoul also announced the two Koreas would hold a historic summit in the Demilitarized Zone next month -- and that the North`s leader Kim Jong Un was ready to halt provocative missile and nuclear tests and sit down with its old enemies. Trump had welcomed the offer as "very positive" and refused to rule out a meeting with Kim. "We have come a long way at least rhetorically with North Korea," Trump said. However his Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress he was "quite skeptical" and Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change "until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization." In the past North Korea has indicated that security guarantees mean US forces leave the Korean peninsula and break a mutual defense treaty with the South. Although Trump`s response was positive, his administration followed it up with another sharp rebuke when it declared that it had formally concluded Kim`s regime had last year murdered his half-brother in a Malaysian airport with the banned VX nerve agent. Trump also sounded a note of warning, signaling the threat of military action remains on the table should talks fail to make headway, and his administration said it would press ahead with potentially provocative joint war games with South Korea. The United States says Pyongyang is testing -- and will soon complete -- an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuke to the continental United States. That ominous technological breakthrough would put cities like Los Angeles and even New York in striking distance of a hostile regime, something that is unthinkable to many in the West Wing. Developments in Donbas, Detention of Ruban, grenades in the downtown of Kyiv, International Women's Day, Shevchenko's anniversary, etc - the whole week on one page 1. Developments in the combat zone of Donbas This week, namely Monday, was supposed to mark the beginning of another ceasefire in Donbas, offered by Minsk talks group. In its statement, the group underlined the importance of peace and tranquillity of the population in the eastern Ukraine conflict area. Later that day, Ukraine's defense ministry confirmed the information that Russian regular army units and the illegal armed formations of terrorists attacked Ukrainian positions seven times over past 24 hours. The attacks included frequent use of the weaponry banned by Minsk agreements. Thus, the enemy again violated the ceasefire offered by the Minsk talks group. Mortar strikes were observed near Luhanske, Schastya, Pavlopol, Shyrokyne and Mariinka; 50 mines hit Ukrainian positions. The enemy units also used tank armaments and infantry weaponry. The militants carried attacks on Ukrainian positions an hour after the armistice officially began in Donbas. Ukraine and Russia have exchanged detained border guards; employees of the State Border Service Bohdan Martson and Igor Dziubak, kidnapped by the Russian special services in October 2017 eventually returned to Ukraine. The exchange took place next to Hoptivka checkpoint in Kharkiv region (northeastern Ukraine). On March 6, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission patrol reported that armed Russian militant threatened them with an assault rifle. The incident occurred at Kozatske checkpoint in Donetsk region. The SMM also saw him pointing the assault rifle directly at the first SMM vehicle, which was then about 120m west of the checkpoint, reads the message on the OSCE website. When the SMM reached a distance of approximately 100m west of the checkpoint, it saw the man kneel down and continue to point his rifle at the SMM vehicle. The SMM immediately stopped there. The driver of the first SMM patrol vehicle then slightly opened the door and asked the man to lower his rifle and call his superior. The armed man used hostile language and said, in Russian, Leave immediately, and if you come closer, I will shoot, while continuously pointing his rifle directly at the first SMM vehicle, it said. The SMM immediately left the area towards the west and returned safely to its base in Mariupol. 2. Detention of Ruban As we reported earlier, Volodymyr Ruban, the head of the Center for Release of prisoners of war 'Officer Corps', was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line in Donbas Conflict zone. It is stated that Ruban is suspected of preparing a terrorist act and illegal handling of weapons. Kyiv District Court arrested Volodymyr Ruban for 60 days without the right to bail. Ruban denies all accusations and claims that he didnt know about the weapons and the incident was an operation organized by the officer with a call sign Cedar. 'They make terrorist #1 of me. I deny all accusations and I have the explanations', he claimed. Vasyl Grytsak, the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) held the briefing on the details of the detention of Volodymyr Ruban. He said that it was a long-term operation, that this detention prevented a number of the terrorist actions in the downtown of Kyiv. Rubam is already listed in Myrotvorets database as "the accomplice of the terrorists". 3. Grenades explode in Kyiv Two grenades were detonated in Kyiv near Lisna metro station on March 6. The grenades in Kyiv were thrown by policeman suspected of the arms trade. The offender turned out to be a police officer with connection to the former Berkut. The Security Service reported that it was a special operation of the Security Service. Apart from that, on the night of March 8 unknown people fired from the grenade launcher at the restaurant in Kyiv. Around 50 m2 of the place burnt out. A few tens of meters from the explosion point the investigators found a launching tube. 4. Gas wars of Naftogaz and Gazprom Following last weeks ruling made by the Stockholm Court of Arbitration, this week brought about a plethora of new developments within the dispute between Naftogaz-Ukraine and Russias Gazprom. On Monday, 5 March, the Ukrainian corporation claimed that Naftogaz would demand the Russian firm to compensate 34% for emergency gas purchases from Europe. That same day, it was revealed that stocks of natural gas in Ukraines underground storage facilities had dropped by 783 million cubic meters within a week due to Gazproms failure to comply with its contractual obligations, which made Ukraine rely on the gas from storage and to purchase 60 million cubic meters of gas from Polands PGNiG. Naftogaz-Ukraine also introduced heightened security measures throughout the nations gas transport system. Then, the Ukrainian party requested Gazprom to adjust the existing agreement so that it would comply with Ukraines energy law. By the end of Monday, it became known that Naftogaz had decided to shut down its office in Russia from 12 March. The following day, Tuesday, Naftogazs chief financial officer announced that the cost of gas transit through Ukrainian territory had in fact been underestimated by a factor of two, which has led the nation to lose around $20 billion between 2009 and 2017. Later that day, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry announced the end of the gas crisis, which forced Ukraines generating companies to shift from gas to fuel oil and suspended many kindergartens, schools and universities. On the other hand, Gazprom decided to file an appeal against the Stockholm Courts decision. Moreover, the chief financial officer of the Nord Stream II said that the ongoing dispute would not compromise the implementation of Gazproms new project. On Wednesday, 7 March, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman asked the countrys Justice Ministry to enhance penalty measures and suggested the arrested Gazprom shares to be sold at a public auction. Finally, on 8 March, the U.S. Department of State praised Ukrainians for cutting gas consumption by 14% to ensure reliable gas supply to Europe. Hence, Gazprom had failed to portray Naftogaz as an unreliable transit partner. 5. International Women's Day Ukraine celebrated International Women's Day on March 8th. March for women's rights took place in the center of Kyiv (photo report is here). Several hundred participants of the march require equal rights for men and women. The event was peacefull, though there were some attacks and provocations in Kyiv and Uzhgorod, driving the attention of Amnesty International and Ukraine's law enforcers to the acts of violence. 6. 204th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's birth Its been 204 years since the Great Kobzar was born. On March 9, Ukrainian society marks the anniversary of Taras Shevchenko the prominent poet and painter of the 19th century. The person of Taras Shevchenko has been examined, reinterpreted and re-estimated .many times since then by different biographers and historians. Ukraines President awarded the laureates of 2018 with Shevchenko National Prize. According to Petro Poroshenko, 70 nominees were going after high state award and only eight of them won the race. According to the decree, the awards went to a writer Emma Andijewska for her poetry books; to artist Pavlo Makov for his creative project 'Lost Paradise'; to publicist Serhiy Plokhiy for the book 'Gates of Europe' and to composer Viktoria Poliova for the choral symphony to the canonical texts 'Light Chants'. 7. Close East project This week we publish another 3 stories about ordinary people making positive changes next to teh combat zone in Donbas. The special services detained Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' in the Donbas Conflict zone The detention of Volodymyr Ruban took place on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone. The source from the law enforcement body confirmed the detention of Ruban to 112.ua. -Georgy Tuka, the Deputy Minister for Occupied Territories reported on Twitter that Ruban attempted to move the entire arsenal through Mayorsk checkpoint to the territory controlled by Ukraine. -Yury Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine emphasized on Facebook that 'the detention was accidental' and confirmed that Ruban was detained during the attempt to enter the territory of Ukraine from temporarily occupied Donbas. -According to Myroslav Gai, the volunteer, Ruban was transferred to the SBU. 'Ruban illegally titled himself a general and worked on the infiltration of the FSB agents to Ukraine under the pretense of the hostages. He was the negotiator for this purposes', he wrote. -Strana published the video of the detention of Ruban. The tables with the large arsenal are situated in from of him. -According to Fakty, the SBU officers held the search at the house of Ruban's wife on March 8. -Volodymyr Ariev, the MP reported citing his own sources that Ruban was taking the weaponry to Kyiv 'for a reason' and claimed that 'it is serious'. -Oleksandr Chornokozha, the representative of the press service of the Chief SBU Department in Donetsk region reported to Hromadske Radio that Volodymyr Ruban is in the detention facility of Mariupol at the moment and there is no information on the choose of the restrictive measure for him. -At the same time, the sources of Ukrayinska Pravda reported that Ruban is served charges on the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action. -The briefing of Vasyl Grytsak, the Head of SBU on the detention of Ruban will take place today at 15:00. Who is Volodymyr Ruban? Ruban is the leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps'. He held the negotiations on the release of the hostages, acting as the mediator from the beginning of the war in Donbas. From time to time he was accused of favoring the militants of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. It became known at the end of February 2017 that Ruban was banned from the crossing of the demarcation line in Donbas. Olena Hitlyanska, the spokeswoman of the SBU reported then that the special service held the questioning of Ruban due to the violation of the set order of the crossing of the demarcation line in Donbas Conflict zone. Ruban called the abolition of pass 'little revenge for Savchenko'. According to the note of suspicion, published by the media, Ruban is suspected of preparing a terrorist act and illegal handling of weapons. It is also stated that Ruban had accomplices among radical anti-Ukrainian citizens. In particular, the names of Shashkin, Mezentsev, Zakharchenkov, Berezen and Liashch were listed. Volodymyr Ruban during the hearing choosing a preventive measure for him denied all accusations. According to him, he didnt know about the weapons and yesterdays incident was an operation organized by the officer with a call sign Cedar Ruban was already added to the Myrotvorets database. He is registered on the website as an associate of the terrorists. Ukrainian law enforcers detained Volodymyr Ruban, the head of the Centre for POW Release. He is currently at a pre-trial detention facility in Mariupol, an informed source told Strana.ua outlet. According to Hromadske.org, Ruban is involved in transporting a large batch of firearms and ammunition. 'He had a lot of stuff in his car, not just small arms and ammunition', the outlet's worker said. Deputy Minister for Occupied Territories Georgiy Tuka confirmed that Ruban was detained. 'This so-called 'general', disguised as an IDP, attempted to move the entire arsenal across the Mayorsk checkpoint!', he posted at Twitter. In 2014-2017, Ruban served as head of the 'Officer Corps' organization; one the behalf of teh Ukrainian government, he negotiated with the Russian mercenaries on the release and exchange of prisoners of war. In February 2017, the SBU, Ukraine's Security Service cancelled Ruban's license for visiting the occupied areas of Donbas - for violation of procedure of crossing the divison line. News from Ukraine at 112.international A man with AK-74 assault rifle threatened the observers of the OSCE The U.S. State Department urged the Russian Defense Ministry to influence its subordinates who fight in Donbas to stop to hinder the work of the OSCE SMM. Heather Nauert, the spokeswoman of the State Department reported this on Twitter. 'The Ministry of Defense of Russia: Please instruct the fighters you control in eastern Ukraine to end violent intimidation of the OSCE SMM international monitors', she wrote. She reminded that a man with AK-74 assault rifle threatened the observers of the OSCE at the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region on March 5. 'An armed man using hostile language said in Russian: 'Leave immediately, and if you come closer, I will shoot', while continuously pointing his rifle directly at the first SMM vehicle', the mission claimed. 112 Agency 112 Agency 112 Agency In Kyiv, the participants of the march for the rights of women were attacked after the action. This was reported by the organizer of the action Olena Shevchenko, informs Hromadske. "We were attacked after the end of the rally. We know of at least five victims. This time we are collecting information," Shevchenko said. According to her, one of the attacks occurred near Bessarabska Square, near the Kyiv city state administration, where the action ended. Also, the organizer of the action reported that now an administrative protocol against her is filled in the police department. "The protocol is created allegedly due to one poster. They say that there was a naked woman with a trident, this is a mockery of state symbols, I did not see this poster," she said. In addition, some participants of the rally are sure that they were attacked by representatives of the ultra-right forces, who had gas cartridges. The organizers called upon those who suffered after the action to call the hotline. In addition, such an attack on the participants of the march for women's rights occurred today in the center of Uzhgorod on Theatralna Square, reports UNN. Girls with placards were poured with a red paint. Related: Hungarian autonomy in Transcarpathia is impossible, - MFA of Ukraine Kyiv hosts a number of solemn events due to the 204th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko, the world-renowned Ukrainian poet and painter. Because of that, Kyiv City State Administration decided to temporarily close certain stops of public transport in the city's downtown - at Volodymyrska and Tereshchenkivska streets, as well as Shevchenko Avenue. President Petro Poroshenko held speech on the occasion of Shevchenko's anniversary and laid flowers to his monument. Protesters broke through the police cordon and tried to get in Poroshenko's way. Taras Shevchenko is one of the most prominent figures in the 19th-century Ukraine, he is often treated as a true symbol of struggle for the national identity, statehood and independence of Ukraine. His very biography showed the tough nature of this struggle at the time. Taras Shevchenko was born on March 9, 1814 in Moryntsi village, Cherkasy region, central Ukraine. Born in the family of peasants, he became an orphan in the age of eleven. Since childhood, he grew very fond of painting, so thanks to help from a patron, he found himself in Petersburg, Russia, where he studied for 4 years. Shevchenko met there famous painter and professor Karl Briullov, who donated his portrait of the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky as a lottery prize, whose proceeds were used to buy Shevchenko's freedom on May 5, 1838. As a free man, Shevchenko joined the Academy of Arts in Petersburg. In 1840, he released his first collection of poems called Kobzar. The book quickly gained popularity and later became classics of the Ukrainian literature of the period. However, in 1847, when the poet dared to mock the-then Russian monarchs in his poem Dream, he was detained, judged and imprisoned. Despite the ban to write or draw, Shevchenko continued to create poems and even wrote several novels in Russian. The poet was released in 1857, due to an amnesty that followed the death of Emperor Nicholas I. After years of exile and tough service in the army, Shevchenkos health failed him. Throughout his life, he managed to return to Ukraine several times; however, he wasnt happy far from his motherland and didnt live long enough to see the end of serfdom in 1861. The poet died on March 10, 1861, aged only 47; he passed away shortly before the respective Emperors decree was released. At first, he was buried in Petersburg, but later his remains were brought to Kaniv, central Ukraine; thats where they rest up to date. In many Ukrainian cities, on March 9, people lay flowers to monuments of Shevchenko that are erected across the country. Solemn meetings and other events are planned in a number of cities and towns. The human rights activists expressed the concern about the aggression against partakers of the march and inaction of the police The Ukrainian office of human rights organization Amnesty International urges police to investigate cases of the attacks on the Marches for women's rights that took place all over Ukraine on March 8. According to the statement published on the website of the organization on March 9, it is claimed that the partakers of the marches aimed against violence and discrimination of women were attacked at least in four Ukrainian cities. Five people suffered in Kyiv: two women were doused in brilliant green and beaten up, pepper gas was used against Bohdan Novak, the journalist and one more participant of the march and the posters with the slogans of the march were taken from some partakers by force. In Uzhorod the attackers doused paint at the partakers of the march and one of the women got a chemical eye burn. Nobody suffered in Lviv during the attack at the march as the police succeeded to detain few persons from the group that attacked. Also, the reports on the attacks came from Mariupol. 'We are extremely concerned by the open aggression against the partakers of the public marches for the women's rights and even more by the inability of the police in a few cities at once to guarantee the security and order during the peaceful gatherings', Oksana Pokalchuk, the Head of the Ukrainian office of Amnesty International claimed. Amnesty International Ukraine appeals to the Ukrainian law enforcers with a demand to immediately hold the investigation of all cases the attacks and publicly report on the results. Grytsak held the briefing on the details of the case of Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' Ruban Vasyl Grytsak, the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) held the briefing on the details of the detention of Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps'. He claimed that the special service succeeded to prevent the terrorist actions that could hurt thousands of the citizens and the particular politicians as 112 Ukraine reported. 'He organized the illegal transfer of the large shipment of the firearms and other ordnance. I want to draw the attention to the fact that the packing list dated June 06, 2016, military base 08819 was found in the box with the grenades. According to our data, it is the military base of the first army corps of Donetsk People's Republic'. Also, Grytsak reported that Ruban in collusion with Zakharchenko and Tymofeev, the leaders of the DPR prepared the terrorist actions in the downtown of Kyiv. 'We found adequate evidence that Ruban, acting by the previous concert with Zakharchenko and Tymofeev, the leaders of the DPR and other persons, planned the particular actions that aim for the preparation of the number of the terrorist actions in the downtown of Kyiv'. Moreover, the SBU is sure that 'the curators from Moscow' are involved in the preparation of the terrorist actions in Ukraine with the participation of detained Ruban. 'Do you believe that Zakharchenko and Tymofeev took responsibility, provided Ruban with such amount of the weaponry to make the terrorist attacks in Kyiv and the curators from Moscow did not know about this? That they did not authorize this?', Grytsak claimed. Grytsak also listed the weaponry confiscated from Ruban. As we reported Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone. It is stated that Ruban is suspected in the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action. Also, Ruban denies all accusations and claims that the happened is the operation where he acted as the driver. The president noted that his aim was the destabilization through the mass terrorist actions Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine orders the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to take the case of Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' under the personal control as 112 Ukraine reported. 'I order General Grytsak to take the investigation of this case under his personal control', the president said. He noted that the issue is not about the transfer but about getting 'irrefutable evidence on the large-scale terrorist acts that were prepared in Ukraine and which network was involved in it'. 'The aim was one to destabilize the society through the mass terrorist actions and the evidence reported to me by the Head of SBU is 'irrefutable as the issue is about the stability of the state and protection of the security in the capital of Ukraine', the president commented. Poroshenko noted that the present information confirms the correctness of the actions of the special services. As we reported Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of the Donbas Conflict zone. It is stated that Ruban is suspected in the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action. Also, Ruban denies all accusations and claims that what happened is the operation where he acted as the driver. Later the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv arrested Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' for 60 days without a right to the bail. - Volodymyr Ruban - the head of the Centre for POW Release - He was detained at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcations line of the Donbas conflict zone. He was carrying weapons in his car. - Ruban is accused of preparation of terrorist attacks, assassinations in particular. - The Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv arrested Volodymyr Ruban for 60 days without a right to the bail. - Ruban denies all the accusations. He claims that the incident was an operation he was involved into as a driver. He didn't know that there were weapons in the car. - According to Vasyl Hrytsak, there is evidence that Ruban acted in a collision with Zakharchenko and Timofeyev, leaders of so-called Donetsk People's Republic. - Security Service of Ukraine reports that Ruban along with the militants was preparing terrorist attacks in Kyiv. They planned to have the attack with thousands of victims. The Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' commented on the accusation in the court Volodymyr Ruban denies all accusations and claims that the happened is the operation where he acted as the driver. He claimed this during the court session in the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv. 'They make terrorist #1 of me. I deny all accusations and I have the explanations', he claimed. According to Ruban, the yesterday operation was planned by the officer with the nickname 'Cedar' and he was a driver of this officer. 'I have no pass for the crossing to the uncontrolled territory. But I work on the exchange of the prisoners. I have the experience in the difficult operations and transfers', he added. Ruban explained that he should 'transport the goods there and take the furniture'. 'I arrived at the prearranged time. 'Cedar' came to me and ordered to pass me. I followed him a few meters and then we were surrounded'. As we reported Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone. The parties will discuss the issues of the security situation in the Donbas and the prospects for launching a UN peacekeeping mission Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko is to meet with EU Commission Vice-President, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. President's press office reports. The meeting will be held in the framework of Mogherini's visit to Ukraine. The parties will discuss the issues of the security situation in the Donbas and the prospects for launching a UN peacekeeping mission in support of the implementation of the Minsk agreements. They will also discuss coordinate positions regarding non-recognition of the illegal elections of the President of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea. During the meeting, the ways to improve the sanctions policy against Russia, the EU's support for reforms in Ukraine will be discussed. The One of Many 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!) 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!) Isabel Hees shows her printmaking expressions flamenco through abstracted shapes, textures, lines and patterns of print. Runs through 4/12. Artist Isabel Hees was born in Pasadena, California and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a student of the University of New Mexico, she studied both flamenco and printmaking. She danced with the National Institute of Flamenco from 2008 to 2017, culminating in an apprenticeship with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company. Her recent project Huellas: Impressions Through Movement is an exploration of her two spheres of influence merging flamenco baile with fine art printmaking. Huellas (footprints) was born in 2011 while Isabel spent the year in Sevilla studying two very distinct art forms: fine art printmaking and flamenco dance. Printmaking is the design and production of tangible, replicable two-dimensional images. Flamenco dance, or baile, is a culturally-specific expression of movement, music and rhythm that is stimulating yet fleeting. Despite their obvious differences both artistic mediums make an impression physically, visually and emotionally. Huellas seeks to explore both mediums of artistic expression by imprinting each baile graphically and metaphorically -- translating a dancer's raw, ephemeral movement into the abstracted shapes, textures, lines and patterns of print. Join us at Tractor Brewing, Wells Park for the opening of Huellas on March 9th between 6-9pm to explore the work and meet the artist. Her work will be on display through April 12th. The mid-Atlantic port saw throughput of containerized cargo fall 0.7 percent year-over-year in February 2018 following a 3.5 percent decline in January caused in part by the loss of workdays due to severe winter weather. Port of Virginia terminals handled 218,729 TEUs of containerized cargo in February 2018, a decrease of 0.7 percent from the same month a year ago, according to the most recent data from the mid-Atlantic port. Loaded container imports grew 3.6 percent to 100,370 TEUs compared with February 2017, but were offset by a 4.3 percent slide in laden exports to 82,104 TEUs. Inbound empty container volumes plummeted 70.8 percent to 2,099 TEUs for the month, while outbound empty container volumes rose 12.2 percent to 34,156 TEUs. Volumes handled by the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) and Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) were up 4 percent to 2,885 containers and 45 percent to 2,541 TEUs, respectively. Total barge traffic rose 1 percent to 3,949 boxes, rail volumes 3 percent to 46,434 intermodal units, and breakbulk cargo 11.4 percent to 13,527 tons, while truck containers declined 4 percent to 72,537 boxes and vehicle volumes slid 27 percent to 1,551 units. The February decline follows a January in which box volumes dropped 3.5 percent due in part to the loss of two full workdays because of severe winter weather. Despite the two consecutive months of year-over-year decreases in container cargo, throughput a the Port of Virginia is still up 3.8 percent at nearly 1.9 million TEUs during the first eight months of the ports fiscal 2018 year, which began in July 2017. February is a short month and our volume was relatively static, in a year-on-year comparison, John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA), said of the results. January featured two snowstorms, which had an impact on our performance, yet we continue to perform in-line with our fiscal-year volume forecast. We are expecting volumes to increase as we move into spring and summer, so we are focusing consistent delivery of service and managing the growth and construction at Virginia International Gateway (VIG) and Norfolk International Terminals (NIT). The Port of Virginia on March 1 officially launched the first phase of implementation for its new motor carrier appointment system, dubbed the PRO-PASS Trucker Reservation System (TRS), in an effort to improve overall cargo efficiency. The first phase of the PRO-PASS TRS rollout will take place at NIT, which will be followed by VIG some time this summer. In this initial phase, motor carriers calling NIT between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, must have a reservation, and the port has said it plans to add more mandatory hours once the trucking community adjusts to the new TRS. In addition, the port is expanding hours of operation at its truck gates, shifting more vessel services to Portsmouth Marine Terminal, and deploying eight new diesel-electric shuttle trucks to VIG on Feb. 28 in an effort to increase velocity. Our performance at the gates is not meeting our standards, said Reinhart. As a result, the motor carriers are feeling the impact. The motor carriers have voiced their concerns and we have listened. We are committed to restoring service levels and managing through the construction. We anticipated the challenges, and on a monthly basis starting in April, we are bringing new capacity on line that will help to alleviate the situation, he added. YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House announced, CNN reported. The talks would be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader and will take place by May, according to South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, who delivered the invitation to Trump after the recent visit by his delegation to the North Korean capital earlier this week. The White House said President Trump had agreed to the encounter. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald Trump officially announced steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, The Hill reports. Trump signed an order enacting tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum during an event at the White House. "Today, I am defending Americas national security by placing tariffs on foreign imports of steel and aluminum," Trump said in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, flanked by steel and aluminum workers. Trump said the domestic steel and aluminum industry has been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices. The president temporarily exempted Canada and Mexico from the tariffs, arguing his administration would continue talks NAFTA partners. The tariffs will take effect in 15 days, giving trading partners such as the European Union and South Korea little time to argue for exemptions. The White House said each country can apply for reconsideration of exemptions. The countries that treat us the worst on trade and on military are our allies, as they like to call them, the US President said. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald Trump says the beginning of talks with North Korea over denuclearization is a great progress. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned, Trump said on Twitter. Earlier it was reported that US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The talks would be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader and will take place by May, according to South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, who delivered the invitation to Trump after the recent visit by his delegation to the North Korean capital earlier this week. The White House said President Trump had agreed to the encounter. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The Armenia-USA parliamentary friendship group had a meeting on March 8 with Elisabeth I. Millard, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US Department of State. At the meeting, head of the Armenian parliamentary delegation, Vice Speaker Arpine Hovhannisyan thanked for the reception and stressed the need to boost partnership and friendly ties with the United States. The ongoing anti-corruption reforms in Armenia were also discussed, as well as the actions for ensuring independent judiciary power and other issues. The prospects of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was touched upon, and the important role of the US as a Minsk Group Co-Chair was underscored in terms of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Other issues concerning Armenias foreign policy agenda and regional security were also discussed at the meeting. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The Shoah Foundation of the University of Southern California of the USA has received one of the largest collections of testimonies from survivors of the Armenian Genocide that were recorded over decades by US-based Armenia historian Dr. Richard Hovannisian, PR Newswire reports. The Richard G. Hovannisian Armenian Genocide Oral History Collection will officially be announced as a part of the Visual History Archive at a ceremony today. It will also be the Archive's first audio-only collection. Initially, a pilot of 10 testimonies seven in English and three in Armenian will be available to the public on March 9 in the Institute's Visual History Archive. The rest will be added as they are digitized and indexed to the high standards used by the Institute. In addition to the audiotapes recorded in a variety of formats, the new collection includes documents and photographs corresponding to each interview, transcripts and translations that Hovannisian and his students put together over the years. The vast majority of the collection was recorded in Armenian, but up to 20 percent of the testimonies are in English; there is a smaller portion of Turkish and Spanish language interviews. The son of a genocide survivor, Hovannisian believes deeply in the power of testimony as a tool to educate, combat denial, and communicate the magnitude of a criminal scheme that claimed an estimated 1.5 million Armenian lives. "The figure 'a million and a half' can roll right over our shoulders," he said. "But it's different when you take those individual interviews and start listening to them one by one. And then it becomes a million-and-a-half individuals and the loss of a civilization, of a way of life, a space where people lived for more than 3,000 years, and everything that space contained." The Institute also houses the Armenian Film Foundation's collection of Armenian Survivor testimony, which was fully integrated into the Visual History Archive in late 2016. "By adding more context to the Visual History Archive, we continue to honor the memories of those whose lives were needlessly taken," said USC Shoah Foundation Vinci-Viterbi Executive Director Stephen Smith. "These voices will help ensure future generations will learn from those who experienced the horrors of the Armenian Genocide." English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9 ARMENPRESS. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Ukraine to allow Fikret Huseynli, a journalist of Azerbaijani origin and a Dutch national, to leave the country safely. Huseynli, a correspondent for the Azeri opposition Turan TV channel, was attacked by unknown assailants at an apartment building he was renting in Kiev, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Ukrainian authorities on October 14, 2017, detained Huseynli, under an Interpol red notice requested by Azerbaijan. Ukraine law enforcement agencies confiscated his travel documents as he was attempting to fly out of Kiev. A Kiev court on October 27 ordered the journalist's release on bail, but ruled that Huseynli should remain in Ukraine for two months while the prosecutor general's office investigated Azerbaijan's extradition request. Ukrainian courts have twice extended the investigation term; the new deadline is March 20, 2018, according to the journalist. In Azerbaijan, Huseynli is wanted for allegedly illegally crossing the border, fraud, and forgery. Speaking to CPJ, he denied all the charges, and said the prosecution was related to his journalism. The correspondent has covered Azeri pressures on opposition politicians, corruption, and has criticized the countrys President Ilham Aliyev. Huseynli said his assailants were speaking both Ukrainian and Azeri. They beat him with their hands and knocked him to the floor, bruising his legs and throat, and breaking his dental bridge. "We call on Ukrainian authorities to immediately return travel documents to Fikret Huseynli and allow him to leave Ukraine," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova. "Kiev must not be complicit with Azerbaijan authorities' persecution of critics beyond its borders. We also call on Ukrainian police to investigate the March 5 physical attack on Huseynli, and bring the perpetrators to justice." English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Thousands of American troops are carrying out joint military exercises in Israel in a large scale missile attack simulation. The Juniper Cobra 2018 exercises involve around 5000 troops in total and main missile defense systems. Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, the head of the US Third Air Force command and the head of the American delegation to Juniper Cobra, said the armies will be ready for whatever threat, whenever it may happen. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. A UN aid convoy has managed to enter the rebel-held area of Eastern Ghouta in Syria which has been under intense bombardment, BBC reported. It follows a pause in Syrian government air strikes overnight, with the situation in the besieged enclave on Friday described as "calm". A previous delivery of aid to the region was cut short amid shelling. "Today, they will deliver the remaining aid that wasn't delivered during the previous convoy of 5 March," a spokeswoman for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), Ingy Sedky, said. "We also have some positive indications that a bigger convoy with additional supplies including medical items might happen next week," Ms Sedky added. Friday's delivery is the third attempt this week to get humanitarian aid to civilians trapped by the fighting in the region on the edge of the Syrian capital, Damascus English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The Netherlands has banned Fatma Sahin, mayor of Gaziantep, Turkey, from visiting the country. Sahin is a member of the Turkish ruling AK party and has previously served as minister for family and social policy affairs. The Mayor of Gaziantep, a city in the western part of Turkey, wanted to visit the Dutch city of Deventer on March 11 to meet with a group of Turkish women. But local authorities said her visit is inappropriate at the moment. Turkeys reaction to the Dutch stance was cancelling the mayors visit. The foreign ministry of the Netherlands has confirmed the cancellation. It is noteworthy that back in March of 2017 a diplomatic scandal happened between the Netherlands and Turkey regarding a visit of then minister of family and social policy affairs Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya. The then-minister had ignored a ban to enter the Netherlands and had crossed into the country on land to meet with the local Turkish community ahead of the Constitutional referendum. The Netherlands didnt allow the minister to have the meeting and expelled her, declaring Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya persona non grata. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Filmmaker David Chase is reportedly making a prequel to his iconic creation The Sopranos. New Line has purchased the screenplay The Many Saints of Newark, the working title for a feature prequel of The Sopranos that is set in the era of the Newark riots in the 60s, Deadline reported. That was a time when the African-Americans and the Italians of Newark were involved in lethal gang violence. Chase will serve as producer as well as co-writer, and he will be involved in selecting a director. Some of the beloved characters from the series will appear in the film. The Sopranos is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around the fictional character, New Jersey-based Italian American mobster, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). The Sopranos is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. The series also won a multitude of awards, including Peabody Awards for its first two seasons, 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened its election observation mission for the 11 April early presidential election in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The mission is led by Corien Jonker and consists of a core team of 10 experts based in Baku and 20 long-term observers to be deployed throughout the country from 15 March. In addition, ODIHR will request 280 short-term observers to monitor proceedings on election day. The experts and long-term observers are drawn from 19 countries, OSCE reported. The mission will assess the election for compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards and obligations for democratic elections, as well as with domestic legislation. Observers will follow the candidate registration process, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legal framework and the resolution of election disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also monitor the media coverage of the campaign. In the course of its observation, the mission will meet with representatives of relevant authorities and of political parties, as well as with representatives of civil society, the media and the international community. On election day, observers will monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results. For election day, the mission will be joined by delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. A final report on the observation of the entire election process and including recommendations will be published approximately two months after the completion of the election process. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. A man wanted for charges of sex abuse in Taylor County, Iowa has been extradited from Armenia to the United States. According to the Taylor County Sheriffs Office, 35-year-old Ben Reece, a US citizen, violated his pretrial release and fled to eastern Europe, Radio Iowa reports. The sheriffs office says Reece was arrested in December 2016 on three counts of second-degree sexual abuse before posting bond in April 2017. The fugitive was discovered and apprehended in Armenia in December, 2017. Reece was extradited back to the U.S. earlier this month and is being held on $1 million bond. Cooperation between the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. State Department, U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Intelligence, Interpol, the Armenian Government and the Taylor County Attorneys Office resulted in the extradition. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Tandem, a comedy sitcom aired on First Channel, evolves around the lives of two school friends. After living in the United States for a long time, one of them returns to Armenia to live with his friend. His return was greatly contributed by his US-based grandpa, whose priority is to match his grandson with an Armenian girl, and see him marry. However, he is unable to adapt to the present day realities. Actors Felix Khachatryan, Arman Nshanyan, Victoria Sahakyan, Levon Sargsyan, Sofia Poghosyan, Tatev Ghazaryan, Arman Mezhlumyan and Anahit Harutyunyan star in the sitcom. Starlet Anahit Harutyunyan, who is also a model, talked about her first experience and her role in the comedy series in an interview with Armenpress Life. I got the offer to star in the sitcom from Arman Nshanyan. I got chosen through a casting. I play a manager of a winehouse, who is always busy with her work and doesnt pay attention to anyone: although notices everything. She is very strict by nature. There are no romantic developments in the sitcom concerning my character. I also have to mention that my clothing is closed, there is nothing open or sexual [about it], she said. The voluptuous model is known for her hot photoshoots which often cause online booms. Harutyunyan says her first experience as an actress turned out quite all right. She says her other experienced co-stars helped her a lot. Initially I was a bit intimidated. I didnt know what the result will be. I hope the audience wont be too hard on me and will take into account that I dont have education or experience as an actress, she said. Asked whether or not particular roles were the reason of her previous refusals of offers, she said: I cant say that I wont act in open scenes, but I will act in other ones. Everything depends on the project and the broadcaster. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan believes that the latest Azerbaijani military exercises shouldnt cause any concern. In an interview to ARMENPRESS Mr. Melik-Shahnazaryan said Azerbaijan holds such exercises every year, and even several times during a single year. One of their goals is for it [exercises] to be viewed as a threat in Armenia or a reason for concern, but naturally I think there is no reason to be worried generally these kind of processes shouldnt deserve the attention of our society, he said, adding that the intelligence level of the Armenian military is on a very high level. According to the political analyst Azerbaijan is carrying out domestic propaganda by holding these exercises, but at the same time the Azeri military seek to test the combat readiness of their armed forces. I believe this time theyll try to learn something new again, he said. Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan didnt also rule out that such military drills can be pre-election measure. The Armenian foreign ministry also commented on Azerbaijans decision to hold the large scale military exercises. 25 thousand people, 250 units of armored battle vehicles, 1000 missile-artillery systems, 50 aviation units will take part in the largest election campaign. Analysts are racking their brains over the speech topic of the candidate with the biggest star on his epaulette, foreign ministry spokesperson Tigran Balayan mockingly said. The Azeri president ordered the large scale military exercises to be held March 12-17. English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan WASHINGTON, D.C.A combined bill supposedly aimed at curtailing online sex trafficking, but which critics and many sex trafficking survivors say would likely harm sex workers and put sex trafficking victims at greater risk, appears headed for a vote in the United States Senate. While no date has yet been set for a vote on SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act), the House passed its version of the legislation, called FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act) by an overwhelming 388-25 vote on February 27. The Senate now appears poised to pass the hybrid FOSTA/SESTA bill by a similar margin spurring civil liberties groups and sex workers themselves to intensify their efforts to stop it. (If you haven't already, check out the Free Speech Coalition's #StopSESTA info page.) On Thursday, one leading civil liberties lobbying organization, the Washington D.C.-based Center for Democracy and Technology, spelled out a list of downsides to the FOSTA/SESTA legislation in fact, headlining its online position paper Its All Downsides. Foremost among the dangerous effects of the bill, according to CDT, would be potential harm to the very people that bill purports to protect: sex trafficking victims. The bill would largely overturn Section 230 of the Communications Act, which CDT says has proven as important as the First Amendment in supporting freedom of speech online by protecting online platforms from liability for the actions of their users. But FOSTA/SESTA flips that provision, making online site owners legally responsible for knowingly assisting, supporting, or facilitating the illegal activities of sex traffickers. That new provision, however, could have two downsides, according to CDT. On one hand, to avoid knowingly helping ex traffickers, site owners could simply wash their hands entirely of any efforts to monitor online ads, and without anyone to review (or approve/reject) posts, sex trafficking ads will continue, even flourish, the CDT paper says. On the other hand, the provision could cause sites to flat-out censor or ban online sex ads, forcing sex traffickers (and in turn, their victims) underground. ... While this may temporarily hinder traffickers, it will also result in the loss of a major resource used by advocates and families to identify and save victims, the paper says. The bill would also impede the work of law enforcement in combatting actual, illegal sex trafficking, by removing online site operators as a resource of informationas well as by forcing sex traffickers offline and into the darkness where legal authorities can no longer track their activities. According to a sex worker-turned-journalist Alana Massey, writing in Allure Magazine online Tuesday, the FOSTA/SESTA legislation, if it passes the Senate, would do direct harm to sex workers themselves. These bills target websites that are widely and inaccurately believed to be hubs of trafficking activity when it is precisely those websites that enable people in the sex trades to do their work safely and independently, Massey wrote. At the same time as they make it easier for authorities to find and investigate possible trafficking cases. When you take away a workers available options, they have to drop down to the next-best available option. Nobody thinks about that, Kristen DiAngelo, executive director of the Sex Workers Outreach Project and a former sex worker and trafficking victim herself, told The Daily Dot. But we dont disappear because they get rid of our work. Our food disappears, our security, our housing our safety, that disappears, but we dont and our need for services definitely doesnt disappear. CHATSWORTH, Calif.The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has launched a special web page dedicated to providing helpful information for adult industry professionals and supporters who wish to aid in the effort to defeat Senate Bill 1693, or SESTA, which goes to the U.S. Senate floor Monday, March 12. The #StopSESTA page lays out background details about the bill and its companion measure FOSTA, which passed the House of Representatives February 27, and provides easy guidelines for calling, writing and tweeting Senators to urge them to vote against the bill Monday. "SESTA is dangerous, misguided legislation that will cost sex worker lives, and push consensual sex work underground," FSC executive director Eric Paul Leue said. "This is our fight, and it is important that we stand by those who provide direct services. But make no mistake, this law is dangerous for anyone with a sex-related business." In a press release, FSC elaborated that while SESTA "ostensibly goes after sex traffickers, and websites that enable them" the bill "does not distinguish between consensual sex work and sex trafficking, giving state attorneys the ability to prosecute any sex-related business. ... Currently, only California and New Hampshire have laws separating pornography from prostitution. SESTA would give each state attorney general wide lattitude to prosecute adult companies under federal anti-trafficking legislation." Added Leue, "Under SESTA, a zealous state attorney general could now prosecute a cam operator in North Carolina for facilitating trafficking based on a conversation between a performer and a fan, or go after a clips site based on content created by a third-party in Alabama. There is no safe harbor, and the will at the state level is there." The #StopSESTA web page can be found here. DEQ officials, staff say pipeline operators provided enough money for environmental mitigation during permitting process Sheila Holman, DEQ assistant secretary for the environment, tells the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy Gov. Roy Coopers $57.8 million escrow fund wasn't needed for any Atlantic Coast Pipeline environmental mitigation efforts. (CJ photo by Dan Way) State Rep. Dean Arp, R-Union, said Gov. Roy Cooper created a slush fund 10 times larger than actual mitigation costs by preying on vulnerable energy utilities seeking approval of a state permit to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline The secret $57.8 million escrow account Cooper negotiated has poisoned the process, and the companies should not pay the money to the state as promised, said Arp, chairman of both the House Appropriations and the Energy and Public Utilities committees.Arp questioned state Department of Environmental Quality officials involved with a controversial water permit during a Tuesday, March 6, meeting of the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy.Sheila Holman, DEQ assistant secretary for the environment, told lawmakers Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, and their partners paid $6 million in mitigation fees related to North Carolina's portion of the ACP.That sum would cover all costs to restore streams, wetlands, and buffers to their natural state following pipeline construction, Holman testified. The fees were determined as part of the normal permitting application process. They had nothing to do with the separate Mitigation Memorandum of Understanding Cooper worked out with the pipeline partners.Cooper said the energy company coalition voluntarily agreed to pay the money. He wanted to use it for environmental mitigation, economic development, and renewable energy projects in a discretionary fund under his control.The General Assembly passed House Bill 90 to take control of the money, and shift it to the school systems in the eight N.C. counties through which the pipeline would pass. The pipeline would start in West Virginia, cross through southeast Virginia, and follow the Interstate 95 corridor in North Carolina to Robeson County.Arp told Carolina Journal after the meeting.Arp said.Arp said.Arp contends Cooper trashed public trust by mixing voluntary outlays with state-required payments tied directly to legal mitigation requirements. He said an unsuccessful applicant now might have reason to suspect a permit could be rejected even though it met specifications.Arp said.He said he has not heard whether Duke, Dominion, and their partners intend to make the $57.8 million payment.Arp said.he said.During the meeting Rep. John Szoka, R-Cumberland, commission co-chairman, initiated the questioning about the permitting process. He noted that Holman testified the pipeline partners actually pledged to exceed required environmental mitigation efforts, and quizzed her whether the $6.025 million paid by the pipeline partners covered all potential environmental hazards.Holman said.Later under questioning from other commission members she saidHolman said permits issued by DEQ would not be affected in any way by Cooper's memorandum of understanding, and that the agency did not work with the governor on his side deal. She said she first learned of his negotiations with the pipeline partners sometime in January.She said the governor did not ask the agency to slow its permit approval process, or coordinate the timing of its news release that the water permit was approved with Cooper's news release 20 minutes later announcing the discretionary fund.Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Duplin, said the DEQ presentation reassured him the agency handled the permitting process by the book. But he said that made him even more perplexed why the memorandum of understanding was created. Now that it is fully apparent, to all who have the ability to pay some modicum of attention, that Imposter President Biden has extreme cognitive issues, in addition to being an inveterate liar: Can OUR Republic continue with this Executive Office that has completely failed, so many times, on far too many issues here at this early date in this abysmal presidency? No, Joseph R. Biden is completely unqualified, morally and cognitively, to represent real Americans, and lead this Republic of disparate peoples. Yes, Joseph R. Biden has started whispering again, even softer now than before; so, I know he still cares, plus, OUR media will soon stop reporting on Afghanistan in favor of OUR Socialist issues. If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do. For every social activity ought of its very nature to furnish help to the members of the body social, and never destroy and absorb them. Government is more than just a concept. Government is people.That is why Federalist 51 asks,Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and current candidate for the U.S. Senate from Utah, was lampooned in 2012 when he argued that corporations also reflect human nature. But he was right. When corporations act, the people inside fill corporate roles and make corporate decisions.Given that people populate (and complicate) the operations of corporations and governments, it may be instructive to examine both, while bringing a third entity, nonprofit organizations, into the mix.Corporate managers dedicate their efforts to increasing profits because that is their social duty unless the owners decide otherwise. In either case, it is people who make the decisions. Nonprofit organizations do not pay taxes, but they must still make enough money to keep the organization viable over time. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is not a billionaire because of his contribution to the internet, but on the NPR podcast How I Built This, he explained that nonprofits should have robust systems and finances. Unlike some community-based, social service-providing nonprofits that rely heavily on government money, Wikipedia's parent Wikimedia Foundation had enough cash on to cover four months' of expenses and more than $90 million in net assets in 2016. Wikipedia's donors appreciate the solid footing they are providing for the future.Government is more like nonprofits than corporations because they do not measure their value by their net earnings or profits, which Peter Drucker called simply "the cost of staying in business." Net assets for nonprofits and reserve accounts maintained by North Carolina state government also represent the cost of staying in business, although they are more a consequence of the organizations' core function. Liquid assets and reserves mean that the organization can continue without as much need for new revenue or debt.People make the decisions and carry them out. They are often good people, but they face the challenges of being in a bureaucratic monopoly. Personal relationships are not supposed to affect government services. Everyone is to be equal before the law. Bureaucracy is a response to the demand that all citizens be treated equally by the government, even as government grows in size and scope. Large organizations are inherently bureaucratic, but they develop workarounds to get things done. The need to make money in a competitive market means that most people in business have incentives to make exceptions on rare occasions. Government's monopoly position removes the monetary incentive, which leaves only the system itself and the people in it.The entire system is predicated on a lack of trust. Federalist 51 explains,American governments were crafted soTodd Gaziano and Tommy Berry of the Pacific Legal Foundation explain that ambition sometimes complements ambition. In numerous cases, ambitious politicians can pass laws that delegate authority to ambitious but unaccountable regulators . Even the competition of state and local governments with the national government has given way to cooperative federalism of governments against the private sector.The manifold division of power and accountability was not meant to eliminate accountability, but to take advantage of what Pope Pius XI later described as the "subsidiary function" or subsidiarity.Most of the people in each level of government, as elsewhere in society, want to do a good job and help others. Government personnel has been asked to accomplish a number of missions by elected officials, who may not provide them with the resources to do everything well. Government is neither a monolithic good nor a monolithic scourge. It is people...for better and for worse. Legislators in New Mexico are pushing a bill that would make students apply to at least one college while they are still juniors in high school. This legislation reflects the powerful belief that college should be the norm for students after they graduate from high school.That belief, however, is mistaken and this bill, should it become law, will have bad effects (not to mention that it takes Nanny State thinking to a new level). As we read in the Albuquerque Journal , the bill in question has bipartisan support and was approved by a committee of the state House of Representatives on February 1. House Bill 23 is co-sponsored by Republican Nate Gentry, the House minority leader, and Democratic senator Daniel Ivey-Soto. Their bill provides that all high school juniors in the state would have to apply to at least one college unless they can show officials that they have made other plans for their lives after graduation: military service, a vocational work program, an apprenticeship, or an internship. (Merely intending to look for a job after graduation will not do.) Students' parents and their high school guidance counselors would have to give their approval to such alternative plans.The lawmakers are worried about the fact that fewer students in New Mexico are going to college. This USA Today piece about the bill informs us thatBut so what if college enrollments have been declining? Most of our political and educational leaders assume that the more years of formal education an individual has, the better off they will be, earning more money (and coincidentally paying more taxes), enjoying better health, having a more stable life, and so forth. They conclude that declining college enrollment must mean that more young people are making a serious mistake in not going to college-a mistake that the government should help to prevent with a law like House Bill 23. If the state compels students to either apply to college or have approved alternative plans, then fewer would make the "mistake" of not going to college-or so the bill's supporters think.But those state politicians obviously aren't considering the possibility that too many students were going to college in the past and that the decline reflects better knowledge about the balance of costs and benefits of college seeping into the minds of New Mexicans. The idea that was current up until about a decade ago-that college is a great investment for nearly everyone-has been fading in the face of reality. Many young Americans and their families know that college can turn out to be a costly bust and they don't want to make that mistake.Writing on Forbes, Preston Cooper points out that about a third of recent college graduates are underemployed. Choosing not to go to college makes perfect sense if you want to avoid spending years of time and lots of money in college only to end up working in a job you could do without this "investment." He points to data compiled by the New York Federal Reserve Bank showing that just having a college degree does not get you a good job.The way this bill would probably impact students is that a few marginal students-ones who are not sure if college is right for them-will wind up going that route simply because it gets the government off their backs. Nothing in the bill says that students who apply must actually attend college, but once they have applied, the school or schools will start seducing them with their claims about the success that will be theirs if they enroll. Some will be lured in.It is hard enough for young people to figure out which way to go after high school without the state government forcing them to either apply to college or show that they have some other plan in mind. If New Mexico colleges and universities see any uptick in enrollments, they will mostly be from students who are not ready for or interested in higher education-the sort of disengaged kids who need a lot of remedial coursework and will still probably drop out after a semester or two.And even if a few of those marginal students do get their degrees, that just puts them in with the huge throng of others who are trying to signal their employability. In his new book The Case Against Education (which I reviewed here ), economics professor Bryan Caplan points out that the apparent benefit of college is mostly that it gives graduates a positional advantage in the search for jobs. Putting more people through college does not create more jobs or improve people's ability to do jobs, but those who obtain educational credentials look more appealing to employers. Since everyone cannot look more appealing, there is no net gain.And the more people who have credentials, the more they have to "invest" in higher credentials to stand out from the pack. People who decide not to participate in the "arms race" of credentials should not be hounded by the government. Some constituents ought to send Rep. Gentry and Sen. Ivey-Soto a copy of Caplan's book. If they read it, they might realize how pointless their bill is.Putting aside the educational folly of forcing young people to apply to college unless they have some other course of action clearly in mind, this legislation is a new advance for the Nanny State. High school students do not belong to the state and should not have to justify their plans to officials. Will any politicians in New Mexico stand up for the freedom of young people to be left alone by the government rather than forced to make a big decision at 17? Capitalism is an ideology that is far more encompassing than it admits, and one that turns every relationship into a calculable exchange. Bodies, time, energy, creativity, love - all become commodities to be priced and sold. Alienation reigns. There is no room for sustained contemplation and little interest in public morality; everything collapses down to the level of the atomized individual. I don't think that every problem can be traced back to capitalism: There were calamities and injustices long before capital, and I'll venture to say there will be after. But it seems to me that it's time for those who expected to enjoy the end of history to accept that, though they're linked in certain respects, capitalism seems to be at odds with the harmonious, peaceful, stable liberalism of midcentury dreams. I don't think we've reached the end of history yet, which means we still have the chance to shape the future we want. I suggest we take it. On Tuesday, The Washington Post ran an op-ed from Elizabeth Bruenig touting the possibilities of a new economic system in the United States: socialism. That's not a complete surprise, given the mainstream media's sudden interest in Marxism again - The New York Times has run a series of pieces over the last year praising Marxism from the perspective of women's rights, "inspiring" Americans, the Harlem Renaissance, even from the perspective of having better sex. Bruenig's piece, however, is a masterpiece of silliness, a veritable cornucopia of evil ideas repackaged in the mildewed bows of revolutionary optimism.She begins by complaining that capitalism has hollowed out the "liberal" movement - liberals want to praise capitalism for its benefits, but ignore its downside. Instead, Bruenig suggests, "It's time to give socialism a try." Why, pray tell, would we try a system of government interventionism that has ended, every time, in heartbreaking poverty and mass death? (No, Sweden and Denmark aren't socialist countries - they're capitalist countries with redistributionist tendencies.) Because, says Bruenig, the ills of our society are almost entirely the result of capitalism. She excoriates Andrew Sullivan of New York Magazine for embracing capitalism while lamenting the rise of nationalism. She complains about Joe Biden, whom she says whines uselessly about America beingShe says that Americans areand that all of this isNo, it's that we shop around for our products at the local grocery store. That's the problem, obviously.It gets worse. According to Bruenig, capitalismThis is pure nonsense. Of course capitalism promotes individualism. So does liberalism, the root of human rights. And even the most ardent capitalists, like Ayn Rand, forcibly reject the idea that we should resent voluntary economic arrangements - in fact, believers in free markets see such resentment as the root of socialism, not capitalism. Furthermore, everyone gets rich off of bilateral transactions where everybody knows what they're doing. In fact, that's the only way to get rich. If you screw someone, you can't very well have a repeat economic transaction with them. This zero-sum mentality only applies to socialistic misapprehensions about the nature of free and voluntary exchange.But Bruenig continues:Now, this is a critique frequently made by social conservatives, who suggest that virtue is a necessity to preserve freedom, and that Judeo-Christian values and communities that spring from those values must be the underpinning of capitalism. But socialism doesn't resolve those problems. It merely redistributes them: all relationships are now reduced down to numbers, and if those numbers don't fit, people are made to fit the numbers. If alienation is the product of capitalism, then subjugation is the product of socialism.Bruenig quickly skips over the totalitarianism of socialism, instead suggesting a "kind of socialism that would be democratic and aimed primarily at decommodifying labor, reducing the vast inequality brought about by capitalism, and breaking capital's stranglehold over politics and culture."That's a lot of buzzwords in a row. There is no way to "democratize" socialism - there is always a boss at the factory, whether it's a government bureaucrat or an owner who has a stake in the success of the factory. You cannot decommodify labor, because labor is by its nature a commodity - it is a tradeable good to be bought and sold. And capitalism may create inequality, but it also creates prosperity for everyone, including those on the bottom end of the economic spectrum.Bruenig continues nonetheless:Well, yes. Before capitalism, there was feudalism, monarchic tyranny, mercantilism, and bloody war with complete lack of economic progress. So there's that. But Bruenig concludes:Bruenig's path has already been taken. It leads to the gulag, to the prison camp, to the starvation of children. It leads to centralization of power and it leads to destruction of the individual. The fact that Bruenig can repeat the discredited nostrums of Lenin and Mao without even realizing it shows how our capitalist system has failed to educate its beneficiaries about just why they're able to write garbage editorials for pay in the freest, most prosperous country in world history. This is fascinating: Millions of clocks across Europe have lost time, because of a dispute over electricity generation. Citizens across Europe had been noticing that clocks in certain devices LED-style alarm clocks, stoves, and microwaves had been gradually losing time over the last few weeks. Why? Because those devices keep time based on the frequency of the European electrical grid, which is normally 50 hertz. But in the past few weeks, the frequency of the grid has dropped slightly it's down to 49.996 hertz. So all those clocks have gradually run more and more slowly. People had noticed Ah ha!! Thought I was going nuts that our cooker had slowed down! https://t.co/XpT2x25ROf Allan Howe (@allan_howe) March 7, 2018 Okay, so why has the grid's frequency dropped? As NPR explains, it's because of a political fight: The problem, affecting some two dozen countries from Spain to Turkey, originates from a political disagreement between Kosovo and Serbia, ENTSO-E said. Reuters reports Kosovo was using more power than it generated and Serbia, responsible for righting an imbalance, failed to do so, resulting in the deviation. Tensions have been rising between the two for some time. Kosovo broke away from Serbia in 2008 after the brutal war of the 1990s, but Belgrade still does not recognize Kosovo's independence. And Reuters reports that while Serbia and Kosovo agreed to jointly operate a power grid in 2015, disagreements over distribution have stalled implementation of the deal. ENTSO-E spokeswoman Susanne Nies told NPR on Wednesday that Kosovo began producing enough power for its population on Tuesday, thus stopping the deviation. However, she said, "It will take some time for the Continental European power system to get back into the normal frequency" and the approximately six-minute lag remained in effect. A la recherche du temps perdu. Me, I had no idea there were clocks that synchronized themselves based on the power grid. That sounds nuts! Particularly since quartz technology is super accurate and dirt-cheap. But I suspect it's because it's impractical to run a battery-powered quartz timekeeper inside an appliance like a stove or a microwave, where it'd be a pain in the butt to change the battery every two years or so? (Thanks to Debbie Chachra for this one!) (CC-licensed photo courtesy Denise Krebs) George Nader, the international businessman of mystery who is now cooperating with special prosecutor Robert Mueller, was indicted in 1985 on obscenity charges involving child pornography. Nader is a political operative who was seen frequently at the White House during the early days of the administration of President Donald Trump. The material George Nader was accused in 1985 of trafficking included photographs of naked boys "engaged in a variety of sexual acts," reports The Atlantic, citing publicly available court documents. The charges against Nader were dismissed when key evidence against him was tossed out on procedural grounds. On January 17, 2018, he was en route to Trump's Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago, to celebrate the anniversary of the inauguration when he was served a subpoena for Robert Mueller's grand-jury probe, while Nader was at Dulles Airport outside of Washington, D.C. Natasha Bertrand at The Atlantic writes that one source described wanting to warn their former boss, a top Arab official, to "keep his kids away from Nader." Snip from the Atlantic article: A political operative who frequented the White House in the early days of President Trump's administration, George Nader, was indicted in 1985 on charges of importing to the United States obscene material, including photos of nude boys "engaged in a variety of sexual acts," according to publicly available court records. Nader pleaded not guilty, and the charges against him were ultimately dismissed several months after evidence seized from Nader's home was thrown out on procedural grounds. "Mr. Nader vigorously denies the allegations now, as he did then," a lawyer representing Nader said. Nevertheless, the indictment raises questions about what the White House knew, if anything, about Nader's past while senior officials were meeting with him. The Trump administration is already under fire for failures to vet members of the president's inner circle. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nader's name has surfaced in recent days with reports that he is a cooperating witness in Robert Mueller's investigation. And earlier this week, the New York Times reported that George Nader once worked with Blackwater, the mercenary firm run by Erik Prince linked to atrocities in Iraq. Prince is the brother of Trump Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. From the New York Times: Mr. Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who advises Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the effective ruler of the Emirates, also attended a January 2017 meeting in the Seychelles that Mr. Mueller's investigators have examined. The meeting, convened by the crown prince, brought together a Russian investor close to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump's team during the presidential transition, according to three people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Nader's cooperation in the special counsel's investigation could prompt new legal risks for the Trump administration, and Mr. Nader's presence at the Seychelles meeting appears to connect him to the primary focus of Mr. Mueller's investigation: examining Russian interference during the 2016 presidential campaign. Mr. Nader represented the crown prince in the three-way conversation in the Seychelles, at a hotel overlooking in the Indian Ocean, in the days before Mr. Trump took office. At the meeting, Emirati officials believed Mr. Prince was speaking for the Trump transition team, and a Russian fund manager, Kirill Dmitriev, represented Mr. Putin, according to several people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Nader, who grew close later to several advisers in the Trump White House, had once worked as a consultant to Blackwater, a private security firm now known as Academi. Mr. Nader introduced his former employer to the Russian. () Since then, Mr. Nader has been questioned numerous times about meetings in New York during the transition, the Seychelles meeting and meetings in the White House with two of Mr. Trump's senior advisers, Jared Kushner and Stephen K. Bannon, who has since left the administration. One source described wanting to warn their former boss, a top Arab official, to "keep his kids away from Nader." https://t.co/8eNAVDp6MN?amp=1 Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) March 9, 2018 George Nader was accused of importing photographs of nude boys "engaged in a variety of sexual acts." The 1985 charges were dismissed after key evidence was thrown out, @NatashaBertrand reports: https://t.co/whsHaYamfK pic.twitter.com/ivyPkgeemX The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) March 9, 2018 One source described wanting to warn their former boss, a top Arab official, to "keep his kids away from Nader." https://t.co/8eNAVDp6MN?amp=1 Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) March 9, 2018 South Korea's national security adviser today announced he told President Donald Trump that Kim Jong Un says he's committed to denuclearization, and that Trump agreed to make it happen by May, as North Korea has proposed. "He pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests," said South Korea's Chung Eui-yong, and "President Trump would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve denuclearization." The South Korean envoy was reading out the announcement on behalf of the White House? Why is South Korea announcing this? Who knows. Nothing matters. No conditions specified, for now. Kim Jong Un today said he is committed to total denuclearization. The talks will effectively freeze North Korea's nuclear program the reclusive leader has agreed to suspend all tests and activities while negotiations are ongoing. North Korea has been seeking a summit with an American president for more than twenty years. It has literally been a top foreign policy goal of Pyongyang since Kim Jong Il invited Bill Clinton. (1/3) Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) March 9, 2018 I wonder if Trump's "aides" have explained that to him. Or, if in their toddler-handling, they have led him to believe that this offer is something unusual. Or perhaps he imagines that only he can go Pyongyang. (2/3) Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) March 9, 2018 This is literally how the North Korean film "The Country I Saw" ends. An American President visits Pyongyang, compelled by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs to treat a Kim as an equal. (3/3)https://t.co/l3TqT2v8KL Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) March 9, 2018 PS: To be clear we need to talk to North Korea. But Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Korea's weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal. Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) March 9, 2018 Chung Eui-yong takes the podium. Trump's "maximum pressure policy together with international pressure brought us to this juncture." #NorthKorea pic.twitter.com/bIPbliGaIi Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) March 9, 2018 President Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May in order to achieve permanent denuclearization, South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong announced at the White House after meeting with Trump. NPR (@NPR) March 9, 2018 That announcement had intensely weird optics. The South Koreans are shuttling between Pyongyang and Washington and speaking for both Trump and Kim Jong-un. https://t.co/0hTsVUf2TD Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) March 9, 2018 No sitting U.S. president has met a North Korean leader. But no North Korea leader ever had a thermonuclear ICBM. "Balance of power" attained? Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) March 9, 2018 Pres Trump said he is willing to meet North Korean leader Kim by May, says South Korean national security adviser Chung Steve Holland (@steveholland1) March 9, 2018 Breaking news South Korea announces at White House that Trump will accept Kim Jong Un invitation to talk and will negotiate denuclearizing Korean Peninsula and freeze tests during talks Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) March 9, 2018 BREAKING: South Korean official: Donald Trump says he will meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un by May. AP Politics (@AP_Politics) March 9, 2018 Kelda Roys is running for governor in Wisconsin. She's also a mom, small business owner, and attorney. In the middle of her campaign ad, in which she talks about helping Wisconsin become the first state to ban BPA when she was in the State Assembly, her baby starts to cry. Her husband, who can't help the hungry infant, walks on set and hands his daughter to Roys, who casually starts feeding the baby while continuing her discussion. What an awesome way to normalize breastfeeding in public (not to mention proving how adept she is in the art of multi-tasking!). If you're uncomfortable watching a woman breastfeed, she suggests you "don't watch the video." According to parenting site Scary Mommy: She told Capitol Times that feeding her daughter on camera wasn't planned. "Like most working parents around the state, I juggle a lot of things and responsibilities, and I wear a lot of hats," she explained. "When we were shooting the video, my family was obviously there, and when the baby needs to eat I just feed her." We really loved her response to the question women always get: what if someone is uncomfortable about you breastfeeding your child? "Don't watch the video," Roys shared. "This is one way that babies get fed. It's just a part of life. It's a part of nature." She went on to remind folks that women belong in politics just as much as men. "We have every right to have a seat at the table and run for office, even when we have young kids, just like men always have." Roys will be running against Tony Evers, Matt Flynn, Andy Gronik, Mike McCabe, Mahlon Mitchell, Paul Soglin, Kathleen Vinehout, and Dana Wachs for the Democratic nomination. Leaked footage of a police officer repeatedly punching a pedestrian led to charges for Christopher Hickman, the Asheville, NC cop who also lost his job after the attack on August 24 last year. Hickman claimed that Johnnie Jermaine Rush was jaywalking and had assaulted him when challenged, but bodycam video showed a more sinister incident in which Hickman, who is white, told his black victim "you are going to get fucked up hard core", chokes him, repeatedly strikes his head with his fist, then tases him. "I beat the shit out of his head," Hickman says on the recording. "Not gonna lie about that." The police chief, Tammy Hooper, has also offered to resign. Police said they plan to present an investigation into whether Hickman's actions against Rush were criminal to the district attorney next week. "This is a human rights issue, and Hickman should've been charged from day one," local Black Lives Matter leader DeLores Venable said during Wednesday's meeting, per the Citizen-Times report. "If no one would've leaked it or said something, we would be in the dark." Hooper issued a public apology March 1, saying, "The acts demonstrated in this video are unacceptable and contrary to the department's vision and the progress we have made in the last several years in improving community trust." Jaywalking is a ridiculous crime to begin with, but "jaywalking" in the dead of night on an empty road in Asheville? No wonder people were curious about the circumstances of the arrest, and no wonder the footage had to be leaked before the public saw it. Hickman was just prowling around looking for a donkey to pin. Corey King, a sheriff's deputy in Washington County, Georgia put out an arrest warrant for his wife, Anne King, after she posted on Facebook: "That moment when everyone in your house has the flu and you ask your kid's dad to get them (not me) more Motrin and Tylenol and he refuses." Anne King's friend, Susan Hines, commented on the post, calling Deputy King a "POS." "Give me an hour and check your mailbox," she wrote. "I'll be GLAD to pick up the slack." Deputy King told his ex-wife to delete the post. When she didn't, he requested a warrant to arrest both women on a charge of "intent to defame another, communicate false matter which tends to expose one who is alive to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, and which tends to provoke a breach of peace. CNN reports on what happened next, which shouldn't surprise you: The next day, a Washington County court magistrate issued warrants for both Anne King and Hines. The women were charged with "criminal defamation of character," processed and spent about four hours in jail before posting $1,000 bail. At their hearing, state-court judge stated there was no basis for the arrest and the case was dropped. "I don't even know why we're here," the judge said, according to the complaint. Also not surprising, Anne King is suing for compensatory and punitive damages and Deputy King is saying it's not his fault; it's Magistrate Judge Ralph Todd's fault for actually issuing the warrants. News / National by Staff reporter SOUTH African songstress, Winnie Khumalo has said her performance alongside Uhuru at the Youth Presidential Interface Rally in Bulawayo last year was not meant for former president Robert Mugabe, but her fans.In a recent interview with Southern Eye after The Winnie Khumalo Live in Concert show at The Venue in Harare, the songbird said the performance at the rally was meant for her fans."I was here to work. It was not for the President. It was all about for my fans. I am not a politician so I leave politics to the politicians," she said.Khumalo staged the Bulawayo show at a time when she was recovering from surgery to remove an abscess that had developed in her backside.During the Harare show, Khumalo put up a sterling performance, as she brought the house down with her energetic performance, where she shared the stage with AfriCherry, Brian Kadengu and wheel spinner Reverb 7.She urged female musicians to have confidence in their work and strive to work with upright people to avoid the abuse that was prevalent in the music industry."Female artistes must believe in themselves and not sacrifices themselves for anything because if they do that the next person, who is better will take over because you did not deserve it as you did not do it in a right way," she said."Do things the right way. You have to believe in yourself, be dedicated and be humble all the time as perseverance is needed," she said.Khumalo said working with the right people helped her avoid such negative experiences.She said despite the male dominance in the industry, female musicians were doing their best to prove their mettle."There are issues of favouritism in South Africa, as other artistes are being sidelined. All the tenders are given to the same big names all the times, which is very unfair, I am trying, as a woman, to speak out against such issues," she said. News / National by Staff reporter The MDC national council will meet soon to start formalities to expel the party's vice president Thokozani Khupe.This follows yesterday's expiry of a seven day ultimatum given to Khupe by the same organ to comply with an MDC directive to reach out and make peace with Nelson Chamisa who was recently endorsed to lead the party.Khupe has been describing Chamisa as a gangster who is not worth to lead the party. News / National by Staff reporter THE state this week asked for postponement of the case in which former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi is accused of stealing $1,6 million to a later date saying investigations were still underway.According to NewZimbabwe.com, Mzembi and his accomplices including Tourism and Hospitality ministry consultant Aaron Dzingira Mushoriwa, 62, and the ex-permanent secretary Margret Sangarwe, 59, will be back in court in April this year pending their trial.The trio are accused of stealing $1, 6 million which was meant for United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 2013.They are facing theft of trust property charges. News / National by Simbarashe Sithole Former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has called on Emerson Mnangagwa's Government to reveal all about the missing activist Itai Dzamara if his Government is democratic in the so called new era.Coltart took it to micro blogging Twitter saying, "If the new Government under the leadership of Emmerson Mnangagwa is committed to a new era of democracy & freedom then it must reveal all it knows about what happened to Itai Dzamara.If they fail to do this then we must assume that their promises are simply smoke & mirror."Meanwhile, today (9 March) marks the third year after the abduction of Dzamara who vehemently demanded the step down of the then Zimbabwean President Robert Gabriel Mugabe before his abduction on 9 March 2015. Opinion / Columnist Bernard Muchemwa is a Chartered Accountant and Social Commentator based in Sydney Australia writing in his own personal capacity. The better "crook" will romp home in the 2018 Zimbabwe national plebiscite."Cetris Paribus " though.ED is abated by the power of incumbency and the well girded state apparatus.His new dispensation mantra has gained unimaginable traction, caught the opposition pants down and mopping up those voters who were now idle and frustrated with the punishing politics of the stomach, Africa's nauseating bane.Chamisa will have to use is oratory skills , stage flamboyancy and the generational change quest to theatre.Both parties ZANU and the MDC have gone through seismic events which threaten to rip them asunder. He who will meander skillfully out of these vicissitudes will survive.As for ED , he has "General Patronage" to thank.The grassroots from the infamous Cabal will trudge back unwittingly and wearily though and help to galvanize the " Revolutionary Party".Chamisa looks overwhelmed by the daunting task of mending the chasm created by his brazen power grab. But not to be outdone, the boy has an amazing charm, which threatens to shake the Zimbabwean political foundation to the core.But the "better crook" will pick the worm as I foresee a tight race. So tight that even the sanguine will be left dumbfounded.Now it is who , who.will be able to manipulate his "raw materials" , the masses who are both malleable and ductile , who will win.Will Chamisa translate his brilliant showboating on the podium and behind the mick to effective use. He has a large swarm of urban youth baying for a future devoid of Zanu PF their identified nemesis. I can bet my last $ Humanikwa was teeming with urban illegal street vendors, Chamisa's fortress and their peers both male and female who acknowledge though , the Liberation struggle as a necessary struggle to emancipate the African who was muzzled and burdened with indignity. Alas they believe every generation has it's own unique grievances and the Liberation stalwarts had theirs and were able to address theirs through a collective bitter struggle couched in the vicious guerilla warfare. A war many want to shove off their minds due to its horrendous consequences.Now they say, it is time to address their generation's grievances, a plethora of them, of which enumeration of them might produce manuscripts thicker than Das Kapital Vol 3 by Marx and Angels.ED can counter through the rural youth and Makorokoza who find Zanu PF's policies towards them amiable.Chamisa might be hoist by his on petard. The Khupe issue might come back to haunt him badly if he does not handle it tactifully and strategically . The way out of this is an extra ordinary congress to formalize his position. Probably he has no power outside the youth wing . Maybe he has no support in the women's league nor men's. Maybe he has not forgotten the last Congress when the better " crook" outsmarted him out of the SG post.Now it is time for each candidate to transverse the breadth and length of the country selling policies some of them might be heroic though like getting $15Bln dollars from Trump. Beware of debris "vachinunga nhema".Each must focus more on where they have thier power base and lick up all voters including convincing the Thomases and the inertia of this world. This is a game of numbers and none can't afford to waste precious time, energy and money on voters who will always give them a middle finger. It is energy sapping when you really need it to take you to the wire.One thing which people need to be careful not to lure them into utopia are crowds. They are misleading . Both parties can garner huge crowds , but we need to understand the dialectics of elections and crowds .Those crowds can be compartmentalized into members of political parties who are in the structures from cell , branch, district, province and national and please excuse my semantics. Then we have ordinary card carrying members and those who might like the party at an juncture. The phantom is the voter who is fluid . The voter is the deciding factor. The Zimbabwean voter does not talk nor attend rallies. He can be deceptive and can give you a false hope. Beware of the voter and both protagonists must focus on this class.May the "best trickster win"ED has an edge but complacency might consign him to the dust heap of history.Chamisa Will regain most the urban votes lost in 2013 through the youth , proletarian working class and the unemployed.But will he upset the apple cart. Only time will tell as he has been buoyed by the urban youth who chanted his name hysterically during the doyen MRT's funeral parades. But he better be warned that the age narrative might not stick.It might backfire sensationally.ED is battle hardened , an ocean of experience and his lack of stage work is compensated by shrewd and ruthless scheming which leaves nothing to chance.Still waters run deep and his really run deep. Opinion / Columnist THERE are several stumbling blocks against resolution of the Ndebele monarchy issue.The first is that those who are not members of Lobengula's house cannot join in the identification of an heir to the crown. King Lobengula's descendants say only members of his house are by tradition required to identify the heir to the throne.There is also the emotive issue of the role of chiefs in the process in the identification process. Lobengula's house says their role is limited to officiating in the rituals to install or inaugurate the new king. The controversy has further been bedevilled by assertions that Lobengula was a mere ijaha when Nyamande was born. But no dates have been offered when Lobengula was crowned king or when Nyamande was born, although it is accepted he was the new king's first son.It is further alleged that the "white man's history" says Lobengula was inaugurated in 1870 and Nyamande and Mhlambi were born in 1873. But because the inimitable and "immortal" historian Mr Pathisa Nyathi has said it, the reading public has simply closed its mind to the fact of history by accepting his word as gospel truth.Is the reading public so gullible and ill-informed?On the question of the traditional protocol to identify a successor, a number of chiefs have openly flaunted their support for Bulelani Colin Khumalo's camp. This has tragically torn apart the monarchy and the people of Matabeleland beyond the bounds of reconciliation. This is regrettable because they have usurped the rites that are the preserve of the royal family. Chiefs are subordinate to the king and must not assume the role of king-maker.Leaders of Lobengula's house say most chiefs in the former kingdom were appointed by the king and therefore are subordinate to the king and cannot usurp the king's authority or that of his children to identify a successor.They point out the fate that befell the chiefs who installed Nkulumane as king, although he was the rightful heir.They also assert that Bulelani Colin Khumalo's bid to succeed Nyamande ignores traditional norms.It is asserted by the Lobengula house that those who are behind Bulelani are not members of Lobengula's house. The interference of outsiders, the royal family says, is an attempt to take away the monarchy through a coup.Mzilikazi had several wives and many sons. His first son was Muntu followed by Mangana, Qalingana, Lopila, Mahlahleni, Hlangabeza, Ngulukudela, Nyanda and others.Lobengula was of course the one who became king after the Nkulumane fiasco.These Khumalos therefore can only be involved in the search for a new king by invitation of Lobengula's house.There is a strong but erroneous perception among what is generally called AmaKhumalo that Queen Elizabeth II is a trustee of a fund for the benefit of the Ndebele.The perception arises out of the following.In 1894 the Imperial Government issued two orders known as the Matabeleland Orders in Council. The first of the two ordered the seizure of all cattle in Matabeleland at the rate 200 000 head per month. The operation lasted for several months. The second Order-in-Council renamed the Kingdom of Mthwakazi, Matabeleland.John H Harris' book, The Chartered Million says the former kingdom was left with a paltry 40 000 head of cattle. The people's food stores had been and the remaining cattle destroyed in a war of attrition to rape the kingdom and the people were further denied their right to till the land, to force them to surrender.In December 1893, Major Forbes' forces were closing in on King Lobengula, and the king sent men with "two bags of gold sovereigns" to be delivered to Major Forbes, declaring "the white man will never leave us alone as long as we have the gold".This interesting story comes from the book The Downfall of Lobengula authored by a panel of five including Forbes and Sir John Willoubghy. Reports from London say a man has been holding seminars on how Bulelani Colin Khumalo, as new king of the AmaNdebele will be introduced to the queen to claim the fund.It appears therefore that reports about a fund are driven by the seizure of the nation's cattle, in which case the money should be under control of the British Government.On the subject of the chiefs' role in the search for a new king, it is perhaps incumbent upon the chiefs in Matabeleland to declare their position in the current controversy. This will allay fears that some of them at least are believed to be backing Bulelani's bid for the kingship. Such declaration will help the AmaKhumalo to resolve the succession issue which has seriously divided the already divided people of Matabeleland.This is unfortunate because, for all intents and purposes Bulelani is not "South African based" but is a South African citizen, his mother, Mandlangamandla and father Humphrey are citizens of South African and so was Bulelani's grandfather, Fana.How much of Njube's blood runs in Bulelani's veins? He was 31 when he died in 1910.Let me close by touching briefly on Njube's claim on the succession question. He was born in 1879 and was sixth in line from Nyamande to be king.By what arrangement can his descendants jump the queue, if you like, of Nyamande's descendants, the descendants of Mhlambi and those of Sintinga Tshakalisa who was born in 1875, a clear four years before Njube.Mr Nyathi says it is because Njube was taken to the Cape Colony to be educated. Does this man know that Nyamande, after his deposition as king in January 1897, was restricted to a "keep" for 20 years for the simple reason that he refused to be reduced to a mere paramount chief when he demanded a territory in which he and his people would enjoy the rights of independence?Nyamande became the first political restrictee in this country. And Njube was taken away to be educated. Young Canadians are searching for top stocks to add to their RRSP portfolios. Lets take a look at three top Canadian companies that should be solid buy-and-hold picks until you retire. Nutrien Ltd. (TSX:NTR)(NYSE:NTR) Nutrien might not be well known to many investors, but its predecessors certainly were, and the company it created through the recent merger will likely become a household name. Whats the scoop? Potash Corp. and Agrium Inc. got hitched to create Nutrien, one of the planets largest crop nutrients companies. The strength of Agriums retail business was a great addition to Potash Corp.s powerful wholesale position, and the new company should be more stable as a result. Fertilizer prices are starting to recover after a multi-year slump, and the long-term outlook for the industry should be positive. Global food demand is rising, and farmland is disappearing, so growers will have to find ways to get more out of less property, and fertilizer will play a large part in that effort. Canadian National Railway Company (TSX:CNR)(NYSE:CNI) CN is the only rail operator in North America with lines connecting three coasts. Thats a powerful advantage, and its unlikely to change anytime soon. Why? Attempts to merge railways tend to run into serious regulatory roadblocks, and the odds of new tracks being built along the same routes are pretty slim. CN generates significant free cash flow and is good about sharing it with investors through rising dividends and stock buybacks. The company recently raised the payout by 10% for 2018. A large part of CNs revenue comes from the U.S. operations, providing a nice hedge against any weakness in Canada. Bank of Nova Scotia Investors often skip Bank of Nova Scotia in favour of its larger peers, but that might be a mistake, especially when you plan to hold the stock for two or three decades. The attraction lies in the fact that Bank of Nova Scotia has invested heavily in its international operations, with a specific focus on Latin America. The region holds significant potential and already generates nearly 30% of the banks net income. Story continues As the middle class expands in the core markets of Peru, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile, Bank of Nova Scotia should benefit. The stock trades at a reasonable 11.8 times trailing earnings and offers an attractive 4% dividend yield. The bottom line These three companies should prove to be solid buy-and-hold picks for an RRSP portfolio. If you are looking for top-quality names you can own for decades, Nutrien, CN, and Bank of Nova Scotia deserve to be on your radar. More reading Fool contributor Andrew Walker owns shares of Nutrien. David Gardner owns shares of Canadian National Railway. The Motley Fool owns shares of Canadian National Railway. Canadian National Railway and Nutrien are recommendations of Stock Advisor Canada. Associated Press A former school counsellor testified in an Australian court from Israel on Monday that she suspected two sisters had alleged they were sexually abused by their principal in an attempt to get financial compensation, but that one student who reported abuse had shown deep anguish. A committal hearing began in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last week to decide whether there is sufficient evidence against former principal Malka Leifer to warrant the charges going to trial. Leifer, 55, is facing 74 charges, including rape and indecent assault of three sisters, from her time as head of Melbournes Adass Israel School between 2004 and 2008. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak meet in the Oval Office at the White House on May 10, 2017. (Photo: Alexander Shcherbak via Getty Images) Until now, the notion of an American president controlled by a foreign adversary was confined to fiction. In thrillers, no plot is too paranoid or absurd. Imagine this one: A hostile power for verisimilitude, Russia works best installs a compliant U.S. president by tampering with our election. When our traitorous leader begins menacing officials who suspect his perfidy, the Russians unleash a torrent of propaganda to support him, using front people to conceal their role. Soon, they have divided America into warring camps, buying their puppet time to cover up his actions while they continue to pull his strings. Desperate, a former director of national intelligence warns that Russias despotic leader a murderous former KGB agent is handling our president like a Russian asset. America has stepped through the looking glass. The intelligence director is James Clapper. The Russian spymaster is Vladimir Putin. The American president is Donald Trump. What underlies Trumps hysteria about the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller? One inescapable possibility is that he compromised Americas interests in exchange for Putins help in 2016. This much we know: Russia hacked damaging emails from the Clinton campaign, which WikiLeaks released at critical moments. Concurrently, Russian bots and operatives within the U.S. targeted key states with fake news and political activities calculated to help Trump a massive assault for which Mueller has now indicted 13 Russians and three Russian companies. Special counsel Robert Mueller departs after briefing members of the U.S. Senate on his investigation into potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign on June 21, 2017. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters) For Trumps part, he adamantly stonewalls sanctions punishing Russia for its intrusion. His campaign changed the GOP platform to soften resistance to Russian aggression in the Ukraine. And he has done nothing to combat further Russian manipulation in 2018 or even spent a dime of the $120 million allocated to the State Department for such purposes even though our intelligence agencies urgently warn that Russia means to repeat its onslaught of fake news and attacks on our electoral systems. Story continues What explains Trumps blatant dereliction of duty? The alternative to knowing complicity is rank stupidity and an astonishing susceptibility to manipulation. But if Trump is merely Putins gobsmacked fool, what is he so desperate to conceal? Start with the repeated contacts between Trumps campaign and Kremlin-connected Russians. Remarkably, Trump denies knowing anything about that. Yet the FBI warned him as early as August 2016 that Russia would try to infiltrate his campaign. And it already had. In March 2016, a Russian intermediary told Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos that Russia had thousands of emails damaging to Trumps rival Hillary Clinton. In June 2016, other Russians offered Donald Trump Jr., Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort information harmful to Clinton as part of their governments support for Mr. Trump. Instead of reporting these approaches to the FBI, Trumps representatives welcomed them confirming for Russia that they were eager to collaborate. The ensuing 50-plus contacts included communication between Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Kushner, future national security adviser Michael Flynn, and future Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It defies belief that all these Trump relatives and key subordinates concealed this highly sensitive entwinement from the demanding and imperious Donald Trump. Nor did it occur in a vacuum. On June 15, a Russian hacker posted documents stolen from the Democratic National Committee. On July 18, the Trump campaign inexplicably amended the GOP platform to remove support for arming Ukraine against Russian domination. On July 22, WikiLeaks published yet more emails damaging to Clinton. By election day, WikiLeaks and two Russian-sponsored sites posted more than 150,000 emails some hours after Trumps salacious comments in an old Access Hollywood tape became public. In October, U.S. intelligence agencies reported their confident conclusion that the Russian government had hacked the Clinton campaign and that only Russias seniormost officials could have authorized these activities. Yet Trumps campaign continued to conceal and publicly deny contacts with Russia. Concurrently, Russia targeted specific demographic groups with fake news calculated to depress the Clinton vote among women and minorities, while inflaming racial anxieties among whites partial to Trump. The sophistication behind this effort raises questions as to whether the Trump campaign pointed Russians toward selected precincts in pivotal states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Whatever the particulars, by multiple accounts, Putin considers his intrusion into our election an extraordinary success. Given Trumps conduct as president, he should. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk during the APEC summit in Danang, Vietnam, on Nov. 11, 2017. (Photo: Sputnik Photo Agency/Reuters) Before Trumps inauguration, our intelligence agencies met with Trump to detail Russias attack on our election including, remarkably, Putins specific directions for the operation. Pressed by advisers to accept these findings, Trump asserted that the agencies could not be trusted, and proceeded on his pro-Russia course. As president-elect, Trump could anticipate relieving Russia of sanctions for its aggressions in Ukraine which was allegedly a subject of the June meeting with Trump Jr. But in December, outgoing President Barack Obama imposed further sanctions for Russias electoral meddling. In secret conversations, Kislyak and Flynn discussed lifting all sanctions thus undermining Americas efforts to protect itself. Here, collusion potentially morphs into a cover-up to which Trump is central. Unbeknownst to Flynn, the FBI monitored his calls with Kislyak. Learning of this, The Washington Post asked Flynn whether the two had discussed sanctions relief. In the ensuing days, Flynn lied repeatedly to the press, to Trumps vice president and chief of staff and, fatefully, to the FBI itself. The most logical explanation would be that Flynn was hiding a crucial fact: that Trump had authorized those conversations. Warned by the Justice Department that his chief foreign policy adviser had lied to law enforcement, Trump himself began to lie. After the Post reported that Flynn had misled the FBI, Trump denied knowing about the Post story, concealing what he already knew. Only after the Post revealed the Justice Departments warning to Trump given 18 days prior did Trump seek Flynns resignation, on the preposterous pretext that Flynn had lied to Vice President Mike Pence over three weeks before. Thus commenced a year of presidential actions that seem designed to bury Trumps efforts to give Putin what he most wanted sanctions relief and, quite possibly, to keep Flynn from exposing that this was part of a quid pro quo. Beyond dispute is Trumps frenzy to derail the Russia investigation. Having failed to persuade FBI director James Comey to protect Flynn, Trump fired him. To further insulate himself, he badgered Sessions not to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation. When that failed, resulting in the appointment of a special counsel, Trump had to be dissuaded from firing Mueller. Throughout, Trump assailed the law enforcement and intelligence agencies seeking to uncover the truth. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. All this was swathed in lies among them a statement Trump crafted for Donald Trump Jr., claiming that his meeting with Russians concerned impediments to adoption. As late as August 2017, Trump proclaimed: Theres nobody in the campaign that saw anybody from Russia. Just this Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Trump had questioned two close aides about their interviews with Muellers team, and asked that one White House counsel Don McGahn issue a false statement denying that Trump had asked him to fire Mueller. New revelations underscore the breadth of this deception. Trump associate Roger Stone who predicted an October surprise after contacts with Russian hackers also, we now learn, communicated directly with WikiLeaks. The downgrading of Kushners security clearance reflects concerns that his financial troubles were being exploited by foreign governments illuminating his late-2016 meeting with a shady Kremlin-connected banker. Meanwhile, Mueller has negotiated guilty pleas and cooperation agreements with Trump associates on both sides of the prospective quid pro quo: Papadopoulos for the emails; Flynn for sanctions relief. Through a similar deal with Rick Gates, Manaforts principal associate, Mueller is squeezing a man linked to the crucial June 2016 meeting with Russians, and with the alteration of the Republican platform regarding Ukraine. Above all, Manafort had the motive and connections to facilitate a conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign and Trump himself. Muellers indictment of Gates and Manafort details a tawdry effort to launder money from Manaforts work for Victor Yanukovych, a thuggish former Ukrainian president and client of Russia. Through this association, Manafort became linked with wealthy interests allied with the Kremlin. But by 2016, Manafort was financially overextended. Desperate for fresh sources of credit, he approached Trump to offer his services as campaign manager free of charge. Once ensconced, he was ideally situated to seek new loans from Kremlinconnected sources, perhaps in exchange for brokering a mutually beneficial arrangement between the Trump campaign and Russia. Whatever the case, this would fit Manaforts career as a high-stakes international influence peddler; Trumps as an amoral and self-obsessed opportunist; and Putins as a blackmailer and recruiter of Russian assets. No wonder Trumps lawyers oppose allowing Mueller to interview their habitually mendacious client. Every question could expose whether Trump is Putins dupe or something infinitely worse. What does Trump know about meetings between Russians and members of his campaign including Flynn, Manafort, Kushner and Trump Jr. and when was he told about them? Did anyone inform him that Russia was offering to help him become president? Did Trump know Russia had Clintons emails before WikiLeaks released them? Was Manafort an intermediary between Trump and highly placed Russians? Why did Trump not fire Flynn after learning that he had lied to the FBI? Why did he fire Comey, and with whom did he discuss this? Why did he craft Trump Jr.s false cover story? And so on, until Mueller reaches the biggest why of all. Whatever the answer, Americans must know. Putin already does. Richard North Patterson is a New York Times best-selling author of 22 novels, a former chairman of Common Cause, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. ALSO ON HUFFPOST OPINION Robert Mueller Has Trump Cornered Are Black Americans Allowed In Wakanda? Conservatives Who Are Horrified By Trump Let Themselves Off The Hook This article originally appeared on HuffPost. The mobile billboards outside the office of Australia's minister for women. (Photo: Australian Council of Trade Unions) Drawing inspiration from the American movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Australian trade unions parked their version outside the office of the minister for women Thursday to call on the federal government to mandate paid domestic violence leave for all workers. As International Womens Day was being marked, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), which represents more than 2 million workers, parked three red signs outside the Melbourne office of Kelly ODwyer, the minister for women, whose responsibilities include strengthening womens economic security, helping women attain leadership roles and keeping women and children safe from violence. The billboards stated, Women are being killed, Paid domestic leave can save lives and Why no action, Kelly ODwyer? The ACTU is calling on the government to make 10 days of paid domestic violence leave available to all workers. Australian trade unions have been pushing for paid domestic violence leave to be inserted into government-mandated minimum working conditions for all workers nationwide for some time. Statistics collated by Our Watch, a nonprofit that aims to raise awareness about violence against women and children, show that 1 in 3 Australian women has experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and 1 in 4 has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Our Watch says that, on average, one woman in Australia is killed each week by a current or former partner. Another monitoring project, Destroy the Joint, reported that, as of March 4, at least 11 women had been killed in domestic violence situations so far in 2018. Domestic violence leave is an uncommon yet growing workplace condition in Australia. Paid time off for workers to deal with domestic violence situations such as being forced to leave home, resettle children or pets, get their finances in order or seek medical or psychological help is available to about 1 million workers in Australia, according to the ACTU, but is provided only on a voluntary basis by forward-thinking employers. Story continues ODwyer said it was absolutely disgraceful that... the ACTU would play politics with domestic violence in an attempt to score cheap political points, to which the union answered on Twitter: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Were going to do whatever is necessary to bring this issue into the open, ACTU secretary Sally McManus said. [Workers] are going to be more productive, and theyre going to stay in their jobs. Unions have claimed that such a nationwide program of domestic violence leave would cost as little as five cents per employee, and they have appealed to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), Australias industrial umpire, for the condition to become a standard work entitlement. However, the reform was opposed by the former minister for women, Michaelia Cash, and ODwyer has not yet expressed support for the change. Last year, the FWC ruled that 10 days of unpaid leave should be available under standard work agreements, but unions are pushing for the 10 days to be paid leave so that domestic violence victims do not have to choose between earning money or making emergency arrangements. Unions celebrated it as a minor win at the time, claiming it would be the first such system of its type in the world, but committed to continuing the fight to secure paid leave. We need to change our current workplace laws because they are failing women, said Gerard Dwyer, national secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, at the time of the decision. One way to do that is by providing access to the time off they need to escape an abusive or violent situation, including attending court hearings or looking for a safe home to relocate children and pets. The billboards will be driven around Melbourne for the next few days. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. B.C. government hints at changes to speculation tax so it doesn't impact locals with vacation homes B.C. Finance Minister Carole James gave hints on Wednesday the government would be generous with exemptions to local residents that have vacation homes that could be impacted by the new speculation tax. "We're working on those details now, including all of the issues people have been raising," said James, who said some details of exemptions to the tax which will be assessed at two per cent of a vacant property's value beginning in 2019 would be released this spring, months earlier than they had originally communicated. "We're aiming to make sure we get speculators out of the market," she said. When it was pointed out that the proposed tax, as outlined, would financially penalize some locals with vacation homes held for decades, James said "that's not our aim. It's to make sure we get speculators out of the market." Tax credit for affected locals When James announced the tax last month, the government said it would apply to British Columbians and non-British Columbians alike who owned residential property that either wasn't rented out or wasn't their principal residence, in the following areas: - Metro Vancouver including Bowen Island and the Fraser Valley Regional District. - Capital Regional District (includng the lower Gulf Islands). - Nanaimo Regional District (including Parksville, Qualicum Beach and Gabriola Island). - Municipalities of Kelowna and West Kelowna. The government has said a non-refundable income tax credit will help offset the tax for B.C. residents. But how much that credit would be is a big question in communities where large parts of the population are part-time residents who could face a new annual tax in the tens of thousands. "When we proposed a speculation tax, we were not thinking of it as hitting a retired couple who have a longtime vacation home on a Gulf Island. That was not the intention of this tax, and that is what we're starting to hear," said Green Party MLA Adam Olsen, who represents Saanich North and the Islands. Story continues He acknowledges finding a solution is tricky, because every community has its own challenges. "If you take a look at Salt Spring, it has a larger population, and there's a massive housing challenge there. Nurses and service workers and even doctors can't find a place to live. Whereas Mayne Island and Pender, there's smaller populations that really explode in the summer." Details to come B.C. Liberal MLA Michelle Stilwell, who represents Parksville-Qualicum, is also hoping details come quickly. "People who live there part-time for half the year, they're part of the community. They volunteer in the community. They take part in events. They spend money," she said of her community, which has the oldest median age in the province. "For them to have this increased tax ... for seniors on fixed incomes, they can't afford it, and now they're having to talk about selling their family home or put away their retirement dream and put it on the backburner. How is that fair?" At the same time, Stilwell is concerned that if the government increases the number of exemptions, they won't be able to meet their budgeted goal of $200 million annually from the speculation tax. "How is this going to end up in their bottom line? That revenue they were expecting to get from this speculation tax ... is there going ot be a different tax coming to taxpayers in another way?" For her part, James is urging the public to be patient, saying the reason they announced the tax months in advance is so they can fine tune the details. "We're taking the time to make sure we do the implementation well," said James. "You'll see the response and you'll see the specifics." By Hamid Shalizi and Mohammad Aziz KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Friday, killing at least seven people in an attack on a crowd gathered to commemorate a political leader from the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority, officials said. One policeman and six civilians were killed and 15 civilians wounded when the bomber was stopped at a security checkpoint in the Mosalla-e Mazar area in Kabul, said Najib Danesh, an interior ministry spokesman. However, the final confirmed toll may be higher. Shah Shir Azara, a security marshal at the site, said 13 people had been killed. The bomber appeared to have intended to attack a crowd gathered for the anniversary celebrations of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a Hazara political leader killed by the Taliban in 1995, but he was stopped before reaching the main gathering. While Afghanistan, a mainly Sunni Muslim country, has not seen the level of sectarian violence common in Iraq, attacks on Shi'ite targets have become increasingly common. Over the past two years, a string of attacks on Shi'ite mosques and Hazara gatherings have been claimed by an affiliate of Islamic State. However, little is known about the group and its capacity to conduct sophisticated attacks remains disputed, with many Afghan and Western security officials saying they doubt it works alone. In December, dozens of people were killed in a suicide attack on a Shi'ite cultural center claimed by Islamic State and two months earlier two separate mosque attacks killed at least 72 people. Friday's attack came less than two weeks after President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to join peace talks to end more than 16 years of the latest phase of Afghan war. However, there has been no let up in the violence that has been killing and wounding more than 10,000 civilians a year - and many more combatants - with fighting continuing across large parts of the country and Kabul itself hit repeatedly by attacks. On Thursday night, Taliban fighters attacked a joint army and police outpost in the northern province of Takhar, killing seven soldiers and 10 policemen, according to Khalil Aseer, a provincial police spokesman. The Taliban said in a statement that 29 soldiers and police were killed in the attack, including four commanders. (Additional reporting by Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi and Sardar Razmal in KUNDUZ; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel) Laurie Bamford was absolutely shocked when a trip to the gym resulted in his car getting stolen, then trashed before being recovered by police. Now he wants to see the gym take more responsibility for the damage. Bamford is a platinum member at Gold's Gym on Country Hills Blvd. N.E. On Jan. 25, he went to use the VIP section of the gym, an area which you need a key fob to access. "The guy at reception said that I needed to provide something of my own in exchange for the fob to get into the members' area. I gave him my car keys, went and continued my workout. Came back out and he said that my keys had been stolen," Bamford told CBC News. When he checked outside, sure enough, his car was gone. The gym's policy At the time of the incident, keys and other personal items left in exchange for the fobs were hung on hooks on a post behind the gym's reception desk. It's a policy that is now under review, says Gold's Gym owner Kelly Maclachlan. "Apparently, what happened was the guy jumped up on the counter and stretched his body along, grabbed the first set of keys off the fob area and then split. So, we caught that on camera. So because of that we've obviously taken them off the columns and we've got them under the desk," Maclachlan told CBC News. Upon visiting the gym, CBC News saw the items were not being kept under the counter by staff members working, but instead on a nearby counter. Maclachlan says there have been other changes made at the gym, however, to avoid future problems. They've added additional security cameras. They've also changed their drop-in policy to no longer accept drop-ins unless they come with a regular member and they have ID. "Drop-ins seem to be the people who do it. They come in pairs and they pay a drop-in [fee] and they come in and they go to work," he said. Maclachlan is also considering other means of taking collateral from customers. "What do we take from the members to give them their fob or their towel without ruining their life?" Story continues 'I was absolutely shattered' Bamford looks back at the Jan. 25 incident and is still upset. "I was absolutely shattered," Bamford said. Bamford estimates this ordeal has cost him roughly $1,500 and the repairs aren't yet complete. Those costs have included a week of a car rental to get to work, as well as getting the car from the impound lot after police recovered it, and a set of tires, among other things. Maclachlan did contribute to the repairs for the car. He had it towed to a garage, owned by a friend, and paid for the tires to be put on, as well as an additional week of a car rental. "We tried to do what we could for the poor guy. But regardless of how much it is, it's not insured and he should have insurance. But we felt really bad about what had happened. He gave us the keys at his own risk," Maclachlan said. Bamford, having just moved to Canada in May, said he was short on funds upon his arrival and couldn't afford comprehensive insurance, so unfortunately he's not had any of the damage covered. He has since upped his policy. "I'm upset with the gym more than anything. To me, I think they should be held responsible. They had my keys, I gave it to them to look after, and they just lost [them]," Bamford added. What does the law say? Civil litigator Chadwick Newcombe with Kahane Law Office said he doesn't think the courts would find Bamford at fault due to not having theft insurance. Instead, he said, in a lawsuit the concept of a bailment relationship would be invoked wherein one party delivers into the care of someone else property that they own. "And in that case, the big question's going to be whether or not the people who were entrusted with his car keys took reasonable steps to ensure that they were safe from exactly this sort of thing happening," Newcombe said in an interview. "At the end of the day, the gym said, 'Give us something to hold as security,' and they accepted his car keys and then they didn't adequately protect his car keys and his car was lost as a result. So it seems to me, based on the information we have available, there's a reasonable prospect of the gym being liable for the damage to this fella's car." Newcombe said this legal relationship can apply to virtually any relationship where someone else is entrusted with your possessions, whether it be taking your clothes to the dry-cleaner or when renting storage lockers. At this point, Bamford said he's been focused on getting his car back in working order so he can continue getting to work finding a lawyer hasn't been on his radar. But the gym has offered Bamford a free year membership, which he has taken them up on, saying, "it's better than nothing." Former U.S. vice-president and climate change crusader Al Gore is praising Ontario's cap-and-trade system, calling it better than a carbon tax. Gore, who sat down with Premier Kathleen Wynne in a one-on-one interview in front of hundreds of students at Ryerson University on Thursday, says the way Ontario currently fights climate change is the "superior" system. He says cap and trade lets government work directly with emitters to cut carbon emissions over time. Carbon pricing is shaping up to be a key issue in the province's spring election, with all four candidates vying to lead the opposition Progressive Conservatives vowing to scrap cap-and-trade and fight the imposition of a federal carbon tax, if they're elected June 7. Gore praised Wynne for her Liberal government's efforts to fight climate change and took a shot at the Tory leadership hopefuls, saying their proposals would set the province back. Ontario's cap-and-trade system, launched last year, is aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions by putting caps on the amount of pollution companies in certain industries can emit. If they exceed those limits they must buy allowances at quarterly auctions or from other companies that come in under their limits. 'Optimism and hope' Among the university students were around 200 students from various high schools who were invited to the talk in downtown Toronto. They each hailed from one of Ontario's nearly 2,000 certified EcoSchools a program which "focuses on environmental action and learning," according to Lindsay Bunce, the executive director of Ontario EcoSchools. "Access to leadership like this, and access to innovation and ... the reinforcement of the positivity and optimism around climate change is so critical for these students to hear," she told CBC Toronto. "It was critical that an event like this is focused on optimism and hope." Juliana Melina and Darren Joseph, students at Francis Libermann Catholic High School, both attended the talk on Thursday. Story continues "[Gore] really told us that we had to take action, that we can and that we will or should," said Melina. Joseph explained that his school is holding an environmental conference this year, and that they regularly host cleanups around the property. "We've done so much, and we want to follow in Al Gore's footsteps to be a better school and to make a better world," he said. FILE PHOTO: A cruise ship is seen in Venice lagoon passing beside the Piazetta next to the Piazza San Marco square in Venice FILE PHOTO: A cruise ship is seen in Venice lagoon passing beside the Piazetta next to the Piazza San Marco (St.Mark's square) in Venice, Italy, June 18, 2016. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch /File Photo By Maria Sheahan and Victoria Bryan BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe's tourist hot spots are looking for new ways to cope with "overtourism," where cities like Venice, Dubrovnik and Barcelona are struggling to manage huge crowds arriving daily on cheap flights and cruise ships. They are turning to smartphone apps and car-sharing promotions to try to cope with the overcrowding, which has upset the local population and also the tourists. Some 9 percent of travelers who took part in a survey by consultancy IP said that overcrowding affected the quality of their trip last year. Security concerns over beach destinations in Egypt and Turkey and a rise in cheap flights have boosted growth in international arrivals to countries like Spain and Croatia to more than 10 percent over the past few years, according to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTO). "Overcrowded destinations are successful, but there is a thin line between success and failure," Dubrovnik mayor Mato Frankovic told Reuters at the IT travel trade fair in Berlin. But rather than trying to limit the number of visitors, who spend money on hotels, meals and souvenirs, the cities are coming up with ways to channel tourist flows away from the most popular attractions. Dubrovnik aims to launch a smartphone app by the end of 2018 that lets users know when the narrow alleys of the old town are crowded and suggests alternative sights outside the city walls. It also plans to test a car-sharing scheme to entice tourists to explore the surrounding areas. Barcelona is working on a joint marketing plan with the region around the city to get tourists to venture beyond the city's most famous sites such as the Saga Familial church or the Las Rambles boulevard. "Barcelona is small but the destination of Barcelona is beyond the city and has a lot of attributes and attractions," said Barcelona Tourism director Joan Tortilla Rene. Even New York City, across the Atlantic Ocean, has launched a campaign to encourage tourists to explore the boroughs beyond Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Story continues It is also trying to lure more visitors during off-peak times in January and February, for instance, with events such as New York Restaurant Week and Broadway Week. "That really helps give visitors tremendous value and helps us fill the slower periods," Christopher Heywood, a spokesman for New York City's official tourism organization NYC & Company, told Reuters. CRUISE CONTROL The booming cruise industry is one of the biggest challenges for some cities. In Dubrovnik, multiple cruise ships often disgorge thousands of passengers in one day, making the city's streets noisy and overcrowded. The city is now trying to stagger the arrival of the ships and eventually to ensure arrivals are spread evenly throughout the week so that there won't be 10 ships coming to port at the same time. Venice has drawn up new rules requiring big cruise ships to take a less glamorous route to the industrial port of Marghera, rather than passing by St. Mark's Square. Some travel companies are also playing a role in the battle against overtourism. Ctrip, China's biggest online travel agency, uses data to predict which destinations may be overcrowded and expensive and then offers customers alternatives that may be in less demand, Chief Executive Jane Jie Sun said. "Consumers like it because they get the best value from their travel. Hotels like it because they can host all these travelers better. Airlines like it because they are not running to overcapacity on one route and under on another," she said. Airbnb, criticized for its impact on local housing in popular tourist cities, said it does offer rural properties on its site, often in areas where there are no hotels. "Tourism is only going to grow and by distributing over a larger surface area, you can minimize the impact," co-founder and chief strategy officer Nathan Blecharczyk said in an interview. The UNTO has been working with universities on the problem of overtourism and plans to publish recommendations in a few months on how destinations can cope. "You need a balance between growth, sustainability and promotion of destinations," UNTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili said. Gloria Guevara, president and chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), said destinations had to plan for the long term and create infrastructure that allowed them to direct tourist flows to stimulate local economies without overburdening hotspots. "At the end of the day, tourism creates jobs, creates well-being and reduces poverty. But the benefits should be for everybody," she said. The WTTC and consultancy McKinsey plan to work with six cities to try out various tactics to combat overcrowding. (Editing by Jane Merriman) The sister of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and the most-wanted extremist in the world, has been sentenced to death in Iraq. The court in the Iraqi capital found the relative of Baghdadi, whose identity Iraqi authorities have kept classified, guilty of "offering logistic support and help to (ISIS fighters) in carrying out criminal acts." The decision was passed down on Thursday, according to a statement from Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar, the spokesperson of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, as reported by the Associated Press. Trending: Samantha Bee Invites 'Brainwashed' NRA Members To Join Scientology Instead It said that she had been married to an ISIS fighter who had also been sentenced to death for his membership in the jihadi group. According to the court, she had spent time in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the largest city that was once under the group's control. She was found guilty of giving money to ISIS fighters in the city. The group's militants overran that city in July 2014, holding onto the population center for more than three years. Iraqi forces backed by the airpower of the U.S.-led coalition wrestled the city from the group's control. Don't miss: Charles Koch Derides Donald Trumps Tariff Plan Baghdadi Reuters/Social Media Website via Reuters TV No evidence has surfaced to convince U.S. officials that Baghdadi is anything but alive. The Russian military claimed in June last year that it believed he had been killed in an airstrike near the eastern city of Raqqa, but the hit remains unconfirmed. In September, the group released a 46-minute-long audio recording claiming to be the voice of Baghdadi. It appeared to be an attempt by the jihadi faction to quell the rumors of his demise. The previous recording that purported to feature his voice was released in November 2016. Story continues Most popular: Florida Teacher Suspended for Using Racial Slur, Telling Students to Avoid Dating Black People The group has lost both Mosul and Raqqa, the two cities that it had control over for years, and its caliphate has been effectively defeated. But Baghdadi remains at large. In previous years, Iraqi sources have pointed to his whereabouts most likely being in the Sunni heartlands of the western Iraqi desert. Some say that he was crossing between Iraq and Syria when ISIS controlled that stretch of the shared border. After ISIS's defeat in every city it controlled in Iraq, the government in Baghdad has taken a strong position on the fighters it has captured. It has sentenced to death dozens, some of them foreign nationals, for membership of the group. Last month, it sentenced 16 Turkish women to death after finding them guilty of terrorism. "The convicted women had confessed during the investigation they joined ISIS, marrying ISIS members and providing logistical aid to the group," Bayrkadr said in a statement after the verdict. Iraqi authorities have said the death sentences can be appealed. It's unclear if that applies to Baghdadi's sister. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek The former Russian double agent authorities believe was poisoned with a nerve agent in the U.K. reportedly has links to the former British intelligence officer who authored the infamous Donald TrumpRussia dossier that has plagued the U.S. president throughout his time in office. Sergei Skripalthe 66-year-old who, along with his daughter Yulia, was discovered unconscious Sunday at a Salisbury shopping center in Englandhad a close relationship with an unnamed security consultant who worked for Christopher Steeles Orbis Business Intelligence, The Telegraph reported Wednesday. Both Skripal and his daughter remain in intensive care. The pair were attacked with an as-yet-unidentified nerve agent that also left the first police officer to respond in a serious condition. Trending: Vladimir Putin Celebrates 'Tenderness and Beauty' in Women's Day Poem The report withheld the security consultants name but stated he knew Skripal for some time and lived near him in Salisbury, while citing a LinkedIn account as confirmation that the consultant worked for Orbis. Steeles Orbis was hired by Fusion GPS in 2016 to research Trump. The timing of the alleged attack on Skripal reportedly perplexed British counterterrorism police and MI5 officials. Skripal has lived in Salisbury since 2010, after he was released from a Russian penal colony following a spy swap between Russia and the U.K. Russia originally imprisoned Skripal for treason, and he was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006. GettyImages-631538910 Getty Images/Leon Neal Don't miss: Women in Kim Jong Un's North Korea Are Beaten, Raped and Told They're Living in 'Heaven' Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of ordering the deaths of many of his public dissidents, with poisoning serving as one method of execution. Story continues A Russian former construction mogul claimed Skripal was still working with Russias intelligence apparatus, though it remains unclear what connection, if any, Skripal had with the security consultant. If you have a military intelligence officer working in the Russian diplomatic service, living after retirement in the U.K., working in cybersecurity and every month going to the embassy to meet military intelligence officersfor me, being a political refugee, it is either a certain danger or, frankly speaking, I thought that this contact might not be very good for me because it can bring some questions from British officials, Valery Morozov told British television outlet Channel 4 . Most popular: Trump Still Hasn't Appointed A US Ambassador to South Korea or Filled 56 Other Such Vacancies Steele has found himself under intense scrutiny ever since his 35-page dossier detailing Trumps links to Russia and accusations of possible collusion to win the White House in 2016. The dossier has yet to be completely verified but has dogged Trump and only intensified accusations of deeper ties to Russia than he has explained. Steele reportedly wrote another, different memo, which has not reached the public. It details how Russia believed it was able to stop Trump from naming former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romneya noted hawk on Russia hawkas secretary of state in favor of a more pro-Russia representative. Trump eventually went with former ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson, who has a long-running relationship with Putin. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek WestJet Airlines Ltd. says chief executive Gregg Saretsky is retiring effective Thursday. Saretsky joined WestJet in June 2009 as vice-president, WestJet Vacations, and became chief executive in March 2010. Under Saretsky's leadership, WestJet nearly doubled its fleet, launched WestJet Encore and started service to Europe. The airline says he is being replaced by Ed Sims, WestJet's current executive vice-president commercial, who has also been appointed to the airline's board of directors. Robert Kokonis, the president and managing director of aviation consultant firm AirTrav, says Saretsky did a good job steering WestJet through big changes, but speculates the growing complexity of WestJet could have been a factor in the management changes. "There's been a lot of growth under Gregg. Share price has gone up 60 per cent, but perhaps there's more complex challenges coming down the road and the board felt it was time to make a change," he said. Kokonis says some stock analysts who watch the company have shown concern over the "deviation from the pathway of low-cost carrier to being a multiple division, go everywhere, be everything carrier." He says he's not surprised to see Sims take the top spot, but was surprised at the timing of the announcement. It could just be that Saretsky was ready to leave, he said. Sims joined WestJet in May 2017 after serving as CEO of Airways, New Zealand's air navigation service provider. He also had held senior positions with Tui, Thomas Cook, Virgin Groups and Air New Zealand. Union boss welcomes new CEO The head of WestJet's Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Cpt. Robert McFadyen, said Saretsky's sudden departure came as a surprise to the union, which he admitted has had a challenging relationship with airline's leadership team. "I think we're just looking forward to working with the new CEO, Ed Sims. As far as Gregg Saretsky, we'd like to wish him the best in his retirement," he said. Story continues Last week, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered WestJet to end its new policy of offering its pilots a two-year leave of absence if they go to fly for Swoop, the company's new ultra-low cost carrier. The ALPA complained that the policy, posted by WestJet on Jan. 31, was a significant change in the company's terms of employment and an interference with the union's right to represent the pilots. The CIRB ruling agreed that the policy could pose "substantial irreparable harm to the union" and noted that the alleged violation came during "the sensitive period of collective bargaining." It also said its order revoking the leave policy would remain in place until either a related complaint of unfair labour practices was dealt with by the board, or a collective agreement is reached. "But for us, looking forward, we really just want to work with management, get a good contract and have WestJet be a healthy and prosperous company for everybody," McFadyen said. "I think our pilot group's very much looking forward to working with the new leadership team that's going to be brought in." In my vision of peace, in this small land of ours, two peoples live freely, side-by-side, in amity and mutual respect. Each will have its own flag, its own national anthem, its own government. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other. I have already stressed the first principle recognition. Palestinians must clearly and unambiguously recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people. The second principle is: demilitarization. The territory under Palestinian control must be demilitarized with ironclad security provisions for Israel. Regarding the remaining important issues that will be discussed as part of the final settlement, my positions are known: Israel needs defensible borders, and Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel with continued religious freedom for all faiths. To my friends in the Progressive community, I want you to know that we are partners in this project. The Progressive narrative for Israel is just as compelling and critical as the conservative one. [Yes, he said that! vr] But there are very real forces trying to pull you out of this hall and out of this movement and we cannot let that happen. We will not let that happen. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Abu Yehuda..08 March '18..AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr created a stir Sunday when he called for two states for two peoples: one Jewish with secure and defensible borders and one Palestinian with its own flag and its own future.Kohr deliberately echoed the words of Benjamin Netanyahu at Bar-Ilan University in 2009. Netanyahu said then,Bibis statement was a mistake. His enemies on the right pounced on him for giving up his historical opposition to a Palestinian state, while the Arabs and the Left derided him as insincere. He got nothing in return from Obama and lost whatever reputation he still had for principled opposition to concessions for the PLO. Most damaging to Israel was the fact that the Americans and the PLO pocketed his statement, making it almost impossible for him or any subsequent Israeli Prime Minister to walk it back. From then on, anyone could say Israel officially supports a Palestinian state.The root of the problem is that the concept of two states is poisonously ambiguous. Everyone can understand it to mean something different, up to embracing diametrically opposite ideas.Bibis Palestine would be a less-than sovereign autonomous entity, demilitarized, without control of airspace, borders, electronic communications or the Jordan Valley. It would not be allowed to import weapons or make military pacts with other nations. The PLO would be required to recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people (which of course they would never, ever, do).The Israeli center-left calls for two states for two peoples, a formula which, like Bibis, implies recognition. In this view, after an Israeli withdrawal from all or part of Judea and Samaria and the creation of an Arab state, Palestine would accept the Jewish peoples ownership of the remaining part of Israel as legitimate. There would be no further claims against Israel, and any solution for the descendants of Arab refugees would take place outside of the borders of Israel. This would not fly with the PLO either.Finally, there is what Mahmoud Abbas means by two-state solution: a Palestine in which there will be no Jews, which will encompass all of Judea and Samaria (and theoretically, Gaza) with the exception of small land swaps, fully sovereign in every respect. Next to it will be an Israel that will be a state of its citizens. It cannot belong to the Jewish people, because in the view of the PLO there is no Jewish people, only a Jewish religion. This Israel will accept as many of the millions of Arab refugees who wish to return to it and grant them full rights. One can only speculate how long and in what condition of civil war this state would exist until it would be absorbed into Palestine.Needless to say, these visions are incompatible. The dishonest J Street organization claims that Abbas accepted the idea of two states for two peoples, but in fact he has never added anything about two peoples to the phrase two states. Indeed, Abbas recent speech (incidentally, one of the most nonsensical orations ever) that J Street refers to as a Palestinian peace plan implicitly but clearly calls for a right of return for the Arab refugees to Israel.The best thing that could happen would be for everyone to stop talking about the two-state solution, a phrase which has devolved into meaninglessness.In 2009, Bibi may have been forced to utter the formula by the Obama Administration. But what about AIPAC today? Apparently panicked by a recent poll showing diminishing support for Israel among Democrats, AIPAC is struggling to get them back. The same day that Kohr made his remarks, AIPACs president Mort Friedman made it explict AIPAC hoped to fend off attacks from J Street and similar groups without weakening its support from pro-Israel elements, by employing the time honored method of political triangulation . By adopting some of the ideas of its opponents on the Left, it hopes to bring them into the fold, while its supporters on the Right will have nowhere else to go.But this is a poor strategy because the progressives among the Democrats no longer accept AIPACs primary objective, which is support for Israel. Its not that they think, as the Israeli Left does, that ending the occupation will be likely to lead to peace, or that their vision of Israel will be more democratic, or that another partition of the Land of Israel will prevent a demographic crisis. They have absorbed the narratives of the international Left and are simply anti-Israel. They are not coming back to AIPAC.This is especially true of the Jews among them. At some point, the Jewish progressives replaced their connection towith one to the oppressed peoples and gender-groups of the world, including of course the Palestinians.The best thing for AIPAC to do now, in my opinion, is to become unapologetically pro-Israel. The progressives are gone anyway, and it might make the organization more effective. I was a little late coming to the Trump supporters, but it was interesting almost back to the beginning. Then it began to form a preference cascade. Can the GOP really be so out of touch with the legions of out-of-work Americans many of whom dont show up in the official unemployment rate because theyve given up looking for work in the Obama economy? With the returning military vets frustrated with lawyer-driven, politically correct rules of engagement that have tied their hands in a fight against a mortal enemy? With those who, in the wake of the Paris and San Bernardino massacres by Muslims, reasonably fear an influx of culturally alien refugees and migrants from the Middle East? April 2016: Trump is a coward, four time bankrupt loser, con artist, bully, 12 time business failure, WWE character, hypocrite, liar, dullard, loose cannon and has very poor character. He will lose in November and people need to wake up to that fact. Otherwise, hello President Hillary. A year later, that commenter is a supporter. Trump was in touch with them. The result was Deep Confusion. I left Queens for Brooklyn to meet Dany L. Esquilin, a Republican I met in the first week of this assignment, aboard a train to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr. Esquilin was not a stereotypical Trump supporter. His parents were born in Puerto Rico, he is black and he had once been a Democrat. (Then again, so had Mr. Trump.) A retired private investigator, Mr. Esquilin worked to marshal Republican votes from Jews, Russians and Chinese-Americans. Oh Oh. Shortly after the election, The Hillary team came up with an explanation for her loss. It was the Russians. The book (Shattered) further highlights how Clintons Russia-blame-game was a plan hatched by senior campaign staffers John Podesta and Robby Mook, less than within twenty-four hours after she conceded: That strategy had been set within twenty-four hours of her concession speech. Mook and Podesta assembled her communications team at the Brooklyn headquarters to engineer the case that the election wasnt entirely on the up-and-up. For a couple of hours, with Shake Shack containers littering the room, they went over the script they would pitch to the press and the public. Already, Russian hacking was the centerpiece of the argument. The Clinton camp settled on a two-pronged plan pushing the press to cover how Russian hacking was the major unreported story of the campaign, overshadowed by the contents of stolen e-mails and Hillarys own private-server imbroglio, while hammering the media for focusing so intently on the investigation into her e-mail, which had created a cloud over her candidacy, the authors wrote. The Russia Collusion story is still going although a bit weak these days. Andy McCarthy has pretty much demolished these arguments. To repeat in closing, I believe it is specious to claim that a president can be found guilty of an obstruction offense, under federal criminal statutes, on the basis of acts that are within his lawful authority, even if the acts spring from malign motivations. Contrary to my friend Gabe Schoenfelds claims, this is not because I believe that the president is above the law. It is because our laws check on presidential maladministration is impeachment, not criminal prosecution. If Congress concluded that a president committed acts that interfered with FBI investigations, and that were corruptly motivated even if technically within the presidents lawful authority, Congress could impeach the president. Were that to happen, it would not matter that the acts were not indictable obstruction crimes under the federal penal code. More is now coming out about the real story. Following close on the heels of those two pass-through DC-based scoops, Entous was lead byline on an April 3, 2017, story reporting a meeting in the Seychelles between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian banker, reportedly to set up a back channel between Trump and Putin. After publication of the story, Prince said he was shown specific evidence by sources from the intelligence community that his name was unmasked and given to the paper. Unless The Washington Post has somehow miraculously recruited the bartender of a hotel in the Seychelles, Prince told the House Intelligence Committee in December, the only way thats happening is through SIGINT [signals intelligence]. Recent news reports suggest that Princes meeting has become a key focus of the Mueller investigation. If those reports are accurate, it seems even more likely that classified intelligence was purposefully being leaked to put pressure on Prince. These are felonies. We will see if anyone goes to jail. The real story is as follows. At the same time, there is a growing consensus among reporters and thinkers on the left and rightespecially those who know anything about Russia, the surveillance apparatus, and intelligence bureaucracythat the Russiagate-collusion theory that was supposed to end Trumps presidency within six months has sprung more than a few holes. Worse, it has proved to be a cover for U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement bureaucracies to break the law, with whats left of the press gleefully going along for the ride. Where Watergate was a story about a crime that came to define an entire generations oppositional attitude toward politicians and the countrys elite, Russiagate, they argue, has proved itself to be the reverse: It is a device that the American elite is using to define itself against its enemiesthe rest of the country. We are in a lawless era. I recently read Pat Buchanans book, The Nixon White House Wars. I highly recommend it. The press and the FBI managed to drive Nixon and Agnew from office. I doubt they can do so with Trump. I am more worried about assassination. Something occurred to me the other day: Anchors don't prevent ships from getting knocked around by waves. The first half of Hebrews chapter 6, verse 19, reads: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Stitched into your great aunt's decorative pillows, declared from many a pulpit, typed up in whimsical font over an "inspiring" image - this verse is familiar because it's easy to follow. Even if you know nothing about sailing, you know that anchors are heavy and meant to keep ships in one place. Hope = an anchor. Anchors = steadiness. Therefore, hope = steadiness. Simple word math, equaling an encouraging sentiment. But encouraging sentiments are flimsy, and rather ineffective in the midst of struggle. I recently found myself scrambling for steadiness; I was experiencing things I had no grid for, encountering emotions I couldn't quite articulate, and I felt entirely unsettled. I needed something solid I could actually cling to while the waves were sloshing around and the cargo was knocking and rolling across the ship deck. And I know that God offers us much more than "encouraging sentiments" when He sees us flailing. So I ventured to ask: What is He actually saying in Hebrews 6:19? Let's break it down like this: Anchors Anchors aren't cushions, or safe havens. They don't keep wind from getting caught up in the sails. They don't hold the ship deck steady, preventing it from rocking this way and that. What anchors do is ensure that a ship will not aimlessly drift out to sea. They offer the comfort of keeping the ship "grounded" and provide you with the ability to know where you are, even if you're being pushed by winds or pulled by currents. Anchors allow you to orient yourself, regardless of what's going on around your "ship." The soul I have heard "the soul" defined as the mind, will, and emotions of a person; these are the things that feel most unsettled when our circumstances start to change, and they're the things that feel most difficult to address because they're pretty much intangible. But in this verse, God is saying that we have actually been provided with a grounding point for our heart, a grounding point for our thoughts, a grounding point for our ability to decide. This hope Our grounding point for all of those things is "this hope" - which begs the question, "What hope?" If you're a Christian, your hope isn't an encouraging sentiment, or a powerful wish. Your hope is actually a person, with character you can be strengthened to know: Your hope is kind. He doesn't force Himself on people, He doesn't mow over people's feelings in the name of religion... He sees and He values the individual, exactly where they're at. He is passionate. He initiates, He comes for His people. He does not tolerate injustice, so He willingly gave His only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to pay the price of sin... so that He can readily and completely forgive you, every time you ask. He is always, only, ever, GOOD. Not just in a "the opposite of bad" way, but "good" in a sense of the word that we can't fully grasp here on earth. Good in a wholesome, peaceful, inarguably-wonderful kind of way. He does not lie, He does not manipulate. He is abounding in steadfast love. We can trust His heart, and we can trust His intentions. And the hope we have is that, if you have accepted His son Jesus into your heart, He's on your side! It's not hope like "Ah, I really hope this happens." It's hope like: "Look what has happened!!! Therefore, whatever I'm facing actually has to collide with the reality of God's heart for me. And that gives whatever I'm facing some HOPE - even if I don't see change, I know something will, because God's love for me is a fact I can stand upon." He sees your heart and He is actively defending it, advocating for it, lovingly mindful of it as He walks alongside you. Part of our hope is knowing that He will not let us down: Romans chapter 8, verse 32 says "He who did not spare His own son, but willingly gave Him up for us - how will He not also, along with Him, give us all things?" If you think God is in the business of withholding from His children, I would encourage you to really meditate on what the sacrifice of His Son must have been like for Him. "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Who God is allows us to ground our feelings, thoughts and willpower, and orient ourselves despite whatever is happening. For He is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews chapter 13, verse 8) and the only true source of hope. And that is anchoring. Mayce is a young writer from The States who loves the adventure of living life alongside Jesus. She is currently living in Australia, where she works as a full-time volunteer with Youth With A Mission, Brisbane. If Jesus were to ask you today, Who do you say I am?, what would your answer be? Who do you say I am? The most important question in which our answer is so crucial. Our response determines what our relationship to God is like, how we live our life here and where we will go when we die. In my church Bible study, we have begun to study the Gospel according to John. The first chapter speaks of Jesus deity and power. John describes Jesus as the Word, the true light and the life. John says that Jesus is God incarnate. Therefore, the disciples walked with God himself and spoke with God himself. The disciples touched God, breathed in the same air as God, and saw the smile and frown of God. Who the world says Jesus is Jesus is God but the world doesnt know it. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him (John chapter 14, verse 17). Many religious people have thoughts on Jesus and some even claim to worship Him. A Hindu prays to a Jesus statue that sits on his shelf. His Jesus statue is just one of the many gods he has ornaments of and prays to. A Buddhist might honour Jesus as a great moral teacher and even try to follow some of his teachings, such as, Love your neighbour as yourself. A Muslim also puts Jesus high up on a pedestal. Yet Jesus, sitting close to Mohammad, is only a great prophet. A historian likes to investigate the period in which Jesus lived and is curious about the fact so many of his followers died for Jesus. An atheist believes Jesus existed but may see Him as a threat to their way of life. No matter their background, all these people believe they have got it right. They therefore dont take time to ponder the question, Who do you say I am?. The Bible is clear about such people; they have rejected God. Yet there is hope for unbelievers, the very same hope that we received when we, believers, turned to God. Let us not forget that we once did not know Jesus. Who believers say Jesus is As believers, we are all on a journey of discovery as we get to know Jesus more. Jesus is our friend who we meet with daily so we can ask questions of his character, morals and beliefs. Jesus is our King who directs us to understanding Himself. Jesus is the second person of the trinity through whom we we are given access to God. Jesus came to show us who God is and what God is like. Believers of Jesus say, Jesus is God. Therefore, as believers, lets proclaim our friend, King and Saviour to the world so everyone else can answer the question, Who do you say I am? in the way that we do. Answering the question C.S. Lewis wrote, You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. When Jesus returns in all His glory, He will not appear as a moral teacher, minor prophet or little statue. He will appear as a mighty warrior and king. Therefore, those on earth who refuse to tackle and wrestle with the question, Who do you say I am?, will suffer the eternal punishment and wrath of God. Therefore, I encourage you, if you havent spent time formulating a considered and backed up response to the most important question in the universe, I suggest you do so now. Look at Peters response to the question as follows: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. (Matthew chapter 16, verse 13 to 16) Renee Jenner resides in Sydney, Australia and is currently in her third year of studying Social Work. She is the first born of home-base missionary parents whose ministry has made a huge impression on her heart. She always writes from the soul to the soul, desiring to encourage readers to enjoy God, relax in His goodness and spread His love to the utmost parts of the earth. She loves a good cuppa with a deep, thoughtful conversation. You can find her other writings at renee.jenner.wordpress.com FRIDAY, March 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- From age 50 on, most people are advised to get a colonoscopy every 10 years to screen for colon cancer. But others may need to start screening earlier due to certain risk factors, an expert says. People most at risk for colon cancer are those with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) who has had the disease. Someone with more than one family member who has had colon cancer is three to 12 times more likely to develop the disease than the average person, said Dr. Walter Koltun. He is chief of colon and rectal surgery at Penn State Health Medical Center. Also at increased risk for colon cancer: those with a family history of gynecological cancers, such as breast, ovarian or endometrial cancer; men who've had radiation treatment for prostate cancer; and people with inflammatory bowel disease or colitis, Koltun said. A personal or family history of colon polyps also raises your risk of colon cancer. So it's important to know your family history and to follow colon cancer screening recommendations, he advised. According to a March 2017 study from American Cancer Society researchers, the rate of colon and rectal cancer is increasing disproportionately in young and middle-aged adults. "You should talk to your doctor sooner rather than later," Koltun said in a medical center news release. More information The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on colon cancer screening. FRIDAY, March 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- As the number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease continues to rise, the role of caregivers has become increasingly important, a dementia expert notes. "A good caretaker who understands the disease, its symptoms and progression is crucial to the overall well-being of people with Alzheimer's," Dr. Fred Kobylarz said in a news release from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He's a geriatrician and dementia expert at the school. Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, affects about 5.5 million people in the United States -- a number that is expected to more than triple in the next three decades, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Nearly a third of people aged 85 and older are living with the disease. "Alzheimer's has become pervasive in the United States, and it affects people in all walks of life," Kobylarz said. "It is a national problem that needs action and attention." Memory loss is usually the first sign of the disease, "later followed by neurological changes that can include changes in language, personality, driving issues and decreased executive function," Kobylarz said. Detecting Alzheimer's, though, "can be tricky," he said. For instance, people early on might show signs of memory loss that don't affect their ability to function day to day. "Some memory loss can also be a sign of the normal aging process," Kobylarz explained. "Families should look out for memory impairment and trouble managing aspects of their daily lives -- like paying bills or taking their medication," he said. It's also important to know your family history and share that with your doctors, Kobylarz said. Though older age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's, he explained, genetics and family history also play a role. If you notice worrisome changes in an older family member, talk with a doctor, he said. Alzheimer's cannot yet be cured, but medications and lifestyle changes can often help slow the progression of the disease, Kobylarz said. This requires the doctor, patient and family to work together to develop a plan to maintain cognitive function, he added. "The future for people with Alzheimer's is promising," Kobylarz said. "For now, I do my best to educate patients and their caregivers on steps to improve overall well-being and disease progression." More information The U.S. National Institute on Aging has information on Alzheimer's disease. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Delegation due to meet with government officials, local journalists New York, March 9, 2018CPJ will lead a high-level advocacy mission to Guayaquil and Quito in Ecuador from March 12 to 16, to investigate the restrictions and threats facing the press, meet with local journalists and partner organizations, and to advocate with government officials for greater press freedom. A press conference to discuss the missions findings is scheduled to take place at the offices of the local press freedom group Fundamedios, in Quito, at 10:30 a.m. on March 16. Members of CPJ staff, including Executive Director Joel Simon, will take part in the mission alongside IPYS director and CPJ Americas advisory board member Ricardo Uceda, and Columbia University professor Anya Schiffrin. The group is scheduled to meet with Ecuadors Secretary of Communication Andres Michelena and members of the National Assembly to discuss the 2013 communications law. CPJ will also meet with the National Union of Journalists, staff at outlets including El Universo, Ecuavisa, and Plan V, and Ecuadoran journalist Fernando Villavicencio. CPJ and Fundamedios are scheduled to host a conversation about the threats faced by women journalists, at Cafe Democratico in Quito, at 8 p.m. on March 15. CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide Note to Editors: To organize interviews with mission participants, contact press@cpj.org To attend the press conference, contact Paola Aguilar at Fundamedios, via paguilar@fundamedios.org.ec. The conversation at Cafe Democratico will be livestreamed via Facebook. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Nairobi, March 9, 2018Ethiopian authorities should immediately release Seyoum Teshome, who publishes the Ethiothinktank blog, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Security forces yesterday arrested Seyoum at his home near the Woliso campus of Ambo University, where he lectures, according to witnesses who spoke with Voice of America and Deutsche Welle. The reason for his arrest and his whereabouts are not known, according to reports and a statement by the Swiss-based Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia. Seyoum has been critical in his blog of a six-month state of emergency Ethiopia declared in February. Under the state of emergency, authorities can carry out arrests and searches without warrant and close down media stations, according to a report by the state-owned Ethiopian News Agency. Ethiopia cannot again use the cloak of a national emergency to round up journalists and stifle critical voices, said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. This is the second time that authorities ignored due process to detain Seyoum Teshome. He should be released immediately and unconditionally. Seyoum was arrested in October 2016, days before a previous state of emergency was declared, according to CPJ research. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Malian police on February 22, 2018, arrested three journalists from the privately owned MaliActu news website, and seized equipment from the news websites office in the capital, Bamako, according to Sega Diarrah, the outlets Paris-based owner, and local media reports. Officers did not have a warrant, according to reports. Police held the journalists Salif Diarra, Aliou Hasseye, and Issa Coulibalyin Bamako following a complaint of alleged blackmail lodged by Amadou Kallossi, the mayor of Koumaniana, a town 1,660 km (1030 miles) north of Bamako, Sega Diarrah said. Two days after their arrest, police released Hasseye and Coulibaly without charge, according to a report by Malizine, a privately owned news website. Police released Salif Diarra on February 26 on condition that he report to the prosecutors office every Friday pending the conclusion of the investigation, the journalist told CPJ. According to local media reports, the mayor received several threatening messages from the news websites phone number. The reports said that the hackers apparently used the news outlets phone number to send the messages. Salif Diarra and Hasseye told CPJ on March 5, 2018 that they did not blackmail the mayor. Coulibaly told CPJ he did not want to talk about the alleged blackmail case. Sega Diarrah told CPJ that Kallossi confirmed to him that he lodged a blackmail complaint with police, but denied that the complaint was about MaliActu or the websites reporters. The mayor did not respond to CPJs repeated calls and text messages. Hasseye said March 5 that police had not yet returned the seized equipment, which included three computers, three cell phones, and a camera, despite a formal request from the journalists lawyer. The journalists said that on the first night of their detention they had to sleep on the floor of a cell shared with 10 other detainees until police made a mat available for them. CPJ was unable to contact the judicial police chief on his cell phone or work contact number, despite several attempts. West Bengal: Japanese appetite drives crab farming in the Sundarbans by Soumya Sarkar March 09,2018 | Source: The Third Pole For as far as the eye could see, there are fisheries in Satkhira growing saltwater prawns. Satkhira district in south-western Bangladesh bordering India is famous for its bagda chingri (tiger prawns), most of which are exported all over the world. In recent times, a trend of cultivating mud crabs has caught on in this area, fuelled entirely by overseas demand, particularly from countries like China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan. Local residents and crab traders say most of the catch is exported live to Japan, where they are considered a delicacy and fetch a premium price. Curiously, the soft-shelled mud crabs (Scylla serrate), also known as mangrove crabs and found in the wild, are not eaten locally and are cultivated solely for export. Some villagers say the shallow ponds of depths of 2-3 feet become unsuitable for cultivating anything else once mud crabs are grown for a few years because the soil becomes exceedingly saline, too salty even for brackish water shrimps. In Talberia village on the northern fringes of Sundarbans, mud crabs have become the preferred crop for villagers, who have been shifting from prawn cultivation in brackish water ponds, partly due to lower risks. I used to cultivate tiger prawns in my gher (fishery) but my crop failed due to a viral epidemic, Nirmal Chandra Mandal of Talberia told thethirdpole.net. It is better to cultivate crabs as they are much more resistant to pest attacks. Higher returns also play a big role in the shift to mud crabs. Kalpana Gayen, a mother of two boys, one of whom is a prawn trader, has also started cultivating crabs. I earn around BDT 40,000 (USD 480) a year from selling crabs, which is almost double the amount I used to get from tiger prawns, Gayen said. Salted land The situation was completely different a couple of decades ago. Most farmers in Talberia used to grow rice in the fertile, low-lying lands around the village. That changed in 2009, when Cyclone Alia broke embankments and flooded the fields, making them saline. Most residents turned to prawn cultivation, following the trend since the late 1970s across much of coastal Bangladesh, which found a ready export market and resulted in better livelihoods for poor people in this underdeveloped region of the country. Bangladesh has over 710 kilometres of coastline with more than half a million hectares (5,000 square kilometres) of mangrove tidal flats suitable for brackish water aquaculture. Although the nation has made rapid economic progress since its independence in 1971, large sections of its population remain poverty stricken. With a per capita income of USD 1,532 in 2017, the IMF ranked Bangladesh a lowly 148 out of 186 countries. In comparison, its much larger neighbour India had a per capita income of USD 1,852 in 2017 with a country rank of 140. Smallholder aquaculture is seen as a viable solution for its people living in coastal areas, as the consumption of fish and shrimps is traditional in all parts of the country and also has high overseas demand. Since the 1980s, saltwater prawn farming has emerged as a prominent means of livelihood in the area around the Sundarbans, the worlds largest mangrove forest that straddles Bangladesh and India. Most local residents are poorer than other parts of Bangladesh and have also been suffering from the impacts of climate change such as accelerated coastal erosion, sea level rise and increasingly violent cyclonic storms. Seafood earnings Shrimps and crabs are the third largest foreign exchange earner for Bangladesh, which runs a huge trade deficit of USD 8.62 billion. Seafood exports of USD 544 million in 2012-13 accounted for 4.4% of its GDP. It provides direct employment to 1 million people and another 3.5 million are dependent on it. However, the lure of easy earning has resulted in reports of unsustainable farming practices, particularly the overuse of antibiotics and increased salinity in the soil. In Joymonigola village near Mongla in Bagerhat district, about 100 kilometres from Satkhira, villagers have also started cultivating mud crabs in a place that risks inundation due to rising sea levels brought on by climate change. Due to increased salt in the soil, rice cultivation has become virtually impossible and residents have little choice but to turn to brackish water aquaculture. And the culture of choice is mud crabs due to its lower vulnerability to pest and viral attacks and the prospect of high returns, reasons similar to what farmers say in neighbouring Satkhira district. For Subodh Chandra Gayen, a resident of Joymonigola, the progression from rice to prawn to crab cultivation is clear. Saltwater gets into our fields frequently. Once the soil becomes saline, its impossible to grow rice unless you leave the field fallow for at least three years for rainwater to leech the salt away. Thats not an option for poor farmers like us, he told thethirdpole.net. Prawn cultivation is possible but it has become risky in recent years due to viral outbreaks. Growing crabs is better because they are hardy and traders give us a good rate for them. Scientific validation needed The father of a grown up son and daughter says that mud crabs, from which he has earned some BDT 30,000 (USD 361) last year, can be cultivated in highly saline water that is unsuitable even for tiger prawns. There is little scientific validation to these claims but most villagers cultivating crabs across Satkhira and Bagerhat districts are unanimous on this. After we cultivate prawns in a field for a few years, it becomes so saline that it is only fit for growing crabs, says Nirmal Chandra Mandal of Talberia village in Satkhira. Mud crabs are seen as an incidental product arising from the culture of shrimps. Mud crab farming is still dependent on wild resources though some hatcheries have recently been established. As the demand of mud crab in the international market has increased, the number of crab gatherers has also significantly increased. In addition, gathering of crabs that have not reached their adult age for fattening has contributed to the depletion of adult crabs as breeders, according to a 2015 study. Since wild resources are now under threat, the management of resources and establishment of hatcheries are needed to sustain the mud crab industry in Bangladesh, the study said. Most of the studies done on prawn and crab fisheries are socio-economic in nature and there is more research needed to say for sure that shrimp and crab aquaculture leads to increased salinity, according to Pavel Partha. Partha is the Coordinator, Diversity, Interdependency and Pluralism at non-profit development organisation called Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK). BARCIK works with local communities to incorporate indigenous knowledge and local practices into contemporary development interventions. What is certain, however, is that these recent changes in farming practices are having an impact on the local mangrove ecosystem, Partha told thethirdpole.net. The extent of impact can only be ascertained through detailed scientific research. Till that happens, and unless alternative livelihoods are secured for the impoverished communities living around the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, and Japanese craving for mud crabs remains insatiable, there is no immediate reason for such farming to slacken. From the present position of global market-driven demand and supply food chain, sound ecological management of the endangered Sundarbans seems to be a far cry. Myanmar: Baseline research findings on fishers and seafood workers in Thailand March 09,2018 | Source: ILO The ILO Ship to Shore Rights Project (funded by the European Union) assessed working conditions in the fishing and seafood industry in Thailand. The research covers both fishing and seafood processing including aquaculture. The survey includes the result of interviews conducted in 2017 with 434 workers predominantly migrant workers from a mix of large and smaller employers across 11 provinces from Thailand. It covers recruitment practices, wages, hours, safety and health, support services, complaint mechanisms, living conditions, forced labour indicators, and legal compliance levels. While not designed to be representative, the study reveals a mix of progress and remaining challenges among workers surveyed, and ends with specific recommendations for more effective enforcement of Thai law to prevent and end unsatisfactory labour practices for migrant workers. Full Report is available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---sro-bangkok/documents/publication/wcms_619727.pdf The cost of death: Legal fees in Mohave County death penalty cases cost more than $1 million for each trial At more than $1 million apiece, Mohave County's death penalty cases take their financial toll on local government revenues. "Although each death penalty case is different in what is billed to the county for the defense of the accused, the Mohave County Attorney's Office costs are part of its normal operating budget," said County Attorney Matt Smith. "For our office, there are no additional costs because they are part of our caseload," Smith said. "Where you run into additional costs is that the defendant gets 2 attorneys by law." Working as a team, one attorney focuses on the guilt phase, looking at the evidence and trying to get a lesser charge included that is not a death penalty option such as 2nd degree murder or manslaughter. The 2nd attorney is a mitigation specialist who looks at the defendant's background, childhood, past experiences, abuse or trauma, and medical or psychological records, anything that would go to the penalty phase if the accused is found guilty. "Additionally, because it's a murder case there are a lot of witness interviews, and because there is so much on the line, the defense will call more expert witnesses than a normal case," Smith said. "They really want to turn over every possible stone looking for things." Adding salt to the fiscal wound, Smith said, is the fact there are no attorneys in the public defender's or legal defender's office that are qualified to handle death penalty cases, forcing the county to contract out for those services. According to Mohave County Indigent Defense Services, defense attorney fees are billed at $125 per hour for the 1st chair and $90 an hour for the 2nd. "If the county could hire someone that is death qualified that would be the only way to save money," Smith said. "This wouldn't be easy to do because attorneys who are death qualified live in Phoenix and Tucson." It's not unheard of in attracting them to Mohave County, it is "very" difficult, Smith added. County officials realize that defending those accused of a capital office is an expensive endeavor. Although death row inmate Darrell Bryant Ketchner's conviction on a 1st-degree murder charge was reversed in 2014, he will still serve 57 years for attempted 1st-degree murder and 3 counts of aggravated assault. If the county decides to retry Ketchner for 1st-degree murder it would add to the county's costs. To date, it has spent more than $3.5 million on Ketchner's defense. In a separate Mohave County case, death row inmate Bobby Poyson's conviction was affirmed last month by a federal court, but his death sentence was overturned. The sentence could be reinstated by the Arizona Supreme Court or through a court proceeding at additional costs to the county. Between fiscal year 2010 and 2018 the county has spent nearly $3.6 million on defending capital cases. Another aspect of the costs of a death penalty case involve the trial itself. In a normal felony case, with an 8 person jury the court will call in 50 to 60 people as potential jurors. For a case that involves a sentence of 30 years to life the jury pool could be as many as 90. For death penalty cases with a 12 person jury, the county will call in 180. Jurors are paid $12 per day plus 44.5 cents for mileage traveling to and from home. The appeals process also triggers its own expense. Along with the regular appeal process that could result in additional county expenditures under Rule 32 of the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, an appeal is automatically filed with the Arizona Supreme Court into a death row inmate's time in prison for several reasons that include ineffective assistance of counsel, newly discovered evidence or a substantive change of law. If the appeal is successful, the case is remanded back to the trial court and the county would again become involved in the process and incur costs. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Kingman Daily Miner, March 8, 2018 A bill to allow death row inmates to be executed by nitrogen gas passed the Alabama House on Wednesday. "It's about options. It's not a debate about the death penalty," the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, told the committee. Pittman said the execution method, formally known as nitrogen hypoxia, is a humane way to put someone to death. He said nitrogen hypoxia eventually leads to unconsciousness and then death. "It's not like asphyxiation where you build up pain and your have some issues and you understand you're under duress," Pittman said. The bill gives death row inmates the option to choose nitrogen hypoxia, electrocution or lethal injection. The executions would be conducted at Holman Correctional Facility at Atmore, and the bill gives the Department of Corrections the ability to choose the accommodations for them. Rep. Mike Holmes, R-, said the bill would create a valid option in the wake of the state's struggles with lethal injection. "We're having problems getting chemicals," Holmes noted. Pittman said 2 states - Mississippi and Oklahoma - allow for death by nitrogen hypoxia but the method has yet to be used in an execution. The state Senate passed the bill late last month. It now heads to the full House. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde al.com, March 8, 2018 The group said 133 executions have taken place in the 8 months since his appointment last June, compared with 67 in the 8 months before. There have been 33 executions so far this year, roughly split between people convicted for murder and drug dealing. Reprieve said Saudi Arabia was on track for a record 200 executions in 2018 if that accelerated rate continues. It said several of those on death row in Saudi Arabia were convicted of crimes while still children. Maya Foa, the group's director, said: "The doubling of executions under the new crown prince reveals that, beneath his glossy public image, Mohammed bin Salman is one of the most brutal leaders in the kingdom's recent history. "Protesters, including some who were children at the time, have had the death penalty confirmed despite allegations of torture and forced confessions. "When she meets the crown prince, Theresa May should urge him to commute the sentences of all child protesters facing execution." The prime minister was on Wednesday forced during questions in parliament to defend Britain's relationship with Saudi Arabia. Jeremy Corbyn, the opposition leader, asked May: "As she makes her arms sales pitch, will she also call on the crown prince to halt the shocking abuse of human rights in Saudi Arabia?" May responded: "The link we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country. I will be raising concerns about human rights when I meet him." Reprieve said 18 young men are currently facing imminent execution for protest-related offences under Saudi Arabia's wide-ranging "anti-terrorism" laws. 8 of those were children at the time of their alleged offences. It pointed to assurances by the former British prime minister, David Cameron, that the issue of child prisoners on death row would be addressed. "In October 2015, Cameron pledged, in an interview with Channel 4 News, that he would intervene in the case of 3 Saudi protesters, Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher, Ali al-Nimr and Dawood al-Marhoon, who were facing beheading despite being children at the time of arrest," the group said. "The then foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, later told the House of Commons he had received assurances Ali and others would not be executed. Despite this, the 3 still have not had their death sentences commuted and face imminent execution. Reprieve is aware of 5 other juveniles in the same position." | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Middle East Eye, March 8, 2018 After years without the drugs to do lethal injections, the South Carolina Senate has agreed to require condemned inmates go to the electric chair instead. South Carolina law has empowered residents of death row to make a choice between lethal injection and the electric chair since 1995, so the lack of drugs enabled them to stay alive by choosing injections. Capital punishment essentially ended in 2011 in South Carolina, a state that had been averaging close to 2 executions a year. "He picks out the option that can't be carried out, extending his life indefinitely," complained a sponsor of the bill, state Sen. William Timmons. The proposal passed 26-12 on Tuesday and faces a last procedural vote Wednesday before being sent to the House, where it is expected to face even less opposition. South Carolina has electrocuted more than 200 inmates since first installing the electric chair in 1912, according to the Death Penalty Information Center , including 14-year-old George Stinney in 1944 , who remained the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th century. A judge finally vacated the black teen's conviction in 2014, saying he didn't get a fair trial in the deaths of 2 white girls. The drugs South Carolina uses to perform lethal injections expired a few years ago, and pharmacies have refused to sell the state new drugs, either because they are ethically against their use in executions, or because they don't want their names made public if they do sell them. Another execution bill that would shield the names of drug companies from the public has been introduced in the Legislature, but isn't as far along. Some opponents said South Carolina could use the lack of execution drugs to show that the state truly cherishes life, by protecting fetuses in their mothers' wombs as well as inmates on death row. "An unborn child is innocent," responded Timmons, a Republican from Greenville. A murderer who has committed heinous crimes is guilty." State Sen. Gerald Malloy said he opposed the bill both on moral grounds and for practical reasons. The Hartsville Democrat said he expects lawsuits from inmates who were sentenced to death when the execution method was up to them. He also predicted a higher taxpayer burden for public defenders as prosecutors become more likely to seek the death penalty, knowing it can be carried out. "I think we are going to spend a lot of money proving a point," Malloy said. The Senate rejected an amendment from Democratic state Sen. Brad Hutto from Orangeburg, who proposed bringing back the firing squad. He said it's a more humane execution method, and South Carolina will never run out of guns or bullets. Currently 35 inmates are on South Carolina's death row. The state has executed 39 inmates since lethal injection became an option 23 years ago, and only 3 of them chose the electric chair. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Associated Press, March 8, 2018 A man on death row for a brutal Smith County murder says the electric shock he received during trial violated his constitutional rights. James Calvert was convicted in 2015 of capital murder and sentenced to death for fatally shooting his ex-wife, Jelena Sriraman, and abducting their child in October 2012. Calvert was sentenced to death after a lengthy, if somewhat bizarre, trial in Smith County's 241st District Court. Calvert's death penalty sentence automatically triggered an appeal, which was filed this past October with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Several points of error are presented in the appeal. The 1st point alleges that the electric shock violated Calvert's rights to, "substantive and procedural due process," while a 2nd point alleges the trial court erred by refusing to grant a mistrial after the electric shock incident. "The trial court had lesser alternatives, and allowing bailiffs to use a 50,000-volt shock device in these circumstances shocks the conscience and contributed to a violation of Calvert's right to a fair trial," the appeal states. Records show the shock was administered to Calvert after the jury had left the courtroom for the day, after Calvert refused the judge's order to stand while speaking. The contentious back-and-forth discussion led a deputy in the courtroom to administer a shock to the belt worn by Calvert. The defendant screamed for about 5 seconds, according to a witness. Smith County is one of several in Texas who use electric shock devices to control defendants who are determined to be a security risk. The use of the device during Calvert's trial made headlines across the country. The issue is bubbling up once again due to a decision last month by the Texas Eighth Court of Appeals in El Paso. An appeals judge ruled that judges are not allowed to use the shock belt to penalize defendants for not answering questions, or because the defendant failed to follow rules of decorum in the courtroom. Calvert is requesting oral arguments, saying there are "substantial issues, the record is exceedingly large, and oral arguments will assist the Court to gain a full understanding of the case." The Smith County District Attorney's Office was granted a time extension on filing their response to Calvert's appeal. It is expected to be filed on or before May 28. After that is done, the next move is up to the appeals court. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde KLTV News, March 8, 2018 Not so long ago, abolition of the death penalty in Gambia seemed like a pipe dream. In August 2012, under the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh, nine prisoners were executed in one night. Not even their families or lawyers were notified beforehand, while the UN described the killings as arbitrary. Yet last month, on the 53rd anniversary of the countrys independence on 18 February, President Adama Barrow announced an official moratorium on executions as a step towards abolition of the death penalty. Belatedly but resolutely, Gambia is moving away from this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Almost half of the 18 countries in West Africa have now abolished the death penalty . But not all countries are progressing on the death penalty, unfortunately some are taking steps backwards. In 2016, Sierra Leones Minister of Internal Affairs publicly ordered the gallows to be cleaned and affirmed his support of the death penalty, despite the former Attorney General making a commitment before the United Nations in 2014 that Sierra Leone would abolish the death penalty. In 2017, a government white paper rejected the Constitutional Review Commissions recommendation to abolish the death penalty. Cases such as this highlight the need for a push for abolition of the death penalty in Africa. The reasons for abolition are many. For one, there is no credible evidence to prove that the death penalty deters crime. Professor Jeffrey Fagan in a UN publication, published in 2015, stated: Whether the offense is murder, a drug related crime or terrorism, the scientific evidence for deterrence is unreliable, inconclusive and, in many instances, simply wrong. The death penalty is also often discriminatory and used disproportionately against the poor and minorities. Often those executed are not only those who committed the worst crimes, but those who are too poor to hire skilled lawyers to defend themselves, or those who face particularly harsh prosecutors or judges. Amnesty International interviewed 107 death row prisoners out of 148 in Ghana between 2016 and 2017. Although three quarters of prisoners had a lawyer at their trial, appointed by the underfunded Ghana Legal Aid Scheme, several prisoners said that their lawyers did not attend all the hearings and they did not have enough time to talk to them. A number said their lawyers asked for payment. My lawyer says he cannot work if he does not have money, one man told me. According to the Ghana Prison Service, only 12 death row prisoners have appealed since 2006. Half of these appeals had been successful. However, most on death row did not know about their right to appeal or how to get legal aid, and less than a quarter of death row inmates had been able to appeal their cases. A woman told me a private lawyer asked for 60 million cedi (more than US$12,000) to file an appeal. Another said his appeal had stalled when his lawyer asked for more money. The death penalty is irreversible and does not leave any possibility for rehabilitation of the offender. No criminal justice system is capable of deciding fairly, consistently and infallibly who should live or die. The risk of executing the innocent can never be eliminated. I worked on an appeal for the longest serving woman on death row in Sierra Leone. MK was arrested for killing her step-daughter in 2003, and sentenced to death in 2005. She did not receive legal advice or assistance from the time of her arrest until before her trial in 2005. MK, who is illiterate, thumb-printed a confession which was later used during her trial. Granted a state-assigned defence lawyer at the beginning of the trial, she was able to discuss her case only three times and for no more than 15 minutes each. Upon conviction, she was not informed that she had only 21 days to appeal. Furthermore, her file was not sent to the Presidents office for further review as required by law. MK was pregnant and had a miscarriage whilst in prison. A new lawyer hired by a local NGO AdvocAid filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal in 2008, but this was rejected as it was found to be too late. In November 2010, however, the Court of Appeal agreed to hear her case again. In March 2011 the Court of Appeal agreed with the AdvocAid lawyers representing MK that the various procedural irregularities during MKs trial rendered it invalid. MKs conviction was overturned and she was released after six years on death row. On 22 May 2017, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights adopted a resolution on the Right to Life in Africa. It urged countries that have established a moratorium on executions to take steps towards abolition, and others to immediately establish a moratorium on executions. In West Africa, no Anglophone country has abolished the death penalty, with Francophone and Lusophone countries taking the lead. President Barrows announcement provides hope that perhaps Gambia will be the first. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Despite these increases, Brent and WTI are on course for weekly declines of almost 1 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Crude oil futures rose on Friday as Asian stock markets gained on news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. The two will likely meet by May and Kim has pledged to refrain from further nuclear or missile tests, South Korea's national security chief said late on Thursday after briefing White House officials on talks between Seoul and Pyongyang, as reported by Reuters. The White House said Trump would accept the invitation at a place and time to be determined. The news lifted Asian stocks markets, and pulled crude oil futures along with them, traders said. Read alsoReuters: Oil prices mixed after edging up from two-week lows; set for weekly drop Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $63.79 per barrel at 0625 GMT, up 18 cents, or 0.3 percent, from their previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $60.25 a barrel, up 13 cents, or 0.23 percent. Despite these increases, Brent and WTI are on course for weekly declines of almost 1 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. Traders said the weakness is due to soaring output from the United States C-OUT-T-EIA, which has risen by 23 percent since the middle of 2016, to 10.37 million barrels per day (bpd). Thanks largely to shale drilling, the United States now produces more crude than top exporter Saudi Arabia. Only Russia pumps more, at almost 11 million bpd. A letter, signed by Mr. Parubiy and the speaker of the Moldovan parliament Andrian Candu, has been addressed to the chairmen of all European parliaments, and will next week be signed by Lithuania and Poland. Ukraine and Moldova criticize the Nord Stream 2 project fully owned by Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom. "The real nature of the Nord Stream 2 project is far from being economic: this is a political initiative by [Vladimir] Putin aimed at destabilizing Europe and depressing European countries," said Andriy Parubiy, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Emerging Europe wrote. He was speaking at an inter-parliamentary conference incorporating Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine which discussed the Eastern Partnership and current security challenges. A letter, signed by Mr. Parubiy and the speaker of the Moldovan parliament Andrian Candu, has been addressed to the chairmen of all European parliaments, and will next week be signed by Lithuania and Poland. "This is a case about which we can speak with one voice," said Mr. Parubiy, underlining the Russian attempt to weaken Ukraine and Moldova. Read alsoUkraine's ecology ministry intends to join German NABU's lawsuit against Nord Stream 2 Russia disagrees. "We support the implementation of this project, which is undoubtedly, absolutely free from politics. This is a purely economic and moreover purely commercial project," replied Russian President Vladimir Putin after meeting the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline calls for the construction of two segments of a pipeline from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. It will have a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. It is currently entirely financed by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, which is also is the majority owner together with five other European energy companies from Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands. Ukraine believes that elaborating a common resistance strategy is a vital necessity, not only for Ukraine, but for Moldova and Georgia but "for the whole free world." "There is an acute need to reach a common stance on energy security," Mr. Parubiy said. "Ukraine and other countries already feel the consequences of Russia's energy blackmail." "We must create potent institutions and facilities capable of working out operative means of impeding Mr. Putin's information warfare against the free world," he added. The United States remains committed to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and has taken two recent actions to help advance that goal. On March 2, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would extend for an additional year sanctions against Russia and Russian individuals that were first imposed by a series of Executive Orders in 2014. Among the reasons for extending the sanctions are Russias attempted annexation of Crimea and its use of force in eastern Ukraine. Such actions, President Trump noted in a letter transmitted to Congress, continue to undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets. President Trump said Russias actions in and policies toward Ukraine continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. In another move aimed at countering Russian aggression in Ukraine, the President recently made the decision to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive weapons, including the Javelin anti-armor weapons system, totaling $47 million. In its press release, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said, The Javelin [anti-tank] system will help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in order to meet its national defense requirements. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. Though Russia has warned that supplying Ukraine with weapons is a provocative action, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has noted, Defensive weapons are not provocative unless youre an aggressor, and clearly, Ukraine is not an aggressor, since its their own territory where the fighting is happening. There can be no business as usual with Russia absent a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine situation, which must begin with Russias adherence to the Minsk agreements, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. As recent U.S. actions show, the United States will continue to stand by Ukraine as it faces ongoing Russian aggression, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives and displaced more than 1.6 million Ukrainians. The long reach of terrorism threatens to steal the future of countless Africans, said Secretary Tillerson in a recent speech.In the last year alone, thousands of Africans have died at the hands of terrorists. In response to this growing threat, the United States sanctioned seven ISIS-affiliated groups, including ISIS-West Africa and ISIS-Somalia, and their leaders, in an effort to cut off the resources that these groups use to carry out attacks. To prevail against such evil forces, said Secretary Tillerson, the United States has committed to working with African partners to rid the continent and the world of terrorism by addressing the drivers of conflict that lead to radicalization and recruitment in the first place, and building the institutional law enforcement capacity of African nations. Terrorism knows no borders. In the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, al-Qaida in the Maghreb and other groups are adaptable, theyre resilient, and capable of launching attacks throughout the area, noted Secretary Tillerson. Regional cooperation is crucial to disrupting those attacks and denying these terrorist organizations the capability to plan and carry out attacks in the future. The nations of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, also known as the G5 Sahel, are pooling their expertise and resources to fight terrorism. To support their efforts, the United States has committed $60 million in security assistance to enable G5 Sahel countries to counter terrorism across the region. In addition, for more than a decade, the United States has supported the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership to provide training and promote cooperation between military, law enforcement, and civil actors across North and West Africa. In East Africa, the United States has used the Partnership for Regional East Africa Counterterrorism since 2009 to do the same.The Counterterrorism Partnership Fund is another important resource that helps African partners build their capacity to counter terrorism. Since 2016, the United States has contributed more than $140 million to help partners prevent terrorist safe havens and the recruitment through these partnerships. The United States also provides the African Union Mission in Somalia with training, equipment, mentorship, unarmed aerial surveillance, and operational support to enable African nations to fight terrorism in Somalia. There are no quick fixes to the terrorist threat, but the United States is committed to meeting the challenge head on in partnership with African countries, so the continent ultimately can become a place of prosperity, freedom, and safety. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the West should mind its own business in response to concerns raised by U.S. and EU diplomats about Tehrans involvement in the affairs of neighboring countries. Irans regional presence is none of your business. Is this our region or yours? What are you doing in our region? Khamenei said in a statement published on his website, adding, We have an agreement with the people of the region and have gone ahead, and we will go even farther. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian echoed concerns raised by the U.S. over Irans regional ambitions and its ballistic missile program during a visit to Tehran on Monday March 4, while reaffirming support for Irans nuclear deal with the West. Prior to his visit, Le Drian had also warned Iran may face new sanctions if it does not address U.S. and European concerns over its ballistic missile program. Regional states in the Persian Gulf also accuse Iran of intervening in their affairs. Like the West, they charge that Iran has prolonged the wars in Syria and Yemen by supporting the Assad regime in Syria and Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi reacted March 7 to a joint Saudi- Egyptian statement that implicitly denounced Tehrans involvement in the affairs of regional countries without naming Iran. The Arabian region cannot be secure unless a certain regional state stops all attempts to intervene in Arab countries affairs, the joint statement read. Egyptian leader Abdelfattah el-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman released the statement at the end of the latters visit to Egypt. Qasemi described the statement as fictitious and insisting on previousdestructive mistakes. Later March 7, in an interview with an Egyptian newspaper, Bin Salman branded Iran, Turkey, and regional extremists as the members of an evil triangle, adding that, the Iranian project was on the verge of decline. While the U.S. is present everywhere in an antagonistic way, it always casts doubt about Irans regional presence. Do we need the United States permission in order to be present in the region? Khamenei said in a speech March 7. Khamenei has ruled out talks with the West about Tehrans regional ambitions, but last week Western diplomats told Reuters that talks with Iran have already started. The report said the talks were held alongside the security conference in Munich in February. Two European diplomats and an Iranian official told Reuters at the time that the talks are slated to continue in Italy later this year. Iran categorically denies accusations it plays a disruptive role in the region, however some reports say Tehran has spent up to $15 billion per year to prop up Bashar Al- Assads regime. bt/et/ms A member of the board of directors of the Teachers Trade Association of Tehran was battered and violently detained on Saturday, March 3, his wife has disclosed in an interview with Radio Farda. Teachers rights activist Mohammad Habibi was arrested in front of the school where he teaches. His wife, Khadijeh Pakzamir, told Radio Fardas Vahid Pourostad, Habibi was beaten up again when the security agents dragged him to ransack his home. I have not received any information about my husbands whereabouts and health condition since they took him away, Ms. Pakzamir said, adding, About mid-day, when the children were leaving the school, several plainclothesmen, without presenting their IDs, approached my husband, waved an alleged arrest warrant and told him he was under arrest. Habibi explained to the agents that he was expecting his wife and it would be better to wait for her, Ms. Pakzamir explained, noting, The plainclothesmen dismissed his request, used pepper spray and forced him to get into their unmarked car. Inside the car, Mr. Habibi tried to resist, but they threatened him with a handgun and handcuffed him. Habibi was taken to his home and Right in front of the house and then inside the building, they violently battered Mr. Habibi to the extent that our neighbors called the Police, his wife said. Meanwhile, the agents forced their way into the house and started searching the place. When I arrived, I saw Mr. Habibi handcuffed and with a badly swollen eye. He told me what had happened, while the agents insisted that he had been responsible for being battered, Ms. Pakzamir elaborated. Who were the agents and where did they come from? Mrs. Habibi said, They were plainclothesmen presenting a piece of paper with the logo of Qarargah-e Tharollah (one of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps intelligence units). However, the reason behind Habibis detention is not yet clear. Mr. Habibis detention has two aspects of importance for us and the teachers. Firstly, his activities have always been peaceful and legal; that is why we do not understand why he was arrested. Secondly, the agents violent behavior is not justified, Ms. Pakzamir complained. Mohammad Habibi has been a well-respected teacher for the past eighteen years, working officially for the Ministry of Education. Reportedly, he had already been threatened by intelligence agents for his trade union related activities and organizing assemblies. After his arrest his relatives contacted the justice department and judiciary officials to find out about Mr. Habibis health condition and whereabouts, but they did not yet receive any response. In her interview with Radio Farda, Ms. Pakzamir insisted that she was deeply worried for her husbands life. Recently, at least six prisoners lost their lives behind bars in Tehran and city of Arak, central Iran. Authorities claimed all of them committed suicide. The Islamic Republic does not recognize independent trade unions and treats their activists as dissidents directed by foreign enemies. By RFE/RL's Uzbek and Tajik Services DUSHANBE -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, making a landmark visit to Tajikistan, has vowed to swiftly build stronger relations after years of tension between the Central Asian neighbors. Speaking alongside Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe on March 9, Mirziyoev told reporters that "Tashkent will be steadily developing ties with Dushanbe in all directions." In a sign of change, one of the 27 agreements signed after the meeting was a deal enabling citizens of each country to visit the other for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa. "Tajik-Uzbek relations will be reaching the level of strategic partnership in the nearest future," Mirziyoev said, adding after he and Rahmon emerged from behind closed doors that he talks were "very productive." "Actually, there are no problems left that could hinder the development of our bilateral relations," Mirziyoev said. Rahmon called Mirziyoevs two-day visit "fateful and important" and said that Tajikistan will be "supporting Uzbekistan's efforts to boost regional cooperation." Photographs showed the two presidents holding hands as they walked across the airport tarmac after Rahmon greeted Mirziyoev upon arrival for the March 9-10 visit. Mirziyoev, who came to power following the death of his predecessor Islam Karimov in 2016, has said forging better relations with Uzbekistan's Central Asian neighbors is a priority for his government. During the autocratic Karimov's 27-year rule in Central Asia's most populous nation, its relations with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan were strained by disputes over transit routes, border security, water resources, and other issues. Uzbekistan's ties with Dushanbe were the most difficult, marred by Tashkent's role in the devastating 1992-1997 civil war in Tajikistan and the use of Tajik territory by Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) militants in the late 1990s. Uzbekistan planted land mines along its borders with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Dushanbe has complained many times about Uzbekistan unilaterally demarcating the border and constructing watchtowers and border posts without informing Tajik authorities. Tajik lawmaker Olimjon Salimzoda told RFE/RL that the agreement on mutual visa-free travel took effect immediately after it was signed. Tashkent introduced visas for Tajik citizens intending to visit Uzbekistan in 2001, creating major complications for ethnic Tajiks living on the Uzbek side and ethnic Uzbeks on the Tajik side, many of whom have relatives or other connections in the other country. The agreements signed on March 9 also included a deal on on delimitation of parts of the Tajik-Uzbek border Ahead of Mirziyoev's visit, officials from both countries said he and Rahmon would discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including politics, trade, economic, financial, tourism, and transportation. On March 8, nine crossing points on the Tajik-Uzbek border -- eight on roads and one on a railway line -- resumed operations after being closed for years. (Details added 13:26) Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: Two Iranian citizens, Nijat Yusif Mehran (born 1985) and Ismayil Jamzemi (born 1984) were detained for violating Azerbaijan's marine borders, the State Border Guard Service said in a message on March 9. The Coast Guard of the State Border Service received information on March 8 that an unknown floating vessel, violating the state border entered the state waters of Azerbaijan in the direction of the territory of the Astara region. According to reports, the patrol boats chased down the vessel, and eventually forced it to stop, following warning fire shots. Following the detainment, the vessel was inspected. During the inspection, the above-named citizens of Iran were detained. The border violators had two smartphones, a "GARMIN" GPS device, a flashlight, a knife and nine tablets of tramadol. Further investigation revealed that the mentioned group was involved in alcohol smuggling attempt in Baligchilar village of Lankaran district on Feb. 15 2018. Operative and investigative measures are underway to detain other members of the criminal group. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Today, every progressive entrepreneur needs to build his business connections via Internet. Always being able to manage business communications online, keeping up-to-date correspondence and making quick decisions and being aware of all the latest news are the main conditions of modern business. Constantly distinguished by the high customer service quality, AtaBank OJSC offers to all its customers a new service Ata Wi-Fi, so that they always are a step ahead. Now in each Baku city branch of AtaBank OJSC customers get the opportunity to use high-speed Internet. To do that, while in the Bank's branch, customers must select Ata Wi-Fi from the list of Wi-Fi network, read and accept the terms of service and connect to the network using the PIN code that will be sent to their mobile phones. Operating since 1993 AtaBank OJSC is a hi-tech universal Azerbaijani bank with 100% domestic capital. The Bank provides a full range of services to corporate and private customers through 31 branches and divisions in Baku and regions of the republic. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: Azerbaijan intends to give subsidies and create a mechanism for providing travel companies, organizing tourist trips and charter flights to the country, with privileges, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers said in a report on activity as of 2017. The plan of action related to the provision with subsidies and creation of a mechanism for providing travel companies, organizing tourist trips and charter flights to the country, with privileges, as well as determination of the domestic flights with the wide use of the potential of the airports in the districts has been coordinated with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) and the State Civil Aviation Administration. The issue of resuming the Ganja-Nakhchivan flight has been added to the list of the planned flights. Moreover, the general plan for the creation and development of tourist and recreational zones is planned to be prepared in Azerbaijans western district in 2019-2020. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Bakcell, the First Mobile Operator and Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, has supported the organization of the Arts, crafts and business exhibition of talented womens handicraft. On the occasion of 8th of Marth the International Womens Day, the Azerbaijan-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAF) has organized the Arts, crafts and business exhibition of talented womens handicraft products. The event was sponsored by Bakcell, and hosted by the main sponsor of the exhibition the Pullman Baku hotel. The main purpose of the exhibition was to support the development of women entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan, introduce and promote the womens handicraft. Various handicraft products of more than 70 women entrepreneurs, such as souvenirs, jewelry, works of art, textile products, toys, household items and etc. were demonstrated and offered for sale. Representatives of partners and the member companies of CCIAF, representatives of the Embassy of France in Azerbaijan and other embassies, and Bakcell employees have participated in the exhibition and got acquainted with the exhibited handicraft products. Being the sponsor of the event, Bakcell devotes a special attention to women entrepreneurs and supports the development of womens employment and entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan. *** About Bakcell Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and the Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, offers a variety of products for modern mobile communications customers. Bakcell provides class leading 3G and 4G mobile internet experience in the country under the Su[email protected] brand name. As one of the largest national non-oil investors, Bakcell today continues making large investments in the economy of Azerbaijan through its investments in state-of-the-art telecommunication technology and its people who service our customers. For more information about Bakcell products and services, please visit www.bakcell.com or call 555. For press releases please see www.bakcell.com/az/news (or www.bakcell.com/en/news for press releases in English). If you are not a Bakcell subscriber, but wish to find out about Bakcell and its services, please call 012 498 89 89. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 92 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said March 9. 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 9 Trend: Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received a delegation led by Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on March 9. At the meeting, Mammadyarov voiced his satisfaction with the high level development of friendly and strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia in all spheres. Saying that the two countries' views coincide on regional issues and that they support each other within the international organizations, Mammadyarov noted the existence and importance of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in economic, transport and energy spheres. Touching upon the four-sided meeting of Azerbaijani, Iranian, Turkish and Georgian foreign ministers to be held in Baku on March 15, the minister said that this meeting is a new format that would give impetus to the comprehensive development of regional cooperation between the countries. Expressing satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan, Izoria said that he had a very interesting and useful meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Noting that the strategic partnership and friendship between Azerbaijan and Georgia are important for the stability of the region, the Georgian minister underlined the existence of a broad spectrum of bilateral relations and a comprehensive program of cooperation between the two countries in the defense sector. At the meeting it was noted that the Azerbaijan-Georgia cooperation in the defense and security sectors serves to ensure regional peace and stability, particularly effective organization of large-scale transport and energy projects with the participation of the two countries. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has today met with Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan Tomohiko Taniguchi. First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva expressed her confidence that the visit of Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan Tomohiko Taniguchi to Azerbaijan will contribute to strengthening of bilateral bonds. Noting that Azerbaijan and Japan celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations last year, the First Vice-President underlined that the two countries enjoy cooperation based on friendship and mutual interest in all spheres. Stressing that Azerbaijan and Japan have successfully developed economic, political and humanitarian cooperation, Mehriban Aliyeva said there is a great potential in these areas. She hailed the activity of the State Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Japan. Praising the successful cooperation in the energy sphere, Mehriban Aliyeva underlined that the two large Japanese companies IMPEX and ITOCHU have been operating in Azerbaijan for many years and are actively involved in the development of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli oil fields. Azerbaijan's First Vice-President noted that the experience of Japan, which has one of the most developed economies in the world, in information, construction technologies and transport spheres is of great interest. Highlighting the successful cooperation in the political and economic fields, Mehriban Aliyeva stressed the importance of strengthening relations in the humanitarian area, and noted the significance of this sphere in terms of bringing the two countries' peoples closer to each other. The close cooperation in the field of culture will contribute to expanding our relations. The First Vice-President emphasized the importance of holding reciprocal culture days. Saying that the development of tourism is a priority for the country, Mehriban Aliyeva pointed out that Azerbaijan may hold particular interest for Japanese tourists as a new destination. Speaking about education cooperation, Mehriban Aliyeva said that 20 Azerbaijani students are studying in Japanese universities, and described the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijani ADA University and Japanese Osaka University as a sign of successful cooperation in this sphere. Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister of Japan Tomohiko Taniguchi lauded political ties between the two countries. He said that Japan attaches importance to its relations with Azerbaijan. Tomohiko Taniguchi noted that multifaceted cooperation has been established between the two countries in recent years, adding these relations cover a number of areas. He stressed the significance of energy cooperation. Taniguchi said that he received a lot of information about Azerbaijan during his visit to the country. Details added (first version posted on 10:05) Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria March 9. The president noted that political relations between the two countries are developing successfully. President Aliyev hailed the long-term successful development of the bilateral cooperation in a variety of fields, including military sphere, adding that Izoria`s visit to Azerbaijan created a good opportunity for discussing cooperation prospects in this area. Izoria reiterated the Georgian people`s respect for the Azerbaijani president, and praised President Aliyev`s great contributions to the successful development of ties between the two countries. The Georgian minister also said his country supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Touching upon Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey cooperation, Izoria described it as an important factor in strengthening regional stability. He stressed successful joint military exercises of the three countries. Noting that Azerbaijan and Georgia enjoy successful interaction in economic, energy and transport areas, the president emphasized the importance of the global projects implemented by the two countries. President Aliyev said Azerbaijan backs the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. Details added, headline changed (15:27) Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Ali Mustafayev - Trend: The main goal of the OSCE observation group in Azerbaijan is an objective assessment of the presidential election, but not interference in the election, Corien Jonker, the head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation mission, said at a press conference in Baku on March 9. She noted that the observers will assess the electoral process starting with the opening of polling stations until announcement of results. "The main group of observers will consist of 10 experts, but in addition to them, auxiliary observer groups will also be present during the election. Particularly, starting from March 15, 20 long-term observers of the ODIHR will work in the regions of Azerbaijan. In addition, 280 short-term observers will operate in Baku on the election day. Experts and observers from 19 countries will arrive in the country," said Yorker. Jonker said that a group will remain in the country to monitor the relevant processes during the days after the elections. She further noted that ODIHR observers to monitor the election processes in the regions of Azerbaijan will be divided into 10 groups, which will include two observers each. "We have witnessed fruitful cooperation with the Azerbaijani government, and I hope that this cooperation will continue in the future," said Jonker. Presidential election in Azerbaijan is to be held on April 11, 2018, according to an order signed Feb. 5 by the country's President Ilham Aliyev. According to the Calendar Plan of Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC), pre-election campaigning starts 23 days prior to the voting day and is stopped 24 hours before the start of voting. Thus, the campaigning will start on March 19 and end at 08:00 (local time) on April 10. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: The presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections held earlier in Azerbaijan were assessed by international organizations as the next step on the path of democratic development, but we also witnessed another prejudiced attitude of some organizations, Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend March 9. In particular, reports of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the election results were biased, he said. There even was information that in most cases they evaluate the results of elections on the basis of pre-ready decisions. The OSCE ODIHR decision to monitor the presidential election scheduled for April 11 in Azerbaijan is known. Naturally, they will have an observational function in this election, Nasirov added. "However, in accordance with the organization's traditional behavior and past experience related to the final decisions on the election, the question arises whether such important principles as objectivity, transparency and justice appeared in the work of this structure. This question remains open." The MP added that the Azerbaijani public has repeatedly witnessed the biased work of this structure. "But we would like that changes take place within this structure so that decisions wouldn't be made under the influence of geopolitical interests, certain political circles, so that it wouldn't become an instrument in the hands of anti-Azerbaijani forces," the MP noted. "First of all, this is important for the image of the structure itself, because in most cases this image was undermined by the structure's undemocratic behavior." Presidential election will be held in Azerbaijan on April 11, 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov has met with a delegation led by Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a message March 9. According to the message, before the meeting, the Georgian delegation visited the Alley of Honor, revered memory and laid flowers at the graves of Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev and outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. The delegation also visited the Alley of Martyrs. Then the official welcoming ceremony of the Georgian delegation was held at the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The defense ministers of the two countries held a one-on-one meeting. Afterwards, a meeting in expanded format was held. Greeting the guests, Hasanov stressed that the strategic partnership is at a high level and this plays an important role not only in the development of countries, but also in ensuring security in the entire region. Stressing that the two countries cooperate in the military sphere by ensuring the security of regional economic projects, programs implemented both bilaterally and within the NATO, as well as in the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia military format, Hasanov stressed the importance of expanding the spheres of this cooperation. Hasanov said that Armenia poses a serious threat to the regional security and renders constant support for separatism at the state level. Once again expressing gratitude to the Georgian people for supporting Azerbaijan in international organizations and recognizing its territorial integrity, the Azerbaijani minister stressed that the country also recognizes and supports Georgias territorial integrity. Expressing gratification with another visit to Azerbaijan, Izoria stressed that this is a clear example of the high level cooperation between the two countries. Stressing the important role of the friendly relations between the Azerbaijani and Georgian presidents in the development of ties between the two countries, Izoria emphasized the importance of such meetings in terms of expanding cooperation. During the meeting, Hasanov and Izoria discussed cooperation in arms control between the Azerbaijani and Georgian defense ministries. The sides also exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation in military, military-technical, military-educational, military-medical spheres, holding of joint military exercises, working meetings and issues of mutual interest. At the end of the meeting, a plan of bilateral cooperation for 2018 was signed between the Azerbaijani and Georgian defense ministries. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Paris will host meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Bureau, Political Affairs and Democracy Committee, Monitoring Committee and Standing Committee from March 12 to March 16. Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary Committee for International and Interparliamentary Relations Samad Seyidov will attend the meetings, Azerbaijan's Parliament told Trend March 9. Participants of the meetings will mull protection of the victims of terror attacks, impact of the situation in Syria on neighboring countries, results of fact-finding missions to Ukraine, Turkey and Armenia, sending observation missions to the presidential elections in Azerbaijan and Montenegro, agenda of the April session of the PACE, and other topics. Seyidov will make speeches on the issues to be discussed, and will voice his assessments and suggestions. His visit will end on March 17. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Fikret Dolukhanov - Trend: Azerbaijan appreciates the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) mission for coming and carrying out observations, but Azerbaijans Electoral Code, the voters' choice as well as the election results are the main thing for Azerbaijan, political analyst Fikret Sadikhov told Trend March 9. He said that one can expect only objective and fair approach from the observation mission in the presidential election. They attended the last presidential election as well, Sadikhov said. Quite sound judgments and objective assessments were voiced that time, but there were some subjective views as well. He noted that even now there certainly will be those dealing with some minor facts at the elections in Azerbaijan. Therefore, they can draw any conclusions, it is their right, functions and tasks, Sadikhov added. Of course, their judgments and conclusions are important for the public, including the foreign public. However, for Azerbaijan, first of all, the results of the voting are important. He noted that if the observers are objective, they should honestly and fairly draw concrete practical conclusions for themselves, considering the political practice and the choice of the Azerbaijani voters. Commenting on the current activity of the mission, Sadikhov noted with regret that a number of observers come to Azerbaijan guided not by the desire to objectively evaluate the results of the election and to inform the general public about it in their reports and statements, but with some bias, subjectivity. This happens because there are external forces that are interested in such a subjective approach to results of the election, he noted, adding that these forces are critical of the political realities of Azerbaijan and plan certain destabilization scenarios in the country. It is clear that there are political forces that stand behind those observers, Sadikhov said. Azerbaijan is well aware of this fact. Those are forces that are not interested in a stable situation in Azerbaijan. They would like to see a different path of Azerbaijans development, its subordination to the interests of some leading country, power, or some political forces that would dictate their conditions and impose their own development parameters. In this aspect, various subjective judgments are possible this time as well, and this factor cannot be ruled out, he said. However, they are not the main elements of the election campaign in Azerbaijan; it is the voter who makes the choice, Sadikhov added. Such judgments are unlikely to affect the outcome of the election and the entire election campaign, let alone the development of Azerbaijan. Presidential election will be held in Azerbaijan on April 11, 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to increase the monthly salary (tariff) for the Special State Protection Service's military servicemen and civilian workers, who are not public servants. Under the decree, monthly salary (tariff) for the Special State Protection Service's military servicemen and civil workers, who are not public servants, is increased on average by 10 percent from March 1, 2018. The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to address issues arising from the order. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to increase the monthly salary (tariff) for military servicemen and civilian workers, who are not public servants, at the State Security Service and Foreign Intelligence Service. Under the decree, monthly salary (tariff) for both Services' military servicemen and civilian workers, who are not public servants, has been increased on average by 10 percent from March 1, 2018. The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to address issues arising from the order. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has today signed a decree approving a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in provision of services between the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations and the Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISESCO). The memorandum was signed on Nov. 10, 2017 in Rabat, Morocco. Under the decree, after the entry into force of the memorandum, the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations is tasked to ensure the implementation of the memorandum's provisions. The Foreign Ministry was instructed to notify ISESCO about implementation of the internal procedures required for the entry into force of the Memorandum of Understanding. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on measures to develop the education infrastructure in the Gakh, Gabala, Oguz and Shaki districts. According to the order, 5.056 million manats will be allocated to Azerbaijans Education Ministry in order to create 15 modular schools. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: The OSCE mission can directly monitor all processes related to the presidential election in Azerbaijan, Chairman of Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov said. He made the remarks March 9 at a meeting with Corien Jonker, head of the observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the CEC said in a message. Having greeted the head and members of the observation mission, Panahov expressed satisfaction with the meeting and highly appreciated the initiative for its organization. Jonker expressed her gratitude to Panahov for the warm welcome and said that the OSCE ODIHR will observe the pre-election and the election process. Then the members of the observation mission inquired about preparations for the presidential election in Azerbaijan scheduled for April 11. Panahov spoke about the high organization of the election, the work done to conduct transparent and fair election and the large-scale briefing program of the CEC. He brought to the attention of the members of the observation mission the activity of the CEC and numerous projects being implemented to freely ensure the rights of Azerbaijani citizens to elect and be elected, and also said that all steps are taken in the conditions of full transparency. Panahov said that the CEC is always open for cooperation with international organizations, and also noted that presently, the professional working group is checking the submitted signature lists and other election documents. The process of verification, which is completely open to the public, is regularly monitored by authorized representatives of political parties, presidential candidates and the media, he added. Panahov, along with other international organizations, also invited the members of the observation mission to take an active part in verifying the signature lists, as well as in any other election-related processes in general. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Georgian President Georgi Margvelashvili expressed his condolences to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in connection with fire in the Republican Drug Rehabilitation Center, which led to casualties. "I was deeply saddened by the news of fire in the Republican Drug Rehabilitation Center in Baku. On behalf of Georgian people and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to you, government and nation of Azerbaijan, the letter said. "Your Excellency, I ask you to convey my condolences to the families of the victims, and to the wounded - wishes for a speedy recovery. You can always count on the support of Georgia." Prime Minister of Georgia Georgy Kvirikashvili also expressed his condolences to President Ilham Aliyev. "On behalf of the government and the people of Georgia, on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences to you in connection with the fire in the Republican Drug Rehabilitation Center that led to the death of people. During these difficult moments we are next to the fraternal Azerbaijani people, share the grief of the families of the victims, wish them patience and endurance," the letter said. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: An Azerbaijani delegation led by the economy minister, co-chairman of the State Commission for Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran in the economic, trade and humanitarian spheres, Shahin Mustafayev, will pay a visit to Iran on March 12-14, the ministry said on March 9. During the visit, there will be held 12th meeting of the state commission. Also, a number of meetings will be held with Iranian officials and prospects for expanding cooperation between the countries will be discussed. Previously, it was reported that the meeting of the intergovernmental commission between Azerbaijan and Iran will be held in Iran's city of Astara in January. Then the meeting was postponed. As part of this event it was planned to hold the opening ceremony of the cargo terminal and the Astara (Azerbaijan) - Astara (Iran) railroad within the North-South international transport project. According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the trade turnover with Iran in 2017 amounted to $257.1 million, 27.4 percent more than in 2016. In 2017, the export of Azerbaijani products to Iran amounted to $16.8 million. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey is launching a new program for development of animal breeding starting from April 2018, the ministry said in a message. The message says that as part of the program, the ministry will distribute 300 heads of small cattle, as well as additional salaries to farmers and peasants who leave big cities and return to villages. In total, 1,666 families and farmers have appealed to the ministry for participation in the program. Earlier, Turkish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ahmet Esref Fakibaba urged the villagers to leave cities and return to the villages on Feb. 5. He added that the Turkish government is also beginning to implement the livestock development plan. "The plan entitled "Be the master of your work" will be carried out under the slogan "Do not leave the villages", the minister said. Fakibaba also stressed that in case of an increase in the number of small cattle, the ministry will buy livestock from the villagers. By the end of 2017, the Turkish population reached 80,810.525 million people. Meanwhile, 7.5 percent of the population lives in villages. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will sign 27 documents during the official visit of Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Dushanbe on March 910, 2018, Uzbek Presidents Press Secretary Komil Allamzhonov said. The most important among the documents will be the Joint statement of the state presidents, the Agreement of certain parts of the Uzbek-Tajik state border and the Agreement on mutual transit of the citizens, Allamzhonov noted. Reportedly, contracts worth some $140 million are expected to be signed during the Uzbek-Tajik business forum and the Uzbek National Exhibition in Dushanbe. The press secretary added that the number of agreements may increase. The president of our country [Uzbekistan] works constructively and tends to solve many issues in situ, he said. Tashkent hosted the meetings of working groups of government delegations of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from Feb. 24 to March 1, during which, the negotiations on delimitation and demarcation of the state border were held. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Foreigners purchased 22,234 properties in Turkey in 2017, which is 22 percent more than in 2016, according to the report of the Turkish biggest bank - Turkiye Is Bankasi. According to the report, revenues worth $4.6 billion were obtained from the sale of property to foreigners in 2017. In 2017, 9,182 properties were sold in Istanbul, while 4,707 properties in Antalya. The remaining 8,345 properties account for the share of other Turkish cities. "In 2017, 3,805 Iranian citizens, 3,345 Saudi citizens and 1,078 Russian citizens purchased property in Turkey," the report said. In 2017, 942 Azerbaijani citizens bought property in Turkey. The remaining 13,164 properties account for the share of citizens of other countries. In January 2018, 97,000 properties were sold in Turkey, which is 1.7 percent more compared to January 2017. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend: Azerbaijans Module Caspi LLC, which presents IT solutions, is in talks with new customers, Rufat Zeynalov, the companys representative, told Trend. Such energy companies as BP and Saipem are our main partners, he said. Among new customers, I can mention Gilan Holding, Burger King, Kapital Bank and Bank Silk Way. At the same time, Module Caspi LLC intends to expand the sale of its products in Azerbaijan, he said. We offer a number of solutions, mainly software, Zeynalov added. In particular, we offer antivirus software, a cloud system that ensures security of data storage. We have a solution to prevent information leaks, the only one that officially supports the Azerbaijani language, as well as software for monitoring of cyber threats. Module Caspi LLC has been operating since 2011. The company specializes in software solutions, including information security, solutions for call centers and application development, focusing on solutions for the telecommunications, banking and energy spheres. Bitcoin dropped below $9,000 on Friday to its lowest level in 3-1/2 weeks on concerns about regulatory clamp down around the world following cases of large thefts of digital currencies, Reuters reports. At 8:24 a.m. (1324 GMT), the biggest and best-known virtual currency was last quoted down 4.19 percent at $8,880.10 on Luxembourg-based Bitstamp exchange. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Ali Mustafayev - Trend: Agreement on visa-free travel regime between Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates will come into force on March 10, the ministry of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan said in a message. Kazakh citizens will be free to stay in the UAE for up to 30 days, but in case of violation of this term, they will be fined. "Each citizen will be obliged to present a passport, with at least 6 months of validity, during the entrance to the UAE. Women are allowed to enter the territory of the UAE without escorting men, if they have reached the age when they can be held accountable under the law. Juveniles should be accompanied by parents. In case of traveling alone, juveniles need a power of attorney," the message says. The ministry also stressed that the visa-free regime does not apply to those who intend to find employment in the UAE. However, negotiations and business meetings are allowed. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: The administration of the Uzbek capital plans to build 20 multi-storey car parkings and, for that purpose, wants to attract foreign, including South Korean, investments, Deputy Head of the Tashkent City Administration Alisher Tilyayev said during the joint UzbekSouth Korean business forum on March 9. Earlier, Tilyayev also said that the city administration is interested in cooperation with the South Korean partners in construction of affordable housing, private kindergartens, multi-storey parkings, as well as new hotels and city parks. Tashkent also invites the businessmen to participate in improvement of municipal services and public transport management systems. According to the Uzbek agency Sputnik, the transport situation in the city center is very difficult due to the parkings lack, caused by the absence of a parking construction program in Tashkent for the last 26 years, while a number of cars have been steadily growing. In 2017, the city authorities launched complex measures for 20172021 on regulating car parking places. Particularly, modern multi-storey parkings and free open car stops were planned to be constructed. For that purpose, the city administration developed special models of parkings, consisting of two, three and six storeys. Two-storey parking had to be designed for 80 cars, three-storey for 144 cars and six-storey parkings for 532 cars. Tashkent Central Internal Affairs Directorate launched partial dismounting of parking prohibition signs in the city center, announcing that more than 100 signs had been already dismounted. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: PetroNeft Resources plc, an Ireland-based oil company, has denied holding negotiations with Irans North Drilling Company for development of the Middle East nations oil fields, a source in the company told Trend. We have nothing going on in Iran, the source said. Earlier, Hasanad Shirinpour, a senior official with the NDC, told Trend on the sidelines of the 2nd Iran International Exploration & Production Congress & Exhibition that the companies involved in the talks with the NDC are the EY (Ernst & Young) and PetroNeft, as well as the Well Services of Iran. EY, on their part, declined to comment on the matter. Tehran, immediately after removing the 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 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 9 By Huseyn Valiyev Trend: By the middle of the year Azerbaijans GoldenPay payment system will start to issue its own card hesab.az, the company told Trend March 9. The project is planned to be implemented jointly with one of the countrys big banks (its name has not been disclosed yet). "Presently, Turkish Airlines is planned to join the project, which will allow passengers to accumulate miles for flights and receive bonuses from the airline," the company said. Earlier, the company said that the technical and legal issues on launching the project have been fully resolved. GoldenPay has signed a contract with Visa International company to issue hesab.az cards. Moreover, the tariffs for transactions were also worked out and the annual turnover of cards was calculated. About 10,000 cards are initially planned to be issued. One can buy cards through the registration at www.hesab.az portal or at partner banks branches. The card will have a standard set of functions of international and local cards and card holders will be able to make non-cash payments for purchases, get discounts, earn bonuses, etc. The hesab.az card will be combined with GoldenPay "electronic purse", which is expected to be launched in parallel. Both products will be combined with the client base of the company. On March 6, 2018, the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic Mrs. Veronique Hulmann and the Minister of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Talantbek Batyraliev signed an agreement for a four-year project aiming at improving the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases. According to the data of the Center for e-Health of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, in 2016 the main causes of mortality were non-infectious diseases, in particular: cardiovascular (50.4%) and oncological (12.0%) diseases, followed by injuries and intoxication (8.4%) and respiratory problems (5.7%), Kabar reports. The project will enhance the capacities of the primary health care system to prevent, manage and treat non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition (particularly high salt intake), tobacco, alcohol and lack of physical activity have become major risks for non-communicable diseases. The project will minimize risks of contracting such disease by promoting healthy lifestyles and improving access to quality primary health care services. The Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has allocated more than CHF 4.3 million (about 300 million soms) to the project. The Ministry of Health will support the project by continuing to enhance the primary health care system. A Consortium of organizations composed of GFA Consulting Group GmbH (Germany), Euro Health Group (Denmark) and Public Organization Healthy Future (Kyrgyzstan) will implement the Swiss funded project, with the support of WHO. The first phase of the project, which will last until 2022, will be implemented in the Chui, Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas provinces of Kyrgyzstan. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have signed agreement on cancellation of the visa regime active since 2001 during the first official visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on March 9, the press office of the Uzbek president reported. Residents of the two countries may stay in each others territory without any permit for 30 days. The corresponding agreement has been signed by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the press office said. After a many-year hiatus, nine checkpoints - eight car and one train checkpoint - resumed their work on March 1 to ensure normal conditions for the residents of both countries while crossing the border. In April 2017, the Uzbekistan Airways carried out the Tashkent-Dushanbe flight for the first time in the last 25 years. The air communication between the two countries was cut in 1992. According to the information, the sides have also signed an agreement on certain parts of the Uzbek-Tajik border. The state commissions on delimitation and demarcation of the border between the two countries were created back in 2000. In less than two years they managed to coordinate 84 percent of the border, i.e. 1,240 kilometers out of total 1,332. The countries signed an agreement on the coordinated parts of the border in 2002. However, exchange of ratification documents was carried out only in 2009. The delay was caused by the continuous fruitless talks on the remaining parts of the border. The sides reattempted to finish the delimitation in 2012, but once again in vain. The main cause for the differences was the territory of the Farhad water electric plant, built back in 1940s. An agreement on the most controversial part of the border was signed in January 2018 during the official visit of Uzbek Premier Abdulla Aripov to Dushanbe. The sides agreed on considering the area of the power plant a Tajik territory, while the object itself an Uzbek property. Tashkent hosted the meetings of working groups of government delegations of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from Feb. 24 to March 1, during which, the negotiations on delimitation and demarcation of the state borders were held. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan and Tajikistan plan to increase the trade turnover between the two countries to $1 billion, the press-office of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on March 9. The corresponding agreement has been achieved during the official visit of the Uzbek president to Dushanbe. Earlier, the two sides considered a possibility of increasing the trade turnover to $500 million. As a result of the fruitful talks between the heads of state, as well as the direct dialogue between business circles, the trade turnover is planned to be increased to $1 billion, Mirziyoyevs press office reported. The sides signed a total of 27 documents in Dushanbe, including the joint statement on strengthening of friendship and neighborliness, the agreement on certain parts of the Uzbek-Tajik state border. The trade turnover between the two states increased by 20 percent and totaled $240 million in 2017. Tehran, Iran, March 9 By Kamyar Eghbalnejad Trend: An official with the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has called for taking measures aimed at improving the countrys ranking in the list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF). CBI Spokesperson Mohammadali Karimi has said that the Iranian government has already proposed three draft bills on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism to parliament, IRNA news agency reported. He called on parliamentarians to approve the proposed bill, saying passing the draft bills would leave a positive impact on the global approach to the Iranian banking system. Saying that Iran has seen rise in ties with international banks over the recent years, he added that adopting international standards would contribute to the efforts aimed at integrating into the global financial system. According to the official, Iran over the recent years and following the implementation of the nuclear deal, has inked LC agreements with the international banks worth of $55.3 billion. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on March 4 said 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. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in a late February announced 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 coming from Iran and the threat this poses to the international financial system. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Azer Ahmadbayli Trend: In the light of the recent deadly air crash of Aseman Airlines' flight EP3704 on Feb.18 in Iran's Central Province, a problem that is of a vital character for the Islamic Republic, becomes increasingly pressuring. The planes black boxes have been found and the investigation is in progress to figure out the cause of the crash. However, though the results of the investigation have yet to be released, the fact itself highlights with renewed vigor the problem of security and safety of the Iranian civil aviation, whose main challenge is mostly outdated air fleet. In total, Iran requires 500 new aircraft in the next 10 years. At least 1,303 individuals have lost their lives in 18 air crashes in Iran over the last 40 years. Date Venue Rout Reason Casualty number 1 January 1980 Alborz Mountains Mashhad-Tehran Disabled ILS 128 2 October 1986 Shiraz Airport Tehran-Bandarabbas Iraqi air strike 23 3 June 1988 The Persian Gulf Tehran-Dubai Missile strikes by US Navy 290 4 February 1993 Tehran Tehran-Mashhad Mid-air collision 134 5 October 1994 Town of Natanz Esfahan-Tehran Crashed into mountains 66 6 June 1996 Rasht City Training flight Crash landing 4 7 May 2001 Sari City Tehran-Gorgan Pilot error 25 8 Feb 2002 Khoramabad Province Tehran-Khoramabad Crashed into mountain 119 9 Feb 2004 UAE Kish- Sharjah Technical failure 43 10 April 2005 Tehran Kish-Tehran Crash landing 2 11 September 2006 Mashhad City Bandarabbas-Mashhad Fire 28 12 August 2008 Kyrgyzstan Tehran-Bishkek Technical failure 68 13 Feb 2009 Shahinshahr County Training flight Crash landing 5 14 July 2009 Qazvin Province Tehran-Yerevan Mechanical failure due to bird strike 168 15 July 2009 Mashhad Airport Tehran-Mashahd Crash landing 17 16 January 2011 Urmia Tehran-Urmia Adverse weather condition 78 17 August 2014 Tehran Tehran - Tabas Technical failure 39 18 Feb 2018 Town of Semirom Tehran-Yasuj Crashed into mountains 66 Source: Mehr News Agency Following the implementation of the nuclear deal in January 2016, Iran entered into contracts with Airbus, Boeing and ATR for the purchase of more than 200 aircraft. So far, under those contracts, the country has received 11 aircraft (eight from ATR, three from Airbus). Commercial aircraft, that have the US-made components making more than 10 percent of their cost, need to receive licenses from OFAC (US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control) before being sold to Iran, within the frame of the nuclear agreement. The license has a time limit. For instance, ATR manufacturers have an OFAC license which is valid till the end of 2018, according to the company's representatives. Meanwhile, Iran warned that its deals for purchasing Airbus planes might be called into question by President Trump's repudiation of the nuclear agreement. "Considering Mr. Trump's stance on pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we must make sure that the licenses will remain valid regardless of any decision taken by the US," Irans deputy minister of roads and urban development, Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan, told ILNA. "As long as uncertainties are not resolved, we will not provide down payments," he said. In his turn, Airbus sales Director, John Leahy, told Reuters that financing is the main issue facing Iran's deal with the company, indicating that Airbus would be cautious about building jets for Iran without receiving deposit payments. It looks the sides got into a trap Iran doesnt want to provide payments unless uncertainty with licenses is resolved, whereas Airbus is waiting for deposit money to proceed to building next aircraft for Iran. Russia also needs OFAC permit to deliver aircraft to Iran, as US components are used in the Sukhoi SuperJet-100. However, Secretary of the Association of Iranian airlines Maqsood Asadi Samani said in February that the latest modifications made to SSJ100 allow sale of the aircraft to Iran without the necessity of obtaining OFAC license, since the US-made components now compile less than 10 percent. Deliveries of Russian SSJ-100 airliners to the Islamic Republic have been discussed between Moscow and Tehran, rt.com reported March 7. We talked about the possibility of Sukhoi SuperJet-100 purchases by our Iranian partners and outlined a plan of how this can be put into practice, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said. Meanwhile, the recent political statements made by the opposing sides give very little hope for optimism. Earlier this week, US Vice President Mike Pence warned again that unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixed in the coming months, the United States would withdraw from it. Pence said that President Trump waived the sanctions to give its allies and the U.S. Congress time to improve the nuclear deal, but warned that this is their last chance. The same day French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran to discuss the fate of Iran's nuclear deal with top Iranian officials. At the meetings with Le Drian, Iranian officials have criticized EUs position to dance to the tune of the US, pandering to President Trumps groundless attacks on the fully legal nuclear agreement. They have also noted that EUs verbal support of the nuclear agreement is not enough and that the Islamic Republic hasnt seen major economic benefits after signing JCPOA especially in the banking sector and Iran may be forced to abandon the agreement. In such a heated atmosphere, Iran is at crossroads deciding how to solve an issue of the state importance related to the security of its citizens renewal of the countrys ageing air fleet. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi has strongly condemned an attack on the Islamic Republic's embassy in London, urging swift action to counter the attackers, Press TV reported. Immediately after receiving news of the assault on Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi voiced Tehran's strong protest to Britain's ambassador to Tehran, he added. Araqchi called on British police to fully protect the Iranian diplomats in London, the spokesperson said. The British ambassador, for his part, offered the British government's apology for the incident and said anti-riot police is present in the embassy compound and has brought the situation under control, Qassemi added. He emphasized that all necessary measures have been adopted to protect the Iranian diplomats and prevent the assailants' entry into the embassy building. A number of attackers scaled the wall of Iran's embassy building in London and took down the Iranian flag, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The report added that British police carried out no measure to protect the compound during the attack. In a post on his official Twitter account on Friday, Iranian Ambassador to London Hamid Baeidinejad confirmed the assault. He said the assailants were carrying knives and sticks and chanted slogans against Iranian officials. Embassy attackers arrested: Qassemi Later on Friday, Qassemi said the attackers who had climbed on the balcony of the Iranian embassy in London were arrested, adding the spectacle is now over. He called for the trial and punishment of the perpetrators of the assault. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The normalization of the Turkey-Armenia relations is out of the question if the occupied Azerbaijani lands are not liberated, Metin Kulunk, MP from the ruling Turkish Justice and Development Party for Istanbul, told Trend March 9. Kulunk was commenting on Armenia's annulment of the Zurich protocols with Turkey. He added that the priority for Turkey is the liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani territories. "By annulling the protocols, Armenia wants to exert political pressure on Turkey, Kulunk said. Armenia understands that Ankara will not make any concessions to Yerevan regarding Azerbaijan. Therefore, Armenia's decision about annulment of protocols has no significance for Turkey. He also stressed that while voicing its intention to normalize relations with Turkey, Armenia was actively propagandizing the lie about the so-called Armenian genocide in Europe and the US. "Turkey has repeatedly stated that it is ready to create a joint commission to investigate the events of 1915, but Armenia and the Armenian lobby continue to avoid this up now," Kulunk said. On March 1, 2018, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced about the annulment of the protocols on the normalization of the Armenia-Turkey relations. The protocols on the normalization of relations between the two countries were signed by Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers on October 10, 2009, but those protocols were not ratified. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed in 1993. The break in relations, as well as, the closing of borders between Turkey and Armenia in 1993 was due to Yerevan's claims over recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide in the world and Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The President of the European Council Donald Tusk says the accomplishment of the visa-free regime and the increase in bilateral trade are some of the most visible examples of solid and expanding cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Georgia over the past year, Agenda reports. "The implementation of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area is bringing real results to the citizens of Georgia [and] contributing to political and economic stability, Tusk said, stressing the EU will continue to support Georgia's reforms. "With regards to the visa-free regime, I welcome the commitment of the Georgian authorities to continue working with EU Member States to make sure that it functions properly, Tusk said. Tusk made the statements at today's meeting with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili in Brussels, Belgium. Calling Georgia a frontrunner in the Eastern Partnership, Tusk said the EU very much appreciated Georgia's constructive and active support in making last year's Eastern Partnership Summit a success. Tusk further praised the Georgian government's pragmatic proposals for advancing integration and cooperation with the EU and said "we will work to make these ideas more concrete in the coming months. Georgian President Margvelashvili is paying a visit to Brussels from March 8-10 to discuss Georgias Euro-Atlantic integration prospects, Georgian reforms and issues connected to the Georgia-EU visa free regime, as well as sectoral cooperation with the EU. Belgian authorities have discovered the disappearance of 10 billion euros of frozen Libyan assets kept in the Euroclear Bank during the period 2013 to 2017, according to the Le Vif weekly paper. According to Le Vif magazine, these funds were controlled by the inner circle of ousted and killed Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. Over 16 billion euros were located in four accounts opened for the Libyan Investment Authority and Libyan Foreign Investment Company. The Belgian authorities found the disappearance of a significant part of these funds in the fall of 2017, when an investigation into money laundering sought to seize the 16 billion euros. It turned out that on the four accounts just over 5 billion euros remained. At the same time, according to the Ministry of Finance, Belgium did not take any decision to unfreeze these assets. The question is, therefore, did Belgium control the assets in a correct way, suggests Le Vif. The investigation into billions of Gaddafi assets held in Belgium discovered big, regular outflows of stock dividends, bond income, and interest payments. Legal documents, bank statements, emails and dozens of interviews point to a loophole in the sanctions regime. The Dutch government warns the country's citizens of high and insufficiently studied risks associated with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the country's finance minister Wopke Hoekstra said, Sputnik reported. "Investing in cryptocurrencies is not without risk. In contrast to savings, money put into cryptocurrencies does not fall under a deposit guarantee system and there is generally no central issuer to claim from in the event of abuse," the country's finance minister Wopke Hoekstra told the country's parliament, as quoted by the Dutchnews.nl portal. The minister said he would study options to hedge the risks. The government is considering a ban on advertising of risky financial products targeting non-professional investors, Hoekstra noted. The minister also intends to oblige financial institutions to warn consumers of the risks of taking loans to buy cryptocurrencies. New legislation must also be introduced to improve transparency of cryptocurrency trading, he added. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 Trend: Two soldiers of the National Guards of Russia were killed in a shooting after the domestic conflict in Dagestan, TASS news agency reported. A man during the domestic conflict opened fire at two employees of the National Guards of Russia in Dagestans village of Gerga, the source noted. The man has been detained. The causes of the conflict are being clarified, the source added. Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkeys Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army are at four kilometers from Syrias Afrin district center, the Turkish media reported March 9. Reportedly, during the Operation Olive Branch, 730 square kilometers of the territory were cleared of terrorists. Presently, the Turkish Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army are preparing to attack Mabatly settlement. During the operation, 157 settlements were liberated from terrorists. On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. F-16 fighters of the Turkish Air Force are involved in the operation, inflicting strikes on the positions of PYD/YPG on the Syrian-Turkish border. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: After the liberation of Syrias Afrin district, 200,000 Syrian refugees will return there, the Turkish media quoted the countrys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying March 9. He noted that the Turkish Armed Forces and forces of the Free Syrian Army will liberate Afrin from the terrorists. Currently, the Turkish rmed Forces and forces of the Free Syrian Army control a territory of 800 kilometers, the Turkish president noted. Earlier, Erdogan said that Turkey will return the Syrian refugees, whose number exceeds three million, back to their homeland. On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Baku, Azerbaijan, March 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey is negotiating with Iraq to launch a joint operation against the PKK terrorist organization, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, Turkish media reported on March 9. Yildirim said the PKK is a common threat to the region. The prime minister noted that all countries of the region should strengthen the fight against terrorism. Previously, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Iraq will begin a joint military operation against PKK starting next month. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives. The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu President Donald Trump agrees to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May to discuss denuclearization. The announcement comes after a briefing by South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization, Chung said outside the West Wing of the White House. The South Korean delegation was at the White House to tell officials about the country's recent talks with North Korea. They reportedly delivered a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Trump. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster will brief the U.N. on the details, CNN reported. Earlier this week, a South Korean delegation, led by Chung Eui-yong, President Moon Jae-in's national security adviser, and National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon, went to Pyongyang. The delegation met with Kim. By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - Mar 8, 2018 - 15:54 | World, All China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday urged the United States and North Korea to hold bilateral talks as soon as possible to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while pledging that Beijing will work together with other countries for that goal. Wang also claimed that China's efforts have led to a recent inter-Korean thaw, praising a proposal aimed at easing security tensions between the two Koreas that he himself had presented exactly one year ago. "All relevant parties should make a political decision and resume dialogue (with North Korea) to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula with the utmost energy," Wang said at a press conference. As a step to alleviate security concerns, Wang has proposed a "double suspension" approach, where North Korea would suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the United Sates and the South suspending their joint military drills. "During the (Pyeongchang) Winter Olympics, North Korea did not carry out a new nuclear test, and the United States and South Korea refrained from military exercises against North Korea," Wang said. "The fact is that China's double suspension proposal worked as a medicine and was proved to lay the best groundwork for improvement in North-South relations," Wang added. The relationship between Seoul and Pyongyang has been ostensibly improving after North Korea decided to join the Feb. 9-25 Olympics in South Korea. On Tuesday, South Korean officials said the two Koreas agreed to hold a summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom in late April, with the North voicing readiness to talk with the United States about denuclearization and normalization of bilateral ties. In the talks held in Pyongyang on Monday between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and special envoys from Seoul, the North also promised to suspend missile and nuclear activities during the period of dialogue with Washington, according to the officials. As for a U.S. threat to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a "trade war is not the right solution," Wang told reporters on the sidelines of the National People's Congress, China's parliament, whose annual session started Monday. China, however, will "definitely" take necessary steps if Washington puts the tariffs in place, indicating Beijing is ready to implement retaliatory measures against the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Washington will impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, apparently targeting the world's second-biggest economy. In February, China ran a trade surplus of $20.9 billion with the United States, almost doubling from a year earlier, the government said Thursday. Wang also warned against U.S. activities in the South China Sea, saying some countries outside the region are stirring up trouble. "China's determination to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea is firm and consistent," Wang said, brushing aside fears about the Asian power's growing assertiveness in the contested waters. Beijing has criticized Washington's "freedom of navigation" operation in the South China Sea being conducted in an apparent move to challenge China's claims and activities there. Wang, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with improvements in relations between China and Japan, saying Beijing welcomes Tokyo's recent "positive policy" toward China. Tokyo and Beijing have for years been mired in a territorial row over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea called the Senkakus by the Japanese and Diaoyu in China. The dispute escalated particularly after the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda effectively put them under state control in September 2012. But ties between the two sides have been showing signs of improvement, with this year marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of a bilateral friendship treaty. In January, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono visited Beijing and agreed with Wang to resume reciprocal visits by the two countries' leaders. "As long as China-Japan relations continue to improve, things will naturally move forward," Wang said. By Sophie Jackman, KYODO NEWS - Mar 9, 2018 - 20:52 | World, All The announcement of a first-ever summit between the United States and North Korea comes as concerning news for Japan, which has tried to set stricter conditions for dialogue with the North. Analysts say the limits of Japan's intense lobbying of U.S. President Donald Trump have been exposed by the plan for an historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which looks to have been set up without Pyongyang explicitly agreeing to completely scrap its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Trump did not, at least publically, consult with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before accepting the dialogue invitation from Kim, conveyed by envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae In after their trip to Pyongyang. Tokyo-based political commentator Norio Toyoshima said Trump would have had the option of putting off accepting Kim's offer, saying he would talk with his allies before making a decision. "But the fact that he made a phone call to Abe first right after his decision shows he does hold Abe in a certain amount of regard," Toyoshima said. The Abe administration has been pouring energy into building close bonds with the unpredictable Trump since his inauguration, holding more than 20 telephone meetings between the leaders. Throughout, Japan has emphasized that North Korea has only taken advantage of past efforts at dialogue, buying time to develop more dangerous weapons. It reflects the Abe administration's concerns that fresh talks with the North could lead to a compromise that does not remove the security threat to Japan. The agreements between Kim and Moon's envoys in Pyongyang put Japan in a weaker position than it would have preferred, the analysts agreed. A mere freeze on nuclear and missile tests during a period of dialogue is not enough to reassure Tokyo, which wants the North to completely scrap the programs. "So far we just have a statement from North Korea that it will discuss denuclearization -- it's hardly a commitment," said Leszek Buszynski, professor of international relations at Australian National University. "I'm sure (Trump) has been advised by the State Department and people in his security establishment not to go ahead with these talks because the results may not justify the efforts," he said. The analysts agreed the Trump-Kim talks are unlikely to yield much progress on North Korea's nuclear program, despite breaking new ground. A sitting U.S. leader has never before held a summit with a North Korean one. Among their concerns is Trump's belief that he negotiates best on his own, despite a potential lack of understanding of the complex issues surrounding North Korea. For starters, Washington and Pyongyang have fundamentally different views on what is meant by the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said Brad Glosserman, a visiting professor at Tama University's Center for Rule-making Strategies. Japan and the United States have said pressure in the form of sanctions will remain in place on North Korea until it moves toward its the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization. But the North looks unlikely to agree to that, instead aiming to at least be allowed to possess a nuclear arsenal in the vein of Pakistan, Glosserman said. Japan, which sees the nuclear and missile technology North Korea already possesses as a threat to its security, needs to know if Trump would settle for that compromise. What Abe can do for now is to make sure he is well informed on the policy position Trump plans to take in his talks with Kim. Abe has an opportunity to do just that when he meets Trump on a trip to the United States next month, which he announced on Friday after his phone call with the U.S. leader. Beyond that, Japan can continue to lean on connections in the U.S. security establishment to try to influence any U.S. plan on negotiations with the North. Now is also the time, the analysts suggested, for the Abe administration to at least temporarily downplay its tensions with South Korea. Trump's comments during his election campaign in 2016 raised concerns in Japan and elsewhere that the United States could trade the security of its allies for that of its homeland. The North Korea issue, Glosserman said, has highlighted another concern -- the degree to which the United States might privilege the interest of one ally over another. The handling of North Korea has stoked concern in Japan that South Korea is being prioritized, and vice versa, he said. "Japan must not be perceived as anti-South Korea or anti-Korean reunification," Glosserman said, not least because South Korea is important in the enforcement of sanctions on the North. It is particularly difficult given mistrust in Japan of Moon's intentions on North Korea and other issues. Tokyo and Seoul have been at odds this year over how to reconcile their wartime history, particularly the issue of the "comfort women" forced into Japan's wartime military brothels. The other thing Japan can do to try to keep its interests on the agenda in dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang is to build on its existing efforts to make an impression on Trump about North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. Japan should try to keep the resolution of the abduction issue a priority alongside denuclearization, while maintaining a healthy sense of skepticism about how much the talks between Trump and Kim can realistically achieve, commentator Toyoshima said. (Satoshi Iizuka contributed to this story.) KYODO NEWS - Mar 9, 2018 - 19:10 | World, All Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday he will visit the United States next month for talks with President Donald Trump to coordinate their policies on North Korea, ahead of a first-ever summit between Washington and Pyongyang. Speaking after a telephone conversation with Trump, Abe hailed the "change" in North Korea's stance as it has offered to "begin dialogue on the basis that it will denuclearize." "I agreed with President Trump that (this development) is the result of Japan, the United States and South Korea, together with the international community, having continued to put a high level of pressure on North Korea," Abe said. During his U.S. trip possibly in early April, Abe is expected to exchange views with Trump over how to deal with the North led by Kim Jong Un ahead of the landmark U.S.-North Korea summit talks. Moon has already agreed to meet with Kim in late April. A South Korean government source said Friday the Trump-Kim talks will be held after that. The White House said Trump and Abe "affirmed their strong intention to continue close trilateral coordination with South Korea to maintain pressure and enforce international sanctions until such point that North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." Abe stressed the "solid position" taken by Tokyo and Washington is "absolutely unwavering." Trump accepted the North Korean leader's invitation for the summit talks, according to Chung Eui Yong, head of South Korea's National Security Office. Chung is visiting Washington to brief the Trump administration about his meeting earlier this week with Kim in Pyongyang. Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, who also met Kim as a member of a South Korean delegation led by Chung, will make a two-day visit to Japan from Monday for talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He accompanied Chung to the United States. Abe said he also discussed with Trump North Korea's abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, and asked for his cooperation in resolving the issue. Abe quoted Trump as saying he understood everything the Japanese leader had told him. "I will continue to coordinate with President Trump toward resolving North Korea's nuclear and missile (development) and the abduction issue, and we will address these issues in even closer cooperation," Abe said. Kono held a press conference at which he dismissed suggestions that the Trump-Kim talks conflict with Japan's previous warnings about dialogue with North Korea. Asked if he was concerned the United States would only act in its own interests in dialogue with the North, Kono said the talks "will not be a bilateral framework, but with the United States talking with North Korea as a representative of the international community." Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the government's top spokesman, said North Korea's offer of talks with Trump shows it is moving toward denuclearization. But Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said North Korea needs to abandon its nuclear program for the proposed talks to have any meaning. "There is no change in our position that North Korea needs to display concrete actions toward denuclearization in order for dialogue to be meaningful," Onodera said at a press conference. The defense minister also touched on the possibility of reviewing Japan's defense equipment in accordance with a change in the regional security situation, in case denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula progresses following the envisioned Trump-Kim talks. A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official expressed reservations, saying the developments are "a bit quick." KYODO NEWS - Mar 9, 2018 - 19:55 | All, Urgent, World U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May for a first-ever bilateral summit, U.S. and South Korean officials said Thursday, a move that may lead to a breakthrough on the North Korean nuclear issue. Many countries welcome the historical decision, expressing hope that their dialogue will contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, but skepticism lingers about whether Pyongyang will really take concrete steps toward denuclearization. Also, even if the summit is held, negotiations might break down as Kim could urge Trump to ensure North Korea's hereditary regime, ease sanctions and seek withdrawal of U.S. troops from the South in return for giving up nuclear weapons, analysts said. A South Korean presidential source on Friday quoted Trump as saying Washington is willing to hold the summit after the planned inter-Korean summit in late April, between then and the end of May. Trump said he "would meet Kim by May to achieve permanent denuclearization" in response to Kim's invitation to meet him "as soon as possible," South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui Yong told reporters at the White House. Chung, head of the National Security Office, made the remarks after briefing Trump about talks between senior South Korean officials and Kim earlier this week in Pyongyang. The summit will take place "at a place and time to be determined," according to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Speculation is growing that Trump and Kim may meet at a South Korean building in the truce village of Panmunjeom. Chung quoted Kim as saying he is committed to denuclearization, and that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear and missile tests, as well as he "understands" joint military exercises between the United States and the South must continue. Trump said in a tweet "great progress being made," but stressed that sanctions on North Korea "will remain until an agreement is reached." "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean representatives, not just a freeze" of the North's nuclear program, he wrote. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." South Korean President Moon Jae, who has pledged to serve as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, on Friday voiced satisfaction with their agreement to hold the summit, saying a movement toward denuclearization will "go into higher gear," according to his office. Trump's leadership will be "praised all over the world," Moon was quoted by the office as saying. China, believed to have influence over Pyongyang as its main economic lifeline, said the country welcomes possible talks between the United States and North Korea, calling the recent move a "positive signal" from the two nations. The situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula is "moving toward the right direction," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press conference, adding China will continue to make efforts to resolve Pyongyang's nuclear issue "through dialogue." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he hailed the "change" in North Korea's stance, while Russia's state news agency Tass quoted Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as calling the envisioned U.S.-North Korean summit "the first step toward the right direction." China and Russia, which share borders with North Korea, have argued the nuclear crisis should be resolved through dialogue. U.S. and Japanese policymakers, meanwhile, are still trying to gauge Pyongyang's real intentions, amid uncertainty over whether it would really consider abandoning its hard-acquired nuclear capabilities. They have said Pyongyang has broken international promises several times. During their telephone conversation following the U.S.-North Korea agreement to hold the summit, Trump and Abe confirmed the two nations will continue to maximize pressure on Pyongyang. Trump and Abe "affirmed their strong intention to continue close trilateral coordination with South Korea to maintain pressure and enforce international sanctions until such point that North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization," the White House said. The agreement for a Trump-Kim summit came after South and North Korea agreed to hold a meeting between Moon In and Kim in late April at Panmunjeom. The two Koreas remain technically still at war because the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice instead of a peace treaty. South Korea, the United States, Japan and other countries around the world remain fully and resolutely committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Chung said. In a meeting Monday with a South Korean delegation led by Chung, the North Korean leader expressed openness to denuclearization talks with the United States and normalization of bilateral ties, according to South Korea. Kim was quoted as saying he has no reason to possess nuclear weapons if nuclear threats against Pyongyang are removed and its security is guaranteed. On Tuesday, Trump said North Korea seems to be "sincere" about engaging with Washington, and that U.S.-led sanctions, especially "the great help" from China -- the main economic lifeline of North Korea -- appear to have propelled Kim to seek dialogue with the United States. Next Monday, Chung is expected to go to China and Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, who was a member of South Korea's delegation, will visit Japan to brief the two governments on the meeting in Pyongyang. (Photo courtesy of the South Korean presidential office) Chronology of recent events concerning North and South Korea, and the United States: July 4, 2017 -- North Korea succeeds for first time in test-firing intercontinental ballistic missile. July 28 -- North Korea launches its second ICBM, unusually late at night. Aug. 8 -- U.S. President Donald Trump warns he will counter North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if the country further endangers the United States. Sept. 3 -- North Korea conducts its sixth nuclear test. Sept. 15 -- North Korea fires intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan into the Pacific with flight distance of 3,700 kilometers, the longest yet, putting the U.S. territory of Guam within range. Sept. 19 -- U.S. President Donald Trump, in his debut address to the U.N. General Assembly, calls North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "Rocket Man." Sept. 22 -- Kim Jong Un reacts sharply to Trump's U.N. address in a rare statement, saying he will "surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire." Oct. 1 -- Trump tells his top diplomat, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, to stop "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with Kim Jong Un Nov. 29 -- North Korea claims it successfully test-fired its new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting anywhere in the United States with a nuclear warhead. Jan. 1, 2018 -- Kim Jong Un, in New Year's address, says a nuclear button is always on his desk; Kim also expresses readiness to send athletes to Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Jan. 2 -- Trump ridicules Kim Jong Un over his nuclear button, saying the U.S. button is "much bigger and more powerful." Jan. 4 -- The United States and South Korea agree to postpone annual joint military exercises until after Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Jan. 9 -- North and South Korea agree at ministerial-level talks to the North sending athletes to the Olympics. Feb. 9 -- North and South Korean athletes march together under a unified Korean flag at the Olympics' opening ceremony. Feb. 10 -- South Korean President Moon Jae In and Kim Yo Jong, sister and close aide to Kim Jong Un, hold talks in Seoul. The North invites Moon to visit North Korea. Feb. 23 -- The United States announces a slew of measures against North Korea that President Donald Trump called the "heaviest" sanctions ever imposed on the country. Feb. 25 -- High-level North Korean official visits South Korea for Olympics' closing ceremony, meets with Moon in Pyeongchang. March 5 -- South Korea's special envoys visit North Korea and hold talks with Kim Jong Un. March 6 -- South Korea's presidential office unveils the outcome of the envoy's meeting with Kim Jong Un, including agreement of a summit meeting between the two Koreas in late April. March 8 -- Senior South Korean official says Trump said he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve denuclearization. More on North Korea: Denuclearization still unclear after Kim Jong Un's pledge Inter-Korea summit breakthrough leaves Japan on back foot China seeks early U.S.-N. Korea talks Japan seeks use of anime to raise student awareness of abduction issue European Commission Acts on Croatian Waste Site, Flood Plans The commission on March 8 referred Croatia to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to adequately protect people and the environment at the Biljane Donje landfill. The European Commission has referred Croatia to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to ensure an adequate level of protection of human health and the environment at an illegal landfill in Biljane Donje, near the town of Benkovac, that is less than 50 meters from houses. The waste should have been managed in accordance with the EU rules on waste (EU Waste Framework Directive, Directive 2008/98/EC) by the end of 2015, and although Croatia committed to address the situation on several occasions, there has been no progress on the ground. The commission reported that, for almost four years, the industrial waste deposited at the landfill has not been cleared and properly managed, and it threatens to contaminate groundwater and air. The location is currently used as a depository of a large amount of production residue of processing of ferromanganese and silicomanganese. Because Croatian authorities failed to classify that material as waste in line with the directive, approximately 140,000 tons of this potentially harmful stone aggregate are deposited directly on the ground. Under EU law, Croatia should have put in place measures for the protection of groundwater and the prevention of the dispersion of the harmful particles through the air. The commission opened infringement proceedings against Croatia in March 2015, followed by a reasoned opinion sent in November 2016. Since there has been no progress in ensuring proper waste management in Biljane Donje that the waste does not endanger human health and harm the environment, the commission decided to refer Croatia to the Court of Justice of the EU. The commission also called on Ireland and Spain on March 8 to comply with the requirements of the Floods Directive (Directive 2007/60/EC), which aims to reduce and manage the risks floods pose to human health, the environment, and economic activity. Under EU law, Member States had to complete and publish flood risk management plans and notify them to the commission by March 22, 2016. In April 2017, the commission opened an infringement procedure by sending a letter of formal notice to the Irish authorities due to their failure to complete, publish, and communicate flood risk management plans for seven river basin districts. Ireland has still not notified these plans, so the commission is sending a reasoned opinion, to which Ireland has two months to reply. The commission also sent a letter of formal notice to Spain because Spanish authorities have failed to inform the commission of the flood risk management plans for the river basin districts of Catalonia and the Canary Islands. Spain also has two months to reply. Being on the cutting edge of science and technology excites Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) researcher Carsten Krieg, Ph.D. Each day, he walks into his lab that houses a mass cytometry machine aptly labeled Helios. Krieg explains how it can heat plasma up to 6,000 degrees Celsius, levels comparable to temperatures found on the sun. This allows the German native, who recently joined the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina's departments of immunology and dermatology, to accomplish an interesting feat. He creates a sort of 'Instagram' of a person's immune system. For cancer patients on experimental immunotherapy treatments, the practical application is obvious and exciting, he said. "What I use here is a very new and nerdy technology, which is called mass cytometry, that allows you with a very high sensitivity to make pictures of your immune system. And this is possible because there's artificial intelligence, machine learning combined with algorithms that can make a very complex system easy to visualize." ??Basically, how it works is that researchers stain cells using rare metal-conjugated antibodies that target surface and intracellular proteins. "Normally in biological tissues, there are no rare metals, so this technique offers greater sensitivity in detecting targets." Inside the Helios, the cells are ionized using an inductively-coupled plasma. The ions derived from each stained cell are maintained in discrete clouds that can be detected in a mass spectrometer. The technique can potentially detect up to 100 markers per cell, although, due to practical restrictions, about 40 are more realistic, he said. Then researchers use artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to create a two-dimensional mapping that can read the results, creating an Instagram of millions of blood cells. "It's an easy way to look at a complex response such as one you would find during immunotherapy." This is critical as Krieg and other cancer researchers hope to advance the field of immunotherapy. Though immunotherapy has shown great promise, the vast majority of patients either don't respond, have adverse side effects or relapse. Krieg, who comes to HCC from the University Research Priority Program (URPP) in Zurich, Switzerland, wanted to know if the technology could be used to predict which patients might respond to certain treatments. While in Zurich, he and his colleagues decided to use the technique to study melanoma. Research featured on the cover and in the February issue of Nature Medicine, titled "High-dimensional single-cell analysis predicts response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy" identified biomarkers in the blood that can predict whether metastatic melanoma cancer patients will respond positively to immunotherapy. The goal was to see if a blood test for these biomarkers could identity those who are likelier to benefit, while allowing "non-responders" to begin other treatments without losing time, he said. "It's a decision instrument for physicians and for the health care system." It's also a powerful research tool as it gets to the mechanisms behind what makes immunotherapy work. The recent study found an immune cell type known as classical monocytes in the peripheral blood may be a potential biomarker for patients who will respond to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint therapy in metastatic melanoma. "Surprisingly, what we clearly found is that it's the frequency of monocytes that is enhanced in responders over non-responders before immunotherapy." Krieg said he was eager to join HCC to work with immunotherapy researchers here and to take advantage of the synergy he feels across departments. He wants to continue his work in melanoma as well as look at using this technique for other cancers, including head and neck, gastrointestinal and lung cancer. Zihai Li, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and co-leader of the Cancer Immunology Program at HCC, said MUSC is fortunate to have recruited Krieg. "He brings not only his wealth of knowledge in immunology but also his expertise in mass cytometry technology and its applications. This technique offers a powerful platform for high dimensional analysis of patients' blood on the single cell level." Krieg's recent study in Nature Medicine demonstrates that the technique can be used in the clinics to profile patients' immune systems to better guide decisions about immunotherapy treatment. "Importantly, MUSC has already invested in this technology by obtaining a second-generation instrument," Li said. "Dr. Krieg's arrival will catalyze the rapid development and application of this technology to benefit the patients in the state of South Carolina." Beyond looking for predictive biomarkers, Krieg said scientists can use this technique to closely examine how cells interact in the microenvironment of the tissue and the tumor. "We now have Instagram pictures, a picture before therapy and a picture during therapy. But you can make many more of these pictures, so you're looking after three months, after half a year, a year," he said. "This allows more of a Facebook approach, so every time you get a picture of the immune system, you're getting context." Krieg sees the technology as ushering in a new era in cancer research. Looking back only a couple of decades, chemotherapy was the main course of treatment, he said. Then science advanced to sequence genomes and find mutations in the DNA for which specific inhibitors were developed. "After DNA and the transcriptome, the exciting thing about this technology is the next step in evolution: we're now looking at the proteome." The proteome is the complete set of proteins being expressed by a genome or cell at a certain time under certain conditions. "I am so excited about the work because it's the next step in science. This actually is what makes the interactions happen, where the immune cell interacts with an immune cell or a tumor cell. We're studying this whole networking of cells in your body and how they react toward your environment and in immunotherapy. Doing real-time monitoring in patients based on their specific genetic make-up and the immunotherapy treatment they are receiving opens all kinds of research possibilities. This allows physicians to apply precision medicine to help patients and researchers to use systems biology to discover the mechanisms of disease, he said. "I hope to make a difference in the clinic so that patients are on the right therapy from the start. Then on the research side, we want to understand how this works. Which elements do you need, when? Which element of the immune system needs to be kicked in?" ### About Hollings Cancer Center The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center is comprised of more than 120 faculty cancer scientists with a research funding portfolio of $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, please visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.org. Researchers at the University of Birmingham and King's College London have found that staying active keeps the body young and healthy. The researchers set out to assess the health of older adults who had exercised most of their adult lives to see if this could slow down ageing. The study recruited 125 amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79, 84 of which were male and 41 were female. The men had to be able to cycle 100 km in under 6.5 hours, while the women had to be able to cycle 60 km in 5.5 hours. Smokers, heavy drinkers and those with high blood pressure or other health conditions were excluded from the study. The participants underwent a series of tests in the laboratory and were compared to a group of adults who do not partake in regular physical activity. This group consisted of 75 healthy people aged 57 to 80 and 55 healthy young adults aged 20 to 36. The study showed that loss of muscle mass and strength did not occur in those who exercise regularly. The cyclists also did not increase their body fat or cholesterol levels with age and the men's testosterone levels also remained high, suggesting that they may have avoided most of the male menopause. More surprisingly, the study also revealed that the benefits of exercise extend beyond muscle as the cyclists also had an immune system that did not seem to have aged either. An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T cells, starts to shrink from the age of 20 and makes less T cells. In this study, however, the cyclists' thymuses were making as many T cells as those of a young person. The findings come as figures show that less than half of over 65s do enough exercise to stay healthy and more than half of those aged over 65 suffer from at least two diseases.* Professor Janet Lord, Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, said: "Hippocrates in 400 BC said that exercise is man's best medicine, but his message has been lost over time and we are an increasingly sedentary society. "However, importantly, our findings debunk the assumption that ageing automatically makes us more frail. "Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier." Dr Niharika Arora Duggal, also of the University of Birmingham, said: "We hope these findings prevent the danger that, as a society, we accept that old age and disease are normal bedfellows and that the third age of man is something to be endured and not enjoyed." Professor Stephen Harridge, Director of the Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences at King's College London, said: "The findings emphasise the fact that the cyclists do not exercise because they are healthy, but that they are healthy because they have been exercising for such a large proportion of their lives. "Their bodies have been allowed to age optimally, free from the problems usually caused by inactivity. Remove the activity and their health would likely deteriorate." Norman Lazarus, Emeritus Professor at King's College London and also a master cyclist and Dr Ross Pollock, who undertook the muscle study, both agreed that: "Most of us who exercise have nowhere near the physiological capacities of elite athletes. "We exercise mainly to enjoy ourselves. Nearly everybody can partake in an exercise that is in keeping with their own physiological capabilities. "Find an exercise that you enjoy in whatever environment that suits you and make a habit of physical activity. You will reap the rewards in later life by enjoying an independent and productive old age." The research findings are detailed in two papers published today in Aging Cell and are the result of an ongoing joint study by the two universities, funded by the BUPA foundation. The researchers hope to continue to assess the cyclists to see if they continue to cycle and stay young. ### For further information or to arrange interviews please contact: 1. For further information or interviews contact Emma McKinney, Press Office, University of Birmingham, on +44 (0)121 414 6681 or contact the Press Office out of hours on +44 (0)7789 921165. 2. Garfield Myrie in the King's College London press office on: +44 (0)207 848 4334 or email garfield.myrie@kcl.ac.uk Sources: *Kings Fund Report on Multimorbidity 2014 - https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/time-think-differently/trends-disease-and-disability-long-term-conditions-multi-morbidity Notes to Editor: The two studies, both published in Aging Cell, are: 1. Pollock et al (2018). 'Properties of the vastus lateralis muscle in relation to age and physiological function in master cyclists aged 55 - 79 years'. DOI: 2. Duggal et al (2018). 'Major features of Immunesenescence, including Thymic atrophy, are ameliorated by high levels of physical activity in adulthood.' DOI: Professor Janet Lord is also Director of MRC-ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research. She is also part of NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Birmingham BRC). The NIHR Birmingham BRC brings together the expertise of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) and the University of Birmingham, both members of Birmingham Health Partners (BHP). The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 5,000 international students from over 150 countries. King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (2017/18 QS World University Rankings) and among the oldest in England. King's has more than 29,600 students (of whom nearly 11,700 are graduate students) from some 150 countries worldwide, and some 8,000 staff. King's has an outstanding reputation for world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), eighty-four per cent of research at King's was deemed 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (3* and 4*). Since its foundation, King's students and staff have dedicated themselves in the service of society. King's will continue to focus on world-leading education, research and service, and will have an increasingly proactive role to play in a more interconnected, complex world. Visit its website to find out more about Vision 2029, King's strategic vision for the next 12 years to 2029, which will be the 200th anniversary of the founding of the university. World-changing ideas. Life-changing impact: https://spotlight.kcl.ac.uk/ Workforce OPM puts agencies on notice about hiring politicals for civil service jobs The federal government's human resources agency put up a caution flag about hiring former political appointees to career jobs in government. Kathleen McGettigan, then acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, announced in a February 23 memo that agencies seeking to hire former political appointees to career competitive service jobs will have to first obtain permission. (Trump appointee Jeff Pon, was confirmed by the Senate to lead OPM on a voice vote on March 8.) Written authorization from OPM is required to hire individuals for career jobs who are serving or have served as political appointees within the last five years. This group includes appointees to political posts under Schedule A, Schedule C or other special authorities. "Although political appointees may not be excluded from consideration for federal jobs because of their political affiliation, they must not be given preference or special advantages," McGettigan said. The practice of political appointees being converted to civil service employees, often referred to as "burrowing in," has attracted significant attention from Congress and policymakers in recent years, although data suggests it isn't a widespread practice. OPM policy has been trending toward clamping down on hiring political appointees to career positions since a 2009 memo from former agency head John Berry. The new policy tightens up approvals of political appointees moving into career jobs to comport with the 2016 Transitions Improvements Act. Separately, the House of Representatives passed a bill to require agency heads to sign off on requests to convert political appointees to career posts as "necessary for the agency to meet its mission." Without such a request, political appointees face a two-year "cooling off" period before a being eligible for a career job in the federal government. The bipartisan Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act is designed to "force agencies to use political conversions as a measure of last resort," according to the bill's report language. The bill passed March 6 on a voice vote. "This is not as big a problem as people might think it is," said Jeff Neal, a former chief human capital officer at the Department of Homeland Security and currently senior vice president at ICF. "When a Republican is in the White House, Democrats complain about burrowing in. When a Democrat is in the White House, Republicans complain. The reality is we're talking about very small numbers of appointments," said Neal, who blogs on federal hiring and workforce management practices. According to a 2017 Government Accountability Office report, OPM approved 78 of 99 requests for such conversions between January 2010 and March 2016. The Department of Justice made the most such requests, with 10 over the period of the report. Multiple agencies made just one request over the six-year period. Congress Lawmakers lose patience with NBIB over clearance backlog Senators on the Intelligence Committee expressed deep frustration during a March 7 hearing focused on the government's lack of progress in reducing its 710,000-strong backlog of pending security clearance requests. Charles Phalen, director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, told lawmakers it would likely be years before they saw a significant reduction in the backlog. Several members of the committee, such as vice chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), indicated they would consider a complete overhaul of the status quo if significant progress is not observed in the near and intermediate term. Warner wants to "completely rethink" the security clearance process, saying it was not designed to respond to the role of contractors or leaks by insiders to foreign adversaries or the press. "This is a pure management problem, it seems to me," said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). "Who's in charge?" he asked, and "who can we fire?" That answer isn't so simple. The deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget chairs the Performance Accountability Council, which manages the governmentwide goal of reducing the backlog. The Director of National Intelligence is also responsible for development, implementation and oversight of procedures governing access to the classified information. Warner noted earlier in the hearing that the committee invited recently confirmed Deputy Director of Management Margaret Weichert to testify, but OMB declined the request. One of the witnesses, Professional Services Council CEO David Berteau, said the responsibilities were divided, with many departments and sub-agencies running their own parallel clearance processes despite ostensibly relying on the same investigative standards. He echoed comments made earlier by Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) that excessive secrecy and over-classification within the federal government is a big contributor to the backlog, noting that nearly 4 million federal employees and contractors require some type of security clearance today to operate. "We've been focusing entirely on the supply side of this equation -- how do we actually move people through the process and put them into clearances," he said. "There is a demand side of this equation as well." Better use of modern technology was a constant theme throughout the hearing. Warner promoted big data and AI as tools that could be used to help assess people's trustworthiness far more efficiently than the current process does, but lamented that "we've not taken advantage of these [technological] advances." The Department of Defense is set to take over its own background investigations after a provision in the recently passed 2018 National Defense Authorization Act transferred authority from NBIB to DOD. The department has touted its use of automation and continuous evaluation as a tool that could dramatically reduce background investigation timelines, which average between 200 and 400 days depending on the type of clearance, to a matter of weeks or even days. Many experts inside government and industry believe that continuous evaluation, a process by which a clearance holder's background is continuously monitored for threat indicators in real time, represents a major opportunity to leverage automated technologies in order to reduce the clearance backlog. Farrell cited DOD's program as a model for the rest of government. Dan Payne, director of the Defense Security Service, said the use of continuous evaluation within DOD "has been greatly successful and is the way of the future." "We have to go down this route if we're going to make the necessary changes to make this process better," said Payne. Warner noted that there seems to be widespread consensus that tools like continuous evaluation are key to solving the problem but little agreement about how best to implement it across agencies. "We have the notion of increase technology butI don't see a timeline presented," he said. Cybersecurity White House hints at new cyber policies The White House is poised to begin acting on recommendations that came from its first cybersecurity directive, issued last May, a top cybersecurity policy official said. "The series of reports [required under Executive Order 13800] are almost all in, Tyson Meadors, director for cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council, said at AFFIRMs March 8 cybersecurity summit in Arlington, Va. Now were starting to look at how do we enact those recommendations. Im almost certain youre going to see stuff that reflects those recommendations in the next month, or month and a half, that directly reflect some of those reports." The cyber executive order outlined several different strategic goals for the federal government. Meadors and other cybersecurity experts at the summit, however, stressed that the cybersecurity workforce is the linchpin needed to hold all those efforts together. Meadors' comments came just a day after lawmakers pressed Department of Homeland Security officials how they plan to account for gaps in that agency's cybersecurity workforce, following a critical watchdog report on DHS' efforts. DHS is required by a 2014 law to classify and code its cybersecurity positions, so it can better keep tabs on positions of need within the department. These job codes are used to define roles and specific tasks for cybersecurity duties at the department, including key back office work such as program management and system administration. The law also requires the agency to identify and report its most critical workforce needs for future planning. DHS reported to Congress in August it had completed the coding for 95 percent of positions but according to the Government Accountability Office, that number was closer to 79 percent. The discrepancy was caused by DHSs exclusion of vacant posts in its tally, GAO said. "DHS cannot bring people into the hiring pipeline if it doesn't have accurate accounting of what needs are," Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) said at a March 7 joint hearing of the House Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection and Oversight and Management Subcommittees. Gregory Wilshusen, GAO's director of information security issues, described DHS as consistently behind schedule on carrying out the laws requirements, noting it was 13 months behind on updating its procedures to identify positions and assign employment codes, and 23 months behind on actually assigning employment codes. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said these cyber-related shortcomings are "emblematic of the systemic hiring issues continuing to plague the department." Angela Bailey, chief human capital officer at DHS, testified that while not all of the positions are yet coded, the department has identified all of its filled cybersecurity positions and mapped them to the critical need areas in NIST's cybersecurity workforce framework. She also testified that by the end of April, "this department will have all of its cyber positions coded on a three-digit code." However, Bailey noted that DHS personnel operations are still hamstrung because the new coding framework and old personnel system "aren't actually matched together." "If we're going to do all this work over here on a 21st century code, which makes absolutely perfect sense, it makes no sense to me whatsoever that we have to turn around and try to recruit, hire, retain and pay people on a system that was designed in the 1940s, she said. DHS has had problems with talent management systems in the past. John Roth, then inspector general at DHS, last summer said the departments $24 million workforce training and management system "literally meets GAOs textbook definition of 'waste.'" However, it's not just technical matters that challenge the departments ability to fill cyber talent. Rita Moss, the director of the National Protection and Programs Director's office of human capital, testified that NPPD has made more than 500 cyber hires over the last two years, but attrition has cut into that number. "Although hiring is occurring, attrition is also occurring," she said, adding that NPPD is looking to hire more interns and younger cybersecurity specialists to "help shape our workforce." Nor is DHS alone in its struggles to staff key cyber positions. At the March 8 AFFIRM event, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. CIO Howard Whyte said his agency is now considering engineers and other technical specialists as candidates to be trained and converted into cybersecurity experts. Trent Treyema, the cyber readiness section chief in the FBI's cyber division, said his agency is similarly looking to cross-train technically inclined investigators and agents in order to fill cybersecurity rolls. The FBI also is looking to lure back former employees, and now keeps track of cybersecurity specialists when they leave for the private sector. The agency used to view such alumni as non-starters for subsequent openings, Teyema said, but is now "keeping in touch" and maintaining a queue for re-recruitment. It's time to ask China to rein in protectionist practices but the US can't do it alone China is now a richer country, so it's "worthwhile" asking Beijing to wind down its protectionist practices, said Simon Lester, a trade policy analyst at the Cato Institute. President Donald Trump has been singling China out for unfair trade practices, but the U.S. alone may not be effective at prompting Beijing to take action, Lester said. It's about time China removes some of its protectionist practices now that the country has grown richer. But the United States alone cannot make Beijing back down, a free trade advocate said Friday. "I think it's definitely worthwhile going to China now and say 'look, you're a lot wealthier, you need to take on more obligations, you need to rein in on your practices,' The question is how to do it," Simon Lester, a trade policy analyst at the Cato Institute, told CNBC. "I think that it works better when you have a number of countries doing this together, not just the United States badgering China. There, I feel it's difficult politically for China to just back down ... it has to be done the right way, it has to be joint effort," he added. China became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2001 after many years of negotiation, but Lester said the country was "let off the hook in terms of making strong commitments" because it was poorer back then. "I do think that China does have a lot of protectionist practices," Lester said. President Donald Trump has often singled out China for its unfair trade practices, which he claimed contributed to U.S.'s massive trade deficit with the Asian economic giant. On Wednesday, Trump said on Twitter that he has asked China for a plan to reduce that trade deficit. Trump on Twitter: China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon! Story continues It isn't just Trump who thinks that China isn't playing fair. Elon Musk , the billionaire CEO of Tesla TSLA , pointed out the disparity in both countries' import duties for cars. Musk on Twitter: For example, an American car going to China pays 25% import duty, but a Chinese car coming to the US only pays 2.5%, a tenfold difference Tesla, looking to build its cars in China, hit roadblocks in negotiations with authorities in part because Musk wants to keep full control of any local venture, Reuters reported. Last November, Musk said he hoped Tesla's planned factory in China would start production in about three years. But Tesla and Chinese authorities have yet to announce an agreement. More From CNBC Dividend-paying companies such as Westpac Banking and Rio Tinto can diversify your portfolio cash flow by paying constant and large dividends. These stocks are a safe bet to increase your portfolio value as they provide both steady income and cushion against market risks. Dividends can be underrated but they form a large part of investment returns, playing an important role in compounding returns in the long run. If youre a buy and hold investor, these healthy dividend stocks can generously contribute to your monthly portfolio income. Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX:WBC) Westpac Banking Corporation provides various banking and financial services in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Pacific region, and internationally. Founded in 1817, and currently headed by CEO Brian Hartzer, the company employs 35,096 people and with the companys market capitalisation at AUD A$102.18B, we can put it in the large-cap category. WBC has a juicy dividend yield of 6.25% and has a payout ratio of 79.00% . Although there has been some volatility in the companys dividend yield, the DPS over a 10 year period has increased from AU$1.36 to AU$1.88. More on Westpac Banking here. ASX:WBC Historical Dividend Yield Mar 9th 18 Rio Tinto Limited (ASX:RIO) Rio Tinto Limited engages in finding, mining, and processing mineral resources primarily in Australia and North America. Established in 1959, and currently headed by CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques, the company currently employs 51,018 people and with the companys market capitalisation at AUD A$128.85B, we can put it in the large-cap category. RIO has a substantial dividend yield of 4.96% and is paying out 58.34% of profits as dividends . Despite there being some hiccups, dividends per share have increased during the past 10 years. Rio Tintos earnings per share growth of 89.78% over the past 12 months outpaced the au metals and mining industrys average growth rate of 13.86%. Continue research on Rio Tinto here. ASX:RIO Historical Dividend Yield Mar 9th 18 Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) Story continues Commonwealth Bank of Australia provides integrated financial services in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. Started in 1911, and headed by CEO Ian Narev, the company size now stands at 42,959 people and with the stocks market cap sitting at AUD A$134.51B, it comes under the large-cap group. CBA has a juicy dividend yield of 5.59% and their payout ratio stands at 74.50% , with an expected payout of 76.01% in three years. Dividends per share have increased during the past 10 years, but there have been a couple hiccups. However, they have historically always picked up again. Continue research on Commonwealth Bank of Australia here. ASX:CBA Historical Dividend Yield Mar 9th 18 For more solid dividend paying companies to add to your portfolio, explore this interactive list of top dividend payers. To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements. The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. Per BP plcs BP chief operating officer, the company intends to make the Mexican fuel market its second largest in the world after the United States. The Mexican fuel market, which was recently liberalized after the law changes, permitted other players to participate except Pemex national oil company. BP was the first foreign oil major to set foot on Mexico's newly liberalized fuel sector. In 2017, BP opened 220 new fuel stations worldwide, of which 130 were in Mexico. By 2021, BP plans to open 1500 sites in the country. The growth will be backed by 10% increase in demand over the next five years. BPs entry into the Mexican market has been appreciated. However, BP will face several challenges, including the urgent need for new fuel storage and transport infrastructure. Therefore, the company is looking for partners to build infrastructure in the country. BP is among the leading integrated energy players in the world. The company is continuously seeking opportunities to boost return for its shareholders. Ramp up of key upstream projects convinced BP to project higher year-over-year production through 2018. For the January to March quarter of 2018, the integrated energy player expects output to be in line, sequentially. Healthy projected output amid the partial recovery in oil prices might reward the company with handsome cashflows. Price Performance During the last three months, BPs shares have lost 0.5% compared with the industrys 1.9 decline. Zacks Rank & Key Picks BP carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked players in the same sector are Occidental Petroleum Corporation OXY, Pioneer Natural Resources Company PXD and ConocoPhillips COP. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Houston, TX-based Occidental Petroleum Corporation is an integrated oil and gas company. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 24.57% in the preceding four quarters. Headquartered at Irving, TX, Pioneer Natural Resources Company is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 66.92% in the preceding four quarters. ConocoPhillips, based in Houston, TX, is a major global exploration and production company. The company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 144.45% in the preceding four quarters. Dont Even Think About Buying Bitcoin Until You Read This The most popular cryptocurrency skyrocketed last year, giving some investors the chance to bank 20X returns or even more. Those gains, however, came with serious volatility and risk. Bitcoin sank 25% or more 3 times in 2017. Zacks has just released a new Special Report to help readers capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly. See 4 crypto-related stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BP p.l.c. (BP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD) : Free Stock Analysis Report ConocoPhillips (COP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Tony-winner Ruthie Ann Blumenstein, whose stage name is Ruthie Ann Miles, was hospitalized after being hit by a car on Monday. According to NBC 4 New York, Blumenstein, who is pregnant, along with two other adults and two children were struck in an intersection in the neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn. The two children, 4-year-old Abigail Blumenstein and 1-year-old Joshua Lew, were killed. Lauren Lew, mother of Joshua, and a 46-year-old man were also injured and hospitalized. At around 12:40 p.m. local time, the driver of a white 2016 Volvo S60 identified by news organizations as 44-year-old Dorothy Bruns struck the pedestrians at the intersection of Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue. Bruns, according to The New York Daily News, claims to have suffered a seizure and has no memory of the crash. According to a statement provided to TIME by the New York Police Department, the investigation is ongoing, the driver is not in custody, and there are currently no charges. In 2015, Blumenstein won a Tony Award for her role as Lady Thiang in a revival of The King and I. She has also had a role as Young Hee Seong in the television show The Americans. In February, Blumenstein performed in the musical Chess at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Broadway community, including Lin Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt, offered support and shared their condolences on social media. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. GoFundMe campaigns have been set up for both Blumenstein and Lew and have raised over $177,ooo and $60,ooo respectively. Dollar remains supported on upbeat U.S. data Investing.com - The U.S. dollar continued to trade at one-week highs against other major currencies on Friday, as upbeat U.S. employment data added to optimism over the strength of the economy. Official data showed that the U.S. economy added 313,000 jobs in February, beating expectations for 313,000. However, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, missing expectations for a further drop to 4.0%. The report also showed that average hourly earnings rose only 0.1% last month, disappointing expectations for a 0.2% gain. Meanwhile, concerns over a potential global trade war due to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports eased after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a more tempered version of the plan on Thursday. Trump signed the imposition of 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% for aluminium but announced exemptions for Canada and Mexico and left the door open for exceptions for other countries. Japan reacted to the news by sayong the move would have a "big impact" on the countries' close bilateral ties, while China said it was "resolutely opposed" to the decision. South Korea said it may file a complaint to the World Trade Organization. The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenbacks strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was up 0.17% at 90.27 by 08:40 a.m. ET (12:40 GMT), the highest since March 1. In other news, President Trump announced his willingness to accept an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before May, with hopes of achieving permanent denuclearization. South Korea's National Security Office said Kim "expressed eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible" and that the North-Korean leader pledged to "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests" while talks are underway. The news sent safe-haven assets broadly lower and USD/JPY was up 0.70% at 106.95, while USD/CHF added 0.11% to a more than one-month peak of 0.9523 Story continues The euro turned lower, with EUR/USD down 0.26% at 1.2281, while GBP/USD eased up 0.08% to 1.3820. Earlier Friday, the Bank of Japan left its monetary policy unchanged and offered no new clues on when and how it might begin winding down its stimulus measures. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar was stronger, with AUD/USD up 0.23% at 0.7805, while NZD/USD held steady 0.7266. Meanwhile, USD/CAD fell 0.23% to trade at 1.2869 after Statistics Canada reported that the economy created 15,400 jobs in February, compared to forecasts for a gain of 20,000 jobs. Related Articles Yen dives as risk appetite roars; euro subdued Forex - Dollar Hovers at 1-Week Highs Ahead of NFP Report Forex - Dollar Stronger on Relaxed Tension in North Korea Tesla CEO Elon Musk reached out to President Donald Trump on Thursday through Twitter--the pairs favorite means of communication--to lobby for the U.S. and China to reach an agreement on equal and fair rules for cars. The tweets came as Trump prepared to make an announcement on tariffs for imported steel and aluminum. Tesla makes its electric vehicles at a factory in Fremont, Calif. A growing number of its Model S and Model X vehicles are sold in China. Tesla was in talks for months with Shanghais government to build a factory there. And at one point, reports suggested a deal had been struck. But those negotiations have stalled because the two parties disagree on the ownership structure for a proposed factory, Bloomberg reported in February. Without a factory--which in China typically requires foreign companies to take on a local partner--Tesla faces steep import taxes. In a series of tweets, Musk addressed Trump in response to the presidents own Twitter message. Musk replied directly to Trump. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Musk then continued with other messages directed at Trump. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Musk never names these China-owned EV auto companies in the U.S., but hes likely referring to startups like Faraday Future, Lucid Motors, SF Motors, and NIO. However, none of these companies actually have a commercial product that consumers can buy and drive right now. The only Chinese-owned company that is selling cars to U.S. consumers today is Volvo, which was acquired more than seven years ago by Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holdings. Volvo Cars plans to produce vehicles at its first U.S. factory by the end of 2018. The 2.3-million-square-foot facility near Ridgeville, S.C. is expected to employ about 2,000 workers. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. No word on whether Trump responded to Musk via Twitters direct message feature. On Thursday afternoon, Trump signed two proclamations that implement tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, but exempt Canada and Mexico. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Facebook has removed a video posted by the Hungarian prime minister's chief of staff in which he said immigrants were responsible for increased crime in the capital of neighboring Austria and were pushing "white Christians" out. Janos Lazar, the top aide to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who himself was called a racist by the U.N. human rights chief this week, accused Facebook of censorship after the social network removed his post. A screenshot posted by Lazar online said the post had been removed for violating Facebook's community guidelines. Facebook was not immediately available for comment. In the video Lazar posted to his page on Tuesday, he addresses the camera in a street in Favoriten, the district of Vienna with the most foreigners living in it. "Disorder is much higher, there is much more dirt and litter in the streets and the few Viennese still living here say that crime is a lot higher and people are living in bigger fear," Lazar says, accompanied by downbeat piano music and shots of Muslim immigrants. "If we let them in and they are going to live in our towns, the result will be crime, poverty, dirt and impossible conditions in our cities," Lazar said. The Social Democrats (SPO), who govern Vienna in coalition with the Greens, rejected the comments, saying they were part of a "racist and xenophobic election strategy" by Orban's Fidesz party ahead of elections on April 8. (Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; Additional reporting by Francois Murphy and David Ingram; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) FILE PHOTO: Darren Woods, Chairman & CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation speaks during a news conference at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo By Ernest Scheyder HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp's $200 million write-down last month on abandoned ventures in Russia - once its next big frontier - points to challenges facing Chief Executive Darren Woods in his second year leading the world's largest publicly traded oil producer. Some of the biggest bets taken by his predecessor Rex Tillerson, now the U.S. secretary of state, have resulted in billions of dollars in write-downs amid falling production and a stock price that has long lagged peers. That leaves Woods facing the prospect of slow growth and billions of dollars in new spending that could weigh on results for years. In 2018, the company plans capital spending of about $24 billion - up about a quarter since 2016 - suggesting return on capital will get worse before it gets better as the firm waits for a payoff from new exploration under Woods. Rivals including Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron, by contrast, have capped or cut their spending after finishing expansion projects. Exxon shares are down 18 percent since Woods took over in January 2017. Shell is up 2 percent and Chevron is down about 3 percent during the same period. Woods is feeling the heat from investors who could have made more if they held shares in Exxon's rivals, as well as activist investors who want to see the company take renewable energy more seriously. Analysts are pushing for more transparency on operations, and some have called for Woods to sell assets. Exxon declined to comment. A State Department spokesperson said Tillerson would have no comment on Exxon matters and referred questions to the company. Exxon is set to host its annual analyst meeting in New York on Wednesday. The firm took the $200 million after-tax charge to walk away from its Russia Kara and Black sea ventures with Rosneft. Five years ago, Exxon touted plans to spend more than $3 billion in Russia, but the firm halted operations in late 2014 when the U.S. sanctioned the country over its military operations in Ukraine. Story continues Exxon also took $1.3 billion in charges against Tillerson's bets on natural gas in Mexico and Canada this year. Last year, it took a $2.13 billion write-down a year earlier - mostly on Rocky Mountain properties tied to Tillerson's 2010 purchase of natural gas producer XTO Energy Inc. - and disclosed it had reduced estimates of Canadian oil reserves by 3.5 billion barrels. "There's no question that, over the past handful of years, Exxon has been a relative underperformer," said Hank Smith, co-chief investment officer of the Haverford Trust, which has held Exxon's shares for two decades and recently added Royal Dutch Shell to its portfolio. "It's been frustrating." 'EPIC FAIL' Weak results from production have this year cost Exxon its standing as the oil major generating the most cash, a distinction that now goes to Shell. Now, Exxon is spending more cash on projects that will take time to produce. In Guyana, where the company is leading development of an offshore field estimated to hold at least 3.2 billion barrels of oil, Exxon and partners have said they must spend more than $4 billion on developing a project not expected to deliver oil until at least late 2019. More spending awaits Exxon in Qatar, Mozambique and Papua New Guinea for liquefied natural gas projects, and for oil developments in Brazil, Ghana and Mauritania, the company has said. Exxon paid more than $6 billion last year to double its acreage in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, the largest U.S. oilfield. Exxon's production there so far is relatively low compared to peers, about 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Exxon says it plans to triple output there through 2025. With all Woods' development plans, it seems unlikely Exxon's capital spending will decline after this year, said Simmons & Co analyst Guy Baber. The company did reverse some of the write-downs it took on reserves as oil prices rose. But the company's inability to translate those gains into robust profits in the final quarter of 2017 was an "epic fail," said Raymond James oil analyst Pavel Molchanov. LITTLE DATA FOR INVESTORS Some investors say it's too soon to evaluate Woods' tenure despite Exxon's lagging returns. "There are few decisions that any one person, let alone Woods, could make in the first 12 to 13 months that would be able to really affect the company," said Mark Stoeckle, portfolio manager of Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc, which holds Exxon's shares. Exxon retains supporters on Wall Street. Its shares are recommended for purchase by 29 percent of the 24 analysts that cover the company, according to Thomson Reuters data. Half rate the shares as a "hold" and five advise "sell." Analysts recommending the stock cite the strength of Exxon's assets. Others, however, want more information on Exxon's operations. Of the world's five largest publicly traded oil producers, Exxon ranks last for providing detailed data to investors, while BP Plc is the best, according to an analysis of quarterly earnings regulatory filings by investment researcher Redburn Ltd. BP and Shell, for example, offer more than twice as much data as Exxon on each segment of operations, Redburn found. "Exxon Mobil's greatest challenge for 2018 might not its valuation, assets or growth, but opening up to investors," said Redburn oil and gas analyst Rob West. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Gary McWilliams, Simon Webb and Brian Thevenot) Samsung and Apple. Apple (AAPL) and Samsung. Every year the tech behemoths play the same tit for tat game with their flagship smartphones: the Galaxy S series and iPhone. But with their handsets coming closer and closer to parity, the companies are turning to new tricks to distance their devices from each other. With the iPhone X , Apple introduced its FaceID facial recognition scanner and augmented reality-powered Animojis. And now for the Galaxy S9, Samsung is trying to place its camera at center stage by adding a mechanical iris to capture better low-light photos. But just as Apple copied some of Samsungs features for the iPhone X, namely its edge-to-edge display and wireless charging, Samsung has copied features from Apple. Specifically, the S9 comes with Samsungs new Intelligent Scan facial recognition and AR Emoji functions, which, you guessed it, ape Apples FaceID and Animojis, but with less than stellar results. Despite that, the Galaxy S9 , and its larger stablemate the S9 Plus, offer more than enough performance and style to uphold Samsungs position as one of the top smartphone makers in the world. The more things change The 5.8-inch Galaxy S9 ($719) and 6.2-inch S9 Plus ($839) are essentially mirror copies of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus . There are some very subtle differences up front, their upper and lower bezels are a bit slimmer, but outside of that, there arent any major changes. The power, volume, and Bixby buttons , the latter of which controls Samsungs Bixby digital assistant, are all in the same place as they were on the S8 and S8 Plus and the S9 and S9 Plus are water-resistant like their predecessors. Flip the phones over, though, and Samsung aficionados will notice one much-welcomed change: the fingerprint reader has been moved from next to the camera as it was on the S8, to just below it . Samsung wisely chose to move the fingerprint reader to below the S9s camera. The previous layout was cumbersome to say the least. Each time I reached for the fingerprint reader, Id end up running my finger across the cameras lens. It also meant that the reader felt unnaturally high up on the phone. Most smartphone makers try to put the reader closer to the phones centerline to make it easier to reach. Story continues The S9 and S9 Plus readers are far easier to reach and tap, and I havent found myself confusing it for the camera once. It sounds like a small change, but it makes a difference if you rely on the fingerprint reader to unlock your handset. Thats not the only way you can unlock the S9, though. Samsung has also added an updated facial-recognition feature, called Intelligent Scan, that allows you to open your S9 or S9 Plus by looking at the handsets. Its the same basic idea Apple uses for the iPhone Xs FaceID, but Samsungs offering is less consistent than Apples. Samsungs Intelligence Scan works by alternating between using facial recognition and the phones iris scanner to detect that you are who you claim to be. Previous Samsung devices had facial recognition and iris scanning, but this is the first time theyve been combined. Youll know the feature is active because a red light will illuminate above the phones display. I actually dislike seeing the light, since part of the fun of Apples FaceID is that it feels almost like magic when the phone would unlock with no indication of the techno-wizardry taking place behind the scenes. An indicator light on the Galaxy S9 illuminates when Intelligent Scan is active. I used the iPhone X for several months and can only think of a handful of times when FaceID hasnt worked. Most of the time that involved situations like laying in bed or when there was too much direct sunlight to my back. But Ive generally been able to hold the iPhone X in a variety of angles and its unlocked with ease. Intelligent Scan worked well most of the time, but I ran into issues where it wouldnt recognize my face and told me to hold the handset at eye level. Its not like this happened all the time, but it was enough for me to take notice and made me want to use the phones fingerprint reader more than Intelligent Scan. One area of smartphone design where Samsung has consistently excelled has been the companys screens, and thats no different with the Galaxy S9. The handsets curved Super AMOLED display is as gorgeous as ever. Colors jump off the panel and blacks look perfectly empty. Apples iPhone X also has an AMOLED panel thats certainly beautiful, but colors on the S9 looked deeper and more realistic. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have LCD screens, which produce attractive colors, but arent nearly as rich as those found on the S9 or iPhone X. Samsung has also added stereo speakers to both the S9 and S9 Plus. And they sound surprisingly good for smartphone speakers. Next to the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X, the S9 and S9 Plus produced more vivid sound. At their max volume, the iPhones sounded somewhat tinny. I dont expect most people will spend much time using the S9s speakers, but theyll definitely work in a pinch. Shooting in the dark Samsung wants the Galaxy S9s standout feature to be its improved camera, and it largely succeeds. The S9 comes with a 12-megapixel rear camera that, for the first time on a Samsung device, has two aperture levels thanks to a mechanical iris that can increase or decrease the amount of light the cameras let in. The idea is that the camera will let in less light in bright settings and allow more light in in dark settings. Photos I took using the S9 in my darkened living room looked clearer than those taken with the iPhone X, Googles (GOOG, GOOGL) Pixel 2 or Samsungs Galaxy S8. A picture of my cat sitting on his scratching post showed off his white coat and the fine lines separating tufts of fur. The S9 was even able to capture the subtle stripes in his grey fur. The Galaxy S9s low-light photos are stunning. The iPhone Xs shot wasnt nearly as clear as the S9s and was noisier and couldnt capture the cats stripes. The S8 and Pixel 2, however, were significantly worse, producing more pixelation than the X. Those results stayed consistent when I took photos of a pair of action figures and a person. I did, though, notice that the S9 and iPhone Xs flash shots were just about equal. The iPhone Xs low-light shots arent terrible, but cant match the S9s. The S9s low-light shots arent without issue, though. When my cat moved with the lighting low my images turned into blurry messes. So dont expect to get brilliant action shots in such settings. Action shots taken with the S9 in low-light turned out blurry. Outside, the S9s produced fantastic photos of everything from trees and street signs to buildings and bicycles. Details were spot on and there was no pixelation to be found. That said, Apples iPhone X produced more saturated colors than the S9. Normally, its Samsungs phones that capture deeper colors, but the iPhone X does that job now, and its fantastic. Images captured with the S9 were crisp and colorful. This isnt a difference that will make or break your buying decision. In fact, its so slight that youd only notice it if you put the phones photos side-by-side. Still its worth noting for consumers who are extra particular about their phones cameras. The iPhone Xs camera captured richer colors than the S9s. This time around, Samsung has also added a new super slow-motion mode to its camera. The feature, which can be triggered manually or automatically, lets you shoot short burst of slow-mo video that you can then turn into .gifs. When it works, the S9s slo-mo videos will hypnotize you with how they turn the most insignificant movement into a seemingly new experience. Snow falling, pigeons flapping their wings, it all looks incredible. The problem is, that the automatic mode is so finicky that if you dont line up the motion perfectly with your camera and remain completely still, it wont activate. I tried to get videos of pigeons flying away from pedestrians walking down the street, but never managed to succeed. Samsung showed off the feature during a demo of the S9, but that isnt the same as a real-world scenario. Thankfully, manual mode lets you shoot slo-mo video of whatever you want. But because the camera is capturing so many frames per second, you cant record a ton of footage at once, only a few seconds. Apples slo-mo video mode lets you continuously record video in slow motion giving you longer videos. Its not nearly as slow as Samsungs slo-mo videos, but Id be able to record more content than go for the slower speed. Samsung also equipped the S9 Plus with a dual-lens camera setup for telephoto images. The S9 only gets a single lens. Augmenting reality Like the iPhone Xs Animoji feature, which uses the phones front camera to transform your face into an emoji that moves with your actions, Samsung is rolling out an augmented reality emoji of its own called AR Emoji. AR Emoji uses the S9s front camera to copy your facial movements onto an animated emoji in real time. But Samsungs AR Emojis arent nearly as fluid as Apples Animojis. Theres something about the way the AR Emojis move and their mouths dont quite match up with your speech as well as Apples Animojis. Then there is the ability to create your own AR Emojis. Instead of using an animated rabbit or cat, you can make an AR Emoji that resembles you. At least its supposed to resemble you. Everyone I tried using the feature with ended up with an AR Emoji homonculus. None of the AR Emojis we created looked much like us at all. Sure, mine had a beard and I could add glasses, but it could have been any other white guy with glasses and a beard. My AR Emoji looks nothing like me. Where Samsungs augmented reality software succeeds is with its Bixby Vision feature. Using the companys Bixby assistant, you can do things like translate text into English, or another language; virtually try on makeup and look at a plate of food and get an approximation of its nutritional value. The real-time translation was particularly impressive, as it was able to read both printed and handwritten text and then lay the English translation on top of it. You can also translate English into other languages, which can be helpful if youre in a foreign country and are trying to communicate with someone. Google has a similar feature, but Samsungs was still amazing to see. Bixby Vision Makeup lets you virtually try on different types of makeup ranging from lipstick and eyeliner to foundation and flush. When you find the look that you like, you can tap the Makeup button and automatically purchase the appropriate styles from Sephora or Covergirl. Im not one to wear makeup too often, but after using this feature, I think I might make it part of my everyday morning routine. This is definitely the color for me. The one problem I noticed with the feature is that you cant smile or really move your face very much while trying on the makeup. Thats a bit of a bummer since I desperately wanted to take a screenshot of myself making a duck face with hot pink lipstick. Oh well. Bixby Vision Makeup makes it easy to virtually try on and then purchase makeup. Bixby Vision food is also a surprisingly helpful addition to the S9s camera portfolio. One of the problems with tracking the kind of food youre eating with apps is that meals like salads, or mixed nuts are hard to log. With Bixby Vision Food, you simply point the camera at a plate and it will tell you the nutritional value of what youre eating. I pointed the camera at everything from an apple to a plate of mixed nuts, and it was able to accurately provide me with the amount of the item I should eat. Bixby Vision wasnt always right on its first attempt at identifying a food, but it always provided additional guesses for what the food might be, which usually nailed it. Now I can feel even worse about overeating. Thanks, Samsung! Now I can feel even worse about overeating. Thanks, Samsung! Performance and battery life The S9 and S9 Plus pack 8-core processors, but the S9 only comes with 4GB of RAM, while the S9 Plus gets 6GB. Thats the first time Samsung has decided to gift its larger handset with a performance boost over its smaller brethren. That said, I didnt notice any issues while using the S9. Apps ran smoothly and games looked great. The S9 and S9 Plus also come with your choice of 64GB, 128GB or 256GB of storage, as well as a microSD card slot for additional space. In other words, you shouldnt run out of storage space with either handset. Samsung has loaded the S9 and S9 Plus with the latest version of its Android overlay, and while it looks great, I still prefer using basic Android versus any manufacturers modified version of the operating system. Sure apps look fine, but Googles always seem more fleshed out, while Samsungs are too busy. As far as battery life goes, my original S9 review unit seemed to have issues with its battery which caused it to deplete faster than normal. Samsung assured me that my device likely had some kind of problem and sent me a replacement unit to address the issue. Ill update this review with my experience with that device when I test it. Update: My second S9 proved the issues I had with the first one was an aberration. I used my handset throughout the day and the battery was only down to about 50%. Should you get it? Samsungs Galaxy S9, and S9 Plus, are incredible phones, and easily capture the crown as the best Android devices out there. Its low-light camera bests the competitions, its Bixby Vision Food, Makeup and Translation are welcome additions, and its display and performance are top-notch. There are some missteps, though, with the AR Emoji and finicky Intelligent Scan, but they can be overlooked since youre not likely to ever use AR Emoji and the handset still has a fingerprint reader. If Samsung relied solely on Intelligent Scan to unlock the phone, that would be a major issue, but having to tap the sensor every now and then isnt a huge problem. Still, I dont think this is the phone that will convince Apple fans to ditch the iPhone, especially when the iPhone X is such a fantastic device. If youre looking for an Android phone, the S9 is the way to go. If youre beholden to Apple, stick with your X. More from Dan: Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn FILE PHOTO - Commander of the U.S. European Command Curtis M. Scaparrotti speaks during his presentation for Finnish National Defence Course Association in Helsinki, Finland August 9, 2017. Lehtikuva/Mikko Stig via REUTERS WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general in Europe said on Thursday that the U.S. government did not have an effective unified approach to deal with Russia's cyber threat. U.S. officials have warned repeatedly that Russia is trying to interfere in the 2018 mid-term U.S. elections by hacking or using social media to spread propaganda and misleading reports, much as it did during the 2016 presidential race. Lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have accused the Trump administration of doing too little to combat hacking. Some lawmakers have stressed the need for a whole of government approach. "I don't believe there is an effective unification across the interagency, with the energy and the focus that we could attain," U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, who is also NATOs Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Scaparrotti had been asked by Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the committee, whether he believed the different parts of the government had a coordinated effort to confront Russia's cyber threat. Scaparrotti told lawmakers that the United States' understanding of Russian cyber infrastructure was not satisfactory. "We're getting a better understanding of it, (but) I would not characterize it as a good picture at this point, not satisfactory to me," he said. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump, the Republican candidate. The finding has shadowed his 14 months in the White House amid multiple congressional investigations and a probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Moscow denies meddling. Trump has denied collusion between his associates and Russia. When asked whether Russia was directly targeting the United States with cyber and information warfare, Scaparrotti said he had seen Russian activity related to infrastructure within the United States, but did not provide more details. The top U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday that President Donald Trumps administration is actively engaged in countering Russian efforts to influence the November elections, even as he warned of Moscows continuing malign activities. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell) FILE PHOTO: Brazilian soldiers look on as technicians inspect the damage of what's left of the Alcantara launch pad, on Brazil's Amazon jungle coast, August 25, 2003. REUTERS/Agencia Brasil/File photo By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - U.S. companies eager to tap into the fast-growing market for low-cost satellite launches could become the first customers when Brazil's Alcantara space center near the equator opens as a commercial spaceport, executives and Brazilian officials said. Aerospace titans Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp in December visited the Alcantara space center, but the Brazilian space agency's launch site is especially attractive to smaller firms because its equatorial location cuts fuel costs by a third. Still, Brazil's aim of becoming a hot new hub in the space industry will depend on negotiating a technology safeguards agreement (TSA) with the United States to protect sensitive American space launch and satellite technology. Without it, no U.S. rocket can blast off from the South American country. Brazil wants to attract customers by marketing itself as the cheaper alternative to Kourou, the European spaceport in neighboring French Guiana, which mostly launches big satellites. Brazilian officials are hoping to complete a U.S. TSA this year that would facilitate the opening of the commercial spaceport. On Feb. 22, U.S. and Brazilian government representatives, along with space companies from both countries, held a conference call with a White House official who was asked whether the Trump administration would agree to a TSA with Brazil, according to a person on the call. "We are encouraged that Brazilian officials have expressed an interest in working more closely with the United States in the space sector," a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council said. She gave no further details. The safeguard accord could be ready this year if the U.S. State Department gets negotiating permission, according to industry representatives. Tucson, Arizona-based Vector Launch Inc, which specializes in small rockets, appears eager to launch from the Brazilian site. The company wants to undercut big payload specialists like billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX by launching so-called microsatellites from small rockets, cutting costs and wait time for clients. Story continues "Our vision is to launch hundreds of Vector rockets into orbit to satisfy the growing market for microsatellites," said Vector Vice President Alex Rodriguez, who made a December visit to Alcantara coordinated by Boeing. "We are closer to the equator and have an excellent site for launching microsatellites," said Brigadier Luiz Fernando Aguiar, coordinator of the Brazilian Air Force's space program, comparing the Alcantara site with Kourou. Alcantara has radars, a runway and a seaport to unload equipment, along with plenty of open land to store rockets and build a liquid oxygen plant if needed, he said. A previous attempt at a U.S.-Brazilian space partnership was scuttled in 2003 when the technology safeguards agreement faced resistance from the leftist government of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and was thwarted by Brazilian lawmakers. The new effort is expected to pass easily in a more conservative Brazilian Congress. FAST-GROWING NICHE While the market for launches of large geosynchronous satellites has solidified, the Space Enterprise Council, which represents U.S. industry from launch services to satellite manufacturers, has said the expanding microsatellite sector could experience up to 600 launches for satellites under 110 pounds (50 kg) between now and 2022. Alcantara could capture 25 percent of that market, according to the council, which has said a U.S.-Brazilian partnership would give both countries an edge in the fast-growing segment. The cost of microsatellites is a fraction of larger satellites options, making them increasingly important for GPS navigation, Earth imagery, surveillance and internet communications. Boeing, which chairs the Space Enterprise Council, is in talks to partner with Brazil's Embraer SA , the world's third-largest commercial planemaker and the main player in the Brazilian aerospace industry. SpaceX was not represented on the visit to Alcantara and is not a member of the council, which also includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Corp and Viasat Inc. After Brazilian officials last month said SpaceX was on the trip, the company said that was incorrect and that it was not interested in launching from Brazil. Viasat last month entered the satellite broadband businesses in Brazil with an agreement to use capacity on the country's 5-tonne SGDC-1 geostationary satellite launched last year from Kourou and operated by state-run telecom company Telebras . Brazil abandoned plans to build its own rocket to put large satellites in orbit after an explosion and fire in 2003 at Alcantara killed 21 people. The country is developing a smaller rocket for microsatellites that will be launched from Alcantara next year, boosted by engines developed by the German Aerospace Center. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Will Dunham and Tom Brown) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. special counsel investigating possible Russian meddling in the 2016 election has gathered evidence that a secret meeting in the Seychelles in January 2017 was an attempt to set up a back-channel between the incoming Trump administration and the Kremlin, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Erik Prince, founder of military contractor Blackwater and a supporter of President Donald Trump, told U.S. lawmakers last year he had discussed U.S.-Russia relations during a meeting in the Seychelles with a Russian business executive with ties to the Kremlin. The Post, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter, said a witness cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller told investigators that the meeting was held so that a representative of Trump's transition team could "meet with an emissary from Moscow to discuss future relations between the countries." The newspaper's report said that George Nader, a Lebanese American businessman it said helped organize and attended the Seychelles meeting, testified before a grand jury as investigators look into discussions between the Trump transition team and emissaries of the Kremlin. Representatives of Prince had no immediate comment on the Post story, and had declined to comment on previous reports about Nader and the Seychelles meeting. Prince, whose sister Betsy DeVos is Trump's education secretary, said last year he and Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, or RDIF, met for about half an hour in a bar in the Indian Ocean country at the suggestion of officials from the United Arab Emirates. The Post said Nader has been cooperating with Mueller and has met numerous times with investigators since he was stopped and questioned by the FBI after he arrived at Washington's Dulles International Airport in January. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to help Trump, a Republican, defeat Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. Mueller is investigating Russia's role and whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow. Russia denies the allegations. Trump says there was no collusion between Moscow and his campaign and calls the investigation a witch hunt. (Reporting by Mohammad Zargham and Mark Hosenball; editing by Grant McCool) Warren Buffett thinks free trade is a positive for the U.S. and the world economy. But it takes a clear, concise message from elected officials to explain why. Speaking exclusively with Yahoo Finances Andy Serwer on Thursday, Buffett said that when it comes to programs like trade an Educator-in-Chief is needed to outline why these painful policies for a specific few will benefit the masses. You really need an Educator-in-Chief, as president, to explain to people why free trade is good for the country, Buffett said. Thats what [Franklin Delano] Roosevelt was so good at. We needed an Educator-in-Chief in 1933. And that, you could argue, was the most important part of his presidency. Buffett added that explaining economic policy is an important part of any presidents job. And its particularly important if you have something like the financial panic in 2008 and 09, and its important on trade. Warren Buffett says the benefits of free trade help the many but hurt a targeted few. And its up to the president to explain why these policies, though seemingly unfair, are good for the country at-large. (Source: Yahoo Finance) Buffett spoke to Yahoo Finance just hours before President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered new tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum set to take effect in 15 days. Canada and Mexico, two of the U.S.s largest trading partners, will be indefinitely exempted from these tariffs. Reports that Trump would pursue tariffs caused markets to sell off last week on fears that a trade war could break out as a result of these policies, though as details of Trumps plan have emerged in recent days markets have been more sanguine about how these tariffs may impact the global economy. Buffett also echoed comments he made at last years Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting when he said that no one in America should be road kill because of policies that help the masses but hurt them. In general, trade is helpful to [the U.S. economy] and the world, Buffett told Yahoo Finance. The problem always with trade is that the benefits are invisible to a large degree cheaper prices, better products sometimes and diffused among 325 or 330 million people, Buffett added. Story continues The harm trade does, and it does harm specific people and businesses, is very targeted, very obvious, very painful. And its one thing to talk about education and re-training and all that And then you need programs to take care of the people that are specifically hit. Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MylesUdland Read more from Myles here: The employees at the brokerage division of Wells Fargo & Company WFC are being investigated for any possible customer abuses made by them. Recently, William Galvin, the top securities regulator of Massachusetts announced that his office has started investigating the wealth management arm of Well Fargo to see if the division has been steering rollover money into managed accounts or if its employees have been making investment recommendations that are unsuitable for its clients needs. This investigation comes almost a week after Wells Fargo, in its 10K filing, revealed that it was conducting an internal review to assess whether there had been unjustified referrals or recommendations, with respect to rollovers for 401(k) plan participants, alternative investments and referrals of brokerage customers to the banks investment and fiduciary services business. Wells Fargo had agreed to do a detailed investigation, only after facing probes from the financial regulators in late 2017 for forcing customers to buy products and services they did not require. The bank did find that in some cases customers were overcharged in connection with certain assets and accounts. There have been issues with incorrect set-up and maintenance in the system of record of the values associated with certain assets. However, Wells Fargo has not yet determined the number of accounts that were affected, along with the reasons that led to the wrongdoings. Shea Leordeanu, a spokeswoman for the banks brokerage division, recently stated that the bank has made "significant progress in our work to identify and fix any issues, make things right and build a better, stronger company." Thus, Galvin said that his office was seeking information about the scope of Wells Fargos investigation. They have asked the bank to give them information regarding inappropriate referrals of brokerage customers to managed and advisory accounts, unsuitable recommendations of alternative investments, as well as unsuitable referrals and recommendations in connection with 401(k) rollovers. Galvin mentioned, Given the recent retirement savings crisis in America, referrals and recommendations involving 401(k) accounts should be closely scrutinized, in light of the Department of Labors Fiduciary Rule. Troubles started for Wells Fargo since September 2016 when its employees, seeking to hit sales targets, opened millions of unauthorized accounts for its customers without their prior permission. To settle the case, the bank had agreed to pay $190 million to the federal and state regulators. Galvin said in a statement, "Wells Fargo's recent banking scandal, which involved opening bogus accounts for their customers, leads me to believe that where there is smoke, there's fire. I need to be assured that Massachusetts residents haven't been burned by corporate greed." We believe that while these legal expenses are likely to hurt Wells Fargos bottom-line growth, its consistent growth in loans and deposits, lower tax rate and expansions will likely support its growth profile. Shares of the company gained 12% in the past six months, underperforming 20.6% growth of its industry. Story continues Currently, Wells Fargo carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks from the same space are BB&T Corporation BBT, Citigroup Inc. C and Comerica Incorporated CMA. Each of them has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. BB&T has witnessed upward earnings estimate revision of 11.6% for the current year over the past 60 days. Its share price increased 15.3% in the past year. Citigroup witnessed upward earnings estimate revision of 6.3% for the current year over the past 60 days. Its share price increased 20.5% in the past year. Comericas Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has been revised 12.9% upward in the last 60 days. Its shares increased 39% in the past 12 months. Dont Even Think About Buying Bitcoin Until You Read This The most popular cryptocurrency skyrocketed last year, giving some investors the chance to bank 20X returns or even more. Those gains, however, came with serious volatility and risk. Bitcoin sank 25% or more 3 times in 2017. Zacks has just released a new Special Report to help readers capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly. See 4 crypto-related stocks now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report BB&T Corporation (BBT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Comerica Incorporated (CMA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Citigroup Inc. (C) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research MidWestOne Financial Group (MOFG) could be a stock to avoid from a technical perspective, as the firm is seeing unfavorable trends on the moving average crossover front For Immediate Release Chicago, IL March 9, 2018 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Axon Enterprise, Inc. AAXN, Boeing Company BA, Pioneer Natural Resources Company PXD and Facebook, Inc. FB. Here are highlights from Thursdays Analyst Blog: Gary Cohns Exit Raises Odds of a Trade War: 4 Stocks to Buy President Trumps plan to slap hefty tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum compelled top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, to depart from the White House. After all, Cohn was the last man standing in the way of such a protectionist stance. With the stepping down of Cohn, the odds of the imposition of tariffs are higher. Now, it will be easier for the White House to take tougher action against China and this might also lead to collapse of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Naturally, market pundits are panicking over the retaliatory tariffs that may harm the global economic growth. The European Union (EU) has already chalked out a plan to impose penalties on iconic U.S. brands, while the World Trade Organization (WTO) warned Trump that his proposed tariffs will trigger tit-for-tat protectionist measures. With growing fears of a trade war, the broader market continues to move in and out of the negative territory. Despite such turbulence, not all stocks should be treated equally as a few are protected against the impact of a trade war. These stocks are sound enough to dismiss tariff fears and keep scaling higher. Before we look into such stocks, lets understand why Cohns resignation will spark a global trade war. Cohn: Advocate of Free Trade Most recently, Trump shocked the global market by announcing high tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. The President plans to impose a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminum. Story continues Cohn had opposed the high tariff proposal and called for a moderate approach toward protectionist trade policies. He was aware that such protectionist trade policies will lead to retaliation, crippling the economy engaged in such trade wars. Such trade policies affect several industries, causing the unemployment rate to rise and bumping up the price of essential commodities. But Garys departure removed a restraining influence in the White House. His departure leaves the trade policy mostly in the hands of hawkish figures like Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and economic adviser Peter Navarro. They have expressed their views on using tariffs on countries that have unfairly taken advantage of the United States. Needless to say, Trumps announcement on a pair of tariffs drew protests from major trading partners like the EU and Canada, both of which threatened to adopt retaliatory measures. The EU confirmed that they will slap tariffs on some well-known American brands, including Harley Davidson motorcycles, Levis jeans and bourbon whiskey. Trade War Heats Up! Buy These 4 Stocks Cohns sudden exit rattled the stock market, stoking fears that the United States could fight a trade war. Thus, we have selected four stocks that are immune to tariff fears and will keep moving north. These stocks also flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Facebook Part of the Global Digital Advertising Industry Steel and aluminum tariffs hardly affect the prospects of companies that are part of the global digital advertising industry. In this regard, Facebook, Inc. is a solid choice since it is a global digital advertising and distribution platform. Facebook controls about 20% of the U.S. digital ad market. Facebook has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings moved up 9.8% in the last 60 days. The stocks projected earnings growth rate for the current quarter and year are 13.8% and 16.7%, respectively. The company has outperformed the broader industry in the past year (+32.9% vs +20.5%). Axon Enterprise Mostly Sells to Government Agencies Axon Enterprise, Inc. that operates through two segments, TASER Weapons and Axon, continues to be attractive amid trade war anxieties. And why not? The company sells an array of digital solutions to government agencies that makes them recession proof. No matter what happens with tariffs, government agencies will upgrade their institutions. Axon Enterprise has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings surged 57.1% in the last 60 days. The stocks projected earnings growth rate for the next quarter is a whopping 100%. The company has outperformed the broader industry in the last one-year period (+76.8% vs -23.8%). Boeing Increase in Cost of Aluminum Insignificant Investors may be fretting that tariffs on aluminum will increase its cost, a key component in plane construction. This in turn might hamper the worlds largest aerospace company, The Boeing Company. But, Boeing has just a trade war exposure of 35.2%, per Fundstrat. Even if the costs rise, it will be passed on and ultimately borne by consumers. Right now, Boeing has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings rose 27.8% in the last 60 days. The stocks estimated earnings growth rate for the current quarter and year are 32.3% and 16.7%, respectively. The company has outperformed the broader industry in a years time (+92.2% vs +48.1%). Pioneer Natural Operation Limited to the U.S. Pioneer Natural Resources Company operates as an independent oil and gas exploration and production company in the United States. Since it has high domestic exposure in terms of revenue generation, its shielded from international disputes. It is thus fairly immune to the adverse effects of a trade war. The stock has a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings moved up 69.5% in the last 60 days. The stocks projected earnings growth rate for the current quarter and year is more than 100%. The company has outperformed the broader industry in the past year (+32.9% vs +20.5%). The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Boeing Company (The) (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD) : Free Stock Analysis Report TASER International, Inc. (AAXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan has urged the Taliban to accept an offer by Afghanistans government of direct peace negotiations that could lead to an end to more than 16 years of fighting. "The offer of negotiation is on the table," Tadamichi Yamamoto on March 8 told a UN Security Council meeting that renewed the mandate of the UN political mission in the war-torn country for another year. "It is now incumbent upon the Taliban to come forward with an offer of their own, and start direct talks with the government to put an end to the suffering of the Afghan people," said Yamamoto, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). "Making peace and reaching out to opponents requires resolve, courage, and above all national unity," Yamamoto said, adding that "political leaders need to put the national interest above a partisan agenda." On February 28, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered to allow the Taliban to establish itself as a political party and said he would work to remove sanctions on the militant group, among other incentives, if it joined the government in peace negotiations. In return, the militants would have to recognize the Kabul government and respect the rule of law. But the Taliban has continued to reject direct peace talks with the Afghan government and insisted it will only negotiate with the United States, which it calls a "foreign occupying force." The Taliban also says that NATO forces must withdraw before negotiations can begin. The United States has refused to withdraw troops as demanded by the Taliban and has insisted that Kabul must play a lead role in peace negotiations. The Afghan government and the Taliban held peace talks in 2015, but they broke down almost immediately. Earlier this week, Washington called on the Taliban to give "serious" consideration to Ghani's offer. "This is not a surrender that's being offered to the Taliban, but a dignified process for reaching a political framework," said Alice Wells, a U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of South and Central Asian affairs. Wells is scheduled to deliver remarks on Signs Of Hope For Afghan Peace Talks on March 9 at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. The Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014. The new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan, announced in August, aims at breaking a stalemate with the insurgents and at pushing them to the negotiating table. The United States has since deployed 3,000 more troops to the country to train, advise, and assist as well as to conduct counterterrorism missions, and increased air strikes against the militants. The United States currently has about 14,000 uniformed personnel in Afghanistan. Addressing the UN Security Council, Yamamoto expressed concern over the growing number of civilian casualties at the hands of militants from a branch of the extremist group Islamic State in Afghanistan. He also said he hoped parliamentary elections could be held in 2018 and a presidential vote in 2019, but that "timelines remain tight." With reporting by AFP WASHINGTON -- The United States says it is offering multimillion-dollar rewards for information leading to the location of Pakistani Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah and two other militant leaders believed to be in Pakistan. The State Department said in a statement on March 8 that it is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on Fazlullah, leader of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban. It said rewards of up to $3 million each are also being offered for information on TTP-linked militants Abdul Wali of Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Mangal Bagh of the Lashkar-e-Islam group. Each of these individuals is believed to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of the United States and its nationals, the statement said. In addition to opposing the Pakistani military, one of TTPs stated goals is the expulsion of [U.S.-led] coalition troops from Afghanistan. The group has demonstrated a close alliance with Al-Qaeda and, since 2008, has also repeatedly publicly threatened to attack the U.S. homeland. According to U.S. officials, TTP gave explosives training to Faisal Shahzad, who they say failed in his attempt to set off a car bomb on Times Square in New York City in May 2010. The group was also behind the massacre of more than 150 people, mostly children, at a Peshawar school in December 2014, an incident that rocked Pakistan and sparked a major antiterror campaign there. TTP militants were also blamed for a shooting attack in 2012 on Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who has since championed the rights of Pakistani girls to receive schooling. Malala was disfigured by the attack but survived and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her girls' education campaign. The new U.S. push against the Pakistani Taliban came as Pakistan's foreign secretary, Tamina Janjua, visited Washington for talks with U.S. officials on improving counterterrorism cooperation. The United States last year withheld $2 billion in military aid from Islamabad, charging that Pakistan tolerates militants operating within its borders and saying that it must act more aggressively against them to receive aid in the future. Pakistan denies the U.S. charges. Earlier on March 8, Pakistani intelligence officials said a son of Mullah Fazlullah and 19 other people were killed in a suspected U.S. drone strike this week in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar near the Pakistani border. Fazlullah's son Abdullah is the fourth high-profile Taliban figure to be killed by drones within a month. Last month, Pakistani Taliban deputy chief Khan Said Mehsud, also known as Sajna, was killed in a drone strike. Abdullah was killed in the Chawgam area in the eastern province of Kunar on March 6 when a training camp for suicide bombers near the Afghan border was hit by two missiles, Pakistani intelligence officials said. Two other regional commanders of the Pakistani Taliban -- Gul Mohammad and Ustad Yaseen, who trained suicide bombers -- were also among the dead, Pakistani media reported. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal AI takes root across agencies When House members and agency executives gathered on Capitol Hill March 7 to talk about how artificial intelligence could benefit the public sector, legislators focused their comments on the president's budget, which cuts research and development funding. Outside of the Department of Defense, the presidents budget proposes an overall cut to research and development of 21.2 percent, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) said in her opening statement at the hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on Information Technology. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) agreed the cuts were worrying: I tremble at what we are cutting. The subcommittee did hear from witnesses who described their agencies' AI projects. The General Services Administration, for instance, is exploring how robotic process automation can offload compliance monitoring tasks from employees, Keith Nakasone, the deputy assistant commissioner of Information Technology Category Acquisition Management within GSA, explained in his testimony. GSA's Solicitation Review Tool predicts regulatory compliance by using "natural language processing, text mining, and machine learning algorithms to automatically predict whether federal solicitations posted on fbo.gov are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act," Nakasone testified. If filings are found to be out of compliance, the tool alerts responsible parties so corrections can be made. Through independent review, the predictions have an accuracy rate of 95 percent, he added. The tool is expected to go into production on cloud.gov this spring. GSA also has built a team focused on robotic process automation that will provide governance for these new technologies, including common architectures. AI has shown potential to help agencies improve cybersecurity by predicting malware evolution, according to Douglas Maughan, the director of the Cybersecurity Division at the Homeland Security Advanced Research Project Agency. Additionally, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate built "a machine learning-based policy engine capable of blocking more than 120,000 calls a month, including robo calls, he told lawmakers. This same technology can be used defend 911 centers against life threatening distributed denial of service attacks that overwhelm emergency call centers with fraudulent calls. At the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Explainable Artificial Intelligence program aims to create machine-learning systems that can better describe how they came to their conclusions. This will help alleviate some of the trust issues associated with AI technologies, said John O. Everett, the deputy director of the DARPA Information Innovation Office Future research that will be vital, he said, will be providing computers with common sense, which will require helping them better understand how intonation and facial expressions provide context for speech. To end the hearing, Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) asked panelists what the equivalent of going to the moon is for AI. Today we have narrow AI, which is image recognition and speech recognition, but the next big step will be general AI, said James F. Kurose, the assistant director of Computer Science and Information Science and Engineering at the National Science Foundation. Look at, for instance, what an 18-month-old child can do and how the child can transfer learning from one environment to another, how a child can understand intent and meaning, he said. Thats really the grand challenge. General AI still remains a very grand challenge. How Maryland uses data to fight opioids Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs that track prescriptions of controlled drugs may be helpful in identifying manufacturers, pharmacies, doctors and patients involved in the opioid crisis, but the information in those databases should not be used to hunt for criminals, Maryland's governor told a U.S. Senate panel. We have to be careful about sharing this information, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan told the members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions during a March 8 hearing on how states are innovating to fight the opioid crisis. We want to protect the folks that actually have drug addictions and not treat them just as law enforcement cases. Its important to make a distinction between the addicts and dealers when handling this issue. The addicts need help and treatment, Hogan said. But the folks that are bringing in these large quantities of deadly drugs, knowing that theyre going to kill our citizens we are cracking down and getting tougher on those folks," he said. Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) brought up a question that surfaced in a Feb. 27 hearing on the topic of data and the opioid crisis: Should the federal government create a centralized database of national opioid prescriptions? Hogan said he generally believes it's an issue for the states, but a small state like Maryland could benefit from knowing whats going on a national level. One way Maryland is drawing a bead on drug dealers coming into the state is by using license plate readers. The LPRs can scan hundreds of license plates a minute and give law enforcement real time knowledge, a crucial investigative tool in identifying and tracking drug traffickers coming into and through Maryland, according to a report issued by Marylands Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. The Ocean City, Md., Police Department, which sits about an hour north of Virginia and minutes away from Delaware, received $124,635 in grant money to fund the technologies, specifically targeting drugs entering the state across state lines. We did institute the reader technology, and it helped us arrest 500 people, 289 of the most violent criminals in [Baltimore] because theyre dealing these drugs across city, county borders," Hogan told GCN after the hearing. While increased use of technology and data could be beneficial to fighting this opioid crisis, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the problem is ultimately bigger than that. Its not enough that we have technology in one state that is able to talk to technology in another state, she said. We need to make sure this is happening on a human level too. We need to make sure that not only good data, but good ideas, are being shared. The 300 MW Diamond Vista wind project will sell its power to three offtakers including global manufacturing company Kohler Co. The new wind facility, which will involve an investment of approx. 400 million US dollars for its construction, further confirms Enel as the largest wind operator in Kansas in terms of capacity ROME, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enel, through its US renewable energy company Enel Green Power North America, Inc. (EGPNA), has started construction of Diamond Vista wind farm, which will have an installed capacity of around 300 MW and will be located in Marion and Dickinson Counties, in Kansas. Once completed, Diamond Vista will further secure Enels position as the largest wind capacity operator in the state with approximately 1,400 MW of operational wind energy. The start of construction of Diamond Vista, which follows a record year of growth in 2017 for Enel Green Power in the US, sends a strong message about our ability to deliver on the companys commitment to further strengthen its renewable leadership, said Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enels Global Renewable Energies division, Enel Green Power. Furthermore, this project confirms us as a partner of choice for offtake customers who, like Enel, are committed to advancing a sustainable energy future. We are proud to be able to support their renewable goals through a cost-effective energy supply. Investment in the construction of Diamond Vista amounts to approximately 400 million US dollars and is part of the investment outlined in the Enel Groups current strategic plan. The project is financed through the Enel Groups own resources. The project is expected to enter into service by the end of 2018 and, once fully operational, will be able to generate around 1,300 GWh annually. The power and renewable energy credits from a 100 MW portion of Diamond Vista will be sold to global manufacturing company Kohler Co. under a bundled, long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). The wind energy will supply 100% of the annual electricity needed to power Kohlers US and Canadian operations, including its 85 manufacturing facilities, offices and warehouses, and will reduce Kohlers global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25%. The project is supported by two additional bundled long-term PPAs under which the power and renewable energy credits from another 100 MW portion will be sold to City Utilities of Springfield and those from the 84 MW portion to Tri-County Electric Cooperative of Oklahoma. The facility is owned by EGPNAs subsidiary Enel Green Power Diamond Vista Wind Project, LLC. EGPNA acquired the project from Tradewind Energy, their long-term strategic development partner, headquartered in Kansas. In Kansas, Enel operates five additional wind farms, Smoky Hills I & II, Caney River, Buffalo Dunes and the companys largest wind farm globally, the 400 MW Cimarron Bend wind farm. EGPNA, part of the Renewable Energies division of the Enel Group, is a leading owner and operator of renewable energy plants in North America with projects operating and under development in 23 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. EGPNA operates around 100 plants with a managed capacity exceeding 4.2 GW powered by renewable hydropower, wind, geothermal and solar energy. In 2017, the company was the fastest growing renewable energy company in the US, bringing approximately 1.2 GW of capacity online. The company is currently the largest wind operator in Kansas and Oklahoma. Enel Green Power, the renewable energies division of the Enel Group, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of around 40 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants. Through corporate power purchase agreements, Enel Green Power enables companies to capture business value, while also tackling climate change. Media Relations T +39 06 8305 5699 F +39 06 8305 3771 ufficiostampa@enel.com enel.com English French HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opening March 10, Refuge Canada explores Canadas place in the global refugee crisis. Through images, soundscapes, first person accounts and artifacts, this powerful exhibition begins no one wants to be a refugee, anyone could become a refugee. Moving through major waves of arrival from Second World War era up to present day, Refuge Canada does not shy away from opportunities to portray the darker chapters of history. Hopeful stories of optimism and success are balanced by moving accounts of shattered lives, fear, and examples of Canadas mixed record in welcoming refugees. The exhibition will draw visitors through its five themes: Life Before, Fear, Displacement, Refuge and Life in Canada, with hands-on opportunities to connect with the content. Crawl inside a UNHCR tent, or find room in an inflatable boat similar to those used by refugees fleeing from Turkey to Greece. Look out a plane window as the shores of Canada approach and listen to refugees tell their stories throughout the exhibit. Refuge Canada will challenge and inspire as it brings visitors on a journey from darkness to hope, always calling into question preconceptions about what it means to be a refugee. As Canadians become increasingly aware of the current global refugee crisis, Refuge Canada is an opportunity to gain historical context. Refuge Canada will remain open until November 11, 2018 before beginning a national tour in 2019. Refuge Canada is supported by the Ralph and Rose Chiodo Family Foundation. Refuge Canada March 10 - November 11 Ralph and Rose Chiodo Gallery Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 Quick Facts: Refuge Canada will feature case studies from major waves of refugees coming to Canada including German Jewish, Hungarian, Southeast Asian, Tamil and Rwandan among others. Drawing on oral histories and quotes from personal accounts, Refuge Canada shares first person experiences. Original artifacts, archival and contemporary images and news footage connects visitors with real refugee experiences. Reva Kanner Dexter lived in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany until she was accepted to come to Canada as a refugee in early 1949. Her familys story is included in Refuge Canada. Reva is available to the media for interviews about her experience. Artifact of note: Gerhard Herzbergs original Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1971. Artifact of note: Desk set give c. 1947 by a German family to T.O.F. Herzer, head of the immigration branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway that contains a secret message from a family desperate to leave Germany. Artifact of note: A UNHCR Refugee tent, fully set up and accessible to visitors. Artifact of note: A yellow Star of David badge that Nazi authorities forced Jewish people to wear across occupied Europe, on loan from the Montreal Holocaust Museum. Artifact of note: Inflatable raft similar to those used by refugees fleeing Turkey to Greece. Artifact of note: Doll given to five-year-old Nhung Tran-Davies by a sponsor when she arrived in Canada in 1979. Thirty-nine years later she helped sponsor a Syrian refugee family and gave a doll to their daughter. Quotes: We are humbled to share these stories of people who came to Canada under the most difficult of circumstances. This will be a very moving exhibit for our visitors and we look forward to sharing it with Canadians across this country. - Marie Chapman, CEO, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 Canada has had a mixed record in welcoming refugees, reacting generously to some while overlooking others. Refuge Canada provides the context for Canadas place in the global refugee crisis and brings to light the challenges faced by refugees in Canada. The exhibition also shares stories of success and contributions made by people who came to Canada as refugees. - Dan Conlin, Curator, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 A person visiting Refuge Canada will be, no doubt, engaged in understanding the causes and effects of social, political and environmental upheaval which, as history tells is, is the human condition. What this person should keep in mind is that we are experiencing the greatest diaspora of refugees that the world has ever seen. For the refugees, their lives will be changed, some for the better, and some for the worse. To be a true citizen of this planet, it behooves us to document, witness and facilitate these global events with compassion, determination and cooperation. - Reva Kanner Dexter, included in Refuge Canada, came to Canada as a refugee in 1949 Media Contact: Please contact to set up tours or interviews regarding Refuge Canada, and additional photos of the exhibit. Beatrice Houston Gilfoy, Communications Specialist Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 Telephone: (902) 425-7770 ext. 264 bhouston-gilfoy@pier21.ca About the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21: The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 collects, shares and pays tribute to the Canadian immigration story. The Museum is situated in Halifax, Nova Scotia at Pier 21, the National Historic Site that served as the gateway to Canada for one million immigrants between 1928 and 1971. Today, the Museum shares the stories and experiences of all immigrants to Canada, past to present day. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 enhances public understanding of the experiences of immigrants to Canada, highlights the vital role immigration has played in the building of our country and the contributions of immigrants to Canadas culture, economy and way of life. It is Canadas sixth national museum and the only one located in Atlantic Canada. To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following links: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91739554-f2f6-411d-b196-889af8d87bf1 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e4d794fb-6b55-47a7-b213-072c9e8d05a2 SEATTLE, March 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an article discussing the fast start for Nevadas recreational marijuana sales and the prime position established by Friday Night Inc. (CSE:TGIF) (CNSX:TGIF) (TGIF.CN) (OTCQB:TGIFF) in the state. The company operates an existing cultivation facility and has near term plans to expand into a 67,000 sq. ft. state of the art facility. In addition to Nevadas medical and recreational market, the company is targeting nationwide opportunities in the cannabidiol (CBD) space and positioning itself to expand into Californias market. Recreational Sales Near $200 Million Nevadas recreational cannabis market has already generated more than $200 million in sales since legalization just six months ago. Driven by over 45 million visitors to Las Vegas each year, these sales surpassed the total revenue generated by Colorado and Washington State in the early months of their recreational cannabis programs. Nevadas monthly sales average about $32 million, compared to more mature market numbers of $96.7 million in Colorado and $79.7 million in Washington State. Despite early concerns and hurdles, the states early start program was largely successful in handling the influx of new recreational use customers. The program enabled licensed medical dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana while rules for the adult-use program were finalized. With adult-use in place, there will be only around 130 licensed recreational dispensaries, which is far fewer than any other recreational market in the country. These dynamics bode well for companies that have already established a recreational presence in Nevada. Early revenue figures suggest that the majority of the states recreational cannabis income comes from the tourism industry rather than its existing population. Friday Nights Leading Position in Nevada Friday Night is a Nevada-licensed cannabis producer focused on building lifestyle brands for both the medical and recreational markets. The company owns an existing cultivation facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as a separate CBD infused product company providing medical and topical product mixes. The company was the first to be approved in Southern Nevada by both state and local jurisdictions, which provided it with a valuable head start in the states lucrative market. Earlier this month, the company announced that it closed on the purchase of an additional 2.78 acres of land thats contiguous to its current location that will host its new cultivation facility. Its majority-owned Alternative Medical Association owns over 4.17 acres following the transaction on a major thoroughfare in Las Vegas. The company plans to build a new state-of-the-art 67,000 sq. ft. cultivation facility on this land that will help further scale both revenue and product lines. "The additional land will allow for future expansion of the cultivation facility as well as a new production facility when needed, said Mark Zobrist, Managing Partner of Alternative Medicine Association. It could also be used as the location for a retail dispensary license application if the company decides to apply when that window opens again. This acquisition gives us a strategic advantage and flexibility for our long-term plans to meet the market demand. Looking Ahead Friday Night Inc. (CSE:TGIF) (OTC:TGIFF) represents a compelling investment opportunity in Nevadas lucrative recreational cannabis market. With Nevada sales already moving past $200 million, the company has a tremendous opportunity given its proximity to Las Vegas, expansion projects, and move into other markets. Investors may want to take a closer look at the stock given these short- and long-term potentials. Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/friday-night-well-positioned-nevadas-growing-rec-market/ For more information, visit the companys website at www.fridaynightinc.com. About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com Disclaimer CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the Site) is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news. The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ CFN Media Frank Lane 206-369-7050 flane@cannabisfn.com Mon, 09/20 (10am ET): From 640 to 760 on the GMAT despite a Highly Demanding Work Schedule "Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world" The share of women in MBA classrooms has consistently remained below 50 percent in parity to men, yet women are at or near parity in many non-MBA master's programs. Even so, women are more likely than men to hold the MBA degree in high regard. Overall, women are more pragmatic and outcomes-focused in their approach to GME, and are less intimidated by standardized testing than their male peers. Women in Western countries differ in their motivations and approaches to the application journey than women in emerging economies like China and India. Challenges related to funding are significant barriers for women. I couldn't agree more with the above quote. Today, being the international women's day, calls for a post focusing on the Business schools which doing everything they can to increase the number of women in their MBA programs. In a society that's more open to new ideas, where every industry is ripe for technological disruption, it's a wonderful time to be a businesswoman. But is that enough? Are we doing enough to ensure that gender discrimination does not paralyse a women with tremendous leadership potential. Are there enough women at the elite MBA programs?Only 6.4% of Fortune 500 companies are run by female CEOs, and while there is incremental progress there are 32 female CEOs this year, the highest percentage ever, compared with only 21 last year the rate of change can feel excruciatingly slow. The goal of ensuring a constant outflow of female CEOs is an ambitious one that likely means rethinking everything from targeting promising leaders to selling career opportunities better aligned with what drives and motivates women to ensuring appropriate women participation in the elite MBA programs.In the last 5 years, Business schools have made a significant effort to increase the women participation in their MBA courses through lavish scholarships and outreach. Earlier, only three of the top 25 U.S. schools had 40% or more women in their MBA programs. That number presently stand at 13. Yes, 13 schools. However, women in business are still outnumbered at the top b-schools. As per a GMAC's report :-We need more women in business. We need more women in senate. We need more women in the elite MBA programs. After all, they represent half of the worlds talent base! Speaking for myself-Women are better team players than men. Here's the 5 year trend for women enrollment at the worlds most elite MBA programs. I hope this trend continues in future by many a fold. China Looks to Ramp up Device Manufacturing Chinese government places a priority on increased domestic manufacturing, with medical devices being a key component of that growth. Medical device production in China is poised for growth thanks to an Government initiative in that country, according to a new report from GlobalData. As part of its "Made in China 2025" plan, a national 10-year initiative to beef up the country's industry, China has tapped medical devices as an industrial sector to focus on as it pushes for technological development. The plan calls for Chinese manufacturers of medical devices to increase the percentage of domestic core components and materials to 40 percent by 2020 and 70 percent by 2025, while raising the number of domestically produced devices in top hospitals to 50 percent in 2020, 70 percent in 2025 and 95 percent in 2030. With the country's domestic device manufacturers gearing up, imports from foreign manufacturers will decline, according to Tina Deng, medical devices analyst at Global Data. "Competition in the Chinese medical device market, the most important battleground for medical device firms of all emerging economies, will become more intense than ever, Deng said in a prepared statement. Nevertheless, Deng also has advice for companies looking to enter the Chinese market anyway. While acquiring domestic players, international companies need to be cognizant of each province's guidelines on local manufacturers," Deng said in a news release. "They should make enough changes to an innovative device and classify it as a Chinese device. Alternatively, foreign companies may seek to achieve broader product portfolios that offer better outcomes and prove cost-effectiveness over local products to have higher appeal for clinicians, patients, and payers." Texas Providers Fend off Medicare Cuts Organizing and lobbying from state and national stakeholders reversed significant planned cuts from Superior HealthPlan. Medical equipment suppliers in Texas recently banded together to hold off reimbursement reductions proposed by a managed care company. Texas' 85th Legislature requires that the state's Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) reduce Medicaid spending by $830 million and suggests DME rate reviews as one possible avenue of cost savings. Superior HealthPlan, which administers much of the state's Medicaid program, proposed in early February to lower reimbursement rates to as much as 60 percent of Texas Medicaid from 85 percent for some product categories. The letter offered providers 30 days to accept the rate reductions or lose their status as a participating provider with Superior. Many providers, however, said they never received the notification and some providers, and alleged that the reimbursement rates were below market value, contrary to Superior's claim in its letter. As a result, providers in the state began working with the Texas Medical Equipment Providers Association (TexMep), as well as other entities to push back. For instance, VGM Group Government Relations organized a provider conference call with providers who were prepared to voice their concern with Superior, Texas HHSC and their elected officials. Also, providers engaged legal counsel led by Brown & Fortunato to file a formal complaint with Texas HHSC that showed how the cuts were not reflective of the market, as Superior had contended in its initial notification. Providers stepped up and answered the call for action by engaging with public officials to display their opposition to these egregious cuts, said Collin Brecher of VGM Government Relations. Texas providers, huddling around the TexMEP state association as a unified front, proved to be an extremely effective strategy. While states are looking to trim their budgets, these proposed cuts are going to continue to appear, and providers in all states must remain proactive by building relationships at the state level to prevent these types of harmful cuts from being implemented. Following the complaint, Superior posted a notice on its website informing readers that it will not be changing its reimbursement structure for the time being after all. "Superior HealthPlan is committed to providing cost effective, high quality services and products to our members," according to the notice. "Based on further evaluation of our recent proposed reimbursement restructuring for specific medical supplies for durable medical equipment (DME) providers, we are suspending the restructuring at this time. We will be working with the Texas Health and Human Services Commision (HHSC) to address DME costs as directed by the 85th Legislature in potentially a different type of provider based initiative at a later date." We are exceptionally pleased that Superior reconsidered their recent plan to cut reimbursement and force providers to accept rates below market value, said Texas Medical Equipment Providers association in a released statement. This was achieved thanks to many providers who reached out to their Superior representatives, attorneys, and HHS to voice their concerns. As an association, we plan to continue discussions with HHS relating to the value of DME and the issues we encounter as providers. As we trek through another year of depressed milk prices, stress is mounting on dairy farms all around the country. I can see the worry on the faces of my farmer friends and family. Our own Hoards Dairyman Farm is no different, as we feel the pinch and are pushed to make changes to help improve the bottom line. Comedian and magician Lyndy Phillips recognized the stress those working in agriculture are under. In his presentation at the Midwest Forage Association and Wisconsin Custom Operators Symposium held in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., he addressed stress and, of course, laughter. Phillips, from Bedford, Texas, shared that our brain works less efficiently when we are stressed. He said that when we are not thinking clearly, accidents happen. According to Phillips, the top three causes of stress are work, relationships/family, and money/juggling finances. All of these factors are present in farming. Plus, Phillips pointed out that farmers are also dealing with weather, markets, and unexpected stress. Some stress is good, he noted. A little stress helps you operate at your peak maximum. The problem, though, is that an estimated 77 percent of people are feeling stress at any given time, and 33 percent of people are at chronic or extreme stress levels. The body tries to compensate by producing too much cortisol and adrenaline. This can lead to health issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Phillips said the top three signs of extreme stress are apathy, anger, and fatigue. He recommends removing yourself from it all for a few minutes to try to destress. He also shared six ways to recharge: Listen to music Exercise/walk Read/education Prayer/meditation Vacation Laughter It may be impossible to take a vacation or find time for exercise, but anyone can fit in some laughter. There is humor everywhere if we watch for it, he said. When you laugh, the whole body relaxes. Phillips said that one minute of laughter boosts the immune system for 24 hours. Its something you can do something about. Take a proactive approach. Your body will begin to heal, Phillips explained. If you dont get a break, your body never gets to heal. Abby Bauer The author is an associate editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a masters degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelors from University of Wisconsin-Madison. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ New Delhi, Mar 9 (IBNS): Building on the momentum being created globally to end tuberculosis, worlds top infectious killer disease, leaders from across the globe are converging here for an End TB Summit beginning 13 March to review ongoing efforts and accelerate action to reach 2030 End TB goal. Hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the World Health Organization and the Stop TB Partnership, the Delhi End TB Summit 2018 will be inaugurated on 13 March by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and addressed by the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, J P Nadda, and Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Chair of the Stop TB Partnership. The WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the Stop TB Partnerships Executive Director, Dr Lucica Ditiu and Global Funds Executive Director, Peter Sands, would be among the prominent health leaders at the meeting. The health ministers of a number of countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, Peru and Brazil are also expected to participate. TB was responsible for 1.7 million deaths in 2016, despite most cases being curable. Over 10 million people contract TB every year. WHO South-East Asia Region, which hosts about one-fourth of the global population, shares a disproportionate 46% global TB disease burden. The Delhi End TB Summit builds on the Delhi Call to Action adopted by Member countries of WHO South-East Asia Region in March 2017, and the WHO Global Ministerial Conference Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era: A Multisectoral Response, held in Moscow in November last year. The summit next week will set the stage for the September 2018 United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB. For the first time TB will be discussed in the UN General Assembly at the Heads of State level. The UN high-level meeting is expected to endorse an ambitious set of goals to put the world on course to ending TB. Till date there have only been five UN high-level meeting devoted to health issues. As part of next weeks summit, health ministers and programme heads from WHO South-East Asia Region will review accelerated efforts being made by countries since the adoption of Delhi Call to Action. The Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, had announced ending TB as a flagship programme in the Region, at the Delhi Call to Action. Since then, countries in the Region have beefed up efforts to end TB. India, which had set a 2025 target, is matching it up with increased funding and efforts to proactively detect and treat patients. Sri Lanka is also aiming at ending TB by 2025. Bhutan is focusing efforts at the sub-national level. Indonesia is moving towards universal use of rapid molecular tests to diagnose and treat missing TB cases. While Thailand has approved a strategic plan to significantly reduce TB incidence, Maldives recently launched its national strategic plan. Stop TB Partnership is continuing its global, regional and country advocacy work in addition to the support offered to country programmes and partners towards a TB free world. On 14-15 March, the Stop TB Partnership will hold its board meeting, which is being hosted in India after 14 years, demonstrating the countrys resolve to fast-track efforts to end the killer disease. New York, Mar 9 (JEN): Highlighting political tensions and the disintegrating security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Leila Zerrougui, briefing the Security Council for the first time as head of the UN stabilization mission in the contry, said significant progress is being made on preparations for upcoming polls. While national political attention remains centred on the confidence-building measures and progress in the electoral process, the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to deteriorate, she told the Council presenting the latest report of the SecretaryaGeneral on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Noting that this brought increased risks for renewed instability in many parts of the country, and posed serious threats to the civilian population, she stated that the DRC continues to face one of the world's most serious humanitarian crises. There is no other way of saying it the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is shocking, she lamented, pointing out that the number of internally displaced persons in need of humanitarian assistance has become the highest in Africa. Zerrougui condemned the persistent attacks by armed groups across the country, the recruitment of children, the rape of women and young girls, the burning of houses and the desecration of places of worship. It is the responsibility of those that direct and those that perpetrate these attacks to ensure that this unacceptable violence comes to an end, she said. And it is our collective responsibility to ensure that those that direct and perpetrate these crimes be held fully responsible for their actions. She encouraged the Council to consider how the security situation could be stabilized and the political and electoral process best supported in line with the 31 December 2016 agreement for a peaceful political transition. A failure to generate confidence in the full and faithful implementation of the 31 December agreement will only serve to heighten political tensions, and to fuel the risks of inciting violence for political ends, she underscored. She assured the Council that during these times of simmering tensions, the UN Mission remains steadfast in its commitment to support the Congolese authorities to protect those most vulnerable, and most affected, by acts of violence. Zerrougui also expressed her concern over the disproportionate use of force by security services during recent demonstrations, saying that the Government should investigate and take appropriate measures. During those protests, which began at the end of last year, nearly two dozen people were reportedly killed, more than a hundred were wounded and some 200 were arrested. Moreover, she pointed to the need to restore confidence in the political process, including through the release of political prisoners. The Special Representative also highlighted the progress made in preparing for the presidential and legislative elections in the country and paid homage to the determination of the Congolese people to participate in the political process. New York, Mar 9 (JEN): The Security Council on Thursday renewed the mandate of the United Nations political mission in Afghanistan for another year to continue providing assistance to the Government and the people of the conflict-plagued country. We have important tasks ahead of us this year, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told the 15-member Council, which voted unanimously to extend the operations mandate until 17 March 2019. Looking ahead, he noted that the Mission also focus on peace efforts, the upcoming elections and the Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan which the UN would host with the Afghan Government in Geneva on 28 November. He also noted that the Missions critical work covers human rights and reforms, including anti-corruption. On the political front, Yamamoto said that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered peace to the Taliban without preconditions, and laid out a path for negotiations with a series of concrete proposals to create space for the opening of talks. The offer of negotiation is on the table. It is now incumbent upon the Taliban to come forward with an offer of their own, and start direct talks with the Government to put an end to the suffering of the Afghan people, he said. Expressing concern about some actions which could deepen divisions in society, Yamamoto stressed that political leaders need to put the national interest above partisan agenda. As for security, Yamamoto expressed a concern over the increase in civilian casualties caused by the Islamic State in the Khorasan Province, or ISKP. The ISKP has been expanding its geographical spread beyond its stronghold of eastern Afghanistan into the countrys north.On the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2018 and presidential elections for 2019, he cited accelerated progress on voter registration preparations, but said timelines remain tight. He also said that in 2016 and 2017, 1.5 million refugees returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries, such as Pakistan and Iran. But such large numbers stress the Governments ability to provide services. This gap must be addressed before encouraging more people to move back to their homeland voluntarily, he said. Afghan womens strength holds fabric of society together Yamamotos remarks also highlighted the power of Afghan women as todays meeting organized by the Netherlands, the Council president this month, was held on International Womens Day. He said the UN is working with Afghanistans electoral commission to ensure womens participation in all stages of the elections as candidates, campaigners and voters. He also reported that the Afghan Cabinet has adopted the necessary amendment to the Penal Code to ensure that all provisions of the Elimination of Violence Against Women law continue to apply, giving Afghan women continuing legal protection from violence. The meeting was chaired by the Netherlandss Minister for Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, who led an all-women delegation.Women are also disproportionately affected by the conflict, he said, noting that last year, more than 1,200 women were killed or injured, mostly from ground fighting and suicide attacks. Also addressing the meeting were Mariam Safi, Founding Director of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS), and Habibi Sarabi, Deputy Chairperson of the High Peace Council whom Mr. Yamamoto introduced as two women with distinguished careers in working for the advancement of peace in Afghanistan. Vancouver, Mar 9 (IBNS): Convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal has apologised for causing embarrassment to Canada by accompanying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the latter's recent visit to India, media reports said. Atwal has been widely criticised by international media after he was photographed with Trudeau's wife Sophie at the Bollywood event in Mumbai, India. Interacting with media, Atwal said: "In the end, I am sorry for any embarrassment this matter has caused to Canada, India, my community and my family." "When my attendance became the news story that brings us here today I was completely shocked and devastated" he added. Reading a statement with lawyer by his side, Atwal said he was "overwhelmed" to receive the media attention. He said: "I dont fault the press for the reporting, but I do want everyone to appreciate how difficult it is for a person to become the centre of international media attention." Atwal has been quoted by CTV News. Sophie has recently said she was shocked to know that she was seen in a picture with Atwal. Atwal was convicted in Canada for attempting the murder of then-Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu on Vancouver Island in 1986. Atwal's invitation to the dinner hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in India on Thursday came as an embarrassment for Trudeau as he had ensured Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh of Canada's distance from all those who are allegedly involved with the Sikh separatist movement. Trudeau has also promised to take actions against all who want the Indian state of Punjab to be a separate country, named Khalistan. As a damage control, the invitation to Atwal was later rescinded. Image: screenshot grab In a video of Tuesdays event, young girls danced in front of a mixed audience in the Iranian capital. The video was broadcast on social media networks. It was also criticized by conservatives. The girls were dressed in tight jeans and a tutu. They performed a choreographed dance accompanied by a traditional orchestra and a choir composed mostly of women. The event was largely attended by women wearing the black chador, however, Tehrans reformist mayor, Mohammad Ali Najafi was among the men who attended. Montazeri said event included acts against public morality and Islamic tradition, according to ISNA. He ordered Tehrans prosecutor to quickly examine the issue and launch legal proceedings against those responsible. Public dancing is forbidden by Islamic law in Iran. Women are not allowed to sing in front of men unless their voices are covered by male voices. On Wedensday, Najafi attempted to disarm critics with a decree demanding that Islamic traditions be respected in ceremonies organized by the town hall, and that while one might have criticisms for this part of the ceremony, it should not be questioned as a whole. Fatemeh Rakeii, the mayors adviser on womens affairs, who also organized the party, said she did not understand critics of a show that featured girls under the age of nine. While March 8th is declared the annual International Womens Day by the United Nations, Iran is not officially celebrating. Instead, Iran celebrates its own womens day on March 9th, the birthday of Fatima, the Prophet Mohammeds daughter. On Thursday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at the West on Twitter for, in his view, leading its own women astray. He tweeted that in the West, the most sought after characteristics of a woman involve her ability to attract men. Another post said, The western model for women is symbolic of consumerism, cosmetics, showing off for men as a tool of male sexual arousal. He praised Islam for keeping women modest and in their defined roles in a series of posts on Twitter. However, in recent months, Iranian women have staged protests against the mandatory head covering the hijab. Some have publicly removed their headscarves in defiance of the law. Many of those women have been arrested, and one was sentenced to two years in prison this week. Activists soaked in brilliant green and attacked with pepper spray intend to press charges. On International Women's Day, March 8, several rallies for women's rights and against gender discrimination were held in Kyiv center, eventually merging into a single 700-strong march. According to the Informator outlet, a group of provocateurs penetrated a column of activists, including those representing an LGBT community, marching under "Enough with putting up!" banners. Read alsoEquality without bragging: Kyiv hosts another LGBT PrideAs of 17:00, reports came of five activists being beaten up, pepper-sprayed, and stained with brilliant green. Some of the victims intend to press charges, according to one of the activists and a lawyer Oksana Huz. According to a report on the official Facebook page promoting today's event, it was representatives of "right-wing forces" who attacked Kyiv activists. Behind the Scenes of Disneys A Wrinkle In Time In the midst of the viral Hollywood movement #MeToo, designed to empower women to speak out about sexual violence and harassment, Disney has produced a film adaptation based on the 1962 childrens sci-fi novel, A Wrinkle in Time. Were living in a chaotic time, as adults, but imagine if youve only been on the earth for 10, 11 or 12 years, said the films director Ava DuVernay. I wanted to say, Who you are is enough. Youre gonna make it through by finding something in yourself that guides you. The film focuses on the power of a young female protagonist, Meg Murry, played by breakout star Storm Reid who navigates space in an attempt to find her scientist father who has disappeared. ADVERTISEMENT This is a journey across the universe, but at the heart of it is a family story that empowers young girls, screenwriter Jennifer Lee said. Throughout her rescue mission, Megs journey is guided by three women of diverse backgrounds known as The Mrs. I wanted Mrs. of all different shapes, sizes, culture, races, remarked DuVernay. I knew I wanted a black one, and a white one and one who was not either. Actor Mindy Kaling fits that bill. Shes a woman of color with a show with her name on it. She represents a woman that weve never seen on television and film, so shes so important to the culture in that way. Kaling plays Mrs. Who, who speaks almost exclusively in the words of contemporary and ancient philosophers. The kooky, yet sassy Mrs. Whatsit is played by Reese Witherspoon. While Oprah Winfrey was cast as the enlightened Mrs. Which, the eldest of the three. With these celestial beings designated as Megs guardian angels, the audience witnesses her overcome fear, before excersing and finding her true power. It is a juxtaposition to her co-stars, Charles Wallace, Megs younger brother played by Deric McCabe, and her friend Calvin, played by Levi Miller, who have zero inhibitions as the three embark on this mission to rescue her father. ADVERTISEMENT Oscar-nominated director, DuVernay, was joined by the cast and Lee at the W Hotel in Hollywood, CA to discuss the importance of seeing women in lead roles in this Disney childrens film. I think when youre a stand-up comic, you have a not a chip on your shoulder, but thats where you come from and to be involved in such a big, big movie like this, it makes me I feel real proud, said actor Zach Galifianakis, who plays The Happy Medium. Galifianakis got choked up when he spoke about working with DuVernay and his castmates. I cant really talk about it without getting emotional, Galifianakis continued. When I first met Ava, there was something about her that made me I dont know what it was, emotional. His remarks touched on the importance of boys and young men seeing alternate images of masculinity. In A Wrinkle in Time, this manifests in both his character Happy Medium, who isnt afraid to be emotional, and with Calvin, a teenage boy who follows the lead of a teen girl. With this film, DuVernay became the first African American woman to solo-direct a movie with a budget of over $100 million and the fourth woman to do so. DuVernay, who started out as a film publicist, launched her filmmaking career with documentaries, including Middle of Nowhere, which earned a directing award at Sundance in 2012. In 2015, Selma, the drama about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. She is also responsible for the documentary 13th and OWNs original television series, Queen Sugar. Many of which are projects that she and Oprah collaborated. The difference is we have Disney money, Oprah laughingly told the L.A. Sentinel. With Selma, we were like, Are we gonna have enough money? How much do I have? Let me try to help you out here. With this, we had the Disney machine. Thats one of the reasons why this was so exciting. Ava was at the helm of that. That makes me well inside. It is a movie that defies race, gender set in space and yet imitates reality in many ways. The science-fictional novel written by Madeleine LEngle, is regarded as one of the greatest classics of childrens literature, whose influence helped launch a new crop of fantasy writers. The film starring Winfrey, Witherspoon, Kaling, Galifianakis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Storm Reid, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, and Rowan Blanchard, debuts in theatres on March 9. Bill Cosby to Change Strategy in Upcoming Sexual Assault Trial Bill Cosby is taking a no-holds barred approach in his sexual assault case in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The embattled comedian is set to ask Judge Steven ONeill permission to unseal his decades-old civil settlement and payout to accuser Andrea Constand. ONeill is expected to rule on that and other pertinent matters during two days of hearings scheduled for Monday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 6 in the Montgomery County Courthouse. ADVERTISEMENT Jury selection is scheduled to begin Thursday, March 29 while the trial is on the calendar for Monday, April 2. [Cosby] submits that evidence of the civil settlement and of the underlying civil litigation with Constand may be admissible, Cosbys lawyers wrote in court filings ahead of the hearings. Among other things, admissibility is warranted for impeachment of Constand, in showing her financial motive to lie about the allegations she made against Cosby, or for any other purposeincluding as may be warranted by the testimony of Constand or otherwise. ONeill declared a mistrial last summer in the original trial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. During that trial, the sealed civil settlement between Cosby and Constand was kept from jurors. Constand claimed during a January 2004 visit to Cosbys Philadelphia area home, that he drugged and sexually assaulted her. She testified that she went to the TV stars home for advice. When she told Cosby she had trouble sleeping and had a big decision to make, the comedian offered her what he described as a Benadryl tablet. These are what I use to help me to relax, he told Constand, according to a deposition read in court. ADVERTISEMENT Constand claimed the pills may have been Quaaludes and caused her to pass out. She claimed Cosby forcibly groped her and, the next morning, he made her tea and gave her a muffin before seeing her out the door. While Cosby has admitted to having an extra-marital affair with Constand, he has maintained that he never gave her Quaaludes and he never assaulted her. Allowing the civil settlement, which was reached in 2006 after then District Attorney Bruce Castor told Constand that there wasnt evidence to proceed with a criminal case, promises to provide even more insight into Cosbys relationship with Constand, a former Temple University employee. It also offers a stark contrast to Cosbys strategy, a year ago, when his defense successfully argued that jurors should not hear about the civil suit or the settlement, because the value of the information is outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice. Cosbys spokesman Andrew Wyatt wasnt immediately available for comment. A message left for District Attorney Kevin Steele also went unreturned. Former Congressional Aide Guilty of Extorting $5,000 from Compton Medical Marijuana Dispensary A former congressional staffer was found guilty on Thursday March 1, of federal extortion and bribery charges for taking $5,000 with bogus promises of helping to prevent the closure of an illegal Compton marijuana dispensary. Michael Kimbrew, 44, of Carson, faces up to 18 years behind bars for his conviction on one federal count each of attempted extortion and bribery of a public official. U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner set June 4 for sentencing in downtown Los Angeles. ADVERTISEMENT After about six hours of deliberations, jurors found that Kimbrew approached an employee of the marijuana shop in March 2015, told him the dispensary was violating the law, and said the shop would be shut down within a week unless the owners reached an agreement with him. Evidence presented during two days of testimony showed that Kimbrew subsequently met with the dispensarys owners inside Compton City Hall. Falsely claiming to be working with the FBI, Kimbrew said he could make things happen by ensuring the illegal pot store had the appropriate permits in exchange for $5,000. Jurors watched a video recording of Kimbrew meeting with an undercover FBI agent and discussing the $5,000 bribe, which the agent had hidden in a restaurant menu and passed to the defendant during a second meeting. Kimbrew was working as an aide to then-Rep. Janice Hahn out of Compton City Hall when he first approached the owners of Green Legends, a now- defunct pot dispensary on Long Beach Boulevard. The defendant did not take the stand in his defense. Kimbrew left a pretty damning trail he attempted to extort a business in Compton and took a $5,000 bribe, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Greer Dotson told jurors in her closing argument Wednesday. There is no reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. Defense attorney Kim Savo did not deny her client took the money, arguing that it was a gratuity out of friendship and not a bribe. ADVERTISEMENT Theres a difference between accepting a gratuity that you shouldnt be accepting and (committing) a federal crime, Savo said. Theres no extortion here. Prosecution witness Mario Salazar, a former Green Legends employee, testified that Kimbrew came to the shop to discuss a compliance issue, asking to see permits showing the store which was operating illegally in Compton was in accordance with city rules. Salazar told the jury that during two visits a few weeks apart, Kimbrew indicated he was looking for some kind of arrangement with the owners or he was going to have the business shut down by the end of the week. Kimbrew actually had no authority over marijuana stores, which were illegal in the city at the time, prosecutors said. The defense unsuccessfully argued that Kimbrew only took the cash when the undercover agent insisted the money was in exchange for introductions to other dispensary owners and to ensure a good relationship which was unethical but not illegal, Savo maintained. Mr. Kimbrew was acting shady, Savo said in her summation. But thats not a federal crime. The illegal dispensary was shut down by the city several months after the events described during the trial. A spokeswoman for Hahn, who is now a Los Angeles County supervisor, has said that Kimbrew worked for the former congresswoman for about a year and was fired in early 2016. Kimbrew is the son of former Compton Unified School District board member Basil Kimbrew, who pleaded no contest in 2005 to using a school district credit card to pay for a party. The Black Press Honors Senator Kamala Harris with the NNPAs 2018 Newsmaker of the Year Award during Black Press Week The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) will honor Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) with the 2018 Newsmaker of the Year Award during the NNPAs 2018 Black Press Week. The Newsmaker event will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building on Wednesday, March 14 at 7pm. The Honorable Kamala Harris, the second African American woman and first South Asian American senator in U.S. history, is an outstanding choice for the NNPAs 2018 Newsmaker of the Year Award, said Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA and publisher of the Crusader Newspapers in Chicago and Gary, Ind. The NNPA will also celebrate the senators efforts to raise wages for working people, reform the criminal justice system, and expand healthcare access for all Americans. ADVERTISEMENT In all of my years of covering news in our community, Senator Harris has been one of the smartest, most fearless, steadfast and caring politicians that I have come to know, said Amelia Ashley-Ward, the new NNPA Foundation chair and publisher of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter. She has a lot to offer the worldwe are so fortunate to have her advocating on our behalf. The theme of this years Black Press Week is Celebrating 191 Years of the Black Press of America: Publishing Truth to Empower. Black publishers, media professionals, civil rights leaders and lawmakers from across the country attend the annual event, taking place March 14-16. On Friday, March 16, Democratic strategist and author Donna Brazile will deliver a keynote address on the state of the Black Press in America. When John B. Russwurm and Samuel E. Cornish printed that first issue of Freedoms Journal they sought to empower Black people to determine their own destiny and to define themselves, said Leavell. How iconic, that in 2018, our theme still rings true: Publishing Truth to Empower. Black Press Week will also feature sessions on business development, education reform, and sickle cell disease. Outstanding leaders in the Black community will be honored during the Torch Awards Dinner. The Torch Award recipients are: Dr. Amos Brown, the pastor of the San Francisco Third Baptist Church; Rep. Barbara Jean Lee (D-Calif.); and James Farmer, a senior consultant for General Motors. Ken Barrett, the global chief diversity officer for General Motors, said that Jim Farmer dedicated his career to transforming the automotive industry through diversity and community service. ADVERTISEMENT I am proud of the invaluable support Jim continues to provide GM and he is truly most deserving of this prestigious honor, said Barrett. Chairman Leavell agreed. The NNPA Foundation, under the leadership of Chairman Amelia Ward, the publisher of the Sun Reporter in San Francisco, Calif., has chosen some of the most outstanding leaders and trailblazers in the Black community to receive Torch Awards, this year, said Leavell. The 2018 Black Press Week partners include the Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Reynolds American (RAI), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Pfizer, Inc. The 2018 Black Press Week sponsors include AARP, Amerihealth, Comcast, Koch Industries, Wells Fargo, AT&T, and Volkswagen. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA, said that the NNPA and the NNPA Foundation have joined together to celebrate the 191-year anniversary of the Black Press in America. This year, Black Press Week convenes at a time of profound opportunity and responsibility to ensure a record turnout for Black American voters in the upcoming midterm elections across the nation, said Chavis. The new strategic alliance between the NNPA and the NAACP bodes well to advance civil rights and the economic, political, and cultural empowerment of Black America. Wishing for Wakanda, Marooned in America: Movies and Matters of Reflection and Resistance In the midst of the wide-spread euphoria about the debatable real and actually imagined qualities, achievements and benefits of the fantasy movie, The Black Panther, it is good to remember that no matter how long we stay in the theater and no matter how many times we return to cheer, clap and dance in the dark, sooner or later the lights will come on, and we will have to exit and confront the off-screen, cold-water reality of America. We must know in moments of clarity and calm consideration, that even if we wish it to be otherwise, this is only a movie, a comic book story on screen and we have every right and at least some reasons to enjoy it as we wish. But talking about it as if it is a pathway and push forward to liberation, resistance and racial pride runs recklessly into the face of reality and any concept of critical reasoning, and pretends for a movie what only a movement of hard work and long struggle can achieve. And it is such an unbounded and unreflective embrace that leads to the need and tendency to deny the movies flaws, overlook its stereotypes and explain away its misrepresentations of continental African and African American culture and African peoples themselves; its discrediting and misrepresenting revolutionary struggle and resistance; and its cultivating the idea of the oppressor as an ally and enabler for African people. Thus, so influenced we can overlook racist stereotypes of continental Africans in spite of their advanced technology: still carrying spears, even though sonic ones; trapped in tribalism; engaging in blood ritual battles to determine who will rule instead of using elections; and requiring the White CIA agent to save the Black woman and Black people from the Black man, asking the CIA agent to pilot their attack ship as if no Black person is technologically capable, assuring the agent Were counting on you. And this in spite of the CIAs brutal and bloody history and current activities in Africa and around the world. We can also explain away the reductive translation of relations of continental Africans and African Americans, using a dehumanized would-be liberation fighter that ends up being little more than a gangster from the ghetto, indicted from the beginning by his name Kill-monger, one who promotes and deals and participates in killing. And we explain away why a technologically superior country hides itself from Whites who obviously know it exists and whom it can easily protect itself from or defeat, does not defend the continent and its people, and spends its hours on screen fighting within itself. ADVERTISEMENT The films appeal is understandable, not simply because of its favorably and mistakenly interpreted content, but also because of the favorable context in which it was produced and positioned. It comes at a time, as the audiences and onliners explain, when the attacks on African people, Black people, on the continent and in the diaspora, have taken a wild and openly racist turn. And the film becomes an alternative narrative for many to the rampant racist reductive translation and claims of who we are. Moreover, many said it took them away from the more serious side of Black life, gave them a chance to relax and enjoy themselves watching a predominantly Black cast portray Black people highly advanced, in control of their lives and triumphant. And it was positioned in February, Black History Month, in which we traditionally celebrate and sing ourselves, reference and revisit our roots, identify and raise up heroes and heroines, extract lessons and models, and wonder out loud or silently how we got over, knowing deep down the struggle must and does continue. But lets face it, it was the marketing that created much of the marvel of the film. What film with Blacks as the subject has been so massively and skillfully advertised? Was Selma or Malcolm X or any other Black subject film made a must-see all over the world, with funds being collected and offered to send thousands of Black children to see it? And when have we seen almost every major media source doing approving and praising articles and commentaries on a Black subject coming attraction? Surely, after all the before-now talk about the predatory and profit-seeking character and conduct of a racist and capitalist society, we cant possibly not know that this marvel of marketing of make-believe and this apparent established order consensus of approval and praise of the film means that it is clearly profitable for them and problematic for us. Clearly, capitalism is in it for the money, but also for the message, a message which maintains dominance, cultivates loyalty to the system in spite of its White supremacist and capitalist character, and lowers the oppresseds conception of what they deserve, what they think possible and what they should accept. Indeed, it is a central Kawaida contention that one of the greatest powers of any society, class or race is the capacity to define reality and make others accept it even when its to their disadvantage. It is the Hon. Marcus Garvey who teaches us that the propaganda of the oppressor is one of the key organized methods used to control the world, that propaganda has done more to defeat the good intentions of races and nations than even open warfare. It is, he says, a regularly used organized method employed to convert others against their will, against their best views and values. And Min. Malcolm taught us to reject and resist the power and manipulation of the media, a weapon used constantly in the war to win the hearts and minds of our people and other oppressed and turn them against themselves and others. The people in power, he says, are skilled at the science of image making and can create a humanitarian image for a devil or a devil image for a humanitarian. And they can make the victim of a crime look like the criminal and can make the criminal look like the victim. Indeed, Malcolm concludes, If you arent careful the (media) will have you hating the people who are oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing. ADVERTISEMENT Yes, its good to see Black people celebrating themselves, wearing African clothes, understanding themselves as African people, doing a version of the greeting/salute of the women of Us in the 60s, and discussing issues of right and wrong in the way we do politics, distribute wealth, share resources and honor our obligations of solidarity to our brothers and sisters at home and abroad. But can we move beyond movie inspiration and episodic engagement with ourselves and continuously engage each other and issues more extensive than the ones the movie provokes some of us to discuss? And can we do this, not to defend a movie and our liking it, but in defense and advancement of our peoples lives and interests and the well-being of the world? Our oppressors tell us we were abandoned or marooned in America by our people, but we are our people, the ones the enslaver enslaved. And taking seriously the other meaning of maroon, we are at our best, the maroons of our history, the maroons of America, the people who in the midst of the Holocaust of enslavement dared to reject the established order, free themselves, be themselves and build free communities. It is a lasting legacy and unfinished fight, and we owe it to ourselves to maintain its commitment to resistance and struggle, regardless of the movies we like or the lands in which we live. Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Essays on Struggle: Position and Analysis, www.AfricanAmericanCulturalCenter-LA.org; www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org. Some African schools are adding programs that teach what officials are calling soft skills to students. Soft skills are personal qualities that help a person relate effectively to others. Officials say this kind of training can help students succeed in the job market, and in life. The training is being offered at the St. Bernadette Kamonyi Secondary School in Kigali, Rwanda. For weeks, its students have been visiting neighborhood businesses. The goal of these field trips is for the young people to learn what is necessary to secure a job. They stop, for example, at a sim card business to ask what qualities the owner looks for in an employee. For the secondary school students, this information is important. In a few months, theyll complete their studies and try their best to find work. One of the Rwandan students is 22-year-old Aminadab Niyitegeka. What I have to do in an interview: I have to first introduce myself, name, age and the second, I have to mention my education level and even my background. When you are going through the interview process, you have to dress smart... Niyitegeka says he will look for any job available. He hopes that what he learns in his work readiness class will help. Traditionally, secondary schools in Africa have spent more time on subjects like mathematics and science, largely ignoring areas like public speaking and teamwork. A new model But that is changing. Schools are exploring new teaching models to offer soft skills and professional training. It is part of an effort to prepare students to become better communicators, problem solvers and citizens. Back at school, Niyitegeka and his classmates take part in imaginary interviews. Niyitegeka stands in front of a female student who acts as the interviewer. Even preparing for the interview makes him nervous. Niyitegeka has difficulty looking at the other student. He nervously touches his clothing and looks away. Confidence is an important part of soft skills, as are leadership, likability and emotional strength. With support from the nonprofit Education Development Center (EDC), Rwanda has launched a work readiness training program called Akazi Kanoze Access. The program is now offered at all of the countrys secondary and trade schools. Akazi Kanoze means work well done in Kinyarwanda, the official language of Rwanda. The program has trained more than 20,000 students to help make them more appealing to employers. Emmanuel Ntagungira is a teacher and works as trainer for Akazi Kanoze Access. Students must work in groups. For example, a group of four students, five students, they interact. We give them role plays. We give them scenarios. They present. Through presentations, they are acquiring communication skills. Ntagungira says he hopes the program will help lower unemployment, which stands at over 13 percent nationwide. He often visits employers who have given jobs to high school graduates trained in the soft skills program. The employers are very happy because the graduates are ready to work, Ntagungira says. They have a healthy mindset and employers are satisfied with the job theyve been doing, he explains. The road to success The programs most successful students are female. Teachers and program organizers say young women who took the work readiness classes were 12 percent more likely to find jobs than young women who did not. It is an enriching program that requires teachers to learn soft skills, too. In one classroom, an Akazi Kanoze trainer teaches Rwandan and Senegalese educators to be more engaging. They jump and laugh like schoolchildren. The class is lively. Teachers say it seems far removed from what they experience in a traditional classroom. The teachers will take what theyve learned to rural communities in their home country. In Senegal, education officials hope to reach more than 30,000 students. The government and EDC have chosen 250 schools to take part in a trial to include soft skills, business leadership and financial skills. The program is called Improving Work Entrepreneurship Performance (APTE). More than 1,000 teachers were trained last year. Sokhna Mbaye is head of a school in Thies, a city 93 kilometers outside of Dakar. She says she was excited when EDC asked her to bring APTE into her school. Mbaye said she has been urging her teachers to be more open-minded and willing to try new teaching models. Local schools certainly have failed somewhere. Because we know what geography is. We know what mathematics are but we did not really have skills to face life and to make our own choices. This is what we missed. Mbaye sits at the back of a classroom, watching students discuss their values. They talk about ideas like loyalty and respect. She hopes that they will develop the strength to go out into the world and do more than she could. I'm Alice Bryant. Chika Oduah reported this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sim card n. a smart card inside a mobile phone, carrying an identification number unique to the owner, storing personal data, and preventing operation if removed introduce v. to make someone known to someone else by name interview v. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information dress v. to put clothes on yourself confidence n. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something interact n. to talk or do things with other people scenario n. a description of what could possibly happen acquire v. to gain a new skill, usually by your own effort graduate n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. 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Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Read More Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Read More 1 hour ago World shares, US futures sink on jitters over Fed moves World shares and U.S. futures fell Monday after Wall Street ended last week with another decline. Many markets in Asia were closed for holidays and analysts said the thin trading accentuated volatility. Read Article The Shimmer is the name given to the mysterious phenomenon that, after a meteor strike, settles along a swampy coastline in Alex Garlands Annihilation. Its an area enclosed by a fluid, translucent wall bathed in an eerie rainbow glimmer. The Shimmers steady expansion threatens to swallow surrounding towns, cities and, eventually, everything. Naturally, this is Florida. Efforts to determine whats inside the Shimmer have proven futile. Except for one survivor, none to enter have ever returned. To step inside is to step into the unknown. The same could be said for those who come to see Annihilation, a trippy, mind-bending cinematic experience that plunges you into a disorienting and dream-like science fiction that contorts and disintegrates much of the genres conventions. This is the bigger-budget follow-up to Garland directing debut, Ex Machina. The novelist turned screenwriter (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go) has here made good on the promise of Ex Machina, a heady if sometimes flat chamber piece about the invention of a very human-like artificial intelligence. Annihilation, which is partly based on Jeff VanderMeers novel, has plenty of forerunners (namely Andrei Tarkovskys Stalker) and its certainly not flawless. Theres an often awkward distance here between Garlands grand ambitions and his mid-sized-budget visual effects, between VanderMeers immersive imagination and the necessities of physicalizing fantasy in a movie. But rarely has a film conjured such a thick atmosphere of dread and wonder as Annihilation, a movie that unfolds, grippingly, as an existential mystery. Lena (Natalie Portman) is an ex-Army biology professor at Johns Hopkins whose soldier husband (Oscar Isaacs), after being gone for a year, returns from a secret mission unable to explain where hes been. Dumbfounded, he promptly begins to split up blood and, in the ambulance ride to the hospital, is overtaken by a swarm of police vehicles. Lena is introduced to the Shimmer by a laconic psychologist (a miscast Jennifer Jason Leigh) in charge of fielding missions. She, herself, is going in, pulled by inescapable curiosity. Lena joins their group, an all-female squad including a paramedic (a scene-stealing Gina Rodriguez), a physicist (Tessa Thompson) and an anthropologist (Tuva Novotny). With Ghostbusters-like backpacks, they enter the Shimmer where bewilderments and horrors await. They immediately wake up in their tents, unsure how they spent the last three days. In the lush, tropical forest, they marvel at the teaming mutated species while evading fantastical beasts. Its equal parts dream and nightmare. One bear-like creature very much not your average bear growls with the screams of its recent prey. Its an intoxicatingly weird fantasia, beautifully photographed by Rob Hardy, thats genuinely head spinning. While early on the music fails to match the visuals, Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisburys score grows steadily more hypnotic until a sonically shattering climax. As frightful as their surroundings are, self-destruction is the theme of Annihilation. Each of the five come into the Shimmer marked by their own interior afflictions a suicide attempt, cancer, addiction, or, Lenas case, the guilt of betrayal. Annihilation is filled with the science of mutating cells the rhythm of the dividing pair and the suggestion that self-destruction is natural, in molecules and in relationships. If this is all sounding rather soupy, well, it is. Annihilation struggles to connect that insight into its entrancing psychedelia. Lenas backstory is only glimpsed in brief flashbacks, and her companions emotions are unexplored. Something doesnt quite sync, even as Annihilation renders those inner conflicts with cosmic grandeur. Like virtually every science fiction before it, once Annihilation which deviates greatly from the book in its third act starts solving its enigmas, the spell begins to break. But Garlands film is seldom not something to behold. In the unexplained, unknowable world of the Shimmer, there are moments electric with possibility that anything can happen. Thats a rare feeling in big-screen science fiction, and Garlands film daring, messy, exploding with ideas can be pulverizing. Annihilation nearly lives up to the promise of its title. Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer Annihilation, a Paramount Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for violence, bloody images, language and some sexuality. Running time: 115 minutes. Three stars out of four. The British Business Association of Macao (BBAM) has re-elected Keith Buckley to the position of chairman at its Annual General Meeting held earlier this week. A founding member of BBAM, Buckley is currently the executive project director for Hsin Chong Engineering (Macau) Limited (HCEM). Since 2003, he has been responsible for the construction management of Sands Macao, The Venetian Macao, Four Seasons Resort, Sands Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao. According to a statement from BBAM, at the meeting, Buckley highlighted the association members continuing enthusiasm to promote and represent British trade interests in Macau in sharing good practice, innovation, fresh insights and new opportunities. Prior to coming to Macau, Keith spent more than 40 years working internationally on civil engineering infrastructure and building projects. Buckley has also been involved in the Lighthouse Club Macau, a locally registered construction charity that provides financial assistance to the families of workers involved in fatal construction-related accidents. Construction-related accidents are not uncommon in Macau. In a 2015 interview with the Times, Buckley said they were the result of a high level of constructions activity and a relatively unskilled workforce. The Annual General Meeting also saw the appointment of Saj Fernando, a senior design manager, to BBAMs Management Committee. Saj takes his place alongside Founder Committee Members: Eileen Stow (co-vice chairman), Virgil Chan, Andrew Evans (treasurer) and Jill Rigg. More recent appointees and continuing in their roles are Kit Thompson (co-vice chairman), Suzanne Watkinson, and Anthony Williams. Liu Tai-ting was hoping to make money to support his child when he moved to Kenya from Taiwan and joined in what Chinese authorities say was a telephone fraud scheme, posing as a government official to demand bogus payments and gain control of his victims bank accounts. Liu told a court in Beijing that he made enough over two years to transfer more than USD8,000 to his ex-wifes bank account before he was tracked down by Chinese agents and sent to mainland China to face trial for fraud. I apologize profusely to the victims and families, Taiwans China Times newspaper quoted Liu as saying at the hearing. After all, it was money you had struggled to save over a lifetime. Gangs operating from bases as far flung as Cambodia and Kenya, taking advantage of closer global connections and falling technology costs, are a growing source of tension between Beijing and the self-ruled island of Taiwan. The two sides, which split in 1949 after a civil war, agreed in 2009 to jointly fight crime despite their lack of diplomatic ties. The phone fraud cases are straining those good intentions. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has no official relations with the island, broke off contacts in 2016 just months after the election of Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwans president. Tsai angered Beijing by rejecting its stance that the two sides are one China as a condition for formal dialogue. Chinese officials now refuse to answer a hotline between the two sides or even respond to faxes and emails. Our difficulty at the moment is that mainland China doesnt want to work with us, said Chan Chih-wen, an anti-fraud researcher for the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau. Because political relations arent too great, they dont want to fully exchange information. Beijings Ministry of Public Security did not respond to written questions about exchanges. The Taiwanese gangs have been operating the fraud rings for four decades, recruiting university students and others who need extra cash. They give recruits like Liu a script to memorize and pay them a commission of 1 to 2 percent of what is stolen. The alleged fraudsters are not always aware they have been hired to commit crimes, said Chan Chih-wen, an anti-fraud researcher for the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau. Some younger people will think, Wow, I can go there and earn some money and even have fun. It almost feels like the operation of an international company, Chan said. By 2005, there were about 40,000 phone and computer fraud cases per year in Taiwan. As police there cracked down, The gangs shifted operations to Southeast Asia, and then further afield, to Africa, Australia, India, Japan, Latvia and Spain, often targeting mainland Chinese victims. A network will rent an apartment and set up equipment to show calls are coming from police or court phone numbers. Some callers speak with the accents of regions in China they plan to call, and most fraud rings involve a handful of mainland Chinese suspects, said Liao You-lu, a criminal investigation professor at the Central Police University near Taipei. If I call and say Im with public security, Im with the court, mainland Chinese will be scared as soon as they hear that, making them more likely to comply with fraudsters demands, Liao said. Because of that, the fraud situation there has been quite severe in recent years In 2014, Philippine police nabbed 44 Taiwanese who were suspected of gaining access to bank accounts by telling victims they had been used by money launderers or terrorists. Other cases have involved fraudsters posing as tax collectors or other officials. As of September, the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau said it was tracking 778 people and 58 groups with potential fraud links. Shortly before Tsai took office, Beijing began demanding that governments of countries like Kenya, Malaysia and Spain that arrest phone and computer fraud suspects send them to China, where they face almost certain conviction and up to life in prison. The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwans Cabinet agency responsible for China policy, says such requests so far cover 288 suspects. In December, a court in Beijing sentenced 44 Taiwanese suspects, including Liu, to prison terms of up to 15 years after they were deported from Kenya. Ferdinand Manook Lavin, spokesman for the countrys National Bureau of Investigation, said that Philippine officials are working with Taiwan and China to share data. We should be making the world smaller for these criminal groups, Lavin said. Taiwan officials protested when a court in Spain agreed in December to send 121 Taiwanese fraud suspects to China. Beijing contends that since victims of the crimes are Chinese, the suspects should be tried in China. Ralph Jennings, Taipei, AP The director of the Kiang Wu Hospital, Ma Hok Cheung, said that the hospital is currently not planning to increase delivery fees for non-local parents, according to a report by TDM. Earlier, the Health Bureau (SSM) proposed increasing delivery fees for non-local parents, however Ma claimed that the Kiang Wu will not increase the fees despite SSMs proposal. In 2017, a total of 3,355 women delivered children at the Kiang Wu hospital. Of these, 811 women were non-local residents, and in 24 cases, both parents were non-local residents. Ma believes that non-local parents choose to deliver children in Macau mainly because they believe in the quality of Macaus medical services. Questioned on the fees currently charged for non-resident deliveries, Ma Hok Cheung refused to give an actual figure, saying that the fees are related to the structural aspects of the hospital and depend on several aspects, such as the type of room hired and medical services required. Cellist Brunellos concert tomorrow The Macau Orchestra and Italian cellist Mario Brunello will play in the concert The Musical Footprint of Dvorak tomorrow at the Macau Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. The concert is dedicated to Czech composer Dvorak, who is considered as one of the beacons of 19th century nationalist music. The composers works combine the German and Austrian symphonic traditions with the magic of Slovak folk music. Italian cellist Mario Brunello has been the only Italian musician to win the gold medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow since 1986. Brunello was praised by the British Gramophone company as a great spirit for his poetic artistic talent, and his performance was described as intense and passionate by the The Strad magazine. In this concert, Brunello and the Macau Orchestra will perform the Cello Concerto by Dvorak as well as the composers Bohemian-inspired Symphony No. 8. Notification on nuclear power plant incident The Unitary Police Service has stated that they received a notice on Wednesday regarding an operational event at Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station, located in western Guangdong Province. The notice was sent by Guangdong Provinces Emergency Management Office, via the mechanism established under the Guangdong-Macau Cooperation Consensus in Case of a Guangdong Nuclear Power Plant Emergency. The notice mentions that on March 6, when Yangjiang nuclear power plant Unit 1 was undergoing planned maintenance, staff accidentally triggered an alarm within the monitoring system while they were clearing a system blockage. The monitoring system was immediately overridden to stop any effects of the false alarm. According to the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, measured over seven levels, the incident was a Below Scale, i.e. Level 0 event. This means it had no effect on the safe operation of the nuclear power station, the health of its staff, the safety of the nearby public, or the protection of environment. The Bank of China has pledged at least 10 billion yuan (USD1.5 billion) to create a massive giant panda conservation park in southwestern Sichuan province, the forestry ministry said Thursday. The Sichuan branch of the central bank signed an agreement with the provincial government to finance the Giant Panda National Parks construction by 2023. The park aims to bolster the local economy while providing the endangered animals with an unbroken range in which they can meet and mate with other pandas in the interest of enriching their gene pool. The ministry said the park will measure 2 million hectares, making it more than two times the size of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Zhang Weichao, a Sichuan official involved in the park planning, told the state-run China Daily that the agreement will help alleviate poverty among the 170,000 people living within the projects proposed territory. Plans for the park were initiated in January last year by the ruling Communist Partys Central Committee and the State Council, the China Daily reported. Giant pandas are Chinas unofficial national mascot and live mainly in the Sichuan mountains, with some in neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. An estimated 1,864 live in the wild, where they are threatened chiefly by habitat loss. Another 300 live in captivity. AP Chinas exports surged in February while its politically sensitive trade surplus widened amid mounting tension with Washington. Exports rose 44.5 percent over a year earlier to USD171.6 billion, accelerating from Januarys 11.1 percent growth, customs data showed yesterday. Imports rose 6.3 percent to $137.8 billion, down sharply from the previous months 36.9 percent rate. Trade data are distorted by the Lunar New Year holiday, which falls at different times in January or February each year. Data for the combined two-month period, which economists often use to screen out the holiday influence, showed exports rising by a robust 24.4 percent over a year earlier, up from Decembers 10.9 percent growth. Both foreign and domestic demand look healthy, though imports are not as robust as during the same period last year, said Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics in a report. The bigger picture is that while Chinas trade surplus with most of the world has declined during the past year thanks to the stronger Chinese demand for commodities, its surplus with the U.S. has continued to expand. Chinas global trade surplus widened to $33.7 billion from Januarys $20.3 billion. For the two-month period, the surplus expanded by 31 percent from a year earlier to $55.3 billion. The February surplus with the United States was $20.9 billion. Beijings steady accumulation of multibillion-dollar trade surpluses with the United States has prompted demands for import controls. President Donald Trumps administration has increased duties on Chinese-made washing machines, solar modules and other goods it says are being sold at improperly low prices. It is due to announce results of a probe into whether Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology, which could lead to further penalties. Chinese officials say Beijing is not actively pursuing a large trade surplus but is ready to respond to U.S. import controls. Forecasters expect Chinese demand to weaken this year as Beijing tightens controls on lending to slow a rise in debt. That is a blow to its Asian neighbors, for which China is the biggest export market, and for suppliers of iron ore and other commodities such as Brazil and Australia. MDT/AP Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts announced the departure of two members of its board of directors as lawsuits against its members and the companys founder continued to pile up amid a sexual misconduct scandal. The announcement of the board changes came hours after the state of Oregon revealed it had sued gambling mogul Steve Wynn and the companys board of directors for allegedly failing to act in the best interests of shareholders and stop sexual misconduct at Wynn Resorts. Former company director Ray Irani and director Alvin Shoemaker are now named defendants in several lawsuits brought by shareholders, including Oregon, as well as current and former company employees. The shareholders accuse them and other board members of breaching their fiduciary duties by ignoring what their lawsuits described as a longstanding pattern of sexual abuse and harassment of company employees by Wynn. The company in a securities filing said Iranis Monday resignation was effective immediately. It also disclosed that Shoemaker will not run for re- election after his current term expires next year. Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox on Wednesday told investors in a conference call that the board, of which he is not a member, has been extremely active over the past month and intends to expand and refresh its ranks to bring new prospects to the boardroom. He added that the board is actively engaged with several candidates. Oregons civil case , alleging massive breaches of fiduciary duty that caused damage to the company and impaired long-term shareholder value, was filed Tuesday in district court in Las Vegas. Last month, New Yorks public pension fund, the nations third largest, filed a similar lawsuit. The offices of Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read announced the lawsuit, saying Oregons pension system held 8,506 shares of Wynn Resorts worth $1.3 million and that the investment is suffering a loss because of misconduct and inaction. The lawsuit is part of another front opening up in the #MeToo movement that aims to hold those involved in sexual misconduct, and those who cover it up, accountable. The movement launched after an October expose of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein by the New York Times. This filing will help hold the Board of Directors and Mr. Wynn accountable for their profound dereliction of fiduciary duty, Read said. Wynn Resorts spokesman Michael Weaver said he had no comment on the lawsuit. Wynn has denied he harassed and assaulted women. He resigned as chairman and CEO of the company Feb. 6. The story of Steve Wynn is a cliche: a powerful man preying on the powerless, the lawsuit said. But the Directors of Wynn Resorts were not powerless. They were the only people with the knowledge and ability and duty to the company to investigate and stop Steve Wynns conduct. Instead, the board of directors devoted substantial company resources to covering up the alleged misconduct, the lawsuit claimed. Since the Wall Street Journal broke the story in January on Wynns alleged misconduct that goes back years, Wynn Resorts has lost $2 billion in market capitalization, the Oregon lawsuit said. Oregons action is the latest known derivative lawsuit filed in state court in Las Vegas against the board and the billionaire. Besides New York and Oregon, at least four other shareholder groups have filed lawsuits. Derivative lawsuits allow shareholders to take legal action on behalf of a company when they believe its officers or directors are not meeting their fiduciary duties. If the complaints are successful, Wynn and the companys board members could be ordered to pay monetary damages to Wynn Resorts, not the shareholders who filed the lawsuits. San Diego-based attorney Todd Neal with the firm Procopio said the lawsuits seek monetary damages for the alleged loss in share price because of breaches of fiduciary duty, compliance with company policies and the possible removal of company board members. Irani, 83, is the former executive chairman and CEO of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, an international oil and gas exploration and production company, according to Wynn Resorts. He was a member of the casino operators corporate governance committee until Monday and is a life trustee of the University of Southern California. Shoemaker, 79, has been a board member since December 2002 and serves in the compensation and audit committees. He is a member of the board of directors of Huntsman Corporation. Regina Garcia Cano, Andrew Selsky, AP The Japanese government is slapping penalties on several cryptocurrency exchanges in the country, after 58 billion yen (USD530 million) of virtual coins were lost earlier this year from hacking. The Financial Services Agency, which has been checking the exchanges, said that FSHO and Bit Station exchanges were ordered to halt operations for a month. It said FSHO was not properly monitoring trades and had not carried out employee training. The agency said it found that a Bit Station employee had taken bitcoins for personal use. Five other exchanges, including Coincheck, targeted in the massive hacking, were ordered to improve their operations. Coincheck had received a similar order earlier to beef up security measures. Japan is unusual in the world for embracing cryptocurrencies and setting up a licensing system to oversee their use. The exchanges ordered to improve their operations must file a plan to the agency by March 22. The theft at Coincheck of the NEM currency was the second major hacking assault on a Japanese crypto exchange after the Mt. Gox debacle in 2014. But Japan has chosen to seize the opportunity and regulate exchanges, setting up a licensing system last year, although experts say such measures are no guarantee against hacking and cybercrime. Japan has officially licensed 16 virtual-currency exchanges, and more, including Coincheck, are applying for licenses. As much as half of the worlds bitcoin trading is estimated to be in yen. Some countries like China are cracking down on virtual currencies, while other countries like the U.S. have been cautious, encouraging their use in limited ways. Japan has been far more accommodating to cryptocurrencies, attracting new businesses in the technology called blockchain. TV ads and billboard posters sing the praise of bitcoin, although they come with warnings, in fine print, to invest at your own risk. AP The Association of Synergy of Macao held a press conference yesterday questioning the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT)s supervision over lift safety. The association said that it would report to the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) regarding DSSOPTs mismanagement. Lam U Tou, president of the association, said that upon his association inspecting eight buildings in Coloane, Taipa, and Macau peninsula, it was found that despite these buildings having elevator safety certificates, only one could be confirmed on DSSOPTs website. Chui Ming Man, member of the consultative council of the community service of the central district, suggests the government should implement mandatory annual elevator checks. According to Lam, Macau currently has approximately 8,000 elevators. However, only around 2,500 elevators are being checked annually, with the checks also being reported to DSSOPT. Lam noted that DSSOPT only samples 5 percent of the elevators that are declared to DSSOPT. Those that are not declared are not included among the bureaus sample candidates. Chui hopes that with the annual checks, users safety can be ensured. Last week, a child was squeezed by an elevator door, which lifted him off the floor. The boy sustained light injuries. A woman who says she regularly performed manicures on embattled casino mogul Steve Wynn filed a lawsuit this week accusing him of sexual misconduct and the company he founded of endorsing his behavior. The unnamed manicurist is the latest woman to level accusations against the billionaire who resigned as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts last month. Women in lawsuits, police reports and news reports have described what amounts to a longstanding pattern of sexual misconduct on the part of Wynn. According to the lawsuit filed in state court in Las Vegas, Wynn would place the hand being manicured over his genitals, making her contact his genitals through his pants. She alleges Wynn would get angry or agitated if she objected or tried to remove his or her hand from his genitals. During manicures, [Wynn] would demand that Plaintiffs sit close and intertwine their legs so that Plaintiffs knee was touching [Wynns] crotch, according to the lawsuit that also names Wynn Resorts, its board of directors and a managing director as defendants. The woman, who is still employed at Wynn Resorts, said she became a regular manicurist for Wynn in 2015. She said she reported Wynns behavior to Claude Baruk, managing director of the salons at the companys two casino-resorts in Las Vegas, but was ignored or casually dismissed. She alleges she also reported it to her supervisor and upper management and was told the conduct would be stopped. However, the lawsuit alleges Wynn Resorts management later indicated to her that the complaints had been taken to the highest levels of the company and that nothing would be done to change [Wynns] behavior. Last week, two massage therapists sued Wynn accusing him of using his power to coerce them into sexual acts. The lawsuits and police reports accusing Wynn of sexual misconduct came after the Wall Street Journal reported in January that a number of women said he harassed or assaulted them and that one case led to a $7.5 million settlement with a manicurist. Wynn has vehemently denied the accusations the newspaper reported and attributed them to a campaign led by his ex-wife, whose attorney has denied that she instigated the news story. The manicurists lawsuit describes some of the actions Wynn allegedly took in the days after the newspaper story was published. It states that on Jan. 31, Wynn demanded in front of Wynn Resorts executives and all employees of the salon that anyone who had ever felt assaulted or abused to raise their hand. The manicurist says no hands went up. The next day, according to the document, Wynn showed up with audio-visual personnel during a celebration for a salon staffer and demanded that all employees record a video stating he had never assaulted them. The lawsuit claims Wynn continues to make appointments and receive manicures, pedicures and salon services with the full knowledge and permission of Baruk, the company and its board of directors. A communications firm that previously claimed to represent Wynn did not return a call from The Associated Press on Tuesday. Wynn Resorts spokesman Michael Weaver said Wynn no longer uses spa or salon services at the companys Wynn and Encore casino-resorts. He declined to comment further on the lawsuit. Legal experts have said lawsuits likely will continue to be filed. In addition to the lawsuits from the manicurist and massage therapists, groups of shareholders have sued Wynn and the board of directors of Wynn Resorts accusing them of breaching their fiduciary duties. Wynn Resorts is also facing scrutiny by gambling regulators in Nevada and Massachusetts, where the company is building a roughly $2.4 billion casino just outside Boston. Regulators in Macau are also inquiring about the allegations. AP The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), along with representatives of the regions exhibition and convention industry, recently participated in the Union of International Fairs (UFI) held at the 2018 UFI Asia Pacific Conference in Kuala Lumpur. The aim of the Macau delegation was jointly to promote the advantages of exhibitions in the region, as well as to strengthen the exchange and co-operation between Macau and overseas MICE industries. Held on March 1 and 2 with its theme, New Methods, New Perspectives, the representatives from the local MICE industry networked with nearly 300 influential UFI members from Asia and elites in the international exhibition industry, IPIM noted in a statement. The delegation also introduced the advantages of Macaus MICE software and hardware facilities and the One-stop Service for MICE Bidding and Support provided by IPIM. According to the participants, the connections made at the event will reinforce the exchange and co-operation among Asia-Pacific elites of the international exhibition industry. Association members had the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in the planning, execution and management of conferences and exhibitions, specifically in regard to exhibitor recruitment, command of information technology and management of visitor flow. Held annually in different Asian countries, the UFI Asia Pacific Conference seeks to encourage the Asian exhibition sector to keep up with the latest trends in the regional and international exhibition communities. It also aims to exchange ideas with institutions dedicated to international exhibitions while promoting the image of the exhibition industry and increasing opportunities for commercial interaction. In celebration of International Womens Day yesterday, local groups organized an event to help raise funds to assist with the medical fees of a non-resident worker suffering from two kidney failures. Organizations including ManaVida and Rawlicious commemorated the annual global event, which featured activities including art, music, and lucky draws. The events aim was to raise funds for a migrant worker, Marisse Santos, who is suffering from stage 5 chronic kidney disease. Santos arrived in the city in 2014 and has been undergoing kidney dialysis treatment at Hospital Conde S. Januario three times a week. We [tried] to do this event to raise some funds for her and her surgery and also for the surgery of the person who is donating the kidney to help a bit the community that we live in, said Cintia Martins, co-founder of Mana Vida. Womens Day is a good occasion to help a specific group of women, she added. One of the organizers, Monica Mill, echoed that the event is only one of the initiatives aimed at further informing the community about Santos case. We really wanted to make a difference to somebody, one that we knew, and one that we knew would really change their [life], instead of giving as much money as we could to a big organization, we want to know where our money went, she said. Meanwhile, Santos expressed her gratitude for having the support of her fellow church mates and the community. The migrant worker expressed that she has not been feeling well during the past few days, but noted that the support of the community, whom she considers family, has been an encouragement to her. God has allowed me to be here to personally thank the people who organized this and Im just blessed to be here, said Santos, who is a mother of five. Since she suffers from an advanced stage of kidney disease, Santos has stopped working and has plans to go back to her hometown later this month. It was in 2015 when the Filipino migrant was diagnosed with Bergers disease and started dialysis in April 2017. I have not been able to work recently. I usually go to work after my dialysis, which starts at 8:30 a.m. until around 1:30 p.m., then I go to work from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., she explained. But since I havent been feeling well, I just go straight home, Santos added. Santos spends MOP10,000 per month in medical expenses as she undergoes a series of dialyses an ongoing procedure she cannot stop until a compatible donor is confirmed. Although Santos has found a donor in the Philippines, the migrant worker expressed her worries, as she, along with the donor, will have to undergo a series of medical exams to check their compatibility. Meanwhile, there are other initiatives under the Help Marisse campaign, including the Donate Your Time initiative, which allows residents to work part-time as a food and beverage server, where money they would have been paid goes to Santos surgery. The organizations have opened a Facebook page named Help Marisse Ajudar a Marisse, where netizens can be updated on relevant events. In April, ManaVida is also set to hold a series of activities that will raise funds for Santos. South Koreas president said yesterday that many critical moments still lie ahead to end the nuclear crisis despite North Koreas recent outreach to Seoul and Washington. Moon Jae-in spoke before two senior Seoul officials left for the United States to brief officials about the outcome of their recent visit to North Korea. The Seoul officials said North Korea offered talks with the United States over normalizing ties and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Seoul said the North also agreed to suspend nuclear and missile tests during such future talks. Some experts question how sincere North Korea is about its reported offers, citing what they call its track record of using past disarmament talks to wrest aid and concessions while covertly continuing its bomb program. According to the South Korean officials, North Korea said it has no reason to possess nuclear weapons if military threats against the country are removed and its security is guaranteed. Thats the same positon North Korea has long maintained to justify its nuclear program or call for the withdrawal of 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea and a halt to annual U.S.-South Korean military drills as conditions for scrapping its nuclear program. The North sees the allies drills as an invasion rehearsal. Choi Hyunsoo, spokeswoman for Seouls Defense Ministry, said the military will announce the schedule for the joint drills after the Pyeongchang Paralympics, which start Friday and run through March 18. Weve overcome one critical moment. But there are many critical moments that we still have to go through before reaching the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a permanent peace, Moon said in a meeting with church leaders. Moon still described the outcome of his envoys North Korea trip a big step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula that was possible with a strong support by the U.S. government. Its unclear whether the United States will accept the Norths reported offer for talks. President Donald Trump expressed both hope and skepticism, calling the Norths move possible progress that also may be false hope. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking Thursday during a news conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said the United States has seen potentially positive signals coming from North Korea illustrated by its talks with South Korea. Weve maintained very close communication with President Moon. They are keeping us well-informed of their meetings, he said. Were providing them input as well. He said the U.S. and North Korea were still a long ways from negotiations, and the United States needed to remain very clear-eyed and realistic. The first step is to have talks about whether to hold negotiations to have talks about talks, Tillerson said. South Korean and the U.S. plan to kick off their delayed springtime military drills next month, and how sensitively the North reacts will affect the mood of reconciliation that was revived by North Koreas participation in last months Winter Olympics held in the South. The North has responded to past joint drills by the allies with fiery rhetoric and its own weapons tests. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japans policy of pressuring North Korea does not change just because its leadership is now open to dialogue. We should not ease our stance, for instance relax sanctions, just because North Korea agreed to have a dialogue, Abe told a parliamentary session yesterday. We should not give North Korea a reward in exchange for a dialogue. China, the Norths most important ally, encouraged follow-up measures while noting the progress was in part due to the suspension of both North Korean nuclear tests and U.S.-South Korean military exercises during the Olympics. This proves that Chinas proposal of suspension for suspension was the right prescription for the problem and created basic conditions for the improvement of inter- Korean relations, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Beijing. He said North Koreas security concerns should be addressed in return for denuclearization. Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are to meet at a border village in late April, when the South Korea- U.S. drills would likely be still under way. If realized, the Moon-Kim meeting would be the rivals third-ever summit since their 1945 division. Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, AP The Government is garnering opinions from different sectors on a proposal to introduce short-term measures to improve flood control and drainage management in the Inner Harbor area. Representatives from the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA), the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, among others, have met this week with a group of small business owners from the Inner Harbor area to exchange opinions and discuss the proposed measures to control flooding in that area of the city, the DSAMA informed in a statement. The director of DSAMA, Susana Wong, explained that the government is proposing to develop a 2.13-kilometre-long flood barrier system alongside the Inner Harbour. The flood barrier system would stretch from the Maritime Training School in Barra, to the New Maritime Administration Building in Doca do Lam Mau. The proposed barrier would be 3 meters tall and able to withstand tidal waves of up to 4.8 meters tall. Tidal waves of 4.8 meters tall were considered a rare event in Macau, only occurring on average once every 20 years, officials said during the meeting. The system would include a mix of semi-permanent and fully removable flood barriers, plus reinforced concrete walls. It would also include access points to piers in the Inner Harbor, to minimize business disruption in the area. A total of 13 fixed water pumps would be installed along the flood barrier to improve drainage and prevent backflow of seawater into the citys sewerage system. As a long-term measure to prevent flooding in the Inner Harbor district, the government had proposed to build a tidal barrier at Wanzai waterway in Zhuhai Prefecture, and an overall flood control system for the tidal basin covering Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Macao. Both projects have been approved by the relevant ministries and departments of the Central Government, Susana Wong said. Such projects are expected to take several years to be implemented. In the meantime, the government is carrying out studies on how to optimize and strengthen the citys flood control and drainage systems, officials explained. JZ Buddhist mobs swept through Muslim neighborhoods in Sri Lankas central hills, destroying stores and restaurants and setting homes on fire despite a curfew, a state of emergency and a heavy deployment of security forces, residents said yesterday. In the small town of Pallekele, mobs ignored the curfew that was supposed to keep them off the streets and used gasoline bombs to burn four homes, said Mohamed Nazar. An angry crowd gathered around Nazars house around 8 p.m. Wednesday, throwing rocks and shouting, so the family turned off the lights so no one could see inside. Then a large flame came and the house caught fire, Nazar said. His father hid under a sofa as the flames took hold, but Nazar grabbed him and they ran out. Authorities eventually put out the fire, but much of his familys belongings were destroyed, he said. Many residents of the area around Kandy, the main hill town, described a series of similar attacks since the violence began early this week. The streets of most towns were all but empty except for police and soldiers. As evening began to fall yesterday, many Muslims worried that darkness could bring more attacks, and that police would do little to stop them. We cant trust the army and police. My shop has been attacked in their presence and I dont know what could happen tonight, said Mohamed Faraz, whose butcher shop was ransacked. The government ordered a state of emergency earlier this week and later shut down popular social media networks, saying they were being used to spread false rumors that led to the attacks. Technology created to bring people together is being used to pull people apart, technology minister Harin Fernando was quoted as saying by the Sri Lanka Mirror newspaper. Social media websites such as Facebook, Whatsapp and Viber have been used to destroy families, lives and private property. Some see the violence rooted in the spread of hard-line Buddhism. Sri Lanka has long faced a bitter ethnic divide between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils, fueling a decades-long civil war as Tamil militants tried to carve out their own homeland. But in the years since the war ended in 2009, a religious divide has grown, with the rise of Buddhist nationalist groups that stoke anger against the minority Muslims, saying they are stealing from Buddhist temples or desecrating them, or forcing people to convert to Islam. Muslims also own many of Sri Lankas small shops, and many Muslims suspect small-town jealousy has led to some attacks. Sinhalese are overwhelmingly Buddhists, while Tamils are mostly Hindu, Muslim and Christian. It is vital that all political leaders, religious and other community leaders condemn violence, the European Union ambassadors to Sri Lanka said in a statement Thursday, calling for urgent action against hate crimes. The violence and heavy security presence are largely limited to the islands central hills. In the capital, Colombo, and other cities and towns, there are few if any signs of trouble. Bharatha Mallawarachi, Kandy, AP The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, said earlier this week that some local organizations are interested in offering elderly care services within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. On the sidelines of a spring gathering hosted this week by the Social Welfare Bureau, Tam said cities neighboring Macau including Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen could be considered for such a scheme. Whether a senior citizen decided to live in Macau or elsewhere would not impact their welfare rights and benefits, he added. During the event, Tam said that the government plans to start offering outreach healthcare services to senior citizens in need by the end of the month. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists would be sent to publicly-sponsored elderly homes, in order to provide these services. The secretary said that providing support to the elderly, to children and to the physically challenged was a policy priority. A new health center at Ilha Verde is scheduled to open later this year, Tam said. In addition, the government plans to expand the offer of elderly care services including dementia care at health centers across the city. A bill to protect the rights and interests of senior citizens is currently being reviewed by the Legislative Assembly and is likely to be voted on later this year, he added. The world can only benefit as China marches toward irresistible national rejuvenation and assumes greater global leadership under President Xi Jinping, Chinas top diplomat said yesterday as he sought to dismiss concerns about Chinas rise while also underscoring its inevitability. From providing the most peacekeepers of any U.N. Security Council member to facilitating talks in world conflicts, the China of today should play a more active role in resolving hot issues in the region and the world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. This is not only something we should do, but what is widely expected of us. Wang spoke on the fringes of Chinas annual, largely ceremonial legislative session at a news conference, where he was asked whether Chinas recent efforts to push for peace talks in Myanmar and between Israeli and Palestinian delegations, for instance, represented a shift in its longstanding non-interference foreign policy. China remains committed to non-interference, Wang said, arguing that those in the West who are alarmed by Chinas growing clout and overseas activity are affected by bias. The development and rejuvenation of China is irresistible, Wang said. Some people in the United States believe that China therefore wants to replace the role of the U.S. in the international arena. This is a fundamental, strategic misjudgment. China and the United States can compete without necessarily being opponents, they should more be partners, he added, while warning that a possible trade war mulled by President Donald Trump would hurt the U.S. Especially in todays globalized world, a trade war is the wrong prescription, he said. Wang emphasized what he called the key role played in Chinas more pro-active foreign policy by President Xi Jinping, who is likely to remain leader indefinitely after the legislature lifts presidential term limits. Since 2012, President Xi Jinping has been the chief architect of Chinas major-country diplomacy. He was personally involved in the planning and conduct of head of state diplomacy, which by world acclaim has been brilliant, Wang said. Xi has visited 57 countries and received more than 110 foreign heads of state, Wang said, citing Xis leadership and charisma. Wang called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an eight-nation group dominated by China and Russia, to play a greater role in international diplomacy, saying it has a bounden duty to maintain peace and stability in our region and beyond. China will host the SCO summit in the port of Qingdao in June. The group also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan, and China has sought to use it to ensure security along its Central Asian border, for example, by holding joint anti-terrorism exercises. In international affairs, however, it has been a relative lightweight, and the new emphasis announced by Wang is in keeping with a Chinese push to broaden its global footprint with mega projects such as the trillion-dollar Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. On the Korean Peninsula, Wang claimed success for Chinas proposal for a dual suspension of North Korean nuclear activities in return for a halt in South Korea- U.S. war games. This proves that Chinas proposal of suspension for suspension was the right prescription for the problem and created basic conditions for the improvement of inter-Korean relations, Wang said. North Koreas security concerns should be addressed in return for a pledge to denuclearize, he said. Wang also indicated he expects more countries will cut formal ties with Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. China has been steadily increasing political, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan to force President Tsai Ing-wen to endorse its contention that the self-governing island democracy is a part of China. To establish diplomatic relations with the government of the Peoples Republic of China that is the sole legal government to represent all China and conduct normal cooperation is apparently a right choice that conforms to the tide of times, Wang said.Gerry Shih & Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, AP President Donald Trump said hes looking forward to meeting at the White House on his call to impose sweeping tariffs on imported steel and aluminum despite threats of retaliation from trading partners and calls by some Republicans for reconsideration. We have to protect & build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military, Trump said on Twitter yesterday. It was unclear if Trump expects to sign the order to establish the tariffs at the meeting, which wasnt listed on the official White House schedule. While it was earlier reported that the order was to be signed yesterday, a person familiar with the planning said it would likely be pushed back to allow more time to prepare the legal documents. The decision-making process regarding the tariffs has evolved and more changes could be made before the president formally approves them. Trump has said he could exempt some nations from the new tariffs, amid threats of retaliation from U.S. trading partners and warnings from his own party that the move will hurt American businesses and consumers. The administration will initially exclude Canada and Mexico from the tariffs, an exemption they would lose if they cant agree to an updated North American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S., White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Wednesday. Other American allies could use a similar system to ask for an exemption, he said. If Nafta talks fail, Canada and Mexico would face the same tariffs as other nations, Navarro added. Other nations have threatened reprisals, and tensions are escalating. Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, vowed a justified and necessary response to any efforts to incite a trade war. It was the Chinese governments most forcible response yet to the new tariffs. Wang, who spoke on the sidelines of the National Peoples Congress in Beijing, urged the U.S. to work with China on a mutually beneficial solution. A trade war has never been the right way to solve the problem, especially under globalization, Wang said. Such a conflict will only harm everyone and China will surely make a justified and necessary response. Trump has said hes determined to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum to protect national security. The plan has been widely criticized by Republicans, panned by corporate America, shaken global financial markets, and prompted the resignation of Trumps top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, this week. More than 100 House Republicans, led by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, urged Trump on Wednesday to reconsider broad tariffs, warning that they would cost American jobs, raise prices for consumers and hurt domestic manufacturing. Adding to the wave of criticism, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Thomas Donohue said his organization was very concerned about the potential for retaliation and a trade war. The European Union has warned it would respond with its own 25 percent tariff to hit USD3.5 billion of American goods. The bloc is targeting iconic U.S. brands produced in key Republican states on a range of consumer, agricultural and steel products, according to a list drawn up by the European Commission. Trump announced the planned tariffs on March 1, after a Commerce Department investigation found that imports of the metals pose a risk to national security. The probes were authorized under the seldom-used Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, that gives the president broad powers to impose trade restrictions on domestic security grounds. Under the Section 232 rules, Trump has until April 11 to make a decision on steel and April 19 on aluminum. MDT/Bloomberg Morocco reiterated to UN Secretary Generals Personal Envoy, Horst Kohler, its unwavering position regarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Sahara and the pertinence of the autonomy proposal as a lasting solution to the artificial dispute. Moroccos stand was reaffirmed at a bilateral meeting held in Lisbon Tuesday between Horst Kohler and a Moroccan delegation led by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. Speaking to the press, Bourita described the talks as rich and fruitful. Overall, the talks took place in an atmosphere of serenity and discussions were rich and fruitful in an atmosphere of mutual respect Bourita told reporters. He said the meeting cannot be described as negotiations but rather an event to discuss the latest development on the Sahara issue. Bourita added that the talks were an opportunity to recall the genesis of the Sahara dispute as well as the geopolitical factors that caused the artificial dispute over Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara. The bilateral talks with the UN official also tackled the Maghreb integration deadlock and the cost of the lack of a regional union in the Maghreb, he said. Morocco made it clear that no solution for the Sahara conflict can be found outside the Kingdoms sovereignty and its territorial integrity in line with Royal instructions and vision, said Bourita, adding that talks should include real stakeholders in this dispute, in an allusion to Algeria. Bourita also stressed that the UN processes in the Sahara should continue without any intervention of other regional or international organizations while avoiding the marginal issues that threaten to derail the whole process from its political character. The Moroccan delegation attending the talks also included Moroccos permanent representative to the UN Omar Hilale, President of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, Sidi Hamdi Ould Errachid, and President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region Ynja Khattat. Kohler, who invited the parties to the Sahara conflict to separate talks, held meetings in Berlin with delegations from Algeria and Mauritania, and with delegates of the Polisario. The United Nations opened negotiations between Morocco and the stakeholders to the Sahara issue in 2007, after Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the Sahara that the UN Security Council deemed as serious and credible. Several negotiation rounds were held since then, with the latest taking place outside of New York in 2012, but no progress was made. Riyadh has joined in the endorsement of self-style army Commander Khalifa Haftar, according to a rebel leader, aligned with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Hussein Zaait, a leader of Zawiya rebels in the west Tripoli, accused Saudi authorities of arresting and handing over some of his forces to Haftar at the demand of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), known as Haftars foreign pillar of support. Hussein Zaait revealed Wednesday to local TV channel Al-Nabaa he was lodging a complaint against Saudi authorities for the arrest of some key officers of his group last year during Ramadan Umrah (minor pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia, Middle East Monitor reports. Zaait said he would sue Riyadh through an international lawyer for the arrest of his comrades, adding that he himself and his brother, who were also performing the religious ritual, managed to find refuge in the Libyan consulate in Jeddah. He claimed that two of his comrades were arrested at the request of Abu Dhabi and were later handed over to Haftar, whose Libyan National Army controls the eastern part of the country and some other large swathes of the Libyan territory. Zaait added that he stayed at the consulate for eight months before being able to sneak out with the help of some Saudis. Saudi Arabia has never been publicly finger-pointed in meddling in Libyan affairs following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi who was at loggerheads with the giant Sunni kingdom. The UAE is known to be an important backbone of Haftars influence in Libya. The army commander made several trips to Abu Dhabi over the past years. Russia also supports the rogue commander who has been opposed to the GNA that he accuses of being full of Muslim Brotherhood elements. Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The researchers were inspired to study itchiness in the airway by asthma patients who reported the sensation in their lungs just prior to full-blown asthma symptoms such as wheezing. Credit: iStock Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have found previously known skin itch receptors in the airways that appear to contribute to bronchoconstriction and airway hypersensitivity, hallmarks of asthma and other respiratory disorders. The investigators' experiments in mice suggest that the receptors' activation directly aggravates airway constriction andif the same process is active in peoplemay be a promising new target for the development of drug therapies. In a report on the study, published Feb. 5 in Nature Neuroscience, researchers say the biochemical receptor, known as a G protein-coupled receptor, was present on nerve cells in the lower respiratory tracts of lab mice. "The findings give us a fuller picture of what airway reactivity looks like," says Xinzhong Dong, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. Dong said he and his team were inspired to study "itchiness" in the airway by asthma patients who reported the sensation in their lungs just prior to full-blown asthma symptoms such as wheezing. Though he has been studying the G protein-coupled receptor on the skin for many years, Dong said he had not yet looked for it in other parts of the body. Using fluorescent antibodies designed specifically to light up the receptor in mice, the investigators observed it on vagus nerves, which serve as a main biochemical connection between airway cells and the brain. To explore the effects of the receptor on the airway, the researchers used a protein called BAM8-22, which is an itch activator that specifically targets the G protein-coupled receptor, to induce a reaction. They found that mice with the G protein-coupled receptor breathed more quickly and with more effort after exposure to the receptor activator than mice lacking it, evidence that the receptors are activated before an asthma-like attack. Currently, asthma treatments such as anticholinergics target the hypersensitive nerves that connect the brain to so-called parasympathetic neurons in the smooth muscle of the airway. To investigate what, if any, role vagus neurons have in this system, Dong and his team repeated the experiments, while also activating the airway smooth muscles using acetylcholinea neurotransmitter used throughout the nervous system to activate muscles. They found that stimulation of the G protein-coupled receptor increased airway constriction more than activating the airway smooth muscles alone. The research team then infected specially bred mice carrying G protein-coupled receptors and those without the receptor with an influenza viruswhich is known to trigger asthma attacks in humans. When the researchers then administered acetylcholine to the mice through the nebulizer, they observed that mice with the G protein-coupled receptors reacted more vigorously than those with only smooth muscle reactions, and they also showed increased airway restriction compared to their counterparts without the receptor. "We know that influenza stresses the respiratory system in humans. Through this test, we saw that in mice, activating our receptor made the reaction much, much worse," says Dong. In the future, Dong hopes to identify a compound that can block the G protein-coupled receptor on vagus nerves as a means of stopping airway "itch" and curbing asthma. Explore further Researchers discover receptor that protects against allergies, asthma More information: Liang Han et al. Mrgprs on vagal sensory neurons contribute to bronchoconstriction and airway hyper-responsiveness, Nature Neuroscience (2018). Journal information: Nature Neuroscience Liang Han et al. Mrgprs on vagal sensory neurons contribute to bronchoconstriction and airway hyper-responsiveness,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0074-8 Immune system antibodies can block RSV infection and provide protection from RSV disease. This image shows how a protective human antibody (dark and light grey surface) sticks to a folded part of the RSV G protein antigen (rainbow colored blue-to-red). The new findings provide a foundation for the development of a RSV vaccine. Credit: Rebecca DuBois Medical researchers have been trying to develop a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for more than 50 years, without success. New findings by researchers at UC Santa Cruz, however, point to a promising route for designing an effective vaccine. For most people, an RSV infection is just a bad cold, but for infants and older adults it can cause serious pneumonia or bronchial inflammation. In the 1960s, a traditional vaccine based on inactivated virus was found to actually make the disease worse. More recently, clinical trials of two different vaccines based on one of the viral surface proteins (the RSV F glycoprotein) have also failed. The new study, published March 9 in Science Immunology, focused on the other major viral surface protein, the RSV G glycoprotein. Leveraging work by collaborators at Trellis Bioscience who have isolated protective human antibodies targeting the G glycoprotein, the UCSC researchers determined the atomic structure of RSV G and identified two sites on it that are targeted by protective antibodies effective against a broad range of RSV strains. Corresponding author Rebecca DuBois, assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz, said RSV G had been overlooked by vaccine researchers because initial studies found that deleting the gene for it didn't stop the virus from replicating in cell cultures. Studies in animal models, however, showed that virus lacking the G glycoprotein is significantly weakened. Crystal structures of protein complexes formed between RSV G antigen (cyan) and broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody 3D3 (light and dark grey). Credit: Fedechkin et al., Sci. Immunol. 3, eaar3534 (2018) "The G glycoprotein is actually very important," DuBois said. "It's the attachment protein that allows the virus to stick to lung cells, while the F glycoprotein promotes entry into the cell. Once the virus infects a cell and starts replicating, it makes a secreted form of the G glycoprotein that goes out and starts flipping switches on our immune cells, distorting our immune responses." This disruption of the immune response by RSV G may explain why vaccines based on RSV F have failed, she said. "You need a protective antibody response that blocks that RSV G activity, but we didn't know how antibodies target RSV G at the molecular level." In the new study, DuBois showed that these protective antibodies target a section of the protein called the central conserved domain that is the same in all strains of the virus. The researchers determined the three-dimensional atomic structures of the precise binding sites of two Trellis antibodiescrucial information for designing a vaccine that can induce the immune system to produce such protective antibodies. Video interview (with music overlay) with corresponding author Rebecca Dubois, who talks about the inspiration behind her research of a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine and the implications of her findings. Credit: Credit: Andrew Jones / UC Santa Cruz "We're really excited about the possibility of finally being able to conquer this virus, which is one of the most important childhood viruses for which we don't have a vaccine," DuBois said. In developing a vaccine based on RSV G, however, researchers would have to ensure that the vaccine lacks the viral protein's ability to disrupt the immune system. "There has been a lot of concern about making a vaccine with the G glycoprotein. We need to engineer it so that it can't subvert the immune system, while keeping its ability to elicit an effective antibody response," DuBois said. Trellis Bioscience, meanwhile, is investigating the therapeutic use of the antibodies themselves to treat infants with RSV infection and severe lung congestion, with clinical trials expected to start in early 2019. If proven effective, the demand for a vaccine that elicits protective antibodies targeting the G glycoprotein will intensify, particularly for global use, DuBois said. Explore further Why the latest shingles vaccine is more than 90 percent effective More information: S.O. Fedechkin el al., "Structures of respiratory syncytial virus G antigen bound to broadly neutralizing antibodies," Science Immunology (2018). Journal information: Science Immunology S.O. Fedechkin el al., "Structures of respiratory syncytial virus G antigen bound to broadly neutralizing antibodies,"(2018). immunology.sciencemag.org/look 6/sciimmunol.aar3534 (HealthDay)Botulinum toxin injections in surgical wound closure immediately after surgery improve facial surgery scars, according to a small study published in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Li Hu, Ph.D., M.D., from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and colleagues injected botulinum toxin type A into half of each surgical wound closure among 16 consecutive patients who underwent facial surgery between June and October 2015. At six-months post-surgery, two plastic surgeons assessed the scars independently, using the visual analogue scale and the Vancouver Scar Scale. The researchers found that, based on the 14 patients who completed the study, the visual analogue scale score and scar width measurements showed a significant improvement in appearance and narrower scars for the halves of the scars treated with botulinum toxin type A (P = 0.046 and 0.001, respectively). The mean Vancouver Scar Scale score was 4.68 for the group injected with botulinum toxin type A versus 5.24 for the control group (P = 0.15). "This study demonstrates that early post-surgical botulinum toxin injections can produce better, narrower, and flatter facial surgical scars," the authors write. Explore further 'Botox' improves appearance of facial scars in reconstructive surgery Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Cultural Barriers in the Superbug Crisis. Credit: Shutterstock Research led by the University of Oxford has revealed how the complex cultural and social environment in developing countries can complicate the use of new diagnostic technologies to fight the global superbug crisis. The research, led by Dr. Marco J Haenssgen at the CABDyN Complexity Centre and the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, involved a new finger-prick blood test (C-reactive protein) to help nurses and doctors decide whether their patients need antibiotic treatment. The superbug crisis has arisen because microbes are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and other antimicrobials. The severity of the problem has been described in a recent World Bank report entitled 'Drug-Resistant Infections: A Threat to Our Economic Future', which warns that the current trends of antimicrobial use can entail 'a reversal of the public-health gains of the past century, and the economic growth, development, and poverty reduction these gains enabled.' Among the many contributing factors to drug resistance is the unnecessary use of antibiotics for illnesses that can be cured with other medicines or treatments. New funding is being provided to solve this problem, for examples with the Fleming Fund, the Wellcome Trust, and Nesta's Longitude Prize, providing tens of millions of pounds to identify new diagnostic tests to help healthcare staff to end unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. Exploring cases in Yangon, Myanmar, and Chiang Rai, Thailand, the studies demonstrated that diagnostic tests for doctors and nurses cannot alone solve the problem of antibiotic over-prescription. The researchers found that healthcare staff generally trusted the new diagnostic technologies and used it to reassure themselves about their treatment decisions. Yet, patients' lifestyles, cultural beliefs around illness and treatment, and the vast diversity of public, private, and unregulated healthcare providers were common barriers to accessing or correctly understanding the test. Thai research team member Nutcha Charoenboon, said: 'Compared to its neighbours, Thailand is a few steps ahead in reducing antibiotic prescriptions. Healthcare workers (in our case nurses) cannot prescribe antibiotics easily because there is more and more monitoring of prescriptions on the health policy level. The test does help them to come down to the prescription limits. But there are also other factors that direct them away from the test results, for example when patients cannot afford to come back to the health centre for follow-up visits. Nurses would then rather over-prescribe antibiotics and knowingly contribute to the resistance problem than risk their patients' lives. These social realities are what makes it tricky.' Adding to this point, Yuzana Khine Zaw, a Burmese research team member and lead author of one of the articles, said: 'On the patient side, there are a whole lot of extra complexities, such as cultural ideas of how the body works. If people don't think about illness in terms of bacteria and viruses, then it's quite easy to mis-interpret the purpose of the diagnostic test. 'We saw a lot of patients who believed in it as a comprehensive blood test not only a test to decide whether they should receive an antibiotic. This could lead to patients thinking they are 'free of all disease' when there is a negative result, although this may not be the case. Furthermore, many patients may not even receive the test due to poverty and time constraints. Rather than going to clinics where the test was offered, patients were more likely to buy the much cheaper assorted yet unlabelled medicine sets from grocery shops and pharmacies (so-called "medicine cocktails") in order to feel better immediately or to avoid taking time off work.' Lead researcher, Dr. Marco J Haenssgen, said: 'This study actually reflects a lot of social research on new technologies in low- and middle-income countries. We can see how the local context affects the role of diagnostic tests, for instance in light of healthcare staff's phenomenally wide range of tactics when they decide to prescribe or not to prescribe antibiotics. A new diagnostic test will therefore always interact with existing behaviours and solutions, which can make the test perhaps more, perhaps less effective than planned depending on the context.' The research involved interviews and group discussions with 92 nurses, doctors, and fever patients in Chiang Rai and Yangon. The research was part of a larger clinical trial to test the effectiveness of the C-reactive protein test on the primary care level, for which around 2,400 adults and children participated. Professor Yoel Lubell, leader of the overall clinical trial based at the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, added: 'A medical intervention such as CRP-testing, while showing promise in the lab or in controlled environments could be used quite differently and have unintended consequences in real life settings. Social research should thus go hand-in-hand with clinical research to ensure that medical interventions introduced into routine care have the desired and intended positive impact.' Explore further Who gets unneeded antibiotics most often? More information: A comparison of patients' local conceptions of illness and medicines in the context of C-reactive protein biomarker testing in Chiang Rai and Yangon. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:1e6c 15-adcc-d8092af70f29 Journal information: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene A comparison of patients' local conceptions of illness and medicines in the context of C-reactive protein biomarker testing in Chiang Rai and Yangon. Credit: American Heart Association Patricia Nelson was leaving a restaurant after dinner last June with friends when she started hearing wind blowing in her ear before she'd even stepped outside. "I just didn't feel right," says Nelson, a stroke rehabilitation nurse. The 51-year-old from Atlanta knew something was wrong and asked her friend to drive her to the hospital. By the time they got there, Nelson's right side had gone numb. Doctors discovered she was having a hemorrhagic stroke. Most strokes are caused by a clot that cuts off blood flow to the brain. But about 13 percent are caused by a weakened blood vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the brain. These so-called hemorrhagic strokes are the deadliest and least treatable type. The focus of stroke research tends to follow the statistics, with more attention on clot-caused ischemic stroke, said neurologist Dr. Richard Benson, associate medical director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Medstar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. Just last month, however, the American Stroke Association received an $11.1 million donation from the Henrietta B. and Frederick H. Bugher Foundation to fund hemorrhagic stroke research. And in the last decade, there's been a surge of clinical studies for intracerebral hemorrhage, or ICH, the most common of the two types of hemorrhagic stroke. ICH is caused by bleeding in the brain when an artery bursts. "More money should be placed on stroke research and campaigns to educate people about the risks of stroke," Benson said. Most recently, research has focused on prevention and the immediate management of ICH. On the prevention side, high blood pressurethe most common cause of ICHgets a lot of attention. Other causes include trauma, infection, tumors, blood vessel malformations and a degenerative condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy. High blood pressure is more prevalent among African-Americans, who also are more likely to have diabetes and face higher obesity rates. All of these factors increase the risk of stroke. Nelson, who is African-American, thinks stress may have caused her blood pressure to rise without her realizing it. She didn't have any other traditional risk factors for stroke. "About two months before the stroke, I had a new job, new marriage and my car was broken into," said Nelson. Nelson's blood pressure was dangerously high at the time of her stroke: 240 over 150. A blood pressure of less than 120 over 80 is what's considered normal, according to blood pressure guidelines. Although blood in the brain can cause blood pressure to rise, Nelson's blood pressure had likely been elevated for some time prior to her stroke. "I know I'm very lucky," she said. The first few hours after bleeding begins are crucial. Within three hours, about one-third of ICH patients experience significant increased bleeding, which can cause neurological deterioration and even death. Current treatments include blood pressure management, medication and emergency surgery. Aggressive medical care helps hemorrhagic stroke patients, but there's less known about early surgical or medical treatments that decrease the rates of death and disability, said Dr. Steven Greenberg, a neurologist and director of the Hemorrhagic Stroke Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an author of the AHA's 2015 guidelines for treating ICH. The role of invasive brain surgery in sensitive ICH patients remains controversial. A 2013 study confirmed earlier findings that ICH patients don't benefit from surgery to remove hematomas to reduce bleeding and disability. Now, a trial called SWITCH is examining if surgery can reduce intracranial pressure and benefit ICH patients. Other researchers are studying minimally invasive surgery as an alternative, like in the soon-to-be-completed MISTIE trial that's examining whether minimally invasive endoscopic surgery plus a clot-dissolving drug called alteplase can safely lessen disability in ICH patients. "If we can identify those at risk and offer treatment options to reduce that risk, then we can improve outcomes," Greenberg said. Sometimes, bleeding in the brain can be caused by blood-thinning medicines and until recently, there were limited options to reverse that excessive bleeding. One of the oldest oral anticoagulants, warfarin, can be reversed with Vitamin K. But newer anticoagulants did not have a reversal agent until 2015, when a drug called idarucizumab, marketed under the brand name Praxbind, was approved in emergency situations to reverse the effects of dabigatran, a blood thinner sold under the name Pradaxa to treat conditions such as atrial fibrillation. Trials for other reversal drugs are ongoing. "We have some exciting things going on in stroke," Benson said. Explore further Birth control pills increase risk of ischemic stroke Doctors caring for severe stroke patients need to take account of their psychological needs and help prepare families for the possibility that they may not recover, a study suggests. Patients and their families experience debilitating feelings of loss and uncertainty following a major stroke that impact on their quality of life, the findings show. The results, from repeat interviews carried out over six months, also suggest that healthcare professionals should not shy away from sensitive discussions about death. The study by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow followed patients in Scotland over the course of a year following a severe form of stroke. Healthcare staff and family carers were also interviewed. More than half of the patients in the study died within six months of admission to hospital. Families reported that - despite the high risk of death - care was overly focused on physical recovery with little attention to emotional needs or preparation for death. A carer who took part in the study and whose father died from severe stroke, said: "If they had told us the magnitude of the stroke as far back as the first hospital visit we would have done things differently, rather than pushing for something that was never going to happen." As so many patients with major stroke die within six months, researchers suggest that care should reflect the possibility of death and disability. They also say that rehabilitation should incorporate principles of palliative care to address the emotional, social and spiritual - as well as the physical - needs of patients. Stroke accounts for more than six million deaths per year worldwide. The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and was funded by Chief Scientist Office, part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates. Professor Scott Murray of the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute of Population Health Science and Informatics, who led the study, said: "It is a sad fact that many people with a severe stroke die, despite excellent and speedy medical care. Whilst we hope for a good recovery, relatives and patients also should be supported in preparing for the worst to help them to focus on quality of life." Professor Gillian Mead, of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Stroke occurs suddenly and patients may face death or survival with major disability. Staff must have sensitive conversations with patients and family to find out their views and agree on which treatments are appropriate. This is an important education and training topic for everyone in the stroke team." Explore further Provide stroke patients with palliative care support minus the label It started with a Green Bay doctor's observation: his patients generally didn't mention cough-drop use when he asked about over-the-counter remedies they used. Inspired by that observation, a new study of more than 500 patients has shown that too many cough dropsespecially those containing mentholmay actually make coughs more severe. The study was conducted by the Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN), headquartered in the department of family medicine and community health at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Robert Mead, a family-medicine physician with Bellin Health, followed up his original observation by asking patients with persistent and unexplained coughs to stop using cough drops. He observed that coughs then resolved over a matter of days. "Menthol is in lots of cough drops and over-the-counter drugs," said Mead. "I was astounded by the number and frequency of cough drops patients were using. Some went through an entire bag (20) in one day! I wondered if menthol was causing 'rebound' coughs." Mead went to Dr. David Hahn, a senior scientist at WREN, a group that conducts primary-care research in partnership with primary-care clinicians. Hahn found Mead's theory intriguing and began a study. "The limited availability of evidence indicates that side effects of over-the-counter (OTC) cough drops may not be recognized," said Hahn. A 10-question survey that included age, sex, smoking, cough duration and severity, and OTC cough drop use was distributed to patients who had a cough. The patients, all over age 13, were recruited from five rural, urban and suburban primary-care clinics that are members of WREN. The study group was mostly middle-aged; two-thirds were female and the majority had never smoked. Of the 548 eligible surveys, 66 percent of those responding used cough drops. Reported duration of cough illness at the time of the clinic visit was greater in cough-drop users (12.5 days) compared with non-users (9.8 days). Cough also was more severe in cough-drop users. These results are not surprises because people with more prolonged severe symptoms are expected to seek out more relief, including from cough drops. However, Hahn did not think that people would intentionally seek out drops with higher menthol doses, so he calculated the menthol content of cough drops patients took a day and over what period and found significant correlations between cough severity and: The number of menthol drops per day The menthol dose per cough drop, and The daily menthol dose (that sometimes exceeded 100 milligramsequivalent to more than a bag of drops taken per day) Hahn suggested that studies on the possible negative side effects of menthol cough drops would be a good next step. But at the very least, primary-care providers are encouraged to ask more questions about OTC cold medications. "A history of OTC cough-drop use should be included in the clinical evaluation of a severe and/or persistent and unexplained cough," said Hahn. The study was published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Explore further Evidence scant for treatment of cough with the common cold Credit: CC0 Public Domain A key cell process that could cause damage to bile ducts and help explain some liver diseases has been identified by scientists. Experiments showed that triggering the process harms vital cells in bile ducts, while blocking the process reverses liver damage in mice. The findings could help develop new treatments for bile duct diseases, which are linked to increased risk of cancers and liver failure, researchers say. Scientists sought to better understand how disease is caused in bile ducts. Damage to the ducts - small channels running through the liver that help the body dispose of waste - can result in tissue scarring and liver failure. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh examined liver tissue donated by patients with chronic bile duct disease. They found evidence of a cell process known as senescence, which was not seen in healthy people. Senescence - when aged cells no longer undergo natural division - has an important role in the normal function of the body. However, the research shows that senescence also contributes to disease, preventing repair of damaged bile ducts caused by wear and tear, leading to liver failure. Tests in mice found that inducing senescence in bile duct cells - mimicking the process seen in human bile duct disease - led to liver scarring and damage of liver function. Blocking chemical messages sent out by cells during senescence restored liver function in mice, pointing towards new treatment targets. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). Professor Stuart Forbes, Director of the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said "Bile duct disease has been poorly understood and this has severely hampered the development of effective treatment. This work takes meaningful steps towards understanding this debilitating disease, identifying a potential target for future therapies." Explore further Artificial bile ducts grown in lab, transplanted into mice could help treat liver disease More information: Sofia Ferreira-Gonzalez et al, Paracrine cellular senescence exacerbates biliary injury and impairs regeneration, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Sofia Ferreira-Gonzalez et al, Paracrine cellular senescence exacerbates biliary injury and impairs regeneration,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03299-5 Credit: Mayo Clinic New Mayo Clinic research suggests up to 97 percent of patients are comfortable with their health care provider asking sexual orientation and gender identity questions. Before this research, it was unclear if the questions - which researchers say are important to reduce health disparities among LGBTI patients - would offend patients. The findings were published today in Health Services Research. "Our results should help ease the concerns of providers who want to deliver the highest-quality care for their patients but may not ask sexual orientation or gender identity questions for fear of distressing or offending their patients," says Joan Griffin, Ph.D., a health services researcher at Mayo Clinic who is a co-author. Dr. Griffin is the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Scientific Director for Care Experience at Mayo Clinic. Although multiple governmental reports have recommended asking these questions, there was little evidence about patient acceptance of these questions, the researchers say. Why is this research important? Sexual and gender minorities are at an increased risk for a number of health threats, including higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use, and psychological distress. They are also less likely to seek medical care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, to decrease health inequities for these patients, health care providers first need to identify them. Previous research showed many health care providers assumed sexual orientation and gender identity questions would offend patients. "In previous studies, there was more concern from health care providers about using the questions, but nobody had asked patients about their thoughts," Dr. Griffin says. "Therefore, we were not sure what to expect from patients, but we were not surprised that patients were less concerned about the questions than the providers in other studies thought they would be." Patients will receive the questions at Mayo Clinic as it switches to a single, integrated electronic health record and billing system. The system was implemented across Mayo Clinic Health System in 2017 and is scheduled to launch on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus in May, and on Mayo Clinic's Arizona and Florida campuses in October. "At Mayo Clinic, the needs of the patient come first. These questions will help Mayo Clinic identify the unique, unmet needs of LGBTI patients and highlight that equitable care for all people is a top priority," Dr. Griffin says. The questions The researchers conducted the study at three Mayo Clinic sites in Minnesota between June 29, 2015, and Feb. 29, 2016. The sites were chosen for their diversity in patient populations. One site is a women's health clinic serving local, regional and national patients. Another serves regional and national patients 65 and older. And the third site is in a rural community of less than 10,000 people. They gave 491 new patients routine intake forms, or intake forms with sexual orientation and gender identity questions. Both groups received feedback forms that inquired about the intake questions. Responses between the two groups then were compared. Mayo Clinic's new sexual orientation and gender identity questions are: What sex were you assigned at birth on your original birth certificate? (male, female or choose not to answer) What is your current gender identity? (male, female, female-to-male/transgender male/trans man, male-to-female/transgender female/trans woman, gender queer/neither exclusively male nor female, additional gender category/other [describe] or choose not to answer) Do you think of yourself as ... (lesbian/gay/homosexual, straight/heterosexual, bisexual, something else [describe], don't know or choose not to answer) What is your preferred gender pronoun? (he/him, she/her, something else [describe] or choose not to answer) Implementing in medical practice The researchers say that, while their study looked at multiple patient populations, more research may be needed to capture other concerns. "These findings may generalize to relatively similar areas in the country, especially the Midwest, but there may be differences in other regions in the U.S. or by cultural groups that we did not capture in our sample," Dr. Griffin says. As institutions adopt sexual orientation and gender identity questions, a simple explanation of why the information is being collected may increase patient participation, the researchers suggest. Patients also may benefit from being reminded of their health care institution's nondiscrimination and confidentiality policies, they say. Explore further Just ask: Documenting sexual orientation and gender identity among transgender patients An educational session on opioid abuse and new prescription guidelines led to a 45 percent decrease in opioids prescribed after hand surgery, according to a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The educational session was mandatory for all HSS staff involved in prescribing controlled substances. The hospital also conducted extensive research to develop guidelines for opioid prescription. The study, "Opioid Prescriber Education and Guidelines Decrease Opioids Prescribed after Ambulatory Hand Surgery," was presented today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in New Orleans. "Prescription opioid misuse is an epidemic in the United States with almost 2 million Americans having abused prescription opioid medication. It's now the leading cause of death in adults under 50," said Daniel Osei, MD, a hand surgeon at HSS and senior investigator. "Recent studies demonstrate a consistent over-prescription of opioid medications nationwide. As physicians, we always strive to provide adequate pain control for our patients. But we are also increasingly aware that when there are excess amounts of unused medication, it can be diverted to uses other than treating pain." Currently, there is no national standardized prescriber education course or postoperative opioid guidelines for ambulatory hand surgery. However, prescriber education previously has been shown to decrease over-prescription on a small scale. The HSS researchers set out to evaluate the effect of the education session and the hospital's new opioid guidelines on physician prescribing practices after ambulatory hand surgery. HSS mandated a one- to two-hour education program in November 2016 for all employees qualified to prescribe controlled substances. The hospital also formulated prescribing guidelines after an extensive review of the medical literature on the amount of pain medication commonly needed after hand surgery. The new guidelines, which recommended a specific number of pills based on the type of hand surgery performed, were disseminated to staff in February 2017. To see if there was a change in prescribing practices, investigators reviewed postoperative opioid prescriptions for patients who underwent ambulatory hand surgery in the two months prior to the mandatory education session; in the two months following physician education; and during the two-month period that followed the dissemination of prescribing guidelines. A total of 731 ambulatory hand surgeries with postoperative opioid prescriptions for patients were included in the study. All three time periods had a similar ratio of surgery types. Researchers found a 45 percent reduction in opioids prescribed after the education session and distribution of guidelines. "It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this study. A 45 percent reduction is a huge amount and demonstrates the success of the program in reducing the amount of prescribed narcotics," said Dr. Osei. "Our results suggest that similar standardized education and prescribing guidelines on a national level could reduce the amount of opioids prescribed after ambulatory hand surgery nationwide." The next step for Dr. Osei and his colleagues at HSS will be an analysis of how well the prescribing practices worked in terms of pain control and patient satisfaction for those in the study. He noted that among his own patients, he did not notice an increase in requests for more pain medication. Explore further Opioid crisis affects children and teens too Illustration of a typical coronary artery bypass surgery. A vein from the leg is removed and grafted to the coronary artery to bypass a blockage. Credit: Blausen Medical Communications, Inc Women have conventionally been considered a risk factor for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a type of open-heart surgery that improves blood flow to the heart. But a research paper by an international team of researchers, including two cardiologists at the University of California, Riverside, argues that sex should not influence treatment decisions about CABG. Investigating the association of sex and the long-term benefit of CABG in male and female patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction enrolled in the STICH trial (Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure Study), the largest surgical trial testing medical therapy versus CABG in ischemic diseases affecting the heart muscles, the researchers found that sex is not associated with the effect of CABG on mortality due to all causes, cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular hospitalization, or surgical deaths in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction. "Despite worse risk factors, women fared better than men in our study," said Dr. Ramdas G. Pai, a professor of cardiology at the UCR School of Medicine and a coauthor on the study published in Circulation and led by Dr. Ileana L. Pina of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "The surgical complications were similar in both men and women. This refutes the prevailing myth that women do worse than men when they need CABG and must, therefore, be denied surgery." The study involved 1,212 patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction, of which 148 were women. Roughly half the men and women were randomly selected and given CABG and medical therapy (MED); the rest were given MED alone. The researchers then compared the long-term (10-year) outcomes with each treatment according to sex. "We wanted to explore the following questions in these patients: Is surgery beneficial? Should you take just medication? Or should that be supplemented by surgery?" said Pai, who chairs the Division of Clinical Sciences and Department of Internal Medicine. "We found that surgery was a far superior option for both men and women. Despite women having higher risk profile for heart disease than men, women do not have a higher surgical risk. Indeed, after 10 years of follow-up, women had better survival with surgery, with significantly lower rates of long-term all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality than men. Therefore, sex should not influence their treatment decisions where CABG is concerned." Generally, women are underrepresented in clinical trials. Data based on predominantly male subjects in cardiovascular clinical trials have been extrapolated to women. Coronary heart disease, widely seen as a problem for men, resulted in women being understudied, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. "We all need to recognize that the female heart is vulnerable to coronary heart disease and that appropriate intervention, such as CABG, has the potential to delay or avert coronary events," Pai said. "Even when coronary heart disease signs are present, women often do not get medical attention. And when they get medical attention, their physicians may not consider them for surgery. Physicians should consider them to be appropriate surgical candidates." Explore further CABG may be best for patients with DM, LV dysfunction In general, women regret short-term sexual encounters like one-night stands more than men do. But various factors determine whether and how much they regret them. "The factor that clearly distinguishes women from men is the extent to which they themselves take the initiative," says Mons Bendixen, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Initiative is the clearest gender-differentiating factor for regret after casual sex, although other conditions also affect how much an individual regrets the encounter. In contrast to women, sexual regret for men is not affected by whether they take the initiative. "Women who take the initiative see the man as an attractive sexual partner," says Professor Leif Edvard Ottesen Kennair, also at NTNU's Department of Psychology. Less reason to feel regret Bendixen and Kennair collaborated with Ph.D. candidate Joy P. Wyckoff and Professor David M. Buss at the University of Texas at Austin and with Buss's former Ph.D. candidate Kelly Asao, now a lecturer at the Institute of Social Neuroscience in Melbourne. "Women who initiate sex are likely to have at least two distinguishing qualities," says Professor David Buss. "First, they are likely to have a healthy sexual psychology, being maximally comfortable with their own sexuality. Second, women who initiate have maximum choice of precisely who they want to have sex with. Consequently, they have less reason to feel regret, since they've made their own choice." "Regret is a highly unpleasant emotion, and our findings suggest that having control over their decision to engage in sex buffered women from experiencing regret. These results are another reminder of the importance of women's ability to make autonomous decisions regarding their sexual behaviors," says Wyckoff. Quality matters Men regret casual sex much less overall than women do, although it does happen. But several individual factors play an important role in women's regret. "Women feel less regret if the partner was skilled and they felt sexually satisfied," says Kennair. Bendixen points out that these effects are not as strong in men. "Women have less regret if the sex was good. For men, this also plays a less important role. The underlying causes are biological," Bendixen said. The higher-investing sex faces larger repercussions of mating decisions than the lower investing sex. Women have a higher minimum obligatory parental investment (e.g., 9 months internal gestation) than men. So, women's regret should be more closely tied to the quality of their sex partner than men's. "For women, sexual skill might be a cue to high male quality," says Kelly Asao. In short, women may profit more from high quality in their sexual partners than men do. Bendixen and Kennair, in collaboration with David Buss and his research team in Texas, have been looking at what people think of their own and others' sexuality for the last several years, and whether they regret having had casual sex and why. This study adds several factors that can explain responses to casual sex. This time, the researchers also asked study participants if they took the initiative for the sex act, if they felt pressured to have sex and whether the partner was skilled or sexually competent. Participants were also asked if they experienced disgust. Disgust Women also feel disgust more often than men after a short-term sexual encounter. This is a key factor in whether or not they feel regret. "The feeling of disgust or revulsion is the single factor that best explained why women and men regretted the last time they had casual sex when we controlled for all other factors," says Bendixen. People may feel disgust because they feel moral regret, but also if the act is unhygienic or if the sex itself was perceived as gross. The impact of disgust was strong for both sexes and among both the Norwegian and the American student participants. "Sexual disgust is an important adaptive emotion," says Buss. "It functions to help people avoid, now or in the future, potential sex partners who are either low in mate value or who carry some risk of sexually transmitted infections." Same in the United States and Norway The basic data consists of responses from 547 Norwegian and 216 American students. The nationality and possible cultural aspects of the responses seem to play a lesser role, if any. A larger proportion of Norwegian participants had casual sex than the Americans, but the patterns are the same, and the responses differed little in their reasons for regret and to what degree women and men feel any regret at all. "It's interesting thatdespite clear gender and cultural differences in the levels of concern, pressure, disgust, how good the sex was, the partner's sexual competence and initiativeclear similarities existed between the groups in how these factors affected the degree of sexual regret," says Bendixen. "With the exception of initiative-taking, it seems that the mechanisms for sexual regret are only minimally affected by whether you're a woman or a man, or whether you're a Norwegian or an American student," says Kenner. A significant aspect of the latest findings is that the researchers obtained the same results as they had done in previous studies. Psychology is among the fields of study that have been criticized for not obtaining results that can be repeated in later studies. But Kennair and Bendixen have now done this. "By studying the same phenomenon that's based on clear theory, in several rounds, from different angles, and especially in different cultures, we can develop a theory-based cumulative science. The findings are simply more credible when we find out the same thing over several rounds," Kennair says. Explore further Religious individuals regret having casual sex only slightly more More information: Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair et al, Why do women regret casual sex more than men do?, Personality and Individual Differences (2018). Journal information: Personality and Individual Differences Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair et al, Why do women regret casual sex more than men do?,(2018). DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.01.044 In his newest blog post, On Lawrence Krauss, BuzzFeed, And #MeToo, Tommaso Dorigo cited me twice and he probably expects me to cite him, too. ;-) So as you can see, I cited him. But I did not cite him back because it's wrong to mutually cite each other. He discusses the women's complaints that they've been sexually attacked or led to uncomfortable situations by famous men, especially cosmologist Lawrence Krauss. To introduce himself, Tommaso brags that he once analyzed the clothes and underwear of a hot babe named Lisa Randall. You must have read these tedious analyses many times because the Washington Post and all the mainstream media have been repeating Dorigo's views on Randall's underwear for years. In the new blog post, Dorigo prefers the freedom of speech over excessively strong regulations on the sexual misconduct; and he wants you not to see things as black and white. I surely agree. Dorigo is the Italian man who went to Malta and, when facing an attractive waitress, he demanded t*o f**k on the table. She replied that everybody wanted to f**k on the table. But you know, when you compare guys like Dorigo (or me, for that matter), there is a difference from the likes of Lawrence Krauss: Dorigo is mostly talking and writing while Lawrence Krauss is acting. If you're at least slightly sensible, you will surely agree that Krauss is a different league. I sincerely hope but I am not sure that Tommaso is sensible in this sense and understands that the accusations against Krauss are ultimately somewhat more serious than Krauss' joke about the Queen and Krauss' nipples. Buzzfeed has presented Krauss as a predator who has basically tried to rape several young ladies if I have to avoid the term "girls" before they overpowered him using a combination of tools. Krauss has tried to defend himself against the claims and you're expected to decide for yourself whether he has succeeded. What's going on? First, who is Lawrence Krauss? Lawrence Krauss is a very good, old-fashioned cosmologist who basically predicted the discovery of the positive cosmological constant in the mid 1990s the discovery was made in the late 1990s. So he understood the state-of-the-art cosmology really well, and I think he still does, although I wouldn't claim he's quite on the same level of expertise as Stanford's string cosmologists, for example.But he has made some simple enough contributions that were rather clearly more important than the contributions of many brilliant string cosmologists.After 2000, he began to rebrand himself as a celebrity. His book about Physics of Star Trek was a good starting point. He turned himself into a Richard Dawkins-style professional atheist and together with Richard Dawkins, they actually went on tours all over the world to wrestle God. He's been a key man in some anti-creationist institute and also joined the despicable alarmist "scientists" who constantly adjust the clock to tell you that it's 5 minutes or 2 minutes before the apocalypse There are dozens of TRF blog posts about Krauss. His criticism of the research of string theory or a theory of everything is garbage that is just infinitesimally better than the whining by the main canonical prototypes of Smoits. In 2014, he visited a film festival in Olomouc, Moravia, Czechia, and was treated as a true hero. Much of what he said (he was also interviewed by the Czech Public TV) was great and many accolades were deserved, something was rubbish.I've met him several times. I remember a colloquium about religion he once gave at Harvard. The whole event was framed so that the religious people had to feel welcome I don't know whether it was by his design or the design of the hosts. It looked bizarre to me. Believers are treated as garbage by many semi-institutionalized groups of extreme leftists but during that lecture, they were treated as snowflakes. But there was one detail that is relevant here and that I couldn't forget in those 15 years or so. Krauss said that "he thought that he was a very attractive man". So he reiterated my impression that beauty is often a very subjective quantity and people's perception of it is only weakly correlated with the reality. Couldn't those Case Reserve and Arizona universities buy a mirror for him?Well, I believe he's a textbook example of the man who thinks about "it" every 50 seconds. And even though I think that this excessive libido was the main cause of his misguided self-evaluation, I think there's really nothing to be jealous of. So my pre-existing impressions lead me to believe that the young women's testimonies, or least some of them, could be accurate. At the same moment, I don't have any hard evidence and the presumption of innocence seems crucial to me. Arizona State University has suspended Mr Krauss and placed him in a male chastity (which prevents him from entering the campus) but it's a paid leave so don't worry he won't have the cash to invite girls to hotels now; other organizations have cut ties with him. In the absence of evidence, I could understand this "presumption of guilt" treatment against a priest or a politician but not a bricklayer or a cosmologist.Lots of the controversy about his alleged attacks is about the denial and different interpretation of the events and of the denials. So a former girl claims to have been attacked in the hotel room, he was pushing her and her crotch towards the furniture in an effort to initiate rape. Another one's breasts were played with. Krauss denies it. On the other hand, Krauss claims that his former employers have agreed that the accusations have been debunked. The employers deny this claim by Krauss about their denial, and so on, and so on.There are lots of important details of the events in that hotel room and several other events (in some of them, Krauss' wife was accused of helping Krauss while he was performing the sexual attack) that we will almost certainly remain uncertain about if we keep our honesty. But you know, I would say that if there aren't detectable physical implications or traces of that alleged sexual misconduct, the hype is mostly a pile of rubbish just like the so-called MeToo movement in general.Alleged psychological harm is much less tangible and much less trustworthy. And in average, I think that a woman who is attracting men feels better, and not worse, than a woman who is not attracting men, and as long as she is able to preserve her basic physical integrity, marital status, and the freedom for tomorrow, things are just OK. A woman can feel great with the right man. But I think she can also feel well, in a different way, if she can refuse a man who is not right. And the Western civilization generally gives this power to the women (and men).In the BuzzFeed story, we read that Ms Melody Hensley was clearly a fan of Lawrence Krauss an anti-religious hero in her eyes. (If your first name is Melody, you shouldn't be surprised when men who consider themselves playboys want to play you. To be in charge of the situation, she should have changed her name to Valkyrie or at least Borivoj.) She wanted to be close enough to him. One could argue that the beginning of the article contains evidence that she was obsessed with him, or perhaps in love for him, and for this reason, it would already be very misleading to claim that the relationship was one-sided and only Krauss had a crush on her.For some reason, she ended up in the hotel room with Lawrence Krauss. I believe that Krauss is straight well, he may have similar preferences as Jeffrey Epstein whom Krauss defended when the generous philanthropist was in trouble (Do you know what's the name of the sexual deviation when middle-aged and older men find 17-year-old girls attractive? It's called heterosexuality!) but I would still be afraid of being in the same hotel room with Lawrence Krauss! ;-) OK, so Krauss has probably evaluated in some way that could look sensible to me if I knew the hypothetical details that she was keen on him and started to do certain reciprocal steps. But the two people lost their synchronization of consensus at some moment, or Ms Hensley has at least retroactively rewritten the history of consensus so that they became desynchronized.It's complicated but I am sure that the society simply shouldn't introduce punishments for crimes whose occurrence unavoidably remains a matter of an untestable subjective opinion. If one can't objectively enough prove that the person A did something harmful to person B, A simply shouldn't be punished. When a woman claims that the way how a man checked her out was creepy or psychologically distressful, it's a claim that may have some substance that the woman is really well aware of. But it's equally plausible that it's just some bizarre, overhyped interpretation of mundane enough facts and it may be completely fabricated with the intent to destroy the man.The society shouldn't introduce "crimes" that could be abused this easily.When a woman really feels that the way how a man talks to her or looks at her or touches her is both uncomfortable and involving a sex attack or a preparation for it, she should make it clear. "Dear Dr Krauss, I may be wrong but it seems to me that you're preparing to rape me. Could you please stop?" And I think he will just stop. And if he's just too horny on that moment and he doesn't, then you will have a rather convincing story implying that the famous atheist has raped you. If a woman doesn't say (or do) anything that is at least remotely quasi-equivalent to the sentence starting with "Dear" (in particular, if she doesn't even say "No"), then the claim that she was OK with the events seems defensible.The laws make it clear that the woman has the right to defend herself against unwelcome romantic interactions. So she has the right to say "No". And she often has the protection against punishments for this "No". So she should trust the laws and the system. If she later says that she didn't say "No" because the man was too powerful, I think she's just bullsiting. Men may be powerful but in countries with the rule of law, the laws, courts, and judges are even more powerful and they would clearly be on the woman's side. In recent years, they're often "too much" on her side. In particular, almost all the unraped women claiming to be #MeToo are just promoting creative hostile interpretations of relatively mundane facts.The tiny, homeopathic acts that are sometimes considered sexual misconduct are particularly shocking if you compare them with the true, violent, sexually powered attacks by the Muslim men something that is propagating in Europe. In Sweden, a judge has employed the Sharia Law for the first time. Am Iraqi Muslim man was acquitted after he pushed his wife against furniture, pulled her hair, and hit her face with a shoe. The Sharia Law says that the man has done the right thing because she had "lowly parentage" ;-) and the Swedish court system has enriched itself with this imported argumentation.Yesterday, an Afghani man stabbed several people in Vienna. It also looked like a crime but the Austrian police has explained that the criminal character of the event was an illusion. In fact, the man stabbed the people because he was in a bad mood so things are OK now. The Sharia Law says that a Muslim who is in a bad mood and every Muslim must be in a bad mood when surrounded by infidels may and should stab the people. And even institutions in the relatively anti-immigration Austria are gradually importing this "logic", too. Fourth-wave feminism (that was around since 2012 and lived in the social media) is gradually being superseded by fifth-wave feminism. Fifth-wave feminists are going to be defined as women who are employed as Muslim men's punching bags and rugs.It's the contrast the defense of the two vastly different systems of rules by pretty much the same extreme leftists that is so shocking to me. The Western men can't even look at 99% of the cross section of a woman while the Muslim immigrants can freely commit any medieval monstrosities you can think of and no one can even criticize them or propose policies to tame their behavior or lower the rate by which the number of these men goes up. And the same "progressive" fanatically impose both of these very different rules.To summarize, I don't know what has exactly happened. For some reasons, I don't think that Krauss is a Gentleman. However, what has happened to those women could have been reasonably expected and there were reasons to think that this is approximately what they or at least some of them wanted. Men are naturally the more active side of these interactions. It has to be so. And nations where the Western men will be stigmatized for 1% of the controversial acts that are tolerated when they're done by the Muslim immigrants will be nations on their path to cultural if not physical suicide.The BuzzFeed article also tells us that the movement of the left-wing atheist activists is basically splitting to two antagonistic camps: those who are full of the toxic identity politics; and those like Dr Krauss who are uncontrollably horny on top of that. ;-) The National Science Foundation will now require the principal investigators to write daily reports about the whereabouts of their dick if they have one. Armenia-Russia cooperation agreement signed Deputy PM: Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan trilateral platform discusses issues I have spoken about many times Armenia PM spokesperson: No contacts taken place so far with Turkey 20 Turkey citizens seek asylum in Armenia in past 3 years Russia deputy PM: Issue of corridors not being discussed Armenia deputy PM: Unblocking of roads will have positive effect Azerbaijan FM heads for US Iran sending sizeable military forces to Azerbaijan border 8 dead after shooting at Russia university 342 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia opposition MP: No security mechanisms on Goris-Kapan motorway to prevent abducting, getting lost Yerevan hosting Armenian Business Forum 2021 Australia PM says France submarine deal not in his countrys interest Half of Earth's coral reefs die out in last 70 years World oil prices falling Firefighting resumes at Armenia national park Over 70% of ballots counted in Russia State Duma elections Largest Armenia flag to be installed in Yeraskh village of Ararat Province (PHOTOS) Azerbaijan returns 2 Armenia citizens Women protest in Kabul in defense of their rights Russia elections over Those apprehended outside jewelry center in Yerevan are tourists from Iran, not Turks or Azerbaijanis Frances Macron cancels Swiss counterparts visit Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president Yerkir.am: 2 Turks or Azerbaijanis apprehended outside jewelry center in Yerevan Details of Iran nuclear physicists assassination by Israel intelligence are disclosed France MFA announces crisis in US relations UK lawmakers accuse Johnson of more casual approach to national security Goris city deputy mayor: Azerbaijan military hit Armenian young man with handheld transceiver antenna Khatibzadeh: Iran hopes Iranian truckers detained by Azeris in Armenia's Syunik will be released immediately Turkeys Erdogan: Georgia premier conveyed Armenia PMs proposal to hold meeting Australia plans to soon buy or lease submarines from US or UK Protest being staged outside Armenia government building Armenia ombudsman: National Security Service taking active measures to have our compatriots returned Colorado killer sentenced to 1,282 years, in addition to life in prison Armenia village mayor: Those who ended up in Azerbaijan-controlled territory are 20-, 21-year-old boys Kazakhstan, Belarus to arm CSTO Cement plant opens in Artsakh Goris deputy mayor on probability of Armenia residents ending up in Azerbaijan: 4 people, they disappeared by car Armenia National Security Service: 2 residents end up in Azerbaijan-controlled territory Islamic State claims responsibility for Syria natural gas pipeline attack 507 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Final day of elections in progress in Russia Birds dying en masse in New York Armenia parliament to hold hearings on September 22 Drone mistakenly drops package of drugs into US schoolyard Researchers uncover risk of mutated coronavirus 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 Following meetings with the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), two Members of Parliament in Australias largest state of New South Wales (NSW), Jonathan ODea of the Liberal Government and Hugh McDermott of the Labor Opposition, rose in the Legislative Assembly to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Sumgait Massacres. On Tuesday, 6th March 2018, the Chair of the NSW Armenia-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group, Jonathan ODea began by congratulating the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia (AYF-AU) many of whom are constituents in his electorate of Davidson for donating blood to the Red Cross in memory of the 38 soldiers, who died as a result of Azerbaijani conflict in the previous year. The blood donations saved lives in Australia and honoured the memory of the community's brothers and sisters in Artsakh, O'Dea said. ODea continued by recalling the dire situation the Armenians of Artsakh faced under prospect of continued Azeri rule. He added: Historically a part of Armenia, Artsakh declared its independence around the same time that most countries in the old Soviet Union were declaring independence, fearing they would not survive if they continued under Azeri rule as Stalin had determined. These fears were well placed. Last week, on 27 February, marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Sumgait Massacres, when 200 Armenians died essentially because of their resolve to exercise a right to self-determination. ODea stressed the importance of recognising these historical crimes, noting the ongoing violence that has resulted from the absence of justice for the victims of these crimes against humanity. Hugh McDermott followed ODea, recalling that in 2012 the NSW Parliament recognised the right to self-determination for the Armenian people in the Republic of Artsakh. Sadly, the shellings continue and are causing ongoing deaths, despite an internationally brokered ceasefire involving both Azerbaijan and Armenia, McDermott said. McDermott, Member for Prospect, urged both domestic parliaments and international human rights organisations condemn the genocidal acts committed against the Armenians of Azerbaijan. He added: The Azeris responded to this desire for the Artsakh Armenians' rights of determination with brutal force. Pogroms were organised and massacres of women, children and young men occurred. On 27 February 2018 the Armenian-Australian community joined the rest of the Free World in condemning the thirtieth anniversary of the Sumgait Massacres of 1988, when rampaging criminal mobs looted Armenian homes and hunted for Armenians. It is estimated that the official death toll was more than 200; however, thousands more fled or were deported. McDermott went on to praise the bravery of the Armenians of Artsakh in exercising their right to self-determination, reiterating his support for the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh. The Armeniansmen, women and childrenfought back heroically to protect their historic motherland. Eventuallyamongst a flurry of referendums by countries, including Armenia and Azerbaijanbreaking away from the Soviet Union, the Armenians of Artsakh exercised their right to self-determination, McDermott continued. They sought freedom and democracy. They held a referendum and declared independence, with more than 98 per cent voting for the republic, which was recently renamed to its historical title of the Republic of Artsakh. This independence has been recognised by New South Wales, and I stand proudly in support of that and recognise the Republic of Artsakh. Ultimately, the atrocities committed in the city of Sumgait 30 years ago reignited the memory of the atrocities committed in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire. ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian thanked O'Dea and McDermott for their statements. For Armenian-Australians, Artsakh is part of the motherland our ancestors were forced to surrender, and the Sumgait Massacres were an extension of the same genocidal policy of trying to prevent Armenians from living and thriving on land that was always theirs, said Kayserian. The situation when a woman can feel her independent and protected much depends on whether she is employed and whether she has an interesting job to feel happy and self-confident. The main problems that women often face in Armenia are unemployment and lack of knowledge about their rights. This usually leads to violation of their rights and gender-based violence. In its cooperation with Armenia, the EU is trying to help for the strengthening women in business, providing opportunities for quality education. Several EU projects are targeted at the development of women entrepreneurs, providing an opportunity for young women to get education in Europe and to come back to Armenia to use their knowledge for the benefit of Armenia. The EU supports women entrepreneurs in Armenia through the Women in Business programme, which is implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Support provided by the programme includes business advice, training and mentoring to women-led companies. One of the directions of these programs is providing assistance to women in rural communities. Among them, for example, are six modern dried fruit and herb-production facilities that have been established in the communities of Arevshat, Aragatsavan, Katnaghbyur, Byurakan, Dprabak and Geghard. In addition to business and job opportunities, the European Union is providing opportunities for the international education. Armenia was provided with more than 6.5 million in funding for student and staff exchanges under Erasmus+ in 2015-2017. Besides, the EU has set a 75% target to support young women under the EU4Youth programme that runs until 2020. One of the beneficiaries of new EU-finded Advancing Gender Equality and the Rights of Survivors program is 41-year-old Marine. Six years ago she divorced due to psychological and physical abuse that she endured for many years, and her seven children left. Marine first joined the business development and job development courses that the program offered, along with one month of vocational training, and then was able to write a business plan that was selected for funding. Now she is running a small business of homemade baked goods. Since its launch in January 2015, the two-year project has helped 230 survivors of gender-based violence gain increased employability, small business skills, and establish small businesses. YEREVAN. Every young person in Europe should have the opportunity to study in a country and in a university he wants, and no artificial barriers and obstacles should stop him, president of AEGEE-Europe Loes Rutten told Armenian News-NEWS.am. AEGEE-Europe, non-government organization bringing together the students of Europe, is holding the European Planning Meeting 2018 in Yerevan these days. The idea of Europe without borders which will be discussed during the event is the concept of equal opportunities for people in Europe, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, social status etc. As noted by Loes Rutten Loes Rutten, the displacement between European countries is more difficult for some people than for others. Moreover, in addition to geographical borders, there are many other obstacles preventing young people from different countries from interacting and receiving education in other countries, so that later, after returning to their homeland, they could use their experience for the development of their native country. AEGEE-Europe is condiment the young people have to communicate and to get acquainted with the views and approaches of each other. All this will contribute to more effective interaction between nations Representative of AEGEE-Yerevan Armine Sahakyan said today the students from Armenia who have entered European universities often face a number of problems, for example, they can simply be declined an entry visa without explaining the reasons . Moreover, in order to go to an international conference to another country, an Armenian student often has to collect documents for the embassy during a month. There are no such problems either in European countries or in neighboring Georgia. Its time for us to solve this issue, Armine Sahakyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Talking to reporters, Armenias education minister Levon Mkrtchyan said many Armenian students leave to study in other countries thanks to Erasmus programme. However, the so-called internal academic mobility, still remains a problem: young people, as a rule, cannot move from one local university to another. The European Planning Conference, which brought together about 200 young people from 25 European countries, is for the first time held in Yerevan. According to the representatives of the Armenian office of AEGEE, this is an excellent opportunity to show Armenia to the European youth, to make them interested in this country, and to exchange experience with them. It is also planned to discuss AEGEE activities for the next year and finalize a communique to make the voice of youth heard in a number of official departments. ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump has agreed to a high-stakes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by this May on his nuclear weapons program, South Korea's national security adviser announced at the White House Thursday evening. He had briefed the president on a message from Kim earlier in the day. The White House said afterward that Trump "will accept the invitation," and the president tweeted, "Great progress being made ..." South Korea's envoy Chung Eui-Yong said, in his recent talks with Kim, the North Korean leader had expressed an eagerness to meet with Trump as soon as possible. Chung said that Kim told him he was committed to denuclearization, would refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests, and had agreed that U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises the North objects to must continue. "I explained to President Trump that his leadership and his maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture. I expressed President Moon Jae-ins personal gratitude for President Trumps leadership," he said, referring to South Korea's president. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement shortly afterward from the U.S. side saying, "President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon. He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. Later Thursday evening, Trump tweeted: "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" A senior administration official told reporters the president deserves credit for the dramatic developments. I think that history speaks for itself," the official said, adding "as President Moon expressed, he believes that were at this juncture precisely because of the approach President Trump has taken with maximum pressure. President Trump has made his reputation on making deals and Kim Jong Un is the one person who is able to make decisions under their ... totalitarian system and so it makes sense to accept an invitation to meet with the one person who can actually make decisions instead of repeating this sort of long slog of the past. "At this point, we're not even talking about negotiations. What we're talking about is an invitation by the leader of North Korea to meet face-to-face with the president of the United States. The president has accepted that invitation," the official said. The official said the president "has always left the door open to dialogue" at the right time, adding that the message from South Korea's national security adviser was conveyed orally to the president after Kim Jong Un conveyed the message to South Korea's national security adviser during their meetings. "There was not a letter," the official said. "This was a message conveyed orally by Kim Jong Un to the national security advisor of South Korea during the several hours of meetings just a couple days ago in Pyongyang and Ambassador Chung, who is the national security advisor, then conveyed to the president today in the Oval Office." "Part of that message was a commitment to denuclearize," the official said. "It was also a commitment to refrain from testing nuclear weapons or missiles and it was also an invitation. I would also add Kim Jong Un had made clear that he understands that routine defensive exercises between the Republic of Korea and United States must continue -- something that will continue and he conveyed that he wants to meet with President Trump as quickly as possible." South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Eui-Kyeom said in a briefing Friday afternoon in Seoul that a U.S.-North Korea summit meeting before May will be recorded as an historic milestone that will eventually lead to peace on the Korean peninsula. "President Trump's leadership, which deliberately accepted Kim Jong Un's invitation, will be praised by the people of North and South Korea, as well as the people of the world yearning for peace," Moon said, as relayed by the spokesman. Trump also spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the news, the official said. "President Trump and Prime Minister Abe assessed that the maximum pressure policy, together with international solidarity, brought us to this critical juncture," the White House said in a statement discussing the call between the two leaders. "The leaders affirmed their strong intention to continue close trilateral coordination with South Korea to maintain pressure and enforce international sanctions until such point that North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization." The dramatic disclosure just outside the White House came after Trump told reporters Thursday afternoon to expect a major announcement from South Korea. That word from the president comes after a South Korean delegation met with top national security officials at the White House complex earlier in the day. After Trump ducked into the White House briefing room to tease the announcement, ABC News' Jonathan Karl ran into Trump himself who told Karl the announcement was going to be a big deal. "You should be there," Trump said. When Karl asked him whether the announcement was about possible talks with North Korea, Trump responded, "It's almost beyond that. Hopefully, you will give me credit." The president was accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence. According to an administration official, a "large delegation of United States government officials" were debriefed by a South Korean delegation. Among the U.S. officials in the room, per this official, were National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. The officials said that after that meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the so-called Blue House delegation accompanied by McMaster went to the Oval Office to debrief the president. At some point after that, the president decided to drop by the briefing room to tease an announcement. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine on Friday charged a prisoner swap negotiator with plotting to assassinate President Petro Poroshenko and other top officials leading the campaign against Russian-backed eastern insurgents. A judge in Kiev said Volodymyr Ruban planned to use mortar fire and grenades to attack the presidential administration and parliament. Ukrainian Security Service chief Vasyl Grytsak added that the entire operation was orchestrated by the separatist leadership and at least tacitly approved by Russia. "I would like to report that the terror threat level facing Ukrainians was, in our view, the highest in the history of our independence," Grytsak told Poroshenko in a televised meeting. Ruban was detained on Thursday with a haul of heavy ammunition in his vehicle while crossing the "grey zone" splitting the war zone from the rest of Ukraine. The 50-year-old Ukrainian national is known to have organised several prisoner exchanges dating back to the first months of the war in 2014. Ukrainian media had previously accused Ruban of harbouring pro-Russian sentiments and being supportive of the separatist cause. The presiding judge said Ruban intended to use "mortar guns, grenade launchers, light weapons and explosive devices" to assault the government quarters in Kiev and officials' homes. Ukraine's deputy head of the war-tattered east later posted a photo on Facebook that he said showed the weapons cache seized from Ruban's minibus by the military. A dozen Kalashnikov rifles and an assortment of heavy munitions were laid out on top of storage boxes that security officials said partially belonged to the Russian army. Ruban told the court he did not know that the bus he was using to cross into Kiev-controlled territory was carrying the weapons. He was placed in pre-trial detention for two months. - Hate figures in Moscow - The alleged targets are all hate figures in Moscow who have overseen the Ukrainian military campaign and the February 2014 revolution that pulled Kiev out of Moscow's orbit. Story continues These included Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and National Security and Defence Council chief Oleksandr Turchynov -- viewed by Russia as the war's main proponents. The judge said Ruban wanted to "create chaos... and help Russia launch a full-scale offensive" that would put the separatist region under its permanent control. Russia rejects either plotting or backing the fighting in order to destabilise its western former Soviet neighbour as it slowly charts closer ties with the West. There was no immediate response to Friday's news from Moscow or the separatist leadership in the east. But the case threatens to further undercut any attempts to put a negotiated end to Europe's only military conflict. Grytsak told reporters that his investigation would provide evidence implicating the separatist leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). "We have obtained sufficient evidence to show that Ruban acted in collusion with DNR leader (Aleksandr) Zakharchenko," the security service head said. Grytsak added that Russia was almost certainly implicated because Zakharchenko and his right-hand man Oleksandr Timofeyev could not have become involved in such a plot without Moscow's knowledge. "Do you believe that Zakharchenko and Timofeyev took personal responsibility and armed Ruban with so many weapons... and that their Moscow handlers were unaware of this, that they did not authorise these things?" A saffron Holi Despite challenges, Narendra Modis opponents are running out of ideas (and time) to stop him from coming back to power next year where's my Fire Emblem info drop, Nintendo?!! Edited at 2018-03-09 12:54 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link E3 Nintendo Direct. Bank on it. Reply Parent Thread Link oh for sure, but i'm still hoping for at least a little something about it before then. Reply Parent Thread Link Meh. Okami seems to be popular on all the consoles, I hope this means that theres a new Okami coming. I loved that game, easy and refreshing. Im still bitter we dont have a wiiu/switch Pokemon RPG game. 3DS is fun, but I would love it on the large screen better. Reply Thread Link omg please Okami, i would run out and buy a switch TODAY Reply Parent Thread Link Ill wait for fire emblem, Shin megami tensei, animal crossing or motherfucking Pokemon. Please and thank you Reply Thread Link Switch Fire Emblem is coming this year! Reply Parent Thread Link I just read 2020 Reply Parent Thread Link Omg my pussy is throbbing Reply Thread Link PLAYABLE OCTOLINGS Reply Thread Link We knew it was coming once Splatoon became such a huge hit in Japan. Reply Parent Thread Link I thought SmashBros was coming to it too?? Has anybody traveled with the Switch before? I'm headed to Boston in a few weeks and wanted to take it with me. Just wondering how the battery is and such. Reply Thread Link Depends on what you're playing. BotW and Super Mario Odyssey lasted me 2-2.5 hours, but some of the lighter stuff lasted me 3 or more. Do you have a portable charger? If you watch for sales, you can get one at a good price and extend your playtime. That's what I do. Oh, and Smash Bros. hasn't been confirmed. Just rumored. Edited at 2018-03-09 01:10 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link smash has been confirmed, it's in the post Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I brought it to play zelda at my job once and the battery lasted like two hours, I was honestly shocked at how little it lasted, imo a portable gaming system should have a battery life of at least ten hours, but I play very little video games (just some nintendo stuff every couple of years) so I could have very unrealistic expectations Reply Parent Thread Link Buy a battery tbh. We have this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076WPSWWX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_JqEOAbJQD5Y6G Reply Parent Thread Link BOTW and SMO absolutely kill the battery on it, you'll be lucky to get 3 hours, but I can play Disgae 5 for forever on that thing. I have a power bank I use with it if I need to. Reply Parent Thread Link smash bros is coming, it's in the post Reply Parent Thread Link Detective Pikachu having the voice of an old man is rly weird Reply Thread Link I was getting annoyed most of the stuff announced were remakes and ports with added content but I have a soft spot for Crash and no PS4. Apparently it's coming to steam too, thankfully. That Little Nightmares game looked pretty neat even though I hate anything even slightly scary. tho fr, where is that 4th Pikmin game? Not like I even play that many games to begin with, I don't even have a Switch lol. Though I came across an old let's play channel I used to watch today and I was surprised at how they barely get even a couple thousand views anymore. Weird how things like that happen. Reply Thread Link Right now Nintendo's strategy is "port over Wii U games since NOBODY bought a Wii U." I don't like that I'm double dipping (but I give my money to Nintendo without hesitation, so that's more my problem than anything else), but at least it keeps the software drought at bay for the most part. Reply Parent Thread Link I have a Wii U :( And like no games for it lol. I did really like Yoshi's Wooly World and Captain Toad though. I'm at least glad they released BOTW on the Wii U so I got to play that at least. Should have bought that Hyrule Warriors game, it looked fun. I'm glad they're adding some new content even if they're just ports. The lack of actual new titles for the switch is still pretty disappointing though. Hopefully they'll hurry up with Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Pokemon, etc soon. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I mean, there are some great games that didn't the right attention because of the Wii U's sales. I really wanted DKC: Tropical Freeze, but I wasn't buying a console for it. I'm stoked for the port. Might as well get some more sales and recognition for their work. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Honestly I regret buying my Wii U because it means either I double dip or I have nothing but indies to play. Every other game coming out for it I either already own on another console or don't wanna play at all. It'll be worth it once Pokemon and Fire Emblem come out but I'm also in the "if I can get it on PS4 I'm not buying it for Switch" camp so that's not gonna help me later. Reply Parent Thread Link The only switch related games that catches my interest is Octopath Traveler, whatever the new Pokemon game is, and The World Ends With You so I'm probably gonna hold off on getting a switch when a couple of those games are out. Reply Thread Link Octopath looks amazing and I can't wait for July!!!! I hope the OST is epic like a 16 bit throwback RPG should be. Reply Parent Thread Link YES octopath! I miss those kinds of rpgs. Reply Parent Thread Link The World Ends With You is gonna be amazing, I can't wait. Reply Parent Thread Link I am SOOOO happy for Switch Smash!!!! I have a feeling that it's an enhanced port like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I think they're going to put all the stages between the Wii U/3DS games on the Switch version, along with at least one level for Splatoon and one level for Arms and POSSIBLY New Donk City and a Breath of the Wild stage. Plus, they'll bring back Ice Climbers, add in one Arms character and... yeah... I want it. I want it now. Taking that day off from workkkkk. Reply Thread Link they're for sure updating link to botw link, and i'm sure we'll be getting cappy for mario Reply Parent Thread Link I didn't think about Cappy, but that is pretty much a given now that you put that thought in my head. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link No Pokemon? Bye. Reply Thread Link what are some fun switch games I should get? So far I just have zelda-flawless fine fresh fierce amazing mario odyssey-fantastic splatoon 2-I've played the multi player fights for countless hours popular dancing game can't remember the title-I got it for exercise and it was fun for a week before I forgot about it that's all! Reply Thread Link Did you get a Wii U? And if so, what big titles did you have for it? Reply Parent Thread Link I did not before getting the switch I think the last video game I played was skyward sword lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link For multiplayer fun you might want to look at Bomberman. Mario Kart is, as always, a given. Mario + Rabbids is amazing. If you like puzzle games, Snipperclips might be worth looking at. If you like RPGS, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 might be worth a look, and Disgaea 5 Complete. Reply Parent Thread Link OMG WARIOWARE, FUCK I LOVE THOSE MINI GAMES Edited at 2018-03-09 01:20 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link SAME Reply Parent Thread Link i really wish nintendo would revive diddy kong racing, it's so much better than mario kart Reply Thread Link DKR was done by Rare, so even though Nintendo owns the IP, the studio that made it isn't under their umbrella anymore. Rare is owned by Microsoft, too... so they can't even really get them as a 3rd party. Reply Parent Thread Link this is a crime against humanity Reply Parent Thread Link DKC was originally done by Rare, too. Those games are now being done by Retro. I mean, if they really wanted to make another DKR, I don't think it's impossible? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i know right >:l i was just saying i want another dkr game Reply Parent Thread Link honestly between mk64 and dkr, dkr was by far the superior game Reply Parent Thread Link Im more excited for Crash Bandicoot than anything else tbh Give us Animal Crossing Switch already cause Pocket Camp just aint cutting it Reply Thread Link That cover is an eyesore :( Reply Thread Link I'm repulsed by Gabe's face Reply Parent Thread Link Get out, skeleton man Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i literally don't know that actor's name nor do i ever want to learn it, he is only gabe, gabe is him. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link trash taste Reply Parent Thread Link He's fucking delightful though! Seriously the main reason I watch the show. Reply Parent Thread Link seriously. no one wants to see michael cera anymore, this isn't 2007. Reply Parent Thread Link he's gross and I hope at one point in his life he falls into an open sewer. He seems like he deserves that Reply Thread Link ITA. TJ Miller deserves whatever bad happens to him. That lame excuse about doing stand up all night and then coming in late just confirms how unprofessional he is. No consideration for the cast or crew. Total ingrate. I can't believe they put up with it. He wasn't the star of the show, he's easily replaceable. Reply Parent Thread Link Hes probably a really sweet dude but I do not like Thomas after all of those Verizon commercials. Also, can Fox greenlight a King of the Hill revival? Edited at 2018-03-09 01:31 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link he's the epitome of hideous, average dudes getting the most for doing the least though Reply Parent Thread Link Oh thats him? His insufferable in them. Reply Parent Thread Link I only recognized him bc he was in Captain Underpants / Penn Zero. He looks like an invisibility cloak, I see him but I don't SEE him. Reply Parent Thread Link I just want KOTH on some kind of streaming service Reply Parent Thread Link i will always hate netflix for removing king of the hill Reply Parent Thread Link He is actually really funny (based off of the Comedy Bang Bang podcast) but terrible in those ads. Reply Parent Thread Link he's not really a sweet dude. he pressured his ex into getting breast implants and then cheated on her. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link hes a piece of shit Reply Parent Thread Link Also, can Fox greenlight a King of the Hill revival? I second this. Reply Parent Thread Link "Triumph of the Beta Male" ok Reply Thread Link r/theredpill is not gonna be happy about this Reply Parent Thread Link they've been triumphing since meat heads went out and quirky came in beta males are just overly insecure alpha males, they all treat women like shit, just differently Reply Parent Thread Link They just go about things more passive-aggressively. Reply Parent Thread Link I hate this show Reply Thread Link That cover creeps me out. Reply Thread Link Lol "My biggest weakness is I work too hard" this guy is such a piece of trash. Reply Thread Link Lol why is Gilfoyle looking like that Reply Thread Link This 70s aesthetic. All I want is for Jared to be happy. Reply Thread Link <3 I love him sfm Reply Parent Thread Link he's hot :) Reply Parent Thread Link I love Jared so much. Reply Parent Thread Link i was happy for him when it was revealed that that he has mad game with women Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmao same. every time we get a slice of jareds past its great Reply Parent Thread Link right? nhf all this Jared hate (I love Zach Woods so much). Reply Parent Thread Link I quit the show last season and honestly only miss the Jared parts. I need to just look the best bits up on YouTube or something. Reply Parent Thread Link And it's not fun to work with someone who doesn't want to be there, [especially when] they're one of the main people and you've got however many crewmembers and extras and people who are [not paid as well] and they're all showing up before 7 a.m., and then are just like, 'Oh, OK, we're not shooting today. Damn right, Mike Judge. TJ Miller probably got paid ten times what the crew did, yet his dumb ass rolled in whenever he wanted and then he acted like a shit towards everybody. Fuck that guy. Reply Thread Link This is what I *always* think about when celebrities whine about how early they have to get up or they're chronically late. There's a crew member somewhere who had to get there an hour before them or stay later to finish. Reply Parent Thread Link Yep. Oh, you had to wake up at 4am to get your makeup and costume done? The person who did it for you had to get up earlier than that, and they didn't get to sit in a chair for hours. Reply Parent Thread Link Not only how much they're paid but also that they don't have to do this for 5-7 days of a week, every week like other people. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I could never watch this show (nerdy men disgust me) but I'm glad they kicked that asshole to the curb. He's so so awful. Reply Thread Link lol i feel this Reply Parent Thread Link nerdy men disgust me lmao ily so much for this comment Reply Parent Thread Link lmaoo Reply Parent Thread Link didn't he like slapped a driver Reply Thread Link Yeah, but the driver was a Trump supporter so it's not high on my list on reasons to hate TJ Miller. Reply Parent Thread Link i loved the first season of this show. the second was okay. but OMG i am so bored of the "group gets ahead, only to find out it's all coming crashing down" EVERY SINGLE EPISODE Reply Thread Link I know he's an asshole, but I remember reading that TJ Miller was sick of those plots too, and that's part of the reason he wanted out. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah idk why the writers think we want to see Pied Piper stuck in that endless loop. It's tedious and frustrating and they could be doing so many other interesting things Reply Parent Thread Link on one hand, I agree, because it makes for repetitiveness in a TV series on the other hand, tech world is... pretty much like that. It's sadly very accurate in that aspect :( Reply Parent Thread Link I was listening to old episodes of Pete Holmes podcast and he and Harris Wittels talk about TJ doing drugs a lot, specifically nitrous sooooo.... I DONT BELIEVE YOU, TJ. Also every time Ive seen him at Comic Con he has been so bug eyed and sweaty, definitely on something. Reply Thread Link Im listening to the audiobook its really good so far, Im like an hour in and its a five hour book Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, pete and tj used to seem like they were best friends. pete talked about him ALL the time. i wonder if they're still close. Reply Parent Thread Link he can rot in poverty Reply Thread Link I hope the bit about the ISIS vid isn't true bc there are no words to describe how fucked up that'd be Reply Thread Link What in the actual fuck does Mel B have to do with ISIS??? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Did you read the post? She claimed he had the kids watch ISIS beheading videos. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the post has 5 sentences sis Reply Parent Thread Link She alleges that Belafonte traumatized her children by forcing them to watch gruesome videos of actual beheadings. It's right in the post sis... Reply Parent Thread Link It's in the headline, dear god. Reply Parent Thread Link lmao It is literally in the post. Are you illiterate? Reply Parent Thread Link Who asked him anything? Please disappear and die slowly. Reply Thread Link omg mess Reply Thread Link Am I dreaming? What the fuck is this article? Reply Thread Link Don't believe it. Reply Thread Link Isn't he TIRED Reply Thread Link I really hope she's not actively using drugs/alcohol like that. He's trash, but I'm not letting that distract from the accusation. I really hope it's false. I know when you're famous/etc. Doctors will give you pretty much whatever you ask for, and she's been through a lot with him, so I'm hoping she isn't abusing RX's and alcohol to cope. :( Reply Thread Link Who keeps humouring him. Reply Thread Link "Hes sent text messages to her therapist begging him to stop medicating her." Um what the fuck? He's such an awful man. In 1994 he was charged with burglary and theft in New Jersey, the case went to court and he was convicted for receiving stolen property. In 2000, Stephen was accused of assaulting two men on a motorway but the charge was reduced to vandalism after he agreed to pay for damage caused to the men's vehicle. In 2003 he admitted a domestic charge linked to then-girlfriend Nicole Contreras In 2007 Belafonte admitted killing a mallard with a brick outside his house in New Jersey, but fled to LA without paying the 300 court fine. While on a night out with Mel in 2010, he was involved in a fight with three men at the luxury five star May Fair Hotel, leaving one man needing hospital treatment. Reply Thread Link "In 2007 Belafonte admitted killing a mallard with a brick outside his house in New Jersey" wtf? i hope someone kills that pos with a fucking brick Reply Parent Thread Link ugh Reply Parent Thread Link Damn. He must have really charmed her because all of this makes him even more repulsive than before. Reply Parent Thread Link she has terrible taste in men, awful Reply Parent Thread Link And she still decided to marry his ass smh. Reply Parent Thread Link I hope she isnt footing the legal bills hes racking up for running to the courts as often as he has been Edited at 2018-03-09 06:43 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link jfc Reply Thread Link I believe him. I also believe hes crazy as catshit, too. Reply Thread Link I just started listening to King Krule and I was not expecting him to look like that rn I'm obsessed with Always Ascending, Feel The Love Go, & Lois Lane from the newest Franz Ferdinand album Reply Thread Link I posted this in the roundup, but youtube has been blessing me today and I just came across this guy and thought you might be into it too: Reply Parent Thread Link you thought right, & what a spooky video! thanks for the recc Reply Parent Thread Link how often do you make these posts, op?? i've already found so much new music. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Her album came out last year and I remember reading about her on NPR and getting Best New Album on Pitchfork but for some reason I forgot to save my streams. Anyways recently I found ha again. I love her voice so much. Not new music but I've been revisiting some bops lately Reply Thread Link I really like Glass Animals but I couldn't get into their latest album. I thought Zaba was better. Maybe I'll give it another go this weekend. Reply Parent Thread Link ICYMI, POLICA has a new album with stargaze. Reply Parent Thread Link This came out last month but I just discovered it today and I'm really into it. Reply Thread Link i love this song Reply Parent Thread Link and I can't wait for this Czarface/MF DOOM collab album to come out Reply Thread Link Disillusioned is so good as well haven't liked any single from APC since Judith in 2000 Kylie's new single is such a bOp!Disillusioned is so good as well haven't liked any single from APC since Judith in 2000 Reply Thread Link 3 Libras is my fav Reply Parent Thread Link i've been obsessed with azul by zoe. Reply Thread Link I hadn't ever listened to Vince Staples before, but a bunch of people said good things about his album in the post about him yesterday. Listening to the track in this post and it's okay, any other song recs for him? Reply Thread Link I love Blue Suede, Limos off of Hell Can Wait. I believe his Summertime '06 album gets the most praise, so any track off of that is great. Norf, Norf is probably the most popular single but my personal faves: Lemme Know, Birds and Bees, Jump of the Roof. My faves off of Prima Donna are Pimp Hand and Loco, and from Big Fish Theory: Homage, BagBak, Party People, and Love Can Be. Big Fish Theory is a lot more... dance-y (like house music vibes) than the other stuff. Reply Parent Thread Link Thank you! :) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link apc makes me feel like i'm 13 again. bless. currently listening to Reply Thread Link Oh fuuuck! I'm into this. Reply Parent Thread Link they are cool :) Reply Parent Thread Link Yoooooo I may be in love Reply Parent Thread Link I love Ralph's music. Wet just released a new song! super stoked about it! Lately I've mostly been listening to Gabrielle Aplin. Reply Thread Link I love Wet, and didn't know new music was upon us! Reply Parent Thread Link yes! new album soon and they'll be touring this summer. I can't wait! Reply Parent Thread Link forgot this one too and I just saw that Vacationer finally released a new song, it's great. Reply Parent Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link Listened to the new Vince track first thing this morning. I like it, but don't love it. Chloe x Halle are so precious. I don't listen to their music, but I like them on Grown-ish. I feel like my music tastes are all over right now. My current most-played tracks are: The new BOOTS is pretty fire too. I think the woman who played "The Mother" on HIMYM is the female vocalist on the track? It's either her or someone with the same exact name lol. Reply Thread Link BTW, thank you for these posts OP, I usually go through and listen to most of the songs bc I don't hear enough new music otherwise. I really like "Love Leaks". Reply Thread Link You're welcome! I love the dozens of us that turn up for a music discussion. Dozens of us! Reply Parent Thread Link Application, test dates for EPS announced The government has declared application and examinations dates for the mandatory Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) language test for aspiring Nepalis migrant workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) for the next year. California Foundry Fined $283,390 in Double Amputation Case Cal/OSHA cited Alhambra Foundry for similar violations eight years ago. After a worker at a company in Alhambra, Calif., suffered serious injuries last Aug. 28, Cal/OSHA announced it has cited the company, Alhambra Foundry, and fined it $283,390 in the case. Two surgeons had to amputate both of the worker's legs after he became entangled in an auger at the company, which is an iron foundry and machine shop. Cal/OSHA also had cited Alhambra Foundry for similar violations eight years ago, according to the agency. The incident occurred as two workers at the foundry were cleaning and unjamming a 38-foot-long auger screw conveyor at the bottom hopper of an industrial air filtration device. They had not effectively de-energized or locked out the equipment, Cal/OSHA reported, explaining that one of the workers re-entered the 20-inch-square opening after the cleaning was done to retrieve a work light from inside it. A maintenance worker who was 45 feet away energized the equipment to perform a test, and the moving auger screw pulled the worker into the screw conveyor. "Sending a worker into a confined space is dangerous, especially inside machinery that can be powered on at any time," said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. "Employers must ensure that machinery and equipment are de-energized and locked out before workers enter the space to perform operations involving cleaning and servicing." Cal/OSHA said its investigation found that: The foundry did not have a permit-required confined space program. The screw conveyor was not de-energized and locked out before workers entered the hopper, and accident prevention signs were not placed on the controls. The worker who re-entered the hopper was not monitored by a confined space attendant. Alhambra Foundry lacked specific procedures for de-energizing and locking out the equipment. Cal/OSHA issued eight citations that included one willful serious accident-related, one willful serious, four serious, one willful general, and one general in nature. " " Mourners hold hands during a memorial service in Melbourne, Australia, commemorating the anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed in 1996. The AGE/Fairfax Media/Getty Images April 28, 1996 was a day that Australians will never forget. As this 2016 article from the Guardian, a British newspaper, details, that's when a 28-year-old gunman named Martin Bryant entered a cafe in Port Arthur in southeastern Tasmania, pulled a semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine out of his bag and started shooting at tourists and employees. He killed 12 people in the first 15 seconds. The killer then went back to his car, got a second semi-automatic rifle, and looked for more victims. In a little more than 30 minutes, he killed 35 people and wounded 23. It was the worst mass killing ever committed by a single person in Australia's history. Here are four eyewitness accounts of the killings from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Advertisement A Swift Response The Port Arthur mass shooting was the sort of horrific event that's been repeated over and over in the U.S. in recent years, in places ranging from Columbine, Colorado to Lakeland, Florida. Australia, by contrast, hasn't had another such rampage. Many say the reason is that in the wake of the tragedy, Australia's state and federal governments enacted sweeping gun control legislation. As detailed by Simon Chapman, an Emeritus Professor in Public Health from the University of Sydney, in this 2016 article in The Conversation, the new laws included a total ban on semi-automatic rifles and a buyback plan, in which the government paid market value to owners who turned in their banned guns. In addition, a national database of firearms was created. Moreover, an Australian who wants to own a gun has to go through a tough screening procedure, in which they have to provide a reason for wanting a gun, such as hunting vermin on a farm or belonging to a target shooting club. Self-defense, which in the U.S. is considered a constitutionally-protected right, is expressly excluded as a justification for gun ownership in Australia. Advertisement No More Mass Shootings That's the kind of stringent regulation that gun control advocates in the U.S. might dream about. How well did it work in Australia in reducing gun violence? A study published by Chapman and colleagues in the July 19, 2016 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, found that in the 18 years before the laws were passed, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia, but none afterward, and the rate of firearm deaths of all sorts declined as well, by an average of 3 percent per year from 1997 to 2013. But it's not completely clear whether it was gun control that made the difference, since non-firearm homicides and suicides declined by an even greater magnitude, the researchers concluded. "This makes it hard to disentangle impacts of gun laws from impacts of other measures such as national suicide prevention efforts that were occurring around the same time," Australian gun researcher Samara McPhedran explains in an email. She holds a doctorate in psychology and is a senior research fellow in the Violence Research and Prevention Program at Australia's Griffith University. Advertisement And in the U.S.? Given the passion and vitriol that inflames the debate over guns in the U.S., Americans might assume that enacting gun control must have required a hard-fought battle in Australia. But surprisingly, McPhedran says that wasn't the case. Australian political leaders had been considering tougher national gun control laws for years, and some of the elements of the national laws such as the stringent requirements for gun ownership were already in place in some parts of the country. Additionally, there was a strong public consensus in Australia in favor of gun control. "People were so shocked and horrified by what had happened at Port Arthur, and so wanted "something" to be done, that there was no significant opposition whatsoever," McPhedran says. "Of course, this also meant there was a great deal of emotion but no real debate or calm reflection which is seldom conducive to developing genuinely effective policies." But even if the U.S. Congress was able to find the political will to enact Australian-style gun control measures, how well would they work in the U.S.? McPhedran, among others, is skeptical. "If you consider how many firearms are owned in the U.S., trying to translate an Australian-style prohibition/compensation program to the U.S. would work out to tens of millions of firearms," she says. Additionally, McPhedran notes that gun registration in Australia hasn't been entirely successful. Though there are about 3 million registered firearms, the number of unlicensed weapons still in circulation is estimated to range between 1.5 million and 6 million. "So if you imagine trying to roll a system like that out in the U.S., it is just unrealistic," she says. There's also the cultural contrast between the two nations. As Australian journalist A. Odysseus Patrick wrote in a Feb. 23, 2018 New York Times essay, Australians have a "profoundly different relationship with weapons. Americans love guns. We're scared of them." Even so, it's hard to ignore one fact: Australia hasn't had a mass shooting in 22 years, while in the U.S. we've had dozens of them, according to this list compiled by Mother Jones (and this list doesn't include everyday, run-of-the-mill U.S. gun violence). As Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr recently told Vox, he just shakes his head when he hears Americans talk about arming teachers, "because more guns is not the solution, it's fewer guns." Now That's Interesting Australia doesn't have capital punishment, so Bryant, the Port Arthur shooter, was sentenced by a judge to 35 life terms in prison, the Associated Press reported in 1996. An ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was defiant upon his release from prison on Friday after serving time for an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the country's hardline Buddhist clergymen. Parmaukkha, who served a three-month jail term for inciting unrest, has helped peddle a fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism and Islamophobia in Myanmar, a country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. The monk was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the US Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against America's use of the word "Rohingya". The Buddhist-majority nation refuses to recognise the Rohingya as an ethnic group, referring pejoratively to the community as "Bengalis" and insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The jail time appears to have done little to dampen the resolve of the abbot, who declared himself unrepentant upon his release. "There is no Rohingya ethnic group among the 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar," he told reporters after returning to his Yangon monastery on Friday. "The person who made the mistake was the ambassador of the United States (to Myanmar)," he said, referring to the embassy's use of the word Rohingya, which had sparked him and hundreds of others to protest. The influential monk was released from Yangon's Insein prison at dawn to the cheers of several dozen supporters who scattered petals in front of him as he left the jail. - 'Buddhist Bin Laden' - Anti-Muslim hate speech aimed the Rohingya has been brewing in Myanmar for several years, often spilling over into bouts of bloodshed. But hatreds have surged in the wake of a ruthless military crackdown that has forced 700,000 Rohingya out of the country since August. The UN says the campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide. But many in the Buddhist majority support the crackdown, which the army says was needed to crush a Rohingya militant uprising. Over the past year religious authorities have taken some steps to curb the influence of ultra-nationalist monks like Parmaukkha. His release coincides with the end of a year-long public speaking ban on Wirathu -- another firebrand monk known as the face of Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist movement. Wirathu, once dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden", was barred from giving public sermons last year by a council of senior monks who said he had "repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife". But he has flouted the ban on several occasions. Wirathu was also recently kicked off Facebook, where he had amassed a huge following with incendiary anti-Muslim posts. The social media giant said it took down his page in January in accordance with a policy that prohibits "people dedicated to promoting hatred and violence against others". A massive, nation-wide effort to improve yields while reducing fertilizer use reached more than 20 million smallholder farmers across China. Penn Vet's Zhengxia Dou partnered in the effort, which was led by Fusuo Zhang of China Agricultural University (center, holding plant). Credit: University of Pennsylvania Smallholder farmers who cultivate perhaps only a few hectares of land dominate the agricultural landscape in places like China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing their efficiency while reducing their environmental impact are critical steps to ensuring a sustainable food source for the world's growing population. Yet sharing best practices with smallholder farmers, who often have limited resources to invest in their livelihoods and who number in the hundreds of millions in China alone, is a daunting prospect. In a report in the journal Nature, the University of Pennsylvania's Zhengxia Dou, professor of agricultural systems in the School of Veterinary Medicine, teamed with colleagues from China Agricultural University and other institutions in sharing the successful implementation of a long-term, broad-scale intervention that both improved yields and reduced fertilizer application across China. The effort, enacted over 10 years, engaged nearly 21 million farmers and increased yield on average more than 10 percent and lowered fertilizer use between 15 and 18 percent. Overall, the actions netted an increase in grain output with a decrease in fertilizer input and savings totaling $12.2 billion. "The extent of the improvement in terms of yield increase and fertilizer decrease was great," says Dou. "But it was not a surprise as similar results had been attained before. It was the scale of it all, approaching it with an all-out effort and multi-tiered partnerships among scientists, extension agents, agribusinesses, and farmers, achieving a snowball effect. That, to me, is the most impressive takeaway." The first author of the study was Zhenling Cui and the project leader and corresponding author on the study was Fusuo Zhang, both with China Agricultural University. The project began with the recognition that prevailing agricultural practices of China's vast numbers of smallholder farmers do not meet requirements for sustainable productivity. Globally, food production must increase by 60 to 110 percent over 2005 levels by 2050 in order to meet demand. At the same time, the impact of climate change and environmental degradation makes farming more difficult. To determine the best ways of meeting sustainable productivity demand, researchers in the current study conducted more than 13,000 field trials testing what they call an integrated soil-crop system management program, or ISSM, a model that helps determine which crop variety, planting date and density, fertilizer use, and other strategies will work best in a given climate and soil type. The tests were done with maize, rice, and wheat. After determining that the model could help guide agricultural efforts across China's major farming zones and achieve yield improvements and fertilizer reductions, the researchers organized a massive campaign to work with farmers across China. The campaign engaged more than 1,000 scientists and graduate students, 65,000 agricultural extension agents, and 130,000 agribusiness personnel to reach 20.9 million smallholder farmers in 452 counties in China. "The collaborating scientists trained local technicians, and the technicians worked with the farmers closely to develop their management practices based on what made sense in the region," Dou says. Agribusiness was a key partner in the effort, helping design fertilizer products that matched the needs of the farmers. "This was a massive, nation-wide, multi-layered collaboration," Dou says. To gain a deeper understanding of the current performance of Chinese farmers, the researchers conducted a survey of 8.6 million farmers from 1,944 counties across the nation. They found room for improvement, as most had yields at least 10 percent, and some as much as 50 percent, lower than the ISSM would predict. Dou believes the experiences and lessons gained through this nation-wide project can be applicable elsewhere, particularly in Asia. India, for example, is another country where yields are relatively low and fertilizer use high. In sub-Saharan Africa, both yield and fertilizer input is low, yet the lessons "in how to work with smallholder farmers, how to earn their trust and engage them," Dou says, would still hold true. Explore further Filling intercropping info gap More information: Zhenling Cui et al, Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Zhenling Cui et al, Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/nature25785 The projected cost of California's bullet train between San Francisco and Los Angeles has jumped to $77 billion and the completion date has been pushed back four years to 2033, according to a business plan released Friday. The plan by the California High-Speed Rail Authority presents the latest setbacks for a project that's been beleaguered by delays and cost overruns since voters first gave it the greenlight in 2008. It focuses almost entirely on first opening track between San Francisco and the inland Central Valley, a goal the state is still billions of dollars short of financing. "You cannot build a mega-project of this magnitude on a pay-as-you-go basis," Brian Kelly, the project's new chief executive, told reporters Friday. The plan calls for a fresh infusion of cash from the Legislature and private money to cover the costs of weaving tunnels through mountain passes between the Silicon and Central Valleys. At present, the project doesn't have enough money for the tunnels. But rail executives want them completed by 2029. If completed, it would be the nation's fastest train, carrying people between Northern and Southern California in less than three hours. Officials hope connecting the San Francisco Bay Area, where rental and living costs are skyrocketing, to the more economically challenged and sparsely populated Central Valley, will provide an economic boost that will help shore up public and private support before the project continues south to Los Angeles and Anaheim. While $77 billion is the baseline cost estimate, the plan estimates total costs could be as low as $63.2 billion or as high as $98.1 billion. The last plan, presented in 2016, estimated the project would cost $64 billion and be open by 2029. Despite Kelly's optimism that the project is doable, the plan drew fresh fire from critics who doubt it will ever be built. "Let's cut our losses and use the billions not yet wasted on (high-speed rail) to instead improve freeways, highways and roads and perhaps improve existing rail systems throughout California," Republican state Sen. Andy Vidak said. Critics outside Sacramento weighed in, too. "Heavy sigh," Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and proponent of a "hyperloop" transportation system, wrote on Twitter in response to the cost jump. Musk, chief executive of California-based SpaceX and Tesla, has long criticized U.S. infrastructure projects for getting bogged down in bureaucracy and high consultant costs. Beyond the business plan, a state audit under way could expose more management and cost issues when released later this year. Kelly, who took over as head of the project in February, has promised more transparency about the project's challenges and was frank in his assessment of where it stands. In the business plan, he assigned costs to a variety of risks, such as trouble acquiring land or security environmental clearance, two issues that have slowed the project in the past. "At the very least, this business plan is different than the ones I've seen before because it really does admit that they're broke and they can't get to the finish line," said Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno, where construction is underway. The plan relies in part on fresh investment from the increasingly skeptical Legislature. Rail executives will make the case throughout a series of public hearings during the 60-day comment period before the business plan is finalized. A major source of rail funding is the cap-and-trade program, under which the state auctions permits to release greenhouse gases. Rail planners are currently using the money as it comes in but say they'd need the ability to take on debt that would be paid off with future cap-and-trade dollars. That would require the Legislature to extend the program until 2050. That's a difficult task for a Legislature that struggled just last year to muster the two-thirds votes needed to extend the program from 2020 to 2030. The state has spent $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money and has an additional $930 million in federal money on the table. That's on top of a $10 billion bond from voters. Explore further California bullet train staff recommend German operator 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. A $100 million project removing dams and helping fish route around others is returning a badly endangered salmon to spring-fed waters in northernmost California, giving cold-loving native fish a life-saving place to chill as scientists say climate change, drought and human diversions warm the waters. State and federal officials, in a years-long project with dam-owner Pacific Gas & Electric Co., plan to release 200,000 young, endangered winter-run Chinook salmon over the next two months into the north fork of Battle Creek, where melted snow percolating through volcanic rock provides ideal habitat for native salmon and steelhead that thrive in cold mountain water. Dam-building for electrical generation and water storage from the 1930s blocked winter-run Chinook from upstream waterways, cutting their numbers from nearly a million to a few thousand barely getting by in warm downstream stretches of the Sacramento River, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife says. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranks winter-run Chinook as one of eight marine species most at risk of extinction. Because of Battle Creek's spring-fed cold water, and the difficulty of keeping the Sacramento River cool enough for the winter-run Chinook, state and federal agencies made a priority of making Battle Creek accessible to winter-run Chinook again. "Battle Creek has long been recognized as an ideal resource for cold water from snow melt," said Doug Killam, a senior environmental scientist with the state wildlife agency. "It's kind of a jewel of the system." The ongoing restoration project has removed one dam blocking access to the fish and will remove four more dams. A similar agreement, now awaiting approval or denial by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, would remove a series of dams blocking access to salmon farther north, in the Klamath River watershed. Other parts of this project included building better fish ladders and fish screens to give migrating salmon an easier time navigating around remaining obstacles. It's crucial to the survival of winter-run salmon to restore populations beyond the one hanging on in the Sacramento River, where a disaster like a chemical spill or another drought could wipe out the species, wildlife officials said. In 2014 and 2015, nearly entire generations of the winter-run Chinook died in the too-warm Sacramento, as humans competed with the fish for water releases from behind Shasta Dam during a five-year drought. Trying to keep cold-loving salmon by eeking out cold water from behind dams is becoming more complicated still as the climate changes, said Howard Brown of NOAA fisheries. Man-made climate change is reducing the snow runoff that Californiansboth animal and human historically have depended upon for much of their water supply, scientists say. Easing the winter-run Chinook's dependence on a single waterway, the Sacramento, is a good start, a fishing industry trade group said in a statement. "Salmon fishermen used to have good fishing right outside the Golden Gate in February years ago before winter run salmon were decimated," said John McManus, head of the Golden Gate Salmon Association. "Maybe someday we'll see this again." Explore further Drought pushes endangered California salmon to the brink 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Credit: Westmeyer/Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen A research team headed by scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has published a new model in Nature Communications which allows studying magnetoreception. Analyzing zebrafish and medaka fish allowed the researchers to measure brain activity during magnetic stimulation and to show that the sense also works in darkness. Magnetoreception refers to the ability of some animals to sense Earth's magnetic field and make use of it for navigation. Still, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. "To solve this question might not only satisfy neuroscientific curiosity but also lead to new molecular methods", said Prof. Dr. Gil Gregor Westmeyer. He is the principal investigator of the study at the interface of neuroscience and molecular imaging, and his team is affiliated both with Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and TUM. "Reverse-engineering the magnetoreceptor may lead to synthetic biology techniques for remotely controlling molecular processes with magnetic fields." To reach this goal, Westmeyer and his team wanted to establish a model to study magnetoreception. The scientists focused their work on zebrafish, and distally related medaka fish because they are vertebrate animals that can be genetically addressed and analyzed well under the microscope. The researchers found that adult fish of both species change their swimming trajectories in response to a change in the direction of the Earth magnetic field that was experimentally introduced while carefully controlling for confounding variables. Interestingly, this effect also occurred in the absence of visible light such that a photon-independent mechanism has to be assumed. "In this model, we can now look for previously unidentified magnetoreceptor cells, which our behavioral experiments predicted would involve magnetic material", said co-first author Ahne Myklatun, a graduate student in the Westmeyer laboratory. In addition, the researchers were able to show a similar magnetic field-dependent effect in young fish larvae. "This is a decisive advantage because in their early developmental stages, the fish are still almost transparent", said Antonella Lauri, a postdoctoral fellow and joint lead author. "Thus, we can use imaging techniques to study the brain of the fish during behavioral runs with changing magnetic fields." The scientists were already able to identify a candidate region in the braina track that could now lead to the unknown magnetic receptor cells. Gil Gregor Westmeyer, principal investigator on this ERC-funded study, concludes: "Magnetoreception is one of the few senses whose mechanism is not understood. The kind of multidisciplinary work we present here will ultimately lead to an understanding of the biophysical mechanism of magnetoreception and its underlying neuronal computation. These findings could also offer interesting approaches to engineer biological systems for the remote control of molecular processes with magnetic fields." Explore further Tracking live brain activity with the new NeuBtracker open-source microscope More information: Ahne Myklatun et al. Zebrafish and medaka offer insights into the neurobehavioral correlates of vertebrate magnetoreception, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Ahne Myklatun et al. Zebrafish and medaka offer insights into the neurobehavioral correlates of vertebrate magnetoreception,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03090-6 Criminology doctoral student Sarah Gammell (center) works with Kalina Histand (left), a biology sophomore, and Reagan Davis, a computer science sophomore, on the school shootings database. The three are part of a team that expects to finish collecting data for the project by the end of the year. Credit: Rachael Drury/UT Dallas A criminologist and her students at The University of Texas at Dallas are creating a database that tracks shootings at K-12 schools in the United States going back to 1990. Dr. Nadine Connell, associate professor of criminology in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, said the National Institute of Justice project aims to fill a need for reliable data on gun violence on school campuses. "Our goal is to help law enforcement and school administrators better understand the causes of K-12 school violence," said Connell, who also serves as director of the Center for Crime and Justice Studies. "Understanding school violence is the first step to finding effective prevention strategies." Two criminology PhD students and three undergraduate students, two majoring in computer science and one in biology, are working on the database. The project is part of a grant led by researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at The City University of New York, involving UT Dallas and Michigan State University. The grant was awarded through the National Institute of Justice's Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. Connell recruited the undergraduate researchers from an honors course she taught last fall on school violence. The students are searching public records and news articles for details surrounding every incident in which someone has been injured or killed by a firearm on a K-12 campus since 1990. Researchers, who began the project last year, expect to finish collecting the data by the end of the year and will continue to add to the database as new incidents occur. Dr. Nadine Connell, associate professor of criminology at The University of Texas at Dallas. Credit: The University of Texas at Dallas Connell said the lack of reliable data on school violence limits the ability for authorities to understand the factors that lead to mass shootings. Most recently, 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In subsequent news coverage, media outlets reported varying figures on the number of recent school shootings. Some reports included other types of gun-related incidents on campuses that many would not associate with school shootings, such as suicides, domestic violence incidents, accidental firearm discharges or completely unrelated incidents, Connell said. She also said that the many different types of gun-related threats on school campuses require different solutions. "We don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to this," Connell said. "While there certainly are tragic events we call school shootings, there are a lot more day-to-day events that have policy implications for school administrators, and they need information to know how to address them. We don't want to miss some early warning signs and the kind of threats that could lead to major tragedies." Sarah Gammell, a PhD student in criminology who oversees the undergraduate researchers, said this type of research is rewarding. "The world is looking for solutions and answers, so for me, it is great to be part of a dynamic team working on this data," she said. "We are actively starting to piece it together to help shape some of the policies that will be influenced by these events." Explore further New study uncovers factors in students' reporting of weapons at school Credit: Northeastern University "Fake news" has made headlines and dominated social media chatter since the 2016 presidential election. It appears to be everywhere, and researchers are still determining the scale of the problem, said David Lazer, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Computer and Information Sciences at Northeastern. Lazer, along with Matthew Baum of the Harvard Kennedy School, is the lead author on a perspective paper published Thursday in Science, in which he and his colleagues examined fake news and its prevalence and impact across Google, Facebook, and Twitter. They offered recommendations for stemming its flow and influence, and in particular called for more interdisciplinary researchincluding more collaboration between internet platforms and academia"to reduce the spread of fake news and to address the underlying pathologies it has revealed." "There needs to be some regular auditing of what the platforms are doing and how much this information is spreading, because there is a collective interest in the quality of the information ecosystem that we all live in," Lazer said. The authors defined fake news as "fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in organizational process or intent." One problem Lazer and his colleagues point out is that platforms have been accidentally complicit in amplifying fake news. For example, take Twitter's trending mechanism. When the platform notices a surge in tweets about a particular topiclike a celebrity's birthday or an approaching nor'easterTwitter may list the topic as trending. But the algorithm that identifies trends can be manipulated. For example, a recent BBC investigation found that for $200, a company in Saudi Arabia will deploy its army of bots to make any hashtag trend for a few hours. Lazer and his co-authors cited previous studies estimating that between 9 and 15 percent of active Twitter accounts are bots, and that there may be as many as 60 million bots on Facebook. They called upon the platforms to police this kind of activity by identifying false content and ensuring that it doesn't become amplified. "Generally, the platforms should avoid accidentally amplifying low-quality content when detecting what is trending," Lazer said. "That seems like a no-brainer." But historically, the design of social media platforms has prioritized engagement over quality of content. That will need to change, Lazer said, to effectively combat fake news. In October 2017, executives from Twitter, Facebook, and Google appeared on Capitol Hill to acknowledge their platforms' role in enabling the spread of misinformation by Russian agencies during the 2016 presidential campaign. Since then, Twitter has tightened its policies on automation, suspending thousands of suspected bot accounts last month. And Facebook has ended an experiment with its News Feed that ran in six countries and was shown to be magnifying fake news. The researchers acknowledged that Google, Facebook, and Twitter have made attempts to counteract fake news, pointing to Twitter's move to block certain accounts linked to Russian misinformation and Facebook's plan to shift its algorithm to account for "quality" in its content curation. But the authors said these platforms have not provided enough detail for evaluation by the research community. The researchers cited a previous study showing that about 47 percent of Americans "often or sometimes" get their news from social media, with Facebook being the dominant source. With this in mind, platforms should take the initiative to integrate ways of evaluating the publishers and sharers of information, Lazer said. Otherwise, there is a chance the government will embrace that role. "That creates potential for government abuse by tilting the perspectives that can be shown on the internet," Lazer said. "There are reasons to be worried about government intervention in this space." His hope instead is that the threat of government regulation will cause the platforms themselves to take action against fake news. Explore further Facebook security chief warns of dangers to fake-news solutions Credit: haireena / Shutterstock Almost all governments in the world joined the Paris agreement in 2015 in an effort to tackle climate change. In the same year, many of the same governments paid about US$400 billion in direct and indirect subsidies to help people buy fossil fuels. Subsidies are government policies which make energy cheaper than under normal market conditions. They mostly go towards fossil fuels, since most of the energy we use comes from oil, gas or coal. As one of us noted in a review published in the journal Ecological Economics, fossil fuel subsidies are a popular and pervasive tool for helping people across the world have access to energy. But it isn't clear whether both trends are possible. Isn't there a contradiction between subsidising fossil fuels and meeting Paris climate targets? And, if the subsidies are removed, won't many people suffer without cheap energy? Though recent analysis shows that the worldwide removal would not magically solve climate change, there are many reasons for reform beyond reducing emissions. Subsidies are inefficient There is increasing disillusionment with subsidies. As one senior OECD official puts it: "Subsidies often introduce economic, environmental, and social distortions with unintended consequences. They are expensive for governments and may not achieve their objectives while also inducing harmful environmental and social outcomes." Therefore, there is growing political momentum against fossil fuel subsidies. In 2016, the G20 leaders reaffirmed an earlier pledge to phase them out. Regional distribution of global fossil fuel subsidies as of 2015. Credit: Jewell et al, Nature In theory, reforming or even completely removing these subsidies should not be a particularly difficult task because there is increasing evidence that they are not especially effective at poverty alleviation: the very reason they were introduced in the first place. For example, an IMF study documented that across 20 developing countries the poorest fifth of the population received on average just 7% of the overall subsidy benefit, whereas the richest fifth received almost 43%. Another study looked at India and found that, of the US$22.5 billion spent on fossil fuel subsidies in 2010, less than US$2 billion benefited the poorest 20%. This is essentially because poorer households in poor countries use less fuel than wealthier households, even when energy is subsidised. Subsidies can also paradoxically lead to energy shortages. In Myanmar, fixed prices for electricity, diesel and petrol have resulted in shortages when those prices fall below international market levels. This has convinced suppliers to focus on exports to China and Thailand rather than domestic use, and has stripped them of the revenues needed for infrastructure. Why does such an obviously inefficient policy stay around? One easy explanation may be that the main obstacle to subsidy reform is the fossil fuel lobbies. But recent research shows that the situation is not so simple. Subsidies still help the poor Most subsidies were introduced to serve a social mission and some have done it really well. Examples include the US's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or the UK's Warm Front Program, which helped 2.3m "fuel poor" homes. In developing countries, subsidies are also typically introduced as well-meaning policies to support lower income groups and thus gain support from large numbers of people. And, although they are an extremely inefficient policy to support development, subsidies are sometimes the best option when institutions are under-developed. Projected reduction in greenhouse emissions from removing fossil fuel subsidies compared with Paris climate pledges. Credit: Jewell et al / Nature Around the world, almost all subsidies are aimed at consumers rather than producers. It's true that the bulk of this money goes to richer households, but since energy makes up a larger share of poorer household budgets, subsidies are relatively more important for people on low incomes. Many governments therefore fear that removing them risks political upheaval. A political opportunity Despite this difficulty, the tension between providing energy subsidies to the poor and protecting the climate is not as insurmountable as it may seem. A recent article in Nature led by one of us shows that, if fossil fuel subsidies were removed worldwide, the largest emissions reductions would occur in oil and gas exporting regions: Russia and some of its neighbours, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. Most subsidies originate in these regions, but they also benefit fewer people living below the poverty line than in lower income countries such as India. This presents a unique political opportunity, because it is these oil and gas exporting countries where subsidy cuts would be most welcomed, as government budgets are squeezed by low oil prices. The trick to making subsidy reforms stick, even in the face of an oil price rise, is to combine them with effective pro-poor policies. Examples include India paying for cooking gas for those households which fall below a certain income level, or the way Indonesia and Iran have reallocated energy subsidy money to help finance infrastructure development and universal health care respectively. Ultimately, subsidy reform is not impossible, but neither is it easy. To gain maximum benefits for the climate while doing the minimum harm to the poor, reforms must be carefully targeted at the regions and sectors where they will be most effective. Explore further Removing fossil fuel subsidies will not reduce CO2 emissions as much as hoped This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Biomass power plants in Parsa lying defunct Three biomass gasification power plants installed in Parsa with the support of the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) have been lying inoperational for a long time due to lack of vital parts and an efficient management team. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2016), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO The Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite carries a suite of state-of-the art sensors that deliver a wealth of information to monitor our changing world, but this image was captured with its ocean and land camera. With a swath-width of 1270 km, this instrument delivers images that can span several countries, as we see here. From east to west, the image features the islands of Corsica and Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea, Italy and across the Adriatic Sea to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and to the western edges of Romania. To the north and partly obscured by clouds, lie Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Alps. South of the Alps, haze hovers over Italy's Po Valley. Following the Po River to the east, the sediment it carries can be seen entering the Adriatic Sea. In fact, sediments line most of the eastern coast of Italy, giving it a greenish blue frame, while the western coast is mostly sediment-free. As the colours in this image suggest, the camera can be used to monitor ocean ecosystems and vegetation on land all of which will bring significant benefits to society through more informed decision-making. Sentinel-3A will soon be joined in orbit by its twin Sentinel-3B, which is scheduled for liftoff from Russia on 25 April. The pairing of identical satellites provides the best coverage and data delivery for Europe's Copernicus programme the largest environmental monitoring programme in the world. A better version of the verification system is coming soon to Twitter, according to CEO Jack Dorsey. Dorsey made the comment during a Periscope livestream Thursday in which he discussed the San Francisco company's efforts to measure the "health" of public conversation, Twitter's latest effort to promote civil debate on the platform. Twitter is redesigning verification so that "people can verify more facts about themselves and we don't have to be the judge or imply any bias on our part," Dorsey said. He hinted that the overhaul would be in place before the U.S. midterm elections to verify the identities of candidates. A Twitter spokesman declined to provide any details. Fixing the verification system is one of the steps Twitter says it's taking to tackle hate speech, abuse and misinformation on the social media service. Verification, which awards blue check marks to confirm the identity of a Twitter user, was suspended last fall after the social media service came under fire for verifying white supremacist Jason Kessler, who used Twitter to organize rallies such as Unite the Right's torch-wielding march in Charlottesville, Va. Twitter originally began verifying accounts to distinguish individuals in public lifecelebrities, politicians, journalists and othersfrom impersonators. Anyone can apply to be verified on Twitter, yet the decision-making process is opaque. Twitter says blue check marks are not intended to be an endorsement but they have become status symbols that confer perks such as appearing at the top of searches. "The main problem is we use it to mean identity, but because of the way it was originally started, where it was only given to certain very large public figures, celebrities, etc., it came to have a lot of status associated with it, as well," David Gasca, one of Twitter's product directors, said on the Periscope livestream. "They think of it as credibility. Twitter stands behind this person. Twitter believes that this person is someone thatwhat they're saying is great and authentic, which is not at all what we mean by the check mark." Twitter has verified the accounts of some of the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., who have spoken out on gun control after a shooter killed 17 people. Dorsey said Twitter would be more open about decisions it makes in the wake of accusations of bias and censorship from conservatives. "We have a lot of work ahead, it's not going to be overnight. We're going to be as open as we can," he said. "That's going to be uncomfortable for us in many ways, but we want to be very open and very vulnerable with you all about what we're facing and what our challenges are." Explore further Richard Spencer, other white supremacists lose Twitter verification 2018 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Credit: CC0 Public Domain At a shiny new lab atop the new Frost Museum of Science, nine aquariums hold colonies of staghorn corals stressed to the edge of death. If all goes as planned, the corals will be revived with hardier algae able to survive the planet's warming oceans and replanted during a new field trialthe first ever of its kindto help save the ailing reef just beyond the downtown Miami museum's picture-perfect view. The hope is that the corals will be more able to withstand devastating bleaching events now occurring globally at an unprecedented rate, and breathe just enough life into the reef to buy scientists more time to tackle more intractable problems fueled by climate change. It's an ambitious plan, and a twist on the expanding strategy to save reefs with new breeds of what some have dubbed "super corals." But if it works here, scientists believe it could be a game changer in rebuilding reefs around the world. "The idea is to boost their thermal tolerance before they get out-planted with the hope we're not just setting up the next set of climate-change victims," said Rivah Winter, a Frost curator and inventor-in-residence at the lab. The challenge will be getting the corals in the wild to retain their new hardiness and grow fast enough to make a difference, said Andrew Baker, a marine biologist at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science who pioneered the stressing technique. "The field is a much more complicated situation," he said. Engineered reefs are nothing new in restoration efforts that have gained urgency with the increase in bleaching events and other coral losses. Since 1998, three global bleachings have decimated reefs, with the last in 2016 killing a third of the Great Barrier Reef. In South Florida, where a disease outbreak also has gripped the only inshore tract in the U.S., back-to-back bleachings struck in 2014 and 2015 for the first time on record. Bleaching occurs when water temperatures rise and the algae that live inside the coral, which photosynthesize and produce food for the corals, instead produce free radicals that are toxic, Baker said. The corals spit out the algae, starve and die. But not always, he said. Some recover and go on to thrive. Coral scientists began identifying those species and using them to seed nurseries with a growing stockpile of more resilient corals. At UM, Baker's colleague Diego Lirman has erected several nurseries with staghorn, which were once the most dominant species on Florida's reef, providing an elaborate framework that made it among the most diverse on the planet. About 90 percent have disappeared. In the Keys, Mote Marine Lab has transplanted 22,000 corals, and in 2016 it struck a 15-year deal with the Nature Conservancy to build gene banks and begin transplanting more than a million in the Keys and the Caribbean. But Baker worried replanting reefs with the same genotype might make them susceptible to other threats like disease. What if the algae made the difference? "It's a very tightly evolved partnership," he said. "The corals have been with these algae for hundreds of millions of years and these algae are critical to understanding why coral reefs even exist in the first place because without these algae, corals can't survive." In 2004, he looked at bleaching events in Panama, the Persian Gulf and the western Indian Ocean, and found that following the events, specific algae became more dominant. "The weak link in the partnership is really the algae," he said. "When they get hit with too much heat stress, instead of producing a nice photosynthetic food ... they start producing toxins." Baker figured out how to mimic bleaching and stress the corals just enough to get them to spew out their algae. Then, before they died, he introduced the hardier algae. Over the summer, to make the process more efficient, he plans to replicate the stressing in the field by floating the corals on rafts and exposing them to heat and light before planting them. The project has not been without its hiccups. This fall, Baker and Lirman were preparing to stress and plant corals off Key Biscayne. Then Hurricane Irma hit. Winter was also named one of Frost's first inventors-in-residence after submitting the work for a yearlong research program, but the museum construction fell behind schedule, and the fifth-floor lab got delayed. Miami entrepreneur Ted Caplow, a former museum board member who donated $1 million to create the lab, said the project was never part of the troubled construction budget, so it survived. The lab will be open to museum visitors beginning March 10part of its mission is to show science in action. But it's also intended to help put Miami on the map for innovation and showcase the kind of "accelerated adaptation" needed to address climate change, Caplow said. "We talk about the rain forest. We talk global warming. We talk about the ozone. All of those are processes are much slower and less urgent than the loss of coral reef," he said. "If this trend continues, coral reefs are just going to be something in the history books for our children and our grandchildren." Some newly hardened corals have already been replanted off Key Biscayne. Over the summer, when bleaching events are expected to occur, Baker, Winter and a team of reef rescuers will begin planting more between the key and Mid Beach. The corals will be monitored to see if they hold onto the algae, grow fast enough to make a difference and survive bleachings. "We want to try to tie down both the benefits of doing this and potentially the risks," Baker said, "so that before we scale this up into something really dramatic, we can figure out how best to manage the relative cost-benefit ratio." Explore further Research examines impact of coral bleaching on Western Australia's coastline 2018 Miami Herald Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The altarpieces were the most elevated elements in a church, says Kristin Kausland. The inside of the case usually contains carved sculptures, while the inside of the doors can also have such sculptures or paintings. This altarpiece is from Kvfjord church. Credit: Museum of Cultural History It was previously believed that altarpieces from the late Middle Ages were made in Germany. New research shows that several of them were made in Norway. Altarpieces from the Middle Ages are a feature of many churches along the coast of Norway. They are often called Lubeck altarpieces, because it was assumed that the altarpieces were imported to Norway by the Hanseatics from Lubeck. Kristin Kausland's research shows that the ecclesiastical art is more Norwegian than previously thought. Major parts of the altarpieces were made in Norway, new analyses show. Kausland is a postdoctoral fellow with the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History and the first person to earn a Ph.D. in conservation at a Norwegian university. While working on her doctoral thesis, she studied more than 60 altarpieces, most of them in Norway and Germany, but also several in Sweden and Denmark. Some of the altarpieces are in museums, others in churches along the Norwegian coast. Searching for hidden clues The researcher used advanced technical equipment to reveal the origins of the altarpieces. Using an infrared camera, UV camera and electron microscope, she searched for hidden clues. "Through analyses of even the tiniest paint fragment I have sought to trace the physical prints of the craftsmen and the various production environments under which the objects were created. Call it, if you will, the craftsmen's fingerprints," says Kausland. Revealing gold paint Because there is no written documentation on the origins of the altarpieces the physical clues are important. Gilding, type of wood, hinges and type of paint are some of the elements that can reveal where an altarpiece was made. "In Germany, the craftsmen were organised in guilds. There were strict rules for what was allowed. For example, there were several places where the use of materials other than real gold was not permitted. At that time, churches were very dark. The idea was that these altarpieces should radiate toward you, creating the impression of something holy. They were supposed to shine, and give light," she explains. The altarpieces that Kausland believes were made in Norway used imitation gold instead of real gold. In the Norwegian altarpieces, several types of oak were also used. This set them apart from the Northern German altarpieces, which were made of Baltic oak. "In Norway, it appears that people used whatever was the most accessible. Nor were there any established forms of constructional design. It was a somewhat more pragmatic and practical approach, where the craftsmen were probably not governed by guild statutes. Among other things, you could mix different grades of oak," Kausland says. The way the altarpieces were constructed could also vary from country to country. In the Netherlands, a particular type of hinge and design were used, whereas in Germany the altarpieces were assembled in a different way. This was regulated by the traditions of the guild association of the casemakers, she says. Unique findings from the Netherlands Kausland believes that around ten of the 60 altarpiece she has studied were made in the Netherlands. This is a sensational discovery because almost all the altarpieces in the Netherlands were lost during the Reformation. During the Reformation in the Netherlands the decision was made to destroy all of the decorations in the churches. The altarpieces were demolished. The fact that several such altarpieces are located in Norway is therefore of great international importance, she says. This altarpiece from Austevoll Church is one of the pieces that Kausland believes was made in the Netherlands. What indicates that the piece was made in northern Netherlands are the techniques used in its construction, gilding, sculptures, as well as in the paintings. Credit: Svein Skare, Bergen Historiske museum, Universitetet i Bergen. One of these altarpieces is located in Trondenes Church. Another is from Austevoll, and is at Bergen Museum. There is a high probability that there are more Dutch altarpieces in Norway, Kausland believes. This opens up the possibility that many other altarpieces whose origins have been unknown, probably also came from the Netherlands. This is very important and interesting, as there are almost no such altarpieces in the rest of Europe. A plan to exhibit one of the altarpieces in the Netherlands is in the works. At least one of the altarpieces will be sent to an exhibition in the Netherlands in the near future so that it can be shown to a Dutch audience. Hidden treasures For Kausland, the work on her doctorate has been a pure treasure hunt. Many of the altarpieces are located in small churches in fishing villages along the coast. The altarpieces are hidden treasures. At first glance they may be a little dark, but when you look past the layers of grime, and down to the original expression, you see that they are quite impressive. These are beautiful objects, which have been considered rather inferior art, and not part of Norwegian history. But they are an important part of Norwegian cultural heritage, and of fairly high quality, she notes. An altarpiece consists of several components. The inside of the case usually contains carved sculptures, while the inside of the doors can also have such sculptures or paintings. An altarpiece is therefore the creation of several craftsmen, Kausland explains: Five different craftsmen were required. Painters, woodcarvers, casemakers, ironsmiths and so-called preparers were involved. The latter prepared and laid the foundation for the painting carried out by painters. Not an extinct tradition The anonymous craftsmen interest her. We often look at fine art and forget all the other work that went into it. We concentrate on the paintings and sculptures, but forget that someone made the actual case. The "rough work", that which is not elevated art, is easily forgotten. I am interested in the anonymous craftsmen who have put their souls into an altarpiece and have tried to answer questions about origins, and how these craftsmen collaborated. In the past, it was believed that these Norwegian craft traditions died out during the Black Death. Kristin Kausland's research shows that the traditions continued to live on. It is also likely that there was a great deal of collaboration across national borders, by which the construction of the case was done in Bergen, while the finer wood carving art was done down on the continent, she explains. The research continues Before Christmas last year, Kausland was awarded a mobility grant from the Research Council of Norway. She is now working on a three-year post-doctoral project that will build on her Ph.D. research. She will work at the Hamilton Kerr Institute at the University of Cambridge for the first two years of the post-doctoral period. The postdoctoral project includes fieldwork in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, where several altarpieces will be put under the researcher's magnifying glass. The doctorate opened up many exciting approaches. Ecclesiastical art serves as silent witnesses of the organisation of workshops, trade and collaboration. It is after all not the geographical origin that is ultimately the essence of this art, but the Catholic universe that it represents. This will be the main theme of the post-doctoral project, says Kausland. Explore further Diamond light illuminates process of silver decay in Catalonian altarpieces Fracking wellpad in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, within state forest lands (2012). Credit: SkyTruth Galleries/Flickr, CC BY-NC The boom in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has led to an increase in the production of natural gas in the United States by about one-third since 2006. Production of has remained strong even when oil prices were low following the significant price drop in 2014. In light of the recent recovery of oil and gas prices, a 2017 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts the shale revolution to get a second wind. A number of policy makers and scientists expect increased shale gas production to both reduce gas prices and lower greenhouse gas emissions. By replacing coal in electricity generation, shale gas has already contributed substantially to the observed 11% reduction in US greenhouse gas emissions since the shale gas boom started in 2007, as documented in a recent report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To date, countries have responded in different ways to the multi-faceted consequences associated with shale gas use, which is also feared to hurt the environment by contaminating groundwater and surface water, harming local air quality via gas leakages, triggering earthquakes, and depleting freshwater reserves. Outside of Europe, many countries with significant shale gas resources such as Argentina, China, and Mexico have proceeded with their plans for extraction. In Europe, the response has been more diverse. While Poland and the United Kingdom developed their first exploratory wells, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, and Luxembourg banned shale gas extraction using fracking. Repercussions from the Ukraine-Russia crisis, as well as renewed concerns over energy security, have led some European countries, including Germany, to reconsider their initial sceptical position towards shale gas extraction. So what if the US shale gas boom were replicated in other countries? What would be the implications on global emissions and costs to mitigate greenhouse gases if available shale gas resources were exploited in other regions as well? In a recent publication in the journal (Climate Policy), a French-German team of researchers from the Grenoble Ecole de Management, Fraunhofer ISI and Enerdata explored whether shale gas lowers the costs of meeting global climate targets (Umweltbundesamt), in particular to limit global mean temperature to rise by more than 2C above pre-industrial levels agreed upon within the United Nations' climate negotiations. Their analyses, conducted on behalf of the German Federal Environmental Agency, rely on simulations with a global techno-economic model (POLES) that includes a broad variety of electricity-generation technologies and allows for a differentiated analysis of impacts for numerous countries and regions. The impact of shale gas availability on greenhouse gas emissions can be explained by the following mechanisms: According to the fossil-fuel substitution effect , shale gas replaces coal and oil in the energy mix, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions. , shale gas replaces coal and oil in the energy mix, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, the low-carbon substitution effect means that in addition to replacing conventional natural gas shale gas crowds out technologies such as renewable energy sources and nuclear power, leading to higher greenhouse gas emissions. means that in addition to replacing conventional natural gas shale gas crowds out technologies such as renewable energy sources and nuclear power, leading to higher greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, since energy consumption increases in response to lower prices of natural gas and other energy carriers, the demand effect causes a rise in greenhouse gas emissions. The net impact of shale gas availability depends on the relative magnitude of these three effects. Findings that challenge the conventional wisdom The results of the model simulations suggest that in the long run (up to the year 2050), global greenhouse gas emissions would increase by about 0.8 percent if shale gas was available everywhere compared to a scenario where shale gas was exploited only in the United States. But the results also suggest differences across countries: some countries like Japan and India would experience a small decrease in emissions, while others, such as Argentina, Canada, Mexico or the Russian Federation, would face an increase in emissions of up to 3 percent in the case of Argentina. These developments also have repercussions on the costs of meeting the 2C target. On the one hand, a higher shale gas availability tends to lower the costs of mitigating CO 2 emissions per ton. On the other hand, a higher shale gas availability may also increase emissions and thus require stronger mitigation efforts to meet the given climate targets. To estimate the implications of global availability of shale gas on greenhouse gas mitigation costs, the researchers estimate the costs of additional policies that need to be implemented to meet the given climate targets for two scenarios. In one scenario, shale gas is assumed to be available in the United States only. In a second, shale gas is allowed to be exploited in all countries with a shale gas resource base. Comparing the costs of additional policies for both scenarios suggests that at the global level, availability of shale gas increases the costs of meeting the 2C target for most countries. Yet, there are differences as well. For example, for Argentina and Mexico, global shale gas availability leads to an increase in mitigation costs of 9 percent. Mitigation costs decline for Japan and India only. Conservative estimates These findings on the role of shale gas availability for meeting ambitious climate targets are conservative, since they did not account for fugitive emissions from shale gas production or for additional emissions from the transport of liquefied natural gas. While the magnitude of fugitive emissions is uncertain, they reduce the benefits of the lower greenhouse gas emissions of shale gas compared to other fossil fuels. If these effects were taken into account, the findings would be even more strongly against shale gas. The study's findings warrant a re-evaluation of the role of shale gas to meet climate targets in many countries. They imply that a large-scale global expansion of shale gas would increase greenhouse gas emissions and also the costs of meeting climate targets for many countries. These results cast doubt on shale gas's potential as a low-cost option for meeting ambitious global climate targets. Explore further Shale gas is one of the least sustainable ways to produce electricity, research finds This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. When ice shelves melt, they dump freshwater into the sea which lightens the salty water. Credit: Flickr/NASA ICE, licensed under CC BY 2.0 Melting ice shelves are changing the ocean's chemistry at the South Pole and the result could be a change in global currents and increased glacial melt, according to scientists who are creating maps to feed into climate change models. At the North and South Poles, cold dense water sinks, powering the so-called global ocean conveyor belt, a complex system reliant on heat transfer and density that drives ocean currents throughout the world. This system regulates regional climates but is threatened when large amounts of freshwater such as glacial ice fall into the sea. Ice shelf melt means that more glacial ice will be dumped into the ocean, and this risks switching off the conveyor belt, because diluted, less dense saltwater is less likely to sink. In the Antarctic, at depths between 500 and 2000 metres, a surprisingly warm salty water mass can be found, called Circumpolar Deep Water. At certain points under Antarctica, this warm water comes into contact with the underside of the ice shelves and melts the ice. If more warm salty water is reaching the bottom of the ice shelves than in previous years, this could fuel an increase in ice-shelf melt. Dr. Laura Herraiz Borreguero of the University of Southampton, UK, and coordinator of the OCEANIS project, is tracking the movements of this warm salty current, to see if there are any fluctuations or changes compared to previous years. By analysing and comparing data collected by other researchers, she has discovered that in the last 20 years, the warm salty water current has become more commonly found. The effects are even more pronounced in the inhospitable East Antarctica region, a part of the continent that is generally less well-researched than West Antarctica, as it's much more difficult to access. Speed bumps Because ice shelves act as speed bumps for glacial ice flow and slow down the rate at which Antarctic glaciers reach the sea, an increase in ice-shelf melt would mean that glaciers could dump vast amounts of freshwater ice into the ocean unchecked. 'If we lose (the ice shelves), the speed of the glaciers could be four to five times faster,' said Dr. Herraiz Borreguero. Her next challenge is to determine precisely what impact the change in circumpolar deep water will have. 'What I'm looking at now is how this alters the properties of the water around Antarctica, also in relation to the Southern Ocean circulation,' she said. 'Improving our knowledge of ice shelf-ocean interactions is a critical step toward reducing uncertainty in projections of future sea level rise.' Ocean circulation is also being studied by Dr. Melanie Grenier of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, who coordinates the GCP-GEOTARCTIC project. The project is part of a multinational collaborative effort called GEOTRACES that aims to better understand global ocean circulation and marine cycles by examining the distribution of dissolved and particulate chemical elements suspended in the water column. Particle concentrations, distributions and exchanges can tell scientists a lot about what's going on in the water column. Certain water masses have distinct properties, for example being nutrient-rich, or nutrient-poor, warm, cold, salty or fresh. Particles of ash from ancient volcanic eruptions are helping tie together climate records from different sources. Credit: National Science Foundation/Josh Landis Thorium-230 Dr. Grenier uses a chemical tracer called thorium-230 to monitor the volume of particles and has found that the composition of water at the North Pole is changing. 'The Amerasian Arctic exhibits lower concentrations of this geochemical tracer than in the past, consistent with the increasing trend of sea ice retreat and a subsequent increase of particle concentrations.' One of the reasons for this is a decrease in ice cover. Less ice means that more light can enter the ocean and that more life can develop, leading to an increase of marine particles. Less ice also means more interaction with the atmosphere, notably with the wind, which can increase the mixing in the ocean, and so particles lying in the sediment are re-suspended into the water column. While this is not necessarily damaging by itself, it is indicative of changes in ocean circulation and could affect the global ocean conveyor belt. However, it's not known how sensitive that system might be to change, so scientists will have to continue to monitor the situation. Both OCEANIS and GCP-GEOTARCTIC intend to create maps based on their research for OCEANIS, detailing the points where warm water reaches Antarctic ice shelves, and for GCP-GEOTARCTIC, a map of global thorium-230 distribution, with input from other GEOTRACES scientists. Models These will be used to develop better-informed models to predict how the planet should react to changes in climate. The models are also being enhanced by researchers who are aligning climate records from marine sediments and ice by using fine particles of volcanic ash as a common thread. Vertical cylinders of marine sediment and ice, known as cores, are used by geologists to determine what past climates were like. As ice freezes or sediment settles, they trap air, particles and fossils that provide clues to the climate at that time. But, it can be difficult to match a particular piece of a marine sediment core to the corresponding time period of an ice core. Dr. Peter Abbott of Cardiff University, UK, and the University of Bern, Switzerland, runs a project called SHARP to develop a method of doing just that. 'The technique that I'm using is called tephrochronology,' he said. 'We trace particles from past volcanic eruptions between the ice and the marine cores. If you can find the same eruption, then it can act as a tie-line between those records as the particles were deposited at the same time in both environments.' Dr. Abbott uses laboratory methods and optical microscopy to scan the cores and identify ash layers hidden within the ice and marine cores. Each individual volcanic event leaves a unique chemical fingerprint on the material it expels, which means researchers can use the ash to correctly match up the ice cores and the sediment cores, giving scientists more accurate information about past climates, and consequently improving the predictive models. 'If we can explain how the climate has changed in the past, it gives us a better understanding of how it might be forced in the future,' said Dr. Abbott. Explore further Climate scientists explore hidden ocean beneath Antarctica's largest ice shelf Procera offices are seen on Thursday, March 8, 2018, in Fremont, Calif. Researchers have found evidence that the company's hardware - now sold by Canadian firm Sandvine - is being used to hack internet users along Turkey's border with Syria. Forbes has reported that engineers at the firm were so troubled at the prospect of supplying surveillance hardware for use by a Turkish telecoms company that six of them quit in protest. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) A Canadian company's hardware is being used to hack internet users along Turkey's border with Syria, researchers said Friday, adding that there were signs that Kurdish forces aligned with the United States might have been targeted. The revelation comes as Turkey presses its offensive against the Kurds dug in along the country's frontier with northwestern Syriaa conflict that threatens to disrupt the American-led effort to extinguish the Islamic State group. The apparent use of Canadian technology to target a U.S. ally was an irony underlined by Ron Deibert, the director of the internet watchdog group Citizen Lab, which published a report on the spying. "These companies are not closely regulatedand that can lead to a lot of unintended consequences, including consequences that harm our foreign policy interests and human rights interest as well," said Deibert. "It's a strong argument for government control over this kind of technology." Citizen Lab identified the hardware behind the hacking as PacketLogic devices produced by Proceraa Fremont, California-based company that was recently folded into Canada-based network management firm Sandvine, which is owned by American private equity group Francisco Partners. In a statement, Sandvine said it investigates all allegations of abuse but would not be looking into the concerns raised by Citizen Labcommunicated to the company nearly a month agountil it sees the watchdog group's full report. The statement also said Citizen Lab's allegations were "technically inaccurate and intentionally misleading," but a representative for the company did not respond when asked to supply an example of a misleading or inaccurate claim. Citizen Lab said it discovered the hacking after a European cybersecurity company reported that network service providers in two unidentified countries were trying to compromise their users using a powerful hacking technique known as network injection. Citizen Lab scoured the internet for signs of the spying and eventually traced the activity to the Turkish provinces of Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir and to the Turkish capital, Ankara, as well as parts of northern Syria and Egypt. Network injectionso-called because malicious software is injected into everyday internet traffic by whoever controls the networkhas long been feared as a particularly powerful form of government spying. Procera offices are seen on Thursday, March 8, 2018, in Fremont, Calif. Researchers have found evidence that the company's hardware - now sold by Canadian firm Sandvine - is being used to hack internet users along Turkey's border with Syria. Forbes has reported that engineers at the firm were so troubled at the prospect of supplying surveillance hardware for use by a Turkish telecoms company that six of them quit in protest. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) "This can potentially be used to target anyone in the country with the click of the button," said Bill Marczak, the lead author of the Citizen Lab report. Although the identities of those being spied on in Turkey and Egypt aren't clear, Marczak said that the devices appeared to be installed on the network belonging to Turk Telekom, a leading phone and internet provider in Turkey as well as parts of northern Syria. He said there were hints suggesting some of the targets are affiliated with the YPG, the Kurdish Marxist rebel group which is fighting Turkish forces for control of the northwestern Syrian province of Afrin. Although Turkey considers the YPG a terrorist organization, the group provides the backbone of the U.S.-backed operations against the Islamic State in eastern Syria. American officials acknowledged Monday that ground operations against the jihadist group's remnants in eastern Syria were on hold because Kurdish fighters were being diverted to the battle against Turkey. Turk Telekom said in a statement that it complies with Turkish law and doesn't interfere with internet users' access. It added that the company "does not redirect any internet user to receive malicious downloads of popular software applications." A representative for the company did not immediately respond to follow-up questions. Sandvine's ties to the Turkey government have been the subject of previous reporting. In 2016, Forbes reported that engineers at Procera were so troubled at the prospect of supplying surveillance hardware for use by Turk Telekom that six of them quit in protest. "I do not wish to spend the rest of my life with the regret of having been a part of (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's insanity, so I'm out," one the engineers said in a letter of resignation quoted by Forbes. LinkedIn shows at least 16 Procera-Sandvine employees listed as working in Egypt or Turkey. One Sandvine engineer based in Cairo listed "lawful interception"a commonly used euphemism for state-sanctioned surveillanceas one of his interests. Explore further Infrastructure problems disrupt Internet to Syria 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Caan to fill budget shortfall at TIA The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) has said it will be mobilizing $40-50 million to make up the budget shortfall to build a parallel taxiway and international apron at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) under the Air Transport Capacity Enhancement Project. Contempt case against chief justice A contempt of court case has been filed at the Supreme Court against Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli, who is facing widespread criticism for issuing an order with an aim to impose prior censorship on media. 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 Lear: AccuMED Corp., AccuMED Holdings Corp., Arada Systems, Autotech Fund II L.P.(Delaware) (5.56%, Beijing BAI Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Beijing BHAP Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd.(China) (50%, Beijing Lear Dymos Automotive Systems Co. 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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. End the stigma Women migrants, like their male counterparts, send remittance, and eventually bring new skills back home. Dont they deserve respect? European stock markets closed modestly firmer Tuesday as fears faded over US President Donald Trump's planned trade tariffs, and tensions appeared to ease in the Korean peninsula, dealers said. Investors bet that Trump would not push through with extreme protectionist policies, and stocks in big European carmakers were the main beneficiaries of the relief rally. "Stocks bounce despite trade war concerns," Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA said, while Jasper Lawler at London Capital Group said that "risk-on trading" was making a return. But Wall Street turned lower in late New York morning trade, having given up opening gains, helping push European markets off the day's best levels. "US stocks are struggling to extend yesterday's solid gains as global trade uncertainty lingers," analysts at the Charles Schwab brokerage said. Asia had surged earlier as shock over the controversial tariffs announcement gave way to hope that Trump may not have the full backing of his Republican party on this move. According to Lawler, the impact of Trump's announcement may have been dampened "thanks to relatively little interest by China in retaliating against the US". Markets were also buoyed by an announcement from Seoul that the leaders of North and South Korea will hold a historic summit in the Demilitarized Zone next month after Pyongyang expressed willingness to give up its nuclear weapons. "Risk appetite has improved on headlines North Korea has expressed a willingness to talk about de-nuclearisation, according to South Korea," analyst Fawad Razaqzada of Forex said. Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at FXTM, described as "remarkable and somewhat alarming how the risk-off sentiment last Friday was swiftly replaced with a risk-on mood today". "European stocks were elevated by the renewed appetite for risk," he added. Republican Trump had sparked fears of a global trade war late last week when he unveiled plans to slap levies on imports of steel and aluminium, sending share prices tumbling. - Automakers accelerate - European automakers revved higher, after losing speed on worries that a trade war could hurt valuable exports into the United States. In Frankfurt, carmaker Volkswagen jumped by more than three percent, with Daimler and BMW also posting gains. "A strategic target -- and standing to lose the most from any possible trade war -- the German auto sector is rebounding sharply, helping lift the DAX higher," noted Interactive Investor analyst Rebecca O'Keeffe. In Paris, Renault and Peugeot were also higher. And Milan's benchmark FTSE MIB shares index wiped out the previous day's losses seen after Italy's inconclusive election outcome, and even added hefty gains, outperforming its European peers. - Key figures around 1640 GMT - London - FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 7,146.75 points (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.2 percent at 12,113.87 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 5,170.23 (close) Milan - FTSE MIB: UP 1.8 percent at 22,196.99 EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.1 percent at 3,357.86 New York - Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 24,741.42 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.8 percent at 21,417.76 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 2.1 percent at 30,510.73 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 3,289.64 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.2410 from $1.2336 at 2200 GMT on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3886 from $1.3849 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 105.93 yen from 106.20 yen Oil - Brent North Sea: DOWN 10 cents at $65.44 per barrel Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 10 cents at $62.47 burs-jh/cw Brazilian iron and steel shares took a hit Friday, as markets weighed a potential trade war in response to Washington's decision to impose hefty tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. Brazil is the second biggest steel exporter to the United States after Canada -- and the government is deeply worried about US President Donald Trump's imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Foreign minister Aloysio Nunes and foreign trade minister Marcos Jorge shot back with a statement Thursday warning that Brazil "will resort to all necessary steps... to protect its rights and interests." Nunes said Brazil was "greatly concerned" by the measure which would "bring severe damage to Brazilian exports and have a negative impact on the flow of bilateral trade." On the Sao Paulo stock exchange Friday, Vale was down 1.33 percent in late-morning trading, Gerdau was down 1.72 percent and Usiminas 1.8 percent. Shares had already taken hefty hits the previous day after Trump's announcement. US NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico are being exempted from Trump's tariffs, but Brazil will be left wide open to the measures. Brazilian steel accounts for nearly 14 percent of US steel imports by volume, the US commerce department says. The US market accounted for 32.9 percent of all Brazil's steel exports last year, the Brazilian government says. - Blowback - Brazil's National Confederation of Industry (CNI) has gone further, blasting Washington's "unjust, illegal" move which it says will cost Brazil some $3 billion a year in lost steel exports and $144 million in aluminum trade losses. Diego Bonomo from the CNI says the United States will get blowback because Brazil is the main importer of US carbon steel. Also, 80 percent of Brazilian steel exports to the United States are semi-finished products used by US industry, then sold on. Trump's tariffs, due to take effect in 15 days, "will have two negative effects: first on exports of Brazilian steel to the North American market and secondly on US exports to Brazil," Bonomo said. The fact that Brazil's exporter rivals Canada and Mexico will not be under the same tariffs will further hurt Brazilian competitiveness, said Jose Augusto Coelho Fernandes, policy director at the CNI. "Brazilian industry regards this measure of President Trump with great worry. Firstly, since he excluded the NAFTA countries from the initial impact, it leaves Brazil as the most-affected country," he said. "If Brazil doesn't manage to get an exemption it will certainly file a formal complaint at the WTO along with the European Union and China," Risk Brief consultancy said in a note to clients. Catalonia's main separatist parties have proposed holding a new referendum on a constitution of the "Catalan republic" which was declared in October but never came into effect. In an agreement seen by AFP on Thursday, they also propose establishing a parallel Catalan government headed by the region's ousted president Carles Puigdemont in Belgium. Puigdemont moved to Belgium after the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence on October 27 following a banned referendum on secession. The agreement between Catalonia's two main separatist parties, Puigdemont's Together for Catalonia and the leftist ERC, still needs to be ratified by the small far-left separatist CUP party. It also calls for the launch of a participative process to define what an independent Catalonia should look like, which would lead to the creation of a "future Constitution of the Catalan Republic". The process would conclude with a referendum that would give Catalans the chance to vote on each paragraph of the proposed constitution. This vote would likely be deemed illegal like the October 1 independence referendum, which was marred by police violence at some polling stations. The separatists would also create in Belgium a "free space in exile", a body chaired by Puigdemont whose goal would be to "promote the internationalisation of the cause of the independence of Catalonia" and "move towards the establishment of the Catalan Republic" in coordination with Catalonia's regional government in Barcelona. "The cause of Catalonia emerges today as the just cause of all people who want to be free," the agreement reads. Catalan separatist parties won an absolute majority of seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament in a snap election on December 21 but have so far failed to form a new government. Catalonia's parliament will convene on March 12 to appoint a new regional president, but the outcome is uncertain with jailed separatist Jordi Sanchez the only candidate. To be sworn in Sanchez would need to obtain permission to leave prison, which appears unlikely. The separatists' push for independence plunged Spain into political crisis last year. The Spanish government imposed direct rule over the region on October 27 after the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence. Direct rule is due to last until the region elects a new president. Madrid has vowed to resist any bid to break the region away from Spain. Chinese courts have tried more than 100 top officials in corruption cases in five years, the country's top judge said on Friday, as President Xi Jinping pursues a relentless anti-graft campaign. Government corruption is rampant in China, and Xi has presided over a much-publicised drive against crooked party officials since coming to power in 2012, which some have compared to a political purge. "We have maintained a strong pressure on perpetrators of corruption," Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court, said in a speech to some 3,000 parliamentarians gathered in Beijing for the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament. A total of 195,000 corruption and bribery cases involving 263,000 people were heard between 2013 and 2017. Of these, 101 were officials at or above the rank of minister or head of province, he said. These include former security czar Zhou Yongkang and former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai, a potential rival to Xi. Zhou did not say how many of the defendants had been found guilty. Xi promised during a party congress in October 2017 to intensify the graft crackdown which has so far punished more than 1.5 million party officials at various levels -- including top military leadership. Corruption has long been an intractable problem for the country, and the vast majority of Chinese citizens welcomes the move. But many experts argue that the campaign also has the hallmarks of a political purge as the Chinese president consolidates his power. Their parents escaped poverty and chaos, but for babies of Venezuelans fleeing into neighboring Brazil the first days of life are still plenty tough. In Boa Vista, capital of Roraima state, births of Venezuelan migrants at the city's sole public maternity hospital rose from 288 in 2016 to 572 last year, providing the latest measure of the growing humanitarian challenge on Brazil's border. In January alone there were 74 Venezuelan babies born at the hospital, double the number seen in January last year, and officials expect there'll be about 700 by the end of 2018. With mothers enduring terrible poverty and often unsanitary living conditions, many of the births are complicated. "These are never the kind of patients who spend just a day or two here. Many have premature babies or mothers with diabetes," said Luiz Gustavo Araujo, technical director of the Nossa Senhora de Nazare hospital. But anything is better than the economic collapse and political instability under President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan mothers say. "I came because there was no way I could have my baby in Venezuela. It's getting worse and worse there," said Dayana Rodriguez, who arrived in Brazil already pregnant last November. "There were complications with the pregnancy, so we'd both have died if I'd stayed behind." The 17-year-old suffered convulsions when she went into labor and had to spend two weeks in Nossa Senhora de Nazare after giving birth to her daughter Sofia by caesarean section. Today they live with a relative already in Boa Vista, and Rodriguez sees no way back. Sofia "would have virtually no future there," she said. - Too late for some - The maternity ward has clean, spacious rooms with five beds at most each, and often with relatives of the women in attendance. Yulianny Vazquez, also just 17, was close to full term but said she'd had no medical check ups on her pregnancy until she left her home in El Tigre, western Venezuela, four months ago. "I came because of the situation in Venezuela. I was afraid of staying there since there's no way to raise a baby. We don't have food or medicines there," she said, writhing with pain in her bed. Araujo said the breakdown of oil-rich Venezuela's health care system was behind the many problematic births, with conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes often going undiagnosed or untreated. Forty percent of the births among Venezuelans in Boa Vista last year were considered high risk. "Of the six deaths we registered during childbirth last year, two were of Venezuelans who'd come here in a serious condition," the hospital director said. "They come because of a lack of medicine in their own country, but that leads to increased costs for us, because we're not set up for dealing with this type of population," he added. - Long journeys - About 40,000 Venezuelans are estimated to have poured into Boa Vista, with the influx accelerating over the last year. Many are living in unsanitary shelters. Where migrants used to come from just over the border, now officials are registering people arriving from as far away as Caracas, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away. Eurimar Perez, 36, had her first three children in Santa Elena de Uairen, a town on the Venezuelan side of the border. For her fourth, though, she decided to go to Boa Vista. "Things have changed. Everything has got worse. There's nothing left in the hospital where I had my other children. There are no doctors, no medicines. I couldn't risk having my baby there," she said one day after undergoing a C-section. In a neighboring room, Rodriguez looked after her newborn Sofia. What future did she think the baby girl would have? Rodriguez sobbed and said: "Whether it's in Brazil or Venezuela I just want to see her grow up and to make sure she has what I never had: a mother." A Facebook video screenshot showing a fight that allegedly occurred at Syed Alwi Road on 6 March. Source: Facebook/Roads.SG Five men have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a fight at Syed Alwi Road. The police were alerted to the fight on 6 March and arrested the men on 9 March, the Singapore Police Force said in a statement on Friday (9 March). According to preliminary investigations, a few pedestrians were walking along a road when a driver sounded his horn at them. A dispute broke out involving the driver, two passengers in his car and the pedestrians during which blows were exchanged, according to the statement. The arrests come after a video was posted online that supposedly shows a confrontation between a group of people and the driver of a black Mercedes-Benz in Syed Alwi Road. A man in the video is seen repeatedly hitting the windscreen of the car until it cracks. The car then drives off from the scene. A 29-year-old man was sent to hospital after being involved in the fight, according to media reports. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. More Singapore stories E-scooter rider fined maximum $2,500 for collision with 9-year-old boy Grab customers can soon rent bicycles, e-scooters through single app War baby I was born in Crewe (in northwest England) in 1941. My father, Harold John Finch, was born in about 1910 and was in insurance. He was in the British Royal Air Force during the second world war and he divorced my mother when I was about five, so I didnt know him at all. I met him once, many years later. My mother, Olive Elaine Finch, was a cashier in a butchers shop and we lived in Stoneleigh, in Surrey. I had one brother. He died some years ago. Call to action I went to Glyn Grammar School, in Epsom, and then on to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for two years. I was in the Combined Cadet Force at school and it was a natural progression from that. I joined the army in 1960. I was commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment and posted to the 1st Battalion, which was at Hamelin, in Germany. I was a second lieutenant. After 18 months in Germany, I was posted to Lydd, in Kent, and also spent a few months in Gibraltar before I applied for secondment to 1st Battalion, Malaysia Rangers, where I did some real soldiering for 2 years. Rumbles in the jungle Malaysia was formed in 1963 and I arrived in 1964. We spent most of our time living in the jungle. We started off in a place called Sungai Petani, where we were forming and training the battalion from nothing. These were mainly Ibans from Borneo, who are a tribe of fierce headhunters, quite literally: they go around cutting peoples heads off. The first thing we did was go up to the Thai border at the north end of the Malay Peninsula to operate against the remnants of the Chinese communist terrorists, which had been operating in Malaya during the Emergency (a guerilla war fought in the pre- and post-independence Federation of Malaya, from 1948 until 1960) but had then run to Thailand. By then, I was a lieutenant. We spoke Iban the whole time. What happened to Hong Kongs old colonials when they retired Sukarnos Konfrontasi We were then posted to Borneo. Malaysia had been formed from the four independent nations or colonies of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah, and Indonesias president Sukarno didnt like this. So he instigated what he called Konfrontasi, sending troops along hundreds of miles of border in Borneo. Story continues He sent his troops up there to try to take over Sarawak and Sabah and make them parts of Indonesia. So the British and Malaysian army sent large numbers of troops to defend the border, and we were part of that. We were there for 18 months. In 1965, the battalion moved to Sarawak. We were, of course, part of a much larger force, mainly British Army units. Our task was to patrol the border, which was a watershed along the high ground between Sarawak and Indonesian Borneo, which they call Kalimantan. The strategy was aggressive patrolling along the border to discourage incursions. My platoon had one minor skirmish with the enemy: an Indonesian unit tried to cross the border in the area where we were patrolling. The leading members of my platoon engaged them with rifle fire, at which point they withdrew. Then we called on artillery support, which seemed to give them further encouragement to move back. Then Suharto got rid of Sukarno. Back in Hong Kong home from where Japanese took his father for execution, British scientist is very emotional Speaking in tonguesI enjoyed studying French and German at school, and found them relatively easy. Later, when posted to Malaysia, I learned Malay, which is a pretty easy language at a colloquial level. Then I had to learn Iban, the language of my soldiers, without the benefit of any courses none existed. But as the language is closely related to Malay, it was relatively easy to transfer. I guess it was this experience that made me realise I had a flair for languages. Follower of fashion After Malaysia, I came back to what by then was the 4th Battalion, Queens Regiment, as the Middlesex Regiment had by then been amalgamated. We were in Holywood, County Down, in Northern Ireland. Thats where I met my wife, Gillian. She was working in a fashion shop, selling clothes. I was there for about a year and would later come to Hong Kong to learn Mandarin at the Ministry of Defence Chinese Language School in Lyemun Barracks now Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village from 1968 to 1971. Then, after learning Chinese, I was posted to Germany, in Werl, where we practised how to defend against a Russian invasion that never happened. We watched [in June 1989] the amazing march of more than a million people. Ive never seen anything so peaceful in my life. It was a worrying time. What didnt surprise me was Deng Xiaopings decision to move hard against the students in Tiananmen Run-up to the Handover I left the army as a major in 1978. We had two children, Cathy and Iain (who today live and work in Hong Kong). I joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and began relearning Chinese. I came to Hong Kong from 1982-87, and then again for a couple of years before the handover, doing political reporting for the Foreign Office. Because of my language skills, I was supporting the negotiators over the future of Hong Kong. Teddy (Edward) Youde was governor when I arrived. Here was a man who was putting his heart and soul into sticking up for Hong Kong. When he died, the outpouring of grief was incredible. Thousands turned out to show sympathy and support. We watched (in June 1989) the amazing march of more than a million people. Ive never seen anything so peaceful in my life. It was a worrying time. What didnt surprise me was Deng Xiaopings decision to move hard against the students in Tiananmen. Lisbon Maru account Since retiring, in 2007, we have lived in Devon. When I joined 1st Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment, on the wall of the officers mess was a sketch of the Lisbon Maru. I learned of the story and also learned that Major Frank Waldron, who was our quartermaster, had been on the ship when it sank. The Lisbon Maru was a Japanese troop ship that bore no markings showing it was carrying 1,834 prisoners of war from Sham Shui Po POW Camp to Japan (during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong) and was torpedoed by an American submarine on October 1, 1942, off the coast of Zhoushan (in Zhejiang province). Hong Kongs father of public housing recalls POW camp life and the citys challenges in 1960s I recently completed a translation of A Faithful Record of the Lisbon Maru Incident from Chinese to English. This is an account of the incident through the eyes of courageous Chinese fishermen who rescued hundreds of prisoners of war from the sea, including many from the Middlesex Regiment. The fishermen also managed to hide three British men and help them escape and travel 1,000 miles (1,600km) across China to Chongqing. I came to know the Lisbon Maru Association (who conducted the interviews) when I was working in Hong Kong and have worked closely with them since then on educating people about what happened. This article With headhunters in Malaysia fighting Chinese terrorists a British Army major looks back at his life first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. More from South China Morning Post: Hungary hit back Wednesday at a top UN rights official for calling Prime Minister Viktor Orban a racist over recent anti-immigration remarks. "The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has started a fight with (Orban) and Hungarian migration policy," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters in Budapest, branding the High Commission an "extremist pro-immigration" body. "We are taking off our gloves... we will step into battle, and will not let a single illegal immigrant into Hungary," he said. The comments marked a new escalation in a feud between Budapest and the High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. Last month, Zeid called Orban a xenophobe and racist after the Hungarian leader said in a speech that "(Hungary does) not want our colour... to be mixed in with the others". That led Szijjarto to call for Zeid's resignation but Zeid hit back in a statement on Tuesday, saying "it is time to stand up to the bullies of Mr Orban's ilk". "I stand by every single word... hatred is a combustible force; and it will not win - not in Europe; and not today," he said. Orban's ruling right-wing Fidesz party has placed immigration at the centre of its general election campaign ahead of an April 8 vote, claiming that an influx of Muslims and Africans poses an existential threat to European culture. Orban has also accused the Hungarian-American billionaire investor George Soros, as well as the United Nations, of wanting to fill the country with migrants. A video posted on Facebook on Tuesday showed Orban's chief-of-staff Janos Lazar speaking in a Vienna neighbourhood, saying it had been abandoned by "white Christians" and taken over by immigrants. Lazar alleged the area had become dirtier, poorer and more crime-ridden as a direct result of the presence of immigrants and warned the same could happen in Budapest if the opposition won the election. Local politicians in Vienna -- even some from the far-right Freedom Party -- criticised the video's portrayal of the city, which regularly tops global rankings of cities for quality of life. The Social Democrats demanded an apology from Lazar and called the video "a totally made up nightmare image" of the area aimed at "incitement against certain groups". Facebook later "censored and deleted" the post, Lazar said on Wednesday. Four CPN cadres held for attacking elected official Police arrested four activists of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal in Sunsari district on Wednesday on assault and extortion charges. By Gavin Jones ROME (Reuters) - The leader of Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement said on Friday his party was preparing economic policy proposals for other parties as a way of finding common ground to form a government after Sunday's inconclusive election. 5-Star comfortably emerged as the leading party at the election but does not have enough seats to govern on its own. Its leader Luigi Di Maio says the president should give 5-Star the right to try to form a government, but the right-wing coalition parties, whose combined total was higher, say the job should fall to them. In an interview in the daily Corriere della Sera, Di Maio said his party would soon present proposals to be incorporated in the outgoing government's multi-year economic plan, which must be presented by April 10. "We want to move quickly ... if the other parties want to propose other measures that will help people then we are ready to discuss them," Di Maio said. Later in the day, Danilo Toninelli, who will be 5-Star's Senate floor leader once parliament opens on March 23, outlined the issues he said could be the basis for an agreement. "If we propose issues like universal income, lower taxes and an anti-corruption law, which are also present in the programmes of other political forces, they owe us an answer," Toninelli told reporters. Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League and the conservative coalition's candidate for prime minister, said he would issue his own economic plans for Italy and showed no sign of toning down his tough eurosceptic stance. NOT WHAT BRUSSELS WANTS "Soon we will make a budget proposal ... and it will be the opposite of what Brussels asked for," he told reporters after meeting with the League's lawmakers in Milan. Salvini, whose party made big gains to emerge as the largest in the right-wing bloc, said he was ready to discuss with all party leaders how to form a government with a limited mandate of reforms to the economy and the electoral law. Story continues The prospects for coalition building have dominated the Italian political debate since the election, with most commentators focusing on the possibility of a tie-up between 5-Star and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD). "That is what the newspapers write, but I have always said I will discuss with all the parties, with no exception," said Di Maio, 31, who was elected as 5-Star's leader in September. For years after its foundation in 2009, 5-Star said it would not form coalitions with mainstream parties. But as the prospects of a hung parliament increased ahead of the election, Di Maio nuanced that stance, saying he would be willing to discuss a common policy platform with the other parties but not negotiate over government posts. All the main parties campaigned on pledges to cut taxes, hike spending and raise the budget deficit from levels agreed with the EU, while simultaneously promising to cut debt. "NO PERSONAL AMBITIONS" The centre-right is hoping to get the backing of the defeated PD in its own bid to form a government, one of its senior parliamentarians said in another interview in Corriere della Sera on Friday. "We are trying to understand if the PD will be willing to give us some sort of support," said Renato Brunetta, lower house leader of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy!) party. Brunetta reiterated that the prime minister should come from the centre-right but said it may not necessarily be Salvini. "The candidate (now) is Salvini, but it could also be someone else that he puts forward, if that is what we agree together," he said. Salvini has so far given no explicit indication that he may stand aside for another, more moderate centre-right figure. But he did say on Friday that he had "no personal ambitions". President Sergio Mattarella will not begin formal consultations with parties over government formation until after March 23, when parliament will elect the speakers of the two houses. Mattarella hopes to broker a deal that will avoid the need for a fresh election, which would risk being no more conclusive than the last one, sources close to the president have said. Di Maio told Corriere the other parties would "pay a high price for their irresponsibility" if they refused to negotiate with 5-Star, making new elections necessary. 5-Star won 32 percent of the vote on Sunday, almost twice as much as the second largest party. He said that, if there were a return to the polls, "we would have nothing to lose". (Additional reporting by Sara Rossi in MILAN, and Steve Scherer and Massimiliano Di Giorgio in ROME, Editing by Catherine Evans and Kevin Liffey) FILE IMAGE: UNTV Drone shot of the ruins of a part of the Marawi City MANILA, Philippines The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide P1- billion worth of grant for the rehabilitation of Marawi City. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that this will be part of the P11-billion worth of budget needed for the building of infrastructures in Marawi City. In May 2018, the government will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation efforts in ground zero or the most affected areas in Marawi City. We have done so much coordination with JICA and JICA pledges around P1- billion as a grant component. In fact, this coming Monday, well be hearing some discussions again, said DPWH Usec. Emil Sadain. UNTV News & Rescue The post Japan agency to grant P1-B for Marawi rehab appeared first on UNTV News. Its a full house at Malaysias first halal love camp. (Photo: Shahirah Hamid) More than 500 hopeful Muslims looking for love thronged a packed hall in Putrajaya, Malaysias administrative capital, to take part in the nations first halal love camp. The one-day camp, dubbed Kem Dapat Jodoh (Find a Soulmate Camp), was organised by a local training and entrepreneur consultancy firm, NDA Training Consultancy, to help Muslims find their other half. The event was exclusive to Muslim singles, including those who are divorced or widowed. The crowd that showed up on Saturday (3 March) comprised young working professionals, housewives and retirees. Around 30 per cent were divorcees, and about 20 per cent were widowers. The event sparked a nationwide frenzy after its promotional pamphlet went viral across various social media platforms. For RM100 (S$33), participants would spend the day listening to talks by motivational speakers on self-improvement and personal grooming, while interacting with the opposite sex in a dignified manner. The most anticipated session was the Taaruf, a 5-minute introductory or speed dating session where each female participant took turns to get acquainted with the male participants before moving on to her next preferred candidate. Imagine a scene in The Bachelor, but instead of getting a rose or a proposal, both the man and woman could exchange numbers only if they felt comfortable with one another. The love camps organiser Nor Daayah Abdullah. (Photo: Shahirah Hamid) Unlike online dating platforms, the Taaruf session helps weed out Casanovas and dishonest individuals. According to the camps organiser, 40-year-old Nor Daayah Abdullah, she believed many detest the idea of online dating as they are afraid of being scammed or catfished by a cruel prankster. One of the events drawbacks was the uneven ratio of participants as the women outnumbered the men. There were 447 women and 100 men, which left the women with fewer eligible candidates to choose from. Nor Daayah noticed the huge discrepancy and was disappointed with the no-shows from men. She assumed the men could have experienced cold feet and changed their mind at the last minute. Story continues Despite the low turnout from men, we remained positive for our female participants. Men can be a bit egoistic. Some are shy, so if they have no friends to go with, they refused to come alone, said Nor Daayah. Helping others find their soulmate The heartache of coping with the death of her beloved husband drove Nor Daayah to set up this halal love camp. Nor Daayah was married to her late husband for nine years before he passed away two years ago. The pair met when they were both working at the same company. Determined to help others find their soulmate, the businesswoman organised the Kem Dapat Jodoh in hopes others would be able to experience the same love Nor Daayah once shared with her late husband. I had difficulties finding my jodoh (soulmate). My principle is, if Im facing difficulties, I believe I should assist others first, help them find their soulmate and God willing, everything will fall right into place for me, said Nor Daayah. She pointed out that the participants were required to submit certified documents as proof of their current marital status. She stressed that all the applicants were genuine as each application underwent a stringent vetting process. Ladies outnumbered the gentlemen at Malaysias first halal love camp. (Photo: Shahirah Hamid) We require all applicants to present their original certificates such as divorce certificate or death certificate of their spouse on the actual day of the camp. If we find nothing suspicious about the applicants current marital status, we will issue a certificate to verify that the applicant is single, shared Nor Daayah. Shariah-compliant matchmaking is not a new phenomenon in Malaysia. In 2015, a team of young Muslim professionals founded Halal Speed Dating, a matchmaking service catering to Muslims. Since then, the team has organised several speed dating sessions involving dozens of young Muslims who were eager to meet like-minded individuals in a religiously compliant manner. Those who took part in the speed dating were chaperoned by their parents or relatives to ensure their loved ones met the right candidate. After receiving an overwhelming response for the first Muslim-only love camp, Nor Daayah is planning to organise six halal love camps within this year in six different states. She is even thinking of organising a two-day-one-night camp which offers programmes to test individuals patience and willpower in completing group activities based on Islamic teachings. Finding love for the third time The halal love camp caught the attention of 64-year-old Singaporean, Shah Idil Shahbudin. Shah, who was married twice, was persuaded by his older brother to attend the camp. The father of eight remains hopeful of finding a loving companion for the third time. The aircraft engineer said that he is searching for an ideal candidate who can write and speak Arabic fluently. He fully supports the idea of having a programme to encourage permissible interaction between Muslim women and men as many elderly folks such as himself tend to feel lonely as they age. After the sudden demise of their spouse or unsuccessful marriages, many are living alone but programmes such as this halal love camp offers a second chance for the elderly to find someone they can spend the rest of their lives with. Its about time we have a programme like this because we are living in such a conservative society. When both men and women are busy working, its very difficult for people to meet. But here, we can be honest with each other. It provides a platform for us to communicate and interact, I hope this camp can be extended to Singapore because Singapore needs it more due to our competitive nature. Everyone is busy working, its impossible to meet anyone, he quipped. Singaporean Shah Idil Shahbudin, 64, was among the participants at the love camp. (Photo: Shahirah Hamid) For single mother of two, Norila Mansor, it was her eldest daughter who quietly registered her to attend this love camp. Norila, who currently works as a social worker with an orphanage in Perak, was deeply saddened after her divorce with her second husband of 14 years. She threw herself into work to distract herself and kept herself occupied with raising her two teenage daughters. I guess my daughter saw how lonely I have become since the divorce but Im not putting my hopes up on finding my soulmate here. Even if I cant find anyone compatible, Im just here to gain some knowledge on how to be a better person, Norila said. My daughters want whats best for me and they want me to be happy, she added. Ahmad Zafran, 29, received a Whatsapp message from his friends regarding the Kem Dapat Jodoh and thought it was a practical joke. After unsuccessful attempts with several dating sites, he decided to enter the halal love camp to possibly meet his future wife. The recruiter together with his friends felt that the camp was a great avenue to socialise in an amicable environment. I hope to meet someone who has a lot (of things) in common with me. I need to spend more time with the person to know if we are compatible. We cant rush these things, said Ahmad. Besides, women these days are career driven and independent. Im sure they would want someone who is equally successful, he added. With more Kem Dapat Jodoh in the coming months, Nor Daayah hopes to see at least 30 per cent successful matches. She added she wants to organise a massive wedding celebration for the happy couples with help and support from the government. Related stories: Meet Putra, the man who helps to coordinate marriage proposals in Singapore Singapore love stories: She matchmade him for a year before they married each other Follow Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore on Facebook. Singapores High Court on Friday (9 Mar) ruled in favour of property portal PropertyGuru in its case against 99.co... PropertyGuru executive director and co-founder Jani Rautiainen. Singapores High Court on Friday (9 Mar) ruled in favour of property portal PropertyGuru in its case against 99.co. Justice Hoo Sheau Peng concluded that a 2015 settlement agreement between both parties was breached by 99.co after it substantially reproduced content from PropertyGuru, including property listings. She added that PropertyGuru can claim damages based on the breach of agreement. While the court did not find that 99.co actively caused property agents to breach their contract with PropertyGuru, Justice Hoo ruled that it must stop using the Posting Assistance Service. This service was used to duplicate PropertyGurus listings to 99.cos website. The court also threw out a counterclaim brought by 99.co against PropertyGuru for groundless threats of legal proceedings of copyright infringement. Commenting, PropertyGurus executive director and co-founder Jani Rautiainen said todays verdict sends a strong message about fair play and good business ethics. The defendant broke the rules and we are happy that the court today has validated that. The defendant must stop reproducing our listings. There are no shortcuts to success. If a business takes an unfair shortcut and breaks the rules, it should be held to account for it, he told the media. Started 10 years ago as a homegrown Singaporean start-up, Rautiainen shared that PropertyGuru has grown through sheer hard work, diligence and innovation. We have always welcomed competition as it keeps us sharp and it gives the consumer more choice. The court also dismissed the claim of copyright infringement. Still, PropertyGuru believes it has a compelling case against 99.co. We will review the merits of the decision with our lawyers and then decide our next course of action. Fair competition in the market is in the property seekers best interest. For that to happen, we need all players in the market to behave in an ethical way and compete on fair grounds, noted Rautiainen. Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg The Syrian army continued its offensive against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta Saturday, a day after an aid convoy delivered food to the hunger-stricken residents of the enclave despite heavy bombardment. Nearly 950 civilians have been killed since Russia-backed government forces launched a blistering assault on the last opposition bastion near Damascus on February 18. Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 inhabitants have lived under government siege since 2013 and the enclave -- more than half of which has over the past three weeks been retaken by regime forces -- is home to a myriad of armed groups. Apart from Islamist groups such as Jaish al-Islam, jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who are mostly linked to Al-Qaeda, are also deployed there. Syrian state television aired footage of a single bus carrying 13 "fighters" and family members out of the enclave through Al-Wafideen checkpoint, without giving their affiliation. Some appeared to be young, while others wore hoodies to cover their heads and faces. The limited operation came as the powerful Jaish al-Islam said HTS fighters would be evacuated to the northern province of Idlib, in an arrangement struck following consultations with the United Nations and other international players. "It has been agreed that the first group of HTS members be released from the prisons of Jaish al-Islam ... (and) moved to Idlib at their request," Jaish al-Islam said. HTS is the main force in Idlib, in Syria's northwest and the last province outside regime control. - 'Enough death' - Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the violence on Friday with at least six killed in air strikes on the area of Jisreen, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said. Thirteen trucks loaded with 2,400 food parcels, meanwhile, crossed into Eastern Ghouta, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, entering what UN chief Antonio Guterres has called "hell on earth". But "shelling" near the enclave's main town of Douma threatened "to put at risk" the joint ICRC, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and United Nations convoy, said the UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari. The aid was delivered as helicopters hovered overhead and warplanes targeted areas outside Douma, a correspondent said. The World Health Organization said it has verified 67 hits on medical facilities in Syria through January and February, nearly half of them in Eastern Ghouta. The facilities hit included 20 hospitals, 16 health facilities, two ambulance stations and one medical supply warehouse. Doctors and nurses in the enclave have run out of several life-saving items, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which reported a "terrible medical catastrophe." "Medical material is extremely limited, medical infrastructure has been hit and medical staff are exhausted," it said, adding that hundreds of people have been wounded and need urgent assistance. In the face of the regime's Russian-backed onslaught, Ghouta's main rebel groups had so far rejected Moscow-brokered offers to evacuate civilians or any of their own fighters. But on February 27, they said in a letter to the United Nations they would be willing to expel jihadist fighters from the enclave as soon as a UN ceasefire took effect. That offer came on the same day as a daily humanitarian "pause" called by Moscow began, a measure which fell short of a 30-day ceasefire called by the UN Security Council late last month. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said talks were underway between regime representatives and local figures to organise the evacuation of civilians or fighters from parts of the enclave. SANA earlier said dozens of civilians were expected to leave on Friday through the Wafideen checkpoint, an agreed exit point. An AFP correspondent at the checkpoint said green and white trucks and ambulances were parked waiting to pick up passengers. In the town of Hammuriyeh, dozens of people took part in a protest calling for an end to the bloodshed, the Britain-based Observatory said. "Enough destruction and death! We want to save our children and all those who have not died," said Abu Riyadh, a 47-year-old man in the town. - 'Colossal human tragedy' - A negotiator from the Hammuriyeh said a "civilian delegation" wanted to hold talks with the regime to end the fighting in the area. A tribal leader said more than 300 civilians from the areas of Kafr Batna, Saqba and Hammuriyeh wanted to leave. He told journalists there had also been discussions for "500 fighters to hand over their weapons to the army". Syria's war, which enters its eight year next week, has killed more that 340,000 people since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Friday called the conflict a "colossal human tragedy". In rebel fire on Friday, a woman and a child were killed by a mortar round that hit the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, SANA said. On another front, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his forces and allied rebels could enter the northern Syrian town of Afrin "at any moment", a day after they seized another town in the area. Turkey-led rebels have been pressing an assault on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin since January 20. Hundreds of Buddhist monks and activists staged a demonstration in the Sri Lankan capital Friday to condemn anti-Muslim riots that have killed three people and forced the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. The National Bhikku Front said they organised the silent protest against what they called "communal clashes destroying national unity"., Moderate Buddhist leaders have also denounced the riots concentrated in the central city of Kandy, 115 kilometres (72 miles) east of the capital Colombo. Several Sri Lankan users also posted photos on Twitter of Buddhist monks visiting mosques during Friday prayers to express solidarity. Sinhalese and Muslim civil society groups had staged a joint protest in Colombo Thursday calling for tough action against the perpetrators of the riots. Violence erupted on Monday after a Sinhalese man died of injuries suffered during an attack last week by four Muslim men. Tensions escalated when the body of a Muslim man was found in a burnt out building in the Kandy district on Tuesday. Sinhalese gangs set fire to mosques and Muslim-owned businesses, homes and vehicles in Kandy and elsewhere. The government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew while troop reinforcements were used to back police patrols. Police said the main instigator of the riots was arrested on Thursday along with 145 others. He was identified as Amith Weerasinghe, a Sinhalese known for anti-Muslim activism and extremist social media posts. A group of radical Buddhists monks are facing prosecution for their alleged role in anti-Muslim violence in 2014 that left four people dead. Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese community accounts for about three quarters of the 21 million population. Most are Buddhists. Muslims account for 10 percent of the population. Soldiers and police guarded mosques across Sri Lanka during Friday prayers amid fears of new anti-Muslim attacks after four days of riots that have left at least three dead. Most Muslim-owned businesses in the island nation remained shut in protest at attacks by mainly Buddhist Sinhalese groups concentrated around the central city of Kandy. Armed troops and constables patrolled outside mosques while in Kandy, prayers were said in open grounds in many places because mosques had been burnt or vandalised. "There were no incidents during the Friday prayers," a police official in Colombo said, adding that investigators had stepped up the search for those who took part in the violence. At least 140 people, including the main instigator, have been arrested over the unrest, police said. They named the main suspect as Amith Weerasinghe, a Sinhalese known for anti-Muslim activism and outspoken social media posts. He was held Thursday. - Internet blocked - The riots, which began Monday after a man from the Sinhalese majority died from injuries sustained in an attack by Muslims last week, have left nearly 200 Muslim businesses and homes destroyed. Eleven mosques were attacked. Nine of the damaged mosques were in the picturesque tea-growing Kandy district, a draw for international tourists now suffering widespread cancellations. Kandy residents said shops and offices were open on Friday and life was slowly returning to normal. Muslims were seen inspecting the damage to their burnt out businesses. Troops guarded every junction while security personnel carried out patrols on motorcycles and in armoured personnel carriers. Internet services, which were blocked across Kandy, were restored on Friday, but access to social media sites such as Facebook remained blocked across Sri Lanka. Police said Sinhalese extremists were using social media sites and messaging applications to spread hate speech and instigate attacks on the Muslim minority. The government declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as the unrest escalated when a Muslim man was found dead in a burnt out building. Army chief Mahesh Senanayake visited Kandy on Thursday and promised an increased military presence near mosques. Despite a security alert across the country, three boats belonging to a Muslim businessman just outside the Kandy district were torched early Friday, police said. There were no casualties. The official Tourist Board said it was safe for foreign tourists to visit Kandy, but hotel operators say they have suffered large-scale cancellations. "We had 80 percent occupancy, but it has now dropped to about 30 percent," a deluxe hotel operator in the town of Kandy said Friday, asking not to be named. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Thursday night that the riots had been a huge blow to Sri Lanka's efforts to bolster tourism after ending a 37-year-old ethnic civil war. Sri Lanka received about half a million tourists in 2009, but the numbers shot up to 2.1 million in 2017, with nearly half a million visiting the island in the first two months of this year. There have been several communal clashes in recent years in Sri Lanka. Sinhalese Buddhists make up 75 percent of the country's 21 million people, and 10 percent are Muslims. Sinhalese and Muslim groups staged a demonstration outside the Colombo railway station on Thursday, demanding tougher action against the attackers. Donald Trump enlisted Friday the help of China's Xi Jinping to keep sanctions pressure on North Korea, amid fears that an audacious diplomatic gambit by the US president could lead to backsliding. In an evening tweet, Trump praised a possible future agreement with the communist North as "very good" for the international community as a whole, after the US leader stunned the world by accepting an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un before the end of May. "The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined," Trump wrote. During a telephone conversation, Trump and the ever-more-powerful Chinese president committed to "maintain pressure and sanctions until North Korea takes tangible steps toward complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization," according to the White House. As aides scrambled to catch up with Trump's decision -- taken before consulting key confidantes -- the White House sent mixed messages about conditions. "They've made promises to denuclearize, they've made promises to stop nuclear and missile testing," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. "We're not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea," she told reporters. Officials behind the scenes said this did not constitute a change of heart. A day after the bombshell announcement that the US and North Korean leaders would meet, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House would keep "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang and claimed US efforts to isolate Kim had been vindicated. There has been limited reaction from Kim's regime, but South Korean President Moon Jae-in said news of the summit -- announced by his national security advisor on a visit to Washington -- was "like a miracle." For his part, Xi urged the two leaders to begin talks as "soon as possible" and praised Trump's "positive aspiration." China has long been North Korea's most important ally but has been on board with the sanctions agreed at the United Nations. A cryptic report by South Korean news agency Yonhap said the South's envoys also delivered a "special message" to Trump from Kim during their US trip, but did not elaborate on what was said. - 'Huge gamble' - The UN Security Council has imposed tough economic sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and advanced missile launches. China and Russia argue that sanctions alone will not push North Korea to change course and have repeatedly called for stepping up diplomatic efforts to achieve a solution. The summit announcement triggered a rise in global stock markets while world leaders voiced hope the meeting would deflate tensions that had been building dramatically in recent months. Some observers questioned the US president's wisdom in granting Kim a long-standing wish for a meeting after only agreeing to temporarily halt nuclear tests. Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has negotiated with and traveled to the North, told AFP it was a bold move that is "worth taking" but also a "huge gamble". "This is not 'The Apprentice' or a reality TV event... It's a negotiation with an unpredictable leader who has at least 20 nuclear weapons and who threatens the United States," he said. Republican Senator Cory Gardner said America's approach to North Korea still needs not just a drop "but a whole bucket of reality." "There is no greater diplomatic tool or lever than the President of the United States," he added. "If this doesn't succeed how much is left of that diplomatic runway is a very good question." - 'Little Rocket Man' - Trump has previously ridiculed Kim as "Little Rocket Man," imposing wide-ranging bilateral sanctions on the Pyongyang regime and also leading a drive for international sanctions through the UN. Pyongyang has hit back by calling Trump a "dotard". Pence stressed that the White House has made "zero concessions" to get Kim to the table and emphasized that the sanctions would remain in place. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the world leaders to hail the announcement as a "glimmer of hope," saying North Korea's nuclear drive "has been a source of great concern for all of us." The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, voiced hope the summit would produce "concrete progress" and a resumption of long-suspended nuclear inspections. Pyongyang's long race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States has proved a problem for successive US administrations. But the alarm bells have been ringing even louder since July, when Pyongyang conducted two intercontinental ballistic missile tests, declaring the entire United States now within range. Trump threatened "fire and fury" if Pyongyang continued to threaten the United States, only for North Korea to carry out its sixth nuclear test. The US and North Korea fought on opposite sides of a war in the 1950s, and in the last two decades have been engaged in perhaps the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. Page Content A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cannot enforce its 2012 guidance limiting the use of criminal background checks against employers in the state. U.S. District Judge Sam Cummings in Lubbock decided in February that the EEOC's guidance is invalid because it was issued without notice or opportunity for public comment. The federal government cannot enforce the EEOC's interpretation of the guidance within the state of Texas until the agency complies with the notice and comment requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act, he ruled. "Although the injunction itself is specific to the state of Texas, the order opens the door to other, similar lawsuits against the EEOC and is likely to push the EEOC to reconsider the guidance," said Rod Fliegel, an attorney in the San Francisco office of Littler. It remains to be seen how the EEOC will react to the ruling, including whether it will reintroduce the guidance for public comment, he added. [SHRM members-only online discussion platform: SHRM Connect] Even though Cummings ruled to prevent the EEOC from enforcing the guidance, he seemed to agree with its overall intent, refusing to affirm Texas' right to categorically exclude felons from jobs and allowing the EEOC to issue right-to-sue letters to claimants who allege illegal discrimination by employers in Texas. "A categorical denial of employment opportunities to all job applicants convicted of a prior felony paints with too broad a brush and denies meaningful opportunities of employment to many who could benefit greatly from such employment," Cummings said. Assuming the court's decision remains in place, "it puts employers on notice that courts will likely give strong deference to the EEOC's guidance when considering categorical bans regarding the hiring of felons," said Laura Maechtlen, an attorney in the San Francisco office of Seyfarth Shaw and the national chair of the firm's labor and employment department. "While employers in certain industries may have legitimate reasons for not hiring particular felonsfor instance, a bank refusing to hire a felon convicted of embezzlementbusinesses need to be cautious about implementing blanket hiring prohibitions of felons. The best practice for employers is to focus on the qualifications of applicants, and make hiring decisions based on merit." Maechtlen said she expects to see more-aggressive enforcement of hiring bans in the wake of this case. The court declined to rule on Texas' arguments that the guidance is also unlawful because it is outside the scope of statutory authority given to the EEOC and an unreasonable interpretation of Title VII, holding that such a ruling would be premature, Fliegel explained. The Trump administration may appeal the ruling, but it is unlikely. Background On April 25, 2012, the EEOC updated its guidelines regarding the use of arrest or conviction records in employment decisions. The agency stated that employers' reliance on arrest and conviction records may have a disparate impact on people based on race or national origin. The result was that employers were cautioned to be more judicious about basing hiring decisions on applicants' criminal records. Among other requirements, employers were instructed to conduct an "individualized assessment" and speak with an applicant before disqualifying him or her based on criminal history. Some employers have since argued that the guidance restricts their ability to screen job candidates effectively. And Texas said it infringed on the state's authority to impose categorical bans on hiring felons for certain jobs. "The Obama administration overreached its legal authority by imposing EEOC hiring directives that preempt state law and ignore the very real risks to public safety," said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Under Texas law, certain state agencies are prohibited from employing convicted felons and have enacted policies that require criminal background checks to ensure convicted felons are not hired. "Texas has the sovereign right to impose categorical bans on the hiring of criminals for such jobs as state troopers, school teachers and jailers, and the EEOC has no authority to say otherwise," Paxton said. In 2013, Texas sued the EEOC, challenging the guidance and asking the district court to declare that the state has an absolute right to bar convicted felons from working for state agencies. The court declined the state's request, explaining that "although there were many categories of employment for which specific prior criminal history profiles of applicants would be a poor fit and pose far too great a risk to the interests of the state and its citizens, there were also many conceivable scenarios where otherwise qualified applicants with felony convictions would pose no objectively reasonable risk," Maechtlen said. Was this article useful? SHRM offers thousands of tools, templates and other exclusive member benefits, including compliance updates, sample policies, HR expert advice, education discounts, a growing online member community and much more. Join/Renew Now and let SHRM help you work smarter. Page Content On March 1, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General issued its much-anticipated guidance on the state's new pay equity law, set to take effect on July 1. The Massachusetts pay equity legislation amended the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA). Among other things, the amendment changed the definition of comparable work, prohibited employers from asking applicants about salary history and established a safe harbor for employers who conduct pay audits. The Attorney General's guidance does not have the legal force of a regulation, but it provides clear insight into how the Attorney General's Office views the law and will enforce it. The guidance consists of a number of frequently asked questions, a guide for employers to conduct self-evaluations of their pay practices, and a sample checklist for employers to follow when reviewing policies and procedures for compliance with the amended MEPA. This article discusses some of the key provisions in the guidance. Multistate Employers and Out-of-State Employees The guidance goes further than what the law provides and states that the amended pay law applies to employees with a "primary place of work" in Massachusetts and includes those who work from a Massachusetts base of operations, but travel out of state. The guidance, however, provides little clarity regarding the meaning of "primary place of work." For example, the guidance states that employees who telecommute from outside Massachusetts "to a Massachusetts worksite" have a primary place of work in Massachusetts. It does not clarify, however, what that means. For example, the guidance does not provide an answer as to whether an employee who works for an employer's headquarters in Massachusetts, but works from home in Louisiana (for example) for a supervisor who is also in Louisiana, has a "primary place of work" in Massachusetts or Louisiana for purposes of the amended law. The guidance states that multistate employers must comply with the new pay law if it is "possible" that the prospective employee will be chosen or assigned to work in Massachusetts. This means that all of the law's requirementsincluding its prohibitions on salary history inquiriesapply to the interview process. This includes even when the interview process is outside of Massachusetts, but there is a possibility that the employee will work in Massachusetts. The guidance further states that employer indecision on the final placement of an employee during the pre-hire stage is not a viable defense. Comparable Work The new definition of "comparable work" is work that "requires substantially similar skill, effort, and responsibility." The guidance notes that this is a broader definition than the "equal work" standard under federal law. The guidance also cautions employers not to assume that jobs in different business units or departments are not "comparable" unless the jobs, in fact, require different skills, effort and responsibility. Under MEPA, differences in pay for comparable work are acceptable only when based on one of the following factors: A seniority system (that is not affected by pregnancy, parental, or family leave). A merit system. A system measuring earnings by quantity or quality of production, sales or revenue. Geographic location. Education, training or experience (as long as reasonably related to the particular job in question). Travel that is a regular and necessary part of the job. The guidance reviews these factors and provides further information on applying them. For example, the guidance confirms that commission systems applied in uniform, reasonably objective fashions can account for differences in pay. Likewise, different geographic work locations also may constitute a valid reason for differences in pay. The guidance also advises that MEPA is a "strict liability" statute. An employer's intent to discriminate against employees of one gender on the basis of pay is "irrelevant" to the analysis and the differences in pay can be justified only by one of the enumerated factors. Salary History Inquiries Under the MEPA, employers are prohibited from seeking salary or wage history information from a prospective employee, except in two limited instances: When an employer is confirming wage or salary information that has been voluntarily shared by the prospective employee. After an offer of employment with compensation has been made. The guidance makes clear that MEPA permits asking a prospective employee about salary requirements or expectations. Employers may ask these questions during the interview process, but the guidance cautions that employers must ensure the questions are not "framed or posed in a way that is intended to elicit information from the prospective employee about his or her salary or wage history." The guidance also confirms that an employer may ask a prospective employee about his or her sales history (but may not ask about the individual's earnings through sales). In addition, the guidance confirms that an employer may obtain information about a prospective employee's salary or wage history through public records. We caution employers, however, that when considering these practices, they understand that an employee's pay requirements, expectations or pay history will not justify a pay disparity. Employer Self-Evaluation Under the amended MEPA, employers may establish an affirmative defense against liability if the employer has (1) conducted a reasonable and good faith self-evaluation of its pay practices within the previous three years and before an employee files an action, and (2) the employer can show reasonable progress toward eliminating any unlawful discriminatory wage differentials discovered through the self-evaluation. Employers bear the burden of proving they have met these two requirements. The guidance defines a "good faith" self-evaluation as an evaluation conducted "in a genuine attempt to identify any unlawful pay disparities among employees providing comparable work." It further states that the determination of whether a self-evaluation is reasonable in detail and scope depends on the size and complexity of the employer's workforce. In addition, the guidance states that "reasonable progress" toward eliminating pay disparities requires an employer to take "meaningful steps toward eliminating any unlawful pay disparities, taking into account how much time has passed since the self-evaluation, the nature and degree of the progress as compared to the scope of the disparities identified, and the size and resources of the employer." The guidance notes that if an employer's self-evaluation is found to be insufficient in detail or scope, but nonetheless was conducted in good faith and the employer has made reasonable progress toward eliminating pay disparities, the employer will not be required to pay liquidated damages to any affected employees. Tips and Tools An appendix to the guidance contains an outline of general considerations and steps employers could take to conduct a basic self-evaluation of pay. The guidance offers helpful tips for employers to consider when conducting self-evaluations, including: Do not assume jobs in different business units or departments are not comparable unless they in fact require different skills, effort, and responsibility. In many cases, pay groups with at least 30 employees need advanced, statistical analyses. Consider outliersemployees whose compensation is significantly above or below the averageshould they be included in the overall analysis and, if so, are they being paid in compliance with MEPA? Each male employee within a pay group is a potential comparator for each female employee (and vice versa). It is not sufficient to compare a female employee only to the "average" male employee performing comparable work. Remedial adjustments should be made as soon as possible. If an employer waits longer than six months to take remedial action, it risks having the self-evaluation used as evidence against it if an employee files a claim. Employers should consult with legal counsel to determine what type of analysis is most appropriate for their organizations. The AG also published a downloadable Pay Calculation Tool with instructions. The guidance cautions that this Tool is intended for small group comparisons and that larger or complex pay groups likely require more advanced statistical analyses. The Pay Calculation Tool is an Excel spreadsheet that allows employers to enter employee information, assign pay groups and see how each employee's base salary and total compensation compare to the average in the group. The tool also provides spaces for the user to insert eligible explanatory factors (years of service, performance, location, and so on) to help in evaluating whether the employee's "pay gap" is justified. Next Steps The guidance provides helpful information for employers seeking to understand the AG's interpretation of the new law, especially those considering embarking on evaluations of pay practices and those revising their hiring processes to comply with the new law. However, the guidance does not contain a clear "one-size-fits-all" answer on how the AG expects employers to analyze pay to avoid exposure under MEPA. Rather, the guidance provides only a "starting point" and notes that "the complexity of the analysis required will vary significantly depending on the size, make-up, and resources of each employer." While the Pay Calculation Tool appears helpful to organize relevant data for a proactive self-evaluation, employers should take care in how they use it. Unless protected by the attorney-client privilege, the reports created using the tool likely would be discoverable in litigation and government investigations, including investigations by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which do not recognize the affirmative defense under MEPA. Plaintiffs' attorneys also may seek copies of these reports to try to buttress other types of discrimination or favoritism claims. Therefore, employers should be cautious and consult with counsel before attempting to use the AG's Pay Calculation Tool or conducting any self-evaluation. K. Joy Chin, is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Long Island, N.Y. Brian E. Lewis and Samia M. Kirmani are attorneys with Jackson Lewis in Boston. Scott M. Pechaitis is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Denver. Cashida N. Okeke is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Greenville, S.C. Jackson Lewis. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission. Govt mulls appointing national security advisor The government is mulling over setting up the Office of the National Security Adviser under the Prime Ministers Office, the first of its kind in Nepals history. Donald Trump officially signed off on his new steel and aluminum tariffs today, not that anybody knows how theyre going to work or who theyll apply to. Since the president blurted out his intention to impose duties on the metals last week, his administration has been scrambling to figure out the details and shore up their legal justification, all while facing a louder-than-usual protest from Republicans in Congress. So far, few real decisions have been made. It mostly seems that theyve opted to kick a bunch of made-in-the-USA cans down the road. Advertisement To wit: In theory, the administration is about to slap a 25 percent tariff on foreign steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. But those wont apply to Canada or Mexico, two of our top sources of steel imports, while the administration is still renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration is going to try and make deals with our other allies as well. Some of those bargains to let countries avoid the tariffs may involve seemingly unrelated issues like their NATO commitments. Some of the countries that were dealing with are great partners, great military allies and were going to be looking at that very strongly, Trump said during his speech today. The tariffs dont go effective for at least another 15 days. And were going to be seeing whos treating us fairly. Whos not treating us fairly. Part of that is going to be military. Whos paying the bills. Whos not paying the bills. Advertisement On top of that, according to the White House statement today, there will be a mechanism allowing American companies to ask the administration to exempt certain products from the tariffs based on demand that is unmet by domestic production or on specific national security considerations. So maybe these tariffs will be far-reaching. Or maybe theyll only end up applying to Germany, because Trump has it out for Angela Merkel. Either way, the situation is an embarrassing, ad hoc mess as well as an indictment of the outdated laws that have allowed it to unfold. Advertisement However ineptly, Trump is attempting to impose these tariffs using his powers under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a Cold Warera piece of legislation that gives the president broad powers to protect domestic industries from foreign competition for the sake of national securitya phrase the law defines so broadly that it encompasses just about everything from military readiness to the basic health of the economy. Heres the statutes wording: Advertisement In the administration of this section, the Secretary and the President shall further recognize the close relation of the economic welfare of the Nation to our national security, and shall take into consideration the impact of foreign competition on the economic welfare of individual domestic industries; and any substantial unemployment, decrease in revenues of government, loss of skills or investment, or other serious effects resulting from the displacement of any domestic products by excessive imports shall be considered, without excluding other factors, in determining whether such weakening of our internal economy may impair the national security. Advertisement The Trump administration has looked upon this language and decided that it empowers them to limit steel imports however they see fit, using whatever bizarre criteria they come up with, simply because foreign competition is weakening our domestic industry and economy. You might disagree with the economic analysis. But its actually not a crazy reading of the law. Advertisement Advertisement It is crazy, however, that such a statute exists in 2018, one that gives the executive branch an enormous amount of unchecked power over the economy, something that may have seemed sane when you had a reasonably thoughtful human being like John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office but is obviously ill-conceived now that we have an impulsive hairpiece who gets most of his information from Fox News. One way to address this situation would be for our lawmakers to eliminate Section 232 altogether. But failing that, theres a very simple tweak they could make instead. Currently, the law gives Congress the ability to remove Section 232 tariffs on oil or petroleum products by simply passing a disapproval resolution. Lawmakers could broaden that power so that they could shoot down tariffs on other products as well. Making such a change would probably require overcoming Trumps veto. But given how unpopular these latest tariffs are100 House Republicans signed a letter asking Trump to soften them after his initial announcementthat might just be feasible. Advertisement There is potentially another way out of these tariffs, if Congress is unwilling to step up. Its possible that, despite the incredibly wide latitude granted under Section 232, Trump may have sabotaged his own legal case for the steel and aluminum tariffs by tweeting too much. The administrations lawyers have reportedly worried that by treating the tariffs as a bargaining chip with NAFTA, the president has tipped his hand that there really isnt any national security rationale behind them, which could make the government vulnerable to a lawsuit. This is reminiscent of Trumps travel-ban tweets, which undercut the governments argument that it was not targeting Muslims. But we cant keep relying on incompetence to temper Trumps worst impulses. As things currently stand, our trade laws give far too much leeway to the president. No one erratic and ignorant man should have all that power. Congress ought to exercise a little responsibility. Heres some topsy-turvy news for your Friday morning: Theres a reality star in the White House and a former president heading to Neflix. The New York Times reports that Barack and Michelle Obama are in talks with the streaming service to produce a series of high-profile shows. According to the Times sources, these shows would range from topical conversations hosted by the former president and First Lady to documentaries and fictional television that they would endorse. Advertisement The Obamas are not expected to use their programming to directly respond to President Trump or conservative critics, the Times reports, though thats not to say they would eschew politics entirely. One proposed show would feature the former president moderating discussions about issues like immigration and climate change. Neither the Obamas nor Netflix have confirmed the negotiations, though a senior advisor for Barack Obama said, As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories. The Obamas could certainly get a sizable payout to do so, if their reported $65 million book deals are any indicators of their skills as negotiators. No word yet either about whether Malia Obama will put her experience interning on the set of HBOs Girls to good use as part of her parents new streaming venture. This post is part of Outward, Slates home for coverage of LGBTQ life, thought, and culture. Read more here. Last October, the Boy Scouts of America announced that it would soon allow girls to join its ranksmixed-gender Cub Scout packs in 2018 and a women-inclusive teenage Scouting program to follow in 2019. Of the decision, Boy Scouts national board chairman Randall Stephenson stated that It is time to make these outstanding leadership development programs available to girlsas though there has not been an amazing organization providing Scouting and leadership skills to young girls for more than 100 years: The Girl Scouts of America. As news of the many girls taking advantage of this policy change has come out early this year, Ive found myself dismayedbut not out of any commitment to gender segregation. I worry because it might mean fewer young girls join the Girl Scouts, an organization that raised me and, due to its focus on leadership skills, adventure, and especially inclusion, made me the man I am today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I first joined the Girl Scouts as a Daisy, in kindergarten, where I found myself surrounded by artistic girls who loved camping (which quickly became my favorite activity) and going to museums. We would have competitions to see who could get the fire lit fastest. (Tip: Steel wool and a 9-volt battery will go up faster than you can imagine. And it is beautiful while it does it.) Every month, we were introduced to amazing women who worked as teachers and arborists and sound technicians. I learned from first-person experience that women come in all shapes and kinds, and that they can do anything. I also learned about the dangers of being a woman. We took self-defense classes. We discussed methods to deal with sexual harassment, discrimination, the ways in which proper manners could be used as a weapon. We met older women who taught us about navigating the world and helped us understand just how far we had come and how far we had to go. Advertisement The special thing about the Girl Scouts is that with all its rightful focus on womanhood, its actually not all that hung up on gender. In fact, there is no explicit rule on the books that prohibits anyone of any gender joining a troop. Policy varies from council to council (as demonstrated by the controversy around transgender girls joining troops), but, so long as interested parties are comfortable being in a space where women will be the assumed intended audience, anyone is welcome to join a troop thatll have them. In the Boy Scouts, girls will once again have to fight for themselves in a male-dominated space. This openness meant the world to me when I came out as transgender at 16. I wasnt particularly loud and splashy about it, but my whole troop knew and it changed nothing. We were still the kids who had known each other for years. I was slow to ask for pronoun changes, but most of the troop switched anyway or stopped using pronouns all together. I started to see a difference in the future we were all headed for. I knew that I would not be a woman in the workplace, that my struggles would be different from the girls in my troop. But my troop changed with me, too. As a group, we became more focused on advocacy and education around all sorts of issues, bundling LGBTQ equality into many other topics we wanted to fight for. Advertisement Advertisement In my last year in the Girl Scouts, my troop went on a spa weekend camping trip organized by our larger Girl Scout council. It was there that I met Samantha, a young girl with short, white-blond hair and thick glasses with pink rims. Samantha saw something in me that I didnt speak on in these spaces. We became friends that weekend, almost like Id picked up a lost puppy. She followed me around like she had questions she was afraid to ask. Advertisement On the final night of the weekend, the two of us stood by the fire, watching it burn. She finally plucked up the courage to ask the question: Do you often get mistaken for a boy? Advertisement I froze. This wasnt exactly the question I was expecting. The easy answer was yes. Or, no, not mistaken: I am a boy. But I also didnt want to take from her this image she had built in her head, of a woman who looked like me and was happy and loved. But what if Samantha was also transgender? What if what she needed in this moment was to be given the words I didnt have at her age. Yes, I responded slowly, deciding to focus on what she was truly asking me about. But if it bothered me, I would dress differently. She thought about this for a minute. We looked around the camp and saw every kind of woman we could possibly imagine and more. I wanted Samantha to know that she could be masculine and wouldnt have to leave the label woman behind to do so. Girl Scouts had given me the gift of learning that girls deserve complete freedom of self-determination, and I wanted to offer the same to her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And herein lies my problem with having girls come in to the Boy Scouts. The Girl Scouts was the only space in my life that put girls first, that offered them this freedom of exploration. In the Boy Scouts, girls will once again have to fight for themselves in a male-dominated space, just like the rest of the world. They will be reduced to being the girls in the boys troop, rather than allowed the liberty of being whatever kind of girlor boy, or gender-diverse personthey want. Had the option to join the Boy Scouts existed when I was a kid, I might well have joinedbut that would have been a mistake. Without my Girl Scouting experience, I simply would not be me. I learned to see the world from many perspectives. I was taught methods of standing up for myself and others, and I saw the ways that political actions can change the world. (I also learned how to sew a button on a shirt, which puts me miles ahead of many of my peers.) The Girl Scouts taught me to see the world with empathy, to look for problems that I had the power to do something about and to empower those around me to use their resources too. I learned to listen and value the ways that each of us navigate the world. I discovered that diversity can provide strength. These are lessons that the Boy Scouts are only just beginning to learn. While the attempt is admirable, its an effort that misses the mark. Young girls should not bear the burden of fixing a struggling systemnot when theres already a place for them that earned its inclusion badge long ago. Rachael Denhollander was the first woman to publicly accuse USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar of sexually abusing her as a teenager, a step that ultimately led to more than 250 other victims coming forward. Denhollander was a 15-year-old gymnast when Nassar abused her during physical therapy sessions. In 2016, she reached out to the Indianapolis Star to tell her story. She also filed a criminal complaint against Nassar and eventually delivered the final victim-impact statement in court after his conviction. Advertisement The Nassar story has faded from the headlines since his dramatic sentencing in a Michigan courtroom in January. The disgraced doctor pleaded guilty and was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. But Denhollander, now a 33-year-old lawyer and mother of three, has not gone away. Instead, she has turned her attention to another sexual abuse scandalthis one in her own evangelical community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The alleged cover-up of a pattern of child sexual abuse within a large Protestant network now called Sovereign Grace Churches has been a major story in American evangelicalism since 2012. Thats when a lawsuit was filed alleging a pattern of sexual and spiritual abuse within the networkand not just abuse itself, but pressure to forgive those actions, internal policies discouraging reports to law enforcement, and ostracism for families who refused to help cover up crimes. The suit was dismissed in 2014, but a former youth leader, Nathaniel Morales, was convicted in a separate case of abusing three boys. In an attempt to move on from the thorny and slow-moving scandal, Sovereign Grace tweaked its name, moved its headquarters from Maryland to Kentucky, and replaced several of its top leaders. Advertisement To many of its critics, the organization has not done enough to repent and atone for its sins. Founder C.J. Mahaney, meanwhile, left the organization in 2013 but has successfully fought to retain his status as a leader in evangelical circles. Denhollander has spent the last several weeks speaking up about the case in a series of interviews and detailed public statements. She calls it one of the most well-documented cases of institutional cover-up I have ever seen. This has led to a tense series of dueling statements and accusations closely watched by Christian media outlets. Thanks to Denhollanders activism, Sovereign Grace has been forced to explain itself more deeply in the last few weeks than it has in the previous five years. Advertisement This week, Denhollander got results. Mahaney, the groups former president, announced Wednesday that he is withdrawing from a major upcoming conference that attracts thousands of pastors and church leaders. Given the recent, renewed controversy surrounding Sovereign Grace Churches and me individually, I have decided to withdraw from the 2018 T4G conference, Mahaney said in a statement, adding that No one should interpret my withdrawal as an acknowledgment of guilt. Advertisement Though Denhollanders doggedness in calling for accountability for Sovereign Grace and Mahaney has received less mainstream attention than her testimony against Nassar, it is just as bold. Denhollander did not pluck the Sovereign Grace case as her next cause randomly. In her court testimony in January, she mentioned in passing that her advocacy for sexual abuse victims had led her to lose friends and also her church community. In a later interview with Christianity Today, she said that her own church in Kentucky had been involved in rehabilitating Mahaneys reputation, a stance shed objected to as unjust and hurtful to victims. When she went to church leaders with documentation of her concerns, she said, they dismissed her precisely because she was an abuse victimessentially saying that I was imposing my own perspective or that my judgment was too clouded. Eventually, she and her family left that church. Advertisement Sovereign Graces first response to the Christianity Today interview was a brief statement acknowledging the difficulty of responding to false allegations without appearing unsympathetic to victims, but saying that Denhollander was mistaken in her characterizations. She responded at length on Facebook, emphasizing her legal expertise in sexual assault cases and asking the group to allow an investigation by GRACE, a respected Christian organization that specializes in sexual abuse in institutional settings. The church network responded with a much lengthier statement, which Denhollander called misleading. She is not backing down. This call does not rise from a sort of Javert-like obsession with SGC, but from the knowledge that evangelical churches are plagued with serious problems related to how we respond to and counsel victims of sexual assault, she said in her most recent statement. In fact, experts have stated that both the amount of abuse, and the failure to report it, is likely worse than in the Roman Catholic Church. Advertisement Advertisement Though Denhollanders doggedness in calling for accountability for Sovereign Grace and Mahaney has received less mainstream attention than her testimony against Nassar, it is just as bold. Sovereign Grace, like USA Gymnastics, remains a large and influential institution. And while Mahaney has many critics, he remains a leader in the mainstream evangelical community. Denhollander has been scathing in her assessment of how evangelicals handle abuse in their own communities. The ultimate reality that I live with is that if my abuser had been Nathaniel Morales instead of Larry Nassar, she told Christianity Today, I would not only not have evangelical support, I would be actively vilified and lied about by every single evangelical leader out there. Her activism in the Nassar case has made her a hero in the mainstream press, and shes now fielding speaking offers from secular groups including the Ms. Foundation, according to an admiring profile in the current issue of the conservative evangelical magazine World. Advertisement Advertisement But she is also a devout Christian, with impeccable credentials within that world. She received her law degree from a Christian school, and has contributed to anti-abortion and Creationist websites. She and her husband met through a blog she maintained about Christian worldview issues, and he is now completing a Ph.D. at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. That dual authority means she is better positioned than anyone to call for a reckoning on sexual abuse within evangelicalism. Advertisement Denhollanders riveting statement at Nassars sentencing hearing was effectively a public testimony of faith. Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing, she told Nassar. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you. It was an extraordinary moment of public evangelism, a weaving together of biblical themes like sacrificial love, forgiveness, repentance, and justice, worthy of any pulpit in America. If Denhollanders response to Sovereign Grace is any indication, shes not wasting her next chance to speak. On Wednesday, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio tapped Ariel Palitz to fill what might be the coolest public-sector job that currently exists: Nightlife Mayor of New York City. Palitz is a fifth-generation New Yorker, former owner of the undisputed champion of noise complaints in the East Village, and now the official representative for bars, clubs, and other nocturnal venues across the city. With a cushy $130,000 salary, shell head up the citys Office of Nightlife which, according to the New York Times, was created by de Blasio in September to promote the industry and soothe the strained relations between the citys night spots and the neighborhoods that complain about their merriment. Advertisement In her first official act as Mayor of the Night, Palitz has promised to go on a series of listening tours to hear from residents irritated by vomit on their stoops and the carousers who produce said vomit. And while some scoffed at what they saw as a waste of public resources or the fact that Palitz seems to live a Manhattan-centric life reminiscent of Carrie Bradshaw (nightlife in Brooklyn is arguably more central to the city these days), the move to create a Mayor of Nightlife is unquestionably wise for NYC, and one that other cities should emulate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But first, some context: The creation of the Office of Nightlife came about a month before the long-overdue repeal of New Yorks Cabaret Law in late 2017. Palitzs tenure will begin in the shadows of a nearly century long ban on dancing in more than 24,000 of the citys eating and drinking establishments, a ban that while inconsistently enforced in recent years nonetheless had a chilling effect across the city. The Cabaret Law was enacted in 1926 primarily to crack down on the proliferation of speakeasies in the era of Prohibition, but critics contend that the law was aimed squarely at repressing racially mixed jazz bars in Harlem. In the 90s, the Cabaret Law was used to shut down much of the citys dance club scene as part of Mayor Rudy Giulianis campaign to ostensibly increase quality of life in the city. (And as with most of Giulianis Broken Windows-style policies, the law was enforced unequally.) As recently as 2013, a Williamsburg bar was slapped with a cabaret violation because a police officer caught patrons swaying at a rock show. Advertisement If youre Latino, if youre black, if youre from the LGBTQ community, you all have been impacted by this law, said City Councilman Rafael Espinal, a Brooklyn Democrat who introduced both the legislation to repeal the law and the idea for Night Mayor. It is time we right this historical wrong and remove New Yorks inappropriate and arbitrarily enforced dancing licensing. Advertisement With the repeal of the law in October (which was met with general applause and yes, dancing), and the creation of the Office of Nightlife, theres now an additional mediating force between adversarial community boards and patrons of the citys nightlife that doesnt involve the policeand herein lies the initiatives genius. Advertisement Advertisement What makes urban spaces like New York so dynamic is the presence of both an all-night party scene and quiet family neighborhoodsrespectful coexistence is a must if the city wants to remain attractive to a wide range of residents. For any city to maintain this sort of dynamism, especially amid the tensions of gentrification, mediator roles like Palitzs are vital. In London, for example, a similar night czar backed campaigns that kept LGBTQ venues from closing, and in Amsterdam, the nachtburgemeester instituted 24-hour venues on the outskirts of the city, which not only decreased congestion in the city center but also created a dedicated nighttime district with flexible hours. Other than her listening tour, Palitz hasnt revealed what she has planned as she transitions into her new role, but one hopes that similarly inventive interventions and compromises will spill out of her office, like so many party-goers onto the sidewalk after last call. On Tuesday, Vox released the results of a recent Civis Analytics survey of likely voters on the priorities theyd like to see Democrats take on should they retake Congress and the presidency in 2020. Predictably, the top concerns were largely a reflection of the conversations at the center of current discourse: 31 percent of likely voters want the next Democratic administration to focus on health care. Fifteen percent want to prioritize gun control, while 14 percent want to prioritize immigration reform. Among Democrats, specifically, support for prioritizing health care jumped to 45 percent. Guns again came in second at 25 percent. Advertisement The past year has seen rising Democrats make a mad dash to the left on all of those issues. The most prominent of the potential 2020 contendersKirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harrishave all declared their support for Bernie Sanders single-payer bill. Alternative public insurance proposals have been put forward by Brian Schatz, Chris Murphy, and the Center for American Progress. In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, there have been renewed calls for an assault weapons ban, backed again by prospective Democratic candidates. Gillibrand, Booker, Warren, Harris, and Sanders held fast against funding the government over DACA during a series of winter showdowns and have spoken out loudly and frequently about Trumps immigration rhetoric and policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has been some time, of course, since anyone in national politics has spoken out as loudly about climate changean issue forever in the backseat that now, if were being honest, may no longer even be in the vehicle. By centurys end, were all but certain to blow past the 2-degree warming limit scientists have warned marks the point at which warming will produce potentially catastrophic civilizational impacts. Still, climate change is arguably less central to the political discourse than it was 10 years ago. According to the Civis poll, only 7 percent of likely Democratic voters want the next Democratic administration to prioritize the issue, placing it a distant third behind health care and guns. Only 6 percent of likely voters overall said it should be a priority, placing it fifth behind deficit reduction. Yet voters have, for some time, routinely told pollsters they caredeeply, even about climate change. A Quinnipiac poll conducted in September found that 62 percent of voters believe climate change is primarily being caused by human activity and that 63 percent believe more should be done about it. Seventy-two percent of voters were concerned on some level about the issue, with 45 percent saying they were very concerned. Even white working-class voters, whose troubles have been the central fixation of political conversation for over two years now, are worried: 63 percent of white voters without college degrees reported concern about climate change, and 58 percent specifically expressed concern that either they or a family member would be affected by it. A 55 percent majority agreed that we havent done enough. Advertisement Advertisement That disconnect between how much voters putatively care and their willingness to put climate change at the top of the agenda isnt all that puzzling. Its not yet an issue that has obvious and tangible impacts on the lives of most Americans in the way that, say, health care or the present state of the economy do. And yet climate change will ultimately have serious, if not devastating consequences for millions of us, through weather events, sea level rise, disruptions in water and agricultural resources, the spread of illnesses, sheer heat, potential global instability and all the other now-unforeseeable consequences of deep, rapid, and potentially runaway ecological change. Many peopleit cannot be stressed enoughwill die. Getting voters to process these future consequences on a level that encourages them to support and demand political action in the present will take the kind of high political rhetoric and leadership that paradoxically, isnt typically forthcoming unless voters have already seriously pressed an issue. They have not on climate change. Its unlikely they will of their own volition. Democrats will have to take the initiative. Advertisement Advertisement But as Robinson Meyer wrote for the Atlantic in November, theres no real Democratic consensus on what climate legislation the party should advance. The collapse of the WaxmanMarkey cap and trade package in 2009 pushed the Obama administration into pursuing executive action through measures including the Clean Power Plan, which was blocked by the Supreme Court and is in the process of being repealed by the Trump administration. His election has thus far failed to produce among Democrats either a sense of real urgency on the issue, or a real political strategy beyond calling the administration abstractly anti-science every now and then, and condemning moves like the unpopular withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. Attacking the Trump White House, as always, is all well and good. But, at some point, an actual climate agenda will have to be presented to the public and advocated for. Advertisement Advertisement At present, there are two major bills on the table: the 100 by 50 Act and the Keep It in the Ground Act. The 100 by 50 Act, as its wildly ambitious name suggests, would move America to a 100 percent renewable energy infrastructure by 2050. It is both broad in scopeit includes proposals ranging from solar-power loans to low-income Americans, and grants for job displacement in mining communitiesand incredibly light on critical details. By design, Meyer wrote, the 100 by 50 Act includes no economy-wide mechanism to phase down carbon emissions, like a carbon tax or cap-and-trade market. Without that, the bill is more a statement of principles than a real plan for decarbonization. Its signatories so far include co-sponsors Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker. At least one of the two is all but guaranteed to run in 2020. Neither, evidently, sees much profit in saying much now about the bill. Of course, signing on to the plan will certainly make for a good answer during the presidential debates, should moderators actually take an interest in the most pressing crisis of our time next campaign season. The second bill, the Keep It in the Ground Act, is much smaller in scope. It would simply bar new fossil fuel extraction offshore and on federal lands. Sanders is a cosponsor there, as well, along with Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren, who also havent made climate policy a focal point of the 2020 platforms they might be crafting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quietly endorsing half-measures to fill out the back pages of a platform wont get voters to prioritize climate more highly. Only the active promotion of bold solutions commensurate with the scale of the problem will. And, obviously, passing ambitious legislation wont be possible until a number of Republicans and the Democratic Partys Joe Manchins are either browbeaten into submission or replaced by voters who have been convinced that climate is an issue worth tossing legislators out for. The field is wide open for a figure who can make that case and offer the vision seriously addressing the issue requires. The surest sign that Congress wont pass legislation nullifying the steel and aluminum tariffs announced by President Trump on Thursday is that Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake is the one introducing it. If Flake is leading the charge, that means the congressional Republicans who matter, and who care about maintaining a good relationship with the president, are too scared. Not too scared to criticize the decisionmost of the top Republican players in Congress have voiced their oppositionbut too scared to use powers granted to them by Article I to reverse it. For now, congressional Republicans only seem interested in continuing their strategy of constantly calling Trump and politely asking him to tailor the tariffs until theres not much left. Advertisement The politeness strategy, which consists of congratulating him on his brilliant job of sticking it to the cheaters and then suggesting that he limit the tariffs to cheaters, hasnt been entirely unproductive. Its just resulted in a more confounding, Swiss cheese policy. Canada and Mexico will be exempt in the near term, Trump said, though that could all change if they fail to produce a deal renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. As for our many other steel-producing allies, such as the European Union, the proclamation says they are welcome to discuss with the United States alternative arrangements. How kind. The duties are scheduled to go into effect in 15 days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans on the Hill intend to use that language allowing other countries to chitchat with Uncle Sam as their opening for watering the policy down, one by one if necessary. Both Rep. Kevin Brady, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Dave Reichert said in statements that the Canada and Mexico exemptions were a good first step and that they would continue to work with the Administration to narrow the application of these tariffs through the exclusion process. Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said much the same. Advertisement No Republican congressional leaders would dare say a word about passing legislation to stop the policy they deem so catastrophic to America and the global economy. Brady, who leads the committee of jurisdiction, wont come anywhere near touching the subject of legislation. Rep. Mark Meadows, the conservative chairman of the Freedom Caucus whos close with the president, said earlier in the week that there was zero chance legislation would emerge, even though he believes that Congress has delegated too much of its authority on trade policy over the years. He suggested the appetite wasnt there. Which appetite? The appetite to go over the president. That leaves it to a retiring Trump antagonist like Flake, whose attachment to various bipartisan immigration deals played a part in turning the president against them, to lead the process of gathering veto-proof majorities to nullify these tariffs. Utah Sen. Mike Lee introduced legislation last year submitting unilateral trade actions to congressional approval. It has zero co-sponsors. Its not happening. If the administration fails to real a deal with Mexico and Canada and the president chooses to tear up NAFTA, though? Then we can talk more realistically about the likelihood of veto-proof legislation. David Brooks published a column in the New York Times on Friday complaining about the manner in which [s]tudents across the country, having become obsessed with group identity, are engaged in tribalism and the oppression of dissenting viewpoints on campus. Heres selection of other recent work from the corner of the Times op-ed page occupied by Brooks and the other conservative writers who have either been hired for or jumped enthusiastically on board with (relatively) new op-ed editor James Bennets mission to challenge the presumed orthodoxy of the Times readership: Advertisement Were All Fascists Now, Bari Weiss, March 7a complaint that leftists, particularly on campuses, are attacking the ideals of free speech. Free Speech and the Necessity of Discomfort, Bret Stephens, Feb. 22a complaint, delivered originally as a speech at the University of Michigan, about intolerant behavior by the progressive left. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Venezuela, Where Are Liberals?, Bret Stephens, Feb. 15*a complaint that campus activists on the left are too forgiving of political repression abroad. The Rise of the Amphibians, David Brooks, Feb. 15a complaint, in part, about societys tendency toward conceptions of tribal identity that cultivate mistrust, division and emotional frozenness. The Retreat to Tribalism, David Brooks, Jan. 1a complaint that identity politics fomented on campus are tear[ing] a diverse nation apart. Advertisement Whats Wrong With Radicalism, David Brooks, Dec. 11a complaint, in part, about woke activists on the left who are fixated on identity. Mugabe and Other Leftist Heroes, Bret Stephens, Nov. 17a complaint that academics and others on the left are too forgiving of political repression abroad. The Siege Mentality Problem, David Brooks, Nov. 13a complaint about the politics of collective victimhood espoused by, among others, campus social justice warriors. Americas Best University President, Bret Stephens, Oct. 20a complaint that the left is assaulting free speech and creating an atmosphere of Orwellian double-think on too many campuses. When Progressives Embrace Hate, Bari Weiss, Aug. 1a complaint that the organizers of the January 2017 Womens March are too forgiving of, among other things, political repression abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Look: Most of the opinions held by college students, including many of those I held myself when I was in college, should be dumped into an abandoned coal shaft. Some people on the left can be snide, reductive, and needlessly aggressive in dismissing others viewpoints. Its a thing. I genuinely dont think its helping anyone, though, to hear this point made endlessly and as if it is the most important, high-stakes subject in the entire world, by a certain segment of conservatives on the New York Times opinion page. (Not even all Times conservatives have been sucked into this particular black hole. It is a niche interest.) Advertisement When James Bennet and his defenders are asked why he keeps pumping this one type of take so relentlessly into the Discourse, they respond with answers in the vein of Its important to challenge readers with beliefs from outside the bubble. So Id like to say this, formally, on behalf of Times readers: Thank you for introducing the invigorating diversity of opinions about left/campus speech held by affluent Pennsylvania native and Columbia graduate Bari Weiss, affluent Pennsylvania native/University of Chicago graduate/Yale fellow David Brooks, Yale graduate James Bennet, and University of Chicago graduate Bret Stephens into our bubbles. Our bubbles have been popped. Now can we move on? President Trump plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by May, according to an announcement made outside the White House by South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong on Thursday night. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the summit will take place at a time and place to be determined. Chung, who met with Kim in Pyongyang earlier this week before heading to Washington to brief Trump, said he had hand-delivered an invitation from the isolated North Korean chairman, whom Trump recently referred to derisively as Little Rocket Man. North Koreas state media has in turn referred to Trump as a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. Advertisement This is a major development. No sitting U.S. president has ever met with a North Korean leader or visited North Korea. (Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton did so after leaving office.) If the meeting takes place outside North Korea, it will be the first time Kim has left the country since taking office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its also a fairly dramatic reversal from Trump, who previously described negotiations with North Korea as a waste of time. As recently as last Saturday, Trump said that North Korea would have to de-nuke before he would consider talks. Chui did say that North Korea was willing to halt nuclear and missile tests while talks took placewhich we already knew on Monday. Thats not the same as giving up its nuclear weapons, and North Korea has made similar pledges in the past, but just the fact that they were willing to discuss denuclearization was apparently enough to satisfy Trump. Advertisement Kim did reportedly tell the visiting South Koreans he would be willing to denuclearize, if it felt its security was guaranteed. Thats a big if. Tong Zhaoan analyst at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing who meets regularly with North Korean officialstold me by email, There is no way the United States can reassure North Korea on that security issue to its full satisfaction in the near-term future. In other words, North Koreas attitudes about denuclearization have not changed. The purpose of the proposed meeting, Tong wrote, was likely to, to make the international communityincluding and especially the USaccept North Koreas nuclear reality and to relax the increasingly tighter economic noose around Pyongyangs neck. Advertisement Advertisement As Fred Kaplan wrote earlier this week for Slate, even if the underlying issues seem nearly impossible to resolve in the near term, talks are a good thing, especially considering how close to war the two sides looked just a few weeks. But theres definitely cause for concern about Trump being the one doing the talking, considering his habit of consulting zero experts prior to important meetings and his demonstrated willingness to say whatever it takes to make the people in the room with him happywhether thats congressional Democrats talking about gun control or the president of China. And as Trumps visits to Saudi Arabia and China have shown, hes nothing if not susceptible to pomp and hyperboletwo things North Koreas government excels at. When he was building up hype for the announcement this afternoon, Trump told one reporter, I hope you will give me credit. He absolutely should get credit if, and only if, this very risky gamble pays off. But given that securing a summit with a U.S. president has been a major foreign policy goal of the worlds most isolated government for decades, the leader who should really be getting some credit for his diplomatic savvy today is Kim. Theres no other way to say this: The Department of the Interior is spending $139,000 on three sets of double doors in Sec. Ryan Zinkes office. Thats a lot. Its a price tag you might expect from the Department of Interior Design. Thats four-and-a-half Ben Carson home dining sets just for some lousy doors. Whats wrong with the current doors? For starters, a spokesperson told the AP, the current door from a hallway to the secretarys sixth-floor office does not lock, so a security upgrade is needed. Another set of balcony doors in the secretarys office leak like a sieve whenever it rains, forcing workers to mop the wooden floor in Zinkes office, an Interior official told the AP. The new balcony doors will be made of fiberglass specially made by Conquest Solutions and include glass transoms above the doors and fiberglass door frames, the official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fiberglass, you say? That does sound expensive. But worth it. Like Fyre Festival tickets. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift explained to the AP, which came across the expenditure in a public posting, the project was planned by career facilities and security officials as part of the decade-long modernization. The secretary was not aware of this contract but agrees that this is a lot of money for demo, install, materials and labor, Swift said Thursday in an emailed statement. Between regulations that require historic preservation and outdated government procurement rules, the costs for everything from pencils to printing to doors is astronomical. This is a perfect example of why the secretary believes we need to reform procurement processes. Perhaps. A Maryland contractor, Conquest Solutions LLC, who has done repairs on other federal buildings was hired to pimp Zinkes doors after submitting what appears to be the only bid. While the door seems unlikely to fall under Zinkes direct purview, the secretary would have a lot more credibility on the issue if his Interior Department hadnt handed out a $300 million Puerto Rico recovery contract to a couple dudes from his hometown last year. And like seemingly every other cabinet-level position in the Trump administration, Zinkes penchant for luxury travel has been unbecoming. Door-gate makes dining set-gate, the $31,000 dining set HUD Secretary Ben Carson got dinged for trying to put on the governments tab last month, look like an Ikea purchase.* Govt officials make a mockery of federalism After Nepal officially made a shift from unitary to federal government system, politicians and bureaucrats rushed to proclaim that authorities, including decision-making powers, would finally be devolved from Singha Durbar, the central administrative secretariat, to provinces and local bodies. Could be worse: Donald Trumps populism hasnt fully converted into authoritarianism because, unlike strongmen the rest of the world over, he hasnt been smart enough to give people some of what they want, Yascha Mounk argues. Thats goodbut Mounk isnt sure our institutions would be strong enough to stop him if he got a clue. The global reach: Josh Keating tallies up all the other countries Trump and his circle have been accused of contacting improperly, from Turkey to China. So mad: Trump perfects the art of male rage, and he hires and befriends other people who are fueled by it too. Dahlia Lithwick argues that male rage is the cornerstone of Trumpism. No second chances: A new paper written by economists argues that naloxone (Narcan) is a moral hazard. Jeremy Samuel Faust cant see any way to construe that argument charitably. For fun: This was silly. Super silly, Rebecca Mississippi is poised to enact the countrys most severe abortion restriction, a ban on abortions performed 15 weeks or more after the first day of a womans last menstrual period, or 13 weeks post-fertilization. On Thursday, the Mississippi House approved the bill 7534, two days after the Senate passed it 3514. The bill now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who has said he is excited to sign it. I want Mississippi to be the safest place in America for an unborn child, he tweeted on Tuesday. House Bill 1510 will help us achieve that goal. Advertisement In a previous iteration, the bill included provisions for criminal penalties, including jail time, for physicians who performed abortions after 15 weeks gestation. The Mississippi Senate cut out that language. The current bill, once Bryant signs it, will threaten doctors with the loss of their medical licenses and civil fines up to $500. It makes exceptions for critical fetal abnormalities and cases in which a womans life is in danger or where theres a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. There are no exemptions for pregnancies arising from rape or incest, or for the health of the pregnant woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mississippi law currently bans abortions performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but the states one abortion provider, Jackson Womens Health Organization, only offers abortions up to 16 weeks, according to the Clarion-Ledger. Still, the clinics owner, Diane Derzis, told the paper that the law will mean the clinic will have to send patients out of state for the care they need. The clinic is already planning to take the state to court over the law. Advertisement If it does, the states prospects dont look promising. Mississippis attorney general, Democrat Jim Hood, told the Associated Press that he expects an immediate and expensive legal challenge to the law, especially given that federal courts have struck down much less restrictive gestation-based abortion bans. Those include 20-week abortion bans in Arizona and Idaho in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey rulings affirmed the rights of women to choose and access abortions before the point at which a fetus can survive on its own outside the womb, usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy, making a 15-week abortion ban blatantly unconstitutional. The bill itself is a piece of propaganda that calls abortion a barbaric practice, dangerous for the maternal patient, and demeaning to the medical profession, effectively shaming Mississippi women for accessing a routine, constitutionally protected, extremely common medical procedure. The bill also contains an important bit of misinformation: It claims that the maternal health risks of undergoing an abortion are greater than the risks of carrying a pregnancy to term in the second trimester of pregnancy. In reality, at every stage of pregnancy, an abortion is safer than continuing the pregnancy and giving birth, a fact thats amplified by Mississippis sky-high maternal mortality rate, which ranks 40th in the nation. The state also ranks dead last when it comes to its unintended pregnancy rate, a seemingly obvious target for improvement for legislators concerned with abortion. The money Mississippi will spend defending this sure-to-be axed law could fund a whole lot of subsidized contraception. This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. Where have I heard that story before? Friday night, NBC will air an hourlong special featuring a sit-down interview between Megyn Kelly and Russian President Vladimir Putin. A preview for it shows Putin putting his own spin on what happened during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He tells Kelly the Russians who supposedly interfered in the U.S. election could have been Americans, or they could have been Russians working for an American company. Who knows. These are not my problems, he says. Advertisement Heres the full exchange: Kelly: Why would you allow an attack like this on the United States? Putin: Why have you decided the Russian authorities, myself included, gave anybody permission to do this? Nothing has changed since you and I talked last time in St. Petersburg. Some names havepopped up. So what? They could just as easily have been the names of some Americans who are sitting here andinterfering in your own politicalprocess. Kelly: But it wasntAmericans. It was Russians. And it was hundreds of people, a monthly budget of $1.25 million all designed to attack the United States in a cyberwarfare campaign. Youre up for re-election right now. Should the Russian people be concerned that you had no idea this was going on in your own country, in your own hometown? Putin: Listen, the world is very large. And very diverse. And there is a fairly complicated relationship between the United States and the Russian Federation. And some of our people have their own opinion about this relationship. You mentioned a number of names some individuals. And youre telling me that theyre Russians. So what? Maybe being Russians they are actually working for some kind of American company. Perhaps, one of them used to work for one of the candidates. I have no idea. These are not my problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His remarks echo those made by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska (yes, the same Deripaska to whom Paul Manafort supposedly owes a ton of money) in an op-ed published by the Daily Caller, a conservative American news site, this week. In his piece, Deripaska suggests the story around Russian interference in the election has been fabricated and manipulated by a conspiracy of Deep State American insiders with military-industrial commercial interests. This version of events rang a bell. I had just watched (for a separate piece) a public lecture Carter Page gave during a December 2016 trip to Moscow and his words were still ringing in my ear when I listened to the Putin interview. When asked by NBC News Richard Engel about the CIAs assessment that Russia had intervened to help Trump win the election, Page said hed seen no hard evidence to support that claim and even suggested that someoneunclear whocould have framed it to look like a Russian operation. Advertisement The security experts, having worked in the Pentagon and knowing a lot of people both from a technology standpoint but also a national security standpoint, and discussing these issues with them, its very easy to make it look like it was country X, in [this] case Russia, that did this, Page said. Trump himself continues to muddy the waters on whether Russia was even responsible for interfering in the election. Now, all of this is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the story Trump supporters on the rightlike Fox News Sean Hannity and otherstell about what happened during the election. They describe a vast anti-Trump conspiracy involving corrupt actors at the FBI and CIA, in cahoots with the Hillary Clinton campaign, trying to bring down President Donald Trump through the collusion story. Advertisement For the most part, they walk right up to the line but dont cross it when it comes to saying: Russia didnt even interfere in the election. Like, Trump, they will reluctantly acknowledge that Russia may have meddled in the election, but they will not accept that a Kremlin-directed disinformation campaign had any effect on the election results. And of course, the Trump campaign had nothing to do with it. Advertisement But Trump himself continues to muddy the waters on whether Russia was even responsible for interfering in the election. As recently as this week he said: The Russians had no impact on our votes whatsoever. But, certainly, there was meddling and probably there was meddling from other countries and maybe other individuals. Advertisement To believe any of this, you have to disbelieve the U.S. intelligence community and also the evidence laid out in special counsel Robert Muellers recent indictment of 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies. You also have to take Putin at his word, something Trump has been willing to do in the past. Advertisement Every time he sees me he says I didnt do that and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it, Trump said in November. Sitting across from Putin, Megyn Kelly is less willing to give the Russian president the benefit of the doubt. And for the rest of us, as we struggle to understand what exactly happened during the election, its important to keep track of whos telling the same story. More from Just Security: A Year On, Fog of War Not Lifting Over Deadly Raqqa Strikes The Trump Administration Should Publicly Disclose Its New Policy on Lethal Force This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. Do we all need Carter Page, the former foreign policy adviser on the Trump campaign, to be a little more than he really is? For supporters of President Donald Trump (and Page himself), hes a martyr whose civil rights have been trampled by anti-Trump forces. For others, hes an international spy and, according to the Steele dossier, a central player in the TrumpRussia story. The Russian undercover spies working in New York City, who tried to recruit him in 2013, may have gotten closer to the truth. They described him as an idiot, someone they intended to use and then cut loose. For now his enthusiasm works for me, one of them said in an intercepted phone call. Advertisement But after that 2013 run-in, it appears that Russian intelligence wasnt quite done with Page. In March 2016, the FBI was once again talking to Page about his contacts with Russian intelligence, according to the recent memo from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. To obtain a FISA warrant on Page in October 2016 (and renew it three times after that), the FBI needed to show compelling evidence and probable cause to believe Page was knowingly assisting clandestine Russian intelligence activities in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What did the Russians see in Page? Why didnt his run-in with the FBI in 2013 scare him off of Kremlin spies for good? How and why did he get involved with the Trump campaign? Who did he really meet with during his infamous July 2016 trip to Moscow? What did they discuss? Who was Page talking to during the transition period, and then well into 2017, that made him a useful enough source of foreign intelligence that his FISA warrant kept getting renewed? And why are Republicans hanging their strategy to undermine special counsel Robert Muellers investigation on such a seemingly problematic protagonist? Advertisement Pages role in this story is confounding, and each side seems eager to shape him into the thing they need him to be. This makes Page my third TrumpRussia mystery to explore. (Previous mysteries include the Flynn plea deal and the question of collusion.) The Washington Posts Dan Zak put it best on how we try to read into the enigmatic Page: Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team are somewhere underneath Washington, with their flashlights and pickaxes, while the rest of us remain above ground, peering at the ominous cumulonimbus around Carter Page, scanning every inopportune grin, every halt in his speech, every bounce of an eyebrow. Hes capable of both oversharing and evasion, sometimes in the same breath, and our collective paranoia flares: Is he just a goofball, or is this some kind of act? Advertisement Advertisement John Sipher, a former member of the CIAs clandestine service, said he also finds Page perplexing. I can see why the Russians were attracted to him as a target. He had some access (or could develop some), he could be easily manipulated, and had pro-Russian tendencies, Sipher told me. However, if I were looking at him as a possible recruit, his weak personality and unreliable character would have forced me to walk away. Recruiting sources is one thing, but running them securely and being confident in what they are reporting are something else all together. Advertisement Whether his flaws made him an unsuitable recruit largely depends on what Russia wanted him to do, said Asha Rangappa, a former special agent at the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations, and now a senior lecturer at Yales Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Advertisement Much of the attention on Page has focused on his activities during the campaign, but whats largely overlooked is what he was doing after the election, Rangappa noted. This is when surveillance on him essentially began and it provided enough intelligence to convince a judge to renew his FISA warrant three times. During the campaign, investing in the Trump campaign was a longshot for Russian President Vladimir Putin. But once Trump actually won the election, the opportunities that would come with obtaining influence with the administration exploded, which explains why Mueller is so keenly interested in this period and makes the surveillance on Page potentially even more significant. Advertisement This begs the question: Who was Page talking to during this time? Did he stay in the Trump orbit? In addition to a January 2017 conversation with Trumps former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who else did Page speak to on the Trump side during this period? And what contacts, if any, did he have with Russian intelligence? Advertisement Page told Politico in February that it was possible he had other conversations with Trump officials while the FBI was monitoring his communications, but probably not much. Pages July 2016 trip to Moscow has received a heavy dose of scrutiny, because it was made during a time when Page was still advising the Trump campaign and it was included in the Steele dossier. But Page also traveled to Moscow again in December of that year, a time that we now know he was under FBI surveillance. Pages role in this story is confounding, and each side seems eager to shape him into the thing they need him to be. During the December trip, at a public lecture, Page praised the incoming Trump administration, but he acknowledged he had no role in the administration, officially or unofficially, at all. When asked whether hed ever met Trump, Page said hed certainly been in a number of meetings with him and had learned a tremendous amount from him. Advertisement Advertisement Page was also asked directly whether he had any influence, or was planning to influence, the new administration and whether he had any channels to convey messages between Moscow to team Trump? Advertisement The biggest influence is the process to helping advance the objectives of the president-elect, Page responded. He has set an incredible agenda and I think the business community, universities, think tanks can really have a huge impact. When asked by NBC News Richard Engel about the CIAs assessment that Russia had intervened to help Trump win the election, Page said hed seen no hard evidence to support that claim and even suggested that U.S. intelligence could have framed it so it looked like a Russian operation. Advertisement Almost a year later, he told the House Intelligence Committee that on this December trip he specifically met with both Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and Rosneft investor relations chief Andrey Baranov, the same two officials he admitted to having contact with in July. However, Page continues to deny the Steele dossiers allegations that during his July trip to Moscow, he met with Igor Sechin, the head of Russias state-owned oil company Rosneft, and Igor Divyekin, a senior Kremlin official. Page testified hes never met them in his life. The dossier claims the men discussed lifting U.S. sanctions against Russia, possible bilateral energy cooperation and dirt the Russians had collected on Hillary Clinton. Page denies this, and both he and the campaign maintain that he took that trip on his own, not as a Trump representative. Still, Pages congressional testimony revealed that hed shared a draft of the speech hed give in Moscow with members of the campaign, asking if they had any feedback, and he was also eager to share with them what hed learned in Moscow when the trip was over. The Schiff memo says there is evidence that contradicts Pages congressional testimony surrounding his Moscow visits, strongly suggesting we still dont know the full truth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Trump supporters, Page, and the process to obtain a warrant to spy on him, has become proof that the Russia investigation is tainted with political bias and therefore illegitimate. The thinking goes that if Page were guilty of any wrongdoing, hed have been charged by now. But Rangappa points out that counterintelligence investigations dont typically result in criminal prosecutions. The goal is to try to understand what foreign intelligence is doing in the country and how to stop them, Rangappa said. To arrest your target is to essentially dry up your intelligence source. As the story continues, keep an eye on Page. He may (or may not) surprise you. More from Just Security: A Year on, Fog of War Not Lifting Over Deadly Raqqa Strikes The Trump Administration Should Publicly Disclose Its New Policy on Lethal Force Today in Conservative Media is a daily roundup of the biggest stories in the right-wing press. What to do about the newswho makes it, who reads it, who believes it, and who distributes itin the era of social media is a conundrum felt by just about everyone. The seismic shift in how Americans get their information has been the ultimate disruptor. Conservatives have long complained about what they believed to be a liberal bias pervasive across the publications and programs of record. But does reading posts from friends, family, experts, and loons who think like you eliminate that perceived bias? Not so fast, writes Ben Shapiro for National Review, who explores a new vein of skepticism on the right: Viewpoint Discrimination with Algorithms. Advertisement Shapiro captures the evolving conservative view that their new enemy isnt necessarily the New York Times, but Google, Facebook, and Twitter, all of which have it in for the right. As these companies attempt to untangle the misinformation masquerading as news on their platforms, Shapiro says theyre cracking down disproportionately on conservative news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Google biases its algorithm to prevent people from searching for guns online in shopping; temporarily attached fact-checks from leftist sites like Snopes and PolitiFact to conservative websites but not leftist ones; showed more pro-Clinton results than pro-Trump results in news searches; and, of course, fired tech James Damore for the sin of examining social science in the debate over the wage gap. Googles bias is as obvious as the doodles it chooses for its logos, which routinely feature left-wing icons and issues. Advertisement Twitter has banned nasty accounts perceived as right-wing while ignoring similar activity from the left, Shapiro continues. YouTube has demonetized videos from conservatives while leaving similar videos up for members of the Left. And then theres Facebook. Facebook was slammed two years ago for ignoring conservative stories and outlets in its trending news; now Facebook has shifted its algorithm to downgrade supposedly partisan news, which has the effect of undercutting newer sites that are perceived as more partisan, while leaving brand names with greater public knowledge relatively unscathed, Shapiro writes. That gives preferential treatment, again, to the same old established media outlets. This bias in social media has profound impact on news consumption, he concludes. Advertisement Its not just Shapiro. Other conservatives smell a rat, as social media companies try to fix news and brand conservative views as fake or wrong. Hank Berrien at the Daily Wire writes that conservatives are justifiably furious that YouTube is using the radically left-wing group, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), to influence its decisions as to what is too offensive to be placed on YouTube. Advertisement In other news Elsewhere in National Review, George Will gives a psycho-policy assessment of Trump and his economic swerve toward tariffs. Down the decades, Trump has shown an impressive versatility of conviction, but the one constant in the jumble of quarter-baked and discordant prejudices that pass for his ideas has been hostility to free trade, Will writes. It perfectly expresses his adolescent delight in executive swagger, the objectives of which are of negligible importance to him; all that is important is that the spotlight follows where his impulses propel him. Advertisement In the same publication, David French sticks up for the lefts new punching bag, New York Times columnist Bari Weiss, in a piece titled The Sliming of Bari Weiss. At the Weekly Standard Kevin Tripp has a controversial post: Banning Guns in Schools Is FineJust Ask Scalia. The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia never intended for guns to end up in schoolsand he said so 10 years ago, Tripp writes. When he wrote the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller decision, Scalia declared that the right to keep and bear arms was an individual right. Tripp notes Scalia wrote in the majority opinion in Heller: nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings. Ramesh Ponnuru at National Review isnt convinced. Tripps article doesnt establish that Scalia thought that banning guns in schools is fine or perfectly reasonable, or that he objected to states allowing guns in schools, Ponnuru writes. It establishes only that Scalia thought that laws on either side of the questionpermissive or prohibitivewere constitutional. Possibilities: Fred Kaplan has some ideas for how Trump could turn the upcoming meeting with North Korea to our advantage. It remains to be seen how much of this preparation the president might have the temperament to carry out. Epic mess: Trumps tariffs may not stand, but they made one thing clear to Jordan Weissmann: American trade laws give the president too much power, and need revision. That single note: All the times the New York Times editorial writers have taken on the campus left in recent months, compiled into a dismal chronology by Ben Mathis-Lilley. Hard lesson: Alison Spodek Keimowitz, a scientist and teacher, felt daily despair about climate change, until she got leukemia and learned something about the value of time. For fun: Dont miss these teapots. Seriously, dont, Rebecca The story should sound familiar: A rogue regime, condemned, isolated, and sanctioned by the international community for its human rights abuses, sees enemies amassing on its borders and questions the reliability of its longtime allies. The only way to protect itself from invasion and establish its legitimacy as a world power, it believes, is to develop a nuclear weapons program. In this case, though, the story has a happy ending. In 1989, South Africa became the first, and so far only, country to have developed its own nuclear weapons and then dismantled them. (Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus gave up inherited Soviet weapons that were on their territory when they became independent.) As the United States prepares for high-stakes nuclear negotiations with North Korea (in which the North Koreans have at least theoretically indicated their willingness to give up their weapons in exchange for security guarantees) the South African case can provide some lessons, though not necessarily encouraging ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Africa was a participant in the nuclear age from the beginning, thanks to its large uranium reserves. It provided some of the uranium used in the Manhattan Project, and by the late 1950s was a major exporter of the metal. In the early 1960s, it began a program for the research and development of nuclear energy. South African efforts to build a nuclear bomb began with research into so-called peaceful nuclear explosives. Crazy as it sounds today, there was once widespread interest in using nuclear explosions for civil engineering projects like dams, canals, and reservoirs, with both the United States and the Soviet Union carrying out tests of these applications. However, even at this stage, there was interest within South Africa in developing military nuclear weapons and, subsequently, growing international concerns about South Africas capabilities. In 1977, the Soviet Union and the United States acquired evidence that South Africa was preparing to test a nuclear device and pressured the government in Pretoria to call it off. Advertisement It was around this time that South Africa shifted its emphasis toward an explicitly military program. The apartheid government was feeling particularly vulnerable around this time, due to events elsewhere in southern Africa. In 1974 and 1975, Portugalthe last European power with major colonial holdings in Africapulled out of Angola and Mozambique. Leftist governments with support from the Soviet Union and Cuba, and with ties to South Africas own anti-apartheid African National Congress, took power in the two colonies. There was also an ongoing war of independence in South Africancontrolled South West Africanow Namibiawith the rebels backed by both the Communist bloc and sympathetic independent African governments. South Africas government was worried about the prospect of these territories being used to stage a Soviet- or Cuban-backed invasion, which would likely have been supported by the countrys black majority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Africa had traditionallywith good reasonviewed the U.S. as an ally in the effort to contain the spread of communism in southern Africa. But that relationship was changing. South Africa was backing anti-Communist rebels in Angola, but as public concern was growing in the United States over the CIAs covert activities abroad, the U.S. Congress voted in 1976 to prohibit U.S. aid to any armed faction in the conflictto South Africas dismay. Then, in 1977, the U.N. Security Council, including the U.S., unanimously voted to impose an arms embargo on South Africa. Though apartheid was the main reason, the resolution also mentioned grave concern that South Africa is at the threshold of producing nuclear weapons. Advertisement In his history of the South African nuclear program, nonproliferation expert David Albright writes of this era, To Pretoria, South Africa was standing virtually alone against a total onslaught by black insurgents and radical black African states supported by the Soviet Union and its allies. A nuclear deterrent came to be seen, particularly by thenPrime Minister P.W. Botha, as the countrys best option to prevent a worst-case scenario. As Albright writes, The strategy was not based on war-fighting, but rather was intended as a political strategy designed to force Western powers, particularly the United States, to assist South Africa against an overwhelming military threat to its territory, or what was referred to in strategy documents as finding itself with its back against the wall. Advertisement Advertisement Foreign powers would have to take the country seriously as a nuclear power, rather than as an anachronistic, racist embarrassment. Under this strategy, South Africa would not confirm the existence of its nuclear program, though it was assumed that enough information would leak to create uncertainty in its enemies. If the country were threatened with invasion, it would first covertly acknowledge its program to the U.S. or Britain in hopes of inducing them to intervene to prevent the outbreak of a nuclear war. If that didnt do the trick, it would escalate through a number of steps: first, publicly acknowledging its program, then carrying out an underground test, then carrying out an atmospheric test, and then, if all else failed, actually using a nuke on the battlefield. Advertisement The weapons also had a broader political purpose. Botha said that having a nuclear deterrent would give the [Republic of South Africa] the capability to manage the (superpower) conflict from a power base of nuclear strategy, rather than a power base of black politics. In other words, foreign powers would have to take the country seriously as a nuclear power, rather than as an anachronistic, racist embarrassment. Advertisement In the 1980s, South Africa built six nuclear warheads along with a variety of nuclear-capable missiles. By the end of the program, it was working on a seventh. Advertisement One of the biggest remaining mysteries about the program is whether it had international assistance. Particular suspicion was focused on Israel, another country with a covert nuclear program that had a quiet military alliance with South Africa during this period. The theory is that Israel assisted South Africas program in exchange for uranium. Recently uncovered documents show that Israel discussed selling nuclear warheads to South Africa during the 1970s. Theres also an ongoing mystery over a 1979 flash detected by a U.S. satellite in the South Atlantic that many in the U.S. intelligence community believed was the result of an Israeli nuclear test carried out with South African assistance. The South African government has maintained that it developed its program without help, and the Israeli government does not discuss its nuclear programperiod. Advertisement By the late 1980s, the security environment had changed. The waning of the Cold War reduced the fears of an imminent Soviet-backed invasion. A cease-fire agreement went into effect in Angola, which saw the removal of 50,000 Cuban troops from the country, and South Africa withdrew its forces from Namibia. Domestic and international pressure against apartheid was growing, and international sanctions were badly damaging the countrys economy. The nuclear program, by then more or less an open secret, came to be seen less as a necessary protective measure than as an impediment to better international relations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1989, Botha was replaced as president by F.W. de Klerk. As he would later write, De Klerk quickly took two steps meant to improve South Africas relations with the world: The first was to release Nelson Mandela, and the second was to dismantle our nuclear weapons and accede to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Advertisement South Africa acceded to the treaty in 1991, and de Klerk publicly acknowledged the existence of the program for the first time in a speech in 1993. In 1993, he was defeated by Mandela in the countrys first multiracial election. That same year, the International Atomic Energy Agency certified that South Africas nuclear weapons program had been dismantled. While economic pressure did eventually play a role in South Africas decision to denuclearize, the process took more than a decade. During todays crisis in North Korea, analysts have noted that recent precedents have given small, isolated countries with nuclear weapons little reason to believe they should give them up. Iraqs Saddam Hussein and Libyas Muammar Qaddafi both gave up their nuclear programs before acquiring a weapon, and both were overthrown by U.S.led military interventions. Iran agreed in 2015 to halt its nuclear program, and by all accounts has actually done so, and now faces a new U.S. administration intent on tearing up that deal. Even in Ukraine, which on independence had the worlds third-largest nuclear stockpile but turned it over to Russia in exchange for guarantees that its sovereignty would be respected, nationalist politicians have questioned whether that was such a good idea in light of the Russian annexation of Crimea and the war with Russian-backed separatists in the countrys east. Advertisement Advertisement South Africas case offers a more hopeful narrative. It gave up weapons, along with dismantling the racist apartheid system, as a means of once again becoming a member of good standing in the international community. Whatever challenges South Africa faces today, nuclear weapons wouldnt help in addressing any of them. Advertisement But the South African example also suggests that we need to be cautious and modest in our expectations about denuclearization. In particular, we need to be patient about sanctions. While economic pressure did eventually play a role in South Africas decision to denuclearize, the process took more than a decade. Initial international efforts to isolate and embargo South Africa, in the late 1970s, actually caused the country to accelerate its program. The Trump administration has given little indication that its willing to be patient with its pressure on North Korea. Advertisement For another thing, the international pressure only worked because of major changes taking place inside and outside South Africa. The end of the Cold War lessened the perceived threat of invasion from South Africas neighbors. Kim Jong-un, apparently, says hes willing to give up his weapons if he feels the threat to his regime has been eliminated, but its hard to see how that will happen unless the U.S. removes troops from the region or halts security cooperation with South Koreaunlikely scenarios. Advertisement And as Albright writes, Bothas replacement by de Klerk was essentially a form of regime change, albeit one that left South Africas white minority in power for a little while longer. Once South Africa began to democratizemost, though not all ANC leaders, including Mandela, were against the nuclear program, and the party was likely to make it a campaign issue in 1994the writing was on the wall for the program. As with the dismantling of apartheid, the international pressure worked because the country wanted to improve its relations with the rest of the world. The same could be said of Irans signing of the 2015 nuclear deal. That is not the case with North Korean regime, which is proud of its isolation, has staked its legitimacy on its ability to stand up to pressure from much more powerful adversaries, and faces virtually no organized domestic opposition. North Korea is willing to talk, and thats a good thing, but history suggests we shouldnt expect a country to give up its nuclear deterrent until its government changes, or the world does. A version of this piece originally appeared on the website of Article 19, a digital rights organization. From Dec. 30, 2017, to Jan. 13, at the height of this winters protest movement in Iran, there was a temporary ban on both Instagram and the messaging app Telegram. Although it only lasted two weeks, the ban had big implications in Iran, where the IP-based messaging app is immensely popular. Telegram dominates the messaging-app market inside of Iran and is seen as the central communication platform for Iranians. More than 50 million Iranians (out of a total population of 80 million) have internet access, and 40 million are on Telegram. Telegrams public channels boast a wide array of topics, both political and quotidian, including opposition diaspora channels, which would ordinarily be censored on other platforms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the temporary ban was widely acknowledged, new evidence indicates that the government throttled or slowed connection speeds to the platform in the days after it lifted the block on Telegram. This adds a new layer of concern to the issue of Irans attempts to control and tighten the net. The ban on Telegram and the suspected throttling cast doubt on President Hassan Rouhanis promises to open up the internet in Iran. One of the Rouhani administrations greatest achievements in promoting internet freedom has been keeping platforms like Instagram and Telegram uncensored, despite the efforts of the more conservative and hard-line elements of leadership in the country. The fact that Instagram and Telegram have been caught in the censorship web casts doubt on whether the Rouhani administration will actually be able to reopen platforms such as Twitter that have been blocked since they were used to organize protests in 2009. Advertisement The decision to block Telegram was imposed by various Iranian security agencies working outside the bounds of official law. According to provisions of the Computer Crimes Law and the multiagency body of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, several authorities are required to review and approve such decisions, including people from within the elected government of the Rouhani administration. Statements by Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi later indicated the decisions were made solely by the Supreme National Security Councila body tasked to protect the countrys sovereignty, national interests, and Islamic revolution. The council canand often doesarbitrarily override other processes in the name of national security. Once the block on Telegram was removed on Jan. 13, users reported slow connections over the application. Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov confirmed this to be the case on the platform in a Jan. 15 tweet: Advertisement Advertisement The reports that @telegram has been unblocked in Iran are consistent with our data, however, the speed of access to @telegram in Iran hasn't reached its pre-blocking level. We are analyzing the traffic to understand the reason for this before making any announcements. Pavel Durov (@durov) January 15, 2018 Data from the University of Tehrans social lab demonstrated that the number of posts on Persian public channels and the number of views on these posts struggled to return to the same levels after the block was removed. Levels only returned to previous numbers around Jan. 20, as you can see in the chart below. The section in pink represents the period of blocking. Previous decreases were caused by things like earthquakes. Advertisement Advertisement The Open Observatory of Network Interference, an initiative that uses remote probes to test for technical internet censorship around the world, found similar results when it probed for censorship results from the Telegram app and web version within Iran. Advertisement Advertisement Telegram itself has released no data about activity in Iran since Durovs Jan. 15 statement, in keeping with its characteristic lack of transparency in documenting government interference with its platform. (Telegram did not respond to questions from Slate.) The data from the University of Tehran and the OONI probes are not exact science. But when combined with anecdotal user reports, they give a strong indication that authorities continued to limit the applications use after the ban was lifted, in further violation of promises that the Rouhani administration has made about internet access. Advertisement The government itself has made no official statements on whether it is throttling connections, even as many users were reporting that slow download speeds were posing hurdles to their business dealings. On Jan. 17, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Jahromi tweeted that he was meeting with the Supreme Council for Cyberspace to coordinate policy on the digital economy, in the wake of the effects of filtering on businesses. Users started to question the ministrys role in the slow download speeds, but they received no response from Jahromi, who is typically rather vocal. Advertisement Just because this throttling is not surprising in a country like Iran does not mean its fine or that we should ignore it. Instead, we need to call out the governments role in creating these restrictions. Minister Jahromi and the Rouhani administration position themselves as progressives determined to improve internet access, but it seems they are still complicit in restrictions. While speeds and access to Telegram appear to have returned to normal, it could happen again, so long as the Iranian government seems content to circumvent procedures in place to protect citizens rights. Pointing out the hypocrisy of a government that says it wants to increase internet access but then impedes it, and censors Twitter but permits accounts for government officials, is critical in efforts to demand freedoms online. While Telegram is now accessible, both the government and the company should put in place mechanisms of accountability and process to ensure that Iranians have access to informationregardless of politics or company policy. With just five tweets, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk may have accidentally convinced President Trump to assume a more aggressive trade stance against China on Thursday. Shortly after noon on Thursday, Musk wrote a series of tweets directed at Trump noting how Chinas high tariffs and manufacturing regulations for cars have made business difficult for Tesla. Musk seemed to be encouraging Trump to push China to institute more equal and less stringent trade rules: Do you think the US & China should have equal & fair rules for cars? Meaning, same import duties, ownership constraints & other factors. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, an American car going to China pays 25% import duty, but a Chinese car coming to the US only pays 2.5%, a tenfold difference Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2018 Also, no US auto company is allowed to own even 50% of their own factory in China, but there are five 100% China-owned EV auto companies in the US Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2018 Advertisement I am against import duties in general, but the current rules make things very difficult. Its like competing in an Olympic race wearing lead shoes. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2018 Advertisement We raised this with the prior administration and nothing happened. Just want a fair outcome, ideally where tariffs/rules are equally moderate. Nothing more. Hope this does not seem unreasonable. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 8, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement In a message to The Verge, Musk noted that hed like Trump to take action on the issue and wrote, It is better if all countries lower tariffs. Trump held a press conference a few hours later about his proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum. There, the president praised SpaceXs recent accomplishments and read Musks tweet about the disparity in import duties aloud. But then everything went upside down when Trump said, Were going to do a reciprocal tax program at some point, so that if Chinas going to charge us 25 percent or if Indias going to charge us 75 if theyre at 50 or theyre at 75 or theyre at 25, were going to be at those same numbers. Its called reciprocal. Its a mirror tax. Advertisement Its unclear if Trump thinks this game theory is going to eventually work out to lower tariffs around the globe. But, as The Verges transportation reporter Sean OKane wrote on Twitter, this tit-for-tat approach to tariffs is the exact opposite of what Musk wanted. Elon clarifies to us that he wants Trump to pressure china to lower its tariffs and change its rules, not to match Chinas high auto tariffs https://t.co/33yZjkoPIg Sean O'Kane (@sokane1) March 8, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Trump is now reading Musks tweets at his presser. Mission accomplished. pic.twitter.com/upgXv8Jzp0 Sean O'Kane (@sokane1) March 8, 2018 Steven Seagal, a certified 90s action star and a present-day action star, claims to be many things: His official website variously describes him as a Martial Arts expert, a beloved actor, a healer, and a distinguished Blues musician. As of February, he added one more title to that impressive roster: cryptocurrency pitchman. And as of this week, the cryptocurrency in question is in legal trouble. If thats surprising, you probably havent been following Seagals career closely. Advertisement In 2017, Amy Zimmerman highlighted some of the actors greatest hits in the Daily Beast: Among other things, hes helped advertise for a Russian arms manufacturer, made a reality show with Joe Arpaio, and most famously, is friendly with Vladimir Putin. Hes also been repeatedly accused of sexual harassment and assault, claims that he tried to brush off in an interview with Infowars Alex Jones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given all of that, it likely comes as little surprise that Bitcoiin2Gen, the cryptocurrency Seagal chose to endorse in February, was deeply questionable. The first and most obvious warning flag is the currencys name, which mostly just adds an extra I to the more reputable Bitcoin. But there were other warning signs, too: As CNet noted shortly after the announcement, Its not necessarily clear what problem Bitcoiin2Gen is for. The site CoinDesk, meanwhile, questioned Bitcoiins referral commission program, suggesting that it resembled a pyramid scheme. (The graphic that Bitcoiin uses to describe this program is literally shaped like a pyramid.) It also pointed out that information about Bitcoiins official backers isnt available on the website. Advertisement Those backerswhoever they might behave spoken up in their own defense, but their rejoinder wasnt exactly reassuring. As a rule of thumb, if you have to begin your press release with the phrase, Of course, we are not an MLM [multilevel marketing] company or any Pyramid Scheme or Scamming people, as Bitcoiin2Gen did in that statement, you may already be in trouble. The rest of the document is similarly eyebrow-raising, full of phrases that feel like they were repeatedly run back-and-forth through an unfinished translation algorithm. Attempting to explain away the anonymity of its creators, for example, the company writes, For a fact being anonymous or being physically present doesnt increase or decrease the efficiency of any cryptocurrency and Bitcoiin2Gen is not entirely anonymous as we are using the Ethereum Blockchain. Advertisement Advertisement If you find these assurances unconvincing, youre not alone. On Tuesday, the New Jersey Bureau of Securities issued a cease-and-desist order against Bitcoiin2Gens planned initial coin offering. The document is thorough in its presentation of the problems with the larger Bitcoiin project, flagging many of the issues identified by earlier critics, including the identity of its principals, its physical address and its principal place of business, and the persons or entities that developed B2G, including the number of B2G coins owned by these persons or entities, and the amount of B2G owned by the principals of Bitcoiin. Advertisement But as CoinDesk writes, the order also focuses on Seagals role as a brand ambassador, noting a disclaimer on its website that states the actor holds no ownership stake in the project. Thats fitting, since it was likely Seagals promotional role that brought the states attention to the matterhardly the ideal outcome for celebrity sponsorship. The order notes several outstanding questions about his involvement, including whether Steven Seagal owns any B2G, the nature, scope, and amount of compensation received in exchange for Steven Seagals promotion of B2G, and if Steven Seagal has any expertise to ensure that the investment is appropriate and in compliance with federal and state securities laws. Though the orders scope is obviously limitedit applies only to the sale of securities in New Jersey itselfit seems entirely possible that other jurisdictions will take the issue up in similar terms. Even if they do, Seagal and his blockchain-powered friends will likely be fine. If worse comes to worst, they can always try Russia. How long must they wait? Despite progress on political inclusion, women are still weighed down by a culture of silence Forty-two years ago, health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then called Zaire) reported an explosive outbreak caused by a pathogen that local clinicians could not identify. Within two months, 318 people living around the rural town of Yambuku had fallen ill. Eighty-eight percent of them died, alarming officials at the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which mobilized a research team to investigate. After analyzing hundreds of blood samples drawn from sick patients and their household contacts, the scientists identified a new virus as the culprit. After a nearby river, they named it Ebola. Advertisement No better example comes to mind to illustrate the need for national disease surveillance and the prompt solicitation of international assistance, they wrote in their final report in 1978. Nor of the need for development of international resources that can be made available in a very few days to cope with such emergencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But these recommendations went unheeded. Visions of a standing epidemic response group never materialized, and the Congolese health system was left as weak as it had been before the outbreak (yearly health spending remained below $5 per capita for the next two decades). Instead of being used to help develop new vaccines or treatments, the CDCs collection of biologic samples would sit neglected in the back of a freezer in Atlanta, a symbol of a system that often springs into action only when a pathogen is deemed a threat to Americans. Advertisement In September 2017, President Donald Trump pledged support for our nations burgeoning if belated efforts to strengthen health systems in Africa during the United Nations General Assembly. We cannot have prosperity if were not healthy, he proclaimed. We will continue our partnership on critical health initiatives. Yet like much of what the president says, this seems to have been empty rhetoric. With its guidance to federal agencies for the next fiscal year, the Trump administration now appears poised to repeat history. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal in January, CDC staff have been instructed to begin winding down support to most of the countries that have benefitted from the agencys Global Health Security Agenda. Launched in response to the largest ever outbreak of Ebola, which infected more than 28,000 people across West Africa between 2013 and 2016, it has helped to bolster the capacity of local health authorities to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks before they become pandemics. On top of this, the White House has proposed more than $2 billion in cuts to programs that provide essential health services from immunizations for infants to AIDS treatment worldwide. Advertisement Advertisement Presidential budget requests may be little more than political messaging, but funding for the CDC efforts in question is, in fact, very much in peril. Currently, the money is coming from a one-time appropriation of $582 million intended to last through 2019. The Global Health Security Agenda has registered important early achievements during its first four years, and CDC leaders had planned to build on those gains with renewed funding for the program in 2020. But Trumps budget requests a mere $59 million, down from the $180 million the GHSA currently spends annuallya 67.2 percent cut. Advertisement While Congress could certainly appropriate additional funding on its own, CDC officials private discussions with House and Senate Republicans have evidently given them little reason to believe that this will occur; well before Trumps budget request was made public, they sent out internal guidance to begin the closure of 39 of the 49 GHSA programs started since 2014, including those in Congo, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Haiti. Advertisement What could explain the Trump administrations willingness to put hundreds of thousands of lives on the line in some of the worlds poorest countries? And to instead direct those funds toward an $18 billion wall incapable of keeping out infectious diseases? Advertisement Increasingly, this administrations America First ideology seems to mean that concern for the rights and health of the worlds poorest is a burden we can do without. And given his many racist remarks, its hard to see Trumps global health policy as anything but a reflection of his worldviewone that values white lives over black lives, casts Muslims as inherently threatening, and regards immigrants from Haiti and African nations as unworthy. Its hard to see Trumps global health policy as anything but a reflection of his worldviewone that values white lives over black lives. Ironically, some of the very countries Trump has disparaged have shouldered far more than their share of the response to recent global crises. Three years ago, one of us worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone with the medical nonprofit Partners In Health during the organizations response to Ebola. Many of our teams senior doctors hailed from Haiti. Volunteers on the front lines of the fight, they arrived with not only the skills to treat the sick but also invaluable experience rebuilding fractured health systems, having led clinical relief efforts after the 2010 earthquake that rocked their home country and throughout the cholera epidemic that followed. They chose to risk their lives, they told us in October 2014, not only to save those of the patients before them but also to help defend all of us, including Americans watching fearfully from across the Atlantic, against a global threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That same month, at the darkest hour of the Ebola crisis, the African Union announced without fanfare that it was dispatching a team of clinicians to Liberia to treat patients and train local health workers in infection control. The groups doctors, who would remain on the front lines for over five months, came from countries across Africa. Seven volunteered from the small East African nation of Rwanda, whose people know better than most what can happen when the international community stands idly by in the face of human suffering. Rwanda had just 625 doctors in 2014, meaning it sent over 1 percent of its entire physician workforce, and that outside of the most-affected nations, Rwanda was the worlds largest proportional contributor to the Ebola response. (Had the United States made a commensurate clinical commitment, we would have sent over 9,000 physicians to provide care in West Africa.) Advertisement These courageous Haitian and Rwandan health care workers showed the world that, in the face of a terrifying epidemic, compassion and solidarity are far more powerful tools for shared security than walls or travel bans. Its a lesson wealthy countries seem always to neglect soon after the panic subsides, and at a profound cost to global health. Advertisement Advertisement Consider that first recorded Ebola epidemic in Congo. In 1987, a CDC scientist involved in the response a decade earlier would frantically track down those frozen blood samples in hopes of answering an urgent question about a different plague. From the thawed serum of one 36-year-old woman, code-named HZ-321, the CDC isolated an actively replicating sample of the human immunodeficiency virus. Today, the HZ-321 virus remains the oldest viable sample of HIV ever found. Advertisement The worlds first documented Ebola outbreak, then, had exploded amidst a smoldering yet undetected AIDS epidemic on the banks of the Ebola River. As they peered through their microscopes at the blood of patients exposed to Ebola in 1976, the researchers who had been dispatched to Yambuku quite literally had HIV under their noses. But that virus would not be discovered for another seven years, until after Americans began dying in Los Angeles, and after it had already killed close to 100,000 people in Africa (none of whom were diagnosed while living). And because early research efforts on Ebola were not linked to sustained investments in strengthening the Congolese health system, this cycle of panic and neglect would repeat, again and again. Unless enough members of Congress can be convinced to reverse the course President Trump has charted, that cycle will surely continue, with consequences for us all. Devices created by a U.S. tech company called Sandvine were apparently used to deliver surveillance and censorship malware in Egypt, Turkey, and Syria. Researchers at the University of Torontos Citizen Lab found that the malware targeted people who were trying to download programs from established companies like Avast Antivirus, Opera, and CNET. Sandvines PacketLogic technology may have helped to discreetly hijack the process, redirecting users to instead install spyware and other invasive programs. The malware that users unknowingly downloaded had a number of nefarious political purposes. Citizen Lab discovered that it blocked websites in Egypt for the Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, Al Jazeera, and HuffPost Arabic. In Turkey, blocked sites included those for the Kurdistan Workers Party, Wikipedia, and the Dutch Broadcast Foundation. And in Syria, PacketLogic devices helped deliver surveillance software to a militia called the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units via a Turkish telecom network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bill Marczak, the lead author on Citizen Labs report, noted that its very difficult to pinpoint who exactly was directing the malware campaign. The indication here is that directives about blocking websites from the government are being implemented with these [devices]. Whether thats directly by the government, or whether thats done by an ISP, thats hard to know, he told Slate. Indeed, the websites that fell under these censorship campaigns suspiciously correspond to ones that local governments have targeted in the past. For example, Reuters journalists found in September that the Human Rights Watch site became inaccessible in Egypt after its government blasted the organizations report on prison torture. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan famously banned Wikipedia last April. Plus, Turkey believes that the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units is a terrorist organization and has been pressuring the U.S. to stop supporting its fighters. So, as Marczak pointed out, whoever was behind these campaigns at the very least had government-aligned motivations. Advertisement PacketLogic devices came handy for financial scams as well, particularly in Egypt. Citizen Lab found that some download links redirected users to affiliated ads and websites that host cryptojacking scripts, which steal processing power from computers to mine cryptocurrency. Advertisement Citizen Lab caught onto the scheme by conducting a global internet scan and finding signs of mass spyware injections in Turkey and Egypt. Researchers then purchased a secondhand PacketLogic device, which looks like a small black box, and ran tests indicating that the behavior of their unit matched up with the digital fingerprints they had found in those countries. Moving forward, Marczak says that one of the best countermeasure would be for software downloading websites to use more advanced security protocols. Opera and Avast Antivirus were not using HTTPS, a more sophisticated version of the HTTP protocol, throughout their websites, which may have allowed the hijacking to occur. Theres been a lot of movement recently from companies that make web browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome to make it very inconvenient to use HTTP. Hopefully that will push more adoption of HTTPS by people who host websites. Advertisement Advertisement Slate has reached out to Sandvine for comment. The company did send a letter to Citizen Lab when its researchers first inquired about the PacketLogic technology, which stated that the allegations were false, misleading, and wrong. Update, March 9, 2018, at 3:30 p.m.: Sandvine sent Slate a statement, which reads in part: Advertisement These days, your business needs an online presence. It is an important component in the process of marketing your business to an online audience. The primary objective when building a website is to market your products and services. And for that, it is essential to ensure a maximum number of people visit your website. The design of a website plays an important role in building a committed audience. You can go for an SEO-friendly Web design to make your website rank high in search engine results. Or, you can just follow a few tips on Web design to increase visits to your website to generate maximum leads and revenue. So how do you get the maximum amount of visitors to your website? Heres a quick look at some Web design tips for beginners. Manage the Content Prudently Even to this day, when it comes to the world of websites, content remains king. But even if you have excellent content, it will be of no use if you cant use it properly. This is where Web design becomes relevant. It helps to manage content in the most effective manner. Focus on proper Web design that manages content in an effective way to attract the maximum number of people. Use a Responsive Design How important is a responsive design these days? Well, I was surfing the Internet from my desktop computer and I found a website I liked. I was in a time crunch, but I really wanted to go back to the site and make a purchase. So a few days later, I thought of checking out the website on my phone. To my dismay, I found that the graphics and text of the site were in total disarray. This is why almost every website these days needs to be responsive. Websites need to appear perfectly on all kinds of devices. Many people these days use Internet-friendly mobile devices. These devices help them to remain connected even while on the go. In fact, mobile traffic has tripled in the last three years. So obviously, its important for this audience to be able to see your website properly. Plan Proper Navigation Lets imagine that Steven loves shopping online, and he has some favorite websites he likes to shop from. But one day, he finds that the design of one of these sites has changed. He tries searching for his favorite products, but he cannot find his way through the website easily to locate them. So Steven stops visiting on a regular basis. This clearly demonstrates the role well-planned navigation plays in increasing and retaining traffic. And it should make one thing abundantly clear from one page of a website, you should be able to move to other relevant pages of the site with ease. Only then can you expect people to stay on your site for a longer period. Make Landing Pages Attractive Just ask yourself, would you buy anything from a shop where the products are kept in a disheveled manner or, would you go for one that has a well maintained look? Surely, the latter. The same holds true for a website. You need to design the landing pages of your site properly. The homepage should be dynamic enough to engage visitors in no time at all. Integrate a Blog on Your Website Well-written content on a blog offers information and insights to the reader. If the blog content is unique and high quality, you will notice that visitors return to it. You might also have subscribers who follow updates on your blog. How this helps you is: You can add social media buttons to blog posts to ensure that they are shared on different platforms, increasing your reach. Blogs increase website content and this content is essential to generate better organic search results. You can create backlinks to your website pages from the blog posts. Its a win-win situation. Replace Image Files with Text Do you use images in place of simple text to transfer information? These images may make the appearance of your website better, but theyre probably not helping much with organic reach. Your website may perform better by replacing those images with text thats crawled by the engines. Conclusion Your website can use design in many ways. Its up to you to decide the type of design that you want for your website and that will work best for you. Make those decisions wisely to ensure that your website design helps to draw plenty of traffic to your website. If gender bias is an issue in your organization, you may lose employees as a result. A survey released by Randstad US says 80 percent of female employees would switch to a company with greater gender equality if faced with such issues. Gender Equality Survey Results The survey looked at how men and women relate to gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, along with the perception and experiences they have when it comes to the sexes. Overall, the participants said working in a place where everyone is treated equally is important to them. While a small business with a few employees may not be impacted the same way as a big company with a large workforce, it is important to create a positive environment no matter what your companys size. According to McKinsey Global Institute, gender diverse companies are 15 percent more likely to financially out-perform their peers. The firm also says gender parity could add $12 trillion to the global economy Audra Jenkins, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Randstad North America, addressed the need for companies to change. In a press release, Jenkins said, For companies that fail to establish an inclusive workplace, attracting and retaining quality talent will be a major challenge in the years ahead. Takeaway From the Survey When it comes to the workplace, 78 of the respondents in the survey said it is important everyone is treated equally regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, age, race or religion. But according to employees, more than half of the companies they work for are not meeting their expectation in this area. This was the case for 56 percent of the females and 52 percent of the males. When it comes to gender equality, failure to address these issues is a deal breaker for women. Disparities in salaries, opportunities, and mentorship programs are all examples of inequality. Other gender inequality issues came in the form of promotions to leadership based on gender. Fifty-eight percent of the women responding reported inequality in promotions to leadership positions where they worked, while only 34 percent of men reported seeing this. And when it came to opportunities, only 31 percent said they were available as much or more for men where they are currently working. Equal pay is one of the biggest issues when it comes to gender inequality, and 53 percent said it was the top factor, while 49 percent said outdated biases and stereotypes was the biggest issue in the workplace. In the survey, 49 percent of female workers said they would leave their job if they found out a male counterpart was making 25 percent more. Asked if they agreed with the statement, I believe I am paid fairly, compared to my counterparts, almost a quarter, or 23 percent, said they didnt. Progress is taking place, but it is slow in coming. As Jenkins explained, Change doesnt happen overnight. Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now... Where are Slovakia's low emission zones? Slovak legislation enables municipalities to create zones where polluting vehicles are banned but it seems they do not exist. Font size: A - | A + While local legislation gives municipalities powers to restrict polluting vehicles from entering their areas, no low emission zone has been launched in Slovakia so far. Thanks to low-emission zones, old vehicles would be gradually pushed to the periphery, said Tomas Ferencak, spokesperson for the Environment Ministry. Most of todays transport uses fuels producing large amounts of pollutants with negative impacts on the environment and peoples health. Old diesel vehicles in particular are considered to be heavy polluters. Based on the law on air quality, any town or village in Slovakia can create a low emission zone in its territory. Only cars up to a certain emission category will be allowed to enter such a zone, explained Ferencak, adding that in such cases vehicles will have to be labelled with their respective emission category. Then the municipality can set concrete rules using the regulation. The Association of Towns and Villages of Slovakia (ZMOS) has no information concerning whether any Slovak municipality plans to introduce a low emission zone. They are not obliged to announce such an intention to ZMOS. ZMOS spokesperson Michal Kalinak recalled that Zilina has considered the creation of a such a zone in its territory. Based on data from the Environment Ministry, the share of transport in the production of harmful emissions has doubled in Slovakia since 1990. 9. Mar 2018 at 0:29 | Compiled by Spectator staff Kalinak sees accusations of corruption against him as a witch hunt Interior Minister denies all accusations against him, but some reports suggest he will step down on Monday. Font size: A - | A + The pressure on Interior Minister Robert Kalinak to resign intensified after prosecutor of the Special Prosecutors Office, Vasil Spirko, announced on March 8th that he was filing a criminal complaint against him and top police officers for alleged involvement in a corruption scheme. Read also: Read also: Prosecutor accuses the interior minister of corruption scheme Read more In reaction to Spirkos accusations, Kalinak did not directly answer the question of whether he was going to resign. He labelled Spirko's statements as absurd, denied the accusations voiced by Spirko and suggested that it was peculiar that Spirko made them public just before the public gatherings. "I really do not see how one could steal 200 million from a 16-million contract," Kalinak said as quoted by the Sme daily. Spirko, in his statement for the media earlier today, described a scheme that was meant to legalise money "earned" from corruption practices of up to 200 million. One of those cases was the order of IT devices for the Interior Ministry that Spirko described in more detail. Kalinak, much like Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar who is also among the people Spirko blew the whistle on, insisted that it was neither him nor the police who filed the criminal complaint against Spirko, but it was an ordinary person, the man whom Spirko labelled as the key witness. "I have answered all the accusations and these arguments prove the absurdity of this accusation," Kalinak told journalists as quoted by Sme. " The statements of Mr Spirko are absolutely characteristic of a witch hunt." Kalinak insists that while he has been minister, not one euro has been paid out from the Interior Ministry tender that Spirko talked about. The Opposition and people who are expected to gather in the squares of Slovak cities again on Friday, have been calling on Kalinak to resign from his post. Most-Hid, a coalition partner, said they wanted Kalinak to step down too, but left it up to Smer to act. Most-Hid leader, Bela Bugar, is expected back from holiday on Friday to start talks with his coalition partners. Prime Minister Robert Fico said the result of the talks will be announced on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest. The SITA newswire reported that Kalinak was going to resign on Monday. President Andrej Kiska also reacted to the accusations voiced by Spirko and branded them "exceptionally serious". He said he expects the respective prosecution bodies to look into them, his spokesperson Roman Krpelan informed, as reported by Sme. Read also: Read also: Kiska: The government has ignored Mafia warnings Read more 9. Mar 2018 at 1:36 | Compiled by Spectator staff Slovak artists react to the current situation in society with their work The Friday protest march will be followed by an exhibition. One of the art works to be shown at the Reakcia exhibition. (Source: Petra Lukovicsova) When the For a Decent Slovakia protest march in Bratislava on Friday, March 9th is over, attendees can visit an exhibition of art works reflecting the current situation in society. It will take place in the courtyard of the house on Panska 13 connecting Panska Street with Hviezdoslavolo Square. It is an initiative by the animator Andrej Kolencik, organiser of the White Night Zuzana Pacakova, graphic artist Juraj Licko, Zuzana Jankovicova and Michaela Kucova, the Sme daily informed. Read also: Read also: UPDATED: Another public demonstration slated for Friday Read more The exhibition called Reakcia, reaction or response in English, responds to what is happening in Slovak society after the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova. The artists express in their works feelings of solidarity, sadness, anger and zest for change as well as belief in democracy and justice, the call reads. The event will be apolitical and free of charge. A mosaic Some days ago the initiators published on social networks a call inviting artists to respond to what is happening in Slovakia with their art. So far they have 170 pieces and new ones are still arriving. The organizers will divide them into thematic blocks to be screened by projectors on the walls. The result will be a mosaic. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the exhibition for only three hours from 19:00 until 22:00. The organisers are also considering whether to send the exhibition on a tour of Slovakia as well as making it a free digital gallery accessible via the internet. 9. Mar 2018 at 0:54 | Compiled by Spectator staff Slovakia warned against using conspiracy theories The foreign media have already noticed PM Robert Ficos attacks on President Andrej Kiska. Gaspar, Fico, and Kalinak (right to left). The one million euros that the government offers for information about the murder is displayed on the table. (Source: Sme) Fico is using the same arguments as the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila, Portuguese MEP Ana Gomes stated in an interview with the Euractiv.sk website. The leader of the European Parliaments delegation to Malta, which followed the murder of local journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, commented on the current political situation in Slovakia, where Prime Minister Robert Fico is using George Soros as a way to attack President Andrej Kiska. She [Dancila] has accused me of being Soros foot soldier because I said that judicial reform in Romania is used to restrict the investigation of corruption, Gomes added. Parallels between the two murders The MEP sees several parallels between the murders of Galizia and Slovak investigative journalist Jan Kuciak, whose body was found with that of his fiancee Martina Kusnirova in late February. Both were writing about high-level corruption and organised crime. Both murders were committed by professionals, as is indicated by the first detentions in Slovakia. Read also: Read also: Who is George Soros and why is Ficos mention of him a problem? Read more Moreover, both Slovak and Maltese prime ministers have offered 1 million for information leading to the killers, according to Gomes, who is a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP. She is convinced that by using the same arguments as Orban and the Russian President Vladimir Putin, members of the same political family, they only confirm her opinion that they have nothing in common with the traditional issues presented by Socialists and Social Democrats. We should first of all fight for human rights and against corruption, she told Euractiv.sk. US Embassy warns against conspiracy theories Meanwhile, the US Government continues to closely follow developments in Slovakia following the murders of Kuciak and Kusnirova. Read also: Read also: Robert Fico enters the ranks of the conspiracy theorists Read more As Slovak society wrestles with the implications of this crime, we urge all parties to refrain from resorting to the use of conspiracy theories and disinformation, reads the statement provided to the media by the US Embassy in Slovakia. The Embassy also informed that the FBIs Legal Attache's Office in Prague has offered and is providing assistance to the Slovak authorities investigating this case. Foreign media on watch Slovakia has been under closer watch by foreign media as well. They have also observed the responses of the government to the current situation. French daily Le Monde, for example, described Ficos behaviour as chaotic. It reported about a press conference to which he brought 1 million in cash which he offered for information leading to the murderers, and also about his attempts to divert attention with an attack on the president using his meeting last year with Soros, the Dennik N daily reported. Read also: Read also: Smer: President is aligned with opposition Read more The Slovak prime minister is facing a real political crisis, Le Monde wrote, as quoted by Dennik N. He owes it to his citizens, in the memory of the murdered couple and his partners in the EU, to finally protect journalists instead of insulting them and do everything possible to allow responsible access to Jan Kuciaks murder case. The Washington Post daily described in its piece how high-level corruption has been a scourge for years, but the misdeeds had not spilled over into bloodshed, until the murder of Kuciak and Kusnirova. It pointed out that whether Ficos government can deliver or even survive, is a question that he himself deepened by delving into unsubstantiated conspiracy theories involving a rival politician who happens to be Slovakias president. Not exactly a promising start to a criminal investigation, the daily wrote. Also the news agency Bloomberg informed about Ficos attacks on Kiska. By pointing to Soros, Premier Robert Fico joins other eastern European leaders in accusing the Hungarian-born financier of undermining their leadership at home, Bloomberg wrote. Fico, now mid-way through his third term as premier, rejects calls by the opposition and the president to revamp his cabinet or call early elections after the murder of a reporter sparked mass protests around the European Union member state by 5.4 million citizens last week. It went on to report that Fico has refused to part ways with his close ally, Kalinak, which was a demand of the opposition. He fought back by accusing his rivals, including Kiska, of using the journalists murder for their own political gain, the newswire added. The opposition has threatened to call a no-confidence motion this week against the government, that may test the endurance of the premiers fragile majority in parliament. 9. Mar 2018 at 1:21 | Compiled by Spectator staff IB Rais final rites performed Final rites of noted writer Indra Bahadur Rai were performed at Muktidham in his hometown Darjeeling, India, on Thursday. Last Week in Slovakia: Biggest public gatherings since 1989 expected on Friday Slovakia is experiencing a major political crisis, president mentions early elections. video //www.sme.sk/vp/36544/ These top three stories from Slovakia are a selection of headlines from a weekly overview in pdf and audio format that subscribers of The Slovak Spectator receive directly in their inboxes every Thursday morning. Commemorative marches took places around Slovakia and also around the world on Friday. Estimated 20-25 thousand people gathered in the Slovak capital. Brno, Prague, Zurich, Haag, London or Vancouver also commemorated the murder of the Slovak journalist. Another series of marches is planned on Friday, March 9. President Andrej Kiska sees only two possible solutions of the tense political situation: an extensive and fundamental reconstruction of the government or early elections. PM Robert Fico launched a frontal attack at Kiska in response, accusing him that his speech was obviously not written in Slovakia. Meanwhile, Czech Senator Ivo Valenta who owns the conspiracy website Parlamentni listy bought the Perex publishing house, publisher of the Pravda daily on Monday through a company called Our Media SR. Read also: Read also: Murder investigation: What we know so far and what are the main independence concerns Read more Below you can listen to all the headlines from Last Week in Slovakia published on March 7. https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/410147961&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true 9. Mar 2018 at 9:03 | Compiled by Spectator staff The citys memory is not only about kings but also ordinary people Comprehensive memory website contains unique images of the bombing of Bratislava and glass negatives from the last years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Sisters Neulinger, daughters of the owner of Fajka inn, in the park in Petrzalka. 1910-1920 (Source: PamMap.sk, collection of L. Kalman) Historian-archivist Juraj Sedivy had a dream. He wanted to recall the fate of the inhabitants of every house in Bratislava; not only the kings, the mayors and the burghers, but the ordinary people. Both good and bad, Slovaks, Hungarians and Germans, noblemen as well as handy craftsmen. I know that we will not find information about all former Bratislavans, but for up to 90 percent of them more than basic data has been retained, said Sedivy, who teaches history at the Faculty of Arts at Comenius University in Bratislava. The result of his efforts as well as other experts and volunteers is the unique memorial website PamMap. It combines a database, an encyclopaedia and historical atlas with a sophisticated searching tool. It contains digitised historical photographs, postcards, documents, as well as excavations found in Bratislava and audio recollections of Bratislavans about their own eventful lives or of the city. Thanks to them, the real collective memory of Bratislava and its inhabitants is being built, said Sedivy. It is intended for professionals as well as ordinary people. The first ones will find sources for their research and other photos of their native street or house from 70 or 100 years ago. In addition to providing information, the important goal of the project is recalling the past. PamMap PamMap has emerged as an initiative out of nothing to build a comprehensive memorial website the creator of the idea and concept is the historian and archivist of the Faculty of Arts at Comenius University, Juraj Sedivy the provider of the technical solution is the IT firm www.ui42.sk the website is still in testing operation and it should be completed by the end of the year upon its completion it will offer thousands of digitised written, pictorial and other materials connected to Bratislava from state and municipal institutions as well as from private collections the website works or will work in four languages - Slovak, Hungarian, German and English the memorial institutions mainly involved in the project are the Archive of the Monuments Board, the Bratislava City Archives and the City Museum of Bratislava. The project partner is the OZ Bratislavske Rozky the costs so far have climbed to about 20,000 - 25,000. They were covered by the VUB Foundation, Ars Bratislavensis and several individual donors The website serves to mediate the past for those who have forgotten or cannot remember it, said Sedivy. Forgetting is sometimes extremely dangerous. The website is still under test operation. The plan is to complete it by the end of this year. Afterwards the site will run in four languages Slovak, German, Hungarian and English. How PamMap works The name PamMap originated from the Slovak words pamat, memory in English, and mapa, map. Under the Pam icon at www.pammap.sk, visitors can find digitised documents and artefacts. The current map of Bratislava is under the Map icon. Visitors can spread over it one of the available historical maps. In this way they can compare, for example, where the streets of the Vydrica borough once led through as well as today. The database enables the filtering of available digitalised artefacts by eight criteria, such as place, time, topic or people. These filters can be combined. So far visitors can find digitised artefacts just to the street level, but we would like to go to the house level in the future, said Sedivy. It will be able to find out who used to live in a specific house, what was their occupation and other information as far as the law on disclosure of personal data allows us, said the historian. The plan is also to georeferenced the artefacts, i.e. place it on the map. It works so that when clicking on a historical photo, after it appears on the screen, a map also appears below the table with basic information about the photo. The map shows where the photographer stood when taking the picture as well as the part of the city he caught with his camera. Clicking on the yellow thumbnail in the bottom right corner of the map lets the visitor see what this place looks like today and compare it with the historical photo. The website acts as an encyclopaedia of places and historical events. When you click on, for example, Kozia Street, you will see basic information about this street and all its historical names since 1379, said Sedivy during a lecture of the non-governing organisation Bratislavske Rozky, on the memorial website. Treasures from cellars and ceilings The most important thing about our project is capturing the past not only in terms of official historical sources, such as birth certificates, biography or official photography at work, but especially the perception of events by individual people, said Sedivy. So besides documents from archives, museums and other official institutions, the people building PamMap have a great interest in family photographs or documents from Bratislavans. They are also digitising family collections. Everyone can bring us any small collection of objects, maps, letters, photos or documents to digitise, said Sedivy. We will digitize them for free and return the originals as well as give their owners high-quality scans on a DVD. 9. Mar 2018 at 10:21 | Jana Liptakova The organisers were calling for thorough investigation of the double murder of the young investigative journalist and his fiancee along with a new government About 50,000 people participated in the gathering held on March 9 in SNP Square in Bratislava, making it one of the biggest public gatherings in Slovakias history. Our whole family got a bullet to the heart, said Maria Kuciakova, sister of the killed journalist, thanking the participants for coming and showing that they care. Also, Martinka and Janko care. The event was much bigger than last weeks march that paid tribute to investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, who were murdered in their house in Velka Maca, close to Galanta (Trnava Region). Up to 25,000 people marched the streets of the capital on March 2, with thousands of others attending the gatherings and candle lighting ceremonies in other towns and cities across Slovakia and abroad. The gathering titled Lets stand for decency in Slovakia had a different character than last weeks march, as this time the organisers also came with some demands. These included a thorough and independent investigation into the murders of Kuciak and Kusnirova with the participation of international teams of investigators, and a new, trustworthy government that will not include people suspected of corruption or links to organised crime. The demands are just the first step, said one of the organisers, Katarina Nagy Pazmany. We should not have to ask for this in a decent country, she added. In a decent country, this should be a must. Ringing with keys returned to the streets Much like the March 2 march, the gathering was apolitical. Representatives of civic society, journalists, as well as teachers, medical and cultural associations were invited to the stage to talk to the crowd. They all pointed to the current state of the society, criticising the government for inactivity and calling on people to continue to be active and make sure the case is not forgotten about. The speeches were accompanied by the ringing of keys, reminiscent of the Velvet Revolution which brought down the communist regime in the country. People were shouting slogans like We do care and Enough of Fico. Former Trnava archbishop Robert Bezak said he does not see outraged, but rather resolute people. In his opinion, many politicians should realise that if law and justice retreat to the background, the same will happen to them, as was shown in the past. Weve learnt to be uncaring of all scandals and deeds that have not happened, but the murder of a person should not be lost in time, Bezak said. It would be a sign that we are morally broken and that we dont care at all. But we do care. Janko and Martinka will always remain in our hearts. Editor-in-Chief of the Tyzden weekly, Stefan Hrib, reminded in his speech of the recent events, as well as some facts mentioned in Kuciaks last story. Much has been said, but very little has been done, he said, stressing that rising GDP or free trains are not important for the country, but rather justice. Extensive support The protest has been supported by several universities in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, teachers, school associations, artists and non-governmental organisations. 21 universities cancelled afternoon lectures to allow students and employees to attend the protests. The safety of the participants was supervised by the police officers. No serious incident occurred. The gatherings also took place in 48 other towns and cities in Slovakia and 17 places abroad (see the list here). 9. Mar 2018 at 18:18 | Compiled by Spectator staff Kiska and Fico unable to find common ground Kiska, Fico, and Danko failed to sign a joint declaration. Kiska stresses while their desire for peace is the same, their solutions to the current political crisis are different. Three top constitutional officials, President Andrej Kiska, Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Parliament Speaker Andrej Danko, met on March 9 to discuss the political crisis Slovakia is going through. They were expected to sign a joint declaration, which states among other provisions that they will not resort to forming conspiracy theories. In the end, however, they failed to sign the declaration together, but they have agreed on a joint statement that Danko gave on behalf of all three of them. We wish for peace to be preserved in society and we, three constitutional officials, will do everything that our competencies allow us to so we can prevent the events of the past days from being abused, Danko said. Following the meeting, Kiska repeated there are only two options: government restructuring or early elections. As president, he is obliged to make sure constitutional bodies work properly. That is why he started talks with political parties about their ideas on the solutions. The president explained that the declaration that his office drafted was not acknowledged by Fico and Danko, who came with their own, very different document. I am very sorry as I am sure it would have been an important calming signal, Kiska said, adding that he still believes Slovak society is able to handle the situation peacefully and freely. 9. Mar 2018 at 14:06 | Compiled by Spectator staff General Prosecutor: No progress in murder investigation Top prosecutor says an international team will be put together to investigate the murder of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova. General Prosecutor Jaromir Ciznar stressed the prosecution and the police need to be cautious when publishing information about the murder investigation. At the same time, he is not satisfied with the current state of the investigation of the murder of Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, who were found murdered on February 25 in their house in the western-Slovak village of Velka Maca. From the very start, the police and the general prosecutor have been saying that Kuciak was murdered in connection with his investigative work. Read also: Read also: Murder investigation: What we know so far and what are the main independence concerns Read more During the press briefing Ciznar held together with Special Prosecutor Dusan Kovacik and Prosecutor Peter Sufliarsky, the prosecutors said it might not even be the case that the motive for the murder was Kuciaks work. There are several versions, Kovacik said, but declined to give any details. Working with the Italians The prosecutors say they are putting together an international team with their Italian counterparts. The team should start working next week. We have already agreed on the basic questions, and the Italians have a great spectrum of information, there is a huge volume of data to evaluate, Ciznar said. Ciznar also informed the press that he spoke to the head of the intelligence service SIS and requested all the information they have on the alleged criminal activities related to Vadala. He also wants to check on how the police handled the information from SIS in the past, Sme daily reported. Spirko will not face discipline Ciznar confirmed that the prosecution was checking on the information that prosecutor of the Special Prosecutors Office, Vasil Spirko, reported to the media yesterday and based on which he filed a criminal complaint against the Interior Minister and some top police officials. Read also: Read also: Prosecutor accuses the interior minister of corruption scheme Read more The problem was the way he got the information, he violated a number of provisions, Ciznar said, and asked why Spirko came forward with his testimony now. When asked whether Spirko will face disciplinary proceeding for his act, Ciznar said: If I hit him for this, I would be the first one to hang. 9. Mar 2018 at 15:01 | Compiled by Spectator staff The following companies are subsidiares of American Tower: 10 Presidential Way Associates LLC, 3267351 Nova Scotia Company, 3286208 Nova Scotia Company, 3298099 Nova Scotia Company, 52 Eighty LLC, 52 Eighty Partners LLC, 52 Eighty Tower Partners I LLC, ACC Tower Sub LLC, AT Kenya C.V., AT Netherlands C.V., AT Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., AT Sao Paulo C.V., AT Sher Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., AT South America C.V., ATC Africa Holding B.V., ATC Africa Shared Services (Pty) Ltd, ATC Antennas Holding LLC, ATC Antennas LLC, ATC Argentina C.V., ATC Argentina Cooperatief U.A., ATC Argentina Holding LLC, ATC Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ATC Atlantic C.V., ATC Atlantic II B.V., ATC Atlantic III B.V., ATC Backhaul LLC, ATC Brasil Servicos de Conectividades Ltda., ATC Brazil Holding LLC, ATC Brazil I LLC, ATC Brazil II LLC, ATC Burkina Faso S.A., ATC CSR Foundation India, ATC Chile Holding LLC, ATC Colombia B.V., ATC Colombia Holding I LLC, ATC Colombia Holding LLC, ATC Colombia I LLC, ATC EH GmbH & Co. KG, ATC Ecuador Holding LLC, ATC Edge LLC, ATC Ethiopia Infrastructure Development Private Limited Company, ATC Europe B.V., ATC Europe LLC, ATC European Holdings Inc., ATC Fibra de Colombia S.A.S., ATC France Cooperatief U.A., ATC France Holding II SAS, ATC France Holding SAS, ATC France Reseaux SAS, ATC France SAS, ATC France Services SAS, ATC GP GmbH, ATC Germany Holdings GmbH, ATC Germany Services GmbH, ATC Ghana ServiceCo Limited, ATC Global Employment B.V., ATC Heston B.V., ATC Holding Fibra Mexico S. de R.L. DE C.V., ATC IP LLC, ATC India Infrastructure Private Limited, ATC Indoor DAS Holding LLC, ATC Indoor DAS LLC, ATC International Cooperatief U.A., ATC International Financing B.V., ATC International Financing II B.V., ATC International Financing II Holding LLC, ATC International Holding Corp., ATC Iris I LLC, ATC Kenya Operations Limited, ATC Kenya Services Limited, ATC Latin America S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., ATC MIP III REIT Iron Holdings LLC, ATC Managed Sites Holding LLC, ATC Managed Sites LLC, ATC MexHold LLC, ATC Mexico Holding LLC, ATC Niger Wireless Infrastructure S.A., ATC Nigeria C.V., ATC Nigeria Cooperatief U.A., ATC Nigeria Holding LLC, ATC Nigeria Wireless Infrastructure Limited, ATC On Air + LLC, ATC Operations LLC, ATC Outdoor DAS LLC, ATC Paraguay Holding LLC, ATC Paraguay S.R.L., ATC Peru Holding LLC, ATC Polska sp. z o.o., ATC Ponderosa B-I LLC, ATC Ponderosa B-II LLC, ATC Ponderosa K LLC, ATC Ponderosa K-R LLC, ATC Sequoia LLC, ATC Sitios Infraco S.A.S., ATC Sitios de Chile S.A., ATC Sitios de Colombia S.A.S., ATC Sitios del Peru S.R.L., ATC South Africa Investment Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, ATC South Africa Services Pty Ltd, ATC South Africa Wireless Infrastructure (Pty) Ltd, ATC South Africa Wireless Infrastructure II (Pty) Ltd, ATC South America Holding LLC, ATC South LLC, ATC Spain LLC, ATC TRS I LLC, ATC TRS II LLC, ATC TRS III LLC, ATC TRS IV LLC, ATC Tanzania Holding LLC, ATC Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited, ATC Tower (Ghana) Limited, ATC Tower Services LLC, ATC Uganda Limited, ATC Uganda ServiceCo (SMC) Limited, ATC Watertown LLC, ATC WiFi LLC, ATS-Needham LLC, ActiveX Telebroadband Services Private Limited, Adquisiciones y Proyectos Inalambricos S. de R. L. de C.V., Agile Airband Ohio LLC, Agile Connect LLC, Agile IWG Holdings LLC, Agile Network Builders LLC, Agile Networks Indiana LLC, Agile Networks Site Development LLC, Agile Towers LLC, Alternative Networking LLC, American Tower Asset Sub II LLC, American Tower Asset Sub LLC, American Tower Charitable Foundation Inc., American Tower Delaware Corporation, American Tower Depositor Sub LLC, American Tower Guarantor Sub LLC, American Tower Holding Sub II LLC, American Tower Holding Sub LLC, American Tower International Holding I LLC, American Tower International Holding II LLC, American Tower International Inc., American Tower Investments LLC, American Tower LLC, American Tower Management LLC, American Tower Mauritius, American Tower Servicios Fibra S. de R.L. de C.V., American Tower Tanzania Operations Limited, American Tower do Brasil - Cessao de Infraestruturas Ltda., American Tower do Brasil Communicacao Multimidia Ltda., American Towers LLC, BR Towers, Blue Sky Towers Pty Ltd, Blue Transfer Sociedad Anonima, Broadcast Towers LLC, CNC2 Associates LLC, California Tower Inc., Cell Site NewCo II LLC, Cell Tower Lease Acquisition LLC, Central States Tower Holdings LLC, Colo ATL LLC, Colo Atl, Communications Properties Inc., Comunicaciones y Consumos S.A., Connectivity Infrastructure Services Limited, DCS Tower Sub LLC, Eaton, Eaton Towers (Lilongwe) Limited, Eaton Towers Ghana (M) Limited, Eaton Towers Ghana Limited, Eaton Towers Holdings Limited, Eaton Towers Kenya Limited, Eaton Towers Limited, Eaton Towers Niger S.A., Eaton Towers Uganda Limited, Essar Telecom Infrastructure, Eure-et-Loir Reseaux Mobiles SAS, GTP Acquisition Partners I LLC, GTP Acquisition Partners II LLC, GTP Acquisition Partners III LLC, GTP Costa Rica Finance LLC, GTP Infrastructure I LLC, GTP Infrastructure II LLC, GTP Infrastructure III LLC, GTP Investments LLC, GTP LATAM Holdings B.V., GTP LatAm Holdings Cooperatieve U.A., GTP Operations CR S.R.L., GTP South Acquisitions II LLC, GTP Structures I LLC, GTP Structures II LLC, GTP TRS I LLC, GTP Torres CR S.R.L., GTP Towers I LLC, GTP Towers II LLC, GTP Towers III LLC, GTP Towers IV LLC, GTP Towers IX LLC, GTP Towers V LLC, GTP Towers VII LLC, GTP Towers VIII LLC, GTPI HoldCo LLC, Ghana Tower InterCo B.V., Global Tower Assets III LLC, Global Tower Assets LLC, Global Tower Holdings LLC, Global Tower LLC, Global Tower Partners, Global Tower Services LLC, Gondola Tower Holdings LLC, Grain HoldCo LLC, Grain HoldCo Parent LLC, GrainComm I LLC, GrainComm II LLC, GrainComm III LLC, GrainComm LLC, GrainComm Marketing LLC, GrainComm V LLC, Haysville Towers LLC, IW Equipment LLC, IWD Equipment LLC, IWG Holdings LLC, IWG II Holdings LLC, IWG II LLC, IWG Miami LLC, IWG Towers Assets I LLC, IWG Towers Assets II LLC, IWG-TLA Australia Pty Ltd., IWG-TLA Canada Corp., IWG-TLA Encanto 1 LLC, IWG-TLA Encanto 2 LLC, IWG-TLA Encanto 3 LLC, IWG-TLA Encanto LLC, IWG-TLA Holdings LLC, IWG-TLA Media 2 LLC, IWG-TLA Media LLC, IWG-TLA Telecom LLC, IWL-TLA Telecom 2 LLC, Idaho Tower Company LLC, InSite (BCEC) LLC, InSite (MBTA) LLC, InSite Borrower LLC, InSite Co-Issuer Corp., InSite Guarantor LLC, InSite Hawaii LLC, InSite Issuer LLC, InSite Licensing LLC, InSite Towers Development 2 LLC, InSite Towers Development LLC, InSite Towers International 2 LLC, InSite Towers International Development LLC, InSite Towers International LLC, InSite Towers LLC, InSite Towers of Puerto Rico LLC, InSite Wireless Development LLC, InSite Wireless Group, InSite Wireless Group LLC, Insite Wireless LLC, Invisible IWG Holdings LLC, Invisible Towers LLC, JT Communications LLC, LAP Inmobiliaria Limitada, LAP Inmobiliaria S.R.L., LL B Sheet 1 LLC, Lap do Brasil Empreendimentos Imobiliarios Ltda, Lease Advisors-AU PTY LTD, Loxel SAS, MATC Digital S. de R.L. de C.V., MATC Infraestructura S. de R.L. de C.V., MATC Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., MC New Macland Properties LLC, MCSU Properties LLC, MHB Tower Rentals of America LLC, MIP III Iron Holdings LLC, MIP III U.S. Iron LLC, Microwave Inc., Municipal Bay LLC, Municipal-Bay Holdings LLC, New Towers LLC, PCS Structures Towers LLC, R-CAL I LLC, RSA Media Inc., Repeater Communications Group I LLC, Repeater Communications Group II LLC, Repeater Communications Group III LLC, Repeater Communications Group IV LLC, Repeater Communications Group LLC, Repeater Communications Group V LLC, Repeater Communications Group VI LLC, Repeater Communications Group of New York LLC, Repeater IWG Holdings LLC, Richland Towers LLC, Signum/IWG Tower Corp., Southeast Network Access Point LLC, SpectraSite Communications, SpectraSite Communications LLC, SpectraSite LLC, T8 Ulysses Site Management LLC, TLA PR-1 LLC, TLA PR-2 LLC, Telecom Lease Advisors Management 2 LLC, Tower Management Inc., Towers of America L.L.L.P., Transcend Infrastructure Holdings Pte. Ltd., Transcend Towers Infrastructure (Philippines) Inc., Turris Sites Development Corp., Turris Sites IWG Corp, Tysons II DAS LLC, UNIsite, Uganda Tower Interco B.V., Ulysses Asset Sub I LLC, Ulysses Asset Sub II LLC, UniSite LLC, UniSite/Omnipoint FL Tower Venture LLC, UniSite/Omnipoint NE Tower Venture LLC, UniSite/Omnipoint PA Tower Venture LLC, Vangard Wireless LLC, Verus Management One LLC, Viom Networks, and Virdi IWG Holdings LLC. 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 India awards scholarship to 200 Nepali students Two hundred Nepali students have been awarded with the India's "Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme" for 2017-2018 on Friday. 12 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy in the last year. There are currently 1 sell rating, 8 hold ratings and 3 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in GCTAF, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View analyst ratings for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy or view top-rated stocks. The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. 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The collection of coffin fragments, stone figures, amulets and a mummified animal had come to Mrs St Vincent Welch through her late husband, Dr John Basil St Vincent Welch, who had inherited it from his father also John Basil St Vincent Welch a First World War doctor whose service included time in Egypt. Lieutenant Colonel St Vincent Welch DSO died of influenza shortly after returning from the war. The artefacts he had purchased in Egypt as souvenirs remained in his wife's Cremorne home for decades, before moving with his son to Northbridge. Mrs Beattie remembers the case from childhood visits to her grandmother. "I had been told there was a [mummified] cat in there," she remembers, "which at five or six, I thought was fascinating." During his time in Egypt, Lieutenant Colonel St Vincent Welch employed a local guide to connect him with a then-thriving antiquities market. The guide's business card was still in the case when Mrs Beattie and her husband found it at her mother's house almost a century later. Her grandfather had studied medicine at Sydney, so the family decided to donate the collection to the University's Nicholson Museum. After considering the acquisition carefully, according to the responsibilities set out by UNESCO regarding the transference of antiquities, the curators arrived at the house to pack all 182 objects. The collection has now been catalogued and will go on display when the University's new Chau Chak Wing Museum opens. It will feature in an exhibition about private collectors, including several other Australian servicemen who brought objects home from Egypt. For Mrs Beattie, the experience has provided new insight into her family's history. "My father was so young when his father died, so we never really knew much about him," she says. "This has been a real journey of discovery." India grants $16.2m to UN agencies The Indian government has agreed to provide $16.2 million grant to two United Nations (UN) agencies for providing socio-technical facilitation to rebuild 50,000 houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts. JAAFC Secretariat Office opens in Kathmandu The JICA Alumni Association Forum of Saarc Countries (JAAFC) has set up its Secretariat Office in Nepal. Jajarkot health post reeling sans doctors The body of one Narendra Gharti of Barekot Rural Municipality-2 in the district has been lying at a health post at Limsa for two days for postmortem due to unavailability of a doctor. Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. Vietnams transport ministry has long been determined to subject ride-hailing apps to the same regulations as traditional taxicabs, but has been struggling to put forward feasible solutions to do so. While ink continues to spill over the war between tech-based transportation services and conventional taxis in Vietnam, the transport ministry is looking into a new set of rules to regulate Grab and Uber, both seen as a thorn in the eyes by local taxi operators. Vietnam currently regulates the operations of car-based transportation companies through Decree No.86, with the transport ministry tasked with managing the incorporation of ride-hailing apps into the fold. Grab and Uber are currently permitted to operate in selected provinces and cities under a pilot scheme to study how they should be regulated. The whole society is looking forward to the amended decree as it will put an end to the pilot program, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The said at a meeting held on Thursdays to discuss amendments to Decree No. 86. A woman looks at her smartphone aboard a Grab car in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre The minister began the discussion by underlining that Uber and Grab operations are basically the same as conventional taxis, and the only difference is the use of technology in connecting drivers with passengers. This means we should amend [Decree 86] in a way that will regulate Uber and Grab in the essence that they are taxi firms, he said. The amended rule should request that the companies behind the apps be responsible for their drivers and passengers, as well as fulfill their tax obligations, according to the minister. The also admitted that the pilot scheme has had several drawbacks, such as regulators failure to oversee the number of cars registered to drive with tech-based taxi services, which has become a major contributor to traffic congestion in big cities. There are nearly 37,000 Grab and Uber cars in Vietnam at present, many of which were bought with bank loans leaving the drivers now heavily indebted, he said. The problem is that Uber and Grab can expand their fleets as much as they wish, while conventional taxi companies can only deployed a restricted number of vehicles. The added that the amendment should make sure that the app operators pay taxes for their operations in Vietnam, otherwise they should leave the country. A woman enters a Grab car at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre Speaking to representatives of different agencies tasked with drafting the amended Decree No.86, the minister questioned whether Uber will follow the rules through its own accord despite having no legal entity in Vietnam. Like Grab, Uber only operates a representative office in Vietnam and all of its revenue is channeled directly to its parent firm in the Netherlands. Tran Quang Binh, head of the transportation department under the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, said all ride-hailing apps should register to operate as transportation businesses in the country and put open a headquarters in a Vietnamese locality. However, as Uber and Grab are currently 100 percent foreign invested companies, they will not be allowed to register as a transportation firm unless they form a joint venture with local partners and hold no more than 51 percent of the stake, according to the current laws. In conclusion, Minister The ordered that relevant agencies speed up their efforts in drafting the amendment, particularly in getting more feedback from the public. Ly Hoang Anh, president of the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City, did not have to see the end of his career on Monday when his last appointment expired as expected, a twist that left people concerned with the matter surprised. Anh was last November found in the wrong in employing his wife and many other in-laws into different positions at the university, among other violations, according to inspection results released by the State Bank of Vietnam, which is in charge of the university. The findings provoked public anger directed at the mans poor ethics, which was made even more inadmissible by the fact that he was head of an educational institution. On Monday, however, Anh was reappointed president of the Banking University in a surprising decision signed by the central banks Deputy Governor Nguyen Kim Anh. The appointment has no expiry date and Ly Hoang Anh is expected to remain in his position until further decisions are made. A campus of the Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City in District 1. Photo: Tuoi Tre Multiple violations Inspection was launched last April into Anh wrongdoings at the Banking University after the central bank had received a letter from one of the universitys lecturers accusing him of multiple violations in financial management, appointment, promotion, and budget spending. The alleged violations dated back to 2015, when Anh employed his wife Le Thi Chuc Ly as a lecturer despite her lack of qualifications, and approving a pay scale higher than what was expected of her job. The same year, he approved the employment of multiple personnel, some of whom relatives of his wife, into positions that had been streamlined a year earlier in cost-saving efforts. Anh was also found to have wrongly spent the universitys scientific research budget, and overstepped his power by creating new job titles without approval from the central bank. In January 2018, a special committee of the State Bank of Vietnam voted to take disciplinary actions against Anh by issuance of an official warning. A thorough review of all his appointments and promotion while in charge of the Banking University has been launched, and the university has been asked to submit monthly reports to the central bank on its progress of undoing Anhs violations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Loktantrik leadership Leaders must learn to engage in self-criticism instead of blaming their counterparts Doctors at a Vietnamese hospital successfully delivered a baby after its paternal grandmother managed to slice open the unborn childs head while it was still in its mothers womb. The general hospital in Bao Thang District, Lao Cai, a border province of northern Vietnam, admitted a local 21-year-old expectant mother at around 4:00 am on March 2. At the time, the mother had already gone into labor and her babys head was already peeking out of her vulva. The birth procedure became even more complicated when doctors were told the childs grandmother believed putting a knife inside the mothers sexual organ would help ease her labor. Fortunately, doctors were able to deliver a healthy baby with no signs of breathing problems or external abnormalities, save for several scratches and a seven by four centimeter knife wound atop the babys head. The wound was immediately stitched and by Wednesday the hospital had given approval for the infant to be sent home with its mother. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Five farmers were rushed to a hospital in Vietnam after enjoying a pufferfish hotpot on Wednesday evening. The victims, aged 34-44, were celebrating a hard days work on the field with a few drinks and a hotpot filled with pufferfish the group had caught earlier that day, according to their relatives. Shortly after consuming the hotpot, the victims became paralytic and were unable to speak, prompting family members to rush the group to a local hospital. All five farmers, from Hau Giang Province, were comatose and suffering from cardiac arrest, suspended breathing, and unstable blood pressure at 6:00 pm that day when doctors ordered their transfer to the ICU at the Central General Hospital in Can Tho City, located in the Mekong Delta. Doctors preformed intubation and switched on life support for the victims. By Thursday afternoon, two of the patients were successfully resuscitated while the other three remained comatose and on life support. These are not the first cases of pufferfish poisoning seen at the Central General Hospital, according to Dr. Ha Tan Duc, deputy head of the Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning Unit. According to Dr. Duc, tetrodotoxin (C11H17O8N3 or TTX), a neurotoxin prevalent in pufferfish, is a thousand times deadlier than cyanide. The toxin accumulates in the intestines, liver, eggs, and testicles of pufferfish and can be extremely poisonous if consumed. Dr. Duc warns that TTX is soluble in water and durable against heat, meaning consumers are advised to avoid eating the poisonous fish, even if carefully prepared. Symptoms of TTX exposure include dizziness, fatigue, paralysis, loss of consciousness, respiratory failure, and can lead to death. They often manifest within 15 to 30 of consumption. Those who show signs of pufferfish poisoning should be immediately admitted to a hospital, according to Dr. Duc. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A team of local officials and police officers was attacked by a family while attempting to measure the sound level at a karaoke party in Tien Giang Province, located in Vietnams Mekong Delta. Nguyen Van Thanh, chairman of the Peoples Committee in Binh Nhi Commune, Go Cong Tay District, confirmed on Thursday that competent authorities were looking into the assault that sent there members of the communes administration to the hospital. A group of local police officers and officials was tasked with measuring the noise level emanating from a karaoke party at the house of Huynh Van Ca at around 11:30 am on Wednesday. The officers were readying their equipment when five people from Cas family began using bricks to assault the group. Following the attack, Le Truong Giang, an official at the Binh Nhi Peoples Committee, and two police officers, Sang and Vuong, were admitted to the hospital with several injuries. Giang suffered serious wounds to his neck, while the other two victims took injuries to their faces and stomachs. Officers from the Go Cong Tay police department later arrived for back-up, but the residents continued their assault. The family members were eventually escorted to the police station. According to initial information, Cas family was throwing a birthday party for his granddaughter and the group decided to sing karaoke. When the noise became too loud, neighbors called local authorities to end the ruckus. Police are continuing an investigation into the case. In late February, Nguyen Viet Loc, 59, residing in the north-central province of Ha Tinh, was arrested for killing a man over karaoke noise. Loc previously asked the victim and his friends to turn down the volume, but the request was ignored. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued warnings for the chairman and vice-chairman of the central province of Quang Nam as a form of discipline for their inappropriate recruitment and appointment of local administrative personnel. Dinh Van Thu and Huynh Khanh Toan, who are chairman and vice-chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee for the 2016-21 tenure, have recently been warned by the head of government for their violations. Thu and Toan were previously sanctioned by the Party and the Central Inspection Committee. According to results of inspection, Thu, as the chairman of the Quang Nam administration and deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee, appointed his two sons, Dinh Van Vu, 36, and Dinh Van Bao, 30, as officials of local departments. The two received their posts without having to pass mandatory examinations as promulgated in regulations on the recruitment of public servants. Thu also allowed the provincial Peoples Committee to recruit multiple personnel without requiring them to pass the compulsory tests. Huynh Khanh Toan, vice- chairman of the Quang Nam Peoples Committee. Photo: Tuoi Tre Meanwhile, Toan, Thus deputy, had to take responsibility for letting the violations in personnel recruitment happen within the provincial administration. The vice-chairman was sanctioned for recruiting public servants without any examination, and appointing incompetent personnel, including children of local leaders. Among them, Le Phuoc Hoai Bao, son of Le Phuoc Thanh, former secretary of the Quang Nam Party Committee, became the director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, thanks to his help. In mid- February, Baos Party membership was removed due to multiple violations during his time in office. He was also given a temporary suspension from work while waiting for disciplinary actions of his wrongdoings. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! On 60 Minutes Ross Coulthart reports on historic abuse at Daruk Boys Home, plus the Aussie who was inside Waco. Home of Horror After enduring years of misery, theres finally some good news for the many victims of the Daruk Boys Home at Windsor, north-west of Sydney. A breakthrough in a major police investigation means several men who have been accused of dreadful physical and sexual crimes against teenagers will soon be receiving a visit from detectives. And what 60 Minutes will also reveal is the identity of the superintendent of the government-run home whose job it was to protect the boys from harm. The young victims of the institution now middle-aged men say the superintendent not only refused to act on their claims of abuse, he punished them for speaking out in the first place. It led to even more suffering for the boys while he went on to a successful life in federal politics. Reporter: Ross Coulthart Producer: Laura Sparkes The Waco Insider Waco, in the middle of Texas, used to be one of those American towns destined to be forever unremarkable. But 51 days of hell 25 years ago changed all that. It started when David Koresh, a cult leader who thought he was Jesus Christ, decided to take on the United States government. There was a violent gun battle and ten people, including four federal agents, were killed. But that bloodbath led to a bizarre standoff which lasted almost two months before Koresh, and 79 of his followers, were burned alive in a deliberately lit inferno. Only nine people survived. One of them was Australian man Graeme Craddock, and now for the first time he is telling what it was like inside Waco and why he still believes David Koresh will one day return to Earth as the son of God. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producer: Gareth Harvey 8:30pm Sunday on Nine. Foxtel has confirmed looming staff layoffs at its call centre, citing increased use of its online platforms. In a statement to Mumbrella it said: Foxtel continues to evolve its service model enabling customers to engage with us as they wish. Increasingly, that means using online customer service tools which are quick and convenient. In the past year alone, we have seen an 11 percentage point increase in online sales and a significant rise in instances of digital customer service transactions. This has meant a commensurate decrease in the number of calls to our contact centres. Unfortunately, a consequence of this is that we do not have the work to support the current number of employees in our contact centres. We have attempted to manage this by natural attrition; however, we have proposed a change to our operating model where there will be a people impact. Were now in a consultation period with staff to determine the full impact. These changes not only enable Foxtel to serve customers as they increasingly wish, but also to build a more efficient business, better able to compete with global competitors who employ virtually no Australians and therefore have a significant cost advantage. Foxtels Australian call centres are based at Moonee Ponds in Melbourne and Robina, Queensland. Mahara ahead in Speaker race Former deputy prime minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara is all set to become Speaker of the House of Representatives as the ruling left alliance has agreed to allot the constitutional position to the CPN (Maoist Centre). Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea Tomas Ojea Quintana listens to a reporter's question during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Thomson Reuters By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - An easing of international tensions with North Korea should lead to dialogue with Pyongyang to prevent continued "grave abuses" such as torture and political prison camps, a U.N. human rights investigator said on Wednesday. Tomas Ojea Quintana, special rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), called on authorities there to release nine foreign nationals and resolve long-standing cases of abductions of South Koreans and Japanese. Ojea Quintana, whose report to the Human Rights Council was based mainly on interviews with North Koreans living in South Korea and Japan, is not allowed into the reclusive country. North Korea has never accepted the investigator's mandate. "It is a dead document," a North Korean diplomat, commenting on the latest report, told Reuters. A 2014 U.N. commission of inquiry documented massive violations that it said may amount to crimes against humanity - including large prison camps, starvation and executions. Ojea Quintana said that his information "indicates continuing patterns of serious violations made worse by a climate of political volatility and conflict rhetoric" over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Pyongyang has boasted of its plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. But fears of war eased last month, coinciding with North Korea's participation in the Winter Olympics in the South Korean resort of Pyeongchang. "It is important that the momentum that has been enabled by the Winter Olympics be used to discuss possibilities for bilateral technical support that may help tackle some of the urgent human rights challenges in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," Ojea Quintana said. The two Koreas should seize this momentum to resume family reunions for divided families - stalled since late 2015 - early this year as a "starting point for human rights dialogue", he added. Story continues The dialogue should include resolving "inconsistent accounts" on the case of 12 female North Korean restaurant workers in China who Pyongyang says were abducted in 2016, he said. South Korea, where they now live, say the women defected. He urged China to halt its "forced repatriations" of North Koreans crossing the border, whom Beijing regards as economic migrants and not as people fleeing persecution, saying they faced the risk of torture on return. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Wednesday sanctions on North Korea will not be eased for the sake of a summit between the two sides. Referring to six South Korean nationals and three U.S. citizens detained in Pyongyang on charges of plotting hostile acts, Ojea Quintana said: "The release of the remaining foreign detainees would help improve the country's international stance and bring further appeasement to the political and security situation." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by David Stamp) See Also: BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina has issued an international capture order for five Chinese boats it says were illegally fishing in its waters, the coast guard said in a statement on Thursday, following a failed attempt to detain one of the boats at sea. Federal Judge Eva Parcio de Seleme approved the order to capture the Jing Yuan 626, which the coast guard detected on Feb. 21 allegedly fishing illegally in Argentina's exclusive economic zone off the Patagonian coast. Illegal fishing by Chinese boats has tested diplomatic relations between President Mauricio Macri and China. In 2016, the coast guard sank a Chinese trawler it said was fishing illegally in its territorial waters. After detecting the Jing Yuan last month, the coast guard said it called on the boat to stop moving, at which point it turned off its lights and tried to escape into international waters. An Argentine coast guard vessel pursued the boat and fired warning shots, but it said four other boats tried to collide with its vessel to prevent the Jing Yuan from being captured. The Foreign Ministry called off the operation after eight hours. Argentina's coast is rich in squid, hake and prawns. China has the world's largest and farthest-ranging fishing operation, with 2,500 vessels logging approximately 17 million hours of fishing in 2016, mostly off the southern coast of their home country but also in Africa and South America. Last year, Chinese trawlers were seized off Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau over illegal fishing. (Reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Matthew Lewis) This is the moment a paedophile who thought he was meeting a teenage girl for sex was caught out by a vigilante. Former Royal Mail director Edmund Phipps, 50, arranged to meet the schoolgirl who was actually a paedophile hunter after sending her a series of Whatsapp messages. In the exchange the 50-year-old who thought the girl was 14 told her: you have to trust me i will be gentle and not bothered u r a virgin think its nice x, as well as sending a picture of himself topless. But when Phipps arrived to meet the teen in Bath, Somerset in July 2017, he was instead confronted by paedophile hunter Danny Catcher who carried out a citizens arrest. Caught out Edmund Phipps thought he was meeting a teenage girl for sex (Pictures: SWNS) Phipps, of Gloucester, Glos, admitted one charge of attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 into sexual activity with an offender aged 18 or over. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and given 60 days rehabilitation at Bristol Crown Court. He will spend seven years on the sex offenders register. MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO In video footage of the sting, Phipps denies trying to meet the girl for sex and says: I have not done anything of the sort. I want to see the police, this is absurd. He is then shown a photograph of himself that he sent via WhatsApp. Vigilante Danny Catcher posed as a schoolgirl to snare Phipps In the messages sent by the 50-year-old, who claimed he was 45 to the girl, Phipps wrote: you sure we wont be interrupted, adding good can have you all to myself mwah x. Danny Catcher said: I do this because I want to protect children from paedophiles like Phipps, people who prey on vulnerable young people. Story continues He came to Bath in summer 2017 with the intention of having sex with a child. This is not acceptable behaviour and he deserves the punishment handed out today. If he can meet a decoy child for sexual activity, he could meet a real child. He is a danger to children and I am pleased to hear that hes pleaded guilty to the offences. I sincerely hope that this is a wake-up call and that he never goes online to groom or meet a child in the future. A Royal Mail spokesman said: We can confirm that Mr Phipps is a former employee. He was off duties from the time he was arrested. Digital clocks are affected Rex Electrical wall clocks in Europe are now running six minutes slow and its to do with a row over missing electricity in Serbia and Kosovo. A dip in electrical power in the region has had an impact on the national power grids of 25 countries in the Continental European Power System, and its had a direct impact on electrical alarm clocks. It also affects other clocks which rely on mains power such as the clocks on the front of some microwaves and ovens, and central heating control systems. Unlike wall clocks, mains-powered clocks tell the time using the frequency of the electrical power grid and when the frequency drops, they go slower. MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO Whats happened is that Kosovo did not generate enough electricity to meet its needs, according to the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E). When this happens, Serbia is supposed to step in. But Serbia doesnt recognise Kosovos independence, and did not step in. The missing electricity has had an impact on electrical grids across Europe, as theyre forced to deviate and go to a lower frequency. The missing electricity has meant that the frequency of electrical grids, which is supposed to sit at 50Hz, has dropped to 49.996 Hz. Its a tiny amount, but over days and months, it has meant that mains-powered clocks are losing time across 25 European countries. Europes Clocks Are Running Slow Because of Latest Kosovo-Serbia Conflict The dip wont affect other clocks, such as battery-powered quartz wall clocks, which rely on the frequency of a quartz crystal to tell the time accurately. Story continues European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E) called for governments to take swift action on the decrease in power. An ENTSO-E spokesman said, As there is also a political dimension with impact on the functioning of the electricity system, ENTSO-E is urging European and national governments and policy makers to take swift action. These actions need to address the political side of this issue, supporting ENTSO-Es and the Transmission System Operators actions to deliver a technical solution. A sign marks a Biogen facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Thomson Reuters (Reuters) - Europe's medicines regulator recommended the immediate suspension and recall of Biogen Inc and AbbVie Inc's multiple sclerosis drug Zinbryta, following 12 reports of inflammation of the brain, three of which cases were fatal. Biogen and AbbVie withdrew the drug last week, after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) started an urgent review. http://bit.ly/2CUHj8k "A preliminary review of the available evidence indicates that immune reactions observed in the reported cases may be linked to the use of Zinbryta. Zinbryta may also be linked to severe immune reactions affecting several other organs," the EMA said on Wednesday. http://bit.ly/2oWAUEF The regulator added that it was recommending the immediate suspension of the medicine's marketing authorization in the European Union and a recall of batches from pharmacies and hospitals. "EMA's recommendation to suspend Zinbryta and recall the product is being sent to the European Commission for a legally binding decision," it said. Zinbryta was approved by U.S. regulators in 2016 with a warning on the packaging due to risks of liver damage, with Biogen selling the self-administered drug in Switzerland, Canada and the EU and AbbVie in the United States. In November, the European regulator flagged safety concerns about the drug, restricting its usage to reduce the risk of serious liver damage. The drug, which has been used to treat over 8,000 patients so far, brought in worldwide sales of $107 million last year, with Biogen's share being $53 million. Zinbryta became part of the U.S. political debate over high drug costs in September, when Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings asked the government to take action on the drug's $87,000 price tag. (Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Adrian Croft) See Also: HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish stainless steel company Outokumpu expects a slightly positive overall impact from the U.S. steel tariffs thanks to its operations in the United States and Mexico, which is exempt from the tariffs, its chief executive said on Friday. "For us as a company, overall, I think there will be a slightly positive outcome, assuming the (EU) Comission's safeguards and other measures are implemented," CEO Roeland Baan told Reuters. "I don't see a lot of negative happening on the Europe side, and for us that will be more than compensated by the positive (effect) within the U.S." Shares in the company fell alongside those of other European steelmakers and were down 2.1 percent by 1420 GMT. (Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by David Goodman) Nepal Embassy in Saudi Arabia rescues maid Nepal embassy in Saudi Arabia has rescued and repatriated a Nepali woman who was forcefully employed as domestic helper in the country. BANGKOK (AP) Thailand's fishing and seafood industry has made some improvement in working conditions, including less physical violence, but problems such as unfair pay and deception in contracting persist, a survey conducted by the U.N.'s International Labor Organization found. The European Union in 2015 gave Thailand a "yellow card" on its fishing exports, warning that it could face a ban on EU sales if it didn't reform the industry. Thailand's military government responded by introducing new regulations and setting up a command center to fight illegal fishing. The ILO report released Wednesday on "Ship to Shore Rights" recommends the Thai government strengthen its legal framework, ensure effective enforcement, establish higher industry standards and enhance workers' skills, knowledge and welfare. "We want competitiveness in the global seafood trade to mean more than low prices and high quality," Graeme Buckley, ILO country director for Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, said at a news conference. "We want it to mean decent work for all the industry's workers, from the boat to the retailer." A Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press investigation in 2015-16 that uncovered severe rights abuses affecting migrant workers in Thailand's fishing and seafood industries helped focus attention on the problem. The AP's stories helped free more than 2,000 enslaved men from Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, and led to more than a dozen arrests, amended U.S. laws and lawsuits seeking redress. The ILO said changes in Thailand's legal and regulatory framework had contributed to positive developments since the group's last survey of workers in 2013. It said only 6 percent of fishing boat workers in 2013 had a signed or written contract with their employers, but a study undertaken in 2017 found 43 percent of the respondents recalled signing a contract. "Another possible sign of progress is the type of abuses reported," said the ILO. "Although 12 percent of all workers surveyed this year reported harassment or verbal abuse and 7 percent faced threats of violence at work reports of physical violence were relatively few, at 2 percent of all workers surveyed." Story continues The AP investigation in 2015 had documented multiple cases of physical abuse and depravity. The apparent gains for workers in the industry were offset somewhat by persistent abuses noted by the ILO. "One third of workers reported being paid less than the legal minimum wage, before any deductions were made," the report said. "As many as 53 percent of respondents cited deductions made to their monthly earnings." Evidence of forced labor "including deception in recruiting or contracting, wage withholding, and widespread identity document retention among fishers," was another concern noted in the report. The ILO surveyed 434 workers in 11 Thai provinces in March-April 2017. The report said 125 Cambodians, 287 Burmese and 22 Thai nationals who worked either on fishing boats or in seafood packaging factories took part in the research, which asked their "personal demographics, how they were recruited, if they had a contract, what they earned, what their working conditions were like, hours worked, satisfaction with their accommodations, benefits received and how they reported grievances." It warned, however, that the survey's results were not representative of Thailand's entire fishing and seafood processing industry. The survey, in particular, did not include workers on long-haul boats, which fish in international waters and where abuses are more likely to occur. Those boats do not return to port as often, which the ILO said made interviewing those workers difficult. It interviewed only workers on short-haul fishing boats, those at sea less than 30 days at a time, but said there are now few Thai-flagged vessels engaged in long-haul fishing. See Also: Liams a summer tradition on Nauset Beach in Massachusetts dating back to the 1950s when it was Philbricks got a reprieve from demolition Wednesday, March 7, from both city selectmen and the second noreaster to hit the coast in a week. On Thursday morning, March 8, the iconic seafood shack in Orleans was still standing on the edge of what remains of the dune that once separated the restaurant from the ocean waves. Storms have pounded the coast several times since the beginning of the year, and last weeks noreaster wiped out about 40 feet of dune, leaving the building on the verge of collapse. Orleans city selectmen voted Wednesday night to delay a demolition vote until they receive an engineers report, but they did vote to move the gazebo thats also now on the brink of washing away. Credit: Orleans Police Department via Storyful Frances McDormand introduced the world to the term "inclusion rider" during her Academy Awards acceptance speech on March 4, and actor Michael B. Jordan was paying attention. The star of Black Panther promised Wednesday that his two-year-old production company, Outlier Society, would include it in the contracts for all of its future projects. The words "inclusion" and "rider" appeared in Merriam-Webster's top searches during the night of the ceremony. The term "inclusion rider" refers to a condition that actors or actresses can request to have inserted into their contractsa demand for diversity on set. Michael B. Jordan Getty Images Trending: Vitamin D May Reduce Cancer Risk, New Study Finds The stipulation is directed at a film's cast and crew members, allowing for more women, persons of color, disabled individuals and those identifying as LGBTQ to be hired. "In support of the women & men who are leading this fight, I will be adopting the Inclusion Rider for all projects produced by my company Outlier Society. I've been privileged to work with powerful women & persons of color throughout my career & it's Outlier's mission to continue to create for talented individuals going forward," Jordan, 31, wrote on Instagram. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. "I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider," McDormand, 60, said in the close to her best actress acceptance speech. Speakind with reporters later, the Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri star confessed that she had only learned that such a stipulation could be added to her contract last weekthis after working in the industry for 35 years. According to ABC News, she insisted that "we're not going back...[and] it changes now." Story continues In 2014, in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Stacy L. Smith, a professor at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, addressed the benefits of introducing the rider into the contracts of actors. The result, Smith wrote, would "create a diverse onscreen demography." "The clause would state that tertiary speaking characters should match the gender distribution of the setting for the film, as long as it's sensible for the plot," suggested Smith. "If notable actors working across 25 top films in 2013 had made this change to their contracts, the proportion of balanced films (about half-female) would have jumped from 16 percent to 41 percent." This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek Michelle Obama speaks during the second day of the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago on Nov. 1, 2017. (Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters) Michelle Obama is back with more great life advice. The former first lady recently interviewed four young women from around the world for an International Womens Day feature for Refinery29. In partnership with the Obama Foundation, Refinery29s feature spotlighted the four teenagers from Nepal, Ghana, Guatemala and Chicago to highlight the important of empowering girls with education. Alejandra Teleguario Santizo, a 17-year-old from Guatemala who has organized her community to rally against sexual violence, asked Michelle Obama what advice she would give to young women like herself who are looking to blaze their own paths and become leaders. My best advice to girls, including my own daughters, is do not be afraid to fail. So often, our own fear of failure is the thing that keeps us back, Obama said. We think we have to be perfect, that if we make even the tiniest mistake, its a catastrophe. Thats simply not true! She added that the only way to succeed is life is by failing and failing well. You cannot let your failures eat you up or make you want to quit, Obama said. You have to learn from them, let them challenge and inspire you to do more to take some risks and to step outside of your comfort zone. Obama also told Santizo another important key to success: Be kind to other women. I also advise girls to be supportive of each other. I cannot say this enough! Too often were taught that we have to compete, or that someone elses failure is our success, she said. But we can all rise together; we can all win. We have to be a team of women and girls who love each other and value each other and cherish one another. Because if we dont cherish each other, no one else will. Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama, have been working to educate more girls around the world since they launched the Let Girls Learn initiative in 2015. The program brings together several international organizations to address the variety of challenges preventing girls from getting an education. Story continues Eva Lewis, a 19-year-old activist and artist from the South Side of Chicago (where Obama also grew up), asked her how education can be liberating for everyone, but especially girls. Her answer did not disappoint. I always tell students that if you focus on school right now, you will have all kinds of freedom later on in your life, Obama said. Youll have the freedom to choose a career you enjoy and to earn a living that supports your family. That is truly liberating. And thats not just true here in America. When girls get an education, their whole world changes, Obama noted. Right now, millions of adolescent girls around the world actually dont have the chance to go to school. Imagine if, at the age of 10 or 11 or 12, someone came to you and said, Sorry, youre a girl, youre finished with your education. Forget about all your dreams. Instead youll marry a man twice your age and start having babies, she said. When we give girls an education, it can help liberate them from that kind of life. Educated girls marry later, have lower rates of infant and maternal mortality, and are more likely to immunize their children and less likely to contract malaria and HIV. Studies also show that girls who are educated earn higher salaries, and sending more girls to school and into the workforce can boost an entire countrys GDP, Obama continued. So education can liberate individuals, families, and even nations. Head over to Refinery29s feature and make sure to click through to read each individual interview. CORRECTION: The headline and text in a previous version of this story misattributed a quote from Eva Lewis to Michelle Obama. That quote has been removed. Related... The One Piece Of Advice Michelle Obama Would Give Her 15-Year-Old Self Michelle Obama Just Gave The Best Life Advice For The Trump Era 55 Incredible Photos Of Girls Going To School Around The World 40 Stunning Photos Of Women Working Around The World Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Midwives and health visitors in Mali, Nigeria and South Sudan have been photographed as part of a global campaign to raise awareness of neonatal mortality rates. Unicef shared the photos as part of their Every Child Alive campaign, which aims to reduce the number of newborn babies dying within four weeks of being born. Fatoumata Ouattara is one woman pictured in the photo project. Shes a Mama Yeleen, which is a woman who has been specially trained in early childhood development and good early nutritional practices. Ouattara does a daily door-to-door visit of families with young children to educate parents about good practices for the welfare of mothers and children, in Baraoueli village, Mali. In the photo below she is with mum Djeneba Diarra and her three-month-old baby Assitan Doumbia. (Photo: UNICEF) Ouattara also leads many group sessions in the village with women to raise awareness of the importance of prenatal health visits. She discusses matters relating to early baby development and health. Mothers, new mothers and those who are expecting will attend. She teaches mothers they they should register their children at birth, respect the vaccination calendar to immunise them, exclusively breastfeed them for the first six months, play with them at home and enrol them in preschool. Mama Yeleen Fatoumata Ouattara leads a group session. (Photo: UNICEF) Unicef is urging people to sign their petition to demand affordable, quality health care for every mother and newborn, after they revealed the most dangerous places for a baby to born around the world. In February, they revealed Pakistan topped the list, as one in 22 babies born there die within their first month. The safest place was Japan, where one in every 1,111 babies die within a month. For babies born in the United Kingdom the figure is one in every 395 babies, meaning they are more likely to die in their first month than if they were born in Latvia, Lithuania, Cuba or Montenegro. Another country in the photo project is Nigeria. Amina Shallangwa has been a midwife there for more than 20 years. I became a midwife because the last baby of my mother, she had a stillbirth [sic], she said. So when I was growing up, I said, I have to be a midwife so that I will help my people. Story continues In the photo below, she uses a Pinard horn - a type of stethoscope - as she listens to the heartbeat of Hawau Adamus nine-month-old unborn baby at the Auno health clinic, Auno, northeast Nigeria. (Photo: UNICEF) Shallangwa was also pictured measuring the head of a newborn baby at a UNICEF-supported health clinic in Muna Garage IDP (internally displaced peoples) camp, northeast Nigeria. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. (Photo: UNCIEF) Unicef also noted that South Sudan has some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, with one in 26 infants dying within 28 days of birth. The midwives in one hospital, Juba Teaching Hospital, are working against the odds to help mothers safely deliver their babies. Haemorrhages and a lack of antibiotics are some of the main challenges they face. In the photo below, a nurse attends to a newborn baby receiving oxygen on the neonatal ward. According to the paediatrician on the ward, if a baby needs anything more than basic treatment then there is nothing we can do. We are doing our absolute best but some things are simply out of our control. (Photo: UNICEF) Midwife Helen Danies, who also works at the Juba Teaching Hospital, speaks with a new mother in the maternity ward in the photo below. The midwives try to keep spirits high and offer the highest quality of care they can. (Photo: unicef) Find out more about UNICEFs Every Child Alive campaign here. SEE ALSO: Why I'm Saying Thank You To My Midwife Helen George Reveals She Had An Elective Caesarean After Learning About Birth On 'Call The Midwife' Duchess Of Cambridge Reunited With Midwife Who Assisted At Princess Charlotte's Birth Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Tatiana Jancarikova BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Slovaks rallied on Friday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico's government following the murder of a journalist that has shocked the central European nation and stoked anger over sleaze in public life. Investigative reporter Jan Kuciak, who was shot dead at home with his fiancee last month, had covered fraud cases involving politically connected businessmen. His last unfinished story looked at Italian businessmen with suspected mafia links operating in Slovakia. One of the businessmen, who denies having ties to the Italian mafia, had dealings in the past with two people who went on to work in Fico's office. They have both resigned but deny any connection with the murder. Nobody has been charged with the murders. Kuciak's journalism and then his murder have rekindled public frustration with the government's failure to tackle graft and cronyism in Slovakia nearly three decades after the fall of communism and 14 years after it joined the European Union. Fico has led the country of 5.4 million for 10 of the last 12 years and the economy has flourished, but the protesters in the capital Bratislava on Friday - estimated at up to 50,000 by the public broadcaster - chanted "Enough of Fico" and jangled keys just as they did in 1989 anti-communist rallies. Organisers demanded a thorough investigation of Kuciak's death and a "new trustworthy government". "Politicians in power have lost our trust," said protester Maria Kuliovska, a 30-year-old mother on maternity leave. "We don't trust them to guarantee an independent investigation. They have failed to investigate all previous scandals." Thousands marched in other Slovak cities, while hundreds of people gathered in cities in Europe and elsewhere. President Andrej Kiska, a political rival of Fico, has said Slovakia is suffering a crisis of trust and has called for a revamp of the three-party coalition or an early election. Story continues Kiska, Fico and parliamentary speaker Andrej Danko - the country's three highest officials - failed in talks on Friday to agree a planned written declaration to help defuse tensions. After their meeting, flanked by the president and prime minister, Danko read a brief statement: "We want society to remain peaceful and calm and (Slovakia's) top three officials will do their best to prevent the events of recent days from being politically exploited." INVESTIGATION Slovak media called Friday's protest the biggest since 1989. Some universities let students out early. One of the country's largest banks, Slovenska Sporitelna of the Austrian group Erste Bank, said it would allow its employees to leave work early to take part. Police and state officials, including Fico, had warned of potential violence at demonstrations, though there were no reports of disruption. Fico has accused foreign forces of trying to destabilise Slovakia and has questioned the president's meetings with financier George Soros in New York last year without any foreign ministry official present. The attack on the Hungarian-born billionaire echoes those of Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, who has accused Soros of interfering in Hungarian politics. Fico said he would meet his two coalition partners at the weekend to seek a deal to keep the government in place. He has resisted a call from the Most-Hid party to sack Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, his close ally. Some analysts say Fico's coalition could break up, though he might be able to continue leading a minority government with the backing of a far-right party in parliament. Martin Slosiarik, an analyst at Focus polling agency, said Fico had never faced a crisis on this scale. "Kuciak's last story has had a serious impact on people's trust in the system of government, and the murder of two young people has added a strong moral aspect," he said. (Reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova; additional reporting and writing by Jason Hovet; editing by Gareth Jones) South Korea will make a "major statement" on North Korea at midnight, Donald Trump has said. South Korea's national security adviser Chung Eui-yong will address reporters at the White House. It comes after hours of consultations in Washington between US and South Korean officials over recent North-South talks. South Korean officials were briefing the White House on Thursday on the outcome of their meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang is open to "frank" talks with the US on denuclearisation and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Mr Chung said after returning from a meeting with Mr Kim. Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that although "talks about talks" might be possible with Pyongyang, denuclearisation negotiations were likely a long way off. More follows.... Home Secretary Amber Rudd is chairing an emergency meeting of the Government's Cobra committee following the nerve agent attack on ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury. Downing Street said investigators had been summoned to provide updates on the case at 3pm on Saturday. Around 180 troops, including Royal Marines, RAF personnel and chemical specialists, have been deployed in Salisbury to help police with their investigation, as attention moved to the burial site of Mr Skripal's wife and son. Scotland Yard requested specialist help to remove vehicles and objects from scenes across the city amid fears of contamination. Officers in hazmat suits were sent to Salisbury's London Road cemetery, where a tent was erected over the memorial to Mr Skripal's son Alexander, who was cremated last year. Officers also sealed off the gravestone of Mr Skripal's wife Liudmila, who was buried there in 2012. Police say their deaths are part of the investigation into the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, who were found slumped on a park bench in Salisbury on Sunday evening. :: Poisoned spy's friend: He was lonely after his son and wife died They remain in a serious condition in hospital, along with detective sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also exposed to the nerve agent. Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said police believe all three victims may have been contaminated at Mr Skripal's house in Salisbury and "ingested the poison some hours before they were taken ill". Mrs Rudd, who visited the city centre and hospital where DS Bailey is being treated, warned the Government was "committed to doing all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice - whoever they are and wherever they may be". Russia's foreign minister said the country would consider helping UK authorities investigate the poisoning after the Kremlin denied involvement. Sergei Lavrov seemed to resent suggestions that Moscow was behind the nerve agent attack on the Skripals, calling such claims "propaganda". Story continues Salisbury's MP John Glen has sought to reassure his constituents that a "whole range of tools are at our disposal" once it is established who was behind the poisoning. Mr Glen was responding to some locals who had demanded "decisive action" over the incident. The Economic Secretary to the Treasury said in a Facebook post: "Now is the time for cool heads and a rational examination of the facts. "Once these are established, then, and only then, will an appropriate and proportionate course of action be taken. A whole range of tools are at our disposal depending on who has perpetrated this act, including a number of financial and economic levers." Skripal served four years of a 13-year sentence in Russia after he was caught spying for MI6 and was released as part of a spy exchange in 2010, when he was given refuge in the UK. The circumstances of the attack, and its echoes of the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, have prompted questions over the Government's response if the evidence points to a state-sponsored assassination plot. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish book publisher being held by Chinese authorities has not been allowed a promised visit by a Swedish doctor, Stockholm said on Thursday. Gui Minhai, a Hong Kong-based publisher of books critical of China's leaders was abducted in Thailand in 2015, one of five people in the Hong Kong book trade who went missing that year and later appeared in custody in mainland China. Gui, 53, was released from custody last October, but his whereabouts were unclear until January when his daughter said he was seized by Chinese agents onboard a Beijing-bound train while in the presence of two Swedish diplomats. China confirmed last month that it had detained Gui. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said a Swedish doctor who had been sent to Gui had been denied permission to meet him on Wednesday. "The Chinese actions are unacceptable and break previous promises that our citizen would be allowed to meet a Swedish doctor," Wallstrom said in a statement. "Our efforts concerning the case are continuing with unrelenting vigour. We continue to demand that Gui Minhai be given the opportunity to meet Swedish diplomatic and medical staff and that he be released so he can reunite with his daughter and family." (Reporting by Niklas Pollard; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Nepali cargo trucks stranded after Indian customs refuses to grant clearance Hundreds of Nepal-bound cargo trucks and fuel tankers have been stranded at Nepal-India border after the Indian Customs Office at Bhitthamod, Bihar refused to grant clearance for the second consecutive day on Friday. Former prime minister Tony Blair has become the first Briton to win a prestigious award for leadership and democracy. Mr Blair was named as the 2018 winner of the Lincoln Leadership Prize named after US President Abraham Lincoln which honours figures who show great strength of character, individual conscience and unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy in a lifetime of service. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation cited his stewardship of the Northern Ireland peace process, introduction of the National Minimum Wage and civil partnerships, revitalisation of public services including health and education, improvements to maternity rights, success in lifting people out of poverty and equality and human rights legislation. It also hailed his work in the Middle East and Africa since leaving office in 2007, as well as supporting a new generation of leaders through the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Award Tony Blair has become the first Briton to win the Lincoln Leadership Prize (Picture: Reuters) The award will see Mr Blair presented with a statuette and a portrait of him painted and hung in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. He joins previous winners including US president Bill Clinton, former Polish president Lech Walesa, film-maker Steven Spielberg and South Africas Archbishop Desmond Tutu. MOST POPULAR TODAY ON YAHOO In announcing the award the ALPLF did not refer to Mr Blairs controversial decision to commit the UK to war in Iraq in 2003. But the chair of its board of directors Ray McCaskey said the former PM shared with Lincoln an understanding that leaders have to take unpopular decisions. Story continues Prestigious the award is named after 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln (Picture: AP) He said: President Lincoln and Mr Blair both led their countries through tumultuous times and understood they would make decisions that might be unpopular with the general public. Yet, they remained singularly focused on the policies that would strengthen their countries and improve the lives of their constituents in the long term. But the former PMs critics pointed out that Mr Blair was not, in their view, an advocate of democracy after advising controversial figures such as the president of Kazakhstan since leaving office, as well as advocating a second EU referendum. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. They included Nadine Dorries MP, who was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: It is beyond belief that Tony Blair the man straining every sinew to overturn the votes of millions of people to leave the EU is now being lauded for his commitment to democracy. A spokesman for the former PM said: Mr Blair is deeply honoured to be awarded the Lincoln Leadership Prize in recognition of achievements in office and, since then, his work in Africa, the Middle East and with his Institute. (Top picture: PA) Trump Will Be Remembered as a Great President If He Solves North Korea Nuclear Crisis With Kim Jong Un, CNN Anchor Says President Donald Trump has long made CNN the main focus of his attacks on what he calls the fake news mainstream media. But one of the networks top anchors said Thursday night that there would be no choice but to mark down the historically unpopular leader as a great president if he can solve the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Related: Trump Won't Negotiate With North Korea's Kim Jong Un, Just Talk, Tillerson Insists Earlier on Thursday night, it was announced that Trump planned to meet with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un in the coming months. Trending: Next X-Men and Fantastic Four Movies Won't Hit MCU Anytime Soon Just an extraordinary evening, and of course opening the door to the big question: If President Trump can truly solve this problem, that would be going down as a great president, and theres no way around that, Erin Burnett said on her show OutFront. That is the reality here. The United States and North Korea have been locked in a standoff for decades, and it was exacerbated by the isolated regimes development of ballistic missiles. The situation has escalated dramatically since Trump entered office, with the Republican trading war threats with Kim as North Korea tested missiles it said were capable of striking anywhere in the United States. But Trump long claimed that he was moving to address a situation that had been allowed to drift dangerously by several previous administrations. On Twitter Thursday, Trump claimed that he had already succeeded in helping to earn concessions from North Korea. Don't miss: Who Is Maulana Fazlullah? U.S. Puts $5 Million Bounty on Pakistani Taliban Leader Linked to Times Square Plot Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze, Trump wrote on the social media platform. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Story continues To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. There was a mixed response from foreign policy experts. While the United States increasingly crippling sanctions were credited for bringing North Korea to the negotiating table, the planned talks were also described as a considerable risk. One risk is that Kim receives a huge boost to his prestige and legitimacy without anything expected of him in return," Colin Kahl, a senior fellow at Stanford Universitys Center for International Security and Cooperation, told USA Today. Agreeing to a summit without a clear process, a plan and a set of preliminary talks that set the stage for successand then sending Trump into this environmentis a huge gamble. This article was first written by Newsweek More from Newsweek By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin LONDON (Reuters) - The wife of an Iranian-Canadian environmental activist who died in prison in Tehran last month was barred from leaving Iran, one of her sons said, in an unexplained move that drew an angry response from Canada. Raam Emami said in an email to journalists that security forces had not allowed his mother, Maryam Mombeini, to get on a plane to Vancouver with him and his brother on Wednesday night. Mombeini is the widow of Kavous Seyed-Emami, an environmental activist and sociology professor who was arrested on Jan. 24 and died in prison. Iran's judiciary said Seyed-Emami, 63, had committed suicide. The family has called for an independent investigation of his death. Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, said in a message posted on Twitter that she was "outraged" to learn that Mombeini had been barred from leaving Iran. "We demand that, as a Canadian, she be given the freedom to return home," she added. Iranian judiciary officials were not immediately available for comment. Seyed-Emami was the managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, which seeks to protect Iran's rare animals. Iran's judiciary said he had set up the NGO as a cover to collect classified information on Iran's missile programme. Raam Emami said the family decided to leave Iran after being constantly "harassed". "The government raided our home and seized all of our valuables (most importantly deeds to our homes)," he said. "We can no longer stand this state of constant terror." Raam Emami has previously said that the family was under pressure from authorities not to publicise the case of Seyed-Emami. "The authorities told our lawyers to tell the brothers 'to shut up or we'll shut them up,' Emami said, adding government agents had told him they were watching him. Human rights activists have reported that at least six detainees have died in prison in the last two months in Iran. The judiciary has confirmed three deaths in custody but said all three had committed suicide. Story continues President Hassan Rouhani last month appointed a committee to investigate the incidents in prisons. Shahindokht Molaverdi, Rouhani's special assistant on civil rights and a member of the committee, said on Thursday that Rouhani was "serious about investigating" the death of Seyed-Emami and other prisoners. She said the committee has met families of some deceased prisoners. Bilateral ties between Iran and Canada worsened in 2003 when an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, Zahra Kazemi, died in Tehrans Evin prison while in custody. Canada cut all diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati in Washington, editing by William Maclean, Larry King) AIM-listed Belvoir Lettings said on Thursday that it has acquired Barnsley-based Brook Financial Services for a total consideration of 2m as it announced that founder Mike Goddard will be standing down as chief executive officer with immediate effect. The consideration will be satisfied by a 1.5m cash payment from existing cash resources and the issue of 0.5m new ordinary shares in Belvoir to the sole shareholder, Michelle Brook, which are subject of a three-year lock in. Brook, which trades as Mortgage Advice Bureau, is an appointed representative of AIM-listed networks for mortgage intermediaries Mortgage Advice Bureau. Belvoir said it will continue its long-term relationship with MAB whilst leveraging its expertise to introduce new mortgage products and services to the group. Michelle Brook, the founder and sole shareholder and director, who has worked within the financial services sector for over 30 years and set up Brook Financial Services in 2010, will continue working full time as the managing director. For the 12 months to the end of July 2016, Brook generated revenue of 1.6m and pre-tax profit of 0.4m. Belvoir also provided a very brief update on Thursday, saying it has had an encouraging start to the year with trading currently in line with the board's expectations. Chairman Mike Goddard said: We are delighted to be announcing the acquisition of Brook. Having focused on growth plans to create an enlarged group of franchise networks and offices over the past two years, the acquisition of Brook will enable both individual franchisees and the group to benefit from greater penetration of its client base and the increased revenue arising from the sale of financial services associated with property sales across all group networks. Also, with effect from today, I have stepped down from my role as chief executive officer but will continue as chairman. Having worked closely with Dorian Gonsalves as chief operating officer for over 13 years, I have every confidence that he has the necessary experience and vision to take the group into the next phase of its strategic growth across the UK. Eurasia Mining announced the commencement of site works at its West Kytlim Project on Friday, kicking off the 2018 field season. The project in Russias Ural Mountains will see stripping work begin immediately with terms already finalised with alluvial mining contractor OOO Techstroy of Nizhny Tagil and equipment and machinery mobilised to the site. Techstroy will be responsible for "mining, trucking and beneficiation of platinum bearing gravels, including construction, delivery and installation of mining and processing equipment," at the project, according to Eurasia. Sales revenues will be split 65/35% in favour of Techstroy. Christian Schaffalitzky, chief executive of Eurasia Mining, said: "We are very pleased with this result which comes after extensive discussions, predominantly technical in nature, over the past number of months. We are very much looking forward to a successful mining season at West Kytlim and to working together with our new partners Techstroy. Site works have already commenced, in this the first week of March, a marked improvement on last year." After the early start to operations at the Malaya Sosnovka site on the West Kytlim project, Eurasia hopes to have an opportunity to progress to the larger Kluchiki site, which contains 893,000m3 of productive gravels for 319 kilograms raw platinum. "We can take full advantage of the full mining season at Malaya Sosnovka starting now and aim to break ground at the Kluchiki area later this summer. In a show of good faith the contractors mobilised equipment to site a week ahead of final signing of the contract,2 said Schaffalitzky. As of 0956 GMT, Eurasia Minings shares were up 4.44% at 0.47p. Falkland Islands-focussed specialist services group FIH updated the market on its expected trading performance for the year ending 31 March on Thursday, reporting that based on management results for the 10 months to January and on current levels of trading activity, it now expected overall underlying pre-tax profits would be higher than previously anticipated. The AIM-traded firm said they would also be materially ahead of last year's results, which showed underlying pre-tax profit of 2.4m. That would be ahead of market expectations, and followed improved second half trading, particularly at the group's fine art handling subsidiary Momart, and in its Falkland Islands business. For the year as a whole, all three of the group's trading businesses were expected to show encouraging progress compared to the prior year, with increased revenues and margins. The group said it also maintained its strong cash position, while continuing its search for strategic acquisitions, with a number of opportunities said to be under consideration. At Momart, annual storage revenues have been impacted recently by the loss of two clients responsible for annual storage income of 0.3m, and this now means the company will start the new financial year in a similar place to April last year, with significant un-let storage space and related fixed costs of 0.5m, the board explained in its statement. However, with a continued buoyant art market, the prospects for attracting new storage clients remain good and success in filling these facilities will deliver a significant further improvement in Momart's underlying profitability. For the group as a whole, the outlook for the following year remained generally positive. The board said recent progress was made towards securing a second air link to South America, boosting the longer-term prospects for tourism in the Falkland Islands, and the recovery in oil prices was adding to hopes of oil development in the islands in the medium term. In line with our normal practice, we will publish our annual report and accounts in mid-June. Oracle Power s shares jumped over 20% on Friday after the companys Chinese partner formally approved moving forward with its plans to proceed with development of its Thar power station project in Pakistan. Sichuan Provisional Investment Group (SCIG), which is the major party in the proposals due to a 78% holding, will proceed with the plans subject to approvals and licences from the governments of China and Pakistan and routine due diligence Oracle Power is working with SCIG and fellow Chinese state-owned enterprise PowerChina International Group following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the companies concerning the project in the south eastern Sindh Desert Province. Shahrukh Khan, chief executive of the AIM-listed company, said: I am delighted to announce the approval of the SCIG Board to proceed with the Project. Since signing the MOU in November 2017, all parties have worked hard to advance the Project. We now enter into an exciting new stage in Oracle's evolution. The gross project cost is estimated at $1.6bn, with the Chinese parties exclusively responsible for the sourcing of financing. The project has a proposed debt to equity ratio of 75:25 with Oracle set to hold on to 12.5% equity. A statement from Oracle Power said: Given that the project has priority status in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Oracle board expects the approval by the Chinese government to be in a timely fashion. As of 1623 GMT, Oracle Powers shares were up 20.75% at 1.60p. Oxford Biomedica intends to raise approximately 20.5m by way of a conditional placing of ordinary shares to raise money for expansion of bioprocessing facilities, the company said on Friday. The placing of up to 174,346,817 new ordinary shares at 11.75p will be conducted via an accelerated bookbuild launched today, and will represent a 5.85% discount to the 8 March closing price and a 12.45% discount on the market price at the time of announcement. The gene and cell therapy companys planned expansion to be funded by the proceeds will include four new GMP vector suites and the filling and finishing of suites, warehousing and office space. John Dawson, chief executive of Oxford Biomedica, said: "This fundraise will allow us to exploit our market leading position by giving us the capacity to service this rapidly growing market that is expected to be worth $800 million annually, by 2026." The company has developed strategic partnerships with Novartis, Bioverativ, Sanofi, GSK, Orchard Therapeutics, GC LabCell and Immune Design, giving it long term interests in gene and cell therapy. "With the approval of the first approved gene therapy in the US, Novartis' Kymriah, we have seen an increase in business development activity and this has reinforced our belief that the market for lentiviral vectors is positioned to grow significantly over the next few years," said Dawson. Kymriah is a pioneering CAR-T cell cancer therapy which showed an 83% overall remission rate in clinical trials in New Jersey. Oxford Biomedica stated that it has 7 further therapies which could potentially gain approval in the next few years and estimates that it could stand to gain "in excess of $100 million over the next three years for supply of vector to Novartis in relation to Kymriah." As of 1617 GMT, Oxford Biomedicas shares were down 3.53% at 12.04p. Mining company Vast Resources shares dropped over 7% Friday after announcing that it will give Mercuria Energy Group a further two weeks to finalise its pre-payment offtake. The offtake offers completion has been delayed due to diligence from Mercuria and is for 100% of the copper and zinc concentrate produced at the Manaila and Baita Plai polymetallic mine projects in Romania. Andrew Prelea, chief executive of Vast Resources, said: "We have spent considerable time and resources with the team at Mercuria and we welcome their rigorous diligence and procedures. Whilst acknowledging this modest delay, we appreciate and are more than happy to spend the time to complete the transaction to their satisfaction. A short delay will be more than compensated in the long term by their strategic support." The two companies had also discussed Vasts $1.7m bridging loan with the intention of securing a two-week extension to the repayment date of 9 March. A statement from Vast Resources said: "The Company awaits written confirmation from SSGI and will duly update shareholders with the expectation that they will revert as soon as possible given the current delays." As of 1056 GMT, Vast Resources shares were down 7.32% at 0.57p. Berenberg initiated coverage on African gold miners Acacia Mining and Centamin on Friday, with its analysts hitting the Tanzanian-focussed outfit with a 'sell' rating right out of the gate and its Egyptian peer with a 'hold'. The investment bank's analysts said the cost for Acacia of continuing to operate made investment in the company a "risky trade", as the collapse of the group's relationship with the government of Tanzania is likely to lead to a $300m cash payment and 16% equity stake in the mines. Considering the possible valuation scenarios relating to the resolution of the government's ban on concentrate exports, the analysts felt posed an "asymmetric risk to the downside". "The dispute and the ongoing negotiation between Barrick Gold, Acacia and the Tanzanian government encompasses a $190bn tax claim, a $170m VAT receivable (owed to Acacia) and the concentrate export ban, including the ~$240m of net value of concentrates sat waiting for export. "We feel there is a fundamental distrust between the government and the company (enough to make considering a sale of the assets worthwhile), and that the government is, therefore, looking to guarantee a greater share of the economic value of the mines," wrote analyst Michael Stoner. In addition to the sell rating, Berenberg issued Acacia with a 140p target price, saying the stock sits in the upper end of its 31p-167p valuation range, which implies 80% downside and only 20% upside from current levels. "A case of asymmetric risk needs to be skewed to the upside when considering trades with this level of uncertainty." Centamin, in short, "offers some growth, but lacks diversification, so the core focus here should be on the potential for it to continue to accelerate shareholder returns". At its full-year results the company made clear its intention to address shareholder questions surrounding the ever-growing cash pile, declaring a total 12.5p dividend for 2017 that will cover all the free cash flow generated last year but still leaves $418m of cash and liquid assets. "Many assume the growth story at the Sukari deposit in Egypt is tapped out, but with 23% growth to come through in the next three years we would argue otherwise." That said, Centamin is seen to be fully valued, hence the 'hold' rating and a 156p prince target. Nepali woman gets 8 yrs jail for murder of ex-Gurkha soldier A British court has convicted a woman of murdering a former British Gurkha soldier. The Central Criminal Court Old Bailey on Thursday sentenced Sunmaya Tamang to eight years in prison. Donald Trump has accepted a North Korean invitation to hold a meeting with leader Kim Jong-un in May. There are hopes that the talks will reduce tensions between both countries and lead to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The invitation comes after negotiations between Kim Jong-un and South Korean delegates earlier this week where they broached the subject of the North's nuclear armaments programme. South Korean security director Chung Eui-yong announced the upcoming talks at a press conference on Thursday evening, following a meeting with President Trump at the White House. "In our meeting, North Korean leader said he is committed to denuclearisation and he pledged that the country will refrain from further missile tests. "Kim Jong-un has expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation," Eui-yong said. Such a meeting would mark a milestone in relations between Washington and Pyongyang, with North Korean leaders having proposed a summit with successive US presidents starting from 2000, when Kim Jong-il invited Bill Clinton. As Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific until last April said, whats new isn't the proposal from North Korea but America's response. "Also remember that (North Korea) has for many years proposed that the president of the United States personally engage with North Koreas leaders as an equal - one nuclear power to another." "What is new isn't the proposal, its the response," he said. A senior administration official told Reuters Trump is on board with the talks because it "makes sense to accept an invitation to meet with the one person who can actually make decisions instead of repeating the sort of long slog of the past." The president took to Twitter to confirm the meeting, clarifying that US sanctions would continue to apply until permanent denuclearisation was achieved. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 9 de marzo de 2018 South Korean president Moon Jae-in welcomed the news, saying it was "like a miracle" and that if the meeting took place after the inter-Korean summit, then it was likely to lead to a complete ban on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula. Paradoxically, Trump's aides are still wary of any negotiations, given previous administrations's failed attempts at peace and disarmament, with Trump himself having gone so far as to mock US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in October for trying to negotiate with North Korea, saying he was "wasting his time". No information was immediately available as to where the meeting might take place, but experts think the demilitarised zone on the Korean border or Beijing are likely options. Downing Street will ask the White House for an exemption to his sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the United States after Donald Trump offered to show "great flexibility" to his "real friends". Trump formally adopted the tariffs on Thursday, telling allies of the US that he would be accepting applications for exemptions from the tariffs as fears that the president was alienating the country's closest international partners grew. "We will, of course, be looking to see how we can maximise the UK's case for exemption under these particular circumstances," said trade secretary Liam Fox, who was set to travel to Washington next week to discuss the tariffs. Trump, who claimed that America had been the victim of "unfair trade" and believes the tariffs will aid the US's domestic market, slapped a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% duty on aluminium coming into the nation. "We understand the anxieties about steel over-production that the United States has but we believe there are other ways to tackle that on a multilateral basis," Fox continued. Gareth Stace, UK steel director at EEF, said, "Imposing such measures on US allies in the name of national security is difficult to comprehend. It is clear the underlying motivation is instead one of economic protectionism for US producers, in response to a global issue of overcapacity in the steel sector." Trump's decision, set to come into effect before the end of March, has seen condemnation and criticism from the likes of China and France and led to the resignation of the White House's chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of Community, the steelworkers' union, said, "The steel crisis cost our industry thousands of jobs and the last thing we need now is a global trade war. The UK government must work with other EU nations to ensure we do not suffer the global consequences of Donald Trump's actions." Canada and Mexico will automatically be exempt from tariffs as part of the North America Free Trade Agreement. Stocks have started slightly lower, with unexpected announcements from the US administration on the White House's tariff plans and North Korea adding to the uncertainty ahead of the release of the monthly US jobs report. Against that backdrop, as of 0917 GMT, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was dipping by 0.03% or 0.14 points to 376.48, alongside a fall of 0.47% or 58.94 points in the German Dax to 12,296.57 and a retreat of 0.14% or 7.54 points for the French Cac-40 to 5,247.06. Meanwhile, euro/dollar was 0.03% lower to 1.2311, while the yield on the German 10-year Bund was retreating was bouncing back by two basis points and at 0.65%, following the prior session's sharp drop after the European Central Bank sounded a more dovish than expected note. "With having to absorb the Trump tariffs story and the various carve-outs, as well as the unexpected announcement of a potential historic meeting between the US President and North Koreas Kim Jong Un, investors have a lot to contend with ahead of the weekend, as investors try and stay one step ahead of the US Presidents predilection for unpredictability," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. Nevertheless, at first glance the US president's tariff plans did appear to leave room for the country's allies to be at least partly exempted, which appeared to be a relative positive, although markets were still closely watching for other countries' reactions. No announcement on tariffs had been expected for Thursday night. "Moving on, the trade conflict is highly likely to be the source of bouts of market volatility in the near future. Admittedly, when Mr. Trump signed the tariff order late yesterday, [fixed income] markets showed virtually no reaction. It now depends on how other countries, particularly China and the EU, respond to the US tariffs," said analysts at Unicredit Research. Also overnight, and breaking with decades of tradition in foreign policy, president Trump agreed to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Analysts generally greeted the news, but cautioned that Pyongyang might have gained "respectability" in exchange for very little. Economic data was on the soft side at the end of the week. French industrial production fell back sharply in January, falling by 2.0% against December, with declines see across all the main categories, led by falls in Mining and Construction output of 6.7% and 7.6%, respectively, INSEE said. Spanish industrial production was also weaker, shrinking by an outsized 2.6% during the same month (consensus: 0.1%) as energy ouput fell back by an outsized 7.5%, although production of capital goods also weakened, falling by 2.3%, according to INE. German industrial production undershot forecasts as well, with the country's Ministry of Finance reporting a dip of 0.1% month-on-month (consensus: 0.5%). Looming large on the economic calendar for later in the day was the US non-farm payrolls report for the month of February, which was scheduled for release at 1330 GMT. In the corporate space, Airbus was again making headlines, with Bloomberg reporting that India's largest carrier, IndiGo, might be set to purchase up to 50 SE A330 wide-body jets from the Leiden, Netherlands-based manufacturer. Further South, according to analysts at Banco Sabadell, Telefonica could generate 8.4bn by selling its German arm, which would help to accelerate its attempts deleverage its balance sheet. Banco Sabadell stuck to a 'buy' recommendation for the shares. FTSE 250 safety, health and environment technology company Halma said Monday that Marc Ronchetti - currently financial controller - will succeed Kevin Thompson as group finance director. Thompson, whose intention to retire was announced back in April, will stay on as group FD until the recruitment of Ronchetti's successor has been completed and an orderly handover has taken place. This is expected to occur no later than 31 July 2018. Ronchetti joined Halma as group financial controller in 2016 from Wolseley, where he was finance director of UK operations. Prior to that, he held several roles at Inchcape, culminating in his appointment as director of Strategic Projects. Chief executive officer Andrew Williams said: "I am delighted that Marc will be Halma's next group finance director and joining the board. Since joining Halma, Marc has worked closely with Kevin Thompson and through this period and the recruitment process, he has demonstrated that he brings significant operational and corporate financial expertise to the group." At 1210 BST, the shares were up 0.9% to 1,102p. For Aimee Tomlinson, teaching is in her DNA. She was drawn to the field of chemistry as a young child, having developed a love of math and science. Tomlinson even conducted her own experiments, much to the chagrin of her parents, as a number of them included tests of flammability. "I come from a long line of teachers, which includes quite a few at the grade school, middle school and high school levels," Tomlinson, professor of chemistry at the University of North Georgia (UNG), said. "There were a number of school principals in my family, even a school superintendent, so you could say teaching is in my blood." At age 12, Tomlinson decided nuclear physics was especially interesting and set about pursuing an education that would allow her to have a career in that field. After earning bachelor's degrees in both mathematics and chemistry from Purdue University in Indiana, Tomlinson's interests shifted to computational chemical physics and quantum theory when she arrived at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania for graduate school. She received a doctorate in theoretical and computational chemistry in 2004. Tomlinson came to the University of North Georgia (UNG) in 2007 after serving as a visiting chemistry professor at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the New College of Florida in nearby Sarasota. "At the time, the chemistry department at UNG was looking to hire its first physical chemist, and this, coupled with the fact that it was a tenure-track position, led me to apply," Tomlinson said. "Once I visited and met with my colleagues and some of the students I decided that this university was a good fit for me. At the time I started, almost all of the students were primarily from within an 80-mile radius of the Dahlonega Campus, so there wasn't as much diversity back then as there is now." At UNG, Tomlinson teaches an upper level physical chemistry course that combines chemistry, mathematics and physics. She considers herself a very organized instructor who does her best to make clear her expectations for each of her courses. "I have enjoyed working with my undergraduate researchers who often have no idea what they are capable of and then providing them with the means to really challenge themselves," she said. "I love seeing that light bulb go off for a student that has had a particularly hard time grasping a subject." Of the many honors and achievements Tomlinson has received through the years, she is most proud of the students who have worked in her research lab and gone on to earn their master's or doctoral degree. For her dedication to helping young women pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Tomlinson was recognized INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine as one of "100 Inspiring Women in STEM" in 2015. In 2017 Tomlinson had a research paper published in Polymer, the International Journal for the Science and Technology of Polymers. She is a key member of the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY), which received a $225,000 grant for collaborative undergraduate research in 2017. When it comes to recommending UNG to a potential colleague, Tomlinson said, "I make it a point to be very transparent when I serve on a search committee and will tell a job candidate the strengths and weaknesses of the department. I believe in giving each person a fully informed perspective, my hope is that by providing such insight we will have little to no turnover when it comes to our faculty." The biggest story of the day comes from the Washington Post that reports Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to throw a military parade in honor of his presidency. The news received such negative attention that even some on the president's favorite cable news station think it's a bad idea. Sanders on Trump Donald Trump has made it well-known that he's a fan of the United States Military and veterans, at least in his rhetoric. Since the day he kicked off his campaign for president, the former host of "The Apprentice" has used the military as a talking point to help cater to conservative voters. Despite this, Trump has done little in the way of helping service men and women, and veterans. As reported by the Washington Post on Tuesday night, Trump's way to show his appreciation for the military is to hold a parade in his honor that is projected to cost millions of dollars, and it's unknown how the costs would be covered. "Fox & Friends" host: Trump's military parade "seems like a waste of money" https://t.co/9ADBys5rkd pic.twitter.com/BW2pt22jgY The Hill (@thehill) February 7, 2018 This issue was highlighted during the February 7 edition of "Fox & Friends," which happens to be the president's favorite cable news program. After giving a short news brief on the parade, co-host Steve Doocy seemed fine with the idea, saying, "There are a lot of people at the Pentagon who would love to show off all the equipment." After fellow co-host Ainsley Earhardt agreed with Doocy, co-host Brian Kilmeade didn't seem too impressed with Trump's plan. "I don't know," Kilmeade said, before admitting, "It seems like a waste of money." After throwing shade at the president, Kilmeade was directed to quickly end the segment and cut to a commercial break. Parade details Following the report in the Washington Post, it was later confirmed by Gen. James Mattis and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that a parade was in the works, but that it was in the early stages. According to the details known as of press time, the parade could costs millions of dollars, and is being planned to be held around Veterans Day. Trump made the request during a meeting with top military officials after being inspired by a similar parade held in France known as Bastille Day. Analysis: Trump wants a grand military parade. Some veterans say that wont fix their problems. https://t.co/u6UzpvviA7 Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 7, 2018 Trump's lack of history While Donald Trump often talks about his support for the military, he doesn't have much personal experience in the area. Trump has widely been criticized for obtaining five deferments to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, with one being a controversial medical exemption for alleged bone spurs. While the 2020 general election is still three years away, potential candidates for president are positioning themselves as the opposition to Donald Trump. For former Vice President Joe Biden, he's making his opinions loud and clear. Biden on Trump The election of Donald Trump changed the way Washington politics worked, and shifted the direction of the United States in the process. Trump's shocking defeat of Hillary Clinton sent shock-waves throughout the world, as many were left wondering how it all happened. For Joe Biden, the former vice president had been a potential candidate for president in 2016, but decided to back out after the death of his son. Fast forward to present day and the Trump presidency has a year in the books, with the Democrats wondering who will step up to offer a challenge in 2020. Joe Biden: "Everything with Trump is about him and everything about him is what the Republican Party seems to be focused on trying to protect. And so much is not happening." https://t.co/wsLFSn8uIJ pic.twitter.com/fuaFLMLRAg CNN (@CNN) February 7, 2018 Joe Biden's name as been linked to a possible run for president, and continued to plant the seed during a February 6 interview on CNN. Joining host Jake Tapper, Biden pulled no punches when asked to elaborate on his thoughts about Donald Trump. "Its just a disaster," Biden said. The former VP went on to accuse the president of "doing everything that Putin ever wanted," in regards to his recent attacks on the Justice Department and FBI and "sowing doubt about whether or not our justice system is fair." Trump the joke Not stopping there, Jake Tapper went on to press Joe Biden on Trump's recent comments labeling Democrats as "Un-American" and "treasonous" for refusing to stand and applaud during his recent State of the Union address. The White House attempted to defend the president's comments, saying they were done as a "joke" and that they weren't meant to be taken seriously. Biden was quick to fire back with a few thoughts of his own, going on to say "Let me tell you, hes a joke." Joe Biden says if he were one of the President's attorneys, he would suggest Trump not consent to a special counsel interview: "The President has some difficulty with precision" https://t.co/m6CQCtut2n .@ChrisCuomo's full interview with Biden airs 9p ET. https://t.co/UYpqI3w42L pic.twitter.com/NlZ7f6KnJ4 CNN (@CNN) February 7, 2018 Moving forward According to a recent CNN poll of hypothetical 2020 general election match-ups, Joe Biden would defeat Donald Trump by a 57 percent to 40 percent margin. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would also have the edge over Trump, 55 percent to 42 percent. In addition, Oprah Winfrey is also polling ahead of Trump with a 51 percent to 42 percent advantage. While it's unknown who will be running for the Democratic Party in 2020, the latest polling shows that many Americans are already looking for an alternative to the current commander in chief, despite the rhetoric coming out of the White House and conservative news outlets. Tuesday marked what would have been former President Ronald Reagan's 107th birthday. After Donald Trump tweeted out a birthday greeting, the president was quickly given a reminder of how unpopular he is in the United States. Trump on Reagan The current state of the Republican Party is divided, with traditional establishment Republicans often growing tired with the antics of Donald Trump. Whether it's his controversial policy proposals or his reckless use of social media, Trump has put a crack through the current GOP, though the majority of the party still ends up voting for his agenda due to routine partisan political loyalty. Prior to Trump, the name that came to mind when thinking of the Republican Party was Ronald Reagan, who would have celebrated his 107th birthday on February 6. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our 40th President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan! pic.twitter.com/JtEglBhm4c Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2018 In a tweet on Tuesday, Donald Trump posted a photo of himself and Ronald Reagan while adding a short birthday message. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our 40th President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan!" Trump tweeted. While the former commander in chief has been out of office for nearly 30 years, he's still held in high esteem by many in the Republican Party, especially following the election of Trump. Quick shots After tweeting out his birthday wishes to Ronald Reagan it didn't take long for the those who oppose Donald Trump to sound off. "He would not approve of you," one tweet read, which included a reply reading, "The Republicans of Reagan would be against 70 percent of what you do." Ed, God Bless You... I AM a Reagan Republican. Twice. But I'm not a racist or the many things this evil person happens to be. So if anyone wants to read some history, Ed is quite right. This person deserves what is coming to him on judgment day. En Fuego Mi Amigo (@EnFuegoMiAmigo) February 7, 2018 YOU ATTACKED REAGAN , MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE PAST ! NYT full page articles ! SCREW U JP montrose (@GOEAGLES111) February 7, 2018 He HAS to always be in the spotlight. Gross Deb (@Deblynngru10) February 7, 2018 "Figures that the worst living president would admire one of the worst dead Presidents. Ugh," a follow-up tweet noted. "WHY!!! Why is it always about you? Can't you just honor him without you?" a Twitter user asked. "He's turning in his grave thanks to you!" an additional tweet added. "He would be ashamed of the Soviet style military parade you ordered," a social media user wrote. Two of the worst presidents in my lifetime in one picture. Bob3 (@TheOneTrueBob3) February 7, 2018 Hes still a better president NOW than you. I mean RIGHT NOW. Jon Donahue (@JonDonahue) February 7, 2018 Pretty disgusting that you get to call yourself a president. DJG (@davegarza7) February 7, 2018 "Pretty disgusting that you get to call yourself a president," a critic of Donald Trump tweeted out. "Hes still a better president NOW than you. I mean RIGHT NOW," Jon Donahue posted. "Two of the worst presidents in my lifetime in one picture," a tweet read. With Ronald Reagan's birthday in the news, Donald Trump is sitting at a low approval rating of around just 40 percent. With the stock market taking a recent drop, and with a government shutdown possible in the next two weeks, the current political landscape shows some similarities to when Reagan was in office, but in other ways things have drastically changed. An IRS agent based in Boston, Massachusetts, is in serious legal trouble after being charged with a bevy of crimes. 44-year-old James Clarke has been charged with rape, aggravated rape, indecent assault, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and strangulation. Reportedly, his victim, a 22-year-old woman, was just a college student and a summer intern when Clarke first invited her out for drinks. A report by FOX News presented most of the facts used in this article. On the night of July 26, 2017, Clarke and the unidentified woman went out together for a night on the town. As the night wound down, Clarke offered to drive the woman to Boston's South Station. When the pair entered a parking garage, Clarke allegedly handcuffed the woman, assaulted her with his service firearm, and forced her to perform sexual acts against her will. Amazingly, despite the fact that the story was first reported by the Boston Globe last November, Clarke remained employed by the IRS. It is not clear whether or not he has been placed on administrative leave at this point. Clarke's case is currently being handled by the Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County's District Attorney's Office. Scandal Because Clarke's arraignment has been set for April 5, his side of the story has yet to be aired in public. However, his attorney, Michael Doolin, told reporters on Wednesday (March 7) that he and Clarke are looking "forward to being vindicated." At this point, the scant information on the altercation appears to show that Clarke, a criminal investigations officer with the IRS, put his handgun in the victim's mouth while he demanded sexual favors. It also appears that the alleged assault occurred in a government-owned vehicle inside of Boston's Government Center Garage. As for Clarke's current position within the IRS, the federal agency has been very mum on the topic and has refused to answer media questions on the topic. Bad press This is not the first time that the IRS has found itself in a negative light. Back during the administration of President Barack Obama, an IRS field office in Cincinnati was accused of deliberately targeting the tax exemption status of several conservative groups. This 2013 scandal drew headlines again a year later when it was revealed that Lois Lerner, an attorney with the IRS, had her BlackBerry device wiped clean of information after delivering testimony to Congress. Another federal agency, this time the FBI, made Suffolk County the headquarters of a corruption ring that involved special agents and mobsters. During the 1980s and 1990s, Special Agent John Connolly provided federal cover for Boston gangster Whitey Bulger. While Bulger fed the FBI either bad information or information that would only hurt his rivals, Connolly encouraged other agents to look away as Bulger and his gang committed several murders. More recently, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office became the center of another controversy when it was revealed that Annie Dookhan, a state chemist, falsified evidence in countless drug crimes. Dookhan was finally arrested in 2012 and convicted of multiple counts of obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with Kim Jong-un setting the scene for what is being referred to as a historic encounter. The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, told the press that the president had accepted Kim Jong-uns invitation to discuss denuclearization. The meeting would be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korea leader. Details of the time and location are still to be determined, but according to South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, the meeting will take place by May. Mr. Chung delivered the invitation to Trump after his team of delegates visited Pyongyang earlier this week. Denuclearization After a year of trading insults and threats to wipe each other out, Trump and Kim have made a remarkable step by agreeing to sit and talk. Though its too early to predict the outcome of the meeting, a sit-down between the two leaders brings North Korea close to its long-desired aim of international recognition and offers Trump a chance make his mark in US history by attaining diplomatic victory. Trump did not waste time in accepting Kim's invitation; the president announced he would accept the invite just hours after learning the leaders offer. The meeting marks a significant change in Kim's approach. The North Korean Leader has over the years strived to show his country's military might by continually advancing his missile and nuclear programs. What started off as diplomatic overtures during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea have now ended with the two influential leaders meeting face to face. Chung praises Trump On Thursday South Korean delegates met in Washington, D.C, for a debriefing on the North-South talks. Chung later praised Trump for his "leadership" and exerting pressure on North Korea, which he claims has set the grounds for diplomatic discussions. In response to Chung's praises, the White House press secretary issued a statement saying Trump appreciates Chung's kind words and he agrees to meet with Kim. Later in the day, Trump tweeted that all sanctions will remain until a denuclearization deal is struck. According to Chung, Kim has assured the people of South Korea that North Korea would refrain from conducting any missile or nuclear tests. The North Korean leader has also said he is committed to denuclearization. Though many details of the meeting are yet to be discussed, US officials are praising the president and his delegates for brokering the meeting. However, Secretary of State Tillerson told reporters on Thursday that the US is a long way from negotiations with North Korea. Gross negligence at Norvic: NMC yet to provide files to probe team The Nepal Medical Council has yet to submit details to an expert team formed to probe gross medical negligence at Norvic International Hospital. On Thursday night the news broke that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would meet with Donald Trump about potentially denuclearizing the country. In response, Trump decided to speak out on social media. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2018 Trump on North Korea The relationship between the United States and North Korea has been rocky for years. North Korea has a poor reputation on the world stage, especially under the leadership of Kim Jong-un. Since the election of Donald Trump just over a year ago, the two leaders have made it known that they are not on the same page. Trump made headlines earlier this year by publicly insulting Kim, referring to him as "Rocket Man" during a series of tweets, as well as during a speech in front of the United Nations. JUST IN: Trump agrees to meet with Kim Jong Un https://t.co/B19OiRkpgN pic.twitter.com/6KTBj7zOZJ The Hill (@thehill) March 9, 2018 As reported by The Hill on March 8, South Korean National security adviser Chung Eui-yong spoke to Donald Trump on Thursday and later addressed the press at the White House to inform them that Kim Jong-un would suspend all nuclear testing while planning to meet with Trump by May in an attempt to possibly abandon their nuclear plans. In a tweet sent out to elaborate, Trump was quick to gloat. "Kim Jong-un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze," he wrote. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached,"Trump added, while concluding, "Meeting being planned!" Instant reaction Following Donald Trump's tweet about his upcoming meeting with Kim Jong-un, those who oppose the president didn't seem impressed in their responses. "And it has nothing to do with you. Keep your mouth and big a** out of it. Let the grown-ups work it out. STOP TWEETING," one tweet read. Remember when I said you were an idiot & an ass kisser? That was this morning Generalissimo Trump (@Pol_PoTrump) March 9, 2018 This is a once in a century opportunity. You have a chance to be remembered for something good because the rest of your history will be infamous. Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) March 9, 2018 "You have a chance to do your first good thing since taking office. We arent counting on you. Surprise us!" a Twitter user wrote. "Why don't you put the Twitter down and manage the country you clown," an additional tweet added. What are you going to do about Putin's nuclear threat video he put out that shows it hitting Florida? What's that, you say? Nothing? I didn't think so Danny Corral (@BazingaDanny) March 9, 2018 Why don't you put the Twitter down and manage the country you clown Shag (@JimKimlingjr) March 9, 2018 Kim Jong Un: unstable dictator Donald Trump: unstable dictator This is going to be a shit show! Nate Roy (@natehoIe) March 9, 2018 "You'll find a way to credit yourself if anything goes well, no doubt," a social media user stated. "What are you going to do about Putin's nuclear threat video he put out that shows it hitting Florida? What's that, you say? Nothing? I didn't think so," yet another tweet pointed out. As Donald Trump continues to gloat about his meeting with Kim Jong-un, his critics made sure to sound off and express their disdain for the current administration. On Tuesday (Mar. 6), CNN reported Gary Cohn, the White House Chief Economic Adviser, resigned amid strong criticisms about President Trumps recent announcement of imposing tariffs on aluminum and steel imports. The tariffs will inflate the costs of everything made from aluminum and steel, thereby, affecting all of the manufacturing tentacles of the import and export market. Those strongly opposed to Trumps suggested policy see the impact of the tariffs being a hard hit for Americans rather than profiting from any of the countries importing goods to the US. Some economists even fear a trade war because of this bold move from the POTUS. The stock market also took another hit on Tuesday (Mar. 6) as a result of Adviser Cohn stepping down. Just like Hope, Gary's departure is not shocking Donald Trump has repeatedly said there is no chaos in the White House but people keep leaving. Just recently, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, Hope Hicks, the Communications Director announced she was resigning. This came after she testified before the Intelligence Committee. Around the time of Hicks announcement, it was rumored that National Security Adviser, General H.R McMaster may also be leaving and if so, it would be closer to the end of March. In Aug. 2017, after Trump commented about fine people being on both sides of the racially charged Charlottesville protests, involving White Supremacists, it was then that Cohn drafted a letter of resignation. After some cajoling, Donald Trump managed to get Cohn to stay, and stay he diduntil now. Gary Cohn has been known across partisan lines for his strong Wall Street background, solid sense of worldwide economy, level-headedness, and for simply being a decent fellow. Although his resignation comes at one of the most awkward times for the Trump White House, considering the earlier dismissals of Cohns possible departure as fake news along with the ongoing Russia Probe, the new lawsuit filed against the POTUS by an adult film actress, Sam Nunbergs recent purge on national cable networks, and a slew of other woesCohns exit is long overdue. Trump, the magician America remembers the first involuntary disappearing act - FBI Director, James Comey. This was unexpected since the firing came soon after President Trump took office in 2017. It seemed Comey had decided he preferred to pledge allegiance to his country and honor a moral code of ethics rather than pledge loyalties to the now POTUS in order to allay one man's fears. After just one year in office, Trump has had more personnel turnover than any other president in modern US history. This, however, is not viewed as a negative by the current POTUS. On Tuesday (Mar. 6), in response to the medias questions about the chaos that seems to be coming from the White House, Trump explained that there was no chaos, just energy. It is unclear if this energy is purposefully negative, and being used as an abracadabra technique to make people disappeara sort of drain the swamp tacticor it is energy that is the result of ineptitude that has begun to chip away at strength and integrity of the strong, coaxing them to bend to the will of authoritarianism seedlings? Regardless of energy type, energy is contagious. If energy repeatedly promotes a feeling of unwellness, then pause must be given, because something is wrong. Something is awry when an awestruck nation watches dribbles--and at times, streams--of a mass exodus searching for the path back to dignified diplomacy. The frequency of the departures speaks volumes about leadership. A nervous void is being felt from coast to coast with many hoping for a quick resolve. However, this is only the beginning. Hang on to your flip-flops. Things are about to get a whole lot uglier before it gets even a fraction better. One of the biggest stories of Tuesday night was that Donald Trump had ordered the Pentagon to throw a military parade in his honor. In response, the hosts on "The View" had a few things to say. "The View" on Trump On Tuesday night, the Washington Post reported that Donald Trump had recently spoke to military officials and called on the Pentagon to set up a military parade in honor of his presidency. For the last two and a half years since the start of his campaign for president, Trump has promoted himself as a man who cares deeply about the United States military and veterans. In regards to the parade, Trump reportedly got the idea from a similar event that takes place in France called the Bastille Day military parade. According to reports, the parade, which is in the early stages and is being planned for Veterans Day, could cost millions of dollars and it's unknown how the event will be funded. TRUMP WANTS MILITARY PARADE: Pres. Trump has asked the Pentagon to plan a military parade in Washington, D.C. later this year, a top Pentagon spokesperson confirms the co-hosts discuss. https://t.co/f8u2wc159S pic.twitter.com/7GuFv2IXdq The View (@TheView) February 7, 2018 Trump's decision to hold his own military parade was a hot topic of discussion during the February 7 edition of "The View" on ABC. "Weve got a tax cut costing the US $1.5 trillion, a border wall that's going to be $25 billion, and the government on the verge of another shutdown," co-host Whoopi Goldberg said. "He wants to throw a big blowout military parade, with tanks and troops marching through D.C," Goldberg noted, before adding, "he's got money, he's a billionaire. You pay for it!" Co-host Joy Behar also chimed in pointing out that the president took his idea from the French, before asking "if you want to emulate the French, how about some national health care?" Not stopping there, fellow co-host Meghan McCain went on to note that there were more than "nine million veterans enrolled in VA healthcare and 40,000 veterans who are homeless," suggesting that the money spent on a parade should instead go to help those who risked their lives for the country. Next up As of press time, neither Donald Trump nor the White House have responded to the reports of the president's request of a military parade, though the backlash was quickly heard from critics and the majority of the mainstream media. With the exception of most on Fox News and other conservative news outlets, the former host of "The Apprentice" was reminded that despite his need to appeal to the military, he was a five-time draft dodger who once claimed he had bone spurs to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. In addition, Trump's attacks on veterans like Arizona Sen. John McCain are well-documented. The "Halloween" franchise is one of the most popular franchises in the horror movie industry, because of the story. Michael Myers, a deranged child, kills his older sister and tries to kill his younger sister, but she survives. Years later, he comes back to finish the job but she always manages to escape. Throughout the past many decades, Myers has hunted his sister as she tries to escape her past, but he always finds her and their battle remains unsolved. But it sounds like Jamie Lee Curtis is ready to close the chapter once and for all. "Halloween" is set to come out in October of this year and fans are already excited to see what writers have come up with for this new flick. Fans of Michael Myers believe that this could be the final meeting between Michael and his sister, Laurie Strode. But it's uncertain who will come out victorious. While fans wait for the movie to come out, many fans are starting to create some amazing artwork that could set the scene for this new flick. According to a new tweet shared by a Michael Myers Twitter account, "Halloween" fans are sharing their amazing artwork and these pieces are so amazing, they will put you right back in Haddonfield, Illinois. Fans are excited for the new movie It's no wonder that fans are excited about this new movie. It's expected to be released just before Halloween in October of 2018, and one can imagine people will rush to the theatre to see if Laurie will finally kill off Michael. For years, fans have wondered what Michael looks like now, as the original movie was from 1978. But it sounds like fans won't get to see him without his mask, as the newest movie is very true to the vision that John Carpenter had for the characters. Halloween coming 19 october 2018 Which one is the best fan art movie poster? pic.twitter.com/LaFGIKENY2 Michael Myers (@therealmmyers78) March 6, 2018 Jamie Lee Curtis has hinted that fans will be very pleased with the new movie, but she hasn't said what the outcome will be. Maybe Michael will finally kill his sister and get what he's always wanted. What is known Not much is known about this upcoming movie. Jamie has revealed that they are done the filming, as they wrapped up production in February 2018. It's also known that the plot goes back to Haddonfield, Illinois where everything started. In several of the sequels, Curtis' role has always taken her away from Haddonfield, as she wanted to get away from her past. But it sounds like she's going back to confront her brother, once and for all. Hopefully, the writers will take the time to explain her scene in "Halloween: Resurrection," as it was believed that she had been killed. Are you excited to watch "Halloween" when it comes out in October? Is Scheana Marie admitting that she finally understands why viewers of "Vanderpump Rules" have been labeling her as "delusional" and obsessed" throughout the sixth season? During a recent appearance on her podcast series, "Scheananigans," which began airing earlier this week, Scheana said that she is well-aware that she's been looking "really stupid" on recent episodes of the Bravo TV reality series. On the podcast series' debut episode, Scheana welcomed her friend and co-star Ariana Madix to her set and spoke about what it has been like to watch the ups and downs of her relationship with her now-ex-boyfriend, actor Robert Parks-Valletta. She even said that while she typically tunes into the show, she has been in no rush to catch up with the series' most recent episodes. Watching her divorce from Mike Shay wasn't as hard as watching her romance with Rob "Last season, watching my divorce [from mike shay] wasn't as hard for me because I was in a very happy relationship," Scheana Marie explained, according to a March 5 report by E! News. "I was madly in love with [Robert Parks-Valletta]," she added. Now, however, as she watches their romance on the show, she's having difficulties accepting how she's been portrayed in their failed romance. "I see how it looks on television," Scheana said. However, as she pointed out, fans can't see each and every one of the moments she shared with Parks-Valletta and when it comes to the special time they shared together, she doesn't feel bad for being in love and happy after her split from Mike Shay. As fans may remember, Scheana and her ex-husband called it quits at the end of 2016 and she quickly moved on with Parks-Valletta. "I know I look really stupid," Scheana Marie continued. That said, she thought that Parks-Valletta was "The One" and felt she should get back together with him after her marriage to Mike Shay came to an end after two short years. Why did Scheana Marie and Robert Parks-Valletta break up? Following a number of shocking comments about their relationship and future marriage, Scheana was faced with a breakup from the actor. On Instagram, the reality star confirmed that she and Parks-Valletta ended their romance in August after about six months of dating. A couple of months later, an E! News source suggested that due to "work commitments," the couple decided to call it quits. "Vanderpump Rules" Season 6 airs Monday nights at 9 PM on Bravo TV. Norway willing to support development of education Norway has expressed interest to help Nepal in educational development, visiting Norwegian Minister for International Development Nikolai Astrup said on Wednesday while inaugurating Devitar Basic School at Loting, Chilankha of Bigu Rural Municipality. American Electric Power Co., Inc. engages in the business of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission & Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco and Generation & Marketing. The Vertically Integrated Utilities segment engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers through assets owned and operated by its subsidiaries. The Transmission & Distribution Utilities segment engages in the business of transmission and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers through assets owned and operated by its subsidiaries. The AEP Transmission Holdco segment engages in the development, construction and operation of transmission facilities through investments in its wholly-owned transmission subsidiaries and joint ventures. The Generation & Marketing segment engages in non-regulated generation and marketing, risk management and retail activities. The company was founded on December 20, 1906 and is headquartered in Columbus, OH. Read More Contact Us Please Note: We are a private company not affiliated with any state agency or insurance provider. We do not have individual claim information, and our staff can not provide legal advice. If you have questions about your individual case, we suggest you contact your state workers' comp division or an attorney who could better advise you of your rights within your particular state. The contact information below are for sales-related issues and current clients of WorkersCompensation.com: WorkersCompensation.com PO Box 2432 Sarasota, FL 34230-2432 Please use the email below to contact the Sales department: sales@workerscompensation.com Our phone number is: (866) 927-COMP (2667) Note: This number is ONLY for sales and support related calls for our specific products. We are NOT affiliated with any government agency or insurance company . We cannot provide legal advice, assist with your claim or answer questions related to your policy. You can also reach us via our fax: (866) 243-2066 Sales Refund Policy: All informational and advertising product sales on WorkersCompensation.com are considered final. We are a private company not affiliated with any state agency or insurance provider. We do not have individual claim information, and our staff can not provide legal advice. If you have questions about your individual case, we suggest you contact your state workers' comp division or an attorney who could better advise you of your rights within your particular state.The contact information below are for sales-related issues and current clients of WorkersCompensation.com:WorkersCompensation.comPO Box 2432Sarasota, FL 34230-2432Please use the email below to contact the Sales department:Our phone number is: (866) 927-COMP (2667)You can also reach us via our fax:(866) 243-2066All informational and advertising product sales on WorkersCompensation.com are considered final. Mirren and Sutherland have chemistry even better than the last time they played a couple (1990s Bethune: The Making of a Hero), and the teasing fondness the pair exhibit on their publicity tour for the film spills over into their roles. It seems like theyve been together so long theyve fused into one soul, half of which is evaporating. When they stop at campgrounds, she hangs up a sheet outside the van and projects their home movies to jog his receding memory. Other campers watch too, warming themselves around the fire of a half-century romance. Some of the memories involve infidelity, so its about both love and pain, not just sentimental wish-fulfillment fantasy. This setup sounds as promising as road-trip hits like About Schmidt, Nebraska or Little Miss Sunshine, and the actors sky-high accomplishment makes us hope for a late-life love tale like the Jane Fonda-Robert Redford Our Souls at Night or the Sam Elliott-Blythe Danner Ill See You in My Dreams. Getty Images I preach constantly about low-fee investing. The less you pay in fees and sales commissions, the more youll save and the longer your money will last. Even small costs add up to huge losses over time. For example, assume that you put $500 a month into an investment account for 30 years, earning an average of 7 percent. At a 2 percent annual fee, youll wind up with about $409,500, as calculated by NerdWallet, a consumer finance website. If you slash that fee to 0.25 percent, however, youll retire with about $561,500thats $152,000 more! Every penny you pay cuts into your future or current standard of living. What qualifies as a low fee depends on the type of investment you choose and on how you opt to buy it. Heres what thrifty investors should be looking for. Mutual funds The key is the expense ratio, which gathers together all the sales and administrative costs. Index fundsso-called because they track market prices as a whole charge practically nothing. If you buy a fund that tracks the Standard & Poors 500 (S&P 500) index of big-company stocks, youll pay as little as 0.03 percent a year at the discount broker Charles Schwab (thats 3 cents per $100), 0.035 percent at the fund company Fidelity Investments, and 0.04 percent at Vanguard. Index funds will be the lowest-cost choice in a 401(k), along with target-date fundsa mix of stock and bond funds appropriate to your age. Index funds are called passive investments, as opposed to active funds in which managers try to beat the market by picking individual stocks. Active funds charge an average of 0.75 percent and usually dont perform as well as the indexed group. Investors have noticed. They pulled $326 billion out of active funds in 2016 and poured a record $429 billion into passive funds, according to Morningstars report on mutual fund data. Traditional brokerage firms If you need advice, you might go to a stockbroker, aka wealth manager or financial adviser. But costs are high. For a broker-sold S&P 500 index fund, for example, you could pay as much as 1 percent a year or more. Your retirement account might be invested in high-cost shares of active funds when low-cost versions of the same funds are available. Mutual- fund advisory accounts could cost up to 2 percent. Wrap accounts, invested with institutional money managers, range from 1.1 to 2.5 percent. Investors who dont trade much could save a fortune by switching to an old-fashioned commission-based account. Financial planners You choose a planner for expert and ongoing advice about all of your personal finances. Typical fee: 1 percent for accounts under $1 million, with reductions for larger amounts. Underlying investment expenses might raise that to 1.5 percent or so among planners who dont take sales commissions, and even higher among planners who do. The fee must include long-term planning. If youre paying mainly for money management, youre paying too much. Jane Bryant Quinn is a personal finance expert and the author of How to Make Your Money Last. She writes regularly for the Bulletin. For Subscribers How Aberdeen Christian took down top-ranked Wolsey-Wessington Several key things came into play for the Knights as they did what not even Warner or Northwestern could do against the previously unbeaten team. Police arrest rumour-monger Police have arrested a man for allegedly circulating rumour on social networking sites, claiming that there will be banda on Friday and Saturday. After a decade, the New Mexico Italian Film & Culture Festival has hit its stride. The event is back for its 11th year beginning Tuesday, March 13. Last year, the festival found a home at the Hiland Theater in the heart of Albuquerque. I think its a perfect venue for us, says Maria Arancio Berry, managing director of the Italian Film & Culture Festival. We can have all of our events there, as well as show the films. Berry says that in fulfillment of the nonprofits mission to promote Italian culture while giving back to the community, the much-anticipated annual festival is Italian Festivals of New Mexicos flagship event and fundraising centerpiece. Since its inception, the festival has championed the states underserved and disadvantaged children with donations totaling close to $300,000 to child-focused institutions and organizations. Festival proceeds will benefit the National Dance Institute of New Mexico. The seven films have been selected. The entertainers are warming up their vocal cords and instruments. The young NDI dancers are rehearsing two sensational performances, and three food events are planned. This is sure to be the best festival yet, Berry says. It reaches a crescendo in its three main facets film, music and food. The festival starts with the opening-night film, Un Paese Quasi Perfetto. Berry is looking forward to La pazza gioia (Like Crazy) on March 16. The film picked up a few awards at the David di Donatello Awards (the Italian Oscars), including best picture, best actress and best director. Directed by renowned filmmaker Paolo Virzi, the film tells the story of two women of diverse backgrounds and personalities who meet in a mental institution and become friends. They escape the institution and embark on a Thelma and Louise-style adventure that changes their lives. This is one of the biggest films to come out of Italy in the last year, she says. We were able to get it for a screening which is very special. And the closing film is Il Gran Finale (Italian Race), on March 18. The automobile sports-action drama based on the true story of rally racing driver Carlo Capone. Directed by the acclaimed young filmmaker, Matteo Rovere the film focuses on 17-year-old rally racer Giulia DeMartino, who, after her fathers death, takes on his debt-plagued auto-racing business. When her life falls apart, her only hope for help is her brother, a drug addict and former rally champion. We noticed last year that having a home for all the events really went over well with the audience, she says. We can build on the momentum that we have now. Rio Ranchos Turtle Mountain Brewing Company is not only growing a year older, but it is soon growing a taproom bigger. Although the location for a second taproom has not been decided, owner Nico Ortiz has a few areas in Albuquerque in mind. Weve looked at a variety of spots from the far Heights to the Tramway corridor, he said. Its all about the spaces available, whether theyre attractively priced and located near a lot of rooftops. Im hoping to make an announcement this summer as to where we are going to be. It would be nice to expand our presence. Turtle Mountain, which celebrates its 19th anniversary this month, has no room for expansion at its current Rio Rancho location. Rio Rancho has added 40,000 people since we opened in 99, Ortiz said. The amount of competition here, restaurant- and brewery-wise, is low. It is a double-edged sword. On one side, there is not a lot of competition and a steady stream of regulars, and the other side is it hampers our growth. We are kind of maxed out with what we can do. Taproom planning aside, Turtle Mountain is getting ready for its annual St. Patricks Day bash on March 17. The event will feature Snakedriver Irish Dry Stout, corned beef and cabbage, shepherds pie and Irish beef stew. In commemoration of its 19th anniversary, Turtle Mountain will feature daily beer-paired specials highlighting its new menu offerings from March 18 through March 25. The food pairings will vary slightly but will be part of a special 19th Anniversary Brewmasters Dinner on March 22. Pairings begin on March 18 with a charcuterie platter called Turtle Tidbits. It will be paired with Cant Catch Me Copper Lager, a lightly toasted lager showcasing the floral and earthy German Hallertau hops. Santa Rosa fish tacos featuring cod fillets drizzled with pineapple habanero sauce will be paired with Wooden Teeth American Lager on March 19. Pork belly skewers paired with Hopshell India Pale Ale will be the March 20 feature. The IPA has tropical fruit, juicy citrus and rich floral aroma, according to Turtle Mountains website. On March 21, the Ruidoso ribs, slow-roasted pork ribs, will be paired with 19th Anniversary Amnesia Ale. Its the first anniversary beer that (the original brewers) brewed, Head brewer Mick Hahn said. They called it Amnesia. Its a hoppy, caramely, red ale. The pairings on March 23-25 feature Turtle Mountains new pizza offerings: Pizza Classico, Pizza Alamosa, and the Miah-T Pizza, which is named after a kitchen staffer. Employees who have been with Turtle Mountain for 10 years can ask that their name be put on the menu, Ortiz said. In addition to making beers for the anniversary pairings, Hahn has created the Evolutionary IPA series. The first in the series, Thunder Mouse, is brewed with El Dorado, Ekuanot, and Chinook hops. It has a light caramel base and is kind of juicy, with good pine notes to it as well. Patrons went through Thunder Mouse quickly, but it will be replaced with the second in the series, Time Management, which is brewed with Comet, Columbus, and Mosaic hops. It is a lighter IPA than Thunder Mouse, but it packs plenty of a flavor punch. By the end of March, guests will see the third in the series, Total Malarkey, on tap. This IPA is easier on the palate than most since it is has zero IBU. The International Bitterness Units scale, referred to as IBU, is a gauge of a beers bitterness. Its a trend were starting to see in the market, Hahn said of zero-IBU IPAs. Its a break from IPAs that people have been seeing, because it doesnt have that bitterness. You still get a lot of the same flavor and aromas, but not that stringent bitterness that bites your tongue. DENVER Four Colorado Republican lawmakers on Thursday brought their ideas to the White House on punishing so-called sanctuary cities, hoping to build on the Trump administrations lawsuit challenging California laws it says protect immigrants in the country illegally. State Rep. Dave Williams said he advocated for holding individual cities and their policymakers personally liable during a meeting with the White House Domestic Policy Council. The Colorado Springs Republican says he hopes U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions follows up on the California lawsuit this week with similar legal actions against municipalities. These sanctuary communities and politicians are willfully endangering the public, Williams said ahead of the meeting. Cities like Denver and states like California are allowing criminal aliens to run loose, to kill, murder, maim or hurt our fellow Americans. Williams said he also called for more immigration agents in Colorado and that White House advisers were receptive to his suggestions. Lawmakers from Ohio also attended the meeting, he said. They want to get tougher. They want to get serious about protecting American citizens, Williams said of administration officials. I was encouraged. They also suggested we work more closely together to prevent cities from giving criminal gangs like MS-13 safe harbor. The Democratic mayor of Denver has limited cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Police policy is to notify ICE when immigrants, who are suspected of being in the country illegally, are to be released from city jails, but they refuse to grant access to jail cells. Mayor Michael Hancock and other officials have criticized the presence of ICE agents in courthouses and raids near public schools. The Trump administration last year threatened to withhold federal funding for police programs in Denver and other sanctuary cities. A federal judge permanently blocked the effort after a lawsuit. But that didnt stop President Donald Trump from calling for Congress to pass legislation that would strip funding from localities that dont cooperate with federal immigration authorities. They want the money, they should give up on the sanctuary cities. It harbors horrible criminals, he said Thursday at a White House Cabinet meeting. Trump also lambasted Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for recently warning the public about an unannounced raid by federal immigration officers. Sessions said in a speech in California on Wednesday that Schaafs action allowed hundreds of wanted criminals to avoid arrest. What the mayor of Oakland did the other day was a disgrace, Trump said. And its certainly something that were looking at with respect to her individually. Williams, the Colorado lawmaker who is of Hispanic heritage, has introduced state legislation to make city and law enforcement officials liable for crimes committed by immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The measure would allow the victims of such crimes to seek damages from officials of the jurisdiction who were responsible for creating the policy to operate as a sanctuary jurisdiction. Officials could face up to $700,000 in civil damages. Democrats and others challenge the legality of Williams proposal much like California Gov. Jerry Brown, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and others nationwide did in reaction to the Sessions lawsuit. Brown says the state is on firm legal ground with laws that limit police and employers cooperation with federal immigration agents and require state inspections of federal detention facilities. ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington, Don Thompson in Sacramento and Sudhin Thanawala in San Francisco contributed to this report. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal As of Friday afternoon, Venice Baroque Orchestras performance in Los Alamos is canceled due to flight delays. When most people think of the recorder, the first thing that typically comes to mind is that the instruments are given out for children to play in elementary school, world-renowned musician Anna Fusek said. If you play the recorder, you already play something strange, she said. Fusek said her instrument and its sound have evolved over the past several centuries, just like the music played with it. Tonight, Fusek will be showing off the depth of recorder music as well as presenting an abridged history of Italian Baroque music with the Venice Baroque Orchestra. The VBO and Fusek, who is the featured guest soloist on the orchestras current U.S. tour, are stopping in Los Alamos. The first half of the performance will feature pieces by Vivaldi, whose music is the core of the VBOs repertoire, Fusek said in a Skype interview from the first tour stop in Amherst, Mass. The Prague-born, Berlin-based musician, who also plays violin and flute along with the wooden recorder, has toured frequently with the famous string ensemble since 2009. After intermission, the show will take a chronological look at Italian music, starting in the 14th century and moving forward to Vivaldi again. For the various pieces, she will change up her recorders to match what was played in different eras. Making this little trip through Italian Baroque music, it gives me the possibility to show the different facets of the recorder, the different recorders, different sounds, the possibility of the instrument, Fusek said. I thought it would be nice to do something different than what usually the orchestra does as a program. The programs second half begins with a piece by Laurentius de Florentia dating to the mid-1300s. She said this simple, very mellow music can feel like it comes from another planet because of how its rhythmic structures differ from popular styles centuries later. The program jumps to the 17th century with an overture from Francesco Cavallis Il Giasone. Cavalli wrote for the royal courts of his time, meaning his compositions needed to be big. Not something intimate, chamber music-like, but also something where the court has to feel good and be well-represented, Fusek said. The next two 17th-century composers, Spanish-influenced Andrea Falconieri of Naples and Tuscany-born Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli, are known in the chamber music world, but little is left of what they composed. Some music scholars have questioned if Mealli existed at all. But he has was real, Fusek said. In fact, historians discovered he murdered a man in Messina, Sicily and fled the country. Fusek said what survives today are the sonatas he wrote before the murder when he was living in Austria around 1660. All of his sonatas characterize different musicians he worked with during that time. The Mealli piece that VBO and Fusek will play, La bernabea, is believed to be written about an organ player, Fusek said. He must have been very temperamental and very moody, she said with a laugh. You have six or seven minutes of music and there are like 12 tempo changes. Its really crazy stuff. Her recorder for this piece fits in with that rougher style, she added. It has larger holes and, because of that, makes a more round-toney sound. That rough tone is left behind with an Arcangelo Corelli concerto that she describes as a more peaceful, classical sound that embodies what most listeners think of when it comes to the Baroque era. Finally returning to Vivaldi, with a three-movement concerto for recorder and strings, she said her instrumentation for his decadent style is a far cry from whats needed for Mealli. What they wanted to hear changed, she said of 18th-century listeners. Its much more subtle, much more refined. Other featured musicians include concertmaster Gianpiero Zanocco and cellist Massimo Raccanelli Zaborra. The performance, presented by the Los Alamos Concert Association, begins at 7 p.m. at Crossroads Bible Church. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal At age 15, Nehemiah Griego shot and killed his parents and three young siblings. Now, ahead of his scheduled release later this month, court documents show that hes seeking to change his name. Griego filed his name change case under the name John Doe in January, and his attorney has filed requests to keep documents and hearings in the case secret. In one such request, he asks to seal the document that would show the name Griego hopes to adopt, which does not appear to have been filed yet. Griego killed five members of his family in January 2013 at their South Valley home and has been in custody since his arrest days afterward. He was convicted and sentenced as a child, which under New Mexico law means he will be released on his 21st birthday, March 20. Matthew Bernstein, who is representing Griego, wrote that a name change will assist him in avoiding unnecessary recognition. Petitioners legal name is unique, and a simple online search would connect him to past alleged actions that would jeopardize his personal safety, Bernstein wrote in a motion that never identifies Griego as the petitioner. He declined to comment on the case Thursday. Second Judicial District Judge Shannon Bacon last week ruled that the file must appear under Nehemiah Naphtali Griego, rather than John Doe, meaning the case now shows up when his name is searched in court databases. Griego first shot his mother, Sarah, and 9-year-old brother, Zephaniah, then walked into his sisters room and killed 5-year-old Jael, and 2-year-old Angelina. Hours later, he shot his father, Greg, when he returned home after his shift at a homeless shelter. His attorneys have said that, as a child, Griego suffered severe abuse and beatings from his father. An appeal by the state Attorney Generals Office attempting to have the sentence overturned is pending. If Griego had been sentenced as an adult, he would have faced up to 120 years in prison. WASHINGTON In his chilling account of the Romanov dynasty, the British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore quoted Peter Stolypin, who was interior minister for Nicholas II, the last of the tsars: In Russia, nothing is more dangerous than the appearance of weakness. Montefiore explained that in the 300-plus years of Romanov rule, power had been an instrument not simply of governing, but of survival. He cited the aphorism of the French writer Madame de Stael: In Russia, the government is autocracy tempered by strangulation. President Vladimir Putin embodies this Russian paranoid ethic, never more than in his belligerent March 1 speech boasting of a new generation of invincible nuclear-powered missiles and super-fast torpedoes. Putins address included video mockups of new cruise missiles that were so hokey they would embarrass a Hollywood studio. What should Americans make of Putins speech, and the policy challenge it implicitly poses for the United States? Some analysts were quick to discount Putins military claims as fanciful. The new Russian technologies he described were already well-known to U.S. intelligence agencies, analysts said. The speech was obviously a message to Washington, but one with several layers of meaning. On its face, it was meant to frighten and intimidate, but at that level, it surely failed. The U.S. has vast military power to deter Russia, including new weapons systems that are at least a match for what Putin described. At a deeper level, Putins speech was a plea for attention, by a leader who sees himself avenging his nations humiliation after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite Putins wounded, chip-on-the-shoulder posture, this struck me as the core of his address, and worth a well-considered response. The crux of Putins argument is that Russia was ignored during its years of weakness and is taken seriously now only because it looks threatening. Putin recounted that before he took power the military equipment of the Russian army was becoming obsolete, and the armed forces were in a sorry state. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, he said, the nation had lost 23.8 percent of its territory, 48.5 percent of its population, 41 percent of its GDP and 44.6 percent of its military. Nobody really wanted to talk to us about the core of the problem (of the nuclear-weapons balance), and nobody wanted to listen to us. So listen now, he demanded. Putin is a bully, but a predictable one. He has been advertising his desire to restore Russias lost glory since he became president in 2000. Last months indictment by special counsel Robert Mueller of 13 Russians for meddling in the 2016 election describes an organization, the Internet Research Agency, that, according to other accounts, field-tested his internet manipulation techniques in 2014 in Ukraine before deploying them in America. To manage these covert actions, he turned to a billionaire oligarch pal, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who also helped organize Russian mercenaries in Syria. Ukraine has been Putins laboratory. Oleksandr Danylyuk, chairman of the Center for Defense Reforms in Ukraine, warned in a 2016 paper for the Naval Postgraduate School that Russia has been carrying out not only information operations but also other clandestine and special operations against Ukraine for more than a decade. His conclusion: Russia is not preparing for war with the West; the war is already being actively conducted on Russias terms. Just because Putin proposes renewed discussions with the U.S., that doesnt mean its a bad idea. Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan and India all have serious dialogue with Russia about key foreign-policy issues, but the U.S. doesnt. Thats a mistake, especially now. It was unwise, for example, for the U.S. to suddenly cancel talks on cybersecurity that were planned for late February with a 17-member Russian team headed by Putins cyberadviser, Andrei Krutskikh. The Russians responded by canceling planned discussions about strategic stability. The two countries militaries continue to have daily deconfliction consultations in the congested battlespace of the Middle East, but the dialogue should be broader. This barren Russian-American landscape is a perverse consequence of Putins attempts to meddle in U.S. politics and foster the candidate who kept proclaiming what a great guy the Russian leader was and how much he wanted a rapprochement. Paradoxically, Donald Trumps election has made dialogue with Russia politically toxic, and arms control has all but disappeared from the U.S. agenda. In an autocracy, the traits of character are magnified; everything personal is political, wrote Montefiore about the Romanovs. Putin is inescapable. The U.S. military will counter Putins death-star weapons, but in the meantime, American diplomacy needs to open better channels. Ignoring Russia may be good politics, but its bad policy. Email: davidignatius@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. SAN DIEGO Im not used to defending President Trump, and Im even more unaccustomed to feeling sorry for him. Now Im doing both because of the raw deal that he got after a recent televised meeting on gun policy with lawmakers from both parties. When Trump gets something wrong, the media and the special interests are quick to pounce. They ought to be just as good at acknowledging when he does something right. First, Trump deserves praise especially from the media for opening up the process and changing how politics is covered. He occasionally invites television cameras into what were once closed-door meetings. It used to be that the president and lawmakers could say whatever they wanted in private with no way to hold them accountable. Then, later, they could say something different to the media. But when the proceedings are televised, everyone is on notice that what they say matters. Next, Trump should get credit for doing something that you rarely see any Republican do at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue: challenging the National Rifle Association. The president noted that the NRA has a headlock on Congress but insisted that the organization will go along with reasonable reforms. If not, he said, hes ready to fight them. Trump is due another round of applause for the fact that during the meeting itself he exhibited calm leadership, mature restraint and shrewd negotiating skills. Unlike the adolescent who doesnt seem to think before he tweets, the person who chaired the discussion on guns sounded like a grown-up. He also sounded like the father of an 11-year-old boy who plays video games, including some that Trump acknowledges are extremely violent. The president thinks we should look at the effect that such games might be having on young people. Trump also refused to go along with highly controversial reforms like outlawing assault weapons or requiring all states to honor concealed carry permits. He understands that while he can signal what reforms he would support its the job of the legislative branch to draft a bill. Besides, he knows what items would be deal killers for each side, and he cautioned the lawmakers not to include them because they could derail the whole process. As for Trumps own view on guns, he displayed a lot of common sense when he asked how it is that someone has to wait until he turns 21 to legally purchase a handgun, but he can buy a rifle at 18. This includes the high-powered, semi-automatic AR-15 that is increasingly the gun of choice for mass murder. Gun proponents argue that young people between the ages of 18-21 may like to hunt, and they have the right to do so. But while the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, it doesnt say anything about purchasing them. Someone may have to do that for you. In fact, when I was 16, I had a small-caliber hunting rifle because my dad bought me one. And if you havent yet reached a certain age, your parent or guardian is free to buy you a gun if they think youre responsible enough to handle one. Finally, while it angered many conservatives, Trump may well have the law on his side when he talked about getting around due process and finding a way to let family members immediately take guns out of the hands of dangerous people and then go to court to petition for the right to seize them. There is a public-safety exception to constitutional requirements of due process when going through the normal procedure could put peoples lives in danger. So noted the Supreme Court in a 1984 case called New York v. Quarles, which recognized that a police officer could be exempt from reading a suspect his Miranda rights consistent with the Fifth Amendment if there was an emergency. In the Quarles case, the officer had to find a loaded handgun in a public place. All in all, Trump performed quite well in the televised meeting over guns. So well that the liberal media is now desperately putting out another narrative suggesting that the president has backed off much of what he said at that discussion, under pressure from the NRA. The organization said as much to its members, but the White House denies that it has reversed course. With all the spin and competing agendas, its hard to know what to believe. Ultimately, results are what matter. Lets see some. E-mail: ruben@rubennavarrette.com. Copyright, The Washington Post Writers Group. His daily podcast, Navarrette Nation, is available through every podcast app. A small piece of land adjacent to where a church once stood in Mora County, considered by some to be a possible cemetery site, has been the object of litigation for months. Parties in the suit are now working on an agreement to split the disputed property in the tiny village of Guadalupita. The legal fight has pitted the Catholic Church and a group of Guadalupita residents on one side against some members of a well-known northern New Mexico family on the other. Quinn Scott Simons, attorney for four residents with land near the 0.3-acre tract, said that a settlement was reached, but details could change and a judge still has to sign off. A conference hearing is scheduled for April 11. The dispute has been heated enough that a deputy asked a Journal reporter-photographer team to stay off the small plot of land during a December visit, in order to avoid any trespassing issues. Last summer, Guadalupita residents Jacob and his son Jacob Jude Regensberg sued the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, the Mora Board of County Commissioners and several residents who claim ownership of the parcel near where the historic villages Our Lady of Guadalupe Church stood from 1861 until the 1960s. The residents involved in the case fought the Regensbergs claim in part because they say the sacred spot, described as a community space, could be the site of unmarked graves. In December, Jacob Regensberg told the Journal a 2013 land survey proved the land was part of his property. He maintained that the archdioceses deed to the land, dating from the 19th century, wasnt accompanied with a survey and that there is no proof of any burials in the disputed area. An unofficial settlement agreement from January, which was obtained by the Journal, says that the archdiocese will issue a quiet claim deed to the Regensbergs for half of the contested area. The archdiocese just didnt want to spend any more money on legal fees said Clarence Garcia, a Guadalupita resident who sided with the church in the court proceedings on behalf of his cousin Benjamin Martinez. Martinez lives in Colorado but had a claim to a small piece of land near the land in dispute. Garcia said legal costs were also rising for the residents. Tom Macken, the archdioceses chancellor, property manager and attorney, did not return messages seeking comment. Jude Regensberg declined to comment on specifics of the agreement, but he said he did not want to settle and wished to tell his side of the story in court. He said he agreed to settle out of respect for his father. He wanted this to go away, he said. Garcia said the possibility of unmarked burial sites didnt have much impact on the mediation. He said the archdiocese told him about archival documents listing about 40 people buried in the contested area, adding that residents hope to research those names and contact potential descendants. An idea to use ground-penetrating radar to look for graves is not being pursued because of costs and complication from the litigation and the fact that Guadalupita is part of a large rural historic district, Garcia said. Mora County Commission Chair Paula Garcia said of the agreement that she hopes that the small tract remains open and accessible if there are indeed gravesites there. The land includes part of a dirt road that leads to the homes of some of the nearby residents involved in the court case. The draft agreement states the Regensbergs will grant easement to those owners and to the archdiocese, and the Regensbergs might install cattle guards so it remains open and unrestricted. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Valley High School teacher Nicole Vigil has a Road to Success poster in her classroom with inspirational sayings to push students to their end goals. On the poster, framed with the black and white markings of a street, the sayings include Always set realistic goals and Commit to excellence. Valley High students continued on that road last year. The North Valley high school saw the biggest jump in graduation rates of 7.9 percentage points among Albuquerque Public Schools 13 traditional high schools. Valleys graduation rate for 2017 was 75.2 percent. It was one of nine traditional high schools whose graduation rates rose from the previous year. Valley principal Anthony Griego credited the work of counselors and early transcript reviews as reasons for the higher rate. Our counselors start meeting with the kids right away when we do transcript reviews, the principal of 18 years said. So, they can review where theyre at credit-wise and offer them different options to make up the credit in a timely manner. There are three counselors at Valley, which has about 1,075 students, according to Griego. The counselors are assigned to students alphabetically, allowing them to stay with the same students and their families throughout the students high school careers. Griego also pointed to teachers efforts to keep gradebooks which both parents and students have access to continuously and quickly updated as a reason Valleys grad rates are looking up. APS spokeswoman Johanna King said district schools use a system called Synergy. The system tracks attendance and grades. Griego said progress reports used to be sent out to parents every four weeks, which gave students less time to try to improve their grades. But with the new system, students and parents can track progress more actively. The district expectation is to keep Synergy updated regularly, but Griego says Valley has seen the positive effects of updating roughly once a week. Its great to see with all these efforts weve been doing over time that weve actually got to see the growth, he said. Four of the traditional high schools rates dropped from the previous year: Albuquerque High School, Highland High School, Rio Grande High School and West Mesa High School. Rio Grande had the biggest drop of 4.8 percentage points with a graduation rate of 61 percent. You look at the number with a negative sign in front of it and just wonder what else can we possibly do, Rio Grande principal Amanda DeBell said. DeBell, who has been principal at Rio Grande for four years, said that initiatives are in place to kick that rate up. She pointed to a ninth-grade academy that was launched last year. Its in a separate building and aims to help ease the transition into high school. DeBell said ninth-grade attendance has improved by 10 percent and the number of students failing has decreased by about 3.6 percent. She said more data showing exactly who is graduating would ramp up efforts further. What Im really waiting for is some data that comes from the state about subgroups, so I can see why and where we dropped so much, DeBell said. New Mexico Public Education Department data is broken down into subgroups by district but not by individual schools. I think one of the factors that plays into our school is the rate of mobility, she said. DeBell explained that kids will cycle in and out of Rio Grande, and it seems like those kids fall off our data. She said she believes that tracking students who leave the school and come back would create a more accurate picture of four-year graduation data. We are working our tails off no matter what, she said. Among traditional high schools, La Cueva High School maintained the best graduation rate at 87.4 percent, up from 2016s high of 84.9 percent. Highland High School had the lowest rate at 54.2 percent, which is 3.6 percentage points lower than the prior year. Showing a slight decline was the rate for Hispanic grads in all APS high schools 0.2 percentage points lower than the previous year. Hispanic students had a 65.8 percent 2017 graduation rate. But most other populations Native American, African American, Asian and Caucasian students saw an increase in graduation rates. African-American students saw the biggest increase with an 11.2 percentage point climb in one year. The graduation rate for African-American students was 65.2 percent last year. APS class of 2017, including APS-authorized charter schools, had a 67.9 percent grad rate, compared with 66.2 percent for 2016. I am pleased with the steady progress we are making in Albuquerque Public Schools, Superintendent Raquel Reedy wrote in a statement. More and more students are graduating from our schools each year. We fully intend to stay on this positive course with a goal of making it possible for all of our students to earn a high school diploma. The 1.7 percentage-point uptick in 2017 is lower than the rise APS saw from 2015 to 2016 of 4.5 percentage points, according to NMPED data. APS rate is lower than the statewide graduation rate of 71.1 percent. Both rates remain lower than the national average of 83 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Province 2 has lowest generation capacity Province 2 among the seven provinces has the lowest electricity generation capacity in the medium term accounting for a mere 0.2 percent of the countrys total power generation capacity in the near future. An anti-abortion group based in Albuquerque has persuaded the New Mexico Medical Board to open a formal review into the actions of the owner of one of the nations few clinics that perform late-term abortions. A news release Thursday from Bud and Tara Shaver, of Abortion Free New Mexico, announced the decision by the executive committee of the state board that oversees physicians to launch a formal review of the death of an Albuquerque woman. The woman died Feb. 4, 2017, after she underwent an abortion at Curtis Boyds clinic, Southwestern Womens Options. There was no immediate response to Journal requests for comment from Boyd or the clinic Thursday. Last year, the state Office of Medical Investigator concluded the 23-year-old woman, who wasnt identified, died unexpectedly after she was in the final stage of a third-trimester abortion at Boyds clinic in Downtown Albuquerque. The autopsy, decried as a whitewash by the Shavers last year, concluded that her death was attributed to her pregnancy, not the abortion. The OMI said the woman died from large blood clots in her lungs. She also had an infection from the abortion process, the OMI ruled. The woman, during her abortion procedure, developed abdominal pain, elevated heart rate and difficulty maintaining normal blood oxygen levels. That led the clinic to take her to University Hospital, according to the OMI autopsy. This is the second time since 2012 that anti-abortion activists have complained to the state Medical Board, made up mostly of physicians appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez, about Boyd or his clinic operations. The last case involved Dr. Shelley Sella, who worked at the clinic. It evolved from a formal review to a public notice of contemplated action in which the medical board prosecutor accused Sella of gross negligence in treating a 26-year-old woman who had a uterine rupture during a late-term abortion in 2011. Sella was accused of administering excessive uterine stimulants to the patient, who traveled to New Mexico from her home in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the procedure at Southwestern Womens Options clinic. That complaint resulted in a full-blown board investigation and an administrative hearing on whether Sella breached the standard of care. The board exonerated Sella in 2013. A medical board spokeswoman didnt respond to a Journal request for information about the current inquiry. But a copy of the medical boards letter to the Shavers, which they released Thursday, says that the boards executive committee reviewed their complaint dated Dec. 12, 2017. It doesnt recite the allegations, but the Shavers news release said the complaint relates to the death of the 23-year-old woman. The boards executive committee determined that the allegations contained in it warrant further formal review to determine whether the licensee is in violation of the (New Mexico) Medical Practice Act. Typically, board actions prior to the filing of a notice of contemplated action are confidential. The website for the clinic says that it performs abortions up to 28 weeks of pregnancy, with later abortions available in cases of maternal or fetal indications. OK, Santa Fe. Weve seen how ranked-choice voting works. Alan Webber bested four other candidates for mayor in the fourth and final round, which he won in a landslide in an instant runoff. Using first-choice ballots as a guide, he also would have come out the mayor-elect under Santa Fes previous voting system, where a simple plurality the most votes, majority or not was all that was needed. Webber got 39.2 percent of the first-place votes in the initial round, compared to 24.4 percent for Councilor Ron Trujillo, who also was second place in the fourth and final round won by Webber. Although it took all night to come up with a final result, there didnt seem to be any major problems or polling place confusion with ranked-choice voting. Everybody says the software worked. Only 52 of more than 20,000 votes cast a big turnout for city election were overvotes with two candidates ranked in the same position. Councilor Peter Ives was the first go, with 6 percent in the first round, and Councilor Joseph Maestas was the second out. He got 8 percent of first-choice ballots and just went up to 8.9 percent when the second-choice candidates of Ives voters were distributed to the rest of the field. The third round, it turned out, was the most interesting. Trujillo beat out school board member Kate Noble by only half a percentage point, 89 votes, to move on to the conclusive final round against Webber. The overwhelming majority of the votes that Noble had collected went to Webber and gave him a runaway win over Trujillo. Its reasonable to suggest, considering demographics, campaign dynamics and the different backgrounds of the candidates, that less of the Trujillo vote would have gone to Webber if Noble had somehow made it into the final round instead of Trujillo. The final, fourth round could have been much closer. And maybe at some point, the citys RCV system will be able provide the kind of transparency that would answer those kinds of hypotheticals, without some enterprising news organization having to sort through all 5,600 or so votes that were in the Trujillo column by Round 3 to see. At some point, Santa Feans need to step back and assess RCV. The voting method seems perfectly designed for a race with a third-party or outsider candidate. With RCV, you could vote for Jill Stein for president, make Hillary Clinton your second choice and not risk throwing the election to Donald Trump. In Santa Fes case, there was no outsider candidate who was on the ballot as a mere spoiler. RCV let us rank five candidates from first to last, but in the end, ranked choice in this particular Santa Fe election just produced the same result as a plurality election. The publicity over ranked choice, and the citys expensive but necessary education campaign to explain RCV, did probably helped spark interest and drive up turnout. Arguably, a traditional, two-candidate runoff a couple of weeks after the election would have allowed for sharper distinctions to be drawn than when five candidates make nice as they campaign for second- and third-place votes under RCV. And, again arguably, a strong outsider candidate (like populist Debbie Jaramillo in the 1990s) may have a better chance of winning with a plurality than winning through the RCV process. So theres a lot to consider, even after the New Mexicos first-ever RCV election went off smoothly and the sky didnt fall. Maybe after another RCV election or two, the City Different can rank ranked choice and decide if it wants to keep it forevermore. I cried on the way home. After my first Democratic ward meeting, I was mourning our democracy. In the Democratic Party, delegates are elected to represent districts of their county known as wards. These delegates go on to represent you at the partys pre-primary convention, during which candidates for the primary are voted onto the ballot and a policy platform for the state is determined. My ward, 4D, met at the Center for Progress and Justice. While standing in line to get my ballot, I watched volunteers for gubernatorial candidates hand people preprinted cheat sheets of names. They then told attendees to write those lists of names on their ballot as their votes for delegates. Attendees were also asked to write these names in various orders, due to an unusual voting system that wasnt explained to any of us. As a result, most people had written down their votes before the meeting had begun. After the meeting started, those nominated as delegates werent given a chance to address the room. I witnessed several other acts which I later learned fall within the Democratic Party of New Mexicos rules: filling in names on other peoples voting cards; nominating people who were not present; keeping people in the final running after they had left early; and the card trick drawing the last two delegates by pulling playing cards from a suspiciously small deck. Some of the ward meetings business did in fact violate the rules and guidelines for the Santa Fe County Democratic Party. I stood in front of the ward chair while she told a woman she could leave her ballot with someone else before the meeting began, which seems at the county level to qualify as proxy voting. And a representative of Congresswoman Michelle Lujan-Grisham, not a member of my ward, was recorded on video writing on other peoples ballots after the meeting started, with state Democratic Party official sitting in the same row. These grievances might feel like a small and petty list from the observance of small and petty actions, but they are symptoms of a larger problem we need to address: Our habits are selfish and undemocratic. Since President Donald Trump got elected, local activism and engagement across the country has increased after several decades of emptier and emptier meeting halls. Yet not many people recognize how their undemocratic even authoritarian behavior is burning bridges instead of building communities. After expressing my concerns from my own ward meeting, several people across New Mexico told me stories of rules being selectively enforced in favor of Congresswoman Lujan-Grishams campaign for governor, ward chairs trying to force people to vote for particular delegates, using these cheat sheets, and even paying people to be delegates. If that last accusation is true, ward members are selling their vote and are no better than the politicians they accuse of representing private interests rather than communities. Thats grass-roots corruption, not democracy. Duffy lives in Santa Fe Designs for the new contemporary annex of the New Mexico Museum of Art were unveiled Thursday, along with a huge donation that will help fund the $10 million project. The new museum facility, a conversion of the Railyards Halpin Building, which was once home to New Mexicos state archives, will be named Vladem Contemporary, after Ellen and Robert Vladem, who donated $4 million for the undertaking. The local philanthropists, who moved to Santa Fe from Chicago four years ago, say they are lovers of the arts. Robert Vladem is secretary of the board of Santa Fe Opera, which the couple has also supported. Ellen and I really wanted to find something that would be a gift to the entire community in totality, Robert Vladem said. With the couples donation, the museum project has $7.7 million in hand toward the $10 million total estimated cost. Museum of New Mexico Foundation President and CEO Jamie Clements said the Vladems gift is one of the largest in Santa Fes history. He said the foundations Centennial Campaign has a year to raise the remaining $2.3 million. The plan is to break ground in early 2019 and have Vladem Contemporary open by 2020. During Thursdays unveiling, architects from Albuquerque-based architecture firms DNCA Architects and Studio GP touted the designs focus on natural light and functionality and making the museum a gateway to the citys art scene for those coming to Santa Fe by train. The two firms were awarded the design contract in July after a nationwide call. The design for the 35,000-square-foot museum makes use of the existing 1917 warehouse facility known for its colorful mural by Gilberto Guzman along Guadalupe and its basement. Devandra Contractor, leader of the project at DNCA, said its raw, industrial quality will be preserved, but the remodel and additions will reflect the needs of a contemporary art museum. The fate of the mural is up in the air. Contractor said its preservation would be expensive, and that wall may be used as an opportunity for other community art. An addition over the old warehouse will provide a second story. While the Halpin warehouse is aligned with the train tracks, the addition will align with the street grid, oriented diagonally on top of the original building. Parts of the additions exterior will be lined with scrim, or perforated metal, which helps bring in and control natural light. Fundamentally, our design is really about light, said Graham Hogan, principal at StudioGP. So many artists are drawn to New Mexico and inspired by our incredible quality of light we have here in New Mexico. Its an amazing resource we want to capitalize on. Openings in the floor of the second story will allow natural light from the top-floor windows to reach the first floor, and the main floors gallery space will have skylights. Hogan said the natural light also helps with the projects energy-saving sustainability plan. Vladem Contemporary will have two entrances: one on Montezuma and a south entrance closer to the Santa Fe Depot. A central lobby space on the main floor will connect the two entrances, with a gallery space and an educational area designed to be used for both creating art and lectures on either side. If you take the Railrunner in, this space becomes a first point of arrival into the city and announces the city as a place for art, Contractor said. He said the south entrance facing the depot will also have what he called storefront-like exhibition spaces for visitors to view artwork outside. The exterior will also include plaza-like areas, a separate cafe building and a grove terrace that can be used for museum events or everyday visitors. The second floor will have an additional gallery, a space where visitors can schedule times to look at items from the museum collection that are not on display and artist-in-residence studios. The rooftop terrace, Contractor said, will have views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Plaza, including the original New Mexico Museum of Art. The basement level will be used for collection storage, exhibition prep and workshop space. Museum director Mary Kershaw praised the designs mixture of real functionality and absolute beauty. Because the main floor lobby goes through the middle and stairs to the second floor lead directly to the rooftop terrace, it will allow museum staff to host evening events without having to keep all of the galleries open. It makes it possible to do a lot more, she said. New Mexicos congressional delegation is worried about President Donald Trumps decision to hike tariffs on steel and aluminum. Members of both parties warned of a trade war as a result of his action, which includes exemptions for Canada and Mexico. Steel imports would see a 25% higher tariff while aluminum tariffs would be 10 percent higher. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said the tariffs might not have a major direct impact in New Mexico but they were not well-conceived. Although these tariffs may have limited direct impact in New Mexico, the process the uncertainty and rhetoric leading up to today is a clear example of the dysfunction in the White House, Udall said. While the tariffs President Trump plans do not appear to apply to Mexico and Canada for now, the threat is real. Border trade empowers New Mexicos economy, and any change of our relationship with Mexico because of tariffs or the renegotiation of NAFTA must protect the thousands of working New Mexicans whose livelihoods depend on stable trade relations with Mexico. Sen. Martin Heinrich, ranking Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, agreed. Tariffs can be an appropriate punitive tool when people are cheating the system, however, Im not sure the administration has thought this through, he said. They seem to be taking a sledge hammer to a problem that needs a more surgical approach. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat running for governor of New Mexico, called the tariff hike short-sighted and could result in economic pain for New Mexico farmers. The President has an obligation to uphold fair trade policies, but threatening trade wars against our allies is dangerous, short-sighted, and will make it harder for U.S. businesses to compete abroad, she said. Retaliatory actions would especially harm agricultural businesses in New Mexico and will only increase costs on consumers. Rep. Steve Pearce, a Republican also running for governor, said hed try to ensure the tariffs dont hurt the state. The biggest priority as a Congressman representing New Mexico is ensuring our local businesses are not adversely impacted by what the finalized package of tariffs includes and how it is applied, Pearce said. Although there is a need to ensure American competitiveness against countries that have in the past taken advantage of our trade relationships, I will not support putting our businesses at a disadvantage and raising prices on our consumers. Rest assured, as the administration works to move forward their tariff package, I will be a vocal advocate for actions that benefit New Mexico businesses. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., called the rollout of the tariffs confusing. I believe that we must do more to keep jobs here in the United States, Lujan said. This includes steel and aluminum manufacturing jobs which have been battered by Chinas unfair trade practices for years. While the confusing manner in which the President made this decision has done little to reassure American workers or calm international tensions, I believe that we must protect the livelihoods of domestic steel and aluminum workers. These jobs and the steel and aluminum they produce are critical to our economy especially airplane and ship building, along with the construction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. BAYARD, N.M. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau investigated threats made by a student towards a teacher at Snell Middle School in Bayard on Monday, March 5, 2018. The initial investigation determined that a fourteen-year-old male student at the school posted a video message on his social media threatening a teacher. The threat indicated the student would commit acts of violence against the teacher if his grade was not raised. In an interview with NMSP investigators the student admitted to posting the threats. After conferring with the Grant County District Attorneys office and Juvenile Probation Office, the student was arrested and booked into the Luna County Juvenile Detention Center on the following charges: * Extortion (felony, third degree) * Assault upon a school employee (misdemeanor) * Interference with the educational process (misdemeanor) This incident remains under investigation with no further information available as of 4:27 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. The identity of the juvenile suspect and the victim will not be released by State Police. 2018 The Deming Headlight (Deming, N.M.) Visit The Deming Headlight (Deming, N.M.) at www.demingheadlight.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. _____ Every January, Aaron McDevitt forgoes getting his hair cut. The firefighter usually keeps his hair closely cropped because of his job. Yet, for nearly three months, he grows out his hair in order to get it shaved for charity. McDevitt is one of dozens who participate in the New Mexico Firefighters Event for the St. Baldricks Foundation. The event has been raising money to help fund research to find a cure for cancers affecting children. It features firefighters, police officers, EMTs and others throughout our community shave their head in solidarity to these young warriors. The original event began in Albuquerque in 2007 but has been held in Rio Rancho since 2010. McDevitt has participated for 10 years and on Sunday at the Santa Ana Star Center, the event will mark its 11th anniversary. I have a real passion for children and Im a big kid at heart, he said. Hearing about the event really tugged at my heartstrings. These children are having to battle a terrible disease. This years goal is to raise $40,000. As of Friday, the teams have raised nearly $22,000. McDevitt said there are 79 participants signed up to get shaved and 14 teams. In 2017, there were 120 participants who got their heads shaved. There were 18 teams who raised more than $69,000. Every year, we have a handful of women that cut and shave their hair, he said. Thats a big deal. Being a guy, its not that big of a deal. These women are phenomenal for doing this. To learn more or to donate visit, www.stbaldricks.org/events/NMFirefighters2018/participants#content McDevitt said the event will also have a technical rescue challenge. Its a statewide event and we like to get other departments involved, he said. The technical rescue is to draw in some of the other fire departments in the state. If you go WHAT: New Mexico Firefighters fundraising event for the St. Baldricks Foundation WHEN: Noon-4 p.m. Sunday WHERE: Santa Ana Star Center, 3001 Civic Center Circle NE, Rio Rancho NEW YORK The Latest on the sentencing of Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli (all times local): 2:45 p.m. The attorney for convicted fraudster Martin Shkreli (SHKREL-ee) says his client is doing fine after he was sentenced to seven years in prison. Ben Brafman had asked the judge for a sentence of 18 months or less because his investors in two failed hedge funds got all of their money back. Prosecutors recommended 15 years. U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto (KEE-yoh maht-soo-MOH-toh) says his sentence did not reflect his antics outside the courtroom, like jacking up the cost of a lifesaving HIV drug. But she did say his crimes were serious and he needed to be held accountable. Brafman says the sentence could have been worse. But hes upset his client will be behind bars for so long. Shkrelis family didnt comment. ___ 2 p.m. The self-promoting Pharma Bro vilified for jacking up the price of a lifesaving drug has been sentenced to prison for securities fraud. Pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli (SHKREL-ee) was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison by U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto (KEE-yoh maht-soo-MOH-toh) after he was convicted last year of lying to investors in two failed hedge funds. Shkreli cried as he told the judge that he made many mistakes and he apologized to investors. His attorney argued that he deserved 18 months or less and shouldnt be punished for being outspoken. The judge says she did not take his outside actions into account. Shkreli had been free on bail until a judge jailed him for offering a $5,000 bounty to anyone who could get a lock of Hillary Clintons hair last year. He remains in custody. ___ 12:30 p.m. Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli is crying as he tells a judge preparing to sentence him that he made many mistakes. The pharmaceutical executive apologized to investors he defrauded in a securities fraud conviction. He says he is the only person to blame and not the media, government, nor his business partners. He says he hopes to get a chance to make amends and learn from his mistakes. Prosecutors want him sentenced to 15 years in prison, while his defense attorney argued he only deserves 18 months because his investors in two failed hedge funds got their money back. ___ 12:20 p.m. A federal prosecutor says Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli (SHKREL-ee) should be sentenced to 15 years, not because he is the most hated man in America, but because hes a criminal convicted of serious fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said Friday that the judge must also consider the history and characteristics of the defendant. She says the pharmaceutical CEO has no respect whatsoever for the law or the court proceedings. Shkreli became notorious for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent and trolling critics online. But he was convicted in a separate securities fraud case. His lawyers asked for 18 months because his investors in two failed hedge funds got all of their money back. U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto (KEE-yoh maht-soo-MOH-toh) will decide Friday. ___ 11:30 a.m. A defense lawyer for Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli (SHKREL-ee) says his client shouldnt be sentenced to a more severe punishment because he is outspoken. Attorney Benjamin Brafman is speaking at the sentencing Friday for the pharmaceutical company CEO on a securities fraud conviction. Shkreli became notorious for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent and trolling critics online. Brafman says that sometimes he wants to hug Shkreli, and sometimes he wants to punch him in the face. He says his client has made his job more difficult by his online outbursts, but he shouldnt be punished for that. U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto (KEE-yoh maht-soo-MOH-toh) is weighing Brafmans request to sentence him to 18 months, or at least 15 years as prosecutors have requested. ___ 11:05 a.m. Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli (SHKREL-ee) is in the courtroom to be sentenced on a securities fraud conviction. A judge must weigh whether the pharmaceutical company CEO is a manipulator who conned wealthy investors or a misunderstood eccentric who made those same investors even wealthier. The defense wants the judge to give Shkreli a sentence of 18 months or less because his investors in two failed hedge funds got all of their money back. Prosecutors say he deserves at least 15 years behind bars for lying to them. Shkreli became notorious for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent and trolling critics on the internet with his snarky persona. ___ 12:03 a.m. Is Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli (SHKREL-ee) a manipulator who conned wealthy investors or a misunderstood eccentric who made those same investors even wealthier? A federal judge in Brooklyn will have to weigh the conflicting portrayals of the former pharmaceutical company CEO on Friday at his sentencing on a securities fraud conviction. The stakes are high: The defense wants the judge to give Shkreli a sentence of 18 months or less because his investors in two failed hedge funds got all of their money back. Prosecutors say he deserves at least 15 years behind bars for lying to them. Shkreli became notorious for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent and trolling critics on the internet with his snarky Pharma Bro persona. Province 4 CM Subba wins vote of confidence Chief Minister of Province 4 Prithvi Subba Gurung won a vote of confidence from the provincial Parliament on Friday. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Just 11 days before he was set for release from a juvenile detention center, Nehemiah Griego, who killed his parents and three siblings five years ago, learned that his case is being sent back before a judge for a hearing that could land him in adult prison, with a possible maximum 120 years. The reversal was issued in a state Court of Appeals ruling Friday in an appeal by the Attorney Generals Office attempting to get Griego reclassified and sentenced as an adult. Childrens Court Judge John Romero in 2016 found Griego, who was 15 when he killed his family, amenable to treatment and sentenced him as a juvenile after he pleaded guilty to second degree murder charges, among others. Fridays ruling doesnt fully overturn Romeros ruling, but it does require him to basically hold another hearing to determine if Griego is amenable to treatment. If so, Griego will be released, since he will have finished his juvenile sentence as of March 20. If not found amenable, Griego could be sentenced as an adult and face adult prison sanctions. Because the case is so unusual if not entirely unprecedented parties to the case on Friday were unsure of how exactly the next steps will unfold or what will happen to Griego if Romeros reconsideration is not complete by the time his March 20 release date passes (and it likely wont be, most parties in the case speculated Friday). Its one of the rare occasions of first impression, said state Attorney General Hector Balderas, referencing the legal term for issues that have never arisen. The Court (of Appeals) got it right in weighing public safety and weighing the treatment needs of Nehemiah. The ruling says that, in his first determination, Romero overlooked elements showing the teen was not amenable to treatment. This time, the judge must take into account the grisly nature of the crime in balance with other factors, such as Griegos history and psychology, along with expert testimony about the likelihood that Griego could be treated. He turns 21 on March 20. And this time, Romero will have access to records on how Griego has been progressing in juvenile prison for the last three years. Thus, the question the district court effectively must decide is whether (Griego) now twenty-one years old, has been rehabilitated or treated sufficiently to protect societys interests, Court of Appeals Judge Stephen French wrote in the court panels unanimous decision. The opinion also said that Romero abused his discretion when he arbitrarily disregarded unanimous expert testimony that Griego was not amenable to treatment by age 21, though experts said he was likely treatable with more time. The decision also requires Romero to give more weight this round to the nature of the crime than he did in his first consideration. The district courts refusal to consider, or even review and summarize the testimony about the crimes as it did the testimony concerning the other statutory factors, constitutes an abuse of discretion, the opinion reads. Legally speaking, abuse of discretion occurs when a judge goes clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances of the case. The ruling essentially reverts the case to the stage right before Griego was sentenced, at which point Griego was in custody. But the Children, Youth and Families Department, which runs the states juvenile detention system, cannot hold anyone past the 21st birthday. That means parties in Griegos case will have to figure out where he would be held, pending an outcome in Romeros rehearing or other court proceedings triggered by Fridays ruling. The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office, which will take over the case, said Friday it will seek to have Griego held in an adult detention facility, such as the county jail, while prosecutors attempt to get him sentenced as an adult, DA spokesman Michael Patrick said. In light of the Court of Appeals ruling in the remand for a new sentencing, we look forward to the opportunity to make a stronger presentation of the evidence as we seek to hold this individual accountable for his crimes and keep Nehemiah Griego behind bars where he belongs, Patrick wrote in a statement. Griegos public defender, Stephen Taylor, said Friday his legal team was working to make sense of the ruling and was considering the steps moving forward. It is possible they could appeal the ruling, but Taylor said its too early to speculate. A hearing in Griegos case had already been scheduled before Romero on Monday to address attempts by the 2nd District Attorneys Office to keep him incarcerated in the event the Court of Appeals had not ruled at all by March 20. Those attempts will likely be superseded by the rulings implications. CYFD spokesman Henry Varela said he expects the issue of where Griego will be held to be addressed at the Monday hearing. The hearing will likely not resolve the larger demands of the Court of Appeals ruling. WASHINGTON The Trump Organization has donated $151,470 in foreign government profits at its hotels and similar businesses last year to the U.S. Treasury, an executive said in a statement Friday. George Sorial, the executive vice president and chief compliance counsel, said the Feb. 22 voluntary donation fulfills the companys pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage while Donald Trump is president. The company said last week that it had made a donation but refused to disclose the amount or provide any other details, including how the figure was calculated and which foreign governments were involved. The Daily Mail first reported the figure on Friday. And while the U.S. Treasury has confirmed receipt of the check, it also did not provide any details. A representative for the Treasury declined to comment. The amount spent at the Trump-owned commercial properties became an issue of debate on social media as media organizations and watchdogs filed public records requests with the U.S. Treasury and lawmakers demanded answers. Ethics experts have challenged the methodology by which the Trump Organization determines its profits as incomplete and misleading. They could have paid 10 times more or 100 times more, and we would equally have no way to judge whether the amount paid reflects their actual profits or how they calculated it, and which governments have been patronizing Trump properties, said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. Earlier this year, Public Citizen found that foreign government advocacy groups were among the most high-profile interests using Trump properties dating back to the 2016 election. Although few records are available showing amounts spent by Trump Organization clients, Justice Department foreign agent records revealed that a public relations firm working with the Saudi government spent $270,000 for lodging and catering at the Trump D.C. hotel sometime between Oct. 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and other Malay officials also stayed at the hotel last September during an official visit, but no figure was made available for the stay. And Kuwaits ambassador booked the hotel for an undisclosed amount last February for an annual gala. Two pro-Turkish organizations that work to aid business and political relations between the U.S. and Turkey also booked the Trump hotel last May for an undisclosed amount. One of the host groups, the Turkey-U.S. Business Council, was chaired at the time by Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman who had hired Michael Flynns consulting firm in 2016 to perform lobbying and research. Fired by Trump after a brief stint as national security adviser, Flynn agreed late last year to aid the special counsels probe of Russian meddling into the 2016 election. Ethics experts have criticized the pledge Trump made at a news conference held days before his inauguration because it didnt include all his properties, such as his resorts, and left it up to Trump to define profit. The pledge was supposedly made to ameliorate the worry that Trump was violating the Constitutions emoluments clause, which bans the presidents acceptance of foreign gifts and money without Congress permission. Several lawsuits have challenged Trumps ties to his business ventures and his refusal to divest from them. The suits allege that foreign governments use of Trumps hotels and other properties violates the emoluments clause. Trumps attorneys have challenged the premise that a hotel room is an emolument but announced the pledge to do more than what the Constitution requires by donating foreign profits at the news conference. As a privately held company, The Trump Organization isnt required to disclose its definition of profit. In its statement Friday, it said made its calculation according to our policy, but didnt say what that policy was. It also cited an accounting standard called the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, but that standard doesnt provide a definition for profit, Hanson said. In an eight-page pamphlet provided by the Trump Organization to the House Oversight Committee in May, the company provided more details. It said it would send the Treasury only profits obviously tied to foreign governments, and not ask guests questions about the source of their money because that would impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand. Public Citizen sent a letter to the Trump Organization last month because their methodology would seemingly not provide a donation from any unprofitable properties receiving foreign government revenue. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, asked the Treasury in a letter sent Thursday to provide details on the payment, including a breakdown of how the payment was processed and whether any conditions were attached to it. Hotel management professor Bjorn Hanson said there is no commonly accepted definition of profits in the industry. The widely varying definitions means some hotels can show big profits, while others show very little, even if they are doing equally well. Some hotel companies, for instance, show lower profits than others because they subtract a host of costs interest on loans and estimates of future expenses for replacing wallpaper and sheets that others ignore. I teach hotel finance, and I tell my students, Dont ever use the term profit,' said Hanson, professor of hospitality and tourism management at New York University. People wont know what you mean.' ___ AP Writer Bernard Condon in New York contributed to this report. Follow Tami Abdollah on Twitter at https://twitter.com/latams The 2018 edition of ad:tech New Delhi commenced its 8th edition yesterday (March 8) at The Leela Ambience, Gurugram. Global giants, including Google, Adobe, PepsiCo, and Future Group, among other prominent brands, advertising agencies, and publishers attended the inaugural day of the summit. International presence bolstered with players from Japan, China, Israel, Russia, and the US showcased and discussed the technological innovations in the post advertising era. In-depth discussions highlighting Whats New and Whats Next in the Post- Advertising Era elated the first day of the summit, with brands showcasing the best practices along with next-gen practices to better connect with the end consumer. Key themes on the first day of the event included The Science and Magic of Storytelling, Engagement by Technology, How Brands Grow Using Data Tech and Machine Learning, The Right Measure of Mobile Whats New in Mobile Measurement and several others. Experts across sectors exhibited their perspective and encounters on how they function in an offered circumstance which has evolved with the technology coming into the forefront to determine an issue to enhance ROI and experience. Commenting on the praiseworthy showcase by players across segments, Jaswant Singh, Country MD at Comexposium India, said, We are astounded to witness that tech that is out there, tools and facts available to the marketers today prepared for the post advertising era. The 8th edition brought together more than 90 companies from across the globe to exhibit whats new and whats next in the Post-Advertising Era. Over the years, ad:tech has developed as an incubator for both international brands and startups aspiring to make a significant mark in the Indian market. Atin Kulkarni, Global Head, Media & Content Innovation CoE, Pepsico, in his key note session explained the magic of the insights drawn from the data and the impact it created on customer with a personalised experience. He stated that 44 per cent of consumers globally expect personalised experience. While sharing his views on leading ad campaigns leveraging Data, Kulkarni added, Data is unlocking the opportunity to seamlessly integrate brands into consumers lives. Matt Bruce, General Manager, Adobe India, in his session on Turbocharging Customer Experience with AI, stated that More than 50 per cent of the businesses are prioritising AI. He further added, The Post Advertising Era is all about experiences and not exposures anymore. 80 per cent of marketing executives believe that AI will revolutionise the marketing industry by 2020. Day 2 of the Summit will have sessions on automation, innovation, integrating AI, Machine learning and building brands the Indian way by renowned brands like Nestle, Google, Oath, Philips, and Hero Motor Corp, among others. To read more visit here. Good stories require art & science, creativity & data, and a good sprinkle of magic, according to Atin Kulkarni, Global Head, Media & Content Innovation CoE, PepsiCo. In his keynote address titled The Science and Magic of Storytelling on the opening day of ad:tech Delhi 2018, Kulkarni said that marketing is all about storytelling. Good stories are always remembered and that requires art and science, creativity and data. Today, we have an enhanced power with so many emerging technologies which can definitely help us to combine data, he added. At the same time, great stories with great power and interest come with great responsibility. Responsibilities such as building love and emotional connect with the consumers, being on top of the consumers mind and heart, creating top culture and delivering the agenda. Not specifically to the consumers, but to the society in generic. Big shifts have happened that make this a reality. In 2010, the number of things connected to the Internet exceeded the number of people on earth. For consumers, a more personalised experience designs for their likes, interest and desires. For marketers, one of the most exciting shifts is happening in this space today. To reiterate his point, Kulkarni noted that 44 per cent of consumers globally expect personalised experience. While sharing his views on leading ad campaigns leveraging Data, he added, Data is unlocking the opportunity to seamlessly integrate brands into consumers lives. He further said, At PepsiCo, we have made a huge shift across the ecosystem. We have an army of experts who help us, including Audiences, Content, Business Intelligence and Capacity building. PepsiCo is ready with a large view of connected data to deliver relevant insights. The Pepsi Generation campaign has leveraged the power of these insights. Pepsi Thailand has used programmatic engine to deliver 500+ creatives to the audiences. Our opportunity is to accelerate this journey across PepsiCo globally. To Read More Visit Here. Customer Logins Obtain the data you need to make the most informed decisions by accessing our extensive portfolio of information, analytics, and expertise. Sign in to the product or service center of your choice. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Resham Chaudharys health deteriorates as his hunger strike enters day 6 The health condition of Rastriya Janata Party lawmaker Resham Chaudhary, who has been staging an indefinite hunger strike at Kailali district prison for the past six days, has been deteriorating. Questions have emerged about whether the US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued new licenses to Canadian plane manufacturer Bombardier Inc. to sell passenger aircraft to Iran. If true, it would be the first such approval since President Donald Trump took office and comes at a time when Tehran is trying to overcome financing challenges associated with aircraft deals signed in the aftermath of its nuclear accord with the six world powers. Morteza Sheikhzadeh, a spokesman for Irans Qeshm Free Area Organization, told Al-Monitor that Bombardier has reportedly received a license to supply 10 regional CRJ series jets to the organization for its soon-to-be-launched airline, Fly Qeshm. We and the Canadian company are reviewing the drafted contract, but we havent exchanged the papers as of yet, Sheikhzadeh said. OFAC licenses for these sales were issued recently. Bombardier did not respond to Al-Monitors request for comment, and a Treasury spokesperson declined to comment on the license, citing trade secrets protections and other considerations. Over the past two years, requests concerning permits to export planes to Iran have been piling up at the Treasury Department. In addition to Bombardier, a number of other companies have been in talks with Iranian airlines to sell them planes US firm Boeing, France-based Airbus, French-Italian ATR, Brazils Embraer and the Russian JSC Sukhoi Company. Washingtons green light is required for sales of aircraft to Iran when more than 10% of the components are supplied by US companies. OFAC has not responded to aircraft sales licensing requests since the first of such licenses were issued during the Barack Obama administration. IranAir has ordered 100 planes from Airbus as well as 80 jets from Boeing since signing the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2015. ATR has also inked an extendable contract with IranAir to supply 20 regional turboprops. Meanwhile, Boeings contract to sell Iran Aseman Airlines 30 737 Max jets, with an option for 30 more, is pending US permits. OFACs reported action on Bombardiers order could potentially be a positive development as far as the pending contracts are concerned. The bigger picture here is that this has the potential to allow Boeing to argue its business case so that it can sell jets to IranAir and Iran Aseman Airlines, Saj Ahmad, the chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, told Al-Monitor. Bombardiers deal will pale into insignificance in contrast, and that's why Boeing will want the same approval to get things moving. The omens look good right about now, but we know that the OFAC approval will hinge on many variables that could easily derail things. A closed office The Treasury Departments delay in issuing licenses has changed the prospects for ATR, which in the aftermath of the nuclear deal had been optimistic about doing business in the emerging Iranian market. In May 2016, the company estimated that Iran had the capacity for 60-70 of its aircraft, but uncertainty over the OFAC permits forced it to hold back on supplies to Iran Aseman Airlines in particular, a senior ATR executive previously told Al-Monitor. They [Aseman] have six ATRs, and we are supporting those six planes, said the executive, who requested anonymity. We are also discussing the future of cooperation, but OFAC today, it is a closed office. So we do not know when we can tell Aseman, Please engage with us. Were going to deliver brand-new aircraft. The Trump administrations policy toward Iran has created uncertainty for numerous businesses seeking to operate in Iran. In particular, Trump's harsh criticism of the JCPOA has not gone unnoticed. On Jan.12, Trump acknowledged that Iran was complying with the terms of the deal when he signed a series of sanctions waivers. Yet he warned that he will not do so again on May 12 unless Congress and European signatories to the JCPOA take measures to ease his concerns, particularly those related to Irans missile program and its regional influence. The prospect of the United States reneging on the nuclear deal has further muddied the waters for companies like ATR. Today, we do not have any visibility, the ATR source told Al-Monitor. So we are saying, Lets study, lets get prepared. As soon as we have the visibility, we will go forward. Trumps posture toward Iran has also generated concerns about Boeings Iranian orders. Asked by Al-Monitor if the deals with the American company were at risk, Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran, played down the possibility, pointing to Boeings eagerness to execute the contracts. We have not received any indication from Boeing implying there is an issue related to their contracts, Abedzadeh said. They seem determined. Money matters Besides OFAC, financing the deals still poses a major challenge. Spooked by the Trump administrations stance toward Iran and the nuclear deal, large European banks and financial institutions are declining to finance big business deals. Nonetheless, Iran does not see financing as a significant obstacle. One major issue, however, is IranAirs inability to provide down payments, which airplane builders require before manufacturing begins. This might cause potential delays in future deliveries of both Airbus and Boeing jets. The flag carrier has used domestic financing to pay for the three Airbus and eight ATR planes it has so far received, but it is eyeing European credit for the remaining deliveries. In this vein, Italy recently signed an agreement to open a 5 billion euro ($6.2 billion) line of credit for Iran, and France has announced plans to open a 1.5 billion euro ($1.8 billion) line of credit to fund exports to the Islamic Republic. IranAir could use part of this credit for down payments to keep the deliveries coming. On the sidelines of a Euromoney Conference in Paris on Feb. 8, IranAir CEO Farzaneh Sharafbafi said the first brand-new Boeing would be delivered later this year, and the next Airbus would arrive in 2019. The plane deals were negotiated while the nuclear talks were ongoing, and it seems that their fate continues to be tied to the pact. What remains to be seen is the matter of Trumps decision on the JCPOA and what the European Union will do to persuade Washington to stay within the deal. Iran, for its part, has shown that it wants to keep the accord alive. Make the [deal] a successful experience, and then we will discuss other issues, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the Euromoney Conference, referring to Irans missile program. BAGHDAD On March 4, the Iraqi parliament completely disregarded the principle of consensus in place since 2003 and approved the general budget law by majority amid a Kurdish boycott and Shiite and Sunni objections to some sections. The budget, which was supposed to be approved before the end of last year, cuts the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) share to 12.5% from 17%. Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani called the reduction a clear violation of the principle of partnership. In addition, the budget did not include allocations to the Iraqi Kurdistan peshmerga or Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which some critics said was unfair since those groups had helped defeat the Islamic State. The Kurdish blocs plan to meet with Iraqi President Fuad Masum to discuss how the budget has worsened the situation between the Baghdad government and the KRG in Erbil. The situation reached the crisis stage after the Kurds overwhelmingly approved an independence referendum in September 2017 and Baghdad responded militarily. Despite their different points of view, Masum is working with the KRG parliament to find a unified stance. Ahmed Hama, a parliament member with the Kurdistan Alliance electoral coalition, told Al-Monitor, These negotiations will carry on until the situation is rectified," adding, We weren't the only ones to object. Other parties dismissed different paragraphs. There are legal ways to amend the budget. Meanwhile, Rezan Delir, a parliament member for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, said in a TV interview March 6 that she believes Kurds will withdraw from the political process until their demands are met. According to Mohsen Saadoun, a Kurdish Alliance member of parliament's Legal Committee, the Kurdish parties are counting on Masum to veto the budget, or they will have to challenge the law before the Federal Supreme Court. The budget law had certain constitutional violations, namely sending the KRGs budget to the four provinces of Kurdistan separately, instead of directly to the KRG government," Saadoun said. Reducing the KRGs share was not based on any legal text or official census that can be relied on to determine population ratios. However, Legal Committee member Bader al-Morshedi told Badr newspaper March 4 that the Kurdish blocs' appeal would have "no legal grounds that could help fulfill their demands, especially [regaining] the 17% share, which was initially granted to them by virtue of a political consensus." "The law is above any and every political consensus or agreement," he added. The president cannot veto the budget, and his ratification is only a formality. Even if he were to refrain from ratifying it, the budget becomes valid after the expiration of the period specified for ratification." To reduce or modify the budget, the government would have to propose another law to the parliament. Only then could Kurds negotiate again to amend the law or reach other solutions, such as the prime minister cutting expenditures to address the KRG budget deficit, which would only worsen the Baghdad-Erbil crisis. On March 6, Masum called for action after meeting with Jan Kubis, the UN's representative in Iraq. Masum said, The central and KRG governments desperately need to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the budget. The Baghdad-Erbil crisis is being aggravated by the closing of airports and border crossings, which the federal government wants to control. Baghdad also wants the income from all the oil extracted from the Kurdish provinces. However, as general elections scheduled for May approach, the budget becomes more and more of a bargaining chip or part of the political agreements that will follow the election. As for the PMU allocations, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi issued an order March 8 that PMU members and Iraqi soldiers be paid equal salaries, in a bid to calm the PMU factions along with the political parties that threatened to organize public protests. Meanwhile, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, the head of the PMU-affiliated, Iran-backed Shiite paramilitary group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, tweeted, The fact that PMU fighters are still treated as contractors and not as equals to security service officers, despite all the sacrifices they have made and regardless of all the religious authorities recommendations, is a real betrayal in every sense of the word. Iraqs general budget for 2018 is about $88 billion, with 3.8 million barrels of oil expected to be exported per day at $46 a barrel. The KRG provides 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day delivered to the national oil company Sumo, while the expected KRG deficit is about $10 billion. Other parts of Iraq's budget include the suspension of appointments in the parliament, the presidency, the Cabinets general secretariat, the prime minister's office and affiliated departments. In addition, the budget includes increasing the sales tax on mobile phone and internet services by 20% and crediting the revenues to the public treasury. SSF-N awaits left alliances decision on sharing power Having decided to join the KP Oli government, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N)the fifth largest party in the Federal Parliament, is cautiously waiting for the left alliances move on power sharing bid. When all is said and done, if you take a look at your protest and their protest, you really have to salute them. Theyre consistent. They followed their protest, their beliefs. Where there is belief, people succeed. They always win. The speaker is Yamin Suissa, a leader of the tent protest of 1977. His penetrating look at himself and his fellow protesters in the 1970s, compared to the settlers protests at the same time, is the most telling moment in the first episode of The Right to Shout, a new series that begins March 11 on Channel 8. This outstanding series by Uri Rosenwaks documents the main protest movements in Israel, using authentic archival material. The first episode, From Musrara to Sebastia, tells the stories of two protest movements that emerged in the early 1970s: the social protests of the Black Panther movement, founded by young Moroccan Jews living in Jerusalems poor Musrara neighborhood, and the protests of the religious nationalist settlers of the Gush Emunim settlement movement, whose Israeli-born founders came from well-to-do Ashkenazi families. One of their first attempts at settlement in the West Bank took place in 1974, near the Arab village of Sebastia. The Panthers wanted to provide a megaphone to the cries of the Mizrahim (Jews of Middle Eastern origin), who were suffering from discrimination. They wanted to force the government to redirect resources to them in order to improve their lives. Gush Emunim fought to settle the West Bank despite the governments opposition. They acted out of an ideological belief in the integrity of the Greater Land of Israel. The series tells stories of these two protest movements in tandem, following the chronological order of events. Ostensibly, there is no connection between these two groups of young people. They came from different backgrounds and fought for different goals. From the very beginning, however, the leaders of the Black Panthers made a point of comparing the vast government investment in thriving settlements to the people of the Second Israel, who were left behind when it came to government budgetary considerations. What is especially impressive is that this connection was made as early as the mid-1970s by the leaders of the Black Panthers themselves: Charlie Biton, Saadia Marciano and, later, Suissa. Despite their young age, they had already managed to identify the mistaken priorities of the various Israeli governments whether of the Likud or the left, both of whom spent vast sums on creating the enormous settlement enterprise. In one interview from 1977, the young Biton looks directly into the camera and says: I also want to address the party known as Gahal [the forerunner of the Likud], which gets all its votes from the Mizrahi community. What are you doing to get all those votes? You focus on Hebron, on [not] returning the territories. What about the people who support you? What about them? The question that Biton was asking back then is still being asked today, at least on the left of the political spectrum. How is it possible that Mizrahim continue to vote for the right? After all, it does not put their well-being at the top of its agenda, certainly not when compared to the vast sums poured by the right wing over the years into the construction of the settlements. The archival footage of the Black Panthers is inspiring. It is riveting to see how innovative and innocent they were at the time. Those young people, the children of Moroccan immigrants, showed remarkable inner strength as they faced off against the establishment. And while courageously facing off the establishment, at the heat of their struggle, they came to the realization that Gush Emunim and the settlements succeeded in their campaign, while they failed to make any meaningful changes to the reality of their lives. The Panthers watched as the settlements prospered. They could only wish that the government would invest the same amounts of money in their sector. Meanwhile, the leaders of Gush Emunim never considered the Panthers to be a threat or even worthy of comparison, for that matter. The Panthers were invisible nothing more and nothing less as far as Gush Emunim was concerned. From its very beginning, news reports and interviews with the groups leaders show that Hanan Porat, Uri Elitzur, Benny Katzover and Rabbi Moshe Levinger showed that they could pressure the government effectively. They went from being a young group of extremists that clashed with the Israel Defense Forces to an effective and articulate leadership that negotiated with the government from a position of strength as Masters of the Land. In an interview from 1976, Hanan Porat told a reporter covering the various evacuations of the Sebastia outpost, The prime minister does not determine whether there will be settlements in the Land of Israel or not. It is the heartbeat of Zionist fulfillment. Later in the interview, he asked the reporter: Have you ever seen what happens when a bird is chased away from its home? It returns again and again. It doesnt give up until it gets back in. We do not intend to give up either until there is a Jewish settlement here. What sounded at first like the arrogant and overbearing rhetoric of a young man in a Jewish skullcap and military parka became the new reality. It happened during Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabins first term in office (1974-1977). Defense Minister Shimon Peres was assigned to negotiate with the leadership of Gush Emunim and eventually gave the green light for the establishment of the settlement of Elon Moreh in 1976. One year later, there was a change of government, with right-wing Likud winning the elections for the first time since Israel was established. Menachem Begin, the new prime minister, announced that in the very near future there would be many more Elon Morehs. He fulfilled his promise, giving his support to the settlement enterprise led by late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The settlers announced from the very start that their protests would not consist of demonstrations. They would establish settlements instead, and they have been doing so faithfully and consistently, regardless of who was in power. Meanwhile, the Panthers may have been an outspoken group that managed to make waves, but over the years they failed to create a cohesive leadership. Even when Biton and Marciano were elected to the Knesset in 1977 and 1980, respectively, they were seen as little more than provocateurs. They failed to spearhead a pressure group that could force the government to accede to their demands. The first tent protest, led by Suissa, fell apart in much the same way. Suissa realized how successful the settlers protests were while they were still taking place. He called his protest Tent Ohel Moreh (Tent of Moreh), referencing the settlement of Elon Moreh. Nevertheless, he and his friends failed to get the message across that billions of shekels were being poured into the settlements at the expense of the weakest sectors of the population. Suissa and Biton didnt speak in terms of occupation and the political left. Though they were both members of left-wing parties, they preferred to focus on the social agenda. The problem they had was that their claim that money for the settlements came at the expense of starving children in the countrys impoverished neighborhoods never caught on. Almost four decades later, with anti-occupation nongovernmental organization Peace Now marking the 40th anniversary of its founding, it is safe to say that Gush Emunims victory is absolute in just about every parameter. Not only do 400,000 settlers now live in the West Bank, they are also established politically and hold the reins of power in government. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Palestinian Cabinet announced Feb. 27 in a statement it released after the end of its weekly video conference session in Ramallah and Gaza City new tax measures to increase local revenues. The statement noted that the 2018 budget amounts to $5.8 billion, with revenues of about $4 billion and foreign funding of $775 million. The increase in expenses will exceed the increase in revenues by 11%. As per the statement, these measures aim at curbing the 2018 budgetary deficit that accounts for $1 billion and at facing the dwindling foreign subsidies that the Palestinian Authority (PA) relies on to cover the deficit. Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said during budgetary deliberations with businessmen and representatives of civil society associations in Ramallah Feb. 19 that foreign subsidies for the Palestinian budget dropped by 70%, compared to 2010. The government's statement mentioned that the tax measures include developing the tax system through tax liability by widening the base of taxpayers, attracting new taxpayers and limiting tax evasion. According to the statement, the measures aim at adopting a fourth tax bracket instead of the three tax brackets in place since 2015 to promote social justice. The income tax ranges between 0% and 20%, but does not exceed 15% for the highest income levels. The statement noted that these measures would lead to a 10% increase in taxpayers and a 35% increase in tax revenues for the government in 2018. A high-ranking official in the Ministry of Finance told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the US threat to halt all financial aid to the PA was the main motive for the government to amend the tax system to support its budget. During his participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 26, US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off aid to the PA if it does not resume peace talks with Israel. The PA had announced its refusal for the United States to play the role of mediator in the talks after Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel on Dec. 6, 2017. The official said that the total US support for the PAs budget in 2017 did not exceed $67.5 million, dropping from $380 million in 2013. He added, The government decided to face US threats by defying them instead of caving in and by seeking to free itself from the conditional US support on political concessions by aiming to improve the tax system to make up for the budget deficit. Thus, this step constitutes a national project. Editor-in-chief of Al-Eqtesadia newspaper Mohammed Abu Jiab told Al-Monitor that the tax system amendments aim at widening the tax base by adding new taxpayers and achieving fiscal justice. He said that three income tax brackets have been in place since 2015. The first includes individuals whose annual income ranges between 0 and 75,000 Israeli shekels (0-$21,680) and pay 5% income tax. The second comprises those whose annual income ranges between 75,000 and 150,000 shekels ($21,680-$43,350) at a 10% tax rate. The third includes those whose yearly income is at least 150,000 shekels; they are taxed at 15%. Jiab noted, The third bracket constitutes the problem, as it is unfair for a small company that makes an annual income of 150,000 shekels such as private clinics and law firms to pay the same tax as large companies that make millions of dollars per year, such as Palestinian banks and telecommunication companies. He added, The amendment of the tax system would involve the inclusion of a fourth bracket targeting companies that earn 1 million shekels [$288,900] or more per year; they would have to pay a 20% tax rate. He said the fiscal measures would have a positive impact on the governments treasury. Maher al-Tabbaa, the director of public relations at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor, The fiscal amendments will have a negative effect on citizens although they target large companies. In fact, these companies might confront the increased taxes by raising the prices of products and services they offer to citizens who are already struggling with economic crises. Tabbaa added that the fiscal amendments will worsen the Palestinian economic crisis, especially in the Gaza Strip where unemployment reached 46.6% and poverty 65% in 2017. Meanwhile, 80% of Gazas citizens rely on food aid from the UN Relief and Works Agency and other international organizations. Economic expert Adel Samara, who holds a doctoral degree in politics and development from Exeter University in the United Kingdom, agrees that the governments attempt to curb its budget deficit by making fiscal amendments will have a catastrophic impact on the citizens. Samara told Al-Monitor, Imposing taxes happens everywhere around the world, and it is normal. But in the Palestinian territories the situation is different because there is no tangible Palestinian production effort that allows imposing taxes on Palestinian consumers. He said that the government does not use income tax funds that it collects efficiently, noting, The income tax should be spent on development projects, improvement of infrastructure and promotion of health and education services, roads and transportation, social welfare and retirement funds. Samara added, The government spends these taxes to pay the wages of its employees and to curb the deficit in its annual budget. For the implementation of development projects, it relies on global funds, especially the financial support by the European Union. It seems that through the new fiscal measures, the government aims at finding alternatives to US financial support that might be halted, but these measures will definitely increase the financial burdens on Palestinians who are already struggling economically. MOSCOW A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed March 6 while approaching Khmeimim air base in Syria, killing everyone on board six crew members and 33 passengers. A few hours after the catastrophe, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin the preliminary findings: The crash was believed to be caused either by pilot error or technical malfunction. The plane was built in 1980. The incident Russia's single-biggest military loss in Syria claimed the lives of Russian Maj. Gen. Vladimir Yeremeyev, a colonel, six majors, two captains and 29 junior officers and sergeants. Jaish al-Islam claimed responsibility for the incident, saying it fired on the plane when it was about to land. The attack supposedly came in retaliation for the Russia-supported Syrian army offensive in Eastern Ghouta. The Conflict Intelligence Team, a Moscow-based independent investigative group, suggested the statement was false given the limited presence of Jaish al-Islam in the area adjacent to the crash site. The team also pointed out that the statement was only released by the Lebanese Ad-Diyar newspaper and hadn't appeared on any of Jaish al-Islams social networks. Shortly after the incident, Putin spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to a Kremlin press release, Erdogan expressed his condolences and informed the Russian leader of the ongoing Turkish operation in Afrin. The two also discussed the state of affairs in Eastern Ghouta. The plane crash is the latest development in the recent streak of bad luck Moscow has faced in Syria, coming on top of mounting pressure over the situation in Eastern Ghouta and US considerations of a possible new strike on positions of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over renewed charges he has used chemical weapons. With just nine days until the presidential election in Russia, such moves are largely perceived as a product of American efforts to poke Putin in the eye, but a bigger worry in Moscow is how far it can all go before endangering Russia's efforts in Syria. A Kremlin official who spoke with Al-Monitor not for attribution said theres clear evidence the United States seeks to make things more complicated for Russia. The United States has "lost the military struggle in that the opposition groups they vetted failed to topple Assad militarily," the official said. "So they are now fully investing in all kinds of initiatives to bar us from any success we could have achieved in the political settlement. They themselves have proposed nothing constructive on how to navigate out of the crisis." Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced a similar concern, saying, "The United States and other Western countries would want to take the heat off" Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other radical groups to keep using them against Assad. Lavrov added that Moscow receives more and more information from different sources that Americans formed a narrow, non-inclusive group that fosters plans on the dissolution of the Syrian state. Theres a mutually recognized need to maintain constant communication between Moscow and Washington on these issues. In his recent meetings with Russian Chief of Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman stressed that the low trust level between the two countries calls for such communication to be intensified, not cut back. Yet, so far, such communications apparently haven't satisfied Moscow's concerns. Russia once saw a return on its investments like the de-escalation zones, its use of private military companies (PMC) and engaging opposition groups. But these efforts are no longer producing the kind of results Moscow wants. Perhaps others have learned to adapt and deal with them. But Russia will not back down in the face of challenges, even if it means more political losses or physical expenditures. Instead, it will revise its course. Moscow already appears to be shifting its military and diplomatic strategies. Russia's Defense Ministry plans to make use of the "gray zone," that Cold War-like area between peace and conventional warfare. The day the plane crash occurred, Gerasimov was at Khmeimim air base. No details of his Syria visit are known and, were it not for the crash, his presence might not have been revealed at all. But his visit at this critical time shows that Moscow has been making necessary adjustments to its military; those will soon be evident in battlefield dynamics. An investigative report by Russian media outlet Znak suggests more Wagner Group mercenaries at least 150 fighters are being prepared to deploy in Syria within the next couple of weeks. Reports on the Wagner PMC emerged shortly after Feb. 7, when the United States and US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces attacked pro-Assad units allegedly accompanied by Russian mercenaries. If true, this is definitely a newsworthy development, yet it represents only a tiny part of the potential military moves Moscow is mulling over. The diplomatic track is also thickly layered. In recent weeks, Russia has continued to closely engage Turkey and Iran. On March 6, representatives of the three states held consultations in New York with UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. Sergey Vershinin, director of the Russian Foreign Ministrys Middle East and North Africa Department, led the talks on the Russian end. He lobbied to implement the decisions adopted in late January at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, which virtually implies kick-starting Geneva talks under Russia-brokered mechanisms. With Tehran long staying its own course and wisely taking a low public profile on these matters, Ankara's position on these matters is critical. Erdogan has long been criticized for his failing strategy in Syria, but Turkey remains a key state to both Russia and the United States. After the session of the Turkey-US working group March 8-9 in Washington, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will go to Russia for the meeting of the Turkish-Russian joint strategic planning group scheduled for March 12-14. He will then proceed to Kazakhstan for a March 16 trilateral meeting of the Astana guarantor states with his counterparts, Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Turkey will understandably seek to play both Russia and the United States for its own interests, and Moscow and Washington will be working to persuade Ankara that each would make a better partner than the other. Therefore, the stakes are high and Erdogan's decisions in the next few weeks could define the major parameters of Turkey's position in Syria for the foreseeable future. In the Syrian conflict, the tables have been turning quickly. The sense that things arent working out properly is strong in Moscow, with even staunch advocates of Russias Syria policies now wary and calling for policy updates. Moscow has been cautious not to take any radical steps before the March 18 election day to dodge possible risks. But Russia's plans to amend its strategy are underway and will have been implemented once Putin receives his fourth-term mandate. On Feb. 1, around 600 families headed back toward their hometown of Tawergha, located southeast of the Libyan coastal city of Misrata. They'd been forced to leave the town of 40,000 seven years ago following battles in which fighters from Tawergha were accused of having fought for the former Libyan regime and raping women in Misrata. A reconciliation agreement was struck Dec. 26, 2017, between representatives of Misrata and Tawergha, under the auspices of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libyas Government of National Accord (GNA). It called for the Tawergha people to be permitted to return to their hometown from various camps in Benghazi, Tripoli, Bani Walid, Tarhuna and Ajdabiya and for the affected people from both sides to be compensated. But about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from their goal, armed men from Misrata blocked the road and prevented the returnees from continuing their journey. They were forced to stop and camp outside Qararat Qatif, and thus began another miserable chapter for the Tawergha families. Al-Monitor contacted people stuck at the Qararat Qatif camp. Hassan Othman Hassan told Al-Monitor, We are living in a very bad situation. I am married with two children, but I could not get a tent to stay in. We are sleeping in the open and sometimes in the other families cars. We are impatiently waiting to return home. Salima al-Ghariyani told Al-Monitor, We were waiting to be allowed to go home, but the armed men killed our dream with their bullets. After leaving our old camp, my son, my husband and I found ourselves stuck in a new one. The conditions here are worse, as we dont have sanitary facilities, beds or sheets. We are preparing food on wood fires. Amal Barka told Al-Monitor, Our situation is psychologically distressing and very difficult to cope with. Imagine waiting for the evening to walk to an area far from the camp to use as a latrine. The Tawergha ordeal dates back to August 2011, when armed men from Misrata forced Tawergha fighters out of the town before looting and burning many houses and shops there, displacing its residents in retaliation for the crimes committed against women in Misrata. Although no one has been convicted of the rapes, the Misrata municipality claims it has incriminating video evidence that will be shared only with investigators. The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor at the time, Luis Ocampo, said in 2012 that he intended to investigate the matter, but the investigation was never initiated. In November 2011, I went on a reporting trip to Libya and visited the ghost town of Tawergha. I was not allowed to enter and take pictures, and armed men asked me to leave. I headed to Misrata and asked for evidence that men from Tawergha committed the rapes they are accused of. They brought me two prisoners from Tawergha who had confessed to rape. No other evidence was offered, and their accounts given in the presence of the guards could easily have been coerced. In early 2015, representatives from Misrata and Tawergha started meeting in Tripoli with mediation by Youssef al-Zarzah, who became the head of a dialogue and reconciliation committee. Meetings between the two sides continued until an agreement was signed in Tunisia Aug. 31, 2016. The agreement called for compensation for the affected families, for justice to be brought to those accused of crimes and for the reconstruction of damaged property in Tawergha and the affected outskirts of Misrata. The agreement was not official until June 19, 2017, when Sarraj signed off on it and instructed that the necessary security measures be taken to facilitate the families return to their hometown. On Dec. 26, 2017, Sarraj announced that the Tawergha families would return home starting in February 2018. Why then were the people of Tawergha not allowed back to their hometown? Zarzah told Al-Monitor, A limited number of Tawergha people were supposed to go back to their hometown over several phases coordinated by committees from both towns and after notifying the security authorities. But we were surprised by a larger number of up to 10,000 people. Former judge and current political analyst from Misrata Ahmad al-Riwayati sees things differently. He told Al-Monitor, The core of the problem is a small group from Misrata that does not want a successful reconciliation agreement. Riwayati said this extremist group is linked to Dar al-Ifta, explaining, This group seeks to delay the return of Tawergha's displaced and exchange them for [the return of] the Benghazi displaced, in reference to the Benghazi Defense Brigade that fought against the Libyan National Army, led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter. The head of Tawergha's local council, Abdul Rahman Al-Shakshak, told Al-Monitor, The people are determined to go back to their hometown. They will remain in the camp, [sleeping in] the open, until the road is unblocked. He went on, The agreement was clear about the return, and the prime minister himself stated it. Of the compensation funds promised by the GNA to those affected, 25% have been earmarked for a first payment. Funds were granted to the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Local Government and pro-government forces in the central region to facilitate the return. Shakshak added, I visited UN special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame and Sarraj, who affirmed that they are currently pressuring the leaders in Misrata to implement the agreement and end the peoples suffering. The people of Tawergha who are stuck in their new camp have been protesting the unbearable living conditions on an almost daily basis while prominent tribal figures and sheikhs work to pressure Misrata officials and the GNA to resolve the situation. On Feb. 27, 2017, the UN mission in Libya spoke in favor of allowing the Tawergha to return to their city, noting that people must not be held prisoner to political conflicts. On Feb. 16, 2018, Human Rights Watch called on the International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes against humanity in Tawergha. The pressure on Misrata to end the suffering of the Tawergha people is mounting, and many feel it is only a matter of time and logistics before the roads are opened for people to return home, thus ending one of the greatest ongoing tragedies in Libya. DIYARBAKIR, Turkey In the mid-1990s, at the height of the conflict between Kurdish militants and the security forces, violence became a daily reality in Turkeys mainly Kurdish southeast. Amid the bloody clashes, extrajudicial killings and disappearances of detainees, other rampant problems in the region violence against women, honor killings and early marriage received little media coverage and public attention. One Kurdish woman, however, resolved to break the wall of apathy and offer women a ray of hope. The widow of a victim of an unresolved political killing, retired teacher Nebahat Akkoc, dedicated her life to the struggle for womens rights, taking aim at die-hard patriarchal norms and womens own submission. Akkoc and her fellow activists set to work in 1996, conducting surveys among women to better identify and document their problems. The following year, they established the Womens Consultation Center (KAMER) in Diyarbakir, the largest city of the southeast. Helping victims of domestic violence and protecting women whose lives were in danger for staining family honor became the focus of KAMERs work in its early years. The center soon emerged as a rescuer of scores of women who suffered violence, fell victim to rape or feared death at the hands of relatives seeking to cleanse their family honor. As women across the world mark International Womens Day on March 8, KAMER now more than 20 years old has a proud record to celebrate as one of Turkeys leading womens organizations, decorated with national and international awards. So what has changed for women in the past two decades? For Akkoc, the biggest change is the notable decrease in early and forced marriages. In 1997, when KAMER was just starting off, 52% of marriages in the southeast were either early or forced, she recalled in an interview with Al-Monitor. Now, they are down to 33-35%, she said, stressing that there has been a serious decrease in marriages involving girls age 12 and below. Still, she added, the situation remains grave, for 33-35% is not a small number. On the positive side, Akkoc hailed a significant increase of awareness among women, describing awareness-raising work as KAMER's biggest investment. She said, According to a survey that we had conducted before 1997, 95 out of 100 women saw suffering violence as a normal part of life. They would say that enduring violence was part of being a woman. Now, surveys by both academics and the Directorate General on the Status of Women show that 90 out of 100 women say that there is no rightful violence, that they will not accept violence and will struggle against it. Akkoc estimates that about 55% of violent incidents endured by women in the southeast go unreported. Emboldening those women to speak out and stand up requires a resolute political [administration] that supports gender equality, she said. Yet we do not always see that. In the past several years, in particular, the language of violence has been very dominant. Because of the war and clashes [in the southeast], a militarist mentality has come to the forefront, which contributes to more violence against women and blocks ways of coping with it. Akkoc believes that things will change much faster if normal conditions prevail and womens organizations get adequate support from the political leadership. Akkoc said marriages between men and multiple "co-wives" have also decreased. When we were starting off, they were close to 20%. Now, they are down to 10%, even 9%, she said, adding that unofficial marriages nuptials performed by local imams had fallen to next to zero. The activist also noted progress on the legal level, recalling that past laws allowed rapists to go unpunished if they agreed to marry their victims. Today rape is punished with really heavy sentences, or at least this is what the law stipulates. We all know that this is not always the case in practice, she said. Still, Akkoc is satisfied that perpetrators of honor killings can no longer expect the significant sentence reductions they once received. She said that today's laws, unlike past legislation, also punish relatives who take part in the so-called family councils that sentence women deemed to have stained the family's honor to death. They get almost the same sentences as the murderers, which is usually life imprisonment without possibility of parole, she noted. Over the past two decades, KAMER has extended various forms of support to no less than 550,000 women, but Akkoc still sees a long road ahead. There are still some senseless sentence reductions for those convicted of honor killings and rapes. Those reductions embolden the crimes and [lessen] the deterrent effects. If it werent for them, we could have achieved better results, she grumbled. For Akkoc, progress in women's rights is the hardest struggle because it challenges mentalities, practices and behavior that have been internalized and sustained for thousands of years. I doubt we were able to have the impact we wanted for all of those 550,000 women. But if we managed to get through to 30% of them [about their rights], this is still a very good number, Akkoc said. She said findings from surveys speak of a spillover effect of awareness. When a woman becomes truly aware of violence and realizes that it is possible to stand against violence and manages to do so, she has a positive impact on 10 women and five children around her, she said. Today, KAMER is active in 40 of Turkeys 81 provinces. We were a drop, now we have become an ocean, its slogan says. In recent years, the ocean of solidarity has grown to include Syrian refugees. In addition to special programs for the refugee women, including language courses and health-care support, KAMER has sought to incorporate the Syrians into its existing programs alongside local women. The organization compiled several of these womens experiences, told in their own words, into a book published in February. One of the women featured in the book describes how her family had to flee to Turkey to avoid the conscription of their eldest son into the Syrian army. My husband stayed behind in Syria. I fled with my children, except for my eldest daughter, Luts, 44, said. I was never discriminated against for being a Syrian. The women here do not mistreat Syrian women. We are never ostracized. Indigenous groups, residents and activists expected to hold mass rally in Burnaby, British Columbia, on Saturday. Montreal, Canada Thousands are expected to march through a city in western Canada in what organisers say may be the largest showing of clear opposition to a contentious oil pipeline project in recent memory. Indigenous activists will be marching on Saturday alongside environmental groups, local residents and other supporters in Burnaby, a town in the province of British Columbia (BC), against plans to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline. Approved by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016, the expansion would twin the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, operated by Texas-based oil giant Kinder Morgan, which stretches 1,150km from the Alberta tar sands to the coast of BC. The expansion which would increase the pipelines capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of oil a day has faced staunch opposition, especially from indigenous communities. There comes a time in your life when you have to stand for something, said Taah Amy George, a Tsleil Waututh elder and one of the organisers of Saturdays march, which she said is expected to draw as many as 10,000 people. The Tseil Wauhtuth (meaning People of the Inlet) have lived on lands near the Burrard Inlet in southern BC for tens of thousands of years, George told Al Jazeera. The federal government remains steadfast in its support for Trans Mountain [File: Reuters] She said the community fears an oil spill will harm everyone living in the area and the large oil tankers that are expected to come into the inlet to transport oil would destroy local marine life. Its not if theres a [spill], but when theres a [spill], George said. Our ancestors protected this inlet and this little piece of land that we got left with. They protected it for us Were thinking of our [next] generations: my children and grandchildren and I have great-grandchildren. 890,000 barrels a day The $5bn Trans Mountain expansion project aims to get Canadian tar sands oil to new markets in Asia. Kinder Morgan, the company behind the project, says the pipeline expansion will create short and long-term jobs and increase tax revenues at the provincial, federal and municipal levels. We support the right to peacefully and lawfully express opinions and views about our project and we understand that not everyone supports the expansion, a Trans Mountain spokesperson told Al Jazeera in an email. Were confident we can build and operate this project in a way that respects the values and priorities of Canadians and in respect of the environment. Our Taah generations.] Construction at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby began last September, while additional preparatory work on the same terminal and the Burnaby Marine terminal the end point of the pipeline began earlier this month, the spokesperson said. The project will provide the needed transportation capacity for Canadas resources to access global markets and maximise benefits to all Canadians including local, regional and Aboriginal communities, the spokesperson added. But a widespread, indigenous-led movement has mobilised against the project for several years, while environmental groups have also spoken out against the potential ramifications of an oil spill. Kinder Morgan wants to bring more than 400 supertankers into the BC harbour every single year, said Mike Hudema, a climate campaigner with Greenpeace Canada. If one of those is to have an incident youre talking about widespread damage throughout the marine ecosystem, he told Al Jazeera. Most of the oil being produced and transported in Canada is called diluted bitumen, which is particularly difficult to clean up because it tends to sink in water, Hudema explained. He said a spill could exterminate the already endangered killer whale population living in the coastal waters and the damage could be catastrophic and could last for decades, if not longer. Most of the oil being produced and transported in Canada is called diluted bitumen [File: Reuters] Hudema said that over a dozen lawsuits have been filed against the project by First Nations and environmental groups. The science is very clear, he said, We cant be building new fossil fuel infrastructure and maintain a climate-safe planet at the same time. Provinces divided While the Trans Mountain pipeline has received the green light from the federal government, it has divided some Canadian provinces. In late January, the BC government passed new regulations that would make it more difficult to transport oil through the province in an effort to improve preparedness, response and recovery from potential spills. The restrictions would be in place until the behaviour of spilled bitumen can be better understood and there is certainty regarding the ability to adequately mitigate spills, the provincial government said in a statement. The measure was seen as a blow to Trans Mountain and highlighted increasing tensions between BC and Alberta, the province that is home to Canadas tar sands and supports the project. The science is very clear. We can't be building new fossil fuel infrastructure and maintain a climate-safe planet at the same time. Mike Hudema, a climate campaigner with Greenpeace Canada Representing the third-largest crude oil reserves in the world, after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, the Canadian tar sands cover over 142,000sq km in northern Alberta. In 2016, about 2.5 million barrels of crude bitumen were produced daily after an energy-intensive and expensive extraction process, the Alberta Energy Regulator estimated. While proponents of the Trans Mountain project in Alberta tout its economic impact, the BC government, a coalition between the left-leaning New Democrats and the Green Party, had previously vowed to block its expansion. Several cities in BC, including Vancouver and Burnaby, have also voiced their opposition to the project. Clear opposition Despite the opposition, the federal government has remained steadfast in its support for Trans Mountain. Approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion was based on facts, evidence and what was in the national interest, a spokesperson for Natural Resources Canada, a government ministry, told Al Jazeera. Ottawa approved the project subject to 157 legally binding conditions that will address potential Indigenous, socio-economic and environmental impacts, spokesperson Jerri Southcott said in an email. Throughout the construction and operation of this project, Indigenous voices will be heard. Their counsel will be sought and their knowledge valued, Southcott added. In early February, Prime Minister Trudeau said his government would not be able to meet its commitment to fight climate change or implement a plan to protect oceans from oil spills, without first getting the Trans Mountain project built. If Andrea people are going to easily give up on thats sadly mistaken. People have drawn a line in the sand and this really is only going to build.] The only way we can get any of those things is if we do all three of those things together, Trudeau told CBC Radio. As Ive said for a long time, we need to make sure were both protecting the environment and growing the economy at the same time. Andrea Harden, energy and climate justice campaigner at The Council of Canadians, a progressive non-profit group, accused the Trudeau government of speaking out of both sides of its mouth. On one hand, the prime minister has signed on to the Paris Climate Agreement to combat greenhouse gas emissions, while on the other backing intensive oil and gas projects like the Trans Mountain pipeline, Harden told Al Jazeera. Science and facts have been ignored in terms of both this pipeline being out of tune and inconsistent with our [climate] commitments as well as the very legitimate questions around the safety of shipping diluted bitumen through pipelines, she said. She said Saturdays march is another manifestation of the clear opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline. If people think this is something [that] people are going to easily give up on thats sadly mistaken, Harden said. People have drawn a line in the sand and this really is only going to build. March 4, 2018, is a date that will go down in European history books. The results of the Italian general elections seem to have marked the absolute victory of nationalist, anti-Europeanist, and anti-establishment parties. Together, they won over 50 percent of the vote. Are we witnessing the definitive end of the European dream? Or is this result of a final wake-up call for the European Union, one of the last opportunities it should not miss? Certainly, the results, especially seen in a European context, are not reassuring. We are witnessing the gradual spread (in geographical and numerical terms) of nationalist, xenophobic political parties. In the 2016 elections in the Netherlands, the nationalist party of Geert Wilders won 13 percent of the votes, a year later Marine Le Pens far-right National Front rose to nearly 21 percent in France. Last October, Germanys AfD won more than 12 percent of the votes, and in Austria, the leader of the conservative-populist party OVP formed an alliance with the far-right FPO. Due to the electoral system in France, Le Pens results were put in check by the victory of Emmanuel Macron. In Germany, the grand coalition of CDU, CSU and SPD provided a solution, albeit temporary. But in Italy, it seems difficult, if not impossible, to find such remedies. In Italy, former Prime Minister Matteo Renzis centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) suffered a landmark defeat (exacerbating the overall decrease of social-democrat adherence in Europe); former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconis party, which is classified as moderate (oh, beautiful irony!) also ended up losing. The undisputed winners of the election were the so-called populists. The Five Star Movement received 32 percent of the votes all by itself. The political movement, which was founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, is seen as a hodgepodge of different, uncontrollable voices brought together only by anger towards institutions and the dominant system. Meanwhile, the Lega of Matteo Salvini, a xenophobic and anti-Europeanist party, received over 17 percent of the vote. Salvini entered the election in coalition with Berlusconis centre-right Forza Italia as well as the neofascist Fratelli dItalia, and the three parties together got nearly 36 percent of the vote. While this was a considerable achievement, it was not enough to reach the 40 percent threshold required to govern, set by the new Italian electoral law. The Lega and the Five Star Movement both boast anti-establishment resentment and aim to give a voice to the people. Moreover, certain parts of the Five Star Movement expressed support for exiting the European Union and have shared the anti-immigration stance of the Lega. But, despite these similarities, these two political forces should not be hastily classified along the same lines. In fact, it is extremely unlikely that they will unite to govern together. It is important to emphasise the differences between them, because within these differences there lies a new path, albeit a narrow and risky one, but nonetheless a path that could lead to a constructive shift in Italy, and even in Europe as a whole. Its raining, blame Europe! Looking at the geographical distribution of the seats assigned to each region, one immediately notes that Italy is divided between the north and south. This is an ancient division, even older than the unification of Italy in 1861. As is often lamented of the EU, the process of Italian national unification was also seen as an imposition from above by the powerful elite that did not take popular will into account. From that moment, a certain mistrust has persisted in Italy to this day towards the state and its institutions. They are seen as a corrupt machine driven only by a desire for power, estranged from the interests of the public. In this respect, the ancient popular expression Piove, governo ladro! [Its raining, blame the government!] seems symptomatic. The expression pokes fun at the Italian tendency to blame the government for anything and everything even rain. Never before has this irony been taken as seriously as it is today, both by the Lega and the Five Star Movement, though in different ways. The Lega, in fact, was born as a regional movement pushing for the separation of the northern regions of Italy, among the most industrious and rich in Europe, from the less developed regions of the south, in which unemployment, mafia, and corruption were, if not more present, at least more visible. The state (Rome, thief) was seen as an external element, depriving the north and passing its riches on to the south. To reach its objectives, however, the Lega had to broaden its horizons, and instead of looking for independence from the south of Italy, it pointed its finger towards immigrants and refugees. For this reason, the Lega goes hand in hand with its nationalist and xenophobic European cousins, like Le Pen and Wilders. Now the Lega does not blame Rome any more for the rain, but the EU. The young Five Star Movement was born in 2009 as a party of protest. Its founder, the comic Beppe Grillo, has always pointed his finger at what for him are the true parasites of the general population: corrupt politicians and the apparatus of the state. To bridge the gap between institutions and people, the Movement has relied on a form of so-called direct democracy that is, in a sense, visionary and revolutionary using the web as a means for the expression of the popular will. But, over the years, this presumed form of direct democracy has revealed itself to be far from immune to power games. Despite its leaders lack of political experience, the movement has, in the recent elections, conquered nearly all the seats in southern Italy. In doing so, it merged a great portion of formerly left-wing votes with those of other disappointed voters. A big part of the electorate chose to cast a vote of protest, devoting themselves to what has become the catalysing force of a hybrid, multiform political category, thirsty for hope and radical change. Luigi di Maio himself, the 31-year-old leading the Movement, described Five Star as neither right-wing nor left-wing. Because of the impossibility of interpreting it using typical political categories, and the accusations against it of political dilettantism, the movement has been a source of fear and worry for both the EU and global financial markets. Yet it is clear to all that the election results show a need for change. This outcry comes from all sides of the Italian population, reinforced by currents that have come together from all directions and have no intention of being reined in by external dams, constructed hurriedly by political institutions and forces defending the status quo of the reigning system. European stars and Italian stars In Italy, distrust in institutions, economic depression, and certainly also the crisis of identity brought by globalisation have come together, and not only in a populist, xenophobic party of the right wing like the Lega. The Italian case has also given birth to the Five Star Movement. Beyond its specific proposals and its highly debatable results, it is destabilising, and appropriately so: its postmodern, post-ideological being, the contradictions of contrasting forces that feed it, joined to the bitter experience and anger of its crude condition, make it a time bomb, capable of exploding at the wrong moment and destroying itself and everything around it. It is up to the institutions, and especially the political parties who will work with them, to try and (finally) enter into a dialogue with those who have felt marginalised and excluded for too long. An opportunity has been given, not only to Italy but to Europe, to respond promptly to this call. To do so, it will have to put into question and change the system in which it so fiercely believes. But this would allow it not only to remain afloat, but also to stay faithful to the ideal of democracy and, at the same time, to be the guardian of the differences of which it claims to be the proud herald of. A European answer, a show of openness, has to come, and quickly. Because, as it is important to remember, beyond the Italian exception, in other countries there are no guiding stars, and if discontent will find expression only in far-right, nationalistic forces, the night risks becoming increasingly and tragically darker. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Officials say seven others wounded after suicide bomber blew himself up near a gathering of Afghanistans Shia minority. At least seven people have been killed and seven others wounded after a suicide attack near a Shia mosque in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said. In the explosion, seven were martyred and seven were wounded, Najib Danish, the interior ministry spokesman, wrote on Facebook after the attack on Friday. According to Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the interior minister, a suicide bomber blew himself up while trying to enter a gathering commemorating the anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, a former leader of the mainly Shia Hazara community. Mazari was killed by the Taliban in 1995. The local TOLO news said the explosion occurred close to Mosalla-e-Mazari area in Kabuls sixth district. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Kabul has seen a spate of deadly attacks carried out by both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in recent months. The explosion occurred near Mosalla-e-Mazari area in Kabuls sixth district [Omar Sobhani/Reuters] In January, a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of Kabul, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235. A day later, at least 11 soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked a military academy, also in Kabul. In December, dozens of people were killed in a suicide attack on a Shia cultural centre, claimed by ISIL. Two months earlier, two, separate mosque attacks had killed at least 72 people. Fridays attack came less than two weeks after President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to join peace talks, to end more than 16 years of the latest phase of Afghan war. 16 killed in separate attack Also on Friday, at least 16 security force members were killed after Taliban fighters attacked their posts overnight in Khwaja Ghar district in Takhar province, according to officials cited by TOLO. Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive, said 10 army soldiers and six police force members were martyred in Takhar. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Country seen as continents success story for high female representation in politics, education and workplace. Males tend to outnumber females in most parliaments around the world, but not in Rwanda. Women make up the majority of parliament in this African country. By most measures, Rwanda is Africas gender-equality success story for high female representation in politics, education and the workplace. Rwanda was the first country in the world to have more than half of its government run by women. Currently, 64 percent of its parliament is female, and it has been ranked the highest country in the world with most women in parliament, as of January 2017. Jessica Horn, director of programmes, African Womens Development Fund in Ghana, says: There is a legacy of African women playing significant roles in political leadership, and so it should not be too much of a surprise to see women playing political roles in Rwanda. Memory Pamella Kadau: Rwanda sets an example for Africa and the world in terms of womens political participation process Its the number that is significant and that is the result of mobilising. African feminists have always argued, though, that it is not just quantity the number of women in parliament but politics: whether they work for a womens rights and transformative agenda. Horn says, On that point, every African parliament needs work. We still dont have full, consistent commitment to prioritising and financing gender equality anywhere. Thats why we remain advocates. According to the Global Competitiveness Report, Rwanda is the best place to be a woman in Africa and fourth globally after Iceland, Norway and Finland. Ngozi Cole: My hope is to keep continuing to fight for more progress in terms of political participation and more laws that empower women Rwanda is also a global leader in commitments related to the #HeforShe campaign, the global solidarity movement for gender equality, developed by UN women and spearheaded by men in support of justice and equality for women. But just because Rwanda has a female-majority government, does not mean women are better off. According to the UN, rates of domestic violence are considered high in the country. Al Jazeera talked to several women across the continent about how Rwanda sets an example for other African countries. Jessica Horn: We still dont have full, consistent commitment to prioritising and financing gender equality anywhere Duduzile Nyirongo, a feminist who celebrated International Womens Day in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Thursday, told Al Jazeera that Rwanda is an example of gender inclusivity. She said: There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, not only in governments spaces, but also on business and corporate level. Memory Pamella Kadau, a human rights activist from Zimbabwe, said: As we commemorate and celebrate International Womens Day, we reflect upon the progress and the influence of African feminism. Rwanda sets an example for Africa and the world in terms of womens political participation process. Duduzile Nyirongo: There is still a lot of work to be done Ngozi Cole from Sierra Leone said: We need more political participation. In my country, we havent even achieved to come close to Rwandas example of more than 64 percent women represented in the parliament. My hope is to keep continuing to fight for more progress in terms of political participation and more laws that empower women and make womens lives easier. Thursdays International Womens Day celebrations on social media were big in Rwanda. Celebrating International Women's Day in Rwanda were 61% of the parliament is made up of women. Rwanda is a good example of a country that has made progress in terms of gender inclusiveness. What are you doing to press for progress? #IWD2018 #PressForProgress #ALUSB pic.twitter.com/OHCOFHLuYh Mai Nyirongo (@Dudu_Nyirongo) March 8, 2018 Sharing pictures of herself, a user on Twitter said: Rwanda is a good example of a country that has made progress in terms of gender inclusiveness. What are you doing to press for progress? Happiest Women's Day to the amazing women in #RDF who work day and night to keep peace in #Rwanda and around the world. We salute you. pic.twitter.com/khOb3DP3Co Innocent .N. Ihinda (@Ninsiima250) March 8, 2018 Someone else tweeted, Happy Womens Day to the amazing women in the Rwandan Defence Forces who work day and night to keep peace in Rwanda. We salute you. Happy #InternationalWomensDay to #Rwanda-n Women. Thanks for your contribution in moving our nation forward pic.twitter.com/Ls9ddKEX0g Kim Kamasa (@KimKamasa) March 8, 2018 Kim tweeted, Happy #InternationalWomensDay to Rwandan Women. Thanks for your contribution in moving our nation forward. Women to make Thalara Rural Municipality free of inequity Women have made a plan to make Thalara Rural Municipality free from discrimination and inequity within five years in Bajhang district. Overnight pause in fighting prompts ICRC to send 13 trucks with food supplies into Eastern Ghouta, heading for Douma. Air raids have hit Douma in Syrias rebel-held Eastern Ghouta just after 13 trucks of food aid crossed into the enclave, heading for the town, according to opposition activists and a monitor. The development came on Friday after an overnight pause in fighting encouraged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to send the convoy in, that had previously been delayed due to violence. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) had previously said that the besieged enclave had witnessed no air raids for the first time in the last 10 days. However, shortly after the aid convoy crossed into the enclave on Friday, the SOHR said, the air raids resumed. The UN estimates that 400,000 people live in the rebel-held areas of Eastern Ghouta. The attack on Douma as the aid convoy entered the area is part of a larger trend. On Friday, the World Health Organization verified 67 attacks on health facilities in the first two months of 2018. Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon, said on Friday that the aid delivered was enough for just 12,000 people. NOW: Our team with @SYRedCrescent @UN getting ready to enter Douma #EasternGhouta to deliver the remaining of aid that wasnt offloaded during our previous convoy on 5th March. 13 trucks including 2400 food parcels for 12,000 people and 3240 flour bags. #syria ICRC Syria (@ICRC_sy) March 9, 2018 The ICRC are saying that they have positive indications that a bigger convoy will be allowed in the coming days, she said, prior to the reports that air raids had resumed. But it is unlikely to include any medical supplies, because the government does not want rebels to be treated. In less than two weeks, the Syrian army has retaken nearly all the farmland in Eastern Ghouta, under cover of near-ceaseless shelling and air strikes, leaving only a handful towns about half the enclave still under rebel control. The SOHR on Friday said at least 931 civilians have been killed since February 18. According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), more than 1,000 people have been killed. Safe routes UN aid agencies have pleaded with the Syrian government and its ally, Russia, to halt the air campaign and allow access. Syria and Russia have both said the assault is needed to stop rebel shelling of Damascus. The government and Russias military have opened what they say are safe routes out of the enclave, but nobody has left yet. The two allies accuse the Syrian rebels of shooting at civilians to prevent them from fleeing the fighting into government areas. The rebels deny the accusation and say the areas inhabitants have not crossed into government territory because they fear persecution. Qatar-based broadcaster calls on US politicians to uphold freedom of speech and media enshrined in the US Constitution. Al Jazeera has condemned calls made by US legislators for the media network to register as a foreign agent. Josh Gottheimer and Lee Zeldin, two US legislators, have co-authored a letter claiming that Doha-based Al Jazeera is used to incite violence and broadcast hateful, extremist content. Rebutting the claims, Al Jazeera Media Network, in a statement on Thursday, said: It is shocking to hear calls being made by a number of US lawmakers to register Al Jazeera as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. The network has provided multi-award winning news coverage and current affairs programmes for more than 21 years since its founding in 1996, the statement said. Foreign Agent Registration Act, or FARA, is a little-enforced 1938 US law that was originally passed to combat Nazi propaganda. It has since been used to keep track of foreign influence on US politicians through mandatory filings of employee contracts, contracts between the organisation and foreign governments, correspondence or any other documents that could be used to influence US policy. The law has received more attention recently because the investigation into possible collusion between US President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign team and Russian officials. Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading that investigation, has charged two former Trump campaign officials with violating FARA. In November, Russia-backed media RT and other outlets were required to register under the law. US politicians have also called for China-owned media networks to register. These calls have caused concern that the US is imposing restrictions on freedom of speech, a right guaranteed under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. We urge democratic forces all over the world, especially in United States, to stand with free media institutions to promote and protect the values of democracy, liberty, human rights, freedom of media and the right to free speech, Al Jazeera Media Network said. Dont shoot the messenger, journalism is not a crime. Womens rights groups cautiously optimistic as more than 70 politicians introduce bill that would legalise abortion. Womens rights groups in Argentina are expressing cautious optimism after dozens of politicians introduced legislation that would legalise abortion. The bill, introduced by more than 70 members of Congress on Tuesday, would allow women to have the procedure during the first 14 weeks of her pregnancy. Currently, abortion is only allowed in the predominantly Catholic country when the mothers health is at risk, in cases of rape or if the fetus is extremely deformed. Activists, holding green handkerchiefs, which has come to symbolise abortion rights in the country, cheered outside Congress in the capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday as the bill was introduced. Its striking what we are achieving in such little time, said Julia Lopez, who is part of Socorristas En Red, a womens rights collective of 50 different advocacy groups across Argentina. A woman shouts slogans next to a sign that reads Legal abortion during a demonstration on International Womens Day in Buenos Aires [Marcos Brindicci/Reuters] Abortion has been debated at least six times before, but momentum for new legislation has grown since President Mauricio Macri, who has publicly stated he opposes abortion, said he would not stand in the way of the debate. Pablo Bessone, a professor at la Universidad Nacional de Villa Maria, Cordoba described the number of signatures on Tuesdays bill as a record, adding that previous petitions only received around 25, 30, 33 signatures. Public health problem According to Bessone, the debate has shifted from focussing on the morality of the issue to framing abortion as a public health problem. {articleGUID} Aracelia Ferreyra, who was among the politicians who presented the bill, said on Tuesday, This is a topic of equality and inequality, because those who do not have money pay with their health or their bodies. According to Bessone, The issue has a lot to do with the unequal social structures that exist, pushing women from the most vulnerable and impoverished sectors towards clandestine abortions. He added that those females who die are the poorest. The Argentine government estimates that there are between 370,000 and 522,000 clandestine abortions each year. Rights groups and the World Health Organization say the figure could be much higher. According to the bill, about a third of maternal deaths result from the clandestine procedures, Reuters news agency reported. Pushback from religious conservatives But anti-abortion rights campaigners worry that legalising the procedure could increase violence against women. Maria Rodriguez, a spokeswoman with Frente Joven, a group of young anti-abortion rights activists, said her organisation fears more men will coerce their partners to abort against their will. {articleGUID} Pro-abortion rights activists maintain that whether illegal or not abortion is a practice that exists and will continue to exist. Its prevalent across the world, Ruth Zubriggen, another member of Socorristas En Red, said. The bill could pass the lower house, but according to Bessone, it will face its main obstacles in the conservative Senate. Still, pro-abortion rights activists remain hopeful that enough pressure will be put on politicians to get the legislation passed. We feel empowered because its an historic moment, which we the feminists have achieved to put the topic on the agenda to be debated, Lopez said. UN human rights chief labels Philippine presidents insults unacceptable and calls for his psychiatric evaluation. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has unleashed a barrage of insults against international human rights officials, calling a UN special rapporteur malnourished, and referring to an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor as that black woman, prompting the UN human rights chief to call for his psychiatric evaluation. Zeid Raad al-Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva on Friday that Dutertes attacks on UN officials are unacceptable and cannot go unanswered. It makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation, Zeid said. This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected. Zeid was referring to Agnes Callamard, who is leading a UN investigation into the extrajudicial killings related to Dutertes drug war. In a speech to Philippine government officials on Wednesday, Duterte said that international human rights agencies have no jurisdiction over him, before uttering the sexist and racist invectives. Human rights, human rights, son of a bitch, human rights, Duterte said angrily in a mix of Filipino and English. Dont f**k with me, girls, he said, calling Callamard skinny and malnourished, while referring to the ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda as that black woman. The ICC has separately initiated legal steps to investigate Duterte for possible crimes against humanity related to the deadly drug war. According to an opposition Filipino senator, the death toll in the Philippine drug war had surpassed 20,000, since Duterte came to office on June 30, 2016. That number is being disputed by government officials, who insisted only 3,967 drug personalities were killed for resisting arrest during legitimate police operations between July 1, 2016, and November 27, 2017. An Al Jazeera investigation, however, revealed that police officers were involved in attempted killings of unarmed drug suspects. Al Jazeera also recorded cases of children being killed by police officers. Zeid has criticised Duterte for telling police to ignore the UN rights probe [Reuters] In Wednesdays speech, Duterte repeated his assertion that he needs to protect the country from the growing menace of drug addiction, which he said has afflicted at least 1.6 million Filipinos. Look at the crime rate! Who are the victims? Kids. Drug addicts raping a six-month-old baby, he said. Son of a b***h, I will really kill you. You do not deserve a minute longer. Addressing the ICC, Duterte called the international body, foolish, adding I dont know if they even passed the law examination, these devils. Duterte had been under fire several times for making misogynistic comments against female critics and making jokes about rape. In February, he also said that female communist rebels should be shot in their genitals. Florin Hilbay, former chief legal counsel of the previous Philippine government, noted the irony of Dutertes comments on the eve of the International Womens Day. We must continue to call out language that insults and demeans women, Hilbay wrote on social media. This is not who we are, as men and as Filipinos. Politics must uplift, not debase. Earlier on Wednesday, Zeid, the UN human rights chief, had criticised Duterte for telling police officers not to cooperate with international human rights investigators. He also condemned a statement issued by a Duterte spokesman, who said Callamard is welcome to swim in Pasig River, a highly polluted body of water in the Philippine capital, if she comes to Manila to do the investigation of the deadly drug war. Turkish president says forces removing last remaining obstacles in their attempt to seize YPG-held Syrian district. Turkish armed forces are besieging the Syrian Kurdish-controlled district of Afrin in northern Syria, Turkeys president has said. In a televised statement on Friday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters and Turkish troops were 6km from the centre of Afrin. Now the centre of Afrin is surrounded and our entry is imminent, he said. We are removing the last remaining obstacles standing before our besieging of Afrin city centre. However, a spokesperson for the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) troops contradicted the claims. {articleGUID} The forces of Erdogans Turkish army are 10 to 15km away from it [Afrin], Nouri Mahmoud said. Today, there were also clashes around Bulbul, where they announced around 30 days ago that they captured, occupied it. The assault on Afrin is part of Operation Olive Branch, a Turkish military offensive to remove Kurdish fighters in northwestern Syria. In his speech, Erdogan said the military operation would not end with the seizure of Afrin. We are in Afrin today; we will be in Manbij tomorrow. The next day we will ensure that the east of Euphrates will be cleared of terrorists up to the Iraqi border, he said. Turkey launched the operation in northern Syria on January 20 against the US-backed YPG in its border stronghold of Afrin in northwestern Syria. Turkey sees the YPG as a terrorist group. {articleGUID} The YPG, the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union (PYD) Party in Syria, is considered a terrorist group by Turkey. Turkey says they have ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), active in Turkey. The PKK has waged a decades-long armed fight against the Turkish state that has killed tens of thousands of people. Relations between NATO allies US and Turkey have been strained over a number of issues, notably the US arming of the YPG. Turkey has repeatedly called on the US to stop working with the YPG. EU warns it is prepared to react to US presidents steep tariffs on steal and aluminium imports. Several industry trade groups have warned that the newly imposed steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the United States could prompt a trade war. In a controversial move on Thursday, Trump imposed steep tariffs of 25 percent for steel and 10 percent for aluminium imports to the US. The trade sanctions will come into force in two weeks time. Trump temporarily exempted its North American neighbours, Canada and Mexico, from the newest measures. Trump signed proclamations at a ceremony at the White House while surrounded by steelworkers. A strong steel and aluminum industry are vital to our national security, absolutely vital, he said. Steel is steel. If you dont have steel, you dont have a country. Our industries have been targeted for years and years decades, in fact by unfair foreign trade practices leading to the shuttered plants and mills, the laying-off of millions of workers and the decimation of entire communities. And thats going to stop. Assault on the US Trump said the aggressive foreign trade amounted to an assault on the US, but that he would also show flexibility with friendly countries, possibly removing tariffs for some. Trump also indicated that military allies, including NATO countries that spend at least two percent of gross domestic product on defence, could see a reduction in these tariffs. Analysts have called the justification an absurdity. Several industry trade groups warned that the tariffs could prompt a trade war, without resolving problems they intend to address. Axel Eggert, chief of Europes main steel federation (EUROFER) said on Friday that Trumps tariffs are absurd, and, with the expected massive steel import surge to the European Union, they could cost tens of thousands of jobs across the continent. The EU produces 177 million tonnes of steel and exports around 5 million tonnes of steel to the US every year, a small share, overall. Al Jazeeras Paul Brennan, reporting from Brussels, said the EUs real concern is that it will now have to deal with a massive amount of steel imports. [The concern] isnt so much about lost market share, Brennan said. Global steel producers who have previously exported to the US no longer can, because the prices are too high as a result of the tariffs, he added. They hunt around for alternative markets and, frankly, the EU is the most logical place that they now are going to try to send their steel. That could cause a collapse in the steel price here, with the resulting crisis for steel producers within the EU. Thats really the crux of why the EU is so concerned with this. The European Commission had already warned on Wednesday that if the US went ahead with its plan, it would retaliate with increased tariffs on American goods such as Bourbon whiskey, Levis jeans, Florida orange juice and peanut butter. Retaliatory hit list The retaliatory hit list of 100 American products amounts to $3.5bn. It also said that it would take the case to the World Trade Organization in an attempt to get the tariffs ruled as unlawful. It will also add safeguarding measures and put its own tariffs in place to prevent an excess of steel imports to the marketplace. The EUs trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom warned on Friday, at a panel discussion in Brussels, that imposing tariffs is not the way to resolve overcapacity in the steel sector. Whereas we share the concerns over overcapacity in the steel sector, this is not the right way to deal with it, Malmstrom said. And it is certainly not the right way to include Europe in that because we are friends, we are allies, we work together, we cannot possibly be a threat to national security in the US, so we are counting on being excluded. Despite objections by many business trade groups, by most Democrats and Republicans, and by a number of advisers in the Trump administration, the US president forged ahead with his plan on Thursday, keeping a promise he made during his 2016 presidential campaign. Mohammad Zain al-Jabari dies after Israeli forces shoot him in the chest during protests in the city of Hebron. Bethlehem, occupied West Bank Israeli forces have killed a mentally disabled Palestinian man during clashes in the Bab al-Zawiya area of Hebron city in the occupied West Bank, according to a family member and officials. The Palestinian health ministry identified on Friday the slain man as Mohammad Zain al-Jabari. The 24-year-old was shot in the chest by Israeli forces earlier in the day during protests against US President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. According to the ministry, al-Jabari succumbed to bullet wounds after being rushed to the Hebron governmental hospital. Abu Nasser, al-Jabaris uncle, told Al Jazeera that his nephew was mentally disabled and suffered from speech impairment. Al-Jabari worked in construction and leaves behind a four-year-old child. Source of pride Despite his disabilities, Abu Nasser said al-Jabari would often be the first to arrive at the scene when Israeli forces were spotted in the area. Mohammad loved Palestine, and he could never sit by and do nothing when [Israeli] soldiers entered the city, Abu Nasser said. {articleGUID} He was a source of pride for our family. His death was a shock and it wont be easy for us. But this is Gods will, so we cannot be sad. His death has shown all of us how valuable his life was. A spokesman for the Israeli army told Al Jazeera that troops fired on the main instigator of what it said was a riot in Hebron in which firebombs were hurled at Israeli forces. The man held a firebomb with the intent to hurl it at troops, the spokesman said. He said the incident would be reviewed. Hundreds of Palestinians participated in al-Jabaris funeral. They carried his body through Hebrons streets and promised to continue their fight for freedom. Clashes broke out between the citys grieving residents and Israeli forces after the funeral. The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces injured dozens of other Palestinians during clashes across the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip on Friday. Jerusalem protests Protests have continued in the occupied Palestinian territories every Friday since Trumps Jerusalem move. Palestinians maintain that East Jerusalem must become the capital of a future Palestinian state in any future peace agreement with Israel, while Israel considers the whole of Jerusalem to be part of its territory. {articleGUID} Israel occupied and subsequently annexed East Jerusalem in 1967 in a move that was not recognised by the international community. At least 27 Palestinians have been killed since Trumps decision three months ago, most of whom were shot and killed during clashes with Israeli forces. Palestinians in the occupied territory have lived under Israeli military rule for more than half a century. In order to enter Jerusalem, Palestinians must apply for Israeli-issued permits. Many Palestinians, owing to Israels security restrictions, are banned from entering Jerusalem. Trumps decision is seen as another blow to the dwindling hope among Palestinians for any prospects for an independent state. President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga pledge to end row over 2017 elections as US secretary of state arrives for talks. A previous version of this article stated that Rex Tillerson was meeting Raila Odinga as part of his Kenya trip. This was incorrect. The US secretary of state's official schedule does not include a meeting with Odinga. Kenyas feuding political leaders have announced they will meet to resolve their differences. President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga have been at odds since 2017 elections that saw about 100 people killed in clashes between opposition supporters and security forces. Odinga told national television on Friday it is time to resolve our differences, as the two politicians made their first public appearance together since the October presidential elections. Kenyatta said they have a responsibility as leaders to find solutions. Elections come and go but Kenya remains. He called Odinga his brother on Friday and promised we will begin a process of bringing our people together after the elections. The two leaders said in a statement they agreed to set up an office staffed with advisers from both parties, to deal with issues ranging from ethnic divisions to the oppositions disputes with the 2017 election. The news came as Rex Tillerson, US secretary of state, arrived in Kenya on Friday afternoon. Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi, reporting from Nairobi, said the reconciliation is seen as perfectly timed to coincide with the visit by Tillerson. Kenya is the strongest economy in East Africa and an important US ally. Observers commented that the US played a role in the reconciliation. The US has been very critical of both Kenyatta and Odinga, our correspondent said. So I think the leaders want to say to [Tillerson], Look, weve buried the hatchet, weve moved forward'. Tillerson is on a listening tour in Africa. He has already visited Ethiopia and will further visit Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Inter-ethnic violence and protests against President Kabila blamed for current turmoil in Central African country. Over two million children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are at risk of starvation if they do not receive the aid they need, the UN has warned. The comments come in advance of a meeting between Mark Lowcock, the UN humanitarian chief, and potential donors willing to commit aid money to help the country in its dire situation. We have a great responsibility in the DRC Now is the time to stay the course, Jens Laerke, UN spokesman, said during a briefing in Geneva. Inter-ethnic violence and protests against President Joseph Kabila are the main reasons for the turmoil in the Central African country. Last weekend at least 79 people were killed when fighting broke out between Hema herders and the Lendu farmers in the northern Ituri province. {articleGUID} Ethnic strife between the Hema and Lendu dates back to the 1970s. The communities were embroiled in a violent, armed conflict between 1998 and 2003, in which tens of thousands were killed. In recent years, the two groups have maintained a low-level conflict, with occasional flare-ups in violence. Because of the conflict, farmers have been unable to plant crops for several years, leading to high rates of malnourishment. Other provinces have also seen violence, particularly Kasai and Tanganyika, where hundreds of thousands of people are at risk. In Tanganyika and the nearby area of Haut Katanga, more than 12,000 reports of human rights violations were recorded in 2017, according to the UN. Ethnic violence between the Bantu and Twa ethnic groups has intensified since mid-2016. {articleGUID} The International Rescue Committee said more than 400 villages were destroyed between July 2016 and March 2017 as a result of the conflict. The DRC has also seen an increase in protests against President Joseph Kabila, who has led the country since 2001. His term ended in 2016, but the elections will not take place until later this year. Calls for Kabila to step down have resulted in violent clashes between the protesters and security forces. Last year, conflict forced 1.7 million people across the DRC to flee their homes. In October 2017, the UNHCR said there were 3.9 million internally displaced persons in the country, and more than 600,000 refugees from the DRC spread over 11 African countries. Mohammed bin Salmans visit marked by protests against devastating war in Yemen and blockade of Qatar. Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is wrapping up his controversial state visit to the UK, which has drawn angry protests and calls for his arrest over his role in the devastating war in Yemen. The Saudi crown prince, who is accused of being the chief architect of the war, arrived on a three-day visit on Wednesday, with the ruling Conservative Party and the UKs royal family rolling out a red carpet for the young heir to the throne. But no sooner than he landed, the 32-year-old was met by hundreds of protesters demanding an end to the violence in Yemen and an immediate halt to weapons sales from the UK to Riyadh. In the lead-up to the trip, tens of thousands of Britons had signed online petitions calling on Theresa May, the prime minister, to cancel MBS visit over his actions towards his southern neighbour. Child casualties of war According to Save the Children and UNICEF, at least 110,000 children have died from preventable causes brought about by the war in the last two years. However, British arms companies are reported to have reaped huge benefits from the fighting, earning more than 6 billion pounds ($8.3bn) in trade with Saudi Arabia since 2015 when the kingdom launched its massive aerial campaign against Houthi rebels. On Thursday, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that new deals had been signed with Riyadh, worth more than $90bn. It was not immediately clear whether any of those contracts included arms sales, with the spokesman simply adding that the signed deals included direct Saudi investment in the UK and new Saudi public procurement with UK companies. James Denselow, the head of humanitarian policy and advocacy for Save the Children, told Al Jazeera that despite glowing appraisals from Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary, Saudi Arabia had precipitated a humanitarian disaster. There are 11 million children in Yemen dependant on humanitarian aid, thats a number greater than the entire population of Belgium, he said. So for all the trade deals, and all the niceties, we have to remember Saudi Arabia is a key player in this conflict. On Wednesday, the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, criticised May and her governments lack of criticism of Saudi Arabia, arguing it was colluding in war crimes by selling arms to Riyadh. May, however, defended her governments relationship with the kingdom, arguing that the UK played an influential role in bringing to light the many issues Saudi Arabia faces. The crown prince, who is heir to his 82-year-old father, King Salman, said there were huge opportunities to boost trade between the two countries and they had to work together to deal with failed states terrorist and extremist organisations in the Middle East. Women trained as masons build houses in Eklephant Women have started to construct houses after taking mason training in Majhigaun, Sindhupalchok. Zeid Raad al-Hussein also calls on Myanmar to allow monitors in to investigate suspected acts of genocide. The UN human rights chief has called for all atrocities committed against Myanmars Rohingya to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution. Prince Zeid bin Raad Zeid al-Hussein, who has previously described Myanmars campaign against the Rohingya as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing, also urged the country to allow monitors into restricted areas to investigate what he called suspected acts of genocide. If they want to disprove the allegations of serious violations against the Rohingya, invite us in to Rakhine State, Zeid told a news conference on Friday in Geneva. We are saying there are strong suspicions that, yes, acts of genocide may have taken place. But only a court can confirm this, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights added. Al-Husseins comments come after Myanmar National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Thursday that if it was genocide, they [Rohingya] would all be driven out. He added: We have often heard many accusations that there is ethnic cleansing or even genocide in Myanmar. And Ive said it before and Ill say it again it is not the policy of the government, and this we can assure you. Although there are accusations, we would like to have clear evidence. Ro Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist, said the UNs announcement was long overdue. It is very important to prosecute Myanmar leaders at the ICC and to end this ongoing genocide, Lwin told Al Jazeera. More than a million Rohingya are seeking justice. The Myanmar military and government have been committing crimes against humanity and genocide for over 40 years. Not only against the Rohingya, but also against Kachin, Karen, Shan and other ethnic minorities. As a Rohingya activist, we want to see Myanmars Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in court at the Hague, he added. Nearly 700,000 have fled The Rohingya, viewed by the UN and the US as one of the most persecuted communities in the world, have face widespread discrimination from Myanmar authorities. Since August, more than 650,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after the countrys military cracked down on the minority in northern Rakhine State. Those fleeing have brought with them accounts of rape, torture, arson and killings by Burmese soldiers and vigilante gangs. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has estimated that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the first month of the crackdown alone. According to recent satellite imagery, more than 360 Rohingya villages had been partially or completely destroyed since August, with at least 55 villages completely bulldozed, removing all traces of buildings, wells and vegetation. Myanmars military says the crackdown was needed to root out Rohingya armed rebels who attacked border police posts in August, killing about a dozen people. In January, Myanmar and Bangladesh announced a repatriation deal, but rights groups and Rohingya have raised concerns about the agreement, saying it does not guarantee full citizenship, or safety, for those who return. Prior to the current exodus, tens of thousands of Rohingya had already been living as refugees in several neighbouring countries. Tillerson visits six African countries US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is visiting six African countries with the aim of tightening security and economic ties. Jillian Kestler-D'Amours Jillian Kestler-D'Amours has reported from across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as in South and North America, Asia and Europe. Her work c... more overs immigration, refugees, political conflict and human rights issues. Follow @jkdamours // Canadians go to the polls on Monday. Heres what you need to know about the parties, leaders, and key election issues. Everybody Knows Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, that the fight is fixed. Everybody knows there two kinds of "public servants" in America: those who are held accountable for their actions and those who are not. The unaccountables are almost always Democrat. Everybody knows that the king and queen of all unaccountables are Bill and Hillary Clinton. Their careers have been a crescendo of criminality for which they have never been held to account. The Clintons offend locally and globally. They build from local crimes like rape, intimidation, corruption, and perjury (some say worse) to global ones like diverting tens of millions of dollars from the sickest and poorest people to their bank accounts. Hillary tossed around top national secrets like a Caesar salad. The pinnacle of their careers as global unaccountables is the Uranium One scandal. It took four years of collusion with the Russians. They were abetted by many, including Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller, who knew and looked the other way. Uranium in Wyoming is like potatoes in Idaho: there's a lot of it. Hillary's Russian reset meant that the Clintons sold all the uranium in Wyoming to the Russian government for at least $150 million to the Clintons' foundation. Everybody knows that Barack Obama is doubly unaccountable. He is unaccountable by physiognomy and by exquisite hypocrisy. Holder and Lynch, both also double-unaccountables, subverted the justice system as Obama's attorneys general, criminally conspired in multiple ways for political ends. Everybody knows that Obama knew about the illegally obtained FISA warrant to spy on Donald Trump. National security adviser Susan Rice is a numbskull who was valued for race and for lying straight-faced. Susan's parting prose was a note to self: we did really good, and were very honest. Now do I get my chocolates and long-stemmed rose? Everybody knows. Power corrupts. Power plus unaccountability turns sophisticated people into incompetent criminals and the uneducated into destructive, foul-mouthed brats. The Obama administration produced multitudes of both. They enjoyed eight years of unparalleled unaccountability thanks to a lapdog legacy press. The FBI, the DOJ, all the top-tier unaccountables, forgot that the deplorables existed and never doubted that Hillary Clinton could buy and lie her way into the presidency. It was her turn. Still, it can't hurt to wiretap the opposing campaign. Besides, it's so much fun to do whatever you want. It was Woodstock for the D.C. unaccountables. The top DOJ-FBI administrators, meaning people who were not competent enough to be real agents and lawyers, had the time of their lives playing cops and spies. Hillary's $12 million passed through Nellie Ohr at Fusion GPS. Her husband, Assistant Attorney General Bruce Ohr, met with Christopher Steele, the cover-story author of the pee-pee dossier on Trump. Ohr, who still works at the Justice Department, reported all the fun to Sally Yates. Everybody came out to play. McCabe spied; Comey danced and lied; John McCain lent a hand. Strzok and Page were special beaux, they took their meetings without their clothes. Everybody knows: Carter Page is not a spy; he's just the one they chose. If they had kept their oath to defend the Constitution and accepted the results of a lawful election, all these misdeeds, and many others yet to be revealed, would not have come to light. Everybody knows that Hell hath no fury like scorned politicos. They molded their outrage into an absurd charge that Trump had colluded with the Russians to fix the election. Rat Rosenstein brought in Mueller, who was given a fishing license that will never expire. Collusion? By personality, Donald Trump is the last person who would secretly collude with anybody. Everybody knows that Trump would not collude with Christ Himself if the chance arose. Collusion is for people who lack confidence in their ability to accomplish a purpose and turn to underhanded methods. If there is one defining feature to Donald Trump's personality, it is tremendous confidence in the belief that he can accomplish his goals. Collusion is sneaky behavior that gives the other collaborators great power. Trump would not grant that kind of power to anybody. He would never believe he has to. Furthermore, collusion involves concealment. Everybody wishes Trump would try a little concealment now and then. Mr. President, hide something from us once in a while, please. This is a psychological theory about Jeff Sessions's removing himself from seeking justice for the American people regarding all the crimes of the Clinton-Obama regime: he has PTSD. Unaccountables get to slander and insult accountable politicians in the most vile terms whenever they choose. Accountables always calmly defend themselves, no matter how unreasonable or inflammatory the abuse, because they have honor and integrity. Sessions is a first-rank accountable who has been unjustly vilified as a racist for decades. Avoidance is a major cluster of symptoms in PTSD. He may just be burned out from the abuse. Everybody knows it's now or never; everybody knows that it's truth or lies. That's how it goes. Everybody knows. How Bad Would Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Be, Really? President Trump has proposed slapping a 10- and 25-percent tariff on aluminum and steel imports, respectively. The cry from the free trade quarter and the mainstream media is loud, often bordering on hysterical. They claim that these tariffs will raise consumer prices, hurt the U.S. economy, invite retaliation from other countries, and maybe lead to a trade war reminiscent of the 1930s. Where to start? The best place is with the term "free trade" itself. In reality, these is no "free trade." Mouthing the words "free trade" sounds good, so it must be good, right? Wrong. What has been passing for free trade is the condition whereby the U.S. markets are kept relatively open while other countries are allowed to put up barriers to our exports and maintain predatory trade practices. It is this "free trade" that has been grinding American manufacturing down for years and erasing middle-class jobs in the process. Let's look at some of the specifics of the steel and aluminum tariffs. To begin with, there is a global overcapacity in the manufacture of both steel and aluminum. This has come about because many countries heavily subsidize their industries. The production goals in said countries are based not on market conditions, but on government policies that typically focus on jobs at home. This results in too much production. The excess is then exported abroad, often into the open American market, at artificially low prices that is, at prices below the cost of manufacture. In economic circles, this is called dumping, and it has historically been viewed as an unfair trade and predatory trade practice. The top exporter of aluminum and steel into the U.S. is Canada, a country Trump is hinting at exempting from the tariffs. This is not just because Canada is our largest overall trading partner, but because the attractive prices of Canada's steel and aluminum are due to production efficiency namely, Canadian mills have access to relatively inexpensive hydroelectric electricity. That's not the case for the other producers, who should be hit with tariffs. You may wonder, why have predatory trade practices against the U.S. been allowed to fester for so long? That's a question you have to ask the free traders. Good luck getting an answer. Fortunately, Trump is starting to act. And the recent departure from the administration of economic adviser Gary Cohn a Democrat, a free trader, and a Wall Street fat cat is a welcome sign. Wilber Ross, secretary of commerce, is solid. He has said the U.S. will no longer be a "patsy" for other countries on trade. At Davos, he also commented that "[t]here have always been trade wars. The difference now is U.S. troops are now coming to the ramparts." This is exactly what many of our trading partners find highly objectionable: America defending itself. It's as if they've grown accustomed to going out for dinner and drinks each night and having America always picking up the tab. It's a shock for them to hear that the arrangement is coming to an end. Now let's look at the effect of the aluminum and steel tariffs on U.S. prices. Take aluminum. A 10-percent tariff will raise the cost of the imported metal by at most 10 percent. And since aluminum has extensive use, the argument goes that this tariff will ripple through the economy and hurt the consumer. Will it? Say a product costs $10 and has $1's worth of raw aluminum in it. With the tariff, the cost of the metal rises to $1.10 and the product to $10.10. How significant is that? Some concrete examples. Take airline manufacturing, which is a big aluminum-user, as the planes have aluminum shells. So what do you suppose is the percentage cost of the raw aluminum in the overall cost of producing a Boeing 777 or any other plane in the Boeing fleet? It's minuscule. It is nearly the same for the car you drive. Moving down the product sophistication ladder, what is the percent cost of the aluminum in a can of Coors Lite? It shouldn't be all that much. Example after example can be given, and the results will be the same. In all but a few exceptional cases, like aluminum foil for the kitchen, the cost of the aluminum in the product will be small, in some cases so small that the effect of the tariff might not even be noticeable. The steel tariff will have more bite, but the argument is the same. For a building, what percentage of its cost is due to the raw steel in its structure? This percentage cost of steel and aluminum in products is relatively low because both are commodities or, if you will, low value-added products (unless they are specialized). Admittedly, the cost effect of tariffs would be magnified when applied to finished products like cars, TV, iPhones, and high-end sub-assemblies like automotive engines and transmissions. That's a story for another time. There's another factor on steel and aluminum which the free traders neglect to address. As previously stated, for both, there is a global overcapacity. Under that condition, if these tariffs were imposed, might not the producers eat the tariffs to maintain market share? To the extent that that happens, the cost of the tariff is transferred from the American consumer to the foreign producer. Given all this, it is hard to see that President Trump's proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum will affect prices all that much. What probably has the free traders hyperventilating is the thought that these tariffs like the previous ones on washing machines and solar panels might lead for a more serious effort by the administration to address a trade arrangement that is skewed against America. The free traders know they are backing a system that is difficult to defend on its merits and fear that any breach in their position might cascade. As for the globalists in the free trade camp, they love the status quo because it has the U.S. subsidizing the economies of other countries. To them, that's America's role in life. How the West Was Unwon Frank Miele, editor of the Daily Inter Lake, devotes three columns to the unraveling of our civilization in an effort to explain why it happened. His columns are well worth your time. I date the beginning of the unwinding of Western civilization to the early twentieth century, when Italian communist Antonio Gramsci advised his fellows that they needed to effect a "long march through the institutions" of the West in order to convert the whole world to communism via education. Soon came the Red Scare of the early twenties, when the West (rightly) feared being undermined by disciples of the nascent Bolshevik Revolution going out into the world. Early signposts that these movements were succeeding included the 1950 trial of Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers's subsequent publication of Witness, which told us in plain words about the conspiracy in plain sight going on before us. Harry White and Hiss were close confidants of FDR, and both were communists working for Stalin. McCarthy had it right, and history has never forgiven him for it. The so-called New Left in the sixties continued the subversion by putting it into the streets to delegitimize the extant order. The Establishment encountered a major problem in defending itself intellectually: that generation had never seriously questioned its values. America had, after all, just won the worst war in history and that was clearly good. Yet college professors, whom we thought the smart ones, were telling us we were evil and our kids were right. Helped along in self-doubt by the questionable wisdom of the Vietnam War and the obvious issue of black civil rights, many doubted the moral rectitude of Western civilization. That doubt had still not been cleared up when the Nixon matter threw the country into still another bout of self-doubt. The subversives stayed at it in the universities, sneakily removing the once required subject of Western civilization and replacing it with leftist ideology camouflaged as civics. The Western literary canon came under attack by feminists, another flavor of socialist. Hollywood got into the act with the likes of Oliver Stone presenting America as the land of the greedy and the home of the evil. Bit by bit, the planks that had built Western civilization, the predicate of its intellectual defense, were pulled up and replaced with Marxist junk. Rather than the close, tight reasoning of Locke, Montesquieu, Madison, et al., our kids were learning to whine the trite tripe tropes of the left. Came the nineties and the Clintons. Far from ideologues, they were just crooks. That made the work of the subversives even easier, since many who felt uncomfortable with Marxism readily understood the value of under-the-table bucks and secure congressional sinecures. All of this is hidden by the rubric of socialism and backed by the power of the ever growing state. America had long since kicked God out of the schools. It wasn't obvious to most at the time, but that was the prelude for all that followed since even the mention of God came to be verboten. This is too bad, because the more complicated society became, the more we needed God. The fact is that understanding God and what He wants of us is far more demanding than understanding Marxism. The complexity of human psychology exceeds anything most of us can even imagine. By contrast, the allure of socialism or communism has always been its simplicity and superficial reasoning. Those very characteristics make it a perfect cover for criminality on the large scale. Those who fall for its siren song are largely young and inexperienced. Having always been protected, they don't see humanity's flawed (sinful) nature and are vulnerable to Marxist "perfectibility of man" thinking. The Marxist allure usually comes at a young person at just the point in his psychological development where he is breaking away from home. It's a confusing time of life when one is trying to make sense of it all. He's naive without being aware of it. He's ready to follow someone without being aware of it. That requires a loosening of ties to what went before, in order to grow into the new skin of his new self. And here beckons Marxism with easy, ready answers. Only years later, if he's a thinking person, will he begin to see what he so glibly zipped past early on. All this is the natural result of a society growing wealthy. The young don't have to work as hard to make it. Things seem easy because they are easy. And it's so easy to attribute one's success to one's own brilliance. Who needs God in this easy world? In this process, we see why civilizations fall. Cocky and lazy, elites sink into immorality and drop their moral guard. Watching it happen is why so many great writers return, toward the end of their lives, to the religion of their youth. They finally grasp the astonishing complexity of the human condition and the unknowable, amazing mind of God, so far beyond our grasp that calling it "genius" smacks of the childish. Frank Miele is right. We need not only a return to belief in God, but also a rededication to thinking about Him, studying Him, talking about Him, giving Him proper respect. One imagines God looking at the hash man has made of the many gifts He gave us and wondering why He ever bothered. Sex and the Midnight Sun In a classic Twilight Zone episode called "Midnight Sun," a female artist faces the dreadful fate of being burnt alive in an abandoned New York City. She and her landlord remain in an apartment building after everyone else has escaped. The Earth's orbit has wobbled off course, and the planet is inching closer to the Sun each day. Night disappears. All waters dry up. The neighbors flee Manhattan in droves. The temperature rises steadily until they face certain death. The female painter loses all modesty, casting off all clothes but a slip as she waits to shrivel up and perish. But then she wakes up to find that the doomsday amounted to nothing but a ruse. In fact, her dark world will freeze. Her landlady stands over her bundled in winter coats, while she lies swaddled in blankets. Snow pelts the window of her building. In reality, the Earth is drifting away from the sun, and all face death by hypothermia. My forty-something generation remembers the fifties and sixties so condescendingly as a Stone Age of sexism, prejudice, and Eisenhowerian conformity. But The Twilight Zone remains as a testament to the artistic genius of those decades. "Midnight Sun," like the vast majority of the series's episodes, pointed to a deeper truth with a timeless relevance. The human mind faces danger by managing nightmares with counter-nightmares. Cold is easier to suffer if one has plunged into a nightmare of insufferable heat. Today's "Midnight Sun" hangs over sexuality. This truth has become evident with the strange events of the last three years. With the Obergefell v. Hodges decision nationalizing the compulsory recognition of same-sex relationships as marriages, not only the LGBT movement, but also feminism could claim "mission accomplished." The stodgiest and crustiest institution of America that Supreme Court of Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson had gazed over the heads of America's unwashed homophobic masses and winked to the professors of Women's Studies at Harvard and Yale. "We're on the same page," Anthony Kennedy white and male enough for Reagan said to the purveyors of sexual utopianism. By deciding that sexual tolerance and love came as basic entitlements, Anthony Kennedy gave feminists and sexual radicals everything they wanted. They could do as they pleased and receive moral credit, social affirmation, and tax breaks for it. The power of the state served at their beck and call, available as a form of coercion to fine, enjoin, censure, and (one day soon) imprison any who could impede them. Nothing ruins victory quite as much as getting what one fought for. In "Pyrrhic" achievements, winning kills a combatant worse than losing would have. After Obergefell, it would have made sense for the LGBT movement to wind down and for the women's movement to take a calm, reflective posture. Both movements had run out of enemies, in a sense. But instead they went into overdrive. Suddenly, the LGBT movement took to wall-to-wall coverage of a wave of "transphobic" violence, nightmares of men who consider themselves women being beaten by hordes of Southern Baptists. (In reality, fewer than thirty trans people were murdered last year, and transphobia did not motivate almost any of the killings.) In keeping with the way the LGBT movement usually operates, the appetite shifts quickly to the punitive. They abandoned plans to combat sexually transmitted diseases or relationship instability within the gay community. They focus instead on more lists of people to ban, censor, no-platform, and destroy. The women's movement has attained success that earlier feminists could only have imagined. Even sensible measures such as banning abortions after the fifth month of pregnancy have no hope of passing. The March for Life gathers each year, assembling hundreds of thousands of pro-life idealists. A cottage industry of conservative commentators pats them on the head, cheers on their courage, and then cuts every imaginable backdoor deal to keep abortion facilities open for business. Homosexuality and abortion flourish, championed by movements that have lost no ground. They have gotten what they wanted. They wanted a world in which sex did not matter and chastity posed no demands on them. Unfortunately, this comes with a nightmare. In a world where sex does not matter, sexual intercourse is meaningless, and no commitment really stands for anything. The less guidance we receive about how to relate intimately to others based on the self-evident design of our actual bodies, the more confused and lonely we feel. If I can change my sex at will, so can anyone I am dating. So what value do I gain by proclaiming my sexual orientation? If they can change their sex at will, they can change their preferences for a partner just as easily. Where does that leave me? Us? Anyone? Did anybody have a contingency plan in case loneliness ended up being worse than allowing Anglican churches to preach Romans 1? Without chastity, it turns out, there can be no charity. A society that blithely rushes into sexual congress will rush just as quickly into mass judgment. Forgiveness and mercy require patience and equanimity, calm contentment, and selflessness. Not coincidentally, chastity also rests upon patience, equanimity, calm contentment, and selflessness. Hasty love goes hand in hand with hasty hate. So our society now traffics in condemnations based on little snippets of things people said decades ago, offhand comments that linger online and never go away, and watch lists compiled by paid character assassins who take everything out of context. The list of people fired or ruined for making supposedly homophobic or sexist remarks should have served as a warning bell. Maybe nobody said, "We are all Brendan Eich now," because we all knew we were Brendan Eich, and we accepted it. So now the list of people fired or ruined for supposedly "harassing" or being "sexually inappropriate," even based on accusations from forty years ago lacking any real evidence, has exploded. The rampage of judgmental condemnation shows no sign of abating. The LGBT and feminist movements live like the Manhattan painter in the Twilight Zone. They inhabit a fictional nightmare of their own conception. They believe that their greatest threat consists of a deadly evangelical menace that stands to shut down screenings of Call Me by Your Name, or a world of toxic masculinity that encourages male co-workers to ask them out on dates. Sexism and intolerance loom on all sides as ever present dangers. Their greatest nightmare is facing people who view sex differently from the way they do. This includes people who see kinky sex as gross rather than exciting. It includes people who do not interest them sexually yet who express sexual interest to them. Like the woman about to freeze to death painting pictures of a blazing sun about to fry her alive, these fear-mongers imagine a world of sexual order, conformity, and predictability as the worst type of existence imaginable. Meanwhile, sexual chaos consumes them and wrecks them more each day. The loneliness will catch up with them. Perhaps they know this. It might comfort them to imagine that lusty men yearn to bed them while homophobes will continue praising chastity. Those inconveniences seem, at last, soothing for someone who faces long hours at a dull job and an empty apartment full of solitude and sadness. Robert Oscar Lopez can be followed at English Manif. The Welcome Rebirth of Nationalism The Italian elections of March 4 carry a theme that has become increasingly familiar among those nations in the European Union. Britain, Germany, France, and Holland have all had elections that swung strongly toward nationalism and the resuscitation of national identity through new political movements that reject the centralization of European government and open borders. Nationalism has gotten a bad name because the left has falsely associated it with Nazism. The Nazis, in fact, were imperialist invaders of other nations, and it was the nationalism of nations in the path of the Nazis British, Swiss, Spanish, and Turkish that blocked Nazism and confined that evil to continental Europe. Nationalism, when that means that the people in a nation with a distinctive language and culture ask only to be left in peace, is the solution to many of our world's problems. Most troublesome nations are really empires of many peoples whose national aspiration are crushed. Iran, Iraq, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, and many other large nations are highly artificial and are held together, against common sense and good government, in a large state that has many different languages, different religions or sects of religions, and different cultures. The deconstruction of these empires into smaller and rational nations is the key to peace and understanding. The Soviet Union, as a great Russian empire, was miserable and oppressed. Since that empire splintered into many nations there has been virtually no desire from the formerly oppressed peoples to rejoin Russia in some vast confederation. Yugoslavia likewise fragmented into several different nations. The Slovaks, forced into an unhappy union with the Czechs, have never regretted the Velvet Divorce, which broke Czechoslovakia into two new nations. The Irish, likewise, have never sought to rejoin the United Kingdom, and the Scots have been making noises that suggest that the United Kingdom should lose Scotland as well. Nationalism reduces tensions by removing one of the major causes of conflict in the world. What silly supranational organizations like the League of Nations, the United Nations, and the European Union do is submerge nationalism and remove citizens even farther from the centers of political power. The attempt to make nations alike also removes one of the most potent natural systems for creating peaceful competition in economics, culture, education, and law. The analogy in America is the marketplace of states, which the left constantly seeks to undermine through hyper-federalization of government, forcing states more and more to follow the dictates of Washington, whatever the citizens of those states may wish. When Europe is made up out of a large number of small and medium-sized nations that act independently, then these nations follow their own paths in domestic policy. This means experimentation and also a balancing of interests suitable to particular nations. The people in Greece, Finland, Ireland, Holland, Portugal, Norway, Italy, Britain, Germany, and France do not all want exactly the same things. Why is it not their right to choose what they want and how to handle the inevitable tradeoffs that decisions entail? Moreover, what right do strangers have to enter these lands, where the people find them disruptive and dangerous? The invasion of the nations whose elections show anger at open borders is like the invasion burglars make into the homes of others. That the burglar needs a better place to live is no rationale at all. We should no more think of decriminalizing entering nations illegally than we would think about decriminalizing burglary. When legal immigrants become violent and threatening, we should no more think these people have a "right" to be in a nation than we would think a new abusive husband who moves into a home has the "right" to stay there and intimidate the rest of the household. Elections in Europe are beginning to reflect what the natural citizens of nations feel about remote supranational governments, the removal of the rights of nations to their own culture, and the right of people who live in their homeland to keep out those who are seen as a danger. This rebirth of nationalism is a hope, not a worry, to those who love peace and want the state to leave them alone. Eliminating the toxic residue of Obama's racialist approach to crime The Obama administration sent a dear colleague letter to public schools around the country indicating that schools would be evaluated to see if they were disciplining or suspending students, or making calls to police to arrest their students, in a way that created disparate impact for blacks and minority students. In other words, if blacks were 30% of a high school but committed 80% of the behavior that leads to suspension, the school, to behave correctly, would suspend fewer blacks, and conceivably more whites and Asians and Hispanics, so the black suspension percentage did not exceed blacks' population share. If schools became more violent as a result, so be it. The directive argued for more leniency in general in dealing with student misbehavior. The mass murderer in Florida was never arrested and had no record, though there was plenty of opportunity for authorities to create one. I hope Betsy DeVos will reverse the policy directive and quickly. The same logic was behind the prison reform program designed to keep juveniles from having a police record and minimizing bail for juveniles and many others. Blacks commit a massively disproportionate share of all crime in America compared to their population share (13% of the population, over half the murders). But Obama and Holder did not want people to go to jail for their crimes or have juveniles with a police record, if those convicted and jailed were disproportionately black. New York City's murder toll of 2,200 a year in the early 1990s dropped to below 300 last year. A major reason was arresting criminals, convicting them, and getting them off the streets. You side with either the decent people in a community or the criminals. We know where Obama and Holder stood. In Chicago, it is the same story. Cook County Board chairman Tony Preckwinkle and state's attorney Kim Fox, both African-American women, have taken the Obama-Holder message to heart. The results are pretty evident as far as Chicago's crime rate. Minnesota is the same blue story. If you expected the media to hail North Korea's urgent request for talks from the position of supplicant you have underestimated the force of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Only one mainstream media figure came close to acknowledging the potential for greatness. Poor Erin Burnett of CNN apparently didn't get the message before going on air and acknowledging the upside potential of this development. CNN's Erin Burnett had some startling words for the president, should he pull off denuclearizing the country. Burnett actually said that he would go down as a "great president" if his talks with Jong Un go well. Here is the full quote. "Just an extraordinary evening and, of course, opening the door to the big question," she said. "If President Trump could truly solve this problem, that would be going down as a great president. There is no getting around that." Others, with more time to think it over and develop snark, layered on the scorn. One gambit was to liken the two national leaders to each other, thereby denigrating Trump as eerily like the ruthless dictator who assassinated his own brother. Peter Bakerin the New York Times: [I]n his penchant for unpredictability, his willingness to shift at a moment's notice and his sense that only he can make the important decisions, Mr. Trump may find a kindred spirit in the man who would sit across the table, Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Karen deYoung in the Washington Post also found some similarity between "Kim and Trump, two notably volatile leaders who have traded public insults for more than a year[.]" Others claimed that by agreeing to face-to-face talks, Trump has handed a win to North Korea, which long has desired the legitimizing that such acknowledgement of North Korean sovereignty would entail. DeYoung for example: By some assessments, this is really a victory for Kim, who for years has sought proof of his status and North Korea's power by dangling the offer of leader-to-leader talks with the United States. There is some legitimacy to this position, but the surrounding circumstances mitigate any notion that North Korea is not desperate, since it has made its request with urgency, has unilaterally offered to suspend its test programs, and has dropped its previous insistence that U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises halt as a condition of talks. But for the most extreme snark, one has to plumb the depth of the NeverTrumps on the right. Steve Berman of The Resurgent is certain that Trump has already blown it: The oldest trick in the book for a small, unknown competitor is to challenge the biggest company to a high-stakes test. And the big company never, ever goes for it because they [sic] can only lose. Except President Trump. He fell for it with Kim Jong Un, who has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by being in the press face to face with the President of the United States. Maybe Trump considers this "winning" economically against a country which has no moral issue starving every single civilian within its borders, wiping out whole families because one member read a Bible, kidnapping an American student on a fluff charge and then shipping him home irreversibly brain-damaged and days from death. Samantha Vinograd, of the Obama national security adviser's staffer that did nothing to stop North Korea's nuke program, is dead certain that there simply is not enough time, a view from within the box of failed diplomacy: "There is no way that President Trump can be ready, by May, to have a high stakes negotiation on denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, it's just impossible. ... You can't wing it." - Samantha Vinograd reacts to Trump agreeing to meet with Kim Jong Un https://t.co/ju1CU56iN8 pic.twitter.com/FjCJfyekzW CNN (@CNN) March 9, 2018 Translation: We couldnt accomplish anything, so Trump can't, either. Caricature of Kim Jong-un by DonkeyHotey. The totalitarian character of the regime itself a system built on brute force, threats and lies ought to warn us that Kim's goal in proposing a summit is not to surrender to maximum pressure, but to deflate it, via assorted diplomatic stunts. All the better for Kim to regroup and carry on with North Korea's predatory projects, global rackets and nuclear missile program. (Forget the idea that Kim might be suddenly looking to repent [of] his murderous ways and scrap his totalitarian system; odds are, his own gotesquely [sic] abused citizenry would seize the chance to kill him.) ... According to almost all the experts, there is every reason to anticipate that the talks President Trump has agreed to hold with Kim Jong-un will fail, just as experts agreed that Trump's quest for the presidency was a laughable impossibility. Smart people like Claudia Rosett of PJ Media understand the box the Kim dynasty is stuck in: The problem for the U.S. is that there is no diplomatic deal that would deliver any serious chance of ending North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea's totalitarian system, with its pervasive control and closed society, means there is no way that any deal can be genuinely monitored and enforced from outside. North Korea can let inspectors in, but it can just as readily kick them out. North Korea can promise to shutter its weapons-producing facilities, but it can then unshutter them, or secretly build new ones, and then dare the U.S. to do anything about it. That's how one nuclear deal after another has failed. Repeatedly North Korea has cheated and walked away refreshed and refortified, its pockets stuffed with whatever plunder it can carry from the bargaining table. One factor that must be considered is the vulnerability of the Kim regime itself under the status quo. It stays in power only through brutal force and displays of its power. It has survived so far by never flinching from extreme measures, and by keeping the populace ignorant of conditions outside of North Korea. That second pillar of regime stability has crumbled, however, thanks to the widespread availability of video players and smartphones, many of them dropped into North Korea by balloon drops or smuggled across the Yalu River from China. According to media reports, the North Korean public has seen that its cousins to the south enjoy a lifestyle that can only seem like a dream. That does not make for a stable or long-lived regime. I think President Trump understands this as well as anyone. My strong supposition is that he is thinking of offers that have been "outside the box" of conventional diplomacy. First of all, he is going to look Kim Jong-un straight in the eye and tell him he faces death via nuclear annihilation or other means if no deal results. Trump's "stick" is far more believable than that of any previous American president thanks to the relentless work of Trump-haters, who have told the world he is a reckless madman. Trump has often used his enemies' tactics against him to his own advantage. President Reagan used a similar tactic, pretending to be the madman his critics called him to stare down the USSR. I have no inside knowledge of what Trump might offer in the way of carrots to Kim, but I would not rule out guarantees of safe haven in a country acceptable to Kim. Recall that he went to school in Switzerland and has far more familiarity with the ways of the Western word than either his father or his grandfather, and he might find that safe and reliable nation a comfortable refuge for him and his cronies for the rest of his and their days. The North Korean ruling elite of senior military and government officials, their families, and maybe an ample coterie of those cheerleader sex slaves who charmed NBC so deeply would number under a thousand people, easily accommodated by a safe haven nation, particularly if accompanied by a few billion dollars for care and feeding. China might be another location where Kim could find refuge and comfort. China does not want war in North Korea and does want a denuclearized Korean peninsula and especially does not want a nuclear Japan. That is its incentive to cooperate. There are reports that Kim's health is failing, and I may not be the only person who suspects that he is not necessarily enjoying the position of dictator surrounded by people who might assassinate him at any moment. In fact, my reading of him is that he is a voluptuary, more concerned about first survival, and after that, his pleasures. There is also a wild card: Dennis Rodman. I know, I know: he appears to be a comic figure, but consider the fact that Kim Jong-un invited him and apparently spent enjoyable time together with him. And also consider that Rodman was a guest on Trump's reality television show and therefore has a genuine basis for telling Kim about Trump's true nature, based on his personal experience with the man. Would courtside season tickets to Lakers games in perpetuity, seated next to Rodman, be a lure? I don't know. One thing is certain: the conventional tools of conventional diplomacy have proven themselves powerless. Consideration of trying something new ought not to be constrained by the norms of diplomacy. Concerned about his crumbling legacy and unable to bear life out of the spotlight, the former president is in talks with Netflix "to produce a series of high-profile shows that will provide him a global platform after his departure from the White House," as the New York Times , which got the scoop, put it. Let that sink in. The man is seeking to rewrite history, his own history, the better to influence the public to think he wasn't such a bad president after all, through a television series about himself where he controls all the content. It shows how reluctant he is to let go of the reins of power and act the graceful role of retired president. Up until now, presidents have written their memoirs and then let history decide. Obama never liked America or its traditions much, so it's natural for him to shun its presidential traditions from his presidential portrait to his presidential library to his presidential memoirs to his refusal to go away. Through this Netflix project, Obama seeks an immediate propaganda platform for continuously preaching to the public in real time that his presidency was greatness itself, and thus influencing public perceptions just through coming into our living rooms each night. Netflix has 118 million subscribers. Apparently, it wasn't enough to take taxpayer funds (and some were taken) to build a monument to himself in his non-library presidential library to loom big over the south side of Chicago, expropriating a historic Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park for this purpose. He needs to be on television all the time, the better to keep stirring the pot as President Trump sweeps out all of his bad executive orders, high taxes, massive regulations, vast expansions of the bureaucracy, bows to dictators, and nightmare of Obamacare. And while undoubtedly making millions (at what point has he made enough?), he wants to build an electronic monument to himself, in the same pharaonic tradition. And like a dictator, he seeks to control history. You can bet there won't be any self-criticism in this Netflix series; it will be about how great he was. As Obama's minions themselves tell it to the Times, it will be about "narratives." And "inspirational stories," he says. This is nonsense think of all the astroturf "inspirational stories" he laid out during his administration. What were they done for? To sell horrors like Obamacare to the public and make them think something good was in store. That was all, and we expect that these new inspirational stories will be to sell other socialist programs, as well as do their darnedest to attack President Trump. We know that's going to happen. Meanwhile, Obama also says his new electronic monument will be to counter Fox News. All in all, that's a fancy way of promising us propaganda. Apparently, he's counting on the lastingness of television programming and the permanence of the internet to counter the bad memories from the firsthand experience of his policies. So everyone will love him, and progressivism and socialism can keep recrudescing. Here's to hoping the whole thing will bomb with a smarter public and Netflix will lose its money. Broadcom has spent the past few months attempting to purchase Qualcomm after Qualcomm purchased NXP Semiconductors. Qualcomm was not up for sale, so this is a hostile bid by Broadcom, who has been able to get Qualcomm to the negotiation table. However, the US government now has a few issues with Broadcom potentially purchasing Qualcomm. Which resulted in Broadcom writing a letter to the US Congress today, citing that it would not sell national security assets to foreign firms, and that it would invest around $6 billion in manufacturing in the US. In this letter, Broadcom outlined that it plans to invest $3 billion in research and engineering, in addition to the $6 billion for manufacturing in the US. These numbers are also annually, and should bring quite a few jobs to the US. Broadcom did not cite its current spending numbers between it and Qualcomm, so its hard to see whether this would be an increase or a decrease from current numbers. Recently, the US government has expressed concerns over Chinese companies doing business in the US. While Broadcom isnt technically a Chinese company, since it is based in Singapore, it still falls in that category. The government has recently taken aim at Huawei Technologies, particularly its network side of its business. This has affected wireless carriers options for building out a 5G network in the coming years. Qualcomm will be holding its annual shareholder meeting on April 5, after being delayed 30 days due to the recently announced CFIUS investigation that started this week. Qualcomm also announced today that it was discontinuing the role of executive chairman, and has named a new chairman to its board of directors. Qualcomm is looking to get onto shareholders good side, as it approaches the April 5 shareholder meeting, in which it is hoping that shareholders are on its side in its fight with Broadcom. These talks between Qualcomm and Broadcom are likely to continue for the next few months, even after the shareholder meeting that Qualcomm is putting on next month. Broadcom has already issued a few different quotes for purchasing the company, and likely wont back down any time soon. Smartphone accessory brand Casetify announced its first-ever lineup of Glitter and Impact Cases for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, Samsungs newest Android flagships which are already shipping to some customers as of today. Casetifys new cases are scheduled to be released in April and span a wide variety of styles and color combinations, hence seeking to cater to a broad demographic. The Liquid Glitter cases are literally filled with moving pieces of glitter and are designed to simulate a flashy and free-flowing aesthetic while still being structurally sound and capable of protecting your Samsung-made flagship from damage, the company claims. The most high-profile offerings from Casetify have a two-layer construction and leverage the companys QiTech material with the goal of offering protection from both sides. The newly announced Impact lineup of protective cases is also advertised as drop-proof but doesnt want to compromise on style, with its offerings all being highly flashy and picturesque. The Glitter case series is available with three shades of glitter particles which can be combined with dozens of designs and retail at $45. The Impact product family is priced at $49 and has a waitlist attached to it, with prospective buyers being encouraged to sign up if theyre considering getting one of the new accessories this spring. Casetifys latest offerings will be sold exclusively through its website accessible via the banner below. The company offers international shipping and is presently running a promotion that can slash up to 25-percent off your order price if you use the code MYFAVE during checkout and buy multiple accessories. Samsungs Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are shipping to consumers who pre-ordered them as of today and will officially start being retailed on a global level come next Friday, March 16. The South Korean tech giant already said its expecting its latest devices to outperform the Galaxy S8 lineup but has yet to share any details on their (pre-)commercial performance. B&H Photo has taken $50 off of the price of the Sony LF-S50G wireless speaker today, bringing the price on down to just $198. This is only the second time this speaker has dropped in price, and its now back down to its all-time lowest price. This makes it a great time to pick up the Sony LF-S50G, especially if youre looking for an alternative to the Google Home. The Sony LF-S50G is a great speaker to pick up. It has Google Assistant built-in, which means youre going to be able to interact with the Google Assistant. That includes asking for the weather, controlling your smart home and so much more. Additionally, the LF-S50G has great audio quality. Its a 360-degree speaker like most smart speakers these days, which means itll be able to fill a room with audio pretty easily. It has a 1.89-inch tweeter inside, and a 2.09-inch woofer included, which provide great audio. That includes some deep bass, as well as crystal clear mids and highs. Of course, since this is a Google Assistant speaker, there is Google Cast support included here, allowing you to stream music over WiFi. Sony has added gesture controls onto the LF-S50G. Allowing you to swipe around on the top of the speaker to adjust the volume and tap the top to start talking to the Google Assistant. Of course, perhaps the most important feature, there is an LED clock on the front of the LF-S50G, which is a nice addition. At B&H Photo, you do get free expedited shipping, and if you purchase before 4PM EST today, it will ship from its New York City warehouse today. Those that live closer to the State of New York will get it sooner, but it should arrive within two business days. Theres no taxes being collected unless you reside in the state of New York or New Jersey. Tech giant Google is celebrating International Womens Day with a new interactive doodle that shows off 12 different comics from female authors. Googlers Lydia Nichols & Alyssa Winans were in charge of putting this Doodle together, and personally reached out to all 12 of the featured artists. The point is for each artist to make a comic that tells the story of something or somebody that had a major impact on their life as a woman, while also having a universal theme that just about anybody can relate to and understand, in order to bring a womans perspective to common issues that most everybody deals with, either directly or indirectly, such as dating, depression, trust, and body issues. Along with the Doodle, Google produced the attached video, showcasing some common Google search terms and where theyre commonly queried from. All of these terms, including things like how to raise a feminist son and when will gender equality happen all indicate that a change is taking place on a worldwide scale. People are becoming increasingly interested in gender equality, and in issues that uniquely affect women. The #metoo movement is touched on, as is the #timesup movement. The world seems to slowly be moving toward gender equality, though some regions are doing better than others, so Google made a video to celebrate the progress and praise women worldwide. Appreciating women and fighting for gender equality is an ethical pursuit, to be certain, and one that earns Google some public relations points with its audience. Its a very fitting move for the company; Google prides itself on diversity, including in gender, and has a woman in one of its top positions with Ruth Porat being the chief financial officer of Alphabet, in charge of holding departments and projects accountable to ensure that the company continues making enough money to continue operations as normal. The company had another powerful woman in tech at one point in the form of former DARPA head Regina Dugan. The company lost her to Facebook, and she left that company for lands unknown in the middle of heading up development on a thought-to-text machine, among other secretive projects. Advertisement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkfpqGWzHCE Motorola is presently in the process of conducting major layoffs, according to numerous rumors that surfaced online in recent days. Some sources are estimating the layoffs are encompassing between 20- and 50-percent of the firms workforce in its home city of Chicago, though its understood that the exact scope of the move still hasnt been disclosed by the management, not even to Motorolas own employees. Creator of the Keyboard Moto Mod Liangchen Chen took to the comments section of his startups Indiegogo campaign to say the development is likely to affect the release of the upcoming accessory as Motorolas team working on certifying the device is now largely gone, though the module is still expected to be commercialized this year. Mr. Chen described the development as shocking earlier this week while responding to one question from an Indiegogo backer but said he still isnt able to talk openly about the matter and isnt fully informed about recent developments. We will probably witness a [sic] history, Mr. Chen said, prompting some speculation that Lenovo may be looking to offload Motorola this year. The issues raise a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of the Moto Z lineup, the companys only product family compatible with Moto Mods. The last addition to the series came in the form of the Moto Z2 Force released last August, with the smartphone getting a mixed reception from both critics and consumers alike, many of whom disapproved of its arguably outdated design and easily scratchable screen. The Lenovo-owned original equipment manufacturer also surprised industry watchers by failing to announce a single new device at the latest iteration of Mobile World Congress, the mobile industrys largest annual trade show which took place in late February. Motorola had a massive presence at MWC 2017 and the Moto G6 lineup has already been the subject of numerous leaks in recent months, yet the firm hasnt returned to Barcelona in a significant capacity and is still without a new smartphone in 2018. If recent reports about major U.S. layoffs are accurate, Motorola may be refocusing its efforts on India and other developing markets where its entry-level and mid-range devices are still understood to be fairly competitive, even if such product categories come with thin profit margins. The Chicago employees that are now said to be losing their jobs are expected to stay with the firm until April 6, according to one source. Qualcomm scion Paul E. Jacobs was ousted from his position of Executive Chairman of the companys Board of Directors and is being replaced by independent director Jeffrey W. Henderson, effective immediately, the San Diego-based chipmaker announced Friday. Dr. Jacobs is the firms first Executive Chairman, which is a role he filled since 2014 after serving nine years as Qualcomm Chief Executive Officer. The son of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs joined the tech giant five years after its establishment, having worked his way up the ranks since 1990. Hes now set to stay on Qualcomms board thats up for re-election next month, with recent reports suggesting Broadcoms coup attempt will also strip him of that position. As Mr. Henderson didnt have an active role in Qualcomms everyday operations, he will replace Dr. Jacobs as a Non-Executive Chairman, the company confirmed. The move is meant to underscore the independence of Qualcomms board so as to preemptively dismiss any allegations that Dr. Jacobss family history and his personal ties to the firm are somehow affecting its negotiations with Broadcom, or a lack thereof. Broadcom recently made such allegations, repeatedly accusing Qualcomm of not negotiating over its proposed merger in good faith and not being transparent with its investors, with the American chipmaker dismissing both claims. The duo once again started pointing fingers at each other earlier this month after a U.S. Treasury national security panel ordered a delay of Qualcomms annual shareholder meeting that could have seen Broadcom take control of the company with its own directorial nominees who will be up for re-election at the gathering. The showdown that was first meant to take place this Tuesday is now scheduled to take place on April 5, with Qualcomm being expected to use the remaining time it has to try concluding its NXP Semiconductors purchase which could help it convince more investors to vote against Broadcoms candidates. The $44 billion NXP acquisition is presently being blocked by Chinas antitrust watchdog, with some industry analysts speculating that state of affairs is a direct consequence of recent trade-related tensions between Washington and Beijing. Qualcomm on Friday once again extended its deadline for the completion of the tie-up which is now set to expire on Friday, March 16. If completed, Broadcoms proposed $117 billion consolidation would be by far the largest deal in the history of the technology industry. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is likely to lack an in-screen fingerprint reader, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a recent note to investors seen by 9to5Google. The same industry watcher correctly predicted the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will also miss out on such a technology which Samsung has reportedly been actively trying to commercialize for over two years now. The development still marks a change of heart for Mr. Kuo who believed the Galaxy Note 9 will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor back in October. The analyst now expects Samsung to drop the idea over technological difficulties, indicating the South Korean tech giant may still be trying to integrate the scanner into the phablets display. Samsung first seriously considered commercial implementations of optical fingerprint readers and other technologies that would allow for in-screen authentication in 2016 when it was developing the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, according to previous reports. Ever since then, the company is said to have faced issues with yield rates and compatibility with screen protectors, in addition to being unable to develop a solution whose consistency and accuracy is comparable to that of more traditional fingerprint readers. Mr. Kuo doesnt expect Samsung to successfully address those difficulties before 2019, as per his latest research note. The Galaxy S9 lineup thats already shipping to some customers is Samsungs third product family with rear-mounted fingerprint readers, albeit it repositions such scanners below the cameras of its devices so as to make them easier to reach. In-display scanners have already been successfully commercialized by Chinese phone maker Vivo whose X20 Plus UD mid-ranger features such a technology, though initial reviews suggest its overall performance is inferior to that of more traditional solutions. While speaking on the sidelines of this years MWC 2018 trade show, Samsungs mobile chief DJ Koh said the company isnt as adamant to pursue industry firsts anymore as much as its committed to making sure the new technologies it ends up implementing into its devices are maximally beneficial to consumers. Regardless, Samsung is widely expected to become the worlds first manufacturer to deliver a truly foldable smartphone by 2019. We all know that fear is a societys worst enemy. It is also journalisms greatest enemy. The fear of the long tentacles of power that never approach head on. The fear that comes in small doses until it finally reaches the headlines. The fear that your front page might bother someone rather than being concerned about whether the headline will actually interest your readers, the fear of hateful comments on Twitter, the fear of the power-hungry media that enjoys shredding peoples honourability and reputation. The manipulation of public opinion is a classic instrument of social control in democracies in crisis and totalitarian systems. It is about bringing the complexity of intellectual debate and opinion down to a comfortable, predictable, general assent. On Monday every Catalan government department, together with hundreds of public companies, received instructions from the Spanish Treasury ordering them to report any payments made to companies, journalists and academics from a broad spectrum of the pro-independence movement. We are not afraid of thinking and we know that neither are our readers. What does frighten us is seeing how Spains democratic quality is being eroded while many democrats look on impassively, paralyzed out of a fear of being called a traitor to their homeland. The Spanish states vindictive streak, particularly with regard to its political prisoners, or its desire to instill a fear of dissent, of thinking or expressing oneself freely, can only lead to an irreversible emotional drift from a state that is willing to stop at nothing. By Vasundhara Rastogi Last month, Thailand approved the much-awaited law for the development of its US$45 billion Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) rolling out a series of measures to spur foreign investments in the Thai economy. The new law provides for over a hundred regulations amended or suspended to sweeten business incentives and revoke legal restrictions on foreign investments in the country. It offers tax breaks for investors in the EEC project, and encourages them to rent land for up to 99 years. In addition, the Thai government has introduced relaxed visa measures for foreign professionals and also invoked executive powers to help speed investment approval. RELATED: Pre-Investment and Market Entry Advisory from Dezan Shira & Associates Advantage EEC The framework of the EEC is specifically designed to accommodate Thailands 10 target industries and its Thailand 4.0 initiative to attract foreign investment. The 10 target industries include five existing industries: Automotive, electronics, petrochemical, agriculture and food, and tourism as well as five new next-generation industries: Automation and robotics, aerospace, digital, biotechnology, and medical and healthcare. With the establishment of the EEC law, Thailand hopes to develop its eastern provinces of Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao into a leading ASEAN economic zone spreading over a combined area of 13,285 square kilometers. Here, we look at some of the advantages and benefits available to investors under the new EEC Act. EEC Business incentives The right to lease land for up to 50 years for residential development, and up to 99 years for commercial and industrial areas (50 years initially and 49 years on one-time renewal); Exemption from foreign land ownership restrictions for Board of Investment (BOI) promoted projects; The right to employ foreign workers with certain professions or knowledge; Fast-track environmental impact assessment (EIA); One Stop Service to facilitate investment in the area. The one stop service center provides comprehensive information related to investment in the EEC. The center also offers services for licenses application, such as trade, import, and export licenses; Facilitation in the issuance of work permit and visas; Issuance of a five-year business visa; and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) opportunity for investing in the EEC: Under the Eastern Economic Corridor Act, foreign investors, collaborating with the Thai government in infrastructure projects, will acquire special regulatory rights under the sped-up PPP process, which is now only a three-month-long. EEC infrastructure readiness Thailand has introduced five major infrastructure projects to support the prospective economic opportunities in the EEC. These include the development of a high-speed train, the expansion of the Laem Chabang deep-sea port, the expansion of the Map Thaput deep-sea port, the development of Eastern Airport City (U-Tapao airport), and a joint venture between Airbus and Thai Airways International that will build maintenance facilities in the region. Additionally, the government is planning to build a digital park (EECd) in Si Racha, located on the coast of Chonburi, in hopes of developing an Eastern Economic Corridor of innovation (EECi) a complimentary project which will provide digital connectivity. On February 6, the government gave approval for a 220-kilometer high-speed train project to link three main airports Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport, as part of the development of its EEC. The new airport linkages are expected to generate an economic return of 700 billion baht (US$22.3 billion). The EEC committee approved another 168 infrastructure development projects worth 989 billion baht (US$31.5 billion) for the flagship scheme. EEC OBOR integration and other advantages Recently, Thailand announced the integration of the EEC with Chinas One Belt One Road (OBOR) through a high-speed train connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, Nong Khai, Vientiane, Laos, and Kunming in China. The route, through Chinas Maritime Silk Road, will connect export zones in the EEC to markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe boosting Thailands connectivity and enhancing its competiveness at international level. Other advantages available in the EEC include exemption from the exchange control law of Thailand. Investors within the EEC are permitted to use foreign currency for payment of goods and services without having to exchange it into Thai baht. The exemption will minimize foreign exchange risk, and reduce the cost of exchange risk management for investors, enabling easier trade practices. As women solicitors practising in England and Wales outnumber men for the first time in history, people working in law across the world have spoken out about the challenges the profession faces in achieving gender equality, said Law Society vice president Christina Blacklaws. Unconscious bias is the main issue for career progression (52%) while 46% feel that routes to promotion are male-orientated. While 91% of respondents said that flexible working is critical to improving diversity, and 52% said they work in an organisation where flexibility is enabled; 41% said that current resistance to flexible working restricts their ability to rise up the ladder. Hogan Lovells advises Swissport on Aerocare acquisition Hogan Lovells has provided cross-practice, multi-jurisdictional advice to Swissport on its acquisition of Australia and New Zealand airport ground handling firm Aerocare. Two weeks ahead of the global debut at the show, Nissan released a design sketch of the model, one which it says reveals an expressive, sophisticated all-new Altima and hints at the future of Nissans sedan design language.Caught several times in the past year in different spy shots, the details about the new Altima are extremely scarce. Whatever the changes will be, they should, in theory, be interesting enough to keep Americans interest in the model at the highest levels.In 2017, Nissans sedan was listed in the top fifteen best selling cars in the United States. With 254,996 units sold, it slotted in the 13th place, between the Chevrolet Equinox and Jeep Grand Cherokee.Rumors about the powertrain to underpin the model point to the use of a turbocharged four-cylinder as the main model, but a hybrid version will most definitely be offered. Whatever the engines will be, it is to be expected some serious changes when it comes to them, including the addition of a small displacement turbo engine.The current generation Altima, introduced in 2012, offers a base 4-cylinder engine and the 3.5L V6 as the top of the range. A hybrid engine is also on the table.The interior of the 2018 Altima, as seen in recent spy shots , shows a large tablet display on top of the dash. The rotary dials are still in place, but the dashboard features two round analog dials with a small screen in the middle.Nissan did not say when the unveiling of the Altima will take place exactly, but hopes are high that the official details will surface before the presentation at the New York event. Developed from the G01 and G02 generations of the X3 and X4, both models are equipped with a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel connected to the tried-and-tested automatic transmission from ZF. The goodies are channeled through all four wheels, and the performance is impressive. Case in point: 4.6 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph). Top speed, you ask? That would be 268 km/h (167 mph) for the XD4.Right-hand-drive vehicles for the UK arent as lucky, with Alpina offering 333 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm) from a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.0-liter diesel. Nevertheless, thats plenty enough for a compact-sized crossover riding on 22-inch lightweight forged wheels and gifted with an upgraded chassis.Sports suspension, an active differential at the rear axle, electronically adjustable dampers, theres a whole lot to like about these fellars. The cherry on top of the Alpina treatment, however, is the subtle body kit with a dinky spoiler and no less than four tailpipes. The XD4 goes one step further, adding a rear splitter.The goodies list carries on inside the car, with customers offered a hand-crafted and leather-wrapped steering wheel, bespoke instrument cluster design, and a little plaque located at the bottom of the dashboard, right in front of the gear lever. Even by the premium standards of BMW, the Alpina-spec cabin is something to behold.Pricing for either model isnt available for the time being, but it will be soon enough considering the order books open in the second quarter of the year. Deliveries for the XD3 and XD4, meanwhile, are scheduled to start at the beginning of 2019. Sure, this is only a concept for now, but we see no reason for which the Bavarian automotive producer wouldn't expand the 8er family past the (two-door) Coupe and the Cabriolet we've spied on so many occasions. And yes, this should mean that the new-age 8 Series family will involve "civilian" models alongside the M8 GC the German automaker previewed at the Swiss event.And since we know how difficult the wait for the arrival of such a family-friendly machine can be, we've brought along something that should help you pass the time.We're talking about the rendering above, which shows the BMW M8 Gran Coupe in production trim.The pixel play comes from digital artist X-Tomi , an artist whose creations we've featured on multiple occasions. And, as indicated by the production-ready lines of the Geneva show car, the long-roof M8 has maintained most of its appeal in the process of becoming a showroom car.In fact, one of the most important elements that set this production trim render apart from the concept is the dissapearance of the stunning shade of green covering the concept. Nevertheless, the color, which is dubbed Saleve Vert, might receive a production version together with the car.The German automotive producer still has to work on the cabin of the machine, though, as shown by the fact that the windows of the concept car are opaque.On the technical front, we can look at the F90 incarnation of the BMW M5 for clues. And what a brilliant tech side the saloon has to offer. From the reworked 600 hp twin-turbo V8 to the M xDrive all-paw hardware that comes with a rear-only mode, which allows one to engage in shenanigans, all the right boxes are ticked.BMW is expected to bring the M8 Gran Coupe into showrooms by 2020 - meanwhile, we'll remind you that the M Division's Affalterbach rivals used the Geneva Motor Show to mark the debut of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe , which seems like a closer rival for the upcoming Bimmer than any other model out there. BGT3 TouringB @championporsche A post shared by MitraLyMaraj (@mmaraj) on Mar 8, 2018 at 8:23am PST The 911 GT3 TP sitting in front of you comes finished in Chalk (feel free to call it Crayon). This color serves multiple functions, from connecting the 991.2 model to its ancestors through its discreet nature to amplifying the understated aura of the TP's shaved posterior.And with the 991.2 incarnations of the GT3 making the nose of the car even more aggressive, this Zuffenhausen machine has the kind of presence one can't ignore, especially when you think that most of the magic happens at the posterior of the car, where a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat six sings at 9,000 rpm, delivering 500 ponies.Speaking of which, you shouldn't call this car wingless, since it does pack a Gurney flap on top of the active rear wing shared with the Carrera models.The wheel spec only comes to complement the main hue of the car, while the only element that stands out is the yellow hue of the brake calipers. This means we're looking at the optional carbon-ceramic stopping hardware.Now, one might wonder how the Touring Package, which is a no-cost option for the GT3, allows the car to perform on the track.And we'll remind you that we delivered an answer just yesterday, which came in the form of a track battle between the GT3 TP and the 911 Carrera T.Sure, the latter might be a non-GT car, but we have to admit that it managed to put up a respectable fight. The battle took place in Italy, on the Autodromo di Modena, an uber-technical track. Well, the answer is not that simple. First of all, the Mustang at your command might have a Shelby badge, but its naturally aspirated motor is part of a go-fast philosophy aimed more at circuits than drag strips.Secondly, pickup truck drivers who decided to duke it out with muscle cars usually don't bring stock machines to the fight. So yes, there might be one or two reasons to fret when encountering a situation such as the one described above.However, we're not here for theoretical purposes, as we have an example of such a velocity battle for you.To be more precise, a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and a Ram pickup truck recently got together at a drag strip, with the two slabs of America meeting at the Raceway Mission Park in Canada.The battle is documented in the piece of footage at the bottom of the page. And while we'll steer clear of revealing too many details, as we don't want to spoil the giggles delivered by the video, there are few things we can mention.For one thing, while we're not aware of the Ram's tech setup, this seems to be parading its diesel heart, as you'll notice thanks to the decals on the car.And no, this isn't the kind of sleeper that will blow the doors off production cars. Instead, we get a tight battle that will keep one in front of the screen from start to finish.Since we have no... standard quarter mile number for the bed wielder, we'll mention that the Shelby GT350 can play the 1,320 feet game in the mid-12s range, so you can use this as a reference when checking out the ET (Elapsed Time) numbers delivered at the end of the battle. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is warning Africans not to forfeit "any elements of your sovereignty" to China via its investments and loans, during his five-nation Africa tour. Separately, other U.S. leaders are growing more concerned about moves China is making on an important port in Djibouti. Why this matters: Africa is the new target in the global influence race between China and America. Similar to a recent trip to Latin America, Tillerson is sounding the alarm over China's growing influence. But, China's reach is expected to continue expanding, especially as Chinese President Xi Jinping views President Trump's "America First" platform as a boon. Predatory practices: On the eve of his trip Tillerson gave a speech at George Mason University, where he said that, in Africa, China: "encourages dependency using opaque contracts, predatory loan practices, and corrupt deals that mire nations in debt and undercut their sovereignty, denying them their long-term, self-sustaining growth." "Chinese investment does have the potential to address Africas infrastructure gap, but its approach has led to mounting debt and few, if any, jobs in most countries." "When coupled with the political and fiscal pressure, this endangers Africas natural resources and its long-term economic political stability." Taking over key port: Meanwhile U.S. leaders are growing concerned that PRC may be taking over a port in Djibouti. In testimony to the House Armed Services Committee earlier, Reuters reports that General Thomas D. Waldhauser, who heads U.S. Africa Command, said that If the Chinese took over that port, then the consequences could be significant." The Washington Post also says that the U.S. government is increasingly concerned: "Ever since the Djiboutian government seized control of the Doraleh Container Terminal from Dubai-based DP World last month, reports are it intends to strike a deal with a Chinese-state-controlled firm to run the facility. On Tuesday, Djibouti signed an agreement to expand the port with a Singaporean company that works with China Merchants Port Holdings Co., which already owns a large stake in the facility." "The port is significant not only because it sits next to Chinas only overseas military base but also because it is the main access point for American, French, Italian and Japanese bases in Djibouti and is used because of its strategic location by parts of the U.S. military that operate in Africa, the Middle East and beyond." Go deeper: Bloomberg looks at China's massive investments in Ethiopia. If the U.S. is going to compete with China, it has to offer market access, investments, and mechanisms to improve infrastructure. Beijing is pleased with the news that President Trump accepted an offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Geng Huang called it a step in the right direction, Xinhua reports. What I'm hearing: Chinese officials were not aware that Kim had suggested to the South Koreans he was willing to sit down with Trump, but they will be happy at the prospect that lowered tensions may be on the horizon. The big question: Trump has softened his approach to China because he has wanted their assistance in the maximum pressure campaign against North Korea. If a direct channel with Pyongyang is established, will Beijing still have all those cards to play against the U.S.? Reality check: The location will matter. The Joint Security Area in the Korean Demilitarized Zone near Panmunjom seems like an obvious venue. Beijing may be happy to host, but Kim is unlikely to want to allow the Chinese to take any credit. Trump may be tempted to go to Pyongyang, but that would be a huge propaganda win for North Korea. And, as North Korea and nuclear proliferation expert Jeffrey Lewis writes on Twitter: "This is literally how the North Korean film 'The Country I Saw' ends. An American President visits Pyongyang, compelled by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs to treat a Kim as an equal." Go deeper: Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass writes that this "calls for cautious diplomacy" in Axios' Expert Voices. Editor's note: This was corrected to show Jeffrey Lewis is the expert, not James Lewis. Experiential learning is not new apprenticeships and secondee systems have been practiced for centuries but this valuable approach still has much to offer, especially once reimagined for the workplaces of today and tomorrow. As a pilot project, one of us (Dave Burke) organized scholarship funds for a 15-day course on investing and entrepreneurship that took 12 undergraduate student at the University of Virginia to classrooms around the world: family investment firms in South Africa, sovereign wealth funds in the United Arab Emirates and financial management offices in Hong Kong. A central exercise required each student to plan and moderate a conversation with an investment professional in front of their peers, forcing them to draw on and challenge their own knowledge by engaging with an expert in the field. By the end of the course, students felt these hands-on, home-turf encounters with leading practitioners had deepened their understanding and enhanced their confidence. Stops along the way: Johannesburg: Through meetings with key family office investors, students weighed considerations around preserving capital, recognizing that families have varying goals relating to risk, liquidity, and intergenerational wealth transfers. Deep dive sessions with Richard Okello, the Uganda-born founder of Sango Capital, and the Oppenheimer family, longtime owners of De Beers, explored emerging market dynamics and sustainable nature conservation. To round out the trip, students visited the Apartheid Museum, Lilesleaf Farm (Nelson Mandelas pre-trial hideout) and the Shambala game reserve. Abu Dhabi: The focus here was on the $7 trillion world of sovereign wealth funds, influential providers of capital to the global financial system with unique investment criteria. To understand how these organizations balance investing as principals against delegating to other investment firms, students moderated an investor panel at the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC). Magnus Olsson, a Swedish transplant who is CEO of Careem, the Uber of the Middle East, shared what it takes to bring a startup to scale in the unique context of the Middle East. Adding some cultural depth, students toured the Twelve Civilizations exhibit at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, visited the Grand Mosque and rode camels among the sand dunes of the Empty Quarter, where the UAE borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. Hong Kong: The final stop offered a bottom-up lens into investment on the ground, with fund managers who buy and sell individual securities. Meetings covered how investors assess the value of prospective companies; identify attractive investment opportunities; manage a portfolio; and develop thoughtful risk-management policies. The students heard from Lei Zhang at Hillhouse Capital (the Warren Buffet of China), venture capitalist Eric Li, and an investment team at Bain Capital, and dined with Jamil Anderlini, the Financial Times Asia Bureau Chief, at the China Club atop the Old Bank of China tower, which overlooks Hong Kong Harbor. Whats next: Plans are underway for a second course next year: a trip to Nepal that will focus on development assistance, disaster recovery (from the massive earthquake two years ago) and the role of microfinance and grassroots entrepreneurship in job creation and womens empowerment. Alumni of the previous course could be recruited as student leaders. Why it matters: This model can be adapted at plenty of other scales. No matter what industry you work in, seize the opportunity to let students shadow you, so they learn from real experts and practitioners. Students absorb skills and lessons through experiential learning that they never will in a classroom, while seeing what works and what doesnt in a professional context. Its a venture-style bet that mentors can make with their most important resources their time and network that our nations young people need perhaps now more than ever. Mark Brzezinski, a managing director at Makena Capital, is a former U.S. ambassador to Sweden and a 1991 graduate of University of Virginia Law School. Dave Burke is CEO and cofounder of Makena Capital and a 1993 graduate of University of Virginia Law School. After a historic face-to-face meeting, North Korea's Kim Jong-un and South Korea's Moon Jae-in announced their intention to move towards a peace deal between their two countries, which have technically been at war since the 1950s. But theres reason for skepticism: The diplomatic history shows that apparent breakthroughs and shows of good will have proved fleeting. Peace would have to be accompanied by denuclearization, something Pyongyang has repeatedly declined to follow through on. The diplomatic history 1985-1992: North Korea agrees to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) but doesnt abide by a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). How it falls apart: The U.S. sanctions two entities in North Korea. 1993: After finding discrepancies in North Koreas declaration of its nuclear materials, the IAEA requests to inspect sites in North Korea, which Pyongyang refuses. How it falls apart: Pyongyang threatens to withdraw from the NPT. 1994: The U.S. and North Korea hammer out the Agreed Framework." This halts North Koreas decision to withdraw from the NPT and freezes its nuclear program in exchange for energy aid. How it falls apart: In 2002 the framework falls apart, with alleged violations from both countries. 2003: Six-party talks between North Korea, South Korea, China, the U.S., Japan, and Russia begin, and last for 6 rounds. They lead to an agreement in 2005 about the Norths potential denuclearization, re-joining the NPT, and maintaining a civilian nuclear program. How it falls apart: The U.S. also adds in some economic measures, and when North Korea requests these be eased the deal breaks down. 2007-2009: The parties work on crafting steps to implement the prior agreement, including a proposal from the U.S. about site inspection in North Korea. How it falls apart: North Korea opposes that pitch and announces it will restart its processing plant. Pyongyang launches a Taepo Dong-2 three-stage rocket, which the UN calls a violation of one of its resolutions. North Korea announces it will no longer participate in talks. 2010: North Korea suggests talks on implementing a peace treaty in place of the ceasefire that followed the Korean War. How it falls apart: Pyongyang threatens war with South Korea after Seoul says it would invade the North if it threatens a nuclear strike. Pyongyang threatens war with South Korea after Seoul says it would invade the North if it threatens a nuclear strike. A South Korea patrol ship sinks and the Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group (JIG) concludes the North is responsible. The U.S. and South Korea conduct joint military exercises as a show of force in response. The U.S. increases financial sanctions. North Korea announces it has a facility with 2,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium and fires artillery at a South Korean island. 2012: After meeting with the U.S. in 2011 for the first time in 2 years, North Korea announces it will stop uranium enrichment, allow in IAEA inspectors, and hold a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. How it falls apart: North Korea announces it will launch a satellite, which the U.S. says would violate the agreement. The U.S. suspends food aid delivery to the North. North Korea reveals six ICBMs, although experts say they may be fakes. North Korea launches a long-range rocket. 2018: South Korea says it is willing to talk with the North after Kim Jong-un suggests coordinating for the Olympics. The U.S. and South Korea postpone joint military exercises. Kim and Moon meet face-to-face. The bottom line All of the parties involved have expressed hope that this time is different, and it may be. But the history shows that tensions often ramp up just after an apparent breakthrough. During his meeting with President Trump at the White House on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised concerns over a possible deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia to build nuclear reactors in the kingdom, Israeli officials told me. Where things stand: The officials, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said Netanyahu asked Trump not to continue with the deal, but the message from Trump and his team was that if the U.S. doesn't sell the Saudis nuclear reactors other countries like Russia or France will. Netanyahu and his aides stressed to the White House that if they move forward with the deal, they should should insist on a Saudi commitment not to enrich uranium on their soil. Netanyahu's office didn't deny the details in this report, telling me in a statement: "We don't comment on the contents of private diplomatic conversations, but as Prime Minister Netanyahu has been saying for years there are many dangers in the Iran nuclear deal one of them is the demands of other countries in the region to get the same capabilities the deal allows Iran to have including enrichment of uranium". Trump didn't give Netanyahu a final answer on the nuclear deal with the Saudis and the parties concluded that further talks will take place between senior officials on both sides. The White House didnt comment for this report. On Wednesday , two days after the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, Israel's minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz met in Houston with his U.S. counterpart Rick Perry, who is negotiating the deal with the Saudis. Steinitz's spokeswoman told me she can't comment on the contents of the meeting. , two days after the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, Israel's minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz met in Houston with his U.S. counterpart Rick Perry, who is negotiating the deal with the Saudis. Steinitz's spokeswoman told me she can't comment on the contents of the meeting. On Thursday, Netanyahu hinted about the talks with Trump during statements to the press at the UN headquarters in New-York. Netanyahu said: "I was asked in Washington what is Israel's position on the requests of countries to enrich uranium. Countries in the Middle East. And I said, 'Why is it that they want to enrich uranium?' And they said that the reason that they're asking to enrich uranium is because Iran has received the right to enrich uranium under the dubious nuclear agreement. The best way to prevent the nuclearization of the Middle East is to either fully fix the Iran deal, or fully nix it. This is the only way to prevent the inevitable spread of nuclear technology and nuclear weapons into the Middle East". Last Friday, Perry led a U.S. delegation for talks with his Saudi counterpart in London. The meeting in London launched negotiations on the deal, which is worth billions of dollars to American companies. The Saudis insist on the U.S. giving them a right to enrich uranium on their soil. 1. The fast and far reach of false news False news spreads faster than true stories, and it's because of humans, not bots, according to a new study published today in Science. Our preference for novel news, which is often false, may be driving our behavior, researchers from MIT report. The bottom line: "It's important to avoid temptation to shift the blame elsewhere and focus on these non- human and foreign actors. Even if we solve bots and the foreign interference problem, it wouldnt solve the problem of online misinformation," says Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth College, who wasn't involved in the research. The details from the study, which is one of the first large scientific ones to actually analyze false news: Researchers looked at how roughly 2500 contested news stories determined to be true or false by six fact-checking sites spread on Twitter between 2006 and 2017. Through 4.5 million tweets, they found that false stories especially political ones traveled faster, farther and deeper into the network than the true kind. They examined users' timelines over 60 days and found they were more likely to tweet information they hadn't seen before. And, this novel information was more likely to be false than true. They then went back and, using a bot detection algorithm, removed bots from the analysis. Surprisingly, MIT's Soroush Vosoughi says, bots weren't the reason for the difference between true and false news they spread them equally. What's next: Coming up with ways to intervene and dampen the spread of misinformation, Vosoughi says. One possibility would be an indicator of how much a person is contributing to a "healthy" discourse on a platform. Read the full story here. Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11, albeit at a lower dose than adults receive, the companies said in a press release announcing results from a pediatric trial. Why it matters: The trial results are a much-needed source of hope for families with elementary school-aged children, who currently aren't eligible for a vaccine. President Trump's spirit animal Peter Navarro is telling associates he wants Gary Cohn's job as the president's chief economic adviser. What we're hearing: Publicly, Navarro has been coy, telling Bloomberg TV he's not in the running for the job. But privately, the hardcore nationalist trade adviser is all in for the job. Sources familiar with Navarro's thinking tell me he believes there are too many people inside the White House perimeter who oppose the president's agenda. Cohn, in particular, obstructed Navarro, telling colleagues that the nationalist trade adviser had no idea what he was doing, had no grasp of economics, and constantly "lied" to the president. Why this matters: Choosing Navarro would be the path of least resistance for Trump's trade agenda, but it would cause something approaching a riot on Capitol Hill and within the White House. Senior officials tell me they expect the entire National Economic Council staff would quit their posts immediately if Trump appoints Navarro; and Republicans on the Hill would go crazy. Republican leaders view Navarro as a menace and a danger to both the U.S. and world economies. The problem for them: Trump loves Navarro, and Navarro reflects the president's hardwired beliefs on trade far more closely than Cohn ever did, or did any of the other top officials involved in the trade debate besides Wilbur Ross. "Where's Peter?" Trump would sometimes say, when senior staff had "forgotten" to include Navarro in a meeting. Bottom line: Trump is spitballing up to a dozen names for Cohn's replacement. Cohn has been advocating for Shahira Knight a senior figure on the NEC who is well-regarded on the Hill and played a crucial role in passing tax reform. The chances that Trump will appoint Navarro currently seem low, but you'd be a fool to totally count him out. Half of all voters in the 10 states that voted for Trump but have Democratic senators say the economy is better off now than it was a year ago, according to new Axios/SurveyMonkey polls. And in nine of the states majorities approve of the GOP tax law. Why it matters: Economic optimism underscores the challenges faced by Democrats as they try to take back the House and Senate. As we wrote yesterday, five Senate Democrats would lose to Republican candidates if the election were held now Democrats need to pick up two seats to regain the majority. Our thought bubble on the economy from Axios Business Editor Dan Primack: Democrats are stuck. They spent the Obama years yelling about how the economy was doing well, while Republicans closed their eyes and jammed their fingers in their ears. Now that Republicans have decided it's safe to see the obvious, the Democrats either must agree that the economy is growing under Trump or look like hypocrites. Yeah, the GOP is also being hypocritical, but its current position is the factually correct one. But, but, but... Americans were far more split on their economic expectations for the future, according to a recent AP poll, : 34% said the economy will get better, 32% said it would say the same and 33% expected it to get worse Expand chart Data: SurveyMonkey polls conducted February 12-March 5, 2018. Poll Methodology; Note: "Disapprove" and "Approve" include "Somewhat" and "Strongly" responses; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios Despite the approval rating of the tax bill, more than half of voters in each state didn't think they would personally benefit from the tax law. Behind the numbers: West Virginia and Montana are two of the most optimistic states about the economy being better than it was a year ago. Sens. Tester and Manchin are the two of the most vulnerable Democrats according to our poll. Republicans will certainly use approval of the GOP tax plan while campaigning, and that could really hurt Democrats considering not a single one voted for the bill. Methodology: These SurveyMonkey/Axios online polls were conducted February 12- March 5, 2018 among a total sample of 17,289 registered voters living in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, North Dakota. President Trump's upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un follows a saga of tumultuous exchanges between the two leaders. The big picture: The highly anticipated meeting is back on for June 12, after President Trump had canceled it in response to a threatening statement from North Korea's vice minister of foreign affairs. As both parties make their way to Singapore and solidify their negotiating strategies, let's take a look at how we got here. February 2017 Feb. 11: North Korea tests a ballistic missile just three weeks into Trump's presidency, while he is hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the New York Times reports. Trump and Abe then host a press conference denouncing the test. Between February and November, North Korea conducts 16 separate missile tests, an unprecedented stretch of testing for the regime, according to CNN's data. June 2017 June 30: During a visit to Washington from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump warns that "the era of strategic patience with the North Korea regime has failed ... and frankly that patience is over." August 2017 Aug. 8: Trump tells reporters that North Korea will "be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," if it continues threatening the U.S. Hours after Trump's "fire and fury" comments, North Korea says it is considering firing missiles at Guam. Aug. 28: North Korea tests a ballistic missile over Japan, in what Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat." September 2017 Sept. 17: Trump dubs Kim "Rocket Man," a nickname he continues to use for months. Kim responds: "I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire." Sept. 19: Trump addresses the UN General Assembly: "The U.S. has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." Sept. 23: Trump takes his nickname for Kim one step further by dubbing him "Little Rocket Man." A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. October 2017 A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. November 2017 Nov. 28: North Korea launches a nuclear-capable ICBM it says can reach the entire U.S. mainland. Trump vows to "handle" the situation. Nov. 30: North Korea unveils a new intercontinental ballistic missile that it claimed can reach any target in the continental United States. January 2018 Jan. 1: Trump kicks off the new year saying the U.S. is "closer ... to a nuclear war with North Korea and in that region than we have ever been I don't see the opportunities to solve this diplomatically at this particular point." February 2018 Feb. 9: In a show of unity, North and South Korea enter the Olympics together and field a joint women's hockey team. Feb. 20: A meeting between Vice President Mike Pence and Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, is canceled 2 hours before it was supposed to happen. March 2018 March 6: North Korea expresses a willingness to discuss denuclearization if the regime can be assured of its safety, after talks with South Korea. Later that day, Trump tweets there is "[p]ossible progress being made in talks with North Korea...May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!" March 8: Trump agrees to meet with Kim by May, after the regime promises to halt nuclear testing. April 2018 April 17: Trump sent then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo on a secret trip to North Korea to meet with Kim, just days before being sworn in as Secretary of State. The president confirmed the meeting with a tweet. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. April 30: Kim meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to offer overtures of peace, formally ending the Korean War. Both sides showed they were willing to work together alongside Trump. May 2018 May 10: Pompeo embarks on a second trip to North Korea, bringing home three freed American prisoners. May 14: Trump declared that a successful outcome from the summit would be ensuring that North Korea "get[s] rid of their nukes." May 15: Kim threatened to cancel the summit because of joint military drills between South Korea and the U.S. May 22: Trump cast doubt upon the Korean summit, saying "maybe it will happen later" after Kim threatened to cancel the summit. May 23: A top North Korean official called Mike Pence a "political dummy" and said the country refused to denuclearize per the United States' request. May 24: Kim claimed to destroy the country's nuclear test site. Later that day, Trump canceled the summit in part because North Korea wouldn't share planning details with the U.S. June 2018 June 1: Following a meeting with North Korean official Kim Yong-chol, who delivered a letter from Kim to the president, Trump announced that the summit is back on, as scheduled, for June 12 in Singapore. Axios' Haley Britzky, Lauren Meier and Dave Lawler contributed to this story. Editor's note: This story has been updated and will continue to be as we receive new developments. Yahoo News has an excerpt from a book out next Tuesday, "Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump," by Michael Isikoff and David Corn. An anecdote from a 2013 steakhouse dinner in Vegas, where Trump was to preside over the Miss USA pageant, owned by his Miss Universe Organization: [Trump] asked [oligarch Aras Agalarov, known as "Putin's Builder"] what kind of jet he owned. A Gulfstream 550, Aras answered. But the Russian billionaire quickly noted that he had a Gulfstream 650 on order. If that was me, Trump replied, I would have said I was one of only one hundred people in the world who have a Gulfstream 650 on order. It was a small Trumpian lesson in self-promotion. And Trump, proud of himself, turned to [Rob] Goldstone [who helped bring the Miss Universe contest to Moscow] to emphasize his point: There is nobody in the world who is a better self-promoter than Donald Trump. Donald Trump's move on Thursday to push forward his tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has already prompted threats of retaliation. Why it matters: While the tariffs aren't quite as drastic as originally believed, they're still facing backlash even at home. Trump's decision met with immediate rebuke from high-profile Republicans and some U.S. manufacturers amid growing concern that a trade war could hurt the economy and risk thousands of jobs. What they're saying: The United Nations has issued a statement condemning Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for naming one of its human rights investigators to a list of communist terrorists. The organization says Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a Philippine national, is being intimidated by Duterte for reporting on abuses against an indigenous population in Mindanao. Why it matters: Duterte has a history of feuding with international bodies that try to "interfere" in his country, most recently calling on police officers not to cooperate with any investigation into his war on drugs. In response to his latest stunt, UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein said Duterte "needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination." Myanmar's de-facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been stripped of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's prestigious Elie Wiesel Award, the New York Times reports, for "failing to halt or even acknowledge the ethnic cleansing" in her country. The bigger picture: A Nobel Peace Prize recipient is leading a country in the midst of a possible genocide, and disappointing many of her former supporters abroad by not taking a stand. Suu Kyi is the daughter of Aung San, a nationalist hero sometimes called the father of modern-day Myanmar. He was assassinated in 1947, when she was two. How she got here 1988 After living abroad for decades, Suu Kyi is in Burma caring for her sick mother when a pro-democracy movement begins to take hold. She emerges as its leader, and is later arrested. From 1989 to 2010 She spends 15 out of 21 years under house arrest. October 1991 She is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her "nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights," per NYT. November 2010 She is set free, and her release is celebrated in Western countries; President Obama calls her "a hero...and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights." January-April 2012 She registers to run for a seat in parliament, and wins. November 2015 Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) wins a majority in parliament. She is unable to become president because "anyone with foreign relatives" is barred from the office. The military retains "significant power" in the country, including veto power over constitutional changes, and "direct control over the police," per the NYT. April 2016 Suu Kyi is named state counselor, a role "created especially for her," CNN reports. This position "is widely expected to allow her to rule by proxy." September 2017 Speaking to government officials and foreign dignitaries, Aung San Suu Kyi refuses "to criticize the country's military...accused of a vast campaign of killing, rape and village burning," NYT reports. A fellow Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, tells the NYT: "The whole world stood by her for decades, but today she has become the mirror image of Aung San Suu Kyi by destroying human rights and denying citizenship to the Rohingya....All we can do...is pray for the return of the old Aung San Suu Kyi." Worth noting: Some have defended Suu Kyi, noting that she does not control the military, and that she would lose support by speaking out more aggressively because most Burmese view the Rohingya as foreigners. Where the Rohingya crisis stands According to the latest report of the International Labor Organization (ILO) published ahead of March 8, International Womens Day, among post-Soviet countries Armenia has the highest unemployment rate among women. Thus, according to the data, 17.3 percent of Armenian women aged above 25 are unable to find a job. For comparison, in Latvia, which is next country to Armenia in the report, only 8.6 percent of women face unemployment. Unemployment among women in neighboring Georgia is 7.7 percent, while in Azerbaijan it is 4.8 percent. According to the data released by the National Statistical Service of Armenia last year, there are 76,624 officially registered unemployed people in Armenia, of whom 50,593, i.e. more than 60 percent, are women. There is no appropriate environment that would promote the protection of womens rights, Ani Kojoyan, a lecturer at Yerevan State University (YSU), told RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). She said that there is no problem with legislation, but there is a difference between being written on paper and applied. In the case of women the employer may also take into account whether the potential candidate for a job is married or unmarried, whether she has a child or can have a child later that would require a maternity leave I want to note that this also depends on women themselves. If women realize what rights they have and are not afraid to stand up for their rights at appropriate instances, it can be a good example for both the employer and other women, she said. Women not only experience more difficulty in getting jobs, but also receive lower salaries. Numerous studies in Armenia have shown that womens average monthly salary is lower than mens in all sectors of the economy, and this is in the case when women are not inferior to men in terms of education. Women often make more headway in the higher education system... But where do these women go in the future? When a woman does not immediately get a job, underestimation of her skills and abilities may actually take place. There are, in fact, many factors that contribute to this, Kojoyan explained. The United Nations also addressed the issue of inequality in womens and mens salaries in Armenia late last year. Authors of the 2017 report entitled Worlds Apart: Reproductive Health and Rights in an Age of Inequality asserted that many Armenian men demand that women have higher education, but later do not allow women to work. Presenting the report, the then United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Armenia Assistant Representative Garik Hayrapetian insisted that the elimination of discrimination between women and men could have a positive impact on the countrys economic development. You cannot leave 50 percent of the population out. Seven-nine percent of men have reported that they will not and do not allow their wives to work. If 7-9 percent [of women] do not work because of this, and I think that the percentage is much higher because this is a latent issue, Armenia has a burden of about $60 million on its GDP, he said. According to the ILOs report, womens unemployment rate worldwide is around 6 percent, which is higher than mens unemployment rate by 0.8 percent. The researchers note that the number of male employers is four times higher than the number of female employers and this tendency is also true for senior positions. It is also noted that women agree more often than men to work without concluding a contract, bypassing the labor code and without joining trade unions. According to YSU lecturer Kojoyan, the problem is also urgent for Armenia. The State itself should be interested in developing mechanisms to ensure that women become taxpayers, because otherwise the State itself loses. On the other hand, if I look at it from a feminist perspective, this is first of all a violation of womens rights, and programs should be aimed at raising the legal awareness of women, making them more demanding, she said. As much as the Armenian-American relations are friendly and based on partnership, they need restarting, especially in the parliamentary format, a senior Armenian lawmaker visiting the United States as part of a delegation said. Armen Ashotian, chairman of the Standing Foreign Relations Commission in the Armenian Parliament and a senior member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, noted that reciprocal visits of Armenian and American parliamentarians have not taken place for a long time. Until last years visit of a high-profile U.S. Congressional group to Armenia and this years visit of ours, perhaps because of geographical or other problems, for some time [parliamentary relations] had been all but frozen and needed additional energy. And we are providing this energy with such a visit, Ashotian stressed. According to the Armenian parliamentarian, the Armenian delegation led by Deputy Parliament Speaker Arpine Hovannisian and including representatives of all four parliamentary factions, has had quite high-level meetings in the United States, including meetings with representatives of the Congressional Armenian Caucus and members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. There were important meetings at the U.S. Department of State, and today the series will continue within the framework of the National Security Council. We have also met with the expert community, in particular the deputy director of the Carnegie Foundation, and discussed issues related to our region, said Ashotian. According to him, the United States is the superpower dictating the political agenda in the world, and it is very important that the opinion formed in Washington about Armenia is adequate and that Americans get first-hand information about the processes taking place in Armenia. After such visits it is important to keep the moment and implement the agreements reached. I am confident that the friendship group and the entire parliament will keep the Armenian-American relations high on the agenda, Ashotian concluded. By Rashid Shirinov It is no secret that the current Armenian government pursues the policy of nationalism and even Nazism, since the authorities literally glorify the fascist henchmen. The most popular of them in Armenia is Garegin Nzhdeh. During the World War 2, he was collaborating with the fascists and had a hand in the extermination of the Jews. The proof of the Armenian governments glorifying of fascism is the erection of a monument to Nzhdeh in Yerevan in 2016. A group of Armenians who are strongly against such a behavior of the Armenian leadership, has recently made an open appeal, expressing concern over the installation of Nzhdehs monument in Yerevan, and in general over the heroization of fascism in Armenia. We, a group of Armenians living in different countries, are seriously concerned about the governments policy of glorification of fascism in Armenia. Recently, in Russian and other media, there has been a hot debate about the installation of a monument to the Nazi henchman Garegin Nzhdeh in the center of Yerevan, promotion of his activities as a heroic example for Armenian youth and society, the appeal reads. It further notes that not many in Armenia have the courage to speak out against the state-level glorification of Nzhdeh, Drastamat Kanayan and other fascist henchmen. However, we know and often hear the discontent of many Armenians who clearly understand what abyss their motherland is rolling into, but they are afraid to publicly express their opinion on this in Armenia, because this is risky, the appeal says. Nzhdeh was an open ideologist of fascism, racism and fierce nationalism. Soon after Hitler came to power in Germany, Nzhdeh created an organization called Segakon which was preaching fascist ideology. In 1942, he created the Armenian Legion and started ethnic cleansing of Jews and Gypsies in the occupied territories, as well as carried out many other war crimes. Nzhdeh was also the organizer and participant of the genocide of Azerbaijanis in the territory of present-day Armenia in the early 20th century. Given that bosses of the current Armenian government were personally participating in the extermination of Azerbaijani people during the Nagorno-Karabakh war in early 1990s, especially in the Khojaly genocide, it becomes clear why they love Nazi Nzhdeh. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Gordon Brown They lie about 150 miles apart in the vast brushlands of northern Nigeria, but the towns of Chibok and Dapchi have a tragic bond: both have been targets of large-scale kidnappings of schoolgirls by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. Following a three-year global campaign to free the 276 girls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 an event that brought Boko Harams sadistic agenda to the worlds attention 110 girls in Dapchi vanished last month under identical circumstances. In both cases, members of Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language translates roughly to Western education is a sin, sprayed a school with bullets as they invaded the grounds to steal food and other supplies. The groups quest to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has already left at least 20,000 dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless since 2009. Another commonality between the two attacks is that the fate of the schoolgirls was a source of confusion for days. In Chibok, it was eventually learned that the 276 girls had been herded into trucks and taken away. A grainy black-and-white photo of the group after their abduction, taken by one of the terrorists, incited global outrage, sparking the movement Bring Back Our Girls. In Dapchi, it was initially reported that 50 girls were unaccounted for after terrorists stormed the Government Science and Technical College. A follow-up statement by the Yobe state government announced that the Nigerian army had rescued the girls. But cheers turned into tears when a retraction was released, declaring that the girls not been found. Worse, according to an aide to the state governor, the government has no credible information yet as to whether any of the schoolgirls were taken hostage by the terrorists. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has called the incident a national disaster, and promised the deployment of troops and surveillance aircraft to search for the missing girls, as well as a full review of the circumstances of the raid. The childrens parents such as the father of Fatima Manzo, who is just 16 years old have formed their own association to track them. Four years ago, I was part of the campaign to free the Chibok girls. In a petition that secured one million signatures almost immediately, we called on Western governments to support surveillance and reconnaissance missions, in order to locate and rescue the victims, who were being hidden in Nigeria and neighboring countries. At that time, the Global Business Coalition for Education published a report on safe schools in Nigeria. The coalition also created a partnership among Nigerian business leaders, the Nigerian government, and international donors, in cooperation with UNICEF, to establish programs aimed at making schools safe for Nigerian children. As part of the coalitions Safe Schools Initiative, community groups were formed; infrastructure reforms were implemented; and girls were provided with safe school options. Last May, 82 Chibok girls were released, in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders. After years of being too afraid even to cross a school playground, girls had started to return to the classroom. The doctrine of safe schools a rare new idea in a region beleaguered by the confrontation with Boko Haram seemed to be gradually taking hold. Fences and other physical security were built to keep raiders out, and mobile telecommunications were used as early warning systems. But the reality was that more than 100 Chibok girls remained in captivity, their whereabouts unknown. Moreover, six million of Nigerias school-age girls still dont go to school. The abduction of yet another 110 schoolgirls is likely only to make matters worse, not just for them and their families, but for all whose fears about the safety of schools have now been reawakened. As for the new abductees, we know their likely fate if they are not rescued quickly. Chibok girls who escaped or were released have said in interviews that abductees were whipped to persuade them to marry. Some were taken as concubines by group members. Many who were married off may never escape captivity. The international community must do everything possible to support the Nigerian governments efforts to save the Dapchi girls, including by providing aerial surveillance to help locate them and their captors. It has said that it will redouble its efforts to prevent the recurrence of such abductions. That must mean more international support to defeat Boko Haram and its destructive ideology, and a revamped Safe Schools Initiative, with an eye to ensuring that it is sustainable in the long term. Schoolchildren deserve nothing less. Copyright: Project Syndicate: Nigerias schoolgirls are under attack again --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Sara Israfilbayova Nariman Mannapbekov, head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Azerbaijan office, tells AzerNews about ADB-Azerbaijan cooperation, current and future plans Question: What is the current status of cooperation between the ADB and Azerbaijan? Answer: ADB and the Government of Azerbaijan have agreed to a five-year country partnership strategy (CPS) for 2014-2018, which focuses on infrastructure in transport, energy, and water, and other urban infrastructure and services. As this is the last year of the current strategy, we are in the process of assessing how our partnership evolved over the last years. In our preliminary view, we have done well, but there are things that can be improved. Overall, our lending and non-lending operations have grown compared with the last CPS period. Our cooperation not only broadened but also deepened. We have entered into productive collaborations in the new spheres, like railway, power distribution, and education sector. We are working together in implementing reforms, especially on public sector efficiency and governance. All of our experiences in the past years will be independently evaluated, and will be taken into consideration as we devise our new CPS for 2019-2023. It will be fully aligned with the countrys Strategic Roadmap on National Economy Perspectives and other relevant policies. It will contribute in promoting inclusive growth in Azerbaijan based on the country diagnostic study currently on-going in close coordination with the Government. Q.: Earlier, it was reported that the ADB has approved $250 million to support the government of Azerbaijan in its efforts to strengthen governance in the public sector and diversify the economy. How the work in this area is proceeding? A.: The ADBs Board of Directors approved the Improving Governance and Public Sector Efficiency Program on December 6, 2017. This flagship program supports a wide range of policy reforms in areas such as public expenditure, state-owned enterprises, and the financial sector. Examples of support provided are developing of fiscal policy statements, preparing expenditure programs, and recording and analysis of relevant data. ADB is encouraged by the strong commitment of the Ministry of Finance and other government agencies to move forward with the policy reforms to make the public sector more efficient and productive. An international consulting company provides daily support to the Government in the preparation and implementation of the agreed policy reform measures. We expect that the majority, if not all, of these measures can be completed by the end of 2018. Q.: The ADB is investing in such projects as the North-South Corridor and Southern Gas Corridor. What expectations does the ADB have from the implementation of these projects? A.: One of ADBs key mandates is to support the development of regional cooperation among its members, including those with energy security issues. The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project perfectly espouses this mandate, as it will help promote regional cooperation and will help diversify gas import sources of several ADB member-countries. During the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, we have underscored the multiregional and social aspects of the project. We believe that the project can generate additional revenue for the government. This can be used to implement social programs or new measures for economic diversification. It will also provide employment for many people at least 1,800 permanent jobs are expected upon the projects completion. ADB also sees great potential in the railway sector. We supported a regional study under our CAREC program the Railway Strategy for CAREC, 2017-2030: Unlocking the Potential of Railways. In the study, ADB saw the benefits of the NorthSouth rail corridor, which will be more evident once the network from Yalama (nothern border) to Astara (southern border) is upgraded, and the planned RashtAstara section is completed. We firmly believe that the two corridors (East-West and North-South) will enable ADY (Azerbaijan Railway Company) to capitalize on the country's crossroads location and provide safer, cheaper, more energy-efficient, and less road-intensive freight and passenger transportation services. ADB is financing the first phase of this corridor, rehabilitating about 333 kilometers of mainline track from Sumgayit to Yalama, including civil structures and level crossings. The project is expected to be completed by December 31, 2021. With the railway infrastructure installations in all strategic locations of Azerbaijan (border cross points, ports, oil production and agricultural regions), railways competitiveness will be enhanced which is essential to the countrys production, trade, and distribution of bulk materials such as agricultural and other products. Q.: How many projects has the bank implemented in each sector, so far? A.: Since the start of our operations in Azerbaijan in 2003, ADB has approved: 21 public-sector (sovereign) loans amounting to $ 3.12 billion 10 private-sector (nonsovereign) loans for $1.21 billion 45 technical assistance projects on a grant basis amounting to $27.8 million ADBs total approvals by the end of 2017 reached $4.35 billion. Majority of the projects were successfully implemented and loans are closed. To date, our public-sector loan portfolio consists of 10 projects in 4 sectors: transport-$1.301 billion (39 percent), public sector management-$750 million (23 percent), energy-$748 million (22 percent), water and urban infrastructure-$524 million (16 percent). Q.: What are the ADBs future investment plans, considering Azerbaijans eagerness to diversify its economy? A.: ADB has a three-year Country Operational Business Plan, which operationalizes the CPS. The plan is updated annually, in agreement with the Government. ADBs financial and technical assistance is aligned with the countrys Strategic Roadmap on the National Economy Perspectives. During 2018-2020, ADBs public sector operations will focus on public sector management, transport, and energy sectors. In public sector management, the focus will be on strengthening the countrys public expenditure framework, governance of state-owned enterprises, and expanding the financial sector. In the transport and energy sectors, we will continue to implement relevant programs. ADBs indicative sovereign lending volume for this period amounts $900 million. ADBs private sector operations will also continue to support the development of the financial sector and industries, including engagement with commercial banks with regard to lending to SMEs. ADB has also started the technical assistance project that will prepare pilot PPP projects in higher education and strengthen the PPP capacity of relevant government agencies. Q.: Which sector the ADB regards as a priority for investing? A.: ADB stands ready to expand its lending and non-lending products. Our public-sector lending is based on the governments priorities and demands. During frank and productive discussions, we take notes and provide our views where ADB could provide its utmost value addition. We welcome the Governments conservative foreign borrowing policy and a few recent decisions such as: (i) halting the external borrowings by state-owned enterprises; (ii) setting the ceilings for the external borrowing and provision of government guarantees to foreign loans. The public debt taking should be smart, intelligent, and for development purposes. The State can support projects with the external financing if it sees the clear end results with the win-win outcome. For example, the ADB-funded power distribution project helps to: (i) reduce the technical and commercial losses in the network; (ii) increase the collection rate; (iii) lessen the fiscal burden and strengthen the financial sustainability of the distribution company including improvement of corporate governance and transparency; (iv) foster innovation through new technologies; (v) meet countrys growing energy needs for inclusive development, especially in secondary cities and rural areas. ADB can continue the support of the second phase of this project and other projects with the multiple wins. The tenor of ADBs loans for infrastructure projects (in agriculture, energy, transport, or urban sectors) is 25 years with 5-year grace period and interest of LIBOR+0,6 percent. If such loans are attracted, the Government can expand the fiscal space in dealing with other challenges, including in the social sector. We try to combine ADBs long-term finance with technical assistance, knowledge creation and sharing, and use our experience to deliver better, faster, stronger results. There are many of public-sector projects which can be quite beneficial to the economy; and there are also plenty of private-sector projects which can also contribute to the economic development with no debt burden to the State. In this respect, the Government is rightly aiming at addressing the current infrastructure bottlenecks via public-sector investments while taking measures to create conducive environment for private sector participation in large infrastructure projects. ADB is privileged with the opportunity to support the Government with the roll-out of the first PPP projects and strengthen the capacity of agencies in PPPs. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Benny Boye Johansen, Head of Open API at Saxo Bank On January 13, a piece of EU legislation known as the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) came into effect, mandating that banks must make it possible for a third party company to write software through which bank customers can access their accounts and initiate payments. In other words, banks are now required to open up their data to third parties. The implementation of PSD2 has given rise to a lot of discussion around Open Banking but a true Open Bank model requires much more than just complying with PSD2. Ever since the first draft of PSD2 saw the day of light back in 2015 the industry has been divided over the initiative. Some banks see Open Banking at best as a cost and at worst a threat. Not only do they believe that they have to develop the extra IT infrastructure necessary to support third party applications,they also risk losing control over a major part of the user interface, which in todays digital world makes up a very large part of the Banks brand experience. As such, banks in this category will only reluctantly make the PSD2 mandated interfaces available, while at the same time increase the investment in their own proprietary banking portals. Other banks are taking the opposite view and see an opportunity in Open Banking initiatives. They believe that openness will lead to increased competition, greater innovation and ultimately better user experience. By opening up and inviting collaboration they can provide this added value without significant additional IT spend and they can better support different client segments. It should be no surprise that we at Saxo Bank fall in the latter camp and in many ways we have built our business with this new world of Open Banking in mind. Ever since we signed our first White Label agreement in 2001, we had the vision of achieving a seamless integration between our platform and our clients business as core to the success of our partnership. After all, it is rare in any industry for the product manufacturer to have exclusive control over retail distribution. If you want to scale across geographies and across client segments you quickly realise the need to establish local partnerships. Retail businesses are a case in point. You can buy a Hugo Boss shirt at the Hugo Boss brand store, but you can also buy it at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York or Amazon. So why should that not be the case in banking? Since we established our first white label partnership in 2001 we have gradually but continually increased our openness and integration capabilities. In 2013 we made a strategic decision to develop our new generation of trading platforms in HTML5, only running against a well-documented OpenAPI. Two years later in May 2015, we released our new SaxoTraderGO mobile trading platform, built on the OpenAPI and six months later we officially launched our OpenAPI to select existing and new partners. By doing so we became one of the pioneers of OpenBanking. Our OpenAPIwas pretty comprehensive, exposing all of the functionality necessary to build a complete trading platform, including streaming prices, charts, live updates of account balances, position and order lists, as well - of course - the ability to trade. At the same time the value proposition was very clear. By providing open access to our cloud based Banking as a Service infrastructure, we became more relevant to a larger client base which could deliver a better user experience. For example, by allowing a Chinese introducing broker to develop their own user experience to serve clients in that region we could benefit from the local development talent and understanding of the Chinese market. Likewise by enabling an established Australian money manager to build a simple advisory and information application, we again increased the value of the combined offering. In both cases the added value is obvious, and there is a clear way to monetise it. A better, more relevant client experience to a larger client segment leads to increased revenue as a result of increased trading and investment activity. It is easy to see however why some banks remains skeptical of Open Banking. While Saxos Open Banking offering provides access to trading and investing in global financial markets, most of the PSD2 inspired Open Banking solutions have very limited functionality and therefore it is more difficult to show direct effect on bottom line results. Currently the only thing a PSD2 third party application do is: a) get a list of accounts including transactions and balances and b) initiate a payment. While getting a better overview of your transactions and making it easier to make payments may be valuable to a retail client, it may not be sufficient to evolve into a revenue model which will benefit both the app developer and the bank. In that sense, PSD2 is an important step towards "real" Open Banking but not the be-all and end-all. Those who have worked with the startup/FinTech community will be familiar with the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) concept - the smallest product you can put in the market, with the purpose to learn. Instead of working on your business plan for years, trying to analyse your way to the best product, you simply build the MVP, which you can place in the market to get early feedback. In that respect, PSD2 is probably more of an MVP than a full-blown product. While PSD2 is often being understood as synonymous with Open Banking, Open Banking is so much more. Most likely the real opportunities in Open Banking and the real gains to the bottom line will only be materialized, if the current Open Banking proponents start thinking beyond PSD2. Yes customers need to make payments, and maybe by doing so with a better app they can do it a little faster and cheaper. But customers certainly also need access to comprehensive, low-cost, transparent, and easy ways to invest, trade and manage their wealth. This is why a true Open Banking initiative should cater for these needs. Or maybe with this first phase of Open Banking underway, its time to start talking about Open Wealth? --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz "Savalan" wine range was increased with the novelty product "Elisa Winemaker Reserve", which was officially presented on March 6 in "Shur" Restaurant. ASPI AGRO LLC was founded in 2007. It's chosen the growing of grapes and the production of high-quality wines as its main direction, and it is 11 years old now. It's reviving the art of winemaking in the place with unique climatic conditions, where the wine industry flourished in ancient times - at the foothills of the Greater Caucasus in the Savalan Valley. The name of the "Savalan" wine, first of all, is the name of the abovementioned valley, where grapes are collected, wine is produced and bottled. Savalan - the most beautiful place of the region, the heart of the Gabala region. "Savalan" wine brand is well-loved not only in Azerbaijan, but outside it. It has won many professional awards at various exhibitions and wine forums. Since March 2018 "Savalan" has expanded its wine range, adding a novelty product - "Elisa Winemaker Reserve" wine. We should mention that the "Savalan" wines are produced under the leadership of highly skilled Italian technologists - Daniel D'Andrea and Eliza Vagnoni. The new product, which we will discuss in more details below, was named after Ms. Vagnoni. Daniel D'Andrea and Eliza Vagnoni met in Gabala - the professional relations of the Italian technologists turned into friendly relations, and then love arose between them. The couple started a family and a beautiful daughter was born in this family recently. The romantic love story of the Italian couple, who met and fell in love in Azerbaijan, could not help but affect their work and the creation of the new wines. This is how the "Elisa Winemaker Reserve" appeared. Presenting the wine novelty to the guests at "Shur" Restaurant Daniel D'Andrea emphasized that high quality is the main distinguishing feature of "Savalan" wines, and Eliza Vagnoni, speaking of "Elisa Winemaker Reserve" wine, noted that in its creation she was inspired by family traditions: "In the end, it turned out to be special wine for special days." "Elisa Winemaker Reserve" combines the following grape varieties: Chardonnay, Traminer, Muscat white, Muscat yellow. The vineyards are located in the Savalan Valley, 40 km from Gabala in the north-east of Azerbaijan. The degree of alcohol is 13.5%, the vinification is the following - fermented and aged in an oak barrel. "Elisa Winemaker Reserve" is the notes of white and yellow fruits, light floral accents, surrounded by the flavour of vanilla and honey. The novelty product of "Savalan" goes perfectly with fish and white meat and is an excellent wine for meditation. The first "Elisa Winemaker Reserve" was appreciated by the guests of the festive presentation of wine, the excellent taste of wine, its lightness and nobility. You can get the more detailed information about the "Savalan" wines on the official ASPI AGRO LLC website, following the link. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Famous Israeli saxophonist J.Seven (Jay Seven) gave concert in Baku. Fascinating concert surprised music lovers, especially women at the International Women's Day,Trend Life reported. The gala evening passed in an atmosphere of love and romance that was felt everywhere. Even the name of concert program spoke for itself: "This is not jazz, it's the music of love!". "At my concerts everything is possible. It's mandatory to go out and dance on stage, especially for women, and I can also invite you to dance," said musician. Of course, J.Seven did not forget to congratulate the beautiful ladies with the International Women's Day and wished them happiness and love. And then the music sounded, which is better than any words. Works from the repertoire of Stevie Wonder, Fausto Papetti, Joe Dassin, James Harmer, Ennio Morricone, and Gheorghe Zamfir have not left any woman's heart indifferent. To perform the song "I met a girl " from the repertoire of Rashid Behbudov, J.Seven invited to the scene the girls from the audience who together with him danced the twist. "Many famous performers come from Azerbaijan - Muslim Magomayev is beloved by the whole world . For my concert in Baku, I chose a composition from his repertoire "If there is love in the world," said J.Seven At the evening, the audience was pleased not only by J.Seven, but also by a very young performer, the8-year-old Sabir Aliyev, who also performed a song from the repertoire of Azerbaijani baritone "Blue Eternity". Many well-known figures of culture and art came to enjoy the concert, including the directed of Azerbaijan State Russian Drama Theater Alexander Sharovski and his wife,Honored Artist Natalya Sharovskaya, whom the Israeli musician also invited to the stage. Alexander Sharovski, in turn, congratulated all women on the holiday and read Sergey Esenin's poem "I asked the money changers today ..." The evening passed in one breath. The concert will long be remembered as a great feast. J.Seven is a professional with two musical educations. He has gained wide popularity all over the world and rightly stands among performers whose concerts provoke genuine interest of all music lovers. J.Seven is a multi-instrumentalist, besides owning a saxophone, which is his "priority" instrument, he also plays Spanish guitar, recorder and drums. He is distinguished by its artistry and originality. Despite the fact that he has one of the most complicated musical instruments in his hands, musician moves, goes out into the hall, dances and even jumps in time playing the saxophone and communicates with the audience. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be resolved only through negotiations, and there are no other options for its settlement, said Pavel Grudinin, Communist Partys candidate for the 2018 Russian presidential election. In my opinion, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict must be settled only at the negotiating table. Nobody needs war, the politician told APA on March 7. He also noted that Russia is currently playing a stabilizing role in the Caucasus region. Russia has a certain responsibility I believe that Azerbaijan and Armenia will find a peaceful and mutually beneficial way to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the mediation of Russia, Grudinin said. Russia, along with the U.S. and France, is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Because of Armenia's territorial claims on Azerbaijani lands, the two Caucasian countries fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years. Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Rashid Shirinov OSCE will continue to support the work of the Minsk Group co-chairs for the final settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said at the UN Security Council meeting in New York on March 8. The organization is focused on protracted conflicts in the OSCE region, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said. Alfano has earlier noted that the Italian OSCE Chairmanship rightly continues the policy of the previous OSCE chairing country and intends to contribute to the creation of conditions to resolve protracted conflicts. Armed conflicts in the OSCE area, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, conflicts in Georgia, Ukraine and Transnistria, have caused much suffering, displacement and destruction. All these conflicts must be solved through political means rather than by military force. As for the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia still shows its reluctance to engage in serious talks to resolve the issue. The countries fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years. Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received director of Moscow Academic Theater of Satire Mammadali Aghayev. The head of state congratulated Aghayev on the occasion of his anniversary last year, emphasizing that he was awarded the Dostlug Order, the highest state award of Azerbaijan. President Aliyev noted that Aghayev has been working as director of Moscow Academic Theater of Satire for more than 25 years, adding he has made a great contribution to the development of theater arts in Russia. Describing Moscow Academic Theater of Satire as one of Russias leading theaters, the head of state underlined that having a long-term activity in such a high position, the representative of the Azerbaijani people gained great respect. President Aliyev hailed the fact that Aghayev has always been in touch with Azerbaijan so far and has not left his homeland. Praising Aghayevs role in developing Russia-Azerbaijan relations, President Aliyev noted that the cultural ties play a particular role in developing bilateral relations between the two countries. The head of state hailed very successful cooperation between the two countries in humanitarian area, saying Aghayev is actively contributing to all these issues. President Aliyev once again noted that under the decree signed by him last year Aghayev was awarded the Dostlug Order for his contribution to the strengthening of cultural relations between the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan. The head of state presented the Order to Mammadali Aghayev. Saying he received a number of state awards, Aghayev underlined that the Dostlug Order of Azerbaijan is of particular value to him. Emphasizing that he has been living in Moscow for 38 years, director of Moscow Academic Theater of Satire Aghayev noted that he devoted his life to strengthening Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation in the field of theater. He said that he will spare no efforts to contribute to ensuring the high-level of the Russia-Azerbaijan cultural ties. Aghayev wished the head of state success in the upcoming presidential election. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov received a delegation led by Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on March 9. At the meeting, Mammadyarov voiced his satisfaction with the high level development of friendly and strategic partnership relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia in all spheres. Saying that the two countries' views coincide on regional issues and that they support each other within the international organizations, Mammadyarov noted the existence and importance of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in economic, transport and energy spheres. Touching upon the four-sided meeting of Azerbaijani, Iranian, Turkish and Georgian foreign ministers to be held in Baku on March 15, the minister said that this meeting is a new format that would give impetus to the comprehensive development of regional cooperation between the countries. Expressing satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan, Izoria said that he had a very interesting and useful meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Noting that the strategic partnership and friendship between Azerbaijan and Georgia are important for the stability of the region, the Georgian minister underlined the existence of a broad spectrum of bilateral relations and a comprehensive program of cooperation between the two countries in the defense sector. At the meeting it was noted that the Azerbaijan-Georgia cooperation in the defense and security sectors serves to ensure regional peace and stability, particularly effective organization of large-scale transport and energy projects with the participation of the two countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Since the beginning of the Operation Olive Branch, 3,149 terrorists have been killed in Syrias Afrin district, the Turkish General Staff said in a message March 9. In particular, 94 terrorists have been recently killed in Afrin. On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Housing prices in Kazakhstan have not changed much during the two months of 2018 although there is some increase in prices when compared to 2017. The average cost of 1 square meter of new housing in Kazakhstan amounted to 260,613 tenge ($813.93) in February 2018 showing an increase of 0.2 percent compared to the previous month, according to the Committee on Statistics under the Kazakh National Economy Ministry. The price has risen by 0.2 percent compared to December 2017. The average resale price of 1 square meter of well-maintained housing in February stood at the level of 185,942 tenge ($580.72), thus remaining unchanged from the previous month and 0.1 percent more than in December last year. The resale price of 1 square meter of ill-equipped housing averaged to 114,273 tenge ($356.89) that is 0.2 percent lower than in December 2017. The average rental price of 1 square meter of well-maintained housing in Kazakhstan last month amounted to 1,335 tenge that is 0.2 percent higher than in the previous month and 0.5 percent higher than in late 2017. As many as 239,600 deals for housing purchase and sale were concluded in Kazakhstan during 2017 showing an increase of 26 percent compared to 2016. Previously, Kazakhstan has experienced a sharp decline of the real estate market due to adverse external conditions. Devaluation of the national currency, along with a decrease in real wages and purchasing power affected the demand side, while slight overinvestment and high exposure to currency risks shocked the supply. The Kazakh government is committed to resolving current issues on the real estate market with massive programs, which aim to provide affordable housing, including rental, refinancing foreign currency mortgages and stimulating construction of infrastructure for individual housing construction. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived with the first state visit to Tajikistan on March 9. At the international airport of Dushanbe, he was met by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, members of the government of the country and a guard of honor. The heads of state are expected to hold meetings in a one-on-one and expanded format. According to the press service of the Uzbek President, the heads of state will discuss the development of bilateral political, trade-economic, investment, financial, transport-communication, tourist, cultural, humanitarian and interregional cooperation. The meeting will also discuss simplification of trips of citizens and regional and international problems of mutual interest. As a result of the talks, a joint statement by the presidents is planned to be adopted. The signing of agreements on certain sections of the Uzbek-Tajik state border, mutual trips of citizens and others - more than 25 documents are expected to be signed. Reportedly, contracts worth some $140 million are expected to be signed during the Uzbek-Tajik business forum and the Uzbek National Exhibition in Dushanbe which are to be held in the course of the visit. This is Mirziyoyev's first visit to Tajikistan after his predecessor Islam Karimov paid an official visit to Dushanbe for the last time in June 2000. The head of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, was in Tashkent in the framework of bilateral contacts in January 1998. Since the moment of independence, the relations between the two neighbors were not easy. The disputes between the two countries have arisen regularly for almost 25 years. Dushanbe often accused Uzbekistan of blocking railroads and roads. In turn, Tashkent opposed the construction of the Rogun HPP in Tajikistan, which, according to the authorities of Uzbekistan, is a threat to the entire agricultural sector of the region. In 2001, first, Uzbekistan, and then Tajikistan, introduced a visa regime between the two states. The relations began to restore in 2016 after Shavkat Mirziyoyev took the presidential office in December. Since then, the activation of bilateral contacts on various levels have begun, the air communication between Dushanbe and Tashkent has been resumed, ten checkpoints on the border have been reopened, several meetings of the commission for border delimitation and demarcation have been held. In addition, residents of the border areas of the two countries can visit each other for up to 5 days without obtaining visas and telegrams. The legal base of bilateral Tajik-Uzbek relations includes 111 contracts and agreements signed at the interstate, intergovernmental and interdepartmental levels in the period from 1992 to the present. In 2017, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 20 percent reaching $240 million. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Kamila Aliyeva Uzbekistan and Tajikistan plan to increase the trade turnover up to $1 billion. An agreement on this was reached during the visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Dushanbe on March 9. This is Mirziyoyev's first trip to Tajikistan after his predecessor Islam Karimov paid an official visit to Dushanbe for the last time in June 2000. Earlier, the parties considered the possibility of bringing the Uzbek-Tajik turnover to $500 million. As a result of fruitful negotiations between the two heads of state, as well as direct dialogue between business circles, this figure was decided to bring to the level of $1 billion, Uzbek president's press service reported. In total, the parties signed 27 documents, including a joint statement on strengthening friendship and good-neighborliness and agreement on certain sections of the Uzbek-Tajik state border. In 2017, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 20 percent reaching $240 million. During the first Tajik-Uzbek business council on subjects of small private business held on March 8, contracts worth $20.5 million were signed, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Adham Ikramov said earlier. The business council was held on Thursday, March 8, in Dushanbe with the participation of more than a hundred representatives of small businesses, private entrepreneurship, interested ministries, and departments. We are confident that the identification of our trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, initiated by the two presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, will give us an opportunity to reach new milestones in 2018, said Ikramov. At the meeting, the parties summed up the results of 2017, and also signed a roadmap for 2018. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Raport Biezacy nr 1/2018 Pursuant to Article 29.3 of the Rules of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Gorenje gospodinjski aparati, d.d. presents the report on compliance with the detailed principles of the "Best Practice for GPW Listed Companies 2016" Disclosure Policy, Investor Communications I.Z.1.15. information about the companys diversity policy applicable to the companys governing bodies and key managers; the description should cover the following elements of the diversity policy: gender, education, age, professional experience, and specify the goals of the diversity policy and its implementation in the reporting period; where the company has not drafted and implemented a diversity policy, it should publish the explanation of its decision on its website; The Company does not apply this principle. The company has not adopted any document specifying or providing a policy of diversity in the managerial or supervisory bodies and key positions. I.Z.1.16. information about the planned transmission of a general meeting, not later than 7 days before the date of the general meeting; The Company does not apply this principle. The company does not offer a Shareholders Assembly broadcast; therefore, such information is not provided. I.Z.1.20. an audio or video recording of a general meeting; The Company does not apply this principle. Neither the Companies Act nor the Corporate Governance Code (the LJSE Code) or the Rules of Procedure of the Shareholders Assembly require the Company to record the Shareholders Meeting in any other form than in writing; therefore, the company does not publish such recordings in audio and/or video format. General Meeting, Shareholder Relations IV.Z.2. If justified by the structure of shareholders, companies should ensure publicly available real-time broadcasts of general meetings. The Company does not apply this principle. According to the Shareholders Assembly Rules of Procedure, only shareholders (and their representatives or proxies) and members of the Management Board and Supervisory Board may be present at the Shareholders Assemblies. This is due to the fact that during the Shareholders Assembly sessions, discussions on matters that are classified as company's business or professional secret may take place, which the company is not willing to share with the general public. Therefore, the Company does not allow a publicly available broadcast of the Shareholders Assembly. IV.Z.3. Presence of representatives of the media should be allowed at general meetings. The Company does not apply this principle. According to the Shareholders Assembly Rules of Procedure, only shareholders (and their representatives or proxies) and members of the Management Board and Supervisory Board may be present at the Shareholders Assemblies. This is due to the fact that during the Shareholders Assembly sessions, discussions on matters that are classified as company's business or professional secret may take place, which the company is not willing to share with the general public. IV.Z.17. A resolution of the general meeting concerning a conditional dividend payment may only contain such conditions whose potential fulfilment takes place before the dividend record date. The Company does not apply this principle. Detailed principle IV.Z.17 regarding the conditional dividend payment does not apply to the Company due to the fact that under the Slovenian Companies Act, the Shareholders Assembly may not vote on or adopt decisions on conditional dividend payment. IV.Z.18. A resolution of the general meeting to split the nominal value of shares should not set the new nominal value of the shares below PLN 0.50, which could result in a very low unit market value of the shares, and which could consequently pose a threat to the correct and reliable valuation of the company listed on the Exchange. The Company does not apply this principle. Detailed principle IV.Z.18 regarding the minimum possible nominal value of the shares following the share split does not apply to the company due to the fact that company shares are no par value shares. Remuneration VI.Z.2. To tie the remuneration of members of the management board and key managers to the companys long-term business and financial goals, the period between the allocation of options or other instruments linked to the companys shares under the incentive scheme and their exercisability should be no less than two years. The Company does not apply this principle. Recommendation VI.Z.2, pertaining to the options and other instruments related to company shares is not in use since the company has not adopted a plan for rewarding the Management Board with options. Wiecej na: http://biznes.pap.pl/pl/reports/ebi/all,0,0,0,1 kom ebi zdz Less than a week after announcing a lone finalist for the district's new superintendent who then withdrew from consideration, Lumberton ISD's board of trustees has named a new finalist, a longtime district administrator. Assistant Superintendent Gerald Chandler, who has been with the district for 15 years, was named the lone finalist at a board meeting Thursday. Texas law requires waiting 21 days before voting to hire him as superintendent. The board is scheduled to officially vote to offer him a contract and hire him on April 5. Chandler has been Lumberton's assistant superintendent since 2012, and acting superintendent since January, the district said in a press release. He'll replace John Valastro, who is retiring. The board announced last Friday that Waxahachie ISD superintendent Jeremy Glenn had been named the lone finalist. On Monday, he announced he would not be leaving his Dallas-area district for the smaller Hardin County district. >> Read more: Lumberton superintendent lone finalist withdraws LISD board president James Kersh said Chandler and Glenn were the top two candidates from the selection process, which began in November. "On one side, you have a lot of loyalty," he said of Chandler, who started in the district as an agriculture teacher in 2002. "On the other side, you have an external candidate with a lot of knowledge and experience." Choosing the external candidate "ended up coming back and burning us a bit," he said of Glenn's decision to withdraw, but he said there was consensus among the board and the community that Chandler was the next pick. "We're not upset with the way it turned out. We really are excited to get started with Dr. Chandler," Kersh said. Chandler graduated from Orangefield High, and taught at Colmesneil ISD before coming to Lumberton to start its agriculture program. He has been an assistant principal at Lumberton High, and principal of Lumberton Intermediate before moving into district administration in 2012. LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz John Manfredi, professional actor and community theater director, has created a new role - first executive director of the Beaumont Community Players. The group's board of directors searched nationwide for an executive director, the first in its 93-year history. Manfredi said he was considering a similar job in the District of Columbia but saw Beaumont as a better fit. "I came here for the sense of family," said Manfredi, 57, an Ohio native who ran a downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan theater until its 2016 closing. "I've seen theaters mismanage themselves into the ground," he said. "Artists don't often make good businessmen." The Beaumont Community Players board was overseeing daily operations and knew it needed help, he said. More Information The Manfredi File Movies Strain 100, 2018 (in post-production), as Roy Franks Morning, Noon & Night, 2018 (in post-production), as Cliff Oz, the Great and Powerful, 2013, as Disgruntled Kansas Man Game of Death, 2011, as Robbins Real Steel, 2011, as Sergei Lemkova Stage productions An Iliad, as The Poet, Performance Theater Network, Ann Arbor, Michigan Lion in Winter, as Henry II, Williamston Theatre, Williamston, Michigan End Days, as Arthur, Williamston Theatre Oedipus, as Oedipus, Williamston Theatre Empire Builders, as "man," Main Theatre Co., University of Detroit A Picasso, as Picasso, Ann Arbor K2, as Taylor, Ann Arbor Credentials Manfredi is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He is a certified fight combatant and choreographer. He can play roles in an age range from 35 to 78 and portray Caucasian, Latino/Hispanic, Native American and Middle Eastern characters, according to his backstage.com profile. Two degrees Manfredi has a Kevin Bacon number of 2, meaning in the parlor game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," he can be connected to the prolific actor in two steps. He appeared in Real Steel in 2011 with Hope Davis, who was in Flatliners with Kevin Bacon in 1990. Some observations "Theater probably began before there was language. We're storytellers. Before we could write, there was acting." "Slipping on a banana peel is still funny. A pie in the face is still funny." On Harvey Weinstein and sexual harassment/assault: "I've never seen it in the live theater, but I have in the movies." Manfredi and Johnson? "Stalag 17," he replied instantly to the trivia question. Manfredi and Johnson were two American POWs gunned down while trying to escape from a German prison camp in the 1953 war drama, which starred William Holden. More recently, some clever soul at DreamWorks Animation bequeathed the monikers to two of the Madagascar penguins. See More Collapse "That's not sustainable," he said. "We've selected a very strong leader, at a time when BCP is in a very strong position to expand," said BCP board president Gina Hinson. "John is unique in his ability to translate artistic vision into strategy and execution for moving BCP forward. I feel John can inspire and connect with employees, volunteers, and community leaders. He is exactly what we need as we enter our next chapter." Manfredi, who trained at the DePaul University's Goodman School of Drama, said he has worked in theater since he was 16. He said he isn't reinventing the wheel at BCP. He simply wants the wheel to turn faster and go farther. That means more productions, though he said BCP's schedule of seven shows per season, from September through May, is impressive for a community theater. He wants to produce eight shows for the 2018-19 season, including a second holiday show to go with "Scrooge." Manfredi said he is invigorated by his new position. He said he was looking for his "last job" when his agent found this. He said he is keenly interested in the KidMunity theater, recognizing that it is the developing ground for future BCP actors. It's also crucial for developing social skills for young people, he said. He said he will seek more grants and funding for the program, which has about 200 kids. He also wants to boost "Interact," a program for special needs children that started in 2017 in a partnership with Lamar University's Speech Pathology Department. He hopes to at least double the size of the program, from 10 kids this past year. "Arts and culture are essential parts of education," he said. "They aren't add-ons. If young people have arts and culture, they'll do better in other subjects. I've fought for that my entire life." Arts and culture also are economic boosts for a community, Manfredi said. Beaumont Community Players, as a business, is worth between $250,000 and $500,000 a year. He said its productions draw 10,000 people into the seats per season. He hopes to grow that by 10 percent to 15 percent over the next two years. He already has drawn corporate events and other functions to the theater; it doesn't make money when it's dark, he said. He's hoping for collaborations with Lamar University's theater and with Port Arthur's theater. "A rising tide lifts all boats," he said. "I didn't used to think that when I was younger, but the more we can help other theaters the more BCP helps itself." Manfredi said he is impressed with the ability of local theater workers and actors and is grateful that most of them are volunteers. "Ninety-five percent of executive decisions are finance," he said. "Here, we have volunteer labor." A theater has to pay for rights for plays. Obviously, BCP isn't going to stage "Hamilton," the Broadway phenomenon, because it cannot get those rights. Other productions like "Les Miserables," or "Starlight Express' are beyond BCP's current technical ability. But the lineup for the rest of the BCP season includes "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," "The Marvelous Wonderettes," "Clybourne Park," and "Young Frankenstein." For the immediate future, Manfredi said he will concentrate on the product to draw more theatergoers, satisfy the core audience and attract new patrons. "The hardest thing to do is to pick a season," he said. "It's like a restaurant. You might not like the whole menu, but you might try something new." During the run of "Scrooge" in December, Manfredi came out on stage to introduce himself to theater patrons. He intends to be the face of Beaumont Community Players, something it hasn't had in the past. Ahead of one performance of "Scrooge," Manfredi said he let a young person watch his dog while he went out on stage. The youngster got upset because Jack, the dog, suddenly disappeared. Then Manfredi heard the crowd laughing. Jack was on stage. "He goes everywhere with me," he said. "That was the only condition I had before coming to Beaumont." Dan Wallach is a freelance writer Our cameras were at AMSET's annual Go for Gold fundraiser - did we see you there? kbrent@beaumontenterprise.com Babar Iqbal, MD, and three others were arrested yesterday on felony charges, alleging the co-conspirators were involved in an $8 million healthcare fraud scheme, according to The Press-Enterprise. Here are five things to know: 1. Dr. Iqbal, who heads Riverside (Calif.) Regional Surgery Center, and three others are accused of devising a scheme to bill insurance for care given under false pretenses. An official for Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System recommended $5 million be set aside for an insurance plan that would cover needy patients and received a $1 million kickback in addition to a home purchase for the recommendation. However, when the patients arrived at Riverside Regional Surgery Center claiming to be employees of an organization called Kingmakers, allegedly a shell company formed to funnel patients through, Dr. Iqbal told them Medi-Cal wouldn't cover treatment and advised them to sign up for a free health insurance policy. 2. UnitedHealthcare owned the free health insurance policy and paid $1 million on those claims; at the same time, $500,000 was given to Riverside Regional Surgery Center and put into an unlicensed charity. The money was delivered as written checks, sometimes indicating they were donations, but the prosecutors claim the checks were kickbacks. 3. Investigators claim the defendants in total received $5 million of donations made under false pretenses, as well as $3 million in illegal kickbacks. One of the alleged co-conspirators has already spent time in a federal prison for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme. 4. Dr. Iqbal and the others face 33 counts of criminal charges, including grand theft, money laundering and tax evasion in addition to the healthcare fraud and conspiracy charges. Bail for Dr. Iqbal is set at $3 million and arraignment is scheduled for Monday. 5. The California District Attorney and California Department of Insurance first began investigating Riverside Regional Surgery Center after 22 of 23 alleged Kingmakers employees received treatment there "within five weeks of getting health insurance policy, with initial claims totaling $4 million." Over 40,000 stakeholders from every corner of healthcare descended on Las Vegas this week for the 2018 Healthcare Information Management Systems Society Conference. A convention of this size and scale can be a "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" type of scary. Products from 1,300-plus companies are coming at you from every angle with promises of artificial intelligence, machine learning and, of course, seamless integration and interoperability. Presentations from care providers are showing you how they cracked the code on quality or cost while glossing over the steps to help you and your organization actually get there. In other words, it's easy to not just lose your money but your mind in Vegas during HIMSS. So, I set out to ignore the hype of the flavor of the day and instead do some detective work to better understand the real problems that need to be solved and the technologies that hold the promise to help. Having attended HIMSS for the last 18 years (gulp), I decided to completely avoid the sessions and the vendor booths and instead have hallway and sit-down conversations with 50 different healthcare providers to get their perspective. Mission accomplished I spoke to CIOs, CMIOs, and CTOs, as well as leaders of population health, data analytics and decision support for many of the top healthcare delivery systems, academic medical centers and medical groups in the country. The big takeaway from these 50 conversations was the collective, "Amazon and Apple and Uber, OH MY!" buzz in the halls of HIMSS. The recent announcements that Amazon, Apple and Uber are getting into healthcare captured everyone's attention with the hope of a new casino game that is a guaranteed winner. While the idea of a wizard with a magical potion to fix healthcare is pretty intoxicating, healthcare providers are understandably and justifiably skeptical. All insiders recognize that the actual ideas these three innovative tech companies just announced aren't exactly new. Each represents an area group purchasing via Amazon, employee clinics by Apple and transportation via Uber that is currently covered in some form or fashion. So, then why such a big buzz? In full candor, I was planning on writing an article about the fact that while each of these announcements is intriguing and has the potential to drive an improvement to the current condition, all stakeholders would agree that it will take much more to truly heal healthcare. While I still think that this basic premise is true, after the 50 conversations I had, I came to understand something else. While individually these companies may not turn healthcare on its head, the collective announcements are waking people up to the fact there is a better way of doing things and that if they don't innovate, someone else will. In other words, whether or not these three companies will deliver true transformation in the future is still TBD, but they are absolutely providing motivation right now. And this is huge. Why is this outside influence so critical in this industry? The simple truth is that healthcare delivery systems are incredibly complex multibillion dollar operations with tens of thousands of employees. All businesses of this size and scale, both inside and outside of healthcare, have an extremely hard time being nimble and are always at risk for innovation happening on the edge of their business model. So, while group purchasing, employer clinics and transportation are not burning platforms for any executive team in a hospital today, when they see the names Amazon, Apple and Uber playing in those spaces, these areas immediately become board level agenda items and initiatives. Of course, there were many other topics that came up in these 50 conversations that are also intriguing and actionable for healthcare providers right now. Some that came up consistently, in order of how actionable they are right now for most organizations, are the following: The cloud is now the destination for seemingly every provider, for everything. Advanced cost accounting is now an absolute requirement to support value-based contracts. Telehealth is now mainstream, with every health system at various stages of deployment. Cybersecurity is now a board level imperative with providers looking to collaborate. Predictive analytics is now driving both operational improvements and clinical decisions. Artificial intelligence is now possible because the data set is now accessible. Voice-driven hospital rooms are actively being tested. Blockchain is being tested for contracts, sharing patient information and managing supply chain. Virtual reality is finding practical use cases for everything from improving clinical training to patient rehabilitation. The list goes on and on with many more buzzwords that I left out (machine learning, precision medicine, genomics, etc.), but the encouraging message is that healthcare providers are actually getting pretty practical about using technology to really make a difference in how they deliver care. There is a great line from a Tracy Chapman song All That You Have is Your Soul that goes "don't get tempted by the shiny apple." While it is easy to be attracted to simple ideas, healthcare is an incredibly complex industry with an overwhelming number of problems that need to be solved. And truly solving these problems is incredibly challenging work. With that said, for too long it is has been too easy to accept healthcare's shortcomings. And that is exactly why Amazon, Apple and Uber can be incredibly helpful not just in producing ideas, but in providing the inspiration for us to truly take action to help heal healthcare, not in the future but right now. And if they can do that it would truly be an, "OH MY!" Dan Michelson is the CEO of Chicago-Based Strata Decision Technology. Dan also recently wrote "Top 12 takeaways from the 2018 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference." Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage selected Ella Goss, MSN, RN, to serve as CEO, effective March 12. Here are four things to know: 1. Ms. Goss joined PAMC as a staff nurse in 1997. 2. Since then, she served in roles of increasing responsibility, including clinical manager of emergency services and director of the Providence Cancer Center. 3. She succeeds Richard Mandsager, MD, who is retiring and will leave Providence at the end of April. 4. In her new role, Ms. Goss will oversee the 401-bed hospital, which includes nearly 3,000 caregivers and 1,000 affiliated medical staff. Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are on the hunt for the right person to helm their new healthcare venture, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC. Here are five things to know about the search, said to be led by Todd Combs, an investment manager at Berkshire Hathaway. 1. The shortlist includes three names from different healthcare facets: former CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt, former U.S. Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Castlight Health Todd Park, and former Aetna executive Gary Loveman. 2. Two of the leaders Mr. Slavitt and Mr. Park aren't interested in the position. Mr. Slavitt tweeted March 8 the venture is "interesting and filled with a lot of promise, but my passion is bringing healthcare to every American and closing the gaps for vulnerable communities & families." Mr. Park told CNBC, "While I wish this new endeavor the very best, I am not a candidate to lead it." 3. Mr. Slavitt is tied up in a new venture capital fund that invests in health IT startups, while Mr. Park is working on Devoted Health, a new insurance business, the report states. 4. The sources familiar with the CEO search, who asked to remain anonymous due to the confidentiality of the initiative, told CNBC the process is equal parts information gathering and selecting a leader. As the direction of the three companies' venture remains vague, what a CEO would do to improve the healthcare industry as the venture intends is also unclear. 5. John Doerr, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, has an informal role in the CEO search. He has called top health executives and traveled to Berkshire Hathaway's Omaha, Neb., headquarters during the search, CNBC reports. More articles on leadership: Colorado hospital slashes 272 jobs, scales back services Operator to bar New York hospital CEO, CFO and COO from expensing bi-yearly trips to Cayman Islands Rep. Keith Ellison takes over sponsorship of House Medicare-for-all bill East Meadow, N.Y.-based Nassau Health Care Corp. officials expect to pass a resolution March 8 barring East Meadow-based Nassau University Medical Center officials from traveling to the Cayman Islands twice a year and charging the hospital for expenses incurred on the trip, according to Newsday. George Tsunis, chairman of the board of Nassau Health Care Corp., which operates NUMC, told the publication the proposal is part of a series of resolutions to cut costs at NUMC, prevent corruption and make the public more aware of executives' actions. Nassau Health Care Corp. created a limited liability company, called NHCC LTD, in the Cayman Islands for tax purposes to self-insure for malpractice and general liability claims, according to the report. Company officials must meet outside the U.S. at least once a year to maintain the Cayman Islands location. NUMC's CEO, COO, and CFO were all named to NHCC LTD's board, and previously traveled to the islands for two weeks out of the fiscal year to discuss the company's financial and operational activities. Under the proposal, two NUMC executives will meet once a year for one day at an offshore location, such as a Canadian airport, to discuss the company's activities. The series of resolutions also calls for a reduction in the use of outside legal firms to handle internal legal issues, and to enact anti-nepotism disclosure requirements for hospital trustees, among other initiatives. Nassau Health Care Corp. officials did not disclose how much the organization would save as a result of the proposed changes, Newsday reports. Mr. Tsunis said as a safety-net hospital, NUMC should adhere to federal expense guidelines and not use taxpayer money to fund executives' trips. "[The proposed resolutions are] essential for credibility. The taxpayers of Nassau County need to be assured that we are protecting their tax dollars and operating at the highest ethical levels," Mr. Tsunis told Newsday. Jeffrey Wertkin, a former Washington, D.C.-based lawyer, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on March 7 after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice and transportation of stolen property in November, according to the Department of Justice. Mr. Wertkin was arrested Jan. 31, 2017, for trying to sell a copy of a sealed False Claims Act complaint. The False Claims Act allows whistle-blowers to file lawsuits under seal on behalf of the government. The cases are kept under seal, sometimes for several months, while the federal government investigates the claims and decides whether to intervene. According to his plea agreement, Mr. Wertkin, who worked for the Civil Fraud Section of the DOJ from Oct. 24, 2010, until April 12, 2016, secretly reviewed and collected sealed whistle-blower complaints that were not assigned to him during the last month of his employment with the DOJ. He also admitted to using the stolen information to solicit clients who were the subjects of the sealed complaints after he left the DOJ. The plea agreement describes an instance where Mr. Wertkin tried to sell a sealed false claims complaint to an unidentified technology security company in Sunnyvale, Calif. An employee of the company received a voicemail Nov. 30, 2016, saying a false claims complaint had been filed against the company. When the employee called the number left on the voicemail, Mr. Wertkin, who identified himself as "Dan," answered and said he could provide a copy of the complaint for a fee. After Mr. Wertkin mailed a redacted copy of the complaint to the employee, the employee contacted the FBI. On Dec. 22, 2016, Mr. Wertkin told the employee he would provide the full complaint for $300,000 and requested to be paid in untraceable bitcoins. After boosting the price tag for the complaint to $310,000 to cover travel expenses, Mr. Wertkin agreed to deliver the complaint to a colleague of the technology security company employee on Jan. 31. The colleague was actually an FBI agent. At the scheduled time and place, Mr. Wertkin, who was wearing a disguise, delivered the false claims case to the agent and was immediately arrested. The plea agreement describes a second instance, which occurred just before Mr. Wertkin's arrest, where he contacted another company and offered to mail a copy of the face sheet of a complaint. Mr. Wertkin mailed a redacted copy of the face sheet and said he would provide the entire complaint for a fee, according to the DOJ. Mr. Wertkin also admitted that after being released from custody, he returned to his office at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, purportedly to retrieve his personal belongings. However, he destroyed and removed documents from his office he knew could further incriminate him. Mr. Wertkin acknowledged he took these steps to obstruct the ongoing investigation and proceedings against him. On March 7, Acting U.S. Attorney Alex G.Tse said Mr. Wertkin betrayed the trust placed in him by the DOJ. "Today's sentence hopefully restores the confidence in public servants who take an oath to serve their government and demonstrates that no one is above the law. Those who run afoul of the rules established to ensure the proper function of government will be prosecuted without fear or favor," he said. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: UPMC Hamot, cardiology practice ink $20.7M settlement in kickback case 11 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements Phoenix Children's Hospital wins battle against Irish hospital over similar names Kentucky's Attorney General on March 8 filed a lawsuit against AmerisourceBergen, alleging the drug distributor engaged in deceptive business practices related to the overdistribution of opioids in the state. The suit is the fourth of its kind filed by Attorney General Andy Beshear, accusing a drug company of contributing to Kentucky's opioid crisis. The three other legal actions targeted drug distributors Cardinal Health and McKesson Corp., as well as drugmaker Endo International. "We must stop these large supplies of opioids fueling addiction in so many of our communities," Mr. Beshear said. "One way to do that is to continue to drag these billion-dollar opioid distributors into Kentucky court to seek damages for their irresponsible actions." AmerisourceBergen said it provides daily distribution order reports to the Drug Enforcement Administration and is committed to mitigating the diversion of prescription opioids, according to a statement obtained by Reuters, The lawsuit alleges the drug distributor shipped an estimated 9,508,971 opioid doses from 2010 through 2016 into Bell County. The total amounts to 340 opioid doses for every man, woman and child in the county. More articles on opioids: 80% of DC's opioid-related deaths occur in black community 1 judge, 400 opioid lawsuits: 4 notes on his unconventional judicial approach 'Heroin in pill form' Philadelphia DOH's new ad campaign urges patients to stay away from prescription painkillers Washington, D.C.-based United Medical Center on March 6 released the roughly 3 hours of audio from a meeting last December during which officials decided to permanently shutter the facility's obstetrics unit. According to the recording, UMC board members considered three options for the hospital's OB unit: full closure, reopening the ward with limited offerings or reopening the unit as a full-service women's health ward. The hospital officials said in the recording it didn't make sense for the hospital to pour additional funding into revamping the department for a number of reasons, among them being the OB unit's dwindling patient volumes, outdated health records system, and inconsistent reporting and peer review process. The majority of the board, including UMC Board Chair LaRuby May, said they believed closing the OB unit was in the best interest of patients despite any potential political fallout over the decision, according to the recording. UMC officials had previously rejected the release of audio from the board's closed-door December meeting, even threatening to sue the city to prevent its release. However, pushback from the city and several prominent publications, including The Washington Post and The Washington Business Journal, and city officials prompted the hospital to release the recording. At the time of the December 2017 meeting, the hospital's maternity ward had been temporarily closed for roughly five months due to safety issues cited by district health officials. However, board officials reportedly decided to privately move forward with the ward's closure before regulators ordered the temporary shutdown in August 2017. It is unclear if the December meeting was the result of the board's prior plans to forge ahead with the OB unit's closure. Roughly five sections of the recording dissolve into static. UMC board members claimed the edited portions are protected by attorney-client privilege because their lawyer provided advice to board members during those sections, according to The Washington Business Journal. However, the OB unit may be reopened by the hospital's new management, Mazars USA, whose $5 million operating contract goes into effect this month. Mazars USA officials will reportedly re-examine UMC's fiscal year 2018 budget and determine if reopening the unit is a possibility, the Washington Business Journal reports. A sewage leak forced St. Charles Medical Center-Bend (Ore.) to cancel elective surgeries and left patients without water to shower or flush toilets for several hours March 6, according to The Bulletin. The leak, which was discovered around 9:15 a.m., was found in the central processing department, where surgical instruments are cleaned and sterilized. Out of an abundance of caution, hospital officials stopped all water usage in the building until they could identify the cause of the leak. The leak was the result of a blocked sewer pipe. Hospital facility staff cleared the block and temporarily fixed the leak. The water restrictions were then lifted. Since the leak limited the hospital's ability to sterilize instruments from surgery, the hospital canceled some elective surgeries, but did not divert trauma cases. Some of the sterilization processing was done in the hospital's operating rooms and other instruments were sent to other local medical centers in Bend, Ore. The hospital is working to permanently fix the leak. An outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections has caused illness in nine people across eight states, according to the CDC. The outbreak was linked to contact with a guinea pig or its habitat. Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. Thus far, one person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. The time period for the illnesses ranged from July 17, 2015, to Dec.15, 2017. The outbreak Salmonella strain was collected from a sick person's infected guinea pig in Vermont. Whole genome sequencing shows the Salmonella isolated from the people who were infected and the guinea pig were closely related. The following states include people infected in this outbreak: Colorado Indiana Iowa Massachusetts Michigan New York Virginia Vermont "This outbreak is a reminder that pet rodents such as guinea pigs, regardless of where they are purchased or adopted, can carry Salmonella bacteria even when they look healthy and clean," the CDC stated. Cleveland-based University Hospitals notified about 700 fertility patients that the frozen eggs and embryos stored at one of its fertility centers may no longer be viable after the temperatures in a storage bank rose over the weekend, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Here are seven things to know. 1. A liquid nitrogen freezer at the UH Fertility Center, which is housed in the Beachwood, Ohio-based University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center, unexpectedly rose sometime between the afternoon of March 3 and the morning of March 4. While the storage tank had an audible alarm sounding that would have alerted workers to a temperature change, no staff members were in the facility overnight. 2. The storage freezer held more than 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos. Some of the patients had more than one sample stored, and some samples had been stored since the 1980s. 3. While the extent of the loss is still unclear, James Liu, MD, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UH Cleveland Medical Center, told The Plain Dealer that there is evidence of damage to some eggs. 4. It is unclear why the temperature rose in the tank, since it did not lose power. UH has launched an investigation to determine if the problem was caused by a human error or mechanical failure. 5. The potential damage to eggs would be a financial and emotional blow to the fertility patients, including women storing embryos, women donating their eggs and women seeking to delay a pregnancy, according to The Washington Post. The process of removing and freezing a woman's eggs can cost more than $10,000, plus yearly storage fees, according to The Washington Post. 6. "We are so very sorry this happened and we want to do all that we can to support our patients and families through this very difficult time," Patti DePompei, MSN, RN, president of Cleveland-based UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and Cleveland-based UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, said in a video posted on Facebook. 7. UH officials sent letters to all the affected patients March 6, after verifying addresses. Medtronic is a global healthcare solutions company and medical device manufacturer. Here are 10 things to know about Medtronic. 1. Earl Bakken and his brother-in-law Palmer Hermundslie founded Medtronic in 1949 as a medical equipment repair shop. 2. Medtronic's first therapeutic offering was a wearable, battery-powered cardiac pacemaker. Today, Medtronic technologies treat nearly 40 medical conditions, including diabetes, back pain and heart issues. 3. Medtronic operates in more than 160 countries with more than 360 locations worldwide. Its principal executive office is in Dublin, Ireland, and its operational headquarters is in Minneapolis. 4. Omar Ishrak has served as chairman and CEO of Medtronic since June 2011. In 2014, he led the acquisition of Covidien, a $10 billion global manufacturer of surgical products and supplies. The Covidien acquisition was the largest medical technology acquisition in the industry's history, and Medtronic moved headquarters to Ireland, where Covidien was located, in a tax inversion strategy. Here is more information on Mr. Ishrak. 5. Medtronic employs more than 84,000 people. The company released a new restructuring plan that is expected to save $3 billion by 2022 and will impact an undisclosed number of employees. The company expects to add $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion in charges over the next five years, with half being employee-related costs; however, the company plans to keep the total employee account steady. Currently there are 9,000 Medtronic employees in Minnesota, the largest concentration of any site worldwide. 6. Medtronic offers posterior occipitocervical upper-thoracic reconstructive systems, radiofrequency ablation system for spinal metastases, spinal cord neurostimulation systems, nucleus removal tools, balloon kyphoplasty and surgical imaging systems, among other spinal and orthopedic products. 7. Medtronic invested in spinal robotics company Mazor Robotics,starting in 2016. The company completed the third tranche of the $40 million earlier than expected in August 2017, capping the total investment at $72 million. Medtronic now holds exclusive worldwide distribution rights of Mazor X, the company's next-generation robotic system, and the two companies will work together on future development and sales. 8. Medtronic reported $7.3 billion in third quarter 2018 revenue, a 1 percent increase over the same period last year. The company had a net loss of around $1.4 billion. Spine revenue grew 1 percent for the quarter, hitting $661 million. On March 9, the company also reported 2018 fourth quarter cash dividend of $0.46 per ordinary share, a 7 percent increase over the previous year. 9. On Feb. 28, Medtronic signed a strategic partnership agreement with Lehigh Valley Health Network, an eight-hospital network serving Northern Pennsylvnia, to collaborate on value-based care. The five year strategic partnership will focus on developing innovative, sustainable and integrated value-based solutions, creating programs that will span 70 major medical conditions and impacting 500,000 patients. The partnership also hopes to reduce the cost of care by $100 million and will initially cover cardiovascular disease, stroke and lung cancer. 10. In 2017, Medtronic gave $101.8 million in charitable contributions. More articles on devices and implants: 5 things to know about K2M CEO Eric Major Captiva Spine update: First transfasten cases; hired vp sales; introducing hyperlox DePuy Synthes launches ACTIS Total Hip System in U.S.: 4 takeaways Two spine surgeons weigh in on payer trends they expect to see in the coming year. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What are the key trends in spinal deformity care today? Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, March 14, at 5 p.m. CST. Question: What payer trends do you anticipate in 2018? Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Payers will consolidate and mergers will continue. Their adherence to their in-house guidelines, based on poor papers or outdated information in the "scholastosphere" will give them grounds to deny appropriate treatment to patients. Also expect more payers to change contracts in terms of when they pay you and how long they have to respond to appeals. In effect, they are doling out their own rope. More doctors will become employed, and the insurers will most assuredly be forced to pay higher rates as these employment entities, be it hospital networks, HMOs or medical foundations, will have increased market clout. But there is another, more concerning trend. In a large southern state, I am aware of an insurer that employs large numbers of physicians, but not in an HMO setting. There are no doctors on their governing boards and the physicians are treated rather unfairly. Employment terms are ever-changing, and promises are rarely kept to physicians. Expect to see other large insurers try to do the same thing, much as a response to the aforementioned consolidation. One of the reasons groups like Kaiser have been so successful at taking care of people and attracting good doctors for so long is that doctors and administrators work hand-in-hand and their employed physicians have clear-cut rights and expectations. I would caution any physician becoming employed by these newer entities to remember their mission as physicians, and to know their rights as employees. Michael Oberlander, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon, President and CMO of Trainer Rx: As an mHealth innovator, we constantly monitor trends, and one thing that we see more of is the focus on the entire patient journey, including to the home. But one thing we expect to continue is caps on therapy coverage from Medicare. This puts pressure on the patient, their family, the provider and the healthcare system as a whole. Therapy is an important part of complete recovery. Without rehabilitation care, older Americans won't be able to maintain their independence, making them more likely to move into a nursing home or face frequent and costly hospitalizations, adding to rising costs of care. Unfortunately, we also expect the adoption of value-based and bundled payment models to continue moving at a snail's pace in 2018. Many providers and clinicians worry these payment models are too complicated and time-consuming to implement in their busy practices. But telerehab makes their jobs easier. Data related to the patient journey outside the hospital is easy to gather and analyze, creating a better patient experience. Telerehab also creates efficiencies and reduces the number of follow-up visits, which providers and clinicians may see as revenue gains under these payment models. Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, Calif., is now offering an around-the-clock neurosurgery program, The Foothills Sun-Gazette reports. Here are four things to know. 1. The program provides comprehensive neurosurgery care and allows for patients to be treated at Kaweah Delta rather than being transported an hour or more away to another neurosurgery facility. "When someone has a subdural hematoma or an epidural hematoma, they can die quickly or be left with devastating consequences. Being able to be seen here will cut down dramatically on the time it takes for these patients to receive care," the program's medical director Joseph Chen, MD, told The Foothills Sun-Gazette. 2. Kaweah Delta opened its Neurosciences Center March 5 to support patients pre- and postoperatively. 3. The 24-hour neurosurgery program will treat a variety of neurosurgical conditions including traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, brain hemorrhages and spinal abnormalities such as degenerative disc disease, spinal tumors and spine trauma. Patients can also undergo planned surgeries at the center. 4. Kaweah Delta partnered with the Center Neurorestoration Associates neurosurgeons Dr. Chen, Charles Liu, MD, Jonathan Russin, MD, Bryan Oh, MD, and Brian Lee, MD, to provide these services to its patients. Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine appointed Odette Harris, MD, as a neurosurgery professor, according to the Stanford Daily. Here are five insights: 1. Dr. Harris is the first second African-American neurosurgery professor in the U.S. and first at Stanford. She joins Dr. Lu Chen as the second female in Stanford's neurosurgery department. 2. She has served as director of brain injury in Palo Alto (Calif.) Veterans Administration Health Care System's neurosurgery department and as associate chief of staff of polytrauma and rehabilitation since 2009. 3. A Clayman Institute Faculty Research fellow, Dr. Harris earned the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. 4. Board certified in neurosurgery, Dr. Harris underwent dual fellowship training at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and Kingston, Jamaica-based University of the West Indies. 5. Dr. Harris is returning to Stanford to teach neurosurgery. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency at Stanford. A former IRA member has been nominated for an award founded in the name of a British Ambassador murdered by the IRA. Tony Doherty, whose father Patrick was killed on Bloody Sunday, has been nominated for the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize. The Derry author is one of four writers from Northern Ireland nominated for the award. The former British Ambassador to Ireland, Christopher Ewart-Biggs (55), was killed by a landmine planted by the Provisional IRA while travelling through Dublin in July 1976. His fellow passenger, civil servant Judith Cooke (26) was also killed in the incident. After Mr Ewart-Biggs' death his widow Jane became a life peer in the House of Lords, often campaigning to improve Anglo-Irish relations. In 1977, she founded the Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize in memory of her husband with the goal of promoting peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Past recipients include Brian Friel, Frank McGuinness, Sebastian Barry and Brian Keenan. In a 2017 interview with The Irish News, Mr Doherty said that he did not regret joining the IRA but that he was relieved to be arrested after his first operation. DUP MP Gregory Campbell said that because Mr Doherty has been unrepentant about his IRA past he is not an appropriate nominee for the award. "Having him nominated for an award like this is not appropriate," the East Londonderry MLA said. "Whatever the merits of his publication my view would be that they should examine what the writers' attitude was and is to violence before nominating them for such an award." Responding to Mr Campbell's comments, Mr Doherty said he did not agree with them but that he was entitled to his opinion. "I am happy to be shortlisted for this award and delighted that my work has been recognised," he said. "I am particularly happy to be associated with the award after learning of the work Jane Ewart-Biggs did for peace and reconciliation which has been carried on by her family. "I have been very open in the past that my reasons for joining the IRA stem directly from the actions of the British Army on Bloody Sunday." Mr Doherty's father Patrick was one of 13 men shot dead on Bloody Sunday in 1972. He went on to join the IRA in 1980. He is nominated for the prize alongside Belfast writers Connal Parr and Frank Ormsby, and Peter Leary from Fermanagh. Speaking for the judges, Professor Roy Foster described Mr Doherty's work as a "memoir of Derry's Bloody Sunday, from an unbearably close vantage-point." The winner of the prize, worth 5,000, will be announced on April 11 in Belfast. The Disney Magic cruise liner will be visiting Belfast in autumn 2019 Disney Cruise Line has confirmed it will be docking in Belfast Harbour for the first time next year. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and a host of other Disney stars - plus 3,650 passengers and crew - will visit the city in the autumn. The luxury liner Disney Magic is painted in Mickey Mouse-inspired colours - black and white with yellow trim and two red funnels. It is visiting Belfast as part of a seven-night cruise of the British Isles. Belfast Harbour's Tony McAuley said: "We continue to be committed to bringing cruise ships and tourists to Northern Ireland - and adding Disney Cruise Line to the global brands which already call in Belfast is a testament to the tourism offer and the facilities we have in Belfast Harbour." Last week Belfast Harbour announced that 2018 would be a record season, with more than 200,000 passengers predicted. Northern Ireland's energy market will take a "huge, retrograde step" if a deal on preserving the single electricity market is not reached following Brexit, it's been claimed. Steve Holliday, a former chief executive of the National Grid, said consumers here could also face higher prices if the single market for electricity was not preserved. He said planning for the future North South Interconnector - a series of pylons between Northern Ireland and the Republic to maintain security of supply, which won planning permission last year - could also be affected by Brexit. Mr Holliday, now vice-president of the UK Energy Institute, addressed an event for members in Belfast last night and said that Brexit had prompted a large number of "red flags" for the energy market. The event was also attended by Jenny Pyper, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator. Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Holliday said: "We've got an energy market that we are part of across Northern Ireland and Great Britain which is interacting with Europe. We need to protect that access to energy across Europe, and that's in particularly sharp focus for Northern Ireland because of the interconnector. "Because you've done so much towards achieving the integrated single electricity market, it would seem a huge retrograde step for energy and the price of energy if we do not end up protecting the single energy market and exploring options in the EU's internal market." He said the decision by US company AES to close its power station at Kilroot in Co Antrim following an auction to supply the i-SEM was a consequence of the move to cleaner energy. "You've seen a similar thing on the mainland where renewables have come into play and coal stations have shut. Ireland has done a fantastic job of shifting to cleaner energy. It's a great success story and what the future is all about," he said. Mr Holliday said the proposed interconnector "needs to go ahead unhindered". "Interconnectors do exactly what it says on the tin... it enables you to get access to cheaper energy and by tapping into bigger markets you improve reliability and resilience," he said. The interconnector has met with opposition from groups in Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, Cavan and Meath, where the pylons will be built. Some opponents have said the pylons should be placed underground instead. Mr Holliday said: "You need a very sensible debate between local communities, the regulator and the company. Let's find a compromise." A rise in business with the Republic of Ireland and other EU countries increased Northern Ireland's export trade to 8.7bn last year. It was a 9% jump from the previous year's total of 7.8bn - but the year-on-year growth was the lowest of any UK region. The HM Revenue and Customs figures follow discussions between the EU and Northern Ireland's two main political parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein. Sales of goods to the EU accounted for 56% of total exports from Northern Ireland, up 3% from 2016. The Republic remains the number one destination for exports - in 2017 the value of that business rose by 15%, or 350m, to 2.7bn. Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ann McGregor said the growth was to be welcomed, but added that the figures emphasise the importance of the EU and Ireland markets. "NI Chamber members tell us that the current uncertainty around Brexit and the Executive isn't helping business growth and confidence here and may explain why our rate of export growth is slower than the rest of the UK." Imports from the Republic rose by 100m. There was a major decline in exports to the region's second largest export partner - the United States. Exports to the US were down by 16%, or 272m, from 2016. Last week, US President Donald Trump said he plans to impose a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports, which could hinder trade between the US and UK. HMRC's figures do not reflect business between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, which is categorised as "external sales". GB remains Northern Ireland's most valuable market, with sales worth 14bn. Around a quarter of Northern Ireland's exports are classed as machinery and transport equipment. Belfast Zoo is celebrating the birth of a tiny red titi monkey. The latest arrival was born to mum, Inca and dad, Aztec, on January 26 2018. However, Inca will be having a relaxing Mothers Day while Aztec has his hands full, as male titi monkeys play a very active role in parenting and are the main childcare providers. Aztec carries the infant on his back and returns it to mum in time for nursing. The infant will cling to Aztec and Inca for approximately four to five months and, for this reason, keepers have been unable to confirm the gender or name of the latest arrival. Zoo curator, Julie Mansell, said: Belfast Zoo has been home to red titi monkeys since 2010 when Inca and Aztec arrived from London Zoo and Blackpool Zoo respectively, as part of the collaborative breeding programme. "Red titi monkeys are an unusual primate, as they are monogamous and mate for life. "Aztec and Inca can often be seen sitting or sleeping with their tails intertwined. The pair welcomed their first daughter in July 2011 and have continued to build their family in subsequent years. With the latest arrival, Belfast Zoo is now home to a total of six red titi monkeys. As their name suggests, these primates have red, fluffy fur and a small grey face. This species is found in the rainforests of South America including Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. LegenDerry Food Festival will take place in Londonderry during St Patrick's weekend. Special guest Rachel Allen will be at the LegenDerry Food Festival during St Patrick's weekend. The LegenDerry Food Festival will be returning to Northern Ireland's foodie capital of Londonderry. Voted Destination Delicious in 2017 by the NI Year of Food and Drink Awards, the two day Food Festival returns as part of Derry City and Strabane District Council's St Patrick's Day Spring Carnival. The Festival will take place at the Guildhall square in the city centre over the forthcoming St Patrick's weekend of March 17 and 18. MC for the weekend will be television chef and writer Brian McDermott, who will also be launching his new book. Local restaurants will be serving up their signature dishes and The Theatre of Food will be providing live cooking demos by some of the top names in Irish Cuisine. The main attraction for many visiting the event will be Irish celebrity chef Rachel Allen, known for her work on television and as a writer. Rachel has supported the LegenDerry event in the past and is back again on Sunday March 18 with her first demonstration at 1pm. The event starts at 12 mid-day and goes on to 6pm when Rachel will be providing an opportunity for visitors to hear first-hand those special techniques which makes her such a leader in the industry. Rachel said: "When I was asked if I would demonstrate at this years event, I jumped at the chance! "This is such a great food festival as it provides an opportunity to showcase local produce as well as local new talent who may not be as well known yet. It gives them a springboard into the public arena which they may not otherwise secure. "The location is continually developing and is turning into such a vibrant hub for tourists and industry." She added: "The food industry is expanding very quickly as we are now starting to realise the importance of eating well and just feeling better about ourselves, thats what I aim to bring to the LegenDerry Food Festival event." A budget from Westminster is viewed as a step towards Direct Rule. The DUP says it has proved the cynics wrong with the Governments announcement that 410m of its confidence and supply deal with the Tories will be included in a new Stormont budget. In the absence of devolved ministers, Secretary of State Karen Bradley unveiled the Governments 12bn spending plan for Northern Ireland in a written statement to Parliament yesterday. It includes almost half of the package secured by the DUP for supporting Theresa Mays minority government. While Downing Street insists it doesnt want to see the return of direct rule, a budget from Westminster will be viewed as a step in that direction. The 410m of the confidence and supply money includes 200m for key infrastructure projects; 100m for a health service transformation initiative; 80m for immediate health and education pressures; and 30m for mental health and deprivation programmes. The budget sees a 4.5% rise in domestic rates, the largest increase in over a decade. Read More DUP leader Arlene Foster welcomed Mrs Bradleys intervention to give departments certainty and fund public services for the next financial year. She said: Departments living hand-to-mouth is no way to run public services. Cynics doubted the confidence and supply money would ever be delivered, but it has helped achieve an improved budget compared to the one that many feared. Our efforts will help alleviate pressures in health and education, tackle issues with mental health and deprivation, transform our NHS and build new infrastructure. Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said the budget contained only stop-gap measures. This is a disappointing budget which doesnt provide the resources needed for the public services our people deserve, she said. Its not good for householders, for victims, for health, for our economy, our colleges or the homeless. Seven departments, including those which serve vulnerable communities, housing and arts, face real-terms decreases. UUP leader Robin Swann welcomed Mrs Bradleys announcement on a budget but said it should be a local finance minister producing one. In the absence of an executive, I have long believed it necessary for it to proceed through Parliament, he said. Those likely to complain the loudest about this step towards direct rule are the same people who are blocking the local institutions in the first place. Whilst the 100m investment for health transformation may sound reassuring, I fear its come too late. Even if it hasnt, in the absence of a local minister, how are decisions even going to be taken? SDLP MLA Claire Hanna said: This is a direct rule budget from London directed by the DUP. This budget puts the DUP in the driving seat. The failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to restore power-sharing has given London and the DUP a free hand in our affairs. We have reached a very difficult and distressing point. Ms Hanna said her party would meet the head of the civil service to ensure services are safeguarded but also that transparency and public accountability are at the core of any budgetary allocations. The Alliance Party gave a cautious welcome to money for the implementation of the Bengoa recommendations on health but said the lack of political direction was a barrier to true reform. MLA Paula Bradshaw said: There are significant gaps in areas across the health service such as elective surgery and social care, and improving technology for care workers, where this money can provide real value and better outcomes for those who rely on the service. However, the fact remains a year ago this week we elected politicians to take decisions but too many have failed to accept the responsibility which comes with the mandate they received. Mrs Bradley said she had engaged intensively with civil servants in formulating the spending plan and had also discussed the situation with the main Stormont parties. Government Departments: million (2018-19)/ Change (%): Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: 194.1/2.1% Communities: 900.2/-1.6% Economy: 763.3/0% Education: 1,939.4/4.3% Finance: 136.6/-4% Health: 5,306.2/5.5% Infrastructure: 370.2/1.1% Justice: 1,029.5/0.3% The Executive Office: 55.3/-4% Non Ministerial Department: million (2018-19)/ Change (%): NI Assembly Commission: 35.9/-6.5% A 'superloo' installed in a Co Tyrone village has been blasted for "flushing away" almost 120,000 of ratepayers' money. The public convenience was moved from Omagh to Fintona - a village with just slightly more than 1,000 residents - and on a spot beside former toilets around six years ago. The Ulster Herald reported the toilet had cost the public 119,000 in the past six years. The local newspaper said it had generated just 1,361 in the same period. The toilet was first installed at Johnston Park in Omagh 21 years ago before being moved to Fintona following criticism that it did not represent value for money. Now it is set to go on the move again and, in another twist to the tale, the old toilets it was meant to replace are set to be refurbished. In 2015, it was reported that the superloo had cost 17 per use, with an indication that local people preferred to go elsewhere to 'spend a penny'. The Taxpayers' Alliance condemned the costs and said the superloo had "represented nothing but ratepayers' money being flushed away". Independent councillor Sorcha McAnespy, who is from Fintona, said the village deserved proper investment. She said local people disliked the public toilet because of where it was placed - in the historic heart of the community. "For some unknown reason, they brought the loo and placed it there, " she told the Belfast Telegraph. "I didn't think it was a very appropriate place (and was not) what the people actually wanted. "I don't think people like the idea of having to pay to use the toilet. Now it just seems to be a very expensive advertising board. "I grew up in Fintona. Although I am a councillor for Omagh, I always make sure to speak up for Fintona. It has such a vibrant community that deserves to be supported." Ms McAnespy went on to say that the people of Fintona had been working hard to revitalise the area ,and said she would like to see investment to support their efforts. She said the area had a great history, such as the Fintona horse tram, which she would like to see recognised. A spokesman for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council defended the cost of the convenience. They said the small charge to use it was not designed to cover its running costs. "The existing public convenience is to remain in place until the new facilities are built," the spokesman said. "Planning permission for the new facilities has been granted, with the project going to tender in the coming weeks. "The small charge to use these public facilities was designed to regulate usage, not to cover running costs of the facility." An appeal against the six-and-a-half-year prison term imposed on a loyalist paramilitary chief turned state informer who admitted five murders can proceed, senior judges have ruled. Gary Haggarty's lawyers claimed the attempt to secure a longer sentence should be halted because the Public Prosecution Service missed a deadline. Papers were submitted 25 minutes after the close of court business at the end of a 28-day limit for lodging an appeal, they argued. Read More But Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan held on Friday that "fortunately or otherwise" someone appeared to take the documents. He confirmed: "We have concluded that the reference has been delivered in time and has been served in accordance with the statute and rules on time." The case will now proceed to a full hearing at the Court of Appeal in May. Prosecutors are challenging the sentence handed down to Haggarty on the basis that it was unduly lenient. The 45-year-old former commander of an Ulster Volunteer Force unit in north Belfast was jailed earlier this year after confessing to hundreds of terrorist offences. His catalogue of paramilitary crime extended over 16 years, from 1991 to 2007, and included the following murders: :: Sean McParland, 55, a father of four from south Belfast gunned down while babysitting his grandchildren at a house in Skegoniel Avenue, Belfast in February 1994. :: Catholic workmen Eamon Fox, 44, and Gary Convie, 24, shot dead close to a building site on Belfast's North Queen Street in May 1994. :: Sean McDermott, a 37-year-old Catholic shot found shot dead in his car near Antrim in August 1994. :: John Harbinson, murdered after being handcuffed and beaten by a UVF gang on the Mount Vernon estate in north Belfast in May 1997. Expand Close Family members of Gary Haggartys victims outside court including (second from left) the son of John Harbinson, Aaron, and the son of Eamon Fox, Keiran (centre) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Family members of Gary Haggartys victims outside court including (second from left) the son of John Harbinson, Aaron, and the son of Eamon Fox, Keiran (centre) He also admitted five attempted murders, including against police officers; multiple counts of conspiracy to murder; directing terrorism; and membership of a proscribed organisation. Haggarty pleaded guilty as part of a controversial state deal that offered a reduced sentence in return for providing evidence on other terror suspects. As a consequence his prison term was slashed from 35 years to six-and-a-half years due to the assistance provided to police. Under the terms of the agreement signed back in 2010 he supplied information on scores of loyalist killings and attempted murders. But only one man is to be prosecuted over a murder using his evidence. Now the PPS is seeking to have his sentence reviewed and increased. Defence lawyers claim that even if the appeal succeeds, Haggarty will not serve any longer behind bars because the murders were committed before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. However, they mounted a preliminary legal bid to have the case stopped by arguing that papers were lodged after the deadline expired. Martin O'Rourke QC, for Haggarty, contended: "It would be totally arbitrary if the appellant could avail of a situation where there happened to be someone in the office after this hour." Counsel representing the PPS, Tony McGleenan QC, insisted there had been compliance with the 28-day rule. "They were left in to the office, so the procedural and temporal requirements have all been met," he said. Sir Declan, sitting with Lord Justices Stephens and Deeny, agreed that the time-limit was not breached. Deciding the appeal can proceed, he said: "The point in this case, fortunately or otherwise, is that somebody appeared at the counter and took the documents." Priests in Belfast were split in their response to former Irish President Mary McAleese's comment that the Catholic Church is an "empire of misogyny". Mrs McAleese was speaking ahead of a conference in Rome on International Women's Day calling for women to be included in church decision-making. The event was moved off Vatican territory because a cardinal declined to sponsor it due to the Belfast woman's participation. Mrs McAleese said in her speech: "The Catholic Church has long since been a primary global carrier of the toxic virus of misogyny. Its leadership has never sought a cure for that virus, though the cure is freely available. Its name is equality." Speaking to the Press, Mrs McAleese added: "There are so few leadership roles currently available to women. Women do not have strong role models in the church they can look up to." Father Patrick McCafferty, parish priest at Corpus Christi in Ballymurphy in west Belfast, described the comments as "completely over the top". "I totally reject it as a priest," he said. "It is wrong and it is reactionary Yes, we have models of ministry that are only open to men, but women play vital and important roles in the church, in my church and community and right across the world." "There certainly is room in the church for woman to be involved at the highest level, and the Pope is working to draw more women into top advisory roles. "There is no reason, for example, why a woman could not be a cardinal, and I don't disagree with that. Women should have a pronounced input into the church." Asked if it was time for women to be ordained as priests, Father McCafferty said: "No, and there are good reasons for that based on the scriptures and the idea that the Church is the bride of Christ. "That was always the way it was - it is what it is." Father Gary Donegan, who was rector of Holy Cross church in Ardoyne for more than 15 years before moving to the Tobar Mhuire Retreat Crossgar, said the former president's opinions should be heard. "The church is a 2,000-year-old institution - it is the church we love and serve and we should be big enough to have the debate," he added. "We are 50 years on from the Second Vatican Council, when the church became the people of God, not popes or bishops. "Mary McAleese is just like me, a child of God. What is there to fear?" Asked if women should have the right to become priests, Father Donegan replied: "Equal pay is about rights, this is about a vocation. Everyone should be equal in terms of how they respond. If a women should come to me to say she has had that call, who am I to say she can't follow that?" More than 550 Northern Ireland women have had NHS abortions in England since the service became free last year More than 550 Northern Ireland women have had NHS abortions in England since the service became free last year. That's a 14% rise in terminations in the last eight months, according to figures collated since charges were abolished by the government last June. The revelation comes at a time when MPs and peers from many parties - including the Conservatives, who govern with the support of the DUP which opposes abortion - are signing up to support its legislation here. In a letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, over 130 parliamentarians have urged the Government to bring in legislation to allow equal access to abortion so that Northern Irish women can get abortions locally rather than having to go to England. It follows a UN declaration that forcing women to travel for an abortion is an infringement of their human rights, and campaigners believe the law could be changed in a forthcoming domestic violence bill. Data provided by Marie Stopes clinics reveal they conducted 363 terminations for Northern Irish women in England between June 30, 2017 and February 28 this year, while the British Pregnancy Advisory Service carried out 190. In 2016, 724 local women had abortions in England, according to the Department of Health, which is equivalent to 483 over an eight-month period. Stella Creasy, the Labour MP who led the campaign to drop the fee for abortions, is now spearheading moves to legalise NHS abortions in Northern Ireland. She said the scale and cross-party support for the change should force the Government's hand. "We have heard talk of the importance of regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK but that concern does not seem to extend to the basic human right of not to be forced to continue an unwanted pregnancy," she told the Guardian. "The UN ruling is clear that forcing women to travel to seek an abortion is not acceptable. It's time for all who say they support gender equality to put their votes and their voices where their marching is and back this call for progress." Northern Ireland's abortion laws are stricter than the rest of the UK. Terminations are only permitted if a woman's life is at risk or there is a serious or permanent risk to her mental health. Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which an abortion can be performed legally. Irish referendum The Irish Cabinet yesterday - International Women's Day - gave the go-ahead to have a referendum on the liberalisation of Ireland's abortion laws. The move comes after a Supreme Court ruling in Dublin on Wednesday that protections for the unborn child offered under the state's constitution do not extend beyond the right to life. Two of Northern Ireland's most famous food companies, Moy Park and Tayto, have been named in the Government's latest list of firms that failed to pay staff the minimum wage. (Chris Radburn/PA) Two of Northern Ireland's most famous food companies, Moy Park and Tayto, have been named in the Government's latest list of firms that failed to pay staff the minimum wage. Eight local firms are on the list of 179 companies HM Revenue & Customs found were underpaying more than 9,000 minimum wage workers by 1.1m. The eight Northern Ireland companies included on the list failed to pay a total of 68,090 to some 777 employees. Poultry giant Moy Park, which is based in Craigavon, failed to pay a total of 33,547.57 to 338 workers, according to the list. A Moy Park spokesperson said: "As soon as this isolated example of underpayment was identified we apologised to those affected and ensured reimbursement. As a responsible employer we have taken steps to ensure this issue cannot reoccur." Crisps giant Tayto Group, which is based in Tandragee, owed 2,236.14 to 50 workers. A spokesperson for the firm confirmed they were advised of a "potential small inadvertent breach" of national minimum wage regulations in late 2016. Tayto said it was informed about the amounts owed on March 20 last year, and it was paid to staff by April 4. Potato brand Wilson's Country in Craigavon failed to pay 24,560.53 to 63 workers. Chief executive Angus Wilson described the breach, which was incurred over six years, as "innocent and unintended". He said it related to a technicality around uniform changing procedures for some members of staff and added the company had since repaid the affected staff. As well as recovering back pay for 9,200 workers, the Government also fined UK employers a total of 1.3m in penalties for breaking wage laws. It comes ahead of the next rate rise on April 1, when the national living wage will go up from 7.50 to 7.83 per hour. Apprentices under the age of 19 and those in the first year of their apprenticeship will benefit from a 5.7% rise. UK-wide, Japanese restaurant chain Wagamama, which has one outlet in Belfast, was the worst offender - failing to pay 133,212.42 to 2,630 workers. Belfast-based QCS Contract Cleaning owed 237 workers a total of 2,952.19, while Extra Care for Elderly People in Antrim failed to pay 1,775.79 to six employees. Ritcin Limited, trading as Starbucks, failed to pay 1,592.79 to 79 workers in Belfast. Elsewhere, Europa Foods Distribution in Coleraine owed a total of 976.55 to two employees, while DK Leisure Ltd, trading as Bushtown Hotel in Coleraine, failed to pay 448.13 to two workers. A spokesperson for Bushtown Hotel explained that this was down to a computer virus which affected their payroll systems last year. CCTV footage of Sergei Skripal buying groceries at the Bargain Stop convenience store in Salisbury on February 27 Former first minister Lord Trimble urged the Government to be more robust in its pursuit of those who tried to murder ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal than it was with those who killed Alexander Litvinenko. Former double agent Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia continue to fight for their lives in hospital after being targeted with a nerve agent. Mr Skripal (66) was found along with his 33-year-old daughter on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after police were called by a concerned member of the public at around 4.15pm on Sunday. Many including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have compared the attempted murder to the killing of Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who was fatally poisoned with radioactive polonium in London in 2006. Conservative peer Lord Trimble, a former Ulster Unionist leader, said the initial response to the murder of Litvinenko had been quite inadequate, leading some to believe Britain was seen by the perpetrators to be a soft touch. He told the House of Lords yesterday: We will have to be even more robust in our response this time than might have been the case if we hadnt had that not-so-good example before us. The police officer who rushed to the aid of Mr Skripal is very anxious as he recovers in hospital, his chief constable said. Wiltshire Police named the officer as Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is still in a serious condition following the attack. Police thanked well-wishers for their support for the officer, while the forces temporary chief constable Kier Pritchard said: I have just left the bedside of our officer and family in hospital. Conveyed all our thoughts and wishes, an amazingly courageous officer. He said that DS Bailey, who joined the force in 2002 and was commended in 2016 for his work on a rape investigation, was well liked, well loved, a massively dedicated officer. The praise was echoed by Prime Minister Theresa May, who said the events served as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by emergency staff. Mr Pritchard continued: Hes well, hes sat up. He is not the Nick that I know but of course hes receiving a high level of treatment. Hes in the safe hands of the medical professionals working in Salisbury District so Im very confident hes getting the best professional support that he can. Of course hes very anxious, hes very concerned. He did his very best on that night. It comes amid a flurry of activity in Salisbury, where police sealed off the gravestone of Mr Skripals wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son, Alexander, who was cremated last year. They are located at separate sites in the London Road Cemetery with each guarded by a police officer. Hundreds of investigators, led by counter-terror police, are working to find out who is responsible for what is feared to be a sophisticated plot amid heightened tensions between Britain and Russia. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the use of a chemical weapon on UK soil was a brazen and reckless act. Ministers have faced fresh pressure to reveal the full details of a controversial pro-Brexit donation to the DUP, amid claims of "political corruption". Labour's Ben Bradshaw criticised the Government's "disgraceful" decision to "keep secret" information linked to the 435,000 donation. This week, MPs backed legislation to lift the veil of anonymity on political donations in Northern Ireland, which applies to donations and loans received on or after July 1 2017. The donations are to be published on Monday. But the Commons heard the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, still wants the Government to put forward further regulations to provide "full transparency" back to 2014 - which would include the DUP Brexit donation from the 2016 EU vote. The money was given to the DUP by the Constitutional Research Council (CRC), a Great Britain-based group of pro-union business figures, ahead of the EU referendum. It helped pay for a four-page pro-Brexit advert in the Metro freesheet newspaper in London and other English cities. It is believed the CRC was hit with a record fine by the Electoral Commission last year for failing to properly disclose information about the source of the donation to the DUP, which donors of this scale are required to do by law. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Bradshaw said: "Following the disgraceful decision by the Government yesterday to keep secret the source of the donation to the Leave campaign via the DUP, meaning the public had no idea where this money came from, what more can the Electoral Commission do to ensure we have full transparency in our electoral and democratic system?" Barry Sheerman, Labour MP for Huddersfield, could be heard saying: "It's corruption, political corruption." Bridget Phillipson, the Labour MP who answers questions on behalf of the Electoral Commission, said the watchdog "wants to see transparency of donations going back to 2014, as Parliament envisaged, and would support the Government laying a further order to provide for full transparency back to 2014". Theresa May's minority Government relies on DUP support to push through key legislation. All 10 DUP MPs joined with the Tories to approve the order, with Labour and the SNP among those who opposed it. A DUP spokesman said: "We welcome the increased transparency but we are disappointed that the backdoor on foreign donations which clearly benefits Sinn Fein and the SDLP has not been closed. "Given we have already taken the voluntarily step of publishing the detail of the Brexit donor, no question arises about donor anonymity in this instance." The funding will go towards the establishment of recovery colleges A 7.6 million EU-funded cross-border project has been launched in response to the increase in numbers of people with mental health problems. Over the next four years, the large-scale, cross-border Innovation Recovery project will aim to empower and enable people and communities to take greater control over their own mental and emotional wellbeing. During the project lifetime, 8,000 people will participate in mental health recovery education programmes. 300 mental health practitioners from statutory, voluntary and community sectors will be trained in recovery orientated methods. Additionally, 500 staff from non-mental health services will be trained in mental health awareness and compassionate care of those suffering from mental health illness. This EU funding allocation has been secured by the Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) Health and Social Care Partnership. The CAWT project partners are the HSE, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, the Western Health and Social Care Trust, the Public Health Agency and the Health and Social Care Board. The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is also a project partner. The recovery colleges will provide education as a route to recovery, with courses devised and delivered collaboratively by people with their own experience of mental illness along with mental health professionals. By adopting this educational approach, alongside or as an alternative to more traditional therapeutic options, it is planned that those participating will be enabled to better understand their mental health. Ultimately, people will be supported to recover and to be able to create a satisfying and meaningful life for themselves. There will be a total of 3 recovery college locations across Ireland/Northern Ireland, each with a broad catchment area to ensure access by those geographically or socially isolated. Furthermore, using technology, the recovery college services and courses will also be made available online, thus extending the impact of the project more widely. The three areas which will have new recovery college services are: Area 1 West: Derry, Coleraine, Letterkenny, Strabane and West Donegal Area 2 South: Cavan, Monaghan, Sligo, Leitrim and Fermanagh Area 3 East: Dundalk, Belfast City, Armagh, Newry and Louth Match-funding for the project has been provided by both Departments of Health in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Jim Daly TD, Minister for Mental Health and Older People at the Department of Health in Ireland and Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health in Northern Ireland jointly announced the launch of this cross-border initiative at an event in Dundalk on Friday. This is an important EU-funded project which is taking a cross-border approach to developing additional support services for those with mental health difficulties and I congratulate the CAWT partnership for securing the EU funding, Minister Daly said. The Innovation Recovery initiative is taking a community-based approach by supporting people to better understand and manage their mental health within their own localities. The recovery ethos is one which the Department wholeheartedly embraces and is reflected in current policy and practice. Also speaking at the event, Dr McBride said the aim of the project was to help people deal with mental health issues more effectively. The Department is delighted to be launching this cross-border mental health project. The aims and objectives of the project chimes with our priorities for a modern health and social care service, in particular the focus on early intervention and self-management," he said. "It is about giving people the tools and support to identify their needs in recovering from and managing their own mental health. It encourages participants to draw upon both their own personal resources and the support of the wider community. Trailblazer firefighter Heather Smart, who was the first female firefighter in Northern Ireland, is hanging up her helmet for good after breaking into a "male-dominated" workplace. The Ballyclare woman has saved countless lives during her 27 years of service. Ms Smart (52) overcame many challenges as the first female firefighter. She also helped pave the way for the 64 women who currently work as firefighters in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). It has been a momentous career for the dedicated firefighter, although reflecting on her service she admitted she didn't consider herself "special". "I was just keen to prove that I could do the job that I had set my heart on," she said. Ms Smart grew up admiring women during the Second World War who took up manual labour and dangerous jobs that had previously been thought of men's jobs, including women who joined the Auxiliary Fire Service. "It was hardly surprising that I set my heart on what was considered, at that time, the ultimate man's job," she added. "When I joined what was the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade in 1991, I was looking for a job that would challenge me, one that promised to be different every day and which required physical activity. "Growing up, my parents never set any limits on what I or my two sisters could do - but I do think that they were a little surprised by my choice of career. "The support and friendship from my fellow recruits definitely made things much easier - and it's been lovely to see so many of them go on to forge very successful careers within the fire service. "The physical aspect of the job wasn't an issue for me, but there was a different culture in those days." "Some people were more accepting than others of a female firefighter." Heather, who has helped out in recent recruitment drives, said that it was "great" to see an increase in the number of women joining. She added: "I would like to say a special thank you to Arthur Plumpton, who was my first station officer. "He was scrupulously fair and treated me no differently to my male colleagues. "He was very accepting of having a woman in the watch and I could not have had a better start to my career. "The most satisfactory aspect of the job for me was the feeling of a job well done, that I had helped someone in need." Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. The Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow, Mayoress Mrs Hilary Morrow, Chief Executive, Dr Theresa Donaldson and Councillor Scott Carson, Chairman of the Councils Corporate Services Committee welcome HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles to Lagan Valley Island. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E The HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles is welcomed to Lagan Valley Island by Cadet Jake Johnston, Lord Lieutenant for County Antrim, Mrs Joan Christie CVO OBE, Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and Councillor Scott Carson, Chairman of the CouncilOs Corporate Services Committee. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E Pictured at the event are, from left to right, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Neil Bellamy Commanding Officer (CO) 2nd Battalion, Alderman James Tinsley, Brigadier John Swift OBE Commander 38 (Irish) Brigade, Mayoress Mrs Hilary Morrow, Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow, Councillor Scott Carson, Chairman of the CouncilOs Corporate Services Committee and Chief Executive, Dr Theresa Donaldson. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E The Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow and Chief Executive, Dr Theresa Donaldson make a presentation to Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Neil Bellamy Commanding Officer (CO) 2nd Battalion, The Rifles (2 Rifles). Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place. The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. General view of the parade in Bow Street, Lisburn. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles meets members of the public in Lisburn City Centre. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 9th March 2018 There was synchronised sound in Lisburn city centre today where a Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles took place.E The Parade followed a six-month tour of Iraq.E There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. E The Council was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. E HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles pictured in Lisburn City Centre during the Inspection and Salute. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. A homecoming parade was held in Lisburn on Friday March 9 for the 2 Rifles who were returning from Iraq. Photo: Johnathan Porter, Press Eye. A large crowd turned out in Lisburn City Centre on Friday for the Homecoming Parade of the 2 Rifles. The battalion was returning from a six-month tour of Iraq. There was an Inspection and Salute in the city centre in the presence of the HRH the Earl of Wessex, Royal Colonel of the 2 Rifles. The Council said it was delighted with the Royal Visit, which is the first royal visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. In attendance were the Lord Lieutenant for County Antrim, Mrs Joan Christie CVO OBE; the High Sheriff of County Antrim, Mrs Gillian Bingham; Major General Jones OBE; Brigadier John Swift OBE Commander 38 (Irish) Brigade; Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Neil Bellamy Commanding Officer (CO) 2nd Battalion, The Rifles (2 Rifles); Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Elected Members, its Chief Executive, Dr Theresa Donaldson and members of the public. Prior to the Parade, the Council hosted a Homecoming Reception at Lagan Valley Island for the 2 Rifles in the early part of Friday morning. HRH the Earl of Wessex was welcomed where he met invited guests and was accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant Mrs Joan Christie CVO OBE and Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow. The Homecoming Parade then took place in Lisburn city centre with around 500 servicemen, complete with the Band of the Rifles. The Mayor, Councillor Tim Morrow paid tribute to the soldiers on their return home. It was an honour to welcome the Earl to Lagan Valley Island and to Lisburn," he said. "I was very pleased to welcome our serving troops to Lagan Valley Island following their recent return from Iraq. We of course respect their bravery, camaraderie, and dedication to duty. It is for these very reasons that it was a privilege to welcome 2 Rifles today." Lt Col Neil Belamy, Commanding Officer 2 Rifles, said they received a great reception. To be invited to parade through the streets of our home city of Lisburn is a great honour for all of the riflemen of the battalion and for me personally as the Commanding Officer. The unit has recently returned from Operation SHADER in Iraq and this weekend is the perfect opportunity to come together and celebrate being a unit with our local community. Lisburn has been our home for a few years and we have been made to feel very welcomed. We have forged great relationships and the high point of this for me will be Friday when we get to parade through our home town in front of all of our friends. Councillor Scott Carson, Chairman of the Councils Corporate Services Committee thanked the 2 Rifles for their service. The Council appreciates the dedication and achievements of all our service personnel and we were delighted to have the opportunity to see our returning troops parade through Lisburn in such glorious sound and colour. Lisburn has a long and respected history with the Armed Forces and we greatly appreciate their work, training and the service brought across the world for Queen and country. Police have arrested three self-styled paedophile hunters. A 24-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were arrested in Ballymena. Another man, aged 51, was also arrested in Newtownabbey. They are being questioned on suspicion of offences including false imprisonment, intimidation and attempted intimidation. The arrests come ahead of a parade in support of so-called paedophile hunting groups in Belfast this weekend. Separately, three men have appeared in court charged in connection with the activities of the groups and after a BBC reporter was involved in an angry exchange with individuals from the groups as he tried to investigate their activities. A man who worked part-time in a Co Antrim post office sold euros at a cut-price rate on Christmas Eve - to his own mother. Student Aaron Wilson (21) of Kings Road in Whitehead, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates' Court yesterday alongside his mother, Mrs Wilson (58), from the same address. Mrs Wilson, who previously worked in post offices for 40 years, admitted stealing euros worth 59.02 on December 24, 2016 at Whitehead Post Office. She walked free from court with a two-month jail term, suspended for a year. Her son admitted two counts of fraud by abuse of position by selling euros at a reduced rate - once on Christmas Eve, 2016, and on November 26 that year. A prosecutor said Mr Wilson's case involved a "breach of trust" and told how the sub-postmaster made a statement to police relating to the theft of money during a shift on December 24. The defendant carried out a transaction to sell his mother 900 at the "buy-back rate". The court heard he told police he had contacted his mother during a break. Afterwards, she brought in 766 in a brown envelope for the 900, and he handed over the currency, which resulted in a loss. The prosecutor said Mrs Wilson told police the scam happened when "her friends and family needed euros". Mr Wilson admitted to officers he had performed similar frauds "a few times". A defence lawyer said Mrs Wilson had described her conduct as "a moment of madness". District Judge Peter King told Mrs Wilson that as a now-retired former post office employee she would have known the implications of what was done. The judge added: "There are suspicions there are other matters, but I can only deal with what is before me". He adjourned sentencing Mr Wilson until April. Mike Davidson (right), of Core Issues Trust, with his wife Lynore The leader of a Christian organisation who says that gay people "can choose not to live out homosexuality" has accused Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) of censorship after claiming that it refused to screen a film about people "emerging" from gay lifestyles. Mike Davidson (63) is the head of the Core Issues Trust in Ballynahinch, Co Down, which claims it is "challenging gender confusion". The father-of-two, who has undergone counselling for homosexuality and has been married to his wife Lynore for 38 years, provides "sexual attraction fluidity exploration" therapy from his base. He said his group was refused permission to host a private, invitation-only screening of the film Voices Of The Silenced at the QFT in Belfast. A private screening of the film at London's Vue cinema in Piccadilly was pulled last month after the event drew criticism. The film was screened at an alternative, unnamed London location. Mr Davidson said QFT was "stifling" alternative viewpoints by refusing to screen the film. "The film features 15 people coming out of homosexual lifestyles," he said. "I initially made an inquiry to QFT in February and they came back to me and said the programme had already went to print and they had nothing available in March. "When I asked about April, I got an email saying my request was denied and quoting Queen's University's equality agenda. "We had gone to Queen's as we felt it has been very deliberate in its promotion of LGBT films over the years. "It was a private, invitation-only event. "It is censorship and intolerance. They aren't prepared to discuss this. "It's almost as if when you are in the UK, if you have feelings around homosexuality, it's mandatory to identify as gay because you can't get help to do anything with it. "If you have these feelings, you are going to be pushed into affirming homosexuality because the gay lobby claims you are born gay." Mr Davidson claimed that gay people could "choose not to live out homosexuality and can deal with their feelings to the point that they can have a viable relationship with the opposite sex". "We are not victims, we can find ways of living that are consistent with our values," he added. "I can offer support to them in their autonomous choice to explore other options." A QFT spokesperson said: "The mission of QFT is to widen access to film through the delivery of a varied programme that actively encourages appreciation, enjoyment, debate and understanding. "In addition, the QFT is committed, through its approved programme, to continue to promote and respect equality, diversity and inclusion." The scene of the fire in Derrylin A relative of four people killed in a house fire in a border village has said she only learned of their deaths after being contacted by the Belfast Telegraph. The family member told of her shock at the deaths as the true names of the victims emerged. Three generations of the same family are understood to have been killed in the early morning fire in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, last Tuesday. The landlord of the property where the fire occurred, Tommy Fee, had previously identified the tenants as Edward Gosset (16), his sister Diane Gosset (19), their mother Crystal Gosset and Diane's toddler daughter. It is understood the family used several names, including the surname 'Quinn'. They also spelled their surname 'Goss'et'. However, the relative has told this newspaper that the true names of those who died were teenagers Roman and Sabrina Gosset, their mother Denise 'Dee' Gosset, and Sabrina's toddler Morgana. The relative, who lives in Great Britain, also said she had not been directly informed of her family members' deaths by police. Instead, she learned of the tragedy through the Belfast Telegraph, a week after the horrific blaze. She said that she had last been in touch with Denise and her daughter Sabrina at Christmas, but said that the Derrylin residents had then "suddenly gone quiet". She also described Denise as a "wonderful mother" who "loved her children". The PSNI has yet to release the names of those who passed away. A spokesperson said yesterday: "Formal identification has not yet taken place, so we can't confirm names. "Legally, we have to wait on official ID from the Coroner." When asked why some family members had not been informed about the deaths, Detective Inspector Peter McKenna said: "Police continue to work with HM Coroner to definitively establish the identities of all of the victims of this tragic incident. "The process is long and complex, and this sadly makes the task of locating and informing next of kin all the more difficult. Relatives were informed as quickly as possible." It is believed the deceased were originally from Doncaster in England, and had lived in Tralee in Co Kerry for about three years before moving to Derrylin around 18 months ago. Yesterday, landlord Mr Fee said that forensic teams were still working in the ruins of the house, and that he could "never build another house on the same site". "I have been told that the forensics will be there until the weekend," he added. "I haven't spoken to the family's relatives, and the investigation seems to be shrouded in mystery. "At the moment, the house is completely surrounded with a blue canvas. "They have had to take down the chimney of the house because it was unstable, and I haven't been able to get back onto the site yet. "But I could never build another house on the same site after what's happened." Mr Fee was among a group of neighbours who had attempted to save those inside the house from the fire by breaking down a door and window with a sledgehammer, but they were "beaten back by big balls of black smoke". He said that he and others in the community were still traumatised by what had happened. "I'm just getting through it, I'm kind of disappointed in myself when I look back and think maybe I should have done something more," he added. "There are people along this lane who are traumatised. There are two girls who can't sleep at all. An awful lot of people have been affected." Daniel Sebastian Allen (27), whose address was given as Molly Road in Derrylin, has been charged with the four murders, criminal damage and arson with intent to endanger life. He appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates' Court on Monday, and was remanded in custody to appear again on March 26. Captain Lucy Tardrew (centre left) with an all-female aircrew, before they prepare to fly from London Gatwick to Orlando on flight VS15 (John Nguyen/PA) A series of flights are being operated with all-female crews to mark International Womens Day (IWD). Airlines want to encourage more women and girls to consider a career in aviation, with only around 3% of the global pilot workforce being female. British Airways claimed a record for the most women involved in a single flight on Monday. Sixty-two females including crew, baggage handlers, check-in staff and security workers contributed to the operation of flight BA1484 from London Heathrow to Glasgow on Monday. We are so excited to be celebrating #IWD2018 with the first end-to-end all female flight, thanks to the amazing women across our operation! #proudtoBAwoman pic.twitter.com/D7qvevG2Tu British Airways (@British_Airways) March 8, 2018 Six all-female crews will operate 16 easyJet flights on Thursday consisting of a captain, first officer and four cabin crew between London, Bologna, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Agadir. Virgin Atlantic is celebrating IWD with three all-female crews on flights out of Manchester, London Gatwick and London Heathrow on Thursday. We're celebrating International Women's Day with three special flights from Manchester, London Gatwick & Heathrow crewed by amazing inspirational women. Meet some more inspirational women from across our company at https://t.co/pY0qjoQ4OH #IWD2018 pic.twitter.com/Yg3ut1gqe8 virginatlantic (@VirginAtlantic) March 8, 2018 Around 6% of BA and easyJets total pilot workforce is currently female. BA captain Julie Levy, who flew the London to Glasgow flight, said most of the young women she meets tell her it never occurred to them to become a pilot. Its still seen as a mans job and thats a real shame, she told the Press Association. Anyone is capable of doing it if they put their head down and work hard enough. Linda German, who oversaw the safe movement of the aircraft from the departure gate at London Heathrow, said passengers responded positively to the special service. When we were pushing back we could see customers looking out of the windows, she said. They were pointing, taking photos and waving. It was fascinating for them to see what was going on. Its great for us to see them recognise that women are in these roles around the airport. Recent research commissioned by easyJet found that a lack of female role models is a key reason why many girls and women do not consider a career as a pilot. This #IWD2018 were celebrating an easyJet record, with 100 of our female pilots taking to the skies today! Meet some of our inspirational flight crew below #SheFlies pic.twitter.com/w4EuJVFVIT easyJet (@easyJet) March 8, 2018 More than 300 of its flights will be operated with women in the cockpit on Thursday. The airlines director of flight operations, David Morgan, said: Having our female pilots out in force will provide visibility of female pilots and hopefully inspire some girls and women to take up this rewarding career. EasyJet is aiming for one in five of its new entrant pilots to be female by 2020. Aviation minister Baroness Sugg said the number of female pilots is too low. She went on: We want to see more women flying and are working with industry to encourage more women to take up challenging and rewarding careers in the cockpit and across aviation. Members of the Falcon Squadron, Royal Tank Regiment at Winterbourne Gunner as they conduct final preparation/training before deploying in support of the civil authorities in Salisbury city centre. Pic: CPL Pete Brown/PA Wire An ambulance at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where a tent was erected over the memorial stone of Alexandr Skripal, the son of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire Military vehicles at Salisbury District Hospital as troops are being sent to assist police investigating the nerve agent poisoning of former double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. Counter-terrorism police asked for military assistance to remove vehicles and objects from the scene in the city centre, much of which has been cordoned off over contamination fears. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: Henry Vaughan/PA Wire A fire engine leaves the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where a tent was erected over the memorial stone of Alexandr Skripal, the son of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire SALISBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: A general view of a forensics tent over the grave of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal's son Alexander in London Road cemetery, on March 9, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal who was granted refuge in the UK following a 'spy swap' between the US and Russia in 2010 and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance'. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) A tent erected at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, over the grave (centre darker stone) of Liudmila Skripal, the wife of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: PA Wire A tent erected at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, over the grave (centre darker stone) of Liudmila Skripal, the wife of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: PA Wire Investigators have been summoned for emergency talks on the crisis in Salisbury, where the fallout from a suspected nerve agent attack continues to widen. Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Governments Cobra committee at 3pm on Saturday to receive updates on the police case, Downing Street said. Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia are still fighting for their lives after being exposed to a toxic substance in the Wiltshire city last Sunday. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was part of the initial response by authorities, is also in a serious condition. Police turned their attention on Friday to the cemetery where the 66-year-old Russians wife and son were laid to rest. Officers in hazmat suits were seen placing a blue forensic tent over his sons memorial stone before appearing to stuff items in several yellow barrels. Expand Close Salisbury incident Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Salisbury incident The grave of Mr Skripals wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son Alexander, who was cremated last year, were cordoned off at the London Road cemetery.Apparent fears of chemical contamination have also seen Mr Skripals home cordoned off while detectives attempt to pin down the origins of the substance used to incapacitate him. A short distance away, a convoy of military vehicles rolled into the car park at Salisbury District Hospital to recover a police car. Around 180 troops, including Royal Marines, RAF Regiment troops and chemical warfare specialists, are understood to have been deployed after Scotland Yard requested specialist help. Expand Close Hazmat suits have been a regular sight in the Wiltshire city since the attack (Andrew Matthews/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hazmat suits have been a regular sight in the Wiltshire city since the attack (Andrew Matthews/PA) Mr Skripal and Yulia, 33, are still in a very serious condition five days after they were discovered slumped on a bench in the city centre. Suspicion is mounting that Russia carried out the attempt on their lives as an act of revenge against the former intelligence officer, who was convicted in 2006 of selling state secrets to MI6. He was later released as part of a spy swap with the US. The Kremlin denies responsibility and British ministers have urged caution over apportioning blame until the facts become clear. Expand Close Salisbury incident PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Salisbury incident Defence minister Tobias Ellwood told the Press Association that the militarys presence reflected the seriousness of the situation, adding: We mustnt get ahead of ourselves but we must have a robust response and its something that well be discussing with our Nato partners and with the forthcoming summit in Brussels in July. Some big questions arise as to how do you stand up to a clandestine and sinister attack deliberately done to play havoc in our society? Had the pleasure of taking @AmberRuddHR to meet Sgt Nick Bailey in hospital to thank him personally for his actions. I know this meant a great deal to Nick & his wife. She also met first responders from @DWFirerescue @swasFT pic.twitter.com/LzFRmm0nBW Kier Pritchard (@wiltspoliceCC) March 9, 2018 Mrs Rudd had earlier visited Salisbury and the hospital where DS Bailey is receiving treatment. Lord Blair, a former Met Commissioner, suggested on the BBCs Today programme the seriously ill detective had visited Mr Skripals home. He said: There obviously are some indications the officer, and Im very sorry that he has been injured, has actually been to the house, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. So there may be some clues floating around in here. Police said 21 people had been seen for medical treatment since the incident. The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. The attack is being treated as attempted murder. British geneticist Professor Sir John Sulston has died aged 75, the Wellcome Sanger Institute said. Sir John headed Britains contribution to the first working draft of the human genome, the publication of which marked a milestone in science. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology in 2002, along with two of his former colleagues, for work aiding the understanding of how genes control cell division and cell death in organisms. We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Sulston, founding director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute. He was a great scientific visionary and leader who made historic contributions to science. pic.twitter.com/TtQC90I70k Wellcome Sanger Institute (@sangerinstitute) March 9, 2018 Sir John founded the Sanger Institute then called the Sanger Centre at Hinxton, near Cambridge, and was director between 1992 to 2000. It has gone on to become one of the leading centres for genome research in the world. Professor Sir Mike Stratton, director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: He had a burning and unrelenting commitment to making genome data open to all without restriction and his leadership in this regard is in large part responsible for the free access now enjoyed. We all feel the loss today of a great scientific visionary and leader who made historic, landmark contributions to knowledge of the living world, and established a mission and agenda that defines 21st century science. Sir John led the 500-strong Sanger Centre team which, as part of the international Human Genome Project, sequenced a third of the human genome the complex pattern of chemicals that makes up our DNA. Part of the genome consists of genes which contain all the coded instructions for creating a human being. Nearly 20 years on, the Human Genome Project remains one of the stand-out achievements in science. John has left an extraordinary legacy, not only for thousands of researchers but for the millions of people who will benefit from what it has, and will, teach us. Wellcome (@wellcometrust) March 9, 2018 Jeremy Farrar, director of biomedical research charity Wellcome, said: John was a brilliant scientist and a wonderful, kind and principled man. His leadership was critical to the establishment of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Human Genome Project, one of the most important scientific endeavours of the past century. Sir John was born on March 17 1942 and showed an interest in the workings of organisms from an early age. He completed his undergraduate degree in organic chemistry at Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge in 1963, and went on to join the department of Chemistry to carry out a PhD. At the time of his death, he was professor and chairman of the Institute of Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester. Glasgow Labour group leader Frank McAveety calls for a new devolution settlement for councils (John Linton/PA) A former leader of Glasgow City Council has called for local authorities to be given the ability to raise up to a third of their own revenue. Glasgow Labour group leader Frank McAveety urged his party to back a new devolution settlement for councils, including powers to allow them to design and implement their own taxes. In a speech to the Scottish Labour Party conference in Dundee, Mr McAveety advocated handing local government the ability to introduce measures such as tourist taxes or compulsory sale orders for empty properties. He said this would allow councils, which currently have four-fifths of their budgets set by the Scottish Government, to raise up to 1.6 billion in revenue when combined with Labour plans to scrap council tax. It is time for a new devolution settlement for Local Government. #scotlab18 pic.twitter.com/9d7KG1uIhy Frank McAveety (@FMcAveety) March 9, 2018 Addressing delegates, Mr McAveety called on the party to demonstrate its belief in the power of local government. He said: Now it is time for a new devolution settlement that empowers local government. Not a proscribed list of new powers, but a new ability to innovate and create where local communities need it most. No longer command and control, but real change, real trust and real respect for local democracy. A settlement that empowers local government to design and implement new policies and new levies to raise a third of its own revenue. The former minister criticised the SNP for treating local government with disdain and disrespect. He said: When the Parliament was established in 1999 the late Donald Dewar asked me to lead on parity of esteem for local government. Since the SNP came to power, we have seen the absolute opposite. Nationalist politicians telling us what our council tax should be and stripping the powers of councils in delivering education and social work services. It is time to make that parity of esteem a reality. Saudi Arabia is targeting children in the brutal war in Yemen with a growing sense of impunity, a charity chief has warned as the countrys key power player completed a high-profile visit to the UK. Killing and subjecting minors to appalling violence is becoming normalised in conflict zones around the world, Save the Children chief executive Kevin Watkins warned. He spoke on the final day of a three-day official visit and charm offensive by Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which included talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and an audience with the Queen. Downing Street said the Prime Minister raised the situation in Yemen with the Saudi royal. As the UK continues to #Welcome_Saudi_Crown_Prince, we have one message for him: #DontBombChildren. Join us and stand up for Yemens children > https://t.co/dlqT0AYOr6 pic.twitter.com/WNSIeMY0rB Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) March 9, 2018 The Gulf state is an important defence partner for the UK, but the sale of arms to the country is highly controversial, especially since its intervention in Yemen. The crown prince is due to hold talks with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday. Mr Watkins criticised the welcome given to the crown prince, saying that in Yemen the Saudis were orchestrating what will potentially become the worst famine in the last 50 years. Speaking in London at the launch of The War On Children, a report into crimes against children in warzones, Mr Watkins said: It has become acceptable to operate humanitarian blockades which, if not explicitly designed to starve children and harm children, will have that inevitable consequence. The fact that we have the head of state of a government that has been operating such a blockade Saudi Arabia recently invited to Buckingham Palace and Downing Street while the military is orchestrating what will potentially become the worst famine in the last 50 years, I think speaks volumes to another aspect of the problem that I want to highlight the growing sense of impunity surrounding these crimes against children. The fact that you can rape, murder, kidnap, bomb schools, bomb clinics with no consequence, speaks I think to the heart of the deeper challenge that we are addressing today. Expand Close Mohammed bin Salman visit to UK PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mohammed bin Salman visit to UK Yemen, which borders southern Saudi Arabia, has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since 2014 when rebels took over the capital city of Sanaa. Saudi Arabia is the main player in a coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis in a war which has caused a humanitarian catastrophe. Prince Salman, 32, is the son of the 82-year-old Saudi king and his visit comes at a time when he is taking steps to modernise the ultra-conservative Arab state. Ahead of his visit, the crown prince signalled the importance of the UK-Saudi Arabia relationship to security, saying both countries would be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia. Expand Close Mohammed bin Salman visit to UK PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mohammed bin Salman visit to UK The crown prince was treated to a private dinner with the Prime Minister at Chequers on Thursday night and has also met with the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge. Downing Street said trade deals worth 65 billion had been agreed during the visit, which were important both for our economy and the economy of Saudi Arabia. Regarding Mrs Mays meeting, a Downing Street spokesman said: The Prime Minister raised our deep concerns at the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The Prime Minister and Crown Prince agreed on the importance of full and unfettered humanitarian and commercial access, including through the ports, and that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict and humanitarian suffering in Yemen. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will hold talks with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson on the final day of his official visit to the UK. The Gulf state is an important defence partner for the UK, but the sale of arms to the country is highly controversial, especially since its intervention in Yemen. Ahead of his visit, the crown prince signalled the importance of the UK-Saudi Arabia relationship to security. He said the people of both countries would be much safer if you have a strong relationship with Saudi Arabia. Expand Close Mohammed bin Salman met the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge as part of his visit (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mohammed bin Salman met the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge as part of his visit (Yui Mok/PA) The meeting with the Defence Secretary comes after Mr Bin Salman was treated to a private dinner with the Prime Minister at Chequers on Thursday night. The pair dined on halibut with cucumber, radish and lemon, followed by Chiltern lamb rack with lamb shoulder broth and new potatoes, and a dessert of Yorkshire rhubarb cheesecake with ginger. The Campaign Against Arms Trade said the UK has licensed 4.6 billion of defence exports to Saudi Arabia since 2015, when it began its action in Yemen. They included 2.7 billion worth of licences relating to aircraft, helicopters and drones and 1.9 billion relating to munitions and countermeasures. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Government of colluding in war crimes by Saudi forces engaged in Yemens bitter civil war. The Labour leader said British military personnel were directing Saudi military operations responsible for large-scale civilian casualties. Downing Street said Mrs May brought up the issues of Yemen and human rights in talks with the crown prince on Wednesday. A spokeswoman said the Prime Minister raised our deep concerns at the humanitarian situation in Yemen and said the pair agreed that a political solution was ultimately the only way to end the conflict. Ffiona Scourfield was found dead at a property in the St Clears area of Carmarthenshire (Dyfed-Powys Police/PA) A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of dog rescuer Ffiona Scourfield, police said. Ms Scourfield, 54, from St Clears, Carmarthenshire, West Wales was found dead at a property in the area after police were called there at approximately 5.47pm on Tuesday. Dyfed-Powys Police said the teenager will appear before JPs at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Friday. Expand Close Police at the address in St Clears, Carmarthenshire (Johann Carr/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police at the address in St Clears, Carmarthenshire (Johann Carr/PA) A police spokeswoman said: Dyfed-Powys Police has charged a 16-year-old boy with the murder of Ffiona Scourfield. He has been remanded in custody to appear at Llanelli Magistrates Courts on March 9. No one else is wanted in connection with the incident. The local community is thanked for its understanding and support during this investigation. Next of kin continue to be supported by specially trained officers. On Tuesday, charity colleagues of Ms Scourfield paid tribute to her tireless work to make the world a better place for animals. Ms Scourfield, who was also known as Suzi Wales, worked with UK German Shepherd Rescue. In a post on Facebook, the charity said Ms Scourfields rescue dog Bruno was her absolute world and she could always be relied upon to help a dog in need. To say the rescue is devastated would be a massive understatement, the post said. A tent erected at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, over the grave (centre darker stone) of Liudmila Skripal, the wife of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: PA Wire A tent erected at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, over the grave (centre darker stone) of Liudmila Skripal, the wife of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: PA Wire SALISBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: A general view of a forensics tent over the grave of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal's son Alexander in London Road cemetery, on March 9, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal who was granted refuge in the UK following a 'spy swap' between the US and Russia in 2010 and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance'. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) A fire engine leaves the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where a tent was erected over the memorial stone of Alexandr Skripal, the son of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire Military vehicles at Salisbury District Hospital as troops are being sent to assist police investigating the nerve agent poisoning of former double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. Counter-terrorism police asked for military assistance to remove vehicles and objects from the scene in the city centre, much of which has been cordoned off over contamination fears. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: Henry Vaughan/PA Wire An ambulance at the London Road cemetery in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where a tent was erected over the memorial stone of Alexandr Skripal, the son of former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal who along with his daughter Yulia, was found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday March 9, 2018. See PA story POLICE Substance. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire SALISBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Military personnel are deployed to help remove vehicles from the scene after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent, on March 9, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal who was granted refuge in the UK following a 'spy swap' between the US and Russia in 2010 and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance'. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) SALISBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Military personnel are deployed to help remove vehicles from the scene after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent, on March 9, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal who was granted refuge in the UK following a 'spy swap' between the US and Russia in 2010 and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance'. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) SALISBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Military personnel are seen outside Salisbury District Hospital where a number of potentially contaminated vehicles are to be removed after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent, on March 9, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal who was granted refuge in the UK following a 'spy swap' between the US and Russia in 2010 and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance'. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) SALISBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Military personnel are seen outside Salisbury District Hospital where a number of potentially contaminated vehicles are to be removed after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent, on March 9, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal who was granted refuge in the UK following a 'spy swap' between the US and Russia in 2010 and his daughter remain critically ill after being exposed to an 'unknown substance'. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Members of the Falcon Squadron, Royal Tank Regiment at Winterbourne Gunner as they conduct final preparation/training before deploying in support of the civil authorities in Salisbury city centre. Pic: CPL Pete Brown/PA Wire Troops have been deployed to help police probing the nerve agent poisoning of spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter as attention turned to the cemetery where his wife and son were laid to rest. A convoy of military vehicles rolled into the car park at Salisbury District Hospital to recover a police car while a short distance away at the cemetery, officers in hazmat suits were seen placing a blue forensic tent over his sons memorial stone before appearing to place items in several yellow barrels. Expand Close Military vehicles at Salisbury District Hospital (Henry Vaughan/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Military vehicles at Salisbury District Hospital (Henry Vaughan/PA) The grave of Mr Skripals wife Liudmila, who was buried in 2012, and the memorial stone of his son Alexander who was cremated last year, were cordoned off at the London Road cemetery. Mr Skripal, 66, and Yulia, 33, are still in a very serious condition five days after they were discovered slumped on a bench in the Wiltshire city centre. Around 180 troops, including Royal Marines, RAF Regiment troops and chemical warfare specialists, are understood to have been deployed after Scotland Yard requested specialist help to remove vehicles and objects from scenes scattered across the city amid contamination fears. A Met spokesman said: The public should not be alarmed and the public health advice remains the same. Military assistance will continue as necessary during this investigation. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: We have the right people with the right skills to assist with this crucial inquiry. And defence minister Tobias Ellwood told the Press Association: The complexity, the geographic challenge as well of mapping out the entirety of the crime scene, has meant it makes obvious sense to allow the armed forces to do a lot of the guarding, giving space to the police to do the detective work. He said it was also a reflection of the seriousness of the situation. Expand Close AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Asked what options he thinks Britain should be looking at if there is evidence of state involvement, Mr Ellwood said: We mustnt get ahead of ourselves but we must have a robust response and its something that well be discussing with our Nato partners and with the forthcoming summit in Brussels in July. He added: Some big questions arise as to how do you stand up to a clandestine and sinister attack deliberately done to play havoc in our society. Home Secretary Amber Rudd earlier visited the city centre and the hospital where Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was part of the initial response by authorities, is in a serious condition. Police launched an attempted murder inquiry after Mr Skripal and his daughter were exposed to a nerve agent. Ms Rudd declined to reveal any further details about the substance, how it was deployed, or who is suspected of carrying out the poisoning. Incident in #Salisbury - military resources to assist emergency services to remove a number of vehicles and objects from town centre; public health advice remains the same. https://t.co/lAyxEQZaNF pic.twitter.com/6OQZlR2lJQ Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 9, 2018 Lord Blair, a former Met Commissioner, suggested on the BBCs Today programme the detective attended Mr Skripals home. He said: There obviously are some indications the officer, and Im very sorry that he has been injured, has actually been to the house, whereas there was a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. So there may be some clues floating around in here. Expand Close POLICE Substance Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp POLICE Substance The circumstances of the attack, and its echoes of the fatal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, have prompted questions over the Governments response if the evidence points to a state-sponsored assassination plot. Police said 21 people had been seen for medical treatment since the incident. The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice. Expand Close Salisbury incident PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Salisbury incident Russia has denied responsibility for the attack, which comes seven years after Mr Skripal was released from the country as part of a spy swap with the US. He was convicted in his home country in 2006 for passing state secrets to MI6. The UK Government has published details of devolved areas where it wants to retain temporary control after Brexit (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The UK Government has published details of the devolved powers at the heart of a dispute with Scottish and Welsh ministers. UK ministers want to retain temporary control in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, food labelling and public procurement after Brexit. They say a temporary restriction on the devolved governments using some of the powers returning from the EU is to help ensure an orderly departure from EU law and to provide certainty to UK businesses while new legislative frameworks are agreed. Massive attempted power grab confirmed by publication of @GovUK list - now need considered response from them on constructive proposals put by @MarkDrakeford and I in London yesterday https://t.co/HxkObYBWst Michael Russell (@Feorlean) March 9, 2018 The Scottish and Welsh governments have accused the UK Government of a power grab and introduced their own legislation. Analysis released by the UK Government states there are 153 areas where EU laws intersect with devolved competence. It says the vast majority of powers returning from Brussels will be controlled by Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast from day one of Brexit. However, there are 24 policy areas it says are expected to require a UK legislative framework and where it is intended that existing EU rules and regulations will roll over into UK law for a temporary period. These include agricultural support, animal health, chemicals regulation, fisheries management and support, food labelling and public procurement. There are a further 12 areas that UK ministers believe are reserved but are under discussion with the devolved administrations, including migrant access to benefits and state aid. Expand Close Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said: This is cast-iron evidence that the EU Withdrawal Bill will deliver significant brand new powers for the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The vast majority of these new powers will be in the control of the devolved administrations on the day we leave the EU. There is a much smaller group of powers where the devolved governments will be required to follow current EU laws for a little bit longer while we work out a new UK approach. We are discussing with the devolved governments how this process will work but, as the UK Government, we feel very strongly that we must have the ability to take action to protect the UK internal market which represents a huge investment to everyone in the UK. Mr Lidington said the analysis had been published to be open and transparent, adding he hoped an agreement can still be reached with the devolved administrations. Scotlands Brexit minister Michael Russell said: This list simply confirms the UK Governments plans for a power grab. We are not opposed to working together on joint frameworks in some of these areas but we have been given no assurances on how frameworks will operate, who makes the decisions about them and how we would be able to ensure Scotlands interests are properly protected. Both the Scottish and Welsh governments have brought forward their own legislation as a backstop to ensure the continuity of EU law in devolved areas in the event that agreement is not reached over the UKs withdrawal bill. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones are due to hold talks with Theresa May next week. Evoni showed kindness to the customer, who was on oxygen (Laura Wolf/Facebook) After helping an elderly man in need, a young waitress has had her college scholarship paid for and been honoured by her town with the mayor awarding her with her own day. Evoni Williams, an 18-year-old Waffle House worker, went viral after she was pictured helping the elderly and partially disabled customer cut up his ham. The mayor of Evonis hometown La Marque, Texas, has now honoured the youngster by proclaiming March 8, 2018 as Evoni Williams Day and paying 16,000 dollars (11,532) for her to go to Texas Southern University which she has been saving for while working full time at Waffle House since July 2017. Evoni is looking to get a business or management degree and the cheque given to her works out as 4,000 dollars (2,883) a semester a massive helping hand for her to do so. Because of her willingness to serve others and her giving heart to help those who come in contact with her now therefore we proclaim March 8 2018 Evoni Williams Day, Mayor Bobby Hocking told a crowd at the Waffle House where Evoni works, before presenting her with the cheque. THIS IS AWESOME: @WaffleHouse worker Evoni Williams received a proclamation from the La Marque mayor and a scholarship from @TexasSouthern for going above and beyond to help an elderly customer https://t.co/0pykulxWjx #TSUProud pic.twitter.com/SQ7Yi7n4WF ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) March 9, 2018 The image which went viral was taken by Waffle House customer Laura Wolf, who told KHOU-TV: It was so busy in here, and she actually took the time to stop and hear what he had to say instead of walking past him. That just meant something to me. Expand Close Laura and Evoni / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Laura and Evoni Evoni told reporters it was something she would do any other day. Spains Supreme Court has turned down a request from a jailed Catalonia separatist leader to attend the regions parliament, where politicians are due to vote on whether to make him president. Judge Pablo Llarena wrote in a ruling that there was a risk that Jordi Sanchez would repeat the offences that have landed him in jail. He ordered Mr Sanchez kept in preventive detention without bail. Mr Sanchez, a prominent secessionist who was elected to parliament last December, has been held in a prison near Madrid since October. Expand Close Yellow ribbons signifying jailed Catalan politicians in Barcelona (Manu Fernandez/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Yellow ribbons signifying jailed Catalan politicians in Barcelona (Manu Fernandez/AP) He is being detained while Mr Llarena investigates whether he orchestrated protests that hindered officials trying to stop a court-banned Catalan independence referendum that month. Catalonias parliament wants to vote on Mr Sanchez as leader on Monday in the latest confrontation with the Spanish government, which argues that anyone who is facing charges and is unable to be present at the debate and vote cannot be elected by the Catalan parliament. It is not clear whether Mr Sanchez would have enough votes to be elected in Barcelona. The Spanish Constitution said Spain is indivisible, but that has not stopped separatists trying to break away despite repeated legal setbacks. Carles Puigdemont, Catalonias ex-leader who fled to Brussels to escape arrest, announced last week that he was temporarily withdrawing his bid to get his old job back and proposed Mr Sanchez, his number two in the Together for Catalonia party, in his place. China has accused Donald Trump of damaging the global trading system by hiking steel and aluminium tariffs, while Japan and South Korea expressed alarm at potential economic damage. Chinas Commerce Ministry said it firmly opposes the US presidents move but gave no indication whether Beijing might make good on threats to retaliate. Asian stock markets rose in early trading on relief that Mr Trumps measures were not more severe. Traders also were encouraged by news Mr Trump might meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. South Koreas trade minister, speaking at an emergency meeting, appealed to other governments to prevent a trade war. We will urge the international community to refrain from adopting measures that inhibit free trade, said the minister, Paik Un-gyu, according to a ministry statement. Mr Trump said the tariff hikes ordered on Thursday were needed to protect US national security by ensuring the survival of the countrys metals producers. These measures could make a significant impact on the economic and cooperative relationship between Japan and the US, who are allies, said Taro Kono, Japans trade minister, in a statement. The new tariffs take effect in 15 days, with Canada and Mexico indefinitely spared to see if we can make the deal, Mr Trump said, referring to a possible renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He suggested at a Cabinet meeting that Australia and other countries might be spared, a shift that could soften the blow amid threats of retaliation. Mr Trump has complained about low-cost Chinese exports of steel and aluminium, but the latest move was likely to hit Japan and South Korea harder. The United States bought just 1.1% of Chinas steel exports last year compared with 12% for South Korea and 5% for Japan, according to the US International Trade Commission. Significant damage in South Koreas steel exports to the United States seems unavoidable, said Mr Paiks statement. Australias trade minister said he had preliminary discussions with the US trade representative, Robert Lighthizer. The minister, Steve Ciobo, expressed hope of finalising a positive outcome in the next two weeks. The Chinese Commerce Ministry criticised Mr Trump for taking unilateral action instead of working through the World Trade Organisation. The misuse of the national security exception clause by the United States is wanton destruction of the multilateral trade system represented by the WTO (World Trade Organisation) and will surely have a serious impact on the normal international trade order. China firmly opposes it, said Commerce Ministry official Wang Hejun in a statement. Beijing said it was ready to retaliate in the event Chinese companies are hurt, but Fridays statement gave no indication of official action. The US pursues trade protectionism, said the China Iron & Steel Association, an industry group, in a statement. This move will harm the global steel industry, and seriously hurt consumers interests, said the statement. It said the United States will injure others and harm itself. Canadas Minister of International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne, Chiles Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz and New Zealands Trade Minister David Parker pose before the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (AP) Trade ministers from 11 Pacific Rim countries have signed a sweeping free trade agreement to streamline trade and slash tariffs. The move came hours before US president Donald Trump announced plans to impose new tariffs on aluminium and steel imports to protect producers. Mr Trump withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership last year, prompting fears it would not prosper without its most influential country. But the remaining 11 members pressed ahead, saying they were showing resolve against protectionism through global trade. Expand Close Perus Trade Minister Eduardo Ferreyros, left, Secretary of Economy of Mexico Idelfonso Guajardo, centre, and Japans Trans-Pacific Partnership minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the signing ceremony of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Perus Trade Minister Eduardo Ferreyros, left, Secretary of Economy of Mexico Idelfonso Guajardo, centre, and Japans Trans-Pacific Partnership minister Toshimitsu Motegi at the signing ceremony of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (AP) The ministers dropped key provisions that the Americans had required on protection of intellectual property, among others. The renegotiated pact signed in the Chilean capital of Santiago was also renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. Japanese economy minister Toshimitsu Motegi said after the signing of the deal: Despite the diverse and difficult challenges, the CPTPP is a historic achievement that creates free and fair 21st century rules in the Asia-Pacific region. The pact that covers 500 million people includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, which together account for 13% of the global economy. The US, originally the biggest TPP economy, was one of the trade deals strongest supporters before Mr Trump took office. The president has said he prefers country-to-country deals and is seeking to renegotiate several major trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement that includes the US, Mexico and Canada. I'll say this about the Core Issues Trust - they don't give up easily. The Northern Ireland-based Christian charity offers "therapeutic support" to people with unwanted same-sex attraction. This seems to have made it one of the most reviled and controversial groups in the country right now. You can see why Core gets such a drubbing. The idea of being 'ex-gay' is a profoundly offensive one to many, especially to gay people themselves. That's because being homosexual isn't an illness, or an affliction, or a sign of spiritual damage or brokenness. It doesn't need a cure. It's just the way you happen to be and nobody knows exactly why that is. Mike Davidson, the director of Core, is a married man who has described himself as "in conflict with unwanted homosexuality before finally seeing the light". Far from operating discreetly, Davidson and Core appear to have gone out of their way to make a huge public splash over the last few years. First they brought a series of high-profile ex-gay speakers from the US to Ireland, including Alan Chambers, former president of Exodus, previously the world's biggest ex-gay organisation. Then Core tried to place adverts on London buses, proclaiming: "Not gay! Ex-gay, post-gay and proud. Get over it!" This was intended as a riposte to a previous London bus advert by Stonewall, the gay rights organisation, which read: "Some people are gay. Get over it!" Now Core is in trouble again because of its new film, Voices of the Silenced, a documentary which tells the stories of 15 people "emerging out of homosexual lifestyles" and aims to "preserve and promote teachings on sexual ethics". One London cinema, Vue Piccadilly, had taken Core's booking before deciding to cancel the private screening at the last moment on the grounds that the film and its associated campaign were "in direct contradiction with Vue's values". According to Christian Concern, Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast has also rejected Core's request to show Voices of the Silenced as part of a private event. By way of response, the QFT reportedly told Core that the cinema's mission "is to widen access to film through the delivery of a varied programme that actively encourages appreciation, enjoyment, debate and understanding. In addition, the QFT is committed, through its approved programme, to continue to promote and respect equality, diversity and inclusion". As far as I know, no cinema, whether here in Belfast or elsewhere, is obligated to accept private bookings, regardless of origin or content. And it's true that QFT is not preventing people from watching the film. Voices of the Silenced can be seen by anybody who feels like taking a trip to Ballynahinch Baptist Church next Tuesday evening, when it will be shown in full technicolour. No voices are actually being silenced in this case. There is no need for assumed martyrdom. But if, as a society, we really believe in the values of equality, diversity and inclusion, can't we make a place for people who see themselves as ex-gay? If only certain views are considered 'approved', then perhaps we're not quite so tolerant and open-minded as we'd like to think. And here's a still more fundamental question. Shouldn't people be able to define themselves in any way they choose, even if their chosen identity, as a person who has renounced their own homosexuality, is inexplicable or offensive to others? The answer, if you believe in personal freedom at all, has to be yes. My own view is that attempting to thwart your sexual orientation is a fruitless, potentially dangerous enterprise, which is almost certainly doomed to failure. Alan Chambers, who Core brought to Northern Ireland, later admitted to "the shame and guilt you felt when your attractions didn't change", and apologised for the harm that Exodus had caused to people it attempted to heal. Exodus is now defunct. The experience of Chambers, along with many other people, has demonstrated that trying to curb or suppress such a deep-rooted part of your personality can lead to a life half-lived, policed by grim notions of sin and shame. Why not just be gay and proud? An easy question, not so easily answered by those who are gay but don't want to be. And anyway, my opinion is irrelevant here. So is yours, whatever it may be. Nobody has the right to tell others how they must act or think when it comes to such an individual matter. If somebody wants to try to pray away the gay, that's their own private choice, whether the rest of us approve of it or not. After last month's collapse of the Stormont talks, this is the right time to tell a rare political good news story: how Belfast City Council has learned to run its affairs through the kind of relatively harmonious inter-party relationships that appear to be almost completely absent from the Executive and Assembly's mistrust-fuelled proceedings. In the 1980s, when I was a reporter in Belfast, the council's meetings were notorious for sectarian squabbling and hate-mongering: endless DUP calls to ban Sinn Fein; Sinn Fein descriptions of the Union flag as the "butcher's apron"; proceedings sometimes having to be suspended for fear of physical violence; and even one DUP councillor, George Seawright (afterwards expelled from the party and later killed by a fringe republican group), calling for the "incineration" of Catholics who objected to the national anthem. At one meeting in 1985, I listened to that arch-Brexiteer and climate change denier Sammy Wilson, soon to become the DUP's first Lord Mayor of Belfast, condemning the council's project to build a concert hall (which turned out to be its most inspired public investment of the past 30 years) as "a fraud, a white elephant with no prospect of enriching this city". Fast-forward to Belfast City Council today. What a transformation. No single party - or, more importantly, coalition of unionist or nationalist, parties - has a majority. Sinn Fein holds 19 of the 60 seats, the DUP 13 and Alliance eight. Smaller numbers are held by the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP, the Progressive Unionist Party, the Greens and People Before Profit. This multiplicity has put deal-making at the heart of the council's business, a process which, as often as not, involves the more centrist parties and is reflected in the compromise decisions which are the stuff of the city's politics. At its two most powerful committees - strategic policy and resources and city growth and regeneration - officials work hard to persuade councillors to reach agreement by consensus. Eighty percent of the time they succeed and decisions do not have to go to a vote of the full council. One senior official says that, some time in the past 15 to 20 years, most councillors - including from the DUP and Sinn Fein - realised the best way to provide efficient public services was by agreement. They use a party leaders' forum and other informal working groups, where the politicians and city officials have preliminary discussions and try to iron out any difficult issues. "They realise they will get nothing done if they vote on purely tribal lines," says the senior official. He adds Belfast has been blessed with effective chief executives over the past two decades, notably Peter McNaney and the current incumbent, Suzanne Wylie, backed up by excellent staff. And he pays tribute to the councillors, most of whom live in the communities they represent, for a common "willingness to compromise to get things done". Unlike in the past, committee memberships, committee chairs and other post of responsibility and council appointments to outside public bodies are decided by extremely complex and ultra-fair European voting systems, like D'Hondt and Sainte-Lague. The days of the Ulster Unionist monolith automatically handing out jobs to their cronies are a distant memory. Unlike in the Assembly, no councillor is required to define herself, or himself, in sectarian terms as unionist, nationalist, or other. There are no petitions of concern to stymie decision-making. For most of the time, councillors' minds are focused on practical services to their constituents, rather than divisive national, or tribal, issues, like flags and language and legacies of the past. Loyalist violence following the council's 2012 decision to fly the Union flag on only 17 days a year - in line with elsewhere in the UK - gave the council an entirely unfair image of continued deep division over such issues. What seems to have happened is the overall politics have become more progressive and less conservative in the past decade. There is a greater degree of agreement - sometimes in united opposition to the DUP - among the majority, whether they're republican, or social democratic, or progressive (ie Alliance and the PUP). For example, in 2015, the council voted in support of marriage equality. Another crucial change is the council now has more women (more than a third, compared to under 10% two decades ago) and more younger members. The council has set up the Shared City Partnership to involve business, trade union, church, voluntary sector, social care and housing groups in advising it on taking forward its good relations policies for Belfast. It has worked hard - if not always successfully - to keep the problem of Eleventh Night bonfires in loyalist areas under control. It has persuaded loyalist groups, in particular, to replace intimidating paramilitary murals with more muted representations of culture and community. In all this, the Alliance Party, as the third largest (with eight out of 60 seats, compared with eight out of 90 in the Northern Ireland Assembly) has played a key role. One of its younger councillors, Emmet McDonough-Brown, puts it like this: "The broader the consensus between the parties and the wider the civic conversation among the people of Belfast, the more stable any agreement and the more effective and long-lasting any outcome will be. "No party has overall control of the council, so Sinn Fein and the DUP can achieve nothing on their own: they have to engage with the other parties. Alliance often finds it is holding the balance of power - a strong and privileged position. "We will work with both the DUP and Sinn Fein, depending on the issue. That gives us a chance to advance our core aim: to build a shared and reconciled city. "Sinn Fein and the DUP are still the largest parties, but there are lots of people in the city - young people, women and minority ethnic groups, in particular - who fall outside that duopoly. We are committed to giving those people a voice." There is a lesson here for the British and Irish governments. Instead of relying on the two old enemies - the DUP and Sinn Fein - to settle their probably irreconcilable differences, they should learn from Belfast's experience and more fully include the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and Alliance - maybe even the Greens and People Before Profit - in future Stormont talks. Andy Pollak was the founding director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies in Armagh (http://crossborder.ie/) Sculptor Ferdousi Priyabhashini sits by some of her artwork, in an undated photo taken in Dhaka. Bangladeshis are mourning the death of sculptor Ferdousi Priyabhashini, one of the first women to go public about her experience of being raped during the 1971 independence war and who spoke out for thousands of victims of wartime sexual violence. Priyabhashini is being remembered not only for her art but for lobbying Bangladeshs government over the decades to prosecute war criminals and honor hundreds of thousands of women who were allegedly raped by Pakistani forces and local collaborators during what was known here as the Liberation War. In Priyabhashinis case, she was gang-raped on a daily basis for more than seven months, according to her autobiography. Priyabhashini was the first one to publicly announce herself as a rape victim of the Liberation War in 1971. She broke the silence, Shameema Binte Rahman, the content editor of Rotten Views, a local news website focusing, told BenarNews. Priyabhashini died while being treated at a Dhaka hospital on Tuesday. The 71-year-old was suffering from heart and kidney problems and had injured her ankle a few months ago after slipping in the bathroom, her daughter, Phuleswari Priyanandini, said. In 1972, Priyabhashini was among Bangladeshi women who were granted Birangana (heroic womens status), a word coined by the nations founding leader, Sheikh Majibur Rahman, for the suffering they had endured as rape victims during the war. Thirty-eight years later, in 2010, Priyabhashini received the nations highest state honor, the Independence Award, in recognition of her contributions to Bangladeshi society. In 2016, she was given another official honor, that of Freedom Fighter. She spoke regularly about losing her honor to Pakistani soldiers while the war was going on, Gonshai Pahlavi, a sculptor and writer, told BenarNews. Yet many of those women who were victims of rape during the conflict were too afraid in the 1970s of becoming publically shamed if they took the step of sharing their stories. Many of those who went public received compensation from the government, but were ostracized in their social circles. Some turned to prostitution as a result of being cut off from society. But Priyabhashini felt no shame in telling her story and she stood her ground, her admirers said. Priyabhashini is the artistic representation of our valor and fearlessness, Ali R. Raji, an assistant professor at University of Chittagong, told BenarNews. Art career Priyabhashini was born in Khulna district in 1947. At age 16, she married an artist. Their relationship lasted eight years, but she divorced him in 1971, according to her autobiography. She was working at a jute mill to support her mother, siblings and her three children, when the war broke out and she was taken captive by Pakistani forces, when Bangladesh was then known as East Pakistan. After the war ended, she married a friend, A.T. Ahmedullah Ahmed, but when she returned to work at the jute mill, she found herself shunned by co-workers and others who branded her as a collaborator for the pro-Pakistan side, according to her book. For our marriage, my husband had to sacrifice his share of his ancestral property and house as I was a Birangana and was alleged to be a collaborator, Priyabhashini said in her autobiography. She began her career as a sculptor in the mid-1980s. Since 1991, her sculptures were featured in at least 16 exhibits. Priyabhashi is a source of inspiration for all as she led her life through a valiant way amid various obstacles. Her courageous life is also an inspiration for the new generation and women, Shahriar Kabir, president of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, a Bangladeshi group that advocates the prosecution of alleged war criminals and collaborators, told the Daily Star newspaper this week. Her sculptures tell us her pain she suffered during the 1971 independence war. Through her works, she gave a message to us why the war crimes trial is necessary for the nation. A Bangladesh border guard looks at a Rohingya makeshift camp at no-mans land near the Tombru border point, March 8, 2018. Myanmars military has dug bunkers along Bangladeshs border while multiplying its troop presence in one area of the frontier, eyewitnesses and Bangladeshi officials said Friday. The build-up at the Tombru frontier area in southeastern Bangladesh was reported last week and led to a tense meeting between border officials of the two nations. A subsequent pull-back by Myanmar appears to have been temporary, people on the other side of the border said. People living in the border area have been scared since the Myanmar military started digging bunkers and patrolling with heavy weapons, Abdur Rahim, a member of Tombru union council, told BenarNews. He said 40 members of Myanmars Border Guard Police (BGP) usually patrol the Tombru-Konaparu point but now over 250 soldiers have been patrolling here. An eyewitness said soldiers were wearing BGP uniforms to disguise themselves. Last week, Myanmar officials said extra troops were deployed to guard against what they described as a potential attack from the Bangladesh side by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the insurgent group whose attacks on police and army outposts in northern Rakhine State in August 2017 led to a military counter-offensive that precipitated a massive exodus of the Rohingya. The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that at least 688,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh since the eruption of violence. At least 1,300 families, or approximately 5,300 people, also fled their homes and are now living in makeshift camps near a canal in the so-called no mans land, the U.N. agency said. In recent days, there were bomb explosions in Sittwe, and it is known there are ARSA terrorists mingling with people [along] this border line of the two countries. According to this report, we increased security, and already replied about this to Bangladeshs Foreign Ministry, U Myint Thu, Myanmars permanent secretary of foreign affairs, told the Myanmar Service of Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews, last week. Ready to protect Maj. Manjurul Hasan, a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) deputy commander of a unit posted in Naikhangchhari, told BenarNews that Myanmar had been continuing its military build-up. Army personnel have been patrolling in the Myanmar portion. The BGB has been put on high alert, he said. There is no reason to be worried. The BGB has always been ready to protect the country, he said. On March 1, Myanmar started mobilizing troops and moving weapons in along the border, leading Bangladesh foreign ministry officials to issue a diplomatic protest, asking Myanmar ambassadors government to withdraw its forces from the frontiers no-mans land. The next day, Bangladesh and Myanmar border officials met to discuss troop mobilization issues. Myanmar officials assured their Bangladesh counterparts the build-up was for internal security, and within a day began removing troops. That truce was short-lived, according to BGB officials and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Dil Mohammad, a leader of the 6,500 Rohingya refugees living in the no-mans land in Tombru, told BenarNews that soldiers had been intimidating them to enter Bangladesh. He and others do not want to leave Myanmar. Early Friday, the Myanmar soldiers threw brickbats and blank wine bottles on the shanties of the Rohingya. They have dug bunkers and have been patrolling along the zero line, he said. We will in no way enter Bangladesh. We want to go back with Myanmar citizenship, he said. Mohammad, who worked as a Bangla interpreter for the BGP, said he saw two military trucks carrying Myanmar troops along Baishari border point. The Myanmar military have been patrolling in the uniforms of BGP so no one would detect them, he said. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said his government deployed troops along the border, but Bangladesh would not be caught in a trap. We have deployed additional BGB personnel as the provocation continues in the border. The BGB has been put on alert, he told BenarNews on Friday. Youths in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district clash with police following an alleged army firing on civilians earlier in the week, March 9, 2018. Nearly 50 people have been injured over the past five days in clashes between anti-India protesters and security forces in south Kashmirs Shopian district, where four civilians and two suspected militants were allegedly killed by security forces last weekend, police said. Meanwhile, protesters headed by senior separatist leaders took to the streets of Srinagar, Indian Kashmirs largest city, on Friday, demanding an end to civilian killings and shifting of inmates allegedly associated with rebel groups outside the state. Shops and schools were shuttered and internet connectivity snapped in parts of the Himalayan territory, where a separatist insurgency has claimed more than 70,000 lives since the late 1980s. Unidentified miscreants set fire to a government office in Shopian late Wednesday evening after more than 10 protesters were injured in clashes with security personnel earlier that day, a police official told BenarNews, explaining how the latest violence of cycle began. Clashes also occurred in south Kashmirs Pulwama district on Thursday, prompting forces to use teargas shells to disperse protesters who were allegedly trying to prevent an operation to hunt down suspected militants hiding in the area, said the official who did not wish to be named. But we have the situation under control. We have barred internet in sensitive areas, including Shopian, since Monday to prevent protesters from organizing gatherings, he added. Except a few sensitive areas of south Kashmir, the situation remained largely peaceful, S.P Vaid, Indian Kashmirs police chief, told BenarNews. Police exercised restraint in dealing with protesters in Srinagar. Restrictions were imposed to maintain law and order in some south Kashmir areas and there was routine security personnel deployment in major towns, he added. Disproportionate The Sunday evening shooting occurred when suspected militants traveling in two private vehicles opened fire at an Army mobile checkpoint on the outskirts of Shopian, about 55 km (34 miles) south of Srinagar, said Col. Rajesh Kalia, a military spokesman who is based there. The soldiers retaliated and killed two suspected members of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the gunfight that ensued, Army officials said, adding that four civilians in one of the two vehicles also died. The Indian governments special peace representative in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday demanded an end to killings of civilians and urged government forces to refrain from using excessive force. Civilian killings must end for peace to gather momentum in the region. The security forces must show restraint from using disproportionate force while discharging their duty, government representative Dineshwar Sharma was quoted as saying in the Hindustan Times. Anger also is simmering over a recent government decision to shift imprisoned suspected militants and anti-India protesters to prisons outside the state, according to officials. As many as 42 such prisoners have been shifted to jails outside the state since an alleged LeT commander escaped from police custody during an attack outside a hospital in Srinagar last month. India and Pakistan have fought three full-blown wars over Kashmir, which is divided between the two sides by a de facto border known as the Line of Control. Separatist leaders earlier this week filed a petition in court demanding an inquiry into why prisoners accused of militancy or being anti-India were being shifted to jails outside of the state. Some prison inmates who are serving life-terms have been shifted to the jails hundreds of miles from their homes. It is a clear violation of human rights guaranteed by the judicial pronouncements held by the countrys top court, the petition said. The prisoners are being subjected to harassment and mental torture with an evil motive, it added. Indonesian officials prepare to board the yacht Equanimity in Benoa Bay in Bali, Feb. 28, 2018. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has requested a meeting with Indonesian police related to the handing over to the United States of a mega-yacht allegedly bought with money looted from Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB, officials in Indonesia said Thursday. Indonesian and U.S. authorities last week impounded the Equanimity, a Cayman Islands-flagged vessel, while it was moored off the Indonesian island of Bali. The FBI has asked me if they can meet me regarding the handing over process of the ship, Inspector Gen. Petrus Reinhard Golose, the Bali police chief, told BenarNews. The ship is still being held at Benoa Harbor in accordance with a court order, he said, adding that the yachts captain, Rolf Andrian Henry Berry of South Africa, and its 29 crewmembers were on board. News agencies, meanwhile, were reporting that Indonesia was preparing to hand over the yacht to U.S. authorities. That is in the process of being done, Agence France-Presse quoted Indonesian national police senior detective Daniel Silitonga on Thursday. In civil lawsuits filed in June 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Malaysian business tycoon Jho Low, whose full name is Low Taek Jho, had paid U.S. $250 million for the 100-meter (300-foot) Equanimity by using some of the $4.5 billion allegedly misappropriated from the state fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). But Jho Low was not among the 34 people who were on the yacht when authorities raided it eight days ago, officials said. Lows whereabouts remain unknown. Malaysias police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said his office was awaiting information about the yacht. Malaysian police have not received any information, either from Indonesian authorities or the FBI, regarding the seizure of Equanimity on Feb. 28, Fuzi told BenarNews on Thursday. Inspector Gen. Setyo Wasisto, the Indonesian national police spokesman, told reporters Friday that the yachts Automatic Identification System, which would allow satellites to pinpoint its location, had been switched off several times in the waters around Singapore and the Philippines, before it entered Indonesian waters in November 2017. Letter from the FBI Indonesian police seized the Equanimity after receiving a letter from the FBI on Feb. 21 requesting help to enforce a court order, officials said. The seizure came days before a March 16 court-mandated deadline for the DOJ to file its first report on the status of its criminal probe. In August 2017, the department asked a California court to put aside its civil lawsuits seeking to recover real-estate and other assets because it was trying to protect evidence and witnesses in its ongoing criminal investigation. DOJ did not announce who were the targets of its criminal probe. 1MDB, at the center of money-laundering investigations in at least six countries, including Switzerland and Singapore, was formed in 2009 ostensibly to pursue projects that would benefit Malaysian citizens through development projects that primarily relied on the issuance of debt securities, U.S. officials said. It was instead used to satiate the ostentatious lifestyle of those with power over it during a five-year period, between 2009 and 2014, according to court documents. Low, who served as an adviser on the creation of TIA, the predecessor entity of 1MDB, publicly denied any involvement with the state fund, court documents said. He has never held a formal position at 1MDB. Court documents obtained by BenarNews show that DOJ accused Low of laundering more than $400 million stolen from 1MDB through acquisitions of properties in California, New York and London. Other than the yacht, he also allegedly spent millions of dollars on paintings and a jet for $35 million. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who founded 1MDB in 2009, served as chairman of its advisory board, but Malaysian Attorney General Apandi Ali had earlier cleared him of any wrongdoing. Najib and officials of the fund also denied the embezzlement allegations. Funds shipped through multiple accounts Equanimity, built by Oceanco in 2014 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is equipped with a helicopter pad, an onboard gymnasium, a cinema, a massage room, a sauna and a plunge pool, according to court documents. On Thursday, DOJ spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman also confirmed that Red Granite Pictures, a production company co-founded by Najibs stepson, Riza Shahriz Bin Abdul Aziz, agreed to pay the U.S. government $60 million to settle a DOJ lawsuit alleging that its movies were made using diverted funds from 1MDB. Red Granite Pictures, which produced Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and big-budget comedies Daddys Home and Dumb and Dumber To, will pay the amount in three installments over the next 12 months, according to court documents obtained by BenarNews. The settlement agreement was filed with the U.S. district court in California on Tuesday. The Justice Department continues to seek to forfeit nearly $1.7 billion in assets that were acquired with public funds that the Department alleges were misappropriated from 1MDB, Navas Oxman told BenarNews in an emailed statement. This settlement does not release any individual or entity from criminal liability, she said. Roni Toldanes in Washington contributed to this report. Former leftist Philippine Rep. Satur Ocampo (left), is joined in Manila by former secretary of social welfare Judy Taguiwalo as they place lighted candles on photos of victims of martial law under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Feb. 25, 2018. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) joined the United Nations on Friday in denouncing what they called an apparent retaliation by the Philippine government against activists speaking out against President Rodrigo Duterte. In addition, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Duterte should undergo a psychiatric examination. On Thursday, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and former leftist Rep. Satur Ocampo complained that their names were included in a list of 600 alleged communist insurgents the government petitioned to name as terrorists. In a statement Friday, the U.N. said the list could be considered an unacceptable attack on legitimate rights workers and activists in the Philippines, where Duterte has presided over a crackdown against suspected drug addicts and pushers that has left at least 4,000 dead. Rights groups claim the figure is 12,000 when deaths blamed on pro-government vigilantes are added in. We are shocked that the special rapporteur is being targeted because of her work defending the rights of indigenous peoples, said the statement issued by Michel Frost, U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Catalina Devandar Aguilar, chairwoman of the coordination committee of special procedures. They noted that the accusation came three months after Corpuz expressed alarm over armed forces attacks and killings of indigenous tribes in southern Philippines. Duterte accused Corpuz of trying to embarrass him. We call on the Philippine authorities to immediately drop these unfounded accusations against Ms. Tauli-Corpuz to ensure her physical safety and that of others listed, the UN experts said. Manila, as a signatory of the UN charter, should recognize its experts were immune from legal proceedings undertaken in the course of their work. The attack against the special rapporteur is taking place in the context of widespread extrajudicial executions and ongoing attacks against voices who are critical of the current government, including human rights defenders, the statement said. The president has himself publicly intimidated special rapporteurs. High Commissioner challenges Duterte Meanwhile, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein told reporters in Geneva that Duterte needs to be checked by a doctor. It makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation, Zeid said in response to reports that Duterte threated to slap another U.N. special rapporteur, Agnes Callamard. This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language against a rapporteur that is highly respected. Sticking up for Duterte, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano challenged Zeids comments. There is no reason whatsoever for such an unmeasured outburst directed against President Rodrigo Duterte and it should not be repeated, Cayetano said, adding Corpuz was included on the list because of her alleged ties to the Communist Party of the Philippines. The world actually needs more Dutertes leaders with empathy; leaders who listen to their people; and leaders who are ready to sacrifice their lives to protect their people. HRW statement HRW Philippine researcher Carlos Conde said the listing of hundreds of people puts those voicing criticisms against government at grave risk. Conde said HRW saw the 55-page petition the government filed in a Manila court in February. He said the document listed Corpuz and Ocampo along with Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, who is in exile in the Netherlands, among the 600 to be declared terrorists. The justice department petition is a virtual government hit list, Conde said. Theres a long history in the Philippines of the state security forces and pro-government militias assassinating people labeled as NPA members or supporters. Duterte should publicly reject this petition and ensure the safety of those listed in it or risk being complicit in the resulting crimes, Conde warned. Peace talks stopped Duterte ended peace talks with the communists in November, saying that the guerrillas had reneged on their commitment to peace when its members continued with attacks despite the peace talks. The military estimates that the guerrilla strength to be about 5,000 fighters. The president had hoped to end the 49-year rebellion by the time he ends his six-year term in 2022, but in January he announced he would go after the legal fronts of the communist movement, including left-leaning political groups. Government accusations that international human rights experts have links to the NPA seek to undermine the valuable work they do to promote accountability for rights abuses, Conde said. In a statement from the Netherlands, Sison said Dutertes move effectively kills any prospects of resuming peace negotiations. He also challenged Duterte for pushing the fake terrorist list. Philippine soldiers stand next to armored personnel carriers while manning a highway checkpoint near the site of a clash between government forces and Islamic State-linked militants in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, in southern Maguindanao province, March 8, 2018. Government security forces killed at least 12 suspected militants linked to Islamic State (IS) and wounded dozens in intense fighting in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, the military said Friday. Soldiers were on a routine patrol in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town when they were attacked by members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace pact with the government in 2014. A soldier was also injured in the fighting, and the military had to use ground forces and aircraft to repulse the enemy, believed to number around 50 fighters, said regional military commander Maj. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega. One government troop was wounded in the clash while more BIFF members are believed to have been killed aside from the reported 12 killed, Dela Vega told reporters. Our soldiers have been vigilantly guarding the entire central Mindanao in order to constrict the firefight in specific engagement areas and continue to pursue the remnants of the terror group, he added. BIFF, with hundreds of fighters, broke away from the 10,000-strong MILF in 2008 and has vowed to carry on with the separatist fight, attracting younger, more hardline fighters. The military has accused BIFF of engaging in criminal activities such as cattle rustling and drug trafficking. The rebel group has declared its support for Islamic State, but did not send fighters to a five-month battle in the southern city of Marawi last year, where 1,200 people mostly militants were killed. Earlier this week, a professor warned of another siege in major cities in the Mindanao region as he confirmed information about an ongoing IS recruitment campaign. Octavio Dinampo, a professor at Mindanao State University, appealed to the public to remain vigilant against possible attacks by IS-linked militants. He mentioned the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, and General Santos as possible targets. God forbid something is being cooked by this group. The members of the group maybe few but, they are bringing a very dangerous idea and recruiting people who are mostly unschooled and gullible with the promise of money, he said. The main aim of the competition is to generate awareness among the population about these health sector initiatives and engage them towards ownership in shaping a healthy India The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a competition for designing of a logo and tagline for the Ayushman Bharat programme, announced in the General Budget 2018-19, this year. This shall be done through a digital crowd sourcing campaign on MyGov portal. The competition was launched on 19th February, 2018 and will now conclude on 18th March, 2018. The main aim of the competition is to generate awareness among the population about these health sector initiatives and engage them towards ownership in shaping a healthy India. The winner of the competition shall be awarded a prize of Rs. 25,000/- while the second winner shall be awarded Rs. 10,000/-. The main theme of the logo shall be Ayushman Bharat and the guiding principle will be SarveBhavantuSukhinah, SarveSantuNiramayah ( ). The submission can be either digital logo or a handmade submission which can be submitted as a scanned copy on the digital platform. The Government has announced, as a part of Ayushman Bharat, two path breaking initiatives that address health holistically, impacting primary, secondary and tertiary care system as well as prevention and health promotion. The 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres will provide people-centric comprehensive primary health care including for common non-communicable diseases closer to the homes of people including providing free essential drugs and diagnostics. The second initiative under Ayushman Bharat is the National Health Protection Scheme, under which over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approx. 50 crore beneficiaries) will be provided treatment coverage up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization. IPAQT has been successful in negotiating with Cepheid, manufacturer of the GeneXpert platform, to significantly reduce the price for these critical diagnostic tests. A consortium of private sector diagnostic laboratories, Initiative for Promoting Affordable and Quality Tests (IPAQT) is planning to offer the World Health Organisation (WHO)-endorsed GeneXpert HCV and HIV viral load tests at less than 50 per cent of the market price in India. Currently, the consortium has almost 200 members who offer WHO-endorsed TB tests, such as GeneXpert, Hain LPA, BacTALERT 3D, and MGIT. IPAQT laboratories have increased the adoption of quality TB tests from 28,000 in 2013 to over 2,40,000 tests in 2017. IPAQT has been successful in negotiating with Cepheid, manufacturer of the GeneXpert platform, to significantly reduce the price for these critical diagnostic tests. IPAQT laboratories and hospitals can now offer the GeneXpert HCV and HIV viral load tests at no more than Rs 2,600 (US$40) and Rs 2,800 (US$43) respectively, while the market rate for these tests vary between Rs 4500 (US$69) and Rs 7,000 (US$108). A woman is facing $2,000 in fines after multiple horses and one pig had to be seized from her property due to a ongoing lack of adequate care. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/3/2018 (1291 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A woman is facing $2,000 in fines after multiple horses and one pig had to be seized from her property due to a ongoing lack of adequate care. Bonny Kobialko, 55, pleaded guilty on Thursday to cruelty to animals and failing to attend court. The offences, which date back to 2008, took place in Findlater, Sask., where Kobialko was living with her common-law partner at the time. "This section of the act, and the Saskatchewan Animal Protection Act, were implemented to protect all animals from distress," Crown attorney Yaso Mathu told the Brandon provincial court. "Animals cannot speak for themselves society must step forward to protect these creatures who cannot protect themselves." The Saskatchewan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received a complaint in July 2008 regarding the quality of care that horses were receiving under the ownership of Kobialko, Mathu said. Animal protection officers investigated the complaint, and found several horses in very poor body condition and lacking proper care. Photos submitted to the court showed various malnourished horses with their rib cages showing, penned in a dilapidated and messy corral. Officers provided written instructions to Kobialko, detailing immediate improvements that needed to be made in order to provide the horses with adequate care, Mathu said. Two months later, Animal protection officers returned and found no improvements had been made. Once again, further instructions were provided to improve the quality of care. In October 2008, Saskatchewan SPCA received a report that several of Kobialkos horses had no feed and had escaped their confines, and were running at large. It was also reported that Kobialko was in the hospital and no one had been feeding the animals, Mathu said. A veterinarian assessed the horses and recommended all the animals be removed from the property to receive proper care and not returned to Kobialko. Authorities seized 13 horses and one pig from Kobialkos care. Only three of the horses seized were recorded to be in bad condition, defence lawyer Jonathan Richert said, adding that one horse was ill and another was getting old, which presented some issues in keeping them fed. "Regardless, (Kobialko) recognizes that it was her responsibility to care for these animals," Richert said. At the time the animals were seized, Kobialko had been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, Richert added, and was under the impression that her partner at the time was looking after the animals in her absence. "When you assume the care of an animal your duty is to ensure that there is proper care," Judge Donovan Dvorak said. "Theyre domesticated animals, they are in no position to look after themselves, particularly when they are in an enclosed area. They rely on the people who have taken over their care to ensure they are fed properly and get proper medical care." In addition to $2,150 in fines, Dvorak also put Kobialko on a two-year prohibition order in which she cannot own animals or reside in a home where animals are present. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy President Donald Trump is to press ahead with the imposition of 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% on aluminum, although he said he was willing to strike a deal that could exempt Canada and Mexico. Washington has repeatedly offered relief from steel and aluminum tariffs to countries that treat us fairly on trade, a gesture aimed at putting pressure on Canada and Mexico to give ground in separate North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) talks, which appear to be stalled. Im sticking with 10 and 25 (per cent) initially. Ill have a right to go up or down, depending on the country, and Ill have a right to drop out countries or add countries, he told reporters at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting at the White House. The range of potential exemptions for allies and for industries has made the final outcome unpredictable. The president said he was pleased with progress in the Nafta talks, although he again said he would still be willing to terminate the agreement, a threat he has made since he started running for office. Few observers share President Trumps rosy view of the Nafta talks, which they say have made little progress since they started six months ago and are stalled over issues such as autos, an industry whose contribution to the US, Mexican and Canadian economies far outweighs that of steel and aluminum production. In addition to exemptions, there could be a consultation period that would lead to intense lobbying by industry and a growing group of disgruntled Republican lawmakers who oppose the tariffs proposed by the president, a fellow Republican. Talk of tariffs has raised the prospect of a global trade war and hit stock markets hard. Both the EU and China have said they would retaliate against action by the US, as have Mexico and Canada. If Donald Trump puts in place the measures this evening, we have a whole arsenal at our disposal with which to respond, said European Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici. Countermeasures would include European tariffs on US oranges, tobacco and bourbon, he said. Harley Davidson motorcycles have also been mentioned, targeting House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryans home state of Wisconsin. Speaking before President Trump made his remarks, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was a level of confidence that the countrys close relationship with the US will protect it from US tariffs. Mr Trudeaus negotiators in the Nafta talks have rejected the American proposals to link the tariffs and the trade talks, and an attempt by Washington to split Canada and Mexico has also been rejected. Even as President Trump threatened tariffs and his Nafta partners, 11 nations gathered in Chile to sign a landmark Asia-Pacific trade pact, one that President Trump withdrew from on his first day in office in January last year. Reuters Downing Street has insisted it wants "no hard border and no physical infrastructure" on the frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic, after UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson suggested some "very minimal controls" would be acceptable. Mr Johnson also said leaving the European Union without a Brexit deal holds no terrors for the UK, which would do "very well" on World Trade Organisation terms. Speaking to an audience of Telegraph subscribers, Mr Johnson said Brexit would be a "triumphant success". The Telegraph reported Mr Johnson saying: "I've never been one of those who is apprehensive about the so-called 'no deal' scenario. "No deal is better than a bad deal. "If we have to come out on WTO terms we will be prepared to do so. "It doesn't hold terrors for me and we will do very well under those circumstances as well." On the issue of the frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic, Mr Johnson said it "will be possible to have very, very minimal controls at the border". He said the issue "has understandably a great deal of political, emotional charge" and it is "all too forgivable for politicians to wish to be absolutely certain about how things will work". Asked whether Mr Johnson's comments amounted to official Government policy, a Downing Street spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has set out, we are firmly committed to working towards a deep and ambitious partnership with the EU. That remains our position. "As any responsible government would, we are continuing to prepare for all scenarios, but our focus remains on securing this deep and ambitious partnership. "On the border question, as the Foreign Secretary set out, he said there would be no need for a hard border. That remains our position. No need for any physical infrastructure." Mr Johnson also indicated he would be prepared to accept the timetable for the Brexit transition period set out by Brussels, expiring at the end of 2020. "That would suit me fine," he said. The British Prime Minister has suggested a transition period should last for around two years - which would expire near the end of March 2021 - while Brexit Secretary David Davis has put a range of between 21 and 27 months on the deal. - PA By Ann O'Loughlin An environmental group has lost its legal challenge to An Bord Pleanala's decision it had insufficient information about affected landowners or occupiers to decide whether certain peat extraction works in the Midlands need planning permission. Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) had asked Westmeath County Council to refer for determination by the Board issues as to whether peat extraction works in the townlands of Lickny/Newcastle, Doon and Carlanstown were exempt development. The three sites - 100 hectares at Lickny/Newcastle, 60 hectares at Doon and seven hectares at Carlanstown - are substantial but are not adjoining, although the townlands are, the High Court noted. After the Council made the referral in 2010, the Board conducted investigations and an inspector prepared a report. In May 2013, the Board dismissed the referral over difficulties in identifying the owners and occupiers. Having regard to the different parcels of lands identified in the referral, which appeared to be in "multiple" ownership in varying size of individual holdings with "numerous" parties involved, and in the absence of certainty about ownership and the individual circumstances of the plots, the question referred was not detailed enough to enable the Board carry out its obligations under section 129 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, it said. The diversity of circumstances" involved militated against a "thorough evaluation" of the referral question, it said. In its High Court challenge, FIE argued the Board either had sufficient information or had statutory power to obtain it. In his judgment today, Mr Justice Charles Meenan said the problem facing the Board was, regardless of the fact the lands could be identified, the owners/occupiers could not to the extent it would have been unsafe for the Board to make a determination concerning the property rights of those involved. The Board had taken certain steps to identify such persons and he could not conclude its dismissal of the referral was either irrational or unreasonable, he said. He rejected arguments the Board could have overcome the problems concerning the identities by posting notices on or near the relevant lands. The Board had said it did not believe notices would solve the problem and exhibited various folio maps showing various parcels of land subdivided into numerous lots, each with a potentially different occupier, he said. In the circumstances, he did not think it was unreasonable not to have posted notices. He dismissed other arguments including the Board had not met the requirement to state the main reasons and considerations on which its decision was based. The Board, when giving reasons, is not required to give a "discursive judgment" as a result of its deliberations, he said. The basis for the Board's determination is "clear to me". The reasons "succinctly" referred to problems of identification of the individuals who owned and/or occupied the lands. After James Devlin SC, for FIE, indicated it may seek a certificate for leave to appeal, the matter was adjourned to next month. By Alison ORiordan A man has been jailed for five years for a sexual assault on a woman he met on the Internet dating programme Tinder. Paul Flaherty (aged 30) was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court last December of sexual assaulting a woman at his home on Kiltipper Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin on August 31, 2015. The incident took place while Flaherty's parents were in the bedroom next door. Mr Justice Michael White said today that Flahertys behaviour on the night was disgusting and he was satisfied this event had a very serious impact on the victim. The judge noted that the woman had made it clear to Flaherty that she was not interested in sexual contact, but he ignored that request. He said the womans integrity for her body was sacrosanct and this was a very serious sexual assault which could not be described as minor. The court accepted that the sexual assault was not pre-meditated. In her victim impact statement, the former civil servant said her life would never be the same again since Flaherty, a man twice her size, sexually assaulted her. It shouldnt matter what clothes I was wearing, how I wore my hair or what I said. On that night, this man abused my trust, preyed upon my naivety and annihilated my human rights. He left bruises on my body, which have long since faded, and he inflicted scars upon my mind that will never heal, she said. She said not only had she suffered physical and mental torture but she had to relive the event during the trial where her life had been stripped bare and her character assassinated." The fact that another human being is capable of inflicting such horror upon another was, and still is, so profoundly shocking to me. I no longer dream of raising children because the world seems so sinister now", she said. The woman said every unfamiliar man now had the potential to be a predator and she felt forced to give up her civil service job as she could not concentrate on her work. She feared walking to and from her workplace car park and worried Flaherty would attack her again. She said there was no manual for overcoming something so abhorrent" and she very nearly lost everything she had worked for because of Flahertys actions on that night. Garda Aisling OConnor told Kerida Naidoo SC, prosecuting, that Flaherty and the woman initially made contact through the Tinder dating app before exchanging telephone numbers. They arranged to meet and spent the day drinking together before returning to his parent's house in Tallaght. They went to Flaherty's bedroom where there was consensual kissing before Flaherty went on to assault the woman. Michael OHiggins SC, defending, said on behalf of his client he offered an unqualified apology to the woman for his conduct which should not have happened. The court heard that after communicating online the pair arranged to meet on August 31 and spent the day drinking together. Later that evening, the woman got a taxi with Flaherty to his parents house in Tallaght. They went to the man's bedroom, got into bed and there was some frantic consensual kissing before he sexually assaulted her. The mans parents were in the next-door bedroom at the time. The court heard the woman did not consent to Flaherty taking off her clothing nor putting his hands around her neck for a period of time. Gda OConnor also agreed Flahertys penis came into contact with her genital area and the woman had bruising on her neck for days afterwards. When Flaherty left the bedroom to go to the toilet, the distressed woman ran from his house and got help from a stranger who brought her to Tallaght Garda Station. Gda OConnor confirmed that Flaherty maintained in his garda interviews that what had happened on the night was consensual. Michael OHiggins said his client was immature, impetuous and had a flawed character. However, he was also a likeable person who inspired great confidence in people around him, he added. Mr OHiggins put forward a number of factors in mitigation, including Flaherty's alcohol dependency, his gambling addiction and mental health issues which run in his family. Mr Justice White backdated the sentence to March 7 of this year when Flaherty went into custody. After sentence was imposed a woman stood up in court and shouted to the judge that the sentence handed down was a travesty of justice. Another person pleaded with the judge to suspend part of the sentence imposed adding: We will appeal this all the way to Strasbourg. In reply, the judge said Flaherty came from a very respectful family but the court had a duty to respect the jurys verdict and he would not suspend any portion of the sentence. By Gordon Deegan The revenues at the media firms operated by two of RTE's best-paid presenters, Joe Duffy and Marian Finucane soared last year. New accounts show that revenue at Marian Finucanes firm, Montrose Services Ltd jumped by almost 100,000 to 624,991 in the 12 months to the end of October last. During the same period, accumulated profits at the company increased by 37,518 going from 1.027m to 1.064m. The increase in profits came in spite of a non-cash 60,000 write-down in the value of the companys intangible assets going from 540,000 to 480,000. The company's revenue increased by 93,305. The latest RTE figures published show that Ms Finucane was the stations fifth best-paid presenter in 2015 when she received a salary of 295,000 - the same level as 2014. Ms Finucane presents two top-rated shows on Saturday and Sunday mornings and the latest JNLR figures show that Marians Sunday show gained 30,000 more listeners to 346,000. Separate accounts filed by Joe Duffys Claddaghgreen Ltd show that revenue at the company jumped by 92,788 going from 458,456 to 551,244 in the 12 months to the end of April last. The accumulated profits at the company jumped by 62,638 going from 373,059 to 435,697 during the period. The most recent RTE Top 10 pay figures show that the Ballyfermot man was the third best-paid RTE presenter in 2015 with pay of 389,988 - though this was a drop on the 416,893 paid out in 2014. The most recent JLNR figures show that Duffy increased listenership going from 370,000 to 373,000 with his show continuing to drive public debate here on a variety of issues. Most recently, debate in the Dail on a number of occasions has focused on the afternoon show being deluged with calls from people unhappy over the HSE withdrawing funding for the Versatis pain relief patch for a large cohort. This prompted Fianna Fail leader, Michael Martin to tell the Dail it seems that the only patient advocacy service in the country is Liveline, courtesy of broadcaster Joe Duffy. In reply, the Minister for Health, Simon Harris remarked that policy on medication should be decided by doctors rather than radio shows. Each year, Liveline and the Marian Finucane shows generate substantial advertising revenues for the State broadcaster but RTE doesnt provide a breakdown of advertising revenues generated by each show. The two are not paid employees of RTE and instead are employed as contractors where their pay includes no pension contributions from the State broadcaster. Born in Dublin in 1956, Duffy joined RTE Radio as a producer in 1989. Since then, the father of teenage triplets has worked his way through several shows, first as a reporter on The Gay Byrne Show and then as presenter of several programmes including the media programme Soundbyte. Duffys income is also boosted by being a weekly columnist with the Irish Mail on Sunday. Duffys 2011 autobiography revealed his "insecurity and worry" at being told by RTE he was not entitled to sick pay as he is not directly employed by the station but is a contractor. The Liveline presenter was informed of the development prior to undergoing a second operation on a severely broken leg. He wrote: In my 23 years in RTE, I only took one single day off sick prior to being knocked down, so I thought the decision to refuse me sick pay was unfair, to say the least. By Ann O'Loughlin Efforts are still being made to locate the boss of a charities fund-raising platform business at the centre of an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of some 3.8m in donations, the High Court has heard. Peter Conlon, MD of Dublin-based donation platform Pembroke Dynamic Internet Services, is believed to be in a Swiss prison but so far the liquidator of the firm has been unable to confirm this or which prison he is in. Mr Conlon (aged 63), with an address at St Marys Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin, is believed to have been detained before Christmas at Zurich airport. Liquidator Myles Kirby, who was appointed to wind up the company over a 400,000 debt to Revenue, needs to know his whereabouts to serve papers on him following the freezing of his assets last January by the court. Today, Rossa Fanning SC, for the liquidator, told the court efforts to find out what prison he was being held have so far been unsuccessful and it may now be necessary to speak with a Swiss lawyer to do so. The liquidator had contacted a legal firm which it was believed may be acting for Mr Conlon but had received no reply. Mr Fanning said the matter could be adjourned for two months with liberty to apply to the court should a further order in relation to serving of the papers be required. He also told the court the liquidator was in contact with a solicitor for the Conlon family and would continue to speak with them. He was also co-operating with the Director of Corporate Enforcement, who was made a notice party in the case, and with the London Metropolitan police following a complaint to it by Save the Children UK. It is one of 700 charities, national and international, who have been contacted as part of the investigation. Pembroke, which previously traded as Ammado Internet Services, was an online donation platform through which people could give money to various charities - with the company taking 5%. After he was appointed liquidator, Mr Kirby discovered various charities have not received some 3.8m donated to them via the platform. Mr Kirby has claimed Mr Conlon is "guilty of very serious misconduct" as company funds were used for personal expenditure. A man described as suffering from psychosis has been remanded in custody after he was charged over a fire at a Dublin apartment which led to a mother and her three young children being hospitalised. Gardai launched an investigation after a blaze broke out and gutted a flat at Tyrone Place, Inchicore, Dublin 8, at 11pm on September 18, 2017. Four occupants were treated in hospital following the fire. A woman in her thirties was brought to St James Hospital; her sons, aged eight and 12, were taken to Crumlin Childrens hospital and her seven-year-old daughter was rushed to Temple Street Hospital for treatment. Ian OConnor, 28, from Emmet Crescent, Inchicore, Dublin 8, was arrested this morning and taken to Kilmainhm Garda station where he was charged with arson contrary to the Criminal Damage Act. He was then brought before Dublin District Court. Garda Colm Reynolds told Judge Grainne Malone that Mr OConnor made no reply to the charge after caution. He had objections to bail and said it was expected that further charges would be brought. Dressed in a tracksuit, Mr OConnor spoke briefly during the hearing telling the judge he was in receipt of social welfare and to confirm he was applying for legal aid, which was granted. He has not yet indicated how he will plead. Judge Malone noted from defence solicitor William Cadogan that there was no bail application at this point but she said this did not preclude Mr OConnor from applying for bail at a later stage. Mr Cadogan told the court his client suffered from a lot mental illnesses, he has had psychosis, as well as a number of other issues. The solicitor said the garda would agree his client "may need protection" in custody. Judge Malone remanded him in custody to appear again next Friday at Cloverhill District Court for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to be obtained in relation to his trial venue. Garda Reynolds said he imagined the direction would be for trial on indictment, meaning the case could go to the circuit court. He also said "there may be further charges". Judge Malone directed that Mr OConnor was to receive medical and psychiatric attention in custody. A second man, aged in his thirties, who was also arrested on Friday, has been released from custody and a file will be submitted to the DPP. By Tom Tuite The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that a man accused of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in a shooting in 2013 will face trial at the central criminal court. Aaron Brady, 27, from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh is charged that he murdered a Garda, namely Adrian Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union, Belurglan, Co Louth on January 25th, 2013. The officer, a married father-of-two, was killed while on duty. Det Garda Donohoe had been on a cash escort with colleagues when he was fatally shot during a botched robbery in the car park of the credit union. Mr Brady was charged on Sunday and remanded in custody following an appearance before Dundalk District Court. He faced his second hearing on Friday appearing via video-link at Cloverhill District Court. Dressed in a grey tracksuit and black runners, and sitting with his arms folded, he spoke a number of times initially confirming his name and later to confirm instructions to his lawyers. Det Inspector Pat Marry, who arrested him, was also present for the hearing. State solicitor Michael Murphy asked Judge Victor Blake to adjourn the case for four weeks adding that the DPP has directed trial on indictment. This means the accused will face trial in the Central Criminal Court. Defence counsel Conor Fegan, instructed by solicitor Niall Manley, asked Mr Brady if he consented to being further remanded in custody for four weeks instead of two. The accused replied, yes and had the same answer when asked by Judge Blake if he was agreeable to appearing via video-link at his next hearing. Judge Blake further remanded him in custody pending the preparation of a book of evidence. The case resumes on April 6th next. He had been arrested in Dublin on February 25th and was detained for a week at Dundalk Garda station under the provisions of section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. At his first hearing on Sunday, Det Inspector Marry said when Mr Brady was charged with the murder, he replied: I strongly deny any involvement in the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Bail can only be granted by the High Court in murder cases. A man in his sixties, who was arrested in Dundalk on February 26th as part of the investigation into the murder of Det Garda Donohoe, was released without charge on Saturday night. A man, 20, is to be charged in relation to a fire at a flat at Tyrone Place, Inchicore in September last year. The man will appear before Dublin District Court No. 1 at the Criminal Courts of Justice this afternoon. The Taoiseach will visit a Native American tribe that donated money to Ireland during the famine. As part of his St Patrick's Day trip to the US, Leo Varadkar will visit the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma next week. Update 4.45pm: The proposals on abortion announced today by the Government are more extreme than Englands abortion laws where one in every five pregnancies now end in abortion, the legal consultant to the Pro Life Campaign has said. Caroline Simons has suggested that if the Eighth Amendment were repealed, Ireland would go from being a country that protected and respected unborn human life to one of the most extreme and unjust abortion regimes anywhere in the world. "This is not overstating the reality of what repeal would mean. It is a stark, sad fact." Ms Simons was reacting after a five hour Dail debate with the vast majority of speakers calling for a repeal of the 8th amendment. The government had earlier outlined what new laws they'd like to see, including abortion without restrictions for up to 12 weeks. After that, they suggest, abortions would be allowed in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, or when there's a risk to the life, health or mental health of the mother. The pro life activist said, however, that voters who support abortion in so-called limited circumstances need to know that what they hope for with repeal and what theyd get are two entirely different things. "It is clear beyond any doubt from todays announcement from government that a vote for repeal is a vote for abortion on demand up to birth. "The proposal provides for abortion for any reason in the first three months of pregnancy and up to birth on a ground of health (including mental health) that is undefined and that has led to wide-ranging abortion in countries where it has already been introduced. "In Britain, there are time limits on the so-called health ground. So todays government proposal is, objectively speaking, more extreme than the law in Britain." Caroline Simons Ms Simons went on to say that an unborn babys heart starts beating by three weeks and in the first three months of pregnancy an unborn baby can be easily seen kicking and jumping on ultrasound scans. "The babys fingernails and hair have already started growing. All the babys vital organs are formed. At this stage in development, the baby can yawn and even suck her thumb. "Not as much as a minute was spent at the Oireachtas committee on abortion discussing or exploring these incredible milestones at the beginning of a babys life. "Those in government who are backing repeal and the proposed changes to the law have entirely abandoned the rights of unborn babies throughout the full nine months of pregnancy." The pro-life campaigner said "it was chilling" listening to Minister Harris saying he was really looking forward to bringing the referendum bill before the Dail today. "What his bill provides for is withdrawing the right to life from an entire vulnerable group of human beings, namely unborn babies. It is the first time in our history that a government has brought forward such a proposal. "The bill Minister Harris has been really looking forward to introducing today provides for abortion procedures where the baby is first paralysed with an injection by the abortionist to stop him or her from moving. A second injection of poison is then administered by the abortionist to stop the babys heart from beating. "Thats the truth of what repeal would provide. Dr Peter Thompson from England who carries out abortions under the Abortion Act in England explained this procedure in detail to the Oireachtas committee on abortion." Ms Simons suggested that despite the mantra-like line about trusting women if members of government truly trusted women, they would be honest with them about what happens to an unborn baby during an abortion. "If these members of government really trusted women, they would stop engendering fear about womens health as they push for abortion and instead reassure the public about the truth that Ireland without abortion is one of the safest countries in the world for pregnant women, safer indeed than England and the US, both of whom have wide-ranging abortion." "At present doctors care deeply about the lives and health of their two patients, mother and baby. What the Government propose is to legalise the intentional taking of the life of the baby without the slightest concern for the right to life. "The public, aware of these awesome implications will, we are confident, reject the Governments proposals and work instead to strengthen supports for mothers and their unborn babies." Update: 3.04pm: Health Minister Simon Harris says he cannot live with Ireland's current abortion laws The Health Minister Simon Harris says he cannot live with Ireland's current abortion laws. Mr Harris spoke in favour of repealing the 8th amendment as he launched a Dail debate on the issue today. The Health Minister said it is time for a change, saying: "I cannot live any longer with a law that sees any woman or girl who has been brutally raped, forced to continue her pregnancy or travel to another country if she cannot. "I cannot live any longer with a law that forces families devastated by a fatal foetal diagnosis to travel to another country, and bring home the remains of their much-loved and much-wanted lost child in the boot of their car, or by courier service." The Department of Health has also published a policy paper, outlining what new laws the Government will try to bring in if the 8th amendment is repealed. The policy paper is largely as expected. It outlines access to abortion without restriction for up to 12 weeks, with terminations to be allowed after that in cases of fatal foetal abnormality - and when there is a risk to the life, health or mental health of the mother. Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher challenged those who say the 12 weeks limit goes too far. "The gestational limit is not out of step with the norms in Europe: Belgium 12 weeks, the Czech Republic 12 weeks, Denmark 12 weeks, Germany 12 weeks, Italy 90 days, Luxembourg 12 weeks, Norway 12 weeks, Portugal 10 weeks, Slovakia 12 weeks, Sweden 18 weeks, Switzerland 12 weeks". The Government also wants conscientious objection for medical practitioners who do not want to carry out abortions. And a cooling off period is also in the paper, where a woman will have to wait two or three days after seeking an abortion to get one. Update: 2pm: TD Mattie McGrath said the Citizen's Assembly was a flawed process on abortion. "It was a set-up, a stitch-up, a codology," he said. He made his remarks as the Dail continues to debate the abortion referendum Bill. Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has said that any legislation allowing abortion in cases of rape or incest would only revictimise women. Leo Varadkar said it is impossible in law to make rape a specific ground for a termination because women would have to be subjected to an entirely separate process to establish the facts of the case. Update: 11am: Minister for Health Simon Harris has said Ireland needs to take a "quantum leap" forward on abortion. The Minister compared the current laws to those in Saudi Arabia and said he hopes there can be a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment in May. This morning, the Dail began debating the Bill that will allow a referendum, with Mr Harris saying that "denying reality has become a national bad habit". "Denying reality does not make something go away, instead, it has just led to hurt and to harm," he said. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar sought to assuage the concerns of several Cabinet members, including the Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who indicated they are uneasy with unrestricted abortions up to 12 weeks. Mr Varadkar reiterated that the proposals did not allow for abortion without any restrictions and that women wishing to get an abortion would have to go to their doctor, rather than picking up the pills from a pharmacy. In his opening speech, Health Minister Simon Harris said Ireland needs to take a "quantum leap" forward on abortion. He said hopes these laws would be a big change. "They represent a quantum leap from our position on the spectrum today, where we have one of the most restrictive regimes in relation to termination - and I think are pegged somewhere in and around where Saudi Arabia is on the issue". "If the purpose of the 8th amendment was to stop abortions in Ireland, and to stop Irish women access abortions, it did not achieve that. "All it achieved was pain and suffering. "In this country, whether we like to hear it, denying reality has at times become a national bad habit - denying realities does not make them go away. "Instead it just led to hurt and to harm". Earlier, two of his fellow Fine Gael party members, MEPs Deirdre Clune and Brian Hayes, announced they would be campaigning for a yes vote in the upcoming referendum. 7am: The Government will reveal a policy paper this morning outlining what legislation will be introduced on abortion if the 8th Amendment is repealed. Yesterday, Cabinet approved a referendum bill and the Dail will begin debating it today. Minister for Health Simon Harris will begin the debate at 10.30am this morning and is expected to describe the regime he'd aim to bring in should a repeal vote be passed. The question put to voters is expected to ask if there should be abortion without specific indication for up to 12 weeks. If this legislation is passed, GPs and medical practitioners would lead the service, which will be done by administering abortion pills. After the 12-week limit, abortions will be allowed in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, or where there's a risk to the life, health or mental health of the mother. In such cases, two doctors will have to examine the mother, and there would be an appeals process if she is not happy with the decision. There would also be a cooling-off period, whereby if a woman goes to seek an abortion, she would have to wait two or three days to consider it before being given an abortion pill. Medical practitioners will also have a contentious objection, so if they don't feel comfortable allowing abortions they won't have to. - Digital desk Earlier in the year, The Coronas announced that theyll return to Cork this summer to play Live at the Marquee. And after tickets to the gig sold out within days, theyve added an extra date! Three people have today pleaded not guilty in a British court to murdering four children in a house fire. Zak Bolland (aged 23), Courtney Brierley (aged 20), and David Worrall (aged 25), are all accused over the alleged arson attack in Walkden, Greater Manchester last year. Demi Pearson Demi Pearson, 15, her eight-year-old brother Brandon and seven-year-old sister Lacie died in the blaze. Their sibling, three-year-old Lia, died in hospital two days later. Emergency services were called to the family's mid-terraced home in Jackson Street, Walkden, shortly after 5am on December 11. Bolland, wearing a blue T-shirt and Worrall, wearing a fluorescent yellow and green boiler suit, both stood in the dock at Manchester Crown Court surrounded by six prison guards for today's hearing. Court sketch of Zak Bolland, Courtney Brierley and David Worrall. Across the courtroom, around a dozen members of the victims' family sat in the public gallery. Brierley, wearing a black bomber jacket, appeared via video-link from prison. Members of the victims' family could be heard quietly weeping in the silent courtroom as the charges were read and the defendants all replied "not guilty" to each count of murder. They also each denied a count of arson with intent to endanger life, the attempted murder of the children's mother, Michelle Pearson (aged 35), and two further counts of the attempted murder of two juveniles who cannot be named for legal reasons. Most of today's 40-minute hearing was occupied by legal matters which cannot be reported ahead of the trial of the defendants. A further administrative hearing will be held on April 27 before Bolland, of Blackleach Drive, Walkden; Brierley, of Worsley Avenue, Walkden and Worrall, of no fixed abode, go before a jury for a four-week trial starting on April 30 at Manchester Crown Court. Brandon and Lacie Pearson. Judge David Stockdale QC, the Honorary Recorder of Manchester, remanded all three in custody until the trial. The children's mother Mrs Pearson is believed to be still in a coma fighting for her life. It is not known if she is aware that four of her children are dead. - PA The Parsons Green bomb packed with 400g of explosives and shrapnel could have been lethal if it had fully detonated, an expert has said. Iraqi asylum seeker Ahmed Hassan (aged 18) allegedly used a "student of the year" prize to buy a key ingredient for the device on Amazon and assembled it in the kitchen of his foster home in Sunbury, Surrey. He left it inside a bucket in a Lidl bag during the morning rush hour on September 15 last year, getting off one stop before it partially exploded, the court has heard. CCTV footage showed 93 passengers duck for cover and scramble to get off the District line train when a fireball engulfed the carriage. Asked what would have happened if the bomb had detonated fully, explosives expert Sarah Wilson said: "400g of TATP has the potential to cause damage to property and harm or serious harm to those in closest proximity which could potentially be lethal. "There would have been damage to the train, the infrastructure of the train, but also harm to those in closest proximity." On why it failed, she said: "There may be a number of reasons why it failed to function: was it made correctly? Was it wet? Other things - construction not quite right - a number of factors could influence why." Prosecutor Alison Morgan asked: "Were all the elements necessary to make a viable explosive device present in that bucket?" Ms Wilson replied: "Yes, they were." The court heard how she compiled a report on the bomb after taking samples of white powder before it was destroyed, confirming it was made from TATP. Ms Wilson, who has 17 years of experience in explosives, said: "We looked at the carriage. There was no obvious explosive damage to the carriage itself. There was sooting in the ceiling." Witnesses described seeing flames and wires sticking out of the bucket following the blast, she said. "TATP is a sensitive primary high explosive. It's very unstable and as such it's not produced for any commercial or military use." "TATP is sensitive to a number of different stimuli - friction, impact or heat." She said hitting or dropping it in transit could cause it to detonate. Just one gram of TATP can cause "serious injury to people or property", she said. She told jurors it would take at least several hours to make the 400g of TATP in the bomb plus the small amount later recovered at Hassan's home. Ms Wilson said there was an "initial event" followed by a "slower fire" that caused damage to the device. A "standard kitchen timer", modified to remove the buzzer, was used, she said. She told jurors there was 2.2kg of shrapnel that had the "potential to cause serious harm". It included a mixture of knives, screwdrivers, hooks, nuts, bolts and sockets. She said: "The addition of shrapnel or metal items in the explosive device would increase the potential of that device to cause harm or damage. "You have the explosive which is capable of exploding but you then have a lot of small metal fragments which could also be expelled out some distance at that event." Ms Morgan asked: "Looking at the fire wall we have seen, looking at the positioning of the device, what did you conclude happened?" Ms Wilson replied: "My conclusion was there had been a partial explosion. Obviously this device had not fully detonated but something quite violent happened. It was likely to be a rapid burn rather than a detonation. "The initiator mechanism, the battery, has functioned but the main charge had failed to function fully." Traces of TATP were found in the kitchen of Hassan's home in Cavendish Road, Sunbury, including on the hob, sink and extractor fan. After the bombing, he fled to Dover, changing his clothes, but was picked up by police the following morning, jurors have heard. Hassan denies attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life. - PA The Afghan president has condemned a suicide bombing that targeted a gathering of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul. The attack, which claimed the lives of nine people, has been claimed by the so-called 'Islamic State' group. President Ashraf Ghani's statement, shortly after Friday's bombing in western Kabul, promised that those behind the attack would be given the death penalty, if found and convicted. He said the bombing was intended to frighten Afghans but that the perpetrators would not succeed. Meanwhile, the so-called 'Islamic State' group in a statement posted on an 'IS'-affiliated website said it was behind the Kabul attack. The suicide bomber targeting the minority community blew himself up at a police checkpoint in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said. According to Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the bomber was on foot and was trying to strike a gathering of Hazaras who were commemorating the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, killed at the hands of the Taliban. The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesman said. One policeman was among the dead. Local Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told the gathering that the explosion was an attempt to terrorise Afghans. He blamed the Taliban and the so-called 'Islamic State', both of which have targeted ethnic Hazaras in the past. Most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, and Sunni militants consider all Shiites heretics and urge followers to kill them. The spokesman for the health ministry, Wahid Majro, said several of the wounded were in critical condition and feared the death toll could rise further. In other developments, the Taliban launched a deadly assault overnight on an army outpost in a remote region of Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, killing six soldiers and wounding five in a blistering hours-long attack, defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. Members of the local police who were sent to assist the soldiers were ambushed by the Taliban while on their way to the outpost in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. Ten local policemen were killed and nine were wounded in the ambush, provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault and the police deaths. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report could not be independently confirmed because of the area's remoteness. - AP Update 12.51pm: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has drawn a distinction between "talks" with North Korea and "negotiations", arguing President Donald Trump's willingness to chat with Kim Jong Un should not be construed as anything more than that. The stunning announcement that Mr Trump had agreed to a meeting with the North Korean leader raised questions about what had changed after months of Mr Tillerson and other Trump officials insisting the conditions were not right for negotiations with Pyongyang. Mr Tillerson said Mr Trump has been open to mere talks and a meeting with Kim "for some time", and had decided "the time was right". "In the president's judgment, that time has arrived now," Mr Tillerson told reporters in Djibouti during a trip to Africa. Mr Tillerson did not define the precise difference between talks and negotiations, and it was unclear what there was for the two countries, still technically at war, would have to discuss if not a deal to address concerns about the North's nuclear weapons programme. Ostensibly, they could hold preliminary conversations to see if there's enough common ground and good will to proceed to formal negotiations. Explaining Mr Trump's decision-making about the meeting, Mr Tillerson said that the US had witnessed a shift from North Korea that became apparent when a South Korean delegation visited Pyongyang, then travelled to Washington to brief US officials on the rare meeting. He said the dispatch from that meeting "was the most forward-leaning report that we've had, in terms of Kim Jong Un's not just willingness but his strong desire for talks. "What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way. In all honesty, that came as a little bit of a surprise to us as well." As Mr Trump's administration ramped up its "maximum pressure campaign" on North Korea over the last year, Mr Tillerson was one of the more enthusiastic advocates within the Cabinet for trying to talk to the North Koreans, even as other officials warned Trump of the risks of rewarding Kim too soon. For months the administration gave mixed messages about just what "preconditions", if any, needed to be met to merit talks. Ultimately, Mr Trump decided Mr Kim's willingness to discuss denuclearisation and commit to halt testing was enough. Mr Tillerson said the decision to agree to the meeting was "a decision the president took himself". "This is something he's had on his mind for quite some time," Mr Tillerson said. "So now I think it's a question of agreeing on the timing of that first meeting between the two of them and a location and that will take some weeks before we get all that worked out." Earlier: US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un to meet US President Donald Trump has decided he will meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "by May", South Korea's national security director has said. Chung Eui-yong said Mr Trump said "he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula. The security director said Mr Kim told the South Koreans he is "committed to denuclearisation" and pledged that "North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests". The meeting would be the first of its kind between a leader of North Korea and a sitting president of the United States. Earlier in a tweet, Donald Trump said "great progress" was being made, although sanctions will remain in place until an agreement is reached. He said: "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" The latest round of sanctions to be imposed on North Korea by the US was announced on Wednesday, when the State Department revealed punitive measures in response to its finding that Pyongyang was behind the nerve agent assassination of Mr Kim's half-brother. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the planned summit between the two leaders will be a "historical milestone" that will put the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula "really on track". Mr Moon in a statement read out by his spokesman also complimented Mr Trump for accepting Mr Kim's invitation for a summit, saying the president's leadership will be praised "not only by the residents of South and North Korea but every peace-loving person around the world". Mr Moon is also preparing for a summit with Mr Kim at a border village between the Koreas in April. - Press Association and Digital Desk The notorious 'M25 rapist', who carried out a series of sex attacks on victims as young as 10, has died behind bars in the UK. Antoni Imiela passed away aged 63 at HMP Wakefield yesterday, just months after he was told he had been referred for parole. He was given seven life sentences with a minimum term of eight years in 2004 for a spate of horrific assaults. In 2012, he received a further 12 years after his DNA matched the suspect in an unsolved 1987 sex attack. The Prison Service confirmed Imiela's death, which is not being treated as suspicious. The Daily Mirror reported that the rapist had been suffering from heart problems. A spokeswoman said: "HMP Wakefield prisoner Antoni Imiela died in custody on Thursday March 8 2018. "As with all deaths in custody, there will be an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman." It emerged in January that Imiela, a railway worker from Appledore, near Ashford in Kent, was being considered for release by the British Parole Board. Between November 2001 and October 2002, the predator had waged a terrifying campaign of sex attacks against strangers across the South East, earning him the grim "M25 rapist" moniker. Imiela was already facing jail for armed robbery when he grabbed a woman off the street and subjected her to a violent sexual ordeal on Christmas Day. His merciless attack on Sheila Jankowitz was a precursor to the series of violent stranger rapes that he committed more than a decade later. Mrs Jankowitz had been to the pub with her husband Erwin on Christmas Eve in 1987 but the couple had an argument and went their separate ways. She returned home to their Forest Hill, south London, flat to see if he was there and finding he was not, decided to go out again by herself. As she walked towards the main road Imiela grabbed her, put his hand over her mouth, dragged her onto wasteground and sexually assaulted her, a jury was told. He threatened her with a brick, said he would kill her and repeatedly punched her in the face. At his trial, the Old Bailey heard that he knew he was facing a lengthy jail sentence for armed robbery when he pounced on Mrs Jankowitz in the early hours of December 25. Two weeks later he handed himself into police for the robbery spree and was eventually jailed for 14 years. He was released in 1996, and five years later began a terrifying campaign of rapes across the south of England. The investigation into the M25 rapist, so-called for his string of savage attacks in the vicinity of the London Orbital, involved more than 300 police officers from six forces and cost more than 2m. The German-born former railway worker bound, gagged and beat his victims before subjecting them to serious sexual assaults. DNA was collected from the scenes of the crimes in Kent, west London, Hertfordshire and Surrey, but it was only when a neighbour rang Crimestoppers with suspicions about Imiela that the culprit was caught. In March 2004, Imiela was convicted of seven rapes, the kidnap, indecent assault and attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl, leading to seven life sentences. Born in 1954 to a Polish father, who was a soldier, and a German mother, Imiela spent part of his early childhood in a displaced people's camp as his parents were both refugees. The family moved to the UK in 1961 and spent time in Worthing, West Sussex, before eventually settling in Newton Aycliffe in the north east of England. His parents split up a few years after arriving in the UK. DNA also linked the then-unsolved case of Mrs Jankowitz, who died before the 2012 conviction, to Imiela when forensic experts reviewing unsolved cases matched his profile to the attack in Sydenham, south east London. Sentencing him to 12 years, Judge John Bevan QC said in 2012: "You are wholly unrepentant about your life of guns, rape and general violence and, despite having served eight years of your life sentence, you have not expressed one jot of remorse." - PA Russia's foreign minister has said Moscow could help Britain investigate the poisoning in Salisbury of an ex-Russian spy, but expressed resentment of suspicions cast on his country. Sergei Lavrov's comments in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa came as British investigators scrambled to unravel the nerve-agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Mr Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, was convicted in 2006 of spying for Britain and released in 2010. Mr Lavrov has been quoted as saying by state news agency Tass that "whether it's poisoning of some British subjects, whether it's rumours about interference in the US election campaign, if assistance really is needed, then we are ready to consider its possibility". Mr Lavrov added: "But in order to conduct such cases, it is necessary not to immediately run out on TV screens with unfounded allegations." British Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrived at the scene in Salisbury today where where she talked with Wiltshire Police temporary chief constable Kier Pritchard, the local Conservative MP John Glen and business owners. Ms Rudd did not reveal any further details about the substance, how it was deployed, or who used it. Visiting Salisbury, she said: "I understand people's curiosity about all those questions, wanting to have answers and there will be a time to have those answers. "But the best way to get to them is to give the police the space they need to really go through the area carefully, to do their investigation and to make sure that they have all the support that they need." Ms Rudd added: "At the moment our priority is going to be the incident, which is why I'm here in Salisbury today, making sure that everybody's protected around the incident, making sure the emergency services have had the support that they need and will continue to get it. "In terms of further options, that will have to wait until we're absolutely clear what the consequences could be and what the actual source of this nerve agent has been." Asked about the condition of Mr Skripal, his daughter and DS Nick Bailey, Ms Rudd said: "Still very serious for the two people who were indeed the subject of this outrageous attack and for the police officer, I understand it's still serious, although he's still conversing and engaging." Simon Kempton, the Police Federation's operational policing lead, paid tribute to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, the police officer critically injured responding to the Salisbury nerve agent attack. "He's really highly regarded. Everyone knows Nick and he's really well thought of," he said. Speaking at the police cordon, yards away from the bench where Skripal and his daughter were found, Mr Kempton said: "He's receiving the best possible medical care. The NHS is doing an amazing job. "He's in a very serious condition. I haven't been to see him, but my colleagues and his Chief Constable have. He's sitting up and talking, but his condition is very serious. "He's obviously being treated for the effects of nerve agent contamination." - AP Hawksburn village where shops are selling on sharp sub-2 per cent yields. Share market volatility is driving investors to take bigger risks, buying shops on ever-tighter yields on some of Melbournes suburban retail strips. Despite months of gloomy retail spending figures, investors continue to splash out on bricks-and-mortar shops, banking on future capital values and rents. Shops on the Hawksburn Village strip on Malvern Road, Toorak, are selling on sub-2 per cent yields despite the strip's patchy vacancy rate just 18 months ago. You may not know Sigala. He's a 25-year-old DJ from Norwich who scammed a hit a few years back by sampling an old Jackson 5 track: the kind of stunt that might have been the beginning and end of another fleeting pop career. But it's more likely he'll kick on into history. That's because today, in a secluded mansion backing on to a private jetty in the millionaires' pocket of Westport, Connecticut, Nile Rodgers is on the case. Chic in 1992: Bernard Edwards (left), Sylver Logan Sharp, Jenn Thomas and Nile Rodgers. Credit:Fairfax Media "I'm doing some great stuff right now," he says, spinning in his chair at the console of his home studio, his fabled white Fender guitar, "the Hitmaker", standing within reach. "Sigala is just an incredible producer; great writer. We had a pretty big hit last year and this'll kill it too." You'd better believe it. Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, INXS, Duran Duran, the B-52s and Daft Punk are just a few whose household names owe plenty to the mysterious sonic art of this erudite industry survivor. Brielle Messina and Arielle Harrison of Santa Sabina College in their kilts. Santa Sabina College Principal Dr Maree Herrett said the most controversial update to the uniform was not the addition of pants, but the colour change and losing the kilt. "It was a combination of going back to our roots even while we were breaking with tradition in other ways; looking at fabrics that would suit our climate the kilt was brought in in 1976, and I'd like to compare the summer temperatures then and now. Though she said offering girls pants is "hardly revolutionary", Dr Herrett acknowledged it would make a big difference for many, both in terms of physical comfort and self-expression. "We want girls to be comfortable ... I think with the littler girls particularly, to run around the playground, to turn upside-down and all that. "We've always had a variety of gender expression in schools ... what I think we're recognising is that there has always been a variety of ways of expressing your femininity or your masculinity." For students who might be questioning their gender, she added, it's also a way to "make the journey a little bit more comfortable for them". Few girls are wearing the pants in Sydney Fairfax Media looked at the current uniform policies of more than 100 non-government schools across Sydney, and found just two other independent schools that offer pants or shorts to female students as part of the regular (non-sport) uniform. They are International Grammar School, a secular, co-ed school in Ultimo that offers uniform options of dresses, skirts, pants and shorts to all students; and St Catherine's School in Waverley, an Anglican girls' school that introduced shorts in 1998, with a "designer" uniform offering students "a range of options so each girl can reflect her personal style. There were also a handful of Catholic systemic schools allowing girls to wear pants, although for the most part the privilege only extended to those in year 11 and 12 or as part of the winter uniform, for warmth. Not all NSW government schools offer girls the option of pants and shorts, either. Last year, a Riverstone parent who wanted her daughters to be able to wear pants to John Palmer Public School had to take the matter to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board before the school made the change. Melissa Mibus told the Rouse Hill Courier at the time: "Its a sad reflection because the school has so many wonderful attributes." Loading NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes said it is "common sense" that girls should have the option to wear shorts or pants as their school uniform, and he has asked the NSW Department of Education to review its policy of allowing individual schools to choose whether or not they do. The blaze broke out at the Top of the Town brothel. Credit:Anthony Colangelo Firefighters have extinguished a blaze on the upper levels of a Flinders Street brothel, near the corner of King Street. Eleven people had to be evacuated from Top of the Town brothel when the fire broke out about 7:30am on Saturday. There were no reports of injuries. Emergency services at the scene said the fire did not appear to be deliberately lit. It is believed the blaze began when a mattress caught fire. Australia will urge its Asian neighbours to redouble their sanctions against North Korea in a bid to intensify pressure on dictator Kim Jong-un after an apparent breakthrough in the global effort to stop his nuclear weapons program. The regional show of force will be on the agenda when Asian leaders fly into Sydney within days for a summit with Malcolm Turnbull, with Australia preparing to enforce tougher sanctions and hoping others do the same. Mr Turnbull is also hoping to speak to Donald Trump by telephone this weekend to offer Australian support on dealing with North Korea, while also thanking the US President for offering special treatment for Australia on steel tariffs and possibly discussing regional security in the South China Sea. The Prime Minister has backed new US sanctions that seek to halt oil shipments to the rogue state, amid fears that Chinese and other vessels are transferring goods between ships at sea to evade earlier trade barriers. The Grand's general manager, Rrahim Fazliu, conceded that the place perhaps no longer deserved the five-star rating it has claimed since it was built in 1978. But, he insisted, "with a bit of makeup" it could become a "symbol of success" for a country still struggling to find its stride nearly 20 years after a NATO bombing campaign broke Serbia's grip on the unruly region. The hotel, Fazliu added, was a "mirror of Kosovo," and the image reflected there these days is decidedly less alluring than what had been hoped for when it achieved freedom in 1999. Rrahim Fazliu, the hotel's general manager. Credit:New York Times Service is minimal to nonexistent, the marble lobby stinks of cigarette smoke and the green carpeting that covers most of the floors is stained and scarred. And then there are the cockroaches. But to be fair, the Grand deserves better reviews than it gets online. On the two floors kept ready for guests, rooms are kept relatively clean and offer occasional hot water. The few staff that remain try to be helpful, and they are clearly embarrassed by the shabby state of their once respectable establishment. The President, who has only bad memories of the hotel in the past and despairs at its current condition, harbours big plans for its future. "Perhaps we could build a Trump Tower there," Thaci suggested. Before Yugoslavia collapsed in a spasm of bloodletting in the 1990s, he recalled, the Grand was a favourite haunt for communist officials and, after they left, for armed goons bent on keeping Kosovo part of Serbia. Tito's fourth floor suite. Credit:New York Times Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavia's longtime dictator, had a suite on the fourth floor. After Tito died in 1980 and his multiethnic country began to unravel, the Grand soldiered on and even prospered for a time, its occupancy rate lifted by the arrival of foreign journalists and Serb paramilitary gangs that wanted to purge Kosovo of ethnic Albanians, who made up a large majority of the population. Zeljko Raznatovic, a Serbian career criminal and bloodthirsty nationalist fanatic better known as Arkan, commandeered Tito's old suite while his gunmen put up a sign on the front door barring entry to ethnic Albanians and dogs. Loading On my first day at the hotel on my recent visit, a group of revellers from a grimy nightclub on the top floor took rooms in the middle of the night and boosted the number of guests to five an occupancy rate of 1 per cent, which is about as good as business gets at the Grand these days. "We are ready every day to operate at full capacity but there are no people," said Fazliu, the general manager. He works out of a huge office on the second floor equipped with a long wooden conference table, multiple telephones and other relics of better and busier days. Stuck in limbo since the end of the Kosovo war, which brought Thaci and his comrades in the Kosovo Liberation Army to power, the hotel stands as a bleak monument not only to Kosovo's painful past but also to its blurry future. The keys of unbooked rooms at the hotel's reception desk. Credit:New York Times Free of Serbian control for nearly 20 years and now celebrating its 10th anniversary as an independent country, Kosovo is itself stuck in limbo, recognised by the United States and most European countries but still denied a seat at the United Nations and routinely harassed by Russia and Serbia. It only recently got its own telephone country code 383 while still mostly using codes 377 and 386 borrowed from Monaco and Slovenia. Meanwhile, iPhones do not offer weather reports for Pristina. However, many of the problems plaguing Kosovo in particular, endemic corruption and shady dealings by former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army are of the country's own making. I had last visited the Grand Hotel on June 12, 1999, the day NATO ground troops first entered Pristina after a 78-day bombing campaign. A jittery receptionist told me then that all the rooms were booked and would be for a long time. The city was then swarming with foreigners looking for a place to stay Western journalists, military officers, aid workers and European officials. A huge fire rages through central Pristina after a NATO missile strike in April 1999. We had all rushed to Pristina to witness the end of Serb hegemony and the birth of what the United States and its European allies hoped would be a prosperous new country firmly anchored in the West and its ways. A critical part of this plan was a crash program to privatise former Yugoslav state assets such as the Grand Hotel. Put up for sale in 2006, it was bought by a murky local company that paid just 8 million (a little under $A13 million at current rates) but promised, as part of the deal, to invest a further 20 million. Yountville: A gunman has slipped into an employee going-away party at the largest veterans home in the United States and took taken people hostage in a shootout and stand-off that has kept the sprawling California grounds locked down for hours, authorities and family members said. Nearly nine hours after it all began, authorities said they still didn't know what was going on inside the room where the gunman and the hostages were. California Highway Patrol Sergeant Robert Nacke told reporters on Friday (Saturday afternoon AEDT) that the condition of the hostages was not known and that negotiators had not been able to reach the gunman by phone after trying for several hours. Nacke said the situation remained "dynamic and active" during the brief news conference and that police tactical teams were deciding how to proceed. Latest News What NABs fixed rate raise means for home loans in 2022 After last weeks huge news, what brokers can expect from Big Four bank interest rates in 2022 Newcastle Permanent launches unique new scheme to help local youth Unique scheme started by COB to support local youth through pandemic Following CBAs latest cuts to its fixed rate loans, NAB and ANZ have moved to drop their rates for both owner occupiers and investors by as much as 50 basis points. This latest trend in rate reductions comes as data shows demand for fixed rate home loans has fallen for the sixth month in a row. Mortgage Choices latest national home loan approval data found that fixed rate home loans accounted for only 21.75% of all loans written in February down from more than 28% six months ago. Between the two banks, ANZ made more cuts than NAB, most of them in investor lending, data from comparison site Mozo shows. ANZ slashed its fixed rates across all terms from one year to five years for both interest-only and P&I investor loans, effective last Friday (9 March). For owner occupier loans, it dropped its rate only for its three-year fixed P&I loan. Meanwhile, NAB made the biggest cut, slashing its rate for five-year fixed P&I loans by 50 basis points to 4.09%. It also reduced its rates for its two-year and three-year fixed interest-only loans for owner occupiers. For investor products, NAB reduced its rates for its two-year and three-year fixed interest-only loans. A spokesperson for NAB told Australian Broker that the bank is still offering its lowest fixed rate for first home buyers at 3.69% p.a. for two years. We want to help Australians achieve their property goals. Fixed rate home loans provide certainty for customers, that their repayments will remain the same for the fixed rate term, said the spokesperson. While all three major banks have reduced their fixed rates, Westpac has gone the other way around by increasing its fixed rates for both owner occupier and investor loans. Related stories: Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC Now its getting somewhere! The streamlined design-build process is integral to the citys repairs to a crumbling portion of the BrooklynQueens Expressway, according to Gov. Cuomo, who this week signaled his support for the process that would fast-track the fix months after local pols and residents began demanding he authorize the procedure in his budget so city transit honchos arent forced to send the thousands of big-rigs that travel the road daily down local streets instead. The BrooklynQueens Expressway is a very big construction project. The city planning to move traffic throughout the construction period is by definition problematic, Cuomo said on Tuesday during an unrelated conference call with reporters about the next days snowstorm. Downtown Brooklyn is already congested, so design-build for the BQE I think is essential. Even with design-build its going to be a real problem in terms of traffic. The governor has long maintained his general support for the process that state law requires his authorization for local governments to use, which would request one bid for the expressway makeovers design and construction instead of hiring unique contractors for each phase. He green-lit it for several state-run projects, including the construction of the recently built Kosciuszko Bridge and a new span that will bear the Cuomo name. But hes repeatedly left advocates hanging when asked specifically whether hell allow the Department of Transportation to use design-build in its reconstruction of the expressways decaying triple cantilever. And Cuomo failed to authorize the procedure in both his first and revised drafts of the state budget, so his statement indicates he is moving in the right direction as his April 1 deadline to sign-off on a final budget looms, according to a Brooklyn Heights lawmaker in favor of the process. Whats different is that this is more direct, and its about doing it in the context of the city and some of its priority projects, said Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon. The governor is signaling that he will fight for this. Before the call on which Cuomo recognized how design-build could help the expressways repair, his staffer Alphonso David penned a Feb. 25 letter to Council Speaker Corey Johnson (DManhattan) that urged city officials to seek approval for the process in specific cases including the roads rehab and other projects such as closing the jails on Rikers Island and replacing them with new facilities throughout the five boroughs, and making much-needed renovations to the citys public-housing complexes, according to the New York Daily News, which first reported on Cuomos support. But design-build advocates said they arent taking a victory lap until the governor officially approves a final budget that authorizes using the procedure to fix the expressway, a permission that will cut about $113 million from the jobs current $1.9-billion price tag, and accelerate the reconstruction of the 1.5-mile stretch of the road between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street by at least two years, supporters say. Of course Im worried, Simon said. Im not going to rest until its done. Members of both houses in Albany are now writing each chambers own budget, which are due by the end of next week and together will be used to create the final version that must be approved by early April, according to Simon and another Brooklyn Heights state pol, who in a joint statement applauded Cuomo and pledged not to give up their fight for design-build as the budget-approval process continues. We thank Gov. Cuomo for his essential support for design-build for the BQE, and we look forward to working with him and with our colleagues in the Senate and the Assembly to ensure that legislation authorizing design-build for this project is enacted later this month in the final budget, said state Sen. Brian Kavanagh. The governors public support for the streamlined process followed a Feb. 27 meeting where Transportation Department bigwigs presented a draft of their expressway-repair plan, which locals have until March 12 to submit comment on by e-mail or snail mail. Check out the citys proposed scope of work for the BrooklynQueens Expressway repair at www.bqe-i278.com/en. E-mail feedback to info@ bqe-i 278.com , or mail it to BQE Project Team, 605 3rd Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10158. All comments due by March 12. Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC An employee at PS 312 in Bergen Beach is suing the city and her schools principal, alleging a litany of discriminatory actions targeting her Orthodox Jewish beliefs. Ilene Klass, an occupational therapist at the school, says that since showing up late one spring day following a Jewish holiday, she has been mistreated by the school in apparent retaliation over her religious commitments. She was subjected to continuous bullying, harassment, religious discrimination, and retaliation from her employers or their agents due to the fact that she is an Orthodox Jew, argues her lawyer, Joseph Aron, in the lawsuit filed on Dec. 23 last year. Klass has worked at PS 312 as an occupational therapist for around 10 years, and is still at the school, where she is the only Orthodox Jewish employee. She had an exemplary record until the conflict arose with principal Sungmin Yoo last year, according to the lawsuit. Both Yoo and the citys Department of Education declined to comment for this article. The problems for Klass began in February 2017, when she asked Yoo for the day off on April 19, which was the day after the Jewish holiday of Passover. There were no classes the previous day due to the schools spring break. Klass asked for the day off because she was returning from Florida where her ailing father lives, and Orthodox tradition forbids flying on the last day of Passover, which was April 18. Yoo declined her request, according to the lawsuit, and when Klass said the earliest she could arrive would be two hours late on April 19, Yoo allegedly responded better to come late than not to come at all, and Klass told Yoo she would be late, the lawsuit states. However, Yoo then wrote up Klass for professional misconduct and insubordination, due to the lateness, according to the suit. Klass argues that she was singled out for being an Orthodox Jew, since other employees were allegedly allowed the day off. Ms. Yoo allowed other employees to take off on April 19. 2017. Those employees were not Orthodox Jews, she alleges in the suit. The suit contends that the lateness penalty demonstrated religious discrimination, because other employees who were late did not receive the same punishment. Yoo allegedly said that she opposed granting the day off because the city frowns upon employees not working the days before and after holidays, but Klass believes she was singled out over this, according to her lawsuit. This standard apparently only applies to Orthodox Jews, as others in the same school were granted the day off, she argues in court filings. Klass alleges a series of other discriminatory measures then followed. Around May of 2017, Yoo changed Klasss Friday hours to 3:25 pm. Klass could not work until then in the winter due to times proximity to sundown, when the Jewish Sabbath begins. This schedule was specifically made for Plaintiff in order to frustrate her Shabbos observance, the lawsuit alleges, adding that Yoo threatened her with civil and criminal penalties for not complying with the new hours. Other allegations against the school and Yoo include stopping e-mail confirmations of requests for religious absences, putting a letter in Klasss personnel file alleging misconduct, not allowing Klass to use personal time for religious observance as she had in the past, and scolding her for missing nine days in 2017, many of which were Jewish holidays, according to the suit. The lawsuit specifies that Klass is suing over defamation regarding the misconduct charge, harassment at the workplace, religious discrimination, and other grievances. Klass and Aron declined to comment beyond the contents of the lawsuit. New York State law offers some protections to employees regarding religious holidays, including allowing them to observe holy days unless doing so would create undue hardship, according to the state attorney generals website. Former UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today launched a scathing attack on the ruling dispensation, saying that the idea of India was under attack under the current government. Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2018, Gandhi said, "I am confident that BJP's Achhe Din will turn into India Shining that brought us the victory." Highlighting the dissimilarities in the way of functioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gandhi said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee had great respect for parliamentary procedures. Parliamentary rules are not followed under the current government." Democracy allows dissent and debate and not monologues, she added. Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said, "Was India really a giant black hole before 26 May 2014? Did India march to progress, prosperity and greatness just four years ago? Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people?" Speaking on the style of functioning of newly-elected Congress President, Sonia Gandhi said: "Every leader of a party has his or her particular style of working and Rahul has his style. I had my style. He is keen on bringing a balance of younger people and senior leaders to revitalise the party and I agree with him on this." She, however, added that Rahul wants to bring young leaders but not at the cost of senior leaders. The former Congress President said: "In the last meeting we had he clearly said that he strongly believes that young people must be brought in but that does not mean ignore senior people who have contributed a lot to the party in all these years." Taking on the BJP, Gandhi said, "Callous remarks about changing the Constitution point to a deliberate attempt to subvert the very essence of India." The former UPA Chairperson was referring to the Minister of State for Skill Development Anant Kumar Hegde's recent remark in which he had said "we are here and have come to change the Constitution." Referring to the BJP's tenure at the Centre, Gandhi said: "We should all be seriously concerned at how the foundational principles and values of our constitution are being wilfully shredded. Provocative statements from the ruling governments are not random or accidental they are part of a dangerous design." Former Congress President accused the BJP government of using the Aadhaar as an intrusive instrument of control. Gandhi was speaking at India Today Conclave 2018 where she said: "Aadhaar was to be an instrument of empowerment. It is being turmed into an intrusive instrument of control." She also said that RTI was brought-in to bring transparency and to fight corruption. "Today that law is in cold storage. The RTI and RTI activists are being killed," Gandhi added. During the short keynote address, Sonia Gandhi touched upon various social and economic subjects. She said: "The freedom to think for oneself, to differ and disagree, to eat according to one's choice, to meet and marry according to one's wishes all this and more is under attack. Our country, our society, our freedoms all are now under a systematic and sustained assault. Our freedoms are under attack." She further said that the parliamentary majority was being interpreted as a licence to stifle debate and bulldozed legislations. "Fear and intimidation are the order of the day. Alternative voices are being silenced," Gandhi added. Speaking on what went wrong for Congress in the last few years, Gandhi said that there was certain amount of anti incumbency. She said: "There were certain issues. We were in a way out marketed. We couldn't compete with how Modi went into elections." She further said that the Congress party has to develop a new style of connecting with people. The former Congress chairperson also downplayed all the talks of corruption during UPA-II regime. She said: "Corruption as an issue was highly exaggerated. The previous CAG in our government came out with a humongous sum of money. There was a problem in that. The person in-charge was given a very cushy job." The was referring to former CAG Vinod Rai who came up with 2G scam figure. "In Gujarat, the same CAG has found Rs 20,000 crore of misuse of funds and nobody is talking about it," she added. Sonia Gandhi also said that the current ruling party lacked respect to parliamentary procedures. She was responding to a question on the conduct of oppositions during the Prime Minister's speech in the Parliament after Budget 2018. "Every time there is an important issue to discuss, we are scuttled in the Parliament. We wanted to discuss the big fraud. It's the issue that's agitating people's mind. But we are not just allowed to speak," she said. Gandhi also accused the government of fuelling religious tensions. She said: "Vigilante mobs and private armies have been let loose under state patronage. There is shocking insensitivity on atrocities on dalits and women. Our society is being polarised with an eye on winning elections." The custody of Karti Chidambaram to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was extended by a special court on Friday. Being interrogated in INX Media money laundering case, Karti will now be presented before the court on March 12. His bail application will be heard on March 15. Justice Sunil Rana extended the CBI custody when Karti, son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, was produced before the CBI special court after his last leg of custody got over on Friday. Karti and his chartered accountant will now reportedly be interrogated together. In a brief breather earlier today, the Delhi High Court granted interim protection from arrest to Karti Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case. As per the court order, he cannot be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till March 20 in the money laundering case registered against him. The court also issued a notice and sought a response of the Centre and the ED on Karti's plea challenging the issuance of summons and proceedings initiated against him in the money laundering case. He had sought the quashing of the summons and all proceedings initiated by the ED, calling them "unreasonable, without jurisdiction, without authority of law, in colourable exercise of power and vitiated by mala fides". The Supreme Court had allowed Karti to withdraw his writ petition against the ED summons and asked acting Chief Justice of the High Court to allocate the matter to a suitable bench for hearing. The matter was mentioned in-chamber before Justice Bhat who listed it for hearing on Friday. Meanwhile, investigating agencies are reportedly expanding their probe against Karti beyond the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis cases. In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court recently, the ED had mentioned that at least 54 files of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) are being scoured inspected. Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the UK, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister. The CBI has alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for the FIPB clearance The ED had registered a case against him and others in May last year. It had registered an enforcement case investigation report (ECIR), against the accused named in the CBI complaint. These accused included Karti Chidambaram, INX Media and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea. Just ahead of his visit to India, French President Emmanuel Macron has given ammunition to the Narendra Modi government to counter the Opposition's charges of irregularities in the Rafale jet deal. In an exclusive interview with India Today Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa, Macron said the Narendra Modi government bargained well and managed to safeguard India's industrial interests. "I wasn't part of it, but I have to say the negotiations were a win-win situation for both of us," he said. "A large part of the production will now be in India, so the interests of the industry and workers were very well defended." The French President's three-day visit to India begins on Friday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in April 2015 that India will buy 36 French-manufactured Rafale multi-role jets off the shelf from aircraft builder and integrator Dassault in a bid to upgrade the military's ageing fleet. The Rafale was chosen in 2012 over rival offers from the United States, Europe and Russia. The BJP-led government rowed back from the commitment of the previous UPA regime to buy 126 Rafales, saying the twin-engined planes would be too expensive and the deal fell through after nearly decade-long negotiations. PM Modi then intervened and decided to buy 36 ready-to-fly fighters to give the military a near-term boost instead of trying to acquire technology from Dassault and make it in India. The first Rafales are expected to arrive by 2019 and India is set to have all 36 within six years. The government has said the Air Force and Navy require as many as 400 single-and double-engine combat aircraft. According to the Congress, India under NDA rule is now paying more for the jets to Dassault than the deal negotiated by the UPA government. The party has alleged the government caused "insurmountable loss" of taxpayers' money in signing the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft for Rs 58,000 crore. Macron's statement assumes significance in the view of continued attack by opposition parties on the deal. Congress president Rahul Gandhi last month alleged that massive corruption happened in the pact and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally involved in it. Macron said when a deal involves extremely sensitive business interests, it is not desirable to give out details. "First of all, you have these commercial agreements, and obviously you have competitors and we can't let them know details of the deal. Secondly, there are some discussions to be organised by the Indian government, and they will have to consider which details they would want to be revealed to the opposition and Parliament," he said in the interview. Macron also said he was very impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, "especially his strong commitment to (reversing) climate (change)", and described him as a "very wise man with a personal philosophy and taste for independence". On the shared concerns of both nations regarding terrorism, the French President said the two countries must increase bilateral cooperation in terms of security, exchange of good practices and information. "One of the threats for you will be the return of jihadis from the Iraq-Syria region. One of the main common interests we have is to cooperate in this area," he said. "They attacked France several times, and they will now decide to go back, take refuge in your region. It's very important to cooperate very concretely, in terms of exchange of intelligence, increase cooperation in counterterrorism." Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has urged the Agriculture Ministry to remove the royalty or trait value attached to Bollgard II (BG-II)cotton seed. The specific Bt cotton technology introduced by Mahycho Monsanto Biotech Limited (MMBL), and sublicensed to Indian cotton seed manufacturers, was allegedly ineffective in arresting crop losses to the farmers in Maharashtra during the previous crop seasons, it said. In a letter to Shobhana Kumar Pattanaik, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, SJM said that the official committee that is collecting inputs for fixing the trait value and the MSP of Bt cotton seeds for 2018-19 should remove the trait value for BG-II this year and reduce the MSP of Bt cotton seeds to the farmers. The government had fixed Rs 49 as trait value for a 450-gm packet in 2016 and 2017. Pointing out that the total amount collected by MMBL since the introduction of its BT cotton trait in India in 2002 was Rs 8,000 crore, SJM wanted the government to pressurise the trait developers - Monsanto and their group Companies - to compensate for the farmers' losses. "Despite the Bt trait failing and leading to severe losses to the farmers more particularly in Maharashtra, the Controller (government) did not direct the trait developer MMBL who collected about Rs 500 Crores in 2016-17 and 2017-18 from the farmers to pay any compensation to farmers who are in distress", Ashwani Mahajan, National Co Convenor, SJM states. "The directions from Ministry of Agriculture would have accelerated actions from Maharashtra to give some relief to farmers who suffered due to heavy infestation of Pink Bollworm (PBW)", he adds. Mahajan also questioned Monsanto's claim of 'the magic increase in cotton productivity due to adoption of Bt trait' and said that 'the increase in cotton productivity was more due to 30% area increase in the same period and due to hard work of farmers'. "Fixing of trait value of Rs. 49/- for a failed BG 2 trait while the earlier BG-I trait value with similar efficacy remains "zero" reflects utter negligence on the part of the concerned officials", Mahajan says. According to him, the low price of BG-1 seed, the cost of production of which cannot be lower than that of BG-II seeds, is encouraging the monopoly of MMBL in the cotton seed business. "Nobody would produce BG-I seeds and incur loss. All seed companies are only producing BG 2 seeds. Due to this the farmers are suffering as BG-I seeds are not available in the market and they are compelled to buy only BG-II seeds thereby paying Rs 49 extra on every pack and thereby benefitting MMBL", Mahajan says. SJM called for same seed value for both BG-I and BG-II seeds based on the rational cost computation and wanted the ministry to "examine the facts carefully and take correct decision in the interest of the farmers and the Nation". Last month, a report by IATA, the global airlines' body, showed that India was the world's fastest growing domestic aviation market in 2017, for the third year running. Playing a distinct role in the country's double-digit traffic growth is the Centre's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), also known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), which took off in 2017. Speaking on the sidelines of Wings India 2018, a biennial aviation event currently being held in Hyderabad, aviation secretary R.N. Choubey said that of the 56 airports planned under the scheme - in the second round of bidding - 19 have already been connected. "We are connecting roughly one new airport in every 15 days," he added. And now the "aam nagrik" in smaller cities might be able to start dreaming of international flights, too. According to Choubey, though UDAN's core concept will continue to be affordable regional flights, it will lend its support to state governments that evince interest to fly to foreign destinations. "We are calling it UDAN international," he said. The Assam government, he added, has already come forward to provide Rs 100 crore per annum for three years to start international flights to Southeast Asia. The development comes within two months of the foundation stone being laid down for Guwahati's new integrated international terminal. Expected to be completed by 2021, the new terminal building will be spread across 90,000 sq mts and will boast world-class features, including 20 aircraft parking bays, 64 check-in counters, eight immigration counters, eight customs counters, six arrival carousels. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will invest Rs 1,232 crore in this project. Speaking on the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had said that it would lead to the emergence of Guwahati as the gateway to South East Asia. "We have 800 million people in and around us in Southeast Asia. This is a great market," he had added. The aviation ministry not only concurs but is willing to help the state in facilitating and conducting the bidding process in a transparent manner. However, Choubey clarified that the Centre would not provide any subsidy under the scheme as the idea belongs to the state government. "We will guide them but the final decision is with the state government," he explained. The bad news is that Assam is the only state showing interest in UDAN International so far; other states are yet to catch on. But if not international flights, citizens across the country can at least look forward to international-standard airports. The AAI has chalked out a Rs 18,000 crore capital expenditure plan for upgradation of airports in the next four years. And that, in turn, spells job creation. According to Choubey, over the next 5-6 years, the requirement for pilots alone will be in the range of 8,000 to 10,000. With PTI inputs 09 Mar 2018, 1:44 PM President Trump signs tariffs on steel and aluminum The proclamations by US President Donald Trump to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminium received mixed reaction from stakeholders with some seeing it as a step that would revive the manufacturing sector while others warned it would lead to a trade war. As reported by PTI, Trump has signed two proclamations that impose 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium. While one section hailed it as a "historic" decision that would bring back jobs to the US and revive manufacturing sector, another warned of an adverse impact on the American economy and cautioned that it would lead to a trade war. President Donald Trump also said he would be "fair and flexible" toward "real friends" of the US while imposing punitive trade tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum as he indicated that Mexico, Canada, Australia and "others" could be exempt. Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick returns with fund aimed at India and China The former Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick, has announced in a Twitter post that he is going to start an investment fund called 10100. The overarching theme of the new fund, pronounced "ten-one-hundred", will be to invest in real estate, ecommerce and emerging innovation in China and India, Kalanick said in a tweet. The fund will oversee for-profit investments as well as non-profit work and focus on education and future of cities, Kalanick said, as reported by Reuters. Choksi cites health issues, says he'll not get treatment in 'private hospital' if he returns to India Gitanjali Gems Chairman Mehul Choksi has cited health reasons for his inability to return to India. On February 24, the government had revoked the passports of both Mehul Choksi and his partner Nirav Modi for defrauding public sector banks, including the Punjab National Bank. In a letter to the CBI, Choksi not only refused to return but also asked Mumbai's Regional Passport Office (RPO) to explain on what basis his passport was revoked. Choksi has written to the premier agency saying he had a cardiac procedure in February. Indian Railways to invest Rs 75,000 crore on a signalling system project The Indian Railways would invest Rs 75,000 crore on a signalling system project to be implemented across India, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said. "We will bring the most modern technology of European Train Control System (ETCS) in India and it will be implemented across the country. It will ensure safe journey," he told reporters. Govt to extend UDAN scheme to international flights The success of the regional connectivity scheme, or UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), has prompted the government to extend the scheme for international flights, aviation secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said, as reported by Mint. The Assam government has expressed interest in connecting Guwahati airport with several South East Asian destinations, he added. Macron to 'name and shame' companies that pay women less French President Emmanuel Macron marked International Women's Day with a pledge to "name and shame" companies that pay women less than men for the same work. On a visit to a Paris-based property management firm hailed as a model of gender equality, he announced plans to "drastically" increase inspections of companies to ensure they complied with a law requiring equal pay for equal work. "We will put in place a 'name and shame' system to make public (the names of) companies that least respect the law," said Macron, who has made tackling sexism a key priority. The aviation sector is buzzing with reports of fresh orders by Jet Airways and market leader IndiGo. At the three-day Wings India 2018 convention held in Hyderabad, Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube, without naming any manufacturer, said Jet hopes to order 75 narrow-body aircraft by March 31 in addition to 75 Boeing 737 MAX that the airline had ordered in 2015. IndiGo, on the other hand, has reportedly ordered 50 Airbus A330 wide-body jets. The order book of Indian carriers stands at over 1,000 aircraft, and there are over 500 aircraft flown by scheduled commercial airlines at the moment. In terms of pending orders, IndiGo is much ahead of the competition with nearly 400 Airbus A320s, and about 49 ATRs on order. This is followed by SpiceJet, which has firmed up its orders for 155 Boeing 737-8 Max, and 50 Bombardier Q400s. Airbus has estimated that India will need some 1,750 new passenger and cargo aircraft over the next 20 years to meet the exponential growth in passenger and freight traffic. It includes 1,320 new single-aisle aircraft and 430 wide-body aircraft valued at $255 billion. Airbus says the air traffic growth is likely to be driven by the fast-expanding economy, rising wealth, urbanisation and the government-backed Udan (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. "By 2036, Indians will each make four times as many flights as today. As a result, traffic serving the Indian market is forecast to grow 8.1 per cent per year over the next 20 years, almost twice as fast as the world average of 4.4 per cent," Airbus said. The passenger traffic picked up in January to 19.69 per cent after several months of muted growth. With that kind of order book, India is set to become the third-largest aviation market by 2019/20, behind the US and China. The aviation sector experts are skeptical of the projections though as there are a host of issues that could affect the growth over the next few years. Lack of airport infrastructure, rising ATF (aviation turbine fuel) prices, and long-term sustainability of the Udan scheme may hamper the growth. Apple is often credited with being a trendsetter in the world of smartphones. Many a time, small OEMs blatantly copy designs and features in order to cash-in the growing trends. In fact, iPhone clones are extremely popular in developing markets like India and China. The iPhone X had triggered something similar in the Android ecosystem. The operating system has formally introduced the notch by adding a provision for OEMs to opt for different notch sizes. The Essential phone was the first Android phone that came with a small notch on the top of the screen in August last year. The design was well-received but it only gained popularity when Apple launched the iPhone X on their tenth iPhone anniversary. Asus launched the Zenfone 5 at the MWC 2018 with a notch-design, uncannily similar to the iPhone X. Reports suggest that OnePlus 6 and Huawei P20 will also go with a similar design. With the official support from Google, we can expect more phones to adopt this peculiar design language. The Developer Preview of Android P is finally out and the operating system now has the provision to add a notch at the top of the screen. The support ranges from an iPhone X-like broad notch to an Essential-phone like small notch. To accommodate the notch Google has repositioned the status bar in a way that will use the space on both sides of the notch. The inclusion of this support also signifies that Google might try the new notch design with the next generation of Pixels. Other changes in the new operating system include a new notification shade that displays a lot more information. The user can not only interact with the notification but also view the contents including images. The colour scheme of the notification has also been tweaked to make it look more vibrant in comparison to Android Oreo. As is common with beta ROMs, few of the new features might not make it to the stable build. We will get a better look at the new Android P during the Google I/O that is scheduled to begin on May 8. Morgan McKinley Ireland has today released its latest Employment Monitor for February 2018. The report shows that the number of professional job vacancies in February 2018 decreased by 12% nationally compared to January 2018 and also by 9% compared to February 2017. The monitor shows that there was also a 5% month on month decrease in the number of professionals active in the job market. This adjustment is in line with economic growth and low unemployment rates. Morgan McKinley believe January 2018 represented a strong and confident start to the hiring outlook. The February snap shot indicates a levelling off of that intensity but all economic indicators remain positive for steady job growth and a buoyant hiring market. The monitor notes that due to brexit many companies are in the process of establishing regulated subsidiaries in Dublin to hedge against the risk of disruption to their business. This has led to a continued demand for risk and compliance professionals with the roles of Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) proving the most in demand pre-approved control function positions for establishing compliant structures for Brexit related entities in Ireland in the Financial Services space. The monitor noted a marked increase in the number of professionals returning from overseas and namely from the UK and across all professional sectors, but particularly financial services. Morgan McKinley expect that once a definitive outcome has been reached in the Brexit negotiations we will see an upsurge in hiring in Ireland. The positions for which Morgan McKinley are seeing the most demand this month include legal administrators, audit professionals, clerical officers, automation engineers, pension administrators and recruitment administrators. Commenting on the research, Director of Inward Investment at Morgan McKinley Ireland, Trayc Keevans said, "There has been vast speculation for some time now on what impact Brexit will have on recruitment in Ireland and last week we got a glimpse at what a post-Brexit future might look like. In a landmark speech, the UK Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out keeping financial passporting with the European Union after Brexit. This provided, for the first time, an acknowledgement that passporting is at risk and this will clearly have an impact on the financial services sector in London." Source: www.businessworld.ie The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys has today launched Enterprise 2025 Renewed and the Action Plan for Jobs 2018 at Monaghan Mushrooms, which employs over 500 people at its North East operation. The Action Plan for Jobs 2018 is the 7th cross-Government annual plan to support job creation, while Enterprise 2025 Renewed is a review of Irelands longer term enterprise strategy. It is the Governments ambition to ensure that another 100,000 jobs are created by the end of 2020. According to the Minister, there are over 2.2 million people at work, the unemployment rate stands at 6% and indigenous exports have reached over 21.6 billion. She claims that it is her determination that no region will have an unemployment rate above 1 percentage point of the national average by 2020. To date, the Action Plan for Jobs has supported the creation of nearly 313,000 jobs. The Government aims to support the creation of 50,000 more jobs in 2018. Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection Pat Breen T.D. said many of these jobs would be created by small and medium sized companies (SMEs). Source: www.businessworld.ie New rules will increase the ceiling of foreign ownership in a Chinese securities firm to 51% from current 49%. Photo: VCG Chinas securities regulator on Friday published draft rules that will allow foreign financial institutions to take control of domestic securities brokerages, moving to deliver on Beijings pledge to further open the countrys financial service market. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) released the revised rules for foreign investment in Chinas securities firms and will collect public comment on the new rules until April 8. The new rules will increase the ceiling of foreign ownership in a Chinese securities firm to 51% from current 49%. The 51% cap will be eventually removed three years after the new rules take effect, a senior official has said. China pledged to further open its financial market last November, following U.S. President Donald Trumps visit to Beijing. Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told media at the time that China would allow foreign investors to own a majority stake of any joint venture in the securities, funds, and futures industries, and lift all caps on foreign ownership in three years. The newly drafted rules revise Chinas existing regulation on foreign investment in the securities sector, which was introduced in 2002. A total of 24 revisions were made, according to the CSRC. In addition, the revised rules will allow foreign investors to hold up to 51% of a listed Chinese brokerage, rising from current 25%. But a single foreign shareholder wouldnt be allowed to own more than 30% of the publicly-traded brokerage. Global financial giants such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, UBS and Credit Suisse currently operate in China through minority-owned ventures. In a recent interview with Caixin, Sergio Ermotti, chief executive of UBS Group, said the company is hoping to increase its ownership in its China venture to 51% when regulations permit. The new rules also set higher requirements on foreign investors, saying they must be financial institutions with a sound international reputation, and good business and credit records over the past three years. Foreign-funded brokerages will also be allowed to engage in a wider range of businesses, according to the new rules. New brokerages can apply for four licenses and further expand their business after one year in operation, the draft rules say. China granted foreign financial institutions the access to its massive financial market in early 2000s, but foreign investors presence in the Chinese market has remained small, due partly to lower-than-expected market access and increasingly aggressive competition from domestic rivals. Currently, there are only nine foreign-funded securities joint ventures operating in China excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan-funded firms and most foreign-funded brokerages are limited to investment bank services due to licensing control. Chinas slow pace in opening up its financial market has been the target of growing criticism. The countrys banking sector has grown into the worlds largest in terms of assets and the total value of stocks traded on its bourses ranks second globally. Concern has grown about financial risk from mounting bad loans and excessive leveraging in China, and officials have increasingly counted on market liberalization to promote reform, invigorate competition and moderate risks. The lack of market accessibility has become a key factor fueling Chinas financial risks, Tao Ling, vice director of the central banks financial stability bureau, said in September. In 2015, China first eased control on ownership of Hong Kong and Macau investors in domestic brokerages under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), allowing them to hold as much as a 51% stake in a securities venture. So far, four brokerages controlled by overseas investors have been set up under the arrangement, including Huajing Securities, Shengang Securities, HSBC Qianhai Securities and East Asia Qianhai Securities. Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) Published On Mar 09, 2018 09:33 AM By Raunak The second-gen Rexton is based on a new platform, gets a new engine and transmission combination along with an extensive equipment list The second-generation SsangYong Rexton, which made its Indian debut at the Auto Expo 2018 wearing a Mahindra badge, will be launched later this year, most likely around the festive season. The new Rexton (know internationally as the G4 Rexton) will be locally assembled at Mahindras Chakan plant with CKD kits imported from South Korea. The production of the Rexton will commence in the second half of 2018. Will It Be Called Mahindra Rexton? No. While it continues with the Rexton brand name in other markets, Mahindra announced that the second-gen SUV will sport a different name in our country at the Delhi Auto Expo. A Quick Recap Of The G4 Rextons Origins The new-gen Rexton made its global debut at the 2017 Seoul Motor Show and was subsequently launched in South Korea. The SUV was introduced in Europe in late-2017 to replace the previous-gen model. Now, it is coming to India later this year. Expected Prices? The two titans of the full-size, seven-seat, body-on-frame SUV segment - the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner - will be the new Rextons prime rivals. The Endeavour and the Fortuner have stepped up their game in every imaginable aspect, including powertrain options, features on offer and fit-and-finish. Thanks to these improvements, both SUVs are more expensive when compared to their older avatars. Its a similar story with the Rexton as well. So expect it to be priced higher than the outgoing model in the country (Mahindra launched the previous generation of the Ssangyong Rexon in India back in 2012), but undercut both the Ford and the Toyota. Full-Size SUV Segment Ford Endeavour Toyota Fortuner SsangYong Rexton (outgoing) G4 Rexton (New) Price range (ex-Delhi) Rs 26.05 lakh - 32.50 lakh Rs 26.20 lakh - Rs 31.99 lakh Rs 23.66 lakh - Rs 25.04 lakh ~ Rs 25 lakh - Rs 28 lakh Some of the features that we can expect in the India-spec Rexton are an electric sunroof, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an electronic parking brake and nine airbags (a segment-first feature). Dimensions Rexton Endeavour Fortuner Length 4850mm 4892mm 4795mm Breath 1960mm 1860mm 1855mm Height 1825mm 1837mm 1835mm Wheelbase 2865mm 2850mm 2745mm All the three SUVs are seven-seat offerings Vitals The 2018 Rexton will be powered by an all-new, 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine mated to a 7-speed automatic derived from Mercedes-Benz. The new powertrain option will replace the existing 2.7-litre, 5-cylinder diesel, which can be had with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AT (also borrowed from Mercedes-Benz). Like the outgoing model, the new Rexton will be a diesel-only offering. However, Mahindra may introduce a petrol at a later stage Rexton Endeavour Fortuner Engine 2.2-litre diesel 2.2-litre/ 3.2-litre diesel 2.8-litre diesel Power 180PS 160PS/ 200PS 177PS Torque 420Nm 385Nm/ 470Nm 420Nm (MT)/ 450Nm (AT) Transmission 7-speed AT 6-speed AT 6-speed MT/AT Read in detail about its new platform and more here: SsangYong Details All-New Rexton Step 1 Log on to the Bank of Baroda official website. Step 2 Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Careers link. Step 3 Under Recruitment, click on Current Openings. Step 4 The list of recruitment advertisements will be displayed on the screen. Step 5 Click on the recruitment link against Recruitment of Part Time Medical Consultant. Step 6 The detailed advertisement will be displayed on the screen. Step 7 Scroll down to find the application form. Step 8 Take a print out of it and fill your particulars. One in four students has already stopped going to school because there are no tampons in Brazil, according to United... LafargeHolcim targets better growth 09 March 2018 LafargeHolcim's CEO, Jan Jenisch, announced this week that the company is writing off its US$4.04bn impairment charge in the 4Q17 and is establishing a five-year strategy up to 2022 'Building for growth' with a reorganised regional leadership to target annual sales growth of 3-5 per cent as well as cash flow improvement at more than 40 per cent of EBITDA and a return on investment of eight per cent. Body blows LafargeHolcim has received some large body blows of late. Two thirds of the company's impairment charges were concentrated in Algeria, Malaysia, Iraq, Brazil, Indonesia and Egypt. The company has revealed it has launched a cost savings drive of CHF400m (US$426m) from its administration costs and will close its corporate offices in Singapore and Miami. More divestment can also be expected with the selling of approximately US$2bn of assets and the possible exit of the company from two or three countries South Africa has already been suggested as a possible exit market. Furthermore, LafargeHolcim has now scrapped its share buyback scheme and will seek to turn things around by improving its dividend returns while looking for bolt-on acquisitions. The aggregates and ready-mix company, Kendall Group has already been snapped up in the UK while a new cement plant is planned for the subsidiary Ambuja Cement in Rajasthan, even though the planned merger between ACC and Ambuja Cement has been put on hold. Organisational changes and Strategy 2022 - Building for growth North Africa is also a market where LafargeHolcim will invest, having seen the cement producer award thyssenkrupp with the order for a new 3500tpd clinker line in Souss Massa. This week also saw the multinational establish a Middle East and Africa region for its four largest markets of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria, all reporting directly to Saad Sebbar, who will head up LafargeHolcims MEA region. The new 2022 strategic plan targets are designed to get LafargeHolcim back on course following its high-profile merger, by focussing on core markets. Jan Jenisch is particularly bullish on the US market where the group's operations improved turnover by 1.4 per cent to EUR4915m, although shipments fell in 4Q17 by 1.7 per cent to 19.2Mt. "Our new Strategy 2022 - 'Building for Growth' will allow us to more vigorously capture market opportunities, capitalising on the best assets in a growing building materials market. We have already started to create a leaner more agile organisation, moving considerably closer to our customers through the empowerment of the country management," stated Mr Jenisch. Actions not words Perhaps, rather unsurprisingly, the major research analysts are not overly confident of an immediate improvement of fortunes for the super multinational. All this comes on the back of the formal investigation of Eric Olsen, former CEO, for the groups activities in Syria. The negative attributions now associated with the company will not be easy to shake off and the high-level expectations of the new strategy have not yet registered positive feedback. Halting the loss-making machine will need more than words, as one research house put it. Two research agencies rated the LafargeHolcim stocks with a sell rating this week, while seven have assigned a hold rating, according to The Enterprise Leader. LafargeHolcim's share price fell more than seven per cent after the new strategy was revealed, reports Reuters. Analysts clearly felt that LafargeHolcim's new goals were less than sufficient to bring investors rushing back into the fold. More positive results will need to be seen first. Published under Costa Rica considers imposing 5% cement tax on net sale price 09 March 2018 The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly is to discuss proposing a five per cent tax on imported and locally-produced cement. The bill establishes that " the tax on cement produced within the national territory or imported, will be of five per cent (5%) on the net sale price, both in the case of the national producer at the level of the production plant and for the importer at the level of the dispatch or storage site, excluding the corresponding sales or value-added tax, as well as any other tax." A statement by the Legislative Assembly explains that the funds collected from the tax will be distributed " between different provinces and cantons of Cartago, Guanacaste, Desamparados, places where this material is produced, while the rest of the country will also benefit, what is collected from production, in any of the other provinces not considered in the previous articles, will be distributed in the form of twenty-five per cent (25%) for the canton where production occurs and the remaining seventy and five per cent (75%) in equal parts for the cantons of the respective province." Published under BJP government to conduct vigilance probe into land transfer 09 March 2018 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana, India, has decided to conduct a vigilance probe into the transfer of approximately 122 acres of land from Associated Cement Companies (ACC) Bhupendra factory to a Mumbai-based builder, reports The Times of India. Latika Sharma, MLA, Kalka (BJP), has stated that, as per the lease deed of the factory, the land could only be used for industrial purposes, but during the tenure of the previous government it was transferred to a builder for the purpose of building a township. "An FIR in the issue was registered by Haryana police after our government came into power. During the investigation some startling facts have emerged, and the state government has decided to get a probe conducted by the Haryana vigilance bureau," said Education Minister, Ram Bilas Sharma, on Thursday. Published under Cementir announces 13% EBITDA rise in 2018 ICR Newsroom By 09 March 2018 Cementir reported a 10.9 per cent increase in revenues to EUR1.14bn in 2017 from 1.028bn in 2016. EBITDA advanced by 12.6 per cent to EUR222.7m while net profit edged up 6.2 per cent to EUR71.5m from EUR67.3m. The figures do not include the Cementir Italia Group (discontinued operations), but do include Compagnie des Ciments Belges SA (CCB), which Cementir acquired on 25 October 2016. The company's net financial debt decreased from EUR562.4m to EUR536.6m. Employees reached 3021. "The year 2017 ended with EBITDA of EUR222.7m, an increase on the EUR197.8m of the previous year, thanks to the 12-month consolidation of the CCB Group and the improvement in China, United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden, which substantially offset the lower earnings in Turkey, Egypt and Malaysia. Also, the depreciation of the Turkish lira and the Egyptian pound had a negative impact on Group results. "The cash flow generated by operations and control of working capital allowed the Group to end the year with net financial debt of EUR 536.6 million, which was better than forecast," commented Cementir's Chairman and CEO, Francesco Caltagirone Jr. Sales volumes In terms of sales volumes, the Italy-based cement producer sold some 10,282,000t of grey and white cement as well as 4,948,000m3 of ready-mixed concrete and 9,335,000t of aggregates in 2017. Cement and clinker sales volumes benefitted from the change in consolidation in Belgium as well as good performance in Denmark, Turkey, Egypt and Malaysia. Ready-mix volumes saw a 11.9 per cent YoY rise due to acquisitions in 2016 and strong sales in Denmark,Norway and Sweden, despite the fall in sales in Turkey. Aggregates volumes more than doubled as CCB contributed to the figure and Sweden and Denmark delivered a robust performance. Nordic/Baltic and USA market The Nordic/Baltic and USA markets saw a 41.4 per cent YoY rise in revenues, helped by CCBs consolidation, while sales revenues improved 14 per cent in Norway and Sweden with EBITDA increasing by 7.9 per cent. In Denmark, sales grew at a more modest rate and EBITDA fell by 16.7 per cent. Eastern Mediterranean Revenues in the eastern Mediterranean fell by 11.8 per cent YoY to EUR229.6m, impacted by the devaluation of the Turkish lira agains the euro which was not entirely offset by rising domestic sales and prices. A similar narrative played out in Egypt where currency devaluation against the euro also impacted results despite higher cement sales volumes and local prices. Central Mediterranean Revenue from sales totalled EUR183.4m and included the revenue of Cementir Sacci of EUR70.1m. Cement sales volumes increased 35.5 per cent compared to 2016 as a result of the 12-month consolidation of Cementir Sacci SpA but fell 9.6 per cent on like-for-like basis, with average prices rising. EBITDA was negative EUR5m million but improved from a loss of EUR12.1m the previous year and includes EBITDA of Cementir Sacci of EUR-2.5m. Asia-Pacific Revenues in the Asia-Pacific edged up by 2.6 per cent as China delivered a positive performance with a 5.6 per cent increase in revenues to to EUR44.1m although in local currency the hike was nine per cent. Malaysia and Australia delivered more modest performances, particularly in the domestic markets. Cement exports increased by around five per cent YoY, mainly due to higher volumes to Vietnam, Australia, Philippines and Japan. Outlook for 2018 Looking ahead, Cementir forecasts a consolidated revenue of EUR1.25bn and EBITDA of around EUR235m in 2018. The figures include Lehigh White Cement Co (LWCC), which the group will continue the integration of. Net financial debt is expected to continue to fall to EUR260m by 31 December 2018, after a capital expenditure of around EUR80m, the payment of US$106.6m for LWCC and the collection of the payment for the 100 per cent of share capital of Cementir Italia Spa. Published under The Ministry of Coal cancels mining licence 09 March 2018 India's Ministry of Coal has cancelled the mining licence for the Mandla South coal block won by Jaypee Cement, following the sale of the attached plants to UltraTech Cement. Jaypee sold three of the four projects linked to the block in Madhya Pradesh to UltraTech in January 2017, reports The Economic Times. According to a letter written by the Ministry, "The successful bidder had sold the end use plants, which is major lapse on the part of successful bidder and also shows the clear intention of successful bidder of being not serious about the development of the coal mine." However, the ministry is awaiting an explanation from the company for the next 15 days. Jaypee Cement submitted a bid of INR1852/t (US$28.40/t) for the coal block, which has 13.35Mt of extractable reserves. Published under Military operations can change the world dramatically, but not all of them actually happen. If these world-changing military operations actually went on, the world might look very different than it does today. Check out these events that could have changed your life completely. Scenario 1: War Plan Red U.S. invades Canada Post-World War II, after its recent victory in Europe, the United States fortified its military to compete with other world powers. At that time, global imperialism reigned supreme. Consequently, the U.S. drew up a series of Rainbow War Plans, filled with theoretical, color-coded scenarios. They dubbed the first on the list War Plan Red: The U.S. War with Britain. Strategists believed capturing Canada would force Britain to sue for peace. The first step involved an American invasion of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, followed by Quebec. Taking that province would prevent Canada from moving men and supplies in either direction. Next, they planned to take the Canadian industrial stronghold in the Great Lakes and from there, the Canadian Central Rail system in Winnipeg, to further stymie movements. Next: Conversely, Canada formulated plans of its own. Scenario 2: Canada invades the U.S. Literally called Defence Scheme No. 1, Canadas plan called for immediate action as soon as officials discovered evidence of an American invasion plan. The Canadians thought the U.S. planned to strike Montreal and the Great Lakes regions first, then head Westward toward British Columbia. In 1930, Canadian intelligence developed its own strategy, which intended to buy Canada time to receive help from Great Britain. Speed-optimized units would take major cities in Washington State, while others in the East would capture cities in Minnesota and the Great Plains. French Canadian forces would move into New York while an amphibious assault would attack Maine. As the Americans moved to remove the Canadians, retreating troops intended to destroy food any infrastructure as they went. Next: This operation would have served as the largest marine operation ever. Scenario 3: Allied forces invade Japan in Operation Downfall The Allied invasion of Japan at the end of World War II received the code name Operation Downfall. Japan surrendered after the United States dropped two atomic bombs, and the Soviet Union entered the Pacific War, easily defeating Japanese troops in China. That said, the Downfall invasion would have ranked as the largest amphibious operation in history, even larger than Normandy. The invasion involved two parts: Operations Olympic and Coronet. Olympic consisted of capturing of the southern portion of the Japanese island of Kyushu. Coronet used assets captured in Olympic to take the island of Honshu and areas near Tokyo. It called for a staggering 5 million American and 1 million British forces. Experts say the Japanese kept 35 million active, reserve, and drafted soldiers. One study estimated 1.7 million Allied casualties, if the event took place. Next: This proposed invasion required nuclear weapons. Scenario 4: Soviets invade Western Europe None of the Soviets war plans involved nuclear weapons until after Joseph Stalins 1953 death. After that, nuclear tensions heightened in Europe. The U.K. alone intended to drop at least 40 nuclear weapons on Eastern Europe. Furthermore, the American Single Integrated Operation Plan of 1960 called for thousands of nuclear strikes on Communist countries, even those that remained neutral. The West believed the total destruction that followed did not require subsequent plans. The Soviets thought otherwise. After the exchanges, Eastern military would invade the West, capturing cities from West Germany to France. Czechoslovak armies would advance from the middle of Europe toward the Atlantic Coast. Its planned five-to-one advantage would, in theory, take them to the coast within two weeks. Next: The following exchange almost turned into nuclear war. Scenario 5: Sino-Soviet War This border conflict between two Communist countries almost escalated into a nuclear conflict. Tensions rose over a less than mile-wide island in the Ussuri River. That river provides the border between Russia and the Peoples Republic of China. In 1964, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev ceded the island to China, but took it back after Chairman Mao threatened to take over other Russian areas. By 1968, the Red Army assembled on the border. The Politburo in Moscow believed the USSR would use nuclear weapons to win. Leonid Brezhnev even asked the U.S. to remain neutral if the Russians did enact nukes. Fortunately, it never happened. Next: This short but intense conflict could have involved the U.S. Scenario 6: Soviets invade Israel The 1967 Six-Day War started with a giant Israeli pre-emptive strike against Egyptian airfields. Within hours, the Israeli army decimated the Egyptian Air Forces before they even left the ground. Israeli forces then moved into the Gaza Strip and into the Sinai Peninsula, leveling heavy casualties on Egypt. Consequently, Egypt asked Jordan and Syria to intervene. That led to the Israelis taking the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Golan Heights. Next, the Russians prepared a marine invasion of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, as well as aviation backup. Strategic bombers and nuclear-armed naval forces positioned themselves toward the Middle East, when the Soviet Premiere delivered his threat to Washington. Next: We often forget this threat to the Southern U.S. Scenario 7: Mexico invades the U.S. Immediately prior to the U.S. entering into World War I, British intelligence intercepted a telegram from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico. It told the ambassador to offer a German-Mexican alliance in case the Americans join World War I against Germany. Germany promised to fund a Mexican invasion of territories it ceded during the Mexican-American war in the 1840s. The plan involved invading and annexing Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada, and Arizona, as well as parts of Utah, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Even if Mexico failed to conquer that territory, Germany believed that declaration of war would at least keep American resources in the West and out of Allied hands. When the telegram got published in the U.S. instead, it created huge public fury against Germany. Next: If this invasion happened, our lives could change significantly. Scenario 8: Germany invades the U.S. In 1897, the German Kaiser ordered his intelligence to develop an invasion of the United States to staunch its burgeoning influence. However, the Imperial German Navy never grew large enough to carry out any of his grand plans. After the Americans won the Spanish-American War, the plan changed. Now, the kaiser focused on invading New York and Boston. The world-changing military operation required a total of 60 warships and 100,000 German troops to invade the largest cities on the Atlantic coast. Fortunately, that plan never reached fruition, either. Next: Confederate expansion involved this proposed move. Scenario 9: The Confederacy invades Mexico and the Caribbean Even after the Civil War, the Confederacy still made military plans. Confederate leaders formulated an expansion into Latin America and the Caribbean. They tried to destabilize areas of Mexico, with an eye to move right into Mexico City. Forces wanted to expand the slave terrorities into Brazil, where two explorers set up colonies called New Texas and Americana. While 20,000 rebels did make the trip, the annexation in total did not come to pass. Next: Napoleon authorized the following military operation that never succeeded. Scenario 10: France invades Australia In 1800, Napoleon sent a French expedition to British New Holland, which is now Australia. The trip technically intended to survey the georgraphy and cultural heritage of the region. A French explorer named Nicolas Baudin sailed two ships for three years around Australia and Tasmania, and collected specimens to send back home. He discovered a whopping 2,500 species, but died in Mauritius in 1803. During that time, one of the explorers, Francois Peron, reported to Napoleon that the English had engaged in land grabs in the region. His confidential report posited that France could use the land better. Subsequently, the explorer sent military and political information back to France. Baudin allegedly prepared a strategy for invasion, which included sending 1,800 French troops, as well as Irish soldiers and convicts to take over the region. Follow The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Regardless of where you are, childbirth is no walk in the park. So just imagine what itd be like to give birth in a less-than-ideal location say, 30,000 feet above ground, for instance. Yikes. Although its uncommon, giving birth mid-flight does happen. And aside from all the nightmare-ish aspects that are to be expected, theres one reason in particular (which well get to on page 6) why in-air childbirth is a total pain. Without further ado, heres what happens when a passenger goes into labor mid-flight minus all the gory details. Airlines have specific regulations regarding pregnant passengers Generally speaking, expectant mothers are allowed to fly until week 36 of their pregnancy. But there are exceptions, and each airline has its own policies. For example, United requires a passenger in her ninth month of pregnancy to submit the original and two copies of an obstetricians certificate dated within 72 hours of departure. Similarly, American Airlines requires passengers whose due date is within four weeks to provide a doctors certificate, as well. However, not all airlines have such stringent rules. JetBlues policy, for instance, requires women whose due date is within seven days to submit a doctors certificate stating shes fit to travel. Delta, on the other hand, has no restrictions on flying while pregnant. Next: Be sure to talk to your insurance company before deciding to fly while heavily pregnant. Youll want to heed insurance recommendations Dont think delivering your little one in the sky is a free pass on medical expenses. In fact, it could result in an even higher bill. As Bravo warns, Most travel plans will not cover your care if you break the rules of flying within eight weeks of your due date. So thats something to consider. Next: It happens more often than youd assume. In-flight labor is more common than you think We know we said mid-flight births were rare, but theyre actually not quite as rare as one might think. In particular, its more about how many passengers have gone into labor while aboard an airplane. MedAires MedLink Global Response Center in Phoenix reported 27 cases of in-flight labor from 2006 to 2008. (The center reported 55,000 in-flight medical emergencies overall.) Of those 27 cases, two resulted in in-flight births. Next: Do flight crews know what to do? Flight crews are not trained in labor and delivery Flight attendants are trained in a variety of situations. But their training in labor and delivery? Well, its not exactly thorough. As veteran flight attendant and author James Wysong tells Yahoo, Flights attendants are NOT trained to deliver babies. We are required to watch an antiquated black-and-white video on the birthing process in case a baby happens to arrive aboard one of our flights. In all cases, though, the first move is to call for a medical professional and hope to the high heavens that one is on board and comes forward to assist. Next: Whats a crew to do? Mid-flight labor is dealt with on a case-by-case basis Similar to when a passenger dies mid-flight, when a passenger goes into labor mid-flight the crew is responsible for making real-time decisions based on the situation at hand. Of course, diverting the plane is typically the best option. But thats not always possible. Long-haul flights and a sudden onset of labor, for instance, can prevent the pilots from landing in time. And according to Yahoo, there is a whole host of things to consider: how long into the flight they are, whether there are complications with the pregnancy, and whether theres a medical professional on board. Upon discovering the labor in progress, staff on-board are required to make a judgement call about whether an emergency landing is required, Yahoo says. Next: The answer youve been waiting for is up next. Citizenship can be complicated So what exactly happens when a baby is born in the sky? Well, the answer isnt exactly black and white. In fact, this is probably the most complicated part of an in-flight birth. There are two principles that come into play: jus sanguinis and jus soli. The former means the right of blood, while the latter means the right of soil. In the case of jus sanguinis, the baby would have the citizenship of his or her parents. In the case of jus soil, the citizenship is determined by the actual place of birth. Citizenship laws differ depending on the country, CNN explains. For example, in the UK, citizenship is not automatically conferred to those born in Britain. On the other hand, any child born in the U.S. even over its waters or in its airspace is a U.S. citizen. Naturally, such vague rules can stir up critical questions. For instance, when a passenger went into labor during a flight from Taipei to Los Angeles in 2015, public opinion was anything but positive. According to The Telegraph, the event became controversial after the mother was accused of attempting birth tourism, a trend whereby expectant parents fly to the US with the hope that their baby might be eligible for American citizenship. Next: This may be the biggest perk of all. Free flights for life? Maybe Born above 30,000 feet? You may be in luck. Turns out, thats one way you could score free flights for life. Its not likely, though, so dont get your hopes up. The only airlines known to have given this privilege to children born in their metal are Thai Airways, Asia Pacific Airlines, AirAsia and Polar Airlines, The Point Guy reports. In one case, Virgin Atlantic granted an in-flight baby free flights until the age of 21. So have a baby in the sky, and your child could be the next best world traveler. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! 1. Yes. Several other districts factor them in. It would provide a more complete picture. 2. Yes. Theyre not as accurate, but they can be useful in spotting a trend in infections. 3. No. The district is keeping tabs on those numbers, so the public doesnt need to. 4. No. As long as the public health district is aware of those stats, thats all that matters. 5. Unsure. The district isnt obligated to include them, but it might be helpful. Vote View Results A judge in Idaho has ruled in favor of allowing transgender people to change the sex indicated on their birth certificates. U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale emphasized on Monday that refusing such a request from individuals with gender dysphoria would be in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in the Constitution. The judge ordered the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to begin accepting requests for birth certificate gender changes by April 6. Dale also ruled that reissues should not have any record of gender change. Currently, Idaho's laws state that any altered birth certificate, for whatever reason, needs to be marked as "amended." The ruling came after two transgender people born in Idaho sued the state in 2017. These individuals had problems presenting legal credentials in banks, grocery stores or government offices because these did not reflect the gender they identified with, and thus they were subjected to ridicule, hostility and harassment. They also could not change the gender on their IDs because this required presenting a birth certificate. "I just want a birth certificate that accurately reflects who I am," F.V., one of the persons who sued the state, said. "I hope that Idaho will give me the dignity of deciding when complete strangers get to know deeply private information about my life." Dale stated that IDHW had specific laws on birth certificate changes in cases of adoption or paternal identity. These laws provide a true reflection of the individuals seeking alterations to their birth certificates but the same right has been denied to transgender people. Before Dale's ruling, Idaho was one of four states in America that did not allow birth certificate gender changes. Kansas, Ohio and Tennessee still have the ban imposed. Meanwhile, the state's Attorney General's office have yet to comment on Dale's ruling but Idaho officials are planning to create new rules regarding birth certificate gender changes once the official court order has been released. A pastor from the United Methodist Church lost her license and was fired from her ministry after she presided over the marriage of a same-sex couple. Anna Golladay served as an associate pastor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for years and grew up in a family of practicing Methodists. One decision last fall, however, changed everything for her. Last Sunday, the St. Elmo United Methodist Church announced during a service that Golladay would no longer serve as their pastor. The committee overseeing the churches also stated that it had revoked her license since she was not an ordained pastor. "[The] committee learned that Anna, while serving as local pastor, officiated a same-sex wedding," read a statement from St. Elmo UMC on Facebook. "The committee decided this was in breach of her covenant to serve as pastor as outlined in the 2016 United Methodist Book of Discipline, and so they rescinded her license." Last fall, the ex-pastor married the two women she had been guiding at UMC for years. Golladay explained that the decision did not come without any foresight. Golladay was aware it was against the rules of the Methodist church but she proceeded to officiate the wedding knowing that their community was more welcoming of LGBT members. She actually spearheaded a "revitalization process" at the church that included the LGBT minority. "I find it sad that the Church asks of me to be their pastor in always at all times, except for one day out of one year in their entire life," Golladay said, according to NewsChannel9. "There's something fundamentally wrong about that." Golladay also wrote a piece that detailed what she said really happened. The head of the largest Methodist church in Chattanooga, however, thought the committee made the right decision. Pastor Doug Fairbanks of the First Centenary United Methodist Church emphasized that Golladay had broken the rules when she made the personal decision to marry the couple. In February 2019, policy-makers of the Methodist churches will once again hold its conference, which takes place every four years. A discussion on updating its rules on same-sex marriages will be part of the agenda. Pope Francis could never forget the Dominican nurse and nun who saved his life when he was 20 years old and recalled what she did for him during a recent meeting with Italian nursing professionals at the Vatican. The pope made sure to thank the nurses for their work, especially the one who looked after him while he was at a hospital in Argentina. The pontiff shared that when he had a lung infection years ago, it was a Dominican nurse, Sister Cornelia Caraglio, who also came from Italy, who insisted to the doctors that he needed more antibiotics to get better. "I was on the verge of death," the pope revealed. He then described the nurse as "a great woman, and courageous to the point of arguing with the doctors." "I survived," Pope Francis added. "I thank her and I want you to know her name." The pontiff met with some members of the Federation of Professional Nursing Colleges, Health Assistants, and Child Wardens on Saturday at the Vatican. They were welcomed at the Pope Paul VI hall. He reflected that nurses, more than any other staff at a hospital or rehabilitation center, spend the most time with the patients and their families. He acknowledged that these professionals have the sensitivity that makes them "promoters of the life and dignity" of the sick just like Jesus Christ. The pontiff also reminded the professionals to never forget the importance of touch and caress in helping their patients heal. He implored the nurses to follow in the example of Christ, who showed mercy and compassion towards a leper, as written in the Gospels. The pope also said that the nurses' contribution to healthcare can never be replaced and despite their tiring work, they continue to put their patients' needs first. He described the nurses as "experts in humanity." After five years as the elected pope, many U.S. Catholics still regard Pope Francis as a popular and well-loved leader of the Catholic Church. A survey from the Pew Research Center that was done in January revealed that 84 percent of Catholics in the U.S. still view the pope positively since the first time he took the post. The majority of American Catholics also think that Pope Francis is a "humble " (91 percent) and "compassionate" (94 percent) leader. The pope's popularity dropped by one point from a 2014 survey, and despite the high numbers, it was not enough to convince American Catholics to go to Sunday Mass regularly. At least 38 percent said that they go to church every week. That number, however, was lower than the 41 percent recorded in the last survey. American Catholics commended the pope for his actions in the sexual abuses cases involving minors and against priests. At least three quarters of the respondents also believe that the pope has made significant changes in how the Catholic Church has accepted homosexuality, divorce and remarriage. While there has not been any significant change in their general views about the pope among Democratic Catholics, there has been a slight difference noticed among Republican Catholics. At least 79 percent of the conservatives gave the pope a favorable rating but this used to be 90 percent a few years back. Some Republican Catholics in the U.S. also said Pope Francis was too liberal (55 percent). This number jumped from just 23 percent in the last survey. Additionally, only 37 percent now regard him as a positive factor for the Catholic Church. This number dropped from 60 percent in the previous survey. The results also showed the pope's numbers as being consistently higher than those of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI's ratings, who was the leader of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013. But Pope Francis is slightly less popular than Pope John Paul II, who was the pontiff for nearly three decades. The Pew Research Center conducted the survey among 1,503 adults. Officials of the Arts Commission in San Francisco recently voted unanimously on removing a statue at City Hall that was, for decades, deemed offensive and racist to tribal groups. The statue featured a sculpture of St. Junipero Serra and Sir Francis Drake towering over a Native American sitting on the ground. Dubbed "Early Days," the statue formed part of a cluster of monuments at the City Hall erected in the late 1800s that honored the founders of California. "It definitely feels like a long time coming," Barbara Mumby of the commission said, according to The Associated Press. "I think some people may not understand how big of a symbol it is to be able to take this down." The San Francisco Arts Commission initiated the process of removing the sculpture following an incident in Virginia in 2017 over a Confederate statue. Demonstrators had clashed violently over a Robert E. Lee monument that led to the death of one protester and two policemen. In its memo, the Arts Commission explained the decision to remove the statue was made because of "the allegorical sculpture's depiction of the degradation and genocide of Native American peoples, utilizing visual stereotypes common at the turn of the twentieth century to depict all Native Americans which are now universally viewed as disrespectful, misleading, and racist." Drake was a British explorer from the 16th century, while Serra was a Spanish Franciscan priest who established missions in California. Drake traded Native American slaves to Serra but they were were mistreated if they tried to leave. The Catholic Church, however, canonized Serra in 2015 despite the history of brutalization, according to critics. Native American descendants in California, the neighboring states and New York applauded the vote. Those opposed to the decision, however, said that California's history, even the tragic ones, could never be erased with a statue's removal. The statue will be relegated to storage when the removal process is complete. In its place will be a plaque explaining the whole decision. Other statues in the Pioneer Monument cluster will not be affected by the vote. Few events in the Philippines have been more anticipated than Pope Franciss 2015 visit to the home of the worlds third-largest Catholic population. Six million people attended a parade on the final day of the popes trip, a meeting he decided to make following one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded. During mass with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, Pope Francis declared, I have come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. And he never lets us down. Stirred by his homily, many were overcome with tears. Pain is not an anomaly for Filipinos. Suffering punctuates centuries of Philippine colonial and contemporary history. But this affliction has not affected the religiosity of Filipino Catholics. Indeed, so inspired by his experience in the country, Pope Francis tweeted that the Philippines is witness to the youth and vitality of the Church. The Filipino translation of the tweet went viral and was retweeted more than 70,000 times. Given that the state is secular, it is a mistake to say that the Philippines is a Catholic country. But with 80 percent of the population professing the faith, the impression remains the same anywayespecially given the fact that the country sits in a region dominated by Buddhism and Islam. From politics to education to fiestas, Catholicism pervades much of Philippine society. According to a recent survey, 77 percent of Filipino Catholic adults consider religion to be very important in their lives. Despite missionary presence in China and Japan, Christianity has historically struggled to put down spiritual roots in Asia. So what makes it stick in the Philippines? Some credit belongs to the religious zeal of the Spanish regime. But by and large, the faith thrives today because Filipinos appropriated Catholicism to make it their own religion. A colonial enterprise When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in 1521, more than 100 ethnolinguistic groups already occupied the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. While they did not exist as one country, the islands were nevertheless connected to each other via trade routes and slave-raiding that included other territories in the region. Trade, in fact, existed before the 10th century. The islands also teemed with religious diversity. The Ifugao in northern Luzon, the Tagalog in southern Luzon, the Visayan in the central islands, and the various indigenous communities in Mindanao each had their own cosmology, code of ethics, and mode of worship. Muslim communities were also scattered around the islands, including Manila. Locals first came into contact with Catholicism when Ferdinand Magellan and his crew showed up as part of the colonial race in the 16th century that competed for resources and the Christianization of unexplored territories. After meeting with Magellan, Rajah Humabon, the ruler of the island of Cebu, and his subjects embraced Christianity, though this may have been to avoid conflict with the conquistadors. But local resistance in nearby Mactan Island, headed by its ruler, Lapu-Lapu, led to the death of Magellan and his comrades. Despite Magellans death, the Spanish sent other expeditions back to the Philippines. As the century wore on, expeditions became increasingly crucial for Spain. The crown believed that the Philippines would become a new and important source of revenue for the empire. It was Ruy Lopez de Villaloboss trip in 1543 that named the islands Filipinas, in honor of Spanish King Philip II. Spains close relationship with the Philippines was cemented after explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi discovered a route between the islands and Mexico, making trade between the two coloniesand the kingdompossible. Legazpi set up a permanent Spanish outpost in Manila in 1571 and, after evicting its rulers and inhabitants, decided that the island would become the capital of the new colony. Legazpi built Manila in the style of a typical European town, with a plaza, cathedral, and public offices from which the entire archipelago was governed. Only Spaniards, however, could reside within the walled city. The nativesknown like other indigenous communities in the New World as indioshad to resettle elsewhere. As historian Samuel Tan notes, the goals of the Spanish regime in the Philippines could be summarized as: God, glory, and gold. Apart from expanding its trade, the evangelization of indios was a clear mission of the empire. Led by Father Urdaneta, Spanish Augustinian friars moved from Mexico to the Philippines upon the request of Philip II and became the first official Catholic missionaries in the country. The Dominicans, Recollects, Franciscans, and Jesuits followed suit over the centuries. The Catholic fathers pattern of evangelization was standard. Under a policy known as reduccion, the Spanish relocated natives from the mountains to the lowlands. Churches around the country were built through polos y servicios, a law which forced men between the ages of 16 to 60 years old to render labor for the local governor or the parish priest. The priests also became the de facto administrators of the Spanish regime in the towns in which they were assigned. This made them very powerful, even against local secular authorities. Given the small number of missionaries and administrators, the policy made governance and religious education efficient. Although reduccion was coercive, Catholic evangelization was not necessarily so. For example, mass baptisms were not practiced just because a datu (local leader) converted. Although some missionaries destroyed images (larawan), the majority relied on nonviolent persuasion to convince local converts to abandon their indigenous worship and practices. The Jesuit historian John Schumacher claims no whole people, at least prior to the 19th century, has ever in the history of the Church been so thoroughly evangelized as were the Filipinos. The Christianization of the country was more than a change of heart of the people; the conversion included systematic lifestyle change. Friars made it a strict requirement for any native wanting to be baptized to have learned the tenets of Doctrina Cristiana, a document spelling out Catholic prayers, morality, and practices. Church leaders also taught catechismstranslated into vernacular languagesto young people. Friars ensured too that Christian teaching took over indigenous beliefs about restitution, sexual morality, and nature worship. Polygamy and slavery, for example, had to be renounced before baptism. Catholicisms influence affected everyday life and annual traditions. Church bells rang as a reminder for communities and families to recite the Angelus and other prayers. Mass attendance was also recorded every Sunday. In many cases, the Catholic pantheon of saints replaced local deities believed to be behind the agricultural cycle, though the holidays and festivals persistedjust under the banner of the patron saints. Consequently, by the 17th century, Catholicism had become the pervasive religion among lowland Filipinos, especially in Luzon and the Visayas. Yet the Philippines Christianization was not a smooth process. Not all natives embraced the religion wholesale. In 1621, local leaders Bankaw and Tamblot led anti-Catholic uprisings on the islands of Leyte and Bohol. Over the centuries, Spanish forces also tried to penetrate some parts of Mindanao but resistance among Muslim communities relegated them to coastal areas. Muslim resistance involved what the Spaniards called juramentados, swordsmen who were ready to die for their cause. Many other indigenous communities in Mindanaocollectively called lumad (native)retained their existing beliefs and practices. Muslim communities in Mindanao never recognized the authority of the Spanish regime over their territories. In the local translation of the peace treaty signed in 1878 between Spain and the Sultanate of Sulu, the latter was only named a protectorate. But this provision did not keep Spain from including Sulu when the Philippines was handed over to the United States after its defeat in the Spanish-American War in 1899. This historical moment serves as a backdrop to secessionist movements, Moro insurgency, and the peace process in Mindanao. Filipinizing Catholicism Various documents of the Catholic church in the Philippines, including its local catechism, assume the Catholic faith is part and parcel of being Filipino. This idea obviously overlooks the presence of other religious minorities in the country, such as Islam, and the growing prominence of other Christian groups, like evangelicals and Iglesia ni Cristo (an indigenous church). But the assumption makes sociological sense for two reasons. On one hand, Catholicism has become a cultural attribute, given the extent to which it affects everyday Filipino life. Over the centuries, Filipinos internalized Catholicism because church rituals related to their practical concerns. Indigenous religious practices were largely about livelihood, prosperity, healing, and safety. This understanding was very different from Christian theology that brought ethics and worship together. In this light, Catholic sacraments, beliefs, and objects interested indigenous Filipinos to the extent that they contributed to health and livelihood. Holy water, Latin prayers, and the intermediary role of saints fed into local beliefs. This syncretisation became a significant factor in why Christianization did not completely eradicate indigenous practices. Even today, amulets with Latin prayers and other Catholic symbols are readily available outside Quiapo Church in Manila. The same church is home to the Black Nazarene, whose annual feast gathers millions of devotees every year in a procession around the old city of Manila. Towels that touch the image are believed to transmit miraculous powers of healing. On the other hand, Catholicism has also become a religion that Filipinos use to empower themselves. This is a salient theme in much of Philippine historical writing. In his influential work, Pasyon and Revolution, historian Reynaldo Ileto makes the case that the natives drew from the Pasyon (or Passion) to understand their suffering at the hands of Spaniards. An epic narrative sung during Lent, the Pasyon recounts the suffering of Christ. During the Spanish period, clergy used this for religious socialization but natives received it in a different light. The suffering of Christ mirrored their own and empowered them in their struggle against the colonial regime. One of the pitfalls of Spanish missionaries was a failure to train local clergy. Until the 20th century, movements calling for Filipino priests were often treated by the government with suspicion, as in the case of Cofradia de San Jose. The brotherhood of Filipino priests was set up by Hermano Pule, a local whose application to join an order was rejected in 1839. But the Spaniards eventually quashed the brotherhood, alleging it as heretical and rebellious. During the American occupation in the first half of the 20th century, foreign clergy occupied the hierarchy of the Catholic church. While the church appointed Filipinos as parish priests, important positions like the archbishop of Manila were still held by non-Filipinos. After World War II, the Philippines became independent from the US, a political transition that increased the urgency of arguments to Filipinize religious orders. The reasoning was clear: Locals needed to take an active role in missionizing the country and the wider Asian region. In 1957, six priests from different religious orders sent a memorial to the pope lamenting the inadequate number of trained Filipino clergy: How can Catholic Philippines ever fulfill her providential mission in the Far East if the doors of the old religious orders and congregations do not really and sincerely open to admit and form native Filipino candidates?" The process was gradual, but by the 1970s, religious orders, schools, and the clergy in general became thoroughly Filipinized. It coincided with the martial law of President Ferdinand Marcos. Indeed, in the latter half of the 20th century, the Catholic church played an important role as a public religion under Marcos's authoritarian regime. The president declared martial law in 1972 under the pretenses of countering an insurgency and the rise of Communistsjustifications later found to be fabricated. Nevertheless, the Catholic hierarchy initially accepted the declaration, echoing the state mantra that discipline was necessary for social progress. But the situation grew only more severe: the police and military implemented a curfew and the government suspended the writ of habeas corpus, actions leading to various human rights abuses under the Marcos regime. By the 1980s, parishes which had been organizing their respective communities to document and protest the excesses of military rule soon found themselves human rights abuse victims. Basic ecclesial communities in the countryside were harassed by the military and their religious leaders imprisoned. Some were even murdered. As the persecution carried on, the Catholic church was the only institution that could credibly contest the power of the state on behalf of the Filipino people. Religious leaders and lay people worked for the release of political detainees, operated alternative media, and preached against the military rule. In 1986, Cardinal Sin, the archbishop of Manila, made a radio broadcast calling on people to take to the streets to protest recent and allegedly fraudulent election results. The ensuing protest marked the beginning of the People Power Revolution that ultimately ended Ferdinand Marcos's long dictatorship. A century of change? What does the future hold for the Catholic church in the Philippines? While many religious scholars and pundits are convinced that Catholicism remains vibrant in the country, there are caveats to their optimism. Weekly church attendance among Catholic adults has fallen significantly from 64 percent in 1991 to 41 percent in 2017. This large drop in church attendance looks even grimmer when compared against other Christian groups. For instance, 7 in 10 Protestants and evangelicals attend church weekly. For Iglesia ni Cristo, weekly attendance among adults is 90 percent. While conversion to evangelicalism and Iglesia Ni Cristo has not been statistically remarkable, their media visibility is only growing and their political endorsements increasingly sought. To be sure, church attendance is not a definitive predictor when it comes to the future of religion. But these numbers are indicative of where the Catholic church stands in relation to religious instruction and come at a time when other studies have shown that parishioners are increasingly unhappy when their priests discuss politics. In the last decade, clergy argued against making artificial contraceptives freely accessible to the public. Despite vocal resistance from the clergy, nearly three-fourths of Filipinos favored the legislation, and the law was enacted in 2012. (The situation has likely grown more complex, given the recent tension between President Rodrigo Duterte and the Catholic hierarchy over the administrations drug policy.) In this sense, Roman Catholicism cannot rely on its past glory to carry itself forward. Religion involves piety, but that is just one part of it. When missionaries brought Catholicism to Filipinos, they radically altered their political, moral, and religious lives. Increasingly, however, Filipino Catholics are making a distinction between these different areas of life. The challenge, therefore, for the Catholic churchincluding its schools, parishes, and other institutionsis how to sustain religious influence. The Filipino Catholic Church is at a crossroads. One solution may be taking the feedback of local theologians, like Rito Baring and Rebecca Cacho, who call for religious education through which people are able to think critically and decide more wisely for themselves on issues affecting their lives. Filipino Catholics are looking for a religious renewal that speaks to their daily realities. Will the church step up? Jayeel Cornelio is a sociologist of religion at the Ateneo de Manila University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the author of Being Catholic in the Contemporary Philippines: Young People Reinterpreting Religion. He is also the guest editor of the special issue of Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints dedicated to Filipino Catholicism. You can find him on Twitter @jayeel_cornelio. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the wake of Mao Zedong's disastrous 27-year rule over the People's Republic of China, his successors pushed through a series of reform measures to ensure that Chinese history wouldn't repeat itself. At the heart of these reforms was a provision that the Chinese "state chairman," or in other words the state leader, could only serve two five-year terms. The system worked as intended for three decades. While China's human-rights record remained abysmal, at least the cult of personality that grew around Mao never developed under his successors. Until now. China's "well-choreographed annual parliament," is set to remove the two-term rule for president in order to allow president Xi Jinping to rule for life. Given the importance of China in the world's economy and on the global stage, its slide towards one-man dictatorship is troubling enough. But even more troubling is the kind of dictatorship Xi seems intent on creating. Xi's subordinates and Chinese media have begun to refer to him as "lingxiu," a reverential term for "leader" not heard since the days of Mao Zedong. The German media translates lingxiu as "Fuhrer." The Communist Party proclaimed Xi as lingxiu last October. Since then, state organs have been using the honorific in ways that approach self-parody. In late February, a puff piece on Chinese television told viewers that the "People's lingxiu is loved by the people!" Someone seems to be trying too hard. But it's not just titles. The same Party Congress also enshrined Xi's political thought in the Chinese constitution. It's officially known as "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." That just rolls right off the tongue, now doesn't it? This emerging cult of personality has even led to a ban on images of Winnie the Pooh because of jokes about Xi resembling "the bear of very little brain." But seriously, this is no laughing matter. Jerome Cohen of New York University and the Council on Foreign Relations has written that Xi's dictatorship "will have a profound effect on world order." Under Xi, China has assumed a more aggressive posture towards its neighbors and the United States. Recently, China came close to a shooting war with India over a remote part of the Himalayas. And it's trying to turn the South China Sea into a Chinese lake. The situation is even more grim for Chinese Christians. As the Washington Post reported, Christians in southern China were recently told that, "Jesus Christ won't drag you out of poverty or cure your illnesses, but the Chinese Communist Party will, so take down those pictures of Christ and put up a nice photograph of President Xi Jinping." It was part of a campaign aimed at "melting the hard ice in the hearts of religious believers" and "helping turn them into believers in the party." By "the party" they mean Xi Jinping. So what does all of this mean? Well, we certainly should expect more crackdowns on house churches, and maybe even registered churches. There's little room for Christianity in "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." And as the Economist recently put it, we can go ahead and say that "the West's 25-year bet on China has failed." The belief that China would become more democratic as it became wealthier has proven false. Instead, "repression, state control and confrontation" is on the rise, again. Of course, this comes as no surprise to Chinese Christians. It's the rest of us who are now catching up with reality. Orignally published at BreakPoint. Are conservative evangelicals more likely to protect child abusers? There's twisted thread running through the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse - a discomfort that doesn't just come from the revelations of serial failures that resulted in dreadful damage being done. It is also theological, and goes to the root of the Christian gospel. The dilemma is this. Should we believe in repentance, forgiveness and transformation? And if we do, how should we show it? And the painfuly sharp problem that's emerged from the first week of the IICSA hearings into the Chichester diocese is that it's this fundamental aspect of the gospel, adhered to most tenaciously by conservative evangelicals, that appears to have made it possible for one of the worst clerical culprits to continue abusing. Wallace Benn, formerly area bishop of Lewes, is due to appear at the IICSA hearings on Monday, when we will hear his side of the story. However, it's already been claimed that at one point he asked the bishop of Chichester, John Hind, not to disclose information about one abusive clergyman, Gordon Rideout, to the diocesan safeguarding adviser as 'he is a friend and a much respected person' (Hind refused) and that he said, 'You can't write off a good guy because of a bad day.' According to Archdeacon Philip Jones in his testimony yesterday, however, the reasons behind this may be theological and that is deeply worrying. In answer to a question about Benn's conservative evangelicalism, Jones suggested that it was 'principally to do with a rigorous adherence to scripture and scriptural commands and doctrines'. How, he was asked, did this affect his approach to safeguarding? His answer: 'His aim always was for forgiveness and reconciliation and a transformed life. Therefore, anyone who had, in inverted commas, "done wrong", needed to seek forgiveness, be restored, be reconciled, but also move towards a completely transformed life in a Christian sense. Therefore, when he was faced with anyone who had done anything wrong, disciplinary or not, that's what he expected, and he would apply scriptural principles as to how that was to be achieved. 'I always had the impression that in fact he thought along those lines, even in regard to issues relating to safeguarding.' Of Rideout, jailed in 2013 for 10 years for 36 separate offences, Jones says: 'He absolutely resisted any suggestion that he was guilty and, as far as he was concerned, I believe, and to some extent what he was saying, both before conviction and after, I believe he took the view that he had been forgiven by God, his slate was therefore wiped clean, but more than that, in terms of his mental approach to it, indeed his psychological approach from a very conservative viewpoint, was that it would be almost as though the events for which he was under investigation and then convicted for hadn't happened. 'So the mental approach is that forgiveness in those circumstances means it's gone. 'Q. Is that unique to Canon Rideout? 'A. I think that may be a fairly prevalent view.' And that's surely true. Ask any conservative evangelical and they'll major on forgiveness. To be 'justified' means that it's 'just as if I'd' never sinned at all. 'I will remember your sins no more,' God says and if even God forgets them, who are we to remember? At one level, this sort of works: the sense of a new beginning or of many new beginnings is one for which most Christians with any self-awareness have cause to be deeply grateful. We are blessed to be forgiven. But it looks, on Jones' evidence, as though this truth has been perverted because it is partial. Whatever an individual's private interactions with God, in terms of their public interactions they are publicly accountable and not just to the church, but to the representatives of civil society as well. It looks, on the evidence so far, as though conservative evangelicalism's emphasis on repentance, forgiveness and transformation exposes its adherents to a particular temptation: focusing so intently on the grace of God in the repentant sinner that they lose sight of that sinner's victims. And they also lose sight of the power of sin, which is always 'crouching at the door' (Genesis 4:7), ready to pounce. If and his testimony on Monday will be interesting Benn's theology meant he was soft on repentant abusers, it was shockingly bad theology. Sadly, there's plenty of it around, on both sides of the pond. Andy Savage, a pastor at Highpoint Church in Texas, received a standing ovation from the congregation after he expressed repentance for a previous sexual assault; his victim said the applause was 'disgusting', but it fits that repentance/restoration narrative precisely. There are enough resources in conservative evangelicalism to guard against that kind of error. But conservatives need to do their theological homework, as well as ticking the boxes on safeguarding forms, or there will be more of this to come. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Bodies of 21 Christians murdered by ISIS in Libya to be returned to families The bodies of 21 Christians infamously beheaded on the Libyan coast in February 2015 are to be returned to their families three years after their deaths, according to the persecution website World Watch Monitor. The families of the 20 Egyptian Copts and one Ghanian Christian requested the remains be returned to them after an initial plan had been to bury them all in a single coffin. Fr Maqar Issa, a priest at Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church in Al-Our village, and the lawyer of the Samalout Diocese, Attallah Youssef Hanna, at set to complete the necessary paperwork on the families behalf at the National Security Agency in Cairo on Sunday, March 11. A church, called Church of the Martyrs of Faith and Homeland, was built in honour of the victims whose bodies were found in October 2017 after the ISIS fighter who filmed the executions revealed their location following capture. The 21 men were found close to where they were executed on a beach in the coastal city of Sirte. They were declared to be 'martyred saints' by Coptic Pope Tawadros II after footage of their beheading was published online in a video titled: 'A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross'. Permission for the vast new church at al-Our, to honour the dead, was granted by Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. 'Dance Moms' season 8 news: The Lifetime show is still in limbo The seventh season of "Dance Moms," the reality television series by Lifetime, aired its final episode in October of last year. With dance instructor Abby Lee Miller still in prison, it is unknown if there will be an eighth season. However, Miller seems to have hinted at a return to the series once she is released. In 2015, Miller was indicted for bankruptcy fraud for failing to fully disclose her financial circumstances and hiding her full income. In 2016, she reached a plea deal with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in which she was to plead guilty to the charges against her. Eventually, Miller was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, with the opportunity to transfer from prison and into a halfway house after 10 months of her sentence. Miller was then scheduled to be transferred to a halfway house on Feb. 20, but it was reported that her release date was pushed back indefinitely. However, it seems possible that she may return to "Dance Moms" once she is done serving her sentence. Early in February, Miller posted a photo of herself on Instagram, with the caption "Missing my studio today. Can't wait to get back to teaching #dance #dancemoms #abbyleemiller #abbylee." Donald Trump receives hundreds of prayer cards; Reads them everyday with Vice-President Mike Pence United States President Donald Trump faces criticism on a daily basis, but he also receives widespread support in the form of hundreds of prayer letters that are sent to him via Republican Congressman Mike Bost. Congressman Mike Bost, R-IL said that it was 2017 when he first realized the country needed a positive boost. Because of this, he came up with the idea of having the public send inspiring thoughts and prayers to Trump. "We thought maybe we'd get 30, whatever," Bost told CBN News. "It came back there were hundreds." The letters were written from kids ages five and up, and even senior citizens took the time to send their well-wishes to the president. "There was a 90-year-old woman that on it said, 'I have never written to a president, but I'm depending on you, and I pray into you every day that you'll straighten this country out - it needs it so bad[ly],'" recalled Bost. Before sending the letters to the White House, Bost and his wife would read through it first to make sure that only the encouraging ones make it through. He kept sending the letters to Trump without knowing if they were being read or not. But a few months later, Bost had his answer. He was invited to the White House with 20 other congressmen to see the president sign a bill into a law, according to the Chicago Tribune. While they were together, Trump began wondering out loud who Bost was. "He all of the sudden turns at me and goes, 'Bost, Bost, prayer cards!'" shared Bost. "And I said, 'Wow, yeah we sent you some prayer cards over.'" "He said, 'You know we use these every day.' And I said, 'What?' And he said, 'Yeah, that's why they're here. We use them every day,' " continued Bost. Even Vice President Mike Pence takes part in the reading, and he feels uplifted with the prayer cards. "We read these every day and they're so wonderful," Bost recalled Pence telling him. God, mental health, and the goodness of sadness: A lesson for the church Christian faith and mental health are not always imagined as happy bedfellows. Some outside the church regard belief in God itself as a kind of mental illness or delusion, while some inside it dismiss modern talk of 'wellbeing' as narcissistic navel-gazing. Others may lack the language or emotional intelligence to engage with mental health, either awkwardly ignoring it or over-spiritualising it. So when I heard that a Christian conference, for which I was on the team, would be tackling mental health, I had the natural caution: could it be done well? But I was also excited about this embrace of what is a vital aspect of all our lives. 'It's never too late to change your mind' was the title for the Big Weekend 2018, the annual student/young professional conference run by the discipleship charity The Navigators UK. Like the previous year's, the event focused on a holistic, 'whole-life' vision: it engaged not simply 'mental illness' but the mind in general the seat of our emotions, our desires and imaginations and its connection with Christian faith. It can be common in the Church today to divide up aspects of the human being: a rational mind, a physical body, and an immortal, immaterial soul, for example. Though Scripture speaks of these elements, the conference speaker Ros Boydell emphasised that the Hebraic, biblical notion of the 'person' rejects the notion that we can be so easily partitioned. We can't think of 'mental' problems as totally distinct from 'spiritual' or 'physical' ones. Rather, we are organic creatures, and all aspects of our being are organically interconnected. We were created with minds, with a capacity for intellect, imagination, and emotional awareness. To speak of 'mental illness' then is to speak of struggle in those essential arenas, and these barriers to flourishing must be taken seriously. But to do this the complexity of the whole person must be embraced, and deep pain cannot just be ushered away with medication, or any kind of 'quick fix'. Moreover, mental ill-health affects everyone, whether in subtle or dramatic ways, even or especially those who believe they have no issues. We're all fragile, fragmented, in need of help. Continuing this holistic theme, the conference seminars explored emotional wellbeing, using the characters drawn in the Disney-Pixar hit animation Inside Out: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. Each seminar reflected on what flourishing might look like for each emotion and the real-life struggles we can face when those emotions are disordered. The profound and moving insight of Inside Out, embraced at the Big Weekend, was that each emotion has its role to play in a healthy mind, and that rejecting one, refusing to engage it, does damage to a person. So we may think ourselves virtuous by suppressing vocal anger, but our outrage may then manifest itself in even more insidious, harmful ways. How do the dynamics of faith relate to fear and anxiety? Christians believe in the gift of 'joy', but what about the gift of 'sadness'? How can attention to spiritual disciplines of church tradition help restore a balanced, healthy mind? The seminar I joined on 'sadness' (which is not the same as depression) was particularly profound: it reflected on the deep value given to sadness in Scripture, and how it relates to God. After all, 'Jesus wept' when his beloved Lazarus died (John 11:32-37), so what was happening there? He told his followers that those mourn would be 'blessed...for they will be comforted' (Matthew 5:4). Sadness is a natural part of engaging with a broken world. We're called to embrace it but also find the comfort that comes through consolation. Mourning actually brings human beings and God together, in an intimate, sober reckoning with reality and implicitly, a celebration of the good that we lost. It's a passive emotion, not obviously 'useful' but we couldn't live without it. If I said I left the weekend on a spiritual or emotional 'high', I would be lying. I also can't say I left armed with answers or neat techniques to heals one's mental state. But in this case, that seemed fitting and right. One of the great problems when it comes to engaging the human mind is that even to those who make its study their life's work, so much is unknown. We hardly know each other, let alone ourselves. So simple answers can never really do. But one thing might take us far: presence. The whole gathering was in itself an embodiment of presence. First, being present to one another, listening, sharing pain and joy, exploring how to help each other. In an ever-distant, mediated and illusory social-media culture, that's a gift. Second, being present to 'mental health': choosing not to ignore a difficult issue but face it honestly, to seek God with it. Little good can come from ignoring what's hard. We're prone to 'problem-solve' our obstacles, but sometimes we need more. Sometimes we just need to feel, whether it's sadness or rejoicing, love or lament. The weekend, it should be said, was also clear about the value of professional help, whether counselling, CBT or medication: it shouldn't be stigmatised but wisely sought as we would with any other injury. Self-indulgence is a real danger of course, and over-attention to one's mental workings can end up inhibiting them. But as technological advancements leave us more familiar with emojis than real emotion, erring on the side of proper self (and other)-understanding seems important. Or as the Greeks put it, 'know thyself'. You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter A new Navigators study resource on this theme, 'Inner.Life', is coming soon. How Billy Graham showed love to televangelist Jim Bakker while he was in prison A friend in need is a friend indeed. This is what the late evangelist, Rev. Billy Graham, showed controversial televangelist Jim Bakker after the latter was in prison and suffering at the lowest point in his life. In 1987, Bakker's ministry ground to a halt after he was accused of paying off his secretary to keep quiet about an alleged rape. He was later slapped with a five-year prison sentence due to several fraud charges, according to The Christian Post. After he learned that Graham has passed away, Bakker told WBTV that he did not think twice about flying to Charlotte to pay his respects to the man who showed him remarkable kindness when many others turned their backs on him. "Billy Graham came into my prison when I was there. He wrapped his arms around me when I was a mess. I was cleaning toilets at that moment and I was at a very low moment in my life," Bakker said. "Billy Graham walked in and threw his arms around me and said, 'Jim, I love you.'" Graham's wife, Ruth, who passed away in 2007, was no different. After he was released from prison, she even invited him to dine with them in their North Carolina home. "And Ruth Graham is so amazing, it would take me hours to tell. As I got out of prison, I was at the Graham home, I was at the church with Ruth Graham and all," he recalled. "But they represented Jesus Christ to somebody who the world said was fallen and would never preach again." Bakker, who now hosts "The Jim Bakker Show," has no doubt that Graham is now in heaven, and he is looking forward to the day that he will be reunited with his good friend. Earlier, Bakker reflected on his website about the timing of Graham's death. "Some believed and have declared that the death of Billy Graham would signal the beginning of the last days. I don't know this to be a fact, but I do know, according to the Scriptures, we are truly living in the final days before the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ," he wrote. Bakker noted that Graham's age, 99, is a number that means fruitfulness. "At an age of double fruitfulness, Billy enters Heaven, leaving an abundant legacy of fruitfulness that no man has ever before achieved," he said. Meghan Markle baptised in secret Church of England ceremony to honor Queen Elizabeth Meghan Markle has been baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby ahead of her May wedding with Prince Harry. A report has surfaced that Markle was already baptised using holy water from the River Jordan in a secret ceremony held at the Chapel Royal with Prince Harry by her side. The 45-minute service was also witnessed by Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Markle did not need to be baptised as an Anglican in order to marry Prince Harry, but she allegedly decided to commit herself to the baptism to honor Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, because of her role as head of the Church of England. Earlier, Welby said that his conversations with Prince Harry have proven that the couple is keen to do things properly because they want to honor God in their relationship. "I am very, very sure after conversations that this is no tick-box exercise of 'We ought to get married in church,'" he told Today. "There is a profound sense of commitment, of seriousness both about faith and about their lives together which is quite inspirational." Markle's father is a Presbyterian while her mother is a Protestant. On the other hand, Prince Harry was baptised as an Anglican shortly after he was born. Welby has said that the Royal wedding will no doubt be a "beautiful moment" that will be witnessed by millions all over the globe. "Of course it's important because people will look at it and they'll see a model of how two people commit their lives to one another before God, in the presence of millions of people," Welby said. "That's going to be wonderful, it's always a beautiful moment. Every wedding is profoundly beautiful." Reimagining Britain: What sort of country do we want to live in and why should Christians care? How we live out our faith in society has always been a central question for Christians. When we show people what it looks like to embrace the gospel in every area of our lives or in reality, to fail to but try our best then we show people who Jesus is. We start to become his faithful witnesses. In writing Reimagining Britain, I've tried to make a personal contribution to the challenge I believe lies before us: reimagining our future at this critical time in the life of our country. It's my belief that the values we find in our Christian heritage compassion, generosity, and solidarity to name a few offer a source of hope and wisdom for Britain in the 21st century, even as we rightly embrace who we are becoming as a multi-faith and multi-cultural society. The book asks fundamental questions about the kind of society we want to be in 10 to 20 years' time. These are everyday questions that matter to ordinary people across our parishes in the Church of England on education, health, housing, the family, the economy, the world around us, the environment and more. It's about how we might identify and develop the values to help us reimagine a more hopeful future drawing on the Bible, Britain's history and its Christian tradition. It begins with a look at the reasons why reimagining is so important. There are certain key areas where our values are translated into action and virtues, including the big three of recent history: health (especially public and mental health, and social care), housing and education. On top of these are family; the environment; economics and finance; peacebuilding and international development, and finally immigration and integration. Perhaps not surprisingly, I'm particularly interested in how the church and faith groups can contribute to a fairer, more hopeful future. It's not a complete list, and it certainly doesn't try to set out any kind of political programme. Instead it's a contribution from a distinctly Christian perspective to the widespread, urgent and exciting debates happening all around us. Archbishop William Temple lamented in 1942 that 'few people read much history nowadays'. For Temple the commonly held assumption that religion and politics had no connection to each other was historically illiterate. It was a very modern heresy. But since 1942 that loss of historical depth has deeply affected our public life. The role of religion in shaping public policy and informing the moral shape of our nation has been similarly forgotten. One of the biggest differences between Temple's time and ours is that fewer people in our population generally are aware of what religion (and specifically Christianity) is all about. As we become less capable of thinking about religion, or any transcendent idea like 'God', we hear the question more and more: what right does the church have to interfere in society? As I've said, what it looks like to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ in everyday life on this earth is one of the central questions for Christians. In the Old Testament, we read in Jeremiah 29:7 of God's call to his people in exile: 'But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.' While aliens and strangers in this world, we still seek its welfare. And here's the bigger context of all this: 'The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it' (Psalm 24:1). It all belongs to God, and the Bible details the kind of relationships one to another, to the oppressed, to the marginalised, to creation that he desires. In the words of Micah: 'He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?' Being a follower of Jesus Christ has always profoundly challenged us in how we treat other people and how we live as individuals, families and societies. We are not 'otherworldly'. Disengaging from the world is not an option because of who God is. God is the one who continually engages with his world. God is the one who cries out for the rights of the poor and oppressed. God is the one who offers salvation, creates a new people called the church and calls that church to share in building his Kingdom. That's why how we reflect on human life matters. I hope my reflections on these issues will be of some benefit as we navigate these choppy waters. Ultimately as Christians we look to God as ruler of the nations. We continue to pray for everyone including those who lead our countries 'so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2: 1-4). Justin Welby is the archbishop of Canterbury. His book 'Reimagining Britain' (Bloomsbury) is out now. Rend Collective: On struggling with success, angry evangelicals and the fight for 'good news' The Northern Irish folk-worship band Rend Collective is in the midst of an international tour following the success of its latest album Good News. Long-time band member Chris Llewellyn spoke to Christian Today about struggling with success, angry evangelicals, and preaching hope in a cynical world. I've had the pleasure of seeing the exuberant Bangor-bred Rend Collective live. One such occasion at a summer festival saw the band, who prefer to be known as a 'family', invite the audience to join arms with the strangers beside them and dance for joy. It was an ambitious commission for a largely English, awkward audience in a field in Somerset (dancing, talking to strangers, and being told what to do are not really our thing) but somehow it worked. But if that, and Rend's latest hit album Good News, has you imagining the band as an oppressively jolly gang of revellers, incapable of emotional or spiritual depth, then you'd be deeply wrong. Rend Collective Chris Llewellyn, who has been a prominent member of the family since its inception in the early noughties, says they've all been on a journey of discovery. 'When we began we had quite a small view of what the church could be,' he says. 'Having grown up in Northern Ireland and only experienced church culture in one place, no matter how much you read about or try to expand your horizon you still are kind of cloistered.' But an international tour, with Chris speaking yesterday from Houston, Texas, has shaken things up. 'We've discovered such a wealth of beautiful expression...I'm sitting in a megachurch now, and I had such negative preconceptions of what that term could mean, I know its very loaded for most of us. 'I have discovered that the size of a church, small or big, really isn't an indicator of whether the Holy Spirit is doing something there. I've seen good in all of it, and that's been very humbling, just seeing all my assumptions come crashing down around me and seeing God's Kingdom being built in places I would never expect.' The band's focus on Good News might seem jarring in seemingly cynical, pessimistic culture, but Llewellyn says that's exactly what prompted its latest project. 'For us the journey began with the fact that every morning we would wake up and the phone would be littered with all these notifications of just horrible things happening in the world. 'We realised there's just so much bad news being broadcast all the time. One of those terms that maybe had lost its life a bit suddenly comes back to life: the idea that the gospel is "good news". In a world like this that actually means something again, it's not just a Sunday school expression but something the church desperately needs to recover.' But the problem, Rend found, was not just in 'the world' but in the church. 'The other thing that was making us sad, if we're honest, was that "evangelicals" that word is supposed to mean "bringer of good news" are actually tied up in the middle of this "bad news". It seems so counter to the message of Jesus that his people are actually bringing the bad news sometimes.' Indeed there was an online backlash when the band announced its Good News project. 'One of our most contentious tweets was "there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus", which enraged Christian 'folks on the internet' who were unaware it was a quote from Scripture. 'I think that tells you something about what's going on in church culture right now, that we have in the middle of this darkness, really lost sight of what the gospel is. We need to become a more positive people.' Rend Collective So, he says: 'We wanted to go back: what is the simple gospel? If Jesus was speaking to the world through worship music what kind of music would he make?' So the band focused on two themes it felt had been forgotten by evangelicals: the embrace of supposed 'outsiders' through the love of God, and the possibility of celebration amidst darkness. And despite the initial detractors, the album has been its biggest success to date. But of course, preaching 'good news' to a despondent age can seem insensitive or glib. Can it be done with depth? 'I think that's a difficult challenge. It's certainly something we were certainly very aware of, going into this, was that we were cementing our reputation as a happy-clappy Irish band. But that really isn't who we are as a people.' There are two sides to 'good news', Llewellyn says. 'There's the straight line that says Jesus saved me, he's my rescuer, now I'm going to celebrate. Potentially in a concert filled with Irish people. 'But there's a deeper, more difficult side to good news: "though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, because he goes with us' it's a form of good news, but its deeper, harder, it's certainly bittersweet.' The album has drawn on both sides, with celebratory, anthemic hits like 'Rescuer' alongside the slower, honest tune of lament: 'Weep with Me'. They've sought a 'balance' between these poles: 'it's not a 100 per cent ticket to Disneyland'. Llewellyn asks: 'If we can't spill our hearts to God, if we can't wrestle with him, who can we bring it to? The beautiful news is that God invites that wrestling. There's a form of intimacy in that.' The band have come along way since they began. Has global, commercial success been a challenge to the collective? Llewellyn's response is to talk not of fame, but a sense of failure. 'We discovered our first knock to our success a couple of albums ago: for the first time we received some criticism, the reviews weren't that great, the sales were a bit mediocre. It was by no means a disaster, but it was the first time the graph was not steadily climbing. 'And actually, I'm really disappointed to say this but it really threw us for a loop.' Amidst disappointment, he says the family found themselves getting 'jealous' of others' apparent success. 'I'm embarrassed to say that but it's the truth. Instagram sometimes is an instant set of windows into other people's fake lives, and it doesn't help us. Comparison is the thief of joy. We found ourselves chasing that gain.' It's a startling, refreshingly honest admission. It prompted another song on the album, centred on gratitude over striving: 'Counting Every Blessing'. 'We were looking for God to do very specific things for us [albums, tickets, radio success] and they weren't happening, and that's okay.' Waiting for God to 'show up' with these particular 'markers of success', they were 'not noticing the really good things God doing for us, in a season when he was doing really good things for us'. 'We realised as part of this journey, that what we needed to do was recover our joy in the gospel. It's so important to call that out. And be grateful. When we live in that gratitude we find ourselves caring a lot less about success.' In an age of despair then, how would Llewellyn want to encourage the discontented believer? 'My encouragement would be that everyone of us called to share this good news...I don't think that was "news" [he apologises for the pun] to the generation before us. As millennials...we need to make sure we don't leave it behind. We do need to tell people, we need to speak out the good news or its not gonna mean anything.' He adds: 'If you're ever having a crisis of calling, it's good to go back and think "I'm trying to chase Jesus, so what was his calling?" He thought his calling was, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and has anointed me to proclaim good news." If you're ever wondering what you're calling is, just go back to that. 'This good news is far too good for us to keep to ourselves and hide away in the church. We've got to share it far and wide.' Rend Collective's latest album Good News is out now, and dates for their ongoing US/UK tour, in partnership with World Vision, can be found here. You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter Bob Dudley, in his 38 years in the oil industry, has never seen anything like what happened with BP Plc's old fields last year: They gushed more crude. "I cannot remember ever in my career having seen a negative decline rate," the British oil-giant's chief executive officer said in an interview on the sidelines of the CERAWeek by IHS Markit energy conference in Houston. Dudley isn't alone in seeing mature fields dwindling less than expected --in BP's case surprisingly increasing -- giving the OPEC one more thing to worry about. As if the shale boom wasn't enough of a headache. Better results from legacy fields, also observed by producers like Royal Dutch Shell Plc and countries like Norway, further complicate efforts by petro-states like Saudi Arabia to push prices higher by curbing supplies. Across the industry, the results weren't as spectacular as BP's, but still impressive, executives and officials at CERAWeek said. According to the International Energy Agency, production from mature oil fields dropped last year by about 5.7 percent, the least in data going back one decade. That comes as a huge surprise because the oil industry cut spending dramatically during the three-year downturn it's just started to emerge from, and managing deep-water fields to arrest their demise can be a multibillion-dollar affair. So, OPEC was hoping thriftier times would lead to faster declines from mature wells that still account for more than half of the world's output. But the need to stretch each dollar spent is exactly why Big Oil is getting more from those fields, according to Wael Sawan, executive vice-president for deep water at Shell. The lower decline rates are part of the response to low oil prices. "Companies are focusing on the basics," Sawan said in an interview in Houston. "So there was a massive re-focus on existing wells. It's the cheapest and most profitable barrel that companies can access." The Paris-based IEA highlighted two regions for their "remarkable" improvement: The North Sea and Russia. In Norway, decline rates slowed to 9.3 percent last year, compared with 18 percent in the early 2000s. Even at deep-water projects worldwide that traditionally show a faster decline, there was improvement. Often, the key is simply to make sure the fields pump every day of the year, reducing downtime, executives said. Producers can, for instance, postpone maintenance to keep fields running. "Oil companies with tighter capex budgets are striving to extract every last drop from mature assets," the IEA said in a report presenting its oil supply and demand outlook for the next five years. "Small cash injections are in many cases yielding swift returns." Divided Industry The industry is divided, though, about the sudden improvement in decline rates, with Dudley and other executives admitting they can't guarantee another good year in 2018. Some even question the veracity of the data. Others, however, agree with Shell's Sawan that the industry now has the incentive it didn't have when crude was at $100-plus a barrel to work harder on mature fields. Despite the improvements, it's still an uphill battle of massive proportions. Fields in decline produced 51 million barrels a day last year, according to the IEA. The ones that are still ramping up production contributed just 16 million to global supplies. Another 30 million came from unconventional sources, including shale and Canada's tar sands, where production can remain steady for decades once mining operations have been set up. In countries like Brazil and Mexico, the slowdown at old fields jumped to double-digit rates last year, but things could change there, too, as they lure multibillion-dollar investments from oil majors to help them develop their riches. Alaska Airlines/Virgin America will eliminate or reduce service to five cities it currently serves from San Francisco International Airport SFO in what the Seattle-based carrier called a move to improve efficiency. It is also making schedule reductions at Los Angeles International Airport LAX. Flights from SFO to Minneapolis, Fort Lauderdale, and Mexico City will be eliminated after May 19. Flights to Denver will end after June 5. Alaska Airlines cancelled its non-stop service from SFO to Cancun, Mexico on March 3. The carrier has reduced service on its SFO to Chicago-O'Hare non-stop flight to just once a day in each direction. Alaska is also planning a round of cuts in Southern California. Non-stop flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Orlando will end July 5. The airline also discontinued non-stop flights from LAX to Havana and Cancun in January 2018. Alaska's flight from San Diego to Mexico City will be eliminated after May 19. "There has been low-demand for these flights and we need to utilize aircraft elsewhere on the route map," said Oriana Branon, Alaska Airlines's Director of Community and Public Relations for the Bay Area. "This change is indicative of how we are looking across the network and making decisions to ensure we are running as efficient of an operation as possible." RELATED: Travel Pillow 100% Pure Memory Foam Neck Pillow Branon said that passengers holding reservations on terminated routes will be re-accommodated on Alaska Airlines flights via its Seattle hub or another city it serves. (When we checked, many of these terminated flights are still for sale online but Branon said that they will be removed soon.) The flights to Chicago, Denver and Fort Lauderdale were among Virgin America's core routes from San Francisco before its takeover by Alaska, but business travelers were known to complain about the sparse frequency of the flights. One flight per day on a key business route like SFO-Chicago was just not enough to tear fliers away from allegiance to United or American. For example, Alaska currently operates SFO to Denver twice a day. Its competitor, United Airlines, operates the route up to nine times a day. Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines also fly non-stop between the two cities, several times a day. The cuts come after a period of growth for Alaska Airlines at its SFO hub. Between September and October 2017, the airline added four new destinations, Raleigh-Durham, Baltimore, Indianapolis and Kansas City. Don't miss! The 9 largest airlines at SFO Alaska has been courting Bay Area fliers aggressively after its merger with Virgin America. The airline launched a multimillion dollar advertising campaign in the market in an attempt to attract new business and retain fliers who were devotedly loyal to Burlingame-based Virgin America. Alaska serves for Bay Area airports, SFO, Oakland, Mineta San Jose, and Sonoma County as well as Sacramento. What do you think of Alaska Airlines' pullback in California? How's it doing on its quest to become the Golden State's preferred carrier? Please leave your comments below. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. Kate Upton made waves when she accused Guess co-founder Paul Marciano of sexual harassment, joining the #metoo movement. But British tabloid Daily Mail claims it has obtained emails between Kate Upton's team and Guess that show the two parties split over other differences, chiefly what the supermodel would wear during the photo shoot for the clothing company. Upton told Time in February that Marciano "forcibly grabbed my breasts and started feeling them - playing with them actually" and that he "forcibly grabbed the back of my head so that I could not move and started kissing my face and neck." She said that she turned down a $400,000 campaign with Guess because of Marciano's alleged actions. Marciano denied the allegations to Time, calling them "absolutely false" and "preposterous." UPTON'S STORY: Kate UPTON joins #metoo campaign, accuses Guess cofounder of sexual harassment However, The Daily Mail claims that the emails it has seen indicate the campaign was cancelled by Guess because the Upton camp wanted a say in what she would wear in the photoshoot. According to the Daily Mail, Guess Senior Director of Advertising Kate Nabozny and IMG Senior Manager Lisa Benson - the agency representing Upton - exchanged emails about Upton's upcoming photo shoot with the clothing company. The tabloid claims Guess wanted Upton to wear only lingerie and swimwear during the shoot. Benson reportedly responded by telling Guess, "Kate will not wear just swimwear or just lingerie in the shoot. She will wear short shorts or a cardigan over something, but not alone." Nabozny allegedly emailed back, "... we have absolutely never been told what a model can wear or not wear on a shoot in the entire history of Guess. Not Claudia Schiffer, Adriana Lima, Eva Herzigova or Laeticia Casta asked for that or was given those options." SUNSHINE: Kate Upton escapes Houston's terrible winter weather for photo shoot in Miami After the email exchange, the Daily Mail reports Guess cofounder Paul Marciano canceled the shoot, telling Benson, "Since day ONE of Guess, all models wear lingerie and swimwear and that won't ever change. For anyone. So the shoot won't happen." The Daily Mail claims that the emails it obtained "seem to fly in the face of Upton's explanation that it was she who 'refused' the lucrative campaign because of her fears over Marciano." The Daily Mail reports Upton responded in a statement that said: "The whole movement is so victims can have a voice against billion dollar companies. I can't fight a billion dollar company if they don't want change... If Guess wants to pick apart limited emails of a negotiation between agents which do not tell the whole story, that's up to them." Chron.com has not seen any of the emails the Daily Mail claims it has obtained. Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter. The inaugural "YEPPIE" awards ceremony brought together several of the Lake Houston area's most notable young professionals to The Overlook Event Center in Atascocita March 8. The YEPPIES were conceived by the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce's Young Entrepreneurs and Professionals (YEP) Program, through which local professionals 21 to 45 years old hone their networking, professional and civic engagement as preparation to be the new generation of community leaders. The YEP Program began in Sept. 2016 and is now nearly 100 members strong, according to YEP Board Chair Casey Christman. "There are so many young entrepreneurs and professionals doing amazing things and awards are just one small way to recognize them for their achievements," she explained prior to the event. In the weeks leading up to the event, the award recipients for two of the YEPPIE categories remained a secret. Final nominees for Young Professional of the Year were Humble ISD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen; Chris Johnsen, owner of Johnsen Law and partner with Amagazi; and Walgreens district manager of retail and pharmacy operations Terry Vaughn. And the YEPPIE went to Fagen, for her advancement of Humble ISD and the community. Fagen previously responded to her nomination by saying she feels grateful for the community and school district's commitment to put service to others above personal needs, especially when it comes to serving students. "This award allows me an opportunity to express appreciation to the Lake Houston community for supporting me and, more importantly, for the 42,000 students entrusted to our care each day," Fagen said. The finalists for Young Entrepreneur of the Year were Jordan Gerard, managing partner at Nations Lending Corporation; Bobby Harl, owner of Back Pew Brewing Company; and Sam Schrade, president of Digital Network Associates. Schrade was named as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year. For profiles of all 15 YEPPIE honorees, visit https://m.chron.com/neighborhood/atascocita/business/article/The-Lake-Houston-YEPPIES-to-honor-area-s-12704238.php. "Imagine if I told you that the cure to cancer resides in the mind of a 10th-grader living in Houston, but I don't tell you what neighborhood they're from or how much money their parents make or their citizenship status," Trisha Cornwell, executive director of EMERGE, asked "Build the Village" luncheon-goers on Wednesday. "How many are confident that no matter what the answers are to those factors, that this fictional student has a strong probability of realizing his or her full potential?" Spoiler alert: very few hands shot up inside the Briar Club's ballroom. During the hour-long program that followed, keynote speaker Ruth N. Lopez Turley and EMERGE student participant Omar Hussein presented strong cases outlining why the city needs "poor and minority students to graduate from selective universities and colleges." "There's a difference between the students who are expected to attend (elite colleges) and the students who are there because they fought for it - a noticeable difference," Turley said during her presentation. A high school English teacher once told Turley that despite being accepted to Stanford University, Turley would wind up at a community college because of the socioeconomic and ethnic challenges that minority students face at prestigious universities. Despite her former educator's prediction, Turley received her undergraduate degree from Stanford and completed her graduate studies at Harvard before later founding the Houston Education Research Consortium. Three years ago, philanthropist Laura Arnold partnered with EMERGE, a non-profit organization which provides high-performing students from underserved communities with the resources to pursue higher education, to start a mentorship program. The initiative has since led to fruitful internships and job-shadowing opportunities with bold-faced city leaders, including this year's luncheon co-chairs, Carolyn Wolff Dorros and Erin Patterson. Hussein, Patterson's mentee, shared his fear about attending college because of cost. Affordability, he said, has always been a concern because of his family's situation. "I am the youngest son of two immigrants. I am smart. I am driven," the Spring Woods High School senior read aloud. "And when I was in kindergarten, my entire life changed when my father was brutally murdered in our family store, and I became a provider and stable force of positivity in our home." Hussein continued, explaining how his EMERGE program manager helped him prepare his college essays, apply for financial aid, and visit campuses in New York last summer. He plans to enroll at the University of Chicago this fall. "I worry what my mom will do without me. I worry that my family will feel like I am abandoning them. I worry that my community will feel like I sold out. And I worry how I will pay for everything, like dorm room supplies, plane tickets, and winter clothing," Hussein said. "But I know the opportunity to attend the University of Chicago is bigger than me. It's about paving the way, and opening the doors for kids who look like me, and come from neighborhoods like mine, to have the chance to do something great." EMERGE's sold-out, sophmore event raised $285,000 toward bridging that gap. Crosby Education Foundation Children can explore all kinds of vehicles from fire trucks to police cars at the Crosby Education Foundation's annual Kids on a Big Rig event at 10 a.m. March 24 at Crosby Middle School. Kids on a Big Rig has given an opportunity to children in the Lake Houston community to settle their curiosities on what the inside of a big law enforcement vehicle looks like. The Crosby Education Foundation is hosting the event for the second time. Houston ISDs special education department still struggles to provide adequate special education to students, despite changes made after a Houston Chronicle investigation found the district systematically denied hundreds of students services at the states behest, according to an outside audit. In a 133-page audit released Thursday, associates with the American Institutes for Research found 10 areas in which the district needs to improve its special education services. Among the most significant are ongoing issues with inconsistent interventions and special education identification practices; tailoring Individual Education Plans, or IEPs, to fit students specific needs; a persistent achievement gap; a lack of qualified special education staff members; a lack of data-driven decision making; and issues with communicating new policies and procedures. DENIED: How Texas' largest school district systematically blocked students from special education The audit found evidence that staff at 13 of 27 schools interviewed were told that students must undergo a new set of regular-education teaching techniques, called an RTI, before they could be tested for special education services a procedure that violates federal orders. And while the National Association of School Psychologists recommends districts hire 1 school psychologist per 500 to 700 students, Houston ISD has only one psychologist per 5,385 students. The audit largely corroborated the findings of the Houston Chronicle's 2016 investigation into the department. READ ALSO: HISD's special education director resigns after reports of service denials HISDs Board of Education agreed to pay AIR $300,000 for the audit in April 2017, months after a Houston Chronicle investigation revealed that Texas systematically denied special education services to thousands of eligible students. HISD's special education director resigned in March 2017 following allegations that the state's largest school system embraced a controversial policy that effectively capped the percentage of students allowed to receive special ed services at 8.5 percent. HISD slashed hundreds of positions from its special education department, dissuaded staff from diagnosing disabilities until second grade and created a list of "exclusionary factors" that disqualify students from getting services, among other tactics, the Chronicle's investigation found. As a result, only 7.3 percent of HISD students received special education services in 2016-2017 - compared to the national average of 13 percent. The number of special education services in HISD has remained unchanged. Last school year, 15,487 students in Texas' largest school district were classified as having disabilities. This year, 15,435 were identified by December. READ ALSO: Houston ISD's special education numbers remain low In an interview with the Chronicle in January, Superintendent Richard Carranza said HISD's special education department has been reorganized to create more efficient communication and to codify practices. The department's assessments and intervention teams now are combined. The district updated its special education manual, and district officials have trained teachers, principals, counselors and special education staff on those standardized practices. Among the most emphasized changes -- schools no longer can use RTI before testing a student for disabilities. "We tried to make very clear what the expectations, policies and procedures are so that it doesn't leave room for interpretation," Carranza said. Interpretation of the districts special education policies and procedures, however, continues to vary widely across the district, AIR associates found. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit Friday accusing President Donald Trump's administration of separating hundreds of immigrant parents and children who are seeking asylum. The lawsuit expands a legal challenge over the detention of a Congolese asylum-seeker whose 7-year-old child was put in federal foster care by border agents, and asks a judge to find family separation unlawful. The practice appears particularly pronounced in West Texas, where lawyers have reported dozens of cases. "Whether or not the Trump administration wants to call this a 'policy,' it certainly is engaged in a widespread practice of tearing children away from their parents," Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, said in a statement. An investigation by the Houston Chronicle in November identified 22 cases in Texas in which parents with no history of immigration violations were prosecuted for the misdemeanor crime of illegal entry and had their children removed to foster care. The ACLU suit, filed in federal court in San Diego, argues that the separation violates parents' rights to due process because their children are removed without a hearing. The government released the Congolese woman this week but she has yet to be reunited with her child. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit. Its acting press secretary, Tyler Houlton, said in a statement about the Congolese woman last week that it does not currently have such a policy of separating parents and children. "However, we retain the authority to do so in certain circumstances particularly to protect a child from potential smuggling and trafficking activities," he said. Immigrant parents and minor children are usually held together or released to await their cases in the backlogged civil immigration courts. A landmark 20-year-old federal settlement bars the prolonged detention of children and holds they should be kept with their parents. But last summer, the government began ramping up criminal prosecutions of parents, forcing the removal of their children who cannot be kept in prison. Read more: Trump moves to end 'catch and release', prosecuting parents and removing children who cross border In Friday's filing, Michelle Brane, director of the migrant rights and justice program for the Women's Refugee Commission, a nonprofit in Washington D.C., said the group had found 426 cases of immigrant parents and children who have been separated, either because the adults were prosecuted or because they were split in immigrant detention. Mayra Jimenez, director of the children's program at RAICES, an immigrant advocacy group, said in the suit that it had identified more than 100 such cases. The government has declined to release its statistics, and the separations are difficult to track because they play out among three mammoth and opaque federal agencies the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, which cares for unaccompanied migrant children. Most adults in immigration detention facilities do not have access to lawyers. The filing Friday expands the case to include a Brazilian woman who told Border Patrol agents near El Paso last fall that she was seeking asylum, a refugee status granted to people who face persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion. She spent 25 days in jail for the misdemeanor crime of illegally entering the country, while her 14-year-old son was placed in federal foster care in Chicago. She has been detained since September in an immigration facility in El Paso, and has only been able to talk to her son six times. "If we cannot be released, I would like us to be detained together," the mother said in the lawsuit. "I worry about him constantly." Such separations also include Blanca Vasquez, who told Border Patrol agents last October that she feared returning home and asked for a lawyer, according to federal records. Gang members in El Salvador had killed her husband, a sergeant in the military, and persecuted her sons. Read more: Her husband murdered, her son taken away, a mother seeking asylum tells a judge, 'I have lost everything' Vasquez told the Chronicle that federal officials removed her 13-year-old son without telling her where they were taking him. They put her in prison for two months while she awaited trial on the misdemeanor charge of illegal entry. The public defender's office for the Western District of Texas argued it was a violation of her due process rights. The lawyers said Vasquez and four other Central American parents named in a separate lawsuit pleaded guilty only because they didn't know what the government had done with their children and wanted to quickly reunite with them. A federal magistrate judge in El Paso agreed such concern could be a factor, but declined to dismiss the charges in November. The public defenders have appealed the case. Supporters of reduced immigration say separating parents and children is sometimes necessary so that immigration officials can determine if they are actually related and not the victims of human trafficking. "Immigration fraud in support of wider criminal conspiracies is a daily occurrence," Matt O'Brien, director of research at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a statement. "Keeping children with their alleged 'parents' can often mean leaving them with criminal poseurs who wish to exploit them." But Vasquez said she had her son's birth certificate and identification proving she was his mother. She served out her federal sentence, and was transferred to immigration custody. An asylum officer in December determined she did not have a credible fear of returning home. She was about to be deported when lawyers at ALDEA, a nonprofit in Pennsylvania, read about her case in the Chronicle and intervened. In an unusual about-turn, the asylum office found in a second interview that Vasquez did in fact have a reasonable claim and an immigration judge ordered her released last month on a $7,500 bond. She was freed Thursday in El Paso, nearly five months after being detained, and will reunite soon with her son in New Orleans.. Immigrant advocates have called family separations "so fundamentally unconscionable it defies countless international and domestic laws on child welfare, human rights and refugees," according to a complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security in December. The United Nations convention on refugees, to which the U.S. is a signatory, holds that countries should not impose penalties on refugees who enter unlawfully to ask for asylum. The Trump administration considered splitting up parents and children shortly after taking office. To discourage families from making the dangerous journey north, it threatened to prosecute parents who paid smugglers and separate families apprehended at the border. The number of families crossing the U.S. southern border plummeted. Facing intense criticism from advocates, then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly now White House chief of staff backed away, saying separations would occur only in extenuating circumstances such as illness. But over the summer family arrivals began rising once more. lomi.kriel@chron.com Twitter: @lomikriel Former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman stood before a federal judge in a mostly empty Houston courtroom Friday and confirmed he wants a jury to decide if he diverted nearly $1.25 million in charitable donations intended for conservative organizations. Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal first determined that he had not entered into plea negotiations with federal prosecutors, and then asked, Mr. Stockman, I assume you want to go to trial? Yes, your honor, he replied. Stockman, whose trial is now set for March 19, has been free on $25,000 unsecured bond. The judge made a point to insist that he be present in court for the entire proceeding. He assured her he would. Two former aides Jason T. Posey and Thomas Dodd have pleaded guilty to related roles in the scheme and their testimony could be used against him at trial scheduled for later this month. Stockman faces 28 criminal counts outlined in federal indictments returned in Houston, including allegations of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, making excessive campaign contributions and money laundering. Read more: Former Congressman Steve Stockman, aide indicted on federal corruption charges Defense attorney Sean Buckley said his client is confident and hes ready to address and refute the allegations. As they always say, there are two sides to every story and there are most certainly two sides to this one, Buckley said. Buckley said he plans to argue that the two aides pleaded guilty to better their own situations, not because they or Stockman are guilty or did anything wrong. The judge also reviewed with the lawyers a hefty pile of questionnaires mailed in by hundreds of potential jurors for the month-long trial which is set to begin on Mar. 19. The lawyers and the judge agreed to excuse 24 jurors for hardship reasons, including some who had non-refundable travel planned, many who were students, some straddling jobs and young children without support and one whose spouse has dementia. Rosenthal said she would summon 90 of those remaining in the jury pool. She said she planned to seat four alternates in addition to the 12 jurors. The lawyers also took up a number of evidenciary issues, including the admissibility a 1994 FEC proceeding involving Stockman, statements he made during a 1997 deposition and a 1998 conciliation agreement he made related to a 1994 campaign. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Heberle, from the Public Integrity division of the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., argued that these previous records would show he had a pattern of willfully violating federal election law. Rosenthal shelved the issue, saying she would decide if it was admissible based on what occurred during the trial. The lawyers also discussed whether the jury be allowed to consider evidence that Stockman didnt pay taxes in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. The judge said she would allow that evidence at trial. A half dozen undercover Houston police officers tracked and caught a burglary suspect at his Channelview home Friday morning. The officers were following the man around 4 a.m. on the East Freeway and called for a marked police car to stop the vehicle, according to Metro Video. The driver instead kept going east on the highway, north on the East Sam Houston Parkway and east on Woodforest Boulevard. He went through his neighborhood and pulled into his driveway on Macclesby. READ ALSO: Trio damages Spring Branch CVS in attempted burglary He was taken into custody, and police found several tools in his trunk. He faces felony evading and possible burglary-related charges, a police sergeant told Metro Video. Pearland City Council has announced plans to draft an ordinance to repeal annexations totaling 1,900 acres that had sparked a lawsuit from residents and a warning from Brazoria County's district attorney regarding an altered document. The annexed area to be covered through the proposed ordinance is on two tracts - Area A and L - that the city moved to acquire ahead of a law that went into effect Dec. 1 that would have required the residents' consent to be annexed. Many residents and business owners in those areas have protested being forced into the city. City Council on March 5 unanimously approved Councilman Tony Carbone's motion that the city prepare a draft ordinance. "I'd like to make a motion directing staff to proceed to prepare an ordinance repealing the annexation ordinance of areas A and L," Carbone said at the meeting, "along with developing a transition plan ending the city's emergency services in the city's (extraterritorial jurisdiction)." The council will discuss the matter at a March 26 council meeting where a first reading of the proposal will be read, city spokesman Carry Capers said. The city in November approved annexation of the tracts as well as Area C, an undeveloped area that covers 20 acres north of McHard Road. Capers released a March 6 statement regarding the possible repeal that said that after the annexations occurred, "questions were forwarded to the City regarding certain procedural elements of the annexations." Capers' statement went on to say that, "Despite the City's substantial compliance with applicable annexation procedures, the City Council, rather than engaging in a prolonged dispute on this matter, on March 5th requested staff to prepare an ordinance for future consideration to repeal the annexation for two of the three annexation areas (Areas A and L)." "We're just ecstatic they finally came to their senses about stuff that was going on," said Caye Hauser, who owns a home in Area A - a mostly residential tract that is south of Shadow Creek Ranch between county roads 564 and 48. "We're just a little hesitant till it's a done deal." In February, Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne warned the city in a letter that city staff had mishandled a government document related to Area A when the number of acres was changed from 885 to 895 after Mayor Tom Reid had signed the ordinance. Hauser filed the complaint that prompted Yenne to investigate the matter. "A record signed by the mayor was altered after execution, you can't do that," Yenne said of city officials in the Feb. 1 letter. "The procedure that was used by Pearland was not lawful. I strongly encourage them to take an assessment of their polices and conduct an internal investigation about what happened." Dennis Coker, Pearland city attorney, called the incident an mistake and attributed it to a typo. Residents in Area L have filed a lawsuit against the city, said Michele Falzon, who owns commercial property in that area, which consists of 1,002 acres northeast of Texas 35 between Dixie Farm Road and County Road 29. Hauser and other property owners there claim the city did not follow proper procedures in notifying residents and surrounding school districts about the annexation plans. Area L includes the privately owned Pearland Regional Airport and approximately 80 homes. The airport has tenants and businesses including several flights schools, airplane and helicopter maintenance shops and 20 full-time residents who live in homes or condos. Repeal of the annexations may end city fire and emergency medical services to the areas, Capers said. City Council has said that that because county residents in the ETJ do not pay city taxes, the emergency services are too costly for the city to continue to absorb. Most in the county's unincorporated areas rely on Brazoria County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement. Area C was not included in City Council's request for repeal and is the only area that would remain in the city out of the inventory it initially had sought to annex. Wearing a pair of glasses, adding a jacket or speaking with a different accent helps Jimmy Vollman of Pearland play 14 separate roles in "The Exonerated," which plays March 9-24 at the Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston. "It takes all kinds of characters to tell and retell the arrests and trials of six real people who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death row," said Vollman, 46. "When I play a judge, I put on a robe. Sometimes, the next role comes in a page, or half a page, or it could be the next speech, which is a real quick costume change. It presents quite a challenge, so it helps that I have done improvisational comedy, where you have to be very quick on the fly." Vollman has performed with the Hot Shotz Improv and Sketch Comedy troupe in Clear Lake, but he also worked as a "journeyman actor" in Los Angeles, acting on screen, in video games and stretching his thespian skills by doing live, sketch comedy. "The Exonerated" is Vollman's debut with Dirt Dogs Theatre Company, a highly regarded dramatic troupe in Houston. "Man, I'm sure happy to be working with them," said Vollman. "They start by choosing good material, which attracts good actors who are really committed and smart." The cast of "The Exonerated" features David Osbie Shepard, Todd Thigpen, AndrAes Hunt, John Patterson, Travis Ammons and Holly Vogt Wilkinson as the "everyday" defendants who eventually escaped death row. "If it could happen to them could it happen to you?" is the question posed in press material for the play, which authors Jessica Black and Erik Jensen compiled from "interviews, letters, transcripts, case files and public record." The play premiered off-Broadway in 2002, with Richard Dreyfuss, Jill Clayburgh and Sara Gilbert among the cast directed by Bob Balaban, who will direct the world premiere of Lawrence Wright's "Cleo" April 6-29 at the Alley Theatre in Houston. Helming "The Exonerated" at the MATCH is Malinda L. Beckham, who also directed Galveston actor Kevin Daugherty in a potent Dirt Dogs Theater production of "A Steady Rain" in 2016. Like that play's actors, the cast of "The Exonerated" rehearsed in a downtown Houston office building before settling into rented space at the MATCH. "We spent long hours working to make this sing," said Vollman. "We even rehearsed in the director's living room. Malinda is really good. She let me explore and play, and the more stuff I tried to give her, the more stuff she's let me do. She rewards the hard work and the homework that you do." Before moving into the MATCH, Vollman imagined how the production might look, with characters stepping into pools of light, navigating the story from courtrooms to bars to prisons. Once the production moved into the MATCH on the week it opened March 9 with a champagne reception, Vollman said, "The MATCH is an awesome space. The show is going to look even better than I imagined." Vollman grew up in California, where, he said, "I started out majoring in aerospace engineering at San Diego State University. Halfway through, we had a lovely divorce, and I ended up with a bachelor arts in drama." Vollman works as a business development representative for a German company that sells structural steel to chemical plants and refineries. His wife of 21 years, Kristen, is an English teacher at Shadow Creek High School. Among their three children is Abbey Vollman, 17, who starred as Genevra in Shadow Creek High's production last fall of Eric Coble's "Bright Ideas." She was the assistant director on the school's recent musical, "The Wiz," and she is the understudy for the lead role in "Wit," which is her school's entry in the upcoming University Interscholastic League one-act play competition. Other actors in "The Exonerated" are William Bernard Giffen, Michael Pickett, Niesha Bentley, Katrina Ellsworth and Melissa J. Mayo. The crew includes production manager Trevor B. Cone, lighting designer John Baker, music director Alli Partin Villines, composer/musician John Patterson, assistant director Melissa J. Mayo, stage manager Blake Smith and lighting/sound operator Erin Newsom. Talk-back sessions with the director and cast will follow performances on March 15 and 22. Single tickets are $22 each. For further information call 713-521-5433 or visit https://matchouston.org/events/exonerated. Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net Detectives in north Harris County are trying to track down a man who called 911 late Wednesday and said a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy had been shot. The call came in shortly before 7 p.m. to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office 911 call center. An unidentified man told the call taker a Harris County deputy had been shot at the Chamber Cranbrook Apartments in the 13800 block of Ella Boulevard, officials said. Editor's Note: This article is from March, 2018, and due to recent surge in online views, has re-appeared in most read articles rankings for September 2019. The article is from March 2018. A ranking of best places to live in the United States by niche.com lists three Texas communities in the top 10 of the category Best Cities to Live in America, including The Woodlands at No. 7. Niche.com, a site that ranks communities and amenities across the nation, used data and feedback to generate its 2018 Best Places to Live rankings. The site says the list "provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall livability of an area." The ranking grades are derived from several sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, crime analysis statistics, housing studies, amenities and online surveys. The process, the site says, includes reviews of school quality, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics and access to amenities. The Woodlands, which opened in 1974, was the vision of community planner and developer George Mitchell, who died in 2013. He and his wife Cynthia, who died in 2009, worked with several influential city and urban planners, including famed University of Pennsylvania scholar Ian McHarg and Robert Heineman, a graduate of Rice University and Harvard University's School of Design. Heineman, now with the Woodlands Land Development Co., was not surprised by the ranking. "A lot of university towns get ranked way up there, and they should," Heineman said of cities including Ann Arbor, Michigan, ranked No. 1 rated by niche.com. "(The ranking) helps what we're trying to do here: create the best community where people can work, play and learn. I wouldn't live anyplace else." The 28,000-acre community is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Directors who oversee more than 430 employees. The community is also part of The Woodlands Land Development Company, which is a subsidiary of the Howard Hughes Corp. Area employers include Anadarko Petroleum Co., Exxon Mobil Corp., Huntsman Corp. and MD Anderson Cancer Center, while the retail scene is highlighted by The Woodlands Mall and Market Street-The Woodlands. Some residents are also drawn to trees, forests and other natural elements envisioned in the original plans for the community. More Information Top 10 places to live according to niche.com 1. Ann Arbor, Michigan., home of University of Michigan 2. Naperville, Illinois, Chicago suburb 3. Berkeley, California., home of University of California, Berkeley 4. Plano 5. Arlington, Virginia 6. Cambridge, Massachussetts, home of Harvard University. 7. The Woodlands 8. Overland Park, Kansas, Kansas City suburb 9. Richardson 10. Irvine, California, home of University of California, Irvine See More Collapse Reactions to the ranking from several community members follows: Ann Snyder, a member of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors who has been involved in various community organizations, remains happy to call The Woodlands home. "It's always an honor to be listed in 'best of' places to live. We have so many people over the years who have worked diligently to make The Woodlands a great place to live, work, play and pray," Snyder said. "It hasn't happened by accident. To me, one of the most appealing aspects of our town is that neighbors help neighbors. We truly live in a compassionate place with neighbors from all over the world making our place better each day. My husband and I are truly blessed to call The Woodlands home." Deb Speiss, is president of The Woodlands Arts Council and director of marketing and communications at the private John Cooper School. The ranking didn't surprise her. "My husband and I moved to The Woodlands as newlyweds in 1981 when there were about 6,000 people here. We lived, raised a family and worked in The Woodlands for 34 years, when we moved to the country. Our small hometown had grown to over 100,000 residents," Spiess said. "In my opinion, The Woodlands was, and is, everything George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell envisioned. A warm, inviting community that's based on getting to know one another and making a difference in the lives of others." Spiess also touted the role of the arts in the community: "The Woodlands (Waterway) Arts (Festival), once a simple idea, has grown and prospered in 13 years, to become one of the premier juried arts festivals in the country," Speiss said. "Because of that success, TWAC is now able to reach out to expand the extensive public art collection in The Woodlands and continue to bring art experiences to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity. This was also part of the original vision." Jim Stinson, president of the Woodlands Joint Powers Agency, noted that many parties worked together over the years to make the community succeed, adding: "I think it is very much an honor and the culmination of years of work," Stinson said. "I have lived in many places, and there is no doubt in my mind that we're dedicated to being one of the best communities in the country." - Villager reporter Patricia Dillon contributed to this article. Six days before The Academy Awards that aired this past Sunday, Romy McCloskey received a Facebook notification from a friend suggesting she throw her hat into the mix to vie for the chance to design and create a dress for Oscar guest Sam Brinton. Brinton is the head of Advocacy and Government Affairs for The Trevor Project, an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. ADORABLE: Famous Houston native, boyfriend adopt rescue dog McCloskey, a couture costume design and hand-embroidery artist known for her exceptional embroidery creations, reached out to Brinton, who instantly sparked to her pitch to create something "very original," beating out other name fashion designers. Immediately, McCloskey ordered several yards of crimson red silk from her vendor, who over-night shipped the fabric. She had Brinton send measurements and photos, and the approval process began. Luckily, Brinton was quick to love McCloskey's "Ruby Armor Warrior" concept with male and female influences and the dressmaking began! McCloskey worked tirelessly, sleeping only three to four hours a night in the days leading up to The Academy Awards. As a teen, McCloskey apprenticed with a master fashion designer and then went on to graduate from The Savannah College of Art and Design. Her artistic influences include Edith Head, Colleen Atwood, Dior and Alexander McQueen. She embroidered under the teachings of her great grandmother, grandmother and mother. The day before the Oscars broadcast, McCloskey boarded a flight with her couture dress in tow. She arrived at The W Hotel in Beverly Hills where she said she and Brinton embraced like old childhood friends in the lobby. McCloskey waited as Brinton tried on the dress and was delighted (and relieved) when it fit like a glove. "I'm so grateful to my husband, Jim, and our two boys for allowing me to basically move into my studio and contemplate, conceive and construct a couture gown and coordinating accessories in less than one week," says McCloskey. "A project like this would normally take four weeks!" McCloskey couldn't stop smiling when she read in a recent Los Angeles Times article how actresses Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman stopped to praise Brinton's choice of evening gown. McCloskey is now back home working on a Welch Dragon embroidery that will be used for a client associated with the Outlander series. To learn more about the stunning art work of Romy McCloskey visit www.fadendesignstudios.com. Nickole Kerner Bobley's ArtMeet column is art maven's weekly fix of the local arts scene: what to see, what to hear, who to meet and musings about how art makes people feel-their ArtFeel. A 15-day prostitution operation resulted in 62 arrests and one outstanding warrant. Seven of those arrests were made in Midland, and the others were in Odessa, according to a press release from the Odessa Police Department. Of the arrests, there were 18 felony charges and 50 misdemeanors, according to the OPD. The prostitution operation called Operation Gauntlet used undercover texting and phone calls during three phases. Houston City Councilman Larry Green's visitation and funeral services will be open to his former District K constituents and to any other resident wishing to pay respects to the late councilman. Green, 52, was found dead at his home Tuesday morning. Remembrance services will begin Sunday with a jazz visitation reception at Sugar Land Mortuary, 1818 Eldridge, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A celebration of life will follow Monday at Brentwood Baptist Church, 13033 Landmark St. Services will begin with a viewing from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by an Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity service from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., and a Homegoing Service at 11:30 a.m. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences completed an examination of Green earlier this week, but staff said an official cause of death is not expected to be announced for a few weeks. Police indicated earlier this week that foul play is not suspected. Greens body was discovered in his bed by police about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after his staff asked the Houston Police Department to check on him. Staffers asked police for the welfare check after the usually meticulous councilman had missed appointments and failed to return calls. Much of this weeks City Council meeting was dedicated to Greens memory. Council members, their employees and other city staffers wore green in his honor, and a bountiful bouquet - including 16 red roses and one white rose -- sat in front of Greens chair. Several council members and others were visibly moved throughout the meeting. Green remains the only person elected to lead District K, one of two seats added after the 2010 Census led the council to grow from nine to 11 districts, plus five at-large seats. The council must call a May 5 special election to select Greens replacement by March 20; candidates will have until May 5 to file for the office. District K stretches from the NRG Park area to Fort Bend Houston and Westbury. Green, a Thurgood Marshall School of Law graduate, was a practicing attorney for two decades, served as district director for U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, and ran the job training nonprofit HoustonWorks USA for four years, leaving that post a few months after joining the council in January 2012. As a councilman, he chaired the transportation, technology and infrastructure committee and also held leadership posts with the National League of Cities. He is survived by a brother, two nieces and a nephew, all of Houston, and numerous family members in Texas and Louisiana. A Houston man is wanted for allegedly beating his girlfriend's 1-year-old child in late January, court records show. Police said Kirklin Taylor, 26, abused the baby while he was home alone with her and another child while their mother was at work on Jan. 26. After spending the day at work, the mother came home and noticed the 1-year-old baby would cry when Taylor was in the same room, police said. The mother was giving the child a bath the next day when she noticed bruises all over her child's body. INVESTIGATION: Police release 911 call audio of hoax police shooting She then confronted Taylor about it, according to court records. He initially denied the abuse but became irate when the mother asked him to leave the apartment in lieu of her calling police. He allegedly slammed the mother's head into a wall before punching her in the face and taking her cell phone, police said. She tried to make a dash for the front door of the apartment, but Taylor blocked her exit, grabbed her throat and threw her. She was eventually able to get away from Taylor and find a phone to call 911. Houston Police Department officers helped get the mother and her daughter to Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center. MYSTERY: Woman found dead in southwest Houston apartment complex The next day, Taylor messaged the mother on Facebook to apologize for the outburst the night before, court documents show. "I love kids, and I love you, mane," he wrote. "I'm just going through it." The mother never replied to the message and turned it over to police, according to court documents. Detectives consulted with doctors at Memorial Hermann who determined the child's injuries were consistent with abuse. STING: Prostitution operation results in 62 arrests in Texas Taylor is facing a third-degree felony injury to a child charge as well as a misdemeanor assault family violence charge for allegedly attacking the baby's mother. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison. Houston Crime Stoppers is offering a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to Taylor's arrest. Anyone with information is urged to call 713-222-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crime-stoppers.org. Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan. Two Brazilian grandparents who allegedly conspired to kidnap their 8-year-old Houston grandchild are free on bond, court documents show. Carlos Otavio Guimaraes, 67, and Jemima Guimaraes, 65, are facing conspiracy and international parental kidnapping charges after allegedly helping harbor the boy in Brazil during a short family trip in July 2013. The boy was supposed to return back to Houston that same month but never did. Houston ISD trustees on Thursday opted not to appoint an interim superintendent at a school board meeting, leaving it unclear who will run the district after Superintendent Richard Carranzas anticipated departure later this month. Board members did not discuss potential candidates or options for moving forward during closed or open session Thursday because one trustee was absent. They are expected to consider options for appointing a temporary district leader at a March 22 meeting. Trustees faced a relatively subdued crowd given Carranzas abrupt announcement Monday that he plans to leave the district after 18 months to become chancellor of New York City public schools. They never referred to Carranza by name during the meeting or commented at length about his decision to leave, making only glancing references to his departure. The sky is not falling around replacing our superintendent, HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones said. We do have some heavy lifts, but weve had to do some heavy lifts before. As expected, Carranza did not attend Thursdays meeting at the request of trustees, who didnt want his presence to become a distraction. Skillern-Jones said district officials had received angry messages from some community members. Only a few community members criticized Carranza on Thursday, while a few dozen residents spoke about other issues. Carranza is expected to leave HISD in the next couple of weeks, ending his 18-month tenure with the district. The 51-year-old unexpectedly announced his decision on Monday, catching the entire Houston community off-guard. CARRANZA: Why I'm leaving HISD, going to New York Skillern-Jones said board members discussed some legal matters surrounding Carranzas departure during closed session, including their ability to re-hire the search firm that helped them land Carranza, who formerly presided over San Francisco Unified School District. Trustees expect they will be able to use the search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, free of charge because Carranza remained in HISD for less than two years. Carranzas departure has added to the tumult surrounding HISD, which faces significant financial, academic and state oversight pressure. ACCUSATIONS: Now-settled lawsuit claimed Carranza derailed educator's career Administrators are projecting a $115 million budget, with decisions on cuts needed before June 30. Carranza suggested the district will have to make staffing reductions that will impact virtually all departments. District leaders also must decide by April 30 whether they want to surrender control over several low-performing campuses to outside organizations in an effort to stave off severe state sanctions. The district risks a state takeover of its locally elected school board or state-mandated campus closures if it doesnt hand over control or close-and-restart 10 chronically failing schools. On top of that, trustees and administrators must decide how to follow through on proposals to alter the districts magnet program and campus funding model. HISD Trustee Sergio Lira said he wants the district to continue with discussions around those proposals, which have resulted in significant community feedback at public meetings across the city. The proposals, Lira said, are all centered around providing more equitable funding and opportunities to students in long-neglected neighborhoods. I hope we, as a school board, move forward in a unified position to continue these initiatives, Lira said. They still need to be fleshed out. We cant stop midstream. Skillern-Jones said trustees are considering three options related to the superintendent position: appoint a short-term interim, a long-term interim or a permanent choice. EDITORIAL: Carranza bails on Houston. Good luck, New York City. Cecelia Edwards, CEO of the Peoples Choice Association, a labor organization representing about 300 HISD employees, said she wants trustees to appoint an interim superintendent and search for a permanent superintendent with Houston roots. I think if they had someone from this community, they would value the position and value the children, Edwards said. Its a place where you can learn and grow and thrive. Houston has been around a long time. Jacob.Carpenter@chron.com A 14-year-old boy was stabbed repeatedly outside a strip center after school Friday, according to Houston police. The teenager was standing in the parking lot of the Westpark Business Center in the 6400 block of Westpark just before 4 p.m. when a light-colored sedan pulled up. Multiple people jumped out and one - who police described as a "known juvenile" - whipped out a sharp object and stabbed the victim repeatedly in the chest. First responders rushed the boy to the Texas Medical Center in critical condition. The suspect fled before police arrived. Texas police are looking for a man that has a less-than-flattering nickname. Drashaydrian Hunter, also known as "Stinky Butt," is wanted by the Jacksonville Police Department in northeast Texas. The department says Hunter has warrants for his arrest in Kaufman, Van Zandt and Smith counties. The press release from the police did not disclose what Hunter has been charged with. TEXAS CRIME: Shepherd man charged with thousands of crimes related to child porn possession Police say Hunter was last seen on Wednesday around 4:07 p.m. walking around the area of Lincoln Park. He was described wearing a black hoodie and black jeans. Officers reportedly responded to the area and Hunter immediately took off, running into a wooded area. Police said they set up a perimeter where Hunter was last spotted but were unable to apprehend him. Police dispatched a helicopter and canine team during the search but still were unable to find him. Hunter is described as 165 pounds and 5'9". Anyone who knows where Hunter may be is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 903-586-7867. An award of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest. Will Axford is a digital reporter for Chron.com. Read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter. A highly anticipated federal study that would update rainfall estimates used in Houston to predict and prepare for severe storms has been delayed four months, an official with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. Preliminary data released in November as part of the NOAA study indicated that the standards used to develop floodplain regulations, map flood zones and design flood control projects routinely underestimate the severity of the Houston area's downpours. AUSTIN One of the wealthiest tea party-aligned establishments trying to influence Texas politics fell flat in this week's primary election, losing half of the races it invested time or money in. Empower Texans endorsed 34 candidates who ran in the March 6 Republican primary election. Of those, 13 won, 17 lost and four will continue on to a runoff election in May. One of their biggest wins was unseating Republican Rep. Jason Villalba, a moderate from Dallas who has also attracted the ire of Texans for Vaccine Choice, a grassroots group that fights against mandatory child vaccines. Another was the defeat of Rep. Wayne Faircloth, a Republican from Galveston who was also under attack by Gov. Greg Abbott this election cycle. MORE: Election HQ: Results The conservative Republican group is known for threatening moderate Republicans with primary election challenges and using strong-arm tactics and large campaign contributions to help candidates loyal to their positions win state office. In the 2016 election season, the group spent $1.8 million supporting candidates, making it the eighth highest campaign contributor, according to Texans for Public Justice, a government watchdog group. The group has tried to storm the Texas House, run by moderate Republican Joe Straus who is not seeking reelection this year. The group is trying to amass supporters to support the House Freedom Caucus, which advocates for key conservative issues, like the Second Amendment and pro-life issues. Straus, however, has funded several moderate Republican candidates to fend off challenges from Empower Texans. In those races, Empower Texans lost nine contests, and won three, ousting Villaba and Faircloth, while also beating Clint Bedsole in an open race. Here's the list of winners, losers and runoff candidates Empower Texans endorsed, and how much of the vote they earned. Here's the Texas Senate district map and Texas House district map, and here's where you can find out who represents your district. WON State Sen. Bob Hall Senate District 2 Seeking reelection State Sen. Charles Schwertner Senate District 5 Seeking reelection State Sen. Joan Huffman Senate District 17 Seeking reelection Rep. Pat Fallon Senate District 30 Defeated incumbent Sen. Craig Estes Rep. Matt Schaefer House District 6 Seeking reelection Steve Toth House District 15 Open seat Mayes Middleton House District 23 Challenged incumbent Rep. Wayne Faircloth Rep. Mike Lang House District 60 Seeking reelection Rep. Kyle Biedermann House District 73 Seeking reelection Jared Patterson House District 106 Open seat Jonathan Boos House District 113 Open seat Lisa Luby Ryan House District 114 Challenged incumbent Rep. Jason Villalba Rep. Valoree Swanson House District 150 Seeking reelection RUNOFF Stuart Spitzer House District 4 Open seat Thomas McNutt House District 8 Open seat Deanna Maria Metzger House District 107 Open seat Matt Beebe House District 121 Open seat LOST Mike Canon Senate District 31 Challenged incumbent Sen. Kel Seliger Bryan Slaton House District 2 Challenged incumbent Rep. Dan Flynn Garrett Boersma House District 9 Challenged incumbent Rep. Chris Paddie Danny Ward House District 11 Challenged incumbent Travis Clardy Emily Kebodeaux Cook House District 18 Challenged incumbent Rep. Ernest Bailes Damon Rambo House District 25 Challenged incumbent Rep. Dennis Bonnen Amber Pearce House District 45 Open seat Jay Wiley House District 47 Challenged incumbent Rep. Paul Workman CJ Grisham House District 55 Challenged incumbent Rep. Hugh Shine Mark Roy House District 64 Challenged incumbent Rep. Lynn Stucky Drew Brassfield House District 87 Challenge incumbent Rep. Four Price Jason Huddleston House District 88 Challenged incumbent Rep. Ken King Armin Mizani House District 98 Challenged incumbent Rep. Giovanni Capriglione Bo French House District 99 Challenged incumbent Rep. Charlie Geren Chris Fails House District 122 Challenged incumbent Rep. Lyle Larson Kevin Fulton House District 126 Open seat Susanna Dokupil House District 134 Challenge incumbent Rep. Sarah Davis Andrea Zelinski covers politics for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com. With their primary elections now in the rear-view mirror, Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is amusing himself with a short song, "You Can't Be a Liberal Man," that pokes at his Democratic general election opponent, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke. And even makes fun of his nickname. Liberal. That's the tagline for Texas Republicans seeking to dis their opponents, whether it's Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blasting the "Liberal Texas Association of Business" for opposing his conservative agenda or Gov. Greg Abbott working to defeat "liberal" incumbent Republican state Reps. Sarah Davis of Houston and Lyle Larson of Antonio. Both won. With several runoffs coming up May 22 to decide the remaining contests, including the Democratic nomination for governor, the heated political rhetoric promises to continue for two more months as an entertaining work-up to the November balloting. Then there's this: In talking about the need for gun-control, and why Texans have such steadfast support for the Second Amendment, O'Rourke recently told a story about a woman in Brownwood who was "born with a gun in her hand" and has 46 grandkids. Now that's something. Our sponsor this week: The Texas Association of Counties. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto, MBR / TNS With Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, and Mike Ward, Austin Bureau chief for the Houston Chronicle, with special guest Ryan Poppe, Texas Public Radio's Capitol reporter. Texas politics are entertaining but never boring, as this edition of the state's leading political podcast, produced in collaboration with partner Texas Public Radio, clearly shows. 'We are ready to make this happen,' Seamus ORegan says of plan to bring in at least 4,000 newcomers a year Federal minister wants to more than double immigration target for Newfoundland and Labrador Federal minister wants to more than double immigration target for Newfoundland and Labrador 'We are ready to make this happen,' Seamus ORegan says of plan to bring in at least 4,000 newcomers a year Federal minister wants to more than double immigration target for Newfoundland and Labrador 'We are ready to make this happen,' Seamus ORegan says of plan to bring in at least 4,000 newcomers a year Federal minister wants to more than double immigration target for Newfoundland and Labrador 'We are ready to make this happen,' Seamus ORegan says of plan to bring in at least 4,000 newcomers a year Stephen Smith Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The province of Newfoundland and Labrador could more than double its immigration target if federal cabinet minister Seamus ORegan has his way. ORegan, who serves as Canadas Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Member of Parliament for a riding in Newfoundlands capital city St. Johns, says he has buy-in from Canadas Immigration Minister, Ahmed Hussen, to increase the provinces current immigration target of 1,700 newcomers by 2022 to at least 4,000. I was just on the phone with my friend, Somali refugee-turned-Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, and we are ready to make this happen, ORegan told a meeting of the St. Johns Board of Trade this week. Given the combination of outmigration and a population that is aging at an incredible rate, ORegan said 4,000 new immigrants is the baseline for keeping the social effects of Newfoundland and Labradors shrinking tax base from getting worse. We need a minimum of 4,000 new immigrants a year in this province just to maintain the status quo, ORegan said. But Im not interested in maintaining the status quo. Im interested in growing this economy. Im interested in more jobs, in higher profits, in increased prosperity and that means more immigrants. A lot more. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador projects that by 2025, the province will experience a 10 per cent decline in its working-age population, resulting in 35,000 fewer people in the provincial labour market. The province has been welcoming a steadily increasing number of newcomers in recent years, increasing from a total of 546 in 2007 to 1,122 in 2015. ORegan said he plans to assemble representatives of labour, business and government in Newfoundland and Labrador to look at ways they can make the increase he is proposing a reality. I believe that doom is not inevitable and that there exists the opportunity for our province to succeed and to thrive, but weve got to take bold action and weve got to strike out in new directions, he said. To find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs, fill out a FREE assessment form. A cord of wood, a cup of sugar for the new neighbour down the way The Veterans Affairs minister said he believes the people of Newfoundland and Labrador would open their doors to newcomers. Once people come here, they are welcomed into our communities, they are welcomed into our homes, and they are often welcomed into our hearts, he said. ORegan took pride in a recent Canadian survey of immigrants that ranked St. Johns among the most open and welcoming cities in the country. We always have a cord of wood or a cup of sugar for the new neighbour down the way, and that is worth fighting for, he said. He pointed to his own experience as a gay man who married his partner in St. Johns and found nothing but acceptance from the local residents. He also pointed to his grandfathers experience as a refugee who fled civil war in Ireland and was welcomed in Newfoundland. No one was interested in taking in an Irishman, nothing but trouble, but the Dominion of Newfoundland did and Id like to think it worked out pretty well for my family and me. ORegan said Newfoundlanders have everything to gain from a new wave of immigration to the province. They dont take our jobs, they create them, he said. Immigrants send more of their children to college and university; they use less social services than we do. And they are far more likely to start their own businesses and create jobs than we are. He highlighted the case of HeyOrca, a local social media planning business founded by international students who graduated from Memorial University in St. Johns. They hired 30 people over the last two years and 90 per cent of their market is in the U.S., ORegan noted. I want more. I want them all over the province. This is the time for boldness, for seizing opportunities that present themselves on the global stage. To learn more about immigration options under the Newfoundland And Labrador Provincial Nominee Program, click here. To find out if you are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool, fill out a FREE assessment form. 2018 CICNews All Rights Reserved Hopes that the retirement of New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina might mean positive change for the nations largest school system got a hard reality check from Mayor Bill de Blasios pick as her replacementRichard Carranza, who comes to New York after a mere 18 months as superintendent of schools in Houston, which followed just four years in the top job in San Francisco. Both are historically troubled school districts. Reform takes time, yes, but there is no evidence that Carranza, a so-called career educator with a thin resume, made a ripple in either pond. In this he differs from de Blasios first pick for the position, the highly rated Miami-Dade County schools boss Alberto Carvalho, who first agreed to take the job then rejected it during a raucous, televised school board meeting in Miami. It was a bizarre outcome, even by the zany standards of the de Blasio administration, and while it is still not entirely clear why Carvalho chose to bow out, it seems that the educator discovered that City Hall intended to keep him on a short leash. De Blasio had reportedly made it clear that he, and not the new chancellor, would pick the new chief of staff and other key appointees. Ceding authority apparently wont be a problem for Carranza. There is no daylight between Mayor de Blasio and myself in terms of what we believe in, he said this week. [Ive] been an admirer of Mayor de Blasio since he was elected, and [of] his equity agenda. In other words, Carranza puts obedience over independence, rhetoric over reform. Not surprisingly, United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrewwho only begrudgingly saluted the Carvalho announcementis pleased with Carranza. Mr. Carranza has earned a reputation for collaboration with teachers, parents and school communities and has been a real champion of public schools, said Mulgrew. We are encouraged by his commitment to all children, his resistance to a testing culture and his support for the community schools approach. The UFT clearly views Carranza as an ally. Resistance to a testing culture, for example, translates into opposition to both meaningful classroom-performance benchmarks and stringent teacher-evaluation standards. And support for the community schools approach means that the new boss rejects independent charter schools, school choice, and related attempts at positive change. Mulgrew fears charter schoolspublicly funded but privately operatedbecause they threaten the de facto control over the school system that his union has exercised for decades. The de Blasio administration has been particularly compliant, if not explicitly transactional, in this regard. It accepted a $350,000 donation to a mayoral slush fund from a UFT-controlled PAC, then awarded the union a budget-busting $9 billion, multiyear contract and joined it in waging war against school reforms enacted by de Blasios mayoral predecessor. Michael Bloomberg, of course, successfully fought for direct mayoral control of the schoolsin the process overcoming the scorched-earth opposition of the UFT and its allies in the city and in Albany. He and his first schools chancellor, Joel Klein, made considerable headway, and to a certain extent thats still paying dividends. Graduation rates and classroom performance continue to improve, albeit modestly; watered-down performance standards and shifted goalposts may account for much of that improvement. In the end, though, whatever success Bloomberg and Klein achieved was transitory and soon will fade because mayoral control is driven by mayoral priorities. Bloomberg championed students; de Blasio is a union man focused, in Carranzas words, on his equity agenda. Whatever that means, its unlikely to include teaching children how to read, write, add, and subtract. So Mulgrew, once again, comes up aces. He gets a pliable chancellor with no discernible record of achievement who seems happy to serve as an instrument of de Blasio and the teachers union. The mayor also wins. He swiftly put the Carvalho humiliation behind him, his union allies are smiling, and hes free to pursue equity. The losers are the public-school kids of New York City, but that shouldnt surprise anybody. With a few notable exceptions, thats been the case for at least two generationsand Bill de Blasio is doing his best to make it a third. A progressive mayors work is never done. Photo: NYC Mayor's Office So many writers have produced I went offline, and here is what I learned stories that they became a tedious cliche years ago. Cliche or no, however, those stories had one thing in common: the writers of them all actually went offline. Farhad Manjoo, technology columnist for the New York Times, took a different tack. He didnt go offline at all: he just said he did, in a widely discussed column. Manjoo wrote about what he learned from his two months away from social media, and dispensed avuncular advice to his readers about the benefits of slowing down ones news consumption. But he didnt really unplug from social media at all. The evidence is right there in his Twitter feed, just below where he tweeted out his column: Manjoo remained a daily, active Twitter user throughout the two months he claims to have gone cold turkey, tweeting many hundreds of times, perhaps more than a thousand. In an email interview on Thursday, he stuck to his story, essentially arguing that the gist of what he wrote remains true, despite the tweets throughout his self-imposed hiatus. ICYMI: While ABC, CBS, and NBC all had special reports on student walkout, Fox went a different direction It seems likely that Manjoo isnt lying, and that he really believes he had unplugged, and really believes that his weak-sauce explanations dont belie the point of his column. It could be that Manjoos column really does serve as a warning about the pernicious effects of social media. Just not in the way he meant it. Supposedly tired of the misdirection and mistakes that happen on social media as news breaks, and wearied by the constant flow of news on social media, Manjoo decided he needed to slow things down. And so: In January, after the breaking-newsiest year in recent memory, I decided to travel back in time. I turned off my digital news notifications, unplugged from Twitter and other social networks, and subscribed to home delivery of three print newspapersThe Times, The Wall Street Journal and my local paper, The San Francisco Chronicleplus a weekly newsmagazine, The Economist. Sign up for CJR 's daily email He got most of his news from the papers, he wrote. His one caveat: he allowed for podcasts, email newsletters, and books and magazines. ICYMI: A reporter asked for 20 years of lottery winner data. After analyzing the records, he noticed something unusual. But he also allowed for continued Twitter use. And not just a little: he tweeted nearly every day during the fifty-eight days of the experiment. During the first two weeks of February, he tweeted, on average, more than fifteen times a day. He refrained completely from tweeting on only five daysall on weekends. Thats far from obsessive, but its even further from unplugged. It is, in fact, the opposite of unplugged. Manjoo objects to that characterization. I think its clear that I meant I unplugged from Twitter as a source of news, not that I didnt tweet at all, he wrote. But he had written, quite plainly, that he had unplugged from Twitter, not that he had used it only to post news stories. Reactions to his column on Twitter make it clear that many readers took him at his word. ICYMI: My heart sank. I wrapped up my work and headed home. But also: He didnt use Twitter only to post news stories. He retweeted news stories from others and commented on others tweets about the news on most days during his period of being unplugged. In February, he retweeted Sean Hannity, commenting: You gotta read this thread, its amazing. He was clearly using Twitter to follow the newsalbeit less so than he had been before starting this experiment. You gotta read this thread, its amazing, it really makes you ask the big questions about where we are as a society and where can I get some hemlock https://t.co/4MSoMxNAgn Farhad Manjoo: ask your friends to follow me (@fmanjoo) February 13, 2018 Having laid the groundwork with the notion that he had unplugged from social media, and describing how beneficial it was for his mental health, and expressing how much more time he had for the truly important things in life, Manjoo encouraged his readers to follow his example, and rather throat-clearingly issued a Michael Pollanlike heuristic: Get news. Not too quickly. Avoid social. Presumably, readers are encouraged to come up with their own definitions of avoid. A Times spokesperson said the paper doesnt view his assertion as a falsehood, and wont be issuing a correction. ICYMI: A reporter attended a school board meeting for 3 hours, longer than other journalists. That ended up being a very good decision. Starting around the turn of the century, Manjoo made a name for himself as an insightful chronicler of the tech world, writing for sites such as Wired News, Salon, and then Slate, where he became well-known enough over his five-year tenure that the Times hired him to be the papers lead tech columnist (after a very short stint working for the Wall Street Journal). In 2008, he wrote an excellent, generally well-received, and prescient book detailing the various assaults on facts and truth in our public discourse. But toward the end of his time at Slate, and continuing to the present day, Manjoo started to become known for his sometimes out-there takes. Some of them seem akin to the tin-eared musings of Henry Blodget, the disgraced former stock analyst and founder of Business Insider (a publication that Manjoo once praised as a rapacious news aggregator). Others are more like the affected contrarianism of Nick Bilton, a former Times staffer who once wrote that pens are just so Squaresville, daddy-o, and also that we should all stop writing thank you in email, in part because its a time sink. Manjoos last column for Slate was not about technology at all; it was an argument that men should wear makeup in which he featured a whole bunch of close-up pictures of himself. Earlier, he had defended BuzzFeed for its decision to publish a video of a man killing himself with a gunshot to the head after a car chase that had aired live on Fox News. People are talking about a thing on Twitter, he wrote on Twitter. Posting stuff people are talking about is what BF does. This is their job. Last year, he defended President Donald Trumps lack of literacy in a column headlined So Trump Makes Spelling Errors. In the Twitter Age, Whoo Doesnt? That one must have done wonders for morale on the Times copy desk, which had just suffered a round of layoffs. Manjoos latest column seems to be of a piece with these earlier works. After trying, and failing, to get him to own up to the fact that his assertion that he had unplugged from social media was not true, I asked him whether perhaps his use of social media was messing with his own self-perception. He didnt respond to that question. ICYMI: How hacked emails and a yacht in Monaco ended my career at the Wall Street Journal Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Dan Mitchell is a journalist based in Oakland, California. Follow him on Twitter @thefoodeconomy. As he made for the exit of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in downtown Manhattan on Thursday, Philip Cohen handed a numbered chip to a clerk and was given back his cellphone, which, like any member of the public, hed had to surrender on entry. Who knows what he did while we were in here? Cohen said. He was the man Cohen was in court to challenge: Donald Trump. After Trump tweeted (from his @realDonaldTrump account) about an air traffic control initiative last June, Cohen, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, replied with a photo of the president and the caption, Corrupt Incompetent Authoritarian. And then there are the policies. Resist. Fifteen minutes later, Cohen saw hed been blocked by the president of the United States. ICYMI: How 86-year-old Dan Rather became Facebooks favorite news anchor I never thought he would block me. I tweeted at him all the time, Cohen told CJR outside court. Hed just watched attorneys from the Knight First Amendment Institute tell a federal judge that in blocking Cohen because he didnt like his tweet, the president had engaged in unconstitutional discrimination based on viewpoint. The Knight Institute, which is based at Columbia University, is representing Cohen and six other plaintiffsa surgeon, a comic, a musician-activist, two writers, and a police officerin a bid to qualify Trumps Twitter as a public forum; part of a broader push to protect the First Amendment from a president who clearly does not respect it. Neither the First Amendment nor Donald Trump are strangers to the courtrooms of New Yorks southern judicial district. It was in downtown Manhattan that judges overturned an obscenity ban on D.H. Lawrences racy novel Lady Chatterleys Lover in 1959, and delivered a first rebuke to the Nixon administration in the Pentagon Papers case in 1971. Trump, for his part, has been called there repeatedly, both as a real estate developer and as head of state. In 1990, he took tough questions on the shady labor deal that cleared the way for Trump Tower. Last year, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sued him (unsuccessfully), citing his ongoing foreign business interests while president. On Thursday, the two litigious heavyweights came together, squaring off in front of Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in courtroom 21A. The First Amendment, incarnate in Knights Katie Fallow and Jameel Jaffer, argued that because the president uses his @realDonaldTrump account to make official government announcements, it is a de facto public forumaffording constitutional protections to citizens who engage with it. Trumps government, represented effusively by Michael Baer, responded with its own, dizzying chain of logic: The court cant tell Trump what to do with his personal Twitter; and even if it could, hes not using it in an official capacity; and even if he were, Trumps Twitter channels his own free speech, and thus cant be considered a public forum. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Judge Buchwaldwho, like the United States seal behind her, presided with arrows in one hand, an olive branch in the other, and an eagle eye throughoutlooked less than pleased to be told she didnt have authority over Trumps Twitter: In one acidic intervention, she asked Baer, Because the president is above the law? I just wanted to check. Instead, the bulk of her probing centered on whether or not Trumps personal Twitter is a forum for public interaction with the government. Judge Buchwald looked less than pleased to be told she didnt have authority over Trumps Twitter. The debate that followed quickly became a war of analogy. The government argued that Trump uses Twitter as he might behave at a conferencewhere his entry would invite other attendees to approach him, but where hed retain the right to ignore people he didnt want to speak to. The Knight lawyers shot back that this analogy is wrong: By blocking folks on Twitter, Trump doesnt just ignore them, he bars their access to the conference altogether. Twitter and other social media platforms are clearly fora for public debate, but courts havent yet figured whether the existing rules of speech should apply to them, and if so, how. As Baer argued for the government, The real-world analogies are a necessary evil in this new context. But I dont think you can settle this case by analogy alone. Twitter is a series of overlapping conversations happening simultaneously.This is not like the president turning off the microphone [at a town hall]. Things get particularly messy when these privately owned platforms become vehicles for government speech. As with so much else, Trump has proved deft at exploiting these contradictions. He alternately claims his @realDonaldTrump account is personal and official as it suits him. Hes embraced it, at least implicitly, to circumvent the media and establish a direct channel of communication with voters. But by blocking some users he renders that channel a one-way system. Buchwald clearly doesnt do Twitter; when Baer corrected her for referring to retweets as forwarding on she looked down and shot back, You can tell [tweeting] is something I dont consider it appropriate for judges to engage in. But her scrutiny of the platforms technical featuresfor example, whether the comment thread should be considered as part of, or separately from, Trumps tweetswas astute. Trump chose Twitter, she said toward the close of the hearing. The question is, is there some significance to him choosing a medium which, by definition, is interactive? (rather than, say, a blog or press release). While she considers her verdict, Buchwald urged both parties to consider whether it might be a mutually acceptable compromise for Trump to mute, rather than block, accounts he doesnt like. Its true that Philip Cohen and his co-plaintiffs can access information about the government while blockedincluding, when they log out, Trumps tweets. They can also engage with other peoples responses to the president, even if they cant see the source material directly. But as Cohen pointed out afterward, his ability to amplify his voice on a noisy platform has at least been limited by Trump blocking him. Once I was blocked [by Trump] a lot fewer people read my tweets, he said. My political efficacy is damaged. Leaving the courthouse after the hearing, Cohen bounded down the steps for interviews with a bevy of reporters and photographers gathered on Pearl Street. He held his newly returned cellphone up to the cameras, flashing the blocked message that still shows when he clicks on Trumps Twitter page. As Cohen and the Knight attorneys posed for photos, Moses Padril, a chef, walked past and asked what the commotion was about. Good, he replied, when told about the case. Trumps Twitter account reminds me of my daughter, and shes 15. You cant just say one thing, and then tweet something else. ICYMI: Most major outlets have used Russian tweets as sources for partisan opinion: study Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP drives journalism unlike any US president before him. Trumps tweets send newsrooms scrambling to publish reaction pieces. His policy decisions and statements spur flurries of news analysis. Scandals new and old dominate headlines. But somethings lacking in a lot of Trump Administration coverage. Journalists often fail to show how the Trump presidency touches peoples everyday lives, and what that impact means as time passes. The tentatively titled Trump Diaries podcast may offer a corrective. It taps US residents from across the political spectrum to show how the Trump presidency affects them in ways big and small, and then follows them as their stories evolve over time. The show is currently under development by a nationwide collective of journalists from the worlds of public radio and podcasts. So far, theres a pilot done, with more episodes on the way. The producers are seeking donations and applying for grants, but also talking to some of the usual suspects in podcasting to give the program a home, says Project Director Jesse Dukes. Though he was mum on who hes pitching, Dukes, 40, says hes talked to his bosses at WBEZ 91.5 FM Chicago, and they are a potential partner. Dukes describes the project as an ongoing longitudinal, peoples history/documentary project. A pilot for the podcast will premier on March 15 at the Public Newsroom, an initiative of City Bureau, a non-profit journalism lab based in the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicagos South Side. ICYMI: Its time to rethink how we cover Trump Dukes got the idea for the podcast after Trump was elected in November 2016, as he observed peoples intense reactions to a Trump presidency and wondered how the same people might have viewed the prospect of having Trump in the White House a year prior. Donald Trump was elected, and many people I knew were shocked or surprised by that, and I knew people who were happy about it, but even people I knew who were happy about it, they were still shocked and surprised by it, Dukes says. They still felt like his election represented something different, a new kind of presidency, and also suggested that there were frustrations and fears and anxieties in this country that had been simmering under the surface for a while. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project Dukes sent an email to about 100 people, including friends and colleagues, to ask what they thought about the idea and if they wanted to get involved. What emerged was a 15-person team of journalists, radio producers, documentary filmmakers, academics, and oral historians. They have been interviewing people since Trump was elected and following up with them every few weeks to see how their experiences and perspectives are evolving as the Trump presidency ensues. The goal is to put out 10 episodes a year. Each episode will span about an hour, and will tell the story of the previous year from one or two peoples perspectives. Participants include Alexander, a young Afghanistan War veteran at Ohio State University who identifies as socially progressive and worries about how the Trump administration is affecting the way other countries view the US. They also include Irtefa, a Muslim-American woman working on a doctoral degree in anthropology in Charlottesville, Virginia, who has concerns about the impact Trumps policies could have on attitudes about race and healthcare where she lives. And theres Marjorie, 78, a pro-life Catholic matriarch who supports Trump but voted for Barack Obama twice. (More on her later.) Some stories focus on the more tangible effects of Trumps policies and political agendafor instance, how policy debate twists and turns play out in the life of a young woman with DACA status. Other stories focus on how the charged political atmosphere permeates peoples relationships with friends and loved ones. The podcast isnt so much about the Trump presidency as it is a way of showing the Trump era from the perspectives of people who arent necessarily famous or powerful. So much of the news right now is about whats happening in the White House, Dukes says. Theres this sort of ongoing soap opera of the Trump presidency, which includes things with real political stakes, like budget impasses and DACA and stuff like that, but also includes a lot of things like who said what and what did Bannon call Don Jr. and that sort of thing. This is about the people Talking about politics, and talking to people across political difference, feels a lot harder now and a lot more fraught, and the divide feels starker and deeper than it has in a long time. Im personally interested in seeing how people navigate that. DELANEY HALL, 35, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the senior editor of the 99% Invisible podcast and part of the Trump Diaries production team. She says that one of the most prevalent themes in the reporting so far has been the struggle between Trump supporters and Trump critics trying to get along with each other. Hall has conducted six interviews over the past year with a small business owner in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who goes by the pseudonym Adam, in the program. She says hes a thoughtful conservative who voted for Trump, but is reluctant to come out as a Trump supporter (hence the pseudonym). At the time she began interviewing him, he was engaged to a liberal woman, and the election put this huge strain on their engagement, Hall says. Theyre now married, and theyve sort of been navigating this new political reality together, Hall says. Talking about politics, and talking to people across political difference, feels a lot harder now and a lot more fraught, and the divide feels starker and deeper than it has in a long time. Im personally interested in seeing how people navigate that. The pilot episode debuting on March 15, Angel + Derek, tells the story of two friends, both evangelical Christians, who occupy different sides of the political aisle. Angel, the conservative, is a teacher and pastor at a Hispanic church who claims a spiritual intervention in the voting booth spurred his vote for Trump. His parents were undocumented immigrants from Mexico who were given amnesty in the 1980s by the Reagan administration. Derek, a middle-school science teacher who lives in southern California, identifies as progressive, supported Hillary Clinton, and is so frustrated with the political system that he plans to run for office himself in 2018 and join his local school board. The piece examines their friendship, and what they do and dont talk about. It concludes with a phone call between the two men as reporter Elizabeth Nakano listens at Angels side inside his church. Nakano says she had spoken with the two men for 11 months and watched them grow further apart politically, but avoid talking about their differences. So she asked them to tackle their diverging views head-on. In a clip provided to CJR, Derek lays out a biblical belief for his pro-immigration stance: the Bible calls us to love our neighbor, not to deport them and break up their family. Angel replies: I dont want to see families broken upI would like to see sort of like what happened with my family, an opportunity given to individuals as long as those individuals are law abiding citizens. Derek responds with a point of clarification: There are actually law abiding, wonderful people who are getting arrested, and I have students, and their dads are getting deported. And as he was talking, Nakano narrates, Angel started to look really uncomfortable and painedhis face dropped, and he actually shifted his weight and started to lean away from me. And so, that part of the conversation wrapped up pretty quickly, and the call did too shortly after that. Nakano later asks Angel about his discomfort. Even though I did vote for Trump it pains me to know of families that are being torn apart, he says. I wouldnt be here had my parents not come here. Its hard because thats where its not a political thing for me, its more personal experience. I took advantage of the fact that there was an opportunity, and to know there are families out there that are gonna be broken up, thats very harsh, whether I voted for Trump or not. Thats beyond politics. While Marjorie avoided discussing Trumps own sexual assault allegations much, shes now less sure of the worldview she had about women in power, because the movement showed her how pervasive male abuse of power is. DUKES SAYS THAT most interview subjects political positions and perspectives havent changed much yet over the course of a year. He speeculates thats due to how bubbled and partisan our media consumption can be. But there are some exceptions. Reporter John Fecile, 29, interviewed Marjorie, the 78-year-old woman from Maine who voted for Obama twice but then flipped for Trump in 2016. Over the course of a year, checking in with Marjorie about once a month, Fecile says Marjorie grew exasperated as it became clear Trump wouldnt get much done, and that the passage of the Republican tax plan was a boost to her spirits. But her shift in views isnt about legislative agendas; rather, its occurred at the intersection of gender, politics, and power. Marjorie says she didnt vote for Hillary Clinton because she didnt think women should run for higher officebecause many of the woman bosses shed had in life were bitches, according to Fecile. But then the #Metoo movement came along and shook her up, causing her to remember an incident in her teens when she was attacked and nearly raped by a classmate, something she hadnt talked about for years. Marjorie began discussing the incident with her husband, friends, and another woman who had been assaulted by the man, a now-deceased resident of their small town who never faced repercussions. Fecile says while Marjorie avoided discussing Trumps own sexual assault allegations much, shes now less sure of the worldview she had about women in power, because the movement showed her how pervasive male abuse of power is. Im not sure shes going to change her vote, but she wasnt a fan of Roy Moore and watched with approval as men in power were taken down by the movement, Fecile says. Max Green, 27, a freelance producer at WBEZ working on a full-time contract, says a lot of podcasts spend a lot of time with sources, but the idea of trying to capture a shared experience in the Trump era between many different types of people is intriguing. He says the production team and reporters have a strong interest in being nonpartisan. But a slight majority of the participants lean liberal, which theyre trying to balance out. Ive had the experience of reaching out to people who are more on the conservative end of the spectrum and maybe arent interested in working on a project that is kind of rooted in public radio, or interested in opening up their lives in that way, says Green. And maybe theres something to be said for people who are on the liberal or progressive end of the spectrum being more trusting of a media-based project. That said, I think thats a pretty subjective, case-by-case thing that comes up. Green interviewed a woman who lives in Appalachia and spoke about how her community has been othered by the rest of the country and criticized as a group that heavily supported Trump, for allegedly voting against their own interests. The eastern Kentucky woman, Kelli, is a progressive, but her town and region were staunchly for Trump. She was a journalist, but was irked over the year Green interviewed her to see that engaging with the people around her about politics was not actually an effective vehicle for improving the community. So she left journalism and is now focused on health awareness in her community, with plans to get a yoga certification and set up free to classes in hopes of providing a remedy for pervasive problems of drug addiction and a lack of mental health services. She envisions a future where the type of work shes doing now is an investment in her community, Green says. ICYMI: Six rare images that capture Trumps TV addiction Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Adeshina Emmanuel is a Chicago-based journalist focused on race, class, inequality, social problems, and solutions who has been published in The New York Times, Ebony, Chicago Magazine, and by ATTN.com. He's a former reporter at the Chicago Reporter, Chicago Sun-Times, and DNAinfo Chicago. Follow him on Twitter @Public_Ade. McKenzie Named Vice President of GEICOs Macon SE Regional Office GEICO board of directors named Gary McKenzie regional vice president of the companys Macon, Ga., Southeast operations, which manages policies for customers in seven states. He previously served as assistant vice president of underwriting at GEICOs Fredericksburg, Va., regional office. McKenzie is the first alumnus its Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) to be named a regional vice president. He began his GEICO career as member of the 2004 ELP class at the companys San Diego regional office. After rotating through several claims, sales and service positions, he was promoted to claims service manager in 2005. He relocated to Fredericksburg in 2007 to serve as planning and control manager before being named regional sales manager in 2008. A year later, McKenzie was named service director at GEICOs regional office in Buffalo, N.Y. In 2012, he was selected for a year-long executive assistant program at GEICO headquarters in Chevy Chase, Md. McKenzie moved to Indianapolis in 2013 to help lead the companys newest office. There, he served as sales and service director before being named assistant vice president in 2014. Church Mutual Announces Leadership Promotion at CM Regent Robert Bob White has been promoted to president of CM Regent Insurance Company, effective in February. CM Regent is a wholly owned subsidiary of Church Mutual in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. White joined CM Regent in June 2017 as vice president chief underwriting officer and chief operating officer. He has held senior leadership positions at several companies, including GuideOne Mutual Insurance Company, First Nonprofit Insurance Company and Alliance Mutual Insurance Company. White holds a bachelors degree in risk management/insurance from the University of Georgia. In addition, he holds various designations and certifications, including Certified Insurance Counselor, Associate in Risk Management, Accredited Advisor in Insurance and Associate in Reinsurance. He also is a licensed insurance agent. Zurich North America Names Massey Head of Programs Zurich North America named Greg Massey the new head of Programs for Zurich North America replacing David Putz who became head of Alternative Markets for Zurich at the beginning of the new year. The leadership changes come as the company welcomed Kathleen Savio, former head of Alternative Markets, as the new CEO of Zurich North America on January 1, 2018. Formerly head of Zurichs Property and Casualty Line of Business for North America, Massey is now responsible for managing and driving the overall success of Zurich North Americas Programs business including Diversified Programs, Cat/E&S Programs, Segmented Programs, Construction Programs, Program Sales and New Programs. Masseys new role became effective March 1. He reports directly to Putz. Since joining Zurich in 2009, Massey has been successful due to his ability to partner with internal teams and distributors, understand the insurance need and provide customer-focused solutions. Prior to being named head of Alternative Markets, David Putz was the head of both Direct Markets and Programs. A new head of Direct Markets was announced in January. Naming Massey to the head of Programs completes this transition. Earlier this week, the Kentucky Senate passed Personal Injury Protection (PIP) reform legislation, SB 121. The law will help lower auto insurance costs via a fee schedule, fight fraud and provide consumers higher wage loss benefits, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). The Kentucky House will now consider the legislation. Senate Bill 121 would help consumers by leveling the playing field between what auto insurers and other payors are charged for most medical procedures by utilizing the well-functioning, proven medical fee schedule, such as the workers compensation fee schedule, said Jeffrey Junkas, assistant vice president, state government relations for PCI. Except for exempted hospital care, this change would ensure the amounts charged for the same procedure are not drastically different just because the insured is getting the procedure due to an auto-related injury. Currently, there often is a vast difference between what auto insurers pay for the same medical procedure. As an example, under PIP a CT scan costs more than $1,250 on average, while the same test costs only $340 under workers compensation a 267 percent differential. Using a fair, proven fee schedule will help reduce fraud from overtreatment and overcharging, said Junkas. We hope the Kentucky House takes up the measure and ideally closes the blatant hospital charging loophole. We commend the bills sponsor, Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset, and the Senate leadership for addressing auto insurance fraud, abuse and other cost issues. Senate Bill 121 prohibits balance billing the unfair practice of a medical provider aggressively pursuing a consumer for payment of amounts above the fee schedule/agreed-to amounts paid to satisfy the bill. In addition, the bill raises the wage loss benefits from $200 to $400 per week. Source: PCI In this market, CNBC's Jim Cramer most often sees "bargain" stock prices appear after the underlying company reports earnings, not before. "But it's very hard to pounce on a stock that's getting clobbered right after it reports because the whole setup makes you question your own judgment," the "Mad Money" host said on Thursday. This scenario played out most recently on Wednesday when Brown-Forman, the maker of Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve and a number of other liquor brands, reported earnings. The liquor manufacturer posted strong third-quarter results, boasting double-digit growth for nearly every brand except for its well known Jack Daniels whiskey, which grew by 5 percent. Cramer was also encouraged by the company's margin expansion, premium brand growth ("where the real money is," he said) and success in international markets, which account for 50 percent of Brown-Forman's business. But shortly after the report, Brown-Forman's stock fell under pressure, sliding from $56 a share to $52 before settling at $53 on Thursday. Cramer said some of the blame fell on the company itself and some on the market's overblown worries about tariffs. First, Brown-Forman CFO Jane Morreau said on the post-earnings conference call that U.S. growth was slower due to a competitive environment concerning commentary from a company posting double-digit gains. The European Union's threat to place retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods like bourbon didn't exactly help Brown-Forman's stock, either, Cramer said. But the "Mad Money" host argued that the wind is still very much at Brown-Forman's back. "You rarely get much of a chance to buy this stock at a discount. Brown-Forman has a great growth story," he said. The company's brand development, pricing strategy, millennial appeal and industry-leading operating margins only support the bull case, Cramer continued. Cramer admitted that Europe, where Brown-Forman does 25 percent of its business, could be a pain point if tariffs are implemented. But he asked investors to recall when Russian authorities cracked down on bourbon sales there in 2014, a moment of tension for Brown-Forman that turned out to be a great buying opportunity. So for investors selling their shares in the liquor giant because of one-time European retaliation or slightly higher domestic competition, Cramer had to caution against their decision. "The long-term prospects have never been brighter, and that's why I think the stock is such a bargain here at $53," the "Mad Money" host said. "In fact, I can only hope the stock goes down even more. Even if the EU really slaps a big import duty, say, on Jack Daniels, I bet it'll be a brief blip, and a few years down the road, you'll wonder how you ever got the stock of this iconic brand so cheaply." The demand for steel and steel products is strong, said Nucor CEO John Ferriola, and President Donald Trump's new tariffs will bring workers back into U.S. factories. "The problem is that the demand has been stolen by the illegally traded imports, taking up that new demand," Nucor said Thursday on CNBC's "Closing Bell." "Once we see that reversed, demand will return, and we definitely will bring our people back and increase our utilization and our employment," he said. Earlier on Thursday, Trump signed into law new steel and aluminum tariffs. The controversial tariffs, which are set to begin in 15 days, slap a 25 percent levy on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum, exempting Mexico and Canada. The president has said the tariffs are an attempt to correct trade imbalances and create fair trading practices. Ferriola, whose company is the largest producer of steel and steel-related products in the country, said he fully supports the tariffs. "We're pleased with [Trump's] statements of tying the tariffs to a fair resolution to our trade negotiations," said Ferriola. "That's all we've ever really asked for. We want a fair deal, on a reciprocal, level playing field." But stocks of the company have been down about 0.4 percent in the last week as investors fear the worst, including trade wars and job losses. Between 2007 and 2017 the number of manufacturing jobs decreased from 13.5 million to 12.5 million. How many are due to trade and how many because of automation is unclear. A study published on Monday by The Trade Partnership, an independent economic consulting group, found that about 33,500 steel jobs would be gained from the tariffs. But it found that 179,000 jobs would be lost, many in the service industry. On Wednesday, Austan Goolsbee, former President Barack Obama's economic advisor, said tariffs actually eliminate jobs, rather than create more. Goolsbee pointed out that higher prices on steel and aluminum could lead some companies to cost-cutting measures, including laying off workers and increasing automation. Ferriola said new jobs for American steel and aluminum workers will be the greatest impact from the tariffs, resulting in an even stronger economy. "By getting a fair trade deal, we'll be able to bring that increased demand back into our facilities ... and that means more people working in those factories, longer hours," he said. Former president Barack Obama is in advanced talks with Netflix to produce a series of shows that would be available only on the streaming service, the New York Times reported on Thursday. If the deal goes through, Obama and his wife, Michelle, would provide exclusive content to Netflix that will focus on inspirational stories, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the discussions. Show ideas include Obama moderating conversations on topics such as health care, immigration and climate change, the Times said. Other episodes could reportedly feature the former first lady discussing, for instance, a topic she championed during her time in the White House, such as nutrition. The Obamas could also put their brand on or endorse documentaries or fictional programs on Netflix which are in line with their values, the report says. Obama has no intent to use the shows to respond to his successor, Donald Trump, according to the report. Read the New York Times for more on the possible Obama-Netflix tie up. U.S. activists often point to New Zealand, the UK and Australia to show what's possible when it comes to gun control, but experts say those countries' examples are hard for the United States to emulate. Pro-gun rally, organized by Gun Owner's Action League of Massachusetts on Boston Common in Boston, MA on April 3, 2013. Rick Friedman | Corbis | Getty Images Gun control is at the forefront of the national debate in the United States again after a weekend that saw 29 people massacred in separate incidents in the states of Texas and Ohio. In the wake of mass killings there and in places such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last year, the call for reforms such as raising age limits for gun purchases, expanding background checks, or banning assault weapons has grown louder. But outright gun bans of the sort undertaken by the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand are much more difficult to implement in the United States. 'There is a legal headache' New Zealand last year banned "military-style" firearms after a mass murderer used such weapons to kill 50 people in attacks on mosques in Christchurch. In the U.K., a mass shooting in Dunblane Primary School in Scotland in 1996 left 17 dead, including the shooter. The government reacted by banning all handguns more powerful weapons had already been banned previously and held a gun amnesty that collected more than 162,000 handguns. A gun amnesty lets people hand over weapons that may have been obtained illegally, without the fear of prosecution. Since Dunblane, only one mass shooting has taken place in the U.K., when 10 were killed in Cumbria in 2010. Prime Minister John Major with wife Norma lays floral tribute at Dunblane after the shooting tragedy on March 17, 1996. Tim Graham | Corbis | Getty Images A massacre of 35 people in Tasmania in 1996, the worst mass shooting in Australia's history, led to an almost immediate response by the country. The government implemented a ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons, and also held a gun amnesty. A subsequent amnesty held last year saw Australians hand over more than 57,000 guns. The country hasn't had a mass shooting since the massacre in 1996. Countries such as the U.K and Australia can implement such policies, however, because they do not have a constitutional right to bear arms, Darrell Miller, a professor of law at Duke University, told CNBC last year. "These are countries that don't have Second Amendment right to arms, so there's no constitutional right that has to be addressed with respect to gun reform policies of any type, whereas in the U.S., there is a legal headache," Miller said. "The Amendment forbids similar measures." Members of the audience listen at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Leadership Forum in Atlanta, Georgia on April 28, 2017. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images The pure number of guns floating around in the United States presents its own challenges. "We are a country with over 300 million guns in civilians' hands right now," Eric Ruben, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, pointed out in 2018 following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas killings. "I don't see us becoming like other European countries without guns, but I would not be surprised if public sentiments shift as more shootings occur in the U.S." The NRA Supporters of gun control also face strong opposition from the National Rifle Association arguably the most powerful lobby group in the country. "The NRA are a powerful counterweight to mass mobilization, even to sympathetic movements like the ones these kids have," Miller said, explaining that the NRA's members maintain a passionate dedication about guns and gun rights, more so than the individuals who want limitations on guns. An April report in the New Yorker indicated that the NRA has run into financial trouble this year. States may be the place for activists to start President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by May, setting in motion the most significant development in years of intermittent negotiations about North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The invitation to meet was delivered in person by a South Korean envoy who met with Trump and key national security officials in the Oval Office on Thursday, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters following the announcement. Speaking outside the White House, South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yon said Kim "expressed eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." Kim has also pledged that his country will "refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests" while talks are underway, Chung said. "President Trump appreciated the briefing, and said he would meet him to achieve permanent denuclearization." Both the time and place have yet to be discussed, said the administration official, who emphasized that the development was just a meeting, and not a promise of sanctions relief or concessions from the United States. "We're not even talking about negotiations," he said. "The president is not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks, but he's willing to meet and he expects North Korea to start putting action to these words," the official said. In the long term, the United States "will settle for nothing less than denuclearization. It's what we expect and what the world expects," he added. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, at the opening of the country's National People's Congress this week, said China is reducing steel capacity and pledged to cut it further. CNBC looked at one newly "steel-free" town to get a look from the ground level. China has come under criticism including from the administration of President Donald Trump for flooding global markets with cheap steel, pressuring steelmakers in other countries such as the United States. CNBC visited the town of Baoding, in the heart of China's steelmaking industry about a three hour drive from Beijing, was declared "steel-free" in November. China is shutting down steel mills In its heyday, Baoding had eight steel mills, all contributing to China's status as the world's biggest producer. However, as part of the government's efforts to clean up the environment around Beijing and reduce steel capacity, Baoding's mills were shut down. In November, the city declared that it was completely free of steel production after authorities inspected the last remaining mill and determined that it had been officially closed. Hebei province, where Baoding is situated, aims to continue to cut iron and steelmaking capacity by 20 million metric tons in 2018. Capacity is still a problem Despite Beijing shutting down mills in Baoding, the steel company that owned the last remaining one in the town, Ao Yu Steel, had organized a deal to transfer capacity to a firm in Fujian province in southern China. That sort of practice is one of the reasons so many of China's trading partners including the United States are frustrated with the Chinese and argue that Beijing should do more. Social concerns determine the pace of steel cuts The last operating mill had employed 2,000 workers, many of whom still live in the town. Most we met are jobless. As in many of China's steel towns, the workers were older and lacked skills to compete for other jobs. And with little social safety net, they felt the company's severance at $800 for every year employed was insufficient. One worker said he and several others blocked the road to the mill when they first learned of the amount of compensation. He was detained for 10 days and eventually agreed to the deal, he said. He is still angry though highlighting the serious social challenge China's leaders face when they close factories. China remains touchy When you're starting out in your career it can be easy to be intimidated by those you think know more than you. But according to tech entrepreneur and professional explorer, Yossi Ghinsberg, sometimes that lack of experience can be what keeps you going and, ultimately, brings success. He should know. At 21, he managed to survive 3 weeks stranded in the depths of the Amazon with no prior experience of South America, let alone the jungle. "Sometimes experience is an obstacle because you cast your future based on your past experience," Ghinsberg told CNBC's "Life Hacks Live" at YPO Edge in Singapore. Toys R Us could soon liquidate its U.S. operations and the result will leave a lasting impact on the toy industry, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink wrote in a note to investors Friday. While Toys R Us accounted for 15 to 20 percent of U.S. toy sales last year, not all of that will shift to other retailers when the retailer is gone. Instead, about 10 to 15 percent of this volume will fall through the cracks and be lost for good. Wissink estimates between 85 and 90 percent of Toys R Us' volume in the second half of the year would be redistributed. Products will shift and be sold by e-commerce sites such as Amazon, big-box stores such as Target or Walmart and drug and grocery stores. Other retailers such as Kohl's, J.C. Penney and Best Buy may clear more shelf space for toys. "It's difficult to estimate, but based on third party consultancy surveys of consumer visits to TRU, roughly 10 to 15 percent of purchases are estimated to be incidental and may not transfer to other channels," Wissink wrote. The search is apparently on for the next leader of the iconic Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs. CEO Lloyd Blankfein could step down as soon as the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing sources familiar with the situation. A power transition would likely be quick and the bank "isn't looking beyond Goldman's two co-presidents," the report said, citing sources. That puts presidents and co-chief operating officers David M. Solomon and Harvey M. Schwartz in the running to head up the bank. They were named to the executive positions in December 2016, following the departure of then-COO Gary Cohn to the Trump administration. Cohn said Tuesday he is resigning from his role as chief economic advisor to the White House. Goldman declined to comment on the report; however, sources familiar told CNBC there is no timeline set for Blankfein's exit and it could stretch into next year. Cohn's departure from the bank came as Blankfein was on his way to his 11th year as CEO. Blankfein joined Goldman in 2006 and once joked he would die at his desk there. But the bank's once-mighty trading desks have struggled to return to their peak in 2009, when revenue from the business reached $33 billion. David Solomon David A. Grogan | CNBC Last year, Schwartz and Solomon presented a joint plan to move the bank forward and generate $5 billion in additional revenue, with a vision to boost lending and open for business in new locations such as Seattle and Atlanta. Before becoming co-president, Solomon co-headed the investment banking division for a decade and joined Goldman as a partner in 1999, right before the firm's initial public offering. Prior to that, he worked in junk bonds at Bear Stearns. Outside of finance, Solomon's hobbies of being a disc jockey and collecting fine wine have made headlines in the last year. In contrast, former chief financial officer Schwartz spends more of his free time at the office, according to a New York Times article in late November. Harvey Schwartz in February 2018. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images "Over five hours of interviews for this article, the most revealing moment about his business psychology came when he described how he interviews job candidates: He asks them to try to sell him the Polycom speakerphone that sits on his desk," the Times said. Schwartz was Goldman's chief financial officer for four years. He is a former nightclub bouncer and started out in finance after college. Schwartz eventually made his way to a job at J. Aron, the Goldman commodities unit that was also the launch pad for Blankfein's career at the bank. Looking at Goldman's history of executives, it's possible Solomon and Schwartz could lead the bank together after Blankfein leaves. "There had always been a co-CEO model at Goldman Sachs before Lloyd Blankfein, so I'm not sure Goldman would go back to one CEO when he leaves," said Ken Leon, bank analyst at CFRA. "I'd be surprised if the company picked one CEO when Blankfein leaves." Blankfein has not ruled out the possibility of Solomon and Schwartz taking the reins together. "Goldman Sachs as a firm has a long tradition of co-CEOs," Blankfein said in an interview with Bloomberg in late November. "That can work if it works and people get along, but it doesn't necessarily have to work. So I would say that it's not a guarantee." Jon Corzine and Hank Paulson shared the CEO title in the late 1990s. Corzine left in 1999, eventually becoming governor of New Jersey. Paulson would hang on as CEO until 2006, when he left to become treasury secretary for the Bush White House. CNBC's Fred Imbert and Liz Moyer contributed to this report. WATCH: Blankfein's non-denial, denial on departure Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein might not be leaving the bank immediately or even this year, but he's inching closer to saying outright that he will leave, eventually. On Friday, after The Wall Street Journal reported the CEO could be leaving by the end of this year and a spokesman declined to comment about it, Blankfein offered this response, via his verified Twitter account: "It's the @WSJ's announcement...not mine. I feel like Huck Finn listening to his own eulogy." Tweet Once, he joked about dying at his desk at Goldman. But as he approaches the 12th anniversary of his appointment as CEO, Blankfein more recently has talked about what lies beyond. "I don't want to give anyone false hope," he said in an interview last year, "but I'm not planning to die at my desk." Blankfein might be taking a cue from Mark Twain, the author of Huckleberry Finn. While Twain was visiting London once, someone started a rumor that he was gravely ill. It was followed by a rumor that he had died. According to a widely-repeated legend, one major American newspaper printed his obituary and, when Twain was told about this by a reporter, he quipped: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Tom Franck contributed reporting U.S. government debt yields ticked higher on Friday after a stronger than expected jobs report. The yield on the 2-year Treasury rose to 2.286 percent after the strong jobs numbers, matching its Feb. 28 high, then the highest return on the note since September 2008. At the latest reading, the yield had moved lower to 2.262 percent. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was higher at around 2.894 percent at 4:17 p.m. ET, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was higher at 3.16 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices. The economy added 313,000 jobs in February, far surpassing Wall Street expectations, while the unemployment rate was 4.1 percent, according to a Labor Department report Friday. Economists surveyed by Reuters had been expecting nonfarm payroll growth of 200,000 and the unemployment rate to decline one-tenth of a percent to 4 percent. Wage growth came in less than expected, rising 0.1 percent for the month and 2.6 percent on an annualized basis. The report was "mildly bearish because of the big beat on the headline numbers, payrolls and the like," said Jim Bianco, head of the Chicago-based advisory firm Bianco Research. But "3 percent [on the 10-year Treasury yield] is going to be a formidable target ... Bond managers are already positioned very bearishly, and that's contrarian." A day earlier, Trump signed two proclamations that implemented broad import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent aluminum. But Canada and Mexico were exempted at a time when those two nations and the United States are trying to renegotiate the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. "The discussion around the steel and aluminum tariffs clearly demonstrates the strength of our relationship," Morneau said Friday in an interview with CNBC's " Squawk Box. " Morneau told CNBC he has spoken with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin three times this week, showing the two sides' continued "ability to work together." "There's an understanding that we trade together, that we're part of an integrated North America," he added. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, whose department recommended the tariffs, told CNBC shortly after Trump's signing ceremony: "There's no question that the action the president took today is a further motivation to both Canada and Mexico to make a fair arrangement with the United States." Earlier in the week, Ross had forecast on CNBC that Trump would likely provide a degree of flexibility on tariffs for Canada and Mexico, a softening from the hardline plan the president unveiled last week. Ross on Wednesday said the White House is "not trying to blow up the world." Trump on Monday had also dangled the possibility of dropping his call for steel and aluminum tariffs if NAFTA is renegotiated to terms more favorable to the U.S. Regarding those talks, Morneau said Canada is working to get a better deal. He said Canada sees the trade agreement as helping both American and Canadian workers. "Getting to a better arrangement, recognizing a whole host of economic issues that weren't the case 30 years ago ... it takes some working together and we are cautiously optimistic that we're going to get there," he said. Children in 21 countries are being exposed to promotions by large tobacco companies, with cigarettes and advertising appearing close to schools, according to a new report. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids found that in most of the 21 countries it investigated, half of children aged 13 to 15 had easy access to cigarettes close to their schools, from street or mobile sellers, vending machines or kiosks. The tactics used to promote cigarettes included advertising at children's eye-level, products sold near sweets or soda and advertising or product displays outside stores. In several countries, single cigarettes rather than packs were also available. In one photo sent to CNBC by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, children in uniform outside a school near Jakarta, Indonesia are seen next to a banner advertising Lucky Strike cigarettes. The school entrance can also clearly be seen in the image. Children outside a school near Jakarta, Indonesia, are seen close to a poster advertising Lucky Strike cigarettes The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids A spokesperson for Lucky Strike owner British American Tobacco said in an emailed statement in response: "We are a company that takes its responsibilities very seriously. We are looking in to the photo that you shared with us, and will take action if necessary." The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has published 27 reports from country investigations that were originally produced between 2014 and 2016, working with Johns Hopkins University, public health groups and non-governmental organizations. Most of the countries are in the developing world, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Kenya, but Switzerland is also included, where 242 retailers selling tobacco were found within 200 meters of schools. Unlike many developed countries, Switzerland has not completely banned cigarette advertising or displays. Radio and TV ads are not allowed, but in some regions billboard advertising is permitted. "This study clearly demonstrates that the tobacco industry places their products and ads in areas that are visible and accessible to youth," report authors from Johns Hopkins University wrote in the Swiss study, calling for a ban of product displays, advertising and point-of-sale promotion. Marlboro cigarettes, owned by Philip Morris International (PMI), were seen for sale close to schools in 20 of the 21 countries surveyed. In 13 of those, the cigarettes were for sale with 250 meters of a school at more than 2,400 retailers. Pall Mall, Kent, Dunhill and Lucky Strike cigarettes, owned by British American Tobacco (BAT), were seen for sale near schools in 19 countries. Japan Tobacco International (JTI) brands Winston and Camel were seen around schools in eight countries, while Imperial brands were visible from schools in five countries. In September, Philip Morris International (PMI) announced it will spend $80 million a year for 12 years on a foundation aiming to eradicate cigarette smoking. The president of a small college in Kentucky tried to prevent the endowment tax from hitting his school. Berea College Source: Berea College Last fall, the president of a small college in Kentucky realized his Christian school might be slapped with a hefty new tax. He was not happy. So Lyle Roelofs reached out to Republican Rep. Andy Barr, whose district includes Berea College, to describe how the 1,600-student school would be affected by the proposed 1.4 percent excise tax on large college endowments. "We knew from the start this was a concern," Roelofs said. He estimated the lost revenue might force him to admit 30 fewer students a year. Berea College, founded in 1855, was the South's first interracial and co-educational college. Today, none of its students most of whom come from low-income families and live in Appalachia pay tuition. "Most Berea students have this as their only option for coming to college," Roelofs said. "They don't have the ability to pay for an education." Roelofs soon found a useful ally: the Senate majority leader from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell. "Sen. McConnell, right from the start, was interested in making sure this tax didn't disadvantage Berea," Roelofs said. "I don't think I even really needed to ask him about that, but of course, I did." And McConnell offered a solution. Lyle Roelofs, president of Berea College. Source: Berea College The tax proposal included a clause that said the endowment tax wouldn't apply to schools that educate fewer than 500 students. And so McConnell "inserted the phrase 'tuition paying' right in front of 'students'," Roelofs said. "Our number of tuition paying students is zero." Not everyone would appreciate the move, which apparently exempted only Berea. Indeed, the clause was dropped in December, when the Senate parliamentarian concluded it violated the so-called Byrd Rule, which bars matters that don't directly involve the budget from a piece of reconciliation legislation. Sen. McConnell, right from the start, was interested in making sure this tax didn't disadvantage Berea. Lyle Roelofs president of Berea College Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, applauded the parliamentarian's action. "In the mad dash to provide tax breaks for their billionaire campaign contributors, our Republican colleagues forgot to comply with the rules of the Senate," they wrote in a joint statement. Some Kentucky residents blamed McConnell for letting the provision protecting Berea get dropped. Cartoonist Marc Murphy published this illustration in The Courier-Journal of Louisville. McConnell quickly fired back in an op-ed in the newspaper, arguing that Democrats had exploited "a procedural tactic" to kill the provision protecting Berea from the tax. "The suggestion made in a recent Marc Murphy cartoon that I am somehow responsible for the new tax on Berea College is not only factually incorrect," McConnell wrote, "but it also ignores the hypocrisy coming from Senate Democrats." Berea College has a very unique and laudable mission, but other colleges that will be impacted by the endowment tax have laudable missions as well. Elizabeth Clark National Association of College and University Business Officers After the provision was dropped, Roelofs said he received a call directly from McConnell. "He told me he remained committed to finding a way to restore protection to Berea," Roelofs said. "Even though it had not appeared in the final tax bill." In early February, the two men met in Washington to discuss the legislation. In the end, the "tuition-paying" language was restored in the bipartisan budget agreement, which leaves more room for provisions than reconciliation legislation. In the end, Berea College won't be paying the endowment tax. "I am proud to have worked with my colleagues, especially Congressman Andy Barr, to fulfill my commitment to these students," McConnell said in a statement. Senator McConnell met with Berea College President Dr. Lyle Roelofs in the U.S. Capitol to discuss legislation. Source: Sen. Mitch McConnell "I was pretty happy," Roelofs said. "Most people were appalled that there was even a possibility of this tax applying to Berea." About 30 other colleges and universities were not so lucky. Institutions where the endowment is valued at more than $500,000 a student will still pay the 1.4 percent tax. That translates to a tax of around $1 million on a $1 billion endowment (the exact assessments are still being worked out). Dartmouth College estimates the change will cost it an additional $5 million in taxes each year. Some 50 colleges sent a letter to Congress this month, asking that the endowment tax be removed or amended. "The net investment income tax will impede our efforts to help students, improve education, expand the boundaries of knowledge, advance technological innovation, and enhance health and well-being," it reads. Meanwhile, Reps. John Delaney, D-Maryland, and Bradley Byrne, R-Alabama, have introduced a bill Don't Tax Higher Education Act that would repeal the levy. These are the affected schools, according to an analysis provided to CNBC by the American Council on Education. Eric Korsh became a problem shortly after he became the executive chef of North End Grill in the spring of 2014: He gave unwelcome massages to female staffers, made inappropriate comments about female customers that he found attractive, and regularly lost his temper at both kitchen and front-of-house staff, according to eight former staffers. Korsh's alleged behavior may be all too common in the restaurant industry, which is known for hot-tempered chefs and rampant sexual misconduct, but multiple former and current staffers at North End Grill say that they were particularly disturbed by it because of who owned the restaurant: Union Square Hospitality Group. Founder and CEO Danny Meyer has built his reputation, and two multimillion-dollar restaurant empires USHG's 15 restaurants, plus the fast-food phenomenon Shake Shack on a foundation of "enlightened hospitality" and a motto of "employees first." Through relentless proselytization of his ethos in books, talks, articles, and even workplace awards Meyer has become the rare restaurateur who is more famous than any of the chefs he employs. His management philosophies are so well regarded that they're even taught outside of the hospitality industry, including at a nearly $5,000-per-person "leadership development workshop" run by USHG. But former staffers at North End Grill, as well as current and former staffers at Gramercy Tavern, said that their work experience did not always line up with Meyer's slogans. Multiple staffers at North End Grill reported Korsh to USHG's human resources department throughout 2014, 2015, and 2016; following the reports, the department required Korsh to check in regularly, but his behavior did not materially change until as recently as summer 2017, multiple staffers say, leading several of them to quit the restaurant. Korsh left North End Grill and USHG altogether at the end of 2017; both the company and the chef tell Eater that it was a mutual decision. Korsh is now the executive chef at Racines in Tribeca. Read more from Eater: The 38 essential restaurants in New York City, winter 2018 The hottest restaurants in Manhattan right now, March 2018 Are New York restaurants becoming boring? At Gramercy Tavern, multiple current staffers told Eater that they complained about aggressive behavior from sous chef Junsoo Bae who, in one January 2016 incident, allegedly groped a server and placed his hand on her neck at a company party; he remained at the restaurant until fall 2017, when management announced that he had been fired on the same day that he was supposed to leave for a job at another restaurant anyway, the staffers said. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, as the restaurant industry reckons with endemic harassment issues, staffers who still work at the company or recently left said that USHG has been quietly clearing house of employees with known problems. Korsh and Bae are two of at least seven male employees who have left USHG since November, most of them fired, according to the sources. In an Eater investigation, multiple current and former employees said that USHG, despite its reputation for being a safe haven in the hospitality industry, has previously tolerated and protected people who have behaved inappropriately toward their colleagues. The staffers particularly pointed to perceived failures in the human resources department, which for the last 13 years has been led by company veteran Angie Buonpane. Several current and former employees said that they left meetings with Buonpane, as well as another member of her staff, feeling like the company was not taking complaints about inappropriate behavior from people like Korsh seriously, or doing enough to address problems, even when such complaints were made repeatedly against the same people. Buonpane has on occasion questioned complainants about what they experienced and witnessed in a way that upset them in one case, the inquiry led a longtime North End Grill staffer to feel that Buonpane didn't fully believe her account of repeatedly witnessing Korsh's bad temper and unwelcome touching, the staffer said. Other employees described Buonpane as well-liked, "friendly,"and "sympathetic," but they maintained that, ultimately, the department she ran seemed to protect certain people or the company over victims of misconduct. "It was our perception that was wrong, not his behavior," the veteran North End Grill employee said of Buonpane's attitude toward her complaint about Korsh. Several current and former staffers said that they enjoyed parts of their experience of working at the company, and noted that tolerance for bad behavior varied from restaurant to restaurant. Most of the former and current staffers whom Eater spoke with were attracted to working at USHG precisely because of Meyer's principles; some of them called landing a job at the company a dream after reading Meyer's seminal 2008 book, Setting the Table, in which he lays out his seemingly winning ideology of 51 percenters, or hiring people based 51 percent on emotional intelligence and 49 percent on technical ability. But longstanding respect for, and loyalty to, Meyer's company is precisely what made their negative experiences with HR so surprising, disturbing, or even hurtful, former and current employees said. The "employees first" mantra is "misleading," said the North End Grill employee, who worked at the restaurant for close to five years, and who, like most others in this piece, requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation in the hospitality industry. "It's kind of an outrage," she said. "Here he is being the face of this company, going on speaking tours, making these promises. It's a false trap. Because they're not acting that way." Meyer declined to answer questions for this story or respond to specific allegations. In a statement from a spokeswoman, he said that the company works "to hold ourselves to the highest standard" and said it investigates all claims of inappropriate workplace behavior, including harassment. When contacted for comment, Korsh denied that he ever behaved inappropriately, saying that he "always strived to maintain the highest professional standards in running a kitchen." In an interview with Eater, though Bae contested allegations that he created a toxic work environment, he confirmed the nature of the holiday party incident and another incident where he yelled at a server, saying he took full responsibility and that he felt he was "fully punished." "I sincerely apologize for everything that happened," he said. "It was all my fault. I feel guilty about it, and I [went] through all this punishment. I hope that makes everyone who felt uncomfortable feel better." "We strive to pursue a thoughtful and balanced process, but unfortunately not all investigations end conclusively," Meyer's statement said. "The last several months have been an invaluable learning opportunity for us. We understand that sexual harassment is a symptom of broader systemic inequality in our industry, and going forward we are resolved to eradicate the deep-seated problem of gender-based discrimination at its source. Real societal transformation takes time. For now, we are focused internally on improving gender parity in leadership roles; further diversifying our recruiting sources; and taking a harder than ever look at who we hire, reward, and empower." In a separate, emailed statement, Buonpane said she has spent her career "advocating on behalf of employees, giving my entire self to their care and well-being." She continued, "I joined USHG over 13 years ago specifically because of the Company's devotion to the philosophy of Enlightened Hospitality and putting employees first. I can proudly say that I have upheld those values throughout my career. It is USHG's policy to never comment on any employee matters. Beyond that, I would never violate the trust of the employees that I support." Former staffers said that HR's handling of continued complaints about Korsh demonstrates how the company has failed to fulfill its promises of "enlightened hospitality." Catherine Woodard, a former back waiter who worked at North End Grill when Korsh started in 2014, said that the chef texted her incessantly, tried to feed her food, gave her unrequested shoulder massages, asked her to come to his apartment, and at one point, took a picture of her from behind while she wasn't looking and sent it to her. (The move, she said, felt like a way to exert his dominance as her boss. "It was just sort of like, I'm in charge, you're working for me," she said.) His treatment was so blatant that colleagues teased her about the attention he showered on her, she said; another former staffer, without prompting, named Woodard to Eater as someone targeted by Korsh. Woodard did not report Korsh to HR immediately she had confronted him and felt embarrassed after he told her she had no evidence of wrongdoing but several others told Eater that they made complaints against him. A former kitchen employee complained to HR twice within Korsh's first year, following months of unwanted touching, his fits of rage, and more than one meeting with a manager to discuss the problem. Another staffer went to HR about Korsh several months after he started, in 2014, and then again in 2015, after months of witnessing him inappropriately touch staff and erupt in abusive shouting that was sometimes directed at her. A former server reported his behavior to HR when she left in July 2016, in part because of an incident where he lost his temper and in part because she didn't think HR was properly handling complaints against him. The woman who worked at North End Grill for five years says that she reported him in August 2016; she left a month later, when he screamed at her in the restaurant, thinking that USHG didn't plan to do more about Korsh's behavior. Though Woodard left North End Grill after receiving a theater apprenticeship, the other women all said that they quit because they felt that Korsh's behavior wasn't improving, and that complaining to HR didn't help. Woodard ended up talking to HR in January 2015, when she worked at Union Square Cafe after her apprenticeship and a manager propositioned her during a holiday party. When she spoke to HR about it, she also mentioned Korsh's behavior at North End Grill. Initially, Woodard was satisfied with how the company handled the misconduct: Buonpane said that she'd already heard about Korsh's bad behavior, and that he was receiving biweekly sensitivity training; Buonpane also assured her that Korsh would not contact her again, Woodard said. A month later, when she reported that Korsh had contacted her again, she felt that Buonpane's tone changed. Buonpane asked her a lot of questions ones that Woodard felt sounded "leading" and "calculating," as if Buonpane was trying to convince her that Korsh's behavior "wasn't what I thought it was," she said. Woodard was deeply disappointed by the reaction; a former Union Square Cafe coworker confirmed that shortly after the meeting, Woodard said that she had "felt pretty dismissed." "I remember leaving feeling really frustrated," Woodard told Eater recently. "It was like I realized, 'Oh, they're not looking out for me. They're looking out for the company and making sure that I'm saying the right things.' Like the liability of it is not on them." Both the five-year North End Grill veteran and the former server who left in 2016 said that women under their report recounted uncomfortable flirtations or unrequested massages from Korsh on several occasions. They were both aware that others had previously reported the chef to HR and had witnessed Korsh's angry outbursts; the five-year veteran also received multiple comments from guests about his aggressive behavior, which could be seen and heard from the restaurant's open kitchen, which is lined with seats for diners. Both also independently pointed to a specific incident that compelled them to make a complaint to HR. A female back server had reported Korsh to management for his behavior in 2016, specifically noting unwelcome flirtations while the two were alone, the two staffers allege. Shortly after, Korsh was asked to apologize to the employee privately, with only another male manager present; this reaction troubled both staffers, they said. The former server said she didn't think it was sufficient, considering past complaints against Korsh, while the veteran staffer felt that the employee's confidentiality had been violated, she said. The former server quit after the incident and transferred to Union Square Cafe, reporting Korsh's behavior to HR as she left in the hopes that a paper trail would help her colleagues who remained. The veteran staffer decided to report Korsh in August 2016, thinking that her seniority and congenial relationship with Buonpane would mean she would "be heard"; it had become too "emotionally draining" to witness Korsh's behavior without trying to change things, she said. But she was unprepared for the response from USHG: At the meeting, Buonpane not only told her that Korsh met with HR frequently to improve his behavior, as Buonpane had told several others, but that he had told her that his inappropriate behavior had actually stopped. Buonpane also asked the staffer for additional evidence, as if she wanted "me to have stacks of folders and rolls of films, and without that, I wasn't credible," the staffer said. Right after the meeting, she called her mom "sobbing" "hurt" and disappointed that she felt like she hadn't been taken seriously, she said. "It was aggressive, it was volatile," the former staffer tells Eater now of Buonpane's reaction. "It was a cross-examination, that is how it felt. I was getting torn to shreds." (Her mother, as well as a screenshot of a text message from the staffer to a friend at the time, corroborated her account to Eater.) "There was a lack of belief, which was quite jarring when I had worked for the company for four and a half years at that point and had a clear record," she said. "I was a faithful, loyal, go-above-and-beyond employee, coming forward on my own without being asked. I saw something egregiously wrong, and wanted to address it. For that to have no weight against a man who had HR complaints that was the issue." About a month after speaking to Buonpane, she found herself under fire from Korsh, when he yelled at her about an issue that she felt she had no control over, she said. She quit that day. Another one of the former staffers, who worked with Korsh early on at North End Grill, witnessing and bearing the brunt of his explosive temper, said her decision to leave was largely influenced by how HR handled her claims against Korsh in 2014 and 2015. Buonpane told her that she was very sorry about how she felt, but as in conversations with other staffers, she explained that Korsh was regularly meeting with HR to help recalibrate his behavior, the staffer said. Over the year and a half that she worked with Korsh, the staffer said she saw no change. "I think like a lot of women who work in kitchens, I don't get offended easily, but this was just too much," she said. She decided to quit. Then, despite what she considered an inadequate HR intervention for Korsh, she said she felt that the company seemed very concerned about what she would say on social media about her departure. "After everything, they were just trying to protect themselves. I still couldn't believe it his behavior was not normal and I was the one made to feel awful," she said. The former kitchen employee, who experienced Korsh's uninvited flirtations, massages, and frequent temper blow-ups, said she was nervous to go to HR, but felt that, especially at a Meyer restaurant, Korsh's behavior wouldn't be tolerated. The chance to work at North End Grill was a big deal for her when she started in 2014; she initially she saw Korsh as a mentor and admired Meyer's philosophies, she said. But from the very beginning, she said, Korsh's aggressive behavior was on display, exhibiting "that cliche, ego-driven, abusive chef" with "brazen" screaming in the open kitchen. She started trying to avoid him, but his behavior began to wear on her, she said. She had a 2014 meeting with an HR employee to talk about Korsh's behavior, but she felt that little happened to change the situation, she said. Beyond that, she felt that Korsh became more aggressive with her after she went to HR, she said. With things getting worse, she decided to go back to HR a couple months later, this time asking for a transfer to another USHG restaurant, saying that dealing with Korsh had become untenable. In response, Buonpane said that the staffer would need a reference from Korsh. At that moment she felt "helpless," she said: "For a lot of reasons, USHG is a great company to work for in the restaurant world I didn't want to leave so it was just this strange moment where I really realized that even here, no one's going to call him out, no one's going to protect me or other women." Three current employees, and one former employee, of Gramercy Tavern told Eater they were similarly upset that despite multiple complaints, the company kept Bae employed at the restaurant for years. Allegedly, he was not only a bully in the kitchen, but, in at least one instance, in January 2016, he drunkenly put his hand around a female employee's neck at a company event. HR was made aware of the incident; in the summer of 2017, he was reported again, for berating a server in front of customers. The sous chef, who'd been at the restaurant since 2012 starting as a line cook, then promoted to sous was not fired until the fall of last year. According to a source with direct knowledge of the incident, Bae became intoxicated at a holiday party in January 2016 and began grabbing a server's behind while she repeatedly told him to stop. When she turned around to confront him, he placed his hand around her neck, "in what seemed almost like a bizarre, totally misread attempt at flirting," a staffer said. Other employees quickly put their bodies between Bae and the woman to try to stop the situation, one source with direct knowledge said. When HR found out about the incident, which happened in front of numerous people, it began to question employees. Staffers said they were told that he had a work visa that was attached to his employment at the restaurant and punishment like getting fired could mean he had to leave the country. "There was definitely the sense that because getting fired would mean he had to leave behind his career in America, that ultimately that would be too harsh a punishment," a staffer said. "But then, it's like, if he were from Boston, would he have been fired?" Bae said that following the incident, he was suspended briefly and required to take "Danny Meyer classes that reiterate his philosophy" on what he can and cannot do. But several employees said that since he already had a reputation for behavior such as losing his temper in the kitchen, they were surprised when the company didn't take stronger action. "I think for most employees who saw or knew of the incident, it just felt like that should have been immediate grounds for firing of a manager, but nothing happened and it left a very bad feeling among the staff," another current employee said. According to employees, Bae's bullying did not stop after the incident, or even after further complaints were made about his behavior. When one staffer reported him to superiors, she was told that the company was working with the sous chef on his issues, the staffer said. In summer 2017, his temper flared in the view of customers in the more casual dining section, where there's an open kitchen, according to multiple current staffers. He began to berate a female server over a seemingly innocuous issue. The server complained to HR, and Bae said he was suspended for more than two weeks, but the incident was never addressed with the staff. (Bae confirmed the incident but added that he did not think his behavior created a bad work environment. "I truly apologize to anyone who ever felt that way," he said.) "Kitchen culture is crazy, but at Danny Meyer restaurants, they really talk a big game about how they are different," a female employee said. "They thought he was an excellent cook, but he was not a respected leader." In early fall, Bae announced he'd be leaving for his current position at a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. But on what was supposed to be his last day, managers announced he had been fired without providing any further explanation. In January, according to three current employees, and one former staffer, five other Gramercy Tavern kitchen employees were fired for harassment or bullying. It followed an October email from chief culture officer Erin Moran to the entire staff, specifically mentioning the #MeToo movement and reminding employees that the company has a "zero tolerance policy of sexual harassment abuse in the workplace," and a December email to staff from Meyer that had the subject line "Sexual harassment in the workplace." In it, he reiterated his 51 percent philosophy and announced that Moran would be doing a "listening tour" at all the restaurants regarding harassment, adding a link for people to report misconduct. "Perhaps too idealistically, I have always believed that if you and I set a standard for acceptable behavior in our organization, all others would follow," Meyer wrote in the email. True to their promise to promote women, USHG promoted chef Emily Brekke to the executive chef position after Korsh left. Meyer also announced this week that veteran USHG staffer Lena Ciardullo has been named the new executive chef at Marta, Vini e Fritti, and Caffe Marchio. She is now the third female executive chef at USHG's nine full-service restaurants; the first, Suzanne Cupps at Untitled, started in her role in April of 2017. "It feels like now they are really trying to clear house and truly have a zero tolerance policy," said one employee who still works at Gramercy Tavern. "I think there's a sense that people are happy they are finally taking things seriously but I guess we'll have to see how this all continues to play out." In a way, the company's widely touted philosophy about being a family could have hindered how they dealt with bad actors too, two Gramercy Tavern employees said. "It's like, in a family, you don't really want to let anyone go, you want to try to help, or protect, in a way but they were protecting the wrong people," an employee said. "They should have been protecting us." Still, the same employee said that he truly felt heartened by their restaurant's recent conversations with management and HR. "I think it seems like they are trying to not just enforce a zero tolerance policy when it comes to harassment, but that they are thinking about the deeper imbalance of power between men and women in our restaurants and are looking to change," he said. Another Gramercy Tavern employee said she is also hoping the changes will be for the better at the restaurant. She decided to go into the industry because of Meyer's philosophies as outlined in his book, she said. "It really changed the way I look at the restaurant industry, and made me want to be a part of his company," she said. "I think if you make millions of dollars selling some pretty defining principles, you should make sure those are still a part of your restaurants." But it's a breakthrough all too familiar to the last American diplomat to successfully secure a deal with North Korea only to see it fall apart a few years later. President Trump agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, but an earlier deal between the U.S. and North Korea offers sobering lessons about what might happen next. US Ambassador Robert Gallucci (L) greets his counterpart South Korean Ambassador Choi Dong-Jin (R) at Seoul's Foreign Ministry 09 May before the US-South Korean talks begin on the stalled deal to halt North Korea's nuclear program. Japan is scheduled to join the talks May 10th. Choo Youn-Kong | AFP | Getty Images Under the terms, Pyongyang committed to freezing its illicit plutonium weapons program in exchange for light-water nuclear reactors, heavy fuel and normalized relations with the United States. "With respect to plutonium, they stuck to the deal," Gallucci, who is now chairman at the U.S.-Korea Institute and a professor at Georgetown University, told CNBC. "The hitch came when we discovered that they were secretly engaged in receiving transfers from Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan in uranium enrichment, the other technology used to produce the raw materials for nuclear weapons." Gallucci said the Clinton administration continued to talk with the North Koreans and didn't inform them that they were aware of the cheating. "When the Bush administration came in they also didn't tell the North Koreans we were aware, but ultimately in 2002 they confronted them and said it had to stop," Gallucci said. And so, the North Koreans and the United States decided to pull the plug on the Agreed Framework in the fall of 2002. President Bill Clinton yields the podium to Assistant Secretary of State Robert Gallucci in the White House briefing room, Oct. 18, 1994. Gallucci met with reporters after the president announced that North Korea has agreed to freeze its existing nuclear program and accept international inspection of all its nuclear facilities. Joe Marquette | AP "They cheated, and we caught them," Gallucci said, reflecting on the aforementioned events. "From their perspective, they weren't cheating, they were hedging, and we failed to normalize relations with them, which was a key to that deal in 1994." In 2006, the rogue regime detonated its first nuclear weapon. Since then, Pyongyang has carried out a total of six nuclear weapons tests. In September 2017, Kim's regime claimed it tested a hydrogen bomb, its most powerful weapon to date. North Korea remains the only nation to have tested nuclear weapons this century. Even though the 1994 deal disintegrated, the U.S. was able to lull the North's plutonium program and avert a potential military confrontation on the peninsula. "One lesson from this is that you can do a deal with the North Koreans, and you can get substantial value out of a deal, which we did for about a decade," Gallucci said. "But you can also expect, from our perspective at least, that they will cheat on the deal." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks through a pair of binoculars during an inspection of the Hwa Islet Defence Detachment standing guard over a forward post off the east coast of the Korean peninsula. KCNA | North Korea | Reuters What's more, he said, the North Korea of today is more aggressive than the one Gallucci dealt with 24 years ago. "North Korea actually has nuclear weapons now and they are on the verge of having true ICBM capability," Gallucci said. Gallucci also said that while the North Koreans have recently "not been steady negotiating partners, they were in '93 and '94." As a result, he said he is "not particularly optimistic" about any potential negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea this time around. "I don't know when I am ever going to recover or if I ever had any optimism to recover about negotiations with Korea," Gallucci said. "I am hopeful that we do get negotiations going, and I'll be hoping that they succeed, but I certainly wouldn't bet any of my own money on it." WATCH: WH sets conditions for N. Korea meeting Once there was "fire and fury." Now there's a face-to-face summit. But experts still worry President Donald Trump is making a policy mistake. Trump's team has repeatedly criticized previous administrations for giving North Korea concessions in exchange for negotiations that never halted the state's nuclear weapons program. The Republican may now be making that same mistake, analysts warned. "Agreeing to meet without any concrete steps toward denuclearization is a major reversal of U.S. policy," said Jon Wolfsthal, former special assistant to President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017. "Trump has previously said no meeting until North Korea takes real steps toward denuclearization that is not where we are today." The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. In a phone call last month, the U.S. leader and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed there would be no meaningful dialogue with Pyongyang unless ruler Kim Jong Un agreed to "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization," according to a statement by Japan's foreign ministry. The rogue state has extended a number of olive branches in recent weeks, including peace talks with Seoul and participation at the Winter Olympics. Kim also pledged to refrain from further nuclear or missile tests and understands that joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington one of the North's major points of contention must continue, South Korea's National Security Office head Chung Eui-yon said on Thursday. But the regime "hasn't done anything" in terms of denculearization yet, John Park, director of the Korea Working Group at Harvard Kennedy School, told CNBC on Friday. A high-profile summit between Trump and Kim at this particular juncture "just doesn't add up," he warned. Others warned that a meeting could boost the reclusive regime. "The meeting is a huge political win for Kim," said analysts at consulting firm Eurasia Group. "It essentially provides him equal status with the U.S. president and strengthens his bid to have North Korea be recognized as a de facto nuclear power." Trump is 'being played' Trump's "maximum pressure" policy on Kim's government in the form of tighter sanctions has won him praise among strategists, but his acceptance of Kim's invitation could change that. The isolated state has a long history of offering dialogue in exchange for concessions such as loosened sanctions or aid. Many believe May's summit could follow the same fate as the failed Six-Party talks. Trump is being "played by Pyongyang" and is "unwittingly preempting himself of the one effective non-lethal policy he has, sanctions enforcement," according to Sung-Yoon Lee, a Korean studies professor at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. KCNA | Reuters "Kim is taking a page out of his father's 2000 playbook," Yoon said. Back then, Kim Jong Il, who ruled the North from 1994 to 2011, "created a crescendo of crisis atmosphere" before "softening up the Bill Clinton administration with an invitation to visit Pyongyang," Yoon said. "Don't be surprised if Kim Yo Jong [Kim Jong Un's sister] visits Washington first as a softer reincarnation of Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok, the highest military man next to Kim Jong Il, who visited Bill Clinton in October 2000 and lured Clinton to visit his boss in Pyongyang," Yoon said. Of course, there are other theories behind Kim's sudden interest in meeting Trump. For one, the bite of international sanctions may be forcing Pyongyang to the discussion table. The meeting could also give Kim more time to develop his nuclear weapons arsenal and enable him to more effectively seek sanctions relief, Eurasia analysts said. The US 'isn't driving the bus at this point' While the idea of a May summit is seen by many as an encouraging step toward peace on the Korean Peninsula no sitting American president has ever met a North Korean leader others are puzzled by Washington's marked change in tone. For months, the U.S. president has ramped up provocations against the reclusive regime. He's threatened to unleash "fire and fury like the world has never seen" and "totally destroy North Korea," sparking widespread fears of unilateral U.S. military strikes. The Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Saint Kitts and Nevis are set to be added next week to a European Union blacklist of tax havens, raising to nine the number of jurisdictions on it, an EU document seen by Reuters shows. The decision, taken by EU tax experts, is set to be endorsed by EU finance ministers at a regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, when the 28 EU governments are also expected to delist Bahrain, the Marshall Islands and Saint Lucia. Paradise Island Lighthouse, Bahamas. Getty Images As a result of both moves, the blacklist would maintain nine jurisdictions deemed to facilitate tax avoidance. The other six are American Samoa, Guam, Namibia, Palau, Samoa and Trinidad and Tobago. The document, prepared by EU officials and dated March 8, also adds Anguilla, The British Virgin Islands, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda to a so-called grey list of jurisdictions which do not respect EU anti-tax avoidance standards but have committed to change their practices. The grey list includes dozens of jurisdictions from all over the world. Blacklisted jurisdictions could face reputational damage and stricter controls on their financial transactions with the EU, although no sanctions have been agreed by EU states yet. Those who are in the grey list could be moved to the blacklist if they do not honour their commitments. Caribbean islands hit by hurricanes last year were given more time to comply with EU tax transparency standards when the bloc's blacklist was established in December. Earlier this month, EU experts decided to propose the delisting of Bahrain, the Marshall Islands and Saint Lucia, a document dated March 2 showed. A report from the U.S. Labor Department revealed that the nation had added 313,000 jobs last month, surpassing analyst expectations of 200,000. President Donald Trump implemented import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum Thursday. Canada and Mexico were exempted from the tax, with Trump also suggesting that other allies could also benefit from exclusions. European stocks finished Friday's trading session on a positive note, following a better-than-expected jobs report from out of the U.S.. The pan-European STOXX 600 provisionally rose 0.43 percent by the close, but off session highs. On the week, the STOXX 600 popped 3.05 percent. Looking to European bourses, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 rose 0.3 percent, while France's CAC 40 rose 0.39 percent. Germany's DAX however came under slight pressure, closing down 0.07 percent. Equities in the region received a lift in the second half of the session after a report from the U.S. Labor Department revealed that the nation had added 313,000 jobs last month, surpassing analyst expectations of 200,000. Construction was the biggest sectoral gainer, with 61,000 new job roles, followed by retail. At Europe's close, Wall Street posted sharp gains following a strong jobs report, with the Dow soaring over 250 points. Autos under pressure While the majority of Europe's sectors higher, autos fell 0.12 percent amid heightened fears of a global tit-for-tat trade war. Looking into the sector, Germany's Schaeffler and Continental both slipped to the bottom of the sector, with the latter suffering from a rating downgrade from CFRA Research. In individual stocks news, GVC Holdings posted a full-year net gaming revenue rise of 17 percent in 2017. The online gambling firm said its latest figures were lifted by gains from the bwin.party business it bought three years ago. Shares of GVC Holdings jumped 5 percent. Meantime, shares of Lagardere tumbled over 7 percent after the French media group reported worse-than-expected earnings figures on Friday. The company forecast its 2018 operating profits to be stable in comparison to last year. British satellite firm Inmarsat saw shares slip 6.7 percent after it reported earnings and said that it had cut its dividend, in order to spend more on delivering Wi-Fi on commercial planes, according to Reuters. Tariffs, North Korea developments shake up markets Japan's shrinking population has triggered the country's worst labor crunch in a quarter of a century. With a job-to-applicant ratio at levels unseen since the mid-1970s, economists have long recommended to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he loosen the country's strict immigration rules. Foreign visitors take a selfie in front of the UNESCO World Heritage site Himeji Castle in Himeji, Japan Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images But a deep-seated emphasis on cultural homogeneity means Tokyo prefers artificial intelligence over permanent foreigners for vacant positions. The world's third-largest economy is rapidly aging, on the back of high life expectancy and falling birth rates. That's produced fewer workers, reduced consumer demand and brought about declining prices. Still, Abe's government doesn't believe in allowing immigration to make up for labor shortages, amid fears that newcomers could disrupt social order. Instead, the administration wants to use information technology, artificial intelligence, and female and elderly workers to deal with the labor shortage. But experts are wary of that strategy: "Although automation can mitigate the declining population, larger immigration will be the solution," said Kohei Iwahara, economist at Natixis Japan Securities. Foreign workers wanted but not permanently Japan wants migrants, not immigrants, explained Stephen Nagy, associate professor at Tokyo-based International Christian University and distinguished fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Temporary workers are needed for low-end service sector jobs, manufacturing, old age care and other areas hit by labor shortages, but Tokyo doesn't want those workers to become permanent. "Policy makers have studied Germany's guest workers program and came to the conclusion that temporary migrants are a more rational migration strategy to maintain social stability and a consolidated identity," Nagy explained. "They also feel it prevents or minimizes the anti-migrant problems and violence seen in Europe and other countries." "There is concern that Japan could face social problems and rising crime if it welcomes large unassimilated communities of foreign workers," echoed Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University Japan. Tokyo has opened certain sectors to overseas professionals, such construction and nursing, resulting in a spike of foreign residents in recent years a record 2.38 million foreign residents were reported in 2016. But the path to permanent residency remains tough. Michelle Obama says an unimpressed professor's recommendation letter nearly jeopardized her acceptance into Harvard Law School, according to a Refinery29 interview published Thursday. However, her ability to overcome negativity while studying sociology at Princeton helped her succeed. "When I went to my thesis advisor for a letter of recommendation for law school, he did the best thing he possibly could have done: He gave a brutally honest response," Obama said. "You know, you're a good student," Obama said her advisor told her, "but are you the best I've seen? I'm not sure." First lady Michelle Obama is presented with an honorary doctorate of humane letters by James Milliken, the chancellor for the City University of New York , while delivering the commencement speech at City College on June 3, 2016 in New York City. This was the final commencement speech of her tenure as first lady. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Still, he agreed to write her a recommendation letter. Although she wanted to apply to Harvard Law, she admitted she wasn't at her best academically. "When I was writing my senior thesis in college, I had a great topic, and I was working pretty hard, but not as hard as I could have been," Obama said. As a result, she "made a decision to prove him wrong" and let his response motivate her. "For the next three months, I worked like you wouldn't believe on that thesis. I was in his office every day," Obama said. Later that year, the same thesis advisor asked Obama what she planned to do after college. A liberal Super PAC, Forward Majority, is digging up dirt on hundreds of incumbent Republicans running in local races across the country, deploying opposition research to try to improve Democrats' dismal numbers in state legislatures in 2018. Co-founded by David Cohen, a top Obama 2008 official, Forward Majority entered the political field last year during the Virginia elections, running ad campaigns in 16 state legislative races (Democratic candidates won 12 of those). "What we found in Virginia is that these state legislators, many who have been in office for years, are some of the most unvetted people in American politics," Cohen told Vox. "In that sense, oppo has an important role to play in helping voters understand who represents them." More from Vox: North Korea is the ultimate test of Trump's dealmaking Trump reportedly thinks Hope Hicks put herself before White House in the Porter scandal 9 questions about North Korea you were too embarrassed to ask Forward Majority is taking its strategy to other key states in the 2018 midterms, focusing on districts where Hillary Clinton performed well and incumbent Republicans are running. They want to help Democrats pick up as many seats as they can in states that will be crucial to redrawing congressional voting maps in 2021, including Florida, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky. That's because state legislatures play an outsize role in redrawing district maps for the US House. "The imperative of flipping these state legislative chambers ahead of the next redistricting round is so crucial for the future of the Democratic Party," said Ben Wexler-Waite, communications director for the PAC. The national Democratic Party is bad at state politics Many liberals argue that the national Democratic Party has made a big mistake in overlooking state legislative races for years. Cohen, a veteran of presidential politics who got his start in state races, recognizes firsthand the issue of drawing operatives away from local politics to bigger, flashier campaigns. "What you want to do is you want to graduate to the federal races and work for a presidential [campaign] because that's the holy grail," he said. "But the reality is what that creates is a dearth of experience at the state legislative level." While Democrats focused most of their energy on national races, Republicans have dominated in states. Looking at maps of governors mansions and state legislatures across the country is like staring at a sea of red; Republicans control more than two-thirds of state legislatures in America, as well as 33 governors mansions. They have total control of both the legislature and the governor's seat in 25 states. "For too long, the national team has just focused on Washington, DC," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Vox earlier this year. "The Democratic team has finally realized we have to build infrastructure in state and local communities." Other progressive groups such as Bernie Sanders's Our Revolution, Run for Something, the Working Families Party, and Sister District were also active in Virginia state races, endorsing or assisting local candidates. In Virginia, many outside progressive groups either complemented or filled in for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the arm of the Democratic Party that focuses on state legislative races. Wexler-Waite and Cohen say Forward Majority is communicating with the DLCC and many of these other groups in 2018 to make sure they're not duplicating efforts. State politics matter and have national implications State politics may not be glamorous in comparison to national campaigns, but they're hugely important. First, state policies affect lives directly. Conservatives have been hugely effective in enacting state and local policies on issues ranging from women's health to gun laws, plus many attempts to pass right-to-work lawstargeting unions and bathroom bills barring transgender individuals from using the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. For instance, on abortion access, 31 states now require waiting periods, restrict insurance coverage for abortion, ban abortion after 20 weeks, require clinics to meet ambulatory surgical center standards (causing many to close), and require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at hospitals. Second, many state legislatures draw US congressional maps every 10 years, and Republican legislatures are the root cause of gerrymandered districts in some states. The US Supreme Court recently ruled North Carolina's congressional maps unconstitutional and is currently considering maps in Wisconsin, Texas, and Maryland (a Democratic gerrymander). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently ruled that the state's maps were a Republican gerrymander and ordered new ones to be drawn. But Democrats recognize this fight extends beyond the courts, and many say they need to elect state lawmakers to have a fair shot before the next redistricting after the 2020 census. "We're worried about a level playing field for our elections," Cohen "Guess what? Gerrymandering, voter suppression ... these are all state concerns." Conservative groups are still playing hard at the state level Groups like Americans for Prosperity, backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, have focused on state lobbying for years, getting active in state races and policy alike. Koch-backed groups plan to spend $300 million to $400 million on policy and campaigns in 2018, spread across groups including AFP, Freedom Partners Action Fund, Concerned Veterans for America, the Libre Initiative, and Generation Opportunity, according to the Washington Post. In some states, AFP is an integral part of the political landscape. For instance, in New Hampshire, (which has a huge state legislature), the state AFP branch "has grown into a de facto third party in state politics," according to a report from New Hampshire Public Radio's Casey McDermott. They don't just go after Democrats; AFP also uses its influence to target moderate Republicans who don't support their policy priorities. There's also the fact that (just like in Congress), many of these conservative state politicians are old, white, and male even in places where their constituencies are rapidly diversifying. "They seem to have slipped more and more to the right, even as their districts have diversified," Cohen said, adding that it "boggle[s] the mind how out of step with reality that these guys are. That's largely because we haven't challenged them in a decade." How to pitch donors on why state races matter and an influx of money into state races There's not just the challenge of getting seasoned operatives to focus on state policy; Forward Majority also needs to pitch donors on state and local issues in order to get money (it hopes to fundraise $100 million over the next few years in its campaign effort). But one argument Cohen and others have been making to donors is that they get more bang for their buck in state legislative races, where the average statehouse district is 67,000 constituents, versus about 710,000 in the average US congressional district. "Your dollar is obviously vastly more impactful in a race where your overall budget is significantly smaller," Cohen said. "You're making a much bigger difference." Television ads and political mailers can also have much more of a ripple effect in smaller districts, as Forward Majority found in Virginia's state races. As much as the group is hoping opposition research can boost state Democrats' chances, there's also an ideological conflict: Many Democrats are running on the message of overturning the US Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and getting unlimited money out of politics, while Super PACs like Forward Majority are courting donors and funneling money into even the most local races. But Cohen and Wexler-Waite say that for now, they need to play by the same rules as Republicans if there's any hope of making campaign finance reform a reality. "If anyone wants to see campaign finance reform, the first thing we need to do is elect Democratic state legislators," Cohen said. "We've been fighting with both hands tied behind our back for years. We're going to bring the fight to them." As the debate surrounding pay disparity gathers momentum, U.K. businesses are being pressed to publish their own reports on how much they pay each sex. One of the latest to release such data is Lloyd's of London, a specialist insurance market. According to the company, it has a pay gap of 27.7 percent a figure that its chief executive is determined to minimize. "Basically that's driven because we've got less than a third, or about a third of our senior positions are held by women. And that's a simple fact," Inga Beale, CEO of Lloyd's of London, told CNBC Thursday. Lloyd's dates back as far as 1688, but it wasn't until 1969 when the firm allowed women to invest in the company. Until the 1970s, female employees hadn't entered the business, with the first female broker not coming into Lloyd's until 1973. Inga Beale, chief executive officer of Lloyd's of London Jason Alden | Bloomberg | Getty Images Martin Shkreli gained a number of monikers in his rise to infamy. Pharma Bro. Most hated man in America. Face of corporate greed. Executives in the drug industry call him something else: catalyst. "He was, in the great scheme of things, a drop in the bucket," said Ron Cohen, CEO of biotech company Acorda Therapeutics and past chair of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization industry group. "But he created such a massive impression and blowback that it forced entire industries, government, patient advocacy groups, the media and political entities all to focus on these issues in a way that I don't know that they would have absent that event." The nearly three-year saga that saw Shkreli come to prominence as a pharmaceutical CEO, raise the price of a 60-year-old medicine by 5,000 percent, purchase a single-copy Wu-Tang Clan album for $2 million, get arrested on unrelated charges of securities fraud, troll America, get convicted, and be sent to prison in a bizarre set of circumstances involving Hillary Clinton's hair follicles ostensibly came to an end Friday, when he was sentenced by a federal judge to seven years in prison. But his actions at least those involving pharmaceutical pricing had an impact that persists, those in the drug industry say, from spurring a conversation about the complexities of drug pricing, to priming the pump for drug pricing scandals that followed, to illuminating inefficiencies in the generic drug market. "There's no question that pricing has been on the mind of people for several years; Shkreli put a fine point on it," said Jeff Jonas, CEO of Sage Therapeutics. "Access to medicines remains an important social issue for our time." But Shkreli's unique ability to capture and cling to the public's attention vaulted the focus on drug prices to another level, said Peter Bach, director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering. "Shkreli was a perfect item for the media," Bach said. "If this had been a couple of quiet accountants with a hedge fund that had done this, and when they got called, their answer was 'No comment,' or the usual, 'Our pricing reflects take your pick the value of our products to patients, the cost of innovation, unmet need, cost savings, whatever I think it wouldn't be a story." This basically appeared to be a moneymaking scheme that took advantage of the inefficiencies in the approval of generics. The only positive was that he drew attention to the complexity. Jeff Jonas CEO of Sage Therapeutics But Shkreli doubled down, infamously saying at the Forbes Healthcare Summit just before his arrest in December 2015 that if he could change anything he'd done, he'd have raised the price of the drug in question called Daraprim even further. "My shareholders expect me to make the most profit," Shkreli said onstage at the time. "That's the ugly, dirty truth." Moving the market So how can Shkreli's impact be measured? One clear metric is the stock market. News of his 5,000 percent price increase on Daraprim from $13.50 a pill to $750 in September 2015 prompted then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to tweet about a forthcoming plan to stop such "price gouging." Price gouging like this in the specialty drug market is outrageous. Tomorrow I'll lay out a plan to take it on. -H Biotech stocks swiftly sank 5 percent a move so closely tied to Shkreli's action that some questioned whether he'd somehow masterminded the whole event to profit from shorting the sector. The group didn't begin its recovery until the following autumn. But Shkreli had created an environment that shined a spotlight on others playing a similar game. "The Shkreli incident primed the pump," Cohen said. "You had all these different branches of society, not least the media, looking for examples, looking for places where they could unearth similar behavior or analogous instances." One was at drug company Valeant, which in the summer of 2015 was trading at more than $250 a share before questions arose about its business practices. The questions included its strategy of acquiring old medicines and dramatically raising their prices, as featured in a prominent story in the New York Times. "That was a big deal," Bach recalled. Valeant's former management team was hauled in front of Congress in April 2016, along with shareholder Bill Ackman of Pershing Square, to answer questions about the pricing practices. Further questions about its business model sent the stock into a tailspin, and it bottomed out below $10 a share last year. Meanwhile, another pricing scandal was brewing, this one of a different nature: Mylan's slow but steady increase in the price of the EpiPen, the epinephrine auto-injector used in the event of an allergy attack, by a cumulative 400 percent over a decade. It was during 2016's back-to-school season a time when parents often stock up on the devices, which expired every year, to send with their kids to school that Mylan grabbed headlines. CEO Heather Bresch responded by starting a new national conversation about drug prices: pointing a finger at the middlemen who she said contributed to rising prices. "No one's more frustrated than me," Bresch told CNBC at the time. Spotlight turns to drug supply chain Bresch drew pharmacy benefit managers and the rest of the drug supply chain into the controversies over pricing, changing the discussion to one embraced by the rest of the pharmaceutical industry. If we do get a transformation, which I think we're going to get, and the book is written about how all this happened, he gets a chapter for sure. Peter Bach Memorial Sloan Kettering "In the end, I think it led to a substantial heightening of awareness of how this whole system works," Cohen said. Pharmacy benefits managers came under pressure particularly Express Scripts as it was the only free-standing company in the group. This week health insurer Cigna announced it would buy the company for $67 billion. The supply chain also became a focus of the Trump administration's efforts to target drug prices, one of a number of ways government entities have responded to the national outcry. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb cited "pernicious" rebating and contracting schemes in a speech this week about market access to cheaper copies of biotech drugs called biosimilars. And he's focused attention on the generic drug space, moving to streamline approvals and publishing a list of drugs vulnerable to Shkreli-like actions: those that have lost patent protection but have no generic competition. Defense attorney Ben Brafman stands at the defense table with Martin Shkreli during his opening statement. Elizabeth Williams | CNBC "We don't play a role in drug pricing, but we do affect drug competition in terms of getting new drugs onto the market, and create competition to older drugs, particularly with generic drugs," Gottlieb told CNBC at the time. Shkreli helped draw attention to those exploitable issues in the generic drug space, said Jonas. "This basically appeared to be a moneymaking scheme that took advantage of the inefficiencies in the approval of generics," he said of Shkreli's move. "The only positive was that he drew attention to the complexity of the" system. Drug list price increases slow So have drug price increases stopped, or slowed? Yes and no. "Shkreli's actions did call attention to list prices a drug's price before rebates and other discounts," said Adam Fein, CEO of Drug Channels Institute. Before 2014, Fein said, list prices had been growing by 10 to 15 percent annually. "Since then, list price growth has slowed," he said, noting a number of pledges from drug company CEOs to limit increases to less than 10 percent a year. "I expect average brand-name list price growth to be 7 to 10 percent over the next few years." Growth after rebates and discounts has been climbing "in the low single digits" for the past few years, Fein said. But large increases still happen. Last month alone, Wells Fargo analyst David Maris tracked the 50 biggest price increases on medicines, the largest of which was a 948.4 percent increase on a drug from Torrent Pharmaceuticals. And data from Rx Savings Solutions show price increases of less than 10 percent on expensive medicines can result in adding thousands of dollars to their cost. Source: Wells Fargo/MediSpan PriceRx Increases of 9 percent on the average wholesale price of Celgene's cancer medicines Pomalyst and Revlimid, for example, added more than $4,000, the data show. "Shkreli played a pretty simple game: Raise the price and juice the profit," said Michael Rea, CEO of Rx Savings Solutions. "But there are price changes that happen that yield far greater profit than anything that Shkreli did." Biotech bristles at Shkreli's insinuation he's one of the group. "He was in a different business," said Stelios Papadopoulos, chairman of biotech giant Biogen. "People need to appreciate what he's being sentenced for has nothing to do with his activities with regards to drug pricing and even his drug pricing has nothing to do with what people do in the drug business, who invest hundreds of millions of dollars to discover drugs." "I see him as essentially a hedge fund manager," Cohen added. The seven years Shkreli was sentenced to for his conviction on three counts including securities fraud, having to do with hedge funds he ran and a former biotech company, Retrophin, that he founded before Turing, was significantly higher than the 18-month request made by defense attorneys. But it was shorter than the 15 years requested by government prosecutors. He will get credit for the six months he has already spent in jail. After his release, Shkreli will be on probation for three years. He also will need to pay a $75,000 fine, and will be barred from holding a majority stake in a company or serving as an executive or director. Promising midterm election trends for House Republicans have worn off, at least for now. As voters digested the effects of the GOP tax-reform law and a generally well-received State of the Union address from President Donald Trump, Democrats' lead on the generic congressional ballot shrank in February. But the boost for Republicans was short-lived. Democrats now hold an estimated 9 percentage point advantage in recent polls that measure whether voters support a generic Republican or generic Democrat, according to FiveThirtyEight, a website dedicated statistical analysis. Republicans cut that deficit to as low as 5 percentage points in early February. Meanwhile, congressional race handicapper Sabato's Crystal Ball changed its ratings for 26 House elections this week, all in favor of Democrats. The tweaks include Tuesday's closely watched House special election in Pennsylvania, which the organization now lists as a "toss-up." It even shifted its description of House Speaker Paul Ryan's seat from "safe Republican" to "likely Republican." The news bodes badly for Republicans, who hoped the recent polling rise would help them hold on to a House majority in November's elections. Democrats need to win 24 seats in the midterms to take a majority in the chamber. Of course, much can change in the roughly eight months before the congressional elections. In addition, Republicans still have a favorable path to holding or adding to their 51 seats in the Senate, as several Democrats run for re-election in states Trump won in 2016. Still, recent trends hold some worrying signs for the GOP's House election prospects. Next week's election in Pennsylvania's 18th District, which Trump won by 20 points in 2016, now appears neck-and-neck between Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone and Democratic former prosecutor Conor Lamb. The tax law has also taken a back seat as an issue in the tight race. National Republicans have abandoned ads there slamming Lamb for opposing the tax law. Changes in Sabato's Crystal Ball's ratings relate to not only Democrats' ability to unseat Republicans, but the chances of the minority party's incumbents holding on to their seats. The organization says the re-election rate for Democrats "is likely to be extremely high, if not unblemished." While more shifts in voters' views on the race for Congress could come between now and November, The New York Times' own statistical analysis notes that the generic ballot is generally stable over the long run. WATCH: Cohn's departure shakes up GOP agenda New York is the favorite city of the world's wealthy, as measured by where they want to put their families and their money, according to a new report. The Knight Frank City Wealth Index, created by the London-based real estate firm Knight Frank, ranked the world's top cities by their appeal to the rich. New York ranked first, followed by London and San Francisco. The ranking is based on four main factors: wealth, investment, lifestyle and future. With wealth, it measures the current and future populations of affluent residents, focusing mainly on the growth rate. The report said New York "dominates" other cities around the world, with over 1.1 million households earning more than $250,000 a year (which, some may argue, is certainly not "rich" in New York). On investment, the report measures where the wealthy are putting their money into real estate and other assets, and New York had the "largest annual average private investment in property." In the "future" category, the report said New York had the highest projected GDP growth of any city by the year 2022. The "lifestyle" category measured the number and quality of hotels and restaurants as well as average visitor spending in a given city. While London has more five-star hotels, and visitors to Melbourne spend more per person, New York ranked first overall. "New York sweeps the board, coming out on top in every ranking," the report said. London ranked second, while San Francisco ranked third. North America dominates the list overall, with 10 of the top 20 cities. Madrid and Melbourne ranked at the bottom of the 20 cities measured. Here is the full list, category by category. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a military parade in Pyongyang marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. For decades, the international community has tried to stop North Korea's nuclear weapon and missile development. It has failed. The pariah state has promised disarmament more than once, only to repeatedly backtrack on its commitments. It has duped multiple U.S. presidential administrations, each of which has passed the North Korea problem onto the next. Now, many fear that pattern is being repeated as Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump prepare to meet before May. Two major diplomatic initiatives in 1994 and the early 2000s are examples of Pyongyang's spotty history on negotiations. In 1994, President Bill Clinton's administration and North Korea signed a deal known as the Agreed Framework. Under the terms, Pyongyang committed to freezing its illicit plutonium weapons program in exchange for U.S. construction of light-water nuclear reactors, heavy fuel, normalized relations and formal assurances against the threat or use of nuclear weapons. Notorious "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli made a sob-filled plea for leniency but ended up getting sentenced Friday to seven years in prison for federal fraud charges related to hedge funds and a drug company that he once ran. "The one person to blame for me being here today is me," a choked-up Shkreli told a judge before she imposed the prison term in Brooklyn, New York, federal court. "Not the government. There is no conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli." "I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions." "This is my fault. I am no victim here," Shkreli said, before breaking down into tears as he promised not to let his lawyer Benjamin Brafman down in his efforts to contribute to society. "Do not feel bad for me," Shkreli told a packed courtroom that included supporters and family members, many of whom had written letters asking Judge Kiyo Matsumoto to spare him from a harsh sentence. And he had a message for the investors he duped: "I am terribly sorry I lost your trust. ... You deserve far better." "I was never motivated by money," Shkreli said. "I wanted to grow my stature and my reputation." "I am here because of my gross, stupid and negligent mistakes I made." A courtroom sketch shows Martin Shkreli crying in court during his sentencing with his defense lawyer Ben Brafman on March 9, 2018. Elizabeth Williams | CNBC The seven-year sentence to which Shkreli listened impassively was significantly higher than the 18-month maximum requested by defense lawyers. "He has the potential to do good," Brafman argued, citing Shkreli's intellectual brilliance and altruism toward others less fortunate than himself. "He shouldn't be sentenced simply for being Martin Shkreli." While Brafman did not get what he wanted, the sentence was also less than half the minimum 15-year term that prosecutors said they wanted Friday from Matsumoto. "We do believe the public needs to be protected from Mr. Shkreli," assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis told Matsumoto while arguing for that stiff term. "We do believe, your honor, that he is dangerous," Kasulis said. Matsumoto said she had struggled over what to give Shkreli as a sentence. In a lengthy lead-up to announcing her decision, the judge noted Shkreli's upbringing in a household that included an abusive father, his problems with panic attacks, his charitable contributions to individuals and groups, and his talent for picking stocks and for scientific research. But Matsumoto also detailed Shkreli's years-long series of sophisticated financial deceptions, his foul-mouthed boasts of having threatened to render a former employee and his family "homeless," and his emailed statements from prison saying he would do anything necessary to win a light prison term. She urged Shkreli to continue teaching inmates math, finance and other subjects, as he has in recent months. "I do wish you well, Mr. Shkreli," Matsumoto said. "Thank you very much, your honor," he responded. Shkreli, who will get credit for six months he has already spent in jail since shortly after his conviction, also was sentenced to three years of probation after his release and ordered to pay a $75,000 fine. There is no parole in the federal prison system, but Shkreli could be released after having served almost six years, due to credit for good conduct. The judge had already ordered Shkreli, who will turn 35 on March 17, to forfeit nearly $7.4 million to the federal government. And she ordered him to obtain mental health counseling while on probation. A psychological examination of Shkreli performed before his sentencing found that he suffered from generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and an unspecified personality disorder. Shkreli also had revealed that he was drinking seven to eight alcoholic beverages per day after he was indicted in the case in late 2015 to deal with his anxiety. He called that "toxic behavior," the judge noted. After his release into probation, Shkreli will be barred from holding a majority stake in a company, as well as an executive position or directorship of a company. A courtroom sketch shows Martin Shkreli making a statement and weeping during his sentencing, while his defense lawyer Ben Brafman holds his head in his hands. Elizabeth Williams | CNBC "I think it's hard to claim victory when someone like Martin Shkreli is going to jail, but if you are asking me, if it could have been a lot worse, absolutely," Brafman said outside of court. "The government didn't get what they wanted. We didn't get what we wanted, either," Brafman said. "This is a good judge who I think spent a great deal of time trying to examine the facts and all of the letters that were written on behalf of Mr. Shkreli and she made her decision and we all have to live with it." He also said, "Martin is fine." The three-hour sentencing hearing came 2 years after Shkreli attracted widespread negative media attention for his decision to hike the price of a drug by 5,500 percent at Turing Pharmaceuticals, another company he founded. But Shkreli's sentencing was not connected to that pricing of the anti-parasite medication Daraprim. It also wasn't related to his social media trolling of adversaries, who have included Hillary Clinton, members of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and journalists. "I want to reiterate something that I've said since the beginning this trial is not about his public persona, nor about his actions or statements about pricing of pharmaceuticals," Matsumoto said. "I will base my sentence on the conduct he was found guilty of." A file photo of former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli. Getty Images He was found guilty of misleading investors about key details and the dismal financial market performance of the MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare hedge funds that he operated. Shkreli also was convicted last August of conspiring to fraudulently manipulate stock shares of Retrophin, the pharma company he created after both hedge funds effectively collapsed. Evidence at trial revealed that Shkreli had used stock and cash from publicly traded Retrophin to pay back the duped hedge-fund investors, who all ended up getting more than they had originally invested. Witnesses at that trial also painted a picture of Shkreli as a complicated person who could inspire grand visions of lifesaving pharmaceutical treatments while also frustrating people with his habit of playing fast and loose with the facts. A number of those witnesses testified to Shkreli's brilliance, or even genius, as well as to his tendency toward depression and self-sabotage. Defense lawyers had asked Matsumoto in a court filing last week to give Shkreli a relatively light prison term of 12 to 18 months, followed by 2,000 hours of community service and mandatory therapy. They called Shkreli a "very unique defendant" who "is a kind, caring and generous person who uses his time and effort to help those in need." "If not warehoused in prison, Martin could literally save lives," Shkreli's lawyers wrote in their sentencing recommendation. But prosecutors had asked for at least 15 years in prison. They argued that Shkreli lacked "genuine remorse" for his crimes and had a pattern of deceptive schemes spanning even after the crimes for which he was convicted. They called Shkreli "a man who believes the ends always justifies the means." Federal sentencing guidelines had suggested a prison term of decades, in large part because of Matsumoto's finding that the losses from Shkreli's crimes totaled $10.4 million. The judge refused to give him credit for the fact that his hedge-fund investors all ended up with more than they originally placed with him, noting that Shkreli only began his scheme to repay them with Retrophin's assets after investors began raising red flags that they had been defrauded. In addition to his prison term, Shkreli already had been ordered by the judge to secure the forfeiture award to give up his ownership of a $5 million stock account that had been used as collateral for a now-revoked release bond. She also told him to give up his ownership of a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album that he bought for $2 million, a Picasso painting, a Lil Wayne album, and his stake in Vyera Pharmaceuticals, which previously was known as Turing. Shkreli has been locked up in a federal jail in Brooklyn since September, a month after his conviction, when Matsumoto revoked his $5 million release bond. Matsumoto's move came after Shkreli, in yet another social media stunt, offered his Facebook followers a $5,000 bounty for samples of Clinton's hair. The offer, which Shkreli claimed was satire, drew the attention of the Secret Service, which provides protection for Clinton, and drew the ire of prosecutors. Matsumoto said Shkreli represented a danger because of his bounty offer. In a letter sent to the judge in advance of his sentencing asking for a light prison term, Shkreli wrote, "I was a fool," and called himself "far from blameless." "I accept the fact that I made serious mistakes, but I still believe that I am a good person with much potential," Shkreli wrote from jail. "The trial and the six months in a maximum security prison has been a frightening wake-up call," Shkreli wrote. "I understand how I need to change." Shkreli plans to appeal his conviction. Additional reporting by Ashley Turner. See how Martin Shkreli, the "pharma bro," got to today's sentencing TONIGHT on American Greed at 10 p.m. ET. WATCH: Co-worker says Shkreli 'mentally unstable' Pipeline companies are bracing for an ongoing battle with environmental activists who are targeting the nation's infrastructure in their bid to stop a surge in North America's oil and natural gas production. Executives from some of the biggest energy infrastructure companies in Canada and the United States say their industry had been surprised by the escalation and sophistication of the so-called "keep it in the ground" activists. They said they need to fire back on multiple fronts, including the courts, the halls of regulatory agencies and social media. The battle over pipelines reached a fever pitch in 2016 and 2017 during tense standoffs between law enforcement and activists who camped out for months in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to prevent the completion of the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. That tipping point, along with a series of acts of pipeline sabotage, illustrates how climate-change activism is now focused on infrastructure, the executives said during a panel on Wednesday at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston. "The effort is much more intense. There's more opposition. It's more organized and ... the tactics have evolved," said Steven Kean, president and CEO of Kinder Morgan, whose $7.4 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project faces threats of Standing Rock-style protests. Kean said the new tactics include the October 2016 incident in which activists in several states disrupted crude flows from cross-border pipelines by shutting emergency valves. The potentially dangerous action could have caused the lines to rupture under pressure, he said. Pipeline opponents have also grown more sophisticated in the courts, hiring experienced counsel to deploy novel legal defenses, said Russell Girling, president and CEO of TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline, which was blocked by the Obama administration over climate concerns but later approved by President Donald Trump. While some of the so-called pipe turners in the coordinated attacks were convicted of felonies and sent to prison, Girling noted, others were allowed to argue that they broke the law to protect fellow citizens from the impacts of climate change. "They have become extraordinarily adept at finding those places both in courts and the regulatory process to stop this up," he said. Pipeline makers need to anticipate challenges from activists and make sure their applications to regulators are airtight, leaving no room for appeals that can delay multibillion-dollar projects, Girling said. Kelcy Warren, president and CEO at Energy Transfer Partners, said an environmental disaster could have occurred when someone burned a hole in the company's Dakota Access pipeline infrastructure last year, though no oil was flowing through the line at that point. "I think you're talking about somebody who needs to be removed from the gene pool," said Warren. The executive said the industry was too slow to respond to social media campaigns that he said perpetuated lies about pipeline companies and their projects. In the future, the companies need to be proactive and devote resources to counteracting those campaigns. Sharon Wilson, senior organizer for Earthworks, said grassroots groups are seeking to protect their homes from pipeline leaks and explosions and prevent entrenching dirty fossil fuels for decades to come. "I don't know what 'lies' Kelcy Warren is attributing to opponents of Energy Transfer Pipelines, but I surely hope he isn't referencing the Dakota Access Pipeline's multiple leaks, the state of Ohio's lawsuits over Rover Pipeline's spills, or the state of Pennsylvania's halting the Mariner Pipeline for 'egregious' violations," she said in a statement to CNBC. More from CERAWeek: Steel tariffs won't help Trump achieve his goal of 'American energy dominance' Mexican Energy Minister sees energy growth stronger with NAFTA Energy Secretary Perry promotes 'new energy realism' The company boss said if Eviation can build a cheap and safe plane then he expected existing operators would buy it in order to seize on the "underserved" regional market. "If you want to travel 100 or 200 miles and there is a high-speed rail connection then you are lucky. If not you are sitting in the car and stuck in traffic as general aviation offers no solution," he said. The company's chief executive, Omer Bar-Yohay, told CNBC Thursday that there is a global need for short regional flights that current commercial aviation can't fill. Eviation is developing a nine-passenger aircraft designed to fly up to 650 miles at around 240 knots (276 miles per hour). A commercial jet would cruise around 500 miles per hour. The electric plane is designed for the sort of distances usually conducted by train. An Israeli start-up has claimed an electric plane it is building will revolutionize commuter travel and it's getting ready to ask the public to help finish the project. A rendered image of the Eviation Alice. An electric aircraft designed to take 9 passengers up to 650 miles at 240 knots. Bar-Yohay said his full-scale prototype aircraft, named "Alice Commuter", should be ready for a test flight in early 2019. He said the next step would be ramping up to commercial production and explained that Eviation was founded inside a shell company in the U.S. in order to draw on public cash. "The reason we did it this way is because we understood that we will have a great prototype and a really good story, way before we have a product," he said. "And the kind of millions that is needed to build this is significant so we are looking at the public equity markets as a sort of crowdfunding on steroids." Bar-Yohay said the firm had not yet asked the public for investor cash but that day was "coming soon". This would be done through an initial public offering (IPO). Airbus has also shown its hand in attempting to develop electric flight technology with its Efan project. Eviation's CEO predicted that the European aerospace giant would likely display a "very interesting hybrid" at next year's Paris Airshow and welcomed the competition. "Efan has pushed at the door of what can be certified and that has allowed the groundwork to be done for our aircraft to be built. We will not need waivers or changes for our own certification," he said. Bar-Yohay also pointed to lightweight materials developed for the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350 that were helping his own project get off the drawing board and into the air. South Korea's Kokam was signed up as a battery supplier in February. Eviation has said the battery, distributed through the plane, will account for as much as 60 percent of the maximum takeoff weight. "If you take state or art lightweight material and best batteries and accept that you are traveling slower, lower and for shorter distances, you can do it," said Bar-Yohay . The Eviation CEO said obvious markets for short regional air travel existed in the United States and the United Kingdom where a high number of small airfields were already in place. These are some of the common reasons people mistakenly don't bother filing. If you quit your job, were fired or thought you were an independent contractor, you might still be able to receive those weekly checks. Jamie Grill | JGI | Getty Images Unemployment insurance is meant to help people while they are between jobs. Yet an expanding share of out-of-work people are missing out on that safety net, often unnecessarily. Details of state unemployment insurance programs vary; generally, the government provides benefits to eligible workers who have lost a job "through no fault of their own," for a maximum of 26 weeks. The first rule: You have to apply for it. In the last five years, the percentage of unemployed people to file for payments has dropped by nearly 20 percent. In 2016, more than 70 percent of unemployed people went without those benefits, according to a recent National Employment Law Project report. One major reason for the decline, experts say, is that people assume often, wrongly that they're not eligible for unemployment benefits. So they don't bother applying. To be sure, there are a myriad of obstacles to applying, said Anne Paxton, staff attorney at the Unemployment Law Project in Seattle. Many states make you wait a week after you lose your job to file. The process, which typically has to be done online, can be cumbersome and confusing if you don't have the clearest case. If you'd like to speak to a human being about your application, there can be huge wait times over the phone. This can all be quite stressful while you're looking for your next paycheck. "A lot of people drop out of the process," Paxton said. But there are many ways to make the case that you are, in fact, eligible. Here's how. You were fired Tetra Images | Getty Images Many people believe that if their boss wasn't happy with them when they stopped working, they won't qualify for benefits, said George Wentworth, senior counsel at the National Employment Law Project. "The culture of the workplace is in many ways deferential to employer decisions," he said. Workers generally can't be disqualified for benefits due to unsatisfactory job performance though. If you were fired because you couldn't produce 100 widgets an hour, for example, you should still file, Wentworth said. To deny you benefits, the employer generally will have to prove that you are guilty of misconduct (yelling at a subordinate, for example) or gross negligence (say, repeated absences). Even these instances may not disqualify you, however, Wentworth said. For example, say your employer had a rule that if you're absent more than X days, you'll be let go. If you hit that number of days but can prove that you were legitimately sick on each of those occasions, you may still qualify for the insurance, he said. Expect to document and show a credible account of what happened, Wentworth said, "the way an employer might document the events from their perspective." You quit Source: Thinkstock Don't assume because you left your job that you don't qualify. "There is a healthy segment of workers who leave jobs for what would be called 'good cause connected with the work' and could be eligible for benefits," Wentworth said. Good cause connected with the work is generally considered a substantial change to employer's original conditions of employment that has an adverse effect on the worker. In Washington state, for example, if you quit because your boss slashed your usual pay or hours of work by 25 percent or more, you could qualify. You may also be eligible if you can prove you had to quit. Steve Gray, director of Michigan Law's Unemployment Insurance Clinic, pointed to a client who developed an allergy to a substance at the muffler shop where he worked. The client had to quit but was still deemed eligible for benefits. "It was an involuntary quit," Gray said. But you'll usually have to prove that you tried to do something about this change before you upped and left, Wentworth said. Did you ask your boss for more pay? Did you ask if you could work in another section of the store where you wouldn't be exposed to the allergen? You're a seasonal worker Vickie Bajtelsmit, a professor of finance, at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colo., Feb. 9, 2017. Nick Cote | The New York Times Many seasonal workers, from landscapers to adjunct professors, assume there's little they can do about their professions' periods of unemployment, said Paxton. "They think that's just the fabric of the work," Paxton said. "But in many cases, they can qualify and get benefits." Typically, you'll have to make the case that you are involuntarily unemployed and do not have "reasonable assurance" of re-employment, Wentworth said. If you're an adjunct professor, for instance, do you have a commitment in writing from the college that you're more likely than not to be teaching the same number of courses in the fall as you did in the spring? If not, you may qualify for unemployment insurance. When it comes to other jobs like landscaping, Wentworth said, some states have rules about seasonal work that will disqualify you. However, he said, "the majority of states will pay you benefits during the off-season." You're an independent contractor (or so you thought) Lipik1 | Getty Images In order for your wages to count toward unemployment insurance, you need to be in an employee/employer relationship. The earnings of self-employed individuals and independent contractors, therefore, don't count toward the benefit. But many workers are misclassified as independent contractors, Wentworth said, and under the law they are actually employees. It'll be up to your state unemployment agency, using its laws, to determine if your status was independent contractor or employee. "Frequently, a worker has been told they're an independent contractor, and then the agency determines they're an employee," Wentworth said. "An auditor comes in and says, 'We need to reclassify those as wages and you should be eligible for benefits.'" You assume you're not 'able' to work Izabela Habur | Getty Images Julia Simon-Mishel, a staff attorney at Philadelphia Legal Assistance, said many people assume they're not able and available to work generally a requirement to qualify for unemployment insurance when actually, they're just not considering all the work they can do. For example, people who are injured might believe they can't work because their former job required heavy lifting. Keep an open mind about what other types of work you could do, she said: "As long as you can do some work, then you could still be eligible." Your employer said you don't qualify Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck is making closing the investment gap her mission with digital investment startup Ellevest. And while the pay gap may be in the spotlight right now, Krawcheck warns that the gender investing gap can have an even bigger impact for women over their lifetimes. "It's important because it's important for our economy and society," says Krawcheck of getting women to invest at the same level as men. "When women are financially stronger, it's not just good for them, it's good for their families, it puts money into the economy, the market it's good for everyone." Wall Street has failed to serve women investors, Krawcheck says, noting that many financial institutions have been unsuccessful in their attempts to draw in women. "They've seen it as a marketing problem. 'Gee, we just need to market better to these women,'" says Krawcheck. "What we did at Ellevest, different from anyone, is we changed the underlying product," she says. "Our product, our investing algorithm, which has a patent pending on it, takes into account that women live longer, their salaries unfortunately peak sooner. "And then there are a bunch of other subtle things. Women aren't driven by or thrilled by outperforming the market. They're much more excited about, 'Can I meet my goal?'" Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hamad I Mohammed | Reuters Stories of Mohammed bin Salman's state visit to the U.K. took a bipolar approach in the British press this week. Some accounted for the Saudi crown prince's reformist agenda sweeping through the historically conservative nation. Others spoke of protests coupled with the visit, highlighting human rights abuses in Yemen. Some were simply left perplexed by the PR drive from the Middle Eastern nation, which saw Bin Salman's face plastered on billboards and black cabs in London. The crown prince's reforms have ushered in sweeping changes across Saudi Arabia; notably allowing females to drive, and the lifting of a 35-year-old ban on cinemas. But the 32-year-old Bin Salman has also stunned onlookers, especially with the 2017 purge that saw the arrests of over 30 princes, businessmen, and government ministers. In the U.K., there are some who have used the visit to forge better ties between Britain and Saudi Arabia. For example, Chris Innes-Hopkins, the executive director at the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC), an independent and private sector-led body, hosted a number of high level executives from Saudi Arabia off the back of the trip. He saw the moment as a means to build a mutually-beneficial partnership of long term investment and trade. But more specifically, it was the impending Saudi Aramco initial public offering (IPO) that sent the most tongues wagging. Especially amongst the finance buffs of the City of London which has been shortlisted for the international portion of the state oil giant's listing. The flotation could be the largest in history and is a topic attracting not only the attention of British investors, but also of the U.K. parliament. James Slack, spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May stated that the visit would usher in a new era of bilateral "relations focused on delivering wide-ranging benefits." But, Rachel Reeves, a Labour party politician and the chair of the Business Committee in the House of Commons, is less eager for London to pursue the listing. "It's easy to see why the City (of London) and highly-remunerated advisors cheerlead for this listing, but the U.K. currently has strict corporate governance rules and it's vital these aren't watered down in a bid to attract Saudi Aramco. This risks our world-class reputation for corporate governance and could ultimately damage the U.K.'s attractiveness to foreign investment," she told CNBC via email. Aside from discussions on the Aramco IPO, were headlines of the Saudi prince eyeing billion-dollar investment deals for the U.K. Wednesday evening headlines verified the success of the trip, boasting a goal of around 65 billion ($90.3 billion) of investment in the coming years. May said in a statement: "This is a significant boost for U.K. prosperity and a clear demonstration of the strong international confidence in our economy as we prepare to leave the European Union." President Donald Trump was able to back North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into a corner with tough military talk and deft diplomacy, former Ambassador Nicholas Burns told CNBC on Friday. Trump accepted an invitation late Thursday to meet with Kim for nuclear talks by May. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! In a "Squawk Box" interview, Burns credited Trump's veiled military threats in response to Kim's aggression and diplomatic progress with North Korean ally China for seeding an environment to make a meeting possible. "President Trump has had some impact on China. The Chinese have done more on the last year than they had done previously," Burns said. He also said the Trump administration has also been able to get "bigger sanctions, stronger sanctions and resolutions out of the U.N." "President Trump has kept Kim Jong Un off balance," said Burns, whose 27-year career in foreign service spanned both Republican and Democratic administrations. "I think this is positive that the president and Kim Jong Un are going to turn towards diplomacy because we were headed for a collision with North Korea." Burns, who served as U.S. ambassador to NATO and the State Department's third-ranking diplomat during George W. Bush's presidency, said he never thought a meeting between the two nations would ever take place. "This is going to be biggest moment of the Trump presidency." "This is a real shocker. This is a real surprise," added Burns, who also advised the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. "There's never been a meeting between a North Korean leader and an American leader going all the way back to the late 1940s when North Korea was formed." Despite the optimism, Burns said the U.S. needs to go into this meeting with a skeptical bearing and clear goals for what's possible to defuse North Korea's nuclear ambitions. "[Kim], his father, and grandfather have played the United States and South Korea before," Burns said. "[Kim] is in a very strong position. He has nuclear weapons. He's made progress on his nuclear and missile tests." Burns pointed out that the U.S. had agreements with North Korea in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. "They burned us," said Burns, currently a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He urged Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to make sure to get "verification at every step" and to get South Korea, Japan, and China in "completely united in lock step." However, Burns warned that Kim may not be looking to make subsitive concessions. "They want legitimacy. They want acceptance. I think they want to keep the nuclear weapons." President Donald Trump's legal team is pursuing negotiations with special counsel Robert Mueller to end the probe into potential Trump-Russian collusion in exchange for an interview with the president, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing a person familiar with the discussions. In this scenario, Trump would agree to a sit-down interview with the special counsel contingent upon Mueller's commitment to end the portion of the investigation relating to Trump himself, the Journal reported. Trump's lawyers are considering a few options for their conditions: suggesting a deadline to end the probe 60 days after the interview, and perhaps limiting the scope of his questions, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. Trump's team expects the questions to mainly focus on the firings of former FBI Director James Comey and former national security advisor Michael Flynn, the Journal said. John Dowd, one of Trump's personal lawyers, told CNBC that the Journal's report was "all false" when asked about the legal strategy being pursued in cooperation with the special counsel's inquiry. The special counsel declined to comment on the Journal's report. Read the full report from the Wall Street Journal. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas said the speed at which Trump imposed the tariffs suggests he may have been trying to prevent anyone from talking him out of the action, which has been widely opposed by his own party and the energy industry. Two influential Republican senators from energy states said on Friday they were surprised by how quickly President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) walks out of the senate on Capitol Hill. He believes the Trump administration's claim that cheap imports threaten U.S. national security could lead trade partners to use the same argument to tax U.S. exports. Trump on Thursday signed proclamations that will impose a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tax on aluminum. The president exempted Mexico and Canada from the taxes and said it would consider waivers for other countries. Speaking at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston, Cornyn and Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski warned the taxes could hold back investments in oil and gas infrastructure, alienate allies and water down the benefits of tax cuts and deregulation. Cornyn connected Trump's attitude towards trade as president to the "populist impulses" that defined his campaign. "I would hope that we would not treat every country with sort of a one size fits all like we see in this initial tariff on aluminum and steel," he said. "We want free and fair trade, because that benefits our country, our workforce and our economy," Cornyn added. "I hope we can be a little more surgical in the approach." Murkowski, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said the tariffs could impact plans to build out infrastructure that her state long has anticipated. "This is a big deal up north," Murkowski said. Murkowski said initial estimates suggest the tariffs could raise the cost of a proposed 800-mile pipeline, part of the $43 billion Alaska LNG Project, by hundreds of millions of dollars if not a half-billion dollars. Murkowski said the tariffs send a confusing message to America's allies. President Donald Trump's approach to steel overcapacity is wrong, the European Union's (EU) trade chief said Friday, hoping to get confirmation from the U.S. that the bloc will be excluded from the new tariffs. Trump fueled concerns of a potential trade war on Thursday, when signing two proclamations that will lead to tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Canada and Mexico are exempt from the tariffs. The EU, which has presented counter-measures to respond to Trump's tariffs, is hoping that the U.S. will remove the group of 28 nations from the list. Speaking at a panel discussion on Friday in Brussels, Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Union's trade commissioner, criticized Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium products. "We had been in talks with our American friends for quite some time to explain to them that whereas we share the concerns over overcapacity in the steel sector, this is not the right way to deal with it," Malmstrom said. Western countries, including the U.S., Italy and Belgium, have been hit by a collapse in steel prices. Lower demand for the product and, until recently, rising production in China, have led to job losses in the industry and lower prices. "And it is certainly not the right way to include Europe in that because we are friends, we are allies, we work together, we cannot possibly be a threat to national security in the U.S. so we are counting on being excluded," the Swedish politician said. Police officers man a cordon near a forensic tent (not pictured) where a man and woman had been found unconscious two days previosly, on March 6, 2018 in Salisbury, England. Britain is sending 100 military service personnel with expertise in dealing with chemicals to the city where a Russian double agent was poisoned with a nerve agent, police and the defense ministry said on Friday. The military will remove vehicles and objects from Salisbury in southern England where Sergei Skripal, 66, who passed Russian secrets to Britain, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found unconscious on Sunday. It's about time China removes some of its protectionist practices now that the country has grown richer. But the U.S. alone cannot make Beijing back down, a free trade advocate said Friday. "I think it's definitely worthwhile going to China now and say 'look, you're a lot wealthier, you need to take on more obligations, you need to rein in on your practices,' The question is how to do it," Simon Lester, a trade policy analyst at the Cato Institute, told CNBC. "I think that it works better when you have a number of countries doing this together, not just the United States badgering China. There, I feel it's difficult politically for China to just back down ... it has to be done the right way, it has to be joint effort," he added. China became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2001 after many years of negotiation, but Lester said the country was "let off the hook in terms of making strong commitments" because it was poorer back then. "I do think that China does have a lot of protectionist practices," Lester said. President Donald Trump has often singled out China for its unfair trade practices, which he claimed contributed to U.S.'s massive trade deficit with the Asian economic giant. On Wednesday, Trump said on Twitter that he has asked China for a plan to reduce that trade deficit. Trump on Twitter: China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon! It isn't just Trump who thinks that China isn't playing fair. Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, pointed out the disparity in both countries' import duties for cars. Musk on Twitter: For example, an American car going to China pays 25% import duty, but a Chinese car coming to the US only pays 2.5%, a tenfold difference Tesla, looking to build its cars in China, hit roadblocks in negotiations with authorities in part because Musk wants to keep full control of any local venture, Reuters reported. Last November, Musk said he hoped Tesla's planned factory in China would start production in about three years. But Tesla and Chinese authorities have yet to announce an agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) receives a cup of brewed coffee during a traditional ceremony in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 8, 2018. Jonathan Ernst | AFP | Getty Images U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned against African nations accepting Chinese cash in agreements which could "forfeit their sovereignty." "We are not in any way attempting to keep Chinese dollars from Africa," Tillerson said at a press conference in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Thursday, as reported by Reuters. "It is important that African countries carefully consider the terms of those agreements (with China) and not forfeit their sovereignty," he added. Tillerson's trip is his first on behalf of the Trump administration, and will include stops at Djibouti, the tiny east African nation at which both the U.S. and China have a military bases, followed by Kenya, Chad and Nigeria. Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda were among the top 10 recipients of U.S. foreign aid in 2016, according to website How Much using data from the United States Agency for International Development. But, in recent years China has increased its influence on the African continent. According to Reuters, China surpassed the U.S. as Africa's largest trade partner in 2009, and has supplied billions for infrastructure projects. Ethiopia and Djibouti, for example, are key tenets of China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure spending plan aimed at resurrecting the ancient trading routes centered on China. Tillerson visited the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa Thursday, which had been built by China. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) and Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Workneh Gebeyehu hold a joint press conference following their meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 08, 2018. Minasse Wondimu Hailu | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Chinese state news agency Xinhua has published articles which counter Tillerson's comments. The U.S. is "detached from reality," in its accusations of China-Africa collaboration, one expert on Ethiopia is quoted as saying. "Africa's concerns are China's concerns. Africa's priorities are China's priorities," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the National People's Congress in Beijing on Thursday. Africa opportunity driven by 'amazing' demographics Investment in Africa will benefit from the unlocked potential of its youthful population, one financial expert told CNBC Wednesday. "The main opportunity in Africa is driven by one single aspect, which is population demographics," Miguel Azevedo, head of investment banking for the Middle East and Africa at Citigroup, said. "Demographics are amazing in Africa." [The stream is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is slated to take reporters' questions at the White House on Friday. The briefing follows the Trump administration's enactment of broad tariffs on steel and aluminum on Thursday. Flanked by Cabinet members and U.S. steel workers in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed new import taxes of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. The tariffs, a manifestation of Trump's key campaign promise to fight back against "unfair" trade with global partners, have caused significant political fallout since Trump announced them just last week. Gary Cohn, Trump's top economic advisor and an opponent of protectionist trade policies, announced his resignation less than a week after Trump unveiled the new tariffs. And the new import taxes have sparked a pushback from members of Trump's party in Congress. More than 100 Republican U.S. representatives signed a letter urging Trump to at least pare back the scope of the new tariffs, which were set to apply globally and were signed into effect without the legislature's approval. The administration did take a step back in due course, exempting Canada and Mexico from the new penalties and inviting other countries to negotiate for better deals. U.S. markets, which had been holding their breath on the new policy, relaxed after the exemptions signaled a softening stance on trade. The carve-outs for Nafta partners, coupled with an exceptionally strong U.S. jobs report for February, sent stocks roaring higher. On the same day the tariffs were signed, the White House confirmed that groundwork is being laid for a potential face-to-face meeting between the Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. If the meeting comes to fruition, it would be the first such encounter between the U.S. and North Korean heads of state. Trump has made it clear that his goal is the total denuclearization of Kim's rogue state. Trump tweet: Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! But the White House is also dealing with issues much closer to home. Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, reportedly sought a restraining order against former adult film star Stephanie Clifford, known as Stormy Daniels, in an attempt to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Furthermore, NBC reported on Friday that Cohen used a Trump Organization email address while setting up the initial $130,000 payment to Clifford as part of her nondisclosure agreement before the 2016 election, citing a source familiar with the discussions. Daniels had recently filed a lawsuit against Trump over the agreement, alleging that it was never validated because Trump himself never signed it. The rising support for populism across Europe is set to complicate the plans of French President Emmanuel Macron to reform the euro zone. The pro-European Union (EU) leader, who defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the last round of France's 2017 presidential election, has said that Europe should harmonize its tax policies, establish a minimum wage in every country and have a euro zone finance minister and budget among many other proposals that he says will integrate EU nations further. But the rising support for anti-establishment parties across Europe seen most recently in Italy's general election could jeopardize Macron's proposals. "Half of the Italian electorate supported anti-establishment parties. Independently of who forms the next government, it will be hostile towards the European Union," Danielle Haralambous, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), told CNBC over the phone. Last Sunday's election in Italy resulted in a hung parliament, with strong support for the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right Lega party. Soon, Italian politicians will start negotiations to form a new government, but it is clear that both M5S and Lega will have a strong presence in policy-making. The fact that both wants to renegotiate the EU's fiscal rules and increase public spending is raising eyebrows in Berlin. "Germany will be more concerned with risk-sharing," Haralambous told CNBC. Current proposals to reform the euro zone are based on a higher-level of risk-sharing between the 19 countries in the euro zone. This tends to be a sensitive issue for countries like Germany and the Netherlands because they don't want their traditionally healthier finances to be impacted by other countries with extreme high levels of debt. "Populism will be a hurdle," Bas van Geffen, analyst at RaboResarch in the Netherlands, told CNBC over the phone, adding that euro zone reform will be a "long process." In 2016, Russian diamond company World of Diamonds made waves when it announced it would be offering what it hailed as the "world's most expensive dinner." With a price tag of $2 million, the dinner, to be held in Singapore, includes an 18-course meal prepared by a Michelin-starred chef, 10,000 roses, gold-plated and diamond-encrusted $17,000 chopsticks and, to top it all off, a massive personal fireworks show that ends with the presentation of a 2.08 carat blue diamond ring endorsed by actress and jewelry designer Jane Seymour. Dinner guests will be awarded gold-plated chopsticks worth $17,000 each, set with 84 diamonds and later engraved with the guests' names to be kept as mementos. World of Diamonds Group | Then in 2017, a cryptocurrency fund manager who purchased the whole thing, Ville Oehman, owner of V Diamonds, partnered with World of Diamonds to raffle off the dinner experience (sans diamond ring) to the masses using cryptocurrency. V Diamonds planned to issue one million tokens that started at $2 each via an ICO (initial coin offering), with each one constituting a one-millionth ownership stake in the blue diamond bling. A winner would be selected from the group token-holders. That meant anyone could have a chance to win the dinner experience for as little as $2. In a pre-sale, thousands of people paid for tokens in hopes they would be selected as the lucky winner of the lavish dinner. But now, both companies are cancelling the partnership after V Diamonds aborted plans to move forward with the diamond-backed ICO, leaving the company with more than 1,000 investors dealing with refunds. The Jane Seymour ring features a 2.08 carat, VS1 Fancy Vivid blue diamond set in 18-karat rose gold-plated platinum with floral motifs. World of Diamonds Group | "The token sale planned by V Diamonds is cancelled, and all the pre-subscriptions to the token sale will be refunded back to the participants," the companies said in a joint statement issued Tuesday. Oehman did not provide a reason as to why the ICO was abandoned, but reiterated that all participants would receive a refund. In total, pre-sale participants span at least 61 countries including Singapore, Britain and the U.S., according to a record of transactions secured by the Associated Press. Part of the World of Diamonds package includes a three-hour sunset cruise around Singapore on a luxury yacht. World of Diamonds Group | Karan Tilani, Director of the World of Diamonds Group, confirmed to CNBC Make It that the company now plans to sell the dinner and diamond ring as it was originally conceived, at the original price of $2 million. In a phone call, Tilani defended Oehman's idea. "So far communication hasn't been the best ... but that's business right? Sometimes things don't work out," he said, adding that a friend of his who had participated in the pre-sale had already received a $45,000 refund from Oehman's company for his prior purchase of 15,000 tokens. Types of obituaries The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries family obituaries and life stories. A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Yet again, the best Labour can say in Corbyns defence is that he is Britains least observant person Last month, the Labour Partys official explanation of why Jeremy Corbyn met with a Czechoslovak spy during the Cold War was that he failed to realise that this inquisitive representative of a Communist dictatorship was reporting back to his masters something even Ken Livingstone managed to work out when he met with a similar representative of the Soviet Union at around the same time. In short, Labours defence for Corbyns actions is that he was, at best, too dim to know what he was doing when dealing with an agent of a hostile power. Fast forward a few weeks, and it has emerged that Corbyn spent somewhere between one and two years as a member of a Facebook group called Palestine Live, where various members are alleged to have routinely posted anti-semitic tropes, neo-Nazi material, conspiracy theories accusing Israel of involvement in 9/11, et cetera. He became a member of the group in either 2013 or 2014 and is alleged to have left only after he became leader of the Labour Party. As is now traditional, a series of excuses have promptly emerged. Corbyn says that he was added to this group by someone else. That is perfectly possible indeed Tory MPs have been dragged over the coals by Owen Jones and others for unknowingly being added to one unpleasant group or another. Given that a Facebook user can be added to a group without opting to join it, this might be a reasonable defence (though one might still wonder whom it is that Corbyn knows who might have thought he would like to be added to a group which routinely featured anti-semitic bile), except for the fact that Corbyn not only remained a member for quite some time but actively participated on various threads, including liking posts, commenting, and interacting with other users. He is not alleged to have contributed or liked any racist content himself. In the words of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism: Mr Corbyn allegedly stooped to personally comment in threads that include the term Zio, which even Baroness Chakrabartis whitewash report into antisemitism in the Labour Party condemned as an unacceptable term of abuse. He also collaborated with group members to organise an anti-Israel event that took place in his own office. Following the meeting on 3rd October 2017, in a thread contributed to by activists who overtly disseminate antisemitism, Mr Corbyn acknowledges those who organised the event, and apologises for his absence. In one comment he aligns himself with a group member who declares that Israel is illegitimate and in another he praises the controversial Dr Mads Gilbert, who has said of the 9/11 attacks: the oppressed also have a moral right to attack the USA with any weapon they can come up with. So while it might not have been his decision to join Palestine Live, we know that once he found himself there, Corbyn chose to stay and join the discussion. But, but, but, the Opposition leader says, he might have been a member for quite some time and a participant in the discussion, but he didnt know or notice that much of the group was an open sewer of racist filth: I have never trawled through the whole group. I have never read all the messages on it. Obviously, any anti-Semitic comment is wrong. Any anti-Semitism in any form is wrongHad I seen it, of course, I would have challenged it straight away but I actually dont spend all my time reading social media. Again, thats possible though to spot troubling signs in the group would not require him to have read all the messages on it, it would only require him to have noticed any of the apparently many instances of deeply unpleasant material that fellow group members were posting. Just as before, the best defence the Labour leader can mount is that he is extremely unobservant, even when very bad people are doing and saying very bad things on very sensitive subjects. Even if were being charitable, that isnt a very good attribute in a would-be Prime Minister. Oddly, John McDonnell has now added a further twist to the story. According to the Shadow Chancellor, Corbyn did become aware of the anti-semitic content in the group. He told Sky News this morning that: when he discovered, and it was pointed out to him, that there were some people in it who were expressing anti-semitic views, he immediately came out of that. But also what he saidif any of those individuals are associated or members of the Labour Party, we will take firm action against them. That rather contradicts Corbyns own account of his total lack of any knowledge of the nature of this group or the material posted by a variety of its other members at any time. If McDonnells claim is true, it would also raise the question of why, if Corbyn left over anti-semitism in 2015 and promised to take firm action against those responsible, Labour is only acting against those people now, over two years later. The Leader of the Oppositions office is reported to dispute McDonnells version of events. I have not seen any evidence to suggest that Jeremy Corbyn himself is an anti-semite. Yet again, however, the best case scenario presented by his own defence is that he is extremely unobservant and managed to fail to notice the deeply unpleasant nature of people with whom he was mixing. One might have thought, given the fact that the taint of racism is well-known in many elements of the pro-Palestinian movement, that he would be extra-vigilant in such a setting, but apparently not. Just like before, Labour itself presents a defence which suggests Corbyn has a shocking lack of awareness or wariness about some of the people with whom his ideology leads him to mix. From meeting with a diplomat from Communist Czechoslovakia, when referring to our friends from Hezbollah and friends from Hamas, to doing paid presenting work for Irans propaganda channel, and now in the case of Palestine Live, this blindness to very bad people in close proximity is apparently a life-long affliction. Rob Semple is Chairman of the National Conservative Convention. As Chairman of the National Conservative Convention, I have the responsibility of driving forward efforts across our party to make life easier for activists and members. As a member of the Pickles Review Panel, the committee reviewing the Partys constitution and overseeing the introduction of central administration of membership, I want to take this opportunity to report on the progress we have made since the summer. The Partys constitution has undergone little change since it was first launched 20 years ago. Since then, we have introduced many more elected bodies such as mayors, police and crime commissioners and regional assemblies. There has also been a technological revolution in the way people communicate with each other. The internet was then in its infancy, email was only just beginning to emerge and Brexit was nowhere near the political agenda. The constitution reflected none of these things, so it is well overdue that we should look at bringing it into the twenty-first century. It was written with a clear intention to maintain a balance between all the different strands that make up the Party. Any changes can only be made by a clear vote of an electoral college made up from the National Convention (a body that includes every Association Chairman, area and regional officer in the country), Members of Parliament (Westminster and Europe) and Party spokesmen in the House of Lords. It is about as decentralised as any decision-making body can be, and requires real consensus across the Party before anything can be changed. Members of the National Conservative Convention who attended a meeting last November to discuss some ideas to update the constitution will have been surprised by speculation about alleged plans to remove the rights of Party members. I want to reassure those who were not at that meeting that no such ideas will be forthcoming, and that there will, in fact, be proposals to strengthen the voices of our volunteers as the Party moves forward. Every proposal that has so far appeared in our draft consultation document has originated with Party members. After the 2015 election, the then Party Chairman, Andrew Feldman, launched a huge consultation exercise across the Country, and suggestions for improvement came via contributions from thousands of members. Last year, Eric Pickles conducted further consultation following the general election and reported to Party members at our October Conference. The vast majority of proposals in the Pickles Review do not require constitutional change, and many of these have already been actioned, including the reorganisation of our campaigning staff in the field bolstered by the recruitment and training of new campaign managers. But where an amendment to the constitution is required or helpful, I would want to put it forward for consideration. At the November meeting of the Convention, the majority of ideas to improve the constitution were met with enthusiasm, but there were some areas where members sent us away to look again. A revised set of draft proposals will be published in the spring. Amongst the changes under discussion are proposals to strengthen the voice of the voluntary Party in relation to: The Partys Committee on Candidates The production and publication of election manifestos The Party Board Youth organisations The rights of Associations to unfettered access to their data on the Partys central database Online local and national decision-making within the Party though the use of email; and Numerous tidying up changes directly requested by our Associations in the light of their own experience. Many of these will clarify ambiguities in the current rules of Associations. There will be no proposals to change the right of members to select their Parliamentary candidates, and the suggestion that anyone would seek to remove Associations from our organisation is clear fantasy. There are an increasing number of Associations that have formed by voluntarily merging with neighbours to create a stronger fighting force, but the constitution would go no further than permitting and acknowledging what is already happening. When a ballot of the constitution is held, members of the electoral college will be free to vote on those proposals they support and against those that they do not, though I would hope we can achieve as much support as possible to bring our organisation up to date. Finally, I want to mention the long overdue move to the central administration of Party membership. We have made huge strides in the development of this project, and we will soon be able to roll it out across the Party, which will free up our Associations to concentrate on campaigning, membership recruitment and providing a welcoming and fulfilling experience for members locally. We are also increasing the support we offer via CCHQ, with a new Marketing Director and an increasing number of membership staff. As we look towards the challenging local elections in May, the feedback from many of our activists is that we have made great strides with our efforts to develop our organisation into the successful voluntary and professional fighting force that it needs to be and it is vital that the work continues. Thank you for your continued support for the Party. Iain Dale: Daviss message to the EU should be: were not Greece and wont be treated like Greece Iain Dale is Presenter of LBC Drive, Managing Director of Biteback Publishing, a columnist and broadcaster and a former Conservative Parliamentary candidate. Henry Bolton announced on Wednesday that he was starting a new political party called One Nation. Better than Ein Volk, I suppose. It was a pretty amateurish start, given that his logo was low res, the 1 inside the O in One was off centre and the website was unsearchable on Google. It got worse. I invited him to come on my LBC show only for him to tell me that much as hed love to, hed already committed to give his first exclusive interview to Russia Today. Well, that tells us all we need to know, doesnt it? On Thursday, we learned that UKIP needs to find 100,000 by the end of the month otherwise they will go bust. Bolton left them with quite a mess to clear up, didnt he? It would be easy to come up with a conspiracy theory about this shambles and several have. The most entertaining is that, given Bolton used to be a Liberal Democrat member, he was a LibDem plant. Obviously preposterous. I suspect well hear some rather more serious allegations over the coming weeks. Theresa Mays biggest strength has been the lack of a serious alternative to her leadership. I still think that she will be Prime Minister at the end of the year partly because of the non-emergence of any serious contender for the post. Michael Gove, Id say, would probably be the under the bus candidate at the moment, but it is now up to other Cabinet ministers to put in good performances, and therefore be seen as possible successors. One who has had a good war during the last few months is Penny Mordaunt. Her handling of the Oxfam scandal has been exemplary. She had a strategy, a firm position and was articulate in explaining it. One to watch, Id say. So the British Communist Party says it will support Jeremy Corbyn, and not stand candidates against Labour. Well, knock me out with a frozen leg of pork The EUs Draft Negotiating Guidelines are a disgrace. They offer literally nothing to negotiate on. Their way or the highway is the message theyre clearly intent on sending. Were I advising David Davis, Id be suggesting that he makes a very robust response, along the lines of: come back to us when youve got something sensible to say. At some stage, their bluff needs to be called. Were not Greece, and were not going to be treated like Greece. On Wednesday, I interviewed Marina Litvenenko on my radio show, following the poisoning incident in Salisbury. I am always aware that for her, whenever there something like this happens, it must bring back all the pain of what happened to her husband Alexander. At the time of writing, we dont know exactly what happened but its hard to avoid the conclusion that Russian state involvement is highly probable. Since close members of Sergei Skripals family have died under questionable circumstances, and here have been at least 14 killings of Russian nationals on British soil in the last few years, youd have to try very hard to think of an alternative explanation. The big question is that if its proven that there is Russian state involvement in this incident, what does the UK do about it? Answers on a postcard to the Foreign Secretary, please. On Wednesday, it was announced by CNN that CNNTalk, the show I appear on at midday on Mondays and Fridays is going five days a week. Obviously, Im delighted that CNN think the programme has been such a success, but I am greatly amused by some of the comments on Twitter. Some nutters really do believe that because I appear on a CNN programme, I must be told what to say. Others ask how I can work for such a network, which Donald Trump delights in dubbing the home of fake news. Very easily and I am proud to do so. Its coverage of international affairs is unrivalled and it has a superb team of highly professional and often brave journalists. I became addicted to watching CNN during the first Gulf War, and if youd told me then that 25 years later Id be part of one of their most highly rated shows, Id have never believed you. The show is a simple format in many ways: half an hours discussion on one topic between three people me, Ayesha Hazarika and Liam Halligan who clearly like and respect each other, but arent afraid to mix it when necessary, with a host Max Foster who knows when to just let us get on with it. For the next two weeks, because of the time difference with the US, were on at 11am on CNN International ,or you can stream on their Facebook Live page, but at the end of the month we revert to our normal time of noon. If youve never watched, give it a try: channel 506 on Sky. 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. MAXVILLE, Ontario Noble Villeneuve, long time MPP for Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Maxville Manor, he was 79. Born and raised in Moose Creek, Villeneuve was first elected to the riding of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry for the Progressive Conservative Party in 1983 and served for the next 15 years. He served in the cabinets of both Premier Frank Miller and Mike Harris. He served as Minister for Agricultural Affairs with responsibility for Francophone Affairs from 1995 until 1999. He was a great guy and was passionate about being an MPP in the province, said his nephew, South Glengarry Deputy Mayor Frank Prevost. He was very much a family man. He wasnt the kind of politician who put things off, he always got to it. Before getting into provincial politics, Villeneuve was a real-estate appraiser and farmer. He was the First Vice President of the Ontario Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. I would like to extend my sincere condolences on hearing of the passing of former MPP Noble Villeneuve, wrote Conservative Deputy Leader and Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark on Twitter. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Noble was a strong voice in Cabinet for Farmers and for Eastern Ontario. CORNWALL, Ontario The old Sears at the Cornwall Square will soon be no more. Karen Burns, Retail Manager at the Cornwall Square said that sooner rather than later, the space once occupied by the outlet retailer will be torn down. Sears occupied the top and bottom floors of the west wing of the mall, over 96, 000 ft2 in total. According to Burns, while nothing is concrete yet, the owners of the Cornwall Square, Partners REIT intend to build high quality residential rental properties in the area currently occupied by Sears. There is no word yet on how many units will be in the new rental property or the price range as those details are still being worked out. The Cornwall Square opened in 1979 and its west wing was occupied by Sears until this past September. The Sears location at the Cornwall Square was closed on Sept. 24, 2017 after the company, Sears Canada, went into bankruptcy protection. The Bankruptcy of Sears Canada cost 12,000 employees their jobs and threatened the security of their pensions as the company struggled to pay off its creditors. CORNWALL, Ontario A 17-year-old Cornwall youth was arrested on March 8, 2018 and charged with charged with take motor vehicle without consent, fail to stop at scene of accident, dangerous driving and breach of undertaking for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged on March 8, 2018 the youth took someones vehicle without permission, drove it in a dangerous manner, struck another vehicle on Gloucester Street and fled the scene of the accident. Police were contacted and located the youth a short distance away. He was taken into custody, charged accordingly and released to appear in court at a later date. His name was not released as per provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. ASSAULT, FORCIBLE CONFINEMENT, CRIMINAL HARASSMENT, ROBBERY, THEFT UNDER, THREATS, BREACH CORNWALL, Ontario A 29-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on March 8th, 2018 and charged with assault, forcible confinement, threats, criminal harassment, robbery, theft under, and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace and failing to notify a change in address. It is alleged during arguments between November, 2017 and March 8, 2018 the man assaulted his common-law wife, threatened to damage her property, forcibly took her phone, prevented her from leaving the residence, took some of her property and harassed her. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter. There were 38 calls for service in the City of Cornwall in the last 24 hours (8 a.m. the previous day to 8 a.m. the day of the release). To see whats happening in your neighbourhood visit our Crime Plot Map @ http://www.cornwallpolice.ca/ . CCPS reserves the right not to post all calls for service in order to protect the identity of the victims. ALEXANDRIA, Ontario On March 2, 2018, An investigation led by the Community Street Crime Unit Project REDSTART was executed with the assistance of OPP Tactical Rescue Unit, Emergency Response Team, Canine Unit, Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, Cornwall Community Police Service and SD&G OPP. The officers executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Search Warrant on several residences and one business in the Village of Alexandria, North Glengarry Township. This resulted in the seizure of a quantity of drugs: 2260 methamphetamine pills (speed) 1064 Hydromorphone pills 27 Fentanyl patches 594 grams of marihuana 66 grams of hash The estimated street value of drugs seized is $42,540 This also resulted in the seizure of a quantity of weapons and Canadian currency: 2 hand guns 2 Conducted Energy Weapons (Tasers) Nunchucks Over $15000 cash Multiple Long guns Ammunition 6 replica handguns The following individuals were arrested and charged; Pierre LAROSE (59) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking (11 counts) Unauthorized Possession of a weapon (2 counts) Careless storage of ammunition (3 counts) Public Mischief Fraud over $5000 (5 counts) Possession of property obtained by crime (2 counts) He was held in custody pending a bail hearing at Cornwall Court. Brigitte MARTINSON (49) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking (11 counts) Unauthorized Possession of a weapon (2 counts) Careless storage of ammunition (2 counts) Possession of property obtained by crime (2 counts) She was held in custody pending a bail hearing at Cornwall Court. Claude LAVIGNE (53) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a controlled substance Produce a controlled substance Fail to comply with conditions of a recognizance Fail to comply with conditions of an undertaking He was held in custody pending a bail hearing at Cornwall Court. Luc LEROUX (52) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance He was released and scheduled to appear in Alexandria court on April 4, 2018. Christian SEGUIN (34) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking (2 counts) He was released and scheduled to appear in Alexandria court on April 4, 2018. Gordon HODGES (31) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking He was released and scheduled to appear in Alexandria court on April 4, 2018. Jonathan CARRIERRE (21) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts) Fail to comply with conditions of a probation order (2 counts) Possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to probation order (2 counts) He was held in custody pending a bail hearing at Cornwall Court. Rebecca LACOMBE (40) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking Possession of a Controlled Substance (2 counts) Fail to comply with conditions of a probation order (4 counts) Fail to comply with conditions of a recognizance She was held in custody pending a bail hearing at Cornwall Court. Maxime CATER (28) of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and charged with; Possession of a Controlled Substance for the purpose of Trafficking Unauthorized Possession of a weapon (3 counts) Possession of property obtained by crime The investigation continues. These arrests will have a significant impact in the small community of Alexandria. States Dean Canham Detective Sergeant of the Community Street Crime Unit. Photo attached of seized items Nurses are in high demand and limited supply. So says a new report from Stamford-based job-search firm Indeed that found that registered nurses and licensed practical nurses ranked in 2017 among the 10 most-searched terms on its service for employers. Local hospitals are also hard-pressed to fill all their nursing positions a shortage they are tackling by expanding recruitment and development programs. Its kind of a perpetual gap for us, said Melissa Turner, vice president of talent acquisition for the Yale New Haven Health system, which includes Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale New Haven hospitals. We are deeply committed to finding the right candidates for our culture and who meet the quality expectations of our patients. The bar is very high. Looking for candidates Nursing positions in the Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford labor market earn an annual average of $76,555, according to Indeeds data. In comparison, the overall average private-sector salary in the area runs at $87,709, according to the most recent state Department of Labor data. Nursing salaries are higher than in previous generations, but increasing pay has not solved the labor shortages, Indeed said. Stamford Health, the system that includes Stamford Hospital, said it is hiring more nurses than ever. It now employs about 800 registered nurses and is recruiting for about 30 open positions. Like many hospitals, it can be challenging to fill every nursing position in specialty areas; more specifically, those areas at Stamford Hospital have included the operating room and critical care, Stamford Health officials said in a statement. Western Connecticut Health Network which includes Norwalk, Danbury and New Milford hospitals faces a similar predicament. While we currently draw a very strong applicant pool of nurses, the biggest challenge is filling nursing roles that require specific training for units like the intensive care unit, maternity, neonatal intensive care unit and to care for our aging population, Amy Tsiropoulos, WCHNs director of strategic staffing, said in an email. WCHN did not disclose current nurse staffing levels or the number of vacancies. The aging of the profession with many nurses nearing retirement also contributes to the high number of openings. Some of our best talent are considering next chapters of lives, Turner said. We have to constantly be on our toes to attract and retain people. The Yale New Haven Health system employs about 5,000 nurses, with about 500 openings. The nursing vacancy rate has stayed consistent in recent years. Meanwhile, demand locally and nationwide continues to rise. The number of registered nurses is projected to grow 15 percent between 2016 and 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics a rate the BLS describes as much faster than average. Developing talent To tackle the supply-demand disparities, southwestern Connecticut hospitals are expanding their recruitment and development initiatives. Reflecting its focus on advancing employees, some 45 percent of WCHNs openings are filled by internal candidates. Attracting and retaining great talent is core to our ability to achieve WCHNs strategic organizational objective to grow, Tsiropoulos said. Nurses are integral to this growth. We recognize that the market is extremely competitive, especially for highly sought-after specialty nurses, which is why we have implemented many programs to attract, develop and retain nurses. Stamford Healths efforts include its Graduate: Engaged, Mastering & Succeeding program to recruit new nurses with nursing degrees. The 12-week orientation initiative supports recent graduates by assigning them to medical or surgical units where they are overseen by experienced mentors. Among its new development programs, the Yale New Haven Health system piloted last year at Greenwich Hospital a 12-month operating room nurse residency program. The inaugural group of five nurses graduated in January, and the program is set to expand to the systems other hospitals. Its an investment in our future, Turner said. The gift of the program is we now have a group of five nurses who are highly skilled and deeply committed to this work in an OR setting. They have a unique perspective and are extremely grateful for that opportunity. BRIDGEPORT Power companies serving Connecticut said Thursday evening some customers without power may be in the dark for days as crews work to make repairs. Blame it on two snowstorms that thrashed across the state, the most recent on Wednesday, dropping anywhere from 5 to 27 inches depending on location. Bridgeport and Norwalk reported 6 and 6.1 inches of snowfall respectively; Danbury had 16.2 inches and Monroe got 16 inches, according to the National Weather Service. With the storm came snow, rain and winds that ripped down trees and power lines. Some areas of the state experienced snowthunder. The storm came on the heels of a noreaster last Friday that tore across the region, leaving 2.7 million without power in its wake. Some of those who lost power during last Fridays storm had to wait days before their lights were back on. And that reality returned with Wednesdays snowstorm, when roughly 1 million people in the area lost power. And as power restoration efforts continue, another storm is on the horizon for Connecticut. The state could see a chance of snow before noon on Monday, which will switch over to rain. Temperatures will hover between 30 and 40 degrees. Wednesdays storm did significant damage to the United Illuminating power system, said the companys President and CEO, Tony Marone. Lots of heavy snow brought down many trees, he said Thursday. A building in downtown Bridgeport started to collapse Thursday night, possibly caused by heavy snow on its roof. It was initially reported to be collapsing around 6:20 p.m. At 8:15 p.m., the building had partially collapsed, dispatch reports indicated. But Connecticut wasnt the only state hit hard by the snowstorm. In Massachusetts, more than 320,000 households remained without power Thursday. By 4 p.m., National Grid reported 255,035 customers in the dark and an additional 65,386 were reported without lights by Eversource. Utility company FirstEnergy reported a combined 178,000 customers without service in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Wednesday evening. A 33-year-old middle school teacher in Manchester Township, N.J., was hospitalized after her umbrella was struck by lightning while she was on bus duty outside a school during the thundersnow Wednesday. She was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Prolonged outages Monroe officials said more than 30 percent of the town remained without power Thursday. We have been told to anticipate some level of outages to continue throughout the weekend, if not longer, Monroe officials said in a statement. As of 7:15 p.m. Thursday, 1,724 Eversource customers remained without power there. It was similar in Norwalk, which reported 2,572 Eversource customers without power as of 7:15 p.m. Thursday. A priority in the city is clearing blocked roads for emergency vehicles, Norwalk officials said, and then power restoration will become the focus. This will be a long restoration process, we appreciate everyones patience with the first responders and public works staff trying to assist, town officials said. Ongoing restoration efforts As of Thursday night, Marone said, UI was in the process of completing a damage assessment of the system. This effort is ongoing and it will continue to go on until every customer is restored, UIs Marone said. This is a big event, a big outage, for us so ... it could be another few days before every customer has their power back on, he said. Thursday morning, there were 142,000 people in Connecticut about 4 percent of the population in the dark, according to UI and Eversource data. By 7:15 p.m., that number had been knocked down to 96,409. As restoration efforts proceed, Marone said, UI crews will work nonstop. He said the company submitted requests Thursday for assistance from outside the (UI) territory. Eversource echoed similar sentiments Thursday via Twitter. We do not have any estimated restoration times at this moment, but will provide them as soon as we have them. Please plan to be without power for multiple days as we work through this restoration, Eversource said. Travel impact More than 2,700 flights were canceled across the county Wednesday, according to FlightAware, and more than 2,400 additional flights were delayed. After multiple Greater Bridgeport Transit buses got stuck in snow on city streets Wednesday, services were suspended for the evening around 6:20 p.m. Amtrak modified its evening schedule Wednesday. And downed power lines and trees forced Metro-North Railroad to suspend some train lines. The New Canaan and Danbury branches remained suspended Thursday, Metro-North said on Twitter. The two suspended lines were expected to resume regular service Friday. We faced fallen trees across tracks and into overhead wires during (the storm) and are now working hard to resume regular service, the railroad service said Thursday. The storm rages on The snowstorm which came from the Midwest was headed north Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Snow was expected to continue to fall across northern and eastern New England throughout the evening Thursday. With that snow, the NWS said, gusty winds were expected. As of early Thursday, the weather service said, the storm had dumped more than 30 inches of snow on southern Vermont. WASHINGTON As momentum on Capitol Hill for gun legislation slowed to a crawl, Sen. Richard Blumenthal took the wraps off a proposal to open up federal courts nationwide for protective orders to temporarily seize weapons from potential mass shooters. The law would create what Blumenthal termed a red flag establishing a process in federal court for judicial orders to seize guns for 72 hours when evidence is presented that weapon owners are a danger to themselves or others. Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he modeled the bill on Connecticuts 19-year-old risk warrant statute, passed by the Legislature after a disgruntled accountant, Matthew Beck, killed four co-workers with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation in Newington before shooting himself in the head. Beck already had attempted suicide and was undergoing treatment for depression. Since then, Blumenthal said, judges in the state have issued 1,519 orders. The Connecticut experience is really powerful, Blumenthal said at a joint news briefing with the bills co-author, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. It is a way of making sure people who need (mental health) care are at least afforded the opportunity, Blumenthal said. In about half the cases of gun seizures in Connecticut, the individuals involved received mental health treatment. The Blumenthal-Graham proposal is among those tailored in response to the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School, in Parkland, Fla., which cost 17 lives. The shooter, Niklas Cruz, had been the subject of multiple warnings and visits by police because of provocative behavior mixed with showing off guns on social media. Cruz did everything but take an ad out in the paper (and say) Im gonna kill people, Graham said. Wouldnt it have been nice if somebody could have grabbed this man and said `what are you up to? and take every gun he had and get him some help before it was too late? Blumenthal insisted the bill is narrowly tailored to afford the gun owner rights to contest the order in court, plus its 72-hour duration ensures the loss of weapons would be temporary. The National Rifle Association has vigorously contested such laws at the state level, arguing that due-process assurances are vague and Second Amendment rights would be compromised. Connecticut is one of five states with risk-warrant laws. The Blumenthal-Graham measure would extend the right to petition for such warrants to those in states without such laws, simply by opening up the federal court system. We know these laws work (and) we know that federal magistrates or judges can effectively perform this function, he said. We know the states with the strongest laws like Connecticut are at the mercy of states with the weakest ones, because guns and shooters cross borders. Theres nothing to prevent them from going from one state to another, he added. That is why a federal solution is important. As Graham and Blumenthal spoke, the Senate was debating a Republican-favored overhaul of the Dodd-Frank banking regulation law, with no gun-related bills on the legislative horizon. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, accused Democratic Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-.N.Y., of holding up the so-called Fix NICS bill, which he wrote with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. It would offer incentives to states and federal agencies to add records to the FBI data base that licensed gun dealers consult when determining if a buyer is qualified under law to own a firearm. Blumenthal, Murphy and other Democrats scoff at the idea that they are to blame, pointing out that Republicans are in the majority in both House and Senate, and control what gets to the floor and what doesnt. dan@hearstdc.com Editors note: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a quote. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said of a Connecticut gun law, It is a way of making sure people who need (mental health) care are at least afforded the opportunity. WASHINGTON Beleaguered Connecticut native Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty Thursday to tax and money-laundering charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his wider investigation of connections between Russia and President Trumps 2016 campaign. Manafort said nothing in an hour-long appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Va., outside Washington, where a 32-count indictment against him was lodged last month. Manafort faces a separate array of charges in federal court in Washington, which include money laundering and false statements. The judge in the Northern Virginia case set a trial date of July 10. Manafort already faces a trial date of Sept. 17. A plea for more time from Manaforts lawyer, Kevin Downing, met with no sympathy from the judge, T.S. Ellis III. But Ellis, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, actually prompted Manaforts lawyer to observe that the charges against Manafort are not specifically related to the central thesis of the Mueller probe: the Trump campaign and Russia conspiring to swing the 2016 election away from then-frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Youd like to point out it doesnt have anything to do with Russia (or) interfering in the election, Ellis said to Downing, according to Politico. You made my point, Downing replied. Through a spokesman, Manafort has insisted he is not guilty of all charges against him even though his business protege, Rick Gates, has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation. The indictment in the Northern Virginia case lays out a stunning list of purchases of real estate, clothes, automobiles and other luxuries from Manaforts offshore bank accounts in Cyprus, the Grenadines in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Manafort is the son and grandson of prominent business and political figures in Connecticut. Manafort Brothers, Inc., the construction firm, traces its roots to his Italian immigrant grandfather, James. Paul Manafort Drive in New Britain is named for his father, Paul Sr., who served three terms as that citys Republican mayor from 1965 to 1971. Manafort is under home confinement at his condo, also in Alexandria. The judge in the Washington case, Amy Berman Jackson, has said she would consider releasing Manafort from home confinement if he can put up assets equal to the $10 million bail she imposed. A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about whats new with marijuana banking. Among other things, I provided an update on one credit unions ongoing efforts to become the first credit union chartered to support the marijuana industry and with a field of membership focused on cannabis groups. In response to my post, several credit union industry players reached out to ask how many cannabis-friendly credit unions are currently handling marijuana-related accounts. Whos Holding All That Cannabis Money? Recent reports indicate that legal marijuana sales reached $9.7 billion across the seven states where recreational marijuana was legal and Canada in 2017. That number does not include California, which is projected to hit $3.7 billion in legal cannabis sales by the end of 2018, and $5.1 billion in 2019. Overall, despite continued federal prohibition here in the U.S., North American legal cannabis sales are expected to hit $24.5 billion by 2021. A federal judge in Chicago sentenced Nikesh Patel to 25 years in prison Tuesday for running a $179 million fraud scheme that victimized financial institutions, including Wisconsins fourth largest credit union. Paul Kundert, president/CEO of the $2.5 billion University of Wisconsin Credit Union in Madison, said the credit unions net loss is expected to total $22.9 million. Moreover, five banks collectively lost more than $45 million and two of them were forced to sell their assets to other financial institutions. Other organizations such as investment firms, trust companies and other fiduciaries that managed pension funds collectively suffered $90 million in losses, according to court documents. Patel, 33, of Windermere, Fla., managed First Farmers Financial along with a former Well Fargo loan officer Timothy Fisher of Pasadena, Calif., who was convicted in connected to the fraud and will be sentenced in May, federal prosecutors said. NAFCU recently revised its widely downloaded Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) FAQ document for those credit unions with questions and concerns about litigation threats related to unclear website accessibility requirements under the act. This updated document, which includes further information regarding court actions on the issue, is available for download here. To date, credit unions in at least 24 states have been targeted with demand letters on this issue. NAFCUs FAQ document now includes mention of the fifth amicus brief filed by the association in support of a Texas credit unions motion to dismiss an ADA website complaint. The case (and a similar case against another Texas credit) was voluntarily dismissed the same day. The document also highlights another case that was dismissed by a court in Virginia; NAFCU stood by that credit union during a court hearing. Furthermore, NAFCUs FAQ document includes questions and answers on strategic options under consideration, which credit unions are being targeted by plaintiffs attorneys and how credit unions are responding to demand letters regarding their website compliance with the ADA. Senate debate on the CUNA-backed, bipartisan S. 2155 has concluded for the week, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filing cloture on a substitute amendment filed by bill co-sponsor Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). The Senate stands adjourned until Monday 4 p.m. (ET), and at 5:30 p.m. (ET), the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the substitute amendment. Credit unions have made their voice heard throughout this process, and we need to maintain this momentum as the bill moves forward, said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle. Things are fluid at this moment in the legislative process, but were optimistic that this bill has the support needed to continue on. Its essential we continue to make our voices heard, to ensure this bill can reach the finish line and bring better products and services to American consumers. Credit union regulatory relief has been addressed by nearly every Senator taking the floor over the past few days. On Thursday morning, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), said credit unions and other community financial institutions are victims of overkill from Dodd-Frank, saying they werent the target, but they are the collateral damage. Last week at the closing day of the GAC, Teresa Freeborn, CEO of Xceed CU and Chairman of the Creating Awareness Advisory Group unveiled the new credit union national brand campaign. Ive been around a long time so Ive seen many attempts at this beast. A national brand that can unify the credit union industry and raise awareness of our difference. I was a bit skeptical going in after all, Ive been called a Brand Guru and sometimes a Brand Nazi so my antennas were up. I have to say from a brand perspective they ticked all my boxes and get an A plus. There was tons of research, focus group after focus group, clearly got that the target audience HAS to be young (lest we died of old age) and visually its stunning. When they rolled the much anticipated video the main message was this: Everything we make, goes back to our owners. Higher rates on savings, lower rates on loans, good honest advice. Small, but big. Well help you get there quicker. Your Fantastic Future Faster. David Martin from Brand Cap, the agency that worked up this creative said People are aware of CUs our challenge is consideration. Or re-consideration. Your Fantastic Future Faster, this is the mantra that was delivered. Or as I like to say, a brand filter, and its good. But heres the rub. Can your credit union live up to this promise? Are you faster than the competition when it comes to answering the phone, replacing a compromised debit card, getting a mortgage loan? Will you even make a loan to someone with a credit score of zero? Also known as every potential member at age 18. The problem, as I see it, is that our products are really the same. Our return to the member is not big enough to motivate people to go through the pain of moving their checking account. If we could figure out a way to lessen THAT pain (and dont tell me you have a switch kit) we would win. Then Ed Bolting from Brand Cap with his sexy British accent took the stage to unveil the creative. Again lots of lots of research went into coming up with the tagline, which is Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union. CUNA had a great booth at the entrance of the vendor area where a professional photographer was there to take pictures of attendees opening their eyes. I even got in line to participate. Its very clever and really fresh looking. The presentation mentioned several times that members need to RE-consider a credit union. Their research showed that people know about us (wow finally after over 100 years) but still dont see us as a viable option. We need to change that. And only way we can is to work together, not just with the brand campaign, but cooperate as a movement to create a real differentiator. I always felt that shared branching could have been that. Can you imagine if we could say today that every single branch and ATM in America can serve any credit union member? Boom. Mic drop. Game over. Banks could not compete with that. And since convenience is often still mentioned as the reason a potential member chooses a big bank over a credit union, that argument is no longer relevant. We have a second chance to get it right. With a new CUSO that started with CUNA, MWCUA and Best Innovation Group. Its called CULedger and their break-out session at the GAC was standing room only. You may have already heard about it but dont quite understand it. I attended one of their investor meetings a few months ago and going in I have to admit I knew very little about blockchain technology, except it had something to do with Bitcoin which seems like smoke and mirrors to me. Boy was I wrong. Get blockchains image out of your head and picture a honeypot filled with the identity of millions of our members. Put Winnie the Pooh with his hand in it if you must, makes it more fun. Honeypot is a phrase I learned that illustrates what is wrong with the current way we protect our identity, our passwords, our debit card numbers. Its in one giant honeypot. Its far too tempting because all I must do to breach it is break it, which fraudsters do on a daily basis. Now picture the worlds largest safety deposit box vault with thousands and thousands of tiny drawers. All of the data is distributed evenly so that it basically has to match to stay balanced. If information enters even one of those boxes does not match, that interaction or transaction is denied. Thats the blockchain security that is CULedger and the information in that box is your identity. CULedgers technology allows me to know and trust an interaction is truly righteous. CULedger greatly improves on MFA or 2FA that fraudsters are finding ways to hack. Finally, there can be real trust that, as a credit union, you know who I am as a member, and I, as a member, know who you are as a credit union, almost instantaneously. During GAC, CULedger announced MyCUID, a new consumer-focused global digital identity solution currently under development. With MyCUID, credit union members can confidently protect themselves from financial fraud and identity theft, while enriching the trusted relationships members have with their credit unions. With the help of Evernyms Sovrin Identity Network, MyCUID uses a person-to-person network to give credit union members a lifetime portable digital identity that does not depend on any central authority and can never be taken away. By enabling selective disclosure, identity owners can control how much data is shared. The only way this becomes a global initiative is for your credit union to engage either as an owner/investor or a user as the network is developed. Their initial pilot is with call centers. Its kind of funny when I call my credit union and they ask me a series of questions to confirm my identity. First of all Im answering them out loud and many times Im in public. Secondly Im pretty sure my sister could commit fraud with my security questions. Its ridiculous when you think about it. Now we can fix it and fix it globally. CULedger is already working with Canadian credit unions and has an international partnership with the World Council of Credit Unions. So Open Your Eyes Credit Unions this is the brand campaign that makes the other one really work. STORY LINK NIESR Estimates a Slowdown in UK Growth - Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) Exchange Rate Fluctuates Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) Exchange Rate Proves Trades Volatile as UK Ecostats Disappoint Australian Dollar (AUD) Exchange Rates Volatile as Trump Signs Tariff Proclamation Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) Exchange Rate Forecast: Could a BoE Rate Hike Still be on the Cards? Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate fluctuated on Friday, rising in the early hours as US President Donald Trump signed his tariffs on steel and aluminium into reality (albeit in 15 days), but falling later as markets reacted to a notable drop in the UKs National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) monthly GDP estimate.According to the NIESR, UK GDP grew by 0.3% in the three months to January, down from the previous months reading of 0.4%.The group also indicated that growth could have been slowed down even further in March, with the recent extreme weather conditions brining much of the UK to a halt.Amit Kara, head of UK Macroeconomic Forecasting at NIESR stated:Activity has eased slightly and is likely to slow further in March when the full impact of the recent extreme weather conditions will be realised. Economic growth continues to be driven by both the manufacturing and the service sectors, supported by a buoyant global economy while construction output lags.Beyond this, the UKs construction sector posted a very disappointing start to the year, with the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealing a -3.4% fall in output in January, below the -0.3% fall that was expected.Analysts have blamed this on a large drop in private house-building, though others have pointed to post-Brexit uncertainty as another cause.Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive at McBains noted:These latest figures are evidence that 2018 began much the same as 2017 ended, a continuation of sluggish output not helped by factors such as ongoing uncertainty over the Brexit deal.Combined, this news kept Sterling on fragile footing.The Aussie Dollar proved volatile this Friday, falling as US President Trump signed the tariff proclamation but gaining some ground on news that US wage growth decelerated in February.According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, average hourly earnings cooled in February to 2.6% year-on-year, down from the previous periods growth of 2.8%.This news diminished the chances of a hawkish move from the US Federal Reserve this month and quickly encumbered the Greenback.In other news, President Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with the Sovereign state also announcing their apparent willingness to cease their missile test program and disarm.This meeting is unprecedented, with no sitting American President ever having met a North Korean leader, and it could potentially spell the beginning of stabilising relations.However.It should be stressed that North Korea has attempted to use its missile test program as leverage in the past, claiming that they will cease testing in exchange for supplies and support.In this respect, many are massively sceptical that the regime will disarm.Nonetheless, progress on this front has enlivened the markets with a fresh infusion of risk appetite, sending commodity currencies like the Aussie Dollar and the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) higher.Next week is a rather sparse one for UK data, but the markets will still find plenty to chew on in the form of Brexit related news and the spring budget of 2018.Markets are currently hoping for sufficient progress to be made on the subject of the UKs proposed Brexit transition period, something that the Bank of England (BoE) has repeatedly cited as a major factor in deciding future monetary policy measures.Beyond this, the overall outlook for a rate hike in May this year has only grown, with 5 of the nine policymakers regarded as outright hawkish, 2 centrist, and the remaining 2 labelled as dovish.In this respect, any progress on the Brexit front could send GBP/AUD higher, whilst ongoing signs of impasse on elements like the Northern Irish border could drag this pairing down. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Australian Dollar Forecasts UK Think Tanks Hacked by Groups in China Some UK think tanks were hacked by China-based groups last year, a US cybersecurity company which said it investigated the breaches has claimed. Crowdstrike said it saw the repeated targeting of think tanks specialising in international security and defence issues, beginning in April 2017. The group also investigated a breach of the US Democratic National Committee, allegedly by Russian hackers, in 2016. The BBC understands that not all of the UK think tanks targeted were breached. A number of think tanks contacted by the BBC declined to comment, although Crowdstrike said it was called in by some to respond to hack attacks. It attributes the attacks to groups they call "Panda", which Crowdstrike said are based in China and linked to the Chinese state. Crowdstrike said Chinese cyber activity increased in 2017 across the world after a relative lull, most likely when cyber actors focused more on domestic issues. Previously, the California-based group was asked by the Democratic National Committee to investigate US election hacking in the spring of 2016. Very Influential Globally, law firms, universities and technology companies were targeted in the early summer of 2017 - while in the UK think tanks were hit. Dmitri Alperovitch, Crowdstrike's co-founder and chief technology officer, told the BBC that a number of think tanks that work on Chinese policy were targeted "very aggressively". He said those behind the attacks were trying to steal reports - but also any information about connections to government. "They do believe the think tanks are very influential both in the US and UK," he said. "They believe that they may have access to information which is not public. "In some cases that can be true, because you do have a lot of informal channels that these think tank people will have with government officials." The company's Global Threat Report for 2018 also stated that cyber attackers "stole data after targeting executives and research fellows". According to a copy of the report provided to the BBC, the victims included "researchers specialising in nuclear policy and the South China Sea, as well as event coordinators responsible for planning an annual security forum." Trade Links The UK's focus on increasing trade with China could also be a motivation, Mr Alperovitch said. "The UK government is trying to forge closer ties with China in terms of trade," he said. "That's always of interest to the Chinese government, particularly when the US government is taking a hard line." He added: "They have been very successful at compromising these organisations." Mr Alperovitch said Crowdstrike would be brought in after an attack to help investigate, "clean up" and protect the organisations going forward. The company said that even after the Chinese hackers were kicked out, they would try to get back in. Investigators in the US have in the past charged suspected Chinese hackers In its report, Crowdstrike said in October 2017 its team noticed a change in tactics - when a Chinese group installed a particular piece of malware on the network of one of the think tanks targeted. One day later, the same behaviour was observed at a second think tank. The infrastructure used in the attack was also similar to that used to target a southeast Asian telecommunications company around the same time, Crowdstrike said. The company described the attempts to target victims in different countries and industries, as well as re-using different tools, as "pervasive and brash". BBC: You Might Also Read: Chinese Hacker Groups Shift Focus To India: UK Under Attack By Russian & Chinese State Sponsored Hackers: The 5 biggest fights as Pa. lawmakers return to challenge governor The Republican-led House and Senate intend to fight against the Wolf administration's school mask mandate The world is going through a great churn, with France becoming the dominant nation in a Europe where Britians departure is imminent and a much-weakened Angela Merkel has begun a fourth term as German chancellor. The 40-year-old French president Emmanuel Macron, a surprise winner of the French presidential elections last year, is charismatic, ambitious and hungry for a bigger role for France in a world where America is retreating, Russia is belligerent and China is in an expansionist mode. India and its democracy suit France, and when Macron met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris for lunch on June 3 last year, they found an instant camaraderie. Added to this is the historic relationship between two great intellectual powers of the East and West. This has encompassed individual friendships as between Romain Rolland and Rabindranath Tagore, Andre Malraux and Jawaharlal Nehru, Jean Renoir and Satyajit Ray, as well as the big cultural exchange of 1984, with LAnnee de LInde in France, kicked off by then premier Rajiv Gandhi and French president Francois Mitterrand. India Today cover story, 'Rafale Deal is a Win-Win', for March 19, 2018 It was the brainchild of Catherine Clement, French philosopher and wife of long-time ambassador to India, Andre Lewin. It was followed by the Year of France in India in 1989 - also the 200th year of the French Revolution. But 1998 was the turning point in the strategic, political and economic relationship between the two nations. President Macron is visiting India in a milestone year. Two months from now, India will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Pokharan-II nuclear tests. This is also the year that India and France are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their strategic relationship. The two are not unconnected. The strategic partnership was inked in Paris by president Jacques Chirac and prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee just five months after the nuclear tests in 1998 and came despite the international opprobrium that followed. Frances refusal to join the western world in imposing sanctions against India was well received by New Delhi. The strategic partnership was Frances biggest endorsement of a nuclear India. Over the years, France has become one of the strongest votaries of Indias entry into exclusivist clubs like the UN Security Council. When the Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008 ended Indias 34-year isolation from the international nuclear supply market, France was the first country to sign a civil nuclear deal with the country. Nuclear energy is one of three pillars that the strategic relationship rests on. Space technology and defence ties are the other two. France has been Indias biggest space partner over the past 50 years, helping it launch a spectrum of rockets. It is one of the top five exporters of military hardware to New Delhi supplying Rafale combat jets and Scorpene submarines. The defence relationship is poised to get another boost - an agreement in the works for Indian naval warships to use French naval bases in the Indo-Pacific could enhance their strategic reach through the Indian Ocean region particularly at a time when New Delhi is concerned about Chinas forays into its maritime backyard. The International Solar Alliance comprising 121 countries was jointly launched by India and France in 2015 and aims at weaning developing countries away from fossil fuels and towards sustainable solar energy. It is possibly a fourth pillar of Indo-French cooperation. Our cover package has a series of stories and expert columns that span all these areas of common interest. It also includes an exclusive interview with President Macron at the Elysee Palace by group editorial director Raj Chengappa. This is one relationship that seems intent on going from good to grande. (India Today Editor-in-Chief's note for cover story, 'Rafale Deal is a Win-Win'; March 19, 2018.) Also read: Why India Today Sex Survey 2018 focus is on Indians having sex at workplace Prime Minister Narendra Modi dominates the politics of India the way that no other figure has in decades. The current national political discourse is for or against Modi, with little else in between. There is no Opposition figure who can compare with him in stature, experience or presence. The Opposition agenda is an anti-Modi campaign, now becoming more shrill as a hate Modi campaign, not a campaign in favour of another candidate. Opposition leaders are attacking Modi and trying to discredit his agenda without offering any positive image or agenda of their own. New prestige Since his landslide election in 2014, Narendra Modi has gained worldwide respect for his policy of making India strong economically, diplomatically and militarily. The Modi governments ability to skillfully dominate a Canadian PM who had not been favouring India in his policies is a good sign of Indias new prestige. India is now part of the Quad, an alliance of US, Australia, Japan and India against China. The diplomatic discourse has changed from Indo-Pak under UPA to Indo-Pacific under Modi. The USA is now restricting aid to Pakistan, owing to its support of terrorism, for which India remains the main target. Indias economy has proved more difficult to change, though Modi has brought about significant improvements. He inherited an India from UPA rule in which almost every major institution was bankrupt and many were reeling under corruption. Modi has not been able to entirely drain the swamp of this deep-seated Congress and Left ecosystem. But he has put a painful dent on their operations and their long-standing conviction that they own India. He has put the government back to work after years of lethargy. The Opposition is getting desperate, feeling that another five years of Modis administration may finish them off. Having lost their bungalows, black money and under scrutiny for their benami properties, avoidance of paying taxes, and taking money out of the country, wealthy Opposition leaders who flourished in the era of UPA corruption now have strong personal and family agendas against Modi. The same is true of the old Congress-Leftist mainstream media, whose power has been significantly eroded by a pro-Modi social media and new media outlets. Little stature The Opposition is trying to rally around Rahul Gandhi as the newly elected/appointed president of the Congress party. The previous dominant leader of the Opposition, Nitish Kumar, joined the Modi backed NDA, damaging their unity and credibility, while Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was often their favourite media image, has gone back to jail. Kejriwal, who served as another media idol for the anti-Modi agenda has lost all credibility. The Congress party that Rahul now leads has its rule reduced to a few states, not having won a significant election in years. The only state of consequence the party has won is Punjab, but credit goes to Amarendra Singh, not to Rahul who was kept out of the campaign. Rahul brings with him the baggage of the previous UPA government that Modi badly defeated, including its old worn figureheads like Manmohan Singh, Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar, who hardly inspire any confidence. This risks a twofold danger. The first is to make the contest a replay of NDA versus UPA, which will only remind the voter of the massive scams and corruption under previous UPA rule. The second is making the election into a Rahul Gandhi versus a Narendra Modi affair. The problem is that Rahul has little stature of his own, much less compared to Modi. In addition, his endurance for such a long campaign without his usual vacations or embarrassing misstatements remains in doubt. If the election boils down to a Rahul versus Modi contest, Rahul certainly becomes very vulnerable. The recent willingness of the Opposition to rally around Rahul is not a sign of Rahuls maturity, which has yet to be proven, but their desperation to counter Modi, who is threatening their own power centers and vote banks. No alternative Nevertheless, politics moves quickly and unexpected events inside India or globally can have unpredictable consequences. There are state elections coming up where BJP has anti-incumbency factors and where Rajasthan may prove vulnerable. Yet Karnataka, the largest Congress-ruled state, is also in danger of falling to the BJP. In any case, the hate Modi agenda is rising and creating its own media, but can easily discredit itself without a positive leader or agenda of its own. The fact is that India under Modi is a force to reckon with in the world, unlike the previous UPA and its shadow government. In addition, Narendra Modi is always ready for the challenge and generally thinks one step ahead of his Opposition. No doubt he has a number of surprises that will show his ability both to lead the country and spearhead a new campaign. It is bound to be a long dramatic election season, but Modi will likely prevail, perhaps more easily than expected. There remains no viable alternative that anyone can have confidence in. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: Do you know secret recipe of the man who helped BJP win hearts over in Tripura was pork? TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG provides integrated telecommunication services to private and business customers in Germany. It offers voice, data, and value-added services in mobile and fixed line networks; access to infrastructure and services for its wholesale partners; and digital products and services in the fields of Internet of Things. The company provides its products and services through a network of independently operated franchise and premium partner shops, and online and telesales channels, as well as indirect selling channels, such as partnerships and co-operations with retailers. It markets its products and services under the O2, Blau, AY YILDIZ, Ortel Mobile, FONIC, netzclub, and TArkeiSIM brand names. As of December 31, 2020, TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG had approximately 47 million customers. The company was formerly known as TelefAnica Germany Verwaltungs GmbH and changed its name to TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG in September 2012. The company is based in Munich, Germany. TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG is a subsidiary of Telefonica Germany Holdings Limited. Read More AXA SA, through its subsidiaries, provides insurance and asset management services worldwide. It operates in six segments: France, Europe, Asia, AXA XL, International, and Transversal & Central Holdings. The company offers a range of insurance products, including life and savings, property and casualty, and health. Its products include motor, household, property and general liability insurance, banking, savings vehicles, and other investment-based products for personal/individual and commercial/group customers, as well as health, protection, and retirement products for individual or professional customers. The company also provides term life, whole life, universal life, endowment, and deferred and immediate annuities; medical whole life and term insurance; unit-linked products; travel and commercial insurance; and group term insurance, critical illness, and hospital cash products. In addition, it offers coverage against excess and surplus lines, environmental and professional liability, construction, marine, energy, aviation and satellite, fine art and specie, equine, livestock and aquaculture, accident and health and crisis management, and other risks. Further, the company provides casualty, property risk, property catastrophe, specialty, and other reinsurance lines. Additionally, it provides asset management services, comprising of mutual funds, fixed income, equities, multi-asset client solutions, structured finance, real assets, and return strategy. The company also offers E-rescue on motor assistance, a self-service digital application; Home Manager, a digital application that provides customers with regular updates on the progress of emergency claims; health assistance services; and Travel Eye that provides travel assistance services. The company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Read More Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial trucks, diesel engines, school and commercial buses, and service parts for trucks and diesel engines worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Truck, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. It manufactures and distributes Class 4 through 8 trucks and buses in the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; and designs, engineers, and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs and engines. The company also provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial truck, IC bus, and engine lines, as well as other product lines; and a selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. In addition, it manufactures and distributes mid-range diesel engines, as well as provides customers with additional engine offerings in the agriculture, marine, genset, and light truck markets; sells engines to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for various on-and-off-road applications; and offers contract manufacturing services under the MWM brand to OEMs for the assembly of their engines. Further, the company provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products of its trucks and parts, as well as financing for wholesale and retail accounts receivable. Additionally, it exports trucks, buses, and engines. The company markets its commercial products through an independent dealer network, as well as through retail outlets; and its reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of used truck dealers. It operates approximately 1,052 outlets in the United States and Canada, and 89 outlets in Mexico. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. Read More Parkland Corporation operates as a marketer, distributor, and refiner of fuel and petroleum products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canada, International, USA, Supply, and Corporate segments. The Canada segment supplies and supports a coast-to-coast network of 1,860 retail gas stations under the Ultramar, Esso, Fas Gas Plus, Chevron, Pioneer, and Race Trac as well as operates convenience stores under the On the Run/MarchA Express brand. Additionally it offers bulk fuel, bulk and cylinder exchange propane, heating oil, lubricants, and other related products and services to commercial, industrial, and residential customers in various industries, such as oil and gas, construction, mining, forestry, fishing, and transportation under the Ultramar, Bluewave Energy, Pipeline Commercial, Chevron, Columbia Fuels, and Sparlings Propane brands. The International segment operates retail service stations under the Esso, Shell, and Sol brands; and delivers and supplies gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, propane, and lubricants to customers in various sectors, including power, oil and gas, and mining. The USA segment operates a network of gas stations; and delivers bulk fuel, lubricants, and other related products and services under the Farstad Oil, Rhinehart Oil, Tropic Oil, Superpumper, Harts, and On the Run brands. The Supply segment manufactures transportation fuels; transports, stores, and markets fuels, crude oil, and liquid petroleum gases; and manufactures and sells aviation fuel to airlines. This segment also engages in the wholesale, supply, and distribution business. The company was formerly known as Parkland Fuel Corporation and changed its name to Parkland Corporation in May 2020. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More SociAtA GAnArale SociAtA anonyme provides financial services in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and France. The company offers retail banking services, including deposits and loans, vehicles and asset management, corporate finance, insurance, payments, investment, and online brokerage and financial information services; Internet, mobile, telephone, and service platforms; and online banking to individual and professional customers, businesses, non-profit associations and local authorities under the Societe Generale, CrAdit du Nord, and Boursorama Banque brands. It also provides international retail banking and financial services, comprising of deposit and loan products; consumer finance and car finance; mortgage facilities; corporate and investment banking; infrastructure, renewable energies, and agribusiness financing; life, retirement savings, and personal protection insurance products; vehicle leasing and fleet management services; and vendor and equipment finance services to corporate and individual customers. In addition, the company offers capital market services, such as fixed income and currencies, equities, and securities services; mergers and acquisitions, advisory and other corporate finance advisory services, and corporate banking and investment banking, as well as capital raising solutions for debt or equity, financial engineering, and hedging for issuers; transaction and payment services, comprising of cash management, trade finance, cash clearing and correspondent banking, supply chain finance, and foreign exchange services; and export finance, aircraft finance, shipping finance, real estate finance, and structured solutions and leasing. Further, it provides financial engineering and wealth management solutions; structured products, hedge funds, mutual funds, private equity funds and real estate investment solutions; and asset management solutions. SociAtA GAnArale SociAtA anonyme was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Read More Associated British Foods plc operates as a diversified food, ingredients, and retail company worldwide. It operates through five segments: Grocery, Sugar, Agriculture, Ingredients, and Retail. The Grocery segment manufactures and sells grocery products, including hot beverages, sugar and sweeteners, vegetable oils, balsamic vinegars, bread and baked goods, cereals, ethnic foods, and meat products to retail, wholesale, and foodservice businesses. The Sugar segment is involved in growing, processing, and sale of sugar beet and sugar cane to industrial users. The Agriculture segment manufactures and sells animal feeds; and provides other products and services for the agriculture sector. The Ingredients segment manufactures bakers' yeast, bakery ingredients, enzymes, lipids, yeast extracts, and cereal specialties. The Retail segment is involved in buying and merchandising clothing and accessories through the Primark and Penneys retail chains, which offer womenswear, menswear, children's wear, footwear, accessories, homeware, and skincare products. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Associated British Foods plc is a subsidiary of Wittington Investments Limited. Read More Crestwood Midstream Partners LP (Crestwood) develops, acquires, owns and operates primarily fee-based assets and operations within the energy midstream sector. The Company has three reporting segments: gathering and processing (G&P), providing natural gas gathering, processing, treating and compression services to producers in multiple unconventional shale plays; storage and transportation, which owns and operates natural gas storage facilities, and NGL and crude services, including crude oil rail terminals, the Arrow gathering system, its fleet of over-the-road crude oil and produced water transportation assets, an NGL storage facility, and US Salt, LLC. It provides infrastructure solutions across the value chain to service liquids-rich and crude oil shale plays across the United States. It owns and operates a portfolio of crude oil and natural gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation assets that connect fundamental energy supply with energy demand across North America. Read More Horizonte Minerals Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral projects in Brazil. The company primarily explores for nickel deposits, as well as cobalt deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Araguaia ferronickel project and the Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt project located in the south of the CarajAs mineral district in northern Brazil. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More 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. Harvest Minerals Limited engages in the mineral exploration and production of organic natural fertilizers in Brazil. The company holds 100% interests in the Arapua fertilizer project located in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil; the Mandacaru phosphate project comprising three exploration licenses covering an area of 5,908.67 hectares located in the Ceara State, Brazil; and the Sergi potash project located in the Sergipe State, Brazil. It also holds interest in the Capela potash project situated in the Sergipe State, Brazil. The company was formerly known as Triumph Tin Limited and changed its name to Harvest Minerals Limited in December 2014. Harvest Minerals Limited was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Perth, Australia. Read More Rentokil Initial plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and internationally. It offers a range of pest control services from rodents to flying and crawling insects, as well as to other forms of wildlife management for commercial and residential customers. The company also provides hygiene services, including the provision and maintenance of products, such as air fresheners, sanitizers, feminine hygiene units, hand dryers, paper and linen towel dispensers, soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, toilet paper dispensers, and floor protection mats. In addition, it engages in the supply and laundering of workwear, uniforms, cleanroom uniforms, and protective equipment. Further, the company installs and services interior and exterior plant displays, flowers, replica foliage, Christmas decorations, and ambient scenting for commercial businesses; offers property care services consisting of damp proofing, property conservation, and woodworm and wood rot treatment; and provides a range of specialist cleaning services, such as deep cleaning of kitchens and washrooms, trauma cleaning, and flood or fire damage cleaning, as well as graffiti removal, specialist deep cleaning, and disinfection services, including the professional and discreet disinfection of areas that have been exposed to bio-hazardous situations, such as crime and trauma scenes, prison cells, void properties, emergency vehicles, and healthcare establishments. Additionally, it offers a range of healthcare waste management services comprising the collection, disposal, and recycling of hazardous and offensive waste produced by businesses and organizations associated with the provision of healthcare; and color-coded sharps disposal bins to deal with various types of waste. Rentokil Initial plc was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Camberley, the United Kingdom. Read More Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Read More Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea. It also holds exploration licenses and permits in Serbia and Macedonia, as well as in the Bisha mining district. The company was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. As of January 7, 2019, Nevsun Resources Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited. Read More Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a technology company, focuses in the areas of automation and digitalization in Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. Its Digital Industries segment offers automation systems and software for factories, numerical control systems, motors, drives and inverters, and integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines; process control systems, machine-to-machine communication products, sensors and radio frequency identification systems; production and product lifecycle management software; mechatronic systems simulation and testing software; and cloud-based industrial Internet of Things operating system. The company's Smart Infrastructure segment supplies and connects energy systems and building technologies to enhance efficiency and sustainability; and supports customers to address technology shifts. Its Mobility segment provides passenger and freight transportation, such as rail vehicles, rail automation and electrification systems, road traffic technology, digital solutions, and related services; and mobility system services. The company's Siemens Healthineers segment offers medical technology and software solutions; and clinical consulting and training services. Its Siemens Financial Services segment provides leasing solutions and equipment; and debt and equity investment products. The company was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1031387 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical, 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California, ACN Group of California Inc., AHJV, AHJV MSO, AHN Accontable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ARC Infusion, ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASI Global, ASI Global LLC, Access Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Inc., Access I.V., Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Care, Advanced Care Pharmacy, Advanced Pharma Inc., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advantage Care Network Inc., Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Sherman Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Alere Health, Alere Health Improvement Company, Alere Healthcare of Illinois, Alere Wellbeing, Alere Wellology, Alere of New York, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Healthcare of Central Florida, Ambient Healthcare of Georgia, Ambient Healthcare of Northeast Florida, Ambient Healthcare of S. Florida, Ambient Healthcare of West Florida, Ambient Holdings, Ambient Holdings Inc., Ambient Nursing Services, AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice Health Services, AmeriChoice of Connecticut, AmeriChoice of New Jersey, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Amil Lifesciences Participacoes Ltda., Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., Apothecary Shop of Phoenix Inc., AppleCare Medical Management, AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., AssuranceRx, AssuranceRx LLC, Athens ASC Holdings LLC, Audax Health Solutions, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Patient Access Program Inc., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Avella of Austin Inc., Avella of Columbus Inc., Avella of Deer Valley Inc., Avella of Denver Inc., Avella of Gilbert Inc., Avella of Las Vegas II Inc., Avella of Orlando Inc., Avella of Phoenix III Inc., Avella of Sacramento Inc., Avella of Scottsdale Inc., Avella of St. Louis Inc., Avella of Tampa LLC, Avella of Tucson II Inc., Avella of Tucson Inc., Aveta Arizona, Aveta Health Solutions Inc., Aveta Inc., Aveta Kansas City, Aveta Tennessee, AxelaCare Health Solutions, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, Banmedica Colombia SpA, Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Behavioral Healthcare Options, Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Belleville Surgical Center Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Blackstone Valley Surgicare GP LLC, Blue Ridge GP LLC, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings III SRL, Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx, BriovaRx, BriovaRx Infusion Services, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 200 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 204 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 209 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 305 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 402 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services Inc., BriovaRx Specialty LLC, BriovaRx of California, BriovaRx of California Inc., BriovaRx of Florida, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Georgia, BriovaRx of Georgia LLC, BriovaRx of Hawaii, BriovaRx of Indiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana L.L.C., BriovaRx of Maine, BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts, BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, BriovaRx of Nevada, BriovaRx of New York, BriovaRx of New York Inc., BriovaRx of Texas, BriovaRx of Texas Inc., CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos S.A., CNIC Health Solutions Inc., COI Participacoes S.A., COI Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California MedTrans Network IPA LLC, California MedTrans Network MSO LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardio Management, Cardio Management Inc., Care Improvement Plus Group Management, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha S.A., Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Catamaran Health Solutions, Catamaran Holdings I, Catamaran IPA III, Catamaran Mail, Catamaran PBM of Illinois II, Catamaran PBM of Puerto Rico, Catamaran PD of Pennsylvania, Catamaran PD of Puerto Rico, Catamaran Rebate Management, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Catamaran Senior Services, Catamaran of Pennsylvania, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care - Empressa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Cemed Care Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, Central de Compras SpA, CentriHealth Corporation, CentriHealth UK Limited, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Medico Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro Medico PJ Ltda., Centro de Entrenamiento en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada (CERP), Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica S.A., Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte-SC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, ChinaGate (Hong Kong) Limited, ChinaGate Company Limited, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Clinica Oftalmologica Danilo de Castro Sociedade Simples, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinica Alameda S.A., Clinica Bio Bio S.A., Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica San Borja (La Esperanza del Peru S.A.), Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare, Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition For Advanced Pharmacy Services, Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Coastal Physicians Management Inc., Collaborative Care Holdings, Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Care Solutions, Collaborative Realty, Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada, Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation, Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Commonwealth Administrators, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Connextions, Connextions HCI, Constructora e Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Country Scan Ltda., Crescent Drug Corp., Cypress Care, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA, DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., DaVita Magan Management Inc., Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company, Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California, Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois, Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Pharmacy, Distance Learning Network, Distance Learning Network Inc., Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duncan Printing Services, Duncan Printing Services LLC, E Street Endoscopy LLC, ELG FZE, EP Campus I, EP Campus I LLC, East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Electronic Network Systems, Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Empire Physician Management Company, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Employers Health Choice PPO Inc., Empremedica S. A., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Etho Empresa de Tecnologia Hospitalar Ltda., Evercare Collaborative Solutions, Evercare Collaborative Solutions Inc., Everett MSO Inc., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos Ltda., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos S.A., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources, Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center LLC, Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., FMG Holdings, FMG Holdings LLC, FOR HEALTH OF ARIZONA, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice, Family Home Hospice Inc., First Rx Specialty & Mail Services, Florida MedTrans Network LLC, Florida MedTrans Network MSO LLC, For Health, For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fortified Provider Network Inc., Fortify Technologies Asia LLC, Fortify Technologies LLC, Foundation Financial Services Inc., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier MEDEX Limited, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX, FrontierMEDEX (RMS), FrontierMEDEX (RMS) Inc., FrontierMEDEX Government Services, FrontierMEDEX Government Services LLC, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center Ltd., Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa Healthcare LLC, Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology (Canada) Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Golden Outlook, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grapevine Finance LLC, Greater Hartford ASC LLC, Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., Guardian Health Systems Limited Partnership, H&W Indemnity (SPC), H&W Indemnity (SPC) Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCP ACO Nevada LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HMI NewCo LLC, Harken Health Insurance Company, Hayes-Strub LLC, Health Business Systems, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Net Insurance of New York, Health Net Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Health Plan of Nevada, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Health Technology Analysts Pty Limited, HealthAllies, HealthAllies Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets NewCo Inc., HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Partners Plan of Nevada Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help S.A., Help Service S.A., Highlands Ranch Healthcare, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Care I.V. of Bend, Home Infusion With Heart, Home Medical S.A., Hospice Inspiris Holdings, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada de Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Maternidade Promater Ltda., Hospital Samaritano de Sao Paulo Ltda., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation (Canada), Hygeia Corporation (DE), Hygeia Corporation (Ontario), INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of New York IPA, INSPIRIS of New York Management, INSPIRIS of New York Management Inc., INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, IRX Financing I LLC, Illinois Independent Care Network, Imed Star Servicos de Desempenho Organizacional Ltda., Impel Consulting Experts, Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., Indian River Surgery Center Ltd., Indian River Surgery Properties LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Infusource, Ingram & Associates, Ingram & Associates LLC, Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Inspiris Services Company, Inspiris of Tennessee, Instituto do Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, International Psychological Services Pty Limited, Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria S.A., Isapre Banmedica S.A., Isapre Vida Tres S.A., Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, LHI, Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., LifePrint Health, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeStyles Marketing Group Inc., LifeWell Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization, Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Lifeprint East, Lifeprint East Inc., Logistics Health Inc., Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., MAMSI Insurance Resources, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MD Ops, MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association, MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MEDEX Insurance Services, MEDEX Insurance Services Inc., MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, MXMD Centros De Cancer, Mamoeco Mamografia e Ecografia Centro de Diagnostico, Managed Physical Network, Managed Physical Network Inc., March Holdings, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care, March Vision Care Inc., Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Maryland Ambulatory Centers, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, Mat-Rx Development, Mat-Rx Fort Worth GP, MedExpress Development, MedExpress Development LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach, MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, MedSynergies North Texas, Medalliance Net Ltda, Medalliance Net Ltda., Medica Health Plans of Florida, Medica Health Plans of Florida Inc., Medica HealthCare Plans, Medica HealthCare Plans Inc., Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health, Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services, Medical Transportation Services LLC, Medication Management Systems Inc., Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memphis-SC LLC, Memphis-SP LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management, Metropolitan Medical Partners LLC, Metropolitan Medical Transportation IPA LLC, Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Surgery Holdings LLC, Mississippi Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Mobile Medical Professionals, Modern Medical Inc., Monarch Management Services, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Mountain View Medical Group LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings, NAMM Holdings Inc., NSC Fayetteville LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Nashville-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National MedTrans LLC, National Pacific Dental, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes, Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Medical Services LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., Newton Holdings LLC, North American Medical Management - Illinois, North American Medical Management California, North American Medical Management California Inc., North Puget Sound Center for Sleep Disorders LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd., Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care, Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care of Huntsville, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OSB Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Omesa S.A., OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., OneNet PPO, OneNet PPO LLC, Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum, Optum Bank, Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics, Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Clinical Services, Optum Clinics Holdings, Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings, Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions (Philippines), Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Government Solutions, Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health & Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (India) Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology (UK) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (US), Optum Health & Technology (US) LLC, Optum Health & Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US), Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US) Inc., Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health Services (Canada) Ltd., Optum Health Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions (UK) Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio, Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs, Optum Labs Dimensions, Optum Labs Dimensions Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs International (UK) Ltd., Optum Life Sciences (Canada) Inc., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Nevada Accountable Care Organization LLC, Optum Operations (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 703 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Public Sector Solutions, Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket, Optum Rocket Inc., Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services, Optum Services (Ireland) Limited, Optum Services (Puerto Rico) LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Solutions do Brasil Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Optum Technology, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Women's and Children's Health, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360, Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO Florida LLC, OptumCare ACO Holdings LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Health Plan of California Inc., OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Holdings New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Financial Services, OptumHealth Financial Services Inc., OptumHealth Holdings, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight, OptumInsight Holdings, OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx, OptumRx Administrative Services, OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Illinois, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA, OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois, OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland, OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Puerto Rico LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Maryland, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada, OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings, OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet Services, OrthoNet Services Inc., OrthoNet West, OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the Mid-Atlantic, OrthoNet of the South, OrthoNet of the South Inc., Ovations, Ovations Inc., Oxford Benefit Management, Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance, Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans (CT), Oxford Health Plans (CT) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NJ), Oxford Health Plans (NJ) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NY), Oxford Health Plans (NY) Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, P2 Lower Acquisition, P2P Link LLC, PCCCV, PCCCV Inc., PCN DE Corp., PHC Subsidiary Holdings, PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYS Holding Corp., PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI, PMSI Holdco II, PMSI Holdings, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado, PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., PacifiCare of Nevada, PacifiCare of Nevada Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Paoli Ambulatory Surgery Center, Paoli Surgery Center L.P., Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Pasteur Plaza Surgery Center GP Inc., PatientsLikeMe, PatientsLikeMe LLC, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica - PANC., Payment Resolution Services, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Network, Pharmacy Review Services, Pharmacy Software Holdco Inc., PhyServe Holdings, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physician Care Partners, Physicians Health Choice of Texas, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians Plaza Holdings LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico, Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings, Plus One Holdings Inc., Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Precision Dialing Services Inc., Preferred Care Partners, Preferred Care Partners Holding, Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group, Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., Premier Choice ACO, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Prime Health, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network, PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley, PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona, PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley, PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley, PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley, PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands, PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside, PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino, PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City, PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula, PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success, ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success LLC, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Medical Management, ProHealth Physicians, ProHealth Physicians ACO, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management, ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, Procura Management, Procura Management Inc., Progressive Enterprises Holdings, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical, Progressive Medical LLC, Progressive Solutions, Promotora Country S.A., Pronetics Health Care Group, Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Management Services LLC, Pueblo-SCA Surgery Center LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., Quality Software Services, QuarterMaster Newco LLC, R&H Family Fitness Unlimited LLC, Rally Health, Rally Health Inc., Real Appeal Inc., Recaudacion y Cobranzas Honodav Ltda., Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management, Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rocky Mountain HealthCare Options Inc., SC Affiliates LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA California Surgical Holdings LLC, SCA Capital LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA EHSC Holdings LLC, SCA EWASC Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Nashville ASC LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA SSC Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Center of Cullman LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Partners LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Mokena Properties LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-ND VBP Inc., SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Shelby Development Corp., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Wilmington LLC, SCA-Wilson LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SPINETRACK 20/20 Inc., SRPS LLC, SXC Comet, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Savvysherpa Administrative Services LLC, Savvysherpa Asia Inc., Savvysherpa LLC, Scanner Centromed S.A., ScripNet, ScriptSwitch Limited, Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Senior Care Partners, Serquinox Holdings LLC, Serquinox LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Limitada, Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Limitada, Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., SharedClarity LLC, Shelby Surgery Properties Inc., Sierra Health Services, Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options, Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products, Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators, Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sirona Infusion, Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad Editorial para la Ciencia Limitada., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria S.A., Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Southwest Medical Associates, Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center of Bakersfield L.P., Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits, Specialty Benefits LLC, Spectera, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA, Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Spotlite, Spotlite Inc., St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, StoneRiver P2P Link, StoneRiver Pharmacy Solutions, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Streamlines Health LLC, Summit Home Infusion, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Clarksville L.P., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of Spokane LLC, Surgery Center of Summerlin LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Center of Vero Beach Inc., Surgery Center of Wilmington LLC, Surgery Center of Wilmington Properties LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Belleville LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings, Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, Symphonix Health Insurance, Symphonix Health Insurance Inc., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologias de Informacion en Salud S.A., The Advisory Board (Chile) SpA, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Lewin Group, The Lewin Group Inc., The Magan Medical Group, The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Thousand Oaks Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys, Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, TriMed LLC, Trinity Infusion, Trio Motion LLC, Tucson Arizona Surgical Center LLC, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UHC Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UHC Global Health Services BC Ltd., UHC International Services, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings (Ireland) Limited, UHCG Services (Ireland) Limited, UHCG FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHIC Holdings, UHIC Holdings Inc., UICI Funding Corp. 2, UMR, UMR Inc., USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors L.L.C., USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD Administrative Services, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD CT (Mo), USMD Cancer Treatment Centers, USMD Cancer Treatment Centers GP, USMD Diagnostic Services, USMD Holdings, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Inc., USMD PPM, USMD PPM LLC, USMD of Arlington GP, Ultima Rx, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Administrative Services, Unison Health Plan of Delaware, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A., United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Management Services Inc., United Resource Networks IPA of New York, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., UnitedHealth Advisors, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Finance Inc., UnitedHealth Group Global Healthcare Services Limited, UnitedHealth Group Global Services, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group Information Services Private Limited, UnitedHealth Group International Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth Group International GP, UnitedHealth Group International L.P., UnitedHealth International, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealth UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Canada Limited, UnitedHealthcare Global Medical (UK) Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare India Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia, UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International I S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International V S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VI S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Services Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas, UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida, UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England, UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York, UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah, UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington, UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands, UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UpFront Insurance Agency LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings, Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO, Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network, Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vida Tres Internacional S.A., Vidaintegra S.A., Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., WebInsure Benefits LLC, WellMed Medical Management, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida, WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., WellMed Networks DFW, West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, WillowB Labs LLC, Wilmington ASC LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, Your Health Options Insurance Services, Your Health Options Insurance Services Inc., Your Partner in Health Services, divvyDOSE, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative, inPharmative Inc., and ppoONE. Even after over 635,000 have died in the U.S. as a result of the coronavirus, some celebrities have continued to loudly protest against the advice of doctors and other medical professionals. Over 4.5 million around the world have died as a result of the pandemic. Magic Leap has announced that its smartglasses, called Magic Leap One, will be released later this year. 399.5K Magic Leaps smartglasses will be released later this year. Source: TechCrunch Magic Leap, a Florida-based company that makes augmented-reality technology, has announced that it will release its smartglasses later this year. The announcement came on Wednesday. The company also said that it has managed to raise additional funding for the project. An additional $461 million has been raised in this last round with $400 million coming from Saudi Arabias sovereign investment arm. The funding was part of what Magic Leap is calling Series D round of fundraising. The company had earlier raised $502 million bringing the total investment to date under the Series D to $963 million. But Magic Leap has raised much more money for the smartglasses. So far, total investments gone towards these glasses now stand at $2.3 billion. The smartglasses will be called Magic Leap One. Source: Wired The smartglasses will be called Magic Leap One. They have been in development for quite some time now. The company made an announcement in December last year saying that it will release the first batch in 2018. The Wednesday announcement confirms this commitment. Although its not yet clear whether the company will be raising more money for the smartglasses, based on the last round of the Series D fundraising, Magic Leaps valuation stands at $6 billion. The investments in this company have been huge. Its clear that investors see the value of the smartglasses and their application in todays world. A source close to the company says that Magic Leap is spending in excess of $50 million a month. This is a huge budget. In addition to developing the hardware, Magic Leap is also developing the required software to ensure the glasses work without any issue. The company will also develop the content that will run on the glasses. All these areas are critical to the success of the Magic Leap One smartglasses. In order for everything to work, the software, the content and the glasses themselves must all be ready at the same time. Its no wonder that the company has raised so much money and is spending $50 million a month. Magic Leap is rated as one of the most promising startups to watch out for. Source: Gizmodo The only hope for investors is that once the new smartglasses are released, they will be in huge demand all around the world. Magic Leap has about 1,400 employees. The company has established offices in a number of cities including Florida where its main operating base is located. Other cities include Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, Zurich, Austin, and Sunnyvale. Magic Leap also operates in Israel and New Zealand. The company is rated as one of the most promising startups to watch out for. Magic Leap is also the most well-funded startup in the augmented reality space. The growing optimism that the company would soon deliver a new era of augmented reality is justified. However, Magic Leap has not given any release date for the smartglasses. All we know so far is that 2018 will be the year. logo_ddn_tag_Site JN with Tagline logo-sns_tag_Site Our apologies, unfortunately our website is currently unavailable in most European countries due to GDPR rules. Company's consolidated net debt stood at Rs 91,714 crore higher than Rs 91,480 crore in the previous quarter. New Delhi: Telecom major Bharti Airtel has plans to raise up to Rs 3,000 crore through non-convertible debentures. A meeting of committee of directors is "scheduled on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 to inter-alia consider and subject to market and other conditions, issue listed, unsecured, rated, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs Series I and II) on private placement basis aggregating up to Rs 3,000 crore", the company said in a BSE filing. Besides this, board of directors of the company will meet on March 12 to consider fund raising opportunity for the company. As on December 31, 2017, the company's consolidated net debt stood at Rs 91,714 crore higher than Rs 91,480 crore in the previous quarter. Shares of Bharti Airtel on Friday closed 0.19 per cent higher at Rs 401.95 apiece on BSE. The theme of World Kidney Day this year, therefore, is Kidneys and Women's Health. In their bid to increase awareness on kidney-related ailments and instill the importance of early detection, Manipal Hospitals unveiled an awareness campaign aimed at educating women on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Bengaluru: The many dangers of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) still need to enter mainstream knowledge. The theme of World Kidney Day this year, therefore, is Kidneys and Women's Health. In their bid to increase awareness on kidney-related ailments and instill the importance of early detection, Manipal Hospitals unveiled an awareness campaign aimed at educating women on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The hospital has a host of activities lined up, including free screenings from March 8 to March 16, 2018. Women constables will also be offered free kidney tests at the Home Guard office premises. Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Veteran Nephrologist and Chairman, Manipal Hospitals said, "Kidney disease can be controlled and prevented if we understand the circumstances and risk factors which predispose us to it. This goes a long way in preventing a patient ending up on dialysis or requiring a kidney transplant. Early kidney disease usually shows no signs and symptoms and the only way to know is blood and urine tests. It is only later in the stages of chronic kidney disease that one gets symptoms and signs like nausea, lack of appetite, swelling over body parts and altered behavior at times. The majority of chronic kidney failure patients are diagnosed in the last stage as 50% first see a nephrologist only in the last stage. It is seen that less than 5 to 10% suffering from end stage kidney disease get opportunity for either a dialysis or transplant. Despite the fact that prevalence of kidney disease is same among men and women, unfortunately very few women are treated." "Although less than 30% of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are females, it is important to highlight that less than 8-10% of them opt for any form of treatment. The reasons for this are many which might include lack of awareness and access to care. Therefore, it needs to be ensured to counsel patients regarding the three types of treatment available-transplant, hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD)- and inform them about the benefits of undergoing treatment. With respect to dialysis, most patients are aware about HD and very few know about PD. Thus, it is crucial to explain the benefits of PD as well and in my experience, when I have informed the patients, specifically females, they have accepted this treatment mode," said Dr Renuka S, Professor and Head of Department of Nephrology, St John's Medical College Hospital Bengaluru. Sadly, the symptoms in both men and women are similar. However, there are certain challenges which are unique to women. Dr Pallavi Patri, Nephrologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Bengaluru adds, "there are several challenges faced by women who have CKD. Menstrual irregularities with missed periods or even cessation of menstruation can occur in later stages of CKD. Sexual dysfunction such as a decrease in libido and vaginal dryness can also occur. Moreover, fertility and pregnancy are greatly impacted by this condition and it has been observed that women who have CKD are less likely to conceive." Mumbai: Three people were killed and 13 others were injured after a massive fire broke out at a chemical factory in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Tarapur town of Palghar district late on Thursday night. Palghar District Collector Prashant Narnaware, who reached the accident site in the early hours of Friday, told news agency ANI that attempts to douse fire and rescue people was underway. "Around 11:30 pm, we came to know about the incident. Police machinery, revenue machinery and health machinery geared together and they contributed their best to extinguish the fire. Our work of rescue is still continuing," Narnaware said and added that they have been able to control the fire to some extent. The blaze started after a massive explosion inside a boiler at a company named Ramedeo chemicals. According to news agency PTI, Manjunath Singe, Superintendent of Police, said the fire has spread to another companies adjacent to the company and details about casualty is yet to be ascertained. There are chemical drums inside these companies, due to which the fire is spreading, he added. An official said that the impact of the boiler blast was felt in the villages around 8 kilometres vicinity. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Tarapur Atomic Power Station, which is also situated on Boisar-Tarapur Road is around 20 kilometres away from the spot, he added. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and fire fighting operation is on, another official said. Speaking at a panel discussion at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Rahul Gandhi also said that there is a challenge to the institutional structure of India. (Photo: Twitter | @OfficeOfRG) Singapore/New Delhi: Launching an attack on the BJP, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said there is a general atmosphere of "intimidation" in India where "nasty form of politics" of dividing people are being played to win elections. Speaking at a panel discussion at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Rahul Gandhi also said that there is a challenge to the institutional structure of India. "If you ask me what am I proud about my country...it is the idea of plurality. It's the idea that people in India can say anything they want, do anything they want and they won't face any problem and that is being challenged...," he said. "There is a particular type of politics that's not only happening in India but in a number of places - of dividing people, of using (their) anger to win elections and that's what is happening in India," he told the audience at the school, which is part of the National University of Singapore. Commenting on the recent controversy of four senior Supreme Court judges holding an unprecedented press conference, Rahul Gandhi said, "Normally in India, the people go to the judges for justice. For the first time in my life, I saw four Supreme Court judges actually go to the people for justice. They went to the press and said that they need the people to hear their voice as there is something that is fundamentally wrong. I don't know if you know the details about the comments they (judges) were making but the centre of the issue is the case of (BJP president) Amit Shah. So, there is a challenge to the institutional structure of our country," he said, apparently referring to the issue of alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge BH Loya, who was hearing the sensitive Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Amit Shah was discharged as an accused in the case. Rahul Gandhi alleged that there is a "very very aggressive and organised attack on the system and on the judiciary. If you speak to the press, if you talk to business people, they will also tell you that we feel intimidated. so there is a general atmosphere of intimidation." The Congress president said that the idea of India that Mahatma Gandhi envisioned was that an India where everybody is comfortable regardless of religion, community, regardless of state. "The idea that anybody coming to India, even the foreigner coming to India, feel comfortable in the country...that idea is being challenged now," he asserted. "Where we are running into trouble now is the levels of violence and anger that you are seeing in India and this to me is a syndrome," he said, adding that "I'm proud to say that our vision is bringing people together." Responding to a question, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and the RSS of indulging in anti-minorities politics. "Mahatma Gandhi died protecting minorities. We, the Congress party, have been protecting minority people for the last 70 years. We don't like an India where people are persecuted, where people are being beaten up for what they eat, what they say and what they wear," he said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi controls the law making, he controls the UP police, he controls the Haryana police, he controls these things. An extremely nasty form of politics is playing out in India," Rahul Gandhi said, without elaborating. "We will fight this nasty form of politics and we will defeat the BJP in the next election...Very soon you will see an India where everybody is loved, respected and taken along," he asserted. He also criticised BJP's Kashmir policy, saying the UPA government had curbed terrorism by 2012 but it resurfaced after the BJP came to power in 2014. "One complaint I have against the BJP's policy is that it is episodic rather than strategic," he said. "In 2014, when I went to Jammu and Kashmir, I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can do to years and years of work," he said. The BJP has lost the touch with the people and created a strategic problem in Jammu and Kashmir, he said and underlined the need to engage people and win their trust. "It is very easy to pretend that you will have simple solutions. There are no simple solutions. You can divide people and play politics, but how is dividing communities going to give them jobs?" he asked. He also slammed the BJP government over its "bad record" of creating jobs, saying "our record is better". Responding to a question on International Women's Day on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress party had sought to pass the Women's Reservation Bill but it was opposed by other parties. On India's foreign policy, he said India has to have peaceful relations with China, the US, Europe, Asean and others. He said India and China should have a peaceful and co-operative relationship. Answering a wide range of questions from the panel and audience, Rahul Gandhi spoke of India's advantage in connecting its skilled people through IT and manufacturing sector. He noted Chinese manufacturing capabilities of having factory operation based on large workforce, some running into 50,000 to 100,000 which, however, was not applicable to India due to different culture of working. He also spoke of India's potential of developing a health care for the global markets. Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Singapore and will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday. He will then travel to Malaysia where he will meet Prime Minister Najib Razak and members of the Indian community. Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday arrested K.T. Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja - member of Hindu Yuva Sena (HYS), Maddur in the Gauri Lankesh murder case. Kumar was reportedly arrested on February 18 in the Arms Act case by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in the Upparpet police station limits, when he was allegedly found selling contraband live cartridges at the KSRTC bus stand, Majestic. The SIT had taken him into police custody on March 2. Confirming his arrest in Gauri murder case, DCP, West, M.N Anuchet said that the "evidences collected so far confirm Kumar as an accused in the (Gauri) case but in the interest of protecting the witnesses and investigation we cannot at this point reveal his role. He has been arrested under Sections 302 (murder) and 120b (criminal conspiracy), 118 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or life imprisonment) and 35 (act done with the criminal intent and knowledge) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 25 of the Arms Act. The SIT has taken him into custody for five days," said the DCP. According to sources, Kumar in one of his conversations with his friends had reportedly 'boasted' of planning to target rationalist and noted writer K.S. Bhagwan on the lines of Gauri. There must have been a police informant in the group, who allegedly leaked the conversation to the SIT, a top source said. The CCB, which had earlier arrested him, had recorded his statement in which Kumar has reportedly admitted that he was planning to target Bhagwan. The SIT took him into police custody and has interrogated him, but "so far they have not been able to link Kumar to Gauris murder, said a source on condition of anonymity. Kumar is a Hindutva activist and member of a self styled Hindu Yuva Sena in Maddur. He organizes Dharma Jagruti Sabhas to raise awareness on Hindu rituals and practices, which are more focused on married women and how they should conduct pujas. He has also conducted multiple blood donation camps. He had organized a Dharma Jagruti Sabha in Maddur last year to protest against illegal conversion of Hindus to Islam and Christianity. His activism had drawn the ire of the then home minister K.J. George. I have known Kumar for two years now and had invited him to attend the Hindu convention, which we had organized in Bengaluru in January this year, said spokesperson of Hindu Jan Jagran Samithi (HJJS) Mohan Gowda. Kumar is also a member of Goa-based Sanatan Sanstha, which has been linked to the assassinations of rationalists Prof Dabholkar in Pune, comrade Govind Pansare in Kolhapur and Prof M.M. Kalburgi in Dharwad. However speaking to this newspaper, Chetan Rajhans, spokesperson of the Sanstha denied that Kumar was a member of the Sanstha. This is the first time we have heard his name through media. The Sanatan Sanstha is a spiritual organization and is spread across 10 to 12 states. We do not have members or volunteers. We are not into contract killing. There is a sinister and systemic propaganda by the Leftists to tarnish the image of the Sanstha. People associated with us Virendra Tawde and Samir Gaikwad - have been dragged in the murder cases but the court let them out on bail because the police had no evidence against them. The other two accused in the Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar are absconding. The police instead of going after the real culprits have named them conveniently. Nobody knows whether they are alive or dead, said Rajhans. Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images(CAPE TOWN, South Africa) -- Following weeks of tightening water restrictions, Cape Town may not run out of water this year after all, officials said. The water levels of the major supply dams in South Africa's second-most populous city are sourced by rainfall and have plunged due to persistent drought. Local authorities have since warned of "Day Zero," when Cape Town's taps will run dry and residents must queue at standpipes for water. The looming crisis has forced city officials to resort to drastic measures, including setting a limit of 13.2 gallons of municipal water usage per day for each person. By comparison, the average person in the United States uses about 80 to 100 gallons of water per day. But the clamp down on water consumption allowed city officials on Tuesday to push back the estimated date for "Day Zero" from mid-April to Aug. 27. Seasonal rainfall in August should mean that day will be averted altogether -- that is, if the city doesn't relax its water-saving efforts, according to Cape Town Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson. "Provided we continue our current water savings efforts, Day Zero can be avoided completely this year. It is now up to all of us," Neilson said in a statement Tuesday. "If we keep on saving, we will not have to queue for water this year." Neilson urged Capetonians to entrench their water-saving habits and not rely on the arrival of winter rains. "While we are feeling more confident of avoiding Day Zero this year, we cannot predict the volume of rainfall still to come. If winter rainfall this year is as low as last year, or even lower, we are still in danger of reaching Day Zero early next year," he said. Although the city's water consumption has been on a downward trend in recent weeks, Neilson said there was a slight increase this week and dam levels had trickled down. The combined water level of Cape Town's major supply dams was just 23.6 on Monday, with the last 10 percent of water unsuitable for drinking. Mmusi Maimane, leader of South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, which governs Cape Town and the greater Western Cape province, took to Twitter to applaud Capetonians for their efforts and reinforce persistence. The city has cut water consumption by 60 percent since February 2015, according to Maimane. Cape Town, the provincial capital of the Western Cape, is one of South Africa's most iconic tourist destinations. The sprawling metropolis is home to nearly four million residents and is renowned for its picturesque harbor, not far from where the waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. But three years of consecutive drought has plagued Cape Town. The situation, aggravated by years of poor water management and political infighting, has left many Capetonians confused and afraid. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Bengaluru: The state government has decided to go along with the opinion of the Cauvery legal panel on whether to file a review petition before the Supreme Court against its final verdict on the Cauvery river water row. After a discussion with floor leaders in both Houses, MPs, Rajya Sabha members and MLAs of the Cauvery basin here on Thursday, the government decided to have a discussion with the Cauvery legal team head and senior counsel Fali .S. Nariman on whether to file the review petition before the Supreme Court seeking review of its order dated February 16, 2018, allocating an additional 14.75 tmc feet water to Karnataka and directing the Centre to constitute a dispute redressal mechanism to regulate sharing of water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile the state government has also sought the opinion of the legal team regarding the Apex Court direction to the Centre to constitute the Cauvery River Management Authority. Speaking to the media after the meeting with the floor leaders, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government will go by the opinion of the legal team on the review petition and constitution of the river management authority. The Chief Minister refused to answer to a question about the state governments stand on constitution of the Cauvery river management board and put the onus on the state legal team. "We will strictly go by the opinion of our legal team", he added. Gowda: Cauvery panel only if it hikes our share JD (S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Thursday demanded that the Centre should establish the Cauvery Water Management Board (CMB) if it ensures increased share of water to Karnataka. On February 16, a three-judge SC bench had directed formation of the CMB within six weeks in a verdict that marginally increased Karnataka's share of Cauvery water, thus reducing the allocation for Tamil Nadu. Mr Gowda, called on Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari and discussed the issue. "I have requested Gadkariji to set up CMB after taking into account issues related to lift irrigation, Mekedatu project and trans-basin diversion of water," he told reporters. The JD(S) leader also informed the government that the CMB should be set up if it benefited Karnataka and ensured 30-35 tmcft water. Sources in the Ministry of Water Resources said its secretary U P Singh would hold a meeting with chief secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry tomorrow to discuss ways to implement the Supreme Court verdict. Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his Deputy O. Panneerselvam lashed out at BJP national secretary H Raja for his comment on social reformer Periyar E. V. Ramaswamys statues which triggered a storm in Tamil Nadu, saying the intentions of those attempting to create confusion and benefit out of it will never fructify. The state government, which is dispensing Ammas (late CM J. Jayalalithaa) rule will never give scope for outbreak of violence. The thoughts of those who try to create confusion and benefit from it, in Tamil Nadu which is a role model for all the States, will never succeed, Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam, who are coordinators of the ruling AIADMK, said on Thursday. They said none should forget that Periyar is part of the AIADMK, which is like a banyan tree. Nobody should every dream that Ammas government will allow any kind of violence in the State, they said. The hearts of Tamil Nadu people are wounded and the hearts of people adoring Periyar are broken, (by Rajas comment), they further said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have spoken against disrespecting the statues of leaders, they recalled and warned people of Tamil Nadu and the AIADMK are not prepared to accept any insult to Periyar. We are followers of Periyar. Mr Panneerselvam, described Rajas claim that his comment on a social media post was uploaded by his administrator as ridiculous and unacceptable. Hailing the rationalist leader as a great revolutionary, they said Raja should tender a public apology. In a joint statement, Mr Palaniswami and Mr Pannerselvam said as Rajas remark amounted to slighting the rationalist leader, entire Tamil Nadu was on the boil. Stating that some were looking at Periyar as only an atheist, the AIADMK leaders said Tamil society did not do so as the late leader slogged for a societal renaissance, and for the uplift of the oppressed people. Tamil Nadu continued to be a haven of peace even when some states witnessed communal strife was due to the leaders reformist, egalitarian ideology, they said. Hyderabad: As Telangana Police has denied permission to TJAC to hold Million March Anniversary on Saturday, on Tank Bund, police have geared up to act against the activists who would come to participate in the march from across the state. In addition to plans for conducting pickets at various entry points to the city, City Police Commissioner V.V. Srinivas Rao has issued orders to close the busy Tank Bund from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. As a preventive measure, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has also ordered to close down the NTR Park, Lumbini Park, Sanjeevaiah Park and Lake View Parks from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. TJAC chief Prof Kodandaram condemned the acts of the government. WEST JORDAN A West Jordan man accused of intentionally burning down an abandoned trailer now faces 15 felony charges. Christopher William Baron, 45, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony; burglary, four counts of reckless use of an incendiary device, and nine counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, all second-degree felonies. He was additionally charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a third-degree felony. On March 4, emergency crews were called to a fire at an abandoned mobile home in the area of 3900 West and 8500 South. The fire was ignited at multiple points inside the home and determined to be arson, according to charging documents. The trailer was destroyed. No one was injured. The owner of the mobile home told police about Baron, a "suspicious neighbor who may be upset with him due to some prior disputes in which police were called," the charges state. West Jordan police attempted to talk to Baron, who lives next door to the trailer. Even though an officer could see him inside his home holding a handgun, the officer said Baron refused to answer the door. Police held surveillance on the home until the next day when Baron left his house to check his mail while holding a handgun, according to the charges. He was placed under arrest without incident. Inside Baron's home, detectives reported finding seven rifles, three handguns and four Molotov cocktails. At the time of his arrest, police said Baron had struggled with mental health issues in the past. In August, Baron took a plea in abeyance, pleading guilty to aggravated assault, according to court records. In exchange, a charge of illegally carrying a gun was dismissed. Baron was charged with pointing a gun at two juveniles driving a car on 9000 South who had honked at him for standing in the road. As part of the plea deal, Baron was ordered to a mental health and substance abuse evaluation, according to court records. BOX ELDER COUNTY Sun Tunnels, the historic Utah land art piece by contemporary artist Nancy Holt, has been purchased by the Dia Art Foundation. Located in Lucin, an abandoned railroad town in Box Elder County, Sun Tunnels was built from 1973-1976. It includes four concrete cylinders, each 18 feet in length and nine feet in diameter, arranged in an open cross format. The cylinders are aligned to frame the sun on the horizon during summer and winter solstices. It is among the nationally renowned land art pieces in Utah, including Robert Smithsons Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake. Utah audiences need not worry, though: Sun Tunnels isnt going anywhere. Dia, a renowned nonprofit organization, seeks to enable and preserve atypical art projects like Sun Tunnel, so the piece will stay put. Dia has a longstanding relationship with Holt, who died in 2014. Holt, in fact, facilitated the donation of Spiral Jetty to Dia in 1999. To highlight the acquisition, Dia will present installations of Holts work at Dia:Chelsea in New York City. This will include the room-size installations Holes of Light and Mirrors of Light. These installations are scheduled to open on Sept. 15 this year. Nancy Holt was an important innovator and intellect. She deeply understood Dia's commitment to stewarding such radical works, said Jessica Morgan, a director at Dia Art Foundation, in a press release. I am honored to give her the place she deserves alongside her peers by bringing Sun Tunnels, the first work of land art by a woman, into the fold of Dia's collection. As part of the acquisition, Dia is partnering with a number of Utah institutions to further advocate for the piece. These partners include the Center for Land Use Interpretation at Wendover, the Holt-Smithson Foundation and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. SALT LAKE CITY Women's voices from every stripe of life converged in the Capitol rotunda for a rally on the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature. Amplifying Women's Voices featured an assortment of guest speakers Thursday, including representatives from the League of Women Voters of Utah, Utah Women of Color Council, Transgender Education Advocates of Utah/Utah Pride Center and Planned Parenthood Teen Council. Sue Robbins introduced herself as the "first transgender individual" of the Utah Pride Center. She mentioned the transgender women of color who led the Stonewall riot that launched the LGBT movement. "Transgender women have a long history of stepping to the front and working to create change. We come together in solidarity with all women of differing intersectional identities," Robbins said. Ma Black, representing the LatinX Community Advocate, introduced herself to the rally as a "immigrant woman." "Because many of my immigrant sisters don't have this chance," Black said. "Today we celebrate you. We honor and acknowledge you: mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and all the women here and around the world," she said. Sadie Ortiz, a junior from Park City High School speaking on behalf of the Planned Parenthood Teen Council, said she's the first in her family who will graduate from high school and then be the first to attend college. Ortiz said it has been difficult to grow up in the United States, having to navigate the obstacles of racism and sexism. "As a member of the younger generations, I'm here to empower youth. They are the future. Their voices deserve to be heard, and we need to hear their voices," she said. "The systems of power do not include minorities people of color, the LGBT community, or women. We all deserve equal representation, right? Aren't we tired of seeing oppression, the systematic racism, the slurs? We all need to unite, fight and speak for what we want and deserve," Ortiz said. "That's our future," said Karrie Galloway, representing the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah. "We need to make sure we are registered to vote. We need to make sure we know who we are voting for. We need to make sure we know what that person stands for. Or we could run for office," Galloway said. A lot has happened at the Utah Legislature during it's 45-day session, she said. "If the women and sisters who are here with us have inspired you, or if something the Legislature (has) done has discouraged you, you must speak out. We have learned from teens in Florida, we have learned from MeToo and TimeOut that we have to speak our truth," Galloway said. SALT LAKE CITY The Utah Farm Bureau, joined by the American Farm Bureau Federation, is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing the U.S. president acted correctly to shrink the boundaries of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. "Grazing allotments in the monuments are not just land, they are the linchpin of the Western ranching community. The Farm Bureaus member ranching families manage the natural resources on these lands for both their livelihood and wildlife," the document filed Thursday said. The farming organizations have also joined Utah and the federal government in asking the lawsuit by The Wilderness Society against the Trump administration be moved from federal court in Washington, D.C., to Utah. "Utah ranching families have been grazing and taking care of these lands for generations, said Ron Gibson, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. Preserving continued access for grazing is critical for these families and the rural communities they support. The filing cites the case of Dell LeFevre, owner of the 7 Bar X Ranch in Garfield and Kane counties and a rancher in the area since the early 1970s who has relied on federal grazing allotments. He and other ranchers have seen their livelihoods diminished, the case states. A statement by the farming organizations say while more than 90 percent of the Grand Staircase monument was open to grazing on paper, grazing was virtually impossible as a practical matter because of management policies specific to national monuments. Much of the lands ability to support grazing, for example, was eliminated because ranchers werent allowed to implement rangeland improvements. The Antiquities Act has been abused to designate 'monuments' that grossly exceed the scale envisioned by Congress, Gibson said. These land grabs set aside vast areas of federal lands for the purpose of landscape preservation and elimination of resource use severely limiting ranchers access to lands for livestock grazing. The farm bureau argues that ranchers in established monuments, such as the Grand Staircase-Escalante, have been limited in their ability to manage vegetation to ensure ample forage, utilize fences and corrals for their livestock, and provide clean water for their livestock. The Wilderness Society and multiple other groups are suing the Trump administration over its December action to shrink the monument, dividing it into three smaller parcels. Since its 1996 designation, critics of the move to create the 1.9 million-acre monument have chafed at what they describe as a land grab. SALT LAKE CITY The day after the Utah Legislature swiftly passed a drastically altered bill that would control the development of an inland port in Salt Lake City's northwest quadrant that left city leaders reeling, Gov. Gary Herbert said he intends to sign the bill into law. "I am a big fan of the inland port," Herbert said in an interview. "Utah is ready for an inland port. We are the crossroads of the West." Despite Salt Lake City leaders' worries that the bill usurps administrative land-use decisions in nearly 20,000 acres of Salt Lake City a claim House Speaker Greg Hughes disputes Herbert said a veto of the bill isn't on the table. "I don't know that it rises to that level," the governor said, though he did note there may be some tweaks in its establishment because of concern. SB234, which creates a the Utah Inland Port Authority to oversee the development of nearly 20,000 acres of Salt Lake City's last developable swath of land, passed both the House and the Senate Wednesday night after little debate even though much of the bill contained new language city leaders were still scrambling to review. The sweeping changes were "substantially different" from what city officials and state lawmakers had been working on as part of the city's "continuous good faith efforts," Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski said in a statement Thursday. The bill, Biskupski said, "eliminated the city's land-use authority, compromised environmental protections and took all tax increment" of the port authority's area with a board that has "complete lack of accountability." "The city will no longer be able to make decisions on nearly one-third of Salt Lake City land," Biskupski said. "Yet the bill still leaves the city with the obligation to provide municipal services to the area, such as public safety and street maintenance, without a revenue source to pay for these additional services." The Utah League of Cities and Towns was also "frustrated" with the bill as it was passed Wednesday night "because it violates several core principles of local government," including land use and tax authority, said the league's executive director, Cameron Diehl. "It's the taking control of a large swath of the city without the city's consent," Diehl said. But Hughes, who has largely driven the creation of a state inland port, disputes city claims that SB234 removes city land-use decisions, arguing cities can still make land use and zoning decisions. "The bill that was passed last night has a lot of the concessions (Salt Lake City) was asking for total land-use authority, control, all those things are in the bill that passed last night," Hughes said. "Now you can say this is lip service, but I'm telling you we're memorializing this in the bill, to work in concert with applicable state and local government entities, property owners and other private parties, we say this in the bill over and over," he added. But the city concerns that the port authority board would be able to override administrative land-use decisions through an appeal panel (which is also made up of the board). That appeal panel remained in the version signed by Hughes and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, Thursday. Hughes conceded that Salt Lake City was not apprised of the new version of the bill made public late Wednesday night when the House sponsor took to the floor to adopt the substitute with changes that not only cut the city's representation on the board from three to two, but also allowed the port authority to capture 100 percent of the tax increment on property taxes from new development. Hughes said it came to that because he became "frustrated" after Salt Lake City leaders remained firmly opposed to multiple versions of the bill, and as the city's position "got stronger and stronger" he became "worried that the idea was just to run out the clock and just not get anything accomplished." "They were opposed from the onset," Hughes said. "I never saw that common ground as language kept being put in to try and gain that support ... We were never getting there." On cutting the mayor's appointments leaving the city's only seats to the chair of the Salt Lake City Airport Advisory Board and a member of the City Council Hughes said: "Well, (Biskuspski) really hated the bills that had her in it." "She hated every version she was in," the speaker said. "I wasn't getting anywhere." The bill's changes also gave the Utah Department of Transportation and West Valley City a seat at the board and increased Salt Lake County's seats from one to two. Boundaries were also changed to include an estimated 2,000 acres in West Valley City and Magna, located near state Route 201 with a southern boundary beginning at the intersection of 5600 West and the Riter Canal. West Valley City Manager Wayne Pyle said "this was a surprise to us," and "we were brought in at the very last second just like everyone else," but West Valley is supportive. "It absolutely could be very good for West Valley," he said. "Honestly, as we're considering this, we'd rather be involved in it rather than not be involved." Pyle declined to discuss specifics, but said the city was "approached" in the last several days by state officials asking if West Valley would be interested in joining. Pyle also declined to name what specific businesses would be included in the port authority, but he did say the parcels "made sense for an inland port authority concept" because they're for manufacturing and distribution industrial uses. Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams who told the Deseret News in January he strongly believes any land use or zoning decisions need to remain under the city's control said "for the most part the bill is fair." "I think while I certainly recognize the concerns, I think they may be a little overstated," McAdams said, noting that the port authority's capturing of tax increment is "not that different than most other economic development incentives we negotiate." "Salt Lake County never agrees to economic incentive that doesn't have accountability as to what happens with land use, and it's built into all of our agreements, so I guess it's not as groundbreaking... I don't think it sets the negative precedent others are worried about." However, McAdams added he "certainly respects" Salt Lake City's concerns. "While we'd love to see consensus between the city and the state, that didn't happen," he said. "But the next steps now is to move forward and make this as successful as possible." Contributing: Amy Joi O'Donoghue WEST JORDAN A South Jordan man was charged Friday with raping a 12-year-old girl he met on a TRAX train. Alec Cole Tate, 24, is charged in 3rd District Court with two counts of rape of a child, a first-degree felony. Police say Tate met a young girl while riding TRAX in July. "He asked for her phone number, and after exiting the TRAX he began texting her," charging documents state. Not long after, the two met and Tate took her to a friend's apartment where they had sex twice, the charges state. In December of 2016, Tate was convicted of felony drug distribution in a plea in abeyance in which he agreed to enter drug court, according to court records. Tate also has several other misdemeanor drug-related convictions. ITC Global has been awarded a three-year contract renewal by Plan International for service to 24 sites across western and central Africa. The agreement, which establishes continuous delivery of remote communications services and includes an electronics upgrade for all sites, supports the delivery of Plan Internationals global strategy to spearhead a movement for 100 million girls around the world, enabling them to learn, lead, decide and thrive. The contract follows ITC Globals recent contract awards with multiple non-governmental organizations (NGOs) covering connectivity needs for more than 80 sites across Africa and the Middle East. The agreement covers delivery of a custom network using very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology to support Plan Internationals in-country operations. In addition to sites existing fixed, 2.4-meter antennas in service, all system electronics will be upgraded. This will require local field technicians to perform site visits for equipment replacement and general maintenance, enabled by ITC Globals local presence in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The field electronics refresh will be completed in 2018, all while being backed by ITC Globals 24x7 network monitoring and support for the entire contract lifecycle. Leading NGO and humanitarian aid organizations trust ITC Global to deliver upon mission-critical needs out in the field whether they are responding to natural disasters or working to improve quality of life for vulnerable individuals or environments, said Yagnesh Rajendren, Vice President, Global Enterprise at ITC Global. By establishing connectivity life lines for those on the front lines, we make operational excellence possible via reliable, always-on communications. We are pleased to serve Plan Internationals work in Africa once again and value the true partnership weve developed over the last 10 years. We have selected ITC Global to continue providing communications capabilities for our African operations as weve worked together over a significant period to customize the service so that it expertly addresses our needs on the ground, said Bhavin Patel, Global Infrastructure Manager at Plan International. As a long-standing partner, we have confidence in ITC Globals ability to deliver innovative connectivity solutions via the latest technology, purpose-built for critical humanitarian operations such as ours. ITC Global has enabled always-on communications for Plan Internationals operations in Africa for nearly 10 years, and this award speaks to the partnership history and high quality of performance that ITC Global has consistently delivered. Plan International is a non-profit development and humanitarian organization that advances childrens rights and equality for girls. Taiwan Excellence is showcasing some new products in India, at the Convergence India 2018 expo. The company unveiled new products like the BenQ ScreenBar e-reading lamp, which was also launched at the event, along with the Avision A4 Black & White Laser MFP AM30A Series, Edimax EdiGreen AirBox Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Solutions AI-2002W, Acer abSignage and more. Speaking about the expo, Mario Tasi, Deputy Director of Strategic Marketing Department said, Taiwan has been supporting the Government of India in various path-breaking initiatives like Make in India, Digital India and Skill India. By participating in Convergence India 2018, we wished to share our expertise in the field of ICT with other Indian as well as global companies. This expo has been a great platform to share ideas and network with other stakeholders from the industry. We have been able to build some great partnerships through this expo. Read the complete press release The rapidly picking ICT market in India received a major shot in the arm when some of the best brands from the global ICT market showcased their products at an expo here. Taiwan Excellence displayed its advanced and award-winning products at the recently held Convergence India 2018 in New Delhi. The exhibition was held at Pragati Maidan from March 7 to 9. India is already experiencing a robust business environment thanks to the various initiatives undertaken by the government including Make in India, Digital India, Smart Cities, Skilling India and Start up India to empower citizens. The country is now witnessing the heralding of a digital transformation that has transformed its economy. Taiwan-based ICT brands have supported each of these initiatives and are contributing seminally in the making of strong digital India of the future. Participating in the Convergence expo for the 2nd consecutive time, Taiwan Excellence reiterated its commitment to align with Indias digital development mission. This year, the organization unveiled some never-seen-before cutting-edge products at the expo like the BenQ ScreenBar e-reading lamp AR_17, which was specially launched at the event. Also, on display were some state-of-the-art digital innovations including Avision A4 Black & White Laser MFP AM30A Series, Edimax EdiGreen AirBox Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Solutions AI-2002W, Acer abSignage etc. Among the featured brands during Convergence India 2018 are MSI, a brand that resonates gaming experience; ASUS, a household name in India for superior laptops; and Plustek, known for its world-class quality scanners. The exhibition also featured other prominent brands such as Gigabyte, company supplies some of the most trusted motherboards, graphics cards, and computer notebooks on the global market today; Thermaltake which is known for three main brandsThermaltake, Tt eSPORTS and LUXA2and have been merchandising high-quality products throughout the world, D-Link Corporation, Aifa Technology Corp, Silicon Power Computer & Communications Inc and so on. A host of senior corporate leaders and stalwarts from leading Taiwanese brands attended Convergence India 2018 including 2017. Speaking about the expo, Mario Tasi, Deputy Director of Strategic Marketing Department said, Taiwan has been supporting the Government of India in various path-breaking initiatives like Make in India, Digital India and Skill India. By participating in Convergence India 2018, we wished to share our expertise in the field of ICT with other Indian as well as global companies. This expo has been a great platform to share ideas and network with other stakeholders from the industry. We have been able to build some great partnerships through this expo. Convergence India serves as a platform to showcase the latest trends and technologies related to Telecom, Broadcast, Cable and Satellite TV, Cloud & Big Data, IoT, Digital Homes, Mobile devices, Film and Radio, Content Creation, Management and Delivery, etc. It helps digital innovators, international business gurus, telecom and broadcasting czars, leaders from IT & Internet and IoT industries for networking. Its almost a ritual now. Samsung will set the ball rolling by launching the flagship Galaxy S smartphone early in the year while Apple will hold its own event near the end of the year and topple Samsung off its pole position. Samsungs own Galaxy Note has been positioned to cushion that fall from top a bit. But this year, the story is going to be different. The Galaxy S9+ wont be ritualistically crowned as the best performing smartphone. Last years iPhone X retains the crown, as the raw performance of the Exynos 9810 chip powering the S9+ falls way short of the A11 Bionic chipset inside the iPhone X. We ran our suite of benchmarking apps right after we received the Galaxy S9+ and soon realised that while this is indeed the fastest Android phone right now, its nowhere close to the iPhone X. The Galaxy S9 is powered by Samsungs proprietary silicon in India, the Exynos 9810, as opposed to the Snapdragon 845 chipset that powers the units in US and China. We noticed that the Exynos 9810 SoC is underclocked in the Galaxy S9+. When it launched, Samsung had announced that the 9810 can reach a max clock speed of 2.9Ghz. However, the one powering the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ is clocked at a max speed of 2.7Ghz. The A11 Bionic, though, has an even lower core clock speed at 2.39GHz. Its also a hexa-core chipset as opposed to the 9810 being an octa-core chipset. A layman will look at the processor specs and immediately call the S9+ the winner. But the devil is in the details. Geekbench 4 Geekbench 4 is designed to rate raw computing performance of a device. The benchmark app that supports both iOS and Android devices checks how the single-core and multi-core performance of a phone stack up against the competition. The Galaxy S9+ received an impressive score of 3769 for single-core and 8938 for multi-core performance. This is higher than all of the premium Android flagships from last year. Its 46 percent faster than both the Galaxy Note 8 and the Galaxy S8+. However, Geekbenchs processor-intensive tests that put to test the ability for the CPU to handle loads, state that the Galaxy S9+ is no match for the iPhone X. Its 11 percent slower than Apples flagship. AnTuTu AnTuTu, one of the most popular benchmarking apps for devices, simulates real-world operations and assigns an overall score to the device. While the score, on its own, doesnt mean much, its useful as a comparison tool between two devices. Higher the score, the better it is. And in this case, the Galaxy S9+ does come out on top, even above the iPhone X. 15 percent higher than Apples marquee device to be exact. Its impressive, but AnTuTu has been known to be rigged of sorts. OEMs tune the processor to run at peak speeds just to pass the benchmarking app with flying colours. As a result, it cannot always be relied upon. Nevertheless, with a higher score, the S9+ is overall faster than the iPhone X, but when you look at the granular scores, you will realise the UX score on the iPhone X is higher than the Galaxy S9+ and for good reason. iOS is way more optimised than Android which is more or less like a turnkey solution for smartphone interface for every other OEM under the sun. 3D Mark Sling Shot 3D Mark is a measure of a devices graphical prowess. It is essentially a test of the integrated GPU on a device. The Galaxy S9+ relies on a Mali G72 GPU for graphics and based on the 3D Mark Sling Shot score, it isnt much of an upgrade from the previous generation. Theres only a ten percent increase in the benchmark score over the Galaxy Note 8. Whats even more embarrassing is that the S9+ couldnt even match up to the OnePlus 5T in terms of graphical prowess, let alone the iPhone X. The Exynos 9810 is built on Samsungs own 10nm LPP manufacturing process. Its a chipset designed and manufactured by Samsung to run on its own Galaxy devices. Much like what Apple does. The A11 Bionic chipset is also a custom chipset designed and tuned by Apple solely to power the iPhone X. Considering how both Samsung and Apple design and tune their own chips to power their own devices, its baffling to see how far ahead Apple really is in semiconductor technology. But more than that, its perhaps the optimisations in iOS that makes the A11 Bionic sing. I say that because Samsung still has to depend on Android, which Google develops, and is used by just about everyone. The hardware-software harmony isnt as good as in iOS devices, as a result. Nevertheless, its likely that you wont see much of a difference in real-world usage. The Galaxy S9+ is still blazing fast, and quite capable of handling just about anything you throw at it. But what the benchmark scores entail is that between Samsung vs Apple, Apple comes out as a clear winner. With the digital revolution, the business landscape is changing and has widespread implications for operations - ranging from data integrity to compliance. To survive and grow in this age, simplifying and streamlining process workflows needs to be a top priority for organisations. It is in this vein that Canon unveiled the new Generation 3 Multifunction Devices, reinforcing its philosophy - Business Can Be Simple. These products have been launched to streamline workflows and digitise documents - helping your businesses innovate and optimize at scales previously unheard of. A simple yet versatile Multifunction Device or MFD is possibly the most useful device for any business or organisation to invest in. Not only does it improve office productivity and versatility due to its ability to copy, scan, print, and fax, but it also saves space as all those tasks are handled by a single device. But choosing the right MFD is no easy task and a quality MFD is vital as it can offer a substantially higher ROI to businesses, all the while simplifying the way organisations conduct business and improving their workflow. The entire lineup is designed to meet the needs and requirements of various businesses. All of them adhere to six pillars, which not only ensures optimal value, but also helps with security, device management, workflow efficiency, reliability and sustainability. These devices are equipped with the features that help ensure data security, save energy, and improve workplace efficiency. In other words, it aims to make business simple. Workflow Efficiency One of the most important aspects of any business is maintaining workflow efficiency. Workflow efficiency of a particular employee is directly related to overall office efficiency, which in turn would impact the revenue generated on any particular day. The MFDs offers a unique personal experience wherein individuals are able to customise the device settings to cater to their own requirements. This enables users to actively make the most of their device as it would offer a personalised environment for optimised workflow, based on the features a user is most likely to use. The MFD is also smart enough to skip any blank pages while scanning the documents .This is further improved by the efficient management of multiple MFDs. Device & Fleet Management The new lineup of Canon MFDs come with a cool new feature (optional) called Follow-Me. This nifty feature allows the MFD to work in tandem with other devices in the network. This lets anyone in the network send a print command to any connected device. So, employees can print documents from the closest MFD, without walking all the way to specific printer. Of course, with connected device, the need to ensure security is of utmost importance. Security While a connected office might increase office efficiency and productivity, it also increases the chance of a security breach. Leaked or stolen documents might become a pretty costly mistake down the line. In order to ensure security, Canon MFDs use hard disk encryption technology as well as a dedicated chip for enhanced security. There is also a Forced Hold Printing feature that ensures that a print command isnt carried out unless the user walks up to the machine and releases the print. On top of this, there is a feature that reminds users to retrieve the originals after scanning by either an LED light or an audible tone. This is quite helpful if the user is scanning sensitive documents. However, with such focus on security, its natural for business owners to worry if such an MFD is too expensive for them. Cost management Canons MFDs aim to offer a better ROI in the long run. Besides increasing ROI by improving workplace efficiency, the devices themselves are very efficient as well. Canons MFDs are designed to eliminate any unnecessary use of ink. The devices themselves offer a low cost for each copy as well as a lower overall running cost for the toner and drum unit. Furthermore, the Canon MFDs feature parts that last longer before they have to be replaced. Prints can also be restricted per department/user so as to limit wasteful printing. In order to save on power, there is an Eco Sleep mode that automatically puts the MFD to sleep when not in use. Of course, there have been times when a focus on cost management has come at the cost of reliability, but that isnt the case with Canons MFDs. Reliability In any office, everything needs to work smoothly in order to ensure optimal workflow efficiency. However, a single flaw could lead to a backlog of work. That is why its important to ensure that any device in the office is reliable and is able to work all day, every day. Canons Generation 3 MFDs come equipped with the Vertical Paper Path technology. Unlike traditional S-path technology, the Vertical Paper Path technology is designed to reduce paper jams, which ensures that workflow is not hindered. To make toner and paper replacements easier, the MFD can show videos that walk the user through the whole process. And of course, Canon has a strong service network that covers all of India. Sustainability In this day and age, there is an inherent need for offices to be sustainable and cater to the needs of the environment. Canons new MFDs ensure that productivity doesnt hamper sustainability. The MFD also has a stapling unit available as an optional accessory for stapling sheets of paper. However, instead of using a metal stapler, the device uses pressure to bind the sheets of paper together. This is not only eco-friendly, but also offers more compact document stacking. The devices come with On-Demand fixing technology, which reduce power consumption, while increasing output at the same time. This helps lower the MFDs overall carbon footprint. Canons adherence to these six pillars ensures that its MFDs offer consumers the best value for their money. With these six pillars in place, business owners can rest assured that the Canon MFD they are purchasing is the best in its class. You can learn more about Canons Generation 3 Multifunction Devices and how they can help your business by clicking here. Disclaimer: Some of the product features mentioned in the article may be optional and available on select models only. Contact Canon to know more about the standard and optional features available with the Generation 3 MFDs. All additional accessories (software & hardware) are optional, as per the users requirements. The image used is for representation purpose only. [Sponsored Post] New draft guidelines published by the European Council this week have been positively received by the Killybegs Fishermens Organisation. Its key concerns of avoidance of separation from other sectors as well as the retention of existing reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources are fully recognised in the draft text. The draft guidelines, issued by the Council which sketch out the likely course of negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and the UK, make specific reference to fisheries in article seven which states: Trade in goods, with the aim of covering all sectors, which should be subject to zero tariffs and no quantitative restrictions with appropriate accompanying rules of origin. In this context, existing reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources should be maintained. This good news comes on top of the transitional guidelines issued by the Council on January 29th last, which clearly states that during the transition period: Specific consultations should also be foreseen with regard to the fixing of fishing opportunities (total allowable catches) during the transition period, in full respect of the Union acquis. [1] KFO Chief Executive, Sean ODonoghue said: The Killybegs Fishermens Organisation has lobbied intensely, in conjunction with our European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA) colleagues, to have these key commitments included both in the transitional arrangements and in the phase two trade negotiations. I would like to acknowledge the role played by Minister Creed and his officials in achieving this welcome result. I would simultaneously like to put on record it is now imperative that the Minister and his team fight tooth and nail to ensure the commitments set out in the draft text are retained in the final document to be agreed at Council by the end of this month. I held lengthy discussions with the French Ambassador, Stephane Crouzat in Killybegs this week and he has developed a deep appreciation of the situation in which the Irish fishing industry finds itself. The French industry too, would be decimated were the UK to restrict access to its waters and increase its percentage share of the TACs, concluded Mr ODonoghue. EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier has also last week, reiterated his message that the issue of fisheries cannot be addressed in isolation from the wider trade agreement which is what the KFO and EUFA have stated from the outset. Both firmly believe that the unique nature of fisheries, a shared resource, must be considered within the context of wider trade relations as has now been set out in the draft guidelines. You may also like to read: Donegal fishermen's chief hits out at criticism of Brexit talks Former Donegal fishing chief calls for clarity from government on Brexit The Donegal Democrat has been informed of the following deaths: - Michael Taylor, 2 Chapel Close, Stranorlar - Dorothy (Dorris) Conwell, Marine Drive, Killybegs - Norma Holliday nee Colhoun formerly of Malin Town - Martin McCann, Ardfarna, Bundoran -Patrick Kelly, Buncrana and formerly Birmingham, England - Brigid Farren, Urblereagh, Malin Head Michael Taylor, 2 Chapel Close, Stranorlar The sudden death has taken place at his home of 42-year-old Michael Taylor, 2 Chapel Close, Stranorlar. Remains reposing at his home on from 7pm this evening. Funeral leaving his home on Sunday, March 11th, at 10.30am for Requiem Mass at 11 am in the Church of Mary immaculate, Stranorlar with interment afterwards at Stranorlar Parish Church of Ireland, Churchyard. Donations in lieu of flowers, if so desired, to the Patients' Comfort Fund, St . Joseph's Community Hospital care of any family member. Family time from 11 pm to 10 am and on the morning of the funeral. Dorothy (Dorris) Conwell, Marine Drive, Killybegs The death has taken place of Dorothy (Dorris) Conwell, Marine Drive ,Killybegs . Remains arriving at St. Mary's Church Killybegs, for 7pm. Funeral Mass tomorrow Saturday at 11am with burial afterwards in the local cemetery. Family flowers only please donations in lieu if desired to Friends of Letterkenny University Hospital. House strictly private please . Martin McCann, Ardfarna, Bundoran The death has taken place of Martin McCann, Ardfarna, Bundoran. House private today ,Friday . Remains reposing at his home on Saturday from 11am to 10pm . Remains leaving his late residence on Sunday at 10:15am to arrive at the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Bundoran for Mass of the Resurrection at 11am. Burial immediately afterwards to St.Aidans Cemetery, Kinlough. House private to family only on Sunday morning. No flowers please, donations in lieu if desired to Northwest Hospice c/o Conlan & Breslin Funeral Directors, Bundoran 0879670448. Norma Holliday nee Colhoun formerly of Malin Town The death has taken place of Norma Holliday nee Colhoun formerly of Malin Town. Service of Thanksgiving in St. Patricks Parish Church, Drumbeg, Co. Down on Monday 12th March at 12.30pm. Patrick Kelly, Buncrana and formerly Birmingham, England The death has taken place at the Nazareth House, Fahan of Patrick Kelly, 20 Millfield Crescent, Buncrana and formerly Birmingham, England. Funeral Saturday morning leaving his home at 9.15am going to St. Marys Oratory, Buncrana for 10am requiem Mass. Interment afterwards in St. Marys Cemetery, Cockhill. Family flowers only. Donations in lieu to Nazareth House, Fahan c/o any family member or Murphy Funeral Directors. House is strictly private. Family and friends only please . Brigid Farren, Urblereagh, Malin Head The death has taken place at Beach Hill Manor Nursing Home, Lisfannon, Buncrana of Brigid Farren late of Urblereagh, Malin Head. Reposing at her late residence. Funeral from there on Saturday at 10.15am for 11am Requiem Mass in St. Marys Church, Lagg, followed by burial in the adjoining burial ground. Family time from 11pm to 10am . All enquiries to Liam Collins Funeral Directors. Should you wish to have a death notice included on our website, contact us with the details via this email address: editorial@donegaldemocrat.com Please include a contact number for verification. Donegal businesses were to the fore this week as Local Enterprise Week got off to a fantastic start in the county with superb events at venues all over Donegal. The week-long programme got off to a brilliant start on Monday morning when Donagh Kelly of the KN Group delivered a masterclass of business thinking with a superb keynote speech in Solis Lough Eske, Donegal town. The opening event was followed by three more Donegal businesses Irish Pressings, KER Group and Moll Industries taking centre stage in a workshop on building a niche business and the celebration of Donegal business continued to the end of the opening day. In Buncrana on Monday night, six manufacturing businesses in Donegal were celebrated in the launch of the short film and book Donegal We Make Things, bringing to an end a hugely inspirational start to a great week. I dont think we could have found a more fitting way to start Local Enterprise Week in Donegal than to have put so many Donegal people in business out front and centre stage so we could learn from them and celebrate their success, Head of Enterprise in Donegal, Michael Tunney said this week. Of course events continued across the county on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with more to choose from on Friday. To book events, log on to www.localenterprise.ie/donegal or send an e.mail to patricia.clarke@leo.donegalcoco.ie or phone 0749160735. Caption, Main pic: Six Donegal businesses who featured in the book and film Donegal - We Make Things pictured with Anton Savage at the launch in Buncrana on Monday night as part of Local Enterprise Week. Included are: Andrew McElhinney, ODonnells Bakery; Patrick McLaughlin, Silver Strand Rope Works; Broadcaster Anton Savage; Jay MacBride, MacBride Brothers Joinery; James Cuddihy, Welditz. Back Row from left: Danny MacBride, MacBride Bros Joinery; Mark Patton, Joe Bonnar Metalcraft and Ian Mason, Diorite Solid Surface Technology. Amid the corporate gloss of Jaguar Land Rovers stand at the Geneva motor show with its posh SUVs, on-point electric vehicles and glam-laden luxury sedans, at least two opposites to all that stood out if you looked hard enough. One was an immaculate - and yet somehow slightly off-kilter - 34 year-old XJ Series III sedan, oozing all the elegance and restrained menace for which one of Jaguars more famous four-door body shapes is famous. The other was the mature gent with the long blonde hair dressed incongruously in a three-piece suit but visibly, almost jumping out of his threads with excitement. The car was called Johnny 3, restored to the specifications of its owner by Jaguar Classic. The guy the owner was Nicko McBrain, drummer in Iron Maiden for 35 of the bands 43-year existence and a long-time fan of Jaguar cars. Porsche sees a myriad of strengths in its upcoming electric vehicle ecosystem that will trounce current offerings from Tesla. Though manufacturers wont admit the US-based company is a benchmark for its new EVs, the pioneering electric car maker has been instrumental in moving the industry into an electric era faster than anticipated. And so it currently serves as the best yardstick. The unequivocal sentiment from the heads of most car makers is that the US company forced the incoming tide of competing EVs and nearly every mainstream manufacturer at this years Geneva motor show had one on display in either production or concept form, and most are due to launch in the next few years if it wasnt already available. But Teslas rapid expansion may come at its own cost as it faces challenges to ramp up production for its volume-seller Model 3 something it hasnt much experience in and is technologically overtaken by manufacturers with assembly lines that run like clockwork. Despite saying it is only concerned with whats happening on its own ship, Porsche made a point this month that its cars are superior in just about every metric, and that Teslas Silicon Valley origins may also be its shortcoming. We learned from Tesla, but they come more from the computer business and digital business, said Porsche CEO Oliver Blume at the 2018 Geneva motor show. But what they are doing is they moved the whole industry and therefore I have a lot of respect. Talking about the fire trucks, Jack Daniels is the only distillery in the world which has its fire brigade, run by employee volunteers. The Scout Bobber Jack Daniel edition was designed as a tribute to people who are committed to keeping communities safe as well as a tribute to emergency medical services (EMS) professionals. Indian Motorcycle will produce only 177 units of the Scout Bobber Jack Daniel Edition for the global market. Each of these bikes will be individually numbered and accented with Jack Daniel's Fire Brigade themes. Recommended Video - Watch Now! Cleveland Motorcycles India Launch Details, Models, Specs- DriveSpark The limited edition Scout Bobber has two-tone matte black paint scheme and is covered in real 24-carat gold graphics in the tank and fenders. While the gold paint scheme runs through to the Fire Brigade emblem on the tank, the "Bottles and Throttles Don't Mix"logo is seen on the front fender. Other custom details include a genuine leather single seat with "Jack Daniel's" embroidery and custom grips, pegs, and shift levers inspired by the "Old No. 7 Brand". Additionally, the Scout Bobber Jack Daniel's edition features chopped fenders, bar-end mirrors, vented exhaust shields, knobby tyres and sleek headlight casing. The motorcycles will be available to order on March 13, 2018, via Indian Motorcycle dealerships. The Indian Scout Bobber Jack Daniel's Limited Edition price is announced for the US and Canada region, with the price in the US at $16,999 (about Rs 11 lakh). For India, Indian Motorcycle has not confirmed if the limited edition bike will be offered in India. DriveSpark's Thought About The Indian Scout Bobber Jack Daniel's Edition The 2016 Indian Springfield Jack Daniel's Edition and the same edition on the Chief Vintage was sold out within less than eight hours of going on order. The 2017 Indian Chieftain Jack Daniel's Edition was sold out in 10 minutes within going to order. By looking at the trend, the Indian Scout Bobber Jack Daniel's Edition too will have an excellent response by Indian Motorcycle enthusiasts. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. 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. Dundalk-based mum-of-two Tracy McGinnis is desperately calling on Louth County Council to provide suitable housing that will cater to her son Brendan's profound needs so that he can recover from a long and intensive major operation this July in comfort. Tracy's critically ill 13-year-old son Brendan was born with congenital CMV which has left him severely disabled and medically fragile. Image taken from Tracy's Twitter The family are currently living in private rental accommodation, however, their current house does not provide the essential requirements that her son Brendan will need when he is released from the hospital after his spinal fusion operation in July. In fact, she is currently unable to use a floor hoist to lift him from his medical bed, which is a danger to both of them as she is forced to lift him herself. Tracy explained: In July, Brendan will not be able to come back to this house. It's not that I want a mansion on the hill. I just want to save my sons life, for as long as I can, and make it the best it can be while I am blessed to have him in my life. My sons life is literally dependent upon having the proper house." The mum explained: We need a ceiling track hoist for Brendan and an adjoining wet room with double doors so that he can be lifted in through the door. He'll also need to be kept clean. I can't bathe him in the wet room at the moment, because of the angles in this house, I can't take Brendan into the wet room using the floor hoist. Our housing situation has to be sorted before July. At the moment, when Brendan is ready to come home from his spinal fusion operation, he has nowhere to go. If he was forced to recover in a group setting (such as a hospital) that would mean he could risk picking up an infection. And that's a risk we can't take. In addition to the challenges Tracy faces as a lone parent and carer caring for her son 24/7 with just 15 days of respite a year from children's charity Laura Lynn, (five hours of respite services per week to be provided by the Louth disability team which is currently being arranged), being housebound for more than 130 days and not being able to find more time for her 9-year-old son Declan Ms McGinnis is also under huge financial pressure. Image taken from Tracy's Twitter Tracy is Brendan's full-time carer and as such relies on a carer's allowance to care for her family. This means that the mum-of-two does not qualify for a mortgage because banks will not consider her carer's allowance as income. The mum-of-two explained: I hate that as a full-time carer I am relegated to welfare, it, therefore, resigns us to poverty, no future savings, no stability, no security, and no sense of self-worth for having once-upon-a-time worked my way through university and then through graduate school. The frustrated mum of two is calling for local county councils to allow carers apply for low-interest loans to purchase council houses so that the McGinnis's and other families in their position can have a chance at breaking out of the cycle of being dependent on Ireland's unstable rental market. If I could qualify for a home loan, I would buy my own house in a heartbeat! And frankly, I want to do it on my own! Tracy said. The mum, who has a Master's Degree in Counselling, has recently been in touch with Louth County Council about a bungalow she found for sale close to their current location which would suit the families needs perfectly. Writing on her blog recently, the mum said: Brendans medical team, disability team, and various people in politics are all working on letters to appeal to the Louth County Council for this urgently required housing. As I seriously doubt there is any such house in their supply, I would imagine it would mean the County Council acquiring a bungalow currently for sale and making any modifications if needed. But will they do that? If so, how long will it take? I have to ask because my sons life hangs in the balance. Mairead McGuinness MEP was taken to hospital in Valencia, Spain yesterday after fainting during a meeting, according to reports in the Spanish press. McGuinness, a Fine Gael MEP and European Parliament vice-president, hails from Ardee. According to Spanish daily newspaper ABC, she fainted during a meeting of the EPP held in the eastern Spanish city. On Friday afternoon, Mairead McGuinness' office confirmed to the Dundalk Democrat that the MEP left the hospital on Thursday evening, is fine and is returning home to Ireland today. The newspaper reported that McGuinness fainted at around 3pm on Thursday after a meeting with Deputy Spanish prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria McGuinness was attended to by hotel staff before an ambulance arrived from the Servicio de Atencion Medica. She was transferred to a hospital in the city where she was kept in for observation. Shortly after, an ambulance arrived from the SAMU , which took her to a hospital center in Valencia, where she was undergoing observations by doctors on Thursday evening. McGuinness is based at the European Parliament in Brussels and travels to and from her home near Ardee weekly. The frontwoman from Irish alternative pop band MAK, who is from Dundalk, has told the NME's website how she is thrilled to be the first band to be chosen for a program which will help address gender equality at major music festivals. Aoife McCann told the NME: "Its great to just be given that opportunity for our name to be out there." The Leeds-based project, which is being run by Festival Republic, will run for three years. As part of the program, they will provide one week's studio recording to a female musician, solo artist or female-featuring band each month from 2018 through 2020. Studio and engineering costs will be covered by Festival Republic. Artists will also be given slots at a Festival Republic or Live Nation festival. As part of the programme, Ae Mak will make their UK Festival debut at Latitude this summer in Suffolk this summer which will be headlined by Alt-J. Were playing the same day as Alt-J as well, so thats very exciting, Aoife McCann told the NME. "Im looking forward to going to them maybe more than our slot. Yeah, its fantastic, we wouldnt have got it without this and its great to just be given that opportunity for our name to be out there. Its hard when youre an up and coming band in Ireland to get out of this industry and get your foot in the door in the UK because theres so many bands." Aoife, who wrote about being a female in the Irish music industry for The Thin Air magazine to mark International Women's Day 2018, added that whilst she welcomes more females entering the music industry, she hopes that female musicians are picked on the quality of their work. Aoife told the NME: "I dont think festivals should be 50/50 because it should be based on quality of music and merit, you know? So I think the fact that its being addressed is brilliant, and the culture change, and the fact that for women in the music industry who want to make a professional career out of it. "The culture has changed completely and its so much more accessible now and its brilliant that theyre welcoming it and theyre putting this programme in place. But Id just be afraid that it could go the opposite way. Id just rather be picked on for something on my own merit and not as a woman. Keep up to date with MAK's live dates and new music releases by visiting: https://www.aemakmusic.com/ The man accused of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe is to face trial at the Central Criminal Court. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that Aaron Brady (27) of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh face trial on indictment. He is charged with murdering Adrian Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union on January 25th 2013. Detective Donohoe and partner Joe Ryan were escorting a cash in transit delivery at the Credit Union in Bellurgan when he was shot and killed during an armed robbery. Brady was charged with murder at a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on Sunday last. Today, he appeared via video-link at Cloverhill District Court. Detective Pat Marry, who gave evidence of the offence and charge last Sunday, was present in court. State solicitor Michael Murphy asked presiding Judge Victor Blake to adjourn the case for four weeks. Judge Blake further remanded Brady in custody. He will appear again before the court on April 6th, again via video-link. Bail can only be granted by the High Court in murder cases. Brady was arrested in Dublin on the Sunday evening of March 25th last and was in custody at Dundalk Garda Station for the maximum detention period of seven days before he was formally charged. Instantly delete email threats with 365 Threat Monitor 365 Threat Monitor scans all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Receive real-time phone alerts, get real-time security breach updates and instantly delete threats with just one click - for free! Learn More. Amazon this week expanded its discounted Prime membership program, already available to EBT card holders, to include Medicaid recipients. Eligible customers can become Prime members for US$5.99 a month, less than half the regular $12.99 monthly fee. The move -- another step in Amazon's efforts to reach underserved economic communities -- ratchets up its competition with Walmart. Amazon provides customers with a link to authenticate their membership in eligible government assistance programs. It is not clear how the company has been working with the Department of Health and Human Services to verify the records. Amazon Web Services last year hosted 68 million Medicaid records. Checking In The expansion of the discount program followed by just a couple of days reports that Amazon recently engaged in talks with JP Morgan Chase and other banks regarding the possibility of establishing a co-branded checking account program to provide limited banking access to customers. Amazon previously has offered services targeting the unbanked population, including a stored value card called "Amazon Cash," which lets users load cash onto unlinked debit cards and then use them for purchases with Amazon and certain other retailers. Customers can deposit funds into their stored value accounts by showing a barcode at a local retailer and presenting the cash. Amazon's expansion is in part at least a competitive play to target the core market of rival Walmart, which is a favorite retailer with working class and low-income consumers, in part due to its reputation for offering lower prices on everything from household goods to groceries. "Yes, Amazon and Walmart are at war, and so Amazon is going down-market to grab Walmart's core customer, even as Walmart attempts to go upmarket to grab some of Amazon's core market," observed Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at RSR Research. Whether regulators ever would allow Amazon to offer banking services to customers is questionable, she told the E-Commerce Times, especially given Walmart's unsuccessful plan to enter the banking business a decade ago. That effort was crushed by consumer advocates and rival banks that feared Walmart would crush the competition, particularly small community banks that served working-class and low-income communities. Amazon Prime already has locked up most of Amazon's upper-income customers, so the company must look elsewhere to expand its base, suggested Michael Levin, cofounder of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Unbanked Customers About 7 percent of the U.S. population is unbanked, representing a clear opportunity for Amazon to go after markets dominated by Walmart and Dollar General, noted Thad Petersen, senior analyst at the Aite Group. "Anything that Amazon does to increase reach increases their opportunity to sell and compete more effectively with physical world retailers," he told the E-Commerce Times. About 7 percent of the U.S. population was unbanked as of 2015, with no checking account in the household, while 20 percent was underbanked, meaning they had a checking account, but also used some other form of processing transactions, Petersen said, citing data from the FDIC. A proprietary checking account would allow Amazon to lower its interchange costs, because it would not have to go through a Visa or MasterCard payment network to process transactions with those customers, he pointed out. Increasing digital economy access to the underserved has been an issue for many years, as their basic needs to access food, medicine and household goods often have been complicated due to inability to write checks, use credit cards or borrow money. The USDA has announced plans to conduct a two-year pilot program starting this summer to test whether SNAP recipients can use their cards to buy groceries, according to a government official who asked not be identified. The program is designed to test both online ordering and payment, to see if the transactions can be processed safely and securely. Amazon, Walmart, Fresh Direct, ShopRite and other retailers are slated to participate in the pilot. David Jones is a freelance writer based in Essex County, New Jersey. He has written for Reuters, Bloomberg, Crain's New York Business and The New York Times. Instantly delete email threats with 365 Threat Monitor 365 Threat Monitor scans all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Receive real-time phone alerts, get real-time security breach updates and instantly delete threats with just one click - for free! Learn More. Vero, a relatively unknown social network that launched three years ago, has been enjoying a surge in user engagement in recent weeks, a trend that may be tied to growing user discontent over recent changes to Instagram's algorithm, along with an assortment of other objections that have been driving users away from the leading social platforms. Vero has rapidly moved up in the App Store and Google Play rankings, according to Adam Blacker, brand ambassador at Apptopia. "Once an app starts climbing the ranks, it becomes more visible and downloads are self-perpetuating," he told TechNewsWorld. The visibility and media attention for this app in recent days should help it continue to gain in user awareness, Blacker said. A Different Drum Vero has several unique features that set it apart from other sites. It markets itself as a platform that values user privacy and trust. There are no advertisements, and it doesn't share user data with advertisers. It does not employ algorithms. It allows users to send private messages to individuals or groups seamlessly. Users can organize their online connections by their relationship -- designating them as close friends, friends, acquaintances or followers -- and share posts with them accordingly. "User design and experience is important to Vero," said spokesperson Chelsea Garecht. "The main thing we wanted to accomplish was getting people to understand the idea of close friends, friends, acquaintances -- mirroring how people interact with each other in their real lives," she told TechNewsWorld. The company's recent growth spurt may be due in large part to the Cosplay community, which sees the value of no ads and quality photography. However, the growth has led to a number technical problems with the site, and Vero has acknowledged that "it's been hard to keep up" with the surge in users over the weekend. If users keep the app open, it will catch up, Garecht advised, but she warned that the company has not yet adjusted to the sudden wave of growth. "It's not where we want to be," she said. "We are frustrated ourselves for our users, but are addressing the issue and appreciate the incredible encouragement we've seen from the community." Cats Out of the Cradle Large shifts in social media usage can be a attributed in part to a herding mentality, particularly in younger ones, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research. It is similar to the kinds of shifts that often occur in the restaurant business, he said, where a hot new eatery can move business away from an established competitor. "The challenging part is getting over the hump and reaching critical mass," McGregor told TechNewsWorld. "You need critical mass to make a business plan work, and many of the social networks are still struggling with this." Vero needs to be mindful of the technical issues that have been plaguing the site. "Millennials are pretty sensitive to this stuff, and this kind of thing could easily kill a service like this," noted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "However, it does showcase a growing weakness with all current social media properties," he told TechNewsWorld. "People are incredibly fickle, and the increasing bad image from fake news surrounding most of the existing properties suggests they might move to something that Vero had promised and delivered -- a more trustworthy experience." David Jones is a freelance writer based in Essex County, New Jersey. He has written for Reuters, Bloomberg, Crain's New York Business and The New York Times. Instantly delete email threats for Office 365 365 Threat Monitor scans all emails as they reach your users' mailboxes to detect ransomware, phishing and spam. Receive real-time phone alerts, get real-time security breach updates and instantly delete threats with just one click - for free! Learn More. Apple's plans to open a number of healthcare centers for its employees surfaced this week. Called the "AC Wellness Network," the centers will offer "a unique concierge-like healthcare experience for employees and their dependents," according to a website Apple set up for the initiative. Apple revealed more details about its healthcare venture at the Glassdoor job website. "AC Wellness is an independent medical practice exclusively dedicated to delivering Passionate, Compassionate, and Effective Healthcare to Apple employees and their families ... in multiple stunning, state of the art Wellness Centers," reads the post. "We believe in Trusting, Accessible Relationships with our patients, enabled by beautiful and seamless technological experiences," it continues. "We foster an environment of continuous learning and teamwork, which ultimately enables exceptional health outcomes." Apple did not respond to our request to comment for this story. In Amazon's Footsteps News of Apple's healthcare plans follows last month's joint announcement from Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan of a plan to provide healthcare services for their employees. "The ballooning costs of healthcare act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett said when announcing the venture. "Our group does not come to this problem with answers," he continued, "but we also do not accept it as inevitable. Rather, we share the belief that putting our collective resources behind the country's best talent can, in time, check the rise in health costs while concurrently enhancing patient satisfaction and outcomes." Although both the Apple and Amazon announcements have a high-tech flavor, the companies' goals likely aren't limited to a single industry. "It's part of a larger trend in terms of companies trying to find ways to bring down healthcare costs," said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute. Healthcare "is now one of the largest line items for most companies," he told TechNewsWorld. Ripple Effect Depending on their performance, the Apple and Amazon programs' ripple effect could be felt especially in the tech industry, noted Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. "They could spark similar programs, but it mostly depends on the size of the vendor," he told TechNewsWorld. "That's because driving the kind of value Apple, Amazon and Berkshire are talking abut requires considerable scale in order to justify initial investments and negotiate beneficial deals with third parties, including hospitals and pharmaceutical players," King explained. "All three of the companies have tens of thousands of employees, as do other large scale IT vendors, like HP, IBM and Intel, so this could spark a trend among big tech companies," he said. There's also the possibility that Apple and Amazon could develop superior models that could be used as the basis of new healthcare entities that would offer their services to other companies, King suggested. Healthcare Perk If Apple were to expand AC Wellness beyond its employees, it would be competing in markets that already have a number of effective commercial providers, King pointed out. "Apple will either need to deliver demonstrably better care and service than what's already available, or make it available at a steep discount compared to other alternatives," he said. "Neither of those scenarios seems likely, at least in Silicon Valley." However, Apple may not have such grand designs for AC Wellness. "Tech companies have always spent lavishly on their employees for perks," observed Jack E. Gold, principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, "so this healthcare thing is a way to add to those perks." There are also potential benefits to Apple from AC Wellness. "If employees are healthier, they'll get sick less and stay home less," Gold pointed out, "and if they're healthier, Apple's health insurance costs will go down." Let Experiments Bloom Another benefit both Apple and Amazon may reap from providing healthcare is the opportunity to collect data. "That data could eventually make its way into some of their products," Gold said. It could help the companies design better ways to deliver healthcare and keep people healthy. "If they prove they can do the job better than conventional healthcare experts, it could introduce real change and competition into employer-provided healthcare markets," King noted. "That won't fix every problem, but it could shake things up considerably," he remarked. "At the moment, there are no answers anywhere in the world in terms of controlling healthcare costs while increasing access," Cato's Cannon added. "What we need to do is find ways to provide more services for lower cost," he said. "We don't have the answer to that yet, so why not let experiments like this bloom?" John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. The Trump administration is initiating the regulatory process of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and natural gas leasing. Top Interior Department officials recently visited the Kaktovik and Utgiagvik communities in northern Alaska to let them know that the agency will publish in the coming weeks a notice in the Federal Register of its intent to move toward an environmental impact statement on planned leasing, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Interior Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt relayed similar details at an industry gathering in Anchorage later in the week, where he said, "We expect to move pretty quickly on that project." Additionally, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) said at the CERAWeek oil industry conference in Houston that lease sales could start as early as next year, which would beat the 2021 deadline set in last year's Republican tax bill. "It's my hope, and this is a very aggressive timeline, that we would have the first lease sale ... to be sometime in 2019," Sullivan told the audience. Despite the majority of Americans opposing ANWR drilling, Congress and President Trump lifted a 40-year drilling ban on the refuge after the GOP tax bill was approved in December. This "backdoor drilling provision," as environmentalists have dubbed it, was added to the tax reform package to secure the key vote of Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who introduced the measure and has long backed the cause. Pro-drilling Republicans have targeted the 1002 area on the Prudhoe Bay in Northern Alaska, which has an estimated 12 billion barrels of recoverable crude. However, the targeted coastal plain hosts migratory bird species and endangered wildlife and is considered to be sacred to the indigenous Gwich'in people, who sustain themselves from the caribou that migrate there. Environmental organizations responded to the latest news with harsh criticism and condemned the administration for failing to meet with the Gwich'in nation. "Not only is this administration doing the unconscionable by attempting to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but it is moving forward in the most reckless, irresponsible way," Defenders of Wildlife president and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark said in a statement. "This headlong rush toward leasing is an egregious sellout to the oil industry that would desecrate the irreplaceable wildlife habitat of the Arctic refuge's coastal plain." "Drilling and associated industrial activity would put polar bears, caribou, migratory birds and hundreds of other species that live on the coastal plain at incredible risk, while also threatening the livelihood of the native Gwich'in people, whose culture and way of life depends on these resources," she continued. "By now, no one should be fooled by the Alaska delegation's false promises that leasing will follow a robust, lawful public engagement process. Two out of three Americans agree: the Arctic refuge is no place for oil drilling. We will fight this appalling proposal at every turn." The Sierra Club said the action would give the area over to the oil industry, while ignoring the place's importance to the Gwich'in Nation, create permanent drilling damage to one of the country's last wild places, and cause irreversible climate impacts in a state already warming at twice the rate of the rest of the country. "We stand with the Gwich'in Nation in defense of this sacred place. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is unique in its wildness and in the connection it offers to the unspoiled natural world, even for those who may never set foot there," Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said in a statement. "We have a moral obligation to safeguard the Arctic Refuge from destructive drilling, and we will fight this plan every step of the way. We will not stand idly by as Ryan Zinke's Department of the Interior runs roughshod over human rights and climate justice in their zeal to give away this special place to the dirty fuels industry." The Mars Rover might be the most famous autonomous vehicle teaming up with human scientists today, but another type of drone is helping researchers here on Earth. The drones are wind-and-solar powered sailboats fitted with cameras, sensors and other research tools, and two of them are set to return in April from their first science test in the Pacific, Science Magazine reported Thursday. The drones are manufactured by an Alameda, California company called Saildrone. Richard Jenkins started the operation as a non-profit in 2012 and switched to for-profit status in 2015, according to Inc. Already, the drones have assisted with a variety of environmental research in the world's oceans. In 2015, they worked with the Gulf ECOGIG Research Program to locate natural oil seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has also used them to measure fish stocks in the Bering Sea, to track larger marine mammals like whales and seals and to study how the Arctic Ocean absorbs carbon dioxide. The drones' Pacific voyage, their longest to date, will help NOAA determine if the captainless boats can replace the buoys that currently monitor El NinoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO), an alteration of warm (El Nino) and cool (La Nina) ocean surface temperatures that impacts climate and can cause both heavy rains and droughts. As Paul Voosen explained in Science Magazine, the buoy system is expensive to maintain and vulnerable to spending cuts. NOAA almost lost some of its buoys in the early 2010s, when fishing boats damaged them while picking off the fish that feed off the marine life they accumulate. While the program had been the victim of budget cuts at the time, Congress did eventually pay to repair them. But now Japan has removed most of its buoys due to funding problems. Saildrones might offer a solution. "We could be making the next epochal advancement in oceanography," NOAA Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Craig McLean told Science Magazine. The boats have already proven more sensitive to temperature shifts than buoys and satellites. When they were sent to investigate cold tongues of water extending from the South American coast, a La Nina indicator, they recorded one degree changes in water temperature in less than a kilometer. "Some of these fronts are much sharper than you would ever imagine. That was shocking." NOAA oceanographer Meghan Cronin told Science Magazine. In addition to shoring up the ENSO warning system, the sailing drones could answer other questions about the Pacific ocean. By monitoring the exchange of gases between ocean and air, they might help researchers understand why the equatorial Pacific, unlike most of the ocean, releases carbon dioxide. By Jake Johnson Pipeline executives are extremely upset that protests by environmentalists and Indigenous groups are disrupting their ability to plunder the planet at will, and they aired their discontent publicly on Thursday at the CERAWeek energy conference in Texas. Singling out the "Keep It in the Ground" movementwhich calls for an "immediate halt" to all new fossil fuel developmentas a particularly strong obstacle to their ambitious construction projects, pipeline CEOs complained that opposition to dirty energy has grown in "intensity" over the past several years, posing a serious threat to their companies' bottomlines. "There's more opponents, and it's more organized," lamented Kinder Morgan CEO Steven Kean, according to the Houston Chronicle. Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipelinewhich would carry tar sands 700 miles from Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbiais currently facing fierce resistance from Indigenous groups and local governments. At least 7,000 people are expected to participate in a march and rally against the pipeline in Vancouver on Saturday, the Seattle Times reports. Other pipeline CEOs appearing at the CERAWeek conference echoed Kean's concerns, highlighting the success of efforts by environmental activists to delay, disrupt and cancel projects through non-violent civil disobedience, litigation and other tactics. Bitterly recounting how activists tried to drill a holes in his company's pipelines, Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren reportedly said: "Talk about someone that needs to be removed from the gene pool." Energy Transfer Partners is behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, which became fully operational in June of last year after many weeks of resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and its allies. Legal challenges to the pipelinewhich has already spilled several timescontinue to mount. According to the Houston Chronicle, Warren said he has "increased Energy Transfer's presence on social media platforms" in an attempt to win over the public. Responding to the executives' complaints on Twitter, 350.orgone of the most prominent organizations in the movement against fossil fuelswrote simply, "we're just getting started." Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams. On March 7, POLITICO published an in-depth look at how the climate skepticism of Trump appointees might impact their decision making. That evening, The Washington Post reported on an Interior Department email thread released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that provides a behind-the-scenes look at the administration's aversion to accurate climate science. In the emails, published by The Post, Douglas Domenech, the Department of the Interior's assistant secretary for insular areas and one of the appointees featured in the POLITICO report, complained about the language in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) press release about shrinking glaciers in Montana. The release, summarizing research the USGS had conducted with Portland State University, began with the sentence,"The warming climate has dramatically reduced the size of 39 glaciers in Montana since 1966, some by as much as 85 percent." "This is a perfect example of them going outside their wheelhouse," Domenech complained in an email to three colleagues dated May 10, 2017. "They probably are relying on the percentages but the most basic point is we need to watch for inflammatory adverbs and adjectives in their press releases," replied current Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Cameron, who was then in charge of reviewing USGS releases. The exchange reveals an intense level of scrutiny directed at the language scientists use to report their findings coming from people with a minimal understanding of the purpose of scientific research. Portland State University geology professor and study co-author Andrew Fountain responded to Domenech's complaints. "This is what we do. It's not just that we look at glaciers, see they're retreating and shrug our shoulders," he told The Post. "We try to figure out what's going on." While Trump's Department of Interior does require all press releases to pass a "policy review" before publication, this particular email exchange did not stop the USGS from posting the objectionable language on their website less than an hour later, where you can still read it. But the reason the emails were obtained in the first place suggests that attitudes like Domenech's are having a stifling impact on scientific research at the Interior Department. Joel Clement, a former Interior Department scientist who studied the impact of climate change on Alaskan Native communities before being suspiciously reassigned to accounting and later resigning, filed the FOIA request with Bureau of Land Management official Matthew Allen. The pair seek to determine if their involuntary reassignments were related to their climate work. According to the Post, Interior Department officials did remove a line about climate change from a press release about a USGS study published in Scientific Reports. They also ordered National Park Service employees not to post on social media about a visit Mark Zuckerberg made to Glacier National Park after reading about its disappearing glaciers in the USGS study. The Interior Department isn't the only department full of Trump appointees hostile to climate science. The administration set the tone minutes after Trump's inauguration by removing references to climate change from the White House website, among other alterations. And in January, the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative published a report detailing how the Trump administration has censored climate change information on government websites. "Language about climate change has been systematically changed across multiple agencies and program websites," the report found. (Photo: House Office of Photography)Pope Franics addressed the U.S. Congress for the first time on Sept. 24, 2014 where he quuestioned international arms trading. Pope Francis generated goodwill toward the Roman Catholic Church among many people across the political and religious spectrum in his recent visit to the United States giving the church a shot in the arm, a new Pew Research Center survey finds. "Four times as many U.S. adults say their opinion of the Catholic Church is better now because of Pope Francis as people who say their impression has gotten worse," said Greg Smith, associate director of research and co-author of the report. Both Catholics and non-Catholics are more likely to say that Francis has had a positive rather than negative impact on their view of the church, although the number of Catholics expressing a favourable view of the Pope. Roughly two-thirds of non-Catholics (65 per cent) now express a favorable view of Pope Francis. This is comparable with February (when 64 per cent of non-Catholics expressed a favorable opinion of the Pope as he approached the two-year mark of his papacy) and up 7 percentage points since June. Eight-in-ten Catholics surveyed (81 per cent) now say they have a favorable view of Pope Francis after his visit to Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia in September. By comparison, 86 per cent of Catholics expressed a favorable viw of Pope Francis in June, and fully nine-in-ten Catholics (90 per cent) expressed a favorable view of the pontiff in February. Pope Francis' favorability rating among U.S. Catholics is now roughly equivalent to the rating Catholics gave Pope Benedict XVI following his visit to the country in April 2008. Positive views are present also for Americans in both major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, across the ideological spectrum. But improved views of the Catholic Church are especially apparent among self-identified liberals and moderates as well as among Democrats. Ideological liberals and moderates, along with Democrats, are especially likely to say Francis has given them a more positive view of the Catholic Church. At the same time, the Pope's own favorability rating remains about where it was in early 2015. And most Americans say their view of the Catholic Church has not changed because of Pope Francis. Nearly four-in-ten liberals (39 per cent), for instance, say they have a more positive view of the Catholic Church because of Pope Francis, dwarfing the 4 per cent who say they have a more negative view of the church by a 10-to-1 margin. And among ideological moderates, 31 percent say their view of the Catholic Church has improved because of the Pope, while 5 per cent say their view of the church has become more negative, a 6-to-1 ratio. Among conservatives, by contrast, the ratio of those with a more positive view of the church (22 per cent) to those with a more negative view (10 per cent) is closer to 2-to-1. (Photo: UNHCR / I. Prickett)Refugees and migrants arrive in Greece on flimsy boats after crossing treacherous seas to Greece mostly fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan in September 2015. The number of displaced people in the world is at its highest and a U.S. bishop is urging Catholics to remember that "extremely vulnerable" refugees often flee circumstances where their very lives are at risk. "People often forget that the Holy Family themselves were refugees fleeing into Egypt," Bishop Eusebio Elizondo Almaguer, auxiliary bishop of Seattle, said in a statement for National Migration Week, observed from Jan. 3 to 9. "Likewise, refugees around the world, all of whom are extremely vulnerable, are fleeing for their lives," noted the chair of the U.S. bishops' committee on migration. "As Catholics, we are called to welcome and support these families who also need our help." The United States' Catholic Bishops Conference says in a statement, "In the Gospel of Matthew (25:35) Jesus tells his disciples, 'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.' "The call to welcome the stranger plays an important role in the lives of faithful Christians and has a particularly central place for those of us who work in the migration field." From Baltimore, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service expressed grave concern about the recent announcement by the administration of President Barack Obama that it will begin deporting unaccompanied children and families who came to the U.S. last summer seeking protection and asylum. In recent days, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken more than 100 people into custody, primarily in the states of Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. FAMILIES TARGETED FOR DEPORTATION "LIRS's primary concern is that some of the families targeted for deportation have valid claims to asylum, or are otherwise deserving of humanitarian protection, but exhausted the legal process in a system that is unfairly stacked against them. "Many families face severe challenges in successfully navigating the United States' complicated immigration court system without access to adequate legal representation or adequate notice of the court date," said the Lutheran service. U.S. Catholic bishops National Migration Week 2016 poster. "At the heart of our concern are the extremely dangerous conditions in the Central American countries from which these families escaped. Over 80 U.S. individuals who made it to the Unites States from this region have reportedly been deported to their deaths in Central America since 2014." The theme of National Migration Week 2016 is "A Stranger and You Welcomed Me," Catholic News Agency reports. It focuses on the Syrian refugee crisis, in which more than 4.1 million people have fled the country since 2011 due to the civil war in which rebel groups are pitted against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad's. To observe the week and raise awareness about the plights of migrants, the migration committee has provided prayer resources, including Mass intentions for migrants and civil leaders. It includes prayers to St. Juan Diego and St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese-born nun who was sold into slavery as a young girl. Some of the committee's policy recommendations for the Syrian crisis include the U.S. sending development aid to surrounding countries overwhelmed by the number of refugees. It also wants an increase in the yearly intake of Syrian refugees by preparing to accept 100,000 every year into the United States. The number of persons displaced is at the highest ever recorded - 59.5 million at the end of 2014, says the United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR. It has seen its largest jump in a single year, up from 51.2 million displaced in 2013 and 37.5 million a decade prior. Conflict in Syria is the biggest cause of the increase in migration, the UNHCR claimed in its 2014 Global Trends Report: World at War. Half of the refugees were children, and only 126,800 returned to their home countries in 2014, the report noted. (REUTERS/Tony Gentile)Pope Francis waves at his audience before delivering an address. Five years into Francis' papacy, the great majority of U.S. Catholics still have a favorable opinion of the Argentinian pontiff, and most see him as representing major, and positive, change for the Roman Catholic Church. A new Pew Research Center survey, however, finds signs of growing dissatisfaction with Francis among Catholics on the political right, with increasing shares of Catholic who are Republicans saying they view Francis unfavorably, They think that he is too liberal and naive. Currently, 84 percent of American Catholics say they have a "favorable" view of Pope Francis, virtually identical to the share who expressed a positive view of the Pope after is first year leading the church. Furthermore, roughly nine-in-ten U.S. Catholics describe Pope Francis as "compassionate" and "humble." Still although the share of Catholics in the U.S. who think Pope Francis represents a "major change" for the better is down from a high point in 2015, nearly 60 percent still hold this view. The Pew survey notes, however, that while Francis remains quite popular, there are signs that U.S. Catholics are less captivated with him than they were once. For example, the tally of American Catholics who say Pope Francis is "too liberal" has leapt 15 percentage points between 2015 and today, from 19 percent to 34 percent. And 24 percent quarter of U.S. Catholics now say he is naive, up from 15 percent in 2015. Over the same period, the share of American Catholics who give Pope Francis "excellent" or "good" marks for his handling of the lingering sex abuse scandal afflicting the church dropped from 55 percent to 45 percent. The survey was conducted before the recent papal visit to Chile and Peru, which prompted new questions and media coverage about the how the Pope has dealt with this issue. The survey said there have been similar declines in the share of Catholics who give the Pope positive marks for "spreading the Catholic faith" and "standing up for traditionaoral values." Still, on balance the pontiff continues to earn more praise than criticism in these areas. On the U.S. political front the survey also finds signs of growing polarization along partisan lines in Catholics' views of Francis. The share of Republican and Republican-leaning Catholics who say Pope Francis is "too liberal" has more than doubled since 2015 (from 23 percent to 55 percent). Similarly, one-third of Catholic Republicans now say Francis is "naive," up from 16 percent held this view in 2015. Among Democratic and Democratic-leaning Catholics, by contrast, there has been no statistically significant change in opinion on either of these questions. In addition, while most Republican Catholics continue to express a favorable view of Francis, the share who have a favorable view of the pontiff is down compared with the end of his first year in office, four years ago. At that time, there was no noticeable difference between the share of Catholic Republicans (90 percent) and Democrats (87 percent) who indicated a favorable view of Francis. Today, by contrast, Pope Francis' favorability rating is 10 points higher among Catholic Democrats (89 percent) than among Catholic Republicans (79 percent). It sounds great on paper: Schools and businesses team up to offer students a chance at real-world work. Teenagers get paid while they build skills, and they earn credentials that create new opportunities for them. But in reality, those programs require the coordination of many moving partsand sometimes a lot of paperworkto succeed. Increasingly, schools and businesses are turning to a new breed of concierge service that handles all those details. These organizations help businesses set up apprenticeshipsor other forms of career-focused learningand define the skills students must master in order to earn specified credentials. They coordinate with community colleges to dovetail training with students work experiences. They make arrangements with local high schools so students can divide their time among college training courses, high school classes, and work. See Also: As the future of work changes, how are schools adapting? Check out the latest news coverage on the way schools are preparing students for tomorrows workforce: Schools and the Future Workforce Not all these intermediary services function exactly the same way. In Massachusetts, 16 regional workforce-development boards build partnerships between schools and employers to craft curriculum and to offer internships, job-shadow days, and career exploration. In Nashville, the nonprofit PENCIL (for Public Education Needs Community Involvement and Leadership) enlists community and business partners to offer a range of services, including career-focused study in local high schools. In South Carolina, the Apprenticeship Carolina program helps businesses reach high schools, community colleges, and the U.S. Department of Labor to offer registered apprenticeships. When the service set up shop in the states technical-college system 10 years ago, there were 90 registered apprenticeships in South Carolina; now, there are more than 1,000. More than 28,000 people have completed youth or adult apprenticeships in the past decade. They walk us through all the steps, help us with all the red tape, to get our apprenticeships approved, said Vincent Lombardy, the training and employee-development manager at VTL Precision, an automotive-engineering company near Charleston. Without them, wed have to have someone full time on our staff whos really schooled in how these government systems work, all the paperwork, he added. Apprenticeship Carolina can often win federal approval for its companies apprenticeships within a week because Labor Department staffers are familiar with its track record, said Susan Pretulak, who leads Apprenticeship Carolina as the vice president of economic development for the 16-campus South Carolina Technical College system. The South Carolina model is one that Labor Department officials want to replicate around the country, Amy Firestone, a senior adviser in the departments apprenticeship office, said last summer at Apprenticeship Carolinas annual signing day, an event that celebrates new apprentices. The role of intermediary organizations like Apprenticeship Carolina is increasingly important as businessesparticularly small and medium-sized companiessearch for workers with the skills they need, said Kermit Kaleba, the federal policy director for the National Skills Coalition, an advocacy group that focuses on career readiness. Those companies often cant afford to set up their own internal training programs and dont always have strong relationships with pipelines such as colleges or high schools, he said. Theres a real value in having a dedicated individual or institution thats able to serve that interface role, Kaleba said. A Changing Focus In trying to coordinate the pieces necessary for effective career-oriented learning, intermediary organizations reflect a major shift in the national policy conversation. Policymakers are increasingly arguing that the country has been too focused on getting students to earn bachelors degrees. They point to the 30-million-plus jobs that pay well and dont require the time and expense of four-year degrees, and theyre pressing businesses and schools to build pathways that lead to those middle skill jobs. President Donald Trump has called for a major expansion of youth and adult apprenticeships and proposed a new, streamlined approval process to make it happen. President Barack Obama also led an apprenticeship initiative, which sent $265 million into those programs, including the first-ever federal budget allocation for apprenticeships: $90 million in fiscal 2016. Congress approved another $95 million in fiscal 2017. Experts estimate that there are about 1 million apprenticeships in the United States today. Only about half are registered with the Labor Department. Registered programs require mastery of specified skills, confer nationally recognized credentials, and carry job-safety and minimum-pay protections. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of registered apprenticeships rose from 375,000 to 505,000, according to federal data. Employers often place added value on job candidates who completed registered apprenticeships, since the requirements of those programs are recognized industrywide, experts say. You get a journeyman credential from the Department of Labor, and thats gold. Youre definitely going to get looked at in job interviews, said Mitchell Harp, the dean of apprenticeships at Trident Technical College, which works with Apprenticeship Carolina to coordinate training for local apprenticeships in the Charleston area. But creating a good apprenticeship and getting it registered can be a daunting process. When VTL Precision wanted to get started in 2014, Apprenticeship Carolina dispatched one of its six regional consultants for a sit-down meeting. The consultant helped VTL leaders understand the Department of Labors standards and competencies for apprentices and customize them to meet the companys needs, Lombardy said. They worked together to create a workplace-training plan that met federal requirements and meshed well with technical courses offered at Trident Technical College, he said. Apprenticeship Carolina also helps VTL submit the annual paperwork to receive state tax credits of $1,000 per apprentice, Lombardy said. Many Moving Parts Harp describes the way the K-12, college, and employer pieces come together through the technical-college system, where Apprenticeship Carolina is based. Representing Trident Tech, Harp reaches out to local high schools to connect students to employers who offer apprenticeships. He also meets regularly with local employers to see if he can interest them in offering apprenticeships. Once theyre interested, he said, he connects them with regional Apprenticeship Carolina consultants who explain and support the process. (The support is free but businesses must pay their own apprentices.) Our local Apprenticeship Carolina consultant, Ive got her on speed dial, Harp said. Apprenticeship Carolina does its own reaching out to businesses and high schools, even sending representatives into high school lunchrooms and career centers to connect with students, said Pretulak, the initiatives leader. said. Once an apprenticeship is up and running, Apprenticeship Carolina coordinates the collection of documents that will be submitted to the Labor Department to award apprentices their credentials. TyCelia Youngs case shows how it works. A senior in high school, shes in her second year of VTL Precisions industrial-mechanics program. When she masters required competencies during her 10 to 15 hours of work each week, her VTL supervisor signs off and updates her file. When she passes required courses in pneumatics, hydraulics, and other subjects at Trident Tech, the registrar there signs off and updates TyCelias file. That collection ultimately goes to the Department of Labor for evaluation. When the department awards TyCelia her credential, she will qualify for entry-level positions doing maintenance in advanced manufacturing, jobs that will likely pay $14 to $20 per hour, VTLs Lombardy said. TyCelia plans to enroll in a bachelors degree program in mechanical engineering next fall, and shes not sure yet whether shell work part time in her new trade while she studies. But she said that her apprenticeship has set her up with valuable assets as she leaves high school: college credits, a certificate from Trident Tech, a nationally recognized credential, and two years of paid work experience in a field related to her career goals. Tim Hardee, the president of the South Carolina Technical College system, said that the states apprenticeship program also provides valuable options that dont include bachelors degrees. It might be different than what their parents viewed as a golden ticket, that four-year degree. But there are other ways to get that golden ticket now, Hardee said. We see apprenticeships as a way to provide the workforce employers need in the coming years, and youth apprenticeship is a way to start that early. Florida is poised to become the first state to offer private-school vouchers specifically to students who are bullied or physically attacked in their public schools. The Florida legislature passed a sprawling education bill this week that, among several other unrelated provisions, creates a new scholarship program for students who suffer from harassment or violence to attend private schoolspaid for with tax creditsand further boosts the states already expansive private-school choice offerings. Supporterswho argued that bullied students need to be able to escape schools that arent protecting thempredict the idea will catch on with parents and lawmakers beyond Florida, and potentially kick off a wave of similar legislation beyond the state. Because once Florida does it, other states can follow that model, said Patricia Levesque, the chief executive officer of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, an influential education advocacy and lobbying group founded by Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor. Parents have to have leverage to make sure their child is getting what they need. And that power comes from the ability to say this is not working for our child and to go elsewhere. But some anti-bullying groups say giving students vouchers to change schools does nothing to address the root causes of bullying and harassment. And experts on bullying point out that private schools are not immune from the problem. What research that is available suggests that there isnt much difference in bullying rates in private schools versus a public school, said Deborah Temkin, the senior director for education research at Child Trends who previously led anti-bullying efforts for the U.S. Department of Education in the Obama administration. It doesnt mean that a private school will be a better environment. Because they are autonomous and dont have to follow the same rules [as public schools], there are fewer remedies for families whose children are being bullied. The massive billwhich includes a provision to require school districts to display the words In God We Trust prominently in school buildingshas not yet been signed by Gov. Rick Scott. But many of the bills initiatives, including the new voucher program, are a priority of Republican Richard Corcoran, the speaker of the Florida House, and its unlikely Scott will veto the measure. Major Expansion of Private School Choice Florida already gives families more avenues to use public aid to attend private school than just about any other state in the countrya major reason why U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos holds the state up as a national model for school choice. The Hope Scholarships, as the vouchers for bullied students are to be called, will be the fourth private school choice program in the state. Right now, roughly 140,000 students with disabilities and from low-income families participate in Floridas other private-school choice programs, and if their popularity is any indication, the new Hope Scholarships will be in high demand. The Foundation for Excellence in Education estimates that around 47,000 Florida students will be eligible for the new vouchers. Under the approved legislation, vouchers for bullied students would not be funded directly by the state like a more traditional voucher program. The funding source would be sales tax credits on automobile purchases. When someone buys a car in Florida, they would have the option to give $105 they would otherwise pay in sales tax to the scholarship fund. The program would be capped at $41 million a year. Eligible students and their families would have two options under the program. They could receive roughly $6,700 to use toward tuition costs at a private school, or they could elect to transfer to another public school inside or outside their home district and receive up to $750 to pay for transportation costs. To be considered eligible for the new vouchers, a student would have to report to his or her school that they were a victim of harassment or physical assault. The legislation outlines the types of incidents that would make students eligible, including battery, harassment, hazing, bullying, kidnapping, physical attack, robbery, sexual offenses, assault, threat or intimidation, or fighting in school. Once an incident is reported, a school principal would have 15 days to conduct an investigation. Regardless of the outcome of that investigation, the school district would be required to inform the parents of the victim that their student is eligible for money to transfer to a private school or another public school. The Florida Department of Education would also be required to review bullying prevention programs and school climate at any school that has had 10 or more students opt into the Hope Scholarship program. The vouchers were staunchly opposed by Democratic lawmakers in Florida as well as the teachers unions. Some anti-bullying advocates in the state are not embracing it either. Lowell Levine, the founder of the Stop Bullying Now Foundation, based in South Florida, is one of them. He called the legislation a bandage, not a cure. The problem with the bill is that it does not address the problem, said Levine. If the [bullied] child leaves the public school, the bully is going to pick on someone else. Floridas established private-school choice initiatives would also get a boost from the bill. The states tax-credit scholarships for low-income students and the Gardiner education savings accounts for students with severe disabilities are also set to get an infusion of money from a new funding source. Businesses renting commercial property can now elect to direct some of their sales tax on leases toward those programs. That funding stream is capped at $57.5 million a year. The bill also creates an education savings account program for students who are struggling with reading. However, the funds can only be used for tutors and other after-school programs, not for paying tuition costs at private schools. More Regulations for Private Schools? Despite the growing roster of students using state aid to pay for a private education in Florida, the private schools participating in those scholarship programs face relatively little regulation in a state known for having one of the most stringent public-school accountability systems in the country. Private schools do not receive letter grades based on how well students perform on state standardized tests as their public-school peers do, nor are they required to be accredited by an independent agency and few opt to do so, according to a review of data by Education Week. And unlike public schools, private schools dont have to track how many students are bullied, drop out, or get expelled, as Education Week detailed in a recent story. If a private school decides not to admit a student, asks a student to leave, or to not act on complaints of bullying, theres little legal recourse for parents to challenge those decisions. That was the case for members of the Florea family, who used a voucher to send their daughter Jessica, who has dwarfism, epilepsy, and autism, to a private school in Jupiter, Fla. Jessica, who is now 14, was being bullied in her private school, according to her mother, Erica Florea, and when she complained to the school, administrators there took no action to help her daughter. When Erica Florea confronted one of the students she believed was harassing her daughter, the school expelled Jessica. Erica Florea said a lawyer she contacted told her she had no legal recourse. She also said her complaints to state officials and the nonprofit organization that manages the voucher program also went nowhere. There has been some legislative effort this year to more closely regulate the states private school sector as more and more taxpayer money flows into those schools in the form of vouchers. Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Orlando have sought to require that private schools hire teachers with at minimum a bachelors degree and to bar school leaders who have recent bankruptcies on their records from participating in the voucher programs. Those efforts were spurred by an Orlando Sentinel investigation which found several instances of private schools hiring teachers without any college education, fudging health and safety records, and hiring staff with criminal backgrounds, among other things. Currently, private schools do not have to provide proof to the state that staff they employ have passed criminal background checks, but that would change under the bill that also created the new vouchers for bullied students. The measure includes other provisions that should make it more difficult for schools to falsify fire inspections, a problem exposed in the Orlando Sentinel report. Among the other new regulations required under the bill: the Florida Department of Education will have to make site visits to private schools new to the voucher programs, and schools receiving more than $250,000 in tuition through the scholarship programs will have to submit annual financial reports either to the state or to the organization that runs and administers the scholarships. Although private schools are still not compelled to hire teachers with a college degree, they will have to publicly disclose in writing to parents or on their websites the qualifications of their classroom teachers. Earlier this week, I commented on Twitter about U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos remarks at the Council of Chief State School Officers Legislative conference in Washington. During her address there, she said that states need to do more to innovate in education. She further emphasized the need to give local schools and communities the kind of flexibility and authority they need to transform classrooms. She stated that she didnt see this written into states plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act. What I fear the secretary may have overlooked in her comments is the transformative initiatives states like North Dakota already have in placeones that cannot be communicated effectively in a regulatory document such as a templated ESSA application. Ive worked in education for 28 years, the last five of them as the elected state superintendent of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. My office has been involved in helping education stakeholders across the state put together our ESSA plan and craft innovation legislation. Never before have I heard more open and honest conversations about rethinking the delivery of education than I have in the last year, both in North Dakota and with colleagues across the nation. Consider this. I file my taxes each year. It gives a sketch of how much money I earn, but in reading my tax returns you could never expect to learn about me, my plans for the next year, or my priorities. I would argue that each states ESSA plan works much the same way. As I have engaged in national conversations with educators and policymakers, it is clear to me that state leaders didnt intend for the plans to be an overview of our states vision for education or the sole way of communicating the wide-ranging and robust work that all education stakeholders are doing. It is clear to me that state leaders didnt intend for the plans to be an overview of our states vision for education." In my states case, the ESSA plan is a mechanism for North Dakota to tell the U.S. Department of Education how we plan to spend the nearly $141 million in federal funding we receive each year. (This amount represents 12.1 percent of total spending in state and local dollars to meet the needs of our students.) This plan can help to leverage efforts toward the states vision, but it doesnt represent the vision entirely. Last April, North Dakota passed legislation creating an innovative education plan with bipartisan and cross-sector support. In so doing, we enabled our education communities across the state to break free from burdensome rules and regulations. Senate Bill 2186 created a program that allows public and private schools greater control over practices, allowing them to focus on personalized learning, social-emotional skills, college-and-career readiness, and the training for educators to carry out this work. My office led a team of legislators, teachers, administrators, parents, students, and business leaders who crafted the bill. Now, the law is helping students like Elizabeth, a high school freshman in a rural North Dakota district near Fargo who didnt like school. Elizabeths district was one of several that were instrumental in the bills passage, and, in turn, it was ready to implement an entirely redefined education program for the 2017-18 school year. Elizabeth now has the freedom to learn in a personalized way, at her own pace, and to follow her passions. More flexibility and personalized instruction has since given Elizabeth time in the school day to explore meaningful career opportunities in partnership with local businesses. This story is not one that we could illustrate in a federal ESSA application, yet it is just one example of the first steps in the remarkable movement to reinvent education in North Dakota. I believe that Secretary DeVos and I agree on the direction that the delivery of education needs to take. We must do better for young people. We must embrace the challenge of innovation to meet the needs of our individual students. I invite Secretary DeVos to visit our North Dakota schools. Im sure that other states, which are undertaking similar multifaceted initiatives, would also welcome a visit from her. I would further encourage the secretary to engage in meaningful conversation with chief state school officers, teachers, administrators, students, parents, and all of the other stakeholders that are making this sort of innovation possible. Secretary DeVos, once everyone has a better understanding of the work that is being done in states across the country, I am confident we can work together to make progress for all students. See our complete list of top Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems. Company Description Based in San Jose, California, Cisco is the worlds largest networking infrastructure vendor. It also has a broad server, storage and security portfolio, and has had intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) offerings for many years. The acquisition of Sourcefire has improved Ciscos network security capabilities, as Sourcefire possessed an enterprise-class IDPS. Product Description Cisco has 22 models of IDPS available. These include physical and virtual appliances, a software-based IDPS available within the enterprise firewall, Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS)-based routers and Integrated Services Routers (ISR) IDPSs. The same IDPS is also available within the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA). Gartner named Cisco as the top vendor in its Leaders quadrant of its most recent IDPS Magic Quadrant, saying Cisco has the most widely deployed IDPS on the market today. Cisco Firepower Next-Generation IPS (NGIPS) threat appliances provide visibility, embedded security intelligence, and automated analysis.?It shares a management console with the Cisco firewall offerings, called the Firepower Management Center. Recently added capabilities include DNS security for inspection and sinkholing, as well as URL-based security intelligence and Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) Threat Grid integration. With IBM leaving the IDPS market, that company is now co-selling Cisco IDPS. Markets and Use Cases Cisco appliances range from small models for remote branches up to large data center use cases. The company supports AWS but not Microsoft Azure. Gartner said some of its advanced security features that offer IDS analysis and investigation tool are typically beyond the budget of smaller firms. The company has a wide presence in most verticals. Metrics Appliances range from 50 Mbps to 60 Gbps of inspected IDPS throughput. Intelligence Cisco has multiple intelligence features. This includes URL-based security intelligence, AMP Threat Grid integration. In addition, Talos, Ciscos security research team, prowls around for new malware and vulnerabilities, rapidly developing security content for all Cisco security products. Delivery Cisco Firepower NGIPS is available in 22 physical and virtual form factors, as well as via software installed in Cisco suites. Cisco Firepower (4100 Series and 9000 Series) and FirePOWER (7000 Series and 8000 Series) appliances incorporate a low-latency, single-pass design. Agents Agents are used. Pricing Prices vary from small, inexpensive appliances for small companies and branches, to enterprise-class appliances such as the Cisco Firepower 4120, which is listed by resellers at close to $100,000. 2018-03-09 Maeci In view of the LEAP Summit 2018 to be held in Zagreb from 15 to 17 March, I4Pro/IdeasForProjects organised LEAP in Rome today at the Farnesina. The LEAP Summit is an international conference that every year convenes thousands of students, young professionals and entrepreneurs, the leaders of NGOs and changemakers with the aim of exchanging innovative ideas on entrepreneurship, business, digital technologies and developing successful careers by linking youths to innovation and stimulating self-employment and entrepreneurship. Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have helped put together the most comprehensive study ever conducted into the origins of people in Vanuatu - regarded as a geographic gateway from Asia to the Remote Pacific. The new research, published across two separate research papers, uses a combination of DNA analyses of ancient skeletons and modern samples, as well as archaeological evidence, to put together a complete timeline of migration to the island nation. The results confirm that Vanuatu's first people were of the Lapita culture and arrived 3,000 years ago from South East Asia, followed by Papuan arrivals from the island of New Britain, in the Bismarck Archipelago just to the east of New Guinea and part of the nation of Papua New Guinea. Dr Stuart Bedford of the ANU School of Culture History and Language said this was the first time researchers had been able to look at a full sequence of DNA samples from the Vanuatu islands. "We've been able to track a complete genetic timeline at regular intervals starting with the first inhabitants right through to modern times," Dr Bedford said. "The very first generation of people into Vanuatu are primarily Asian, then very quickly you see a series of migrations of Papuan people from the Bismarck Archipelago who had been living in the region for around 50,000 years. "That trend continues over the next 3,000 years right up until today as the genetic ancestry was mostly replaced by that of Papuan migrants. The people of Vanuatu today, like many peoples of the Pacific, can claim a dual heritage." Co Researcher Professor Matthew Spriggs of the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology said for the first time researchers could determine exactly where these Papuan migration groups came from. "They came from New Britain, a Papuan island just east of New Guinea," Professor Spriggs said. "This makes sense. New Britain has some of the earliest known Lapita sites. "So what we think happened is that Lapita people after arriving in New Britain moved fairly directly on to Vanuatu and encouraged some of the local populations already in place on New Britain to move there as well." Dr Bedford said the strength of the Lapita culture was evident in the continuity of the language. "The Lapita people who originally came to Vanuatu from South East Asia spoke a form of Austronesian," Dr Bedford said. "That language persisted and over 120 descendant languages continue to be spoken today, making Vanuatu the most linguistically diverse place on Earth per capita. "This is a unique case, where a population's genetic ancestry was replaced but its languages continued." ### The two papers were published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution and Current Biology journals respectively. The study team was made up of researchers from around the world including at the ANU, the Vanuatu National Museum, Harvard Medical School and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. FOR INTERVIEW: Dr Stuart Bedford ANU School of Culture, History and Language T: Currently overseas but contactable by e-mail or +64 02 108 625 911 E: stuart.bedford@anu.edu.au Professor Matthew Spriggs ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology T: Currently overseas but reachable by email E: matthew.spriggs@anu.edu.au And from Saturday 10th March by mobile in Vanuatu +67 877 794 48 FOR MEDIA ASSISTANCE: Aaron Walker ANU media team T: +61 2 6125 7979 M: +61 418 307 213 E: media@anu.edu.au This book brings technical aspects of steel castings production explained on everyday engineers' tasks accompanied with global steel market trends. Although only 4-10% of the total amount of produced steel is used by steel foundries, there is a significant number of industries which rely heavily on its usage in their machineries and infrastructures. More than 50% of US railroad industry tonnage is steel casting and in construction machinery, it is over 15%. Global castings production in 2015 was 105.18 million metric tons, of which 11.3 million tons were steel castings. The largest steel castings producing countries in 2016 were: China (5 m tons), USA (1.55 m), India (1.1 m), and Russia (0.97 m). As a machine component, steel castings represent the most direct method of producing parts for their final forms. Casting production is also an economical process in cost and time. However, it is only true if the quality of the casting is at a very good level: without porosity, segregations effects and after proper heat treatment. The quality refers to the molten steel before a tapping and to the optimal pouring conditions from the ladle to the mould. Metallurgy and Technology of Steel Castings will certainly equip students and industry practitioners with necessary tools to assess what good quality is and how to achieve it in a production process. It starts with topics related to melting methods (Chapter 2) - Including oxidation of elements according to Ellingham-Richardson diagram and desulphurisation of the melt. It explains the concepts of melt quality in various chapters related to the type of the melt (Chapter 3), the content of gases (oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen - Chapter 4), and methods of deoxidation (Ch.5). These problems are especially relevant because, in contrast to rolling or forging processes, in steel castings the nonmetallic inclusions are invariable and content of gases must be lower (Ch.4 and Ch.5). The modern melting processes bring into relief several new methods (mainly in vacuum). Steel foundries adopted these manners of steel smelting but there are some important differences: the cooling rate of molten steel in large ladles (in metallurgy above 150 tons) is 1-2 C/hr and in foundries conditions (ladles 10-30 tons) 6-8 c/min. So, criteria for selection of secondary metallurgy for small ladles are quite different (Chapter 6). The next chapters describe the properties of steel castings in service conditions: - High strength cast steels used in construction machinery for thin and thick wall sections, carbon cast steels, low alloyed castings, castings with yield stress above 90 MPa; (Chapter 7); - Steel castings for low temperature applications (Chapter 8 contains brittle-ductile transition, influence of alloying elements, effects of deoxidation and heat treatment); - Corrosion resistant steel castings selection process on the basis of the type of corrosion (pitting, intergranular or general) and its usage in chemical, marine or petrochemical industry (Chapter 9); - Working in elevated temperatures (600-1200 C) at oxidising or carburising conditions (Chapter 10). These castings are intended for petrochemical, chemical processing or mill equipment industries; - Wear resistant castings are used in mining, crashing machineries, railroads and conveying conditions. - Wear resistance is considered on the structural parameters and service conditions (for examples, in impact loaded Hadfield castings), (Chapter 11). The effects of microstructures, austenite-martensitic transformation or retained austenite are the basis for selecting the grades of these cast steels; The last two chapters (12- pouring systems, 13- heat treatment) deal with typical problems in steel castings forming. Foundry engineers employed in industry will find good examples for their practice. The book is addressed to two groups of readers: - Students of foundry engineering, metallurgy or material science, - Engineers operating in these branches which apply steel castings. This work is also useful for readers studying in similar fields, such as manufacturing, material engineering or mechanical engineering. ### Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) identified thirdhand smoke, the toxic residues that linger on indoor surfaces and in dust long after a cigarette has been extinguished, as a health hazard nearly 10 years ago. Now a new study has found that it also increases lung cancer risk in mice. A team led by Antoine Snijders, Jian-Hua Mao, and Bo Hang of Berkeley Lab first reported in 2017 that brief exposure to thirdhand smoke is associated with low body weight and immune changes in juvenile mice. In a follow-up study published recently in Clinical Science, the researchers and their team have determined that early thirdhand smoke exposure is also associated with increased incidence and severity of lung cancer in mice. Field studies in the U.S. and China have confirmed that the presence of thirdhand smoke in indoor environments is widespread, and traditional cleaning methods are not effective at removing it. Because exposure to thirdhand smoke can occur via inhalation, ingestion, or uptake through the skin, young children who crawl and put objects in their mouths are more likely to come in contact with contaminated surfaces, and are therefore the most vulnerable to thirdhand smoke's harmful effects. In the Berkeley Lab researchers' new study, an experimental cohort of 24 A/J mice (a strain susceptible to spontaneous lung cancer development) was housed with scraps of fabric impregnated with thirdhand smoke from the age of 4 weeks to 7 weeks. The dose the mice received was estimated to be about 77 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day - comparable to the ingestion exposure of a human toddler living in a home with smokers. Forty weeks after the last exposure, these mice were found to have an increased incidence of lung cancer (adenocarcinoma), larger tumors, and a greater number of tumors, compared to 19 control mice. Their work also sheds light on what happens on both a molecular and cellular level. If thirdhand smoke toxins damage DNA within cells and the damage is not repaired properly, it can give rise to mutations, which may lead to the cell becoming cancerous. To further investigate how thirdhand smoke exposure promotes tumor formation, the team performed in vitro studies using cultured human lung cancer cells. These studies indicated that thirdhand smoke exposure induced DNA double-strand breaks and increased cell proliferation and colony formation. In addition, RNA sequencing analysis revealed that thirdhand smoke exposure caused endoplasmic reticulum stress and activated p53 (tumor suppressor) signaling. The physiological, cellular, and molecular data indicate that early exposure to thirdhand smoke is associated with increased lung cancer risk. ### Hang, a staff scientist in the Biological Systems and Engineering Division (BSE), and Yunshan Wang, a postdoc in Mao's lab in the BSE Division, are co-first authors on this study; Hugo Destaillats and Lara Gundel of the Energy Technologies Area, who were the first to report the potential dangers of nicotine in thirdhand smoke, are co-authors. The study is the latest in several thirdhand smoke-related Berkeley Lab discoveries and is part of an ongoing collaboration between Berkeley Lab and the UC San Francisco School of Medicine to study the impact of early exposure to thirdhand smoke in mice. The work was supported by the University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Berkeley Lab's Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Center for Research Resources. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. An educational session on opioid abuse and new prescription guidelines led to a 45 percent decrease in opioids prescribed after hand surgery, according to a study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The educational session was mandatory for all HSS staff involved in prescribing controlled substances. The hospital also conducted extensive research to develop guidelines for opioid prescription. The study, "Opioid Prescriber Education and Guidelines Decrease Opioids Prescribed after Ambulatory Hand Surgery," was presented today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in New Orleans. "Prescription opioid misuse is an epidemic in the United States with almost 2 million Americans having abused prescription opioid medication. It's now the leading cause of death in adults under 50," said Daniel Osei, MD, a hand surgeon at HSS and senior investigator. "Recent studies demonstrate a consistent over-prescription of opioid medications nationwide. As physicians, we always strive to provide adequate pain control for our patients. But we are also increasingly aware that when there are excess amounts of unused medication, it can be diverted to uses other than treating pain." Currently, there is no national standardized prescriber education course or postoperative opioid guidelines for ambulatory hand surgery. However, prescriber education previously has been shown to decrease over-prescription on a small scale. The HSS researchers set out to evaluate the effect of the education session and the hospital's new opioid guidelines on physician prescribing practices after ambulatory hand surgery. HSS mandated a one- to two-hour education program in November 2016 for all employees qualified to prescribe controlled substances. The hospital also formulated prescribing guidelines after an extensive review of the medical literature on the amount of pain medication commonly needed after hand surgery. The new guidelines, which recommended a specific number of pills based on the type of hand surgery performed, were disseminated to staff in February 2017. To see if there was a change in prescribing practices, investigators reviewed postoperative opioid prescriptions for patients who underwent ambulatory hand surgery in the two months prior to the mandatory education session; in the two months following physician education; and during the two-month period that followed the dissemination of prescribing guidelines. A total of 731 ambulatory hand surgeries with postoperative opioid prescriptions for patients were included in the study. All three time periods had a similar ratio of surgery types. Researchers found a 45 percent reduction in opioids prescribed after the education session and distribution of guidelines. "It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this study. A 45 percent reduction is a huge amount and demonstrates the success of the program in reducing the amount of prescribed narcotics," said Dr. Osei. "Our results suggest that similar standardized education and prescribing guidelines on a national level could reduce the amount of opioids prescribed after ambulatory hand surgery nationwide." The next step for Dr. Osei and his colleagues at HSS will be an analysis of how well the prescribing practices worked in terms of pain control and patient satisfaction for those in the study. He noted that among his own patients, he did not notice an increase in requests for more pain medication. ### About HSS | Hospital for Special Surgery HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the eighth consecutive year) and No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2017-2018). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has one of the lowest infection rates in the country, and was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State. In 2017 HSS provided care to 135,000 patients from 80 countries, and performed more than 32,000 surgical procedures. In addition to Patient Care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation, and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair, and tissue regeneration. The HSS Innovation Institute was formed in 2015 to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices; the global standard total knee replacement was developed at HSS in 1969, and in 2017 HSS made 130 invention submissions (more than 2x the submissions in 2015). The HSS Education Institute provides continuing medical curriculum to more than 15,000 subscribing musculoskeletal healthcare professionals in 110 countries. Through HSS Global, the institution is collaborating with medical centers worldwide to advance the quality and value of care, and to make world-class HSS care more accessible to more people. AT A GLANCE Heart-attack sufferers who receive treatment during periods when interventional cardiologists are away at academic conferences are more likely to survive in the month after their heart attack than patients receiving treatment during nonmeeting days. Survival differences are seen only in a subgroup of patients who did not receive invasive stenting treatment. Patients who received stenting--a procedure that props open blocked arteries in the heart--fared equally well on meeting and nonmeeting dates. Benefit may stem from the better holistic care skills of physicians who skip interventional cardiology meetings. Heart attacks don't happen on a schedule. So how do patients fare if they suffer a heart attack while many cardiologists are away at academic meetings or research conferences? The answer depends on the type of heart attack, according to new research from Harvard Medical School. According to new research from Harvard Medical School, published March 9 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, heart attack sufferers who receive treatment during periods when interventional cardiologists are away at academic conferences are more likely to survive in the month after their heart attack than patients receiving treatment during matched days in the weeks surrounding the conferences. The overall benefit in survival was substantial enough to get the attention of physician-researcher Anupam Jena, lead author of the study. "Many medical interventions deliver no mortality benefit, and the fact that mortality actually falls for heart attack patients during these conference dates raises important questions about how care might differ during these periods," said Jena, who is the Ruth L. Newhouse Associate Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School and a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. This is not the first time Jena has tackled this line of scientific inquiry. In 2015 Jena and colleagues set out to answer this question, expecting that they would find either no change if the hospitals had enough skilled doctors to cover for the cardiologists who were away at big national cardiology conferences, or a slight increase in mortality, if staffing challenges caused the quality or quantity of care to dip. Jena said he was surprised to find in that first study that instead of doing worse, patients fared better for acute cardiovascular conditions such as cardiac arrest and heart failure, on the dates of the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology meetings than they did on matched dates surrounding those events. The counterintuitive findings suggested that cardiologists who attend the meetings are more prone to using intensive interventions for their patients, and that patients did better with less intensive treatment. In his latest study, Jena takes a closer look at a more focused physician population, looking for changes in patient mortality on the dates of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics, the world's largest interventional cardiology meeting. Interventional cardiologists specialize in minimally invasive treatment of heart attacks, which involves accessing the heart through a vessel in the groin or arm rather than through open-heart surgery. This approach uses a tiny wire mesh, or stent, to open up a blocked heart artery, and is the most commonly used therapy for treating patients in the throes of a heart attack caused by a blocked artery. This study's focus on a specific condition and a specific group of doctors who primarily and routinely treat this condition overcame a limitation of the 2015 study, which included cardiologists of all types. The new analysis revealed a pattern mirroring the findings of Jena's earlier research: A decided survival benefit for patients treated on meeting dates over those treated on nonmeeting dates. Overall, 15.3 percent of patients who went to the hospital with a heart attack on the dates of the meeting died within 30 days of admission, compared with 16.7 percent of patients admitted on nonmeeting dates. The improved survival outcomes were driven primarily by a group of patients with a specific type of heart attack that does not require immediate stenting. In these patients, who did not undergo stenting, 16.9 percent of those hospitalized during meeting dates died within 30 days of admission, compared with 19.5 percent of those who received care on nonmeeting dates. The differences may emanate from different nonprocedural skills of physicians who stay behind on meeting dates. Indeed, patients who had heart attacks during meeting dates were equally likely to receive coronary stenting compared to patients who had heart attacks on nonmeeting dates, and mortality reductions were primarily observed among patients who did not receive stents. For patients who don't undergo stenting, mortality risk likely depends on choosing the right cardiac medicines and also accurately identifying and treating concurrent illnesses that may affect the risk of dying, such as certain types of infectious diseases, Jena said. The findings suggest that while the doctors who stayed were equally skilled at stenting as doctors who attended the meetings, those who stayed may have been better at nonprocedural care, Jena said. "If doctors focuse their attention on a particular kind of procedure, they might not develop other clinical skills that are as important to influencing outcomes as is knowledge of a specific procedure," Jena said. "Treating a cardiac patient isn't just about cardiac issues--it's about other factors that the patient brings to the hospital." The researchers found no age or sex differences between physicians who attended and those who did not attend interventional cardiology meetings. However, they did observe that the doctors who attended these meeting performed more stents, were much more focused on publishing research and more likely to run clinical trials than their peers who stayed behind. "To be clear, these aren't academics who just run research programs," Jena said. "They also do a lot of clinical care." So what is it that makes the outcomes for patients treated by these two groups of doctors markedly different? Without detailed data about the clinical profiles of patients seen on meeting and nonmeeting dates, Jena said it would be hard to say for sure what the true differences were between the groups. "Which doctor treats you does matter. The types of doctors who attend these meetings seem to provide different care, at least for a subgroup of patients," Jena said. "This is an unfortunate paradox given that professional conferences are designed to actually makes us better physicians and improve the care we deliver." Many open questions remain, however. The most critical among them may be: What do the doctors who stay home during meetings do differently to achieve superior results and what can their meeting-attending colleagues learn from them to boost their performance? "What we really want to know is how we can close the gap in outcomes and save more lives," Jena said. ### Andrew Olenski, graduate student in the Department of Economics at Columbia University, Daniel Blumenthal, HMS instructor of medicine at Mass General, Robert Yeh, director of the Richard and Susan Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, John Romley, associate professor in the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California, and Dana Goldman, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair and director of the University of Southern California Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, were co-authors of the study. The research was supported by grants from Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH; NIH Early Independence Award, Grant 1DP5OD017897), and the National Institute on Aging (Grant 5P01AG033559). About Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School has more than 11,000 faculty working in 10 academic departments located at the School's Boston campus or in hospital-based clinical departments at 15 Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Hebrew SeniorLife, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and VA Boston Healthcare System. To prevent cardiac death, people with certain cardiac disorders are implanted with electronic devices designed to automatically stimulate the heartbeat or counteract serious arrhythmia if necessary. Nowadays these devices also permit to monitor heart function from a distance. In case of conspicuous recordings, the physician may take additional therapeutic measures. However, it remains unclear whether this so-called telemonitoring has advantages for patients with cardiac failure or heart rhythm disorders with a fast heart rate (ventricular tachyarrhythmia). This is the conclusion reached in the final report of the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Data on adverse events and quality of life are still lacking because only incomplete study results have been published. Even IQWiG's public request did not change this. Regarding other outcome criteria, treatment results with telemonitoring were neither better nor worse than without telemonitoring. Electrical impulses to stabilize cardiac function Cardiac failure is a common disease, particularly in older people and is one of the most common causes of death in Germany. So-called ventricular tachyarrhythmia is common in cardiac failure. Tachyarrhythmia is a combination of a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) and a fast heart rate (tachycardia) that starts in one of the two lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). In the worst case, it can cause sudden cardiac death. Both diseases are treated by implanting the patients with active cardiac devices. If the heartbeat is irregular, the devices transmit electronic impulses to either give defibrillation shocks or cause overstimulation (ICDs), or synchronize the contraction of left and right ventricle (CRTs). A third type of device combines both functions (CRT-Ds). Telemonitoring to support follow-up care Irrespective of the type of implant, regular (outpatient) follow-up care is necessary, where patients have to visit their physician at fixed intervals of usually three months. In principle, all types of devices nowadays also permit so-called telemonitoring. With telemonitoring, physiological data are radio-transmitted to the practice or to another medical centre and monitored. If necessary, visits independent from the regular follow-up visits can be scheduled to initiate diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Telemonitoring is also designed to partly replace visits to the physician, however. No relevant differences in most outcome criteria A comparatively broad database - for non-drug interventions - had been available to the Institute already for the preliminary report. One further study was found in a search update. A total of 17 studies with 10 130 participants were now included in the assessment. Participants in these studies received either standard follow-up care alone or additional telemonitoring. For most outcome criteria, the data showed no or no relevant differences between both treatment groups. This was the case for mortality and occurrence of strokes or heart attacks as well as for hospitalizations or occurrence of mental problems. Particularities in the study design of IN-TIME Yet there was one exception: One of the 17 studies (IN-TIME) produced results in favour of telemonitoring regarding mortality (all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality). The design of the IN-TIME studies was particular, however: On the one hand, the participants were monitored more closely than in the other studies included. On the other, follow-up care in the control group was less intense compared with the usual care in Germany: The first time the patients had to see their physician for examination was only after 12 months. It therefore remains unclear whether the results of IN-TIME were caused by the particularly close monitoring in the telemedicine group or by the - compared with other studies - less frequent follow-up visits in the control group. The Institute therefore derived no benefit from the IN-TIME study either. Quality of life: no data from 82% of study participants In the overall consideration of the studies, still no conclusions can be drawn on benefit or harm for two key outcomes, namely side effects and quality of life, because data were missing for a considerable proportion of the patients. Regarding serious adverse events, including side effects of the treatment, no results were available for 42% of the participants. This proportion was as high as 82% for health-related quality of life. It would be inadequate to only include those participants in the assessment for whom data are available because the probability of a biased result is very high if such a large proportion of data is missing. Several studies still unpublished Data of study participants are not the only information that was missing, however. Three studies that are probably relevant for the assessment were not yet published at the editorial deadline. In addition, IQWiG identified five more completed studies that were not yet published. Their relevance was unclear, however. The EVATEL study was one of these studies: It was completed more than six years ago, but only an abstract has become available since. Although IQWiG had criticized this fact before the commenting procedure, neither the manufacturer nor the study authors from publicly financed institutions subsequently provided data. "Particularly the industry has wasted the opportunity to show a benefit of their devices", says Stefan Lange, IQWiG's Deputy Director. "Clinical studies are not an end in themselves, but all their results have to become publicly available as quickly as possible. This is the only way for us to be able to assess the benefit and harm of the medical interventions. And without this knowledge, patients are not able to make informed decisions", he adds. Process of report production IQWiG published the preliminary results in the form of the preliminary report in August 2017 and interested parties were invited to submit comments. At the end of the commenting procedure, the preliminary report was revised and sent as a final report to the commissioning agency in January 2018. The written comments submitted are published in a separate document at the same time as the final report. The report was produced in collaboration with external experts. ### Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have found previously known skin itch receptors in the airways that appear to contribute to bronchoconstriction and airway hypersensitivity, hallmarks of asthma and other respiratory disorders. The investigators' experiments in mice suggest that the receptors' activation directly aggravates airway constriction and--if the same process is active in people--may be a promising new target for the development of drug therapies. In a report on the study, published Feb. 5 in Nature Neuroscience, researchers say the biochemical receptor, known as a G protein-coupled receptor, was present on nerve cells in the lower respiratory tracts of lab mice. "The findings give us a fuller picture of what airway reactivity looks like," says Xinzhong Dong, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. Dong said he and his team were inspired to study "itchiness" in the airway by asthma patients who reported the sensation in their lungs just prior to full-blown asthma symptoms such as wheezing. Though he has been studying the G protein-coupled receptor on the skin for many years, Dong said he had not yet looked for it in other parts of the body. Using fluorescent antibodies designed specifically to light up the receptor in mice, the investigators observed it on vagus nerves, which serve as a main biochemical connection between airway cells and the brain. To explore the effects of the receptor on the airway, the researchers used a protein called BAM8-22, which is an itch activator that specifically targets the G protein-coupled receptor, to induce a reaction. They found that mice with the G protein-coupled receptor breathed more quickly and with more effort after exposure to the receptor activator than mice lacking it, evidence that the receptors are activated before an asthma-like attack. Currently, asthma treatments such as anticholinergics target the hypersensitive nerves that connect the brain to so-called parasympathetic neurons in the smooth muscle of the airway. To investigate what, if any, role vagus neurons have in this system, Dong and his team repeated the experiments, while also activating the airway smooth muscles using acetylcholine--a neurotransmitter used throughout the nervous system to activate muscles. They found that stimulation of the G protein-coupled receptor increased airway constriction more than activating the airway smooth muscles alone. The research team then infected specially bred mice carrying G protein-coupled receptors and those without the receptor with an influenza virus--which is known to trigger asthma attacks in humans. When the researchers then administered acetylcholine to the mice through the nebulizer, they observed that mice with the G protein-coupled receptors reacted more vigorously than those with only smooth muscle reactions, and they also showed increased airway restriction compared to their counterparts without the receptor. "We know that influenza stresses the respiratory system in humans. Through this test, we saw that in mice, activating our receptor made the reaction much, much worse," says Dong. In the future, Dong hopes to identify a compound that can block the G protein-coupled receptor on vagus nerves as a means of stopping airway "itch" and curbing asthma. ### Other researchers involved in this study include Liang Han, Nathachit Limjunyawong, Zhe Li, Fei Ru, Marian Kollarik, Bradley J Undem and Brendan J Canning of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Olivia J Hall and Wayne Mitzner of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Haley Steele, Yuyan Zhu and Julie Wilson of the Georgia Institute of Technology. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NS054791 & NS087088), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (112919 &122228) and by the American Asthma Foundation. East Hanover, NJ - March 9, 2018. The major economic indicators held more good news for Americans with disabilities, according to today's National Trends in Disability Employment - Monthly Update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). Gains for job seekers with disabilities moved higher for the 23rd consecutive month. Several factors may be contributing to ongoing job growth. By addressing policies that hinder employment opportunities, state-level initiatives are making progress toward greater inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released Friday, March 9, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities increased from 28.1 percent in February 2017 to 30.5 percent in February 2018 (up 8.5 percent; 2.4 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 72.8 percent in February 2017 to 73.5 percent in February 2018 (up 1 percent; 0.7 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, reflects the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100). "Job growth among people with disabilities continues with another monthly increase in the employment-to-population ratio," according to John O'Neill, PhD, director of employment and disability research at Kessler Foundation. "Despite the past 23 months of positive change, much work needs to be done before people with disabilities achieve employment parity with their nondisabled peers." The labor force participation rate for working-age people with disabilities increased from 31.5 percent in February 2017 to 33.6 percent in February 2018 (up 6.7 percent; 2.1 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the labor force participation rate also increased from 76.4 percent in February 2017 to 76.8 percent in February 2018 (up 0.5 percent; 0.4 percentage points). The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is working or actively looking for work. "The gains seen by people with disabilities this month, and over the last 23 months, have far exceeded gains seen by people without disabilities. This suggests that as we approach full employment, employers may be tapping groups that were previously overlooked," said Andrew Houtenville, PhD, associate professor of economics at UNH and research director of the Institute on Disability. Efforts on the state level are promoting legislative reforms that prioritize the incorporation of disability in workforce development programs. Partnerships such as the State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED) are providing state legislators with the resources they need to develop effective policies for ensuring ongoing progress toward inclusive workforces. Major universities are contributing to state-level efforts through collaborations such as the Midwest Disability Employment Consortium, which aims to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the Midwest. The Consortium includes the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. "Our collective goal is to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the Midwest," said Julie Christensen, LMSW, PhD, director of the Iowa UCEDD. "We are thrilled to partner with Kessler Foundation on this important project - Just in Time Employment Supports - which is based on a unique multi-state approach to finding innovative solutions for expanding access to long-term employment services and supports for people with disabilities." "The Consortium will apply readily available virtual technology platforms in its plans to address the employment needs of people with disabilities in these three states," explained Elaine E. Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, senior vice president of grants and communications at Kessler Foundation. "We anticipate that this approach will yield large-scale outcomes that will benefit businesses as well as jobseekers," Katz remarked. The Consortium will also serve as a disability employment 'think tank', and a hub for the collection of valuable data on the best practices for competitive, sustainable employment opportunities in these mid-western states. In February 2018, among workers ages 16-64, the 4,623,000 workers with disabilities represented 3.2 percent of the total 145,020,000 workers in the U.S. ### The next nTIDE will be issued on Friday, April 6, 2018. Every nTIDE Jobs Report release is followed by a noon Lunch & Learn live webinar, hosted via Zoom Webinar. This webinar series features in-depth analyses, news from the field, and invited panelists. Join live, or access our archives at: http://www.ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE. NOTE: The statistics in the nTIDE are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, but are not identical. They are customized by UNH to combine the statistics for men and women of working age (16 to 64). NTIDE is funded, in part, by grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (9ORT5022 and 90RT5017) and Kessler Foundation. About Kessler Foundation Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes -- including employment -- for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit http://www.KesslerFoundation.org. About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. For information on the NIDILRR-funded Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, visit http://www.ResearchonDisability.org. For more information, or to interview an expert, contact: Carolann Murphy 973-324-8382 CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org. Alport Syndrome (AS) is a hereditary kidney disease caused by a genetic mutation leading to type IV collagen (Col4) abnormalities. Unfortunately, treatment through the correction of Col4 functionality has not yet been developed. Now, researchers from Kumamoto University in Japan have established a highly sensitive technology to assess Col4 functionality thereby paving the way to develop therapeutic drugs. This detection system reduces labor and time costs compared to conventional methods, and monitors the functionality of Col4 with higher sensitivity than ever before. The system also makes it possible to analyze several drug candidate compounds simultaneously. ACE inhibitors and other medications for treating hypertension have been found to slow the progression of AS. However, this treatment only alleviates symptoms and cannot prevent the transition into end stage renal failure. It is therefore considered that fundamental treatment should focus on the cause of disease onset, an approach that is completely different from prior methods. The therapeutic strategy, in this case, would focus on normalizing the function of the causative protein with a candidate drug compound. If successful, this technique would greatly contribute to the treatment of other hereditary diseases. [Research] To normalize the function of the causative protein with a candidate drug compound, it is necessary to efficiently screen and identify compounds that restore the function compromised by the genetic mutation. However, an analysis system to assess the functionality of causative proteins has not yet been developed. Such a system could be used to screen for therapeutic drug candidates. Thus, Kumamoto University researchers aimed to establish a new evaluation system (a compound screening system) just for that purpose. In Col4, three polypeptide chains (rod-like proteins), alpha-3, alpha-4, and alpha-5, form a complex called a protein trimer. This trimer is a constituent factor of the basement membrane in the part of the kidney called the glomerulus. The glomerular basement membrane is a physical barrier against leakage of blood components during blood filtration, an important kidney function for producing urine. A mutation in any one of the three polypeptide chains can disrupt trimer formation and result in the development of AS due to a failure to properly form the basement membrane. Therefore, it is necessary to search for compounds that can correct or assist trimer formation by mutant collagen. The researchers used split NanoLuciferase (split NanoLuc, NanoBiT) technology for protein-protein interaction analysis as a method of evaluating trimer formation. Fragments of two large and small luciferase molecules were fused with alpha-3 and alpha-5 chains and expressed in cells with alpha-4 chains. Measurable luminescence was detected only when alpha-3, alpha-4, and alpha-5 chains could form trimers. The researchers clarified that the NanoLuc-Col4 system reflects previously reported characteristics of Col4, namely that trimers are formed with a fixed combination of alpha-3, alpha-4, and alpha-5 chains, and that alpha-5 chains cannot form trimers if they are missing a functional part. The NanoLuc-Col4 system also revealed that alpha-5 chains with the gene mutations reported in AS failed to function. Importantly, as proof of principle that correcting trimer formation for mutant collagen is feasible, the authors were able to use the system to identify compounds that were able to induce trimer formation of alpha-3, alpha-4 and mutant alpha-5 collagen. "This research should provide a pathway to develop drugs for hereditary diseases, such as Alport Syndrome, that are currently incurable," said Professor Hirofumi Kai of Kumamoto University's Department of Molecular Medicine. ### This paper was published online in the journal Cell Chemical Biology on 8 March 2018. [Source] Kohei Omachi et. al. (2018). A split-luciferase-based trimer formation assay as a high-throughput screening platform for therapeutics in Alport syndrome. Cell Chemical Biology. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.02.003 Kyoto, Japan -- In a new report in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Christian E Vincenot from Kyoto University's Department of Social Informatics investigates how seemingly separate concepts in scientific fields fuse to become universal approaches. Sometimes it's just a matter of a few words and key papers. Research collaboration can represent a peak of scientific advancement. The merging of concepts leads to previously unexplored questions and methods, spurring innovation. But disciplinary boundaries limit such development, hindering understanding of key vocabulary or concepts. Vincenot chose to compare two modeling concepts: ABM -- agent based modeling -- and IBM -- individual based modeling. ABM is used frequently in the computer sciences, while IBM is utilized primarily in ecology. As it turns out, both are based on the same principle, and are used to study complex systems by modeling a single individual and then scaling that behavior up to a larger population. "A few years ago I was presenting my research at an interdisciplinary talk involving ecologists and computer scientists," reflects Vincenot. "I started using ABM and IBM interchangeably, which began to cause confusion. People unfamiliar with the similarity were surprised when I told them that the modeling principles are the same." These interactions raised the question: how do two concepts evolve separately in different scientific domains and then converge into a universal standard? Vincenot began by developing a new methodology to analyze citations in papers that used the two terms, and tracked the changes over time. He mapped individual papers and connect these with papers they had cited, resulting in publications citing the same paper being close to each other. ABM and IBM, he found, were initially disjointed and isolated within their respective fields. But over time, the literature began to merge, and by 2015 -- 12,000 publications later -- a distinct fusion of the two terms could be observed. "The most surprising thing is that only a few publications were required for this fusion between ABM and IBM to happen," explains Vincenot. "Out of all the papers, only six were key for the fusion. And these weren't necessarily the most cited papers." He hypothesizes that three things are needed for fusion to occur: researchers being aware of issues in different fields; common language, terminology, and software being developed; and most importantly, developing more unified theories. Vincenot clarifies: "Awareness and communication are enough to instigate interdisciplinary work, but ultimately they are insufficient to give rise to a self-standing science. We need more transcendental theories, which serve as frameworks for sciences to develop in a self-sustaining manner. Basically, we must interpret current results and use them as building blocks to recursively create new theories." The next step in his study is to confirm the conjectures by using other concepts and terms in science. Thankfully the methodology is easy to apply: it's just a matter of finding new ideas. ### The paper "How new concepts become universal scientific approaches: insights from citation network analysis of agent-based complex systems science" appeared 7 March 2018 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, with doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2360 Kyoto University is one of Japan and Asia's premier research institutions, founded in 1897 and responsible for producing numerous Nobel laureates and winners of other prestigious international prizes. A broad curriculum across the arts and sciences at both undergraduate and graduate levels is complemented by numerous research centers, as well as facilities and offices around Japan and the world. For more information please see: http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en New Rochelle, NY, March 8, 2018--A new study comparing the effectiveness of individual ZMapp antibodies versus a cocktail of antibodies, administered to mice using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) delivery vectors, showed the ability to achieve 100% protection against infection by Ebola virus. The study, which reported the best results using a single rAAV-delivered antibody, is published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Human Gene Therapy website until April 8, 2018. Bruno Gaillet, University Laval (Quebec, Canada) and coauthors from National Research Council Canada (Montreal), Public Health Agency of Canada and University of Manitoba (Winnipeg), University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), and McGill University (Montreal) coauthored the article entitled "Gene Transfer of ZMapp Antibodies Mediated by Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Protects Against Ebola Infections." The researchers evaluated the therapeutic effectiveness of three ZMapp antibodies (c2G4, c4G7, and c13C6) and different doses and various routes of administration (intravenous, intramuscular and intranasal). They also compared different doses of the individual antibodies to the effectiveness of the three-antibody cocktail. "Vectored antibody delivery has the potential to revolutionize how we respond to emerging pathogens like Ebola virus disease," says Editor-in-Chief Terence R. Flotte, MD, Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education and Dean, Provost, and Executive Deputy Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. "Professor Gaillet's work provides vital proof of this concept, which could greatly aid global preparedness for the next outbreak." ### Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01 AR43623 R21 AR049606, R01 AR048566, R01 AR057422, and R01 AR051085. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. About the Journal Human Gene Therapy, the Official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, German Society of Gene Therapy, and five other gene therapy societies, is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly in print and online. Led by Editor-in-Chief Terence R. Flotte, MD, Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education and Dean, Provost, and Executive Deputy Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Human Gene Therapy presents reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Related topics include improvements in vector development, delivery systems, and animal models, particularly in the areas of cancer, heart disease, viral disease, genetic disease, and neurological disease, as well as ethical, legal, and regulatory issues related to the gene transfer in humans. Its companion journals, Human Gene Therapy Methods, published bimonthly, focuses on the application of gene therapy to product testing and development, and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development, published quarterly, features data relevant to the regulatory review and commercial development of cell and gene therapy products. Tables of contents for all three publications and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Human Gene Therapy website. About the Publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, and Cellular Reprogramming. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215 http://www.liebertpub.com Phone: (914) 740-2100 (800) M-LIEBERT Fax: (914) 740-2101 ROCHESTER, Minn. -- New Mayo Clinic research suggests up to 97 percent of patients are comfortable with their health care provider asking sexual orientation and gender identity questions. Before this research, it was unclear if the questions - which researchers say are important to reduce health disparities among LGBTI patients - would offend patients. The findings were published today in Health Services Research. "Our results should help ease the concerns of providers who want to deliver the highest-quality care for their patients but may not ask sexual orientation or gender identity questions for fear of distressing or offending their patients," says Joan Griffin, Ph.D., a health services researcher at Mayo Clinic who is a co-author. Dr. Griffin is the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Scientific Director for Care Experience at Mayo Clinic. Although multiple governmental reports have recommended asking these questions, there was little evidence about patient acceptance of these questions, the researchers say. Why is this research important? Sexual and gender minorities are at an increased risk for a number of health threats, including higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use, and psychological distress. They are also less likely to seek medical care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, to decrease health inequities for these patients, health care providers first need to identify them. Previous research showed many health care providers assumed sexual orientation and gender identity questions would offend patients. "In previous studies, there was more concern from health care providers about using the questions, but nobody had asked patients about their thoughts," Dr. Griffin says. "Therefore, we were not sure what to expect from patients, but we were not surprised that patients were less concerned about the questions than the providers in other studies thought they would be." Patients will receive the questions at Mayo Clinic as it switches to a single, integrated electronic health record and billing system. The system was implemented across Mayo Clinic Health System in 2017 and is scheduled to launch on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus in May, and on Mayo Clinic's Arizona and Florida campuses in October. "At Mayo Clinic, the needs of the patient come first. These questions will help Mayo Clinic identify the unique, unmet needs of LGBTI patients and highlight that equitable care for all people is a top priority," Dr. Griffin says. The questions The researchers conducted the study at three Mayo Clinic sites in Minnesota between June 29, 2015, and Feb. 29, 2016. The sites were chosen for their diversity in patient populations. One site is a women's health clinic serving local, regional and national patients. Another serves regional and national patients 65 and older. And the third site is in a rural community of less than 10,000 people. They gave 491 new patients routine intake forms, or intake forms with sexual orientation and gender identity questions. Both groups received feedback forms that inquired about the intake questions. Responses between the two groups then were compared. Mayo Clinic's new sexual orientation and gender identity questions are: What sex were you assigned at birth on your original birth certificate? (male, female or choose not to answer) What is your current gender identity? (male, female, female-to-male/transgender male/trans man, male-to-female/transgender female/trans woman, gender queer/neither exclusively male nor female, additional gender category/other [describe] or choose not to answer) Do you think of yourself as ... (lesbian/gay/homosexual, straight/heterosexual, bisexual, something else [describe], don't know or choose not to answer) What is your preferred gender pronoun? (he/him, she/her, something else [describe] or choose not to answer) Implementing in medical practice The researchers say that, while their study looked at multiple patient populations, more research may be needed to capture other concerns. "These findings may generalize to relatively similar areas in the country, especially the Midwest, but there may be differences in other regions in the U.S. or by cultural groups that we did not capture in our sample," Dr. Griffin says. As institutions adopt sexual orientation and gender identity questions, a simple explanation of why the information is being collected may increase patient participation, the researchers suggest. Patients also may benefit from being reminded of their health care institution's nondiscrimination and confidentiality policies, they say. ### The study's lead author is Jordan Rullo, Ph.D., a psychologist at Mayo Clinic. The research received support from the Mayo Clinic Division of General Internal Medicine, the Mayo Clinic Office of Health Disparities Research, the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery. About the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery The Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery seeks to discover new ways to improve health; translate those discoveries into evidence-based, actionable treatments, processes and procedures; and apply this new knowledge to improve care for patients everywhere. Learn more about the center. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies strategies for improving the reliability of bolts used in offshore oil and gas drilling rigs. WASHINGTON -- A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies strategies for improving the reliability of bolts used in offshore oil and gas drilling rigs, thereby reducing the risk that a bolt failure could cause a spill of oil, drilling fluids, or natural gas into the environment. Although the oil and gas industry has made important advances in improving the reliability of bolts, there are multiple opportunities for the industry and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to work together to further improve reliability and safety culture, the report says. Bolts and other fasteners are an integral part of undersea equipment in offshore oil rigs, including for critical pieces of safety equipment such as blow-out preventers (BOP). No major oil spills have resulted from the failure of a bolt or fastener, but there have been minor oil releases and near misses caused by unexpected bolt failures. Such incidents illustrate a compelling need for augmenting the regular inspection with an industrywide continuous monitoring program of bolts that have shown issues, the report says; currently there is no standard industrywide program to inspect bolts that have failed or are being replaced, such as after the five-year inspection required for BOPs. BSEE could proactively work with the oil and gas industry to construct a comprehensive road map of key objectives and priorities to be implemented by the industry, the report says. Industry should have a large role in determining the priority for addressing potential improvements. The road map could include sections on: investigating bolting cluster failures using a large-scale, fully instrumented test rig that simulates undersea conditions on fasteners; researching and developing innovations that could significantly advance the reliability of offshore fasteners in critical service; identifying gaps in current standards and obtaining the necessary data to guide updates to the standards; and promoting a strategic vision for the safety culture throughout the oil and gas industry. This would include collecting and disseminating information about fastener performance, failures, and near misses, and using this information to guide roadmap priorities. The report also recommends several other actions the oil and gas industry should take to improve the reliability of undersea bolts. For example, industry should establish a standard laboratory test method to assess how susceptible bolting materials are to cracking and embrittlement from exposure to hydrogen. It should review the standards, such as those related to bolt tensioning, in order to minimize the likelihood of excessive stress being placed on bolts in subsea environments. And it should promote an enhanced safety culture across organizations and disciplines - one that is reflected in work rules and encourages all levels of the organization to improve the reliability of undersea bolts. The study was sponsored by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org. A committee roster follows. ### Contacts: Riya V. Anandwala, Media Relations Officer Andrew Robinson, Media Relations Assistant Office of News and Public Information 202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu Copies of High-Performance Bolting Technology for Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations are available from the National Academies Press on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu or by calling 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above). THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences National Materials and Manufacturing Board Committee on Connector Reliability for Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations Robert E. Schafrik* (chair) Presidential Distinguished Professor of Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering College of Engineering University of Texas Arlington Robert Pohanka (vice chair) Director (retired) National Nanotechnology Coordination Office National Nanotechnology Initiative Alexandria, Va. Clyde L. Briant* Otis E. Randall University Professor of Engineering Brown University Providence, R.I. Willard C. Capdevielle President and Founder Bill Capdevielle Enterprises LLC Cypress, Texas Homero Castaneda Associate Professor and Director National Corrosion and Materials Reliability Center Texas A&M University College Station Nancy J. Cooke Professor of Cognitive Science and Engineering Polytechnic School, and Science Director Cognitive Engineering Research Institute Arizona State University Mesa Thomas W. Eagar* Professor of Materials Engineering and Engineering Systems Department of Materials Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Boston L. Brun Hilbert Jr. Principal Engineer Exponent Inc. Menlo Park, Calif. Derek J. Horton Materials Research Engineer U.S. Navy Research Laboratory Alexandria, Va. David W. Johnson Jr.* Senior Advisor Stevens Institute of Technology, and Editor-in-Chief Journal of the American Ceramic Society Bedminster, N.J. David K. Matlock* University Emeritus Professor George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Colorado School of Mines Golden Jyotirmoy Mazumder* Robert H. Lurie Professor of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor Roger L. McCarthy* Consultant McCarthy Engineering alo Alto, Calif. John R. Scully Interim Department Chair, and Charles Henderson Chaired Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Co-Director Center for Electrochemical Science and Engineering University of Virginia Charlottesville Pol D. Spanos* Lewis B. Ryon Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Civil Engineering George R. Brown School of Engineering Rice University Houston Neil G. Thompson Senior Vice President Det Norske Veritas (DNV-GL) Arlington, Va. STAFF Erik B. Svedberg Staff Officer *Member, National Academy of Engineering Ocean conditions off most of the U.S. West Coast are returning roughly to average, after an extreme marine heat wave from about 2014 to 2016 disrupted the California Current Ecosystem and shifted many species beyond their traditional range, according to a new report from NOAA Fisheries' two marine laboratories on the West Coast. Some warm waters remain off the Pacific Northwest, however. The Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Northwest Fisheries Science Center presented their annual "California Current Ecosystem Status Report" to the Pacific Fishery Management Council at the Council's meeting in Rohnert Park, Calif., on Friday, March 9. The California Current encompasses the entire West Coast marine ecosystem, and the report informs the Council about conditions and trends in the ecosystem that may affect marine species and fishing in the coming year. "The report gives us an important glimpse at what the science is saying about the species and resources that we manage and rely on in terms of our West Coast economy," said Phil Anderson of Westport, Wash., the Council Chair. "The point is that we want to be as informed as we can be when we make decisions that affect those species, and this report helps us do that." Unusually warm ocean temperatures, referred to as "the Blob," encompassed much of the West Coast beginning about 2014, combining with an especially strong El Nino pattern in 2015. The warm conditions have now waned, although some after-effects remain. Feeding conditions have improved for California sea lions and seabirds that experienced mass die-offs caused by shifts in their prey during the Blob. Plankton species, the foundation of the marine food web, have shifted back slightly toward fat-rich, cool-water species that improve the growth and survival of salmon and other fish. Recent research surveys have found fewer juvenile salmon, and consequently adult salmon returns will likely remain depressed for a few years until successive generations benefit from improving ocean conditions. Reports of whale entanglements in fishing gear have remained very high for the fourth straight year, as whales followed prey to inshore areas and ran into fishing gear such as pots and traps. Severe low-oxygen conditions in the ocean water spanned the Oregon Coast from July to September 2017, causing die-offs of crabs and other species. Even as the effects of the Blob and El Nino dissipate, the central and southern parts of the West Coast face low snow pack and potential drought in 2018 that could put salmon at continued risk as they migrate back up rivers to spawn. "Overall we're seeing some positive signs, as the ocean returns to a cooler and generally more productive state," said Toby Garfield, a research scientist and Acting Director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. "We're fortunate that we have the data from previous years to help us understand what the trends are, and how that matters to West Coast fishermen and communities." NOAA Fisheries' scientists compile the California Current Ecosystem Status Report from ocean surveys and other monitoring efforts along the West Coast. The tracking revealed "a climate system still in transition in 2017," as surface ocean conditions return to near normal. Deeper water remained unusually warm, especially in the northern part of the California Current. Warm-water species, such as leaner plankton species often associated with subtropical waters, have lingered in these more-northern zones. One of the largest and most extensive low-oxygen zones ever recorded off the West Coast prevailed off the Oregon Coast last summer, probably driven by low-oxygen water upwelled from the deep ocean, the report said. While the cooling conditions off the West Coast began to support more cold-water plankton rich in the fatty acids that salmon need to grow, salmon may need more time to show the benefits, the report said. Juvenile salmon sampled off the Northwest Coast in 2017 were especially small and scarce, suggesting that poor feeding conditions off the Columbia River Estuary may remain. Juvenile salmon that enter the ocean this year amid the gradually improving conditions will not return from the ocean to spawn in the Columbia and other rivers for another two years or more, so fishermen should not expect adult salmon numbers to improve much until then. "These changes occur gradually, and the effects appear only with time," said Chris Harvey, a fisheries biologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and coauthor of the report. "The advantage of doing this monitoring and watching these indicators is that we can get a sense of what is likely to happen in the ecosystem and how that is likely to affect communities and economies that are closely tied to these waters." ### Water is crucial for life, but how do you make water? Cooking up some H2O takes more than mixing hydrogen and oxygen. It requires the special conditions found deep within frigid molecular clouds, where dust shields against destructive ultraviolet light and aids chemical reactions. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will peer into these cosmic reservoirs to gain new insights into the origin and evolution of water and other key building blocks for habitable planets. A molecular cloud is an interstellar cloud of dust, gas, and a variety of molecules ranging from molecular hydrogen (H2) to complex, carbon-containing organics. Molecular clouds hold most of the water in the universe, and serve as nurseries for newborn stars and their planets. Within these clouds, on the surfaces of tiny dust grains, hydrogen atoms link with oxygen to form water. Carbon joins with hydrogen to make methane. Nitrogen bonds with hydrogen to create ammonia. All of these molecules stick to the surface of dust specks, accumulating icy layers over millions of years. The result is a vast collection of "snowflakes" that are swept up by infant planets, delivering materials needed for life as we know it. "If we can understand the chemical complexity of these ices in the molecular cloud, and how they evolve during the formation of a star and its planets, then we can assess whether the building blocks of life should exist in every star system," said Melissa McClure of the Universiteit van Amsterdam, the principal investigator on a research project to investigate cosmic ices. In order to understand these processes, one of Webb's Director's Discretionary Early Release Science projects will examine a nearby star-forming region to determine which ices are present where. "We plan to use a variety of Webb's instrument modes and capabilities, not only to investigate this one region, but also to learn how best to study cosmic ices with Webb," said Klaus Pontoppidan of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), an investigator on McClure's project. This project will take advantage of Webb's high-resolution spectrographs to get the most sensitive and precise observations at wavelengths that specifically measure ices. Webb's spectrographs, NIRSpec and MIRI, will provide up to five times better precision that any previous space telescope at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. Infant stars and comet cradles The team, led by McClure and co-principal investigators Adwin Boogert (University of Hawaii) and Harold Linnartz (Universiteit Leiden), plans to target the Chamaeleon Complex, a star-forming region visible in the southern sky. It's located about 500 light-years from Earth and contains several hundred protostars, the oldest of which are about 1 million years old. "This region has a bit of everything we're looking for," said Pontoppidan. The team will use Webb's sensitive infrared detectors to observe stars behind the molecular cloud. As light from those faint, background stars passes through the cloud, ices in the cloud will absorb some of the light. By observing many background stars spread across the sky, astronomers can map ices within the cloud's entire expanse and locate where different ices form. They will also target individual protostars within the cloud itself to learn how ultraviolet light from these nascent stars promotes the creation of more complex molecules. Astronomers also will examine the birthplaces of planets, rotating disks of gas and dust known as protoplanetary disks that surround newly formed stars. They will be able to measure the amounts and relative abundances of ices as close as 5 billion miles from the infant star, which is about the orbital distance of Pluto in our solar system. "Comets have been described as dusty snowballs. At least some of the water in Earth's oceans likely was delivered by the impacts of comets early in our solar system's history. We'll be looking at the places where comets form around other stars," explained Pontoppidan. Laboratory experiments In order to understand Webb's observations, scientists will need to conduct experiments on Earth. Webb's spectrographs will spread incoming infrared light into a rainbow spectrum. Different molecules absorb light at certain wavelengths, or colors, resulting in dark spectral lines. Laboratories can measure a variety of substances to create a database of molecular "fingerprints." When astronomers see those fingerprints in a spectrum from Webb, they can then identify the molecule or family of molecules that created the absorption lines. "Laboratory studies will help address two key questions. The first is what molecules are present. But just as important, we'll look at how the ices got there. How did they form? What we find with Webb will help inform our models and allow us to understand the mechanisms for ice formation at very low temperatures," explained Karin Oberg of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, an investigator on the project. "It will take years to fully mine the data that comes out of Webb," Oberg added. The James Webb Space Telescope will be the world's premier infrared space observatory of the next decade. Webb will help humanity solve the mysteries of our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). ### For more information about Webb, visit http://www.nasa.gov/webb or http://www.webbtelescope.org. Contemporary myriapod research presented in July 2017 in Krabi, Thailand, comprises 13 research papers by 35 authors from across the world For the third consecutive time, a special issue in the open access zoological journal ZooKeys is hosting a collection of the research findings presented at the International Congress of Myriapodology. The contemporary research on myriapods - millipedes, centipedes and their relatives - presented at the 17th International Congress of Myriapodology, held in July 2017 in Krabi, Thailand, and organised by Prof. Somsak Panha, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, contains 13 novel research papers by 35 authors from ten countries, namely Austria, Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Russia, Taiwan and the UK. A dedicated Editorial written by zoologists Prof. Pavel Stoev, National Museum of Natural History, Bulgaria, and Dr. Gregory Edgecombe, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom, is also published along the collection. Amongst the research comprising the collection, there is a study using molecular phylogenetics to investigate the diversity and biogeography of the well-known European Black Pill Millipede, and the taxonomy of its subspecies and colour morphs. Another paper describes the online platform VIRMISCO (Virtual Microscope Slide Collection), which allows its users to access an archive of microscope slides of important type specimens. A total of nine new myriapod species from East Asia and Australia are also announced in the collection, including two papers by a team from Hengshui University, describing two previously unknown stone centipedes discovered in the leaf litter or under rocks in conifer forests in China. "We are delighted to again have ZooKeys as the forum for publication of our Congress, this one being the first time the global community of myriapod researchers has met in Asia", says co-editor Edgecombe, President of the Centre International de Myriapodologie. ### Contacts: Pavel Stoev Email: projects@pensoft.net Gregory Edgecombe Email: g.edgecombe@nhm.ac.uk Researchers have identified specific genes that may trigger the development of sleep problems, and have also demonstrated a genetic link between insomnia and psychiatric disorders such as depression, or physical conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, which is published by Springer Nature, was led by Murray Stein of the University of California San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Up to 20 percent of Americans and up to 50 percent of US military veterans are said to have trouble sleeping. The effects insomnia has on a person's health can be debilitating and place a strain on the healthcare system. Chronic insomnia goes hand in hand with various long-term health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide. Twin studies have in the past shown that various sleep-related traits, including insomnia, are heritable. Based on these findings, researchers have started to look into the specific gene variants involved. Stein says such studies are important, given the vast range of reasons why people suffer from insomnia, and the different symptoms and varieties of sleeplessness that can be experienced. "A better understanding of the molecular bases for insomnia will be critical for the development of new treatments," he adds. In this study, Stein's research team conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS). DNA samples obtained from more than 33,000 soldiers participating in the Army Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS) were analyzed. Data from soldiers of European, African and Latino descent were grouped separately as part of efforts to identify the influence of specific ancestral lineages. Stein and his colleagues also compared their results with those of two recent studies that used data from the UK Biobank. Overall, the study confirms that insomnia has a partially heritable basis. The researchers also found a strong genetic link between insomnia and type 2 diabetes. Among participants of European descent, there was additionally a genetic tie between sleeplessness and major depression. "The genetic correlation between insomnia disorder and other psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, and physical disorders such as type 2 diabetes suggests a shared genetic diathesis for these commonly co-occurring phenotypes," says Stein, who adds that the findings strengthen similar conclusions from prior twin and genome-wide association studies. Insomnia was linked to the occurrence of specific variants on chromosome 7. In people of European descent, there were also differences on chromosome 9. The variant on chromosome 7, for instance, is close to AUTS2, a gene that has been linked to alcohol consumption, as well as others that relate to brain development and sleep-related electric signaling. "Several of these variants rest comfortably among locations and pathways already known to be related to sleep and circadian rhythms," Stein elaborates. "Such insomnia associated loci may contribute to the genetic risk underlying a range of health conditions including psychiatric disorders and metabolic disease." ### Reference: Stein, M.B. et al (2018). Genome-wide Analysis of Insomnia Disorder, Molecular Psychiatry DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0033-5 Jets are rapid streams of liquids or gases that forcefully shoot into a surrounding medium. When ignitable substances are involved, combustion--rapid chemical reactions that result in heat and light--can occur. Combustion in jets has many industrial and technological applications, and is thus of great interest to scientists and engineers. The chemical interactions in jets with an oxidizing component and a chemically-reacting agent can either produce a weak reaction inducing slow oxidation in the reactive component, or develop quickly and instigate thermal runaway, which results in a swift temperature increase that spontaneously triggers combustion. Autoignition ensues when this spontaneous combustion results in a visible flame. In a paper published earlier this week in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, Peter V. Gordon, Uday G. Hegde, and Michael C. Hicks present a mathematical model for autoignition in free round turbulent jets. The mathematics of autoignition in reactive materials dates back to the 1920s and 30s, particularly to the early work of Nikolay Semenov, David Frank-Kamenetskii, and Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich. Their research established a mathematical combustion theory called the theory of thermal explosion, and subsequent studies were typically based on their findings. One common truth characteristically unites all thermal explosion studies: prior to autoignition, the reactive systems' dynamics are fairly straightforward. As a result, scientists can simplify a system of equations governing the evolution of reactive systems to create and examine models of autoignition in great detail. Gordon et al. use recent experimental advances in the study of hydrothermal flames to analyze autoignition in free jets. First observed about 30 years ago, hydrothermal flames arise in aqueous (water) environments at conditions above the thermodynamical critical point of water. They are a key component of an emerging "green" water purification technology called supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), and occur spontaneously during SCWO via autoignition. "The principal advantage of this technology is that it allows almost perfect conversion rates of organically-contaminated waste streams without producing harmful intermediate species," Hicks said. "The presence of hydrothermal flames in SCWO devices is often desirable since it allows for substantially-reduced reaction times--from seconds to milliseconds--thereby dramatically enhancing decomposition rates." Experimental studies of hydrothermal flames typically involve a closed combustion vessel with an injection inlet. The authors derive an elementary autoignition model for a fully-developed, round turbulent reactive jet. The jet is formed via injection of fuel and oxidizer into the vessel, which contains pure water at a supercritical state at rest. The injected stream creates a round jet that is either laminar (smooth with parallel flow) or turbulent (irregular). When conditions are right, the jet autoignites axially downstream from the injection point. To effectively illustrate autoignition, Gordon et al. make certain assumptions about the jet's form and overall conditions. "The key experimental facts that we use in our theory is that the shape of the jet, as well as the velocity and concentration fields of the species within the jet prior to autoignition, can be viewed as a priori prescribed," Gordon said. "Specifically, in a first approximation, the main region of the jet assumes the shape of a conical frustum (a cone with the pointed top sliced off). Moreover, the velocity within the main part of the jet--in the direction perpendicular to the jet--is negligible in comparison to one in the direction of injection. The latter is radially symmetric and inversely proportional to the distance from the injection point, and the same applies to concentration fields of reactive and oxidizing components within the jet." Using experimental observations and the aforementioned assumptions, the authors separate the model's hydrodynamic and reactive components. This drastically simplifies autoignition, reducing it to one differential equation. "The problem reduces to the analysis of a single equation that describes evolution of the temperature field within the jet, which we can analyze using a general framework of the Frank-Kamenetskii theory of thermal explosion," Gordon said. "This leads to sharp characterization of an autoignition event in terms of principal physicochemical and geometric parameters." Gordon et al.'s model is a counterpart to their previous model of autoignition for laminar co-flow jets, and reveals some valuable truths about autoignition. "The results of the model's analysis allow us to correlate specific values of principal physicochemical and geometric parameters of the problem with the event of autoignition, or absence thereof," Hegde said. "This, in turn, allows one to identify parametric regimes where autoignition takes place, and therefore can be used in guiding experimental studies of hydrothermal flames." The authors' conclusions will serve the experimental studies of scientists exploring the relation between hydrothermal flames and autoignition. "This work is applicable in the design of next-generation SCWO reactors that will rely on the spontaneous ignition and subsequent control of hydrothermal flames to sustain temperatures and reaction kinetics of SCWO processes in real world applications, like waste remediation and water reclamation," Hicks said. Such research is transpiring at NASA's Glenn Research Center, in Cleveland, Ohio. "We are currently conducting laboratory experiments with hydrothermal flames in organically-contaminated environments to verify the model predictions," Hegde said. "Qualitatively, we have already seen good agreement with predicted model trends. Quantitative comparisons are more challenging due to the technical difficulties of making accurate in situ measurements in SCWO environments, and are the subject of ongoing and future work." ### Gordon, P.V., Hegde, U.G., & Hicks, M.C. (2018). An Elementary Model for Autoignition of Free Round Turbulent Jets., 78(2), 705-718. https://epubs.siam.org/doi/abs/10.1137/17M1147780 Peter V. Gordon is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Kent State University. He can be reached at gordon@math.kent.edu. Uday G. Hegde is a research professor at Case Western Reserve University with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, providing full-time support to the microgravity combustion science program at NASA's Glenn Research Center. He can be reached at uday.g.hegde@nasa.gov. Michael C. Hicks is a combustion scientist at NASA's Glenn Research Center. He can be reached at michael.c.hicks@nasa.gov. A study led by researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) has uncovered new ways of driving multi-legged robots by means of a two-level controller. The proposed controller uses a network of so-called non-linear oscillators that enables the generation of diverse gaits and postures, which are specified by only a few high-level parameters. The study inspires new research into how multi-legged robots can be controlled, including in the future using brain-computer interfaces. In the natural world, many species can walk over slopes and irregular surfaces, reaching places inaccessible even to the most advanced rover robots. It remains a mystery how complex movements are handled so seamlessly by even the tiniest creatures. What we do know is that even the simplest brains contain pattern-generator circuits (CPGs)[1], which are wired up specifically for generating walking patterns. Attempts to replicate such circuits artificially have so far had limited success, due poor flexibility. Now, researchers in Japan and Italy propose a new approach to walking pattern generation, based on a hierarchical network of electronic oscillators arranged over two levels, which they have demonstrated using an ant-like hexapod robot. The achievement opens new avenues for the control of legged robots. Published in IEEE Access, the research is the result of collaboration between scientists from Tokyo Tech, in part funded by the World Research Hub Initiative, the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland, and the University of Catania, Italy. The biologically-inspired controller consists of two levels. At the top, it contains a CPG[1], responsible for controlling the overall sequence of leg movements, known as gait. At the bottom, it contains six local pattern generators (LPGs)[2], responsible for controlling the trajectories of the individual legs. The lead author of the study, Ludovico Minati, who is also affiliated to the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland and invited to Tokyo Tech's Institute of Innovative Research (IIR) through the World Research Hub Initiative explains that insects can rapidly adapt their gait depending on a wide range of factors, but particularly their walking speed. Some gaits are observed frequently and are considered as canonical, but in reality, a near-infinite number of gaits are available, and different insects such as ants and cockroaches realize similar gaits in very different postures. Difficulties have been encountered when trying to condense so much complexity into artificial pattern generators. The proposed controller shows an extremely high level of versatility thanks to implementation based on field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs)[3], which allow on-the-fly reconfiguration and tuning of all circuit parameters. It builds on years of previous research on non-linear and chaotic electronic networks, which has demonstrated their ability to replicate phenomena observed in biological brains, even when wired up in very simple configurations. "Perhaps the most exciting moment in the research was when we observed the robot exhibit phenomena and gaits which we neither designed nor expected, and later found out also exist in biological insects," says Minati. Such emergent phenomena arise particularly as the network is realized with analog components and allows a certain degree of self-organization, representing an approach that vastly differs to conventional engineering, where everything is designed a-priori and fixed. "This takes us so much closer to the way biology works," he adds. Yasuharu Koike, also based at the IIR, comments: "An important aspect of the controller is that it condenses so much complexity into only a small number of parameters. These can be considered high-level parameters, in that they explicitly set the gait, speed, posture, etc. Because they can be changed dynamically, in the future it should be easy to vary them in real-time using a brain-computer interface, allowing the control of complex kinematics otherwise impossible to dominate with current approaches." And Natsue Yoshimura, also based at the IIR, says: "As the controller responds gradually and embodies a biologically plausible approach to pattern generation, we think that it may be more seamless to drive compared to systems which decode discrete commands. This may have practical implications, and our lab has substantial know-how in this area." ### The present study was in part funded by the World Research Hub Initiative. Additional information A video of the six-legged robot: http://www.lminati.it/listing/2017/b/video_summary.mp4 Comment from Dr Minati: "In the first segment of the video, the system starts off from what in brain science is known as an "isoelectric" condition, meaning total absence of activity. Oscillations gradually build up, increasing in intensity and becoming synchronized: as they do so, a viable walking pattern emerges. In the last segment of the video, the local pattern generators are decoupled from the central one, resembling a situation of brain damage as observed for example following poisoning by some kinds of insecticides. A series of large-amplitude, cyclic movements are seen, which give rise to thrashing without any effective locomotion, that would eventually lead to paralysis." Technical terms [1] Pattern-generator circuits (CPGs): CPG stands for Central Pattern Generator. A network that autonomously generates rhythmic gait patterns, here referring to the sequence of leg movements. [2] Local Pattern Generator (LPG): A sub-network that transforms each CPG output into the trajectory of the joints of the corresponding leg. [3] Field-Programmable Analog Array (FPAA): An integrated circuit containing a variety of analog blocks, which can be reconfigured under digital control. DALLAS - March 9, 2018 - Mandatory flu vaccines for health care workers improve participation by as much as 30 percent and reduce absenteeism during critical periods of patient surges by about 6 percent, findings from a multi-institutional study show. Previous work focused on the impact of health care worker vaccination on improving patient outcomes. The findings expand the potential benefits of an institutional policy and help settle previous conflicting data on whether the mandatory policies reduce health care worker absenteeism. As seen this year, health care institutions can struggle to care for surging numbers of patients with influenza when the number of workers available is declining due to illness. Commentary: Flu - common, deadly, and underappreciated Add up the dosage from OTC and prescription medicines How cold, flu, and allergy symptoms can hurt your voice The scoop on supplements: Will they help your cold or flu? If you get the flu: The key is to see your doctor early during the illness because anti-viral therapy is most effective if used within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Always see a physician immediately if you're having chest pains or trouble breathing - both of these symptoms may be an indication of pneumonia. Beware of potential build-up of acetaminophen and over-the-counter medicines. Most common symptoms: Sudden onset of fever Headaches Nausea Body aches Strategies to reduce infection risk: Coughing and sneezing Practice good hand hygiene - wash your hands often and be mindful of what you touch, including your keyboard, cell phone, handshakes and doorknobs. Both washing your hands or using hand sanitizers can help, although the alcohol-based gels may be easier on sensitive skin. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use your sleeve if you don't have a tissue handy. Avoid touching nose of coughing into hands. Protect your household - all those who are eligible to get the flu vaccine should. Doing this also helps protect anyone in your household (newborns and those with other medical conditions) who may not be eligible to get one. If your child contracts the flu, try to keep him or her home from school. If you contract the flu, don't try to be a champion - stay home until you're healthy. "Studies suggest that higher vaccination rates among health care workers decrease patient mortality and health care associated in?uenza in certain settings," said Dr. Trish Perl, Chief of Infectious Diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and one of the study corresponding authors and overall Principal Investigator. "In addition, absenteeism can pose a serious threat to how effectively a hospital is able to manage the surge of patients during an outbreak. Our study shows that mandatory vaccination policies help maintain better staffing levels and staffing options during those critical surges." Researchers studied the effects over three separate flu seasons at three institutions with mandatory vaccination policies and four institutions that offered optional vaccination. For all individuals studied (4,000-plus health care workers), vaccination was offered free and on-site. Researchers found that: At mandatory sites, 97 percent, 96 percent and 92 percent of health care workers received vaccinations in the three years studied. At nonmandatory sites, 67 percent, 63 percent, and 60 percent of workers were vaccinated over the same period. Absenteeism among health care workers was about 6 percent lower at mandatory sites than nonmandatory sites, and the number of days absent also was lower. Males, older workers, and those at nonmandatory vaccination sites had longer durations of sick leave. Vaccinated health care workers had a 30 percent reduction in absenteeism compared with nonvaccinated health care workers. "This was a large study across a variety of types of institutions, including pediatric and adult acute care hospitals and VA facilities, which asked whether policies that require employees to get a flu vaccine protected both the employee as well as the institutions," said Dr. Perl, Professor of Internal Medicine who holds the Jay P. Sanford Professorship in Infectious Diseases. The study, which appears in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, didn't look specifically at whether higher rates of vaccination of health care workers reduced infections among patients, but previous studies have shown that this is true, especially among the most vulnerable patient populations. The Healthy People collaborative in the U.S. has a goal of 90 percent vaccination rates among health care workers by 2020. The study suggests that goal will be difficult to achieve with only voluntary policies, said Dr. Perl. ### The study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. The collaborative study involved researchers from nearly 20 institutions across the country, including Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Health Care System, University of Massachusetts, University of Florida, Johns Hopkins University, Medical Service in Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, VA St. Louis Health Care System, St. Louis University School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, UT Southwestern, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, University of Colorado Denver, and New York University School of Medicine. About UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution's faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 22 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, 600,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year. HOBOKEN, N.J. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (NYSE:JWA)(NYSE:JWB) and OhioLINK, a consortium of 91 Ohio college and university libraries, today announced a new partnership that will reduce the cost of textbooks for students in the state of Ohio. This collaboration around Inclusive Access is part of Affordable Learning Ohio and will provide participating students with digital course materials on the first day of class, at savings upward of 40%. The program will increase the affordability of course materials for 450,000 students across the state of Ohio. Gwen Evans, Executive Director of OhioLINK commented, "Wiley was integral to the development of this program based on the long relationship between OhioLINK and Wiley and our initial series of exploratory discussions. Both OhioLINK and Wiley are committed to driving down the costs of course materials and providing easy access that will make a difference for students. We are excited to expand our 20-year partnership with Wiley to include textbook materials at significantly reduced rates for the 450,000 students in the state of Ohio." The Inclusive Access program provides students with instant access to WileyPLUS courseware and eTextbooks through their learning management system. The program will provide day-one access to the required course materials with students benefiting from the 40% saving. To meet this commitment to Ohio students, Wiley worked closely with OhioLINK and key partners of digital materials to fulfill WileyPLUS courseware and eTextbooks online and through campus retailers. "Wiley is proud to partner with OhioLINK to develop solutions that reduce the cost of course materials for Ohio's college students," said Joel Hollenbeck, VP of Sales, Wiley. "This partnership emphasizes Wiley's commitment to improving access, affordability and outcomes for every student and to help them achieve their educational goals. My Wiley colleagues and I are thrilled to be a part of this innovative program." ### Additional Information About Wiley Wiley, a global research and learning company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 210 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. About OhioLINK 120 academic libraries are full members of OhioLINK. These libraries are distributed among 92 different Ohio colleges and universities. OhioLINK membership includes the State Library of Ohio, 16 public university libraries, 51 independent college libraries, 23 two-year college libraries, 16 regional campus libraries, 8 law school libraries and 5 medical school libraries. Together, OhioLINK, the Ohio Library and Information Network, and its member libraries provide access to: March 9, 2018 - High-altitude areas--particularly the US intermountain states--have increased rates of suicide and depression, suggests a review of research evidence in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. The increased suicide rates might be explained by blood oxygen levels due to low atmospheric pressure, according to the article by Brent Michael Kious, MD, PhD, of University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and colleagues. Pending further research, the evidence may point to possible treatments to reduce the effects of low blood oxygen on mood and suicidal thoughts. Altitude Linked to Variations in Suicide Rate - Further Study of Mechanisms Needed The researchers reviewed and analyzed previous evidence linking higher altitude of residence to increased risk of suicide and depression, and considered possible explanations for these associations. "There are significant regional variations in the rates of major depressive disorder and suicide in the United States, suggesting that sociodemographic and environmental conditions contribute," Dr. Kious and coauthors write. They analyzed 12 studies, most performed in the United States, including population-based data on the relationship between suicide or depression and altitude. While the studies used varying methods, most reported that higher-altitude areas had increased rates of depression and suicide. In general, the correlation was stronger for suicide than for depression. The highest suicide rates were clustered in the intermountain states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. (Alaska and Virginia also had high suicide rates.) In a 2014 study, the percentage of adults with "serious thoughts of suicide" ranged from 3.3 percent in Connecticut (average altitude 490 feet) to 4.9 percent in Utah (average altitude 6,100 feet). Other key findings from previous research on altitude and suicide included: Populations living at higher altitudes had increased suicide rates despite having decreased rates of death from all causes. Rather than a steady increase, the studies suggested a "threshold effect": suicide rates increased dramatically at altitudes between about 2,000 and 3,000 feet. Suicide rates were more strongly associated with altitude than with firearm ownership. Other factors linked to suicide rate included increased poverty rate, lower income, and smaller population ratios of white and divorced women. However, the studies could not account for all factors potentially affecting variations in suicide, such as substance abuse rates and cultural differences. While more than 80 percent of US suicides occur in low-altitude areas, that's because most of the population lives near sea level. Adjusted for population distribution, suicide rates per 100,000 population were 17.7 at high altitude, 11.9 at middle altitude, and 4.8 at low altitude. Studies from some other countries, but not all, also reported increased suicide rates at higher altitudes. Why would altitude affect suicide rates? Dr. Kious and coauthors suggest the answer might be "chronic hypobaric hypoxia": low blood oxygen related to low atmospheric pressure. That theory is supported by studies in animals and short-term studies in humans. The authors suggest two pathways by which hypobaric hypoxia might increase the risks of suicide and depression: by altering the metabolism of the neurotransmitter serotonin and/or through its effects on brain bioenergetics. If borne out by future studies, these mechanisms suggest some possible treatments to mitigate the effects of altitude on depression and suicide risk: supplemental 5-hydroxytryptophan (a serotonin precursor) to increase serotonin levels, or creatinine to influence brain bioenergetics. Dr. Kious and colleagues identify several areas in need of further research, including the effects of prolonged exposure to altitude on both serotonin metabolism and brain bioenergetics. ### Click here to read "Living High and Feeling Low: Altitude, Suicide, and Depression." DOI: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000158 About the Harvard Review of Psychiatry The Harvard Review of Psychiatry is the authoritative source for scholarly reviews and perspectives on a diverse range of important topics in psychiatry. Founded by the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, the journal is peer reviewed and not industry sponsored. It is the property of Harvard University and is affiliated with all of the Departments of Psychiatry at the Harvard teaching hospitals. Articles encompass major issues in contemporary psychiatry, including neuroscience, epidemiology, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, history of psychiatry, and ethics. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2016 annual revenues of 4.3 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry. For more information about our products and the organization, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com/, follow @WKHealth or @Wolters_Kluwer on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on LinkedIn, or follow WoltersKluwerComms on YouTube. For more information about Wolters Kluwer's solutions and organization, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. A new study indicates that the kinds of microbes living in the gut influence the severity and recurrence of parasitic worm infections in developing countries. The findings, by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, suggest that manipulating the gut's microbial communities may protect against intestinal parasites, which affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. The study appears online in the journal Microbiome. Studying communities in Liberia and Indonesia, the researchers found that the gut microbiomes of people able to clear the infections without drugs were more alike and differed markedly from the microbiomes of those who could not clear the infections without treatment. "People who have sustained infections or who experience multiple infections have a different microbiome to start with compared with those who do not have as much trouble with infection," said senior author Makedonka Mitreva, PhD, an associate professor of medicine. "Our work included samples from a placebo-controlled trial of drugs against these parasitic worms. It suggests that the microbiomes of people who retained infection are somehow compromised to begin with. Something about their microbiomes makes them more prone to getting infected and to maintaining a chronic infection." According to the World Health Organization, about one quarter of the world's population -- over 1.5 billion people -- is infected with parasitic worms called helminths. These worm infections are most common in tropical and subtropical areas with poor sanitation. The researchers identified 12 microbes associated with worm-infected individuals and one type of bacteria associated with uninfected individuals. In particular, gut bacteria associated with increased inflammation were linked to healthy uninfected individuals, perhaps because this type of inflammatory environment makes it harder for the worms to establish themselves in the gut. The researchers, including first author Bruce A. Rosa, PhD, a staff scientist, analyzed about 400 fecal samples from 250 people living in different villages in Liberia and Indonesia. Mitreva said one of the study's strengths is that it established common gut microbiome patterns associated with high and low risk of worm infections in two distant geographic regions -- West Africa and Southeast Asia, where such infections are prevalent. The infections spread easily when soil is contaminated with human feces that contain worm eggs. Children are particularly vulnerable because the infections can cause malnutrition, leading to impaired growth and development. Even when infections are treated with appropriate drugs, they often recur because the infective stages of the parasite are ever present in the soil. The main species that affect human health are large roundworm, whipworm and hookworm. "There are good drugs against most -- but not all -- of these infections. We are beginning to see more responses to treatment that are less than optimal, indicating the worms are starting to develop resistance to some of these treatments," said Mitreva, also an assistant director of the university's McDonnell Genome Institute. "The big problem is reinfection. Even if the therapy works and the infection is cleared, the exposure to contaminated soil is so pervasive that new infections are extremely common. Building on the information from this study, our ultimate long-term goal is to develop a way to alter the gut microbiome so that it protects people from reinfection." Currently, antihelminthic drugs are used to deworm people who are infected, especially school-age children and women of reproductive age. Since the study found characteristics of the microbiome that are discriminative of infection, Mitreva said this information could be used to predict who is most likely to develop severe and chronic infections and direct more preventive efforts to those individuals. "Ideally, we would like to be in a position to suggest some local fermented foods that could alter the microbiome and result in a decreased rate of reinfection," Mitreva said. "Rather than give more antihelminthic drugs, we want to help people fight off the infection by themselves. Right now, we are looking at the bacteria that we found were associated with protection against infection and studying their effects in mice with intestinal worm infections." ### This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant numbers U54HG003079 and AI081803; and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, grant number GH5342. Rosa BA, Supali T, Gankpala L, Djuardi Y, Sartono E, Zhou Y, Fischer K, Martin J, Tyagi R, Bolay FK, Fischer PU, Yazdanbakhsh M, Mitreva M. Differential human gut microbiome assemblages during soil transmitted helminth infections in Indonesia and Liberia. Microbiome. Feb. 28, 2018. Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked seventh in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare. Kipas Kagit to build another PM for recycled fluting and liner at its Soke mill in Turkey Switzerlands French and Italian speakers the Latins are sometimes painted as a single political bloc forming a natural ally against the German-speakers. But this is far from the truth. There is a moment, during the train journey from Bern to Geneva, after rolling through the farmlands of Fribourg, when you enter a long tunnel. All normal, you think. But thenyou suddenly emergehigh above the turquoise crescent of Lac Leman, fringed on one side by sheer mountains that seem to spring straight from the water and on the other by warrens of stacked twisting vineyards, and, especially if the sun is shining,its difficult not to think: the South. The same sensation is present when cresting (or burrowing through) the Gotthard, connecting German-speaking canton Uri with Italian-speaking Ticino, whereyourelikely to be met with sunshine and palm trees.There is a reason Switzerlandhas names for the virtual dividing lines between its linguistic regions: the so-called rostigraben and polentagraben mark not only the shift from German to French and Italian, but also from one culture and geography to another, from something northern to something more Latin. Its common to hear the phrase Latin Switzerland used to describe the countrys French and Italian speakers. Linguistically, the romance tongues are a world away from guttural German. Politically, however, itsa myth that needs revising, finds recent research by the Avenir Suisse think-tank. After tracking three decades of voting behaviour across German-speaking, French-speaking, and Italian-speaking Switzerland, they come to an adamant conclusion: Latin Switzerland does not exist. Distinct voting blocs The researchers not only find that diverging voting patterns show that speaking a language other than German is not enough to forge a common identity, but that Italian and French speakers are often far apart on the political spectrum. Focusing on two broad vote issues Europe and international cooperation, and identity and citizenship they show that, almost always, French-speaking and Italian-speaking cantons end up on starkly opposing sides of the (German-led) national average. Switzerlands linguistic make-up Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh.German (both High German and Swiss German) is spoken by about 63% of the population, French by about 23%, and Italian by about 8%. Romansh is spoken by less than 1% of the total population. French is spoken in the west of the country, while Italian is spoken in Ticino and the south of neighbouring Graubunden. Romansh is spoken only in Graubunden. On European issues, the gap stretches to a sometimes spectacular 30%, with canton Ticino systematically voting against more rapprochement with the European Union (EU) while the cantons of French-speaking Switzerland are more open than the national average. For example, in 1992, while over 70% of French-speakers voted in favour of Switzerland joining the European Economic Area, fewer than 40% of Ticinese approved. Fast-forward twenty years and the same story persists, albeit inverted: almost 70% of Italian-speakers were in favour of the 2014 mass immigration initiative, while only 43% of French-speakers backed it. The same is also true for the other category of votes identity-related ballots. Though the figures are less striking, Avenir Suisse found that Ticino is less keen than the Swiss average to speed up any naturalisation process, while French-speaking cantons are clearly in favour. Most recently, when the country voted on easing citizenship procedures for third-generation immigrants, a gap of 20% yawned between the two regions. Similarly, on asylum issues Ticino votes restrictively; French-speakers are more permissive. Competing for scraps So why does the myth of Latin togetherness persist? Report author Tibere Adler says that an impetus for the research was last years election of Switzerlands newest member of the Federal Council. In order to maintain a regional balance in the seven-member executive branch, the position was left uncontested by German-speaking politicians, who deemed it a Latin space; and in the end, Ticinese Ignazio Cassis was chosen, the first Federal Council member from the region since 1999. But there was scant sense of fraternity among the candidates. The role was hotly contested by several French-speakers, who didnt see any sign that Ticinos time had come. Adler said that this dual view of allegiances applies generally, and reflects the paradox: the German-speaking majority see themselves simply as Switzerland and see the French and Italian speakers as the others. But this misses the nuances that separate not only the two southern languages, but distinguish the different parts of French-speaking Switzerland itself far from a homogeneous region. Marco Chiesa, a Peoples Party (conservative right) parliamentarian from Lugano in Ticino, agrees. Despite being vice-president of Helvetia Latina, a group pushing for linguistic diversity in the federal administration, he says that its difficult to even talk about a common identity between a Geneva banker and a farmer from Vaud (both French-speaking). He also says that politically, in Bern, in the battle to catch scraps dropped by the German majority, French- and Italian-speakers are more often competing than collaborating; both are minorities fighting for recognition. Forgotten in the capital In recent years, this competition has intensified, especially from the Ticinese side. Both Chiesa and Adler mention the common refrain that the Italian speakers feel forgotten by Bern, and it is hard to avoid the sense that the canton just 350,000 people, and geographically isolated behind the Alps is going through a moment of mutation. Afflicted by brain drain and job market pressure from the surrounding regions of Italy (the number of cross-border workers has doubled, says Chiesa), the canton has seen the growth of an influential right-wing party, the Lega dei Ticinese, which campaigns on a strong identitarian stance. We are always the losers! says Chiesa. He laments the freedom of movement agreement with Europe, which he says benefits his canton much less than other border regions like Basel, St Gallen, or the international city of Geneva. But are they really losers, or rather a minority that knows how to make its voice heard? They play on it, they victimise it, says Adler of Ticinos right-wing movements. Although structural changes are happening in the Ticino economy, he thinks the rhetoric is exaggerated, especially by the tactically efficient Lega. Cultural, not political So, Latin Switzerland does it exist or not? Absolutely, says Chiesa when it comes to common roots, a common culture and similar languages. Highlighting those commonalities through an organisation like Helvetia Latina benefits national cohesion, he argues. But when it comes to politics, and the game of common interests that characterises the consensual Swiss system, its every man for himself, and Chiesa thinks the German speakers simply have more to offer. Even on a pragmatic day-to-day basis, he says, if you ask somebody from Ticino who they would most like to work with, they will say a Swiss German. Two German journalists were arrested at the Greek border with Turkey on Friday after allegedly entering a restricted area, local police said. The pair, reportedly a 31-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, work for television station ARD and said they were researching a story about the migration route that passes from this area, according to Greek police They were taken to a local police station and will appear before a prosecutor on Saturday. Journalists arrested in Greece over such incidents are usually released pending trial. The Evros river on the Greek border with Turkey has for years been a crossing point for migrants and refugees seeking to enter Europe. Many die in the attempt from the cold or by drowning. More recently, there have also been reports of illegal pushbacks of migrants back into Turkey, though the Greek state has officially denied such practises. Last week, Turkish troops arrested two Greek soldiers in the same area. The two men, who are on trial in Turkey, say they lost their way in poor weather and entered Turkish territory by mistake. Turkey's top appeals court on Friday quashed the verdict of leading Turkish journalist Can Dundar who was sentenced to jail in 2016, saying that he should face an even more serious charge and a longer prison term of up to 20 years. Dundar, former editor-in-chief of leading opposition daily Cumhuriyet, was in May 2016 sentenced to five years and 10 months jail while the papers Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul was given five years. They were convicted by an Istanbul court of revealing state secrets over a story accusing the government of seeking to illicitly deliver arms bound for Syria. But Turkeys Court of Cassation, known as the Yargitay, ruled that Dundar should go on trial on far more serious charges of providing information for the purpose of espionage, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported This would see him face a jail term of between 15-20 years, it said. The Istanbul court had in 2016 acquitted both men of espionage charges. Neither was sent to jail immediately and both walked free pending appeal. Dundar left Turkey for Germany, saying he refused to put his head under the guillotine and founded a Berlin-based Turkish news site called Ozguruz (We are Free). It seems that the Yargitay has found the punishment insufficient, Dundar said in a statement published by Ozguruz. Now they will seek evidence. But the evidence is the newspaper, in the news we wrote. Gul has stayed in Turkey and kept his job at the newspaper. The Yargitay said that Gul should be acquitted of the espionage charges as there was no evidence. Cumhuriyets report on a shipment of arms intercepted at the Syrian border in January 2014 sparked a furore when it was published, fuelling speculation about Turkeys role in the Syrian conflict and its alleged ties to Islamist groups. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reacted furiously to the allegations, personally warning Dundar he would pay a heavy price. It was the first in a number of high profile criminal cases against journalists which multiplied after the failed July 2016 coup against Erdogan and amplified concerns over press freedoms in the country. The ruling of the Yargitay was issued as the trial resumed in Istanbul of 17 current and former writers, cartoonists and executives from Cumhuriyet on charges of supporting terror groups. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday voiced concern over US President Donald Trump's decision to impose hefty tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, and called for talks to defuse the escalating row. We see with concern the tariff hikes for specific products, the leader of Europes biggest economy said, adding that Germany backs the EU in seeking dialogue with the United States, but also with countries that could be affected, like China. She stressed that no one can win in such a race to the bottom, adding that it would be best if we could be exempted from the tariffs. Key US trading partners on Friday condemned President Donald Trump's decision to slap punitive tariffs on foreign steel and aluminium as "protectionism" and an affront to allies, as fears grew of a global trade war. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Europes biggest economy and NATO ally, urged dialogue and warned that no one can win in such a race to the bottom. Berlin backs the European Union in seeking dialogue with the United States, but also with countries that could be affected, like China, she said. Earlier, German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said: This protectionism is an affront to close partners like the European Union and Germany and limits free trade. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his deep concerns in a telephone call with Trump, saying the tariffs risk triggering a trade war, in which all affected countries would be losers, his office said. The EU has threatened retaliatory tariffs on items from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win to be re-elected. We are prepared and will be prepared if need be to use rebalancing measures, European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen told reporters in Brussels. The top EU trade official Cecilia Malmstroem said the entire bloc, as a close ally of the US, should be excluded from the tariffs, and vowed to seek more clarity from Washington. Condemnation also rained in from elsewhere, with the worlds second-biggest economy China deriding the tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium as a serious attack on normal international trade order. Close US ally Japan warned the levies could have a grave impact on the economic relationship between the worlds top and third-largest economies. Real friends In a sharp reversal from decades of a US-led drive towards more open trade, Trump declared on Thursday that America had been ravaged by aggressive foreign trade practices. Its really an assault on our country, he blasted, announcing the tariffs on the metals used in everything from cars to construction, roads to railways. Trump said the tariffs which will come into effect after 15 days will not initially apply to Canada and Mexico, and that close partners on security and trade could negotiate exemptions. Canada was the largest US source of steel last year, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Germany. The US neighbour to the north was also by far the largest supplier of alumina and aluminium, followed by China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump had indicated he would be flexible towards real friends, and during the signing confirmed Canada and Mexico would be exempted permanently if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is successful. But both Mexico and Canada rejected Trumps linkage of the levies to ongoing NAFTA talks. Canadas Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland termed the two things separate issues while Mexicos economy ministry said the negotiation of the NAFTA should not be subject to conditions outside the process. The US leader had also added Australia to a list of likely carve-outs, describing it as a great country. All necessary steps However, he took aim at Germany, reviving a longstanding gripe that European NATO allies do not pay their fair share. Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade and on the military are our allies, as they call them, he complained, even as Merkel said Germany and the EU would seek exemption from the punitive tariffs. Elsewhere, Brazil and Britain were also quick to launch broadsides against the tariffs, which are worth billions of dollars. Britain blasted the tariffs as not the right way to tackle the problem of global overcapacity in steel while major producer Brazil immediately vowed to take all necessary steps in order to protect its rights and interests. South Korea said it would consider taking the case to the World Trade Organization if Washington refuses to exempt it from the tariffs. But dispute cases can take three years to resolve, and there is nothing stopping countries from imposing tit-for-tat trade restrictions while the legal process plays out. Off the cuff Last week Trump stunned the world and his own aides with an off-the-cuff announcement of his plan, even before White House lawyers judged the legality of the tariffs. Trump said he was merely fulfilling a campaign promise, saying he had been talking about perceived trade injustices a long time, a lot longer than my political career. While the full economic impact remains unknown, the political fallout at home was swift with the top Republican in Congress Paul Ryan publicly denouncing Trumps move, and top economic advisor Gary Cohn resigning in protest. Even as Trump approved the tariffs, 11 partners in the Asia-Pacific were in Santiago, Chile, to sign a trade deal embraced by Barack Obama but rejected by Trump. Global markets were buoyed by the news that Trump would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but uncertainty surrounding the trade row kept a lid on gains. Spanish unions have reached a deal with the government to raise the salary of civil servants for the first time since 2009 after an economic crisis sparked drastic austerity measures, they said Friday. The agreement allows for a 6.1 to 8.8 percent rise over three years, depending on the growth of the Spanish economy over this period, according to a statement published by CCOO, one of the countrys main unions. Last year, the government had proposed a one percent increase, but this was rejected by unions as inadequate. Its the first rise since 2009, Antonio Cabrera, head of the health branch of CCOO, told AFP. Were going towards an increase that will mean people in the civil service will recover their lost purchasing power. But he said this was just a start, as civil servants lost between 11 and 23 percent of their purchasing power during the crisis, the hardest-hit working in the health sector. On top of this, tens of thousands of posts were abolished in the central administration, army, justice and public health sectors. There were 2.5 million civil servants in Spain in 2016, compared to 2.7 million at the start of 2010, according to official data. Civil servants aside, the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, in power since 2011, is currently faced with the anger of pensioners, thousands of whom took to the streets in February to slam the tiny rise in their pensions. Still, in 2017, the minimum wage rose eight percent, the strongest increase in 30 years, and by four percent this year, with the aim of reaching 992 euros ($1,223) in 2020. Spain, the eurozones fourth-largest economy, saw its GDP rise 3.1 percent in 2017, its third consecutive year of growth above 3 percent. But the country still suffers from sky-high unemployment at 16.5 percent, the second highest rate in the European Union after Greece. Privacy Settings This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. The National Civil Protection Authority today warned Portugals public of the coming bad weather, expected until at least Sunday. Ice, floods and falling trees, high winds and torrential rain are expected, depending where you live in Portugal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday hailed a proposed meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "a step in the right direction". We do hope that this meeting is going to take place, Lavrov said after meeting with African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat at the bodys headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. Certainly, it is required to normalise the situation around the Korean peninsula. South Korea on Thursday said the two leaders would hold an unprecedented summit by the end of May, raising hopes they can broker an agreement on Pyongyangs nuclear programme that has fuelled tensions on the peninsula. The announcement was confirmed by the White House. News of the summit is the latest move in a fast-developing diplomatic detente, with North and South Korea exchanging envoys after the two neighbours marched together under a unified flag at the Winter Olympics. It follows a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang which saw the two leaders exchanging bitter, personal insults, with Trump mocking Kim as a little rocket man and Kim describing him as mentally deranged and a dotard. The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on the opposite side of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have engaged in perhaps the worlds most dangerous nuclear standoff. Lavrov was in Ethiopia as part of a five-day African tour which began on Monday with a visit to Angola after which he continued on to Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. President Donald Trump has agreed to a historic first meeting with Kim Jong Un in a stunning development in America's high-stakes nuclear standoff with North Korea. Standing in front of the White House, South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong announced the first ever meeting between a US president and a North Korean leader, which he said would take place by the end of May. Chung had recently returned from Pyongyang, where he met Kim who, he said, expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible. Trump hailed great progress in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program. Meeting being planned! he tweeted. Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. News of the summit, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in said was like a miracle, is the latest step in a quickening detente. North and South Korea exchanged envoys as Pyongyang sent a delegation to the Souths Winter Olympics, which Seoul had dubbed the Peace Games. The thaw came after a period of extreme tension between Washington and Pyongyang that sounded like the growing drumbeat of war. Just months ago, Trump mocked Kim by calling him little rocket man. Kim returned the favor by describing Trump as mentally deranged and a dotard. The United States and North Korea were foes throughout the Cold War and fought on opposite sides of a bloody war in the 1950s. In the last two decades, they have been engaged in what is perhaps the worlds most dangerous nuclear standoff, with 30,000 US military personnel stationed just over the border in the South. Paradigm shift Pyongyangs long race to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the continental United States has proved a problem for successive US administrations. Trumps strategy has been to ramp up sanctions, tighten the diplomatic screws and regularly threaten military force. The White House said in a statement that its strategy of maximum pressure would stay in place, for now. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. But the prospect of a top-level meeting is a paradigm shift. North Korean leaders have sought face-to-face talks with consecutive US presidents, who have rebuffed the idea as an effort to achieve strategic parity that does not exist. Pyongyang now seems to have achieved its goal, while only agreeing to a temporary suspension of nuclear tests. It is a gambit fraught with risk for Trump. On multiple occasions, Kims father Kim Jong Il dangled the prospect of talks and denuclearization as a means of buying time, easing sanctions and dividing South Korea from its allies. However, Trumps decision also carries historic echoes of Richard Nixons visit to communist China or Barack Obamas overture to Cuba, both of which offered the hope of better ties. Opening or trap? The table was set for the announcement on Tuesday when South Korea announced the North had stated there was no reason to hold on to its nuclear weapons if military threats towards the North are cleared and the security of its regime is guaranteed. In the past North Korea has indicated that security guarantees mean the departure of US forces from the Korean peninsula and the end of a mutual defense treaty with the South. The North was open to frank talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung said after returning from a meeting in Pyongyang. Trump welcomed the move as very positive, though Vice President Mike Pence said the US position towards North Korea would not change until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization. Japan, a key regional ally, hailed the Thursday summit announcement which it said was on the premise of denuclearisation, but added there would be no let up in the diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang. Russia said talk of a meeting was a step in the right direction, while China welcomed a positive signal by the US and North Korea. South Koreas Moon was ebullient. The May meeting will be recorded as a historic milestone that realized peace on the Korean Peninsula, he said. But analysts were damning, saying a US-North Korea summit was a win for Kim. It essentially provides him equal status with the US president and strengthens his bid to have North Korea be recognized as a de facto nuclear power, said Evan Medeiros, of the Eurasia Group think tank, and a former Asia advisor to Barack Obama. It will not lead to North Koreas denuclearization. Instead, it will enhance the stature and legitimacy of Kims regime, give him more time to develop his nuclear weapons arsenal, and enable him to more effectively seek sanctions relief. Jeffrey Lewis, who heads the respected East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies, said Trump was dancing to Kims tune. This is literally how the North Korean film The Country I Saw ends, he wrote on Twitter. An American President visits Pyongyang, compelled by North Koreas nuclear and missile programs. Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Koreas weapons. Kim is inviting Trump to demonstrate that his investment in nuclear and missile capabilities has forced the United States to treat him as an equal. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Thursday that a so-called hard Brexit should not hold any "terrors" and Britain would do "very well" operating under World Trade Organisation rules after leaving the EU. Johnson told an audience of subscribers to the Daily Telegraph a fervently pro-Brexit newspaper that Britain is prepared to walk away from negotiations with the European Union if it cant get the right deal. I dont think this will happen but if we have to come out on WTO terms then we will be prepared to do so, Johnson said. It doesnt hold terrors for me and I think that we will do very well under those circumstances as well. The foreign secretary said preparations for Britain leaving the EU, as planned in March 2019, without a deal in place on a future relationship were ongoing. But he added he expected Britain to get an agreement similar to what it has been asking for. Prime Minister Theresa May set out her proposals for a new wide-ranging free trade agreement (FTA) in a speech on Friday. Finance Minister Philip Hammond followed up this week, saying it would be in both sides mutual interest to include the financial services industry in the deal. Johnson told his audience there had been a relative absence of a strong reaction to Britains arguments from the EU, describing it as the dog that hasnt barked. Britains stance has received a guarded reaction in European capitals. EU Council President Donald Tusk warned Thursday that the problems of the Irish border must be resolved before talks on Brexit could any proceed. Britain has said it does not want to see any return to a hard border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member. Addressing the issue Thursday, Johnson said it will be possible to have very, very minimal controls at the border. Britain's trade minister Liam Fox on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump's announcement of duties on steel and aluminium imports to America, saying it was the "wrong way" to resolve trade disputes. We can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel but this is the wrong way to go about it, he told the live TV audience of a BBC current affairs show. Protectionism, tariffs never really work, Fox added. Trump imposed the tariffs 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium despite calls for restraint from Britain and repeated warnings from the European Union and other allies that it could trigger a full-on trade war. Announcing the move Trump leaned on a little-used and decades old national security clause in US trade law, but said Canada and Mexico would be excluded and other countries could negotiate exemptions. Fox said he would travel to Washington next week for meetings with US officials about the tariffs and the possible exemptions for Americas allies. Well have to wait to see what the announcements are, he added on the potential opt-outs. Well wait to see whether theres a time for negotiation thats why Im going to Washington next week. Fox argued it was doubly absurd to target Britain with steel tariffs on national security grounds when it only provided the US with one percent of its imports and made steel for the American military. The British steel industry could be badly hit by the tariffs, with trade body UK Steel saying the tariffs could have a profound and detrimental impact. Britain is currently a member of the European Union and would be bound by US measures against the bloc and any retaliation it launches. The EU, which says it should also be excluded from the duties, has already drawn up a hitlist of flagship American products to target for countermeasures. State Sen. Carlos Uresti and Gary Cain, who two weeks ago were convicted by a federal jury on a combined 20 felony charges, are asking for a new trial. Uresti cited highly prejudicial comments made by Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra, errors in instructions given to jurors and the disqualification of Mikal Watts as the lawmakers original attorney in his request for a new trial Thursday. Uresti accused Ezra, who presided over the trial, of making a multitude of public statements that appear to be heavily biased against the presumed innocence of Carlos Uresti, prior to the return of the jury verdict. The San Antonio Democrat listed various comments, which were widely reported. Among them: Ezra said on Feb. 7 there was a lot of telling evidence against Uresti in denying a request for an acquittal. On Feb. 16, the judge said the oilfield company Uresti and Cain were involved with was a scam from the get-go and all of the money it generated was tainted. During a Jan. 17 pretrial hearing, Ezra read from a document prosecutors had filed under seal that said Uresti allegedly encouraged (a witness against him) not to cooperate with the FBI investigation. Uresti argued Ezras prejudicial comments were highly publicized, creating juror bias even though the jury was not in the courtroom when they were made. The judge stressed to jurors on multiple occasions not to follow media coverage of the trial, which lasted nearly five weeks. Jurors found Uresti guilty of all 11 felony counts against him, including securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his involvement in FourWinds Logistics, a now-defunct San Antonio company that bought and sold sand using in fracking for oil production. Uresti, 54, was the companys outside general counsel, a 1 percent owner and he recruited investors. He is facing possibly years in federal prison and millions in restitution when he is sentenced June 28. Cain, a FourWinds consultant, was convicted on all nine counts against him. The 61-year-old is set to be sentenced with Uresti. Tab Turner, one of Urestis defense lawyers, said his client believes the judge made a number of errors in the application of law, which then permitted the entire process to be flawed. Turner acknowledged that motions for a new trial are very rarely granted at the trial court level but said they are essential for setting up appeals. Although we would certainly hope the trial court would correct the errors, Sen. Uresti is prepared to continue fighting for his innocence on appeal, if necessary, Turner said in an email. He believes and trusts in our justice system. Uresti argued in his motion that the disqualification of his first choice for counsel, Watts, a prominent local trial attorney, was erroneous and requires a new trial or reversal of the verdict. Watts previously represented Denise Cantu, a Harlingen woman who was the governments star witness in the case against Uresti. Ezra ruled last summer the conflict outweighed the senators Sixth Amendment right to choose his own legal counsel. In seeking a new trial, Uresti also objected to various instructions Ezra gave to jurors before they began their deliberations. For instance, Ezra gave a deliberate ignorance or willful blindness instruction that Uresti said improperly permitted the jury to convict on a standard less than the legal requirement. Such an instruction should only be given in rare circumstances, Uresti said. Turner, one of Urestis lawyers, said its clear the jury concluded that the senator should have known or had to have known certain facts about illegal activity at FourWinds. The problem of course is that there was no evidence introduced by the Government proving that Sen. Uresti ever had any such actual knowledge, Turner said in his email. In his motion for a new trial, Cain said the government wrongfully argued that the sources of funds were tainted in this case because it had generally alleged a fraud in this case and that certain unknown acts were in furtherance of the fraud. No evidence was presented to the jury which would have supported such an argument, Cain stated in his motion, also filed Thursday. Cain argued the government failed to timely produce evidence that would have helped his defense. Cain also said Ezra prevented a summary witness, private investigator Gary Ploetz, from testifying that two of FourWinds investors infused millions of dollars into the company that were used to finance numerous sand transactions and ultimately caused legally obtained profits to be deposited into company accounts. Had that been allowed, Cain said, a jury would have been unable to conclude that he engaged in a monetary transaction that was derived from unspecified unlawful activity. In addition to requesting a new trial, Cain filed a motion for acquittal. He said the government failed to show that all of FourWinds sources of funds were tainted. Charles Chad Muller, Cains lead defense lawyer, had no comment. When Trinity University first opened its doors in 1869, its name embodied the significance of the Holy Trinity and the three regional governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church that supported it. Today that name could also point to the three Texas cities the school has called home, with two different locations in San Antonio. Though the early founders did not know its history would include three moves, the name has become more profound even as the university struggled and grew. Trinity was begun in response to a vision some Texans settlers had for the transforming power of higher education, said Doug Brackenridge, a retired Trinity professor and resident historian in 2015. The coeducational school spent more than 30 years in a small village called Tehuacana during a time of poor economic conditions and political unrest. It began with seven students, growing to 100 by the end of the first year. Classes met in a remodeled farmhouse in Tehuacana, near Mexia, and administrators advertised it as a school free from the temptations and vices of other places in the country, Brackenridge said. Financial difficulties led the school to move in 1902 to Waxahachie, a county seat south of Dallas that offered a more urban environment for the school. During its 40 years in Waxahachie, the school remained committed to liberal arts and personal attention to students. When the Depression hit in the 1930s, it weakened Trinitys financial stability, Brackenridge said. Administrators began looking for another place to move and considered merging with Austin College in Sherman. The deal failed at the last minute. On Dec. 8, 1941, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce invited Trinity University to come to San Antonio, Brackenridge said. That was a defining moment in our history, Brackenridge said. Had Trinity stayed in Waxahachie, even if it succeeded, it would have continued to be a small school with all the competition from Dallas. Trinity first moved to Woodlawn Avenue on San Antonios West Side, where a small Methodist school, the University of San Antonio, was also struggling financially and had decided to open up its campus to Trinity students. During its 10-year stay at the Woodlawn campus, Trinity increased its enrollment, stabilized financially and began offering a graduate program. By 1950, the school had more than 2,000 students, more than its facilities could accommodate. Administrators found a unique piece of land, an old abandoned limestone quarry with split-levels of rough terrain and bedrock. People told them they would never be able to build a traditional college on the 107-acre hilltop, Brackenridge said. But Trinity had help from local architect ONeil Ford, who had a vision for how the land could be used without changing it, and no major earth removal or reshaping was done, Brackenridge said. The campus would later be called The Miracle of Trinity Hill. When the first students came in 1952, the university had an unfinished womens dormitory, housing for 60 in the mens dormitory, an empty library, a classroom building without heating and an uncompleted student union building. The women were put in the mens dormitory and the men stayed in motor courts. The school couldnt serve meals because its kitchen was still unfinished, so students had to be bussed off campus to a restaurant on Austin Highway. James W. Laurie was the first university president on its hilltop campus. By 1970, when Laurie retired, 40 major buildings had been added, including the chapel and tower that became campus landmarks. About a dozen students walked out of class at Brandeis High School on Friday morning to protest gun violence, the first such student demonstration in San Antonio since 17 students and staff were gunned down at a Florida high school last month. At around 10 a.m., Brandeis students in orange T-shirts gathered near the flag pole in front of the school, holding signs calling for student safety and gun control. Protect kids not guns, said one sign. Another said stop the NRA. On the backs of the students T-shirts was a list of the victims of the Valentines Day mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. As the demonstration was beginning, a school staff member discouraged the students from participating in it. I dont think this is going to give you the effect that you want, she told the students, adding that the school might have to call their parents. A campus police officer then asked a reporter to leave campus because administrators had not authorized the students to talk to the news media. Reached by phone, several students said the staff member at first told them the consequences of walking out would include suspension, but they said she later retracted the threat. Barry Perez, spokesman for Northside ISD, said the students would face no disciplinary action for participating in the demonstration but they might be marked absent for the classes they missed while they were outside. The students returned to class by midday and resumed their regular schedules, he said. The schools principal met with the protesters and is committed to discussing other ways they can express themselves on the issue, Perez said. Another meeting is planned for after spring break. It sounds like there are really community-based things that Brandeis can do there on their campus and extend outward, he said. Jackson Farner, a junior who helped organize the protest, said he and his classmates believed nothing was being done after the Parkland shooting. He said the demonstrators had been willing to risk suspension so their voices could be heard. We basically just said, if adults arent going to do anything, were going to take matters into our own hands, Farner said. Senior Emilio Basabe said he participated in the walkout because school safety and basic gun reform affects me and affects everyone in this school. Its everyones safety, everyones future, Basabe said. Victoria Bennett, a Brandeis senior, said she did not want students to be afraid to come to school. Were people. We have lives. Were afraid of losing them, she said. Roxanna Diaz, a first-grade teacher at Somerset Elementary, started every day last spring with a song and every week with a new theme about the positives of the present or the possibilities of the future. The 6-year-olds wiggled in their seats and sang about going to college. Cartoon characters danced across their iPad screens to tell them, in a sing-song voice, that one day, theyd be going there, too. A lot of us never really incorporate the college part in the earlier grades. You think, Oh, theyre young, theyll hear about it later. But this program does that for us, Diaz said. She helped test the app, called Yes! Our Kids Can, in an 11-week pilot program at Somerset Elementary School, in the Somerset Independent School District. It launched last week as a full-fledged app after a study by Texas A&M University-San Antonio found it increased students knowledge of college-related terms and parents participation in their childrens academic lives. The app, which is available in English and Spanish, is now in use in four more elementary schools, two in San Antonio ISD and two in Judson ISD all of them Title I, or serving a high percentage of low-income students. American Sunrise, an after-school program started by former Mayor and U.S. Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, and a school in Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District also have incorporated it. In total, 698 students in seven schools now engage with the apps games, songs and messages every day. Yes! Our Kids Can was created by a nonprofit of the same name, headed by Lionel Sosa, a former high-profile advertising executive and political consultant. It costs school districts $24 per student each semester, and the schools are expected to come up with the iPads or computers for the app on their own. John Andrade, president of the organization, said developers designed it to work on multiple devices, from old desktops to the newest Apple products. After studying the trajectories of successful Harvard University students who came from underserved backgrounds, Sosa said he approached the challenge of creating a college-bound culture like an ad executive thinking that the right message, sent multiple times a day to a willing participant, will stick. They hear this enough, it becomes part of their psyche, Sosa said. It gets into their subconscious. It becomes a reality for them, and theyre gonna do it. Some of the weekly themes include the importance of hard work and learning about the citys colleges and universities. In one game called Emoj-out, a cartoon bully called Badittude attacks the students character with negative emojis. In another, theres Sosa himself red bow tie and all telling the viewer that everybodys smart at something. Many families are living a life by default instead of a life thats planned, Sosa said. Were sending families on a success mindset. At American Sunrise, teachers incorporated choreography to the dance moves, and one in particular was able to use techniques in the handling stress theme when her students brought up the recent school shooting Parkland, Florida. The Texas A&M University study, headed by education and human development professors Theresa Garfield and James Jurica, shows a significant increase in college awareness among the 100 students surveyed before and after the pilot, according to the results posted on the nonprofits website. While only 31 percent of of students in the pilot program knew what a degree was before the program, 75 percent knew what it was afterward. Before the pilot, 69 percent could define what college was, while after, 85 percent could. And the ability to define what skills are jumped from 50 percent of the students to 90 percent. The students are more engaged; it speaks to them, Diaz said. And the parents are too. Only 25 adults attended the apps initial parent night, while 125 attended the final one, a graduation of sorts for the students, 95 percent of whom said they planned to go to college. I did see a difference in my students in their conversations, Diaz said. A lot of parents, too, were saying they didnt go to college so they didnt know how to talk about it with their kids. So its the lack of exposure at home as well. But now theres this talk of the future at a very young age. The app is geared toward students and families who are economically disadvantaged, learning English as a second language, or migrants, and it is being pitched to the public schools that need our help the most, Sosa said. We hope to be throughout Texas in three years and in another three years have at least regional presence and one day be as big as ACT or SAT, he said. We think were onto something thats going to get really, really big. JOURDANTON On the freezing morning of Dec. 8, 2013, San Antonio Police Department K-9 investigator Aubrey Plauchet and his German Shepherd Ivo were dispatched to a wet and thorny patch of Wilson County to search for two suspects in the shooting death hours earlier of SAPD officer Robert Deckard. It was 32 degrees and total dark, Plauchet told a jury Thursday in the third day of testimony in the capital murder trial of Shaun Ruiz Puente, who led officers in a chase from downtown San Antonio that went through Atascosa County into Wilson. Near County Road 224 and U.S. 181, on land strewn with junked cars, barbed wire, mesquite trees and remnants of railroad tracks, Plauchet and Ivo spent nearly three hours into breaking dawn looking for Puente and his girlfriend, Jenevieve Ramos. The pair had ditched their gray Mitsubishi Lancer in a culvert some 33 miles from where Deckard, shot in the forehead during a chase that reached 115 mph on Interstate 37, crashed in a wooded median in Atascosa County. Joined by state troopers and a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department game warden, the team used a Google Earth map to divide the brushland into sectors. Its members spent two hours on a section east of 181, but the dogs never alerted, Plauchet said, so they crossed the highway and headed west. We cut through a fence, went through a bunch of saplings, Plauchet said. And suddenly, Ivo just went running left. I saw something black clothing or a human and shouted, Show me your hands! Show me your hands! Ivo tore into Puentes shoulder as he screamed and got on his stomach, Plauchet said. Several feet away was Ramos. Both were dressed in torn black jeans and jackets, but Puente had a black canvass pistol holster on his hip and was wearing a bullet-proof vest, Plauchet said. The pair were led away in handcuffs and taken to a local hospital for examinations. Well before the arrest, a neurosurgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center, Dr. Sven Hochheimer, got a call to rush to work a young San Antonio police officer had been critically shot while chasing the fleeing suspects and was being rushed to the emergency room. At 3:45 a.m., Hochheimer, a veteran of numerous surgeries on Iraq War casualties, began what would be a fruitless effort to save Deckards life. There was massive bleeding, Hochheimer told the jury in the stately Atascosa County Courthouse. I went out to tell the family that even if I could get him to survive, there would be devastating neurological damage. This would not be a survivable injury. I told them so that they could say goodbye to him. The surgeon showed the jury CT-scans of Deckards brain and explained how the 31-year-old father of two actually had suffered two lethal injuries one from a 9 mm bullet that defense attorneys concede Puente fired, and another from the resulting crash of his SAPD vehicle. We removed parts of his brain to relieve the pressure, Hochheimer said. We did everything possible to give him a chance, but to no avail. Two Deckard family members followed Hochheimer out of the courtroom to shake his hand and say a tearful thank you. Puente, 36, wearing a gray suit and prison-issued, thick, dark-frame glasses, has watched intently through a week of testimony, but seldom conferred with his attorneys, at least in public. Three members of his family, including his mother, sat on the farthest back row of courtroom benches. All three of Mayor Ron Nirenbergs nominees to the San Antonio Water System board of trustees were approved Thursday by the City Council after a heated exchange over the appointment of water law expert Amy Hardberger. Councilman Greg Brockhouse grilled Hardberger, the daughter of former Mayor Phil Hardberger, on her ability to represent the citys southwest quadrant and maintain objectivity on issues related to development. He, in turn, drew fire from Councilwomen Shirley Gonzales and Ana Sandoval. Gonzales chastised Brockhouse for quizzing Hardberger on her qualifications during a council meeting, after having weeks to contact her, and for not directing questions to the two men appointed to the SAWS board. I feel particularly offended by that, Gonzales said. Not everything is sexism and racism, Brockhouse later shot back. One has to call it when they see it, Gonzales said. In the end, the appointment of Hardberger and civil engineer Eduardo Parra and the reappointment of banking executive David McGee was approved 8-1 by the council, with Brockhouse the only dissenter. Councilmen Rey Saldana and Clayton Perry were absent. For those who have followed the SAWS appointment process, Hardbergers nomination has drawn the most public interest. Her views on water conservation, pricing and valuation have won praise from environmentalists and community activists, and occasional pushback from business leaders. In 2014, she urged the city to take caution on the massive Vista Ridge pipeline project, and spoke in favor of a SAWS staff recommendation to more than double real estate developer impact fees, typically passed on to homebuyers, to help pay for water system expansions to new neighborhoods. That fee increase was approved by the council, even though Hardberger was the only member of the citys Capital Improvements Advisory Committee who supported it, as a means to minimize what existing SAWS customers pay to subsidize growth. In 2016, Mayor Ivy Taylor removed Hardberger from the capital improvements panel. But Nirenberg, then a councilman, successfully nominated her to return to the committee, in order to provide diversity and an independent voice. Hardberger, associate dean and professor at St. Marys University School of Law, has said she lives just inside the southwest quadrant, in Sandovals council district. As mayor, Nirenberg is a voting member of the SAWS board. In an email last week, Annalisa Peace, executive director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, said she was dismayed that Brockhouse was voicing objections to Hardbergers nomination through council memos and news releases. GEAA has worked with Amy as a member of our Technical Advisory Board, and we have greatly appreciated her commitment to managing our water resources and our water rates wisely, Peace wrote. Brockhouse has questioned whether Hardberger is the best person to protect the southwest quadrant, which includes part of his district. He said the city should have a more robust process for reaching out to potential nominees, as it does for the VIA Metropolitan Transit board. But he said he recognized Nirenbergs authority to make the nominations, which were vetted and forwarded by the councils Governance Committee. In a pointed line of questioning, Brockhouse asked Hardberger why she hadnt met with him; whether she could represent that quadrant; and how she felt about his great concerns on her position on developer impact fees. I doubt that you understand the residents of the community that I represent, Brockhouse said. Hardberger said she had told Brockhouses chief of staff that she would happily meet with the councilman. She said she would be accessible to residents and committed to striking a balance on impact fees, to provide opportunities for growth and equity for all SAWS ratepayers. I dont think its fair to categorize it as biased, she told Brockhouse on her views on the fees. Sandoval later questioned Brockhouses concerns about the nomination process, saying he had made no effort to get directly involved in vetting the nominees, and did not pose questions for Parra, who as the northwest quadrant SAWS designee, also will represent part of Brockhouses district. She recalled, as a young mariachi in a male-dominated field of music, being told female mariachis had to be at least twice as good. It seemed, she said, that Hardberger also was being held to a double standard. I apologize, Miss Hardberger, that that is what is happening today on this dais, Sandoval said. Lawyers for two former top Bandidos Motorcycle Club leaders suggested Thursday that a key government witness lied about the ex-bosses ordering the killing of a member of the rival Hells Angels so he can get a shorter sentence for his own involvement. Johnny Downtown Johnny Romo, a former sergeant-at-arms for the Bandidos national chapter, stuck by his testimony from a day earlier that former national Vice President John Xavier Portillo relayed orders from then-national President Jeffrey Fay Pike to kill Anthony W. Benesh III. Romo, 47, of San Antonio testified Wednesday that he and his brother were part of a crew that went in separate cars to Austin to commit the killing in March 2006, and that Portillo took a separate crew to College Station to hunt for another Hells Angels member. During his second day on the stand Thursday, Romo added details, including that his brother, Robert Romo, 45, used a hunting rifle with a scope to kill Benesh. Romo also said his brother was made a member of the Bandidos quickly after the killing. Under cross-examination by Pikes lead lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, Johnny Romo acknowledged Pike never said a word to him about Benesh. Jeff Pike never gave you any orders to kill Benesh, did he? DeGuerin asked more directly. Personally, no, Romo answered. Romo also acknowledged to DeGuerin there are occasional disagreements among the more than 100 Bandidos chapters and that the 1,500 members sometimes keep information from each other. DeGuerin argued that local chapters are autonomous and Pike didnt always know what members were doing, and that he did not approve of drug dealing or sanction other illegal conduct in the club. DeGuerin and Portillos lead attorney, Mark Stevens, also hammered Romo about shifts in his story about the killing. The lawyers also challenged his earlier testimony that he was a chosen enforcer and bodyguard for Pike and had gone to Central America to carry out his orders of intimidation on dissident members of international Bandidos chapters. For instance, Stevens questioned why Romos crew stopped at a pay phone to call Portillo when members of Romos hit squad had throw-away cellphones with them. That doesnt make much sense, does it? Stevens argued. Stevens also peppered Romo with questions like why there were was little or no discussion beforehand about who would shoot Benesh. Romo also said he didnt know who brought the rifle or what was done with the murder weapon or other evidence. Romo also testified Thursday that his brother was made a member of the Bandidos quickly after the killing. Late Thursday, DeGuerin played a 20-minute jailhouse video in which agents placed Johnny Romo in the same room with his brother, who had invoked his right to a lawyer. The pair discuss the killing, and Johnny Romo tells him the orders came from the higher-ups while his brother says he doesnt recall details. Johnny Romo also said he had to make a choice: Though he was very close to Pike, Romo chose his family instead and agreed to cooperate. Romo also says the pair may get lesser sentences for cooperating. The video ended with Robert Romo dropping his request for a lawyer and agreeing to talk. You believed it was only going to be beneficial for you two to point the finger at someone else, Jeff and John, didnt you? DeGuerin asked Johnny Romo. Just to tell the truth, Romo testified. The Romos were among four Bandidos who pleaded guilty in September to Beneshs racketeering murder and await sentencing. The slaying is just one in a string of racketeering crimes by the Bandidos that prosecutors allege Pike and Portillo, who was vice president from 2013 until January 2016, directed, aided, or sanctioned. PEARSALL While Sadat Ibrahim was telling a judge he couldnt return to his native Ghana because hed been targeted by police-backed vigilantes, he says a key piece of evidence sat in the mailroom of an immigration detention center. Ibrahims family had sent him videos of an anti-gay gang attacking his partner and interrogating the man in front of a police station. During the interrogation, his partner outed Ibrahim. But when he went before a judge in August 2016, Ibrahim says he didnt know a CD containing the video was in the detention center. He lost his asylum case, and a judge ordered him deported. Ibrahim, 32, said he thought he followed the law when he sought asylum at a port of entry on the border with Mexico rather than crossing into the U.S. illegally. But instead, he said hes faced one barrier after another in presenting an asylum case. More than two years after he came to the U.S., Ibrahim is still in detention. Hes fighting deportation, this time with a lawyer to help him, but hes doing so from inside a South Texas detention facility. I dont know what I was expecting, but I wasnt expecting this, he said in a recent interview at the South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall. When we got (to the border), they used the word like, we are full of (expletive). Why did we come to this country? We are costing the taxpayers money. I never thought the U.S. would be like this. I always thought it was a great country. I thought it was a country of human rights and freedom of movement. Immigration lawyers said Ibrahim has what should be a clear-cut asylum claim but that the conditions in detention, including a lack of access to the internet and the fact that staff at the facility didnt tell him the CD had arrived, prevented him from presenting a compelling argument for staying in the U.S. His case, they said, is emblematic of the difficulties asylum-seekers face when theyre kept in detention. Ibrahim is one of several immigrants in South Texas detention centers who filed a federal lawsuit challenging what they say is an unconstitutional Department of Homeland Security policy that deters asylum-seekers by holding them in onerous conditions. The government is subjecting asylum-seekers to such prolonged and harsh detention conditions that they will eventually, in despair, relinquish their petitions and return to their dangerous homelands, the lawsuit alleges. Immigration laws actually encourage asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. illegally, because those detained by Border Patrol can ask a judge to give them bond, the lawsuit states. DHS officials wouldnt comment, citing pending litigation. But in court documents, the department said Congress has given ICE permission to make case-by-case decisions about releasing asylum-seekers, and Ibrahim and the other plaintiffs cannot challenge those decisions in court. ICE does not have a policy of relying on deterrence as a factor in parole determinations, Deborah Achim, the agencys deputy field office director in San Antonio, wrote in one court filing. Partner assaulted in Ghana Ibrahim said he was making a comfortable living in Ghana selling U.S. goods, mostly sneakers, that he imported with the help of an uncle in New York and renting out real estate his family owned. His success, and his ability to provide in-demand U.S. imports, made him well-known in Accra, Ghanas coastal capital. Since he was young, Ibrahim said, he knew he was gay. But Ghanas Muslim minority, of which hes a member, wields considerable power and is notoriously intolerant of homosexuality. Ibrahim said he was careful to hide his sexual orientation in his home community until 2012, when he started hanging out with a group of mostly Christians who were more accepting. Most gays, they live a secret life. Once someone discovers who you are, you are not safe in Ghana, he said. Whenever someone sees you in town, in the club, in the mall, they call you bad names and harass you. Ibrahim doesnt know who sold him out, but about three years ago, word got around town that hes gay. On the night of Aug. 15, 2015, Ibrahim said, he was in a club when he received a text telling him that his partner was being attacked by a vigilante group called Safety Empire that targets gays in Ghana. He later found out his partner was lashed with belts and sticks, then, on the street in front of a police station, forced to name other gays in the city. Ibrahim was among those he listed. Not knowing the seriousness of the attack, Ibrahim thought he could flee to a nearby town and wait for things to blow over. I rushed back home to pack a bag. he said. They attacked me and they stabbed me with a knife, but I was able to escape. Three days later, while he hid in the nearby town, members of Safety Empire tried to set fire to his familys house and beat his uncle, Ibrahim said. He had a visa that allowed him to get to Brazil, so he flew there. My plan was not to come to America, he said. My plan was to stay safe until everything was OK in my country. The man he says led the mob that attacked him was arrested but quickly released on bond and his charges downgraded to burglary, according to Ibrahims lawyer. Ibrahim hasnt heard from his partner since he fled Ghana, his lawyer said. Ibrahim said he didnt think it would be safe to return home and heard from a friend in the U.S. whod successfully sought asylum here. So he flew to Belize, then crossed the border into Mexico. He made his way to the Mexican border city of Tijuana and in January 2016 walked across the international crossing point with other Africans and asked for asylum. Ibrahim said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer who he talked to when requesting asylum at the border in California was friendly and helpful, but a man from Eretria who crossed with him was cursed at by another officer and told to go back to Mexico. They were eventually sent to a part of the customs facility where Ibrahim said they waited outside for hours. Their asylum claims were processed, and Ibrahim spent the next two weeks in a cramped holding facility on the border. When we started to complain, they said, This is America, we do what he want, he said of the immigration officials at the holding center. Next time, dont come to someone elses country without legal documents. The detainees were transferred to another holding facility that Ibrahim said was called the icebox because of its frigid temperatures. After a brief stay there he was taken to a detention center in Otay Mesa, California, that Ibrahim said was the most comfortable of all the facilities in which hes been held. After about a month there, still without having seen a judge about his asylum claim, Ibrahim said, he and other immigrants were taken by bus to an airport in Arizona. By the time they arrived, their transport plane had left, so he and the other detainees spent the night shackled in their seats before boarding a flight the next day. Ibrahim ended up at a detention center in Georgia, where he finally went before a judge. The judge, he said, told us, None of the Africans are going to get asylum here in Georgia. Ibrahim said he compiled some news stories about the persecution of gays in Ghana while at an internet cafe in Mexico, but without a lawyer he struggled to put together an asylum application. His family sent the video showing the attack on his partner, but Ibrahim said he went to court not knowing the CD was in the mailroom. He went before the judge with just the news articles he had printed. Others, knowing even less about the asylum process, showed up without any evidence. On Aug. 10, 2016, a judge ordered him deported. Ibrahim was transferred to the detention center in Pearsall and found lawyers to help him appeal the deportation order. His request was denied by the Board of Immigration Appeals and hes asked a federal appellate court to overturn that decision. The circuit court has granted him a stay of deportation while it decides his case. Meanwhile, hes still in detention. Ibrahim said that after he was interviewed for this story in February, guards at the detention center questioned him about it and about efforts by advocacy groups to pressure ICE into releasing him. In late February, Ibrahim said, he was denied meal service one day and later placed in isolation. Geo Group Inc., which runs the detention center, said staff did not retaliate against him but referred questions about whether he was in isolation to ICE. In a statement, ICE said Ibrahim was involved in a disciplinary incident and was placed in disciplinary proceedings. In a telephone interview this week, Ibrahim said hes back in the main dormitory. Making asylum difficult The irony of Ibrahims situation: If hed crossed the border illegally he might have been released on bond. Federal law allows immigrants detained inside the U.S., including the families from Central America who routinely cross the Rio Grande into Texas then immediately surrender to Border Patrol and request asylum, to ask a judge to review the bond ICE sets for their release. Immigrants who show up at official international crossing points, called ports of entry, arent given that option. ICE can choose to parole them into the country, but a decision by the agency not to offer parole cannot be reviewed by a judge. In 2009, then-ICE Director John Morton instructed officers that they should parole into the country immigrants who passed their credible fear examination, the first step in the asylum process, if the agency decides the immigrant is not a flight risk and not a danger to the community. In his lawsuit, Ibrahim alleges ICE is violating its own policies by detaining him. Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, which is representing Ibrahim and three others who challenged ICEs parole policy, said in court filings their clients met all the qualifications for parole and had sponsors willing to take them in but are still in detention. Defendants intend for their actions to serve as a deterrent to asylum-seekers by forcing them to either endure prolonged detention or risk the grave perils involved in unlawful entries, the lawsuit states. This practice unjustly punishes persons like the plaintiffs, who have committed no crimes, for their status as (port of entry) asylum seekers and deters others from seeking refuge in the United States. Meanwhile, Trump administration officials have asked Congress for more authority to keep asylum-seekers in detention. Speaking in San Antonio in January, acting ICE Director Tom Homan said asylum laws in this country are too lax and called on Congress to give immigration officials more authority to hold and deport families and children who request asylum. So if people know they can come and say the world fear and the thresholds low and theyre going to get a yes 9 out of 10 times, theyre going to keep coming. Because most of them arent going to show up in court, Homan said. As long as they can make frivolous claims and get released, theyre going to exploit that weakness. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers who conduct credible fear interviews at the outset of the asylum process found in 2016 that about 80 percent of those seeking asylum would be likely to succeed. Immigration judges granted asylum in about 43 percent of the cases they heard that year in 2016, according to the most recent statistics available from the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Immigration lawyers said winning an asylum case depends heavily on the judge involved and whether someone can afford a lawyer. Immigrants who have representation in court are more likely to win their asylum claims, according to government records analyzed by the Transactional Records Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Immigrants who are kept in detention are less likely to have a lawyer and are more likely to be ordered deported than those who are released on parole or bond, according to the records. Asylum-seekers held in detention face a series of hurdles to presenting their cases, lawyers said. Detention centers are often located far from major cities, making it difficult for attorneys and their families to visit detainees. Those in detention dont have access to the internet, so they cant conduct research online. And rules about what materials are available to them can keep them from receiving evidence. This is the kind of case that should have won even without additional evidence, based on the situation of gays in Ghana. Homosexual acts are criminalized. The injustice of his case is extra appalling because ICE proactively withheld evidence against him, said Alicia Perez, whos representing Ibrahim in the appeal of his deportation order. Many immigrants in detention went through dangerous journeys to get to the U.S. and fled violence and persecution in their home countries, including kidnapping, imprisonment and torture, advocates say. Held in detention, theyre less able to cope with those memories, and that harms immigrants ability to pursue asylum cases, said Katy Murdza, advocacy coordinator with the Dilley Pro Bono Project. We had one client recently who had a panic attack during her (court appearance) because of the high level of trauma she experienced, Murdza said. She was having trouble breathing, she kept saying I cant, I cant, she couldnt tell her story. While people are going to be suffering from the effects of trauma been thru no matter what, it definitely makes it a lot worse when being detained and rushed through everything so quickly. The group Murdza works for offers free legal representation to those held at the South Texas Family Residential Center, a 2,400-bed facility thats the largest family detention center in the country. Most of the families held there are released before they have to see an immigration judge, but Murdza said language barriers and lack of access to evidence are a problem there too. San Antonio immigration attorney Sara Ramey has started the Migrant Center for Human Rights to provide pro bono services in the Pearsall detention center, a facility with 1,900 beds, in response to a lack of legal services there. San Antonio lawyers dont want to go down there, Ramey said. I dont want to go down there. Its a two-hour round trip, plus waiting an hour to see your client. Its frustrating. Some attorneys wont go down there at all. In their lawsuit, Ibrahim and three other asylum-seekers held in South Texas a man from Honduras, whod been in detention in Port Isabel since April after requesting asylum because his two brothers were killed, agreed to return home and was dropped from the case in January allege that their continued detention violates their right to due process. None of them is a flight risk or danger to the community, the lawsuit argues, yet theyve been in detention for a year or more. Lawyers representing them included in court filings affidavits by doctors who said the immigrants are suffering physical and psychological maladies because of their extended detention. In 2015, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered ICE to let a judge hold bond hearings for detained immigrants every six months. But in February the Supreme Court ruled that immigration law hasnt created a framework for hearings every six months. It sent the case back to the appellate court to determine if ICEs detention policy is unconstitutional. Ramey said ICE could create new regulations or Congress could pass a law creating a more open process when ICE determines whether an asylum-seeker should be paroled into the country. In some cases, ICE officers have told her why her client was being denied parole and she was able to show additional documents to have the client released. In other cases, Ramey said, ICE wouldnt tell her why parole was denied and she had no way of appealing. Ultimately, Ramey said she believes asylum-seekers need to be able to appeal ICEs decision to a judge. I think really in terms of practice, there really needs to be a right to judicial review, she said. And that doesnt mean that needs to happen immediately. I think it is good to give ICE the chance the make a decision and we dont need to put more burden on the judicial system. But they really need to be making these decisions in a transparent way. A rescue effort to free an 18-year-old Lee High School student trapped in the Robber Baron Cave was something Texas Cave Management Association President Joe Ranzau said he had never seen before. At the height of the rescue, 75 firefighters were on scene. Many of them took turns working 30-minute shifts over a 10-hour period until the teen was finally freed shortly before midnight Thursday, Fire Chief Charles Hood said. The incident occurred during a field trip to the cave that was supposed to be an opportunity to learn about its exclusive biology and its history in the Prohibition era, and to crawl through its mazelike passageways, which are managed by the association. North East Independent School District spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said students have gone to the cave as part of a field trip for many years. The path they took Thursday is traveled by both school groups and enthusiasts alike, Ranzau said. Normally for our youth education programs, we follow a consistent circuit, he said. During this particular trip, the school group had been exploring the cave for some time, cave officials said. With the help of three cave guides and their teacher, they had already traveled through a lengthy passageway known as the Entrance Hall. They traversed the Lighted Passageway and then crawled south to the angled tube known as the Hole in the Floor, cave manager Mike Harris said. It was there that the 18-year-old, who has not been identified, got stuck about 1:40 p.m. Its a maze cave thats multilevel, Ranzau said. The Hole in the Floor literally is that a hole that you can use to drop down to the next level. But you do have to turn your body just slightly as youre going through, he said. Although the teens torso was stuck, her arms and legs were free. Hood described her predicament as being wedged in some rock. Cave experts with the association worked for about an hour trying to get her out but then called the San Antonio Fire Department for help, officials said. Firefighters used the same route as the students, Harris said. That meant firefighters had to maneuver through about 350 feet of cave passages to reach the teen, which took about 5 minutes and 40 seconds. Rescue workers routed wiring through another entrance one that had been sealed to keep out visitors to provide power to their equipment, which they had to carry with them to the site. Once there, firefighters would work for 20 minutes before making the return trip. Hood said the firefighters had to work in 30-minute shifts as they were making sure they were monitoring their own vitals to ensure they could continue the rescue. They swapped spots with another crew for rest, food and rehydration before heading back in. They hooked the student up to an IV to keep her hydrated. As for the teen, rescue workers had secured her in a harness to keep her in place while they used a chisel to carve through the rock trapping her. Hood explained that there had been a potential that as the opening widened, she could have slid down into a position that would have constricted her diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe. Because the hole is at an angle, the student was not suspended, Ranzau said. Her legs were up against the surrounding tunnel as rescue workers built a platform beneath her. As the rescue dragged on into the evening and temperatures inside the cave dropped, they worked to keep her warm. Finally, at 11:45 p.m., the teen was freed from the cave and reunited with her family, including her mother who had driven in from Houston. She was then taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for treatment after spending 11 hours trapped in the cave. Chancellor said that one of the teens friends stayed with her at the cave for support, as did the teacher leading the class. Twenty classmates were able to exit through a different passage and were taken back to school. The cave is about a mile long and roughly 30 to 80 feet underground with both walking and crawling passages, Ranzau said. Cave managers said Friday that the limestone in that section wasnt jagged or loose because the area is well-traveled. On average, people moving down the hole take 45 seconds to pass through. Others can take up to 30 minutes. Visitors are not limited by specific height and weight limitations, but Ranzau said its up to each individual to determine which paths they can and cant handle. Many of the groups that are guided through the caves are kept on passages appropriate to their skill level, Ranzau said. Its just the nature of their abilities and the nature of the specific place that theyre at, Ranzau said. For instance, there are passages in this cave, the Hole in the Floor for one, that I dont go through, Ranzau said. A judge issued a ruling Thursday that will prevent a manslaughter trial of the man accused of causing the drowning of a transgender woman along the River Walk last year, after prosecutors opted to present their evidence in the case at a probation revocation hearing. The accused, Mark Daniel Lewis, 20, of Live Oak, was on probation for failing to register as a sex offender and prosecutors sought to use the manslaughter accusation to revoke it. State District Judge Joey Contreras, after a hearing that effectively amounted to a bench trial of the manslaughter case, ruled that Lewis actions in the death of Kenne McFadden, 26, did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. I think this is a terrible tragedy that occurred, Contreras said of the drowning before deciding it was not true that Lewis had violated the terms of his probation. Lewis now cannot be tried on a manslaughter charge because of the double jeopardy rule, Assistant District Attorney Jason Goss said. Revoking probation requires only a preponderance of the evidence to prove a defendant violated its terms, a lower standard than in criminal proceedings, which require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge has the ability to make that determination after hearing the evidence, Goss said. A Bexar County grand jury indicted Lewis in late November on the manslaughter charge, based on allegations that he recklessly caused the death of McFadden, whose body was found floating in the San Antonio River downtown last April. Prosecutors presented evidence Thursday that Lewis admitted to two different San Antonio police officers that he had inadvertently pushed McFadden into the water, telling one of the officers that she had groped him. She was heavily intoxicated and, according to her family, could not swim. San Antonio Park Police Officer Terry Hardeway testified that he saw Lewis and McFadden together on the River Walk on April 7, two days before her body was found. Video from a nearby store that was played in court showed the two together that night. Hardeway recognized McFadden, testifying that she was a regular in his patrol area whom hed previously arrested on public intoxication charges and was known for harassing people by dancing close to them. Hardeway said he saw Lewis and McFadden embrace multiple times that night. A couple of hours later, Hardeway said Lewis approached him at a Whataburger and told him that he had pushed someone into the river. Hardeway checked the area where Lewis said the incident occurred, near Texas Land & Cattle steakhouse, but saw no one in the water. Days later, the officer encountered Lewis again, near the Alamo. He testified that Lewis said to him, Youre the cop that thinks that I pushed somebody in the river. According to testimony, a month later SAPD Detective Raul Juarez interviewed Lewis in Bexar County Jail, where he was in custody after being arrested on an active warrant in another case. In the videotaped interview, played in court, Lewis at first said he did not know McFadden before admitting that they had been in jail together before. Eventually, Lewis told Juarez he attempted to assist a visibly intoxicated McFadden after she was pushed to the ground by another man. Her blood-alcohol content was later determined to be 0.20, according to testimony. In the video, Lewis said he and McFadden shared a consensual kiss but said McFadden grabbed his buttocks and asked to go home together. I hate physical contact. I hate when people lay their hands on me, Lewis told Juarez, adding that he had been sexually abused in the past. Lewis then admitted he pushed McFadden away, causing her to fall into the water, and when he last saw her, she had resurfaced and grabbed on to the ledge. I didnt mean to push him into the river, Lewis said in the video, referring to McFadden. I meant to push him away. Prosecutors argued that Lewis actions were not reasonable based on the romantic interest expressed through their kiss, adding that he should have voiced his opposition to the touching rather than using force. Lewis attorney, Daniel Rodriguez, said his clients attempts to defend himself were reasonable under the circumstances. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient to prove criminal wrongdoing, the victims mother, Joann McFadden, collapsed in the courtroom and was taken to a hospital by paramedics. In the first episode of Real 911 Calls a city campaign to educate residents on the proper use of 911 Police Chief William McManus scoffed at the supposed emergency: Someone ordering a large pepperoni pizza. Are you kidding me? McManus asked. Were also not the San Antonio Pizza Department. It turns out that call wasnt real at all, and two others featured in the video had been modified to fit the purpose of the campaign, audio obtained by the San Antonio Express-News indicates. There was no 911 caller asking for a pizza delivery. The actual caller seemed to think he had dialed 411, or directory assistance, to ask for the phone number of the Exquisite Escort service. Now Playing: "Hi, I'm Chief McManus. Welcome to another edition of real 9-1-1 calls. Yeah, really." This video from the San Antonio Police Department has over 72,000 views and 685 shares on Facebook. Video: San Antonio Express-News Another supposed 911 call that McManus read was from a resident who complimented the police. Actually, the call was placed to the citys nonemergency number, not 911, the audio shows. The city later admitted it was a mistake to include that call, but stood by the decision. In a third call on the video, McManus said a man told dispatchers a woman was throwing up behind him on a ferris wheel. In his quip about the call, McManus did not mention what the audio of the call actually revealed the caller was unsuccessful in trying to get the attention of the ferris wheel operators on the ground. He told a dispatcher that calling 911 was all I could think of. After the video campaign garnered wide attention on social media and some national news outlets, the Express-News asked for the audio of the original calls featured in the public service campaign. The citys Feb. 26 news release about the campaign did say the video was inspired by real 911 requests. However, the videos themselves and posts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube did not provide that explanation. City officials said they stood by the campaign and the creative approach they took to ensure it was noticed by a wide audience. They said the underlying message is whats most important: That 911 is solely for dire and life-threatening emergencies. This was a hugely successful social media campaign that amassed 122,870 views on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and even more through traditional media nationwide, Jeff Coyle, director of government and public affairs, said in a statement. As stated in the news release, the calls featured in the campaign were inspired by real calls that took up 911 call takers time, he added. We edited the calls for broadcast length, appropriateness and to protect the privacy of the original callers. It wasnt appropriate for the city to reference a model escort service in a family-friendly campaign, so officials decided to modify that 911 request into a pizza delivery call. The second call, from a resident to the citys nonemergency police number, was included in error. Regardless, officials said a call about good police work isnt a proper use of a dispatchers time. Officials said the call actually lasted 16 minutes. About the third call, from the man on the ferris wheel, officials said the omission was not substantial and that the caller clearly stated, Nothings wrong. It, too, was not an appropriate call for 911, they said. Out of more than 2 million calls fielded annually by the Public Safety Answering Point, approximately 1 million do not result in the dispatch of emergency personnel, Coyle said. Only calls that require first responders should be placed to 911 or the nonemergency line, as any call may tie up an operator who could be answering a real matter of public safety. Other calls mentioned in the videos portions of which are included verbatim include a woman whose child wouldnt get up for school, a woman whose cat was acting weird and an individual who had a plumbing leak. AUSTIN Bernie Sanders brought his anti-Trump road show to South by Southwest Friday on the way to San Antonio and Lubbock, proclaiming that Texas can turn blue if Democrats are willing to put in a phenomenal amount of work to make it happen. If you in Texas are prepared to work hard, stand up, fight back, go out to your neighbors, talk to those people who voted for Trump, make sure that every friend you have, and family member that you have, comes out and votes yeah, I believe that Texas can go blue, the Vermont senator and 2016 Democratic presidential contender said to applause. Sanders set a goal of 50 percent voter turnout, a high bar in a mid-term election. Turnout in Texas was under 34 percent in the 2014 general election and 38 percent in 2010. And while Democrats had a surge in turnout in Texas primary elections this year, Republicans still outnumbered them. The way we defeat Trump is for every person in this room, and all of us, to get involved in the political process in a way that we have never done in the modern history of this county, he said. I congratulate the people in Texas who just had primaries the other day. Your voter turnout was significantly higher than it has been in recent years, but we have got to do more than that, Sanders said. Asked whether he will run again for president in 2020, Sanders said that is a long, long way away. He said his travels to around the country are an effort to rally working people around a progressive agenda in the effort to seize the House and Senate from Republicans. Sanders visit to Texas comes after trips to Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and he is headed to Arizona when he leaves the Lone Star State. Characteristically harsh in his criticism of President Donald Trump, Sanders said when asked by his SXSW interviewer, CNNs Jake Tapper, about the presidents assertions that he wants an immigration deal, One of the many problems with Donald Trump He lies all of the time. Sanders said Democrats are focused on protecting and finding a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, immigrants brought here as children without documentation. While expressing dismay over divisions stirred by Trump, Sanders said that Americans nevertheless are, by and large, not divided on many major economic and social issues, including the need for immigration reform, a desire to end gun violence and support for access to health care. Sanders gave no quarter to his own party regarding efforts by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to undermine Congressional District 7 candidate Laura Moser in the Houston area. The senator called it absolutely unacceptable and drew a parallel to national Democrats efforts to thwart him in his primary battle with Hillary Clinton. Sanders rejected the idea that the national party should steer what it believes to be the strongest candidate to victory. Let me get a little bit personal here, having gone through a little bit of that myself. You want to know who the strongest candidate in that district is? Let the people of that district make that decision. You want to know who the strongest candidate in the Democratic presidential primary is? Let the people of America make that decision, not a handful of people in Washington, he said. With regard to battling Trump, Sanders urged respect when people who oppose the president talk to his supporters. Our job is to talk to people, people who voted for Trump, respectfully. I do not believe that in Texas, or any place else, that most people who supported Trump are racists or sexists or xenophobes, Sanders said. I think they are people who are hurting, who want real change in the way our government works in terms of the needs of the middle class. Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo, dragged into a runoff after falling short of the 50 percent-plus-one share he needed to avoid it, is facing his stiffest electoral challenge in years as he now focuses solely on Democratic challenger Queta Rodriguez. A fixture on the court since the 1980s, Elizondo, 82, was expected to come out ahead of his two opponents for Precinct 2: Rodriguez, Bexar Countys Veterans Service officer, and Environmental Defense Fund outreach specialist Mario Bravo. When it all shook out Tuesday night, Elizondo led with 45.47 percent of the more than 21,000 votes cast. Rodriguez finished with 29.58 percent, ahead of Bravos 24.95 percent. Elizondo had hoped to avoid the runoff, and the possibility that Bravos supporters might flock to Rodriguezs side. Shortly after the results rolled in Tuesday, Bravo, 42, gave Rodriguez, 47, his full support, the Express-News reported. He said months ago he intended to do so in the event of a loss. I went to meet her in person and told her, Bravo said Thursday. I tried to hold out until the end. I wanted to be in it. To Rodriguez, the most important number of the night was 55: the percentage of the combined vote, rounded up, that went to her and Bravo. She hoped to nab a few Elizondo voters, too, before the runoff. "I think the overarching theme here was that the majority of the Precinct 2 voters decided they want a change, and they're going to have an opportunity to do that in the runoff," Rodriguez said, adding: "Because (Elizondo) has the name recognition, there are probably some voters out there that didn't know anything about us, so they went with who they knew." During runoffs, with far fewer races on the ballot, turnout typically drops off dramatically. In 2014, Democrats in Bexar County cast about 17,000 ballots in the May runoff after turning out nearly 45,000 in March. That same year, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert won the Democratic nomination with 64 percent of the less than 7,000 votes cast in his Precinct 4 runoff. Its a different race, Bravo said. Its not the same electorate. So you cant just say Pauls got 45 and Quetas got 30 and theyre going to fight over my 25 percent. Asked about Bravo throwing his weight behind Rodriguez, Elizondo said Bravos support wouldnt necessarily transfer to his runoff opponent. She may not be the type of candidate that people supporting him would automatically jump over to, Elizondo said. Not only that, theres a lot of my base that just didnt turn out, thats just hanging there. Elizondo received some of his strongest support around St. Marys University, including immediately south of the campus and west of Woodlawn Lake Park, an analysis of voting data by the San Antonio Express-News shows. Some areas in the southern part of the precinct also overwhelmingly voted for Elizondo, including near Monterrey Park along Texas 151. He carried 123 total precincts, to Rodriguezs 14 and Bravos nine. Six other precincts resulted in ties. Many of the precincts Elizondo won were decided by single-digit margins, though Rodriguezs decisive victories generally occurred in smaller precincts. Rodriguez and Bravo combined for 51 percent or more in 96 of the the 152 precincts that recorded votes. Elizondo won outright in 44, and in 12 the Elizondo and Rodriguez-Bravo factions tied. Rodriguez had her widest margin of victory over Elizondo in Shearer Hills-Ridgeview. She also carried a precinct along 410, containing Ingram Park Mall, and a small precinct on the southeast edge. Bravo won the two precincts with the most voters by narrow margins over Elizondo, with Rodriguez trailing far behind. Either Bravo or Elizondo won the largest 16 precincts. I feel good, Elizondo said. I came out ahead. Just not enough. I didnt get to what I was working for, but Im still glad I got (within) 5 percent plus one. During the first leg of the campaign, Elizondo ran primarily on his experience and the plans hed laid out for what would be a 10th term on Commissioners Court. He plans to continue putting out the same message during the next couple months. All throughout this period, Ive had the uncomfortable position of having to defend against two people who are taking different shots at me, and coming at me from two different sides, Elizondo said. Itll be easier to respond to one. But I dont even intend to do that. I intend to run on my record and compare mine to hers. Rodriguez and Bravo have both rebuffed Elizondos argument about experience. Heres the thing: Every person in political office at one point ran with no political experience, Rodriguez said. Its not about political experience. Its about whether you have the capacity and leadership skills to fill the position. Elizondo heads into the runoff with $440,000 on hand, far more than Rodriguezs $4,600, according to reports filed Feb. 26. He had the resources to go on TV and we didnt, Bravo said. With the people that are hard to touch, what are the resources Quetas going to have to reach people? Thats going to matter. ... He starts out with that advantage, and youve got to be able to offset it. The winner of the May 22 runoff will face Theresa Connolly on Nov. 6. Connolly, who defeated Ismael Garcia, 67 to 33 percent in the GOP primary, will be the first Republican running in the Precinct 2 general election in 28 years. Were armed and ready, Elizondo said. In the final weeks of the Democratic primary race in U.S. District 23, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) became a big issue. Jay Hulings, a former U.S. attorney and the favored candidate of San Antonios Castro brothers, repeatedly warned that the Pentagon could, in the near future, recommend defense-spending cuts that might endanger the future of local military bases. When Gina Ortiz Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer, suggested that she would be willing to at least consider any suggested defense cuts, Hulings argued that District 23 voters needed a congressional rep who would protect their military bases. Rick Trevino took a different tack. He used the BRAC issue as an invitation to critique American militarism. During a February 27 debate at KLRNs downtown studios, Trevino acknowledged the militarys importance to this city, but added, I think its unfortunate, though, that so many communities rely on war and destruction for an economy, for good paying jobs. As Trevino finished his thought, two gray-haired Latina Democrats in the audience raised their fists in a show of solidarity. Fast-forward a week. While those of us who claim to know something about politics assumed that election night would send Jones and Hulings into a runoff, Trevino knew better. Sure enough, in one of the great underdog stories of Tuesdays Texas primary, Trevino finished second (albeit a distant second) to Jones and appeared to secure himself a position in the May 22 runoff. Hulings finished fourth. There are no established laws of political science by which this should have been possible. Trevino, 33, is a history teacher who gave up his job at Sam Houston High School last fall to run for Congress. He has never held elective office. He had minimal funding and a do-it-yourself organization. He ran no TV ads. He called Goldman Sachs f***ing evil. He ridiculed so-called corporate Democrats, who champion big business more than organized labor, by tweeting, Neoliberalism f***ing sucks. Trevinos overriding message is that his fellow Dems have become so consumed with cautiously threading the electoral needle that theyve forgotten to stand for something. He was an early advocate for Bernie Sanders insurgent presidential campaign in 2016, leading a San Antonio for Sanders group and serving as a Sanders delegate at the Democratic National Convention. While Hulings suggested an incremental approach to improve the Affordable Care Act, Trevino insisted like Sanders that Medicare for All was the answer. While some Democrats try to nibble around the edges of the college-affordability problem, Trevino like Sanders has argued for free public colleges and universities. As of mid-February, both Hulings and Jones had spent nearly $400,000 on their campaigns, while Trevino only spent $20,416. That breaks down to $2.64 per vote for Trevino, compared to $20.75 for Jones and $59.83 for Hulings. To be sure, identity politics hurt Hulings in this sprawling Latino-majority district which extends from South San Antonio to El Paso County. He had to contend with the perception that he was the Anglo in the race, despite the fact that his mothers family name is Garcia. To his credit, Hulings didnt try pulling the phony move of suddenly identifying himself as Jay Garcia Hulings, even though it would have helped his cause. But theres no denying the magnitude of Trevinos accomplishment. He did it by relentlessly working the district, visiting colonias in small border communities and knocking on doors that had never been approached by a politician. I just made it a point to target areas that were never canvassed, Trevino said. I just knew that these people hadnt had a conversation about politics. And the lecture we get from D.C. is that this is a conservative district, that this stuff wont fly. But the people I was speaking to dont think Medicare for All, or the right to a living wage, is a crazy idea. I saw an apparently conservative district really embrace these ideas, because theyre working-class voters. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is pinning a lot of its hopes on the possibility of flipping District 23 from Republican incumbent Will Hurd. They surely see Jones as the runoff candidate who can give Hurd the best race. Conventional wisdom says Jones not Trevino will be on the ballot against Hurd in November. But Trevino stopped listening to conventional wisdom a long time ago. @gilgamesh470 Our parents, who handled the Great Depression and World War II admirably, earned the label the greatest generation. After the war, they helped create a democratic world order that came to be known as Pax Americana, a time of peace. We, their children, came of age during a time of prosperity and upward mobility. One wonders why weve become so hostile to each other and to our own government, and how we allowed the country to become a place of such severe income inequality. By the time we die off, we will leave a not-so-stable society at home, a nation not so prestigious abroad, and a disordered world trying to survive on a not-so-healthy planet. I guess we will be remembered as the not-so-great generation. Theresa S. Doyle Path to doom We were recently treated to the latest Trumpism: Trade wars are good, and easy to win. One must ask whether the president writes his own material or whether someone supplied him this snappy line. How can this be the thinking of a rational man? Except for the woefully ignorant his strongest and most fanatical supporters most Americans understand we are part of a global economy. To declare a trade war on others is the sure and certain path to our own economic destruction. G. L. Lamborn Unfit for jobs? Re: Dont arm teachers, Your Turn, Saturday: The letter writer, a retired principal and school administrator, stated we should not arm teachers. His reasons were that 90 percent of the teachers were responsible professionals, while the other 10 percent were unstable emotionally and mentally. If this is true, why are these people allowed to teach and pollute the minds of impressionable students? Firing such people should be mandatory, not negotiable with a union representative. All public unions should be illegal and not able to hold the public hostage to their demands, including the police and now our fire department. These people willingly took public service jobs and knew what their responsibilities would be. They should be treated fairly as employees but not allowed to strike or blackmail the taxpayers. Louis Levy The Office of International Affairs at the University of Toulon France is currently seeking international partners from universities abroad interested in designing and implementing international Study Abroad environments for Summer or Spring Break courses on our campus, particularly for an French Studies or Hospitality Management courses. For our Spring break program, we are interested in offering a course that would allow students to interact with their peers around the world by enrolling students from different universities in the same French or Hospitality Management studies course to facilitate internationalization of the campus and community and build cross-cultural perspectives and collaboration. Students would have the opportunity to interact with their counterparts abroad using collaborative teaching, collaborative learning activities and projects, writing assignments, and multimedia in order to complete a rigorous introduction course in French studies or Tourism (but not limited to these 2 topics). As part of the project, we are currently in the process of hosting an International (Wine)Tourism Class on campus. Since Toulon is located in the "Var" region, one of the largest "rose" wine-producing areas in France and one of the most touristic regions in France, students from Toulon and from our Partner University will get to work on Social Media Management for major wine estates in the area (among other projects). There will also be outings on the French riviera organized specifically for our international students in the afternoon. If a similar course is already offered at the partner university, the course could be co-taught by professors from both schools. If a French or similar Studies course is not yet offered at the partner university but there is interest in making the course available to students, then the course could be taught by the professor from the University of Toulon if needed. All courses offered through the program would be conducted in French or in English. For our Summer program, we are interested in providing a course that would allow students from different universities to participate in language-related activities as well as cultural visits. More info about this Summer program can be found online at http://summercampus.univ-tln.fr. All programs can be entirely customized and you are welcome to write to summercampus@univ-tln.fr. Prices all inclusive (housing, teaching, meals, visits to Saint Tropez, Marseille and Porquerolles) but they do not include plane tickets. Dr. Emmeline Gros Associate Professor of English Glocal Coordinator, Study Abroad Programs University of Toulon, France As Fairfielders brace to lose an hour of sleep this weekend, lets explore the origins of Daylight Saving Time. The concept of DST began in 1916, when several European countries pushed the clocks ahead by one hour to save fuel during World War I. By doing this, daylight was extended one hour longer. They turned their clocks back to normal the following October. In 1918 the U.S. passed An act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States. It created DST in the U.S., established time zones, began on March 31 and lasted seven months during both 1918 and 1919. According to Webexhibits.org, after WWI ended, the law proved so unpopular (mostly because people rose earlier and went to bed earlier than people do today) that it was repealed in 1919 with a Congressional override of President Wilson's veto. Daylight Saving Time became a local option, and was continued in a few states, such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and in some cities, such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. A similar undertaking took place during World War II, when President Franklin Roosevelt created "War Time," which instituted DST all year long, from February 9, 1942 all the way through September 30, 1945. After WWII ended, DST was no longer federally regulated, but some states and towns continued to have it. This led to quite a bit of confusion. by Ryan Patti | Thu, Mar 8th 11:30pm EST Tyler Johnson provided 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting (2-for-3 from downtown), four boards and one assist in 25 minutes of work in Miami's 108-99 victory over the 76ers. Fantasy Impact: TJ has shot 50 percent or better from the field in back-to-back games. He's 15-for-33 (45.5 percent) in March, which is a touch above his number on the campaign entering this matchup (42.6 percent). If the 25-year-old can stay ahead of that mark, he's worth owning in deep 12-man leagues for the final few weeks of the fantasy season. AKRON Ohio wildlife biologists are frequently contacted by concerned residents who spot coyotes in urban or suburban areas. This is seldom a cause for alarm according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Coyotes are highly adaptable animals that live in a wide variety of environments thus there is no need to report sightings to wildlife officials unless the animal appears hurt, sick, or habituated meaning the animal has lost its natural fear of humans. Here are a few steps to keep in mind when you encounter an urban coyote in the Buckeye State. 1. Understand that coyotes are common throughout Ohios 88 counties and are regularly seen within city limits. Read more about coyotes at www.wildohio.gov. Wolves are not a species found in the wild in Ohio. 2. If you spot a coyote on your property, make sure to remove all attractants to deter the coyote from returning. This includes properly securing garbage and removing outside pet food primarily before nightfall. Remember to clean up around the grill as well. Do not feed coyotes directly. 3. Coyotes prey primarily on small mammals such as rabbits and rodents. However, interactions with domestic pets do occur. Keep small dogs and cats inside (especially between sunset and sunrise) or leashed when outside. Coyotes are less likely to attack pets as prey and more likely to attack out of defense. 4. Occasionally, an inquisitive coyote will stay put and watch you curiously. Make noise. Clap your hands and shout; the coyote will likely move on at this point. If it doesnt, bang pots or pans together for louder noises. A coyote that loses its fear of humans can potentially become a threat. 5. If a coyote visiting your yard does not respond to harassment techniques such as loud noises or it is presenting a conflict even after attractants are removed, contact a licensed nuisance trapper. Call an expert You can locate a trapper at www.wildohio.gov or by calling the ODNR Division of Wildlife at 1-800-945-3543. Nuisance trappers use highly regulated techniques to target individual animals and to reduce urban wildlife conflicts. Coyote populations in rural areas can be managed through legal hunting and trapping methods. Consult the yearly Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations digest for more information. COLUMBUS The Ohio Cattlemens Association will continue the tradition of honoring key people who make the Ohio Beef Expo a success, with the presentation of two Friends of the Expo awards. This years recipients are Linde Sutherly, of Clark County, and Nancy Snook, of Noble County. They will be recognized Friday, March 16, in Cooper Arena, following the judging contest awards. Sutherly and Snook both have many years of service to the 31-year-old Expo, but serve in very different ways. Sutherly is the official event photographer and helps with photography at other major beef shows, including OCAs BEST program, the North American International Livestock Exposition, and various other shows across the Midwest. Taking pictures Sutherly raises cattle with her husband, Dave, and son, Austin, on their farm near New Carlisle. She operates her own photography business called Lindes Livestock Photos, and estimates that during the Expo, she takes as many as 5,000 photos. Her favorite part of the Expo are the youth events and youth activities. Linde is a huge supporter of OCAs youth programs, said Elizabeth Harsh, OCA executive director. In addition to the expo, she assists OCA year-round with other youth programs and events. She approaches each with great creativity and is willing to volunteer at every turn to make them successful. Sutherly grew up on her parents Trumbull County farm, where she fell in love with show cattle. In 2002, she won reserve champion crossbred heifer, with a calf her family raised, and in 2012 her family sold the champion steer. Her son, Austin, is 7, and is being groomed to show cattle of his own when he is old enough. Quality assurance Snook, of Caldwell, is a 4-H Extension educator and beef producer in Noble County. Her family showed cattle at the first Expo in 1988. In the early 90s, she was asked to join the junior show committee, where she helped facilitate the judging contest. Snook has taught the youth beef quality assurance at the Expo since 2012, and is recognized as one of the states most dedicated and interactive volunteers for 4-H. She is also the interim program coordinator for the Ohio 4-H quality assurance program. Its awesome to see kids get excited to learn about the beef industry, said Stephanie Sindel, OCA director of member services and youth programs. Nancy has executed fun, interactive and highly educational BQA sessions to Ohios youth for several years. Food production Snook said quality assurance is important for the consumer and the cattle exhibitor. We want to ensure our consumers that livestock exhibitors are producing a quality product and we want to help kids understand they have a part in producing a quality product with their 4-H and FFA project, she said. Snook said she likes all aspects of the Expo, especially the growth in the trade show, the breed sales and youth events. She said the Expo has become a family event with something for everyone. Snook and her family operate Nobleland Farm, where they raise registered Angus. Her daughter, Erica, will be showing a registered Angus steer at this years Expo. Farmers have been told to be aware of changes to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage that come into effect from 1 April. There is also an increase in employer contributions under pension auto-enrolment of 1% from 6 April. The National Living Wage, which is obligatory, applies to most workers in the United Kingdom aged 25 and over. It came into effect on 1 April 2016 and as of 1 April 2018 increases from 7.50 to 7.83/hour, an increase of 4.4%. The National Minimum Wage, applying to most of those below age 25 increases to 7.38 from 7.05/hour (age 21 24); 5.60 to 5.90/hour (age 18 20); 4.05 to 4.20/hour (age 16 17); and 3.50 to 3.70 for the Apprentice National Minimum Wage. Employers are also advised that their contributions under pension auto-enrolment increase to 2% from 6 April 2018, and by a further 1% from April 2019 onwards. Employee contributions increase to 3% and 5% respectively at those same dates. Martyn Dobinson, Director at Saffery Champness in Manchester, said: "We were aware last year of a number of instances where HMRC was carrying out compliance checks in the rural sector to see that minimum wage levels were being met. We have no reason to believe that that inspection regime will not continue. "We are therefore urging all employers to be aware of the correct minimum wage levels after the changes come into force and to be sure that their records are correct and up to date. "In the rural sector there can be complications for example with beaters, casual workers and temporary staff and where there is any doubt then professional advice should be sought." When the National Living Wage was announced in 2016, a report stated how the introduction of it is putting the future of British fruit farmers at risk and threatens to wipe out 58% of growers' profits. JB Gill, formerly one quarter of boyband JLS, has spoken about his career change to become a farmer, revealing his passion for protecting the British countryside. The former boyband member became a farmer six years ago and is now a passionate advocate of protecting the countryside and responsible farming. Co-presenting BBC Radio 5 lives Afternoon Edition with Nihal Arthanayake, JB Gill said he could "probably count" the number of black farmers he has seen. On the show, he said: I could probably count the number of black farmers that I know or have seen, or farmers from ethnic minorities that I know or have seen. I dont come from a farming background. For me its always been a passion about my food and acknowledging a connection with the countryside. I come from a Caribbean family and whenever I go back there I always know where I can get certain food items from. Here, weve got a much wider variation for food from all around the world and we can access it responsibility needs to be taken to actually understand where that food has come from. 'Extremely supportive' JB said he was keen to use the platform he built through his music career to amplify issues facing the farming industry. Until its a crisis, sometimes you dont even hear about it, he said. On announcing his surprising career change six years ago, JB said his fellow JLS band members were slightly disbelieving but extremely supportive. He said: Its something I think the boys can appreciate and they understand where Im coming from and they support it absolutely. JB also told the radio show that he is in favour of a deer cull and touched on the issue of rewilding. He challenged listeners to consider that given there are over a million deer in this country the highest level in 1,000 years its important to cull deer in order to safely manage the countryside. Countryside protection On the proposal of widespread culling, he said: I think theres definitely something to be done in terms of the protection of our countryside. Theres also a bigger issue for farmers who are under pressure to produce more food and to sustain an industry that is growing year on year. In addition to culling, he discussed the idea of rewilding animals to address the over population of deer in the countryside. He said: Effectively you introduce lynxes and bears back into the wild and effectively they would do the job that they were intended to do. Many farmers go unrewarded in delivering "public goods" such as managing the environment, according to a survey of over 500 farmers. Significant improvements are being made in the way Englands farmland is being managed to benefit the environment. However, a new survey by the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) shows that many farmers are unrewarded for improving and advancing "public goods". The findings reveal how much work is currently undertaken without any payment from the current stewardship schemes. The farmers surveyed help to protect water quality, soil health and farm wildlife. Some 90% of respondents had improved their soil management, 81% had increased their efficiency in using pesticide and fertilisers, and 73% had adopted nutrient management planning. For every farmer receiving an agri-environment payment for sowing a pollen and nectar mix, another farmer is doing the same voluntarily. About twice as many arable farmers are providing supplementary feeding for birds and about four times as many are sowing catch and cover crops at their own expense outside any scheme. Financial support The appetite for improved and simplified agri-environment schemes was strong, with three-quarters stating that better financial support would encourage them to make further beneficial changes. Over 90% felt that responding to land conditions was highly important in their decision making and over half would like to see options that better fitted within businesses. This suggests a desire for more flexibility in future schemes and something that can be addressed at policy level as UK Government looks to new support mechanisms post-Brexit. Farming Minister George Eustice said: "As we leave the EU, we have an unprecedented opportunity to deliver a farming policy which rewards farmers for delivering public goods, including sustainable food production and protecting the environment. "We know that farmers are passionate about the environment they work in, and many are committed to ensuring wildlife can thrive on their farms. "Our consultation, which runs until 8 May, is asking for views from farmers and others in the industry on how we can best support farmers in their efforts to care for the natural environment while also producing high-quality food." 'Protecting soils and water' Despite the current lack of financial incentive, much is being achieved as the survey reflects. The vast majority had grass buffers in place to protect water courses while 60% of the arable and mixed farmers had supported farmland birds through supplementary feeding and wild bird seed mixes. Around 65% had sown flower-rich mixes to support pollinators and over 80% of livestock farms had fertiliser-free permanent pasture, benefiting wildflowers and insects. Other popular measures include over-wintered stubbles, catch and cover crops and watercourse fencing. NFU Deputy President Guy Smith said the farming union "welcomes" the recognition that many farmers balance food production with care for wildlife and protecting soils and water. CFE is a unique industry-led partnership that has engaged thousands of farmers in environmental best practice over many years. We look forward to working with Government on future delivery of CFE, Mr Smith said. CLA Vice President Mark Tufnell said: Despite no financial incentive, this level of engagement with CFE demonstrates farmers and landowners credentials as custodians of the land. Mexico has the potential to "act like a springboard" into the wider region for British meat and dairy exports, in particular pork, according to AHDB. Mexico has hosted its largest international food and drink fair this week, and the British pork, dairy and cereal sectors made its presence felt, looking to develop new export opportunities. The Expo ANTAD & Alimentaria Mexico went ahead from Tuesday to Thursday, joining more than 340 international food and beverage companies from 28 countries. As well as showcasing a range of products from Britain, the aim of the visit was to meet with importers, understand the consumption trends of the market and look at future opportunities for exports. Now in its second year, the show which was held in Guadalajara is aimed at the retail sector and the entire food industry from distribution and supermarkets to restaurants and hotel chains. It is promoted as an international business platform where producers and buyers meet to strengthen relationships and explore new opportunities for the sector. Mexico is a big importer of pork despite the fact the country reported one of the biggest rates of growth in pork production in 2017. However, it does not have enough supply to satisfy its own demand. It is estimated the country will consume two million tonnes of pork this year. 'Attractive market' It is for this reason that Mexico is seen as an "attractive market in its own right" for the British pig industry, according to AHDB Export Manager for Livestock Susana Morris. AHDBs Export Manager for Livestock Susana Morris said: This show provided AHDB with a fantastic opportunity to promote our high quality products while looking at consumer trends to see what potential there is for exporters in the UK. Mexico has the potential to act as a springboard into the wider region as well as being an attractive market in its own right. Britain currently does not export to Mexico, but Ms Morris said it is "open and ready to do business". Ms Morris added: It is estimated the country will consume two million tonnes of pork this year so its a market we cannot afford to overlook. During our visit, we met with potential importers, gained a better insight into favoured cuts and explored where our products would be best suited in this lucrative and all-important market. A government funded "fact-finding mission" will see figures from the UK sheep industry visit New Zealand to talk about export ambitions and new opportunities. The short visit, which has been funded by the UK and New Zealand Governments, will facilitate the exchange of knowledge between industry and Government. It is hoped the visit will enhance relationships, create new opportunities for collaboration, and provide insights to support future agricultural production and export ambitions. The UK sheep sector is particularly vulnerable as the UK moves toward leaving the EU. A hard-hitting report released late last year concluded that Scotland's sheep sector could be destroyed by a 'hard' Brexit, with average incomes expected to decline by 210%. Phil Hadley, AHDB International Market Development Director, said the implications of Brexit for both agricultural support and trade are "still not clear". This visit will enable UK representatives to learn some valuable lessons from their New Zealand counterparts and help the industry become more resilient to future challenges, Mr Hadley said. Delegates including representatives from AHDB, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC), will take part in a full programme of events and visits, enabling them to get a detailed insight into New Zealands sheep industry, from grassland management and knowledge exchange to slaughter regulation. The exchange will also cover exports and certification, giving UK representatives an overview of how New Zealand has become a world leader in this area. Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of QMS, said: Next weeks visit presents an opportunity to gain an exceptional first-hand insight into the New Zealand lamb industry and I am confident the insights we return with will be of significant value to our industry. NFU Cymru is urging farmers to participate in the Welsh government's 'badger found dead survey' which continues to be in operation across Wales. The call comes after the most recent published figures by Welsh Government show that 725 of badgers found dead were tested in Wales, in the period September 2014 to August 2017. NFU Cymru says the survey is important so that an accurate picture of the disease in wildlife across Wales is built up. In a joint statement, Wyn Evans, NFU Cymru Livestock Board Chairman and Gareth Richards NFU Cymru Milk Board Chairman said tat surveillance is "essential" in any disease control programme and bovine TB is "no different". They said: Bovine TB continues to cause heartache for farming families across Wales therefore we strongly encourage our members and the general public to participate in this survey to help build up an accurate picture of the disease in Wales. It is important to build up a picture of where diseased wildlife are playing a part in the transmission of this disease and also crucially where wildlife are healthy and therefore not implicated in cattle herd breakdowns." The Wales Veterinary Science Centre in Aberystwyth has been commissioned by Welsh Government to test for TB in badgers found dead. Those who find a badger carcass are urged to participate in the survey by reporting the location on 08081 695110. Ideally a six figure grid reference is required and there are apps that can be used to obtain this, for example, OS Maps. Alternatively a road name or number can be phoned in, but it would also be useful to state on which side of the road it was and to note any significant landmarks nearby. NFU Cymru continues to lobby government about the importance of eradicating this disease from Wales through the implementation of a comprehensive programme of measures in Wales. Clarkson urges government to boost UK food self-sufficiency 'It should be much more like 80%, were capable of it' Mammootty With School Kids A couple of hours ago, Mammootty, took to Facebook to send out a picture, that features him along with a bunch of school kids. Mammootty and the cute little kids with whom he is seated, will definitely steal your hearts and the picture has gone viral on Facebook. A Big Hit As mentioned above, this picture of Mammootty has become a big hit on social media, with the photo receiving a good number of shares and likes. Comments are also pouring in for the picture, with the audiences going gaga over this lovely picture of the Megastar. Meanwhile, some of the celebrities also poster this cute little picture on their respective Facebook pages.. Dulquer Salmaan About This Picture Interestingly, Dulquer Salmaan who really loved this picture of the day, posted the same on his official Facebook page. The photo also had a caption, which was read as 'Awwwww !! Haha I love this #vappichi #coolestever #fav #forgenerations #smilinghisheartout #love #thelittles #maryamsbestie' Sunny Wayne Sunny Wayne, the young actor of Malayalam cinema, was also blown away by this latest picture posted by Mammootty. The actor posted the picture on his official Facebook page and captioned it as "Such a cute pic!!! Lov mammokka!!!" In his most recent letter to Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) (NYSE:BRK.B) shareholders, Warren Buffett discussed why the company originally got into the insurance business and why reinsurance is particularly appealing to it. Here's a rundown of the current state of its insurance business and why it has been the bedrock of Berkshire Hathaway's success for more than 50 years. How insurance became (and remained) the cornerstone of Berkshire Hathaway's business If you aren't familiar with the history of Berkshire Hathaway, the company was nothing more than a struggling textile manufacturer when Buffett bought a majority of its stock and took the reins in 1964. However, Buffett didn't have much of an interest in turning around a textile business. In fact, he had agreed to sell his Berkshire shares back to the then-current managers of the company for a substantial gain -- and until the managers refused to honor the agreed-upon price, that's exactly what he intended to do. Buffett was so upset that he bought even more Berkshire stock. Enough, in fact, that he had the power to fire the company's manager, which he did. Buffett did, however, love the insurance business. Berkshire's first venture into the insurance business was its acquisition of National Indemnity in 1967. Though it paid a $1.9 million premium over book value for the insurer, it received $19.4 million of float, which is the money collected as premiums from customers but not yet paid out as claims. Here's the point: Buffett and his team could invest this cash while waiting to pay claims and keep 100% of the investment profits. In other words, Berkshire paid a $1.9 million premium, but received more than 10 times that amount in other people's money to invest. Today, the float from its insurance business isn't Berkshire's only source of capital to expand. Its subsidiary companies also generate cash flow, which can then be reinvested. Even so, it is this concept of float that allowed Berkshire to develop its massive portfolio of subsidiary companies as well as its closely watched stock portfolio, and it remains a key component of its strategy. Today, Berkshire is the largest property-casualty insurance company in the United States in terms of float, with $114.5 billion. Why reinsurance fits Buffett's investing goals Because Buffett's main goal is to invest the float during the time period between when premiums are paid in and claims are paid out, the logical goal is to focus on forms of insurance that tend to take the longest amount of time to pay out claims -- a concept known as "long-tail" insurance businesses. Now, Berkshire's best-known insurance operation, GEICO, is not one of these. Auto repairs are paid out almost immediately after a claim is filed. However, people not too familiar with Berkshire are often surprised to learn that GEICO is a relatively small part of Berkshire's insurance business. The majority of its insurance business is reinsurance, which essentially means insurance for other insurance companies. For example, in order to avoid excessive losses due to a natural disaster, a property-casualty insurer might purchase a reinsurance policy that covers losses above a certain amount. Reinsurance is not only a long-tail business, but Berkshire specializes in jumbo reinsurance policies that let it assume long-tail losses of other insurers. Its leading position in this type of insurance has allowed its float to grow tremendously over the years, and also lets the company maximize the returns from investing this money. New Pickup today!!! After almost three weeks we finally got everything Lined up and got the new pickup today for the second time this year after an accident with my 2016 F350 she only had 7500 miles on her when we had to part ways. Everybody was ok that was the important part. The 17's are night and day different. Stuck with the 6.2 XLT Crew. Had them hang some running boards and but some KO2's on here looking pretty good might be a level kit in store in the next few months. Polaris sportsman 570 was strapped in the back when collision took place and it rolled over the side of the bed the ramps ended up standing on end against the cab. Both were totaled. Charles Leclerc knows he faces a steep learning curve as a Formula 1 rookie but he described his crash on the final day of F1 pre-season testing as a stupid mistake. A hugely impressive title-winning campaign in Formula 2 last year has resulted in Leclerc - one of two rookies on the 2018 grid alongside Sergey Sirotkin - receiving plenty of interest ahead of his debut season. As Sauber got to grips with its new car in Barcelona, Leclerc escaped unscathed after suffering a number of spins. But he wasnt so lucky on the morning of the final day as he hit the wall at Turn 12 and damaged the car. It hasnt been a very good day for me, said Leclerc. Today I have made an error that has cost me quite a lot. I will learn from it but I think its a bit stupid from my side to do it so early in the day, but it happens. I was pushing, I think the pace was very good on the lap I was doing but obviously I did not finish it. Completely my fault. The two other [spins] are nothing special. I spun and everything is still quite new for me. I tried to push the limit, which is normal in testing, and I will obviously be a lot more disappointed with myself if this happens in the race in Melbourne. Ive had some good information from this, Ive learnt a lot and there is still a lot to learn. It is just stupid to have done it today, I am a little bit angry with myself, but the two others are just normal. Despite his error - which triggered a spell of around four hours in the garage for Sauber - Leclerc is positive about his own development throughout pre-season and is confident ahead of his F1 race debut in Australia on March 25. I feel ready, definitely, he said. These two tests have taught me a lot. I went a little bit over the limit. The first two times were just completely fine because it was normal. This morning I am a bit angry with myself because obviously I touched the wall. So it was not like a normal spin but I touched the wall a little bit. Then weve had two different issues, thats why we stayed off the track for a very long time, it was not only for my crash. But anyway we lost a bit of time on track because of me and this is something that should not have happened. But Ive learned from it. Obviously Formula 1 is still pretty new to me, but I think Ive learned a lot. On the performance side I think we are there and I think Ive improved a lot in this test. I feel ready for Melbourne. Probably the race runs [are the biggest improvement] because I obviously had never done any race runs before two days ago. So I did my second one today - actually not even a full one because of my crash this morning - but Ive learned a lot on the race runs. There was drama in the closing minutes of F1 pre-season testing on Friday as McLaren and Renault completed low-fuel runs to vault up the timesheets, but ultimately nobody could knock Ferrari off the top spot. Kimi Raikkonens leading time from the morning, set on Pirelli's hypersoft tyres, was too good for the rest with Fernando Alonso slotting into second, just over half a second adrift in the McLaren. However, it put a gloss on what has otherwise been a frustrating pre-season test for the British team, who had high hopes after switching from Honda to Renault power. Alonso failed to set a timed lap in the morning and spent several hours in the garage after a turbo issue forced an engine change. The Spaniard got out in the afternoon, compressing the teams planned programme into the remaining few hours and ended the day with 93 laps on the board. Renault had difficulties, too, with a gearbox glitch limiting Carlo Sainzs running in the morning. Once fixed, the team then took the decision to keep him in the car, rather than have Nico Hulkenberg take over as planned, to make up for the lost time. Sainz got back out and used the hypersofts late on to set the third quickest time, nearly nine-tenths off Raikkonens leading pace. Williams tweaked their schedule, with Robert Kubica choosing to give up his time in the car to give race drivers Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin longer to get comfortable ahead of the new season. Mercedes had the most productive day, with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas sharing driving duties to clock up 201 laps between them, as they focused on running the harder tyre compounds rather than chasing lap times. Teams will now head back to their bases to crunch the data and fine tune their cars before heading to Australia, with the first race of the 2018 season taking place on March 25. bds Mongolian Grill Celebrates Standout Leaders with Gold Standard Award Create-Your-Own Stir Fry Concept Recognizes Company Milestones of 2017 March 09, 2018 // Franchising.com // Burnsville, Minn. - Popular create-your-own stir-fry restaurant, bds Mongolian Grill, celebrated outstanding leaders within the company at their annual awards dinner. At the dinner, held in Chicago, five General Managers were awarded with the Gold Standard Award, recognizing their excellence in guest satisfaction, sales, safety, efficient operations and sanitation and cleanliness. bds Mongolian Grill first opened in 1992 in Royal Oak, Michigan, offering a fun and unique dining experience. Over the course of 25 years, bds has grown to 25 locations, with 24 located in the United States and one location in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. bds offers exceptional service with always fresh ingredients and an endless variety of ways customers can customize and Stir It Up, Your Way. This years Gold Standard winners include the following: Maureen Miller, General Manager, Bolingbrook Michael Fellsman, General Manager, Caton Steve Mayer, General Manager, Beavercreek Jason Schue, General Manager, Sawmill PJ Coleman, General Manager, Naperville We are incredibly proud and honored to have such an amazing team standing behind bds Mongolian Grill, said Joe Phraner, COO of bds Mongolian Grill. With this award, we hope to show our endless gratitude for the hard work and dedication these standout employees displayed over the course of 2017. 2017 marked a year of immense success for bds. The company celebrated their 25-year anniversary in early February of 2017, a noteworthy milestone for the organization. bds also reach record high totals for their bi-yearly campaign, Folds of Honor, occurring both on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Looking forward, the brand hopes to make even bigger strides in 2018. For more information or to locate a bds Mongolian Grill near you, visit www.gomongo.com. About bds Mongolian Grill bds Mongolian Grill first opened in 1992 in Royal Oak, Michigan, offering a fun and unique dining experience. bd's encourages guests to Stir It Up, Your Way allowing guests to build their own stir-fry with Always Market Fresh ingredients. bds offers a variety of choice meats and seafood, veggies & flavor-packed sauces, all freshly cooked (Mongolian-style) on a large, flat top grill. The chain has 25 restaurants, with 24 located domestically and one franchise location in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. To learn more about bd's Mongolian Grill, visit www.GoMongo.com. Media Contact: Jacklyn Pinna Fishman PR (847) 945-1300 jpinna@fishmanpr.com SOURCE bds Mongolian Grill ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Already booked on one of our packages to Ireland? See everything you need to know before you go. Overview Capital: Dublin Population: 4.641 million Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: English Drives on the: Left Time zone: IST (UTC +1) in summer; GMT (UTC 0) in winter Entry requirements Please see our Entry Requirements page. Staying Healthy There are no health precautions or requirements to enter Ireland. Food and tap water are safe to consume. Center for Disease Control World Health Organization Weather Overall, Ireland has a mild but mercurial oceanic climate with few extremes. In Ireland, you may indeed experience 'four seasons in one day', so pack accordingly and keep up-to-date with the latest weather forecast. No matter the weather, expect it to be a topic of conversation amongst the locals. You may notice slight differences in temperature between the north and south of the country, and more rain in the west compared with the east. What to wear Regardless of when you visit Ireland, even in the middle of the summer, you will more than likely experience rain, so if you intend being outdoors, a waterproof coat is recommended. However, since weather can be unpredictable and to be sure you are comfortable during your trip and prepared for all types of weather possibilities, we suggest that you carry a small folding umbrella and take with you a light jacket or sweater. If you have two pairs of comfortable (broken in, not brand new) walking shoes, by all means, take both pairs. Packing to dress in layers is another way to prepare for a variety of weather conditions. Finally, remember that comfort and convenience should dictate your wardrobe for the tour, and casual clothes are in order for most every occasion as you travel. Money & Credit Cards The local currency in Ireland is the Euro, and in Northern Ireland it is the pound sterling. Credit cards are the most convenient way to pay for items you purchase as you travel. Be sure to call your credit card providers to let them know you will be traveling abroad, the places youll be visiting and the dates of your trip. This is important for your own protection. Your hotel will be able to exchange your cash for local currency. You may also use the ATM machines to get cash in local currency. Travelers checks are no longer widely accepted. If you intend to use travelers checks, please verify that they are accepted in the countries visited on this tour. Always notify your bank prior to departure to avoid any problems using your credit or debit card while traveling. Shopping Some of the most popular items sold in Ireland are Waterford Crystal, Irish Whiskey, Butler's Candies, traditional Irish music, Celtic crafts & artwork. Electricity & Power Adapters 230 volts. You will need a voltage converter and plug adapter in order to use U.S. appliances. We recommend getting a universal adapter and converter kit. Learn more about electrical standards around the world. Cell Phones & Internet Want to take your cell phone, tablet or laptop, but not sure how to get cell service or wifi? See our blog posts on using your cell phone abroad and the top 5 ways to get Internet abroad. Photography Cameras and video recorders are permitted. Memory cards for digital cameras will be available in major cities. Bring an extra battery for your camera, as not every type of camera battery is always available as you travel. President Margvelashvili : I shared grief and pain of our people caused by tragic death of Georgian citizen - GeorgianJournal Microsoft and Apollo Hospitals to use AI for early detection of cardiac diseases News oi-Rohit A team from Microsoft and Apollo Hospitals is already working on an AI-powered Cardio API (application program interface) platform. Microsoft has joined hands with Apollo hospitals to create an AI-focused network in cardiology. The partnership between Microsoft and Apollo will work to develop and deploy new machine learning models to predict patient risk for heart disease and assists doctors on treatment plans. The AI Network for Healthcare, which is part of Microsoft's Healthcare NExT initiative, is aimed at accelerating healthcare innovation through AI and cloud computing. The tech giant announced the expansion of the Microsoft Intelligent Network for eyecare (MINE), now AI Network for Healthcare at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference and exhibition in Las Vegas, NV. A team from Microsoft and Apollo Hospital is already working on an AI-powered Cardio API (application program interface) platform. Microsoft aims to make your Android lock screen informative with its new app Microsoft said that AI Network for healthcare aims to democratize artificial intelligence by empowering healthcare providers with faster, intuitive and predictable solutions and reducing the disease burden. The partnership between the duo brings together Microsoft's learnings in artificial intelligence and machine learning areas and Apollo's experience and expertise in cardiology. Microsoft also mentioned that its systems of intelligence can change the lives of patients and the work of medical practitioners enabling accessible healthcare to all. Commenting on the partnership, said Anil Bhansali, Corporate Vice President, Cloud & Enterprise, Managing Director, Microsoft India (R&D) Private Limited said, "Over the last two years we have been working with a dynamic partner ecosystem of local, regional and global organisations to bring the power of AI to Healthcare. We started with eyecare - and today we are expanding into cardiac care. We have been working with our customers and partners within the healthcare sector to create AI models that can help provide doctors and health care providers insights in their treatment plans. Our partnership with Apollo Hospitals will be a major step in the journey towards providing accessible healthcare to everyone." Microsoft AI and Deep Neural Networks to boost real-time language translation in Indian languages Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals said, "This collaboration marks a paradigm shift for patients and the management of non-communicable diseases the world over. Cardiac disease is amongst India's leading causes of mortality and morbidity, which is exacting a toll on the health and well-being of our citizens. Given our large clinical database and significant pool of clinical talent, this partnership will help impact the global burden of cardiac disease". Auto Expo 2018: How AI can change the face of Mobility At HIMSS, Microsoft also announced several other projects in the Healthcare space. The other projects include Microsoft Genomics, Project InnerEye, Health Bot, etc. Best Mobiles in India Lenovo S5 touted to be Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 rival News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Lenovo S5 is all set to be unveiled on March 20. A few days back, Chang Cheng, the Lenovo Group VP and the former CEO of the ZUK brand confirmed the existence of the Lenovo S5 smartphone. He also posted on Weibo that the Lenovo S5 smartphone will be unveiled on March 20 in the company's home market China. Now, we have further details about the smartphone from the same source. Chang Cheng has again taken to Weibo to reveal that the performance of the Lenovo S5 will be much better than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, which is slated to be released in China in the next few days. This post has come soon after Lei Jun, the Xiaomi CEO came up with a teaser for the Redmi Note 5 confirming that the device with a Snapdragon 636 SoC and 6GB RAM will deliver a great performance with its specs. Soon after Jun confirmed the RAM and chipset details of the Redmi Note 5 on Weibo, the Lenovo Group VP quoted Jun's Weibo post in his post. He also notes that the Lenovo S5 to be unveiled on March 20 will deliver an even better performance than the Redmi Note 5. In the previous Weibo post that was made earlier this week, Cheng revealed that the unannounced Lenovo smartphone might be based on the ZUI Android skin seen on the ZUK smartphones. Also, it was said to arrive with a hardware security chip. The image that accompanied the teaser showed that the smartphone might feature a reflective metal body and a curved design. However, there are no further details about this device. After shutting the ZUK sub-brand, Lenovo started focusing on Moto branded smartphones as it acquired Motorola. As the Moto smartphones aren't too popular in the Chinese market, Lenovo seems to be all set to come up with its own branded smartphones with the upcoming Lenovo S5. Google Map Features - GIZBOT A recent teaser of the Lenovo S5 shows the red variant of the device and its rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and LED flash accompanying the dual camera setup at the rear. The teaser shows the rear panel clearly tipping that there could a metal unibody design. Via Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Xiaomi outshines Samsung in the largest Smartphone market in India: CMR News oi-Priyanka The Xiaomi sales were led by Redmi Note 4 model in the state and Xiaomi opened two Mi Homes in the state during the months of October and November 2017. According to market research firm CMR, in the October-December quarter of 2017, Xiaomi outshined Samsung in selling Smartphones in Maharashtra which alone amounted to 13.7 percent of the sales during the quarter. The report said that In the state, Xiaomi sold 31.2 percent of the Smartphones during the period as compared to Samsung which sold 15.3 percent. The Xiaomi sales were led by Redmi Note 4 model in the state and Xiaomi opened two Mi Homes in the state during the months of October and November 2017 and this strengthened its presence and access in the state. In January 2018, it opened its third Mi Home in the state in Thane. CMR also pointed out that Vivo, Oppo, and Lenovo (including Motorola) were the other three players in the top 5 Smartphone sellers for Maharashtra in 4Q, 2017. Together top 5 sold more than 84 percent of the Smartphones. With net subscriber addition during the quarter being negative for Maharashtra; it registered decrease of 362,420 subscribers, the Smartphone sales were primarily replacement or upgrade. The decrease was due to R-Com and Aircel subscriber reduction during 4Q 2017 in the state. "The sales that were led by Xiaomi were primarily replacements and upgrades where users shunned their existing Smartphones. Micromax (including Yu) amounted to over 26 percent of the Smartphones that were discontinued by users during the quarter. Intex, Karbonn, Sony Mobiles and iBall were the other brands in the top 5 losers, " said Faisal Kawoosa of CMR Collectively top 5 losers amounted to 66.5 percent of the Smartphones that were discontinued by users in Maharashtra during the period, Faisal added. Top 7 Xiaomi Redmi Y1 Tips & Tricks This switch from Indian brands to Chinese and global Tier I brand like Samsung is primarily driven by users upgrading for 4G Smartphones where the Indian brands haven't been able to establish a foothold. Best Mobiles in India NATO Military Chairman Seeks Constructive Contacts With Russia By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, March 7, 2018 The chairman of NATO's Military Committee would like to see the NATO-Russia Council reinvigorated to address issues pending between the two entities. Gen. Petr Pavel of the Czech army said Russia must show through actions, not just words, that it is ready for such a development. The general spoke to the Defense Writers Group this morning at George Washington University here. Pavel said he believes there is a chance for improved relations between the alliance and Russia. "I am always a cautious optimist," he told the writers. "I believe that there is a chance to have better relations between NATO and Russia, but what we need is more willingness on the Russian side that would assure the alliance that Russia has serious interest in making this relationship better." Russia must take steps, in other words, to prove it is serious, and the general said he will not ignore past bad behavior. "It is difficult to sit at the table knowing there are occupied territories in Georgia, that there is direct Russian support to separatists in [Ukraine's Dombass region], that there is the Crimea that was occupied illegally," he said. "There are a number of not only concrete measures, but also narratives that are creating tensions. We need to have more common will to engage in a constructive dialogue." The best place to start would be in Ukraine, Pavel said. "Until there is a solution in Ukraine, there will not be an improvement in relations," he added. One step in the right direction would be for Russia to allow United Nations or Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe missions into the contested region. "That would be a clear sign of a constructive approach," the general said. "At that point, we can start thinking about other steps to improve coordination and dialogue." Russian Military Doctrine There are no hard-and-fast lines between peace and war in Russian military doctrine -- it is a spectrum, the general said, adding that the Russian government views its actions against neighbors such as Georgia and Ukraine as the low end of continuous conflict. What NATO calls "hybrid war" or some observers call the "Gerasimov Doctrine" after Gen. Pavel Gerasimov, Russia's chief of defense is the use of information operations, troop movements, propaganda, economic moves and diplomacy to gain Russian President Vladimir Putin's objectives. It is a "way to influence development in a number of countries," Pavel said. "This is a new reality we have to learn from and adjust to. Russia is using opportunities provided by new technologies and some gaps in international norms to its benefit." Pavel said he would like to see some sort of agreement to define the rules of behavior in cyberspace. "It's a big question today how we will address it, how we will create a similar regulatory framework as in the conventional or nuclear -- the same framework has to be developed in cyber," he said. "We will have to work on this issue not only with Russia, but with other big actors like China." The NATO-Russia Council had three meeting last year, and another will be scheduled after Russia's March 18 elections, Pavel said. Scheduling a meeting is a problem, he noted, as Russia has neither an ambassador nor a senior military representative to NATO. Military-to-military contacts are important, Pavel said, but Moscow cancelled a scheduled meeting between U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, and Gerasimov. Pavel said he would like to continue his and Scaparrotti's military-to-military contacts with the Russian military leader. "Both these channels are important and can bring a substantial level of detail to the NATO-Russia Council," he added. Moving the Dialogue Forward "We need probably more impulse to move the dialogue forward," Pavel said. "Up to now, the standard agenda is quite vague. We need to get more into substance to move ahead, including the issues that we call hybrid, which is a quite broad area. Cyber and other issues must be addressed." The standard agenda for the council is limited to Ukraine, risk reduction and transparency, the general told the writers. "I believe we will have to go a little bit more into the depth, because without addressing concrete measures, concrete numbers, concrete actions, it is difficult to proceed," he said. "I think we need the will on both sides to move ahead with the agenda to set up progress." Putin's March 1 speech was not so much on the state of the country, but an address on the state of the military, Pavel said. The speech "also illustrates the need for extensive dialogue with Russia on disarmament, especially in the nuclear arena," he added. "All these developments may turn dangerous if they are not handled carefully from the very beginning," he said. Increased Concerns The Russian military buildup and modernization leads to increased concerns and fear in the population in the Baltic republics, Pavel said. "That's why NATO created the enhanced forward presence with rotational battle groups to demonstrate NATO resolve to act if necessary," he said. "We are doing the best to keep the level of this military presence below being threatening to Russia -- we didn't want to bring any competition to bring more forces to the region. "We wanted to demonstrate at a very proportionate level that most of NATO allies are present and the commitment to Article 5 is solid, he continued. "All NATO allies will act if there is a violation of the NATO treaty." Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which established the NATO alliance, addresses the principle of collective defense, with an attack against one ally considered as an attack on all allies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan 'shoots down Indian recon drone in Kashmir' Iran Press TV Wed Mar 7, 2018 10:28AM The Pakistani military says it has shot down an Indian reconnaissance drone that had violated Pakistan's airspace in the disputed Kashmir region. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Pakistani military said it had shot down the unmanned aerial vehicle in the village of Chirikot as it was spying on Indian-controlled Kashmir along the border with Pakistan known as the Line of Control. The wreckage of the reconnaissance drone has been retrieved, the statement said. There was no immediate reaction from India. The Pakistani military said it had targeted four Indian drones over the past year. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. Despite a ceasefire agreement that was reached in November 2003, sporadic skirmishes continue between Pakistan and India in Kashmir. Peace talks between the two neighbors collapsed in 2008 following terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Over the recent months, tensions have been running high in the Indian-administrated Kashmir region, where the Muslim-majority population stages regular protests against Indian rule, demanding autonomy from New Delhi or a merger with Pakistan. India also regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and allowing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks on Indian forces. Pakistan strongly denies the allegation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-Argentine President to Be Tried for Alleged Jewish Center Bombing Cover-Up Sputnik News 00:13 07.03.2018(updated 00:16 07.03.2018) Former Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner and 11 other senior members of her government will face a public trial over their alleged involvement in covering up Iran's role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio ruled on Monday. According to Bonadio, the investigative phase of the case has been completed and it has been referred to a higher level court. Although no trial date has yet been set, at least four of those accused have already been detained, Al-Jazeera reported. The Argentine-Israelite Mutual Aid (AMIA) organization was a community center established in Buenos Aires in 1984 to safeguard the values of the Jewish community in Argentina. On July 18, 1994, a van filled with 300 kg of explosives rammed into the center and exploded, killing 85 people and injuring more than 300. Kirchner, along with former Foreign Minister Hector Timerman and other members of the 2007-2015 administration, are accused of abuse of power and obstruction for their signing of a 2013 agreement with the government of Iran to allegedly conceal the role of Iranian officials in the 1994 bombing. Kircher and other members of her government signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran that, it is alleged, promised to cancel the establishment of a "truth commission" to probe the bombing in exchange for trade deals on oil and other resources. The case against Kirchner and others was opened in January 2015 by prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was looking into the incident at the time and claimed that the memorandum signed between Kirchner's government and Iranian officials was an effort to hide the involvement of Iran and Hezbollah in the deadly attack. The memorandum of understanding signed between Argentina and Iran to jointly investigate the bombing is officially called the "Memorandum of understanding between the Government of Argentina and the Government of Islamic Republic of Iran on the issues related to the terrorist attack against AMIA headquarter in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994." The memorandum was voided in December 2015, after the inauguration of current Argentine President Mauricio Macri. Four days after Nisman opened the case, he was discovered dead in his apartment with a bullet wound in his head. Last year, an investigation led by Argentina's border police agency asserted that Nisman was murdered, challenging earlier assertions that Nisman had committed suicide, the New Jersey Herald reported. Kirchner has repeatedly denied the accusations made against her and has welcomed a public trial to prove the "arbitrariness of the accusation," the New Jersey Herald reported. Iran has also denied allegations that it was involved in the bombing. This isn't the only legal case in which Kirchner is embroiled right now. In December 2016, Kircher was indicted on fraud and corruption charges over the "deliberate seizure of funds" intended for public road works. According to the ruling, the defendants are accused of conspiring to illegally take taxpayer dollars meant for public works projects between 2003 and 2015. She has denied the charges and has accused Macri of using the courts to persecute her. No arrest warrant has been issued yet. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tillerson Stops in Ethiopia on First Official Visit to Africa By VOA News March 07, 2018 U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was welcomed to Ethiopia Wednesday on the red carpet by Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu on the first stop on his official visit to Africa, a resource-rich continent that is becoming more closely linked with China on matters such as trade and aid. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also visiting Ethiopia Wednesday but there has been no confirmation the two diplomats will meet. Hours before leaving the U.S. Tuesday, Tillerson said the U.S. is committed to building on a "strong foundation of U.S.-Africa relations" and accused China of "encouraging dependency" in its approach to the continent. In a speech Tuesday outlining the Trump administration's Africa policy, Tillerson said the United States is "eager" to lower barriers to trade and investment in Africa, whose largest trading partner by far is China. The secretary of state added the U.S. approach of "incentivizing good governance" contrasts sharply with China, "which encourages dependency, using opaque contracts, predatory loan practices and corrupt deals that mire nations in debt and undercut their sovereignty." "Chinese investment does have the potential to address Africa's infrastructure gap, but its approach has led to mounting debt and few, if any, jobs in most countries," Tillerson added."When coupled with the political and fiscal pressure, this endangers Africa's natural resources and its long-term economic, political stability." Representative Chris Smith, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, released a statement that said China's activities and actions on the continent have "propped up kleptocrats and autocrats." "Although Africa needs sustained investment and engagement from members of the international community, China has been largely a negative actor in the region for some time," Smith said. The U.S. lawmaker added China "is building military relationships and partnering with one-party states, often to the detriment of good governance, the rule of law, and the African people themselves." Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield told VOA on Tuesday that Tillerson is "absolutely correct" on Chinese influence in Africa, but "he did not say what will done to counter balance that influence." In Ethiopia, for example, total U.S. investment of around $567 million, is dwarfed by Chinese investments, which are more than $15 billion, according to the State Department. Some experts say Washington and Beijing can both benefit from their work on the continent, even though China is focused on infrastructure and the United States is focused on education and health care. "The U.S.-Africa versus China dynamics doesn't necessarily have to be, I think, an either/or," said Christina Golubski, an assistant director of Brookings Institution's Africa Growth Initiative. "The opportunities for engagement from different partners in the continent is quite great," she added. Counterterror, trade, governance Tillerson's one-week, five-nation trip that begins late Tuesday will focus on counterterrorism, promoting peace, good governance and trade and investment. "Our country's security and economic prosperity are linked with Africa's like never before," the top U.S. diplomat said before an audience at George Mason University just outside of Washington. The trip comes two months after President Donald Trump triggered a wave of controversy when he reportedly referred to some African nations as "shole countries" during an Oval Office meeting on immigration with a bipartisan group of senators. The African Union, which represents 55 countries on the continent, demanded an apology from Trump.A group of African ambassadors to the United Nations also denounced Trump's remarks, saying they were "outrageous, racist and xenophobic." After more than a year in office, Trump has not nominated a chief U.S. diplomat for Africa, and embassies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Africa and in five other African countries remain without ambassadors. Tillerson is also scheduled to meet with top officials in the allied nations of Chad, Djibouti, Kenya and Nigeria, some of which are helping in the battle against rebellions from jihadists linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State. "To understand where the world is going, one must understand Africa is the future," Tillerson said, noting Africa will be home this year to six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies and will have one-fourth of the world's workforce by 2030. Without partnerships to build infrastructure and achieve more economic development, Tillerson warned there will be "new ways for terrorists to exploit the next generation."He said the administration is willing to collaborate with African countries to address the "drivers of conflict" and to build the "institutional law enforcement capacity of African nations." Tillerson also said U.S. and African leaders "must work to find long-term diplomatic solutions" to regional conflicts "that cause so much human suffering."He announced the United States will give $533 million in additional aid to alleviate famine and other needs caused by conflicts in Ethiopia, the Lake Chad Basin, Somalia and South Sudan. "Greater stability will attract United States' trade and investment with African nations," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beijing needs to build defensive structures on South China Sea islands: Army general Iran Press TV Thu Mar 8, 2018 04:09PM A leading Chinese military general says his country needs to build defensive structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea to assert its sovereignty over nearly the entire region amid tensions between Beijing and Washington. The vice president of China's Academy of Military Sciences, Lt. Gen. He Lei, said during a rare meeting with Chinese and foreign journalists on Thursday that Beijing needed to protect its sovereignty over virtually the entire crucial waterway. "I don't think any country would want to make irresponsible comments about such matters," media outlets quoted the general as saying. The general, however, declined to comment on aircraft deployments on artificial islands China has built in the area, saying those were entirely China's domestic affairs. Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Wang Yi blamed the United States and its allies for stirring up trouble in the South China Sea. "Some outside forces are not happy with the prevailing calm, and try to stir up trouble and muddle the waters. Their frequent show of force with fully armed aircraft and naval vessels is the most destabilizing factor in the region," Wang said. He also stated that China had been working its Southeast Asian neighbors on completing a code of conduct to prevent frictions in the waterway. Beijing has, on different occasions, asserted its sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, which serves as a crossing for more $5 trillion worth of maritime trade annually. The sea is also claimed in part by the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. The US has been taking sides with several of China's neighboring countries in their territorial disputes in the busy sea. The US has also accused China of implementing what it calls a land reclamation program in the South China Sea by building artificial islands in the disputed areas. The US has long sought to limit China's growing maritime influence in the sea. However, Beijing has maintained that Washington meddles in the issues of the region. Additionally, China does not look favorably on the US military's presence in the region, saying Washington is only there to foment regional tensions. China has also repeatedly warned the US against naval patrols in the South China Sea. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Chinese general defended China's 8.1 percent increase in its defense budget announced Monday, which brings it to a record $173 billion, the world's second largest. China this year is spending 1.25 percent of its GDP and 5.2 percent of the total government budget on the armed forces, considerably lower than the US military budget, He said. "So really, an increase of 8.1 percent is still pretty low," the general added. Chinese state media also said on Tuesday that the 8.1-percent rise in the country's defense budget was neither a huge percentage of the whole budget nor a sharp increase compared to the 2016 or 2017 defense budgets. "China's defense budget is neither the largest in size it accounts for just one-fourth of the military spending of the United States nor does it have the fastest growth rate," the daily said in an editorial. The English-language newspaper added that even if the Chinese defense budget was "calculated in per capita terms, China's military lags well behind other major countries." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US drone strike kills 21 people in Afghanistan Iran Press TV Thu Mar 8, 2018 09:22AM Two missiles fired from a US drone have hit an alleged militant compound in Afghanistan, killing 21 people, according to intelligence officials and Taliban commanders in neighboring Pakistan. The drone strike took place on Wednesday and targeted a facility frequented by Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban who is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan, two Pakistani intelligence officials and Taliban commanders said on Thursday. Fazlullah is the son-in-law of a Sufi Mohammad, an anti-US cleric who was recently freed by Pakistan amid growing tensions between Islamabad and Washington over the so-called war on terror and a range of other issues. The Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fazlullah was apparently not there but his son was killed. They say the strike occurred in Afghanistan's Kunar province, just across the Pakistani border. The United States made no comment on the strike. There was also no immediate comment from the Afghan and Pakistani governments, as well as from the NATO military alliance. Tensions arose in relations between the United States and Pakistan following US President Donald Trump's accusations that Pakistan was harboring "terrorists." Pakistan has vehemently denied the charge and says it has carried out several military operations in the country's tribal regions and elsewhere to kill or arrest militants. There has been a sharp rise in the number of US drone strikes around the world since Trump took office, according to a report published in December by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The US carries out drone attacks in Yemen and several other Islamic countries, claiming to be targeting al-Qaeda elements. However, local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks. American technology giant Google has allowed the US Defense Department to utilize its artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in military drone projects, stirring concern among experts who think such cooperation is not ethical. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Qatar Signs Security Cooperation Agreement With NATO - Foreign Ministry Sputnik News 22:00 08.03.2018 DOHA, March 8 (Sputnik) - Qatari armed forces signed an agreement with NATO on military and security cooperation, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said. According to the Qatari Foreign Ministry, the document was signed on Wednesday during Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's visit to Brussels, where he met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. During the meeting, the sides discussed cooperation on fighting against terrorism, the ministry said. The alliance's press service said in a statement on Wednesday that Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, who was accompanying the emir during the meeting, and NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller would sign an agreement concerning the presence of NATO personnel and forces in the country and military and security cooperation. Qatar has been struggling a full blockade forced on it since last June by the Arab quartet led by Saudi Arabia that also includes Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. The diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Persian Gulf states started after the Qatar News Agency posted statements attributed to the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in May 2017, where he declared support for Iran. According to Doha, the website was hacked and the remarks were fake, but a diplomatic row broke out nevertheless. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Despite ongoing unrest, DR Congo must press ahead with preparations for credible elections, says UN envoy 8 March 2018 - Highlighting political tensions and the disintegrating security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Leila Zerrougui, briefing the Security Council for the first time as head of the UN stabilization mission in the contry, said significant progress is being made on preparations for upcoming polls. "While national political attention remains centred on the confidence-building measures and progress in the electoral process, the security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to deteriorate," she told the Council presenting the latest report of the Secretary-General on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Noting that this brought increased risks for renewed instability in many parts of the country, and posed serious threats to the civilian population, she stated that the DRC continues to face one of the world's most serious humanitarian crises. "There is no other way of saying it the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is shocking," she lamented, pointing out that the number of internally displaced persons in need of humanitarian assistance has become the highest in Africa. Ms. Zerrougui condemned the persistent attacks by armed groups across the country, the recruitment of children, the rape of women and young girls, the burning of houses and the desecration of places of worship. "It is the responsibility of those that direct and those that perpetrate these attacks to ensure that this unacceptable violence comes to an end," she said. "And it is our collective responsibility to ensure that those that direct and perpetrate these crimes be held fully responsible for their actions." She encouraged the Council to consider how the security situation could be stabilized and the political and electoral process best supported in line with the 31 December 2016 agreement for a peaceful political transition. "A failure to generate confidence in the full and faithful implementation of the 31 December agreement will only serve to heighten political tensions, and to fuel the risks of inciting violence for political ends," she underscored. She assured the Council that during these times of simmering tensions, the UN Mission remains "steadfast in its commitment to support the Congolese authorities to protect those most vulnerable, and most affected, by acts of violence." Ms. Zerrougui also expressed her concern over the disproportionate use of force by security services during recent demonstrations, saying that the Government should investigate and take appropriate measures. During those protests, which began at the end of last year, nearly two dozen people were reportedly killed, more than a hundred were wounded and some 200 were arrested. Moreover, she pointed to the need to restore confidence in the political process, including through the release of political prisoners. The Special Representative also highlighted the progress made in preparing for the presidential and legislative elections in the country and paid homage to the determination of the Congolese people to participate in the political process. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN seeks $80 million to support refugees in Ethiopia 8 March 2018 - Two United Nations humanitarian agencies are jointly seeking $80 million to provide food assistance to refugees in Ethiopia, which hosts the second largest number of those in Africa. In a news release issued Wednesday, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that food ration was cut by 20 per cent last year to below the 2,100 kilocalories per day required to sustain an average person. The agencies are warning of deeper cuts from April unless new funding is received in March. "After fleeing conflict and deprivation in their home countries, refugees deserve to be protected and supported," said Samir Wanmali, WFP's Acting Country Director in Ethiopia. Ethiopia hosts more than 900,000 refugees, including those from Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. Without new contributions, 650,000 refugees living in camps could soon become even more hungry and may eventually face severe hunger that could put lives at risk. Particularly at risk are young children who risk becoming stunted if they do not receive the right nutrients during the first 1,000 days of life. "The malnutrition rates in the camps are already high further ration cuts could have a devastating effect," said UNHCR Deputy Representative Matthew Crentsil. Recent assessments show that malnutrition rates among children under the age of five are above the emergency threshold of 15 per cent in nearly half of the 26 refugee camps. Conflict and drought in neighbouring countries continues to force people to seek refuge in Ethiopia, which has a long tradition of hosting refugees. In 2017, nearly 110,000 refugees arrived in Ethiopia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK steps up cyber defence UK Cyber Defence is getting a boost, following the opening of a new Defence Cyber School at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham. 8 March 2018 Part of a joint investment by the MOD and the National Cyber Security Programme, the School will address specialist skills and wider education in line with National Cyber Security Strategy objectives. Armed Forces' Minister Mark Lancaster, who opened the school, said: "Cyber threats to the UK are constantly evolving and we take them very seriously. That's why the Defence Cyber School is so important. It's a state-of-the-art centre of excellence that will train more personnel across Defence and wider government in dealing with emerging threats." With threats from hostile states changing at pace, the UK faces a deliberate attempt to destabilise secured peace and prosperity. The 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy provided 1.9 billion of transformative investment in cyber, which is being used alongside more conventional land, maritime and air capabilities, to meet these threats head-on. Now, building on current capabilities; which include the Global Operations and Security Control Centre at MOD Corsham; and the MOD Computer Emergency Response Team (MOD-CERT); Rapid Response Teams will be established from April. Teams of specialist Incident Responders will be available to deploy to locations around the UK and overseas, to tackle malicious cyber activity. Commander Joint Forces Command, General Sir Chris Deverell, said: "Defence has a number of very highly-trained military personnel on hand to deal with emerging and complex cyber threats. We are reinforcing these capabilities with the creation of Rapid Response Teams. Our threat-hunters give us the ability to identify, isolate and respond to these threats, whenever and wherever they might arise." The UK has advanced counter-cyber capabilities which can protect national interests from harm caused by adversaries. Furthermore, offensive cyber can be used to deal with serious threats to the UK. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Sanctions N. Korea over Poisoning Death of Estranged Brother March 07, 2018 The United States says it will impose new economic sanctions on North Korea for using a lethal chemical nerve agent in last year's assassination of the estranged half-brother of leader Kim Jong Un. The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that it has determined that Pyongyang used the banned VX nerve agent to kill Kim Jong Nam on February 13, 2017 as he walked through Kuala Lumpur's International Airport. Two women were caught on airport security cameras spraying a liquid in Kim's face. He died just minutes later. "This public display of contempt for universal norms against chemical weapons use further demonstrates the reckless nature of North Korea and underscores that we cannot afford to tolerate a North Korean WMD (weapons of mass destruction) program of any kind," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a written statement. The statement did not explain how the department reached its conclusion. The United States will impose a new set of economic sanctions against Pyongyang for carrying out Kim Jong Un's brother, but they will likely make little, if any, impact as North Korea is already under severe sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Two women, 25-year-old Indonesian Siti Aisyah and 28-year-old Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, are on trial for Kim Jong Nam's murder. The women claim they were tricked by North Korean agents who told them they were taking part in a prank television show. Kim Jong Nam was estranged from Kim Jong Un. He reportedly fell out of favor with their father, the late Kim Jong Il, in 2001, when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport to visit the Disneyland theme park in Tokyo. North Korea is believed to have a large stockpile of chemical weapons. A leaked United Nations report says Pyongyang has supplied forces under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with chemical weapons equipment and expertise. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Analysts: Trump Administration Lacks Experts Needed for North Korea Talks By Cindy Saine March 08, 2018 President Donald Trump reacted positively to an unexpected willingness from North Korea to conduct talks on freezing its nuclear program, but some analysts are cautioning that the Trump administration does not have the experts in place needed to prepare and conduct such difficult negotiations. A number of former U.S. ambassadors and senior advisers have also welcomed the unexpected North Korean overture, as relayed by South Korea, and said they would advise the Trump administration to "proceed with caution" to see if Pyongyang is sincere. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the U.S. is in close contact with its South Korean ally and looks forward to learning more about the North Korean offer when South Korean officials come to Washington later this week to brief U.S. officials on their historic visit to Pyongyang. Several qualified negotiators At Tuesday's State Department briefing, reporters pointed out that the most obvious person to lead a U.S. team to prepare for possible direct talks with Pyongyang would have been recent retiree Joseph Yun, the veteran U.S. diplomat in charge of North Korea policy. Nauert rejected concerns that there is a void in leadership. "We have plenty of people who are more than qualified to have these types of conversations with the White House and also the Republic of Korea, our ally," she said. Nauert mentioned Susan Thornton, who is the State Department's nominee for assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs who is acting in that position but has yet to be confirmed. Nauert also mentioned Mark Lambert, director for Korea policy at the State Department, and Marc Knapper, charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. The U.S. still does not have an ambassador to South Korea. Opportunity too valuable to waste Aaron David Miller, a senior analyst at the Wilson Center, has advised a number of Republican and Democratic secretaries of state. Miller told VOA he believes if this recent offer of direct talks does represent a transformative change in North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's position, then it is too valuable an opportunity to waste, and the U.S. should test it first through discreet dialogue before any structured negotiations take place. Asked who in the Trump administration could prepare and conduct sensitive, complicated and grueling direct talks with North Korea, Miller drew a blank. "Right now, it is hard to identify any single individual or team of individuals that has both the negotiating experience and knowledge of the history, the cultural and political sensitivity, and knowledge of how the North Koreans behave and how they see the world," he said. He added: "In this republic, you might have to reach for people who have had experience and who are part of another administration. This administration may not be willing to do that." Miller said if this offer of talks becomes serious, it would mean months, if not years, of negotiations. He said the president has created some "running room" for diplomacy, and that all sides are in a better position than they were before. Christopher Hill, former U.S. ambassador and senior U.S. negotiator with North Korea, agreed that this is a rare diplomatic opening. On Tuesday, Hill tweeted: "A goal of cutting or curbing #NorthKorea nukes is not the same as eliminating those weapons, but the US should still pursue and see whether apparent offer can be a realistic starting point for total elimination." "After decades of frustrating negotiations with North Korea, the U.S. must resist the temptation to do nothing, because the threat will never go away on its own," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address German Cabinet Approves Troop Increase For Afghanistan March 07, 2018 The German government on March 7 approved plans to extend the country's overseas military missions, including in Afghanistan. The defense bill, which must still be approved by parliament, would raise the maximum number of German troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of NATO's Resolute Support mission by one-third to 1,300. The decision comes as the Western-backed government in Kabul is struggling to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told broadcaster ARD that the move should be matched with accelerated reforms by the Afghan government. She also warned that the military's mission in Afghanistan would likely extend for some time, saying, "We need patience and a long breath, without question." Germany has contributed to NATO missions in Afghanistan for the past 17 years. The German military has its headquarters in Afghanistan in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif and a large base near Kunduz. Von der Leyen described the German military's contribution to NATO's missions in Afghanistan as a "story of progress on the one side, but of course also setbacks," arguing that the educational opportunities for children, the status of women, health care, and infrastructure in the war-torn country had improved over the years. But she also said that the Afghan Army was still struggling to keep the country safe. Chancellor Angela Merkel's government also agreed on April 7 to extend the German military's missions in Iraq, Mali, South Sudan, and the NATO-led Sea Guardian operation in the Mediterranean Sea. The cabinet meeting was the last before the new coalition government takes over. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and DW Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/germany-troop- increase-afghanistan/29085350.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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Not Going to Negotiate Presence in Mid East With Western States - Khamenei Sputnik News 22:06 08.03.2018 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that Iran is not going to negotiate its presence in the Middle East region with the United States and European countries. "European countries come and say they want to negotiate with Iran about its presence in the region. What is your business? Why are you here? It is our region ... Should we negotiate our presence in the region with the governments of the region or with you [US]? We'll talk to you when we want to be in the United States," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said as quoted on his official website. He noted that the United States regularly expressed dissatisfaction with the presence of Iran in the Middle East despite "US corrupt and seditious presence everywhere." On Wednesday, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement that the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia agreed on Wednesday to take joint efforts to counter "destabilizing activities" of Iran in the Middle Eastern region. In February, US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) discussed ways to counter the destabilizing activities of Iran. The president's sharp line towards Iran was reflected in the US Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), released on February 2, 2018, specifying that the Islamic Republic's policy in the Middle East views US authority in the region as a threat to its goal to become the dominant regional power. According to the document, Iran continues to fund the largest missile program in the Middle East and could, in the future, threaten or deliver weapons, developing increasingly long-range ballistic missile capabilities, and pursuing its alleged "aggressive efforts" to undermine neighboring governments, casting doubt on its "long-term commitment to foregoing nuclear weapons capability." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Korean Peninsula denuclearization still distant target: South Korea's Moon Iran Press TV Thu Mar 8, 2018 02:48PM South Korea's President Moon Jae-in says a recent North Korean proposal for holding disarmament talks is a positive step but insists there is a long way to go to achieve a full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Both Seoul and Washington, another major party involved in a current standoff with North Korea over its weapons program, have expressed their support for talks over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang announced its readiness for such negotiations during a recent visit by a South Korean delegation, with authorities saying they would even engage in talks with the United States to discuss the country's nuclear program. Moon said Thursday that the outcome of his envoys' North Korea trip "was a big step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." He, however, said that a full nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula would be a distant target. "We've overcome one critical moment. But there are many critical moments that we still have to go through before reaching the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a permanent peace," Moon said in a meeting with church leaders. The South Korean leader added that North's proposal for talks was not enough for denuclearization, stressing "a strong support" by the US government was needed to achieve the goal. The remarks came as Seoul has dispatched two senior officials to Washington to brief the White House on the outcome of their recent visit to North Korea. US President Donald Trump said Pyongyang's offer of talks was "possible progress" but reiterated that it "may be false hope." US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also indicated that Washington had seen "potentially positive signals coming from North Korea." It has to be seen whether the US would accept North Korea's offer as the two countries have repeatedly threatened each other with a nuclear attack over the past months. The standoff was triggered by North Korea's decision last summer to begin a series of tests for its long-range missiles and a powerful nuclear test, which prompted increased international pressure on Pyongyang to give up its weapons program. North Korea says it will not abandon its weapons program which Pyongyang says acts as a deterrent against any possible aggression by Washington or its allies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korean Envoys Head to US to Discuss North Korean Offer By VOA News March 08, 2018 Two South Korean envoys are heading to the United States to brief Trump administration officials about their talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Chung Eui-yong, the head of the National Security Office, left Seoul Thursday accompanied by National Intelligence Service Chief Suh Hoon. Chung and Suh are expected to discuss their meeting with Kim this week in Pyongyang with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. According to Chung Eui-yong, the North Korean leader unexpectedly offered to suspend testing its arsenal of nuclear and ballistic missiles while it engages directly with the United States to end his country's nuclear weapons program as long as North Korea's security was guaranteed. The rival Korean nations also agreed to hold a major summit in late April in the border village of Panmunjom. Speaking to reporters Thursday in Addis Ababa, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. needs to be "very clear-eyed and realistic" about direct U.S.-North Korean talks. "I don't know yet until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations," Tillerson said. "And that's kind of the current state of play.'' President Donald Trump has expressed cautious optimism, saying earlier this week that Pyongyang appeared to be "sincere" in its offer to engage in talks. After their meetings in Washington, Chung will travel to China and Russia to brief officials there about North Korea's offer, while Suh will travel to Japan. The three nations, along with South Korea and the United States, have been negotiating with Pyongyang for several years to end its nuclear weapons program. The talks have stalled since 2008. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish Forces Take Control of Jandaris Town in Syria's Afrin Reports Sputnik News 13:08 08.03.2018(updated 13:44 08.03.2018) Turkish Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that the country's military will end the operation in Syria's Afrin by early May, CNN Turk reported Thursday. Speaking further, Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Iraq would carry out a joint cross-border operation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group and it may begin after May 12. "[We] will carry out a joint operation against the PKK together with the Iraqi government. The cross-border operation may take place after the election in Iraq on May 12," Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the NTV broadcaster. Ankara launched operation Olive Branch in Afrin, in pursuit of "clearing" the Turkish border with Syria from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkish authorities consider the YPG to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara. Damascus has firmly condemned the operation as an assault on Syria's sovereignty. Moscow, in turn, has urged all the parties to exercise restraint and called for respect of Syria's territorial integrity. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address GREENWICH Almost 1,300 Greenwich households were without power heading into Thursday evening, the result of trees toppled by winds and heavy, wet snow that fell through the previous night. For the second time in a week, power company officials said some Greenwich residents face several days in the dark. The number of outages in town was less than a quarter of those caused by last Fridays noreaster, but that doesnt guarantee electricity will be restored faster. Every storm is different, said Eversource Energy Spokesman Mitch Gross Thursday afternoon, but we have announced this one will be a multi-day restoration effort. Damage is extensive, he said. Broken utility poles, downed lines, tree damage, those types of things. Blocked roads, especially in Southwestern Connecticut. We are working with towns across the state to help unblock those roads, especially so we can get in there to assess the damage in those neighborhoods. Greenwich Emergency Management Director Daniel Warzoha said although cities such as Stamford and Norwalk have twice as many outages as Greenwich has, the restoration rate will be determined by many factors. Its going to be different for each municipality, he said. Remember that Greenwich is 50 square miles, so its a much bigger municipality size-wise than say, Stamford or Norwalk or Westport. So theres a lot of ground to cover, and so some of the more compact towns with more outages might get back sooner because the circuitry is different here. Its a little bit more spread out. He said residents should expect fluctuation throughout the restoration process as some households might lose power for a time while certain areas are being repaired. The 1,279 customers in Greenwich without power Thursday evening joined hundreds of thousands of others throughout the northeast who lost power as the giant weather mass rolled up through New England. Fallen trees Cedar Lane resident John Sanna passed the fallen tree blocking Strickland Road during his walk Thursday morning. He said it is amazing to have trees that are so old in the neighborhood, but still standing. He didnt believe the massive trunk would have fallen if it werent for the conditions Wednesdays storm provided, he said. We had what they call the perfect storm, Sanna said.We had heavy snow and then the wind; it was a combination. If I had my chainsaw Id clean this right up. Noble Welch, who lives at 25 Strickland Road, wasnt feeling as lighthearted. He spent his morning plowing his driveway and fetching his car from a garage in downtown Cos Cob, where hed parked it to be safe. I heard the tree fall at around 8 oclock, he said. Thats my (power) line lying there in the road. I need an electrician to fix it from the house and Eversource will string a new wire. And although his power was knocked out, the Eversource crew member on the scene said it was nothing compared to other damage hed seen and that he was sure hed see worse as the day continued. Weaker trees than the one on Strickland caused similar damage when the storm took them down across town. According to early notices Thursday, closures from the storm occurred on Howard Road, Cliffdale Road, Strickland Road, Spring Street, Brookside Park, Butternut Hollow, Old Mill Road and Hemlock Drive. The section of Hemlock Drive between Valley Drive and Edgewood Drive was added later Thursday for emergency repairs and residents at 7 and 8 Hemlock Drive were advised not to leave for safety reasons. The travel was just too dangerous, Warzoha said. Theres a huge tree laying on the wires and the wires were hanging down. The tree blocking Brookside Park in Old Greenwich early Thursday morning was not a surprise for neighbors. The park, they never cut down the trees, said Laura Howe as the clean-up crew began to set up shop in the road by her house at about 9:30 a.m. Weve been hoping somebody would come sometime to talk about that brook. Howe said the street lights tend to go off during bad storms when the branches of trees over the stream get tangled in the wires. Its very dark in here and were near the thruway, she said. So its very scary to me. But Bruce and Kanako MacLennan were most affected by the fallen tree, as it pulled power lines down to their roof, leaving a coiling wire to trail down their driveway in the slushy snow. MacLennan said this has happened before, as fallen trees caused $3,500 worth of damage in 2016. (After that) we said, Youve got to clear that area. (The town) said, Well, you didnt complain before the tree fell onto your power line, so we arent responsible, MacLennan said. So last year MacLennan said he complained about two other trees. Like this one that just fell down, that were leaning over the road like this, he said. And they took them out, but there is still one leaning over Lauras power line. Its a mess. Greenwich Police Lt. John Slusarz and Warzoha said crews are doing the best they can to clean up. Verizons got great crews that are out there working on the power lines, Slusarz said during the afternoon. The Tree Department is out there removing the trees and branches that came down, the Highway Department is supporting them, you know. So its just a matter of time to get this stuff all cleaned up. Theres certainly still some isolated outages, he said. And as the crews work to reconnect them I think we are in a much better shape now, some 14 hours after the storm than we were 14 hours after the last storm, which is good. And were in much, much better shape than Im hearing our neighbors in Westchester are, so we are very fortunate for that. Today, Samsung released a timeline offering a view of the past 18 years and the progress that it has made with its camera phones. Check the infographic at the very bottom of this post. The South Korean phone makers first camera phone was released back in the year 2000 (SCH-V200) and allowed you to store up to 20 photos and you needed a computer to actually see the 0.11 MP photos. A couple of years later, Samsung released a flip phone with a camera that was embedded right into the screens hinge (SCH-X590). This allowed the camera to be rotated freely between the front and the back, introducing Samsungs first phone that could take selfies. Just the next year, Samsung introduced a flip phone whose display could be turned to a landscape orientation (SCHV420). We have to say we miss when phones were this innovative in hardware. Finally, in 2010, Samsungs first Galaxy S smartphone was Samsungs first phone to feature a wide array of photo modes: Panorama, Stop Motion, and Cartoon Shot. The touchscreen was a huge innovation for smartphone cameras since they changed the way we interact with smartphone cameras. Samsung brought burst-shooting with the Galaxy S III. It could shoot up to 20 photos with its 8MP sensor. Soon after came the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. It had a 16MP sensor with 10 optical zoom (no hybrid zoom here) on its 24-240 mm lens. The Galaxy Camera came too and had two Wi-Fi only iterations. The Galaxy S5 bought Samsungs fastest autofocus at 0.3 seconds with real-time HDR. Then, the Galaxy S7 brought dual-pixel autofocusing which drastically changed the accuracy and speed of autofocus while taking photos and videos. It was also one of the best low-light smartphones of 2016. The Galaxy Note8 was the first Samsung flagship to have a dual-camera system. With it, it brought new shooting modes like Live Focus, hybrid zoom, and improved low-light performance. And finally, likely the main reasons why Samsung released this timeline, is to promote the Galaxy S9 which brings a variable-aperture camera system to smartphones. It can switch between a brighter f/1.5 aperture and a slower f/2.4 aperture. This, and Samsung introduced 960 fps slow-motion capturing. Source LG rolled out the update to Android Oreo for the V30 in its home country of South Korea back in December of last year. And now the new software version is finally headed to handsets purchased from Verizon in the United States. There have been multiple reports today from people already receiving the update, so the rollout seems to be in full swing. After you download the 1.7GB installation file and apply it, your phone will reboot running software version VS99620a. It's Android 8.0, not 8.1, mind you, but the latter should be arriving too at some point in the future. The Oreo update comes with the February 1, 2018 security patch level, which is good but not great since we're already in March. This exact security patch level will also be on the LG G6 units sold by Verizon after you install a software update that's rolling out to that model at the moment. This unfortunately doesn't make the G6 taste Oreo, instead only containing security fixes. The new build number in this case is VS98816a. Via Published on 2018/03/09 | Source Added episode 3 captures for the Korean drama "Queen of Mystery Season 2" (2018) Advertisement Directed by Choi Yoon-seok-II, Yoo Yeong-eun-I Written by Lee Seong-min-II Network : KBS With Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Kang-hee, Lee Da-hee, Park Byung-eun, Kim Hyun-sook, Kim Won-hae,... 16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00 Synopsis "Queen of Mystery" tells the story of a prosecutor's wife who's always dreamed of being a detective. After actually solving a case, she ends up in an unlikely crime-fighting duo with a young police captain. Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2018/02/28 More By Lily Lee | Published on 2018/03/08 | Source Actress Ha Ji-won again showed the power of Hallyu, the Korean Wave, as she was selected as the cover model of a popular fashion magazine in Malaysia. Advertisement On the cover of the fashion magazine, Citta Bella's March edition, Ha Ji-won's beautiful face can be seen. Ever since the movie "Manhunt" was released in Malaysia last November, it has been popular and Ha Ji-won's popularity has grown exponentially. Ha Ji-won is indeed beautiful in her feminine look: the gorgeous long hair with lovely outfits. However, as she is featured in Citta Bella's magazine, she is also so undeniably attractive in her unisex look. There aren't many actresses out there who can manage to look this good in such gender-neutral style, yet for Ha Ji-won, it looks astonishing. Perhaps it is because of her famous work as an action movie actress and the confident image she has about her. For the photoshoot, Citta Bella magazine did not hesitate to praise the actress, saying, "Ha Ji-won is the divine queen of K-drama and K-cinema world. She has played about 20 characters in her career and she has the ability to perform every single character in perfection though they are so different from one another. She acts with her soul". In the interview held after the photoshoot, Ha Ji-won shared her gratitude towards the love and support she's been receiving from Malaysia. When the host asked her a question, asking her what is the strongest asset of an actor/actress, she answered, "I think it's the eyes". She also shared, "I don't ever want to lose the feeling of accomplishing something by enduring to the end. I'll continue living with humility". The details of her interview and entire photoshoot is found in Citta Bella's March edition. Ha Ji-won is currently taking a break from acting as she is rejuvenating and carefully selecting her next work. By. Lily Lee Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help EMILY MAYER It seems Long George didnt like the verdict handed down to him by a jury of his peers last week. The Havre Plaindealer in its March 9, 1918 edition carried the following: FRENCH LEAVE TAKEN BY GEORGE FRANCIS Failed to Appear in District Court for Sentence George Francis, who was convicted by a jury in district court last week of horse stealing, is now a fugitive of justice. Following the report of the jury, Francis was given until Monday to attend to business affairs, and for that purpose was released under bond of $2,000. He was to appear Monday for sentence, but this tie was extended two days on the plea of Francis that he could not close up his personal affairs before that time. When the hour arrived for his appearance on Wednesday there was no Long George, nor has he been seen since, so far as known. Judge Rhoades immediately issued an order that the bond be collected and turned over to the proper county authorities. Horse stealing was still a serious crime 100 years ago, but it pales in comparison to what sickos and dirtbags do to the most vulnerable in society. They have been around since the dawn of civilization, and Havre was not immune to them. This article was also on the Plaindealers front page. WINGERD PROUNOUNCED GUILTY BY A JURY After deliberating for about sixteen hours, the jury in the case of the State vs. C. G. Wingerd on Thursday morning returned a verdict of guilty, and recommended a sentence of from three to six years in the state penitentiary. Wingerd was charged with a statutory crime against a girl below the age of consent. There are several other cases in the same nature, involving the same girls, and the salacious character of the testimony causes a congestion of the seating and standing room in the district court. In war news, it was announced that Montana would be selling War Bonds starting March 20 at denominations of $500. The U.S. Army needed more engineers, and those between the ages of 20 and 40 were encouraged to sign up for service for training and deportation to the Front. Herbert Hoover, head of the U.S. Food Administration and the future president, issued a release regarding food consumption, continuing efforts on the home front to be mindful of the food supply and promoting his meatless, wheatless and porkless days, called Hooverizing. He released a list of which days were meatless, wheatless and porkless, with Saturday being the most challenging no meat, wheat or pork products for that day. Except Montana. This announcement was on the Plaindealers front page. LESS STRINGENT RULE FOR MEATLESS DAYS Restrictions on the use of pork on Saturday and all meatless meals each day except Tuesday are removed for the present in Montana. Tuesday remains meatless so far as beef and pork are concerned. Mutton and lamb may be served at any meal during the week. This does not change the order forbidding the sale of freshly killed hens and pullets which remains in effect until April 30. On the Society page, the Havre Commercial Company ran a large ad promoting Gallatin Oat Flour, milled in Bozeman. You could get 9 pounds for 75 cents and the ad contained a starter (not unlike sourdough), and a recipe for oat bread, which uses the oat flour in conjunction with wheat flour. The Ceretana brand was a trademark of the Bozeman Milling Company and used select hard wheat. Conagra owns the trademark today. If you are interested in the recipe, just give me a call and I will get it to you. The Society column entries were quite varied this week, so here are a few of them, complete with misspelling. Surprise Party. Miss Marcia Lange, a most popular nurse of Havre who has been called to the colors, was complimented on Tuesday evening, when the members of the Nurses association gathered at the home of Mrs. W. C. Lange and succeeded in completely surprising Miss Lange. It was a costume affair and many different characters were represented. The evening passed pleasantly with music and dancing. Miss Lange was presented with a large boquet of cut flowers. Red Cross Teas. A series of teas given for the benefit of the Red Cross has been inaugurated in Havre and a great many ladies are planning on doing their bit in this way. The first hostess was Mrs. J. A. Wright who entertained four friends on Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. Ed. Broadwater is hostess this afternoon at her home on Second avenue. Grain Belt Red Cross. Grain Belt Auxiliary of the Red Cross met with Mrs. Guy Chase at her home last Thursday. They have some thirty members nearly all of whom were present at the meeting. Eight sewing machines were in constant use during the time. They intend to hold meetings every Thursday. Entertain at Dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carleton entertained a few of their friends at an informal dinner on Sunday evening. The guests were: Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Rhoades, Mr. and Mrs. V. R. Griggs, Mr. and Mrs. B. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Donnelly. Dan Nelsen, a retired school administrator from Fort Benton, filed Thursday with the Montana Secretary of States office to run for the Montana House of Representatives in House District 27. House District 27 stretches from the Canadian border down to Great Falls, and includes the communities of Kremlin, Gildford, Rudyard, Hingham, Joplin, Inverness, Big Sandy and Fort Benton. Republicans Darrold Hutchinson, a farmer from north of Hingham, and Joshua Kassmier, a crop adjustor and former Fort Benton mayoral candidate, will face off in the June 5 Republican primary. The winner will go up against Nelsen in the November general election. State Rep. Jim OHara, R-Fort Benton, decided not to run for re-election and instead has filed to challenge Chouteau County Commissioner Robert Pasha in the Republican primary, for commissioner. Although he filed as a Democrat, Nelsen said he considers himself an independent at heart. I really have no party line even though I happen to be signed up on the Democratic side, he said. Nelsen describes himself as a fiscal conservative, but said he has progressive and libertarian stands on some issues. He said that he has decided to run for the seat because he wants to reduce partisanship in Helena. In the 1990s and 2000s, state lawmakers reached across the partisan divide to pass effective legislation, Nelsen said, and he wants to bring that bipartisan spirit back. Partisanship, he said, led state lawmakers in the 2017 legislative session to pass a budget that made deep cuts to spending, but did not balance. Lawmakers, he said, then had to come back for a special legislative session and make additional cuts to craft a budget where that spending did not exceed the amount of revenue coming into the state. They had to make all these cuts in the special session, and now the citizens of Montana have suffered because of that type of legislation. he said. In other fillings, Hill County Superintendent of Schools Maureen Odegard filed Thursday to run for a full-term. Odegard was appointed in January 2017 to finish out the term of Diane McLean, a Republican, who resigned after being elected to the Hill County Commission in 2016. Conor Burns of Havre filed Thursday as Libertarian for the House District 28 seat held by state Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, the candidate filing list on the Montana Secretary of States website says. Havre Police Department Officers arrested George Timothy Healy of Fort Belknap, 56, on a Justice or City court warrant Thursday at 10:16 a.m at the Hill County Detention Center. Officers investigated after a Third Street West caller requested Thursday at 11:05 a.m. a welfare check on someone. Officers investigated after a Ninth Street caller requested Thursday at 11:35 a.m. a welfare check on a female. Officers investigated after a Grant Avenue caller reported Thursday at 1 p.m. that she backed into a van. Officers investigated after a Fourth Avenue business caller reported Thursday at 3:02 p.m. that they found a cellphone. Officers arrested Robert James Caplette of Havre, 18, on a Justice or City court warrant Thursday at 3:19 p.m during a motor vehicle stop on Heritage Drive. Officers arrested Clinton Sidney Boe of Havre, 61, on charges of driving under the influence, seat belt violation, stop sign violation, open container and reckless driving after a First Street establishment caller reported Thursday at 10:49 p.m. that there was a very drunk male in an older car with missing paint. Hill County Sheriffs Office Deputies served a warrant Thursday at 2:42 p.m. at the Hill County Detention Center. No further details were provided. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to two calls Thursday. Fire crews responded Thursday at 12:14 p.m. to the 100 Block of Montana Avenue where a cable wire had been mistaken for a power wire. The cable company was notified and the line was repaired. Havre Animal Shelter This morning the shelter held five medium-hair cats whose sex is listed as unknown and one female and two male short-hair cats. The shelter this morning held a 1-year-3-month-old female Australian shepherd, a 1-year-old male Labrador retriever-pug mixed-breed, an 8-month-old pit bull-hound mix, two male mixed breed dogs, one 2 years, the other 9-month-old, a 6-year-old female labrador retriever, and a 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier-Australian Cattle dog-blue heeler mix. A clock You know, Lord, some time ago (probably way back, mid-last century) someone wrote some interesting things about the invention of a brand new kind of an alarm clock; this new clock was one that woke you up by releasing a cloud of perfume. If, perchance, one had a stuffed up nose, the backup system was flashing lights. Clock manufactures know that exciting any of the five senses will do the trick of waking up a slumbering human. To excite the sense of smell, wouldnt one really rather be awakened to the aroma of fresh perked coffee? (Like we were awakened way back when ou... Returning to Sydneys iconic Luna Park on 14-15 March for the sixteenth year, the two-day event features some of Australias most highly-regarded CHROs and business leaders from diverse industries. This years speaker line-up is headlined by keynotes Saroo Brierley, best-selling author who inspired the film Lion and champion aerial skier Alisa Camplin OAM. Over the two days, the National HR Summit offers two streams of conference content, an informative expo, networking events and free activities. There are still a limited number of tickets available for the HR Summit main conference or the HR Directors Forum. Alternatively, HR practitioners wishing to access the Expo only can pre-register for free HR workshops. Coe adds that the company invests in a recruitment program that recognises the importance of relationships when hiring for the future; where recruiting for fit, culture and behaviour is equally, if not more, important than technical competence. TechnologyOne also leverages social media environments such as LinkedIn to promote opportunities, market the employee value proposition and engage passive candidates. Moreover, the company invests in graduate recruitment activities, engages at careers fairs across Australia, supports local higher education programs, leverages graduate online portals and promotes face-to-face networking opportunities. An intern program accredited by Interns Australia, a not-forprofit organisation, is dedicated to providing career guidance and advice to interns across the nation. This year, TechnologyOne received more than 15,000 recruitment applications, processed 33 promotions and facilitated 20 international secondments, many of which were employee-initiated. Candidates complete a video interview or online test and our assessment centre is completely paperless for both candidates and assessors, she tells HRD. The company also leverages digital tools to enable a greater work-life balance for its employees something which millennials have frequently voiced a desire for across countless studies and surveys. Millennials value work/life balance and the majority of them are unwilling to commit to make their work lives an exclusive priority, says Williams, who will be discussing the topic at the upcoming Millennial Workforce Summit in Auckland. Our policies are designed to allow greater flexibility for our people and allow a greater work life balance, she continues. We support a flexible working environment and provide the digital tools so our people can work anywhere, anytime. As well as a push towards digital and an understanding that work/life balance is a priority, Vodafone also focusses on a creating a collaborative culture for its up-and-coming employees. The reform brings NSW in line with other states and territories as well as Commonwealth law. Attorney General Mark Speakman and Minister for Women Tanya Davies welcomed the passage of the Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2018, which removes the relevant sub-sections from the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. In this day and age, its unacceptable that a woman could be overlooked for a role or dismissed from a new position once it becomes apparent that she is pregnant, said Speakman. These amendments will ensure fair access to employment, which is good for the NSW economy and vital to ensuring gender equality. Moreover, the senior HR manager at Employsure Jess Van Der Walt said that this was very significant change for women in the workforce. LA JOLLA, CA About 1 in 2,500 people have a degenerative nerve disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). The disease is typically diagnosed in children, who can lose their ability to walk and use their hands for fine motor skills. There is no cureyet. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have now shown a path to developing treatments for disease subtype CMT2D. As they report in the journal Nature Communications, it may be possible to reverse the disease by using a small molecule to restore normal protein function in the nervous system. This study provides guidance for developing therapeutics, says Xiang-Lei Yang, PhD, TSRI professor and senior author of the study. Importantly, the study reveals how a better understanding of the fundamental causes of CMT can point researchers toward a cure for other subtypes. Detective work reveals new role for mutant protein Heres a puzzle: CMT2D is caused by mutations in a protein called GlyRS, which is expressed by cells throughout the body. Yet, the disease only damages the peripheral nervous systemthe nerves in hands and feet. Adding to the mystery, studies show that GlyRS primarily affects a process called protein synthesis, where genetic information is translated into proteins. Again, this process happens in all cells, so why would hands and feet be most affected? Our everyday research is like a detective role, says Zhongying Mo, PhD, senior research associate at TSRI and first author of the study. The new study offers the answer: GlyRS has a role outside protein synthesis. The researchers discovered that mutations in GlyRS trigger unusual interactions between GlyRS and a protein called HDAC6. Normally, HDAC6 would regulate a process called acetylation, which readies a protein called -tubulin for its role in forming microtubules. Yang compares microtubules to a highway. Thanks to -tubulin, signaling proteins and other important molecules can zip along, sending signals from your tiptoes to your brain. But in CMT, the aberrant protein interactions with HDAC6 prevent proper -tubulin acetylation, turning that highway into a dirt road. Nervous system signals cant run smoothly, and the longer the nerve, the rougher the road. Because our longest nerves reach our feet and hands, this finding explains why CMT2D is most severe in the peripheral nervous systemeven though the mutant proteins are everywhere in the body. Further experiments in a mouse model of CMT2D showed that researchers could bring back proper nerve function by injecting the mice with a small molecule that blocks HDAC6 from interfering in -tubulin acetylation. Although this particular small molecule would not be safe for humans to take, Yang and Mo believe a similar molecule may work as a future CMT2D therapy. Its exciting when you can accumulate all the evidence and point to a specific target, says Mo. Targeting the root cause of CMT Yang and Mo are excited to find this potential treatment target, but their ultimate goal is to treat the root cause of all types of CMT. To do this, they need to do more studies like this one, which reveal the fundamental pathology of the disease. From patient to patient, different mutations can cause either mild or very severe symptoms. Some types of CMT are diagnosed in infancy, while others dont appear until adolescence. That variability is striking, Yang says. Now that the researchers know about this GlyRS interaction with HDAC6, they would like to investigate where else mutant proteins in CMT are causing problems. In fact, an earlier study from the Yang lab caught another problem made by the mutant proteins, which has something to do with affecting nerve maintenance signal. Yang hopes future studies can solve these mysteries and even show a way to target mutant GlyRS itself. Our understanding of the disease is ever-increasing, says Yang. Additional authors of the study, Aberrant GlyRS-HDAC6 interaction links to axonal transport deficit in Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy, were Huaqing Liu, Qinghua Hu, Jessica Pham, Na Wei, Ze Liu and Jiadong Zhou of The Scripps Research Institute; Xiaobei Zhao and Xu-Qiao Chen of the University of California, San Diego; Robert W. Burgess of The Jackson Laboratory; Samuel L. Pfaff of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies; C. Thomas Caskey of Baylor College of Medicine; Ge Bai of The Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute of Biological Studies; and Chengbiao Wu of the University of California, San Diego, and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. The study was supported the National Institutes of Health (grants R01 GM088278 and R01 NS054154) the Tau Consortium, The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation and by aTyr Pharma through an agreement with The Scripps Research Institute. The Scripps Research Institute Researchers at the Kings College London and University of Birmingham have found that staying active keeps the body young and healthy. The researchers set out to assess the health of older adults who had exercised most of their adult lives to see if this could slow down ageing. The study recruited 125 amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79, 84 of which were male and 41 were female. The men had to be able to cycle 100 km in under 6.5 hours, while the women had to be able to cycle 60 km in 5.5 hours. Smokers, heavy drinkers and those with high blood pressure or other health conditions were excluded from the study. The participants underwent a series of tests in the laboratory and were compared to a group of adults who do not partake in regular physical activity. This group consisted of 75 healthy people aged 57 to 80 and 55 healthy young adults aged 20 to 36. The study showed that loss of muscle mass and strength did not occur in those who exercise regularly. The cyclists also did not increase their body fat or cholesterol levels with age and the mens testosterone levels also remained high, suggesting that they may have avoided most of the male menopause. More surprisingly, the study also revealed that the benefits of exercise extend beyond muscle as the cyclists also had an immune system that did not seem to have aged either. An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T cells, starts to shrink from the age of 20 and makes less T cells. In this study, however, the cyclists thymuses were making as many T cells as those of a young person. The findings come as figures show that less than half of over 65s do enough exercise to stay healthy and more than half of those aged over 65 suffer from at least two diseases.* Professor Stephen Harridge, Director of the Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences at Kings College London, said: The findings emphasise the fact that the cyclists do not exercise because they are healthy, but that they are healthy because they have been exercising for such a large proportion of their lives. Their bodies have been allowed to age optimally, free from the problems usually caused by inactivity. Remove the activity and their health would likely deteriorate. Norman Lazarus, Emeritus Professor at Kings College London and also a master cyclist and Dr Ross Pollock, who undertook the muscle study, both agreed that: Most of us who exercise have nowhere near the physiological capacities of elite athletes. We exercise mainly to enjoy ourselves. Nearly everybody can partake in an exercise that is in keeping with their own physiological capabilities. Find an exercise that you enjoy in whatever environment that suits you and make a habit ofphysical activity. You will reap the rewards in later life by enjoying an independent and productive old age. Professor Janet Lord, Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, said: Hippocrates in 400 BC said that exercise is mans best medicine, but his message has been lost over time and we are an increasingly sedentary society. However, importantly, our findings debunk the assumption that ageing automatically makes us more frail. Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier. Dr Niharika Arora Duggal, also of the University of Birmingham, said: We hope these findings prevent the danger that, as a society, we accept that old age and disease are normal bedfellows and that the third age of man is something to be endured and not enjoyed. The research findings are detailed in two papers published today in Aging Celland are the result of an ongoing joint study by the two universities, funded by the BUPA foundation. The researchers hope to continue to assess the cyclists to see if they continue to cycle and stay young. Note to editors: For further information please contact Garfield Myrie, PR Manager (Health) at Kings College London on 0207 848 3202 or [email protected] For more information about Kings please visit the Kings in brief web pages. World-changing ideas. Life-changing impact: https://spotlight.kcl.ac.uk/ Kings College London New Rochelle, NY A new study comparing the effectiveness of individual ZMapp antibodies versus a cocktail of antibodies, administered to mice using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) delivery vectors, showed the ability to achieve 100% protection against infection by Ebola virus. The study, which reported the best results using a single rAAV-delivered antibody, is published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Human Gene Therapy website until April 8, 2018. Bruno Gaillet, University Laval (Quebec, Canada) and coauthors from National Research Council Canada (Montreal), Public Health Agency of Canada and University of Manitoba (Winnipeg), University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), and McGill University (Montreal) coauthored the article entitled Gene Transfer of ZMapp Antibodies Mediated by Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Protects Against Ebola Infections. The researchers evaluated the therapeutic effectiveness of three ZMapp antibodies (c2G4, c4G7, and c13C6) and different doses and various routes of administration (intravenous, intramuscular and intranasal). They also compared different doses of the individual antibodies to the effectiveness of the three-antibody cocktail. Vectored antibody delivery has the potential to revolutionize how we respond to emerging pathogens like Ebola virus disease, says Editor-in-Chief Terence R. Flotte, MD, Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education and Dean, Provost, and Executive Deputy Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. Professor Gaillets work provides vital proof of this concept, which could greatly aid global preparedness for the next outbreak. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01 AR43623 R21 AR049606, R01 AR048566, R01 AR057422, and R01 AR051085. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. Tufts University biologists have demonstrated for the first time that electrical patterns in the developing embryo can be predicted, mapped, and manipulated to prevent defects caused by harmful substances such as nicotine. The research, published today in Nature Communications, suggests that targeting bioelectric states may be a new treatment modality for regenerative repair in brain development and disease, and that computational methods can be used to find effective repair strategies. In a developing embryo, the outer membrane of each cell contains protein channels that transport negative and positive ions, generating voltage gradients across the cell wall. Groups of cells create patterns of membrane voltage that precede and control the expression of genes and the morphological changes occurring over the course of development. Studies focusing on gene expression, growth factors, and molecular pathways have provided us with a better but still incomplete understanding of how cells arrange themselves into complex organ systems in a growing embryo, said Professor Michael Levin, Ph.D., corresponding author of the study and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University. We are now beginning to see how electrical patterns in the embryo are guiding large scale patterns of tissues, organs, and limbs. If we can decode this electrical communication between cells, then we might be able to use it to normalize development or support regeneration in the treatment of disease or injury. To help decipher that code, Levin and lead author Vaibhav Pai, Ph.D., a Research Scientist II at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts, explored whether it was possible to use a computational model to predict the bioelectrical patterns that occur in normal and nicotine-exposed embryos, and then use the model to identify reagents that might restore the normal pattern even in the presence of the teratogen (a class of molecules that induce birth defects). In humans, nicotine has been linked to prenatal morbidity, sudden infant death, attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder (ADHD), and other deficits in cognitive function, learning, and memory. Earlier studies suggested that these defects may be a result of nicotine depolarizing cells in the embryo by inducing acetylcholine receptors to pump in positively charged sodium and potassium ions. Levin and Pai hypothesized that disruption of the normal bioelectric prepattern that drives brain patterning could be the underlying cause for these defects, and that restoring this pattern might rescue those defects. Pai worked with Alexis Pietak, Ph.D., a primary investigator at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts, who developed a powerful computational simulation platform called the BioElectric Tissue Simulation Engine (BETSE) to create a dynamic map of voltage signatures in a developing frog embryo. The simulation engine (available for free download) was built on a biologically realistic model of ion concentrations and fluxes and parameters of ion channel behaviors derived from molecular studies. The BETSE model accurately replicated the distinct pattern of membrane voltage from the normal embryonic brain development, and also explained the flattened (erased) electrical pattern observed to result from nicotine exposure. The Tufts researchers were then able to use BETSE to explore the effect of various reagents on the embryos voltage map. One reagent in particular, the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide gated channel (HCN2), when added to the cells in the model, selectively enhanced hyperpolarization (large internal negative charge) in areas where it was diminished by nicotine. The effect akin to dialing up the contrast in a photo editor effectively restored the normal electrical pattern. Remarkably, expressing HCN2 in live embryos rescued them from the effects of nicotine, restoring a normal bio-electric pattern, brain morphology, markers of gene expression, and near normal learning capacity in the grown tadpole. This is an important step providing a realistic model that bridges the molecular, cellular, bio-electrical, and anatomical scales of the developing embryo. Adding the bioelectrical component was critical to making a search for therapeutic strategies more tractable, said Levin, the Vannevar Bush professor of biology in the School of Arts & Sciences at Tufts. Other authors on the paper were Valerie Willocq, an undergraduate at Tufts University, Bin Ye, now at Veridian Biotechnology Ltd, and Nian-Qing Shi, at the Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology of Tufts University. The work was supported by The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation, the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the National Institutes of Health (AR055993-01, AR061988), and the American Heart Association. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Pai VP, Pietak A, Willocq V, Ye B, Shi N-Q and Levin M, HCN2 rescues brain defects by enforcing endogenous voltage pre-patterns: computationally modeling embryonic bioelectrics, Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03334-5 ### About Tufts University Tufts University, located on campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, Massachusetts, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the universitys schools is widely encouraged. Tufts University Andrew Shannon damaging the Monet in the National Gallery in 2012 A criminal who was previously jailed for damaging a 9m Monet painting at the National Gallery is due to be extradited from England today to face fresh charges here. Andrew Shannon (53) has been serving a short sentence in England for burglary. It can now be revealed that gardai are travelling to London today to escort him back to Dublin after a European arrest warrant was issued against him. The warrant relates to the theft of a painting at a hotel in Co Cork, which was discovered by Pearse Street gardai when they raided his home in Ongar, west Dublin, in April 2014 and seized around 60 artworks. Investigations have established that Shannon was allegedly staying at the hotel when the painting was stolen. Shannon has 35 previous criminal convictions in Ireland for offences including theft and burglary, as well as convictions for similar offences in the UK. His latest conviction here dates from June 2016, when he was jailed for six months after he was caught with 57 stolen antique books, including an extremely rare King James Bible, worth a total of 6,500. Dublin Circuit Court heard that the 57 stolen books had originated in the library of Carton House in Kildare, the historical seat of the FitzGerald family. However, Shannon's most notable criminal conviction was when he received four-and-a-half years in jail for damaging the Claude Monet painting Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat (1874) at the National Gallery of Ireland on Clare Street, Dublin, on June 29, 2012. Shannon was captured on CCTV moving forward in the direction of the painting with his arm raised and striking the artwork, causing a substantial tear. The State's case was that the damage was premeditated and deliberate. Shannon, however, contended that he had fallen accidentally after suffering a coronary episode. Eyewitnesses from New Zealand said they saw Shannon punch the painting and expert evidence established the force of the blow. Shannon, who has previous convictions for stealing from stately homes in England as well as for handling stolen property involving maps dating from 1651 with a value of 6,000, is not connected to organised crime gangs here. However, he has been a major target for gardai for years. The daughter of a 91-year-old woman who died of sepsis after tea spilled in her lap has called for the exhumation of her mother's body to facilitate a fresh autopsy. Audrey Anderson asked for an independent autopsy following the alteration of post-mortem results after a pathologist heard clinical evidence during an inquest into the death of her mother Daphne. Mrs Anderson, from Offington Lawn, Sutton, Dublin 13, went for tea at a Dublin hotel with her daughter Audrey on November 30, 2015. She suffered second degree burns after what her daughter believes was a scald due to spilled tea. The elderly woman did not immediately report the injury but her daughter noticed she seemed "uncomfortable" in the car on the way home. Blisters Her daughter said she ate dinner as normal that night but the next morning her mother's blood pressure was low. Dublin Coroner's Court heard that a local GP examined the woman at her home on December 1 before she was admitted to the Bons Secours Hospital in Glasnevin. She was found to have marked skin, blisters and oozing on her upper thigh area and was diagnosed with second degree burns. On December 2, she was reviewed again and the decision was taken to transfer her to the Burns Unit at St James's Hospital. She was transferred the following day. The coroner heard Mrs Anderson was "extremely unwell" on admission to St James's and was administered the antibiotic Augmentin for a five-day period from December 3. On December 14, she developed a perforated colon and she died four days later. The cause of death given by the pathologist was intra-abdominal sepsis, due to or as a consequence of colon perforation. Change This was a change to the original cause of death as given on the post-mortem report. The pathologist said she could not be certain what caused the perforated colon but said it was likely to be "multifactorial" and could have been a result of diverticular disease, C-diff and/or ischemia. Through her legal team, Audrey Anderson queried the change to the autopsy, which had initially referenced the use of antibiotics post burns. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest in order to call the senior pathologist involved in the autopsy. Speaking after the inquest, Audrey Anderson said her mother's death has been a huge loss. "My mum was a lovely lady, very charitable. She worked for Barnardo's for eight years as a volunteer and nursed her husband through cancer. Her untimely death has been a great loss to her family," she said. The Government's journey toward holding a referendum on abortion in May is almost complete, as the Dail debate gets under way today. The Oireachtas Bill's office will this morning publish the Referendum Bill ahead of the historic debate, due to start at 10.30am and last until 4pm. A special sitting of the Dail has been arranged for today because most ministers will be abroad for global St Patrick's Day events next week. Support It is hoped the debate will be completed at the next allocated time on Tuesday, March 20, when the Dail is due to sit until midnight. There is cross-party support for the debate to reach the second stage as soon as possible, when it will go to the Seanad for debate and a vote. The cabinet unanimously agreed yesterday to insert into the constitution the words: "Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancies" should the Eighth Amendment be repealed. The Amendment, also known as Article 40.3.3 of the constitution, will then be deleted in full, should the referendum pass. Health Minister Simon Harris will open this morning's discussion, when he will outline the contents of the Referendum Bill. Crucially, he will give details of 21 policies the Government plans to introduce if the public votes in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment. These include the policy of imposing a "consideration period" of around 48-72 hours for women before they can access abortion pills or an abortion service. The period will begin to elapse from when the woman first contacts her GP or health practitioner. It will also confirm that any Irish doctor or medic will be given full rights to engage in conscientious objection and will not be forced to carry out a termination, or supply abortion pills. Public "The women we are thinking of today, on International Women's Day, are the women who have courageously told personal, sensitive stories", said Mr Harris. The Referendum Commission is responsible for the public information campaign which will inform voters on the question they are to be asked during the referendum. "In terms of getting the legislation through the Oireachtas, we will require the co-operation of all members of the Oireachtas", said Mr Harris. "There's a responsibility" to enable "the people have their say". TDs should "facilitate" a May referendum by making extra time to ensure the debate takes place and passes through the Dail and the Seanad. The minister said he intends to "campaign vigorously" for a repeal of the Eighth Amendment. Ministers Richard Bruton, Josepha Madigan, Regina Doherty and Charlie Flanagan joined the health minister at a press conference at Government Buildings yesterday to announce the publication of the Bill. "It is a really important moment for us", said Education Minister Richard Bruton. "I believe strongly that the time is right to make this change," he said. The car was being driven by a member of Brian Rattigans crime gang Almost 130,000 in cash, bank drafts and cheques was found in a car being driven by a member of Brian Rattigan's crime gang. When gardai stopped the untaxed Mercedes-Benz at an armed checkpoint in Kilworth Road, Drimnagh, they found 15,000 in cash on the front passenger seat. A search of the boot revealed 30,000 in cash, 41,000 in cheques and 42,000 in bank drafts. The driver was carrying flight tickets to Spain's "Costa del Crime" and detectives believe he was travelling there to clinch a drugs deal. The 32-year-old, who is originally from Drimnagh, lives in Co Kildare. He was not arrested in the incident on Wednesday but an investigation has begun into the stash of cash. Killer A file on the seizure will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The garda checkpoint was set up as part of Operation Hybrid, an initiative designed to provide an armed response to organised crime in the capital. The driver is believed to be a key member of the mob controlled by jailed Brian Rattigan (37) and a well-known 35-year-old Drimnagh drugs trafficker who was busted with a large haul of cocaine in 2009. "The fact that this particular individual had flight tickets to Spain on him indicates the money was to be taken out of the country," a senior garda source told the Herald. "The man was not very happy at all when he was stopped. He has been regularly travelling back and forth to Spain. "This is considered to be a very significant seizure against a serious crime gang." Despite the fact that Brian Rattigan has been locked up since 2003, his associates remain one of the biggest targets of gardai. Last year, Rattigan won his appeal against his murder conviction of rival criminal Declan Gavin. The killing kicked off the bitter Crumlin/Drimnagh feud that claimed 17 lives. Drimnagh criminal Rattigan remains behind bars where he is serving a 17-year sentence for organising a 1m heroin deal from the prison cell in Portlaoise Prison. However, that sentence, which was imposed in March, 2013, was backdated to the time gardai made the massive heroin bust in June 2008. Rattigan's murder conviction was a factor in the lengthy sentence for drug dealing which was imposed by the Special Criminal Court in 2013. Senior sources fear that with his murder conviction now quashed, Rattigan will be entitled to go the Court of Appeal to get his sentence for the drugs offence reduced. Gardai believe he could be out of jail within months. Brutal Rattigan still has a number of key supporters particularly in the south inner city, including two brutal brothers, one of whom was sentenced for being involved in a high-speed chase with gardai. Rattigan's key bases are the James Street and Basin Street areas of the south inner city but also his home patch of Drimnagh where Wednesday's cash seizure took place. The murder of Declan Gavin sparked what became known as the Crumlin/Drimnagh feud in which a further 16 men were killed. After Gavin was stabbed to death, the gang feud resulted in the murder of nine people associated with Rattigan. Suicide Prevention Month is active throughout Utah September is Suicide Prevention Month, and it is a great time to renew commitments to help others, become better educated and find out about available mental health resources. Across Utah, individuals and organizations are getting the word out about ways to help save lives, educate others about prevention and find hope. Together we can stop suicide. That is the message that the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is spreading. Taryn Hiatt, the AFSP area director, said that one of the biggest opportunities for suicide prevention is limiting access to lethal means. Limiting ... Late Monday afternoon, we were treated to a series of bizarre interviews on nearly every major cable television channel except Fox when a colorful character named Sam Nunberg, a former personal and political aide to Donald Trump, took to the airwaves to denounce a grand jury subpoena he received compelling the production of documents and live testimony. The grand jury is one of two summoned by special counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation of whether President Trump or his colleagues engaged in any criminal activity prior to or during the presidential campaign, or during his presidency. At several points in the rambling and seemingly alcohol-infused rant, Nunberg insisted he would not comply with the subpoena, and he challenged Mueller to force him to do so, proclaiming at least three times, Let him arrest me! I can tell you from my years on the bench in New Jersey, this is not a good gauntlet to lay down; and it is one often addressed swiftly. Be careful what you ask for. Here is the backstory: Nunberg is a 36-year-old New York lawyer who has been involved in conservative politics since his teenage years. He was hired by Trump in 2011 for the purpose of burnishing Trumps image as a political conservative. Like most people hired by Trump before his presidential candidacy, Nunberg signed a contract that provided for liquidated damages of $10 million should he publicly reveal any private matters he learned about Trump during his employment. Trump did fire Nunberg in 2014 because of an unflattering op-ed that he believed Nunbergs odd behavior had induced and sued Nunberg for $10 million. Nunberg counterclaimed that Trump was using corporate funds from the Trump Organization to fund his then-nascent presidential campaign, a potential felony. Soon, the litigation was dropped and Nunberg was rehired. And in 2015, he was fired again, in a very public and humiliating way by candidate Trump himself. Last month, Nunberg agreed to be interviewed by Muellers prosecutors and FBI agents. After the five-hour interview, he told friends and media folks that he discerned from the questions that Mueller has something bad on Trump. Nunberg thought his involvement with the special prosecutor was over when he received a grand jury subpoena and then reacted in a most unlawyerly fashion. For a few reasons, this is not good news for the president. First, whatever Nunberg told the prosecutors and FBI agents who interviewed him last month, they revealed it to one of their grand juries; and they asked and received from the grand jury a subpoena compelling Nunberg to recount to the grand jury what he said in his interview. This is the same interview from which he claimed he learned that Mueller & Co. have something bad on Trump. The presidents lawyers would surely like to see whatever Muellers prosecutors told the grand jury Nunberg told them. So would we all. Second, during his rants on Monday, he opined that the president is an idiot who no one hates more than me, and that Mueller had offered him immunity in return for his testimony. Immunity? That is the highest and best gift a prosecutor can give a witness or target. If done in accordance with the rules, it bars all prosecution of the immunized person no matter what he admits to in testimony, unless he lies under oath. If Mueller did offer Nunberg immunity, it can only mean that Mueller desperately needs Nunbergs testimony against the president to be recounted to one of his grand juries, and that Nunberg has some criminal exposure. At the end of his day of rage, Nunberg had a change of heart. I suspect it was induced by a compassionate on-camera plea to Nunberg by my Fox colleague Charles Gasparino, a friend of Nunberg who told him to talk to his lawyers and his doctors soon. After six hours of wild on-air gyrations and threats, Nunberg agreed to testify, Gasparino says. Nunbergs doctors must have calmed him down, and his lawyers must have reminded him that the remedy for the persistent willful failure to comply with a grand jury subpoena is incarceration. That would mean incarceration for the life of the grand jury, which now seems as though it will be sitting well into 2019. His lawyers no doubt also reminded him that it is insane to taunt an alligator before crossing the stream. The FBI does not like being provoked. While all this was going on, the same grand jury subpoenaed all emails between or among Trumps inner circle of 10 persons including the president himself. Given the roles each has played in Trumps recent life, it is clear that the president remains in Muellers legal crosshairs. There are actually three sets of legal crosshairs, so to speak. One seeks to determine whether the Trump campaign received anything of value from any foreign national or foreign government, and whether Trump personally approved of it a felony. Another inquiry seeks to determine whether the president himself attempted to obstruct the work of the Mueller grand juries by firing then-FBI Director James Comey for a corrupt reason, one that is self-serving and lacking a bona fide governmental purpose also a felony. The third inquiry seeks to examine whether Trump misused or misrepresented corporate funds or bank loans in his pre-presidential life another felony. On this last point, he has already been accused by Nunberg; and the grand jury no doubt will hear about it. It has often been argued that out of the mouths of babes and drunks comes the truth, as both lack a filter and any moral fear. Is Nunberg dumb like a fox? Did he impeach himself? Would you believe Sam Nunberg? Should county income tax rate be cut? Some commissioners think so. Other commissioners and Washington County officials urge caution on the tax-cut push, citing unusual revenue and savings because of COVID-19. In 2017, India slipped three spots to 136 in the World Freedom Index (Reporters without Borders, 2017). While we consider our media as being the freest in South Asia, it is considered only partially free by Freedom House, an independent watchdog. Last year, 11 journalists were murdered, 46 were attacked and 27 had cases lodged against them by the police, a reflection of the myriad risks that journalists face while reporting from the ground. While the murder of Gauri Lankesh on September 5, 2016, managed to dominate conversations among the chattering class, such murders are common in the countrys hinterland. Pankaj Mishra, a journalist with Rashtriya Sahara, in Bihars Arwal district, was shot by two bike-born assailants two days after Lankeshs murder. Indias impunity ranking (measuring incidents when journalists are murdered while their killers go scot-free) has risen by 100% in the past decade; the nation is at 13th position in the Global Impunity Index (Committee for Protection of Journalists 2016 Global Impunity Index). Threats to the freedom of the Press have always been there. The 1857 rebellion was accompanied by the Gagging Act (passed by Lord Canning), which sought to regulate the establishment of printing presses and what they printed, requiring licences from the government. Any printed material was subject to checks of whether it impugned the motives of the British Raj. When the local Press published reports critical of the colonial governments response to the famine of 1876-77, the government instituted the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, seeking to suppress local criticism. The Act was targeted at over 35 vernacular papers, including Amrita Bazaar Patrika, in Bengal. Case examples were often made: Surendranath Banerjee (Rashtraguru), editor of The Bengali, was arrested for publishing remarks in his paper that were in contempt of court. Even Bal Gangadhar Tilak was jailed twice for writing against the oppressive colonial Raj. Today, such attacks are frequent in small towns, with most victims being on a freelance basis for regional newspapers or channels, with greater on-field beat reporting instead of being inside a studio. With limited legal protection, Press freedom can be significantly restricted. Such freedom can easily be compromised through online bullying and lawsuits, with the threat of imprisonment under Section 124(a) (the Sedition Clause) being ever-present. The threat of defamation is commonly used by politicians and celebrities alike to prevent the Press from commenting on them. In Tamil Nadu, in particular, such methods have been common between 1991-1996, over 120 defamation cases were filed by the Jayalalithaa government against publications reporting over her health and the governments actions. We must repeal criminal defamation or seek at the least to cap the size of damages, allowing journalists at regional and local newspapers to work without the fear of being subject to a defamation suit. Ideally the freedom of speech, and as its corollary, the freedom of the Press, should be absolute. But our current constitutional arrangements impose significant restrictions, subjecting the Press to the limits permissible under clause 2 of Article 19. The Official Secrets Act prevents journalists from reporting matters relating to the countrys defence however, there is significant scope for abuse. At the very least, Parliament should bring a law protecting journalists from criminal proceedings and limiting their exposure to the sedition law. As the threat to journalists rises, the quality and quantity of critical reporting is likely to be hit, limiting exposure for important issues and under-reported regions, while making our media landscape more jingoistic and less self-critical. Preventing this self-censorship will require significant reform. The Press Council of India needs to be empowered, in a manner similar to the Bar Council, with a separate statute (akin to Advocates Act) helping to elevate the status of journalists while also enabling it to act as a safeguard against unethical and unprofessional conduct. The ambit of the Press Council should be expanded to cover all forms of media, including electronic, broadcast and new media. We must continue to seek greater protections in this sector, lest we weaken the safeguards of our democracy. For the health of our democracy, the safety of our journalists can never be compromised. Varun Gandhi is BJP national general secretary and a Lok Sabha MP The views expressed are personal I didnt go to an acting school, but acting was the first thing that came to my mind [as a career option] I was cut out to be an actor, says veteran actor Deepti Naval, known for cerebral, slice-of-life films such as Chashme Buddoor (1981) and Saath Saath (1982). Naval was in the Capital to attend a retrospective on her films at Daulat Ram College, Delhi University. Here, she interacted with the students, discussed films, acting and her writings. Acting was the first thing that obsessed me Last seen in a brief cameo in Lion (2016), the actor reflects on her early affiliations with acting and cinema. Acting was the first thing that obsessed me when I was 8-9 years old. I was very introverted as a child and as an adult. But something inside told me that I needed to express myself, and it would be on the big screen. In 1978,she made her debut with Shyam Benegals film Junoon. And within a few years, she came to be known as a powerful actor. However, things have changed drastically since the time she started out, and the competition is far too much, says Naval. Things were also simpler then [in that there was] something more naive and innocent about life. [For instance,] casting agents didnt exist earlier. We just went and met a director. So many youngsters come and get heartbroken [nowadays]. But on the other hand, theres a room for lot more now. Theres also web series and Netflix. Heartening experience at Daulat Ram College The Film and Photography Society of the college recently organised a film festival to celebrate the work of the actor, screening her films Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish (2009) and Listen..Amaya (2013), among others. The reason that the society organised the fest, says, Monica Prabhakar, convenor of the society, is: Todays generation is not aware of her brilliant work in art and commercial cinema. So, we did not just cover one aspect of her life, but touched upon other facets of her life, too painter, poet, story writer and director. Naval thoroughly enjoyed the event. We had a retrospective of my films and an interactive session. I thoroughly enjoyed myself with the girls [as] I was there for two full days. It was a heartening experience to spend that much time with the youngsters; to be able to convey to them what youve lived and experienced. They [students] were very receptive and talked about my paintings and writings, says Naval. Identified with playing a writer Deeply reflective in both personal and professional life, Naval has to her credit, an impressive body of work spanning poetry (Lamha Lamha -a Hindi poetry collection; and Black Wind and Other Poems) and short stories (a collection The Mad Tibetan). I love writing. It is the closest thing to me after being an actor. [With writing] you are able to deal with so many other aspects of yourself that dont get dealt with, otherwise. My next book is autobiographical, something personal, like a memoir. I will be letting it all out now because its been lying with me for far too long, she shares, adding that she loves reading about lives, especially those in the limelight. Autobiographies give you the picture of the person behind the image on screen, because thats never really you. Identified with playing a writer Naval made her theatre debut in 2015, when she played author and poet Amrita Pritam on the stage, in the play Ek Mulaqat, which was also staged in the Capital, in February. Im glad I got this as my first experience of theatre where I got a chance to play Amrita Pritam, whom I knew personally and admired as a person and writer. I identified with playing a writer and liked how from one spoken words to the next, it keeps unfolding. Before (author and writer) Imroz sahib came in to her life, she had a huge fascination for (poet) Sahir Ludhianvi. She loved his poetry. [The play explores] the equation between the two (Amrita Pritam and Sahir Ludhianvi), which we go on to explore, talk about their own life, and question the other persons life and choices, she says. Follow @htshowbiz for more Yet another star son is set for his Bollywood birth. The teaser of director Anil Sharmas son Utkarsh Sharma debut film, Genius, was unveiled on Thursday evening. The 31-second teaser shows Utkarsh in the midst of Holi revelry. As the teaser opens, we see a person, perhaps the hero of the film, running over heaps of bright-coloured Holi powder (gulaal). The setting looks like a Rajasthan fort or a haveli. There are many other people in the background taking part in the festivities. There is a water body close by. After several shots of flashes of colour with the fort in the background, we get a glimpse of Utkarsh. Yet, we can hardly make out what he looks like as the screen fills up with red, we see a dancing Utkarsh emerge. He is sporting a yellow and black T-shirt and has sun glasses on quite a striking image as he stands out in a pool of red. Genuis has been directed by Anil Sharma and also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and newcomer Ishita. At the launch party in Mumbai, Anil explained how he treated Utkarsh as an actor, not his son. He said, Everyone must be thinking that Utkarsh is my son, so I must have treated him gently on the film sets, but thats not the case. I am a taskmaster as a director. I worked with him in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha as well. When I work as a director, then I only act as a director. That time I only see actors like characters for my film. While shooting for Gadar..., I made Utkarsh shoot in really tough conditions and late nights as well. So in this film also I have treated him only as an actor who plays the character in my film, and not as a son. It may be recalled that in Sunny Deol starrer Gadar, Utkarsh was a child artiste. On his experience of working with his son in Genius, Anil said, It was really great. Since his first film as a child actor, I realised that he has a special talent. Then he did a film production course in the US. I think in this film, he has done a fantastic job with his realistic performance, but now things are in the audiences hands, whether they will accept him or not as an actor, as I think the image of an actor is largely created by the audience. As an actor, you just have to make sure that you put your best possible effort in every aspect, be it dancing, action, drama and living the character which you are playing. In this field, fathers cannot shape careers of their child. If that had been the case, then there would have been so many successful actors from film families. Follow @htshowbiz for more Two weeks after her mother Sridevis sudden death, Janhvi Kapoor has returned to work on her debut film, Dhadak. She was clicked on the sets of the film, shooting a scene in a saree on Thursday. Celebrity photographer Viral Bhayani shared pictures of the actor on Instagram. These pics of #janhvikapoor shot secretly yesterday on the sets of #dhadak reminds us so much of #sridevi @shinde_himanshu, he captioned the photo. A post shared by Bollywood Bubble (@bollywoodbubble) on Mar 8, 2018 at 11:19pm PST A post shared by Magic Events & Entertainments (@magiceventsandentertainments) on Mar 8, 2018 at 11:55pm PST Janhvis fanpages also posted photo collages of her picture from the sets and her mothers look in English Vinglish. The two look incredibly similar in the photos. #sridevi #janhvikapoor A post shared by sridevi.kapoor. (@sridevi.b.superstar) on Mar 8, 2018 at 11:40pm PST Janhvi is making her film debut opposite Shahid Kapoors helf-brother, Ishaan Khatter in Dhadak. The film is produced by Karan Johar and is scheduled to release on July 6. Sridevi died in a Dubai hotel on February 24 due to accidental drowning. Her last rites were performed in Mumbai on February 28 where several Bollywood celebs and thousands of fans came together to pay their final respects to the film star. Janhvi also celebrated her birthday on March 7 with her cousins and father Boney Kapoor at their Mumbai home and earlier at an old age home, a family tradition started by Sridevi. In a note written after Sridevis death, Janhvi asked her fans to always love their parents. On my birthday, the only thing I ask of all of you is that you love your parents. Cherish them and devote yourself to making them feel that love. They have made you. And I ask that you remember my mother fondly, pray for her soul to rest in peace, she wrote in an Instagram post. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday rejected claims of foul play on the demise of Bollywood actor Sridevi and clarified that if there was anything suspicious, it would have come out by now. At a regular press briefing, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, As far as I know, the paperwork from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government had been were handed over to us and on the basis of that the mortal remains were brought to India. Had there been something suspicious, it would have come out by now. Commenting on the process of handing over mortal remains from one country to another, Raveesh explained that whosoever had the authority to receive the mortal remains of a person, whether it was the family or relatives or an official, it would be handed over to the concerned authority. On February 24, veteran Sridevi passed away in Dubai, where she was attending a family wedding. According to the forensic report, the 54-year-old actor died of accidental drowning in her hotel rooms bathtub after suffering a dizzying spell. According to reports, traces of alcohol were found in her body too. The Thane police on Friday said that they had summoned actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his wife and a lawyer in connection with investigations into the Call Detail Record (CDR) scam that was unearthed in January. Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Abhishek Trimukhi told mediapersons that the three had been called after some of the arrested accused had told police that an advocate had obtained CDRs of the actors wife from private detectives. Three arrested accused, Prasad Palekar, Ajinkya Nagargoje and Jigar Makhwana informed the police that an advocate had obtained the CDRs of Nawazuddin Siddiquis wife from private detectives. Hence to verify the same, we have summoned them, Trimukhi said. The CDR racket was unearthed on January 24 when police, acting on a tip off, nabbed four private detectives from Kalwa in the district. The four, whom the police identified as Makesh Pandian (42), Prashant Palekar (49), Jigar Makwana (35) and Samresh Jha (32) alias Pratik Mohpal, had at the time revealed the name of renowned woman detective Rajani Pandit who too was subsequently arrested. Since then, Trimukhi said, 11 persons had been arrested in the scam which involved the illegal procurement and sale of CDRs of private individuals. The cast and crew of Gully Boy had a quirky new way to celebrate International Womens Day on set. Films director Zoya Akhtar shared a video on Thursday, showing how the entire male cast and crew, including lead Ranveer Singh, wore skirts to the set in support of the women. Ranveer was spotted jumping with glee in a bright green wraparound makeshift lungi-skirt as actors Vijay Verma and Siddhant Chaturvedi joined him on the fun adventure. Ranveer also posed for the paparazzi cameras in his new outfit and for selfies with fans. Gully Boy also stars Alia Bhatt who is currently in Bulgaria to shoot for her other film, Brahmastra, with Ranbir Kapoor. A post shared by Ranveer Singh World FanPage (@ranveersinghfan_) on Mar 8, 2018 at 11:05pm PST A post shared by Poornamrita Singh (@poornamrita) on Mar 8, 2018 at 6:06am PST Gully Boy is inspired by the rappers from the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai. Ranveer essays the role of a street rapper in the film. Zoya and Ranveer attended a few sessions of two street rappers, Naezy and Divine, who were the subjects of a documentary Bombay 70, while researching for the film. Gully Boy is reportedly inspired by the characters of Naezy and Divine. 14th February 2019 #gullyboy A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Feb 10, 2018 at 12:38am PST Talking about the film, Vivian Fernandes aka Divine had earlier told Hindustan Times, If youre writing a film about hip-hop, the most important thing is you should be a good writer. Zoya had come for one of our shows; thats how she discovered us. Then she visited the place where we lived and I was more than happy to chat with her and Reema (Kagti, partner in scriptwriting) and tell them everything about the [hip-hop] scene. I dont know the story, but were a part of the film and its music. We will be going on the sets, as the shooting has started. Hopefully, Gully Boy mein bhi aayega kuchh hamara! Follow @htshowbiz for more The 80:20 bullion rule has been in the news in recent days, and formed one part of the Union governments efforts to deflect criticism from its handling of the fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) and turn up the heat on the opposition United Progressive Alliance (UPA). On 21 May 2014, five days after the UPA government was defeated at the polls and five days before the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took over, the UPA took a decision allowing so-called star trading houses (STHs), premier trading houses (PTHs), and units located in special export zones (SEZs) to import gold and sell up to 80% of the imports in the local market. Until then, the rule had been that such firms could only import gold under the condition that all of it would be exported (after converting it to jewellery). The change resulted in a spike in gold imports. In the six months between June 1 and November 30, 2014, gold imports rose to 553 tonnes. Of these imports, almost 60% was accounted for by 13 PTHs and STHs. Traders hoarded the metal, benefiting from lower import prices. The May 21, 2014 notification of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) making the change overturned an August 14, 2013 notification by RBI that disallowed STHs, PTHs, and units in SEZs from importing gold to sell in the domestic market. The only entities allowed to do so were banks and a few other agencies (and these were further required to ensure that 20% of their imports were re-exported). The objective of the August notification was to restrict import of gold for use in the domestic market, and, thereby, contain Indias swelling current account deficit. The Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association cried foul at the change in policy which, it alleged in a July 26, 2014 letter to the RBI, helped only large private trading houses and conglomerates, many of which had no history of gold imports, and were not interested in promoting the jewellery business. (They) do not have a mechanism to ensure the end use of gold sold, the letter said as 20% would have to be re-exported and they are engaged in circular/fictitious export. The NDA subsequently (towards the end of 2014) scrapped the August, 2014 change. The 13 trading houses that increased their imports during the period for which the scheme was active are: Rajesh Exports, MD Overseas, Kundan Rice Mills, Kanak Exports, Edelweiss Commodities, Zaveri & Co, Riddhi Siddhi Bullions, Khandwala Enterprise, Jindal Dyechem, Gopal Jewels, Reliance Industries, Gitanjali Gems, and Su-Raj Diamonds. A student was stabbed to death by a stalker near the entrance of her college in KK Nagar in south Chennai on Friday afternoon, highlighting a pernicious trend in which at least four women have been killed by stalkers in Tamil Nadu since June 2016. According to the police, 19-year-old M Aswini, a first-year B.Com student at the Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, was walking towards the bus stop around 2:45 pm when the accused, Alagesan (26), attacked her with a dagger. The man slit her throat, killing her instantly. Aswini was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby private hospital. Passersby caught hold of Alagesan, a water delivery boy in the neighbourhood, and handed him over to the police. Her parents had filed a police complaint last month against Alagesan, who had been stalking Aswini and insisting that she marry him. He was arrested and a traumatised Aswini took some time off college. She started attending classes this week, but Alagesan had secured bail by then. The incident brought back memories of another ghastly incident , on the morning of June 24, 2016, when Infosys employee S Swathi was hacked to death in broad daylight while waiting for her train at the busy Nungambakkam railway station. Perhaps influenced by popular Tamil cinema where a preferred theme is an educated and often rich heroine being stalked into submission and love by an uneducated and poor hero with a heart of gold, such instances have increased in Tamil Nadu. Such incidents have become common as men continue to view women as objects of desire and not as human beings with feelings, said Sudha Ramalingam, a human rights activist and Madras High Court advocate. A man it seems can never expect and accept that a woman has the right to choose her man, she added. They are unable to take the rejection and destroy what cannot be theirs.. In August, 37-year-old Satyanarayanan stabbed a neighbour in the citys central T Nagar area after she rejected his advances. A month later, in Tiruppur, Mathiyalagan (30) set a woman on fire after she turned down his wedding proposal. In November, actor Bhuvaneshwaris son Mithun Srinivasan was held on charges of threatening to burn a medical student if she continued refusing to marry him. She alleged in her police complaint that he had been stalking her for weeks. And in December, a 21-year-old software engineer was burnt alive at her house in Chennais Adambakkam by a stalker, Akash. Her mother also died in the attack. Sudha Ramalingam, a human rights activist and Madras High Court advocate, said that incidents like these have become so routine as men continue to view women as objects of desire and not as human beings with feelings. A man it seems can never expect and accept that a woman has the right to chose her man and are unable to take the rejection and destroy what cannot be theirs. It has been happening for decades and will continue to happen till male chauvinistic feelings are ingrained the minds of the men, she said reacting to another instance of jilted lover killing his object of affection. The high court of Uttarakhand has asked the state government to seek opinion for the delimitation from the people of the villages being included in the Municipal Corporation and Nagar Palika areas within a week. The court has also cancelled the notification for the inclusion of villages, thereby giving a jolt to the government which had been pressing for holding local body elections before May 4. The courts decision has been welcomed by the Congress as some of its members in Haridwar and Haldwani had been petitioning against the delimitation of wards or seats, saying that proper norms had not been followed by the government. This issue can snowball to a big political issue as the state government would be facing increasing pressure on delimitation from the Congress, which has received a shot in the arm with the court order. Leader of opposition in the state assembly, Indira Hridyesh, a senior leader of Congress said that writs were filed against the delimitation of the local body wards and seats, which pointed out that the government had not followed the proper procedure for delimitation and the gram sabhas had been included in the municipal corporations without their approval. The former cabinet minister said that the gram pradhans, whose villages were included in municipal corporations, still had tenure of one and a half years left and it was unfair to end their term. The government conducted the arbitrary act without consulting the citizens concerned and thus, hit upon the foundations of democracy. The government must now follow the court order and rectify the mistakes, said Hridyesh. Haldwani block pramukh and petitioner Bhola Bhatt expressed joy that the high court had cancelled the notification of the state government of including the villages in the Nagar Nigam area. The constitutional method is that the government should convene an open meeting with the people of the villages and take their approval. The governments ill intentions have been defeated and we are happy that the delimitation would now be held in a democratic manner, said Bhatt. BJP state unit general secretary Gajraj Singh Bisht said those saying the government had received a jolt were far moved from reality. He pointed out the government had sought objections and approval of the people and would do so in the future too. A bullet fired allegedly by a 17-year-old boy from his fathers licensed pistol while posing for a photo claimed the life of his cousin, who was taking the picture with his mobile phone. The incident was reported from south Delhis Sarita Vihar on Thursday, the police said. The 23-year-old cousin, Prashant Chauhan, a teacher in Delhis Shahdara, was visiting the boy and his family when the accidental firing took place around 5.30 pm at the second-floor flat. The teenager is a Class 11 student at a private school in Jasola near Sarita Vihar. He cannot be named because he is a juvenile. Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), said a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304 of IPC was registered at the Sarita Vihar police station and the teenager was arrested. The negligence on the part of the teenagers father, a property dealer who holds the licence of the pistol, is also being probed under section 30 of the Arms Act. We will take action against the father as per law, said Biswal. Shivam Chauhan, a relative, said Prashant and the teenager were in a room while the latters mother was ironing clothes. His sister was studying in another room. The teenager took out his fathers licenced pistol from a cupboard and asked Prashant to take his photos on his mobile phone. The teenager was holding the pistol in his hand and posing for a photo, pointing the firearm at Prashant, who was standing in front of him with the cellphone in his hand. While Prashant was taking the photo, the boy accidentally pressed the trigger. The bullet hit Prashant in the right side of his chest. He collapsed on the floor, said Shhivam Chauhan, quoting the statement the teenager gave to the police. Hearing the gunshot, the teenagers mother and sister rushed to the room and found Prashant Chauhan unconscious. The mother asked her son to call the neighbours so they could take him to the hospital. The teenager alerted neighbours and rushed to a police booth located some 30-40 metres away from his home. Prashant Chauhan was taken to Apollo Hospital in the neighbours car. DCP Biswal said he died of the bullet injury in the hospital. The body was later sent to the mortuary at All India Institute of Medical Sciences for an autopsy. We will write to the concerned authorities to cancel the pistol licence of the teenagers father, who was away and had negligently kept the loaded weapon in the house, added Biswal. Prashant Chauhans relatives said he had completed a teachers training course from an institute in Delhi and was recently employed as a contractual teacher in Shahdara. They said the teenager was a bright student and had secured 96% in his Class 10 exams. Prashant Chauhan is survived by his parents and brother. His elder brother had died in a road accident four years ago, the relatives said. An argument that erupted over a collision of shoulders between two men eventually led to the murder of 35-year-old cook in south Delhis Alaknanda on Sunday, police officials said. The police said Dashrath Mukhiya was stabbed to death by two men after an argument late in the night on March 4. A 21-year-old e-rickshaw driver Sunny, alias Peeri, was arrested and a 17-year-old boy was apprehended in connection with Mukhiyas murder on Friday, police officials said. The two accused reportedly told the police that they killed Mukhiya because his shoulder had allegedly collided with that of the 17-year-old boy. The collision led to an argument between the two sides and the duo allegedly stabbed Mukhiya twice in his chest, the police said. Mukhiya is believed to have died before he could be rushed to a hospital, the officials added. Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (south), said the suspects were caught in a CCTV camera but their faces were not clear due to the poor lighting in the area. Since the crime took place close to the slum clusters in Govindpuri and Tughlaqabad Extension, investigators focused their probe on the involvement of petty criminals living in those areas. The police ruled out robbery as a motive for the crime because Mukhiyas cellphone and money were found with his body. We interrogated around 100 suspects between the age group of 18 and 21 years. One of them told us that the two suspects had come to his ice-cream shop on that night and had told him that they had stabbed someone after a fight, said Baaniya. The ice-cream vendor led the police to the suspects homes but they were missing. We collected information about their hideouts and eventually nabbed them, said Baaniya. Baaniya said Sunny told the police the 17-year-old held on to Mukhiya while the former stabbed him twice in his chest. When Mukhiya started running along the footpath, the two chased him but gave up the chase when they saw him approaching a security guard of a society nearby. We have recovered a small knife that the two had used in the murder. Mukhiya was employed as a cook at a house in Greater Kailash II, the DCP said. A 26-year-old mans wedding plans were thrown off track when he realised his car was stolen minutes before he was to proceed with the wedding procession in the vehicle on Thursday. As a result, he was forced to book a cab at the last moment for the baraat. Police officials said the grooms Mahindra Bolero remained untraced through Friday after it was reportedly stolen from a residential neighbourhood in south Delhis Tughlaqabad Extension. Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), said a case in this connection has been registered and efforts on to trace vehicle. I was excited about the wedding, but it turned into a damp affair. All my attention remained on the stolen vehicle and guests kept asking me about the theft instead of congratulating me, said Rahul Jain, a cooking gas supplier, who lives with his family in Tughlaqabad. Jain said his baraat (wedding procession) was scheduled to go from Tughlaqabad to the brides home in Loni in Ghaziabad. We had brought the maroon Bolero from our native village in Madhya Pradesh in order to use it for the baraat, he said. He said his family got the car washed and parked in a few metres from his home around 2pm. I was to travel in the same Balero around 3.30pm. We planned to get the vehicle decorated with flowers closer to the wedding venue later in the day, Jain said. Jain said he discovered that the Bolero was missing when he headed out to the vehicle at around 3pm dressed in his wedding attire. We were so excited, but all our excitement vanished when we couldnt spot the Balero where we had parked it. I still had hopes and searched desperately for the car in the neighbourhood, but couldnt find it. The theft took place a few metres from a police post, said Jain. The police were called even as the baraat got delayed, he said. There was no excitement in getting married when we were losing a vehicle worth lakhs of rupees. But my family convinced me to go ahead with the wedding procession in a hired cab, said Jain. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday threatened to go on a hunger strike if the issues that led to the ongoing sealing drive were not resolved by March 31. Kejriwal visited the Old Double Storey market in Lajpat Nagar IV where four policemen and two traders were injured on Thursday after the cops allegedly baton-charged businessmen protesting the sealing drive. The chief minister said he would write to the Prime Minister on Saturday and meet the union minister for housing and urban affairs to resolve the matter. If by March 31 a solution to sealing is not found, then I will go on hunger strike. I insist all party leaders to put pressure on the Centre to bring an ordinance in Parliament so that the sealing drive could stop immediately in the city, Kejriwal said while interacting with traders. But Kejriwals announcement came as a surprise to his colleagues in the Delhi government. The hunger strike decision was spontaneously taken by the CM at Amar Colony. He is already unwell with cough problems and fluctuating sugar levels, said the media advisor to Kejriwal. It is nearly after five years that Kejriwal has threatened to go on a hunger strike. In March, 2013, the Aam Aadmi Party convener had gone without food for 14 days to protest against over inflated power bills when the Congress ruled Delhi. Kejriwal takes insulin every evening to keep his sugar levels stabilised. After his previous hunger strike, doctors had warned him of taking any such step again as it would severely affect his health. We hope the sealing issue is resolved before March 31, said a government spokesperson. In his address, Kejriwal said a resolution will be tabled in the budget session of the Delhi Assembly, which begins from March 16. The resolution, if passed, will be sent to the Centre for bringing an ordinance, said Kejriwal. The sealing drive had started in mid-December on the directions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee with the sealing of major shops and eateries in the Defence Colony market. The civic authorities have been targeting commercial establishments for violation of civic norms or Master Plan of Delhi 2021, including misuse, converting residential complexes into commercial units and encroachment. To provide relief to traders from sealing, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had last month approved changes in the master plan . The changes include bringing the floor area ratio in shop-cum-residence plots and complexes on a par with residential plots. But on March 6, the court stayed these amendments and reprimanded the DDA and other agencies for not filing an affidavit about the impact of these amendments on the environment, traffic, congestion and other safety aspects. During the CMs visit to Lajpat Nagar, agitated shopkeepers continued shouting slogans against the centre, the Delhi government and the MCD for their failure in getting a concrete solution to the issue. Meanwhile, on the direction of Supreme Court appointed monitoring committee, 33 shops were sealed in North, 39 in east and one in South Delhi Municipal Corporation were sealed. The Medical Council of India (MCI) has approved 50 more MBBS seats at the state-run Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, taking the total to 100 MBBS. College principal Dr Deepak J Bhatty said the executive committee of MCI recommended to the central government recognition and approval of the 50 additional seats an assessment. The MCI carried out an assessment of the college and hospital in December 2017 and January 2018 to check the standard of examinations held by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) and weigh up the facilities available, he added. The executive committee of MCI considered the assessment report at its meeting on February 6, and the oversight committee also approved the decision on February 23. When you are the leading lady of a nation, chances are, your style will be under the scanner at all times. And, for Brigitte Macron, teacher by profession, and wife of Frances president Emmanuel Macron, a stately sartorial sense seems second nature. The 64-year-old is accompanying the French president on a four-day visit to India. At a glance, Mrs Macrons style includes equal measures of experimentation and also, a cookie-cutter approach to style. From being cheery in spring blazers worn in soft pastel hues and accessorised with printed scarves, to leather pants for a formal evening and a dress with laser-cut detailing for a state visit one may not be shocked by what she wears, but they undoubtedly include a surprise element, every time. And, since fashion is synonymous with Parisian culture, the first lady plays out the role of being a strong emblem of style, perfectly. France is the fashion capital of the world. And, you cant have a better ambassador of global fashion and style, than the first lady of France, Brigitte Macron, says Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India. Macron also often accessorises her outfits with scarves. (AFP/ Seyllou) Like anyone in the public eye, Brigitte Macron has also reportedly enlisted the help of stylist, Mathieu Barthelat Colin, who helps her choose from and for her wardrobe (though not officially). And, Colin was present at a special dinner hosted at Palais de lElysee earlier this week an evening dedicated to fashion, and hosted by the first couple. Brigitte wore one of her favourite design labels for the evening Louis Vuitton, which is currently helmed by Nicolas Ghesquiere. The dinner saw the likes of iconic French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier and Diors artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, in attendance. From choosing pastels to solid colours and prints, Macron experiments from time to time. (AFP Photo/ Getty images) Designer Rahul Mishra, who was also a part of the special evening, says the first ladys understanding of fashion is unmatched. She has thorough knowledge of fashion from the business of it and the musical chairs of creative directors being changed to various influences just the complete thing. She has an insiders understanding, accompanied by a very warm, friendly persona, he says. For designer Nachiket Barve, Macrons style is classic, with a twist. Its confident, polished and French! Shes dressed with a French non-chalance and there is an emphasis on luxury fabrics and clean silhouettes with a strong shoulder and sharp lines. She also chooses well for her frame, not letting the silhouette dwarf her. Actor Shahid Kapoors wife Mira Rajput Kapoor already has a seriously impressive list of designers who dress her (Anamika Khanna, Masaba Gupta, Monisha Jaising, Raw Mango, Monika Nidhii) and ask her to walk at fashion week runways (Anita Dongre). The stylish celebrity wife never fails to stun in exuberant prints and interesting cuts and silhouettes, but she always keeps it demure and age-appropriate. A post shared by Shahid Kapoor Turkish Fan (@pyarshasha) on Mar 8, 2018 at 7:53am PST On Thursday, Mira once gain walked the line between ladylike elegance and youthful fun, when she was spotted rocking an ethnic look at the store launch of SVA by Sonam and Paras Modi in Mumbai. She chose to wear an oh-so-pretty ivory and blue floral anarkali from the designers latest spring summer collection, Dahlia. A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) on Mar 8, 2018 at 9:29pm PST Her floor-sweeping full-sleeved anarkali came with a matching dupatta. But what really edged up her floral print ensemble was the shimmery blue sequin details along the neckline and border of the dupatta. This added an alluring (but not over-the-top) sartorial sensibility to the flawlessly, impeccably sophisticated look for a girl her age. A post shared by Shahid Kapoor Turkish Fan (@pyarshasha) on Mar 8, 2018 at 7:55am PST Mira skillfully mixed her youthful innocence with a more mature style by keeping her make-up and hair sleek nude lips, heavily kohled eyes and hair tied in a high ponytail but making a statement with her limited but splashy accessories. Quirky silver earrings from jewellery label Lare M gave her outfit a kick of colour and energy. Follow @htlifeandstyle for more In a major setback to the Gurgaon police, a hardened inter-state criminal from Mewat escaped from police custody in Bilaspur on Thursday night. The accused, identified as Shahid (26) alias Advani, is a prominent gangster from Kharkhari village in Tauru tehsil of Mewat. He is booked in several cases of crimes, including murder, robbery and carjacking. Although Advani was arrested in connection with a carjacking in Pataudi, police sources said that he was being questioned extensively in connection with frequent ATM thefts taking place in Gurgaon over the last six months. Advani escaped from the custody of crime branch, Bilaspur, where he was being questioned by the police. On Thursday night, Advani reportedly told the police that he wanted to use the bathroom and taking advantage of lax security, managed to slip away in the dark. A case has been registered against the accused under section 224 of the Indian Penal Code and teams have been constituted to nab him, Ravinder Kumar, public relations officer, Gurgaon police, said. The accused has 15 cases registered against his name in Gurgaon, Rewari, Tauru and Bhiwadi. He was involved in several heinous crimes including a murder in January 17, 2017 in Tauru. The murder was said to be the fallout of an old rivalry. A case of kidnapping and robbery was also registered against the accused at Faridabad central police station. A section of the police department admitted that Advanis escape from custody was a major setback as he was a hardened criminal, who they believe is a key conspirator in the ATM thefts. Not only this, nabbing Advani again from Mewat is likely to be a major challenge as it is extremely difficult for them to conduct raids in the crime-prone areas of Mewat. There is a lot of resistance from villagers in Mewat whenever we try to conduct raids and arrest criminals in that area. However, we are going to arrest him come what may, said a senior official who said that the police are hoping to crack the ATM thefts with his arrest. Read I Gurgaon: Cops from northeast to tackle rising crimes against people from the region It is suspected that after fleeing the custody of the crime branch, Bilaspur, the accused slipped into his stronghold as Tauru is just 25 km from where he escaped. Advani was arrested by a team of Gurgaon police from a village near Tauru in connection with a carjacking, which took place at Uncha Majra village under the jurisdiction of Pataudi police station on July 3, 2017. The accused, along with his associates, had arrived in a Bolero at Pehalwan hotel and looted a truck after abducting the driver along with the cleaner. They were later dumped in the jungles. The truck was owned by a resident of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. A Tauru resident said that the accused had several cases against him and was actively engaged in inter-gang rivalry in a bid to establish his supremacy in the area. Gurgaon Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon lay the foundation stone for the Dwarka Expressway. Singh, however, did not elaborate when the foundation stone laying event would be held. His announcement comes two days after Union urban development, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari made a similar announcement in New Delhi. Gadkari also disclosed the details of the foundation stone ceremony for the Dwarka Expressway while informing the media that the highways ministry is working towards holding a mega event for the inauguration of a stretch of the National Highway - 24 connecting New Delhi, Ghaziabad and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. A consensus was arrived at in the matter (Prime minister laying the foundation stone for the Dwarka Expressway) during a recent meeting chaired by Nitin Gadkari. The road transport and highways minister also said that some technical and land-related issues pertaining to the portion of the expressway falling in New Delhi are in the process of being resolved. Once the issues dogging the expressway project are resolved, the Prime minister will lay the foundation stone for the project, Singh said. The Prime minister is expected to arrive in Haryana this month for the inauguration of the Kundil-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway. Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said as much at Sonepat on February 13. Inderjit further said that after the foundation stone laying ceremony, PM will also hold a public meeting and efforts are on to organise it. Singh said that the project is being made at a cost of 7,000 crore and the 29km stretch will commence from Kherki Daula toll till the Shiv Murti situated beside the NH-48 in New Delhi. Of the 29 km, 18.9 km comes within the ambit of Haryana and the remaining 10.1 km falls in New Delhi. The expressway will include a railway over bridge (ROB), 10 underpasses and four interchange junctions at the Shiv Murti, Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), Dwarka and sector 84/88 dividing road in Manesar. Apart from being a boon for people who have bought properties in residential townships along the expressway, the project will also help Gurgaon residents reach the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Once the foundation stone is laid, the project will be completed within 2 years and will provide a smooth ride for Gurgaon residents, Inderjit said. The Dwarka Expressway project was announced by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) in 2007. In October 2016, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) took over the project. However, a litigation over land in New Palam Vihar has held up the construction of the expressway since then. Read I Gurgaon homebuyers demand completion of Dwarka Expressway at earliest The NHAI is waiting for the land transfer, as its tender to start construction of a 10km elevated road between Delhi border and the Basai railway overbridge is being delayed owing to the delay in land transfer. With the project hanging fire, thousands of homebuyers, who have invested in residential complexes along the proposed expressway, have been holding protests demanding that the project be put on fast track. A sizeable contingent of homebuyers, including women children and the elderly, under the banner of DXP Welfare Association, held a protest in Sector 84 on January 20 demanding completion of the Dwarka Expressway project and the relocation of the Kherki Daula Toll plaza. With the announcement that the PM is likely to lay the foundation stone for the project soon, homebuyers voiced hope that the project will see the light of day at long last. Now that it has been announced that the PM will inaugurating the project soon, one would hope that the litigation and other hurdles dogging the project, will be solved by the end of this year. The issue will now get due priority at the highest levels of the government. We are confident that after a wait of more than a decade, the project will finally be a reality, Yashesh Yadav, president, DXP Welfare Association, said. At least three people were killed and more than 40 injured in a series of blasts and fire that ripped through a chemical plant of a pharmaceutical company in Maharashtras Boisar in Palghar district late on Thursday. According to preliminary reports, the blasts occurred in 25 drums containing 200 litres each of solvent at Novephene Specialities plant in Boisar MIDC near Mumbai at around 11:15 pm. Here are some of the worst industrial disasters from the past: Maharashtra: Bombay docks explosion, 1944 (Official death toll: 800) Two explosions shook the Victoria Dock of Mumbai (then Bombay) in April 1944, when a freighter carrying a cargo of gold, ammunition and other items caught fire. Ships in the area of the explosion sank after the impact. Shortly after a fire was reported on board, at 3.50pm, an order to abandon ship was given. Minutes later, two explosions were reported. The two explosions were powerful enough to be recorded by seismographs at the Colaba Observatory in the city. Jharkhand: Chasnala mining disaster, 1975 (Official death toll: 372) In one of the Indias worst mining disasters, 372 miners died in an explosion followed by flooding at the Chasnala coal mine of the Indian Iron and Steel Company (now SAIL) near Dhanbad. According to the NIOH, the explosion was likely caused by sparks from equipment igniting a pocket of methane gas. Even a small spark can ignite the surges of gas that may suddenly fill a mine. Clouds of coal dust raised by the explosion and accompanying shock wave contribute to these sorts of mine explosions, making the flames self-sustaining, the newsletter on major industrial disasters says. Bhopal: Union Carbide gas tragedy, 1984 (Official death toll: 5,295) In the early hours of December 3, 1984, around 40 tonne of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant owned by US multinational Union Carbide Corp in Bhopal. The gas was carried by the wind into the surrounding slums . Almost 33 years since the gas leak tragedy, there is no clarity on the number of dead and those affected, say activists who peg the death figures between 20,000 and 25,000 while the government lists 5,295 deaths. The central government, in a curative petition filed in Supreme Court in 2010, had sought compensation for 5,295 deaths and 5,27,894 affected from the US firm, now owned by Dow Chemicals. According to a newsletter of the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), most of the safety systems at the factory were not functioning and many valves and lines were in poor condition, according to an inspection in November 1984. Chhattisgarh: Korba chimney collapse, 2009 (Official death toll: 45) Forty-five people were killed when a chimney under construction at a power plant being built at the Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) in Korba, 230 km from Chhattisgarhs Raipur. The structure had reached a height of 240 metres when it collapsed on top of more than 100 workers. They had taken shelter from a thunderstorm when the accident happened. Rajasthan: Jaipur oil depot fire, 2009 (Official death toll: 12) A major fire engulfed an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) depot in Jaipur, killing 12 people and injuring at least 130. The fire began in a tank holding 8,000 kilolitres oil. The government newsletter says the blaze continued for more than a week. About half a million people were evacuated from the area after the accident. The accident took place when petrol was being transferred from the IOCs depot to a pipeline. Uttar Pradesh: NTPC power plant explosion, 2017 (Official toll: 34) A massive explosion ripped a boiler at the state-run power giant NTPCs Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradeshs Raebareli district on 1 November, in one of the worst industrial disasters in India. There was an explosion inside the boiler. After the coal burns it gets deposited and has to be cleared. The people who died were engaged in cleaning, an NTPC executive was quoted as saying. The Congress will return to power in 2019 and Achhe Din will be to this government what India Shining was to the previous NDA government (1999-2004), UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Friday, referring to the NDAs surprise defeat in the 2004 parliamentary elections which paved the way for the UPAs decade-long rule. Speaking at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai, Gandhi lau-nched a blistering attack on PM Narendra Modi and his government, alleging the country was being led by a regressive vision and wondered if India was really a giant black hole till the BJP came to power at the Centre in May 2014, as has been claimed by the party and its supporters. Achhe Din will soon be India Shining, she said. India Shining was the NDAs platform ahead of 2004; Achhe Din was the NDAs ahead of 2014. In response, a BJP spokesperson hit out at Gandhi, saying India got defamed internationally for corruption when the UPA was in power. As the party president, Sonia Gandhi presided over the Congresss decline to 44 seats and its decimation across states. And as an opposition leader, she is practising the politics of fear and deception. She has taken both the country and her own party down, said Anil Baluni, the national head of the BJPs media department. He added, Democracy and institutions are safe. The Congress is in danger. She should worry about that. Gandhi claimed that freedom of the people was under systematic and sustained assault and the provocative statements from the ruling side were neither random nor accidental the usual defence put forth for such statements but part of a dangerous design. Gandhi, 71, who demitted the Congress presidents office on December 16 last year after remaining at the helm for more than 19 years, described the current environment as one in which history is being rewritten and facts being falsified, fanning prejudice and bigotry. There is a rewriting of history, falsifying facts and fanning prejudice and bigotry, she said. In recent weeks, Gandhi has stepped up attacks on the Modi government, alleging that institutions such as Parliament, judiciary, media and civil society had faced systematic assault after the BJP came to power in 2014. Our country, our society, our freedom are now all under systematic and sustained threat Today we are presented with an alternative and indeed regressive vision, she said. Was India really a giant black hole before May 2014 and start marching to progress only four years ago? Is this not an insult to the intelligence of our people? It is not a matter of taking credit but acknowledging Indias strength, she added. Gandhis attack came a day after her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that there exists a general atmosphere of intimidation in India where anasty form of politics aimed at dividing people was being practised to win the elections. Gandhi echoed that sentiment on Friday: Alternate voices are being silenced. Freedom to think, marry according to ones wishes is under attack. Religious tensions are being fuelled, vigilante mobs and private armies have been let loose. The former Congress chief said the Modi government lacked accommodative spirit and that has led to an ongoing stalemate in Parliament. The opposition is not allowed to speak in Parliament. People are angry with Congress for disruptions. But there are serious reasons for it. Parliamentary rules are not followed. There is no accommodative spirit. The opposition has a right to speak in Parliament. She also said callous remarks about changing the Constitution were deliberate attempts to subvert the essence of India it enshrines. Long standing principles that have stood the country well are being violated. Parliamentary majority is being interpreted as a licence to stifle debate and bulldoze legislations. Political opponents are being targeted through misuse of investigative agencies. In the presence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the launch of a biography of senior Congress leader Karan Singh turned into a debate on Indias first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehrus policies on Jammu and Kashmir. The book Karan Singh :Jammu and Kashmir (1949 to 1967), by Harbans Singh, chronicled the years of the young Dogra ruler as a regent, then as Sadr-e-Riyasat, and later as governor of J&K. Harbans Singh said the central government at the time was biased towards the Jammu region and played into the hands of National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Abdullah, who had a deep vendetta at heart against the people of Jammu. The writer was joined by former chief justice of india TS Thakur who read out passages from the book, highlighting Nehrus bias towards Jammu region and his closeness to National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah. Calling the book something that should interest every patriotic Indian, Thakur read a few passages from the book, which highlighted the role of Jan Sangh ideologue Shama Prasad Mookerjee in Jammu region getting its due and also to show Nehrus bias towards the Hindu-dominated part of the state. Former PM Singh, however, said he would like historians and authors to highlight the role of Nehru, Abdullah, and other leaders in keeping Kashmir with India and maintaining its unity and integrity. While its a well-known fact that Karan Singh played a remarkable role, people who are aware of happenings in Jammu and Kashmir are aware that Sheikh Abdullah was difficult to deal with even for the national leadership, he said. Manmohan Singh called the issue of J&K a complex problem and said that any lasting solution was not possible unless equitable sharing of power and development of all the regions of the state is attended to. Karan Singh, in a defensive tone, said that he read the book only after it was printed. So I might not agree with all its conclusions, he said. Calling Nehru his mentor, he even asked the cameras to shift to get a better vision of a portrait of the former prime minister on the auditorium walls. The Juvenile Justice Board has absolved an 8-year-old accused of attempt to murder a 29-year-old man in Bihars Nalanda, and also severely reprimanded the police for slapping such grave charges against the minor without verifying his age. The board also asked police authorities to send two officers who handled the case for training on dealing with juvenile crimes so that they do not repeat such blunders in the future, a JJB official said on Friday. Under Indian law, anyone under 18 years of age are tried under the Juvenile Justice Act. The JJB, however, has the power to decide if a minor can be tried as an adult in case of serious crimes. The case was registered on August 17, 2017, Shrawan Kumar Sao alleged that two people -- Rahul Kumar and Buta Paswan -- attacked him with bricks and stones, leaving him injured. In an FIR filed with Nalandas Deepnagar police, he said some children while playing began quarrelling with his son. When he intervened and tried to separate them, Buta Paswan, a teenager, began pelting stones at him before he fled away. Sao suffered a minor head injury in the incident. Later, on the basis of few local residents who were witness to the incident, he lodged a complaint with police accusing Paswan and Rahul of attacking him with a motive to kill. He had neither seen Rahul then nor did he know his age. Rahul was only eight then. During investigation, the police too did not identify the accused properly, JJB officials said. Without mentioning the age of the accused, the investigating officer (IO) Rakesh Ranjan in his case diary said Sao received a minor injury and no one was witness to the incident. The circle inspector of Giryak, who supervised the case later, too failed to mention the accuseds age. The chief judicial magistrate of Biharsharief after finding it to be a case involving children referred it to the JJB on August 23. During investigation, when JJB officials approached headmaster of the Oknawan middle school for date of birth certificates of Rahul, they were shocked to find that he is only 8-year-old. The JJB took cognisance on January 23 against Rahul, who refused the allegation during trail and demanded a thorough probe. The prosecution called the complainant, who had no witnesses to substantiate his allegation. He told the JJB that he had not written the FIR. The police station munsi (clerk) had written the FIR and I had only signed on it, he was qouted as saying. The three-member JJB comprising Sanjay Kumar, Dr Asha Prasad and principal member Manvendra Mishra acquitted the minor in the absence of evidence and subsequently asked the DGP to issue directions to all SPs to send officers dealing with juvenile crimes for proper training. While the officers involved in investigation of the case deserves to be penalised for showing laxity and dereliction of duty, we are excusing them as we are already burdened with lakhs of cases, the JJB said in a letter sent to the DG (Training). The JJB also asked him to put the two officers through grueling training on how to deal with juvenile crimes so that they do not repeat such blunders in future. Psychiatrists in Patna said that 8 to 10 year-old-children where still learning to relate to peers, adjust to social rules and evolve from free play to more elaborately structured interactions and expectations. Six days after ending the Left Fronts 25-year rule over Tripura, the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the northeastern state took charge on Friday. Biplab Deb, a 48-year-old first-time member of the legislative assembly, who played a crucial role in the partys victory as the state unit chief, was sworn in as chief minister by governor Tathagata Roy at the sprawling Assam Rifles ground here. Jishnu Dev Barman of the BJP was sworn in as deputy chief minister. Seven other ministers also took the office. Five of them, Sudip Roy Barman, Ratan Lal Nath, Shantana Chakma, Pranajit Singha Roy and Manoj Kanti Deb, are from the BJP and two, Narendra Chandra Debbarma and Mewar Kumar Jamatia, are from its alliance partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT). The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, and chief ministers of several BJP-ruled states. Left parties officially boycotted the ceremony to protest against the post-poll violence in Tripura. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the main opposition, was, however, represented by former chief minister Manik Sarkar, his finance minister Badal Choudhury and Lok Sabha member Jitendra Chaudhury. Deb sought the four-time chief ministers feet to seek his blessings. Sarkar, who left the programme after the oath-taking ceremony, was escorted out by Modi. Today, Tripura is celebrating Diwali again. The light of prosperity, a new hope, new aspirations, have taken birth again, Modi said in a speech. This new government will work for the people who have voted it to power and for them as well who didnt vote for it. I hope the new team, headed by a young chief minister, and the experienced opposition representatives would work together to take the state in a new direction, Modi said. Earlier, Deb assured the gathering that he and his team would do their best for the states development. If I commit any mistake in providing good governance, pull my ears to show me the right track. Treat me as your son and brother, he said. The BJP won 35 seats, the IPFT eight and the CPI (M) 16 seats in the 60-member Tripura assembly in the state election last month.Election to one seat was postponed because of the death of a candidate. The Congress and the BJP were locked in a slugfest on Friday over Rahul Gandhis address at a Singapore university where he assailed the saffron party of pursuing divisive politics. After the BJP criticised Congress president Gandhi for insulting India abroad with his statement, the Congress hit back, saying it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who started it and abused the countrys 70-year-old history. Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said Rahul Gandhi, as leader of the principal opposition party, will continue to show the mirror of truth to an arrogant and authorotarian government. He said, Our countrys prime minister is such a person who abuses the countrys history of 70 years and says that he felt ashamed being an Indian till he became the prime minister. He had said that he claimed to be hiding from hunger and poverty. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao hit back, saying Rahul Gandhi represents everything retrograde about the Congress dynastic politics and that Modi enhances the countrys prestige during his visits abroad while Gandhi diminishes it. Modi is a self-made man who has emerged on the top of national politics from humble beginning while Gandhi represents everything retrograde of his partys dynastic politics, he said. The prime minister represents meritocracy and people appreciate his journey, while people see Gandhi as an undeserving dynast, who only boasts about his family and has little to show by way of any personal achievement, Rao said. What people get to see Gandhi is his incompetence and lack of intellect, Rao said. The Congress chief also courted a row during his visit to the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, when he reportedly dodged a question by an economist about lower per-capita income of the country whenever his family was in power. With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff, said the Congress, on its twitter handle while referring to the economists question. However, Prasenjit K Basu, the economist who asked the question, claimed the Congress edited the video of the event and put out an unedited version which purportedly showed Rahul did not take the question. This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapores courts!, Bose tweeted. Reacting to the development, BJPs Narasimha Rao said, You have inherited the mantle as a dynast. So, you will be asked questions of your familys poor track record in office and its poverty perpetuating model for promoting political interests. Post 2004, Im glad you are admitting your role in scam-ridden governance. At least three people were killed and 15 injured when a series of blasts and a fire ripped through a chemical plant of a pharmaceutical company in Maharashtras Boisar near Mumbai late on Thursday. According to preliminary reports, the blasts occurred in 25 drums containing 200 litres each of solvent at Novephene Specialities plant in Boisar MIDC at around 11:15 pm. Three unidentified bodies were found in nearby factory of Arti Drugs when firemen entered the premises for cooling operations, Palghar SP Manjunath Singe said. The 15 injured, three of whom are critical, have been admitted in three hospitals in Boisar, Singe said, adding that the number of casualties could go up. Palghar district collector Prashant Narnaware, who reached the site early on Friday, said 40 blasts heard from the plant. Police, fire, revenue and health personnel were at the spot carrying out rescue operations. It is clear that the said unit did not follow any safety precautions and due to an exothermic reaction, the blast occurred in the solvent drums. We are probing and the guilty will be charged under relevant sections of the IPC and we may recommend the government to cancel the manufacturing licence of the guilty units, Narnaware said. Also read: 3 dead in blast at chemical plant near Mumbai: A look at Indias worst industrial disasters Four surrounding chemical units belonging to Prachi Industries (manufacturing iodine), Bharat Rasayan, Arti Industries (manufacturing vitamins), Unimax and others were either partially or completely destroyed. Tremors of the blasts could be felt 12km from the spot in Palghar, Mahim, Boisar and surrounding areas. Doors and glass panes of nearby houses were shattered. Eyewitnesses said the explosion, sounding like a huge bomb, happened when many were preparing to retire for the night. However, scared and shaken by the explosion, many feared it was an earthquake and hundreds rushed out on to the streets and sat there. At least 25 fire tenders from Vasai, Bhiwandi, Palghar, Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), Reliance Thermal, Dahanu, Thane and Palghar have been pressed into service. As a precautionary measure, roads have been cordoned off, and power to 57 industrial units (20 high tension (HT) units and 37 low tension (LT) units) near the spot have been cut off as the two 11 KV each feeders have been shut, said an MSEDCL official. SP Singe said the directorate of industrial safety and health (DISH), Vasai, will ascertain the cause of the fire and submit a report to the Boisar MIDC police, who have registered a case of accident. Collector Narnaware said he had conducted meetings with concerned departments like MIDC and MPCB and instructed them to ensure safety. Tarapur MIDC has around 1,100 chemical units which store hazardous and flammable chemicals. DISH has failed to take corrective measures and hence, we will be forwarding a report to the state government to conduct an inquiry into these lapses, he said. Novaphene Specialities head office is located in Dahisar and is owned by the Shah Group which has been manufacturing acid chlorides, reagents, personal cosmetic care, pharmaceutical intermediates and other products for the past five decades. A Dalit woman was set on fire allegedly by two local moneylenders following a dispute over repayment of a loan in a village in Uttar Pradeshs Ballia district early on Friday, police said. The woman, Reshami (40), of Jajauli Number 1 village, sustained 60% burns and is undergoing treatment in Varanasi, they said. Superintendent of police Anil Kumar, who recorded the statement of the victim, said the police had arrested moneylenders Satyam Singh and Sonu Singh. A case has been registered in this connection. Further investigations are on, he said. A police officer privy to the investigation said Reshami told the SP that she had borrowed Rs 20,000 from Satyam and Sonu and repaid the amount with interest. She alleged that despite repayment, the two men kept demanding more money. Reshami told the SP that she was sleeping under a thatch about 100 metres away from her house when two people reached there and set her afire after dousing her with kerosene. Reshamis relatives rushed to the spot hearing her screams and took her to the district hospital. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that individuals have a right to die with dignity, in a verdict that permits the removal of life-support systems for the terminally ill or those in incurable comas. The court also permitted individuals to decide against artificial life support, should the need arise, by creating a living will. SC was hearing a plea by NGO Common Cause to declare right to die with dignity as a fundamental right within the fold of right to live with dignity, which is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Heres all you need to know about euthanasia and living will: Living will A living will is a concept where a patient can give consent that allows withdrawal of life support systems if the individual is reduced to a permanent vegetative state with no real chance of survival. It is a type of advance directive that may be used by a person before incapacitation to outline a full range of treatment preferences or, most often, to reject treatment. A living can detail a persons preferences for tube-feeding, artificial hydration, and pain medication when an individual cannot communicate his/her choices. In its verdict on Friday, SC has attached strict conditions for executing a living will that was made by a person in his normal state of health and mind. The US, UK, Germany and Netherlands have advance medical directive laws that allow people to create a living will. Active and passive euthanasia Active euthanasia, the intentional act of causing the death of a patient in great suffering, is illegal in India. It entails deliberately causing the patients death through injections or overdose. But passive euthanasia, the withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten a terminally ill patients death was allowed by the Supreme Court in Fridays landmark verdict. The court also laid down guidelines on who would execute the will and how a nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by a medical board set up to determine and carry out any advance directive. In cases where there is no advance directive, the patient, family, friends and legal guardians cant take the decision on their own, but can approach a high court for stopping treatment . Aruna Shanbaug case In 2011, the Supreme Court, while hearing the case of Aruna Shanbaug, who was in a vegetative state for more than 40 years, had legalised passive euthanasia partially. A nurse at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, Shanbaug was in a vegetative state since 1973 after a brutal sodomisation and strangling with a dog-chain during a sexual assault. She died in 2015 while on a ventilator for several days after suffering from pneumonia. SC gave patients living in a vegetative state the right to have treatment or food withdrawn, and laid down guidelines to process passive euthanasia in the case of incompetent patients. The guidelines included seeking a declaration from a high court, after getting clearance from a medical board and state government. Terminally Ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill In 2012, the union health ministry posted a draft of the Terminally Ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill on its website and invited public reactions. The Bill is popularly referred to as the Passive Euthanasia Bill although its draft did not use the emotive word euthanasia to skirt complications around the term, a health ministry official told HT in 2016. It says every advance medical directive (also called living will) or medical power of attorney executed by a person shall be taken into consideration in matter of withholding or withdrawing medical treatment but it shall not be binding on any medical practitioner. The draft bill has a controversial clause that allows a minor aged above 16 to take an informed decision and express a desire to withhold or withdraw medical treatment and allow nature to take its own course Medical experts on euthanasia Doctors have a mixed reaction to legalising euthanasia. They say the government needs to take a careful approach before legalising passive euthanasia when the measures to prolong the life of the patient are withdrawn. Most doctors, however, agree that euthanasia should be made legal in cases where there is no scope of a patient recovering. But many feel that India is not yet ready for a decision like this which requires a mix of sensitivity and maturity. Misuse of law A major concern is the misuse of the law. If it is legal to passively allow or hasten death, whats to say an aged parent wont be hastened in favour of an inheritance, or a spouse have treatment withdrawn for the sake of a hefty insurance payout? Euthanasia in other countries Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide have been legal in The Netherlands and Belgium since 2001 and 2002. In the US, Switzerland and Germany, euthanasia is illegal but physician-assisted suicide is legal. Euthanasia remains illegal in the UK, France, Canada and Australia The former Khalistani militant at the centre of a controversy that engulfed Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to India has said he was shocked and devastated by the furore over an invitation to him to attend a dinner reception at the residence of the Canadian envoy in New Delhi. Jaspal Atwal, who attempted to assassinate a visiting minister from Punjab in 1986 and was convicted for it the next year, made his first public appearance after the row in India at the law office of Rishi Gill in Vancouver on Thursday. He read out a six-page statement, which said he was sorry for any embarrassment the incident had caused to Canada, India, my community and my family and made clear that he disavowed the Khalistani cause. Referring to the attempt on the life of the Punjab minister, Atwal said he had nothing but regret and remorse for my actions. He mentioned he had planned his visit to India in December and January and that before leaving Vancouver, he had reached out to Liberal Party MP Randeep Sarai to see whether there was any possibility of attending the reception for the Prime Minister during his government visit to India. Atwal did not take any questions and sat stony faced as the Q&A began, and swiftly left the venue once the news conference concluded. In New Delhi, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Friday that Atwal had travelled to India on a valid visa and had visited the India earlier too. India has a policy of outreach to diaspora, including to misguided elements who have since given up on earlier views, he said. Gill responded to questions related to the charge by a senior Canadian official that Atwal had been planted by rogue elements in the Indian government to embarrass Trudeau, saying, Mr Atwal at no point has considered himself or been approached by any Indian representative in such a fashion that he would act as an agent of some sort. There is some bandying about of the word informant. That is not correct. Atwal said he attended a reception before the invitation to the New Delhi reception was rescinded after details about his past became public and a media sensation. When I asked to be considered to attend the reception I had assumed there would be no problems. No one had at any point indicated there would be any issues. On three previous occasions in 2013 and 2014, I had visited the House of Commons in Ottawa and been provided with a cleared visitor pass, Atwal said in his statement. His lawyer said Atwal assumed he was vetted properly for the events he was invited to during Trudeaus visit. There is no close relationship with any diplomats, Gill said, when asked about Atwals ties to officials in the Indian consulate in Vancouver. Gill pointed out Atwal had visited India in 1999 and 2002, but was denied a visa in the mid-2000s. He was then given a one-month visa in 2017, followed by visas of three-month and one-year validity. Referring to his attempt to assassinate the Punjab minister, Atwal said he had nothing but regret and remorse for my actions and the suffering I caused to the victim. What I did was described as an act of terror by the judge who dealt with this matter. I accept full responsibility. I do not disagree with the courts conclusions. Atwal also made clear that he disavowed the Khalistani cause, which he was involved with in the 1980s. Describing himself as almost 63 years old and a husband, father and grandfather, he said, I again renounce any form of terrorism. I do not advocate in any sense for an independent Sikh nation. I, like the vast majority of Sikhs who once advocated for this cause, have reconciled with the nation of India. India has also has been reconciling with these same Sikhs who once sought independence. Canada is my home. India is my homeland. I am very proud to be a Canadian of Indian heritage. Explaining his involvement with the Khalistan movement, Atwal said: Almost 40 years ago I, like many other Sikhs, became caught up in a movement supporting an independent Sikh nation. While nothing can excuse my conduct, I can only say that during that time in the early 1980s I reacted to the Indian Army storming the Golden Temple in Amritsar in a way that has caused much pain to many individuals. Pointing to the fact that India had allowed him to travel there, Gill said, Mr Atwal presents no security threat of this country or any other country. Atwal also said he had been politically active within the Indian community and had met politicians from across the spectrum. He said he had visited India numerous times since my release from custody. Most recently, in 2017 and 2018. He said he had been issued an Indian visa for those visits and visited India lawfully and with the full permission of the Indian government. There were no restrictions placed on me by Canada so that I could not travel. Atwal, who read out his statement before his lawyer took over, said he was sorry for any embarrassment the incident had caused to Canada, India, my community and my family. In conclusion, he reiterated he was no longer a votary of separatism, as he said, I want to again stress that the terrible events that happened in the past are something I live with every day and take complete responsibility for. I, just like the Sikh community and Indians generally, have moved on from the issues the divided us almost 40 years ago. I hope we can all have the opportunity to recognise our faults and take responsibility for our actions that caused harm. I hope we can all do our best to correct our behaviour and become contributing members of society. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the national capital on Friday night for a four-day visit and was received at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a special gesture. Macron was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, besides senior ministers from his Cabinet. Welcome to India, President @EmmanuelMacron! Your visit will add great strength to the strategic partnership between India and France. I look forward to our talks tomorrow, Modi tweeted after receiving Macron at the airport. During the visit, the two countries would look to boost ties, especially in the areas of maritime security and counter-terrorism. An agreement on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, which is being built with French assistance, is expected to be signed during the visit, sources here said. Stepping up cooperation in the Indian Ocean region will be one of the top issues that will be discussed by Macron and Prime Minister Modi during delegation-level talks on Saturday. French President Emmanuel Macron hugs Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his wife Brigitte Macron looks on at Air Force Station Palam in New Delhi, on March 9, 2018. (Reuters) France has particularly supported Indias perspective on terror in South Asia. We are seeing convergence in new areas, particularly maritime security, counter-terrorism and renewable energy, K Nagraj Naidu, joint secretary (Europe-west), told reporters. Besides defence, cooperation in the areas of nuclear energy and space are the other pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France. In the area of space, India and France have a matured engagement and we would like to take it to a new level, Naidu said. The Indo-French cooperation in the area of space is more than five-decades-old. Besides conventional areas, thrust would also be on renewable energy, high-speed train and stepping cooperation in trade. French President Emmanuel Macron waves towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he drives away after arriving at Air Force Station Palam in New Delhi, on March 9, 2018. (Reuters) The bilateral trade between India and France for the period from April 2016 to March 2017 was USD 10.95 billion. France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 6.09 billion from April 2000 to October 2017. After holding delegation-level talks with Modi on Saturday, Macron will take part in a Town Hall and have an interactive session, in which nearly 300 students from different institutions are expected to participate. On the same day, he will also take part in a Knowledge Summit which will be attended by more than 200 academicians from both sides. On March 11, President Macron will attend the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit, an initiative mooted by France and India. The ISA Summit, expected to be attended by several heads of the states and governments, is likely to focus on concrete projects. On the same day, he will also visit Taj Mahal in Agra. President Macron will also visit Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, on March 12. He, along with Modi, will inaugurate a solar plant in Uttar Pradeshs Mirzapur. The law ministry notified the appointment of 23 permanent judges in the Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bombay high courts on Friday evening. These come on the heels of the government appointing three new additional judges to the Calcutta high court and notifying 17 additional judges in Madhya Pradesh as permanent on March 7. Experts however, said these seemingly large-scale exercises mask the fact that only emergency appointments are being made to the higher judiciary. Just eight new judges have been appointed so far this year. Before Calcutta, five additional judges were appointed to the Karnataka high court in February. In both cases, lawyers went on strike demanding that the government appoint judges already recommended by the Supreme Court collegium. While the lawyers in Karnataka withdrew their relay hunger strike after the new appointments were made on February 9, their counterparts in the Calcutta high court refused to end their agitation even after Wednesdays development. Three judges are just not sufficient. The collegium had sent 13 names (for consideration), said Uttam Kumar Majumder, president of the Calcutta high court Bar Association. Congress leader Brijesh Kallappa said Karnataka chief minister Siddharamaiah had also sought the appointment of more judges from the Union law minister last month. The Calcutta high court has 39 vacancies against 72 judicial posts while its Karnataka counterpart has 32 vacancies against 62 positions. An official said the apex court collegiums had restricted its recommendations for making additional judges permanent in a February 22 meeting. It is believed that things will only get worse with the government unable to agree with the collegium on a new memorandum of procedure for appointing judges. This might continue till a change of guard in the SC. We are headed for a medium-term standoff, said Sumathi Chandrashekharan, judicial reforms expert at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. During his 150-minute reply to the debate on the governors address in Haryana Vidhan Sabha, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had referred to the farmers as soft targets being exploited by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Congress. His contention was that out of power INLD and Congress leaders were instigating the pliable peasantry for political survival. By devoting half of his speech on farming sector, Khattars worry about growing unrest among the farmers, the key constituency of the INLD and Congress, became amply clear. And to halt this unrest in the farming community, finance minister Capt Abhimanyu on Friday announced 51% hike in the outlay for agriculture as part of well thought-out strategy of the BJP government. The highlight of the tax-free budget was farming sector with notable spending of Rs 4,098 crore earmarked for agriculture and allied activities in 2018-19, up from last years Rs 2,710 crore an increase of 51.22%. The budget also announced 20% increase in outlay for irrigation and water resources and 25% hike in rural development outlay. Clearly, by reaching out to farmers and the rural sector, this budget is an attempt of the Khattar government to prepare ground for 2019 parliamentary elections that will be followed by assembly polls due in October 2019. The budget is replete with poll-push. We wish to transform the farm sector completely in the state in coming years, the way farming is done, Capt Abhimanyu said. This is a historic increase in the outlay for agriculture and allied activities to give special boost to agriculture and rural development. DOUBLING FARMERS INCOME The budget document refers to doubling the farmers income by 2022. Diversification of agriculture to horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries etc are among the steps the government has proposed to increase farmers income. Under the horticulture vision, the government has set the target to double the area under horticulture from the present 7.5% to 15%. To achieve this goal, the government has declared 340 Bagwani villages in 140 crop clusters and prepared a crop cluster development programme for crop diversification. To give boost to horticulture, Centres of excellence are being set up in each district, the FM said. Already, first centre of its kind in India on bee-keeping was established in Kurukshetra in 2017 with the help of Israel. Three centres of excellence are coming up in Palwal, Jhajjar and Narnaul. Animal husbandry and dairying is another priority sector government has identified. For further development of Murrah breed buffalo, the budget proposes to establish Murrah Reserch and Skill Development in Narnaund in Hisar in 208-19. This centre will train women, unemployed youth and farmers for self-employment. A veterinary livestock development diploma college under Hisar based veterinary university will be set up at Lakhnaur Sahib, Ambala. Of the total Rs 4,098 crore, agriculture will get Rs 1,839 crore, animal husbandry Rs 913, horticulture Rs 835, forests Rs 427 crore and fisheries Rs 84 crore. Also, the government plans to spend Rs 550 crore in next two years on rehabilitation of about 125 channels. Out of total 1,350 canal tails, 1343 tails have been fully fed, Capt Abhimanyu said, referring to sabka saath, sabka vikas catch phrase of the state government. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday tabled Rs 41,440 crore revenue deficit budget for the year 2018-19 with a thrust on agriculture sector and developing new tourist destinations in the state and announced 28 new schemes for the welfare of students, women and the unemployed. Thakur, who also holds the finance portfolio, in his maiden budget announced to levy Rs 1 cess (to be called Gau vansh vikas cess) on the sale of every bottle of liquor to generate revenue for the maintenance of gaushalas (cow shelters) in the state. He also announced to amend the HP Religious Endowments and Temple Trust Act to make way for utilising 15% of temple offerings for maintaining cowsheds. It is for the first time that 28 new schemes have been announced in the budget, said Thakur, who admitted that precarious financial condition of the state was a big challenge for his government. Of a total of Rs 41,440 crore budget this time, an estimated Rs 11,263 crore (27%) will be spent on salaries and Rs 5,893 crore (14.22%) on pensions. The budget has only 39% fund allocation for development works. Financial health Thakur blamed the previous Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh for poor fiscal health of the state. The debt burden on the state, which was Rs 19, 977 crore in 2007, had gone up to Rs 27,598 crore in 2012 when the BJP government was ousted by the Congress from power. During the Congress 2013- 2017 regime, the debt burden increased from Rs 27,598 crore to Rs 46,385 crore. Thakur in his budget speech also blamed the Congress for the sluggish growth estimated for the current fiscal. However, the state succeeded in containing the revenue deficit rate in the current fiscal. Agriculture and horticulture Thakur said the government has laid more thrust on the farm sector, underlining the need for extending irrigation facilities in the state. He announced flow irrigation, solar irrigation and Jal se krishi ko bal schemes, allocating Rs 600 crore for the same. He said 60% subsidy will be provided for buying anti-hail guns and 33% subsidy for buying pick-up vans to encourage waste collection in rural areas. He said a cow policy will be framed and implemented for the promotion of desi (indigenous) cows. The Rs 1 cess on a liquor bottle will generate Rs 8 crore in revenue. Besides, the government has also initiated schemes to promote zero budget farming. PWD and IPH The government plans to bring the public works department (PWD) and the irrigation and public health (IPH) under the ambit of e-governance and e-monitoring system. Both the departments will implement the works management information system wherein the status of all works from the tendering stage to completion will be updated on real-time basis. The CM and the minister concerned will regularly monitor the process. All tenders above Rsn 5 lakh will be carried out online using the e-procurement portal. Health The government has initiated new schemes and provided more funds for the existing ones. The CM medical assistance funds will be set up to provide assistance to the poor with serious ailments. The newborns will be provided with a kit worth Rs 1,500. The state government will implement this scheme for the beneficiaries covered under the Mukhya Mantri State Health Care Scheme. Ease of doing business, industries The state government will launch Him Pragti online monitoring system wherein projects on power, industry, tourism and other infrastructure will be monitored by the CM to ensure faster clearances and approvals from all departments. All mining sites will be allotted through online competitive bidding. The government has slashed electricity duty from 4% to 2% for existing small industries, from 10% to 7% for medium industrial units besides waiving electricity duty for new small and medium industrial units for the first five years. Youth and jobs The CM announced a new scheme Mukhya Mantri Swavlamban Yojna under which the state youth aged between 18 and 35 will be provided certain benefits such as 25% capital subsidy on plant and machinery up to an investment of 40 lakh in industries. He also announced reduction in stamp duty on purchasing a private plot for business purpose from 6% to 3%. He announced to continue with the skill development allowance scheme started by previous government. Education Students of Class 3, 6 and 9 will be provided school bags. A new scheme has been announced under which one model residential school will be established in each constituency, where Navodya and Eklavya schools do not exist. Free education and hostel facility will be provided at these schools. The government will design syllabus to teach yoga in the state schools, the CM said. The CM also proposed 110 crore grant-in-aid to Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla. The Bharatiya Janata Party sees an opportunity to expand its footprints in Andhra Pradesh after its partner from the southern state, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), almost severed its ties with the Union government, BJP leaders said on Thursday. State chief minister N Chandrababu Naidus decision on Wednesday to pull out two of his ministers from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government didnt surprise the BJP, but it was rather preparing for the inevitable after the TDP escalated its demand for special status for the state. We realised it two months ago that the TDP was going a different way We have two MPs and four MLAs to lose in the worst case scenario when the two parties contest elections separately, Andhra Pradesh BJP chief K Hari Babu said. We have a bigger territory to gain. The BJP will attempt to improve its position in Andhra Pradesh. The TDP-BJP alliance was forged before the parliamentary and assembly elections in 2014. The coalition won 17 of 25 Lok Sabha seats and 106 of 175 assembly constituencies in the state. According to BJP leaders, who dont want to be named, the TDP has been demanding the status that will guarantee enhanced central funds for development. But it was lying low until its regional rival, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress, started an aggressive campaign for the special status promised when Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014 to form a separate state of Telangana. The YSR Congress has declared that its MPs will resign on April 6 if the special status was not announced before that. The BJP polled about 7% votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and over 2% in the assembly polls in the state. It sees a huge scope for improvement in vote share and its seat tally. But the partys primary concern now is to counter the perception that it blocked the special status for Andhra Pradesh. Our strategy will be to dispel this perception, said a BJP leader, requesting anonymity. No government at the Centre can grant such a status after implementation of the 14th Finance Commission. The BJPs campaign will highlight benefits the NDA government extended to Andhra Pradesh beyond the increased share of states in taxes collected by the Centre from 32% to 42%. The party has prepared a 17-page document listing out incentives such as 11 educational institutions of national importance by 2022 and adequate funds for infrastructure projects. The BJPs presence in Andhra Pradesh is mostly concentrated in the coastal region, which includes nine districts. It is relatively weak in four districts of the Rayalaseema region, a stronghold of the YSR Congress. A BJP leader, who doesnt want his name published, said the party does not hope to emerge as the dominant force in Andhra Pradesh immediately, but a countrywide surge will help it gain ground in the southern state. The optimism stems from the BJPs string of poll victories in states that were considered impregnable for the party the latest instance being the win Tripura, where it upstaged 25 years of Left Front rule. The leader warned that the partys allies must realise this is a new BJP that will not give into blackmailing techniques. The BJP pins hope on a multi-cornered contest, including the TDP, YSR Congress, the communist parties and the Jan Sena Party of actor Pawan Kalyan, to make progress in Andhra Pradesh. The party does not see a possibility of the Congress and TDP coming together. The TDPs origin, survival and future depends on its anti-Congress position, which Naidu will not give away, BJP state unit chief Babu said. As for Jagan Mohan Reddy, the BJP leader said the YSR Congress chief has his set of reservation with the Congress. A reunion of Jagan and Congress is ruled out at the moment. Police are trying to ascertain the identity of a Pakistani militant who is believed to have taken over as the commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad in Kashmir, a top police official said on Friday. Social media was abuzz with news of a person identified as Hafiz Umar, seen in photographs holding an assault rifle. His age was not known. The new JeM chief in Kashmir was apparently named after the death of its former commander Mufti Waqas in south Kashmirs Pulwama district. There have been posts on social media about the new leader of the outfit. We are trying to ascertain the fact, said Kashmir inspector general of police SP Pani. Not much is known about the new leader in keeping with the JeMs policy of not naming its commanders publicly. Two major commanders of Jaish have been killed in south Kashmir in less than three months. On March 5, security forces killed operational commander of the outfit, Mufti Waqas , a foreigner, in south Kashmirs Pulwama district. Waqas is said to have masterminded the attack on the army camp in Sunjuwan on February 10 in which six soldiers and a civilian were killed. Waqas was also involved in attacks in Lethpora, Pulwama district police lines and a BSF camp at Srinagar airport. Waqass elimination, like the way it happened abruptly, was a major blow to JeM, said Pani. This opinion was echoed by the outfit as well. The martyrdom of Mufti Waqas is a big tragedy for Jaish-e-Mohammad and the freedom movement, JeM had said in a statement. Before Waqas, a Kashmiri, Noor Mohammad Tantray (47), had taken the mantle of Jaish. Tantray, just four feet tall and a resident of Aripal in Pulwama district, was killed on December 17 last year. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday launched a multi-barrel offensive against the combative Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Congress, in an attempt to demolish the opposition on twin issues peasantry and corruption. Wrapping up the discussion on the governors address, Khattar, who is otherwise known for calm persona, displayed an unusual aggression and skill during his two-and-a-half-hour address that INLD and the Congress disrupted frequently by raising counter questions against almost every issue that the CM touched upon. The INLD, Khattar said, was sticking to the emotive Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue in the vain hope of returning to power. For the INLD, SYL stands for Satta Yun Loonga, said Khattar, who peppered his speech with sarcasm to attack the INLD particularly, amid treasury benches thumping the benches. He said the INLD was instigating the farmers and using the SYL canal issue as a ladder to come to power. Those who were neck deep in the ocean of corruption are accusing us of indulging in corruption, Khattar said, referring to the Congress. During the Congress decade long rule in Haryana, the catch word used to be BBC badli, bharti and CLU, he said, pointing out that eliminating corruption in recruitment and transfers was one of the main achievements of his government. CMs announcements The government will start a 4-point programme for the upkeep and basic facilities in the cremation ground of every village in the state. Free Medical camps for senior citizen women at community health centres and district hospitals. Free sanitary pads for girls in the age bracket of 11-18. The government will set up a 100-bed hospital at Panipat for mother-child care. INLD stages walkout Right from the beginning, the INLD kept disrupting the CMs address. Finally, the INLD staged a walkout on the ground that his reply on law and order was unsatisfactory. Transparency in governance, steps to eradicate corruption, clean administration, SYL canal, reforms in power sector, agriculture and equal development of every region of the state were among the over dozen-odd issues on which Khattar dwelt at length. A strong message has gone out that now jobs are given only on merit. This government represents 2.5 crore people of Haryana. We believe in Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, he said. Earlier, there was a perception that more development works remained concentrated in regions from where chief ministers came, he said. I have told people in my constituency that development works in Karnal will happen in the same manner as in the rest of Haryana, he said. Asking the opposition to stick to constructive criticism, he said opposition parties even tried to make an issue when the governor said that some part of his address speech on the opening day of the assembly be treated as read. The opposition should play its role constructively, he said. Khattar claimed that out of the 4,500 CMs announcements, work on 3,200 had either been completed or nearing completion. INLDs Abhay Chautala had sought that a complete record pertaining to these announcements be placed before the House. 10 saal waala ghar Taking a dig at the INLD on the corruption issue, Khattar said his government has been taking every decision as per the law. The BJP leaders, he said, would not want to go to what he said: 10 saal wala ghar, He was referring to the imprisonment of INLD supremo OP Chautala in a recruitment scam. 10 saal wala ghar hamein yaad aata hai, he said looking straight towards the leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala. Agrees to all-party meet on SYL Accepting a demand of opposition parties, Khattar agreed for an all-party meeting on the SYL canal issue even as he advised the opposition to desist from politicising it. Khattar spent around an hour while listing out the steps his government has taken to deal with the issues concerning the farmers and the SYL canal. He repeatedly questioned why the then INLD government did not take steps to complete the SYL canal construction after the Supreme Court verdict in 2002. He said: We have taken a vow to ensure that Haryana gets every single drop of its share in SYL canal water. The CM said that a meeting will be held with officers of Uttar Pradesh government next month to resolve various issues concerning irrigation, including Haryanas share in the Agra canal . Around 100-km stretch of the Agra canal falls in Haryana and the farmers in various parts of southern Haryana get water from various channels which emanate from the river. At present, Haryana has to take no objection certificate (NOC) from UP for cleaning the canal since its control rests with UP, he said. India and France will come up with a joint vision statement on the Indo-Pacific-- on the lines of a similar US-India declaration-- to coordinate their strategic objectives in the region during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron starting on Friday, officials said. The ambitious blueprint envisions a trilateral naval exercise separately with the United Arab Emirates and Australia, and a logistics agreement with France for the Indian Ocean region that would give India access to French naval bases. A pact between the national security councils of the two countries to protect the security and sanctity of documents pertaining to national security will also be signed after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Macron on March 10, officials said. Macron will take part in the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance on March 11. The term Indo-Pacific has gained currency recently across diplomatic and security circles in the US, Australia, India and Japan as the countries devise ways to deal with an aggressive China in the region. Beijing prefers Asia-Pacific but to many the term places an expansionist China too firmly at the centre of the region. Like India, France too is eager to expand its footprint in the Indo-Pacific and the two countries, along with Britain, Japan and the United States, conducted naval exercises in the Pacific. France is also engaged in defence cooperation with Pacific countries such as New Zealand, Australia and the United States. A road map to cooperation on the Indo-Pacific, where the two countries will coordinate their positions on defence and security matters, including through expansion of their joint naval exercises, would be a key outcome of the meeting between Modi and Macron. France is an important strategic partner of India. We are both democratic countries that share common interest in the Indian ocean and in the larger region, which is working for a free, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. Officials said the India-France cooperation would not be parallel to that among the Indo-Pacific quad, which brings together India, the United States, Japan and Australia. France has remained a benign power in the Indian Ocean and stood by India even during difficult times, including after the Pokharn II nuclear tests under former PM (Atal Bihar)Vajpayee, said another official. The agreement on logistics in the Indian ocean would help India expand its footprint in the region. From Reunion Island to the naval base Heron in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa, to Abu Dhabi in the UAE, France has key naval bases. Meanwhile, France has offered India 36 more Rafale fighter jets and to build six more advanced stealth submarines in India that will be an upgraded version of the Scorpene submarine. Six Scorpene-class submarines, designed by French firm Naval Group (formerly DCNS SA) are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. Nearly one-and-a-half years after talks began, the Mizoram government and rebel outfit Hmar Peoples Convention-Democracy (HPC-D) have reached an agreement on the terms of a peace pact. After two days of political level talks between representatives of Mizoram government and HPC(D) delegates, a consensus has been reached on the terms of a peace deal, said a press statement released on Thursday in Aizawl. The exact terms and conditions of the agreement and the date on which the peace accord would be signed are not yet available. Once inked, the accord is expected to bring lasting peace and address the demands of the Hmar tribe. The only active rebel outfit in Mizoram, HPC(D) an offshoot of the Hmar Peoples Convention has been demanding more autonomy to Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC) constituted in 1994. The Mizoram governments delegation was led by legislator Lalrinmawia Ralte, who is also the adviser of chief minister Lalthanhawla, while the HPC(D) was led by the outfits working chairman L T Hmar. The talks were held in a very positive and cordial atmosphere. We are hopeful that the accord would be signed this year itself and help bring lasting peace to Mizoram, Ralte said. Both sides said that SHDC would be dissolved to create Sinlung Hills Council. The new body, akin to autonomous district council but with lesser powers, will have 14 members (2 nominated by state government) and is expected to have greater autonomy. Reports say the peace pact will be signed after the Mizoram government tables and passes a bill in state assembly for creation of the Sinlung Hills Council (SHC). A faction of HPC(D) led by founder president Lalhmingthang Sanate is opposed to the creation of SHC as they are demanding an autonomous district council. Sanate was arrested by Assam Police last month. Disappointed with contents of the Mizo Peace Accord signed in 1986, which didnt address the creation of a Greater Mizoram comprising Hmar inhabited areas in Mizoram, Assam and Manipur, the HPC came into existence the same year. The outfit signed a memorandum of settlement with the Mizoram government in 1994 to establish SHDC and laid down arms. But unhappy with the implementation of the deal, a section of the outfit took up arms again a year later and formed the HPC(D). The Mizoram government and HPC(D) have been engaged in official talks since August 2016. Besides more autonomy to SHDC, the outfit wants proper rehabilitation package for its cadres after they give up arms. Between 1992 and 2018, insurgency-related incidents claimed the lives of 49 civilians, security personnel and insurgents in Mizoram. No killings have taken place in the past two years. As per the 2011 census, the Hmar population in Mizoram is 29,587. Most of them are concentrated in the north and northeast part of the state. The total population of the state is 10.91 lakh. Cyclone Ockhi that struck the Indian coast in the end of November 2017 killed 365 persons, according to information shared by the ministry of home affairs in Parliament this week, making it the deadliest since the Odisha supercyclone of 1999 that claimed around 10,000 lives. Ockhi claimed 203 lives in TN, taking into account those who died and those still missing, and presumed dead. Kerala reported 60 dead and 102 missing, all of whom have now been presumed dead by the state government. The heavy death toll from Ockhi is surprising given that it wasnt the strongest of storms. It emerged as a cyclone in the last week of November, wreaked havoc in Lakshwadweep, the southern coast of Tamil Nadu and Kerala before dissipating close to the Gujarat coast. Cyclone Ockhi was an unusual cyclone, it emerged quickly and travelled rapidly towards the Kerala coast, M Mohapatra, a senior scientist at IMD said. Cyclone Phailin that struck the Odisha coast in 2013 attained maximum wind speeds of 215km/hour while Ockhi reached maximum wind speeds of 185 km/hr. Phailin caused 23 deaths. The 1999 super cyclone in Odisha attained maximum wind speeds of 260km/hr. The damage it caused prompted the government to ask IMD to improve its advance forecasting abilities. Ockhi was Keralas fourth cyclone since 1891 and the state has less experience and preparedness in dealing with these than, say, Tamil Nadu or Odisha. Turbulent waves hit the Vizhinjam coast in Thiruvananthapuram on December 1, 2017. (Vivek Nair/HT File Photo) Cyclone early warning dissemination doesnt just mean having the right information but getting it to vulnerable populations in time. This month, a Lokayukta enquiry was announced to examine whether Kerala State Disaster Management Authority acted quickly enough to get the information to the state government and subsequently to the fishermen at sea. Sekhar L Kuriakose, member secretary of the KSDMA said he had no comments to make. The Centre and the state authorities are currently in a tussle over who is responsible for the missing fishermen. Officials at the National Disaster Management Authority who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that while those who were outside the range of cellular networks could not be contacted, even those fishermen who were within range were not alerted. Under the second phase of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) which started in July 2015 and ends in March 2020, six states including Kerala are supposed to develop early-warning dissemination systems for cyclones. According to an audit by the World Bank, which is funding the project, of the Rs 158.95cr that is allocated, the state government had spent no money till July 2017. During the first two years of the project, only Rs 6.44cr was released of which Rs 1.1 crore was utilised by the centre. More than 85% of the released funds were unutilised. Kerala had not even signed an agreement with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), its knowledge partner in setting up an early warning dissemination system. The other five states who are part of the project, including Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal havent done any better. As of January 2017, the percentage of targeted coastal population covered by the EWDS was 0%. Mohapatra said IMD was refining its cyclone forecasting models to improve forecasts. The difficult task is finding ways to get the information across to the fishermen, even those hundreds of kilometres out at sea. Indias space agency, ISRO, recently announced that it would be giving fishermen in Kerala 500 sets of satellite receivers and those in Tamil Nadus Kanyakumari district, 200, that will rely on an indigenously developed GPS system called NavIC and also be used to relay weather alerts. A businessman in Odishas steel city Rourkela lodged a complaint with the police on Thursday that his wife, a banker, married another man while he was on a work trip to Uttar Pradesh last week. In his complaint filed at Raghunathpalli police station in the city, the businessman said he was in Varanasi when he got the news that his wife had remarried. The businessman showed the police his marriage certificate. He said he had married the banker in July 2016. He added they had a registry marriage because their parents did not approve of their relationship. He said he called his wife from Varanasi on March 4, but she did not answer her phone. Then I called her mother, who told me that her daughter had got married and they were preparing for her wedding reception, he added. The businessman said he rushed back to Rourkela and spotted his wife in bridal finery at her parents house. I have been cheated. I want justice, he added. The womans father, however, denied she was ever married to the businessman. He told the police the businessman had produced a fake marriage registration certificate. At the time of this copy being published, police were yet to register an FIR on the businessmans complaint. Sub-inspector R Pradhan of Raghunathpalli police station said, We are verifying the documents and action will be initiated after scrutiny. India on Friday termed as very shocking a Pakistani courts order asking the countrys election commission to hear the case of JuD chief Hafiz Saeeds political party for registration and said it was an attempt to mainstream his activities. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also said that the order exposes Pakistans duplicity in taking action against terrorists and terror groups operating out of its soil. On Thursday, the Islamabad high court set aside a decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reject the application of Jamaat-ud-Dawahs political front Milli Muslim League (MML) for registration as a political party. It sent the case back to the ECP asking it to proceed further on the application by giving the party an opportunity of hearing. Responding to a question on the issue, Kumar said, It seems, this is an attempt by Pakistani establishment to mainstream him, his system as a political party. And this is a way of shielding the activities he earlier indulged in. It is a very shocking development which completely exposes Pakistans duplicity in taking action against terrorists and terror groups operating out of Pakistani soil, he said. He said that Saeed is a UN proscribed terrorist and the prime organiser of the Mumbai terror attack, who has blood on his hand of not only several innocent Indian citizens but also from any other countries across the world. Last month, a decision was taken at a plenary session of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international task force mandated to combat terror funding and money laundering, to put Pakistan in the grey list. It will be placed in the grey list in June. Kumar said Pakistan is mandated under the UN law to take action against Saeed. I think, the true face of Hafiz Saeed and true face of Pakistan is for all to see. Not only India but also the international community feels that the action which should be taken against Hafiz Saeed has not been taken, he said. Thousands of poor women in Tamil Nadu have been offered free cosmetic breast surgery, including implants, its health minister has said, because poor people also have a right to look beautiful. The southern state is known for its populist schemes, which have previously included free canteens and providing thousands of disadvantaged people with goats, laptops and bicycles among other items. It will now offer cosmetic breast surgery free of cost to all women -- for aesthetic or medical reasons -- with priority given to those from the poorest sections of society. If a poor woman desires to look beautiful, we will support her financially, state health minister C Vijayabaskar told AFP. Whether they require medical procedures or beauty treatment, it will be free. Tamil Nadu is ranked among the top states in Indias public healthcare system, compared with ailing government-run facilities in many other parts of the country. But critics of the new scheme said the state government is wasting public money on cosmetic surgery instead of spending money on treating serious ailments. It is sad that we are now focusing on beauty instead of life-saving surgeries, Dr S Elango, a former public health official in Tamil Nadu, told the Times of India newspaper. Cosmetic breast surgery is becoming increasingly popular in the country, but private hospitals charge anywhere between $2,300 to $3,800 (around Rs 2 lakh) for a procedure -- a years wage for most Indians. More than 90,000 such procedures were carried out in the country in 2016, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, up from 50,600 in 2010. The Tamil Nadu scheme was launched in February at a state-run clinic in Chennai, with a promise to soon expand it to other districts of the state. V Ramadevi, who heads the clinic, told AFP some women want such surgeries because they face psychological issues that may severely impact their lives. Their career, (their) marriage are derailed because they are taunted and their confidence is shattered, she said, adding that the clinic expects up to 150 women a month to take up the offer. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday engaged in a war of words, heating up the political atmosphere in Andhra Pradesh and in the TDP-NDA alliance at the Centre. N Chandrababu Naidu, TDP president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister, who held a teleconference with party MPs in New Delhi and other senior leaders of the party on Friday, is learnt to have said that the TDP had gained little benefit in the 2014 elections by aligning with the BJP. Before the 2014 elections, the TDP achieved a massive victory in the local body elections. There was no difference in the percentage of voting for the TDP in assembly elections compared to local body elections. As such, there was no additional benefit in terms of voting for the TDP because of the alliance with the BJP, a party source said, quoting Naidu. The TDP chief said the party had an alliance with the BJP and later joined the NDA government only with an intention to bring maximum benefits to the state. Naidu told MPs that the party would have to continue in the NDA for some more time in order to wrap up some crucial issues pending with the Centre, especially with regard to the release of funds for Polavaram project. Naidu also constituted a strategy committee comprising state ministers Y Ramakrishnudu, Kala Venkat Rao, S Chandramohan Reddy, K Achen Naidu, and K Srinivasulu, besides legislative council chief whip P Kesav, media adviser Parakala Prabhakar, and Andhra state planning board vice-chairman Ch Kutumba Rao, to work out the party strategy to be adopted in the coming days. Meanwhile, the BJP reacted strongly to Naidus comments against the NDA government. Daggubati Purandeswari, former minister at the Centre and a senior BJP leader, found fault with Naidu for trying to shift the blame to the Centre for not fulfilling the promises made in the bifurcation act. Naidu himself said many times that there was no additional benefit from the special category status, compared to the special package. Now, he is raising the issue of the special status for political gains, Purandeswari said in Vijayawada on Friday. She alleged that the Naidu government had not submitted utilisation certificates for funds released by the Centre for several projects. Where are the accounts for the money released for the capital Amaravati? Why did the underground drainage project in Vijayawada and Guntur come to a halt? she asked. Within hours of the two BJP ministers Kamineni Srinivas and P Manikyala Rao resigning on Thursday from the Naidu cabinet, the BJP leaders in Andhra decided to undertake field inspections of all central projects in the state to expose the alleged hollowness in the TDPs charges against the NDA. As a part of that, a delegation of BJP leaders, including Srinivas and Rao, visited the construction site of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Mangalagiri near Amaravati. Stating that work there was on at a brisk pace, Rao said it would not have been possible had the Centre not released funds on time. He said if at all there was any delay in the construction of AIIMS, it was due to a lapse on the part of the Naidu government in handing over the land. In the coming days, the delegation will also inspect the progress of work in other central institutions such as the National Institute of technology (NIT) at Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Tirupati, and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies at Nuzvid in Krishna district. When Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India last April, 22 pacts were signed including those on defence, electricity and civil nuclear energy, but a foot was firmly put down against a treaty to share the waters of Teesta river. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee opposed the deal, as she did in 2011, fearful of the implications for irrigation in her state and the Panchayat elections due this year. Such domestic compulsionsboth in India and Bangladeshalways played a role in bilateral ties. While New Delhi is proud to have helped create Bangladesh, many politicians there looked at India with suspicion. The 25-year Indo-Bangla Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace was for long a bone of contention in national politics before it expired, with critics accusing successive governments of surrendering to India the interests and sovereignty of Bangladesh. Pro- or anti-India stance of Bangladeshi leaders became an issue in its electoral politics, as it will in the polls due in late 2018. The political history of Bangladesh is one of often bloody rivalry between two families, with interregnums of military regimes. In February, under the watch of the Awami League (AL) government of Hasina, the daughter of Bangladeshs founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her arch rival Khaleda Zia, the widow of former president Ziaur Rahman, was jailed over a years-old corruption case. Thousands of leaders and activists of Zias Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are in jail, mainly over the pre-election protests of 2013 and anti-government violence of 2015. Several leaders of BNPs ally Jamaat-e-Islami were sentenced to death in recent years over their roles in the 1971 Liberation war against Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Zias son Tarique Rahman, living in exile in London, was named as BNP chief and will lead the party in the elections. Despite its flirtation with Islamists, several quarters in India want BNP to fight the elections, and not repeat the mistake of boycotting it in 2014. This is the context from which the current state of India-Bangladesh ties should be assessed. According to Smruti S Pattanaik, research fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, relations are at the best phase, with cooperation at the institutional level. From across the border, ambassador Farooq Sobhan, former foreign secretary and president of Dhaka-based Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, agreed that there was significant progress during the past nine years of the Hasina government, particularly in the fields of security, energy, physical connectivity, trade and joint ventures. But Sukh Deo Muni, former ambassador and South Asian affairs expert, pointed out that Bangladesh still has concerns about Teesta water sharing treaty. INDIA-BANGLADESH: THE STATE OF PLAY The two have institutionalised cooperation in the areas of security and defence; trade and commerce; health, electricity, connectivity; education, skill development; e-governance INVESTING IN A PARTNERSHIP Indias first and second lines of credit worth nearly $3 billion to Bangladesh were utilised for projects in transport and infrastructure such as roads, railways, bridges and inland waterways A third line of credit of $4.5 billion will be for port construction, railways, roads, airports, power & energy, telecommunications and shipping Indian private sector has signed agreements that will result in investment of over $9 billion in Bangladesh Bangladesh has set aside an area of 1,005 acres for setting up an Indian SEZ POWERING BANGLADESH 600 MW of electricity flows through Bheramara-Bahrampur and Tripura-South Comilla interconnections 500 MW more will be transmitted through Bheramara-Bahrampur More interconnections are planned between Bornagar (Assam), Parbatipur (Bangladesh) and Katihar (Bihar) from which Bangladesh can draw 1,000 MW Indias first and second lines of credit worth nearly $3 billion to Bangladesh were utilised for projects in transport and infrastructure such as roads, railways, bridges and inland waterwaysA third line of credit of $4.5 billion will be for port construction, railways, roads, airports, power & energy, telecommunications and shippingIndian private sector has signed agreements that will result in investment of over $9 billion in BangladeshBangladesh has set aside an area of 1,005 acres for setting up an Indian SEZ600 MW of electricity flows through Bheramara-Bahrampur and Tripura-South Comilla interconnections500 MW more will be transmitted through Bheramara-BahrampurMore interconnections are planned between Bornagar (Assam), Parbatipur (Bangladesh) and Katihar (Bihar) from which Bangladesh can draw 1,000 MW Indian private sector is also investing in Bangladesh power sector There is growing civil nuclear energy cooperation Supply of high speed diesel, natural gas, LNG, LPG, and trans-boundary pipelines help Bangladesh meet its energy needs BUILDING CONNECTIVITY The two countries are in the process of restoring former railway linkages Newly restored rail link between Radhikapur (India) and Birol (Bangladesh) to facilitate cargo movement Rail link between Akhaura and Agartala to be completed by the end of 2018 New bus service between Kolkata- Khulna- Dhaka launched Source: Ministry of external affairs, India, and ministry of foreign affairs, Bangladesh Indian private sector is also investing in Bangladesh power sectorThere is growing civil nuclear energy cooperationSupply of high speed diesel, natural gas, LNG, LPG, and trans-boundary pipelines help Bangladesh meet its energy needsThe two countries are in the process of restoring former railway linkagesNewly restored rail link between Radhikapur (India) and Birol (Bangladesh) to facilitate cargo movementRail link between Akhaura and Agartala to be completed by the end of 2018New bus service between Kolkata- Khulna- Dhaka launchedSource: Ministry of external affairs, India, and ministry of foreign affairs, Bangladesh The China factor The host of pacts inked during Hasinas April visit included a new line of concessional credit of $4.5 billion for implementation of projects in Bangladesh. But more significant was Indias announcement of a $500 million line of credit for military hardware purchases, seen as an attempt to wean away Bangladesh from depending on China for its defence needs. Beijing is strengthening its strategic, defence, economic and trade cooperation with Dhaka. Among other defence hardware, Bangladesh also received its first ever submarines from China. When Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh in 2016, the two sides signed 27 pacts worth up to $25 billion. Is India too late to wake up to the growing China-Bangladesh bonhomie? China is emerging as a major factor in the whole of Indias neighbourhood and Bangladesh is no exception. Bangladesh should also not be expected to follow Indias line blindly in relation to China. They have old and beneficial aspects of engagement with China, Muni pointed out. Some Bangladeshi politicians are dismissive of friendship with China, a friend of the enemy, Pakistan. But that didnt stop Bangladesh from approving the proposal by a Chinese consortium to buy 25% stake in the Dhaka Stock Exchange, rejecting a bid by Indias National Stock Exchange. India would always find it difficult to match the Chinese financial moves because of deep Chinese pockets, Muni said. But ambassador Sobhan views it as a commercial and business transaction and said the better of the two offers should be accepted. We do not see our relationship with India or China as mutually exclusive or competitive, the former diplomat said. Pattanaik does not see the Chinese influence as a major challenge as India-Bangladesh relations are historical, bound by socio-cultural affinity. Assam citizenship row Perhaps she is right: ties that bind India and Bangladesh may be deeper than what money can buy. Theres culture, the common Bangla language and then there is geography. Thats where things get complicated. Much of India-Bangladesh border remains porous, leading to influx of Bangladeshis seeking a living in Indias towns and cities. Often, they become targets of Indias internal politics, particularly in its northeastern states. The latest controversy in this regard is the National Register of Citizens being prepared in Assam. Dhaka is wary of a possible exodus of Bangladeshis from Assam on the grounds that they are illegal immigrants The way identity drive is being carried out in Assam is not a very useful one in relation to Bangladesh, Muni said. It came as something of a surprise when we read the recent statements about developments in Assam made by some senior personalities in India, said Sobhan, cautioning that the subject needs to be handled with great sensitivity and care as it may unnecessarily complicate relations. Noting that the issue of illegal immigration is not new, Pattanaik said civil society in Bangladesh has reacted sharply on the issue but the government has shown maturity. Rohingya Crisis Dhaka is sensitive to the possible flow of Bangladeshis from India over the Assam citizenship drive, even as it struggles to cope with tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution from Myanmar. On that issue too, Indias approach has been less than stellar. Bangladesh has been very upset on the way India initially responded to the Rohingya issue, said Muni, though later assistance in meeting the burden assuaged some of these feelings. He thinks the Dhaka regime understands Indias dilemma. They are proceeding bilaterally on this issue with Myanmar but with their fingers crossed. Myanmars response has not been very reassuring. Any moderating role on Indias part would surely be reassuring for Bangladesh. While Pattanaik thinks New Delhi could have responded better, she argued that India cannot annoy Myanmar and imperil its security. It is an irritant but India cannot choose between two friends. There was an expectation that India would condemn the ethnic cleansing that has taken place in Myanmar and indeed is still taking place, according to Sobhan. Public opinion in Bangladesh believed India should have exerted pressure on Myanmar to stop the persecution of the Rohingyas, he said. Sameer Patil, director, Centre for International Security at Gateway House, Mumbai, argues that a proactive stance by India could have come only at the cost of its relationships with Bangladesh or Myanmar. There has not been enough appreciation of Indias stance on the issue because we had to craft a fine balance between our humanitarian, security, and geopolitical priorities, he said. What has been less publicised, he noted, is Indias massive assistance to Bangladesh as part of Operation Insaniyat to deal with the surging number of refugees. The Terrorism Battle While there is fear of radicalisation of the Rohingyas by terror groups, the Hasina government seems to have curbed terrorism to a large extent. Since the July 2016 Dhaka cafe attack, security forces have done an excellent job in cracking down on the local terrorist groups by flushing out their hideouts, monitoring the radical social media propaganda and augmenting their own capabilities, Patil said. But experts are still cautious about the future. While Dhakas security situation has improved, militants have focused on carrying out smaller attacks on a regular basis in Bangladeshs other districts, Patil said. Election Games Patil pointed out that it is evident that the local political exigencies are leading the ruling AL party to slowly cosy up to the local Islamist groups, including the notorious Hefazat-e-Islam, which is in turn bolstering the radical elements. AL is possibly doing this as a way to counter anti-incumbency, and the blowback from Islamist-dominated sections of society for the crackdowns and hangings that marked her tenure. This means the polls later this year will present India with difficult choices. India is worried about the possibility of AL slipping down in the elections, Muni said, adding that it is in Indias interest to ensure that AL remains in power. But this must be done as discreetly as possible. Regime change in Maldives and Nepal have heightened Indias concerns and it is better if this is avoided in other countries like Bangladesh. Any overt and undue efforts in promoting a specific regime may be counterproductive in the long run, he cautioned. Pattanaik felt that India should not get involved in what she calls Bangladeshs legendary political rivalry. Sobhan is also wary of any such intervention in the internal affairs of Bangladesh. The elections in Bangladesh is a purely domestic matter and it is not advisable for India to take sides, he said. According to him, the Indo-Bangladesh relations need to be handled with great care and sensitivity, as public opinion and perception are of immense importance. People on both sides of the border need to understand and appreciate how this relationship is working to the benefit and advantage of both countries. Of crucial importance is the need for mutual respect and mutual trust. Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, announced support for Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the Rajya Sabha elections from the state. Announcing the decision the Trinamools core committee meeting in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee said, Trinamool will support Abhishek Manu Singhvi. He has fought for us in many legal battles. There will be contest for five seats for Rajya Sabha from the state this year. Victory for four candidates of ruling Trinamool candidates is assured. However, neither the Congress nor the Left Front has the requisite strength in Bengal assembly to get their candidates elected on their own strength. The ruling Trinamool Congress has 213 MLAs in the Bengal assembly that has 294 elected members. The Congress has 32 and the Left has 30. On Friday, Left Front too announced CPI(M) state secretariat member, Rabin Deb as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls. But with Mamata Banerjee extending support for Singhvi, his victory is confirmed since even after getting its four candidates elected, Trinamool will have excess votes to spare for the Congress candidate. Justifying Debs nomination, Left Front chairman Biman Bose issued a statement saying they were surprised to hear that the Congress has unanimously decided to field its own candidate at a time when Congress and Left Front were in dialogue over a consensus candidate. So we had no other option but to nominate Robin Deb for the polls, he said. The four Trinamool candidates for the RS polls are Nadimul Haque, Subhasish Chakrabarty, Abir Biswas and Dr Santanu Sen. Apart from Haque, who was nominated to the RS in 2012, all are new candidates. While Sen, 45, is a doctor, Chakravarty and Biswas, 45, are lawyers. The elections have become necessary since the terms of Kunal Ghosh, Bibek Gupta and Nadimul Haque of Trinamool Congress and CPI(M)s Tapan Sen will end on April 2. Mukul Roy, who switched over to the BJP from the Trinamool Congress resigned from the House last year. Two teenage girls committed suicide by jumping off the eighth floor of a high-rise building in Hyderabads Saroornagar on Thursday night, police said. The deceased were identified as Sravani Kale and Bhargavi Patel, both students of Akshara International School, Byramalguda, and were writing their Class 10 CBSE examinations. Both aged about 15 years. The reasons for the suicides are not known, but police suspect pressure of performing well in the examination. Class-12 boys suicide in Mohali: A life lost over nine marks According to the L B Nagar police, Sravani, daughter of Nagendra Kale, a scientist with Research Centre Imarat (RCI), went to the residence of Bhargavi, daughter of Santhi Kumar Patel who is into construction business, in the evening for combined studies. Sravani Kale (HT Photo ) It is not known what exactly had happened, as there was nobody in the flat when they were studying. At around 6.30pm, both the girls suddenly jumped off from the balcony of the flat one after the other and died on the spot, L B Nagar sub-inspector Vemulakonda Madhu said. The police found a suicide note in the waste paper basket in their room, in which Sravani had scribbled a few words saying: Dear Ma, Paa.. Sorry, and I miss you Teju.. (addressed to her elder brother Teja). There was no suicide letter written by Bhargavi, the SI said. Preliminary inquiries by the police revealed that both the girls were brilliant in their studies. May be they were under pressure to perform better in the examinations, the police said. The bodies were shifted to Osmania General Hospital for post-mortem. As per the initial investigation, it is a case of suicide, as we found the suicide note. However, we registered a case under 174 CrPC (suspicious death) and took up investigation, the police officer said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government had accorded the highest priority to the unity and development of Indias northeastern region. The central government is working for the unity, integrity and development of the northeastern region, he said at a public function where a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government headed by chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb assumed office in Agartala. Modi said, In the past four years I have come to northeast India more than 25 times -- this is much more than what previous Prime Ministers did after independence. This confirms how much the Centre is concerned for the development and welfare of northeast India. He said people wanted the government to work for their well-being and prosperity. Democracy will be reinforced when people participate in it wholeheartedly. Those who voted, or not voted, for the BJP... the government that assumes office today (Friday) is for all, irrespective of party affiliation, caste, creed and religious affinity, he added. I have confidence that all leaders will work together for the all-round development of Tripura. The state will scale new heights in development if its resources are tapped properly, he said and sought cooperation from the opposition. Referring to his governments mantra Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Modi said a new phase of development began when a BJP-led government came to power at the Centre four years ago. A new chapter would now start for the all-round growth of Tripura, he added. Modi spoke mostly in Hindi, with a smattering of Bengali and tribal Kokborok. Before addressing the crowd, he had a word with outgoing chief minister Manik Sarkar and his successor Biplab Kumar Deb. BJP president Amit Shah said after Modi become the Prime Minister in May 2014, a new era of development had begun in the northeastern region. In his brief speech, chief minister Deb said he and his government needed help and support from all concerned, irrespective of party affiliation. Please point out our loopholes, if any, and deficiencies in plans whenever we do anything wrong, Deb told the audience. For the first time in Tripura, the swearing-in of new Council of Ministers took place outside the Raj Bhavan at the Assam Rifles ground. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has warned the Rajasthan government against investments using borrowed funds, saying the practice will lead to an unsustainable financial position. Continued use of borrowed fund for investments which do not yield sufficient financial returns would lead to unsustainable financial position, said the CAG report tabled in the assembly. As on March 31, 2017, the government invested Rs about Rs 41,733 crore in 49 public sector companies, seven statutory corporations, two rural banks, 25 joint stock companies, and cooperative banks and societies. The maximum investment of Rs 40,246 crore was made in the government companies. The CAG report on state finances states that the average return on these investments was 0.1% to 0.3% during 2012-17, while the government paid an average interest of 6.7% to 7.6% on its borrowings. Therefore, return on investment of the state government is very low. The net investment in government companies, rural banks, and cooperative banks and societies was Rs 4,316 crore during 2016-17. The total investment in two statutory companies, 18 government companies, and six joint stock companies amounted to about Rs 1,04,158 crore, out of which accumulated losses of five power companies was Rs 98,935 crore, the report states. In view of the huge losses of some of the state-owned public sector undertakings, the government may consider reviewing their working so as to reduce losses and take adequate steps to strengthen the undertakings. CAG has also pointed out that when it comes to loans and advances to institutions and organisations, the state has been borrowing at a higher rate while earning interest at much lower rate on its lending. The top auditor has also criticised the government over incomplete projects leading to cost overruns. As per the information furnished by the state government, there were 197 incomplete projects (more than Rs 10 crore each) as on March 31, 2017, on which an amount of Rs 17,668 crore was spent. Of these, 42 projects (Rs 4,830 crore) were incomplete for the past five to 23 years, out of which cost of 28 incomplete projects increased by 150%, states the report. Due to non-completion of projects within the stipulated time, the expected benefits to society were delayed and the cost also increased over the years. State education minister Vasudev Devnani on Friday said Rajasthan is the first state where more than 6.5 lakh students are being educated under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The RTE norms states that 25% of seats in schools should be reserved for children from impoverished families. Replying to a question raised by independent legislator Hanuman Beniwal during question hour, Devanani informed the House that in Rajasthan there are more than 36,000 private-run schools. In the private-run schools, fees are regulated by the Fees Regulatory Committee, which comprises of 10 membersfive parents and five members of the school management--he said, adding that if a parent is not satisfied, he or she can complain to the committee constituted by the divisional commissioner. Beniwal said private-run universities and schools were charging higher fees, due to which the RTE was implemeneted but still the situation is same. Demanding that public representatives be included in the fees regulatory committee, the independent member said that the minister should constitute a high-level committee to probe into the effective implementation of RTE. Devnani informed that Rajasthan is far ahead of other states in reimbursing schools under RTE. In 2016-17, the state disbursed 264.29 crore under RTE, he said. He further said that in 24,660 private-run schools in the state, fees have been regulated, and in 24,612 schools fee is fixed. Only private-run schools that are following guidelines, will be given benefit of reimbursement by the government under RTE, he said. In 2016-17, of 25,622 private-run schools, 24,387 have been reimbursed and in 1,300 it is still pending. Rajasthan Womens Commission chairperson Suman Sharma welcomed the bill passed in the state assembly that provides for death penalty to those convicted of raping or gang-raping a girl aged up to 12 years, though civil rights activists opposed the move. We have been demanding this; Rajasthan has become the second state after Madhya Pradesh to propose this bill, Sharma said. Now it will create fear among people and curb incidents of rape of children. Asked why capital punishment only for raping girls up to 12 years, Sharma said, Crime records show that rape of girls up to 12 years was more, therefore the bill has been passed. Once the bill is passed, amendments can be made later. According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) 2016 report, the state recorded 4,034 cases of crime against children, which is 3.8% of the crimes against children (98,344) registered across the country. The state assembly unanimously passed on Friday the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan amendment) Bill, 2018. Opposing the bill, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Rajasthan president Kavita Shrivastava said, We do not accept capital punishment for rape and gang rape of girls up to 12 years. She said the Justice Verma Committee was against death sentence even in the rarest of rare rape cases and that 135 countries had given up death penalty. It is a populist step. Child abuse is a big problem, but death penalty is not the solution. The solution is to make children aware; silence and denial by families should be stopped, Shrivastava said. PUCL will appeal to the President not to sign this bill. State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Manan Chaturvedi said, It is a good move by chief minister Vasundhara Raje for protecting girls. I want that such a law should be made throughout the country. Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Archana Sharma said the bill should also include girls and women above 12 years. Just by making a law will not create fear, but the government should have willpower and administration has to be alert. In rape cases, circumstantial evidence plays an important role in proving the crime. The Madhya Pradesh bill, passed a year ago, is yet to get the Presidents seal. Archana Sharma said, Just by making a law, government should not think that girls are safe; it has to provide safe atmosphere to them. The Bengal unit of the CPI(M) on Thursday formally effected a generational shift by retiring former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and prominent members of his cabinet from the partys newly formed 80-member state committee, bringing down the average age of members from 60.5 years to 54.5. The decisions were announced at the end of the four-day conference of the Bengal CPI(M). The reshuffle, as reported by Hindustan Times on March 2, is part of the ongoing process of replacing aging and ailing leaders with new faces. In Bengal, around 300 young leaders have already been inducted in different committees in the districts. Read: Churning in Bengal CPM: 300 young leaders take charge as party hopes for revival Against the backdrop of the ongoing debate inside the CPI(M) over having Congress and other regional parties as electoral allies -- a proposition strongly opposed by former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and leaders in Kerala -- Thursdays development was significant. The CPI(M) never faced a more severe challenge since Independence. Sharp polarization in politics and divisions created on religious and ethnic lines make it necessary for all Left and democratic forces to put up mass resistance against the BJP, said Politburo member Suryakanta Mishra, who was elected Bengal state secretary for the second time. In Bengal, the BJP and Trinamool are our enemies. In the coming panchayat polls CPI(M) and other Left parties will fight alongside Left-democratic forces. In places where we are not strong we will leave the fight to other political parties and organisations that are serious about confronting Trinamool and BJP. For this, a platform can be set up without using political flags, added Mishra. Read: Demand for alliance with Congress gets louder within CPI(M) rank Interestingly, this was exactly the strategy the Bengal CPI(M) adopted on the eve of the Assembly polls in 2016 when it forged an electoral understanding with the Congress. In many election rallies party leaders did not use flags. The strategy however did not yield results and the central committee later nullified it. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was one of the main proponents of the alliance with Congress. Asked whether the CPI(M) would once again forge an alliance with Congress in the state, Mishra refused to comment. There was no discussion on Congress at our conference. Such issues have been mentioned in the draft political resolution of our 22nd party congress and we will discuss these next month. All I can say is agitations and struggles cant be carried out by following a dictionary or encyclopedia, said Mishra. Former finance minister Asim Dasgupta and former industry minister Nirupam Sen, the two most prominent faces of the erstwhile Left regime, retired from the Bengal state committee on Thursday along with Madan Ghosh, Kanti Ganguly, Dipak Dasgupta and Basudeb Acharya, one of the longest serving former members of the Lok Sabha. They were all made special invitees in keeping with old custom. Read: Why CPI(M) isnt keen to ally with the Congress Most of these leaders, including the former chief minister, are also members of the central committee which will go through a similar churning at the party congress in April. The central committee may bid farewell to some of them as well although the maximum permissible age in the central committee is 80 years, said a central committee member from Bengal. The man who survived the churning is Politburo member and chairman of the Bengal Left Front, Biman Bose. Though 77, Bose is considered an asset by the party because of his energy and zeal. He wanted to retire but we find him younger than our young members, quipped Mishra. The youngest person to make it to the new state committee is Madhuja Sen Roy, 33, secretary of the Bengal unit of Students Federation of India, the partys student wing. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi governments decision to ban triple talaq was a historic step which would end gender inequality in the society. The courage shown by the PM in checking triple talaq is outstanding. It will ensure equality for women, Yogi said while addressing Swacch Shakti programme organised to felicitate women village heads and sanitation crusaders to mark the International Womens Day at Smriti Upvan here. The CM felicitated 12 women sarpanch, 11 sanitation crusaders and seven officials on this occasion. Besides the release of the logo of Izzat ghar, a software Hamari Panchayat was also launched during the programme. Similarly, decisions like making the country free of open defecation and construction of toilets are unmatched. The role of women in both the initiatives should be lauded, Yogi said. It is due to women power that in just 11 months 35 lakh toilets were constructed in UP, 19,000 villages, including 1,605 on the banks of the Ganga, became ODF. The entire state will be free of open defecation by October, he said. The CM said there were 38 districts in the state where deaths occurred due to communicable diseases. We have planned a special campaign from April 1-15. The only remedy is to ensure clean water supply and cleanliness on the streets. We will involve departments of basic and secondary education, panchayati raj, rural development, urban development, medical education and women welfare in this campaign. Women sarpanch have a role to play in this and take the mission ahead to save lives, he said. The CM warned the sarpanch against misuse of power while deciding couples for mass marriage. Women sarpanch are important for National Nutrition Mission. We want to make malnutrition-free India and women sarpanch can play a key role in it. They can change the mindset. The outcome of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign in UP has been encouraging. The programme aims at ending gender discrimination, Yogi said. Union minister for drinking water and sanitation Uma Bharti called upon the women to become financially independent to overcome male dominance. When Laxmi is the goddess of money and prosperity, why women are not earning? When Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, why women dont get educated? When Maa Kali is the goddess of valour, why women dont raise their voice against injustice? she asked. Speaking on the governments cleanliness initiative, Bharti said: People used to laugh when PM Narendra Modi came up with the idea of Swachh Bharat. After the villages are made open defecation free, they will be given the target of ODF Plus. This means making streets cleaner and surroundings beautiful. She said she would talk to the minister of small scale industries and ensure that small units of making sanitary napkins were established at rural level. All women sarpanch must take oath that they will not give dowry in marriage of their daughters and will not accept dowry in the marriage of their sons. This will remove the feeling that daughters are a burden for parents, she said. Bharti praised Arunima Sinha, the first amputee to scale the Mount Everest, for her outstanding courage and said everyone should take inspiration from her. Leaders and activists of Bhim Army staged a protest at Saharanpur collectorate on Thursday to demand the release of the organisations president Chandrashekhar alias Ravan, police said. The protest was led by Saharanpur district chief of Bhim Army Kamal Singh Walia, and office-bearers Manjeet Singh Nauriyal and Praveen Gautam, they said. During the protest, Bhim Army leaders demanded Chandrashekhars release and targeted the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dalits want liberation from Manuwad, Brahminwad, RSS and BJP. We will continue the protest till Chandrashekhar is not released from jail, a Bhim Army leader said. A Bhim Army activist, Sachin (goes by first name), claimed that they handed over a list of 200 people who wanted to court arrest but the police reduced the number to 65 comprising members and office-bearers of Bhim Armys Saharanpur unit. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Saharanpur, Babloo Kumar said the protesters handed over a list to the police but refused to confirm the number of leaders or activists who courted arrest. They reached the collectorate and returned after staging demonstration, the SSP said. In their charter of demands submitted to district administration officials, Bhim Army activists demanded immediate release of Chandrashekhar, withdrawal of cases from Bhim Army members, compensation to victims of caste violence in Shabbirpur village and arrest of BJP MP from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal and BJPs Saharanpur unit chief Amit Gangneja for their role in caste violence Sadak Doodhli. A clash had broken out between Dalits and police in Saharanpur on May 9 last year after the police used force on people protesting against caste violence in Saharanpurs Shabbirpur village on May 5. Chandrashekhar, a lawyer by profession, was arrested on June 8 by the Special Task Force of UP police from Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh in connection with his alleged role in Saharanpur violence. When the high court ordered Chandrashekhars release in November, the UP government slapped the National Security Act (NSA) on him. Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankars statement warning Syria-like situation in India if Ram Mandir is not constructed in Ayodhya has kicked off a row. FLASHBACK On Tuesday, an FIR was lodged against spokesman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Maulana Sajjad Nomani for his alleged controversial statement during his speech in Hyderabad on February 9. He was accused of sedition, promoting enmity on communal lines, intentionally hurting religious sentiments of people of other communities in the FIR lodged at Hazratganj police station here. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Waseem Rizvi, chairman of the UP Shia Central Waqf Board. Rizvi said Nomani stated in his speech telecast on news channel that Muslims in India would soon meet a fate similar to Rohingya Muslims. Local leaders of the Telangana based All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) not only lodged a police complaint against the Art of Living founder but also warned of agitation against the spiritual guru for his alleged controversial statement. In the complaint, Lucknow district president of AIMIM Mohd Tauheeed Siddiqui alias Najmi said Sri Sri Ravi Shankar made a statement in the media that the situation in India would become like that in Syria if the Ayodhya issue was not resolved now. He said Muslims were being killed in Syria and the statement suggested that the spiritual leader was hatching a conspiracy to kill Muslims. Najmi submitted the complaint to additional superintendent of police (ASP), West, Vikas Chandra Tripathi and circle officer of Bazarkhala Anil Kumar Yadav, requesting them to register an FIR against the spiritual leader under appropriate IPC sections. ASP Tripathi said he had received the complaint and facts were being investigated before registering an FIR in the matter. He said the complainant, however, had not submitted any video clip related to the spiritual leaders statement. To note, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is trying to broker an out of court settlement of the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid issue and talking to all those concerned. Recently, he issued a statement that if Ayodhya issue was not resolved amicably, Syria-like situation could prevail in India also. It may be pointed out that a civil war is going on in Syria and thousands of people have died till date. Sri Sri Ravi Shankars statement is unwarranted. He is not even a party to the ongoing Ram Mandir Babri Masjid case in the Supreme Court. His statement has vitiated the atmosphere, said Mohammad Tauheed Siddiqui, district president of AIMIM. If such statements are issued, the Ayodhya issue will never be resolved amicably. We are planning a protest demanding action against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, added Siddiqui. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has already demanded action against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for this remark. The AIMIM chief has clarified that his party would abide by the Supreme Courts judgment on the Ayodhya issue. It may be pointed out that three Muslim litigants in the Ayodhya dispute, Haji Mahboob, Iqbal Ansari and Mohammad Umar, have reuled out any out of court settlement of the dispute. UP director general of police OP Singh assured girl students and authorities of different schools and colleges of better behaviour from police personnel during his interaction with them on International Womens Day at UP 100 headquarters in Lucknow on Thursday. In turn, he demanded educationists active participation in empowering girls and gender sensitisation. During the open session, the DGP answered questions of girls over different issues and assured of visible change in state police. He said the police top brass was focusing on sensitising cops in handling cases of crime against women and attending womens complainants at police stations. We are making efforts and organising interactive sessions to sensitise lower rung police personnel who generally attend complaints of public. A stern message has also been conveyed to them that there will be stern action in case of misbehaviour and indiscipline, he emphasised. SPECIAL PRVs FLAGGED OFF On the occasion of International Womens Day, UP DGP OP Singh flagged off special police response vehicles (PRVs) that will have women cops handling complaints from women callers. This special service is launched to deal with womens complaints with empathy. A part of UP 100, the state police emergency response centre, at least 10 special PRVs in which women cops will be present to handle womens complaints, was flagged off on Thursday, said the DGP. He said similar services will also be introduced in other districts soon. The special PRVs with one woman cop each are being introduced in nine different areas of Lucknow where UP 100 receives maximum calls from women complainants. These special PRVs will be stationed at places near girls schools and colleges, crossings and other crowded market areas. A girl asking questions from UP DGP OP singh during the open session on Thursday. (HT Photo) INTERACTION WITH TWITTERATI While interacting with public on twitter live chat, the DGP listened to the complaints of nearly 50 people and issued directions to the district police chiefs to initiate necessary action. Two complainants from Varanasi and Ambedkarnagar were invited to meet the DGP at his Lucknow office. UP Police spokesman and media cell in-charge, ASP Rahul Srivastava said the DGP responded to queries related to police working, non-registration of FIRs and corruption prevailing in the department during the hourlong session from 4 to 5 pm under the initiative #ESamvadupp with DGP. During the interaction, the twitterati also praised policing in the state under his leadership while some raised question over the existing corruption in the department, police response and delay in investigation. The DGP assured people of improving police response and stern action against corrupt cops. Two people were killed and three others injured when a roadways bus rammed into a car, which hit a bicycle and a scooty, at the Burlington crossing in Lucknow on Thursday night. The accident created chaos at the busy crossing, stalling traffic movement for about two hours, even as angry locals and passersby damaged the bus with lathis and bricks. Police had to use mild force to control the mob that was demanding the arrest of the driver, who fled leaving the bus on the spot after the accident. Police said the driver of the car and the cyclist were killed while the three injured were the woman scooty rider, a car passenger and the pillion rider on the cycle. Two of the injured, including the scooty rider Subhodhini Dwivedi, were in critical condition. The injured were taken to KGMU trauma centre for the treatment by locals. The identity of two deceased and other injured persons was yet to be ascertained. From an infant to a septuagenarian, from a home to a street, no place is safe for a woman. A three-year-old child, victim of her uncles lust, is currently battling for life in the King Georges Medical College. A bed-ridden 100-year-old woman was raped in Meerut last year. She died. Now the voices demanding death sentence for the culprit have also fallen silent. Often people accuse the media of unnecessarily highlighting such gruesome cases that create panic in the society. But should we push such serious issues under the carpet, unconcerned about the trauma faced by the victim and her family? Public anger over Delhis infamous gang rape case had stirred the conscious of the nation. Laws were tightened but the steps were not enough to deter a rapist from committing cruelty on women or deliver speedy justice. Every year, while honouring women from different walks of life, Hindustan Times has taken up issues that left a life-long scar on a womans psyche - acid attacks, trafficking and child abuse - to sensitise both the public and the powers that be. Actions have followed. As we announce the Eighth edition of HT Woman Awards, we initiate a dialogue Shrieks and Silences, tracing the painful journey of a victims life after rape, for stronger action on an issue that concerns all and sundry. We invite our readers to share cases and personal experiences (without revealing names) and send in suggestions to saron@hindustantimes.com (not more than 200 words) to check the heinous crime that shames the entire human race. Sunita Aron The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the Jamia Arabia seminary, in Hathaura of Banda district, as a part of its ongoing investigation in a terror-related case. They (NIA) have some inputs. They asked us to provide police personnel for their operation in Hathaura, said Banda superintendent of police (SP) Shalini (she goes by one name). The agency sleuths were accompanied by local police personnel. Jamia Arabia, with nearly 15,000 students, is one of the leading seminaries of the state that was established in 1952. Sources said the raid caused anger among the students, who held a protest. The sources added that NIA was developing information about some people who have studied at the seminary. The NIA is conducting investigation into a terror ring, which it had cracked in December 2017 and arrested a seminary student Tauseef Malik in Kashmir, the sources said. Tauseef was a third year student at the seminary and lived in its Darul Taleem hostel, said the sources. The agency sleuths searched Tauseefs hostel room and took his records into their possession. They were also looking for details of two other persons close to Tauseef. The team spent several hours screening documents and also spoke to Tauseefs roommates, some Kashmiri students and the hostel warden, said the sources. The team is gathering details about two of his accomplices; they reportedly were also students of the seminary, the sources said, adding that the seminary administration cooperated fully with the team and made all records that were sought available. A Class 4 student from Patna was allegedly molested by a senior on the pretext of ragging at a school hostel in Aligarh, police said on Friday. A complaint filed with the Jawan police station stated that the accused a Class 7 student also hurt the 13-year-old with a razor blade on several occasions for resisting his advances. Whenever I came to see my son at the Ayesha Tarin Modern Public School, he would look fearful and lost. If I asked him the reason, he would weep and not say anything, the FIR quoted the boys father as saying. Then, on March 1, a teacher brought three razor injuries on his hand to my notice. When I questioned my son, he said a senior student was sexually harassing him. My son complained to the warden, but was rebuked for it. Instead of taking action, the warden forced him to write a note claiming that he had slashed himself. I have submitted a complaint to the police, and also brought the matter to the notice of the school principal and director, he said, adding that his son was too terrified to go back to school. However, school coordinator Subuhi Khan denied the allegations. This very boy had earlier made similar allegations against a different student. But when we called his parents and the police, he shifted the blame onto another student. There has been no ragging here, she told HT. Jawan station house officer Gajendra Singh said they were probing the matter, and will question the warden soon. This is the second such incident to be reported in the city in the course of a month. In February, a few students of the Ingraham Senior Secondary School in Aligarh had accused a hostel staffer and two other fellow-students of sexually assaulting them. The school manager was questioned after a case was registered at the Banna Devi police station. We have confiscated some school documents for further investigation. However, the accused hostel staffer is absconding. A hunt is underway, inspector Jitender Dixit told HT. The father of a 10-year-old child has lodged a complaint at the chief ministers portal, accusing doctors of a private medical college and research centre in Mathura of leaving a needle in his sons head. He has also lodged a report at Chhata Kotwali in Mathura. Dr Rajeev Gupta, officiating chief medical officer of Mathura, said that the matter was being probed by a three-member panel of doctors of the district hospital. Further action will be taken on the basis of the report, he said. The medical college and research centre in Mathura has denied any negligence on its part. Manoj Agarwal, managing director of KD Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre rubbished the charges, saying , We run the hospital services on charity basis and only billed the boys father Rs 2,600 for his sons head injury treatment. The boy was discharged on February 15 after his wound was stitched and was told to come regularly for dressing but the child was not brought here and was probably attended elsewhere. The boys father turned up suddenly after Holi and levelled allegations to blackmail the hospital authorities. A probe will clarify the matter and truth will prevail, he said The boys father Daudayal, a resident of Akbarpur village in Chaumuha block of Mathura, said that his son got injured and was admitted to KD Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre. My son was operated upon on February 15 and was later discharged. On Holi, I thought of bandaging the healing injury so that Holi colour did not reach it. While covering the wound, I found a pointed needle-like object inside, he alleged. He then lodged the complaint at Jan Sunvayi portal of the chief minister and also complained to the police. I might be leaving for Lucknow soon to apprise the chief minister of the matter, he said. . The first ever e-lottery system for online allotment of nearly 27000 liquor shops in Uttar Pradesh ran into technical glitches forcing the government to postpone the e-tender on Thursday. The online tender site was being maintained by the National Informatics Centre whose officials failed to fix the glitches resulting in repeated postponement of the e-lottery before it was eventually deferred amid protests. UPs excise minister Jai Pratap Singh confirmed the postponement and said he would look into the reasons that led to it. Excise department officials, however, said it was due to NIC software crash. The minister has summoned a review meeting to discuss reasons for the embarrassment and to fix a fresh date for the e-tenders that were being opposed by the states liquor lobby. I wouldnt like to hazard a guess on the reasons for the glitches. We will check up, said the minister even as liquor merchants, who had made online bids under the new two shops per district policy, resorted to sloganeering against the e-lottery system. The government, however, claimed that the e-lottery concept was very well received by the liquor sellers. About 67,067 applicants registered with the e-lottery portal. We received a total of 3,67, 419 applications or bids and 2,44,737 applications were by those retailers who had submitted the requisite fees with banks by March 6, a government official said. Allotments of 27000 liquor shops, including countrymade, foreign, beer and model shops, in the state were made online on the upexciseelottery.gov.in, the UP excise department website designed and maintained by the NIC. Those who had missed out making bid for first round allotment through Thursdays e-lottery were scheduled for the second round on March 17. With first round unable to take off, the second too has been put off, confirmed Santosh Tiwari, the district excise officer. Of the 904 liquor shops in Lucknow, around 150 were those that found no takers in round one. Similar was the case in other districts. That was due to the tedious online process. But even those who made online bids despite the problems also suffered, said Kanhaiyalal Maurya, general secretary of the Lucknow Sharab Association. The allotment so far was done through draw of lots at either the local excise department offices or those of the district magistrates. It was supposed to start at 11 am but kept on getting delayed and eventually crashed. Till 9 pm we were assured that e-lottery would take place. Its a complete failure, an angry SP Singh, the treasurer of the Lucknow Sharab Association said. With BSP extending its support to SP, NISHAD Party and Peace Party alliance for Lok Sabha by-elections has resulted in the consolidation of Dalit, Muslim, Yadav and Nishad vote bank in Gorakhpur which may make going tough for the BJP, say political analysts. Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seats Voters: 19 lakh Total candidates in fray: 10 LS seat comprises of five Vidhan Sabha constituencies Gorakhpur Urban, Gorakhpur Rural, Pipraich, Sahjanwa and Campierganj Total no. of booths: 2,641 They say the situation is similar to that in 1998 and 1999 general elections when Yogi Adityanath had hardly managed to retain the seat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the face of tough challenge from Samajwadi Partys Jamuna Nishad who held considerable sway over Nishad voters. Though it is being largely believed that the BJP will succeed in retaining the seat, given the popularity of chief minister Yogi Adtiyanath who has projected himself as face of the election, the SP-led alliance is also in a strong position to give a close contest to the BJP, say experts. Definitely it is a winning caste equation which may create trouble for the BJP in Yogis bastion. By uniting Dalits, Nishads, Muslims and Yadavs, the SP-BSP alliance is in a strong position, says political analyst Manoj Singh. He says BSP workers will have to work hard on the ground to make sure that Dalit votes are transferred to the alliance. All the three Nishads with SP-led alliance Dr Sanjay Nishad, former MLAs Ram Bhuwal Nishad and Amrendra Nishad have a strong hold on Nishad votes. There are 3 lakh voters from the community (according to 2011 Census). It will be hard for the BJP to make a dent to SPs Nishad vote bank though it is making desperate attempts to woo the community, Singh says. With its Brahmin face (Upendra Datt Shukla) the BJP is now late to woo Nishads, he adds. In 1998, Yogi had managed to win the seat by defeating Jamuna Nishad by a margin of 26,206 votes. This margin narrowed down to 7,000 in 1999. In both the elections, there was no division of Nishad votes as Jamuna Nishad was the only candidate from the community. However, Nishad votes got divided in 2004, 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections when both the SP and the BSP fielded influential Nishad leaders which eventually benefitted the BJP. The division of Nishad votes was largely evident in 2014 when Yogi registered a historic win by defeating his nearest rival Rajmati Nishad, wife of Jamuna Nishad, by more than 2 lakh votes. BSPs Ram Bhuwal Nishad, who is now in SP, secured third position by getting 1,76,412 votes. Nishad vote bank is consolidated this time around as all prominent Nishad faces are supporting the alliance candidate Praveen Nishad. Congress has fielded gynaecologist Surhita Chatterji Kareem who enjoys the support of Bengali, Muslim and doctor community. Rajan Yadav, popularly known as Arthi Baba for his unique style of campaigning on an arthi (pyre), claims the SP alliance is not as strong as it being perceived. Many SP workers are not happy with the candidature of Praveen Nishad, who has been suddenly brought from Delhi sidelining other ticket aspirants including prominent faces like Ram Bhuwal Nishad, Rajmati Nishad and Amrendra Nishad, he says. Congress candidate Surhita Kareem secured more than 80,000 votes in mayoral elections. She may make a dent in SP votes by getting support from Muslims and intellectuals. These votes may go up to 1.25 lakh, says Yadav. Syed Farhan, a political observer, says: If you add 2.26 lakh votes secured by SP and 1.76 lakh votes polled for BSP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, it will still be less as compared to 5.39 lakh votes secured by Yogi in 2014. Traditional Brahmin and upper caste voters will continue to support BJP. Enthusiasm is missing among Congress leaders and rallies of UPCC president Raj Babbar have failed to attract crowd, he says. District general secretary of the Congress Anwar Hussain maintains that after Congresss splendid performance in Gujarat assembly election and recent by-polls in Madhya Pradesh people have understood that only the Congress can counter the BJP. National president of NISHAD (Nirbal Shoshit Indian Hamara Apna Dal) Party Dr Sanjay Nishad says, Yogi Adityanath has been winning for so long with the support of Nishad community who have great faith in Guru Machendranath. This time, the son of a Nishad is in the fray and Guru Machendranath should bless him. Denying any threat from SP-BSP alliance, BJPs regional spokesman Dr Satyendra Sinha says the party is contesting the election to increase the victory margin. Yogi ji has been winning elections with a huge margin and BJP will register again register a victory under his leadership. These alliances will have no impact on the election result, he says. SP district president Prahlad Yadav also appears confident of the alliance candidates victory. A popular slogan was given in 1993 Mil gaye Mulayam Kanshiram, hawa me ud gaye Jai Shri Ram. We are going to repeat history. We have come together to stop communal forces. If our leaders agree to continue the alliance, we will defeat BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Dil Juunglee Director: Aleya Sen Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Saquib Saleem, Nidhi Singh Rating: 2/5 Rich girl wants love, not the luxuries in life. Poor boy wants fame and money. They fall in love, life jolts them back to reality and they fall apart. Years later, they realise that all they want is each other. How many times have we seen this same storyline? Dil Junglee is yet another repeat of this centuries-old tale. What makes it worse is the cliched treatment to the narrative. It is only the actors Taapsee Pannu, Saqib Saleem, Nidhi Singh and other supporting cast who keep the movie from getting unbearable. Debutant Aleya Sen, who has also written the film, begins her narrative in Delhi where the lead pair Koroli (Taapsee) and Sumit (Saqib) are about to elope and get married. But the way to their destination aint easy and things do not turn up quite the way they expected. Sumit is a model who is celebrated for being featured on the cover of Grihshobha (a Hindi womans magazines) sans his face and aspires to be a Bollywood hero soon. Koroli or Koro as her friends call her, is born in a rich business family but has no inclination towards the family business. Instead, she is interested in the English language and romantic novels. The filmmakers have tried every trick in the book to make Dil Junglee relatable to the young audience. While a brinjal sandwich is used to make fun of the vegetable, Sumits casting agent talks of Karma Productions and DDLJ part 3, a clear dig at the many unofficial remakes of the 1995 hit film. Sadly, Sen has also included every cliche and stereotype available in Hindi cinema rich father hates his daughter because she is interested in literature and not numbers and MBA. Itne bade industrialist ki beti ek mamooli English counsellor, what a shame! the father tells Koro. Koro is a studious and good girl. So she wears specs and her only dream is to be happily married. As her friend describes: Pehli date me tujhe maa ke kanngan chahiye and dusri date me Gandhaari k Tarah 100 bachhe! Have some fun in life! And of course, because this friend wants our heroine to have fun instead of getting married and is also rich, she looks down upon Lajpat wale because what are rich people if not snobbish? Then Sumit has a girlfriend who uses his card to pay for her shopping but also reminds him Mai bhi na rich family se hoon. Mere papa ki Dwarka me sweet shop hai! Dil Junglee is an age-old story, told with a hundred stereotypes, none of which helps it. It is only Taapsees charming presence and Saqibs earthiness that keep us entertained. Taapsee looks authentic in both the avatars that she dons in the film. Saqib, too, provides ample support with his realistic portrayal of a middle-class Delhi boy. In fact, almost all the actors Saqibs mom, his friend, Taapsees friend and his fiancee make the film lively. Interact with the author @swetakaushal Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Around 30,000 farmers, led by the Maharashtra unit of the farmers outfit, Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS), are marching towards Mumbai to block access to the state legislature building from Monday until their demands are met. The farmers march, which started in Nashik on Tuesday, reached near Thane district on Thursday. They are planning to reach Mumbai by Sunday evening. The protest is likely to create trouble for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government as the budget session of the state legislature is underway. Farmers in Maharashtra, who are struggling to cope with the agrarian crisis and natural calamities, are demanding proper implementation of the loan waiver package announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2017, the implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, and protesting the governments, what they call, anti-farmer policies. The state government declared a loan waiver package, but 1,753 farmers have committed suicide [since then] because it has failed miserably because of poor implementation. Around 30,000 farmers have come together for the agitation demanding their rights, said Ajit Nawale, state general secretary, ABKS. The ABKS also wants farmers in the state to be given Rs40,000 per acre as monetary assistance for crop damage because of last months hailstorms and unseasonal rains. The march is being held to provide relief to distressed farmers, Nawale said. The ABKS was part of the steering committee of farmers outfits that started unprecedented strikes last year. The protests forced the state government to announce a Rs34,022 crore farm loan waiver scheme. This time, the ABKS has decided to take on the government on its own. The organisation also wants the state to implement recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, which includes better minimum support price for farm produce. It also wants pending electricity bills to be waived and power restored, where it has been cut, among other things. The state has been seeing multiple farmer agitations. The Nationalist Congress Party, led by Sharad Pawar, will be holding a huge rally at Nashik on March 10 against the state government on farmers issues. The party had recently concluded the third leg of its Halla Bol Andolan in Jalgaon, north Maharashtra. The party has organised similar stirs in Vidarbha and Marathwada in the past three months. Mahlzeit Rating: 3.5 / 5 Where: 1 Sefa House, Pali Mala Road, Pali Hill, next to Gem Medicals, opposite Bagel Shop, Bandra West When: Daily 12.30pm to 4pm, 6.30pm to 11.30pm Cost: Approximately Rs 1200 for a meal for two. Alcohol not served. Call: 98340 07058 / 99234 91378 In north Germany, when colleagues leave the office for a short midday break, or at the end of the day, they might greet each other with the proclamation, Mahlzeit!. Informally, its used to say Hello! or Okay folks, Im off. In the rest of Germany and in Austria, the salutation takes its more literal sense, used only at mealtimes as a truncated form of gesegnete malzheit which means blessed mealtime, a more pious option to the common guten appetit. From a region which places hellos and goodbyes in the context of meals, Bandra restaurant Mahlzeit serves simple, homestyle, everyday food in a room thats so snug, eight diners inside it would be a bit of a squeeze. Mahlzeit offers a cosy, communal vibe where people must sit close together as they dine. (Aalok Soni / HT Photo) Its size works in Mahlzeits favour. People must sit close together to dine, so its the sort of place youd want to go for with someone who youre fond of, someone youd like to share your meal with. Its also the sort of neighbourhood eatery that could have a community of its own, regulars who become familiar, and drop in on a whim. Indeed, a couple walked in just as we were leaving, about 15 minutes before closing time. I called and they said its okay, she said to her companion as they walked in. The menu, which is identical to Mahlzeits outlet in Pune (where its very warmly received), is based around meat and potatoes and some bread. There are wursts and schnitzels in various combinations, and meatballs and burgers, doners and grilled meats. Wherever it can be done, there is a paneer option. Have the wurst (German or Austrian for sausage) in any form. The ones in our pork bratwurst/currywurst mix platter, and in our coilwurst plate (coiled sausage), were as unprocessed, traditional, and tasty, as any we have had off a Vienna streetcart. Not so much the curry ketchup, which lacked character and did nothing for the meat. The thin, crumb-fried weiner schnitzels were crisp with flavourful beef tenderloin, served with two sauces and a side of potato salad. (Aalok Soni / HT Photo) With both of these plates, there is a side of potatoes. Choose bratkartofflen butter-fried potatoes, pepper, and caramelised onions, a comforting combination of fat, carbs, sweetness and spice. Or Oma Hedwigs potato salad, German-style cold spuds, in slightly tangy mayo. If we were satisfied with our wurst at Mahlzeit, we were thrilled with our wiener schnitzel. Under their crumbly and crisp breaded sheath was tender, flavourful meat, neither overwhelming the other. This meal will makes most folks want a cold beer. Mahlzeit has buzz-free Club Mate (pronounced mah-tey) a carbonated tisane that we couldnt get enough of. Its crisp, more tart than sweet, lightly caffeinated, and deeply refreshing. It helps to keep in mind that Mahlzeit serves street food, so its about familiarity over fanciness. Most plates for one average at Rs 250. All things considered, we could do wurst. (HT pays for meals and reviews anonymously) More than a month after Mumbai city collector Sampada Mehta issued an order directing all gymkhanas on Marine Drive to switch off high intensity lights or floodlights after 10pm, residents from the area have alleged that the gymkhanas have been violating the order. Kalbadevi resident Nilesh Desai, who has filed several complaints with the Mumbai police and the district collectors office that led to the order on February 12, said that since the order was issued, gymkhanas still kept their lights on till 2am and even recent complaints went unheard. His complaint said that lights from Wilson College gymkhana, PJ Hindu and other gymkhanas were all violating the order. Apart from switching off lights at 10pm, Mehta directed gymkhanas to come up with a plan for changing the direction of flood lights to ensure it does not affect local residents, does not cause accidents at Marine Drive and also requested the state to draft light pollution rules. This is blatant violation of clear orders by the district administration. The police have not been instrumental in implementing the order so far, and residents continue to have sleepless nights due to the glare from these floodlights. Even though a police chowkee is located at the site, they are not proactive until a complaint is filed, said Desai. The gymkhanas are manipulating the order by using high beam temporary lights rather than floodlights for weddings that also need to be turned off by 10pm. A senior official from the Mumbai collectors office, on the condition of anonymity, said, Clear orders have been issued by us to control light pollution even though there are no standards. It is now the responsibility of the Mumbai police to ensure the order is followed. Officials from the Mumbai police said they were investigating the matter. While we can confirm that lights at the police gymkhana are switched off by 10pm, we are verifying the complaint and ensuring residents are not affected in future, said Vilas B Gangawane, senior police inspector, Marine Drive police station. However,Frasier D, manager of the PJ Hindu Gymkhana, said that they were not violating any rules and Wilson College Gymkhana said they only used few lights for weddings over the past four days. Our floodlights have remained off but other lights are being used for weddings, which are also switched off by 10pm. The change in direction of lights is still underway. We request residents to approach us if they face any difficulty, said Amin Pawar, senior manager, Wilson Gymkhana. The gymkhanas are not concerned about issues faced by people in their neighbourhood, and the authorities need to act considering this is affecting peoples health. We need to take this issue on a wider basis to insist that a policy be framed regarding light pollution, said Sumaira Abdulali, convener, Awaaz Foundation. Light pollution readings recorded on January 19, 2018 Location Light Pollution reading (in lux) Wilson Gymkhana 84,800 facing the light source Police Gymkhana 14,100 facing the light source Marine Drive seaward side 2,100 ambient light (including street lights) Juhu Beach 67,000 directly under the light source (Source: Awaaz Foundation) Doctors from KEM Hospital in Parel said 20 lux is appropriate for reading; the human eye should not be exposed directly to lux levels exceeding 50-60 lux. Existing fluorescent streetlights range emit 50,000-55,000 lux, while the LED lights along Marine Drive give out a maximum of 60,000 lux. What is Light Pollution Light pollution (measured in lumens) is the collective term for excessively altered, misdirected or obtrusive man-made light. Currently, there are no standards for light pollution globally. Artificially lit areas at night across India increased by 33% between 2012 and 2016 a rise of 7.4% per year, found study from December last year by the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences using data from a NASA satellite. Common sources in Mumbai include lighting of building exteriors and interiors, advertising hoardings, car headlights, tall office buildings, shops and factories, streetlights, and illuminated venues such as beaches and waterfronts. How does it impact health Light pollution affects health in a number of ways including increased headaches, loss of sleep, fatigue, stress, decrease in sexual function, development irregularities, mood fluctuations, increase in anxiety, retinal damage, reduced sperm production and genetic mutation. Light pollution during normally dark periods affects production of melatonin in living beings. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and behaviour. The state government, in its annual budget, has laid substantial emphasis on tourism, especially in the picturesque Konkan region. From buying a battery-operated submarine for underwater tourism at Sindhudurg to developing a new tourist place in Ratnagiri to an annual festival at Nandurbar, various initiatives were announced in the budget. The Ganpatipule temple in Ratnagiri, with its beaches and forests, will be developed as a tourist destination and a budget of Rs79 crore is allotted for the same. The nearby Machal area in Ratnagiri is also being developed as a tourist destination. According to the minister of state for finance, Deepak Kesarkar, who also represents the area, the government wants to take advantage of the uniqueness of Konkan. We have a unique underwater environment at Ninati Rock in Sidhadurg district. Indias first battery operated submarine will be made available at Sindhudurg. This will attract large number of domestic and international tourists and will give rise to employment, said Kesarkar. With Konkan, the state government has also approved plans to develop Ramtek, a religious place, with its association with Lord Ram and allotted Rs150 crore for this purpose. A fossils museum at Sironcha in Gadchiroli district is on the cards as well. Similarly, a Chetak festival would be organised annually at Shahada in Nandurbar district. Tourism experts have commended the government for focussing on tourism. Maharashtra is one unique state where we can have tourism based on archaeology, history, wildlife, heritage and religious themes, said Subhash Motwani, director, Namaste Tourism. However, he said that the government needs also manage infrastructure, safety and cleanliness. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), welcomed the move. We need to take a holistic view instead of a piece meal approach. Tourism will boost both the local economy and also generate employment for the local population, said Dlip Datwani, president, HRAWI. A sessions court has ordered the husband of a 46-year-old homemaker from Goregaon to give her at least Rs10,000 every month for personal expenses, after overturning a trial court ruling that rejected her plea. The Dindoshi sessions court passed the order on March 1, after the woman appealed saying that her husband, a habitual drinker, abused her both physically and mentally, gave her just Rs 500 every fortnight to run the house, and nothing for her personal needs. Seeking an interim maintenance of Rs75,000, the woman had said that her husband, 51, draws a huge salary of Rs1.5 lakh per month, whereas she has no source of income. The couple, residents of Goregaon (east), are married since January 1999, and have an 18-year-old son. In her application, the homemaker said her husband would get drunk and abuse her, and that after he threatened her with dire consequences in 2016, she registered a case of domestic violence against him at the Borivli metropolitan court. Case proceedings are on. She then filed an application for interim relief, appealing that her husband be restrained from acting on his threats, and allow her to live in their house, or then rent another flat. He should not be allowed to dispossess her from the said flat, she said in her application. In October 2017, the trial court rejected her applications, after which she approached the sessions court. The sessions court held that the trial court has not considered the facts as well as the legal points, so interference is warranted. While passing the order, additional sessions judge DK Bhende observed: Only to permit the wife to reside in a flat and to provide food and minimum requirements is not sufficient, as she must have some amount towards her personal expenses. I conclude that the respondent is morally as well as legally bound to provide at least Rs10,000 per month towards her personal pocket money/personal expenses, in addition to general support. To revive the entrepreneurial spirit among Parsi-Zoroastrians, the community has decided to fund business ideas from young members. There was a time when our community was known as the community of businessmen, but today our youngsters do not want to take the plunge, they are happy doing jobs. Through this initiative we are asking the younger generation to explore new avenues, said Sam Balsara, founder, Madison World, who will be a part of the panel screening the ideas. The World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce India (WZCCI) and World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust Funds (WZTOF) have decided to come up with a platform, wherein entrepreneurs from the community will be provided with funds and mentors for their projects. The group intends to collect Rs5 crore and disburse the amount within next two months. As a part of the plan, the well-to-do members from the community worldwide will be approached and asked to donate towards the plan. There are two aspects of the plan, firstly it will get the community together and secondly it will motivate the entrepreneurs, Balsara said. The interest-free loans provided to these business ideas will have to be repaid over a particular period of time, which will in turn be used for other budding projects. However, the loans will be given after a tough screening process, which would have the experienced members of the community on the panel. Captain Percy Master, WZCCI President India Region, said, With this financing initiative we are fulfilling a long time need to encourage the youth of our community to venture into business. We are confident that this is a small beginning of something big. Earlier last year, Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) had set-up a co-working and an incubation centre in Andheri to provide an office space and guidance to the entrepreneurs from the community. Sindhi Chamber of Commerce (SCC) too conducted a series of workshops and seminars to guide and help the businessmen in the community across 40 different sectors. The construction of the ambitious Mumbai Nagpur Super Communication Expressway will start in April, said state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar while presenting Maharashtras budget for the year 2018-19. The 701-km expressway Greenfield project, which is also called the Samruddhi Mahamarg or the Prosperity Corridor, will connect two important cities in the state. The expressway will pass through the most backward districts of the state. The state government plans to develop 24 nodes or prosperity hubs, which include truck terminuses, commercial sites, knowledge city, IT industries, manufacturing units, etc, to boost the economy of the region. A special purpose vehicle has been set up in the name of Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway Limited for this project. The Samruddhi Mahamarg will run through 10 districts, 26 tehsils and 390 villages. Private land purchase procedure up to 52% is completed. The work on project will start from April 2018, said Mungantiwar. Meanwhile, in a push for the construction, repair and maintenance of the roads across the state, the government has allocated nearly Rs13,386 crore. According to Mungantiwar, the government has also allocated Rs10,828 crore for public works department for road construction and repairs across the state. The state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) on Friday awarded the much-awaited environment clearance to Hindon elevated road. With this, the road can be thrown open to the public. Officials said that they have urged the chief minister to inaugurate the 10.3km-long road. With the environmental and legal hurdles over, the commuters will be able to get a signal-free connectivity to Delhi border. The project will serve as a six-lane, signal-free bypass for those travelling to Delhi from Ghaziabad and western UP areas. Once operational, commuters will be able to drive down from Ghaziabad to the East Delhi border in 15 minutes while maintaining the permissible speed of 80kmph. The road, which is built on 228 pillars apart from the ground surface near Raj Nagar Extension, will also be a boon to travellers who will land at the Hindon airbase once regional flights commence operation from under the regional connectivity scheme. The road ends 1.5km away from the airbase. With the grant of environmental clearance, all hurdles have been removed. We have requested the UP CM to inaugurate the project. A decision is expected soon. The remaining work on rotaries, especially at Vasundhara, is being expedited and will be complete by end of May, GDA vice-chairperson Ritu Maheshwari said. Work for rotary on the CISF Road at Vasundhara was delayed and may lead to congestion up to NH-24 once the road is opened. We are going to hold a meeting to chalk out a traffic management plan in case there is congestion at the CISF Road due to rotary work, Maheshwari added. Completion of the Hindon elevated road was scheduled to get completed by April 2017. The work was delayed due to several factors, including shifting of high power transmission lines, delayed construction of a rail overbridge near Vasundhara, and litigation with made obtaining an environmental clearance a prerequisite for the project. Ghaziabad resident Sushil Raghav had moved the National Green Tribunal flagging environmental concerns. On January 4, the tribunal had directed Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change to decide the issue for grant of EC within a month. The ministry directed the GDA to approach the SEIAA. The EC was finally granted to the project on Friday after it was cleared by the state level expert appraisal committee meeting held on February 24. This is the first elevated road in Ghaziabad and was completed at an estimated cost of 1,147 crore. Its tempting to interpret the news from Pyongyang on Tuesday with relief and hope. Last November, North Koreas tyrant Kim Jong Un was testing missiles that could reach the continental United States. President Donald Trump was promising fire and fury. And the world looked on in terror. Now envoys for South Korean President Moon Jae-in report that the Kim regime is willing to negotiate away its nuclear programme in exchange for security guarantees. Eagles fly with doves. Peace demands it be given a chance. But there is reason for scepticism. The South Korean side, so far, is the only side that has released a statement. It said that Kims negotiators made it clear that it would have no reason to keep nuclear weapons if the military threat to the North was eliminated and its security guaranteed. That sounds pretty good. After all, the US has offered such security guarantees before. It shouldnt be such a stretch to do it this time. That said, North Korea has a warped view of security guarantees. The North Koreans historically have said that security guarantees mean no possibility of nuclear weapons in the South, said Nicholas Eberstadt, a Korea expert at the American Enterprise Institute. As long as the US is allied with the South, that would be considered a security threat. Christopher Hill, the former US ambassador who led North Korea negotiations in George W. Bushs second term, made this argument powerfully last June. At the time Hill wrote, The idea that North Korea will abandon its weapons programs in exchange for the promise of security and regime survival has failed whenever it has been tested. During Bushs second term, Hill was one of those voices arguing for exactly the kind of negotiations the North appears to welcome. Indeed, Kims father back then made many similar noises. The US in turn enticed North Korea to negotiations by returning assets it had seized in sanctions and removing the regime from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. It turned out to be a ruse. In the end, the North Koreans couldnt agree to a basic verification plan that would prove they had disarmed. As it has always done, Pyongyang pocketed the up-front concessions and used the talks to buy more time. Context is important here. Consider the interests of the South Koreans. Moons government has a political imperative to show progress. The South Korean president is under pressure in Seoul from his right flank. Any kind of agreement, no matter how flimsy, would be a political win for a president trying to stave off reforms that would weaken his office. So the source of the report on North Korea is, shall we say, motivated. For now, the Trump administration looks like it wont be fooled again. Trump himself tweeted Tuesday morning that the announcement counted as possible progress or false hope. A senior administration official told me that in this spirit there were no plans to halt the campaign of increasing sanctions, or maximum pressure, on North Korea and its allies. This official also said a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea was still scheduled for mid-April. The joint military exercises, which were delayed this year after Kim agreed to send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, are a test of whether the Kim regimes priority truly is the security of the North. The military manoeuvres are preparing for a scenario in which the North invades the South, not the other way around. They are about securing South Korea, not threatening North Korea. If Pyongyang overreacts to these manoeuvres, that tells us something. If the denuclearisation talks move forward during and after those joint exercises, then its possible that Kims understanding of his national security has evolved. Its a little hard to imagine, given his propensity for aggression and delusion. But that would be the best way to assess the latest offer of nuclear negotiations. Until then, its best to treat the announcement this week as a ploy to divide Seoul from its most important ally. Eli Lake is a journalist and columnist Bloomberg View The views expressed are personal From one in four to approximately one in five, child marriages have seen a decline world over in the past 10 years, a Unicef report released on March 6, 2018, said. The proportion of women who were married as children decreased by 15% in the last decade, with south Asia witnessing the largest decline (more than a third, from nearly 50% to 30%) owing largely to progress in India. The data on India, however, comes with a rider that improvement in national and state averages in the country shouldnt take attention away from the fact that many districts still have high rates of child marriage, with the problem more pronounced in tribal communities and in particular castes including Scheduled Caste. In an interview to HT, Alka Singh, head policy and advocacy, and Pradeep K Mishra, project Manager at Save the Children, an NGO, what needs to be done to end the scourge. KD: The National Crime Records Bureau has stated that there were 326 incidents of child marriage in 2016. This number is low for a country of Indias size. Is under-reporting the reason for this? STC: India has largest number of child brides in the world. One out of every three women (20-24 years) in rural India is married before she is 18. Globally, the proportion of women aged between 20 and 24 (who were they were married before their 18th birthday) dropped from 32% around 1990 to 26% around 2015. Evidently, early marriages have social acceptance and this attributes to the low number of reported cases in India. Girls standing up to stop their own marriage also get resolved without any case lodged against parents. As per NCRB, 169, 222 and 280 cases have been registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively, and in 2016, it is 326. This indicates that reporting of child marriage has increased. Another dilemma is lack of age proof. Birth certificates are not made for girl children and hence reporting becomes difficult. KD: Is there gender disparity in child marriage as well? STC: Both girls and boys are victims of child marriage but the number of girls is far higher than that of boys. The latest Economic Survey has mentioned preference of sons as one of the major factor in the countrys slow economic development. Even today, investments in girls education and their future are low by their families and consequently they get married off at an early age. Gender disparity in child marriage is clear when we look at the absolute share of males and females in the population married below 18 years. Out of these 100 million child marriages, 85 million are girls, constituting 83% of the total child marriages. KD: Despite the legal ban for so many years, child marriage continues to exist. Why? STC: There are two big reasons: With Right to Education Act coming in force, we have a sharp increase in the number of girls enrolling into schools. Enrollment figures have reached as high as 98%. But, the Act covers children only up to the age of 14. After elementary level, we see a spike in dropout rates. This is especially the case in rural, remote and tribal areas where the State has failed to offer enough choices of education and employability to girls. This builds on the social acceptance of child marriage in lack of choices or prospects. The safety of girls is another major issue. Weak child protection mechanisms at the local level to its redressal system at state and national levels only indicates a large number of pending cases. This is also a result of the States inability to create a safer city and village for our girls we see them dropping out. KD: Is economics and physical security (other than tradition) the main reason for child marriages? STC: Poverty is one of the reasons but the bigger reason is our failure to provide education that is relevant to tribal, disadvantaged and poor communities. An education system that helps them continue and build prospects will definitely help in addressing child marriages. Again, the practice of dowry is prohibited since 1961 but it still persists. Dowry perpetuates child marriage as it encourages parents to marry off their girls early to avoid an increase in the dowry amount. KD: How can we end this problem? STC: A recent survey undertaken by us in Odisha, Bihar and Rajasthan to understand if employment opportunities will help reducing child marriage and skill requirement for adolescent girls. The girls (10 to 19 years) expressed that employability might make it difficult for her parents to get a match but at the same time that would get them respect. In Rajasthan and Odisha, more than 39% girls believed employability will get them respect while in Bihar 21% believed the same. On the question, what skills do they think will get those help find a job, more than 90% attributed it to confidence to talk to unknown people, job market-oriented skill set and computer knowledge would get them work. More than 70% expressed that ability to speak English helps in getting a job. On what kind of jobs would they prefer, government jobs were the top favourite. This was followed by teaching jobs. The survey showed that the girls have very little awareness about vocational training centres and even government schemes. Less than 10% have received any training. This shows that there is a need to make vocational training opportunities more popular. KD: Why have some states been successful in reducing child marriage more than others? Does this have to do anything with the economy of the state, or its more a question of governance? STC: In the last three years, Save the Children India has supported villages in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana to address the issue. What we have found is this: More than funds, it is about choices and protection mechanism that has helped reduce child marriages. Even in financially strong states, there are pockets of disadvantaged communities that need to be reached. @kumkumdasgupta The Mohali administration on Thursday launched a sanitary napkin bank, first-of-its-kind initiative in the region, at its administrative complex in Sector 76 here. The scheme aims at providing subsidised sanitary pads to all district government schools female students who cannot afford them. For this, the administration has collaborated with a private firm which will provide six pads for just Rs 8 to the school girls. The scheme was initially launched by former Union minister Preneet Kaur, who said, The poor girls and women lack knowledge about the menstrual health hazards related to non-usage of pads. It is very necessary for a woman to keep her body clean to avoid diseases. Additional deputy commissioner Charandev Singh Mann said as per the directions of deputy commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, an awareness campaign was being run to sensitise the young girls studying in the schools regarding the use of sanitary pads during their menstrual cycles. He added that distribution of sanitary pads will start from the government schools of the district and the campaign will further be taken to the grassroots. The administration has also urged the residents to contribute by donating pads at a box set up at the district administration complex. Punjab women and child development minister Razia Sultana and education minister Aruna Chaudhary were also present during the event. Who says we lack entrepreneurial spirit? HT bones up on some young startups from the region: Wendors of the future They are the youngest entrepreneurs at the conclave. The three final year students of Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, created quite a stir when one of them told Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh about their cashless vending machine Wendors. Its got a simple touch interface. Select the product you want and then use a QR based payment system (read paytm or Bheem) and you are done, said the curly-haired Lakshit, a student of computer science. Machine is already operational at J hostel in their college. The lanky Ayush Pahwa, a software student, laughs as he tells how it was their post-midnight hunger pangs that set them thinking about this venture.Vishad Tomar, a student of instrumentation, feels the government can benefit from the machine by using it for public distribution system of susbsidised ration. The users, all Aadhaar card holders, will only have to flash their fingerprints to get their quota of ration, says Lakshit. This will plug the leaks. All retail will get automated in the next 15 years. Imagine the customer insight you will get with the data, gushes Lakshit. Their Big challenge: Funds for the hardware In the business of data Ankush Sharma and Neeraj Rajput are running a startup Data to Biz and want to create employment and a community of data scientists. (Keshav Singh/HT) It was last year that Neeraj Rajput, 27, and Ankush Sharma, 25, decided to use their intellectual capital to set up a business of their own. Sharma, who has done BTech (computers) from Guru Nanak Dev University, and Rajput, an MSc in computer science, met while working for an IT company in Chandigarh. We both felt that a lot could be done with data, says Rajput. Today they are running a startup called Data to Biz from an incubator in a private university. Their first client was a job portal based in Singapore. We are building a recommendation system, which will help both job seekers and employers find the perfect match, says Rajput. The two believe data crunching can help solve problems ranging from client loyalty to attrition.w The innovators, who work 12 hours a day and love every second of it, say they want to create employment and a community of data scientists. Their main challenge: to convince people about their ability. We know we have the skills, but how do we convince the clients? A stack of IT learning Navdeep Singh Gills platform got TiE product of the year award. (Keshav Singh/HT) Its a company that provides a stack of IT services, ranging from cloud computing and big data to artificial intelligence. But presently, the 35-member team at the Mohali-based Xenonstack is most excited about Nexa Stack, their recently launched self-service platform for developers, which has bagged the TiE product of the year award. Navdeep Singh Gill, a 2003-batch graduate from Guru Nanak Engineering College, is excited about his plans to launch virtual computer labs and lessons for all schools and colleges of the state. Our curriculum is not in sync with the fast-paced technological changes. Artificial Intelligence is creating new jobs, but our students lack the skills. Gill plans to bridge this gap with his proposal. His team, meanwhile, is excited about a product that will forecast stock market movement. His challenge: Getting the Mohali chapter of the Software Technology Park of India to say yes to his proposal. Cutting a good deal Amit Mittals app offers discount coupons. (Keshav Singh/HT) The red poster invites you to stop and look. Dealzuzu is the name of the new business venture by brothers Amit and Sandeep Mittal. The two, who launched a subscription-based app that offers discounts coupons in fields as varied as food, transport, electronics and grocery to medical clinics this January, say they have already tied up with over 100 businesses. Who doesnt like a discount, asks Amit, an electronics engineer, telling there are over 61 million users of discount coupons in the US. Their goal: To make discount coupons a pan-India business, and to transform the app into a one-stop shop. The big challenge: Getting good marketing managers and more government support. We pay Rs 9 per unit for power while others shell out Rs 5 per unit. Why are IT services not considered part of the industry? The power of a vacation Sushma Paul wants people to make vacations a part of their life. (Keshav Singh/HT) Sushma Paul and Deepak Verma joined hands last year to customise vacations for people in the region according to their budget. While Paul, a single mother, handles destination holidays, both domestic and international, Verma works in the great Himalayas. We are sitting at the base of the Himalayas, yet treks are still not that popular here, tells Verma, whose USP is adventure with safety. Though Paul and Verma work out of one office, their companies retain their separate names Holiday Cellar and Yo! Buddy. Their goal is the same: to make people start a bucket list, which would encourage them to make vacations a part of their life. As Verma puts it, We encourage people to get out and explore the world, the vast nature, and come back refreshed. They get their clients through word of mouth. The tricity, they say, is waking up to the joys of traveling. With more international flights on the way, we will go places, promises Paul. Anyone who knows something about the Sikhs will tell you that 99% of them are proud of both their community and country. The sacrifices made by the community for the independence and defence of their country have always been the greatest source of their pride, just as the martyrdom of the ninth Master Guru Tegh Bahadur has been. The greatest icons of the community are icons of the whole country be it Marshall of the Air Force Arjun Singh, Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora or Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, the heroes of the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan. Then, who do all those creating noises about a separate Sikh country called Khalistan represent? Also, who is behind the revival of these noises in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus recent visit to India? Are these marginalised Sikh politicos abroad? Or is it political voyeurisms of Trudeaus party, itching to milk the Sikh electoral constituency at the expense of the community? Or these are some political parties in India itching as strongly to milk the so-called Hindu backlash, in a repeat of Indira Gandhis 1984 misadventure? The Sikhs already feel like electoral fodder being fed on from opposite ends by the contrary forces. The radicals have never come anywhere close to winning any election in Punjab. From the Panchayats to the parliament, it is the moderate mainstream that rules the hearts and minds of the Sikh community. Evil forces at work Ironically, the only people who want this Khalistan noise to be given a quick and quiet burial are the Sikh masses who remain convinced that the bogey of Khalistan is being thrust upon them against their wishes by a combination of evil forces, none of whom represents them nor have the interests of the community at heart. Khalistan making headlines is terrible news for the community as it kills all the genuine causes, grievances and demands of the community: a cry for justice on the massacre of 1984 and a fair deal for Punjab, for example. You cannot convince any Sikh why his reasonable countrymen would oppose the description of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs for being Sikhs as a genocide. (Dictionary meaning : massacre of a large number of people belonging to a particular nation, ethnic group, race of religion). And the Sikh grievance is certainly not against the country at all. It is a grievance against the Congress or at the most against the governments genuine or perceived denial of justice to the community as per the law of the land. The focus of this belief or perception is the refusal of the system to bring the guilty of 1984 to book as per the Constitution of India. Its a non-issue for community The visit of the Canadian premier Justin Trudeau and the manner in which the Indian government chose to respond to it have only further strengthened the impression about our failure or refusal or both to understand that Khalistan is a non-issue for a vast majority of Sikhs living in India and abroad, including Canada. If Trudeau violated norms of diplomatic decency and hurt our national sensitivities by getting controversial names on board during his trip, the government of India also did not exactly cover itself with glory by doing just what the radical Khalistani fringe wanted it do: putting the Khalistan issue on the front burner. Instead of the diplomatic cold shouldering of Trudeau, it is the issue of Khalistan which needed to be cold-shouldered and denied any media or diplomatic mileage. Trudeau needed to be cornered on the diplomatic high table about the disregard shown to Indias nationalist sentiments. If Trudeau had embarrassed us merely to cater to his domestic constituency, he needed to be confronted, not cold-shouldered. Unwittingly, the handling of the Trudeau trip merely helped to strengthen the radical case that the countrys top executive suffers from bias against the Canadian PM because he has accorded a prominent place to the Sikhs in his government. This amounted to playing straight into the hands of the radicals whom the government needed to outsmart, expose and marginalise. The government also needed to grasp and highlight that radical elements abroad are working against the interests of millions of peace-loving Sikhs who form the major chunk of the community in India. There is a vast dichotomy between the cynically selfish agenda of the radical fringe abroad and the interests of the poor, simple Sikh farmer battling his day-to-day problems along with his compatriots in India. That is why even during this trip, all the mainstream Sikh voices - from the Akalis led by Sukhbir Singh Badal to the SGPC and the DSGMC and on to the Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh categorically rubbished Khalistan as a non-issue for the Sikhs. Why is nobody listening? Respect Sikhs desire for justice The Sikh community regards its stakes and destiny as firmly tied with the destiny of their country. They seek justice and fair-play as per the laws of our land, and they strive for their right to live with dignity and fight against discrimination like any other Indian would through peaceful democratic means. They have a body of legitimate grievances which need to be addressed as the grievances of a fiercely patriotic community of India. On top of this is the need to understand and respect the communitys sense of grievous wrong on the 1984 massacre which the whole community regards as genocide. The radicals have never come anywhere close to winning any election in Punjab. From the Panchayats to the parliament, it is the moderate mainstream that rules the hearts and minds of the Sikh community. The country needs to avoid the blunders of 1984 and to decipher the correct message in these repeated and resounding electoral rebuffs to the radicals by the Sikhs in Punjab - and not force down their throat an agenda which they have repeatedly and forcefully rejected. (The writer is former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badals adviser on national affairs and media) Two days after two Gurdaspur women were caught smuggling 800-gram gold concealed in their rectum, customs officials nabbed a Mumbai man using the same mode to sneak in 180-gram gold bars worth Rs 5.6 lakh at the Chandigarh airport on Thursday. Smuggling on the rise Cases are being reported at the Chandigarh airport regularly Concealed in body: 7 cases (since July 2017) Gold worth Rs 15 crore recovered (since Sept 2016) The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, landed here from Dubai. He was stopped on suspicion. The man confessed that he was working for a Dubai-based smuggling network run by Indian nationals. He was to meet someone outside the airport. He was to be paid Rs 3,000 for acting as the courier. Sources said the man was in pain while taking out the gold bars. He was let off after intense questioning. Smuggling gold through body concealment has become a regular practice at the airport. Since July last year, at least seven such cases have been reported. Customs officials have seized gold worth at least Rs 15 crore since international operations began in September 2016. Jharkhand may boast of record paddy production this kharif season, but the state government is on way to failing miserably in achieving the procurement target even after giving Rs 150 as bonus on minimum support price (MSP) to farmers. More than three months have lapsed since the government launched paddy procurement process on December 1 last year, but the achievement is merely 37% of the target so far. The states food and civil supplies department has set a target of four lakh metric tonne paddy procurement from farmers till March 31, out of total paddy output of 49 lakh MT. We have procured over 1.47 lakh MT paddy till date and are expecting to procure more than two lakh metric tonne by March 31, said food director Sunil Kumar Sinha. Last year, the department had procured 2.30 lakh metric tonne paddy against the target of four lakh MT. This year, the department engaged multiple resources to procure paddy from across the state. State Food Corporation (SFC) was tasked to procure around 1.55 lakh MT from North Chotanapur and Santhal Pargana, while FCI had to procure about 30,000 MT from Palamu division. The FCI hired NCML for procuring around 2.15 lakh MT paddy from South Chotanagpur and Kolhan divisions. In a move aimed at benefitting farmers, the state government granted bonus of Rs 150 per quintal to farmers on MSP. The Central government hiked the MSP of paddy to Rs 1,550 per quintal for 2017-18 from Rs 1,470 in 2016-17. With Rs 150 bonus, a farmer in Jharkhand is getting Rs 1,700 per quintal for paddy procurement this year. The department registered over 1.11 lakh farmers this year to provide them hassle free and cashless procurement service. Under the new system, farmers get SMSes mentioning the scheduled date and centre of procurement. Sources in the department said farmers received good money from private parties also this year. The private party offered Rs 1,600 to Rs 1,650 per quintal paddy to farmers. This was one of the major reasons for poor procurement, said an official, who wished not to be quoted. State food and public distribution minister Saryu Roy held a meeting with department officials and district supply officers (DSO) here on Thursday and asked them to expedite the procurement process. Complaints about poor procurement, delays in SMS sending and payment are coming from areas where SFC has been engaged to procure paddy. We had blacklisted NACOF agency for these reasons last year. The same mistake is being repeated by the SFC now, Roy said during the meeting. The minister also warned the NCML to improve paddy supply from farmers place to rice mill in a week. Otherwise, we will blacklist the agency, the minister said. Roy also directed the official to immediately release payments against paddy procurement to farmers. As Naachiyaar runs successfully in theaters, GV Prakash, one of the lead characters in this Bala film spoke about what it took to prepare for the film, his initial hesitation to sign the film, experience of working with Jyothika and more in an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times. GV Prakashs most recent outing as a lead actor sees him play the role of a youth from a slum area. After seeing the actors work in a number of slapstick comedies this is a change. He entered the industry with a film that reeked of misogyny, and until the crime-thriller Pencil came along, the actor was seen mostly in similar slapstick comedy. His look, his demeanor and his performance in Naachiyaar is all different, and also unexpected of a composer-turned-actor. Did he expect to play a role like this in his career? GV Prakash was initially surprised to be approached for such a role. I got a call from Bala sirs office and I expected it to be about composing music. He then told me that he wanted me to act in the film. I was hesitant initially as I had already signed multiple projects. So I asked him for two months time before we began the project. Bala sir also wrapped up the schedule in 40 days. My only fear was the commitment I had done and I also had to change my look for the film, he recalled. Speaking about working with director Bala, he said he was ready as he knew Bala to be a hard taskmaster who knew to work with artistes. He explained how all the credit to the role and the dynamics in the film goes to Bala. He also explained that the takeaway was to learn something. My take away was that I learned the importance of character and personality grooming and development. I had to become the character in Naachiyaar in looks as well as my gait, he explained. For a composer turned actor, or for a star kid for that matter, GV feels he has always been at a disadvantage in the industry. When I entered the industry as a composer, the standpoint was that a star kid should not be encouraged. I proved them wrong. It does take time, but I outsmarted them and gave Veyil (2006 movie starring Bharath and Bhavana for which GV Prakash composed music), he recalled. When it comes to acting, GV Prakash is clear that he has to do justice to the profession. It takes time for someone to prove themselves and I have to do justice to the work. I also have to think if something is commercially saleable or not, opined the composer-actor who feels that now its all okay and everything is worth the effort. He also has big, grand dreams about the projects that he would like to be a part of. It would be great to be a part of a film like that of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis, he said. Does he harbor dreams of entering Bollywood? The actor was applauded by Anurag Kashyap for his look and performance in the trailer of Naachiyaar. The director and actor exchanged tweets about the same. When asked about this GV Prakash said, He (Anurag Kashyap) told me that he will launch me in Hindi (movies). So, lets see. GV Prakash has not given up on composing music though. In fact, he revealed that he will be composing music for one big project only in 2018 for which an official announcement can be expected soon. So has his method of composing music changed after his foray as an actor? GV says definitely. Initially, I used to compose music for a script. The situations and what a particular moment required of me. But now, I compose for the audience, and the screen directly with an insight to what people might or might not like. Speaking about music, GV Prakashs upcoming film Sarvam Thaalamayam directed by Rajiv Menon with music composed by AR Rahman, is a musical venture in which the actor plays a percussionist. Talking about this project, he said: After K Vishwanath, I feel Rajiv Menon does the best musicals. Even though I am not the composer on this project, I have learnt a lot especially about percussion. He has worked with musicians in Kashmir and Rajasthan among others. Author tweets @Priyanka_S_MCC Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop The 1962 Sino-India war is a painful reminder of how Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru miscalculated Chinese intentions. And while India faced a battering at the hands of the Chinese along the Himalayan border, there were innumerable stories on individual bravery. One such a story is that of Subedar Joginder Singh of the Sikh regiment, who fought near Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh and died in the war. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Playing the titular role is Gippy Grewal in the upcoming Punjabi film, Subedar Joginder Singh. A trailer of the film was unveiled on Friday. The 3-minute video shows Singhs life arc a youngster who joins the British Indian Army, a lover, a son and a father. However, a major part of the trailer deals with Joginder who must lead a small set of 21 soldiers, fighting a wave of Chinese soldiers in 1962. The small band of men of the Sikh regiment fight till the last man. According to reports, the film has been shot in Suratgarh in Rajasthan, Drass in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir under extremely trying conditions. Directed by Simerjit Singh, Subedar Joginder Singh also stars Aditi Sharma and is slated to release on April 6 this year. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop In the past few months, Tejaswini Pandit has been called out on social media for gaining weight. The Ye Re Ye Re Paisa actor took to social media on International Womens day to speak against body shaming and appeal to women to love themselves. I have gained a little bit of weight in the last few months. I am aware of that and have been working towards it too. For a while now, trollers have been abusive on social media and have been saying mean things to me. Earlier, I used to delete those comments, but now I have decided that I cannot be hypocritical and need to take a stand, says Tejaswini, who feels that women should not give in to unrealistic demands and appreciate the way they are. She adds that media has been highly responsible for creating stereotypical images of an ideal woman. It is disheartening yet true, that we have made people believe that an ideal woman is supposed to be thin, fair and has flawless skin. After comments such as You look fat, and Please reduce your weight, I decided to come to terms with the fact and face the issue. I am a thyroid patient, but that apart people dont understand the stress we actors go through. I thought maybe if I speak up, I will be able to help women out there to be comfortable in their own skin. The actor shares that a team of eight to ten people make an actor look like how he or she does on screen. And, people need to accept this reality that this is not how everyone will look all the time. Unfortunately, people expect us to be prim and proper all the time. This time, I decided to not mince words and come to the point, she says. Tejaswini will be going to Dubai for a one week break (during Gudi Padwa) before she starts shooting for her next film, based on a true story. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop An Afghan official says the Taliban launched a deadly assault on an army outpost in a remote region of northern Takhar province, killing 10 local policemen and wounding nine. Provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said on Friday that a large number of Taliban fighters assaulted the outpost overnight. He says the members of the local police were ambushed and killed while on their way to the outpost to assist the Afghan soldiers in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. The soldiers suffered no casualties. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault late Thursday and the police slayings. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report couldnt be independently confirmed because of the areas remoteness. Military personnel specialising in chemical and biological warfare have joined the investigation in Salisbury into the attempted murder of a former Russian spy and his daughter, who were allegedly exposed to a nerve agent by elements widely suspected to be of Russian origin. Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia remained in critical condition, while police officer Nick Bailey, who was the first to go their help on Sunday and was exposed to the nerve agent, is recovering in hospital from his serious condition. Russia has strongly denied any role in the incident. British home secretary Amber Rudd visits the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent in Salisbury, Britain, on March 9, 2018. (Reuters) Scotland Yard said on Friday: The Counter Terrorism Policing Network has requested assistance from the military to remove a number of vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury town centre as they have the necessary capability and expertise. The military has the expertise and capability to respond to a range of contingencies, it added. It did not mention details but reports said about 180 personnel, including from the Royal Marines, were involved in the investigation. Police officers seal off the road on which former Russian spy Sergei Skripal lives in Salisbury, Britain, on March 7, 2018. (Reuters) Home secretary Amber Rudd, who visited Salisbury on Friday, said the condition of Skripal and Yulia remained serious. She described the incident as outrageous. She said: I understand peoples curiosity about all those questions, wanting to have answers, and there will be a time to have those answers. But the best way to get to them is to make sure we give the police the space they need to really go through the area carefully, to do their investigation and to make sure that they have all the support that they need in order to get that. She added, In terms of further options, that will have to wait until were absolutely clear what the consequences could be and what the actual source of this nerve agent has been. Officials in protective suits check their equipment before repositioning the forensic tent covering the bench where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found in the centre of Salisbury, Britain, on March 8, 2018. (Reuters) Ian Blair, who was head of Scotland Yard when another former Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, was killed in London in 2006 by radiation poisoning, told BBC Radio 4 that one line of inquiry is that Skripal may have been exposed to the nerve agent in his own home. He said: Clearly what theyre trying to find out at the moment is how was this delivered personally. There obviously are some indications. The officer Im very sorry hes been injured has actually been to the house, whereas theres a doctor who looked after the patients in the open who hasnt been affected at all. There may be some clues floating around in here. Members of the emergency services in green biohazard suits work to affix the tent over the bench where the former Russian spy and his daughter were found on March 4 in critical condition at The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, England, on March 8, 2018. (AFP) Skripal and his daughter visited a pub and a restaurant in Salisbury on Sunday before they were found near a shopping centre. Investigators wearing protective gear were seen examining the bench that they collapsed on. The former Russian military colonels house and his car were cordoned off. Skripal was given refuge by the UK as part of a spy swap in 2010 after he was convicted in Russia of passing secrets to the MI6. Major Asian nations reacted sharply to US President Donald Trumps decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Friday, warning of damage to relations amid industry calls for retaliation. Japan said the move would have a big impact on the countries close bilateral ties, while China said it was resolutely opposed to the decision and South Korea said it may file a complaint to the World Trade Organization. Trump on Thursday pressed ahead with the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminium on Thursday, though he announced exemptions for Canada and Mexico, and said exceptions could also be made for other allies. China, which produces half the worlds steel, will assess any damage caused by the U.S. move and firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests, the countrys Ministry of Commerce said. The tariffs would seriously impact the normal order of international trade, the ministry said. Trade tensions between China and United States have risen since Trump took office. China accounts for only a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, but its massive industrial expansion has helped create a global glut of steel that has driven down prices. Chinas steel and metals associations urged the government to retaliate against the United States, citing imports ranging from stainless steel to coal, agricultural products and electronics. It was the most explicit threat yet from the country in an escalating trade spat. The dispute has fuelled concerns that soybeans, the United States most valuable export to the worlds second largest economy, might be caught up in the trade actions after Beijing launched a probe into imports of U.S. sorghum, a grain used in animal feed and liquor. The cost of a trade war will be tremendous and it will make everyone unhappy, Junichi Makino, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities in Tokyo, said in a report on Friday. Trumps declaration coincided with the signing by 11 countries of a new Trans-Pacific trade pact that the United States withdrew from last year. Japan, South Korea said they would seek exceptions, as did Australia. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sounded confident of getting favourable treatment as Trump spoke of Washingtons strong relationship with Australia, a major exporter of iron ore but exports little steel and the United States was not a major customer. I was pleased to see the president acknowledge the strong points I have been making to him. There is no case for imposing tariffs on Australian steel, Turnbull told reporters in Sydney. The European Union, Brazil and Argentina said overnight they should not be targeted or would seek exemptions. Higher tariffs will increase costs for Hyundai and Kia putting them at a disadvantage compared with their rivals in the United States, a senior South Korean trade ministry official told reporters in a background briefing, referring to Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors. The South Korean official said the tariffs would impact the renegotiation of the bilateral free trade deal with the United States that is currently underway. South Koreas trade minister told local steel makers that nations should try to avoid a trade war. Shares in Chinas steel and aluminium makers fell on Friday morning. Baoshan Iron & Steel was down 3.5 percent by 0014 GMT, while Hesteel and Beijing Shougang were down more than 1 percent. In South Korea, shares in Posco were down more than 3 percent, while in Tokyo Japans biggest steelmaker Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal was down slightly. Chinese steel futures slumped to their weakest level since November. US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the latters invitation, at a time and place to be decided later, the White House said on Thursday. The announcement followed consultations between American and South Korean officials, who had arrived early in the day carrying the invitation from Kim , whom they met in Pyongyang on Wednesday. Chung Eui-yong, the South Korean National Security Adviser, said Kim had expressed eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible and added that the American leader had agreed and said he will meet Kim by May. He added that the North Korean leader conveyed to the South Koreans that he was committed to denuclearisation and had pledged to suspend all nuclear and missile tests. In a separate statement shortly afterwards, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the time and place for the meeting were yet to be decided. President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon (Jae-in). He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined, she said, adding, We look forward to the denuclearisation of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain. News of the talks offer by Kim was teased in a way by President Trump himself in a rare, unannounced appearance at the White House news briefing room. He told surprised reporters to be prepared for remarks from South Korean officials. He followed it up with a tweet: Kim Jong-un talked about denuclearisation with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned! Both the United States and South Korea welcomed the offer of talks and the suspension of missile and nuclear tests with caution. They have seen this before. The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions, Chung said. Kims offer of talks comes after months of escalating tension fuelled by a series of nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang that included the launch of an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile that could reach the American mainland. These were accompanied by a heated exchange of words between Trump and Kim. The American president warned North Korea he will rain fire and fury on it and will completely destroy it. And it got personal. Trump, who likes short and sharp put-downs, began calling the North Korean leader little Rocket Man and a sick puppy. Kim responded by calling Trump a frightened dog, a gangster and dotard, a term used for an old person who has become weak and senile. But tempers cooled down around the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. Kim sent his sister Kim Yo-jong to head the Norths delegation. She was seated in the same VIP box as US vice president Mike Pence at the inauguration ceremony, but they barely even looked at each other.But she did meet and held talks over lunch with South Korean President Moon, who was elected last year on the promise of reconciliation with the estranged North. US president Donald Trump on Thursday ignored warnings of a global trade war and announced new tariffs on steel and aluminium imports along expected lines but with what is fast becoming a customary swipe at India and China in nearly the same breath at major policy pronouncements. Trump cited India, a comparatively minor exporter of steel to the US that is not troubled much by the controversial tariff, as a country that might also attract reciprocal taxes because of the unfair 75% 50% duty on a product that gets taxed at nothing in the US motorcycles READ MORE: China, Japan, South Korea bristle over US steel, aluminium tariffs China, which gets bashed around more at such events, did get more of it but found itself mentioned at the same time with India on tax rate differentials on cars. China taxes American cars at the rate of 25% compared to the US levy of 2.5% 10 times, he repeated several times for emphasis. We are going to do a reciprocal tax programme at some time, the president said moving to a related but different issue towards the end of his speech. So that if China is going to charge us 25% or if India is going to charge us 75% and we charge them nothing. If they are at 50, or they are at 75 or they are at 25, we are going be at the same number. Its called a reciprocal tax, mirror tax. So they charge us 50 we charge them 50 ... We are going to be doing a lot of that, he added. Trump similarly attacked the two countries while announcing the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate accord last May. He accused India of demanding billions and billions of dollars for it participation and China of negotiating a delayed deadline. At recent meetings with business leaders and governors, the president has slammed India repeatedly over the import duty on Harley-Davidson motorcycles on completely built units, and not those assembled locally with snatches from his last phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi thrown in. The new tariffs of 25% for steel and 10% for aluminum imports will kick in after 15 days but Canada and Mexico, the two top steel suppliers of the US, will be exempted as the three North American nations re-negotiate the long-standing trade pact North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA. For the rest of the world, the levies will apply across the board but, once again, a senior administration official said, the US will be making exceptions for allies with whom it has security pacts or for countries that are able to individually negotiate with America, and convince it. That may include every major supplier, critics have contended, arguing the tariffs will really not hurt any country in the end, but will give the president the opportunity to tell his supporters he delivered on yet another campaign promise. The announcement of the tariffs followed days of back and forth between supporters and opponents, chiefly the presidents top economic adviser Gary Cohn, who failed and is leaving. Trump also faced opposition from Republican party leaders. The move has raised fears of a trade war. The European Union has already threatened to retaliate with a package of tariffs of hikes on Bourbon, Harley-Davidson and blue jeans, popular produce of the home-states of Republican party leaders. President Trumps decision to impose steep tariffs on steel & aluminum imports will not protect America. They will harm the American economy, hurt American workers & damage relations with Americas allies & partners, senior Republican John McCain, a Trump critic, said in a statement. US President Donald Trump pressed ahead on Thursday with import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% for aluminium but exempted Canada and Mexico and offered the possibility of excluding other allies, backtracking from an earlier no-exceptions stance. Describing the dumping of steel and aluminium in the US market as an assault on our country, Trump said in a White House announcement that the best outcome would be for companies to move their mills and smelters to the United States. He insisted that domestic metals production was vital to national security. If you dont want to pay tax, bring your plant to the USA, added Trump, flanked by steel and aluminium workers. Plans for the tariffs, set to start in 15 days, have stirred opposition from business leaders and prominent members of Trumps own Republican Party, who fear the duties could spark retaliation from other countries and hurt the US economy. Within minutes of the announcement, US Republican Senator Jeff Flake, a Trump critic, said he will introduce a bill to nullify the tariffs. But that will likely require Congress to muster an extremely difficult two-thirds majority to override a Trump veto. Some Democrats praised the move, including Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who said it was past time to defend our interests, our security and our workers in the global economy and that is exactly what the president is proposing with these tariffs. Trumps unexpected announcement of the tariffs last week roiled stock markets as it raised the prospect of an escalating global trade war. He appeared to have conceded some ground after concerted lobbying by Republican lawmakers, industry groups and US allies abroad. Canada, the largest supplier of both steel and aluminium to the United States, welcomed the news it would not immediately be subject to the tariffs, but vowed to keep pressing Washington until the threat of tariffs had disappeared. Trump offered relief from steel and aluminium tariffs to countries that treat us fairly on trade, a gesture aimed at putting pressure on Canada and Mexico to give ground in separate talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexican economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo said NAFTA talks were independent of Trumps tariff actions and should not be subject to outside pressure. In Beijing, Chinas commerce ministry said on Friday it resolutely opposed the tariffs and that they would seriously impact the normal order of international trade. While Chinese steel exports to the United States have been suppressed by previous anti-dumping duties, the broad Section 232 national security tariffs are widely seen as aiming to pressure Beijing to cut excess steel and aluminium production capacity that has driven down global prices. US steel stocks, which have gained for weeks on anticipation of the tariffs, fell after the announcement, with the Standard and Poors composite steel index ending down 2.53% against a half percent gain in the broad S&P 500 index. Century Aluminum shares fell 7.5%, while Alcoa dipped 0.9%. The Canadian dollar and Mexican peso gained slightly against the U.S. dollar. Seeking clarity A senior Trump administration official said other countries could seek talks with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to find alternative ways to mitigate the threat to US national security posed by their steel and aluminium exports to the United States. It was unclear whether they would involve quotas or voluntary export restraints, but the official said that permanent exemptions for Canada and Mexico might result in higher tariffs on other countries to maintain 80% capacity usage targets for domestic producers. European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said: The EU is a close ally of the US and we continue to be of the view that the EU should be excluded from these measures. I will seek more clarity on this issue in the days to come. US steel- and aluminum-consuming industries sharply criticized the tariffs as damaging them with higher costs. The US will become an island of high steel prices that will result in our customers simply sourcing our products from our overseas competitors and importing them into the United States tariff-free, the Precision Metalforming and National Tooling and Machining associations said in a joint statement. Countermeasures? Several major trading partners have said they might respond to the tariffs with direct action. Countermeasures could include European Union tariffs on US oranges, tobacco and bourbon. Harley-Davidson Inc motorcycles have also been mentioned, targeting Republican US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryans home state of Wisconsin. Even as Trump threatened tariffs and prodded his NAFTA partners, 11 nations gathered in Chile to sign a landmark Asia-Pacific trade pact, one that Trump withdrew from on his first day in office last year. Trump, who won the White House after a career in real estate and reality TV, has long touted economic nationalism, promising to bring back jobs to the United States and save the country from trade deals he views as unfair. That has put him at odds with many in his Republican Party, traditionally a supporter of free trade. Militia fighters attacked, kidnapped and raped en masse a large group of women in an isolated area of Central African Republic last month, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Thursday. The medical charity treated 10 survivors of the February 17 violence near Kiriwiri, a village in the countrys northwest. Fearing further attacks if they tried to reach a hospital, the women were unable to seek medical treatment until about two weeks later, it said. Many other victims remained behind, fearing that, as rape victims, they would be stigmatised in their community. Some were totally in shock, others paralysed by fear or unable to talk about the incident. Some of the women had open wounds caused by blades, said Soulemane Amoin, a midwife at the hospital in the town of Bossangoa where the women were treated. It was terrible to see. It broke my heart. Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Christian anti-balaka militias. Despite the deployment of a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission, rival armed groups still stalk much of the countryside. The UN Security Council approved an extra 900 peacekeepers in November to help to protect civilians. However Gabon, which contributes around 550 soldiers to the mission, announced on Thursday it was planning to withdraw its contingent, citing what it said was a progressive return of peace and stability. The rapes near Kiriwiri coincided with a surge in violence in Bossangoa and the surrounding areas. In its statement, MSF said the women had left their village to fetch water and tend to their fields when the militiamen arrived. Some women fled, but others were grabbed and brought back to the militias base where they were repeatedly raped before being let go, it said. MSF did not identify the group behind the assault. This attack is one of the consequences of the new wave of senseless violence that broke out at the end of 2016 and continues without let-up, said Paul Brockmann, who heads MSFs mission in Central African Republic. The hospital at Bossangoa has treated 56 rape victims since September, up from 13 in the previous eight months, MSF said. It has also treated around 300 victims of rape and sexual assault from around the country each month so far this year at its main hospital in the capital, Bangui. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday hailed a proposed meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a step in the right direction. We do hope that this meeting is going to take place, Lavrov said after talks at the African Unions headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. Certainly, it is required to normalise the situation around the Korean peninsula. It should not just be a meeting, it should open up a way to resuming a fully fledged diplomatic process to find a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue on the basis of principles agreed during the six-party talks and the UN Security Council, Lavrov said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in believes a meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could lead to the North giving up its nuclear weapons programme, Moons spokesman said on Friday. Kim Jong Un told South Korean National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong there will be major results from a meeting with Trump, Moons spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom, told reporters at a briefing. Chung met Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang earlier this week. Trump quickly agreed to a summit with Kim Jong Un after Chung gave him a personal invitation in Washington, Kim Eui-kyeom said. Appointment 9 March 2018 Kolter Hospitality, a division of The Kolter Group, hired Sameer Nair as VP of hotel acquisitions. Nair will be responsible for growing Kolter's hotel portfolio by leading deal acquisition efforts such as sourcing, negotiating and executing of transactions, underwriting and capital structuring. Kolter looks to acquire upper upscale and extended stay institutional branded hotels in U.S. markets with high density and barriers to entry, walkable amenities and diversified demand generators. Nair brings more than seven years of real estate experience to his new role, including acquisitions, asset management, development and special servicing. Previously serving as VP of hotel investments at Banyan Investment Group, Nair completed $120 million in transactions across Marriott, Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels Group franchised hotels. He was responsible for all deal deliverables from identification of target assets to conducting the closings. Prior to Banyan, Nair was a senior analyst at the Aztec Group, where he assisted on private equity investments of $185 million in value-add acquisitions, and four developments valued over $100 million in Miami. Supplier News 9 March 2018 Let's face it. We all understand the need for our next vacation, and some of us may even be counting down the days. But as hotel marketers, how do we reach potential guests at the very beginning stage of the travel planning journey? Is reaching travelers early in the process important? And even more significantly, how can hotel marketers make a lasting impression? Read on for part two of our five-part series, "How to Capitalize on the Full Travel Planning Journey to Drive Direct Bookings," to understand how hotel marketers can reach potential guests in the first stage of the travel planning process: the dreaming phase. We will uncover what online behaviors are most common in this stage, what marketing channels are most effective, and how to measure success. What exactly is the dreaming phase? The first stage of travel planning is the dreaming phase, when consumers first start thinking about their next vacation. Google refers to the micro-moments throughout this phase as "I-want-to-get-away" moments. At this point travelers are just beginning to explore destination options and day-dreaming about what their next getaway could look like. According to Google, in this stage, travelers are not committed to any one brand. The search-engine giant has found that 78% of leisure travelers are undecided on what airline they will travel with, while 82% are undecided on the accommodation they will book. So, what does this phase mean for hotels? Endless opportunity to grab the attention of potential guests and ignite interest in a hotel's destination, location, and accommodations. Before we can understand which marketing channels are best for reaching these potential guests, we have to understand what these key micro-moments look like throughout the dreaming phase. A study conducted by Think with Google has confirmed that the majority of time spent throughout this phase: OTAs 51% Maps 21% Metasearch 13% Search 8% Transportation 3% Accommodation 2% Social 2% With travelers spending half of the dreaming phase on OTA websites, having an effective strategy to shift consumer attention to the direct hotel website is simply a must. By combining the power of non-OTA channels and touchpoints with the right content, hotels can greatly influence the travel planning journey and fuel potential guests through the direct booking funnel. What type of content are travelers looking for in this phase? At this early stage in the travel decision-making process, people want brands to provide content to inspire and narrow down their destination choices. In fact, 67% of travelers are more likely to book with a travel brand that provides relevant information for the destinations they're interested in. The most common searches in this phase are keywords surrounding the type of trip travelers plan to take, such as: Honeymoon Destinations Europe Destinations Best time to visit [Destination] For these broader, destination-level keyword search terms, it may surprise you that, according to Google, 60% of these searches were conducted on a smartphone. Travelers are day-dreaming on-the-go, and your hotel needs to find creative and meaningful ways to be present in these moments. Finally, no matter the device, 64% of people who watch travel-related videos do so when thinking about taking a trip, making video a crucial component in reaching travelers in a compelling way. The best marketing mix to reach travelers in the dreaming phase: SEO Destination Content and Travel Guides: Featuring destination and neighborhood guides on the hotel website is one of the best ways to reach potential guests throughout the Dreaming Phase and ensure your hotel brand is present from the very beginning of the travel planning journey. HEBS Digital recently worked with an independent hotel to create comprehensive neighborhood guides. After just 30 days live, 57% of visitors came to the guide from search engines, showcasing how well-optimized destination content can successfully capitalize on search interest in destination keywords. Featuring destination and neighborhood guides on the hotel website is one of the best ways to reach potential guests throughout the Dreaming Phase and ensure your hotel brand is present from the very beginning of the travel planning journey. HEBS Digital recently worked with an independent hotel to create comprehensive neighborhood guides. After just 30 days live, 57% of visitors came to the guide from search engines, showcasing how well-optimized destination content can successfully capitalize on search interest in destination keywords. Lifestyle and Editorial Blog Content: With travel consumers bouncing back and forth between the dreaming and planning phase as they consider their vacation destination options, valuable editorial content surrounding the hotel destination, property location, and unique property features play a crucial role in influencing travel planners as they narrow down their destination choices. Editorial destination content like "Why [Destination] Should be Number One on Your Travel To-Do List" or "Top 5 Gram-worthy Hidden Gems in [Destination]," is a great way to influence destination traveler's decision. Property-specific content that positions the hotel as the hero of the destination is also a great way to influence the dreaming phase. Content highlighting on-property cultural programming, unique attractions near the hotel, and any unique amenities that play up your destination, such as featuring artwork from local artists, is also an effective strategy. With travel consumers bouncing back and forth between the dreaming and planning phase as they consider their vacation destination options, valuable editorial content surrounding the hotel destination, property location, and unique property features play a crucial role in influencing travel planners as they narrow down their destination choices. Editorial destination content like "Why [Destination] Should be Number One on Your Travel To-Do List" or "Top 5 Gram-worthy Hidden Gems in [Destination]," is a great way to influence destination traveler's decision. Property-specific content that positions the hotel as the hero of the destination is also a great way to influence the dreaming phase. Content highlighting on-property cultural programming, unique attractions near the hotel, and any unique amenities that play up your destination, such as featuring artwork from local artists, is also an effective strategy. Destination Video: With 64% of travel planners watching video in the dreaming phase, creating rich, interesting video content that provides useful information for travel planners is one of the most effective strategies to influence potential guests. Travel planners are turning to video to make the travel experience come to life and help paint a picture of what their vacation might be like. They want to get a better sense of the scenery of the destination, things they can do, where they should stay, and, ultimately, how their vacation will take shape. Creating videos that feature the most sought-after information, combined with the power of YouTube advertising and retargeting strategies, will tell a compelling story and help nurture potential guests through the booking funnel. With 64% of travel planners watching video in the dreaming phase, creating rich, interesting video content that provides useful information for travel planners is one of the most effective strategies to influence potential guests. Travel planners are turning to video to make the travel experience come to life and help paint a picture of what their vacation might be like. They want to get a better sense of the scenery of the destination, things they can do, where they should stay, and, ultimately, how their vacation will take shape. Creating videos that feature the most sought-after information, combined with the power of YouTube advertising and retargeting strategies, will tell a compelling story and help nurture potential guests through the booking funnel. Destination-focused SEM, Gmail Ads, and YouTube TrueView: With 8% of travel planning in the dreaming phase happening through search, it's important to have a comprehensive strategy across search channels. Targeted keywords promoting your destination content, as well as utilizing upper-funnel ad formats such as Gmail Ads and YouTube TrueView, are highly effective in increasing awareness and getting in front of potential guests in moments of influence throughout this phase. With Gmail Ads, you can target subscribers of top OTA websites, as well as email lists of your top competitors, to capture interest and demand early on in the travel planning journey. On the other hand, YouTube TrueView allows you to feature video content on relevant destination videos that travelers are already watching so you can capture the attention of potential guests and make an impact. With 8% of travel planning in the dreaming phase happening through search, it's important to have a comprehensive strategy across search channels. Targeted keywords promoting your destination content, as well as utilizing upper-funnel ad formats such as Gmail Ads and YouTube TrueView, are highly effective in increasing awareness and getting in front of potential guests in moments of influence throughout this phase. With Gmail Ads, you can target subscribers of top OTA websites, as well as email lists of your top competitors, to capture interest and demand early on in the travel planning journey. On the other hand, YouTube TrueView allows you to feature video content on relevant destination videos that travelers are already watching so you can capture the attention of potential guests and make an impact. Native Advertising: Native advertising allows your hotel to reach potential guests with relevant content on the editorial websites where they are browsing articles and spending time. Native advertising allows marketers to promote content that appears to be from the online publisher where your content is featured. Most importantly, content is blended seamlessly into the user experience and featured among similar, relevant topics from the publisher. Native advertising has high engagement rates, with HEBS Digital clients achieving an average click-through rate of 1.8% and higher. By generating interest and demand, this advertising format drives traffic to the hotel website, which grows the remarketing pool and reaches potential guests with display ads lower in the booking funnel. Native advertising allows your hotel to reach potential guests with relevant content on the editorial websites where they are browsing articles and spending time. Native advertising allows marketers to promote content that appears to be from the online publisher where your content is featured. Most importantly, content is blended seamlessly into the user experience and featured among similar, relevant topics from the publisher. Native advertising has high engagement rates, with HEBS Digital clients achieving an average click-through rate of 1.8% and higher. By generating interest and demand, this advertising format drives traffic to the hotel website, which grows the remarketing pool and reaches potential guests with display ads lower in the booking funnel. Social Media: Many potential guests ask for travel advice from friends and family on social media throughout the dreaming phase. Travelers typically ask for destination recommendations based on category, such as family-friendly or romantic getaways. They will also ask for advice on accommodations once they narrow down their destination, and turn to social media for user-generated content (UGC) and original content from the brand. With consumers encountering an average of 1,400 images throughout this phase, having a strong presence on visually-compelling social media platforms such as Instagram is vital to making an impact. Aside from a strong organic presence, ad formats such as Instagram ads, Facebook promoted posts, and Facebook Dynamic Ads for Travel are great tactics to drive awareness and reach potential guests throughout many touchpoints on the travel planning journey. Many potential guests ask for travel advice from friends and family on social media throughout the dreaming phase. Travelers typically ask for destination recommendations based on category, such as family-friendly or romantic getaways. They will also ask for advice on accommodations once they narrow down their destination, and turn to social media for user-generated content (UGC) and original content from the brand. With consumers encountering an average of 1,400 images throughout this phase, having a strong presence on visually-compelling social media platforms such as Instagram is vital to making an impact. Aside from a strong organic presence, ad formats such as Instagram ads, Facebook promoted posts, and Facebook Dynamic Ads for Travel are great tactics to drive awareness and reach potential guests throughout many touchpoints on the travel planning journey. Metasearch: With 12% of travel planners using metasearch as a planning resource in the dreaming phase, a presence on Google Hotel Ads and TripAdvisor Metasearch is low-hanging fruit to ensure your direct website is discovered during the early phases of travel planning. Keep in mind that this initiative plays an important role in the dreaming and research phases. Because potential guests are price-shopping and utilizing Google Maps to view hotel locations, direct returns from this channel might not be comparable to lower-funnel initiatives. While Metasearch can serve as a lower-funnel marketing initiative as the last touch before a booking, it predominately serves as a research tool where users might click to explore a hotel, but not yet convert. Measuring the Dreaming Phase: The Right KPIs Each stage of the travel planning journey has focus KPIs that are important when measuring marketing effectiveness. In the dreaming phase, top KPIs should include: Impressions/awareness Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares) Click-through rate Overall website traffic Unique website visitors Time spent on site Focus metrics vary depending on the marketing initiative and campaign budget. Establishing goal KPIs before launching a campaign is important for gauging success and optimizing campaigns to achieve your goals. Reaching potential guests in the dreaming phase plays an important role in capturing the majority of travel demand to your market and owning the attention of your best guest against your comp set and the OTAs. Consumer engagement in this phase increases reach and awareness of your hotel brand and fuels the booking funnel., Just like the beginning of any good vacation, being present in the moments that matter goes a long way. Supplier News 9 March 2018 SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Eco-chic brand 1 Hotels has been experiencing great success with internal team communication since it launched the digital workforce platform Beekeeper . Today three properties are using this tool as the hub of its internal communications operation, and each is finding new uses for staff engagement. Managers at 1 Hotel Central Park, located at 1414 6th Avenue in midtown Manhattan, say Beekeeper is engaging and even addicting noting that staff enthusiasm is skyrocketing. "As general manager of 1 Hotel Central Park, I'm big on celebrating successes," said Hans Schaepman. "Transparency in communication is key; making sure that no one is 'left behind,' so to speak. Whenever we have a team member that does something special or is consistent in what they do well, we celebrate it on Beekeeper. Sharing successes isn't always easy when operating a 24/7 business because not everyone has the same shifts. With Beekeeper, everyone receives the same information regardless of when they are working, day or night. Only when there is strong communication will a hotel be able to create exceptional memories for our guests. Beekeeper assures transparency, consistency and the total dissemination of critical staff and guest information." Beekeeper digitizes the non-desk workforce by connecting operational systems and communication channels within one secure, intuitive platform. Beekeeper connects colleagues across locations and departments in real time via mobile or desktop devices, and includes an intelligent analytics dashboard to help companies improve internal communication and streamline business processes. Secure, automated, and relevant information is readily distributed, searchable, and measurable in one central hub for an efficient digitized workflow. Summing Beekeeper Up in One Word While some properties rely on Beekeeper for crisis and task communications, 1 Hotel Central Park places a big emphasis on the human resources and team-building aspects of the solution. Several of the management team at 1 Hotel Central Park are describing Beekeeper in just one word. For Director of People Operations Louie Shapiro, Beekeeper is "EASY." "Beekeeper is especially easy for onboarding new employees," he said. "It lets me create a new profile for each staff member, complete with their photo and personal information about their passions and special interests so other team members can quickly get to know them. In a sense, Beekeeper is a personal-broadcasting antenna." Colleen Kerrigan, in Conference Services, calls Beekeeper is "ENGAGING." "Working in a service industry without Beekeeper felt a little bit like being left in the dark," Kerrigan said. "Now that I am with 1 Hotels and have access to Beekeeper, I feel so much more informed and engaged with the company. "Beekeeper is 100 percent the most important tool that we have at this hotel to help us operate," she said. "It's absolutely engaging! This tool makes us all feel like we're really a part of one big family the 1 Hotels family. Beekeeper not only helps 1 Hotels to be a great place to work, but it also enables us to provide a better experience for our guests." Proud Partnership "We are thrilled to be hearing such terrific accolades from our 1 Hotels customers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Miami," said Connie Rheams, Beekeeper's global head of hospitality sales. "1 Hotel Central Park is especially happy with Beekeeper. They use it for their 'morning rally' to share pre-shift information, like announcing daily VIP arrivals and reviewing other pertinent information that is needed for the day. They use it to post the Concierge 'Tip of the Day' and share photos and snippets of new happenings in the city or new venues visited. And, they use it to share stories and creative ideas that reinforce the mission-driven ethos of the 1 Hotels brand, celebrating nature, doing good and making sustainable choices. Each new use-case makes Beekeeper that much more valuable to other properties. 'We love hearing our customers explain how Beekeeper is changing their workplace experiences and greatly improving guest service," she said. Press Release 9 March 2018 One of the steadfast truths to the hospitality market is that North America, and particularly the United States, is one of the most vibrant regions for hotel operators on the planet. According to the recent Hotel Construction North America Report from TOPHOTELPROJECTS, this is unlikely to change any time soon. Advertisements The report takes a closer look at the region's hotel construction pipeline, in which there are currently 1,243 projects that stand to yield a grand total of 260,353 rooms. In addition to the United States, it also includes hotels that are coming soon to Canada, Mexico and sunny Caribbean countries such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and St. Lucia. The Hottest Cities for Hotels in North America One of the most interesting bits of information in the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction report is the section that lists the countries with the most active hotel pipelines. While the top is somewhat easy to predictthe United States is out front with a whopping 1,026 projects in its pipeline, while Mexico is next with 71, and Canada is third with 46the rest of the list is more informative. What's interesting is that Cuba is fourth on the list, with 24 new hotel projects that will bring the Caribbean island 6,452 new rooms. This is of note, because there is some questions as to whether the island will remain open to tourism from the United States. In 2015, then-U.S. President Barack Obama opened the island up for business and tourism from the U.S., sparking a somewhat significant wave of investment after relations had been tense between the two countries for decades. When President Donald Trump was elected in November of 2016, however, the lifting of those restrictions came into question. Regardless of whether U.S. tourists will be returning to the island in mass, the hospitality industry there is moving forward. Elsewhere on the list, the Dominican Republic is fifth with 14 projects for 4,041 rooms, Costa Rica is sixth with 14 smaller projects for 2,519 rooms, St. Lucia is seventh with 8 projects for 1,709 rooms, Puerto Rico is eighth with 6 projects for 1,190 rooms, Jamaica is ninth with 5 projects for 5,754 rooms, and Bermuda is tenth with 4 projects for 321 rooms. The Hottest Cities for Hotel Development in North America All ten of the top cities for hotel development in North America are located in the United States, as one might guess from the massive lead the country has in terms of projects in its pipeline over the rest of the hemisphere. The biggest city in the United StatesNew York Cityis first with 44 projects for 10,494 rooms. The second entry on the list, however, may come as a surprise to some. It's Nashville, Tennessee, a market that in the coming years can expect 31 new projects to debut, yielding 6,811 rooms. Driven by massive civic growth and a tourism industry based around its thriving local music scene, Nashville has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States and a true hospitality industry success story. In fact, its placement at second on this list is quite telling, as the city landed in front of global destinations such as Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle and San Diego. Let's take a look at a few projects currently underway North America: Virgin Hotel New York Richard Branson's Virgin Hotels has announced that it will build a hotel in New York City [READ MORE] JW Marriott Nashville The new JW hotel is situated on prime real estate in Nashville's Downtown [READ MORE] SLS LUX Brickell Plans call for a new SLS Hotel in Miami with 450 SLS-branded condo residences [READ MORE] More information on hotel projects North America can be found in the TOPHOTELPROJECTS database. TOPHOTELPROJECTS is the specialized service provider of cutting-edge information of the hospitality industry. Press Release 9 March 2018 ITB Berlin Daily: A look ahead to the next ITB China in Shanghai +++ Zambia emphasises the importance of developing sustainable tourism +++ Luxury lifestyle attitudes are changing The Social Media Newsroom of ITB Berlin has online news from the world's leading travel trade show at http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/en. Advertisements A look ahead to ITB China: China is the tourism market of the future. It is probable that by 2020 the Far East will account for the majority of tourists visiting Europe. At the event previewing ITB China 2018 David Axiotis, the project manager of ITB China, provided a foretaste of what the second edition of ITB China in Shanghai had to offer next May. According to the latest figures the show will host more than 700 exhibitors from over 70 countries as well as some 2,700 conference participants. More than one-third of exhibitors will probably be from Europe. Speaking at ITB Berlin, Eduardo Santander, executive director of the European Travel Commission, accordingly emphasised the importance of China. "In China, Europe is regarded as a single destination." Thus, it was all the more important that European tourism professionals learned to network better. "Neither the US or Australia is the biggest competitor of the EU, but we ourselves", said Santander. Find out more at: http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/de/news/vorschau-auf-itb-china-2018 Zambia focuses on sustainable tourism: The Central African country Zambia has until now survived mainly on agriculture and mining. Now, however, it wants to diversify its economy, and tourism plays a central role. The development of the tourism sector was part of the strategy to diversify the economy, explained Charles R. Banda, the country's tourism minister, at ITB Berlin. "If we don't preserve our nature then we will lose everything and have nothing left that we can show." And the country really does have quite a bit to show: the legendary Victoria Falls are mainly located in Zambia, the famous Big 5 every safari-goer's dream can all be found in Zambia, and its most famous wildlife reserve, the South Luangwa National Park, was even recently declared the world's first sustainably managed wildlife reserve by the UNWTO. Find out more at: : http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/en/news/tourism-development-strategy-zambia-focuses-sustainable-game-reserves Luxury lifestyle attitudes are changing: The members of the Luxury Travel panel discussion at the Marketing and Distribution Day at the ITB Berlin Convention debated changing attitudes towards a luxury lifestyle. A luxury lifestyle was now less defined by an ostentatious show of material wealth, but instead by seclusion and a high level of personalised service. The panel members included Al Merschen, principal of Myriad Marketing/MMGY Global, Arnaud Girodon, general manager of The Datai Langkawi, Pierre Gugenheim, responsible for advising royal family members at the Middle East International Group as well as Marcus Krall, the recently appointed managing director of Ocean Independence. Find out more at: : http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/en/news/itb-berlin-convention-hardware-out-luxury-hotels-need-gain-software Journalists and interested readers can find news on the main topics at the World's Leading Travel Trade Show posted daily at http://newsroom.itb-berlin.de/en. The Social Media Newsroom has news in German and English on every travel destination represented at ITB Berlin, plus trends and innovations in aviation, cruises, the hotel industry and travel technology. This news website also has the latest from the ITB Berlin Convention, the leading think tank of the global travel industry. Press Release 9 March 2018 Baar, Switzerland -- Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is gearing up for another year of significant portfolio expansion as it forges ahead with plans to open 11 new properties in nine countries by the end of 2018. Advertisements The global hospitality firm, which currently operates 83 hotels across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, will make its debut in five new countries Bangladesh, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia and the Maldives while boosting its cluster of hotels in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia and Thailand. The next 10 months will see Movenpick raise a flag in several commercially-strategic destinations, from two of Dubai's most prestigious districts to The Maldives, where the company will make its Indian Ocean foray. "In 2018, our global expansion drive really steps up a gear, with the 11 new openings planned, putting us firmly on track to meet our target of 125 properties by 2020 and introducing the Movenpick brand in some very desirable locations," confirmed Olivier Chavy, President & CEO, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts. Three of Movenpick's upcoming hotels will open over the next few months: the family-focused Movenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin - the brand's seventh property in Thailand; Movenpick Hotel du Lac Tunis, located on the banks of Lac de Tunis its third hotel in Tunisia; and Movenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi in Kenya, marking the company's debut in East Africa with a five-star hotel and conference property. The remaining eight properties, which will be launched before the end of the year, will see Movenpick enter four additional new markets, with the contemporary Mvenpick Resort & Spa Kuredhivaru in the Maldives introducing 105 units, including 72 over-water villas to the idyllic island destination; Movenpick Hotel Basra capitalising on one of Iraq's oil and gas hubs; Movenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA conveniently located close to Kuala Lumpur International Airport; and Movenpick Hotel Sylhet, introducing an enticing mix of business and leisure facilities to this vibrant city in north-east Bangladesh. In the Middle East, Movenpick will be opening two hotels in the United Arab Emirates: the stylish Movenpick Hotel Apartments Downtown Dubai and a Movenpick hotel in Dubai Media City, both introducing new dining, leisure and meetings concepts to two of the city's most desirable precincts. The firm will also strengthen its presence in Egypt with the addition of Movenpick Resort El Ein Bay, its second property in the desirable coastal area of El Sokhna. In Asia, the hospitality firm will bolster its cluster strategy in Thailand with the opening of Movenpick Resort Khao Yai, which will feature a raft of dining, business and leisure attractions. With a current pipeline of more than 40 properties, Movenpick will enter several additional new markets over the next few years including Muscat (Oman) and Ras Al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates) in the Middle East and Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Abuja (Nigeria) in Africa, while consolidating its presence in countries with strong development potential. Opinion Article 9 March 2018 Awhile back, I wrote about the need to put in definite terms what your hotel would tolerate for visible tattoos as well as how this policy might vary for back-of-house versus front-of-house. It's an important topic because tattoos are on the rise amongst the younger demographics, and yet a guest from a more traditional upbringing may be turned off by such ink. Advertisements If you don't have the proper documentation and signed agreements from everyone at the associate level, you risk irritating customers or running into problems surrounding discriminatory hiring practices. The same can be said for piercings. While the bottom line is that you must reach a middle ground, and ensure that everyone understands this policy, I feel as though this is worth elaborating upon after returning from my recent trip to Japan. Unlike North America, Japan has a culture heavily steeped in tradition and order. As well, tattoos are highly shunned as they are a marker for being connected to the Yakuza (organized crime) their presence may even bar you entry from one of the many onsen, or public bathhouses, throughout the country. So, for starters, if your hotel receives a big dose of Japanese travelers, then having a strict policy on visible tattoos would be highly advantageous for repeat business. As for piercings, while surely a single earring on each lobe is readily permissible, what about an applicant who has over 20 piercings on each ear? Would you consider putting in place a restriction on the number and placement of earrings? Moreover, what about large earplugs or tunnels? If allowed, would you consider putting a size restriction on these? Next, what about nose, lip or eyebrow piercings? Lastly, during summer when staffers want to 'roll up the sleeves', do you write in special restrictions for those who might reveal an unwanted tattoo or piercing. Now is as good a time as any to start to consider these types of specific questions as they will become increasing complex as time goes on. Moreover, you must consider your customer base as what is acceptable to one person may not be for another. And if you are going to implement a policy change, what happens with those employees who might be in violation but already signed a contract for which there was no clause related to this? While I don't assume to have the answer for your hotel and your specific situation, I can offer my opinion. Even though tattoos and piercings seem to be almost a rite of passage these days, I would lean towards a traditional sensibility. Much like how hospitality has become one of the last holdouts for mandating a necktie or other piece of formal attire for staff uniforms, how we present ourselves to our guests matters. A nicely pressed suit communicates that you are prepared and more than capable of handling any request. Not that a tattoo or piercing might completely counteract this perception, but it certainly isn't congruent with the desired image based upon our current societal norms. If, however, your uniform policy is more lax because that's the brand persona you want to convey, then your tattoo and piercing policy may likewise be more unfettered. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but choose wisely as it will influence guest satisfaction. It hasn't even been one month since the tragic Florida school shooting by Nikolas Cruz and already there's another life lost at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Time reports that a 17-year-old girl was shot and killed during dismissal time yesterday while another boy was injured. Authorities are investigating the incident and talking to witnesses as they are unsure as to how this happened. At this particular time, we are considering this accidental, the police Chief stated at a news conference. Right now we have a lot of unanswered questions. The police aren't releasing too much information on who fired the gun or what kind of rifle was used but they do say that it was not perpetrated by someone from the outside entering the school. We are asking questions from the staff, the students, anyone who was in that area, the Chief added. This should not happen in schools. The city's mayor said the student was about to turn 18 and had aspirations to become a nurse. We are not just talking about some person, (were) talking about losing a part of our future. Our hearts are heavy, Mayor Randall Woodfin. Lil Yachty popped up on Bhad Bhabie's Instagram to flaunt the inevitable. The video shows the two rappers in the center of a ring surrounded by off-road vehicles, in the dead of night. Yachty, caught under a headlight, starts his promo bit for Bhad Bhabie's upcoming tour, urging fans to go get their tickets now. The video then cuts to Bhad Bhabie half-heartedly threatening to "kill you and your mama." The pair were recently in the studio with Offset cooking up raw material. Now the stakes have risen, as they seem to be implying a tour appearance together in the coming month. Fans will have to place their bets on when and where out of a possible six locations: Santa Ana, San Antonio, Dallas, Miami, Houston, and Orlando. Her tour is set to kick off in the second week of April. Apart from the now expected appearance(s) of Lil Yachty, Bhabie is bringing Asian Doll along with her for the 6 tour stops. On the other hand, Yachty's Lil Boat 2 is up and away and is being pushed on massive digital billboards in Time Square. Cardi B has had a meteoric rise into the upper echelons of the music industry, captivating listeners with her distinct presence, as well as her no holds barred public persona. "Bodak Yellow," alongside her string of Billboard Hot 100 hits have cemented her history-making status as a female emcee navigating the typically male-dominated terrain of the rap industry. Fittingly, Cardi was placed on the cover of the New York Times Magazine, which has selected a list of 25 contemporary songs that are harbingers of what's to come in the music industry. The publication has chosen four distinct musicians to grace four different covers of the same issue, which also includes Gucci Mane, SZA and King Krule. The "Cartier Bardi" rapper gleefully took to Instagram yesterday to reveal her latest promotional gig, as well as reflect on her short, yet illustrious career thus far. Hashtagging her photo in commemoration of International Women's Day, Cardi humbly recalls the bevy of roles she's inhabited as a woman throughout her life thus far. She reveals to have been the street bitch, college girl, 9-5 girl, stripper, tv, rapper, and "poppin ass daughter." She then sends a message to her female fans from all walks of life that she can relate to them, and that she would never judge their unique life trajectories. Cardi closes her sentiment by telling her female counterparts to "be the best woman you can be!!!" Famous Dex aka "Dexter", as he is affectionately known, is not one to be left out in the cold. In the busy month ahead, Dex has positioned himself right smack in the middle. He took to Instagram yesterday to announce a new single set to drop one week from today. Along with the announcement of the song, titled "Japan," Dex included the artwork to accompany the project. The cover plays out like a scrapbooking arrangement of Japanese tropes, including back to back Pikachus, a samurai with a visor, an anamorphic skull, Hello Kitty, and a mini-representation of Famous Dex in the bottom right corner. Dex had previously hinted at a March 23rd release date for his next full-length LP. Snippets of "Japan" have been around since the onset of winter, whereas the official release date and its packaging have only now made it to press. The culture of hip hop has found a home in Asia. Subsequently, Japanese cultural exports have been grossly fetishized, dating back to the popularization of translated anime in North America. Rappers have been quick to jump on that wave. Keep it locked for "Japan" dropping 3-16- It goes without saying that Royce Da 5'9" is one of hip-hop's unsung heroes. The Detroit legend is about to officially drop off PRhyme 2 with DJ Premier, with The Book Of Ryan set to follow. Lupe Fiasco is no doubt on board with the Layers emcee's prolific output; in anticipation of Royce's upcoming drop, Lupe came through with another one of his Twitter exclusives. Clocking in at under two minutes, Lupe's "Portrait Of Royce" finds the rapper on his MF Doom tip, delivering dazzling abstract lyricism over a lo-fi, sample-based beat. "Royce, sounds like Detroit's voice," raps Lupe, kicking off the track on an honorable note. It's interesting to see Lupe moving in this direction. Of late, the Chicago Kung-Fu aficionado has taken to releasing loosies through Twitter. Lyrically, Lupe remains as dexterous as ever, forcing listeners to shut up and take notice; the man is painting vivid pictures on a canvas like Bob Ross. Quotable Lyrics Never tires, hard to extinguish like a firestorm fireball What's a search engine to a Chinese firewall? Mechanics on the block, rhyme detective Prime directives, even adversaries gon' cop An all-black Air Jordan 11 has been rumored to release this year for some time now and finally we have a release date to look forward to. Initially, it was believed that the "Blackout" Air Jordan 11, which was first seen in 2012 as a part of the Air Jordan Blackout Sample Collection, would finally be releasing. As it turns out, an all-black Air Jordan 11 is releasing this year but it won't look exactly like the "Blackout" sample. Early images of the "Prom Night" Air Jordan 11 recently surfaced, revealing a black suede upper accompanied by black patent leather and a blue outsole. As of now, the kicks are slated to release on May 26th for $220. Additionally, Jordan Brand has plans to release the iconic "Concord" Air Jordan 11 this year, though that pair isn't scheduled to arrive until late October. Take a look at the early images of the "Prom Night" Air Jordan 11 in the IG post below and stay tuned for official release details. In honor of International Women's Day, Quavo has awarded special emeritus to his dearly beloved Mother. TMZ caught up with the rapper as he was making a quick exit in Rich the Kid's Mclaren 570. Quavo seemed unphased by the field reporter's attempts at flattery, as he continued to stare down at his phone. When asked to shout out the significant women in his life, it was evident that Quavo wasn't going to spill the tea on his dating exploits. The reporter continued to feed him lines, bringing up the subject of Cardi B, his cousin's fiancee. He responded by offering praise for the New York rapper, referring to her as "one of the greatest, powerful, most beautiful sisters-in laws I ever had." Quavo followed that statement by showing off his diamond teeth, only to have the camera cut to Rich the Kid's more playful antics. The overall sentiment of a family forging its identity is heartwarming to hear. When Cardi B was receiving threats from Crip gangs posted in Los Angeles, the whole Migos franchise stood by her side and assured her safety. What function does your family provide, dear faithful HNHH users? Rick Ross just came out of the hospital recently. Last week, there were numerous rumors pertaining to his health including that he was on life support at some point. However, those rumors were shutdown by MMG signee, Fat Trel as well as his daughter, who took to Instagram to debunk the reports. There still hasn't been much information pertaining to why he was hospitalized but now, the 911 call that got him to the hospital has finally surfaced. TMZ has obtained a phone call made by one of Rick Ross' associates as surfaced and gives us a bit more information on his hospitalization. In the phone call, a man franctically calls the police to try and get an ambulance to the house. Rick Ross was throwing up and breathing heavily prior to the ambulance arriving. The man who made the call reveals that Ross was also swaying in and out of consciousness. His history of having seizures was also brought to the attention of 911. The rapper has now been sent home after being in the hospital for a few days. The rapper hit Instagram on Monday with a picture of his watch. While it didn't mention anything about his health scare, it was enough to let us know that he's doing alright. He broke his silence earlier this morning with a photo of him holding a bottle of Rozay with the caption, "Ain't nothing like home." Peep the 911 audio below. [VIA TMZ] Developments in Rick Ross' health scare are affluent as yesterday, the 911 call that saved Ross' life surfaced. Today, TMZ has learned that a similar emergency occurred in the rapper's home just two months prior to the scare, with fatal circumstances. Information has been released showing that Black Bo, Rick Ross' manager, passed away at Rozay's residence on December 8 after he was found unresponsive, lying on his back in a bathroom. The details are eerily similar to The Bawse's own symptoms, minus the deeply unfortunate fatal ending for Black. TMZ writes that Black was pronounced dead shortly after fire rescue arrived on the scene, noting that there was vomit in the toilet. Black's friends had attempted to reach him by phone and after there was no answer, they went into the bathroom to find him not breathing. If you recall, Ross was found "slobbing from the mouth" during his health crisis prior to being rushed to the hospital. Rozay pulled through his hospitalization, posting on Instagram yesterday that he is grateful to be home. Ross' manager was out late with the Miami legend and friends, making their way back to the residence after 5:00 AM. The official cause of death was a clogging of the arteries. Black Bo was 45 at the time of his death. [via] This past weekend, Hollywood's A-listers congregated at the Dolby Theatre to celebrate filmmaking excellence at the 90th Academy Awards. The star-studded affair was a melting pot for the established celebs as well as those on the rise. Actress/comedienne Tiffany Haddish has been quickly making a name for herself. She's also landed on Jamie Foxx's radar. Foxx took to Instagram to proclaim Haddish's greatness. During the Oscars, Foxx was celebrating his friends on Instagram through a series of black & white photos. In addition to congratulating Jordan Peele on his win, Jamie shared photos of himself with Jay Z, Kobe Bryant, Daniel Kaluuya, Chadwick Boseman, and Mary J. Blige. The final photo from that weekend featured Haddish and Drake with the caption, "#oscarnight #blackandwhite it was Gods plan to run into these talented individuals... @tiffanyhaddish the new queen of comedy... and the young Canadian @champagnepapi the #billboardbully #blessed." One can tell Jamie was excited to see the successes of the two stars. On top of the acclaim from the comedy great, Tiffany was also celebrated for her Oscar presentation with Maya Rudolph. After the duo announced the recipient of best documentary short, fans took to the web to get the comediennes to host next year's award ceremony. Let's hope Twitter's influence is strong enough to get these ladies back on stage next year. [via Page Six] In 2010, the Middle East was beginning to run out of the cheap natural gas that had transformed the region into a major petrochemicals hub. Houstons Chevron Phillips Chemical, which had spent a decade building four plants in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, needed a new place to expand. In the U.S., Texas energy producers hadnt yet unleashed the flood of shale oil and natural gas that would transform the industry and spur an explosion of petrochemical construction and expansion along the Gulf Coast. But Ron Corn and his team at Chevron Phillips, intrigued by budding oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford basin south of San Antonio, anticipated a seismic shift in domestic energy output and convinced company executives to build a multi-billion-dollar processing plant in Baytown to produce ethylene, a natural gas-derived feedstock for plastics. It was quite a radical concept, said Corn, who now serves as the companys senior vice president for petrochemicals. There hadnt been a whole lot of construction. Eight years later, that early bet promises to pay off in spades for Chevron Phillips, a joint venture of the oil company Chevron and Houston refiner Phillips 66. The processing plant, known as a cracker, is near completion as petrochemicals emerge as a savior for an oil and gas industry facing a future of electric cars, renewable power and intensifying efforts to wean the global economy from fossil fuels. The growth in petrochemicals is a key reason that oil industry executives and analysts are discounting predictions that peak oil demand the point at which oil consumption begins a steady, long-term slide is imminent. The International Energy Agency anticipates that petrochemicals will account for a quarter of the growth in global oil consumption during the next five years, replacing gasoline as the driver of crude demand. "The petrochemical sector is one of the blind spots of the oil markets debate," Fatih Birol, the IEAs executive director, said at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit energy conference in Houston last week. Executives from major energy companies agreed that global population growth and expanding middle-class markets in India, China and other emerging nations will support petrochemicals even as gasoline consumption in the U.S. and elsewhere erodes. In its most recent outlook, the IEA projected that global gasoline demand will grow only 0.2 percent a year through 2023 as 10 of the worlds largest vehicle markets, including the U.S., implement stricter fuel efficiency standards and develop more electric models. Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, said during an address at the CERAWeek conference that her company plans to roll out 20 new electric models over the next five years. The company is also working to make a range of other vehicles, including the gas-guzzling pickup that dominates Texas highways, lighter and more fuel-efficient. GM is doing that with high-performance plastics manufactured by specialty chemicals makers such as Huntsman Corp. of The Woodlands. That dynamic of less gasoline and more plastics has already prompted a range of energy producers to expand petrochemical operations amid a tepid outlook for traditional refining. Exxon Mobil Chemical Co., for example, has nearly completed an ethane cracker in Baytown with the capacity to produce 1.5 million tons of ethylene a year. The abundance of cheap natural gas from West Texas shale fields such as the Permian basin has fueled the petrochemicals boom, providing a steady stream of ethane and other natural gas liquids to be converted into feedstocks for plastics, building materials and packaging. Already, a spate of large-scale expansions have transformed the U.S. into a major petrochemicals exporter, and a second wave of multi-billion developments along the Gulf Coast promise to carry the industry well into the next decade. Andrew Brown, upstream director for Royal Dutch Shell, said in an interview that petrochemicals are a growth priority for his company, which has a large manufacturing facility in Deer Park and several others along the Gulf Coast. It is now expanding in Louisiana and Pennsylvania near the Utica and Marcellus shale basins, major sources of natural gas. Unlike refining, and ultimately unlike oil, which will see a moment when the growth will stop, we actually dont anticipate that with petrochemicals, Brown said. The IEA forecasts that new ethylene crackers will increase consumption of oil and natural gas liquids by at least 1.4 million barrels a day through 2023. In the U.S. alone, ethylene production is expected to increase by 13 million tons a year during that period. DowDupont, the nation's biggest chemical company headquartered in Michigan and Delaware, has led much of the growth to date. The companys Freeport complex, one of the first major ethylene plants in the region, began operating last year with a 1.5 million-ton annual production capacity. We feel very strongly the demand growth is going to continue, Dow Chemical CEO and president James Fitterling said during a CERAWeek panel. Industry leaders are planning even larger complexes along the Gulf Coast. Exxon Mobil Chemical, for example, has partnered with SABIC, a manufacturing company controlled by the Saudi Arabian government, to construct the worlds largest ethylene cracker as part of a massive $10 billion petrochemical complex near Corpus Christi. Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian national oil company, recently signed an agreement with Chevron and the Woodlands engineering firm CB&I to develop new crude-to-chemicals technologies. Michael Sicker, vice president of business development for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Houston-based oil and gas division, said in an interview that petrochemicals plants have for years driven demand for the companys industrial machinery. He anticipates the second wave of projects will attract more foreign companies eager to take advantage of low-cost production in the U.S. Everyone is looking at the biggest plants that have ever been built, he said. Chevron Phillips Corn said that even during the oil bust, his team never doubted the potential of the massive Baytown cracker, the companys only one in the United States so far. The facility, now undergoing the final steps before startup, will expand the companys U.S. ethylene and polyethylene production capacity by 40 percent. We believed we were building a very competitive asset, Corn said. It was a big step for us. Friday marks the 59th anniversary of Barbie, America's most iconic fashion doll. On March 9, 1959, Barbie made her debut at a New York toy fair. Oddly enough, Barbie was originally inspired by another toy, Lilli, a German comic-strip character turned doll that was marketed as a suggestive gag gift for men in the 1950s. Robin Gerber, a historian and author of "Barbie and Ruth," told Time the Lilli doll "could be bought in tobacco shops, bars and adult-themed toy stores." BLAST OFF: Mattel unveils Barbie inspired by NASA's 'hidden figure' Katherine Johnson Now Playing: In honor of International Women's Day, Barbie created doll versions of your favorite feminist icons Video: Cosmopolitan After the co-founder of toy giant Mattel, Inc., Ruth Handler, saw the Lilli doll's popularity with children, she bought the rights to the Lilli and introduced her own version, which she named after her daughter, Barbara. The first year of its release, 300,000 Barbie dolls were sold at $3.00. Six decades later, Barbie continues to evolve and Mattel has since sold an estimated billion dolls. Above: See how Barbie has changed after almost six decades. Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93. Last year, the energy conference, CERAWeek by IHS Markit, occurred just as crude prices were recovering and West Texas Permian Basin was beginning to boom again with oil-drilling activity. The events host, IHS Markit Vice Chairman Dan Yergin, coined the term Permania as the weeks unofficial theme, increasingly evoking eye-rolling as the wordplay was repeated again and again. The made-up word wasnt spoken nearly as much this year, but even more oil companies are increasingly banking on the Permian for years of future production growth. That includes Big Oil companies such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell. "It's clear now that Permania as some have called it is really not a passing fad," said Sara Ortwein, president of Exxons XTO Energy subsidiary, which is focused on U.S. shale. Indeed, the Permian has added well more than 100 drilling rigs in the past 12 months, ensuring that more than half of the nations roughly 800 oil rigs are currently drilling in West Texas and New Mexico, where the Permian extends. The United States is producing more oil than ever and its only expected to keep growing in the coming years, soon surpassing Russia as the global leader. The Permian accounts for about 25 percent of U.S. crude volumes and that percentage should keep rising. The Permian is going to churn out so much that most of the new oil will be piped and exported through Corpus Christi, Houston and other ports on Gulf Coast. The Permian boomed decades ago and was on the decline when the 1980s bust hit. Mature oilfields like the Permian still had oil which everyone knew but it was considered too expensive to extract through conventional means. The so-called shale revolution changed all that, coupling horizontal drillingwith hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to shatter shale rocks and release the oil and gas. Those efforts moved to the Permian arguably the worlds largest shale play after companies honed their methods in East Texas Barnett Shale and South Texas Eagle Ford. And plenty of energy executives are confident the Permian will boom for at least another 15 years. What we're staring at beneath our feet cannot be replicated anywhere else in the United States. That's a given," said Tim Dove, chief executive of Irving-based Pioneer Natural Resources. "We have a golden goose right before us." With little investment in oil projects outside the continental United States in recent years, energy markets are counting on the Permian and othe U.S. shale plays to meet the growth of the worlds global oil demand growth for at least the next five years. Executives of U.S. producers hope rising global demand will keep crude prices from cratering as they ramp up output. Oil prices are currently hovering above $60 a barrel and anything above $50 is now considered relatively healthy for the industry. "It feels like we're in a $50 to $60 world now for a number of years," said BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley. "Now we're in a fairway, I think." But long-term concerns about peak demand arent going away as electric cars gain popularity and governments around the world adopt tighter emissions standards aimed at combatting climate change. Theres a reason why BP, Shell and other companaies are investing more in cleaner-burning natural gas for a lower carbon future. Shell CEO Ben van Beurden reiterated that climate change remains the energy sectors biggest disrupter. We ignore that at our peril, van Beurden said. From the stainless-steel tanks they use to make beer to the kegs and aluminum cans they sell it in, brewers say the new Trump tariffs pose a direct threat to their bottom line and, potentially, to their customers wallets. The Brewers Association, which represents about 6,000 independently owned U.S. craft brewers, has come out strongly against tariffs, particularly on the type of can-sheet aluminum utilized by beverage manufacturers and the raw materials used to produce it. It does not have a national-security implication, association CEO Bob Pease said, referring to the rationale cited by President Donald Trump for tariffs of 10 percent for aluminum and 25 percent for steel. Pease said his group is working with can manufacturers and other beverage groups to try to mitigate the tariffs, and he was encouraged to see, for example, exemptions carved out for Canada and Mexico. CONSEQUENCES: Trump's tariffs will cost Texas oil and gas jobs While it is too early to estimate the full cost impact on the industry, he noted that even a 1-cent per can hike could be painful for craft breweries, which tend to be smaller but are subject to minimum-order requirements. A penny hike on 1 million cans would be a $10,000 expense. Thats a hit for the brewers, who might pass that increase on to the beer drinker, Pease said. Pease noted that 115 billion beer cans were produced last year for craft and major breweries combined. Texans worry about the economic impact on the growing, multibillion-dollar craft-beer segment. Anything that raises the price of aluminium is a problem, said Charles Vallhonrat, executive director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, which represents more than 200 breweries in the state. Craft consumers have embraced aluminum cans, and mobile canning lines have enabled startup breweries to affordably package beer for off-premise sales. Even at Houstons Saint Arnold Brewing Co., a 24-year veteran with a relatively high volume, cans in recent years have made up a larger and larger part of our business, founder and owner Brock Wagner said. It will have an impact on our bottom line, he said. Wagner is facing a more immediate cost risk on the steel side. To meet growing demand, Saint Arnold is negotiating to purchase four large stainless-steel fermentation tanks he was planning to buy for about $250,000 apiece. Engineers also are doing design work at the brewery in preparation for the huge, 600-barrel tanks that could boost its capacity to nearly 100,000 barrels annually. The tariff talk has him concerned. Any extra money he has to shell out could put hiring and future expansion plans on hold. Were haggling over quotes right now and wondering if the quotes will hold, Wagner said. One of the tank manufacturers is in Germany and the other is based in the U.S., but Wagner has no idea where either gets its raw materials. Ive never asked where they get their steel from, he said. Since market forces generally set beer prices, Wagner added, it is unclear how much of any tariff-related price hike the brewers would be able to pass on to consumers. He said the industry could see overall price increases next year. But Wagner, a former investment banker, seems more concerned about the impact of tariffs or an ensuing trade war on the broader economy. History is littered with examples of what a terrible idea this is, Wagner said. That to me is a greater risk than the cost of our aluminum, he added. Bill Montgomery/. The Houston Airport System connects the Bayou City to every inhabited continental region on the planet. But later this month, it will lose that distinction as its only nonstop flight to Africa gets discontinued. SonAir's charter flight to Luanda, Angola, is being canceled. Known as the "Houston Express," it was operated by Atlas Air and departed Bush Intercontinental Airport three to four times a week throughout the year. Sen. John Cornyn said Friday he was "concerned" about the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement as the Trump administration continues to press ahead with what he described as "populist impulses." The Texas Republican, who serves as the Senate Majority Whip, said during meetings President Donald Trump had raised the possibility of issuing a notice of termination to Mexico and Canada, which would set in motion a U.S. withdrawal. "We said no, no, no," Cornyn said at the CERAWeek energy conference, hosted by the consulting firm IHS Markit. "We need to convince him trade deficits aren't the end all and be all." Negotiations on the more than two decade-old trade agreement continue on between the three nations. Trump said at the White House Thursday, "I have a feeling we're going to make a deal on NAFTA" before adding that if no agreement could be reached, "then we're going to terminate NAFTA and we'll start all over again or we'll just do it a different way." Such comments have stoked fears in Texas's oil and gas industry that the movement of oil and natural gas across both the Mexican and Canadian borders could be interrupted. And now with Trump putting tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, the prospects of a trade war developing are rising. During his appearance, Cornyn said he worried about the departure of National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn. "I'm sorry to see Mr. Cohn leave and the ascent of [Trump adviser Peter] Navarro, who I think has a lot of wrong ideas," he said. "The president needs advice and it can't be one side of the equation." But Cornyn and Sen. Lisa Murkowksi, R-Alaska, who also appeared at CERA, said the administration had changed "everything" for the U.S. energy sector by pulling back environmental regulation and reducing tax rates. "When you think about where we were last year and where we are this year, it's a world apart. We've returned to a normalcy when it comes to the agencies," Murkowski said. Sometimes Swedish author Lars Kepler argues with herself, sometimes she argues with himself. But most of the time, he and she write without much trouble. Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril are a spousal writing team whose previous work was often very different. He wrote plays and a libretto for an opera. She wrote historical fiction. They considered the idea of writing together, but it didn't go well at first. Then they tried writing through the voice of another. That other became Lars Kepler, a nom de spouse whose given name is a tribute to the late best-selling author Stieg Larsson and whose family name is a tip to the German scientist Johannes Kepler. "We were already writers, but we were totally different," Alexandra says. "We thought it would be easy since we do everything we love together, to write together. But no. We had many arguments, failed attempts. He could get grouchy." Alexander counters, "It's not easy. To get harmony." But when the two, who will be at Murder By The Book on Tuesday, divorced themselves from their own voices and found a third voice, things clicked for Lars Kepler. Together the Ahndorils created a Swedish detective, Joona Linna, starting with "Hypnotisoren" ("The Hypnotist") in 2009. Kepler was briefly a mystery to mystery fans, though eventually the identity of the Ahndorils got out. But of greater weight than the mystery of their pen name were the stories they hatched around Linna. More Information Author appearance When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Where: Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet Details: More information at murderbooks.com See More Collapse They sold a few of the Linna novels in the States, but despite a Scandinavian run on thrillers in the U.S. market - including successes by Norwegian writer Jo Nesb and Swedes Larsson and Henning Mankell - the Kepler novels didn't click here. But publisher Knopf saw some magic in "Sandmannen" ("The Sandman"), a novel published in Europe in 2012. So they are bringing the novel to the U.S. while also offering up some of the previous novels by Kepler. "The Sandman" should find footing for Kepler here. The book has a well-drawn hero in Linna and a Hannibal Lecter-like villain in Jurek Walter. "We wanted to have a really, really interesting serial killer," Alexandra says. "Not just a monster. We studied killers who communicated with the world, who had strategies. Who were intelligent. So we took our research and interlaced it with our deepest fears. That's how Walter was born. And he was so scary, he gave me nightmares." Alexander adds, "You live with your characters during the writing process. It can be difficult. It's not easy to say goodbye to them the end of a working day. But we have three daughters " " So we'd be totally into the story and these characters and then have to make dinner and care for the children," Alexandra says. "It was difficult at times." The couple sold millions of copies of their Linna books outside the States, but the series has been slower to take root here. "The Sandman" should change that. Linna is a compelling character, as is Saga Bauer, the able cop he sends undercover into a psych ward with Walter to try to find out who the elderly, incarcerated killer may be working with to continue his series of crimes. The stakes are high: "You're like a sister to me, Saga, but it would be better if you died than if he got out," Linna says. The book's construction is intriguing. The chapters blitz by at two to three pages each. But there are also deep-rooted ideas and themes, probed in the short blocks of text, with deep queries about life and death and freedom and confinement. "We wanted it to be exciting and fast, like a book we'd want to read ourselves," Alexandra says. "But even when you write short pieces, you can find emotional power in that," Alexander says. "Confinement is a theme for us when we started to write it. One's world and the larger world. They're very different." Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time" is a landmark film even before it hits the theaters. The adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's eerie, mystical young adult sci-fi novel from 1962 was budgeted at over $100 million, the largest budget a woman of color has been handed for a film. DuVernay is only the fourth female director to receive that kind of budget for a project, and in tackling the beloved "A Wrinkle in Time," she has taken an enormous swing. That alone is worthy of recognition. DuVernay marshalled an array of star power to inhabit L'Engle's tale, with Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling stepping into the roles of the Misses - supernatural, deitylike beings who guide the young Meg (Storm Reid) on her journey through space and time. It's almost laughably appropriate casting for Winfrey, who embodies the wise, godlike presence Mrs. Which. Underneath the sci-fi and fantasy elements of both the book and film of "A Wrinkle in Time," the story is quite simple: A young girl sets out to find her missing father (Chris Pine). She may travel through fantastical worlds of space and time, guided by mystical forces, but ultimately, this is a story about reuniting a family. Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell have adapted what had been considered an "unfilmable" book, and keeping the story simple and earnest is the necessary foundation for the fantastical set pieces that DuVernay crafts. Meg, her precocious younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and their friend Calvin (Levi Miller) travel through space and time, from verdant and vibrant planets to the dark, reality-bending space of Camazotz, where her father is believed to be stranded. More Information 'A Wrinkle in Time' Rated PG: for thematic elements and some peril Running time: 109 minutes xxx See More Collapse DuVernay shoots for the stars with a highly stylized look and energy that's both visionary and referential. It's very much akin a children's fantasy adventure film from the '80s or '90s - the quirky Misses, especially Witherspoon's Mrs. Whatsit, are clearly indebted to Zelda Rubinstein's performances in "Teen Witch" and "Poltergeist." In certain moments, it feels a lot like "The NeverEnding Story," in others, it's closer to the oddball Robin Williams vehicle "Toys." When "Wrinkle" is firing on all cylinders, it's a transporting adventure that brings you back to the imaginative adventure of childhood, when the stakes were clear and always high. The goals are straightforward, and the film wears its heart plainly on its sleeve. It's not often that we see purely straightforward films that are simply about vanquishing darkness with the light from within us. That's exactly what "Wrinkle" is about, and it never hides or nuances that message. But there are times when the film doesn't quite flow. The tone and style is often herky jerky and affected, especially with the Misses. The edit isn't smooth and lulling - instead it skitters and yanks, often to alert us to shifts in the film's reality, but it's jarring and uncomfortable. Some of the more action-packed moments devolve into a jumble of grayish CGI, losing all of the carefully honed world-building. Even worse, the relationship between Calvin and Meg is uncomfortably romantic and distracting. DuVernay has set out to make an ambitious fantasy epic, and in many ways she succeeds. Pine is wonderful as the reckless but inspirational dad Dr. Murry, and McCabe is a breakout star, stealing the film from his co-stars as the odd little brother. Many moments are beautiful and surreal, while others are just plain weird (and not always in a good way). If it doesn't always work, well, at least DuVernay went for it, and her version of "A Wrinkle in Time" is just as gorgeous and strange as can be expected. Half a century into an illustrious career, with its queens and detectives and other kaleidoscopic women, one thing still eluded Helen Mirren. "I've always wanted to be in an Italian movie," she said recently, recalling her lack of fascination with the American films she saw growing up in Essex, England. "What alerted to me the potential of film as an art form was Italian film." So when the director Paolo Virzi asked her to star in "The Leisure Seeker" - his version of an American road-trip movie, opening in select cities Friday, but Houston later - Mirren climbed into a recreational vehicle with Donald Sutherland in the driver's seat and an Italian crew in the back, and set off in the sweltering Georgia heat. Mirren and Sutherland play Ella and John Spencer, a long-married couple who defy their adult children by absconding in August 2016, during the early days of the presidential campaign, for one last journey in their decrepit RV. Destination: Key West, Fla., where John, a retired English professor whose failing mind clings hard to beloved literary quotations, can visit the home of Ernest Hemingway. "I like being a foreigner in this country and, in a way, this film is very gentle and loving but as foreign as I on a certain kind of America," Mirren, 72, said in a call from Los Angeles. Later this year, she plays Mother Ginger in Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms," alongside Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer. She recently spoke about road trips, playing Donald Trump in a movie and wanting to be younger. Q: This is a road-trip movie, but also something more. A: I think it's about love. So many movies are about love, but they're about the beginning of love or sometimes about the middle of love. This is about the end of a love story - the trials and challenges of the happily-ever-after bit. It's much more difficult than the beginning. Q: The Clinton and Trump campaigns each get a nod in the film. A Vanity Fair headline from November suggested that you'd like to play President Donald Trump. A: Oh no, I didn't say that. I think I may well have said that's an interesting character to play. These people who want to make that kind of a mark upon the world are always incredibly flawed and also incredibly self-delusional. They have to be. Q: You called him Shakespearean. A: Whether it's "Timon of Athens" or "Macbeth" or "Coriolanus" or "Henry V," Shakespeare was brilliant at looking at the public figure, and then immediately underneath that human being full of insecurities or failures or paranoia or delusion. So on that level, I think all of these people are Shakespearean. (Pause) I don't think Barack (Obama) was a Shakespearean. I have to say I look at Barack with very, very romantic eyes. (Laughs) Maybe he's Romeo. Q: Have you ever taken a road trip? A: Yes, my husband (the director Taylor Hackford) and I drove across the South from Natchez (Miss.) to Charleston (S.C.) in a van. We were buying furniture for our house in Los Angeles, so the van got more and more filled as we drove with less and less room for us. We stayed in bed-and-breakfasts, and I learned about all-you-can-eat buffets - fried chicken, mac and cheese, grits, collard greens, total soul food. That was a fabulous trip. Q: Do people take road trips in Europe? A: I think it is an American invention, actually. I was astounded when I first came to America how people would get in the car and drive for five hours without even thinking about it. I think 50 percent of Americans don't own a passport because there's an awful lot of America to see. There's a ubiquitousness that Europeans find quite difficult to deal with, the fact that you can drive for thousands of miles into a place that looks exactly the same, with a Marshalls, Staples, T.J. Maxx, Home Depot. But I have yet to go to a part of America that is not unbelievably beautiful - New Mexico, the Smoky Mountains, South Dakota, the redwood forests, Yosemite, the bayou. Q: You're a longtime Hollywood sex symbol. What do you make of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements? A: It's an amazing moment, isn't it? I've never wanted to be younger than I am, but the only thing that makes me think, God, I wish I was 18 now, is that 18-year-olds now are coming into a very different world. People often ask, "What would you say to your younger self?" And I say I would teach my younger self to say, "(Expletive) off" with more alacrity and confidence, and more often. I think (the movement) will have its flaws and its backlash. The whole uncomfortable, wonderful-but-weird relationship between men and women has got a lot more unraveling to do. But I'm thrilled the journey has started. Honestly, I thought it was something I went through when I was young but that it was over. I had no idea. I'm an idiot. Two Texas expats found themselves in two very different environments. Steve Martin was on the line from New York, where he was attending an art festival. Edie Brickell was in Maui, 5,000 miles away. "We couldn't be further apart, Edie," Martin says. "We're about to get this blizzard, and you're in Hawaii." "We just saw some whales," Brickell says. "Beautiful." Despite the distance, the pair are represented this week by "Bright Star," the musical they wrote together that reached Broadway in 2016. Theatre Under the Stars brings "Bright Star" to Houston this week. "Bright Star" sprung from seeds planted in 2012, when the two began composing and recording together, first on the album "Love Has Come for You," which was released in 2013. A second album, "So Familiar," followed two years later, with some material that found its way into "Bright Star," which splits its narrative about love and longing and a mystery baby between 1923 and 1945. Despite the great distance, Waco native Martin and Dallas native Brickell talked about their joyful collaboration. Q: Did "Bright Star" get its start during your first album together? Because writing for a musical seems like a very different exercise. Brickell: We were really inspired by that first record, writing those songs. So a lot of it started there. Martin: I remember when Edie and I were touring with the Steep Canyon Rangers, we'd sit around and play songs. And we started talking about how much we loved musicals in our youth and how we still loved them. And we thought some of our songs seemed to be very narrative, like songs from musicals had to be. So it inspired us to think about it and write. More Information 'Bright Star' When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, through March 25 Where: Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Tickets: $30-$123; 713-558-8887, tuts.com See More Collapse Q: Were there challenges in the writing? Martin: (Laughs.) Talk about challenges. I can't think of anything more challenging than writing a musical. There's such a great tradition in it. It's high art, in my opinion and Edie's, too. Then there's the great expense of it, too. It can't just be a work of art. You've got to appeal to people. Q: Did you find you had to edit yourselves differently? Typically songs don't rely as much on dialogue as much as they do in a musical. There are matters of character. Brickell: I really thought it was a lot of fun slipping into character, trying to feel what they feel and articulate it within that time frame. Martin: We always had to think and determine when to tell the story through scenes and when to tell it through the music. But Edie has a real gift for character and dialogue in music. It was interesting working out which scenes to cut down or which ones to set to music as part of telling the story. Edie especially was not afraid to tell the story simply. Sometimes it's best to play something very straightforward. Q: I wanted to ask about "Asheville" because it was the song that stuck with me the longest. Did it feel thematically like a key piece to you? That idea that you can try to correct decisions you've made, but there are always repercussions. Brickell: People do seem to react strongly to that song. We nearly dropped it. Remember, Steve? Martin: That is true. Brickell: We had another song we thought was more useful. But Steve saw a whole world in that song, and it sparked some of these characters. Just a beautiful leap in imagination to see this whole world. Martin: It was fun to work with a song like "Asheville." It existed before the musical and made me wonder what it would be like in a musical. What does it mean to the musical? You start with this idea: You need someone to leave town. So you have someone go to Asheville. You need someone to lament that. It can guide the story and the settings. Q: Could you talk about "If You Knew My Story"? On one hand, it has to have certain lyrical information to set the story into motion. But musically it's pretty rich, with a strong gospel feel, which reminded me that the banjo has a history that pre-dates bluegrass players in the '50s. Brickell: If you could emphasize that, I think it's really important. It's important to me to show how much more musical Steve's writing sounds than what people expect from somebody with a banjo. People always pigeonhole it into a genre. But Steve plays the banjo with every kind of music I've ever heard. You can feel it and hear it in the melodies. So it's frustrating to me for him to be pigeonholed as bluegrass. He's way more musical than that. Martin: To a strict bluegrass person, this show is not bluegrass at all. It's more folkie, clawhammer banjo Americana. Maybe there's one song that's bluegrass-ish in the entire musical. Brickell: You sing those melodies, and they're bigger; the way they open up goes way beyond bluegrass. The bluegrass people will probably be disappointed, like you watered down their moonshine. Q: "Big Star" came out around the same time as another notable musical that riffed on the idea of "who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" But it struck me as asking some of the same questions where the line between fact and personal mythology is a little fuzzy. Martin: Well, it came from a true story that Edie discovered on the internet. It took place in 1904. That gave it some shape, though there a lot of missing facts in the story. Like where the baby came from. Our job was to kind of construct it backwards from that, to be more about what could happen. We didn't set out to tell a true story. It was more what could've happened. But the actual true story is a mystery: where this baby came from and where it went. Was it murdered? Q: You get a very different musical with a dead baby. Martin: Yes. Not a happy story. Brickell: Could've been dropped . Q: Would you do such a big project again? Brickell: It's the most fun I've ever had. Martin: It was really fun. Brickell: It just never felt like work to me. It was more like waking up and working on a puzzle every day. And working with all these great people, and I was made to feel so confident by Steve. It was a joy through and through. Martin: When you're actually working on it, it's really not work. It's kind of this interesting thing where your senses are on alert at all times. It's a great place to be. Brickell: And could I please add something? We really made this hoping it would be something beautiful, and also something for all ages. It's almost that time of year when Texas roadsides turn into family portrait studios. Texas bluebonnet season is coming. Already, a few Texans have spied some of the famous blue flowers on roadsides. Lupinus texensis bloom in March and April, though some stragglers may remain longer in West Texas. Still, consider your window to see them about six weeks maximum. It's a rite of passage for parents and children to take photos in a field of the state flower. It's quite normal to see roadsides from Austin to Houston full of people posing among the patches. Families bustle out of SUVs and college kids laze around ironically among the beautiful fields of blue for Facebook shots and Instagram selfies. The best views of bluebonnets are typically west of Houston, but they can pop up anywhere that nature deems worthy. Chronicle photographer and native Texan Mark Mulligan is no stranger to taking pictures of friends and family among the bluebonnets. Getting the perfect shot takes a little thought, he says. "A lot of what makes a great bluebonnet photo are the same things that make any photo great: composition, light and moment," Mulligans says. "Keep going until you get all three." Composition entails using what nature has given you, for the most part. "Take advantage of the clean background a field of bluebonnets can provide. Fill your frame. Get close. Crop out extraneous subject matter in your viewfinder before you shoot," Mulligan says. "No one wants a wonderful picture of a loved one that is great except for the light pole sticking out of their head from the background." The best light is during "golden hour," that magical time an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset. "The light at those times is soft and directional - that means no harsh shadows on peoples faces and under their eyes," he says. The worst time to photograph is in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its harshest. Squinting never makes for a great photo. An overcast day can make soft light that is perfect for photographs. Laying around in bluebonnets comes with hazards, though. Remember to check the ground for fire ant mounds, bees, snakes and jagged road debris. Don't forget that if you're on the side of a busy highway you could be subjecting yourself and your loved ones to any number of roadway dangers. Above all, Mulligan says, savor the moment. "Remember that moments matter the most. Digital frames don't cost you anything, so shoot away," he says. "Keep shooting until you get that perfect smile, laugh or look that you're hoping for. Don't settle." There is a common misconception that it's illegal to pick bluebonnets and take them with you. There is no specific law on the books in the Lone Star State regarding picking bluebonnets, but if you damage state property (rights of way), you could be in trouble with the law. Make sure that you aren't on someone's private property either. But leave the blooms so other Texans can enjoy them - and use them for their photo backdrop. The latest work from novelist Junot Diaz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, a MacArthur "genius grant" and National Book Critics Circle Award, began with a plea from his goddaughters. They begged Diaz to create a book that reflected their reality, as "smart, young Dominican girls of African descent living in the Bronx." "I always felt like, damn, I really owe these girls something," said Diaz, a self-admitted slow writer who famously took a decade to complete his dazzling "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." "I told them I would do it." And he did. Twenty years later - with "Islandborn," a 48-page picture book with lush illustrations by Leo Espinosa that marks the first foray into children's literature for Diaz, who will be in Houston on April 3 for a reading at Christ Church Cathedral, sponsored by the Blue Willow Bookshop. "They're like, 'Yo, it took you long enough'," Diaz said in a recent phone interview of his goddaughters, who are now in their 20s. Diaz is part of a wave of well-known adult novelists - such as Edwidge Danticat, Dave Eggers and Jane Smiley - who are trying a hand at writing for a younger audience. More Information Author appearance Junot Diaz will discuss and sign "Islandborn" at 7 p.m. April 3. The event, at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue, is a ticketed event. One ticket equals the purchase of "Islandborn" from Blue Willow Bookshop and will admit one person. Children younger than 13 are admitted free. "Islandborn" By Junot Diaz and Illustrated by Leo Espinosa Dial Books for Young Readers 48 pages $17.99 Ages 5-8 See More Collapse For Diaz, whose "Oscar Wao" was chosen by a group of critics as the best novel of the 21st century to date, the genre required creating "new techniques and tricks because none of the old tricks were going to work." As requested, the main character is Lola, a brown-skinned girl who wears her hair in an Afro-puff and comes from a place called the Island. The kind of character Diaz's goddaughters longed to see but couldn't find, the kind still all-too-rare in children's books. More than just a promise kept, "Islandborn" is also a literary feat. A children's book that explores the hidden corners of immigrant life, where sunny memories can mask a dark history. An allegory for both Rafael Trujillo's brutal 31-year dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and the resurgence of white supremacy in this country. An attempt to pierce through what Diaz calls the "overwhelmingly white" landscape of children's literature. "I wanted to write something that speaks to those of us who, even when we were young, knew that our families came from very damaged places, from very damaging histories," said Diaz, 49, who was born in Santo Domingo and grew up in New Jersey. He wanted to tell the story of his goddaughters, whose father had to flee the Dominican Republic "because of the post-dictator dictatorship." Of the newcomer students he worked with at Gregorio Luperon High School in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Of his own experience as an immigrant kid. A story that did not flinch from the hard edges of life, as Diaz puts it, a "children's book which leaves a child feeling joyful and empowered but doesn't turn away from that trauma." It was a daunting task, Diaz concedes, one made even more daunting by the lack of diversity in children's publishing. Only 6 percent of the 3,400 new children's books published in 2016 were by Latino, black and Native American authors, according to Cooperative Children's Book Center. Of books released over the past 23 years, a mere 11 percent featured multicultural subject matter. The lack of representation, Diaz said, is nothing short of an act of violence. "We will one day understand that the bedrock of well-being is to have grown up surrounded by positive images of yourself. Not just surrounded, but saturated with them," he said. "Young people of color are being starved. Their souls are famished because of this violence." It is a hunger Diaz knows all too well. Growing up in the working class town of Parlin N.J., he was a voracious reader, but never encountered characters like himself in the books he devoured. "I felt beyond famished," said Diaz, who immigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 6. "I felt so wronged - and wrong - because everywhere I looked I did not see myself." Diaz was already in college - newly enrolled at Rutgers University - when he first read a book that spoke to him: Toni Morrison's "Sula." It was life-altering. "I felt like I was existing outside of the habitable zone, and suddenly, this comet - this celestial body streaked by - and it shifted my orbit," Diaz said. "I suddenly found myself in a place and with an experience that was generative, that was healing, and that gave me back to myself. Four years after graduating from Rutgers, and shortly after earning a masters of fine arts from Cornell University, the orbit of his life shifted again, with the 1996 publication of his first book, "Drown." The semi-autobiographical short story collection centered around the lives of young Dominican men growing up in New Jersey and the Dominican Republic immediately drew critical acclaim. It marked the then-27-year-old Diaz as a rising literary star. It took 11 years for him to follow up his debut. But when "Oscar Wao" - "a novel about a fat Dominican nerd" - was released, it shattered expectations. The book, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, explores themes of displacement, identity and the experience of the Dominican diaspora with an astonishing verbal dexterity that deftly mixes references to Dominican history, hip-hop, Spanglish and sci-fi and fantasy. "Oscar Wao reaffirmed the strong connections Latinos maintain with their ancestral homeland's culture, language and history," noted critic and author Rigoberto Gonzalez. "It also re-energised these questions: Who is American? What is the American experience?" In many ways, these are the same themes and questions coursing through "Islandborn." The story traces Lola's efforts to stitch together fragmented memories of a homeland she left as a baby by enlisting the help of her family and neighbors, who paint a portrait of a place with bats as big as blankets, "more music than air," mangoes so sweet "they make you want to cry" and people who are "like a rainbow - every shade ever made." The vibrant descriptions, along with the eye-popping drawings with a retro feel by Espinosa, evoke an idealized vision of the Island. Yet something tugs at Lola. She knows a key part of the history is being left out. "Even as people are recounting, you can see that no one can keep to the script. Lola is too smart a little girl not to pick up the discordant notes," said Diaz, a creative writing professor at MIT. "Our parents will tell us a story but behind the story we can read another story. And I think that young people become adept at discovering the hidden story." In her search, Lola uncovers the trauma at the heart of her origin story: a Monster that terrorized her Island, a hulking bat-like creature that "could destroy an entire town with a single word and make a whole family disappear simply by looking at it." But she also learns of the heroes who rose up to drive the Monster deep into the ocean, and by unearthing the buried history, helps her family and others who fled north to escape the terror find healing. "It takes a lot of people together to bear witness to a calamity like the one that overcame Lola's island. But it's not until Lola has taken part in this community-bearing-witness that the grandmother is finally able to herself bear witness," said Diaz, who lives in Cambridge, Mass. "For me, that was really, really important. That's what often happens. It's the child asking questions, the child searching, that enables the older adults to bear witness." Like the Island, the Monster - which "did as it pleased" for 30 years - is not named, but bears parallels to Trujillo, whose three decades in power were one of the bloodiest eras of Latin American history. In Diaz's view, there are parallels as well to what is going on this country. Here, Diaz said, the monster we face is a "resurgent white supremacy." "All of us have to fight against this altar of anti-immigrant racism that has become frighteningly normalized," he said. "All of us have to fight against a politics of impunity, a politics of cruelty that we see being pushed everywhere in the country and beyond." In tackling themes of immigration and childhood trauma, Diaz represents an emerging presence in children's literature. Danticat's "Mama's Nightingale" follows a Haitian-American girl whose mother is being held in a federal immigration detention center, while Francesca Sanna's "The Journey," which traces the flight of a refugee family, speak to the experiences of children displaced from their homelands. "These are the voices we wanted to hear, but are not always being published," said Cathryn Mercier, director of the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College, who pointed out that the entry of celebrated adult authors such as Diaz and Danticat gives an additional heft to efforts to improve diversity in children's publishing. But Diaz, who drew inspiration from Danticat's "Mama's Nightingale," "The Journey," and "a ton" of other children's books, says the minor gains in diversity are not enough. "When you are starving, crumbs are good," he said, "but crumbs are still a crime." "Black Panther" opened in theaters and sparked excited among many across the country. But for many African Americans and people of African ancestry, this was a time to celebrate a historic movie Marvel's first black superhero. The fact that the film takes place in Wakanda a fictional African nation gives the movie an extra layer of complexity and highlights the significance of many cultural values for people of African ancestry. From a cultural perspective, "Black Panther" displays the vibrancy, communalism, spirituality and strength that are often interwoven within the African and African-American communities. In America, we often group all black people together and refer to them as "African American" or "black." However, as a researcher who studies multicultural issues, I believe that it is necessary to emphasize the importance of distinguishing the diversity among people of African ancestry. The uncanny parallels from the fictional nation of Wakanda to American society seem to help some identify with the characters in the movie. In this way, "Black Panther" transcends cultural lines and provides a unique opportunity for African-American parents to engage in racial and ethnic socialization. EMPOWERING DESIGN: 'Black Panther' energizes interest in African fashion According to the American Psychological Association, racial and ethnic socialization (RES) have benefits such as providing a strong sense of self and serving as a buffer against racism and discrimination. RES involves teaching children about their racial identity and the world around them and helping them navigate cross-racial interactions. RES can occur through implicit or explicit messages communicated to children. For African-American parents, "Black Panther" provides many teaching moments that can help understand society and inspire hope for a brighter future. For example, the movie depicts Shuri (played by Leticia Wright) T'Challa's sister and princess of Wakanda often in her lab creating technological advancements to improve devices used by the Wakandan people. And there have been initiatives for several years focused on increasing the representation of African Americans in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Seeing this image could inspire many black girls to consider pursuing science and technology as a career. Shuri's character displays how instrumental STEM science is to advancing society and their community. null Many have wondered why "Black Panther" means so much to the black community and why schools, churches and organizations have come to the theaters with so much excitement. The answer is that the movie brings a moment of positivity to a group of people often not the centerpiece of Hollywood movies. Plus, what we know from the research on RES is that it helps to strengthen identity and helps reduce the likelihood on internalizing negative stereotypes about one's ethnic group. And "Black Panther" promotes many positive aspects that can parallel America. SMART AND THRILLING: Black superheroes matter in 'Black Panther' The APA offers several tips that might be helpful for dissecting "Black Panther" and talking with children about their identity (see APA RESilience Tool). When RES occurs, children learn about aspects their own ethnic groups, have higher self-esteem and are better equipped to deal with issues around race. For young children, RES could occur indirectly simply from watching "Black Panther" and seeing people who look like them being represented on screen. For older children, parents can talk about the themes in the movie and discuss similarities that exist in their culture or family. Using "Black Panther," parents can talk about famous inventors and people who have had a lasting impact on our society. We can all agree that Wakanda is a fictional place, but "Black Panther" is more than just a movie. Dr. Erlanger Turner, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. His expertise includes parenting issues, race relations, minority mental health and race-related stress. He is also a blogger for the Race to Good Health on Psychology Today and US News & World Report. Bookmark Gray Matters. It's instrumental to advancing society. Houston has talked a lot since Hurricane Harvey about money, particularly how to pay for recovery, as well as the much-needed infrastructure projects to protect us from the next storm. The expectation is that taxpayers will foot the bill. The conversation cannot end there. We need to have a real discussion about industry's role, because Harvey was not only a flooding disaster. It was an environmental catastrophe. Many oil refineries and petrochemical plants in Harvey's path released several months' worth of air pollution in the days after the storm began spiraling toward Texas. Spills from Houston's industrial facilities also contaminated land and waterways. This pollution contributed to an increase in adverse health issues. There are more than 100 facilities that process and store harmful chemicals within Harris County's 100- and 500-year floodplains, and tens of thousands of Houstonians live, work and attend school near these facilities. HARM'S WAY: Why your health can depend on where you live In one dramatic case, the preventable explosion of highly reactive chemicals at Arkema, a facility located in an existing 100-year floodplain, caused the evacuation of residents from their homes and made dozens sick from toxic fumes. A negative externality is the consequence of any action, such as air pollution, on someone who did not consent to the cost voluntarily. The Arkema case is an example of how the health and safety risks and costs were borne by the public at large, not the company. Since the explosions, first responders and nearby residents have sued Arkema to take measures that strengthen its emergency response plan, build stronger storage areas and develop a public alert system to notify residents of threatening situations. Other examples of externalized costs associated with the petrochemical industry include pollution to our water and land, property damage and the cleanup of abandoned equipment and infrastructure. Godofredo A. Vasquez Another problem is that the regulatory framework in Texas makes it easy for industry to conduct business without investing in adequate safeguards to protect communities. Unlike other states, Texas does not have any regulations requiring storage tanks to have added protective measures against spills during natural disasters. At least 15 floating roof storage tanks failed during Harvey, allowing millions of pounds of harmful chemicals to escape into the air, industry reported to state regulators. Almost half the storage tanks in the Houston area rely on this design, but there are no design standards. The federal government estimates Harvey-related damages at $125 billion. Since 2013, Houston's petrochemical industry has spent more than $50 billion on construction projects to expand production capacity. It is unknown how much, if any portion, of these funds have been or will be invested to reduce environmental risks and protect the public's health and safety from the next major storm. In Mike Snyder's recent Chronicle piece, he addresses the fact that nearly half of Houstonians would be willing to pay additional property taxes to help protect themselves and fellow residents from the impacts of future catastrophic events such as Harvey. But what share of these costs should be borne by facilities that create a disproportionate amount of the environmental risks? And will elected officials require industry to contribute their share of these costs? Air Alliance Houston Care must be taken to craft some regulatory and financing system that assigns financial responsibility in proportion to risk. An industry-backed community trust fund to help pay for costs associated with damage to our environment, infrastructure and public health could help fairly apportion the cost to those most likely to be responsible. Litigation should not be the only means through which homeowners are compensated for property damage caused by chemical spills or explosions or to relocate families away from dangerous infrastructure to safer neighborhoods. HARD TO BREATHE: What happens when Texas stops watching pollution The response to Harvey helped bring our community together. Residents and many corporations contributed charitable funds. Now is the time to re-examine the adequacy of regulations on facilities that pollute the air, land and water and examine the alternatives for fair funding of a more equitable and resilient future for Houston. If not now, when? Along with taxpayers, requiring industry to make appropriate investments to protect communities from a catastrophic future should be a priority before the next disaster. Dr. Bakeyah Nelson is executive director of Air Alliance Houston. Bookmark Gray Matters. The conversation cannot end here. Lars Kepler is the pen name of the husband-and-wife writing team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril. They have written six novels together, and these novels have sold well internationally, with translations in 40 languages. That success is likely to extend to the United States with the release of "The Sandman," which has enjoyed strong reviews and comparisons to "The Silence of the Lambs." Speaking singularly as "Lars Kepler," the authors discuss their approach to writing, the appeal of crime stories in Sweden and the release of "The Sandman" in the United States. Q: Tell us how you came up with the pseudonym, "Lars Kepler." A: Lars is a tribute to Stieg Larsson, the Swedish writer who transformed crime writing. Kepler is from Johannes Kepler, the German scientist who solved one of science's biggest mysteries: how the planets move around the sun. Q: You mentioned Stieg Larsson, and he was really the first of the "Nordic Noir" writers to enjoy huge sales worldwide. Why do you think "Nordic Noir" has taken off? Reading What: Lars Kepler signing and discussion When: Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 6:30 p.m. Where: Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet St. Click here for more information See More Collapse A: It's a tradition, and many people have ideas of why it is so. One theory is that it is because in 1986, our Prime Minister Olof Palme was murdered. On that day, every Swede became an investigator, because the murder was never solved. Also, it's a dark country, at least during the winter. During the winter, we all sit at home in the darkness. Maybe it affects our thoughts, our minds. But we do have peace and stability here, and maybe that allows us to explore the darker side. If you lived in a war zone, you would not want to read about serial killers and that sort of thing. NEW FICTION: A tough old Chicago emerges in Mamet's new novel Q: Speaking of serial killers, your new book is "The Sandman," and it features a serial killer that many are comparing, in terms of dark appeal, to Hannibal Lecter. A: "The Sandman" is a terrifying story about special agent Saga Bauer, who is given an assignment of going undercover in the psychiatric ward where the killer is imprisoned in order to obtain information information that will, it is hoped, stop future murders. We don't want to spoil too much, but the serial killer is terrifying. We actually had nightmares as we were writing this, and the character is a product of much research on serial killers. To write about a character like this, you have to go into your own dark place, and we definitely did. Q: You have written six books, but this is the first to get a large release in the United States. Why was this picked as the first big U.S. release? A: It's a good introduction to the Lars Kepler books, and to the two main characters of these books: Joona Linna and Saga Bauer. It captures the world Kepler has created, and we think it's quite scary. It's a logical introduction, and a very good choice. We hope the readers will think so too. CONTEMPORARY THRILLER: The Hitchcockian influence in 'The Woman in the Window' Q: "The Sandman" was translated by Neil Smith. How often does a translator come to you seeking collaboration on a specific meaning or connotation of a word or phrase to ensure that it makes sense across cultures? A: Authors in general probably prefer to establish a dialogue with a translator. We certainly do, and we feel better when the translator asks questions. Neil does that. He's a nice person, a bit shy, but he knows Swedish very well, and he did a great job translating. Q: Fear is a sensation that transcends cultures. It's a basic human emotion. What's your approach to creating the tension and suspense that goes into a thriller? A: All authors want to write books that are exciting, books that grab the readers by the heart and hold their interest. "The Sandman" goes to the concept of being "captured," but being captured in multiple ways. It's a claustrophobic feeling to be caught, whether it's caught in lies, or caught in a way of living, or caught in fear. In our books, we want to provide the reader a progression from chaos to order. In real life, you may not get resolution, but our books do offer resolution. We want to write fast-paced, exciting thrillers, ones that explore psychological truth, and we think the readers will see that in "The Sandman." Mike Yawn is the Director of the Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics at Sam Houston State University. Bookmark Gray Matters. It's a bit shy, but it knows Swedish very well. A Porter man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child on Tuesday. This is the second family member to abuse the same child, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office reported Friday. Simon Moss, 33, was originally charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, but the state agreed to reduce the charge to the aggravated sexual assault of a child in exchange for pleading guilty. Investigators also determined Moss burned down one of the places where he sexually assaulted the victim in an effort to destroy evidence. NEARBY: Shepherd man faces 3,200 charges in 'worst' child sex case "This outcome is a direct result of the strength of the investigation by Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Detective Trey Gordy and Montgomery County Deputy Fire Marshal Trey Baxter," Chief Prosecutor Nancy Hebert said. " According to the district attorney's office, Moss sexually abused a young family member from when she was 10 years old until she was 12 years old. Now Playing: Latest Local And State News Video: Houston Chronicle "Sadly, in 2015, the child had previously been sexually abused by another family member at the age of 8 and testified in court against this other family member," the DA's office reported. "The child was 12 years old before she made an outcry about the abuse by Moss." The child stated that one incident occurred when she was picked up early from school by Moss to take the child to the dentist. Through his investigation, Gordy was able to locate school records showing Moss had signed the child out of school for a doctor appointment on the same day as the dentist appointment. "The child also described several sex acts occurring at various locations around Montgomery County, including at an abandoned house," the DA's Office said. "Gordy drove the child around to try and locate the various sites." After locating the abandoned house, Gordy called out for crime scene Investigator Mark Wright with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) to process the scene for physical and biological evidence. Early the next morning, Gordy was notified by Baxter that the abandoned house had been burned to the ground, but, not before Gordy and Wright had processed the house for evidence. "Baxter suspected arson. Along with Gordy, they began a joint investigation to determine if Moss was responsible for the burning of the abandoned house in an effort to destroy evidence relating to the sexual abuse," Hebert said. Gordy interviewed Moss, who confessed to the sexual abuse and directed Gordy to the various locations where the assaults had occurred including the abandoned house. He also admitted to burning the house down. Baxter was able to obtain video of Moss purchasing the gas can used to burn down the abandoned house. "Faced with the strength of the evidence, Moss opted to plead rather than going to trial," the DA's office reported. A Houston man has been charged with murder in an apparent drug deal gone wrong that resulted in another man lying dead in a gas station parking lot. Jordan Mahdi Thomas, 21, was charged Monday with murder. He has been accused of fatally shooting Kejuan Reynolds while selling him marijuana in a planned drug deal, court records show. Reynolds was killed May 25, left face down in the parking lot of a Shell Service Station on West Little York. He had multiple gunshot wounds to the head, face, chest, arms and hands. Around the same time Reynolds was found, Thomas checked in to a nearby urgent care clinic for gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and right thigh. He said he was shot at the same Shell station as two men attempted to rob him, according to a document detailing the criminal charges filed against him. Thomas said that he was defending himself with his fathers pistol, which was accidentally left in the car, and said that no drug deal was involved. But video surveillance, witness statements and phone records proved otherwise, prosecutors said in court documents. Surveillance showed no evidence of a robbery and was consistent with a drug deal, the documents state. In the video, Thomas drove into the parking lot, followed by another person who stayed in his car while the incident unfolded. Reynolds was seen walking up to Thomas' car with another friend, and he got into Thomas' car while his friend waited outside, according to the records. A disturbance occurred inside the car, and Reynolds' friend, still outside, pulled out a pistol and fired into the car's driver's side. He fled on foot, and later told investigators that he only fired the gun to defend Reynolds. Thomas was accused of shooting Reynolds and then dumping his body onto the pavement before he fled, with the second car following him. A search warrant for Thomas' car found marijuana packaged for sale, as well as 2 ounces of marijuana in a bag soaked with blood on the passenger seat, the prosecutors said. Other search warrants for Reynolds and Thomas' phones allegedly found that the two were planning a drug deal, with Reynolds agreeing to purchase from Thomas. Shell casings inside the car matched with Thomas' gun, and the shell casing outside the car matched with Reynolds' friend's gun, documents show. The friend told investigators that he and Reynolds were only at the station to purchase marijuana, and not to rob Thomas. He said Thomas was waving the gun around "nonchalantly" during the transaction, and that Reynolds pushed the gun away, according to court documents. The friend told investigators that Thomas then started to shoot Reynolds, and that the friend shot once to defend Reynolds. The driver in the second car said Reynolds never held a gun when he went into Thomas' car, and a medical examiner ruled that Reynolds could not have been holding the gun while inside the car, according to court documents. Thomas is being held in the Harris County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond. WASHINGTON Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has reached a milestone of support for legislation tightening gun background checks, but it still remains bottled up in the Senate. His aides said Friday that he now has 62 sponsors for the bill, two more than the 60 needed to bust a Senate filibuster. So with widespread bipartisan support, why don't Republicans bring it up for a vote? The answer is an object lesson in how a bill does not become a law. Even though the sponsors include Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat has made it clear that he doesn't think Cornyn's gun legislation goes far enough. It beefs up enforcement of the FBI's National Instant Background Check System (NICS), but it doesn't expand it - a key Democratic demand. Democrats are pushing for background checks on virtually all commercial gun transactions, including those at gun shows or on the internet. Most Republicans, including Cornyn, have voted against expanded background checks in the past. So if Cornyn has 62 supporters for his less expansive bill, why doesn't Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just bring it to the floor for a vote and dare Democrats to vote against it? Because it would put Republicans on the spot as well. There's simply not enough GOP support even for Cornyn's more narrowly-drawn "Fix NICS" measure to beat a filibuster without Democratic support. Among those actively opposing it are Republicans Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Also missing from the roster of GOP sponsors for Fix NICS is Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, though he has similar legislation of his own. Related Content: Cruz and Cornyn press ahead to enforce - but not expand - gun background checks Since the GOP still needs to work on some of its own members, that gives the Democrats leverage. And they want something more akin to universal background checks. More frustrating for Cornyn is that his bill has the backing of President Donald Trump. It also has passed the House, though it was attached to a measure providing concealed-carry reciprocity between states something that Senate Democrats won't support. Cornyn, teaming up with Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, has been working this bill since November's church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Tex. It turned out that although the shooter had been court-martialed by the Air Force for a domestic violence offense, he was still able to purchase firearms because the military failed to report it to NICS. Cornyn's bill would fix that. But for now, the bill remains in limbo, and Cornyn remains publicly exasperated. "And after having these difficult conversations, I can't tell you how disappointed I am that the United States Senate has done nothing, nothing, to prevent them from happening in the future," Cornyn said in a Senate speech Thursday, when he was getting close to 60 sponsors. "They believe that what the bill tries to do, which is to fix our broken background check system, is important and will save lives and will keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons." Related Content: Sen. John Cornyn resists wider background checks as Trump, lawmakers scramble to stop mass shootings One of the most important employers in Texas has a weird policy. If you want to ask the boss for a promotion, you have to quit your job before you can even apply. If the boss passes you over and hires somebody else, youre out of luck and out of a job. We know some smart and talented people working for this employer. Theyve got skills and experience the boss really needs. But theyre reluctant to apply for a promotion because they dont want to quit their jobs. Somebody needs to tell the boss this is a bad policy. Thats the point here. Youre the boss. The employer is our government. Under the Texas election code, a candidates name generally cannot appear on the same ballot twice. In other words, Texans cant run for two different offices on the same election day. That means a woman who does a good job as, say, county clerk cant run for the state legislature without resigning from her current position. If she wins, she goes to Austin. If she loses, she goes to the unemployment line. The upside of this rule is that it sometimes opens doors for new talent entering the political system. For example, a field of seven rookie Democratic candidates whove never before run for office all vied for their partys nomination to run against GOP Congressman John Culberson. Some of them almost certainly would have stayed on the sidelines rather than face a bunch of well-financed competitors with established political names, like county officials or state legislators. The downside is that some proven elected officials who we could use in higher office dont want to accept the risk. For example, State Rep. Gene Wu could have made a fine candidate for Congress if thats where his ambitions aimed, but he wouldve had to surrender his seat in the Texas Legislature and gambled his political career to run against an incumbent. Adding to the unfairness, our staggered election schedule allows some politicians to run for higher office without risk their seat. Houstons city elections, for example, are held in odd-numbered years, while most other elections, such as the recently completed 2018 March 6 primaries, are held in even-numbered years. That allowed Adrian Garcia to run for sheriff of Harris County without endangering his Houston City Council seat, giving him an advantage over potential candidates holding other offices. In this primary season, state Rep. Kevin Roberts had to roll the dice and give up his seat in the Legislature to run for Congress hes now in a run-off. State Sen. Sylvia Garcia isnt up for re-election until 2020, so if even if she had lost her congressional race she gets to keep her job in Austin. This rule has a curious and thought-provoking exception. It doesnt apply to candidates for president or vice president. That makes sense for Texas, a lesson proved in 1960. If John F. Kennedy, whose running mate was Lyndon Baines Johnson, had lost his presidential campaign, Texas would have continued to reap the benefits of Johnson remaining the most powerful member of the U.S. Senate. But Kennedy won, and Texas benefited from LBJ serving as vice-president and eventually moving into the White House. (If you question whether LBJ helped Houston, take a drive down NASA Road 1. Its called the Johnson Space Center for a reason.) If it worked for LBJ, it should work for everybody. The same logic should apply to candidates up and down the ballot. We shouldnt lose a good county clerk who has ambition for higher office, but who ultimately runs an unsuccessful race. Just as we shouldnt have policies that discourage police or firefighters from seeking promotions, the law shouldnt discourage effective elected officials from moving up the political ladder. If Wells Fargo had a corporate policy that forced employees to give up their jobs to apply for a promotion, were pretty sure Warren Buffet would say its a bad idea and call for rescinding it. Just as Warren Buffet is a shareholder in Wells Fargo, were all shareholders in government. We need to change state law to give our elected employees the freedom to apply for promotions without quitting their jobs. During my 20-plus years in Africa as a U.S. diplomat I spoke to many school groups about Americas foreign policy. Invariably someone would ask critically why America doesnt give more aid to the country where I was speaking. I learned to turn the question around and ask the group: Who do you think came to the Americans aid during the very first winter after colonists arrived in New England from Europe in 1620-1621? Their answers include: England as the colonial power; some other European country; or an non-governmental organization like the Red Cross. They were startled when I told them, no one the colonists were on their own. About half (45 out of 102) died during that winter, since there was no such thing as international assistance. I would then point out that even though no one was there to help America in its early days of suffering, America has been very willing to help the rest of the world in times of need with massive amounts of aid. Their ignorance and misperception are understandable. In most of the developing world especially Sub-Saharan Africa international relief and assistance agencies representing wealthy countries and international NGOs are ever present and have been for decades. In many such capitals and out in the countryside it seems as if every other vehicle is a SUV belonging to some relief agency, and high-end hotels are full of foreign experts or advisers there to work on development projects or to evaluate the effectiveness of a donor countrys or agencys assistance efforts. And most developing country populations are young under 20 years of age. For them its normal that their countries receive foreign aid. Were at the point where not only do a number of recipient countries count foreign assistance as a recurring and expected part of their budgets, but also for several, aid is the major part of the budget. Few people in recipient or donor nations realize that the concept of one country helping another develop is relatively new. The post-World War II Marshall Plan whereby America funded Europes reconstruction is often cited as the worlds first large-scale international development project. Such aid became more established and formalized during the Cold War as a U.S. foreign policy tool to help tilt the newly independent states mostly in Africa toward the West and away from Soviet and Chinese Communism. My young African audiences initial point, that the United States doesnt give enough, is a theme oft cited by a wide range of other critics including recipient governments, other developed countries, numerous academicians and even Nobel Prize winning economists. Even my European diplomatic colleagues would note that while America has indeed been the largest global aid contributor since World War II, its assistance as a percentage of our GDP is less than that of other donor countries. Worldwide, total development aid in 2016 was $142 billion of which the United States gave about $38 billion. This represents about 0.20 percent of our GDP, and all types of our foreign assistance including economic and security is consistently under 1 percent of the budget. Most Americans believe it is considerably higher 10-20 percent. My retort to them was undiplomatic. I pointed out that if their nations had not colonized Africa, creating made up countries with artificial borders which were almost designed to fail, these nations would likely not have needed foreign assistance to begin with. And as far as the amount of assistance goes, Americas international generosity goes beyond official government development assistance since the giving of our charities, foundations, churches and individuals meet or exceed our governments totals. We as a people are extraordinarily generous, but at the same time we abhor waste, inefficiency and corruption, and our international aid structure reflects this bifurcation. We are glad to help when there is a bona fide humanitarian emergency, but we loath the idea of our assistance being wasted. In 1984 when the horrendous Ethiopian famine came to light, President Ronald Reagan was counseled by some of his advisers not to send help, since the then-Marxist Ethiopian leaders were anti-American. Reagans rejected their advice and said: A starving child knows no politics. That has been our national posture on humanitarian emergencies we are there first, with the most. (And the highly efficient farmers and ranchers of Texas are part of the reason we can be!) Ive been in situations overseas when American grain is already arriving while other donors are still discussing how to respond. Conversely the development side of international aid has been much less successful. Despite the massive sums given, recipient countries never seem to move from developing to developed and the long years of continuous aid has created significant development dependency. For example, the UNs 2017 Least Developed Countries lists 48 nations of which 21 were on the original list in 1971. Analysts debate why this is, but I have my own list of major reasons based on my experience. To wit: Development theories keep changing e.g., from focusing on sectors such as education or health to funding major projects (e.g., Power Africa). Different donors have different priorities, and recipient nations have little say beyond accepting or rejecting the assistance and few ever say no. Success is defined only quantitatively, such as how many polio injections were given or how many students graduated from high school rather than by a qualitative holistic analysis of whether the country is moving forward. But the two biggest impediments, in my view: On the recipient side, some governments are so corrupt, ineffective or uncaring that they simply will never provide an environment which will allow their nations to become developed immaterial of how much money is poured in. And until there is a change such countries will not attract private investment, which is the real agent for development. On the donor side, I know of no international development agency that makes it a formal strategic priority to put itself out of business within a certain number of years yet that should be the goal of international development, to end the need for such organizations. Westend61 via Getty Images Strawberry Caipirinha with fresh mint and strawberry in glasses If you're looking to brace against the long and blistering Indian summer, here are 12 awesome recipes to quite literally lift your spirits. We reached out to some of Indias best mixologists, and twelve of them, including bartending doyen Shatbhi Basu and Kolkata's mixing magician Irfan Khan, sent us some versatile recipes that will help anyone (whos over 25) brew these incredibly easy-to-make, but unbelievably delicious cocktails. Don't forget, the right glass (mentioned with every recipe) makes the drink. Cheers, everyone! Advertisement THE NRI ICED TEA India's first woman mixologist and beverage consultant, Shatbhi Basu, prepared this recipe just a couple of days ago in anticipation of the summer at NRI restaurant in Mumbai. Her expert tips: "Don't cut on the ice. A lot of ice insulates you drink, keeps it at the right temperature and texture till you finish," she says. Basu also claims that this yummy cocktail can be made in bulk in a pitcher, and has specially used Desmondji, a local producer of spirits to add even more authenticity to the drink. The best part? "You can drink this with just about anything... from pakodas, chaat and samosas to kababs and pizza," says Basu. Advertisement INGREDIENTS Gin--15ml Vodka--15ml Desmondji Pure cane rum--15ml Advertisement Desmondji 51% agave spirit--15ml Desmondji Orange liquer--15ml Kokum syrup--30ml Peppercorns--8 Lime wedges--2 Starfruit, sliced--1/2 Sprite/7Up to top Green/Red chilli for garnish METHOD Crush the pepper in the shaker can. Advertisement Add starfruit and muddle together. Fill can 3/4 with ice. Add kokum syrup and all spirits. Squeeze both wedges of lime and drop in shaker. Shake hard for 10 seconds and strain over hurricane (or any tall) glass filled with ice. Top with Sprite/7Up. THE MOJITO COOCH BEHAR Kolkata's most famous bartender Irfan Ahmed who has completed 25 years in the industry of mixology, believes that every drink is a performance on a stage. A huge advocate of responsible usage of alcohol and fresh ingredients, his cocktail against the summer heat, the Mojito Cooch Behar is best enjoyed with pizzas and kebabs. INGREDIENTS White rum--60ml Advertisement Fresh lime juice--10ml Ginger flavoured sugar syrup--20ml Green lime--1 piece cut in chunks Fresh mint leaves--12 pieces Jeera powder--1/2tsp Chaat masala---1/3tsp Salt--1/4tsp Raw mango paste--1tbsp Green chilly paste--1/3tsp Cracked ice Advertisement Chilled soda water--60ml METHOD Muddle the above ingredients together. Gently, add chilled soda water, and stir for 10-12 seconds. Transfer the drink in a masala-rimmed glass. Garnish with mint and lime and serve immediately. THE MARTINEZ Nothing better to beat the summer heat than this delectable drink assembled by The Dirty Martini's (Olive Bar and Kitchen) Harish Chandra Chhimwal. "Pair it with a smoked salmon, and make sure to chill your martini glass before you pour out the cocktail," says Chhimwal. INGREDIENTS Advertisement Gin--30ml Triple sec--15ml Vermouth--20ml Dashes of Angostura bitter METHOD Pour all ingredients in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Stir it gently. Fine strain into a chilled martini glass Finally, garnish with lemon zest Advertisement THE TULSI SPRITZ The bartender and brand ambassador at Moet Hennessy India, Rohan Jelkie adds a tinge of summery freshness to his cocktails with traditional herbs. His recommends drinking this Indian-flavoured spritz with kebabs, spaghetti bolognese or even some mild-flavoured cheeses (brie, camembert) atop rye bread. INGREDIENTS Vodka--45 ml Martini Rosso--15 ml Sprig of Tulsi (Basil) Orange--2 slices METHOD Toss in all the ingredients into a chilled white wine glass ( do not muddle or crush the tulsi. Instead tap gently between the palm of your hands to release the aromas and flavour. Always remember, herbs are meant to contribute aroma more than being able to taste them. Advertisement Fill with ice and top with sparkling water and tonic water. THE ANANDA BREW Inspired by the all-time Indian favourite, The Masala Chai, mixologist Topesh Chatterjee who hails from Pullman, New Delhi and has been mixing drinks since the age of 17, concocted this delicious brew to complement any Italian or Indian mid-day fares. Bonus: It can also be savoured as a night cap! INGREDIENTS Masala Tea Bag--1 number Vodka--60ml Eggwhite--50ml Lime juice--20ml Sugar syrup--20ml Advertisement METHOD Fuse all ingredients in a shaker, and simply shake it! Serve the final result in a martini glass, and garnish with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick for a yummy aroma. THE BENGAL TIGER Light and punchy, Novotel (Kolkata) Ritika Rai's Bengal Tiger is aptly named. The impulsive, creative and energetic mixologist loves her food as much as she loves (making) her drinks. She claims that this drink (that can be consumed at any time of the day) pairs best with a crisp leafy salad or some tandoori/ grilled fish or chicken. INGREDIENTS White rum--50ml Brandy--10ml Pineapple juice--60ml Pomegranate juice--20ml Advertisement Gondraj lemon--for flavour and garnish METHOD In a shaker filled with ice pour the spirits, some sweet and sour mix, pour the juices and shake the mixture. In a tall glass filled with ice pour the drink. Garnish with a wedge of gondoraj lemon and twist a peel of the lemon over the drink and rub the peel on the glass for the freshness and aroma. Serve with a smile! THE MANGO AND APRICOT SWIZZLE According to Mumbai-based Darell Mascarenhas, who manages the bar for The Korner House, the best way to whip up a successful drink requires a fun spirit (and he's not just talking about the alcohol here). A previous student of Shatbhi Basu's, Mascarenhas who borrows his life motto from Robert Frost ("I am not confused, I'm well mixed.") says this particular potion can be further sweetened by adding some alcohol to the apricot jam. "Take Indian apricots, and soak in vanilla vodka for a day in an airtight container. Once they're nice and soft, blend together in a blender, and voila! Your alcoholic apricot jam is ready!" INGREDIENTS Vanilla vodka--45ml Advertisement Apricot jam--1tbsp Mango juice--120ml Lime juice--10ml Few drops of orange bitter (optional) Cinnamon stick--1 number Crushed ice METHOD Add all the ingredients into a shaker, except the cinnamon stick. Fill it with ice cubes and shake. Strain in a tall glass, preferably a hurricane glass. Advertisement Fill the glass with crushed ice. Take a long cinnamon stick, heat it with a lighter till you can smell the cinnamon oil. Stir the drink with the cinnamon stick, then leave it in along with a slice of mango and a sprig of mint. Bonus trick: If you don't have access to Orange Bitters just take the skin of an orange and spray the essential oil over the drink. THE COCKTAIL BANARAS Ankur Chawla, a master sommelier who is also the director of beverages at Akira Back and the JW Lounge, offers this refreshing gin-based potion, best taken before a meal. INGREDIENTS Gin--60ml Dried betel leaves--2-3 pieces Lime juice--10ml Advertisement METHOD Muddle pan leaves and mix along with lime juice. Add gin, shake well with ice cubes & strain into a martini glass. Bonus Trick Rub the betal leaf with the rim and the stem of the glass to get a bit of fragrance as well. Note Do not double strain. No garnish required. THE MOGITO 6 The head mixologist at Ek Bar, Nitin Tewari who has mixed potent concoctions at several joints including Ricks, and the Polo Lounge generally swears by a classic Daiquiri, but has changed favourites for the summer with this unique starfruit-laden cocktail that he insists pairs well with tuna papdi chaat. INGREDIENTS Bacardi Superior--60ml Star fruit juice--45ml Advertisement Honeywater--15ml Angostra--1/2 dash Star fruit--5-6 pieces Mint--10 leaves METHOD Shake together with crushed ice. Fill into a hurricane glass. Garnish with starfruit. THE SOL OF COLABA Mohit Balachandran, when not blogging furiously about street food under the name of ChowderSingh spends his time acting as cuisine director for all branches of SodaBottleOpenerWala (currently in five cities). This is his sure-fire way to beat the heat. Advertisement Bonus tricks: Adding a bit of lime juice to the sugar syrup after making it to avoid crystallisation of sugar. Don't confuse Kodumpuli for Kokum, even though they are of the same family. Use Kokum juice, which is bright red and has a fruity flavour. INGREDIENTS Vodka--60ml Lime juice--30ml Sugar syrup--30ml Masala mix--1gm (1part Jaljeera powder, 1 part Amchoor, 1/2 part white pepper). Kokum--2-3 pieces METHOD Infuse kokum in little hot water and extract juice. Cool and add along with lime juice, sugar syrup, masala mix, vodka and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Advertisement Serve chilled in a martini glass. THE HIGH-TAI Bengaluru-based bartender Guru Prashanth is all about self-learning and experiments, but has a few rules he follows rigidly to create the perfect summer drink (like this one with pineapple juice). These include serving up heavy food with light (preferably citrus-based) cocktails, and vice versa. "Also cocktails with juices and syrups should be shakes, while ones with spirits have to be stirred - the exception being the classic Bond Martini," he says. INGREDIENTS Gold rum infused--50ml Pineapple juice--30ml Lime juice (may vary according to the sourness/citric content of lime)--20ml Monin passion fruit puree--15ml Spice syrup (200gm of Indian spices with 500gm of sugar dissolved in 500ml water, bring it to boil and take it off)--10ml METHOD Advertisement Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Shake and fine strain the mix in a highball glass (roll it in a tatami mat for added effect. Garnish with a few sprigs of mint, and serve with a bamboo straw. THE SOUTHERN SOMRAS Originally from Darjeeling, mixologist and author of Cocktails & Dreams, Yangdup Lama has put a modern twist to the traditional drink of the Indo-Aryans (the recipe for the original, he says, is unfortunately lost). Lama insists this drinks pairs beautifully with chettinad chicken. INGREDIENTS Dark Rum--50 ml Orange liqueur--10 ml Curry leaves--8 Jaggery--10 gm Advertisement Apple Juice --60 ml Tamarind Water--30ml METHOD In a cocktail shaker add the jaggery and sweet lime juice and muddle to mix and infuse the two. Add the rest of the ingredients and fill with ice. Shake well and pour along with ice into a stem goblet and serve. Entertain effortlessly, savour a decadent night cap, and replace those unimaginative aerated drinks to add more flavour to your meals. Also check out these awesome summer salads by India's best chefs. Contact HuffPost India Advertisement Also See On HuffPost: Malaysia to release final report on missing MH370 after latest search ends by Sumisha Naidu March 08,2018 | Source: Channel NewsAsia The final, detailed investigation report into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended pending the outcome of a new search for the Boeing-777. In an interim statement shared with the next-of-kin on the fourth anniversary of the plane's disappearance, the MH370 investigation team said "any new evidence uncovered is likely to significantly affect the investigation". "In the event that the aircraft is found, the Team will conduct further investigation," it said, in the statement released on Thursday (Mar 8) afternoon. "If the aircraft is not found and a decision is made to discontinue the search, the Team will resume the completion of the report and release it in the months ahead," read the statement. Annex 13 of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) states that if any accident and investigation report cannot be finalised, an interim statement has to be issued at every anniversary of the accident. Flight MH370 went missing on Mar 8, 2014 en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, with 239 people onboard. An initial years-long search in the southern Indian Ocean failed to yield any results although pieces of debris have washed up to shore. In January, a private American firm entered an agreement with the Malaysian government to resume the search on a "no find, no fee" basis. Ocean Infinity will be paid only if the debris field or black boxes are found within 90 days. The fourth interim report states that no new debris has been found since its last report in 2017 that said that three items of debris were confirmed to be from MH370. However, "there is continuing activity to retrieve and examine any new debris that is discovered". Some next-of-kin, however, believe more should have gone into the interim report given the lack of information available. "While waiting for an outcome via Ocean Infinity, the government could and should release reports on existing information," said Grace Nathan, daughter of passenger Anne Daisy. "For example it would be nice to see the complete cargo manifest released and a report regarding the same. "Secondly, it would be good to see our government come up with a plan for debris recovery should the plane be found instead of waiting for it to be found before anything is even initiated. "It would help us feel that the government is hopeful or even optimistic that the plane will be found. It would be a sign of dedication and good faith." Malaysian officials are currently working with Australian authorities on plans to recover the plane's wreckage or its flight recorders, in the event the aircraft is found. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak reiterated the country's commitment to finding the plane. "We are pushing the global aviation community to take measures to make our skies safer," he said on his official Twitter account on Thursday. Channel NewsAsia Theme(s): Communities and Organisations. Fisheries output to plunge unless global warming reeled in by Alister Doyle March 09,2018 | Source: Reuters Global fisheries output will slump by 20 percent by 2300 and by 60 percent in the worst-hit North Atlantic region if governments fail to slow long-term global warming, a U.S. team of scientists said on Thursday. Most studies of climate risks extend to 2100 and overlook extra catastrophic effects such as the projected slump in ocean life that would only emerge in coming centuries, they said. Unchecked long-term warming would thaw sea ice around Antarctica and disrupt ocean currents, winds and the growth of tiny plankton, the report found. Worldwide, ever more nutrients would sink to the ocean depths, away from fish near the surface. Marine ecosystems worldwide will be increasingly starved for nutrients, lead author J. Keith Moore of the University of California, Irvine, told Reuters of the findings published in the journal Science. The shifts would cut the productivity of fisheries in 2300 by an average 20 percent and by 60 percent in the North Atlantic, where a normal upwelling of nutrients from deeper waters would be most reduced, according to computer simulations. Exceptions would be the Southern Ocean near Antarctica and in the Arctic Ocean around the North Pole where higher temperatures and shrinking ice, allowing more sunlight to reach the water, would boost the growth of tiny plants. Moore said such long-term projections involve many uncertainties but add to existing concerns about more heat waves, downpours and droughts that mainstream scientists link to a build-up of man-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We need to be thinking 1,000 years into the future, not 100 years, he wrote in an email. Global warming isnt a problem our children can solve - it will be too late. The study assumed greenhouse gases will continue to build up in the atmosphere, boosting average surface temperatures by 9.6 degrees Celsius (17 Fahrenheit) by 2300. That would be far above goals set in 2015 by almost 200 nations under the Paris climate agreement to limit warming to well below 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times by phasing out fossil fuels this century. The report did not factor in other risks, such as an acidification of the oceans caused by the build-up of carbon dioxide that could undermine the ability of creatures such as lobsters and oysters to build protective shells. Charlotte Laufkoetter, a scientist at the University of Bern who was not involved in the study, praised the findings as based on the best existing science, despite the difficulty of projecting so far into the future. There are of course several uncertainties - circulation in the Southern Ocean is very difficult to model, she told Reuters. 2018 Reuters Theme(s): Others. Hundreds of Canadian doctors say they're being paid too much, and they've signed a petition asking the government to lower their salaries. This sounds like the most Canadian thing ever, eh? It's tempting to dismiss it as just a quirky story. But once we get past the sheer and literal foreignness of the whole thing, it's actually an incredible act of leadership. Here's the context. Canada, unlike the United States, has a government-run health care system, and the doctors themselves say they're already pretty well paid. They also just got a 1.4 percent pay increase in January, but the Quebec health care system, where all this is happening, faces some big challenges. Nurses, for example, say they're understaffed and trying to care for far too many patients at a time. A viral Facebook post by one Quebec nurse spelled the situation out in late January, describing her total exhaustion after covering more than 70 patients alone on an overnight shift. (The post is embedded at the end of this article. The original is in French, but the automatic translation is pretty good.) So, the doctors announced they want to forgo their pay raise, and put the money back into the health system itself. "We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations," the petition reads. (It's in French, too.) It adds: "The only thing that seems to be immune to cuts is our salary." Obviously health care is a big political issue in the U.S., but let's set that aside. Here are 5 key things to learn about great leadership from all of this: 1. Great leaders put the mission first. This is the crux of the whole thing here: The doctors say they're paid well enough, and that they want to put their raises toward the health system as a whole. 2. Great leaders understand the power of symbols. The Quebec government now says there's nothing stopping the doctors from simply returning their raises individually, perhaps as donations. But the doctors understand the power that doing this together as a petition sends a powerful symbolic message to the other people they work with. 3. Great leaders think of people as people, not organizational charts. I recently spent a night in a hospital, fortunately for something that turned out to be just a scare. But with 18 hours and not a lot to do, I watched who really runs a hospital: the nurses, at least from a patient's eye view. With this Canadian gesture, the doctors showed they understand this, too. 4. Great leaders demonstrate sacrifices. Giving up a pay raise is a sacrifice. It's maybe not a huge one in this case: the raise wasn't gigantic, and the doctors make an average of about $403,537 a year, according to the CBC. But it still sends a message. 5. Great leaders offer thanks. The words "thank you" (or more precisely, "merci,") don't appear anywhere in the petition, but the entire thing is an expression of appreciation to the other people they work with. Of all the things you have to trust when flying, I think the pilot is at the top of the list. As for the plane itself, well, no matter what model of aircraft you're on, it's likely been through thousands and thousands of flight hours. The airline? Well, it is what it is. But the pilot--the individual person (really two individual people) handling the controls at the front of the plane? That's what we call the human factor. You have to believe they're level headed and diligent and that they know what they're doing. There are some amazing pilots out there--for example, the ones who landed a United Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200 in a storm in Washington last week, while "pretty much everyone on the plane threw up," and the pilots "were on the verge of throwing up." And there are the ones like the pilot of an American Airlines flight this week who allegedly got into a physical fight with his own airline's ground crew, was arrested, and now can't leave the country until his case is settled. Before we go further, consider the lesson this admittedly crazy story drives home from a leadership perspective. According to reports, this pilot has been flying with the airline for 32 years. It's entirely possible that he's one of the most competent pilots in the fleet, at least from a technical perspective. But all of that goes out the window, or down the jetway, with just a single (that we know of) ill-tempered episode of bad judgment--never mind the alleged violence. I've written before about the experience I had when a pilot on a puddle-jumper in bad weather announced to the passengers that landing was going to be rough, but he wanted to "give it a try" instead of diverting. (Short version: near mutiny, all because the pilot's choice of words made him sound flippant and unprofessional.) A leader--and especially a captain piloting a jet airplane at 30,000 feet-- has not only to be a leader, but he also has to act like one. The people he's leading--in this case passengers and crew--need to make snap judgments on whether they trust him. And if the reports from this flight are true, this American Airlines captain failed miserably. So here's what allegedly happened: The flight was AA 930 from Sao Paulo to Miami, and the alleged actions of the 59-year-old captain, an American, wound up keeping a Boeing 777-full of passengers on the ground for 27 extra hours--yes, as in, more than a full extra day. The dispute arose after the plane's co-pilot had tried to adjust the "finger," which is apparently what they call the jetway leading from the terminal to the airplane in Brazil. The pilot/captain went to help his copilot, and a woman who works for American as an operations agent apparently tried to tell him she thought the jetway was already in the correct location. Reportedly, she "inadvertently" stepped on the pilot's foot, and got into a short verbal altercation with him. Then, as the Daily Mail explained, things escalated quickly: Witnesses claimed the pilot then pushed the victim and grabbed her by the neck. An airport maintenance worker who was on the scene at the time saw the altercation and intervened. In his defense, the captain claimed the airport attendant tried to punch him. However, the co-pilot has not confirmed this version of events. In a statement to police, the victim said the "pilot had pushed her and grabbed her around the neck." Now, he might be stranded in Brazil a lot longer. He's facing a possible prison sentence of between three months and a year for assault--as the Brazilian law terms it, "offending the bodily integrity or health of another." An American Airlines statement in the Mail that confirms that "two crew members were engaged in a discussion in the tunnel that connects a platform to the plane," and then jumps to the part where "the authorities are now in charge of the case and providing support to staff members." Passengers were given hotel accommodations and meal vouchers, and flew out on other flights, the airline said. "We apologize to our customers for the problem." As Gary Neff at View From the Wing points out, this isn't actually the first time in recent memory that an airline made news because of a fight of some kind between airline crew members. Back in 2015, a United Express flight scheduled to go from Lubbock, Texas, to Houston was delayed for five hours after a flight attendant reportedly told passengers that the "pilot and co-pilot [were] in dispute and she [didn't] feel safe flying," and asked if the passengers agreed. It's not clear whether there was an alleged physical altercation or just verbal in this 2015 case, but afterward the pilot and co-pilot were said to have been upset at the passengers, "demanding to know who said they were fighting." In the end, the police showed up, the passengers were removed from the plane, and everyone had to wait around for another plane to show up, with new pilots. Justice Ruth Bader is coming to a screen near you. The acclaimed documentary about her life, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year to rave reviews, will be in theaters starting in May--and ultimately, airing on CNN. Diminutive, divisive, and once called "dour," "quiet," and a "late-blooming feminist," Ginsburg is better known now as the Notorious RBG. After a quarter century on the U.S. Supreme Court, the trail-blazing justice has transcended her role, along with any ordinary expectations. I've seen this firsthand, in that when I started writing for Inc.com more than six years ago, I thought I'd be writing about leadership, strategy and entrepreneurship----cover big companies, tell stories about business travel, and explore how to inspire and achieve success. Sure, I do all that, but the most popular article I've written here is something I really wasn't sure anyone would actually read at the time: "Want to Raise a Trail-Blazing Daughter? Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Says Do These 7 Things." So with the trailer for RBG dropping, here are seven lessons about how to make people love you and respect you, courtesy of Ginsburg. 1. Believe in yourself Ginsburg credits her mother, who died the day before Ginsburg's high school graduation ceremony, with teaching her to be independent and to remain true to herself. Of her mother, Ginsburg wrote: She was "the bravest and strongest person I have known, who was taken from me much too soon. ... [She] "counseled me constantly to 'be independent,' able to fend for myself, whatever fortune might have in store for me." 2. Exploit your brand--and your hand This goes to the core of why there's a documentary about Ginsburg, and why she not only appeared in it, but she went on a press junked to promote it. Far more than a judge now, she's a feminist icon. "Now the perception is, yes, women are here to stay. And when I'm sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court], and I say 'When there are nine,' people are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that." she said in response to an interview question. 3. Nurture your mind--and your body As a cancer survivor who will celebrate her 85th birthday next week, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that Ginsburg might be thinking of retirement. However, as part of her effort to stave off that eventuality, she's a bit of a gym rat who has a personal trainer--and probably works out more than most Americans. Last year, when she was asked who was the most important person in her life now, she replied, "My personal trainer." 4. Make the case Ginsburg is in the minority on the court now, which means she loses more often than she wins. But she writes stinging dissents, in the hope that someday in the future, the court will shift, and her reasoning will ultimately win out. Among her greatest losing battles, her dissents in: the Bush v. Gore case that gave George W. Bush the presidency, the case that ended civil rights oversight of Southern states, a 2013 affirmative action case, and the Hobby Lobby case that said private employers can stop their employees' health insurance from covering contraception. 5. Speak your mind Ginsburg doesn't go for the idea that Supreme Court justices should remain silent when they're away from the bench. Probably the most famous time Ginsburg spoke her mind recently was during the 2016 election, when she said of then-candidate Donald Trump: "I can't imagine what this place would be -- I can't imagine what the country would be -- with Donald Trump as our president. For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be -- I don't even want to contemplate that." 6. Marry the right person. Yes, I've written this before about her, and not everyone like the advice. I'm not saying that if she hadn't married Martin Ginsburg, who ultimately became a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, RBG wouldn't have become Justice Ginsburg. No, I don't have to say that because she says it herself: "I do not have words adequate to describe my supersmart, exuberant, ever-loving spouse," she wrote in 2015. "I betray no secret in reporting that, without him, I would not have gained a seat on the Supreme Court." 7. Leave the legacy you want Moral authority. It's a phrase that's become fundamental to Steve Huffman over the past two-and-a-half years. Huffman co-founded Reddit in 2005 when he was fresh out of University of Virginia, at age 21. He and his close friend and co-founder Alexis Ohanian, along with hacker wunderkind Aaron Swartz, sold Reddit to Conde Nast in 2006. Huffman departed the company three years later, during which time Reddit grew into one of America's most popular websites, with message boards about everything under the sun: from kitesurfing to finance to Photoshopping bicycles out of photographs of humans riding bicycles. But Reddit also grew into a site that harbored an unsustainable tension. Its ethos was freewheeling, and held dear the idea that free speech trumps all. After one of the company's interim leaders, Ellen Pao, attempted to quell some of the hate speech on the site, and after the mishandled dismissal of a popular employee, volunteer moderators turned their Reddit sections off, crippling the site. An online petition called for Pao's ouster. She wrote in her 2017 book, Reset, that she submitted her resignation after pressure from the board. Huffman wasn't entirely ready to return to Reddit. He was building the travel-search startup Hipmunk, leading a team of engineers and helping to secure funding. But when he saw Reddit's website blacking out as moderators protested against the company, he knew what he needed to do: save Reddit. Perhaps he was the only person who could, and not because he was an experienced leader or a skilled programmer. As Reddit's founder, though, the one who wrote the site's original code, he had the moral authority to do so. When Huffman walked into Reddit's office one Friday in July of 2015, he was met by a couple-dozen shell-shocked employees, few of whom were happy to see him. Most of those staffers didn't make it beyond year's end. Reddit wasn't just an ailing company; the Reddit community needed help, too. The hundreds of far-flung volunteer moderators had been deprived of updated tools for years. Hate speech was rampant. Huffman would need to tame the trolls, and deliver a better site to loyal users. Huffman leaned on his moral authority particularly heavily in making announcements online--when, say, banning communities that trafficked in inciting harm or fear. One of Huffman's first major actions as chief executive was cutting off overtly racist communities. This time, the communities on Reddit did not revolt. By fall of 2017, he announced even stricter content standards: Anything glorifying, encouraging, or calling for the harm of a person or animal would not be permitted on Reddit. Still, there were content questions dogging Reddit: certain corners of the site were havens for distribution of conspiracy theories and "fake news," and Huffman had admitted in March that his teams had pinpointed a "few hundred" fake accounts spreading propaganda and sowing discord in the lead-up to the 2016 election. Reddit, the company, is far healthier today. In 2017, Huffman brought in $200 million in new venture capital funding, valuing the company at $1.8 billion. Reddit.com was the fourth most popular site in America, according to data from Alexa, Amazon's Web analytics arm. Huffman has in many ways rebuilt Reddit, having added 300 new staffers and moving the company to a spacious new office on San Francisco's Taylor Street. Yesterday, Travis Kalanick (@travisk) tweeted the following description of his future plans as an entrepreneur: "I'm announcing the creation of a fund called 10100 (pronounced 'ten-one-hundred'), home to my passions, investments, ideas and big bets. It will be overseeing my for-profit investments as well as my non-profit work. The overarching theme will be about large-scale job creation, with investments in real estate, commerce, and emerging innovation in China and India. Our non-profit efforts will initially focus on education and the future of cities." The Twitter-verse immediately went ROFL, because, in trucker slang, the phrase "ten-one-hundred" means, "I need to pee." Since Kalanick probably didn't intend his new brand name to carry that subliminal message, what is the true meaning behind it? NOTE: If you're not a programmer, you can skip the next two paragraphs. My first thought was that since "10100" looks like a binary number, maybe it's code for a number in a different base. However, "10100" is "20" in Decimal, "14" in Hexadecimal, and "24" in Octal. Not much to go on there. My second thought was maybe "10100" was meant to be ASCII, which is a computer code representing letters and numbers. In ASCII, "14" represents "DC4," a.k.a. "Device Control 4," a nonprintable character. So again unlikely. So, then, what is the true inspiration behind "ten-one-hundred?" Simple. 10100 is a shorthand representation of 10 raised to the hundredth power (i.e., 10^100) which, when written out, is: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. In mathematics, this huge number is commonly called "googol," which is the term that was the inspiration for the corporate brand Google. Therefore, by naming his fund "ten-one-hundred," Kalanick may be signaling that he intends to compete against Google. That brand interpretation is buttressed by Kalanick's stated intention to focus on China and India, both countries where Google is not the market leader. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre was voted one of the 10 most-loved novels of all time. But the New York Times didn't bother writing her an obituary. Getty Images Have you ever heard of Charlotte Bronte or her novel Jane Eyre? How about the poet Sylvia Plath? Or the photographer Diane Arbus? When they died, none of these women was considered newsworthy enough to warrant an obituary in The New York Times. Now, to make amends, the newspaper has chosen International Women's Day to publish 15 obituaries of groundbreaking women whose deaths should have been reported when they happened. Like most newspapers, the Times publishes many "death notices" that people pay for. (I ordered one when my father died and it was pretty pricey.) But it also publishes about three obituaries a day, selecting those people the editors consider most newsworthy among the 155,000 or so deaths that occur in any given 24-hour period. Inevitably, many noteworthy deaths get left out. But when Amisha Padnani joined the Times' obituary desk as digital editor, she began researching notable people whose deaths the newspaper hadn't noted over the years. Most of the omissions, she found, were female and/or non-white. She was shocked to find that Arbus and Plath didn't get a mention when they died since both were well known during their lifetimes. It's especially disheartening to note that their husbands, the actor Allan Arbus and the poet Ted Hughes, did get Times obituaries. To try and set things at least a little right, Padnani began the Overlooked project to belatedly publish 15 obituaries of highly newsworthy women in celebration of International Women's Day on March 8, and it's to the paper's credit that she got full support for doing so. Here are a few of the remarkable women that the Times has finally chosen to acknowledge: 1. Jane Eyre author Charlotte Bronte Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816, one of six siblings. (Her sister Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights didn't get a Times obit either.) The Bronte children were raised by their clergyman father near the English moors that figure so prominently in Emily's work. Charlotte watched several of her siblings die, two of them from ill treatment at a boarding school that she also attended and that she described unflinchingly in Jane Eyre. Three more, including Emily, died horribly of tuberculosis or other illnesses under Charlotte's care. From an early age, she sent her written work to writers and publishers she admired, only to be told, "Literature cannot be the business of a woman's life and it ought not to be." So she published Jane Eyre under the gender-ambiguous name Currer Bell. It was an immediate commercial success. She married at 38 and died nine months later, most likely from complications of extreme morning sickness. Since then, Jane Eyre has been made into movies countless times, along with sequels and prequels. Its story of a plain, pale, poor, and friendless young woman who nevertheless burns with passion for life and love transcends the age when it was written. 2. Poet and novelist Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath was born in 1962 and became known during her lifetime for her biting confessional poetry that appeared in prestigious publications such as The New Yorker. She committed suicide at her London apartment at the age of 30. She had recently separated from her husband after learning he was having an affair, and American publishers had rejected her novel The Bell Jar, which had been published under a pseudonym in Britain. Despite her success in her own right, the obituary she did get in a London paper described her as "Mrs. Sylvia Plath Hughes, wife of one of Britain's best-known modern poets, Ted Hughes." Eight years later, The Bell Jar was published in the U.S. and spent 24 weeks on the Times' bestseller list. It's sold more than 3 million copies. In 1982, her Collected Poems earned her a posthumous Pulitzer Prize. 3. Photographer Diane Arbus Diane Nemerov was born in 1923 to wealthy parents who owned a 5th Avenue department store in New York City. Raised on Park Avenue and Central Park West and attended by a platoon of servants, she married Allan Arbus at 18. The Arbuses began a fashion photography company together, but separated after having two children. Diane went off on her own, shooting photographs for The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, and Harper's Bazaar among others. (You'd think the Times could have come up with an obit for its own photographer.) She was known for breaking taboos, photographing the mentally disabled, circus performers, transvestites, couples in bed, and orgies in which she sometimes participated. Her photographs were black and white, stark, unsmiling, and almost always disturbing. In 1971, at 48, she committed suicide. Though she was a very successful photographer, the market for art photographs did not exist during her lifetime as it does today. But a year after her death, the Museum of Modern Art devoted an exhibit to her work, writing that she showed "bravery in the face of truth." 4. World's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace Lovelace was born Augusta Ada Byron in 1815 in London. Her father was the Romantic poet Lord Byron. Her mother, Annabella Milbanke, had a lifelong interest in math that she passed on to her daughter, who called mathematics and logic "poetical science." At 17, she met Charles Babbage who conceived the first (steam-powered) computers. Though most of his designs were not built during his lifetime--he wasn't great at working with people or getting things done--he did partially finish some of them and their designs, built in modern times using contemporaneous materials and tools--work perfectly. But what is a computer without instructions--software? Ada Lovelace was fascinated by Babbage's inventions and began writing "code" for them, making her the first ever computer programmer. Perhaps more importantly, she had the insight to foresee and write that computers could be used for all kinds of functions and not just mathematical calculation as they were originally conceived. She married William King at 19, and when he became an earl, she became Countess of Lovelace. She had three children but kept right on studying and writing about mathematics, up until her death from uterine cancer in 1852. In modern times, she's become an iconic figure for women in technology everywhere. 5. Chinese feminist, revolutionary, and poet Qiu Jin Qiu Jin's life reads like a work of fiction. She was born in 1875 in Xiamen in the south of China. As a young girl her feet were bound, she was taught needlework, and forced into an arranged marriage with a merchant's son named Wang Tingjun. The couple had two children. They moved to Beijing, and Qiu began getting radicalized. She unbound her feet, sometimes dressed as a man, and took up sword fighting. She also wrote poetry, much of it militant and feminist. My body will not allow me To mingle with the men But my heart is far braver Than that of a man. At 28 she abandoned her family, sold her jewelry and sailed to Japan where she enrolled in Shimoda Utako's Women's Practical School. There, she connected with other frustrated Chinese students and became more radicalized, finally returning to China with the aim to foment feminism and help overthrow the Qing government. She started a feminist newspaper and learned to work with explosives. In 1907, when Qiu was 31, one of her fellow revolutionaries was arrested and executed for assassinating one of his superiors. Qiu was warned that the government would come looking for his female accomplice. She could have gotten away but chose instead to stay and attempt to fight the government forces. She was captured, tortured, and beheaded. Jordan Soles, a vice president of technology with the Quebec-based visual effects company Rodeo FX, was recently tasked with creating a "red breath." As Disney was wrapping up production on A Wrinkle in Time, the latest film from lauded director Ava DuVernay and an adaptation of the beloved children's book, out Friday, the production team reached out to Rodeo FX to add finishing touches on a selected scene. This included, as Soles tells Inc., a vague request for a red visual effect to emanate from the mouth of protagonist Meg Murry (played by Storm Reid). "They had no idea what they wanted the red breath to look like, and of course, we only had a matter of weeks to figure out how to generate it," says Soles. So his team launched a computer algorithm that simulates the movement of particles, such that they spread out and dissipate in a color scheme that fit with the background of the shot. Despite coming in at the last minute--and hurriedly creating a visual product with little creative guidance--not only did Rodeo FX meet Ava DuVernay's vision, but she personally reached out to thank them for the project as well. While major production companies and distributors, a la Disney, typically get most of the credit for the success of Hollywood films, there are dozens of independently run startups like Rodeo that contribute in no small part to the success of projects, and without which these films would not look as glossy as they do. Rodeo, alone, has worked on top-grossing projects such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Black Panther, and the award-winning television series Game of Thrones. Meanwhile, as the industry continues to grow, "it can be tough to carve out your own niche," concedes Soles, an early employee and now part-owner of the now 450-person company. It helps, he suggests, that Rodeo is headquartered in Canada, where the company receives a generous tax credit from the government. While Rodeo had red breath on its hands, the Lidar Guys were focused the bigger picture. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, startup, specializes in 3-D scanning and data capturing. Founder and CEO Jed Frechette, a geologist by training, launched the business back in 2009 when a colleague asked for his help on the post-apocalyptic neo-Western The Book of Eli. Unlike the majority of effects shops, explains Frechette, "we're at the very front of visual effects, and make digital computer models of any sort of real world object that [the director] needs." The five-person company has worked on dozens of projects including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Parts I and II, where they helped to bring the ethereal Capitol city to life. For A Wrinkle in Time, the Lidar Guys modeled various shots of the New Zealand countryside, which were then handed off to larger visual effects vendors to generate new imagery to be added. "Sometimes, they wanted to replace the mountains behind the lake, or add more alien geography or something like that. By using our scans, they have good reference for what was physically there and make sure what they add matches up with the computer generated topography," explains Frechette of his work. Not all glitz and glam To be sure, there are challenges associated with being runts in an industry of top dogs. For one thing, the budget for these types of projects can be scant, and it's up to the startups to make ends meet. "For a company of our size, the challenge is resources," suggests Frechette. "The film industry is very much boom or bust, so we are either dealing with a lot of resources, or we don't have any work and are still trying to pay our staff." The Lidar Guys have been able to make it work so far, however, growing revenue by roughly 10 percent annually. Another challenge is the investment of time that's required to bring a project to life, which often doesn't match up with corporate deadlines. "Release dates tend to be inflexible," explains Soles. "That's why these days filmmakers are relying more on post-visualization technique in order to get to their director's final cut." Today is 1 March, which this year plays host to both World Book Day and St. David's Day, the latter honouring Wales's patron saint and the subject of today's Google Doodle. So what better way to mark the twin celebration than by turning a spotlight of one of the great Welsh authors? Arthur Machen (1863-1947) is less heralded than his countrymen Dylan Thomas, Richard Llewellyn or Raymond Williams but remains a fascinating character and one of the most distinctive writers in any language. 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Machen was born in Caerleon, Monmouthshire, a vicar's son who became infatuated from a young age with the area's brooding landscape and rich Celtic, Roman and medieval history, particularly the Holy Grail and the legends of King Arthur. Machen was educated at Hereford Cathedral School but his interest in the occult is said to trace back to his discovery of a copy of Charles Dickens's periodical Household Words in his father's rectory library, which contained an illuminating article on alchemy. Arthur became a voracious reader, entranced by The Arabian Nights, Thomas de Quincey, Tennyson and Walter Scott. Torn between the Christian faith of his clergyman ancestors and his burgeoning fascination with pagan spirituality, the young Machen hoped to attend university to further his studies but alas the family could not afford to send him. Instead, he moved to London and lived in relative poverty as a Grub Street journalist and translator from French - bringing Casanova's memoirs to an eager British public, among other commissions. In 1887, he married Amelia Hogg, a music teacher and bohemian who introduced him to the capital's literary scene. Having published a handful of early poems and prose works, Machen delivered The Great God Pan in 1894, a gothic horror tale dealing in brain surgery and spectral satyrs taking inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson, a work that saw him denounced in the press for "degeneracy", not least because of the book's saucy cover by Aubrey Beardsley. Recommended Eight underrated novels by great writers that deserve a wider audience Other popular short stories and novellas followed, including The Three Imposters (1895), Hieroglyphics (1902), 'The White People' (1904), The Hill of Dreams (1907), and the prose-poem collection Ornaments in Jade, written in 1897 but not published until 1924. In 1899, Machen's beloved wife passed away leaving him grief-stricken. He was persuaded to join the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn - a secret society devoted to the study and practice of the paranormal - by a friend seeking to ease his suffering. He remained interested in magick throughout his life. Machen also tried his hand as a stage actor before remarrying in 1904 and recommitting himself to journalism to make ends meet, writing for The Academy - a publication owned by Oscar Wilde's lover Lord Alfred Douglas - and finally taking a full-time job with press baron Lord Northcliffe's Evening News in 1910. Perhaps Machen's most enduring success as a writer came with the outbreak of the First World War and his story 'The Bowmen' (1914), based on the legend of the Angels of Mons coming to the aid of British soldiers on the frontline. His stock rose once more and he followed its success with The Terror (1917) and The Secret Glory (1922), a final masterpiece bringing recognition in America. Although Machen had numerous famous friends in Edwardian London - Augustus John, Wyndham Lewis, Jerome K. Jerome were neighbours in St. John's Wood - financial security always eluded him. Only an appeal organised on his behalf by the likes of TS Eliot, George Bernard Shaw, Max Beerbohm and Algernon Blackwood ensured that he could spend his final years in relative comfort. He died in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, in 1947. Within the horror genre, Machen remains a giant whose influence has been acknowledged by everyone from HP Lovecraft and King to Mick Jagger, Clive Barker, John Carpenter, Guillermo del Toro, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and even True Detective's Nic Pizzolatto, who drew on the wellspring of weird fiction for the Carcosa and Yellow King conceits in that show's stellar first series. Stand-up comedian Stewart Lee is a Machen fan, as was Mark E Smith, recently deceased frontman of The Fall, who named their 2000 album The Unutterable from the master and said: "The real occult's in the pubs of the East End. In the stinking boats of the Thames, not in Egypt. It's on your doorstep basically." Arthur Machen was a great Welshman whose work deserves to be celebrated today of all days. Susan Sarandon has revealed that former co-star Paul Newman gave her part of his salary when she realised he was getting paid more than her. The Hollywood star was starring in 1998 film Twilight alongside Newman and Gene Hackman when she later discovered they were both receiving a larger salary. Sarandon, who is promoting new film Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, told BBC 5 Live: Emma Stone once came forward and said she got equal pay because her male stars insisted upon it and gave up something of theirs - that happened to me with Paul Newman at one point, when I did a film with him ages ago. Recommended The Hollywood bombshell whose genius the world tried to ignore She shared that Newman - who died in 2008 - gave part of his salary to Sarandon, saying: He stepped forward and said, 'Well I'll give you part of mine'. So, yeah, he was a gem. Sarandon, who received equal billing alongside her male co-stars in the film, revealed that it was only Newman and Hackman who benefited from favoured nation, an agreement whereby producers ensure actors are given the same terms as their fellow stars. The actor - who received an Emmy Award-nomination for her role of Bette Davis in TV series Feud: Bette and Joan - told the radio station that the unwanted exchange between actress and producer will go away. The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Show all 12 1 /12 The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Anne Hathaway The 32-year-old actress said she has already experiences job rejections because of her age. Now I'm in my early thirties and I'm like, 'Why did that 24-year-old get that part? I was that 24-year-old once. I can't be upset about it, it's the way things are, she told Glamour. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Helen Mirren On news that Maggie Gyllenhaal had been turned down for being too old, aged 37, to play a 55-year-old mans partner: Its f***ing outrageous. Its ridiculous. Honestly, its so annoying. And twas ever thus. We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. Its so annoying. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Maggie Gyllenhaal Gyllenhaal revealed she was told by a Hollywood producer that she was too old, aged 37, to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made feel angry, and then it made me laugh, she said at the time. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Meryl Streep Meryl Streep has helped fund an all-female screenwriters group called The Writers Lab to encourage more women to pen Hollywood scripts. She previously told Vogue in 2011: Once women pass childbearing age they could only be seen as grotesque on some level. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Emma Thompson The actress said she thought Hollywood is still completely s*** when it comes to treating women equally to men. When I was younger, I really did think we were on our way to a better world. And when I look at it now, it is in a worse state than I have known it, particularly for women, and I find that very disturbing and sad. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Elizabeth Banks Banks said she was driven from acting to directing due to the lack of roles for older women in Hollywood. "[Industry sexism] drove me to direct for sure. I definitely was feeling that I was unfulfilled and a little bit bored by the things that were coming across my desk. I mean look at Gwyneth Paltrow who has her Oscar [for Shakespeare in Love] and played fifth banana to Iron Man, she told Deadline. PA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Viola Davis I had never seen a 49-year-old, dark-skinned woman who is not a size 2 be a sexualised role in TV or film. I'm a sexual woman, but nothing in my career has ever identified me as a sexualised woman. I was the prototype of the mommified role, she told The Hollywood Reporter. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Liv Tyler The Lord of the Rings actress said she only get cast in roles where she is treated as a second class citizen at the age of 38. When youre in your teens or twenties, there is an abundance of ingenue parts which are exciting to play. But at [my age], youre usually the wife or the girlfriend - a sort of second-class citizen. There are more interesting roles for women when they get a bit older, she told More magazine. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Cate Blanchett The actress famously called out sexism on the red carpet at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards. When a camera operator scanned her up and down, she said: Do you do this to the guys? In her Oscar acceptance speech for Blue Jasmine, she reminded the film industry that movies with leading women can still be successful. And thank you to... those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the centre, are niche experiences. They are not -- audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people. Gareth Cattermole/Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Ellen Page Asked if she had ever encountered sexism in Hollywood, Page told The Guardian: Oh my God, yeah! It's constant! It's how you're treated, it's how you're looked at, how you're expected to look in a photoshoot, it's how you're expected to shut up and not have an opinion, it's how you... If you're a girl and you don't fit the very specific vision of what a girl should be, which is always from a man's perspective, then you're a little bit at a loss. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Zoe Saldana The actress says she refuses roles where she has to play the generic girlfriend, wife or sexy bombshell. "It's very hard being a woman in a man's world, and I recognised it was a man's world even when I was a kid. It's an inequality and injustice that drove me crazy, and which I always spoke out against and I've always been outspoken, she told Manhattan magazine. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Charlize Theron The actress spoke to ELLE about negotiating equal pay for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel: "This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn't mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you're doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way." Andreas Rentz/Getty Images What we don't want to have is being exploited and have the Harvey Weinsteins of the world holding it over your head and holding it over your project, she said. That is the most despicable. Follow Independent Culture on Facebook A food stylist has won a 10,000 prize in a Quaker Oats porridge photography competition aimed at amateurs, sparking a backlash online. Quaker Oats has been holding a weekly competition called Show Us Your Oats, in which porridge aficionados are asked to share snaps of their oat-based breakfasts for the chance to win a cash reward. On February 23, it was announced on Facebook that Charlotte OConnell had been chosen as the competitions latest winner for her stunning photograph depicting a bowl of porridge with figs, pistachios and honeycomb. Recommended This is why porridge is so good for you But in the terms and conditions for the competition, it is stated that entrants must not submit images that have previously been published in any medium. And, after doing some digging, people not only discovered that OConnell had extensive experience working as a food stylist and recipe writer with brands including BBC Books and Itsu, but also that the photo that she submitted had supposedly been taken from a photographers online business portfolio. When one conducts an image search online, you can trace the same photograph back to OConnells website in a section titled Personal Projects. Quaker Oats UK could I please refer you to your own terms and conditions, one eagle-eyed individual commented on Facebook. A quick image search shows that this image has previously been published twice (so not taken for the sole purpose of your competition) although both sites have since taken the image down. Another person argued that OConnells work as a professional stylist should have been considered, writing: Oh come on Quaker shes an industry professional whose work is commissioned by Tesco for the front cover of their magazine! Its a lovely photo but this competition is supposed to be B2C (business to consumer) rather than B2B (business to business), is it not? Following the barrage of complaints, Quaker Oats decided to look at the matter in further detail. However, the company came to the conclusion that their choice of winner did not breach the regulations for the competition. Hi all, together with PromoVeritas, we have fully investigated the winners entry from last week and are satisfied that no terms and conditions have been breached, Quaker Oats commented underneath the Facebook announcement of OConnells win. This decision is final, and wed like to thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention. While Quaker Oats may have chosen to overlook OConnells controversial win, the firm has decided to select another winner from the entries submitted to that week's competition when she submitted her entry. Weve received thousands of entries to our promotion, and have been thrilled to give away more than 50,000 to individuals and families across the UK, a Quaker Oats spokesperson told The Independent. The competition was open to everyone. However, in light of some of the feedback weve had, weve decided to choose an additional 10,000 winner. The Independent has reached out to OConnell for comment. A teenager was refused service when she attempted to ride her horse through a Starbucks drive-thru, despite having spotted videos of other people doing the same thing online. Aspen Cline is a teenager from Mayer, Arizona who loves to ride her horse, Scout. As a birthday treat, Aspen and a friend decided that they wanted to take their horses to a Starbucks drive-thru to indulge in some tasty beverages. However, the barista at the drive-thru refused to serve the girls or their horses. We attempted to take them through the Starbucks drive-thru, didnt exactly go as planned, Aspen told ABC 15. We werent given any reason, just we cant take your order. Me and my friend were going to get Frappuccinos for us and a cup of whipped cream for the horses. There are a number of videos of people riding their horses through Starbucks drive-thrus on YouTube, with one video garnering 185,000 views. Stacy Westfall successfully rode her horse through a Starbucks drive-thru in California (YouTube / Stacy Westfall) The attempted drive-thru venture was for Aspens birthday, as her mother Tandy Cline explained. She didnt ask for money, she didnt ask for games, she just simply wanted to go to the lake and go to Starbucks, Tandy said. Its her favourite place and so we figured out how to make it happen for her and we see it happening with other places, with other people. While a number of individuals have successfully ridden their horses through Starbucks drive-thrus in the past, a spokesperson from Starbucks informed the news station that their drive-thrus are strictly for cars only. However, if the branch of Starbucks had been given advance notice, then they would have admitted Aspen and her friend with their horses in tow. We support Starbucks because theyre very accepting, Tandy said. So we were kind of disappointed we got thrown to the side from such a great company." A New York federal judge has been tasked with ruling on whether President Donald Trump blocking hostile commentators on Twitter is a violation of their constitutional right to free speech. Senior Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, is currently engaged in a hearing to consider Trump's request that a lawsuit brought against him last July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University be dismissed. US citizens' right to free speech is enshrined in the First Amendment and the President refusing to hear their views, however unfavourable, is fundamentally undemocratic, the institute argues. Recommended Follow the latest tweets from Donald Trump and what they really mean Judge Buchwald put it to Trump's lawyer Michael Baer that Twitter was the equivalent of a town hall meeting where political representatives would be unable to pull the plug on a microphone held by an unsympathetic audience member, no matter how unpalatable their views. "Once it is a public forum, you can't shut somebody up because you don't like what they're saying," she said. Baer disagreed with her analogy and argued that a closer parallel was the President walking away from a hostile crowd at a public gathering. "The President has an associational interest in deciding who he's going to spend his time with in that setting," Baer said. Trump's use of Twitter has been a never-ending source of controversy since his campaign days and the pace has hardly let up since he took office. From retweeting violent Islamophobic videos by far-right political factions to duelling with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over who has the larger nuclear button, Trump's use of Twitter has exhausted the world. He's tanked the share prices of Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Toyota, criticised his own attorney-general, promoted his daughter's clothing line, harangued Saturday Night Live for impersonating him, perplexed one and all with "covfefe" and branded Meryl Streep an "overrated actress". Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters The number of accounts and individuals the President has blocked is vast, including members of the public who have gently chided him, veterans' organisations and outspoken celebrity opponents from Chrissy Teigen to Stephen King. It is not yet known when Buchwald will make her final ruling on the matter. An out-of-control space station is headed down to Earth in the coming weeks but scientists don't know where or exactly when it will arrive. The Tiangong-1 satellite a space station operated by the Chinese space agency has been tumbling down to Earth for months. Experts warn that its engineers appear to have lost control of it, but Chinese authorities have said very little about what is happening to the object. Outside space experts have said that the space station is clearly falling down to Earth and that it appears engineers won't be able to manage that process. Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427 more commonly known as WR 124 and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region The space station is set to fall down to Earth sometime between 29 March and 9 April, according to scientists the European Space Agency who warn that projection is "highly variable". But it's not possible to know where or when exactly it will fall. They said they expect the object to fall 43-degrees north and 43-degrees south. In western Europe, that would put it somewhere around Spain, France or Portugal but the object could fall anywhere around the globe, meaning that it could also drop into the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. Estimating when or where the object will fall is so difficult because Chinese authorities have revealed very little about its fall. It's also difficult to know how it will survive its descent, and what will happen when it's over, since western experts don't even know what the space station is made out of or what it is carrying. Experts at the US-funded Aerospace Corporation warned last week that some debris could survive the descent to the Earth and land on the ground. "If this should happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometres in size, they wrote. But they said the chance it would hit anyone was very unlikely indeed. "When considering the worst-case location, the probability that a specific person will be struck by Tiangong-1 debris is about one million times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot," they wrote. However, the mystery over what is inside the space station means that it's not possible to know what kind of danger it would pose once it had landed on the ground. "For your safety, do not touch any debris you may find on the ground nor inhale vapours it may emit," experts wrote. Former Tanaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton was caught up in anti-water charge protests in Jobstown. (Brian Lawless/PA) Garda intelligence should have predicted the risk of the water charge protest involving Irelands former Tanaiste, the force said. Solidaritys Paul Murphy and five others were found not guilty of falsely imprisoning ex-Labour Party leader Joan Burton and her then assistant Karen OConnell on November 15 2014, at Fortunestown Road in Jobstown, Dublin. A review said there was little evidence of a Garda strategic assessment before the trouble. It said: From the benefit of hindsight. it is clear that the risk of a serious outburst of public disorder was likely to occur around this time as demonstrated by the considerable number of public order incidents surrounding the installation of water meters in October and November 2014, coupled with the two specific incidents in the days immediately preceding this visit of the Tanaiste to Jobstown. These events should have increased the level of risk and been picked up by Garda intelligence. Expand Close Paul Murphy, third from right, and five others were found not guilty (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paul Murphy, third from right, and five others were found not guilty (PA) Ms Burton was leaving an adult graduation event when she was heckled by protesters opposed to water charges being introduced on the back of government-imposed austerity measures. Along with her adviser Ms OConnell, the then Labour leader was placed in a Garda car which was subsequently surrounded by demonstrators for a number of hours. Ms Burton, whose party was the junior partner in a coalition government with Fine Gael at the time, claimed she was trapped in the car for up to three hours. The Garda review said the force should ensure that robust structures and processes are in place to monitor levels of public order. Although not all of the existing policies and procedures were followed to the letter, there was more than sufficient compliance and in cases where non-compliance was encountered, this did not affect the overall outcome of the investigationGarda report Its policing response was a qualified success as the Tanaiste and assistant were extricated without physical injury. The event lacked strategic direction and various tactical options do not appear to have been explored, the report said. It said a draft policy on public order incident command should be urgently published. The opinion of the review team is that although not all of the existing policies and procedures were followed to the letter, there was more than sufficient compliance and in cases where non-compliance was encountered, this did not affect the overall outcome of the investigation. However, when set against the benchmark of court outcomes it is questionable as to how successful this investigation actually was. The report said the introduction of a Major Investigations Management System should be identified as a key strategic imperative and introduced at the earliest juncture. Amazon has been given the go-ahead for its latest data centre in Dublin, with planning having been granted for an 88,000 sq ft facility in Tallaght. But a local community group, which broadly welcomed the project, has raised concerns about an over-concentration of data centres in the area. The Amazon data centre will be located at the former site of warehousing and distribution firm Barretts. It will be situated next to an existing Amazon data centre. The Tallaght Community Council told South Dublin County Council that the latest application from Amazon for the data centre at the former Barretts site had "triggered a concern for us" in relation to "proper planning" for the area. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Photo: AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos "We are not objecting to this latest development as all the development (sic) are concentrated near one super-site as an annex," the community council chair, Gerard Stockhil, told the planning authority last year. "However, it is wise to raise concerns at this stage over the possibility of future over-concentration in one area," he added. Mr Stockhil pointed out that data centres don't employ many people. "Tallaght needs an industrial development that will employ large numbers, and all our prime land should not, in future, be given to low-employment operations," he said. Last year, Amazon applied for planning permission for the first stage of what could be a huge, 1bn data centre hub in Mulhuddart, Dublin, which it has dubbed Project G. Amazon initially submitted plans for a 223,000 sq ft data centre there that could cost as much as 200m to develop. But under a plan called 'Project G', Amazon said that it might build up to seven data centres at the location, which is owned by the IDA. However, plans for the initial 'Project G' data centre in Mulhuddart were objected to by Allan Daly, the Galway-based engineer who was a key opponent of the planned 1bn Apple data centre in Athenry. But in January this year, An Bord Pleanala rejected opposition to the Amazon project, which will involve an initial 223,000 sq ft data centre. A senior planning inspector with An Bord Pleanala said the provision of such major digital infrastructure "must surely be viewed positively". The IDA told the planning watchdog that data centres are crucial for Ireland's continuing competitiveness. Mr Daly had concerns regarding the amount of electricity that the data centre would consume. A large data centre can use as much electricity as a town the size of Drogheda. EirGrid has embarked on a major project to reinforce the electricity transmission system in the west of Dublin. European Council President Donald Tusk has again insisted that Ireland must come first in the EU-UK negotiations over Brexit. In strident comments on the matter, Mr Tusk said: "If in London someone assumes that the negotiations will deal with other issues first, before moving to the Irish issue, my response would be: Ireland first." He was in Dublin meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ahead of a crucial EU summit in Brussels on March 22. He spoke about the failure so far by the UK to come up with a plan to avoid a hard Border in Ireland, or create a "solution" to Brexit. Mr Tusk said the lack of a solid outline of the future EU-UK relationship, incorporating the Irish Border, was hampering progress thus far. "As long as the UK doesn't present such a solution, it is very difficult to imagine substantive progress in Brexit negotiations", said Mr Tusk following the meeting. He also said that while the EU respects the result of the Brexit referendum, the same should be said for the British in respecting the Irish vote for the Good Friday Agreement. "We must recognise the democratic decision taken by Britain to leave the EU in 2016, just as we must recognise the democratic decision made on the island of Ireland in 1998 with all its consequences," said the former Polish prime minister. "The risk of destabilising the fragile peace process must be avoided at all costs. So we will be firm on this." Meanwhile, the Taoiseach called for "certainty" from London regarding how it plans to protect the Border and how it sees its future relationship with Brussels. The EU issued draft guidelines for the negotiations on the future relationship earlier in the week - to be agreed by the 27 heads of state and government. This coincided with a major speech by British chancellor Philip Hammond, who called for the inclusion of financial services as part of a future trade deal with Brussels. "It's hard to see how any deal that did not include financial services can look like a fair and balanced deal", said Mr Hammond. He said it would be in the interests of both the EU and UK for this to happen. However, Mr Tusk shot him down while in Dublin, saying "We cannot offer the same in services as we can offer in goods". "In the Free Trade Agreement, we can offer trade in goods", but "services are about common rules, common supervision, and common enforcement", he said. "I also heard the chancellor's words about financial services being 'very much in the mutual interest' of the UK and EU. I fully respect the chancellor's competence in defining what's in the UK's interest. I would, however, ask to allow us to define what's in the EU's interest." Concern is growing over a high level of Brexit complacency among Irish businesses. Government agencies have warned Business Minister Heather Humphreys that further plans must be drawn up to help vulnerable businesses survive post-Brexit. The future regulation of accounting and auditing services has been raised as a problematic area, because firms in the sector have operated on an all-island basis for decades. Last month the minister chaired her first Brexit Co- ordination Group meeting with department officials and representatives from key agencies, including IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Science Federation Ireland. Notes from the co-ordination group meeting obtained by the Irish Independent under the Freedom of Information Act show Enterprise Ireland executive director Kevin Sherry told Ms Humphreys that Brexit poses a significant challenge to many of its clients. She was also warned companies needed to be more prepared for Brexit. "It was noted that the high level of complacency among firms is concerning," says the note. "It was agreed that the department and its agencies must continue to work with firms and business representative bodies to ensure enterprise moves quickly to develop mitigation strategies." Government agencies told the minister that multinational companies based here are exposed to market risks because of Brexit and fear it will lead to transport and supply-chain issues. Mr Sherry said while the outcome of Brexit negotiations remains uncertain, it will result in "increased costs and trade disruptions". He said 1,673 of Enterprise Ireland's clients export to the UK and 651 are left highly exposed by Brexit. 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Mickey Moran from Ballindoon, Co. Sligo is happy out at Castlrea Mart. Photo Brian Farrell 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Pat Donegan from Castlerea happy with his sales (pen 76) at Castlerea Mart with mart manager Brendan Egan Photo Brian Farrell A week is a long time in the cattle trade. Last week on these pages Patsy Smith of Dowra mart expressed the opinion that the mart trade had hit a sort of "in between time" as mart prices steadied and in places declined. Since then we've all had a proper taste of what Moscow must be like when it snows. Prior to last Wednesday, however, the majority of business proceeded as normal and that included livestock marts. This week's ringside tables while denuded of figures from Thursday on still gives a very accurate picture of how the trade adapted to reduced numbers due to sellers choosing not to venture out in the week of the big snow. The price fall of two weeks ago, was replaced last week by a market dominated by reduced stock numbers especially in the bullock section. Expand Close 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Lot Number 10 Weight 580K DOB 5/2/16 Breed CHX Sex Bullock Price 1495 Photo Brian Farrell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Lot Number 10 Weight 580K DOB 5/2/16 Breed CHX Sex Bullock Price 1495 Photo Brian Farrell There was a resultant price recovery in the bullock table and to a lesser extent in the heifer table. Looking in detail at the bullock table the first thing you notice is that the lighter 300-399kg steer appeared to have a poor week falling on average by 11c/kg or from 33-44/hd. I'm not going to offer any fancy explanation as to why that happened in the 300-399kg section especially as everything else on the bullock table went up, except to say that those with money to spend may have decided that at a time of high weather drama, long kept stock might not be the way to go. All that will change in a few weeks though when Patsy Smith's grass men get into their stride. Expand Close 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Lot Number 10D Weight 575K DOB 20/3/16 Breed CHX Sex Bullock Price 1360 Photo Brian Farrell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Lot Number 10D Weight 575K DOB 20/3/16 Breed CHX Sex Bullock Price 1360 Photo Brian Farrell Above the 300-399kg section, price rises ranged from a meagre 1c/kg increase in the price of the top quarter of the 400-499kg division to an 11c/kg in the bottom quarter of that same 400-499kg section. Overall averages however saw the price of that 400-499kg bullock increase by 8c/kg to 2.20/kg which meant your cheque going across the counter went up by between 32-40/hd as averages here settled between 880-1,100/hd. The 500-599kg bullock saw his price rise on average by a modest 2c/kg to 2.12/kg giving an overall average price range of 1,060-1,270/hd. Heavier bullocks Expand Close 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Lot Number 876 Weight 60K DOB 9/2/18 Breed AAX Sex Female Price 235 Photo Brian Farrell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 8/3/2018 Castlerea Mart Lot Number 876 Weight 60K DOB 9/2/18 Breed AAX Sex Female Price 235 Photo Brian Farrell Moving into the 600kg+ category prices rose 7c/kg to 2.15/kg last week which is a 42/hd increase and leaves your heavier bullock costing a minimum of 1,290/hd. Weather and associated problems aside, one mart manager I spoke to recently advanced the theory that the change in farming practices in the dairy sector to a complete "milk and nothing but milk" philosophy poses at least as big a challenge as falling suckler numbers for those wishing to buy a traditional, quality Friesian bullock for summer grazing. It's a very interesting point. Are we at a time where more extensive cull cow and Jersey beef fattening may be the only options for some? Marts Roundup 1 Ennis Numbers of calves swelled here last week but prices were maintained. Continental bulls made up to 500/hd with continental heifers selling from 320-470/hd. Hereford and Angus bulls made from 170-380/hd, while Hereford and Angus heifers made from 160-330/hd. Among the younger Friesian bulls, prices generally ran from 30-60/hd while the older stronger type sold from 70-150/hd. In the weanling section, trade for bulls was strong with a batch of five 249kg Charolais bulls posting an impressive 3.23/kg among the top performers. 2 Raphoe Trade for the better conformation weanling was equally brisk here with a good entry seeing prices for bulls range from 2.10-2.80/kg. Heifer weanlings sold from 2.20-2.80/kg. The only proviso was that anything plainer in either bulls or heifers were difficult to sell. 3 Kanturk Noel Corcoran noted that in the absence of many farmer buyers, calf shippers picked up the slack, but at a price. Friesian bulls for shipping sold from 55-110/hd with Aberdeen Angus bulls topping out at 230/hd, while heifers sold from 120-200/hd. Among the more mature stock were Hereford X and Angus heifers from 467-530kg who sold from 2.00-2.09/kg. In the bullock section momentum was maintained with one batch of 465kg Angus selling for 2.19/kg, while a 625kg Hereford saw the hammer at 2.04/kg. 4 Ballinrobe Reduced numbers due to the severe weather resulted in increased prices here. Among the top prices in the heifer ring was a 545kg Limousin X who went over the line at 2.32/kg, a 435kg Aberdeen Angus at 2.64/kg and a 315kg Charolais at 2.78/kg. Among the bullocks were a 555kg Belgian Blue who clicked 2.30/kg and three 430kg Angus who made 2.62/kg. In the weanling section best bull price was the 3.40/kg paid for a 275kg Charolais with two 255kg Charolais heifers breaking the tape at 3.24/kg. 5 Nenagh Although numbers were small here as farmers possibly decided to tread cautiously and prepare their farms for the impeding snow, those who ventured out with stock to sell didnt fair too badly according to Michael Harty. Nice continental heifers from 330-370 kg made from 2.57-2.72/kg. The cull cow trade saw the more storish 500-550kg Friesian make up around 700/hd, while one 700kg Friesian, her days of filling the bulk tank over, had one last pay check left in her for her dairy farmer owner, 1,000 as the hammer fell. The four highest variable costs on the Teagasc Green Acres farms are feed, fertiliser, veterinary and contractor fees. Phase 1 of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef three year programme has finished so it's a good time to look in detail at the performance and progress of the 10 participating farmers. What is very noticeable from the table of results is that there are large variations across farms. The 10 farmers started out at very different levels of profitability and over the course of the programme all have improved their margins substantially. A number of the farms are still building stocking rates and improving efficiencies on farm while others are at or close to the planned levels. There are also a lot of different management styles between farms in a number of the key areas like calf rearing, animal health, grass management, soil fertility and financial/farm planning. Land type and stocking rate also has a bearing on the bottom line. Farm locations ranged from Kilkenny to Louth and Tipperary to Roscommon. Table 2, highlights the main performance indicators from the beginning of the programme to present day. Gross Output Gross Output is the key driver of profitability on the farms. It is the amount and value of beef sold out the gate and is a product of the stocking rate, performance of each animal and beef price received. Two of these three are within the control of the farmer and need to be maximised at farmer level. The average gross output across the ten farmers is 2,424 per hectare (ha) with a huge range from 1,837 to 3,329. The figure of 3,329 clearly shows what is achievable at farm level. Output has being steadily increasing from the beginning of the programme. Variable Costs These are the main costs associated with producing an animal for sale. The average variable costs across all the farms are 1,366/ha with a range of 895 to 1,768. Calf to beef systems are high cost systems and high output is required to carry these costs. The four highest variable costs on the Green Acres farms are feed, fertiliser, veterinary and contractor fees. These costs are outlined in table 5. Feed typically makes up approximately half of the variable costs. As can be seen from the table, variable costs increase as output increases but at a lower rate. What is interesting is that the variable costs as a percentage of output have decreased from 65pc to 56pc over the course of the programme. Gross Margin Gross Output minus Variable Costs gives you the Gross Margin. This figure is the amount of money that is left to pay the fixed costs, tax, new farm development and living expenses. The average fixed costs on the Green Acres farms is 584/ha which is very typical of non-breeding dry stock farms which generally range from 450-650. The gross margin has increased steadily over the last three years, driven by the increase in beef output on the farms. Fixed costs rose slightly in 2015 to reflect some on farm developments, particularly in the areas of paddock development on farms. In 2016 this figure had stabilised again at 559. Again in 2017 it rose slightly to account for some further developments on farm. Net Margin The aim of the Teagasc Green Acres Calf to Beef programme was to have a net margin of 500/ha excluding all farm subsidies and schemes at the end of the programme. Having started with an average net margin per ha of -40 in 2014 this had moved to 136 in 2015, 308 in 2016, and 475 in 2017 showing that the target is very achievable. Profit drivers The key to achieving a good margin on any farm is to have a good output. There are three main drivers of profit on a farm: Performance per livestock unit Stocking rate Beef/Sale Price The first two are factors that can be controlled inside the farm gate by the farmer. They are management issues and if the farmer can get these right he/she gives themselves every chance of a good margin. The third factor in relation to price is one that he/she can have little or no influence over, unless they have a pre-arranged contract price agreed with their processor. As can be seen from tables 3 and 4, performance (output) per livestock and stocking rate have been increasing nicely since the start of the programme. Gordon Peppard is programme advisor for the Teagasc Calf to Beef Programme Buzzards consume pests such as rats and grey squirrels in large numbers Avian influenza subtype H5N6 has been confirmed in a wild bird (common buzzard) in County Tipperary. This is the second positive wild bird finding in Ireland this year. The first positive finding was detected on February 5 in a white tailed sea eagle found also in County Tipperary. The Department of Agriculture said the common buzzard was found dead outside Terryglass, Co. Tipperary, on land adjacent Lough Derg. The Department of Agriculture has said the situation in Ireland and other EU countries in regard to Avian influenza is being kept under constant review. No additional control measures will be introduced at this point. Read More The advice to flock owners is still to remain vigilant to the threat of avian influenza and take specific measures to protect their flocks including minimising access to wild birds by feeding poultry indoors for example. The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSE-HPSC) and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) advise that the risk to public health from H5N8 and H5N6 avian influenza is very low. FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland) has also confirmed that poultry meat is safe to eat, provided that it is handled hygienically cooked thoroughly prior to consumption. However, as a precaution the Department advises that only trained people wearing personal protective equipment collect dead or sick birds. Flock owners and members of the public are not advised to touch dead or sick birds and to report them immediately to the Avian Influenza Hotline at (076) 106 4403 during normal office hours or (1850) 200 456 outside of normal office hours The number of farmers in need of farm-assist payments has dropped to its lowest in the past five years, according to the latest figures. The statistics from the Department of Social Protection show those approaching retirement are most dependent on the pension, as two-thirds are 50 years of age or over and almost a quarter are within five years of the state pension age. It also paints a picture of the level of demand across the country, with counties in the north-west such as Donegal and Mayo having the highest number of claimants for the means-assisted payment. Current figures show that there are 7,234 people in receipt of payments, compared to 10,303 in 2013 and 9,809 in 2014. A spokesperson for the Department of Social Protection said that the reason for the decline is due to dependants moving from the current scheme to the state pension. "Over the last five years, the numbers in receipt of a farm-assist payment have been falling. The customers on the scheme are disproportionately older in age. "Over 66pc are 50 years of age or over and nearly a quarter of the current scheme recipients will reach the state pension age over the next five years. From this age profile, it is likely that claimants are moving from the scheme to retirement." Latest figures The latest figures show Donegal and Mayo having the highest number of claimants. At present 1,265 claimants are from Donegal, followed by 1,156 in Mayo for the means-assisted payment. IFA farm business chairman Martin Stapleton said a possible reason for this concentration in Donegal and Mayo is because farms in the "west of Ireland traditionally have smaller holdings of cattle and lower income margins" and that their incomes need to be supplemented. He also added that there are a number of people on the state payment between the ages of 40 and 60 as this is an important stage in rearing a family and running the farm. "60pc of cases are from the ages 40-60 which is an important stage in rearing a family and running the farm and they need the farm assist to remain on the land. "It's a very important payment," he said. IFA's family farm chair Caroline Farrell also pointed out that the payment "helps sustain the family farm as in some cases the Single Farm Payment may not be enough". Payment stigma INHFA's national treasurer Brendan O'Malley said that in some cases there's a stigma attached to the farm-assist payment but urged those who are "running tight" to apply for it. "If you find yourself running tight, go through the process and apply for the scheme. Look into it and see if there's potential. In a lot of cases there is a stigma attached, but it's a form of income support that's very important." The maximum weekly rate of payment is 193. Farm assist recipients are also eligible to avail of the 250 additional places on the Rural Social Scheme announced as part of the Budget 2018 package. Pearse Lyons, the Louth native who founded the global Alltech biotech business in Kentucky, has died at the age of 73. Mr Lyons had been hospitalised in the United States since November following complications arising from a heart procedure. From Dundalk, the entrepreneur qualified as a biochemist at UCD before doing a PhD in Birmingham. He subsequently worked with Irish Distillers before heading to the United States in the late 1970s with his wife Deirdre and two young children, Mark and Aoife. He was supposed to stay for three years, but remained and started Alltech with $10,000. The company grew into a major international business. Alltech focuses on improving animal, crop and human health and performance through its innovative use of yeast fermentation, enzyme technology, algae and nutrigenomics. It also produces a range of beers and whiskey. Deirdre, Mark and Aoife are all senior executives in Alltech. The company - still owned entirely by the Lyons family - employs 5,000 people and generates annual revenue of more than $3bn (2.4bn). Mr Lyons had also invested in Ireland. He opened an Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Co Meath, in 1999, and last year, he opened the Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin. Alltech CEO Alric Blake said in a statement that Mr Lyons was a "visionary entrepreneur who transformed the agriculture industry". His funeral mass will be held in Lexington, Kentucky, on St Patrick's Day, with a service in Ireland next month. The large productivity gap between Irish-owned businesses and multinationals has widened with home-grown firms held back by weak managerial skills, a global think tank has warned. Productivity has "stagnated" among local businesses, with the multinational sector in some cases having "crowded-out" domestic businesses, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). There are also few trade links between the foreign and locally-owned firms, the Paris-based body said. The OECD said most Irish firms have had declining productivity over the past decade. "This has largely reflected the poor performance of local firms, with the large productivity gap between foreign-owned and local enterprises having widened," the OECD said, in its latest assessment of the Irish economy. "The resilience of the Irish economy hinges on unblocking the productivity potential of these local businesses." This is not the first time that the OECD has raised this issue. In 2015, chief economist Dr Catherine Mann said the issue was striking, and the trend was not going in the right direction. Three years later, the international body says that the problem is getting worse. The OECD said aggregate productivity has slowed over the past 15 years. Labour productivity rose by above 4pc in annual average terms between 1994 and 2006, which slowed to below 2.5pc between 2006 and 2014. It said productivity spillovers can be enhanced by raising the "absorptive capacity of local businesses" and "the capacity of local firms to absorb and implement new technologies is impeded by relatively weak managerial skills". It added: "This partly reflects the low proportion of workers participating in lifelong learning activities. With burgeoning skill demand, there should be an increase in the share of training funding to those in employment. "Innovation and the ability for Irish firms to fully utilise new technologies is also weakened by low research and development activities." The report also said that there are high regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship, including "costly" regulations relating to commercial property and legal services. Regeneron took on the site in Raheen, Co Limerick, after Dell left. A sole would-be objector is seeking to halt US biotechnology giant Regeneron's ambitious expansion plans at its Raheen campus in Limerick. Michael Fenton has applied for leave to An Bord Pleanala to appeal the decision by Limerick County Council that gave the go-ahead to the biopharma firm for a new 20m bulk biologics facility. Mr Fenton has made the application to appeal the decision as he didn't object to the proposal when it was before Limerick County Council. The board is expected to make a ruling in the matter at the end of this month and if it finds in Mr Fenton's favour, an appeal could delay the proposal by a further four to six months. In planning documents lodged with Limerick Co Council, Regeneron has stated that the facility will employ 150 when up and running while an additional 500 people will be employed during the three-year construction phase. The company has told the council that the staff profile at the new plant will consist of a significant proportion of third-level graduates while the staff will also be made up of people from the local area and outside including people relocating back to Ireland. Regeneron states that based on the 150 permanent jobs, an additional 137 jobs will be created in the service industry. Regeneron - one of the sites of the former Dell facility - continues to go from strength to strength here. Last October, the firm announced an additional 300 jobs and investment of $100m, bringing the total expected employment at the site to 800 people and total investment to $750m. The Central Bank is undertaking what it called "behaviour and culture" audits of each of the five main mortgage banks and will report the findings to the Minister for Finance in June. Central Bank governor Philip Lane said action could be taken including imposing new conditions on errant lenders on the back of the probes, launched in the wake of the tracker mortgage scandal. The reviews are into AIB, Bank if Ireland, KBC, Permanent TSB and Ulster Bank, he said. In a barely veiled threat, the regulator noted that US bank Wells Fargo has been blocked by authorities there from growing until it addresses consumers protection failures. In a wide ranging speech at the Institute for International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin, he also outlined the banks view that Ireland 2040 National Development Plan will be compatible with well managed budgets. Fiscal prudence can be reconciled with ambitious fiscal plans, he said. But, he said that would require trade-offs especially as the unemployment drops. In terms of the proposed National Development Plan he welcomed the fact it is to introduced on a phased basis and wouldn't mean surges in spending. European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said yesterday that the European Union was a close ally of the United States and should be exempt from impending US metals tariffs. US President Donald Trump pressed ahead yesterday with the imposition of 25pc tariffs on steel imports and 10pc for aluminium yesterday. However, he exempted, at least temporarily, Mexico and Canada, and suggested the "great country" of Australia would also be spared, along with "possibly other countries as well" who were "real friends". Ms Malmstrom said in a tweet: "The EU is a close ally of the US and we continue to be of the view that the EU should be excluded from these measures." Mr Trump did not name the countries he regarded as friends, or say what he had in mind for them. However, he has argued the tariffs would counter cheap imports, especially from China, which he says are undermining US industries and jobs. Mr Trump indicated those nations spending more on defence would be better positioned, and White House officials indicated "carve outs" would be decided on a "country-by-country" basis. Expand Close Surrounded by applauding steel and aluminum workers, U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the 'Section 232 Proclamations' on steel imports that he signed in the White House. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Surrounded by applauding steel and aluminum workers, U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the 'Section 232 Proclamations' on steel imports that he signed in the White House. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images However, the announcement is expected to be the beginning of a wider trade war, with additional tariffs likely to follow. Mr Trump said: "We have to protect and build our steel and aluminium industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and co-operation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military." Mr Trump indicated there would be winners and losers from his protectionist policy, singling out Germany for criticism. "We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said. "If you look at Nato, where Germany pays 1pc and we are paying 4.2pc of a much bigger GDP, that's not fair. Nato countries, some owe billions and billions of dollars. Defence is also a part of trade. To a certain extent they go hand in hand." The EU would vehemently object to any carve out for one nation, perhaps even taking legal action to stop it. An exemption for the UK could also poison Brexit negotiations. Former US President Barack Obama (R) and first lady Michelle Obama (L) Barack and Michelle Obama are in advanced negotiations with Netflix to produce a series, it has been reported. The former president and first lady have talked about producing shows that highlight inspirational stories, sources told the New York Times. According to the paper, the number of episodes and format of the shows is yet to be decided and Mr Obama does not intend to use the programmes to directly respond to criticism by his successor, Donald Trump, or other political opponents. Mr Obama appeared in the debut episode of David Letterman's Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, which began on the streaming service in January. Should the Obamas secure their own series it would given them a platform to reach an audience of nearly 118 million Netflix subscribers, the paper said. Mr Obama's senior adviser, Eric Schultz, told the New York Times: "President and Mrs Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire. "Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. "As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories." The Dail has been debating the governments proposals on abortion. In a special sitting designed to usher the referendum bill through the Dail in time for a vote in late May, TDs have been restating their positions on repealing the Eighth Amendment. Health Minister Simon Harris introduced the bill which would be the 32nd amendment to the constitution if passed. Mr Harris said it will give the people of Ireland the chance to vote on one of the most debated sections in our Constitution Article 40.3.3. Anti-repeal TD, Mattie McGrath said the bill was being rushed, saying the manner in which the government was dealing with it was nothing short of disgraceful. Meanwhile, the minister outlined the governments planned policy which would be translated in to legislation if the Eighth Amendment is repealed. Abortion would be available without consideration to the reason through the regulation of abortion-pills or another abortion service. Termination in cases of a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality would also be legal with no gestational timeframe, and with the approval of two medical experts. In addition, the government says it will provide supports for people to prevent crisis pregnancy, as well as counselling for women in such circumstances. Mr Harris said the provision of free access to contraception methods are currently limited to people on medical card. He also said he was looking into introducing a system of free contraception in an effort to reduce pregnancies. If our underlying principle is that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare, then we must do all we can to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies and to support women in every way, said Mr Harris. TDs are debating until 4pm today and will resume on March 20 when the Dail will sit until midnight. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said the Eighth Amendment was an extension of sexist Ireland which created a roll call of womens misery. Sinn Fein policy is to approve abortion in the limited circumstances of rape and incest only. Ms McDonald said she will hold an Ard Fheis in order for the party to re-examine the matter, although it most likely wont be in time for the referendum date in May. Her party is advocating a repeal result in the referendum. A couple who were accused of not paying for a family meal in a restaurant have been awarded 20,000 damages for defamation of character. Patrick O'Connor told Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke he felt he had no choice but to empty out his pockets on a service counter at the Arc Bar and Restaurant in Lucan, Co Dublin, in a search for a receipt he believed he had never been given in the first place. Mr O'Connor's partner, Tanya Shannon, said she had to endure him being aggressively accused of not having paid for four meals for themselves and two children which she said he had done. Barrister Ian Fitzharris, counsel for the couple, told the court they and their two children, with their niece in a buggy, had bought four meals from the pub carvery in September 2010 and paid a man at the till at the end of the counter. Mr O'Connor said that as the family started gathering up their things to leave, a man had approached them and asked had they paid. When told they had paid another man at the till, the first man said: "I was at the till and you didn't pay me." Expand Close Patrick O'Connor. Photo: Collins Courts / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Patrick O'Connor. Photo: Collins Courts Mr O'Connor said he and his partner and children, who live at Harelawn Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, had not been allowed to leave the restaurant until eventually "the other man" had returned to the restaurant and confirmed the meals had been paid for some 40 minutes earlier. Mr O'Connor and Ms Shannon said "the other man" had then given them a hand-written note confirming payment for the lunches. Mr Fitzharris told the court that the defendant, Lackabeg Limited, which trades as The Arc Bar and Restaurant, had not entered an appearance and judgment had been obtained against them. He said no-one had turned up in court to defend the couple's claims and the matter had been reduced to an assessment of damages. Judge Groarke awarded Mr O'Connor and Ms Shannon 10,000 damages each for defamation of character and awarded costs against the defendant in both cases. Anglo Irish Bank officials discussed getting "a bit of drink into" a foreign banker before asking him for 5bn and telling him to "sign the beer mat", a court has heard. As the bank struggled during the financial crisis, senior executives talked about asking the London-based banker for a "one-night stand", in an approach a week before Anglo was bailed out. Discussing the proposed deal, the pair said they would not need "physical cash" and would "just run the cash in one door and out the other". A tape of the conversation between Anglo's then-chief financial officer Matt Moran and head of capital markets John Bowe was played to the jury in the trial of the bank's ex-CEO David Drumm. Mr Drumm (51) is pleading not guilty to conspiring to defraud Anglo investors by dishonestly creating the impression the bank's customer deposits in September 2008 were 7.2bn larger than they were. He is alleged to have conspired with former Anglo officials Willie McAteer and Mr Bowe, as well as then-CEO of Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) Denis Casey, and others. The case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court centres on a series of multi-billion euro interbank loans which circulated between Anglo and ILP. Mr Drumm also denies false accounting, by providing misleading information to the market. On the tape, Mr Bowe and Mr Moran discussed what Mr Moran should say at an upcoming meeting with "Ewen". The phone call took place on September 22, 2008, a week before the Government's bank guarantee. Mr Moran, who was in the witness box, confirmed to Mary Rose Gearty SC, prosecuting, that "Ewen" was Ewen Stevenson, of Credit Suisse, based in London. The transaction never actually went ahead. "If I can get a bit of drink into him, I might say to him, I'd like about 5bn before the 30th," Mr Moran said on the tape. "Get him to sign the beer mat," Mr Bowe said. "Do you think he'd be prepared to give us a little kind of one-night stand?" "If I can promise him there's no f***ing STD out of it," Mr Moran said. "It's a dance," Mr Moran said, and the pair discussed the proposed transaction. "It's sort of the cherry on the cake, plus a bit of the cake as well," Mr Bowe said, to laughter. "And the f***ing tin as well. And the bloody oven. We give them the eligible assets or we give them the cash and we just run the cash in one door and out the other," Mr Bowe said. Mr Moran also gave evidence about references in Anglo documents to the transaction that was carried out with ILP later that month. Under "performance highlights" in the bank's December 3, 2008 preliminary results, customer deposits were 51.5bn. There was nothing to link that customer deposits figure to loans from banks, Mr Moran agreed. Mr Moran understood Mr Drumm and Mr McAteer had met the Regulator at the end of September 2008 and informed the Regulator of the transaction with ILP. Mr Moran had made a note of what Mr McAteer said the Regulator's comment was. Mr McAteer said the Regulator told him: "Fair play to you," Mr Moran's note read. The words "good man" were crossed out. The trial continues. Baby Joshua Tighe, whose father is on trial accused of his murder, had paper that matched two different tissue boxes in his throat when he died, a forensic scientist has told the Central Criminal Court. John Tighe (40), of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his son Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on June 1, 2013. Bridget Fleming, of Forensic Science Ireland, examined the "bolus" or "wad" of tissue taken from the six-month-old's throat during a post-mortem carried out by Dr Khalid Jaber. She told prosecuting counsel Paul Murray SC that it consisted of two pieces of tissue paper, one three-ply and one two-ply, that were crumpled together. Gardai gathered tissue paper from various parts of the house where Joshua died and Ms Fleming compared those with the pieces taken from the baby's throat. She found that the three-ply paper matched tissue from a box found in the main bedroom while the other matched tissue found in a box in the sitting room. The court heard she analysed the tissue for its dimensions, the number of layers and the number of folds. She added that the tissue was not from a baby wipe. The prosecution alleges that Mr Tighe murdered his son by putting the wad of tissue in Joshua's throat, causing death by asphyxiation. Mr Tighe denies the charge and when speaking to emergency services said that he was changing the baby's nappy, went to the toilet and when he returned the child was choking and had gone blue. John Hoade, of Forensic Science Ireland, said he took blood samples from Mr Tighe's pyjama bottoms and compared them to blood taken from baby Joshua. He said the DNA on the pyjamas matched that of Joshua. Further profiles taken from a babygrow and baby vest also matched Joshua's blood, as did samples taken from stains found on the floor of the sitting room and a wall. Mr Hoade agreed with defence counsel Micheal P O'Higgins SC that if the baby was bleeding as Mr Tighe held him while trying to help him, that would explain the presence of Joshua's blood on his pyjamas. Counsel pointed out that Mr Tighe, during a phone call to emergency services, said there was blood coming from Joshua's mouth. Justice Patrick McCarthy told the jury to return to court on Monday as he and counsel must deal with a legal issue in their absence. From left to right, Ireland and Ulster player Paddy Jackson, 26, his team-mate Stuart Olding, 24, and third defendant Blane McIlroy, 26 A friend of Ireland and Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding was today accused of providing a "proposterous account" of events to police investigating a rape allegation. Blane McIlory took to the witness stand at Belfast Crown Court, where he gave his account of what happened in the bedroom of Jackson's home in the early hours of June 28, 2016. From Royal Lodge Road in Belfast, the 26-year old has been charged with and denies exposure. McIlroy rejected suggestions he used force and blocked the doorway to try and stop the then 19-year old leaving the bedroom and instead makes the case that any sexual activity was consensual, and came to an end when he couldn't find a condom. His version of events was described as "proposterous" by Crown barrister Toby Hedworth QC, who branded his account as "complete Fantasy Island." The prosecutor also accused McIlroy and his co-accused of meeting and getting their stories straight, but told McIlroy "you got your lines wrong ... you have Stuart Olding's false version of events." Expand Close Blane McIlroy arrives at Belfast Crown Court where he is on trial accused of one count of exposure, in connection with an incident in which two Ireland and Ulster rugby stars are accused of raping a woman at a property in south Belfast in June 2016. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Blane McIlroy arrives at Belfast Crown Court where he is on trial accused of one count of exposure, in connection with an incident in which two Ireland and Ulster rugby stars are accused of raping a woman at a property in south Belfast in June 2016. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire The jury has already heard evidence from the woman at the centre of the case, who claimed she was raped by Jackson (26) whilst being forced to perform oral sex on Olding (24), from Ardenlee Street. She said McIlroy entered the bedroom naked and with his penis in his hand demanding she have sex with him. She said 'how many times does it take for a girl to say no before it sinks in.' The 21-year old student said at this point, her fight instinct kicked in and she fled the room, and Jackson's Oakleigh Park home, in a distressed state. Under questioning from his barrister Arthur Harvey QC, when asked to describe the mood at the afterparty in Jackson's Oakleigh Park home following a night out in the VIP section of Ollie's, the accused said: "It was good fun. Everyone was dancing around and chatting to each other." McIlroy claimed that after 4am, he and Rory were the only ones left in the living room, as everyone else had either gone home or upstairs. Exactly one minute after a taxi arrived to pick up two girls from the party, McIlroy sent a text to Jackson saying 'is there any possibility of a threesome?', which was unanswered. He said he sat downstairs with Rory Harrison for a while before heading upstairs to go to bed. McIlroy claimed he opened Jackson's door, saw his friend and the woman naked in bed, then sat at the edge of the bed and said 'what have you two been up to?' McIlroy claimed he and the woman started kissing, then she instigated sexual activity by putting her hands down his boxer shorts and masturbating him. He said when he stood up to take his jeans down, she then started performing oral sex on him for around ten seconds. Confirming Jackson was also lying on the bed, McIlroy said she asked if anyone had condoms, he left the room to look, and when he returned to the bedroom, she was getting dressed. When asked by Mr Harvey "did you force yourself upon her at any stage?", McIlroy replied "no, not at all.' And when asked if the woman ever said 'no or stop', he replied "no, never." Mr Harvey asked if there was any conversation between the three of them when he returned to the bedroom, to which he said: "Yeah, I said I couldn't find a condom and she said 'it's fine. I should go. It's late.'" And when he was asked by his barrister if she said anything else, with McIlroy replying "She said 'I don't usually have one-night stands.'" McIlroy was questioned about a text he received from Harrison, who took the woman home in a taxi and who told his friend she was 'in hysterics ... wasn't going to end well. When Mr Harvey asked McIlroy what his reaction to Harrison's text was, McIlroy answered: "I didn't, I honestly didn't take it seriously. I saw (the woman) leave and I knew she was not in hysterics." Harrison (25) from Manse Road, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and withholding information - charges he denies. From the witness box, McIlroy was also questioned about text and WhatsApp messages - specifically a message he posted alongside a picture of himself and three girls who attended the after party at Jackson's which he captioned 'Love Belfast Sluts.' Telling the jury of eight men men and three woman he posted the message to a WhatsApp group called 'The Juicers' which consists of friends from America, McIlroy said "I was just being stupid. It was a silly comment to make and they obviously weren't" When asked about the language used in these messages - which also refer to the girls as 'brasses' - he answered "It's pretty stupid and idiotic. I'm not proud of it, when you read it back." And when Mr Harvey said it has been suggested that the four men met in a cafe on the Ormeau Road on the afternoon of Tuesday June 28 "in order to concoct a lying account of what happened", McIlroy said "no." Both Olding and Jackson attended Musgrave Park police station two days after the alleged sex attack. When asked by Mr Harvey what he did on the evening of June 30, when police called him and asked him to also come to the station, McIlroy said: "After the police phoned me, I went into the living room and basically told my parents everything that had happened from Paddy's house to the next day. My Dad just said 'go and tell the truth', and that's what happened." He also admitted deleting five texts between him and Harrison which mentioned the woman. When asked why, he said: "When the police phoned me, I just panicked. I thought they didn't read well and I deleted them, but in hindsight I shouldn't have." The account he gave to police - which he repeated to the jury - was branded as "complete Fantasy Island" by the Crown barrister. This week, the jury has heard inconsistencies regarding what occurred in Jackson's bedroom from Jackson, Olding and McIlroy. Under cross-examination from Mr Hedworth QC, McIlroy was asked "has the penny not dropped that even your own friends have suggested your story is wrong?" This was rejected by the defendant, who said: "I have told the truth from the word go." Pointing out that at no stage in her evidence did the woman suggest there was any sexual activity between her and McIlroy, Mr Hedworth then asked McIlroy "do you have any idea how proposterous your account is?" Again, McIlroy said he was telling the truth. Mr Hedworth accused McIlroy of giving Olding's "false version of events" to police, telling McIlroy "you never had any of this sexual activity you described." The prosecutor also suggested that his "hatched account ... this put-up job of a defence" was "coming apart at the seams". McIlroy replied "that's not correct." Mr Hedworth said McIlroy's use of the term 'brasses' encapsulated how he felt about the women at the party that night, and that he viewed the complainant as "there for your own sexual gratification." Again, McIlroy rejected this, saying "that's incorrect." Jackson (26) from Oakleigh Park in Belfast, and Olding (24) from Ardenlee Street in the city, deny raping the woman. Jackson also denies the charge of sexual assault. The trial continues. A TEENAGER, who has been receiving ongoing psychiatric treatment since he was charged with the murder of a Japanese man in a stabbing in Dundalk in January, was unable to attend another court hearing on Thursday. Mohamed Morei (18) was remanded in custody on January 4 after being charged with the murder of 24-year-old Yosuke Sasaki. He was unable to attend the four subsequent hearings and could not appear at his sixth scheduled hearing today at Cloverhill District Court. He has been receiving ongoing medical care in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) in Dundrum. Judge Vincent Blake further remanded him in custody in his absence and adjourned the case until March 22 next. Six weeks ago the court was handed a letter from a consultant psychiatrist at the CMH, stating that Mr Morei would not be able to attend court until mid-February. Mr Sasaki, from Ebina, west of Tokyo, was fatally stabbed on Avenue Road shortly before 9am on Jan. 3 last. He had worked at National Pen, a call centre in Dundalk, Co. Louth and had lived in Ireland for the past year. Following his death, an Irish man was injured when he was stabbed a short time later at a nearby location. At 9.40am, gardai received a report that another local man had been injured in an attack at Seatown Place. Mr Morei, whose nationality has not yet been confirmed, was initially remanded in custody by Dundalk District Court on January 4 after he was charged with the murder of Mr Sasaki. Garda Inspector Martin Beggy said at that hearing that the youth's nationality had not yet been undetermined. If he seeks bail this application will have to be made in the High Court, because he is facing a murder charge. In the week after the incident, the people of Dundalk gathered in the town centre for a candle lit vigil in memory of Mr Sasaki's life. In a letter from his parents read aloud by local councillor John McGahon, they said that their son had been very happy in Ireland. A fund-raising drive was also launched by local people to help pay for the repatriation of his remains. Former RTE producer Kieran Creaven has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after he admitted to grooming a 13-year-old girl and attempting to engage a child in sexual activity. The sexual predator appeared before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing today. He received 18 months for attempting to meet a child after sexually grooming her and 12 months for attempting to incite a child into sexual activity. The sentences will run concurrently. Expand Close Former RTE producer Kieran Creaven appears at Leeds Crown Court / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former RTE producer Kieran Creaven appears at Leeds Crown Court Leeds Crown Court heard that Creaven had an obsession with pornography and watched sexually explicit videos involving children as young as eight. In one exchange with the decoy he said he wanted her "underneath the covers to snuggle her" and to "hug her, smell her hair and kiss her". When arrested on November 18 following a sting operation by paedophile hunters Predator Exposure, he had a list of names of young girls, two boxes of condoms and two mobile phones. The court also heard how he attempted to travel to Leeds on an earlier date to meet what he believed to be a child, but that this trip was cancelled due to illness. Expand Expand Previous Next Close Former RTE producer Kieran Creaven appears at Leeds Crown Court Former RTE producer Kieran Creaven appears at Leeds Crown Court / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former RTE producer Kieran Creaven appears at Leeds Crown Court Creavens defense counsel said that he had an addiction to pornography and alcohol over the last 10 years and that, in his own words, he was relieved to have been arrested. Creaven had been employed by RTE since 1998 and worked on several high-profile events, including its coverage of the 2012 London Olympics. He has since been fired by RTE. The grooming took place over a four-month period in 2017 in which he sent vile messages to a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. However, the 'child' was a member of a vigilante group. He was arrested after being confronted by Predator Exposure, a self-styled paedophile hunter group, in a sting operation. Judge Peter Collier previously told the court Creaven would receive "credit for his guilty plea". An Irish physicist found guilty of attempted murder was sentenced to seven years and seven months in a psychiatric hospital in Portugal. Colin Gloster (37), from Co Meath, had denied trying to kill a female professor with a hatchet at the University of Coimbra on August 4, 2014, after a row over a terminated scholarship, worth around 5,000. The accused was also ordered to pay damages of 50,000 to Professor Maria Filomena Figueiredo, who suffered injuries to her left arm and right hand when she shielded herself in the 2014 attack. During the trial the former doctoral student, who suffers from autism, said he was "desperate, broke, hungry and afraid of becoming homeless". "I aimed the hatchet at one of her arms. In an ideal situation, I wouldn't use the hatchet, but reality isn't ideal. "I never tried to kill," he said. Gloster's father John, a retired psychologist, was unable to comment when reached by phone last night. Clinical psychologist Pedro Alves told the court that Gloster's actions could be attributed to Asperger's syndrome and that the defendant was not "conscious of his actions". Gloster attended primary school in Ashbourne, before attending Pobalscoil Rosmini, Grace Park Road, Drumcondra. The academic, who studied at Dublin City University, previously served an internship at the European Space Agency and was a researcher at the University of Pisa, Italy. He came to Coimbra with a scholarship in 2008. The director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that a man accused of the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in a shooting in 2013 will face trial on indictment. This means the accused will face trial in the Central Criminal Court. Aaron Brady, 27, from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh is charged that he murdered a Garda, namely Adrian Donohoe at Lordship Credit Union, Belurglan, Co Louth on Jan. 25, 2013. The officer, a married father-of-two, was killed while on duty. Det Garda Donohoe had been on a cash escort with colleagues when he was fatally shot during a botched robbery in the car park of credit union. Mr Brady was charged on Sunday and remanded in custody following an appearance before Dundalk District Court. He faced his second hearing on Friday appearing via video-link at Cloverhill District Court. Dressed in a grey tracksuit and black runners, and sitting with his arms folded, he spoke a number of times initially confirming his name and later to confirm instructions to his lawyers. Det Inspector Pat Marry, who arrested him, was also present for the hearing. State solicitor Michael Murphy asked Judge Victor Blake to adjourn the case for four weeks adding that the DPP has directed trial on indictment. Defence counsel Conor Fegan, instructed by solicitor Niall Manley, asked Mr Brady if he consented to being further remanded in custody for four weeks instead of two. The accused replied, yes and had the same answer when asked by Judge Blake if he was agreeable to appearing via video-link at his next hearing. Judge Blake further remanded him in custody pending the preparation of a book of evidence. The case resumes on April 6 next. He had been arrested in Dublin on Feb. 25 and was detained for a week at Dundalk Garda station under the provisions of section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. At his first hearing on Sunday, Det Inspector Marry said when Mr Brady was charged with the murder, he replied: I strongly deny any involvement in the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Bail can only be granted by the High Court in murder cases. A man in his sixties, who was arrested in Dundalk on Feb. 26 as part of the investigation into the the murder of Det Garda Donohoe, was released without charge on Saturday night. The National Maternity Hospital (NMH) has secured a stay on an inquiry into patient safety issues which was ordered by the Minister for Health after the death of a woman during surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. Lawyers for the Minister and the Health Information Quality Authority told the High Court on Friday they were consenting to the stay, to apply pending the outcome of the hospitals judicial review challenge to the form of inquiry. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, on consent of the sides, put a stay on the inquiry in the terms agreed and fixed the case for hearing in July. On being told the Minister was anxious the case be speedily heard, the judge said he could hear it in May but the parties had indicated the matter would not be ready for hearing by then. The hospital secured permission last January to challenge the Ministers decision ordering HIQA to carry out a statutory investigation into patient safety issues, including the practise of surgery outside core hours and the readiness of hospitals to respond to major emergencies in such circumstances. The inquiry arose from the death of Malak Thawley (34) at the NMH on May 8 2016. Her widower Alan Thawley recently settled, on terms compensatory damages, his action against the NMH over her death. The court was told a doctor who carried out the surgery was an inexperienced junior surgeon and was not supervised. Earlier this week, Imogen McGrath BL, for the hospital, obtained permission to seek an injunction on Friday halting the inquiry pending the outcome of the judicial review. However, when the matter returned before the judge today, he was told the sides had agreed on a stay on the inquiry until the judicial review has been decided. In its judicial review, the NMH claims the Minister acted outside his powers in ordering a new inquiry when three other reports into the death of Ms Thawley had already been compiled by the hospital, the HSE and the coroner. The hospital says its review resulted in implementation of changes to ensure no recurrence of the Thawley tragedy and the changes were supported by the HSE, the coroner and HIQA. It argues the Minister fettered his discretion by telling Mr Thawley, whatever about the HSE report, the Minister would still order an inquiry into the matter. This effectively gave a third party discretion as to whether an investigation would be ordered, the hospital says. A statutory inquiry must be on foot of a specific concern but the Minister irrationally implied it was because the provision of all hospital services outside core hours was unsafe, the NMH says. In an affidavit, NMH Master Rhona Mahony said the new investigation, under Section 9(2) of the Health Act 2007, will have a chilling effect on the ability of clinicians to delivery high risk and emergency care in an already challenging environment, both at the NMH and nationally. The NMH is not opposed to a fourth investigation but believes the type of inquiry ordered by the Minister will have serious implications for the hospital's operations and affect public confidence, she said. As an alternative to the proposed inquiry, the NMH has suggested an independent expert body such as the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology UK be appointed to conduct a further investigation. There is no legal bar to publicans obtaining late night license extensions allowing them to serve drinks into the early hours on Good Friday, the President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, ruled today Friday. A judge in the Dublin District court had refused to grant a Good Friday late bar extension to the Red Cow Inn on the Naas Road, Dublin, which meant a huge back-up in similar applications pending an appeal to the Circuit Court. The appeal was allowed today by Judge Groarke which frees publicans to obtain bar extensions in cases where there is no objection by the State authorities, including the Garda Siochana, and where all necessary legal proofs are in order. Barrister Dorothy Collins, counsel for the Red Cow Inn, told the Circuit Civil Court that the legislation had been amended this year deleting the two words Good Friday from the 1927 Licensing Act. "The Governments decision means that from now on Good Friday will be treated as an ordinary day in the licensing legislation under which bar extension application may be made to the District Court," Ms Collins said. She said the requirement for such an application was that there has to be a special occasion such as a dance and the Red Cow and other public premises seeking extensions do hold dances. She said that more than 40 applications before the District Court had been adjourned following the decision of the Court on Wednesday refusing a Special Exemption Order to the Red Cow. Ms Collins told the court there had been no objection by the gardai to the running of the event in the Red Cow. The amended legislation meant that Good Friday shall be treated under the licensing laws the same as any other day of the week. Judge Groarke said the appeal before him arose in the context of recent changes in the licensing legislation providing that Good Friday should now be treated as an ordinary licensing day in the context of the law. He said there were no objections on behalf of the State and gardai and he had been assured by Ms Constance Cassidy, S.C, who appeared for a number of other publicans, that the legal proofs in each of the cases were in order. "I can assume that all of the necessary proofs are in order and I allow the appeal in each case and grant the extensions sought," Judge Groarke said. Former Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan pictured at a meeting of the Policing Authority. Photo: Mark Condren Senior gardai were "entirely justified" in challenging the credibility and motivation of Garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe at the O'Higgins Commission, the Disclosures Tribunal has been told. Lawyers also told the tribunal yesterday that the allegation that former Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan used unjustified grounds to discredit Sgt McCabe is a result of leaks "demonstrated to be false". The tribunal is investigating in its third module whether Ms O'Sullivan inappropriately relied on unjustified grounds to discredit Sgt McCabe at the O'Higgins Commission. The commission, which sat in private in 2015, investigated complaints made by Sgt McCabe about certain policing matters and about serious allegations against senior officers including then Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. Barrister Paul Sreenan SC appeared on behalf of Colm Smyth SC, Michael MacNamee BL and Garrett Byrne BL, who represented An Garda Siochana at the O'Higgins Commission. Mr Sreenan said that his clients had represented not only Ms O'Sullivan, but also Chief Supt Michael Clancy, Supt Noel Cunningham, Chief Supt Colm Rooney and Mr Callinan. Expand Close Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe Mr Sreenan added they were "entirely justified" in challenging the credibility and motivation of Sgt McCabe before the commission, in order to vindicate the good name of their clients. Allegations had been made of corruption against senior Garda officers, and they were entitled to defend their good names. The O'Higgins report had found no evidence of corruption, and had said the allegations were deeply hurtful to his clients, Mr Sreenan said. Mr Sreenan said it was not put to Mr Smyth that the same approach would have been taken toward Sgt McCabe if the commission had held its hearing in public. Sgt McCabe's barrister Michael McDowell had raised this in his closing submission. Mr Sreenan said in answer to a question the chairman had asked at the end of hearings in February, that there was no proper basis for this term of reference to the disclosures tribunal. Mr Justice Charleton had asked: "Was there any proper basis to ask the tribunal to investigate this particular module, or was it entirely based on leaks and on conjecture?" Mr Sreenan yesterday said that the term of reference of this module came about as a result of leaks from the O'Higgins Commission "which have now been demonstrated to be false". Patrick McCann SC, on behalf of the Department of Justice and former minister Frances Fitzgerald, said that officials in the department behaved lawfully and appropriately in leaving questions of legal strategy to the Garda Commissioner, and in maintaining an appropriate distance from the operations of the independent O'Higgins Commission. On behalf of John Barrett, the civilian human resources director of An Garda Siochana, Tony McGillycuddy told the tribunal that his client came forward at an early stage and had made a statement to the tribunal. Mr Barrett had at all times tried to carry out his work with diligence and enthusiasm. A number of Trinity College students blocked access to the Book of Kells this afternoon in protest of the college's decision to introduce supplementary exam fees. Activist group 'Students against Supplemental Exam Fees' had been blocking the main entrance, before moving to the Book of Kells, one of the city's main tourist attractions. The group are demanding university officials backtrack on their decision to introduce supplemental fee of 450 for re-sit examinations. In a statement, the group said the college does not care about its students. "We, students of Trinity College Dublin, demand that these decisions be completely repealed. These decision have a detrimental effect on students who already have to struggle with the rising cost of student living in Dublin." In the statement, the group demands that fees be scrapped and a written declaration produced promising they will never been reintroduced in the future. They are also calling for affordable rental options for the academic year and no further increase in academic fees in any form. The protest was due to wrap up at 1pm, but it has only been getting bigger, according to TCD Students' Union Communications Officer Una Harty. "Nobody is allowed into the building. Some tourists are baffled as to what's going on, but we've been explaining why we're protesting all day and they understand why we're doing this," Una told Independent.ie. "Some tourists have even joined us, which is fantastic. We've not had any bad reactions from them. "It's absolutely ridiculous to charge 450 for an examination whether you sit one or sit 12. I don't know where they picked that number out of." Independent.ie has contacted Trinity College for comment. The six-year route to qualifying as a second-level teacher is too long, too expensive and contributing to classroom shortages, according to a second-level school leader. As principals continue to struggle with filling vacancies, the president of the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) will tell Education Minister Richard Bruton today "we need to look at teacher training differently". Antoinette Nic Gearailt will argue that "at a time of almost full employment, with high-spec jobs available after a four-year degree programme in many disciplines, the length of teacher training with its associated costs, is a disincentive". There are a number of routes into a second-level teaching career, one being a typical four-year undergraduate degree, such as in arts, topped up with a two-year postgraduate programme. The two-year Professional Masters in Education (PME), which costs 12,000 a year, replaced the traditional nine-month HDip as a measure to enhance teaching standards in schools. It has seen a big drop in applications. The lengthy training is often compounded by a wait of several years to build up full-time hours. Some universities also run shorter, less costly courses - known as concurrent programmes - which integrate the undergraduate course with the professional training element. Second-level schools are struggling to recruit teachers in a number of subjects including Irish, physics, home economics and languages. Ms Nic Gearailt will state: "The reality is that we are competing in a global employment market where young graduates see very attractive employment coupled with the opportunity to travel, earn substantial money and often to pay off college debt or to have a realistic chance of securing a mortgage. Now we must win hearts and minds." If teaching was to win its share of talented young people, the two-year PME "needs to be revisited. The routes into the profession need to be expanded and a wider range of concurrent degree programmes would help in this regard." She will add that while the ACCS appreciates solutions will take time to impact in schools, "the current situation, where 'piece-meal' solutions are put in place, are not sustainable". As one contribution to resolving problems in the short-term, Ms Nic Gearailt will suggest that schools should be able to employ second-year PME students who are not contracted for a defined number of regular part-time hours. "After all many of them are working part-time jobs to sustain themselves financially," she will say. The ACCS president will also express concern to the minister about a recession-era moratorium. This resulted in the allocation of one clerical officer and one caretaker to schools, regardless of size or need. She will argue this has had a detrimental effect, with principals having to step in to do administrative and maintenance functions. Banning smartphones in schools is not the answer to the growing problem of protecting children from online risks, according to an Irish education technology company. Education of children and parents is the key and banning phones is a "misguided strategy when it ignores the critical need for an effective education programme on the use of technology for children in Irish schools", says the UCD-based start-up Zeeko. Health Zeeko works with parents, teachers and children to promote digital health and internet safety among primary and second-level pupils in Ireland. It was commenting on the digital age of consent - the age at which it is legal for data controllers to hold data gathered from minors. Dr Marina Everri, head of research at Zeeko, said any age agreed by the Government required education to begin from a very young age. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pictured with Angel Gurria, Secretary General of the OECD in the Taoiseachs office where they discussed the OECDs latest economic survey of Ireland. Photo: Frank McGrath The health system is failing in terms of cost, patient satisfaction and waiting times, a global economic think-tank has warned. There's also potential for it to worsen given the likely increase in demand pressures from an ageing population, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a global body working with more than 100 countries, signalled. Households that cannot afford private health insurance have poor access and face high costs, with the lack of universal coverage for primary healthcare a contributing factor, the Paris-based body added in its latest assessment of the Irish economy. "The health system already struggles to meet the needs of the population," the OECD report said. "Citizen satisfaction with healthcare was lower than in most OECD countries in 2016 and has fallen since 2007. "The reduction in satisfaction coincides with falling public health expenditure through the crisis. "Furthermore, there are inequalities in the health system, with the gap in health status between high and low-income individuals greater than in the average OECD country." The report said that unlike most OECD countries, Ireland does not have universal coverage for primary healthcare. "While roughly half the population have private health insurance, health insurance premia are high and co-payments are applied on a broad range of services, including primary care," the think-tank said. "Consequently, health costs can be prohibitively high for a group of the population with earnings that are below average but who are ineligible for free services." Access to healthcare is impeded by "hospital congestion", the OECD added, saying that those without insurance may find it difficult to get adequate care, as private patients get seen faster within the public system in some cases. "Furthermore, medical consultants in public hospitals may focus disproportionately on those with insurance as they are paid on a fee per service basis for treating such patients. "This two-tiered system of care is a factor behind the high inequalities in health status." The report said that a path to providing universal coverage should be laid out. The report, launched by OECD secretary general Jose Angel Gurria in Dublin yesterday, had high praise for Ireland and its recovery. It said living standards are high, that the economic recovery has broadened to domestic demand, and that the economy is projected to continue expanding over the next years, albeit at a more sustained pace of under 3pc. But as well as criticisms of the health system, the report noted that Ireland under-performs in housing and getting people into work. The OECD said a longer-term solution to deal with the shortage of housing is required, adding that at present some unnecessary housing regulations in urban areas reduce the density of housing development and raise the cost for developers. "There are also well-located swathes of land that are under-utilised and should be rezoned for residential purposes," the report said. "To promote the efficient use of such land, a broad-based land tax should be introduced." The report - launched on International Women's Day - noted that Ireland exhibits weak labour force participation by women. "In response, the Government is introducing a new childcare subsidy. However, the comparatively steep withdrawal of some means-tested benefits means that the participation tax rate will remain high for many women." On the financial sector, the body said that while non-performing loans have fallen by around 60pc from their peak, the stock remains high. "This reflects judicial inefficiencies relating to the repossession of collateral and limited progress in improving the regulatory framework for writing off non-performing loans." It said stronger incentives for banks to reduce them should be introduced. The husband of missing woman Tina Satchwell has visited the Cork woodland being intensively searched by gardai for his wife, as he said he was praying she would be found safe. Yesterday marked the fourth day of the intensive Garda search operation for the missing 45-year-old at Mitchel's Wood, Castlemartyr, east Cork. Richard Satchwell visited the site for the first time yesterday as he insisted he still had hope his wife would be found safe. Supt Colm Noonan is leading a 60-strong search team at the 40-acre woodland, which includes Defence Forces engineering units and a special canine unit from Search Dogs UK. The wood is being searched following a telephone tip-off to gardai of potentially significant movements being spotted at the forest in March last year. Ms Satchwell vanished without trace from her home at Youghal, Co Cork, on March 20, 2017, and her husband has repeatedly insisted he had nothing to do with her disappearance. Expand Close Tina Satchwell (46) went missing from her Youghal home in Co Cork on March 20, 2017 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tina Satchwell (46) went missing from her Youghal home in Co Cork on March 20, 2017 "I am not a religious man but at night I am having a little prayer that everything as regards this just turns up nothing," Mr Satchwell told TV3. Stopped "I feel sick - I felt sick driving down here from Youghal and I know it is only a short distance. "You know, it is a place we have never been - we drove past it on numerous occasions to go to Ballycotton or Garryvoe. "Obviously, while I was working I had deliveries that I had up around this road but this is the first time I ever stopped off here." Mr Satchwell said he was very upset at the thought of precisely what gardai were looking for in Mitchel's Wood. "Just the basic thought that, it is a possibility, no matter how small, that my wife could be behind them barriers," he said. "I am sick in the stomach - I would say I have not had three hours sleep since Sunday morning. The only sleep I did get was just nodding off while watching the telly. "I find it difficult because after getting a phone call from An Garda Siochana on Sunday I know what is happening behind me by those barriers there. "I am trying to fill myself with hope - I have people say to me, how will you cope if it does turn out to be ... my answer to that is I won't be able to cope." "[Every night] I am praying and hoping that, like the search in Youghal, it all comes to nothing." He said the hope that Ms Satchwell will be found is what keeps him going. The English-born truck driver insisted he does not believe he is a suspect in the case. "They've [gardai] not voiced it [that he is not a suspect] - but their actions are different," he said. "I went into the guards of my own accord, I made a statement and I'm not ashamed to say I was an emotional mess, I did more crying than talking. "No, I did originally [think I was a suspect] but then originally everything was all raw with her being gone, the house was searched. I was confused and now I feel that I am not [a suspect]. "Anything that the guards ask for, I am providing." The current search followed a phone call to gardai from a member of the public after the broadcast last January of an RTE 'Prime Time' special on Ms Satchwell's disappearance. The tip-off indicated activity in the vicinity of Mitchel's Wood in March 2017 which may be significant to the Garda probe. Tech giants are not the big problem when it comes to child safety online, Communications Minister Denis Naughten has said. Speaking at the Government's open policy debate on online safety, he said the issues lay with the newer apps that are being invented. "The big problem, and particularly in relation to online safety in relation to children, are not the big players," he said. "The big problems are the new innovative apps that are being developed and as we've seen in some of the court cases that have happened to date, it has been some of these new apps." He said the tools necessary to protect children online needed to be developed and made freely available to all apps. Mr Naughten was asked if the fact that thousands are employed in Ireland from these companies, would affect how strongly they're dealt with, but played this down. "I don't see that as an issue. I work quite closely with all of the tech companies in this country, the start-ups right up to the big players," he said. "The big players are well able to fight their own corner here in Ireland as in Europe. What we need to do is look at where the real challenges are." The minister insisted that "whatever we need to do we will do that" when it came to protecting children on the internet. Mr Naughten's comments were criticised by cyber-crime expert Dr Mary Aiken, who did not attend the debate. She said "the minister's statement is disappointing". "It effectively lets the big tech companies in this space off the hook," she said. Representatives from Facebook and Google also spoke at the event at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, yesterday. Opening the debate, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government would have an action plan on online safety by the end of June. He said the big tech industries would only be able to survive and thrive if they are part of the solution to the dangers posed online. Detective Superintendent Declan Daly, of the Garda National Protection Services Bureau, said that children were being blackmailed by predators, who would use an image to then get further images from the child. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will visit the Choctaw nation in Oklahoma during his St Patricks Day visit to the US and thank the tribe for the financial support they provided to the Irish people during the great famine. In March 1847, while the tribe was living in the grips of poverty, the Choctaw people raised $170, which is the equivalent of several thousand dollars today, for famine relief in Ireland. At the time, the Choctaw people had been forced to leave their ancestral homes in Mississippi and told to move west by American settlers. The trek to the western territory designated to tribe by settlers had a devastating affect on their people On Monday, as part of his visit to the US, the Taoiseach will travel to Durant, in Oklahoma to thank the Choctaw nation and recognise the solidarity they showed the Irish people during the famine. Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Varadkar said: I am captivated by the story of the Choctaws. They were expelled from their ancestral lands in Mississippi, and lost many members of their tribe on the Trail of Tears. Many starved to death or died from exhaustion during their journey on foot to the reservation in Oklahoma. A few years later, the Choctaw heard of the Irish famine, and of the suffering of our people. Even though some of the people who took their lands were Irish, the Choctaw understood our pain and felt kinship with us, because they had experienced it themselves. This is one of the oldest connections we have with America, and its a kinship I wish to renew through my visit, he added. While in Oklahoma, The Taoiseach will personally thank Choctaw Chief Gary Batton for the contribution made by his ancestors and will make a presentation to the entire Choctaw nation. In return, the Choctaw nation will present traditional cultural and sporting performances. Last June, Chief Batton marked the ongoing ties between Ireland and the Choctaw nation with a visit to Midleton in Co. Cork, to unveil a statue entitled Kindred Spirits, which commemorates the donation. I knew it. I just bloomin' knew it as I tapped out the line in my column last week about being healthy, apart from a gammy knee. By the time those words were inked and you read it in these pages last Thursday, I was lying on the flat of my back. It had come over me like a wave the previous day, just as I was preparing to 'nest' for the impending snowmageddon with my favourite comfort food and book. It's one of the guilty pleasures of midlife that you have time to indulge yourself and box off an entire afternoon for reading - an unthinkable luxury during those years spent doing the school run and busy with after-school activities. But my plans were about to go horribly off course. I keeled over. No symptoms, no warning, just kapow and I wasn't standing upright anymore. I felt nauseous and dizzy and horrified at the thought of spending snowmageddon on a hospital trolley waiting to find out what was happening to this body of mine. I'm an independent person who likes doing everything for herself so this sense of vulnerability and not having control was new to me. I did not like it one little bit. I couldn't stand up without getting dizzy and falling back down. I wanted to get sick and my worst fear was that I was having a bleed on the brain as happened to my mum. Vulnerability is daunting and after three hours, I couldn't bear the sensation that the world around me was moving so I pushed aside my fears and walking side-to-side like a drunk, I managed to slip slide my way down to the doctor's surgery in the village. I quickened my step where I could, acutely aware that if I didn't get seen that day, I would be in trouble. Thankfully, the doctor was able to arrest my concerns. I was suffering from vertigo and so began five days in bed where basically I lay quietly in one position because turning my head only sent the room swimming in front of my eyes and triggered another wave of nausea. I didn't suffer nausea during my two pregnancies and I didn't welcome it now in midlife. I lifted Tom Hanks' excellent book Uncommon Type above my head and tried to read but my arms got tired. God, I felt old. When I couldn't find anything new on my podcast app, I pressed the default button and started watching The Crown again on Netflix. It cheered me up a little - I'd be watching it all over again with a new eye. It's like the comforting qualities of a mammy dinner with the delicious gravy and old school dessert that only she can make. It's like picking up your favourite book again and dipping in to savour the writing because first time around, you were racing through it for plot development and not relishing all the finer details. I switched things up and in between episodes Googled natural remedies for vertigo. Apparently cider vinegar can be good but I kept taking my prescribed tablets, which finally cured me, but it did take a while. Days stretched into night and back into day and while I was delirious with boredom just like the rest of the country suffering cabin fever, I was stuck in bed. I flicked through Instagram and Twitter and texted pals who were stuck abroad and commiserated with their misfortune as they battled with airlines who wouldn't answer emails or phone calls. After watching The Crown, Princess Margaret got under my skin and I began dreaming about baths of all things, and like a sulking child, I was angry because I couldn't have one. It was all I wanted but I couldn't indulge in case I got dizzy and couldn't clamour out. Mine was a 'showers only' world. The bath mania happened when I came across a wonderful photograph from 1962 taken by her husband, photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, with Margaret wearing her Poltimorre tiara in the bath. That's the thing about being online when you are bored and incapacitated - you go down the most ridiculous rabbit holes and discover all sorts of trivia you really don't need in your life. In Vogue, I found an excerpt from Ma'am Darling by Craig Brown which outlined Princess Margaret's luxurious self indulgent morning routine when she was single in the mid 1950s. From 9am, the Queen's sister liked to spend two hours reading newspapers while listening to radio and chain smoking, and at 11am, she took an hour-long bath before lunch, which was a four-course affair with her mother. While the rest of the country were trying heroically to get to work or go tobogganing on granny's tin trays, building snowmen and being good citizens by shovelling snow off the pathways outside, I was trapped in a thoroughly selfish existence and dreaming about the bubbles, the candles, the lot. "Why not watch some Hitchcock?" a friend suggested. But I was too delirious to pick up on the film noir black humour and the joke passed straight over my head, which was fixed in a permanent horizontal position. Mind you, there were some things that cheered me up, like the enterprising Storm Emma tweet from Amy Huberman when, in response to the white-sliced-pan mania sweeping the country, she enquired: "Can someone please start making 'Irish Born and Bread' shirts for Paddy's Day?" The next time I looked at my phone, she had pulled it off and announced that Hairy Baby Tees would have the T-shirts ready for Paddy's Day with all proceeds going to the homeless and Focus Ireland. Bravo Amy, you certainly used your downtime wisely and that 'voice twins' video she shot of hubbie Brian O'Driscoll lip-syncing Leo Varadkar, who sounds ridiculously like him, was hilarious. It was good to hear myself laugh after days under the duvet. If there was one good thing about my vertigo incarceration, it's that I didn't graze the fridge endlessly simply because I couldn't get there. I've no snow pics to share and I missed out on my granddaughter building her first snowman but thankfully I'm back standing upright and loving life. And I realised something vital - independence is the greatest gift of all. Savour it. Your home doesn't have to be perfect. Sighs of relief all round! The Japanese tradition of wabi sabi is hitting the headlines as the next big thing in interiors. Wabi sabi is all about finding beauty in imperfection. If you like crumpled linen sheets, hand-thrown ceramics, and things that don't match, you're already half-way there. Last October, Elle Decor flagged wabi sabi as "2018's soon-to-be-biggest design trend." But wabi sabi is neither a trend nor a style - it's a way of perceiving beauty. The Western aesthetic tends to favour perfection. That's probably the lingering influence of Classical Greece (the Ancient Greeks preferred things without cracks). In Japan, they developed a different way of looking at the world, including wabi sabi. And, as with many things Japanese, Westerners struggle to understand the concept. Expand Close Jo Linehan and Caroline Foran of Gaff Interiors / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jo Linehan and Caroline Foran of Gaff Interiors In 1994, an American writer called Leonard Koren wrote a book on it; Wabi sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers (1994). "Wabi sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional," he wrote. Koren's book became the handbook for the 1990s interiors trend known as Shabby Chic. The Urban Dictionary defines shabby chic as a style invented by paint manufacturers to "promote painting things, then rubbing most of it back off, and people with no money who don't mind living with old crap battered furniture". That's a bit harsh. While it's certainly true that shabby chic has dated, wabi sabi is not and has never been an excuse for being a slob. The contemporary understanding of wabi sabi is subtler and more sophisticated than shabby chic. "Wabi sabi is everything that today's sleek, mass-produced, technology-saturated culture isn't," wrote Robyn Griggs Lawrence, editor of Natural Home in 2001. "It's flea markets, not shopping malls; aged wood, not swank floor coverings; one single morning glory, not a dozen red roses To discover wabi sabi is to see the singular beauty in something that may first look decrepit and ugly." Expand Close Rural rug in Aztec print 109, also Dutchbone / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rural rug in Aztec print 109, also Dutchbone At that level, it's almost a spiritual thing. There's more to wabi sabi than interior decoration, but it does offer a cool new way to look at your home. "It's our steer for the year," say Jo Linehan and Caroline Foran of Gaff Interiors. "Finding the perfection in the imperfect is super-affordable!" Their interpretation of wabi sabi includes working with what you already have (always easy on the pocket) and moving away from luxury-based items to embrace natural materials and rough textures. "It's not about colour coding or having things in alphabetical order," the Gaff girls explain. "And it's definitely not for folks with OCD. You might have bookends, for example, but they wouldn't have to match." If your tastes run to opulence, ornamentation, and symmetry, then wabi sabi is not for you. Retro industrial objects, made to look as though they've acquired a patina over time, sit nicely with the wabi sabi aesthetic. The Dutch design company, Dutchbone, has some lovely pieces. They're available internationally from Cuckooland and in Ireland from Woo Design. Expand Close Shelf Iron display cabinet, 649, Dutchbone / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shelf Iron display cabinet, 649, Dutchbone The Shelf Iron display cabinet (649) offers an unselfconsciously wabi sabi context for the display of mismatching objects; the Coco ceiling lamp (109) in stained mango wood and copper, has been torched to give the impression of patina; while the Rural rug in Aztec print (109) is pre-faded. In terms of wabi sabi shopping, the Gaff girls like the ceramics of Arran Street East. "We're not saying they're rough, but they're definitely not your usual perfect." A mug from Arran Street East costs 33, but that's ok because you only need one. Wabi sabi isn't about matching sets of objects. They also like the mismatched glassware in Sostrene Grene, vases in which you might place a single flower from the hedgerow (formal bouquets aren't very wabi sabi). But their main tip is that you don't have to go out and buy loads of new things. "We don't live and die by trends," they explain. "Sometimes it's enough to make a very simple change, like buying a single candlestick." Wabi sabi is more about learning to appreciate objects that you already have than going shopping. If you want to trigger your appreciation of wabi sabi, flea markets and charity shops are a good place to start. Linehan recently admired a set of wicker furniture, only to find that its owner had purchased it in Age Action on Dublin's Camden Street. Fans of rattan and Japanese decor will appreciate the woven screen (435) available online from Out There Interiors. Delivery to Ireland costs an extra 85 but this charge could include several other large items so it makes sense to group your orders. Items classed as accessories, like their handmade ceramic pot with copper glaze 62, qualify for free delivery. Concrete accents are very wabi sabi and can range from a concrete pendant over a kitchen island to the kick-ass concrete and neon collection from Irish designers Al+Eil. These are simple cast-concrete objects painted with geometric shapes in neon colours, ranging from a single concrete coaster (6) to a tall concrete succulent planter (38). You'll be hearing a lot more about wabi sabi over the coming year, mostly from people like me who are only just beginning to get to grips with it. We're not ill-informed, it's just a difficult concept for Western people to grasp and for Japanese people to explain. In 2009, Marcel Theroux put this to the test when he travelled to Japan to make the television documentary, In Search of Wabi Sabi, for BBC 4. He was inspired by a book, Living Wabi Sabi, by Taro Gold. In the book, Gold challenged his readers to "ask people on a Tokyo Street to describe wabi sabi." Theroux did just that and found that, just as Gold predicted: "they will give you a polite shrug and explain that wabi sabi is simply unexplainable." If you'd like to meet the Gaff girls - and avail of their expertise - they will be hosting charity interiors events in the DFS Limerick store on Tuesday, March 20, and DFS Cork store on Thursday, March 22. The free events are themed around "using colour to create happiness" . To book a place, email dfs@ocarrollconsulting.com, stating your city of choice. See gaffinteriors.ie, arranstreeteast.ie, sostrenegrene.com, outthereinteriors.com, industry.ie, ailandel.com, woodesign.ie, cuckooland.com, dfs.ie. 'It's the small networks that are the dodgy ones'. I might be paraphrasing what Communications Minister Denis Naughten is saying, but his basic point is Facebook (including Instagram), Twitter and Snapchat are putting more effort into safety initiatives than smaller, newer services. In one sense he is right. Because of its size and pervasiveness, Facebook is now ploughing more resources into online safety than all of the other networks combined. This includes hiring some 10,000 extra people this year (some of them in Dublin) to focus specifically on safety issues. Irish model Roz Purcell admitted she was initially denied entry to the Vatican for wearing a shoulder baring top. The former Miss Universe Ireland (28) is currently in Rome on a romantic weekend getaway with her boyfriend, music promoter Zach Desmond and the pair had geared up to visit Saint Peter's Basilica. Seemingly unaware of the dress code enforced with all visitors, which requires guests to wear long sleeve shirts and long trousers as a sign of respect. Like most in her situation, she purchased a new t-shirt with Pope Francis' face emblazoned on it and took the opportunity to style it for Instagram. Tours for The Vatican also recommend purchasing plastic cloaks at a gift shop to wrap around your shoulders or knees. The best-selling cookbook author has been busy documenting her travels on social media and while her beau has been notably absent from her pictures, one accessory has been taking centre stage in her holiday pictures - a velvet Prada Cahier bag, which retails for 2,200. The couple have been busy jet-setting during their year and a half romance, travelling to Hong Kong, Paris, New York and now Rome together. Expand Close Roz Purcell and her boyfriend Zach Desmond in Paris. Image: Instagram / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Roz Purcell and her boyfriend Zach Desmond in Paris. Image: Instagram Roz, who previously revealed she works out 10 times per week, has been keeping up her active lifestyle while away and keeping followers up-to-date with her makeshift exercise regime abroad. She will soon be promoting her second cookbook Half Hour Hero, when it arrives in Irish stores later this month. Donald Trump has decided he will meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "by May", South Korea's national security director has said. Chung Eui-yong said Mr Trump said "he would meet Kim Jong Un by May to achieve permanent denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula. The security director said Mr Kim told the South Koreans he is "committed to denuclearisation" and pledged that "North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests". The meeting would be the first of its kind between a leader of North Korea and a sitting president of the United States. In a tweet, Donald Trump said "great progress" was being made, although sanctions will remain in place until an agreement is reached. He said: "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. "Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" The latest round of sanctions to be imposed on North Korea by the US was announced on Wednesday, when the State Department revealed punitive measures in response to its finding that Pyongyang was behind the nerve agent assassination of Mr Kim's half-brother. South Korean President Moon Jae-in says a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be a "historical milestone" that will put the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula "really on track". Mr Moon in a statement read out by his spokesman on Friday also complimented Mr Trump for accepting Mr Kim's invitation for a summit, saying the president's leadership will be praised "not only by the residents of South and North Korea but every peace-loving person around the world". Mr Moon is also preparing for a summit with Mr Kim at a border village between the Koreas in April. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump plan to meet in May for nuclear disarmament talks. The whiplash development would put two leaders who have repeatedly insulted, threatened and dismissed each other in the same room, possibly in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. It would have been an unthinkable suggestion just a few months ago, when the insults were at their peak Mr Trump was a senile dotard and Mr Kim was Little Rocket Man. Meanwhile the North was firing off regular weapons tests in a dogged march toward its goal of a viable nuclear arsenal that can threaten the US mainland. Liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who some believe has manoeuvred the two leaders to this position, reflected the hope and relief many in South Korea feel about the planned summit. He declared on Friday that it will be a historical milestone that will put the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula really on track. But there is also considerable scepticism. North Korea, after all, has made a habit of reaching out after raising fears during previous crises with offers of dialogue meant to win aid and concessions. It has also, from the US point of view, repeatedly cheated on past nuclear deals. And now the North has landed a face-to-face meeting with the leader of the worlds most powerful country, a nation that Pyongyang has long sought to draw into talks. It hopes to establish a peace treaty to end the technically still-active Korean War and drive out all US troops from the Korean Peninsula, removing what the North says is a hostile encirclement of its territory by Washington and Seoul. Great progress being made, Mr Trump tweeted after the South Korean national security director, Chung Eui-yong, emerged from a meeting with Mr Trump and announced the summit plans to reporters in a hastily-called appearance on a White House driveway. That remains to be seen. Some speculate that the North is trying to peel Washington away from its ally Seoul, weaken crippling sanctions, buy time for nuclear development and win aid by setting up a meeting with Mr Trump that will win it concessions. Expand Close North Korea United States Timeline / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korea United States Timeline North Korea still produces propaganda declaring its continuing dedication to the treasured sword of its nuclear program. Washington still remains publicly dedicated to annual war games with the South that the North claims are invasion rehearsal. They are expected to resume next month, after being postponed during the Winter Olympics in the South. DC is also dedicated to keeping 28,500 troops in the South and 50,000 in Japan, largely as a way to deter North Korean aggression. Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have previously been overseen by lower-level experts, and have often bogged down, even when so-called breakthroughs have come, in the pesky details, such as allowing outsiders in to inspect North Koreas nuclear compliance, for instance. Now, the talks will start at the top and there will be no time to settle all the problems that have scuttled previous negotiations. It remains to be seen what Mr Trump and Mr Kim might decide in the highest-level meeting in what has been essentially a bloody, seven-decade standoff between their countries. Members of the emergency services put a tent over the bench where Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found British Prime Minister Theresa May was last night under pressure to retaliate against Russia for its "brazen act of war" in using nerve gas on the streets of Britain. Gavin Williamson, the UK defence secretary, said the government was being "pushed around" by Russia and "we have to change the way we deal with it" amid calls for fresh sanctions against Moscow and the expulsion of Russian diplomats. Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, had already threatened sanctions if Russia was found to be behind the attack that left Sergei Skripal, a former double agent, and his daughter Yulia in comas and Nick Bailey, a police sergeant, in intensive care. Yesterday Mr Johnson repeated his insistence that Britain would respond "robustly" against any country found to be responsible. Consequences Downing Street said it could not make a diplomatic move until it was proved who was behind the attempted murders. Expand Close Facebook photo of Yulia Skripal / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Facebook photo of Yulia Skripal A Whitehall source said: "There is a process to go through. These things have to be done in the right order." Amber Rudd, the home secretary, told the House of Commons there would be consequences for the perpetrators, who would be brought to justice "whoever they are and wherever they may be". Tom Tugendhat, Tory chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, made it clear to Mrs May that "the first duty of government is to protect the British people - I think using nerve agents on British streets really does demand a response". Mr Williamson, who has claimed in the past that Russia was ready to kill "thousands and thousands" of British people, said yesterday it was becoming an "ever-greater threat", particularly to its closest neighbours. He said: "Russia's being assertive, Russia's being more aggressive, and we have to change the way we deal with it because we can't be in a situation in these areas of conflict where we are being pushed around by another nation." Senior politician Edward Leigh said the circumstantial evidence against Russia was "very strong" and told the Commons: "If Russia is behind this, this is a brazen act of war, of humiliating our country." Ms Rudd said: "There will come a time for attribution and there will be, then, consequences and there will be further information that follows." She said the investigation must be based on "facts, not rumour", but added: "The use of a nerve agent on UK soil is a brazen and reckless act. "This was attempted murder in the most cruel and public way. "People are right to want to know who to hold to account. "We are committed to doing all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice - whoever they are and wherever they may be." Mr Tugendhat, a former British Army officer, said it now seemed likely that Mr Skripal's wife Lyudmila and son Alexander had both been murdered. The circumstances of their deaths in 2012 and 2017 have been disputed, with some reports claiming they died in car crashes, others stating health reasons. Pointing to threats made against Col Skripal and the similarity of the attack to a fatal one on Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian dissident, Mr Tugendhat said: "We are beginning to see not only a very strong pattern but a very strong centre to that pattern - and that centre appears very strongly to be the Kremlin." Cemetery Mr Johnson said: "I think we have to wait for the outcome. But if, and it's still a big if, it turns out this is the agency of another state attempting to kill people on UK soil, then of course the UK will respond robustly." Meanwhile, part of the cemetery in Salisbury where Mr Skripal's wife is buried has been cordoned off by police. The cordon around the spy's house, some five kilometres away, has also been widened. Ms Skripal was understood to have died of cancer in 2012, aged 59. Alexander died in St Petersburg last July and is commemorated with a plaque at the cemetery. It has been reported that both Mr Skripal and his daughter, Yulia visited the site last week, leaving flowers to mark what would have been Alexander's 44th birthday. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] A Spanish woman faces a possible six-year jail sentence after being accused of claiming her dead fathers pension, worth 130,000 (115,500) during a period of 21 years. Court documents state that the woman, from the province of Malaga in southern Spain, failed to inform the bank where the pension was paid when, some years after her mothers death, her father died in March 1995. Instead, until 2016 she allegedly continued claiming her fathers pension from the Spanish government department responsible for maritime sector workers, using a longstanding joint account she had opened with her parents. According to local newspaper SUR, the local public prosecutors office has so far only been able to recover 217 from the womans current account. In a gesture of goodwill, the bank where the joint account was held has already returned a further 27,043 of the pension to the government department. In its provisional summary of the case, the state prosecution has criticised the bank for failing to check up on the death of the womans father, as is required under Spanish law. If convicted the woman is convicted of the fraud charges, she faces a prison sentence of six years as well as a possible fine of 4,320, as well as returning the pension in full. In a separate case in Malaga this week, a local court condemned a 50-year-old woman to 21 months in prison for using her dead grandfathers savings account book to appropriate his widowers pension of 90,500, over a period of more than a decade. The Danish inventor accused of torturing and killing Swedish journalist Kim Wall during a private submarine trip before dismembering her body is an intelligent man "with psychopathic tendencies", a prosecutor said as the murder trial opened. Peter Madsen (47) is standing trial in Copenhagen accused of torturing Ms Wall (30) before he either cut her throat or strangled her on his submarine in August. He denies murder, but has admitted to dismembering her body before he "buried her at sea". Ms Wall embarked on Mr Madsen's submarine on August 10 to interview him. Her remains were found in plastic bags on the Baltic Sea bed weeks later; her torso had been stabbed multiple times. Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen said a psychiatric report has concluded Mr Madsen has "no empathy or feelings of guilt". Giving evidence, Mr Madsen repeated his claim that Ms Wall died accidentally inside the UC3 Nautilus while he was on deck. He said Ms Wall "had a wonderful evening until it ended in an accident", and denied that any sexual activity had taken place. Mr Madsen had offered shifting explanations for Ms Wall's death prior to the trial. He initially said he dropped Ms Wall off on an island. Then he said she died accidentally inside the submarine when a hatch fell and hit her on the head. Yesterday, he claimed there was a sudden pressure problem. "I could not open the hatches. I heard Kim, it was not good," he said. Expand Close Murder accused Peter Madsen / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Murder accused Peter Madsen The prosecution claims Ms Wall's murder was premeditated because Mr Madsen brought along tools he normally did not take when sailing. The 18m-long submarine sank shortly after being spotted afloat. Mr Madsen reported "man overboard" over the radio and was picked up alone. Police believe he sank the submarine on purpose, and later found videos of women being tortured and killed on his personal computer. He did not make the videos himself, investigators said. The trial continues. A presenter on Russian state television has issued an apparent threat to "traitors" living in Britain. Kirill Kleymenov warned of the dangers of spying on Russia and advised those who betrayed their country: "Don't choose Britain as a place to live." The comments, made on Channel One's Vremya news programme on Wednesday evening, came amid speculation over who was behind the attempted murder of a double agent on British soil. "I don't wish death on anyone, but, purely for educational purposes, I have a warning for anyone who dreams of such a career," he reportedly said. "The profession of a traitor is one of the most dangerous in the world." He described alcoholism, drug addiction, stress and depression as the "professional illnesses of a traitor" and also warned of heart attacks, strokes, car accidents and suicide. In an apparent threat, Mr Kleymenov advised "traitors" against moving to Britain, adding: "Something is wrong there. Maybe it's the climate, but in recent years there have been too many strange incidents with grave outcomes there." Russia has denied any involvement in the suspected nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal, which comes seven years after he was released from the country as part of a spy swap with the US. Trade body UK Steel said the tariffs could have a 'profound and detrimental impact' (John Giles/PA) Downing Street has promised to robustly defend the UK steel industry, after US President Donald Trump confirmed plans for a 25% tariff on imports. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who is to visit Washington next week to seek further detail on the planned levies, said it would be absurd for the UK to be included in Mr Trumps tariffs. But even if an exemption was offered to the UK, it was unclear whether it could be accepted while Britain remains a member of the EU unless it applied to the whole 28-nation bloc. The tariff which Mr Trump said was aimed at protecting national security and American jobs could trigger a full-blown trade war if the European Union responds with countermeasures. Trade body UK Steel said the tariffs could have a profound and detrimental impact, while the Community union demanded action to protect British jobs and avoid a global trade war. Responding to Mr Trumps move, a Number 10 spokesman said: Tariffs are not the right way to address the global problem of over-capacity. That requires a multilateral solution. We will work with EU partners to consider the scope for exemptions and continue to work with all sectors involved in this to robustly defend the interests of our industry. Liam Fox is travelling to the US next week to get more detail. The important part of this process is to get that detail and then consider the next steps. Pressed over whether EU rules could block the UK from benefiting from a bilateral exemption while it remains a member, the Downing Street spokesman said: We want to work with our partners to consider the scope for exemptions. We have made it clear that a move that hurts the EU and puts thousands of European jobs in jeopardy will be met with a firm and proportionate response @MalmstromEU on #EUTrade https://t.co/627Z870nMR European Commission (@EU_Commission) March 7, 2018 Obviously we remain a full member of the EU and thats why were going to work with our EU partners. Speaking in the White House with a group of workers, Mr Trump confirmed the levy on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminium in response to an assault on our country from cheap overseas metal. There would be exemptions for North America Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) states Mexico and Canada, and Mr Trump said other countries may be able to negotiate to avoid the tariffs. Mr Trump said if his goals could be accomplished by other means the US will remain open to modifying or removing the tariffs for individual nations as long as we can agree on a way to ensure that their products no longer threaten our security. Expand Close Donald Trump holds up a proclamation on steel imports (Susan Walsh/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Donald Trump holds up a proclamation on steel imports (Susan Walsh/AP) On BBCs Question Time, Dr Fox said the policy championed by Mr Trump was the wrong way to tackle the problem of cheap steel being dumped on the US market. He said the UK produces very high-value steel, some of which cant be sourced in the United States and will simply push up the price of steel there. We also make steel for the American military programme so its doubly absurd that we should then be caught on an investigation on national security. So our view is yes, we can deal multilaterally with the overproduction of steel, but this is the wrong way to go about it. UK Steels director Gareth Stace said the tariffs would have a profound and detrimental impact on the UK steel sector, which exported some 350,000 tonnes of products to the US in 2017, over 7% of its total exports. The UK sector is in the midst of a fragile recovery following years of considerable turmoil, it would be utterly devastating if this were to be undermined. He said it was vital the EU and UK worked with the US administration on exemptions to the tariff. But the industry also fears the indirect consequences of Mr Trumps actions, which could lead to cheap Chinese steel being dumped on European markets instead of sold to the USA. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of steelworkers union Community, said: Donald Trumps short-sighted strategy will put jobs at risk on both sides of the Atlantic. It is now more important than ever that Theresa May and Liam Fox use every bit of influence they have left in America to protect the jobs of British steelworkers. The EUs trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the bloc should be excluded from the measures and she would meet US trade representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss the situation on Saturday. Security personnel inspec the site of the suicide attack in Kabul (Massoud Hossaini/AP) The Afghan president has condemned a suicide bombing that targeted a gathering of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul. The attack, which claimed the lives of nine people, has been claimed by the Islamic State group. President Ashraf Ghanis statement, shortly after Fridays bombing in western Kabul, promised that those behind the attack would be given the death penalty, if found and convicted. He said the bombing was intended to frighten Afghans but that the perpetrators would not succeed. Expand Close Sunglasses covered in blood are left at the site of the suicide attack (Massoud Hossaini/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sunglasses covered in blood are left at the site of the suicide attack (Massoud Hossaini/AP) Meanwhile, the Islamic State group in a statement posted on an IS-affiliated website said it was behind the Kabul attack. The suicide bomber targeting the minority community blew himself up at a police checkpoint in western Kabul, killing nine people and wounding 18, officials said. According to Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, the bomber was on foot and was trying to strike a gathering of Hazaras who were commemorating the 1995 death of their leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, killed at the hands of the Taliban. The bomber came as close to the gathering as he could and detonated his explosives at the checkpoint outside, the spokesman said. One policeman was among the dead. Local Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq told the gathering that the explosion was an attempt to terrorise Afghans. Expand Close A soldier stands guard near the site of the suicide attack (Massoud Hossaini/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A soldier stands guard near the site of the suicide attack (Massoud Hossaini/AP) He blamed the Taliban and the Islamic State, both of which have targeted ethnic Hazaras in the past. Most Hazaras are Shiite Muslims, and Sunni militants consider all Shiites heretics and urge followers to kill them. The spokesman for the health ministry, Wahid Majro, said several of the wounded were in critical condition and feared the death toll could rise further. In other developments, the Taliban launched a deadly assault overnight on an army outpost in a remote region of Afghanistans northern Takhar province, killing six soldiers and wounding five in a blistering hours-long attack, defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. Members of the local police who were sent to assist the soldiers were ambushed by the Taliban while on their way to the outpost in the remote district of Khwaja Ghar. Ten local policemen were killed and nine were wounded in the ambush, provincial police spokesman Khali Aseir said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the assault and the police deaths. He claimed the Taliban had inflicted a far higher number of casualties but the insurgents often exaggerate their claims. The report could not be independently confirmed because of the areas remoteness. An aid convoy scheduled to enter the opposition-controlled suburbs of Damascus was delayed amid concerns that Eastern Ghouta had been hit with chemical weapons. Doctors inside Eastern Ghouta, which has been pummelled by airstrikes as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad moves to crush the last remaining rebel stronghold close to the capital, shared photographs and videos of children and adults gasping for air, apparently suffering from the affects of a chlorine attack. "I have more than 14 children with chlorine exposure," said Dr Hamza Hassan, a physician operating from a hospital in Saqba, one of the densely populated neighbourhoods that is still under rebel control. "They present with wheezing, hypoxia and cough. "One has blurred vision because of the cornea irritation by chlorine. "The staff are getting overwhelmed with chlorine odour in the emergency room, which is getting very strong." Besieged The Syrian American Medical Society (Sams), which supports medical facilities in the besieged suburb and across Syria, corroborated doctors' findings that patients were indeed suffering the effects of a chemical attack. "Due to chlorine attack in East Ghouta, patients are struggling w/symptoms such as severe dyspnea, sweating, congestion of mucus membranes, severe runny nose, wheezing & conjunctival erythema," Sams wrote on social media. "The emotional trauma from these attacks cannot be measured." Syrian government forces intensified their offensive on Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday night, after seizing more than half the area as ground forces moved in. Eastern Ghouta is nearly split in two, much as Aleppo was during President al-Assad's ferocious battle to bring opposition groups there to heel. Military gains have caused wide-scale internal displacement as civilians flee government advances. As in Aleppo, those areas of Eastern Ghouta not yet under government control are under ever more ferocious aerial attack. Food and medical supplies are critically scarce. After the delay in aid yesterday, Ingy Sedky, the International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman in Syria, said she had no confirmation when the next delivery would be taking place. "The situation is evolving rapidly on the ground, which doesn't allow us to carry out the operation in such conditions," she said. Earlier this week, the first convoy in weeks made it into the town of Douma, in Eastern Ghouta, but 14 of the 46 trucks were not able to fully offload the critical humanitarian supplies because of the ongoing conflict. The current offensive on Eastern Ghouta started on Sunday, February 18. Russia's military has said that it is playing a key role supporting the assault to combat "terrorists" who are hiding in the area and threatening Damascus. But according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death toll in the operation now includes at least 800 civilians, many of them children. Aid workers who entered the area briefly on Monday described a desperate situation. Civilians are not safe any-where in Eastern Ghouta, and some residents had not seen sunlight for two weeks because they were sheltering underground. Activists and medics say that they have worn their voices hoarse calling for the international community to come to the aid of civilians in Eastern Ghouta. Less than a month ago, French President Emmanuel Macron promised that "France will strike" if chemical weapons are used against civilians in the Syrian conflict in violation of international treaties, but that he would need to see proof. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Demonstrators at an anti-government rally in Bratislava, Slovakia (Ronald Zak/AP) Tens of thousands of Slovaks rallied in massive anti-government protests across the country to demand a thorough investigation of the killings of an investigative reporter and his fiancee, and changes in government. The protesters packed a central square in Bratislava and other rallies were taking place in dozens of other places in Slovakia as well as abroad, the biggest since the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The organisers want foreign experts to join the team investigating the killings and the creation of a new trustworthy government with no people who are suspected of corruption or ties to organised crime. Jan Kuciaks last, unfinished story was about the activities of Italian mafia in Slovakia and their ties to people close to prime minister Robert Fico, whose government is allegedly also linked to other corruption scandals. Slovakia is shaken as it has not been for a long time, organiser Karolina Farska said. Expand Close Candles sit in front of a photo of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee during an anti-government rally in Bratislava, Slovakia (Ronald Zak/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Candles sit in front of a photo of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee during an anti-government rally in Bratislava, Slovakia (Ronald Zak/AP) The peaceful protesters had a message for Mr Fico: Resign, they repeatedly chanted. In the wake of the unprecedented slayings of Mr Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, Slovakia quickly turned from what seemed to be a stable European Union country into chaos. In a speech last month, President Andrej Kiska talked about his country as successful, proud and self-confident. On March 4, however, he said Slovakia faces a serious political crisis triggered by the shooting deaths. Police said Mr Kuciaks killing was likely linked to his work. The political storm has been intensifying daily since the bodies were found February 25. Amid heated exchanges between the ruling coalition and the opposition, claims byMr Fico of conspiracies against him, and his repeated verbal attacks on Mr Kiska, a growing number of people have started to turn against the Fico government, threatening its very existence. Theres a huge public distrust of the stateSlovakia's President Andrej Kiska Many have realised that the situation is becoming critical, said Michal Vasecka, an analyst from the Bratislava Policy Institute think tank. A fight started to prevent Slovakia from becoming another Hungary, an autocracy controlled by a small group of oligarchs. Reflecting the popular mood and growing protests, Mr Kiska has called for substantial changes in the government or for an early election to resolve the crisis. Theres a huge public distrust of the state, Mr Kiska said. And many dont trust law enforcement authorities This distrust is justified. We crossed the line, things went too far and theres no way back. Mr Fico fired back, accusing the president of destabilising the country with help from Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, whom Mr Kiska met with privately in New York in September. Expand Close People gather in Bratislava for an anti-government rally (Ronald Zak/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People gather in Bratislava for an anti-government rally (Ronald Zak/AP) Mr Soros dismissed Mr Ficos suggestion he might have anything to do with the presidents proposals and the anti-government protests. Mr Vasecka, the analyst, said Mr Ficos conspiracy claims likely anger some people and contribute to their decision to join the protests because they hark back to the 1990s and the rule of authoritative prime minister Vladimir Meciar who led the country into international isolation. Mr Meciar also targeted Mr Soros. It reminds people of Meciar and also of communist rule. And a large part of society is very sensitive about it, Mr Vasecka said. A junior party in the ruling coalition is demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak. Thousands already demanded Mr Kalinaks resignation last year after he was linked to earlier corruption scandals. Meanwhile, the opposition has requested a parliamentary no-confidence vote on the government, but a date has yet to be set. Mr Fico called the opposition request an attempted coup. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has drawn a distinction between talks with North Korea and negotiations, arguing President Donald Trumps willingness to chat with Kim Jong Un should not be construed as anything more than that. The stunning announcement that Mr Trump had agreed to a meeting with the North Korean leader raised questions about what had changed after months of Mr Tillerson and other Trump officials insisting the conditions were not right for negotiations with Pyongyang. Mr Tillerson said Mr Trump has been open to mere talks and a meeting with Kim for some time, and had decided the time was right. In the presidents judgment, that time has arrived now, Mr Tillerson told reporters in Djibouti during a trip to Africa. Mr Tillerson did not define the precise difference between talks and negotiations, and it was unclear what there was for the two countries, still technically at war, would have to discuss if not a deal to address concerns about the Norths nuclear weapons programme. Ostensibly, they could hold preliminary conversations to see if theres enough common ground and good will to proceed to formal negotiations. Explaining Mr Trumps decision-making about the meeting, Mr Tillerson said that the US had witnessed a shift from North Korea that became apparent when a South Korean delegation visited Pyongyang, then travelled to Washington to brief US officials on the rare meeting. What changed was his (Kim's) posture in a fairly dramatic wayRex Tillerson He said the dispatch from that meeting was the most forward-leaning report that weve had, in terms of Kim Jong Uns not just willingness but his strong desire for talks. What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way, Mr Tillerson said. In all honesty, that came as a little bit of a surprise to us as well. As Mr Trumps administration ramped up its maximum pressure campaign on North Korea over the last year, Mr Tillerson was one of the more enthusiastic advocates within the Cabinet for trying to talk to the North Koreans, even as other officials warned Trump of the risks of rewarding Kim too soon. So now I think it's a question of agreeing on the timing of that first meeting between the two of them and a location and that will take some weeks before we get all that worked outRex Tillerson For months the administration gave mixed messages about just what preconditions, if any, needed to be met to merit talks. Ultimately, Mr Trump decided Mr Kims willingness to discuss denuclearisation and commit to halt testing was enough. Mr Tillerson said the decision to agree to the meeting was a decision the president took himself. This is something hes had on his mind for quite some time, Mr Tillerson said. So now I think its a question of agreeing on the timing of that first meeting between the two of them and a location and that will take some weeks before we get all that worked out. Demonstrators supporting the MeToo movement in South Korea on International Women's Day (Ahn Young-joon/AP) A veteran South Korean actor who was under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of his students has been found dead. Police and fire officials said Jo Min-ki was found dead in Seoul on Friday. Yonhap News agency said the death is being treated as a suicide, but police would not confirm that. Police were investigating multiple claims that Jo sexually abused his students when he was a professor at Cheongju University. Jo initially insisted on his innocence but reportedly later apologised. Police were to question him next week. Jo is among dozens of men in positions of power who have recently been accused of sexual misdeeds by women. The #MeToo movement has spread widely in South Korea. South Koreas suicide rate is among the highest in the world. Salah Abdeslam was wounded and captured in a huge anti-terror operation in Brussels after four months on the run (Police Nationale/PA) The only surviving member of the Islamic State cell that attacked Paris in November 2015 has agreed for the first time to answer a judges questions about the attacks. A source close to the case told The Associated Press Salah Abdeslam was in a judges office on Friday for a joint hearing with Ali Oulkadi, who allegedly drove him in Brussels the day after the Paris attacks. Oulkadi dropped Abdeslam off at a safe house also used as a workshop for manufacturing explosive belts. The source, who was not allowed to speak publicly on the case, said Abdeslam spoke to help clear Oulkadi and refused to answer other questions. Jean Reinhart, a lawyer for victims of the Paris attacks, told BFM television Abdeslam said Oulkadi didnt know exactly who he was when he gave him the ride. Its extremely important to us, because its the first time hes starting to speak, she said. It gives us a little hope to think that maybe, later, at the trial or maybe before, he will be able to speak again. Expand Close A man places a candle at the La Carillon restaurant in Paris, following the attacks which killed 130 people (Steve Parsons/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A man places a candle at the La Carillon restaurant in Paris, following the attacks which killed 130 people (Steve Parsons/PA) Abdeslam previously said silence would be his defence and systematically refused to answer the judges questions. Abdeslam was Europes most-wanted fugitive when he was captured in Brussels as a suspect in the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people, after four months on the run. He was extradited from Belgium to France and imprisoned, but has not gone to trial in France. Abdeslam and another man, Sofiane Ayari, went on trial last month in Brussels, where they face charges of attempted murder in a terrorist context for a shootout with police on March 15, 2016. Abdeslam escaped out a window with Ayari while a third Islamic State suspect died. The pair were captured a few days later. On March 22, 2016, Islamic State suicide bombers struck the Brussels metro and airport. Prosecutors have asked for the maximum 20-year prison sentence. UBS will press ahead with plans to relocate London staff to EU offices including Frankfurt, with the investment bank saying the lack of a Brexit transition deal will result in significant changes to its operations. The Swiss banking giant said in its annual report that it is expecting to merge its UK entity with its German-headquartered European bank ahead of the Brexit deadline of March 29 2019, which will mean moving staff closer to clients in their respective European cities and locating central risk management and support services in Frankfurt. UBS said its plans would be put in motion in the absence of adequate transition relief being agreed and passed into law by the United Kingdom and the European Union. The nature of the UKs future relationship with the EU remains unclear, UBS said. Any future limitations on providing financial services into the EU from our UK operations could require us to make potentially significant changes to our operations in the UK and the EU, and to our legal structure. It added: We further anticipate that some staff would be relocated as a result. While UBS said the exact number of staff and their specific roles would be determined in due course it is understood that less than 200 could be moved under current plans, with discussions over relocation set to take place in the coming months. The changes will mean shifting its European Economic Area (EEA) investment bank business from London to other EU offices, though its UK wealth management, asset management and non-EEA investment bank business will remain in Britain. Expand Close Philip Hammond gave a speech earlier this week that made the case for preferential access for Britains financial services industry to the EU single market (Stefan Rousseau/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Philip Hammond gave a speech earlier this week that made the case for preferential access for Britains financial services industry to the EU single market (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Swiss bank employs more than 5,000 people in London. The timing and extent of the actions we take may vary considerably depending on regulatory requirements and the nature of any transition or successor agreements with the EU, UBS said. It marks the latest Brexit update by UBS, which said back in January that it would begin implementing its contingency plans in early 2018. City firms have been urgently calling on Brexit negotiators to strike a deal that would extend EU market access for financial services after Britain leaves the bloc, allowing firms to continue conducting business across the single market, while also pushing for a bespoke deal aimed at safeguarding the sector. Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered a speech earlier this week that made the case for preferential access for Britains financial services industry to the EU single market, but hopes were dampened after European Council president Donald Tusk said Brussels was aiming for a free trade agreement that would scrap tariffs on goods, but provide limited access for services after Brexit. Without a deal, businesses are expected to flee to rival financial hubs including Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. EU lender Deutsche Bank is preparing to settle more of its transactions out of Frankfurt, and is likely to move hundreds of staff from London, while HSBC has said it is on course to move up to 1,000 jobs to France where it already has a full service universal bank after buying up Credit Commercial de France in 2002. JP Morgan, which currently has 16,000 staff in the UK, will ramp up operations at a number of its EU sites with plans to move up to 1,000 London front and back office roles. US peers Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are also looking at spreading staff across a number of European cities after Brexit. In this edition of India Briefing Magazine, we make the case for why now is the right time for foreign firms t... Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. London, Mar 9 (IBNS): Researchers at the University of Birmingham and Kings College London have found that staying active keeps the body young and healthy. The researchers set out to assess the health of older adults who had exercised most of their adult lives to see if this could slow down ageing. The study recruited 125 amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79, 84 of which were male and 41 were female. The men had to be able to cycle 100 km in under 6.5 hours, while the women had to be able to cycle 60 km in 5.5 hours. Smokers, heavy drinkers and those with high blood pressure or other health conditions were excluded from the study. The participants underwent a series of tests in the laboratory and were compared to a group of adults who do not partake in regular physical activity. This group consisted of 75 healthy people aged 57 to 80 and 55 healthy young adults aged 20 to 36. The study showed that loss of muscle mass and strength did not occur in those who exercise regularly. The cyclists also did not increase their body fat or cholesterol levels with age and the mens testosterone levels also remained high, suggesting that they may have avoided most of the male menopause. More surprisingly, the study also revealed that the benefits of exercise extend beyond muscle as the cyclists also had an immune system that did not seem to have aged either. An organ called the thymus, which makes immune cells called T cells, starts to shrink from the age of 20 and makes less T cells. In this study, however, the cyclists thymuses were making as many T cells as those of a young person. The findings come as figures show that less than half of over 65s do enough exercise to stay healthy and more than half of those aged over 65 suffer from at least two diseases.* Professor Janet Lord, Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, said: Hippocrates in 400 BC said that exercise is man's best medicine, but his message has been lost over time and we are an increasingly sedentary society. However, importantly, our findings debunk the assumption that ageing automatically makes us more frail. Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier. Dr Niharika Arora Duggal, also of the University of Birmingham, said: We hope these findings prevent the danger that, as a society, we accept that old age and disease are normal bedfellows and that the third age of man is something to be endured and not enjoyed. Professor Stephen Harridge, Director of the Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences at Kings College London, said: The findings emphasise the fact that the cyclists do not exercise because they are healthy, but that they are healthy because they have been exercising for such a large proportion of their lives. Their bodies have been allowed to age optimally, free from the problems usually caused by inactivity. Remove the activity and their health would likely deteriorate. Norman Lazarus, Emeritus Professor at Kings College London and also a master cyclist and Dr Ross Pollock, who undertook the muscle study, both agreed that: Most of us who exercise have nowhere near the physiological capacities of elite athletes. We exercise mainly to enjoy ourselves. Nearly everybody can partake in an exercise that is in keeping with their own physiological capabilities. Find an exercise that you enjoy in whatever environment that suits you and make a habit of physical activity. You will reap the rewards in later life by enjoying an independent and productive old age. The research findings are detailed in two papers published today in Aging Cell and are the result of an ongoing joint study by the two universities, funded by the BUPA foundation. The researchers hope to continue to assess the cyclists to see if they continue to cycle and stay young. Washington, Mar 9 (IBNS): NASA is focused on an ambitious plan to advance the nations space program by increasing science activities near and on the Moon and ultimately returning humans to the surface. As part of the Presidents fiscal year 2019 budget proposal, NASA is planning a new Moon-focused exploration campaign that starts with a series of progressive commercial robotic missions. The Moon will play an important role in expanding human presence deeper into the solar system, said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Coupled with the capabilities enabled by the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, these missions will usher in a new era of exploration of the Moon and its resources, and provide a training ground for human missions to Mars. Commercial Landers NASA plans to enlist a series of commercial robotic landers and rockets to meet lunar payload delivery and service needs. The agency will release a draft request for proposals this spring to initiate commercial lunar payload service contracts for surface delivery as early as 2019. This solicitation, which will be open to all domestic commercial providers, complements ongoing NASA efforts to stimulate the emerging space economy. The Lunar CATALYST partnerships have already helped advance commercial capabilities to deliver small payloads to the lunar surface. NASA is also interested in understanding and developing requirements for future human landers. By developing landers with mid-size payload capacity (500 to 1,000 kg roughly the size of a smart car) first, this will allow evolution toward large-scale human-rated lunar landers (5,000 to 6,000 kg). Additionally, this class of lander can support larger payloads to the Moon addressing science and exploration objectives such as sample return, resource prospecting, demonstrations of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and others. The agency will seek information from industry later this month for larger lander development, and determine how best to proceed with potential partnerships. NASA plans to follow that effort with a solicitation to enable the partnerships between NASA and industry. The first of two mid-size commercial missions to the Moon for NASA could come as early as 2022. Science and Technology The campaign supported by science and technology projects and activities is designed to enable seamless collaboration across NASA, leveraging agency, commercial and international partnerships toward a common goal. This agency-wide strategy will inspire and enable humankind to take the next bold steps to our lunar neighbor, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. While American innovation will lead the way, partnerships and opportunities with U.S. industry and other nations will be expanded. NASAs intrepid robotic explorers have and continue to provide vital data to support future exploration plans. The agencys Lunar Reconnaissance Orbitercontinues to study the lunar surface from orbit, providing data needed for future robotic and human landers. Plans are underway now for an enhanced lunar sample analysis campaign to ensure data from existing Apollo samples is widely available to support future exploration. NASA also is providing ShadowCamas a U.S. contribution to the Korea Aerospace Research Institutes first lunar exploration mission, Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO). ShadowCam will map the reflectance within the permanently shadowed regions to search for evidence of frost or ice deposits. A new analysis of data from two lunar missions found evidence that the Moons water could be widely distributed across the surface rather than confined to a particular region or type of terrain. The findings could help researchers understand the origin of the Moons water and its feasibility and accessibility as a resource. NASA plans to use a number of CubeSats to affordably study the lunar environment. Thirteen CubeSats will launch on Exploration Mission-1, the agencys first integrated flight of the Space Launch System and Orion. Four of them, LunaH-Map, Lunar IceCube, Lunar Flashlight, and LunIR, will use state-of-the art instrumentation to investigate the abundance, locations, and composition of Moon resources. Building on knowledge obtained from lunar orbit, NASA will develop new science and technology payloads, to be delivered by commercial lunar landers. The opportunity to deploy instruments directly on the lunar surface will improve our understanding of the Moon and its resources, and enable the testing of new technologies for exploration. The Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway will serve NASA and its commercial and international partners as a uniquely valuable staging point and communications relay for exploration and science missions in deep space. The agency recently hosted a workshop to discuss how the gateway could facilitate new scientific discoveries in a variety of ways, including support to lunar sample return missions and other lunar surface science activities. Together, science and technology communities will continue studies of the Moon, with a focus on identifying the lunar resources important for exploration to our Earth companion and into the solar system and beyond, said Zurbuchen. Palghar, Mar 9 (IBNS): A blast followed by a massive fire hit a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Palghar area on Thursday, leaving 13 people injured, media reports said. The blast reportedly took place at around 11: 15 pm. Fire engines rushed to the spot immediately after the incident. Manjunath Singe, Superintendent of Police, Palghar told media that there were no casualty in the incident. The cause of the mishap is still not known. Tremors caused by the blast was heard 12 kmn away in places like Palghar, Mahim, Boisar and surrounding areas Agartala, Mar 9 (IBNS): Biplab Deb will take oath as the Tripura Chief Minister on Friday to head a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. A former gym instructor, BJP state president Biplab Deb was born in Akraban, Udaipur in Gomoti District of Tripura. He was a volunteer with the RSS earlier. BJP national president Amit Shah reached Agartala, the state capital of Tripura on Thursday evening to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The NDA has uninstalled the 25-year long Left government in the state on last Saturday. The BJP-IPFT alliance bagged 43 seats as opposed to Left's 16 seats in a 60-member Assembly with one seat left to be polled. Deb will succeed Manik Sarkar as the CM of Tripura. Agartala, Mar 9 (IBNS): Biplab Kumar Deb has sworn-in as Tripura Chief Minister to head the new BJP government in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present at the oath-taking ceremony on Friday. Deb became the first BJP CM in the state. A former gym instructor, BJP state president Biplab Dev was born in Akraban, Udaipur in Gomoti District of Tripura. He was a volunteer with the RSS earlier. Deb succeeded Manik Sarkar as the CM of the state. The BJP has uprooted the 25-year long Left rule in Tripura. The BJP-IPFT alliance swept the poll with 43 seats as opposed to Left's 16 with one seat yet to be polled. Image: twitter.com/BJP4India New Delhi, Mar 9 (IBNS): President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accepted the resignation of ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y.S. Chowdary from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, according to media reports on Friday. The official Twitter handle of the President of India said, "#PresidentKovind, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati and Shri Y.S. Chowdary from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect." Also tweeted Chowdary on Friday, "Respecting sentiments of our Andhra Pradesh people, we have resigned - Shri @Ashok_Gajapathi garu and I - from Union Cabinet and our resignations have been accepted by His Excellency President of India." Further, as advised by PM Modi, President Kovind has directed that the work of Ministry of Civil Aviation, the department headed by Ashok Gajapathi, will be looked after by the PM, reports said. The Telegu Desam Party (TDP) has walked out of the NDA ministries over the demands of a special status to the southeastern state but stayed in the alliance for now. TDP ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y.S. Chowdary resigned on Thursday following the orders of their party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. While Raju held the civil aviation ministry, Chowdary was the Minister of State in for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences in the BJP-led central government. Following Naidu's statement of pulling out of the NDA, two BJP ministers in the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet in Andhra Pradesh also resigned on Thursday. Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas and Endowments Minister P Manikyala Rao put in their papers after meeting the Chief Minister., reports said. New Delhi, Mar 9 (IBNS): Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union Finance Minister and Congress stalwart P Chidambaram, was sent to CBI custody on Friday for three more days in the corruption cases investigated by the federal investigating agency. The CBI which had sought his remand for six days will produce him in court on Monday. He was earlier arrested on his return from the UK at the Chennai airport. Earlier, the Delhi High Court granted an interim relief to Karti Chidambaram, who is accused in a money laundering case, restricting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from arresting him till next hearing, media reports said. In a writ petition, Karti, has challenged the ED saying it has no jurisdiction to send him summons simply on the basis of the FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A case was filed against Karti by the Enforcement Directorate in May last year alleging irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving foreign investment of over Rs. 300 crore in 2007. P Chidambaram, a Congress veteran, was serving as the Union Finance Minister during that period. The CBI had filed separate case against Karti and others on the basis of information about alleged illegal payments made by INX media. Image: Facebook page Guwahati, Mar 9 (IBNS): President of Bangladesh Md Abdul Hamid said that Bangladesh attaches great importance with India as its most trusted neighbour. While speaking at the dinner hosted in his honour by Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi in Guwahati last night, the Bangladesh President said that both the countries share common social and cultural values and these need to be further encouraged with sustained interaction. This will facilitate sustainable peace and progress in the region. The Bangladesh President had arrived at Guwahati on Thursday during his 5-day long visit to India. Acknowledging the cooperation and help extended by the Indian Government and the people of the country to the Muktijudha of Bangladesh War of Liberation, the Bangladesh President specifically recalled his days in Assam and Meghalaya during those tumultuous times. He also referred to the shelter offered to around one million people who took refuse in the 45 camps set up in the erstwhile Assam. Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the inherent bond between Assam and Bangladesh. He also emphasised on furthering people to people contact by engaging students as ambassadors of goodwill between both the countries. The relationship of Assam with Bangladesh is of great importance and priority for our Government. The bond that the people of Assam share with Bangladesh is very unique. It is a special relationship rooted in common culture, heritage, literature and language, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said while highlighting the historic ties between Bangladesh and Assam in particular and the region in general. Saying that a of mutual trust and confidence; respect for each others sensitivities and concerns, peace and stability in the relationship between Bangladesh and Assam are essential ingredients for realizing the immense potential of the entire region, the Assam CM appreciated the cooperation extended by the Government of Bangladesh to the Government of India in marginalizing the insurgency activities in the North East. Highlighting the need to harness the untapped potential in the area of trade and investment, connectivity, border and security, people to people exchanges between Assam and Bangladesh, Sonowal mentioned about number of projects undertaken by both the governments for bringing a paradigm shift in the growth trajectory of the region. He also recalled the immense contribution of stalwarts like Kazi Nazrul Islam, Runa Laila, Bhupen Hazarika, Dr. Moidul Islam Bora in cementing the ties between Assam and Bangladesh. Earlier, the Bangladesh President with first Lady of Bangladesh Rashida Khanam had visited Maa Kamakhya temple in Assam's Guwahati on Thursday. The Bangladesh President with his wife had offered their prayer to Maa Kamakhya from outside of the temple. The Bangladesh President and the first Lady of Bangladesh were accorded a warm welcome by the temple committee. While arriving at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport, Md Abdul Hamid was welcomed by the Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi along with two Assam ministers Parimal Suklabaidya and Ranjit Dutta. On ther hand, several organisations of Assam had protested against the Bangladesh President visit. On Friday, Md Abdul Hamid had visited Meghalaya. Two air force helicopters took the Presidents team to Balat, a small town in East Khasi Hills along with Bangladesh border. From Balat, he came to Shillong, where he visited the bungalow of Bidhan Chandra Roy (former Bengal chief minister) and Sidli House, where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had stayed during his third visit in 1927. After spending the night at Raj Bhavan in Shillong, Hamid will come back to Guwahati and leave for New Delhi on Mar 11. He will return to Dhaka on Mar 12. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Birbhum, Mar 9 (IBNS): Activists of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) allegedly beat up students of Visva Bharati University who were demonstrating against cutting down of trees at Shyambati area near Shantiniketan in Birbhum district on Friday, reports said. According to reports, a group of Visva Bharati University's pupils, including several women and international students, on Friday morning staged agitation against cutting of trees at Shyambati area where state Public Works Department (PWD) has been razing a large number of trees for road widening project. During the protest, several activists of the TMC, led by local leader Nurul Huda Kaji, reached the scene and they allegedly thrashed agitating students to disperse them from the spot. Protesters also claimed that women and international students of the prestigious university were also beaten up badly by the TMC workers in presence of police force. Several agitating students were reportedly injured in the sudden attack and they were rushed to a local hospital. Later, a heavy police force reached the scene and evacuated protesters and TMC activists from the area to bring the situation under control. After a heavy police deployment, tree cutting was resumed again at the area, according to local police officials. (Reporting by Deepayan Sinha, Images from Facebook) Bangalore, Mar 9 (IBNS): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday made the first arrest in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. The arrested person has been identified as K.T. Naveen Kumar . The SIT had taken him into custody on Mar 2. The 37-year-old man was taken in custody of SIT almost two weeks since his arrest for possessing a pistol and live bullets, media reports quoting police said. Sources in the special probe team told NDTV that they believe Naveen Kumar played a 'small but significant' role in the murder of Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at close range by unidentified men outside her home in Bengaluru on the night of September 5 last year. Though Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy in November last had said that the identities of the killers of Gauri Lankesh will be revealed soon, in past few months there were no news of any breakthrough. The Karnataka Government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the murder of Gauri Lankesh. Lankesh, 55, a popular journalist known for her opposition to Right-wing ideology, was shot three times by some unknown assailants outside her residence. She was the editor of Lankesh Patrike, a weekly newspaper. Her murder bears a resemblance with earlier murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi. Gauri Lankesh's murder had sparked country-wide protests. Washington DC, Mar 8 (IBNS) : President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, setting the stage for a historic encounter between the leaders of world's two most inimical states. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined," CNN quoted White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders as saying. The talks to be held in May would be unprecedented being the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader. The move is a major breakthrough in world geopolitics, particularly in the light of both the countries issuing threats to each other with nuclear arsenal. CNN said South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, delivered the invitation to Trump after a visit by his delegation to Pyongyang earlier this week. Chung said Kim had offered to put Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program on the table. The South Korean delegation, which landed in Washington, D.C. for a debriefing Thursday on the North-South talks, was careful to praise Trump's influence over the developments. Chung said the US President's "leadership" and his administration's pressure on the North Korean regime had "brought us to this juncture," CNN reported. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump "greatly appreciates the nice words" of the delegation and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong Un at a place and time to be determined. We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea. In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." Trump tweeted that "great progress" had been made but there would be no prospect of lifting sanctions until a deal was reached. Kabul, Mar 9 (IBNS): A suicide attack in Afghanistan's Kabul city on Friday left at least eight people killed, media reports said. The incident left 22 others injured. The blast occurred at a time when a gathering was taking place in Qala Nazar area of the city. The blast occurred at about 11:20am in Qala Nazar area near participants of the 23rd death anniversary of Mazari. Second deputy chief executive officer Mohammad Mohaqqiq was addressing the event when the blast took place, reported Pajhwok Afghan News. The suicide bomber detonated himself, triggering panic in the area. Interior Ministry second deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told Pajhwok Afghan News the bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body soon after he was recognized by security forces at the fourth security check point. The blast occurred close to the gathering. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Washington, Mar 9 (IBNS): In a significant development, US President Donald Trump has said he is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump tweeted: " Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" The announcement over the meeting was made in Washington by South Korea officials. They passed on a letter from the North Korean leader. The meeting, which would be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, will happen by May, according to South Korea's national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, who delivered the invitation to Trump after a visit by his delegation to Pyongyang earlier this week, CNN reported. The move appears to be a major breakthrough after months of barbs exchanged between North Korea and the US. Fresh development in the relationship between North Korea, South Korea and the US began recently when a North Korea delegation was invited to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Meanwhile, the White House also confirmed that Trump has accepted North Korea's invitation for a meet. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement: " I told President Trump that, in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He understands that the routine joint military exercises between the Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. And he expressed his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible." " President Trump appreciated the briefing and said he would meet Kim Jong-un by May to achieve permanent denuclearization," said the statement. However, the statement confirmed that: " The Republic of Korea, the United States, and our partners stand together in insisting that we not repeat the mistakes of the past, and that the pressure will continue until North Korea matches its words with concrete actions." 2017 witnessed US President Donald Trump slamming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as the Asian nation continued to conduct several of its missile tests, teasing world peace and tranquillity and often threatening to trigger a war. Situation became far tensed when North Korea tested an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) that the nation said was capable of striking US mainland. The United Nations Security Council imposed strong new sanctions against the Asian nation after its Nov 29 launch of a nuclear-capable weapon. Trump and North Korea continued to exchange barbs earlier this year too. Washington/Ottawa, Mar 9 (IBNS): Giving a sigh of relief to Justin Trudeau, US President Donald Trump has exempted Canada from the trade tariffs imposed on metal imports for now, media reports said. Trump on Thursday signed the proclamations of imposing trade tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminium imports respectively from all countries but Canada and Mexico. Canada, Mexico and the US are partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However Trump has cleared that the decision to exempt Canada and Mexico can be changed in future. During the signing ceremony, Trump said: "Due to the unique nature of our relationship with Canada and Mexico ... we're gonna hold off the tariff for those two countries." "If we don't make the deal on NAFTA, and if we terminate NAFTA ... we'll start all over again. Or we'll just do it a different way. But we'll terminate NAFTA, and that'll be it. But I have a feeling we're gonna make a deal on NAFTA. ... If we do there won't be any tariffs on Canada, and there won't be any tariffs on Mexico" the US President was quoted by CTV News. Earlier in a blackmailing tone, Trump had said Canada won't be exempted from the trade tariffs unless a new NAFTA is signed. Canada, very likely, had reacted strongly to the Trump administration's idea of slapping of tariffs on metal imports. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had termed the move as "unacceptable". In a tweet on Thursday, Trump gave a hint of Canada's exemption from the trade tariffs. Trump hopes the imposition of tariffs will help him to bring back jobs to the US which he alleged to have been stolen by other countries that acted unfairly. Image: facebook/@POTUS Ottawa/Washington. Mar 9 (IBNS): After exempting Canadian products from new tariffs, United States (US) President Donald Trump has expressed his concerned over the fact that Canada would become a channel for Chinese steel and aluminum products getting into the US, media reports said. The American administration had reportedly signed out Chinese products from tarrifs exemption arguing that tariffs were needed for unfair trading practices and added that Canada was the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the US. Trudeau government was also reportedly concerned for the American side and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had countered a suggestion that Canada was a channel for Chinese products during his conversation earlier this week with Trump. Trudeau also added that Canadian steel and aluminum workers would be surprised to hear that their products are actually Chinese. Canadian ministers and officials had reportedly reached out to more than a dozen American players after Trump's announcement last week that he would be imposing new import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Those American officials included: Peter Navarro, Trump's trade adviser; John Kelly, his chief of staff; Jared Kushner, the president's son in-law and adviser; Defense Secretary James Mattis; Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross; Treasury Secretary Seth Mnuchin; H.R. McMaster, the president's national security advisor; Gary Cohn, his chief economic adviser (who announced this week he was quitting the White House reportedly over the tariff decision); U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft; Congressman Kevin Brady, chair of the ways and means committee; Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group and an adviser to Trump; and Tom Donahue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In addition to Trump, Trudeau spoke to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "In recent days, we have worked energetically with our American counterparts to secure an exemption for Canada from these tariffs," Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Thursday, acknowledging the efforts of premiers, business leaders, labour leaders and parliamentarians from multiple parties. Concerned that the US was reportedly approaching the tariffs as a national security issue Freeland was reported to state, "We have said from the outset it would be completely unacceptable for tariffs to be levied on Canada as part of a national security consideration," Freeland also told that, "on aluminum, like in the United States, the Canadian industry has also raised concerns about misclassification of exports from China and we would be happy to work with U.S. Customs on this type of issue as well." Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland, tarrifs, China, Canada (Reporting by Asha Bajaj) "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. Meet Nimisha Singh, the 26-year-old civil engineer working on the Metro III underground corridor. Nimisha, who has an expertise in tunnel technology is playing a big role in designing, and managing the project. She joined the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation as deputy engineer (civil) in August 2015 and has turned her nights into days to complete a stretch between Mumbai Central and Acharya Atre Marg. india.com What made her choose this? I always wanted to be a civil engineer as my family members are associated with the field. As a kid, I used to visit construction sites to observe the work, she said, tucking her long hair behind her ear, reports TOI. I give a lot of credit to my parents as they have always encouraged me. Her father is a lawyer-politician and her mother is government counsel. Nimisha also shares how taxing a job in a male-dominated area can be. She said that initially, it was difficult and hard for his male colleagues to take orders from her - a woman - but over a period of time she built a rapport with them, and things are working out just fine. BCCL She initially began working on Delhi Metro through a private firm back in October 2013. That project widened her horizon because, before that, she only had experience in irrigation and canal projects. With dedicated years in the technology and strenuous working hours, now nothing comes in the way of her work. Her ultimate aim is to be an expert on mechanized and conventional tunnelling. I want to have a post-graduate degree in tunnelling technology and underground construction, said Nimisha. Women like Nimisha show the world that there is literally nothing a woman can't do. Impossible? What's that? TV's Naagin is all set to take over the films and the baby steps have already begun. Mouni Roy has some exciting projects lined up and that includes Akshay Kumar's Gold and Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra, that also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Rare sighting of the Bulgarian #Brahamastra A post shared by mon (@imouniroy) on Feb 16, 2018 at 5:32am PST Yes, this one looks like an exciting year for Mouni. She's currently in Bulgaria for the shoot of Brahmastra and she's making most of her time off from the shoot by exploring the East European country. Mouni looks like a happy solo-traveler as she visited the town of Plovdiv, which is the second biggest city of Bulgaria and she also visited the Old Roman amphitheater. From her trench coats to her boots, her style quotient is on point but her wide grin in all the pictures is what is heart-warming. Mouni's tourist-y diaries includeed visiting Asens Fortress, which is close to the town of Asenevograd. Have a look at the pictures. White oblivion ... Shiv ji s here A post shared by mon (@imouniroy) on Feb 13, 2018 at 7:23am PST Woke up this morn missing home ... A post shared by mon (@imouniroy) on Feb 22, 2018 at 1:07am PST Birthday surprises are the best and when it comes from people we least expect, it just gets better. For actor Anupam Kher, his birthday became a delightful day after Hollywood star Robert De Niro surprised him by hosting a surprise birthday dinner. BCCL Anupam Kher who turned 63 on March 7, was shooting for the pilot episode of an international television series for NBC, when his Silver Linings Playbook co-star De Niro surprised him by hosting a private dinner for him at his residence, read a statement. Twitter Anupam shared a video of himself along with De Niro and thanked him and his wife Grace Hightower for making his 63rd birthday special. Thank you Grace and Mr. Robert De Niro for making my birthday the biggest highlight of my entire life. Thank you for the surprise dinner for me at your home. Thank you for singing Happy Birthday song for me. Thank you for my ultimate, he captioned the image. Check out the video here Thank you Grace & Mr. Robert De Niro for making my birthday the biggest highlight of my entire life. Thank you for the surprise dinner for me at your home. Thank you for singing Happy Birthday song for me. Thank you for my ultimate KUCH BHI HO SAKTA HAI moment. #GodOfActing pic.twitter.com/ePXo86SHTR Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) 9 March 2018 Silver Linings Playbook, a romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O Russell, released in 2012. The film also had Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and Julia Stiles in supporting roles. A bigger waistline has become a silent killer over the years. It is one the leading causes of a range of condition, ranging all the way from heart ailments to cancer. But did you know that it could have a dramatic effect on your mental health as well? elconfidencial.com Women who have a mid or higher waist-to-height ratio have a higher chance of developing anxiety, concluded a recent research. knowinglyhealthy/Representational Image The higher a person's waist-to-height ratio the more abdominal fat they're presumed to be carrying around. "Hormone changes may be involved in the development of both anxiety and abdominal obesity because of their roles in the brain as well as in fat distribution," said JoAnn Pinkerton, Executive Director at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS)a US-based non-profit organisation. mitchellderm.com "This study provides valuable insights for healthcare providers treating middle-aged women, because it implies that waist-to-height ratio could be a good marker for evaluating patients for anxiety," Pinkerton added. The researchers from Peru found that the cause-and-effect relationship between excess weight and anxiety, which was previously linked to 'stress eating' may be on of the key reasons. The result of the study indicate that women who were overweight are more likely to have anxiety because both weight regulation and mental health are affected by changes in your hormones. maminka.cz Although this is not the first time this relationship has been examined, this study is the first of its kind known to use waist-to-height ratio as the specific link to anxiety, the researchers said. The findings published in Menopause the journal for the North American Menopause Society suggests that 58 per cent of the study population were postmenopausal, and 61.3 per cent reported experiencing anxiety. corriereadriatico This research falls in line with the theory that anxiety is linked to heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, respiratory disorders as well as other documented medical issues. Throughout history, there are bank robberies that will be remembered because of how extraordinarily brilliant they were. Criminals like Bonnie and Clyde inspired filmmakers to immortalise their escapades on the silver screen. These were the heists that made us think Could I get away with it? Here are some that will make you sit up in admiration. 1. Detective robbed banks on his lunch breaks And returned to investigate them later! What a brilliant man. Andre Stander, head of the Criminal Investigation Department in Kempton, South Africa would disguise himself as a robber and pull off a heist during his lunch breaks. His robbed 30 banks before he drunkenly tried to recruit a partner who handed him over to the police. lowlife magazine 2. Khalistan Commando Force leader masterminded Indias largest robbers Labh Singh masterminded Indias largest bank robbery where he netted almost Rs 5.7 crore from the Millar Ganj branch of Punjab National Bank, in Ludhiana. A part of the money that Singh stole belonged to the Reserve Bank of India. The loot was used by KCF to purchase weapons. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that "12 to 15 Sikhs dressed as policemen and armed with submachine guns and rifles escaped with nearly $4.5 million in the biggest bank robbery in Indian history." disinfo 3. Robbers rented a house to dig a tunnel into the bank and robbed $65 million A band of thieves rented a house in Brazil and pretended to be employed with an artificial turf company. They rented a house and dug a 656 foot tunnel from their house to Banco Central. They looted the bank over the weekend and the robbery was discovered only on Monday morning. The neighbours reported seeing the employees taking away vans full of material every day. ap 4. Robbers rented a restaurant to rob the bank on the second floor This robbery was inspired from the Bollywood flick, Dhoom. The thieves pretended to own a restaurant to rob a bank on the floor above them. In 2008 on New Year's Day, the staff of the South Malabar Grameen Bank in Chelembra, India came in to discover their floor had been carved open from below. The looters had fled with around Rs 2.5 million and Rs 75 million in cash and gold, respectively. They were caught two months later after the police tracked their mobiles. Most of their loot was recovered. representative image/flickr 5. Robbers dodged and escaped 200 police officers after a seven-hour standoff While robbing a bank in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a band of thieves engaged 200 police officers in a seven-hour-long hostage standoff. The robbers traded a few hostages for pizza, all the while loading 140 safe deposit boxes through a hole they dug out in the basement. The tunnel led them to a boat on the La Plata River through which the escaped. representative image/flickr 6. The stopwatch gang that robbed banks in two minutes or less Known as The Stopwatch Gang, Stephen Reid, Patrick Mitchell, and Lionel Wright looted one bank after the other in California during the 1970s and 1980s. They would wear presidential Halloween masks and rob a bank in under two minutes. One of them always wore a stopwatch around his neck to keep them on track. They got $15 million richer from their robberies before being caught in the 1980s. youtube 7. Thieves robbed a bank but bragged about it on social media We would call this couple genius not for how they robbed a bank but what they did after. Josh Morgan and Ashley Duboe were charged with looting the Savings Bank in Asheville, Ohio. Morgan wore a black hoodie to cover his facial tattoos to avoid identification. The teller handed him the money and he walked out of the bank a richer person. However, the couple bragged about their robbery on Facebook which alerted the police and led to their arrest. CharmCityWire 8. Man impersonated Santa Claus, looted a bank and disappeared Just what the real Santa Claus would do minus the robbery. Taking advantage of an annual Santa Con pub crawl, one man pulled off the perfect crime. As the Santas drunk themselves into oblivion, the robber walked inside a bank on Sutter Street and passed the teller a note. The teller handed the thief cash with which he vanished into thin air, never to be found. representative image/getty images 9. Robbers dug a tunnel to rob a bank, emptied 86 lockers In 2014, a gang of robbers - a pathology lab owner, a property dealer and two farmers dug a 125-feet long and 2.5 feet wide tunnel to rob Punjab National Banks Gohana branch in Haryanas Sonipat. They dug for 40 days and spent six hours on breaking open the lockers to pull off the heist. The police arrested three thieves while the fourth one committed suicide. india today 10. Guards robbed the bank they were hired to protect The guards hired to protect the Dar Es Salaam Bank in Baghdad - which held millions in assets from around the world - looted the treasury and disappeared with $282 million. The guards usually slept overnight inside the bank. How they looted the bank, though, remains shrouded in mystery, but they were arrested. flickr 11. The "Friday Night Robber" who robbed 45 banks but was convicted of only five Carl Gugasians robberies targeted banks in small towns with an easy highway escape route and late closing times. He robbed only on Friday nights, hence the title Friday Night Robber. After each robbery, he would hide the money he stole and any evidence against him. When things cooled down, he would come back to retrieve it. He was caught when one of his hidden caches was found by two teenage boys. But Gugasian was only convicted of five robberies instead of the 45 he committed in total. ganglandwire Inspired? Please dont be. But there is no harm in admiring the sheer dedication with which these robbers pulled off their history-making heists. With The Big Sick or HBOs Silicon Valley being his ticket to fame, Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host Kumail Nanjiani, has recently become everyone's favourite person. Read more: Racism Still Exists In South Africa And Sadly Cricket Is Not Immune From It On our way to an Oscar viewing party. pic.twitter.com/4NRxREEKa9 Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 4, 2018 In fact, people on Twitter are already rooting for him to host the 2019 Oscars after he stole the show as a presenter. Geez, get Kumail Nanjiani to host the #Oscars next year. He's so effortlessly politically funny in the perfect way for a ceremony that needs to be political and airy at the same time. Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) March 5, 2018 But being talented, extremely popular, hardworking, dedicated, and erudite is one thing, and being brown is another. In a world where most people are first judged by the colour of their skin, the quality of their clothes and the fluency with which they speak a language that's not their's, it's hard to leave a mark solely based on one's talent. In a tweet, Kumail Nanjiani shared the horror of being around racist hecklers and people who are still failing to see him as an artist over the colour of his skin. A day may come when I am not mistaken for another brown actor. But it is not this day. Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 8, 2018 But within minutes, he was backed and supported by India's two most successful male stars who're shining in Hollywood - The Big Bang Theory fame Kunal Nayyar, and Kal Penn who has multiple great roles to his credit. Kunal joked about being mistaken for him and wishing it were true. Every time I get recognized for you I think man I wish it were true:) Kunal Nayyar (@kunalnayyar) March 8, 2018 Kal offered the two a pint of beer I have taken credit for both of your accolades in the last 2 weeks so I guess I owe you each a photo, half a beer, and an awkward extended hug Kal Penn (@kalpenn) March 8, 2018 What a camaraderie! We're already rooting for a meet where the three men will make us laugh! Read more: People From The Northeast Tell How They Face Racism In Various Parts Of India Don't you think all of us could create a comprehensive support system for our friends of different colour around the world? Don't you think we all need some concrete changes in the law to help and support people from different caste, creed, strata, colour and background? Well, all of this does sound like a little bit of wishful thinking, but what we can really do is make some small changes at our end and see the world flourish! What a woman wants to wear should be her choice. True freedom is when a woman can make that decision without being judged for her choice. But there are way too many women who are forced to follow the rules and regulations that they do not believe are their own. Iran Breaks Up Womens Protest as Khamenei Extols Hijab, Deplores Western Nudity - International Womens Day in Tehran saw reports of police breaking up a protest by a group of women, on the same day as supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei extolled... https://t.co/y9nQXOe92Z CNSNews.com (@cnsnews) March 9, 2018 To mark the International Women's Day, dozens of women in Iran took it to streets and took off their scarves. This happened in one of busiest streets of Iran's capital Tehran and the Islamic government took a notice. There has always been a debate amongst the supreme leaders of Islamic bodies over the shameful westernization taking over the world, disbarring the true virtues of a woman, that lies in wearing a headscarf and this time it was no different. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader wrote some sharp tweets marking the event and the day. But despite everything was said and done, young women continue to protest. They were terrorized and petrified by the mere thought of ramification, but they didn't give standing atop a second thought. By promoting modest dress (#hijab), #Islam has blocked the path which would lead women to such a deviant lifestyle . Hijab is a means of immunity not restriction. Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) March 8, 2018 I was really stressed, said the woman, an artist who because of safety concerns asked not to be identified by her name. Instead, she called herself Azadeh, which means one who is free in Farsi. At the same time, I felt powerful. People arent used to seeing women without veils. reports The Washington Post. This isn't the first such case, but a series of protest have been happening in Iran and many Muslim countries where women took off their headscarves hoping for better reforms that promote them. These women protesting against the compulsory veil have been arrested, harassed and even booked for the crime. The Iranian Ayatollahs dictatorial misogyny was met w/ defiance by countless thousands of women in Iran who removed their veils despite his order. Freedom of choice is Gods gift to mankind & when a religious leader defies such freedom he defies God.https://t.co/fzFkOmXl8b Johnnie Moore (@JohnnieM) March 9, 2018 Iran and Saudi Arabia are the only two countries in the world that legally require women to wear head coverings in public. After famously referring to Pakistan as 'Terroristan' at the United Nations for the country's continued support to anti-India terrorists groups, last year, an Indian diplomat has now coined another phrase to describe the country. Speaking at the UNHRC in Geneva on Thursday, Indian diplomat Mini Devi Kumam said "We urge the Council to call on Pakistan to end cross border infiltration; to dismantle special terrorist zones, safe havens and sanctuaries, to take verifiable actions, including on terror financing." Kumam was countering an allegation made by Pakistan earlier at the forum, about human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. She said terrorism "is the grossest violation" of human rights. "The real problem in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is terrorism, which has constantly received sustenance from Pakistan and territories under its control," said Kumam, the second secretary, India's Permanent Mission at the UNHRC. AFP She also told the UNHRC that Pakistan should provide freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir by ending its illegal and forcible occupation. India's representative at the UNHRC further said Pakistan has made a habit of misusing the Geneva forum to make misleading references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. "Pakistan has long been attempting to mask its territorial ambitions and use of terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights," said Kumam. Having celebrated international women's day with great pomp and show, India has begun to churn out more opportunities for women in every field possible. Indian Railways especially, is empowering Indian women by employing them for important jobs in the railways in major cities all across the country. 1. Mumbai Mumbai's Central Railways Matunga station is the first station on Indian Railways to be manned by women personnel. With a staff of 42 women in total, the station is run completely by women - from ticket checkers and cleaners to station manager and ticket clerks - all are women. Matunga Central Railway Mumbai. Image: Priyanka Bhatt Here's a look at the country's first women-run railway station. 2. Jaipur Indian Railways handed over the Gandhi Nagar railway station in Jaipur to an all women crew. It has a footfall of nearly 7000 passengers per day and of the 50 trains which pass by, 25 trains halt there. Jaipur Gandhinagar Railway Station / BCCL The station is operated by 28 women employees, including ticket checkers, RPF, operations staff and reservation and booking supervisors. 3. Banaswadi station, Bengaluru Another station to be run entirely by women is Banaswadi station, where all including the station master, booking clerk, and reservation clerk, among others are women. Twitter/@SWRRLY A report by IANS quoted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal saying "Indian Railways does not distinguish while recruiting people, but there are few sectors in the railways for which Indian women unfortunately do not apply. We would start recruiting more women soon, particularly in the Railway Protection Force." 4. Kolkata Metro To mark the International Women's Day, Kolkata Metro too, will be one of the women-run stations. The Metro service in that started in the stretch of the chosen station Bhawanipur station to Esplanade on October 24, 1984. PTI Women employees of Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation (KMRC) celebrated after Netaji Bhavan metro station was declared an all-women operated railway station on the occasion of International Women's Day in Kolkata on Thursday. 5. Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi express The Ambala Division of Northern Railway decided to deploy an all-women ticket checking staff on the popular Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi Express. This was the first time that three women together would be taking care of ticket checking on their own, reported The Indian Express. The Indian Express Such initiatives were taken all over the country. Koyna Express and Deccan Express that runs from Pune to Mumbai were managed by all-women staff. With the stark difference in the sex ratio in India, the government of Gujarat has decided to take a unique step to solve the problem. The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani announced on Thursday that girls born on March 8 will be called as "nanhi pari" by the government. This move comes after a Sample Registration System report revealed that the sex ratio in Gujarat is 848 per 1000 men in 2016. Rupani had visited a civil hospital in Ahmedabad on the occasion of the International Women's Day and presented silver coins and other gifts to newborn girls. "The chief minister also announced that all girl children born on March 8 will be greeted as 'nanhi pari' (little angel) by the state government," a press release said. "The chief minister interacted with mothers and their newborn girls at Ahmedabad civil hospital and gifted them 5-gram silver coins, roses, clothes and 'Mamata kits'. He urged their mothers to take care of their health and get them educated well," the release said. All the tributes and messages that have poured for Sridevi have proved that she was a gem of a person and more importantly, a very disciplined actor. People have recalled that Sridevi kept her professional and personal life separate and always chose to give her best in whatever she did. After more than a week of her demise, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has paid tribute to late actor Sridevi, whom he misses dearly. Pinterest During an episode of Indias Next Superstars, Bhatt inspired some of the aspiring actors by sharing a story about Sridevi while shooting with the actress for his film Gumrah (1993), a statement said. BCCL An agency report quoted Mahesh Bhatt saying, Twitter While shooting for Gumrah, we had to shoot a water sequence for which Sridevi was needed. I was informed that she is down with fever and we might have to postpone the shoot. Worried about her health, I met her in her room and requested her that we continue shooting when she is fine because her condition was really bad. To my surprise, she refused to postpone the shoot." BCCL Talking about her hard work, he said, Sridevi shot inside water for hours with fever and didnt say a word because she was so professional. I salute her spirit and I miss her dearly. It's often said that when people leave, their work is all that is left and considering how sincerely Sridevi has given close to fifty years of her life to Indian Cinema, her contribution will forever be cherished and respected. Technology has now become an inseparable part of our lives, so much that people have to de-addict themselves for being on the internet for too long. Some people however, do not realise this and end up doing unimaginably stupid things. In one such case, a 23-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by her husband after she turned off the WiFi router at their house in Dundigal area last night, reported PTI. On Thursday, the police informed that the woman was admitted to a hospital after her grandmother lodged a complaint with the police, who have recorded her statement. Punjagutta police station inspector S Ravindar said that the accused, identified as Umar P, a driver, lost his cool after his wife turned off the WiFi router connection on Wednesday midnight and thrashed her mercilessly. "The alleged incident occurred at the house of the woman's in-laws. Umar dropped his wife to her grandmother's house in Somajiguda after the incident," said the officer. No arrest has been made so far. Police booked Umar under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 498 A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the IPC, the inspector said. As the offence took place under the Dundigal police station limits, the case will now be transferred for further investigation to that police station, he said. The woman addressed the media and said she was beaten up continuously for switching off the WiFi of his phone. "He hit me on my neck, head, chest. He also thrashed me near my ear and near the eye. After being hit below my eye, I ran out of the house after which he stopped hitting me," she claimed. In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court has ruled that human beings have the right to die with dignity and allowed passive euthanasia for terminally ill people, under strict guidelines. Passive euthanasia is a condition where there is withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention to hasten the death of a terminally-ill patient. Read more Union Territory Of Diu Produces All Electricity It Needs Using Solar Power, Is Now Power Surplus The harnessing of solar energy has made Diu the countrys first energy surplus Union territory and a model for an effective way for people to harness this renewable energy source. In just three years, Diu has made rapid progress in solar power generation. The Union territory has an area of just 42 square kilometres. Despite scarcity of land, solar power plants have been installed over more than 50 acres. Read more 23-Year-Old Dies After Being Shot By Minor Cousin While Taking Selfies With A Gun A 23-year-old from Delhi was shot dead by his minor cousin while taking selfies with a licensed pistol at their home. The incident took place in south east Delhis Sarita Vihar area Thursday evening. Legal action is being taken against the 17-year-old boy. Police informed they may take action against the boys father as well for giving a pistol to his minor son. Read more CBI Moves Supreme Court Challenging Acquittal Of Talwars In Aarushi Murder Case The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an appeal against the Allahabad High Court ruling which acquitted Rajesh Talwar and his wife Nupur in the murder of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. BCCL The CBI's appeal challenging the verdict comes nearly six months after the couple were let off in the case by the HC citing insufficient evidence against them. Read more In Gujarat, All The Girls Born On March 8 Will Be Called 'Little Angels" Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani announced on Thursday that girls born on March 8 will be called as "nanhi pari" by the government. This move comes after a Sample Registration System report revealed that the sex ratio in Gujarat is 848 per 1000 men in 2016. Read more Some Respite To The Common Man, Court Says Traffic Should Not Be Stopped For VIP Movement The Madras High Court has said the road traffic need not be halted for dignitaries, including the state governor, the chief minister and chief justice, as it suggested that any such stoppage for facilitating the movement of their vehicles should not be more than 5 or 10 minutes. First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose, also said exceptions may only be made in the case of visits of high-level dignitaries such as the president and the prime minister, who occasionally visit and whose visits were intimated and publicised in advance. Read more Debt, Corruption and Tax Policies Impact Poverty, Says Vatican at United Nations coord [at] jubileeusa.com) Friday Mar 9th, 2018 11:14 AM by Lydia Andrews During United Nations Human Rights Council meetings last week, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Geneva based Vatican representative stated, We can no longer frame the debt crisis as an exclusively economic problem. It affects future generations, as well as the social conditions that allow the enjoyment of human rights of vast numbers of people entitled to the solidarity of the whole human family. During United Nations Human Rights Council meetings last week, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Geneva based Vatican representative stated, We can no longer frame the debt crisis as an exclusively economic problem. It affects future generations, as well as the social conditions that allow the enjoyment of human rights of vast numbers of people entitled to the solidarity of the whole human family. Jurkovics intervention during the UN Meetings called for, stronger policies around public budget transparency, responsible lending and borrowing, securing greater development protections, stronger debt restructuring policies and fiscal strategies that curb tax evasion and corruption. Archbishop Jurkovics speech is incredibly timely and expresses urgency to improve debt, tax and transparency policies to protect vulnerable people, expressed Eric LeCompte who leads the interfaith religious development group, Jubilee USA. The organization counts the Catholic Church among its founders working with Jubilee USA for over 20 years on economic issues. The speech is important because it calls for world leaders to promote development measures that tackle inequality and prevent financial crisis. The speech was made during The 37th Session of the Human Rights Council on Report of the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of human rights. The report that the Vatican and world governments discussed at the United Nations session was prepared by UN Independent Expert, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky. The Holy See recognizes that severe human rights impacts resulting from the recent financial crisis have been widely and well documented. Policy responses to the crisis have revealed a deep-seated structural neglect of human rights in economic policy formulation, insufficient protection of the most disadvantaged and a lack of attention to participation, consultation, transparency and accountability, stated Jurkovic whose official title is the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. During the address, Jurkovic reiterated concerns around predatory firms that take advantage of economies in distress, or groups popularly known as vulture funds. The statement endorsed a United Nations bankruptcy process for countries that is supported by Pope Francis. Setting targets to curb global corruption and tax evasion were also encouraged during the Vatican diplomats remarks. The developing world loses more than a trillion dollar a year because of tax evasion, corruption, bad debt policies and vulture funds, said LeCompte who serves on UN expert finance groups. From Puerto Rico to Mozambique, people are suffering because of a lack of transparency in the financial system. We have the ability to dramatically reduce poverty, if we can improve accountability in global economic policies. Read Archbishop Jurkovics United Nation Holy See Speech Read the Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky UN Independent Debt and Human Rights Expert Report Ajinomoto looks to double Turkey sales with amalgamation Ajinomoto has announced that it will amalgamate Ajinomoto Istanbul Food Sales, Kukre and Orgen, all of which are wholly owned subsidiaries in Turkey with a view to doubling sales by 2020. Ajinomoto has announced that it will amalgamate Ajinomoto Istanbul Food Sales, Kukre and Orgen, all of which are wholly owned subsidiaries in Turkey. The company said it will make a new start as a comprehensive food manufacturer in Turkey to accelerate the expansion of its international consumer foods business in Turkey and the Middle East. The effective date of the amalgamation is scheduled for July 2018, and the new company will be named Ajinomoto Istanbul Food Industry And Trade Limited Company. Ajinomoto started business in Turkey with the establishment of Ajinomoto Istanbul Foods Sales Ltd. in 2011. After acquiring 50% of the equity of Kukre which manufactures and sells liquid seasonings (vinegars, fruit sauces), pickles and other products, in November 2013, Ajinomoto made it a wholly owned subsidiary in August 2017. Ajinomoto Co. also made Orgen, which manufactures and sells powdered seasonings (bouillon, menu-specific seasonings) and processed foods (powdered soups, powdered desserts), a wholly owned subsidiary in April 2017. The amalgamation of the three companies will consolidate their corporate functions. In addition, the new company will utilize the marketing and sales functions of Kukre and Orgen to establish a solid business platform for enhancing manufacturing and sales of existing liquid seasonings, powdered seasonings and processed foods, as well as developing new products using the Ajinomoto Groups specialized ingredients and technologies. Ajinomoto says it will also strengthen exports to the Middle East in addition to sales in Turkey. In doing so, it will aim for fiscal 2020 sales of more than JPY 10 billion (about twice fiscal 2017 sales). UK government holds emergency talks to bolster energy firms AP - 44 minutes ago LONDON (AP) Britain's business secretary will hold emergency talks with industry leaders and consumer groups Monday as the U.K. government looks for ways to support energy companies threatened by soaring... $SPX : 4,432.99 (-0.91%) $DOWI : 34,584.88 (-0.48%) $IUXX : 15,333.47 (-1.18%) Kosovo deploys police, Serbs protest amid border tension AP - 46 minutes ago BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Tensions soared Monday at the border between Kosovo and Serbia as Kosovo deployed additional police to implement a rule to remove Serbian license plates from cars entering Kosovo,... $SPX : 4,432.99 (-0.91%) $DOWI : 34,584.88 (-0.48%) $IUXX : 15,333.47 (-1.18%) Quadruple Witching not so Bewitching Market Tea Leaves - 1 hour ago On Friday the markets fell even though it was Quadruple Witching. Will we see the same today? 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BX : 133.63 (-1.04%) The role of the CIO whether or not the security part of the organisation reports into the CIO or is working together and they report into operations is as an integrator of disparate parts of the business, Stephens told CIO Australia ahead of her three-city tour. With respect to cyber security, weve seen a huge shift in attitude over the last five to ten years in terms of thinking through the ability to prevent every attack, and prevent every bit of data exfiltration and (be) much more focused on how can we work together to get to a place of better resilience for the organisation. Stephens said the policy of reforming cyber risks as a strategic business risk and the attitudinal shifts go together with risk becoming increasingly high-profile within many organisations, as she noted that CIOs have become more involved in the evaluation and purchase of cyber insurance. Even as recently as five years ago, we would go into a meeting with the CIO and the risk manager and theyd meet for the first time there, Stephens told the tech website. The person whos in charge of managing the overall risks of the organisation hadnt met the person who was in charge of information systems and thats crazy in an environment where most businesses are completely reliant on technology for both business continuity and growth. Stephens noted a greater shift in the attitude on the part of the CIO, who is now aware that there's no quick solution to cybersecurity and that there needs to be collaboration with multiple stakeholders within the organisation, including a risk-management team, to achieve resilience. Oftentimes, after the CIO and risk manager had met for the first time, the CIO would be really defensive about being questioned, Stephens said. They would say, Its not possible that anything could get through the security perimeter that weve set up, and our systems are completely bulletproof. But weve seen this attitude totally change to recognising theres no such thing as 100% security. CIOs have now come to recognise that collaboration involves a mix of management and prevention from both a technology and human perspective, as well as a bit of residual risk transfer from an insurance perspective, the cyber expert told CIO Australia. Related stories: QBE withdrew from the AUB's shareholder register a decade after the insurer's then-CEO Frank O'Halloran bought a strategic 14.9% stake into what was then Austbrokers Holdings in Feb. 2007; and a year after it reduced its holding by 9%, at $10.70 a share, Street Talk reported. The trade follows Allianz Australia's sale of its own 5.3% stake in the ASX-listed broker, at $12.65 a share, also via Macquarie's equities desk. Related stories: Reaching out to college students, even when theyre just arriving on campuses for the first time, is one way to get more interest from a younger generation, according to David Chipp, assistant vice president and wholesale insurance broker at Brown & Riding. At least, thats how he got into the industry almost 20 years ago. A friend who worked for an MGA got Chipp a job and he took the opportunity because he needed to pay his way through school, with little to no experience in insurance beforehand. Really, Chipp said that millennials shouldnt be worried if they dont have that experience since, as in his case, he had skills from previous jobs that proved useful. Grabbing the attention of a freshman then becomes critical, as does holding their interest until they finally receive their degree. I think it starts from the bottom with recruiting young people interested in insurance as they go into school, or also recruiting on campuses as people are graduating, and letting them know what opportunities are there in the insurance industry right out of college with just a bachelors degree, said Chipp. The company is connected with various schools around the country, including the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss. More than 40 employees call themselves Ole Miss alumni. It helps that Brown & Riding is big into college recruitment. Chipp personally hired someone out of college a few months ago who had interned for a retail broker during his college career, but felt the wholesale brokerage segment was where he wanted to start his professional career. Exposing young professionals to the different sides of insurance is helpful in them making a decision on where they see their opportunity to be successful, he remarked. Young people might also look to the industry as insurers adopt modern technology into their businesses and insurtechs challenge the traditional image of the insurance company. Attracting younger talent through technology is a good way to get their attention, said Chipp. Theres a lot of development right now with software and blockchain being implemented into insurance to provide better data that can be used for underwriting and pricing purposes and eliminate some redundancies in the data that may inflate costs to the clients. But its definitely on-the-ground outreach that Chipp sees as most effective in convincing young people to apply for the job. It still takes human interaction to get them to the point of, what is insurance and how can it be a career for me? he explained. Related stories: Changing a 175-year-old insurance business to meet a new generation How a millennial intern changed my business for the better Kelly Klee, Inc., the digital insurance broker for successful Americans, announced on Wednesday the release of a first-in-kind hybrid human-robo advisor for HNW personal insurance. Consumers who visit the Kelly Klee website will be able to pre-select an expert human advisor before engaging with the chatbot. The brokers hybrid robo advisor will deliver a personal coverage score and detailed coverage analysis after the consumer answers 14 simple questions about their assets and lifestyle. Users who want to receive full coverage plans can then continue with their pre-selected expert human advisor, who will compare offerings from appropriate insurers. Up to this point, online insurance has been about quickly delivering plain vanilla products to the masses. Many of our clients spend over $10,000 per year on their policies and have significant assets to protect. Unfortunately, about 80% come to us with severe coverage gaps. They need expertise. Thats why we built the online coverage advisor with a seamless transition to licensed experts, said founder and CEO, Jon Kelly. A lot of our clients have interesting and bespoke assets which theyve collected over time. The robo advisor portion of our hybrid solution can identify those assets whether its a unique painting or a valuable wine collection and quickly tell the client insurance coverage is available and would be beneficial. The human advisor can then tailor the coverage and direct the client to the most suitable carrier. Kelly Klees hybrid human-robo advisor also benefits the brokerage in that it provides a detailed framework for the human advisors to work off. The robo advisor collects the primary data (assets, insurance needs etc.) and Kelly Klees brokers simply have to tailor coverage based on that framework. Were a digital brokerage, so most of our clients are more tech savvy than the average consumer. But this hybrid human-robo advisor is an example of us going above and beyond our customer demands, and looking to provide the highest possible value solution before our consumers have to engage with us one-on-one, Kelly told Insurance Business. Funding for the innovative project came partly from the $4.5 million in seed funding the brokerage has been raising over the last 18 months. Investors participating in the funding include Gary Tolman, the former CEO of Esurance; David Fitzgerald, former head of business development for Google Compare Insurance; David Wong, former General Partner at Brentwood Associates; LowerMyBills founder Matt Coffin; Kelly Klee CEO Jon Kelly, and Langdell Investments. This funding will also go towards expansion of Kelly Klees human workforce. The brokerage is planning to hire new human advisors to compliment the hybrid robo system. Kelly added: If all goes to plan, we hope to have some very rapid growth this year. Related stories: Insurance agency management firm integrates AI into website Chat bot boss claims to help brokers focus and not take jobs away A Delaware-based auto service contract company is under investigation following complaints from customers around the country. The News Journal reports that a recorded message at American Standard Auto Protection in Wilmington informed callers that the company would no longer accept new clients and couldnt maintain obligations to current customers. The message told existing clients that theyd receive instructions on how to file financial claims, while those with active claims were told to contact their financial institutions. Delaware Department of Justice spokesman Carl Kanefsky says the states attorney generals office opened a consumer fraud investigation following accusations of improper denial of claims, failure to pay for warranted repairs and refusal to provide refunds after contract cancelations. Officers listed on parent company filings didnt return the newspapers requests for comment. Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto Fraud Coincheck Inc. said it will start compensating users who had their cryptocurrency stolen beginning as soon as next week, as the Japanese exchange seeks to resume more of its operations. All of the 260,000 users impacted by the theft of NEM coins in the Jan. 26 theft will be reimbursed according to conversion rates detailed by Coincheck after the attack, the Tokyo-based company said at a news conference Thursday. The hackers, who gained entry into Coinchecks systems using malware on an employees computer, made off with about $500 million worth of digital tokens. That made it one of the biggest heists in history, raising questions about security of cryptocurrencies around the world. Since then, Japans Financial Services Agency has taken steps to crack down on exchanges . It still isnt clear who was behind the attack, although there are signs that some of the funds are starting to show up on other exchanges. Yusuke Otsuka, Coinchecks chief operating officer, told reporters that the exchange has bolstered its security measures and is working to compensate users. Customers have withdrawn about 60 billion yen ($566 million) in cash since the incident, he said. Two days after the hack, Coincheck announced it would use company funds to reimburse all of those who lost money in the theft. Koichiro Wada, chief executive officer, said the exchange made enough money from spread trading to fund the payback, which amounts to 88.549 yen for each of the 523 million stolen NEM coins. Since the theft, NEM prices have plummeted and were trading at about 30 cents before Coinchecks announcement on Thursday. NEM prices rose as much as 7 percent after the exchange said it will start compensating users. Still, with NEM trading at such a steep discount since the January attack, that means the hackers now own a stash worth considerably less than what the victims stand to receive in compensation. Earlier on Thursday, the Financial Services Agency ordered Coincheck to make further improvements and penalized six other exchanges. The government watchdog told Coincheck to revise its management structure, improve anti-money laundering procedures and submit a report by March 22. Otsuka said Coincheck will comply with the order. The FSA has come under fire for allowing 16 exchanges, including Coincheck, to operate while they await a decision on their applications under a revised licensing system introduced last year. Coincheck said it would still move forward with its application to secure a license. Bitcoin slipped to a low of $9,523 on Thursday in Tokyo, extending overnight losses, according to prices compiled by Bloomberg. They have since climbed back above $10,000. Rival tokens also slipped, with Ripple, Ether and Litecoin declining at least 1 percent. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Cyber Willis Towers Watson, the London-based advisory, broking and solutions company, has developed the Global Ecosystem Resilience Facility (GERF), which it describes as the first global insurance facility to provide finance and risk management solutions to build the resilience of ecosystems and the communities they support. The GERF is being launched today at the Economists World Ocean Summit in Mexico by Willis Towers Watson CEO John Haley. Marine ecosystems are at risk, and damage to natural capital, such as coral, mangroves and fisheries, reduces the protection of coastal communities, their economies and assets in emerging and developing countries, said WTW in a statement. As more intense storms, floods, droughts, sea level rises, temperature increases, pollution and ocean acidification increase the vulnerability of coastal communities and threaten both lives and livelihoods, it is critical that the resilience of the environment that supports them is strengthened, said the broker. Drawing upon expertise across Willis Towers Watson with scientific partners and leading risk carriers, the GERF will help respond to these growing risks by delivering powerful analytics, incentivizing environmental stewardship and providing innovative insurance protection to mobilise development finance, the company added. Initial work of the GERF focuses on the protection of ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses in the Caribbean to support resilience of fishing communities at threat from hurricanes and coral decline, it said. Discussing the GERFs initial work in the Caribbean, Willis Towers Watson, along with Cefas and the University of York, are mapping marine ecosystems, assessing risk exposure, and developing risk and value models for coral reefs in Grenada and the wider Caribbean. The GERF will then incentivize ecosystem stewardship and asset maintenance through risk finance, WTW said, explaining that insurance programs will be structured to encourage risk understanding, assessment, and the coordination and pre-planning of swift post-event recovery. Robust disaster risk management and contingency planning can be incorporated to protect the vulnerable against events that are beyond their control, noted the company. The GERF will facilitate risk pooling to help regions bridge the post-disaster funding gap and provide a targeted, structured response to coastal communities and infrastructure, ecosystems and fisheries, in particular. The Global Ecosystem Resilience Facility is such an important initiative in helping to support the resilience of coastal and island communities to climate pressures, said John Haley, CEO of Willis Towers Watson. Dependence on the blue economy makes them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate related threats and other risks, and the goal of this ground breaking initiative is to help provide greater stability, and ultimately greater prosperity, to these communities, he went on to say. The GERF acknowledges that there are two key aspects driving changes in the risk environment: human activity and natural processes, commented Rowan Douglas, CEO of Willis Towers Watsons Capital, Science & Policy Practice. The facility aims to address these two aspects; communities build resilience through sustainable practices under their control, and disaster risk finance protects against events outside of their control. The financing element of the GERF focuses on risk transfer and project finance. The risk transfer element looks specifically at risk pooling, and the project finance element examines the suitability and feasibility of a variety of financial instruments including catastrophe bonds, resilience bonds, grants, and loans, WTW explained in a statement. Source: Willis Towers Watson Related: Topics Willis Towers Watson A federal judge pushing for a settlement in lawsuits by state and local governments against drug companies over their roles in the U.S. opioid epidemic said on Wednesday that trials may be needed after both sides identified barriers to reaching a deal. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland in an order said the parties at a hearing on Tuesday to discuss the status of settlement talks indicated that a limited litigation track was needed. Polster said that would include motions and so-called bellwether trials, essentially test cases used in mass litigation in the United States to help both sides gauge the range of damages and define settlement options. The parties reported important and substantial progress on several fronts, but also identified various barriers to a global resolution, Polster wrote in an order. The development signals that a quick settlement may not be feasible in the litigation despite the pro-active push by Polster, who is overseeing more than 355 lawsuits blaming corporations for helping fuel the opioid epidemic. The judge at a hearing in January said he wanted do something meaningful to abate this crisis and to do it in 2018. Johnson & Johnson, one of the corporate defendants, in a statement said it is committed to being part of the ongoing dialog and to doing our part to find ways to address this crisis. Representatives for the other companies and plaintiffs either did not immediately respond to requests for comment or declined comment on Wednesday. In 2016, the last year with publicly available data, 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lawsuits have generally accused the drugmakers of deceptively marketing opioids and allege distributors ignored red flags indicating the painkillers were being diverted for improper uses. The defendants include opioid manufacturers Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd , Endo International Plc and Allergan Plc and drug distributors AmerisourceBergen Corp, Cardinal Health Inc and McKesson Corp. Polster has pushed for a global settlement. To facilitate that, he has invited state attorneys general who have cases in state courts not before him or who are conducting a multistate investigation to participate in those talks. While Polster in Wednesdays order said some litigation will now take place, he directed three special masters appointed to facilitate settlement talks to continue participating in negotiations and scheduled another settlement hearing for May. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Topics Lawsuits USA Legislation A U.S. government agency on Thursday said Idaho could not allow health insurers to sell plans that do not comply with Obamacare, a sign that the Trump administration will enforce the law even as it takes regulatory actions to weaken it. Idaho last month told health insurers they could sell plans that did not comply with all of the rules in the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obamas signature domestic policy achievement commonly called Obamacare. Those rules include charging sick and healthy people the same rates and requiring that insurers cover a certain set of benefits, such as maternity and newborn care and prescription drugs. Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in a letter on Thursday said that based on a review, the agency determined that Idaho was failing to enforce the law. If a state fails to substantially enforce the law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has a responsibility to enforce these provisions on behalf of the State, Verma wrote. The administration is working to offer alternatives outside of Obamacare and to provide states more flexibility to experiment with Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled, and their health insurance markets. Yet Thursdays letter is one of the first signals that the administration will not allow states to violate the law, even though it opposes the healthcare program. Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House, repeatedly tried and failed last year to repeal and replace Obamacare. Congress last year repealed the individual mandate, the requirement that most Americans purchase health insurance or else pay a fine, as part of an overhaul of the U.S. tax code. The Trump administration has instead pursued regulatory rules and actions to weaken the law, such as a proposed measure that would expand the availability of skimpy health plans that do not comply with Obamacare. Those plans are now allowed for three months or less, but the administration has proposed extending their availability for up to 12 months. It is still determining whether these plans could be renewable. Verma proposed Idaho pursue other avenues to find ways to offer more affordable health insurance, including through the use of short-duration plans. (Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb Editing by James Dalgleish) Zurich North America has named Greg Massey as the head of Programs, replacing David Putz who became head of Alternative Markets for Zurich at the beginning of the year. The leadership changes come as the company welcomed Kathleen Savio, former head of Alternative Markets, as the new CEO of Zurich North America on Jan. 1, 2018. Formerly head of Zurichs Property and Casualty Line of Business for North America, Massey is now responsible for managing and driving the overall success of Zurich North Americas programs business including diversified programs, cat/E&S Programs, segmented programs, construction programs, program sales and new programs. Masseys new role became effective March 1. He reports directly to Putz. Greg has held a number of key leadership roles across Zurich and brings more than 35 years of experience to his new role, said Putz. Since joining Zurich in 2009, Massey has been successful due to his ability to partner with internal teams and distributors, understand the insurance need and provide customer-focused solutions, said the company in a statement. Prior to being named head of Alternative Markets, Putz was the head of both Direct Markets and Programs. A new head of Direct Markets was announced in January. Naming Massey to the head of Programs completes this transition. Source: Zurich North America The former owner of towing company was convicted of fraud in Houston after buying insurance coverage after a wreck and then filing a claim with the wrong date, the Texas Department of Insurance announced. Mohamad Awad, the former owner of Hemo Towing, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and received seven years or probation after a trial conducted by TDI with the help of investigators from the Harris County District Attorneys Office. A Texas Department of Public Safety investigation found that Awad added coverage for a tow truck after a wreck. He then filed an insurance claim and lied about when the wreck took place. Awad asked his employees to lie to adjusters and investigators and create fake documents to support the fraudulent claim. Hemo Towing had offices in Houston, Midland, and Odessa. Source: TDI Topics Texas Fraud Federal officials say Morrison Management Specialists Inc., a division of Compass Group USA Inc., unlawfully denied a promotion a female employee to an open sous chef position because of her gender. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit alleging that Patricia Joyce was denied the promotion because she is a woman. Joyce was employed the companys University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) location in Galveston, Texas, as a female shift supervisor when a sous chef position opened. The EEOC said Joyce applied and was interviewed for the position, along with two male applicants. In a meeting with Executive Chef Jeff Inman, Joyce learned that an external male applicant had been selected for the position. Inman allegedly informed Joyce that he believed that the professional kitchen is a mans world and he wanted to get it back to being that way. When Joyce objected, Inman told her she needed to transfer to another of the companys locations because she was no longer a good fit at the Galveston location. He reiterated these beliefs in an email to her, the EEOC said. Joyce filed a complaint with the companys human resources department about Inmans. Inman sent her a second email, again confirming his position that the kitchen is a mans world, telling her that she would never be a sous chef with the company and she had better take the transfer to the other location. He also very strongly objected to human resources having been contacted about him, telling her that he was a god at Compass Group USA and that the company would not believe her. As a result, Joyce was subjected to a compulsory transfer and demotion since, following the transfer, she was no longer a supervisor and experienced a cut in her pay, the EEOC said. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division (Civil Action No. 3:18-cv-00057) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation processes. The EEOC is seeking injunctive relief to prohibit the Compass Group USA from engaging in future unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, instatement of Joyce into a sous chef position, back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for Joyce and any other relief the court deems proper. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits Texas Commercial Lines Business Insurance A massive water main break sent water gushing into neighborhoods and flooded a major highway near Atlanta on Wednesday morning, forcing more than 100 schools to close and shutting down businesses miles away. The break in a major transmission main also caused water woes for hospitals, closed a nearby mall and led to low water pressure to thousands of residents across DeKalb County, a major suburban district northeast of Atlanta. Hours later, authorities said, water pressure was still being restored to the community as urgent repairs were being carried out. It was not immediately known exactly how many residents had lost water service or experienced low water pressure. The situation was so severe that authorities in DeKalb County announced they had opened their emergency operations center and deployed state government resources to deal with the ripple effects from the break. Water began flowing across Buford Highway a major artery through metro Atlanta before dawn Wednesday, WSB-TV reported. Photographs published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution showed cars and buildings surrounded by water that rushed over the highway. DeKalb County schools, Georgias third-largest school system, said all of its schools more than 100 had decided to send children home Wednesday. The unexpected school closures left thousands of parents scrambling to make arrangements for their children since the school system serves about 102,000 students, according to its website. Shoppers at a Publix supermarket at Town Brookhaven in the county snapped up the majority of bottled water on the normally well-stocked shelves as the water woes spread Wednesday. Its DeKalb County, Brookhaven resident Linda Young told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as she put jugs of water in her shopping cart. You never know how long itll take them to fix it. The countys water plant was experiencing low pressure, and residents were asked to conserve water. Eight water tankers were called in to the county to supply water for fire protection and to provide some water at area hospitals, authorities added. One of metro Atlantas largest shopping centers, Perimeter Mall, announced that it would be closed because of low water pressure. Elsewhere, DeKalb Medical canceled elective surgeries scheduled for later in the day. The break also left the DeKalb County Police headquarters without water, authorities said. The DeKalb County Government will initiate a full-scale investigation into the cause of todays massive water main break, said DeKalb County CEO Michael L. Thurmond. We will determine whether the break was the result of a systematic failure, improper maintenance, wear and tear or physical tampering. Associated Press writer Jeff Martin contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood A bill thats nearing a final vote could close a loophole in Alabamas law to reduce drunk-driving deaths. The bill introduced by Republican state Sen. Jim McClendon would require drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock device after their first offense. An ignition interlock analyzes a drivers breath and prevents a car from being started if alcohol is detected. Alabama passed an ignition interlock bill in 2014 but didnt require it for offenders who enter pretrial diversion. A similar law in Mississippi requires the device on the first offense. That state stopped more than double the amount of drunk drivers than Alabama in 2016, according to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization. Under Alabamas proposed law, judges could order interlock ignition as a condition for bail. The bill also reduces fines and allows offenders to still drive with an interlock device. Republican Sen. Paul Bussman sponsored a similar bill to specify the alcohol levels that would trigger the ignition lock. He said drunk-driving crashes are the leading killer on Alabamas roadways. There is no excuse to have any more deaths in the state of Alabama. Its wrong, Bussman said at a Wednesday news conference at the statehouse. Carolyn Tyus, a Montgomery resident whose 21-year-old son was killed in a 2008 drunk-driving crash, shared her story at the news conference. I feel that if an ignition interlock had been in place, my child would be here. Even though my child is no longer here, I would like to save other lives, Tyus said. For someone else to be saved and not have to go through the tragedy, I want to support that bill. McClendon said many drunk drivers are repeat offenders, and making the device mandatory on the first offense would force anyone to think twice about driving drunk. The bill is up for a final vote in the House of Representatives. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Personal Auto Alabama A Southern California foundry has been fined more than $280,000 for workplace safety violations following an accident that resulted in the amputation of an employees legs. Cal/OSHA said this week that the fine results from an incident last August when two workers at Alhambra Foundry were cleaning a 38-foot auger screw conveyer of an industrial air filtration machine. Officials say the workers didnt de-energize the machine during the cleaning. At one point another employee 45 feet away turned the machine on to perform a test and the giant screw pulled one man into the conveyer. City News Service says both the mans legs had to be amputated in order to free him. Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum said employers must ensure equipment are locked out before workers perform maintenance. A message seeking comment from foundry officials wasnt immediately returned. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California A Montana judge says a Nebraska-based insurance company is liable for a $43 million settlement between the state and people sickened by exposure to asbestos from a Libby vermiculite mine. National Indemnity Co. paid $16 million toward the 2009 settlement but later sued to recover the money. State District Judge Holly Brown said in ruling last week that the insurance company breached its duty to defend the state against damage claims by asbestos victims. Brown said because of that breach the company could not deny coverage for the settlement. Montana Department of Administration spokeswoman Amber Conger said that the state was pleased with the judges ruling, but declined further comment because the case is ongoing. National Indemnity did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Carriers Legislation Montana The pace at which the cost of college tuition is increasing is not slowing down, and the price of an education at New York University (NYU), with its main campus in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, is no exception. The 2020-21 tuition is approximately $54,880 per year for an undergraduate student taking 12 to 18 credits per semester. (This figure may be slightly higher or lower depending on the college attended and the number of credits enrolled in. For 12 to 18 credits, there is a flat tuition fee). Add in room and board costs that can amount to $19,244, $1,100 for transportation costs, $718 for books and supplies, and $2,790 for personal expenses. That price rises to $78,742. Key Takeaways New York University (NYU) is the largest private university in the United States with a total undergraduate and graduate enrollment of over 58,000 students at its domestic and international campuses. Undergraduate tuition at NYU for the 2020-21 academic year is approximately $54,880. While tuition at NYU is expensive, the PayScale College Salary Report estimates an NYU undergraduate degree will yield a 20-year net return on investment (ROI) of $459,000 (comparing the median pay of an NYU graduate versus a high school graduate over 20 years). NYU Tuition Compared to Other Universities NYU is an expensive option, even compared to other non-public institutions. According to the College Board, an average college budget for an in-state public college for the 2020-21 academic year was $26,820. This includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses. An average budget at a private college was $54,880. NYU can charge higher prices because of its reputation and because it ranks high in surveys. For example, U.S. News & World Report puts NYU at No. 29 among national universities for 2020. In addition, NYU, founded in 1831, offers a unique cultural experience. One of its biggest draws is its urban New York City campus, located in one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods. It is the largest private university in the country, with more than 58,000 total students at its domestic and international campuses. The school also has degree-conferring campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, in addition to 11 global academic centers and research programs in more than 25 countries. 1470 The average SAT score for the freshman class of 2020-2021 at NYU. Financial Aid at NYU Most financial aid awarded by NYU comes in the form of need-based grants and scholarships. To determine eligibility, students must complete both the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and a separate form called the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. NYU has no separate application for merit scholarships for students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability. Students are automatically considered for "any scholarships where merit is considered" when they send in their application. For first-year students, the average scholarship for attendance in 2019 was nearly $37,000. NYU also offers a limited number of awards to non-U.S. citizens, who make up a sizable portion of the student body. In this case, the university uses both financial need and academic achievement to determine a financial aid package. To be considered, international students need only to complete the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. Is an NYU Education a Worthwhile Expenditure? Despite its steep price, research indicates that education from NYU is a good value overall. Thats because the odds are that students will secure a competitive salary once they graduate. According to the 2020 College Salary Report from the data firm PayScale, the median salary for an alum with just a four-year degree is $55,600 at the start and $77,900 by mid-career. That trend seems to hold over the long run. PayScale estimates an NYU undergraduate degree will yield a 20-year net return on investment (ROI) of $481,000. The ROI estimate is calculated based on the difference between the 20-year median pay for an NYU graduate with a bachelor's degree and the 24-year median pay for a high school graduate minus the total four-year cost of an NYU education. Note that these are overall figures; the PayScale survey shows that income depends on the college major. NYU's COVID-19 Response Although some colleges and universities elected to hold all of their classes virtually in fall 2020, NYU invited students, faculty, administrators, and staff back to its campus. However, not all students are attending classes in-person and all of NYU's courses, including those that are in-person, may be attended remotely. According to a statement by NYU spokesman John Beckman, slightly more than one-third of undergraduates attended classes remotely in fall 2020. NYU also reported that, despite the pandemic, its enrollment numbers for fall 2020 were ahead of its enrollment for fall 2019. The University has developed an evolving evidence-informed, multilayered public health strategy to reduce the risks to their community. As a part of this strategy, NYU is testing individuals studying and working on-site, requiring daily symptom check for on-campus access, contact tracing, restricting university-sponsored travel, and has implemented enhanced cleaning procedures. All NYU students who are attending classes in-person must wear face coverings when on NYU property or in NYU facilities, and they are encouraged to wear them at all times when outside of their places of residence. Students that were offered admission as a first-year student to NYU could request to defer their enrollment for one full year. If approved, they were guaranteed readmission for the following year without having to file a new application. However, the university has a policy that students admitted from the waitlist and transfer students cannot defer their enrollment. For students who live in countries where COVID-19-related travel restrictions impacted their ability to travel to and from NYU's New York City campus, the University offered a "Go Local" option for fall 2020. This program allowed undergraduates students who met certain requirements to enroll and take a number of in-person classes at another NYU location. NYU canceled all upcoming, non-essential, international travel sponsored by the University and, per the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations, asks all students to quarantine for 14 days following international travel. For students returning to campus for the spring semester, NYU required a negative COVID-19 test result in the 14-day period prior to when students were planning on entering any campus building. According to the University's website, all individuals planning on accessing NYU academic and administrative facilities from January 25 onwards must be tested. Columbia University Ranked #3 by U.S. News Ranking Ivy League Secluded campus in the Upper West Side of New York City 6,245 undergraduate students Average alumni starting salary: $67,500 Fall 2019 acceptance rate: 5% 4-year graduation rate: 87% Tuition: $64,380 Average total indebtedness of 2019 graduating class: $27,595 New York University Ranked #30 by U.S. News Report Campus located in Greenwich Village- "in and of the city" 26,981 undergraduate students in 2020 Average alumni starting salary: $59,100 Fall 2019 acceptance rate: 16% 4-year graduation rate: 76% Tuition: $54,880 Average total indebtedness of 2019 graduating class: $29,242 Source: U.S. News & World Report NYU Tuition FAQs How Much Does It Cost To Go to NYU for Four Years? New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world and NYU is one of the most expensive colleges in the world. The cost of tuition for the most recent school year, 2020-2021 is $54,880. Including room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses, that number increases to $78,742. These costs can be even higher depending on what program a student enrolls in. Although the cost of tuition and the cost of living both increase incrementally every year, a student paying full price to attend NYU could expect to pay at least $314,968 to attend the University for four years. Why Is NYU So Expensive? NYU is notoriously expensive; its tuition and fees are among the highest in the U.S. Plus, New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the country, a major driver of housing and meal prices for students. One of the reasons that tuition at NYU is so high is that operating a complex research and teaching enterprise in the city is very expensive. Its endowment, which was $4.35 billion in 2019, is relatively small compared to other top private research universities on a per-student basis (NYU has approximately 58,000 students). Plus, NYU, like all universities, has high personnel costs. As a result, it relies on student tuition to fund much of its operations. Does NYU Have in State Tuition? NYU is a private university so it does not offer in-state tuition. Does NYU Give Good Financial Aid? Every year, approximately 20% of NYU students receive Pell Grants, and, according to data reported to the Department of Education, 51% of NYU students receive financial aid. Of those students that receive financial aid, the average grant and scholarship total is $29,480 and the average net price is $39,935. According to reports by NYU, the average scholarship amount awarded to first-year students is closer to $37,000. How Much Is Room and Board at NYU? The cost of room and board at NYU is approximately $19,244 for the 2020-21 academic year. The Bottom Line Students without financial aid can expect to pay above-average tuition to attend NYU. Graduates tend to obtain good salaries, which can offset the cost. Return on investment is not the only reason to choose a school (or a field of study), but the PayScale survey can show whether there are lower-cost choices that might yield a similarly good return. Short selling is the sale of a security that is not owned by the seller, usually one that the seller has borrowed. It's important to know that in the process, a short seller is required to make up for any benefits the long investor (stock owner) would receive if they had actually owned the stock. Who Is the Shareholder of Record? When you short a stock, you are borrowing the stock from an investor or broker, then selling those shares on the open market to a second investor. Even though you borrowed and sold the shares to another investor, the transaction between you and the lender is still listed on the books as if the lender is still long on the stock and you are short on the stock (even though that person no longer owns the stock). Since that original investor who lent you the stock is no longer an actual shareholder, as the short seller, you are required to make up for any benefits the investor would have received had they actually still owned the stock. What Short Sellers Are on the Hook For In other words, if a company pays a dividend to shareholders, the second investor who bought the shares from the short seller would get the dividend check from the company. But because the original investor is no longer a shareholder of record (since the second investor owns those shares now), then the short seller must pay the dividend out of their own pocket. Finally, when the short seller decides to close out the short position, they buy shares on the open market (from a third investor) and then gives the shares back to the original investor, who closes out the short position and puts everything back to square one. The Nifty 50 refers to the fifty most popular large-cap stocks that traded at high valuations in the 1960s and 1970s. They included household names such as Xerox (XRX), IBM, Polaroid and Coca-Cola (KO). Due to their proven growth records and continual increases in dividends, the Nifty Fifty were viewed as "one-decision" picks: investors were told to buy and never sell. Many Nifty 50 stocks sported price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios as high as 100 times earnings. They propelled the bull market of the early 1970s, only to come crashing down in the 1973-74 bear market. That period was marked by political scandal and rising oil prices and interest rates. In 1996, the Nifty 50 gained an additional meaning in the financial industry. It refers to the NIFTY 50 Index on the National Stock Exchange of India. Companies in the Nifty 50 There was no definitive list of companies comprising the Nifty 50, as it was not an official benchmark. The companies typically shared these characteristics: strong balance sheets, consistent growth and global reach. In 1972, Morgan Guaranty Trust produced its own list of Nifty 50 stocks, which included still recognizable names such as: Phillip Morris (PM) Pfizer (PFE) Bristol-Myers (BMY) Coca-Cola Company (KO) Merck (MRK) General Electric (GE) PepsiCo (PEP) Eli Lilly (LLY) Procter & Gamble (PG) Revlon (REV) Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) McDonald's (MCD) The Walt Disney Company (DIS) American Express (AXP) Dow Chemical (DOW) Texas Instruments (TXN) Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing (MMM) Xerox (XRX) Black & Decker (SWK) In February 2008, Wall Street giant UBS devised the New Nifty 50, an expanded version of the list that included international companies like British Petroleum (BP) and Vodafone Group (VOD). The inclusion of international companies on the New Nifty 50 drew attention to the solid returns and stability of companies in the U.K., Japan and emerging markets. The Other Nifty 50 Today, the Nifty 50 has meaning in the investment world beyond the popular large-cap stocks of the 1960s and 1970s. It's also the name of a stock index on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE). In India, the NIFTY 50 is an index diversified across 13 sectors of the nation's economy: financial services, information technology, consumer goods, oil and gas, automobiles, telecommunications, construction, pharmaceuticals, metals, power, cement and cement products, fertilizers and pesticides, and media and entertainment. Other stock indices with "NIFTY" in the name include: What Is the Dividend Discount Model? The dividend discount model (DDM) is a quantitative method used for predicting the price of a company's stock based on the theory that its present-day price is worth the sum of all of its future dividend payments when discounted back to their present value. It attempts to calculate the fair value of a stock irrespective of the prevailing market conditions and takes into consideration the dividend payout factors and the market expected returns. If the value obtained from the DDM is higher than the current trading price of shares, then the stock is undervalued and qualifies for a buy, and vice versa. 1:46 Dividend Discount Model Understanding the DDM A company produces goods or offers services to earn profits. The cash flow earned from such business activities determines its profits, which gets reflected in the companys stock prices. Companies also make dividend payments to stockholders, which usually originates from business profits. The DDM model is based on the theory that the value of a company is the present worth of the sum of all of its future dividend payments. Time Value of Money Imagine you gave $100 to your friend as an interest-free loan. After some time, you go to him to collect your loaned money. Your friend gives you two options: Take your $100 now Take your $100 after a year Most individuals will opt for the first choice. Taking the money now will allow you to deposit it in a bank. If the bank pays a nominal interest, say 5 percent, then after a year, your money will grow to $105. It will be better than the second option where you get $100 from your friend after a year. Mathematically, Future Value = Present Value ( 1 + interest rate % ) \begin{aligned}&\textbf{Future Value}\\&\qquad\mathbf{=}\textbf{Present Value }\mathbf{^*(1+}\textbf{interest rate}\mathbf{\%)}\\&\hspace{2.65in}(\textit{for one year})\end{aligned} Future Value=Present Value (1+interest rate%) The above example indicates the time value of money, which can be summarized as Moneys value is dependent on time. Looking at it another way, if you know the future value of an asset or a receivable, you can calculate its present worth by using the same interest rate model. Rearranging the equation, Present Value = Future Value ( 1 + interest rate % ) \begin{aligned}&\textbf{Present Value}=\frac{\textbf{Future Value}}{\mathbf{(1+\textbf{interest rate}\%)}}\end{aligned} Present Value=(1+interest rate%)Future Value In essence, given any two factors, the third one can be computed. The dividend discount model uses this principle. It takes the expected value of the cash flows a company will generate in the future and calculates its net present value (NPV) drawn from the concept of the time value of money (TVM). Essentially, the DDM is built on taking the sum of all future dividends expected to be paid by the company and calculating its present value using a net interest rate factor (also called discount rate). Expected Dividends Estimating the future dividends of a company can be a complex task. Analysts and investors may make certain assumptions, or try to identify trends based on past dividend payment history to estimate future dividends. One can assume that the company has a fixed growth rate of dividends until perpetuity, which refers to a constant stream of identical cash flows for an infinite amount of time with no end date. For example, if a company has paid a dividend of $1 per share this year and is expected to maintain a 5 percent growth rate for dividend payment, the next years dividend is expected to be $1.05. Alternatively, if one spot a certain trendlike a company making dividend payments of $2.00, $2.50, $3.00 and $3.50 over the last four yearsthen an assumption can be made about this years payment being $4.00. Such an expected dividend is mathematically represented by (D). Discounting Factor Shareholders who invest their money in stocks take a risk as their purchased stocks may decline in value. Against this risk, they expect a return/compensation. Similar to a landlord renting out his property for rent, the stock investors act as money lenders to the firm and expect a certain rate of return. A firm's cost of equity capital represents the compensation the market and investors demand in exchange for owning the asset and bearing the risk of ownership. This rate of return is represented by (r) and can be estimated using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) or the Dividend Growth Model. However, this rate of return can be realized only when an investor sells his shares. The required rate of return can vary due to investor discretion. Companies that pay dividends do so at a certain annual rate, which is represented by (g). The rate of return minus the dividend growth rate (r - g) represents the effective discounting factor for a companys dividend. The dividend is paid out and realized by the shareholders. The dividend growth rate can be estimated by multiplying the return on equity (ROE) by the retention ratio (the latter being the opposite of the dividend payout ratio). Since the dividend is sourced from the earnings generated by the company, ideally it cannot exceed the earnings. The rate of return on the overall stock has to be above the rate of growth of dividends for future years, otherwise, the model may not sustain and lead to results with negative stock prices that are not possible in reality. DDM Formula Based on the expected dividend per share and the net discounting factor, the formula for valuing a stock using the dividend discount model is mathematically represented as, Value of Stock = EDPS (CCE DGR) where: E D P S = expected dividend per share C C E = cost of capital equity \begin{aligned}&\textit{\textbf{Value of Stock}}=\frac{\textit{\textbf{EDPS}}}{\textbf{(\textit{CCE}}-\textbf{\textit{DGR})}}\\&\textbf{where:}\\&EDPS=\text{expected dividend per share}\\&CCE=\text{cost of capital equity}\\&DGR=\text{dividend growth rate}\end{aligned} Value of Stock=(CCEDGR)EDPSwhere:EDPS=expected dividend per shareCCE=cost of capital equity Since the variables used in the formula include the dividend per share, the net discount rate (represented by the required rate of return or cost of equity and the expected rate of dividend growth), it comes with certain assumptions. Since dividends, and its growth rate, are key inputs to the formula, the DDM is believed to be applicable only on companies that pay out regular dividends. However, it can still be applied to stocks which do not pay dividends by making assumptions about what dividend they would have paid otherwise. DDM Variations The DDM has many variations that differ in complexity. While not accurate for most companies, the simplest iteration of the dividend discount model assumes zero growth in the dividend, in which case the value of the stock is the value of the dividend divided by the expected rate of return. The most common and straightforward calculation of a DDM is known as the Gordon growth model (GGM), which assumes a stable dividend growth rate and was named in the 1960s after American economist Myron J. Gordon. This model assumes a stable growth in dividends year after year. To find the price of a dividend-paying stock, the GGM takes into account three variables: D = the estimated value of next years dividend r = the companys cost of capital equity \begin{aligned}&D = \text{the estimated value of next year's dividend}\\&r = \text{the company's cost of capital equity}\\&g = \text{the constant growth rate for dividends, in perpetuity}\end{aligned} D=the estimated value of next years dividendr=the companys cost of capital equity Using these variables, the equation for the GGM is: Price per Share = D r g \text{Price per Share}=\frac{D}{r-g} Price per Share=rgD A third variant exists as the supernormal dividend growth model, which takes into account a period of high growth followed by a lower, constant growth period. During the high growth period, one can take each dividend amount and discount it back to the present period. For the constant growth period, the calculations follow the GGM model. All such calculated factors are summed up to arrive at a stock price. Examples of the DDM Assume Company X paid a dividend of $1.80 per share this year. The company expects dividends to grow in perpetuity at 5 percent per year, and the company's cost of equity capital is 7%. The $1.80 dividend is the dividend for this year and needs to be adjusted by the growth rate to find D 1 , the estimated dividend for next year. This calculation is: D 1 = D 0 x (1 + g) = $1.80 x (1 + 5%) = $1.89. Next, using the GGM, Company X's price per share is found to be D(1) / (r - g) = $1.89 / ( 7% - 5%) = $94.50. A look at the dividend payment history of leading American retailer Walmart Inc. (WMT) indicates that it has paid out annual dividends totaling to $1.92, $1.96, $2.00, $2.04 and $2.08, between January 2014 and January 2018 in chronological order. One can see a pattern of a consistent increase of 4 cents in Walmart's dividend each year, which equals to the average growth of about 2 percent. Assume an investor has a required rate of return of 5%. Using an estimated dividend of $2.12 at the beginning of 2019, the investor would use the dividend discount model to calculate a per-share value of $2.12/ (.05 - .02) = $70.67. Shortcomings of the DDM While the GGM method of DDM is widely used, it has two well-known shortcomings. The model assumes a constant dividend growth rate in perpetuity. This assumption is generally safe for very mature companies that have an established history of regular dividend payments. However, DDM may not be the best model to value newer companies that have fluctuating dividend growth rates or no dividend at all. One can still use the DDM on such companies, but with more and more assumptions, the precision decreases. The second issue with the DDM is that the output is very sensitive to the inputs. For example, in the Company X example above, if the dividend growth rate is lowered by 10 percent to 4.5 percent, the resulting stock price is $75.24, which is more than 20 percent decrease from the earlier calculated price of $94.50. The model also fails when companies may have a lower rate of return (r) compared to the dividend growth rate (g). This may happen when a company continues to pay dividends even if it is incurring a loss or relatively lower earnings. Using DDM for Investments All DDM variants, especially the GGM, allow valuing a share exclusive of the current market conditions. It also aids in making direct comparisons among companies, even if they belong to different industrial sectors. Investors who believe in the underlying principle that the present-day intrinsic value of a stock is a representation of their discounted value of the future dividend payments can use it for identifying overbought or oversold stocks. If the calculated value comes to be higher than the current market price of a share, it indicates a buying opportunity as the stock is trading below its fair value as per DDM. However, one should note that DDM is another quantitative tool available in the big universe of stock valuation tools. Like any other valuation method used to determine the intrinsic value of a stock, one can use DDM in addition to the several other commonly followed stock valuation methods. Since it requires lots of assumptions and predictions, it may not be the sole best way to base investment decisions. What Is a Synthetic Letter of Credit? A synthetic letter of credit (SLC) is a pre-funded, negotiable instrument that guarantees a specified payment will be rendered. Letters of credit can be structured in a variety of ways. Broadly, the different types of letters of credit can be grouped into two categories: funded and unfunded. Key Takeaways A synthetic letter of credit is a letter of credit that a bank has pre-funded on the closing date, instead of when the funds are drawn as needed. SLCs are viewed as lower risk than regular letters of credit since they generally eliminate counterparty risk. All types of letters of credit are widely used in international trade. A seller may require a SLC because it has many risk management advantages over a standard, unfunded letter of credit. Understanding Synthetic Letters of Credit Letters of credit are most commonly provided as unfunded, negotiable instruments. These instruments provide backing from a bank, offering a second line of funding that helps to guarantee a buyer's payment to a seller. A synthetic letter of credit simulates a standard, unfunded line of credit but requires a deeper relationship with more complex provisions. The synthetic letter of credit is fully funded with money allotted to a specified account when the letter of credit is signed rather than exercised. Synthetic letters of credit may also be known as fully funded documentary letters of credit. Establishing a fully funded letter of credit can potentially come with separate account fees or possibly some accumulating interest while the funds are held. Comprehensively, letters of credit are widely used in international commerce. The type of letter of credit required will usually be dictated by the seller. Some sellers may accept unfunded letters of credit while others require a funded, synthetic letter of credit. By relying on letters of credit, sellers can ensure that they receive the buyer's funds on time and in the correct amount. If the buyer is unable to fully complete the purchase, the bank will cover the full or remaining amount. Risks Synthetic letters of credit offer an even greater level of liquidity and assurance because the funds have been pre-arranged by the bank. This helps to make the funds more immediately available. As a result, synthetic letters of credit effectively eliminate any counterparty risk for the seller in the transaction. Synthetic letters of credit are widely used in international commerce to facilitate trade between importers, exporters, and intermediaries. Beyond just counterparty risk, other risks that SLCs help to mitigate can include currency risks, language barriers, and cross-border tax issues. Obtaining a Letter of Credit Large established businesses involved in international commerce globally will usually have a strong relationship with a financial institution that handles their letter of credit arrangements. All types of letters of credit are a form of lending. This requires a business to meet specified credit offering standards. As such, obtaining a letter of credit may involve a commercial credit inquiry and/or credit reporting. Commercial credit scoring differs from individual credit scoring in that many large businesses are labeled with a corporate credit rating by the credit rating agencies. A developed relationship with a single letter of credit provider is typically best since the financial institution can potentially use a single account for managing any funded and unfunded letter of credit issuance. Many large companies with multi-national operations will typically look to work with a large international bank that can facilitate fast and efficient processing in multiple countries. Synthetic letters of credit are particularly useful in this regard because the bank manages transaction activity and the funds are available for rendering immediately. Different Types of Letters of Credit Several different types of letters of credit and letter of credit provisions exist. Broadly, all types of letters of credit will be either funded or unfunded. Beyond that, letters of credit may also be labeled or structured as: Commercial letters of credit: Business has relationship with bank that makes direct payments to the seller. Standby letters of credit (SLOC): Only require the bank to pay the beneficiary/seller if the buyer obtaining the letter is unable to do so. Revolving letters of credit: Like a revolving line of credit. Permits a series of draws against a specified limit. Confirmed letters of credit: Provide an additional guarantee from a second bank. For those who want to further minimize counterparty risk. Revocable letter of credit: Changes can be made to the letter of credit terms at any time. Irrevocable letter of credit: No changes to the letter of credit terms can be made without the approval of all parties involved. Red clause letter of credit: Offers some amount of advance payment. Green clause letter of credit: Offers payment after a specified communication of warehousing. Real World Example of a Synthetic Letter of Credit A large international bank may offer letters of credit for buyers in markets outside of their home country, given that these buyers might have difficulty obtaining international credit on their own. A U.S. company who does a substantial amount of business in China for example, might want to work with a Chinese bank to manage their letter of credit agreements. By issuing letters of credit to U.S. companies, the Chinese bank can help its domestic importers to minimize country risks. This arrangement can also reduce credit risks and currency risks for the parties involved. UK insurer Aviva, which has substantial operations in Ireland, is considering acquisitions in Poland and Turkey, its chief executive said, as it reported a 2% rise in operating profit and said it planned to return 500m (560m) to shareholders. The shares rose 0.5% after paring losses, writes Carolyn Cohn and Eamon Quinn. European insurers such as Allianz and Munich Re have been offering share buybacks as they struggle to find other ways to deploy capital. Aviva, which provides general and life insurance and also operates in other countries including Canada and France, said it also planned to spend around 600m on bolt-on acquisitions and 900m on debt reduction. Chief executive Mark Wilson said the firm was looking for purchases in Poland, Turkey, anywhere we have existing markets. At least 5,000 more customers could be affected by the tracker mortgage fallout, while the final bill could be well above 1bn, according to the financial advisor who exposed the scandal, writes Padraig Hoare. Padraic Kissane told TDs and Senators at the Oireachtas Finance Committee that he expected 5,000 cases from AIB-owned EBS, Ulster Banks former stand-alone First Active unit, as well as KBC Ireland to emerge when the final tally is counted. EBS and First Active-affiliated personnel had not appeared before the committee to explain their role in the scandal but they should, he said. The committee agreed to invite the relevant personnel of EBS and First Active to attend a hearing on the tracker fallout. Mr Kissane said up to 800 cases involving Bank of Ireland staff wrongly put on more expensive loans were also yet to be dealt with. Mr Kissane said his previous predictions around numbers affected by the scandal had been dismissed at the time, but that he had been proven correct in every instance. There are currently 33,700 official cases of customers affected by the scandal, which happened when homeowners were wrongly put on more expensive loans. Speaking after the hearing, Mr Kissane said he expected the final bill to go well above the approximately 900m set aside by the various banks to deal with redress and compensation of the affected customers. I think the final figure will certainly rise above 1bn. When you add in all these extra cases and the external factors such as legal and administration fees, which are extremely expensive, then it could be well above 1bn, he said. On top of the redress and compensation bill that will have to be paid to customers, Mr Kissane estimated 700m had been wrongly taken from customers by the various lenders during the timeframe of the scandal. That 700m was not only taken from customers but also the economy an economy that needed it at the time, he said. The financial advisor told the committee that he also expected more cases to emerge from Danske Bank, which has so far had a relatively minor number of cases involved in the scandal. He told members that Danske Bank, which bought National Irish Bank in the Republic and Northern Bank in the North, had sparked a mortgage war. Danskes attempt to increase its market share by offering a cheaper loan-to-value product forced other banks to follow suit, he said. He said that Danske has a lot to answer for and that he thought there would be more cases than the approximately 80 identified by the bank as part of the Central Bank probe into the tracker scandal. They are the lender that began the race to the bottom, he said. Mr Kissane said one aspect that had gone under the radar due to homeowners owing much more than they should was the amount raised by the various banks by charges covering direct debits that could not be paid. That is 10 every time for a direct debit rejection. How much was made from those direct debits? I would suggest a fortune, he said. The tracker fiasco occurred when customers were wrongly put on more expensive loans by 15 lenders, including the five biggest in Ireland. The Central Bank is conducting a review of two million mortgages, including dozens who lost their homes under many lenders. The Deputy Chief Executive of Dublin City Council has admitted low-income families are being pitted against each for social housing. Brendan Kenny says it's simply a reality during the current crisis. By Ann O'Loughlin The sole purpose of Graham Dwyer's challenge against Ireland's data retention law is to show his rights were breached when information from his mobile phone was used by prosecutors at his trial for the murder of Elaine O Hara, the High Court has heard. Remy Farrell SC for Dwyer said his side was making "no bones about" the case was about establishing that his client's privacy rights had been breached in relation to the retention of information from his personal mobile phone. The case was not about any other issue and focused on Dwyer's rights only, counsel said. If Dwyer succeeds any declaration he obtains would be "the beginning of his pending appeal" against his conviction "not the end," counsel said. Counsel was making submissions on the ninth day of Dwyer's action against the State and the Garda Commissioner aimed at having provisions of Ireland's data retention laws struck down. Dwyer, who denies killing Ms O'Hara, claims the 2011 Communications (Retention of Data) Act, which allowed Gardai obtain and use data generated by his mobile phone during his 2015 trial for Ms O'Hara's murder breached his privacy rights. Data obtained under that Act should not have been used at his trial, he claims. Dwyer argues the Act was introduced to give effect to a 2006 EU directive concerning the retention and use of data. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) found in 2014 the directive was invalid and that position was further strengthened in subsequent rulings by that court in 2016. He claims the 2011 Act suffers from the same flaws identified by the ECJ. In proceedings against the Garda Commissioner, and the State, Dwyer seeks various declarations that his privacy rights under the Irish Constitution, European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter have been breached. Counsel said the 2011 Act, requires requests for retained data by Gardai investigating a crime be made to a Garda Chief Superintendent not involved in the investigation, and not an independent administrative body. Mr Farrell also told Mr Justice Tony O'Connor that much of the evidence tendered on behalf of the State was "irrelevant and inadmissible". References were made to the use of retained data in investigations into child sexual abuse and state security. Such issues were not what Dwyer's action is about, counsel said. The impression was given that any declarations granted in favour of Mr Dwyer would result in "the Sky falling in." Counsel said it also appeared from its evidence that the State was saying the ECJ got its decisions to retained data wrong. In reply, Brian Murray SC for the State, disputed Mr Farrell's submissions and said the evidence was tendered to show how a general retention regime is "absolutely critical," to prevent, investigate and prosecute serious crime. Counsel said there is nothing in the relevant ECJ decisions preventing members of police forces being the parties who grant requests for access to retained data made by other police officers. Counsel said the court was being asked to look back at historical events in regards how data generated by Dwyer's phone was retained and used in October 2013, before the ECJ rulings had been delivered. The processes engaged under the 2011 Act which allowed the prosecution use the data be used during Dwyer's trial were "perfectly valid" and "legitimate," counsel said. At that time the data was retained counsel said Ireland was required to have a general data retention regime by the EU. For a court some years after the event to grant the declarations sought by Dwyer based on subsequent ECJ rulings would be "grotesque" counsel said. Counsel said EU law has "no role" when it comes to national security. As State security is not within EU competence, how could it be wrong for Ireland to have a general data retention regime for the purpose of national security, counsel added. The case continues next week. A 37-year-old man arrested by detectives investigating the murder of Raymond Johnston has been released unconditionally. He had been detained under the Terrorism Act in west Belfast on Wednesday. Twenty-eight-year-old Mr Johnston was shot in the chest with a shotgun in front of his partner and an 11-year-old child last month. It is understood he had been making pancakes at a house in the Glenbawn Avenue area of Poleglass when the gunmen struck. Dissident republicans have been blamed for the killing which has been described by police as savage. - PA The woman who set up the fake teenage girl's Facebook profile which snared paedophile Keiran Creaven said she thought his 18-month jail sentence was a "slap on the wrist". The care worker - who said she is called Christine - is part of the controversial Leeds-based paedophile hunting group Predator Exposure. Christine wiped away tears outside Leeds Crown Court as she recalled the messages Creaven sent to her last year. She said: "It was hard, especially when he's sending indecent images. You think of your own children. I've got a young daughter myself. "Sending an indecent image, it's disgusting. Then hearing in court that he's watched child pornography of an eight-year-old. It's even worse - just upsetting." Christine said: "I think he should have got more. I think 18 months is a slap on the wrist, really." A member of paedophile-hunting group Predator Exposure who identified herself as Christine speaks outside Leeds Crown Court today. Predator Exposure spokesman "Phil" said: "This man will be spending tonight in jail which makes our work appreciated. So we are happy in a way, but it should have been life." He said: "The police can take no credit for this today. We caught this man today. They're under-resourced and can't cope with things like this. "This is why teams like us are having to go out there and deal with this ourselves." Phil said: "The police say it should be left to them. Let the police get off their arses and let them sort it out now." He said the group would continue even if the law was tightened on paedophile hunting groups. Phil said: "Nothing can stop Predator Exposure". A member of paedophile-hunting group Predator Exposure who identified herself as Phil speaks outside Leeds Crown Court today. Last year, senior police officers in England warned that vigilante groups could put child abuse investigations at risk. Detective Superintendent Steven Woollett of the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate said in August that offenders might become more evasive as a result of groups' actions. "My personal view is, as much as they may be well intended, there is the potential to hinder police investigations," he said. "My message to them would be we are professional law enforcement - leave it to the professionals." His message was echoed by the UK's National Police Chiefs Council lead for child protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, who said police are arresting more than 400 offenders and protecting more than 500 children every month. He said: "Don't try to take it into your own hands, you could undermine police investigations, creating more risk for the children we all want to protect." Cmere, whats the story when your old doll has slept with half of Cork? We opened a third bottle of wine during the snow last weekend and then it all came out. I thought Id be a clear winner on the bangy-bangy front, given that I do be like a young Gabriel Byrne. But it turns out the old doll whupped my ass with a massive 27 sexual partners. I cant even walk down Pana with her now, without going, What about him? Or him?. How can I get over this? Dowtcha Donie, Blackpool, I wish I had more sex when I had the chance. Getting that on my gravestone. Im shocked to hear your old doll only slept with 27 men. With that kind of number, shed still probably qualify to get into the nuns. My Conor got very upset when he discovered he had 17 less conquests (his words) than me. I said the only way were going to get through this is for you to catch up as quickly as possible. He said fair enough and booked a weekend in Kinsale. Id hate for my mum to snuff it, but we really need to sell her house on Well Road before the latest property bubble bursts. (My mother-in-law passed in 2009, by which time her mansion in Sundays Well was worth less than a wine bar in Knocknaheeny. I cried non-stop for a year.) So, basically, how can I persuade my mother to trade down? Alice, the posh part of Maryborough Hill, do I come across as heartless? Not really, considering where you live. Its hard when an elderly parents lives in a posh gaff. My mother only has to cough and Im thinking beach-front penthouse in Marbella. Look on the bright side, at least your mother lives in a posh part of Douglas. My friends mother only lives in Wilton. She said, Mam (thats what they call their mother), we need you to trade down to somewhere else on the southside. The mother said, thats impossible love, theres nowhere below Wilton, not even Turners Cross. Its heartbreaking for the whole family. Story, wha? Im after winning the Lotto big time, and have decided to move out of Dublin in case me sister gets wind of it and wants me to pay off her mortgage. A buddy of mine went to Cork on a stag once, and said at least yiz arent Limerick, wha? So, Im thinking of moving down there to live, and that. Do you think Ill be welcome in yizzers small city, wha? Doylzer, Marino, Im well up for a digging match and a jar. Wha? I asked my estate agent friend where is the best place around Cork for a barely-literate gouger desperate to show off his new-found wealth (no offence.) She said hed be a perfect fit for Glounthaune. I said I thought Glounthaune was posh these days. She said its mainly refugees from Ballyvolane with a knack for social climbing. I said, do you tell that to first time-buyers? She said, no. I said why. She said, Im an estate agent, I tend to blush when I tell the truth. Guten tag. I was blown away by images of Cork and surroundings in the snow, so I decided to visit from Munich this week, to take a look for myself. It was a complete let-down. The worst of all was of course Cobh. Stunning in the snow, but this week it was like the backside on a Berliner. (This is very funny if you are from Munich.) Would it be ridiculous to suggest that Cobh should paint itself white? Jurgen, Munich, sorry if I appear a little blunt. Youre only saying what we are all thinking. I know a lot of people are disappointed around Ireland this week. My nephew thought he had died and gone to heaven last weekend. And then he woke up on Monday morning and found he was still living in Macroom. He told me it was excruciating. I said you should try and deal with a dull-as-Dunmanway German who thinks hes a comedian. (Its no joke.) (No offence.) Howre oo goin on? Herself went on a weekend break to Hotel Europe and didnt she come back with notions. The upshot is that we need to hire a cleaning lady, and it is my job to find one. Anyway, after typing I need a woman to call to my house into Google, didnt I start getting ads in my browser for sexy young-ones in their knickers. I cant even look up the deaths without looking like a pervert. Is there any way to stop this? Dan Paddy Andy, Skibbereen. You need to be very careful what you say in Google. I always say to people, whenever you are online, imagine there is someone looking over your shoulder, gently stroking your hair with his strong, tanned Italian hands. Anyway, enough about my second favourite fantasy. (The lawyers wont let me tell you what comes first.) CEO, astronaut, boxer, builder girls can be anything they want to be. And with more and more career options opening up for them, motherhood is no longer seen as the end goal. Indeed, almost one in five women in Ireland aged between 40 and 44 are childless. Meanwhile, the sugar-coating of motherhood is being stripped away by parenting forums and bloggers. Despite this change in the perception of motherhood, most women go on to have children, and in a recent survey carried out by Sudocrem, 63% of Irish mums said they would like to be at home if it was financially possible. Theres a cruel financial irony at play here some parents are working reluctantly because they cant afford to give up, while others are at home reluctantly because they cant afford childcare or find suitable part-time work. In an ideal world, every parent would have the option to choose to stay at home or go to work, and in my experience interviewing parents, most would like a bit of both part-time or flexible work that doesnt involve giving up completely. Some women give up work because although its unpaid and can be isolating, they see motherhood as their most important role. As Mothers Day approaches, we ask what prompts women with successful careers to walk away? Michelle Teahan, 32, a medical scientist from Cork, says growing up, career was everything. Going through secondary school all I wanted was to go to college and work in something worthwhile. Children were never in my future plans, Then she got married, and something changed. It was like an invisible switch flicked to on and all I wanted was a baby. After her first child was born, despite wanting to stay at home, she went back to work, conflicted about how she felt. After all the years of study, all I wanted to do was stay at home. I was almost embarrassed to admit how I felt but then I realised everyone is different and thats perfectly OK. By the time I was pregnant with my second baby, I knew I didnt want to go back to work. Helen Delaney, 42, who gave up her banking career to be at home with her children, says she loved her job and never intended to leave. I thought I wouldnt cope well at home when they were very small. I sometimes used to wish the creche was open on Saturdays, just to get a break! However, as time went by, she found juggling long hours and childcare increasingly difficult. Looking back, I realise it was the start of an all-consuming state of overwhelm and I didnt feel at all connected to my children. Helen, who is from Kilkenny, has been at home with her two daughters (aged 11 and seven) for three years, and describes herself as a happy stay-at-home mother, still working very hard. Maria Lambert, 40, from Co Kildare says her career in financial services came to an end after a changing-mat epiphany. I was just home after picking up the kids and the youngest needed to be changed for bed. I had her on the changing table and the other two were running riot. I just started crying. I wasnt able to do it all. She applied for block parental leave, realised home was where she wanted to be, and ultimately resigned her post. For Laura Molloy, 36, the moment of clarity came when she found out she was expecting her third child. I knew almost immediately that I wanted to be at home with him and I had to finally acknowledge it was OK to want that. I think number three was almost the excuse I needed to do what I had wanted to do for a long time, she says. Laura resigned from her job in digital communications and despite having been very ambitious in her 20s, shes spent the last two years happily at home in Co Meath with her three children. Indeed, for many families, anecdotally at least, three children seems to be a tipping point. The cost of childcare for three kids can make even high-earners question the logic of continuing to work. Ireland still has some of the highest childcare costs as a proportion of disposable income in the OECD. However, the financial cost of giving up a well-paid job is a key consideration. Michelle has been at home with her two daughters (aged three and one) for less than a year, and financially, its so far so good, she says. Therell be no big holidays or new cars for the next few years, every cent needs to be watched, but its definitely not as difficult as we expected. Are there changes she would like to see, to help stay-at-home parents? While its fantastic and so necessary that a step is being made to supplement childcare costs for working parents, incentives should be given to those who stay at home too. The tax relief could be greater on the working partners income to encourage more of those who would like to stay at home, essentially providing their own childcare. In fact, the work done by Irelands 305,000 stay-at-home parents has a monetary value that is often underestimated. In a calculation carried by insurance company Royal London, the duties of a parent at home would cost about 42,000 a year if outsourced. Of course, theres an emotional cost too. For many people, identity is tied up in their career its a badge of sorts. Being at home means no badge, and women often speak of being asked what they do and being met with silence when they answer, Im a stay-at-home mother. But this is not always the case. I was at a social function recently and there were lots of women with great jobs, says Maria. I was the one desperate housewife in the room. But you know, it never came up in conversation I was the one judging myself. I have friends who work full-time, part-time, or are at home, and when we chat, we realise we all have the same bad days. Financial and emotional costs aside, there is often a fear of isolation. What if being at home with the kids means no adult interaction at all? In her book, Concentrated Parenting, journalist Cristina Odone says new mothers are more removed than ever from extended family. Before they could expect to be pampered and cooed over, she says. But today, they are likely to be pushed out of their hospital bed because of overcrowding. As for those who are going to stay at home after the birth of their child, they cant assume that grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins will be on hand with advice, support, even just offers of babysitting. The extended family is as much a rarity as the lying-in period. However, while many of us live far from extended family, other networks can take their place friends, school mothers, and even online parenting groups can bridge the isolation gap and give an outlet for communication that goes beyond can you please stop fighting over the Lego. Maria, whose children are aged 12, eight, and five, says she found the isolation greater while she was still working, because she wasnt in the same circles as other local mothers. When my kids started school, my network exploded. The four walls would close in on me if I was at home all day. I need to be out seeing people. Now that all three of my kids are at school, I have the opportunity to do things for myself. I volunteer at the schools, I run a Brownie unit, and my sacred outlet is singing in a choir. And does she ever have bad days? Oh yes! Sometimes theyre all screaming and fighting and I think I could be getting paid to deal with less. Helen, too, knows what its like to be overwhelmed, but finds it much easier these days. Now the children are older, theres more craic with them and you find you enjoy their company a lot more, so theres less running upstairs to lock yourself into the bathroom for some me time. For me, I needed to simplify everything, step off the spinning wheel, live in the now, and build stronger and more connected relationships with the people I love most. Laura, whose children are 11, six, and almost two, says she sees how the kids benefit from seeing her every day. My mother always worked when I was growing up and I remember thinking as a child I would have loved to have her around more. My eldest was in childcare from 13 months until she was nine, and she tells me all the time how happy she is Im at home. There is of course another beneficiary in all this the partner who no longer needs to worry about creche drop, work travel, or taking time off when kids are sick. Laura says her husband sees the benefits. He can leave earlier to go to the gym before work, work late when he needs to, and travel for work more easily. Also because all the housework, homework and dinners are done, he has more time in the evenings. He brings the boys to bed every night to give me a break, whereas we used to be a lot more stressed trying to play catch-up on all the housework, and it always felt like we were exhausted by the end of the day. Its clear that for many households, having one parent at home makes a difference when kids are small. But children grow up quickly and their needs change as they get older. With this in mind, Helen plans to return to work. Ive maintained my QFA qualification since leaving the bank, she says. I hear lots of people say how hard it is to get back into the workplace, especially the longer you leave it, but funnily enough this doesnt worry me too much. When I feel the girls dont rely so much on me and can make their own way home from school, and I dont have any childcare costs, that will be the right time for me. Is motherhood devalued in todays career-driven world? I dont think so, though its definitely more the norm to be career-driven these days, says Michelle. I dont think girls should be steered in any direction they should know they have options. Working mum, stay-at-home mum every woman is an individual. If youre thinking of giving up work, heres what to consider Finances: Its not just about the salary you lose. You may also make significant savings on childcare, commuting costs, and work clothes. Tax: Your tax credits can be transferred to your husband if you are married, and you may be entitled to Home Carers Tax Credit. Network: It can be lonely without the social elements of work but being at home also means youll spot who else in your neighbourhood or school is a potential coffee buddy. Head space: Running or rock-climbing or writing or volunteering; it can be hugely beneficial to have something thats just for you, so you can step away from the always-on work of parenting. Timeout: Dont fall into the trap of thinking you shouldnt get a break. At work, you had annual leave. If you have a partner or family who can take over, take time off. Organisations: Stay-at-home Parents Association Ireland (find it on Facebook). 6am: I go for a quick run, then shower, before breakfast. My husband David sorts out the two boys, Eamon, seven, and Ciaran, six. I head to work while he gets them to school. He has a bit more flexibility in the mornings because hes a farmer. 8am: My first patient arrives with her partner. Im delighted to be the first midwife at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise to deliver our new anatomy scanning service. Its a detailed ultrasound carried out at circa 20 weeks to see if the baby is developing normally. The main objective is to try and identify any anomalies that might endanger the baby or make delivery challenging. Having this information in advance is very important for the sake of the baby, the parents, and hospital staff. Padraic Kissane warned that more lives are being ruined as he predicted 5,000 new cases on top of the 33,700 officially accepted by the Central Bank, whose probe into the 1bn scandal continues. Numbers of cases can not quantify the irreversible damage done to families throughout Ireland, he said. The tentacles of this octopus spread everywhere, said Mr Kissane. He has heard of suicides and attempted suicides as he listens to harrowing stories in his office, as well as health issues directly related to the stress. He predicted thousands more cases to come from AIB-owned EBS, Ulster Banks former standalone First Active unit, KBC Ireland, and Bank of Ireland. At the Oireachtas finance committee, Mr Kissane said: One woman wrongly caught up in the scandal was in a hospital cardiac unit when she received a call from a bank arrears department; Children who not only had never had holidays or toys in their formative years but also inadequate nutrition because their parents could not afford healthy food; Dozens of people wrongly losing their family home, but also buy-to-let properties that were supposed to provide pension pots, childrens education funds and savings; Out of four customers who appeared before the committee last October to publicly share harrowing personal stories, three were still in the same position today. Mr Kissane said: If someone comes to your wallet, your purse, your bag every month for seven years and takes 400 out of it, which is the average overcharge, at what point does it get in on you? And that is what happened. It was taking money by stealth. Mr Kissane demanded that the scandal stay on the political agenda because there is a danger of tracker fatigue. There could be at least another 5,000 cases outstanding, and while tracker fatigue could become a factor, it is vitally important for all those families who as yet are deemed not impacted by the banks, I might add, he said, A large cohort of customers even now remain on the wrong mortgage rate, he claimed. He estimates 700m was taken by the banks from affected customers during the period of the scandal. That 700m was not only taken from customers, but also the economy an economy that needed it at the time,said Mr Kissane. Mortgages should never be complicated but the banks had consistently obfuscated and persuaded vague terms in their favour, causing more anguish, he said. International ratings agency, DBRS, has estimated that the cost to banks could exceed 1bn when the final bill is settled. Last month, an Irish Examiner investigation uncovered three grave plots in St Finbarrs cemetery in Cork City which contain the remains of at least 21 children. Two of these graves are completely unmarked, while all three contain the remains of children from the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home. One of the unmarked plots was purchased by the now-closed St Annes Adoption Society. Founded in 1954 by the then Bishop of Cork Cornelius Lucey, it was set up with the purpose of arranging the adoption of babies born to Irish unmarried mothers in Britain. It closed in 2003 and its records have been in the possession of the HSE, and now Tusla, since that time. This plot contains the remains of three girls and one boy. Their deaths occurred in 1979, 1983, 1988, and 1990. In the case of the last burial in 1990, the childs death certificate notes that, while she died in St Finbarrs Hospital in Cork, she was in the care of the nuns at Bessborough Mother and Baby Home. A birth entry for this child in this name could not be located. A second marked plot belongs to the former St Patricks Orphanage run by the Mercy Sisters. It operated a nursery for St Annes Adoption Society. It contains the remains of 16 children, many of whom were born in Britain to Irish mothers. Just one name is recorded at the plot. St Annes Adoption Society and Bessborough were adoption agencies that were accredited and regulated by the former Adoption Board. St Annes did not close until 2003, while Bessborough transferred its records to the State in 2011. The Irish Examiner put a series of questions to the AAI. These included whether or not the AAI or its predecessor the Adoption Board was aware that a registered adoption agency had purchased graves which are unmarked and contain burials as late as 1990; if such purchases were required to be notified to the Adoption Board; and if other accredited agencies had also purchased grave plots. In a statement, the chief executive of the AAI, Patricia Carey said: We have reviewed the files the Authority holds in relation to St Annes Adoption Society. We are not aware of any records of purchase of plots or arrangements for burial of children. Having reviewed the records we hold, we have no information on the four questions raised. The Mother and Baby Homes Commission has called for information relating to the burials of a large number of children who died at the home between 1922 and 1998. The Irish Examiner asked the Commission if it is aware of these graves and if it has any plans to carry out any excavation work on the grounds of the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home. Ita Mangan, director of the commission, declined to answer the questions, stating the Commission would not comment on the revelations or make any decision on excavation work until all information on burials had been gathered. As you know, the commission is in the process of collecting information on deaths and burials and does not intend to make any comment until this information has all been gathered and analysed, she said. CAO data shows rises of up to 8% in demand in some categories of education degree in just one year. The figures comes with a caveat that some courses may be newly created or have been moved into the primary education category by the relevant colleges. But they are also significant in the context of an overall 4.5% fall in CAO applications this year. The total CAO applicants up to the main February 1 deadline was 72,643, down from nearly 76,100 last year. Of these, 62,751 are seeking entry to an honours (level 8) degree programme. The numbers include 19,578 listing one or more teaching degree on their CAO choices, 311 or 2% more than a year ago. They are the first preference of nearly 4,900 of these applicants, subject to amendments to ordering of their course lists, up 199 or 4%. A more specific categorisation table shows an 5% rise in mentions of primary teaching courses, with students picking them as their first preference up 8% from 2,578 to 2,783. For level 8 courses leading to qualifications to teach at second level, total mentions and first preferences are up 2% and 4%, respectively, to 7,279 and 1,781. The figures emerge two days after teachers and their unions protested outside the Dail in pursuit of pay equality. The starting salaries and broader pay scales were cut for all new public servants from 2011, but new teachers were hit more disproportionately than others due to the level of their pay made up of allowances that were removed or reduced. Education Minister Richard Bruton has said that most of the difference between the pay of pre- and post-2011 teachers has been already clawed back. However, he has been criticised for not offering a commitment to completely bridge the gap, which is likely to be included in part of a wider public service pay report due out soon. Mr Bruton last night welcomed the significant rises in first preferences for primary and second-level education degrees. Teaching is a very attractive career option and I wish all students the very best of luck in their choice, he said. At the same time that pay inequality for new entrants to teaching since 2011 is being highlighted, Leaving Certificate and other applicants may also be attracted by the reported high pay for teaching jobs in the Middle East and elsewhere. There is a 10% rise in first preferences for biological and related science degrees, being the first choice of nearly 2,500 CAO applicants. But level 8 physical science degrees are the top choice of 36% fewer students than a year ago, and there is a 26% drop in first preferences for journalism honours degrees. The Irish Universities Association welcomed the rising interest in teaching, but flagged a 7% drop in male applicants, compared to 3% fewer females. It would be important to know if these young men are applying for further education and training opportunities which would be a positive development, or if they are unskilled entrants to the labour market, which would have worrying longer-term implications, said IUA academic affairs director Lewis Purser. Yesterday, Kenneth Coomey, aged 52, who lives at Cork Simon Community, was jailed for four months for criminal damage he caused by throwing bricks up at the apartment. Cars parked below were also damaged. Insp Daniel Coholan told Cork District Court: On October 20, 2016, at 6.30pm in the evening, a man was on the balcony of his apartment at Camden Wharf watering plants... The excess water from the plants dripped down from the balcony and hit Kenneth Coomey who was sitting on the ground below. The latest batch of inspection reports from the Mental Health Commission show children were admitted to the acute psychiatric unit at University Hospital Limerick; the Centre for Mental Health Care & Recovery, at Bantry General Hospital; Lakeview Unit, Naas General Hospital, Co Kildare, and the Ashlin Centre in Dublin. None of these facilities has age appropriate facilities and are not suitable for children. The Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Waterford, and Drogheda Department of Psychiatry, also admitted children. The HSE plans to address this area of non compliance with mental health regulations said that children are only admitted in extreme emergencies when there is no dedicated CAMHS bed available. The Inspector of Mental Health Services, Susan Finnerty, expressed serious concern in relation to patient safety at the Lakeview Unit in Naas, due to overcrowding. Dr Finnerty said that management had identified it as a serious operational and health and safety risk and plans had been submitted and funding sought for extra capacity. The community healthcare area in which Lakeview is based has the lowest number of mental health in-patient beds in Ireland at 19.6 per 100,000. It is evident that the above situation is not safe for residents, said Dr Finnerty. She also expressed concern in relation to the use of electroconvulsive therapy. There was no evidence that a discussion about the treatment took place with one resident and where appropriate, next of kin. The layout and furnishing of the Limerick unit were described as not conducive to resident privacy and dignity. One resident interviewed complained about a lack of privacy as there was no lock on the main female toilet, which was sometimes also used by male residents. One room in the psychiatry of old age area was dirty and smelled strongly of sewage. During the inspection, four residents were observed sleeping in the open reception area because bedrooms were locked during the day, which was not conducive to resident privacy and dignity. The unit was described as not in a good state of repair, internally and externally. The head of service said a review was under way of overall management structures and that it was possible responsibility might change significantly. A new policy to stop politicians running up bills that never get paid is to be introduced by the end of the month. It is designed to ensure there is no repeat of last years write-off of 5,500 in unpaid bills, including a case in which one former politician owed 943. Up until now, TDs and senators were allowed to get food and drink on credit based on an honour system and make their repayments later. The new credit regime was to be introduced on March 1 but delays due to factors including Storm Emma mean it will now be put in place over the coming weeks. An information note explaining the changes said: All customers wishing to avail of a credit facility will be required to provide either a credit/debit card payment authorisation or a salary deduction agreement, authorising the Oireachtas service to arrange for any outstanding balances to be charged to their credit/debit car or deducted from their salary. Under the new plan, politicians will be given credit for a maximum of two months but as soon as that time period elapses, deductions will be made from their credit card or salary. The new regime will be in place until the next election when a new formal credit facility will be introduced for members. It will be offered to TDs and senators when they first arrive at Leinster House to sign the roll of members following their election. The Oireachtas said: The granting of a credit facility to a member will be subject to their written agreement to the terms of the credit facility in advance, including their agreement to a method of payment, for example authorisation to have amounts due charged to a credit/debit card, deducted from salary, etc. Separately, the Oireachtas has again refused to grant access to the identities of the former politicians who had their debts written off. After an appeal under Freedom of Information law, they did however, disclose that two of the six people involved were now deceased. They said the politicians involved would have an expectation of privacy and that their personal financial details would not be disclosed. The Oireachtas said they agreed with the argument that publication of the names would make it less likely people would run up debts in future. However, they said they had no guarantee their records were accurate and it could be the case that the TDs and senators involved did not in fact owe any money. Their decision said: [The] records are demonstrably unreliable, and the risk of causing damage to innocent parties was the over-riding consideration. Later, they said: An important consideration arises in relation to the accuracy or validity of the records in question. She then turned her abuse on one of the female officers, saying: You think you are great in your uniform. You are too small to be a guard, you dirty fucking tramp. That was the verbal outburst from Mary Cash in front of 50 people in the waiting room at St Marys Orthopaedic Hospital, Garda Aoife Walsh testified at Cork District Court. The speech yesterday by secretary general Angel Gurria to a gathering organised by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe officially marked the publication by the OECD of its major study on Ireland, which the international think tank publishes every two years, or so. Mr Gurria a former finance minister of Mexico at times of severe financial stress for that country said the Avis Club moniker referred to the famous marketing line once used by the car hire firm that proclaimed: When youre only No 2, you try harder. Since the crisis, small countries have to try harder to avoid economic mishaps that will be pounced upon by the rating agencies. His message: You are doing well and the economic numbers are looking good, but God help Ireland if you again slip up and end up pumping billions into rescuing your banks. There is no room for complacency, he told his audience, that included Government officials and economists. The near-120 page OECD report touched on familiar themes of similar studies: Ireland is a rich country, but one where its banks carry high levels of badly soured mortgage and business loans which still pose risks to the State; the worst case outcomes under Brexit are significant; and the big gap between productivity of multinationals and Irish-owned firms are significant, because of the surprising lack of digital skills of a workforce surrounded by foreign-owned tech giants. Unsurprisingly, the report backs the Governments infrastructure spending plans, with some provisos, and it commends Ireland in a scorecard against other OECD countries for a progressive tax and redistribution system that results in less income inequality here than in many other parts of the rich world. It also examines and repeats many of the solutions to a housing crisis that is characterised by rapid house-price increases, shortages, and homelessness, as those favoured by the European Commission and other domestic and international think tanks. It wants a broad-based land site tax. The study adds to the debate about the amount of housing that will need to be built to make good the shortages in the coming years, and favours a loosening of some planning controls for housing builds. The Government will be less pleased with a discordant theme which highlights a health service failing in terms of cost, patient satisfaction, and waiting times. Also, the OECDs recommendations that the Government broadens the local property tax base and eliminate costly low-Vat rates for tourism and hospitality will also more than likely be quietly bypassed, as the election draws closer. The report is far less prescriptive than the commissions study over the best ways to eliminate the countrys running sore of mortgage arrears. As highlighted by opposition politicians for some time, the commission has long recommended banks here write down debt for distressed mortgage and business borrowers in heavy arrears. Politicians and leading debt advocates have fruitlessly argued that the banks, expensively recapitalised by the public, have the means to write down debt, without launching widespread loan sales. The commission in its key report on Ireland published earlier this week again hammered away at the message that banks should write down distressed debt for households and businesses. Perhaps predictably, the OECD had a good deal less to say on Irelands corporate tax regime, which is under severe scrutiny by the commission. The Government has signed up wholeheartedly to the process called Beps base erosion and profit sharing which is led by the OECD itself, while it attempts to fight off the commissions plans for a digital tax on tech firms. A digital tax, experts say, would be a significant threat to Irelands generous regime that includes charges for intellectual property that benefit multinationals. The tone of the OECD report and that of the commissions on Ireland on multinational tax is completely different. Asked about the differences with his report and that of the Commissions on banks and debt, Mr Gurria said the OECD offered a blueprint to its government members on policies. It was, he said, looking at how digital tax would work out and would soon report again on ways multinationals should pay their fair shares of tax. On health, he said that access and the costs to the State were examined, because health was a major piece of expenditure. Governments around the world facing similar challenges didnt want a black hole to open in their finances. However, returning to the main message, Mr Gurria urged policymakers here to keep an eye on the financial system and to remember that Irelands 64bn bailout of the banks was the largest ever rescue of banks in the eurozone. As a member of the Avis Club, you do not want to go back through that again, was his message. On Tuesday night Mr Cosgrave tweeted his support for the unit, and said he has been taken through the Taoiseachs Strategic Communications Unit overall plan. Mr Cosgrave further tweeted he had received a private briefing [on] many of the ideas that are to be rolled out by the Taoiseachs Comms unit. On Wednesday the Irish Examiner submitted questions to the Government press office arising from Mr Cosgraves comments. We asked why Mr Cosgrave was given a private briefing on the work of the unit; when this briefing took place, and who briefed him; if this briefing was delivered solely to Mr Cosgrave or if there were others present; if Mr Cosgrave was paid for his time; and who else has received such a briefing. Yesterday evening at 5pm the press office issued the following statement: It is routine for government officials to meet with various stakeholders to discuss government policy. The director of the Strategic Communications Unit met Paddy Cosgrave at his request. At this meeting, an outline of the Strategic Communications Unit work plan was provided. All information provided is in the public domain. Mr Cosgrave was subsequently contacted for comment but did not reply at time of publication. However, despite the Governments claim that all information provided in the briefing is in the public domain, Mr Cosgrave has tweeted that he has seen the wider plan for the unit. Two weeks ago I saw what I believe is the wider plan, probably almost complete, for the #SCU, he said. As for the wider plans of the #SCU not being shared with the public, my view is the following: If the plans are fully completed following lengthy consultation with stakeholders in Ireland & others around the world & are being kept secret that is a matter of public concern. Why did I get to see what I believe are the wider plans for the #SCU - feedback I presume, he said. The briefing was criticised by opposition TDs who claim they have been kept at arms length from the working of the unit. A private citizen gets behind-scenes briefing about the Strategic Communications Unit but not the members of the Oireachtas elected to hold the Government to account on their spending, Labour leader Brendan Howlin said on Twitter. Mrs McAleese was speaking at the Voices of Faith conference in Rome, at which she said the patriarchy, misogyny, and homophobia of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has drained respect from the Church as an institution and also threatened to drain respect from the Gospel itself. She made the comments at a panel discussion, having earlier claimed it was pure codology that women cannot be ordained as priests. She also ignited international debate with her comments about the Catholic Church being an empire of misogyny. The Voices of Faith conference was scheduled to take place in the Vatican on International Womens Day, as has been the case for the past four years, but it was instead moved to the Aula of the Jesuit Curia in Rome. It was reported last month that Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the prefect of the Vaticans Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, objected to three speakers at the event, including Ms McAleese, a keynote speaker. It has turned attention on the dicastery, which is the main organiser of the World Meeting of Families, which will be held in Dublin on August 21-26. Mrs McAleese told delegates that the Church was now a primary global carrier of the toxic virus of misogyny and a male bastion of patronising platitudes to which Pope Francis has added his own quota. She challenged Pope Francis to bring about real, practical action on behalf of women. Commenting away from the main event, she said: I believe that women should be ordained, I believe the theology on which that is based in pure codology. She also queried how the Church could tackle issues such as inequalities if at the same time excluding women in perpetuity from decision-making. At the subsequent panel discussion, she was asked if the Church would survive the 21st century. It is a question many of us are posing, she said. Bishops are posing it, we will have a conference in May which poses the question whether the Church in Ireland has even five more years left. She referred to her own background, being raised as a Catholic in a part of Belfast during the Troubles and of being raised through the values propounded in the Gospel values she said underpinned her presidency. However, she said the Church became an empire, a patriarchal and misogynistic one which was only now being dismantled. She said the gravitational pull exerted by that patriarchy, misogyny and homophobia has drained respect from the Church, and also threatened to do likewise to the Gospel and its message of love and forgiveness. We are now at a moment where the most educated generation in history in Ireland are demanding that as the Church they want, she said of the calls for change, and if that is not available, they will walk away. She said she had done her best and that the people who let me down are not very far from here. These account for 35% of web pages on Irish web domains that internet search engine Google has been asked to remove from its search results. The corresponding figure across all countries is less than 18% of the 2.4m requests since January 2016, according to a significant update by the company to its transparency report. Google has previously provided data about the numbers of requests it receives and the proportion which result in web pages being delisted. However, it has expanded the analysis by also now providing details of the type of site whose content is the subject of requests, the category of requesters and the nature of the content they want removed. In Ireland, the average request related to more than three web pages, with nearly 5,400 requests to date relating to 17,654 pages. The 10 websites that were subject of most requests here in the past two years, on foot of a 2014 European Court of Justice ruling, include four news sites. The site with most delisted web pages is independent.ie, for which 390 web pages were removed from search results out of 1,284 pages that were the subject of right to be forgotten requests. The Irish Independents website was followed by irishtimes.com, for which 167 pages were delisted, herald.ie (76 pages delisted), and irishexaminer.com (56 pages delisted). The proportion of news site pages requested to be delisted which were subsequently removed from search results by Google ranges from just over one in six on irishexaminer.com to nearly one in three on irishtimes.com. The removal of historic court reports accounts for high volumes of communications with news sites. The Google report shows that crime was the content of 28% of Irish-domain news site pages requested to be delisted. In Ireland, social media sites Facebook and Twitter had 133 and 119 pages delisted respectively. More than 40 pages each from Google Plus and video-sharing site YouTube were delisted in response to requests. Other sites in the top 10 with most delisted pages were profileengine.com which enables searches of social network profiles, and highbeam.com, which describes itself as a premium research and information service. Globally, Facebook has been the subject of most right to be forgotten traffic, with nearly 18,500 of 43,883 pages requested to be delisted being removed from search results. The search engine company reported that 44% of the 2m-plus pages it has assessed were subsequently delisted. Where a request for a web page link to be delisted is refused by a search engine operator, the person or entity can appeal to the relevant data protection authority in their country. The office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Ireland investigated 21 complaints concerning the right to be forgotten last year, and one-third of those which were decided up to recently had been upheld. The OECD survey also recommends a land tax levied on site value. The report outlined the fall in housing supply between 2006 and 2013 and referred to the recovery in supply in recent years as tepid. With underlying housing demand outpacing supply, it has resulted in rising rents and housing prices, particularly in Dublin. This has elevated housing affordability concerns and contributed to the number of homeless people in Ireland doubling between the start of 2015 and mid-2017, it said. At the same time, rising housing costs for professionals may have dissuaded further foreign direct investment and return migration of Irish nationals living abroad. It said Ireland could need as many as 50,000 new dwellings or more per year by 2036, when last year only around 19,000 were added to existing stock. File image of vacant housing. The report refers to state efforts such as Help to Buy and increased Housing Assistance Payment limits, as well as limits on rent reviews, but said: While all of these measures may improve affordability in the short-term, they will do little for affordability over a longer horizon if they feed into rising dwelling prices or dissuade investment in rental housing. "For a longer-term solution, policymakers must focus on measures that encourage greater housing supply. It said construction costs are significantly higher in Ireland than in other European countries, with stringent regulations on home building likely to be one contributing factor. It referred to regulations required self-certification of dwellings by a registered architect, which it contrasted with the approach in other countries where local authorities are responsible for inspections and building certification. It said self-certification requirements inflated the cost of housing developments and added: The Government should also eliminate the self-certification process for multi-dwelling projects. It said local authorities would need more money so they could undertake more inspections. The survey also cited regulations which may have stifled the scale of new home building, such as the allowed minimum dwelling size in Dublin one of the highest in Europe, at 45sq m for a one bedroom apartment and a ban on north facing apartments, as well as a height limitation of seven floors in some areas. In Dublin, there are multi-acre sites in valuable locations that house army barracks, bus depots and industrial estates that are vacant or no longer used at full capacity, it said. Some of these sites could be rezoned by local councils for mixed use, including residential. Coupled with this, there may be scope for a land tax to be introduced in order to promote more efficient land use. "While Ireland currently has various taxes on property, such as commercial rates, a local property tax, a vacant site levy and stamp duty (all levied on the market property value), there is no pure land tax levied on site value. It said there were challenges over resolving the stubbornly high stock of non-performing loans, which also meant the banking sector was vulnerable to possible shocks in the future. It said social housing provision was vital along with improving case management of repossession proceedings, which could mean a court-mandated solution at an early stage. It said Ireland should consider standardising the suspended possession order, which would grant lenders a collateral possession order at a future date with the suspension of possession only conditional on well-defined criteria. Survey paints bleak picture of a two-tier health service Catherine Shanahan The health system is failing in terms of cost, patient satisfaction, and waiting times and the likelihood of improvement is poor as an ageing and growing population puts further pressure on services. The latest OECD economic survey of Ireland paints a bleak picture of our two-tier health service, particularly for those who cant afford health insurance, yet remain ineligible for free services because their earnings, though low, push them outside qualification thresholds. In addition to high costs, access to healthcare is impeded by a congested hospital system that results in very high waiting times, the report says. It found the inequality in the level of care available to those who can pay, compared to those who cannot, is high, with hospital consultants giving priority to private patients. Those without insurance may find it particularly difficult to get adequate care, given that private health insurance patients get faster access to care within the public system in some cases, the report says. Furthermore, medical consultants in public hospitals may focus disproportionately on those with insurance as they are paid on a fee per service basis for treating such patients, rather than on a salaried basis for public patients. The report says reform is needed to reduce the financial attractiveness of treating private patients with a move away from fee-for-service payments to remuneration that is neutral to the volume of care or the mix of public and private patients. However, this needed to be done in a manner that does not jeopardise the retention of medical consultants. The report also highlights the absence of universal coverage for primary healthcare (eg, free GP care for all) contributing to poor access and high health costs for some households that cannot afford private insurance. To address inequities, the Government should strongly consider the recommendations of SlainteCare, the cross-party report on The Future of Healthcare, published last May, the report says. These included the provision of a new health card [Carta Slainte] to all... that would give access to publicly funded health and social services. Paschal Donohoe. In addition, there should be a rise in investment in health infrastructure and staffing in the order of at least 7% extra each year for the next five years, as well as an additional 3bn in transitional funding. The report says citizen satisfaction with healthcare has been shown to be lower than in most OECD countries. The percentage satisfied with the availability of quality healthcare is down from 70% in 2007 to 60%. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said Irelands spend on health is among the highest in the OECD. He said since 2015, the Government had significantly increased resources into health and was committed to increasing resources to take account of population change. Study: Increase property tax, revalue homes Elaine Loughlin Property taxes should be increased and reassessed on a more regular basis to come into line with other countries, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. In its latest report on Ireland, the OECD has also suggested that special tax rates for the hospitality sector as well as on diesel should be phased out, claiming these types of preferential tax have little economic, social or environmental rationale. The Paris-based agency has found there is scope to increase revenues from property taxation, first introduced in 2013, by more regularly updating market values. Ireland lags significantly behind other countries in the amount it takes in through this levy and the share of property tax in total taxation remains around half that of countries such as Britain and Canada. Property Tax forms. Arguing for increasing property taxes the OECD said: Such taxes are one of the least distortive in terms of reducing long-run GDP per capita. However, the agency also warned that homeowners could face a sharp cliff when homes are revalued next year after a planned valuation update was proposed in 2016. The authors of the report noted: This has meant households in locations where house prices have grown particularly fast face a sharp cliff in their property tax bill in 2019. Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath However, Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath said given that property prices have significantly increased since houses were last assessed for the tax, the Government will have to ensure that people do not see massive increases in their bills: We think it is important to avoid spikes in the local property tax (LPT). There could be a jump of a number of bands up the LPT for some homes if there isnt any change in the way Government assess and people could be looking at increases of several hundred euro. He said these types of increases should be avoided to ensure the amount of revenue collected from the tax remains constant. The OECD was critical of preferential tax rates, such as the 9% Vat rate for the hospitality sector, and says these exemptions should be gradually eliminated to move towards a more uniform Vat rate. Property Tax protesters. The report suggested that the five current Vat rates be cut to three, which could raise significantly more revenue for the Government: While reduced Vat rates on some household products may be an attempt to make the tax more progressive, lower rates for items such as purchases at restaurants, hotels and cinemas likely work in the opposite direction. Furthermore, preferential Vat rates are very ineffective at targeting support to poor households compared with means-tested benefits. The OECD has taken a similar view on the lower rate of excise paid on diesel compared to petrol: This excise gap has broadened since the financial crisis, contributing to a notable increase in the number of kilometres driven in diesel cars. Given air pollutant emissions are higher for diesel than petrol vehicles, this preferential treatment also has negative environmental and health consequences. Social welfare disincentivises low-paid from getting jobs Noel Baker Aspects of the social welfare system are disincentivising some people from getting jobs, particularly low-paid workers, according to the OECD Economic Survey on Ireland. It also said the definition of a suitable job offer regarding those on unemployment benefit is too rigorous to be operational in practice and should be defined more clearly in terms of the boundary of occupational mobility and previous salaries of the jobseeker. The report said some aspects of the benefits system were functioning well and had helped to reduce high market income inequality (income before taxes and social transfers) and poverty. However, the report said: Some aspects of the social welfare system may disincentivise labour market participation for unemployed persons with a spouse and children. It also said that because unemployment benefits are paid at flat rates here, the disincentive to take up a job may be particularly high for low-paid workers. The report holds a generally positive view of the housing assistance payment (HAP) and the family income supplement (FIS), although on the latter it said the Government should reduce FIS payments more gradually as income rises. It also said more active engagement with the labour market may also be promoted through well-enforced job search requirements attached to social benefits. That includes the criticism of the suitable job offer, given that regulations stipulate that unemployment benefit recipients must accept all job offers that they are capable of performing regardless of previous salary or occupation. It says direct job creation should be strictly targeted to those who are at high risk of social exclusion. It also gave credit to the Government for the single affordable childcare scheme, although it noted the participation tax rate will remain relatively high for low-skilled women in a couple, partly reflecting weak wage-earning potential and the fact the family income supplement is withdrawn at steep rates when the second member of a couple moves into work. More funds urged for training and study Niall Murray Irelands poor record on lifelong learning needs to be rectified with more funding for training and study for workers, the OECD recommends. It said that relatively poor managerial skills in Ireland are impeding local firms capacity to absorb and implement new technologies. Those weak skills reflect low lifelong participation by employees, according to the OECD economic survey of Ireland. The 6.5% of people aged 25 to 64 taking part in education and training in 2015 compares poorly to a 10% rate in Spain, and 16% and 29% in Britain and Sweden, respectively. Irish-owned firms in most sectors have reduced the proportion of payroll spending on formal training since 2000, but the report said employers need to be encouraged to fund more training for employees. Training programmes that focus on enhancing managerial skills are likely to be particularly beneficial for promoting the effective adoption of new technologies and processes, and hence productivity spillovers, it said. A first step should be to increase the prominence of evaluations, highlighting those programmes with the greatest benefits in terms of firm performance, it said. The OECD said it is encouraging that the Department of Education is investing resources in data collection and programme evaluation. It also acknowledged the effectiveness of skill-development programmes like Springboard+ and Momentum. The survey report said a greater share of funding under the National Training Fund, which should be boosted by increased employer contributions from this year, could be allocated to training for people in employment. This may go towards unwinding the past funding cuts to the Skillnets programmes, which were heavily work-based training courses designed in collaboration with firms, it said. Broadening financial support to students undertaking part-time and postgraduate courses could also encourage lifelong learning, the report said. Warnings economy may shrink 4.5% after Brexit Geoff Percival The economy could shrink up to 4.5%, in the long-term, due to exports being severely dented as a direct consequence of the UK leaving the EU, the OECD has warned. In its latest economic survey of Ireland, the Paris-based thinktank has warned that Brexit poses a serious risk to its overall positive outlook for the economy. That outlook suggests ongoing economic growth here though at a more realistic pace than currently, of 2.9% and 2.4% this year and next. Brexit though, could lead to Irish GDP falling by 2.5% to 4.5%, it said. An EU-UK trade arrangement, governed by World Trade Organisation (WTO) most favoured nation rules, could reduce exports 20% in sectors such as agriculture and food, the OECD warned. The negative economic impacts of Brexit may be much larger for Ireland than for the average of all other EU countries. The most severe contraction in exports is for the Irish agriculture and food industries, which experience a fall in gross exports of around 20%. This mostly reflects a reduction in trade with the UK, but there is also a decline in exports to the other remaining EU countries, the OECD said. A lowering of agriculture, food and manufacturing exports could also heavily hit rural employment levels, the OECD warned. The fact that the latter has experienced the slowest post-crisis labour market recovery of any region suggests that the realisation of the illustrative Brexit scenario could be accompanied by rising poverty in this region and expanding aggregate income inequality. "In response, the Government should be prepared to deploy or reorient targeted social policies accordingly. It said while not as large in value terms, Brexit will also dent Irish exports in other key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, business services, insurance and machinery. The OECD has forecast that the economic benefit from any additional inward-bound foreign direct investment as a result of UK-based companies looking for new EU homes after Brexit is likely to be modest, with the negative costs of Brexit far outweighing any benefits for the Irish economy in net terms. However, not all exports will be negatively affected, the OECD said. It said Irish exports from the financial sector could increase as a result of Brexit. UK financial services exports to the EU-26 countries are simulated to decline notably, resulting in Irish financial services exports picking up to fill some of the void. The results suggest that financial services exports from Ireland to the EU-26 would rise by around 6% following the shock, the OECD said. Leo Varadkar will travel to Durant, Oklahoma, next Monday to thank the Choctaw chief Gary Batton for the contribution made by his ancestors, and will make a presentation to the chief and the Choctaw nation. In March 1847, the Choctaw people of Oklahoma collected some $710, the equivalent of several thousand dollars today, for famine relief here. It came only 16 years after the infamous Trail of Tears, when tribes were relocated from their lands, and when the Choctaw were living in relative poverty. The Why Women Matter conference was due to take place in the Holy See yesterday but organisers moved it to another location in Rome so Mrs McAleese and another barred speaker could take part. I have to say that as current president I was deeply concerned and upset at recent exclusions of her, said President Higgins during an RTE radio interview that was recorded on Tuesday. His comments preceded Mrs McAleeses comments ahead of the conference when she described the Catholic Church as an empire of misogyny. President Higgins said he thinks Mrs McAleese is a very, very important person in speaking on matters of spiritual significance. That is maybe one of the most important things that has to happen is removing exclusions exclusions from discourse and exclusions from thinking, he said. We had our censorship period, the President said: I think I might have been regarded as not an appropriate speaker myself at some stage in certain institutions. President Higgins asked how ideas and reflections could be threatening to anybody who is committed to equality. Society is healthier when there is equality of participation but we are not there yet because of pay and pension gender gaps. President Higgins also said it is a nonsense for social media platforms to claim that they do not have responsibility for their content: They are not just platforms; they are in fact spaces that are set up and from which arrows emerge that affect peoples lives. President Higgins said he mentioned the importance of using the new technology of communications in a way that is of assistance when he visited schools. But I am very well aware that it is being used to abuse people. Daphne Anderson died of sepsis after tea spilt in her lap, resulting in hospitalisation, on December 1, 2015. Her daughter, Audrey Anderson, asked for an independent autopsy following the alteration of autopsy results after a pathologist heard clinical evidence during an inquest. Daphne Anderson, from Offington Lawn, Sutton, Dublin 13, went for tea at a Dublin hotel with her daughter Audrey on November 30, 2015. She suffered second-degree burns after what her daughter believes was a scald due to spilt tea. The elderly woman did not immediately report the injury but her daughter noticed she seemed uncomfortable in the car on the way home. Her daughter said she ate dinner as normal that night but the next morning her mothers blood pressure was low. Dublin Coroners Court heard that a local GP examined the woman at her home on December 1 before she was admitted to the Bon Secours in Glasnevin. Here she was found to have marked skin, blisters, and oozing on her upper thigh area and was diagnosed with second-degree burns. On December 2, a decision was taken to transfer her to the burns unit at St Jamess Hospital. Dublin Coroners Court heard the woman was extremely unwell on admission to St Jamess the next day and was administered the antibiotic, Augmentin, for a five-day period from December 3. On December 14, she developed a perforated colon and died on December 18. The cause of death given by the pathologist was intra-abdominal sepsis, due to or as a consequence of colon perforation. This was a change to the original cause of death as given on the autopsy report. The pathologist said she could not be certain what caused the perforated colon but said it was likely to be multifactorial and could have been a result of diverticular disease, C diff and/or ischemia. Through her legal team, Audrey Anderson queried the change to the autopsy which had initially referenced the use of antibiotics post burns. Coroner Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest in order to call the senior pathologist involved in the autopsy. Speaking after the inquest, Audrey Anderson said: My mum was a lovely lady, very charitable, she worked for Barnardos for eight years as a volunteer and nursed her husband through cancer. Her untimely death has been a great loss to her family. Features Uncertainty on the Waterfront Passengers wait at a ferry terminal on the Dala side of the Yangon River. / The Irrawaddy In recent years, downtown Yangon has become a cool place to hang out, its history written on the walls of its picturesque old buildings, its streets filled with hipster cafes and trendy boutiques. Photographers often turn this area into their sets, posing models on trishaws against the backdrop of the Yangon River at sunset. Some people take budget cruises, floating along the river to see the sights or take in some fresh air. Few, however, venture across to the other shore. A five-minute boat ride away, the rivers south side is far less sophisticated, teeming with motorcycles, teashops blaring music from loudspeakers, and small huts offering betel nut and snacks. Known as Dala Township, this area offers a reminder of a less developed era, despite being just minutes from the heart of the countrys commercial capital. Since the country embarked on its transition to democracy, former and current government leaders have vowed that a bridge will be built to allow the city to expand and to improve the lives of the people in south Yangon. In February 2017, Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein announced a master plan including a Special Economic Zone (SZE) in Dala and a 590-meter, four-lane bridge. According to state media, construction of the Yangon-Dala Bridge will begin in April 2018 and is expected to be complete in 2021. In January, the Ministry of Construction released a video explaining that the bridge will start from the clock tower at Bo Min Yaung Road in Dala and end at the junction of Phone Gyi and Bogyoke Aung San roads. For the time being, such headlines dont particularly bother U Manchu, who has been helming ferries to-and-from from Hmaw Sat jetty, one of the 10 jetties in Dala and located across from Lanmaddaw Township. Well be fine as long as the villages on the riverbank remain, U Manchu said. He is one of approximately 400 ferry operators working at the 10 jetties located from Thamada Beach to the Kyaung Su area in Dala Township. Although three commuter ferries provided by JICA ply the waterway, smaller boats like U Manchus are still an important means of transport for the large number of commuters who cross the river on a daily basis. He serves an average of 200 passengers daily; most are blue-collar or office workers, but some are traders moving goods. After Hmaw Sat Ferry Cooperative Ltd gets its 30-percent cut and fuel is paid for, his average daily income is around 8,000-9,000 kyats. That would just about cover the cost of a cocktail at one the overpriced, extravagantly decorated bars across the river. Even if they build the bridge, this is an occupation that feeds both my family and my soul, said U Han Shwe, one of the members of Hmaw Sat Ferry Cooperative. Hmaw Sat Ferry Cooperative Ltd, one of five such cooperatives, is based in Hmaw Sat ward of Dala Township. Its 38 members operate 31 vessels. As a country that has struggled with the transition to democracy, Myanmar could learn a thing or two from the cooperatives democratic ways; it elects a new chairman and secretary every five years. Its main responsibility is to assign boats and schedules to members who take turns operating the service and to remind boat owners to prepare for maintenance when Inland Water Transport officials show up. U Kyin Hla, chairman of Hmaw Sat Ferry Cooperative Limited and a veteran ferry captain, reckons there will always be a certain number of people who prefer to cross the river by boat. He said, I heard there will be a bus service that will go around Dala in a loop to pick up passengers. The question is how long this bus service will take to get to the other side, when it only takes our ferries five minutes. We cant predict anything, but the duration of the river crossing is what we should consider. He concedes that there will likely be a drop in the number of passengers at his jetty, however. Daw Kyaing, who runs a bike-storage shed near the jetty, plans to continue riding ferries, which she said are the most convenient option for her. Id still use boats to cross the river. Theyre closer and faster, she said. On the other hand, Ei Phyo Thwe, a Dala resident who crosses the river on a daily basis for her job in Pazundaung Township, is looking forward to traveling via the new bridge. She cant swim, and lives in fear of a boating accident. Id rather use the bridge. I am always hesitant to take ferries but now I have to, even when it rains, and even when I dont want to, Ei Phyo Thwe said as she returned from the city on a full moon day that saw the water level rise to its highest, with choppy swells coming in from the Andaman Sea. Currently, the jetties along the Yangon River serve as a major mode of transport not only for people from Hmaw Sat ward in Dala Township, but also for people from townships further afield such as Pyawbwe and Kawhmu, as well as small towns in Ayeyarwaddy Region such as Bogalay and Pyapon. People from these delta region towns usually take the bus to Dala to trade their rice and fish products in Yangon. The Dala-Yangon Bridge would make their journey easier, faster and cheaper. With a bridge from Yangons Central Business District in the works, Dala now has the potential to develop into a major urban center housing businesses and tourist attractions. The Dala riverfront could become a place resembling Bangkoks Asiatique, offering opportunities for retailers and other small businesses, as well as jobs for its residents. The much-anticipated construction of the bridge will enhance trading activity in nearby townships and improve the lives of Dalas residents. Consequently, Dala will finally be able to grow to its full potential as a port city situated one bridge away from the countrys commercial capital. Inevitably, some people will be asked to make sacrifices in the name of development. While the Yangon-Dala Bridge will be beneficial in many ways, ferry captains will definitely face a drop in their daily income. U Kyin Hla said, We havent thought about what our next step is, but we will figure something out as an alternative to maintain our income. For the time being, all the ferry captains and owners can do is to try to save some money, as the bridge construction will take at least three years. While continuing their routine of connecting lives on the two sides of the river, the men at Hmaw Sat Jetty hope their decades-old vocations will be allowed to continue. I think our jetty will remain in business, said U Kyin Hla confidently. Asia Myanmar Says it Would Like to See Clear Evidence of Genocide Rohingya refugees walk at Jamtoli camp in the morning in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, January 22, 2018. / Reuters GENEVA Myanmar wants to see clear evidence to support accusations that ethnic cleansing or genocide has been perpetrated against its Muslim minority in Rakhine State, National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Thursday. The vast majority of the Muslim community that was living in Rakhine remain, he told reporters in Geneva. If it was a genocide, they would all be driven out. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine into neighboring Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown in August, joining 200,000 refugees from a previous exodus. On Wednesday, UN human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein said he strongly suspected acts of genocide, while Myanmars military published a lengthy response to widespread allegations over its campaign in Rakhine, saying its investigations had cleared troops of almost all alleged abuses. Zeid told the UN Human Rights Council that reports of bulldozing of alleged mass graves were a deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy evidence of potential international crimes, including possible crimes against humanity. Thaung Tun said charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide were very serious and should not be bandied about lightly. We have often heard many accusations that there is ethnic cleansing or even genocide in Myanmar. And Ive said it before and Ill say it again it is not the policy of the government, and this we can assure you. Although there are accusations, we would like to have clear evidence, he said. We should look into that before making a pronouncement on whether there is ethnic cleansing or genocide. Myanmar has not allowed UN investigators into the country to investigate. A UN fact-finding mission is due to report on Monday on its initial findings, based on interviews with victims and survivors in Bangladesh and other countries. Thaung Tun added that Myanmar was willing to accept back people who had fled and provide safety and dignity for them, showing that it did not want them out of the country, and that only a minority of Rakhines population of 3 million had left. He said the Muslims who fled largely did so because the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) armed group had sowed fear. He accused ARSA of having forced villagers to join their attacks on the security forces and had insisted on a scorched earth policy, burning villages in retreat. Rohingya trace their presence in Rakhine back centuries. But most people in majority-Buddhist Myanmar consider them to be unwanted Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. The army refers to the Rohingya as Bengalis, and most lack citizenship. Thaung Tun said former residents would be welcomed back if they were willing to participate in the life of the nation, for example by learning the Burmese language. Those who want to become citizens of Myanmar, we are happy to welcome them, but they have to go through a process. There cannot be automatic citizenship, he said. Asia Trump Agreed to Meet Kim Because He Is North Koreas Decision-maker: Official US President Donald Trump responds to a question about North Korea in Washington, U.S., March 6, 2018. / Reuters WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un because Kim is the ultimate decision-maker in his country, a senior administration official said on Thursday. President Trump has made his reputation on making deals, the official said in a briefing with reporters after Trumps agreement to meet Kim at a time and place to be chosen in what would be the first-ever US-North Korea summit. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the message from Kim was relayed orally to Trump by a South Korean delegation in the Oval Office. There was no letter from Kim, the official said. Kim Jong Un is the one person who is able to make decisions under their authoritarian, uniquely authoritarian, or totalitarian system, and so it made sense to accept an invitation to met with the one person who can actually make decisions instead of repeating the sort of long slog of the past, said the official. The United States will settle for nothing less than permanent denuclearization of North Korea, the official said. Trump spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the development, the official added. Burma Kachin Finally Allowed to Retrieve Two Missing IDPs The two Kachin IDPs whose bodies were found on Friday: Hpaugan Yaw, 65, and Nhkum Naw San, 31. / Victims family The Myanmar Army on Friday evening allowed a group of people to retrieve the bodies of two Kachin internally displaced persons who had disappeared in January, after local people reported discovering their bodies in a grave in Mansi Township. Army personnel had prevented the group from heading to the site for several hours earlier in the day. The two IDPs disappeared on Jan. 31 while trying to return to their village from the Maing Hkawng IDP camp, and were reportedly last seen being detained by military personnel. They have all left the camp, as the army finally allowed them to go, said Naw Mai, a community leader at the camp. Some local people told The Irrawaddy that the Myanmar Armys Infantry Battalion 206 had earlier blocked the group. According to Naw Mai, an army captain was behind the original decision to prevent the group from leaving. He said he was waiting for orders from his superiors. So, he did not let us go. However, the captain relented at 2 p.m. local time and allowed the group to travel the approximately 6 miles from the camp to the village where the two men were apparently killed, according to community leaders. The army said they would accompany the group part of the way, but would not make the entire trip, Naw Mai said. Hpaugan Yaw, 65, and Nhkum Naw San, 31, were last seen being detained at their village on Jan. 31 by Battalion 206 personnel, according to the IDPs families. The group traveling to retrieve the bodies comprised more than 20 people including police, doctors with expertise in forensic medicine and community leaders from the IDP camp. The gravesite was being guarded by 24 people, according to local sources. Police and medical specialists had instructed them not to disturb the bodies so that an investigation could be carried out. Initially, the army refused to allow people from the camp even to search for the missing men, who had returned to their home village from the IDP camp to tend to their animals. They were among residents who were forced to flee the village to avoid fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). A group of people from the IDP camp went to search for the missing men on Friday without informing the army or telling them where they had found the bodies. We searched for them based on witness accounts. We found the two bodies just outside the village, said Ann Kham, an IDP from the camp who was part of Fridays search party. [The original discoverers of the bodies] cut down a small tree and put it on the grave. We werent sure about it, so we dug into the grave, and found the two bodies, he said. The grave contained two bodies an older one underneath, and a younger one on top, he said. Relatives of the two victims opened charges over the disappearance of the two persons at the police station in Mansi town, according to Hkun Nawng, a lawyer and Kachin Legal Aid Network official based in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, who was helping to locate the missing pair. We will monitor how the police will build this case to charge the persons responsible for this murder. We are ready to help the police, too, if they need help with the investigation, Hkun Nawng said. Right abuses are a common occurrence in Kachin and northern Shan, which has been the scene of ongoing fighting between the Myanmar Army and ethnic rebels. There have been instances in the past of the army detaining, torturing and killing villagers suspected of being rebels. The army has even blocked humanitarian aid from UN agencies intended for Kachin IDPs. Most IDPs rely on aid from local Kachin religious groups such as the Kachin Baptist Convention. The Maing Hkawng IDP camp houses about 2,500 IDPs. Fighting broke out in the area in 2011, causing many people to flee their homes. Last year, about 50 IDPs attempted to return to their homes, but they were forced to return when fighting flared in January. In January, six Myanmar Army soldiers were each sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with hard labor for killing three IDPs from Maing Hkawng last year. The IDPs had been foraging for firewood in the forest. The Kachin Independence Army has two bases in the area, housing its Battalion 12 and Battalion 27. The Tatmadaw has ordered the KIA to withdraw from these areas but it has refused, fueling the tension. Burma Suspects in NLD Lawyers Killing Will Ask to Review Indictment at Divisional Court U Kyaw Kyaw Htike, a defense lawyer for accused gunman Kyi Lin, talks to the media after a hearing at Yangons Northern District Court on Feb. 9. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe defense lawyers for the four suspects in the killing of prominent lawyer U Ko Ni will present a criminal revision petition to the Yangon Division High Court next week, requesting that the judge reconsider the indictment order issued by the Northern District Court. U Kyaw Kyaw Htike, the defense lawyer for accused gunman Kyi Lin, told The Irrawaddy after the 48th court hearing for U Ko Nis murder trial on Friday that he will present the criminal revision to the divisional court on March 16 on behalf of all of the defendants. U Ko Ni, a constitutional lawyer and legal adviser to the ruling National League for Democracy party, was gunned down outside Yangon International Airport on Jan. 29 last year. Police detained four suspects in connection with the crime: accused gunman Kyi Lin and three alleged co-conspirators Zeya Phyo, Aung Win Zaw and Aung Win Tun. After nearly a year of preliminary hearings, the court charged Aung Win Tun under the Penal Codes Article 212, which prohibits harboring an offender but allowed him to stand trial on bail last month after he deposited 50 million kyats (about US$37,300) for his release from custody. The other three suspects were indicted for premeditated murder, which carries life sentences. The man accused of masterminding the murder, former Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Win Khaing, remains at large. The court also ordered the confiscation of the fugitive Aung Win Khaings movable and immovable property under the Criminal Procedures Article 88. Until this weeks hearings on Thursday and Friday, the court had finished examining 28 out of 40 witnesses who were called to re-testify. Daw Pa Pa Win, the defense lawyer for Zeya Phyo, tried to cross-examine the witnesses to prove that there is not enough evidence showing that her client financed the murder or was involved in planning the murder. U Khin Maung Htay, one of the lawyers who represents U Ko Nis family, in court raised questions over controversial video footage that had been presented by the prosecutors side. The footagesimilar to a viral video of U Ko Nis murder outside the airport but shot from a different placewas never revealed on social media. Reporters were unable to see the video on Friday. Yangon International Airports CCTV control room officers testified that it was not footage obtained by their security cameras when the defense asked about the video. The police had presented the footage to the court since the beginning but the defense had never questioned it before, U Khin Maung Htay said. An individual or an organization might have already known about the crime even before Kyi Lin shot U Ko Ni, he said. The video was shot from a place where the general public did not have access, according to U Khin Maung Htay. He added that the real question was who had access to such a place, who knew about the killing even before Kyi Lin fired, and why the defense asked about the video just now. The next hearing will be on March 15. Tin Htet Paing is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Yangon. She previously worked at The Irrawaddy as a reporter for three years. Burma Yearlong Preaching Ban on Firebrand Monk Almost Up U Wirathu / The Irrawaddy YANGON U Wirathu, the firebrand nationalist monk who in 2017 was banned from preaching for one year, will be free to resume his sermons on Saturday. The State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, the highest Buddhist authority of Myanmar, better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ha Na, banned U Wirathu from preaching for one year on March 9, 2017, for spreading hate speech, which it said could lead to religious conflict. There is no new instruction from Ma Ha Na about U Wirathu, U Tun Nyunt, director of the Religious Affairs Department, told The Irrawaddy. Ma Ha Nas annual meeting in February did not see any discussion related to U Wirathu, he added. U Wirathu declined The Irrawaddys request for an interview about the expiry of the ban. Ive boycotted both local and foreign media as I have no trust in them, so I have no comment, he said. The monk, who is notorious for his anti-Muslim rhetoric since communal violence broke out in Rakhine State in 2012, has made the cover of Time Magazine as the Face of Buddhist Terror. Despite the ban, U Wirathu has shared a number of videos on social media over the past year in which he claimed to be the mentor of Kyi Lin, the accused assassin of prominent Muslim lawyer U Ko Ni, and thanked the gunman and other alleged co-conspirators. In another video, he asked the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, which he has continuously accused of favoring Muslims over Buddhists, to step down. In late February, AFP reported that Facebook had removed U Wirathus page because of his incendiary posts about Muslims as it faces pressure to clamp down on hate speech. But his videos have continued to spread on Facebook. In a Feb. 7 video he criticized the government and the lawyer prosecuting Kyi Lin, telling them to Eat Well. The phrase in Burmese is used as a threat to show ones anger and to warn of impending revenge. Calling himself the mentor of Kyi Lin, he said in the video: Those who insult good people, eat well. Those who disrespect monks, eat well. Those who ban preaching, eat well. Those who disturb (preaching), eat well. When you go to hell, you dont even have time to eat. So eat well now. His open support for Kyi Lin has drawn strong criticism from both monks and laypeople, with some monks calling for legal action against him. During Ma Ha Nas annual meeting in late February, Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko urged the committee to take action against monks who disgrace Buddhism through their activities or speech. The minister said a lack of consensus in society about the proper political role for Buddhist monks had made it difficult for the government to take action against rowdy monks even as some of them were becoming increasingly reckless. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. News NLD Lawmakers Debate Pros, Cons of Proposed Protest Law Amendments A placard used during a protest against proposed amendments to the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law in Yangon on Monday. The sign says, "Protecting the freedom of expression is our cause." / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAW The Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law needs to be amended because it does not comply with the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, said lawmaker U Tun Tun Hein, a Central Executive Committee member of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD). This law is fine for people who want to stage a protest with good intentions. But if it is applied for destructive purposes, we have to do what it takes in the interests of the country, U Tun Tun Hein told reporters in Naypyitaw. Activists and rights groups have protested against the bill in recent weeks, complaining that proposed amendments contain broad and vague terms they worry could be exploited to stifle political dissent. On Friday, the Bill Committee presented its report on the bill to the Lower House, which is scheduled to discuss the amendments next week. The bill amending the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law was passed by the Upper House on Wednesday with 113 lawmakers voting in favor and 78 voting against, despite the fact that some NLD lawmakers argued against the changes. Representatives of Myanmars military, which is guaranteed 25 percent of parliamentary seats by the Constitution, also opposed the changes. Though Article 354 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and assembly, hiring people to stage a demonstration with bad intents was not acceptable, argued U Tun Tun Hein, who represents Nawnghkio Township in Shan State. The proposed amendment was identical to Article 354, he said, adding that existing laws had to comply with the Constitution or would otherwise be invalid. We heard that there are cases of people being hired for demonstrations. What we want is that citizens express their real wishes, he said. If the changes do make it into the law, Article 4 (d) will require would-be protesters planning peaceful assemblies and processions to inform police in advance of not only their agenda and estimated numbers, but also the estimated cost of the event and the identities of the people or organizations paying for it. The most controversial part of the bill would stipulate jail terms for those convicted of provoking or exhorting others to organize or participate in demonstrations by bribing or paying them or doing anything else with the intention of harming the stability, rule of law, peace and tranquility of the community. The provision has been criticized as being too broadly written; activists warn it could be exploited to stifle political dissent. The Constitution of the United States says that no law shall be enacted to restrict liberty and individual expression. The original Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law already restricts the freedom of an individual, and the new changes restrict it further, Lower House NLD lawmaker U Aung Hlaing Win told The Irrawaddy. U Ye Htun, a former lawmaker who represented Shan States Hsipaw Township, said the proposed amendments would also make it legal to fund demonstrations. He argued that funding should not be allowed at all and that demonstrations should be staged by people on their own accord. In Ukraine, demonstrators were paid through NGOs by foreign agencies. As a result, many took to the streets, and finally the president was toppled. Thats what we should restrict, but not the instigation [of protests] if it is not for violence. The NLD made amending the military-drafted Constitution one of its top priorities while campaigning for the 2015 election. Since winning the election, however, the party has made almost no effort to reform it in Parliament. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. New Zealands competition enforcement and regulatory agency, The Commerce Commission, has knocked back the acquisition of Motorcentral, a Christchurch-based supplier of motor vehicle dealer management (DMS) software, by Trade Me, an online marketplace and classified advertising platform. The Commerce Commission Chairman Dr Mark Berry said the Commission could not be satisfied that the merger would not be likely to substantially lessen competition in the relevant markets. The merger would combine Trade Me, which is the most popular online classified advertising platform for motor vehicle dealers, and Motorcentral, which is the largest provider of DMS products to independent motor vehicle dealers in New Zealand. Based on the evidence received, we could not exclude the real chance that this could result in a substantial lessening of competition in these markets, including deterring new entry. The Commissions decision comes after Trade Me, in July last year, sought clearance to buy Motorcentral. DMS software is used by motor vehicle dealers to manage their businesses and may include functionality such as keeping track of inventory, customer relationship management, and uploading vehicle listings to online advertisers. Trade Me currently operates DealerBase which has some of those functions. A cyber attack during the opening ceremony of last month's Winter Olympics appears to have been carried out using sophisticated malware that has the hallmarks of a Russian-speaking group, Sofacy. The announcement was made on the opening day of the annual Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit which is being held in Cancun, Mexico. Kaspersky Lab researchers said the malware, named Olympic Destroyer by researchers from Cisco's Talos Group as iTWire reported, had been attributed to an outfit named Lazarus, which has been claimed to have connections with North Korea, by different security firms, including Kaspersky. But, the longer they looked at the way the malware was coded, the Kaspersky researchers concluded that the tactics, techniques and procedures, which had resulted in this preliminary conclusion, were a false flag designed to mislead security researchers. Kaspersky found that the attackers used the privacy-protecting service NordVPN and a hosting provider called MonoVM, which both accept bitcoins. These and some other discovered TTPs were previously seen to be used by Sofacy. To our knowledge, the evidence we were able to find was not previously used for attribution. Yet the attackers decided to use it, predicting that someone would find it," said Vitaly Kamluk, head of the APAC Research Team at Kaspersky Lab. "They counted on the fact that forgery of this artefact is very hard to prove. Its as if a criminal had stolen someone elses DNA and left it at a crime scene instead of their own. "We discovered and proved that the DNA found on the crime scene was dropped there on purpose." Kamluk said this demonstrated how much effort attackers were prepared to make in order to stay unidentified for as long as possible. "Weve always said that attribution in cyber space is very hard as lots of things can be faked, and Olympic Destroyer is a pretty precise illustration of this. Another takeaway from this story for us is that attribution is has to be taken extremely seriously. Given how politicised cyber space has recently become, the wrong attribution could lead to severe consequences and actors may start trying to manipulate the opinion of the security community in order to influence the geopolitical agenda. The writer is attending the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit as a guest of the company. Photo: courtesy Kaspersky Lab Motorola Solutions has completed the acquisition of Plant Holdings, which holds the Airbus DS Communications business, from Airbus Defense and Space. Motorola says the acquisition strengthens its command centre software portfolio and the companys Software Enterprise. Airbus DS Communications is a leading provider in North America of command centre software for emergency call-handling and also delivers text-to-911, mapping, data management and analytics, providing customers a comprehensive transition strategy from legacy systems to a standards-based, unified Next-Generation 911 system. Completion of the acquisition comes as Motorola Solutions announced three new solutions for enhanced mission-critical communications including an app to share digital evidence. Motorola Solutions is focused on mobilising and connecting first responders in the moments that matter regardless of network or device, said Bruce Brda, Motorola Solutions executive vice president of Products & Solutions. We are dedicated to growing our technology portfolio for the long-term co-existence of LMR and LTE networks, helping them work better together for years to come. We are also building software apps that are secure and easy to use by first responders and that connect automatically to Motorola Solutions suite of public safety solutions. Brda said the new solutions were part of Motorolas continuation to transform communications for first responders who use land-mobile radio (LMR) and dedicated long-term evolution (LTE) networks. The new technologies and their functions - announced by Motorola are: LEX L11 Mission-Critical LTE Device The LEX L11 mission-critical LTE device is built for global broadband networks including FirstNet in the United States. It is designed specifically for the demanding environments experienced by first responders. With the LEX L11 and the power of broadband, first responders can access secure apps for increased situational awareness. The LEX L11 can also be paired with an APX two-way portable radio, combining the power of Motorola Solutions mission-critical ASTRO 25 LMR network with public safety broadband. Ideal for officers who need to remain discreet, this pairing allows them to communicate covertly on their radio while using the LEX L11. Together, these technologies are a powerful combination of communications to help improve the safety of first responders and the people they protect. Capture Mobile Camera App With the new Capture app, first responders can easily capture image, video and audio evidence with the LEX L11 or Android and iOS-based smartphones. All content is securely uploaded to Motorola Solutions CommandCentral Vault digital evidence management solution for storage and later use. From the moment of capture, evidence is protected from tampering, and the chain of custody is verifiable so devices do not need to be subpoenaed. Metadata is also added automatically to organise evidence within CommandCentral Vault. APX 8500HP Mobile Radio The APX 8500HP is a high-power version of Motorola Solutions interoperable all-band Project 25 mobile radio. This 110 watt radio delivers more than twice the power of the APX 8500 for VHF and UHF Range 1 bands. It is ideal for use in rural areas or during disaster response where limited infrastructure might be available. With all-band functionality, first responders from different agencies can easily communicate with each other, regardless of what frequency band they are using. On October 12, 2016, a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack left much of the internet inaccessible on the U.S. east coast. The attack, which authorities initially feared was the work of a hostile nation-state, was in fact the work of the Mirai botnet. This attack, which initially had much less grand ambitions to make a little money off of Minecraft aficionados grew more powerful than its creators ever dreamed possible. It's a story of unintended consequences and unexpected security threats, and it says a lot about our modern age. But to understand it, you need a little background. How botnets work If you want to get into the details, check out this primer on the subject, but in a nutshell, a botnet is a collection of internet-connected computers the "bots" that are under remote control from some outside party. Usually these computers have been compromised by some outside attacker who controls aspects of their functionality without the owners knowing. Because there are many bots, the controllers basically have access to a sort of hacked-together supercomputer that they can use for nefarious purposes, and because the bots are distributed over various parts of the internet, that supercomputer can be hard to stop. The very first botnet was built in 2001 to send spam, and that's still a common use: because the unwanted messages are being sent from so many different computers, they're hard for spam filters to block. Another common use and the one the Mirai botnet served is as foot soldiers in a DDoS attack, in which a target server is simply bombarded with web traffic until it's overwhelmed and knocked offline. How to make a botnet Traditionally, botnets are created by compromising home PCs, which often had a number of vulnerabilities. PCs could be captured either through unprotected network ports or via trojans or other malware, often spread by spam, that would open backdoors attackers could access. Once the PC is compromised, the controller known as a bot herder issues commands via IRC or other tools. Sometimes commands come from a central server, though more often now botnets have a distributed architecture that makes their controllers harder to track down. What is an IoT botnet? Over the years, PC makers have gotten savvier about building security into their computers. But another tempting target is out there for botnet builders: Internet of things (IoT) devices, a blanket term for various gadgets that most people don't think of as computers, but that still have processing power and an internet connection. These devices, ranging from home routers to security cameras to baby monitors, often include an embedded, stripped down Linux system. They also often have no built-in ability to be patched remotely and are in physically remote or inaccessible locations. By 2017, there were 8.4 billion of these "things" out there on the internet, ripe for the plucking. Mirai took advantage of these insecure IoT devices in a simple but clever way. Rather than attempting to use complex wizardry to track down IoT gadgets, it scanned big blocks of the internet for open Telnet ports, then attempted to log in using 61 username/password combos that are frequently used as the default for these devices and never changed. In this way, it was able to amass an army of compromised closed-circuit TV cameras and routers, ready to do its bidding. What was the Mirai botnet attack? But let's back up a bit. Who built Mirai, and what was its purpose? While much of the malware ecosystem emerges from the murky underworld of Eastern European organized crime or nation-state intelligence services, we actually have names and places to go with this particularly striking attack. Paras Jha, an undergraduate at Rutgers, became interested in how DDoS attacks could be used for profit. He launched a series of minor attacks against his own university's systems, timed to match important events like registration and midterms, all the while trying to convince them to hire him to mitigate those attacks. He also was big Minecraft player, and one of the quirks of the Minecraft economy is that there's good money to be made in hosting Minecraft game servers which leads to running skirmishes in which hosts launch DDoS attacks against their rivals, hoping to knock their servers offline and attract their business. Mirai was another iteration of a series of malware botnet packages developed by Jha and his friends. Jha, who loved anime and posted online under the name "Anna-Senpai," named it Mirai (Japanese for "the future", ), after the anime series Mirai Nikki, or "future diary." It encapsulated some clever techniques, including the list of hardcoded passwords. But, in the words of an FBI agent who investigated the attacks, "These kids are super smart, but they didnt do anything high levelthey just had a good idea." Mirai DDoS Mirai's first big wave of attacks came on September 19, 2016, and was used against the French host OVH because, as it later turned out, OVH hosted a popular tool that Minecraft server hosts use to fight against DDoS attacks. A few days later, "Anna-Senpai" posted the code of the Mirai botnet online a not-uncommon technique that gives malware creators plausible deniability, because they know that copycats will use the code, and the waters will be muddied as to who created it first. The big attack on October 12 was launched by somebody else against Dyn, an infrastructure company that among other things offers DNS services to a lot of big websites. The FBI believes that this attack was ultimately targeting Microsoft game servers. In December 2016, Jha and his associates pled guilty to crimes related to the Mirai attacks. But by then the code was in the wild and being used as building blocks for further botnet controllers. Mirai botnet source code And yes, you read that right: the Mirai botnet code was released into the wild. That means that anyone can use it to try their luck infecting IoT devices (most of which are still unprotected) and launching DDoS attacks against their enemies, or selling that power to the highest bidder. Many cybercriminals have done just that, or are tweaking and improving the code to make it even harder to fight against. Mirai botnet analysis and detection The good folks at Imperva Incapsula have a great analysis of the Mirai botnet code. You should head over there for a deep dive, but here are some of the high points: Mirai can launch both HTTP flood and network-level attacks There are certain IP address ranges that Mirai is hard-wired to avoid, including those owned by GE, Hewlett-Packard, and the U.S. Department of Defense Upon infecting a device, Mirai looks for other malware on that device and wipes it out, in order to claim the gadget as its own Mirai's code contains a few Russian-language stringswhich, as we later learned, were a red herring about its ultimate origins Imperva Incapsula also has a tool that will scan your network looking for vulnerabilities, particularly looking for devices that have the logins and passwords on Mirai's list. Because Mirai stores itself in memory, rebooting the device is enough to purge any potential infection, although infected devices are generally re-infected swiftly. Therefore, the recommendation is to change the password to something stronger before rebooting if you have any vulnerable devices. Related video Bouras 18 Presents at National Research Conference March 9, 2018 Zoe Bouras '18 presented at the PSA National Research Conference at George Washington University in Washington D.C. BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Anti-elite sentiment is a phenomena that is prevalent everywhere, according to Zoe Bouras 18, an Illinois Wesleyan University senior and member of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the national political science honor society. Bouras shared her findings on this phenomena at the PSA National Research Conference at George Washington University in Washington D.C., Feb. 16-18. A political science and international studies double major, Bouras began her research on populist politics as part of her political science senior seminar course. As a member of PSA, Bouras submitted her abstract and received an invitation to present her research, which explores the relationship between anti-elite sentiment and political distrust in Europe, at the PSA conference. I think the Pi Sigma Alpha research conference was a great opportunity, Bouras said. I got to see a little of Washington D.C., and I received great feedback from a PhD. candidate who acted as a discussant. I got to meet other political science students, and I was able to share some of what IWU is doing with the wider academic community. Bouras said her interest in modern populist politics which supports the rights of the common people against the privileged elite emerged from Illinois Wesleyan professor of political science Kathleen Montgomery's senior seminar course that focuses on the politics of inclusion and exclusion. That led me to questions of political trust and trust in elites, Bouras said. According to Bouras, anti-elitist sentiment is the hallmark of populism which can lead to feelings of political distrust and resentment. As someone who has studied abroad at the University of Oxford through the IWU Pembroke Program, and worked as a Freeman Asia intern in Seoul, South Korea in 2016, Bouras said anti-elitism can be seen virtually anywhere. At home, abroad, but also in our daily lives and in the Facebook comments section, she said. As part of her research, Bouras hypothesized that the more socially integrated a person feels and the more secure a persons self-identified social status, the less likely the person will be to hold anti-elite sentiments. In order to test her hypothesis, Bouras used data from Round Seven of the European Social Survey and SPSS Statistical Data Package to analyze how individual characteristics can bring about feelings of anti-elitism. From her data, Bouras found that both economic and cultural factors play a role in the formation of anti-elite sentiment at the individual level. The results supported her hypothesis, showing that there is a relationship between both social integration and self-identified social standing, and anti-elite sentiment. Bouras presented all of her findings in a presentation titled "Dom Perignon vs. Miller Lite" to over 100 people at the conference. We enjoyed having Zoe take part in the Pi Sigma Alpha Student Research Conference last month, said Executive Director of Pi Sigma Alpha Sean Twombly. She was a great addition to the program and represented the University in the best possible manner. Bouras works as a writing tutor at the IWU Writing Center, is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, and is the president of both the Rock Climbing Club and IWU Model United Nations. She is a member of multiple honor societies including: Mortar Board, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Beta Delta, and Alpha Lambda Delta. By Vi Kakares '20 Students Present Research at Human Rights Workshop March 9, 2018 Muyi Yang 18 presents his research "Sexual Violence & the State in Armed Conflict." BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Four Illinois Wesleyan University students were among 10 undergraduate presenters at the sixth annual Human Rights Undergraduate Research Workshop hosted by Illinois Wesleyan Feb. 23-25. Zoe Bouras 18, Matt Banaitis 18, Muyi Yang 18 and Josie Blumberg 19 each presented research related to the workshops theme: Revolution and Human Rights. The workshop, which showcased undergraduate presenters from IWU and five other universities, featured student research that covered a broad range of social issues, from the rights of immigrants to government involvement in sexual violence. Also during the workshop, keynote speaker Mark Steinberg, Professor of History and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, delivered an address titled "The Russian Revolution as Utopian Leap." I got to hear from peers from other institutions as well as a variety of IWU professors, Bouras said. I particularly enjoyed that everyone has such different work. When doing research, it's really easy to get caught up in your one or two topics. It's refreshing to see new work that others are doing. Zoe Bouras 18 presents her research "Dom Perignon vs. Miller LIte." Bouras, an international studies and political science double major, presented her political science senior seminar paper, titled "Dom Perignon vs. Miller Lite." Her presentation examined the personality traits that can generate feelings of anti-elitism, a growing phenomenon with the potential to damage existing political structures and discourses. Banaitis, presenting Bosnian Immigration to the United States, used his background as a history major and international studies minor with a diplomatic studies concentration to tell the story of Bosnian refugees who fled to the United States during the Bosnian War. Yang, an international studies major and political science minor, shed light on the hidden issue of sexual violence against male victims in armed conflict in her presentation, Sexual Violence & the State in Armed Conflict. By analyzing testimonies from The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Yang argued that sexual violence in this context comes as a direct result of the state perpetuating an ideal of dominant, normative, masculine authority that is dangerously heightened in times of violence. Mark Steinberg, professor of history and director of graduate studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gives the keynote address "The Russian Revolution as Utopian Leap." Blumberg, in her work Influence of Cultural Characteristics and Values on Peace, compared the cultures of Japan and Rwanda, two countries with similar cultural attitudes but different demographics and histories of colonialism, to determine how a countrys culture contributes to the success of peace initiatives. An international studies major and economics minor, Blumbergs research drew, in part, from personal interviews she conducted in Hiroshima, where nonprofit organizations and survivors of the atomic bomb are dedicated to ending nuclear proliferation. As the global community continues to implement peace efforts in war-torn countries today, Blumberg finds that taking into account a countrys values is vital in order to rebuild societies that can maintain long-lasting peace. What I appreciate most about this workshop is the way in which students from all over the country come, interact and share ideas about human rights concerns with IWU students who have similar interests, said Ben and Susan Rhodes Professor of Peace and Social Justice Irv Epstein, who serves as department chair of Educational Studies and director for the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice. Intellectual engagement lies at the heart of what the liberal arts entail, and for two days, these students experience the pure joy of such engagement in a mutually supportive environment. As an observer and faculty participant, I found the workshop to be as enthralling as it was empowering. By Rachel McCarthy 21 Reddit Email 38 Shares By Brian Whitaker | ( Al-Bab.com) | The roadside signs show a bearded man in Arab head-dress with the words He is bringing change to Saudi Arabia. Passing drivers, unless they are followers of Middle Eastern politics, may wonder who he is, but that doesnt really matter. The adverts seem to have been strategically placed so as to be seen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his journey from the airport into central London. This kind of thing is a familiar sight in Arab capitals where banners and billboards often greet a visiting head of state but in Britain theres usually less fuss especially when, as in this case, its not a State Visit and the visitor is not actually a head of state. In central London, meanwhile. the Monster Displays company has vans driving around displaying pictures of the monster himself and a Twitter hashtag in gold lettering: #WelcomeSaudiCrownPrince. The hashtag, apparently a creation of the Saudis PR machine, looks increasingly like a bad idea, even when its written in gold. People have not been responding in the way they were supposed to. Welcome Saudi Crown Prince! one tweet says. Please enjoy the warm hospitality of the British people, expressed traditionally by telling murderous autocrats to piss up a rope. Naturally youll be welcome, says another, because all the members of the British government will be happy to lick your royal backside and do anything you ask for some of your cash. Saudi cash is what its really about, and with Brexit coming up we are going to need as much of it as we can get which well do by selling the Saudis weapons. The Foreign Office, of course, has been trying to put a respectable spin on it, but we all know the bottom line: The visit of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman ushers in a new era in our bilateral relations focused on a partnership that delivers wide-ranging benefits for both our countries. One of the odd things about this British-Saudi partnership is the divergence between government policy and public opinion. While the British government tiptoes around questions of rights abuses and the war in Yemen, trying not to cause offence in Riyadh, the public and most of the media (regardless of political complexion) see no reason to hold back from criticism. During his visit, Prince Mohammed can expect three kinds of welcome: the official government welcome which includes lunch with the Queen, the unofficial billboard welcome that seems to have been organised by the Saudis themselves, and the welcome from the British public (which promises to be somewhat different). Demonstrations against the visit are expected and several buses and lorries with signs denouncing Mohammed bin Salman as a war criminal have been touring London. Today, in an article for the Guardian, the Labour partys foreign policy spokesperson, Emily Thornberry, describes the red-carpet treatment accorded to the prince as shameless. This might imply a more openly critical approach under some future Labour government, but changes of government havent made much difference in the past. The problem is that somewhere in the bowels of the deep state there are other forces that come into play whenever theres a serious possibility of an upset in the relationship. The al-Yamamah arms deal, which dates back to the 1980s, is probably the most notorious example. Though massive corruption has long been suspected, attempts to get at the truth have constantly been stymied. When an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office was mysteriously dropped in 2006, one former minister said that even if the allegations were true ending the investigation was the right decision in order to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia. A separate investigation by the US Department of Justice also appears to have been tempered by some private lobbying to spare public embarrassment. A more recent example came in 2016 when an all-party committee of British MPs produced a draft report calling a suspension of arms sales to Saudi Arabia in the light of the war in Yemen. A rearguard action led by Conservative MP Crispin Blunt which involved tabling dozens of amendments and then walking out of the room to make the committee inquorate ensure that the draft report could not be approved. Mr Blunt could be heard on BBC radio this morning, explaining why the government is right to roll out the red carpet for Prince Mohammed. Via Al-Bab.com This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence. Bonus video added by Informed Comment: CGTN America: Saudi crown princes visit to UK sparks protests in London Reddit Email 209 Shares Middle East Monitor Palestinian academic Hatem Bazian says Arizona State University asked him to sign a contract in which he pledges not to criticise Israel at a university event. Arizona State University is reported to have asked Palestinian academic Hatem Bazian to sign a contract in which he pledges not to criticise Israel at an event organised by the Muslim Students Association next month. Chair of American Muslims for Palestine and lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley, Bazian said Arizona State University asked him to sign the universitys speaker agreement which included a clause that prohibits criticising Israel or engaging with the BDS movement. Bazian refused to sign the agreement, saying agents loyal to Israel, constitute a real obstacle to freedom of expression and academic freedom in American universities. He added that asking him to sign an agreement which includes a clause that prevents criticism and boycott of Israel is to ignore the freedom of thought and academic autonomy. I think that Israel ignores international law and puts pressure on the Palestinian people, he said, adding that there are many pro-Israel organisations throughout the United States which try to prevent programmes and events that are organised in favour of the Palestinian cause by putting pressure on university administrations. Last week, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed a lawsuit against Arizona State University on behalf of American Muslims for Palestine and Hatem Bazian. Via Middle East Monitor This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. bonus video added by Informed Comment: American Academy of Religion: Recolonizing the Academy Under a Trump Presidency CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coeur Mining, Inc. (Coeur or the Company) (NYSE: CDE) is pleased to announce that it has commenced production at its high-grade Silvertip mine in British Columbia, Canada, following the successful commissioning of mill operations. Ramp-up of production is now slightly ahead of schedule with mill throughput expected to steadily increase throughout the remainder of the year from an estimated 250 tonnes per day (tpd) in April to 750 tpd by year-end. The achievement of this important milestone at Silvertip builds upon the strong momentum with which we have started 2018, said Mitchell J. Krebs, Coeurs President and Chief Executive Officer. Ramp-up of milling rates and production is planned to continue under temporary permit coverage through year-end. We expect to submit an application for a full permit amendment during the second quarter, receive approval by year-end and reach nameplate capacity of 1,000 tpd in early 2019. Combined with our recent exit from Bolivia and the release of Rochesters noteworthy preliminary economic assessment, we believe commencement of production at Silvertip further demonstrates the growing strength of Coeurs North America-focused portfolio. About Coeur Coeur Mining, Inc. is a well-diversified, growing precious metals producer with five mines in North America employing approximately 2,000 people. Coeurs wholly-owned operations include the Palmarejo silver-gold complex in Mexico, the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine in British Columbia, the Rochester silver-gold mine in Nevada, the Kensington gold mine in Alaska, and the Wharf gold mine in South Dakota. In addition, the Company owns the La Preciosa project in Mexico, a silver-gold exploration stage project, and conducts exploration activities throughout North America. Cautionary Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States and Canada, including statements regarding operations at Silvertip, including production ramp-up, mill throughput, permitting efforts, and results. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Coeur's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risk that the Silvertip production ramp-up and permitting process is not successfully achieved on a timely basis or at all, the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including risks inherent in developing large-scale mining projects, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically related conditions), changes in the market prices of gold and silver and a sustained lower price environment, the uncertainties inherent in Coeur's production, exploratory and developmental activities, including risks relating to permitting and regulatory delays, ground conditions, grade variability, any future labor disputes or work stoppages, the uncertainties inherent in the estimation of gold, silver, zinc and lead reserves and resources, changes that could result from Coeur's future acquisition of new mining properties or businesses, the loss of any third-party smelter to which Coeur markets silver and gold, the effects of environmental and other governmental regulations, the risks inherent in the ownership or operation of or investment in mining properties or businesses in foreign countries, Coeur's ability to raise additional financing necessary to conduct its business, make payments or refinance its debt, as well as other uncertainties and risk factors set out in filings made from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Canadian securities regulators, including, without limitation, Coeur's most recent report on Form 10-K. Actual results, developments and timetables could vary significantly from the estimates presented. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coeur disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, Coeur undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Coeur, its financial or operating results or its securities. Still the best: Kansas State University's Black Student Union again receives title of best in Big 12 Friday, March 9, 2018 MANHATTAN Kansas State University's Black Student Union, or BSU, is again the best in the Big 12 Conference. For the 10th time in 13 years, the university's Black Student Union won the Clarence Wine Award for Outstanding Big 12 Council of the Year at the 41st annual Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, March 1-3, at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. "The K-State BSU represents what is great about Kansas State University," said Adrian Rodriguez, associate vice president for student life for diversity and multicultural student affairs. "They demonstrate every day that by unifying our voice and striving for what is right and just, monumental things can be accomplished." Rodriguez said the Black Student Union is a model student organization for all other Big 12 and university Black Student Unions as well as other multicultural student organizations. Through leadership, active membership and collective voice, the Black Student Union continues to further the agenda for equity and justice at Kansas State University, he said. "It is an amazing honor being named the most outstanding Black Student Union in the Big 12," said Darrell Reese, president of the Kansas State University Black Student Union and junior in mechanical engineering, Plano, Texas. "It shows how hard we work as a Black Student Union advocating for the needs of our multicultural students, but it also shows how much we care about each other within our BSU because we are so much of a family." In addition to the Clarence Wine Award, two Black Student Union members were recognized at the conference. Bryan Davis, senior in management information systems, Topeka, and 2017-2018 chair of the Big 12 Council on Black Student Government, was awarded the Mordean Taylor Archer Most Outstanding Executive Board Member award. Jeffrey Matthews Jr., freshman in open option, Kansas City, Missouri, also was elected as 2018-2019 assistant treasurer for the Big 12 Council on Black Student Government. He will automatically become treasurer for the council for 2019-2020. "It is an honor to serve as the advisor to our K-State Black Student Union," said Brandon L. Clark, program coordinator for diversity and multicultural student affairs. "Their hard work and passion for social justice continue to be rewarded by the Big 12 Council and celebrated by our university. Congratulations, BSU! Continue to make your Wildcat community proud." 384 Shares Share I have a colleague who is a pediatrician in private practice in the suburbs. He has a great practice and loves his patients. One day, he walked in 15 minutes late to a 7:00 a.m. meeting we both attend. Moms are calling early today. Parents in his practice have learned to bypass their elaborate phone triage system. They have learned that if you press 1 for emergency, an actual doctor will call you back within 15 minutes, regardless of whether an actual emergency exists. When I asked what can be done to curb such behavior, he shrugged and replied, Weve tried a few things, but then we just get slammed on Facebook and thats bad for the practice. Another physician friend provided factual and evidence-based testimony as an expert witness during a legal proceeding. When the proceedings did not go in favor of the plaintiff, they took it upon themselves to post slanderous comments about this physician (not their own personal physician, mind you) on various online forums, including comment sections on advocacy group websites. Anyone who uses social media knows the vitriol that spills forth should anyone dare make a public statement about topics such as vaccines, essential oils, or GMOs. But this is different. Physicians who are active on social media, which I fully support for many reasons, know going in that they can become a target. Its part of the job description. In fact, you know youre actually starting to make a difference once the hateful Tweets start flying. But what about those physicians or practices that become unwilling targets on social media? What recourse do they have? What can be done? Unfortunately, not much. We are simply playing by a different set of rules. Physicians need to always be mindful of HIPAA laws and patient privacy. If a patient is unhappy with their physician and takes to Twitter or Facebook to post hateful comments, that physician cannot publicly defend themselves. They cant even acknowledge that they know the patient or that the visit took place as that violates HIPAA. They have to sit back and take their medicine. This type of patient behavior is inappropriate on many levels. Social media affords anyone a platform and ability to type whatever they wish, regardless of merit or truth. Anonymous accounts are the worst offenders, offering strong opinions with no repercussion aside from a suspension of their social media account should enough people complain. What happened to accountability for ones words or actions? It is important to acknowledge that patients are wronged every day. Some physicians offer poor care to their patients. Personalities may not match, and patients may not feel like their concerns are being heard. There absolutely must be a mechanism for patients to voice their complaints, and there are numerous ways this can occur. But this cannot occur through public-facing social media accounts, and needs to go through the proper channels. Patients can speak with an ombudsman if their physician works at a hospital or file a complaint with the State medical board. Written documentation is necessary to communicate concerns and also formulate a record that protects the patient and affords the physician an opportunity to discuss their interpretation of events. A third party can then remediate, and disciplinary action can take place when warranted. In the meantime, physicians need to be aware that this behavior is occurring. They also need to be trained on how to handle these situations. Physicians are not allowed to address any public comments, acknowledge that they know any patient, and especially cannot fight back with negative comments of their own. Hospitals and medical practices can start addressing this by clearly posting information about the process involved for patients who have a complaint. They also need to monitor social media outlets and take these interactions offline as soon as possible. It will take time to see where all of this leads but a collective effort will be necessary to help the medical community respond appropriately. David R. Stukus is a pediatric allergist and can be reached on Twitter @AllergyKidsDoc. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 10 Shares Share Philadelphia is a sanctuary where we can live in peace, said Mrs. Lopez, a patient at a local clinic caring for the undocumented. It wasnt always this way, and we lived in constant fear, she added, referring to Philadelphias recent adoption of sanctuary city policies, adopted also by dozens of other cities and counties across the country. What exactly are these sanctuaries? Whom do they protect? And why should physicians care about these policies? The notion of sanctuary primarily comes into play when an undocumented person comes into contact with a law enforcement officer through various relatively commonplace occurrences: either through a speeding ticket, a situation where an immigrant calls the police to their house (to report a rape or robbery, for example), police checkpoints, suspected drug usage, a car accident and many more. Once the undocumented immigrant is arrested, their demographic information is input into a federal database that links with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the case proceeds as with any other lawful resident of Philadelphia namely, he or she is detained until charges are cleared. Holding an immigrant in custody for a longer period of time after their charges are cleared to detain him or her for ICE has been deemed to not amount to the probable cause required by the Constitution for people to be kept in jail. If an undocumented immigrant has committed a serious or violent crime, or is suspected to have engaged in terrorist activity, he or she can be kept in jail once the police files charges or if ICE presents the police with a warrant. The city of Philadelphia, which has a population of over 12 percent that is foreign-born, has been a leader in protecting immigrants constitutional right from detainment with probable cause and their right to due process, with Mayors Nutter and Kenney signing sanctuary city status into law and vocally enforcing it as part of their vision for a united and safe Philadelphia. Their argument is that sanctuary cities create an environment where police can focus their attention and resources on serious crime. In order to create a safer city, police officers have cited their need for testimonies, witnesses, and tips from members of their community, who would be hesitant to cooperate if they feared the interaction would lead to deportation. Sanctuary cities are vital for the safety of our undocumented patients. Without these protections, Ms. Lopez would not be able to report sexual assault, or report being in a motor vehicle accident without fear of being apprehended by law enforcement officials, putting the public health of our communities at risk. Sanctuary cities ability to protect vulnerable immigrant populations has been threatened continuously by the Trump administration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions stating in October 2017 that jurisdictions that adopt so-called sanctuary policies also adopt the view that the protection of criminal aliens is more important than the protection of law-abiding citizens and of the rule of law and issuing a warning to these jurisdictions that federal grant money, often at the backbone of local law-enforcement tactics, could be taken away. Recently, Senator Pat Toomey introduced an amendment to attempt to strip away this funding from sanctuary cities, including Philadelphia. The amendment was summarily rejected in the Senate. There is no current evidence suggesting that sanctuary cities result in more violent crime at the hands of undocumented immigrants, and no evidence that its linked to increased risk for terrorist acts. As physicians protecting the safety of our patients, we should ensure that local police not be misused as branches of federal immigration enforcement, lest our patients become more afraid of reporting crimes in their communities, or presenting to places where ICE could be present, including places of employment, places of worship as well as clinics and hospitals. Our voices as physicians and as spokespersons on behalf of the public health of all of our patients matter. We must use these voices to speak out against policy that will further marginalize an already very vulnerable community. Isha M. Di Bartolo is an internal medicine resident. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The Garda overtime spend for Operation Thor last year in Kilkenny/Carlow was one of the highest in the country as the division made great inroads in tackling rural crime and roaming gangs. The figures were published by the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, in a written response to questions on Garda overtime spent on operation Thor by Fianna Fail TD, Marc MacSherry. The Minister provided details which set out the nationwide expenditure relating to Operation Thor for 2017 by Division and Branches. The expenditure reveals that the Kilkenny/Carlow division had an overtime bill of 698,047 one of the highest in the country. The policing division here is second only to the Dublin Metropolitan Region South Central (931,177) and the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Central (793,634). Minister Flanagan added: The Deputy will be aware that the allocation and management of Garda resources, including the overtime budget, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner having due regard to his operational needs. As Minister, I have no role in the matter. In January it was reported that burglaries in the South-East fell by 40% in December when compared to October, according to provisional figures from An Garda Siochana. While a rise in burglaries was experienced for a number of months up to October 2017, in the first two months since the launch of the Winter Phase of Operation Thor at the beginning of November last year, the level of burglaries reported decreased by 23% nationally. In the South-Eastern Region 40% less burglaries were reported in December compared to October, 29% less in the Eastern Region, 25% less in the Western Region, 22% less in the Southern Region, 18% less in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), and 15% less in the Northern Region, over the same period of time. Having observed an increase in burglaries in September and October 2017, An Garda Siochana prepared an operational plan for a Winter Phase of Operation Thor, involving the undertaking of targeted enforcement and preventative activity, designed to prevent potential burglars from exploiting the reduced hours of daylight in the months November 2017 to April 2018. A key part of the Winter Phase of Operation Thor has been the targeting of organised crime gangs (OCGs) involved in burglaries. Operation Thor has led to a 30% reduction in burglaries nationwide following its introduction in November 2015. Fianna Fail Housing Spokesperson Barry Cowen is undertaking a national housing roadshow and will host a meeting with Carlow-Kilkenny TD Bobby Aylward on Monday (March 12) in the Clubhouse Hotel, Patrick Street, Kilkenny. This National Housing Roadshow will see a series of meetings take place in towns across the country in the coming weeks and months. Deputy Aylward has brought Barry Cowen T.D to his constituency to discuss the issues facing homeowners, renters, people on the housing list and those without a home in Carlow & Kilkenny. These local discussions will be incorporated into the partys housing policy. The meeting will focus on: - Social Housing Waiting List & Homelessness - Rent Crisis - Home Ownership - National Planning Framework Commenting on the Housing Roadshow Deputy Cowen said, Housing is the key issue facing this Government. Homelessness has reached unprecedented levels, rents are at historic heights, home building numbers are tens of thousands behind where they need to be and some 85,000 people are on the social housing waiting list. All the while, ordinary workers cannot afford a place to own. This series of meetings in towns across the country is designed to raise awareness and get a sense on the ground about where the failings are, and more importantly, what can be done to address them. The Government has to start delivering on housing. After four separate plans and over a dozen launches it needs to put bricks and mortar in the ground. However, its flagship Re-Building Ireland plan is behind target already. Supply is the key issue that needs to be addressed to get to grips with the crisis in the private, social and rental sector. Re-Building Ireland has been in place for two years and the crisis is only getting worse. I am looking forward to debating the issues and adding to the renewed, focused housing policy which the party will launch after this process is complete. Looking forward to the meeting Deputy Aylward said, "Housing is the most consistent issue I have faced since the Carlow-Kilkenny By-Election in mid 2015, by a country mile. My office is often inundated with calls from people across Carlow and Kilkenny who have been languishing for years on the housing waiting list as well as those who have been recently accepted and cannot believe the length of time it may take before they can secure suitable accommodation. "I have also been taken aback by the amount of ordinary workers who have become disillusioned by the whole situation. These are very hard working people who are doing everything they can to save and make progress but they simply cannot afford to own a place of their own, no matter what they do. I have also heard from many younger people who have graduated in recent years and given everything to advance their careers and get ahead in life but they remain very concerned that they will not be in a position to buy a home and start a family for years to come. "I'm anticipating a constructive meeting and I hope to hear from the people on the ground first and foremost," concluded Deputy Aylward. The Washington Post reports: North Koreas belligerent leader, Kim Jong Un, has asked President Trump for talks and Trump has agreed to meet him by May, South Koreas national security adviser said at the White House Thursday after delivering the invitation to the American president. Kim has also committed to stopping nuclear and missile testing, even during joint military drills in South Korea next month, Chung Eui-yong told reporters in Washington. After a year in which North Korea fired inter-continental ballistic missiles capable of reaching all of the United States and tested what is widely thought to have been a hydrogen bomb, such a moratorium would be welcomed by the U.S. and the world. This is a big deal, and a certain amount of vindication for Trumps strategy of talking tough in order to get negotiations. There is no guarantee of a good outcome from the negotiations, but just the fact they will occur is a really good step in the right direction. Since he took over the leadership of North Korea from his father at the end of 2011, Kim has not met any other head of state. Discussions are now underway to hold a summit with Moon in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas at the end of next month. This would be the third inter-Korean summit but there has never been a face-to-face meeting, or even a phone call, between the sitting leaders of North Korea and the United States. Former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton met the then-leaders Carter met Kims grandfather Kim Il Sung and Clinton met his father, Kim Jong Il during visits to Pyongyang after they had left office. So again this is a big deal. The first meeting Kim has had with any head of state and the first meeting any North Korean leader has had with a US President. Trump has a very transaction approach to foreign policy, as opposed to a principles based approach. In this case the transactional approach may work best. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More Reddit Pinterest Print Tumblr A street fish vendor from Vietnam has clearly no competitor in the Hai Phong market, thanks to the adorable company he has on his stall. Le Quoc Phong has a 3-year old cat, who has an antithetic name Dog and which dresses up like a gentleman accompanying him in the local market. The cat is undoubtedly persuading for the customers to buy from his stall. And just like its name, Dog also has another opposite quality, to sell fish! We are used to seeing cats around fish vendors, all waiting to get pieces of fish to gulp down. But not, Dog, this one watches the stalls and roams around in the market wearing cool outfits. Naturally, he is taking the internet by storm. His owner Le Quoc Phong was quoted to Bored Panda, Dog loves ice cream, traveling and sleeping. He also has a lot of girlfriends and a lot of children in the country. It may seem that he is uncomfortable in his outfits but the owner claims it is not so. Instead, he finds it cozy and is quite comfortable in roaming around the streets in these. Well, his pictures show that too. Take a look at Dog, the cat's pictures: Selling fish is my business! And accuracy is important So who is the boss here? I am! Dog is pro seller, fish or veggies! Dog, the cat selling vegetables (Photo credits: Facebook/Le Quoc Phong) Dog's love for ice-cream is clearly visible Dog is a rockstar! Dog can clearly win a fancy-dress competition A post shared by Cho (@dog1501) on Feb 26, 2017 at 1:09am PST We can see Dog wearing a yellow shirt, matching hat along with small black glares too. He is a cute little Rockstar! His pictures have been making headlines across the borders. The cat keeps an eye too well while the masters not around. The pictures show that Dog is not just a pro at selling fish, but also looks well after the vegetable stalls! He can confidently carry out different outfits, that too the traditional ones. Cat lovers, dont you feel like paying a visit to Dog? (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 09, 2018 03:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Most of the people have a habit of tuning their clocks 5-10 minutes ahead so that reach anywhere on time. It is a tendency to set up alarms a little before to take advantage of the 'extra' time ahead of us. But certain Europeans are facing a problem as their digital clocks are running behind the schedule. Why you'd wonder? Then it is due to the ongoing row between Serbi and Kosovo, disrupting the electric power grid for most of the Continent. The digital clocks, ones on the ovens, heating appliances are running up to 6 minutes slower. It seems quite a strange effect of a dispute affecting time clocks since the month of January. Although the computers and smartphones haven't been affected by this. The reason is a linked electricity grid powers larger part of Europe- from Spain to Turkey and from Poland to the Netherlands. It all operates in a synchronised frequency and Kosovo did not generate enough electricity to meet its needs. Serbia is obliged to meet Kosovo's demand which in turn can keep the electricity grid stable. But the political disputes between the two for almost a decade now, Serbia did not help. Due to this, the frequency deviated and the drop affected the clocks. The fluctuation in power supply is minute but it is causing a difference to their clocks, people obviously won't be happy! European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSOE) which looks after the power supply grid said this is the first time they are seeing something like this. The spokesperson Susanne Nies told BBC, "Surplus energy would need to be generated and fed into the system over time for the balance to be redressed across the continent." They have called for an agreement between the authorities of two nations to end the disruption. The ENTSOE also said they are working on a technical solution to resolve the time falling back. But more than technical, a political solution is must here. Technology binding nations is seeing the adverse effects in parts of Europe. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 09, 2018 04:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin tussle over the definition of luxury Mar 9, 2018, 2:23am ET Aston claims Rolls-Royce is like ancient Greece. Aston Martin introduced the Lagonda Vision concept earlier this week at the Geneva Auto Show. So far, so good. But then, one of its top executives took a jab at future rival Rolls-Royce that started a public war of words. "Look at Rolls-Royce: it's the most luxurious car in the world. Given its roots, its reason for being, it's essentially still an internal combustion engine to replace a horse, a carriage and a trunk. It's an imperfect package for luxury," accused Lagonda design boss Marek Reichman in an interview with Autocar. He later compared the brand to ancient Greece. Ouch. He pledged to redefine the concept of a luxury car early in the next decade as he helps Aston launch Lagonda. Officials want to build the world's first full-electric ultra-luxury brand and take advantage of the possibilities created by electrification and autonomy. They also want to take down Rolls-Royce during the same process. Rolls-Royce didn't stay silent for very long. "They really don't understand our segment, they really don't understand the customers. They are in a complete different league on pricing, they have zero clue what's going on in the upper, upper segment, zero. I am sorry to be so blunt," Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told the Financial Times. He added the remarks were "highly unprofessional," especially considering the relationship between the two British firms has always been "amicable." Photos by Ronan Glon. Laois, Offaly and Tipperary Gardai have recovered a substantial amount of jewellery which is believed to have been stolen from a shop in Athlone during a Storm Emma. Gardai also arrested three males believed to be from Romania during the operation in south Laois on Friday afternoon, March 9. Laois-Offaly Division Gardai confirmed he suspects are being held at stations in Portlaoise, Tullamore and Nenagh where they are to be questioned in relation to their possible involvement in the robbery from a jewellery shop in the Co Westmeath town in which up to 250,000 worth of goods were stolen. Gardai also believe they have enough evidence to question some of those detained in relation to other raids. The operation was carried out by gardai and detectives based in Portlaoise, Tullamore and Tipperary. They made the arrests at a house in the Ballagmore area on the Laois Tipperary border. The Laois Offaly Garda Divison taskforce, which was set up late last year in response to a spat of gang robberies, played a key part in the operation. It was set up on the instigation of Laois Offaly Chief Superintendent John Scanlon. The arrests are understood to be part of ongoing investigations into the activities of non-Irish national gangs who establish in various parts of Ireland and carry out burglaries in surrounding counties. Laois Gardai recently featured in a PrimeTime special in relation to the type of criminality involved. During the programme gardai reported having to cover hundreds of kilometres a night in pursuit of gang. The Leinster Express also understands that two detectives in each Laois-Offaly Garda Division District (Birr, Portlaoise, Tullamore) have been appointed to monitor the movements of and record and gather information on criminal gangs from outside Ireland. The intelligence gathered will be shared nationally to combat crime and bring those responsible before courts. During Storm Emma Park Jewellers in the Golden Island Shopping Centre in Athlone was broken into on Saturday, March 3. Alarms were deactivated at the centre and the shop before rings, bracelets, watches and chains were removed. A hard drive was also taken from the centre's CCTV system. The raid was not detected until Golden Island security staff opened the centre on Saturday morning. Those responsible are suspected of entering and left the shopping centre via the roof. The SGM of Croi Laighean Credit Union has voted in favour of a second merger in two years. The main item on the agenda was the passing of a Special Resolution to allow the Transfer of Engagements of Leixlip & District Credit Union into Croi Laighean Credit Union. The members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed merger. Croi Laighern was formed when Edenderry joined forces with Coill Dubh, Clane, Carbury, Allenwood, Prosperous and Robertstown Credit Unions. READ MORE: Croi Laighean Credit Union reports strong year of growth On Thursday night, March 8 in Clane, Martin Moloney, vice-chairman of the Board of Directors commented, "On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff, we would like to thank the members who have supported our recommendation to merge with our neighbours, Leixlip & District Credit Union." "I am very proud of what Croi Laighean Credit Union has achieved over the last year alone and I have every confidence that this new chapter will bring many rewards to all involved," he added. Meanwhile, Members of Leixlip & District Credit Union held their own SGM in The Springfield Hotel, Leixlip to vote on the Transfer of Engagements of Leixlip & District into Croi Laighean Credit Union. They too voted in favour of the merger. Robert Clarke, Chairman of the Board of Directors said, "Thank you very much for supporting our recommendation to merge with Croi Laighean Credit Union. This union will not only protect our members' interests in a changing environment but will allow us to grow and develop our services while continuing to support and invest in our community." Fiona McLoughlin Healy has announced her resignation from Fine Gael. The county councillor and former general election candidate has been estranged from the party for some time having been suspended for a period of six months from it following internal disputes. In a lengthy posting on Facebook, accompanied by a video, she blamed a failure by the party to address, in any meaningful way, a formal complaint about persistent attempts by Fine Gael Party members to silence, harass and undermine me. She pointed out that "when FG pursued me to run for them in the local elections in 2014, with a view to also running in the general election 2016, I asked for and received assurances that the sitting T.D. and grass roots membership in Kildare were absolutely supportive of me running for the party, she says in her statement. Before agreeing to run, I sought and received assurances that the FG Party was fully supportive of my views about new politics and about standards in public office. Soon after I was elected to Kildare County Council, FG councillors attempted to block my nomination to the board of the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board; a board which is now the subject of investigation by the Department of Education and the Comptroller and Auditor General. Her statement also refers to a complaint that she made and the deficiencies in the investigation of that complaint and its outcome. I have resigned my membership of the Fine Gael Party. Full statement on my FB page https://t.co/Xq7LIX0Pis #PressForProgess pic.twitter.com/xKW79yWKAM Fiona McLoughlin (@fionamacky) March 8, 2018 Her complaint alleged harassment and suggested that FG councillors were attempting to collude with others to block her motions being heard in Kildare County Council. My complaint had not been progressed, while on the other hand the Party had removed the whip from me for six months for speaking out about the behaviour and actions of one of my fellow councillors. In 2016, Fine Gaels Disciplinary Committee fully investigated an internal issue in a timely manner and decided to remove the party whip from Councillor McLoughlin Healy for six months, a statement issued by Fine Gael this morning revealed. The partys Executive Council subsequently considered an appeal but rejected it. Fine Gael thanks Councillor McLoughlin Healy for her work and wishes her well in the future. The party will not be issuing any further comment on this. Fine Gael's senior member on Kildare County Council Cllr Brendan Weld said "The best of luck to her". Cllr McLoughlin Healy's resignation video posted on her Facebook and Twitter accounts Cllr McLoughlin Healys statement concludes that she is looking forward to this final year of my term of office in Kildare County Council and to what might yet be achieved. On a positive note, freed from the burden of attempting to seek justice and change from within the FG party, I am excited to refocus energies into new projects, including a soon-to-be launched virtual anti-corruption hub. And she thanks her family, friends and my supporters for your enduring support and loyalty particularly during the most difficult times. Read more: Fine Gael suspend Fiona McLoughlin Healy Read more: Kildare councillor slams Fine Gael "old boys' club" comments Rosie Fortescue is set to judge the hotly contested Bollinger Best Dressed Lady Competition at the Punchestown Festival, which takes place from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 of April at the famous Kildare venue. The Made In Chelsea and social media star will have the unenviable task of selecting five best dressed finalists and from those the eventual daily winner on the opening day of the festival Tuesday, April 24. The Tuesday winner will then be fast tracked to the grand final which will take place on Ladies Day, Friday 27 when eight finalists will battle it out, peep-toe to kitten heel for the much coveted title and money cant buy prize created by Bollinger Champagne. Rosie commented "I am so excited to visit Punchestown and see all the stylish ladies competing for such an enviable title and prize by Bollinger. It's going to be such a fun day, I can't wait. The search for the Bollinger Best Dressed Lady will be held over the first four days of the Punchestown Festival, while judges and style scouts will be tasked with finding the most stylish ladies in attendance and selecting a number of finalists each day. The daily winner will then progress to the grand final on Ladies Day. All finalists will receive fantastic runner up gift bags complete with Bollinger Champagne and a selection of exclusive goodies. Its important to note that gates open at 12 noon each day and scouting will commence early, festival organisers are encouraging ladies to be on site from 1pm if they are interested in the Bollinger Best Dressed Lady Competition. Judges will choose a selection of those deemed best dressed from the crowd and all finalists will be required on stage for the announcement of the winner at 4pm each day. Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire said she was delighted to represent the people of Leitrim and Leitrim County Council at the annual Leitrim People's Association in London annual dinner dance in Cricklewood, North London on Saturday, February 24. Over 200 people from all corners of the county attended a great night hosted by the Association members. I was especially delighted to meet the hardworking committee. Each member gave me a warm and personal welcome to their great event, she said. During the course of the conversations on the night I was brought all around the county. Drumkeerin was represented well as was Tarmon nearby. Drumshanbo, Fenagh and Kilclare had strong representation. Mohill, Dromod, Aughavas and Cloone had supporters around many tables. Rosary High School was the Alma Mater of some while apprenticeships served around the county were mentioned frequently. Early evening music was provided by a Marist Convent graduate and her family. While many were from Leitrim and proud of their homeland, their friends sharing the night with them were from all corners of Ireland. Cork, Kerry, Wexford, Longford and Roscommon natives to name a few. Luton friends also came to support the event. There were many stories told of those who emigrated. Leaving home as a young teenager was not unusual. A gentleman left Drumshanbo not yet having had his 15th birthday and one month after arriving in London declared himself 17 years of age. I havent dared to mention names only because I met so many and all remain with me as our superb ambassadors and friends in London. No names mentioned, however there is one exception. As I entered the hotel lobby I met Mick Curry, the Chairman of the Association. He enquired which Armstrong family I might belong to in Carrick. His opening line was, At 15 years of age beginning my apprenticeship in Flynn's bar in Carrick-on-Shannon I was taught how to pull my first pint by Paul Armstrong. Would you be any relation of his? To which I of course replied My father. It was easy to be at home in London with the Leitrim People's Association, Cllr Armstrong-McGuire said. Nice to meet Sam after all these years at Leitrim London Dinner Dance The Crown Hotel in Cricklewood. Its been too long! #GAA #Down1994 pic.twitter.com/jIMJF2ygHd Tony McAtamney (@TonyMcAtamney) February 26, 2018 Read Also: Leitrim councillors back call to amend County Development Plan on forestry Cllr Des Guckian said long-standing customers of the Bank of Ireland in Mohill are being severely inconvenienced by having to travel to the branch in Carrick-on-Shannon to carry out their business. Cllr Guckian raised the issue at the Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District meeting and proposed the council write to the Bank of Ireland demanding the return of full banking facilities at that branch. The Independent councillor said there was once seven people employed in the Bank of Ireland in Mohill and that is now down to two. He said the bank is in danger of closing and said online banking does not cater for a lot of the elderly people who bank there. He said they are also refusing to take coins which is affecting people who own shops. Cllr Enda Stenson said the call can be made for full services to be restored but, in his opinion, there's no way that's going to happen. He said Mohill once had three banks operating. He said people have the option of also using the credit union and post office. Cllr Seadhna Logan supported Cllr Guckian's motion and said he was concerned about the impact on businesses as well as in people's personal lives. It's a poor reflection on where we're going, he said. He also said there was no point in Bank of Ireland having an ATM service if it doesn't work. Cllr Sean McGowan said the harsh reality is that the bank won't change their minds. It's dreadful going in there and all you are looking at is machines - for old people especially, he said. Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire supported the motion and said services are being withdrawn if people don't use them. Use them or lose them, she said. Read Also: Leitrim's Family Life Centre to give out food hampers to those in need Ballinamore County Library is the place to be next week as one of Ireland's leading physicists will be in Leitrim to give a public lecture on the exciting subject of what was happening in the very early universe. Dr. Creidhe O'Sullivan, physicist and senior lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) will be giving a talk Tuesday, March 20 at 7:30pm in Ballinamore Library, on the latest findings about the universe beginnings, entitled: 'New Views of the Early Universe'. Dr. O'Sullivan, a physics graduate of UCD, did her PhD at Cambridge University and is interested in finding out about the very early conditions in the universe after the Big Bang our best theory examining how everything began in the first place. I came to Maynooth 20 years ago after doing post-doctoral research in UCC and UCG. My interest lies in observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB), the remnant radiation left over from the Big Bang, the physicist explained. NUI Maynooth is at the forefront of building instrumentation for studying the early cosmos, and O'Sullivan along with colleagues, is currently working in a top new international project. A particular strength of the Department of Experimental Physics in Maynooth is the design of optics for far-infrared telescopes ideal for observing the CMB, said O'Sullivan. I am currently working as part of an international collaboration to build QUBIC, a telescope designed to observe very faint polarisation features on the CMB. The lecture is organised by the Leitrim Astronomy Club as part of their monthly lecture series. The Leitrim Astronomy Club, one of some 13 astronomy groups in Ireland, began life in the summer of 2016 looking to explore the dark skies of the county and nurture an interest in all aspects of astronomy. When weather permits the club takes advantage of Leitrim's clear night-skies to head out with telescopes and binoculars to observe the cosmos. The club has 70 people in its database and has held talks in Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, Mohill and at its base in Ballinamore. Lecture topics have ranged on subjects from the basics of telescopes and observing the night-sky, to a stars life, recent planetary missions as well as about the intriguing world of relativity. The lecture is open to the public and tea, coffee and biscuits will be served on the night. 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. LIMERICK is very much in the running for a new 80m investment which will deliver 600 jobs to the region. It was revealed this week that Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, which exists to develop heart disease technologies to help patients live longer lives, is to create the first 60 of its new roles at a unit in the Shannon Free Zone. But after this, the company will be building a 10,000 square metre manufacturing facility and the Leader understands the city is one of three locations the company has scouted. Speaking to the Limerick Leader, John McGrath, corporate vice-president of the firm, based in Irvine, California, said: When we enter into a new market, we want to enter into it 110% committed. We want our own facility, lay it out with the kinds of products we want to make. Were in the process of making a final decision on where to locate. Weve narrowed it down, and we hope to purchase the land to build the facility. The company is projecting it will come on stream by 2020, when recruitment of the 600 staff will be finalised. Its an exciting time for us, Mr McGrath added. We are delighted to be able to start an operation here. He said three things played in the regions favour: his prior knowledge of the workforces capability on the west coast; a need to shorten the companys supply chain, and the interaction the firms bosses have already had with Limericks third level institutions. Unlike a lot of companies, we spend 60% of our sales on research and development, he explains. Having university access is a huge factor for us, to see how they are integrating with industry and customising their programmes. This is extremely impressive. Asked what types of graduates Edwards Lifesciences, which already employs 12,000 people worldwide, is seeking, Mr McGrath cited manufacturing engineering, plus people with mechanical, industrial, plastics and biomedical engineering backgrounds. We would be looking for scientists in the disciplines of biology, microbiology and chemistry, as well as finance, human resources, manufacturing supervision and general operatives, Mr McGrath said. Edwards Lifesciences new facility will support the manufacture of therapies which enable minimally invasive procedures on patients aortic, mitral and tricuspid valves, where open heart sugery would previously have been the norm. The challenge with surgery is when you reach a certain point in your life, you are no longer able to tolerate it. When youre in your 80s and 90s, and youre looking at open heart surgery, you might not survive it, he added. Edwards, which is the company which invented the first heart valve in the 1950s, is hoping to be able to employ its first staff in June. The addition of a manufacturing location in Ireland is an element of Edwards global supply strategy to support future growth and reliability of supply, and continues the growth in employment Edwards has experienced both in the United States and around the world, said Joe Nuzzolese, Edwards corporate vice president, global supply chain. Choosing this location included many considerations, but an important one is a talented workforce with experience in medical technology. We look forward to becoming an integral part of the local community through engagement and philanthropic support, and providing educational and professional opportunities for our employees. We are excited to welcome these new associates into Edwards, with the shared goal of serving more patients around the world by delivering high quality life-saving technologies. Business Minister Heather Humphreys was in Shannon this week to confirm the 600 new roles. She said: The arrival of Edwards Lifesciences is a vote of confidence in the Mid-West region as a destination for high-end medical technology manufacturers. It will provide even more opportunities for local residents and communities to grow and thrive. My department, through the IDA, is committed to supporting Edwards as it establishes operations in Ireland and as the company continues to develop its innovative heart valve technologies. Although the jobs may not be located in Shannon, it is the towns second big investment of this year, following on from the news that 150 jobs would be created by Jaguar Land Rover. The motors giant plans to drive the roll-out of self-motoring cars from the Shannon Free Zone. Meanwhile, 200 jobs were made available at a jobs fair in the South Court Hotel this week. MORE than 200 roles in many different sectors were on offer at the South Court Hotel this week as the Mid-West jobs fair hit Limerick. Local companies includign Dell EMC, Johnson and Johnson, Carebright, General Motors and Adare Manor had stands at the fair, as hundreds of jobseekers young and old streamed in. Its all about trying to match people up, the unemployed and people who are looking at jobs and career changes, said Jim Lynch, the divisional manager of the Department of Social Protection. As well as jobs on offer, there was also opportunities for people looking to engage in education programmes to make themselves work-ready to chat to colleges. One of these was Sophie Nied, who lives in the city centre. She spoke to advisors from the University of Limerick with a view to enrolling on a post-graduate course in occupational therapy. Since she graduated from St Angelas College in Sligo, she has been working in retail and call centres. I graduated a year ago, and have just done various jobs. These improved my communications skills. But I would be looking into working in something in the field Ive actually studied in. Occupational therapy is an interest of mine, my mother is a social worker, and its something I feel I could do, she said. Among the firms present were Duggan Systems in Patrickswell, which offers facade solutions. Stephen Moore of the company, said they were offering a variety of roles from draftsmen to fabricators. Obviously, drafting people would need to have an architectural background. But for fabrication, people can just come in and theyd be shown what to do as they go along, he said. Mr Moore said there has been a great response to their offer of jobs from the public. Two lads who were handing their CVs in to the company were Killian Doherty, Norwood Park and Jamie Byrnes of Garryowen. The 20-year-old pair have been without employment since Christmas, and were keen to get back into the workforce. Id be looking to work in fabrication. Im unemployed at the moment, I was working in traffic management up to the autumn. To be honest, I just want to get back to earning money, Killian said. Jamie, who has a mechanical background, last worked for Dunnes Stores over Christmas on a seasonal basis. There were many high-tech jobs on offer, but also positions within the catering industry. Catherine Hurley, who works for the Department of Social Protection says: Its an area where they are struggling to find people. Someone who is looking for a complete change in career is Fergal OGrady, 40, from Drombanna. Having worked as a farm-hand for many years, he feels the time is right to go into an office position. Its time to branch out, he said, I came here with an open mind. I think I fancy something office based. Im used to doing physical stuff most of my life, so it would be nice to sit behind a desk for a change. Robert Byrne, the business development director of Trusource Labs, which opened its European operations centre and created 134 jobs in 2016, had a number of roles on offer. He said a number of opportunities were open at the firm, including system support. The thing we are really focusing on at the moment is providing technical support services for smart devices at home, smart cameras and the like, he explained. As well as many of Limericks top employers, free careers advice was on hand at the event, backed by the Department of Social Protection and the Mid-West regional skills forum. SHOW some respect and call Irelands national holiday by its proper name. Thats the view of veteran county councillor Kevin Sheahan of Askeaton in County Limerick this week, who has taken aim at people who refer to St Patricks Day as Paddys Day. Cllr Sheahan, who was the first mayor of Limericks new local authority, has urged locals not to imitate the the yuppie media from Dublin 4, and resist the temptation to call the March 17 holiday, Paddys Day. There is no such thing, he told this months cultural committee meeting, Its not acceptable. With that unprompted outburst, Cllr Sheahan left the meeting. Speaking later, he said: I think from listening to people, I do believe there is a huge chunk of people out there who would think and believe its a bit vulgar. I use this word carefully. Nobody is doing it intentionally. I believe people are doing it out of carelessness and habit. He pointed out people in Wales dont refer to their national saints day as Davys Day. They call it St Davids Day. And theyve stuck to that, he added, Our holiday is St Patricks Day, it was always St Patricks Day, and its recognised around the world as this. Cllr Sheahan suggests Limerick people can set the example and others can follow. This has to be done with a carrot rather than a stick approach, he said. We have slipped in our respect for our national holiday. I dont think there is anyone particularly trying to kill the name. I just think we need to remember the proper name, stick with it, and be united. Sinn Fein councillor Seighin O Ceallaigh, who chairs the cultural committee, admitted he was surprised at his Council rivals outburst, especially during a debate over the allocation of tens of thousands of euro for arts projects across the county. It was a bit of a bizarre comment. We were talking about such huge sums of money, and he just shouted up. Nothing about the funding, just about St Patricks Day being called Paddys Day. I dont know what was going on there, the City East councillor said. Personally, I prefer La le Padraig, but thats my own preferred choice. But there are bigger issues to be concerned about. If people call it Paddys Day or St Patricks Day, it doesnt bother me. I was shocked that he started going on about it. It was a completely different item on the agenda, he added. Cllr Sheahans comments come in a week where the Irish tricolour reached the landmark age of 170 years old. Mar 8, 2018, 9 AM Jerome D. Jerry Husak promotes topical collecting during the World Columbian Stamp Expo in 1992. The American Topical Association founder died Feb. 22. By Linns Staff Jerome D. Jerry Husak, who organized like-minded topical collectors and created the robust association where they share their knowledge and interests, died Feb. 22 at age 86. A tireless leader who was the undisputed father of organized topical philately, Mr. Husak founded the American Topical Association in 1949 while still in his teens. As a beginner collector he was drawn to collecting stamps for the subject represented in the design, rather than the country of issue. Efforts to research topical collecting, however, yielded little in the way of results. There must be others like myself that are looking for guidance in forming a topical collection, he mused in a 1959 article he wrote about the founding of the ATA. Why dont we get together and share our information through a united body of topical collectors? The Milwaukee, Wis., high school student began by solidifying his collector contacts and placing announcements in the philatelic press. Working out of his parents home, he sought to balance his work supporting the growing organization with his everyday schoolwork responsibilities. Within five months of its founding, the ATA had 408 members, the association reports. In its 68 years, it has had close to 60,000 members from more than 100 countries. The ATA is also the second largest philatelic organization in the United States, following only the American Philatelic Society. Mr. Husak, naturally, was designated as ATA member No. 1 and served as the executive secretary from its beginnings until 1984. He continued on the ATA board of directors until retiring in 2008, when he was awarded the honorary title of director emeritus. He founded the ATA journal Topical Time and was its editor from the first eight-page Winter 1949 issue through the 92-page January-February 1977 issue, though he continued to work with the editorial board as executive editor. He also edited various ATA handbooks that were compiled and contributed by collectors, and he organized the annual ATA convention, the National Topical Stamp Show. He worked with George Griffenhagen on an ATA handbook to provide introductory guidance for the topical collector. Together they also wrote and published the book Adventures in Topical Stamp Collecting, which was revised in an expanded second edition in 1997 and is still available from the association. Because of his great efforts to support and strengthen organized topical collecting, Mr. Husak was awarded the ATAs first Distinguished Topical Philatelist award in 1952, as well as the APS Luff award for exceptional contributions to philately in 1994. Despite the responsibilities of leading the ATA, Mr. Husak graduated from high school and attended Marquette University, earning a Masters of Business Administration in 1958 and completing a thesis on the marketing of postage stamps. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter He met Sally Vogel in 1955, and they married the following year. She survives him. Donations in memory of Mr. Husak can be made to the American Topical Association. In his 1959 article, Mr. Husak wrote: Our biggest satisfaction came from helping others, gathering and disseminating information on topical stamp collecting, and the fulfillment of our 1949 aims the mutual cooperation among members for the betterment of all. Mar 9, 2018, 7 AM Surcharges applied in 1881-82 on Costa Ricas 1863 -real blue Coat of Arms stamp. One variety of the 1-centavo surcharge is in italics, the other is not. Raul Hernandez stamp images, used with permission. By Molly Goad The March 26 issue of Linns Stamp News just landed on the presses and goes in the mail to subscribers Monday, March 12. And if you subscribe to Linns digital edition, youre at the head of the line with early access Saturday, March 10. To heighten your anticipation even further, enjoy these three previews of exclusive content available only to subscribers. Costa Ricas 1881-82 surcharged issues When Costa Rica joined the Universal Postal Union on Jan. 1, 1883, additional stamps were surcharged in red or black with denominations of 5c, 10c and 20c, and with the designation U.P.U. appearing in the bottom line of the overprint. Thomas P. Myers investigates these stamps and warns collectors of forged examples. The genesis of U.S. essays and proofs and the early pioneers Unlike postage stamps, which reach the market via sale at the post office, essays and proofs have taken a more nontraditional route to reach collectors hands. Full-time professional philatelist James E. Lee explores this idea, taking readers on a philatelic journey. Romanian stamps reflect King Michaels legacy The last man to occupy the throne of Romania, King Michael, died Dec. 5, 2017, at age 96. In this feature, we delve into many of the nations postage stamps honoring his work as a champion of the Romanian people. Want to subscribe? Get access to all of these articles, and so much more, with a Linns Stamp News print or digital edition subscription! Sign up and start reading now! Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Germany is at the center of Europe, not only geographically, but also in terms of politics and economics. The country is Europe's second most populous after Russia, with more than 80 million people, according to the World Factbook. The German economy is the largest on the continent and the fifth largest in the world. While German exerts its influence on the countries that border it Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and Poland all of these cultures have, in varying degrees, had a hand in shaping today's Germany. The population is 91.5 percent German, with Turkish being the second largest ethnic group at 2.4 percent, according to the World Factbook. The remaining 6.1 percent is made up primarily of those of Greek, Russian, Italian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian and Spanish descent. About 75.7 percent of the population is urban. Values Germans place a high priority on structure, privacy and punctuality. The German people embrace the values of thriftiness, hard work and industriousness and there is great emphasis on making sure that "the trains run on time." According to Passport to Trade 2.0, an online business etiquette guide by the University of Salford in Manchester, England, "Germans are most comfortable when they can organize and compartmentalize their world into controllable units. Time, therefore, is managed carefully, and calendars, schedules and agendas must be respected." Germans are stoic people who strive for perfectionism and precision in all aspects of their lives. They do not admit faults, even jokingly, and rarely hand out compliments. At first their attitude may seem unfriendly, but there is a keen sense of community and social conscience and a desire to belong. Languages Unsurprisingly, the official language of the country is German. More than 95 percent of the population speaks German as their first language, according to Angelo State University's Center for International Studies. Other languages spoken include Serbian in eastern Germany; North and West Frisian, spoken around the Rhine estuary; and Danish, primarily spoken in the area along the Danish border. Romani, which is an indigenous language, Turkish and Kurdish are also spoken. Religion Christianity is the dominant religion, with 65 to 70 percent of the population identifying themselves as Christian. That number is 29 percent Catholics. Muslims make up 4.4 percent of the population, while 36 percent are unaffiliated or have a religion other than Christianity or Muslim. German food and drink Germans love rich, hearty cuisine, though each area of Germany has its own definition of what a traditional meal looks like. Pork is the most consumed meat, according to the German Food Guide. Schweinshaxe (braised pork hock) and Saumagen (pork stomach) are a couple of traditional pork dishes. Bratwurst, a form of sausage, is closely associated with German food. Cabbage, beets, and turnips are commonly incorporated into meals, as they are native to the region, and potatoes and sauerkraut are also stars of German cuisine. Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage, and the country is known as the birthplace of a number of beer varieties, including Pilsner, Weizenbier (wheat beer) and Alt. These beers were crafted according to Reinheitsgebot, or the "Purity Law," a 16th-century Bavarian law that decreed that beer could only be brewed from barley, hops and water, according to NPR. Brewers used the yeast available in the air. Brandy and schnapps are also favorite German alcoholic beverages. The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate in Berlin that was rebuilt in the 1700s as a triumphal arch. (Image credit: S.Borisov Shutterstock) The arts Culture doesn't just refer to how people interact and look. "Culture also means refined intellectual, artistic and creative achievement, for example as in cultural knowledge, or a cultured person," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science. Germans have made tremendous contributions to classical music, and the traditions of famous German or Austrian composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Gustav Mahler live on today. With their penchant for precision and engineering, it is not surprising that Germans have a strong tradition of printmaking by woodcut and engraving. There is also a strong representation of all phases of architecture including Romanesque, Gothic, Classicist, Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance represented in cathedrals, castles and public buildings. One well-known example of classic German art is the Brandenburg Gate, a former city gate that is now used to symbolize Berlin's unity. Business culture The desire for orderliness spills over into the business life of Germans. Surprises and humor are not welcomed. Everything is carefully planned out and decided upon, with changes rarely occurring after an agreement is made, according to the German Business Culture Guide. There is a high regard for engineers in German, as evidenced by the country's success in the automotive industry. Because of this high level of respect for hands-on expertise, companies tend to be headed by technical experts rather than lawyers or those with a financial background. Workers at all levels are judged heavily on their competence and diligence, rather than interpersonal skills. Communication with co-workers as well as outsiders tends to be direct and not always diplomatic. About 50 million Germans identify as Christians. The Cologne Cathedral was begun in 1248. It was not completed until 1880, and was the world's tallest building (516.4 feet / 157.38 meters) until 1884, when the Washington Monument was built. Shutterstock.com) (Image credit: Nickolay Vinokurov Holidays and celebrations Germany celebrates many of the traditional Christian holidays, including Christmas and Easter. German Unification Day on October 3 marks the reuniting of East and West Germany and is the only federal holiday. While the country's big beer bash is called "Oktoberfest," its starts each year on a Saturday in September and ends 16 to 18 days later, on the first Sunday in October. The tradition started in 1810, with the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, according to the city of Munich. Additional resources People can now buy a take-home medical test that looks for a certain type of breast cancer risk but people need to know a few key things to make use of the test safely, a bioethicist told Live Science. The test in question is produced by 23andMe and looks for three specific mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are known to increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer in women, and breast and prostate cancer in men. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the direct-to-consumer test approval on Tuesday (March 6). But consumers should know that the test has several limitations, said Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at New York University's School of Medicine. "I do have some worries" about it, he told Live Science. [7 Diseases You Can Learn About from a Genetic Test] First, the test itself likely works just fine, as the markers the FDA approved in the test are "pretty well-established," Caplan said. However, the test may give users a false sense of security: It detects just 3 out of more than 1,000 known BRCA mutations, so a person may test negative but still have an increased cancer risk, the FDA said in a statement. Conversely, because scientists are still learning about how other mutations increase or decrease cancer risk, it's possible that a person could test positive but still not be at high risk, Caplan said. If people do test positive, they might not know where to turn for sound medical advice, Caplan added. "The company will say [that] they'll put you in touch with a genetic-counseling website, but that's not good enough," Caplan said. For instance, people might not realize that there are different treatments available, as well as many potential therapies in the pipeline that could treat these cancers in the years to come, Caplan noted. A family doctor might not be aware of these developments, which is why "you need to get good counseling," he said. Furthermore, only a small percentage of people mostly women of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish descent carry these three BRCA mutations. Because these mutations aren't common in the general population, it doesn't make much sense for people to take the test unless they have a history of these mutations in their family, or if their background is Ashkenazi, Caplan said. In fact, only a minority of breast cancers just 5 percent to 10 percent are thought to be hereditary, according to the American Cancer Society. Environmental factors, such as smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle may also increase breast cancer risk, according to the American Cancer Society. So, even if people test negative on the 23andMe test, their habits may still put them at risk of developing the disease. It's also important to note that if people test positive on the 23andMe test, they could be penalized by disability or life insurance companies, Caplan said. For instance, it might be harder to get approved for these types of insurance. For instance, company might refuse to pay the beneficiaries if it finds out that the client died of breast cancer, but didn't inform the company of the test results, Caplan said. (Health insurers are barred from using genetic information to determine coverage by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.) In all, "an Ashkenazi woman might want to consider the test, but I would still get it done through a genetics program, not direct-to-consumer [testing]," Caplan said. But, that's not to say that take-home genetic tests are a bad idea. "This is a rapidly evolving area," Caplan said. "The trick is to get it done well. Not to stop it, but to make sure [that] things like counseling [happen] and the right groups get the test." Original article on Live Science. A man in Northern Ireland had a highly uncommon cause for his falls: He had a pocket of air inside his skull, called a pneumatocele. Above, an MRI of the man's brain, showing the 3.5-inch (9 centimeters) air pocket in his right frontal lobe. Falls are a common problem among older adults, but for one 84-year-old man in Northern Ireland, a brain scan revealed a highly uncommon cause for his falls: A part of his brain appeared to be missing. The stunning scan revealed a large, black space behind his forehead, where the front of his brain should have been. His physician, Dr. Finlay Brown, a general practitioner in Belfast, first reviewed the brain scan while waiting to hear back from radiologists. (Typically, radiologists provide a report that accompanies a scan, detailing what the image shows.) "Immediately, I could see the abnormality and wondered if the patient had failed to tell us about a previous brain surgery in his younger years" or if the patient was born with a brain abnormality, Brown told Live Science. When doctors were told that neither of these scenarios applied to the patient, they were "left very curious as to the cause of these findings," Brown said. [27 Oddest Medical Cases] It turned out that the patient had a pocket of air inside his skull, called a pneumatocele, which was compressing his brain tissue. These air pockets are seen more commonly in patients who have facial trauma or infections, or who have had brain surgery, according to a report of the case, published Feb. 27 in the journal BMJ Case Reports. Brown said he had never seen a case of brain pneumatocele tied to symptoms of falling, and he decided to publish this case to emphasize "the importance of thorough investigation of even the most common of symptoms," Brown said. "Because every now and then, there will be a rare [or] unknown causation of these that could be overlooked," he said. When the patient first spoke with his doctors, he told them told that, in addition to his frequent falls, he felt weakness in his left arm and leg. But he was otherwise feeling well, and his initial physical exam was normal. But when the man was sent for a CT scan, the doctors discovered the 3.5-inch (9 centimeters) air pocket in his right frontal lobe. An MRI scan also revealed an osteoma, or benign bone tumor, in a part of the skull that separates the brain from the nasal cavity, called the ethmoid bone. A CT scan of the patient's brain, showing a large, black space in part of the brain, which is actually an air pocket or pneumatocele. (Image credit: BMJ Case Reports) The doctors determined that the osteoma wore away part of the ethmoid bone, which allowed air to be pushed, under pressure, into his brain, "creating a 'one-way valve' effect," the report said. The MRI also revealed that the patient had experienced a small stroke related to the air pocket in his brain. Doctors told the man that they could perform brain surgery to release the air from the cavity, which would allow his brain to resume its normal shape, as well as a separate surgery to remove the osteoma. But as with any surgery, there would be some risks for the patient. For example, decompressing the brain area could have led to more problems, and the surgery might not have helped the patient's symptoms, Brown said. Given the risks and potential benefits, the patient decided not to have the surgery. He was treated with a statin and anti-clotting medication to lower his risk of having another stroke, Brown said. Twelve weeks after his hospital stay, the patient remained well and no longer felt weakness on his left side, the report said. Original article on Live Science. A big cat just got a CAT scan. Veterinary staff scanned the cat, a 14-year-old African lion named Tomo, to look at the extent of a fungal infection in the big guy's gums, according to a statement from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio. "Tomo had an infection in his jaw," Dr. Randy Junge, a veterinarian and the vice president of animal health at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, said in video posted to the zoo's YouTube page on March 6. "He had a tooth removed, and the area didn't heal, so we were concerned that there might be something more involved in that area than just the bad tooth." CAT scans, or computerized axial tomography scans, combine a series of X-ray images taken from different angles to create "slices" of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. The scans, which are also referred to as CT scans, provide doctors with more information than a traditional X-ray does. ("This lion's name is Tomo, and he got a tomo-graphy," Junge said.) [In Photos: A Lion's Life] Tomo in the CAT scan machine. (Image credit: Grahm S. Jones/Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) Indeed, without the scan, doctors would not have been able to look at the extent of Tomo's infection, according to the statement. But performing a CAT scan on a big cat presents challenges. Junge noted that the CAT-scan table is made for humans, not other animals, and can hold only up to 500 lbs. (about 230 kilograms) "many of my zoo patients are going to go over that," he said in the video. Weighing in at 450 lbs. (204 kg), Tomo was "pushing the limit. The machine groaned and grumbled a bit, but we were able to get the image done," Junge said. Another challenge was positioning Tomo correctly. "For a human, they would say, lay this way, put your arms and legs here, hold still, hold your breath," Junge said. "You obviously can't do [those things] with a large animal, especially [one] under anesthesia." Tomo before his CAT scan. (Image credit: Grahm S. Jones/Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) There was a lot of "shifting and pushing and arranging and getting [Tomo] just right, but in the end, our images came out perfectly," and the veterinary staff was able to diagnose Tomo's problem, Junge said. The vets confirmed that Tomo's fungal infection hadn't spread beyond the affected gum and said the problem will likely get better after the lion finishes a two-month course of antifungal medications. Originally published on Live Science. Head caretaker Mohammed Doyo feeds Sudan, the last male northern white rhino left on the planet, on June 12, 2015. Sudan lives in a 10-acre enclosure at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where he is protected from poachers 24 hours a day by armed guards. The last male northern white rhinoceros is wallowing in the mud and grazing again after an age-related infection nearly spelled his end earlier this month. But although 45-year-old Sudan is still standing for now conservationists are debating whether his subspecies has a chance at survival. There are only three northern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) left in the world. Sudan, the eldest, is the only male. The other two, Najin and Fatu, are his daughter and granddaughter, respectively. They all live under armed guard at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. None of the rhinos will ever reproduce again naturally. Sudan is too old, and his sperm quality is dismal, keepers discovered when they last collected his semen in 2014. Najin is too old to bear the weight of a mating male or to carry a pregnancy, while Fatu has uterine problems. [See Photos of the Last Standing Northern White Rhinos] Regarding saving the subspecies, Sudan is already functionally obsolete, said Jan Stejskal, director of communications and international projects at Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic, which technically owns the three rhinos. Najin and Fatu, both of whom still produce eggs, are the more valuable rhinos for the future, as their donor eggs could be used in in vitro fertilization with stored sperm from a deceased male. The resulting pregnancy could then be implanted into a southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), a closely related subspecies. The question becomes is saving the northern white rhino worth it? Rhinoceros reproduction Sudan is cared for around-the-clock by a team of veterinarians and protected from poachers by armed guards. Caregivers at Ol Pejeta conservancy reported on Feb. 28 that a leg infection was threatening the elderly rhino's life and that Sudan was responding poorly to treatment. Over the next week, however, Sudan began to stand, graze and even wallow in the mud. Still, the last male's death is likely not far in the future, given his advanced age. This vision of extinction has spurred debate in conservation circles, with some arguing that saving the northern white rhino is a poor use of resources. "[P]revention is better than cure," according to Save the Rhino. The organization argues that the northern white subspecies is functionally extinct already; saving it with IVF and surrogacy is more akin to reviving dead woolly mammoths than saving a critically endangered subspecies. "Much of the sub-species former range has lost rhinos in its entirety, with limited conservation programmes or expertise for managing a rhino population, and large-scale habitat loss," according to Save the Rhino's position statement on northern white rhino IVF. Focusing efforts on poaching prevention rhino horn is coveted for its "medicinal properties," which are just a myth and saving habitat would be more beneficial for the other rhino species that have a better chance at survival, according to the organization. [6 Extinct Animals That Could Be Brought Back to Life] Stejskal and other researchers active in the IVF project see it differently. A substantial portion of the donations for saving the northern white rhino come from parties more interested in the development of IVF technologies for different species than in rhino conservation in particular, Stejskal said. "So we actually brought to conservation resources that would be likely spent on a different subject," he told Live Science. He also said that knowledge gained through developing IVF for the northern white rhino could potentially help breeding programs for other endangered rhino subspecies, particularly the Javan, Sumatran and black rhinos. Slow progress The process of gaining this knowledge is painstakingly slow, however. In December 2015, experts from around the world met in Vienna to hash out a plan to save the northern white rhino. In May 2016, the research group published their plan in the open-access journal ZooBiology. Their goals included developing a way to collect eggs from females, a hard-enough task in itself, Stejskal said, because a rhino's ovaries are tucked a good 5 feet (1.5 meters) inside her body, and the egg follicle is a mere millimeter or two in diameter. Trying to puncture the follicle to collect an egg at such a distance, with only ultrasound to guide you, is "not really easy," Stejskal said. In the nearly two years since the meeting, researchers have made some progress in egg-harvesting, though, Stejskal said. So far, they've tried it only on southern white rhinoceroses, because northern white females are too rare to take any risks. Avantea, a veterinary assisted-reproduction company in Cremona, Italy, has also successfully taken an ovary posthumously from Nabire, a northern white rhino who died at Dvur Kralove Zoo in 2015, and coaxed eggs out of it that were healthy enough to be fertilized, Stejskal said. The eggs were old and in bad shape, Stejskal said, so researchers knew from the start that they would never be the basis for a viable pregnancy. However, they did nudge them through the very early stages of embryonic development. "It gave us some initial information on how the rhino embryo evolves," Stejskal said. Deepening the genetic pool Even if researchers are successful at both creating viable northern white rhino embryos and getting them to thrive in surrogate mothers, genetic diversity would be a concern. With just two living sources of oocytes and semen stored from five males, researchers would have to reboot an entire subspecies from a mere seven animals. Similar bottlenecks have been overcome before the 20,000-plus southern white rhinos alive today descend from around 30 animals that survived at the end of the 19th century but the lack of genetic diversity could cause problems with development or fertility in potential offspring. That's why another line of work, spearheaded by the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, is attempting to turn regular rhino cells into sperm and egg. Using methods that start with tissue cells called fibroblasts, researchers can engineer stem cells, which are cells capable of becoming any kind of body cell. Body tissue has been banked for an additional five northern white rhinos, Stejskal said, so stem cell technology could boost the size of the founding population to 12. While progress is slow, Najin and Fatu are likely to survive and continue to produce eggs for some time, Stejskal said. As long as they're moving forward, the research team is hopeful. "It's a normal scientific process," Stejskal said. "If you look at the history of IVF for people or horses, it was always that it was many, many trials before it was successful." Original article on Live Science. A space rock slammed into Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday night (March 7), putting on a brief but brilliant sky show, according to media reports. The fireball and associated boom were caused by an object about the size of a minivan. It streaked over Washington and eventually fell, in smoldering bits and broken-up pieces, into the Pacific Ocean about 14 miles (22 kilometers) off the state's coast, NASA meteor expert Marc Fries told Seattle TV station Q13 Fox. And there were a lot of those pieces raining down. "It's really dramatic in the radar imagery, to the point that this is probably the biggest meteorite fall I've seen in the continental U.S. in the past 20 years," Fries, who's based at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told Q13 Fox. Hundreds of people reported seeing the fireball Wednesday night, Q13 Fox said. And scientists picked up readings of the event, using seismographs and satellites, from as far away as the Canadian province of Manitoba. Technically, any meteor that blazes more brightly than Venus in the sky is a fireball. Wednesday's meteor was an uber-fireball, a superluminous type known as a bolide, Fries said. Meteor showers can be awesome night sky sights, but how well do you know your shooting star facts? Find out here and good luck! Meteor Shower Mania: How Well Do You Know 'Shooting Stars'? Space rocks are responsible for most of the fireballs we see, but not all of them; sometimes the burning-up object was made by human hands. The dazzling meteor that lit up skies over the Western U.S. in July 2016, for instance, was caused by a 6-ton piece of a Chinese rocket that fell back to Earth. And another big piece of Chinese hardware could put on a sky show soon. The 8.5-ton Tiangong-1 space lab which China used to help practice the docking and rendezvous maneuvers needed to build an orbiting space station is scheduled to make an uncontrolled re-entry between March 24 and April 19, according to the latest estimates. Editor's note: If you capture an amazing photo or video of a meteor or any other celestial sight and would like to share it with Space.com for a story or gallery, send images and comments to: spacephotos@space.com. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. A mysterious lung disease is striking dentists in Virginia, according to a new report. So far, health officials have identified nine dentists or dental workers who were diagnosed with the disease, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, all of whom were treated at the same specialty clinic in Virginia, according to the report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease is often fatal: Of the nine cases, seven have died, the report said. Overall, dentists made up 1 percent of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis cases seen at the clinic. But that's still a strikingly high rate it's 23 times higher than what would be expected based on the number of dentists in the U.S. population. [11 Surprising Facts About the Respiratory System] And the cause of the disease still isn't clear. However, health officials are following some leads: It's possible, for example, that the dentists were exposed to something on the job that might have increased their risk of the disease, the researchers said. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive disease that occurs when tissue deep in the lungs becomes thick and stiff, or scarred, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This scarring prevents the lungs from working properly. Doctors don't know the cause of the disease by definition, "idiopathic" means "arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown case," according to Merriam-Webster and there is no cure. In many cases, people with the disease live only about three to five years after their diagnosis, the CDC said. Although the disease has been linked with certain jobs that involve exposure to dust, wood dust and metal dust, the new report marks the first time that researchers have found a connection between the disease and being a dental worker. The cluster of cases first came to light when a Virginia dentist went to get treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at a clinic and he realized that other dentists in his area had also been treated at the clinic for the same condition. The dentist contacted the CDC with his concerns, which led health officials to identify the eight other cases that occurred between 2000 and 2015. All of the patients were men, ages 49 to 81 years old, and eight were dentists; one patient was a dental technician. Of the two patients who were still alive, only one was able to give an interview to health officials. The man told the CDC that during his dental career, he had polished dental appliances and prepared dental impressions without a wearing a mask. This means he could have been exposed to particles of silica in the air or other compounds that can have potentially toxic effects on the respiratory system, the report said. Still, the researchers only found an association between dental work and this lung disease, and cannot say for certain whether the work did indeed cause the disease. There may be other factors involved for instance, the man who gave the interview also said he was a street sweeper for three months before he went to dental school, which would also have exposed him to dust. The researchers recommend that dental workers wear certified respiratory masks if they perform tasks that could result in respiratory hazards and the work area is not well ventilated. The report concluded that more work is needed to better understand the risk of this lung disease in dental workers "to develop strategies for prevention of potentially harmful exposures." Original article on Live Science. Islandborn By Junot Diaz Dial. 48 pp. $17.99 --- Twenty years ago, novelist Junot Diaz promised his goddaughters he would write a children's book for them. Their request: to see people like themselves - Dominican girls living in the Bronx - in its pages. The girls are no longer girls but their book is finally here. On Tuesday, Diaz, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," will publish "Islandborn." As promised, it is a picture book that features Dominican girls living in the Bronx. The story centers on a young girl named Lola who sets out to collect memories of the Dominican Republic she left as a baby. Like Lola, Diaz was born in the Dominican Republic; he immigrated to the United States when he was 6. The book, Diaz said in a phone interview from his home in Cambridge, Mass., "started with an observation - that the narrative of innocence that hangs over a lot of children's books was insufficient to address the kind of childhood that I had, and also the people in my life. There is this very adult idea that children have to be protected or that the uglier parts of life can't be brought into children's books." Diaz hopes "Islandborn" will help correct that. The book, which clocks in at 48 pages (most picture books are 32 or less) is a gem of a tale that captures both the joy and hardships of life in an urban, mostly immigrant community. "Every kid in Lola's school was from somewhere else," the book begins. The children's teacher asks each of her students to draw a picture of their "first country." Lola is at first panicked because she remembers nothing of her birthplace. But she eventually realizes that she can - literally and figuratively - draw on the many memories of the family and friends who come from her birth country, and she ends up with so much material that she creates an entire book of pictures. Some of the memories depicted in Lola's book are jubilant, as her neighbors, family and friends recall the sound of music and the brilliant colors of their island homeland. Other memories are much darker, however, because of the "Monster" who invaded the Island and ruled it for 30 years before "heroes rose up" and banished it forever. Though unnamed, it's clearly a reference to dictator Rafael Trujillo, whose reign of terror traumatized generations of Dominicans. (Still, Diaz believes the monster can represent a wide array of fears.) Mitigating the serious message of the book are the bright and sunny illustrations by Colombian-born artist Leo Espinosa. The pages explode with vibrant hues, as Lola gathers material from her world to tell her own kaleidoscopic tale. Diaz was thrilled with Espinosa's work: "There's one thing that really matters to my community, which is how slighted we have been in visual culture, and how wrongly the textures of our skin and hair are depicted. Espinosa's art is a master class in, among other things, just the reality of our hair." While "Islandborn" (also available in a Spanish edition called "Lola") clearly will resonate with immigrant readers, Diaz said that's not the only audience for the book. "The best stories provide us with opportunities for recognition and estrangement - to be spoken to most directly, or to feel that we are eavesdropping." Diaz, a professor at MIT and a recipient of the MacArthur "genius grant," hopes his book will help change the landscape of books children are offered in school and at home. "It's only the grim racial policy in a nation like ours that predisposes white children to only imagine white children as their narrative analogues," he explained. "If kids of color can read about white characters in children's books all day, the only thing preventing the reverse is a malign set of racial policies," he says. "The white default is, in some ways, the cornerstone of white supremacy. It's not some innocent issue." For Diaz, though, the true test of how well he did in writing "Islandborn" came when he finally presented a copy to his oldest goddaughter, "a tough cookie" now in her late 20s. "I realized I had gotten my passing grade when she read the book, then put it down and wept." --- MacPherson is the children's and teen services coordinator for the Takoma Park, Md., library. How to Fix the Future By Andrew Keen Atlantic. 330 pp. $26 --- Over the past decade or so, books decrying the internet have been published at a steady clip. These what-have-we-wrought manifestos - Evgeny Morozov's "The Net Delusion," Jaron Lanier's "You Are Not a Gadget," Nicholas Carr's "The Shallows," to name but a few - are a chorus line of King Canutes yelling, largely in vain, against the incoming tide of insidious data mining, surveillance economies, endangered jobs and smartphone addiction. The latest volume to wash up on the rocky shores of doubt is "How to Fix the Future" by Andrew Keen, an entrepreneur turned technology pundit. Published close on the heels of his 2015 curmudgeonly treatise, "The Internet Is Not the Answer," Keen's new book is far less grumpy, as the author trains his lens on tools he believes can help correct our course. The title is a bit off. Forget the future. The book is a courageous attempt to offer some constructive solutions to a world already filled with monoliths that make the Microsoft of the 1990s, whose hegemony we once feared so much that the government saw fit to break it into pieces, look like a humble Etsy vendor. Keen is mercifully brief with his indictments of big tech. Just in case you need it, a quick refresher: Uber isn't merely exploiting its drivers but working overtime to render them unnecessary. Amazon (whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post) has tentacles in pretty much everything, including health care and education. Apple's iPhone is turning us all into zombies. Facebook, conduit of fake news, is a crime scene. And just try to go 15 minutes without using something of Google's. So what do we do? Keen asks, reasonably enough. Keen offers a five-part solution, consisting of greater consumer choice, social responsibility, competitive innovation, smart regulation and enlightened education. At the center, not surprisingly, is humanity itself. In his search for the humans who are playing key roles in preserving the fundamentals of a civilized society, Keen does something admirable: He hits the road, interviewing dozens of folks around the world who are doing - and saying - interesting, innovative things. He visits the chief technology officer of Estonia, the first country in the world to offer "e-residency," an electronic passport that allows any small-business owner to use a variety of Estonian services and technologies. Intended as an antithesis to the "dark web," the country is reimagining cyberspace as civic space, Keen reports. Then there's Singapore, one of the most wired countries on the planet, where Keen explores the Smart Nation initiative, whose goal, as its politicians would have us believe, is to reinvent Singapore so that digitized information becomes the foundation of a new public space for civic innovation. Writes Keen, "The plan is to erect an electronic mirror that will enable [Singapore] to become ever more self aware." So rosy is Keen's tone in parts that I was put in mind of a wide-eyed, if craggy-faced, 21st-century Dorothy, picking up valuable lessons on her way to Oz. It was when Keen got to Singapore that I began to wonder if he might be looking for solutions in the wrong places. Singapore? I mean, I'd like to see cleaner sidewalks as much as the next San Franciscan, but doesn't Singapore take things a tad too far? As Keen himself points out, human and free-speech rights champions, to say nothing of privacy advocates, aren't whistling Dixie with their worries over what Singapore might have in mind with its deployment of sensors and cameras across the island. And the notion of e-citizenry, while fascinating, seems of questionable applicability to the United States. Still, I came away from Keen's world travels grateful to him for enduring all those endless flights to far-flung places so we wouldn't have to. Keen's trip to Brussels makes more sense. There he meets with Margrethe Vestager, the European commissioner for competition, who is bravely standing up to the likes of Google and Apple. Vestager imposed a 13 billion-euro fine on Apple in back taxes for the company's dodgy tax arrangements with Ireland. And she has set her antitrust sights on Google. Last year, she fined the company a record 2.42 billion euros for giving preferential treatment to Google Shopping, its price comparison service. "How to Fix the Future" has its share of annoyances. The phrase "you'll remember," to remind us of someone or something he has mentioned plenty of times already, sometimes quite recently, becomes a distracting literary tic. And there are mistakes. Some are easily forgiven. I can see getting Angela Merkel's name wrong (which Keen does); after all, the German prime minister isn't a constant presence in Keen's Silicon Valley-centric world. But misspelling the first names of Sergey Brin and Marc Benioff is just plain inexcusable. And an internet expert like Keen should know that science fiction writer William Gibson coined the word "cyberspace" not in his 1984 novel, "Neuromancer," but two years earlier in his short story "Burning Chrome." Eventually our Dorothy returns to Kansas, which in Keen's case is his own backyard of Oakland, Calif. He describes with great admiration work being done by Freada Kapor Klein, a longtime tech activist. Together with her husband, Mitch Kapor, she has created a workspace in Oakland that blends high tech with humanism. Working to ensure that everyone gets a chance at a tech career, the couple invests in start-ups whose founders are women or people of color, and they've started a program that funnels underprivileged kids into math and science. All of this, as Keen puts it, is a "counterweight to Silicon Valley's most corrosive indifference to the impact of its disruption on the world around it." Well put, and a brave ambition for a scary new world. --- Hafner is a journalist and author whose books include "Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet" (with Matthew Lyon). Happiness By Aminatta Forna Atlantic Monthly. 312 pp. $26 --- Aminatta Forna's exquisite 2013 novel "The Hired Man" opened with a hunter on a Croatian hillside training his sights on a stranger's car. The silence of early morning, the stillness of the watcher, both were palpable on the page, and a similarly arresting scene draws us into Forna's new novel "Happiness": "Spring snow, still, porcelain bowls in the hollows of the earth. Blue hour, the outlines of pine trees and houses stood against a deepening sky. The wolfer gazed upon the lights of the town." In Massachusetts in 1834, a journeyman hunter is hired to kill a marauding wolf, and the small drama that ensues is a marvel of compression. In just seven pages, Forna evokes a distant time, a timeless land, a stalker and his prey. Killing done, the prologue closes, but its force seems to echo - this is one of Forna's mysterious skills - as the narrative shifts to London in 2014: "People walked unswervingly, armed with bags, defended by earphones, looking neither to right nor left." A fox weaves its way through this rush-hour crowd. Attila, a psychiatrist from Ghana, visiting for a conference, pauses on Waterloo Bridge, causing a runner to collide with him. The woman apologizes and continues on. A few hours earlier, just a few miles away, a nursing home worker wheels his patients outside. "By 10.30, eight old folks were parked against the brickwork. ... Eyes closed as if with the reverence of prayer, faces turned to the sun, they might have been believers awaiting the appearance of their god." The aide will be fired. In these few scenes, Forna sets her key characters in motion, connecting them first by chance and ultimately by love. The novel's title is "Happiness," after all. But Forna is too subtle and knowing a writer to create a straightforward, let alone inspirational, narrative. The action here may revolve around Attila's search in London for a relative's runaway child - a pleasingly simple mystery - but the novel has a wider orbit. Traveling elliptically between past and present, it crosses continents and weaves together lives that intersect years later in London over the course of just 10 days. Each intermittent episode seems to materialize as memories do, with sharp and fragile immediacy. In the war zones of Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Iraq, Attila works as a trauma specialist and hostage negotiator. Again and again, dread saturates the page. "At the Massiaka checkpoint," she writes, "a man was sitting on a huge boulder at the side of the road. He was dressed in combat trousers, boots and a black T-shirt, an automatic weapon lay across his knee, he was surrounded by henchmen." The gunman is one of Attila's former patients, and the checkpoint is "a door between worlds, where a great many people disappeared." Nine years later, in the London nursing home, Attila watches his first love fade into dementia: "Rosie stared at her hand in Attila's, as though she had never seen such a sight, was making of it what she could." Yet even here - particularly here - Forna's plain descriptions have the force of revelation. After a dance in the day room, for example, the nurses applaud, joined by "several of the residents who raised their trembling hands and with great concentration put them slowly, soundlessly together." Throughout "Happiness," Forna stops us in our tracks this way, with the emotional weight of an image or the seductive rhythm of a sentence. Reminiscent at times of Michael Ondaatje's novel "Anil's Ghost," whose protagonist, like Attila, sifts through the aftermath of war, "Happiness" is a meditation on grand themes: Love and death, man and nature, cruelty and mercy. But Forna folds this weighty matter into her buoyant creation with a sublimely delicate touch. "Attila had been witness to many deaths," she writes as his lover fades, "that moment when a still and silent presence entered the room, revealed only by a change in the air, a knowledge never to be unknown . ... In a refugee camp in Sudan, a mother tucks a doll made of two crossed sticks into the arms of her dead child ... In the now silent room the knowledge formed itself into a fourth presence." --- Mundow is a freelance journalist and reviewer in Central Massachusetts. Fiction 1. The Great Alone: By Kristin Hannah. A former prisoner of war returns from Vietnam and moves his family to Alaska, where they face tough conditions. 2. Fifty Fifty: By James Patterson and Candice Fox. Detective Harriet Blue tries to clear her brother's name and save a small Australian town from being massacred. 3. The Woman in the Window: By A.J. Finn. A recluse who drinks heavily and takes prescription drugs may have witnessed a crime across from her Harlem townhouse. 4. An American Marriage: By Tayari Jones. A newlywed couple's relationship is tested when the husband is sentenced to 12 years in prison. 5. Still Me: By Jojo Moyes. Louisa Clark moves to New York and is torn between high society and the life she enjoys at a vintage clothing store. 6. Little Fires Everywhere: By Celeste Ng. An artist upends a quiet town outside Cleveland. 7. Look For Me: By Lisa Gardner. Sgt. Detective D.D. Warren teams up with a torture survivor to find a missing teenager whose family was gunned down. 8. Before We Were Yours: By Lisa Wingate. A South Carolina lawyer learns about the questionable practices of a Tennessee orphanage. 9. Origin: By Dan Brown. A symbology professor goes on a perilous quest with a beautiful museum director. 10. Agent in Place: By Mark Greaney. The seventh book in the Gray Man series. Court Gentry gets the chance to end a brutal dictatorship. Nonfiction 1. Fire and Fury: By Michael Wolff. A journalist offers an inside account of the first year of the Trump White House. 2. Obama: By Pete Souza. More than 300 pictures of the former president by his White House photographer, with behind-the-scenes stories. 3. Educated: By Tara Westover. The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for college. 4. Enlightenment Now: By Steven Pinker. A case for using reason, science and humanism to counter pessimistic views of Western civilization. 5. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry: By Neil deGrasse Tyson. A straightforward, easy-to-understand introduction to the universe. 6. Everything Happens for a Reason: By Kate Bowler. A divinity-school professor examines her tacit beliefs when she learns she has colon cancer. 7. The Future of Humanity: By Michio Kaku. The physicist describes how humans might develop civilization in outer space and possibly become immortal. 8. All-American Murder: By James Patterson and Alex Abramovich with Mike Harvkey. The story of Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end convicted of first-degree murder. 9. The Last Black Unicorn: By Tiffany Haddish. The comedian recounts growing up in South-Central Los Angeles and finding success after a period of homelessness. 10. When: By Daniel H. Pink. Research reveals the ideal time to make small decisions and big life changes. New York Times The two victims of Thursday's deadly plane crash in Laredo have been identified. Robert Christopher Marshall, 19, and Kelle David Hein, 56, were aboard a small plane when it crashed at the Laredo International Airport grounds, according to Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern. They were the only two in the plane. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Marshall was a student at Baylor University and Hein was the preacher of the Family Baptist Church in Laredo. MORE ON STORY: Video: Two people killed when plane crashes, explodes at Laredo airport At approximately 10:39 a.m. Thursday, the Laredo Police and Fire departments received reports of a downed plane. Authorities found the crash site behind Iglesia Cristiana Emmanuel and Quality Reflections Glassworks in the 6400 block of Polaris Drive. Robert R. Marshall, of Bruni, and his wife, Amy Marshall, are the registered owners of the aircraft, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. He is the CEO and president of Marshall Aviation, an on-demand charter service for passengers and freight aircraft. The Marshalls are also members of the Webb Consolidated ISD school board. READ ALSO: Social media shares support, condolences after death of Laredo Heat soccer coach The twin-engine Piper PA-31 was attempting to return to the runway after smoke was reported coming from the aircraft's left engine, according to Lynn Lunsford, Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson. Airport firefighters responded to the blaze within seconds of the crash, said Investigator Joe E. Baeza, Laredo Police Department spokesman. The National Transportation Safety Board will be the lead investigating agency. The operator of an immigrant stash house in Laredo has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the case of a deadly smuggling run last July that left 10 immigrants dead or dying in a semitrailer in San Antonio. Pedro Silva Segura faces up to life in prison and will be sentenced June 29 after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants resulting in death. He entered his plea Thursday before a federal magistrate in San Antonio. The truck's driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., has pleaded guilty to single counts of conspiracy and transporting immigrants resulting in death. He will be sentenced March 26 and also faces up to life in prison. READ MORE: Laredo man charged in deaths of 10 immigrants in San Antonio smuggling case At least 39 immigrants, most of them from Mexico, had been packed inside the sweltering semitrailer. Police found the trailer, which had a broken cooling system, last July in a Walmart parking lot. Investigators say passengers had experienced difficulty breathing as temperatures, which had topped 100 degrees in San Antonio, climbed. A factual basis within the plea agreement said many of the immigrants in the trailer were kept in stash houses in Laredo before being loaded in the trailer, including a house in the 1100 block of Reynolds Street run by Silva. During the investigation, federal immigration agents pulled video surveillance from the Blue Beacon car wash in Laredo and saw Bradleys tractor-trailer park there about 8:30 p.m. July 22. At about 9 p.m., several vehicles arrive, stop behind Bradleys trailer and deliver people who are loaded into the back of the trailer, the factual basis said. READ ALSO: U.S. won't say why Mexican hot spot is dangerous On July 24 a day after the immigrants were discovered at the South Side Walmart in San Antonio agents saw Silva at the Reynolds Street property in Laredo, moved in and found 18 undocumented immigrants there. According to court documents filed in another case in Laredo that was later dismissed, Silva is originally from Mexico and does not have legal permission to be in the U.S. Silva later admitted that he operated the stash house and that approximately five immigrants left that house the night of July 22 and were taken to Bradleys truck to be transported to San Antonio, the factual basis said. Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC's "The View," has apologized to Vice President Mike Pence for mocking his Christian faith and suggesting his religious views made him mentally ill. The "miscommunication," as Behar's manager put it, dates back to last month, when Behar and her co-hosts were discussing comments that former West Wing staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman had made on "Celebrity Big Brother." "He's extreme," Manigault Newman said to her fellow contestants about Pence, who has ties to the evangelical community. "I'm Christian. I love Jesus. But he thinks Jesus tells him to say things. I'm like, 'Jesus ain't saying that.' " That prompted the women of "The View" on Feb. 13 to critique Pence's faith. Co-host Sunny Hostin said, "I don't know that I want my vice president, um - speaking in tongues and having Jesus speak to him." Behar responded, "It's one thing to talk to Jesus. It's another thing when Jesus talks to you. That's called mental illness, if I'm not correct, hearing voices." On C-SPAN the next day, Pence attacked ABC, saying that the network should not have broadcast a "forum that compared Christianity to mental illness." "It's an insult not to me, but to the vast majority of the American people who like me cherish their faith," he said. "It demonstrates how out of touch some in the mainstream media are with the faith and values of the American people. That you could have a major network like ABC permit a forum for invective against religion like that." The right-wing Media Research Center launched an effort to hold "The View" accountable for promoting "anti-Christian bigotry," according to an open letter to ABC News from the group's president, Brent Bozell. The MRC describes itself as the "nation's premier media watchdog," with the mission of exposing and neutralizing the "propaganda arm of the Left: the national news media." By the end of February, MRC's campaign had led to at least 30,000 calls insisting that Behar apologize, as well as 6,000 calls to the daytime show's sponsors, according to Fox News. On Thursday, more than three weeks after "The View" episode aired, top officials at Disney, which owns ABC, addressed the issue during the question and answer portion of a shareholder meeting. Justin Danhof, a shareholder and the general counsel for the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, asked Disney chief executive Bob Iger about the company's pattern of "bashing conservative or religious Americans." He cited Behar's comments as an example, as well as those of ESPN reporter Jemele Hill, who called President Donald Trump a white supremacist on Twitter last fall. ESPN is also owned by Disney. "What do you say to the tens of millions of Christians, and President Trump supporters, that your networks have so blatantly offended and ascribed hateful labels?" Danhof asked. "Specifically, do you think, like Mrs. Hostin and Mrs. Behar, that the Christian faith is akin to a dangerous mental illness?" Iger responded by saying that Behar had already apologized to Pence, which he believed was "absolutely appropriate." Behar's manager, Bill Stankey, confirmed to The Washington Post that Behar recently apologized to Pence during a phone conversation. They both talked about how they were raised Roman Catholic, he said, and mentioned that Pence told Behar that he was confirmed in the church, taking the name "Christopher." "Yes, she did speak to Vice President Pence, they had a great, very nice conversation," Stankey said. "The vice president was very gracious and very understanding. He understood Joy wasn't attacking anybody, and that there was some miscommunication." A spokeswoman for Pence could not immediately be reached for comment. NEW DELHI - A pair of statements from the Chinese and Indian foreign ministries this week appeared to show an opening in relations between Asia's most powerful rivals, long competitors on trade and territory. "The Chinese 'dragon' and the Indian 'elephant' must not fight each other, but dance with each other," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing on Thursday. If the two countries joined hands, he said, "one plus one will equal not only two, but also eleven," referring to how powerful they would be together. On Friday, India foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed that stronger ties "are a factor of stability amid today's global uncertainties" at a meeting at Xiamen in September 2017. "We are willing to work with the Chinese side to develop our relations based on commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests, concerns and aspirations," Kumar said at a news conference in New Delhi. Relations between the two countries have been fraught in recent months, as tensions escalated over border issues and Tibet, a semiautonomous region of China. But the statements could suggest willingness to cooperate. "I don't think it's a fundamental shift in the relationship," said Shashank Joshi, senior research fellow of the Royal United Services Institute. "We are still looking at broad strategic competition between China and India, which stretches over the Himalayas and into the Indian Ocean. The statement doesn't mean India is any less concerned on the Belt and Road initiative or the China-Pakistan economic corridor, but India does not want those disagreements to undermine relations," he said, referring to China's flagship program to increase connectivity in central, west and south Asia. New Delhi has refused to back the initiative, raising concerns it could directly link its two bordering strategic foes - China and Pakistan. Earlier this week, Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharam said in parliament that both countries had redeployed troops at Doklam, the contested site of an intense standoff between the two countries last year. "The strength of both sides have been reduced," she said, adding that the Chinese army had started the construction of sentry posts, helipads and trenches in the area. The statements came after unconfirmed reports in Indian media this week that senior government officials were asked not to attend events to mark the Dalai Lama's 60th year in exile from China. Events for the Buddhist leader - whom China considers a dangerous separatist - were moved from New Delhi to the Himalayan city of Dharamsala, headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile. "India and China recognize that they can't afford to let these disagreements erupt into open conflict," Joshi said. "Diffusing Tibet issue for now is one for India to signal that's what it wants to do." Officials in Los Angeles declined to criminally charge a former police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man near the Venice boardwalk, despite the recommendation of the police chief, who called for the officer to be charged. District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced the decision not to charge Clifford Proctor on Thursday, nearly three years after the 2015 shooting of Brendon Glenn, saying that her office did not believe it could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Proctor, who resigned as an LAPD officer in 2017, had violated the law. "Prosecutors cannot ethically charge a person with a crime, if they do not believe a jury would convict the person of that crime," Lacey said in a statement. "This basic tenet of criminal law requires us to consider the suspect's possible defenses against those charges, as we did in this case." A lawyer for Glenn's family had harsh words about the decision. "The inordinate delay and spineless decision not to prosecute highlights the conflict of interest when a district attorney is tasked with the decision to prosecute police officers," V. James DeSimone told the Los Angeles Times. "Justice demands an independent prosecutor in these instances." The case had been the subject of media attention and outcry as questions about race continue to drive a national discussion about the fatal use of force by police. Glenn, a black 29-year-old who had been camping with homeless people in the beach-side area, was fatally shot in May 2015 when Proctor, who is also black, and a partner tried to detain him after he fought with a bar bouncer. Glenn had resisted being handcuffed and was taken to the ground by the officers, officials said. A struggle ensued, and Proctor fired two shots. Proctor told police investigators that he had fired because he thought Glenn was trying to grab his partner's gun, according to an LAPD report cited in the Los Angeles Times. But the report found that video taken nearby disputed the account, the Times reported. It is rare for officers to be charged criminally and even rarer for them to be convicted. But the city's police chief, Charlie Beck, recommended criminal charges against the officer after the LAPD completed its investigation of the case in 2016. Beck told the Times that his investigators had concluded that Glenn was lying on his stomach and trying to get up when Proctor fired at him, striking him in the back. The civilian panel that reviews LAPD shootings also found that Proctor had violated department policy, the Times reported. The city agreed to settle civil lawsuits brought by Glenn's mother for $4 million. The district attorney's report, which cited evidence from body cameras, surveillance videos, 10 civilian eyewitnesses and DNA analysis, came to a different conclusion. While Proctor's partner, Jonathan Kawahara, had initially told police investigators that he didn't know why Proctor fired his gun, he later watched a video of the encounter in which he realized that his pants had hiked up during the altercation, exposing the backup weapon he wore on his leg, the report said. Kawahara also told investigators that he could not see Glenn's left hand before the shooting. All 10 of the eyewitnesses interviewed in the case said they could not see Glenn's hands just before the gun went off. "In this case, prosecutors concluded that the evidence did not support a finding that Proctor was unreasonable in believing that Glenn posed an imminent threat of great bodily injury to himself or others," the report noted. "Based upon the circumstances at the time of the shooting, Proctor may have reasonably believed that Glenn was reaching for his partner's weapon." The report notes that on-duty officers have the right to self-defense if they reasonably believe they or another person is in imminent danger of significant injury or death. "Based upon the aggressiveness of the individual and the struggle they were having at that moment, his state of mind and everything he was perceiving, he believed that he and his partner were in danger," Proctor's lawyer, Bill Seki, told the Times. "Based upon the law, this was a justified shooting." Proctor is awaiting trial on domestic violence charges in Orange County. Kalman Aron, who used his skill as an artist to survive seven concentration camps during the Holocaust and who later became a leading portrait painter in California, died Feb. 24 at a rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, California. He was 93. The death was confirmed by his son, David Aron, who said there was no specific cause. A child prodigy who had his first art exhibition at 7, Aron was studying at an art academy in his home town of Riga, Latvia, when German forces invaded the country in 1941. His father and an uncle were taken away by German soldiers. "We never saw them again," he said. His mother was killed later that year in a massacre of Latvian Jews. Aron was sent to a series of labor and concentration camps and was ultimately separated from his brother. "I survived by disappearing," Aron told Susan Beilby Magee, whose book, "Into the Light: The Healing Art of Kalman Aron," was published in 2012. "In the camps, we never knew when a friend might be struck down and die. So one way to protect yourself, to insulate yourself, was to be alone. A deep, stark place of loneliness is where I was." He emerged from anonymity when he began to sketch portraits of his guards, using smuggled pencils and scraps of paper and canvas. "Before I knew it, I was suddenly in the commandant's room," Aron said in a 1994 oral history interview with the Shoah Foundation. "And I was sitting there, and he gave me a photograph of his mother and father and had me make a miniature . . . the size of a ring." In return for his portraits, Aron received small favors, such as extra blankets, bread or soup - and was excused from forced labor. From one camp to another, in Latvia, Poland, Germany and Czechoslovakia, Aron survived more than two years of the Holocaust on the strength of his artistry. "I would tell the commandant or the guard I was painting, if I could just get a little more cheese and bread, I could paint much quicker," he said in an interview with filmmaker Steven Barber, who is working on a documentary about him. His seventh and final concentration camp was Theresienstadt, in what is now the Czech Republic. When Soviet troops liberated Theresienstadt in May 1945, Aron was not freed with the other prisoners. Instead, he and five other young men from Latvia and Lithuania were put on a truck because they were considered Soviet citizens. Fearing that they would be sent straight from a concentration camp into the Soviet army, they escaped. Aron ultimately reached a displaced persons camp in Salzburg, Austria, where he continued to draw and paint. One of his portrait subjects was the girlfriend of a U.S. soldier who passed the picture along to an art academy in Vienna. The academy offered Aron a scholarship to continue his schooling. "If I didn't have pencil and paper," he told the Jewish Journal in 2015, "I would have been dead in the ghetto." Kalman Aron, whose father designed women's shoes, was born Sept. 14, 1924, in Riga. He began drawing at 3. A decade later, he painted a portrait of Latvian President Karlis Ulmanis, who helped arrange for the aspiring artist to attend the country's fine arts academy in Riga. After World War II, Aron received a master's degree from Vienna's Academy of Fine Arts before settling in Los Angeles in 1949. He painted ceramics and later worked for a mapmaking company while painting on the side - often scenes of the Holocaust, done mostly in black and gray. One of his portraits, of a haunted-looking child, was on display at a frame shop when Marichu Beilby, an interior decorator, noticed it in 1951. She asked Aron to paint portraits of her children, including Susan, who later wrote a book about the artist. Aron soon received other commissions and was able to quit his office jobs to concentrate on painting. In 1956, the magazine Art in America included him on a list of "100 outstanding American artists." As the years passed, he abandoned the dark, grim palette of his youth and began to paint with bright bursts of color. "Over a period of time, he regained his light," Magee said in an interview. He went on to paint portraits of president Ronald Reagan, writer Henry Miller, conductor Andre Previn and other celebrities. Some of his works, which include landscapes and abstract paintings, are in the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust and in other museums and private collections around the world. His marriages to Gertrude Schneider, Suzanne Creyson and Tanis Hanson ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 12 years, Miriam Sandoval of Beverlywood, California; and a son from his third marriage, David Aron, a painter in Hillsdale, New York. David Aron said his father wanted to be seen as an artist and not simply as a Holocaust survivor. Nonetheless, his father recognized how his experiences affected his view of the world, including the way he painted. "In the camps, I looked at and studied people," he told Magee for "Into the Light." "When I paint, I'm trying to capture their character, their spirit, the certain look they have. . . . The Holocaust gave me an understanding of people that most people won't understand." As Poland's "Holocaust law" increasingly isolates it, President Andrzej Duda offered a qualified apology Thursday for his country's infamous anti-Semitic purge of 1968. Duda's remarks - unprecedented in the history of post-communist Poland - marked an apparent shift in tone from a right-wing government that has refused to back down on a controversial bill criminalizing speech accusing the Polish nation of complicity in Nazi atrocities. March marks the 50th anniversary of an anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist campaign by Poland's communist government that cast Jews as a disloyal "fifth column." At least 13,000 Jewish Poles or Poles with some Jewish roots were stripped of their citizenship and expelled from the country - a reality Duda said he regretted. "I want to stress that it is with profound grief that we bow our heads, that I, as President, bow my head before those who were then expelled, before the families of those who were killed then," he said. "I want to tell them: Please forgive, please forgive the Republic of Poland, please forgive the Poles, please forgive Poland of the time, for having perpetrated such a shameful act." At the same time, Duda's apology was complicated - and, for some critics, not an apology at all. For one, he made clear that it was Poland's communist government at the time who was responsible, and that citizens in Poland today have no obligation to feel ashamed. "The free Poland of today, and my generation, do not to bear responsibility and do not have to apologize," he said. Duda spoke Thursday at the University of Warsaw, where some in the crowd called him a "hypocrite" and chanted "shame," Polish media reported. Portions of Duda's apology also appeared to echo stereotypes of Jews as elite and privileged. The real tragedy of 1968, his remarks seemed to suggest, was that Poland was later deprived of Jewish material and cultural contributions. "Nowadays, as I look at my contemporary Poland, at our Poland of the 21st-century, I think to myself: What a pity, what a loss was inflicted on the present-day Republic of Poland, now that you are gone, and some may have lost their lives because of 1968, now that you are no longer here with us today," he said. "You are the elite of the intelligentsia but in other countries, you are people of remarkable success, respected, but in other countries, your creative powers, your scientific output, your splendid achievements have not done credit to the Republic of Poland. What a shame! I am so sorry!" Additionally, the government has firmly defended its Holocaust law, even in the face of explicit condemnation from Polish Jewish leaders, Israel, and the United States. A report in Polish media earlier this week, based on a leaked memo from the Polish foreign ministry, alleged that U.S. officials threatened Poland with diplomatic sanctions if the law was not abandoned. Both the Polish and U.S. governments denied the report, but Duda's chief of staff flew to Washington the day after the report appeared. Already, the Polish League Against Defamation, a group established "to initiate and support actions aimed at correcting false information on Poland's history," has filed a claim against Pagina 12, an Argentine newspaper, for a December article about the July 1941 Jedwabne massacre. In that attack, Polish citizens from the northeastern village of Jedwabne turned against their Jewish neighbors in a brutal attack not exclusively perpetrated by occupying troops from Nazi Germany. At least 340 Jews were killed in the massacre; many were burned alive in a barn. The complaint filed against the Argentine newspaper is thought to be the first lawsuit inspired by the new Holocaust law. According to the group, an image of Polish partisans that appeared with the article was tantamount to defamation. Health insurance? Paid time off? Bonuses? Retirement plans? These all seem like good employee benefits that matter, don't they? But as it turns out another very inexpensive employee benefit may matter just as much: a voodoo doll of the boss. Some 229 employees who participated in a recent study were asked to think of a workplace interaction that involved "abuse" from a supervisor or boss. As part of the study, some were then allowed to take out their job frustrations on a makeshift voodoo doll carrying their boss's name by sticking pins, burning it with candles and pinching it with pliers. OK . . . now I'm starting to get a little nervous. The Trump administration's decision to amend a hard-fought compromise between states and the federal government on how to protect a chickenlike bird in resource-rich Western states sent green groups scrambling to mobilize their members to speak their minds to Washington. Environmentalists registered their discontent over the reopening of the Obama-era conservation plan to protect the greater sage grouse, a bird that makes its home among the sagebrush sea stretching from Montana to New Mexico and from California to Colorado, by mailing by paper or electronically their objections during the official comment period. Altogether, roughly 267,000 individuals submitted comments to the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management at the behest of about 20 environmental groups, they say. But the BLM tallied far fewer comments received for its "scoping" report: About 170,000 individuals submitted comments, according to a memorandum by David Bernhardt, the No. 2 top official at the department, sent to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. "The comments demonstrated a varied range of views," Bernhardt wrote. The discrepancy left environmental groups scrambling to figure out why their comments did not show up in the public record. Phil Hanceford, conservation director of the Wilderness Society, called the missing comments "a glaring reminder that BLM has some pretty serious transparency issues." Even if a mistake, the omission may mean that many more absent comments submitted by individuals who aren't double checking the public record. Public comment periods are an important way for the federal government to measure the mood regarding a proposed rules change -- though advocacy groups organizing campaigns of opposition or support often find their way into the record too. The BLM did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post, although a bureau spokesman did tell the Casper Star Tribune in Wyoming that it was "aware of the concern and are checking to ensure that all comments and issues are represented in the final scoping report." Many Western Republicans fear the conservation plan brokered by the Obama administration, covering an area pocked with coal mines and oil rigs, could impede energy development and the jobs it brings. But the bird's numbers are estimated to have fallen by as much as 90 percent because of industrial mining and oil and gas drilling through 11 Western states. The Trump administration announced last June it would review the sage-grouse plan, and in October issued a formal notice, kicking off the comment period. Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president for public lands for the National Wildlife Federation, said the BLM had been in touch with the organization, assuring it the omission was due to a technical error. Not a single comment from the NWF made its way to the published record, she said. "Some people chalk this up to political chicanery," Stone-Manning said. "I take the agency at its word when they say it's a technical error. But it's still a problem, because tens of thousands of American voices would have gone unheard had we not drawn the agency's attention to this." The bureau, Stone-Manning said, sent itself a test email to an address it used to solicit comments, and it failed to go through. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a hunting and fishing advocacy group that also registered criticism during the comment period, said it worked with the BLM to comb "through all the comments to find each one for us," said John Gale, the group's conservation director. The most potentially influential feedback the Trump administration received, however, comes from governors of the president's own party. Matt Mead, the Republican governor of Wyoming, which mines more coal than any other state, told Zinke that reopening the sage grouse plan was "not the right decision" because states were involved in crafting the original plan. "Wholesale changes to the land use plans are likely not necessary at this time," Govs. Mead and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., wrote to Zinke last May. One fear is that rewriting the complex conservation strategy for the sage grouse could backfire. Rolling back protections could shrink its population even further, leading to the bird being granted endangered species status and to energy firms being subjected to even more stringent restrictions under the Endangered Species Act. This is not the first time critics of the Trump administration noticed its comments were not being registered. Last December, the Department of Health and Human Services defended withholding comments critical of new abortion and transgender policy. Months before U.S. Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke abruptly resigned, his superiors at the Agriculture Department were made aware of the scandal that brought an end to Tooke's 30-year career. As early as September, the office of Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., informed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue's office of a letter from a Forest Service retiree who wrote that Tooke wasn't deserving of the post he was appointed to by Perdue the month before. Isakson's office confirmed its receipt of the letter Thursday, a day after Tooke tendered his immediate resignation following a "PBS NewsHour" report that he was under investigation for improper behavior. A spokeswoman for Isakson would not reveal the letter's contents, but Energy and Environment News and the Daily Caller each reported that it claimed that Tooke offered a newly created staff position to a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair when he worked at an office in Florida. Agriculture officials appointed an independent investigator to look into the claim. The accusation against a top official is especially stinging because the agency is investigating dozens of harassment claims, particularly from women in its firefighting division. PBS, as well as The Washington Post, interviewed women who claimed that they had been raped, spied on while showering, groped, berated, pressured to quit and retaliated against for reporting abuses. During the reporting of both stories, women firefighters who spoke to reporters later rescinded their comments for fear of losing their careers. It's not clear whether officials knew of the incident raised by the letter before Isakson contacted the Agriculture Department. Both the USDA and Forest Service, a division of Agriculture, declined to respond to requests to confirm the accuracy of the news reports. They also declined to answer whether Tooke's record was vetted during the process that led to his appointment in August, and if the allegation was discussed with the appointee. In congressional hearings, Forest Service officials have been castigated by lawmakers for the agency's failure to seriously discipline harassers even after allegations were proven. Lawmakers were livid when firefighter Denice Rice testified in December 2016 that a fire supervisor who repeatedly groped her at the Eldorado National Forest in California was a known bully and "womanizer to female employees for years and nobody did anything about it." Even after Rice's account that the supervisor tried several times to lift her shirt and followed her to the bathroom was confirmed, he was allowed to retire with full benefits. Women who filed claims, their attorneys and union representatives said Rice's story was not unusual and that the Forest Service has a male-dominated culture of harassment and an executive office dominated by men who often failed to act. Attorney Sarah Martin said discrimination happened to her client, Abby Bolt, when she returned to work from maternity leave. Bolt, a fire battalion commander at Sequoia National Forest, complained to supervisors after noticing that she was being treated differently than her male peers - less flexible hours, less favorable hours and no leave - but nothing was done. Martin said Tooke's appointment and resignation are a bad sign. "This shows that it's top down. This is a disregard for responsibility," Martin said. "Abby did everything she was supposed to do . . . went to her supervisors, tried working with the union, went to the Equal Employment Office." Martin continued, "at each step she was ignored and pushed off. What was most egregious to me about Agriculture's situation is the way her complaints were processed or not processed. How it just fell through the cracks. She was begging to be heard and nothing was done about it," Martin said. "Now they have it out for her." After Tooke was sworn in, he issued a statement laying out his priorities, saying that the first would be "ensuring our work environment is safe, rewarding, respectful, free of harassment." He claimed to prefer "an environment where you are recognized and valued for your contributions. I want every employee to be empowered to continuously improve our work." In his final statement, an email to workers, Tooke acknowledged that he had lost the confidence needed to execute his duties. "I have decided that what is needed right now is for me to step down as Forest Service Chief and make way for a new leader that can ensure future success for all employees and the agency," he said. Later in the statement, Tooke said: ". . . The right leadership must be in place to create an atmosphere in which employees can perform their very best work. Each employee deserves a leader who can maintain the proper moral authority to steer the Forest Service along this important and challenging course." Perdue echoed Tooke's statement: "In my experience, in order to effectively lead any organization, you must have the moral authority to inspire its members to work toward the goal of continuous improvement." Tooke had been with the Forest Service since he was 18, serving as an executive staffer in Georgia, Florida and Washington state before landing in Washington. His resignation has further staggered an agency that's wallowing in harassment claims, and some wonder whether the latest one could have been avoided. Writing for the blog Wildfire Today, Bill Gabbert, the managing editor and a former Forest Service firefighter, expressed outrage. "This is a disgusting, demoralizing, distasteful, detestable scandal facing the agency where I spent 20 years," Gabbert wrote. "Looking at the sheer numbers, and knowing that allegations of sexual misconduct go all the way to the top, it is hard to fathom how anyone who has been mistreated can be optimistic that the harassment will stop, or that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. "This has to be the Forest Service's number one priority - clean up this wreckage that is festering within their workforce. Would you recommend that your sister, daughter, girlfriend, or spouse apply for a job with the U.S. Forest Service?" After recently getting a tax break, Midland-based battery manufacturer, Xalt Energy, has entered into a partnership with a German company. The partnership with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies comes after Xalt had its renaissance zone development agreement amended for a second time in early February. A renaissance zone grants a business tax abatement from various state, local and county taxes in return for job creation and investment. Xalt had its required amount of full time positions cut down to 50 because it was in breech of the renaissance zone requirements. In return, its tax abatement period will be cut short, with a new end date of Dec. 31, 2022. As of Feb. 5, Xalt has 120 employees after layoffs took place in 2017, decreasing the workforce by more than 50 percent. During the Feb. 5 Midland City Council meeting, Xalt's Chief executive officer Richard Cundiff told council members that amending the renaissance zone was key to landing a huge investment partnership. The partnership will generate new opportunities in alternative energy, lithium-ion chemistry and materials development, and expand Xalt's global footprint, according to a press release from Xalt. "This partnership will allow us to offer even broader support from system integration solutions to alternative chemistries," Cundiff said in the release. "Xalt is a stronger organization with this new investment and strategic partnership with (Freudenberg), and we are looking forward to an enriched future that addresses global energy storage system needs." Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is headquartered in Weinheim, Germany. The leading sealing application company is the largest business group of the Freudenberg Group, with facilities in nearly 60 countries, 40,000 employees and an annual revenue of about $10 billion. Law enforcement officers in West Texas arrested 62 people in a massive prostitution crackdown composed of three separate stings targeting child predators, johns and human traffickers. "Operation Gauntlet" took place over 15 days in February and March in Odessa, Texas, and Midland, Texas. Eleven different law enforcement organizations conducted the operation, including the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety and local police departments. All told, law enforcement authorities made 18 felony charges and 50 misdemeanor charges over the course of three separate sting operations that focused on those who attempted to solicit minors, human trafficking and prostitution. RELATED: SAPD: 23 arrested in February prostitution busts The first operation, which targeted child predators, took place over Feb. 16 and 17. Undercover officers posed as 13-year-old girls online and chatted with suspects. The sting resulted in seven arrests for solicitation of a minor, two arrests for sexual performance of a minor under the age of 14 and two arrests for displaying harmful material to a minor. The suspects rounded up in the first sting are listed below. Online Solicitation of a minor under age 14, 2nd Degree Felony Sebastian Zapata, 22 Eduardo Galvan, 25 Randall Sparkman, 40 (Sparkman is a registered sex offender.) Alex Olivas, 38 Seth Patin, 30 David Williams, 43 Wesley Nickell, 57 Sexual performance of a minor under age 14, 1st Degree Felony Osvaldo SiFuentes, 46 James Lambert, 23 Display harmful material to a minor, Class A Misdemeanor Juan Raigoza, 24 The second sting targeting johns netted 31 arrests total, 26 of which were for prostitution charges and the remaining five were for prostitution of a person under age 18. Undercover agents posed as a 16-year-old child and a 19-year old woman in the sting. The suspects arrested in the second sting are listed below. Prostitution, Class B Misdemeanor Robert Loysoya, 59 Johnny Bryant, 31 Cody Pendergrass, 31 Jonathon Kirkman, 46 German Ortega-Ortega, 30 Omar Reyna, 43 Eduardo Ibanez, 31 Sterling Fincher, 26 Nikolos Robinson, 37 Raefael Hernandez, 43 Stephan Punch, 51 Ariel Portillo, 25 Fabian Hernandez, 34 Aram Barrios-Hernandez, 42 Oludayo Olanyinka, 37 Jared Cunnigham, 34 Bill Oneal, 45 Jason Page, 44 Daniel Okunola, 39 Brandon Moore, 31 Aaron Mata, 26 Raymundo Gonzalez, 43 Luis Casas Jr, 25 Timothy Hicks, 45 Kurtis Shaw, 18 Stanley Daniel, 21 Prostitution Solicit Person under the age of 18, 2nd Degree Felony Alfredo Garcia, 25 Eric Gesch, 43 Christian Love, 21 Alex Brito, 27 Peyton Coffman, 24 The third sting concerned human trafficking victims. Officers posed at 16-year-old human trafficking victims on the street and online and arrested suspects who attempted to pay them for sex. They also posed as johns in an effort to rescue victims of human trafficking. Authorities executed a search warrant at the Lucky Spa massage parlor and an undercover officer was offered sex in exchange for money. Below is a list of people arrested in the third sting. Prostitution, Class B Misdemeanor Patricia Chapman, 46 Ashley Hernandez, 24 Kami Martinez, 19 Alexus Phillips, 22 Kalleigh Tyler, 25) Dwight Thomas, 28 Keith Davidson, 48 Hamza Kechah, 38 Ahlieya Caudillo, 19 Adrianna Alcorta, 22 Jasmine Miles, 18 Tashonda Caraway, 22 Tiara Runels, 24 Desirey Carrizales, 22 Young Yu, 49 Prostitution, Class A Misdemeanor Rachel Tate, 31 Prostitution - Enhanced, State Jail Felony Ding Bing, 52 Prostitution solicit person under the age of 18, 2nd Degree Felony Lloyd David, 28 Aggravated promotion of prostitution, 2nd Degree Felony Lee Hunsun, 67 Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns Shana Elliott, a former Texas State University student, was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday afternoon on each count in the deaths of a man and his unborn child. Officials with the Hays County District Clerk's office could not immediately confirm Elliott's punishment. Elliott, who pleaded guilty Monday, received seven years in prison each for two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in the deaths of Fabian Guerrero-Moreno and his unborn child, who were killed in a drunk driving crash in August 2016. RELATED: Mother who lost child, husband in drunk driving accident shares heartbreaking photo from hospital Guerrero-Moreno and his 19-weeks-pregnant wife Kristian Guerrero were driving through San Marcos in August 2016, when Elliott's vehicle plowed into theirs. Elliott had been drinking on the San Marcos River that day. Guerrero took the stand after the verdict was read to speak directly to Elliott. "You're a murderer and a thief. You stole my life," Guerrero said. "You don't know me. You don't know what my life was like before Fabian. He finally made my world stable. I finally felt safe and you stole that from me." Guerrero survived a brain bleed. Elliott was sentenced to 10 years of probation for injuring Guerrero. Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @kbrad5 A man appeared in court on Tuesday morning charged in connection with the theft of eight copper cylinders from private houses in Co Longford. The man was arrested on foot of a targeted operation involving both Granard and Longford Garda Districts following a string of burglaries since the turn of the year. It's understood further individuals will be brought before the courts over the coming weeks as a result of the operation. Granard Supt Brian Mohan said incidents linked to copper related theft were starting to resurface especially among more rural and isolated areas of the county. "It's not onlt the theft of the copper cylinder its the damage it causes in leaving water running to destroy the whole premises," he told a meeting of Co Longford's Joint Policing Committee (JPC) yesterday. "We targeted specific people and we did come up with a number of suspects and arising from that we searched a premises in Longford and recovered eight stolen cylinders in that premises. "We currently have a person charged who is appearing in court tomorrow and we expect further charges to follow." Local Cllr Paraic Brady commended gardai on their efforts in securing an arrest but said there was a wider problem at play. The Drumlish based councillor hit out at what he termed as "the slap on the wrists" offenders of such episodes are given when appearing in front of a judge and called for those convicted to have their social welfare payments reapportioned to allow victims to be fully compensated. "These fellas are coming before the courts and all they are getting is a slap on the wrists," he said. "They are getting free legal aid as well and it's not good enough." Cllr Brady cited one example in his own home town where an elderly man returned home from a minor hospital procedure to find his home "torn asunder" after thieves ripped a copper cylinder from a wall, causing thousands of euros of damage in the process. Appearing more and more distressed with each passing second, Cllr Brady said the homeowner, who is also a neighbour of his own, has been unable to return home since the incident. Cllr Brady said he intended writing a letter to prosecutors which he hoped would be read out in court to highlight the emotional distress such crimes can have on victims and their families. Local News, Crime, Business & Finance By Long Island News & PR Published: March 09 2018 Richard Bivona, Owner of Southampton Princess Diner, Faces Up to Six Months in Jail for Scheming to Defraud and Failing to Pay Employees. Southampton, NY - March 9, 2018 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the guilty pleas of Suffolk County residents Richard Bivona, owner of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the guilty pleas of Suffolk County residents Richard Bivona, owner of Southampton Princess Diner (Princess Diner), John Kalogeras, manager of Princess Diner, and the corporation, RJT Food & Restaurant, LLCdoing business as Southampton Princess Diner. Bivona and Kalogeras were charged with repeatedly failing to pay restaurant workers and scheming to defraud them by continually lying about when they could expect to receive full compensation. Together, they stole a combined total of over $132,000 from 23 workers. Today, Bivona pled guilty in Suffolk County Supreme Court before the Honorable Fernando Camacho to Scheme to Defraud, a class E felony, and Failure to Pay Wages, an unclassified misdemeanor. At the time of his plea, the court informed Bivona that he intends to sentence Bivona to a jail term not to exceed six months at his sentencing on June 15, 2018. Kalogeras pled guilty to Failure to Pay Wages, an unclassified misdemeanor, and the court indicated that he will be sentenced to a conditional discharge. Lastly, RJT Food & Restaurant, LLC pled guilty to Scheme to Defraud and Failure to Secure Workers Compensation Coverage as a class E felony. The plea mandates that the defendants pay a total of $132,011.11 in restitution to workers including $88,428.11 in unpaid wages to 15 workers for incidents that took place between August and December 2016, and $43,583.00 to eight other employees for incidents that took place between January 2017 and February 2018. To date, Attorney General Schneiderman has won back nearly $30 million in stolen wages for over 21,000 workers across New York, including over $8 million for more than 3,000 restaurant workers. Employees deserve fair pay for a fair days work, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Companies that scheme to exploit their employees and stiff them of the wages they earned should take note: we will take you to court to win back workers hard-earned money. Under Governor Cuomo, New York believes in fair pay for a days work, said State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. Any employer who steals hard earned wages from their workers must be brought to justice. Im pleased that thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Department of Labor and our partners in law enforcement, we continue to secure recoveries for victims. I thank Attorney General Schneiderman and his team for being constant allies in this ongoing effort. Princess Diner, located at 32 Montauk Highway, has been a popular restaurant for many decades in Southampton, NY. In August 2016, Bivona took over the diner from Kalogeras and his family, but kept Kalogeras on as the manager to run the day-to-day operations. Restaurant employees including cooks, dishwashers, bussers, and servers many who had previously worked for the diner for over ten years, continued to work under Bivonas stewardship. Between August and December 2016, workers were not paid their hourly wages, which often included overtime hours, on a weekly basis or at all. Employees who received cash tips lived off those cash tips exclusively, since Bivona withheld most of their credit card tips from them or paid them only a partial amount several weeks later. Both Bivona and Kalogeras made repeated promises to the workers that payment was imminent, but many workers either never received any payment or only received sporadic payment after waiting for weeks to be paid. Employees continued to work at the diner in the hopes of eventually getting paid by Bivona as promised, but eventually quit when they did not receive payment after months of promises. Together, the defendants cheated 15 employees out of $88,428.11 in wages. Separately, Bivona cheated another eight employees out of $43,583.00 by failing to pay them and reimburse them for restaurant expenses between January 2017 and February 2018. The investigation was handled for the Attorney Generals Office by Investigator Melissa Kaplan and Supervising Investigator Sylvia Rivera, under the supervision of Deputy Chief Investigator John McManus and Chief Investigator Dominick Zarrella. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Jennifer S. Michael and Rachael C. Anello, with the assistance of Legal Assistant II Yadira Filpo, Tyisha Bedford, and Joan Johnson, and under the supervision of the Labor Bureaus Criminal Section Chief Richard Balletta, Assistant Attorney General in Charge of the Suffolk County Regional Office Kimberly Kinirons, Labor Bureau Chief ReNika Moore, Chief Stephanie Swenton of the Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau, Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice Matthew Colangelo, Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Margaret Garnett, and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs Martin J. Mack. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: March 09 2018 Zeldin: "Funding to support our fishermen, our oyster growers, protect our beaches, and support marine science research is essential for our local economy and environment." Long Island, NY - March 9, 2018 - On Wednesday, March 7, 2018, Congressman Lee Zeldin was awarded the National Sea Grant Award by the Sea Grant Association, which advocates for a greater understanding, use, and conservation of marine, coastal and Great Lakes resources. Last year, Congressman Zeldin was joined by Congressman Joe Courtney (D, CT-2) in spearheading the largest bipartisan appropriations request in the history of the Sea Grant Program with 95 total cosigners and secured full funding of $72.5 million for the Sea Grant Program for FY18 despite the Presidents proposed budget zeroing out the program. Representing a district almost completely surrounded by saltwater, funding to support our fishermen, our oyster growers, protect our beaches, and support marine science research is essential for our local economy and environment, said Congressman Zeldin. The Sea Grant Association plays a critical role in securing and providing this funding to the Long Islanders who rely on it most, and it is such an honor to receive this award from such a worthwhile organization. Local News, Crime By Long Island News & PR Published: March 09 2018 Authorities conducted an investigation into illegal activities at the Cecilia Spa, cops say. SCPD arrested (L to R) Ma Zi Juan of Flushing, 35, and Liu Fengying of Lindenhurst, 40, during Smithtown massage parlor raid. Smithtown, NY - March 9, 2018 - Suffolk County Police on Thursday, March 8, arrested two women during a raid at a massage parlor in Suffolk County Police on Thursday, March 8, arrested two women during a raid at a massage parlor in Smithtown In response to numerous community complaints, Suffolk County Police Fourth Precinct Crime Section officers, Suffolk County Police detectives, and the Town of Smithtown Fire Marshal conducted an investigation into illegal activities at the Cecilia Spa, located at 139 E. Main St., at approximately 3 p.m. During the investigation conducted by the Town of Smithtown Fire Marshal, numerous violations were discovered, and summonses were issued for each. Ma Zi Juan, 35, of Flushing, and Liu Fengying, 40, of Lindenhurst , were both arrested and charged with Prostitution and Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a Class E Felony under the New York State Education law. Police have called on witnesses who saw a milk tanker leave the M4 motorway on Tuesday to come forward. The incident left the driver, a 65-year-old man from Paignton, Devon, with serious injuries after it rolled onto its side. Firefighters had to rescue him with cutting equipment. He was not named by police and is said to be in a serious but stable condition at Wexham Park Hospital. Thames Valley Police said he suffered a medical episode as the Scania tanker was travelling towards London between junctions 8/9 and 7. Police shut an M4 lane for much of Tuesday while the driver was rescued and the tanker was recovered, causing long delays. PC Mark Harris, of the Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing, said: The motorway was busy at the time. Although several drivers stopped and gave police their details, we would like anyone else who witnessed the collision, or saw the tanker before the incident, to contact us. Anyone with information is asked to call PC Harris on 101, quoting reference URN 202 6/3. What happened in Spain on International Working Womens Day was remarkable. A commentator in the Barcelona daily El Periodico described it as more than a strike, almost a revolution. Over 6 million workers, mainly women but also men, came out on strike, the first time a strike had ever been called to mark 8 March. Hundreds-of-thousands participated in huge demonstrations in over 120 cities in a mass movement that can only be compared to the indignados in 2011 or the huge anti-war marches of 2003. The women's movement, organised by the Feminist Coordination, had agreed to call for a 24-hour strike, affecting work, study and house work. A number of smaller unions (CGT, CNT, Intersindical, and so on) decided to offer their support and called for a one-day general strike, thereby giving legal strike cover to anyone who wanted to come out. The main unions, CCOO and UGT, limited themselves, under pressure, to a call for a two-hour stoppage in every shift. The trade union bureaucrats gave all the usual excuses: there is no mood for it, lets start with something modest. Of course, with an attitude like that it is difficult to generate a mood for any kind of action! Pza del Castillo square The demands were wide-ranging: from opposing the gender pay gap, to rejecting violence against women, to highlighting the role women play in housework. The call very quickly acquired a political character, which was reinforced by statements from the right-wing ruling party and also Ciudadanos to the effect that while they of course, support women's rights, they were against the strike as it had an "anti-capitalist" character! The bishop of San Sebastian added that the devil was behind the call for strike! On the eve of 8 March there were already sizeable night time demonstrations in Barcelona, Madrid and other cities. The aim was to reclaim the night, to demand that women should be free from intimidation, harassment and violence and should be able to walk at any time of the day or night without having to fear for their safety: "Sense les dones no hi ha revolucio" aixi comencava ahir a la nit la #VagaFeminista8M a Barcelona pic.twitter.com/zYkUO5zQjA Revolucio (@RevolucioCMI) March 8, 2018 8 March started with tens-of-thousands participating in pickets across the country. Some of these were at universities, others at large workplaces, others still were mobile pickets in the city centres shutting down shops, shopping malls, restaurants and fast food outlets. There was confusion over the exact nature of the strike, as the largest unions were only calling for a two-hour stoppage and in many places the union bureaucracy deliberately spread misinformation. Other workers feared reprisals from their employers if they went out on strike and the presence of a large and lively picket outside provided welcome encouragement. In Catalonia, there were also numerous instances of massive road blockades, following on from the tradition established by the Catalan republican movement in the Autumn. The strike movement was huge, with millions of workers (women and men) taking part either for the whole day or as part of the two-hour stoppage. In many large workplaces the union bureaucracy from UGT and CCOO did not even properly organise the limited strike they had called for. To give just two examples, at the Renault plants, they had agreed with management a five-minute stoppage, which in fact was just an extension of the morning break. At the big SEAT plant in Catalonia the stoppage was only one hour. There were however other industries and many workplaces in the public sector (in the mass media, education, health care and such) where many workers, individually or in an organised way, decided to take action for the whole day. In total, according to CCOO and UGT, 6m workers took strike action of one kind or another. That would be just under one in every three workers: a huge success. 50,000 marched in Bilbao The pressure of public opinion generated by the movement was so big that even prominent women TV anchors who had berated the strike and opposed it publicly in the days prior to 8 March, were then forced to join the strike, or in same cases were forced off air by strike action in their production teams. There were also big demonstrations at lunch time in all major cities, with tens-of-thousands participating. The student youth played an important role. In the big cities there were instances in which there were perhaps two, three of even four separate gathering points. The massive character of the movement also gave it a spontaneous feel. In the evening, massive demonstrations took place across the country in hundreds of cities and towns, big and small. A common characteristic of was that so many people turned up that the whole route of the demo was packed with protesters before the official start, and it took a long time for the queue to reach the end point. In Barcelona, columns from the different neighbourhoods converged into a central demonstration which filled the length of Gran Via and Pl Catalunya: La capcalera de la manifestacio feminista de Barcelona arriba a Placa Catalunya. Tot Passeig de Gracia ple de gent. #VagaFeminista#VagaFeminista8M#8deMarzoHuelgaFeminista#WomensDay pic.twitter.com/a9QT5f7SEd Nit (@Nitsuga000) March 8, 2018 The organisers put the number at 600,000. The demonstration in Madrid also filled the whole length of the route before it had even started and it took four hours for the whole crowd to reach the end, with the organisers putting the total number in attendance at one million as can been seen on the front cover of El Pais: Image: fair use Huge crowds also marched in Bilbao (50,000); in Pamplona-Iruna, where they packed the main Pza del Castillo square; and in Vitoria-Gasteiz the local police put the figure at 70,000 (against a population of 250,000). In Galicia, where there were huge marches in Vigo, Coruna, Santiago and others. In Andalucia there were big demonstrations in Seville, where the local council said 100,000 marched, but the real figure could be two or three times that. In Granada, perhaps as many as 50,000 demonstrated and there were manifestations in Malaga, Cadiz and many more. In Valencia there were also massive demonstrations in the capital and many other cities. Asturias, Aragon, Castilla, the Canary Islands and the Balearic, the whole country was involved in this unprecedented movement. According to the police, 70,000 marched in Vitoria Gasteiz, against a population of 250,000 / Image: own work A separate mention must be made of Murcia, where there has been a movement demanding that the high speed train line that crosses the city should be buried. For months there have been daily demonstrations, which have been met with brutal police repression. Today was no exception. There were also instances of police repression in Barcelona and Burgos, but the day passed relatively peacefully, precisely because of its massive character. ESTA PASANDO | Las viguesas lo han vuelto a conseguir. Mira que Impresionante manifestacionorganizaron las mujeres de Vigo para reclamar igualdad y libertad. Miles de personas colapsan las principales calles comerciales de la ciudad. (Video: Oscar Vazquez) pic.twitter.com/5k1sfkn6P6 La Voz de Vigo (@vozvigo) March 8, 2018 A huge march in Vigo, Galicia The main focus of the day was of course the demands of the feminist movement. Not only the most obvious issues of violence against women and the wage gap, but also a deep rooted rejection of all instances of everyday discrimination and sexism against women, at work, in public life, at home and in the media. The accumulated anger at a-thousand-and-one seemingly small injuries and affronts exploded into a massive protest for dignity. The mood everywhere was very militant and dominated by the fighting spirit of young women. One of the most popular slogans of the day was without women, theres no revolution. In fact several people compared the mood of the day to a revolution. In reality a genuine revolutionary movement cannot fail but bring to the front the most oppressed layers, in this case the women. The general mood at these demonstrations can be summed up by footage from the lunch time demonstration in Bilbao (below). A choir sang a traditional workers movement song, with lyrics adapted to denounce the oppression of migrant women, precarious women workers and the like. It ends with a chorus of "to the strike, one hundred, to the strike, one thousand... against the male chauvinist state: general strike!!" This demonstrates the movement for womens emancipation firmly adopting a class point of view and the methods of the working class struggle: la #HuelgaFeminista8M en Bilbo reivindicando la mujer inmigrante, precaria, trabajadora del hogar, discriminada en la ensenanza ?"contra el estado machista, a la huelga general"! Gora Borroka Feminista #WomensDay pic.twitter.com/SzaOGg7VPH Jorge Martin (@marxistJorge) March 8, 2018 This extraordinary day of struggle was also part of something bigger. In Spain an accumulation of discontent has built up against the impact of the capitalist crisis, the pervasive role of corruption in political life, the stalemate in official politics and the ever growing assault on democratic rights. This had to find an outlet: a channel of expression. In the last few weeks there has been a spontaneous movement of pensioners, which has gathered thousands in the main cities, in some cases breaking through police lines. Many commented: the pensioners are the example to follow. Many more now say, after the success of the 8 March movement, this is what was required, we were waiting for something like this. The superficial mood of reactionary Spanish nationalism that apparently dominated only a few weeks ago, has now gone. Swept aside by the fresh air of the class struggle. It is also important to highlight that this movement, like that of the indignados in 2011, like that of the big anti-cuts and anti-austerity protests of 2012 and like that of the Catalan October, went beyond the limits of the official trade union leaders, who played a secondary role and in many instances became an obstacle. 50,000 marched in Granada The feminist strike has brought to the surface many issues. One of the debates surrounded the question of whether all women have the same interests, regardless of class. This was quickly settled for the majority, as the upper-class, bourgeois women of right-wing Popular Party and of Ciudadanos spent the weeks prior to the strike denouncing it in the most vicious terms. The main bosses organisations issued a joint statement against the strike and even threatened to respond to the pickets with a lock-out. Thus, the class nature of the movement became crystal clear. There was also a debate about whether men should be also called out to strike or this should be a women-only movement. Some argued that since the main aim of the strike was to make womens contribution to society visible, having men join in would defeat the purpose, including some official spokespersons for the Coordinadora Feminista. Some went so far as to argue that the role of men at work should be to cover for women who were striking! Even the leader of United Left, Alberto Garzon, argued along these lines. That was the same as calling on men to scab and was firmly rejected by the CGT and the CNT, the unions calling for a one-day general strike. In the end, of course, the movement was dominated by women and particularly young and women workers, but many male workers also participated and supported the movement. The question of the role of women in house work was also hotly debated, as the call was also for a strike of house work. The old idea of wages for housework as a step towards the emancipation of woman was revived. The comrades from Lucha de Clases explained their opposition to this demand. Above all, the question of the link between the struggle for the emancipation of women and the struggle against capitalism came to the forefront. For many participating in the strike and the demonstrations it was clear that what is required is a revolution; and for a revolution to take place, women must play a central role. At the Barcelona demo some commented: this feels like 1917! In fact the most astute sections of the ruling class are already busy trying to distance themselves from outright opposition to the strike and attempting to water down its contents and to blunt its sharper edges. An editorial in El Pais the day before the strike stressed this point. The defence of equality between men and womenis not ideological and cannot be instrumentalised. What they meant to say was that the strike was not and should not be anti-capitalist in character, as the ruling PP had accused it of being. The feminist strike of 8 March has brought about a fundamental change in the situation in Spain. The mood now is one of confidence and strength. We have sensed the power working people possess when they start to move. It is not by chance that this has been brought about by one of the most oppressed sections in society. The strength of collective action will make women more confident in standing up for their rights against sexual harassment and male chauvinism. The feminist strike of 8 March has brought about a fundamental change in the situation in Spain / Image: Lucha de Clases Many times, a false debate has been waged between the idea that in order to fight sexism in society one has to educate men; and the idea that only after capitalism is abolished can we change peoples consciousness. Educating people can only have a limited impact as long as the ruling class continues to use their poisonous ideology. However, a strike movement like yesterdays will have inevitably transformed the consciousness of millions of women and men. The attitude of Marxists is sometimes caricatured as: nothing can change regarding the position of women in society until we abolish class society. The truth is that, it is in the process of the struggle for rights and reforms, the consciousness of the working class (men and women) starts to change. These events will have a knock-on effect on the rest of society. The 8 March strike has become an example to follow for all sectors of the working class and the youth in their struggle against the establishment. The main conclusion is: the only way to break the stalemate is by going back to the streets. On these basis it would be possible to build a movement, linking up all the different demands, which could bring down not only the hated and rotten PP government, but the whole of the 1978 regime with it. All that is missing is a leadership capable of giving the signal. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 8, 2018 A federal appellate court has revived a class-action lawsuit against Zappos stemming from a 2012 data breach that resulted in the theft of 24 million customers' information, including their email addresses, passwords, phone numbers and last four digits of their credit cards. In the ruling, issued Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Zappos' argument that the consumers didn't establish that they were injured by the data breach. "Plaintiffs allege that the type of information accessed in the Zappos breach can be used to commit identity theft, including by placing them at higher risk of 'phishing' and 'pharming,' which are ways for hackers to exploit information they already have," the appellate judges wrote. The judges added that the stolen data "gave hackers the means to commit fraud or identity theft." advertisement advertisement The appellate panel also noted that two of the consumers who were named in the suit said that hackers "took over their AOL accounts and sent advertisements to people in their address books." "Though not a financial harm, these alleged attacks further support plaintiffs contention that the hackers accessed information that could be used to help commit identity fraud or identity theft," the opinion states. The legal battle dates to 2012, when consumers whose information was stolen sued Zappos for allegedly violating its contract with users by failing to keep their personal information secure. U.S. District Judge Robert Jones in Nevada sided with Zappos in 2016, ruling that the consumers' allegations, if true, didn't establish that they suffered a concrete injury. An "increased threat of identity theft and fraud stemming from the Zapposs security breach does not constitute an injury-in-fact," Jones wrote. by Sara Guaglione , March 8, 2018 The New York Times on Thursday introduced a new series of ads as part of its The Truth Has a Voice brand campaign focused on the untold stories of women in honor of International Womens Day. The series brings attention to Times journalists and their work, which gives a platform to womens issues around the world, and to hold those accountable who try to silence womens voices. The ads will span across broadcast, print and digital and will run in paid media and The Times platforms. advertisement advertisement A new video ad, for example, displays the names of different cities with the lede sentence of Times stories on womens issues, such as: TEHRAN - Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of the historic city of Isfahan on Wednesday to protest several acid attacks on women. The ad then shows the newspaper's articles, displayed on a mobile phone, then displays the messages behind the series of ads: The truth has a voice, the truth will not be overlooked, the truth connects us. Some of the Times editorial featured in The Truth Has a Voice series include Mona El-Naggars documentary chronicling Saudi Arabias first female candidates and Rukmini Callimachis investigation revealing systematic sexual abuse of Yazidi women by ISIS. One of the campaigns print ads features a photo of El-Naggar and a quote from her reflecting on an interview with an Egyptian woman wanting her social independence. It reads: I asked one woman why she opened up to me. She said: I needed to talk without being pitied or attacked. Another print ad is focused on the Times new "Overlooked" series, which launched today, with 15 obituaries on important women who never received them. The ad references these women with lines like: The woman who was the first computer programmer. The woman who helped engineer the Brooklyn Bridge. The Truth Has a Voice campaign is part of the Times The Truth is Hard, which was the media companys first brand campaign in a decade and debuted during last year's Oscars. It focused on the importance of truth, and the Times hard-working journalists and on-the-ground reporting. The first ads in The Truth Has a Voice series ran during the Golden Globes this January and highlighted the Times coverage on sexual harassment, with a He Said, She Said ad. by Alex Weprin , March 8, 2018 Great Big Story, the streaming video storytelling brand owned by CNN, is launching a major branding campaign with an interactive activation at the SXSW Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, this weekend. GBS will take over the Tap Room in Austins warehouse district, creating miniature, immersive, very Instagrammable experiences based on videos created by the site, the company says. According to CNN senior vice president of digital video Chris Berend, the SXSW initiative is just the first part of a larger brand campaign that features the tagline Wonder The World. This two day activation is sort of a test bed for a larger effort, Berend tells Digital News Daily. It is part of a broader brand message that you will start seeing in various places over the next six to 12 months." advertisement advertisement The brand campaign will roll out on Turner Broadcastings TV and digital platforms, guerrilla marketing events and festivals across the country, and small pop-up activations, culminating later this year when GBS hosts a multiday event in a surprise location. Launched in late 2015, GBS was designed to give CNN a foothold in the social video space. Focusing on original storytelling in video form, the brand reportedly has racked up millions of subscriber, and hundreds of millions of views for its 2000+ videos, on social platforms like Facebook and on YouTube. Berend says the company has partnered with more than three dozen brands on content marketing efforts. Still, We have a ton of ceiling left in terms of brand awareness, he adds. We have a very strong hardcore set of fans and advertising clients, and now we are about to take the next step in terms of a pure awareness standpoint." While GBS will not be abandoning its bread and butter short-form videos, it has started to debut longer-form videos as well. Last year, CNN president Jeff Zucker said the company is weighing whether to turn GBS into its own streaming OTT network, though no new details have been released as of yet. When you think about the opportunities around brand awareness, you also think about the ability to extend our storytelling into different formats, whether it is long-form or longer-form, which would be Facebook Watch-type length, Berend says, adding that the new marketing efforts dovetail with investments the company is making in content and new partnerships. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, March 9, 2018 Maybe its because the Research Intelligencer staff has been knocked off the grid thanks to a winter storm and weve had to rely on more analogue media -- especially printed books -- than normal. Or maybe its because we have only a tiny amount of battery power to get todays Reminder: You are seeing this premium content because you are a subscriber to MediaPost's Research Intelligencer and/or a member of the Center for Marketing & Media Research. This content cannot be viewed by non-subscribers/non-members. by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, March 9, 2018 One major TV station group is looking to bash national TV news networks via on-air promos intended to run next to local news time content, rather than ad content. Thats not good. But thats not the worst of it. Sinclair Broadcast Group, the nearly 200 TV station group, is demanding its local TV on-air anchors -- its on-air journalists -- read these promos. One initial copy of the promo, according to CNN, says: The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common in the media. More alarming is that national media outlets are publishing these same fake stories without checking the facts first. Unfortunately, some members of the national media are using their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control 'exactly what people think'. These promos dont offer any details. There are no specific TV networks and no specific TV stories cited to back up the claim. advertisement advertisement According to a CNN report, many Sinclair TV stations news anchors arent happy about this, calling this forced move manipulative. Sinclair has long been associated with conservative, right-wing programming decisions. If Sinclair senior executives have problems with current national TV journalism, heres a suggestion: Do better journalism on your local TV stations. A new organizations advertising (what you say) means little; but serious, substantial content, your journalism, means more. I have no problem with general TV stations or network on-air promos talking about how news organizations are pursuing truth or the facts -- perhaps via a voiceover announcer and underlying video. But putting ones own on-air anchors/journalists in uncomfortable positions -- reading copy that attacks TV news competitors, without any proof -- takes on an Orwellian feel. It is not appropriate; it smacks of agitprop. All this follows other Sinclair moves. For instance, specific corporate-wide "must run" news packages, as well as a regular segment called "Terrorism Alert Desk" about perceived security threats worldwide. CNN says the new Sinclair TV news promo initiative is described as an "anchor-delivered journalistic responsibility message." Journalistic responsibly begins at home -- just show the facts and tell the story. If you are good, save the promotional time and sell some advertising. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 9, 2018 Siding with Google, a federal judge has dismissed Zombie Go Boom's lawsuit against over a change in YouTube's ad policies. Zombie Go Boom owners James Sweet and Chuck Mere sued YouTube last July, after the video-sharing site rolled out new policies aimed at making the service safe for brands. Sweet and Mere alleged that they were earning between $300 and $500 a day in ad revenue until late March last year, when YouTube rolled out new guides aimed at preventing ads from appearing on potentially offensive videos. After March 27, a date Zombie Go Boom refers to as "Adpocalypse," its ad revenue fell to between $20 and $40 a day, Sweet and Mere alleged. They argued that YouTube "intentionally caused Adpocalypse to occur, in an effort to appease its advertising partners, at the expense of its content providers." advertisement advertisement Sweet and Mere raised a host of claims in their complaint, including that Google broke its contract with them and that it violated California's unfair competition law. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen in the Northern District of California dismissed the lawsuit this week, ruling that the terms of the YouTube Partner Program gave the company the right to pull ads. Specifically, the terms included a provision stating: "YouTube is not obligated to display any advertisements alongside your videos and may determine the type and format of ads available on the YouTube Service. Google has defeated other lawsuits by companies that alleged their businesses were harmed by a change in policy. Last year, a judge dismissed a lawsuit against Google by e-ventures Worldwide, which claimed its business suffered after its sites were removed from the search results. In that matter, the ruled that Google has a free speech right to decide which search results to display. Advertisement In central Africa, where up to 90 per cent of Lake Chad has disappeared, nomadic indigenous groups are particularly at risk. As the lake's shoreline recedes, women have to walk much further to collect water."In the dry season, men go to the towns leaving women to look after the community," Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, coordinator of the Association of Indigenous Women and People of Chad (AFPAT), told the BBC.With dry seasons now becoming longer, women are working harder to feed and care for their families without support."They become more vulnerable... It's very hard work," Ibrahim added.In the immediate aftermath of extreme events, emergency shelters can be inadequately equipped to support women, the UN revealed.The Superdome, in which evacuees were temporarily housed after Hurricane Katrina, did not have enough sanitary products for the women accommodated there.The UN has highlighted the need for gender sensitive responses to the impacts of climate change, yet the average representation of women in national and global climate negotiating bodies is below 30 per cent.Another study spanning 20 years noted that catastrophic events lowered women's life expectancy more than men; more women were being killed, or they were being killed younger. In countries where women had greater socioeconomic power, the difference reduced.Source: IANS Advertisement Case 1: Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board 2015 Case 2: Dr Bawa Garba v GMC "If a patient makes a well-reasoned, well-informed decision not to change an unhealthy behavior, maybe we shouldn't push that person," suggests Volpp. However, if the patient is in fact in danger, David Kirchhoff, CEO of Snap Kitchen and former CEO of Weight Watchers argues that clinicians can't shy away from a serious discussion.Recently, the UK Supreme Court passed judgements on two cases, both of which showed changing trends in doctor-patient relationship. These cases - Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board 2015 and Dr Bawa Garba v GMC, have become benchmarks and will shape the way medicine is practiced in the UK and in Asian countries as well, including India.In October 1999, Nadine Montgomery, a molecular biologist at the Glasgow University, gave birth to a baby boy in Lanarkshire. She was small in stature with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and pregnancy had required intensive monitoring. Babies born to mothers with diabetes mellitus are at risk of being large for gestational age. The baby is at risk of shoulder dystocia (when the baby's head emerges but a shoulder gets stuck during labour), and the mother is also at risk of other labour related problems. Despite such a grave situation, the mother was not informed that having a caesarean section was a possible alternative to vaginal delivery, which can reduce these risks.After about 12 minutes the baby was born with severe disabilities and was diagnosed as suffering from cerebral palsy due to hypoxic damage to the brain (when the brain is deprived of oxygen supply) due to umbilical cord occlusion. All of the baby's limbs were affected by the cerebral palsy. He also suffered a brachial plexus injury resulting in Erb's palsy.Nadine Montgomery claimed damages on behalf of her son for the injuries which he sustained alleging negligence on the part of her obstetrician and gynaecologist responsible for her care during her pregnancy and labour, who also delivered the baby.In its final judgement, the UK Supreme Court said,On the issue of disclosure of risks, the Court ruled thatIt was argued on behalf of the doctor thatDr McLellandecision not to disclose information about the risk of shoulder dystocia to her patients was because they may request for a caesarean section. And the risk of serious injury in this case was small; 0.2% risk of a brachial plexus injury and less than 0.1% risk of cord occlusion.However, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Mrs Montgomery should have been informed of the shoulder dystocia risk for her baby and also should have been give the option of a caesarean section.The Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board case saw a landmark judgement by the UK Supreme Court, which reflected a change in the doctor- patient relationship. The " Bolam test" which determines if this decision is acceptable, given the medical evidence was not a. However,must still prove that the damage was a direct result of breach of duty.Bolam test was previously used in cases of medical negligence such as the judgement in Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee in 1957. It is the".The Bolam test, requires that the adequacy of information given to the patient for consent must be in accordance with the practice accepted by a responsible body of medical opinion. The UK Supreme Court, in the Montgomery case ruled that the doctor has a dutyto ensure that the patient is aware of any material risks involved in any recommended treatment, and of any reasonable alternative or variant treatmentsMaterial risk is defined as a risk which a reasonable person would consider significant or which a doctor knows that the patient would consider it significant.In the judgement that was passed the doctor is privileged to use his/her discretion on whether the patient would be affected by the disclosure of information, an if so, to withhold the same.The case which involved Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba, rocked the medical circles, as the junior paediatrician was convicted of manslaughter for gross negligence. She was stripped of her medical licence and given a two-year suspended sentence for mistakes which led to the death of a six-year-old boy, Jack Adcock, with Down's syndrome . Dr Bawa-Garba's name was erased from the medical register and was debarred from practicing medicine for life for system failures.Many in the medical community argued, that as medical practice has become defensive practice, were such mistakes made in the Dr Bawa Garba case real enough to be called manslaughter?Jack Adcock, was referred to Dr Bawa-Garba by a general practitioner (GP) for nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and low BP. A speculative diagnosis of fluid depletion from gastroenteritis was made by Dr Bawa-Garba and the boy was given intravenous fluid bolus immediately. The doctor had sent the blood sample to test the blood count, renal function and inflammatory markers, she took blood gases which showed that Jack was acidotic with a pH of 7 and a lactate of 11. A chest radiograph was also requested.Jack's metabolic profile confirmed a diagnosis of shock from gastroenteritis; however, according to the tests pneumonia was also a possibility. Post the initial fluid bolus, Jack's metabolic profile seemed to be moving in the right direction, where his repeat blood gas showed he was less acidotic, with a pH of 7.24, heading towards a normal pH of 7.4.Fact: Dr Bawa-Garba was able to check the chest x-ray at 3 pm, which confirmed that the boy had pneumonia. The antibiotics which Dr Bawa-Garba prescribed were given at 4 pm.It was argued that if the patient, Jack was given the antibiotics, much earlier, maybe within 30 minutes, rather than 6 hours, his chances of survival would have increased dramatically. However, the antibiotic was administered on confirmation of pneumonia.If different antibiotics are given in every situation that is presented, will this not amount to misuse of antibiotics?When Dr Bawa-Garba met her senior Dr O'Riordan in the hospital corridor at 4:30 pm, Jack's blood gas results were shown and Dr Bawa-Garba explained the plan of action. However, Dr O'Riordan did not see the patient.When asked why he did not see Jack, Dr O'Riordan said that Dr Bawa-Garba did not ask him to; nor did she express any clinical urgency. Shouldn't the consultant have to sniff out trouble? Wasn't this the senior's responsibility?On hearing of delayed treatment given to Jack, the jury was unaware of other patients being treated by Dr Bawa-Garba in the same hospital.When Jack's blood gases showed clear signs of sepsis, why didn't the consultant of the day Dr O'Riordan, not immediately diagnose sepsis when he saw the blood gases?How can the blame fall on a resident, who was doing the work of three registrars? How can she be guilty of homicide for not understanding acid-base physiology? And what does this say about the supervisor's competence?While in the ward, Jack was given enalapril . However, this medication was not prescribed by Dr Bawa-Garba, it was in fact given by Jack's mother. Dr Bawa-Garba mentioned that enalapril must be stopped. She strictly instructed the nursing staff not to give enalapril. Jack had a cardiac arrest an hour after enalapril was given.Unprescribed drugs are strictly not to be given to a patient. This being the case the medical staff should have informed the family that such a practice is not allowed by law.Since, the hospital did allow the parent to give the medicine, as they were understaffed, was this the fault of the doctor?Several attempts to resuscitate Jack were done by Dr Bawa-Garba, however there was a pause for just a minute, where the doctor had stopped to see if the patient was in fact Jack. The boy was pronounced dead. Could a pause of less than a minute be the cause of failed CPR?Dr Bawa-Garba was depressed and disturbed after Jack's death. She recorded her feelings in her electronic portfolio. Without making excuses and not writing about the system failures in the hospital, Dr Bawa-Garba recorded her failings, without pointing fingers at others. This honest e-process log was used against her as evidence.An investigation by the hospital trust had identified that several system issues. However medical errors can be both system failures and physician factors as well. While the American patient safety movement placed their blame for medical errors on the faulty systems, the Tort system maintains that individuals and systems can contribute: which is the truth.As the hospital was understaffed, on that unfortunate day, with Dr Bawa-Garba's supervisor, Dr O'Riordan, not available in the city, and Dr Bawa-Garba's colleagues away on educational leave, she covered the wards, the emergency department, and the Children's Assessment Unit (CAU). Usually one registrar will be assigned to each one respectively.Dr Bawa-Garba was also a new joinee to the hospital, with no formal induction. She did not know how things worked around the hospital. In spite of this she was expected carry on with the work and find her way around the hospital.In the absence of a senior resident, the registrars are the principle decision-makers in hospitals. Since Dr Bawa-Garba was in-charge shouldn't she have raised an alarm on the failures in the systems of the hospital? Would she have faced an opposition from her senior and the management?Source: Medindia Advertisement Neil S. Lagali; Stephan Allgeier; Pedro Guimaraes; Reza A. Badian; Alfredo Ruggeri; Bernd Kohler; Tor Paaske Utheim; Beatrice Peebo; Magnus Peterson; Lars B. Dahlin; Olov Rolandsson. Reduced Corneal Nerve Fiber Density in Type 2 Diabetes by Wide-Area Mosaic Analysis, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (2018) .DOI:10.1167/iovs.17-22257 When type 2 diabetes develops, small nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system begin losing their function even before symptoms become apparent. These small peripheral nerve fibers are found in the skin, but also in the cornea of the eye. Because the cornea is transparent, it is an ideal place to study nerve damage that occurs in diabetics.In the study with 82 people from Skelleftea, with or without type 2 diabetes, the participants' eyes were examined with a special microscope. The study found that the corneal nerve density was lower in individuals with type 2 diabetes compared to healthy subjects. If the individual had had type 2 diabetes for a longer period of time, nerve density was even more reduced.The study is the first of its kind in Sweden. Through cooperation between a Swedish research team and researchers in Germany, Italy, and Norway, a method has been developed to create images in three dimensions of corneal nerves. The examination only takes ten minutes and does not cause any discomfort to the patients. The research team has also developed an automated analysis programme that allows the method to be used in general health care. Microscopic examination of the cornea occurs internationally, but the Skelleftea study is the first in the world to use the entire new method for assessing the degree of nerve damage in diabetics."There are good conditions for this new diagnostic method to be widely introduced in health care," says Olov Rolandsson.Olov Rolandsson at Umea University in Sweden led the Skelleftea study, while the technical development and microscopy survey was conducted by Docent Neil Lagali at Linkoping University, Sweden.Source: Eurekalert Advertisement During serious asthma attacks patients may have to be admitted to hospital for treatment including oxygen, nebulized bronchodilators and high dose steroids that can sometimes have adverse side effects.Three people die from asthma in the UK every day and, according to the National Review of Asthma Deaths, two-thirds of these deaths could have been prevented with basic asthma care, which includes patients getting a written asthma action plan from their doctor which, among other advice, outlines the medicine they should use.The Fourfold Asthma Study (FAST) - published in thecompared two asthma self-management plans in a large trial involving nearly 2000 patient volunteers in England and Scotland. Around half the patients were randomly assigned to the plan that prescribed a quadrupling of inhaled steroid during periods of worsening asthma and the other half followed the current standard self-care plan over a period of 12 months.The study showed that the participants in the quadrupling group had a 20% reduction in severe asthma attacks compared with the usual care group and they also had fewer asthma-related hospital admissions as only 3 patients in the quadrupling group were admitted to hospital compared with 18 in the usual care group.Professor of Asthma and Respiratory Medicine, Tim Harrison, from the University's School of Medicine, and the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said: "Our study shows that patients can reduce the risk of a severe asthma attack by following a self-management plan which includes a temporary four-fold increase in their preventer medication when their asthma is deteriorating. This means less need for oral steroids such as prednisolone, less admission to hospital with severe asthma and hopefully fewer deaths from asthma".Long-term asthma patient, Richard Harris, 68, from Stamford, Lincs, who took part in the trial, said: "The study has made a real difference to my quality of life and my asthma is under much better control as a result. At the completion of the study I continued to follow the quadrupling self-management plan with the agreement of my GP. I could not praise the team at Nottingham highly enough. They manage to combine high levels of professionalism with a friendly approach that makes the patient feel part of the team, with valued opinions and information."Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, and co-author of the study said: "This groundbreaking research could make a real difference to the 5.4 million people in the UK with asthma. This study showed that increasing the steroids in someone's preventer inhaler could prevent them having severe asthma attacks and needing to go to hospital."We'd urge any healthcare professionals who want to increase their patient's asthma medication to fully explain what it means, let them know about potential side effects and include it in their written asthma action plan. People with asthma who would like to increase their medication should talk to their healthcare professional and should not delay getting help or support even if they do have an asthma attack."The FAST trial was managed by the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit and funded by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Professor Hywel Williams, Director of the NIHR's Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Program, said: "We are proud to have funded this original researcher-led study. The research shows that quadrupling inhaled steroids during periods of worsening asthma reduces severe asthma attacks by a substantial amount, resulting in less need for oral steroids and fewer hospital admissions. The study is good news for asthma sufferers all over the world as it shows how patients can better manage their condition and ultimately improve their quality of life."Source: Eurekalert Advertisement Dr Evan Atlantis, from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University, says the results suggest that one-fifth of patients are receiving too many, unnecessary tests - while half are not having their blood cholesterol levels sufficiently monitored."Cholesterol tests are being administered in a haphazard manner - with some patients being tested too frequently and others not enough," says Dr Atlantis.TheOpen paper explores several possible explanations for this finding. One points to a lack in continuity of care and to the fact that often people see multiple practitioners at once."If there is no designated 'medical home' for the patient, it is not clear who bears the responsibility for managing cardiovascular risk. In this scenario, it is not surprising that many individuals may miss their annual cholesterol tests," says Dr Atlantis."Another contributing factor may be the lack of continuity in medical records. It is entirely possible that practitioners are not aware that some of their patients are on cholesterol medications and therefore do not take the recommended action in ordering tests."Another possibility is that medical practitioners are making a clinical choice not to follow the current guidelines on blood cholesterol monitoring."Dr Atlantis - together with co-researcher Dr Katy Bell from the University of Sydney - suggests that medical practitioners' widespread non-adherence may be evidence that the guidelines warrant review."If there is high-level evidence that the recommended frequency of tests leads to improved health outcomes, then the potential underutilization of these tests in Australia warrants further attention," says Dr Bell.The study also identified the Federal Health Budget implications of the underutilization of cholesterol tests.During the study period, the yearly expenditure associated with test overutilization was approximately A$4.3 million, while the cost averted because of test underutilization was approximately A$11.3 million per year."While cost-saving, the long-term health consequences of under-utilizing HDL-C test are unknown and any increase in heart disease in Australia would result in a financial burden that cannot be ignored," says Dr Atlantis.Farshid Hajati - who developed the methodology to conduct the study and analyzed the data - pointed out that there is great potential for data of this type to benefit the public. "The next step is to quantify the consequences of not receiving the recommended level of cholesterol testing, to strengthen the current recommendations on testing frequency."Source: Eurekalert Known for his versatile acting and incredible persona, Anupam Kher is an exceptional actor who leaves you impressed every time he appears on the big screen. Anupam who is presently in New York, celebrated his 63rd birthday in the most amazing manner and all the credit goes to Hollywood legend Robert De Niro. Twitter We bet Anupam knew how he would celebrate his day, but little did he know that his dear friend Robert had decided to throw a surprise birthday party for him. And that's not it, making it uber memorable, the actor even sang the birthday song for him. Now isn't that something? After all, it's not like you get to see Robert singing for you on your birthday! Twitter Taking to Twitter, Anupam posted the video of his birthday bash and it is wonderful to see two amazingly talented actors looking so warm and happy. Tweeting the video he wrote, Thank you Grace & Mr. Robert De Niro for making my birthday the biggest highlight of my entire life. Thank you for the surprise dinner for me at your home. Thank you for singing 'Happy Birthday' song for me. Thank you for my ultimate KUCH BHI HO SAKTA HAI moment. #GodOfActing". And when #GodOfActing #RobertDeNiro takes a pic where he is doing the same gesture that you are doing, it is time to faint. What an HONOUR. pic.twitter.com/GZzFbhQMUp Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) June 19, 2017 For people who don't know, Robert and Anupam have been friends for a long time now. The two often catch up every time they are visiting. And hence, looking at Robert's gesture, it definitely proves that the two share a great bond. Twitter In fact, in 2017 Robert specially invited Anupam for lunch at his place and the next day even took him for the book launch of 'Silver Linings'. Twitter The two often praise each other and Anupam has referred to Robert as the 'God of Acting' and we fully agree with that tag indeed. And when #GodOfActing #RobertDeNiro takes a pic where he is doing the same gesture that you are doing, it is time to faint. What an HONOUR. pic.twitter.com/GZzFbhQMUp Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) June 19, 2017 And that's not even it, when the 'Godfather' actor came to India, he even visited Anupam Kher's acting school and many B-town celebs like Anil Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Kiron Kher, Priyanka Chopra, Dia Mirza made their presence known. Twitter It goes without saying that we totally love seeing their happy equation and we already look forward to watching their next photo together or maybe see them sharing on-screen space again! Thank you for subscribing! By signing up to this free newsletter you agree to receive occasional emails from us informing you about our products and services. You can opt out of these emails at any time. Good scrap demand has led to higher prices in the import markets of Turkey, India and Taiwan, while US export prices have stayed stable.Turkish steel mills continued to book scrap at higher prices this week, until the prices inched downward at the end of the week after US President Donald Trump confirmed the imposition of 25% tariffs on steel imports into his country.A steel mill in the Izmir region of Turkey was heard booking a Baltic Sea cargo on Monday March 5, comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $372 per tonne and bonus at $382 per tonne cfr. The breakdown of the cargo was not clear at the time of publication.A steel mill in the Marmara region booked a Baltic Sea cargo on March 6, comprising 20,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $374.75 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of bonus scrap at $384.75 per tonne cfr.A steel mill in the Izmir region booked one UK cargo, comprising 23,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20), at $370 per tonne cfr late on Tuesday.And a mill in the Marmara region booked another UK cargo, of 22,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20), at a similar price on the same day, sources said.A steel mill in the Marmara region of Turkey booked a Baltic Sea cargo late on March 8, comprising 28,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $375.25 per tonne and 7,000 tonnes of bonus at $385.75 per tonne cfr.Although Turkish mills shook off the uncertainty over Section 232 tariffs last week and at the start of this week, the Baltic Sea cargo booked late on Thursday led to questions over whether the market could start to weaken.I am not sure if this cargo was booked before or after the Section 232 announcement, but the market will definitely be cautious with the next bookings, a trading source said.Despite some jitters, most scrap market participants believed the tariffs would push up scrap prices into Turkey.The tariffs are basically telling local US mills to raise their steel prices by 25%, one scrap seller said.US scrap prices will go up and there might be a shortage of scrap. That is why Turkey is buying so many cargoes now, another trading source said.The ferrous scrap export prices in the US are racing upward despite an absence of bulk activity to Turkey, due to strong demand for cargoes and containerized scrap from mills in Asia and India After several quiet weeks, the US West Coast bulk scrap export market has caught fire, with prices in one of two recent sales pushing past $400 per tonne for HMS 1&2 (80:20).One West Coast cargo was transacted to Taiwan at $397 per tonne cfr late last week, while a second cargo containing shredded scrap was sold to a Bangladeshi mill at $415 per tonne cfr on March 5, sources said.It is definitely a sellers market in Asia right now, a broker source said, adding that Vietnam and Bangladesh are currently in need of scrap. Demand is strong out of Asia, and buyers are chasing both container and bulk scrap.On the US East Coast, no new bulk deals have been confirmed since February 21, when a US exporter sold a cargo to Turkey at $360.50 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (90:10). US exporters are busy fulfilling previous orders and are holding back on cargo offers for the moment, sources said.I think everybody has oversold and there really is nothing left to offer. You are probably not going to see much export action on the East Coast over the next 10 days, an export source said. The tariffs are driving domestic prices through the roof, so if the Turks want scrap they are going to have to pay up.Export yard buying prices remained stable this past week as East Coast exporters continue to seek tons for existing sales. But market participants expect some of the upward momentum from the domestic sector will boost prices at the docks soon.Once the weather improves, scrap is going to start coming out, but for now flows havent been great because we got hit with one snowstorm last week and we are expecting another this week, an East Coast dealer said, noting that he is holding out for better pricing from exporters.Meanwhile, containerized shredded scrap on the US East Coast continues to show gains on strong demand from emerging markets. Prices rose to $358-365 per tonne fas from $350-358 per tonne fas a week ago.I think prices are going to rest a little at this level for now, and maybe we will have a little more upside later in the month, an export source said.Prices for shredded scrap imported in containers into India increased for the fifth week running on Friday , supported by good demand and robust international scrap markets.Despite the gains, certain market sources said that the market could stop rising over the next seven days, with Indian finished steel prices struggling amid a drop in Chinese rebar prices and worries over the implementation of US import tariffs.Deals were heard at $390-405 per tonne cfr Nhava Sheva from the UK and Europe during the week, including transactions for 2,000 tonnes, 1,500 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes.Mills in the Asian country were keen to secure supplies of shredded scrap, particularly given the tightening in supply which has developed over recent weeks, sources said.No mill has stock - everyone is still buying hand-to-mouth, one buyer said.There was low collection, and most yards sold their material before the cold weather in Europe because prices were so good, he said, adding that certain sellers were holding back material in the expectation that prices would rise again soon.Despite the strong rise in Indian import scrap prices over the past month, both import scrap demand and the upward momentum of finished steel prices in the country have stalled this week, some market sources said.People are holding off from buying until the market stabilizes, I dont think India will keep buying, one seller said.Uncertainty over Section 232 is also clouding the outlook for the market.Fewer new bookings are expected into India over the next week, another trader said, because there are worries in the Indian domestic steel markets about the effect of the Section 232 tariffs and whether the trade measures will divert large volumes of steel into the Indian domestic market A fall in Indian domestic billet prices this week was also attributed to jitters about Section 232 from sellers of the semi-finished material.The US blanket tariff on steel imports boosted import prices for containerized scrap in Taiwan this week, leaving market participants in the wider Asia region bracing themselves for the reality of having to pay more for the steelmaking raw material.Sellers of US-origin ferrous scrap have taken the chance to raise their offers this week, riding on the bullish sentiment in the US market.US recyclers increased offers to Asia this week after domestic steel prices in the US went up, a Taiwanese trader said.By Friday, offers for containerized HMS into Taiwan had increased to $365-370 per tonne cfr, compared with $353-356 per tonne cfr earlier in the week.Buyers who scrambled to snap up cargoes before further price increases made bookings at $360-365 per tonne cfr this week. Among them was a major electric-arc furnace mill that bought 4,000-5,000 tonnes of imported scrap.The uptrend is expected to continue until the bullish sentiment in the market dissipates once prices get too high, sources said.More price increases should come until end-users start looking for alternative sources from Japan, Hong Kong and China, and start staying away from US-origin scrap, a major Taiwanese end-user source said.The short-term bullish sentiment has spread to Vietnam, another key scrap import market. Market participants there say that this is the start of a constant upward trend in prices.Both domestic and import prices of ferrous scrap have increased continually this week, with mills increasing their bids for containerized US-origin cargoes, a Vietnamese trader said.But this does not mean that the supply of ferrous scrap for Vietnam would be limited in the long-term.Ferrous scrap supply from the US West Coast will continue to head to Asia because there are high costs involved for moving scrap to domestic markets [in the US] using railroads, a trader in Vietnam with close knowledge of the US scrap market said.Turkish domestic scrap prices strengthened over the past week, in line with rising imported scrap costs, sources said this week.The change came about after a number of steel mills raised their scrap buying prices by TRY10-40 ($3-10) per tonne. Metal Bulletins weekly assessment of Brazil slab export prices was $560-570 per tonne fob on Friday March 9, up from $540-545 per tonne fob a week earlier.We expect that prices will continue to rise next week, one source said.Producers are very optimistic, another market participant added.No offers were heard from Brazilian companies this week, but past deals were reported at $570 per tonne fob . There were several mentions of offers to be launched at $570-580 per tonne fob next week, sources said, but some participants were skeptical about this price level.Sources believed that the viability of the new offers will depend on how the markets for flat steel in Europe and China will behave.On the day after the announcement of the new tariffs against steel imports in the US, slab producers in Brazil were said to be astonished by the decision.US President Donald Trump on Thursday signed off blanket tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminium imports. The duties will come into effect within 15 days of the formal announcement.Market participants are now mostly waiting to see a clear trend emerge in the next week.There is too much speculation about what will happen, a source said.[Producers] are still astonished by the decision [of the US government], another market participant said.We will see days of speculation and volatility. [Some producers in Brazil] might have to find a new destination for their slab shipments, a third market participant said.The market will get messy, a fourth source said.People close to the Brazilian slab market also hope for possible exemptions or changes in the US decision. Trump said on Thursday that the US is open to negotiations to modify or drop the tariffs for individual exporters.Countries are already moving to negotiate an exclusion from the tariffs, a market participant said.And another added: The whole steel market will see a radical change. The country's anti-price distortion commission will analyze imports of rebar from Mexico from January to December 2017. In 2015, Chile launched an anti-dumping probe into rebar imports from Mexico, resulting in anti-dumping duties... Say Slainte! twice. St. Patricks Day falls on a Saturday this year, which means the traditional Irish celebration will stretch to two full weekends with Hartford, Essex, New London, Milford and New Haven holiday parades this first weekend, March 10-11. New Havens parade, from Sherman Avenue, down Chapel Street and up Church Street to Grove and the corner of Orange Street, is the St. Paddy granddaddy of marches in Connecticut, the 176th since 1842, with 3,000 to 3,5000 marchers and an estimated 350,000 spectators. It steps off at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. Among the nearly 150 units marching, Were also going to feature four very nice additions, said Hamden-raised Coleman Walsh Jr., executive chairman of the Greater New Haven St. Patricks Day Parade. The Joseph A. Ferko String Band (of the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia), the New York Fire Department Emerald Society Pipe and Drums unit ... the Funky Dawgs Brass Band (UConn grads) and the Stony Creek Fife & Drum, who after our parade will get on a plane and fly to Dublin for their parade. Like the other parades around the state, the New Haven version doesnt just happen after a few phone calls or emails. Walsh leads a large committee from the four Irish societies around New Haven that puts on events all year (a 5K race, New Haven Bed Race, fashion show) and lines up sponsors to raise funds for the significant costs associated with such a large parade. Some marching units are paid for their appearance and police overtime must be paid. The parade stepped off to a temperature of about 14 degrees last year, but cold or not and Walsh is hopeful this years will be in the 40s the green-wearing parade is a harbinger of nicer weather and brighter days. Its really a celebration of not only Irish culture, but of the culture of all ethnic groups to come together at the end of winter and look forward to the springtime and the fine weather, said Walsh, who noted that, per tradition, Church Street will be renamed Kevin J. Smith Boulevard, for the grand marshal of the 2002 parade who died at 59 in October. (This years grand marshal is Patrick J. Smith, of New Haven.) More Information Essex parade, Main Street. Saturday, March 10, 10:30 a.m.; Hartford parade, Capitol Avenue. Saturday, March 10, 11 a.m.; Milford parade, River and Broad streets. Saturday, March 10, 1 p.m.; New Haven parade, Chapel and Church streets. Sunday, March 11, 1:30 p.m. New London parade, Bank Street. Sunday, March 11, 1 p.m. See More Collapse New Haven-based WTNH-TV (News 8) takes over live TV coverage of the New Haven parade after several years with WTIC (Fox-61). Parade officials signed a three-year contract with WTNH General Manager Rich Graziano, who formerly led Fox-61 (which will continue to show the Hartford parade, beginning at 11:30 a.m.) Walsh said New Havens parade, known as the most widely attended one-day event in Connecticut every year, is a free, family-oriented event that welcomes people of all ages. (Parade officials and police in recent years have worked to curb the abuse of alcohol at the parade.) In a news release, Graziano said, To us, what the parade represents is tradition; it is so important to families in the area and their personal history. The Hartford parade will be Saturday, March 10, at 11 a.m., according to the Central Connecticut Celtic Cultural Committee. The parade begins at Capitol Avenue by the State Capitol, takes a left on Main Street, a left on Asylum, a left on Ford Street and then ends by the Memorial Arch. The Essex Go Bragh (translated as Essex Forever) Irish Parade & Festival will take place Saturday, March 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., starting at Essex Town Hall and moving down Main Street into the heart of Essex Village, followed by the festival portion that will include free horse and carriage rides, face painting with Bohemian Body Art and special events at the Griswold Inn. Milfords parade will take place downtown at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at River and Broad streets. The New London St. Patricks Day Parade will take place Sunday, March 11, in downtown New London at 1 p.m. The parade route runs from the Bank Street Connector down Bank Street, past the reviewing company at the start of State Street and down State to the end point on Washington Street. Two more parades arrive in coming weeks: The Greater Bridgeport St. Patricks Day Parade will take place on Friday, March 16, starting at noon and proceeding up Broad Street to Fairfield Avenue and down Main Street to South Frontage Road. The Mystic Irish Parade on Sunday, March 25, starts at 1 p.m. at Mystic Seaport and moves through downtown Mystic and ends at the Mystic Arts Center. Connecticut women have achieved many firsts in fields that were once reserved for men, oftentimes breaking convention and taboo. As recently as 2016, a military graduate from Woodbridge, Conn., Kristen Griest, became the first female infantry officer in the U.S. Army. She was inducted in the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame last year, joining the likes of abolitionist Prudence Crandall, explorer Mary Jobe Akeley, and Margaret Bourke-White, the first female American war journalist. Many of the inductees broke barriers in their fields even when formal training or education weren't available to them, according to Lena Pacheco, director of education at the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame. The first female dentist in America, Emeline Roberts Jones of Danielson, Conn., tried to enter a profession that in the 1850s was still not accessible to women. She studied in secret, before assisting her dentist husband and continuing his practice after his death. In 1898, at a time when architecture schools were reserved to men, self-taught Theodate Pope Riddle convinced her parents to move to Connecticut and buy a tract of land in Farmington where she planned to build them a house, now known as the Hill-Stead Museum. She hired the firm of McKim, Mead and White in New York City, instructing them to use her own sketches and essentially creating an apprenticeship for herself. Pope Riddle went on to design many Connecticut landmarks, including the college preparatory school Avon Old Farms. "One thing that these women have in common is they really forged their own path," Pacheco said. "They faced barriers whether for gender and race, but regardless of these obstacles, they found their own opportunity forward and when there wasn't a path forward, they created one." Another inductee, Maria Sanchez, came from Puerto Rico in 1954, at the age of 28, and opened Marias News Stand on Albany Avenue in Hartford, which soon became a meeting place for local women to discuss politics. She led a life of public service, advocating for those in her community, and went on to become the first Hispanic woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly. In 1974, Ella Tambussi Grasso, the daughter of Italian immigrants, ran for governor of Connecticut and won, becoming the first woman in the nation to be elected governor in her own right. She was posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. "Many of the inductees were not seeking prestige, or to have a particular accomplishment, so much that they were seeking to fill a need that they saw in the community," Pacheco said. Who are the female role models in Connecticut that have inspired you? Please tell us about them in the comment section. Click through the slideshow to see more women trailblazers from Connecticut. MIDDLETOWN The citys deputy mayor and 25-year Democratic Common Council member said today he is filing papers to run for the state House in the 100th District, a post now held by Matt Lesser. Robert Santangelo skipped the exploration stage and jumped right into the race because hes entering a field of candidates who have already announced their intentions. Im finally in a position where, if I do win, I can retire and become a state rep full time, said Santangelo, a substance abuse counselor on the detox unit at Connecticut Valley Hospital. There, hes worked the Merritt Hall mens rehabilitation unit since 2001. He took a two-year hiatus while working at Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill. The candidacy is something hes considered in the past. However, his state job held him back, he said, adding his very strong background in mental health over his 33-year career in the field will be an asset. Longtime state Rep. Joseph Serra, D-Middletown, is again running to retain his seat in the 33rd District. The 9th District includes Cromwell, Newington, Rocky Hill and parts of Middletown and Wethersfield, a post now held by Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield, who is leaving the seat to run for Connecticut Attorney General. The six-term state senator represents the southern suburbs of Hartford: Cromwell, Middletown, Newington and Rocky Hill. Lesser, who has served 10 years in Middletown, has launched an exploratory committee for a bid for the 9th seat. The Senate has an 18-18 split with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Over the last couple years, control of the state Senate has really been up in the air. Major issues for Middletown and the state live or die by one single vote. Lesser has been out garnering constituents support in all the 9th District towns and expects to make a decision whether to run over the next few weeks. Middletown hasnt had a state representative in the Senate since the 1970s, he said. Over his nine terms, Lesser has championed veterans health care, workers rights, paid medical leave, college affordability, retirement security for public school teachers, and fertility testing for young people with cancer. Hes also working at the Capitol on legislation that would protect residents against overreach by the Trump Administration on health care, student debt and civil liberties, he said. Santangelo credits Mayor Dan Drew for appointing him as deputy mayor five years ago. I was able to take my insight into different levels of politics. Hes encouraging me very much to do this, Santangelo said. If elected, he would step down from the council in January. It would give me a better opportunity and bigger chance of supporting Middletown. In a prepared statement, Drew said Santangelo has contributed mightily to the citys success. He has the character and commitment to the people of Middletown required to be a successful state representative. Bob says little, but his actions and record of successfully advancing the needs of the people of Middletown speaks for itself, he continued. Santangelo, a Vietnam veteran, belongs to three city veterans organizations and has an extensive background in many areas that would be an asset to the House, said the former Pine Bush, New York, public school teacher. Hes also well-versed in transportation issues, gleaned during the 25 years hes spent as a commissioner on Middletowns Public Safety committee, which he now chairs. Santangelo has also been a part of the citys Emergency Operations Center for the last 12 years and sits on the Economic Development Commission. Hes also been on the arts commission for four terms. Im a very true believer in how strong arts are representative of how strong the community is. He said hed work to ensure Middletown isnt overburdened by PILOT funding, and lower taxes, the deputy mayor said. I think thats everybodys concern. Hes also firm on Second Amendment rights. People own guns, and if they use them responsibly, life is OK, Santangelo said. Also, with his background in the mental health field, he supports background checks. These are things that have to be paid attention to very closely. Several other Middlesex County politicians have declared their bids for state offices, including state Rep. Melissa Ziobron, R-East Haddam. Ziobron, a three-term Assembly member in the 34th District, is hoping to succeed state Sen. Art Linares, D-Westbrook, in the 33. Linares, now in his third term, announced he will seek the Republican nomination to succeed State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, who is not seeking a sixth term. Four-term Essex First Selectman Norm Needleman, a Democrat, is set to run against Art Lineras. Needleman, who founded the Essex-based Tower Laboratories manufacturing company 38 years ago, campaigned unsuccessfully on the Democratic ticket for the seat against Linares in 2016. In East Haddam, Democrat Teresa Govert declared her run for the 34th District race, and is hoping to capture state Sen. Len Fasanos post to represent Durham, Wallingford center, North Haven and East Haven. A man fleeing persecution in The Democratic Republic of Congo learned Thursday he has been granted asylum. Toto Kisaku, who lives in Middletown, fled Congo three years ago to escape political persecution for speaking against the government through musical performances. Hes been working with Quinnipiac University law students Brendan Lawless and Thai Chhay and Associate Professor of Law Sheila Hayre to plead his case. He traveled to New Jersey Thursday to receive the decision. Its a really great feeling, great moment, great time because I spent almost two years and three months waiting for that moment, Kisaku said. Hes now on a path for legal permanent residence that can lead to citizenship, Hayre said, and give him much needed stability. These are the stories of the refugees that come to us, Hayre said. Their stories are almost always powerful. Notwithstanding all the horrible trauma theyve been through, theyve been able to get out. So many of them have these amazing stories but we dont really hear them. We were just lucky he wanted to tell his story. I think for most of us it would be the last thing we would want to tell. Im glad hes able to share it because its more telling than one would think. Kisaku is a performance artist who traveled around the capital, Kinshasa, spreading the word about religious leaders in the country who were persecuting children they accused of witchcraft and sorcery. When pastors accuse Congolese children of witchcraft, they demand money from families, often poor, in exchange for exorcisms, he said. This abuse is leaving tens of thousands of children orphaned as families abandon them out of fear they are devils, he said, and the government remains complicit. Kisakus performances mix musical theater with comedy and dance. One day during a performance, Congolese police broke up the performance and arrested two of Kisakus musicians. Kisaku was found and kidnapped days later during another performance when an officer recognized him. He spent seven days in a dark cell and was supposed to be executed, but a guard helped him escape. I think my presence here in the U.S. is to try to use my voice for people who stay in Congo to understand what really happened, he said. (Congolese people) dont come just because the U.S. is a beautiful country, its because they need safety. If they try to go outside of the U.S., its like every door is closed. Everybody wants to go outside to find a safe place. Hayre, Lawless and Chhay took on the case pro bono as one of the schools law clinics. Im so glad, but it also makes you worry about the other folks who go through this process without legal representation, Hayre said. My heart goes out to those folks with legitimate claims who struggle without legal counsel. He wont be able to go back to Congo for a while, but Kisaku said he can do much needed work here. The U.S. needs my voice right now because a lot of things happening in Congo and U.S. is part of that, he said. More war in the world doesnt mean the peace will come. We have to think about the present because thats the future. We have to take care of tomorrow. Its really, really important. Kisaku will perform his new production, Requiem for an Electric Chair, at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas June 22 and 23 in the Iseman Theater in New Haven. It explores his detention experience in Congo, his escape and journey to the United States. I hope hes eventually able to go back and see his country in better shape than he left it, Hayre said. GUILFORD Tickets are now on sale for the Mo Pleasure Concert to benefit Guilford A Better Chance. After sold-out concerts in 2014 and 2016, the concert will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Guilford High School. Morris Pleasure is locally known as Mo, raised in Guilford. According to a release, his father, Robert Pleasure, was the long-time principal of the A.W. Cox Elementary School and one of the founders of Guilford ABC. Pleasure met his future wife, Lori Harris, when she arrived from Cleveland, Ohio, in the second year of the Guilford ABC program. In 2009, in the spirit of giving back to his community, he produced the first of a series of concerts which today attracts more than 600 fans for the event that directly benefits Guilford ABC. The concert brings nationally renowned musicians to perform with him. Now in its 44th year, Guilford ABC A Better Chance is dedicated to helping close the opportunity gap for academically talented minority students from educationally disadvantaged communities. Guilford ABC prepares its scholars to succeed academically and to take leadership roles in all their future endeavors. Guilford became one of the nations earliest ABC public school programs and is currently one of 27 public-school, community-based programs nationally. Today, six young women live in the Guilford ABC House during the academic year with a resident director and resident tutor. Our Board of Directors offers guidance and support to our scholars, as do many volunteers in our community. Scholars not only develop confidence and leadership as they work on a college-track over four years, but also prepare as active, effective contributors and leaders to society. More than 70 Guilford ABC scholars have graduated from Guilford High School and gone on to successfully complete college as a direct result of our communitys support and effort, the release states. Guilford ABC is funded entirely by donations, an annual appeal, revenue from the Hole in the Wall consignment shop, and this Mo Pleasure Benefit Concert. Tickets are $40 and are available online at www.guilfordabc.org. For more information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact Marie Berry, marieberry5@comcast.net Celtic concert benefits Community Music School CENTERBROOK - An evening of contemporary and traditional music from Ireland and Scotland performed by John Birt (guitar, mandolin) and Evelyn Cournoyer (harp) will be held Friday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Centerbrook Meetinghouse, 51 Main Street, Centerbrook. This St. Patricks Day program will feature a variety of traditional dance tunes including reels, jigs, airs, and marches. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Community Music School. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 with a reception following the performance. For additional information, visit www.community-music-school.org/celtic or call CMS at 860-767-0026. Traveler to share 50 years of adventures March 10 EAST HAMPTON The Chatham Historical Society (CHS) and the East Hampton Library are co- sponsoring a slide presentation by Don Burr, 50 Years of Traveling the World, March 10 at 1 p.m. at the East Hampton Library Community Room at 105 Main St. in East Hampton. The talk is part of the Cabin Fever Winter History Talk Program. Join Don Burr, a member of the CHS, for a Power Point presentation on his many trips that have taken him to over 34 countries and six continents. Some of the places he will describe and show photos are: England, Japan, Netherlands, Germany, Poland Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan, Korea, India, Nepal, Egypt, Mexico, Portugal, Zimbabwe, China, and Israel. It will be a mini trip around the world. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited to 80 people so come early. To reserve a seat please register at the library or call 8600267-6621. Refreshments will be served and donations are accepted. Directions: From the Stop & Shop on Rt. 66 in East Hampton go south on Main St. for approx. 1/2 mile. The library is on the left side of the road. For more information contact Marty Podskoch at 860-267-2442 or podskoch@comcast.net or visit https://wwwchathamhistoricalct.org/ http://www.easthamptonrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=27025 Church to host national storyteller Tom Lee OLD LYME Nationally recognized storyteller Tom Lee will present his retelling of the biblical epic of King David at Saint Anns Parish in Old Lyme, CT on Sunday, March 18 at 4 p.m. A professional storyteller for more than 25 years, Lee performs folktales, myths, and legends and for adult audiences and for children. This program, which is intended for an adult audience, is titled Prophets & Loss: The King David Story. The story recounts the very human struggles of King David during Israels evolution from twelve tribes into a single kingdom. We all know about David and Goliath, Lee said in a statement. This program reminds people that theres much, much more to the story, both before and after that famous battle. Lee began telling traditional stories while living in London and Scotland, and there he developed a passion for research. Before telling a traditional story, he will trace its origins back in time for hundreds, sometimes even thousands of years. Retelling biblical stories, he says, has brought this research to a whole new level. As his research continued, he learned that these same ancient fragments contained some of the roots of the Bible itself. This program was originally presented as a commission for the Blanton Museum at the University of Texas. Lee has also performed at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, for BBCTV, The Metropolitan Opera Guild, NPR, The Yale Center for British Art and Olana Historic Site. Admission to the program is by donation. Free parking is adjacent to Saint Anns Church. For more information, email office@saintannsoldlyme.org or call 860-434-1621 What Is ISIS-K? Two Experts on the Group Behind the Kabul Airport Attack and its Rivalry with the Taliban By 2018, the group had become one of the top four deadliest terrorist organizations in the world. President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in May for face-to-face peace talks on the "total denuclearization" of the peninsula. South Korea's Chung Eui-yong, head of Seoul's National Security Office, made the breakthrough announcement at a hastily arranged conference on the White House lawn. He gave no specific date or place for the summit but said it would be in May and would be intended to lay the groundwork for "the total denuclearization" of Kim's arsenal. Chung, who took no questions, said the talks offered "the possibility of a peaceful resolution" to the tensions on the peninsula raised by the North's nuclear and ballistic missile tests intended to perfect an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the mainland U.S. In an earlier meeting in the White House, Chung said, "I explained to President Trump that his leadership, and his maximum pressure policy, along with international solidarity, brought us to this juncture." Despite the optimistic tone of his remarks, Chung warned against expecting too much from the summit. The U.S. and South Korea must remain on guard "until North Korea matches its words with concrete action," he said. Trump heralded the announcement earlier Thursday when he unexpectedly popped into the White House press room to tell reporters to expect a major development to be outlined at 7 p.m. Trump, who took no questions, indicated that the announcement would come from Seoul, but Chung read the announcement from the White House lawn. The announcement followed meetings at the White House on Thursday between Chung and Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the White House national security adviser. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had been expected to join the meeting, and Chung indicated that Trump also was present. Chung, the top adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in on defense and security issues, met in Pyongyang earlier this week with North Korea's Kim on denuclearization. That meeting followed on the diplomatic breakthrough last month when the North and South Korean teams marched together into the stadium for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The potential thaw with the North was made possible when the U.S. and South Korea agreed to postpone long-planned joint ground, air and naval military exercises for the duration of the Olympics and the Paralympics, which are scheduled to end March 18. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said at the time that the exercises would commence at the conclusion of the Paralympics, but it was unclear whether the announcement Thursday would lead to a further postponement. In response to the announcement, Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund arms control group, told MSNBC, "This is a moment very few of us thought we would see. At least this gives us the possibility of a peaceful solution." The basis for peace talks had been thought to be the "freeze-for-freeze" concept, meaning that the North would halt its nuclear and ballistic tests in return for the U.S. and South Korea halting their joint military exercise, Cirincione said, but Chung made no mention of a mutual freeze. Trump later Tweeted, "Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!" In a statement, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump "greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon." "He will accept the invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un at a place and time to be determined," she said. "In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain." President Moon's office in Seoul said the Trump-Kim talks would probably take place toward the end of May. Moon's office also gave no venue for the talks, but one possibility would be at the international site at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. Commentators were mixed on their expectations for the potentially historic talks that, in best outcome, could lead to a peace agreement replacing the armistice that has existed on the peninsula since 1953. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told CNN, "This is a positive step. I think the world is breathing a sigh of relief," but "a lot of caution has to be exercised." Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling said, "I'm very happy for this development" and, at the same time, "I'm pretty skeptical about it." He told CNN that he was concerned the North Koreans might use the talks to attempt to split the U.S.-South Korea alliance. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Lawmakers on Thursday pressed the NATO commander for Europe over concerns that some allies are not paying the mandatory dues required to build a defense against Russian aggression. The Trump administration has long criticized some NATO members for failing to invest enough money into defense and relying on the United States to shoulder the majority of the burden. Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday continued to share that concern at a hearing with Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of United States European Command. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, pointed out that a March 7 Rand Corp. report stated Russia spent 5.3 percent of its gross domestic product, or GDP, on its military, compared to a requirement that NATO members contribute 2 percent of GDP. "It is important, as we look at what we are expecting from our NATO partners, to recognize this," Inhofe said. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said some people believe the 2 percent investment will go to unnecessary, non-military projects. "It's not like it is going into some NATO account and being spent on the new building," said Tillis, who asked Scaparrotti to explain why the investment is important. "Can you talk about the inherent capabilities of the readiness and the benefits to the nations themselves by virtue of upping their investment as a NATO partner?" Scaparrotti said that threats facing NATO have changed dramatically over the last five years. "Russia is carrying out a campaign of destabilization to change the international order, fracture NATO and undermine U.S. leadership around the world," he said in his opening statement at the hearing. "As seen on land and in the air, and frankly, in every domain, Russia's increasingly modernized military is operating at levels not seen since the Cold War," he said. Scaparrotti cited changes such as new cyber warfare capabilities and precision weapons, threats that require support for building a relevant defense. "[NATO members] have to invest in this," he said. "They have to have a force that is relevant. It's for their own population security, but it is also for us as an alliance and the good of the NATO alliance." Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, asked if there are acceptable alternatives to investing in defense. "One of the things our European allies in NATO have suggested is, rather than looking at sort of an arbitrary 2 percent of GDP contribution to NATO, that we ought to be looking at capabilities instead," she said. "How good of an argument do you think that is, as we think about what may be a better way to determine if our allies are making the contribution that we really want to see to NATO?" Scaparrotti said that NATO really needs three requirements from its members -- cash, contributions and capabilities. "It's not one or the other, or more of one and less of the other two; 2 percent is a reasonable percentage of GDP given the threat we are under today, in my opinion," he said. However, Scaparrotti added, "There are some of the countries that are not at 2 percent today, [but] their contributions to NATO missions and other international missions is quite robust and should be taken into account." Sheehan followed up by asking how worried Congress should be about reports suggesting that some of the bigger NATO allies are not as prepared as they should be. "I think we should continue to press them to meet the standard," Scaparrotti said. "NATO has very well laid-out standards and the expectations of the forces nations provide, and we should continue to press them to be a part of this defense. The alliance is strong as long as every member is strong and does their part." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Don't forget this name: Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt made history in 2016 when she became the first female executive officer of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Now, many think she may become the first woman to command a U.S. aircraft carrier. Bauernschmidt is currently the XO of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Related content: In 1994, as she was about to choose her career path and graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, the rules changed. Congress lifted the ban on women serving on combat ships and aircraft. Doors previously closed to her as a woman in the Navy were now open. "For the United States Navy, what it did was open up our ability to go on warships in areas of conflict," Bauernschmidt said in an interview with a local Fox TV affiliate in her hometown of Milwaukee. "Up until that point, [in] all the previous classes that graduated, women did not have that opportunity." She chose the aviation route, flew helicopters, and did several tours on both coasts and overseas. She also served as an instructor and as a liaison to the State Department on global women's issues. After completing the Navy's Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek, South Carolina, she was chosen as the first female XO to serve on a carrier. Asked about her role in history for a Navy news story, Bauernschmidt referenced her mother as a pivotal part of her success when she said, "I take it all back to something I learned very early on from a very important woman in my life. Never pass up an opportunity." Bauernschmidt may be on her way to becoming the first female carrier commanding officer, but first she'll leave the USS Lincoln for her next job, as CO of the USS Anchorage, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. Following that tour, she will be screened for another command and, if things work out, she could get the nod to be a carrier CO. Here's a look at the most popular stories this week on Military.com. Troops Who Supported 2017 Hurricane Relief Now Eligible for Medal Thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are now eligible for the Humanitarian Service Medal for their disaster relief efforts in response to Hurricanes Matthew, Harvey, Irma and Maria, according to the service branches. By Richard Sisk | Read more Racially Charged Rant Results in Punishment for Air Force NCO Nellis Air Force Base officials say they've removed a noncommissioned officer from her supervisory role after she made racially insensitive comments about her subordinates in a Facebook video that went viral on social media last month. By Oriana Pawlyk | Read more Only Half of F-35s Available for Flight, Program Head Says News that two-thirds of the Navy's aging F/A-18 Hornets were stuck on the flightline lit up headlines last year. But the defense department's brand-new 5th-generation fighter program is also struggling to ensure that its shiny new aircraft are flyable, the three-star director of the program this week. By Hope Hodge Seck | Read more Most Read in Army Most Read in Navy Most Read in Air Force Most Read in Marine Corps Most Read in Technology Most Read in Gear and Fitness Most Read in Business Most Read in Spouse and Family Most Read in Entertainment Most Read in Pay and Benefits Most Read in Veterans -- Sean Mclain Brown can be reached at sean.brown@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @seanmclainbrown. Two A-10 Thunderbolt pilots were recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for providing close-air support to U.S. Army forces in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria last May. Maj. Tyler Schultz and Capt. Samantha Harvey, with the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, were presented with the military's fourth-highest medal by Air Combat Commander Gen. Mike Holmes at the Arizona base on March 2, according to a news release. Schultz and Harvey got a call from a Joint Terminal Attack Controller near al-Shaddadi in northeast Syria that ISIS fighters had surrounded U.S. forces and begun a direct assault on their location on the night of May 2, 2017. The two A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots coordinated a plan of attack. Related content: "Talking with the JTAC -- I learned what fear sounds like," Harvey said in the release. "All that mattered was he needed us at that moment." Harvey beelined to the battlefield for a show of force while Schultz "executed four strafe runs directly onto the enemy threat," the release said. "It was dark, but I had a job to do," Harvey said. "I thought to myself, 'This is the moment that I've been training for.' " According to reports at the time, ISIS fighters had been using al-Shaddadi as a staging area to build up their forces before the next offensive from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Months later, the SDF launched an offensive against ISIS fighters in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, roughly 50 miles from al-Shaddadi. With Harvey's command and Schultz's response under pressure, the team was able to save more than 50 U.S. personnel with zero casualties, the release said. "We're there to support, protect and bring our ground forces home," Schultz said. The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to "any officer or enlisted member of the U.S. armed forces who has distinguished themselves in combat in support of operations by heroism or extraordinary achievement in flight," according to the Air Force. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Following a flurry of reports in December predicting the Navy's $500 million electromagnetic railgun experiment was dead on arrival, the chief of Naval Operations told lawmakers this week that the death of the program was greatly exaggerated. "[We are] fully invested in railgun; we continue to test it," Adm. John Richardson told the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense during a Wednesday hearing on Navy and Marine Corps budget issues. "We've demonstrated it at lower firing rates and ... shorter ranges. Now we have to do the engineering to, sort of, crank it up and get it at the designated firing rates, at the 80- to 100-mile range." Richardson was responding to a question from Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who expressed concern about the proven capability of the Navy's railgun weapon, which has yet to leave its test site at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Virginia. "My understanding is these weapons can fire projectiles at extremely high speeds with a range exceeding a hundred miles once fully operational," Ryan said. "I know China has demonstrated a capability for shipboard railguns, and I'm just concerned, again, that maybe we're falling short here." Photos showing what appears to be a railgun mounted on the Chinese landing ship tank Haiyang Shan emerged in February. The evidence of what appears to be deployable Chinese railgun technology came to light following a handful of reports indicating the Navy's own gun development program was losing steam. Business Insider reported in December that the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities office was shifting research efforts from the railgun, which uses electromagnetic energy to shoot large projectiles at speeds of up to 4,500 miles per hour, to broader high-velocity projectile study. The Navy has never acknowledged a loss of interest in railgun technology, however. Last July, officials with the Office of Naval Research told reporters that the power behind the gun would be increased to 32 megajoules over the summer, giving the weapon a range of 110 miles. In testimony Wednesday, Richardson indicated the weapon had yet to reach that range in spite of predictions. "That involves a number of technologies," he said. "The barrel itself is probably the limiting case, the engineering on that, the materials required to sustain that power pulse, and the heat and pressure that's involved in launching those projectiles. And we're doubling down on that." Engineers have found the gun's barrel wears out rapidly when metal projectiles are fired at the blistering rates the railgun's technology delivers. Another unresolved issue is the power source for the gun; currently only the new three-ship Zumwalt class of class of mega-destroyers is reportedly capable of supplying the electromagnetic charge needed to operate the gun. The Navy wants to deploy a version of the railgun aboard smaller-sized destroyers. While Richardson acknowledged the challenges and said Navy brass were "very conscious" of reported Chinese achievements in railgun technology, he maintained the service was still invested in the program. "As a benefit, too, of the program -- the railgun program, we have developed a projectile -- high-velocity projectile, which is actually usable across the fleet in a number of different applications, not only in the railgun," Richardson said. "And so, it's a very fruitful program that we continue to invest in." -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but... "I got really scared because that means there was a 60 percent chance that I was going to lose my baby girl and that didn't make me feel good at all," said Jay, 723d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron electronic warfare technician at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. With very little hope for a positive outcome, his mind began to race. He remembered a cousin who'd had it and survived, but also remembered an Air Force-battle-buddy who wasn't so lucky. And now his precious little girl, his "ladybug," would be forced to face leukemia in its most aggressive form. Unlike some other forms of cancer, AML creates an overproduction of immature white blood cells and is notorious for progressing quickly. When left untreated AML can take a life in a matter of months. "When they told us she had two months to live I thought about all of the things that transpired up to this point and I believe she had less than that," said Jay. "As a father, I knew I had to make sure I was strong for her. I couldn't imagine going through what she was about to go through." The next few months were riddled with chemotherapy, blood transfusions, feeding tubes and most critical to Zara, hair loss. "I loved my hair so much and I was like 'oh my God, am I going to lose my hair' as soon as I thought it [the doctor] said 'you're going to lose your hair' and that's when I cried," said Zara, who'd had long black hair for as long as she could remember. "I was like, oh, I'll be okay. The hair was what I was sad about, not the cancer and it should have been vice versa." In that moment, she wasn't just a typical teenager who'd rather spend her spare time dancing and shopping but instead she had cancer and was in for a one-year uphill battle for her life. Zara, daughter of Tech. Sgt. Jean Jay Fleurantin, 723d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron electronic warfare technician, receives treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia at Shands Childrens Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. (Courtesy photo) Even with the grim diagnosis, there was no way Zara could have fathomed being confined to a hospital bed for months at a time, struggling to keep her meals down, her parents being out of work to provide around the clock care and support, and missing out on more than half of her seventh grade school year. "I was so proud of her because she was so strong, fighting and giving it her all the entire time," said Jay. "As a father, we take that role as their superman and nothing is going to happen to them as long as we're walking this green earth. It was agonizing, it really was, knowing that there was nothing I could do but hold her hand and talk her through it." As time went on, Zara's condition became unresponsive to stronger and stronger more potent doses of chemo until finally the doctors suggested a bone marrow transplant as a last resort. Immediately, her family was tested and her name was placed on the donor list. "Last year was a miracle for me," said Zara. "My dad was my donor. They got bone marrow from his hips and did the surgery. I felt blessed because even if he didn't have a match there were other people [from Moody] who were willing to give me marrow if my daddy wasn't a match. "That day I had my second birthday because that was the day I was reborn," Zara added. "Last year, my birthday was a miracle, every holiday was a miracle and from now on I have a second chance at life. The day I was reborn is April 14th and this year I'm going to turn one year old." With the transplant complete, there was nothing Jay and his family could do but wait, either the transplant would take or it wouldn't. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Zara's transplant was a success. Her worries went from extended hospital stays to Algebra homework like every other eight grader. Zara, daughter of Tech. Sgt. Jean Jay Fleurantin, 723d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron electronic warfare technician, prepares for her first day back at school Jan. 9, 2018, in Hahira, Georgia. Zara was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in January 2017 and after numerous unsuccessful rounds of chemotherapy, Jay donated bone marrow as a last resort and in May 2017 the doctors announced Zaras cancer was in full remission. (U.S. Air Force/Ceaira Tinsley) "It's a blur now because we're on the other side of it all," Jay added. "When we were going through it, every moment was so surreal. Every day when we walked through those double doors and down that hospital hallway, we questioned, 'is it real or is this all a dream?' But still we walked through those doors for my baby girl. It was tough as a parent, but not nearly as tough as it was for her." "I helped my wife bring her into this world and now I gave her a new lease on life by giving her my bone marrow," said Jay. "Most parents only get to give their children life once, but I got to give my daughter life twice. "We made it. She made it. Thank you, Father God." Chapter 5 outline dissertation Our editors have edited many works of fiction chapter 5 outline dissertation in all genres, including horror, mystery, science fiction, Christian fiction, romance and more. Department of Communication University of South Florida E. I am very picky with vendors and dont tolerate to much incompetence but chapter 5 outline dissertation this company was a home run for me. 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Technical pullback is likely as long as Nifty dual support zone of 10140 and 10100 is intact. However, any bounce back is likely to be short-lived and may face tough resistance on rise around 10,280 and 10,340. The Nifty yesterday ended 0.87 percent higher at 10242.65. Six sessions continuous downfall found support around 10,140 followed by recovery in the latter half of the session towards ending the day with a spinning top candle. The Nifty did not breach yesterdays low and recovered from the low of 10,146.40 towards finishing off the session on a recovery mode. Trend line support derived from the adjoining bottoms of June 30, 2017 and July 28, 2017 is placed around 10,140. Also, Nifty 200 daily EMA is placed around 10,100 is the critical level traders should keep in mind. Hence, keeping in mind the dual support zone of 10,140 and 10,000, aggressive short selling at this juncture is certainly not advised. On the flip side, recent consolidation breakdown around 10,280, may continue to act as the critical intraday critical resistance on the upside. Also, 30 EMA on the weekly chart is placed around 10,280 while 10,340 is the next resistance. On the Nifty hourly chart; double bottom formation backed by recovery in RSI from its oversold zone is pointing towards extension of this pullback rally. Upside resistances are placed around 10,280 and 10,340. Nifty patterns on multiple time frames show, it is trying to rebound from the dual support zone of 10,140 and 10,100. Hence, short selling is not recommended. On a similar note, short-term chart pattern along with position leading indicators is pointing towards Nifty oscillation in the price band of 10,140 to 10,340. Yesterday, Bank Nifty ended at 24477.65 (up 1.42 percent). It recovered from days low 24,049 towards ending the session with a hammer candle. 24,000 and 23,750 may continue to act as the critical supports. The 200-daily EMA placed around 24,480 is the major upside resistance with 24,600 being the next resistance. Below are the stocks which can give up to 6% in the near short term: Voltas Ltd: Rating Buy on dips around Rs 625 (CMP: Rs 630.95) | Target: Rs 663 | Stop loss: Rs 605 | Return: 6% Recently Voltas rebounded from its 200-daily EMA followed by a down-trending channel breakout. Retracement from its recent high is followed by a down-trending channel breakout while the primary uptrend is well intact is an indication of bullish trend continuation. Currently, the stock is trading well above the 30-daily EMA placed around Rs 608 while the 13-30 EMA bullish crossover on the daily chart is clearly visible. Rising MACD histogram above the zero line coupled with rising RSI is the prime evidence of strength. Further, this down-trending channel breakout backed by rising positive open interest on sustained basis makes the bull case even stronger. Based on the above mentioned observations, we recommend Voltas as a strong buy on dips for the short-term with upside target of Rs 663. Larsen & Toubro Ltd: Rating Buy on dips around Rs 1270 | (CMP- 1283.80) | Target: Rs 1335 | Stop loss: Rs 1245 | Return: 5% L&T yesterday found support around March 2015 with established top around Rs 1260 and ended on a positive note. Retracement from its recent all-time high of Rs 1470 towards previous established top around Rs 1260 is an opportunity for the short-term traders. Also, medium term upward trending support is placed around Rs 1260. The stock recovered from days low Rs 1259.25 towards ending the session with a bullish body candle. Rebounding from the critical support while the primary uptrend is well intact is an indication of a strong pull back. Double bottom formation in daily RSI is also strong evidence in support of our bullish argument. Based on the above mentioned observations, we recommend L&T as a strong buy on dips for the short-term with upside target of Rs 1335. : The author is Technical Analyst, Stewart & Mackertich Wealth Management Ltd. Prakash Gaba of prakashgaba.com told CNBC-TV18, "I have two stocks one long and one short. GAIL India looks good to me, it can climb to levels closer to around Rs 450 zones. Keep stop loss below Rs 436." Hindalco Industries looks weak, possible target on the downside could be in the vicinity of Rs 215, stop loss above Rs 225 should be fine," he said. Chandan Taparia of Motilal Oswal Securities told CNBC-TV18, "Hero MotoCorp has formed an inverse head and shoulder pattern on the daily chart which has bullish implications. It has surpassed immediate supply trend line and also moving beyond its 50-day exponential moving average. So, price pattern shows that the move is towards 2.50-3 percent from current level. So, recommending to buy with a stop loss of Rs 3,550 and expecting a target towards Rs 3,665." "Second trade is from the auto ancillary space - Bharat Forge. After the weakness of last 4-5 trading sessions, the stock formed a bullish candle. It takes support near to 50 day exponential moving average most of the time, overall on the weekly chart it is forming a positive candle and moving in a rising candle which has the positive view. So, recent decline is giving the buying opportunity. We are recommending to buy with a stop loss of Rs 735 and expecting this stock to head towards Rs 775-780 zone." "We have a positive view on Asian Paints , the stock has managed to respect its multiple support of Rs 1,100 zone and now supports are slightly sifting higher to Rs 1,111. It is also showing the sign of positive breakout on the lower degree chart. So, expecting an upside movement in the counter. One can buy for an upside target towards Rs 1,175 and for the same, one can put a stop loss of Rs 1,111," he added. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of low-cost carrier SpiceJet live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Reams have been published on the role Ajay Singh played in Abki Baar Modi Sarkaar the slogan that has few parallels. He followed up with another success -- one that enriched him personally as well -- returning in 2015 to take over SpiceJet, and how. Its then natural that his name comes up every time the list of potential bidders for Air India is discussed, notwithstanding his umpteen denials in bidding for the airline. Talk to outsiders, and they all point to Singh as the dark horse that could walk away with the loss-making state-owned carrier that still carries some jewels -- read international routes. Singhs vehement and unwavering denials notwithstanding, its his proximity to powers that is the reason behind his name always lurking around in all discussions surrounding Air India disinvestment. Here in Hyderabad on the inauguration of Wings -- a four-day annual jamboree on Indias aviation sector -- Singhs astute understanding of the countrys political cauldron comes to the surface now and then. Known to be close to the countrys ruling party, he measures his words but betrays his mind on the 2019 elections. The promoter-turned-saviour, and current Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet is constantly interrupted by calls on his mobile during the interview with Moneycontrol and its getting him angry, a business matter not going entirely his way it seems. So we are quickly on Air India. This time, he expands a bit on why there is little chance he would bid for Air India. What happens to the aircraft that they probably bought at a price which is higher than normal? What happens to engineering contracts which perhaps could be at a price which could be much higher than what you would commercially pay today? Whats going to be the status of employees, the ones that may not be as useful for the corporation anymore? Its too large a gamble for a company like SpiceJet. Its a fantastic asset for somebody who can play a long game, he says. The question then veers to what he plans to do with the fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX narrow-body planes that will start arriving from August since 2014, SpiceJet has placed two orders with the US-based manufacturer for 205 long-range planes comprising 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 10 aircraft combined. We really dont care whether they are domestic or whether they are international routes. We want to fly profitable routes. What happens with Max is of course is it gives us some additional range. So the plane can fly longer and when it can do that, it obviously more opportunities open up on the international side that didnt exist so far. So we will take a call on the routes. Some of those will be domestic, some will be international, he says. Singh reveals 15 such planes would get added to the fleet by March 2019. He says SpiceJet would look to fly the 737 MAX on routes that were at least five- to six-hour-long and that meant routes like Delhi-Colombo would be on its radar. Funding for 2019 and 2020 deliveries taken care of, the company would now start the process for financing of the planes scheduled to join its fleet 2021 onwards, according to the Chairman and Managing Director of the low-cost carrier. He says the company is also interested in flying long-haul routes -- flights to at least Europe besides of course America -- and is looking at both Airbus and Boeing planes for that wide-body initiative. Five or six hours is probably not long-haul anymore because this is something that you do now with the new narrow body aircraft. By long haul, you typically mean flights to western Europe or to US. Those are long haul flights, he explains. Flying long-haul again brings Singhs nationalistic instincts to the fore. For how long are you going to keep exporting your hubs to Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Qatar, to Doha and the southeast Asian nations? It doesnt make any sense, he argues in reason to develop Indian airports as hubs for international flights. He says if the government wants tourism to develop in India, it is time it built airports here as hubs so Indian airlines can take passengers from India to different parts of the world. As Singh pitches to fly more and more Indians abroad, he also has his eyes on having an international service that is pretty common abroad and thats WiFi in planes. He will revert very soon on that, the father of many successes says. Every company has a story behind its origin. Coca-Cola was a result of an experiment to find an alternative to morphine by one John Pemberton. The man behind Boeing, William E. Boeing, broke his own plane and struck upon the idea to make his own, only better. Creativity finds its place through many means and mostly through intelligent design. Logos are one such medium that convey illuminating meanings and messages reflecting the companys values, origins or stories behind their beginnings. Here we list ten such familiar companies brand logos that carry a hidden meaning nestled in their intelligent design. Amazon.com | The US-based e-commerce and cloud computing firm wanted to depict the ultimate expression of customer satisfaction: a smile. Hence, the curve below Amazon in the logo stands for that. But it doesnt end here. The smile begins under a and ends under z. As per Amazons press release, this emphasizes that Amazon.com offers anything from A to Z that customers may be looking to buy online. Cisco Systems | As per John Morgridge, Former CEO of Cisco Systems, finding a logo for the company literally involved taking a drive in the sunshine for the founders. While driving to Sacramento to complete registration formalities for the company, the founders saw the Golden Gate Bridge framed in the sunlight. The pipes above the Cisco name denote the Golden Gate Bridge and thats how they decided on the logo. Further, Morgridge says, bosses hoped the logo would shape the future, convey something about creating an authentic life and making a living at something you believe in, in a place you love, with people you really like to be with. Google | The search giant went through a lot of iterations before arriving at what it is right now a colour assortment of its names alphabets. However, there is one crucial detail that not many are aware of. All the letters in Googles logo are in primary colours except the letter L. Why so? Ruth Kedar, the designer of Googles logo, said in an interview that the letter L in Google is in a secondary colour unlike all other letters in the logo representing the idea that Google doesnt follow the rules. Mercedes Benz | The iconic tristar on Mercedes Benz cars has its origins in the imagination of Gottlieb Daimler, the founder of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). As per a story, Daimler drew a tristar on the top of a letter he wrote to his sons. The three stars represent three types of mobility on land, air and sea. DMG trademarked the three and four-pointed stars and later when Daimler merged with Benz & Cie in 1926, the tristar logo went on become one of the most recognised logos around the world. Dominos Pizza | In an interview, Tom Monaghan, the founder of Dominos Pizza explained how easily he struck upon the name of the brand. During the 60s, while he was searching for a name for his pizza venture- thats also when he had acquired just three outlets an employee returned after delivering a pizza and said - Ive got our name! Dominos! As Monaghan had only three outlets at that time he decided that he could use a Domino as the logo with three dots on it. He planned to increase the number of dots on the logo whenever they added a new store also explaining how hed never thought that it will go on to become a global fast food chain. Audi | German luxury automobile manufacturer Audi has a rather melancholy tale that explains the meaning of its logo. Audi was founded by August Horch in 1909, who also founded the company Horch in 1899. The four-rings in its logo represent Germanys four oldest carmakers, namely, Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer, that had to band together to make Audi as we know it. Adidas | Adidas logo has had many iterations since the company came into being. Its logo has been changed twice in the past but the three stripes have been carried always. The one it currently has, three stripes above the brand name, carries a special meaning. The new logo is designed to look like a mountain. Denoting a challenge in itself as climbing a mountain is to push people to explore their limits. Dell | Everything in Dells logo is fine except a slanted E. The reason behind this, as per Siegel+Gale - the agency who designed this logo is, that it embodies the companys brash humour and aggressiveness. And the tilted E enlivens the logo and it captures the irrepressible spirit of the company that stood the PC industry on its ear. Jayant Sinha, Chairman, Finance Standing Committee The divestment process of the governments stake in Air India is on track and the state-owned carrier will be in private hands by the end of the current calendar year, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in Hyderabad on Friday. He said the expression of interest (EoI) inviting bids from private companies would be issued once the Arun Jaitley-headed alternative mechanism approved the document. The alternative mechanism is a group of ministers, which on the advice of transaction advisor EY and other stakeholders like the aviation and finance ministries, is overseeing the Air India stake sale process. Our timelines are very clear. We have said this over and over again. Our goal is to award it by the end of June and to have the whole transaction closed and done and the transfer of the airline to the private sector by the end of this calendar year. Those are the DIPAM timelines that have been established and so those are the timelines we are working on. We are absolutely on track, Sinha said on the sidelines of an event on the aviation sector. Sinhas statement is reassuring given that general elections are due next year and one would expect the government to not push ahead with a sensitive divestment that would be the largest in the history of the countrys public sector. What lends credence to Sinhas statement is the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry after the exit of Telugu Desam Partys Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju from the Cabinet Thursday. Much as the divestment of any government share in a public sector company is coordinated and supervised by department of investment and public asset management, its the Prime Ministers Office that has been spearheading it in the case of Air India. The PM taking charge of the ministry should accelerate the process. There are a number of important issues that we have to sort through and then we have to get approval from the alternative mechanism that is chaired by the Honourable Finance Minister and that is a process that we are going through right now and as soon as we have the go ahead from the alternative mechanism the express of interest will be issued, Sinha said. Speaking on Thursday at Wings, the aviation event, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey had said the EoI would be issued within two weeks. The airline carries a debt of over Rs 50,000 crores, much of which will have to be absorbed by the government to attract private interest. The EoI will reveal how much stake the government would look to retain in the airline, if at all. It will also detail the number of units it would be split into, before being sold. Injections of Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) have turned out to be an effective therapeutic treatment for COVID-19 Panacea Biotec on Friday said it has received Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from US FDA for its Baddi formulation facility in Himachal Pradesh, indicating a formal closure of the inspection. Panaceas Baddi facility manufactures anti-cancer injectables and oral solid dosage formulations. The facility is critical for Panaceas generics business in the United States as the company filed numerous abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) from the site. These include already-approved products and products under various stages of getting approved by the US FDA. The release of EIR notification by USFDA indicating inspection is closed means, the USFDA has concluded review of the Companys manufacturing activities and the company is allowed to continue supply of all the approved drug products by USFDA into inter-state commerce, Panacea said in a statement. The EIR notification also accelerates approval process for submitted drug product applications, it added. The company's oral solids manufacturing facility located at Baddi has completed 5 consecutive successful current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) and pre-approval inspections by the US FDA over the last 8 years. Its Oncology Parenteral Formulations facility has successfully cleared two inspections by the agency. We remain committed to continue to manufacture and supply quality products to cater to patients needs across several markets including USA, said Rajesh Jain, Joint Managing Director of Panacea. The company has been trying to expand its international exports business, particularly to the US, to diversify from over reliance on the global tender market for vaccines, which can be lumpy and highly competitive. The company is also struggling on account of the delays in the servicing of its external debt, due to cash flow challenges, Care Ratings said in December. The rating agency downgraded the credit rating for the company's long-term bank facilities of Rs 959.55 crore, and short term bank facilities of Rs 61.97 crore. During FY17, Panacea has expanded its existing collaboration with US-based Bionpharma for marketing of its two ANDAs. The company launched Rizatriptan oral dispersible tablets, used in treatment of migraine, in the US market through such a strategic collaboration. The company also launched Prasugrel tablets with 180-day exclusivity in the US, in a distribution partnership with Canadian drug maker Apotex. Panacea is now working on more than 10 ANDAs that are expected to be filed over the next 2 years. The company plans to launch these products in US, Europe, and other markets through strategic collaborations with leading pharma companies. Shares of Panacea declined 0.04 percent to close at Rs 281.10 on BSE, while the benchmark Sensex dropped 0.12 percent to end at 33,310.45 points. airtel_250_17802107 live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Sunil Mittal-owned Airtel Payments Bank has been fined of Rs 5 crore by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for breaching Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. The central bank said that a "monetary penalty of Rs 50 million has been imposed on Airtel Payments Bank Limited for contravening the Operating Guidelines for Payments Banks and directions issued by RBI on KYC." Earlier this week, RBI had fined three other banks State Bank of India (Rs 40 lakh), Axis Bank (Rs 3 crore) and Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 2 crore) for non-compliance of RBI norms relating to detection and reporting of counterfeit notes, classification of non-performing assets (NPAs) and violation of KYC norms, respectively. In December 2017, it was learnt that Bharti Airtel had been using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open its payments bank accounts of subscribers without their "informed consent". According to reports, more than 23 lakh customers had reportedly received Rs 47 crore in their Airtel bank accounts, which they did not know had been opened. Based on complaints and adverse media reports alleging that the bank had opened customer accounts without a clear/specific consent of the customers, a supervisory visit to the bank was undertaken by RBI between November 20 and 22, 2017, the banking regulator said on its website. It added that the supervisory visit report and other relevant documents, revealed, inter alia, contraventions of Operating Guidelines for Payments Banks and the directions issued by RBI on KYC norms. UIDAI had also taken strong objection to the allegations as such payments bank accounts are being linked to receive LPG subsidy granted by the government. Following the incident, in an interim order, the UIDAI had suspended e-KYC licence key of Bharti Airtel Ltd and Airtel Payment Bank Ltd. Airtel Payments Bank had, however, maintained that no bank account was opened without the consent of the customers. Giving the background, RBI said that based on the documents, a Notice dated January 15, 2018 was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed for non-compliance with guidelines and directions issued by the central bank. After considering the banks reply and oral submissions made in the personal hearing, RBI came to the conclusion that the aforesaid charges of non-compliance with RBI guidelines/directions were substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty, it said. Uday Kotak-led Kotak Mahindra Bank has 19.9 percent stake in Airtel Payments Bank. Bill Gates | USD 91.6 billion | The second wealthiest person in the world is perhaps the most successful dropout in the world, financially. The founder of Microsoft attended Harvard for two years before leaving to start the company with his childhood friend Paul Allen, who also is a dropout billionaire. (Reuters) Mark Zuckerberg | USD 73.6 billion | The 32-year-old entrepreneur is also a Harvard dropout who quit the college in his first year itself. He started Facebook in his dorm room which quickly became popular across other Universities forcing him to focus on business instead. He owns 13 percent shares of the company which owns the largest social media network in the world. (Reuters) Larry Ellison | USD 57.1 billion | Another tech entrepreneur in the list, he is the co-founder of Oracle and he dropped out from the University of Illinois in 1963. The IPO of his company closed a day before Microsofts opened and both of them have followed similar paths. Today, Oracle is third largest software company by sales and Ellison owns 1.1 billion shares and a quarter of options of the enterprise. (Reuters) Sheldon Adelson | USD 37.3 billion | Chairman of the worlds largest casino operating company, Adelson never graduated from college. He grew up in a poor family in Boston and sold newspapers to survive at the ripe age of 12. Currently, he is the majority shareholder of Las Vegas Sands which employs over 50K people. (Reuters) Li Ka-Shing | USD 33.5 billion | A Sino- Japanese war survivor, he fled to Hong Kong in 1940 at the age of 12. Two years later, started working as an apprentice to support the family. Fondly called Superman for his investing prowess, he owns worlds third largest real estate company, and has stakes in ports, retail chains and mobile-phone networks via CK Hutchison Holdings. (Reuters) Leonardo del Vecchio | USD 23.2 billion | Founder of Italian Luxottica group which sells brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, he is another rags to riches story, bypassing the education. Son of a vegetable seller, he started working at the age of 14. In 1961, he ventured into eyewear business and has never looked back. (Wikimedia Commons) Thomas Peterffy | USD 2.5 billion | A New York University dropout, he is the Chairman of Interactive Brokers, the world's largest electronic broker by daily average revenue trades. Starting his career as a computer programmer, the immigrant from Hungary rose to the ladders of Wall Street using his programming skills. (Reuters) Jan Koum | USD 10.7 billion | Koum derives much of his wealth from the sale of WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014 - a USD 22 billion deal. Koum, a Ukrainian and former Yahoo employee, took a sabbatical in 2007 and spent a year traveling South America and playing frisbee, as Bloomberg puts it. Interestingly, he applied for a job in Facebook in that period before starting the instant messaging service in 2009. (Reuters) Zhou Qunfei | USD 9.67 billion | The richest woman in China is the chairwoman of Lens Technology, a company which manufactures display glasses for smartphones and laptops. Her company counts Samsung and Apple as its clients. She was named the youngest self-made woman billionaire in the world by Forbes. Qunfei chose to drop out of high school to work at a factory making watch lenses for about $1 a day. (Lens Technology) National Fertilizers | The sale of sulphur based fertilizers of company - Bentonite Sulphur has registered a growth of 237 percent and SSP has registered growth of 133 percent over the CPLY in April-October 2020 YoY. (Image: Reuters) Nearly 25,000 farmers are marching from Nashik to Mumbai to protest against the governments anti-farmer policies and press for various demands, including a complete loan waiver. They plan to 'gherao' the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha after reaching Mumbai on March 12, said Sunil Malusare of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which has organised the protest. The farmers had started the 180-km long march on Tuesday from the CBS chowk in Central Nashik and are walking on the Mumbai-Agra National Highway. business Commerce Secy expresses concern over US duty hikes at WTO India has opposed tariff hikes by United States. In a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meet, Commerce Secretary expressed concerns over duty hikes. Meanwhile, steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal has asked Indian government to follow Trump's model and impose tariffs. Q11. Skywise which provides a single access point for the sharing of operational and flight data is about making the right information available at the right time. To do so, it leverages the massive amount of data previously locked in company and functional silos across the industry to improve operational performance and business results for aircraft operators. Which company owns Skywise? Embraer SA is in talks with several major Indian airlines about potential orders of its E-175 regional jet, an executive at the Brazilian jet manufacturer said on Friday. Indian carriers have traditionally used turboprops rather than jets for regional operations, although the now-defunct Air Costa still has an order for 50 jets valued at about $3 billion on Embraer's books. Cesar Pereira, Embraer's Vice President for sales and marketing in the Asia Pacific, said his company was talking to Interglobe Aviation Ltd's IndiGo unit, SpiceJet Ltd, national carrier Air India, Jet Airways Ltd and Vistara about buying E-175 jets. India is the only country among BRIC peers Brazil, Russia and China that does not have a significant fleet of regional jets with a capacity of 70-150 seats, he said on the sidelines of the Wings India airshow. "That means in the future there will be regional jets, because they are needed," he said. "It's just a matter of time." Pereira said it might take longer for some orders to materialise, given IndiGo had a large backlog of Airbus SE narrowbodies and ATR turboprops. "But we have other airlines that could look at orders," he said, citing the potential for Air India to place orders in the future if a privatisation programme is successful. Air India's regional arm, Alliance Air, which flies ATR turboprops, could be sold separately from the main domestic and international operations, according to local media reports. Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals & Fertiliser | Promoter entities Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation, Twinshield Consultants and South India Travels to sell 1,05,72,513 equity shares of the company via offer for sale on November 3-4. (Image: Reuters) The Maharashtra government today said one of the key reasons for the over Rs 15,000 crore revenue deficit in the state budget for 2018-19 is the Rs 34,000-crore farm loan waiver announced last year. The budget for 2018-19, presented by Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar in the Assembly, has an estimated revenue deficit of Rs 15,374 crore. Speaking to reporters after presenting the budget, he said, "The farm loan waiver announcement has put some pressure on finances of the state. "It is one of the main reasons behind the (estimated) revenue deficit rising to (more than) Rs 15,000 crore. "We are also preparing for (implementing) the Seventh Pay Commission, which is estimated to put an additional burden of Rs 21,000 crore on the treasury." He said the committee looking into the implementation of the Seventh Pay commission recommendations for government employees is likely to submit its report in four months. "The KP Bakshi committee report is expected to be out in the next four months. Once it is out, we will discuss it and then go for its implementation," said the minister. The panel is headed by KP Bakshi, a retired IAS officer. "All other financial indicators like revenue receipts, growth in income, debt and capacity to borrow more for infrastructure projectsare in favour of the government," said Mungantiwar, who presented his fourth budget. "We are way better off than many states in the country," he said. The BJP minister said the budget has allocated Rs 300 crore for the giant Shivaji memorial proposed to be built in the Arabian sea. "We have allocated Rs 300 crore for the Shivaji memorial. On the other hand, new taxpayers are being added, which will eventually increase the revenue collection. "There is a good investment for metros in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur but the opposition seems to ignore this," he said. Meanwhile, the opposition slammed the budget as "hollow", while the ruling BJP said it was development- oriented. Interestingly, no leader or minister from the Shiv Sena, which is part of the BJP-led government in the state, publicly commented on the budget. Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar is the Minister of State for Finance. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the budget, saying, "It provides major support to Dalits, divyangs and adivasis. So many provisions have been made for these communities." There is sufficient allocation of funds for rural development, roads and the social sector. The healthcare sector will benefit from the budget, which also focuses on water conservation, he said. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and Congress MLA Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil termed the budget as "hollow" and said it lacks a framework to take the state further. Congress leaders staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan holding a pumpkin and a clean slate, indicating the state has got nothing from the budget. "It was just a jugglery of numbers and nothing else," said Vikhe Patil. Jayant Patil, an ex-finance minister and NCP leader, said, "This budget indicates frustration of the government. They have miserably failed in improving the state's financial health. "There is no clear indication how the government is going to increase its revenue to reduce the deficit. Representative image The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has called top officials from the finance and commerce ministries on March 12 to enable speedy clearance of exporters refunds under Goods and Services Tax (GST). Exporters have been grappling with working capital constraints due to delay in refunds pertaining to Integrated GST (IGST) as well as input tax credit (ITC) on outbound shipments. The commerce ministry has, time and again, flagged concerns regarding the delayed payments and has been working with finance ministry to set up a swift refund mechanism. While exporters claim that only 10 percent refunds have been made by the government for ITC and 30 percent for IGST, according to the finance ministry, the central board of excise and customs (CBEC) has sanctioned refunds for 88.7 percent of the completed applications. Out of 5,400 cases, provisional refunds (for ITC) for only 55 applications were not sanctioned, a senior finance ministry official told Moneycontrol. Till now we have refunded Rs 3,700 crore as compared with the Rs 4,172 crore claimed under completed applications, the official quoted above said. While tax officials blame exporters for delay in refunds for incorrectly filled details in the shipping bill or mismatch in GST returns, exporters have a different story to tell. Exporters point out the complex processes and lack of clarity on certain procedures such as absence of specific set of documents lead to rejection of their refund claims. For instance, out of the 1,04,000 online ITC claims that were filed by exporters, only 25,000 have been accepted by the tax officals as they asked exporters to furnish too many documents including bank realisation certificates. In the pre-GST era, the exporters would get ab-initio exemption from paying any duties. Now, under the new tax system, they are required to first pay the tax and claim refunds later, which constrained their working capital. Under GST, they can avail 90 percent of the ITC within a week, but only after the goods are exported out of India. After verification, the remaining 10 percent has to be disbursed in six months. India will invite initial bids for a stake sale in state-run carrier Air India in the next couple of weeks, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Choubey said on Thursday in a speech at an airshow in Hyderabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead last year to sell Air India, after successive governments spent billions of dollars in recent years to keep it going. However, it has yet to decide on what to do with the carrier's debt burden of $8.5 billion. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Nestle has finally opened the doors to Maggi's manufacturing unit to allow customers to watch the entire process and be assured on the safety aspect, reported Business Standard. As the iconic two-minute instant noodles brand turns 35 this year, the firm has launched a campaign that aims to explain the noodles journey, from farm to kitchen. Nestle had kept Maggi's production a secret even when the two-minute noodles was banned Questions were raised on the quality of ingredients used in the production of Maggi in 2015 when FSSAI banned Maggi Masala saying it was unsafe for human consumption with high amounts of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Also read No 'ash content' in Maggi, says Nestle India After a series of tests conducted in India and abroad, Nestles Maggi was given a clean chit. And the Bombay High Court had lifted a government ban on Nestles popular Maggi noodles. The video, which will be released soon, will apparently open the secret. After Maggi was back on retail shelves, the firm claims it has regained much of the lost ground. Nestle believes the time is ripe to engage further with consumers. Also read Nestle launches iron fortified Maggi noodles The ban, however, is believed to a crucial point in Maggis journey since 1983. Nestle Indias current Chairman and Managing Director, Suresh Narayanan told the paper the move had wider implications for the instant noodles market. In 2014, Maggi had clocked Rs 29.6 billion in sales, garnering 77 percent of the Rs 36 billion Indian instant noodles market. Since its re-entry, Maggis market share has grown steadily from zero in November 2015 to 50 percent in April 2016. Nestle also introduced over half a dozen new variants such as iron fortified Maggie, less-salted and so on, focusing on health aspects. Also Read Is Maggi worth its salt? Nestle claims health comes first The global trend, however, show a decline in the consumption of instant noodles in all the major markets including China, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, India and the US. Amid the rising concerns probably Nestle's bet on a healthier Maggi, with low-risk ingredients and varieties, may help the firm maintain Maggi's popularity. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp may sell stake in its mega petrochemical project in Gujarat to fund acquisition of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), a senior official said. ONGC had borrowed money from banks to buy government's 51.11 per cent stake in HPCL for Rs 36,915 crore. "We traditionally have been a debt-free company and would like to return to that status as soon as possible. We have assets which can be monetised to payoff the debt," he said. ONGC holds 13.77 per cent stake in nation's biggest refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC), which at today's trading price is worth close to Rs 26,000 crore. It also holds 4.86 per cent stake in gas utility GAIL India Ltd, which is worth over Rs 3,600 crore. "We will sell sales in IOC and GAIL only when the price is right. And it is not possible to sell all the shares in one go," he said, adding that an alternative to it is selling stake in ONGC-Petro Additions Ltd (OPaL). OPaL's 1.1 million tonnes capacity petrochem plant at Dahej in Gujarat was commissioned last year and has reached 100 per cent capacity in February. "We have invested Rs 30,000 crore in the project and always had plans to sell a minimum of 26 per cent stake in the project to a strategic investor," the official said. "Now that the plant has come up well and stabilised, this is the time to monetise it." The official said several companies including some global giants have evinced interest in taking equity in the project. He however refused to name the firms due to commercial reasons. Saudi and Kuwaiti firms are said to be interested in taking a stake in the project. The project was originally conceived in 2006 and has witnessed cost and time overruns. It was initially planned to be built at a cost of Rs 12,440 crore but ended up with actual investment of Rs 30,000 crore. ONGC was originally supposed to keep just 26 per cent stake while gas utility GAIL was to take 19 per cent. 5 per cent was to be taken by Gujarat State Petroleum Corp (GSPC) and the remaining was to be sold to a strategic investor. But GAIL ended up paying for only 9 per cent and GSPC for only 0.2 per cent. The remaining cost was borne by ONGC. The official said ONGC already has government approval to sell its shareholding in IOC and GAIL but the company is waiting for the right price to offload the shares. ONGC, which completed HPCL acquisition at the end of January, has been a zero-debt company and wants to retain that status. The short-term loan it availed of has provision to pre-pay without any penalty. Nitesh Punjabi The landscape of real estate in India has been evolving rapidly over the last decade and half. Earlier, office buildings in India used to be primarily with small floor plates and single buildings without many amenities. These buildings were strata sold to investors / occupiers. These investors then rented out space to clients. Quality of the buildings in those days was not great and maintenance was a big issue as there were multiple landlords. Since the IT boom of the early 2000s many global multinationals have started coming to India or have signed up for captive process centers in India. These companies majorly started creating a demand for high quality office spaces with large floor plates and high specifications. Since they had large size requirements, running in to many thousands or sometimes lacs of square feet, they needed a single landlord to deal with. With this high demand, developers in India started developing world class office spaces and campuses for occupancy by large clients in the IT, BFSI and other sectors. These buildings are highly capital intensive and the only way to cash out from this asset class was to either sell it out in full to a large instituional investor or raise debt capital via the rental discounting route. Lack of capital in this scenario led to developers either exiting existing buildings to create new ones or had to increase their leverage. REITs has given the developers an opportunity to retain these assets and partly cash out from them to help them create new Grade A office space. REITs will also give the opportunity to small retail investors to participate in the growth of this asset class. With REITs coming in the office space business in India will be more institutionalized, as REITs will be well audited as well as developers will have to maintain these assets, so it retains it valuation. Today many large institutions, such as Blackstone, GIC, Brookfield have created multi million square feet portfolios with large developers. These portfolios will be listed on REITs for the benefit of partly cashing out and creating new assets. The investment from these institutions has also benefited large developers such as Embassy in Bangalore, KRC in Mumbai, DLF in NCR to partly cash out today for growth of their larger portfolio. REITs will also benefit other assets which are rent yielding. The other asset class gaining traction in this space is retail mall assets. Malls are also high capital-intensive businesses which will benefit from REITs in a similar fashion. Due to high capital being invested in malls by developers they are unable to create further assets. REITs will bring in that liquidity in the mall sector as well. The newest asset class that is under development today is the industrial and warehousing asset class. Until sometime back industrial and warehousing asset class was not organised and if a company wanted to lease space in this asset class it had to deal with local landlords and make do with poor infrastructure and asset quality. Today, there are developers looking at creating industrial hubs with large layouts. Many companies now want to lease their factories and not invest in land and building, but focus on operations. This asset class is seeing lot of interest specially after the Make in India initiative. Post GST, the warehousing asset class has also received a large interest from developers and investors. This asset class is bound to create good rental revenue streams for developers. REITs will only help developers partly liquidate this asset class and create a larger portfolio. There is large potential for REITs in the industrial and warehousing assets, since this asset class is still in its growth stage. REITs in India is a welcome move. It will only help the income yielding asset class to get organised and institutionalised. It will also help developers deliver their positions and bring equity in the system. Retail investors will also get a pie of these assets, as they will be able to invest in such asset classes. There is potential for REITs in many other real estate asset classes, such as schools, hospitals, but these are not still well organised assets with large sizes. Also, the ownership of these assets today is segregated with multiple landlords in small pieces. Though there is a potential, these asset classes will need consolidation before they can be REITed. We should soon see the REIT listing happening for some of the office assets and will get a warm welcome from the India capital markets and we should see a large scale subscriptions for units. Krish Subramanyam, Co-Head Equity Advisory at Altamount Capital told CNBC-TV18, "We are seeing some pretty high premiums because of the huge volatility. So, recommending selling Hindalco Industries. One could sell at 210 Strike Put and a 240 Strike Call of Hindalco. The net inflow comes to about approximately Rs 6. One could keep a target of Rs 3 and a stop loss of Rs 8." Tata Global Beverage has been relative outperformer but the premiums are pretty rich. So, sell a Straddle of 270 Strike Call and Put, the new inflows comes to almost Rs 15.50-16 and we are keeping a target of Rs 9 and maybe one could keep a stop loss of Rs 18," he added. Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Tata Steel is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 640 and target of Rs 615. Adani Enterprises is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 166 and target of Rs 158. You may buy L&T Finance Holdings with a stop loss of Rs 165 and target of Rs 174." "PVR has been also through a long consolidation, downtrend. I think even there, downside is low and if you buy from here whenever the upcycle comes you should get Rs 1,650-1,700." "Jubilant Foodworks has held on very well. Right along this correction, so my sense is whenever things turn Jubilant can get up to Rs 2,350-2,400." Representative image Moving on to its third, much larger fund of USD 60 million, seed-stage venture fund Prime Ventures Partners is keen on tapping digital India and global SAAS technology startups, while keeping intact its stronghold in the fin-tech sector. The company, which has startups such as Ezetap, Hackerearth, and Zipdial in its portfolio, plans to close around 15 deals with a total investment size of roughly USD 4.5 million per company. The size of its previous fund was USD 46 million, which was again much larger that its first fund of USD 8 million. The company has made a total of 19 investments to date, and has seen just one exit Zipdial which was sold to Twitter. Started by serial entrepreneurs Sanjay Swamy, Shripati Acharya, and Amit Somani in 2011, Prime Ventures has built a sharp focus on fin-tech over the years, given the founders deep knowledge of the sector. Fin-tech accounts for 35-40 percent of Prime Ventures portfolio of investments. Amit Somani, however, in an interview to Moneycontrol, explained why the new-age seed-stage venture fund is not necessarily a fin-tech investor, but a prudent one, that strictly picks and chooses startups that solve real problems. No clones. That has been our strict policy since the start, Somani said. We have a good portfolio in fin-tech, but we are sector agnostic, really. If we see a good business proposition in a company, if it is solving real problems, if their solution is 10x better than the existing solutions available in the market, if it has good unit economics, is scalable, we will consider it, he added. In fact, the company made zero investments in the fin-tech sector in 2017. We have more of fin-tech in our portfolio but it is not a strategy per se. We just happen to have expertise in the sector. We also believe that having a concentrated portfolio mitigates risk, doesnt increase it. It gives us a broader understanding of new solutions, Somani said. We are opportunistic and flexible. But fin-tech continues to be a core focus area for the company still. We want to go deeper in fin-tech. The sector has moved on, it is not just about payments anymore. Everything that a bank offers, can that be digitised? Can digital tech be used to provide better services? We will look at startups there. Global SAAS companies will be another focus area for Prime Ventures. Companies such as HackerEarth and Tracxn, both on our portfolio, have built a product locally, but are distributing it globally through digital. That is going to be a big focus, Somani said. We are keen on digital India startups as well. Startups that have solutions regarding digitisation of India, for both consumers and SMEs will be of our interest, he added. The next 10 years, according to Somani, will be the golden period for investments. He is excited about the opportunities that the Digital India initiative presents in particular. Mobile internet penetration has seen a huge jump in a very short span of time, thanks to falling tariffs and massive discounts. Such a situation is a breeding ground for innovation in digital services, Somani said. Such wasnt the situation till a few years ago. 2015, for example, was a year of aberration. It was absolute mayhem, he said. Several startups Prime Ventures declined to fund were able to secure much higher funding, in millions of dollars, from other investors. This even prompted the management to think something was wrong in the way they were picking companies to invest in. There was a team of two IIT students, not yet graduated, who set up a company and were looking for funding. We had a good chat and we were interested. We asked them to come down and meet us. But apparently, we had an ultimatum of just two hours to decide whether to invest in them. There were other investors in the line, we were told, Somani recalled. The entrepreneur in question founded a food tech company that doesnt exist today. Distancing from no-bar-holds investment behaviour of that period, which sent valuations sky high, Prime Ventures has been selective in choosing the companies it wants to invest in. Thankfully, we have completely recovered from that madness. Valuations also are a bit more pragmatic, based on scale of the company, unit economics and so on, Somani said. Its a cyclical pattern that every market goes through. A boom is followed by a bust. Its a repetitive cycle that Silicon Valley has suffered too, he said. Prime Ventures, however, has built the fund over a 10-year period and refuses to force an exit to create returns for its investors. We are looking for good investments, not opportunities to make a quick buck. We are confident we will earn our investors some money. Some will get acquired, some will not work, and thats ok. We are in no hurry to exit. We are in it for long term. We are early stage so we need to give them time to grow, Somani said. Praveg Communications (India) Ltd. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Pharma major Dr Reddy's Laboratories shares fell 2.6 percent intraday Friday after its Medak unit has received five observations from the US health regulator. The stock price, however, recovered a bit to close down 0.7 percent at Rs 2,130.45 on the BSE. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a Form 483 with five observations for company's Medak unit in Telangana. These observations are related to procedures and facility maintenance. "We will address them comprehensively within the stipulated time," it said. The company informed exchanges that the audit of its API Hyderabad plant 3 at Medak district, by the USFDA has completed today. At 15:24 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 2,108.40, down Rs 37.10, or 1.73 percent on the BSE. Iron & Steel | Imports from China, 2019: 4 percent. (Image: Moneycontrol) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Vedanta rose 2.5 percent in the early trade on Friday as company is going to consider interim dividend. A meeting of the board of directors of the company will be held on March 13, to consider and approve first interim dividend on equity shares, if any, for the Financial Year 2017-18. They will also consider dividend, if any, on the preference shares as per their terms of issuance. The trading window shall remain closed from March 09 to March 15, 2018 (both days inclusive) for all the specified persons defined in the code. At 09:17 hrs Vedanta was quoting at Rs 315.40, up Rs 7, or 2.27 percent. The share price increased 34 percent in the last 9 months. Posted by Rakesh Patil Vistara plans to start international services in the second half of this year with a fleet of 22 aircraft and the first overseas flight will be to South East Asia, a top airline official said today. The full service carrier, which currently has 19 planes, would be getting the 20th aircraft this month, according to its CEO Leslie Thng. A joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, the airline is discussing plans for raising funds with its promoters. "Right now, we have 19 aircraft. We are going to get 20th aircraft by this month. Then we have leased another two A320 Neos, which will be delivered in May and June. So all together, we will have 22 aircraft when we go international," Leslie Thng told reporters here. Speaking on the sidelines of the 'Wings India 2018' event, he said the likely destinations for international operations would be regional having duration of 3-5 hours, adding that the first flight would be to South East Asia. "Within 1-2 years of our international operations, we expect to start medium haul destinations. In my perspective, it (medium haul) is 5-9 hours. Of course, Vistara is interested to go long haul... So long haul India to USA is something which we are interested in but we will do it at the right time," the Vistara chief said. He also emphasised that at this moment, the airline does not have a fixed time-line for flying long-haul flights. While noting that Vistara does not have any intention to join any alliance at the moment, Leslie Thng said the airline is working on having bilateral relationship with other carriers. "We are definitely working very hard get more codeshares," he added. Gold live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More In 2014, the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) had written to the then RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, accusing the UPA government of deliberately yielding to the cronies and allowing repeat tax offenders or shell companies to import gold under the RBIs 80:20 scheme. Now, it appears the companies that were given star trading house (STH) and premium trading house (PTH) licenses could have earned up to Rs 10,500 crore by selling the yellow metal at a premium in the domestic market. The UPA government and RBI had selected 13 companies at the time and allowed them to import gold in its effort to restrict imports. Under the scheme, companies were allowed to sell 80 percent of their imports in the domestic market, while the remaining 20 percent had to be exported. It was only after that they could order for a new consignment. The move was aimed at tackling the widening fiscal deficit, and permission to import a fresh batch was given only upon fulfilment of the export mandate of the previous consignment. However, the industry body has alleged the UPA government and RBI selected these companies without any background check and they were given the star trading house (STH) and premium trading house (PTH) tags. Take Bangalore-based Rajesh Exports for instance. The companys Cochin Special Economic Zone (SEZ) facility was raided by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for alleged tax evasion, non-payment of customs duty on gold imports and other irregularities. The company had imported 40,791 kg (between June-November 2013) of the yellow metal, which according to a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, increased to 68,500 kg (June-November 2014) following the implementation of the 80:20 scheme. Same is the case with Delhi-based Kundan Rice, another firm which was allowed to import gold under the scheme. The DRI had seized 70 kg gold from the company in 2012 for irregularities. And under the scheme, the company reportedly imported 39,000 kg of gold (June-November 2014), which was much higher when compared to the 4,552 kg (June-November 2013) it imported previously. Mumbai-based Riddhi Siddhi Bullion, which was termed repeat offenders by the DRI, Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate, was given the license of a star trading house. The MD of Riddhi Siddhi Bullion was the former president of Bombay Bullion Association and his nephew was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in one of the biggest hawala scandals. Similarly, Kanak Exports was also under the scanner of tax authorities in early 2000 and did not import any gold between June and November 2013. However, after it was granted the star trading house license, it imported 24,896 kg. The Mehul Choksi-promoted Gitanjali Gems imported 400-kilogram gold under the scheme which is not high, as compared to the 300 kg it imported between June and November 2013. The CAG report further points to Diamond India Ltd (DIL), which had not supplied any gold to exporters in the financial year 201011 to 201213, thus it was not entitled to import gold under 80:20 scheme. "However, DGFT, New Delhi granted permission to DIL to import 100 kg gold bars, each at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Kochi locations for first two lots, under the 20:80 scheme in contravention of the RBI circular dated 14 August 2013. DIL had imported 700 kg of gold bars. In our opinion, allowing DIL to import gold bars under 20:80 scheme by DGFT was irregular. Further, according to the company data firm Tofler, Gopal Jewel had only Rs 35 lakh in paid-up capital, with two directors on board. But the company managed to import a whopping 1,728 kg of gold under the 80:20 scheme. The import of gold into the country rose significantly after August 2013. President of the India Bullion Jewellery Association Mohit Khambhoj told Moneycontrol, At that time gold was selling at a premium rate, which was around 10 to 15 percent higher than actual prices. The total import value of gold was approximately Rs 1 lakh crore as per CAG report. So you can easily calculate 10 percent of this total amount was pocketed by these companies, just by selling the imports in the domestic market. Another Mumbai-based jeweller said on condition of anonymity, These companies were importing 2 tonnes of gold on alternate days. On the other hand, banks were allowed to import just 200 kg gold. These star and premium companies were dominating the market and prices at the time. Moreover, these companies exported lower quality gold than what they had imported and sold the remaining in the domestic market at higher prices. The CAG report also says: Audit scrutiny of the records of THs/STHs showed that PTHs/STHs mostly exported plain gold jewellery, bangles or medallions negligible or no value addition. Even cases of export of 24 carats gold jewellery were noticed. In many cases, plain jewellery was exported within the same day or within 1 to 3 days of receipt of gold. Exports were also made to related parties. Some of the remittances were being received the very next day. The possibility of exporting products without even nominal value addition as plain jewellery by these agencies could not be ruled out. These importers were importing high quantities of gold by repeated exports at very short intervals, so as to maximise their domestic sale entitlement against 80 percent component of 20:80 scheme. DRI had also observed that the export obligation was mostly met by exporting machine made plain jewellery viz. bangles and chains which are remelted abroad and cast into primary bars for the purpose of reimport. Analysis of export data furnished by DG (Systems), New Delhi (Appendix 6) revealed that average monthly export of plain gold jewellery increased 3.5 times after relaxation was brought under the 20:80 scheme. However, internal analysis by the Department showed that the export of plain gold jewellery had actually surged by more than 10 times after the relaxation. (Corrigendum: A previous version of this article had wrongly mentioned that Diamond India Ltd was a subsidiary of Gitanjali Gems. The error has been rectified.) They take pride in calling themselves a pint-sized company. Heard of Shadow, Halcyon, Torpedo, Spark, Diablo, Paolina and Ace? Taken a sip? They are variants of beer from the White Owl Brewery. The homegrown craftbeer company's craft beer, currently available on tap and in bottles at over 300 prominent restaurants, bars and retail stores across Mumbai, Pune and Goa is now planning to spread themselves not just across the country but also in overseas markets Excerpts from a chat with Javed Murad, founder and managing director at The White Owl: At White Owl, we take great pride in being a pint-sized company. We may be small but we care immensely about everything that we do, which is why we relate especially well with our young, urban consumer. In a world dominated by brands that are becoming increasingly complex and larger than life, we endeavour to create something that isnt just special but also familiar and easily within their reach. We know that our consumers live in fast-paced environments; their life is hectic and its all about the hustle. Funnily enough, its the same for us too. As a small company, we are as vulnerable. But what unites us all is knowing that nothing ends a hard day better than cracking open a chilled beer with friends, exchanging stories and laughing about it. Our brand strives to be not just that amazing beer you crack open but also that friend you want to have it with. Yes we do need more. The beer space in India may have many brands already but it is lopsided. On the one hand, our consumer has a large number of options for typical low-cost, mass-produced beer that will always form the bulk of every market. In stark contrast, there are almost no options available in the premium beer segment where quality and craft supersede cost. In my opinion, this phenomenon completely mismatches the trajectory of our young, growing, urban population that has begun to earn well, has its finger on the pulse at all times and is continuously making finer, more evolved consumption choices. For example, why does one have so many amazing options when it comes to premium chocolate, cheese, tea, coffee and juices, but not when it comes to premium beer? This is exactly the gap that White Owl is addressing and we remain incredibly excited to have anchored ourselves to beer in India. Our portfolio exposes the young Indian consumer to the vast world of beer that co-exists all over the world with the mass-produced lagers that we have historically associated homogenously with the entire beer category. As such, we offer up to 8 styles of craft beer at any given time featuring an eclectic selection of old-world and new-age brewing styles. Some are light bodied brews, including: Spark, our refreshing Belgian Wit with summery orange-citrus notes; Diablo, our crisp Irish Red Ale with hints of caramel; and Ace, our bubbly Apple Cider Ale, with a bold sweet-apple finish. Others are slightly more complex, including: Shadow, our dark, coffee-roast English Porter and Torpedo, our American Pale Ale that is known to pack a punch. Most importantly, each variety of White Owl Beer is handcrafted using the finest of natural ingredients from around the world and much unlike its mass-produced counterparts is completely free of artificial colours and preservatives. All of this at an incredible value where Indian consumers can now avail of top-quality, premium beer at only a fractional premium to incumbent brands. For example, in retail, 330 ML pints of Spark and Diablo are priced at Rs 65 and Rs 80, respectively in Goa, and at Rs 100 and Rs 110 in Bengaluru, which as you know is an especially compelling proposition. We bound by very strict confidentiality agreements on all topics related to our finances and financials; however, I am able to disclose that we are currently in the final stages of a growth capital injection that will take total funds raised to date by White Owl to over USD 4 million.Our expansion plans include new geographies and new product formats for our established, award-winning craft beer portfolio. We currently distribute our beer either On Tap or in Bottles to over 300 points of sales across Mumbai, Pune, and Goa, and are adding numerous additional markets this year, beginning with Bengaluru in March. As of now, we only bottle Spark, our Belgian Wit, and Diablo, our Irish Red Ale; however, we plan to bottle additional styles from our portfolio in the months to come. We are also expanding our On Tap business to new markets, and are firming up our international expansion in parallel with our ongoing national expansion. All in all, its a very busy time for us and we are incredibly excited for the year ahead.Our brewpub was launched with the singular purpose of creating an incredible portfolio of locally handcrafted beer and sampling it across a wide demographic of consumers. Now that we have received not just acceptance but an overwhelming love for our brews (well beyond what we could ever have imagined), we are focusing all our efforts on expanding the reach of our packaged craft beer in bottles, cans and kegs to restaurants, bars and retails stores across India and abroad. Our best marketing tool is word of mouth, which comes from more and more people trying our beer and subsequently telling their friends and colleagues about it. There is nothing more powerful. Consequently, we tend to avoid influencers and commercial forms of marketing and invest disproportionately in events, point of sale promotions and engagements where we are able to interact directly with our consumers, pitch ourselves holistically and collect real-time feedback to integrate into our offerings quickly. The economies of beer in India are atypical when compared to the rest of the world. For instance, taxes that form the bulk of a consumers buying price differ drastically from state to state. In certain situations, these taxes are frontloaded onto the manufacturer, which increases working capital requirements significantly. In others, they are borne by the supply chain. Which makes this question a complex one to answer. That said, at our size, its all about striving hard to meet unfilled demand and we expect our strong growth trajectory to continue for the foreseeable future.White Owl has always been a design-forward company and having fun with packaging remains at the forefront of what we are constantly excited about. In 2015, we were the first company in India to launch our craft beer in Keggers portable 5-Liter mini-kegs that boast a sharp aesthetic appeal. At all of our partner restaurants and bars, our craft beer is served in branded mason jars that have become incredibly popular; so much so, that we are planning to retail them later this year.For our bottles, our 2017-2018 design was crisp and minimal where we used transparent paper labels and raw un-laminated cartons neither of which is common in India. In contrast,for 2018-2019, our bottle labels will be more vibrant, produced on traditional paper, and mimic the design for our aluminium cans (that will be launched shortly too). In other words, one can continue to expect continuous experimentation from us not just with packaging but for all related White Owl merchandise as well driven by our amazing design team in Barcelona that we have worked with, hand-in- hand, ever since our inception. The Enforcement Directorate today filed a charge sheet against a former Andhra Bank director in an alleged Rs 5,000-crore bank fraud case involving a Gujarat-based pharma firm. The final report was filed before Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma against Anup Prakash Garg under the sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The charge sheet, filed through ED's special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana, alleged that during the probe, the agency came across "certain entries" in a diary seized by the Income Tax Department in 2011 which showed various payments totalling about Rs 1.52 crore made to one "Mr Garg, Director, Andhra Bank" by Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, directors Sterling Biotech, between 2008 and 2009. "Various cash payments were made to Garg, as reflected in the said entries, on the instructions of the Sandesara brothers, by withdrawing cash from the bank accounts of several benami companies owned by them," it said. This is the second (supplementary) charge sheet in this case after the agency filed one against Delhi based businessman Gagan Dhawan in this case last year involving the Vadodara-based company Sterling Biotech Pvt Ltd. Garg (59) was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this case in January. The 81-page charge sheet along with annexures, also called prosecution complaint under the PMLA, names Garg and his "beneficial onwership" firm-- RAG Buildtech Pvt Ltd as accused. The agency said it has seized assets worth Rs 1.23 crore of Garg and his family which includes a flat in Indore, an agricultural plot in Dewas in Madhya Pradesh and four fixed deposits. It said its investigation in the case found that "in the year 2008-2009 Garg had received nine cash payments to the tune of Rs 1,52,00,000 which was withdrawn from various accounts of Sterling Biotech Limited group companies and the same was eventually funded out of availed credit facilities by SBL group." According to the ED, the group had "availed credit facilities of around Rs 23,500 lakh between 2006-2009 from Andhra Bank (which is the lead bank of consortium of banks with regard to credit facilities given to the SBL group) and in that period Garg was the director of Andhra Bank." The ED said Garg "has been actively and actually involved in criminal activity and the properties acquired by Ms RAG Buildtech Pvt Ltd were found involved in the offence of money laundering which the accused projected as untainted property being beneficial owner of the said company." It said many other properties involved in money laundering "need to be unearthed as there are suspected to be more than 300 benami and offshore entities involved in the diversion and misutilisation of the public money obtained fraudulently from various public sector banks." The ED registered a money laundering case in this instance after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR. The CBI had booked the Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the case. It had alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank, which turned into non-performing assets. The FIR had also alleged that the total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The court had on November 14 last year, issued open ended non-bailable warrants against the Sandesara brothers. It claimed that Garg infused several crore of his unaccounted money in various companies through several Kolkata-based bogus shell companies, with the help of cash or cheque entry operators in Kolkata, in order to launder the proceeds of crime obtained by him from the Sandesaras. Garg was arrested by the ED on January 12 and is currently in judicial custody. He was named as an accused by the ED as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The ED had lodged the money laundering case after taking cognisance of an FIR lodged by the CBI. RN Bhaskar A calf, having been maimed, lay in agony in the ashram and despite all possible treatment and nursing, the surgeon declared the case to be past help and hope. The animals suffering was very acute. In the circumstances, I felt that humanity demanded that the agony should be ended by ending life itself. The matter was placed before the whole ashram. Finally, in all humility but with the cleanest of convictions I got in my presence a doctor to administer the calf a quietus by means of a poison injection, and the whole thing was over in less than two minutes. Would I apply to human beings the principle that I have enunciated in connection with the calf? Would I like it to be applied in my own case? My reply is yes. Just as a surgeon does not commit himsa when he wields his knife on his patients body for the latters benefit, similarly one may find it necessary under certain imperative circumstances to go a step further and sever life from the body in the interest of the sufferer. Mahatma Gandhi on the Right to Die with Dignity A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court finally ruled on a petition filed by Common Cause an NGO for making the Living Will legal. The Society for the Right to Die with Dignity or SRDD (of which the author is Honorary Secretary) was a co-intervenor to this petition. The apex court stated that human beings have the right to die with dignity. It allowed passive euthanasia, but wanted strict guidelines to govern passive euthanasia when it is permitted. The order was passed today by a five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice (CJI) Dipak Misra and Justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan .The judges gave four separate opinions. However, all of them were unanimous that a 'living will' should be allowed. They said that no individual should be allowed to continue suffering in a vegetative state when the person did not wish to continue living. The top court on Friday also set in place strict guidelines for carrying out the mandate of a 'living will'. The court did this by specifying who was authorised to effect it. The court also talked of involving a medical board to determine whether the patient in a vegetative state could be revived or not. The SC said it was aware of the pitfalls in giving effect to 'living wills', considering the property disputes relatives have. In doing so, once again it was the apex court which had to step into an area that the legislators had ignored. Like with the decrimininalisation of homosexuality, the need to reverse the ban on transportation of buffaloes for slaughter, this judgement also reaffirms the role of the apex court in areas which the legislature had chosen not to deliberate on. In fact, what is worse is that despite worsening healthcare indicators, Indias legislators wanted to usurp the right to life, without providing people the means to make life meaningful through proper medicare. While the actual copy of the judgement was not available at the time of going to press, the background to the entire case is worth a mention. Prior indications The first time when the Supreme Court referred to the Living Will was in 2011 when the apex court was called upon to decide whether Aruna Shanbag, a nurse at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, who eventually died in May 2015, should be allowed to die a peaceful death instead of being kept alive through external support mechanisms. The second time was when the government itself through the Law Commission -- put across a paper titled Passive Euthanasia A Relook. Report No.241. AUGUST 2012. The latest judgement puts the entire debate to rest. The Aruna Shanbag case The Supreme Court first touched upon the Living Will and Passive Euthanasia on March 7, 2011, when deliberating on the vexatious issue of whether Aruna Shangag should be allowed to die. Towards the end of Para 9, the Supreme Court stated that the issues under consideration were 1) We have no indication of Aruna Shanbaugs views or wishes with respect to life-sustaining treatments for a permanent vegetative state (PVS) 2) Any decision regarding her treatment will have to be taken by a surrogate. 3) The staff of the KEM hospital [who] have looked after her for 37 years, after she was abandoned by her family. We believe that the Dean of the KEM Hospital (representing the staff of hospital) is an appropriate surrogate. 4) If the doctors treating Aruna Shanbaug and the Dean of the KEM Hospital, together acting in the best interest of the patient, feel that life sustaining treatments should continue, their decision should be respected. 5) If the doctors treating Aruna Shanbaug and the Dean of the KEM Hospital, together acting in the best interest of the patient, feel that withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments is the appropriate course of action, they should be allowed to do so, and their actions should not be considered unlawful. Implicit in para (1) above was the thought that if Aruna Shanbag had left behind a Living Will, things could have been different on determining the course of treatment. But the court refused to state categorically that the Living Will had legal sanction. Items (2) and (3) above would imply that if she herself had appointed a surrogate (by durable power of attorney for health care, when she was mentally fit) to take decisions on her behalf, the court would have respected the decisions of such a surrogate. However, in the absence of a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney for healthcare, the Court believed KEM Hospital dean would be an appropriate surrogate. The Living Will The Living Will is nothing but an advance directive made legal in many countries. It is a directive to the medical fraternity on what steps to take or avoid when the person concerned is in a coma or is unable to expressly spell out the course of treatment that should be permitted for himself. It is based on a simple premise that every mentally competent individual has the right to decide what treatment to accept or reject. Thus even if I have a tumour which could be life threatening, and I refuse to take the treatment my doctor recommends for me, I am within my right to refuse such recommendations. This right remains undiminished even if I were to die because of my refusal to accept the recommended line of treatment. But the situation changes when I am not mentally competent to decide or express my decision (e.g. because of dementia, PVS or coma). At that point of time, the state takes over, and the doctors are free to treat me the way they wish. If my relatives and friends protest, and refuse the recommended line of treatment, they could be held as abettors in hastening my death. It is to prevent such a situation that many countries have allowed patients to prepare an advance directive or Living Will (a sample can be downloaded from . It outlines the treatment a patient will accept or reject in case of inability to express this wish. To give it more teeth, many doctors and lawyers even recommend that in addition to the Living Will, the person may execute a limited power of attorney appointing a surrogate (relative or friend) authorizing him/her to take healthcare decisions on behalf of the person. Thus the advance directive can be a Living Will and/or Durable Power of Attorney. It authorises someone to ensure that the patients wishes are respected even when he is unable to take decisions or express them If you look at this logically, the Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney do nothing more than arming a person with the same rights he had when he was mentally competent and articulate, hence the name Advance Directive. It asks for nothing more and nothing less. Already legal in many advanced countries For this author, the Living Will is nothing but an extension of autonomy, the rights a person already enjoys when mentally competent. It only allows him or her to spell out clearly in the presence of a witness what line of treatment he/she would like to accept/reject once the person is in a state where such a wish cannot be expressed. Passive euthanasia authorises doctors to allow a terminally ill person to die by not doing something that is necessary to keep the patient alive or by withdrawing something that is keeping the patient alive. Many countries have already permitted voluntary euthanasia and/or physician assisted suicide, not just passive euthanasia. The most prominent agency offering this legal facility is Dignitas in Switzerland . In this country, with the help of Dignitas, a terminally ill person of any country but one who is mentally competent can get peaceful exit with physician assisted suicide. (Source: Dignitas website) At Dignitas, the doctors examine the patient, so does a psychiatrist. If they conclude that the patient indeed faces no cure from pain and misery, it helps the patient to end his or her life. Swiss laws permit this. Many other countries too permit this (including Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and several states in the US. And despite alarmist forecasts that such measures would open the floodgates to suicides, the track record at Dignitas shows that this hasnt really happened (see chart). Febrile objections Some people (including some of the judges of the Supreme Court) fear that both the Living Will and Passive Euthanasia can be misused. Respectfully, this author believes that anything can be misused a matchstick, a knife, a scalpel, an icepick the list is endless. Civilisations grow stronger when ways are found to prevent misuse, and not by resorting to bans. When fears are allowed to become bans, a civilization moves towards ossification, even fundamentalism. In fact, going by media reports, this author is surprised that the apex court wants to lay down the strictest conditions to prevent misuse of the Living Will. The author needs to remind the legislators and the judges that such strict conditions were not required when it came to organ transplants, where too doctors have the right to decide on the death of a person. THOA 1994 India already has in place The Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994 (THOA 1994). This act legalises brain death, even when heart and lungs are working, (for making removal of organs possible after proper consent). Within a span of 6 to 24 hours a team of 4 specialists examine the brain dead individual and certify brain stem death. Thereafter, organs of an individual can be used for transplantation to other waiting patients. Thus the certification process does not take more than 24 hours. If euthanasia can be misused, so can THOA 1994. A patient in coma, who is not brain dead, may be declared brain dead by unscrupulous elements in society. The remedy lies in trust, good processes, appropriate safeguards and stringent punishment for any violation of the law. Thus, the method the Supreme Court approved in the Aruna Shanbag case has resulted in almost no requests for passive euthanasia. The process is cumbersome and may take weeks or even months. The author fears that a similar situation may occur if the court imposes too many conditions for passive euthanasia. But THOA has permitted families of brain dead persons to donate organs of the deceased to save many lives. The prescribed procedure for passive euthanasia is for a petitioner to approach the court with a request for allowing a patient to die. The court then appoints a panel of doctors, when then goes back to the court with its findings. The court then allows for passive euthanasia, or rejects the petition. That could take months, even years. One cynical reasoning is: THOA 1994 benefits recipients (which may include politicians and judges as well). Hence its processes have been simplified. Passive euthanasia or the Living Will benefits nobody but the patient, and maybe those who have to look after him/her. Hence the urgency for easing the processes has been ignored. In fact, it is a well-known fact that passive euthanasia is being carried out in most hospitals in India. Humane doctors treating such patients, where there is no hope of recovery, discuss with the relatives of the patient about futility of any further treatment. If the relatives agree, the patient is allowed a peaceful exit. On hospital records it is shown as natural death. Ideally, the procedure for obtaining legal sanction for euthanasia should be made simple and speedy (as in the case of certifying a person brain dead under THOA 1994). In conclusion, one needs to highlight the views of the legendary heart surgeon Dr. Christian Barnard in his book Good Life, Good Death: I have learnt from life in medicine that death is not always an enemy. Often it is good medical treatment. Often it achieves what medicine cannot achieve it stops suffering. One hopes that the courts will concur as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) says goodbye to French President Emmanuel Macron after a ceremeny at the Arc de Triomphe on the last leg of his four-nation visit in Paris, France, June 3, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC190F548210 French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Delhi on Friday and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to discuss ways of building closer diplomatic ties. Frances 40-year-old president was accompanied by his wife and is scheduled to make the almost obligatory visit to the Taj Mahal and the holy city of Varanasi, which is also the parliamentary constituency of PM Modi. During his four-day visit, Macron will reportedly hold talks ranging from ways to build closer diplomatic ties to defence and nuclear energy sales with Indian leaders. As the visit is expected to strengthen Indo-French ties, let us take a look at the relationship between the two countries over the years: Economic relations: Bilateral trade between India and France has increased significantly over the past fifteen years. At present, more than 1,000 French subsidiaries from a wide spectrum of sectors are present in India, employing a workforce of around 3,00,000 persons, according to the French Embassy. France has also collaborated with India under the Smart Cities initiative taken up by the Modi government. Political relations: During the 1980s, France wished to widen the scope of its relations with India. However, a closer bilateral relationship was established with the creation of a strategic partnership in 1998 and a strategic dialogue a year later. A year after PM Modi came to power, he visited France in what was his first visit to a European country since taking office. He has visited the country twice more since then. Later erstwhile President Francois Hollande made a state visit to India between January 24 and January 26, 2016. In 2017, a few months after Emmanuel Macron became the new president of France, PM Modi visited Paris and met the newly elected PM with an aim to bolster the bilateral strategic ties and discuss key issues like terrorism and climate change. Be it trade and technology, innovation and investment, energy, education and enterprise, we want to give a boost to India-France ties, PM Modi had said on the occasion. Scientific and technical cooperation: India and France have also built scientific and technical cooperation as a key area of their partnership, which was given a fresh impetus with the establishment of an Indo-French Commission for Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The government is planning to extend the regional connectivity scheme UDAN to provide affordable international flights to neighbouring countries, a Civil Aviation Ministry official said. The rethink is to enable state governments to use the UDAN platform for international connectivity, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey told a press conference at the Wings India 2018 summit, adding the central government will only facilitate the bidding process for UDAN International for which the money will have to be invested by the state government. Choubey added the Assam government has expressed interest in connecting Guwahati airport with several South East Asian destinations and the state has taken a lead in UDAN Version 2 by allocating Rs 100 crore for three years for carriers willing to participate in the scheme. While the government still has to work out details of UDANs international version, Choubey said, "It is for the government to decide whether they will fix a fare for the routes so to speak, or whether they will allow the fares to float in the market and allow minimum subsidy to be charged." Bilateral agreements will be required with neighbouring countries and slots at their airports under this version of the scheme, reported Economic Times. UDAN, an acronym for Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik, is a government initiative to bring flying in an airplane to the common man. In the the 2018-19 Union Budget, the scheme has got an allocation of Rs 1,014.09 crore, which is five times higher from the 2017-18 Budget allocation of Rs 200.11 crore for the scheme. On the proposed sale of national carrier Air India and state-run helicopter operator Pawan Hans, Choubey said the government is expected to seek Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for Air India and Pawan Hans in the next fortnight. Following which, financial bids will be called for the same. We expect that the EoIs for Air India should come out possibly in couple of weeks. A revised EoI for Pawan Hans will also be coming forward around the same time, Choubey added. NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 07: Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the 2017 Stephan Weiss Apple Awards on June 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Urban Zen Foundation) Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive here on a private visit on Sunday, a senior police official said today. "Clinton will be in the city for a couple of days and she may visit nearby tourist places between March 11-13," Indore Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harinarayanchari Mishra said. During the 2016 US presidential elections, Clinton, who was the Democratic presidential nominee was defeated by Republican rival Donald Trump. A plea alleging destruction of mangroves by the Deen Dayal Port Trust in Gujarat's Kutch district has prompted the National Green Tribunal to seek responses from the Centre and the state government. A bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim issued notices to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Gujarat government, Gujarat State Coastal Zone Management Authority, Deen Dayal Port Trust and others while seeking their replies within a week. "Issue Notice to the respondents," the bench said while posting the matter for hearing on March 19. The tribunal was hearing a plea by Gujarat based Kachch Camel Breeders Association alleging rampant clearing of the mangroves in Nani Chirai and Moti Chirai areas of Bhachau Taluka in Kutch district by the Deen Dayal Port Trust. "The destruction of mangroves not only violates the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and Coastal Regulatory Zone Notification, 2011, but also deprives the indigenous Kharai camel species of its major food source, thereby affecting the livelihoods of several hundred camel breeders of the region," the petition said. The petition, filed through advocates Sanjay Upadhyay and Upama Bhattacharjee, claimed that the "incessant destruction activities" of the respondents have diminished the cover of sparse mangroves found at the site and destroyed the habitat of the indigenous Kharai camels which has affected the livelihood of villagers dependent on the mangroves. It said these activities carried out by the Deen Dayal Trust Port were without any CRZ or Forest clearance which was causing irreversible loss of mangroves. The association has sought directions for the rehabilitation and restitution of the mangroves already destroyed and payment of a environmental compensation charge for the destruction. Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals & Fertiliser | Promoter entities Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation, Twinshield Consultants and South India Travels to sell 1,05,72,513 equity shares of the company via offer for sale on November 3-4. (Image: Reuters) Government think tank NITI Aayog today said it will work out a mechanism for implementation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for different crops in the country. In light of the Finance Minister's budget announcement that NITI Aayog will develop and put in place a fool-proof mechanism, its vice chairman Rajiv Kumar presided over a consultation meeting today on mechanism for MSP implementation for different crops, the Aayog said in a statement. Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat along with senior officers of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, NITI Aayog and Food and Public Distribution, Prime Minster's Office and various state governments participated in the meeting. The MSP for 24 agricultural commodities of kharif and rabi season are announced by the government based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices (CACP) in the country. However, the Aayog noted that the procurement by central and state agencies is limited to rice and wheat and some amount of coarse cereals. The government also procures limited quantity of oil seed and pulses through NAFED, SFAC and some other agencies. The market intervention scheme (MIS) is implemented in case of the prices falling below the threshold level in perishable crops. Three concepts were discussed at the meeting. The first option related to market assurance scheme, which proposes procurement by states and compensation of losses up to certain extent of MSP after the procurement and price realisation out of sale of the procured produce. Second option related to price deficiency procurement scheme. Under this scheme, if the sale price is below a modal price then the farmers may be compensated to the difference between MSP and actual price subject to a ceiling which may not exceed 25 per cent of the MSP. No compensation would be due if modal price in neighbouring states is above the MSP. Third option related to private procurement and stockist scheme, which relates to procurement by private entrepreneurs at MSP and government providing some policy and tax incentives and a commission to such private entities which may be decided on the basis of transparent criteria and bidding for the empanelment of private players by the State Government to do the procurement operations. Shekhawat said in the statement that more than one options may be adopted by the States depending upon their conditions. Third option of private procurement and stockist scheme offered great promise as it reduces the fiscal implications for the government, involves private entities as partners in agriculture marketing and improves the competition in the market. The governments liabilities for storage and post procurement management and disposal are also avoided. However, all the three options may not be implemented for the same crop, he added. NITI Aayog Vice Chairman brought it upfront to all the States to immediately modify the APMC acts and implement the Model APLMC Act, 2017. He also emphasised the states' responsibility in efficiently implementing the schemes. As regards the incentives to the private entities, he opined to think about a mechanism of providing the some commission to private procurement agencies if they procure on MSP and abide by other terms of the government. It was decided to modify the concepts quickly on the basis of the suggestions of the States and finalize the mechanism as early as possible preferably by March end, it added. In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court today recognised 'living will' made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said passive euthanasia and advance living will are "permissible". The bench, also comprising justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan also laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. The apex court said that advance directives for terminally-ill patients could be issued and executed by the next friend and relatives of such person after which a medical board would consider it. The top court said that directions and guidelines laid down by it and its directive shall remain in force till a legislation is brought on the issue. The CJI, while reading out the judgment, said that though there were four separate opinions of the bench but all the judges were unanimous that the 'living will' should be permitted since a person cannot be allowed to continue suffering in a comatose state when he or she doesn't wish to live. The top court had in 2011 recognised passive euthanasia in Aruna Shanbaug case by which it had permitted withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from patients not in a position to make an informed decision. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Common Cause, saying safeguards were needed while taking a decision by medical boards to withdraw life support of a terminally-ill patient. On January 15, 2016, the Centre had said the 241st report of the Law Commission stated that passive euthanasia should be allowed with certain safeguards and there was also a proposed law --Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patient (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill, 2006. The country's first woman defence minister described the 30-minute sortie as "wonderful". (PTI) There should be more women in the armed forces, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today, noting that women have achieved great heights in all spheres of life. Speaking at an event organised by women officers of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) here, Sitharaman called upon them to grab every opportunity coming their way saying "blanket rejection" of males or females should be completely avoided. "I think there should be more women in the armed forces," she said. Women achievers in India have a very different environment, she said, pointing out that a number of women have achieved great heights in their area of specialisation but such examples were not sustained. Three distinguished veterans of the AFMS, including the first woman Air Marshal, Padmavathy Bandopadhyay, Vice Admiral Punita Arora and Lt Colonel Farida Rehman were felicitated by the minister at the event organised to celebrate the International Women's Day. In her inspiring tale, Air Marshal Bandopadhyay, retired Director General of the AFMS, narrated her evolution from a Tamil-speaking arts student to a doctor and her subsequent rise to the highest rank of the Indian Air Force. She asserted that there was no gender discrimination in the IAF and termed it the best place for women to work at. Lt General Bipin Puri, Director General of AFMS, said women officers and staff were its "extremely important assets". Supporters of Congress party are framed by the party's symbols installed at the venue where Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally at Bardoli Bhartiya Janata Party and Congress, two main parties in Himachal Pradesh, exchanged barbs over alleged transfer of 20,000 government employees, which include even those who are already dead. The Opposition legislators, led by Congress, alleged that even dead employees were shown as transferred and staged a walkout from the House on the second day of the Budget session. Soon after the Question Hour began, Congress MLA Harshwardhan Chauhan gave an adjournment notice as other opposition member demanded suspension of business to discuss the issue. Soon, a commotion began as opposition and treasury benches traded charges. Congress accusing two-month-old Jai Ram Thakur-led government in the state to have executed 20,000 transfers in its short tenure. The speaker then cited the rule number 67 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in HP Legislative Assembly which requires speakers consent to allow a motion for adjournment. In response, the Congress MLAs staged a walkout. The Law and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Bhardwaj condemned the walkout by the opposition and accused Congress of transferring 5 lakh government employees in its reign. Staging walkouts from the House is the only strategy of the Congress party. The government is ready to take up the matter, he said. I am hurt by the manner in which the Congress legislators are behaving in the House and seeking adjournment over non-serious issues under rule 67, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today assured the new BJP government in Tripura of providing full support for the all round development of the state, saying the entire country was behind its march towards progress. In his address after the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in Tripura, Modi said the northeastern region has many opportunities and potentials which have to be explored for its development. "I appeal to the people of Tripura, lets take the state to a new height so that we can change the lives of people. I want to assure that in Tripura's march towards development, the central government will provide full cooperation with the motto of cooperative federalism," he said at the event held at the Assam Rifles ground here. Earlier, Biplab Kumar Deb took oath as chief minister, Jishnu Deb Burman as the deputy chief minister along with seven other ministers, including IPFT chief N C Debbarma. The first BJP government in the state assumed charge after ending 25 year rule of the Left Front. The prime minister said that the new government will take along every citizen and all sections of society and work for the development of Tripura. He said the motto of the government would be development, good governance, people's participation and 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash'. "I have visited the Northeast many times as prime minister and want to tell you that India is with the northeast, India understands the issues of the northeast and every Indian stands by the people of the northeast," he said. The swearing-in ceremony held at the Assam Rifles ground was attended by BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states - Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), Raghubar Das (Jharkhand) besides others also attended the function. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has said that TDP pulling out of the Modi government shows that everyone is taking inspiration from the Shiv Sena. Two Telugu Desam Party ministers in the Central government submitted their resignations on Thursday after the Centre failed to satisfy their demands of special status for Andhra Pradesh. Shiv Sena will do everything according to its own schedule, said Thackeray late on Thursday evening, in reaction to the rift between BJP and its NDA ally TDP. Earlier, another Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had said, We were expecting this. Other parties have walked out of the NDA too. Allies no longer have good relations with BJP. Gradually their grudges will spill out and eventually everyone will walk out of alliance. Launching an attack on the BJP, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said there is a general atmosphere of "intimidation" in India where "nasty form of politics" of dividing people are being played to win elections. Speaking at a panel discussion at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Gandhi also said that there is a challenge to the institutional structure of India. "If you ask me what am I proud about my country...it is the idea of plurality. It's the idea that people in India can say anything they want, do anything they want and they won't face any problem and that is being challenged...," he said. "There is a particular type of politics that's not only happening in India but in a number of places - of dividing people, of using (their) anger to win elections and that's what is happening in India," he told the audience at the school, which is part of the National University of Singapore. Commenting on the recent controversy of four senior Supreme Court judges holding an unprecedented press conference, Gandhi said, "Normally in India, the people go to the judges for justice. For the first time in my life, I saw four Supreme Court judges actually go to the people for justice. They went to the press and said that they need the people to hear their voice as there is something that is fundamentally wrong." "I don't know if you know the details about the comments they (judges) were making but the centre of the issue is the case of (BJP president) Amit Shah. So, there is a challenge to the institutional structure of our country," he said, apparently referring to the issue of alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge BH Loya, who was hearing the sensitive Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Shah was discharged as an accused in the case. Gandhi alleged that there is a "very very aggressive and organised attack on the system and on the judiciary. If you speak to the press, if you talk to business people, they will also tell you that we feel intimidated. so there is a general atmosphere of intimidation." The Congress president said that the idea of India that Mahatma Gandhi envisioned was that an India where everybody is comfortable regardless of religion, community, regardless of state. "The idea that anybody coming to India, even the foreigner coming to India, feel comfortable in the country...that idea is being challenged now," he asserted. "Where we are running into trouble now is the levels of violence and anger that you are seeing in India and this to me is a syndrome," he said, adding that "I'm proud to say that our vision is bringing people together." Responding to a question, Gandhi accused the BJP and the RSS of indulging in anti-minorities politics. "Mahatma Gandhi died protecting minorities. We, the Congress party, have been protecting minority people for the last 70 years. We don't like an India where people are persecuted, where people are being beaten up for what they eat, what they say and what they wear," he said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi controls the law making, he controls the UP police, he controls the Haryana police, he controls these things. An extremely nasty form of politics is playing out in India," Gandhi said, without elaborating. "We will fight this nasty form of politics and we will defeat the BJP in the next election...Very soon you will see an India where everybody is loved, respected and taken along," he asserted. He also criticised BJP's Kashmir policy, saying the UPA government had curbed terrorism by 2012 but it resurfaced after the BJP came to power in 2014. "One complaint I have against the BJP's policy is that it is episodic rather than strategic," he said. "In 2014, when I went to Jammu and Kashmir, I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can do to years and years of work," he said. The BJP has lost the touch with the people and created a strategic problem in Jammu and Kashmir, he said and underlined the need to engage people and win their trust. "It is very easy to pretend that you will have simple solutions. There are no simple solutions. You can divide people and play politics, but how is dividing communities going to give them jobs?" he asked. He also slammed the BJP government over its "bad record" of creating jobs, saying "our record is better". Responding to a question on International Women's Day today, Gandhi said the Congress party had sought to pass the Women's Reservation Bill but it was opposed by other parties. On India's foreign policy, he said India has to have peaceful relations with China, the US, Europe, Asean and others. He said India and China should have a peaceful and co-operative relationship. Answering a wide range of questions from the panel and audience, Gandhi spoke of India's advantage in connecting its skilled people through IT and manufacturing sector. He noted Chinese manufacturing capabilities of having factory operation based on large workforce, some running into 50,000 to 100,000 which, however, was not applicable to India due to different culture of working. He also spoke of India's potential of developing a health care for the global markets. Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Singapore and will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tomorrow. He will then travel to Malaysia where he will meet Prime Minister Najib Razak and members of the Indian community. RPT---New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi during a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (unseen) in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI Photo by Shahbaz Khan(PTI10_5_2016_000036B) In a deeply introspective speech, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi today spoke on a wide range of topics, including her children, her own shortcomings and the role of democracy in India, the first time she has opened up since relinquishing the party president post. Addressing the India Today Conclave here, Gandhi said democracy allows dissent and debate and not monologues in an apparent barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She also lamented that nation builders are being slandered, and that there was cynical running down of past achievements referring to the constant criticism by the ruling party of the post Independence achievements of the Congress and its prime ministers. However, Gandhi noted that the Congress also needs to develop a new style of connecting with people at the organisational level. Speaking about her own role in leadership after Congress came to power in 2004, she said that she knew Manmohan Singh would be better a prime minister than her, and that she was aware of her limitations. "Public speaking does not come naturally to me, that is why I was called a reader than a leader," the Congress leader said. Gandhi, 71, who was Congress president for 19 years was replaced by her son Rahul last year after internal party elections. On being asked during the conclave's 'Q&A' session if she advises her son on party matters, Gandhi said, "I try not to volunteer. Rahul wants a balance of younger people and senior leaders to revitalise the party and this is not an easy task." Reacting on criticism of Rahul not being in the country during counting of votes in northeastern states, she said the Congress president went to see his grandmother in Italy for three days after he had done his rounds of electioneering. Taking a question on the political role of her daughter Priyanka, Gandhi said, "Priyanka is pre-occupied with her children at the moment. It is up to her and one never knows the future. Magic Leap, a Florida-based startup working on augmented reality devices, has raised USD 461 million in the second closing of a round of funding totaling USD 963 million, the company said on Wednesday. The current round takes its total fund raising to nearly USD 2.3 billion. The investment was led by Saudi Arabias sovereign investment arm. The company had raised USD 502 million in the first closing of this round of funding in October last year. At that time, the funding was led by Temasek and had EDBI, Grupo Globo and Janus Henderson Investors as other interested parties. Big names like Alibaba Group, Google, JP Morgan Investment Management are already invested in the startup. The company which is present in multiple locations in the US and in Europe and has over 1,400 employees is yet to ship a single product to date. Magic Leap plans to start the shipping of products sometime later this year. The first product to be shipped will be the headset, that superimposes 3-D virtual images on the real world, and will seamlessly blend the digital and physical world. Notwithstanding the promise of Magic Leap which has drawn intense interest from all quarters, sceptics have been consistently saying the company has overstated its ability to follow through. The company has also been involved in a number of controversies in recent past. In February, the company sued an employee who it said was trying to extort money by threating to file a lawsuit against it. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Mahindra Trucks and Bus Division, the commercial vehicle business unit of conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra, is trying to ramp up production of its heavy duty trucks in light of the continued surge in demand. During the period April-January medium and heavy duty truck volumes rose by 61 percent to 7,279 units for MTBL as against 4,517 units sold in the same period last year. We do not have any issue with regards to production at our end but its mainly our suppliers who are not able to ramp up as fast, said Vinod Sahay, chief executive officer, Mahindra Trucks and Bus Division. M&Ms growth in this segment is higher than rest the of industry which posted a growth of 17 percent during the same period with sales of 2.29 lakh units. Manufacturers across brands are facing the same issue of scalability of production. We have enough capacity to scale up production. We are represented in the heavy segment with the Blazo brand. We have lined up a few launches in the heavy segment and these will be seen in the coming months, added Sahay. M&Ms Chakan-based plant has an annual capacity of 50,000 units including light commercial vehicles. The company today announced the roll out of new service offerings including increased oil change intervals, reduced oil prices and 6 years or 6 lakh kms warranty. The company guarantees service support of 48 hours uptime, 2 hours reach guarantee on the Mumbai-Delhi corridor. Its total network strength stands at 92 numbers, 3S dealership, 129 authorized service centre and 2,900 roadside assistance points. No 3 | Japan | Contribution: $41 million | Wealth: $24.99 trillion (Image: Reuters) Japan looks to open its doors for 2 lakh IT professionals from India to support its burgeoning IT infrastructure. According to an Economic Times report, the statement was made by Shigeki Maeda, the Executive Vice President at Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), a government body. Speaking at the India-Japan Business Partnership Seminar, which was jointly organised by Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Jetro, he also set a target of roping in 8 lakh of Indias IT professionals to live and settle in the country by 2030. Maeda further spoke of Japanese firms feeling the limitations of conventional in-house innovation and moving towards the most-advanced IT Technology Capabilities which would make India an ideal partner. He further said that Japan needs more IT professionals in the country to ensure that its desire to revolutionize its manufacturing process by banking on innovation and technology. This is particularly in the areas of life-science, finance, services and agriculture. The Japanese government looks to provide the status of a permanent resident within a year to highly skilled professionals, which is currently one of the quickest granted right of residence in the world. Currently, applicants have no need to submit their employment certificate and letters of explanation for multiple-entry visas. If one has been to Japan twice before in the year, entering the country needs one to submit just their passport and their visa application form . North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the test of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system organised by the Academy of National Defence Science. Photo: Reuters The Trump administration's policy of imposing sanctions on North Korea has worked and will continue until the goal of complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is achieved, a senior White House official has said. Trump imposed the "heaviest-ever" sanctions on North Korea's shipping companies last month in a bid to prevent the reclusive nation from acquiring nuclear weapons and developing intercontinental ballistic missiles. The administration believes the sanctions must remain as it "is really what differentiates, the President's policy from the policies of the past," the official told reporters yesterday. "If we look at the history of these negotiations that took place under prior administrations, the relinquishing of pressure have often lead to concessions being made to North Korea in return for talks," the official said on the condition of anonymity. The official said that Trump had been very clear from the beginning that he was not prepared to reward North Korea in exchange for talks. "But he is willing to accept an invitation at this time to meet and really expects North Korea to start putting action to the words that were conveyed via the South Koreans, the official said. The official, however, said there was no letter from Kim regarding the timing of the meeting of the two leaders. "There was not a letter. This was a message conveyed orally by Kim Jong-un to the National Security Adviser of the South Korea during the several hours of meetings that they held a couple days ago in Pyongyang. Ambassador Chung, who is the National Security Adviser then conveyed it orally to the president today in the Oval Office," the official said. Details of the place and timing of the meeting are yet to be worked out, the official said. Ever since he came into office, Trump has emphasised that the urgent matter of denuclearising North Korea was something that required a new approach, the official said. "It would require us avoiding the mistakes that have been made over the past 27 years of dialogue, and failed approaches to denuclearise North Korea, another senior administration official said. Within the matter of weeks, the Trump administration had developed a policy that the president signed to maximise pressure on North Korea. That meant maximising economic pressure, isolating North Korea diplomatically and marshaling not only our resources, not only the resources of our allies and friends, but rally of the entire world to resolve something that is destabilising to the region and rally to the world at large, the official said on condition of anonymity. "And so in the year that he pursued that policy, he has always left the door open to dialogue at the right time" the official said. Yesterday Trump was briefed by South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Lee Young and South Korean intelligence director at the Oval Office. US National Security Adviser Lt Gen H R McMaster, Defence Secretary James Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats along with officials from the CIA were also present in the meeting. The South Korean delegation gave a readout of their meetings with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They also conveyed a message from Kim to the president. "Part of that message was a commitment to denuclearised. It also was a commitment to refrain from testing nuclear weapons or missiles. And it was also an invitation (for Trump). Kim Jong-un also made clear that he understands that a routine defencive exercise between the Republic of Korea and the United States will continue, the official said. "He conveyed that he wants to meet with President Trump as quickly as possible. President Trump has agreed to accept the invitation to meet with Kim in a matter of a couple of months. The exact timing and place is still to be determined," the official said. "Obviously verification would go hand in hand with any kind of acceptable deal to put for permanent denuclearisation of North Korea. We will settle for nothing less than that outcome. It is the outcome that the entire world expects it as exemplified under all of those UN Security Council resolutions, he said. Trump also briefed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the developments, the official said. Toshiba Corp expects the sale of its $18 billion memory chip business to be completed by June at the latest, if not by an agreed deadline of the end of March, as it awaits antitrust regulatory approval from China. "We've been making various efforts to close the deal in March," Yasuo Naruke, the head of Toshiba's chip unit, told reporters on Friday. Even if the deal did not close by then, it would close "at some point in April, May or June," Naruke said during his visit to a new chip R&D centre in central Japan. Toshiba agreed last year to sell the semiconductor business - the world's second-biggest producer of NAND flash memory chips - to a consortium led by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital to plug a huge financial hole left by the bankruptcy of its U.S. nuclear unit. It is widely viewed as unlikely to gain the necessary regulatory clearance by the end of the financial year in March, however, as Chinese reviews usually take at least six months. Toshiba is in less of a rush to finalise the deal since it received injections of capital late last year from overseas investors. If it does not complete the deal by March, it has the option of walking away, sources have said. Some activist shareholders have opposed the sale, arguing that the fresh capital made it unnecessary. The flash memory chip business has been the source of most of Toshiba's earnings as the company struggles to grow other core businesses such as social infrastructure. In Ancient Greece, secret rituals known as the Small Rites of Eleusis or Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries took place during the month of Anthesterion (February). Ninnion Tablet discovered in the sanctuary at Eleusis (4th C BC) depicts elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries These religious rites celebrated the myth of the goddess Demeter and her daughter, Persephone. We know so little of the Rites, as the participants were sworn to secrecy, but we do know they fasted in commemoration of Demeters fasting while searching for Persephone. But I am here to talk of divine bread recipes as well as religious rites Why is the ancient Greek Earth-mother Demeter connected to making bread? According to Greek Mythology, Persephone was abducted by Pluto, the chthonic god of the underworld. Demeter left the mount of Olympus, the home of the gods, and searched for her daughter on earth for nine days. During her quest she neither ate ambrosia nor drank nectar. The etymology of the name Demeter has its origins in the Greek words (earth) and (mother), and means EarthMother. Demeter taught humanity the secrets of agriculture and the art of making bread. She first taught the secrets of agriculture and the art of making bread to the hero Triptolemus, then gave him her chariot drawn by dragons and lots of wheat in order to educate the whole of humanity. The meaning of Triptolemus name is He who Pounds the Husks. After fasting, the participants of the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries ate Pelanos, a wheat and barley bread. Now Ill guide you through the magical process of breadmaking with an easy Pelanos bread recipe. Make this beautiful Pelanos bread for yourself Succumb to the magnetism of the secret rites, and feel the magic of turning water and flour into divine food! Pelanos bread ingredients 1 cup of whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons barley flour teaspoon of instant yeast teaspoon of salt cup of warm water 4 tablespoons of extra flour for dusting How To Make Your Pelanos bread Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Passive Time: 4 hours In a bowl, stir the flour, the yeast and the salt together with the spatula and add the warm water. Keep stirring with the spatula until all the flour is moistened. Tip the sticky dough onto a floured surface and knead it until the dough becomes smooth, which should take 2-3 minutes. When kneading, always sprinkle some whole wheat flour on your surface and your hands so that the dough does not stick. Transfer the dough ball into a floured bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rest at warm room temperature for 3 hours until doubled in size. Tip the dough onto a floured surface. Flour your hands as well as the dough and fold the dough over 2-3 times (a maximum 10 times if the dough is too sticky). Fold the dough over softly, with no added pressure. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and dust it with extra flour. Place the dough ball to prove for a further hour until it has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 230C or 450F. Place a baking dish filled with hot water on the bottom of the oven. Steam is crucial to making a crusty loaf of bread. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish filled with water. Bake at 220C for another 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Mogensen surmises that the tyro provincial NDP government is in way over its head and, given the swiftly-panned tax, probably realized painting with broad brush strokes is unwise. I have heard from a few (of my clients) wondering how this would transpire, and my conversations with them were along the lines of exactly whats happening now that Carole James and her crew have come to their sensesthat theyll likely realize that painting everybody with the same brush is grossly unfair, said Mogensen. The blowback from that decision, without thinking it through, has taken caught an inexperienced government off guard. Most disconcerting, he added, is that the government did not bother consulting the industry. If it had, it might have averted harsh criticism. Ive had conversations with lawyers and realtors who are well-wired into the industry, and if the government had taken the time to consult with that sector, they could have put together a reasonable response and avoided all the bad press right now, he said. And they deserve the bad press; theyre inexperienced and not looking to those with great depth on the subject. It speaks to their inexperience. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is finding itself mired in another scandal, this one over proposed changes to its mission statement that remove anti-discrimination language. HUD is charged with ensuring equal access to housing, is considering removing the words free from discrimination to its mission statement, according to a Washington Post report. The proposed changes cut the agencys current, 63-word mission statement down to 23 words, and also eliminate references to inclusive communities, consumer protections and quality homes for all, according to the Post. The Public Utility Commission has approved the sale of Oncor, Texas' largest utility, to San Diego-based Sempra Energy, the fourth company that has tried to acquire the utility since its parent company, Energy Future Holdings, declared bankruptcy. Sempra, a utility and pipeline company, signed an agreement in August to buy the bankrupt Energy Future Holdings and Dallas-based Oncor. The PUC approved the deal on Thursday. An agricultural retailer and an agricultural pioneer were honored Thursday at the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerces 39th annual Agri-Industry Banquet at Hamiltons. Verne Tinker Bader was inducted into the Ag Hall of Fame at the banquet, which celebrates agriculture and the businesses that support the agriculture industry. Bader is a second generation owner-operator of Bader Agriculture Service, which was founded in 1955 and merged with Helena Chemical in 2014. The Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to honor those men and women who have given a lifetime of service to the agriculture industry through personal and professional efforts. Bader brainstormed with an area farmer to variable rate anhydrous ammonia to help manage inputs, helping the environment, groundwater and customer. Bader has been a member of Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association for more than 25 years. In 2014, he was honored by the national organization, The Fertilizer Institute, as a 4R advocate, meaning that among all ag retailers nationwide, he was one of five that was selected due to his commitment to the right source, right rate, right time, right place philosophy of applying nutrients to agricultural crops. Bader is married to Cathy, and they have three children. They reside in Meredosia. The chamber also presented the Pioneer of Agriculture award. This award recognizes an individual who gave a lifetime of service to the agriculture industry in the 1800s to early 1900s in Morgan County. This years recipient was Charles A. Rowe. Rowe was known as a grower and supplier of first-class seed corn and for advancing grain production in Morgan County and across the state. For years, he served on the Advisory Committee for Farm Crops with the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois. Rowe helped organize the Morgan County Farmers Club in 1914 and was a leader in the Farm Bureau. A lifetime resident of Morgan County, he was born in 1866, attended Morgan County schools and graduated from Illinois College in 1889. He died in 1928. Rowes 110-acre farm is the present location of Passavant Area Hospital and the site of the former Rowe home. An additional 160-acre farm is located south of Alexander. The farms were donated to Passavant Area Hospital in 1928 through Rowes estate in honor of his father and mother. Both farms continue to be owned by Passavant, with income from grain sales used for local healthcare. Accepting Rowes award was Don Headen, chairman of the Farm Advisory Committee of the Passavant Area Hospital board of directors. The banquets guest speaker was Michael Alston, associate administrator, deputy manager, FCIC Board, Risk Management Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg. In the fall of 1944, United States Steel Corp. one of seven American steel companies was outproducing the entire German Reich in steel production. Following the war, American manufacturers were supreme in the world. Potential economic rivals of the United States in the free world were either bankrupt (Britain) or in ruins (continental Europe and Japan). One of the oldest rules of conflict and competition is that the winners exalt in their victories while the losers go back to the drawing board. Compare American automobiles from the 1950s through the 1970s with those produced in Europe and Japan. With the exception of massive amounts of decorative chrome, tail fins and sheer size, American cars showed little structural and motive innovation during that period. Cars were being produced in largely the same manner and many in the same old plants as they were immediately following the war. Our former enemies had to design and build manufacturing plants largely from scratch since their industries had been subjected to heavy bombing during the war. America was exalting in victory, while our former enemies went back to their drawing boards. I remember driving a 1978 Malibu Classic many years ago. The heavy steel frame made for a sluggish performance, even with a big V-8 engine providing power through three- and four-speed transmissions. Back then, the big three carmakers complained to Washington about foreign competitors dumping their light, nimble cars on the American market. If the government had given the Big Three what they wanted essentially stifling competition wed probably still be driving cars with outdated designs. Drive a Chevy Malibu today, and youll notice a world of difference. For the most part, the nine-speed transmissions, light unibodies and extremely fuel-efficient engines did not come about because of government commands, but rather as a result of stiff competition. Now the president is threatening to impose heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. I hope this is just a negotiating tactic. Does anyone really believe American steel manufacturing will improve if competitive pressures are relieved by government intrusion? The loss of dominance by American steel manufacturers did not come about because of foreign dumping on the domestic market, according to an article by Stephen Mihm titled How the U.S. Squandered Its Steel Superiority at bloomberg.com. Mihm writes, Unfair trade practices were simply not a factor. Instead, the blame lies with U.S. manufacturers who held onto the so-called open hearth method of steel production decades after its expiration date. Presumably it was the open hearth method that brought victory in war and dominance in the immediate aftermath. Just as with automobile manufacturing, domestic steel producers failed to innovate, due largely to lack of competition. Europeans, though, had no such attachment to the past, perhaps because many factories had been destroyed in the war, writes Mihm. Foreign companies began to innovate while American companies clung to outdated technologies. Mihm brought up Ken Iverson, who took over a conglomerate that eventually became Nucor. Nucor become Americas largest steel producer, largely due to a policy of continuous innovation. The company adopted some of the new methods that made foreign steel so competitive. According to Mihm, in a 1969 interview Iverson said, Its only under intense competitive pressure both internally from the mini-mills, and externally from the Japanese and the Koreans that the big steel companies have been forced to modernize. The tax and deregulation policies of the Trump administration are more likely to produce the desired results in domestic steel and aluminum manufacturing than by reducing competition through the imposition of tariffs. Jacksonville resident Jay Jamison writes each Friday for this page. Sonora, CA A burglar was caught red handed trying to break into a downtown Sonora building early this morning. Neighbors woken by the sound of breaking glass reported a possible break-in to Sonora Police around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. An officer was dispatched to a downtown Sonora building located at 101 South Washington Street and found shattered glass on the sidewalk. Behind the broken display window he discovered 34-year-old Alfred Gumpferpabilona of Sonora attempting to bust through a door to gain access to the building. Pointing a taser at the suspect, the officer ordered him out onto the sidewalk to wait for back up. A search of Gumpferpabilona followed, which turned up marijuana, hydrocodone, and clonazepam. He did not have a prescription for those drugs, according to police. Officers then determined that he was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Gumpferpabilona was arrested for burglary, felony vandalism, possession of narcotics and public intoxication. His bail is set at $15,000. Cal Fire Tuolumne Calaveras Unit HQ sign View Photos Update at 4 p.m.: Firefighters quickly extinguish an escaped debris burn in Calaveras County. The flames broke out around 3 p.m. in the 4960 block of Segale Road off of Moran Road and Highway 4 in the Avery area. CAL Fire reports the fire was contained at .2 acres in about half an hour. Crews will remain on scene for about an hour mopping up and checking for hotspots. No structures were threatened by the flames. Original post at 3:30 p.m.: Avery, CA Firefighters are battling the flames of an escaped debris burn, according to CAL Fire. When crews arrived on the scene in the 4960 block of Segale Road off of Moran Road and Highway 4 in the Avery area the flames had spread to about a quarter to and half acre of grass, which is burning at a slow rate of spread. There is no word as to whether any structures are threatened at this time. We will bring you more details as soon as they come into the news center. Sonora Police Department View Photos Sonora, CA Sonora Police are seeking the publics help to catch the thieves who chased a man, beat him and then stole his backpack. The call came into dispatch around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, requesting officers to respond to a person being chased. Once on scene, the victim relayed that he was sitting near a cement wall at the intersection of Cabezut and Greenley roads when two men came up behind him yelling. He took off running onto Morningstar Drive with the suspects on his heels. One of the men jumped into a red colored Ford Exhibition to give chase and repeatedly tried to cut off the victim while the other continued to pursue him on foot. The victim became tired and could not run any longer. He alleges that is when the suspects jumped him and one punched him in the face. Once on the ground the two men continued punching and kicking him. One of the suspects then grabbed his backpack and took off. He also told police that he did not know the suspects. Officers noted that the victim had visible injuries including a minor cut to his left forearm, but he refused treatment. Police are asking for anyone that may have witnessed the attack or has information regarding the suspects contact the department at 532-8141. CA High-speed Rail Authority logo View Photos Update at 4:15 p.m.: The California High-Speed Rail Authoritys new business plan for 2018 shows a 20 percent jump in the cost of the states bullet train from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The total expense is now slated to cost $77 billion and the opening date has been pushed back four years to 2033. The new figures were announced by the new chief executive Brian Kelly, who has promised more public transparency around the project plagued by delays and rising costs, which include a $3 billion hike on a segment currently under construction in the Central Valley. The Draft 2018 Business Plan presents a strategy to implement the nations first truly high-speed rail system in the face of challenges that projects around the world of similar magnitude and complexity have faced and successfully overcome, said Authority CEO Brian Kelly. The plan reflects our commitment to apply lessons learned and make organizational improvements necessary to deliver this project to initiate high-speed rail service between the Silicon Valley and the Central Valley as soon as possible, while completing environmental work and making important investments in Southern California, Kelly indicated. The last plan put the estimated cost at $64 billion, with a train running between the two major cities by 2029. Click here, to view the entire business plan. Original post at 9:50 a.m.: Sonora, CA A new business plan for Californias bullet train project will be released later today, and the CEO is promising more transparency moving forward. The last update a couple of years ago stated the project would cost around $64-billion and be completed by 2029, connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles. New CEO Brian Kelly stepped into the leadership role this past February, and indicated there could be a bumpier path ahead. Recently there was a $3-billion cost increase on a segment currently under construction in the Central Valley. There are also lingering questions about long-term funding. Voters approved $10-billion in bonds in 2008, and $2.5-billion in federal stimulus money has been spent.